The sense of unease and dread was growing within the wolf daily.

With every step he took, he could almost physically feel the gnawing apprehension building deep within his heart. Almost. However, being a spirit, such feelings waned in and out of his consciousness, yet they never fully dissipated from his awareness. It seemed that the further the troupe traveled into the heartland of Noruidia, and therefore further from Hyrule, the less Link walked at Zelda's side. He wished to, but he felt compelled to remain closer to his physical body that lay hidden within the wagon. As a spirit, he vaguely understood why this was. He was a spiritual beast under the guidance and protection of the Goddess Hylia and the Master Sword was crafted by Her Grace, therefore he was naturally drawn to the blade. Now, however, Link could feel his connection with Hyrule fading and his spiritual essence felt like it was being stretched thinner and thinner.

Faris didn't seem to mind, though, having the wolf sit beside him that is. Of course, this was supplemented with the fact that the knight knew who the wolf truly was. Link had an inkling that if the knight could, Faris would certainly have reached over to pet the wolf's head every so often to try and communicate with him, but he didn't. The large one-handed knight had remained rather quiet for the majority of the trip, but notably when the wolf came to sit by him did the knight begin to hum softly. Perhaps this was his little way of connecting to his younger comrade and former student, or even to try and comfort him in a small way.

Link actually did appreciate the soft humming. The tunes stirred up memories of Hyrulean folk songs and melodies he has known since childhood. The songs, and the memories, helped ground him to focus on the matters at hand. His superior beastial hearing picked up every piece of idle chatter and comments made by members of the group. The twins' snickering amongst themselves, Simin's recounting of Noruidian lore and facts, or the ongoing conversation between Zelda and Prince Vahlymor. As fleeting and indiscernible Link's wolven emotions might be, there was a constant flame that burned within his chest. He recognized the emotion and was choosing to ignore it to the best of his abilities. Even so, every so often especially if he heard Zelda laugh, Link could not stop his ears from flattening with irritation.

Jealousy is a relentless beast in its own right, and even spiritual wolves chosen by goddess are not immune to its festering burn.

Sighing audibly, the wolf's ears flicked over to Sir Faris when the knight glanced over at his direction. The bald man's large, blond moustache twitched from his smirk, but that was all the knight offered. Link's eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, namely upon Arion's rump and his mistress seated upon his back. Zelda had been speaking constantly with Vahlymor and Simin as they travelled, inquiring about the many aspects of their land including the names of landmarks, flora and fauna, and folklore. Balin remained as quiet as ever, as was Ashei and Arvid, who rode on Zelda's left side. The twins kept to themselves, but would chirp into the conversation periodically. Then, of course, there were the three Sheikah siblings, who rode in the back of the wagon behind Faris and Link. Currently it seemed that the younger sister, Malia, was asleep, meaning that her elder sister Adla and twin brother Falk were on duty. Even from their seated positions upon the wagon, they listened to their surroundings the same as Link, as well as used their Sheikah senses for anything that might be lurking from the shadows.

Namely, Dark Link.

Link had not sensed, smelt, or seen the dark entity since he last fought with him following the avalanche. He knew that the bastard was still alive and still in pursuit of Zelda, but it was clear that the fiend had been keeping his distance. The wolf completely doubted that Dark Link had abandoned his query in acquiring Zelda for himself or his mission of permanently defeating Link. However, Dark Link's extended absence gave evidence to Link's theory that the bastard actually did wish for Zelda to be within in Noruidia, which was cause for worry. Given the increasingly limiting feeling he felt within himself and his growing reliance to remain near his physical body, Link was beginning to doubt how effective of a protector he could be for Zelda if Dark Link were to attack now. Link would never hesitate to protect Zelda against whatever or whomever tried to threaten or endanger her, but there was only so much he could do outside of Hyrule's embrace.

Spirits were not meant to interfere with the living or the physical realms. This meant that if any bandits or thugs were to attack the troupe, Link would largely need to rely on Zelda's other protectors to ensure her safety. Of course, he would push his allowance and limits to ensure that Zelda was protected, but those limitations had only increased now that they were beyond Hyrule's borders. When it came to combating Dark Link, the spirit wolf knew that he would be the best opponent to stave off the bastard's efforts if he attempted to get near Zelda. The Sheikah would be effective, to an extent, but Link knew that given the chance dark Link could easily slay nearly all of the mortals present, regardless of their individual skills.

Considering all of this, Link felt the passing spark of surprise when his senses suddenly picked up his dark counterpart's presence before his protective rage took over.

The great grey wolf stood, rousing Faris' curiosity and concern, especially when the beast hackles stood on end and a low growl began to rumble from deep within his throat. The sound caught the attention of the entire troupe and the mortals barely were able to register that their spiritual guide was on alert before the wolf leapt from the wagon and dove into the ground, disappearing from sight.

"Holy-!"

"-shit…! Was he always able to do that?!"

The twins' sentiments were felt by the rest of the entourage, who drew in closer together and drew their weapons in anticipation of an attack. No one moved and silence filled the road as they held their collective breaths. But there were no discernable signs of danger and Zelda looked over to her Sheikah guards.

"What is happening? Can you sense anything?" she asked with a whisper, tightening her hold on Arion's reins.

Adla, now standing on the back of the wagon along with her brother and recently awoken sister, scanned the area before slowly shaking her head.

"No… not yet," she stated ominously.

"Then let's quicken our pace!" Vahlymor called. "My ship is docked only a couple of hours away. If we hurry, we will make it sooner than that."

"And what of the wolf?" Arvid asked, who kept near his queen's side.

"Faro will be fine," Zelda reassured, though she felt her heart sink with worry. "Let's proceed with haste."

As the troupe of Hyruleans and Noruidians rushed down the road towards the ocean, the spirit wolf shone with ethereal light as he ran through the Underlayer. He had one destination in mind, for somewhere nearby, just on the edge of his senses, he could feel the black spot of energy that he knew was Dark Link. However, with every stride the beast took, he could feel the resistance growing within himself from being separated from his physical body.

After a few minutes, the wolf began to pant and falter in his steps as the Sacred Beast crested a hill and sat with his head hanging low. Slowly the wolf disappeared and where the beast sat, was a knight on his hands and feet. Gritting his teeth, Link looked up and cast his gaze upon the landscape. The colours of the land were more muted within the Underlayer, with the blue sky appearing more grey and white, and the dark rocks of the Noruidian coast appearing like a light orange. The shade of a bird flitted by, ignorant of the spiritual knight's plight.

"Show yourself, bastard!" Link growled, forcing himself to his feet.

He could feel his body slipping further and further away as Zelda, the wagon, and the others continued without him, causing the spirit to take an unsteady step back.

Fuck… he had gone too far.

"Well, well… don't you look even shittier than you normally do…"

A malicious chuckle filled the air, echoing across the rocks, and Link narrowed his eyes as he straightened his posture with his hands balled into fists.

"Big words coming from you," Link spat, "especially considering that you're a copy of me!"

Dark Link emerged from the ground, growing slowly from a bulbous mass of ink, until the being took the shape of the smirking, monochromatic knight with his ever-glowing red eyes. His hands were upon his hips and he regarded his light counterpart with a mix of contempt and amused disgust.

"Just look at yourself… You can fucking barely stand! Pathetic."

"Try me!" Link roared, his ethereal light brightening, thus proving that even in his state that he would be a formidable opponent against a treasure of dark shadow magic.

Squinting slightly against the light, Dark Link's smirk faltered slightly with irritation. He fought the urge to lift his hand to outright shield his eyes from the light: his pride would not allow it.

Dark Link scoffed, instead.

"Settle the fuck down, moron. I'm here to talk, not fight," the entity sneered, feeling his already limited patience running thin.

"I find that fucking hard to believe," Link bitterly retorted, although his light did dim enough that it was more palatable for the dark being.

"I don't give e flying fuck what you believe or don't, but I came to give you a warning and if choose to not believe me, that it'll be your fault to what happens to Zelda!"

Surprise and suspicion slightly faltered Link's frown and his eyes narrowed at Dark Link and his casual yet slightly agitated appearance.

"What sort of trick is this? How dare you speak her name!"

"Oh, get off your fucking high horse, you prick!" Dark Link groaned, shaking his head and matching Link's narrowed eyes. "You're more brain damaged than I imagined if you actually think that I'd do anything to endanger Zelda. Or…" Dark Link paused as his expression turned smug, "is it that you're still jealous of the delicious time that Zelda and I spent together buried under all that snow-"

Dark Link's laughter filled the air as Link struck with a blade of pure light and speed that was surprising given his unsteady state. A blade of obsidian easily blocked Link's light sword, drawing the pair knights nearly face to face as they entered a match of force and will. Link's enraged expression of determination and might was matched with Dark Link's seemingly amused expression of wicked ease, with his lips curling back to reveal his egotistical smirk.

"Oh, ho ho! That struck a nerve," Dark Link teased, earning a growl from Link.

With a sidestep and deft of ease, Dark Link deflected Link aside and the pair regained their identical stances a few feet away from each other: each a perfect mirrored image of the other, aside from their colour. Dark Link snickered once more before abandoning his stance and his blade once more shifted back into his hand. Link looked on in confusion, especially once the entity shrugged and lifted his reformed hand through his grey bangs.

"As fun as this is, and as much as I love kicking the shit out of you-"

"Given how things turned out the last time we fought, I'd say it was I who kicked the shit out of you!" Link shot, relaxing his stance too, but his light blade did not dissipate.

Only the slight twitch of Dark Link's eye indicated his true fury, but this was smoothed over with yet another scoff from him and how he crossed his arms.

"As I was saying… You're out of your element here, Green-Fucker. all I'm saying that if you don't heed what I have to say here and now, you're going to lose Zelda and not even I will be able to promise that she'll be unharmed."

"Just spit it out already!"

Dark Link regarded his Light Realm counterpart for a moment longer, before casting a cautious eye around him. He had been debating whether or not what he was about to do was a good idea or not ever since his little chat with his mistress… and he still was not a hundred-percent sure if this could come back to bite him in the ass.

"Fuck it…" he muttered to himself, frowning before looking Link in the eye with a serious expression. "If you care about Zelda, you will not allow her to touch the water."

Dark Link's blunt statement caught Link off guard and his enraged expression broke with surprise.

"What? The fuck does that even mean? What does that-?"

"Just-!" Dark Link began, his red eyes brightening before he forced himself to take a steadying breath, though he was shaking from restraint. What he was doing was going against every malicious instinct of his being (helping Link that is). But it was for Zelda, so he would do it. He couldn't trust the Mistress with upholding her end of their bargain.

"Just… listen to me, for fucks sake! Whatever you do, Zelda must not touch the ocean in any capacity! Physically, I mean. A boat's okay. If she does, though, then you and your sorry group of merry-idiots can kiss your collective asses goodbye! There will be little that any of you can do to save her or yourselves."

Link remained silent for a moment, his light waning even more: if he could sweat, he'd be doing so now out of sheer exertion. His body was so far away now.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked in a low tone after another moment.

Dark Link just rolled his eyes before his frown almost shifted into a defiant pout.

"Because I have loved Zelda for millennia and the only dark hands that I'll allow her to fall into are my own."

The dark knight's pout shifted back into a smirk as his tongue ran over his lips and pure wicked glee filled his eyes.

Now it was Link's turn to scoff.

"You fucking bastard! How dare-!"

"Hey!" Dark Link interjected, slipping back into his casual stance and once more lifting his hands to shrug nonchalantly. "Like I said, don't believe me if you want! Just remember that if you don't, then all of Zelda's suffering will be on you!"

Before Link could register Dark Link's curt statement, the dark knight flipped him off and descended back into the ground to sink away into the shadows. With his spiritual senses, Link could attest that his adversary was moving away from him.

"What just… happened?" Link muttered, before sucking in a strained breath and collapsing to his knees. "My body!" he moaned, shuddering as his spiritual essence wavered.

Staring down at his hands through narrowed eyes, the man saw his fingers fade into transparency.

"Fuck…"

Dropping his hands to the ground, claws and fur erupted from his skin and one in a fluid motion, a wolf emerged from the knight's form. Unsteady and in serious threat of discorporating, the wolf growled and leapt forward into a run.

The race was on and the goal was being reunited with the presence of the Master Sword, his physical body, and Zelda's gentle gaze. However, there was a time limit to this desperate run. Link knew that Zelda was headed directly towards the broad ocean and he was not sure what to believe when it came to Dark Link's so-called "warning", but there was no doubt that such an expansive body of water held numerous dangers.

And Link needed to be there, now!

Unfortunately, time worked differently in the Underlayer and affected spirits strangely as well. Even though he'd only been speaking with Dark Link for what felt like mere minutes, it had been much longer in the Light World. The sun had travelled through the sky and evening was colouring the sky and sea with colour before the coming darkness.

Zelda was actually already at the ocean's edge and if she dare to step any closer, she'd surely fall right into its blue embrace.

Before her stretched out the seemingly never-ending surface of the seamless ocean, made alive with its breaths of waves and the setting sun giving colour to its blue hues. She had never seen anything as naturally magnificent as the sea, for its majesty dwarfed even the natural wonders of Zora's Domain, Death Mountain, or the grand trees of Faron Woods. Only, perhaps the purity and impalpable beauty and grace of the Sacred Realm rivaled the glory that was the ocean. How could so much water even exist in one place? Prince Vahlymor's stories and description of the ocean had painted a fairly clear picture within Zelda's mind before seeing it now, but to behold it for herself, and so closely, was overwhelming.

The only thing that was grounding her was the worry weighing down her heart.

It had been hours now since Link suddenly disappeared with only a small indication that something had been amiss. There came no danger to the group, however, as they pushed forward and hastened the end of their cross-land journey to arrive to the coast. Nothing triggered the Sheikah's secret senses or Balin's keen eyes, or alerted their mounts of a dangerous environment. The horses and cliff elk remained calm, aside from being urged by their masters to move quickly.

Zelda had no idea what had caused Link to run off and the fact that he wasn't back yet made her heart ache. She maintained a casual and brave face, but she knew from the few glances that Faris and Arvid gave her that they were worried too. While Arvid had not been explicitly told that the spirit wolf was in fact Link, Zelda could surmise that the knight had an inkling to the truth especially considering he knew of Link's body within the wagon.

That remained a subject of contention that Zelda was still trying to figure out, and she was running out of time.

"Nayru, guide me," she whispered, feeling her heartbeat increase, as her gaze turned from the waters below up to the grand ship docked beside her.

True to his word, the prince had said that he had left his ship docked near to where they had exited the mountains, and here it was: the RNS Windfall, Vahlymor's personal royal naval ship. Simin had explained that as far as Noruidian ships went, the Windfall was not the largest, but it was the fastest and had seen its fair share of battle and war. Zelda could see the scrapes and marks upon her hull, evidence of the struggles the Windfall had seen against the ruthless Tulul, as she stood next to the ship's hull. Her eyes lifted to the ship's masts, her sails bound and their glory hidden to the Hyrulean Queen. She had seen pictures of these ships as part of her Noruidian studies, but to stand in the shadow of such a ship now with her own eyes… Zelda was still in awe. The ship was clearly made for battle against the water-bound Tulul. It's hull was high, its keel tripled, according to Simin, and there were great nets, styled like fins of a fish, along the top of the keep that were apparently used to disperse against the water-magic of the sea-tribe.

Glancing once more out at the endless horizon where the sky met the sea, Zelda turned back to see the rest of her troupe, who were gathered out at the end of the long dock with the horses, cliff elk, and the wagon. She could see Vahlymor standing away from the others, still conversing with the dock officials and trying to convince them of the reasons why he had returned so suddenly and unexpectedly, with Hyruleans in tow nonetheless. Here was where Zelda's trust in Vahlymor was being tested. None could know her identity here in Noruidia, that much had been made clear, and their entire quest now relied on the lies that the prince could spin and the faith and loyalty his subordinates had in him.

To be able to take the RMS Windfall would be breaking several protocols, even if Vahlymor was the Noruidian naval commander and second in line to the throne. Let alone the prince would be asking the men stationed at the dock to keep quiet about the entire endeavour. Vahl had assured her that he had a few plans up his sleeve, and Zelda wanted to believe him, but her mind kept returning to the conversation they had shared the first moment they had set eyes upon the Windfall.

"Behold! There she is! The RNS Windfall! The glory and pride of the Royal Noruidian Navy! My loyal lady of the sea."

Having crested a steep hill, the group echoed the prince's proclamation with gasps of awe and murmurs of astonishment. Even the Sheikah whispered words of shock amongst themselves, for they had never seen a ship before. Docked at a long dock, one of many, the Windfall stood out above the other smaller fishing boats and personal crafts as the only naval ship in the small port. The prince explained that this area was mainly used as a byway point for fisherman and the navy, and not a permanent port, for the majority of the navy remained moored within Hallan Harbour or were out at sea to protect Noruidian waters.

"It's beautiful," Zelda exclaimed, looking over to meet Vahl's smile of pride.

"She is," he commented, meeting her eyes, before looking back at his ship, "and don't let her size fool you. She is mighty and will bore us to the waters of the Isle of Blights well enough. From there, it will be up to our Sheikah friends to work their magic so that we may reach the shores of that cursed island. It's all rather exciting, to be honest."

"And the ship will fit us all?" Arvid had asked.

"Of course! In fact, we're slightly undermanned, for I typically have a crew of fifteen to properly man her. Of course, those numbers are meant to fight the Tulul and that is not our mission. Ours is one of stealth and swiftness, but that still means that our numbers are not adequate. Simin, the twins, and Balin know how to ensure that the ship sails smoothly, but you folks…" Vahl paused to smirk over at Zelda, "are a liability."

"But we can learn, can we not?" Arvid posed, not letting himself feel offended by the prince's casual and blunt statement.

"You could," the prince replied with a shrug, urging his cliff elk down that road, "but if we were to meet any Tulul, your untrained minds would be dangerous tools for the sea-devils to use. No, once we're out at sea, you Hyruleans will need to remain within the hold… unless accompanied by one of us, I suppose. It'd be unfair if your first trip to sea was spent entirely in the brig. I do wish for you to bear witness to the grand majesty that is the open ocean with your own eyes, Zelda."

The queen had only smiled at the prince as her mind raced. She was scrapping together every piece of her wisdom and knowledge to try and formulate a way to rationalize why it was necessary for their wagon to be brought onboard, even though the prince had made it clear that ships were not meant to transport live animals. Luckily, Zelda knew that Faris' father was a genius wainwright, and she had been told that they wouldn't necessarily require the entire wagon to transport Link's body and the Master Sword. However, even that would require explanation.

And above all trust.

At the edge of the long dock, Zelda watched from her distant position the prince interact with the dock officials, men loyal to the crown and therefore him. Having only known the man for a short while, she had grown accustomed to his casual composure, his calm confidence, and steadiness that was in itself a style of grace. It interested her now to see how he interacted with those under his command. The officials had straight postures and Zelda could tell, even at a distance, that they respected their leader. Vahlymor himself maintained his casual composure, with his hands behind his back, as he discussed himself and his reasons why he was even there.

If he was successful and they were able to board the Windfall without issue, then Zelda would tell him the truth of why they needed the wagon.

She didn't wish to think of what they would do if Vahl was not able to take his ship without raising an alarm, but she had to. Zelda was thinking of all possible outcomes and this was stirring up her anxiety and nerves. With Link being missing only complicated her emotions even more.

Sighing and allowing her eyes to fall from her comrades, Zelda returned back to face the ocean. With her back to the others, she allowed for her worries to crease her sculpted features and her heart tightened. They had come so far and were nearly there, but what would she do if she had to turn back? She had promised Link that she would save him, that she would uncover the evil that was threatening her kingdom… How ironic would it be if it was something as mundane as politics that would be the death to this quest?

"Zelda?"

The woman jumped and spun around to meet the amused and as-casual-as-ever expression of Vahlymor. The prince chuckled and offered her an apologetic smirk. She hadn't heard his approach at all.

"Pardon my intrusion of your thoughts, my lady."

"No, no. It's quite alright," she reassured, returning his smile. "How did you fair?"

Vahl slowly began to nod before stepping forward to stand beside her, facing the ocean.

"You know… when you had first mentioned your "shadow island" from your dreams, I immediately was reminded of the tales of the Isle of Blights. This, of course, caught my interest. I will always try to be honest with you, so trust me when I say that adventure gives me life. To be frank, the thought of settling down and getting married sounded almost like a prison sentence to me, and this notion was only slightly softened by the knowledge that I might very well be settling within the magical land of Hyrule. Of course-" Vahl paused to glance aside at Zelda and smile "-seeing you and marveling in your beauty, helped the thought of settling down to become even more palatable."

Zelda only returned his smile, but was eager to hear where he was going with this.

"But, oh how do I love adventure," the man continued, looking back to the ocean, "and it was from this selfish passion that I first proposed to you the idea that if you were willing to go the distance, that I could take you to the Isle of Blights. However…"

"Yes?"

Vahlymor half-turned his head and once more the man's true expression was revealed. Stripped away was his carefree casualness Zelda knew him for, there now standing before her was a seasoned commander and prince, who stared back at her with a distant seriousness. Now was not the time for levity.

"However… the laws out on the ocean differ greatly from those on land. Out there, my word is law. Trust is vital for survival and even the tiniest of missteps or treachery could spell doom for the entire ship and crew. I have spent years building the great level of trust and loyalty I now have with my men, and I am grateful for their loyalty with every fibre of my being. So, I ask you with the utmost respect, to tell me… why I just lied to my men?"

"I don't-"

Vahl gestured for her to stop.

"The men stationed here were, as you know, rather surprised that I arrived with you all in tow, never mind my sudden request to board the Windfall with you folks. Strangers to our lands and especially our waters. Luckily for us, the men under my command trusted me, so it didn't take much coercion for me to convince them that I had returned here with officials from Hyrule in order to sail back to Hallan. I didn't need to give specifics, I am their commander and prince after all, and ultimately my word is final, but it still pains me all the same to lie to them: to use their trust for our means. I needed to assure them that I would not need to send for my regular crew, and that we would be sailing up the coast northward. An odd request, for sure, but it was no secret that I was travelling to Hyrule, so I'm sure that they assume that whatever business I have with Hallan and my father, relates to this."

The prince paused to sigh, reaching up to rub his dark goatee. There certainly was a handsomeness within the man, not only in his features, his dark hair and eyes, his pointed ears with their slightly darker tips, and even his scar that divided his right brow, but also within his very presence. Here was a man who had seen war, seen strife and death, but could still be charming and lighthearted on the surface.

"I'm asking you to trust me with the depth that my men do, a level of trust that is required to sail these dangerous waters. I know that you have your secrets, and I respect that, for you are a queen, but if we're going to continue in this adventure together…"

Vahl allowed for his words to trail off and crossed his arms, joining Zelda in staring out at the sea.

Zelda watched the man's eyes as he spoke. She saw a sincerity within his dark eyes, even though his expression remained serious. The queen gave him a small smile and interlocked her fingers before gazing back out at the ocean. The sun had just set and the land of Noruidia had been cast in the hour of twilight. Her heart was beating fast, but now was the time to be a queen.

"I understand and I sincerely apologize for the position that I've put you in. I've asked so much of you and your men, but given little. You're right… I have not been fair to you."

"Well…" Vahl began, a smile reappearing on his face, "I admit that some blame should be placed upon myself as well. I knew what I would be getting myself into, so please don't take my words as harsh. I just hope that we can be open and truthful with one another. If anything, it's a great way to begin a marriage."

"Yes, of course."

Zelda took a moment to gather herself, remembering the silent promise she had just made, and knowing that now was as good a time as ever to reveal the truths that the prince rightfully had earned to know.

"The Isle of Blights holds the location of the second Twilight Mirror: a gateway to the Twilight Realm."

"The Twilight Realm? Isn't that the same dark villainy that nearly conquered your land six years ago?"

"It is," Zelda admitted, a small yet sad smile appearing on her lips, "but it is within the Twilight Realm that we may find the answers that we seek. The answers that the Sheikah were not able to answer."

"Such as?" Vahl prompted, arching his scarred brow.

It was now or never.

"It is as you said, Prince Vahl… I have many secrets. One of them lies within the wagon."

"Don't blame me if I say that I'm not surprised."

"Not the entire wagon, only a section. A hidden compartment. Its… contents… must reach the Twilight Realm."

"And…? These contents… what are they?"

"They're... hope. Hope for Hyrule's salvation-"

"My lady!"

"Watch out!"

Both Zelda and Vahl spun on their heels when the urgent calls of Simin and Arvid shouted suddenly from down the dock, though their cries were quickly swallowed by a loud and furious growl. Vahlymor was already drawing his Noruidian sword, pushing Zelda behind him, as the pair of royals bore witness to the great grey wolf as it emerged from the wood of the dock. With a great bound, it landed and slid to a stop a few feet before the pair. So caught off guard were the two, that each took a step back at the sudden appearance of the wolf and Zelda's back heel stepped off the end of the dock. Her balance faltered and she began to fall back… back towards the waters below.

Vahlymor was quick and his hand shot out to grab hold of Zelda's left hand, but the wolf was quicker, and was there by their side to grab hold of her cape. With one strong and sure yank, the Sacred Beast pulled Zelda back forward until she fell onto her hands and knees.

"My lady!"

"My queen!"

Arvid, Faris, and the others came running down the dock, concern and relief spread across their expressions.

"Faro! He's back!"

Smiles began to spread after Todd's observation and Vahlymor sheathed his sword as all watched as Zelda sat back on her heels and the wolf sat before her. The queen's eyes glistened and a smile of relief brightened her face mirrored by the wolf's stoic and indiscernible expression. Lifting his paw, the wolf offered it to the woman who, half-chuckling with relief, took it.

"Where have you-?"

'Do not… touch the water. Ever.'

Zelda blinked at Link's sudden and serious warning, her relieved expression breaking for a moment. Before she could recover or react properly, the wolf took back his paw, stood and turned away, and padded passed everyone to trot down the dock. The Noruidians and the Hyruleans watched wordlessly as the wolf walked up to the wagon, leapt up to return to his seat, and immediately laid down.

"That was weird… right?"

"Werder than usual, you mean."

"Is it just me… or did he look, I don't know… see-through? Or was I dreaming?"

No one could, or dared, answer the twins, but a few eyes turned back to Zelda, who was helped up by Vahl. The queen still stared after the wolf, confusion and worry in her features, and it was Faris who loudly cleared his throat and began gesturing for everyone to disperse.

"There, now! Nothing to see, nothing to fret about."

"Simin!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Start prepping the Windfall. We set sail at dawn."

"Understood, sir."

Vahl and Zelda watched as Simin and the others walked off, the man beginning to list off orders for the others to follow, though Ashei and the Sheikah glanced back at their liege. Faris walked straight back to the wagon and stood by the wolf, who didn't even lift his head to the knight's approach.

"What is wrong with him? What has happened?"

Zelda had no answer for the prince.

/

It was difficult for a spirit to describe their feelings whilst within the Light Realm at the best of times, so it was nearly impossible for the wolf to do so now. At the edges of his mind, Link knew that he was exhausted and worn thin. He had pushed his limits as a Sacred Beast and it had taken him longer than he had anticipated to catch up with the group and his body. Even now as he bathed in the invisible pulsing energy of the shrouded Master Sword, Link knew that his spiritual body was battered and bruised. Ironic considering he and Dark Link had barely clashed.

His fatigue was no match, however, for the guilt that consumed his psyche.

Link had doubted Dark Link's words: his warning. The entire time that the wolf ran following his confrontation with his dark counterpart, following his inner senses that connected him to his body (and to some extent to Zelda herself), the spiritual knight weighed whether or not to believe the fiend's words. He racked his brain and tried to tackle the "warning" from every angle he could think of, trying to discern if it was some sort of trick. Dark Link had not attacked him, even though Link had been visibly weakened and at a disadvantage, and the wolf tried to view this from different angles as well. What was Dark Link's game? What were his true motives? Could it actually be as simple as the fiend was truly concerned for Zelda? If so, then how much of an enemy should Dark Link be considered as?

Link did not like this line of thinking, it made him feel… wrong. The wolf could even feel his old sense of jealousy bubble up through his weariness, which morphed into a low growl rumbling from his throat.

During his entire solitary journey, Link had remained within the Underlayer so that he could travel faster. Travelling within the Underlayer was also easier on his spiritual body than compared to the pressures of reality from the Light World. Besides, he did not wish to announce his presence to any unwanted or prying eyes. Within this thin veil of a realm, the wide expanse of the ocean looked green, almost like an endless field of grass, with the wind casting waves of motion across its surface. As focused as Link was on his journey forward, his eyes did stray to observe the mesmerizing breath of the green waters of the sea, feeling a distant pull at his heart of familiarity.

Link himself had never seen the ocean before, yet… something deep within his consciousness found a sense of nostalgia that he could not place, for it may very well lay far in the past or even from a future counterpart. Turning his inconsistent focus back onto his run, the wolf made quick work of the descent towards the coast until he saw a set of docks and a ship moored at one of them. Even from the Underlayer Link could feel that Zelda was down there at the docks. With every stride the wolf approached the coastline and once more Dark Link's warning echoed within the wolf's mind.

"Whatever you do, Zelda must not touch the ocean in any capacity!"

Slipping onto the road, Link could see the figures of light ahead of him, representing the spirits of horses, cliff, elk, Noruidians, and Hylians. Link had caught up with them, but where was Zelda? His instincts remained sharp even with his haggard energy and Link's attention was immediately directed to the far reach of the dock from which the ship was anchored alongside. Zelda's spirit was easy to identify, for out of them all it shone the brightest: indicative of her divine blood and her connection with the Triforce of Wisdom. Next to her was another spirit, the prince, and Link quickly saw that they were standing close to the edge of the dock.

What happened next would prove that Link's distrust in the prince was stronger than his distrust in Dark Link. It was his irrational and emotional response that nearly resulted in Zelda falling off of the dock.

Fortunately Link was quick to respond, along with Prince Vahlymor, who ensured that Zelda remained upon the pier's wooden boards. Once she was safe, the wolf faced Zelda's expression of surprise and relief and her smile for him only deepened the guilty stain that was spreading within his chest. He delivered Dark Link's warning and turned away from her to seek the sanctuary of his body and the Master Sword. There he remained with only his guilt for solace. He allowed his foolish human sense of jealousy to cloud his judgement. He knew that in the moment when he bolted down the pier, bounding through realms to become physical, Link had actually thought with certainty that the prince was going to push Zelda into the water.

There was no evidence of this, but Link saw them alone together and assumed this. This assumption was born from nothing but his selfish resentment and he knew it.

When Faris came to sit beside him, the wolf could sense that the older knight wished to reach out and comfort him, or speak with him, or both, but the one-armed man resisted. Instead, the pair sat in silence as the Noruidian dock guard began to assist their prince's men and heed their leader's command to ready the ship for a dawn's departure. Link saw that Zelda and the prince had boarded the ship and disappeared inside, but the wolf was too weary to even allow for his astral form to wander over and hear what they were discussing. Instead, the wolf closed his eyes and settled into his own sense of doubt and guilt as Link was slowly being rejuvenated by the Master Sword's presence.

While sleep was not possible for the wolf, Link's mind did drift beyond thought and memory as his spiritual form recorporated. He remained in this sleep-like state for hours and was only drawn back into relative consciousness when Faris finally reached out to shake the wolf's back.

"Hey! Wake up! Li-! Listen up, you, ah... wolf? Faro! wake up!"

The elder knight bit his tongue and only shook the wolf more until the beast's eyes finally blinked open.

Faris grinned from beneath his large, blond moustache.

"There you are, lad. You have to get up, now. We're… moving the wagon."

The wolf sat up and shook his head, trying to draw his consciousness together. It was dark now, which meant that Link had lost a couple of hours. He turned to see that Faris was not alone. Arvid, Balin, the twins, and Simin were also there, with the Sheikah standing aside, and next to them was Zelda and Vahlymor. The wolf stood and hopped down from the wagon to the ground and Sir Faris immediately cleared his throat and went to the side of the wagon. It took a moment for Link to realize that the knight was strategically pressing spots on the wagon's side and underbelly. The wolf's sensitive ears picked up the tell-tale clicks of mechanisms being activated from within the wood. Sure enough, hidden clasps soon gave away and Faris reached up to push forward the wagon's seat, which swung over on a hidden hinge. The large knight then gestured for Arvid to assist him before he grasped secret handholds and pulled away the wooden box, with a single post sticking up from the top, that contained Link's body and the Master Sword.

Link's ears perked forward at the entire situation, a spark of panic electrified his heart and he quickly turned to look back at Zelda and the prince. Vahlymor just looked on with a look of fascinated smirk and Zelda's face wore an expression of reserved determination.

'What the hell did I miss? Did she… Did Zelda tell him about my body? About the Master Sword?'

The wolf's thoughts got no response as he sidestepped away to allow for Faris, Arvid, and the twins who stepped in, to begin carrying away the wooden box. The box was essentially Link's casket and the wolf watched as they carried it up the dock and towards the ship's boarding ramp. The wolf could only wallow in his disbelief before he felt the tug on his spirit as his body moved further away from him and he obediently began to follow. As he passed Zelda and the prince, for a brief moment Link's eyes met Zelda's and the queen gave no answer to his questions, though he did see the tiniest nod that she gave him. The Sacred Beast followed his body aboard the ship and eventually descended into the cargo hold, where it was strapped down by Todd and Crevan, before only Faris, Arvid, and the wolf remained.

"I wonder what Her Majesty told the prince…" Arvid whispered over to Faris now that they were alone.

As far as Link knew, Arvid did not know the wolf's true identity, only that Link's body and the Master Sword were contained in the wagon's secret compartment. He had, after all, helped Faris steal away the body from its locked room in Hyrule's Castle via a secret passage to hide it in the wagon before the entourage departed.

"Just bite your tongue for now," Faris growled in response. "We must trust her, and that's all we can do. Let's just count our blessings that she was able to convince the prince at all to even allow this thing to be brought onboard."

The knight set his hand upon his hip and regarded his younger companion and then to Link.

"I doubt that one of us needs to stand here and guard this thing with you here, hm?"

Faris spoke directly to Link and the wolf only laid down beside the wooden box in response.

"Well that's solved," Arvid commented, looking down at the wolf. "We wouldn't want anyone poking around where they're not supposed to."

"Exactly, so just keep a tight lip and listen to whatever the queen says," Fris ordered before heading up the ladder to the upper deck, Arvid following soon after.

Link was left alone in the bowels of the ship, the Windfall or so it was called, and set his head down upon his paws. With a sigh, his senses attuned to the sounds of the waters beneath the ship, the creaks and groans of its wood and ropes, and the distant murmurs of peoples speaking, the wolf resigned himself to patiently wait. For what? He wasn't entirely sure.

/

Hours passed.

The wolf was aware through his senses that dawn was approaching and he could hear the increase of footsteps above him as the sun slowly rose closer to the horizon. No one had come to see him during the night, not even Zelda, and that worried him. He hated that he couldn't leave his body for very long and after his encounter with Dark Link, he could feel that his spirit's connection to his body had been affected and would need time to "heal". Perhaps heal was not the best term to describe what he felt… Like everything else as a spirit, it was difficult to describe.

Voices called from above, boots thudded across the deck, and eventually the ship itself began to move. This was it, they were casting off, meaning that Zelda was now entirely surrounded by water and beyond the safety of land. Yet here Link was, by himself, and he would only leave his post by his body if there was any hint of danger. Part of him wanted for someone to come and see him, preferably Zelda, but then he recalled what the prince had said. The Hyruleans would need to be locked up for their own protection, lest they fall under the mental influences of the Tulul if they attacked.

Did that mean that Zelda was in the ship's holding cells right now? The Queen of Hyrule was in the brig?!

A growl rolled from the beast's maw and he lifted his head, his eyes upon the ladder that led to the upper decks. Still, he did not move from his spot. He heard no turmoil and sensed no danger, so everything should be fine. His spiritual connection with Zelda would inform him of any distress she might be experiencing and he felt nothing but calmness. How long would they be out at sea? Would it take days to reach the Isle of Blights? Weeks? How was the prince prepared to handle a possible attack? Was the ship durable enough to handle an attack?

There were too many questions to think about and zero answers to find.

'The real question that I should be considering is if I'm just going to sit here the entire trip like a good dog?'

Link sighed and flattened his ears. Some Hero Chosen by the Gods… Even with all of his spiritual wisdom and powers, he felt powerless. He felt useless. His consciousness could feel the great expanse of the ocean beneath the ship's hull, but the vastness of the waters dissolved his spiritual senses. That meant that if they were attacked from the sea, Link would not be able to give a lot of warning. Yet there was still something… at the very edge of his senses. Somewhere out in the distance, beyond the ocean's horizon, the wolf could barely feel the foreboding pressure of something dark in nature.

'The Isle of Blights…'

Lifting his head, the wolf stared at the interior wall of the hull, though his gaze fell far beyond the strained wood. Surely that was the source of this sense of malicious premonition. Right?

'But what if it isn't?' thought the wolf. 'Dark Link's warning… Zelda not being able to touch the ocean. Was that his way of telling me that there is a greater power at work here? And if so, why? Why tell me? Or, rather, not tell me…'

Growling slowly in frustration, the beast chuffed out a sigh. His growing sense of unease and uncertainty was eroding his natural confidence in his decision-making. He still wished that they had remained within Hyrule, but he also recognized that if they had done so then they would just be waiting for the forces of malice to arrive at their doorsteps. But if they had, they would have the homeland advantage and the natural protective magics of Hyrule herself, though at the possible cost of the lives of many soldiers, and even citizens. These were only but a couple of quandaries that came with being a strategic tactician, and there were no clear correct answers.

All Link could do right now… was lie in wait, and he hated it.

The RNS Windfall sailed all through the day and before long night fell. During that time, the ship was fairly quiet and none came down to visit the Sacred Beast. A few times Link considered going up through the decks to check and see where everyone was, but never moved from his spot. He did wish to know how long it would take for them to sail to the island.

Night passed and another day came, yet still… nothing. Before long, night had descended once again.

Outside the sky was dark and the moon was on the rise, yet it could not be seen by the lone ship out on the sea's calm waters. Nor were the stars visible. Clouds lay heavy within the heavens, casting blackness over everything and fading the line between sea and sky. Slow was the journey of the Windfall, for no wind blew that night. It had died just as the sun drowned in the sea, when the ship sailed under the territory of the dark clouds. An ominous heaviness hung in the air and Link felt restless. For two days he had laid there, near motionless, to allow his tangible body to recuperate with the close proximity of the Master Sword. Now, Link felt restored and anxious. Not knowing what was going on was beginning to trickle into his spiritual sense of patience and crack it apart. Time was an unimportant concept for a spirit, but time was of the essence. Link was not sure if it was luck or by skill, or a combination of both, that the ship had not been attacked by some dark force or demonic sea-tribe. All the same, he could not just sit there any longer.

Standing to his four paws, the wolf raised its head to sniff the air, before crouching to deftly leap into the air and straight through the ceiling to the upper deck. No thud or clicks of his claws could be heard as the wolf appeared on the main deck, unphased by the natural rocking of the ship. Immediately he was greeted by none other than Simin, who was walking just a few feet in front of him with a lit lantern. Without hesitation or a flinch in the man's expression, Simin had drawn his sword and Link found the weapon's tip an inch or less from his snout. Like the man, the wolf made no reaction, but Link could feel his surprise seep into his mind. Only after a blink did emotion erupt in Simin's face and his entire composure changed as he smiled.

"By the might of the sea! You surprised me there, Faro! You best be careful! You can't be going around surprising Noruidians out at sea like that. We're all on our toes, so you best be too!"

With a chuckle, the man sheathed his sword and was once again his friendly self. If Link had not seen it for himself, there would be room for an argument to say that Simin had become a completely different person in the reactionary moment.

'This must be the "hollowing" ability they spoke about,' Link thought to himself as he padded around Simin and headed towards the stern of the ship and the captain's quarters.

He knew that Zelda was within there, that much was he was sure of. However, the wolf did pause a moment to tilt his head upwards and sniff the air as well as cast his sharp gaze up into the rigging of the masters and sails. Little to no breeze brushed across the giant sails of the Windfall and the dark sky was pure black: the stars were truly hidden. He also sensed that standing up there upon the masts and in the crow's nest were the Sheikah: unseen by all as they veiled themselves in shadows. The wolf could sense them, however, and he knew that within the Underlayer he would be able to see them as well, for their shadow magic quite nearly phased them into that realm entirely. They were on alert the just as Simin was, but there was something amiss. Link could not discern why, but his senses were off and that vaguely disturbed him.

'All the more reason to make certain that Zelda is alright.'

Continuing towards the door of the captain's cabin, Link paused before his nose touched the wood. Should he just go right through? He had every right to, but that would be rude going into someone's sleeping quarters like that. Following that train of thought, he wolf's chest tightened and he slowly sat before the door with ears pinned back.

'If Zelda is in there, and the prince is as well…'

Something likened to jealousy, sadness, and mortification twisted within the spiritual beast's mind and he shook his head to try and rid himself of such… disturbing thoughts. They were quickly replaced by shame for even considering such shameful actions. Zelda would never disgrace herself in such a manner, even with her fiancé.

'Unlike myself..' the knight thought vaguely, as he narrowed his wolven eyes. He was thinking such… mortal thoughts, and it was making him more anxious. Lifting his paw, the wolf scratched at the door and pushed aside the degrading acknowledgement that he was acting like a true dog at the moment: asking to be let in.

The wolf fought back the urge to whine (at the door or at himself he was not completely sure) before his ears perked forward at the thuds of boots from within. The lock and latch was undone on the other side and the door was opened, to reveal an expressionless prince. Upon seeing that it was a sacred wolf at his door, Vahlymor allowed for his emotion of surprise to show and he pursed his brow as he looked down at the beast. Link had to really fight hard now against growling at being looked down upon by the man. This was the nearest he had been to the prince since perhaps they had their practice duel back at the castle.

"Faro? Oh! Well, please, come in."

When the prince stepped aside, the wolf walked in and did not cast the man another glance. All of his attention was settling his gaze upon the Hyrulean Queen. When he finally saw her, Zelda was seated on a large bed in the corner of the room, with piles of books around her as well as what looked to be maps and charts. While the woman's face brightened upon seeing the wolf, Link felt the stab of jealous anger.

'She's on his bed.'

Granted, Zelda was fully clothed, but… still.

"Oh, Faro! What are you doing up here?"

"My thoughts exactly, my lady," Vahl commented, as he strode across the room to sit behind a large, ornate, wooden desk. The prince leaned back in his chair and observed the wolf with an even, unreadable expression.

In addition to the desk, the whole room was rather ornate and reflected the luxuries and comfort that was appropriate for the prince's high rank and status. There was a large dining table with silverware and china stowed away in a nearby glass cabinet. The rounded walls were lined with special shelves of books and charts, designed so that even in the roughest of seas the items would not spill out onto the floor. Even the bed that Zelda was seated on looked rather luxurious, with thick curtains drawn back that could encircle the bed for maximum light reduction. A few candelabras were lit, casting the space with a warm and inviting light. Even so, the wolf felt on edge.

"I thought that you were going to remain down below in the cargo hold," Zelda added, smiling at the wolf, though there was something off in her eyes. She looked… uneasy.

"Indeed! Can't have important cargo like the body of Hyrule's Chosen Hero just left unattended for long, even if there is nothing and no one to worry about that may aboard this ship."

The wolf's head snapped towards the prince and his hackles stood on end. Zelda also looked towards the prince, who remained unmoved, before she hurriedly turned back towards the startled wolf. The queen pushed aside her books and stepped her socked feet upon the floorboards, only for the clatter of iron bounds to fill the space. The sound of chains roused the wolf to tear its unearthly gaze from the nonchalant prince and Link saw the band of iron around Zelda's ankle.

She was in bonds… Zelda was in iron bonds…

The fur around the wolf began to waver as power surged through the beast, as his eyes started to shine with a brilliant blue before the first ferocious snarl erupted from the beast's maw. With panicked eyes, Zelda suddenly throw herself forward to wrap her arms around the wolf's neck a second before he went to launch himself at the prince. Vahlymor had yet to move or react from the wolf's aggression, but simply watched Zelda barely keep the beast at bay.

"Woah! It's okay!"

'I'LL KILL HIM!'

"Shh! Shh! It's okay! This-!"

'I'LL RIP OUT HIS THROAT!'

Zelda struggled to hold back the much more powerful wolf, whose claws scratched deeply into the floorboards and his thunderous growls filled the room.

"Hey! Stop it! This-! This was the plan! Just-!"

Groaning in frustration and exertion, Zelda locked her arms around the wolf's muscular neck and hugged him, using her entire weight to try and keep him from attacking the prince. With such contact with the wolf, Zelda felt the full brunt force of Link's raw emotions. His anger and irrational fury nearly overwhelmed her, but Zelda just clung tighter. Shutting her eyes against the onslaught of Link's unguarded feelings, she tried to focus on her own breathing in the attempt to instill some sense of reason or peace mentally to the wolf. She could feel that her mere presence, not so much her physical strength, was keeping Link at bay for even with all of his anger he did not wish to unintentionally hurt her by throwing her aside or something to tear into the prince.

"It's okay! You're alright. I'm alright. This is for everyone's safety. Remember? Please… calm down… Yes, that's it…"

Softly petting the back of the wolf's head, slowly the beast settled with his struggles and his snarls and growls died down to only a low grumble within his chest. The wolf was shaking but Zelda's calming words and her touch was soothing him to slowly smother his irrationality with her embrace. With her face momentarily hidden within his thick fur, Zelda felt herself softening with the realization that she was actually embracing Link once again. After weeks of setting a distance between them aside from the casual head pat or paw hold, she was finally and fully hugging him. A spark of painful sadness was felt by both of them, queen and spirit knight, and only then did the wolf completely quiet.

Pulling back, Zelda caught the wolf's blue eyes and she smiled, keeping her hands embedded in his thick fur on the sides of his neck.

"Your protection is appreciated, but there is nothing to fear here. My bonds are for the prince's safety and the other crewman of the ship. Remember? This actually was Vahl's alternative option instead of me being down in the brig with Faris and Arvid. This way I can have some comfort and learn about the ship and nautical instruments and so forth. See? Nothing to fear."

Her tone was soothing, calm, and soft, as slowly the woman petted the wolf.

'I… I'm sorry…'

When the wolf dropped his head to bow towards her, before finally relenting and laying down with his head in her lap, Zelda only smiled and continued to softly pet his head. She felt Link forcibly shut her out so that she no longer felt his feelings and thoughts, but he rested his headed upon her knee all the same.

"Wow! That was… a true treat to watch. Splendid! Simply incredible!"

With a slight start Zelda looked up to meet Vahl's smirk and delighted eyes, before the man laughed and shook his head.

"I must say, my lady. That wolf is truly only here for you and the Hero's body, that much is true. It would seem that engaged or not, he would gladly tear me to pieces if you let him."

"Yes… I- I mean no! No, I'm sorry, Vahl. He simply reacted to the chains. He would never-"

Vahlymor only waved her off and shook his head.

"Say no more, my lady. That wolf, being a Sacred Beast as you said, is something that goes far beyond my expertise or understanding. So, all I can say is thank you for saving me from such a grisly fate. Not the best end for a Commander of the Navy, I must admit, but it would make quite the story! The tale of 'the captain who was ripped to shreds by a magical spirit wolf while at sea'… Indeed, that'd be quite the death. A first for my family's history, I would think."

Zelda only blinked as Vahlymor laughed before she finally settled into a smile and relaxed. Looking down at the placated wolf laying his noble head upon her lap, Zelda smoothed back his fur and began to absent mindedly hum a tune her father had taught her: Zelda's Lullaby, he had called it. At first the young Zelda thought he had meant her, but she later found out that it actually was named after one of her ancestors.

"I'm sure that he was just worried about me. You can imagine his surprise to find me in chains."

"Yes, but you may not need them for much longer. If your Sheikah are true with their magic, we may actually reach the island before the Tulul know we're out here. After all, not to often does a naval ship go out alone to sea, especially to the sector where we're headed. Luck, it would seem, has been kind to us thus far, but we must remain vigilant nonetheless."

"Of course," Zelda agreed, smiling up at the prince, who got up.

"Well, I'm sure someone heard something from in here, so I'll be out for a moment," the prince stated as he stepped around the desk and passed Zelda.

"I apologize for the trouble," Zelda called after him.

Vahlymor looked over his shoulder as he approached the door and smiled. "Think nothing of it," he said before he exited the cabin.

Left alone, Zelda looked down at the submissive wolf and sighed.

"That was ill-advised," she whispered.

Link lifted his head to meet her eyes and Zelda beheld the emptiness within them.

'I did not understand. I thought you were in danger. Please forgive me.'

"What is with you?" Zelda spat out quickly, revealing her worried expression with her hushed tone. "First you run off without notice, then reappear hours later and tell me not to touch the ocean without any explanation? What happened when you ran off?"

Keeping his emotions in check, Link let nothing slip through their physical connection as he looked aside.

'I met with Dark Link.'

"Dark Link?!" Zelda gasped, before shutting her mouth tight and cleared her throat.

'Yes. I thought he wanted to fight. I thought… that it was some sort of trick or trap, but it was he who warned me about the water.' Returning his eyes to hers, the wolf looked deeply into Zelda's eyes and said, 'There's something bigger and darker at play here, something so bad that even Dark Link felt compelled to warn you.'

Zelda furrowed her brow slightly and looked aside in thought.

"Perhaps… it is as you said in the Sheikah Village, that there truly is a darker power behind everything. The Dark Arrow, Dark Link's appearance, the Isle of Blights… somehow, it must be all connected, we just don't know how or even by whom."

'We have found ourselves in the dark..' Link admitted pensively, before a sliver of his true self cut through his spiritual guard. 'You revealed to the prince the truth about my body?'

Link watched a blush erupt in Zelda's cheeks, but she covered it up by adjusting her position so that her back was against the bed.

"I had to," she admitted softly after another moment, casting her eyes upon her fingers stroking his paw. "Vahlymor and his men are risking their lives for this venture, in addition to their positions within the Royal Navy, so I had to give him something. A legitimate reason why carrying around a box of wood would be beneficial to our ambitions." Pausing to smile, Zelda sighed before she continued, "Though, he did say that he was not surprised, about your body, anyway. He said that he had guessed as much even before we left Hyrule."

The wolf scoffed slightly and rolled his eyes.

'Does he know-?'

"No," Zelda interjected, feeling his question through their connection before he said it. "He does not know about you. But he does know about the Twilight Gate."

The wolf snorted and licked his maw, shaking his furry head before audibly sighing.

'Fine,' he stated with finality, before glancing over at Zelda, 'How long will it take for us to reach the island?'

Zelda smiled softly as she regarded him, seeing the knight within the wolf.

"According to Vahlymor, we could reach the shallows sometime before dawn. The Sheikah are out there now holding back the storm, which is why it's so calm out right now. Apparently, these waters are always churned up by the perpetual that was created by the Sheikah in the past. Such power. I can only imagine the extent of the abilities of the Sheikah of old if they were able to summon a storm that could last centuries. Vahl said that the tempest is so great and expansive, that ships steer clear of this area for many nautical miles. Even the Tulul stay well away, which is to our benefit. A lone ship is hard to detect upon the vast sea"

The wolf blinked and his tail wagged once with surprise.

'So that would explain why I feel so uneasy. It's the Sheikah magic… it's completely saturated this entire area. Both the air and the water.' Lowering his head slightly the wolf took on a bashful air before mentally saying, 'My senses are near blind out here. I could not sense anything and it was making me restless. That's why I came up here to check on you. Lately I've felt so… useless. My abilities are a lot more limited here than within Hyrule.'

Genuine emotion brightened Zelda's eyes and a mask of sincerity softened her gaze. She leaned down and gently rested her forehead against the wolf's. With a soft sigh, Zelda closed her eyes and the wolf did as well.

"Please, don't despair. Don't… don't give up on me. We've made it so far. I will save you, Li-"

The queen managed to stop herself from saying his name, but the act of doing so made her chest hurt. Her lips twitched downwards and Zelda scrunched up her brow to fight off the sudden urge to cry. Guilt that she had been hiding from the others and herself bubbled up, and with it doubt: doubt that what she was doing was wrong and that she was only putting Link through more distress.

"You are doing this for yourself, so just admit it!"

Dark Link's words stung her mind and Zelda's shoulders fell. Her unwanted tears defied her control and one brave droplet dared to fall from her eye. It stole a path down her fair cheek before beginning its descent towards her chin. However, it did not fall. Gentle fingers caressed the tear away and remained upon her cheek. The warmth from the touch instinctively swayed Zelda's head to lightly lean into the hand. It felt so good, so right, that a smile returned to her face. It took a full moment for Zelda to realize that a hand upon her face was not possible from a wolf.

Her eyes snapped open, she drew back, and her lips parted with surprise. The figure that faced her now was no beast.

It was Link. Actually, Link. There he was, just as she remembered and the same as his body laying in stasis down below. He knelt before her, so close that Zelda could see the faint hairs of his bangs being moved by her breath. He shone with a subtle divine light of a spirit and it was this light that felt so warm against her skin. His red knightley cape was sprawled out behind him and his Hero's Clothes looked pristine and undamaged, with no mark or stain of blood to be seen. He was perfect and he was there. The only thing missing from his visage was the hilt of the Master Sword sticking out of its sheath upon his back. Link was smiling softly at her, his eyes sad but encouraging. His eyes searched hers as his thumb softly rubbed the side of her cheek before he began to pull it away.

Panic filled Zelda's expression when she felt his begin to withdraw his hand. Without a thought or moment's hesitation, she threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, holding him tight, and buried her face into his chest. Link was caught off guard and nearly were pushed back off his knee. He couldn't keep this form for long in the Light World, but he had enough time to wrap his arms around his queen and hug her tightly.

"Link... I-" Zelda whispered quietly.

"To defend and stand by you with whatever decision you may make and to stand for all of Hyrule, as your loyal hero," he whispered back, reciting the pledge he made to her all those years ago. "I will never give up on you," he said even quieter, his own face contorting with emotion as he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair.

How much had he wished to hold her? How long had he waited to do so without restraint? After years of close friendship, trust, and loyalty, there had been so many moments of closeness between them. So many instances that were spent with a respectable distance between them, and physical contact was a rarity. Now, they only had brief seconds to embrace and it was not long enough. Link knew that this could very well be the last time he was ever able to hold Zelda and he did not wish it to end.

Link opened his eyes, which shone with an ethereal blue light.

Across the room, boots echoed across the floorboards on the other side of the door. Vahlymor approached his cabin door and reached for the doorknob. He paused, only momentarily, to offer a quick knock, before opening it slowly to peer inside.

"Zelda? I think you should come with me outside and see-" he started saying as he entered the room, before stopping and blinking with surprise.

There was the Hyrulean Queen, still on the floor where he had left her. The prince briefly caught sight of her hands falling from the air to her sides and she looked visibly distressed. There was no sign of the wolf.

'Zelda!" he exclaimed, rushing over to crouch by her side. Concern was written into his expression as he tried to search her face, but she was looking away from him. "Are you all right? What happened?"

The woman did not look at him immediately, for there were tears upon her face that she did not wish for him to see.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice low and distant. "Just tired, I think," she added before reaching up to nonchalantly rub her eyes (therefore, conveniently wiping away any evidence of her emotional turmoil. "And nothing happened. Faro went back down below."

Vahlymor narrowed his eyes and wet his lips uneasily, lowering his head a bit.

"If you need a moment alone, I can return-"

"No," Zelda replied adamantly, looking over at him without a trace of her heartache to be seen. "Really, I'm fine. Please, go one to what you were saying."

The prince looked unsure but sighed all the same, allowing for his classic smirk to appear as he revealed the key to her bonds.

"I was saying that I was thinking that you probably would wish to accompany me outside for a late night stroll. You may then be able to see for yourself what we have found out in these uncharted waters."

"Have we arrived?" Zelda asked, her eyes brightening a bit.

Vahlymor only grinned wider, his enthusiasm for adventure shining through his dark eyes. He stood and offered her his hand.

"Land ho, my dear lady. The Isle of Blights is within our sights."