So, Shadow Link kind of opens up a little bit to his dragon, but that doesn't last long, unfortunately. He also gets to use his new sword for the first time. May be good or bad depending on the circumstances.
And Volvagia's speech is confusing. Shadow Link can kind of connect with him though, so he sort of gets what's going on. Even if we might not…
Chapter 8: Opening and Shutting"So, when was that?" Medli asked once they'd safely landed in a different time period. "I mean, what time period, do you think?"
"The Four Sword? What the heck is that?" Shadow Link demanded, flopping down to sit against a tree. They had emerged in a shady, deserted forest. "The guard said that the Link of that time used the Four Sword to become four people? That's really weird. Four of me running around?"
"That would be hard on all of us," Tatl muttered. "Having four of you. Luckily it wasn't you that got split into four."
"Shut up!"
Tatl dodged Shadow Link's flying hat. She continued, "They also said that there was a Shadow Link in this time. They recognized him, which is why they attacked."
"Shadow Link doesn't really turn up too much in the old legends," Medli said thoughtfully. "I think that was the main time that he really was around."
"Nope. There was definitely one in my time. I guess that might have been Dark Link though. It weren't me."
"Is there a difference between Shadow Link and Dark Link?" Tael asked.
Shadow Link didn't respond.
"So, the next question is, when and where are we now," Medli sighed. "And what do we do next?
"The last stop didn't seem to bring us anywhere useful," Tatl murmured. "Are you sure the ocarina isn't just bringing us random places?"
Shadow Link deliberately didn't respond for several moments. "The first time I used it, it opened a passage between seven years. Then it let me relive the same three days over and over. This time, it's bringing me through centuries. It's never done that before. It should be doing it for a reason. Besides, I got a sword at the last stop."
"You with a sword isn't going to be fun," Tatl grumbled.
They lapsed into silence, and Medli eventually fell asleep.
Shadow Link stood and walked over to where Volvagia was coiled around a tree.
With a groan, the shadow boy sank down next to his dragon. He gave a weary sigh and glanced over to where Medli and the fairies were snuggled together, dozing.
Shadow Link scuffed the ground with his boot.
"How annoying," he grumbled to Volvagia. "People are annoying. They insist on watching over me like some sniveling child. Why can't the 2 of us just go and try to find the sword? I'd rather stay with you."
He patted Volvagia's head. The dragon sighed and shut his eyes, enjoying the attention. He gave a nod of understanding.
"You and me," Shadow Link muttered. "One and the same, huh? Both un-trusted. Both used as pawns. Pawns on both sides, it seems."
"Mmm," the dragon grumbled sadly.
"So," Shadow Link continued, "I thought you were dead. And the Twinrova too. So how are you here?"
"Ah," The dragon muttered, but he said no more.
"You can't speak fluent Hylian, can you?" Shadow Link asked. "Just some words. Well, anyway, I'll try to ask yes or no questions. So, did Ganon come to a time before you died and catch you in a time stream?"
Volvagia paused, then slowly shook his head.
"So, not that simple, huh?"
Volvagia shook his head.
"So that means you have memories… of our fight?"
Volvagia nodded.
Shadow Link sighed. "Could it be that he brought you back from the dead?" If that were true… that would be terrifying. The fact that Ganon could bring monsters back from the dead…
Volvagia shook his head fiercely.
"No. OK, that's good. So, do you know how you came to be here?"
Volvagia paused.
"Mistake," he said slowly.
"They took you as a mistake?"
Volvagia nodded.
"Well, I'm not too surprised. I was surprised to find you in the future at all, obviously, but I'm not surprised that it was a mistake. Since… you're not really all that bad, huh?"
The dragon nudged Shadow Link. Shadow Link scratched behind the dragon's horns.
"So, it was a mistake. They didn't bring you back from the dead and they didn't take you before you died. So what did they do? How?"
"Yes."
"Yes to what?"
"Second."
"The second one? That they took you before you fought me? But you just said that they didn't do that. That you had memories of our fight."
Volvagia slowly nodded.
Shadow Link could understand what he meant. "It's not really either, but it's closer to that one? Well, that one sounds more logical. Besides, the flow of time is messed up. I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. The Triforce, again, huh? I don't get that guy. What's his problem? Why can't he just leave us alone?"
He slammed his fist into the ground, gritting his teeth. "I hate him," he growled.
He suddenly jumped up to his feet, startling Volvagia.
Shadow Link shoved his hands into his pockets and paced around, agitated. He kicked a nearby tree trunk, which made his foot hurt. He ignored the pain and continued pacing. Volvagia watched him uncertainly.
Then the dragon's head snapped up and around, staring intently at something off in the forest.
Shadow Link froze in mid-step and turned to face the same direction.
He could hear it: the tramping of feet. A lot of feet. And what sounded like the grating and clanking of armor.
Medli stirred slightly, the noise disturbing her in her sleep. The three fairies awoke and glanced this way and that.
Medli began to move.
Instantly, Shadow Link leapt forwards and used one arm to pin her arms to her sides and the other to press her beak shut.
Understandably, Medli began to thrash wildly under this unexpected attack as she tried to break free.
"Shut up!" Shadow Link said in a silent hiss.
Medli calmed down slightly and Shadow Link let go of her.
"What," she mouthed, looking very annoyed at her rude awakening.
Shadow Link jabbed his thumb in the direction of the stomping, armor-wearing group that was approaching.
Tatl, Tael, and Navi fluttered up higher into the branches of the tree to see what they could see.
Tatl zoomed back down again.
"There's a path. A bunch of guys in armor are walking along it. They have a girl with them. She's unconscious."
Shadow Link nodded. He turned to Medli. "Sit up in that tree there," he whispered, "so you're out of the way."
"What?"
But he had already gone. Silent as a shadow, he wound his way through the trees and bushes until he was crouched in the shade of a thick shrub. A narrow path wound through the trees in front of him. A troop of men covered in heavy mail was trudging along the path. There were about seven of them. Link could tell that they weren't friendly.
Two of the soldiers in the middle of the line were carrying something between them. As they drew closer to Link, he saw what it was. They were carrying a sort of litter with a girl lying on it. She was unconscious. She was also very pretty. Her long red hair cascaded over the side of the litter, swaying gently with the motion of the two soldiers carrying her. She wore a pretty one-piece outfit. It was sleeveless and reached down to her knees.
"Are you going to help her?"
Shadow Link fairly jumped out of his skin as the voice whispered in his ear. He cursed Navi's existence and made a swipe at her, but she dodged.
Shadow Link sank behind the bush, away from the dark knights. The two carrying the girl were about to draw even with him.
He reached for his sword, and in one fluid motion brought it lashing out. He severd the trunk of the bush that was in front of him and sprang forwards.
The warriors buzzed with confusion and the two carrying the litter dropped it.
Shadow Link stepped up to them, and all of the warriors turned to stare at him. In their moment of hesitation, Shadow Link struck.
He struck the helmet from the head of one of the warriors. But there was no head beneath it. The armor was empty. These knights were hollow, controlled by evil spirits.
Shadow Link swung his sword, neatly cleaving another suit of armor.
The remaining five finally rushed forwards to attack.
Shadow Link whirled around in a spin attack, denting the nearest three soldiers. He sliced off one of the empty arms, and then cut through the joints of a metal leg. With each hole made in the armor, there was a hissing sound and a dark vapor poured out – the dark spirit dissipating. Link plunged his blade into the chest of another knight, and it too collapsed.
The last two soldiers charged forwards blindly, drawing long serrated swords.
Shadow Link raised his sword and blocked the attack of the knight that reached him first. He backed away and swung out his foot, catching the legs of the enemy. It crashed sideways into the other remaining knight and Shadow Link stepped forwards and knocked their helmets loose. The final two suits of armor collapsed, lifeless.
Silence rang through the forest after the last blow fell.
Medli sat in the branches of a tree, trembling.
The pieces of armor lay scattered about the trail.
The girl they held prisoner had fallen from the litter and was on the forest floor. She still wasn't moving, but she had escaped damage from the battle.
Shadow Link examined his sword with mild interest. "Hmm. Not as sharp or sturdy as I would have hoped. Yeah, I can see it's already chipped here and here. And the metal dulled the blade. I'm used to higher quality weapons. But it at least got the job done." He sheathed the stolen sword.
Medli slowly dropped down from the tree and walked hesitantly up to Shadow Link.
Shadow Link suddenly rounded on Navi. "And YOU! Don't you dare sneak up on me again! So now what? We have this girl. What do we do with her?"
"We should get her off the trail," Medli suggested.
"And we should get out of here," Tatl added. "In case they come back."
"Good luck with that." Shadow Link turned and strode away to their "camp."
"Wait!" Medli called. "I can't lift her myself!"
The girl was older than Link, and so larger than the bird girl.
Volvagia slid through the trees and hovered there uncertainly.
"Can you help me?" Medli asked the dragon.
Volvagia nodded. He lowered himself next to the girl and Medli pushed the unconscious figure onto the dragon's neck. Navi, Tatl, and Tael tried to help some, but they were so small that this hardly made any difference .
Finally they succeeded and Volvagia carried the girl back to camp. Medli and the fairies followed.