The Blood Moon, Twilight decided, was awful.
It made his body feel heavy like he was being drawn back into a pit of quicksand. For a moment he almost believed he was back in the Arbiter's Grounds, his legs aching from pushing through the cool sand.
Both of them were stumbling by the time they got back to the stable, having almost rolled down the road from exhaustion. They were quick to find beds and Link rifled through his packs until he found a few elixirs to fix them both up.
Twilight didn't realize his ears were ringing until everything else had healed and he was left with only the effects of the Blood Moon.
"Does it eventually stop?" He asked Link, who was sitting on the bed beside him. He was repairing the rip on his paraglider with a needle and thread.
Link looked up from his work to regard him; there was a hint of worry in his eyes. "Just sleep, the feeling will be gone by tomorrow."
Twilight groaned and fell back onto the mattress. He was very tired, exhausted even; but he also felt fuzzy, like his mind was in a haze. It was similar to the fever he had when he was infected by the Blight.
He held up his left hand and stared at it. The bruises he received thanks to his fall were all gone since he drank the elixir. It was still covered in scars from previous fights and it looked very much like his hand, but it felt strange. He moved the fingers, trying to figure out what was wrong; was it even his hand?
"You're acting very strange…"
Twilight turned his head to look at Link who looked very confused. "Huh…how so?" The hand he'd been holding up now fell to the bed and he looked at it, still wondering if that really was his arm.
"You're acting as if you ate a bad batch of mushrooms," Link said. He set his paraglider down and went to Twilight's side; he held a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. It was normal.
The silver markings were still on Twilight's face, but they weren't glowing anymore at least. It made them less noticeable.
"Maybe I shouldn't have given you the elixir with the monster extract in it during the Blood Moon…"
Twilight grinned up at him.
"Especially since you have such a low resistance to the Blight," Link smacked Twilight's hand away when it started going for his face. "The elixir was for pain and to help you sleep but it appears it just made you high."
"I want to feel this good all the time," Twilight slurred happily. The pressure from the Blood Moon and the ringing in his ears were gone now. He felt a lot better like he was floating down a lazy river. Even his back was content with letting him have this moment; he felt like he could sleep for days.
Link watched in cautious amusement as Twilight mumbled something before closing his eyes and falling asleep. He waited long enough to make sure the older man didn't stop breathing before returning to his bed.
"Well, now I know that for next time."
Twilight was less agreeable the next day.
He woke up sometime after lunch, his body so relaxed it felt like his legs were made out of Chu Jelly. This only made it more difficult to do every simple task, which included everything from using the bathroom to brushing Epona.
Link had again, conveniently disappeared, and he had no idea how long the kid would be gone. His horse was still at the stable so he knew he couldn't be far so that was a good sign.
Not to mention his hat was gone, probably stuck in the tree that cushioned his fall. And he only remembered it was gone after one of the kids at the stable asked him if they could wear his 'princess tiara' and Twilight remembered the ruby circlet was in clear view without his hat.
He briefly thought about launching the thing into the trees just because he was in a foul mood but it looked expensive. So instead he put it in his pack to keep it safe.
That and he didn't want to be without it if they ever had to go somewhere cold again.
So he saddled Epona and Link's unnamed mare and found a spot further down the path away from other people so he could sit and wait.
The horses found a patch of grass to graze on and Twilight leaned back against the tree he was sitting under and sighed. It wasn't raining yet, but it had started to cloud over. Knowing Akkala it would be thundering at any point in time.
"Where did you go, brat."
He was almost asleep again when the sound of something landing next to him startled him awake. He only had a second to compose himself before Link was leaning down over him.
"Boo."
"You didn't scare me," Twilight said a little too quickly.
"Yeah, right," Link said as he shouldered his paraglider. As soon as the contraption was on his back it faded into blue light as it always did.
The Sheikah technology was convenient if nothing else.
"Where were you?" Twilight asked him. He knew for a fact the kid was probably scouring the area to find more items to hoard.
"How did you sleep?" Link asked instead of answering the question.
Twilight glared at him, "how would I know, I don't remember anything past sitting on the bed."
Link chuckled and took a seat on the ground next to him. "That might be for the best, really." He pulled a sandwich from goddesses knows where and handed it to Twilight. "Here, if you're hungry."
"I thought you said you knew I was always hungry," Twilight said sarcastically, but he took the sandwich. He ate quietly, watching Link fiddle with his Sheikah slate. There seemed to be storage space for regular items in the slate well, like mushrooms and berries. There was even a spot for weapons, not that the kid ever used anything other than the Master Sword; he didn't even bother with a shield half the time.
He shook his head and turned his attention back to the horses who were now grooming each other happily. He was halfway through his sandwich Link started talking again.
"I went back to the Parade Grounds," he said easily like he'd just taken a stroll through the park and not a graveyard. "We somehow missed landing on a Hinox that was sleeping there. I guess we really were lucky."
Twilight felt sick at the thought. He could only imagine landing on the giant creature and having it chase them injured through an army of dead soldiers. "You didn't happen to find my damn hat, did you?"
"You don't need the hat; people won't take you seriously if you wear it." Link pulled up the dry grass next to his leg as Twilight narrowed his eyes at him.
"I found it," Link said with his lips forming a smile. "But a Bokoblin found it first and he was wearing it proudly."
"No way."
Link laughed at the look of horror on Twilight's face. "It looked much better on him than it does on you."
"You'd better be joking," Twilight hissed. "That hat once belonged to the Hero of Time."
The fact that he was so serious only made Link laugh harder. Twilight wanted to hit the kid with something.
After he finished laughing, Link pulled his hat out from one of his packs and handed it to him. "I lied, the Hinox was wearing it."
Twilight snatched the hat back and pulled it on. "Fuck off."
That only sent Link into another round of laughter as Twilight flipped him off.
The kid barely waited until he was finished his sandwich before he was motioning for him to hurry up. Twilight was begrudgingly enjoying the talkative mood Link was in so he didn't argue. They mounted their horses and made their way in the direction of Death Mountain where Link would have to take back control of the Divine Beast there.
"How far up the mountain do you think we have to go?" Twilight asked as he eyed the rivers of lava pouring down from the peak. He remembered his time in the Goron Mines well; the unbearable heat, the burns, and blisters, the dizziness from hanging by his feet.
He still had the scars on his left leg from the fiery blast of a Dodongo.
And he had only been in the mines which were not really far up the mountain, so the heat didn't kill him but it came close a few times.
Movement on the side of the mountain caught his eye and he could see the Divine Beast clinging carefully to the side. It didn't look easy to get to.
But Link looked bored as he also caught sight of the mechanical wonder. The thought of having to climb up an active volcano didn't seem to bother him.
Then again, there was not much that would make Link pause and have second thoughts.
"There's a stable at the base of the mountain trail," Link said once the Divine Beast had moved out of sight.
"Good," Twilight said quickly. "I'll stay with the horses and wait for you there."
Link very slowly rolled his eyes at him, like he was being dramatic. "You can stay if you want, but you'll miss out on the fun."
"Fun as in feeling the meat on my bones boiling off?" Twilight scoffed. "How dare I pass up such a fine opportunity to die?"
"That's the spirit," Link said cheerfully. "You'll never feel more alive than when you are close to certain death."
Twilight shook his head and smiled at the bravado of his friend. He couldn't tell if Link was being serious but something told him he was. The kid was obviously having some internal crises that he was trying to hide by showing no fear.
Then again, being brought back from the brink of death and finding everyone you cared about dead would do that to a person.
"Maybe I'll have to… talk to him. There has to be a better way for him to cope other than being reckless and borderline suicidal."
There was one other person who he knew might be able to help Link deal with his pain. Zelda was very much in the same boat as the hero, which meant that she was the most qualified to help him. Either that or they would both drive each other over the edge.
Twilight just hoped it would be the opposite.
Once they were at the stable they boarded the horses and Link purchased some 'Fire Proof Elixirs' from a stable girl there. Twilight was unsure how the elixir would keep his skin from blistering off but he was willing to try anything at this point.
It was dark once they started toward the mountain but the moon was still relatively full. Twilight had no problem seeing with his enhanced vision anyway, but it made it easier for Link.
As usual, Twilight kept to the path as Link worked around him. The kid collected anything that moved, from lizards to bugs.
They must have had a use but Twilight preferred not to think about it; he would rather not hesitate next time he had to drink a potion.
He met a traveler on the path; a very tall woman with long red hair.
At first glance, Twilight could tell she was a warrior. It wasn't the weapons strapped to her person that gave it away, but the way she moved. And her muscles, of course, made her look powerful and a little intimidating.
As soon as she saw him she lit up and Twilight briefly thought about hurling himself into the hot springs to avoid her.
She said something in Gerudo and it hit him that she could be nothing other than a Gerudo. She looked nothing like his friend Telma, the woman who taught him the language and culture of the people whose blood she shared.
This woman was more along the lines of Ganondorf, tall and imposing; not anyone he should mess with.
"Are you going up the mountain?" She asked. Her voice was thick with an exotic accent. "I have to warn you, there's a Guardian walking around up ahead; it would be best to turn back."
Still, a bit tongue-tied, Twilight had to struggle to get words out. "Ahh…thanks, but I think I can find a way past it."
"Really?" She was grinning at him now. "It would be a shame if a small, pretty thing like you ended up blasted into ash."
Twilight laughed nervously and resisted the urge to run back to the stable. "I'll be fine, really."
She looked very pleased by his answer. "You do look like a fine warrior," she spoke softly as she moved a bit closer. "I've been looking for a Voe like you, are you sure you don't want to make camp with me tonight?"
He was used to this kind of treatment of course, but it was different coming from this woman. The tone of her voice made him think she would never let him leave if he went with her. "Honestly, you look like you might break me in half so I—"
The woman laughed and placed her hands on her hips confidently. "You have no idea."
Link chose the perfect time to paraglide into the scene and land quietly next to him. The kid had an apple stuck in his mouth as he tucked the contraption away. He looked up at the Gerudo woman and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.
She, of course, looked thrilled. "Oh, there are two of you?"
"Oh, my gods."
Twilight grabbed Link by the arm and dragged him with him as he moved around the Gerudo and toward the mountain again. The Guardian was an easy choice when his face was a red as the apple the kid was snacking on.
Once they were far away from the woman Twilight finally stopped and leaned against a tall pillar of rock. "Holy Hylia, she was too much."
Link, who had finished the apple, looked in the direction of the woman who was continuing on toward the stable. He had come in the middle of the conversation but he could guess what they were talking about. "Is she too young for you, old man?"
Twilight was taken off-guard by the question. "What? No, she's just…"
"I'm surprised she talked to you while you're wearing the hat. I know I wouldn't."
"Fuck off," Twilight reached for his hat to protect it. "She didn't care about the hat."
Link grinned at him. "Maybe you should go get her and except her proposal then, you won't have many opportunities looking the way you do."
He had nothing to throw back at him, so he just glared.
"Really, you might learn a thing or two," Link said still grinning. "I know I did."
Now Twilight scoffed at him. "Yeah right, like I believe that," he let go of his hat and crossed his arms. "You can't tell me you have any experience, not when you're oblivious to fish boy's infatuation with you."
When the smile vanished from Link's face Twilight knew he had him. The kid obviously had no idea how 'in love' Prince Sidon was with him.
The comment must have freaked the kid out because he went still like he was rethinking every interaction he had with the Prince.
Twilight grinned as he watched Link's face turned red before he noticed he was being watched and he flipped him off. "Shut the fuck up."
"Oh boy, what are you going to do now? I finally have one up on you." Twilight laughed as that only earned him a more intense glare.
Link pushed past him with his face still red.
The Guardian was something he remembered only as the kid started going for it. The reckless streak tended to come out when Link didn't know how to process something. Twilight cursed and followed after him, trying to stay out of sight.
Once Link was close enough to the Guardian's path he drew his sword, the blade bursting into a blue light. Twilight didn't have time to stop him as Link jumped out of hiding and started hacking off the limbs of the machine.
He barely had time to duck as the Guardian started shooting in panic, the blast coming uncomfortably close to him.
"Okay, I'm really going to have to talk to him about his emotional issues before I end up dead."
The blasts continued, the heat from the blue light coming close enough that he could feel it as it shot past him. He was safe in the spot where he was, but everything else around the surrounding area was blasted apart and lit on fire.
He heard the mechanical screams of the Guardian and the blasting stopped, followed by an explosion that signaled it was dead.
Twilight grumbled out a few curses slumped against the rock he was leaning against. He took a second to catch his breath, knowing that Link would take a few minutes to dig for salvageable parts. But that wasn't the case as Link scrambled around the rock with his eyes wide and scared.
The kid was covered in red dust but he didn't look injured. Twilight stared at him confused as a look of guilt overtook the hero.
"What wrong?" Twilight listened, trying to find out if there was some other danger, but he couldn't hear anything.
"I thought it—" Link still looked like the life had been scared out of him. "I thought it blasted you and—"
"I'm fine," Twilight held out his arms like he had to prove they were still attached. "I knew what you were doing so I took cover."
The panic had left his face but the guilt was still there. "I just saw the light blasting in your direction and then I didn't see you so I thought…" He shook his head and when he looked back at Twilight he was forcing a smile. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."
"It's no problem—"
But Link turned abruptly and started back to where the fallen Guardian was scattered.
Twilight didn't miss the stiffness in the kid's posture or the way he flipped his hood up to hide his face. He watched quietly as Link dug through the wreckage to pick out the parts he wanted before motioning at him to follow.
After that, the walk was silent.
Link said nothing even as Twilight tried to start conversations. Every once in a while he would sign something in reply but he didn't once make eye contact.
Twilight quickly went from concerned to angry when the kid purposely pushed him back whenever they came across a Chu Chu or some other monster. He knew why the kid was upset, but being treated like a damsel in distress was starting to grate on his nerves.
So when Link was distracted by a larger group of Chu, he ran ahead to try and get some space between them.
Unfortunately, he ran right into another Guardian that was stalking a large section of the path. The red light immediately targeted him but Twilight ran for it, pulling out an ancient arrow and his bow. He dodged when he heard the beep right before the light blasted at him, rolling to the side and coming to a crouch with the arrow already drawn.
He didn't take a breath before aiming and releasing the arrow. The glowing tip hit the Guardian's blue eye, shattering the glass and killing it in one hit. The machine squirmed a few more times before exploding into pieces and the fight was over.
Twilight stood and put his bow away, admiring his work. The Ancient Arrows were powerful and very useful for someone who didn't have the Master Sword.
He smiled at Link when he finally joined him. The kid was glaring at him but at least he was making eye contact. When Link's hands started moving frantically in sign, Twilight held his hands up to stop him.
"If you want to say something, use words. I'm done with whatever mood you're in."
Link made a sound that was a mix between a growl and a hiss. "You couldn't have been killed, you idiot."
Twilight shrugged. "Oh really?"
"You need to be more careful," Link sheathed the Master Sword and he moved toward the remains of the Guardian to pocket a few parts.
"Look, kid," Twilight stopped him by standing in front of him. "When I die, and I do mean 'when' because it will happen eventually, it's not going to be your fault."
Link said nothing, he wasn't even glaring anymore. His face was expressionless like he had buried every emotion deep inside to hide it away.
"I'm not going to die like your friends," Twilight said carefully. "We're going to work together and save Zelda and Hyrule, and then we'll all live long happy lives unless the heat from the volcano kills us first."
There were a heavy pause and Twilight was scared he really fucked up. Then Link let out a sigh that sounded long and tired. With his emotions back under control, he looked up and smiled before waving him out of the way.
"Ten Rupees says you won't make it to the Divine Beast before you start bleeding out of your eyes."
Twilight laughed and shoved him, almost toppling the smaller man over. "Yeah well, twenty rupees says you'll get thrown into a pit of lava at some point."
Link signed something rude and Twilight laughed.
With the peace restored between them, he felt like he could breathe easier. But it was hard to tell with the air of the volcano suffocating them. He had to give Link his bow to hold onto since he didn't want the wood to catch on fire.
The thought of grabbing the hot metal grip of his sword made him nervous, even though it was wrapped in leather so Link also gave him the Ancient Bow he offered from before. Even in the heat, the material felt cool in his hand, so he knew he would be fine to use it as they went deeper and further up the mountain.
A sign told them they were way past the point of needing the Fire Proof Elixirs. Twilight pulled a bottle out of his pack and started slathering the concoction on his skin. It did help with the heat but he felt like he needed to bathe in it to get true relief.
"What are you doing?"
He turned to look at Link who was just finishing downing a bottle of the stuff.
"What are you doing?" Twilight replied. "Doesn't it go on your skin?"
Link looked at the bottle and then at Twilight who was still rubbing it on his face. "How do you figure that? Wouldn't you have to cover your whole body?"
"Ummm…because it's made with fire lizard skin and it's fireproof?" Twilight was now starting to doubt his actions. "Is it working for you?"
"Well, I don't feel as hot anymore." Link starred back down at the bottle and shrugged. "It's not like they left instructions."
Twilight still felt uncomfortably hot so he was starting to think the kid had the right train of thought when he drank it. "Maybe you're like…sweating it out and that's what's making you fireproof?"
"So drink it and see if it works for you too."
Twilight looked up at the tower that he knew Link had to register to the Sheikah Slate. "How about you go get that tower and if you don't die from poisoning by the time you come down I'll drink it."
Link shrugged. "Suit yourself; hopefully your skin doesn't peel off before I get back." He left Twilight on the ground to make the quick trip up the tower.
Twilight watched him go, wiping the sweat from his forehead before the elixir could run down into his eyes. It was hot enough to boil an egg and he was tired from traveling all day. Hopefully, there would be a place for them to rest at Goron City.
The ground under his feet shook lightly and he only panicked a little bit as he shot a look at the peak of the volcano. There was a real fear of an eruption, which would lead to molten rocks being dropped on their heads.
That wasn't something he wanted to experience.
Without having to move slowly for him, Link made it to the top of the tower within ten minutes. The tower turned from orange to blue, the pillars rising up to the sky to send a blue light pulsing across the land.
The sight was still unbelievable to him, and that was just a tower. He was not looking forward to getting up close to a Divine Beast. Vah Ruta had looked scary enough from the docks where he watched it with Sidon.
Link was still alive when he jumped off the tower and paraglided over to him. The kid was barely breaking a sweat and Twilight felt like he was about to melt into a puddle.
"I'll drink the damn elixir," He said to Link before he could open his mouth to speak. He drank the rest of what was left in the bottle and there was a moment of delay before he finally got some relief from the heat.
"Still think I'm mad for drinking it?" Link said as he clapped Twilight on the shoulder. "I think you're just a drama queen."
Twilight, who was still trying not to gag at the taste of the elixir, just swatted him away.
"There is no way that was intended for drinking. What the hell is his stomach made of?"
Link ran ahead to take out some more Chu Chu that was waiting for them and Twilight followed.
The path got rougher from that point. There were several Octorok that had to be taken out with a bomb, as well as more fire Chu. It didn't help that there were bits of hardened but very much on fire pieces of lava lying around. If you didn't step carefully you might end up losing a foot.
They moved into a more narrow area of the path where the walls were a bit higher. If the volcano erupted, they wouldn't have many options for places to hide.
"Oh shit, a Talus!"
"A what?" Twilight watched in horror as a giant red-hot rock shuffled out of the ground and stood over them. The rock monster pulled an arm back and both men jumped to the side to avoid the blow.
Twilight cursed as he almost fell into a pit of lava; there was no way the elixir would protect him if he took a dive in that.
"Whoever makes it to the top of the ledge first doesn't die!" Link called out before pulling out one of his own bows and shooting the Talus with an ice arrow.
The ice knocked the Talus down, freezing it and stunning it so suddenly it fell over.
They took their chance to run.
"Aren't you going to kill it?" Twilight called to Link as they both got to the ledge and started climbing.
"Maybe next time," Link shouted over the sound of crumbling rocks.
The Talus was up and moving again.
Twilight cursed at the heat from the rocks he was climbing up; it was definitely burning his hand but he couldn't help but laugh. They were both insane.
Parts of the rocks were burning and on fire but he quickly picked out a path to the top. As he flung himself over the ledge he heard a crash of something smashing into the place he'd just been climbing. He spared a quick glance to make sure Link was there at the top and still alive before lying back on the ground, all of his energy gone.
"Please tell me," He said between panting breaths. "The other Divine beasts are in climates that are a little less lethal."
"Well…" Link was breathing just as hard. "One is in the desert and one is in the sky."
"Fuck me," Twilight groaned. The desert wouldn't be too bad after dealing with a volcano but freezing to death in the sky didn't sound too fun. He'd done that before.
Link was the first to get back on his feet; he leaned over Twilight and grinned. The kid was filthy, the red dust was stuck to his soaked hair making him look more like a brunette than a blond. He still looked full of energy though, even in the extreme heat.
"You look like shit," he said to Twilight before offering him a hand to help him up.
Twilight took the hand and struggled into a standing position. "You look worse."
Link signed 'asshole' at him and he laughed.
There was a spot to rest across a small bridge not far after that. Twilight was grateful because he was dead on his feet after the encounter with the Talus.
Somehow Link managed to trade some fire lizards for flameproof armor and he gave it to Twilight when he returned to their camping spot.
"You wear it; I'll get one at Goron City." Link pulled him to his feet and Twilight only sighed as it was fastened to him. He was too tired to argue with the kid now.
With the Gorons in the surrounding area, they both felt safe enough to sleep. There were only a few hours before dawn, but it would be enough to go on until the next time they found a place to sleep.
The heat from the hot rocks was almost soothing to Twilight's back as he passed out. The armor made him feel so much better; now he just felt like he was napping in a field on a sunny day…
In his dreams, he was at Hyrule Castle.
It looked much like it did when he first came through the time gate: Destroyed, broken, diseased.
The darkness in the area made it feel like there would never be happiness there again. There were no signs of new life; no flowers, birds or bugs. Not even the light penetrated the dark clouds above.
He blinked and a woman was standing in front of him.
Her back was to him; her long blonde hair was tangled and matted with mud. Even her white dress was coated in dirt and blood and ripped in places.
Despite all that, she had a glow about her, like she was a burning white flame in amongst the darkness and destruction around her.
A rumbling roar shook the ground and Twilight cried out and reached up to cover his ears. He watched, frozen as red-purple flames of evil gathered from the area around the castle. They formed into the head of a beast and all at once, rushed at the woman standing there.
She calmly raised her hand as the beast crashed down at her like a storm. The glow on the back of her hand formed into the shape of a triangle and bathed the area in a golden glow.
The beast screamed as the light ripped at it. It started backing away and returning to the castle before it was completely destroyed.
Once the evil was gone, the area was silent in a strange calm. Twilight could feel the tension in the area like at any moment it would try to pounce again. The feeling made his hair stand on end.
"You look like a man out of time."
Twilight focused back on the girl. She was facing him now, her green eyes looking at him like he was a strange specimen.
This was Zelda, there was no doubt. But there was something different about her; she gave off a different feel from the princess in his own time.
"Very puny," he said before he could stop himself.
She smiled lightly, but the movement was awkward for her; it was like she was out of practice. "I know heroes are not unaccustomed to having help on their journeys, but I've never heard of a previous hero joining a current one before."
"Don't think too much of it," Twilight said sighing. "These things tend to happen to me. I just kind of expect it."
Zelda smiled again at his words. "Oh come now, you know you're having fun. Admit it."
She was joking with him.
Zelda the Princess of Hyrule was making jokes with him.
She seemed aware of his confusion but she didn't comment on it. "I will try my best to help you after Ganon is defeated. Please, if you can tell Link not to worry. I promise to hold out until he gets here."
"Yes, of course," Twilight replied. He bowed his head slightly out of respect, "I'll tell him to get a move on; we still have three Divine beasts to go."
She laughed this time and he could feel himself slipping back into consciousness.
"Don't hurt yourself. You're not as young as you used to be."
"Really?!" Twilight shot up and almost smashed his head into Link's face. The kid had been leaning way too close to him again.
"What?" Link backed away to give his friend some space. "Why are you so upset? I was just trying to wake you up nicely."
He knew the kid was biting back a smile.
"Is 'angry' just your default mood?" Link asked him like he couldn't contain himself.
Twilight glared at him, "Look at the two of you, picking on me." He stood and almost fell over thanks to the added awkward weight of the armor he was wearing. "You both call me old and lazy and mock me about my mood."
"What is even happening?" Link looked up at him trying to figure out if Twilight had gotten into the monster extract while he was asleep.
But Twilight didn't answer him; he just grumbled something and fixed the hat on his head.
"Twi?"
"Zelda said hi," he said. And before the kid could get any more concerned he quickly added, "She also said not to worry about her because she can hold Ganon off for as long as you need."
Their conversation was cut short by a huge rumble that started to shake the mountain.
The Gorons at the small camp started ushering everyone to take cover, just in case any rocks came flying their way.
Link found them a place to hide under a small overhang of rock. The mountain was shaking so violently it felt like being on a bucking horse.
It only lasted a few minutes though, and no rocks fell into the camp area.
There was a determined look in Link's eye now as he looked at the path that led to Goron City. "Come on, the city is not far now."
He didn't question Twilight about where and how he saw Zelda, which meant he was probably used to talking to her that way. Twilight didn't say anything else on the matter; the best thing they could do is hurry up and get to the Princess's side.
The armor was a bit heavy but it kept him comfortable. Twilight was just glad he didn't have to drink anymore potion. They jogged up the hill, avoiding a large monster camp and only having to stop twice to take cover from falling rocks with the mountain shook again. Then they were at Goron city and the heat increased tenfold.
"Of course they built it on a lava pit."
It was interesting though. The city was very rough and void of bright colors, but that only made the red and orange of the lava more intense. It reminded him a lot of the Death Mountain back in his time.
"I wonder if it's even the same mountain."
Unfortunately, the metal of the bridges started burning their feet as soon as they set foot on them. They had to run to the clothing store before their boots burst into flames.
"Thank the goddess," Twilight said as he spotted flame armor boots that matched the stuff he was wearing.
Link looked more than excited to get dressed in the armor; the skin on his face was starting to blister. "It looks so cool." He bought the whole set, proudly putting it on and grinning at Twilight.
"You look like a fool," Twilight said. "And the helmet is way too expensive."
"Put it on before your hat catches on fire," Link said. He grabbed another helmet and tried to force it on Twilight's head. "You're going to lose your eyebrows if you don't wear it."
Twilight didn't argue any further; he let Link force the Goron shaped helmet on his head. Once Link was out of his personal space he pulled open his pouch to gather the rest of his rupees; buying the helmet would leave him with nothing but he wanted to keep his eyebrows.
Link swatted his hand away from his pouch. "I got this, trust me." He went to the Goron at the counter who was watching them curiously. It was a quick exchange of rupees and they were done.
"Is your back going to be okay with the weight of the armor?" Link asked him as they left the shop.
The heat before was painful but now with the helmet on, Twilight felt almost cool. "It hasn't bothered me yet." His back was a little sore, but nothing that was close to an attack. "If it gets to be too much I'll let you know, but don't worry."
The kid gave him a look that said 'you better' before they continued through the city.
The elder waved them down before they could go any further and Link went to talk to him. Twilight listened to the conversation, cringing when the old Goron's back cracked painfully and he almost fell over.
It was a feeling he could sympathize with.
They apparently needed the help of the elder to get anywhere near the Divine Beast. Unfortunately, his back was busted and he was waiting for another Goron to bring him medication so he could fight again. Link agreed to go find this Goron and return with the medicine so they could attack the beast together.
The elder thanked them and the two men headed for the area where a young Goron named Yunobo was last seen.
"Did you hear his back crack?" Link asked Twilight once they were far enough away. "If the medication works for him maybe we should try it on you."
"Yeah, I doubt the medication would do anything for damaged nerves and a partially severed spine." Twilight fixed his helmet before it fell off. "Is it just me or is it getting hotter?"
"It's definitely getting hotter," Link sighed. "There's a shrine up ahead that I have to stop at, you can sit inside; it will probably be cooler."
Twilight almost missed the shrine that was across the bridge. The orange blended in with the lava so well he almost didn't see it.
After Link finished registering the shrine and disappeared out of sight, Twilight took a seat on the stone floor inside. It was nice and cool inside, out of the midday sun and protected from the heat of the lava. He was running on only three hours of sleep and he could definitely feel it.
Before he realized it, his head was leaning against the stone wall and he was asleep.
Link almost stepped on Twilight when he came back up from the inside of the shrine.
He laughed at the state his friend was in; splayed out on his back and snoring loud enough to wake the dead. The heat was working wonders on the older hero; he was sleeping more peacefully than ever.
He was about to kick him to wake him up but he stopped himself. "I'll let him sleep for a while longer; I shouldn't be too long anyway."
Link tiptoed around him and headed toward Darunia Lake to find Yunobo. Twi would be safe in the shrine; nothing would bother him while he slept.
The heat increased steadily as he made his way down to the lake of lava but he was pleased to find that he didn't catch on fire.
At least not yet.
A few Octoroks were the only thing blocking his way to the end of the path. He found a Goron there, watching over some strange metal thing that looked fun to use.
"Don't touch the Boss's stuff, whatever you do." The Goron gave him a stern look, like that would ward him off.
Link signed something quick in reply, knowing he wouldn't catch it anyway.
'Don't touch' usually meant it did something exciting.
So he ignored the warning and started poking at the device, trying to figure out how it worked. It looked like the cannon's surrounding the Akkala Fortress, so he was betting he could figure it out. He could almost hear Twi's voice beside him, telling him not to touch it before he blew himself up.
"Speaking of blowing myself up, it looks like I can fit a bomb in here."
He quickly placed a bomb inside the contraption and detonated it. The bomb blasted itself out of the machine and exploded, taking out a few pesky Lizalfos in the process.
"Niccceeee…"
The Goron from before was running at him, no doubt ready to tell him off for messing with the 'fun machine' so he took off. It was easy to move over the lava using the rocks in the area. He had to take out the Lizalfos with ice arrows to keep them from hitting him into the lake, but overall it was easy.
And every time he got to use one of the bomb blasting cannon his life got even easier.
He figured out how to direct the path of the bomb as well, moving it gave him more target or scored him more treasure. By the time he got to the huge fort in the middle of the lake, he was very efficient at using it.
The fort looked a bit tougher to reach but as Link found out it took only one bomb to completely destroy the thing. With all the enemies in the area gone a hush fell over the lake.
Link's ears twitched as he picked up a faint sound coming from the tallest group of rocks close by. He could hear what sounded like someone calling out, but their voice was muffled. He moved in a bit closer, noting the rocks that were blocking the entrance to a cave.
He had a feeling the young Goron he was looking for was in there.
"Heeeelllppp meee!"
"I'm coming, hold on," Link muttered at the voice as he hit the lever and blasted the rocks that were trapping the Goron. He wasn't sure why the Goron hadn't just punched his way out on his own, but he bit his tongue.
No need to hurt anyone's feelings today.
He glided over to the other side and went to the cave to make sure the Goron hadn't got caught in the blast. His eyes immediately zoned in on something in the back; Yunobo was crouched and cowering there. He was surrounded by a hard orange shell; the sight of it made Link think he'd seen it before.
But like all his memories, it teased just on the edge of his mind; never coming close enough for him to make sense of it.
Now that the danger had passed, Yunobo looked up and quickly panicked at the sight of Link as he stood there. He began running around and shouting, forcing Link to take a few steps back just so he didn't run him over.
When Yunobo finally caught onto the fact that he wasn't about to be eaten, he stopped his rampage and calmed down.
"Actually…now that I've gotten a good look at you, you're a Hylian," Yunobo said awkwardly.
"No shit." Link thought to himself.
"Were you the one who broke through the rocks to recue me, goro?" Yunobo bowed without getting an answer. "Thank you very much, brother. I thought I was a goner."
Once again Link said nothing about Yunobo being able to free himself. With all the various digging weapons lying around he suspected it would have been easy for him to dig out. But Yunobo looked very young, so he probably didn't do it because he was scared.
Yunobo grew on him as they talked a bit more. The young Goron introduce himself and explained what had happened and how he ended up trapped in the cave. When he asked how Link managed to remove the rocks, he told him.
"You used the Boss's cannon?!"
Link grinned up at him and shrugged. "It was pretty fun actually." He didn't bother signing as he spoke; he wasn't sure if Yunobo knew the language. "I seriously need to invest in a portable one."
Yunobo looked skeptical. "You're insane, goro. Those things are crazy hard to use." He thought Link would agree, but the smile on his face never faded so Yunobo had no choice but to return it. "Well, if you say it's easy then I guess I have no choice but to believe you, goro."
There was a brief pause before Yunobo's expression turned to panic again. "Oh no! I forgot the reason why I was here in the first place. I have to get there painkillers to the Boss." He clapped Link hard on the shoulder, almost toppling him. "I have to go but stop by and talk to the Boss when you get back to the city, goro. I'll let him know how you helped me out, brother; he's really good at returning favors."
Link waved goodbye, barely aware of Yunobo leaving. His head was fuzzy again like it was trying to remember something. When Yunobo jostled him he could almost picture a similar situation, but it was with a different Goron.
By the time his head cleared he was alone and it was way past time to get back to his friend.
Hopefully, Twi was still passed out and hadn't even noticed he was gone.
Twilight had in fact been sleeping peacefully.
That was until the sound of multiple explosions woke him up.
He thought at first there was another eruption, but as he waited for the rocks to start falling, nothing happened.
"Why do I have a feeling it has something to do with the brat?"
He waited only long enough to make sure no rocks were about to be dropped on his head before venturing out of the shrine. He quickly followed the booming sound toward the lake, coming across a very pissed off Goron.
"You better hope the Boss doesn't hear about you using his CANNON."
"A Cannon…? Holy fuck why would anyone in their right mind give a cannon to Link."
He didn't have to ask the Goron if it was Link who was the cause of all the commotion. The kid tended to have a similar effect on people wherever he went. They either thought he was mad or they got mad at him.
Another explosion came from across the lake and a whole monster fort crumbled into the lava.
Twilight watched as the kid did his thing, paragliding fearlessly across the lava to get to wherever he was going.
The Goron close by was still cursing the Hylian at length, so Twilight decided to stay as far away from the nearby cannon as possible. He wanted to inspect it but he figured it wouldn't be worth it if he was tossed into the lava by an angry Goron.
There was one last explosion and the area grew quiet after that. Twilight found a rock to sit on and wait; he had no way of getting to Link since he didn't have a paraglider.
And really he didn't feel like sailing over a giant lake full of lava anyway.
It was a while before anything else happened. The angry Goron finally found some rocks to beat the shit out of so Twilight was able to relax a bit more.
He spotted something rolling down one of the rocks; it's speed making it easy for it to jump from rock to rock until it reached the shore.
As it landed and continued rolling toward the City, Twilight realized it was a Goron.
"Link must have found Yunobo." Twilight thought as the Goron sped away, kicking up red dust as he went.
Sure enough, Link emerged from on top of the highest rock not long after. He quickly paraglided over the lake and made it to the other side in record time.
Twilight stood and went to go meet him.
"You're awake," Link stated as he ran to meet Twilight. "How was your nap?"
"What nap?" Twilight asked him. "You mean the one that I was enjoying before the explosions shook me awake?"
Link was so excited about the cannons that he started signing fast, not able to get his words out fast enough.
Twilight only caught so much of it but he gathered Link thought the cannons were amazing. That was obvious by how dramatic his arms moved and how his eyes were bright with wonder. Even with the obscuring helmet on he could tell he was grinning like a fool.
He smiled and shook his head, "of course you would find an extreme joy from blasting things to rubble."
"Yeah, it was great." Link said finally. "Really fantastic, I need to get one of those."
"I don't know about that…" Twilight saw Link going for the nearby cannon and he grabbed his arm to stop him. The Goron that was cursing him out before was still close, and he really didn't want to start a fight. "Come on; let's get back to the city. You said something about getting a gift from the elder?"
"A favor actually," Link said with a grin. "You're catching on. I signed that really fast."
Twilight tried to brush off the compliment as usual, but he did smile. "Do you think they'll help us get to the Divine Beast?"
"I think they're going to try and get to it themselves, but we're going to help them," Link replied. "I need to get to it either way, but it would make it easier if they helped. They've been fighting with Vah Rudania for the past one hundred years so they know a lot more about it."
They made good time getting back to the City.
Now that Twilight was a bit more rested he found the heat less painful to deal with. Link was in a weird mood that he was trying to figure out. The kid was borderline manic with happiness, and Twilight couldn't figure out why.
Either he really got a kick out of blowing things up or there was something bothering him.
He knew he had to talk to him, but they had to focus on getting to the Divine Beast first. Once they were back on the road headed for the next one, Twilight was going to talk to him.
The elder, whose name they found out was Bludo, spotted them as soon as they returned.
"Ah! It's the tiny traveler and his friend!"
Twilight had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing at the look on Link's face.
"Yunobo told me what happened! Thank you for saving him, goro." Bludo grinned at the two of them. "I have a reward for your help; I think these will come in handy for you, brother." He handed Link a couple of Flame Proof Elixirs and pet Link on the head gently like he would a dog.
Twilight took the elixirs from the kid before he did something rude.
"Well," Bludo pumped his fist in the air. "I took the painkillers so I guess it's time to go pay Vah Rudania a visit. I don't want to disrespect Yunobo since he's Daruk's legacy and all, but if I'm not there to help…"
"Daruk…?"
Link's voice was so quiet Twilight wasn't sure if the old Goron heard him.
"Yeah, Daruk!" Bludo pointed up to a group of huge rock carving behind him. "He was the Goron Champion; he's the statue up there at the top!"
Bludo continued to talk about Daruk and how Yunobo was his descendant, but Twilight barely paid him any attention. Link had frozen on the spot, his eyes wide as he stared up at the statue.
Twilight tried to get his attention by putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking him, but the kid didn't even blink.
"Kid?" Twilight shook him again, trying to draw him out of the trance he was in. It was like Link wasn't even there; his eyes were glazed over like he was daydreaming.
Then suddenly he let out a breath and the stiffness from his body disappeared. Link shook his head before taking his helmet off so he could rub his temples.
Bludo watched the whole exchange quietly before saying, "is he okay?"
"I'm fine," Link put the helmet away in his pouch and swapped it out for his hood. "The helmet was just starting to hurt my head."
"You Hylians are strange," Bludo said bluntly. "Anyway, like I was saying…Yunobo is a descendant of the great Daruk, that's why even a slacker like him can use Daruk's protection. We fire him at the Divine Beast and chase it away from the city."
"You blast…the kid at the Rudania?" Twilight asked skeptically.
"We have no choice," Bludo said stubbornly. "Normal cannonballs don't work!" The old Goron pumped his arm again. "Anyway, I better go meet up with him, goro. With my back feeling better we have to get back to the grind!"
Bludo moved a little too fast and his back cracked loud enough Twilight felt it in his teeth.
"Are you…okay?" Link asked.
"Owwww…" Bludo groaned in pain and bent forward, barely able to hold himself up. "Oh, I'm just peachy. Dumb, tiny traveler…of course, I'm NOT OKAY."
Again Twilight had to keep himself from laughing. Link looked absolutely murderous now.
"I guess I'm not going anywhere today," Bludo said with another groan. "I hate to ask, but can you guys go tell Yunobo we'll have to try again tomorrow? He should be waiting next to Eldin Bridge."
"Not a problem," Link said. His voice sounded strained like he was trying way too hard to be friendly.
Twilight snickered and Link shot him a glare.
Before Bludo could make any more requests, Twilight pulled Link away before someone ended up dead. He was starting to think his bad attitude was rubbing off on the kid.
"Do you have any idea where Eldin Bridge is?" Twilight asked him once he was sure Link had cooled off enough.
Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate and started fiddling with it. They left the front gates of the city and Link held the Slate up to Twilight's face to show him. "I guess we could go on the cart rails that are marked here, but it's probably just easier to climb."
"Great," Twilight said as he peered up at the large stone arch overhead and the rails that ran beside it. "Are you sure it wouldn't be easier to just take the rails?" He pointed to the pit of lava that was far below. "I pretty much suck at climbing and I don't feel like falling to my death today."
"Well I have a better idea honestly," Link said while smiling wickedly at his friend.
"I'm not going to like this idea, am I?" Twilight didn't trust the kid at all, not when he was grinning at him like that.
"I guess we'll see," Link said as he poked around on his Slate. "I've been waiting to try this out for a while now. I kind of want to see what happens when we're in a climate like this."
Twilight was starting to understand where this conversation was going. "If I light on fire…"
"I doubt you will be," Link was still smiling. "Or at least I hope you won't."
As soon as the rune activated, Twilight felt the change take place. He cursed as he was thrown on all fours, his body quickly taking the form of a wolf. This change felt different from the Twilight magic that Midna used on him, it was less brutal and it didn't hurt as much.
And as he found out, there was some form of magic protecting him from the heat. He didn't go up in flames, although the ground did feel a little hot.
"There's a timer here on my screen," Link said. "There's a ten-minute time limit on your resistance to the heat it says."
"Great, well at least I didn't die."
"We won't need the full ten minutes," Link pointed to the top of the cliff in front of them. "We just need to get up to the top."
Twilight wished Link could hear his internal dialog.
"You just wanted to ride on my back, you little shit."
The climb would be easy in his wolf form of course; he had done harder climbs with Midna.
"It would have been easier to just take the damn rails."
He stayed still as Link hopped on his back. It occurred to him that his back wasn't hurting at all, which was a relief because now was not the time for it to seize up. Link barely weighed anything, but as he was ruffled roughly between the ears he knew this wasn't going to be a reoccurring thing.
Link laughed when he snapped at him, coming close to biting one of his fingers off. The kid didn't care of course; he just ruffled his fur again.
"I'm ready whenever you are."
"Just you wait. You'll be taking a swim in the lava if I have anything to say about it."
He barked loudly in warning before launching himself to the first ledge. Amazingly, Link didn't fall off. He did, however, let out an excited 'whoo!' as they made another jump.
It took barely any time to reach the top. This wolf form was definitely different from his previous one. It felt like he was bursting at the seams with energy. He felt like he was eighteen again and in top condition.
Link gave him a pat on the head once he got off. "Good boy," he said laughing as Twilight snarled at him. Then he took out the Sheikah Slate and changed him back into his Hylian form.
"How was that?" Link asked with a grin.
"Fuck off."
They followed the rails down the path, taking out some more fire Chu Chu that got in the way. There was a hot spring ahead and Twilight couldn't wait to get some of the red dust off that was stuck to him.
A few Gorons were in the spring when they got there and Link greeted them before they found a section for themselves to get cleaned up.
Twilight groaned as he took the helmet off. It was great for keeping the heat away but he felt like he couldn't breathe with it on. The air wasn't too hot up higher, and there was a nice breeze moving through the area.
He put the helmet way in his pouch for now but he didn't bother putting his hat back on; it was too hot.
Link was practically dunking his whole head in the water, trying to get the dust off. Twilight watched in amusement as the kid's hair turned from red-brown back to blond again.
"Better?" He asked him as Link pulled his hair back to tie it up again.
"You're just as bad," Link said while gesturing at his head.
Twilight sighed and bent down and began trying to clean his hair out. The red dust had congealed into mud and it was almost rock solid as he tried to get it out. He could not wait to get a proper bath once this was all over with.
"So what happened back there when we were talking to Bludo?" He asked Link as the kid was midway through a drink of water.
Link slowly lowered his canteen, he looked nervous. "What do you mean?"
"I mean when you looked up Daruk's statue and froze like one yourself." Twilight also pulled out his water canteen so he could wet his parched throat. "You looked as if you had seen a ghost."
"Oh, that…" Link shrugged. "It happens sometimes when I remember something. I don't know what triggers it but I've regained some of my memories when I see something that's familiar."
Twilight felt a great sympathy for the kid, he couldn't imagine what that was like. "Was it…a good memory at least?"
Another shrug. "It was okay," Link said quietly. "It's more confusing than anything. I've seen a couple memories like that, but I still can't make sense of them. It's hard when you see people who you know are supposed to be your friends, but you can't feel anything for them."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Twilight said, placing a hand gently on Link's slender shoulder. "Once you have all the pieces I'm sure it will be easier to put it all together."
Link didn't look too sure but he smiled at Twilight anyway. "Thanks, Twi, your wisdom is appreciated."
"Stop making me sound so fucking old," Twilight snapped back playfully. "But really you could use a little wisdom in that reckless head of yours."
"I've made it this far."
Twilight scoffed at him, "you're just lucky." He stood up and offered and hand to Link. "Come on, let's go take out this Divine Beast so I can sleep for a week."
"You're so old," Link laughed and took the hand. "Haven't you had enough sleep to last you a few more days?"
"We can all run on three hours of sleep like you, kid."
They bickered down the path until they ran into a few more monsters. It was easy to take them out together, Link taking most of the monster down with the Master Sword and Twilight assisting him with his bow.
Link stopped to mark a Shrine to return to later; they didn't have the extra time as Yunobo was waiting. And plus the path was riddled with monsters, so they were both worried for the Goron.
Their worries were proven true as they found Yunobo being held down by two Moblins. Thankfully he had his shield up, so there was no way for him to get hurt but he was making no move to fight back.
Link was quickly distracted by one Moblin and the other one started running for Twilight. There was no way he had enough time to take it out with arrows; its hide was too thick to kill it before it reached him.
"Damn it."
He unsheathed his sword and shield and blocked the Moblin's attack, its blade glancing off his shield and the force of it pushing him back. The best was strong, but Twilight was faster. Just as the Moblin took another swing at him, Twilight rolled to the side and then rolled again until he was behind the monster.
He jumped up, slicing a deep gash up its back, severing its spine easily. As the Moblin dropped to its knees, Twilight plunged his blade into the Moblin's heart, killing it.
"Oh gods, that hurt a little."
His back didn't give out but it wasn't happy with being twisted around.
"What the hell was that?"
Twilight looked at Link who was glaring at him in anger. Even Yunobo was looking at him like he had two heads.
"What was what?"
Link gestured at him and then his sword. The kid was lost for words but Twilight could understand through the dramatic hand movements.
"I did tell you I was a pretty decent swordsman once upon a time, right?" Twilight tried not to laugh as Link continued to glare. "I was trained by the Hero of Time; I do have some good moves." He flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it again.
"So cool…" Yunobo murmured. "You're like…really cool."
Link didn't look as impressed. "I'm stealing that move," he declared before turning his attention to the cannon.