Nagori, Saimon and Senkyoku - A Wind Waker Tale

Chapter 12: A Little Piece of Darkness

At the castle, a child waited. As she looked out the window of the tallest tower, she could only watch as her country, so green and beautiful a month ago withered away before her eyes. She watched the trail of darkness that slowly surrounded her, knowing that eventually it would find its way to her. She did not despair; for behind the darkness came a point of light. It followed the shadow's trail and she watched as the golden light slowly gained ground on the darkness's leading edge. So few believed these days, but the golden light was so strong and unwavering, she barely dared to hope that her prayers to the Goddesses had been heard.

She made her way from the tower down to the basement and sat and looked at the Master Sword and thought about the stories her mother told her of the sword of evil's bane. Its radiance, diminished over time, had been so much brighter when she was smaller. How could a boy younger than she was now have pulled the sword and opened the door to the sacred realm? That boy though was the Hero of Time; and she thought of the statue in the Great Hall. The child remembered her own ancestor's part and wondered at what it must be like to lose seven years in an instant? Was her light the new hero? Was he a boy again? As if to answer her, the sword began to hum dully and the chamber grew dark. Eyes locked on the sword, she shivered. Something evil had caused a drop in the weapon's radiance. The Master Sword glowed less intensely and the hilt looked somehow smaller.

Her mind raced with possibilities but only one made any sense; something must have happened to one of the remaining Sages. She raced as fast as she could back to the tower. Gasping for breath she looked out over Hyrule field, the shadow near the Lost Woods appeared blacker than she's ever seen it. She felt a moment of desolation, but her eyes trailed back to pinpoint of golden light, still shining in the darkness, still moving forward. She wanted to push it along, make it move faster, but she was just a little girl so she cried until there was nothing left, and then went to find the King.

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Mei worried about Kei, she seemed to be weakening a little more everyday, and becoming shadow only seemed to make it worse. Moving from village to village, they would visit the Elders, who would take them in out of pity, only to become ill with a mysterious sickness that seemed to drain the strength from their bodies. Most only lasted a few days after which the children would disappear. Forced to move on when she could barely stand, Mei for the first time openly questioned the lights and their commands, a choice he quickly regretted for it was not him they punished; it was Kei. Knowing his weakness, they exploited it without mercy and though he relented, they continued to hurt her as a reminder of what would happen if he questioned them again.

When they came to the outermost edge of the Lost Woods they stopped. The fairies told the children they'd almost reached their destination and soon they would be able to rest. The tekuragari told the children they must go forward alone, for this was a place that they could not enter. To go into this forest and survive they would have to become the shadow for a great evil inhabited the forest and protected the daemon child who lived there. He lived in a great fortress in the center of the woods and the children would have to destroy him if they were to complete their mission. Though they were frightened at the thought of taking on a daemon they were glad to think that soon they would be able to rest, for the child they sought must be close now.

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The young man, not sure of where to start, decided it would be best to return to the town where he'd met the anxious parents. He recognized the dolls as the children he'd aided several weeks ago, but by now they could be just about anywhere. He stopped in town long enough to find out the village elder he'd spoken to, fell inexplicably ill and passed away. His apprentice had gone missing. This was troubling news, for in each of the towns he passed through recently, village elders were mysteriously falling ill. The people who were willing to speak to him were unnerved by his questions and not very helpful.

There were rumors of a shadow roaming the land killing the descendants of the Sages. With the sacred Temples abandon and in ruin, frightened people began to doubt. He pulled out the dolls given to him by the Fairy Queen. Still bound as tightly as ever, he noticed a snag in the string and pulled at it. The dolls loosened but did not come apart. The snag disappeared so he placed the dolls back in his pocket. He re-traced his path back to the crossroads and tried to pick up the trail. He stopped only long enough to speak to frightened villagers. As he followed behind the growing number of sick or dead people he realized whatever evil those two had themselves mixed up with, it was slowly draining the life from the land. He sent a silent prayer to Nayru to shelter his family as he continued to follow in their grim wake.

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Returning to the edge of the Lost Woods, Mei and Kei separated and collapsed onto the dried up grass. It was becoming harder to hold on to the shadow. Expecting the fairies to guide them on they found, to their surprise, a young man in their place. At first, they were frightened of him but both were too tired to run away. Still Mei stood in front of his sister, ready to fight, for when he looked into the other's blood red eyes, he saw nothing but cold darkness. Mei decided immediately he did not like this new person. The young man spoke softly as he tried to ease their obvious anxiety and reassure them that he was there only help. He praised them and told them they'd done well by destroying the forest daemon. They'd earned a little rest, but they could not stay where they were for long, the evil that protected the daemon was now searching for them and they would need to move on.

He fed them and built a fire to keep them warm but Mei was still unconvinced by the young man's words. Now that the fairies were gone, maybe he and Kei could escape. The young man looked familiar to him but his overtired mind was unable to remember why and after the sparse care they received while in the company of the fairies he was content to stay put for the night. As Mei lay awake next to his sister, still unable to sleep he thought he could hear music. It drifted in on the soft breeze but was so far away he thought he must be hearing things, but it reminded him of something. Maybe it was the fire's warmth or his full stomach but when he closed his eyes that night all he could think of was home.

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Coming to an abandoned house the young man was ready to set camp for the night. When he heard a soft moan he thought it only the wind blowing through the trees. As he did every night, he practiced the song taught to him by the elder. He played it very well and in fact, embellished on it. Drawing from his own experience of family and home, the parts he added seemed right. Perhaps that is why, when he heard the moan again, it was followed by the sound of weeping. It came from behind a small storage building behind the house. Having no weapons, he made his way as quietly as possible around the house. He stopped and listened, the weeping had stopped and he was about to turn back when he heard it again. He followed the sounds and was greeted by two forlorn looking ghosts. One placed a shadowy arm around the other as if to comfort it.

When the spirits noticed him, they came forward and began to circle around him. Both spoke at once but he could not understand their words and pleaded with them to stop. The pair were so intent on getting their message to him they spun all the faster, and the faster they circled, the more he understood as their two voices became one. All he heard was; we have failed, please help our children and within the sound of those words he heard the children's names and accepted the ghost's pleas. The young man promised to free them if he could and care for them as his own. The voices stopped their mantra and moved away from him and the tortured spirits of Dalkin and Delia's parents faded from view. He went back to the house and laid down for the night when he felt something move in his pocket. Reaching in he pulled out the still bound dolls, the black string that held them together seemed to be getting weaker, and everyday he pulled at the snags, which were appearing more frequently. Whatever was holding the children was losing its grip on at least one of them, maybe there was some hope after all. Putting them back in his pocket, he went to sleep.

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The night after hearing his daughter's tale of the Master Sword, the King of Hyrule experienced a terrifying dream. In it, three voices called to him and told him his land was dying and he could hesitate no longer. More had been lost than could be replaced, and if he did not act soon he would lose all. Given a list of specific instructions he awoke filled with dread. He realized he should have listened closer to his youngest child, though only thirteen she was wise beyond her years.

Sitting up he found a neatly written list, it contained the names of several hundred of his people as well as three sealed letters with the names of the leaders of the Goron, Gerudo and Zora Peoples. As he read the names written on the letters, they faded from view. He wanted to weep for his loss though but could not say he was not warned. The Princess's efforts, since her mother's death, told him he needed go out and see for himself the darkness creeping into the land. It the same shadow that made her mother so sick, so quickly. He remembered he'd put her off, thinking it only a little girl's reaction to her mother's untimely death.

Seeking out the Princess, he found her atop the highest tower looking out over their dying kingdom. When he asked her what he should do, she told him he needed to send messages to all those named on the list as quickly as possible. All must pack their belongings and move to higher ground. The Princess pointed to the northwest boarder, a cloud of dust gave away the presence of an army crossing their borders.

Ganon had slipped quietly out of his prison, and in time, the world would turn to shadow once more. She turned back to him with tears in her eyes and told him why his name did not appear on the list. As the King looked at the shadow surrounding his land, his eye caught on a point of golden light that followed the crest of the darkness. He did not need to ask the princess who that was; he knew. Only one soul could burn so brightly in the darkness and he turned him away less than a year and a half before. His eldest daughter's husband, a gentle hearted man with golden eyes. Drawing him back the Princess handed him a small shiny object and promised that someday she would come back to him. The King held his daughter in his arms and knew his only choice was to accept the judgment of the Goddesses. Hyrule had been his to protect and he'd been careless.

As instructed he dispatched all the letters using the all magic he ever learned and the King sent away his youngest child into hiding. He readied his army and watched as they marched out to fight a hopeless battle. The King learned that part of his atonement for his sin, was to remain behind; for someone had to put the key in the lock. He spent tense days within the basement chamber and waited for the coming sign.

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On the day the golden-eyed young man caught up with them, Mei and Kei were only just returning from the Zora Fountain. Drained and exhausted they were only vaguely aware of the firelight. They'd traveled from one end of the kingdom to the other and thinking their shadowy friend lit another fire for them, went to sleep with their heads in his lap. He set the ocarina aside and he could only guess that they must have heard his playing and followed it back to him. Anger grew in the young mans heart as he looked down at the pair. He wondered how anyone could use such small children to carry out such evil.

As shadow they appeared from the water and were a terrible daemon to behold. Seeing them, he feared he'd reached the end of his journey. When the children separated and lay down without a word, astonished by his good luck. He traced the small scars that both gathered as untended cuts healed. He shifted them off his lap and covered them with his cloak. He picked up his staff and instrument and moved a short distance from them. He sat now with the staff across his knees and waited for the darkness to find them.

It arrived shortly before midnight, fire in its dark red eyes, it mocked the young man as he sat unmoving with his eyes closed.

Mei awoke to see not one but two men, one standing surrounded by shadow the other sitting and covered in light. They were the same of face and he realized why the shadow man looked so familiar. The other man is the one who cared for them when they'd fallen ill while with the fairies. He must be the only one they'd come across who did not fall ill after being with them. Mei knew this was their last chance to get away, for if this man failed there would be no more thoughts of escape. Kei had grown attached to their new keeper and would resist. Mei searched franticly for some kind of weapon, but there were none to be found. He reached into the cloak and pulled out the dolls. Seeing the black string, he pulled on the newest snag and the dolls separated at last. Freed from their restraint they began to move freely. Mei dropped them and scooted away from them in fear. Kei, now awake, called to her brother. He looked back at the dolls and ran over to help her up. He whispered to her, trying to convince her that they should go now, before it was too late. She did not understand, why he would want to leave their only friend? She was doubly alarmed when the battle between the two men erupted without warning.

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A mist rose around the abandon castle as monsters of all kinds were over running the town. The people left behind tried to flee but the monsters trapped them there and set the town and surrounding villages on fire. Breaking into the castle, they searched to find the King who was not with his army.

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The Shadow seeing the children were awake grew tired of waiting and attacked the other. Coming at him with a staff that was burned hot an unnatural light, he swung at the other. The seated man rolled out of the way, as he raised his walking staff to block the strike that would have caught him in the head. Each time the Shadow attacked the young man only defended, meeting each stroke with a counter stroke. This went on for quite a while the children watched in confusion. Kei thinking her shadowy protector in trouble begged Mei to become shadow; they must help their friend. Mei was torn, for he did not wish to become shadow anymore and knowing that if he did he may never be himself again. Still wanting to help his sister, he relented, as he felt he'd already put her through so much and they merged.

The young man looked at the daemon but did not run from it. It approached him with the obvious intent of striking him down. Seeing this the Shadow grinned, for he knew that none save the hero could resist its glowing stare. The young man was unable to move and watched as the daemon raised a shadowy claw to strike him. He closed his eyes and sent his final prayer to the Goddesses and his last wish to the Fairy Queen.

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Standing near the Master Sword the King listened to the voices of his fallen people. He lay his hands on the sword and began to pull their spirits toward him and focused them around the sword. It began to hum, and while it no longer sparkled as it should, the king knew that the time was almost here, the trap had been set and the key was in the lock, all he had to do was turn it.

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As the daemon brought down its claw to strike him, it turned away at the last moment and struck the Shadow instead. The Shadow flew back and hit a nearby tree, his head smacked against the wood and he fell unconscious to the ground. An eerie light approached them from the sky, looking up the young man shielded his eyes. A loud roar, followed by a sheet of pure energy cut a swath down and around the Shadow man in a wide arc. Still not believing his good fortune, the golden-eyed young man cautiously approached the wall. He stood next it and touched it lightly with his staff, it crackled with an unknown energy. The Daemon cried out and ran at the wall but was unable to pass through. The shadow awoke and neared the wall to test its strength. It cursed the young man and swore that when he and his shadow escaped no Hylian would survive.

The dolls unnoticed during the fight and free now from their bonds were caught with the Daemon on the shadow's side of the wall. They came to the child/daemon and each grasped a leg. They glowed and the Daemon began to walk awkwardly backwards.

It stopped and ran clumsily at the wall of energy. When it hit, the Daemon stopped but the children flew from their daemon form to the other side and the Shadow screamed in disbelief and rage. He snarled as he looked through the walls of his crystal prison and shouted, "You can't stop me!" Dalkin struggled to his feet and started to run to where his sister lay but he tripped over the now unmoving dolls. They saved them so he grabbed them and stuffed them into the man's cloak that was still lying on the ground nearby.

"You'll never destroy me!" the shadow screamed at his golden-eyed twin. The young man silent until now, smiled. "You misread my intent. I never thought I could," he said quietly as he picked up Delia and wrapped his cloak around her. The little girl who had been Kei, slept peacefully and did not stir. "Hyrule will not die, nor will her people." The young man said as he turned from the shadow and walked away. "I only needed to slow you down."

The young man took Dalkin's hand, and the boy that had been Mei looked up at him in wonder, not believing his good fortune. Still afraid to leave the clearing, the boy hesitated and looked back at the shadow that raged behind the wall of energy. He was himself again, but could still feel a pull from the darkness.

"Don't worry Al," the young man said, "it will all work out in time." Al smiled, it was something he'd not done for a long time, so without a backward glance they left the Shadow and walked into the morning light.

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