Legend of Zelda: War of Light and Shadows/Chapter 2

~ Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 ~
==Part 1==
        An hour had passed, and Link had since fallen into a fitful sleep, his face still buried in the sun-warmed fur of Alice. The sound of an acorn falling into the nearby Cucco pen had startled the birds into a clucking frenzy, causing Link to jolt upright with a yelp, eyes wide. He groaned and rubbed at his eyes, feeling exhausted. He had not slept well at all; fleeting visions of the rotted fox corpse had plagued his sleep.
"What time is it...?" he mumbled, nudging the now-awake Alice off of his lap so he could stand up. The sun was still quite high up in the sky; evening was not yet here, and he had no idea when Murphey would be back home. He sighed, leaning back against the side of the house.
"Maybe that was all just a bad dream," Link mumbled, looking towards the forest where he had originally found the gruesome sight. "Maybe it didn't actually happen..."
Oh, how he wished that were true. But he knew in his heart that was not the case. He huffed and started to pace, rubbing fitfully at his shoulders, while Alice whined and followed him as he paced, sensing his distress.
"If I tell Papa, he might worry a lot," he frowned, stopping in his tracks to pet Alice, who had shoved her cold, wet nose against his hand at the first opportunity. "I don't want him to worry..."
The boy was stuck between choices; tell Murphey about the horrific sight, and possibly even show him what he had seen, or do his best to lock it away at the back of his mind; ignorance was supposedly bliss, after all. Either way, Link had a feeling that he wouldn't be sleeping well for a while.
Alice suddenly barked and galloped towards the front gate of the ranch, tail wagging furiously; she only did that when she could hear Murphey returning home. Letting out a faint sigh of relief, Link jogged after her, just in time to see the horse come into view. Murphey smiled as he watched Alice bound happily towards him.
"Easy there, girl, don't want to run into the horse now," he chuckled; Alice moved out of the way so Murphey could direct the horse back into the ranch.
"Hi, Papa," Link chirped, trying his best to push any hint of distress out of his voice. It seemed to work, as Murphey smiled.
"You and Alice weren't too bored while I was gone, were you?" he asked, climbing off of the horse now and starting to unhitch her from the wagon. The boy shook his head, inwardly relieved that his father didn't notice any discomfort in him.
"No, Alice and I kept ourselves occupied," said Link; that technically wasn't a lie. Murphey knelt down and enveloped the boy in a hug, to which he gladly returned the gesture, huddling up against his father.
"Are you all right, Link?" asked Murphey, sounding concerned; it seemed he could feel just how tense his son was. Link hesitated, honestly debating on telling his father what he had seen. But instead he nodded.
"I-I'm fine, honest," he lied, looking up at Murphey. The older man frowned, but he seemed to buy the lie... for now.
"Alright, if you're sure," he said, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately. "I'll go get the horse in the barn; can you help me unload the wagon, afterwards?"
Link nodded, always willing to help his father out. Murphey smiled and gave the boy another hug.
"Good lad."
        Later that night, Link was helping Murphey prepare dinner, and it was at this point that the older man knew that something had to be wrong; normally, the boy was a bit of a chatterbox, more than happy to tell his father anything interesting that had happened while he was gone. Right now, however, he barely spoke; he seemed to be nervous, almost as if he was hiding something.
"Link? Are you sure you're alright?" asked Murphey. The boy didn't respond right away, letting out a soft, shaky breath before looking up at his father.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Murphey frowned.
"You don't sound alright to me," he sighed. His son had a bad habit of attempting to hide any distress that he may have been going through; he wasn't really that good at it, however, and Murphey was able to easily sense that the boy was upset about something.
"Are you sick?" he asked, kneeling down and placing a hand on Link's forehead; he thought it felt a bit warmer than normal, but he couldn't be too sure.
"Uhh..."
He really didn't want to lie and say that he was sick, even though he had certainly felt like hurling earlier that day.
"N-No, I'm not sick," he said, shaking his head. Murphey just frowned, not really believing the boy.
"Link... you're not lying to me, are you?" he asked. Link frowned and bit his lip, feeling like he had really backed himself into a corner here.
"I promise I'm not sick, Papa," he squeaked, shaking his head again. "I... d-don't really wanna talk about it right now..."
Well, that did nothing to ease Murphey's worries; what was his son hiding from him that was so upsetting that he didn't even want to vent to his father about it? Nevertheless, the older man didn't want to pressure the boy into speaking, figuring that he'd tell him about it when he was good and ready.
"If you're sure, Link," Murphey nodded, giving the boy another hug. "How about you go feed Alice while I finish making dinner, alright?"
Link nodded, looking faintly relieved.
"Okay, Papa," he said, and left to go feed Alice. Murphey sighed, rubbing at his forehead; he was trying his hardest not to assume that the worst had happened to his son. But could anyone really blame him for worrying? He was a father, after all, and what father didn't worry about his children?
Link, meanwhile, was talking quietly to Alice while she ate her dinner, sitting down on the floor near her.
"I dunno... I really don't wanna make him worry, but... what if he finds out eventually anyways, and it's even worse than if I don't tell him now...?"
Alice let out a soft woof through a mouthful of food, a concerned look in her warm brown eyes. Link sighed and hugged his knees.
"Yeah, but... what i-"
"Link?" Murphey calling out startled the boy somewhat, and he looked over his shoulder.
"Dinner's ready," he continued, frowning slightly when he noticed Link sitting on the floor near Alice; he figured he was just talking to her, however, and thought nothing of it otherwise. Link just nodded and got up, giving Alice a quick pat before going to have dinner.
==Part 2==
        Link was back in the forest, the area enshrouded in a dark veil that choked out the sunlight. The cold air clung to his skin as he walked, and every breath seemed to burn his throat. He didn't know what he was looking for, nor did he even know why he was walking through these cursed woods; it was as if his legs had a mind of their own.
"Hello...?" he squeaked out, his voice strained into a pitiful mewl. There was no sign of life as far as he could see; even the trees seemed to be dead, nothing but pale, ghastly husks that towered over him. He felt so small, so vulnerable, so helpless.
"P-Papa...? Alice...?"
His legs finally stopped carrying him forward, and they had brought him face-to-face with something that made his blood go cold. It was the dead fox he had found earlier that day... except it was standing up, staring at him with glowing white eyes.
 it rasped, stepping forward slowly; this simple movement caused flakes of ashy dead skin to fall from the rotten, smoking wound in its underbelly, creating a disgusting trail as its trembling legs carried it towards the boy. Link's breath caught in his throat, and he tried to back away from the walking vulpine corpse, but it felt like his feet were glued to the earth.
 it repeated; its voice was a death rattle coughing out words, and the sound made Link feel sick to his stomach. He exhaled shakily and again attempted to back away, his eyes wide with fear, but he just couldn't get his legs to move.
"G-Go away," he whimpered, trembling hands going up to cover his face; maybe if he couldn't see the horrible thing, it would simply vanish.
"Y-You're not r-real...!"
The fox took one more step and then collapsed; as soon as its putrid body hit the ground, it practically exploded into a cloud of thick black smoke. This cloud was rushing towards Link like a thunderstorm, and he let out a gasp as it enveloped him like a sickening, stinking shroud.
"S-Stop...!"
He wheezed harshly and fell to his knees, his hands now gripping at his hair, eyes squeezed shut and watering. It felt like he was being torn apart, slowly and painfully. It was so, so cold.
"H-Help...!! S-Somebody...!!" he cried out, and immediately regretted it, as the putrid black cloud now rushed into his mouth, choking him. His lungs felt like they were freezing over. He couldn't scream, or even breathe.
"Hhhh-he-help..."
His body felt so heavy and cold; a great weight was forcing him to the ground, to lay down and die. He struggled to stay upright, shaking violently.
 the same voice that came from the fox hissed at him, but clearer now. The deathly tone hung over Link, seeming to bear down upon his very being. 
It felt like an icy hand had clutched ruthlessly at the boy's heart, now, causing a cry of pain to escape from him.
At last, he finally collapsed, just as everything went dark around him.
        With a gasp, Link shot upright, shaking hands going up to paw desperately at his face and shoulders, as if attempting to brush away the black cloud of rot that had plagued him in his nightmare. He was whimpering and shivering violently, bathed in a clammy, cold sweat.
"Whhh-... wh-what... where-"
The sensation of something warm and wet dragging across his skin caused him to jolt in fright, and his wide-eyed gaze snapped towards the source. It was Alice, licking at his shoulder; she let out a whine when he finally noticed her.
"O-Oh... A-Alice, it's just you..."
Link let out a shaky, half-hearted chuckle, before sighing heavily and slumping back into his bed, a hand going up to rub at his forehead.
"G-Gosh... th-that was a pretty bad nightmare," he mumbled, looking over at Alice, who laid down next to him, whimpering softly. He reached a shaking hand over and stroked her neck.
"...I barely even remember what happened in it," he admitted, sighing softly. "What did that voice mean when it called me a 'Lightbearer', though...?"
Of all the terror Link experienced during his nightmare, that strange phrase was what stuck out to him the most. With a frown, he got up from his bed and walked over to the window, looking out it and sighing.
There was a big full moon out tonight, bathing the forest that lay beyond the window in a soft silver glow. It looked so peaceful right now. His gaze drifted to the direction of the days events, and a shudder ran through him; the corpse of the fox he had found earlier, and the nightmare it had caused, were still weighing heavy in his mind, and he had to look away soon after, a weak sigh escaping from the little boy's lungs.
No one would be able to guess that something horrifying had happened in there, had they not seen it for themselves... 
"...I hafta tell Papa about it," Link finally said to himself, his hands gripping the sill rather tightly. Alice let out a soft woof and got off the bed, trotting over to the boy.
"Not tonight, though," he said, shaking his head as she sat down next to him. "...I'm not sure if I can even get back to sleep, though; not after that..."
Alice whined and licked his hand, and he couldn't help but giggle a bit, kneeling down to pet her.
"Aww, you'll chase the nightmares away, won't ya?" he asked, giving her a hug now and causing her to lick at his cheek. He giggled again.
"Thank you," he nuzzled her a bit, smiling, before standing back up and walking back to his bed. Alice dutifully followed him, jumping up onto the bed.
"Good night Alice," Link yawned after climbing into bed, curling up under the covers next to his beloved dog. He hoped he'd be able to get back to sleep... at least he felt safer with Alice by his side.
==Part 3==
        The following morning, Link was biding his time, planning to tell Murphey what he had seen after breakfast; he was nervous, but resolute in his decision. The older man definitely noticed how tense his son was, but said nothing, not wanting to draw attention to it.
"Papa...?" Link eventually said, after the two and Alice had finished breakfast; they were currently washing up dishes.
"Hmm?"
He swallowed a bit, gathering his nerves. He had to tell him now, otherwise he'd probably never get the courage to do it.
"R-Remember when I said last night that I... didn't wanna talk about a thing...?"
Murphey nodded; he knew his son would open up about that eventually.
"Yes, I do," he said. "Do you want to talk about it now?"
Link frowned and rubbed at his shoulder.
"...it's kinda more something I need to show you..."
Murphey blinked; well, that was rather unexpected.
"What is it you need to show me?" he asked, trying to keep the growing worry out of his voice. Link looked towards the direction of the training dummy outside, beyond which he had found the dead fox.
"It's outside," he mumbled, starting to walk to the front door of the house. Murphey frowned and followed him, as did Alice, and eventually the trio were standing in front of the fence, looking out into the forest.
"You found something in the forest?" Murphey frowned, and Link nodded, starting to fidget nervously.
"I-I promise I didn't go past the river, Papa!" he squeaked, looking antsy now. "I w-was just practicing with my slingshot on the t-training dummy and I k-kept missing so I went to go pick up the rocks a-a-and then I heard a twig snap and-"
"Whoa, easy now," Murphey shushed, kneeling down to gently grip his son's shaking shoulders, trying to soothe him. "I know you wouldn't go past the river, Link. Just slow down, take a deep breath, okay?"
The frazzled boy nodded, swallowing thickly as he tried to calm himself down.
"I... I h-heard a twig snapping, and I thought it was just an animal, but... I went to go check it out, and..."
He pointed past the training dummy.
"It... it's b-back there..."
Murphey frowned. Link was being quite vague about what he had seen; the sight must've rattled him severely if he didn't even want to describe it.
"Well... I think we should go check it out," he said, making his way towards the fence to climb over it. "Do you want to come with me? You don't have to."
Alice barked and dashed ahead of Murphey, standing in his way and whining.
"No, I... I sh-should show you where it is," Link said, exhaling a bit shakily as he went to join his father. The dog barked again and nudged the boy backwards, causing a faint squeak of surprise to escape him, and Murphey frowned.
"Alice, we'll be okay," he said, reaching down to pet between her ears. "Calm down, girl."
She whined again, but reluctantly sat down, shifting nervously. She didn't want Murphey or Link to go past that fence... especially not Link.
"I-It's okay, Alice, we'll be back soon," Link said, giving her a quick hug before nervously going to scale the fence, with Murphey following after him. The dog whined again, watching unhappily as the two made their way towards the treeline.
        It didn't take long for Link to find the fox's corpse again; the horrible odor was still lingering around it, making Murphey stop and cough.
"By the Goddesses, what is that smell??" he coughed, covering his nose. Link had already pulled his neckerchief up to his nose, and pointed forward with a shaking hand. The sight of the poor fox's putrid body caused the older man to retch slightly.
"What... is that a fox...?"
Link nodded, already looking away from the gruesome sight, eyes squeezed shut. Murphey slowly approached the body, being cautious as if expecting it to suddenly jump up and attack. The smoking, acrid wound had grown slowly over time, having eaten away nearly all of the poor creature's torso and chest. Murphey couldn't bring himself to look at the body for much longer; it reminded him of something he had seen long ago...
He'd have to tell his son about it eventually, he felt. But now would not be a good time; the boy was already dealing with trauma from having found a dead body, even if it was just that of an animal...
"Link," Murphey said, managing to regain most of his composure. "I don't want you going into the woods alone anymore, understand?"
Link was too rattled to even question his father's decision, and simply nodded, shivering. He felt as sick as he had been when he first found the corpse, and he was scared his legs might give out on him if he tried to walk. As if sensing this, Murphey gently picked up his son.
"Good, we should get back to the house," he said, starting to walk away rather quickly from the fox corpse. Alice was waiting by the fence, and started to bark once she saw the two, pacing back and forth frantically.
"Calm down, Alice, I told you we'd come back safely," Murphey said softly, carefully climbing over the fence, with Link now hanging onto him so he wouldn't fall off. Alice pawed at the man's leg as soon as he was on the safe side of the fence, whimpering as she looked up at Link.
"Alright, alright, I'll give you your boy back," Murphey chuckled, gently setting him down onto the ground; Alice very nearly knocked him over as she attacked his face with kisses.
"A-Alice, stop!" Link squeaked, giggling and making no attempt to stop Alice from slobbering on his face. The older man smiled as he watched the joyful reunion, but the sight of the fox was still weighing heavily at the back of his mind. He never thought he'd see something like this again, and it scared him bad; how was he supposed to protect Link and Alice from something like this? He knew nothing about the strange black rot back then, and he STILL knew nothing about it now
Perhaps he should ask around Hyrule Castle Town the next time he stopped by there, to see if anyone knew exactly what was going on here. But for now, he felt it was best to take his mind off of what he had seen, and, more importantly, to get his son's mind off of it.
"Say, Link," Murphey finally said; the boy wiped some dog drool off his face as he looked up his dad.
"Yeah?"
"How about... I finally teach you how to use a bow?"
His eyes widened at that, and he promptly shot up into his feet.
"You mean it?! You'll teach me how to use a bow?!" he gasped, bouncing slightly on his feet in excitement. Murphey nodded, smiling.
"I mean it," he said, gesturing for Link to follow him to the house. "Come on, I have a bow that's the perfect size for you to use."
He figured it wouldn't hurt to teach his son how to defend himself with a bow, even though he hoped there would never be a situation that would call for such a thing; still, a bow would be a much better tool for defense than a slingshot. Link was already eagerly running to the house, looking excited.
"C'mon, Papa!" he cried, before bolting inside, giggling. Murphey smiled as he followed his son into the house; at least he seemed a lot happier, now.
~ Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 ~
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