I've been waiting to write this chapter for a while now. I hope I pulled off the mysterious stuff OK.

Chapter 15: The Blue Warrior and the Dark Princess

Shadow Link rammed his hood further down on his head and pulled the cloak tighter around his shoulders. He scooted as far back against the trunk of the tree as he could, trying to shield himself in its shade. He'd been so preoccupied as he walked across the field that night that he hadn't even noticed when the sun rose. So he was stuck under the only shelter within reach – a lone tree in the middle of a field.

And he was in a bad mood again.

Navi perched in the tree branches above him.

There was a river and a bridge not far off. The bridge afforded shade as well, but getting there would involve walking across a patch of sunlight. Shadow Link preferred to sit where he was and stew in his grumpiness.

They'd been sitting like this for quite a while, as was proven by the steadily rising sun.

Navi was hungry, but Shadow Link was stubbornly not moving from his spot, and she didn't want to talk to him.

Shadow Link pulled part of a loaf of bread out of his cloak around mid-day. Navi snatched a small piece and retreated to the canopy of the tree, but Shadow Link ignored her completely.

It was after they'd finished eating that Shadow Link stood up, his eyes glued to the sky. There was something strange suspended in it. It looked like a ribbon snaking across the heavens.

It drew closer to them, flying low to the ground, and going rather slowly. It was moving in a zigzag pattern, as though searching for something.

Shadow Link stared at it.

Navi hovered above the tree, watching the object fixedly. Though it was still rather distant, it bore a very strong resemblance to a certain dragon.

Finally it floated over the part of the field where Shadow Link and Navi were waiting. And they could tell for certain that it was Volvagia, who was carrying two people on his back.

Shadow Link gave a groan and sank back against the tree trunk. He'd hoped to find Volvagia alone, but Medli and Din were with the dragon.

Navi disappeared, shooting off towards Volvagia.

"You came!" she cried delightedly. "You're back!"

She was so happy to meet the others that she could have cried. Being alone with Shadow Link was close to torture.

Tatl and Tael greeted her with happy rings, and Medli and Din smiled.

"Oh, he's down under the tree," Navi added somewhat glumly.

"OK. I found the Ocarina, so I can return it to him," Medli said.

"Do you think he'll be happy to see us?" Tael asked hopefully.

Tatl snorted. "Are you joking? He'll probably just want to snatch the ocarina and run away."

Tael drooped slightly. "Oh."

"I didn't miss him a bit," Tatl said huffily.

"Nevertheless, we'll go down and greet him," Din concluded.

Volvagia, at least, seemed eager to see Shadow Link. He sank to the ground and allowed the others to dismount. The dragon bowed his head in greeting to Shadow Link, who vaguely inclined his head in return.

Shadow Link glared at his newly arrived companions. What right did they have to look so happy? Jerks. The lot of them.

He crammed his hood down as far as it would go.

Medli hesitated, then took a step towards him, holding out the Ocarina of Time.

"I found this."

Shadow Link looked up at her for half a moment, then snatched the Ocarina away from her. He turned and stared in the other direction.

"We met Skull Kid," Tatl said haughtily. "But I don't know if you deserve to know what he told us."

"Why should I care?"

"Because he mentioned where the Master Sword is kept."

…

Two figures stood deep in the shadows of Faron Woods. One of them was a tall blue-clad male. The other seemed to be a child standing beside him.

The strange pair was watching something with rapt attention: The road that passed through the forest. Since the road was currently abandoned, the two of them were obviously waiting for something.

"There," the small figure whispered in a strange accent. "It's coming."

The warrior raised a golden bow and pulled it back, aiming his deadly arrow at the distant pathway.

At that moment, a boy wearing dark clothes stepped into view, unaware of the deadly projectile that was about to strike him down.

…

As the group moved along through Faron Woods, Shadow Link quickened his pace to get ahead of the others. They didn't protest.

Volvagia stayed above the canopy of the forest, flying very slowly. He wanted to keep away from snagging vines and branches. His side still hurt him, but at least he was well enough to fly.

Shadow Link felt a little better now that the forest was here to block the evening sunlight. And he had the ocarina too. Plus his dragon. They might even be able to find the Master Sword at last But any happiness he might have felt about these things was drowned out by the fact that the stalkers had found him again as well.

Something flashed in Shadow Link's peripheral vision.

Without thinking, he dropped and rolled forwards just as something flew over his head, ruffling his hair.

He sprang to his feet and saw the silhouette of a person off in the bushes.

In a moment, his sword was drawn and he went plunging towards his foes.

…

The warrior and the child-like figure inhaled sharply as Shadow Link dodged the arrow by no more than a hair. He then drew his sword and began charging towards them.

The man in blue knocked another arrow, but hesitated before drawing it.

"What are you waiting for?" the small figure hissed. "Shoot it!"

"No. Look over there." The warrior gestured to the path where Medli and Din had just come into view. "I don't think he's with the enemy."

"Well," she scoffed, "he's coming towards us with a sword right now. What do you plan to do?"

…

Just as Shadow Link neared his enemies, the blue-clad warrior stepped out into the open and lay down his bow.

But that wasn't what made Shadow Link screech to a halt.

For several seconds, the two stared at each other. Shadow Link took in the blue suit with the red eye pattern on the front. Though his face was half obscured by a wrap, he knew exactly who this was.

"How did you get here?" Shadow Link demanded. "If Princess Zelda was captured, how can Sheik be here?"

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe we've ever met. Perhaps you're speaking of one of my ancestors who used this disguise before me."

Shadow Link wasn't quite sure how to respond to this, so he just glared at Sheik.

"That doesn't answer my question. I thought the Princess of this time had been captured. So, how did you get away?"

"That would be my doing," said a voice from behind a bush.

A child-size figure floated out from behind the leaves and landed beside Sheik.

Shadow Link's mouth hung open slightly as he stared at the strange little black-and-white imp standing before him. There were luminous turquoise markings on her arms and legs, and she had a vivid orange ponytail. Her eyes were red and gold, and as she grinned, she bared one fang.

"What the heck is that?" he blurted out."

"Pff," she snorted, waving her hand at him. "I could ask the same of you. Anyway, that's no way to address the Princess of Twilight, Midna."

"Come again?"

"I think it would be best to start from the beginning," Sheik cut in. He glanced back to where Medli and Din were standing with the three fairies. They had no idea what to make of this strange scene. "Judging by your companions, you're trying to fight the evil that's descending on us, correct?"

Shadow Link smirked. "You could say that."

"Yes, he is," Tatl said forcefully. "We're helping him."

"And what's your goal?"

"Stop!" Shadow Link shouted. "Why the hell should I tell you anything? You just shot an arrow at me!"

"Obviously we thought you were one of the enemy. You sure look the part," Midna snorted.

"We're looking for the Master Sword," Din answered. "We need it to fight Ganon and free his prisoners."

"That won't be easy," Sheik replied. "Ganon is prepared this time. You'd need an army just to get near one of his fortresses."

"I've gotten through those kinds of places before, with my other self," Shadow Link growled. "I don't see why this time should be any different."

"Go on then," Midna scoffed. "Go and get your head chopped off. They're prepared for YOU, at least," she said, pointing at the shadow boy. "They've plenty of weapons to shoot at a creature of darkness. I should know. I'm one myself. Thanks to Zelda, I mean Sheik, I can handle the light now."

"I work on my own," Shadow Link snarled.

"If you think that way, you'll never get anywhere," Sheik replied calmly.

"Luckily," Midna continued, "We have a way to find all of Link's allies, no matter when they are. See, I found Zelda just as she was trying to escape from the palace."

"I never would have made it out without her," Sheik said. "The place was a labyrinth."

"But on the way out, we found this."

Midna gestured to something that was slung onto Sheik's back. He pulled it around to reveal a small harp.

"The harp of ages," Midna explained. "Playing it lets you travel through time."

"He must have taken it from Nayru," Din said softly.

"But what's the point of that?" Shadow Link demanded. "We already have the Ocarina of Time!"

"The point is," Midna continued, "Now we can break into two groups. You," she said, jabbing a finger at Shadow Link, "can continue to search for the Master Sword. And a second group can start searching for allies in our fight."