CHAPTER 18

As the group continue their journey, Naranjo begins hearing things.

"General!...Naranjo!...Help!"

"Everything alright?" Yashil asks.

"I don't know, but I think I'm getting used to these visions." Naranjo replies. "Now I'm hearing some kind of cries from the forest."

"What's going on?" Azura asks concerned

"I don't know," says Naranjo I'm certain they are in trouble, I can almost hear them calling out for help! They're calling...for me!"

"Well" Yashil says. "You know what Azura said. You need to stick with the group."

"No," Naranjo says. "I can't leave them like this...they need me!"

"Listen" Yashil says. "This is your final warning. You stick with the group. You have no idea what'll await you if you leave us.

"Fine," says Naranjo. "I'll stay with the group".

They continue, but the cries begin sounding clearer to Naranjo. "Help us General Naranjo! It's Bowser! It's Ganon! They've taken us hostage!"

"General Naranjo!" Yashil shouts as he slaps him. "We need you to return to us immediately!"

"Sorry guys," Naranjo says. "Something's happening to me. Something I can't explain...These darn woods keep trying to take hold of me!"

"It's alright, General," Azura says. "It happens to everyone who enters."

In the airship above them, Burnscar, Dark Mario, and Phantom Ganon are quite upset. "I told you that simple cries for help wouldn't have worked!" Dark Mario scolds Phantom Ganon!

"Shut up, slick!" Phantom Ganon shouts. "We can't afford any mistakes now."

"Well, we still have a certain thing we can use!" Burnscar says, preparing a mirror.

The path in the Sea of Trees meets a cliffside. On the other side of the cliff, there is a massive chasm. In the bottom of the chasm, a huge lake stretches out below them, filling it nearly halfway.

"Now" Yashil says. "That's quite a lake! It must be feeding water to all these trees!"

The group begin to head around the lake, but notice the path becoming smaller and smaller. Soon the path gives out under the feet of Zelda, who falls into the lake.

"Oh no!" she cries.

SPLOOSH!

Zelda soon wakes up alone on a small beach...somehow completely dry. She begins searching for the others but finds nothing but sand and empty space. She begins to panic and looks behind her but sees nothing. She begins to cry.

Suddenly she hears a voice call out to her. "Aren't you happy, Zelda? You don't have to worry about anyone anymore."

She whips around and sees a large bird sitting on a nearby rock. She screams and runs back to the ocean and begins wailing.

"I'm sorry Zelda '' the bird calls out. "I didn't mean to scare you, I am just curious. Who are you? Why do you weep?"

"I'm Zelda," she replies. "I'm not sure why am I crying."

"I see," says the bird. "I understand, I have seen your ancestors and your descendants" it squawks. "You have run several different kingdoms in several different ways".

"So you know about my family?" Zelda asks.

"Indeed" he answers "I once was an ally of Ganon's, but when he turned on me, I fled to this beach, where I have lived for many years."

"You don't ever miss having others around you?" Zelda asks.

"Not really," he replies. "The only thing that bothers me is that after so long I have not found a mate yet. I would love to have a companion to share my life with". He turns his head "Have you found a mate yet, Princess Zelda?"

"No," she replies.

He nods his head and then flies up and circles above her. "Well then, perhaps we could get to know each other better" he says.

Zelda blushes slightly and smiles. "Uh no, I don't think that'll work. For you see, I'm not a bird and you aren't a Hylian."

"Yes, I suppose that does make sense," he replies, landing back on his perch. "I apologize for being presumptuous"

"It's fine," she says. "I'm sure we could still be friends".

"Friends? Like we're just doing everything for business?" the bird squawks.

"No," she replies. "I mean, yes. I do all this for business. I also enjoy doing it, though. So you can be my friend too"

The bird bows his head. "At your service, Princess Zelda...but isn't everyone?"

"What?" Zelda asks.

"Everyone," he says. "Every single person in the world is my friend, even those who hate me and wish for my death. Everyone is my friend. Everyone in Hyrule is ruled by you, they like you...but something tells me you do not feel loved."

"How do you know?" she asks.

"I can hear the voices of the people," he replies. "I can hear the thoughts of everyone I meet. I can hear every word they speak."

The bird turns its head...and turns it...and turns it...until it completely falls off!

"AND THEY ALL HATE YOU!" says the detached bird head.

Emerging from the bird is a ReDead!

"You're not my friend!" Zelda screams, turning away from its gaze.

The ReDead takes a step forward as the disembodied bird head laughs. "Of course I am your friend Princess Zelda, you must never forget that."

"No!" she says. "You're...you're just an illusion!"

The ReDead continues lurching as the Bird's Head continues laughing. "Now, Princess, we all have our secrets. It's time I reveal mine, it's time I show you what I truly am. I'm not an illusion!

The ReDead grows to an immense size and jumps towards Zelda, but she blasts it away with magic!

"Now now Princess, that's enough of that" says the Bird Head. "You know perfectly well that you cannot defeat us. I can destroy you and all your friends without breaking a sweat...and it will be ALL...YOUR...FAULT!"

"Never!" she replies.

The ReDead gets angry. It releases a blast of dark energy from its eye. It slams into her, sending her flying back.

"I'm sorry Princess, but I can't stop this. Much like you can't stop what has happened to your Kingdom.." the Bird Head squawks.

The ReDead raises its hands in the air to crush Zelda, only for it to get shot with several arrows.

"That's right" yells a voice from the trees "We caught ya!"

Zelda turns to see Link with a bow in one hand and the master sword in the other. Next to him is Peach

"It's been a while since I've seen you, Link" says Zelda. She then blasts the ReDead again. This time it seems to explode, sending out several pieces of itself.

The blast forces Zelda back into reality, she's soaking wet in a cave. The group all arrive and pick her up.

"You ok?" Peach asks.

"Yeah," Zelda says. "I'm fine"

"Are you sure?" Peach asks

"Yes," Zelda replies. "Why?"

Peach sighs. "You were screaming something about ReDeads and everything being your fault.."

"It's...It's nothing." Zelda says. She wraps her arms around Link. "I'm so thankful you found me! Never leave my side again!"

Link is shocked and shoots a silent look of confusion at Peach.

"Come on," Peach says. "Let's go"

Zelda lets go of Link, shaking. As the airship above them hoists up a giant mirror, then moves out ahead of them to a clearing not too far from their location..