Notes: Interesting dialogue? Characterization? What's that? But there's a fight scene. People like fight scenes.
Chapter Three– Journey to the Twilight
In which there is fighting and Heartless and Midna is formally introduced.
They left early in the morning. Not much was said as the heroes gathered their things and walked toward the village gate, a sleepy-looking band of children waving goodbye.
Link jumped the gate with Epona, but Sora pointedly refused to ride the mare and instead scrambled up and over, gripping the long spikes at the top for balance. He had wanted to open the gate with the keyblade, but Link had warned him that the goblins could get in. Epona snorted in distaste as he hit the ground, but he ignored her. Link had already told her sternly that Sora was not for biting, kicking, or otherwise abusing.
"Be careful, you two!" Renado called from the other side. "Don't hesitate to ask the postman to send a letter our way. The Gorons will help you out."
"Thanks, Mr. Renado!" Sora called back, and then ran to catch up with Link and Epona, who were picking their way carefully across the thin pathway.
"Careful of the rocks," was all Link said as the two continued away from the village. He was quiet for another ten minutes, stroking Epona's neck as she sensed his unease and gently rubbed her head against his leg. Sora wished the guy could be more conversational and felt a pang of longing for Donald's constant complaints, but his attention quickly became preoccupied with the rocks littering the path, some almost causing him to trip and fall into the gorge.
When they finally reached the field itself, Sora gazed at the endless grassy plains in amazement. A thin trickle of water turned into a river a few feet away, but besides the dim outline of ruined buildings in the distance there was no sign of any civilization. "How long is the trip to... wherever we're going?"
Link shrugged. "Castle Town. Couple days' walk. The map says there's a road nearby, but I haven't seen it yet." He fell silent again, and even Sora could see that he clearly felt uneasy about something. Unfortunately, Sora had never been very good about giving people their personal alone-time.
"What's up, Link?" He fell into stride beside him, careful to stay out of biting range of the evil horse. She glared at him, but thankfully made no other movement. "You've been really quiet. Is something wrong?"
Link sighed and continued to look stolidly ahead. Epona's trot quickened, but Sora, never being the type to give up easily, jogged after her.
"We're partners and stuff now, right? You can tell me if something's bothering you." He completely ignored how Link twitched at the mention of 'partners'. "It's never a good idea to just be unhappy without telling anyone." Sora gave Link the puppy-eyed look that worked so well with Donald and Goofy. "So come on, it's okay."
Surprisingly, Link laughed and turned to look at Sora for the first time. "No, I'm not unhappy. I'm just... thinking..."
"About what?"
"Well, there's someone that I want you to meet, but I'm not sure if she's–"
Fwipp.
Sora jumped back with a yelp of surprise as a flaming arrow whizzed past his nose and hit the dirt where he had been standing. A second later, another fwipp sent Epona rearing as an arrow clanged off Link's shield.
"Goblins!" Cursing, Link drew his sword. "They snuck up on us from behind that hill!"
More arrows shot past them, and now Sora could see the goblins, thundering towards them on the backs of massive boars. The boars were heavily armored, and the goblins wore mottled green clothing and were all armed with spears and bows. Black masks covered the bottom half of their faces, but their yellow eyes glowed with triumph as they yelled undulating war cries to the two people stupid enough to cross their path.
'Sora, don't try and take them head-on!" Link yelled. "I'll try to throw them off and you can take care of them from there, but those boars are dangerous!"
"Got it!" Sora summoned the keyblade, feeling the adrenaline race through his body as well as the keyblade's anticipation for the upcoming fight. It's been a while since I've had a good brawl!
Epona raced for the first boar. The two goblins astride it swiped at Link, but Epona made a very impressive sharp turn that send them right into Link's sword. One dropped to the ground, howling; the other hung on and urged its boar onward. Epona hopped nimbly out of the way and Link sent the other one flying, pulling a sturdy-looking bow out of his bag with his other hand.
Another boar charged at Sora, who stood his ground and sent a Graviga spell its way. Goblins and boar were flattened as the spell weighed them down, and Sora made short work of them with the Keyblade.
Link shot three more goblins, holding on only with his legs as Epona twisted and turned, having gotten used to this type of combat. He glanced hurriedly back at Sora, but the boy had already gotten rid of several boars and seemed quite capable of taking care of himself. Link grabbed another arrow and drew back the bowstring, but was suddenly thrown over Epona's head as a riderless boar slammed into her hindquarters. The mare buckled and nearly collapsed, but was quickly back on her feet and lashing out at any goblin who got too close.
Midna giggled from his shadow, "Call yourself a cowboy?", but Link ignored her, springing to his feet and quickly impaling the goblin trying to rush him. A swift backward stroke sent two more flying, then he charged the ranks, scattering them.
For all their numbers, goblins were not exactly the smartest or strongest creatures in Hyrule. Link's blade was more than a match for them, but they finally broke and ran when Sora jumped over Epona and sent a boar flying. The two were left panting and inspecting the area for more while Epona slowed her frantic lashings and walked up to Link, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"I think they're gone," Link said after a few moments, putting his bow away. He seemed reluctant to let go of his sword, however, and Sora still gripped the keyblade tightly.
"Better make sure." Sora closed his eyes, but the keyblade's power seemed to have quieted down. He shook his head. "They all ran off."
Link grinned. "Yeah. You were fantastic, Sora. Sorry for doubting you before."
"No problem. So...what were you gonna ask me before those guys decided to ambush us?"
Link groaned, but Sora's expression showed that he wouldn't let the matter drop. "All right. Like I said, there's someone I want you to meet. She's the one who's been helping me get into the Twilight, but I don't know if she feels like showing herself right now."
"Showing herself–" Something tugged at Sora's memory. Frowning, he opened his mouth to speak again.
"Oh, all right already. I guess he'd find out sooner or later."
Sora started. "That voice–!"
"Oh, so you were awake then. I wasn't quite sure if you were dead or not." Link's shadow suddenly quivered, sprang up from the ground, and began to show some three-dimensionality. The figure that took form was smallish, imp-like, but definitely feminine. A circular, pronged helmet covered most of her shadowy hair and one of her large, yellow-and-orange eyes. The eyes were the only thing that looked real; the rest of the creature's body was semitransparent and shadowy.
The fact that the eyes were not blank, staring yellow orbs relaxed Sora– this thing wasn't a Heartless. Still, he drew back, one hand on the hilt of his keyblade.
"Don't bother." The creature gave the same high-pitched giggle which had awoken him near Kakariko Gorge. "You wouldn't be able to hurt me, even if you tried. I have no corporeal form in the World of Light, see?"
"This is Midna," Link told Sora resignedly by way of an explanation. Midna grinned at him and went back to studying Sora's face as if she found it as interesting as he did hers. "She's a Twili. A citizen of the Twilight Realm."
"So... you've been helping Link out all this time?" Sora asked Midna as they walked on. The beginnings of a path had been found in the grass, and nothing but some birds looking for leftovers of lunch had bothered them since the goblin attack. Midna sprawled casually behind Link's saddle, having explained that since she was using his shadow to stay in the Light World, she couldn't go too far away.
Midna looked smug. "I saved his life back in Ordon, so I'm following him until he returns the favor. See..." and her eyes flashed gleefully as she patted Link's shoulder, "I'm looking for a few things... nothing really important, but I can't get them on my own..."
"After Colin and Ilia were kidnapped," Link explained quietly, "I followed them and got thrown into the Twilight. Midna helped me out, and now we're searching for the Fused Shadows together."
"The Fused Shadows?" The name sounded rather ominous to Sora, but he'd learned to expect the unexpected in these worlds.
"They're the sacred heirlooms of the Twili royal family," Midna replied airily. "Once I find them all, I can defeat Zant and return to my world."
"Zant?"
"That's right... he's the reason why the Twilight has been covering this world." Midna's face stiffened. "He... usurped the Twilight throne, and now fancies himself king. And those who oppose him..."
Sora frowned, linking his hands behind his head. "They turn into Heartless?"
"Exactly." Midna laughed again, but this time it was cold and humorless. "My people... corrupted by the darkness that Zant obtained. Get rid of the Twilight here, and this world won't be bothered anymore. Then, I'll leave you guys alone and settle the affairs of my world... isn't that what you want, Link?"
"If you get rid of the Twilight here, will that get rid of the Heartless too?" Sora asked quickly before Link could reply. "Because I'm sorta trying to get rid of them right now."
"Only on this world?" Midna questioned, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Stop it, Midna." Link suddenly entered the conversation, swiveling around in the saddle to glare at his partner. "It's none of your business where Sora comes from... as long as he can help us out."
There was an edge in his voice that bothered Sora, and he didn't like the implications in Midna's comment at all. Unless she had guessed...
"All right then, hero." Midna's giggle snapped Sora back to reality. "I see when I'm not wanted. See you later!"
With that, Midna vanished. As though she had never appeared in the first place, Link pointed up ahead.
"Sora, look."
Sora stared. It was as if a dark curtain had abruptly been drawn over the land up ahead. The sky was becoming a menacing yellowish-black, and dim golden shapes swirled in and out of focus around the blackness.
Link placed a reassuring hand on Epona's neck as the horse shivered and drew back. "Lanaryu Province has been covered in Twilight."
The sunlight seemed to drain out of the area as Sora and Link drew closer, instead giving everything a soft, ethereal golden glow. It wasn't the same terrifying, pervading aura of the darkness, but there was still an inherent feeling of this isn't supposed to be here.
Epona trotted cautiously across the bridge separating Eldin from Lanaryu, her ears flicking back and forth and her eyes showing more terror the closer they came. Sora's grip on the keyblade had grown tighter, and he jumped when Epona tripped over a piece of loose stone, her hooves clattering. Even Link, who had entered the Twilight several times before, seemed on edge.
Just as they had reached the other side, a portal appeared directly above the bridge.
"Twilight monsters," Link snapped, reining in Epona as she tried to rear. "Those dark portals summon the Twilight–"
The portal flashed, and suddenly the bridge dissolved. Silently, the portal sucked up the particles of darkness that had once been the bridge, and Sora and Link were effectively trapped on the other side.
The portal flashed again. Falling onto the other side of the river, picking themselves up with too-long arms and dragging themselves aimlessly towards the shore were–
"They're Heartless." Sora said quietly. Seeing the glowing yellow eyes brought a new surge of hatred towards the ones who had set these dark creatures on unsuspecting worlds. He nodded to Link. "Can you reach them?"
Link shook his head. "Arrows won't hurt them. We have to hurry, they're trying to bring Twilight back to Eldin." Despite this he stared at the Heartless for a few more seconds, his eyes narrowed, until Epona lost her patience and reared, nearly sending him flying.
"All right, girl." Link jumped off Epona's back and gave her a quick hug. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
"She's staying here?" Sora asked, worried despite himself. While the two still weren't exactly on good terms, he would hate to come back and see her killed by a Heartless, or any monster for that matter.
"Epona can take care of herself." The mare seemed reluctant to leave her master, but Link finally shoved her away and she trotted off. "She can't get into the Twilight, and if worst comes to worst she'll swim across and return to Kakariko. Those things don't notice her."
Sora nodded and reluctantly turned his gaze back to the Twilight. Close up, he could see a gigantic golden door begin to form in front of them, those same eerie patterns shimmering across it. The curtain wasn't darkness exactly– this was Twilight, in all its mysteriousness.
"Looks like I'm up." Midna swooped into view, smiling widely and not at all nicely. "All right... I'll let you both in, and we'll see what happens."
"Are you sure, Sora?" Link gave the boy a worried look. "If you turn into a spirit once you enter, you won't be able to see me. You'll be stuck there until I get rid of the Twilight."
Sora took a deep breath. Thinking about it in the village had been one thing, but now... "Let's go."
Midna's grin widened. "Excellent. You're not as much of a coward as the rest of those Light Dwellers. Excluding Link, of course, but he's his own special case... ee hee hee!"
Midna floated into the curtain and disappeared. A second later an enormous black hand reached out and grabbed Link, dragging him unceremoniously after her. Sora barely had time to brace himself before the hand returned... and then everything went black.
End notes: Aargh, I can't write.
Just a heads-up: Chapter Four is giving me a lot of trouble, so there will probably be a delay. Sorry about that.