"The Destiny Stone"
Disclaimer: Please refer to the last few disclaimers.
*****
Author's Note: Yah-tah-tahI'm coming down with the stomach flu and stuffblargh. But thanks for all the reviews again. I finally got off my lazy butt and scanned in a few pictures – I'll put the links for em at the end of the chapter. Since people seem to like longer chapters than shorter onesokay, I'll keep em the normal same length. But sometimes I like to cut off at certain places, for aesthetics and such. And then there's times when I just can' think of more to write. Yeah, if people haven't figured it out, the long passages in italics are flashbacks, usually in the form of dreaming or daydreaming. Those're going to pop up periodically, so get used to em. ^_^;; Anyhow, I'm still trying to think how many chapters this thing'll go. The way it's headed, it's gonna be longer than any story I've done yet. Hold on to your hats, kids
*****
"The Destiny Stone" – Chapter 4: Matters of Heart
It took a lot of explaining and smooth talking, but Link and Timbre were able to survive their way (carefully!) through breakfast. Through long experience with Sond's cooking, they knew what was edible and what wasn't. Unfortunately for them, this left both of them feeling still rather peckish. Fish had not been on the menu either, Sond explained in a tut-tut sort of voice that fish would have to wait until lunchtime, when they had ample time to try their luck with lures and fishing poles. This left Timbre still scrounging for nourishment, though Link was bravely staving off hunger.
Later in the morning, Link twitched uncomfortably, sitting against the base of his' treehouse. Neither he nor his friend had yet come up with something that they could present to Sond to make her suddenly remember who they were. "Think she'd remember that snowball fight we had in Termina Field last winter?" Link asked suddenly, looking up at his friend who stood leaning against the hollow tree trunk.
Timbre, who was forcing himself to eat an apple out of sheer hunger, paused. "Maybe" he said quietly. "ButI dunnothat was fun and all, but we need something moreheartfelt." He blinked, and took another bite. He didn't normally eat things like apples, but right now he needed the energy. Fruit was sugary, at leastand they tasted better than vegetables, anyhow.
"Well, what's something that's heartfelt like that?" Link said.
"I dunno, something that had a huge impact on everyone" Half the apple was gone now. Timbre swallowed and stared upwards through the forest canopy.
"Problem is, half of the really important things we do involve huge battles," Link remarked. "Or, at least, it used to. Now we're the only ones who remember that, and nobody's going to believe us. I almost don't believe us." He glanced down darkly, and ran his hand over a small carving bitten into the base of the treehouse. Once upon a time, he reflected, it had been filled in with a white limestone chalk, but now it was just as dark and weatherworn as the rest of the wood, its texture melting into the rest of the brown grain. His finger traced over the familiar form of the crude stick figure fighting the equally crudely drawn monster. Link knew this drawing well, as he should, for he had carved it.
The Hylian sighed deeply, as Timbre, who'd scarfed the rest of the apple, now began gnawing hungrily on its core. If Link hadn't been aware that Timbre wasn't human, he might have been concerned with his friend's odd' behavior. It was actually kind of funny sometimes to see Timbre's brain slowly fixate more and more on food when he got hungry enough. Well, funny as long as you didn't resemble a side of beef.
At the moment, Timbre's green eyes were fixed on the small waterway in the distance, watching the tiny shape that was Mido, a crude fishing pole clenched in his fists. Timbre himself had wanted to try his hand at fishing (the human way), but desisted, figuring that it was more important to get Sond out of the spell's clutches than fill his stomach. He did have priorities, after all.
"Maybereminding her of a battle is the way to go," Link said. "It might make her remember a little" He stared down at the Destiny Stone, which hadn't responded in any way since its last rhyme.
"But wouldn't that involvegetting into a battle?" Timbre said nervously, his eyes still on the lake, distracted. In fact, he was so distracted, he hardly noticed that he had started eating the apple core.
Link winced at the wet crunching noises this caused. "Yeah, telling her about it would be hard, wouldn't it? Well, luckilywe are in a huge forest full of monstersWe could always, you know"
Timbre swallowed, and made a face. He'd eaten the entire apple core, and now stared at his hand as if disappointed. "But she fights those monsters regularlyif that reminded her, she would recognize us already."
In the distance, Mido suddenly shouted aloud as there was a colossal tug on his line. Link and Timbre could actually see the pole bending nearly double as the Kokiri strained backwards, his fairy guardian darting around his ears. He was yelling, "I got one! It's a real lunker this time!"
Timbre swallowed hungrily. Link, noticing this, smirked. "Guess its fish for lunch after all"
Several Kokiri had heard the call, and were curiously skipping their way over to their Boss, whose booted feet were trying hard to find purchase on the slippery bank as the fish struggled and pulled. By the strained look on Mido's face, it was hard to tell who was reeling whom in.
Mido gritted his teeth, his boot heels scouring deep furrows into the soft earth as he leaned back with all his might. He was very nearly pulled in, when several Kokiri flung themselves behind him and pulled at his shoulders, pulling him back in the nick of time. "Aaack!" Mido yelped, feeling like his shoulders had just been dislocated.
However, the stubborn fish was refusing to give up. It redoubled its efforts, and Mido found himself in the middle of a huge tug-of-war between the Kokiri and the fish. At one point, Mido nearly fell in the water as he toppled forwards, landing with a breathless whoop on his stomach. The only thing that had saved him a dunking was Saria, who had grabbed Mido about the ankles. Now firmly holding Mido by both feet, she leaned back. Another Kokiri child grabbed her by the waist, and another by his waist, and so on. They all braced themselves, as above dozens of fairies flitted about in various degrees of excitement, agitation, and amusement.
"Heave!" Saria yelled, and Mido yelped loudly as his legs and arms suddenly were yanked in different directions. His limbs now felt like they were being pulled off, much to his displeasure. Unfortunately, it seemed that the Kokiri were not strong enough to win against the fish. Mido's grip on the fishing pole was slowly becoming less and less sound, and the smooth wooden handle started slipping through his fingers.
Link shaded his eyes and leaned forward, looking out in amusement at his former rival. "I've always said, fishing is a jerk on one end waiting for a jerk on the other,'" Link said. "Oops, I think he's about to lose his line. Guess that fish is one that's gonna get away, eh Timb-huh?" The Hylian had glanced over towards his companion, only to find there was nothing left of him, besides a neatly folded trenchcoat.
Mido winced, finding himself between a rock and a hard place, to put it tritely. If the fish won, he'd be dunked. If he let go of the pole, he'd end up flying backward as the inertia of the Kokiri's pulling caught up to him. It was a lose-lose situation, either way, and in any case, they would be down one very large fish.
Just then, as Mido's fingertips nearly slipped from the pole, something big and four-legged sailed over Mido's head, throwing the sun into shade for a moment. Mido yelled. "What the-"
SPLASH!!!
The cold slap of water on the freckled Kokiri's face caused him to gasp. Something big had just hit the water, completely dousing him and the other Kokiri in the wake of its splash. The shock of this made him nearly lose his grip on the pole. However, it wouldn't have mattered either way: the tug on the end of Mido's line had suddenly gone very slack.
Unfortunately, the other Kokiri were still pulling on him by the legs. With a yell, he fell backwards onto Saria and the others, scattering the entire group like tenpins. Groaning and twitching, he disentangled himself from various Kokiri, muttering apologies.
"My line must've brokewhatever jumped in must've snapped the line-" Mido halted in mid—rant as he stared at the fishing pole in his hands. The line was still firmly attached, although it was very slack. "Weird," he muttered, following the line. Then he gulped.
Timbre, in wolf form, was slogging his way out of the pond, completely drenched, though with a triumphant gleam in his eye. Clamped firmly in his grinning jaws was the giant silver fish, which twitched feebly. Feeling about twice as heavy as usual because of waterlogged fur, the wolf clambered onto the bank next to Mido. The Boss of the Kokiri swallowed a little as Timbre dropped the fish. It hit the ground with a wet slap, flopped a couple of times, and then was still.
"Uhthanks?" Mido blinked at Timbre, who looked like an overgrown sheepdog with hair falling in front of his eyes. Mido squinted, raising an eyebrow. "You're weird. For a Wolfos, anyway"
Timbre just woofed noncommittally.
Link, who had jumped up and approached as he saw Timbre go flying into the pond, smirked down at his friend. Timbre at the moment appeared in a very comical light, with his saturated ears flopped down and his normally silky fur matted damply against his skin. The Hylian snickered. "You look like a mop." Link commented, not trying very hard to conceal his amusement.
The wolf seemed to glower for a moment, then proceeded to shake himself off wildly. Link yelped as he was suddenly drenched. Mido and the other Kokiri also flinched as they were saturated again. The wolf stopped shaking himself off, his fur now sticking out in every direction. He now resembled a black and white puffball. With an expression that seemed to convey a snide grin, Timbre looked up at the Hylian, who was now quite saturated. Link's hair was now matted down as well, and condensation dripped from his nose.
"Now you look like a mop too," Saria pointed out, disentangling herself with a smirk. "But at least we got some fish for lunch." She patted Timbre gingerly on the head, as if he were merely an oversized lap dog. Timbre groaned, feeling a bit humiliated, but politely tolerated it.
Link grumpily wrung out his hair. "That fish was way too much trouble for its own good. It had better be delicious."
The wolf woofed in an affirmative sort of way, now tolerating Saria and a few more Kokiri who had gotten over their shock enough to start curiously poking at him. Now that they didn't regard him as a threat, he was probably going to have to get used to prodding.
Mido blinked. "That's th' biggest fish ever caught here, I think. It's still not enough for everyone, though." He sighed wearily and started reeling up his fishing rod. Link, however, stayed the Kokiri's hand.
"I think it'd be a little less perilous if I caught the next one," he remarked.
*****
"Move it along, now!" Koume hovered above a couple of Stalchildren, pointing them towards Zora's River. "That way." The skeletons shuffled off, leaving Koume more or less by herself. So far she'd sent off several groups of minions as search parties, sent to scour various locations in Hyrule. The undead were fine to send off to the wilderness, but she'd been forced to send some less brain-dead minions into the civilized areas. All of the minions she'd sent had to be able to zero in on the magic of the Destiny Stone. Wherever it was, the two rogue Heroes were bound to be there as well.
She'd also managed to convince a few local Wolfos packs to try and sniff out the two Heroes of Time. This was a difficult thing on two parts: for one, Wolfos tended to be rather ornery at taking orders, and for another, they didn't have anything to base off of for a scent. Finally, Koume had been forced to explain to them to follow the vague magical scent' that strong magic users had, using herself as a basis. She then clarified further, explaining about the specific smell' of magic they were looking for, that of the Heroes of Time. The Wolfos had seemed skeptical, but split off anyway. Any reward that Koume had to offer them was much more beneficial than anything they could receive on their own, and from the excruciatingly scrawny looks of some of them, it appeared that hunting had not been very good lately. Koume circled high into the air, until she was hovering over Hyrule Field. From here she had a good view of most of the plain.
The Fire Witch sighed in relief. Wolfos were tricky customers. They weren't all too smart, especially when it came to food, but they could still be difficult and rather dangerous to deal with. They usually weren't too keen on following the orders, which made them precarious allies at best. Anyhow, it's all the better to keep them motivated, she thought, watching the gray shaggy shapes lope off in all directions. If the Heroes of Time were anywhere in Hyrule, they would be soon discovered, unless they were adept at remaining unseen and unscented.
But then again, Koume thought smugly, if they'd been released from the protection of a Destiny Stone that had held them so long, they were most likely very confused and disoriented. Weak. Better to take care of them now.
"Now," Koume muttered to herself, "What to do about Termina" She'd been debating with herself whether to broaden their search.
After Twinrova had released Ganondorf from his prison, he had quickly asserted dominance over Hyrule. That had been amusing, Koume thought. The Parting of the Ways had fully altered the memories of every person, and creature living in the land, save for the casters. None of them now remembered the Heroes of Time, or their exploits, not even Ganondorf himself. This also meant that the peoples of Hyrule had been completely unaware of the danger of the Gerudo King. It had been even easier that the first time to take the country, as unprepared as the Royal House was. But Ganondorf's first conquest had only hastened his thirst for another, and the holder of Power had turned a hungry eye on Termina, across the sea. Termina had slowly fallen to Ganondorf's iron fist, although small resistances still persisted even now in the country. In fact, Ganondorf was currently in Termina, attempting to quell some of these challenges. If Koume sent search parties there, Ganondorf would surely catch wind of what was going on.
Koume and her sister had argued among themselves, debating whether or not to alert their son about the small hitch that had occurred in their plans. Koume had been all for telling Ganondorf immediately, so that he would be aware of the threat. Kotake, however, argued that if they notified their son that two of the Heroes of Time were back together, the spell on his memory would be broken and he would obsessively begin chasing them all down, wherever they were, until they were all destroyed. To this Koume pointed out that this was what they wanted in the first place. Then Kotake had said in her sibilant voice, "but what if they manage to defeat him?"
The old hag nearly fell out of the air in indignation at the thought. Defeat Ganondorf? Sure, the Heroes of Time might have managed it before, but that was with their combined power of eight. They were now all split apart, and she wasn't even sure if they all still lived. The only dangerous ones were the two who had evaded the spell. Surely two of them couldn't-
Kotake's voice suddenly screeched in Koume's mind. Sssssister!!!
Koume mentally winced at her other half. Ouch, not so loud! What do you want?!
Firsssst of all, how goesss the ssssearch? The Ice Witch asked.
Koume rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. I just sent a few dozen search parties out, about threescore monsters in all. I also got a hold of a few Wolfos packs. They're going to try and track for us.
How did you ever manage to get those brutesss to agree to sssuch an order? Kotake asked, interested.
Well, they're pretty hungry. I told em if they managed to bring either of them down, they were welcome to erwell, you know what they do when they catch their quarry.
Kotake winced mentally. Ugh. They're that hungry?
The Fire Witch gave a mental shrug. Anyway, what's so important that you had to screech at me from half a world away?
I have disssscovered ssssomething that might be useful in our ssssearch, The Ice Witch murmured, remembering to keep her voice' down this time.
What's that? Koume sent, curious.
Firsssst, Kotake sent, I want you to tell me where you hid the ressst of that chocolate gateau.
Hey! That last bit is mine! You ate about three-quarters of it before I even knew we had it!
But you ate all the ssspanikopita on me, the sibilant voice argued back. Ssso it isss only fair that I ssshould get fair exchange!
Fine, fine, I'll tell you later. Now, what did you find out?
It involvesss that rogue Desssstiny Ssstone. The one that wassss, and sssstill issss to a degree, protecting the Heroessss of Time.
What about it?
I disssscovered itssss location. Kotake grinned mentally.
Where is it?
I dissscovered, Kotake's voice hissed proudly. Itsss location wassss deep in the Lossst Woodsss.
So? Koume scowled to herself.
Sssso? Thisss meansss that the Heroessss of Time were releasssed in the Lossst Woodsss!
And you think that they're still there?
It issss mosssst likely, Kotake murmured.
Well, Koume looked thoughtful, even though her sister couldn't see her. That's something. Heheh The Fire Witch began snickering.
What'sss ssso funny? Kotake asked curiously.
I sent Cuddles to search the Lost Woods Koume's horrible grin widened.
Kotake's laughter floated into the Fire Witch's mind. Well, woe betide thossse two if he happensss to find them
*****
In the Lost Woods, shafts of mid-day sunlight flowed through the trees and speckled the forest floor with random flecks of golden illumination. Two pairs of boots scuffled against the ground as their owners threaded their way carefully through the underbrush. Benz and Aka had spent the night high in a tree in the Lost Woods. The both of them were clearly aware of the dangers that prowled their home at night. Stalfos were a very a common occurrence, and neither Benz or Aka were very well equipped to deal with boneheads,' as Aka often called them.
The Skull Kid paused a moment and sighed. "The Woods seem even more creepy than usual," he remarked quietly, looking around, his lips pursed in a worried frown.
Benz shrugged. "Well, maybe the Woods are *squeak* just angrysometimes it does this when there's a lot of intruders" Benz too was feeling rather subdued. "An' some of the *squeak* normal paths have changed directionusually that *squeak* path there takes us straight to the Sacred Forest Meadowbut today it just loops *squeak* back into the deepest part of the Woods." The Deku shrugged.
"I wonder if it's mad at Spikes an' his friend" Aka said. By it' he seemed to mean the Lost Woods itself, which seemed to take on a certain perverse sentience in its persistence at trapping unwary travelers.
"Or better *squeak* yet, maybe it's *squeak* trying to trap the thief that invaded our loot hole!" Benz suddenly became very excited, and he jumped up and down, drawing his short sword. "Serves em right, I say"
Aka and Benz still refused to see eye-to-eye on exactly what had happened to the statues. Benz still thought they'd been stolen, but Aka was convinced that they'd come to life. Either way, they both agreed to search for whoever had taken the two swords and shield from their stash.
"Must've been some spell," Aka mused aloud, as they abruptly entered a darker portion of the Woods. The sunlight was practically absent, and they made their way along much more carefully. "I mean, t' turn two guys t' stone like that? That's not normal magic"
His Deku companion just rolled his glowing eyes with a snort of disgust. "Th' only kind of *squeak* magic you should be worrying about is illusion," he reiterated strongly. "And that's just a trickyou do it all the timeSheikah used to *squeak* do it all the time, and Gerudo thieves use it-hey!" Benz jumped up suddenly, nearly dropping his weapon. "What if it was a *squeak* Gerudo that stole our stuff?"
Aka blinked, stopping suddenly. "Did you hear that?"
Benz didn't seem to hear Aka and continued ranting. "That's what it *squeak* was! A stinkin' female Gerudo bi-*SQUEAK!*"
Aka had thrown himself at Benz, clapping both gloved hands over the Deku's snout. "Shh!" Aka warned. "Someone's coming! Initiate concealment maneuvers!" Without a second thought, the Skull Kid easily lifted his small companion, who squeaked in terror. Throwing the struggling Benz into a nearby bush, the Skull Kid dived in after the Deku without a second glance.
Benz squirmed upright, and joined Aka as he peered out from the brush. "What is it?" the Scrub blinked, his squeaky voice lowering to a whimper. "Not more Stalfos?"
"No, not boneheads," Aka murmured. "Too big. Shhhere it comes."
Moments later, something huge and hulking pushed its way forcefully into view. It was grunting loudly, shadowed snout twitching gently as if following a scent. As it walked past the two hidden robbers, they felt the ground shake forcefully from its large booted footfalls. The hulking form halted, snuffling this way and that. It breathed heavily, as if panting, and its breath purveyed a stink that seemed to coat its surroundings in a foul odor.
"Please don't spot us" Benz cowered. "Please don't"
Aka elbowed his friend sharply, and the Deku silenced himself.
The monster paused in mid sniff. It was like it was scenting someone out. It glared around, and Aka and Benz froze as its face swept along the ground, a yard or less away. After a moment, it snorted, as if this wasn't the scent it was looking for. Benz was quivering by now. The creature did resemble some sort of giant anthropomorphic canine in its behavior, after all.
The huge monster took one last peer around the clearing, and Benz and Aka got a clear view of its watery yellow eyes set deep within its face. Then it was moving again, trailing some large weapon behind it. Both sat in silence as the vibrating steps became less and less violent. Then the Woods seemed to swallow the sound completely. Neither spoke for a long time.
Benz shuddered. "That had to be the *squeak* biggest Moblin I've ever seen," he murmured. "I didn't know *squeak* they could get that large"
Aka blinked. "Neither did I" Pulling himself out of their impromptu refuge, he gave Benz a hand up, which Benz accepted gratefully, though his hands were shaking still. Aka looked the way the Moblin had gone. "Why do you think that thing's around? Ganondorf doesn't usually care about the forest to send his minions traipsing all over it."
The Deku brushed himself off. "Well, unless I'm mistaken, *squeak* that thing is currently headed for Kokiri Village." Benz stared at his feet. "Unless the paths are *squeak* changed again."
"That wouldn't matter," Aka said. "It was following a scent, didn't you hear it sniffing? It's the only way to find your sure path through the Lost Woods, smell. That, or a fairy guardian." Aka sighed. "We've been to Kokiri beforemet those kids"
"Yeah, and we *squeak* explored' that kid's house," Benz recalled.
"And now that thing's gonna be terrorizing those poor Kokiri" Aka said glumly. He looked at Benz. "Maybe we should warn them!"
"Warn them!" Benz squeaked. "But *squeak* we're on a mission, here! We don't have *squeak* time to warn themif we head towards *squeak* Kokiriwe might run into that monster!" Dekus weren't especially well known for their bravery, as Benz's slightly spineless attitude proved.
Aka puffed himself up. "But we're Aka the Mighty and his trusty sidekick Benz! How can we live with ourselves, walking away from protecting the innocent?!"
"Very *squeak* easily." Benz said, turning on his heel. "Like this." He started walking purposely in the direction opposite that of the path the Moblin had taken.
Aka growled, and stomped on the end of the Deku Scrub's long navy blue cape. "Hold up," He said fiercely, as Benz tripped and fell. "We're going to Kokiri forest and warnin' those kids, you hear me!?"
"Bu- *squeak* But-" Benz whined face first on the ground.
Aka pulled his friend up to his feet by the shoulders. "Keep a stiff upper lip! It'll be like we're real superheroes!"
"Number one, I don't *squeak* have lips," Benz grumbled, crossing his arms, "And*squeak* number two, we're not heroes."
"Besides," Aka said, grinning. "Heroes get rewarded for doing good deeds like this all the time, right? Maybe they'll reward us!"
"Now there's a thought," Benz mused. "Well, if there's a reward involved"
"Right!" Aka skipped off ahead jubilantly. "Now, to find our way to the village"
"Good grief" Benz sighed as he followed sedately. "That might take *squeak* all afternoon. The Woods hasn't exactly been cooperative with us *squeak* lately, you knowWe're bound to be going in circles for a while."
"Well, we'll keep going in circles then, until we find the right way!" Aka yelled back. "Those kids'll be needing our help!"
Benz just sighed and walked on, still not totally convinced this was such a good idea.
Meanwhile, deep in Kokiri village, Timbre leaned back in the grass with a contented sigh, gloved hands clasped behind his head. Link had answered well on his promise, and proved to be quite a skilled angler, landing more fish than the Kokiri would normally have been able to. Maybe it was just because he'd been hungry, but that had to have been the tastiest fish Timbre had tasted in a long time. The young man smirked a little in contentment. Now that his stomach wasn't constantly clamoring to be fed, he was able to think a little more clearly.
Staring at the sky, he tried to think of really important events that might remind Sond of their friendship. Technically he'd only known his friends for around a year or sothen again, with all the time jumps, repeats of the same days, and such, it had actually probably been for much longer than that. Or at least, it seemed that way.
Sometime in there, he thought, frustrated, there's bound to be something that she'd remember. Frustrated, Timbre tried to think of the problem in a different way: If he were the one who needed to be reminded, how would his friends go about it? The answer seemed to come nearly at once: Do something that reminded him of their first meting. There was bound to be some eerie feeling of déja vu from that, something that could jog one's memory.
Hmm, I'll have to tell Link about that one later, he thought drowsily. Unfortunately, eating so much had made him feel very sleepy. Having a full stomach tended to make a wolf very lethargic. Timbre's eyelids slowly drooped and he let himself begin to doze off, thinking about the first time he had truly met his friends.
The ten-year old sighed apathetically as he stared forwards, not wanting to appreciate the cloudless blue sky, or the sun shining down from the spring morning. All he cared about at the moment was the fact that he was lost.
It was hard enough having to adjust to completely new surroundings- it was another thing entirely to have to adjust to a complete physical alteration. The boy stared down at his hands, eternally clothed in their black fingerless gloves. Human hands. Had it only been a week and a half since he'd found himself here? It had seemed like much longer. But in the space of that week and a half, he'd had to adjust to many things. Like walking, for instance. Human legs bent funny, and he still tripped over himself from time to time, usually earning himself odd stares in the process. Then there had been cultural things. He shook his head and hugged his trenchcoat tightly about him, stubbornly ignoring the people(stupid people, he thought) jostling himself from all sides.
Hyrule Castle Town's market was a very busy place, but at the moment, it was also the only place he could get food. He'd actually had to filch food here and there until he figured out that those pretty gemlike rocks that people kept passing to each other were actually their form of currency. Even then, he only rarely found any of these rupees,' as they called them. A few times he'd lowered himself to a few odd jobs, though he often felt he was being swindled. He'd had his best luck in finding them by searching in bushes and out of the way places. Stupid thing, really, money, he thought, staring at the two green and blue rupees resting in his palm. Where he'd come from-
No, he wasn't going to think about home. He'd left, and that was that. He wasn't going to go back, not ever. The boy shook his head again, now in such a hotheaded mood that he was not really paying attention or caring where he was headed. It was with this attitude that he suddenly found himself colliding with another person.
"Oof!" The trenchcoated boy sat down hard, glaring at the purple-haired human boy who he'd run into. At first, the trenchcoated boy blinked several times, as his assailant appeared to have the head of a fox. Timbre felt a slight surge of homesickness. But then, a moment later the vulpine face lifted away and the purple-haired boy's real face stared at him with concerned red eyes. It had just been a fox mask after all, the trenchcoat boy thought bitterly.
"Are you alright?" The fox-boy asked, concerned.
"I would be if I didn't keep running into people," the trenchcoated boy snarled, spewing a bout of rather colorful lupine language as he realized he'd dropped his money. The other boy's red eyes widened as he suddenly found himself being growled at. It was probably a good thing this human didn't understand what he was saying, otherwise he'd probably have found himself in a fistfight.
"Hey, what happened?" Another boy, about the same age, stepped out of the milling crowd. This boy was blonde, with blue eyes and a very odd pointed green hat. His ears were also pointed, as the trenchcoated boy noticed. Behind him were two human girls, both with dark brown hair.
"Jus' bumped into this little guy here," the fox-boy said, standing up, and offering a hand to the trenchcoated boy.
"Hey, who're you calling little?'" The short boy refused the hand as he stood up. "You better not be makin' fun of me" He was growling again.
"We aren't," one of the girls said simply. Her eyes were also blue, like green-hat boy's. "My name's Sond," she said after a moment, grinning. "What's yours?"
The angry boy did not return the smile, though he did answer her. "Timbre," he grumbled. "My name is Timbre. Timbre Firral."
The green-hat boy must have misheard this, as he squinted. "Timbe? That's a weird name"
"It's Timbre!" the trenchcoated boy snapped, whirling on him. "There's an r' in there!"
"Heh, I like Timbe' better," the green hat boy smirked, and for a moment, Timbre contemplated punching him. "My name is Link," the pointy-eared one declared, and Timbre scowled at him.
"And I'm Kafei!" The purple haired fox-boy added.
"And I'm Kat," said the other girl, whose brown eyes were giving Timbre a very odd look. In fact, Timbre felt like they were all giving him weird looks.
"What are you all staring at?" he demanded.
Kat squinted, as if she couldn't believe that someone could be this rude. "I think I recognize you from somewherearen't you that weird boy I saw in Kakarikothe one that talks to Wolfos?"
That hit a nerve. Timbre glared at them all with angry green eyes. "You're just like the rest of these people," he growled. "Makin' fun of mecalling me namesforget you. Later." He spun on his heel, turning his back on the four who'd just introduced themselves.
"Hey wait," Sond said. "We've only just met!"
"Beh, let him go," The boy Link called. "Timbe's just a big Deku stick in the mud."
"Harrumph" Timbre growled, glaring back at them. If they were trying to be funny, it wasn't working.
"Aww, Link, be nice" Sond reprimanded her friend. "We didn't mean it, we're just joking. Come on back, we've barely even made friends."
Friends? Timbre snorted derisively. "Friends?! Hah. I don't need friends," he sneered, looking away from the four.
"Everybody has to have friends!" Kafei's voice rang in his ears. "Otherwise, who'll help you out when you needwell, help?"
"No one." Timbre's voice sounded stubborn, but a lot of the acid had gone from his voice. His temper was subsiding, slowly.
"Come on, there's got to be some people you want to hang out with," Kat said, a bit desperately.
"Nobody wants me around," Timbre said, slumping a little. Now that his temper was running its course, it was being replaced slowly by the sort of gloom he was used to. "I'm worthless."
"Maybe you only think so." Kat said softly. "But I remember you talking to those Wolfos outside of Kakariko. If you hadn'tthey would've attacked me, wouldn't they?"
Timbre scowled. "Maybe," he lied, knowing what she said was true. "It doesn't matter anyway. You don't want me around. Goodbye." He started walking away again.
"Hey, come back-" Sond called again.
"There's nothing you can say that will make me come back there," Timbre said.
"-you left your money." Sond finished.
Timbre stopped in his tracks. "Oh," he mumbled quietly, and turned back towards the group. "Uh"
Smiling just a little, Timbre woke up a little from his dreamlike state. After he'd gone back for the money, he'd never been the same. Sure, he'd been a bit snappish and such at first, but everybody managed to be patient with him, and he'd slowly warmed up to all of them, even Link. And now that they were all his friends, he couldn't imagine life without them. Wolves were social creatures, after all, just like humans. Part of his low self-esteem had probably stemmed on the fact that he'd felt completely alone, and therefore insecure.
He swallowed heavily, hoping that the same insecurity wouldn't return now that he found himself separated from many of his friends. No, he thought stubbornly. We're getting them back, we're getting them all back, even if it takes a hundred years. Somehow, that thought comforted him. It felt like something Kasumi would say.
I wonder where everyone else is and what they're doing now, he thought idly, his eyes still closed in half-slumber. I hope they're all okaybut it'll be great to see them again, all grown up. He idly wondered what Nick and Ty might look like older. And what about Tejina-
Timbre twitched a little. She'd have forgotten him too, along with the rest of the world. For some reason, the thought of that made him feel a little bit sad, and he sighed.
"Mister!"
Timbre yawned, too comfortable in the throes of slumber to really heed the voice yelling from nearby. And he'd never been referred to as mister' before-
"HEY!"
Something bright glared at him, brilliant even through his closed eyelids. He groaned and refused to wake up. Then something poked him on the nose.
"ATCHOO!"
The small fairy yelped and hid behind Mido's head as Timbre suddenly jerked upright, his green eyes blinking owlishly. Breathing through his nose, he glared at the Kokiri boy who'd inadvertently woken him up. "Whaaat?" He slurred.
"It's Sond! She hasn't come back yet!"
"Huh?"
Mido sighed, and tried to explain. "She went into the forest, you know, to make sure there weren't any monsters around, but she hasn't come back yet"
"What time is it?"
Having no real clocks, Kokiri time judgment was based largely on the position of the sun. "Well, uh, the sun's startin' to setshe's been gone since just after lunch."
"GahMan, I've been asleep all day? Serves me right for eating too much" Timbre rubbed the bleariness out of his eyes, while Mido stared at him, looking worried.
"Can you go and find Sond? I would, butwell the monsters and all" Mido might have proven very bossy, but he was clearly slightly scared by the thought of venturing into the Lost Woods.
"Sure, I'll go lookwhere's Link?"
"I sent him after Sond about an hour ago."
Timbre blinked. "Say what?"
"I already sent him, an' he didn't come back" Mido wrung his hands, rocking from foot to foot. His fairy peered from behind one pointed ear. "And I thoughtyou might be able to smell where they'd gone, an' bring em back."
Timbre had jumped to his feet, eyes determined. "Why didn't Link wake me up? Is he a complete idiot?" He said aloud. He stepped over to his trenchcoat, was about to put it on, and then thought better of the idea. Looking over at Mido, he nodded. "Don't send anyone else after us, alright?"
"But what if the monsters-" Mido blinked in surprise as the wolf stared at him incredulously with intelligent green eyes. "Oh. Right."
The wolf turned and walked away, then seemed to have a second thought. Timbre walked back over to his trenchcoat and nudged the bundle over, revealing the sword Link had made him take along with him. Lifting it in his jaws like it were a fetching stick, he gave one last glance at the freckled Kokiri boy before loping off towards the forest fringe.
Mido's fairy orbited his head as he stared after Timbre.
"Good luck," he murmured.
*****
The wolf gritted his teeth against the leather scabbard, well aware that he was probably leaving fang marks in the leather. But at the moment, he had other things on his mind. The coffee smell, which he had been following since the sunset, was growing stronger and stronger. Since it was fresher than the coffee trail that had led him and Link to Kokiri Village the previous day, he knew he was on the right trail. Every once in a while, he caught Link's scent as well. At least Link seemed to be on Sond's trail. It would have been harder for Timbre if he'd had to find them both in completely separate areas. I'd rather this be quicker than slower, these woods are creepy.
It was definitely dark out, and the Lost Woods was exponentially creepier at night than it was during the day. Hoots and echoes seemed to increase tenfold with the falling of darkness, and wraithlike flitting shapes with glowing eyes floated about, peering at him. Timbre wasn't sure if these apparitions were real or not, but he kept a close eye on them all the same.
His first hour of trailing was rather uneventful, although this was unfortunately not the case for his second. He suddenly paused in the middle of a larger clearing in the underbrush. Something was making his fur bristle, although he couldn't see, smell, or hear anything out of the unordinary-
The ground in front of him suddenly erupted, and the wolf sprang backwards, dropping his sword as he yelped in surprise. A Stalfos shook loose earth from its skeletal frame as it unearthed itself fully from the ground. Sad tattered remains of clothing hung loosely from the bleached white bones of the skeleton that now blocked his trail. Its skull, frozen in an eternally fiendish grin, was missing several teeth from its jawbones. The eyeless sockets, which should have been dark and empty, instead glowed with two piercing and unearthly points of light. Skeletal hands inside rotten gauntlets clutched at a rusty sword and shield. Was this what happened to those caught asleep in the Lost Woods?
The skull's head turned downwards with a creak, as if regarding him.
Intruders will all perish. If you lose sight of the exit, you cannot return home ever again
Timbre took a step back, though not out of fear. The Stalfos advanced menacingly, clearly meaning to spike the wolf on his rusty sword. For something so dead, the skeleton's opening attack was incredibly swift. Timbre only managed to jump aside in time as the ancient sword buried itself deep into the loam where he had stood only moments before.
Dodging aside, Timbre circled his opponent, trying to stay calm. It had recovered from its failed attack with the untiring speed of the undead Assessing his situation, he sized up his opponent. He was confident that biting the skeleton wouldn't be very effective. It wasn't like a wolf's bite wasn't competent, no; he was quite sure if he tried, his jaws would be able to crush one of the Stalfos's legs easily. However, doing so would leave his whole back unprotected for a precious mortal second or two.
And thenhe could almost visualize the rusty sword flashing in the skeleton's grip down at his neckugh! No, he needed a different way to defeat this skeleton. Still keeping a wary stare on the Stalfos, he saw something metallic glimmer out of the corner of his eye. His sword! He might have a better chance with a weapon.
With one last hasty glance into the skeleton's demonic visage, Timbre suddenly flung himself at the weapon, changing form at the same time. His gloved right hand closed about the weapon's hilt, but he didn't stop on the ground, instead turning his fall into a tumble, rolling heavily to the left.
It was a smart move, as the skeleton's sword chopped deep into a tree root instead of the youth's back. Unsheathing the weapon from its scabbard, Timbre fumbled a little. He'd never been that good with swords, something he hoped the skeleton couldn't sense.
The Stalfos seemed quite unperturbed at his opponent's change of form. In fact, it seemed to redouble its efforts. As it attacked again, Timbre clumsily blocked the slash with his own blade.
CLANG!
The sound reverberated about the clearing, and Timbre's arm tingled uncomfortably. The second swing was higher, aimed at Timbre's face. The youth ducked instinctively as the rusty sword swished audibly over his head. The skeleton blocked clumsily with its shield as Timbre attempted a clumsy swing at its skeletal midriff. The blade clattered harmlessly off of the shield with a metallic screech, and Timbre threw himself to the left again before the skeleton's own blade could pierce his side.
Suddenly, whether planned or merely out of instinct, Timbre brought his right leg up in a kick, which connected solidly with the Stalfos's shield. The skeleton, not expecting an attack on its mode of protection, stumbled backwards.
Although Timbre wasn't an expert in swordplay, he knew what his next move would be. Leaping forward, he swung hard, the sword gripped in both his hands.
With an audible snap, the Stalfos' severed head flew off of its shoulders, and clattered noisily against a tree trunk. The headless body, disoriented, started swinging around wildly, looking for its lost head.
"You want your skull, bonehead?" Timbre snapped at the headless skeleton, walking over to the skull, which chattered at his approach. He put one foot on it, forcing its jaw closed. "Well, go and fetch!"
Spitefully, Timbre kicked the skull as hard as he could. It seemed to glare at him angrily as it clattered off noisily into the underbrush. Satisfied that his trail ahead was clear, he walked off down the way he'd remembered the coffee smell, leaving the pathetic headless Stalfos far behind him.
Timbre was about to sheath his sword and change form again when he realized with surprise that he could still smell the coffee scent. Not quite as strongly as he had before, of course, but it was still there. If a human nose can smell it, Timbre thought, she must be quite close. He decided that being human (and therefore able to use a sword) was probably a good idea at the moment, and continued onwards, buckling the scabbard about his waist.
His prediction was right, as he found out minutes later. The first sound he heard was a small scream. That's Sond's voice, Timbre thought, alarmed. The second sound he heard was a male voice, and very unmistakably Link's:
"Stay back!"
The third sound he heard was odd, something between a grunt, a roar, and a snarl. Bracing himself for whatever he was going to find, Timbre pushed the last few leafy branches out of the way. The sight that greeted his eyes was rather sobering.
Link stood protectively in front of Sond, brow furrowed in anger. Sond had drawn back, her bow ready. Around her head orbited a blue fairy, which seemed terrified, as it was quivering. Link had his shield held out, and his sword flashed dangerously in his left hand, pointing at a huge hulking creature that was slowly advancing on the three of them. It was a foul-smelling creature, a good twelve feet high, and clothed in a dirty loincloth. It wore stained gauntlets, rusty metal epaulettes and an equally greasy helmet, with a protruding spike at its top as thick as a rhinoceros horn. Behind it, clenched in gorilla-arm fists, was a massive spear, the shaft of which would not have been out of place as a good-sized tree trunk.
Timbre yelled aloud before he realized exactly what he was doing. "Hey! Stop, you!"
"Huh?" Link, Sond, and her fairy all blinked in surprise, glancing over at him. The creature also turned, and Timbre found himself staring it straight in the face.
A blast of fetid breath stung his eyes as the monster snarled at him. It had a face that looked like a cross between a mandrill, a boar, and a bulldog, gone hideously wrong. The Moblin (as Timbre recognized the species) bared long protruding yellowed fangs at him, beady jaundiced eyes narrowing. It growled at him menacingly face contorting hideously, but Timbre puffed out his chest and drew his blade, slowly going into a fighter's stance. He at least knew how to do that. But if that thing was attacking his friends-
The Moblin seemed amused at the youth's attempt at bravery, and chuckled. Its laugh sounded as ugly as its face. It then readied its spear. Timbre, out of either trepidation, stubbornness, or pure foolishness, charged the Moblin with a roar of his own.
"Timbe!" Link's eyes widened, concerned for his friend. "You idiot! What are you doing?!"
Timbre didn't seem to want to listen, and continued his blind charge. "Yaaaaaah!!"
CLANGG!!!
Timbre's furious sword swing connected solidly with the Moblin's right gauntlet, which it had held up in defense. The closed fist was protected by its layer of thick metallic coating, and was completely unharmed. Hot sparks flew from the impact, but otherwise, the metal remained undamaged. Timbre, on the other hand, grimaced in pain as his sword vibrated violently from the impact, causing shoots of sharp bone-shattering pain to run up his arms. With a yell, he found himself unable to hold onto his sword, and it slipped loosely from his numbed, aching fingers.
"Timbre!" Link yelled again, his eyes wide with shock.
Sond gave a small scream as the Moblin leaned forward made a snatch for the stunned youth with its clawed, paw like mitt. Its fist was huge, and the ham like fingers closed about Timbre's body easily, pinning his arms helplessly to his sides. His ribcage ached as the fingers closed convulsively about his body, forcing the air out of his lungs.
Link gave an angry cry and started running at the Moblin. It, however, whirled with a disgusting smile, and squeezed his prisoner. Timbre gave a strangled sort of cry as lights suddenly danced in front of his eyes. His chest was in horrible throbbing pain, and he was sure the loud crack he'd just heard was one of his ribs. This was confirmed as a rush of black agony suddenly made him cry out loudly in pain. His mind reeled, almost falling unconscious as he realized he was about to be crushed to death by the Moblin. Why had he charged face-first into the fray like the idiot he was?
Link was forced to stop his attack, the Stone about his neck dangling heavily from its chain. The Hylian stared helplessly, as the Moblin's eyes roved hungrily over at the Destiny Stone. Something in its otherwise dull eyes flickered, perhaps in recognition. The creature snarled warningly, shaking his prisoner. If Link came any closer, it was clear that the Moblin would squash Timbre into a pulp. But if he stayed here, he would just be forced to watch as the life was slowly and agonizingly squeezed out of his friend. The Moblin grinned. It was enjoying this!
It, however, could not predict what happened a second later. While one moment ago, it had held a struggling man in its grasp, the Moblin now discovered it was holding an equally struggling wolf. The trapped lupine painfully twisted his head down and buried his sharp teeth deep into the Moblin's forefinger.
Out of instinct, the Moblin flung its hand out in pain, and Timbre wisely decided to let go. If he remained attached to the monster's hand, the whiplash from its frantic shaking could easily snap his neck. However, letting go of the Moblin at the height of the swing caused him to be flung high in the air. The wolf helplessly turned a few aerial somersaults, before returning to fall, crashing back first into the brush nearby. He struggled upright, chest feeling as if it were on fire. If the Moblin hadn't managed to crack his ribs properly, that fall certainly felt as if it had.
Meanwhile, Link had charged, now unhindered, at the Moblin. Being a vastly more experienced swordsman, Link was able to duck and weave, anticipating blocks and attacks that Timbre had failed to notice. He was also tougher, and knew how to tense his arm muscles so that the jarring blows did not make the sword vibrate painfully in his hand. The Moblin had dropped its spear when it had launched Timbre, and apparently wasn't intelligent enough to remember its weapon. This was probably all for the best.
However, it was doing a marvelous job of defending itself. Even if Link managed to get a good stroke in, it simply parried with its gauntlets. Link redoubled his furious attacks, but the Moblin simply started shielding itself with both gauntleted fists crossed in front of its face. The air rang with the metallic screeches of metal upon metal. This isn't working, Link thought, perspiration running into his eyes. If he could just get one slice in, he'd be able to finish this. If only it could be distracted, even for a moment-
That distraction arrived nearly instantly, as if cued by his wish. There was a twang and a swishing sound as a flaming arrow suddenly arced in from somewhere behind him and buried itself deeply into the Moblin's right thigh. Sond's brow furrowed in warlike concentration, Cyrus orbiting her head as she busily selected another arrow. Meanwhile, the Moblin screeched in pain, and reared up, exposing its ugly misshapen face once again as it clutched at its wound. The next moment, Timbre's dark form leapt at the Moblin. He pointedly ignored the black searing that ran through his chest, focusing instead on slashing at the Moblin's now unprotected face. The monster's eyes bugged as the wolf connected, and it swatted out blindly, searching for its spear. But Timbre had already leapt away, falling heavily on all fours. Deep gashes now ran across the Moblin's muzzle and face like red ribbon, and it stumbled wildly about, half-blinded.
Sond was yelling something, but with the roar of battle in his ears, Link had trouble making it out. The Moblin fumbled upright, its spear recovered and clutched in its massive fist. It was going to attack Link now, its blind fury fueled by the injuries it was sustaining. However, a second fire arrow suddenly caught the Moblin in the side, and Link heard Sond's voice ring out again over its roars of agony. This time, he understood her.
"Now, while its distracted!"
Timbre wheezed loudly in pain, but glanced up as he noticed Link close his eyes in concentration. The next moment, Link's sword arm began to glow. Motes of blue energy slowly orbited about the blade he held, pouring into it as the swordsman's magic power focused the weapon. The air seemed to vibrate, humming with countless waves of energy, all focused on the warrior. Link's blade soon was glowing with a radiance that threw the entire area into weird blue highlights. The Hylian's bright blue eyes snapped open suddenly and he glared viciously at the Moblin.
"Take this!" And with that, he released all the pent up energy into the spin slash that was his trademark. The Moblin had only time for one strangled half-roar as the spinning whirlwinding blade, Link at its center, slammed violently into its torso like a sentient hurricane. The burst of pent cerulean energy exploded violently, and Sond found her vision completely obscured by its brilliance. As the roar filled her ears, the real world seemed to start fading away. Somewhere in the deep blankness of early memories, something was stirring, and she seemed to see in double vision, reality overlaid by the ghost memory that suddenly arose in front of her eyes.
A small boy, ten years old, the blade of his short sword glowing blue as he whirlwinded fiercely into a patch of bushes, dispatching the Deku Baba that hid cunningly among them.
The boy, the boy without a fairy, who had left the forest a short time later, never to return
Had that same boy, now a manreturned?
Was that himLink?
Now sitting next to Sond, the wolf bent his head down, averting his eyes from the brightness. His mouth was slightly agape, as if it hurt to draw breath. As the brilliant explosion died, he raised his eyes to see Link standing in the middle of a huge circle of scorched earth. A few dark stains and shards of ruined armor on the ground was all that was left of the Moblin. Its spear, the shaft completely shorn through in four places, lay in splinters several meters away. The green clad swordsman looked up, breathing heavily with exertion. He glanced thankfully over at Sond, a grateful smile crossing his face..
At that moment, something deep within Sond's mind seemed to break free. The spinning slash, she thought dizzily. It was always his favorite finishing moveHer blue eyes became slowly unfocused, and her fairy glanced down at her wavering form, concerned. The wolf nearby, whose head was bent low in exhaustion, looked up with a questioning growl. Sond blinked peacefully, and then smiled.
"Link"
Then she crumpled to the ground in a senseless heap and knew no more.
Hours and hours later, Link leaned against his treehouse in Kokiri Village, basking in the morning sunlight. He was watching in slight amusement as Saria slowly wound bandages about Timbre's torso. The injured young man was currently human and shirtless, and winced in pain every time he tried to move his arms or twist. Saria wasn't too certain whether the Moblin had managed to crack his ribs, or merely bruise them. Either way, Timbre winced, they hurt. Saria had seated him comfortably on the ground, and now the small Kokiri girl circled him critically in a fairylike fashion, her own fairy perched on top of her head.
Cyrus, Sond's own fairy, had taken his perch temporarily on Link's shoulder, silent in his concern for his normal charge. His tiny form slumped, wings twitching slightly. Link seemed to emulate his mood. They were both worried about Sond.
"Ouch!" Timbre gave a small yelp, and Saria scowled at him, tugging the bandage.
Link cracked a half smile, though he was really quite concerned for his friend. "What's buggin' now?"
"Oh, nothing much, just a cracked ribWhat do you think?" Timbre snapped irritably.
Saria rolled her eyes. "Stop squirming a moment. We need to make sure your ribs aren't going to heal the wrong way. It could totally disrupt your repertory system." The green haired Kokiri had a surprisingly good knowledge of medical techniques, probably from patching up the everyday bumps and bruises of her fellow childlike compatriots.
Timbre made a face and tried to sit still. "Worthless," he growled suddenly, trying hard not to slump or move.
"What?" Link looked up sharply.
"I'm worthless sometimes. Specially now."
"You are not worthless," Link snapped back, fumbling with the Destiny Stone about his neck, which was now a distinct green. Even it agreed with him. "You know Kas would give you a good smack upside the head right now if he were to overhear you talking like that about yourself." Before Timbre could answer, he continued sardonically, "And I suppose you consider ripping half that Moblin's face off worthless.' If you and Sond hadn't distracted it-" Link stopped speaking, and glanced worried up the ladder that led into his treehouse proper. Cyrus sighed again, looking glum. Sond was up there, out cold, laid out on the bed that was normally hers. Link had carried her all the way back to the Kokiri's home, but nobody seemed to want to disturb her exhausted rest. Cyrus had argued against the idea, but Link claimed they should wait until she woke up naturally. But she hadn't made any sign of waking yet, even though it was nearly noontime.
"You can't always be perfect, you know," Link said to Timbre in a quieter, more subdued voice. "Sometimes it's just enough to help."
"It's not that, it's what I did when I saw you two being attacked. I just can't believe I would do something so stupid," Timbre mumbled on, staring at the ground. "What was I thinking, just charging a giant monster that's three times my size like that?!" He slammed one fist into the ground in frustration, and immediately wished he hadn't as pain lanced down his side again. "Ow"
"What did I just tell you? Stay still." Saria ordered, narrowing her eyes.
"Hey, you're still new at swordplay, it's a mistake anyone could've made," Link said, trying to sound comforting. "Besides, we were in danger, it was just your instincts reactingHeck, I'd charge screaming at anything threatening my friends too."
"Of course, you actually know how to handle that kind of situation," Timbre retorted darkly. "I'm no swordsman."
"And that," concluded Link, "Is why I'm going to train you up, soon as those ribs aren't cracked."
"A red potion, and some rest'll do him wonders. As soon as the Twins finish brewing that new batch of healing potions," Saria said, chewing her lip. "Mido screamed at them to start on it the moment he'd sent you all off after Sond," The Kokiri's mouth twisted into a bit of a frown as she finished tying off Timbre's impromptu dressing. "Seemed to know you'd need it, or something."
"He was right too," Link said. He glanced back up towards the doorway of the treehouse, blue eyes full of worry. Timbre sensed this, and gestured at the doorway with his head, hair falling in front of his eyes as he did so.
"Go try an' wake her up," he suggested, smiling a little.
Link just looked puzzled. "What?"
"Go and wake her up. Poke her or something."
The Hylian blinked. "Bu-"
"Go on, I've been telling y'to for hours already." Cyrus spoke up for the first time.
"Jus' go already," Timbre said to Link with the hint of a smirk. He leaned back carefully, arms behind his head as he cautiously settled himself in the soft grass. "Take this invalid's advice. The way she smiled at you before she faintedI think something about that battle shook something in her memory. Seems only proper she should have someone really familiar to wake up to."
Link blinked in surprise. How had Timbre known what his was thinking? Sometimes it seemed like he could read his mind, and creeped him out to no end. Without a word, Link turned and mounted the tall ladder, the wooden rungs softly creaking with his weight.
Timbre chuckled softly and closed his eyes. Moments later he was dozing. Saria looked scrupulously from Link's back to Timbre, eyebrow raised in confusion. "Grownups are weird," she concluded after a moment, and wandered off to check on the Twins and their potionmaking.
Sond stared about her wildly. She was standing in the middle of a vast plain, but the sky was dark with clouds and thunder. She didn't like thunderwhy was she out in the middle of a storm? Wind rippled through her hair, tearing at her so fiercely that it made her eyes sting.
Next moment, she was holding hand with people on both sides. People all around her, shadowed in the darkness of the storm, braced themselves, completing a full circle. From somewhere nearby, someone was yelling.
"whatever you do, don't let go of each other's hands."
She squeezed her eyes shut as the winds increased exponentially about her, roaring in her ears until all the voices about her were drowned out. Suddenly, her feet had left the ground.
"I can't leave them!" She yelled, defiantly at the storm. "I won't!"
Then it was like she was five years old again, and she was lying alone and frightened in a forest glade. Something, no, someone was poking at her. She stirred fretfully, wishing they would stop. But they wouldn't stop. And then-
Sond's blue eyes snapped open in shock as she felt someone poking her in the forehead, right between the eyes. She sat up suddenly, and her blurred vision slowly cleared and coalesced into a handsome man's face, framed by blonde hair and blue eyes. Disoriented, she did the first thing that came to her mind. Scream.
"Aaaah!!!"
"Dah!" The young man scrambled backwards, recoiling in slight shock at the reaction. A moment later, and Sond's scream stopped as suddenly as it had started. She blinked several times, and suddenly a look flooded into her eyes that was very familiar, and comforting.
"Link!" Sond shrieked in recognition, flinging herself about his neck. The Destiny Stone, still around the Hylian's neck, dug into his chest in a slightly painful manner. But he didn't care or notice. She remembered him.
Link's heart leapt. "Youyou remember us now?" He stammered, hardly able to speak.
"Yes!" She wailed. "There was a storm, and Tatl came and said youthat you and Timbre were gone, and then the storm hit uswe tried to stay together but we were all ripped apartI was so scared I'd never see you againI was knocked out, and when I woke up, I was here. OnlyI didn't remember you, or anything of us growing up together. I didn't remember anyone. It was like I had never left Kokiri forest." She blinked back tears, sniffling. "Butthen we were attacked by that Moblin, and Timbre got hurt, and thenyou used your spinning slash, and it all just suddenly kind of came back to me."
"Hey, it's okay," Link said, trying to be comforting. "We're both fine, Timbre's going to be okay, I wasn't injured too badly-"
"And where have you been all this time?!" She practically screamed in his ear, still draped over him. Link blushed deeply. He couldn't help it, after all, having a pretty young woman suddenly tackle him. "That storm was a long time agobut now you're backand Timbre's back too! You've been gone for so longWhere is everyone else? Are they okay? What happened to us?" The questions babbled out of her mouth faster than she could draw breath.
"Uh," he said, trying to calm her down before she hyperventilated. "It's kind of a long story"
*****
And there's the cut off for now. Thought it was a pretty nice spotseeing as things are going alright, Sond remembers, Link's happy cause she remembers him, and TimTim's still working on his inferiority complex. He'll be better. Poor Tim. *huggles Timbre* Yes, he really was that much of a jerk before he met the gang. Anyhow, now for those picture-ey links I promised back at the beginning of this chapter:
http://www.side7.com/cgi-bin/S7SDB/DisplayImg.pl?INO=223758 : There's our two protagonists. Technically it's from a slightly later part in the story, but it works. As you can see, I have trouble with Link's bangs, as cool as they might be
http://www.side7.com/cgi-bin/S7SDB/DisplayImg.pl?INO=223765 : And here is adult Sond, complete with lens flare-ey Light Arrow.
http://www.side7.com/cgi-bin/S7SDB/DisplayImg.pl?INO=223774 : That's the Moblin that our trio just defeated. Yes, his name is Cuddles. And just warning you now, he ain't too pretty. There's a few scratches on his face in this pic, just warning you if you're squeamish about open wounds.
Zat's all I uploaded for now. There will be more. Next chapter, things will pick up even more. They'll probably discover who they're up against, and a new quest will begin. And Aka and Benz didn't drop off the face of the earththey're just a little tardy, that's all. See you next update. Until then, I'd love it if you gave me feedback by clicking on that little review menu button down there. Many thanks!