Ch. 7

The One Who Wakes The Wind

By: Cutegirlmayra (it's getting' real fun to make up these title names C: oh right, the stories pretty good fun too /x/)

Link rode on Epona behind the mountain and searched with Navi for a hidden tunnel. Navi knew some locations from hazy memory, but it was still difficult for her to pinpoint an exact location through her memory. "Oh… I'm sorry Link… I think it's hopeless now." she dropped down onto a tree's branch. The tree branch cracked downward, and she quickly flew off, waving her wings around in surprise. "WOA-WOA-WOAH!" a tiny ding of sounds were heard, and an entrance was revealed by a small slide of the rocky exterior of the mountain's side.

"Ah-a!" Link exclaimed and examined the opening. "Great going, Navi! You found some kind of switch!" he began to enter, but Epona neighed in protest and pulled on his hat, making him lunge back and out of the tunnel's cave. He held his hat and looked at Epona in shock, then smiled knowingly and stroked her mane. "There, there girl. I'll be fine. Me and Navi will be back with the Princess in no time. No need to worry yourself. Go graze for the time being." he gestured to some grass, but Epona let a low grumble out and Link knew that wasn't gonna satisfy her. "Alright, Alright. Why not train and jump over some more fallen logs? You seemed to enjoy the exercise after so many years of not being able too… well again." he knew Epona didn't remember the alternative 7 years, but he scratched his head and wondered if a horse would even understand that logic. Epona looked to the logs, then back at Link, she stomped the ground and lifted her voice up high to make birds fly off in the distance. Her goodbye for now, as Link saw it.

She then looked to Navi, "She says, "be safe, my comrade. I will do as you wish, but I expect my rider's safe return. No exceptions." Navi translated.

"Navi! You could understand Epona this whole time!?" Link said in surprise, looking at Epona and then Navi again.

"Well duh!"

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have been talking to Epona this whole time!" Link looked really bumped about missing so many opportunities to communicate with his beloved and noble steed. But chats with Epona would have to wait until after Zelda was safe.

"You never asked..?" Navi replied, moving her front two wings up like a human shrug of the shoulders. Link pouted for a moment and then just shook his head to let it go. He saw Epona dash off, not really being patience enough to stand around and watch Link spazz over Navi's fairy power. She jumped over logs, and galloped mightily away with amazing speed and agility. "That horse never grows old, does she?" Navi said, watching the magnificent creature disappear into the shrubbery of the rain forest.

"Nope." Link stated plainly, then began to move through the tunnel. After a few steps or so, it became pitched black. "Navi?" Navi speed up and lit only little parts of the tunnel, like a small candle she was able to fly low enough so Link could see where he was treading.

After weaving in and out for Link to see where he was walking, Navi heard a strange noise of some kind. "L-L-L-Link? Do you hear something?"

"No… why?" he listened hard, trying to hear whatever it was that Navi picked up on.

"I..I think there's two split tunnel's in here Link… which one do we travel down?" Navi zoomed ahead, leaving Link in the dark for a moment as she looked to see two different exits. She flew back and spoke with Link concerning the matter. "Well? What'da ya think?"

"Hmmm…well-" before Link could say anything he heard another noise again. "Wait.. Is that.. Singing?"

"What..? The buzzing?" Navi flew behind Link, scared.

"Yeah…" Link started humming the same tune they were. "Is that the noise you heard?"

"Regrettably, no…" Navi said nervously.

"Hang on… the Uwah's song said something about wings, right? Was it no wings.."

"No, no! It was-" Navi zoomed up to Link's side, "the Path with red wings! U-rahhaha!" she imitated the monkey's dance by moving up and down in a bounce kinda fashion. To one side and then the next, not to big either so it was comical. She made her voice drop low so that she could sort of abridge the monkey's voices.

Link broke out in laughter, "Navi, your so cute." he said, giving a kink complement. She giggled, then Link snapped out of his cheerful laughter and looked at her worried.

"Hehe, what..? Oh.." she looked in his eyes, it would've been cruel if Link had spoken it. "Don't worry, Link. I won't see you in that light ever again. Not now, not ever." she stated sorrowfully, and zoomed ahead of him.

"Navi…" he reached out for her.

"No, no. Don't start." Navi said, turning around to face him, "I know where you belong now. It's quite clear, then again it always had been. I had wished for something I knew was never possible. But, hey. What girl hasn't right?" if she could of she would of smiled kindly to show him everything was fine now.

Link smiled, but very kindly bowed. "I am honored to have had your favor, Navi."

Navi giggled, jiggling back and forth in the air. "Oh Link, you goof ball! With that kind of attitude, you'll make this break up thing a lot tougher than it needs to be." they both laughed, two old friends again, nothing more and Navi was just fine with that now. "But I still don't approve of Zelda." she stated and fluttered along.

"What?" Link moved up from his formal bow. "And how come?"

"She's way out of your ledge! You'd be better off with Malon or something." she flew around him, but keep her distance, as if circling him playfully.

"The Rancher's daughter?" Link spun himself around to look behind him, then followed Navi's trail of whitish blue in the tunnel's darkness.

"Yeah, she's a hard worker, a sweet girl, enjoys singing. Why not?" She didn't realize it, but something was stalking her.

"Oh really?" Link put his hands on his hips, he knew what she was playing. She just wanted him with anyone else but the princess. "Still slightly jealous are we?"

Navi failed in mid-air for a moment. "N-N-No! I'm just being L-Logical!" she flew up to his face, almost angrily, "You and her don't match! She's going to have to marry royalty anyway, right? Save her from this prince now, but she'll still have a waiting list of other young bachelors readying to cleave to her every command for her hand in hopeful marriage." the buzzing moved in closer to there location.

Link looked at her crossly, "Has any of these, 'suitors' ever saved her life before?" Navi grew silent, batting her wings and turning to the ground, then back at Link.

"You've literally saved her life, but what a girl really wants is for a man to save her from her loneliness. So, in other words, figuratively save her. Which those guys can." Navi snottily puff out at the end, flying over Link's head to look superior and then spinning around him again. The buzzing intensified as Link got more and more annoyed with Navi's words.

"And what makes you the spokes person for all of women?! To say that I can't woe a princess cause I can't flirt like a prince could? Ever heard of 'knight in shining armor'?!" He let out, he was suddenly frozen though, looking off and away from Navi.

"Pfft, yeah, I've heard of him. But your more of the 'Knight in bright white tights'…"

"N-Navi…"

"Oh, don't start. That's the first out burst I've actually seen from you after you've learned to talk though, Link. It's quite scary actually."

"N-a-v-I!"

"What? What's wrong?" Navi turned around, she gasped. A billion, or a trillion, or a googolplex number of bright tiny, like a lazor pointer, fire flies had bunched up together to make a terrifying looking creature. It had a huge mouth with two sharp teeth, a huge and flat head, it groaned a buzzy noise that Link and Navi had heard once before.

"Is that the noise you heard…?" Link questioned, holding his hand out for Navi to rest on it and be safe.

"… sadly again… no…" she fluttered softly down onto his hand. "It doesn't seem hostile… though it's appearance says other wise."

"It's just a bunch of fire flies right? Maybe it's a defense mechanism." Link took out his ocarina and played back the tune the bunched up fire flies bore out from the false monster. Once Link did so, the fire flies lit up in blinking lights, then morphed away from each other and dashed away. They dimmed there lights, until morphing back into hylian characters. It spelled out: Who are you?

Link responded, looking at Navi for a moment to show how strange but impressed he was at how quickly they recognized what language they were speaking. More so how to write it out too, "I'm Link, the hero of time. I've come to rescue my people's Princess, Zelda. She has been kidnapped by your Prince, Shard." at the mention of the prince's name, the bugs shook violently as the character symbols became fuzzy. The buzzing intensified and they dove out of formation. They regrouped into a figure of a man, and to the side of him a question mark. "I'm afraid I haven't seen him in person yet." Link admitted. The bugs flew out of figure and into another one, similar to Link's design, but with a dim glow.

"That's got to be Dark Link!" Navi shouted out, her echo made the bugs shake again in unison as they broke the picture again. "Opps, sorry."

"Yes, apparently there's another me running around as well. Do you know the way to the Castle from here?" Link asked, trying to comfort them by holding out his hands to them. He figured the shaking was there way of showing fear, and he didn't want them to be afraid. The insects flew around his hands, then shifted into a hand shaking his. The bugs reformed into hylian symbols again that spelled out: Will you beat him? The dark one and the corrupted Prince? If so, we will aid you to escape this. But beware the leviathan.

"The Leviathan?" Link looked to Navi, questioningly. "Like a big snake?"

"I think it's like a mythical giant snake." Navi said, trying to pinpoint a bug to read there minds, sadly, she couldn't even see any of there eyes to even try.

"Well, thank you. Sorry to disturb you and give you a shock. I understand now why you formed into that terrifying creature, you thought I was Dark Link." the swarm of fire flies shifted into a cuter version of the monster, and it nodded like a big puppy dog, wagging it's double axed tail. "Haha, I see. Then, where is the path to take?"

The fire flies burst from there figure like a fire work, and were right in front of one of the entrances. Link swore there explosion looked like spread out wings, "Navi! That's it! Path with red wings!" Navi looked and hoorayed. The two traveled out of the tunnel, saying goodbye to the little fire flies as they made there way to the next challenge. Something still lurked in the shadows, and it's eyes glowed a bright mist of grey before fading into black. It slithered on, it's tongue reached out and in for something. When it finally found it, a figure appeared in the tunnel.

"WHAT? He's coming!?" the voice screamed out in frustration. "I have yet to find where that perverted shadow ran off to with the princess. Stall him, kill him, whatever it takes till the ceremony is completed! Then he's Ganon's problem!" the figure disappeared in the mist, and the creature hissed a evil laugh.

"This tunnel goes on forever!" Navi said, frustrated at the slow pace they were going.

"Sorry, Navi. But we have to trust in the fire flies." Stated Link.

"No…Don't!'

Link turned around, Navi followed his gaze as she zoomed under and around him to see what it was that made him momentarily lose focus on there conversation. "What?" asked Navi. "Hear any snakes?"

"No… it sounded like… Zelda… crying out in fear.." he looked genuinely concerned.

"Link… your already hearing her voice in your head? Geez, you really are love struck. I mean I knew you were and all but… hearing her voice in your head? Come on, Link." Navi was annoyed to learn it was something to do with Zelda. She slowly moved back to her position in the front and near the ground. "Out of friendly curiosity, did my voice ever appear in your head?"

Link turned to her with a look that made her not say anything in shame for a moment, but he hesitantly responded, "Your, 'Hey! Listen!'s are hard to sleep too."

"HEY!"

"Listen." he teased.

"….. jerk…" she kept moving, even without him.

"It's only for your good, Navi." He joked, as he raced to catch up to his only light source. However, he did look back a lot, he knew something was wrong, but he didn't know exactly what. He sent a desperate prayer to the goddess that she was alright and unharmed. He suddenly remembered the chains on her hands and ankles and raced forward, making Navi freak out and try to keep up with his new speed.

Zelda kicked Dark Link away from her and ran to another side, "Get away from me!"

"Look at you… Little fighter.." Dark Link said in annoyance with a slight bit of pleasure out of it all as he held his hand to his eye. "Your aim is impeccable."

"Dark Link, please!"

"What's so wrong with trying to feel what love feels like for once?"

"Because this isn't love!"

She pounded on the walls, the ripples began but she couldn't move her hand through the tick, gooey like layer of the dark world's wall. "HAHAHA! Sorry, little princess. But only a shadow can move freely through these walls." Dark Link joked. "Listen, wouldn't you rather kiss a shadow of the man you love, than a evil prince who wishes nothing more to use you for gain of your lands?" he laid himself out, but keep his hands behind him to still be sitting up a bit. He turned to look at her, completely clam and reserved, "Your attempts are cute, but I've learned my lesson about letting you get the better of me. Now your at my will and you still think there's hope?"

"Stop it!" she crawled back to another wall, bashing it again with both her arms this time.

"…" Shadow watched her, unamused but sort of intrigued. "You know.. I don't think Link's ever seen you so desperate before.. Even in the alternative 7 years you were rather bold and cunning. What happen to that young lady..?" he laid down, but never took his eyes off of Zelda. He pouted when he noticed he was being ignored, "Is that really any way to treat your host? Not listening to him as if he was background music?"

"Your voice could never be considered pleasant music." Zelda shot back, hitting the ceiling, trying to see if enough ripples could converge to give her, but a second or so, of a chance at freedom.

Dark Link glared, a tight and grim scowl on his face. He dashed up and grabbed her, she screamed and he flung her down. Getting on top of her he pushed her arms down and frowned like a kid who wanted attention and didn't get it. "That was rude." he stated, but in a childish way. He smiled and bent down close to her, though she struggled and zipped her head back and forth, he was still able to push against her cheek with his own to her still. "You really think your gonna find a way out of here? Your nothing more than bait to lure him here. And during that little pilgrimage I get to enjoy waiting with you. Now, why can't we still have fun while we wait, hmm?" he kissed her cheek and she spit in his face.

"WE?" she let out in a very aggressive and angry tone.

Dark Link passively, though his constant blinking made him look like he was holding back his furry, wiped the spit off his face. "So improper for a Princess, don't you think?" he glared as his eyes glowed red again. Zelda gulped, but wasn't going to give up easily. "I think I ought to show you whose running the place now, ZELDA." but before the really scary things could befall the young Princess of Hyrule, a blast of pure dark energy came flying through the side of the wall. Dark Link was flung to the wall and then oozed out of the room. "W-What's happening!?"

"Really, Shadow Link. Is that how you treat royalty in your country?"

Zelda turned around in a quick fling as her hair followed her in a sweeping motion. The the side of her, a figured slugged out of the sleek ooze of the dark world's wall. The smiling figure was then released from the oozes bind as it descended off of him to reveal Prince Shard. "My lady, are you quite alright? I hope that insolent creature of lust didn't harm you." he outstretched a seemingly kind hand to her. She knew he was her only way out and she quickly accepted it, though awe filled her at his perfect timing.

"RELEASE HER."

"And here he goes, throwing his tantrum as always. You should of seen him when you escaped, oh good Goddess! What a fit, were never having kids." he teased as Dark Link came out of the wall like a bullet. Landing powerfully down, his appearance had changed. he now glowed with the dark mist around him, his eyes completely red, just a hollow socket now. His face was black along with the darker shade in his tunic, and his voice was more demonic sounding now too, but kept his sly voice mixed in with it. "If you don't, I'll personally kill you."

"Now, now. What would Ganon say?" Shard pulled Zelda behind him, smiling and gesturing almost elegantly to Dark Link. That name again… Zelda had heard it before, but she wasn't sure where. Wait! That's the man from the desert! The one she had to seal away, according to a young Link, because he would plunge all of hyrule into chaos!

"Do you really think I give a Moblin's bubbly gas about what Ganon thinks should become of Zelda?" Dark Link formed a dark ball within his hands, it morphed into spikes and then shifted back into a ball.

"Please, don't tell me your really gonna try and fight me? The one who allowed you to be recreated after all this time." Shard moved back, no since of real power emitted from him. Zelda didn't understand why he said, recreated, when this was the first time she'd seen him. And why wasn't Shard threatening Dark Link back with his own power? Could it be… Zelda's mouth gaped in sudden realization of the harsh truth. Shard was only a pawn, he didn't have an ounce of dark power in him, he only had the means to control or manipulate it.

"Do you really think that matters now? Do you really?" he slowly approached the retreating bundle of humans. Shard had a single sweat drop on his head, but he didn't let his nervousness show through to much. "You are a fool, Shard. If you really think I or Ganon will keep any of our promises or loyalty to you!" he fired his spiked ball of dark energy, it burst into a bomb as it ticked with red for a few moments before blasting the two. The room had grown from a small and cramped place to a now full scale battle field. A perfect zone for Dark Link to crush Shard if he really was useless.

"Don't say that now, Shady." Shard simply moved his hand slowly across, and the blast was negated to the other side of him. Zelda hid behind him, remaining silent. Flinching, she peeked over Shard's shoulder to see how enraged Dark Link was. "Just because you're a little mad that I ruined your date…with my fiancée."

"She'll never be yours!"

Zelda saw Shard move his hand again, when he did, the ripples parted into a strange wave length, revealing light in the darkened world. She quickly planned her next move. With Dark Link drawing out his dark copy of the Master Sword, and Shard countering with his own sword, the two raged in battle. Though it seemed Shard didn't put up much of a fight, he was smiling in his stress as if enjoying it. While Dark Link was ready to murder. She saw the fake master sword swipe the wall, it verged into a wave of a gelatin like ripple as she dashed through the single spike of light that protruded from the slices core. The two momentarily stopped to see her dash for her freedom. But the moment she stepped out into the light, a dark entity peered down at her. His robes were long and draped over him, scars were upon his face, along with an X over his head where it appeared a sword had stabbed through him. He moved back his cape, which had been cloaked over his arms, and with his right hand, smacked Zelda across the face. She was flung to the other side, and remained unconscious.

The figure moved his arm back inside his cape and spun around to confront the two once bickering men as they looked to him with reserved faces.

"I thought I told you two to stop this nonsense over this pathetic girl!?"