Chapter Seven: Unexplained is the story of the Wind Waker

It was cold, despite the complete lack of snow. In an odd way, it reminded him of Ice Cavern. He hugged himself tightly, knowing it was futile almost. Luckily, Sasarala had warned him about the strange fluctuations in the temperature in the Dark World, so he came prepared.

"Sheik!" Link yelled over the howling of the wind. He couldn't make out any distinguishable feature and there was no Sheik, "Where in the sweet name of Naryu are you?!"

A voice was calling through the haze of dust and wind. Sheik, Link thought, feeling relieved.

It was Sheik, quickly running up to Link. Panting, Sheik grasped Link, "You never told me it was going to be this windy!"

Link raised an eyebrow, "You have a deadly fear of wind?" He said sceptically.

Sheik blushed and then glared, "You wish," He muttered and looked around, "I guess we should find a cave."

Link scanned the area around him. It was desolate and rocky. There were few plants and the ground was a dusty red. He could see taller mountains in the horizon and a few metres away, was a hill with a small hole. A cave, he realized.

He pointed to the cave to Sheik and immediately they proceeded towards the cave.

The fire crackled as Link gazed into it deeply. The magic spells he had learned from the Great Fairies had come in handy. Sheik had wrapped himself with a long Sheikan cloak he brought from home. It was in normal dark hues of blue and it had the symbol of the Eye of Truth. Link remembered a mask he had received once with that symbol. It had helped him greatly, and uncovered signs he missed earlier. He wondered where it was now. It's probably gathering dust and cobwebs in that Mask Shop.

Sheik shivered and drew the blanket closer, "I expected it to be cold, but not this cold," He grumbled and then glanced at Link. He shuddered at the look that encompassed the Hero of Time. Link's eyes were devoured by the fire, no sign of the lively blue that used to dwell there.

Link blinked and that image vanished. Unconsciously Sheik let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, Link really made him worry sometimes. Link smiled and looked at the flames.

"Tell me something Link," Sheik asked tentatively, "When this is all over…what will you do?"

It was a double-edged question. Sheik didn't want Link to leave him behind. Of course, Link could always stay with him. But he doubted it, considering that the Sheikahs were the loyal retainers of the Royal Family and Link probably didn't want to do anything with Zelda anymore.

"I'll probably sleep," Link said smiling, "In the Sacred Realm. I'm going to need a good sleep after this. Time will wake me when I am needed once more."

Sheik said nothing, his thoughts drifting back and forth in slumber. His eyelids drooped before finally closing. Link smiled and looked outside the cave, where the winds howled mercilessly. He sighed and looked at the flames.

Loneliness. The wind needs its master, lost in the vortex of the Dark world.

A silver rod…the wind seeks its master…

Waker…It is the thunder that rouses the heavens

Wake….

Wake up…

Wind Master!

Link shot up with a gasp on his lips. It died when he realized where he was. The cave in the Dark World. He tried to regain his lost breath as he ran a trembling hand through his golden locks. His eyes seemed to dart towards every shadow.

"Wind Master…." Link sighed and rubbed his forehead, "What the hell is that?"

Wind Waker…

Link spun at the sound of disembodied voice. Then blinked when he realized there was nothing there. Nothing…except for some unknown whisper echoing at the back of his mind…

Wind Master…

"What are you?" Link yelled, despite knowing the voices lurked inside his head, "What are you talking about?" His voice was laced in frustration and confusion. Wind master…wind waker…what are those?

The winds…need its master…

Link now officially hated disembodied voices that talk in riddles. It's bad that every dungeon he came across had those, now even the Dark World has their own.

Isn't that peachy keen?

The whispers suddenly died and Link was acutely aware of the silence except for Sheik's soft breathing. He relaxed, now assured that they had left and concentrated on their words. Riddles were an important part of his life (The Shadow Temple tantamount proof of that) and he knew if he could figure them out, he might be one step closer to the Triforce.

Then that brought another question back. When he did reach the Triforce, what would he wish for? In all honesty, he didn't have much of a clue. He just…wanted to hear the truth. That's all.

Did he have to bring Ganondorf back to accomplish that? Link suddenly shuddered. That might be risky because Ganondorf was a wild card. Link knew from experience alone that.

What did he want? The World's power would dangle in his hands, what would he wish for?

Link sighed and returned to his corner. He needed a nice long sleep to think about this. And this kind of decision takes time to decide. If he ever decides, that is.

In Hyrule

"In the Dark World?" Nabooru blinked, "Why would he be there?"

"He's seeking the Triforce apparently," Impa said exasperatingly, rubbing her pounding head ever so slightly. Her sister was throwing a fit (with conniptions and all) about sending Sheik with Link, but honestly, the whole idea was giving Impa the goose bumps. She could just imagine Ganondorf (or one of the Divine Goddesses) snickering at her evilly.

Nabooru snorted, "What does he desire that he already can't have?" She said sarcastically.

A good point, Impa thought to herself, wondering why she didn't think of it before. To be outdone by Nabooru of all people. Oh, the shame.

"Impa," Nabooru said quietly, "Do you have any idea what he wants?"

"I believe and I'm only guessing," Impa said, looking out to the vast sea of red and golden sand on her right, "He's searching for the truth."

"The truth?" Nabooru gave a sordid glance, "Since when did the truth become a rare commodity?" She turned her nose at Impa, "After all, you are the Upholders of the Eye of Truth, aren't you?" She said darkly.

"Well, we didn't give him much of it now, did we?" Impa snapped, losing her cool over the last muttered remark. It stung her where it shouldn't, but the pain was there nevertheless. Nabooru was good at hitting vital spots, whether physical or mental. Gerudos were generally like that, while Sheikah were better at masking their vital spots. She assumed that would explain their inane rivalry. She couldn't remember a time where she had a pleasant civil conversation with the Head of the Gerudo.

"Hey Nabooru?" And Nabooru looked at her quizzically, "I know you hate Ganondorf and all that, but why?"

Nabooru looked like she didn't want to answer, but a sombre and dark look overcame the desert fire in her eyes and she looked away. Impa said nothing, waiting patiently. She simply knew (and don't ask how) that Nabooru would answer.

"…I suppose it's because he was destined to change things," Nabooru said softly, tinged with perhaps regret? Impa was never good at interpreting feelings, "He had some great ideas for the Gerudo, but they contradicted everything we ever learnt. And I hated him for changing the way we were meant to live. How can you not hate the man who took away the purpose of your life?" Nabooru now turned to Impa and the desert flames were reignited, "Can you?"

"I suppose it varies from person to person," Impa said finally, "Because when I think about it, all I feel for him is indifference. And I think Link feels the same way."

"Haunted by the consequences eh?" Nabooru said snidely, the corner of her lips twisting into a grim smile, "Wo Eru Descante La Meuf."

"Kill for no one but yourself?" Impa queried, "I didn't expect you to know a Sheikah commandment."

"Ah, but the irony is," And Nabooru could not hold back the bitterness and glory in her smile. The sheer nakedness in her expression startled Impa who isn't used to such…openness, even from Nabooru (who is quite good with her emotions, despite her Gerudo bluntness), "It was Ganondorf's favourite saying."

Sheik got up to meet a grim-faced Link early in the morning. Oh yes, what a sight. Sheik shuffled slightly and asked meekly, "Couldn't sleep?"

Link muttered, "I officially hate disembodied voices."

Sheik blinked, "Okay." At least he wasn't throwing a tantrum of any sort and he looks sane enough to hold a civil conversation with, "What happened?"

"Something woke me up whispering something about a 'Wind Waker'," Sheik suddenly jerked and stared at Link with wide disbelieving eyes. Link couldn't miss that expression.

"Do you know something about it?" Link said.

Sheik nodded and an eerie calm descended on him, "It's known to be able to control the winds. It's like the Ocarina of Time," Sheik felt Link's wince, "Except the songs that controls the Waker are different. More powerful even," Sheik looked up to meet Link's clear deep blue, "Because the Ocarina was a gift from the Gods, the Wind Waker is the only one of its kind and it controls the world at hand. Time is your servant Link, but the Wind Waker is wild. For the Waker, no master is truly worthy unless they can command earth and air."

"Oh," Link said, rubbing his chin, "But it called me the 'Wind Master',"

Sheik shook his head, "Are you sure? The Wind Waker is a wild card. It's known to lure people off course. Like a weathered storm in the Sea," Of course, they wouldn't know much about it, Hyrule being a land-locked country, its only access to water coming from the streams and glaciers.

Link ran an exasperated hand through his blonde hair, "Well, we should move onwards. The storm is dying down."

Sheik suddenly felt nervous, his heart in his hands, "Ummm…Link?"

"Yeah?" Link said, glancing at him as he picked up his backpack, "What is it?"

"…Where are we going?"

Link had no answer to that.