PAY ATTENTION TO LINK'S CONCERNS IN THIS CHAPTER! SOME OF THEM ARE MAJOR CLUES IN FIGURING OUT THE STORY'S SECRET! Well, there are multiple secrets. You'll probably be able to get one of them from this chapter, but trust me, there are A LOT more. After all, this story's one big puzzle.

Eerie Connections

3 days after Bambi joined the crew, Link recieved the first letter from his little sister. It read:

Dear Big Brother,

We got a poodle a few days ago! Isn't that great? He's pink, and he likes to hump the furniture. Grandma says that it's like having a better version of you living with us. We named him Gaylord, because Grandma told me that that name reminds her of you. You look like a "Gaylord", big brother.

Not only has Gaylord replaced you in the family, but also for everyone else. Gaylord is recieving fan mail because he defeated Ganondorf and saved me from my prison. I'm so proud of him!

Well, I miss you, and please write back. I love you.

Aryll

Link read the letter in shock and disgust. It seemed that getting a poodle wasn't just a bluff like he thought it was. And what of this "fan mail" business? Link read over that part again.

"DAMMIT, I DEFEATED GANONDORF AND RESCUED ARYLL! NOT SOME STUPID DOG! JEEZ, IT DOESEN'T EVEN HAVE THUMBS!" he shouted.

Bambi entered the room (By the way, Link was in the room where all the pirates sleep.).

"What's all the commotion?" she asked.

"GAH!" Link jumped and spun around to face her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Bambi gave him an innocent look and said, "Is it my fault you are loud? You scared me... I was SO worried..." She smirked.

Link gazed at her warily.

Bambi had made his life a living hell, and it had only been 3 days! She always seemed to be watching him, and always did something creepy or weird whenever she got him alone, which she always tried to do.

To make matters worse, when the crew brought some of her belongings on board, Link discovered that 2 of those belongings happened to be twin swords. They were similar to Ganondorf's, but they were smaller and less elaborate. Knowing that she was armed and most likely dangerous, Link tried to keep his distance, but she seemed to be everywhere...

Link was also growing increasingly suspicious about the bandages covering her hands and forearms. Whenever Bambi was questioned about them, she told everyone that it was the most popular style in Windfall.

But how come she's the only native wearing them? It can't be a style if no one else wears them... Link thought. She's got to be hiding something.

Now, back to the present.

"Bambi, get your ass out that door right now..." Link growled.

Bambi took a step closer.

"For whatever reason, Link?"

Link took a step back and replied, "JUST STOP HARASSING ME, BITCH!"

"What are you guys doing?" Tetra asked. Apparently, she had just come through the door, and Link was actually glad to see her.

Bambi looked at Tetra. "Link's yelling at me when I did nothing wrong."

Tetra looked at Link.

Link glanced at both of them before hurriedly leaving the room.

A few hours later, night was upon them. All of the pirates had gone to sleep except for Link... He had business that needed to be done.

Link knocked on Tetra's bedroom door.

"Tetra! Tetra, open the door!"

He heard footsteps from inside the room, and finally, Tetra opened the door. She peered at him through surprised yet sleepy eyes.

"Link? What are you doing here? Go to sleep, dammit!"

"I need to talk to you!"

"About what?"

Link rolled his eyes and said, "Just let me in, it's important..."

Tetra allowed him to enter the room. She shut the door behind him.

"Ok, Poodle (He was called "Poodle" off and on.), make it fast and it better be good, or there will be dire consequences..."

Link looked around at the repaired bedroom for a second before turning back to Tetra.

"About Bambi..." he started.

"What about her?"

"Don't you find her, you know...strange?"

"Oh, of course I do," Tetra replied.

Link was surprised. He hadn't expected that answer.

"She worse than being weird, though... I think she's evil. When she touched the eye mark on my neck, it burned like hell, while the rest of my body got really cold. She smirks at me when you're not looking, her eyes can glow red, and she poked me on the forhead! And the whole bandage thing is weird. She's lying, it's NOT a style!"

"Oh, relax, Link. It'll be fine. And besides, she pokes everyone on the forhead, so get used to it."

"HEY! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WAS FREAKED OUT OVER EVIL FORCES! BUT HERE YOU ARE, OPENING THE DOOR TO ONE! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST KICK HER OFF THE CREW AND SEND HER HOME?"

"Because she has some amazing abilities, Link! I mean, even though this is weird, she's as strong as a lot of the men on board! She's incredibly powerful, despite her appearance. Now stop being so paranoid and go to bed!"

Link was about to say something, but decided against it. Defeated, he slunk out of Tetra's room and to the place where he slept. Link had been sleeping on the floor now that Zuko's cot belonged to Bambi and he didn't want to sleep with Gonzo.

"Hello, Link... Where have you been?" a voice said.

Link gasped and looked to his left to see that the voice's owner was none other than Bambi. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, glaring darkly at him. Her eyes gleamed brightly despite her position in deep shadow. She stepped out of the darkness and toward him.

"You've been talking about me to Tetra, haven't you?" she said coolly.

"If you knew that that's what I was doing, then why the hell'd ya ask?" Link shot back.

"Oh, shut up already. I liked it better when you were being quiet!"

Link's heart nearly stopped. Bambi had just said the EXACT words of the mysterious shadow creature that had attacked him that one day...

"W-why'd you just say that?" he stuttered.

Bambi glared at him and said, "Nevermind that. I wanted to tell you that you can't run to Tetra about this. She thinks you're paranoid, the rest of the crew thinks you're paranoid... So face it. Telling someone about the things I do isn't going to make me leave you alone." Bambi smirked.

Link looked at her hands. He saw with relief that she was not holding her twin swords.

"What are you going to do? Kill me? Heh, that'll be hard without your swords..." he snorted.

"Fool. I could kill you with forces far more powerful than mere weapons."

Link was growing increasingly suspicious about there being a possible connection between Bambi and the shadow creature.

Suddenly, Bambi said, "I don't know exactly how I'm going to kill you yet. We'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?"