A/N: I'm sorry I took so long! I'm so, so sorry! x.x; Ummm, anyway, Summer vacation is here, so I might be able to get chapters out more quickly, if I don't get writer's block or get all lazy again... -.-; Umm, anyway, enjoy! And read the author's note at the bottom, PLEASE!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned LoZ, but I don't. Nintendo does, and whoever makes the manga... I just own my plot, made-up monsters and items, and OCs.

Many Thanks To: SoulDea, i-wish-a7x, and LittlePidgey~!

The Links' personal Weapons (other than their swords and shields, of course!)

-Red has an ice rod, a fire rod, and a slingshot!

-Green has a boomerang, and he's pretty good with it. At the moment, he's half-dragon, with a tail, wings that he can use to fly, very strong legs, and a clawed right arm with the strength of a dragon.

-Blue has a hammer, of course, which suits his personality perfectly!

-Vio has a bow and a quiver full of arrows, and of course, his ever-present book.

-Shadow has his cool shadow/darkness skills. Also has the Dark Mirror Shield and that dagger of his. And bombs!

(Note: I have a poll up on my profile... Please take a look at it and vote after you read this chapter!)

Chapter 25: Red-Eyed Magic

~Lake Hylia- Mystery Island Lagoon~

The little red kitten stirs with a quiet meow, looking around dazedly as she wakes up from her nap in the shallows. Nearby, Ruto is arguing with the monster calling himself "Blue," having come back up from underwater while he stays near the surface because the odd monster and self-proclaimed "Link" and Four Sword hero (Ruto doesn't really believe him yet) didn't want to leave the kitten unguarded for too long.

"(Ruto) Just because I'm a girl, zora, that doesn't mean I'm weak, you stupid boy!"

"(Blue) Who're you calling stupid, you stupid girl!?"

They've been going at it for at least half an hour at this point, showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

~Zora's Domain- Guest Cottage~

Green, Vio, Shadow, and Vaati are having lunch. Considering this group, it's only expected that chaos is bound to unfold...

"(Shadow) Say that again, you Goddess-forsaken purple midget! I dare you!"

"(Vaati) Hihihi, gladly! You're a coward who's scared of his own powers and you won't even admit it!"

"(Shadow) I am NOT scared!"

Vaati rolls his eyes dramatically.

"(Vaati) Whatever you say, Hero's Shadow~..."

"(Shadow) QUIT CALLING ME THAT!"

Vio sighs, turning to Green.

"(Vio) Mind passing the bread?"

"(Green) Sure, here you go."

After a few minutes, the severely ticked-off Shadow stands up, pushing his seat back with a loud clatter.

"(Shadow) That's it. Outside, now. I'll show you that I'm not afraid, and pound some sense into you while I'm at it, you cocky little brat!"

"(Vaati) Hihihi! This should be quite interesting~... Try not to lose too badly, hmm?"

"(Green) Should we stop them?"

Vio shakes his head.

"(Vio) Do you honestly think we could stop them in the first place?"

Green shrugs.

"(Green) Good point."

"(Vio) Let's just focus on making sure they don't kill each other, at least that's feasible."

~A Few Minutes Later~

The four boys leave Zora's Domain and head to a nearby section of Hyrule Field where they won't cause anyone trouble, Vaati taunting Shadow all the while. Vio sighs, shaking his head. He's hanging back along with Green, staying out of the two red-eyed boys' way.

"(Vio) This is bound to be insane..."

"(Green) Hey, at least they can't go too far, right? I mean, all of us are still pretty banged up."

Vio sighs again.

"(Vio) You don't know Shadow as well as I do. -.-; "

Green has a far-away expression on his face for a moment.

"(Green) Yeah..."

'And Vaati... He took all that damage from Veran, but still kept going... Vio's right, this is probably going to be nuts. But, when I think about it, I don't know all that much about Vaati OR Shadow...'

Meanwhile, Vaati and Shadow are facing each other with a few feet worth of distance between them.

"(Vaati) Hihihi~... Let's get started, shall we?"

"(Shadow) By Farore, shut UP already! That stupid laugh of yours is really irritating and your voice is just as annoying! I'm gonna wipe that stupid smirk clean off your face, Wind Brat!"

"(Vaati) I'd love to see you try."

Shadow grits his teeth angrily.

'He really, REALLY ticks me off! But... I can't fight magic with my sword, not in the condition I'm in. Heck, fighting magic without magic of your own is a total pain in the first place. I said I wouldn't use it, but...'

Oddly enough, it's words Vaati said to the purple-haired boy earlier, back in the cavern at Death Mountain, that come to mind as Shadow hesitantly considers accessing his powers.

"Magic is a mysterious thing. Everyone has the potential to wield it, though some are of course stronger than others, and yet so few manage it because they cannot see their true selves, cannot find their element where it sleeps within them. Can you guess which element you are aligned most closely to, "Hero's Shadow?" I have no doubt that you already know, actually. But what you need to consider is this: is any element truly 'good' or 'evil'? Or is it simply a matter of how it is used?"

Something about the way Shadow's holding himself changes slightly, a subtle hint of confidence adding itself to his demeanor.

'A matter of how it's used, huh? This brat may be irritating as all heck, but when it comes down to it, he's doing his best to help us. He's trying to get me mad so I'll use my powers, though I'd bet 100 Rupees he's enjoying being a jerk to me anyway.'

He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.

~...~

Pitch black darkness surrounds him as he opens his flame-red eyes. A soft, half-heard melody whispers through the still air, barely audible.

"(Shadow) I think I get it now. This darkness is me, and I can't change that. But that doesn't mean I have to be evil... I'm sorry. I was trying to push you away, push myself away. I was scared. But I'm not afraid anymore, or at least I'm ready to deal with my fear. Will you let me give this another try?"

A flicker of silver streaks through the air as a beautiful full moon appears, Shadow's surroundings changing from inky black darkness to the starry night sky. The lullaby is clearer now, the same tune he heard when the Triforce of Courage accepted him. He laughs.

"(Shadow) I'll take that as a yes."

~...~

The gray-clad boy opens his eyes and smirks, a look Green and Vio know all too well.

"(Vio) Uh oh. That look always means trouble."

Green nods slowly with a gulp.

"(Green) Uh, maybe we should back away some more."

"(Vio) I'm considering it."

"(Shadow) This is going to be FUN."

A small smile flits across Vaati's face, but he quickly hides it.

'Looks like he's figured it out.'

Shadow melts into the ground with a smirk, privately relishing the feeling of using his abilities after so long for a moment. Coming up behind Vaati using the youth's own shadow, he silently attempts to grab the purple-skinned Sorcerer. Vaati doesn't so much as twitch.

"(Vaati) Hihihi~... Did you really think it would be that easy?"

Shadow promptly gets knocked a couple feet away by a wind blast. He gets up, the grin on his face a bit wider.

"(Shadow) Nah, just warming up. I wouldn't wanna get rusty, after all."

"(Vaati) So you're going to use me for practice, hmm? Then I believe I'll just have to return the favor. Time to show you just why I am the Sorcerer of Winds! Hihihihihi!"

Vaati's ever-present personal breeze gains strength, transforming into a decent gale as he focuses. This is a surprisingly intimidating side effect of his power, as it shows just how much control the purple-skinned youth has. Though his clothes and hair whip around wildly in the wind along with the long tail of his cap, Vaati's hat remains firm on his head and he is completely calm. Shadow smirks, his own hat as usual defying gravity as he reclines in mid-air with a creepy giggle, back in one of his favorite poses after over a year.

"(Shadow) Ready yet, Wind Brat? You wouldn't want to bore me, now would you?"

"(Vaati) I wouldn't dream of it, Hero's Shadow."

The little duel is over a few minutes later, the surroundings a bit worse for wear, but otherwise undamaged. Vio is relieved that they didn't kill each other, while Green is just glad it's over. Shadow grins.

"(Shadow) Hate to admit it, but you're good, even if you are a brat."

"(Vaati) I'll take that as a compliment. You're not too bad yourself."

Deciding to make some mischief, Shadow uses some tendrils of shadow to tug on Vaati's cap a bit, pulling it down over his eyes. Vaati scowls, straightening it with a huff.

"(Vaati) Do that again and I'll turn you into a lawn ornament."

Shadow is confused.

"(Shadow) You'll what?"

An Octorok is sneaking up on the purple-haired boy from the side. Seeing it, Vaati smirks evilly.

"(Vaati) Hihihi... Let me demonstrate."

He gestures toward the Octorok, who's getting ready to spit a stone at Shadow. The red-eyed boy hastily blocks it with his shield.

"(Shadow) Where'd that stupid rock-spitter come from?"

"(Vaati) Does it matter? Anyway, this is what will happen to you if you mess with my cap ever again."

He points at the poor unsuspecting Octorok with a flourish, casting his signature spell with ease.

"(Vaati) To Stone With You!"

A flash of light shoots from Vaati's hands to the Octorok, turning it into a statue in a single instant. Shadow stares at it for a moment, then takes a step away from Vaati with a gulp.

"(Shadow) G-got it. No messing with the hat."

Back in the "peanut gallery," Vio looks impressed and interested in Vaati's technique, while Green looks just as scared as Shadow.

"(Vio) I wonder how he does that. It must be quite useful."

"(Green) You're crazy, Vio... -.-; "

The four boys head back to Zora's Domain, Vaati releasing the Octorok from its petrified state before he leaves.

'Hihihi... I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. He makes a good sparring partner, and he may be able to help me teach the others some magic. They'll be helpless against Veran without it, after all... Not that I did any better, but I wasn't even trying to put up a fight. Strong as I may be, I can't win against her alone. I'm lucky if I currently remember even half of my abilities in the first place, and she's completely insane. Trying to take on that vengeful hag alone is suicide.'

"(Shadow) Come on, Wind Brat! We're gonna leave you behind if you stand there much longer!"

"(Vaati) I'm not a brat, I'm a Sorcerer, Hero's Shadow."

"(Shadow) Well, if you stop calling me Hero's Shadow, I'll stop calling you Wind Brat!"

Vaati thinks about it.

"(Vaati) ...Fine, Shadow. I'm not that little, so being called a brat is awkward."

Shadow's eyes widen in surprise.

"(Shadow) Then how old are you? "

"(Vaati) Hihihi... Don't let my height fool you, I'm about twelve years old by Hylian standards." (A/N:To me, Minish age slower than Hylians and Vaati was around ten years old in Hylian terms during Minish Cap.)

Shadow bursts out laughing.

"(Shadow) You're only TWELVE? Oh, that's rich!"

"(Vaati) ..."

'Is it really that strange?'

"(Vio) Shadow, come on!"

"(Green) You too, Vaati!"

"(both) Coming!"

The red-eyed pair hurry after their companions, now understanding each other a bit better than before.

A/N: Lol, Shadow and Vaati now respect each other a bit. I'm debating on having Vio show Vaati that letter/diary entry, but I can't decide. That's where you readers come in. Do me a big favor and tell me what you think, please? Anyway... Please review! I don't even care if it's flames or not anymore, just please review! I even allow anonymous reviews, too! Pleeeeaaaase? *puppy dog eyes*