TLOZ Chatroom

PREVIOUSLY....

A competition was held for Zelda's honor or some crap, and in the end Marth was unfairly declared the winner although Link should have really won. Rabia and Ganondorf have yet to be seen after their big announcement in Castle Town, and Shadow and Vaati are nowhere near what's happening. Midna, Sheik and Kaikoura are still trying (a little too hard) to find Link, and now the chapter can commence!!!

Although the sun shone warmly on the people of Altea, a raging storm had rolled over most of Hyrule. Sheik, Kaikoura, Midna, and Tet were gathered around a table in Sheik's small kitchen. A large map of Hyrule was laying across the tabletop, and the group was bent over it in thought.
"Okay," Midna said, analyzing the map in concentration. "So we've searched all of Castle Town and Death Mountain?" Sheik nodded.
"The Gorons said they haven't seen him in a long time," he answered. "I don't think he's going to show up there anytime soon either." Midna crossed off Death Mountain on the map with a large black marker.
"Are we positive that he's not in Castle Town?" she repeated. When no one answered, she sighed. "Kaikoura, I thought you said it had been thoroughly searched." Kaikoura avoided eye contact.
"Well, to be fair I didn't say thoroughly..." She sensed the look of disapproval Midna was sending her and quickly added to her statement. "There's a lot of ground to cover, it’s--" Midna circled Hyrule Castle Town, excluding the castle itself.
"There's no time for excuses, Kaikoura! Just hurry back and search again," she said impatiently. Kaikoura nodded, looking guilty. Midna looked at Tet.
"And the river? No sign of him there?" he shook his head.
"Nope. I haven't been to Lake Hylia or Zora's Domain yet though," he answered. Midna crossed out Zora's River and scanned the rest of the map.
"Okay, so Sheik can go ask Talon if he's seen Link," she said. "Kaikoura will go to Hyrule Castle again, and you, Tet, can keep searching the water." Sheik looked at Midna.
"I feel like Link wouldn't be hiding out if all of Hyrule was possibly in trouble," he said skeptically. "Do you think it's possible that he's still in the castle?" Midna shrugged.
"I have no idea; all I know is that he's not jumping to save Zelda right now." She suddenly whipped her head to Kaikoura, snapping her fingers to get her attention. "Kaikoura! I've got it!"
"Got what?" she asked. Midna smiled.
"Your brother! You said he just got a job on the town nightwatch team, didn't you?" Kaikoura slowly nodded.
"Yeah...” Kaikoura began skeptically. “Why?"
"He can get inside the castle then!" Midna cried, her face bright. Kaikoura's face quickly paled and she shook her head violently.
"Midna, by Farore, no way--" she started.
"But Kaikoura, if he's patrolling the grounds every night anyway--"
"No way!" Kaikoura repeated. “He's barely twelve years old, Midna! Imagine if Ganondorf finds him!" Midna put her arm around her, about to continue to persuade her. Kaikoura shook her head again. "I'm sorry, but not even for Link -- that’s way too dangerous. He’s not going to go into the castle alone right now.." Immediately, she regretted her choice of word ‘alone.’ Midna didn't take notice, however, and didn't throw out any suggestions.
"You're right, I'm sorry..." Midna sat next to Kaikoura in thought for a moment before lighting up again. "What about your dad?!" Sheik stepped in, putting an arm around Kaikoura as well.
"How about we just keep searching the town?" he quickly suggested. Midna sighed loudly, standing up.
"Well at this rate we're never going to find him," she said exasperatedly.
“I guess, I mean, I might be able to scrape up a search party of old friends," Kaikoura said quietly. She quickly continued when Tet and Midna both opened their mouths to talk; “but probably not, I think we’re doing well on our own!" Midna gave her an unbelieving look.
"Come on, you know we’ll need all the help we can get," she pleaded. "Please?" Kaikoura stared at the map in thought before sighing in defeat.
"Fine..." she muttered. Midna cheered. "But only if they really insist on going wi--"
"Yeah yeah, just ask them," Midna interrupted, drawing an arrow at Hyrule Castle. "Try to search the castle grounds too." Kaikoura hesitated before nodding.
"I'll go with you if you want," Sheik offered. Kaikoura shook her head.
"Go on, Kaikoura; bring Sheik along with you. I'll just ask Talon when I pass by through the field," Midna insisted. Kaikoura went to protest but was interrupted again.
"Dude, when is everyone else getting here?" Tet asked, now across the room and searching out a window.
"Well, Vaati and company," Midna said with distaste,"remembered that they had a prior engagement this week. And next week, and the week after that." She rolled her eyes. "He could have just said Shadow didn't want to see me."
"Even Malon can't come?" Sheik asked.
"Vaati insists that it's too much for her," Midna said, an eyebrow raised. "I don't believe him for a second though-- he probably didn't even tell her about it." Tet walked back to the table, tugging at his neck kerchief.
"I'm gonna get a headstart, it's too hot in here," he said, grabbing his sheathed dagger and heading for the door. "When should we meet here again?"
"At dusk," Midna said, standing up as well. "I'll head out with you, Tet." She followed him out the door, briefly saying her goodbyes to Sheik and Kaikoura before leaving.
"You want to start now too?" he asked. She stood from her seat and looked at Sheik.
"I'm going to go alone, I think," she said. "Maybe you can search the tombs of the graveyard?" Sheik gave her a questioning look.
"The tombs of the graveyard?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.
"Well you never know with Link! He could be in weird places like that!" she retorted. Sheik pondered this idea for a moment before standing up as well.
"You're right; he's done weirder things before," he answered. He smiled, and she looked away.
"Well good luck, Sheik. I'll see you later," she said, turning and walking out the door. Sheik also left the house soon thereafter, and headed in the opposite direction of everyone else.

Midna

The rain pounded down against my head and back, soaking my every inch of me. It didn't bother me much though, as the cold water did a good job of keeping me focused and alert. I splashed through the puddled earth of the fields, scanning the countryside for signs of Link. Still, there was nothing. I hurried into Lon Lon Ranch, entering the house without a knock.
"Hello?" I called out, narrowly avoiding stepping on a cucco’s feathers. A moment later, a round man came out of a back room and stared at me. His eyes were wide and uncertain.
"W-what do you want?" he stammered. I tried to put on my friendliest face.
"Hi, sir. Are you Mr. Talon?" I asked. He didn't answer. "I was wondering if you'd seen Link lately?" His look morphed into one of anger and annoyance.
"I've told you all before -- I haven't seen Link in ages," he said, disgruntled. I blinked.
"I apologize, but I don’t think anyone in my search party has come by the ranch yet." He sighed, talking with his hands.
"Y'all just came in here the other day!" I thought about this for a moment.
"Were they asking about Link’s whereabouts too?" He rested his hands at his side with a frown.
"Well you should know -- you're with that Gerudo king up there, aren't you?" I slowly shook my head.
"You mean Ganondorf?" He shot me a look.
"Yes, he's the one." He stepped threateningly closer to me. "The one who stole my daughter from me, the one who--" I cut him off, placing a finger on his lips. He looked at me in surprise, but I smiled.
"It's safe to say I would never serve under that pig," I said. I pulled my finger back from his face. "I know just how horrible he is, and what he plans to do with Hyrule." Talon studied my face carefully before motioning me toward a chair at a table. I obliged, taking a seat across from him.
"Well, I wish there was more I could tell you," he said. "I really haven't seen Link in a long while -- a couple years, probably." I sat silent to allow him to remember. "Actually..." He scratched his chin in thought. "I mean.... I guess...." He looked me up and down in his seat. “...Can I really trust you?” I jumped forward in my chair.
"You did see him, didn’t you?" I asked. He hesitated, but eventually nodded.
"Yes, I did see him. I was delivering some milk to the post office earlier and I bumped into him." I leaned forward. “It was just a few hours ago.”
"What was he doing? Did you talk to him?"
"No, he looked like he was in a hurry," he answered. "He looked pretty beaten up too, so I figured he must have been on some quest or something." I stared at him. “Now that I think about it,” he continued, “I don’t think he was alone.”
“Did you happen to see who he was with?”
“Umm...” He paused to think again. “I think he was with a girl, actually. I didn’t know he was dating. Although, it doesn’t surprise me too much; he’s a great young man, really...”
“Yeah yeah, we know how great he is. Did you happen to catch a good look at the girl he was with?” He nodded.
“You bet! She was a beauty, short haired and covered modestly. And these big, cold eyes...” I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.
"Is that the last time you remember seeing them?"
"I believe so, yep." After another few minutes of silence, I stood and leaned toward him over the table. He looked away nervously.
"Thank you Talon, you've been a big help," I said. "Do you know Sheik?" He nodded, still avoiding looking at me. "Get in touch with him if you see Link or that girl again." I turned away and headed for the door.
"W-wait!" he called, standing and hurry into another room. I waited for him to return. He held a large rain jacket and a pair of old brown boots, pushing them into my hands. “It’s really pouring out there! You’ll need something to cover yourself.” He hesitated before touching a black marking on my bare skin. “Is this a shirt?” he asked.
“No,” I answered simply, causing him to draw his hand back and clear his throat awkwardly. He once again avoided looking at me, thrusting the rain jacket and boots into my hands. I smiled. “Thank you Talon. I’ll have to bring these back to you once the weather clears up.” He nodded in acknowledgement. I dropped the boots on the floor and slipped my feet into them, then drew the coat over my shoulders. I turned to leave, saying a goodbye as I shut the door behind me.
Link wasn’t alone? I thought nervously, throwing the hood of the jacket over my head. I quickly headed back to the field. I stood in place for a few minutes, debating on what to do. My skirt became stuck to my left leg, so soaked that it was beginning to weigh me down. This influenced my decision, for reasons I didn’t know. I summoned a warp portal to find the others at that point, dematerializing from the soggy grass of Hyrule Field.

Sheik

I climbed out from another tomb, pausing to take note of how many remained. Five down, only thirty more to go, I thought with a sigh. I heaved the grave shut again when a distorted sound reached my ears. I turned to be greeted by Midna, standing in front of me in a ridiculously large yellow rain jacket. She stepped closer to me before speaking loudly through the sound of the rain.
“Let’s go find Kaikoura and Tet,” she said.
“Why? Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I think I might know where Link is!” she said. She turned and led us out of the graveyard.
“Midna,” I started. “Are you wearing bottoms?” She looked at me with a devious smile.
“No, I ditched my skirt on the way over here,” she answered. “The raincoat covers enough, don’t you think?” Indeed, the raincoat was long, but surely it wasn’t going to be considered decent by others. I didn’t respond. We walked out of Kakariko Village shortly afterward.
“Let’s go to Castle Town first to get Kaikoura,” I said. She shook her head.
“Let’s get Tet first. Talon told me he saw Link in Castle Town today.” I looked at her, taken aback.
“He saw him there today?” I said. She nodded.
“So let’s get Tet first,” she said. She walked a little closer to me. “Also, Talon says he wasn’t alone; Link was with a girl.” I looked at her in shock.
“Are you sure?” She nodded again.
“So let’s hurry, come on,” she said, walking faster down the field. I followed suit.

3rd person narration.... lol sorry Sheik, you only get five seconds to talk. MUAHAHAHAH

Sheik, Tet and Midna reached Hyrule Castle Town an hour and a half later. Sheik followed the other two in, but began to turn down a different alleyway. Tet grabbed hold of his arm.
“Where are you going?” he asked Sheik.
“I’m looking for Kaikoura,” he answered. Tet blinked at him.
“Then why are you headed that way?” he said. He turned and continued to walk with Midna, in which Sheik did the same soon after. The two seemed to know exactly where she would be, much unlike Sheik. He grumbled to himself, wondering why Tet, of all people, knew where she would be in town. He brushed these thoughts out of his head to the best of his ability as they turned onto a long path on the other side of town. The further they walked, the less congested houses became. Eventually, they came to a large, regal gate at the end of the road; Kaikoura was emerging with a few people behind her. When she looked up and saw the other three approaching her, she stopped in place.
“Umm... ahh, what are you guys doing here?” she said, a tone of obviously feigned happiness in her voice. Midna was the first to respond.
“Talon saw Link here today,” she answered. She looked at the people standing near Kaikoura with a mad sigh. “Are these the only people that said they’d help?” Kaikoura hesitated before nodding. Sheik studied the people around his wife. A small, thin boy closest to her side was chowing down on a remarkably large bag of chips. Behind him was an attractive blonde man with a freckled face, and a thickly built, heavily-tattooed man with blonde and black hair. The only other person in the group was an older woman with bright blonde hair and lots of makeup, wearing an outfit made almost entirely out of leather. Sheik noticed that only Kaikoura and the boy had Hylian ears. The woman in leather made her way to the front of the group, approaching Midna.
“You can’t expect to search through the town pantsless, can you?” she asked her with a grin. She motioned Midna toward her, in which she put an arm casually around the princess’s shoulders. “Come inside and grab a pair before we set off,” she said. Midna smiled.
“Only if you insist,” she answered. The two then turned and headed through the gate. Kaikoura went to protest, but was interrupted as always.
“Is this the sheikh?” the freckled man asked excitedly, a hint of an accent peeking through his voice. He stepped closer to Sheik, looking him up and down.
“His name is Sheik, he isn’t an actual--” Kaikoura began. The tattooed man barged through, pushing the smaller man out of the way.
“Nice to meet you, Sheik.” He grabbed Sheik’s hand and shook it with so much force he nearly toppled forward. “Nason,” he said, “but everyone calls me Nasty, so feel free to call me that!” Sheik didn’t think this was a very nice name for a person, but decided to go with it anyway.
“Nice to meet you, Nasty,” he replied uncertainly. The freckled man squeezed himself closer and took Sheik’s other hand.
“I am Sauli,” he said. Nasty let go of Sheik’s hand and stepped away with a grumble. Sauli smiled at Sheik. “I have been waiting anxiously to meet you. I don’t know why Kaikoura hasn’t brought you home with her yet,” he continued. Sheik just nodded, unsure how to respond.
“Nice to meet you too,” he said after a moment. Sauli turned to the boy by Kaikoura.
“Have you met Vallon?” Sauli asked. Before Sheik could answer, the boy interjected.
“Offiously not,” he grumbled through a full mouth. “Kaikouda doesn’t indodufe me to anyone.” Sheik looked at Kaikoura questioningly. She sighed before motioning to the boy.
“My brother,” she mumbled. She then motioned to Sauli and Nasty. “Some old friends.” They looked at her slightly offended.
“‘Some old friends’?” Nasty asked. He turned to Sheik. “How could you say that? Kaiky and I have been through some rough times together,” he said proudly. “She’s kind of like a younger sister to me, really.” Sauli raised an eyebrow at Nasty and linked an arm with Kaikoura.
“‘Like a brother’?” he said skeptically. Kaikoura looked at Nasty.
“Even I wouldn’t say that,” she said honestly. Nasty folded his large arms and looked away, not saying another word. Sauli stepped closer to Kaikoura with a smile. Sheik looked away from them awkwardly. A moment later, the woman and Midna emerged from the gate. Midna was now in a pair of the shortest black shorts Sheik had ever seen in his life, barely visible under the bright raincoat. Kaikoura cleared her throat and separated herself from Sauli, moving over and linking arms with Sheik now. He still stood awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. “Lita,” Kaikoura started nervously. “This is Sheik, my husband.” The blonde woman whipped her head around to look at the two. Her heavily lined eyes were narrowed.
“I’ve been patient with you, Kaikoura,” she warned after a long hesitation, pointing a bony finger at the girl. “Don’t start already.” She looked Sheik up and down quickly before extending a hand. She didn’t smile. “Hi, Sheik. I’m Lita, as I’m sure you already know.” She looked between Sheik and Tet. “Is this your brother?” Tet grinned and nodded.
“Yep!” Tet answered proudly. Lita gave a faint smile.
“You two look alike.” She began to walk forward, but stopped to look at Kaikoura and Sheik again. “Quit doing that.” Kaikoura unlinked arms and now stood just as awkwardly beside Sheik as he did beside her. Lita continued walking back up the road, Vallon close behind her. Kaikoura cleared her throat gently and leaned toward Sheik as everyone followed up the path.
“That’s my step-mom...” she said. Sheik didn’t answer or look at her; he was still quite offended that they had been married for nearly a year, yet Tet and Midna knew her family better than he did. Kaikoura caught on fast and remained silent. Nasty pulled himself up next to Midna, attempting to hold a conversation with her. She would giggle and talk with him, before suddenly ‘hmphing’ and ignoring him. This continued as a cycle. Not too far back up the road, they finally approached houses. Sauli had taken hold of Kaikoura’s hand shortly after they approached the closest house, causing Sheik to throw a suspicious glance in their direction. Kaikoura avoided anyone and everyone’s gaze. He also noticed the silence that followed as they walked past the home, as if all conversation had died with its presence. Lita pressed on, not looking at the home once. Nasty cleared his throat a bit and leaned toward Kaikoura.
“So, uh, I thought you might--” he started. Kaikoura shot him a look.
“How intriguing,” she muttered, cutting him off and then ignoring him. Nasty dropped the subject, feeling Sheik’s gaze on him. Conversation started up again after a moment. Sheik looked at Nasty, whom was still flirting with Midna behind him.
“Do you know Link personally?” Sheik asked. Nasty shook his head.
“Nope, but from what I’ve heard he’s a crazy cool dude,” he said. Sheik gave a small nod before turning back around. After a moment, Nasty struck up conversation once more. “So, are you from around here?”
“I guess you could say that,” Sheik answered. Nasty didn’t seem to hear him, instead typing away on his smartphone. Midna noticed and hit the man’s large arm with much unexpected strength. His phone flew right out of his hands and into the back of Vallon’s head. Vallon stopped walking, causing Nasty to then bump into him roughly.
“Sorry,” Nasty said, reaching for his phone at the same time as Midna. Vallon muttered to himself, an ear twitching as he turned to continue walking with Lita and Tet in the front of the group. Midna had picked up Nasty’s phone and was about to hand it over when something on the screen caught her attention. She quickly looked at Nasty incredulously, pointing at the text.
“Did you send this?!” she cried quietly, trying to avoid grabbing the rest of the party’s attention. Nasty seized his phone and closed out of his messages with a sigh.
“No, I was going to though,” he muttered. She shoved his arm with force, sending him nearly into Sheik.
“Are you out of your mind?” she chided. He held up his arms defensively.
“Hey, to be fair, I didn’t send it!” She snarled at him and took his phone from his hands.
“I’ll take that,” she said. He stuttered in protest, but she silenced him with a hand. “Just shush! You’ll have it back after we’re done looking for Link.” He grumbled to himself but didn’t fight it. Sheik blinked and looked at Midna questioningly.
“What did he do wrong?” he asked. Midna remained silent, debating with herself mentally before answering.
“He was going to invite someone to help us look for Link that nobody here likes very much,” she said simply. Nasty’s eyebrows flew up his forehead.
“Speak for yourself! Only you, Kaikoura and Lita don’t like him!” he cried.
“Who are we talking about?” Sheik said. Midna answered before Nasty could open his mouth to speak first.
“A horrible ex-boyfriend of Kaikoura’s,” she said. “He’s quite unpleasant.” Nasty shook his head violently.
“Don’t say that about him! He’s only unpleasant to you because you have to be on Kaikoura’s side about this kind of stuff,” he retorted. Midna raised her eyebrows at him.
“Oh, but I thought you and Kaikoura were so close. Shouldn’t you be on her side too then?” Nasty’s face flushed and he went to say something, but was interrupted. “Exactly, so stop defending him. He’s unpleasant.” Nasty sighed and muttered to himself, not bothering to continue the argument. Sheik gave Nasty an incredulous look as well.
“Why would you want to invite someone like that to help us look for Link?” Sheik asked. Nasty went to answer, but quickly shut his mouth when he saw Midna raising her hand again to hit him.
Sheik turned back around to find himself now behind Sauli and Kaikoura. She was still walking hand-in-hand with Sauli, both of whom were giggling and whispering among each other.
“Are they always like that?” Sheik asked with a frown. Nasty and Midna looked at the two ahead of them.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Nasty answered plainly. “Sauli’s pretty touchy-feely.” Sheik blinked, still frowning. Midna’s face sprouted a cheeky smile.
“Are you jealous, Sheik?” she said with a laugh. He narrowed his eyes at her and turned away.
“Continue flirting, by all means,” he said to the two dismissively. “I’m perfectly content with watching Kaikoura hold hands with another guy.” Midna laughed again, pushing Sheik playfully.
“Yes, you should be so jealous of Sauli,” she said, Nasty joining in her laughter. Sheik felt his face heat up.
“Why is that funny?” he asked, unamused. Midna leaned closer to him.
“Sauli isn’t into her like that, Sheik,” she said. “He’s gay.” Sheik looked at Nasty and Midna before looking back at Kaikoura and Sauli. Upon further inspection, Sauli’s skin tight sweater, oversized scarf and very skinny jeans did seem a little suspicious... He looked at Nasty and Midna again.
“Oh,” he said. “I... oh...” Nasty pat him sympathetically on the shoulder.
“I thought it was pretty obvious myself, but I guess I was wrong,” he said. There was a short silence before Nasty leaned close to Sheik again and whispered, “So Kaikoura never mentioned anything about me? Not even once?” They were now turning onto a different road, the ornate gate looming out of their vision. Sheik shook his head. Nasty looked at Kaikoura and Sauli cautiously, then to Midna pleadingly. “Can I have my phone back, please?” he begged, clasping his hands together and batting his short eyelashes. Midna shook her head.
“Definitely not,” she answered, trying to quicken her pace to get away from him. He followed until she slowed down again with a loud sigh.
“Fine,” she said with annoyance. “Only if you promis--”
“Yeah yeah, I promise, whatever,” Nasty said, holding his hands out expectantly. She dropped his phone in his hands with a glare.
“I’m watching you,” she warned. He waved her off.
“Oh calm down. I won’t invite him if it would upset you that much,” he said. He grabbed Sheik by the back of his suit and pulled him toward him. “Walk with me, Sheik.” Sheik didn’t protest and walked next to Nasty. He leaned toward Sheik after a moment. “Don’t listen to anything Midna tells you about Ronnie; she’s so biased,” he whispered.
“Is Ronnie the unpleasant ex-boyfriend?” Sheik asked. Nasty raised his eyebrows.
“What did I just say?”
“Right, biased opinion. Sorry.” Nasty paused before nodding.
“Yes, Ronnie is Kaikoura’s ex-boyfriend. In my opinion, and popular opinion, he isn’t unpleasant; he’s misunderstood.” Sheik glanced at Nasty from the corner of his eyes, not entirely convinced.
“And you are still friends with this person?” he asked. Nasty looked affronted.
“Well, it’s hard to judge a person when you don’t know their story very well, isn’t it?” he said in his defense. Tet turned from his conversation with Vallon and gave a wave.
“Hurry it up, you guys are slow!” he called. They gave weak smiles as he turned around again, reaching into Vallon’s chip bag and resuming his talk. Nasty pat Sheik’s shoulder appreciatively.
“You might understand him though if you met him; you seem smart!” He paused before continuing. “Err, not that Kaikoura and Midna aren’t smart but...” He trailed off, unsure how to finish. Sheik saved him to trouble and changed the subject.
“I hope Link is still in town. He’ll be safer with others if Ganondorf is in the castle,” he said. The two thought of places he might have been for the rest of the walk to the center of the town. Midna rushed to the front to speak to everyone in the group.
“Okay, so let’s split up to look for Link!” she called. “Val, you can go with me and Lita to search through the western part of the town. Tet and Nasty, you can go to the southern bit of town. Sheik, Sauli and Kaikoura can then search through the part of town in the eastern side. Meet back here in two hours!” Everyone headed off in their different directions, Sheik following closely behind Sauli and Kaikoura.
“Don’t you think it is strange Link has not gone to look for Zelda yet?” Sauli asked, his accent leaking through the more Sheik listened to him speak. Kaikoura agreed, but Sheik said nothing. The three made their way around the east side of the town, a wealthier place that was much cleaner and less populated than the other parts of the castle. Sauli kept trying to make conversation with Sheik, but was usually shot down by the latter’s lack of response. Eventually, he just gave up and stopped insisting that he join in their conversations. Kaikoura would sometimes stop the group, motioning toward someone with a blonde head. No such luck came, however, and they would walk away disappointed. Sauli soon took to asking people if they had seen Link once they reached an end of the east side that included shops and stands. A proprietor of assorted fruits, such as apples and bananas, turned his back to them immediately when the question was asked. Most other stand owners did the same until they reached a mango seller.
“Excuse me?” Kaikoura said, approaching the man. He was well-fed and thin-mustached, and had eyebrows nearly halfway up his forehead. He had a look of permanent surprise on his face. He looked her up and down before snorting in disapproval. Kaikoura didn’t take notice, however. “Excuse me, I was wondering if I could ask you a question sir.” He examined his nails with much interest as he spoke to her.
“Bruce’s girl, aren’t you?” he asked boredly. Kaikoura blinked.
“Um, yeah, not relevant at all. I was wondering--” The man’s eyes flicked over to Sauli, looking him quickly up and down before returning to his nails.
“And you’ve brought the illegal immigrant with you, I see.”
“I have permanent residency, actually--” Sauli started.
“Sir, I was wondering if you’d happened to see Link anywhere, or know of his whereabouts,” Kaikoura interjected. “You know, usually dressed in green with a long pointy hat.” The man looked Kaikoura up and down again before his eyes flew to Sheik’s. He dropped his hand and turned toward them, staring into Sheik’s gaze. He continued to stare before he turned his head to Kaikoura.
“You didn’t hear Princess Zelda’s announcement already?” he asked. They all looked among each other, then turned back to the vendor.
“No,” they chorused. He snorted again and rolled his eyes.
“I’m surprised -- it’s big news in town,” he said. His eyes loomed over Sheik once more. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping watch over the Royal family, Sheikah?” Sauli stepped closer, trying to intimidate; he may have been taller than the other two, but he was just about as intimidating as they were. The man looked at him, bemused.
“Don’t speak to him like that,” Sauli snapped. Kaikoura continued to press for information.
“What was the announcement Princess Zelda made?” she asked. The man sighed.
“If any of you had paid a bit of attention in the past week, you might have heard that Link and Princess Zelda are vacationing in another country right now.” He looked among the three of them. “Now goodbye.” He shooed them away with a wave of his hand, and they eventually walked away.
“‘On vacation?’ That’s probably the worst lie I’ve ever heard,” Kaikoura said in disbelief. Sauli rushed over to another nearby vendor. Sheik and Kaikoura waited where they stood for him to return, not saying a word to each other. A moment later, Sauli returned in a slump.
“That woman tells me the same,” he said with a sigh.
“Who would even believe something like that?” Kaikoura asked. They continued to ask and search throughout the east end for the remainder of their time. At the set time, they met the others at the fountain in the center of town. Midna looked paler than she usually did, and Lita looked quite worried as she held Vallon close to her side. “Any news?” Kaikoura asked. They slowly nodded.
“Apparently,” Midna started, “Zelda willingly announced that she and Link were going on vacation.” Nasty and Tet looked surprised.
“What?!” they cried. Midna nodded.
“They said she looked really healthy and good too... I wonder what Ganondorf did to get her to do that...” They all shuddered at the thought. Midna sighed. “I don’t believe it for two seconds, but it’s the only thing the townspeople are saying..” No one spoke for a while. “Also... Rabia told the town that her baby is a boy...” Nobody said anything. After a moment, Midna broke the silence. “Well, I guess that’s enough searching for today...” She looked down, disappointed. “Still no sign of Link?” Nobody spoke once more. Midna sighed. “Want to gather again tomorrow night?” Everyone agreed and went to head separate ways. Nasty approached Sheik and slipped a piece of paper into his hand, then giving him a quick nod goodbye. Kaikoura hugged Vallon and Lita goodbye, then was stopped by Sauli.
“Please come visit me tomorrow,” he said pleadingly, holding her hands close to his chin.
“I’ll try my best, but I’m working for most of the day,” Kaikoura answered ruefully. She hugged him tightly. “If not, I’ll be seeing you again tomorrow anyway, right?” They pulled out of their hug just in time for Nasty to jump right between them. He grasped Kaikoura in a big bear hug, releasing her moments later.
“I’m always here for you, Kaiky,” he said with a smile. She forced a weak laugh. Nasty hugged her more gently one last time before walking away to say goodbye to Midna.
“Bye, Sauli,” Kaikoura said with a tone of sadness in her voice. He waved her goodbye sadly and turned to walk back with Lita and Vallon. Nasty was just pulling out of his hug with Midna when Tet came over to say goodbye to Kaikoura and Sheik. He couldn’t help but glare at the two as they hugged goodbye, and barely returned the gesture when he received one himself. The two then headed back to their home in Kakariko Village in silence. They reached their house soon after.
Later, Kaikoura poked her head out from the bedroom to look at Sheik. “Thanks for dealing with Nasty today,” she said sheepishly. “He’s really not that bad when you get to know him...” Sheik didn’t look up from his book, and Kaikoura sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t introduce to these people before today...” He glanced up at her and shrugged.
“That’s fine, I’m not mad about it,” he lied before looking back at the pages of his novel. She emerged from the bedroom and sat next to him on the couch.
“Are you sure?” she asked. He nodded. She watched him for a moment. “I’m sorry you didn’t like Sauli much.”
“I never said that,” he said.
“Well you didn’t have to. You didn’t make much of an effort to even talk to him,” she grumbled. He didn’t answer, and they sat in silence again. “Lita says your eyes are pretty,” she continued, groping for things to talk about.
“That’s nice of her,” he said pleasantly. “I got the impression that she didn’t like me very much.”
“She’s very selective,” Kaikoura said.
“Understandable.” Kaikoura remained quiet for a moment.
“Why is that understandable?” she asked. Sheik shrugged.
“I would be too if I had a daughter,” he said. Kaikoura wasn’t convinced. He noticed, looking up from his book. Kaikoura stood from the couch.
“Goodnight,” she muttered, not saying another word as she headed off to bed. Once the door closed, he looked back down at his book, turning the page gently. Nasty’s note lay here, and Sheik opened it with care.

Sheik,
Heard word that Princess Zelda was taken from castle today. Princess Peach is still captured. Come to Johannesson Manor tomorrow morning if you want to help. Address on back if you need it.
Nasty
P.S. Don’t bring anyone else, ESPECIALLY Midna or Kaik

Sheik shut his book and rested it on the coffee table. “Hey Kaikoura?” he called getting up to follow her to the bedroom.

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Sheik made sure to leave the house earlier than usual the next day, the humid air making him uncomfortable. It still rained a bit, but it was nothing compared to the storm the day before. He hurried across the village toward the field, not a person in sight. The sky was still dark, but the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a gloomy, dim light across the land. It made the path to Castle Town just visible as Sheik trekked across the field as well. He reached town by the time the sun had risen and the drawbridge had opened. He made sure to steer clear from the part of town Hut Discount was in to avoid Kaikoura. The road leading to the gate where they had met the day before loomed into his sight, and he approached it cautiously. He kept an eye out for Midna, in case she had come to gather another search party this early.
He walked down the cobblestone alley past the many houses lining the road. Sheik rounded on the elaborate gate and paused. He looked around at the walls around it and headed for them instead. He climbed up the side of one wall and leapt onto the ground on the other side. He waited for any sign of an alarm or guard dog, but found nothing. He continued on cautiously as an eccentric mansion loomed into sight. He broke out in a brisk walk, heading for the door. He debated on whether or not he should sneak into the house too, but decided it would be better to just be invited in. He hesitated before knocking three times. He waited for a moment before sound came from the other side. The door opened, a man with a patchy brown beard in the doorway. He looked at Sheik expectantly.
“Can I, uhh...” He trailed off and studied Sheik, taking in his appearance. He didn’t continue as he examined every inch of him, making Sheik feel quite uncomfortable.
“I was wondering if Nast-- er, Nason was in,” Sheik said. The man gave Sheik one more glance before nodding and moving aside to let him in.
“He’s somewhere over there,” the man said in his congested voice, pointing in a direction to Sheik’s right. He thanked the man and walked away, feeling his gaze on his back. Sheik was staring at all the strange portraits on the wall as he strolled along. Many were of Vallon and Kaikoura, in which they were dressed in different costumes in every picture. He noticed how miserably awkward they looked in every one. He reached the end of a long hallway, in which a particularly large portrait caught his attention. A man with dirty blonde hair and a huge smile was holding Kaikoura and her brother close to him, all three of them dressed as if in an old western movie. Vallon was picking at something in his teeth and not looking directly at the camera, and Kaikoura was wearing a dress that nearly quadrupled her body size. Sheik stared at it for a moment in shock before a loud laugh brought him out of his thoughts. He looked to his right at a door that appeared to lead into an oversized kitchen. He entered it cautiously, a man standing at the other side of the counters with his back to Sheik. He was holding a cellphone to his ear and chatting away, and Sheik recognized it to be Nasty. He stepped closer and waited for him to be done with his call.
Nasty laughed again, saying, “That’s exactly what she said to him too! Like how dumb can you--” He gasped and jumped with surprise, nearly dropping his phone. “Jeez, you scared me Sheik.” He pulled himself together before putting the phone to his ear again. “Yeah, I gotta go... I’ll talk to you later man. Swing by in a bit if you want, I’ll be here. Alright, bye.” He ended the call and pocketed his phone, looking at Sheik again. “So you got my note I see?” He picked up a sandwich from behind him and took a giant bite out of it, waiting for Sheik’s response.
“Sorry to intrude--” he began. Nasty waved it off, part of the sandwich still in his hand.
“No pobbum,” he said through a full mouth. He took another bite, as if his mouth could hold anymore. Sheik cleared his throat awkwardly.
“How did you find out about Zelda?” Nasty continued to chew, staring at him. “Nobody in town seemed to even notice something was off...” Nasty remained quiet for a second before setting the small remainder of his sandwich on the plate behind him and swallowing loudly.
“Tet was actually the one that found out,” he said. Sheik blinked.
“Tet told you and he’s not going to tell the rest of the search party?”
“Well, to be fair, everyone else would get in the way.” He looked around cautiously before continuing. “Vallon would leave evidence behind, Lita wouldn’t let us do anything without the police’s help, Kaikoura would be too cautious, Midna would be too reckless, and Sauli just annoys me.” Sheik considered this and silently agreed with a nod.
“I guess you’re right,” he answered. “Is Tet going to meet us here too to search?” Nasty paused and took his phone out once more, pressing some buttons on the screen before looking back up at Sheik.
“No, Tet is raiding some village with his pirates all day. But I did talk to Ronnie about the whole search party thing, and he said he was totally in.” Sheik blinked and went to protest.
“Umm, I’m not sure if that’s--” he began. Nasty waved him off again.
“Nahh, he’s totally cool, you’ll like him,” he said with a grin. He fidgeted with his phone and looked at Sheik. “You’ll still come, right?”
“Uhh, I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Sheik answered, imagining a disturbingly muscular man crushing him with one hand. Nasty looked at him questioningly.
“Why not? It’s just Ronnie,” he said, no inkling as to why Sheik wouldn’t want his wife’s hot-tempered ex-boyfriend tagging along with them.
“Didn’t he date Kaikoura?” he asked. Nasty laughed, grabbing a pear off the counter.
“Yeah, but that was ages ago. Besides, he won’t hurt you if I say you’re friends with me,” he said. This didn’t make Sheik feel any better. Nasty picked up his phone and started dialing.
“Wait, don’t call him!” Sheik hissed. Nasty rolled his eyes and ignored him. After a moment, Nasty smiled.
“Hey man, I got someone else on board to help us look for Link!” he chirped. He paused, listening to the man on the line speak. “Yep, as soon as you get here.” He was silent again. “Okay, peace man.” He hung up again, looking at Sheik with a grin. Sheik felt numb, fidgeting with his hands anxiously.
“Why would you do that, just why?” Sheik said with a sigh. Nasty stepped closer and patted Sheik’s back roughly.
“Trust me, Ronnie won’t do a thing to you.” He rushed to the door of the absurdly large kitchen and peeked out through the windows. He turned to Sheik again. “We just have to make sure we avoid Sauli, otherwise he won’t let us leave without him.” He began typing on his phone. “I’ll text Ronnie to tell him to meet us outside...” After a moment on his phone, he looked up through the windows again and motioned for Sheik to follow. “Come on, quickly,” he whispered. They raced through the long hall, avoiding anyone that walked by by hiding behind large vases and potted plants. Eventually, they reached the front door of the mansion when a soft voice sounded from behind them. They froze and turned to see who it was, only to be met by Sauli.
“Hi Sheik. Where are you guys going?” he asked Nasty, surveying them with his nearly-fluorescent blue eyes. Nasty stopped to think for a moment before he answered.
“We’re just going into town together,” he lied. “What, Sheik can’t be included in the family now?” Sauli gave him a confused look, still only dressed in pajamas with his short blonde hair askew. They remained staring at each other for a moment more before he turned away, still obviously unconvinced.
“Wait for me, will you?” he asked. “I’m meeting Kaikoura in town anyway.” Nasty sighed in annoyance.
“Fine fine, just hurry it up,” he said. “Just get dressed.” Sauli went to protest. “You can shower and fix your hair later, we’ve got places to be!” Sauli made his way for a hallway in the opposite direction of the kitchen, and when he was out of earshot, Nasty turned to Sheik. “Hurry, we can make a run for it before he gets back.” They rushed out of the door and across the freshly cut lawn, soon reaching the gate. Nasty pushed it open with ease and shut it lazily behind them. He turned to Sheik with a broad smile, which Sheik didn’t return.
“Does Ronnie know who I am?” he asked the dual-toned-haired man. Nasty shook his head. “Is it just going to be the three of us?” Nasty nodded. The two stood in silence for a while until Nasty spoke again.
“I wasn’t expecting you to come, honestly,” he said. “Does Kaikoura know you’re here?”
“No, I didn’t tell her,” Sheik answered. A moment later, a figure emerged from a street on their left. Nasty lit up and began to walk over to the person, and Sheik hesitantly followed.
“Hey Ronnie!” Nasty said chipperly, doing some weird form of a handshake and a hug with the other man. Ronnie pulled back, his face now visible to Sheik, smiling at Nasty. He was also heavily tattooed -- some ink was even on his face. He had shaggy, messy black hair that brushed his shoulders, and the tiniest goatee lay on his chin. His ears were rounded, much like Nasty’s. He was quite tall and almost unhealthily thin, much unlike how Sheik had pictured him. He was still frightening in Sheik’s eyes, however -- even as Ronnie smiled at him. Nasty motioned to Sheik. “Ronnie, this is Sheik. Sheik, this is Ronnie.” Sheik didn’t smile, dreading the moment Nasty would add “Kaikoura’s husband” to Sheik’s title. He never did, though, and Ronnie laughed. His laugh was annoying to Sheik -- maybe because he was biased in his thoughts about the other. His voice was uneven, whiny and squeaky, as if he was still going through puberty (despite the fact that he was obviously older than Sheik).
“What’s with the getup?” Ronnie said with a laugh. Sheik felt his face heat up, suddenly aware how out of place he looked compared to the other two. They were in all black; jeans and muscle tees, and slip on canvas shoes. Sheik was clothed in his usual suit and cowl, however. He avoided looking at them as they both laughed. Nasty threw an arm around Sheik’s shoulders, nearly knocking him down.
“Come on, let’s hurry up before Sauli finds us,” he said. Ronnie snorted a laugh.
“That’s the last thing we need,” he muttered, and they both laughed crudely. They headed for the road to the right, rudely walking through a small crowd of people. Sheik felt uncomfortable under Nasty’s arm, and tried to separate himself, but to no avail. The stones of the road were slippery after all the rain, and Sheik’s foot slipped many times. Thankfully, Ronnie didn’t notice, so he didn’t comment. They turned a corner after a while, now standing in the central square of town. Nasty looked to Ronnie, sliding his arm off Sheik’s shoulders.
“Ready?” he asked. Ronnie nodded and continued to walk, leading the way out of the square in the opposite direction. Sheik leaned toward Nasty.
“What are we getting ready for?” he asked skeptically. Nasty grinned at Sheik.
“Don’t worry, you can help us navigate,” he said. Sheik didn’t dare question what he meant, for he dreaded the answer. They followed Ronnie to the northernmost part of the town where a path led to Hyrule Castle. Sheik looked at them warily.
“Why are we going to the castle?” Sheik asked. Ronnie gave him an incredulous look.
“Why do you think?” he said. They continued up the path without hesitation, but Sheik strayed behind them. He internally fought with himself, but eventually gave up with a sigh and followed them.They came close to the gate and hid behind an outcrop of rocks, peering over the side to watch for guards. Nasty and Ronnie turned to Sheik.
“Okay, Sheik, you go first,” Nasty said, ushering him forward. Sheik blinked at him.
“Why me?” he whispered in shock.
“Just go!” Ronnie hissed, shoving him out from behind their perch. Sheik tumbled ungracefully forward, attracting the attention of a nearby guard. They stared at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat.
“I have brought prisoners for Your Majesty,” he called to the guard, motioning to the rocks. The guard continued to stare.
“You brought him rocks for prisoners?” he asked after an awkward silence. Sheik cleared his throat again.
“No, the people behind the rocks,” he said, pulling Nasty and Ronnie out from their hiding spot. They looked at him surprised and somewhat angrily. “They were found... conspiring against King and Queen Dragmire.” The guard looked him up and down, uninterested.
“Okay,” he said slowly. He walked into the guard’s tower beside the gate, shutting the door behind him. The three remained silent until the gate began to lurch upward, slowly allowing entrance into the grounds. Nasty looked at Sheik with approval.
“Well that was easy,” he said. Ronnie began to make his way for the castle, but Nasty quickly held his shoulder. “Wait! We’re prisoners, remember?” Ronnie sighed in annoyance and stood behind Sheik.
“You should have just pretended we all worked for the Gerpido,” Ronnie grumbled.
“Gerudo,” Sheik corrected.
“Whatever.” Sheik ignored him and led them toward the castle cautiously. Past the gates, no guards were to be seen: they were instead replaced by porky Moblins and Bokoblins. They watched the three suspiciously, grunting and snorting as they breathed. Ronnie and Nasty gave them disgusted looks, but Sheik avoided looking at any of them. Eventually, they reached the castle itself and approached the massive doors. Sheik heaved them open and the three snuck through the corridors, looking for signs of Link. Nasty looked at Sheik.
“Where would Ganondorf be hiding out?” he whispered. Sheik thought about this for a moment.
“He might be in the throne room,” he whispered back in response.
“Show the way,” Nasty said. Sheik tiptoed across the halls with Ronnie and Nasty in his wake. The throne room doors came into sight moments later. Sheik pointed to a nearby air vent.
“This goes through the throne room,” he whispered. They nodded and rushed after him as he shimmied into the vent. Ronnie capped it afterward to avoid suspicions. They slowly crawled through the dark, cramped space; Nasty was especially uncomfortable, as he was the biggest of the three, but he didn’t complain. A row of light became visible and the vent expanded, allowing more space for the three to move. They placed themselves so they could all see the throne room and listened closely for sound. Ganondorf was indeed in this room, pacing about in front of the throne. A tall, curvy woman with pale green skin was standing before him, getting down on one knee in a bow. He looked down at her, with a scowl.
“I already told you I don’t know,” he grumbled. She looked up at him with a forced smile.
“With all respect, it’s your responsibility to keep track of your prisoners,” she said. He turned on her, knocking her over with a kick.
“And seeing as it’s your responsibility to fulfill my orders, I’m telling you to find them!” he roared. She glared at him from the floor, slowly getting back into a bow.
“Understood,” she grumbled. He resumed his pacing, not looking at her as he spoke.
“Veran, if you don’t find her, don’t plan to live for much longer,” he continued. He waved her off, in which she left the room in annoyance. He continued to pace for a while more before a figure stepped out of the shadows. His pupil-less eyes glowed red in the dark throne room.
“Your Majesty, the prisoners are secured once more,” he droned. Ganondorf nodded.
“Yes, good. Now I want you to go into Link’s usual hangouts and search for him,” he said, not looking at his servant. Dark Link sank back into the shadows of the room and disappeared. Ganondorf sighed to himself and sank into the throne with a frown. The three in the vent continued to watch him for another minute or so before Ronnie motioned for the others to follow him farther. They did so quietly, Sheik glancing ever so often back at Ganondorf. He didn’t seem to hear anything above him. Ronnie went through the vent for what seemed like hours until another large expanse of vent holes were sighted. More voices were coming from below, so the three gathered again to watch. Rabia was seen in a small, circular room filled with books and instruments; she sat in a chair, flute in hand, flipping a page in a music book. Sheik thought this was extremely convenient, and criticized the author for being so unoriginal. She shrugged and continued. Another Gerudo was sitting with Rabia, studying her shoes with care.
“Do you think Ganondorf will loan me some money to get a new pair?” the Gerudo asked, turning her head slightly toward Rabia. She shrugged in response, setting her instrument in her lap.
“I can loan you money too, you know,” she answered. The other waved her off.
“Yeah, but I’d rather just borrow his money,” she said with a grin. She kicked her shoes off on the floor and rested her feet on a nearby armchair. They sat in relative silence, Rabia playing her flute and the other resting in her chair. Soon, the door flew open and Kabira, Ganondorf’s daughter, stepped into the room. She looked at the two in the room through narrowed eyes. They ignored her before the other Gerudo sighed and, without looking at her, questioned, “What is it?”
“It’s none of your business,” she started, turning her head away from the other Gerudo. “Father wishes to see you, Rabia.” Rabia sighed loudly and set her flute down in annoyance.
“He can’t come here?” she said.
“Just go see him,” Kabira snapped before turning and leaving them alone again. Rabia sighed loudly again and stood from her seat, looking down at the other.
“Come with me, pleeease,” she pleaded. The girl sighed and stood slowly.
“Fine,” she grumbled. They began to walk out of the room, and Ronnie turned to the others. He motioned for them to go back through the vent toward the throne room. They all quickly made their way back to where they were before and looked in to spy on the conversation before them. Quite conveniently again, Rabia and the other Gerudo were just entering the large throne room and crossing over to where Ganondorf stood. His back was to them as he looked out at Castle Town below them. He turned to them with an annoyed look on his face, waving the other girl off.
“I didn’t invite you, Aveil, get out,” he barked. She went to turn away but was grabbed by Rabia.
“I say she can stay!” she said. “What do you want?” Ganondorf sighed angrily before addressing Rabia as if Aveil wasn’t even in the room.
“Didn’t you say you were going to check on Zelda every few hours?” he asked. She nodded without hesitation.
“Yes,” she answered. He blinked and waited for her to go on. She didn’t.
“....Well?!” he roared, stepping closer to her. “What do you think happened?! Why are you not aware of her rescue?!” Rabia gasped.
“She escaped?!” She stopped and her face fell back to normal. “Oh wait, I already knew that.” Ganondorf stomped over to her.
“And WHY did you let her escape?!” he roared.
“I didn’t LET her,” Rabia said, narrowing her eyes at him. “There wasn’t much I could do; one pregnant short person against two manly tall people.” She paused before correcting herself. “Well, okay, two strong tall people I should say.”
“Hey Ganondorf, would you mind loaning me forty rupees for some new shoes?” Aveil interrupted. Ganondorf rubbed his temples and turned away, dismissing them with a wave.
“Find Link and I’ll give you the money.” Aveil cheered and ran from the room, leaving Rabia with Ganondorf. He slumped into the throne, ignoring Rabia as she spoke.
“...in the cracks, do you see it? All these servants and still all this dirt? What are they doing, lazing around all day?”
“Continue what you were doing. I’ll have someone else guard the dungeon, since you’re clearly incapable of watching over prisoners,” Ganondorf said. Rabia shut her mouth and ‘hmphed’ before turning and leaving the room. The three in the vent started to continue again, but quickly stopped when Ganondorf spoke once more. “I know you’re in the vents, and if I find out who you are, I’ll have your whole family killed right before you. Get out.” They continued down the vent, Nasty swallowing loudly. They reached the entrance of the vent again a long while later. Ronnie peered cautiously out of it before pushing the screen out. The other two followed him out and stared at each other.
“Well what should we do now?” Nasty asked nervously. “Ganondorf knows we’re in the castle...” Ronnie rolled his eyes and moved behind Sheik.
“We continue with the plan, remember?” he said, unfazed.
“Wait a second, we have a plan?” Sheik asked.
“Sheik, bring us to the dungeon,” Ronnie said, ignoring his question. Sheik hesitated, but led them through the castle as Ronnie requested. Nasty had grabbed a nearby guard and knocked him out, taking the armor for Sheik. It was a barely considered a disguise, however, as much of Sheik was still visible.
“It’ll work for now,” Ronnie said. Sheik brought them down a long, dark stairwell to the doors of the dungeon, in which he slowly pushed open and entered. It was dank, lit by a single torch hanging on the wall. Sheik grabbed the torch and continued on cautiously. No guards seemed to be present.
“Princess Peach?” Sheik whispered. “Princess Peach?” A shuffling noise sounded from behind them. They all whipped around, expecting to be greeted by the worst, but were instead met by nothing. They continued on slowly.
“Princess Peach?” they whispered. They journeyed further into the dark room, every cell they pass as empty as the last. “Princess Peach?”
“Sheik?” a voice called. Sheik paused. The voice definitely didn’t belong to Peach. “Sheik, is that you?” He stepped closer to the noise and held the torch out. Marth stood behind the bars of a cell, dressed in regal blues and whites. He looked remarkably well for a prisoner.
“Marth, what happened?” Sheik questioned. The prince smiled widely.
“Link saved Zelda, and now you’re here to save Peach too, right?”
“How did you end up in here?” Marth sighed to himself.
“Well, the plan was for me to distract Dark Link and the other guards so Link could come in and save Zelda,” he said. “They thankfully got out in time.”
“I’m sorry, who is this?” Ronnie interjected with annoyance.
“This is Prince Marth,” Sheik said. “He’s very close to Link.”
“I’ll say -- weren’t you two dating?” Nasty said. Marth opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Sheik gave Nasty a little push. “Err, sorry, just a joke.” He forced a laugh as the others remained silent. Ronnie continued down the corridor.
“Where are you going?” Sheik asked.
“To find Princess Peach?” he said. “That’s who we came here for.” Sheik turned to Nasty with raised eyebrows.
“To be fair, I can see where Midna is coming from when she says ‘unpleasant’,” Sheik said. Nasty ignored Sheik and trotted after Ronnie. Sheik sighed. “Sorry Marth, we’ll be back.” He followed the other two down the hallway, Ronnie and Nasty calling out for Peach. They were going deeper in the dungeon than Sheik had ever been before. He looked back uncomfortably, unable to see much with only the torch’s light. They continued for a few minutes until a soft, girly voice finally responded to Nasty and Ronnie’s calls.
“Who’s there?” it said. The three rushed to the sound and peered through a cell. Peach was in the far corner, held in place by numerous chains and shackles. Ronnie turned to Nasty.
“You know what to do,” he said. He turned to Peach. “We’re saving you from these creeps, Princess.” Peach studied the three, her face lighting up when she reached Sheik’s face.
“Oh Sheik, is that you?” she said. She smiled and held her face happily. “You’re the greatest friend anyone could ask for, you know that?” Nasty grabbed hold of two bars of the cell and, with his thick tattooed arms, began to pull at them. Much to Sheik’s surprise, the bars were bending quite easily. He continued to pull until a space was available for Ronnie to slip through. Sheik gave Nasty an impressed look.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” he said. Nasty shrugged it off like it was nothing, but his smug smile said otherwise. Ronnie examined the restraints on Peach and Nasty pushed Sheik forward.
“You’ve got all that ninja stuff, Tet says,” Nasty said. “Go pick the locks.” Sheik hesitated, but Ronnie pulled him over.
“Come on, we don’t have all day,” he said impatiently. Sheik pulled a needle from underneath his cowl (Ronnie gave him a weird look) and started picking at the locks. After a few moments, most of them were undone. Peach clapped her hands excitedly.
“I can’t thank you guys enough!” she said cheerfully. Sheik helped hoist her onto Ronnie’s back, and they made their way back up to Marth’s cell. Sheik turned to Nasty expectantly. When Nasty didn’t do anything, Sheik sighed.
“Come on, he won’t be given mercy after yesterday’s rescue. We have to help him too.” Nasty looked at Ronnie, and Ronnie nodded.
“Just hurry up,” he said. Nasty created enough space for Marth to get through, and then the five were off. They snuck through the castle, which remained eerily silent and vacant. They were almost out when a booming voice came to their ears. Nasty and Marth jumped, and everyone turned to see Ganondorf looking down at them from the top of the extravagantly carpeted stairs.
“Is that Sheik under that armor?” he asked. No one spoke, and Peach hid her face in Ronnie’s long hair. Ganondorf snapped his fingers, conjuring Dark Link from Marth’s shadow. Marth yelped and jumped away, huddling with the others. Ronnie nodded to Nasty, in which Nasty returned the gesture. Nasty heaved himself forward, punching and throwing himself at Dark Link. Marth followed suit, and Ronnie jetted off toward the exit. Sheik covered Ronnie and Peach, throwing a small round bulb after them. It exploded with a snap, and the two were nowhere to be seen. Nasty and Marth’s attempts were no longer working, and the two were now swallowed by darkness, dragged away. A deafening silence fell afterward, in which Ganondorf glared down at Sheik, fists clenched. After a moment, he seemed to have composed himself and spoke.
“Follow me, Sheik. I’m sure Rabia would like to catch up with you,” he said. Sheik didn’t move. Ganondorf grinded his teeth together in annoyance. “Just follow me.” He turned and headed in the other direction, his cape billowing behind him menacingly. Sheik sighed and did as he was told, following Ganondorf back into the castle’s depths.