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"Out of the Shadows"Out of The ShadowsBy: NightshadePrologue In the Kokiri Forest there was a story of a boy who slipped away about five years ago because of all the tormenting he got from the others. He was said to be the smallest of the Kokiri and the only one with dark hair. He talked a lot and sometimes ended up annoying others. Even though he was smart Mido and his friends continued to taunt despite his begging for it to stop. Then one day he disappeared and was never seen again. Now and again there was a story about someone hearing mysterious music from deep within the Lost Woods or an odd noise but no one has ever heard or seen him. Some believed he was still alive and some believed he was dead but everyone knew who he was. It was light already. Stirring, Alex rubbed
his eyes. His home consisted of a 4 by 3 foot knothole in an old tree deep
in the Lost Woods. A couple of vines and tree branches acted as stairs
until about the middle of the trunk where a niche in the tree provided
shelter. All he had was some tools, a spare tunic, his crystal edge
dagger and a strange medallion he had worn since birth. He carved shelves
to store food and other things. He hated living like this. Not a friend
in the world. Even in his isolated life he still knew things in the forest.
He heard about Link's great adventures by eavesdropping on the forest at
night. Living a life in the shadows teaches a person some things. Among
the biggest is how to keep a stealthy existence and how to sneak around.
And he fell in love with Saria. He could tell how deeply Link and Zelda
were in love and he felt the same about Saria. Not that it's going to happen
he kept thinking to himself. There were even a bunch of poems he wrote
about her. He was hungry anyway so he had to find some food. Climbing
once again down the vine he slipped into the forest.
"Link wake up! Link!" His eyes slowly opened to find Zelda preparing breakfast. "Come on." "I'm awake already! He got out of bed and sat down at the table. "You look beautiful this morning," he complimented Zelda. She kissed him on the cheek. "Eat up were going for a walk in the forest with Saria. Remember?" Both of them were about thirteen but with all their experience and maturity they acted more like adults. After their adventures they both lived in Link's home in the Kokiri Forest. Link finished eating and he accompanied by Zelda walked from his house to Saria's. Saria herself was just finishing her breakfast. She was waiting to go on a walk in the forest with Link and Zelda. They always did fun things together. But something kept nagging at her. She seemed to be missing something but she couldn't put her finger on it. She brushed the thought aside as Link and Zelda appeared. The specter thought panged her once again as she got up and grabbed her shoes. "You ready to go, Saria?" "Yeah!" She yelled back as she came to the doorway. "You two look so happy together," Saria commented
to Link and Zelda. They looked at each other and smiled. "Okay lets go!"
Saria exclaimed.
Alex wasn't having much fun. His whole life was just one bad thing after another since he could remember. He cried to himself often and sometimes played his little black ocarina. A noise. He looked around terrified. Three sets of footsteps were coming. He started running right into view of Link, Zelda and Saria. They looked at each other for a moment before Alex broke into a sprint. They started chasing him. He kept thinking to himself that he must not be caught. All to quickly he hit his foot on a rock and slammed his head to the ground knocking himself unconscious. At first Link didn't even think it was Alex until he got a look at the prone figure lying on the ground. And there he was. Face down into the grass was the legendary Alex. He was pale and gaunt. About 3 1\2 feet tall. Link knew he couldn't weigh much. His Kokiri clothes were a deep shadowy purple. He had bushy, dark brown hair. They turned him on his back and looked at each other in amazement. Just in case, Link took Alex's belt with the dagger and small pouches on it. As Saria and Zelda tried to rouse Alex, Link examined the items on his belt. Little nuts and various powders that made a flash when thrown. "So this is the infamous Shadow Kokiri," Link said to the others. Alex's eyelids began to flutter and all three gathered round. As Alex's eyes opened he looked around in terror. Link, Zelda and Saria were all staring at him. For the first time in years he tried to talk to someone. In a shivering voice he began to speak, "He...he...hello." Alex trembled. All three gave him a nice warm smile. "Hello, Alex," Zelda said in most soothing voice. It was obvious that Alex was scared of them. He started shaking. In an attempt to calm Alex down Zelda began stroking his head. "It's okay, were not going to hurt you." "Wh-what do you want from me?" Link, Zelda and Saria looked at each other in disbelief. This kid is scared as heck they thought to themselves. "We just want to be your friends," answered Link. There was a long pause as they looked at each other. "Okay," Alex began, the shaking quelling down, "but promise me you'll keep my existence a secret." "Sure, Alex," Link swore. Alex was still scared
but deep down he almost felt he could trust them. "Alex can we see where
you live?" Link asked.
"So is everything in place?" Drane inquired. "We have the supplies, 30 men and our weapons. So you really think we can extort a ransom from the Hyrule Castle by holding the Kokiri Forest hostage?" "Like I said, it would look terrible for the country if the king didn't do anything, and according to our source inside the castle, Zelda is staying there with that one kid, the Kokiri hero, what is his name, Link that's it." "So when is it?" Tare asked, getting excited. "In two days we'll be ready," replied Drane.
"We're almost there," Alex announced as the rain started to come down. They reached a clearing. "Follow me," he instructed as he climbed up a bunch of vines. He moved some brush revealing his little knothole where he lived. The other three were shocked. Not even a home. All it was some space in a partially hollowed out tree. All that was inside was a blanket and some books he took with him when he fled. "Alex," Saria began, "how could you live like this for so long?" "Do you want to move back to the forest?" Link suddenly asked. Zelda jabbed him with her elbow. "I'll make sure no one bothers you." "I sort of do, but I don't want to go rushing back." "Alex, you can't live here any longer, I won't let you," Saria added. "You know there is that safe house place in the forest," Link started. "You can live there until your ready to move back." "Okay," said Alex, overwhelmed by their kindness and lovingness. "This is all I have so can I move in now?" "Yeah let's go!" Saria insisted. The three of them climbed out of the tree. Alex, with a small sack with his few possessions, took a long look at his old home and started sniffling. "I can't believe it, five years and now I'm going to return." "Let's go, Alex," Link said. Alex followed their lead until they reached a small cabin that the Kokiri used to use as camping site when they played in the forest. The forest however grew more and more dangerous over time so it was all but abandoned. "This'll be your home for a while until your return. Is that okay?" Link asked. Alex happily nodded. Link began to open the door as it began pour. Once everybody was inside Link picked up two sticks and rubbed the together to start a small flame. This he transferred to a lamp on a table, instantly lighting the torch and shining light on the entire room. The cabin was made of a single room but it was very large inside and had some chairs, tables and a few beds. Alex set down his bag. And smiled at the three with glee. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed. He started crying with joy. "I finally have a home." Then Link brought up another subject. "I'm hungry, Saria where's the food?" Saria hit herself in the head. "Rats! I forgot let me get it." After reassuring Alex he was safe she started running into the woods back home. Alex gave a loving sigh as he watched her leave. Link and Zelda looked at each other. "Is Mr. Shadow in love?" Link began teasing. Zelda glared at Link then looked down at Alex. "It's okay if you love her, Alex." "Yeah look at these poems he wrote," Link said looking up from a book from Alex's bag. "Alex, you'rr sweet," Link commented. "Can I see the book, Alex?" Zelda asked. "Fine it's not secret anymore, is it?" Alex replied. Zelda read for a few minutes and started tearing up. "Alex it's really beautiful, I never knew you could write like this." "Zelda, you just met me today." Link began laughing. "He's got a point you know." Suddenly Alex started turning really pale. "Alex are you ok?" Link asked concernedly. Alex nodded. "I'm just tired. I haven't had a good night's sleep in those five years." "You can sleep here now if you want. We'll protect you," Zelda reassured. "Okay, good night then," said Alex. He walked over to the bed, removed his medallion and climbed in, immediately curling up and falling asleep. "Poor guy," Link said. The door creaked open. It was starting to get dark out. Link and Zelda immediately put their fingers to their lips and pointed to the sleeping Alex. "Oh, okay," Saria whispered. "Anyway here is the food." Saria pointed to the basket in her hand. The three sat down at the table and unloaded the food, taking care not to wake Alex. After setting aside a portion for Alex for when he woke up, they began eating. They noticed the medallion on the table. Link picked it up and noticed the inscription. He tried to pronounce the words on it. "Noctornus ex artimes shadan." As soon as he finished speaking the words the medallion began to glow. A beam of light shot out and hit Saria. Before she could react, she became enveloped in an orb of light. It began spinning for about thirty seconds as Link and Zelda watched, scared stiff. The light died down and Saria's feet touched the floor again. Only now she looked different. She was taller. Her hair was longer. "What happened, I'm bigger?" Her voice was also more adult sounding. "Saria you've grown up!" Link exclaimed. "You're no longer a Kokiri." The medallion glowed again and shot another beam of light. This time it hit Alex, who was still in bed. He seemed to float in the air for a second before the orb surrounded him. Thirty seconds later his feet hit ground. Link, Zelda and Saria looked at Alex as the light died down. He seemed to have woken up. He stood before them, somewhat stunned. He was now 5 feet tall. He was still a few inches behind Link and Zelda but he was almost as tall as Saria. He had well combed hair, a slender figure and a more serious face. And his clothes were no longer torn. Alex's eyes opened. His eyes were no longer childish but a deep piercing blue. "What the heck just happened?" Alex inquired, his voice no longer high pitched but a deeper tone. Saria and Alex looked at each other for a moment. Almost simultaneously they said to the other,"You grew up!" "That's how it seems," Link started. "That medallion had the power to break the curse of the Kokiri." "I wonder what else that medallion can do." Zelda asked curiously. "Oh yeah, Alex. I have your belt and stuff," Link said. Alex looked down at his waist. Sure enough, no belt. Link handed Alex the belt. He checked for his precious crystal dagger. Alex swung it around a little and sheathed it again. "Thank you, Link." "Alex, you look hungry so we brought food," Zelda offered. Alex smiled. Here sit down and eat. She showed Alex the food on the table. Alex almost fainted at the sight of all of it. Fresh fruit, bread, fish and some items he never saw before. He looked at them in amazement. "Th-tha-thank you!" Alex sat down and looked at all the food before him. He never ate this much even when he lived with the Kokiri. "While you're here, Alex, can you tell us how you lived for the past five years? Its pretty amazing that someone could live in that forest for five years with no external contact." Alex pulled his face out of an apple. He swallowed and said to Link, "OK, can I just eat a little more first?" "Of course you can," Saria replied.
Drane walked up the stables, carefully inspecting
each of the horses to be used in the attack. He started to wonder though
if it was really necessary to bring this much of a strike force into a
little forest populated by a bunch of kids. "Well better safe than sorry,"
he told himself. It seemed like an overkill but whatever his boss said,
he thought. He finally finished counting. Two days from now thirty-four
of his comrades would storm through the Kokiri Forest, seize the kids and
send off a ransom. All of them would be well armed. Figuring that there
was about fifty Kokiri each person would have to deal with two. To him
this was no problem. He had some of the best weapons around at his disposal.
No worries he reminded himself. This was going to be a breeze.
"So that's how you've been living for the past five years?" Link asked dumbfounded. The three were almost to the point of tears. He nodded. "Well it's all over now, Alex. You've found us so you don't have to live like that anymore," Zelda comforted. Alex smiled at her. It was getting late. Alex was looking pale again. "We better go to bed," Saria said. "It's getting late." "Yeah let's hit the hay," Link agreed. So all of
them got ready to go to bed. Soon everyone was sleeping.
Tare was standing over a map of the forest. His four top lieutenants accompanied him. "Okay let's review. We enter the forest here, fan out and take as many prisoners as possible, then, we have our foot soldiers take the houses over. Then we search the forests for stragglers. We centralize all the little punks in this big house hear. It almost appears to be a social hall or something." One of the other men took a sip of his rum, cleared his lungs and asked, "How are we supposed to fortify our position?" "Excellent question, Zachit. After we take the main area we start loading our supplies to some of these center houses, we take shifts watching the brats and start building a stronger gate at the entrance and some walls for our defense. It will be a cake walk people." Zachit looked satisfied. And with that they were dismissed. "Wait a minute, Zach!" Tare called out before he
left the room. "I've decided that you're going to come with me and overview
the whole operation. We have a special job that may require your attention."
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