A/N: Possible trigger warning, regarding real world PTSD.
But whatever. She's a comrade, and I'll at least respect her as such. After all, I grew to see Midna that way as well.
It had been a week since Britanni's arrival in the land of Hyrule. She was becoming friends with Zelda and Taron, and she and Link were spending a lot of time together. In preparation for her upcoming quest, Britanni had begun receiving private lessons in swordsmanship from Taron and Link, as well as archery lessons from Zelda. She was a fast learner and had dabbled in various sword-fighting styles back when she was a soldier in the Royal Army, and during her time as an agent. She had just finished up her final lesson before she had to begin her journey, and was headed back into the castle to join her companions for dinner, which included Terah, Kieran, and Arrolen.
"Hey Milady, watch this!" Link got Britanni's attention, then sprinted towards a brick wall that was nearly ten feet tall and effortlessly ran up the side, pulling himself up. He stood on top of the wall and struck a badass victory pose.
"Showin' off for Shadow, huh Link?" said Kieran, teasingly.
"Oh Hero, I can do that too!" yelled Britanni as she too sprinted towards the wall and performed the same feat. "We call that Parkour in my world!"
"Impressive, Milady!" said Link as he gently grabbed Britanni's hands when she wavered slightly. "Careful!"
"Whoa...thanks Link!" she replied, laughing.
"Well I couldn't let someone fall off a wall, now could I? Ooh! Watch this!" Link stood with this back to their onlooking friends on the ground, then suddenly jumped into the air, flipping over backwards and landing on the ground, down on one knee with his fist touching the ground.
Impressed with Link's athleticism, Britanni said, "That was hot- I mean AWESOME, Hero! Catch!" She then deliberately fell backwards off the wall.
"Wait!" exclaimed Link as he barely caught her in time. "Jeez give me a heart attack, why don't ya, Milady!?" he continued, laughing somewhat.
"KISS her, Link!" Kieran shouted as the others walked up to them.
"Shut up, Kieran!" Link exclaimed as he quickly put Britanni down and suppressed a blush. "Anyways...Milady, I have a gift for you, when we get back inside."
"He's never called anyone 'Milady' before, you know..." Kieran mumbled to his siblings, who grinned deviously and agreed.
"Kieran! It's...just an inside joke between me and Loren you know...not because I like her or anything...now shut up about it!" exclaimed Link, now blushing. Britanni nodded in agreement then walked ahead.
"As you wish, Hero." said Kieran as he bowed mockingly. "Aside...'Loren', huh? I like that name, Shadow. It's rather...dark. In a cool way."
Four days earlier. "Zelda...can you tell me the legend of the Lost Princess? I must know the truth. Why am I meant to bear the Triforce of Power?" Britanni asked over lunch with the queen. "It seems rather odd that someone not from this world would have such an important role."
"Well Britanni, I will tell you. You must keep an open mind, however." said Zelda as she placed her sandwich back on her plate. "This will turn your life as you know it upside down."
"Well, I'm ready. I must know." Britanni took a nibble of her own sandwich. "My life has never really been upright."
"I pretty much had it figured out as soon as Link brought you to me. I had sensed a temporal and dimensional anomaly about an hour before he arrived. Britanni, my parents had a daughter five years before me. I'm twenty-three years old, therefore five years your junior. She was meant to possess the Triforce of Power, it was her birthright. The fact that you already possess a fragment on your hand...plus this amulet seems to have a fragment as well." Zelda handed the amulet that warped Britanni to this world back to her. "That's no coincidence or accident. You are that lost princess. You are Princess Loren, my long lost older sister..." Zelda's eyes welled up. "...and you have returned to me..." she smiled tearfully and took Britanni by the hands. "I was so young, but I remember you...and how sad I was when I found out that my "Big Sisser", as I always called you...was not coming home." Zelda inhaled deeply, while Britanni warmly squeezed her hands and grimaced.
"I'm…your sister? Wow. Link and his family mentioned that possibility. So that's why you have been giving me the benefit of the doubt, despite having seen what I've done."
"Loren, yes. That, and the fact that you just want to try to atone. It's not like you enjoyed what you did."
"Maybe not…unless I felt my marks had it coming. Then, I honestly enjoyed every second of it. Rapists, child molesters, people who harmed…or even killed…children. Oftentimes, I was sent to rescue abducted children. I'd save the kid, then just have my way with the perpetrator. Maybe I feel slightly bad that I enjoyed it a bit TOO much. Like, perhaps I was no different, other than who my target was."
"I feel you are different, Loren. Harming young children is a special kind of evil. Not even Ganondorf has stooped that low. When he first met Link's ancestor, he was only a ten year old boy. Ganondorf saw the fire in the boy's eyes, and wanted to fight him. But not right then and there. He attacked the boy, but only enough to try to scare him. He wanted the boy to become a man before they had their showdown." said Zelda, attempting to reassure her sister.
"Well...some of my victims were young teenagers. I'm talking like 14 years old. But then again, what was I supposed to do when I was forced to choose between them and my comrades? Zelda, I'm guessing you saw afterward when I tried to…I had the gun under my chin…" Britanni, or rather, Loren, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
"Loren…Can I call you that now?"
"Sure, I've changed my name often. It's nothing new. I kinda like it anyways. Speaking of my name, why isn't it Zelda if I'm the firstborn? Is it true that we're merely half-sisters?"
"I believe that is indeed the truth, Loren. My mother told me that she didn't give birth to you." Zelda finished her sandwich, and stood up. "Shall we head to the shooting range? Have you ever practiced archery?"
"I've dabbled in it, but I never really went beyond that. Guns are more practical."
"I'll take your word for it, I don't really know what a "gun" is." Zelda replied, shrugging while smiling.
Loren giggled as the two of them headed for the shooting range. "I suppose not! Anyways, do you have more information about my past? What else have you heard?"
"Well, I know that you were able to use shadow magic since you could walk, almost. Any other information, I feel you need to find out for yourself." Zelda said as they arrived in the gallery, a wooden structure with wooden targets tied to bales of hay lined up in a row at the far end. She grabbed two bows off of the wall and handed one to Loren. "Try to hit that target. I'd like to see your form."
"I was a shadow mage?" She asked as she grabbed a wooden practice arrow, and pulled back on the bowstring. She released the arrow, and struck the target, but on the outside ring.
"That's what I was told. Oh, Loren. You must try to steady your hand. You're a bit shaky." Zelda replied as she helped Loren load another arrow. "You just need to relax."
"Oh…yeah, I've never had steady hands, which is why I put the majority of my training into close range combat. I used guns as backup. Even then, guns are different from a bow and arrow." Loren felt Zelda hold her front hand steady, and say calmly, "Just focus on your target."
"Alright." Loren said as she concentrated for a moment.
"Just focus on your mark. Don't feel. Just shoot."
A teenage boy with tanned skin and dark brown eyes stood before her. He shouted in a foreign language as he pointed an assault rifle at her. There were three other boys with him, all pointing guns at her squad members. She had her .45 pointed at the lead boy. The boy was frightened, as was she. They were backed into a corner and if she didn't make a tough decision, it would be their heads. "Don't feel…just shoot…focus on your target." She fired her gun and her comrades followed her lead.
"Ughhh…gahhh…" Loren's vision blurred, as she dropped her bow and arrow on the ground.
"Loren, what's wrong?" Zelda's voice cut through her flashback.
"It was them…or us…them…us…" Loren fell to her knees and hyperventilated.
"Loren?" Zelda quickly placed her hands on Loren's head. "Oh Gods…" she exclaimed when she saw through Loren's eyes a gruesome sight. "Loren! Snap out of it!" she kneeled before the redhead and grabbed her shoulders. She placed two fingers on both of her sister's temples and closed her eyes.
"Z-Zelda…I'm sorry…" Loren took a deep breath, and slowly stood up.
"Goodness Loren, you were having a flashback. Let's call it quits for the day."
"No…maybe I should train with swords instead. Or even see if I can't reawaken my shadow powers." Loren took a deep breath, and exhaled through her nose.
"Loren, you really should just relax-"
"Zelda, I'm fine. Really. Just let me train under Taron and Link. Something where I don't have to focus on shooting something." Loren said as she placed her bow back on the wall.
"Well, I suppose you can do that. As for your shadow magic, that's something you'll need to learn all over again. Something you'll pick up on as you piece together the Triforce of Power." Zelda paused for a moment, and the two women left the shooting range. "We should pray to the Goddesses soon so they can reveal where the fragments are. You will need to go on a journey to find those pieces."
"Right, so I should be prepared. I want to begin sword training right now." Loren said, with a serious expression.
"Or do you just want to spend more time with Link?" Zelda asked, grinning mischievously.
"Oh you…that's not it at all! Trust me!" Loren exclaimed, turning slightly pink. "We're becoming friends, but we aren't dating!"
"Oh, but I'm sure you'd like to be one day!" Zelda replied, laughing. "Just take your time, maybe one day you two may fall for each other. That's how Taron and I got together. We were attracted to one another pretty quickly, but it took some time before we took things further and fell in love. But that's a story for another time!" The two of them arrived in the courtyard where the sword training was taking place.
Link's face lit up when they arrived. "Oh hello, Milady! Hello, Zelda!" Link walked over to them while Taron was giving one of the students some pointers on his form. He turned to smile and wave at both of them.
"Hey Link!" Loren joined hands with Link and smiled, then turned away, blushing for a moment. She then punched him in the arm. "So…I have quite a bit to tell you! For starters, my real name isn't Britanni!" She just wanted to keep her mind off of her past, and calm herself down after her flashback.
"So, is it true that you are indeed Loren?" Link asked with genuine curiosity while rubbing his arm. "And are you here for sword lessons? You know I'm not gonna go easy on you, Milady!" he continued, laughing. "I gotta get ya back for the tournament!"
"Ahahaha, I would expect no less, Hero! And it's sure looking that way. I suppose believing that prophecy is better than dwelling on my past. I guess I just need to move forward, whichever way necessary. It won't be easy though."
"Ok, break time everyone!" said Taron cheerfully to his students, which included Terah, Arrolen, and Kieran. Taron embraced and kissed his wife, and they all gathered around Loren to hear the news she just received.
Back to present day. "Wow, it smells incredible in here!" Loren exclaimed as she and the others arrived in the dining hall. The large dining table displayed a wide variety of food, as a feast celebrating her upcoming journey.
The others agreed and Link sniffed the air while closing his eyes, a smile spreading across his face. "Oh my…is that…cinnamon?" He inhaled through his nose again and Loren giggled.
"It's apple pie, Hero! It's my own recipe, I gave it to the kitchen staff!" she said as they all sat around the table.
"I think I'll eat that first then!" he said excitedly as he reached across the table and cut his own slice of pie and placed it on his plate.
"Oh Link, you sure do lack table manners!" Zelda said, suppressing a giggle. "It's kind of non-traditional to eat dessert first!"
"Oh with all due respect Zelda, I've never been all that traditional!" he said nonchalantly as he shoveled a large bite into his mouth. "Mmmmm…Loren I must taste this delightful dessert after YOU make this…it's simply…Oh man…"
Loren blushed and said, "Oh…uh…maybe one of these days…when I get a spare minute! Just shuddup and eat your goddamn PIE!"
Link shot her an irritated expression, then just shook his head and finished his pie. "Why does she have to be so rude?"
"I hate to interrupt such heartwarming public affection, but Link, didn't you say you had a gift for Shadow?" Kieran interjected, with a bemused grin.
"Oh! Yeah I do!" Link stood up and walked over to a table that was against a wall and picked up a long, somewhat heavy, hand carved wooden box. He placed it in on the dining table in front of Loren after she had moved her dinner dishes out of the way. "From me to you, Milady. I made the box myself, and well, Rusl crafted what's inside. I had him forge these for you. Go on, open it!"
Loren smiled and complied, after taking a few seconds to admire the box itself so carefully crafted by her friend. She opened the box to find two brand new swords. She had previously mentioned to Link that she once practiced the art of dual wielding. The designs were simple, yet high quality. The blade looked somewhat like a shorter version of the Master Sword she was familiar with. The full Triforce was engraved in it, the top triangle cut the deepest, representing the Triforce of Power which she was preparing to reassemble. The hilt was crafted similarly to Link's Ordon Sword, the metal slightly darker, with red leather wrapped around the handle. "Link, these are beautiful! I love them!" she continued running her fingers across the swords, and picked one of them up. "Not too heavy, not too light…just perfect!"
"I helped make them, Milady. I picked the colors and helped design the blades. I'm glad you like them!"
"This was so thoughtful of you, Link. Thank you!" she placed the sword back in the box and closed it, then stood up and gave Link a quick hug. Link's eyes widened with slight embarrassment. Then he relented, holding on for just a few seconds longer while blushing.
"It was nothing, really. I just figured you could use some quality weapons for your quest." He smiled somewhat sheepishly and placed his hand on the back of his head. "Really, no need to put too much thought into it! You can pay me back for them later."
"I wasn't even overthinking anything! I figured it was just a late birthday present! I'll just…put this over here for now…" Loren hastily picked up the box and placed it on the floor against a wall, then sat back down and started eating quickly. "Who the hell puts a birthday gift on credit?"
"Credit? What's that?" Link asked, tilting his head sideways.
"Well…it's when you expect payment sometime after you give something to someone." Loren replied casually, before taking another sizeable bite of turkey breast.
"Right. Well that'll be five hundred rupees! I'll accept payment…fifty at a time! Yeah, fifty!" said Link, attempting to look stern.
"Well great Hero, I suppose I'll pay up for your troubles." Loren smiled and shrugged, then handed him an orange rupee. "Here's one-hundred."
Kieran rolled his eyes and said, "Link, you never intended on charging her. You pulled that out of your ass."
"Call it a fee for telling me what to do!" Link grumbled, eyebrows furrowed.
"Uh huh, just covering the fact that you did something nice for a pretty girl!" Kieran said, taunting his buddy.
"Who said it was for a pretty girl!?" Link exclaimed, blushing. "She looks like she could lift Taron with one arm!"
"Oh, you're gonna be like that, Link?" Loren interjected, laughing. "I should be paying Rusl, he's the one who actually crafted these swords so well. Besides, I'd have NO issue lifting you, Master Shortpants!"
"Oh ho, a crack on my height, huh? Real clever, Milady." Link replied, with a look of amusement on his face.
"Link is so full of goat droppings. He wouldn't shut the front door about you-" Kieran said before he was interrupted.
"OKAY." Taron's voice boomed over the banter. "We really should discuss the issue at hand."
Zelda nodded in agreement and said, "As we all now know, Loren here is to gather the remaining shards of the Triforce of Power."
Loren and Link were still glaring at each other.
"Hey, pay attention! This is important!" Taron exclaimed, looking obviously irritated.
"Oh, sorry Taron!" Loren said as she quickly focused on Zelda. "Ok, so Zelda and I spoke with the spirits of the Goddesses, and we received a book that points us to where the first few shards are."
Taron nodded in agreement, then said to Link, "Hey, I can take care of the sword training, I think you should go with Loren tomorrow, since you are familiar with the territory and-"
"Trust me Taron, I know the layout of the land too!" Loren cut him off and hinted at her experience with the video game.
Her brother-in-law nodded then smiled, and continued, "Oh, but how about the lost Temple of the Shadows, which was explored by the Hero of Time when he did his time travel?"
"The Shadow Temple!?" Loren exclaimed as her face lit up. "That's like my second favorite temple in Ocarina of Time!" she spat out without thinking. When everyone appeared rather confused, she continued, "Oh…um…it's in the Kakariko graveyard, correct?" she grinned sheepishly.
"Um…yes, that's exactly right. Of course, over a few centuries have passed and the entrance has been completely blocked off by fallen rocks and vegetation. Zelda has meditated, and it was revealed that along with a Triforce piece, there is a tome with which you will begin learning the art of black magic. You are destined to possess the power of darkness and shadow, as a force of good. You, Zelda, and Link were chosen to be the three guardians of the Triforce, Link as the guardian of Courage, Zelda as the guardian of Wisdom, and you, the guardian of Power. Do you understand all I am telling you?" Loren nodded, wide-eyed with wonder.
Link smiled at her and said to Taron, "Sure, I'll go. Gotta keep her out of trouble!" Loren nudged him with her elbow and they both giggled.
Zelda picked up a small book that was on the table and passed it to Loren and explained, "This is the book that the Goddesses bestowed upon us. Each piece you find will become integrated with the pieces you already possess on your hand."
"Ah, thank you Zelda!" Loren smiled as she accepted the book. "Oh my god it's like my own Legend of Zelda game!" she thought to herself as she giggled excitedly. "Maybe this whole prophecy and journey will be a lot of fun!"
"You sure seem excited about this, Milady! A woman after my own heart…" Link said with a smile, then blushed and stammered, "Well y'know…figuratively speaking…um…Hey! Can someone pass me another turkey leg?"
Terah was sitting on the other side of him and complied while smiling, then she said, "Link, that's like your fourth one!"
"Oh Terah, he probably just has sympathy cravings because of me!" Zelda giggled as she heaped more mashed potatoes onto her plate.
"Yes, perhaps that's it!" Link said while looking at Terah, as to say "Thank you for getting me out of an awkward situation!" Terah nodded and winked.
"Well Hero, I am! A bit nervous too, this is all so huge! I just hope I can do this. This seems quite different from the missions I had back in the other world." Loren looked at her plate and picked at her food. "And make up your damn mind. Am I after your heart or am I a she-man?"
"Wouldn't you like to know! Maybe it's both, but I'll never tell you!" Link folded his arms and avoided eye contact. "But really, you shouldn't worry. I'll be right there with you.
"Heh, well thank you. I appreciate that."
"Link! Wake up, sleepyhead!" Loren walked into Link's treehouse, attempting to awaken the slumbering hero. "Looks like I'm the early bird this time!" Link was sprawled out face-down on his bed, spread-eagle with his mouth open and was drooling on his pillow.
"Link! Get up! There's coffee at Rusl's!" she pulled the blanket off of him and sat down on the bed next to him. Link grumbled and shifted, then slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. His hair was all over the place, and Loren couldn't help but giggle. "Nice hair, Hero!" she laughed some more.
"Good morning, Milady…" Link wasn't completely coherent just yet. Loren stood up and pulled Link to his feet. "Ok, ok…I'm up…"
"Get dressed, Link! I'll wait outside for you!" said Loren as she headed for the door. She went outside and noticed that her horse was gone. "What the…" she thought for a moment, then decided to head for the spring to see if she was there. Sure enough, there was her horse, accompanied by Ilia, who was brushing her. Epona was there as well, drinking from the spring.
"Oh, hello Britanni…I mean, Loren! Um…I wanted to clean her up for you…" Ilia smiled meekly and brushed the horse's mane. "So, what's her name?"
"Oh…it's Malon. After a rancher's daughter from the Hero of Time's era." Loren's horse was a dark auburn color with some milky white spots and a creamy colored mane that was darker that Epona's. "I bought her a few days after I got here."
"Oh, that's a good choice. So…you're Queen Zelda's older sister? I heard the stories…it's sad."
"Well…I'm back now, but I don't remember anything before my banishment. I still don't know my origins other than being at least half Hylian. This quest Link and I are going on should help with that."
"I hope so…about Link…Loren, please take care of him. Don't hurt him. He's been hurt so much…I myself am guilty of that. He's a wonderful guy and I blew things with him. He was turned down by the Queen, and he had strong feelings for her at that time, then there's Kiyana, his latest ex…she didn't treat him well at all. And Midna…he was so in love with her and he was very heartbroken when he returned from his journey three years ago. Link never cries and I heard him in his treehouse that night when he returned. I went to check on him and stayed with him as he cried himself to sleep…" Ilia had a sad, sympathetic expression on her face. "I love him like a brother now, so please take care of him…"
"Ilia, I…" Loren didn't know what to say, she felt bad for Link, but at the same time wondered why Ilia was speaking as if there were already mutual feelings between her and the hero. "I will. That's what friends do, right? Ilia, you don't have to worry. There's nothing between Link and I. I'm just a stranger who appeared out of thin air. We're merely quest partners."
"Loren, that's how he and Midna started."
"Ilia, Link and I will never happen. We're just…too different." Loren said as she stroked Malon's hair. She really wanted Ilia to drop the subject.
"Oh there you are, Milady! Good morning, Ilia!" Link showed up in the spring and both Loren and Ilia did a double take, as Link was donning his iconic green hero clothes and they both thought he looked really good in them.
"Link, you look great…as always!" Ilia smiled at him and Link smiled back and thanked her.
"Oh…my…Hylia…" Loren's jaw practically crashed through the ground. She felt her face get really warm and next thing she knew she darted towards Link and tackled him. "You idiot!" she said loudly as she hugged him tightly as they laid on the ground.
"Uh…thanks Milady!" he hugged her tightly while blushing intensely and grinning ear to ear while Loren had her face buried in his chest.
Ilia gasped and then laughed at Loren's sudden display of "affection".
Loren finally released her grip and looked at Link, who was still smiling like a dope. "What are you grinning at, stupid!?" she exclaimed as she quickly jumped off of him and stood up. "Men! You are all idiots!"
Ilia smiled and nodded in agreement, then said "You all go get some coffee, I'll finish washing up these horses and meet you there, ok?"
Link finally stood up after basking in his euphoria of having Loren on top of him for a few moments. He then looked at Ilia. "Well THAT came out of nowhere. She knocked the wind outta me!"
"She's an odd one, for sure. I'm still not sure if I like her. Did you see what she was wearing?" Ilia replied, looking slightly disgusted.
"Oh, I did…" said Link, looking a lot less disgusted. "Oh, yeah! Um…she has no class! But whatever. She's a comrade, and I'll at least respect her as such. After all, I grew to see Midna that way as well."
Loren had already shuffled off towards the main village. "That punk totally drew his Master Sword on me!" She thought to herself as she walked briskly down the trail. "Well…I guess I kinda understand why…" she looked down at her chest, which had a low cut lace-up top which pushed her breasts together, and a good four inches of her midriff was bared. Being honest with herself, she enjoyed feeling his fingers glide over her bare skin when he had his hand on her lower back after she tackled him. "That kid is so confused! And wow, I totally had another fangirl moment back there!" She laughed to herself, and then Link caught up to her.
"Milady…do you mind if I ask where those burns came from?" Link asked when he noticed the burns peeking out from under her top again.
"I don't want to talk about it." she pulled her top down slightly and they arrived in the village, where the others were sitting around eating breakfast and having coffee.
"Fair enough, sorry if that was none of my business." said Link as they approached the others, where they were warmly greeted.
"Welcome back, Link and Britanni!" Renado greeted them as they arrived in Kakariko Village.
"Thank you, Renado! About my name…" Loren explained the prophecy and the legend to him and his face lit up.
"You're Princess Loren? You're finally back after all these years! I knew there was something familiar about you!"
"That's right, Renado. Actually we're here because we were informed that a fragment of the Triforce of Power was in the lost Temple of the Shadows. We need to do some digging and demolition in the outer areas of the graveyard." said Link.
"That's fine, just be careful, alright?" Renado replied, nodding in approval.
Loren suddenly gasped and clutched the back of her right hand. "Ow, that stings!"
"Milady, what is it? Are you ok?" Link asked as he quickly walked over to her and looked at her hand, which had the Triforce crest glowing.
"I'm fine. This must mean that we're near the fragment! It's reacting to it! We should head there now!" said Loren as she gestured towards the graveyard. "It was great seeing you again, Renado!" she and Link both said goodbye and headed for the graveyard.
Loren's hand reacted again, and the sensation was even stronger. "I think it's over here, Link!" she ran up to the northwestern area where there was a ton of rubble and vegetation. "Here! I think this is the entrance!" she grabbed a pickaxe and started hacking away at the rocks, breaking them away one by one.
Link pulled out a bomb and placed it in front of the blockage. "Stand back, Milady!"
A few seconds later the bomb detonated and tons of rubble scattered everywhere. Link quickly pulled Loren behind a gravestone and covered her.
"Hey, it worked! It's open! Now we just need to pull away the rest of the rocks so we can fit through!" said Loren as they both stood up and began breaking the rocks away with their pickaxes again.
"Ok, it's all clear. You ready, Loren?"
"Yes…let's do this, Hero."
The pair walked through the opening and descended the stone steps that led to a small raised surface, surrounded by some worn old torches.
"Oh dear…I believe we're supposed to light all these torches. You don't happen to have any fire magic, do you Link?"
"I'm afraid not. The mage blood eludes me, Milady. I can create a fire manually though, so we can light these one by one." said Link, sheepishly. He pulled out some flints and found a pile of sticks on the ground. He picked up two and handed one to Loren, then struck the flints together against her stick a few times and managed to light it. He held his stick to hers and then they both began lighting the lanterns.
"Oh, better do this quickly, Link! Or they'll go out!" said Loren after the first couple of torches self-extinguished.
"Oh, good idea Milady!" Link replied as he quickly re-lit the torches. The two of them managed to light all the torches just in time, and the large stone door to the Temple began to slowly open.
"Milady, there are some torches over here we can use to see, it looks pitch black in there!" said Link as he grabbed the torches and lit them, then handed one to Loren.
They both slowly walked through the entrance, both knowing what a rather scary place this was. They noticed a faint glowing several feet ahead of them, they turned the corner and both jumped slightly, for the source of the glowing was a large painting of a severely disfigured face.
"Damn that's creepy as fuck…" Loren exclaimed as she grabbed Link's sleeve.
"Not sure how creepy 'fuck' is, but I agree it's a scary painting…" said Link as he placed his hand over Loren's.
Loren giggled slightly at Link's casual F-bomb, then said, "Well, creepy face aside, we need to get across this gap…do you have a clawshot on you?"
"I sure do, Milady!" said Link with a grin as he armed his clawshot, wrapped his arm around Loren's waist and launched his hook and pulled them both over the gap.
"Whoooooaaa!" Loren exclaimed as she was startled by the sudden movement. She regained her composure, grabbed the ledge, pulled herself up, then helped Link. "You gave me a fright, Hero!"
"What, did that scare you, Milady?' said Link as he chuckled.
"Hey, we're looking for my Triforce of Power, you're the one with the Courage one!" Loren retorted as she grabbed Link then shoved him through the painting, which she knew was actually a mirage.
"Hey WHOAAA!" Link shouted as he went barreling through the mirage and fell on his face. "Wait a second, that was a fake wall…and you knew that, didn't you!?" Link asked loudly through the wall.
"Hehe mayyyyybe…" came Loren's mischievous reply as she casually walked through the painting.
"You're something else, you know?" said Link as he shook his head, then stood up and dusted himself off. "Anyways…you seem to know a bit about this place…can you tell me about it?"
Loren directed him towards another face mirage and said, "Well, the Hero of Time traveled into the future and explored this temple. It was a future where Ganondorf succeeded in taking over Hyrule…shh…Link…I hear some voices…"
"Sha-adow Te-emple…herein lies Hyru-ule's bloody hi-istory of gre-ed and ha-atred…" a soft, creepy, ethereal whisper was heard from a skull with glowing eyes in the wall. Loren pretty much lost all color in her face. She grabbed Link, who seemed completely unfazed, by the arm.
"So…creepy…" she squeaked.
Link placed his hand over hers once again and said, "It's ok, Milady…I'm right here with you."
"I'm ok. It just kinda took me by surprise…should have seen that coming. I actually kinda like being scared by my environments." Loren loosened her grip on Link's arm and they both continued through the strange room. "Anyways…where was I…Oh yeah, your ancestor had returned from that future after defeating Ganondorf and was able to warn the Kingdom of their impending doom, and disaster was averted. This temple has gone unexplored in our timeline. It was actually once a torture dungeon long before your ancestor's era." She thought to herself, "So weird that this layout is almost exactly like it was in Ocarina of Time. That's really creepy."
"Oh yes, I remember reading about that." said Link as they passed through another fake wall and came upon a door. "Ew, it smells awful in here!" he exclaimed suddenly as he furrowed his brows and fanned his face.
"Well…I've got a feeling that it's stale corpses you're smelling…" said Loren as a look of disgust spread across her face. "But there should be a useful treasure in here." she slowly opened the metal door, and they both reluctantly walked into the rancid, hollowed-out mass grave. There were skeletons, dirt, and stale rotted flesh and innards everywhere, all making up the walls and floor of this room. It looked far worse in person than in the games she remembered playing, and the smell was unlike anything she had experienced before. "I think I'm gonna be sick, Link…"
"Milady, are you ok?" Link asked as Loren started to appear nauseous. She then dropped to her knees and threw up on the ground. Link quickly ran over and held her hair back for a few seconds.
"Ugh…urp…I'm…ok…" Loren slowly stood back up and took a quick swig of water from her canteen and spit it on the wall to rinse her mouth. "Disgusting ass place…"
Suddenly Link shouted, "LOOK OUT!" as a long, skinny white arm burst out of the ground and grabbed Loren by the head.
Loren screamed and struggled to free herself. "Link, what the bloody hell is this thing!? Help me!" The hand held her with incredible strength.
"Loren!" Link shouted as he went to try and help her, but then he too was grabbed by an arm.
"Oh shit, this is the Dead Hand! Link!" Loren shouted as a large, disgusting blob of pale, bloody, bruised flesh emerged from the ground. It swiftly wriggled towards her, its face towards the ceiling, looking like a hanged person.
"Loren, NO!" Link shouted louder as the disgusting abomination bent over and grinned widely at Loren, and bit her hard in the ribs, cracking a few.
Loren screamed in anger and still managed to deliver a hard kick to the Dead Hand's face, making it shriek, then she collapsed onto her knees, clutching her ribcage.
Link, in a fit of rage, broke free of the hand that was holding her and with a loud battle scream he pulled his sword and struck down the Dead Hand in one swing. The blob of flesh screamed in pain then slowly withered and melted into the ground.
"That…was terrifying…" Loren said weakly, still clutching her right side.
"Milady! Loren! You're hurt!" Link rushed to her side and knelt down beside her. "Here, try this." He handed her a bottle with a shiny purple liquid. "These are Great Fairy Tears…they should help heal you."
Loren was in too much pain to speak, so she nodded, accepted the bottle, and took a sip. "…so sweet…" she managed to croak out. She quickly chugged the rest, and felt an intense warmth where the fractures were.
"Milady, it'll take a few moments to take effect…shall I carry you on my back?"
"Sure…" Loren said weakly as she slowly stood up. Link had crouched slightly, ready for her to climb on. "I…I'm sorry…"
She held on tight to him, and he opened the chest that had appeared in the room, to find a pair of Hover Boots. "Milady…I'll carry you across the chasms while I wear these boots."
"That works…um…I think there's a map in another room, close to here…"
Link carried Loren to where she directed him, found the map, then they exited that area back into the main hall, and with the Lens of Truth that Zelda bestowed upon Loren, they pointed the large bird statue towards the correct skull, then Link took a deep breath and ran swiftly over the chasm and leaped just before the power of the boots wore out, and landed on the platform on the other side, while still holding Loren on his back.
"That was close…Link, I'm already starting to feel better, I can walk on my own now."
The two of them continued on, and found a much-needed compass, which magically revealed the locations of several treasure chests on their map.
They dodged and destroyed a few gigantic skulltulas, quickly dashed under a few guillotines, and then arrived in a massive room, with a few platforms and more guillotines. There were also enormous pits that went about 100 feet down. The entire area had a green and purple haze in it.
Suddenly they heard a loud whirring sound. "What's that noise?" Link asked frantically as he looked around him.
"Oh crap!" Loren looked up and saw a giant, disembodied hand about to drop down on Link. "Look out!" she shouted as she darted forward and pushed Link out of the way, back into the hallway they emerged from so she didn't accidentally push him over the cliff. However, the Wallmaster dropped down and grabbed her instead. She felt its crusty fingers wrap around her body and lift her into the air. "Hey! Put me down!"
"Loren, NO!" Link shouted as he quickly jumped up and pulled out his bow, but by the time he pulled the arrow back, the hand had disappeared into thin air, with Loren as well.
A few moments later Loren opened her eyes, and much to her annoyance she found herself back at the entrance, where the first mirage of the disfigured face was. "Well…this just got a whole lot harder. Link is in there all by himself now, but at least he still has the map…and he's tough, he'll manage. Looks like I'm gonna have to pull off some tricky jumps now…" she heaved a sigh and dusted herself off, then sprinted forward and took a literal leap of faith over the first chasm in front of the mirage. She barely cleared it and grabbed the side, with her elbows resting on the edge. "Ow…God my ribs still hurt!" She swung her legs up and climbed out of the pit, and headed back into the temple to search for her companion.
