If you're patient enough to get to this point, I thank you truly. I don't know if this is getting boring, or dramatic, or just stupid. So, I'd appreciate if you'd let me know what you think. That's: please review! Again, I'd really appreciate it.

We're now five years after the first two chapters. Link is now seventeen years old, and he... Well, you'll see what he does on this one. Today's chapter: the meeting of the Hero and the Princess of Destiny. Kinda.

—Mister Brock

IV. The Shadow Folk

"The flow of time is always cruel...

Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it...

A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days..."

The Seventh Sage in front of the Forest Temple

There they are, he noticed from his watching position on top of the tree. Yup: one, two... ah! There's the third one. A sword, spears... don't look so— Hey! That's a— Let me se... Stupid branch... Yeah! That's a red one. Those are Red Guards! Hadn't seen one of those in... What're they doing here, anyway? He smirked. My, my, my. It seems the ol' Phantom here is attracting attention, now, isn't he? Special security forces?

They were almost past the clearing. Moving like an experienced wildcat, he let himself fall into a lower branch and jumped to a close tree. He went on, jumping from tree to tree, moving ahead of them, concentration forcing his body to move in a perfect way, hardly making any sound. He got a little ahead of them, and waited.

Humph. Can't learn a thing, can you? You can send the whole of the Red Guard. You can send a whole division after me. Nothing can stop the Phantom. But, oh no! Perhaps you need some more persuasion. Well, of course I can give you that. Gladly.

He carefully took out the bow from his back, and put an arrow on it. Maybe he could take out the leader before they noticed where he was... Maybe he could take out a second one!

Yeah, right. And maybe I can kill the whole army without them even noticing. Stop dreaming, you overconfident, fat-mouthed cuckoo. To take even one, you'd have to be paying attention. So stop talking to yourself. OK, ok, I'm concentra—— Oh, come on! Where are you, guys? Come out here, you stupid red!

But they weren't coming.

They stopped? How come—

He unloaded his weapon, put the bow back on his shoulders and moved again back the road he had taken. It was hard to see at night under the forest trees, but he had had quite some practice. His eyes thoroughly explored every inch of the ground.

There: there they were, under a great tree. They were standing beside it, without moving.

Are they talking between themselves? No, no, no. They're sleeping. No, of course not. They're waiting. What for, we wonders? Oh, yes, we——

Sounds. Footsteps. Whispers approaching. Someone ——no, there's more than one—— was coming. And it came into his mind at once: it's an ambush! They're here to get someone! Of course, that explains the red... But, what, an ambush in the forest? There's no one...

Even as he thought this, he had taken his bow out again. Presently, two figures came into his sight, moving quickly and without making too much noise. The one in the front was a tall, strong-looking woman. She moved almost crouching to the floor, swiftly taking in her environments. But she won't get the Red Ones. They're too good——for everyone who's not me, that is, 'course.

Behind her, a smaller figure came, moving almost timidly. Humph; inexperienced fool. 'Gonna get yourself killed if you don't learn to move more carefully. Hey!... Hey: they're both dressed in... Yes, they were both wearing the sheikahn uniform, distinguishable on the front design. But the one on the back was also wearing some weird kind of scarf that covered the face...

«'Let's get out of here,' Navi says as she starts moving away from the pedestal. I follow her slowly, watching me again and again, my hands, my feet... still amazed at, well, being big and all. It's kind of cool. I notice I have an earring. Wonder how that got there? Whatever. It must look cool. I feel cool. I think the first thing I'm going to do is try one of those beers back at Kaka———

Sound. There's someone behind me. Right, I'm being hunted here—-or will be, anyway. I stop. Then, unsheathing my sword, I turn around quickly, ready for anything, feeling my new muscles tightening into a fighting stance. Navi floats at my side, wondering what to do.

He's just standing there. He doesn't seem to have a weapon... but let's just not judge this guy on the looks. He looks queer enough, with his face covered by a white scarf——which is nonetheless unable to hide his blonde hair from sweeping out wildly. He looks fast. But he doesn't seem to be preparing to fight... And, goddesses!, I don't like the look in his eyes. He looks like he knows too much. Hmmm... he kind of reminds me of Impa... same kind of weird uniform. Who's Impa?

'I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time... I am Sheik. Survivor of the Sheikahs...'»

What the— Sh?— Sheik!, he repeated, coming out of the... 'flashback'. Damn. Hadn't happened in a—— damn!

As he came out of the strange dizziness that always accompanied his 'flashbacks', he realized the ambush was already on the way. The smaller figure was standing with his back by a tree, looking paralyzed and scared. Obviously, he was not a fighter. The bigger woman was on a defensive stand, in front of the other one, holding a small knife.

Useless. The red ones were surrounding them. The leader was about to strike, his broadsword raised.

I'll never get an arrow on my bow now. Well, it seems I'm going to have to do this the hard way.

Cursing his stupidity, he jumped to the bottom of the tree.

I need to distract their attention.

'Hey!' he screamed, leaning on the tree, his arms crossed. Yeah, back to my oh-so-hated sarcastic smile —— got a Phantom reputation to keep, right?

They all turned around.

'Didn't anybody ever tell you how you're supposed to treat a lady?.'

Heh. Those Reds have clearly no idea of what's going on. The woman —uh, Impa?— looks at me stricken with surprise, but then her eyes glint as she notices the sword on my back. And the other one —the 'Sheik' guy, or whatever— is staring at me with a very strange look—— which somehow makes me feel uncomfortable...

But, anyway, this is what I call a dramatic silence. And I bet that's what they'd call a dramatic entrance. Let's keep it up!

'Maybe I can give you a new lesson.'

The reds are now stupidly looking at me. Uh... OK: 'Stupidity' is too soft a word to name the expression on their faces, actually. Anyway, the leader is getting rapidly on top of things. He lowers his sword, and is now looking at me... I bet he's just realizing my age, he smirked.

'It's too late to be in the forest, kid. Go home before we do something to you,' the leader of the Red Guards grunted.

«'What're you doing up this late, kid? You can stay up when you're grown up! Now go home!' the guard screams at me as he pushes me with his spear.

One day, I swear, I'm going to learn to fight and all that, and I'll be the greatest guard of the Royal Family, and then this creep is going to stop laughing at me... But he's right. What am I doing out here, actually? My Uncle told me to stay! It's raining! What's going on? I wish I knew. But I have to be here, I think. Just what're these voices? If I knew just that... Goddesses! Where's my uncle? »

Whoa! Another flashback? TWO IN A—!!!

He put a hand on his head, as he fell on his knees. He was uncontrollably trembling.

'Feeling fine, kid?' laughed the leader.

Getting a grip on himself, he raised his face. He was smiling —trying to, at least— again.

'You're absolutely right, you know?' he said, always smiling.

And then, moving as fast as the wind, letting his arm grab the sword and become one with it, he gave a quick jump, and unsheathed it. The tip of the blade was barely a few inches away from the leader's chest now. The leader's face got pale. Good. We've still got some charm here.

'You're right. It's way too late,' I'm not smiling anymore. My voice suddenly goes deadly serious. Rage starts building up inside me, again. I may have some fun hunting and scaring them, bust that's nothing comparing to my hatred for them. Nothing. They will pay, one by one. 'But I have no home. You destroyed it. Burned it. And so, the only rest I've got now is to kill you lowlifes.'

The guard on the left was staring blankly. He had almost dropped his weapon. But the one on the right was still holding his own spear, vacillating.

'You're... you're...' he babbled.

'Yea, that's right,' he finished for him. 'I'm the Phantom. I'm the one who gets to kill you now.'

The leader looked at him, startled. 'You're the Phantom?'

'That's right. And unless——'

But he moved as fast as he had —almost. He jumped backwards and, raising his sword, yelled at his men. 'Get the kid! Kill him!'

Without waiting for a response, he raised his sword and brought it in a swinging arc, ready to receive the leader's blow. The blades met with a thunderous sound. Link held his sword, gave a tiny look to his sides, realized the two other guards where already moving, and with a huge effort managed to push the leader, taking him off his balance. Immediately, he ducked low. The guard on his right thrust his spear through the air where mere moments ago his head had been. Taking advantage of the guard's precarious position, he threw him a vicious punch. The guard gave a step back, confusedly trying to get to his feet again. Link looked to the place where "Impa" had been, but she was already ahead of him. Link barely saw a flash as the Shadow threw herself at the falling soldier, her knife moving wildly on her hand.

Link focused his attention on the guard on his left. He was paralyzed, and still didn't move. Then a rock hit him hard on the face. Must've been the smaller Sheikah. Link smirked, then remembered the leader, then looked back, then abruptly tried to jump left. The leader's sword managed to cut him on his right shoulder. He left the sword fall, terrible blasts of pain searing through his right arm. Ow, ow, OW! He rolled to the left, and hit a tree. The leader was now walking at him, ready to administer the final blow. But then "Impa" came running, and rammed him heavily. He had no support and loosing his balance, fell to the floor on top of his sword. Impa threw herself on top of him, raised his head, and cut his throat.

Link was breathing heavily, dizziness growing on him. Someone came to his side.

'Are you okay', asked the smaller one. But the voice was too soft. Must have been a girl. Link managed to have a last look on her large blue eyes. She started to treat his wound, ripping his shirt and applying some kind of bandage to stop the blood. Link felt the pain flaming on his limb and moaned. And then all lights went out.

Now the memories of the Hero of Time are getting into the plot.

Mr. Brock