The Great Sea is an interesting place to be. Funny how one argument can set off a chain of events that just messes up everything for everybody…and just whom is Al talking to all the time? (at the rate this is taking me to write, the world may never know)
(Inserting disclaimer... now!)
Nagori, Saimon and Senkyoku
By Achitka
Chapter 3:
Harmony
Al watched Link as he watched him, waiting for him to retch no doubt. The boat's motion was making Al more than a little ill, but he was determined not to slow down. Better to think of something else. Al closed his eyes as he fought back the queasiness and tried to concentrate on the problem. The trap's design focused on the intended victim's need for extreme vengeance, emphasis on the word extreme. The spell, hypothetically, would then use their life energy to power the gate. As long as the victim remained unaware of the cycling of days, eventually they'd be trapped forever.
While bearers of the Triforce of Courage might find themselves in such a situation, he never in his long life imagined it would snare a Princess of Hyrule. The Triforce of Wisdom should have helped her see the folly of such a course. What happened that would cause the girl to become that bitter? Still, the nagging feeling that something else that was not quite right would not go away.
Al looked up at the moon, though still partially hidden by the clouds; he could see that it was a little less than half full. Good, he had a little more time than he thought. Link said Tetra's crew was missing as well. He still was not sure if that would slow down the process or speed it up. It all depended on the Princess and what she did next. If she continued to fight her octo battle and expended the energy of not just herself but that of the crew she could, in theory, close the gate sooner than expected. Too many variables. He almost wished there was a way they could get a message to her.
A message. Link's other dream held some possibility, but without knowing what had triggered that meeting it wasn't likely he would be able to repeat the process. Was it the Triforce, Tetra's fear or Link's 'wishful thinking' that brought them together? Link said the Princess did not recognize him at first and that she tried to hide from him. That was not a good sign. If she forgot enough she might not even recognize help when it did arrive. In addition, when Link said he was not even sure he'd been sleeping. So, what was the element that was missing?
(Hey!) Yelled a small voice that pulled him out of his musing, (When are you going fix me?)
"You're not broken, and..." Dalkin said, as he carefully opened his eyes. "I've already told you, I don't know how. I haven't had enough time to think about it. There was nothing to indicate that the spell wouldn't take us both." Al looked up to see if Link still watched him. He was.
(He is going think you are crazy old man.)
"I'm sure he already does."
(Dalkin, I think I am going to shake apart.)
"The vibration is getting worse?" he said, brow crinkling.
(Yes.)
"Hmmm," Al said, as he looked closer, "you do look a little frazzled around the edges. Still got that ringing in your ears?"
(Yes, and it is giving me a headache.)
"I will try harder, be patient, one crisis at a time." Al closed his eyes again as he fought down another wave of nausea.
(Well, alright,) pause (Are you sure you did not do this on purpose?)
"If I had done it on purpose," Al said quietly, "I definitely would have made sure I couldn't hear you."
Memories
With all the other letters blank, Tetra sent Gonzo out to check on the rest of the crew. He looked very relieved to escape further scrutiny and exited quickly. Nagori who was still on the desk, seemed more interested in the pens and other baubles she had than anything else in the room. Having grabbed the nearest pen she began to wave it around her as if it was some sort of weapon. Tetra watched the little fairy with great amusement.
"Nagori?"
"Yes Princess?" the fairy replied as she continued to wave the pen about, became overbalanced, and plopped forward on her face.
"I thought you were going to call me Tetra."
"Yes Princess," the fairy said as she recovered and made a fresh dash at Tetra's logbook.
"You don't want me to forget again, do you."
"No Princess," Nagori said and tired of her pen adventure. Dropping her weapon, she floated closer to the edge of the desk. Nagori's face turned serious as she tilted her head and frowned. "I have something I must return to you," the fairy said, all trace of humor gone from her voice. "It will not be pleasant." The fairy sang once more; this time though it was not the pleasant melody Tetra had become accustom to, it was that angry harmony...
Coming down to her cabin, Tetra found Link sitting on the floor rummaging through his pack. "Why are you here? I thought we had an agreement."
Link didn't say anything, just continued to sift. She hated when he ignored her like that. At nineteen, Link had grown taller than even Gonzo, and their on again, off again relationship had been fun at first, but now she'd just as soon see him at the bottom of the ocean. Hero of the Winds, what the hell was she thinking? Didn't she have enough to do without dealing with him? He still did not answer her and continued his search for whatever it was he needed out of that damn pack.
"Excuse me? But I have things to do..." He paused for a moment; she heard a sigh followed by more rummaging. 'I'll kill him.' she thought and kicked the bottom of his boot and asked, "What the hell are you looking for Namaki?"
"A box," he said still not looking up.
"Well could you do it a little faster? I'm kind of in a hurry." She was amazed at how calm she sounded. Normally she'd be shouting at him by now. "That sloop can't be more than half a nights sail ahead of us."
"Well," he said and reached down further into his pack, "that's partly why I'm here." Link stuck his face inside it and she heard a muffled, "There you are."
A muffled Ah ha! escaped him and Link pulled a small wooden box out of his pack and smiled. Tetra's irritation deepened at the sight of it. Not the box, more than anything, she hated it when he smiled. While she could see the irrationality of that she all but growled. That stupid smile was going to end up causing her nothing but trouble. He used that smile on her on Windfall during the Winter Solstice Festival and like an idiot she'd fallen for it. This only served to remind her of her current extraneous problem and her frown deepened.
When he looked up at her and his green eyes met her blue his smile faded and he cleared his throat and said, "You can't sail tonight." Link hefted the box in his right hand and closed up his pack with the other.
"What? Are you nuts?" she barked in disbelief.
"Obviously, why else would I be here?" Link stopped and looked away for a moment. She could tell he wanted to say something else but instead repeated his earlier statement, "Just don't sail tonight, please."
There was something behind his words, something he knew was going to make her even angrier, as if that were possible. "Is that all you came to tell me?" She was past irritation. She stepped over his legs and snapped, "and why is that?"
"Something else is out there, waiting... I'm not sure what, but I had to warn you too."
Too? Who else had he passed a warning to? "Warn me? Why? And who "
"You're the Princess, remember?" Link groaned, as too late he realized this was exactly the wrong thing to say. "Look, Tetra," and he took a deep breath, "I don't want to start an argument." She could tell from his tone he did, he was always arguing with her and was only half listening when he said, "I'm just here to deliver a message. Don't sail in this area when the moon was full-"
She laughed as she interrupted him. "Is this really the best you could come up with?"
"What?"
"Link, you've been after me for months to take a break."
"Goddesses, I knew this was a mistake," he muttered to himself through clenched teeth. He shook his head in disgust, set the box on the floor, and stood up. "No, sorry Princess, I've pretty much given up on that. You can sail yourself to oblivion for all I care. I'm only here because the Great Fairy asked me to deliver a message."
"Oh right, so now the fairies are getting into the act?" Tetra rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in frustration. "There's nothing out there Link! Honestly, you'll believe anything."
"Those fairies have saved my life on more than one occasion," he growled evenly, "and Princess, at least they don't lie."
"Oh, and I do?" she asked with mock sweetness.
"If the slipper fits Princess. Gods know I would NOT be here if I didn't think it was important!"
"I'm sorry," she said sarcastically, "Did the words" 'I and think' escape your mouth in a sentence?"
He closed his eyes and his jaw set, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and shouted, "Bloody hell woman! Why are you being so damnably stubborn about this? It's just one stupid ship! It's been seven damn years already, just let it go!"
Her eyes narrowed at the comment and she shot back, "You freak of a fairy boy, what the hell would you know about it anyway?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "We've been tracking that ship for almost a month, I won't stop now!"
"You don't have to stop long! Just one day! Surely you can control your wanton need for revenge for just one bloody day!"
Tetra turned away and stood there silently, anger simmering. Behind her, she heard Link let out a long sigh.
"Please," he said softening his tone, "don't sail tonight." He stepped closer to her and gently put his hands on her shoulders. He turned her around so she would have to look him in the eye. "Just wait a day or two at the most. Just until the full moon passes and then it won't matter."
As she looked up at him, she saw the worry there and almost relented. Almost, but her anger had her now and she lashed out before she could stop herself.
"I don't remember you whining this much when you were fighting Ganondorf."
His grip on her shoulders tightened just a little and she knew this time she'd gone too far. More than anyone, she knew what that battle had cost him. Knew that he had nightmares about it still. It was something neither of them talked to anyone about except each other and she almost wished she could have the words back as Link let go of her and made her take an involuntary step back. She had never once in seven years feared him, but the look of hurt that turned to anger on his face was making her reconsider this. The fierceness in Link's green eyes held her as surely as his hands had. Now he simply stared at her for a long moment, hands clenched into fists at his sides, then something unexpected changed in his demeanor. His jaw and fists unclenched and Link sighed, relaxed his stance as he held up his hands in mock surrender and Tetra suddenly realized he really was giving up.
"Whatever you say, Princess," Link growled. He turned away from her, quickly picked up his things and stalked off.
Tetra was dumbfounded; Link never left an argument unfinished. While part of her wanted to make him stop, tell him she was sorry, a bigger part of her was glad he was leaving. He was just getting in the way lately anyway she told herself. Resentment helped keep her rooted in place and when she could find it in herself to move again, she went out to the rail above decks. He had already left the ship and was just a small dot on the horizon.
"AND DON'T CALL ME PRINCESSS!"
Tetra looked around, the crew, which had been preparing to sail, stood motionless around her. Realizing why they had all stopped she growled angrily, "What are you all looking at?"
Everyone starting working all at once, she looked around until she spotted Gonzo, and waved for him to come closer. From the look he gave her, she could see he was reluctant to do so, but he made his way through.
"Is everything alright?" Gonzo asked.
"Do me a favor, the next time you see fairy boy toss him off my ship."
"Fairy boy?" Gonzo blinked in surprise when he realized she must have been talking about Link, then nodded. She took her answer and stalked off to her cabin. Opening the door, she stubbed her toe on something hard on the floor. She picked up the errant item and tossed it on her bed.
Nagori stopped her song mid note and Tetra snapped back out of her memory only to realize why the little fairy had broken off her song. A tear ran down the tiny face and Tetra wondered idly what place in hell the Goddesses reserved for those who made the fairies cry.
Doppleganger
Link looked to the west and noticed they were making good time. Even after stopping to sleep again they just past the Islet of Steel, Great Fish was probably only a little while off. Al continued to urge speed and Link had eventually considered calling a cyclone to take them to Great Fish, but from the way Al was reacting to calm seas, spinning in a vortex would probably knock him unconscious. The sun had come up and the seagulls were flying out to meet them. One seagull in particular caught Link's eye and he immediately dropped the sail and let the boat come to a halt.
"What's wrong?" Al asked looking around, "Are we being attacked?"
"No," Link said pointing up. "I'm waiting for Jasper."
"Who's Jasper?"
"Aryll's friend." He rummaged in his pack and pulled out a hoi pear, stood up and plopped the juicy fruit on top of his head. A lone seagull dove out of the flock and snatched the pear. Link went a little glassy eyed then sat back down. "Yes!" Link said as he held up a letter.
"The mail is delivered by seagulls?" Al asked incredulously.
"Not exactly," Link said absently while he looked at the letter. His eyes went wide, "This is the same letter I got yesterday!" Link reached into his pocket. The letter from Gonzo was not there. "It's gone."
"Link are you saying you got a letter from the pirates?"
"Yes, but it was over two week old." he checked his other pockets and said, "Jasper is usually a lot more efficient... Unless…"
"Jasper was on the pirate ship when the trap was set off." Al finished for him.
"But how would she have gotten out?"
"I don't know, but the gate's not all the way shut."
"Well, that doesn't sound very efficient."
"Magic never is. That's why you're here."
"Lucky me."
"It really is a devious sort of trap. Just the amount of anger required to set it off...still why would the girl be that angry?"
"Tetra? If you knew her you wouldn't ask that question, though lately all I have to do is talk to her to make her angry."
"Hmph, interesting," Al looked at the water for a moment then said, "Link, the trap's magic is set to the moon's cycle. It can only be set off for a very short period of time every 50 years. It starts with the second full moon after either a winter or summer solstice. It works to make the victim think they are doing something new, but at the end of each cycle, it uses the life energy of the victim to send them backward in time to the day when the trap was set off. As the life force and the magic expends itself the number of days grows shorter. This way, as long as the victim doesn't realize they are reliving the same few days, the gate can close. Even after it closes or dissipates it will reset itself but it takes that 50 years to do so. In this case, something must have changed."
Link kept his face blank. Al knew an awful lot about this. More than what Link thought he should. Why he had that thought he didn't know but he decided to file it away for later and asked, "Like what?" but even as he said it, Link recalled what the Great Fairy on Outset said. Somehow, Tetra was now aware of the danger. While it might explain the letter he received from Gonzo, it did not explain why his Triforce piece had resonated on her ship. That only happened when any of the three pieces came into close contact with one another. Link looked back at Al when he said he didn't know what changed. Since Al was feeling suddenly talkative, Link changed tactics and asked "Then why so big?"
"The one it was meant to trap can sense those sorts of things. If it were too small, the concentrated magic would stick out like a bon fire, too easy to avoid. I guess it was hoped that if it covered a wide enough area the intended victim would be trapped inside before they realized it."
"That's seems a bit hazardous to leave laying around." Link said as he redid the rigging.
"It was a long shot even then." Al gripped the side of the small boat when Link got it moving again.
They sailed along in silence and Link turned the new pieces of the puzzle around in his head. He knew Tetra well enough to know that she wouldn't sit still for long if she thought her crew was in danger. That might have something to do with how her ship ended up in the cave on Outset. He looked over at Al, who wasn't looking too good. To distract him from the motion sickness a little he asked, "What was in this area before?"
"Before?" Al said leaning back.
"Yes, before," Link said a little more angrily than he intended, "it's pretty damn obvious you're not from around here."
Al listened to his invisible companion again then shook his head. He sat thoughtfully a moment longer and said, "It was a vast wasteland."
Link sighed when it became obvious he was not going to get any further information. When he spotted Great Fish up ahead on the horizon and pointed it out and Al turned to look. His already gray pallor improved some and he appeared relieved at the prospect that he would be on dry land again soon.
Even though Great Fish Island still bore the scars of Ganondorf's attack of seven years prior, some of the greenery returned. The island was still uninhabited; the harrowing stories told by the survivors of that assault guaranteed it would remain so. Once on the island, Link set up a small camp. It was almost evening, and he'd been awake all night. All the ships that stopped here fairly regularly to gather water were not in evidence. After a quick trip around the island he could see the beaches and it was obvious that no one had been there for weeks.
"I think we should see Jabun in the morning," Link said while he looked at the entrance to a nearby cave.
"Jabun?"
"Water Deity, Keeper of Nayru's Pearl and a really great fish. If anybody knows what's happening around here it's him."
"Do we have to wait until morning?"
"Nope, you're welcome to head down anytime you like," Link said as he waved a hand at the entrance. "Me? I'm taking a nap. I'm beat. I haven't had much sleep lately and I really need some rest. Besides at least I'll be able to understand him better."
"Why is that?"
"He only speaks an ancient form of Hylian."
Al raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Am I really that transparent?"
"I told you I hate guessing."
"Alright, may I see the letter from the pirate?"
"Sure." Link pulled the letter out and handed it off to Al with a small pack of rations then lay down with his pack under his head and promptly fell asleep. Al could see he wasn't kidding; he'd never seen anyone fall asleep that fast in his life.
"I wish I could do that," Al said.
(Hey!)
"What?"
(Read the letter old man. Hurry up!)
"Aren't we feeling feisty?"
(Just open it!)
"In a moment," Al looked up at a tree that was atop a nearby hill. "I thought I heard something up there." He watched the tree for a moment or two longer. When nothing happened, he shrugged and returned his attention to the letter he was holding. He opened it and read through it carefully. Something had changed, either the Princess was actively trying to escape or the magic was starting to unravel. Maybe both. That feeling that something just wasn't right came back to him as he read the letter again, "Hito...I don't like the sound of that..."
(Do you think it is him? It has been over two hundred years after all.)
Al looked up at the tree again then back at Link, he shivered as the sunset cast a gloom across the camp. "What's a few hundred years to a shadow?"
Tetra sat unmoving for a while, then shook her head and said, "Well, that was unsettling." Nagori looked up at her and appeared to have regained her former humor.
"I am sorry Princess," she said as she floated over to the small box on the desk. "I am young and very emotional."
"You're apologizing to me?"
"Yes, it was not my intention to make you sad," Nagori said and started working at the latch on the box. After a few tries she looked back at Tetra and sighed. "It was a disturbing memory though," the fairy said and returned her attention to the latch.
"Well perhaps I deserved that sadness," Tetra said, and reached to assist the little fairy. "I have behaved rather poorly lately with little regret for my words. That just underscored how I got here in the first place."
"What is in this box that is closed so tight?" Nagori asked while she tugged at the latch.
Tetra thought for a moment, "Ummm... I don't know."
Suddenly, the ship lurched and the box slid off the desk, hitting the floor on its side. Nagori would have gone over too if Tetra hadn't snatched her before she tipped off her chair. "What the hell is going on? Gonzo!" Tetra struggled to get up and almost fell over when the ship lurched again.
Nudge appeared in her doorway. "Miss Tetra, we need you topside." The boat listed again and they both held on until the ship righted. "We have a problem." Nudge didn't wait for a reply but turned and headed out.
"Hold on Nagori," Tetra said as she took the chain out. The fairy grabbed hold and held on tight. Tetra bounded out of her cabin and up stairs as quickly as she could. She threw open the door and stopped abruptly as she found herself facing another Octo. "Damn it! Someone find Niko!"
The wind picked up. Someone ran past her and disappeared below. "Watch those lines, Gonzo!" she said as she headed up to the helm. Just below her Niko appeared on deck. "Man that gun! We're low on... oh never mind! Just go!" She just waved him on and watched him for a moment, as he turned aft toward the waiting cannon. She turned to Senza and added, "Keep her steady." She then dropped down to middeck and headed for the cannon. How many bombs did they have? She reached the stern just as the first shot was fired.
BOOM!
She looked furiously at the Octo she did not believe was there. At least, she thought, it was still only a six-eye.
BOOM! BOOM! Three down, three to go. Three more shots and the Octo went down.
"Good job Niko," she said, but her smile faded. "Do me a favor, get Senza, Gonzo, Nudge, Mako and Zuko and head to my cabin. We need to figure out what's bloody going wrong now."
Tetra came into her cabin and set Nagori on the desk. She turned back and looked at the faces of these men who had been with her since before her mother's untimely death. They were the closest thing to a family she'd ever known and followed her orders without question since she was eleven years old. Tetra was determined now more than ever to find a way out of the mess she'd led them into. "Can anyone explain what happened?" she asked, and sat in a nearby chair.
"I don't think we got turned around," Senza replied. "The helm was steady all day. Of course, we weren't moving too fast, cause of the wind, but I think I would have noticed if we'd changed tack. It's like, it followed us."
"Well isn't that a pleasant thought. Obviously, going back the way we came is not an option. Well time to move on to plan b, anybody got a plan b?" No one answered. "All right then, Niko, what do you have to report?"
"Ummm..." Niko shifted a little uneasily and started pulling various folded pieces of paper out of his pockets. Carefully unfolding each, he spread them out on the desk.
"Could you speed it up a little?" Gonzo asked. Niko looked around the room nervously then cleared his throat a few times.
"That's all right." Tetra said picking up the papers, "I'll take it from here." She scanned the first page and noted Niko's handwriting was surprisingly neat. Then she read out loud:
6:00 am: Senza turned the ship.
Zuko climbed up to the crows nest.
6:30 am: Gonzo went below.
Mako sharpened his knife
6:45 am: Gonzo came back topside (he was very red)
7:00 am: Started laundry (yuck)
9:30 am: Finished laundry (yay)
9:45 am: Mako sits near cannon to read.
10:30am: Jasper comes aboard sits on Mako's book. (poops)
Tetra looked up from the page. "Jasper's back?"
"Yeah," Gonzo said suddenly, "I think she's on deck sleeping, she looked mighty tired."
"I hadn't even noticed she was back," Senza said.
Tetra turned to Nudge, "Do we have any bait? Or better yet a hoi pear?"
"I'll go check." he said and headed out the door.
"Anything else, Niko?"
"No, the Octo attacked about then so we were all busy with that."
"Princess?" Tetra looked back over at the desk, she heard a few snickers from those still in the room but ignored them. "You didn't read this letter."
"What letter?" Tetra asked.
Nagori pushed at the envelope. Tetra reached over the desk and picked it up.
"Gonzo come here for a sec." Tetra held up the envelope. "This was blank a few hours ago, right?" He nodded. "Then what happened?"
"That's Aryll's handwriting," he offered.
Tetra turned the letter over; it was sealed with a small bit of wax with the impression of tiny seagull. Carefully she opened it and unfolded the letter inside. Two words were written on the page:
OUTSET CYCLOS
What's that supposed to mean? She pondered for a moment, and said the words aloud. "Outset and Cyclos?"
Gonzo gasped.
"What?"
"The writing..." Gonzo said, eyes wide as he pointed at the letter. "it...it changed..."
"What are you talking about?" Tetra looked back at the letter and clearly in her own handwriting it said:
OUTSET CYCLOS
That word cyclos nagged at her memory. There was something important about it that she couldn't remember.
"Cyclos?" as she spoke the word, the ship for the second time that day lurched and threw everyone in her cabin off balance. "Sweet Nayru, what's going on now!"
Nudge appeared in the doorway. "Miss Tetra, we need you topside." The boat listed again and everybody held on until the ship righted, "We have a new problem." Nudge didn't wait for a reply but turned and headed out.
"Princess!"
"Hold on Nagori," Tetra said as she took the chain out. The fairy grabbed hold and held on tight. Tetra bounded out of her cabin and up stairs as quickly as she could. Throwing open the door she stopped abruptly as she found herself facing...a cloud? And it was laughing.
"Damn it! Someone bring me that damn bow, I've had enough!"
The wind picked up. Someone ran past her and disappeared below. "Watch those lines, Gonzo!" she said as she headed up to the helm. Just below her Niko appeared with the bow. "Thanks!" she said and turned to Senza. "Keep her steady." She dropped down to middeck and pulled an arrow out of the quiver. Just what the hell am I supposed to shoot?
"Princess, aim for the center of the cloud!" Nagori cried.
Tetra raised and eyebrow, but figured the fairy must know something she did not. So she took aim and let it fly. In the distance, above sound of the wind, she heard a surprised yell. "Ha!" Tetra shouted as she shook her free hand at the cloud.
"Two more Princess! You'll have to hit him two more times!"
Hit him? "What ever you say." She let loose another arrow but this one was a little off to the left. She adjusted her aim for the quickening winds and sent off another. This one caught its mark, with growing confidence she pulled another arrow out, took careful aim and let it fly.
Loud laughter filled the air as the seas around the ship calmed quite suddenly. She watched in fascination, as the cloud she had been aiming for dropped down right in front of her. On it sat a shockingly bright orange... frog?
"Excellent shooting Princess. How may I be of service to you?"
"Ummm..."
"Tell him you want to go to Outset."
"There's something about this you're not telling me isn't there." Nagori only giggled and crawled into a vacant vest pocket. Tetra returned her attention to frog. "We need to get to Outset Island. Can you help us?"
"That Princess is my specialty." He looked around the deck. "But you might want to tie down anything you don't want lost."
"Huh?"
"Do what he says," The tiny voice in her pocket chirped.
"Okay..." Tetra started giving orders to either tie it down or take below. It was full dark and nearly midnight when they got it all stowed. Cyclos seemed content to play Six Guns with Mako and Zuko.
"We must stay to guide." Nagori yawned, it seems she had napped though it all. Gonzo was not pleased and said so. Tetra tried to reassure him but he made it a point to personally secured her to the wheel. He hesitated a moment or two before heading below with the others. Tetra smiled and winked as he shut the door.
With everyone below the frog came nearer to her, he was much bigger that close up. His proximity jogged loose the knowledge of what the frog in front of her was. "You're Cyclos, the God of Cyclones."
The Wind God seemed pleased she recognized him. "Princess, you'll need to hold that wheel steady. It's gonna be one heck of a ride!" Laughing he rose off the deck and threw his hands wide, clapped them together and in a booming voice that sounded like distant thunder said, "TO OUTSET MY CHILDREN!"
At first, nothing at all seemed to happen. Tetra looked around, more than a little nervous, when from all around she heard the sounds of the wind. Cyclones began to appear; some large, some small. They came together above the ship until they formed one massive tornado. Nagori squealed with delight and buried herself into one of Tetra's deeper pockets.
"I'm glad one of us is enjoying this," she muttered to herself. She gripped the wheel harder as the wind grew in intensity and the ship start to spin. It rotated slowly at first then picked up speed as the winds wrapped more tightly around her ship. She felt herself leaving the deck, straining the knots Gonzo had so carefully tied; it was a little like flying.
In moments, the ship caught up with her. "Whoa!" Everything spun faster and faster until the ship was spinning so fast she couldn't tell up from down. Tetra held on to the wheel and struggled to keep the image of Outset Island in focus. She expected a rough landing but was surprised when the ship set down gently and slowly spun to a halt. Tetra shook her head, Nagori still in her pocket and giggled like crazy. Tetra smiled as she looked across the water, she could just make out the lights of Link's Grandma's house.
Al sat awake most of the night, he knew he had heard something earlier, and it was always better to prepare for the worst. Link still slept nearby seemingly unaffected by the damp chill in the air.
(Hey!)
"Yes, Saimon."
(You should be sleeping)
"I'm not tired."
(You are lying)
"You think so?"
(After forty some odd years, I can tell old man, you should sleep.)
"Perhaps."
(I will watch the tree.)
"It's not the tree I'm worried about."
(I will watch for that too. If anything happens, I will wake you. Go to sleep.)
"You're unusually concerned for my welfare today. What brought this on?"
There was a pause (If you die on me now, I will be stuck like this forever, and forever is a long time to be invisible.)
Al chuckled, "Well even if I do suddenly pop off, I'm sure Venus will come up with a solution to your problem."
(Not if she cannot even see me.) Pause (Why are you still awake? Go to sleep)
"Very well, but wake me if you see or hear anything okay?"
(Got it.)
Al sat awake a little longer. His thoughts drifted and the sounds of a familiar melody ran through his head, he probably couldn't have told you when he nodded off, but he did.
... as he watched the scene honed in. A young couple and a pair of small children came out of a small house on a perfect summer day. The children ran out into the knee-high grass that waved idly in the warm summer breeze. An older man and woman followed the younger pair. The younger couple looked to be ready for a move. A great brown mare stood, hitched to a wagon filled with the everyday lives of the little family. Tearful hugs were exchanged by the older and younger, the children were called back from the field and then they set off heading north up the mountain.
Al looked back over to the house; it had faded and was replaced by another, rougher home. The lamps were lit and it was raining outside. The young couple was not as young as before, the children were older and looking a little thin as they slept. The woman placed a hand on the window, looked out at the rain, and cried silent tears. Al heard the sea behind him; smell the salt and rain mixing churning up the earth as it rained harder and harder.
Slowly the darkness and rain faded to show the family again. This time there was a small celebration going on outside. The oldest of the children was having a mock battle with his sister; he waved his wooden sword and chased after her. She ran, always just ahead of him, turning every now and again to attack or defend with the long pole she carried. Trailing after them was a pair of identical looking boys, running and mimicking the actions of their older siblings.
They all ran until one of the children noticed a man sitting quietly watching them from the rock face above them. "You children shouldn't play here it's not safe," he said. "There are things living in this part of the forest you don't want to meet." From behind them, a woman's voice called and the children turned and ran back the way they had come.
Al started awake; he looked out over the ocean. What had brought that on? He wondered. How odd to have that memory surface after all these years. "How very odd indeed," he said to himself. Al, lost in his thoughts did not notice that Link was awake and watching him.
Morning came and in the gloom of the dawn, they got ready to head into the cave.
Link fidgeted with the ties of his pack. He looked over at Al and wondered. "Al?"
"Hmmm..."
"How old are you?"
Al gave him a questioning look. "How old?"
"Yeah, I had a strange dream last night, but not the regular sort. The odd kind, the kind that is trying to tell you something."
"Tell me."
"I think you already know." but he went ahead and told him anyway.
At first, Al said nothing. He just stared at him as if he had said something completely unexpected.
"You are a very curious person, Link," Al said, paused, and seemed to be listening then shook his head. "What you saw was not a dream but a memory. One of mine, I think. Something I've not thought of for a very long time."
"You think?" Link held up his hand to stop him. "No don't answer that, I have a feeling I won't like the answer. Besides how could I dream one of your memories?"
"I'm not sure, but it's obviously information you need. Why would it surface now?" Al pulled off his hat and waved it at the air beside him.
Link watched him for a minute and asked, "Do you two fight all the time?"
Al looked at Link blankly for a moment, then realized what he was doing and plopped his hat back on his head. Changing the subject he said, "Do you know it's said that individuals with pointed ears can hear the whispers of the goddesses?"
"Okay..." Link said, as he finished packing, "My grandma said something about that once, Aryll was kidnapped because she had them ears. More of a nuisance than anything else if you asked me, but Grandma brought us up with those stories and heck, she thinks we're descendants of the Hero of Time."
"And what makes you believe you're not?"
"Right, that's funny Al." Link noticed he was still waiting for an answer. "Aside from the fact that all the stories say that after his battle with Ganon he just disappeared. Nothing I've ever found anywhere says he stayed or that he had any children."
"I suppose you're right about that." Al paused for a moment and asked, "Link do you know anything else about this person who's been asking around about you?"
"No, but Aryll said there was someone on Windfall asking around about me there."
"Do you know when that was?"
"No, but I'm guessing it was after I left Windfall to go home for a few days and just before I found Tetra's ship in the cave."
"Do you think he found out what he wanted to know?"
"Windfall is gossip central and probably, like my sister says, I am very well known on that island." Al's look of concern stared to spook him a little. "What is it you're really worried about?"
"Hitokage."
"A shadow soul?"
"You've heard of him then?"
"No, I've read about it though."
"He's not an 'it' Link, he's darkness, evil wrapped up in a malevolent soul." Al shuddered. "He'll kill you if he can, and if he can't do that, he'll kill or destroy those that you love instead."
Link said nothing, just looked at Al as a pained expression came over him. Whatever he was thinking about, Al was speaking from personal experience. He picked up his pack and got ready to go. Al lingered staring at the sea, a deep frown distorting his features. "Ready?" Al only nodded.
They headed into the cave but something made Link stop short. "Wait here a second." Heading deeper into the cave, he could feel his hair stand on end. Something was in there, something that shouldn't be. Turning back in the dark he all but tripped over Al who it seemed had followed him anyway. "How do you do that?" Link whispered. He couldn't see Al too well in the darkness but Al didn't answer he only shrugged.
"We've got company," Link said and pulled out his sword. "Got any weapons?" Al shook his head. "Well then take this." He handed Al his boomerang. The old man started to protest, his voice sounded raspy as he whispered. Link just sighed and said, "If anything comes near you pretend it's an apple." Al looked dubiously at Link then the boomerang and nodded. "Right, let's go." As they entered the larger cavern, a large door slammed down behind them, heavy metal bars thudded into place. "Great," Link said with a quick glance back.
He scanned the half lit cavern, but could see nothing moving. The air was filled with a rustling sound, kind of like the sound dry leaves make when you pile them up in the fall. He edged his way over to a crack in the northern most side of the cavern wall where a small sliver of light made a bright patch in the sand. He pulled out his shield and reflected the light to the ceiling above. The cavern walls seemed to be moving and then he heard it.
"Ne, ne, neh, ne, ne".
Link groaned and wished he hadn't lent his bow to Tetra, he shouted, "Heads up!" and pointed his sword toward the ceiling. Al looked up and squinted. Miniblins started to drop from the ceiling and climb off the walls in alarming numbers. The air soon filled with their calls.
"Ne, ne, neh, ne, ne, neh..."
"Stupid Ne Nes," Link cursed as he swung his sword in a broad arc that hit five or six at a time. Miniblins were not smart, but they always attacked in numbers that could easily overwhelm. He started taking a mental count of the number of small explosions he heard. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three... Link looked around for Al in between sword strokes.
The old man stood without moving near the door, the Miniblins seemed to be focused on Link so he moved a little further away from where Al was standing, "Apples, Al just apples!" Al jolted into action as he hefted the boomerang for a moment then let it fly. Link saw it coming and dropped to the ground just as the boomerang cut a small patch out of the pesky creatures. He got up quickly but the murderous little rats prodded him with their weapons, laughing and singing.
"Ne, ne, neh, ne, ne, neh..."
Link needed more room, finding a small open area in the sea of miniblins, he held out his sword as if the strike again. They backed away, a little wary as his sword started to crackle with green energy. When he let the magic go he spun, sword extended wiping out dozens with each turn. He came to a halt and staggered a little.
Once he got his bearings, he heard the boomerang again. With no time to get out of the way, Link raised his shield just a little too late and took a glancing hit to his head. He wobbled a little then sank to his knees. He looked back at the old man he realized something wasn't right; either Al had changed his clothes or that wasn't him. The miniblins backed away from him, parting as the older man moved closer to him and grinned fiendishly, boomerang clutched in pasty white fingers.
"All too easy."
Link struggled to stay conscious and stared at the old man memorizing his features as he tried to resist the overwhelming urge to take a nap. 'Naps are good,' he thought fuzzily. His already unsteady gaze wandered past Mr. Pasty face to see the real Al open the sealed door and come into the cavern.
"How'd he do that?" Link wondered aloud and returned his hazy attention back to the other just in time to see the quick gesture to someone or something behind him.
The second blow did what the first could not and everything went blissfully dark.
As the door went up Al could see Link as he wavered on his knees. The boy looked over at him with a questioning look and turned back at the figure in front of him. An angry gesture from the other brought a nasty blow from one of the miniblins behind Link and he fell over unconscious. Al winced; he knew Link probably had a health fairy or two with him, so why didn't they come out? He didn't move when he heard the door slam shut behind him he simply shifted his stance.
Miniblins began to jump haphazardly in his direction; sure, they had an easy target. He pulled out a four and a half foot pole from seemingly thin air and made very short work of the first group. After he cut a swath through the next group, he picked off several more that came within range. He did not move from that spot in front of the door, he simply stood; ready and waiting for the next unlucky group. Other miniblins who noticed him were suddenly unsure of what to do next. They milled about periodically coming within range.
The other still looked at Link and said, "Well Mei, it has been a while, but I've found you at last." Turning back the other asked, "How did you manage to lose your tag? I thought you got to like being stuck with that little pest."
(Kei cannot see me either!)
"Perhaps he got bored with the conversation and wandered away."
(I will go check on Link, try to keep Kei talking)
"I see you no longer have Senkyoku with you."
"Oh she's still here." Kei said in a mocking tone, "Let's just say I've got her under wraps." The other said and pulled out a small crystal pendent. It glowed with an eerie light.
"Goddesses!" Al gasped and took a small step closer.
"Ah, ah, ah..." the other said and raised the boomerang, "You wouldn't want me to complete my assignment, now would you?"
Al stared silently for a moment and shook his head. "Kei, why are you still doing this, can't you just let the past go?"
"How can you?" Al did not reply, "You know as well as I that those two were sent to spy on us."
"That may be, but they've never done us any harm."
"I didn't like being watched all the time..." Kei said, left eye twitching.
Dalkin removed another group of mini's that had wandered too close. "Could you at least call off the miniblins, it's difficult to have a conversation like this."
A wisp of a smile played on the others lips, and then sneered. "No Mei, I think we'll just let them stay where they are. Wouldn't want you to play any magic tricks on me now would I? Besides you have to come with me if we're going to put an end to this."
"I'll come with you if you promise to leave the boy here." Al lowered his stance a little. "You know you can't force me to come, so what do you say?"
Kei's eyes narrowed, hissing, "He comes."
(The fairies are asleep, under some kind of spell they cannot come out of their bottles)
"You know I won't allow you to hurt him." Al struck out again, this time removing more than a dozen minis.
"He shouldn't even be alive..." Kei said, looking down at Link.
"But he is."
"You know what he is..." Kei said almost in a whisper, "What he'll become."
"No Kei, that was then and this boy is not the one you remember. He bears the mark of the true hero, the goddesses surely would not allow an undeserving soul to bear such a mark"
(Do not go Dalkin, Kei means to kill you.)
Al lowered his head hiding his face behind the brim of his wide hat and said to Saimon, "No, Kei will not kill me. Stay with Link, I'll be alright."
(But you need me...)
Al smiled at his friend, "Yes, but he will need you more, don't worry just do this for me."
(Alright, but how can I help him if he cannot even see me?)
"You'll find a way." He raised his head again and said to the other, "Either the boy stays or we have it out here and now. Do you think you're ready?"
Kei looked at him, left eye twitching almost constantly now and in a trance like voice said, "The time is not right, I will come back for him once I'm through with you and the best part is you will aid in his destruction." Kei snapped back into focus and followed this by a bit of maniacal laughter.
Al sighed as he slowly lowered his guard and offered no resistance as the miniblins swarmed in to force him further into the cavern. He turned only once and watched as Kei took one last look at the unconscious boy and dropped the boomerang. Al turned then and followed Kei's little army into the darkness.
Saimon watched as Dalkin disappeared into the cave. He tried to be still as stone as Kei looked right through him with sunken eyes and glared at the boy and whispered, "It will all be over soon. No fairies will interfere this time..." and dropped the boomerang. Before Kei turned away Saimon got a closer look at Senkyoku's crystal prison and shuddered to think what it must be like inside. For though a dim light could be seen, it must be Din damn dark in there.
Kei stumbled away then toward the waiting darkness. Saimon turned his attention back to Link. After a bit of a struggle he managed to get himself all the way into Link's pack. There had to something in here that would help... Near the bottom he came across the ocarina, it glowed as he neared it reflecting the fairy magic trapped inside. With luck, he should be able to get inside and from there get a message to someone to help Link.
Tetra looked out over the bay and tried to puzzle out the letter while undoing the ropes. If Aryll had sent the letter that would help explain Jasper's reappearance, but the sudden change in handwriting, that was just weird. "Nagori?"
"Yes Princess?"
"How did you know?" Tetra said as she removed the last of the knots
"Everyone knows about Cyclos."
"No, not him I was talking about the letter." She held up the little fairy in her hand, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Did you get taller?"
"Yes. I am not yet full grown."
"Fairies grow?"
"Of course we do silly Princess."
"Are you going to tell me about the letter?"
"It is on your desk."
"Yes, but... oh never mind." Tetra yawned, and Nagori made her way to her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes as she yawned again, my goodness I'm tired she thought.
"Princess, listen," Nagori said as she cocked her head slightly, "You must hide your ship before the magic finds you again."
"Finds us, then we aren't out?"
"We have escaped the main," Nagori said, "but we still remain trapped within the original cycle of days."
"Are you sure?"
"The moon is still full."
Tetra looked up and realized the little fairy was right, "So what now?"
"You must break the magic."
The door to the lower decks opened and Gonzo came out holding Jasper in the crook of his arm, Senza held up a hand to forestall anyone else for coming up. Shutting the door, they approached her looking a little shaken.
"Are you alright Miss?" Gonzo asked looking her up and down. He gently stroked Jasper, who also looked a little dizzy.
"I'm fine guys," Tetra said, "unfortunately Nagori says were not quite out of the woods yet. "
"What do we need to do?"
"Hide the ship."
"Hide the ship?"
"Yes, hide the ship." She leaned back against the wheel and felt unexpectedly very tired, "Well there's only one likely spot for that." As she looked over at the island, she yawned again and pointed. "Jabun's Cave."
"Well we had better get started then," Gonzo said, "We'll get things underway. You look exhausted; maybe you should rest a while."
"No, no I'll be alright," but even as she said it, she could feel another yawn coming on.
"Miss, you should go below and rest," Senza said, "We'll wake you when we reach the other side of the island."
"Okay, yeah." She yawned yet again, "I think I will lay down for a bit." She walked away feeling a little unsteady. Senza opened the door below for her. "Hi, everyone make it okay?" she asked the rest as they waited for her to go by. She was really dragging now.
"Come on you lot, we've got work to do." Gonzo called.
Tetra walked the short distance to her cabin, now even more tired, she felt like she had just fought a bunch moblins with her bare hands. As she lay back on her bed Nagori hummed that sweet melody, it sounded so much like a lullaby that Tetra was out before her head hit the pillow.