Ch 29

Forest Haven

The Great Sea

Time: Unknown

"What is this? I don't understand this puzzle." Maverick murmured as he looked over the side of the giant tree haven at the water far below them. Waker looked out at the island not far from where they stood, a single pillar that stood out of the ocean. Between them and that pillar were dozens of Peahats littering the air, spinning and eyeing them almost balefully, threatening certain doom if they tried to get past them.

"I think I get it." he remarked and pulled out his telescope, zooming in to look at the pillar, "Yeah, there's a target on that island there. My guess is that we have to get from here to there without getting knocked out by the Peahats." He studied the Peahats themselves. "They have numbers on them. Fives and tens."

Dark Link tucked the Allstar doll under his belt to one side and picked up one of three Deku Leaves piled nearby. He dragged it to show the two other elves.

"I think we use these to fly across. And we have to hit enough Peahats to equal that score there." he pointed out, showing them a billboard floating nearby that displayed a score of five hundred points. Maverick pulled out his gun and took aim.

"No problem." he muttered and fired once. The gun clicked. He blinked and fired again, only to hear it click again. "What the hell happened to my gun?!" The captain opened it up and raged, throwing it into the ocean. "My bullets! That stupid being took all the bullets out of my gun!" he fumed.

"Looks like we're doing it my way." Waker sighed and brought forth the WindWaker baton, summoning the wind with its requiem and sending it to blow towards the pillar. "Okay, everyone grab a leaf!"

In minutes, three elves were flying through the air, kicking and hitting Peahats with their feet and the leaves. Waker let out a happy cry with each Peahat painted with a ten that went down. Maverick kicked viciously at anything that came near him, still fuming over his disarmament. Dark Link lagged behind the two smaller elves, his heavier weight making it difficult to stay afloat. He was able to knock down more of the Peahats in a single leg swipe, but they caught on and hovered above him or below him. The ones above the elves began to inch down and bump at the leaves.

"Waah! They're gonna tear the Deku Leaves! If we fall in the water, we'll fail the test and lose!" Waker cried, flapping the leaf upwards often to knock away the approaching monsters. Maverick looked towards the pillar.

"We're almost to the target! Waker, you'll land first!" he called out and the wide-eyed elf gazed up at the scoreboard, "Don't lose focus! You're going to touch down on that pillar in a few moments!"

"We don't have enough points!" Waker cried again and kicked furiously at the air. "We can't land if we don't have enough points! We'll lose anyway! Help!" The scoreboard, despite all the kicking and lashing they had done, showed they had only a hundred points left to meet the requirements for passing the test. Dark Link gazed up at it, then looked at the two elves struggling to stay afloat and score more Peahat hits.

"I guess... the only way to win is... by sacrifice...." he murmured and sighed. He shouted out at the younger elves. "Waker! Maverick! Go on ahead! I'll score the last points you need!" The two heroes looked back over their shoulders at him in confusion. Dark Link smiled, feeling better about the turn of events. "Don't worry about me! I'm joining my brother! It's what I was going to do anyway when we beat Quinta, but this way is faster!""

"What are you up to, you insane dark elf?!" Maverick yelled, "Don't you dare do anything stupid!" Dark Link only smiled wider and cocked his head.

"Hey, I'd never do anything like that! Just helping you out the best I can! See you later, guys!" he declared and released the leaf in his hands, dropping down towards a large clump of Peahats that had drifted and gathered to escape the kicking.

"Dark Link!!! Nooo!" Waker wailed as the elf splayed himself out and slammed into the whole group of monsters, taking them all down with him as he hit the water and vanished in a burst of light.

"Dammit, I said don't do something stupid!" Maverick hissed as the score rang above the required five hundred hits to fivehundred and thirty.

"Level Five, cleared by two heroes. Access granted to Quinta's Palace." the voice intoned as the two remaining elves landed on the pillar to find a pair of dolls that were left in the wake of Dark Link's fall. One was the Allstar doll that Dark Link had taken, the other a black and silver version of it, sans the medal. The two dolls looked happy as they were in a hug. Waker picked up the plushies and held them tightly, sobbing as the ring of light formed in the floor of the pillar. Maverick watched him, then sighed, softening at the sight. He knelt by Waker and gazed at the dolls.

"Waker, don't think of it as a loss. Think of it like the dolls show. Wherever they are, they're together again, as twin brothers should be." he told him quietly, "Now come on. We're the only ones left to make sure that they can go home together. Let's find and beat Quinta, then we can all go back to our worlds and our lives."

"Why did he have to do this to us? What did we ever do to deserve this?" Waker cried, rubbing at his eyes as he hugged the dolls.

"We're Links, heroes; it sort of comes with our titles." Maverick replied and pat his back, "Come on. Let's get this over with." The WindWaker nodded and stood, placing the hugging duo in his Delivery Bag. The two elves looked at the ring, took deep breaths, and stepped in.

~*~*~*~*~*

Quinta's Palace

Time: Unknown

The walls shone with ethereal light and were draped with pink and gold tapestries. Red carpets with golden tassels laid on the long corridors that stretched out around them. Waker and Maverick stood warily as they looked around. Up ahead of them were large golden doors inlaid with a silver Q that signified who waited for them behind the doors. The two heroes began to walk towards the doors, ignoring the paintings and candles hanging from the walls with the tapestries. The hall was deathly quiet as they reached the doorway and paused.

"I guess, this is it." Waker whispered and cautiously pushed the doors open. A brilliant light shone and then faded to reveal one last puzzle room and the final set of doors. "What?"

"Damn. I had a feeling this would happen." Maverick growled as he ran up to study the new puzzle. A switch was in the center of the room and a pedestal stood on either side of it, ready to accept a sword. Waker watched as Maverick stepped on the switch, but nothing happened.

"What do we do? It wants two swords placed there and someone to stand on the switch. It wants you to solve it." he murmured. Maverick shook his head.

"Either one of us can do it. You still have Allstar's Master Sword on your back. You never took it off." he pointed out and Waker looked back at it in surprise.

"That's right. I picked it up and wore it when Allstar was carrying you through the other rooms. So which one of us is going to solve the puzzle?" Waker asked.

"Hee hee! This puzzle is different! I made it especially to keep too many people from facing me. If all of you had made it, there would be more puzzles here in this room." Quinta's voice taunted, "One of you can open the door by activating the switch, but the one who does will be caught by my trap! So make a choice and decide who opens the door and who will face me!"

"I hate this being the more I have to go through this crap." Maverick griped and stood back. "Waker, do you think you can take on Quinta?" The elf shook his head, eyes wide. "Why not?"

"Because I've never faced off against a god before! You have! You do it all the time!" Waker exclaimed. Maverick shook his head and frowned.

"The Entities are different. They are god-like but they can still die and be killed by mortal things. I have technology to help me, but you have magic and the wind to help you." he replied. "I think you'll be the better candidate to fight Quinta."

"But... how?" Waker whimpered. Maverick pulled forth the twin Master Swords and stepped onto the switch.

"It's a feeling I have. Waker, my heart is just starting to understand emotions again. I've been so cold and isolated for so long, I wouldn't know where to start now in figuring out subtle things." he remarked, "You've seen how I solve issues. I fight and shoot and stab and basically go on a killing spree. You have the ability to stop and think things through and use the wind and time to enhance it. You have a heart of gold and a lot of courage." Maverick smiled brightly at him, the first genuine smile of good nature he had given anyone in years. "I believe in you, Waker! You can stop Quinta and save all the worlds! So go on and be a hero for your world, my world, and the dimensions of all the Links that ever existed and will come to exist!" With that, he swung the swords around and plunged them in unison into the pedestals.

"Maverick!!" Waker cried as the doors flung themselves open and a bright white light engulfed the captain, swallowing him and the trap switch. A small doll dropped in his place, dressed in black armor and red cape with two little swords in its hands. Waker scooped it up and hugged it, sobbing softly. "I'm alone now. I'm all by myself. Maverick, why? Why did you think I could do anything now?"

"I believe in you, Waker! We all do! Don't give up! You can do it!" the voice of Maverick seemed to echo into his mind and he stood up, studying the smiling doll.

"Quinta thinks he can break us by making us fall like this to his stupid tests. Well, I'm going to prove him wrong! I'll fight for you all, guys!" Waker declared and slid the doll into his bag, pulling the Master Sword, his Master Sword, from its scabbard and marching to the door. "I won't let your sacrifices be in vain! I'll make sure that we all go home to our rightful worlds and have peace!" he exclaimed and raced through the doorway, "Here I come, Quinta!"