Whoo! Today was eventful. I posted the last chapter, and then I went for a run, and it was great, and then I wrote the next chapter, and then I went to practice organ and found out that I’m rushing all through the fugue in my beloved Buxtehude C major, and now I’m back and just edited this last chapter. I really want to keep practicing organ. But I was sweating like a pig in that organ loft, which was still warm even though it was long past sunset. Man. But recording things really works in showing up things that aren’t right. So I’ll keep working on that!
THERE’S TOO MUCH MUSIC TO LEARN
So we’ll see how many chapters I write tomorrow. I didn’t get around to doing laundry, so I’ll have to do that tomorrow morning before I go on a run, hopefully a run with my friend, and then in the evening I am considering going back to the church and practicing some more even though it’s not my normal practice day. If I go late enough at night, no one will know or care. : )
I do want to keep writing. I wrote 12,000 words today, according to my Camp NaNoWriMo profile! Hee! If I do that much tomorrow, then I’ll have introduced Franz to the story! I’m excited for Franz. I keep adding characters, and Twilight Princess is already full of interesting characters! Just wait until the Resistance shows up! But anyway, in this chapter, Midna has some things to say, and Navi and Rana have some things to say back to her. o_O Goron Link also gets a cameo, heh. And can you guess what talisman Midna is talking about that protects against the Twilight? Here’s a hint… it’s not from Twilight Princess… it’s from a much earlier game! XD
Chapter 7: Sick Zora
At the end of the tunnel was a second locked door.
“All right,” Link said. “Let’s get this straight. Rana, if you get hurt in there, I won’t forgive myself, even if it’s not my fault.”
She smiled at him. “Got it. And you be careful too! Just because you’re the Hero doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable!”
He nodded. “Navi, watch my back.”
“As always.”
But behind the door was another labyrinth of tunnels. “Understandable,” Navi said. “You’d want obviously evil artifacts of power to be hidden as deep as you can get.”
All the traps were still set, too, which meant it was another couple hours before they finally stood before another great door, down where it was hottest. The Hylians took another drink of water.
“Ready?”
“We’re all ready. Let’s do it.”
He opened the door, and it creaked and groaned on its hinges. He paused, taking in the giant figure before him. Behind him, the door swung shut again and locked.
It was easily four times his height, and was built like a bear. It breathed loudly, though it sounded like it was asleep. All four limbs were chained by ponderous chains, its wrists to the ceiling, and its ankles to the floor. It was covered in shadows, so he couldn’t see clearly what its skin was made of. Its head was covered in a helmet of layered plates, with a ruby in the centre on its forehead. As he focused on it, the ruby blinked like an eye, a red cat’s eye, and began to glow. Light streamed out from the jewel, and Fyrus awoke.
He lunged at Link with a roar, showing a cavernous mouth filled with long tusk-like teeth. Link brought up his shield with a grunt, although Fyrus seemed securely chained.
Rana sounded quavery behind him. “So… how do we beat him?”
Fyrus took a look at the chains that bound his wrists, and burst into flames with a roar of rage. His entire body was on fire, like a giant lava creature. Torches spontaneously ignited on the walls of the circular chamber.
Link backed up from the sudden blast of heat, and drew his sword. “We’ll think of something.”
Fyrus yanked first one arm, and then the other, and the chains that had looked so secure gave way like they were made of crystal. Link and Rana ran in opposite directions. Fyrus came after Link, surprisingly fast. The room wasn’t terribly large, either.
“Rana!” Link yelled. “I’m going to need a distraction while I get my bow out!”
“Got it!” she called back, her voice shot through with an excitement that only came from an adrenaline rush. “Cross paths and then double back!”
Fyrus fell for their ruse, and now he was chasing Rana, who was also making as much noise as she could. “Come get me, you overgrown fossilized flaming shadow-fart! Don’t pay any attention to my boyfriend over there, he’s just going to shoot you in the face, no big! Come on, I’m easier to catch anyway!”
“Jump!” Naeri called to her, and Rana gave a short scream in surprise as Fyrus swung his chains at her. She flipped away, landing in a crouch. On his second swing, the chains struck her shield and sent her flying back.
But it was all the time Link needed. He let his arrow fly, and it struck the monster in the ruby eye in his helmet. He roared and clawed at his face.
Rana was picking herself up, dazed. Fyrus was advancing blindly on her. Link dashed forward wildly and grabbed one of the chains that had bound his ankles. “Navi, boots!” He dug in his feet and pulled backwards, straining with all his might.
Rana jumped aside just in time as the behemoth came crashing down where she had been standing. His flame was out, temporarily at least.
“Attack the eye!” Link called to her, and she sprang forward again, her sword flickering in the torchlight.
“Look out!” Naeri cried, as Fyrus began to pick himself up again. Rana took her advice and ran.
Link took cover behind his shield as a wall of fire erupted from the monster.
“Your hat’s on fire,” Navi observed, and he snatched it off his head and stomped on it.
The monster turned to him, breathing fire as he came. Link wasn’t going to get a clear shot.
“Rana! Can you shoot a bow?”
“Of course I can! You want me to?”
“Navi, get the bow to Rana. I’ll play bait this time.”
“Got it.”
So he ran and jumped, dodging gouts of flame and chain whips, until Rana had a clear shot. He heard Fyrus roar and glanced over his shoulder to see him pawing at his face.
“I’ll knock him over!” Link called. “You be ready to attack him again!” Without waiting for an answer, he sprinted to one of the chains trailing on the ground, as Rana dashed past him to take his place in front of Fyrus.
The monster knew what they were planning, he had to, but Link dragged him back with all the strength he had left in him, and Fyrus stumbled. Flailing at the air, he went down and landed heavily in front of Rana. She flinched, but jumped to attack as he landed. Link ran to see if he could join her.
She shattered the jewel on the front of the helmet, and Link dove at her to shield her from the blast of flame that came from it. They hit the ground hard, but the fire passed harmlessly over their backs.
Fyrus staggered clumsily to his feet and pawed at his broken helmet, roaring and flailing. His chains whipped around dangerously, and Link kept his head down and his shield up.
There was a ground-shaking thud, and Link looked up to see the room full of black particles and a Goron who was still twice his height slumped unconscious on the ground where the monster had been.
Link got up, breathing hard, and offered a hand to Rana. “All right?”
She winced. “I think I broke a rib again. I’ll live. You okay?” She was shaking as she sat up slowly; with fear or adrenaline, he couldn’t tell.
The particles shot together and fused into another strangely carved stone thing. It had spirals jutting out from one side. It didn’t actually look like anything. Modern art, maybe. It fell towards him, and on reflex, he reached out to catch it.
Midna spurted out from under him and caught it before he could touch it. “Don’t! I would have thought you’d’ve learned from that guy over there. This thing is dangerous! Even if you are the Goddesses’ chosen one!”
“Sorry,” Link said, helping Rana up and putting an arm around her so she could stand. “Is this another of those things you’re looking for?”
“Oh, yes. A Fused Shadow. You two have been very helpful in acquiring these for me, so I think I’ll tell you a few things.”
“Zant is the king of shadows. You only know him as the one trying to conquer your world, but he is more than that. And he is very powerful. In your current state, you would be no match for him.”
She turned away, her small transparent body shaking in anger. “But I swear, he will never be my king! He is nothing more than a traitor, a tyrant!” She whirled back on the little group in front of her. “Not that your Zelda is much better.” Rana scowled. “A carefree childhood, a wild youth, a life of luxury… how does that teach duty?”
“Zelda is,” Rana began defensively, but Naeri hushed her.
Midna waved dismissively at her. “I apologize. She didn’t exactly choose her life or how it went. I suppose she has had her share of hardships. And I certainly wouldn’t wish harm on her of all people. No, when I have the complete Fused Shadow, I’ll be fine.” She tittered. “So keep it up! Shall we leave this place?”
“The… complete Fused Shadow?” Navi asked cautiously.
“Someone’s coming,” Midna said, tense, and disappeared into the ground.
Gor Coron stood in the open doorway, holding it open. “You succeeded! Thank you a thousand times! Hold the door, brother.” Dan and some of the other elders stood behind him, and the warrior Goron held the door as Gor Coron trotted over to his patriarch. “Darbus?”
Darbus’s eyes opened slowly and ran a rough hand through his mohawk. “Urgh… I feel… my head hurts. Coron?”
“Everything is just fine,” Coron said cheerfully. “We’ve got a delicious meal waiting for you back in the City.”
Darbus groaned, a sound that Link felt in his bones, and climbed to his feet. “Food sounds good. What are these humans doing here? I thought I said it was too dangerous.”
“We’ll explain later,” Coron said, with a wink at the Hylians. “Are you hurt, Rana?”
“A little,” she said. “Can I catch a ride with someone?”
“Dan will give you a lift back to the City,” Coron said. “Come along, Darbus. You’re all right now.”
They made it back to Goron City without incident, although Link was pondering just what these Fused Shadow things were. Was it really safe to leave them with Midna? He knew so little about her, except she seemed to live in the Twilight. He didn’t know anything about the Twilight, except that Zant caused it by defeating Guardians of Hyrule that he had never met before. At least he wasn’t going after the Sages this time. Perhaps he didn’t have the Triforce in mind as a goal, although that would be odd. That was what people usually conquered Hyrule for.
At least Zelda was not in nearly as much danger as she was when Ganondorf took her. But she was a prisoner in her own castle. He had to get her out of there as soon as possible. And then she could help them fight back the evil. They’d fight together, the Triforce of Courage, Wisdom, and Silliness, plus two brave fairies, and drive out Zant and his mysterious armies.
But back to Midna. What was she planning to do with the Fused Shadows? How powerful were they? If things went wrong, could he stop it? Who was she really, and what did she really want?
“You’re quieter than usual,” Navi observed. “Tired?”
“And confused,” Link answered. “I think we need to talk to Midna more, if she’ll let us.”
“Better do it at night, maybe she’ll be more willing then.”
They came out into sunlight and Link squinted.
“Oh good,” Navi said. “We have time to get to Kakariko before night, and then you can have that wash you’re always going on about these days.” He laughed.
Rana was chattering animatedly to Dan, who was carrying her on his shoulder, although he caught the little hitches of pain in her voice. How was he going to get her down the mountain? Perhaps they could use the tunnel to the Lost Woods and he could get her a fairy from the fairy fountain there.
There was a small figure standing in the entrance to the mines.
“Hey!” Rana called. “Link! Good to see you!”
Link blinked for a second before cluing in. Here was his namesake.
“Rana!” cried the little Goron. His voice was still squeaky, but he was definitely taller. “Ooh! Is that Human Link?”
Link grinned. “Hi, Goron Link.”
The Goron squealed. “Ooh I’m so happy to see you again! Where have you been?”
“Around,” Link said, shrugging vaguely. “How’s your dad? I know he’s away…”
“Daddy’s okay. I’m not sure why he’s away, but I know it’s really important. But Uncle Darbus is taking care of me.”
“That’s good.”
“I was really scared when he went into the mines and didn’t come back. But he’s okay now, right?”
“He’s going to be just fine,” Navi said. “I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it when he’s had some food and rest.”
Little Link clapped. “Yay! You saved him, didn’t you? I’m glad. I was kind of sad when he said no humans, because that meant that Rana couldn’t come and play with me. Oh yeah, do you want to sumo wrestle with me?”
Link laughed. “I’m really tired, Link. I think that’s something best left for another day.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess you have hero things to do. I’m gonna be just like you one day, you wait and see.”
“Well, I remember back when you were resisting the forces of Ganondorf, so you’re well on your way,” Link told him. “I think we should go. Rana’s hurt and we need to get her fixed up as soon as possible.”
“Okay! Can I help? I can carry her down the mountain! I know there’s a human healer in the village down there. Or the storekeeper sells potions that can help.”
Link considered. “Rana, how do you feel about potions?”
“Yes please,” she said. “If only to dull the pain.”
“I’ll go get you one!” Little Link said, and rolled away. Link and Rana sat down in the sun outside the front gate of Goron city.
“We should go in the hot springs,” Rana said. “They’re nice.”
Link fanned himself. “In this heat? With all our gross clothes on? No thanks.”
“Well, you should definitely come back in the winter, then,” Navi said.
“That’s what I do,” Rana said. “But just being in the water might be nice. But you’re probably right. We’ll do it another time.”
Little Link came rolling back. “Here you go!” He handed Rana a little bottle full of red liquid, and she swallowed it.
“Thanks, little guy, that helped a lot. I can make it down the mountain now.”
“How much do we owe you?” Link asked.
Little Link shook his head violently. “Nothing! Nothing! It’s free!”
“Last I checked, things in shops weren’t free,” Link said.
“No, really, I said it was for you for saving Darbus, and it was free.”
“That’s never happened before,” Navi said, laughing.
“Is it bad?”
“No, it’s fine,” Link reassured the young Goron. “I’m just not used to that. But I’ll make it up to you both sometime.”
“Will you please come back soon?” He made a Goron-ish puppy face, and Link smiled.
“I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can. And I promise that as soon as the kingdom is out of danger, I’ll come wrestle with you. Okay?”
“Okay! Go fix Rana properly!” The small Goron curled up and rolled away quickly.
Link looked over to Rana and saw her grinning. “He’s a handful, isn’t he?”
“He is,” he agreed. “Very cute.”
They made it slowly down the mountain, arriving at the inn at dusk.
Link slammed open the door dramatically, revealing him, a painfully laughing Rana, and a greatly amused Luda to the people within. “We need a healer and two baths!”
Talo had jumped when the door opened. He had been playing with wooden blocks, building a castle. “I’ll go get Mr. Renado. You guys look terrible.”
Rana sagged into a bench. “It’s been a long day.”
“I’ll get the baths ready,” Luda said, pushing past Link. “You certainly need it.” He flushed, though he knew it was more than true.
Two hours later, they had both bathed, eaten, and were wearing borrowed clothes while their own clothes dried. Rana was so skinny she fit into one of Luda’s dresses.
“You look pretty,” Navi said when she saw her, and Link nodded. He didn’t know who his clothes belonged to, and didn’t want to ask in case they belonged to someone he knew who was dead.
“Thanks,” Rana said. “And you look nice too! Were we going to talk to Midna?”
“Let’s go outside somewhere,” Link said.
He led them to the Spirit’s Spring. They could sit around the edge.
He had just made himself comfortable when he heard a whisper from the pool. “Link…”
“Huh?”
“In the north, past the plains and the great bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru, you shall find one whom you seek.”
“Ilia? Do you mean Ilia?”
But the Spirit was silent.
“He must mean Ilia,” Navi said confidently. “I guess he got in touch with the spirit Lanayru? That is so good to know. You can stop stressing now.”
Link shook his head. “First I have to find her. Then I have to make sure she’s safe. Then I have to make sure that Lanayru Province is safe. Or maybe that comes along with the previous part. Then I have to rescue Zelda. Then we have to defeat Zant. I still have a long list of things to do.”
“But you can stop worrying that she’s been eaten by a grue,” Navi pointed out. “That has to count for something.”
He nodded. “Yes, I guess it does.” He paused. “Midna, are you there?”
Midna popped out of the ground at his feet, looking grouchy. “What do you want?”
“What are the Fused Shadows?”
“They’re the goal of our expedition.”
“No, it’s not,” Navi said. “We’re trying to rescue Zelda.”
“Why? She doesn’t have the power to defeat Zant.”
“Because she’s in danger? If Zelda dies, Hyrule is going to be in super-big trouble,” Navi told her. “You’re new in Hyrule, aren’t you?”
“Easy, Navi,” Link said. “Midna, what do the Fused Shadows do?”
“I’m not sure you would understand even if I told you,” Midna said, and floated up with her back to him, obviously offended.
“Come on, I’ve faced strange magic before. Do they only grant power, or do they have other benefits as well? They obviously corrupt the Light…”
“Your pretty little Light and its creatures only get corrupted because they’re nothing to do with the Twilight. If a Twilight creature used, it…” Midna broke off into a gleeful chuckle. “Let’s just say that there won’t be much left of Zant when I’m done with him.”
“So who are you?” Rana asked. “You’re from the Twilight, right?”
“Yes, Captain Obvious,” Midna answered, and sighed. “More than that you really don’t need to know. You lot have all been very helpful, and I do appreciate it. When things re-assume their rightful state, I will thank you all properly. Even you, rude fairy.”
Navi huffed. “Well, thank you, Miss Mystery.”
“Easy, Navi,” Link said again. “She helped me lift the Twilight on this place, and on Faron Province, as well. She’s a good fighter, even though it’s all completely unconventional.”
“Since when have you been conventional?” Navi said, and flew down the back of his shirt.
“Navi, what’s gotten in to you?” Rana asked. “Are you… jealous?”
Navi peeked out again. “So what if I am? I’m not allowed to go help Link in the Twilight, because I’m a fairy and you know fairy magic is way over on the Light side of the spectrum, and this grouchy lady with a superiority complex does get to go with him!”
Link blinked. “She’s never been like this before, I swear.”
Midna rolled her eyes. “I get that a lot.”
“Navi, if it helps… I don’t get to go with him, either…”
“Yes, but I’ve been with him for ten straight years, through thick and thin, and… gah! This is really annoying!”
“It’s not Rana’s fault she couldn’t come those ten years,” began Naeri.
“I know, I know. I’m not saying anything about that… I just…”
“Midna, there really isn’t any way for me to come in the Twilight, is there?” Rana asked. “There’s no… I don’t know… a talisman or anything that you know of?”
Midna shrugged. “Not that I know of. Well…” She considered. “I once heard a legend of such a thing, but I haven’t the least clue where to find it, and it’s probably in the Twilight World, where you can’t come. Anyway, I don’t know why any of you are freaking out. It won’t take us long to lift the Twilight, and then you can all go back to being groupies, so just relax!”
Link thought Navi was going to launch herself at the imp girl and put up a hand hastily. “Okay, please, let’s all calm down. We’re all equals here.”
“Well, Midna doesn’t do that much,” Rana said, and Navi bobbed in agreement.
“I don’t have to,” Midna sniped back. “It’s not my job.”
“Guys!” Link said, and waved his arms. “Please. I like all of you, not that it seems to matter. We all have a part to play, and fighting about it isn’t going to help anyone. I just wanted to know more about these Fused Shadow things. I don’t want to have to stop you if you go crazy with them, Midna.”
She nodded. “That’s fair. I won’t, though. They are of my people. I am the only one who can control them.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so?” Rana mumbled, but subsided after Link gave her a look.
“We’re all going to work together,” Link said. “I know none of us have had a normal upbringing, but please, let’s try to act more like adults, okay?”
Navi fluttered away, and he knew she was sulking. It hurt him; she really was his best friend, his support, his guardian. They hadn’t really had a serious fight before. He knew they would be together again soon, and everything would be normal eventually, but it still hurt.
Rana he couldn’t read, and that scared him almost as much. She just stared at him, and he stared back. Naeri was sitting on her ear, and looked as confused as he did.
“Really?” he asked. “We’re going to all lose our heads over this. Really?”
And everyone else flounced away from him.
He went to bed alone and woke up alone.
He collected his things quietly from where they were drying and dressed. He wanted to be away before he saw anyone.
It was not to be. Colin stopped him at the door, but that was all right. He hadn’t fought with Colin. The colour was back in his face, although he still looked terribly fragile. His cast was in a sling. “Link… you’re going to save Ilia now, right? I hope she’s all right. Those monsters left me and the other kids here, but they must have taken her somewhere else.” He hesitated. “Whenever I thought I couldn’t go on, that it would be easiest to give up and let something… get me, I thought of you and Ilia.” He pulled himself upright with an effort. “See? I’m fine now. I know how to be brave. Just like you. So you can go find Ilia without worrying about me at all!”
Renado entered the room behind Colin. “I will protect all the children. You have my word. Go to those who need you.” He bowed. “I have studied the ancient legends of the Hero, and you could be any one of them. May the grace of the Goddesses bear you on your way.” Colin glanced up and bowed too.
Link nodded, although his heart still felt turbulent and not full of grace at all. “Thank you, Renado. It means a lot to me.”
He took Epona north to the bridge; it would save him an hour or two rather than walking. She could make her own way back to Kakariko.
It felt strange, almost naked, to be in human form and not have Navi around. He had done it before while on adventures, but always because they had been kept apart, not by choice.
Well, he would see her soon. After he banished the last of the Twilight and the others had a chance to calm down.
He didn’t think Midna was so bad. She might not show it in front of the others, but he guessed that she was not having an easy time adjusting to living in a world under Light and was just putting up a tough front for everyone. He wondered where she came from, and if she was planning to stay in Hyrule afterwards, and if he could show her that Light wasn’t all that bad.
Of course, she probably wanted to show him that Twilight wasn’t all that bad. But so far his experiences in that were not positive. And perhaps her experiences in Light weren’t positive for her.
They’d figure it out.
He stopped at the wall of Twilight, ignoring the death moans of the Bokoblins who had dared chase him there. …If Navi had been with him, she could have escorted Epona back to Kakariko…
“Go on, Epona, go to Kakariko. Go back to Rana. Okay?” She snorted and nosed his face, which made him grin. Then she flicked around and cantered away southwards.
Midna popped out of the ground. “Ready to come into the Twilight?”
He nodded. “Thanks, Midna.”
She paused, stared at him, and shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. Come on.”
She floated back through the wall, and her hair dragged him through.
The road narrowed to a rocky trail through the foothills, heading north and west. Link padded along, surefooted, pausing only to snuff for monsters now and then. Midna was quiet for the first part of their journey, not even yawning at him to make him go faster.
Then he came across something half-buried in the gravel on the side of the road. Something small, made of leather… and belonging to Ilia.
How long it had lain there, he couldn’t guess. The wind and rain had stolen most of its scent, but he could still detect a faint trail, behind him and before him.
Midna finally spoke. “You sense that girl, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“I can see it in your face. Well, well, go find her! Quickly, now!”
He glanced back at her momentarily, but he looked back over his left shoulder and her helmet covered her face on that side of her head. She nudged him with her knees and he jumped forward, tearing down the road.
They came out of the foothills a short way away from the castle town.
“It’s so pretty,” Midna said. “Especially under Twilight. I wish the Goddesses did things like that for my people.” She sounded regretful rather than spiteful, and he glanced at her again. He still thought the world under Twilight was eerie, and the monsters a lot more disturbing than necessary. But he could empathize with the regret in her voice.
“Perhaps we’ll be able to visit Zelda, and let her know that everything is going well,” she continued. “Your friends are important to you, I can tell. These two ladies, Zelda and the kidnapped girl, you’re right – we have to keep them safe.” She smirked. “I don’t care if you think of me as a friend. I’m just here to destroy Zant and take back what is mine. But you’re so earnest… you’re quite the example to live up to.”
He was starting to think of her as a friend. She was prickly, but a good person, he guessed.
He trotted down into the valley, headed for the gate. It was closed, but Ilia’s trail went straight there, joined at some point by another scent, one he couldn’t identify. There were monsters around, but he slunk past them all and headed for the gate. Perhaps…
He scrambled up and managed to balance on the chain. Now if he could just make it across the moat without falling in…
“Here,” Midna said, and her hair looped below them, creating a new centre of gravity, and suddenly it was much easier to walk along the chain.
He dropped down inside the city and became aware that there were crowds of ghosts everywhere. It was just as busy as when he was a boy. That was encouraging. When they got rid of Zant, it would be like the last ten years hadn’t even happened. Except for all those who were gone, and the scars the survivors carried. Well, it would be the same superficially, at least.
He wasn’t sure he could follow Ilia’s trail in here, not among a thousand other humans each with their own scent. The other scent, though, was somehow easier to smell by contrast. It was rather fishy, or not so much fishy as reminding him of cold streams and water flowers.
A Zora. She had fallen in with a Zora. Link smiled. She would be all right then. The Zoras were capable people, friendly and laid-back.
He followed the Zora’s trail to a quiet part of town, and to a bar tucked away in a cul-de-sac. The sign outside read “Telma’s Pub”. He sniffed one more time to make sure that Ilia was still there, too, and pawed open the door and slipped inside.
The first thing he saw was a large woman, with her back to him. The pub was low-roofed and homely, a pleasant place for people to congregate after work, he supposed. But it was nearly empty, except for some nervous looking soldiers in the back room, pointing agitatedly at the table.
He moved around the woman and saw Ilia, hunched over on a small box, watching a young Zora boy sleep. He started forward, but remembered in time that not only was he a wolf, he was also invisible to these people.
Ilia turned to the woman. “Are you sure we can’t do anything more for him?”
“Calm down, little lady,” the woman answered. Link wondered if she was named Telma. “I just now sent for the doctor. There’s nothing more we can do until he gets here. I’ve never had Zoras before!”
Ilia patted the boy’s hand. “It’s all right, sir. We’re doing everything we can.” The Zora made no sign, not even a twitch.
“That’s too bad,” Midna said. “Do you know anything about helping Zoras? Somehow I think the doctor here won’t be much help.” He shrugged as well as he was able to. “Maybe? It’s a start, anyway. We’d better get out there and lift the Twilight.”
“I wonder what a Zora boy was doing out here on his own, anyway,” the woman said, moving over a stool and sitting down next to Ilia. “I wonder if it’s related to anything those soldiers in back are babbling about?”
Link was gone in a flash, over to the back of the bar where the soldiers were huddled around the table.
“We have to find out why the lake’s dropped!” the captain of the soldiers growled. “Orders from above! So don’t go thinking we can back out on this. The citizens need to send their prayers to the Goddesses! And if the water’s dropped… they can’t get to the shrine!”
Link put both paws on the table so he could see the map. There was Lake Hylia, further north than he remembered, and there was a big X in black ink beside the words Spirit’s Spring. He looked at it further, figuring out his route.
“You done yet?” Midna demanded. “Come on, no time to waste! We must reunite this girl and her wolf!” She giggled, but he thought it was more at her little joke than at him.
He jumped down, turned, and started. There was a fluffy white cat sitting on the bar, staring right at him. He blinked and shook himself. Of course the cat wasn’t actually staring at him. But didn’t cats have a sense for magic? Perhaps it sort of knew, but not really.
The door blew open, from where he had left it open, and he ran for it, ducking under Telma’s arm as she went to close it. Midna ducked, too.
Their trip to the lake was reasonably uneventful. It seemed closer than Link remember it, because he didn’t think they were half-way into their journey when he came out of a small forest and found himself in a wide open space. Golden clouds scudded across the black sky in a wind unfelt on the ground below, and the black specks that rose from the ground were thick as soot in the air.
There was a huge bridge, crossing the entire lake, and below was a huge muddy pit with a tiny pool of water at the bottom. Link stared at it. It wasn’t the first time he had seen Lake Hylia magically depleted. But it was rather upsetting all the same.
And this time he wouldn’t have Sheik to fill him in on things.
He caught sight of some kind of shrine on the far shore of the lake, a dark opening framed by snake statues under the far end of the bridge, and made for the bridge. There must be some kind of path to get down on the other side. Perhaps on the close side as well, but that mud did not look inviting.
The bridge was all black and sticky, but he thought that it was just a side-effect of being in the Twilight. Things looked different here, of course. That was, until a small creature with a bow and a flaming arrow stepped out onto the bridge ahead of him, and fired an arrow far over his head and into the far end of the bridge.
It began to burn. The black substance was tar. Link sprang forward, but the creature fired its own side of the bridge.
“We’re trapped!” Midna cried, and for the first time Link thought he could hear a trace of fear in her voice. “Get us out of here!”
He leaped for the wall of the bridge, scrabbled over it, checked for water below them, and jumped.