Chapter 13: Talon Three

It appeared most of the men in red ties had been wiped out from their earlier confrontation with them by the staircases; Avilux I hadn't expected them to make it past the stairs and up to the first floor. Because of this, the rest of their run to the lobby of the facility wasn't met with any resistance. Only the lady at the front desk exclaimed in surprise when Link, Gale, and Zelda ran madly outside, but besides that their way was completely clear.

Zelda had become increasingly assertive the farther they became from the facility. Spotting the Audi they had arrived in earlier, she pointed to it and called, "This way!" before running in that direction. She was in the middle of trying to smash open the front window to open the lock, but Link stopped her.

"Hey, no need for that." He took out his lock picking tools and opened the car door, and then quickly moved on to start the engine.

"Show off," Gale muttered.

Zelda glanced over at the grey white building – there were two men running towards them, and from the purple tie she guessed one of them was Dugal. She tapped Link on the shoulder. "Quick, let me drive!"

Link faltered. "You? But…"

"No buts! I don't mean to brag, but I used to take part in unsanctioned races down the old mountain roads with the local guys. I'm probably better than you."

Link decided not to argue, and he slid over to the passenger seat. Gale hopped into the backseat, slammed the door, and found himself pressed against the seats before he had his seatbelt on. Zelda hadn't hesitated to slam her foot on the gas, quickly gaining distance from the running men.

"Don't underestimate me," she told the two boys who were sitting, stunned, in open-mouthed surprise.

XXXXXXXXX

Dugal had run into a dazed Condor when he'd gone up the stairwell. A dozen unconscious Reds had also surrounded him. "What has happened here?" He'd demanded.

"Well sir, they got away…"

"I can see that! I'm asking how three shrimp like them managed to get past all of these Reds and one of my best men. I thought you'd be able to handle this."

"I'm wondering the same thing, sir. It was that white haired one – he did something strange…"

Dugal hadn't been too pleased with that one. He'd decided against berating Condor, however, since he needed him in his chase. Half dragging the stumbling man, Dugal had dashed up the steps to catch up.

I hope Hawk and Kestrel will be able to stop them. I have some faith in those two.

He was now sprinting past the receptionist who pointed outside, stuttering something about three teenagers running away. Cursing himself for being too arrogant and not stopping them when he could have earlier, he picked up his pace. Condor followed shakily after him.

Once outside, he noticed the three sitting inside of the black Audi and attempting to start the engine. Goddesses damn it! I underestimated them. He pressed the button on his earpiece to get in contact with Hawk and Kestrel.

"Hawk! Kestrel! Where are you?! They're getting away!"

There was a slight buzz and then a voice replied simply, "We have your car ready for you, sir, just like you asked."

"What?!" Dugal snapped his head around, searching for them. Sure enough, some feet away from the Audi was a silver Mercedes-Benz; Dugal's CL65 that he was quite proud of. His frown deepened when he saw two men in suits, both with blue ties like Condor, sitting in the backseat and waiting patiently like two children waiting for the bus driver to start the bus. Dugal shouted while running. "Why aren't you going after them?!"

As he opened the door, the Asian man with shoulder-length hair and sunglasses shifted in his seat. "We were specifically told to ready your car sir." The droopy eyed Caucasian sitting next to him nodded in agreement.

"Kestrel's right, sir."

"You stupid… Condor! For the love of Nayru stop making a fuss and get in the passenger seat because I'm driving this time! Dear goddesses I'm surrounded by idiots." He slammed the door and pressed the pedal, hard, causing his three colleagues to be thrown backwards. He kept his eyes trained on the retreating Audi.

Once Condor finally managed to buckle his seat belt, he mumbled in a low voice. "Sir? Hawk and Kestrel did do as they were told…"

"Shut up!"

The car swerved sharply, the back wheels drifting as Dugal expertly kept up with Zelda who was a pretty good driver herself. Dugal gritted his teeth. His three best men were the best in his eyes because they followed orders exactly. In times like these, however, their lack of autonomy had turned into a handicap instead of a desired trait. Condor was a little better about making decisions independently, but that was also why Dugal always kept a better watch on him. He sighed; this was what his employer must feel like with him and the rest of Avilux I.

"So what happened to you, Condor?" Kestrel asked, pushing his sunglasses up so they hid his narrow Japanese eyes. "It's not like you to screw up Mr. Dugal's orders."

Hawk nodded again in support of his partner.

Condor frowned. "I ran into unexpected problems. That white haired one has abnormal abilities."

"You're a member of the Mr. Dugal's Talon Three. We're supposed to be able to handle everything."

"What about you? If you and Hawk had half a mind you wouldn't have sat here and let the three targets get away. Were you too busy polishing your obnoxious sunglasses? What use are they anyway?" Condor retorted.

Kestrel looked offended. "Well – "

"If you are both men you will stop bickering like women." A low growl from Dugal stopped them both. "Kestrel, stop speaking to Condor as though you have my authority. Condor, no cheap shots at Kestrel – he can wear shades if he so chooses as long as his work brings results. Results are all I care about, and today all three of you failed in epic proportions. I suggest you don't do anything more to remind me of your failures if you don't want to be thrown out of this car." He gripped the steering wheel tightly, readying for another sharp turn as the Audi in front of them skidded around the mountain road. "I created the Talon Three to be the best troupe for hire for… high risk taking businesses. If you jeopardize the Talon Three's name you will be replaced."

"Yes sir."

"Yes sir!"

"Sir."

XXXXXXXX

The black car trying its best to keep its distance from the silver Benz screeched around the winding road, drifting as it turned. The two boys whose life was in the gutsy girl's hands yelped as they were thrown against their seats in yet another tight turn.

"Hang on!" Zelda warned, quickly shifting lanes to prevent the silver car from passing them. The Benz seemed to snarl in frustration as it veered between the lanes, trying to find an opening to pass. A bead of sweat rolled down Zelda's forehead – she knew that as soon as the Benz passed them it was over. Dugal would be able to block off the road and force them out of the car.

"Aaah!"

"Holy Farore!"

"SHIT."

They skidded over to the left side of the road when a car came driving straight towards them. Horns blared as the two cars tried to avoid each other, and the poor driver in the other car slid out of control when the Benz following the teens screeched past in pursuit. Zelda thought her heart had stopped. "Oh my goddess. I forgot that I'm supposed to drive in the opposite lane in Japan."

"Y-yeah."

"…"

Link stuttered, while Gale seemed to have lost his voice. Both of them didn't mention they were having some doubts on handing their lives in her hands. Once the car had steadied, Link peeked over at their driver. She had a strange sitting position, he noticed, and when he looked down at the pedals he could see why; her right foot was angled so that her toes could press down on the gas and her heel could press down on the brakes. He felt the need to mention this to her.

"Um, I'm not sure that's the normal way to drive."

Zelda barely moved her eyes from the road in front of her. "Well, we're not driving normally are we?" She snapped. "This is the mountain racer's way."

"Sorry…" Link apologized sheepishly.

"You had better mean it," Zelda said flatly. "First of all, I don't really know either of you and I bring you along because you seemed to know about Skull Kid. Then we come here and the next thing I know you're being chased by people who are trying to shoot you, and then I get caught up in it too." She didn't sound happy at all. "Just what is going on?!"

Link steadied himself with his hand. "Avilux I isn't just an ordinary company. They are part of an underground criminal organization."

A huge sigh drifted from the backseat. Gale was mumbling something along the lines of "here we go with the stories again."

"If you don't believe me, just read this."

Tilting his head, Gale reached over and grabbed the packet of papers Link had passed to him. He quickly looked through it, and his expression became sterner the more his eyes moved down the page. "Is this what we found in the office we hid in?" Gale asked slowly.

Link nodded. "Yeah. And it says there – "

"It says here that Avilux I plans to create an infinite energy source that takes the form of 'living fire.' They named it Avilux Ignis… Link, do you think those things we saw Skull Kid summon were the 'living fire?'"

Zelda's voice wavered a little. "Dugal talked about finding an infinite energy source…"

"Except," Link continued darkly, "it says here that Avilux I isn't planning to use it as an energy source at all. It says – " his voice trailed off. Gale finished for him.

"It says the organization is planning to use Avilux Ignis as an infinite, indestructible weapon that can bend even the most powerful nations under their will."

"That's not all. Gale," Link pointed at the second page of the stapled booklet. "Look at what it says on the next page."

Gale obliged, and he skimmed over the following page. "Ah, it's just a confirmation contract with a group called the Talon Three. It says… wow this doesn't sound good. It says they were specially hired to make sure the Avilux Ignis project succeeds. They're not going to like us very much."

Gale looked sharply in the rearview mirror to see the Benz nudging over to a small gap on the right. He barked sharply, "Zelda! Focus on your driving."

Zelda's hand was white against the steering wheel. She stammered. "Ta-Talon Three?" She quickly regained her composure and sped up to gap the distance between the Audi and the Benz. The silver car behind them roared its engine as it increased speed to catch up. "I've… heard of them before. They're freelancers of a sort; large companies ask them to perform services most people would find morally wrong to do. They do the dirty work, and when I say dirty I mean really dirty." Her brows were scrunched in a knot. "I've heard rumors of people disappearing under their name because they were unlucky to have a company hold a grudge against them. My father talked about them once, when they'd asked if he wanted to use their service but he'd declined."

"I'm placing my bets Dugal is part of the Talon Three." Gale said quietly. The other two didn't say anything, their silence confirming all of their suspicions. Gale remembered how the man in the purple tie had so accurately shot the wheel off of this Dervish by punching a hole in the board's trucks. He was pretty sure after that one shot that Dugal could have shot them all dead if he'd wanted to. The knowledge that Dugal himself didn't want them dead was only of little consolation.

"We need to find a way to lose them," Zelda bit her lip. She had never imagined Dugal to be able to keep up with her driving. Then again, now that there was a possibility that he was a member of the infamous Talon Three, she wasn't too surprised anymore. The silver car had fallen a little behind because of her skillful maneuvering, but it was slowly gaining ground again. What do I do? He's too good and I don't know how to lose him.

"Ummm, that's not good."

Gale pointed at the blinking arrows indicating a narrowing road and construction up ahead. Suddenly, Zelda had an idea.

"Perfect!"

"?" The two boys had confused looks on their faces. Zelda only grinned, and she slowly pressed her foot on the brakes to slow down the car back to the speed limit.

"Why are we slowing down? Don't we want to be going faster?"

Zelda shook her head. "Not if we're law abiding citizens." They passed the construction workers and a parked police car near the site where they were repaving the cracked mountain road. Zelda grinned devilishly when she noticed the Benz flying towards them determinedly. "Don't worry," she reassured her skeptical passengers, "they're falling straight for my trap."

XXXXXXXXX

Dugal squinted, wondering if he wasn't just imagining things. The spiffy little Audi that had been racing ahead of them expertly was slowing down. "That's odd."

"Perhaps they're running out of gas, sir?"

Dugal tapped his finger on the steering wheel. "I doubt it. You know we always keep the cars prepared and make sure they have plenty of fuel." He slightly dropped his speed when the lanes narrowed for construction, but still continued fast enough to close the gap between the two cars. Whoever was driving the Audi was good, and he wasn't sure he wouldn't lose them if he didn't keep up with them now. Impatience got the best of him; ignoring the signs telling them to slow down, Dugal let the Benz inch closer and closer to the Audi in front of them. "Once we're out of this construction zone I can cut in front of them. Things should be easy after that."

Still, he didn't know what the brats were doing. They were now cruising along at the speed limit and increasing the risk of getting caught by him. Were they giving up?

"Sir, I hear sirens."

Condor and Kestrel turned around to join Hawk in looking out the back window. Dugal's eyes twitched over the mirror, and he let out an exasperated grumble when he saw the red and blue lights closing in on them. The siren's wail continued relentlessly. "How annoying."

Dugal grudgingly let his car slow down and pulled off to the side, never keeping his eyes off of the black Audi that quickly became farther and farther away. He was embarrassed that they'd managed to get away because he had been too impatient to follow the speed limit. He couldn't help it – he hated following the speed limit and he had been in a hurry to catch them. Dugal rolled down his window when the officer walked over with his notepad. Straightening out his tie, the leader of Talon Three made an attempt to look as friendly as possible.

"Ano, dondake hayaku hashitte ta ka shittemasuka?" The officer spoke in a slightly condescending tone, asking them if they knew just how fast they had been driving in a slow zone. He was eyeing Dugal's luxury sports car and Armani disapprovingly. The rich seemed to think they could get away with anything…

Dugal unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door, and then motioned the other three to do the same. "Kestrel, explain to this officer we're sorry and that we were in a hurry," he ordered. Kestrel nodded, and switched spots with Dugal to talk to the officer in Japanese. The officer frowned, inquiring where the man in the purple tie was going; he needed to speak to him since he had been the driver.

"Nihongo ga shaberenai no desu yo." He can't speak Japanese. Kestrel then went on to explain they would take responsibility. They talked until they heard the dull revving of an engine.

The officer shouted and started sprinting towards the police car that was now under Dugal's possession. The driver just shrugged before he let the car accelerate in a new pursuit of the runaway Audi. He was sure his men would be able to get out of trouble with the police themselves – right now, he had some kids to catch.

"Hmm," he flicked on the switch that turned on the siren and increased the car's speed. The man smiled. "Don't think you can get away from Dugal so easily."

XXXXXXXX

Zelda drove quickly yet cautiously, the car entering a town. She was somewhat exhausted from driving for over an hour, nervous about the man pursuing them all the while. Even though she was relieved that they had managed to lose the silver Mercedes thanks to the police, she didn't trust herself to let her guard down. She had a feeling Dugal wasn't done with them yet, and that he could surprise them with anything.

The talking GPS that was attached to the front of the car dinged, and a woman's voice spoke "you are now approaching Sagamihara City." Earlier, Link had managed to figure out how to get the GPS to start working, and had directed it to take them to the nearest train station. They had been in luck that it had been programmed in English, and that the owner of this car (most likely one of the Talon Three) had decided to install a GPS. Without it, Zelda was sure they would have had more problems to arrive at the city.

"All right," Gale leaned forward in his seat. "You two know what we're doing as soon as we get to the station, right?"

"Get directions on the best way to Shinjuku Station, which is the closest to Hilton Tokyo," Zelda replied. Link frowned.

"You know, I still don't like the idea of going back to the place where Dugal will expect us to go."

"Do you think we have any other choice? We can't leave the country until we get our passports back from the hotel room." Gale muttered sounding annoyed. "I don't like it either."

"I have a feeling Dugal won't try to make a move around Hilton Tokyo."

"What makes you say that?" The albino turned to Zelda. She seemed to be thinking of something.

"Well, I remember seeing a huge police station near the hotel. If he does try to start something, he won't be able to do anything that catches too much attention. Our safest route will be to go where there are lots of people so he can't try anything suspicious, and if you remember what it was like around that area you can bet he won't be able to do much without getting caught."

"Maybe…" Gale didn't sound too convinced. "I'm not entirely sure that will stop him though."

"Stop being so pessimistic. Like you said earlier, we don't have much of a choice if we want to go back to the US."

Following the GPS directions, they managed to find their way to the train station. If he'd been in a much more relaxed situation, Gale would have taken some time to marvel at how efficiently space was used for residences, but at the moment he was too busy thinking about the men who were after them. What a day, he thought. If only they'd quietly minded their own business, then this wouldn't have been happening. Come to think of it, he'd been minding his own business from the very start but that stupid old geezer Loze had ruined everything by agreeing to let Link stay. The goddesses must hate him.

For some reason Gale was amused by that thought. All his life he had a sneaking suspicion that the high and mighty actually did hate him. Not that he had too much of a problem with that, since he never once thought he wanted to be liked by them. Well, assuming they existed at all for that matter. He liked to think they did exist sometimes, though, just so he could laugh and jeer at them; he didn't know why it tickled him to no end.

Zelda parked the car on the side of the road and took a deep breath, turning the ignition off. The three got out of the car and hurriedly walked into the station, watching out for suspicious looking people. It was past noon, and the sky was beginning to turn orange. Kids were running around on their way home from school. Link made his way over to the guide booth by the ticket vendors.

"Hi, we want to get to Shinjuku as fast as possible. Can you tell us the best way?"

The ticket master nodded. "One moment please." He spoke with a thick accent and his English was broken, but it seemed their request had gotten through. After a few minutes of typing on the computer, he took out a pen and paper and passed them to Link. "Go Hachioji. Comes in five minutes," he pointed at one of the stairs farther down the station. "Then take Azusa bullet train, and then go Shinjuku."

Gale watched Link frozen with the pen. He rolled his eyes. "Give me that, you illiterate fool." Gale scribbled down the directions in his curled handwriting. "Hachioji, then Azusa, and then we're good?"

The station master confirmed.

"Yo Petrov, pay him for the tickets will you?"

The three got their tickets, and then they ran to the station to catch the local train. Once on the train, they dared themselves to breathe a sigh of relief that Dugal hadn't managed to catch up. It was an uneasy sigh, however. None of them believed that they were completely safe yet, and all of them were sure that Dugal would have something planned.

And they were completely right. Several miles away and slowly catching ground was a police car that had zipped past all of the stop signs, traffic lights, and general congestion thanks to the siren mounted on the roof. If he hadn't been annoyed by his lackey's mess-ups earlier, Dugal would have actually enjoyed the privileges that came with driving a police car. All the other cars on the streets avoided him and cleared the road before the blaring siren.

Dugal was the center of attention when he entered Sagamihara Station only twenty minutes after the three teens. He had suspicions that they would try to return to the hotel to take back their belongings, and so he'd concluded that he needed to be back in Tokyo as fast as possible. Dugal turned the sirens off and drove around the small city for a while before he parked in a secluded area. Casually stepping out of the police car, he slipped away quietly back towards the train station where he could have the cover of people. While striding at a brisk pace, he pressed the button on the device clipped to his left ear. "Answer."

There was a brief static buzz before Hawk's voice came through. "Sir. Kestrel is just about finished dealing with the police, sir. We had some trouble since he didn't take to bribery too well."

"So he was one of those types, was he? Hm, I'm sure you'll figure something out. I don't care for the details as long as you figure it out."

"Yes sir. Where are you now, sir?"

"I am at the edge of Sagamihara City. I am almost positive the brats are making their way back to the hotel in Tokyo. We have an advantage since we know where to expect them, and the only problem we have now is that they will definitely arrive there before we do."

"Sir."

Dugal fiddled with his tie. "As much as I hate to do this, get in touch with the Reds. I'm sure there are some posted in greater Tokyo, and they'll be able to get near the hotel before we do. Tell them I want them searching for the brats around the hotel as well as all the train stations and bus stations in that area."

"Yes sir. I will be sure to describe them sir."

"Mmhmm. They shouldn't be too hard to find in a crowd since all three of them stick out like a sore thumb. Oh, one more thing."

"Sir?"

Dugal was standing in front of the ticket vendors at the train station. He squinted a little as he tried to get a better look at the train routes that were posted on top of the ticket machines. He slowly trailed after the train lines, and then a thin smile crept up. "Be extra cautious about Shinjuku station, especially the exit with the bullet trains. I'm placing my bets that they'll approach from Hachioji, so look up the trains that leave from Hachioji to Shinjuku. When they are caught, report back to me immediately."

"Yes sir."

Dugal hung up. Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out some coins and put them in the ticket machine and then waited patiently for the lights to blink on the various buttons. Once he pressed the button, Dugal picked the ticket that was presented and walked into the station, searching for the train that would take him to Hachioji.

XXXXXXX

Zelda looked around nervously while she stood in line to buy the ticket for the Azusa bullet train. Every time she saw someone wearing a suit with a blue, red, or purple tie she felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck. She flinched when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and almost slapped Gale in reflex.

"Whoa whoa, take it easy." Gale fished around in his pockets and handed over 1200 yen to pay for the train ticket. He smirked. "There, you're all set. Now you owe me one."

Zelda looked disgusted. "You never stop, do you?"

"I'm just being a gentleman, dear," he replied happily. "You shouldn't read too much into it. What an embarrassment it'll be if you actually thought I liked you." Gale snickered. "Just humor me and have some fun."

"Ugh! I don't get why you can be like that when we're in a serious situation." Zelda huffed away.

"She's right, you know." Link pushed him aside and paid for his own ticket. "You shouldn't let your guard down. Even the best are defeated when they underestimate their opponent."

"Hmph. It's not like we can do anything about our situation right now. And besides, all we're doing is waiting for our train to come and Dugal doesn't know where we are. People need to learn to relax and have fun when they can."

Link shrugged. "You know, I bet Vaati was defeated so many times because of that attitude."

"Tch. Stop comparing me with Vaati."

Once they'd bought their tickets, they went to the station terminal where their bullet train was scheduled to be docked. Lines of people were standing in marked areas along the station platform, and Link, Zelda, and Gale walked over to the reserved section. They could've chosen to buy the unreserved seats, but then they wouldn't have had guaranteed seating and Gale was adamant about sitting down. He hadn't been willing to stay standing in a train for half an hour if he could help it.

They shifted their weights and huddled in their jackets to keep warm while they waited for the train. The temperature wasn't as nearly as cold as New Jersey weather, but that wasn't to say that the greater Tokyo area wasn't chilly in the winter. Link and Zelda also appeared a little uncomfortable from the looks they gathered from the people around them. Both of them had blond hair and blue eyes, and the Japanese seemed fascinated by foreigners. Gale, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the glances. He'd grown up with those curious eyes on him his whole life, and in his opinion the Japanese were generally more bashful about staring at someone openly. This was nothing compared to what he'd had to deal with before.

When the Azusa finally rumbled into the station, the three gratefully jumped inside and followed the line of people to look for seats. The interior reminded Gale of the interior of an airplane. There were even pushcarts going around with food and drinks for passengers who wanted to buy something during the trip. Upon reaching their assigned seats, Gale swung his around so that two seats were facing each other. Link sat on one side, and Gale and Zelda sat on the other.

Gale waited for the train to lurch forward before he leaned towards Link. "All right Petrov. You promised to explain everything so you had better explain everything."

"I'd like to know as well. You are obviously hiding something important about who you are, and after what happened today I feel I have the right to know."

Link rested his head in his right hand. He took out the paper about the Avilux Ignis project, and spread it out on the chair desk that was attached to his seat. He spun it around until the page faced them, and then he tapped the name signed next to Dr. Willits'.

"I honestly don't know where to start because I feel there's so much I have to explain," Link began, not meeting their gaze. "But I guess I'll start with where this entire situation became much more dire than I'd originally thought. See this name?"

Gale twisted his head to get a better look at the name Link was pointing at. The letters were large and bold, and signed with a lot more confidence than the squished signature of the doctor. "Yeah? What about it? Do you know this guy?"

"Kind of. Read me the name."

"Ford Ganon."

"Exactly. Ford Ganon," Link repeated. He looked up at Gale slowly and he realized that something had registered in those red eyes as well. "Tweak it a little and what do you get?"

"You're out of your mind!" Gale snapped. "There's no way he's alive, he should be dead! Traitorous infidel thought he could use me like a mere pawn to take over Hyrule. Just because he has the Triforce -" he stopped, sounding puzzled. "What did I just say?"

"Ford Ganon. Ganon Ford. Ganondorf." Link smiled weakly. "You seem to know this too, Vaati."

"I am not Vaati!" Gale seethed. Then, the puzzled look momentarily returned and Gale no longer seemed too sure of himself.

Link began again slowly. "Right now you're not. Vaati's probably lost in your subconscious. However, considering the time we have left and whom we're really up against, we really need you to get your memories back. And for that," Link reached over and took his left glove off of his hand, revealing an etch of a small, gold triangle, "I can't hide anything from you anymore."

Travel log:

Sagamihara City: There were a bunch of squished looking houses lined up next to each other. They were so close that neighbors would be able to crawl into each other's houses through the windows. I hear it's supposed to be a huge city, but we only went near the edge of it so it was more like a crowded suburb.

Hachioji: I have nothing interesting to say. I mean, it was a train station. If I'd actually been able to walk around then I might have had something interesting to say, but I was being chased by Dugal at the time.

fleets: I'm sorry, I always stop the chapter right when I'm about to give answers. But yes, Ganondorf. I didn't want him in this story because I'm sick and tired of him, but I couldn't find a way around it that would make sense (to me). I do have a few surprises up my sleeve, however - I try my best to make things unpredictable ;)
Because there's one huuuuuuge plot twist I have in mind that I'm really excited of getting to. Aaaah, I'm dying over here since it's going to take a while to reach that point D:

Midna Hytwilian: I was thinking of putting off writing Vaati for a while, but I decided against it :P I felt it was about time he made an appearance. Lol poor Vaati, he's bullied in so many different stories XD

Reily96: I'm curious how you'll take care of that messed up pentagon, good luck! More Vaati/Gale craziness coming up...not so soon... but it is coming :P

SubZeroChimera: Oh snaps, I rely too much on crappy spell checking. Thanks for finding the error! I'll fix it when I have the chance ;)

henslight: Can't say much without spoiling what's coming, but no worries, I've got it planned out ;). Meanwhile, we wait for Link to get talking (and I promise I'll get to that part in the next chapter).

Darkwind: Dingdingding, Ganondorf indeed! I hate that guy... yet he always sneaks his way into my stories (grumbles).

marium: Just a little bit. Vaati's there, but it's still predominantly Gale. This'll be addressed... soonish...

LinkxDarkLink: Aw, thanks! I was imagining the lock to make the dinging noise the games make when you solve puzzles, but I thought that might've been a bit much haha

Death-Note-Zelda-Kitty: The last chapter is definitely my favorite so far just because Vaati was in it, and not as Gale.

Dark Scrivener: Aw, thank you so much! I'm happy you gave this story a chance and enjoyed it. :)