11. Shadow and Sheik

The evil frickin' well had scared me so much that I played the Prelude of Light as soon as I got out of it and yanked the Master Sword out of the Pedestal. I was actually glad to have my fantasy-Zelda pop into my head the moment the light cleared and I was back in the future.

I sighed with relief.

"I thought you liked being a kid," Navi said.

"I do, I was just…" I trailed off.

"Scared?"

"Maybe."

"So ten-year-olds can be scared, but seventeen-year-olds can't?"

"And I thought you didn't understand Hylians," I grinned.

"Come on," Navi led the way to the door, sounding exasperated. "Let's go find Epona."

I played the Serenade of Water to avoid passing through the ReDeads, then crossed into Hyrule Field before calling Epona with her song. "Where to?" I asked Navi.

"Uhh…"

"Ha!" I exclaimed triumphantly. "For once, you don't know either."

"Shut up or I'll tell Sheik you've got dandruff," she muttered angrily.

"I don't have dandruff!"

"No, but you've got earrings and a ponytail under your hat."

"So?" I tugged at one of the earrings. "I think they're cool."

"Yeah, for girls."

I bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I think Sheik doesn't want you close to him for a reason."

"I am not like that!"

"I know." Instantly, Navi's anger was gone. "Just messin' with ya. Come on," she ducked into my hat, "let's go visit the Gerudos."

Navi had a point, about the Gerudos, not about my sexual orientation. Although Sheik was pretty…well, pretty. But I didn't like him like that, I didn't!

Right, back to the Gerudos. The thing is, despite his being their king, I'd never really associated Ganondorf with the Gerudos. True, I'd only met one Gerudo in my entire life, but she didn't seem evil. She was just guarding their fortress, nothing bad about that. And though the rest of them were rumored to be thieves…I don't know. I just couldn't associate the two.

So to me the Gerudos were just another race, who had probably been screwed over by Ganon.

And my hypothesis seemed to correct, 'cause when we got to the Gerudo Valley the bridge was broken and there wasn't a Gerudo in sight.

"Woah," I said.

"That the best you can come up with?" Navi asked dryly. She bobbed out of my hat and looked at the bridge. "Woah."

"Come on Epona," I kicked her into gear. "Hah!"

We charged the broken bridge at top speed, and Epona made a flying leap across the broken spot, landing us safely on the other side.

"That. Was. So cool!" I punched the air joyfully. "Epona, you rock!" Then I noticed a person standing nearby. Someone I honestly hadn't expected.

It was the boss carpenter, standing near a large tent and looking imperious.

"Hey," I said suddenly. "I know what I should do." I climbed off Epona and dug around in the saddlebag, finally withdrawing the poacher's saw. "Hey carpenter guy," I walked over to him. "Recognize this?"

"Why yes!" He exclaimed. "I left that saw with my wife, how did you get it?"

"I, uh, found it in the woods," I didn't think it was my job to tell him where his son had been.

"Thank you young man," he took the saw and started to feel around in his pockets. "I wish I had some way to repay you, but all I have is this." He held out a broken sword.

It looked like it had once been really nice, but the blade was snapped in two now. "Do you not want it?" I asked.

"Not really, perhaps if I knew a good swordsmith who could fix it…but I don't."

"Well," I thought of Biggoron, "I do, so I'll take it."

"Great!" The boss carpenter passed the sword over, and I climbed back on Epona without even asking what he was doing there.

I wanted to see Biggoron, so I rode to Kakariko and got to mountain climbing.

"Hey!"

"HELLO LITTLE ONE. HOW ARE YOU?"

"Fine! Listen, can you work your magic on this sword!" I held up the broken sword the boss carpenter had given me.

"I'D LIKE TO, BUT I'M AFRAID MY EYES HAVE GOTTEN WORSE. I HAVE A PRESCRIPTION FOR EYEDROPS, BUT I CAN'T GET DOWN OFF THE MOUNTAIN TO GET THEM."

"If I get the eyedrops for you, how about you fix my sword for free!"

"DEAL."

The prescription was supposed to be delivered to the Zora King, of all people, so I rode Epona to the Domain.

zzz

"Hi, um, sir." I still had no idea how to properly address a king. "Biggoron told me to give this to you."

"Oh, yes," the King peered at the prescription. "You need to take an eyeball frog to the lake scientist to get this finished though."

"Eyeball frog?" I blinked.

"Here," the King took the limp form of a dead frog with enormous eyes out of his robes and held it out to me.

I stared at it for a moment. I really didn't want to take it, but an incredibly cool sword was in the bargain and I had to. So I did.

zzz

"Hey, um, scientist guy." I held the frog out to the mad scientist-looking guy and dug in my pocket for the prescription.

"An eyeball frog!" he exclaimed. "Fantastic, this will go great in my stew." He took the frog and started to turn towards a pot bubbling on his Bunsen burner.

"Hey wait!" I stopped him. "It's not for you to eat, it's for Biggoron's eyedrops."

"Eyedrops?" I handed him the prescription. "Oh, yes. Hand me that beaker."

I spent the next half hour helping a mad scientist with his work, fifteen minutes of which proved to be wasted on making his dinner. When I finally got the enormous bottle of eyedrops, the mad scientist told me that they had to be refrigerated.

"Without it they will go bad quickly."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I exclaimed. "Now I've got to gallop Epona all the way back to Kakariko, run up all those stupid stairs," I stopped abruptly. "I've got to get going!"

Epona made top speed to the Village, then I made top speed through it and up the mountain.

"AH, THANK YOU." Biggoron put the drop in his eyes, an interesting sight, then blinked a few times and smiled down at me. "THAT'S MUCH BETTER, I'M SURE I CAN GET BACK TO WORK NOW."

"Remember, you promised to fix my sword!"

"I REMEMBER, HAND IT OVER."

I did, and Biggoron examined it. "AH, YES, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO GREAT THINGS WITH THIS."

"Really! Cool!"

"RETURN IN THREE DAYS AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR SWORD."

I didn't know where I would be in three days, after all, it had only been four days since I'd arrived in the future (felt like years though), but I said yes and took the claim check he offered.

What a strange chain of events this had been.

zzz

As I got closer and closer to Kakariko I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. I prayed that what I was seeing wasn't real, that it was an illusion or just something else, but by the time I reached the stairs I knew it was true. Kakariko Village was in flames.

I ran into the village as fast as I could, hoping there was something I could do to help, then to my surprise saw Sheik standing in front of the well.

"Sheik!" I ran towards him.

Sheik turned and saw me. "Get back Link!" he shouted.

"What's going on?"

"Long story, just stay back!"

Suddenly a formless shadow rose up from the well and rushed at Sheik, lifting him up and hurling him back a good hundred yards.

"Sheik!" My heart leapt up into my throat and I rushed toward his limp form. "Sheik are you okay!" I bent over him and pulled down his high collar. "Sheik, please be okay…" He moaned softly and I sighed, more relieved than I'd thought I could be.

Then I got mad.

The shadow that had attacked Sheik was flitting around on the hills around the village, it looked like it was coming back around for another attack. I drew the Master Sword and stood between the shadow and the still-unconscious Sheik. "You stay away from him…" I said, in what Navi later told me was a low and dangerous voice.

Then the shadow rushed toward me, faster than I could react, and when it hit me I felt like I'd been hit with a solid wave of ice that passed through me, filled me, covered my vision, and robbed me of breath.

zzz

"…Link…"

Sheik's voice sounded very far away.

"…Link…"

I was trying to say something, but I couldn't get through the icy black sea that separated us.

"…Link, talk to me Link…"

I want to, really I do, but… Wait. The ice is melting, the blackness is fading away, but water is falling on my face.

"Sheik…" I managed to say, then opened my eyes. Sheik was leaning over me, looking concerned. He had pulled up his collar again, but I could see the emotion in his ruby eyes. It was raining too, a fact I was grateful for since it would help put out the fire.

Sheik sighed with as much relief as I had felt before. "Thank god."

I moaned and sat up. "What happened?"

"The dark spirit that had been sealed inside the well escaped. It attacked you."

"It attacked you first," I pointed out.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But I was expecting it, I know what it can do. You, on the other hand, rushed in to battle it without a care for your own safety. You, my friend, are a fool."

Though I was happy to hear him call me a friend, I latched onto the word fool. "Hey now, I was just trying to protect you!"

"Fool," he repeated. He stood up and dusted himself off. "The truth is though, the Hero of Time is needed right now."

"Huh?" I stood up too, wincing and noticing I had somehow lost my hat in the proceedings.

"I believe Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it again, but...she will be in danger without any help. Link, Impa is one of the six Sages. Destroy the evil shadow spirit and save Impa!" He withdrew his harp. "There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard behind this village. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple," he said, as though making a decision. "This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time... Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow."

"Creepy name," I said.

"Yes," he agreed.

Then he played the song. It was just as creepy as the name, but I knew it was important. The stuff Sheik knew was always important.

I played along as soon as I picked up the melody, noticing that everything seemed to dim as I played, then stepped toward Sheik to inquire after his health.

He backed away. "Link…I'll see you again." Then he vanished.

I swore.

Navi agreed.