Story Title: Our Wind Will Shake the Earth and Stars
Disclaimer: I don't own TP.
Author's Notes: Well, well, here we are again, back at a fic I love but never update, a fic that I started so very long ago without the proper skills to do it justice and probably still don't have the skills to do right, a massive fic that I still don't know if I can finish but I'd like to damn well try.
ShadLink has never been a popular pairing, even within m/m Zelda pairings. Often times I felt like it was dead or that it was just me. There's been a small revival recently and new folks coming in, and I've seen proof that there are still readers out there that want to read ShadLink. Knowing that it's not just me in this little dinghy of a ship certainly gives me hope to continue with this fic.
Part of the reason why I set aside this fic for so long was in part my inexperience when I first started this fic and second, the sheer size of this undertaking was overwhelming me. (Honestly, it still overwhelms me at times.) There are a few things in the middle of the story, a few dungeons perhaps, that might be shorter adventures than originally planned—if the TP manga has taught me anything, it's that you can get away with a whole lot of glossing over Link's dungeon adventures.
Also I've gone back and re-edited/rewritten the first eleven chapters. There's not a lot of new content, mostly I did a lot of editing and tried to figure out what the heck I meant by some of my awkward phrasings, lol. Honestly, I could probably run through it again, but meh.
Special thanks to Fenix Fuego, 2LaZ2LogIn, Namesake, mysticalgems, and pcgf for leaving a review. Thanks for everyone who stuck around waiting and to everyone for reading.
-o-
Chapter Twelve: A True Son of Ordon
-o-
Shad sat on an outcrop of land near the deep burnt copper boundary line between Ordona's former territory and Faron Province. Link had gathered some wood, but the campfire still flickered dimly no matter how well Shad tended to the flames. Light did not behave as light was supposed to inside the barrier. The darkness enveloping Ordona Province smothered and sapped away the brightness from all sources of light. Even Link's natural golden glow was only a shimmer now. Only Ordona's Shard and the Feather of Glory appeared unaffected.
These Feathers, I speculate, Shad wrote in his field journal, are the linchpins to our world. Continued removal shall cause widespread destruction across Hyrule and devastation to its inhabitants and yet—
Shad had not the heart to finish his entry.
Shad put away the Feather. Its white-gold brightness stung his eyes. Instead, he brought out the Shard of Forfeited Light. Its deep twilight gold light was gentler and kinder, both on his eyes and to his heart, as strange as that sounded but Shad was in no mood to debate with himself on his choice of words.
Sitting cross-legged, Shad held the Shard in his cupped hands and tipped it gently from side to side. He observed a glittery gold liquid shifting inside the crystallized light.
"We cannot repair what we have done without proceeding forward," Shad muttered aloud to himself. "However, we cannot proceed forward without inevitably worsening matters."
Every part of his rational mind told Shad to stop, staunch the bleeding here and now, and do nothing more, but there were so many things that he and Link were not able to leave as they were. Nearly the entirety of Ordona Province had crumbled and ceased to be into the dark void below, leaving but a thin rim of outcropped land along the province border and several inexplicably floating islands and wayward boulders. As he watched the floating islands drift lazily along, the scholar quickly lost count of how many laws of nature were being broken and hushed his logic telling him that what he was seeing was not possible.
Shad sighed and raised his head to the starless sky. "Oh Father, what I would give to speak with you right now…" He tried to speculate on what his father might advise, but this was beyond his scope of speculation. He wanted to convince himself that following the course of action he and Link saw best sufficed as their compass, but when their decisions affected the entire world with devastating consequences, Shad couldn't convince himself that what they were doing was completely right. For all he knew, they could be going about this entirely the wrong way.
Shad noticed a flash of gold light in the sky. At first, he thought it was a single shining star, but as the light grew in size, Shad saw that it was Link returning. His landings still were not perfect, but he was certainly smoothing out his descent. Shad worried that Link was going to misjudge the distance and slide right off the cliff edge. Some parts along the boundary line were only just wide enough for Link to walk carefully along. Landing on weak ground or making a misstep off the edge was a real and dangerous possibility.
Link stumbled over his own claws as he landed and crashed into the ground. Thankfully, he wasn't seriously hurt. Link uttered an annoyed growl as he picked himself up and shook off the dirt. He then slowly trudged over to Shad. His eyes never left the ground. There was no need for Shad to ask Link if he had found any survivors.
The scholar struggled to say anything, much less say something that was a comfort to the aching dragon. Link circled away from Shad and laid down to rest, stirring up wisps of dirt around him as he plopped down belly first.
Link was exhausted from searching all day. Or was it now night? Shad was not sure how much time had passed or what time it was at the present. Neither the sun nor the moon were visible in the sky, and the lack of both disrupted Shad's circadian clock. The barrier's burnt copper light was the only major source of illumination in Ordona Province. The amount of light shining from the barrier and the light's intensity did wax and wane in a timely manner, as if mirroring a day-night schedule, but it was impossible to know if the light accurately indicated the passage of time.
In any case, exhaustion alone wasn't dragging Link to the ground. Shad watched a shimmer ripple down Link's back and on down to his tail. His glow was even fainter than before he had left on his search.
I cannot fathom the amount of guilt and grief he must be feeling, Shad thought. I know that when my father passed it was many moons before I was able to return to some semblance of my normal self and continue with my father's work. But to lose your family and friends, everyone that knew and loved you all at once through your actions… Shad drew in his bottom lip and closed his eyes. I don't know if it's possible to return to one's previous self after experiencing something like that.
However, if my own experiences have taught me anything, it is that time alone will not heal one's grief. One needs care and support from their loved ones. Link may feel as if he is alone now but he is not. I will not allow him to forget that.
Shad felt a nudge against his arm and reopened his eyes to find Link beside him. Link nudged his arm a second time. Shad lifted his arm up. Link wedged his head underneath, resting it on Shad's leg. He curled the rest of his large dragon body around the scholar in a tight circle.
Shad wanted to say something, many things, but what could he say that would bring Link solace in light of recent events? Best he came up with amounted to telling him that they were going to find a means to make amends, but even that was a hollow uncertainty to make Link feel better. It didn't matter if they fixed the province. The villagers were gone.
Shad tentatively stroked Link's feathered frill around the top of his head and neck. He was unsure if it was all right for him to do so since petting his frill was like running his fingers through his hair in the scholar's mind, but he was not sure how one physically comforted a dragon. Link didn't seem bothered—he soon closed his eyes.
Link's rest was brief. The scholar felt Link's jaw and throat move, as if he was trying but was unable to find the words to speak. Unfortunately, even if Link could talk, Shad was unable to understand him. The irony of it all… For all his knowledge and proficiency in many languages, none of it mattered when he needed those skills most.
"For matters such as this, just having someone there to listen can be a blessing," Shad said softly, as Link scrunched his eyes tightly and snarled. Link's jaw shook as he tried to keep from crying. Shad kept on stroking his feathers. "I know, old boy. You have much to say that cannot be expressed solely through stares and nods."
Shad felt the vibrations in Link's throat before he heard his humming. At first, the sound was faint and broken as Link struggled to rein in his emotions, but gradually the song grew louder and stronger. Once more a voice befitting a heavenly bird poured out from Link's draconian beak. This time, however, the heavenly bird sang out in mourning.
An eerie, haunting melody filled the silence. Shad didn't recognize the tune as anything originating from Hyrule proper. It sounded nothing like the Ordona folk songs or mountain airs Link had hummed in the past either. It was a song of loss and longing to see one's lost loved ones once more. Death and grief gripped Shad's heart and refused to let go as Link's voice rose to a keening scream. Shad clenched his eyes shut. He needed a distraction from this familiar, unwanted pain. Anything, something to let his mind wander elsewhere.
A foggy woods just after the early morning daylight broke came to mind. The air was cool, brisk, and biting on his skin. His surroundings were quiet and still, with only the faint rustling of deer walking through the fallen autumn leaves disturbing the hush. And then his mind's eye panned across the grassy ranch dotted with grazing Ordon goats on a warm, clear afternoon, as the melody reflected a gentler tone. In time, Shad found himself sitting on a short wooden pier. He gazed out on the village's small river, its babbling water colored orange from the setting sun, and waited for the greengills to bite.
This was not his mind at work, but Link's. The realization startled Shad. He knew not how but his song had imparted these images and his feelings directly into his mind. His sadness softened as a lightness lifted his voice. Link sang of his life in Ordon Village. He lived quietly and without trouble. His work on the ranch was not easy, but he enjoyed it. In his free time, he lazed idly in the sun, fished, and entertained the kids. He had found a home, family, and a place to belong. He had never wanted more than what he had.
Link's voice wavered and cracked as he sang about his loved ones, especially the kids. Shad saw Rusl's proud gaze, Uli's loving smile, and Ilia in her spring best playing her panpipes and dancing in Ordona's spring. The kids chased fireflies along the riverbanks and collected them in Link's empty bottles. They all marveled as the fireflies flickered and danced around them as they released them all at once at the end of the night.
Shad, with his own steady stream of tears streaking down his hot cheeks, wrapped his arms around Link's neck and tightly held onto him. If there was little else he could do, the scholar could cry on his behalf. Cry for the people he loved now gone.
Raising his head to the starless sky, Link rested his jaw on Shad's shoulder and continued to sing through his sobs. His voice was a little more than a croak through much of it.
Though he had fought for all of Hyrule in the end, the safety of Ordon Village and his loved ones had been what had first sent Link out on his adventure, and now his village was gone. Everyone was gone. They were innocent folks and children. Link and Shad hadn't known what would happen after they removed the Feather of Glory from its pedestal, but regardless their actions had led to the entire village's destruction and their deaths. It was their fault. It was not the work of some great evil, no wicked villain. They only had themselves to blame.
In time, Link's voice gave out, but he was still tense and trembling. Shad rubbed his hand along Link's neck over and over and prayed that he calmed down. He had no idea how long it took Link to finally relax—the scholar was simply grateful that he eventually did. Link lifted his head off Shad's shoulder and then gently nudged his snout against Shad's head.
"You're quite welcome," Shad said. "I am just pleased that I could be of some assistance."
Link settled in to steal a little rest before they headed out once more. Plenty of rest was what the both of them needed, the scholar agreed. They still needed to figure out a means of getting out of the barrier surrounding Ordona Province. Shad had set aside the thought so far, but he possessed concerns. He hoped those concerns were little more than the speculations of an overly cautious mind rather than predictions.
-o-
"I was afraid this would be the case," Shad said and sighed, as he and Link stood in front of the barrier surrounding Ordona Province. After Link's solo attempts to fly through proved dangerous, Shad and Link were left standing and looking at one another, each wordlessly asking the other what their next course of action was going to be.
The scholar stepped back and stared up at the endless, insurmountable wall of dying light in front of them. There seemed to be no gaps or obvious doorways. The faint light and shadows danced around each other, causing their mutual destruction and creation. Wisps of dark clouds or perhaps dust motes swirled within the thin rays of light. The wall did not appear as if it could hold anyone back, that one simply walked through the light.
With a liberal measure of apprehension slowing him, Shad brought his hand to the barrier. To his relief, he wasn't electrocuted. Shad was not positive on what he had expected to feel but a solid surface, like a pane of thick glass, had not been his first prediction. Light had many properties, but solid was not one of them.
"Careful, old boy!" Shad warned as Link clawed at the barrier. He was immediately zapped. Link growled and then bent down to lick his claw. Every time Link had tested the barrier he had been violently repelled with similar shocks. For some reason, however, Shad was left unscathed. He was unable to traverse through the barrier, but he was not punished for trying.
"This barrier appeared when the Light Spirit perished," Shad thought aloud. "If the two are connected, then perhaps..." He pulled out the Shard of Forfeited Light and briefly examined it and then the barrier.
Shad carefully took hold of the Shard and jabbed a pointed end into the barrier. He punctured the wall, bright light radiating from the opening. It took two hands and all his strength, but Shad dragged the Shard down to the ground and tore a line of light in the barrier. Quickly, he pushed against the wall. The barrier gave way like a flap on a circus tent, and Shad walked through. He held open the barrier for Link and a reasonably wary Link sneaked through. He looked pleasantly surprised when he made it through without being shocked. Shad let the barrier go, and it slipped back into place, restoring itself to impenetrable wholeness once more.
"I say, that solves that," Shad said, feeling buoyant, as he looked around at the trees, the lush greenery, and the brilliant sunlight. Few views were more beautiful than this typical Faron afternoon after their time in the shadows. "My, does not feel grand to see the daylight?"
Link certainly agreed. The scholar was not positive on whether it had been his mood, their environment, or both affecting Link's natural glow, however his shine was restored to its splendor.
Which was why Shad didn't want to damper that glow with a necessary discussion of their next course of action. Now was the perfect time for side-quests if Link had any. While Shad was the sort of person to work doggedly until the task was done, even he welcomed a bug-collecting hunt or a barrel of water delivery to a thirsty Goron right about now. Anything to distract their minds and do good in the world.
He found Link sunbathing with a handful of small lizards. His scaly cousins scurried underground as Shad approached. Link turned his attention toward him as Shad sat down beside him on the grass.
"Link, we must face the prospect that the only means of restoring you to your original form involves eliminating the Light Spirits. We can agree that neither of us wants to take up this task. After all, it is madness, and surely is the antithesis of what the Hero stands for." A quiver of dread rattled his voice. "...P-Perhaps we have not searched hard enough. Though we could search for decades and still uncover nothing. We need to take action, but is this the only path we can take?"
Shad's thoughts rambled from one side of the matter to the other, presenting valid arguments and counterpoints in favor of both. He was speaking to himself, trying to work out an alternative solution to the solution he had proposed. Evil sought to extinguish the Light Spirits, and they were not evil people. All of this mess had gotten started from their desire to help the Oocca, and evil people did not seek to help others, only themselves.
Shad felt the point of Link's claws press gingerly into his leg. The sharpness brought him back to focus. Link's stare was filled with concern. He had been listening to him jabber on.
"How do you feel about..." Shad let the rest of his sentence trail off.
Link uttered a low growl. He did not disagree with Shad's assessment, but of course he didn't want to go after the Light Spirits.
"I understand. I keep hoping that another answer will appear before us, but it does not seem that one will ever appear. From what we know, we must proceed with the course of action before us, even if we have to curse the world into shadow. It will only be temporary, of course. As the first time was."
Shad remembered those dark days, the endless night. He, along with the rest of Hyrule, had lived in the terror of the unknown where not even one's nightly dreams brought respite. A half-life, it had felt, but the truth was that it had felt even less than that. Some days he thought that he might grow accustomed to the feeling of Death creeping over him like frost chilling over a windowpane, but he never did. No one ever did.
Link laid his head on Shad's leg. He peered up at him with the soulful, patient eyes of an old dog. Shad ruffled the feathers on Link's head. "Pardon me. Reminiscing," he said wistfully, and then asked, "Are you okay with...doing what is necessary?"
Link growled a heavy yes.
Of course, he was. He was the Hero. Doing what was necessary was part of his duty. Shad wasn't so sure that he could take up the mantle with such resolve as Link. Their adventure had barely began, and already Shad felt the weight of their missions. Seemed like he lacked more than the physical skills required of a Hero.
Time in the sunlight helped raise their spirits. It was delightful to be back in normalcy where light behaved like light and an existential dread did not rattle their bones with an ambient drone from the void.
They proceeded deeper into Faron Woods. In different circumstance, today would have been a lovely day. Shad imagined a scene of the two of them checking out the Owl Stature not too far from their current location. Perhaps they would have had a small picnic together, enjoying each other's company, and then stopped by the fellow that sold lantern oil for a chat during their wandering walk back to Ordon Village. They could have had a delightful day. If the theory that Time flowed in the form of a river with branching rivulets being various timelines was correct, perhaps they did. Lucky fellows.
Shad hummed a soft sigh. He much preferred his imagination to their actual circumstances of why they were here. Shad was not positive what the exact plan was. Were they seeking out the Light Spirit that resided in these woods? Technically, yes. But were they actively pursuing Faron with the goal of bringing a cessation to its existence? No, but it was necessary that they achieve said goal in due time, sooner rather than later. Neither of them believed that they had to hunt the Light Spirit. With how adamant the Spirits were about ending their lives in the Messenger's Chamber, Shad and Link were positive that Faron would attack first.
At least Link was enjoying himself. He was quite literally sticking his nose into everything. Bushes, leaf litter, creature burrows, rotting hollow logs, even climbing trees to investigate bird nests. Shad wondered if the familiar woodland smells and scenery were a bittersweet comfort to the Hero's grieving heart.
The farther they walked, the more anxious Link became. Shad recognized the puzzled look on his face. "What is it, old boy?" He hoped it wasn't a sign of danger. A troubled Link rarely indicated anything else, however.
Uttering a low growl, Link circled around Shad and turned his head around quickly from one direction to another. He was practically bouncing around, running up to trees, and swishing his tail through the low-lying plants and grasses. It took a few twirls for Shad to realize what Link was trying to convey.
The forest had become eerily quiet and devoid of birdsong or squirrel chatter. There was no wind rustling the leaves. No creature's footsteps crunched in the distance. An unnatural stillness had befallen the forest. In preparation for something grand. A battle, the scholar had no doubt.
"What should we do?" Shad asked.
Link tipped his head forward and curtly growled. Shad followed his lead beside him. The both of them kept eyes and ears open around them.
Shad didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. What advantages did they have? In a dense forest with all sorts of branches and vines to get snagged on, flight was tricky to rely upon. And as knowledgeable of the woods as Link was, the guardian of the woods surely outclassed him. How prepared were they for battle? In any form, Link was ready and formidable. Shad, however, was the proverbial sitting cucco on his back. He was a liability far more than an asset. Best course of action he could take was finding a safe hole to scurry into and free up Link to fight without a disadvantage.
"Do you sense anything, old boy?" Shad asked, his voice low.
Link growled curtly.
Of course. Shad hadn't expected any other response, however just once he wanted a false alarm, for the perceived danger to be all in their imagination, instead of hidden in the trees and behind the rocks all around them. Nothing wrong with being mistaken every once in a while.
Eyes aglow with golden light, the Faron monkey colony crept out from the cover of the trees and the surrounding rocks. Their bodies tense and hackles raised, the monkeys had their sights set on them and nothing else. The monkeys were not known to be violent—they attacked poachers that came hunting for them and let travelers be. Shad did not believe the monkeys would simply let them pass by.
"We should run, yes?" Shad said, slowly moving toward Link. The air was thick with a still rage tenuously held. The slightest snap of a twig could set the provoked creatures off. How they were going to keep from doing just that, the scholar did not know.
The monkeys bared their teeth and screeched. Shad dove onto Link's back. There was no mistaking their order was to kill. As soon as Shad had his hands around his neck, Link circled around and ran.
The trees rustled and branches bowed as the aerial unit leaped from tree to tree. Foot soldiers charged behind them in pursuit, hoping to gain ground and close in around them. The monkeys whooped and hollered, coordinating their attack, taking on formations. Shad flattened himself against Link and prayed to the wind to be at his feet.
This was not right. The monkeys never possessed such bloodlust. Shad had no idea if the monkeys would stop at Hyrule Field or chase them onward. If they were lucky to reach Hyrule Field. A large baboon-like monkey dropped down in front of them. Link skidded to a sudden halt. He was the leader, no doubt. One bite from its huge canine fangs could snap the smaller monkeys in half.
It was possible that Link could take on the entire monkey troop and win. Whether or not he finished them off while Shad still had his face was another matter. Seemed like the scholar was living out all sorts of personal nightmares of lately.
The monkeys had Link and Shad surrounded. They chattered and bounced excitedly, awaiting orders. Following their leader, the troop raised their arms into the air and slammed their fists on the ground. With surprising rhythm. Shad noticed the light speckling through the trees was brighter than he recalled. The wind guided motes of light together, the amalgamation taking the familiar monkey shape of Faron when it was all said and done.
"Your intentions are as clear as the stolen Light in your possession," Faron said, the spirit's voice laced with disgust. "Ordona has fallen, and now you come for my Light."
"We're not trying to hurt anyone!" Shad insisted. "We just want to help the Oocca!"
Faron narrowed its gaze. "You seek to save the one and damn the many. Selfish! Have you not seen the consequences of your actions thus far? You would cast this world not into twilight but perpetual darkness and invite shadows we Light Spirits have long since held at bay for what? The Oocca. Are you determined to succeed where the Demon King failed?"
The accusation made Link growl and whip his tail against the ground. Shad rubbed his neck in an effort to calm him. Or at least remind him to not ignite an already tense situation. "I say, if we could have your assistance in this manner, there would be no need for us to go prodding at things we honestly do not fully understand. You're not really giving us any other choice."
"There will be no more discussion," Faron declared.
Shad believed himself to be a diplomatic fellow, however the Light Spirits were not the peacemakers records had described. "We will gladly return Ordona's Light to you," he said quickly. "All can be well and good again. Please, help us!"
"My children..." The monkeys looked to the Light Spirit. "Kill the traitors."
Any monkeys in the surrounding trees jumped down and joined the clustered ranks of their ground kin. The boss monkey moved toward Link and Shad slowly, and the rest followed suit. Link gave a low warning rumble that he did not want to fight but reluctantly would.
The sound of a horn blowing caught everyone's attention. The Skull Kid danced in the trees and blew again on their strange horn. Adult-sized skeletal puppets with ever-smiling faces and janky movements were summoned. The rattling sounds the puppets made as they floated toward the monkey troop convinced the scholar that they were made of wood rather than bone, however honestly he was not certain.
Link took the opportunity to run, jumping off the boss monkey's head and gliding over the rest of the troop. He landed too close for comfort near Faron. The Light Spirit swiped at them, but Link managed to dodge and ran on farther into the woods. Shad was surprised that the Spirit didn't blast them with a big burst of light, but perhaps the monkey spirit did feel some genuine affection for its earthly subordinates. How long its care for its children restrained its attacks, Shad could not guess. However, the scholar was certain that the Light Spirit would choose to wipe out the monkeys if it meant successfully stopping their quest.
The Skull Kid and their puppets occupied the monkey troop, but that still left Faron chasing after them. The trees cracked and swayed. Tree nuts and bird nests fell to the ground. Neither Link nor Shad looked behind them. They didn't need visual confirmation that the Light Spirit was gaining ground. The forest was not safe. Link needed to find space to open his wings and take off. In the sky, their maneuverability was better. Personally, Shad preferred that they escaped, however there was the matter of Faron's Light.
An opportunity appeared—a gap with sparse surrounding trees. As Link raced up the hill, Shad felt his body prepare for flight. Shad tightened his grip around his neck and torso. Link leaped from the hilltop and took flight. He quickly broke past the treetop line to the open sky and freedom. On the horizon, the setting sun spread the last of its golden rays.
Shad looked over his shoulder, only to see Faron leap from the treetops after them. The monkey spirit twisted in mid-air, grabbed Link in his tail, and threw him back down. They crashed through tree branches and slammed onto the ground. Link skidded to a stop. Shad rolled an extra few feet elsewhere.
Link had taken the brunt of the hit, but even so, Shad's shoulder was voicing several complaints. He needed more than a hot shower and a long night's rest to work this ache out. He had some red potion, however honestly he was saving it for Link. Heavens knew Link needed it more than he would. Eliminating Faron was no easy task.
But more pressing than the pain in his shoulder was his hacking, gasping cough and the sudden absence of breathable air. The scholar looked around and saw he was surrounded by a forest miasma of a distinctly poisonous shade of purple. The last thing his shoulder wanted to do was contribute to crawling away, but the scholar made his shoulder comply. Where exactly was safety was another matter, however.
Link found him. He was unaffected by the poisonous gas, burning it away with a swish of his tail. He guided him over to a small cave and helped him inside. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, however the two of them managed to slip inside once they tossed out the empty treasure chest. Their first face off with Faron wasn't faring well. Faron was still out there. The monkeys were still out there. They were cowering.
"Link, perhaps it would be best if you left me here and faced Faron alone. I'm quite literally weighing you down, and...Link…old boy?"
Link perked up like he had heard something in the distance. He shifted around to face the end of the cave and sniffed deeply at the ground like a dog smelling at the bottom gap of a door.
"What is it, old boy?"
Dirt, small rocks, and decayed forest matter went flying as Link dug his claws into the cave wall. Shad worried that all this excavation might lead to them being discovered, but thankfully their pursuers were elsewhere. Link hollowed out a space large enough for him and certainly Shad to slip through and went on ahead. Shad followed, however it was harder for him to maneuver. He crawled in feet first and found out swiftly that the entrance gave way to a sudden level drop. His boots hit the wet decayed forest matter below and slid out from underneath him.
"I'm fine," he said, mostly as a reassurance to himself. At least the new pain in his tailbone eased off the pain in his shoulder. The new itch creeping up his scalp he could do without, however. He reached up to find a large centipede crawling down his forehead. He let out a shrill shriek and tossed the centipede elsewhere. He hoped it didn't make its way back to him.
None of his commotion had drawn Link's attention. Alongside the insects and mushrooms that called this cave pocket home, there appeared to be a half-buried phoenix statue sticking out from the far wall. Link was mesmerized—drawn by the magical compulsion of destiny, no doubt—however given the state of the statue, it didn't appear to be able to sing. The light within its distinct carved lines was dim and flickered weakly.
There was, however, the sound of dripping water. It was discordant at first, but with more frequency, the sound grew similar to that of a harp. Link sang along to the soft music that reminded Shad of carefree days walking through the forest and listening to the wind rustling through the leaves. It was not a perfectly harmonious duet, but the longer Link sang, the brighter the statue's light became until the light burst into pale yellow flames around the phoenix statue.
The phoenix broke through the wall, and with its escape came a mighty wind the color of the morning sunlight that lifted Link and Shad off the ground. They found themselves in the night sky falling toward a forest below. The awakened phoenix circled around them and sang joyfully of its freedom. Its gratitude was all well and good, however the ground was drawing closer and closer, and Shad was in no mood to celebrate. Link caught him by his jacket in his jaws, and immediately tried to break their descent. He wasn't doing so well, and the treetops were feet away. The phoenix slipped underneath them and gave them a burst of air that allowed them to glide like a feather to a gentle landing.
The forest they had been brought to was unlike Faron Woods. The trees were coniferous with oddly smooth pine cones. Upon closer inspection, Shad realized that the pine cones were in fact eggs. Much as he wished to know more, the phoenix urged Link along, and Link urged Shad to come along. Shad hopped onto Link's back, and Link raced to catch up with the phoenix.
Their presence stirred up the local dragon population. The small, spectral snakes unwrapped their tails from their tree branches and floated over to see the rare visitors to their realm. Thankfully, they were more interested in seeing and running alongside them than attacking. One phased through Shad's injured shoulders and left it feeling miraculously better. He tried thanking the creature, but the little wisp had slipped into the rest of its ghostly parade.
The phoenix, their guiding star, was farther on ahead than Link and Shad. The smell of the kicked up earth, the crisp night air filling their lungs, the joy of running as fast as he could for the thrill of it, Shad wondered if some part of Link would be happier to remain a beast. Even he appreciated the fantasy of being an untamed creature unbound to no master or kingdom living in this wondrous world of mystery. Freedom coursed through this world and into one's heart. Flowing to the wind's whim.
They reached the end of the forest and approached the edge of a grassy cliff. Link stopped, and they watched the phoenix fly and sing on into the darkness. The ground underfoot creaked and rumbled and then lifted them higher. With one final triumphant note, the phoenix burst into arching rays of light and pale yellow fire and formed a flaming entity of indeterminate gender that assumed their throne as the heliocentric source of all in the center of the world.
Link and Shad reopened their eyes to see the world for what it truly was. These woods thrived on the back of a gigantic dragon, a whole caravan in fact, swimming through space in ten circles around the Singer. Even-numbered rings traveled clockwise while the odd-numbered rings traveled counterclockwise in synchronized dance of time and precision.
The dragon's head and underside was a tight tangled root system while the main bulk of their body was a land mass as large as a small province. Their four wings were similar in form and function to a sea turtle's fins. Each dragon was lush with forests and wispy dragons of their own. The forest dragons didn't seem to mind or were aware that the little dragons were living in their trees. Shad proposed that they shared a symbiotic relationship. Hopefully not parasitic in nature. Nothing so far gave the scholar that impression, thankfully.
There was one, its bark grayer and stone-like and its trees leafless and abandoned, moving stiffer and slower than the rest, causing the queue behind to bump and grate against one another. Eventually, the dragon behind the desiccated one bit off its knobby, gnarled tail root. This appeared to be a sign, as the older dragon cast itself away from the orbit and into the distant dark to join a graveyard of floating rocks and driftwood, and the ring closed itself and resumed its steady pace.
After one unbelievable sight after another, probably the most astounding was seeing that one of these colossal creatures could fit neatly into the palm of the Singer's hand. Its flames radiating from its head like a massive hurricane spiral crown, the being of pale yellow fire opened its small round eyes, black as the space before its arrival and sang:
We, Singers, once basked in Light
Until an unbalance They sought to right.
Eradication, no care for the life cost.
As the lightning struck, Eight Feathers lost.
Found and obtained one
Though your quest is far from done.
High and low, you must go,
Through mountains red, where lava flows,
A second in waiting lies,
Guarded closely under hawk's eyes.
Beast of heaven and earth, take wing!
So one day you and we may together sing!
Light radiated from the Singer in a starburst pattern and then slowly contracted toward the Singer. In a brilliant burst, great solar winds blew the ten rings out of balance, scattering dragons, shredding trees, and sending Link and Shad flying. There was all-encompassing brightness and then blackness. Shad hit the wet muck and heard Link groan from his impact as well. They were back underground again. Their world.
As the scholar shook off his daze and wondered how badly his clothes needed washing, he spared a thought for the caravan of dragons and their wispy passengers. Hard to say if the phoenix's worlds even existed before Link activated the statues. Perhaps the dragons continued on their endless quest in darkness or the Singer reformed the world anew. There was so much they didn't know.
A golden blast of light obliterated the earth above them. When the light faded away, Shad peered up and saw through the motes of falling dirt the Light Spirit Faron towering above them.
"Insects!" the Spirit roared.
Link dashed over, knocked Shad onto his back, and took off in the opposite direction from where Faron was, all the while evading the monkey spirit's paws trying to snatch them up. Shad hung on by the grace of...maybe the Goddesses. Given the circumstances with the Light Spirits, the Goddesses probably weren't on their side either.
They slid down the side of a steep hill, the leaf litter piling up in front of Link. "Link, you have to fight back," Shad said, as Link stumbled at the bottom of the hill. "Leave me. I'll find someplace to hide."
Link growled in protest.
While his protectiveness was admirable, Link had to start thinking pragmatically. "You have to face Faron. I'm no help to you here."
The scholar didn't wait and climbed off Link's back. Eyes full of concern, Link nudged his head against him as an order to get back on. Shad laid his hands on his closed jaws. "I promise to stay out of the way. Good luck."
Link looked at Shad and then back up the hill while stomping his front claws in uncertainty. Shad saw how much it pained him to leave him, to leave his safety up to chance, but the scholar was more resourceful than he was giving him credit. He had outwitted plenty of bokoblin on his excursions. Surely, he was able to outwit a troop of aggravated monkeys...and a Light Spirit. Shad swallowed his air roughly.
As Link raced up the steep hill to face off against Faron, Shad hurried along to do what he did best—step aside and out of the way and let the professional warriors handle the heroic matters.
-o-
Much as Link hated to admit it, Shad was right. Faron was set on fighting, and having Shad on his back wasn't the safest spot for the scholar. Still not having him in his line of sight made Link worry. Shad was not a fighter, and fighting was just as much a part of an adventure as puzzle-solving was. Faron was the biggest threat out there, but the Light Spirit wasn't the only.
Link found Faron floating in profile with its tail forming a circle around its body. The spirit appeared to be waiting for him.
"So the Hero turns his back on the Gods who chose him..." Faron said coldly, drumming his paws on his stomach.
Link growled, his tone laced with resentment at Faron's accusation. He had never asked to be the Hero. He wasn't sure if he would have volunteered to be the Hero if he had had an actual choice. One day, he simply was the Hero, and despite having no say in the matter, he had performed and continued to perform his duties faithfully. His loyalties belonged to Hyrule. All of Hyrule. And that included the Oocca.
Faron shot off a straight beam of light. Link dodged the attack, but the beam set the fallen leaves on fire. Furiously kicking up dirt, Link partially put out the fire, but the distraction allowed Faron to grab Link in its tail and slam him against the ground.
Link was not certain how to go about fighting Faron. The trees and vines made flying difficult, and Faron was more agile in the trees than Link was in his dragon form. He needed a plan quick, or hope his reflexes and instinct was sharper than Faron's aim.
He dodged Faron's second attempt to grab him and seized hold of its tail. The two briefly engaged in tug-of-war until Faron flung Link into the air. He opened his wings and did his best to lithely flit around the Light Spirit. He surprised himself that a dragon could move like a tiny sparrow. Link scratched and bit Faron and evaded its paws, snatching at him with increasing frustration. These small attacks did very little to the Light Spirit, but it was better than nothing. He could wear the spirit down until he was able to get a more decisive hit.
Fed up with the annoyances, Faron jumped up and rolled forward midair, summoning a great wind that tore through the trees, snapped weak branches, and ripped off leaves. The gale tossed Link far back. He righted himself out of the tumultuous spin and dug his claws into the ground. The wind was useful to keep Link at a distance, but it didn't cause damage. At least, not this variation. Link was not so naive to believe Faron's wind could not harm him.
Keep Faron grounded. Avoid the wind. Don't get hit. Focus on the tail, it wasn't the best strategy Link had ever came up with, but it was the best he had for right now. He could make adjustments after the Light Spirit revealed its next plan of action after Link gained the upper hand.
-o-
Shad ran through Faron Woods as if his boots possessed wings. He certainly wished they did. The poisonous gas seemed isolated to the swamp region of the forest. However, the scholar knew better than to believe he was safe in these woods. There were keese caves, deku baba, and not to forget, an entire troop of monkeys patrolling about. He wondered how Link was fairing. He was probably just fine. He was built for this sort of danger. Shad had...an ornamental dagger and a book with which to defend himself.
Rusl and Ashei had attempted to fortify his swordsmanship skills, but his lessons always felt like he was a child play-fighting with his family. Ashei's assessment was that he was better than some but worst than most. Rusl always said that he was progressing just fine. As he always was throughout his life, Shad was a very good student and completed his lessons well. However, come face to face with a monster, he always lost his courage.
It was not in his nature to want to harm any creature, not even a monster, and he certainly didn't wish to kill. The pressure and urgency of it all, the life or death struggle, was too much for the scholar to process in the moment. He always froze, and an unmoving blade made for a dead man. He supposed that he should become more accustomed to fighting—after all, this adventure of theirs was proving to be more dangerous than either of them had imagined.
All he had wanted to do was help the Oocca, to right his father's wrongs, to be useful for the first time in his life. He was not even capable of accomplishing that. Rarely were his endeavors ever a major success, and this one was proving no different. Maybe he was the problem. There was a higher probability that if he let Link handle this whole ordeal by himself that he could have it all wrapped up in a few days.
Shad slowed down to a walking pace. He was not sure what part of the forest he was in. Last time he had really explored Faron Woods beyond the main roads had been as a child. His memory was exceptional, however even it had its limits. His surroundings didn't particularly stand out to him—go deep enough into any forest and eventually everything will start to look similar.
Trying to find his bearings, he circled around once more and arrived face to face with the boss monkey. Their leader let out a scream of hot baboon breath and spit into Shad's face. He noticed its large canines, easily capable of removing his face from his skull. Shad stepped back and either tripped over a rock or his wobbly legs gave out. He landed roughly on the ground. There was more leaf rustling in the trees and on the ground. He was surrounded and alone. On the scholar's list of horrific ways to die, getting mauled to death by monkeys was high up there. At the present moment, it was number one.
Their leader was wearing the Skull Kid's straw hat. The poor creature must have fell to the monkeys, the scholar surmised. Certainly if a crafty little gadfly like the Skull Kid had perished, what chance did he have of fairing any better? One ornamental dagger wasn't enough. He needed divine intervention to survive. Except he feared the Goddesses might have set this up as divine retribution. An ironic end to one curious little monkey.
The boss monkey lunged at Shad. Instinctively, he raised his arms to cover his face, though he knew it would do little good. He screamed. And so did the boss monkey. It sounded peculiarly like pain, not rage. Shad lowered his arms. The boss monkey was picking himself off the ground, and a hatless Skull Kid stood in front of him. It was throwing a tantrum, waving its fists and stomping its feet.
Shad had never imagined that he would be this happy to see the Skull Kid. While he was thankful for the rescue, he doubted it had swooped in to save him intentionally. It was here to regain its hat. Aiding him had merely been happenstance. Well, he wasn't going to let the Skull Kid's kindness be for naught. Shad scrambled to his feet. The monkeys in the trees and on the ground were closing in, led by their boss. The Skull Kid blew its horn and summoned more puppets, the most the scholar had ever seen.
Shad drew his ornamental dagger. He didn't want to have to use it but figured it was wiser to have it in hand. He was only going to use it as a last resort—he still wanted to avoid actual combat if possible. The Skull Kid gave the sign and the puppets charged. Monkeys and marionettes clashed. The Skull Kid and the boss monkey were engaged in single-combat, with the boss monkey dashing and swiping at the Skull Kid as it vanished and reappeared at a most nettlesome frequency.
Well-aware this was no place for a scholar, Shad sought an exit from the battlefield. He was fortunate that every monkey in his way was either already preoccupied with a puppet or quickly attacked by one. Was it cowardly to run? Yes. But he had promised Link that he would stay out of the way, and really it was his best course of action.
Shad made his way quickly but cautiously out of the fighting. He halted mid-step to let the rolling ball of the boss monkey and the Skull Kid tumble on past him. They left a trail of fur and desiccated leaves in their wake. The Skull Kid had regained its hat. For the moment.
It was important that he kept running. Moving targets were more difficult to hit than stationary ones. If he kept on going, eventually he would find the edge of the forest or at least locate one of the main roads.
A monkey with a flower in its fur dropped down in front of him. Shad brandished his blade. It gave the monkey pause, though its bared teeth and screeching frightened Shad more than he scared the creature.
The dagger was unsteady in his shaking hand. "I-I don't want to hurt you." He hoped the creature sensed his sincerity. It was his fault the monkeys were drawn into this predicament in the first place. After all, the monkeys were innocent in all this, merely pawns in the spirit's assault against Link and himself.
The air swelled and crackled with energy, like the moments before the arrival of a thunderstorm. Shad and the monkey turned their heads at the same time toward the energy. Shad's hands ached at the rise of magic. He swore he smelled smoke in the air. There was a lengthy delay before they both saw the source of the energy swell: Link weaving through the trees with the Light Spirit Faron in pursuit. The two were running uncomfortably close to where they were. Link realized this and course-corrected away from Shad. Faron did not. It kept attacking.
Seeing a beam of light bolting toward the monkey, Shad quickly dove, grabbed the monkey, and rolled out of the way. The two narrowly missed incineration, but the creature was all right, startled and thrashing in his arms but all right. He let the monkey go, and it ran off into the woods. Shad was relieved that it was unharmed. And that it hadn't bit him.
-o-
The fight was not quite going to plan. Link had damaged Faron some more, however the Light Spirit was resorting to darker, underhanded tactics. Every one of its missed attacks ignited a fire, and Link was only able to smother so many. The fires were growing and merging, and its guardian did not care. Faron was willing to burn down the very forest it protected to stop Link.
Every time the monkey spirit bounded from tree to tree, it sparked more fires. Soon there would be no time left and nowhere to escape. Risk or no, the fight had to end here before Faron Woods was engulfed in flames.
Shad was nearby. Link had tried to keep him out of the fray, but the battle was unavoidable. Link had seen him bravely save the girl monkey. Shad was no coward. Maybe the scholar would see that for himself one day.
Faron kicked up another gale of wind, spreading the wildfires around them even more. The fire cast an orange light as gorgeous as the sunset and as apocalyptic as it was beautiful. Trees were falling. Smoke billowed up into the sky, as dark as night. The air was unbearably hot and scorched one's breath right out of one's throat.
Time was the greater enemy. Link could withstand and wear down Faron, but he could not outpace a raging forest fire. Link dodged its attack to the right and then left. He leaped onto the ball of light in the monkey spirit's hands. A barrier wave of energy tried to throw him off, but Link resisted it. He crunched down on the Light Spirit's ever-shining core. Link didn't know if he was making a very poor decision. His hope was to hinder its ability to attack, but truthfully, he didn't know what was going to happen. The Light Spirit's light always seemed more important than their corporeal animal forms.
Link struggled to hold on as Faron tried to shake him off, and its true form squirmed between Link's teeth, the sensation chuchu-like. It was dangerous if Faron attacked, but it had taken so much damage so far and its focus was on escaping Link's jaws. He bit down harder and thrashed his head side to side. Liquid light flooded his mouth. Faron's features bowed and distorted. Its body reverted to strings of light and began to slowly unravel at the tips.
With all his strength, Link yanked and ripped out something, something that shouldn't be tangible but was now. There was brightness, piercing and all-consuming in its brilliance, and a cacophonous monkey's shriek, equally piercing and devastating to hear. Faron's monkey form disintegrated into glowing white leaves, carried off lazily in the wind.
Link spat out the something he had ripped from the Light Spirit. It was a white-gold glob of viscous light. It pulsated like it had a heartbeat.
"Gaze upon the ruin you've wrought. ...Is this your idea of peace, Hero?" Faron said weakly. The Light Spirit was little more than a voice and a small, swirling cloud of amber-colored light particles. With a final shimmer from each particle, the spirit was not even that.
The glowing leaves rustled along the forest floor and gathered around the blob of viscous light. Wind twisted the leaves round and round the light and lifted the light into air. The leaves began to adhere to the light and melded to it. Bit by bit, it gained mass and took new shape. Finally, the viscous light from Faron's core solidified into the second Shard of Forfeited Light.
Link didn't approach the Shard. He knew he couldn't take it. He watched the shadows sweep in where the light once shone. The blazing fires withered and sputtered before extinguishing out completely in the consuming darkness. It should be dawn. The sun should be rising in the east. Instead, there was a barrier of twilight on the horizon and surrounding the province. Faron's dominion was reclaimed as a forest of smoke and shadow.
Link heard Shad's footsteps drawing closer. The scholar stopped beside him. "Well done, old boy," he said, gazing at the Shard in front of them. There was no triumph in his voice.
He reached out for the Shard. Unsure of what Faron's light might do to him, Shad hesitated for a moment before grabbing hold. When no shock came from it, he placed it in his belt pack.
"It seems to me that the phoenix stone is pointing us in the direction of Eldin, so I say we should head there next," Shad said.
Link was not looking forward to fighting Eldin. He knew their battle would take place mostly in the sky. The sky was no place for a scholar. Hopefully, the hawk spirit would stave off its attack long enough for Link to get Shad grounded.
Shad laid a hand on Link's neck. Link peered up. "Are you well enough to travel?" he asked. "I would suggest that we rest for a spell, however, I doubt Faron Woods has become any more safer for us. It is better we carry on."
Link didn't disagree. The two headed toward the barrier on foot to allow Link a little recovery. He was not sure there would be much recovery. The forest was embracing its shroud of shadows. There was a pulse in the earth driving the forest to change, to awaken, to become. Shad might call it a corruption, and Link didn't disagree. But it was hard to say if it was purely evil, yet it gave Link an uncomfortable ache in his bones. Whatever it was, it was certainly not of Faron's Light.
A light wind rolled the smoke into shifting beasts that appeared fleetingly in the corner of his eyes. Shad noticed them too. Patchwork beasts of stags, wolves and monkeys. Some had multiple heads, others multiple eyes. A few walked upright, the rest on all fours. Link was not sure what they were—ghosts or guardians—or what their intentions were. For now, they cautiously stalked Link and Shad from afar. Some bared their teeth at them but never pounced upon them. They heard their footsteps in the leaf litter following them.
Link wondered what would become of the Skull Kid and the monkeys once the darkness settled into their bones.
"The very air here is clogged with smoke," Shad said, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. "Make haste, old boy."
Link was elsewhere; his mind plagued by Faron's final words. Nothing made sense. Neither he nor Shad had imagined restoring the Oocca to their true forms would be such a daunting task with devastating consequences to Hyrule. Why did the Light Spirits respond to their pleas as if they wanted to resurrect an entire race of demon kings? They were funny-looking cucco beings!
"I know how mentally and physically exhausting all of this must be on you," Shad said, waiting on Link to catch up with him. "I promise we will rest plenty once we cross the barrier. It's just a ways farther."
Rest sounded wonderful, but Link couldn't afford to rest now. Hyrule was in danger. Partially due to his actions by removing two of its guardians and partially due to the Light Spirits standing in their way. He and Shad were not trying to endanger the world—they had been under attack. They were trying to help the world. The Oocca...they were not evil. The Twili hadn't been evil either—Link couldn't speak for the Dark Interlopers first banished to the Twilight Realm, but their descendants now did not deserve to be punished for their actions. The Twili had the right to exist. The Oocca had the right to exist.
Link wished he could talk to Shad. Maybe the both of them could make sense out of this madness. Were the Light Spirits lying to continue an unnecessary disproportionate punishment on the Oocca? The Singers' songs seemed to tell a different tale. All these questions rolled around in Link's head and pressed on his mind to get out but couldn't. He wanted so badly to be able to talk, to express these gnawing thoughts and feelings. After two more Light Spirits, he would be able to, he supposed.