Warnings: Teenage emotions. Ugh. Nejora being..., well, himself. And a little insight into his whole... philosophy or whatever.

Chapter 24
Nejora tossed in his bed. He finally got up, no longer ignoring Delyn's ever-changing emotions. He was glad they still had the bond from childhood, but it did get annoying when Delyn was remembering something. Nejora walked out of his chamber and down the hall, down a staircase to the 'throne' room, around a corner to a bookshelf, touched the side to make it slide and reveal a passage, down the passage, and up a staircase Nejora could barely fit through. Around a corner, down a hall, second door on the left. Nejora opened it, but Delyn was not in her room. The balcony, he thought. Sure enough, as he neared the door to the balcony, Nejora felt Delyn's troubled mind pulse stronger in his own mind. He also heard music coming form outside.

He opened the door and stepped out. Delyn was at the edge of the railing. She was back in her lavender tunic, her hair wild and down, back to her original look. Facing away from the fortress, Delyn played a song on a Skullkid flute. The song would rise and fall in pitch, happy at some notes, sad at others. It was the same basic notes repeated over and over again, just played differently throughout the song. Nejora stood there, absorbed in the melody. He wondered what else there was to Delyn he had missed out on.

The sound of more flutes joined with Delyn. Nejora looked around to see how this could be, but found no source. The only explanation was it had something to do with Delyn's magic. Nejora smiled, proud of how far she was progressing. He'd taught her much in the little time she'd been there.

Delyn stopped playing. "You want something?"

"You seemed troubled."

"Hmm."

"What's wrong?"

Delyn was quiet. When she spoke it was more to herself than to Nejora. "That was the Song of Storms. He taught it to me."

"Who?"

"Link. It was the first thing he taught me. It was a sign of friendship. He would play it on his Fairy Ocarina, and I would follow along on a flute," Delyn turned to Nejora. "I'm going to find him."

Nejora knew this was coming. And he had the perfect comeback. "Did you feel him today in the Spirit Temple?"

"What?" Delyn looked surprised. "He was there? I didn't feel-"

"That's because his friendship with you is broken. You no longer share a mental bond with him because he has forgotten you. That's why he did not reveal himself."

Delyn's head drooped. It's taking too long for her to come of her own will. I've got to give her a push if the Power is to be regained, Nejora thought. Begging Din to forgive him for what he was about to do, and insisting it was for the greater purpose, Nejora approached Delyn. He gripped a dart behind his back. Delyn looked into his eyes, tears on her cheeks. His heart pounding, Nejora grabbed Delyn around the waist, and kissed her. At the same moment, he pressed the dart into her neck, letting the dark magic run into her veins. After a few seconds, Nejora pulled the dart back out and flicked it away with his hand. He then released Delyn.

Delyn's eyes fluttered for a moment. She then looked at Nejora. Nejora decided to see if his plan had worked. "Delyn, Link never truly cared about you. He knows who your father was, and he doesn't care that he is the reason you've been alone most of your life."

Delyn spoke with a new edge to her voice. "All he cares about is that Zelda."

"Yes! Think of all he's done for her. He went away for two years because she asked him to."

"I have no family because of him."

"Yes. Delyn, there's something else I want you to know. Your family, it was once the rightful owners of the throne of Hyrule."

"What?"
"But Zelda's family overthrew it!" Nejora stopped, letting his words sink to their target.

Delyn looked at the flute in her hand. No! Nejora thought at her. That means nothing to you! Let anger fuel your soul! Feel the darkness in your blood, the blood of your lost parents!

Delyn gripped the flute. "I've been on the wrong side. Hyrule's governed by evil!"

"No, Delyn. Hyrule is governed by good. But good is not all that it seems. It doesn't work for everyone, only for people at the top. People who are important. Not for people who are cheated out of what's rightfully theirs."

"What am I?"

"What does your heart tell you?"
Delyn looked back at the flute. Her eyes narrowed. Blast it, Nejora told her. Delyn turned to the desert sands. Then, she threw the flute as hard as she could. She watched it sail, then it started to arch downward.

Delyn snapped her arm up and blasted the flute to bits with a shadow blast. "My heart tells me this is right, but something's missing."

"Do you know what that something is?"

"The blast should be darker. More powerful."

"Yes. Dark magic should be infused with it." Say it, say what your father wants you to say!

"I want my father back!"

Close enough. "Delyn, there is no true evil. Only insane maniacs. But you are not insane. You could do great things with your powers. Even bring back your father."

"How?"

Nejora grinned. "The first step lies with the royal family."

Dark: Delyn's gone to the Dark Side! (Enter Star Wars music.) Okay, okay. But really. Um, main thing I want to say, is that in one of the future chapters (like 25 or something), just remember that what Nejora did in this chapter was because he needed to in order for his plan for 'the greater good' to work. He is not some sicko. Kapeesh? Good.