This chapter is REEEAAALLY LONG. If I were to rewrite it, I might cut down some of the dialogue in the second half.
Some notes!
– I totally changed the battle with the Water Temple boss. I just got this dramatic vision, and chase scenes are exciting (and, when you’re watching them, scary), so I went and changed it to something I think is kind of really cool and exciting. I’m kind of realizing I should be making Link more awesome in general, but then it’s a balance between putting him in danger so there’s at least a modicum of tension. But anyway in the NEXT chapter (not this one) he’ll get the Master Sword, and then we’ll really see some fireworks from him. It’s a character development thing.
– I really don’t know where Link’s masks went. I think he lost them in the years between MM and LA. Except Demon, obviously, but he’s not really strictly a mask.
– I’m really hoping it wasn’t previously a plot point in one of my other stories whether Navi could talk to animals or not. I’m trying to work with a very firm line between “here’s who can talk to whom”.
Here’s a list of some of the coolest pictures I found on Deviantart during this night’s OMG ZELDA ART spazz. Seriously, I think I have 80% of the best art on DA faved right now. Do click on the ‘more like this’ pictures, because tons of them are superlative. Sheik lookin’ badass, if somewhat feminine. Plz to ignore the weird looking Zelda, but there’s lots of Links here. AMAZING watercolour based on the original game! This one is so awesome, I just can’t even. Read the artist’s note on courage! It is a wonderful sum-up of a wonderful series. Oh my gosh. I love Legend of Zelda just like- I just want to absorb it or something, literally. Gah. I can’t stand it! It’s so good! The music, the story, the world, the pathos, the triumph! <3 *explodes in adoration*
(here’s a pretty picture from real life, too : P )
Ahhhhh Steam sales noooooooo
Organ practice is good practice. I feel like I can finally start taking some pride in my craft again. Like, I always did, but now I am becoming aware of just where I am on the quality scale and it’s going up from ‘average’ to ‘awesome’. Something that alliterates. :3 Whoo Buxtehude!
Chapter 9: The Prince From Labrynna
Chapter 10: Zant’s Victory
He returned to the edge of Lake Hylia at dawn and turned Epona loose to fend for herself. There was a narrow path down from the high bridge to the water’s edge, just as he had suspected.
He slithered down the last few feet and found himself in a little bay on the edge of the lake. A ghostly figure was facing away from him, out into the lake.
Rutela turned to him. “I am deeply grateful for your aid to my son in his time of need, Hero. He is all that I have left, and I could not rest easy until he was safe. In thanks, I can now return to you something of your own.”
Something unfurled in front of Link, and he grabbed at it before it could fall to the ground. It was his blue Zora tunic, but it was different. Someone had taken the basic Zora tunic and added scalemail and other pieces of armour. There was a pair of flippers that he certainly didn’t remember, and a partly-armoured headpiece that reminded him of a Zora’s head fin. “Thanks!”
“Ooh, it’s super pretty now,” Navi said, circling it thoughtfully. “Put it on!”
“You seek where the darkness dwells in the Lake, don’t you? You already know where it is…”
Link sighed. “Not the Water Temple?”
Rutela smiled mysteriously. “We have used the Temple for many things, we Zoras, whether for a prison or for a place of worship.”
She turned away again, tall and sad. “I can now join my husband in the long sleep of death. And yet… my son does not know the truth of my death. When you see him next… tell him… Tell him he must not grieve his mother’s passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and strong as the leader of our people. And… tell him… his mother loves him without end.”
“I will,” Link said solemnly, and Rutela smiled at the lake and disappeared from his sight.
Link began to get changed into his new Zora tunic. “The Hero was right. I am so late.”
“You couldn’t be everywhere at once,” Navi said pragmatically. “I have no idea how Zant has been all over Hyrule in what seems to be only a day or two, done all the damage he did.”
“But if I had been in Hyrule before, instead of footling my time away in Ordon, I would have at least been able to get his attention, maybe coordinate kingdom-wide resistance.” He pulled the tunic and scale-mail over his head and began strapping on his belts and gauntlets.
“You can’t take responsibility for the whole kingdom,” Navi chided, irritated. “Goodness, you can barely take responsibility for yourself. You wouldn’t sleep or eat if it wasn’t for the rest of us, and your own body shutting down. Be realistic, now.”
Link stared at the boots that had come with the tunic before he pulled them on. “I should have gone back sooner.”
“You can’t predict what’s going to happen with mental issues,” Navi said. “And you had some serious ones. Stop thinking about what might have been. You can’t change it. I don’t think the Ocarina is going to take you back in time a few weeks or anything, not this time. Come on. Stop moping. We have a chance to fix what’s left.”
Link sighed and got up, fitting his new helmet on. “You’re right, of course. I just feel awful.”
“Well, you can either feel awful and get yourself killed, or feel a sense of purpose, and save Hyrule.”
He smiled. “I have to say the second option sounds a lot more inviting.” He dove headfirst into the lake and carved a stream of bubbles through the water.
“That’s more like it,” Navi said. “Where’s the Water Temple at, again?”
The Water Temple was just as beautiful as he remembered it, although it seemed to have rearranged itself since he had seen it. He found both his hookshots in a treasure chest near the beginning, and concocted a crazy plan to duel wield them, one on each hand. Navi thought it was genius, and so he did.
It was the first dungeon he had completed alone – besides Navi – since he had returned to Hyrule, and it felt a little bit funny. But on the other hand, it was very much like when he had been wandering alone with Navi. They knew each other’s banter, their blind spots and particular interests. And with their long relationship, it was a comfort rather than boring.
After many hours of trap-evading and maze-solving, he slipped into a hole in the floor, and found himself in a vast stone tank of water.
He swam downwards cautiously. The only light was Navi’s soft fairy light, muted in the water, and he had no idea what was waiting for him below.
He felt rather than heard something rushing at him like a thousand charging bulls, and took blind evasive action, swimming down as hard as he could. The Zora tunic was now almost as good as actually being a Zora, and he had personal experience to back that up.
He caught a glimpse of a huge mouth full of needle-sharp teeth as long as his arm, and long translucent white tentacles, rushing at him. He was going to fast for it to make the turn to actually eat him, but this was going to be a difficult fight.
“Navi!” he called, his voice muffled by the water outside his facemask. “I need you to stay close to that thing’s head at all times!”
“Got it!” and off she went, her own abilities barely affected by water. He would rather risk running into a wall than getting snapped up by that massive thing. It was an eel that would fit handily in Kakariko Canyon. How come he always ended up fighting giant monsters?
It had finally turned, and was charging him again. He dodged upwards this time, and caught sight of a large eyeball ensconced on the thing’s back. He wasn’t in himself fast enough to catch up with it, but that looked like a good place to start attacking, rather than the leathery hide that covered the rest of it. Did he even have a weapon that could pierce such a thing? He suddenly longed for the Master Sword, with its unstoppable blade. His own sword was good against average monsters, not giants that threatened the state of the world.
Or maybe the Giant’s Mask that he had carried in Termina would come in handy. What had happened to all his masks, anyway?
Well, Navi had told him to stop thinking about might-have-beens. That applied to battle tactics, too.
“Navi! Show me where that eye is! I’m going to try to hit it on the next pass!” He tread water in the middle of the tank, waiting for it to come around again.
It came, mouth gaping wide, and he shot to the side and latched on to its back with his hookshot near the eye. Hand by hand, he crawled close to it, before finally drawing his sword and plunging it deep into the eye. The thing beneath him jolted, and he was covered in a cloud of inky goop that was whisked away by the speed of the water around him. And a good thing too; he didn’t think his mask’s filtration system was up to extracting air from goop.
The beast under him was charging blindly in pain, and he was swept from its back. He felt the chamber shake as the creature struck the wall head on. In Navi’s light, he could see it drift limply for a moment, and then it shook itself, a shudder that convulsed from its tentacles down all its hundred joints to its tail. It turned and began feeling for him in the water.
“Look!” Navi cried. “It knocked a hole in the wall!”
“So you want me to go through it?”
“It’s mad now! Go, go go go!”
It was racing at him, even faster than before, and he took Navi’s advice. Ducking under it, he shot for the dark opening in the wall, praying to Farore that it was not leading to some even more terrible monster.
The crack was narrow, but he shot through it and found himself in a winding natural passage. He heard the crumble of stone, and looked back briefly to see sharp teeth coming at him. He kicked harder and fled for his life ahead of the teeth and the destruction they caused. The corridor began to twist, still going in the same general direction, but making it difficult to stay ahead of the monster. Up, left, right, down, he could barely follow it without crashing into the sides.
It was closing in on him, but the thing behind him was still tearing through the old stone like it was crusty bread.
There was a tiny gap ahead, and he turned sideways to fit through. He hit stone with his shoulder and bounced off. He was in a narrow trough perpendicular to the space he had just been in, and he couldn’t see far in any direction.
The monster crashed against the stone behind him, but it held – barely. Massive cracks had appeared, and the hole he had come through was a lot wider now. A white tentacle wriggled through at him, and Navi screamed. He drew his sword and hacked at it, kicking away. He heard it thrash on the other side of the wall, and began looking for a way out.
The way up seemed clear, so he pulled in that direction. Only just in time; the wall that had held back the monster momentarily shattered and it was through and on his tail again.
He saw the surface of the water and came to it, half leaping out of it with the force of his speed and falling back. It was too close behind him… He struck out with his sword again, and it bounced off teeth.
“Here!” shrieked Navi, lighting up a ledge above the water. He kicked for it, seized the edge, and hauled himself out just in time. The teeth snapped shut behind his foot by the fraction of a second.
He stumbled partway up the incline that led to the cave wall and turned.
They were in another large cave, pitch black except for Navi’s light. The ledge he was on was the only safe place he could see, and he kept his ears open for other monsters. The only thing he could hear was his pursuer thrashing angrily in the water just below him.
“Options?” he asked his fairy.
“Not a lot,” she answered, her voice shaking. “We could get it to swallow a bomb…”
“That’s true,” he mused, pulling down his facemask to get a real breath of air, if only for a moment. He caught sight of something in the darkness. “Navi, can you fly closer to the roof for a minute?”
A tentacle snaked out of the water at him and he almost missed seeing it, so intent he was on the forest of stalactites Navi illuminated for him. He jumped backwards and slashed at it.
“What do you want to do with these?” Navi called down.
“Blow them up, if possible,” Link called back, climbing further back up and pulling out one of his smaller bombs. “Can you hand me my bow and then go light up the stalactites right above the monster, please?”
She nervously did as he asked. “Be careful!”
“I’ll do my best.” He managed to tie the bomb to an arrow and nocked it to the bow. “Which one should I aim for?”
“This one! Hurry!”
He let fly, just as something grabbed his ankle. He fell, sliding down the slope towards the water’s edge, and the monster’s gaping mouth.
“Link!” Navi screamed.
The bomb went off, and there was a massive crack. The stalactite shook, splintered, and fell. A large piece pierced the opening where the eye had been, stabbing deep into the soft body within the hard leathery armour.
Link was completely entangled in tentacles now, and all his struggling wasn’t getting him any more free. Suddenly, they went limp, and began to slide back into the water, dragging him with him. He could no longer see the teeth. Thinking quickly, he dropped his bow and pulled up his facemask just as he slid into the water.
“Link!” Navi screamed again. “Where are you? Are you okay? I think it worked! Answer me, dangit!”
He was having some trouble reaching his sword. At least he wouldn’t drown.
The tentacles vanished with a poof, and he kicked and rose to the surface of the water. “Hi.”
“Link! You’re okay!” She swooped down and tackled his face. He grinned.
“I’m all right. We got it?”
“I think so.”
“You did,” Midna said from the edge of the water. “And I got the last Fused Shadow, too.” She tossed it in the air casually with her hair and caught it again. It looked like a mirror of the part she already wore on her head. “Well done, guys. I hope you don’t resent me for all I’ve put you through for this. I need it. It’s the only way to stop Zant.”
“I know,” Link said. “I was thinking we could use the Master Sword on him, but I’ll trust you with this.”
“His power is unnaturally great, but it is a false power. I’ll prove it with these.” She nodded determinedly, and packed it away into her own hammerspace. “And… well, I’m sorry for dragging you all over the place. I know it’s taken a lot of time out of your schedule of saving people.”
He shrugged. “I dragged you all over the place too. I don’t think you have to apologize.”
“And I’m sorry that Navi couldn’t come with you in the Twilight. You guys are a great team.”
Navi bobbed in surprise. “Uh. Thanks! Hey, you’re not so bad.”
Midna smirked. “Keep that up, and I’ll take it back.”
Link blinked in confusion as both Midna and Navi burst into giggles.
“So,” Midna said, recovering herself, “shall I get you out of here? Where shall we go next?”
“Let’s check in with the Light Spirit,” Link said. “Is that okay, Midna?”
“It’s fine with me. And it’s probably getting late. You should probably get some rest before we go face Zant tomorrow.” She gave a little hop and a throwing motion, and a blue and black portal appeared on the ground beside her. “Here you are. See you later, eeheehee!”
He stepped into the portal and felt the familiar tug on his head as it took him up.
He appeared on the edge of the Spirit’s Spring. Lanayru was not there, which he took as a good sign…
He turned to leave and bumped into something tall, solid, and robed. He saw black robes with green designs, and a red strip with more designs, and a threatening, towering, inhuman helmet.
He had never seen the figure before, but his hand went to his sword. He recognized him immediately anyway. “Zant.”
Before his sword was half out of its sheath, Zant’s hand had whipped forward and clamped around his neck. Link was lifted off the ground easily and flung aside. Navi screamed. Lanayru came boiling out of her pool, hissing in rage.
Before Link could get back to his feet and get his sword all the way out, Zant had stretched out his hand to Lanayru, and she sank, shuddering, back into her pool. The chamber became filled with Twilight, and Link found he was once again a wolf.
With an angry howl, he flung himself at Zant, and found his way barred. He bounced off something invisible but solid, and was flung back, his forehead stinging. Navi fluttered next to him in distress. “Leave him alone!” she shouted at Zant, who swatted at her. She struck the wall of the cavern and slid down beside him.
Midna rose in front of him, the Fused Shadows swirling around her. He couldn’t see her face.
Zant reached out, and ripped the Fused Shadows away from her, even her helmet. Her hair was messy, poking out in all directions from long confinement. She cried out in protest, but before she could move, he lifted her into the air with magic, pinning her by the wrists in invisible chains.
“Midna, Midna, Midna…” Zant chided. His voice was surprisingly high and soft. “Did you honestly meant to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?” He laughed, and Link heard the secret note of madness in his voice. It hurt too much to move… He tried to force himself up, but he was on the edge of blacking out as it was… “You are a foolish traitor. Why do you defy your king so?”
Midna was hauled around, and now Link could see her face. She was wearing a terrible snarl, exposing fangs Link had never seen before. “My king? You must be joking. You do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe! You betrayed ME!”
“You dare presume that my power is… our old magic? You are the joking one.” Midna was flung into the dirt next to Link. “This power was given to me by my god, and you will respect it!”
She crawled over to Link. “I can’t fight him,” she whispered, almost inaudibly. “I’ve failed.”
He stirred, in time to see a red light glowing at Zant’s chest. His forehead throbbed in time with the light. Midna looked shocked, and touched his forehead, next to where Navi had crawled. The light died but the pain in his head did not.
She was yanked away from him again, and with her back against Zant’s chest. He leaned over her shoulder, his helmet faceplate sliding up to reveal an effeminate mouth in a pale blue face. He whispered in her ear. “My Midna… did you forget? This is one of the light-dwellers who oppress our people. No matter your desires, you will never be a part of their world. But… Midna, if we make their world ours, then light and shadow will meet at last… Sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! But I can’t do it without you, Midna.” He nibbled on her ear. “Lend me your power.”
She struggled, kicking, and seemed to break free of the invisible grip Zant had on her. She crawled, humiliated, back over to Link.
“So be it,” and Zant’s voice cracked with anger. “I will return you to the Light World you covet!” Midna was ripped away from him and dangled over the edge of the Spirit’s Spring. Zant raised his hand, and Lanayru rose from the water, the Twilight evaporating.
Midna was held there, helpless, and she let out a terrible scream as Lanayru enveloped her in swirls of light until she was no longer visible. But the Light Spirit’s face looked compassionate rather than vengeful. Link felt himself rising, and light covered him too, as he finally passed out.
He came to, slowly, under the light of the moon. The wind brushed his ears, and he heard it blowing over grass and bushes. His head didn’t hurt so much anymore, though it still felt like there was something… present inside it. He staggered to all fours and sniffed the wind. There was going to be rain very soon, judging from the breeze and the clouds heading their way.
He also heard someone breathing painfully. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the weight on his back, and saw Midna. But she looked… wrong, as if he were looking at her in negative. She weighed less than usual, without her enchanted helmet.
Her red and yellow eye cracked open. “Link… get to… the Princess. She will… tell you where… to go next.”
He looked around and saw Hyrule Castle Town right there, only a few hundred metres away. Then he heard a horse-y snort, and looked the other way to see Epona.
“Epona!” he barked, and Epona neighed back.
“Link! You are okay!”
He jumped. “Wait, I can understand you?”
His horse laughed. “You are a beast, an animal like the rest of us, are you not? How could you not understand us?”
He absorbed that for a moment. “And you knew who I was?”
“Just because you look like a wolf, sound like a wolf, and overwhelmingly smell like a wolf, doesn’t mean I can’t recognize my own master. I’m a horse, not stupid.” She bent her head and touched her nose to his. “I can’t carry you in this form, but let me come with you. Perhaps I can convince the humans that you are not a danger to them.”
“Thanks, Epona. You’re the best.”
“Oh! And I also found something.” She shrugged her head, and something small and glowing fell out of her mane and landed on Link’s nose. He twitched in surprise.
“Navi!”
His fairy groaned, although she probably couldn’t understand the whine that came out of his muzzle. “Link…? Where… You all right?” She climbed up further onto the top of his head and passed out again.
“Midna said we have to see Princess Zelda,” he said to Epona, beginning to move in the direction of the city. “She’s hurt, and so is Navi. Maybe Zelda will know how to help them.”
“I like the Princess,” Epona said, walking beside him. “She dressed like a boy and brought me apples while I was waiting for you here.”
Link snuffed. “I guess you could tell it was her. I certainly couldn’t.”
“You were a human. They miss things like that. How will you see her? Isn’t she in a tower?”
“I don’t think we’ll get in through the front gates of the castle, and I don’t think we’ll be able to sneak in the way we did when we were children… We hadn’t met you yet,then… But there’s a secret passage in a bar in the city.”
“I can take you to the bar!” Epona said, prancing a little and flicking her tail. “Oh, this is so exciting! I finally get to talk to you properly, Master!”
“You can call me Link.” A drop of water fell on his nose, and he snorted it away.
Epona blinked her big brown eyes at him. “But… you’re my Master. So that’s what I want to call you. No one else is my Master but you.”
“If you insist…”
“I do. Oh,” Epona said, “but the bridge is up. Perhaps I can make a lot of noise, and they will open it for me?”
Navi moved on his head. “Link? What’s going on?”
He looked up as she stretched her wings and flew up from his head. “I hurt so much… I don’t know what kind of magic Zant hit me with, but that was not fun! And you’re a wolf again, and… Oh! What happened to Midna?”
Epona and Link looked at each other. Neither of them understood what was happening, or knew how to tell Navi. It began to rain softly.
Navi hovered around Midna in distress. “She looks awful. Are we going into the city? All of us?” She looked over at Epona, and Link nodded. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to get Epona in. That would mean getting the drawbridge open somehow, and I don’t think we can do that. I could talk to a guard, but I don’t think it would go well.”
“Can you get in, at least?” Epona asked, looking at the raised drawbridge and the long drop to the moat below.
“I did it once before. But Midna wasn’t hurt that time.” He took a deep breath and jumped up to the pillar that the chain looped around. Midna began to slide off and he wriggled to hitch her up into a more stable position.
He turned briefly to Epona. “You’ll be all right out here?”
“I’ll be fine. I can outrun or fight most of the monsters out here. The rain won’t bother me. Just… don’t take too long, please?”
He nodded and stepped out onto the chain and wobbled. Best to just go for it. And so he ran lightly up the chain to the top of the wall and jumped up and over.
“Well done,” Navi whispered to him. “Now, where are we going? Telma’s?”
He led the way there. The door was partly open, and inviting golden light streamed out, despite the puddles that were forming outside. The rain was coming down pretty heavily, now.
Link made for the door, but he heard a shout of consternation from inside. “Wolfos! Ahhh!”
The armoured girl ran for the door, kicked him in the face, and slammed it shut. “Stay out, monster! You’re lucky I’m too busy to kill you!”
“Wait here,” Navi said, as Link picked himself up and hitched Midna up a little higher on his back. Her breathing was still ragged.
An upper window creaked open slightly, and Telma’s cat looked out at them. “Mr. Link?”
“Oh, I can go in there,” Navi said. “I’ll be right back. Hopefully they listen to me!”
She zipped up to the window and inside, and the cat jumped out, heedless of the pouring rain on its fluffy white fur.
“Dear me, what has happened to you?” asked the cat, sniffing at him and looking him over. He had a brief but unpleasant flashback to a mill, a clock, a man who laughed and said “You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”
“I don’t believe we have been properly introduced. My name is Louise. I live here with my human, Telma. You are, of course, Mr. Link the Hero. And the person on your back…”
“She’s Midna,” Link said. “She needs help. We need to see the Princess.”
“Ah, of course. I see why you came here. Well, perhaps your fairy friend will be able to convince that Resistance lot to let you in. I might be able to get you to the secret passage without them noticing, but if they wise up, that would be easier. Come, let’s sit here under the awning where it’s slightly drier.” She began licking the water from her tail. Link crouched uneasily, trying to hear what was going on inside.
Navi must have only just found her way down. “Hi! I need your help.”
“A fairy!” That was the young man’s voice. “I’ve read so much about them, but I’ve never seen one before. Are you a Great Fairy’s assistant, or a healing fairy, or a guardian fairy?”
“Navi!” said another voice. “Where’s Link? Is he in trouble?”
“Prince Franz?” Navi said. “Yes, he is! And his friend, too, Midna. So we need to see Princess Zelda right away if at all possible. At least, I think that’s why we’re here. Hi, Rusl, what are you doing here?”
“How do you know my name, fairy?”
“Link lived in Ordon for a while. He had the name Green because reasons. But right now we need to get help for Midna.”
There was a pause from inside, and then a lot of talking at once.
“How can we trust her?” asked the armoured girl over the noise.
Link heard rather heavy footsteps approaching the door and tensed. But it was Franz who flung it open. “Link? Ah, you’re a wolf right now? Lady Rana said something about that.”
He padded forward slowly, his ears back warily. He wasn’t sure how this looked but it was, unexpectedly, embarrassing. All these people were looking at him, and he wasn’t human, couldn’t talk to them…
“You can tell it’s him because he has blue eyes, the Triforce on his left paw, and pierced ears,” Navi said. “Come in, Link.”
Louise the cat trotted through the door. “Yes, dear, do come in. I’m sure they’ll take care of you now.”
He followed her slowly. He knew everyone except Franz and Navi would see him as a threat, and his ears stayed back.
“He looks spooked,” said the older man. “And no wonder.” He got up and went over to Link, kneeling before him. “Sir Link, please forgive our rudeness last time we met. We must be careful about whom we trust. You must understand. My name is Auru, and I am the leader of this Resistance group. This young woman is Ashei,a knight from the Snowpeak area, and this young man is Shad, our scholar. Rusl it seems you already know.” Rusl was staring at Link in wonder.
“I would like to apologize in particular,” Shad said, putting a hand over his heart. “I greatly admire you. You’re rather formidable! Especially as a wolf. I’m not formidable at all, I’m afraid, except at reading. But if any of my knowledge can help you, I will freely share it! Although you may have to stop me when I get too excited.” Link nodded to him.
“I’m keeping an eye on you until you break your curse,” Ashei told him. “I don’t trust wolves. Nothing personal, you understand.”
Rusl came over to Link. “If that really is you, Green… I owe you a huge debt. I went to Kakariko Village! I have seen Colin, and the other children, and Ilia. Colin told me what you have done for him, and my head is still spinning trying to put it all together. You really are the Hero of legend?”
Link tried to keep his smile friendly instead of terrifying.
“It truly is amazing. I came here with this young man, Prince Franz, and we joined the Resistance as soon as we could. We want to help Hyrule as much as we can.”
“You say he needs to see Princess Zelda?” Franz asked, looking at Midna. “I’m not sure what this person is supposed to be, but she looks and sounds very ill.”
“Yes, I think that’s why we’re here. She will probably know something for Midna,” Navi said.
“No…” Midna croaked from Link’s back, and several people backed up. “Need to know… where to go next… must defeat Zant another way.”
“Right,” Franz said. “We must get this lady in to see Zelda at all costs.”
“Telma said there was a secret passage,” Navi said. “Do you know where it is?”
Even Shad looked blank. “I heard rumours, but I haven’t found any sources that were citation worthy…”
Louise meowed loudly. “Up here, dear. Ignore them, no one knows it’s here except me.”
Link got to his feet and examined the ledge she stood on. It only looked like a shelf, but then she disappeared behind a support beam.
“Let’s move some of these boxes,” Franz said, already doing his best. “Then we can get up there.”
“Are we all going?” Ashei asked flatly. “That doesn’t seem like a good idea. We’d get spotted as soon as we got inside.”
They looked at Link, who looked at Navi. “Link, I can’t read your mind,” Navi said. “You think it should be just us?”
He nodded.
“No, I’m coming!” Franz said. “I have to let the Princess know she has Labrynna’s support. Whatever else you want to do, I’m coming.”
“We can tell her for you,” Navi began.
“Lady Navi, I must speak with her in person. Please let me come.”
Link shrugged and climbed up the rough ladder of boxes to the ledge.
“Link says okay, but I say: do be careful,” Navi told him. “We don’t know what’s in the castle and we can’t be responsible for you.”
“I’m ready for anything,” Franz said determinedly. “Let’s go.”
“Goodbye,” Rusl said. “Good luck!”
“Goddesses be with you!” Shad called.
Link was already worming his way into the crawl space. It was a good thing Midna wasn’t wearing her helmet, because it probably wouldn’t fit. Her shallow breathing was scaring him.
Louise was waiting a little further in, where the crawl space opened up a little. “Here you go, dear. You’ll have to do a bit of swimming at some point, I expect, but that shouldn’t stop you. I’m going to go back in where it’s light. Good luck, dear!”
“Thanks for all your help,” Link said, and crawled past her.
Franz was behind him, breathing hard. “This is definitely a secret passage.”
“Shh,” Navi said to him.
Link went on. The passage grew higher, into a proper tunnel, and wound around into the centre of town. He began to hear water.
The secret passage passed through sewers, water run-off drains from the streets above. He led the way through, not waiting for the prince jogging to keep up behind him. He wondered if that was really fair, but something told him that Franz was going to insist on coming along frequently in the future, and he wanted to see how well he measured up. Although Franz was older in years, Link was the more experienced one by far, and felt older as a consequence.
For his part, Franz seemed determined that he would measure up, and that he would not be a burden. He followed gamely, saying nothing.
The secret passage spit them out in a dungeon cell in a familiar part of the castle. Link led the way that he had gone last time, glancing around warily, looking for guards. Franz’s sword was in his hand, although if he had to use it, that meant something had gone horribly wrong and they were going to die.
The castle was eerily silent. There seemed to be no guards, no cowering Hyrulian guards, not even the fierce birds that had attacked him the first time. He had to say the castle did look rather better when not under Twilight.
Midna groaned, and he was reminded that time was running out for her. He jumped into the window that led into Zelda’s tower and dashed up the stairs.
Zelda’s room appeared to be empty and his heart turned to ice inside him. If she was not there…
There was movement from the bed. “Mm?”
He whined, and Zelda sat up in her nightgown. There were dark circles under her eyes. She probably hadn’t been sleeping. “Link! You came back!”
Midna toppled from his back and landed on the ground with a thump. Franz went to her, lifting her gently. “Forgive the intrusion, Princess Zelda… This lady needs your help.”
“Who are you?” Zelda demanded, even as she took Midna from his arms. “What happened to you, Midna? Where is your helmet?”
Franz bowed. “I am Franz Jurgensson Graveling, Prince of Labrynna. I offer you… well, Labrynna doesn’t know about the state of affairs here yet. But I offer you my personal aid. I gather these two were attacked by Zant.”
“Three,” Navi said. “But I’m fine. Midna looks really bad, though. Zant took her Fused Shadows. Is she going to be all right?”
Zelda looked down gravely at Midna. “I don’t know. She’s not of the Light World, and she’s been forced into it somehow.” She spared a brief smile for Franz. “I thank you for your aid. I am only sorry that you have to offer it. It must have been a shock, to get here and find the kingdom in disarray again.”
“Do not even think of it, Princess.”
Midna’s eyes opened again. “Zelda… good, you’re here. How… do you lift the curse on this one?” She pointed weakly at Link. “He is the one… who can save your world.”
Zelda looked at Link and frowned. She knelt down in front of him and stretched out her right hand, where her Triforce rested. It glowed softly, and Link felt the last pain in his head vanishing. He leaned into her hand gratefully and she scratched behind his ears, which felt really nice.
But Zelda’s frown did not diminish. “This is… not Twilight magic.”
“I know,” Midna said, rather tartly.
“It almost feels like…” Zelda grew pale, and Link immediately feared the worst, a fear he did not dare name. “Link, you must find the Master Sword again. If my guess is correct, it is the only thing that will help you break this curse.”
“That’s easy,” Navi began. “It’s just down in the Temple of Time, right?”
Zelda shook her head. “It’s not so easy. The Temple of Time vanished from the Castle Town after the world was shaken up, and only after some months Saria told me it reappeared deep in the Lost Woods. She calls the place the Sacred Grove, which sounds fitting. I’m afraid you’re going to have to make a long journey.” She looked down at Midna. “One I don’t think she has time for.”
“That’s all right,” Midna said hoarsely. “You can… get to the woods… on your own, right?” She paused for breath. “Only one more thing. Where… tell him where… you can find the Mirror of Twilight.”
Zelda gasped.
It took her a moment to find words again. “Midna… Now I believe I know just who and what you are… Despite your injuries, you still act to save us… Please forgive us for our blundering and neglect.” She sat up straighter. “Now the correct path is clear to me.”
“Wait, what…” Midna began, and then her eyes opened in wonder and she screamed. “No! Link, stop her!”
Zelda had begun to glow. Franz took a step forward and stopped in consternation.
Tiny tingles of light flowed from Zelda to Midna through their clasped hands. Midna was trying to pull away, but was still too weak to, though she began to float into the air. There was a sound like bells in the room.
“You must help Link defeat Zant,” Zelda said quietly. “You cannot sacrifice yourself like this.”
“Neither can you!” Midna cried, grimacing in pain as the light washed over her.
Zelda smiled. “It’s too late to argue. Link? Be strong.”
The light grew too bright for him to look at, and when it finally faded again, Zelda had vanished.
Midna’s feet touched the floor. She was back to her usual colouring, and looked much better. But she was as grim as he had ever seen her.
“Let’s go,” she said to him over her shoulder. “We’re going to find the Master Sword and fix you, and then we’re going to find the Mirror of Twilight and make Zant wish he’d never been born. Oh, Zelda, what made you do that?”
“Did she…” Navi asked.
“Sacrifice her life force to keep me alive?” Midna said, sounding bitter. “To make me capable of functioning in a world of Light? Yes, she did.” She sniffed and wiped her nose on her arm. “I’ve taken all she had to give, though I did not want it. I misjudged her too. I’ve misjudged all of you.”
Link padded up to her and nuzzled her other arm. She patted his nose. “I know.” She jumped on his back and created a portal in front of them. “Let’s go.”
“But, wait, what about…” Franz began. “She’s not… dead, is she?”
Midna looked back at him with a mysterious smile. “No. We can restore her. But not until we have the right tools. Come on, Princey-boy. We’ve got work to do.”
Link stepped into the portal.
They reassembled in Hyrule Field. It was getting close to dawn.
Epona saw them and ran up to them. “Link! You got your friend fixed, anyway. But what about you?”
“We need to go to the Lost Woods,” Link told her. “Would you like to give Franz a lift?”
Epona looked at him askance. “I guess I can. But he’s not you.”
Navi looked between them. “Link, are you… talking to Epona?”
The wolfish and horse-y chuckles she got answered her question for her. Epona moved over to Franz and butted him. He patted her nose, looking confused.
“I think you’re supposed to ride her,” Midna said. “Good idea, Link. We’ll get there much faster if all the two-legged ones ride four-legged ones.”
Franz had no sooner clambered astride Epona when Link felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up. Something evil was descending over – or into – Hyrule Castle. He looked back, in time to see a giant glowing shield materialize around the castle, and he growled at it.
Midna actually turned to side sideways on him to look at it. It was yellowish, and was covered in black markings. She clenched her fist, and then looked down at it in wonder, as if she was still in shock that she even had a fist to make.
“Come on,” she said, and her voice was as hard as Link had ever heard it. They began to run across Hyrule Field, heading south to the forest.