Note: For those you who care...Kafei is the Kafei from Majora's Mask. Think...Kotake and Koume, they're good in Termina and bad in Hyrule...basically the same idea.


"Izunoo……" Kafei said, staring up at the figure standing on a small cliff that overlooked Link's and his battleground, "I always hated that heroic habit of yours."

With a smile under his mask, Izunoo raised a dark, metallic dagger with a diamond-shaped blade and a narrow neck that connecting the blade to a loop. The weapon was held lightly between Izunoo's fingers, ready to be flung at its human target in a moment's notice. Not many have witness the prowess of Izunoo with his flying razors……and lived to tell about it……

"Kafei, you should leave now…" Izunoo replied, voice shifting to pure sincerity, "…before someone else is now ground…bleeding…"

"…bleeding…huh…" Kafei grinned as he dipped his hand into a small pack on his back.

A second later Kafei had chucked his arm out from around his back, letting loose three tiny, spinning objects at Izunoo. Soaring through the air, imitating Kafei's larger weapon, the three metals continued their deadly path straight in the direction of the Sheikah's heart, but Izunoo didn't move a step. The three whizzed on through Izunoo and into a tree immediately behind him. A baffled look overtook Kafei's face as he watched Izunoo fade slowly away. Then recollection struck him……

"…Shadow Mirroring…" Kafei confirmed with himself. The technique was a specialty of Izunoo's and Kafei's tribe……former tribe…

"And here I thought you forgot all our ways…" Izunoo whispered next to Kafei as he placed a dragger point on his neck, "A sheikah's greatest ally is the shadows, Kafei. Speed and skill are our weapons and secrecy is our shield…but all you focus on is power…"

"Ha…" Despite his uneasy position, Kafei smirked, "When you get pass all that useless bull, Izunoo……power is all there is!!"

Grabbing Izunoo's wrist and upper shoulder, Kafei hauled the taller opponent down to his knees with nothing more than sheer muscle. Kafei intensified his grasp around Izunoo's wrist with thoughts of breaking it, but the wrist's arm began to gradually alter colors, from a fleshy pale to muddy brown. The change continued to Izunoo's clothes and white hair…until all of Izunoo was chocolate tinted statue of Izunoo…then crumbled into small particles of dirt. It was another of the sheikah's abilities, Earth Replication. Kafei started to retreat backwards and stopped when his foot hit Link's torso. Looking down at him, Kafei was pleased to see his last foe facedown and unconscious on the ground, at least the Want-to-be was out of the way. Redirecting his eyes back to the surrounding area, Kafei prepare for the coming attack. If he remembered correctly, then Izunoo would counter by popping out of the earth at high velocity. There would only be a split second for Kafei to defend himself……but suddenly a hand griped Kafei's ankle……

"Bastard!! Why won't you just DIE!!" Kafei pear down, expecting Link…but in his place Kafei found……Izunoo?!

"Sheikah also don't kick a fallen enemy…"

Kafei quickly jump backwards while throwing several diamond-bladed knifes, identical to Izunoo's. The draggers all sank into Izunoo and the figure dissolved into the ground, revealing a second Earth Replicant. Kafei let out a yell of frustration as he retook a defensive stance…what was that sound? Looking down at the ankle that the false Izunoo had grabbed, Kafei found a Washi Bomb (the very same weapon he used on Link) hissing away……

Thirty yards away, Izunoo watched the bomb exploded in a blast of flame, rock, and dust. Releasing a hefty sigh of relieve, Izunoo turned the boy in green on his shoulder. He had watched this kid's and Kafei fight……and Izunoo had to say that he was impressed. Anyone who could hold his own against that monster was good in Izunoo book.

How the hell did Kafei get that damn strong?!, Izunoo thought to himself, Steroids…? No…that's a stupid plot element…magic sounded a lot better. As Izunoo moved to leave…he stopped……there, in front of him…stood Kafei unscathed……

"That was first-rate" Kafei began, "Using Earth Replication to disguise as the Want-to-be and planting a Washi Bomb……I never anticipated it."

"And using Gerudo sorcery to warp away for the explosion was pretty first-rate as well, Kafei…" Izunoo retorted in mock admiration, "I guess what skills you abandoned were made up with their lowly trickery."

"Ha……You know…that's what they say about our magic…it's kinda' funny."

Kafei took a step forward and Izunoo immediately pulled out a dragger and took a stance. Izunoo's last attacks were only effective because surprise was on his side. But now he was out in the open…with no shadows to hide in. Kafei laughed a little…

"Don't act foolish, Izunoo…" An amused Kafei said, "That Want-to-be was just a few minutes of entertainment while I was waiting. I could care less if he lives or dies. Now…I have serious business to attend to…"

And with that said, Kafei disappeared in a burst of light……leaving Izunoo and an unresponsive Link behind…………

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After an uneventful breakfast and a lengthy morning prayer (2 hours in a drafty Temple of Time…HOLY CRAP!), Meeko found Rin and herself in history class. Struggling to stay awake was the name the game…and Master Moncous mind-numbing lecture didn't help. Life as a maiden in training can be tough, yes, but Meeko never complained. Rin on the other hand……

"Aguhh…I can't believe he's still going at it…" Rin whispered over to Meeko, "Isn't this the third time Master 'Boring-cous' gave as this lecture? How many times do we need to hear about Hyrule's Unification?!"

"Rin…shut-up!" Meeko quickly tried to silence her friend, "If you keep it up, will both get in trouble!!"

But Rin didn't quit…in fact she started mouth the master's words perfectly……

"…and after the long siege, the great King of Hyrule and Darunia of the Gorons become Sworn Brothers." Moncous said and Rin mimicked. Meeko had her hand over her mouth, desperately try to stop her laughter from coming out, "And thus a new ally with powerful arms join fight for One Hyrule-"

Master Moncous had stopped his speech all of a sudden, causing Meeko and Rin to finally gaze up at their teacher. He was surprised by what he saw at the back of classroom…and other students were inclined to agree……for standing there at the door was none other than the Princess of Destiny herself…Zelda.

"Please excuse the interruption, good master" the adolescent princess politely stated, "but we need to speak to one of your students…"

"Oh! Y-yes, your majesty. Of course!!" Moncous hastily replied with a bow…but who could she need to talk to, Meeko wondered.

"Please…Miss Meeko……" The princess answer Meeko's rather stupid question (she is the Yellow Maiden after all), "if you would came with us?"

Meeko responded to the request hesitantly, she slowly got to her feet and made her way to the waiting princess. She discovered several royal guards were waiting for the two in the hall…as well as a familiar woman with short, white hair……

"Meeko…It's nice to you see again" It was Impa, Princess Zelda's caretaker and one of the few sheikah that continued to serve the Hyrule court, "I only wish that we weren't meeting under such circumstances."

"Impa, what's going on?" Meeko asked as she was shepherded down the hallway. Worry started to eat away at Meeko as no one would answer her questions. She continued to follow Impa and the princess.

They finally came to a halt at the Cluster's library, amazingly empty for that time of day. Its high bookshelves reached very library ceiling and the lengths of room were large enough to fit three cottages within. Meeko felt like she was the size a mouse in the grand room and was extremely uncomfortable here (she didn't go the library that much…). The three females sat down at one the many library tables as the guards situated themselves around the entrances…the conversation they going to have would remain between the three.

"Miss Meeko…" The princess commenced, "as you already know...you, being the Maiden of Light, have a great power that one day will be used in coalition with other five Maidens…" Is that what this was about, her future position? Meeko suspected more……the princess went on, "…but…even though you are destined to fight along side them, your individual abilities could be used on their own for a greater good…"

Where was this going? Meeko had thought about herself outside circle of six that she inevitably join……her life with Izunoo…being in each others arms for all eternity …sigh ……what …oh …but Meeko never thought she play an important role anywhere other then with the Maidens.

"Meeko…you do know about the princess's dreams, right?" Impa finally popped in. Of course Meeko knew…everyone knew that Zelda's prophetic dreams had help stop Ganondorf's raid on the castle and place him in Hyrule's dungeons, "The princess's most recent dream involved a bright, yellow light struggling to fend off an impending darkness. She also described that the light formed into a girl around your age."

"And you think it's me…because of I'm the Yellow Maiden." Meeko looked to the princess for confirmation and received a nod. It did seem logical, but something was still bothering her, "You also said I was fighting 'darkness'…what do you mean?"

"The darkness……" the princess whispered as her eyes wide a bit. She remembered the specifics of the pervious night, "It was…a horrific sight. The darkness spread across the land, bathing everyone in its nothingness…no matter how fast or far the people ran…they could not escape its grasp. But…as terrifying it was…I did not sense ill will from the darkness……It was like…the darkness was being moved by some unseen force, working sinisterly in the background…"

As Princess Zelda finished relating her story, Meeko watched her and saw that in simply recalling the dream had unease the princess a great deal. She was on the verge of cry! And Zelda had seen the terrors of Ganondorf first hand, but one nightmare had turned her into the little ten year old that she was. She must have held back a great amount of horrendous details, to which Meeko was thankful for.

"There was one more thing…" The princess retaining Meeko's interest, "You weren't by yourself when you were clashing with the darkness……there was one other…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

…Walking……Link was…walking. On a path…in a…forest…no…jungle……Great, leafy planets grew in every facet…tall flowers with vibrant colors sprouted in between the planets. The horizon was blocked by long, skinny trees. As Link strolled along the path, he saw animals……ones that he had seen only in picture books. They remained motionless…and ogled at Link…as though they know what lay within his heart……There was the sound of birds all around Link……but he didn't hear them…he just knew there were birds singing, perceiving their voices in his mind. Link wanted to look up and see if there were any birds at all…but neck refused to move. All he could do was walk forward……

The path ended……there was a person lounging across a giant dark red pillow…a woman. Her unclothed, pale flesh seemed to blaze white against the dark cloth of her pillow…bright orange hair burned in Link's eyes. Turning towards Link, the woman's face became visible……Midna…

Link leaned down, floated down to Midna's awaiting face. Inching closer and closer, Link's mind start sink behind him, not wanting to follow…but that was ok. He didn't need his brain, it was only in the way…want he needed was Midna…the one person that he was hunted for……for so long. She was right in front of Link…a breath away…a hair away……

Then Link was kissing a red hot coal?!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Link screamed, throwing his hands over his throat.

Searching frantically for a water source, Link found his salvation in the nearby river. He scrambled to its banks and dunked himself head first into the river water, submerging all the way to his lower torso. Existing from the river, Link was dumfounded be his surroundings. He wasn't in the middle of the jungle anymore. He was back in Hyrule Field with the crisp night air blowing at his face.

Link's memory slowly trickled back……traveling through the plains…meeting with that guy, Kafei…the fight…his wound…then……Link turned fully around and saw the man that save him from Kafei. Sitting next to a roaring fire, Link could now make a better study of the person: He had a shaggy hairstyle, with his messy locks perjuring from the back of his head and long bangs coming over his forehead and eyebrows. Half of the man's face was hidden away behind a dark gray mask that fit around him like a glove. His upper body was protected by armor, wooden by the looks of it and the armor covered him from his waist to his arms. A very familiar symbol was upon the armor (though Link couldn't quite place it). It was an eye, with three lashes and an oval-like shape underneath…it shone red against the blue and cream colored armor. The man's pants were the same dark gray as the masks, but weren't as tight to the skin (thank Nayru from that) and he had bandage-like wrappings around his lower legs and arms. Lastly, but most noticeably, this man had the same crimson colored irises as Kafei…a fact that Link didn't put aside that easily.

"Finally awake, are we!" The man exclaimed with grin under his mask, "I was afraid you'd sleep for all eternity!"

"Asleep…" Link taking in his words gradually, "It was……a dream?"

"Sorry…" the man piped in again, sheepishly scratching his neck, "but I couldn't wait to see if you would get up soon. So…I kindof placed a red pepper seed on your tongue…"

That burning sensation in Link's mouth (which still remained) that awoken him…then it was a dream. But……why would Link…why would he think of Midna…in that way?! Link's face started to feel very warm (and not because of the pepper seed), his cheeks inflame in a cherry tint. Just thinking about it made Link's heart speedup……but was all Midna was to Link? Had he started his quest to find Midna once again, just because of physical attraction? After all that time Link spent with Midna while she in her imp form, getting to know her, had Link only wanted her true form's body? That would be pathetic……

"I didn't interrupt any pleasant dreams, did I?"

"Listen you…" Link said, his anger bubbling, "If anyone is going to ask questions, it's going to be me. So first off…why did you think turning my mouth into an inferno would be the best way to wake me up?!"

"Oh…I don't know…" After taking a minute to think the matter over, Link's mysterious 'benefactor' answered, "…I guess it was the only thing I could think of!"

"You 'guess'…" Linked repeated flatly as he moved closer to fire, "Ok……so who are you exactly?" Then Link remembered what Kafei said when they first encountered him, "I'm Link, by the way."

"Mmmhh…Link. That's a different name" the man began to reply, "Well I'm called Izunoo……I'm not really worth mentioning…"

"Aaah…Ok?" That was weird to say, "So you were able to fight that Kafei guy off and help me out. If you hadn't come along when did, I'd have extra hole in my head!"

"Don't mention it" Izunoo shrugged off with a concealed smile, "I would have done it for anyone, really…"

"Well I'm just glad I was Anyone!" Link said with laugh, and then he recalled his wounded shoulder. Looking it over, Link found it was perfectly healed! What!? Izunoo noticed Link's expression…

"I fixed up your injured shoulder while you were out. It was a relatively simple gash to heal…at least for a sheikah…"

"Oh, so you're apart of the sheikah tribe…" Link had remembered what Shad had told him about that specific tribe (one of few of Shad's lectures he actually listened too…). The 'Shadow Folk' were very secretive people and had strong devotion to the Goddesses and the Royal Family. But by the time of the Hero, most of the sheikah had disappeared, "…that must mean that your one of the few sheikahs left, right?"

"…I guess you could say that…" Izunoo half-heartily responded (nice job Link!!), "What few of us remained went into mountains to build a new country……yours' truly excluding! I would suppose that only me and my sister are the remaining sheikah in Hyrule……and Kafei…"

"You mean that…that guy was…" Link started, but Izunoo quickly finished for him…

"That right……Kafei was born into the same tribe I was…and now he's forsaken all his people for chance for power. Kafei seems to have found a new master……one who is skilled in ancient Gerudo magic…"

Izunoo didn't seem to be providing the history lesson for Link's gain, but to try and figure out the latest turn of events. Link, though, did recognize the word 'Gerudo.' They were a race of only women as well as thieves who would steal the shirt off your back if didn't have anything more valuable. Ganondorf was apart of the Gerudo race…he was their King by male birth. Fortunately, Link had learned that Ganondorf was denounced and labeled an exile after his failed raid on the Castle. That was in this era…and if the Hero Link wouldn't defeat Ganon in until the Hero's teens…then the Gerudo's Tyrant would still be around…… Both Link and Izunoo must have been silent for twenty minutes, contemplating old enemies, before Izunoo decided to speak.

"Link…" Izunoo's sudden vocalization made Link jump. He then held up a bottle to Link and gave him a small smirk for under his mask, "I think we've both spent enough time thinking things over. Drink some of this…it will gave your strength back and we can get moving."

Link took the bottle graciously.

It was close to daybreak and there was no doubt in Link's mind that it would probably take another day of traveling before they got to Hyrule Castle Town. Wait…what made Link think that they would both be going to Castle Town? Izunoo could be going to the other side of the world for all he knew!!

"So we're…going to Castle Town…right?" Link embarrassedly asked (He had to know…).

"Mmmhh? Where did you think we were going…the other side of the world?!"

Nailed it on the head……Now that Link was secured with their destination, he was ready to start off again. Link opening the bottle Izunoo gave him and saw that his breakfast that morning would be one bottle of milk…yay…Well it was better then the Deku Nuts and fruit he brought from the forest. As Link took a sip of the milk, he felt an energy course through him. Wow! Good Milk!! With a new spring in his step, Link and Izunoo set off for the great capital of Hyrule, Castle Town.


Author's Note: Now that I have second chapter with my OCs, I'd like a little feedback...So to anyone, I'd like it if you could make a review that rates them on a 1 to10 scale...put somethings you like, dislike, and maybe an improvement for their character. Ok...thanks...

edited 8/25/08: I'm so, so happy that no one reviewed my characters...I love to worry about how I'm presenting them and freak out about every detail wrote. COMMON!! I noticed that what I edit in this one was mostly details that didn't have any grammar problems. When I said review...don't proof read it for me. Talk about the story and writing style.