Valor is the contempt of death and pain.

- Tacitus


Blood leaking out her damaged eye, Luna found herself with Sheik and Zelda. The pain made her gasp and kneel. Sheik leaned over to help Luna but she stood up on her own.

Zelda grabbed Sheik's hand to get his attention. "Remember the Fairy's Fountain?"

"Oh, right! There's a small, old one around here!" Sheik stated aloud, obviously unsure. "Somewhere..."

A surge of growling and shouting echoed.

"Are you scared to go look!?" Zelda yelled.

"Well, it's really dark and..." Sheik poked his fingers together nervously.

"Oh, c'mon you baby! Go be a prince for once in your life!" Zelda pushed her brother to get him going. He tripped but turned it into a roll, though ended up hitting his head into a tree with such force it shook.

"Ughh..." Zelda rolled her eyes—a flute fell. "Hm?" Someone fell, too, twigs and leaves raining for a second. Her eyes widened. Whoever fell from the tree, coughed, shook his head, and got up, movement making scratchy, ruffling noises.

"W-whuh? Who are you?" Zelda asked while Sheik got up.

The person picked up the flute, adjusted his skull mask. He shrugged.

Luna cocked her head. "Gödel? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hi Luna! Fancy meeting you here. Did the others find you yet?"

Luna made no reaction.

"What were you doing in a tree?" Sheik asked.

"Well, I was just playing hide and seek, until I started hearing those scary noises! So I climbed up this tree here, but then fell because it just started shaking by itself!" Gödel explained. He flinched as growls intensified. "Ahhck! I knew Aram's idea of playing closer to the castle was a bad idea! There's this big monster out there, too! We were forced to play dead, pretend to be fallen scarecrows, before it left us alone... Hmph. There's always something that gets in the way."

"Well, at least you didn't get your eye clawed open, my face hurts so bad," Luna complained.

"What? You're hurt?" the Skull Kid asked.

"You didn't notice all this blood?"

Gödel cocked his head. "Blood?"

"We need to find a Fairy's Fountain," Zelda said.

"Ya, I think there's a Fairy's Fountain somewhere here..." Sheik remarked.

"No, there aren't any here, I don't think," Gödel said, Sheik blushing. "But I know of a way to get a big one! Follow me!" Gödel darted off, the three children running after him, Luna struggling so Sheik slowed down for her.

"Wait up!" Sheik shouted, Zelda stopping, Gödel skidding to a halt and looking back.

"How bad is it?" Sheik asked, putting a hand on Luna's shoulder, hearing her breathing through clenched teeth.

"Really bad... But I can handle a lot of pain." Luna was lifted off the ground.

"I'm your prince, Luna! Let's go!" Sheik had picked her up and ran on carrying. She did not know how to react.

Gödel ran on and on, skipping over logs and swerving in-between trees, boulders and shrubs, Zelda following suite. Sheik did likewise with greater vigor, persistent to save his friend. Lungs stinging from his exertion and the cold, he held Luna tightly and closely, so much that she felt his heartbeat against her ribs.

No matter what obstacle lay before Sheik, he went over all of them, even when he darted through branches that cut his cheeks and caused bleeding.


Dawn neared.

Gödel led everyone to a grove of dead trees, with a little boulder shaped like an upright egg surrounded by six large rocks. The royals panted heavily, the cool air clawing their lungs.

"OK, this should be good," Gödel said.

Gödel tilted his Skull Mask up, bit his flute, and played. The song began with a very low note followed by a slightly higher one and then a much higher one, these three notes repeating again, and then flourishing as if a singing bird, last note held. Some rain and thunder came...

Sparkles erupted from the little boulder, a large Pink Fairy appearing.

"Wow!" Zelda exclaimed. "I never knew they could get that big!"

"Me neither," Sheik commented.

"Miss Fairy, may you please help the injured girl? She's in the arms of the boy," Gödel requested.

"You are quite wounded, I will need to use more power to heal you!" the Big Fairy exclaimed as she flew around Luna, sparkly aura glittering and making vibrating noises.

While the tiny storm subsided, Luna's wounds seemingly melted away. The children's eyes glinted as the fairy sparks rained. Luna's bloodstains dissipated, the pain faded, her wounds closed. The fairy continued flying around and around, the healing power bringing Luna back to normal...almost; her right eye remained damaged, facial scars healed but still visible.

"There! All done, dearie!" the Big Fairy exclaimed, giving Luna a little pat on the head. "Feel better, Luna?"

"Oh, wow, yeah, much better... Thank you so much." Luna and Sheik looked at each other and shyly smiled.

"You two lovebirds done yet?" Zelda asked.

Sheik blushed, putting Luna down. The albino brushed herself off, shaking away some bashfulness.

The princess chuckled. "You were quite the gentleman, Sheik."

Blushing, the prince snickered.

Luna sighed. "Thank you so much, Sheik, for your effort."

He nodded. Everyone looked at the Skull Kid who stood like a scarecrow.

"YEAAHHH-HOOO!" Gödel exclaimed with such vigor the children gasped. He performed a 360 degree spin, costume ruffling. "You're healed!"

"Yeah, I am... Thank you for guiding us here and summoning the fairy. Thank-you so much, Gödel, Big Fairy." Luna remained rather flustered from the kindness.

The Big Fairy flew over. "You're welcome, dearie! I love helping people!"

"Who are you, anyways?" Zelda asked.

"I never bothered naming myself, Zelda. I am just happy to hear the Song of Storms, heal nice people, then go back to sleep to recover my power for the next awakening...and chance to help someone! When you are immortal, you have lots of time on your hands, and you're never in a hurry!" She made the biggest tiny yawn she could.

"Ha ha! Sleepy already?" Gödel asked.

"Yup! Healing takes a lot of energy and effort. When a Pink Fairy finishes healing, he or she must then return to slumber. Thank you for summoning me, Skull Kid! Thank you, children, for your smiles! But now, I must return to slumber for another thousand years or so..." She flew around and around everyone, creating fluttering sparkles.

"OK, bye-bye Big Fairy! My name's Gödel, see you next time!" The Skull Kid waved.

"Oh, and I'm Princess Zelda! Tell your fairy friends you met me next time!" Zelda added, waving goodbye happily, Luna not saying or doing anything, but Sheik waved goodbye.

The Big Fairy faded away into a torrent of pink lights...

"Ha! Wasn't that so cool!?" Gödel asked gleefully.

Luna rubbed her face, no pain. She sighed with relief.

The Song of Storms echoed afar, a miniature storm summoned over there.

"Who's that?" Sheik asked.

"That sounds like Tara's flute! She must have heard me play the Song of Storms!" Gödel excitedly stated, jumping with outstretched legs; upon landing his Skull Mask fell over his face. He lifted his Skull Mask back up, put his flute to his lips, and played the Song of Storms, though the magical rainfall did not grow.

The children listened. After a few seconds, the other flutist played again. Gödel chuckled then excitedly jumped and punched the air.

"I wonder if she knows the entire song? There's another version, the longer version, it starts slower and plays slower..." The Skull Kid played again, restarted the Song of Storms in its fullest form.

After a few seconds of silence, the other flutist played the same tune.

"Bwwahhh hah hah ha!" Gödel exclaimed happily, then just as he was about to play along, a third flutist sounded, fainter than the second flutist.

Luna and Sheik smiled.

"Another one of your friends?" the princess asked.

"Yeah! Sounds like Sam's flute, I didn't know the others knew the Song of Storms!" The Skull Kid eagerly played along the melody. From two more directions, two more flutists joined the tune, the Song of Storms dancing along trees, echoing as more rain fell and thunder sounded...

"That way!" Gödel shouted as he led the kids towards the echoes of the subsiding mini-storm. "Sam has to be nearby. Sam! Where are you!?"

"Does it really matter if we find Sam!?" Zelda exclaimed.

"If we find Sam, we find the other Skull Kids! Safety in numbers, y'know?"

"I sure hope so!"


Meanwhile over yonder, the guards fought the werewolf—sort of.

They speared at the monster, but the beast kept swatting aside their weapons and armors, staggering them easily, yet had no means to defeat armor. The men were afraid, sticking their polearms out and keeping their distance, quivering under their helmets.

"Let's surround the beast! Now! You two, with me!" the guard captain shouted, smacking the helmets of two halberdiers to get their attention. They ran around the monster...

A halberdier swinging into the beast's head—the ax edge curled. "Well, that didn't work..."

Spinning around roaring, the werewolf swiped his mighty paws then trampled his attackers, the fallen men screaming and the others backing off. The werewolf went on all fours and darted through the formation, but was limping from so many wounds. A few guards threw their spears at the fleeing best, one spear thudding into a tree the werewolf later passed, the other spears missing.

"There he goes! We've driven him off for good!"

"We're not done! Look for the prince and princess, move it!" the guard captain yelled, pushing a few men forth. Off they went.


The children ran farther from the violence, the sounds of snapping branches increasing every second, accompanied by guttural breathing.

Sheik and Zelda panted heavily, inhaling caused sharp pain in their throats and lungs, and neither could run very well anymore.

"Eyy! Get out of there!" a Skull Kid girl shouted from the branches somewhere. She grabbed a pinecone and threw the devastating weapon at the incoming monster with stupendous results.

"Oh no! He's still running after us!" Gödel cried as the rustling and breathing intensified.

Amid the rush of fear, Sheik ran into a low branch, knocked down. Zelda spun around to help her dumb brother; the beast emerged from shrubbery, ran on all fours, snarling, face bloody and drooling. She helped Sheik up, both panting heavily. The prince ran behind Zelda for protection.

Zelda scowled. "Can the Royal Family's destiny really depend on such a startled boy?"

Sheik shrugged. Zelda shook her head and unsheathed her sword; Luna and Gödel reappeared.

"What do we do!?" Gödel exclaimed as Zelda flourished her small blade. "Do you think you can defeat that monster!?"

"I'd rather die fighting than fleeing, scarecrow!" the princess barked. She looked at her brother. "You can follow his suite if you want. You boys are good at running away."

Sheik frowned.

"Respect your enemies, princess!" Gödel rebuked. Zelda rolled her eyes.

Luna, rather than get into the bickering, did the only thing she could think of. Taking a deep, sharp breath, the albino put her hands over the sides of her mouth, leaned back, and howled.

Luna's call was answered by several other howls, which got the werewolf's attention. His speed slowed, distracted enough for Zelda and Sheik to scram. The beast snapped out the distraction and reared—the silver Wolfos tackled into him and exchanged blows, both yelping from pain.

"Rosfir!" Luna screamed; she collapsed upon her knees from severe cramps. "Aghh! Why now!?" She convulsed, clutching her lower side. "Son of a bitch!"

"Luna, we can't help!" Sheik helped her up. "We need to go, now!"

The two lupine monsters clung to each other, clawing and biting. The silver Wolfos, being faster, dug her fangs into the werewolf's neck, tasting blood as it painted her fur. The werewolf growled, wrenching her head—the black and cream Wolfos jumped on his back, biting his neck.

Running to the scene were a baize and black Wolfos, both with yellow eyes, and a white Wolfos with red eyes. They charged the preoccupied werewolf, working together to bring him down. Falling onto one knee as claws and fangs tore skin, the werewolf growled, muscles tense, fur soaked red.

Roaring, the werewolf grabbed the silver Wolfos' head and slammed her to the ground. She let off a low whine; the werewolf stomped on her stomach and she was out. The beast turned, movement causing the Wolfos on him to swing while their jaws still clung to him. He grabbed the black one's leg and wrenched it; the black Wolfos cried out and was slammed headfirst into the ground. He flopped over limply.

Roaring again, the werewolf raised his arms overhead, grabbing the black and cream Wolfos by the scruff and hurling him to the ground, then stomped on his jaw. The black and cream Wolfos whined; a kick across the jawbone took him out of action.

Luna's voice wailed from the shadows. "Kuriver! I'm so sorry! I am so sorry..."

Regardless of the alphas' defeat, the baize and white Wolfos continued their attack, clawing and biting with what was left of their strength. Amidst the scuffle, the baize Wolfos clung to the werewolf's back to gnaw on his shredded neck while the white Wolfos attacked his side. The werewolf wrapped an arm around the white Wolfos' wiggling head. Thrashing side to side, the werewolf contorted the Wolfos' neck. The beast lifted him overhead and threw him against a tree—splat.

"HHRRAAAHHRR!" The monster had one foe left, who wrapped his legs around him and chewed the back of his mangled neck. The beast jumped backwards, landing heavily atop the exhausted Wolfos. The baize Wolfos huffed, out of breath, and the werewolf simply got up and stomped on the baize Wolfos' head, knocking him out.

Bloodied and shredded, breathing heavily, and exhausted, the werewolf overheard more Wolfos running around, but by now, they understood they could not win. The sound of the guards shouting and fighting the other Wolfos influenced the werewolf to move on, even as the Wolfos he injured began regaining consciousness and weakly growled. He snarled back but limped away, ears pricked. He hid within bushes...

"This way!" the guard captain yelled as the injured Wolfos regained consciousness and crawled away.

"Ughh! To think I saw the prince earlier tonight!" a female guard complained.

"I should have done something, too, it's not just you," her male friend commented.

"Just keep moving!" the captain barked.


Luna, Zelda, Sheik, and the five Skull Kids regrouped nearby a large boulder. The prince and princess both sat on the ground, uncomfortable from cramps and exhaustion, Luna leaning against the boulder and coping with her own cramps, sobbing.

The Skull Kids, being undead, weren't tired. Gödel sighed with relief. He waddled to Luna, who toughened up and crossed her arms.

"Are you alright?" the Skull Kid asked.

"Don't talk to me," Luna snapped. He looked away.

Aram waddled over. "Luna, the other Kokiri—"

"I said don't talk to me!"

Aram shrugged, backing off.

Sam scratched his head. "Luna, we've been looking—"

"Did you not hear me!? Shut up, you prick, I don't give a—"

"Luna!" Zelda yelled; she raised her sword to the albino's neck. The girls glared at each other. The princess leaned forth. "You watch your mouth, girl! And while you're at it, quit being such a twit and show some gratitude for people who care about you! I can't tell you how sick I am of your, your...disrespectful coldness!"

Luna's frown deepened. "Says the one holding a blade to my throat?"

Zelda raised her eyebrows and paused. Her brother stood, eyes like saucers, breath held. Princess Zelda sheathed her sword. "Ughhh... I can't wait till I get home in bed."

Sheik sighed from relief. "Yeah, me too... I miss Mom." Sheik sniffled. Once he remembered that sunrise slightly illuminated him, he toughened up, too. He noticed Luna's frown at him and he was taken aback.

"Hey, so umm... Luna...when you howled, did you call those Wolfos?" Gödel asked.

Luna chuckled hysterically, regained herself, and shrugged. "What a way to change the mood... But...I dunno. I've known that Wolfos pack for, like, ten years... I hope they're safe."

"You knew a Wolfos pack for ten years?" Zelda asked.

"I thought they were monsters who kill people all the time," Tara commented.

"Well, no!" Luna shouted. "They are living things! They breathe, they think, have feelings...like people!" Luna calmed down. "They are like family to me."

"So they're like people... Do they have names?" Zelda asked.

"The silver one with red eyes and black claws is Rosfir, she is the alpha female, and a bit silly at times. The Wolfos with yellow eyes, black and cream fur, and bright orange claws is Kuriver, he is the alpha male. There is a baize Wolfos with yellow eyes, he's Piro. There is a black Wolfos with yellow eyes, he's Denol, a bit silly sometimes. Rejo is the white Wolfos with red eyes."

"How do you know their names?" Sheik asked, Luna shrugged

Luna looked up the boulder, and everyone else did the same, a large shadow looming over them. Staring back at them from atop the boulder, paused in a crawling position, with blood and drool patting down, lurched the werewolf.

The children stepped back, staring into the beast's eyes. His lips slowly parted, revealing bloody teeth, guttural breathing returning. The children did nothing, motionless and thoughtless.

The beast's ears twitched. A silhouette approached. The sun edged over the horizon, rays revealing that the silhouette was that of a knight, walking calmly, mail armor jingling as he moved.

He wore a black leather coat over a mail shirt of unpolished iron, the mail shirt having integrated mittens and coif. The black knight had long blond hair, some of which hung down over the front of his shoulders. His long hair and heavy beard definitely contrasted his dark armor. In his left hand he wielded an unpolished arming sword, in his right a black kite shield. Hanging next to his dagger was a war hammer.

The black knight stepped through the Skull Kids and little monarchs, the werewolf eyeing him angrily. The beast snapped his jaws and growled, the black knight unfazed.

The werewolf leapt. The knight headbutted the werewolf mid-air, great helm thudding against skull; the knight staggered, the werewolf to hit the ground. The knight lunged; the werewolf sat up, backhanding the flat of the blade.

Dazed, the werewolf hopped to both feet, knees bent. The knight swung his sword overhead, the werewolf leaning away, sword cutting fur. The werewolf grabbing the knight's forearm, the knight punching the rim of his shield into the beast's face repeatedly. The beast drove himself forwards—the knight plunged his sword into the werewolf's chest. The beast writhed up the blade, salivating over the knight's helm then taking a bite. His teeth bounced off the metal, the werewolf rearing from pain, ears back, eyes big.

Unable to overpower the werewolf and now disarmed in an ironic manner, the knight rammed his shield into the stunned beast's face. The werewolf bit the shield and reared, pulling the shield out the knight's grasp and spitting it aside—the knight headbutted the werewolf's mouth, a few teeth cracking, the beast growling. The monster pawed the knight's head, smacking him around.

Once he regained himself, the knight tackled into the exhausted monster. The knight grasped his sword by its blade and handle, sliding it to and fro, trying to saw it out the beast's body.

The werewolf felt the blade scraping his bones. He spun around, movement throwing the knight up but he remained grasping the sword. Upon landing, the knight repeatedly pulled himself up using the sword as a lever, kneeing into the beast's abdomen. The monster growled, pushing the knight back then pawing furiously, staggering him again. A push kick into the sternum knocked the knight flat over.

Shaking his head, the knight stood, regaining himself.

Snarling, the werewolf pulled the sword out himself. The knight charged. The beast swung the sword, the knight leaning forwards, blade skipping across his helm, sparks briefly flying.

The werewolf swung again, sword hitting the helm. Although staggered, the knight wrapped his left arm around the werewolf's right arm, so that the knight's forearm pressed against the beast's elbow from the outside and locked movement. By rearing against the bend of the elbow, the beast's elbow popped yet he kept hold of the sword. The knight wrenched the werewolf's elbow, repeatedly stomping his knees, stifling the beast.

Panting heavily, the werewolf regained his footing, trying to swat his foe. The knight grabbed his own left forearm to pull it with greater force; the extra leverage buckled the monster's elbow and he yelped, sword dropped.

Snarling, the monster kneed the knight's crotch; he convulsed from pain. The beast kneed the knight's chest, mail jingling from impact; the knight toppled.

"YYYEEEAAARRHH!" Zelda screeched, running out of nowhere, brandishing her little sword. She attacked with the fury of a bumblebee. The werewolf looked at her and she ran away—the knight dropkicked the beast over.

Both combatants got up, the beast swinging his paws, the knight rolling his shoulders to and fro and kicking the werewolf in the knees and shins. He tried to withdraw his war hammer but the werewolf kept pawing him. He dodged some big swings and tackled into the werewolf's midsection, wrapping his arms around the beast's legs and pulling them. The werewolf fell, the knight mounting the beast and headbutting the monstrous face.

The beast pushed the knight back; he unsheathed his dagger and stabbed the werewolf's arm, then repeatedly thrust into the monster's sternum. They struggled against each other, the knight stabbing the beast's neck and pommeling his face.

"HHRRRHURRR!" The werewolf clawed the knight's dagger out his hand.

Grabbing the werewolf's right paw with his own right hand, the knight pulled the werewolf's right arm across himself and held it against the ground, then repeatedly threw left-hand punches into the beast's face. After receiving several punches, the werewolf bit over the knight's mail-clad left hand. The werewolf raised his hips to lift the knight, spinning around while pulling the knight's shoulders, escaping the mount while throwing down the knight.

The werewolf crawled over the knight's back, who flailed his head backwards, helm thudding against the monster's face yet again. Rearing, the werewolf held his bleeding nose. The knight grabbed his war hammer while getting up, swinging around low as claws arched overhead, hammer beak spiking the beast's kneecap.

The werewolf fell to his shins. Gripping his war hammer two-handed, the knight bashed the beast's face again and again, blood spurting. The beast caught the war hammer, pulling it out its wielder's hand. The werewolf raised the knight overhead, "HRAAHHRRR!" and threw him into a tree.

"Oufff!" The knight fell, war hammer lost. He sat up, werewolf lumbering towards him, mouth slobbering and bleeding.

"Here, catch!" Sheik cried from the darkness, tossing the dagger over.

Catching his dagger, the knight tackled the beast, stabbing continuously. The werewolf bearhugged the knight, squeezing all air out. Panting heavily, the beast arduously raised the and slammed him headfirst. The knight landed heavily, mail jingling loudly. Arms and legs shaking from overexertion, the werewolf collapsed to his bottom. Noticing the dagger was left in him, he pulled it out, tossing it away.

The knight sat up. Since the great helm was worn and supported by his shoulders, the force did not distribute down his neck.

Huffing and puffing, the werewolf limped away, awkwardly clawing up the boulder and taking a little break.

"How much blood does he have in him!?" Zelda whined from somewhere; the beast grunted.

More sunlight peeked through trees. The beast softly growled. He watched the knight get up, unable to find his weapons. The werewolf leapt, wild-eyed, arms extending. The knight leaned in, curling his left arm over the werewolf's right shoulder while scooping his right arm between the beast's legs, using inertia to spin around and bodyslam the werewolf.

The werewolf breathlessly grunted, all air ripped out his lungs. Crawling over the monster, the knight started punching the stunned monster, who instinctively bit his vambrace. The knight repeatedly headbutted the werewolf over and over, spattering blood painting the visor red.

In serious trouble, the werewolf grabbed the knight's helm, wrenching it sideways. The beast crawled backwards while kicking the knight over. The knight raised his legs and swung back to his feet—the werewolf to push him over. Yet, the beast staggered from exhaustion and bloodloss. He dropped on all fours, breathing deeply.

The knight got up, the werewolf crawling over and grabbing him by the legs. Kneeling up, the knight clubbed the beast in the back of the neck. The beast growled, pulling the knight's legs and tripping him, though the monster could never chew through armor!

Sitting up, the knight threw punches. The beast coughed blood and let go. Standing up, the werewolf stomped repeatedly.

"Uhhih-hhuh!" The knight rolled onto his back, kicking at the incoming stomps to stifle them.

After receiving a few stomps, the knight grabbed a foot with both hands and rolled, twisting the leg. The werewolf lost balance and fell. Not wanting to end up in a leg lock, the monster grabbed his trapped leg with both hands, pulled it out the knight's grasp and rolling backwards.

The knight got up, panting heavily, breath fuming through the holes in his helm. Glaring, the werewolf walked sideways, breathing like a broken furnace, fingers twitching.

They turned their heads. The sun rose, brightening up the forest. They made eye contact; the monster snapped his echoes of incoming guards sounded.

The werewolf's head shook with rage. He exhaled through his nose, expelling blood. He let off a loud angry bark, and took off on all fours—gone.

The knight did not give chase. Movement sluggish, he picked up his fallen weapons, wiping the blood off with leaves, and put them away. He retrieved his shield and slung it over his shoulder. Overhearing footfall, and ever alert as always, he spun around...