SSBM Master: Ok, my cat's down from the roof, it's on my lap and now that I've resisted the urge to stroke it and say "We meet again, Mr Bond." I can carry on with my story. I do not own any of the Zelda characters, items, locations or plotlines. Enjoy!

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Chapter 12: The shadow sage

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Tetra asked. Link nodded, though he was having trouble convincing himself. They were about to land and now that they were right next to the island, it became all too clear that they were too late.

The gigantic tree stump that made up the island was charred and in some places, still alight. The vegetation that Link would normally step on when he arrived was a grey ash. Even the absence of the Deku Baba's made him feel empty. Link could only dread what had happened to the Great Deku Tree. James looked speechless. Link half-expected him to get angry again, but the whole situation was just too grim for arguments. As they landed Link suddenly remembered that Aryll hadn't seen what they had, and decided to go below deck to see her.

"I better get Aryll." Link said. James nodded but otherwise showed no sign that he had even heard Link. Tetra had her hand clasped over her mouth and didn't say a word. Feeling a heavy sense of melancholy, Link trudged below deck.

He found Aryll with a crossbow aiming at a target. She had lodged a surprising amount of arrows into the bull's-eye. She fitted another arrow into the crossbow, steadied her arm, and fired. It joined the other arrows in the targets centre.

"Yess!" Aryll cried, punching the air with her free fist. She did a celebration spin and caught sight of Link watching her. "Hey, big bro. Did you see that shot? I'm getting really good at this."

"Not too shabby," said Link forcing a grin for her. "Listen Aryll…"

"You know I think I might ask Tetra if I can have this," Aryll interrupted. She seemed very pleased with her newfound talent. "After all, if we're going on this dangerous mission with monsters and such…And of course you never know when else it would come in handy…"

"Aryll," Link continued firmly, "we made it to the Forest Haven. But…Gannondorf got here first." Aryll made a small gasp. "Tetra, James and I are going ashore to make total sure. Do you want to come?" Aryll didn't say anything for a while. "Aryll?"

"Y-yes I'll go." She said. "Just give me a minute." Aryll hastily went over to the target and collected the arrows from it. "Ready."

* * *

"Did there used to be a stream here?" Aryll asked. The four of them were walking along a path that Aryll noticed had been shaped by water.

"Yes," said Link. "It came through the centre of the island." Aryll felt miserable, but that was only to be expected in such a gloomy environment. Link had told her all about the Forest Haven. That it had been a place of peace and tranquillity. A place where life sprung around every corner. Now it looked like a giant ashtray.

James, who had been leading the group, suddenly thrust his arm out and it caught Link's chest.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. Aryll strained her ears but couldn't hear a thing. She looked at Tetra who seemed puzzled. Link however drew his sword and said

"Get ready." Aryll fitted an arrow into her crossbow and waited. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then she looked up to the sky. Three giant moths were descending on them. They were black, with highly fluorescent wings. At first, she thought they were beautiful, but after realising that not only did Link have his sword out, but so did James and Tetra, who had brought a short sword with her, did she realise that the moths were enemies.

Aryll raised her crossbow and fired, hitting the left one square on in the middle. Of it's wing. Its wing was ripped from its body, causing it to crash in front of her. The other two moths went to dive bomb James and Link. Tetra leapt to Aryll by slicing the other wing off.

Aryll made a satisfied smile and prepared to finish the moth with another crossbow bolt when it suddenly fired a load of spiny little lava at her from out of it's thorax. They attached to her, their shallow spines hanging onto her clothes, some managing to pierce her skin.

* * *

Link heard one of the girls scream but he had no time to check which one. His moth was still dive-bombing him. It tried again but was not so lucky this time. Link leapt into the air and impaled it with his blade. The moth vanished in a puff of purple smoke, allowing Link to check on the others. Tetra was wrestling with hers wildly attempting to inflict a fatal blow and Aryl was rolling about on the floor, the spiny creatures stuck to her.

Link quickly ran to Tetra and literally stabbed the moth in the back. Then he proceeded to Aryll and helped her with her mini attackers. He helped her shake them off and tried to make sure she was ok but Aryll seemed more keen to stamp on all the creatures before talking to him.

"Come on," came James's voice from behind Link, as he tried to calm Aryll down. "Lets go see what's left."

They all entered the main area of Forest Haven. The ground, even where the water had been, was hard and cracked. The bushes, like those outside were a grey ash. But worst of all was the Great Deku Tree. What had once been rich full wood was now black and charred. The Deku Tree was unmistakably dead.

Link felt his knee's give way. The Great Deku Tree…The kind, gentle, noble forest spirit that had stood for a thousand years was now little more than charcoal.

"I'm sorry Link." He heard James say. He sounded very distant.

"You were right." Link told him. "We should never have stayed."

"It wouldn't have made a difference." James said. "This happened a while ago."

"Actually it happened yesterday." Said a voice from behind them. Link and the other's span round to see a figure standing in the shadows. He was wearing a hooded cloak and had a large spear in his right arm. "It's such a pity. They came and took one of the Kokroks. When this great tree tried to stop them, they set it on fire. Of all the days they could have come, they chose yesterday."

"What's so special about yesterday?" Link asked. The hooded figure did not seem to be an immediate threat, but Link wasn't ready to trust him yet. His voice sounded like that of an old man's so he couldn't be that dangerous anyway. Although there was that spear…

"I thought you of all people would know, Link." Link jumped, the stranger knew his name. "Yesterday was the day of the annual forest festival. The one-day when all the Kokroks gather together." Link stood there. How could he have forgotten? James was next to speak.

"How do you know all this?"

"I was here. I saw the whole thing. I had to hide from them. After they murdered the Deku Tree I stayed with it. I watched this land change. You see without the Great Deku Tree's magic, this place has turned into a barren wasteland on the space of twelve hour." He paused for a moment. "I would have tried to fight them off, but then Gannondorf would have acquired two sages instead of one."

Link's senses suddenly snapped into focus at that. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I am the shadow sage!"

* * *

There was a long pause that was broken by James.

"No your not." He said. The hooded figure turned to look at him.

"Why not?" he asked politely

"Because my medallion burns whenever a sage is near and it hasn't done that since I met Medli." The 'shadow sage' sighed and then said:

"How many sages have you come into contact with?" he asked. James counted them off in his head.

"Three," answered James. "Aryll, Tetra and Medli. Four if I include myself"

"Do not include yourself." Said the figure. "Now how many times has your medallion burned since you claimed it?"

"Three," said James automatically. The figure shook his head.

"Try again, how many times has your medallion burned since you claimed it?" James thought. It burned when he first touched it but the man had said not to include that. It burned when he first met Aryll, that's one. It burned when he first saw Tetra, two. And when he first came into contact with Medli, three.

But wait there was one other time. Right after he had saved Aryll it burned again.

"Four," he said, but that was just a second time for Aryll. The figure shook his head.

"The medallion burns once for each sage. That time, Gannondorf had registered me."

"But that's impossible," said Aryll. "unless…" something had suddenly dawned on her. "your…" The figure took off his cloak and James was amazed to see the old man who had tried to save Aryll. The shadow sage was none other than Orca!

* * *

Link's mouth fell open.

"How…how…" he stuttered.

"Did I find out?" asked Orca pleasantly. It was all thanks to our friendly postman Quill. Whilst you were preparing for Komali's ascension, he had flown over to deliver a letter to Outset. On his way he noticed several wooden submarines heading in the same direction and quickly overtook them to warn us. The villagers quickly headed to Windfall for their own protection. I however didn't. You see, whilst drifting in and out of consciousness during the battle on Outset, I noticed James grab his medallion as he approached Aryll and I. I assumed it must have burned and now that I realised Subs were coming, I naturally assumed they must be after me.

Quill also told me that you were heading to the Forest Haven so I decided to meet you there and that is how I witnessed this great tree's demise."

Nobody said anything for a while

"Right," James said "we now know who all the sages are and…" he looked up at the sky. "Its midnight…the fourth day has begun." Link suddenly realised what that meant.

"We've got to get to the forsaken fortress now" he said suddenly. "We have to rescue Medli and Makar before the next midnight."

"He's right!" Tetra said, jumping to her senses. Orca smiled.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Gannondorf looked down from his tower onto his troops. There was at least ten times as many guarding the fortress now. A moblin suddenly came running up to him.

"Lord…Gannon…dorf…" it panted.

"What is it?"

"Our spies tell us that the hero of winds and the sages are on there way here." Gannondorf continued to look upon his troops.

"Let them come." He said savagely, "They will not make it out of my fortress alive. It will take a miracle for them to win this fight…and there hasn't been one of those for a very…long…time!

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SSBM Master: Well now we know who all the sages are. I think Orca fits the shadow sage pretty well. (I mean how many shadowy looking good guys are there?) Thank for all the reviews. Keep em comin!