Nagori, Saimon and Senkyoku - A Wind Waker Tale

A/N: And now for something completely different; if anyone can figure out what the heck Tetra's talking about, let me know, cause it didn't make any sense to me either...and I wrote it... oh my

My apologies in advance for any craptastic poetry you run across in this fic - I am not a poet...but that I'm sure is obvious by now. There is also - almost a fight scene in this chapter...any suggestions you may have to make it better would be greatly appreciated since I personally feel I suck at writing them - just never seem suspenseful enough (o.0) okay then -

Once again we're off with:

Chapter 22: Look before you Leap...

Link looked at the cliffs of Outset and smiled. It's always good to come home, he thought. He turned the King of Red Lions toward the coast and sailed in at a leisurely pace. As he neared the beach, he realized no one was out. It was late in the day, but there was usually someone around. There weren't even any kids out playing. Link walked toward his home and as he passed the postbox, it began to wiggle and shake. He approached it and it said:

<div align='center'>Package for Link. Postage due, 20 rupees will you accept?</div>

Link said yes while he deposited a red rupee into the slot. A small package popped out into his hands and he looked at it and wondered. Five arrows with one broken...okay, that's strange enough, but the letter was sealed with a piece of string. Tied with a knot so complex he realized the letter had to be from Tetra. Link paused, should he open it now? Or wait? He stowed the arrows in his pack and as he walked toward his house, he pulled out her other letter from his pocket. It hadn't been twenty-four hours yet, so he put it back and looked at the envelope of her latest correspondence. He really needed to ask her how she did that. He removed the string and wrapped it around his wrist, opened the letter and read:

Ere winter's solstice began
relations lost, remembered pain
all to sacrifice the gull
to speed the ravens flight

Poetry? Link turned the parchment over, nothing else was written there, no reason for the arrows and he didn't have his bow so....he bumped into the steps of his front porch. Tetra always was fond of word games, but this was just nuts. Why couldn't she ever just say what was on her mind? Ravens were pretty rare these days, hmmm. He shook the paper furiously and yelled at it, "What are you trying to tell me!"

A brisk wind blew by him almost pulling the letter out of his hand and he quickly turned to keep it from getting away from him. When he looked back, he noticed it was almost full dark and not a house on the beach had a lamp lit. He shoved the letter into his pocket and moved slowly around the porch, no light in his house either, even the hearth looked low. He pulled out the staff and walked back around the porch. He shivered when a blast of icy cold wind blew by him. The three symbols on the staff took on an eerie glow in the moonlight and Link remembered on Great Fish, he'd noticed the same thing happened when he had accidentally set off the Quake emblem.

The staff must be reacting to some kind of magic, he decided and Link looked around. Everything was still, and as far as he could tell, it was deserted. Not good. He stepped off the porch and headed back the way he came. When he looked up at the cliffs, he wondered if anyone was up there. That's when he noticed the rope bridge had been cut.

Link started to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was very, very wrong and whatever it was, now involved everyone on the island. He had no way of knowing where they all were, or even if they were still alive. He didn't like that feeling and wasn't left much time to think about it when he noticed a movement to his right and lifted the staff just in time to deflect a poorly aimed blow from a bokoblin's broadsword.

Turning to face it Link set his feet as he brought up the staff and caught the monster just under its furry gray snout. It screeched as its head snapped back and the bokoblin exploded into a haze of blue-black smoke. Where the hell did these come from? Bokoblins, like their cousins the miniblins were not that bright, but they were bigger and relentless if they thought they had you cornered.

Link spun and caught two others that were approaching on his left. They fell back but he heard no explosions. He also had no idea how many of the creatures there were to deal with. He dropped and rolled backward and came up on one knee, thrust outward to finish off the same pair as they rushed after him.

When the smoke cleared, Link gaped and realized he had at least a three or four dozen in front of him. "Not good odds," he muttered to himself. While a few rushed toward him, the majority were milling about, as if they were confused to find themselves there. Weirder and weirder he thought.

On his staff, the emblems glowed even more brightly and Link decided better now then never and focused a little magic into the quake symbol. He held the staff firmly as he thrust it into the ground in front of him. The center wavy line and outer border circle of the symbol lit up. He felt the staff pulse as the magic shot like a cannon into the ground. The area surrounding Link rippled and he watched the bokoblins begin to fall about. Those with weapons either lost them or fell on them, sending them back to the netherworld in a haze of bitter smelling smoke.

Once the shaking stopped, the boko's that did not disappear scurried about in confusion. Link decided it was time to try one of the other emblems. He put his hand near the top of the staff and covered the emblem that sported the lightening bolt. Link focused a little more magic then the last and held his breath. A peal of thunder directly above him made him look up. Puffy black clouds rumbled and swirled above him. When the vapors suddenly began to rush toward him, Link closed his eyes and hoped he wasn't killed outright by it.

Instead, he only felt the cold wind as it rushed by and around him. Part of the wind swirled for a moment at his feet, while the rest coalesced into little balls of icy wind. Unsure of what to do next Link lifted the staff and when he brought it down he gave an outward push to the magic. The haze burst forth from around him with incredible speed and everything engulfed by that icy cold wind, froze where it stood. The balls of icy wind then chased down those not caught by the initial ring.

When everything stopped moving Link walked through but only glanced at the frozen bokoblins. One in particular caught his attention and Link took a small step back when its eyes shifted to look at him. It unnerved him a little that the gray eyes, which were an odd color for boko anyway, seemed familiar and looked most distressed. His intuition nagged at him, but he ignored it. He'd gotten very good at ignoring that, but when Link moved closer to the creature, its eyes filled with fear.

I don't have time for this right now," he thought, Trapped or not, Link, was not feeling particularly charitable. He needed to get a move on if he was going to figure out where everyone went. So he pulled out a couple of bombs and tossed them over his shoulder as he turned and walked away.

After they exploded, he turned back to survey if any had survived, but took a step back when he found himself faced by the Wind God, Zephos. Sitting on a small cloud, the large blue frog-like Wind God's hands were smoking and the deity did not look at all pleased to be there. Link looked past the Wind God and saw that none of the remaining bokoblins were destroyed.

Confused, Link asked, "Why did you help them?"

"Why indeed," Zephos said. Link cocked his head, he could hear the anger in the Wind God's voice but Link didn't understand. Zephos noted Link's confusion and snapped, "Have you grown so unsympathetic, that you would destroy even those creatures that were unarmed?"

"They're bokoblins, they attacked me."

"You are not answering the question, Wind Waker, and these creatures are not all what they would seem to be. You would do well to look at them in the daylight."

Link looked at the frozen monsters, they looked like any other he had fought and destroyed. What he didn't notice before, were a few of the creatures that were shorter than the rest. They were off to one side in a small group, and actually looked too young to be fighting any battles. They were pathetic and decidedly out of place, Link sighed, was that it?

Still, Link knew he could not disregard Zephos' words completely and too irritated to wait for morning he pulled out the Wind Waker baton and conducted the Song of Passing. Night suddenly lifted and Link's mouth dropped open in surprise when several of the bokoblin forms melted away. Left behind were his missing and stunned neighbors. Link was more upset when the smaller of the creatures he'd thought of as pathetic, turned out to be the children.

Link was horrified. He knew, without a doubt, if he'd taken the time to put the pieces together, he would have figured it out. He may have been tricked but he also knew he tossed those bombs without so much as an iota of regret; he'd come that close to murdering all of his neighbors. Something Al said floated up and Link shivered. "He's not an 'it', Link, he's darkness, evil wrapped up in a malevolent soul. He'll kill you if he can, and if he can't do that, he'll kill or destroy those that you love instead."

While Link didn't have a clue why Zephos would just appear as he had, Link fervently sent a prayer of thanks to the Goddesses for once again keeping an eye on him. Link looked up at the oversized frog. It nodded as it said, "It is well that you have come to your senses."

Several explosions pulled Link's attention back to the scene in time to see those creatures that did not change form, succumb to the magic of the staff. When Link didn't see his grandmother amongst those left behind, he started to worry. Zephos was in front of him again and when he saw Link's dismay offered some advice.

"The staff you carry is an ancient one. While it holds immense power, it does not know the difference between good and ill. How you wield it will decide that. The last to carry it, rarely invoked its power when it became clear the ease with which that power could corrupt even the best of hearts." The deity's voice softened and took on the tone of a scolding parent, "Wind Waker, do you not remember the trials you endured to gain the Master Sword? Could it be that you have forsaken all the wisdom you gained in that quest? Or have you become impatient with your role as Hero of Winds?"

Not only impatient, but also indifferent. Link knew the Wind God was right. Since Ganon's defeat, he hadn't really paid any attention to his title.

"Know this, Link Namaki, you can never again just be a young man of Outset Island. From the moment you pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal you bound yourself to a hero's destiny. It will never be something you can lightly set aside."

Link nodded and accepted the rebuke. He put the staff away, and bowed to the Wind God and said, "Thank you Zephos, please accept my apology. Please pray to the Goddesses on my behalf for redemption for my transgression." Link then straightened and waited. Zephos gave him the barest of nods and turned to the traumatized islanders.

"People of Outset, I would ask that you forgive the young hero for his impatience and lack of understanding. He was unaware of your plight and sought only to protect your homes and island." The Wind God moved closer and spoke so that only Link could hear. "Your redemption will have to wait, Wind Waker. Your time grows short. If you wish to help your Princess and defeat the Shadow, you will have to outwit as well as outfight your enemy. It is crafty and will seek to distract you as it did here. You must become single-minded in your purpose. Already you have let yourself wander. It will stop at nothing to gain what it desires." The cloud Zephos was sitting on moved back a bit and he added, "Do not waste the hope granted you."

Link and the villagers watched as the guardian spirit of the Triforce of Courage rose back up to the heavens and out of sight. Link was left standing there. Nothing he could say would ever make it better. As a group, his neighbors turned their backs to him and to began talk. Link knew whatever punishment they came up with he would have to accept. Carelessness combined with an ungenerous heart had brought him to this point so he stood silently and waited.

From time to time angry looks were thrown in his direction from the crowd. Rather than endure them Link stared down at the grass. Well what was left of it, he was dismayed to see that an entire section of it was missing. Wiped bare by the magic he'd set loose. How could he have not noticed that before?

"Link?" he heard Sturgeon's voice and looked up. "We have decided on a punishment, but have also decided to wait until this matter is cleared up before we carry it out."

"Thank you, Master Sturgeon," Link said and bowed. He tried not to sound too relieved, but was more than a little nervous when he turned to the crowd and bowed to them also.

"As soon as this is over I will return and accept my punishment."

Several of Link's neighbors nodded and the crowd began to disperse. A small group of boys, were having a very animated conversation on the beach. Like the adults they stood in a tight circle whispering to one another. "I'll settle this," one boy said and tromped up the beach until he was right next to Link. The other boys followed closely, but stopped a short distance away. Zill was Link's second or third cousin, Link never could remember which. The boy still wore his hero clothes from his coming of age party a few days before.

"Hoy Zill," Link said.

"Link, tell these guys you weren't really going to blow us up like the frog said."

Link looked at the boy, should he just say no? Thoughts of redemption flitted briefly through his head. Link sighed and thought, Better just tell the truth.

"Zill," Link said as he brought himself down to eye level. "I'm afraid the big frog was right."

Zill's smile faded. "But...you're the Hero right?"

For the first time, in a long time, Link thought before he answered that question. "Yes."

"So...you were going to blow us up?"

He met the boy's eyes and repeated, "Yes."

"But...why?"

Link bowed his head again. "I'm sorry Zill, I don't have a good reason for what happened. I knew something was wrong and I should have checked it out..." Link paused and raised his eyes as he chided himself, No excuses Namaki "The truth is, Zill, I got lazy and chose poorly."

The boy was quiet for a moment and said as he pulled off his hat, "But you're supposed to protect us..."

"You're right," Link said and he paused for a moment. "I failed in that. All I can ask is your forgiveness and hope you will allow me to make amends for my poor judgment."

Zill scratched his head and pushed the red hair out from in front of his eyes. "I'll have to think about it."

Link nodded. "That's usually the best way to come to a decision," he said and watched as the boy surrounded by his friends walked back up the hill toward his home. As he watched Zill, he knew just how much damage he'd done. As word spread, and it always seemed to when he was involved, people would be less inclined to help him and he had no one but himself to blame.

"It's never easy to find out your hero is just as human as yourself," Sturgeon said next to him. "You're probably wondering about your Grandmother and Sister."

"Yes," Link said as he watched the still retreating figure. "Can you tell me where they are?"

"Aryll left the island a few days ago with the pirates, though their captain was not with them." Sturgeon let out a troubled sigh. "As for your Grandmother, she and Orca disappeared not long after that."

"Disappeared? How long has she been missing?" Link was sure the shadow was somehow involved and also realized this was the first distraction to be thrown in his path. It wanted him to choose between Tetra and his Grandmother.

"It was shortly after your Sister and the pirates left the island, though I have some ideas as to where they might be."

"Master Sturgeon," Link said interrupting him. The old man looked up at him and Link hated what he had to say next. "I can't let myself get sidetracked again. I just wasted three days on Great Fish. I have to get focused on the real problem. What can you tell me about the Shadow."

"But your Grandmother..."

"You're not making this easier."

Sturgeon looked out at the ocean and frowned. "You are right of course, Orca is most likely with her, so I'm sure he'll do his best to look after her," the old man said and then called to his granddaughter as she approached. "Sue Belle? Can you get me the large green tome with the gold lettering on it?"

"Of course, Grandfather," she said and she turned and headed up the small hill to their home.

"Bring it to Link's house."

She waved but did not answer, so the pair headed toward his house. As they past the postbox, again it began to wiggle and shake.

<div align='center'>Two Letters for Link - will you accept?</div>

Link said yes but wondered idly why they hadn't shown up with the other one as two letters of varying size fell into his hands. One appeared to be from Medli the other from Makar.

Meet distractions two and three, Link thought as he read them. While the handwriting look genuine, the content was uncertain and vague at best. By the time they reached his porch, Sue Belle made it to them with the book expertly balanced on her head. As she handed her grandfather the book she gave Link a nervous smile, which he returned. When Sturgeon took the book from her, she said to Link, "I know you would never purposely hurt anyone Link, but how could not see?" As he looked into her eyes, he knew she had been the bokoblin that had looked at him so mournfully.

"Sue Belle, I..." he faltered; he could see she was upset as she hurried away.

Sturgeon sighed and said, "They will see the right of it eventually Link, don't worry."

"I don't know Master Sturgeon," Link said as they went inside. "Of all the mistakes I've made lately, this one's gonna end up being the worst." Link lit the small lamp on the table and opened the curtains to let in the morning sun. A familiar smell drew him to the hearth and he noticed there was still some soup left in the pot. He filled two of his bottles and dumped the rest into a pair of bowls. After he handed one to Sturgeon and he sat down nearby.

Link ate quietly while the old scholar looked through the dusty pages. Sturgeon mumbled to himself from time to time, took a spoonful of soup, and returned to his research. Link needed to rest, but his overtired mind jumped around, not settling on anything in particular. Instead, he tried to focus on the puzzle Tetra had given him; he hoped he figured it out soon.

Ere winter's solstice began

Okay, so it was something that happened before the solstice but when? Before their last argument, he ran into her at the market festival on Windfall. Link recalled they'd gotten on pretty well that day, even had a nice dinner...of course she ripped his head off the following morning...Something he said set her off, he still didn't know what and Tetra never told him. Of course, he hadn't put any real effort into finding out what was bugging her.

relations lost, remembered pain

He really wasn't sure what this was referring to but had a feeling it had something to do with the disagreement that took place shortly after that... It disturbed him that he seemed to only remember things in relation to their last argument.

all to sacrifice the gull

That line bothered him. Something bad was coming that had nothing to do with the shadow and he wished she would just tell him instead of making him guess.

to speed the ravens flight

Not a clue. Whatever she was getting at, he was missing it completely. When did Tetra mentioned ravens before that? Ravens...He was tired and his head hurt from being awake too long. As he sat in his Grandmother's favorite chair, he drifted off. His dreams were full of gulls being chased across the sea by flocks of ravens.

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