Our Wind Will Shake the Earth and Stars

by saiyuri-dahlia

Researching the Oocca, Link and Shad discover that Hyrule is not all fair and balanced as it seems and, when they try to help, meet an unexpected resistance. Sometimes to set the world right, you have to unsettle things a bit. Link/Shad

8. Chapter 8

Story Title: Our Wind Will Shake the Earth and Stars

Disclaimer: My motion to obtain the rights to TP has been denied. Miyamoto has foiled me again…

Author's Notes: Ever thanks to mysticalgems, rowen raven, Kitade, link-lover82, and Rei Uchiha339 for reviewing. It's been much too long of a wait, I know, but with "Snowdrops" complete, the rotation between "Angels" and "Wind" updates should be faster.

Okay so this chapter is completely different than what I had planned for it but the story made it nigh impossible to avoid so that was that. Actually many changes happened to my outline because of this chapter. Luckily, I think it works better. Oh and we have a new viewpoint character.

Also forgive me for all travesties committed by my pathetic attempt at poetry. What little poetry I have ever done has been goofy things and I am hardly at the caliber required to execute the poetry I wanted as I intended properly. The poem isn't great but it works.

As always, thanks for reading.

-o-

Chapter Eight: A Queen and Her Audience

-o-

After Link woke up, had his breakfast, and came back to find Shad still sleeping, the Hero-turned-dragon had an idea. A very naughty idea. It wasn't a very nice thing to do but it was rather innocent when placed in its proper ranking within a full list of naughty ideas. He knew Shad would be very annoyed with him when he did it but he would calm down afterwards eventually.

And, well, it was getting to be time for the scholar to wake up. After all, they needed to be heading to Hyrule Castle to see if Zelda could help them in changing him back and also now to learn what they could about the Feathers of Glory. Their flight would take a few hours and, if they wanted to arrive at a reasonable time, they needed to be up and out soon.

So really, his idea was less so much naughty than mere necessity.

Link stood beside Shad and stared at him as he slept. He had hoped the presence of his piercing eyes would snap him awake but it seemed that the scholar was as difficult to wake in the morning as he was. Or was it that he was still tired from spending half the night thinking and talking about the Feathers of Glory? Either way, it was going to take more than a stare to wake him.

Link leaned in closer and snorted a puff of air over his face. The curl of hair on his forehead fluttered and Shad squeezed his closed eyes tighter in response but he didn't wake. Shad did, however, turn his head to the left. And so it became clear to him that he had no other option but to carry out his idea. He had tried other ways, yes, but the scholar would not wake. Nope, didn't seem like he had any other choice.

Link licked Shad across the cheek, well, across the side of his face.

The scholar snapped awake, shouted incoherently, and pushed Link's face away. At first, he wasn't entirely awake and panicked but when he found his spectacles and his surroundings became clear, Shad was first surprised and then irritated to find Link in front of him. Link grinned and growled something close to a laugh. Yes, the scholar was glaring at him in annoyance but it was worth it.

"Do not ever repeat that disgusting action again, old boy," Shad said, quite irritated, as he wiped Link's generous slobber off his face with a handkerchief. "I say, though you considered that highly amusing, I, for one, did not. I know quite well where that tongue has been and I would very much appreciate it if you kept it away from my face. Am I understood?"

Link nodded, still smiling.

"Very well then," Shad said, closing his eyes and turning his head to the side. "Due to your current limitations, in lieu of a true verbal apology, I request you make amends by permitting me the time to brew a proper cup of tea. Perhaps it will alleviate the aggravation you have roused in me."

While the scholar's head was still turned, Link blew another puff of air, this time against his ear.

Once the flash of shock subsided, Shad grabbed Link by the muzzle, though his hand was not large or strong enough to hold it closed. "I say, are you not full of it this morning?" he said, both his tone and stare cool.

Link barked playfully and nudged him in the chest as if to say 'Lighten up'. Shad still looked back at him with irritation in his eyes and would most likely remain unhappy with him until he had his tea. So Link padded off to an impromptu flying lesson to give Shad the time and space to wake up and get ready to take flight.

"The company I keep…" Shad grumbled to himself, though Link was still close enough that his better hearing could very well pick up on his words. "Not one can wake a fellow up sensibly. No, it has to become a farce..."

-o-

One cup of properly brewed tea and generous enough time to set aside his great distress over his morning rise later, Shad did feel better. Sure, wet slobber and waking with the instantaneous fear that some beast considered his taste quite palatable was not how he had desired to start off his morning.

Then again, if Shad had been able to curtail his wonder and excitement over the Feathers of Glory perhaps he would have been able to fall asleep quicker last night and would have woken up more readily. While he was never one to oversleep and rose fairly early (though not as early as Link apparently) in his daily routine, Shad had noticed that whenever he accompanied the Group and now Link, his body often needed more sleep to recover from the previous day's adventure. It was another disadvantage of his physical limitations, he supposed.

Still it had not been polite of Link to utilize such an appalling method. And yet it was not the worst method he could have chosen. Ashei still held that distinction after capturing and releasing a small cage of keese into his tent one mission. Shad had refused to talk to her for three days and would have not done so for much longer if it was not for Rusl asking him to do so for the good of the Group, especially since her idea of an 'apology' had been to smirk and say, 'But you're up now, yeah?'

Tea supplies gathered again and put away, Shad smothered the tiny fire out with dirt. As he did so, he noticed Link descending and observed his landing. It was a somewhat better try than his last but he still needed much practice. Wincing from the usual aches and scrapes from a rough land, Link was not seriously injured but he had skidded onto, well, into a yellow chu and what remained of the burst creature lay splattered across his face.

At first, Shad smirked, believing the accident to be an act of karma in retaliation for his behavior this morning. But as he watched Link try to shake off and claw at the thick, gelatinous gloop with little success, the scholar lost his smirk and headed over immediately, handkerchief in hand.

"Easy, easy, old boy," Shad said as he approached while Link tried another vigorous shake. "Allow me to assist you, if you will."

Once Link was still, Shad kneeled down and began cleaning. "Your natural body heat is melting the jelly, I am afraid, and it quite possibly may soak into your skin. Do inform me if you feel ill at any point later on."

Not that I or any physician in all of Hyrule would know how to treat a dragon for yellow chu jelly poisoning, however I would still like to be informed in case we do require to seek medical attention. I say, I do hope the typical remedies will be effective, despite Link's atypical form. Actually, what I hope most is that there is a qualified physician out there that will be willing to treat a dragon at all.

"You did not catch any in the eye, did you, old boy?" Shad asked and Link shook his head no. "Oh, very good. Certainly any substance we can utilize as an alternative lantern fuel cannot be good for one's ocular health so it is definitively better that you had not."

Shad's main focus was to first remove and keep the yellow chu jelly from Link's eyes and mouth, neither were places the softening slime had good reason to be. In general, yellow chu jelly had a thicker consistency than the drinkable red or blue varieties. It was much more like barely-solid soft candle wax on the edge of liquefaction in its base state and it melted quickly under any sort of heat.

"I can remove the vast majority of it, old boy, however some will remain captured between your scales until we find a proper source of water to wash off the residue. I advise you do not place your countenance in close contact with or near an open flame in the meantime."

The possibility of Link's face bursting into flame was not the greatest of Shad's concerns over the unreachable yellow chu jelly in between his scales. Drinking yellow chu jelly was as unwise as drinking lantern oil and it was an equally poor idea to permit it to remain on one's skin as well. Neither was an advisable idea in the pursuit of maintaining one's good health.

A few minutes later, Shad saw nothing left of the jelly he could remove. He rose to his feet and began refolding his handkerchief. After realizing how soaked in yellow chu jelly it was, he decided against returning it to any of his pockets. "I say, I do believe that is the best we can do for right now. We should head out as soon as possible, though, and locate a water source. Aside from the fact our reserves require replenishing, for the benefit of your health, we should remove the jelly remnants post haste."

I would also be grateful if I could rid my hands of the flammable slime as well, Shad thought as he walked back to grab his rucksack. While I know Link received the worst of it and thus his well-being is in more of harm's way than mine, it has just occurred to me that I should be mindful of my own health as well. Or at least not bring my hands to my eyes at any upcoming point in time until they have been thoroughly washed.

That and for future occurrences, I believe I should invest in a good pair of leather working gloves.

-o-

The spires and towers of Hyrule Castle grew not only in size but also in clarity as Link approached. If Shad had to speculate, based on the sun and shadows, he estimated it to be late into the mid-afternoon. Quite frankly, Shad was looking forward to the end of their flight. They had not had a rest since their brief but highly necessary pause at a small waterfall to rid themselves of the yellow chu jelly and Shad's legs desperately required a respite of vigorous movement.

Much to the scholar's relief, Link stayed high enough in the sky so not to elicit panic from the townsfolk below and immediately alert the guards of their presence. Sure, they would be aware of them soon enough, however it was better for Link and Shad if the castle guards had as little time to prepare their unnecessary defenses as possible.

Link plunged through the cloud cover and swooped down toward Hyrule Castle at a curved angle. The rooftop guards scurried about, raising the alarm and manning their positions. Shad's worst worries came true as he heard the first cannon's boom.

As terrible as this may come across, I do hope that the Royal Guards' effectiveness is up to its typical inadequate standard, Shad thought as he ducked and wrapped his arms around Link's neck as Link took swift evasion action. Heaven forbid, a cannoneer does the unthinkable and his aim is blessed true. A rare occurrence, I say, but not wholly improbable.

Brought by apprehension and wind speed, Shad closed his eyes tight and murmured prayers as Link suddenly jerked to the right and then dove into a roll to the left. Cannonballs whistled around them, their sounds barely audible through the cannons' thunder. At last, Link was able to maneuver through their firing range and land in the courtyard.

Well, not so much as make a landing than a crash, that is. It was not as if the guards would have allowed Link the time to break his speed properly and make a gradual descent. It still was not his worst landing and frankly, Shad had to commend him for doing so well under so much pressure. He certainly had performed better than the scholar would have if he ever had to land in the castle courtyard under fire.

Eyes closed and a hand on his forehead, Shad sat up, winced at the pulse of the familiar ache in his head, and waited for the bit of disorientation rattling his thoughts to dissipate. All in all, Shad thought he would be accustomed to the feeling by now and yet he was not.

"Unharmed, old boy?" Shad said, eyes still shut as he recovered.

He heard Link rise and shake off the dirt and what little aches he had from his body. And if that was not enough of an indication he was unscathed, Link nudged him in the arm and voiced a low but affirming rumble.

"Ah, I surmised as much," Shad said, smiling to himself as he wondered if anything could truly harm Link. "A moment or two and I will be right and standing, old boy."

And then Shad heard the cacophony of out of sync, rushed, metal footsteps clanking against the courtyard cobblestone.

Link crouched down and eyed the quickly enclosing circle of nervous armored guards as they pointed their shaking spearheads toward them. He lashed his tail from side to side, the sound of his tail feathers crackling like fire.

Shad peered up at the guards and smiled nervously. "Ah, good afternoon, gentlemen," he said, a slight tremble in his voice. "I am certain you are all wondering what is the meaning behind this and I assure you there is a perfectly legitimate explanation—"

"Silence, intruder!" the one brave guard shouted, though if Shad had to speculate from his overall demeanor the guard's bravery was clearly mere bravado.

And if anyone was qualified to determine whether a man was pretending to be brave, it would be Shad. After all, the scholar had spent more moments than he could count in his life putting on a bravado.

As the guard made a tentative warning jab of his spearhead toward Shad, both his arms raised at chest-height in show of surrender, Link growled.

"Hush now, old boy, no need for that," Shad said and then turned back to face the guard. "I assure you that he really is not an aggressive dragon at all. He is not one inclined to strike indiscriminately but only in self-defense. In all truth and sincerity, sir, he is merely responding to your display of hostility. Not that I blame him as that was quite discourteous of you, sir, to interrupt me and while I was trying to offer you a justification for our actions and presence too—"

"I said, silence," the guard commanded and Shad pressed his lips shut. It was not like he was listening to him anyway. "All right, men!" he continued. "Arrest the intruders!"

The other guards hesitated and looked uneasily at one another. Shad did not blame them. Even when he was not enraged, Link's dragon form was intimidating. However, if one gave him reason to attack, he would attack. And since he did not want to be arrested or liked the guards' treatment of them (and firing cannonballs certainly had not helped), Link definitively had reason.

"Now, gentlemen, there really is no requirement," Shad said, trying to diffuse the pressing tension. "If you just permit me the opportunity to explain ourselves, I assure you that you will understand that there has been a minor misunderstanding between us."

Since the rest of his men were too afraid of a very unhappy and growling Link to approach, the one brave guard managed to muster the courage to grab Shad by the wrists and hold them with one hand as his other reached for his iron manacles.

"What is the meaning of this alarm?" a young woman said, her voice remaining at speaking level but carrying a strong air of authority.

Taking the guards' lead, Shad followed their line of sight and saw Queen Zelda standing in the open threshold of a long, arched stone walkway. Link lost his crouched position and sat straight. His growling also ceased. All the guards, including the one readying to shackle Shad's wrists but had released his hold at first sight of Zelda, stood ramrod straight and saluted their recently-coronated queen as she approached, her dress undulating delicately with her steps.

"Why were the cannons fired?" Zelda asked. "Commander, inform me."

"Ah, Your Highness, there is nothing to worry," the one brave guard, evidently a commander, said. "Your magnificent army had spotted a danger flying in from the heavens and we executed the proper course of defense. We are apprehending the intruders as I speak. Please return to your shelter immediately and await for the call of all clear."

"Excuse me, Commander, but did I hear you right?" Zelda said, her eyes and tone taking on a firm edge. "Did you just tell me to return to my shelter?"

"A-a-ah, thousand pardons, my lady," the commander said, offering several small apologetic bows in succession. "I-I was just adhering to proper protocol."

"I cannot reprimand you for following orders, but in the future, keep in consideration that royal command always supersedes protocol, Commander."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the commander said, giving a short swift nod.

"You may leave," Zelda said.

"But, Your Highness, these intruders—"

"For the final time, if you permit me the opportunity to explain ourselves, you will finally understand that we are not intruders," Shad said, his frustration from not being allowed to speak clear in his stern voice. "We are not here as assailants. We are not here to cause harm or jeopardize the sanctity and security of the kingdom. We are here because I am a citizen of Castle Town, my draconian friend of Ordon, and we are here as is our right to seek Queen Zelda's counsel and aid."

"If you are simply petitioners, why did you not come through the petitioner's gates?" the commander said, still doubting their innocence. He, quite frankly, had run on Shad's last nerve and the scholar saw no more reason to show him civility and so Shad glared back at him.

"You do see that one of them is a dragon, Commander?" Zelda said, eyebrow raised incredulously at him. "Honestly, whether they had came from the sky or from the proper gates, their presence would have raised alarm. Their decision had simply offered the least potential panic. Because I assume neither one of you thought you would arrive without inciting some sort of response from my guards…"

"No, my lady. We were fully aware of the consequences our presence would induce," Shad said. "Though if I may say, the amount of cannon fire we received was a bit excessive."

"In the name of protecting our beloved Hyrule, there is no such thing," the commander said.

"Yes and when an actual threat appears at our gates we will be most prepared, will we not, Commander?" Zelda said, smiling softly at him as the commander bowed his head in embarrassment. "I do believe I have dismissed you and your men," she added.

"Ah…yes, Your Majesty," the commander said, saluting her. "Men! On my order… March!"

Shad was rather happy to watch the guards leave. It at least meant he was in the company of more reasonable minds. While Shad had nothing against following protocol and in fact he much preferred to as much he could in his daily life, their military, at least the recent lot of recruits, tended to produce an unordinary amount of narrow-minded soldiers unable to divert from the establishment.

It did not help that all too many of the young guards tended to allow their newfound authority to rush straight to their heads to the extent they lost all common sense and basic civility, especially once they were issued a weapon. Power, after all, was less easily acquired than ale but it could easily inebriate and destroy a man in a far less dosage than any of Telma's strongest brews.

"Well then, why have you come?" Zelda said, eyes meeting Shad's and causing the scholar to swallow his breath out of nervousness.

Hyrule's young queen was a woman of extraordinary presence and grace. She was also a woman of extraordinary beauty. Shad was rather overcome with disbelief being in her presence. Meeting her face to face was something he had never expected to be allowed, however he was beyond delighted to have been given the opportunity.

"Your Majesty, pardon us for any and all intrusion, however we require your assistance," Shad said, trying to keep his trembling hands still and his self-composure at some sort of level of non-foolishness. "Truthfully, we know of no one else we can turn to for matters as such. I say, this is rather a unique issue and we would be ever so grateful if you were to offer your assistance."

"I will do what I can," Zelda said. "Now, what is the nature of this issue you speak of?"

"Well, as absurd as this may sound, my lady, this dragon that stands beside me and that your guards seemed most keen on antagonizing was, for most of his life, Hylian. Most specifically, the dragon is Link. Our problem lies in the sincere truth that neither he nor I know how to metamorphose him back proper."

"Luckily, this is not a problem I am unfamiliar with," Zelda said, looking down at Link and smiling at him. It was a rather knowing smile, Shad had to note. Zelda then raised an elegant, gloved hand above Link and passed it along his body. "Tell me, how did this transformation come about?"

"Ah, umm… well, Link and I were exploring the capital of the Oocca up in the heavens…wait, pardon me, Your Majesty, are you familiar with the history of the sky beings? Fascinating creatures, the Oocca are. Less than a handful of scholars actually place credence in the existence of the sky beings. Of course, thanks to Link, I can now validate their existence. There is so much we have to learn from them—"

At Link's sudden snort of air blown against his ear, Shad shouted in surprise, hunched down into his jacket, and quickly ducked away to the right.

"In the Goddesses' name, what is the matter with you—" Shad, his cheeks flushed and his eyes sharp, shouted at Link and then a reason why Link would have abruptly snorted in his ear suddenly occurred to the scholar. "…I was rambling, was I not?"

Link nodded matter-of-factly.

"Sorry, old boy, and pardon me, Your Royal Grace. I did not mean to divert from our forefront matters," Shad said, giving a small bow in apology. "Very well then, where was I? Ah, the City in the Sky… During our study, Link discovered a previously unknown pathway and chamber and I, unbeknownst to myself, summoned the four Light Spirits within said chamber."

"That is extraordinary," Zelda said. "I was unaware that anyone not chosen by the Goddesses was able to summon the Light Spirits."

"Ah, yes, well, I never imagined anyone, certainly not someone like myself, being able to do so as well," Shad said, bowing his head in shame for everything that had happened as a result of his summoning the Light Spirits. "But you are correct, my lady. It was extraordinary. The meeting was absolutely spectacular until Link inquired if the Spirits would assist us with aiding the Oocca and then the Light Spirits proceeded with an attempt on our lives. They also transformed Link into what you observe now, Your Majesty. We would both be ever so grateful if you could break the curse upon him and restore him to proper form."

"I would if I could but I cannot," Zelda said, her voice and expression solemn. "The blessings the Goddesses have given me are not responding to the enchantments that bind him. I see you have the Master Sword with you. It did not respond to Link's transformation either, did it?"

"No, my lady, it did not."

"As it would not. The Master Sword does not allow evil to remain in its presence but since it did not respond, it does not recognize the Light Spirits' magic binding Link as evil. Being that the Master Sword and the Light Spirits' power all draw from the Goddesses, they cannot and will not counteract each other. It is also why my blessings cannot aid you either as they also come from the Goddesses."

"But, Your Majesty, is there some way Link can reclaim his natural state?" Shad asked. "Surely he cannot be imprisoned in this draconian form forever?"

I certainly hope not, Shad thought. I cannot imagine how I would feel knowing I could never be restored to proper form, that I would remain a lonely beast, unable to speak or even see my friends and family without inciting fear and panic. I say, it is a truly terrible fate for anyone. It is certainly not an existence that Link deserves after what he has done for us all.

"There is no magic I know of that will aid him as it is all aligned with the power that binds him. Short of the Light Spirits dispelling their enchantments or the Goddesses Themselves assisting Link, there is nothing that can be done to restore him." And then she looked down at Link and said, "I am sorry."

No, Shad stared at the ground in disbelief. No, this cannot be. We cannot lose hope. I say, in this vast land the Goddesses blessed, there must be something that will assist us. Order and rightness must be restored.

"Ah, well…" Shad stumbled through his words, still reeling from the truth that his worries that Queen Zelda would be unable to help them were a reality. "A thousand wishes of gratitude for your assistance, Your Majesty."

"You are welcome," Zelda said, sadness in her eyes and in her polite smile. "I only wish I was able to assist you more."

Shad returned Zelda's farewell bow as the young queen proceeded back into her palace and returned to her royal duties and responsibilities. Until one of the guards commanded them to exit the courtyard and, as it was, none were approaching them, Shad and Link stared inattentively into the finely manicured grass and wondered how and where they could go for help from here.

"I…" Shad spoke reluctantly, "I am sorry, old boy. I possess not an inkling of thought of what might potentially return as you truly are and as it appears by the queen's assessment that there is no magic that can assist us, short of the miraculous."

"However, we are not without purpose," Shad continued, hope coursing into his voice. "I say, the Oocca require our assistance and we still have to restore the Feathers of Glory to them. Perhaps, if we somehow fail to uncover a means in our search, the Oocca themselves, once their memories are reclaimed, will know of one. Having existed since before the Hylians were ever a thought, surely they possess knowledge and wisdom of magic far more ancient and beyond the record of any library, do you not agree, old boy?"

Link tipped his head to the side in slight but uncertain agreement.

Understandably, I say, Shad thought, given that neither one of us possesses any information on the location of the Feathers of Glory. Nonetheless, we have purpose. We have hope.

-o-

Once Princess now Queen, Zelda sauntered down the western palace hallway on her way toward the throne room and to the waiting petitioners desiring her counsel. Many were commoners with legitimate complaints and actual need of aid, others were nobles with proposals in mind, and a select few from either descent had decided that she and only she was worthy of settling their every insignificant squabble and slight against one another. It was her duty as Queen to rule and serve her people to the utmost her authority would allow, though fortunately she had the power to dismiss petitioners if their requests were trivial enough.

Zelda did try to listen to as many petitioners as time allotted and not one of her subjects had ever complained that she had not tried to assist them or failed to find an agreeable solution. In the case she could not rule in their favor or legally could not assist them, she saw to it that the petitioners left understanding the laws preventing her from granting them justice or aid.

After all, Zelda was not cruel. She was kind. She was just.

Which was why her incapability to assist Link weighed heavily on her mind.

Down the spacious gray stone hallway, cold, drafty, poorly-lit, and indistinguishable from any other, and watched over by ornate silver suits of armor unsuitable for combat, Zelda proceeded slowly, her every thought consumed with her failure and regret.

Her distress did not just afflict her mind. She also felt a heaviness in her chest, an iron claw gripping her ribcage and squeezing her heart and lungs. Her breath quickening, she paused in her slow stride and pressed a gloved hand between her bosom.

She had failed. She had done nothing for one of her subjects, nay, the Hero. She had lied.

Most peculiarly, the sweet, pungent scent of honeysuckle suddenly filled the air. Even when the scent swiftly became cloying, Zelda found it comforting. It reminded her of her mother, who loved the fragile blossoms so much her diadem was a crown of silver leaves and gold honeysuckle. Her mother had grown honeysuckle in the royal garden and had made perfume from it. Zelda could not count the times she had fallen asleep in her mother's arms as a little girl, lulled by the scent of honeysuckle wafting from her mother's bosom. Sometimes she wished she had the chance once again to be held by her mother and take in the scent of her sweet perfume.

Though she was fond of the scent and the memories it stirred, the aroma started to make her lightheaded. Hand pressing against her temple, Zelda staggered forward, managing only a few steps before stumbling into a wall. Her eyes closed, she stood with her hands and cheek against the cold stone.

She could not think. She did not know what to do. The scent was choking her, leaving her unable to call for help. The room was spinning around her. But she knew she had to get away, get out of the honeysuckle's grip. Pushing away from the wall, Zelda hurried. She hurried in whichever direction her feet would take her. Somehow, some way, she would find a way out. She had to.

Zelda tripped. As she felt her body fall forward, hands and arms grabbed hold of her and raised her back to standing. She felt as if she was floating. Too dizzy and weak to hold her head up a second more, her head fell back and found rescue in the crook of a Golden Goddess's neck and shoulder. Zelda stood limp and helpless in their arms.

She didn't know where she was or what was going on. All she knew was that she was in the presence of the Goddesses amidst an endless white void of light.

They were beautiful. Undoubtedly, they were the most beautiful women in the world. No, mortal standards of beauty were above these women. Their skin was a rich, deep, glowing gold. Their long golden locks fluttered and undulated against their perfect naked bodies. Their eyes were like luminous gems—sapphires for Nayru, emeralds for Farore, and rubies for Din. Their faces, however, were the same. Their faces appeared different because they had different personalities and thus expressed themselves differently, but otherwise, aside from their eyes, they were identical.

"There, there, Child. Do not be afraid of us," Nayru said. Her voice was a mother's voice. It was warm and assuring. It was loving and kind. It was the voice of a mother who knew and understood much and had much to teach her children.

"Us?" Zelda whispered in disbelief.

"Yes. You know us. You know many things," Nayru said, wrapping her arms around Zelda from behind and pulling her into a hug, her supple golden breasts pressing against her clothed back. "You know of a way in which to free the Hero from his enchantments, do you not, My Blessed Child?"

"But you did not tell them!" Farore said. Her voice was younger, eager, and girlish. "You could have told them. Probably should have. He is the Hero, after all. Your Hero." She grinned and brightly giggled as she twirled and danced sprightly around Zelda.

"Yes, he is the Hero and this is the way you show how grateful you are for all he has done? Tsk. Tsk, Child," Din said, smilingly wryly and waving her index finger in a playful show of disappointment. Her voice was deeper than the others, sultrier, and bore a dark, mischievous undertone, especially when she smiled.

"I did it for the good of my people," Zelda said.

"We know and you have done what is right," Nayru assured and patted her shoulder gently.

"What is right for all!" Farore chimed in, grinning broadly.

"Well, it is not wrong to sacrifice one for the good of the many, I suppose," Din said, smirking.

Sacrificed? Was that what she had done? Had she sacrificed Link for the good of their people? No. No, it was not like that at all. She had lied to him, yes, but for his own good as well for their race. Sure, he was trapped in the form of a dragon but at least he still had his life. She had not sacrificed him. She had done what was right.

"But Link—"Zelda tried to protest.

Nayru swept her left side lock away from her face and cupped her cheek. The Goddess of Wisdom's touch seemed so much broader than it truly was. Zelda felt as if her cheek rested on a warm pillow. But the feeling was stronger than that. In the presence of the Goddesses, she felt as if she was enveloped in a sheathe of gentle sunlight.

"Fret not, My Child—" Nayru murmured softly.

"For he brought it upon himself," Din finished for her, her hand replacing Nayru's. As she slid her hand along Zelda's jaw, the featherlight sweep sent tremors throughout her body.

"He did?" Zelda asked, her eyelids fluttering as she tilted her head up as Din's fingertips stroked up and along her throat.

If it were not for the Goddesses holding her up already, her strength would have betrayed her and her body would have given way. Even the lightest touches from them sent her mind reeling. The presence of the almighty Goddesses was too much for her mind to process. But she dared not to pull away. Even if she had managed to summon the restraint and will, she would not have been able to break free. Nayru's arms were around her. Gentle as they were, Zelda knew they would lock around her if she tried to escape. Only by the Goddesses' intention would she be let go.

Not that she wanted to leave. No, why would she? Though there were sages, monks, and priestesses who said they had been visited by the Goddesses, how many of them had truly, ever truly basked in the glory of the Goddesses? None, she suspected, and never like this. The Goddesses were offering her a blessing and Zelda dared and desired not to refuse them.

"Yes, the Light Spirits attacked him," Nayru said.

"And it is the Light Spirits' duty to eliminate any and all threats to Hyrule," Farore said, nodding assuringly as she wrapped her arms securely around Zelda's right arm and drew herself close to her. Zelda's shoulder lay nestled between the Goddess of Courage's full breasts. "Even if the source of the danger is the Hero himself."

"He must not be allowed to succeed. You know this to be true…" Din said as she leaned in and whispered softly into Zelda's left ear, "…Hylia."

Zelda was not sure if the name had sent jolts throughout her body or if it had simply been the Goddess of Power's warm breath brushing against her ear and gliding down her neck.

"He seeks ruin, sister," Farore said, concern ringing in her voice. "The end of us all."

"We cannot rely upon the Hero. It is you who must be Hyrule's savior," Nayru said.

"You must uphold the Light—" Farore said.

"And purge Hyrule of the coming darkness," Din said.

"You are the only one who can do this, My Child."

"You must, sister! You must!" Farore urged as she let go and floated into the white void around them.

"The world will burn without you, sister," Din said before she too vanished into the light.

"For the good of your people, for the good of us all, you must not allow him to succeed," Nayru said as she joined her sisters, releasing Zelda as she did so.

Zelda awoke on the carpet in the western hall. Frantic guards and maids surrounded her and rushed to her aid and service. Their frenzy was a blur to her, their words muffled noise. Weak and tired, she was nonetheless their Queen and she would serve them to her utmost.

"Stop him…" she ordered. Though she could barely speak above a whisper and there was so much commotion going on, surely someone would listen to her. They would not ignore her. Someone would hear her order.

"It will be all right, Your Highness," a maid crouched down beside her. "The Royal Physician is on his way."

"I…no…Link, he—" and as she tried to convey her commands, the maid simply smiled at her and held her hand.

"Stop…him."

No one obeyed. Lost in their worry and concern for their Queen, no one could hear her. No one listened.

-o-

"Very well then, old boy," Shad said, as they finalized their plans. "We shall strive on with our expedition for the Feathers of Glory. With any mercy of Her Royal Grace, perhaps Queen Zelda will permit us the assistance of the Royal Library in search of vital information regarding the Feathers of Glory. This unfortunate hindrance in our mission of restoring you to proper form has set us back once again, however we unquestionably must proceed onward with some sort of course of action. Our leads are few but we must pursue them nonetheless."

Doubting any of the guards would be kind enough, much less willing, to impart a message to Queen Zelda to permit them a second short meeting with them, Shad supposed their best option was for them, well, perhaps just Shad, to wait with the other petitioners in line to speak with Queen Zelda once more.

And with the number of daily petitioners and the amount of time the royal advisors allotted for the queen to meet and respond, Shad also supposed that they would be stuck spending more than a week or two trying to speak with her again. The scholar had no idea where he could board Link at night in the meantime.

Then again, perhaps we would not have to wait at all, Shad reconsidered. After all, the presence of a dragon does tend to incite urgency.

As Shad deliberated heavily over the rightness and morality of utilizing Link's dragon form to their advantage by merely having Link present in line, thus inciting the petitioners into a panic and manipulating Queen Zelda to respond to their request first just to get them out of the way, the scholar felt Link nudge his elbow repeatedly in a try for his attention.

"What is it, old boy? Shad asked and Link turned his head in the direction where a tiny, squat man was shouting orders at bigger, burlier men pulling in a cart carrying a secured statue.

Overall, it was a relatively interesting sight, certainly was not entirely common, however it was not out of place either. Shad recognized the man shouting orders was Professor Bambudle, professor of history at the Collegiate Academy of Exemplary Higher Education. For a time, he was also Shad's advisor during his one-year admission to the Academy before several circumstances—mass academic ridicule, the revoke and theft of his scholarships (after all, what other word could he attribute to the Academy's actions), and his mother refusing to pay a single rupee toward his tuition until he agreed in writing to cease his research on the Oocca and pursue a proper field of study—forced Shad to take a very extended leave of absence.

Turning his attention away from his old professor, Shad peered over at his professor's discovery as his men followed orders and raised the stone statue to standing. It was an impressive statue of a large, magnificent phoenix, its wings raised upward in a nearly-closed circle above its fiery plumed head. Most notably and peculiarly, every curve and line of the phoenix's carving glowed with a vibrant green light.

So it seems my old professor has uncovered something very interesting indeed, Shad thought as he hastened over in eager excitement for the potential knowledge awaiting him.

"Excuse me, Professor?" Shad called. "Professor Bambudle? It's—"

At last finding his attention, Professor Bambudle most unexpectedly smiled warmly and nodded readily at Shad in greeting. Shad was not aware his old professor was that fond of him, especially since at their every meeting the man had proceeded to end their discussions and dismiss Shad as quickly and politely as possible.

Shad soon discovered why his old professor was so happy to see him.

"Ah, Carov, nice to see you," Professor Bambudle said, offering his hand. "I thought you wouldn't be up and about for months after what those Goron did to you but you're looking extraordinary well."

"Actually, sir, I am not Carov. I am Shad." And still the professor could not place him. "I once inquired your academic insight on my father's findings concerning the sky beings."

"Oh, yes, yes!" Professor Bambudle said, nodding and smiling jovially as he at last recognized him. "And I told you it was complete and utter shite, didn't I? "

"Ah, yes," Shad said, his voice unenthusiastic at the reminder. "Yes, you did, sir."

"Well, if you wish to ask me again, I will save you the trouble and inform you that my opinion remains the same. Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Actually, sir, I wish to inquire you on this here stature your men are pulling in," Shad said, knowing his old professor could never pass up an opportunity to boast.

True to his understanding, Professor Bambudle readily obliged. "Fascinating find, isn't it, boy? I was doing a little excavation in the southern field, uncovering many interesting fossils in the surrounding hills when I came upon this statue just standing, all alone, in the center of a small valley. The valley itself was surrounded by steep hills and really, it was more of depression, you could consider. Nearly unreachable but I had my men course through it."

"And the most peculiar thing of it all happened last night. The statue had began to glow and then, all of its own accord, it had moved. It had changed! The statue had physically changed! It was then I knew it to be an artifact of vast historical importance so I had my men excavate it and bring it to Her Majesty. A magnificent find, don't you agree, boy?"

"Yes, sir," Shad replied.

"Ah, of course, it is," Bambudle assured proudly. "It is no doubt worth an academic grant of a vast amount, I do believe."

I say, none of which will be allotted to any sort of academics or exploration and will only see the lining of your personal coffers, Shad thought disdainfully.

In his youth and with his father as his standard, Shad had once believed that all scholars pursued their areas of study all and only in the name of research and discovery. It was his brief time at the Academy and in the advisory company of Professor Bambudle did he learn otherwise.

"Ah, well, sorry, boy, but I cannot chat any longer," Bambudle said. "Sorry to say that I must leave you and your albino dodongo. Much work to be done, after all."

For a second, Shad believed he had heard him wrong but no, he had not been mistaken. "Ah, pardon me, Professor, however Link is a dragon."

"A dragon, you say?" Bambudle said incredulously, pausing mid-step and partly turning back around to face him. "Nonsense! There are no such things as dragons, you silly boy."

There are no such things as albino dodongo. "Again, you must excuse me, sir, however I do believe there were once dragons. The Hero of Time, in fact, faced a dragon during his rescue of the Gorons—"

"A dodongo, boy. It was the king of the dodongo, not a dragon," the professor of history insisted. "Really, young man, a dragon? How preposterous! You really should brush up on your fundamentals, boy. Do a world of good for you to get your head out of those clouds, it would. Might I ask you how your research on the…Akaka, was it?"

"The Oocca, sir," Shad corrected, "and my research is progressing in leaps and bounds."

"Ah, I see." Bambudle nodded. "Managed to grasp onto another one of your father's meager straws?"

"You could say that," Shad said, trying to keep his voice as measured as possible but could not stop his rising anger from heating his cheeks.

"Hmm, well, then I wish you luck, boy," Bambudle said with a quick farewell half-nod. "Excuse me, but I have a very important meeting with Her Majesty I must attend to. Good day to you, Shab."

The mispronunciation of his name, Shad could grit his teeth and remain quiet on. The jab at his father's lifelong research, he could not idly let by. "The sky beings are real, Professor."

"Yes, yes, of course, they are," Bambudle said as he continued toward the palace.

Shad clenched his jaw tight until the professor was well inside the palace. The young scholar tried to keep his thoughts to himself but he also knew he was correct and the indubitable facts would not allow him to say nothing.

"How a fellow of his smug ignorance to the very subject he proclaims to be knowledgeable in was not only granted an instructor's position at the Academy but also bestowed tenure, I will never understand," Shad said. "Granted I realize belief of the sky beings is scarce among academics, however, l say, that man has no right to his position if he believes Volvagia was a dodongo."

The scholar had spoken mostly aloud and to no one, but if asked, he would have immediately explained he had been talking to Link. Whether the old boy had been or was listening was another matter altogether, however.

In fact, as Shad inquired, it came to his awareness that no, Link had not been listening. He was not listening to him at the very present moment. Shad called to him and then crouched down in front of him and snapped his fingers repeatedly before his eyes, fixated on the statue, and received no response.

Ah, well, down the rabbit hole again, are we not? Shad thought as he straightened to standing and crossed his arms over his chest, hands cupping his elbows. Suppose I have no place to grouse. At least his brief trances garner plentiful results. However, I say, I do wish I had more involvement. I feel quite daft just standing here. Waiting.

…Seems like even with Link, my most practical function is to stay behind and wait.

The phoenix stone began to sing a simple, light, airy tune, a carefree, idyllic tune that could have easily been played on panpipes or whistled by the wind. Without pause, Link returned the next part of the melody. The song continued with another round of their short call and response duet before their voices merged and rang in harmony. At last, the remnants of their duet faintly reverberated in the air and the phoenix's glowing green carving lines burst into green fire.

The burning green phoenix took flight, rising a short distance into the air before diving down and circling around Shad and Link. The trail of light it left behind it simultaneously blazed like fire and flowed like water.

Momentarily blinded by the encompassing blaze surrounding them (but not burning them, despite the notable presence of heat), Shad opened his eyes as the phoenix's ring of fire dimmed and saw that day had become night in a matter of seconds. A sky of innumerable stars and unfamiliar constellations greeted his eyes. The stars circled overhead at a hurried pace and in reverse to their natural orbit—from those two indicators alone and without taking in the rest of their strange surroundings yet, the scholar knew he and Link were no longer in Hyrule.

"Where are we?" Shad asked, the echo of his voice sounding immediately as he spoke. "And just as important, if not more so, is there any means for us to return to our world?"

As the blazing green phoenix sang the song that had summoned them to this albeit fascinating other world and twisted and danced high above them, Link and Shad looked about, one keen on study (and perhaps a brief exploration since they were here, after all, and it would be a shame to not) and the other assessing threats. They stood on a floating field of tall grass made of light, shining every shade of green. From the way the grass waved on its own without the wind's push, the field was like a verdant aurora borealis.

Floating in the void nearby were glossy, boulder-sized chunks of obsidian and from them cascaded rivers of quicksilver from imperceptible sources. A handful of dark green dragons, so dark green they were nearly indistinguishable from the obsidian, rested on a few of the boulders. Some glided from rock to rock and others, young ones, struggled to cling onto their poorly-chosen perch as the obsidian rotated about in its own orbit.

The dragons mostly ignored them, but a few needled their orange eyes into them. While they were intimidating and would be even if they were not trying to be, attack did not seem to be their forefront response. For now, they watched them and Link watched them. Shad hoped that would be all the dragons would do.

The phoenix held its final note and soared off and then burst suddenly into flames midway toward what Shad deemed the horizon. The green flames erupted and spread throughout the void. The fire rose higher and higher and shaped itself into a slender humanoid form with thin, cat-like slits opening up and showing the starry void as its eyes. The being of green fire raised a hand and held the field and the surrounding circle of obsidian stones in its palm.

Neither Shad nor Link knew what to make of the fiery being. They stood slack-jawed and wide-eyed in uncertainty, Shad more so in fear and uncertainty. Shad's heart raced and pounded in his ears. He knew nothing of the Spirit or God that blazed before them. He did not even know if it was a Spirit or God before them. The only truth he knew for certain was that there was an enormous supernatural entity before them and it quite literally held their lives in the palm of its burning hand.

Oh how I do wish it is not aligned with or bears a similar mindset as the Light Spirits regard of our existence, Shad thought, his breath swallowing harshly as he continued to stare into the black void of the being's slit eyes. I say, I shudder to imagine Link having to soar our way through this bizarre space and somehow manage to return us back to our own world. I do not wish to consider the possibility of failure, however.

As Shad readied himself for escape and evasion and terror from yet another hostile being of magic, a voice, neither male nor female but high in pitch, sang:

We, Singers, bound in old

Lay between, beyond the green and gold,

Shroud in mist, cast in shadow,

Exiled, and denied hallow.

Forgotten beast of heaven and earth,

Eight Feather of Glory, key to our rebirth.

First lies amidst meadows green,

Beasts of service, and river's sheen.

Find these relics, We, Singers, implored.

Rightness and truth must be restored.

Beast of heaven, earth, and light,

Onward and outward, messenger, take flight!

Immediately after and without giving Shad a solitary second to process its message, the Singer exploded. Brilliant green light overtook the scholar's sight and the force of the blast sent Shad flying. He feared he and Link would remain floating in the void trapped in their own rotation, unable to reach one another, until their slow but eventual deaths. He also considered the possibility of flying off the edge of the field of light and plummeting to his death. Given his lack of understanding of this strange world's laws of physics, it was an entirely plausible possibility to him.

Shad swallowed a grunt of pain as first his tailbone and then his back made sudden contact on what felt quite like very solid earth and was positively not what he had expected falling onto a field of light to feel like. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw the first stars and rays of twilight sweeping across the early evening sky. Their sky. How glorious it was to see it.

Bracing a hand on his aching lower back, Shad sat up. With a low grumble and shake of his head, Link sat up as well. Bambudle's men stood staring at them, their mouths open in shock. Shad was uncertain as to why, though he considered his and Link's sudden fall from nowhere was quite possibly the legitimate reason. Seemed like the best explanation.

Shad did not observe the phoenix statue anywhere in the courtyard, just a large hole dug where the statue had been. He supposed Bambudle's men had just finished moving it to wherever Bambudle or perhaps Queen Zelda had ordered as its new home. The scholar wondered if its flames remained to blaze ever on or if the phoenix had simply returned to its active, glowing state, or if it had gone dormant after it performed its duty and transformed into the Singer. In truth, he would never see the statue again now that it was in the royal family's possession so he would never know what became of it.

Shad soon felt a very hard droplet of rain plunk against the top of his head. He peered up and saw that it was not rain falling but rocks and there were many more and many larger ones crashing down in its wake. Shad scrambled and hurried out of the way as the falling rocks reunited with the earth.

"What in blazes is going on here?" Shad said. "I say, if the guards wished for us to leave, we would have promptly done so if they had simply requested us to. There is no necessary requirement to toss rocks at us. The manners of some people, old boy."

Examining through the larger rocks, Link barked at Shad and the scholar hastened over to see and assist how ever he could. Link flipped a rock over with his snout. On the other side, there were lines, carved lines. After a few moments of study, Shad realized the familiar carving looked very much like a portion from the phoenix stone's wings. It was in that very moment that he realized these were not common rocks. The rocks were the shattered pieces of the phoenix stone after it had exploded.

Bambudle's men were clearly not staring at them because he and Link had appeared suddenly but because the phoenix statue had abruptly blown up of its own accord.

"Umm…pardon me, old boy," Shad said as he anxiously peered about the courtyard at Bambudle's men slowly coming to their senses and flashed the men a placating smile. "However, I do advise that we should take our leave very soon. After all, it would discourteous of us to overstay our welcome."

And, well, large, angry men who quite readily wanted to be informed how a statue could mysteriously self-destruct, an irate professor cursing his most disliked student and blaming him for the loss of his magnificent find, and castle guards interrogating him on his actions at the scene of a crime were not conducive to contemplation. And having what they required and desiring much more suitable surroundings in which to decipher the Singer's message, Link and Shad took off, letting the setting sun be their blinder.