Nagori, Saimon and Senkyoku
By achitka

Chapter 5:

The Unseen Dangers of Pie

Gonzo watched the shadow that hovered over the mouth of the cave and felt an odd sense of dread. It was only a moment or two, but it felt like hours. No one moved or said a word as everyone seemed to realize that discovery by this shadow would doom them all. When it moved away, and the sun returned there was a collective sigh of relief. That was a little too close, he thought.

"Gonzo!" a tiny voice called to him from above. He looked up in time to see Tetra start to sag. He pushed past the others and made it to the bottom of the broken ladder barely in time to break her fall to the deck. The others crowded around and whispered in hushed fearful tones.

"Quiet you lot," Gonzo hissed, "Nagori, what happened?"

"The Princess is being pursued by shadow."

"But why is she unconscious?"

"She has returned to the only shelter she believes she has." Nagori floated over and lightly touched the sleeping young woman's face. Tetra flinched and struggled briefly then went completely limp. "She both fears and desires that shelter."

"But it's gone now," he said looking nervously at the cave mouth. "Isn't it?"

"No." The little fairy looked up at him. "It will pursue her until it finds her again. It needs her to complete its mission."

"Then we will make sure it doesn't find her," Gonzo said matter-of-factly. He carefully lifted her while Nagori climbed up on his shoulder.

"You must take the princess to her cabin; the Wind Waker will be here soon."

"Link?"

Senza only nodded. "The fairy must know something. Go ahead Gonzo, we'll get the mast back up, can't have it lying on the deck."

"Right." Gonzo said with a grunt and made his way through the crowd of pirates; Niko opened the door and closed it behind him. Tetra's was still open, so he went in. She felt cold and after he laid her on the bunk, he set the fairy down near her head. Pulling an extra blanket out he laid it atop her. The knot in his stomach was turning to ice. Tetra looked so pale almost fragile. Like she would break if he dared touch her. Had he failed?

Gonzo thought back, almost thirteen years ago now, and at the time, Gonzo quailed at the prospect of leaving his home and family. His mother did not blink an eye when his father turned up, after being gone several years, to take him shipboard to learn sea craft. He worked harder in in those two years than he'd ever worked on the family farm. The day when his father told him he would be joining the crew of pirates he also told him the real reason he been so carefully schooled in the history and mythology of Hyrule. His father told him of the things that were expected of him and his duty to protect the half sister he'd never known about. His father extracted a heavy oath from him the day they met with the Captain of the Hoshimawari.

The Captain, it turned out, was his new sister's mother and Gonzo prepared himself for the worst. While he expected the daughter of the captain to be a bratty, spoiled, arrogant little snit, he found Tetra to be the exact opposite. If nothing else, she was a natural born troublemaker and got them both into some real dilemmas when they were young. Treasure hunting was a dangerous prospect to begin with, but whatever adventure Tetra led them into, she always found a way out, even when things went wrong.

Though the Captain would congratulate her daughter when missions went well, she often reprimanded Tetra for even the smallest of failures. Though Gonzo understood why, it always seemed cruel that the Captain rarely called her daughter by her given name. Even now the tradition stuck, as everyone on board referred to her as Miss or Miss Tetra, well, everyone except for Link.

He was actually pleased when the pair started up a relationship. No one understood her better than Link and it made Gonzo wonder why Tetra struggled so hard to push him away. Even now, Link was the only one brave enough to call her Princess to her face.

"She really is the Princess of Legend."

"Yes."

"My Da used to talk about that. I wish now I had paid better attention. Maybe she wouldn't be laying here hiding from a shadow."

"You have always been a good brother Gonzo. Do not blame yourself for the Princess's current situation. You have kept your oath."

Gonzo gave a start a his eyes narrowed. "How did you know about that?" Gonzo asked as he gave the fairy a sidelong glance. "There were only two other people besides myself who could have known we're related and they're both dead."

"Yes," Nagori said as she turned and patted Tetra face.

"Alright fairy... keep your secret, and I'll keep mine."

Tetra stood on the balcony that overlooked the basement of Hyrule Castle. She hated it here; the place did not hold one pleasant memory for her. It only served to remind her of the weeks she'd spent waiting and alone. Why had it taken Link so long to figure out how to recharge the Master Sword with the power to repel evil. She hated waiting, and she hated this place, so why her head chose it above all the others she'd known, puzzled her.

A dim light filtered through the stained glass windows that lined the walls. Each held a depiction of the sages from Hyrule's past. The legends said there were seven in total, but the images here, only showed six of them. Forest, Water, Fire, Spirit, Shadow and Light. It always made her wonder, who had been the seventh sage. The fabled sage, rumored to be the most powerful and the leader of the group. Time's sage was missing and that seemed odd to her.

In Tetra's time, only two remained; Wind and Earth. She liked them and both were steadfast in their duties to be sure. So, what happened to the others? Were they lost when Hyrule was buried beneath the waves? Too many unanswerable questions she thought as she slowly came down the staircase. Tetra stopped when something small and fast moving caught her eye. Someone or something was in here with her.

She sped up her pace down the stairs and tried to make as little noise as possible. Tetra hurried across the causeway that led to a dais and glanced at the empty pedestal that once held the Master Sword. A semi-circle of stone carvings of the Guardian Knights of Hyrule surrounded it. Forty feet high, their outstretched swords crossed above the empty pedestal. Those stone guardians were another enigma of Hyrule's past. She examined each and it only surprised her a little that one was actually a woman. The hero of old was said to be of their line, the line of the chosen. Something that she never felt properly explained.

She now moved behind the nearest statue and waited. She leaned a little to the left, but now nothing moved. Maybe I'm just seeing things, she thought. When she turned to look the other way, she was startled to find herself staring at herself. A much younger version of her; still in her princess incarnation.

Tetra backed up slowly and muttered a curse and asked the girl in front of her, "Where did you come from?" Still edging back she almost fell into the water behind her forcing her to stop.

"Over there," the little girl said and pointed near the stairs.

"Cute girl, that wasn't what I meant and you know it."

"Come on now," the younger girl said sarcastically as she stepped closer to her, "You can't be that deep in denial."

"Wanna make a bet?" Tetra rubbed her forehead and sighed as she faced the girl. "Do you mind if I call you Zelda? It'll help me through this if I don't feel like I'm talking to myself."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Great, so Zelda," she said as she turned and walked back toward the ring of knights, "what brings you here."

"Nothing brings me here," Zelda/Tetra said as she followed her. "I never left." The Princess sat down on the empty pedestal. "I can't leave this place unless you let me. Do you even realize you have been keeping me locked up in this dreary basement for the past seven years?"

"Well, I have been a bad girl."

"I wouldn't say bad so much someone with a distinct inability to deal with her personal relationships."

Tetra scowled. "Those are some pretty fancy words," Tetra said as she sat down cross-legged in front of the girl, "for a figment of my imagination."

"I'm no figment Tetra," the little princess said, "and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll solve our problem."

"Gonzo?"

The bury first mate looked over to see Nudge in the doorway.

"How is she?"

"Asleep, I think." I hope he thought as he looked back at her. "Once the mast is up, have everyone meet down in the galley." The other pirate nodded. "I'll be down as soon as I get some things squared away with Nagori."

"It will probably be a least half an hour."

"Right." He turned his attention back to the fairy, "Alright, if I'm going to help Miss Tetra, I'm going to need a little more information." Nagori turned and looked up at him. "What did you mean when you said Link will be here soon, I thought he was outside the trap?"

"He found the ship when he returned to Outset."

"But we only just got here, how could he find the ship?"

"The magic is sending you back through time, forcing you to repeat certain events, slowly sapping your life's energy from you."

"But how could we still be getting mail from him?"

"Are you sure you did?"

Gonzo realized that he really wasn't sure. Three of the letters had been blank when he brought them to Tetra, and he only had a fuzzy recollection of receiving them in the first place. "Do you know if he ever got the letter I sent off with Jasper?"

"Jasper has remained unaffected by the magic."

"I'll take that as a yes then," he said and paced uneasily. "If that's all true then it was only a day or two ago that he went home."

"No. You are within the cycle, almost three weeks have passed since then."

"How many cycles have we been through?"

"Seven."

"How many would you say we have left?"

"Four, perhaps less."

"And each time the cycle gets shorter." The fairy nodded. "That doesn't leave us a lot of time and that shadow, what is it?"

"Hitokage."

"That guy from Great Fish?"

"No, that was an agent, the shadow is far more dangerous."

"I told him about Link."

"Yes."

"That's not good." Gonzo sat on the edge of the bunk, pulled the bandanna off his head. He mopped his face and looked over at Tetra. "They want to use her to get at him. I am such an idiot."

"You cannot blame yourself for this."

"Easy for you to say fairy, but I know the truth of it. If I hadn't been running my mouth, this probably wouldn't have happened."

Nagori did not answer; instead, she turned back toward Tetra and hummed a favorite song.

"Why are you are so stubborn?" The smaller Zelda/Tetra shouted and threw her hands up in frustration.

"Huge character flaw, I know." Tetra sighed and nodded to herself.

"So what are you going to do?" The girl asked tartly.

"You seem full of ideas and frankly I'm fresh out, what do you suggest?"

"How about you let me help you? You have to leave here, you know that but don't leave me behind this time."

"I don't know, I've done alright without you so far," Tetra said as she unwound her legs and leaned back on her hands on the mosaic floor.

"Really? Obviously the world is right as rain. Why else would you be down here in an imaginary castle hiding from a shadow?"

"Details Princess, I didn't want to come here and what would you know about it, its not like you were there."

The girl snorted divisively, "Quit acting like were separate people, we're not." Zelda/Tetra said. Her voice sounding irritated "I know what you know, just because you've chosen to ignore this aspect of yourself, doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. It's going to get us killed, and probably the others as well. You may think your protecting them by being here, but the longer you stay here, the more likely it is that you'll be just as trapped as you were seven years ago."

Tetra's eyes narrowed at the comment and she spat back."You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I," the little girl stood up and got right in Tetra's face, "I'm you remember? I was here seven years ago and I know what happened." She sniffed and turned her back on Tetra, "You can pretend we're different but you'd better see the truth and soon, little Miss Terror of the Seas or when you do finally act it'll be too late."

"You're starting to get on my nerves," Tetra growled, "Was I really this obnoxious?" she asked to stone statues above her.

"You know what we gotta do!" the princess whined as she stomped her foot in frustration. "Its right in front of us! Geez you're such a brat."

Tetra ground her teeth with irritation and tugged at her jacket. "Why am I even listening to you?"

"Must be all the stuff you don't want to hear," the little princess said as she began to circle Tetra. "You must have realized by now that we're not even what that damn shadow is after. It's him." Tetra winced but remained silent as the princess continued, "I know you haven't forgotten all the history our mother taught us. If it kills Link, it can bring him back and we don't want that now do we? Isn't that why you've been so hell bent on destroying them all? But, of course you never told him why and courage without a purpose is just wasted energy or at least that's how he sees it. Isn't that why he left in the first place?" Tetra glared at the girl who sneered and added, "I know you haven't forgotten what else is needed."

"Is there a point to this?" Tetra snapped.

"It's all the same thing, don't you see? You let that shadow chase you down here and you don't even know what you're running from. We are so screwed."

Tetra shuddered and looked angrily at the princess. "I know exactly what I'm running from and this may shock you Princess but Link is perfectly capable of making responsible decisions on his own. Besides, he's busy with other things right now."

"No! Damn it! Something isn't right!"

Tetra rubbed her temples as spat, "Oh, grow up, will you?"

"Finally." Zelda/Tetra said as she turned back around. Tetra's mouth dropped open as the pirate captain found herself facing the full-grown version of the Princess. The Princess broke into a smile as she examined herself. She spun once gracefully and Tetra couldn't decide if this was somehow better.

"Neat trick, Princess, you clean up nice," Tetra said.

"It's no trick, I told you we are the same," the Princess said flatly. "You try being pre-pubescent for seven years and see how touchy you get, but Tetra, there's something else... something you have that you won't or maybe can't share... even with yourself."

"I thought you said you know what I know."

"What I meant was, I can feel it... but it's like it's walled off. I just can't find the right way to put it into words."

"Well, isn't that convenient."

"I have a feeling I should, but for some reason I can't quite grasp it, what is it your really afraid of?"

"My...other situation. That's why I'm here. This is the only place left to me that can possibly protect them."

The Princess pulled in a breath that was almost a gasp. Eyes wide the Princess smiled at Tetra and sat back on the pedestal. "Yes. Yes, I can see now why you would not wish to leave, but truly even this place won't be safe if that shadow finds you in the real world." The Princess reached across and gently touched Tetra's face. "You have nothing to fear from me. You are my guardian spirit; you've kept me safe all your young life,"

Tetra closed her eyes and felt tears welling up but knew she didn't have anytime for self pity.

"I like this style," The Princess said suddenly as her hand strayed to the long ponytail Tetra had taken a liking to. Remember, I'm really only here to make an already good thing even better."

Tetra took a deep breath and watched as the Princess began to pull out the ornaments from her hair. Tetra just could not imagine putting up with that much finery all the time. "I'll never be able to pull it off. I may be descended from royalty but I've never felt like a princess, you know? I mean look at me."

"Tetra, it's not the dress that makes the princess. It's what's inside that really counts. Those men don't follow your orders because you're descended from royalty, most of them don't even know about it. You're the captain because you know it's your place on this ship. You know how to lead them and they all trust your judgment and your instincts." The Princess paused as she pulled her hair back and asked, "Am I doing this right?"

"Not at all." Tetra answered flatly.

The Princess frowned and let her hair fall out of her hands. "Well at least I can tell you this," she said and leaned forward again. "Kei is being misled, but without Mei, it's incomplete."

Tetra thought back to Saimon's frantic voice:

(Mei is the key. Kei cannot complete the shadow without his help. Dalkin escaped its influence once, but Kei was not so fortunate. Sen... poor Sen, Dalkin will try to save her again... but its too late, they must come together to destroy the shadow.)

Tetra thought then of the slumped form she'd seen in that strange vision. That man not only reeked of the shadow he was here from some other time. How she knew that was another mystery but Tetra recognized that Link was more than just sidetracked; Dalkin was Mei and if that shadow gets its way the old man may well be again. Link didn't know it but he was headed straight into the Shadow's Lair.

"Link can take care of himself," she whispered trying to convince herself.

The Princess put a hand on Tetra shoulder. She smiled and and said gently, "Link is just as lost as we are, you may try to fool yourself but he needs us, well, a clearer thinking us." The Princess's smile broadened and poked Tetra's arm as she said, "Bring me with you, I know I can help."

Tetra looked at the other and saw that it really was her face and she was beautiful but her eyes unlike Tetra's shown with wisdom. Eyes so wise...would it be enough. Tetra took a deep breath and stood. She held out her hands and nodded. She even managed a smile. When she did, the floor began to vibrate with a low rumble. "Well I've tried everything else, I guess it's time to leave here for good,"

Tetra took one last look around and felt a moment of regret at its passing. She noticed the Triforce of Wisdom embedded in her hand glowed very brightly. She stepped closer to the Princess and saw that Wisdom's twin on the Princess's hand glowed just as brightly. Tetra's smile broadened and did not shy away and with a flash of golden light, Wisdom and her Keeper became one.

Tetra woke up with a start. How did I get in my cabin? she wondered, still feeling a little disoriented she sat up. It was very dark as she started to cross the floor but stopped when she saw Link sitting at her desk asleep. Propped up on two legs of the chair with his ocarina in his lap he looked so peaceful. She wondered which Link this was, past or present. Past she was sure and just to be sure, Tetra looked at his head near his temple, no cut. She backed away quickly when without warning Link woke up, righted the chair, and lit the lamp. He pulled out a book and started reading, all without a sound. Nagori who'd taken up residence in Tetra's pocket while she slept poked her head out.

"He cannot see you, Princess."

"I know," Tetra said. Again she felt that sadness. She sat back on the bed and watched him for a while. She sifted though her memories. When they were kids, he bugged the hell out of her, she'd never met anyone so clueless, so incredibly naive. After being guilted into taking him to the Forsaken Fortress she was already irritated with him. But like everyone else she underestimated that unassuming boy from Outset. She pondered on her inability to control her anger with him it still made no sense. The more she thought about it, the more she realized, it was only Link that inspired her intensified anger. So where did it come from? Even as she sat here just looking at him, she could feel it building. "Why?" she whispered.

Break the magic.

That anger flared and Tetra squelched it ruthlessly. This anger toward him was pointless and she decided should would not give in to it again. Or at least she hoped she wouldn't. She had a bad feeling whatever magic she needed to break was tied to it not the current trap she found herself in.

Nagori's earlier statement almost made sense as Tetra started to drift back in her memories again. When had the trouble between them really started? Link seemed to think it was a year ago. Where the hell was she a year ago around now? Tetra's reflections were interrupted when Link looked up from the book. He cocked his head the way he always did and she knew he heard something. She wondered about that sometimes, she'd swear he could hear a moth flutter by a hundred paces away.

Link looked up at the ceiling and then blew out the lamp. While her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Link leaned back again, balancing himself on two legs of the chair as he reached for his pack. When his hand came near hers Tetra was surprised when their Triforce Pieces resonated with a dull echo. Tetra stared at it and wondered how that was possible since she was still trapped within the time loop's cycle. This Link was outside of it but he must have heard it because his eyes got wide as he became overbalanced on the chair and fell over with a silent crash to the ground.

"You know," Tetra said as she smiled and looked down at him. "I hate when that happens." Nagori giggled and fell backward into her pocket.

"Are you done now?" Link asked Saimon once the fairy stopped shouting at him. "You could warn a guy you know." Saimon took off his hat and wrung it out. He trudged up Link's shirt and sat on his shoulder. Link eased himself up and looked around. The King of Red Lions was gone.

"Well, it doesn't look like we're going anywhere for awhile, at least until he gets back."

Saimon remained quiet. Since neither of them could understand the other, Link knew he was just talking to fill the silence. He pulled the gossip stone back around his neck. "I'm going back down, Saimon. I still want to try to talk to Jabun."

Link got up and walked over to the cave entrance. He carefully stuck his head in and noticed the wrong feeling was gone. Whatever was here, obviously vacated the area with Al and Kei. Link ventured deeper into the cave and watched the shadows as he made his way to the cavern. The door was no longer sealed and he carefully examined the walls. Nothing moved, so he walked over to where he last remembered being and found his sword, shield, and boomerang still lying in the sand. He picked up the items and put them away. The tracks on the ground lead down to an outcrop that obscured a covered a passageway. He followed the trail down to an interior lake.

Nothing moved here either, even the water seemed still. Saimon tugged at one of his ears and Link looked over in the direction the fairy pointed. He walked carefully in the coarse sand and tried not to trip over the crabs that scurried to get out of his way. He almost fell anyway when his foot caught on what felt like a rock. When it sunk a little deeper into the sand, he heard the faint click of a switch as it tripped. He looked around and could hear the door moving but was unsure of it location.

Link squinted and tried to see deeper into the darkness. A dim bluish light now shone under the water near the back of a large egress. The light bobbed a moment or two longer then popped up out of the water followed by a very great fish. Water washed up onto the beach and over his feet. Link looked down at the switch on which he still stood. Saimon tugged at his ear trying to get him to move forward, but Link stayed put. The switch has that spongy feel that told him if he left it, whatever door he just opened, would shut.

"I can't leave the switch, Saimon," he said and pointed down, Saimon seemed to understand and stopped tugging.

"Greetings, Jabun." Link said with a bow. "It's good to see you're still here."

"Galutas Kaze no Tukato," Jabun said, his deep watery voice echoed through the chamber. "Jous vinto daj'po mujio ju have discovered..." Startled by his sudden ability to understand the water deity, Link looked down to see Saimon holding the gossip stone and speaking into it, "...the evil which has crept into our ocean."

So that's how he did it, Link thought. "I was hoping you'd seen a friend, we were traveling together and became separated."

"The one you seek left the island a day and a half ago with the pale one."

"I see, any guesses as to where they might have gone?"

"They sailed north."

"Jabun, is there anything you can tell me about Hito-"

"Do not speak that name Wind Waker." Jabun said interrupting him. "To do so, is to draw the Shadow's attention to you."

"Oh."

"You must be on your guard with that one. It caught me unawares as I slept, and trapped me beneath the lake."

"What is It?"

"A piece of darkness left over from another time."

"Do you know what it wants?"

"It seeks to regain what it lost when Mei escaped Its influence." Jabun moved a little closer to shore and the water lapped over Link's boots. "And if that is who I believe it is, shadow may yet succeed."

"Huh?" Link looked down. "Oh Saimon?"

"Why are you not with you charge Fairy."

Saimon turned back and spoke the water guardian. "Mui sulin don Lien qui de Dalkin"

"Ju salle bon uryan mancha." Jabun's tone sounded worried. "Ju daj'lui devez avainte."

"IIlia des circonste kan ans jes mui je," Saimon said as he nodded.

Link was sure there was something in that part of the conversation he needed to know, but held his tongue. Hopefully, Jabun would fill him in. He figured Saimon must some how be helping Al remain who he was, so when Saimon returned to his translation duties he asked. "How long can Al last without Saimon?"

"Al? Oh yes, that is his preferred name." Jabun seemed to chuckle, "Its influence over him in the past was strong, depending on how his sister has fared throughout these long years will be the critical aspect."

"His sister?"

"The one known as Kei. That is who Dalkin left the island with."

"That old man...was a woman?"

"Was... " Jabun paused. "Yes, that would be a good description, she is not herself."

"I don't understand."

"Have you not spoken with Dalkin or Saimon about this?"

"Well actually no, I was only with Al for a few days, and Saimon wasn't actually visible to me before yesterday." Link shifted from foot to foot. "Do you think it would be safe to move off this switch?"

"Yes I am beyond the doorway now."

"Good," Link said with a sigh. "I don't know how well you understand me," he said while pulled his foot out of the wet sand. "But Saimon is translating your words for me, otherwise we'd be having a much harder time talking."

"Yes this conversation is going much smoother than the ones we've had in the past. Perhaps that is why Dalkin chose to leave Saimon with you though it was a very risky thing to do." Jabun again directed his attention to the fairy. "Saimon are you willing to translate my words as spoken to the Wind Waker?" Saimon paused and looked at the Great Fish, thought for a moment and nodded. "Very well, Link, I will tell you a story."

Link sat down on the beach and put Saimon in front of him with the stone.

"It is the story of how a promise can cause sorrow so great the world was drown in the Goddesses tears."

Authory notes: Yesh...it's best not to ask why I thought I needed to make up a language at this point - but if I use it in this fic - I'll try to remember to supply translation in the end. Yes Gonzo is Tetra's brother..why - Do you see Impa anywhere?

As always thanks for reading, I hope you had fun and leave a review! Oh and Nny11 any more work on Zelmus? I miss that story!