II
A Distrustful Alliance
Link awoke at sunrise. Still his heart pained him. During the night his things had been brought to him. He decided to dress in the Hero's garb. The Blade of Evil's Bane rested next to the Hylian shield on top of the perfectly folded Hero's garb. Setting them to the side, he put on the green uniform. It felt right.
He drew the Blade of Evil's Bane from its scabbard. Even after all the beasts he had slain, he had not once polished the Blade. At yet, its surface was still as perfect as a mirror. In the dim glow of the morning, the Blade glowed faintly, a remnant of his venture into the Twilight realm. Reluctantly he strapped the Blade and shield to his back.
Something caught his eye: the Ocarina. He hadn't played it in so long, he wondered if still could. He pressed the instrument to his lips and the music flowed as effortlessly as it always had.
Link sat by the windowsill and played a melody he could not remember on the Ocarina and watched the sun rise. Eventually a soldier appeared and told him that he was to see Zelda. Link put the Ocarina into pouch that hung across his chest. Ike was waiting outside is room.
The soldier led them down the corridors to the throne room. Link still did not like Ike. Ike picked up on this and elected not to say anything except "Good morning", to which Link responded with a "hmph".
The large double doors approached and they entered without a word. Zelda was already speaking with two guests. Link recognized them as denizens of Dreamland.
"Master Link. Lord Ike." Link smirked when Zelda addressed him first. "May I introduce Sir Meta Knight, and Master Kirby." Ike and Link bowed in greeting; Meta Knight and Kirby bowed as best they could. "They have heard of the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom and wish to accompany us to look for survivors."
"Forgive my companion, he does not speak because he does not know your language." Everyone understood. "We would also like to get some sort of idea of what kind of power Bowser's army possesses." Meta Knight added. "Our great King Dedede feels Bowser may strike against Dreamland. We want to be prepared."
Link gave Zelda a questionable glance. She gave him a "we will talk later" look.
"Of course you may accompany them, if that is alright with you boys?" Zelda asked Ike and Link, knowing full well that they would not refuse. They agreed. "I would also like my personal bodyguard Sheik to go with you as well." A previously unseen female figure materialized. The four of them bowed their heads in acknowledgement.
"When do we leave?" Link asked what Ike was also thinking.
"Noon." Was Meta Knights reply.
Ike frowned. "Pardon me, but noon is only a few hours away. That seems a little hasty, leaving so soon. I mean, shouldn't we have at least 'till tomorrow to make a plan?" Link nodded. Zelda's eyes shifted to Meta Knight.
"No, we need to leave ASAP. Bowser's army only grows stronger the longer we wait. Noon is the latest we can afford." No one else spoke up. An uncomfortable silence ensued.
"Oh!" Zelda suddenly exclaimed. "You all haven't eaten yet have you?" Everyone straightened up attentively at the mention of eating. On cue, a royal guard appeared. "Escort these guests to the Banquet Hall." Zelda commanded him. He bowed in acceptance of his order and everyone followed him out into the corridor. "Link, stay a minute would you?" Link had not really gone anywhere.
The doors closed with a thud and Link turned his attention to Sheik. "How'd you pull this one off?" He inquired of Zelda.
"Whatever do you mean?" Zelda asked innocently. She strode around Link once, humming a little tune to herself. Link recognized it as the Song of Storms. It was the melody he played on the Ocarina earlier.
Sheik started stretching her arms. Link watched both of them carefully. Zelda stopped in front of Link, next to Sheik. "Which one of us is real?" They both started doing the exact same thing, alternating between stretching and dancing in place.
Link studied them both carefully, walking around each of them once. He moved up to Zelda. He stared into her deep blue eyes; she into his. He reached up to touch her face, but stopped. He moved to Sheik. Again he stared into her eyes, but Sheik's were bright red. Her eyes twitched ever so slightly. "Gotcha." He touched Sheik's face. Zelda vanished.
"How did you know?" Sheik lowered her neck scarf, revealing her mouth and her identity as Zelda.
"You are unable to look me straight in the eye" He informed her. "You twitched." He smiled.
"Hmph." Zelda/Sheik pouted. He stroked the side of her face. She touched his hand with hers. Link lowered his hand and frowned.
"What was it that you wanted to tell me that was so important that I had to miss food?"
"It's Meta Knight." Zelda/Sheik distressfully told him.
"What about him?" Link distrusted him, but then again, he distrusted most people he did not know. He distrusted Ike, even though he knew him to be honorable.
"I don't know, it's just…something's not right about him." She started pacing the area in front of Link. "Why would he come here to get to the Mushroom Kingdom?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Mushroom Kingdom isn't exactly right across the sea from Dreamland, but it is closer to Dreamland than Hyrule is."
"Maybe he wanted to avoid Dinosaur Land and Bowser."
"Even so, coming here and then to the Mushroom Kingdom is very inefficient. It more than doubles that travel time."
"So, the two were sent to spy on us?" Link suggested what they did not want to hear.
"No, no. Not the two of them, just Meta Knight. Kirby, I think, is here to make it seem like a good-will mission." Zelda/Sheik stopped pacing.
"That's why you – er, Sheik is coming: to spy on the spy."
"Exactly."
Zelda/Sheik suddenly looked at the doors. She had heard something Link had heard it too. "We should join the others." She stated quickly. Link quickly agreed. "Oh, wait.' She retrieved her scarf and put it back over her mouth, becoming once more the silent Sheik. The two of them were now on high alert for anything suspicious.
The sound they heard was wings.
Sheik and Link entered the dining hall silently. The others were so engrossed in their food that they remained oblivious to anyone else. They both tried to eat the food that was placed in front of them, but Link found it difficult; his mind was elsewhere.
Meta Knight is a spy. Link studied the back of Meta Knight's head. Kirby sat next to him. Maybe Kirby was a spy, too. Suddenly Link's natural distrust surfaced. His thoughts landed on Ike. He could be a spy as well. His right arm began twitching and his thoughts of spies clouded hi vision. Sheik put her hand on his.
"Settle down."
Link clenched his fist and tried to stuff food in his mouth, knowing he would regret it later if he ate nothing. It just made him feel sick.
Finally noon approached. The large banquet hall doors opened and Zelda gracefully strode in. Link glanced at Sheik. Her eyes were fixed intently on the Illusion Zelda. Link was amazed by her.
And her magic was impressive, too.
"Most honorable guests," Illusion Zelda began. All the guests gave her their attention and stopped eating. Link could hear a whisper from Sheik. "The time has come for our – your departure." Link snickered at her slip. Sheik elbowed him. "I need all of you to gather your weapons and blankets and meet in the rear garden in fifteen minutes." Illusion Zelda left at once. Meta Knight, Kirby, and Ike all rose together and left.
Ike and Meta Knight seemed to be getting along. Bad news.
Sheik whispered to Link. "I need you to ask Epona if she would be kind enough to carry our food and blankets.
"You want me to ask Epona if she will be a pack mule!?" Link was horrified at Sheik's request. To ask such a thing is an insult to Epona. He likened it to asking another human to be a slave. Epona herself would be insulted and hurt. "Epona will kick me in the head! Then she will stomp on it! Not to mention Illia will kill me…" Sheik's eye twitched at Illia's mention.
"Please! We can only take one horse and we need food, the Mushroom Kingdom is much larger than ours: it could be days before we find survivors!" Link placed his hand in his hands in frustration. Sheik thought of a way to convince him.
"Tell her…tell her that that she is…is the most – the strongest horse here1 Tell her that se is the surest of foot, and that only she is capable of traversing the mountains of the Mushroom Kingdom! Say that she is the only one who can help us. You know, flatter her." Link looked over at Sheik distressfully. He was met with Zelda's (not Sheik's0 big blue eyes. "Please!" Link could not refuse her.
"Fine," He gave in. "I'll talk to her." Zelda/Sheik was ecstatic and lunged over to hug him. He let her. He loved it when she was happy.
He loved it when she touched him.
