Chapter Four Navi

He stands before the heavy doors leading into the building, a familiar yet foreboding sensation washing over him. Something is wrong there, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He places his hand on the scanner, but the computer refuses him entry. And then he hears a low rumbling. Holding his ear to the door, he listens as the noise gets louder and louder, until he can finally recognize it as the sound of a vehicle.

A vehicle that is steadily coming his way.

Suddenly the doors begin to open, and he dives out of the way just as shining white motorcycle crashes through the portal, forcing the doors open. He has just enough time to notice the fierce looking woman driving it, and the young, terrified woman riding behind her. The young woman seems to be saying something to him, trying to warn him of something, but he cannot hear what it is.

Getting to his feet, he hears another noise behind him. Turning around, he sees a huge, imposing figure walking towards him.

And then the pain starts.

Link woke with a start, sitting up quickly in his sweat-drenched sheets. It took him a moment to realize that he was back in his own bed, in his own cramped apartment, but it still took a few seconds for his heart to return to its normal rate. Taking a look at the clock beside him, he noticed that he had, in fact, been asleep for nearly nine hours. The dreams, it seemed were getting longer.

"Perfect," he muttered. "Just perfect." Looking at the various pill bottles beside his bed, he wondered if the new sleeping mixture he had tried the night before had actually worked or were still waiting to kick in. "Only one way to find out," he mused as he dropped his head to the pillow.

"Hey…Hello? Anybody awake in there?"

That was new. Usually the dreams didn't have a voice.

"Hey, buddy, wake up! C'mon, rise and shine already!"

A loud, obnoxious voice at that. One that seemed to be hollering directly into his ear.

"This is great. Just great. I can't believe the fate of the galaxy rests on the shoulders of such a coked-out loser!"

"Shut up all ready," Link groaned in response rolling over, he opened his eyes to see a bright blue spot bouncing around before his eyes. "I'm awake, you can go away now…"

"Believe me, I'd love to, but unfortunately, that's out of my hands. My name's Navi, and I'm you're new guardian fairy."

That woke him up. As his vision began to clear, he noticed that the shining blue ball had a tiny pair of wings. "A guardian fairy? What…"

"It's a long story. What matters is I'm here now. Now c'mon, we've gotta go talk with Zelda."

Ah, so that's what was going on. He was having a drug hallucination from the mixture he had made. "Well, I'll never mix those ones again," he muttered as he rolled out of bed. Making his way to the nook he called a kitchen, he began to brew a cup of his quick, cheap, and disgusting coffee. "You know, fairy, you're awfully uppity considering you're about ten, fifteen years too late."

"Look," Navi replied with an apologetic sigh. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. The truth is, the last eleven years are a complete blur to me. One minute I'm flying through the forest, on the way to the village, and then the next I'm waking up in some lab in Zelda's basement."

"Well, that explains more," Link made a face as he took a sip of the coffee and dumped the rest down the drain. "My subconscious is combining with the drugs to rationalize this hallucination now. Any minute I suppose you're going to tell me that after all these years you've come to be my partner, playing on anxieties left over from a frustrated and traumatic childhood."

"Yes! I mean, no, not exactly…"

"Well, fairy, I'm afraid that it's all too little too late." Stepping on to the auto-fresher, he hit the start-up button with his toe. There was a loud humming sound as the ionic energy passed over his body, cleaning all the dirt and grime away. Stepping off the unit, he began to dress. "As you can see, I'm already a bitter, frustrated young adult, and I did that all by myself. So no offense or anything, but I'm pretty sure I can make it to 'disillusioned middle-aged wage slave' and 'crotchety old man' all by myself." Dressed in jeans, work boots, a white under shirt and a green, short-sleeved shirt which he left unbuttoned, he began sorting through his bag, making sure his discman and the stolen blaster were still inside.

"Look, none of that was my fault!" Navi protested, so intent on talking that she seemingly ignored him. "I don't know what happened, but I'm pretty sure I was captured or something on my way to meet you. How that worked, I don't know, because I thought the village was supposed to be hidden or some big secret or something…"

"It is, because it doesn't exist."

"…but anyway, that's what happened. And I know that I was still a little late even without that, but my dad said there were reasons and that I shouldn't worry about it, so naturally I didn't…"

"Goodbye, fairy."

"Goodbye Link. Anyway…" Only then did she notice that Link had already left the apartment.

As usual, the afternoon streets were packed full of commuters making their way to and from lunch, street artists peddling their wares, and students playing hooky. All completely in accordance with life in the mega city of Hylia Center. As it was, Link still got that sense of confinement that always came when he walked through the crowds. The music in his headphones helped isolate him a little, but the feeling of being overcrowded still pervaded. Still, such was life.

As he made his way to the park to meet up with Raury for their afternoon game, he couldn't help but notice a small pricking at the back of his neck. He tried swatting at it a couple times, but that didn't stop it. He figured that it might be some muscle spasm or something he had picked up from sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

And then, all of a sudden, he felt one of his headphones being pulled out of his ear, replacing the music with a loud, high-pitched, and seemingly annoyed-sounding voice.

Sighing if frustration, he pulled out his other headphone. "You're still here? I thought drug hallucinations were supposed to pass once you were fully awake."

"I'm sure they are," Navi retorted. "But that'd only help your situation IF I WAS A FRIGGING HALLUCINATION!"

"Geez, you sure have foul language for a fairy."

"Look, again, I'm sorry," Navi alighted on his shoulder, her voice returning to normal levels. "I'm usually not this cranky. It's just…this is very stressful for me, alright? I mean, I'm supposed to be a Kokiri's guardian fairy, but my Kokiri is actually a twenty-one year old man. I wake in a test tube in some basement, and then I'm told to go find you without even knowing who you are, and I manage to make it to your place without any problem. Not to mention the fact that I'm in this massively huge city, which I must say is freaking me out a little bit."

"Well, I have three very good explanations for you. One, I'm not a Kokiri. Kokiri don't exist. Two, you found me because you're a figment of my imagination, no naturally you'd be able to find me. Three, it's not just you, everybody is scared of this city in one way or another."

"Oh yeah? What scares you about it?"

Surprisingly, Link didn't have a ready answer. "Well…I guess 'scared' is too strong a word. 'Uncomfortable', maybe." Glancing down at his shoulder, he saw the fairy's light dim in misery, and he couldn't help but feel just a touch sorry for her plight. After all, he supposed, he had felt the same way, once upon a time. "Hey," he told her, his voice softening a little. "If you're going to hang around me all day, at least tone down the light show a little bit. A big glowing ball sitting on your shoulder tends to attract attention."

Navi did so, and as the glow faded, Link saw a little blue haired girl smiling up at him from his shoulder. "Thanks, Link." Dropping down his chest until she landed in his shirt pocket, she started talking again. "So, where are we going?"

Raury was at his usual table, playing a game by himself, when Link and Navi strode up to him. "How's it going today, Raury?"

"Same as always; I'm still old." Glancing up at the younger man, Raury noticed the little winged person sitting in his pocket. "New friend?"

"Raury, Navi. Navi, Raury," Link made the introductions as he set up the board. "Navi's my drug-induced guardian fairy."

"No, I'm not!" Making a face at Link, she turned her attention back to Raury. "Nice to meet you, Raury."

"Likewise Navi." The old man made his first move. "So what brings you into the company of my surly friend here?"

Before she could answer, Link said, "Raury, you know anything about dreams?"

Raury looked up for an instant and gave Link a strange look before making his next move, though the younger man seemed to have missed it. "A few things. Had quite a few of them in my day. Why do you ask?"

Link made a move. "Do you think that they actually send us messages? I mean, that they're actually more than just brain farts we get while we're asleep?"

Raury was a long time in answering. "I believe that all things happen for a reason. That there are things we can't and aren't meant to understand, things we can only accept based on faith. Dreams are one of those things, I suppose."

"Hmmph." Navi snorted. "Faith seems to be something our friend here doesn't have much of."

Frowning, Link fingered the medallion at his neck. "Oh, I have faith alright. I have faith in the fact that whatever else they may be, the goddesses couldn't care less about what we do with our lives. We're all on our own in this world, and there's no point in hoping for divine intervention or whatever to get us out of it."

That ended the conversation. Link and Raury continued their game while Navi watched, occasionally offering Link advice. At first he ignored her, but gradually he began to pay attention to what she was saying; it truly seemed as if she knew what she was doing, as if she was able to finish incomplete of his and guard against any missteps he might take. As a result, he came closer to beating Raury than ever before.

"Well, it seems like your fairy friend here is a lot more skilled than you at this game, youngster," Raury laughed. "You might want to start paying attention to her."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." Looking at his watch, Link retrieved his bag and got to his feet. "Well, I'm off. Gotta open early on Sunday for all the drunken priests."

"Naturally. Good to meet you Navi. You look after this boy, you hear?"

"Sure thing Raury. And it was good to meet you too."

"See ya tomorrow, old man," Link grinned as he left the table.

Raury watched the young man and his fairy leave. "I hope so, young Link," he whispered to himself. "I hope so."

"Y'know, I like Raury," Navi was saying. "There's something familiar about him…like a comfortable old security blanket you had as a kid. Not to mention the fact that he actually seems to believe in me, unlike some people."

"Yeah, well, Raury's getting old," Link replied as he turned the corner towards the bar. "Senility's probably setting in. Joan's car, he noticed, was already parked in the alleyway. "And seriously, shouldn't you have disappeared by now?"

Navi didn't dignify that with a response. "So this is where you work, huh? Nice place, if you like that disgusting septic tank look."

"Well, not all of us can fly around make pests of ourselves all day…" Link trailed off as he reached the back entrance. Even when there was someone in the bar, the door was always locked from the inside.

Today, it was open.

Navi noticed his unease, and jumping up from his pocket she flew above his shoulder, her pale blue glow returning. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," Link replied setting his bag on the ground. He supposed that the door could just be stuck open, or that Joan had forgotten to close it properly, but he couldn't shake the ominous feeling in his gut. Pulling the blaster from his bag, he stuck it in the back of his jeans. "Come on. But stay quiet."

Link gently nudged the door open and entered the bar's store room. Everything seemed to be in order; no one hiding behind the kegs, no gas coming from the stove. So far so good. He made his way into the main room, and it too seemed to be in order. The lights were on, all the chairs were down and music was coming from the jukebox. And there was Joan, wiping down one of the tables. Turning around, she smiled at him. "Hey handsome. Just in time for the religious rush, huh?" She took a step towards him, out of the shadows.

"Shadows…"

Joan didn't have one.

"Link, by the door!" Navi cried out, just as Link drew the blaster. He dodged to the side just as a red bolt of energy shot by him. Spinning towards the main entrance, Link fired at the figure standing there, knocking him back into the wall. Link then spun back towards "Joan", finally noticing the small holo projector standing near the jukebox. He didn't have time to examine it further, as the doors blasted open, and five heavily armed men charged through, guns blazing.

Cursing harshly, Link dodged out of the way and leapt over top of the bar, seeking cover. Bottles and glasses shattered over him as blaster bolts shot overhead. Reaching up under the bar, he pulled out the shotgun Danko kept hidden in case of emergencies. Checking the gauge, he made sure that the gun was fully charged.

"Link, what's going on?" Navi asked. "Who are these guys?" Popping up over the bar, she quickly scanned the room. "And do they all look like the same cubicle clone?"

Images of the men who had visited Link earlier flashed through his mind, but he let the thought pass for the time being. "How many of them are there?"

Navi popped back up, then came down again. "Three on the left, three on the right, and one by the door."

"Is the table by the juke box clear?"

"Yeah, for another five seconds or so; they're trying to flank you."

Link pumped the handle. "Not for long." Jumping up, Link fired at the men on the right, towards the jukebox. One of them got caught by the round, causing the others to jump back out of the way. Firing another round towards them, Link spun around and blasted towards the other three at the left, hoping to scatter them. He sprinted towards the table Navi had checked and kicked it over, diving behind it for cover. Shooting around it, he managed to nail another one of the attackers.

"Five left, all charging," Navi instructed, and Link set his plan into motion. Pulling the power pack from his hand blaster, he jammed it into the side of the jukebox. Leaping back, he took aim and fired the shotgun. The round hit the power pack, and the jukebox exploded out towards the attackers, providing all the distraction Link needed. Charging forward, Link shot another of the men down, then another. By the time they had reoriented themselves, he was on them, striking one of the men on the side of the head with the butt of his gun. Kicking out, he sent the other one to the ground and unloaded the shotgun into his chest. Turning back, he did the same to man he had struck.

Heading towards the entrance, Link poked his head, making sure that no more attackers were thinking about surprising him. Seeing none, he shut the door and turned back towards the carnage before him. Bending over one of the bodies, he was shocked to see sparks and metal shards coming out of one of the holes in the man's chest. "A robot?" he mused. "Who the hell would send robots after me?"

"Hey Link, come and take a look at this."

Heading over to Navi, Link knelt down and saw what she was looking at. She had managed to pull a piece of ID from one of the robots. "Hashram Industrial Warehouse," he read aloud. "Over in Sector 33, level 5."

"Why would a bunch of 'bots be carrying around something like that?" Navi wondered.

"I don't know," Link replied, getting to his feet. Pulling one of the blasters from the downed attackers, he stuck it in the back of his jeans. "But that must be where they're keeping Joan."

"How do you know? I mean, the holo…"

"Holos can be faked. And I don't know. But they wouldn't leave something like that and then risk Joan discovering it, so they must have taken her hostage before coming here."

Navi landed on his shoulder. "But…what if they…"

"No!" Link cut her off. "She's alive. And I'm going to save her." A sickening feeling passed over Link, as he realized what he would have to do next. "Everything I did to forget…everything I did to get away…and now I have to go back…" He headed out towards the door. "But there's something I need to get first."

The graveyard was only a few sectors away from his apartment, but for Link the journey felt endless. By the time he and Navi had reached it, he was already regretting what was about to happen next. His fists clenched the sledgehammer he had hauled from Danko's uneasily.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Navi asked uneasily, clearly unnerved by the surroundings. That made sense, Link thought; fairies were deeply attuned to life, and anything to do with death disturbed them. "Perfect…now I'm actually starting to believe she's real!"

They finally stopped when the reached one lone, unmarked tombstone. Taking one final look and a deep breath, Link swung the hammer at the tombstone. "What in Din's arms are you doing?" Navi cried, but any more protestations stopped once she saw what had happened.

Jutting up from the ground among the wreckage of what had once kept it hidden, was a sword. There was nothing particularly spectacular about it; soldiers carried nearly the exact same style of broadsword all the time. But instead of there being an insignia or symbol of allegiance on the hilt, there was a single red gem. Link drew the sword from its scabbard and examined it. The blade seemed to be in perfect condition, despite its method of concealment. "Alright Navi," he said quietly. "Now would be a good time for all good little drug hallucinations to disappear."

"You don't seriously still believe that do you?"

"No," Link admitted. "But the offer still stands."

"Forget it." Navi flew into Link's shirt pocket and looked up at him supportively. "I may have been a little late, but I wouldn't be much of a guardian fairy if I left you hanging."

In spite of himself, Link couldn't help but smile. "Alright then. Let's do this."