Okay, so I'm just going to put a small warning here. Link fans may cry and want to stab me with a spoon. Please, don't. It's not very nice and it doesn't feel good :(

Other than that small tidbit, I hope you enjoy!

Please read and rate/comment, I'd love to hear what you have to say!


The Other Hero of Time

Chapter 12

I wake up to the sound of water crashing gently near me, echoing in the distance. Getting up with my head still soar and pounding from getting hit, I find my hands now tied securely behind my back. I look around to see that I'm stuck in a tent made out of thick tree limbs with the entrance gated off with one of those human-like monsters standing guard with a horn on its belt. It hasn't noticed my change in consciousness yet.

Great… I'm sure if it'll alert its buddies if I make too much of a fuss. I stand clumsily, almost falling back onto my face; I curse under my breath as I catch myself. This must be an enemy camp, but this doesn't make sense. Where did that man go? Was he one of the enemy? Well, I guess he would've kept my conscious if he wasn't… But if he was an enemy, he would've killed me.

Getting annoyed with my bindings, I try to get my hands to my sword holster, thinking I could try to sever them with it, but find it and its holster missing from my belt. With a panic, my mind starts racing, trying to remember what I did with it. Okay, I remember putting it in my holster when I was walking through the woods before, then I was knocked out. Then that means that man must've taken it while I was out! I better find a way out of here so I can get that back!

I look around, searching for a sharp edge somewhere to cut the rope, figuring that one of these posts must have a large enough splint on it. After a careful glance around my cell, I find an edge of bark sticking out of one of the limbs. I smile as I slit the ropes and free my hands, rubbing my soar wrists. I better make sure they didn't take anything else.

I search my stuff, checking off each item in my mind as I find them. Strange… It seems that only my blade is missing. The left the stone and that bottle from Renado alone…

Making sure the watchman doesn't notice me, I try to see outside the tent, only to find other monsters wondering about in the mildly grassy terrain. They're traveling between tents, carrying bludgeons, whips, and horns from their hips. I sigh, knowing that getting out of here unnoticed isn't going to be an easy task, if possible at all. I sit down in defeat and lean my back against the wall, trying to think of something, anything to escape.

I can't stay here and wait for them to kill me. I need to get out of here, but how? I can't faze through the walls. I sigh with my head hanging low, feeling defeated. I know I had to get out of here before something bad happens. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something small moving by the wall. I walk over to it to see a string of ants crawling under the wooden barrier. I smirk to myself, an idea comes to my mind, making me proud of my wit. That's it! Now to find something to dig with…

I survey the area, searching for a large, pointed rock or sturdy stick to dig with. After a moment, I spot a black rock in the grass and as I get closer to it, I can see a design glowing in orange on it. It steadily glows in intervals of bright to dull. Well this is defiantly not a normal rock. I wonder where it came from…

As I go to pick it up, my mark begins to glow in intervals that seem to increase in speed as my hand gets closer. The rock begins to synchronize with my now brightly pulsating mark. I look at it confused, unsure if I should pick it up or just leave it be. Not seeing any other good digging rocks around me, I continue to pick it up. When I have it in my palm for just a few seconds, everything begins to burn, starting from my hand and extending out to reach every part of my body. In immeasurable pain, I tumble over onto the ground, afraid to scream and alert the watchman. All I can do is let out choked grunts and whines as pain overtakes my nerves. Everything begins to pound in a rapid speed and I find it hard to breath. I can feel my body reacting to the strange power that seems to be emanating from that rock and I begin to panic, not knowing what's happening to me. I begin to fear that this is it. This is the pathetic end of a replacement hero, being killed by a strange rock that barely fits in my palm.

When the pain finally fades into a numbing state, my breath becomes steadier and more normal, but I don't feel like myself anymore. My sight is different, somehow darker and hazed, yet sharper. I feel warmer, too; much warmer. I stand, finding that I have paws instead of legs and a furry tail to match. What the hell?! What happened to me?!

I look at the stone again, now afraid of the strange object. I step towards it and instinctually sniff it like a dog would, but I'm careful not to touch it. There has to be a reason this is here. It wasn't just put here for me to find… could it?

I sniff it again knowing that dogs have a strong sense of smell, I could track whoever dropped it or where they came from. With the sent now etched into my mind, I begin to find it faintly familiar, as if I've smelt it before. I gasp as much as a dog can as I remember where I've smelt it. Link! Link was here! But that means he was captured, too… I have to find him!

I search for a place sturdy enough to dig under and start moving the dirt awkwardly, still not used to having paws. It's hard for me to dig, my moments being so slow and awkward. When I finally make a space large enough to crawl under, I stop and look back at the stone pondering whether I should or not. I can't get out looking like this. I mean, those monsters won't recognize me, but Link won't either. I wonder if I can change back into a human. There's has to be some way to turn me back to normal.

Walking towards the shining stone, I find myself afraid to touch it again; fearing the pain that will come with transforming again, but I continue to touch it with my paw any way. My breath escapes me as the pain again returns to take over and batter my nerves. My body burns as it had before, but this time, the pain isn't as unbearable. It's like taking a walk on an excruciatingly hot summer's day while you have a headache. Painful enough to complain, but bearable enough to make it through

When the pain begins to numb, I know that the transformation is near completion. These few seconds of this feeling of near death will soon be over. It takes a moment, but I begin to feel my muscles stop burning, yet still ache. I let out a sigh of relief as I sit up off the ground, seeing returned to my human form with hands and feet; no tail included. I then look at the stone, not knowing what to do with the cursed thing. I need to return this to Link, but I surely can't just pick it up. I'll just turn back into a dog…

With an epiphany, I take off one of my empty pouches and scoop it carefully; closing the pouch securely and reattaching it to my belt. Hopefully it won't fall out. Now I better find Link before it's too late.

I crawl out my little burrow and stay close to the tent, seeing other monsters placed close by. To my luck, they don't wonder too close by. They're too busy with other things to notice an escapee right under their noses. When I think the coast is clear, I dash from tent to tent, wanting to stay out of sight.

With each sprint, the fear of the worst races through my mind. Being caught by the horrid monstrosities while they batter me with their whips and bludgeons. Finding out who captured me and figuring out what they're planning to do with me. It scares me, but I know I can't let it happen. I need to reach the next Spirit Spring and, more importantly, find Link before something bad happens.

Reaching a tent near the far end of the camp, I find an abundance of Link's stuff piled in it. Now I surely can't carry all of this stuff and not get caught, but it looks like some of this can be of use to me. Hopefully Link won't mind if I borrow a couple three items…

I rummage through the items, finding everything except our swords in the pile. I take no time to linger over the thought and search for other things that could be just as useful. I take the slingshot and bow, along with a large quiver of arrows and a bag of seeds for ammo. There's no time to waist.

Surveying the area, I find that the monsters decreasing as the move west up the slope caressing the rock wall. I follow them at a careful distance behind them as they head to the bridge towering above this lake, making sure that they won't see me as I track them; hoping to find Link along the way. I discover that the majority of the group is abandoning their posts to head up the cliff towards the grand stone bridge that hangs above the lake. Suspicious why the whole group is heading up, I look up at the bridge, searching for an answer. In the center, I spot device that dangles off the side of the bridge with a little green figure swaying slowly back and forth at its end. I gasp seeing that he's not only out cold, but injured as well. Link!

"You monsters are going to pay…" I growl, readying my bow as my anger begins to boil over. I load three of my sharpest arrows carefully in the bow, preparing to strike. I aim just above the group knowing I can't take out the two dozen that are heading up there all at once on my own. Hold on, Link.

When I release my arrows, I smirk seeing that I hit my desired targets, then quickly hide in a crevice of the cliff. I listen to a couple scream as their killed and the group stampeding angrily back towards the camp with shrieks and yells for battle, trying to figure out who had attacked. As the last of them quickly shuffle pass by me with a rumble of their feet, I double check by barely glancing around; my gaze hitting Link once again, continuing to fuel my anger. When they've finally gone a good enough distance, I begin to dash up the steep hill, knowing that there's no more time to spend trying to deceive these fools. I find it imperative to reach Link as fast as I can, no matter the cost.

With the bridge within distance, I see a monster baring my sword on its hip and a sparkling key. Blind with only my objective in mind, I shoot an arrow at its neck to prevent it from calling to the others and grab my blade along with the key. Just as I look up, a group of the monsters start heading towards me while the other half stay behind, preceding to throw rocks at Link's limp body. That only increases my rage.

"Aaagh! Die!" I yell as I slash the monsters down as the come at me. I run towards the monsters surrounding Link enraged, not sparing a single one of them of my fury. With them all dead, I walk swiftly towards Link, seeing that he's chained to a large weight. I let out a breath knowing that I got here on time to save him from being drowned. I begin to take out the key I found on one of the monsters, saying with some relief, "Now to get you out of here."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a man with silver hair behind me. I turn, baring my fangs protectively, not wanting anyone else to injure Link. He smirks at me, and then takes out Link's elegant sword from his dirtied holster. He holds the tip of the blade with one hand and the hilt with his right, his eyes piercing up at me. "We meet again, Nasia."

"You must be the man who knocked me out earlier." I grow standing between him and Link, now recalling him to be the man from my memory. "And the trader who led the enemy to our camp."

"You got the second half right, but I'm afraid you're mistaken on the first. We found you knocked out at our doorstep." He chuckles menacingly. I can tell it's something I've heard before from the familiar icy chill that travels up my spine. "I see your memory is still hazed over, isn't it?"

"Not so much to forget a face belonging to the enemy." I bluff, raising my sword. "Who're you working for?!"

"Heh, you really are in the dark. No matter. That just makes this all the more interesting." He steps closer, keeping Link's blade low. "I admit, I didn't think I would see you outside the walls of your cell again. You must've gotten help somehow, but I suppose you don't remember that either."

"Just who are you?!" I yell angrily, knowing that he's a powerful threat. A threat I can't lose to.

"I'm sure you'll remember in time, but for now, I have more important things to take care of. Like you're little friend here." He steps towards the device with a smug smile still firmly planted on his face. I stay close to Link's side, glaring at this silver haired man. "He sure is becoming a nasty little thorn in my side, especially since he tried so hard to keep you a safe distance from me. A noble effort, but he failed nonetheless as you can obviously see… Tell me, what does this man mean to you?"

"That's none of your business." I growl, not wanting to give away his identity, though I'm pretty sure he already knows.

"You may be right, but even so, he wears the tunic of the hero of legend. Link, was it?" He smirks moving his blade over it and I block, keeping our blades a good distance from the rope. "I can't ignore the Hero of Time so pitifully at my mercy. I wonder… Do you think if I get rid of him now, will you still continue to exist? Or will you disappear?"

"I won't let you harm him!" I yell infuriated. "You were able to steal the lives of my people, but I won't let another fall to you."

"Why don't you try to protect him from yourself?" He sneers as he forces our blades down and cuts the rope with my blade. I growl, slashing at him with blind rage. He jumps back, dropping Link's blade as a dark portal appears behind him. "I say he has no more than a few minutes to live. Till our next meeting, fair Nasia."

With that, he disappears into the portal, but I have no time to reflect on what he had said. I make a mad dash for Link's blade and cram it in my holster with my own sword before diving down to follow him down to the water below.

He hits the water with a hard splash a good five seconds before I do. Each of those seconds pass as slow as hours. It feels as if it's taking me too long to follow him into the water. My skin stinging from impact, but I try not to focus on that. I look down to see Link sinking quickly below into the dark. I start swimming towards him awkwardly, figuring out that I don't really know how to swim. I only swim down faster with a racing heart, seeing the air bubbles trickling up from Link's limp body. As I grow closer, I see that his eyes are barely open, fluttering as his breath is lost in the water.

No! I manage to grab him and prevent him from sinking further. I take out the key from my pouch again, almost dropping it as I do. I work as quickly as I can to unlock his shackles, making fumbles as I struggle to get the key in the lock. Once he's unchained, I begin to drag him to the distant surface that sits above us. Just bear with me a little longer, Link.

I try to ignore the very little air in my lungs as I move my soar muscles as fast and powerfully as I can. Though it's hard to ignore a pain as prominent as this; it feels as if I'm trying to move mountains as my limbs make each stroke through the water. One glance at Link's unconscious figure is enough to give me some strength to swim just a bit longer. I can't let him die. There's so many people that depend on him and look up to him… including me.

And then, finally, I break from the water's heavy hold as we're exposed to the cool air that gently wisps around us. I leave no time for rest as I take in a huge gasp and begin swimming to the shore with the same pace. Dragging Link with me, I pull him out of the water and quickly try to tend to him.

I hover over him, seeing his face still. He doesn't even cough or breathe as I shake his limp body. At that moment, when he looks so tranquil, I feel everything that I know shatter.

"No…"