Hey all, it's been a while! Rather than go into the full detail of why it took 4 months to get this chapter up, I'll simply say that I got distracted, busy, and discouraged. Also, IT'S OVER 9000!... words long. So… yeah. I'm going to try to be more diligent about writing these, and I'm sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 6: ReunionLink passed through Faron Woods as he had so often these past few days. He hoped it would be the last time, that he'd find Ilia, apologize, and everything would be fine. "But, then again, when have things ever worked out that nicely?" he thought to himself. It was about midmorning when he and Epona entered Ordon village. The only person outside was Rusl, who was fishing in the town's pond. He heard the "clip-clop" of Epona's hooves and turned his head around, smiling.
"Link! You're back! How were things at Castle Town?" Rusl asked.
"Eh, well… could have gone better." Link didn't know where to start, so he dismissed the topic. "I need to talk to Ilia, so if you'll excuse me-"
"Oh, sure, certainly. Don't let me keep you. I'll just uh… return to my fishing."
Link was a little perplexed at Rusl's awkward response, but he didn't dwell on it. He went straight for Ilia's house and knocked on the door. There was a pause, and he heard Bo shouting from inside.
"Ilia! Can you get the door?!" There was another pause. "Ilia?" Link heard Bo grumble something about teenagers, hop off his creaky bed and walk to the door. He opened it, yawned, opened his eyes (which isn't saying much, considering how much he usually squinted), and said, "Link! Why so early? Sorry about that, Ilia must still be sleeping. You're probably here for her, right?"
"Yes Sir," Link nodded.
"Ilia! Link's here!" Again, no response. "Humph. I'll go get her up."
Link was left one in the doorway. He stepped back onto the porch so it wouldn't be so awkward when she came down. After all, he'd want the conversation to be more… private. There was a lot to explain, and he didn't want to have Bo sitting through all of it. Moments later, hurried down the stairs. Alone.
"She's gone!" he exclaimed.
"Gone? Where could she be?" Link asked.
"I have no clue! She came in last night, didn't say much, and went upstairs. I never saw her or heard anything from her after that! Wait…" he paused, putting his hand on his chin. "Link." Bo looked straight at him. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "What happened last night? Ilia came in sobbing. Something happened after dinner."
"It's… complicated," Link said meekly, averting Bo's gaze.
"Link, tell me what happened."
"We… well we… got into an argument you see, and she got frustrated, and-"
Bo sighed. "Look, if it's not my business, just say so. You really are an awful liar." He smiled. "Always have been. But right now, we have to find out what happened. You check her room for anything that might give us some clue as to where she is. I'll check the rest of the house."
Link nodded and bounded upstairs. Her carving desk was bare and her satchel was missing. He looked around further for a note of some kind, but didn't find anything. He went back downstairs to look for Bo. He was in his training room, rustling through one of the cabinets. "What are you looking for?"
"Ilia's sword. It isn't in here! Did you find anything?"
"It's what I didn't find. Her satchel is gone. She had to have meant to leave. Perhaps she took her sword too."
"What was she planning on doing, fighting a war? Why would she need her sword?" Bo was becoming more anxious.
"No, but she might have been preparing for danger. Which means…" Link paused and thought "It means she went out of Faron Woods. Probably to look for me!" to himself. "I have to go!"
"What, where?" Bo said.
"To find Ilia! She may have gone to Hyrule Field!" Link rushed for the door.
"Hyrule Field? Link, what is going on?"
"I'm sorry Sir, but there's just too much to explain. I'll bring her home, don't worry!" Before Bo could stop him, he was out the door. He got on Epona and rode out of town. Just as he was passing his house, Telma walked out from behind her carriage and flagged him down. He hopped off Epona and walked over. "What is it?"
"Someone stole my horse!" she exclaimed.
"What? Are you sure?"
"Hon, the rope I used to tether her to that tree over there is lying on the ground."
"Maybe it just… slipped out?"
"Horses don't untie knots. You and Ilia were out later than the rest of us. Did you see anything suspicious? Any strangers come into town last night?"
"No, but I think I may know who took your horse…"
. . .
Ilia was completely exhausted, and Telma's horse was in no fine shape either. She didn't know how long she'd been running away from her attackers. Every route she tried to take was cut off by more Bublins. She'd already crossed the river on the northern plane of Hyrule field, and she was now headed to the western side. There seemed to be coordinated bands of them everywhere, and when the group behind her grew tired, another quickly took its place. She'd been lucky enough to evade an attacks that they tried, getting enough distance from them to avoid their arrows, but she couldn't hold that lead forever. And eventually, one of their shots would hit its target. She didn't want to think about what would happen after that. All she could think about was making sure the path in front of her was clear.
"Link, if I ever needed you, it's now!"
. . .
Link entered Hyrule field once again, only this time, he didn't know where to go. Luckily, he didn't need to make that decision just yet. All he had to do was head north to the crossroads. Maybe he'd get a clue as to where Ilia went along the way.
Just as he crossed the bridge over the small brook, Link heard the sound of a Bublin horn. He saw a group of six of the green creatures, mounted on their boars, charging from the east. Just then, another horn came from the north, in response to the first one. An even larger horde of them came charging down the hillside from the path to Castle Town. He was cut off, and he couldn't lead them back to Ordon. Link had no choice to head west, towards the Great Bridge of Hyrule. He grabbed his sword off of his back and prepared to slice any that got too close.
He'd fought on horseback many times, but that had been with the Master Sword. Wielding this new blade was a little uncomfortable. Luckily, it cut right through them all the same. He had dispatched at least four of them by the time he'd reached the cliffs. The group suddenly pulled back, but stayed together about 30 feet behind him. He was just about to spur Epona into a full gallop to gain some more ground when he felt a hard thud against his back and heard a loud *clang*. An arrow had bounced off his shield. Bublin archers were positioned on the hill, and they were opening fire. Link grasped Epona's reins with both hands and steered her in a serpentine movement to evade the barrage of flaming projectiles. He rode through the passage with the rock overhangs and onto the Bridge of Hyrule. Once he was halfway across the bridge, he stopped, pulled out his bow and strung an arrow. One by one the Bublins fell, each knocked clear off their mounts. The boars, once their riders had been killed, simply turned around and run back to the cliffs.
Link breathed a sigh of relief and put away his bow. He was just about to head back when he happened to look over his shoulder to the other end of the bridge. A black horse was galloping onto the bridge, and its rider was slumped over, head down. He rode towards it, and as he did, he began to see the rider more clearly. It was a girl, with blond hair of medium length, a leather vest, and… "Oh no. ILIA!" Link shouted. Her horse was panting uncontrollably, its mouth white with foamy saliva. Link jumped off Epona and held his hands high above his head in front of the black steed. It gratefully slowed, uncaring if this stranger was friend or foe. Link ran up and shakily took Ilia out of the saddle. She moaned weakly. He held her in his arms for a moment, then gently laid her on the stone.
"Ilia, Ilia! Come on, wake up."
"Uung… huh? Link?" Ilia slowly opened her eyes, and then she smiled. "Link! I knew you would come!" She threw her arms around his neck and pressed herself against his chest. "I just knew it."
Link, startled by her sudden embrace, cleared his throat and said, "I, uh… I'm sorry I, uh, hurt you… last night."
"Why did you leave?"
"It's a long story. Can you stand?"
"I think so." She let go of Link and pulled herself onto her feet.
"Good, then it's time to get you home."
"But wait, where are the other Bublins? The ones that were chasing me?" She looked around frantically, and suddenly pointed to the side of the bridge she came from. "There, look!" Link followed her finger.
Sure enough, a horde of Bublins were poised at the end of the bridge. Link counted at least 20, and he could see more coming. "What are they waiting for?" he asked.
"For the others to get ready. There's more on the other side, too."
Another group was already forming on the southern side. "Where do they keep coming from? And why are they suddenly attacking? I thought their king stopped their fighting!" Link said anxiously.
"Link, what are we going to do?"
"I... I don't know." He began to pace, thinking. They were trapped, both ways, by a considerable force. It was only a matter of time before they attacked. He had his sword and shield, as well as his bow, and Ilia had her short sword at her side, but he couldn't risk putting her into a battle. He couldn't fight one side at a time and leave Ilia behind, because then she'd just be venerable to the other side's attack. And even if he could protect her, there were so many of them!
"Well, you'd better figure something out!" Ilia shouted. "They're starting to move!"
He was out of time! "Ilia, quickly, grab anything you have out of the saddle!"
She went back to the horse and grabbed her satchel. "What now?" she asked.
"Come over to the edge with me." She hesitated. "Now! We don't have time!" Ilia ran up to Link's side, trembling. "Now, you're going to hold onto me. We're going to jump down into Lake Hylia."
"Are you crazy?! Look at how far that is!"
"You can do this, Ilia!"
"But Link-"
"Trust me!" She paused and looked him in the eyes. "Trust me." He repeated, softer this time. She nodded and put her hands on his shoulders. "Now, when we hit the water, point your toes and try to land as straight down as possible. Once we've stopped moving, let go of me and swim up to the surface."
"Wait!"
"No time! Jump!" He hoisted her up and threw them both over the side. Ilia screamed and pulled herself against his chest.
"Link!" she shouted over the wind.
"What?!" he responded.
"I can't swim!"
Link felt like a rock dropped in his stomach. "Breath deep!" he shouted. They hit the water and began to plunge down, deep into the lake. So deep that it became dark and hard to see. He saw Ilia trying to swim up, but she couldn't make any progress. She flailed her arms towards him, grasping at his leg. He took her hand and began to pull them up, but it was too hard for him to carry them both. It felt like he had his iron boots on again. The surface was too far away, and they were barely rising. He could feel his lungs burning, begging for air. His conscious began to fade, the light slowly draining away. "No!" His mind was screaming, and he fought with all of his strength, but it wasn't enough. "Not like this! Ilia!" He couldn't move his arms anymore, and he felt his grasp on Ilia weaken. The world faded to black, and he released his expended breath.
. . .
All he could feel was a burning pain. It started in his chest and rose up to his neck and out to his arms. Link felt like he was being ripped limb from limb. When the pain reached his head, it exploded into a mind-numbing fury. His forehead burned with an unnatural intensity. He screamed and opened his eyes. Zant stood before him with his strange Twili face and dark robes. He was cackling with his hand extended towards him, emanating a pulsing magic glow. The magic crystal that Zant had used to trap Link in his wolf form was burrowing into Link's brow, burning his skull. Link glanced down at his hands, which were no longer hands. They were the grey furry paws of his wolf form.
Zant shouted in his shrill voice, "Foolish boy! You may have defeated me, but you'll always be under my curse!" He laughed and threw his arm to the side, flinging Link onto his back. His lungs felt like they were seizing, and everything suddenly went white.
Link woke up coughing and spiting up water. He was lying on his side, sopping wet. Everything in his body ached, and he felt miserable, but he was alive! He faintly heard voices, but everything was muffled and indistinguishable. As his vision became less blurry, the first thing he noticed was a pair of blue feet. He glanced upwards, dazed and confused, and he met the eyes of a Zora warrior, who was currently steadying him by placing a hand on Link's shoulder. He could see his mouth moving, but he couldn't tell what he was saying. All of the sudden he felt sick, and he started heaving up water.
Finally, Link was able to understand what the Zora was saying, "Apparently he's NOT feeling OK yet."
The Zora was speaking to someone behind Link, who replied, "Give him some space. At least he's conscious." Link rolled over onto his back and looked at the source of the other voice. It was another Zora warrior, standing with spear in hand. Link took a first look at his surroundings. He was under the rocky overhang above the entrance to the Lanayru Spring.
"How do you feel?" asked the first Zora.
"Soggy, achy, and gross." Link began to sit up, but stopped when his stomach started cramping. He let out a small grunt and started lowering himself back down and placed his hand on his abdomen.
"Don't push yourself too hard now; you're in no condition to exert yourself," said the second Zora. "You're lucky you're still alive. What were you thinking, jumping off of that bridge? And taking that poor girl with you…"
"Ilia!" Link said to himself. He'd forgotten to check and see if she was OK! "Where is she?! Is she alright?" he asked frantically. He didn't see her anywhere.
"She fine, much better than you're doing, to be sure," answered the first Zora. "She's inside the spring, resting."
"Can you take me to her?" asked Link.
The two Zoras looked at each other for a moment, nodded, and went to Link's sides. The lifted him up by his arms and placed them over their shoulders. He took small steps as they supported him, half lifting, half dragging him to the cave. Once inside, Link saw Ilia wrapped in a blanket, eyes closed, leaning against one of the rocky walls. The Zoras slowly set Link down next to her. Link noticed her breathing was shallow, and her body was shivering.
"Why is she shaking like that? Is she cold?" Link asked.
"No, she's in shock. The fall must have been very traumatic for her. She'll be fine. She just needs some time to rest." While that may have been true, Link knew that the fall wasn't the only traumatic experience she'd had of late.
Just then Ilia opened her eyes and turned her head to face them. She looked at Link and smiled. "You're OK. I was so worried when you didn't wake up." Her voice was quiet, almost weak. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes.
"Ilia?" Link began.
"Best let her be," said one of the Zoras. "In fact, you should rest as well. We'll bring you a blanket too."
"Where did you ge-e-eeeCHOO!" Link's sneeze racked his whole body. "Ugh," he moaned and sniffed his nose.
"We need to get him out of those wet clothes. He's already catching a cold."
They helped him undress and brought him a blanket to warm himself with. He laid down on the dirt beside Ilia and addressed the Zoras again. "Where did you get the blankets?"
"The old man who runs the cannon tower down the way," one of the Zoras responded, and then turned to his companion. "What's the old coot's name again? Flyer?"
"Fyer." The second Zora corrected. "Yes, he saw you fall down and rushed to the mouth of the cave, where we ended up bringing the two of you. Speaking of which, why in Lanayru's wisdom did you jump off the bridge?"
Link looked down at the spring, which was giving off its usual luminous glow. He took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking, softly, "The Bublins have come back. They seem to have forces spread all over. They haven't attacked any cities, from what I can tell, but they attacked both Ilia and myself, and blocked us off on both sides. I couldn't endanger Ilia in the fight, so we jumped."
"That's… incredible. A series of synchronized attacks, all across Hyrule, is likely what they're planning. I thought with the defeat of Zant and his minions that this war would be over."
"I don't understand why they're still fighting!" Link said, furrowing his brow. "They're leader, King Bublin, said he was done fighting when I defeated him in Hyrule Castle. He told me that he'd always served the stronger side, so I thought that meant he'd finally made peace."
"Whatever is going on, we need to make sure that everyone is safe. I will travel up the river and warn those in our domain that it Hyrule Field isn't safe anymore," the second Zora said. "Link, when you feel ready, you need to warn those in Castle Town of the danger. Mikalu, watch after them."
"Yes sir," the first Zora, Mikalu, nodded. The second Zora disappeared. Moments later, there was a splash from outside the cave.
Link looked at Mikalu. "So, is he your boss?"
"I guess you can say that. He's the senior officer on duty right now, down here in the 'Lake Unit' as we call it. So, is there anything you need?"
"I think just some peace and quiet. Thanks."
"No problem. I'll be outside the cave if you think of anything else." Mikalu exited the cave.
Link had so much on his mind. The Bublin attacks, drowning, and that strange vision he had while he was unconscious… What did it mean? He'd always be under Zant's curse? What if Zant was back? No, impossible. Midna destroyed him. Then what could it mean? Link shook his head to clear his mind. He stared off towards the spring, where the water glistened and reflected the water in a cool, eerie light. The water was so beautiful, it seemed like it was alive. The mesmerizing glow put him to sleep.
. . .
Link began to dream again, peacefully. He started soaring above Hyrule, flying across the desert, towards the Arbiter's Grounds. When he touched down, he noticed something different; the mirror was fixed! Link ran up the stairs to the top of the platform and gently placed his hand on the cold surface of the mirror. He knew he was dreaming, but it all felt so real. He wondered why is dream had taken him here.
"So that I could talk to you," said a familiar voice, coming from behind him.
"Midna!" Link turned around, and saw her standing at the bottom of the stairs. He ran down to her and stopped in front of her, half surprised. He wasn't use to her being so… tall.
Midna smiled and put her hand against his cheek. "I'm sorry I left so quickly here. It wasn't fair to you or Zelda, breaking the mirror like that, and not explaining why."
"How… how am I talking to you? Is this… are you… real?" Link didn't know how to react.
"Well, yes and no. It's me you're seeing, and not just a dream, but it's still not reality. The mirror is still broken, and I'm still in the Twilight Realm. But I can communicate with you briefly through visions."
"How?"
"It's a complicated process, but I can use my Twilit magic to place myself in your dreams. Your body is in a place heavily connected with the spiritual realm, so I can communicate freely with you."
"So, why did you break the mirror?"
"I feared someone from my realm may use it to travel to yours. My people still bear a great deal of hatred towards the Royal Family of Hyrule for imprisoning our kind. I didn't want to tell you at the time because I worried you would stop me. You wouldn't be afraid of any Twili. But I wanted the war to end."
"Midna, I wouldn't have-"
"Look Link, what's done is done. I'm sorry, but we have to live with this now." Midna turned her back to him and faced the desert, head bowed.
"It's ok Midna." Link placed a hand on her shoulder. "I forgive you. I understand why you did it now."
Midna touched Link's hand with her opposite hand, held it, and turned around to face him again, although she did not lift her head up and look him in the eyes. There was a long silence. Finally Midna spoke, "I can't keep this vision up for very long."
"Yes, well, what did you need to tell me?"
"I need to warn you about a danger coming to Hyrule. The war isn't over, as I'm sure you've figured out by now. Something, someone, is controlling them."
"Do you think it's King Bublin?"
"Somehow I doubt that he'd be behind it, unless there is a new player on the field, someone whom he thinks can take you down." Midna's face bore a solemn expression.
"But who would that be?"
"I haven't the slightest idea. But you need to warn Princess Zelda as soon as possible."
"Right, and then I'll make sure that Kakariko village and the Zoras are prepared as well."
"I knew you'd be up to the challenge," Midna gave a faint smile, but it quickly faded.
"There's something else bothering you, what is it?" Link was uneasy about her sudden change in mood.
"Well, it's just that we have to leave now. And… I wish things could have been different."
"Different how?"
"That I didn't have to leave, that I hadn't broken the mirror, that we could have stayed together!"
"Just because we're apart doesn't mean we aren't still friends, Midna."
"But more than that, I-"
Link chuckled to himself, cutting her off. "Midna, you've changed so much since we first met."
"Huh?"
"When you rescued me from that cage, all you wanted to do was use me for your revenge against Zant." Midna turned away in shame. "But now you're compassionate, selfless, a strong leader for your people." She blushed. "I couldn't have asked for a greater companion for that journey. Then seeing you go… it was hard, but I knew that your destiny lies someplace else."
"Our destinies were intertwined by fate, and I believe they still will be, for some time." Midna sighed. "But we have our own ways to go for now." She paused. "I'm happy for you Link. You've been able to move on much quicker than I am able to."
Link was confused. "Move on?"
"I mean getting back into your regular life, back to the way it was, or at least trying to."
"I'd hardly call it 'regular'," Link said, placing his hand on his opposite arm, looking down at the ground and kicking up some dirt. So much had happened over the past few days.
Midna could sense his uneasiness. "Look, Link, it's going to be difficult getting readjusted to things after all that's happened, and things will probably never truly be the same, but you know, change isn't always a bad thing."
"I'm just worried… is all. What if I'm not ready for the change?"
"You've changed Link. Look at how strong and courageous you've become since you first set out to find your friends. If that choice had been placed in front of you then, would you have taken it?"
"I don't know. I suppose I wouldn't if I could have avoided it."
"And are you happy you went on this adventure now?"
Link could see what she was getting at. "Yeah, I am glad. Maybe… maybe change isn't so bad."
"See? You've just got to face this new challenge like any other."
"I suppose. I just sometimes wish all my problems could be fixed with swinging my sword around. I seem to be pretty good at that." They both laughed.
There was a distant rumble, and the walls of the arbiter's began to vibrate and shake. The sky turned a pale shade of orange, and black twilight particles began rising from the ground.
Over the loud cracking and crumbling around them, Link shouted, "Midna! What's going on?"
"I don't know! The vision isn't supposed to deteriorate like this! Someone must be interfering with the spell!" Midna was as surprised as Link.
"What do we do?" Link struggled to maintain balance on the uneven ground.
"Nothing, I can't do anything to stop them. Whosever interfering, their magical abilities must be greater than mine to breach the wards I put up."
Link was speechless. How was this happening? The sky suddenly broke open like a chasm, revealing an empty blackness. The walls crumbled to the ground, only they passed through it, falling into the abyss.
"Just get to Zelda! I'll be fine!" Midna was starting to fade. "I promise, we'll meet again soon!"
Finally, the floor underneath Link fell through, and he plummeted down into the dark. He heard Midna give a scream and tried to call out, but he couldn't hear his own voice.
. . .
Link shot out of the blankets gasping for breath. He had sweat dripping down his brow, he felt hot, and he was disoriented. It took a moment for him to remember that he was still in the Lanayru Spring. Ilia was at his side, dipping a cloth in a bucket of water.
"Sit down! You're going to get your fever back up!" she scolded.
"Fever?"
"You've been out cold for hours. You were laying there, sweating up a storm, and then you started mumbling something, and then you screamed and flew up! You nearly scared me half to death!"
"I'm sorry for the scare, it was just a nightmare." Link sat back down on top of the blankets.
"Poor thing," she said, sympathetically. "At least your temperature seems to be going down. Here, hold still for a moment." Link obeyed and Ilia placed the cloth on his forehead.
The cool water felt wonderfully relaxing, and his heart rate slowed. He let out a sigh. "Thanks Ilia." He smiled and took the cloth into his own hand, holding it against his forehead, and then Ilia stood up and walked over to where a small campfire was. There was a pot of something simmering above the fire, and a clothes-line set up opposite of Ilia. She walked over to the rack and pulled some items off of it.
"I suppose you'll want your clothes back, now that they're dry," Ilia said. She took his garments off the line, which were next to her riding pants and vest, and started walking over. She was now wearing her favorite skirt and tights, which she brought with her.
Link just then realized that he was still stripped down to his underwear. He quickly slipped his lower half into the blankets as he felt his face turning beat-red. He averted Ilia's eyes when she walked over and handed him his tunic and pants. As she strolled back to the fire, he detected a suppressed giggle. It wasn't the fact that he was near naked that embarrassed him so much, it was the fact that Ilia had been tending to him while he was sleeping. He quickly shuffled into his outfit and began to get onto his feet.
"Oh no you don't, Mister!" said Ilia without even looking over her shoulder. "You stay put! You're sick, and my patients will not be running around! Besides, you wouldn't want to miss dinner, now would you?"
Link rolled his eyes and took a seat, propping his back against the stone wall. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?" Ilia responded, smiling.
"Know that I'm standing up without even looking."
"What can I say?" She shrugged. "I know you. Probably better than anyone else."
"That you do. So what's on the menu?"
Ilia turned around with a white cloth draped over one arm, and an imaginary quill in the other. She began making a writing motion in her hands, paused, and lifted her eyes to Link. She spoke in a deeper, more nasally voice, saying, "Tonight, we have vegetable soup, the finest fresh fruit, and lightly toasted… toast."
Link stroked an imaginary beard, and responded with equal finesse. "Mmm yes, quite. I'd like the toast done medium rare, and garnished with finely cut apples."
"Most certainly Sir!" There was a brief pause, both of them stifling grins, and then burst out laughing. Shortly thereafter, they were seated at the fire, enjoying a very plain dinner. It felt just like old times.
"So where did you get all the pots and stuff?" Link asked.
"Fyer. He's quite a fan of yours. He sends his regards," said Ilia in between a bite of apple.
"I guess so. Is Mikalu, the Zora warrior still out there?"
"Probably not. He told me that he'd get back to his post after I'd woken up. Once I was up and about, he said goodbye and left the cave. That's about the time that your fever set in."
"I hope I didn't cause you much trouble."
"Don't be silly. You know I'm always the one taking of the sick back home. No trouble at all. Besides, you're much easier to care for than a Zora!"
"Oh right, you helped Prince Ralis back in Castle Town. Telma said you found him out on the road. How did that all come about?" Link sat back, ready for a story.
"Well, I was able to escape from the Bublin camp where they had me tied up. They forgot to take my carving knife, so I cut my ropes, found my satchel in a nearby tent and snuck out undetected. While I was running along the road running towards the nearest settlement, which was Castle Town, I just found him lying there, moaning. He'd been hurt while escaping the attack on the Zora's domain, but I only found that out later. He'd lost too much blood to continue running, and the cold had made him sick. I didn't know what to do, so I just ran inside town and pleaded for somebody to help me carry him in. Telma was the first person who offered to help."
"You're so great when it comes to helping people. Just like your mother." Link only realized what he'd said until after the words had left his mouth. "I'm… I'm sorry."
"It's ok, never mind," she said quietly. Neither one said anything for several minutes.
Link glanced out of the cave mouth. The sun was setting, and twilight had set in. A beautiful orange glow radiated off the water and lined the cavern walls with a shimmering display. Ilia gave a small gasp of awe and let her mouth hang open a little. They simply sat and stared until it disappeared a few minutes later.
Link let out a sigh. "What a day, huh?"
"You said it," Ilia agreed. "What's our plan for tomorrow. Are we going home?"
"You are. I have to warn Princess Zelda and the people of Kakariko Village and the Zora's domain of the Bublins. I think they're going to try to attack castle town, so I have to make sure that everyone is ready."
"But that'll take all day! How are you going avoid the Bublins with all of the traveling you have to do? And how are you going to get around? We lost our horses!"
"Oh, I guess I hadn't thought about that."
"Of course you didn't. And there's no way I'm going back to Ordon village alone without Telma's horse. Have you seen her when she's angry?"
Link shuddered. "I don't think I want to…"
"You don't. It's settled then. I'm coming with you."
"But-"
"No buts! You're taking me with you, and that's final. Sheesh, I just planned out your whole day for you. What would you do without me?"
"I don't know, I seemed to have saved Hyrule on my own."
"Oh please, only after I saved Prince Ralis, and I helped you get to the city in the sky, and I gave you the horse call."
"But I helped you get your memory- oh forget it. Fine, you can come with."
"Yay, thank you Link!" She grinned from ear to ear. "I finally get to go on an adventure!"
Link laughed and stood up, picking up the water bucket.
"What are you doing?" Ilia asked.
"I'm putting out the fire. It's almost dark, and it'll alert anyone outside to our presence. We don't know if the Bublins will be patrolling outside tonight." Link began pouring the water over the fire, releasing a sizzling cloud of steam and smoke.
"Do you think they'll find us?" Ilia asked anxiously.
"I don't think so, but we can't be too sure. We can take turns keeping watch. I'll keep the first one. I'll wake you up in a couple of hours for your turn."
"We going to bed already? It can't be past 7 o'clock!"
"We'll need plenty of sleep for tomorrow, and we'll only be sleeping half the night each. Trust me, I have this system down. I used it all the time while I was out adventuring and such."
"Who kept the other watch? Epona?" Ilia laughed.
"Um…" Link wasn't so sure about telling Ilia about Midna just yet. It might seem a little weird. "Never mind, just try to get some sleep." Ilia reluctantly obeyed. They each took one blanket and got comfortable.
About 10 minutes later, Ilia spoke up. "It's freezing in here! Did we really have to put out the fire?"
"Sorry, it's a little late for that now. Here, I'll let you use my blanket."
"Thanks Link." Ilia gratefully accepted his blanket and settled back in.
About 15 minutes later, Link started to get chilly himself. The area around the lake must be cooler at night, he thought. Soon, his teeth started to chatter a little. It reminded him of the Yeti's castle.
He must have been chattering more loudly than he thought, because Ilia heard him and spoke up again. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm f-f-fine," he stammered.
"You'll catch cold again! Here, take your blanket back."
"No, then you won't get any sleep f-for your watch."
"I'll be ok, you don't have to keep sacrificing for me!"
"But I have to keep you safe, Ilia! I promised your dad. And myself!" Link noticed both their voices rising.
"I'll be fine!" Ilia retorted.
"Well so will I!" Their shouts hung in the air, ringing in their ears. Both of them felt ashamed.
Link spoke first. "I'm… I'm sorry Ilia."
"Me too," she said immediately after.
Another awkward pause. Link didn't know what they were going to do. Ilia offered up an idea, meekly.
"Maybe, we could… share… the blankets? Together?"
"I… guess we can. As long as we…" He didn't finish.
"We… yeah…."
They both felt very embarrassed while getting their arrangement set up, but they both knew at the same time that it was the best option they had. They climbed into the blankets slowly. It took a lot of repositioning, and few words were exchanged while they were doing so. In the end, they had their backs to each other, but they didn't quite have enough blanket for it.
Ilia said, "Here," and scooted backwards, so their backs were just touching at the shoulder blades. Link felt a shiver run up his spine when they made contact. He felt really awkward, but at least they had enough blanket now, and it was considerably warmer. He tried not to think about it too much, and instead focused on keeping awake for his watch. As the time passed, he became more used to the arrangement, and he took comfort in knowing that Ilia was right there, safe with him.
He didn't know when he drifted off to sleep.
. . .
The sound of chirping birds woke Link from his sleep. He let his eyes crack open a bit, enough to see the first signs of daylight creeping in through the mouth of the cave. He felt very rested and drowsy, but then realized that he'd fallen asleep on his watch. "Who cares?" he thought. Obviously he and Ilia were still safe. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, relaxing his muscles. He then became aware of an extra weight on his chest. He tilted his head up slightly, careful not to move too much, lest he wake Ilia. "Wait, why do I have to tilt my head up?" he thought. Then he noticed that he and Ilia had shifted a considerable amount during the night.
Link was on his back with Ilia lying on his chest. She had her head wedged between his right shoulder and his neck, with her right arm draped across to his left shoulder, loosely gripping his tunic. Her right hip rested lightly on his, and they each had a leg placed in between each other's. Finally, he noticed that his right arm was wrapped around her, slipped under her arm with his hand on the small of her back. He felt his face heating up, and the whole situation left him speechless. What could he do? If he moved to get out of this position, he'd surely wake her up, but he didn't want to wait until she got up on her own accord. He thought of pretending to be asleep when she woke up to try to avoid any confrontation, but just as he was about to lay his head back down, Ilia gave a slight groan, lifting herself off his chest.
Ilia opened her eyes, slowly at first, but then they sprung open, petrified. Her jaw hung open slightly and her face burned bright pink. She stuttered and stammered as she took her hands off of Link. "U-uh-uh, I-I'm so sorry! I didn't want to- er, I mean- I-I didn't mean to-"
"No, no, it's not your fault!" Link tried to interject, but it only seemed to make it more awkward. "Well, I don't think so. I mean, it was an accident and that sort of thing isn't done on purpose or anything… hehehe… right? " He forced an embarrassed smile onto his face.
"Yeah, totally an accident, I did not mean to sleep on your chest!" Ilia waved her hands in front of her and shook her head. "Alright, glad that's over!"
"Yeah, now we can get on with the day!" Link sat up.
"Yeah! Here we go!"
"Ok!"
"Ok!"
The two of them went to opposite sides of the cave for a while to collect themselves. Neither of them dared glance towards each other. They gathered their things in silence.
. . .
After the morning's awkward arousal, Link and Ilia were both eager to get started on the day's journey, as it was certain to be a long one. They packed up their belongings and grabbed the supplies that Fyer had lent them. They carried the blankets and pans over to his giant cannon, where he was already seated outside. He waved to them as they approached, and when they reached him they set down the supplies in a neat pile.
Ilia spoke, "We can't thank you enough for your help Mister Fyer!"
"Yeah," said Link. "We probably wouldn't have lasted the night if it weren't for you!"
"Oh, pish-posh! It was nothing! Ehehehe!" Fyer laughed. "Anything to help my good friend Link! Besides! Who could have said no to a pretty face like that, young lady!" The last comment was directed towards Ilia, who was rather startled.
"Well gee, uh, thanks?" She blushed, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"Ok… moving on," began Link. "We need to get back up to the ridge. Do you think we can use your cannon?"
"Well of course you can! So long as you've got the rupees," Fyer smiled and rubbed his fingers together.
Link paid him and turned to Ilia. "Are you ready to go?"
"When you say 'cannon', what do you mean?" Ilia was hesitant.
Link reassured her, "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe! I've used it countless times."
"Ok kiddos, I've got it all set up. Now, Miss, I just need to know your weight."
"My WHAT?" Ilia was once again taken aback by Fyer's comments. "You certainly are a rude little man."
"No, no, you see I simply need it to calibrate the cannon! If I don't know the weight of the passengers, you may not make it safely to the landing spot!"
"Please Ilia, he needs to know." Link said.
She crossed her arms, "I don't need to tell him anything. That is NOT how to treat a lady."
"If you say so," Fyer shrugged. "I'll just have to guess then." He opened the door to the tower.
"I guess you will!" Ilia marched inside, followed quickly by Link. The door closed behind them.
"Ok, what was that all about?" Link asked.
"It was rude, ok? And he started to give me the creeps when he called me pretty! Did you see that he winked at me?"
"He was just teasing you! He's just an old guy, having some fun. Honestly, I don't understand what's gotten into you."
Just then the tower started to move and the goofy song from the music box outside started playing.
"Quick, hold onto me," said Link. "Wrap your arms around my neck."
"Wh-why?" Ilia's voice quaked a little. She couldn't see it, but Link rolled his eyes.
"So that we don't fly in different directions! Now hurry up!"
Ilia obeyed and held onto Link. The music stopped and the cannon halted. There was a brief pause. Just before they were shot off, Ilia began, "So, when does the cannon- AAHH!" She was cut off by the blast, and she tightened her grip around Link.
Link chuckled a little and looked at the top of the ridge. It was approaching fast, but not fast enough! His stomach dropped when he realized that they didn't have quite enough momentum to reach the top. Acting fast, he took his dual claw shots out of his bag and aimed for the nearest patch of vines on the cliff-side. He shot both claws into the vines and retracted them. They came to a rough stop against the cliff.
Ilia blurted out, "What was that!?"
Link grunted under the strain and replied, "Sorry… umph. This isn't supposed to happen."
"Well, isn't this great? Some shot he turned out to be." She glanced downwards. "Oh no oh no oh no- that was a mistake. We're really high up. Link, whatever you're going to do, please to it now! I don't want a repeat of yesterday's fall!"
"Neither do I! I see another patch of vines, so hold on, we'll be up on top in a moment. Hold tight!" He released one of his claws and aimed it upwards towards the next cluster, then fired. As the chains dragged them up, Link released the other claw and retracted it. Ilia gave a slight squeak as they bashed against the cliff again.
"Please hurry, my arms are getting tired!"
Link sighed and scanned for another spot to launch to. He found a nice spot that would let them climb all the way to the top. He let the claw shot fly and was rewarded with the sound of the claw latching itself into the vines. Like before, he retracted the claw and carried them up. Once they reached the vines, Link said, "Ilia, I need you to climb up the rest of the way."
"Ok, I'll try." She took hold of the vines and started her ascent. She'd nearly reached the top when the vines in one of her hand started to come loose. "Link, I'm slipping!" The vine came out completely and she dangled by one arm. "Help me!" The panic in her voice was unsettling.
"Hang on! I'll try to get you up!" Link started to climb up under her, but grip loosened.
"Link, I'm going to faaAAHHH!" Ilia's vine came completely off the cliff face, and she began to scream. Thinking fast, Link detached one of the claws and pointed it downwards. Ilia was now in a complete free-fall.
With little time, Link shouted, "Grab it!" and fired. Ilia snatched the end of the claw shot and madly clung to it.
"Oh sweet, merciful Goddesses! Don't let me go! Don't let me go!" Ilia had her eyes shut tight, and her voice was trembling with fear.
"It's ok; we're going to get out of this!" Link tried to sound reassuring. "I'm going to swing the claw shot back and forth, and then throw you up onto the cliff, ok? It's not that far; all you have to do is hold on, ok?"
"Yes, just please do it fast!"
"Ok, I'm starting to swing it!" The last thing Link wanted Ilia to do was panic. He needed her to stay calm, so he called out every part of the plan to her. As he swung her back and forth gaining momentum, his arm grew very tired. Finally, he'd gotten enough speed to lift her up. "Ok, get ready to climb up!" He grunted as he hoisted the claw shot one last time, and Ilia let go, landing on the cliff side. "You ok?" he called out.
"I'm fine! Do you need help getting up?" She shouted back.
"I think I've got it! Be up in a moment!" Link maneuvered his way up the cliff side, panting as he pulled himself onto the grassy top. He flopped onto his back and lay there, catching his breath. Ilia was a couple feet away, hand on her chest, breathing deeply. "Well, that could have gone better!" he stated.
"Yeah, let's never do that again." Ilia responded.
"Agreed." Link stood up and took a quick look around. "Castle Town is just a short walk away. Are you ready to get going?"
Ilia looked up at him like his hair was on fire. "What?! We almost died, again, and you're just going to get up and move on like nothing happened?"
Link smiled, "Yeah, that's kind of how this whole 'adventuring' thing works. Almost dying is kind of a daily hazard."
"I'm not so sure I'm up for this…" Ilia said softly.
Link extend his hand towards her, "C'mon, we'll get there together. It'll be fun!"
Ilia placed her hand in his, and he pulled her up. She smiled and held his hand for a few moments before releasing it, saying, "Ok, let's do this!" The two of them began their trek toward Castle Town.
. . .
It really wasn't much of a journey. They surprisingly met no Bublin forces, found no trace of them at all. They reached the Castle town gates in just ten minutes. Entering from the west side, they went past the STAR tent and into the main plaza. There was still a lot of litter spread out from the party two days before. Apparently cleaning up wasn't on the top of the priority list.
Ilia took one look around and said, "Sheesh, talk about a dump! What happened here, did a storm blow through and take all the decency with it?"
"No, just their sobriety," answered Link.
"Say what?"
"They got drunk, ok? There was a big party and I guess they were all too hung over to clean it up. I'm sure they'll get on it soon."
"How do you know all this?"
"I was here. That's where I had to go the other night. Princess Zelda threw a banquet in my honor as the hero of Hyrule, so they partied a little too hard."
"Oh, I see how it was. You leave me alone at home, crying my eyes out, while you go party with your sophisticated friends."
"Ok, that's not fair. How would you respond to a letter from the ruler of the entire kingdom, saying she was throwing an entire night in your honor? Would you have simply not shown up?"
"… I guess that wasn't very nice of me." Ilia sighed.
"Ok, look," began Link. "Things have-"
"Really Link, it's ok," Ilia cut him off. "I'm sorry I've been so cranky today. It's my fault. I don't know what's come over me. I guess I'm just stressed out from everything that's been happening. Let's just tell this princess of yours about the Bublins and get home."
Link was a little surprised at Ilia, but he agreed. He did want to get this over with quickly, and he was certainly not excited to see Zelda again after their last visit. Link waved his way into the castle, escorting Ilia past the guards. Upon entering the main hall, Link was immediately addressed by the nearest guard.
"Sir Link, what can I do for you?" the guard asked.
"I need to see Princess Zelda immediately."
"I'm afraid Zelda is indisposed of at the moment. She is about to attend a council meeting. You'll have to come back at another time."
"Really, this is rather important. I'm sure she'll want to hear it."
"I can't let you do that Sir. Perhaps I can relay the message?"
Suddenly a voice spoke up from the other side of the room, "Well, if it isn't mister Hit-and-Run himself!" Zelda approached the three of them, and she did not look happy.
"Oh, perfect. She's still upset." Link muttered.
"What did you do?" whispered Ilia.
"I kind of ditched her in the middle of the party so I could get home faster."
"Oh is that all you think you did?" Apparently Zelda had better hearing than Link had anticipated. Must've been the ears, he thought. "No, you not only left me alone for the night, you embarrassed me in front of all my people with your unprofessional behavior, not to mention late arrival, took some of the best weapons from my personal armory, and worst of all, you never even thanked me for all the work I put into this celebration.
Link really didn't feel like putting up with Zelda at the moment. "Ok, the weapon, ONE thing, I took from the armory was a gift from your head guard, Ralin, and you put me in a very difficult situation at home! I was not asked if I could come, I was basically ordered. And the night hadn't gone smoother if you hadn't been so inconsiderate of what I wanted! Not to mention that sham of a play, which made me look like some sort of pretty fairy boy, prancing around Hyrule field in tights while swinging around a magical stick!"
"I had nothing to do with that, and trust me, that man's so-called 'theatre company' won't be making any more appearances here, so don't you DARE blame this on me!"
Ilia spoke for the first time she'd gotten in the castle. "Look here, Princess! Link saved the entire kingdom from destruction, and you've got some nerve to come around blaming a whole nights' worth of trouble on him, especially when he comes to you to help you win a war!"
"I'm sorry, but who are you supposed to be?" Zelda crossed her arms and glared.
"I'm Ilia, thanks for asking so nicely! I happen to be Link's best friend, and if it hadn't been for your stupid party, I bet I wouldn't have nearly drowned, or been shot at by Bublins, or shot out of a giant CANNON!"
"Oh you want to go there?" Zelda placed her hands on her hips and strut up to Ilia, looming over her. "Fine, I'll go there! I bet that if it hadn't been for you, I would've gotten to bang Link the other night!"
"You WHAT!?" Ilia's face turned blood red, and she looked like she was about to tear Zelda to shreds.
"This cannot be happening right now…" Link murmured, covering his face in his hands.
"Oh, it is! Yeah, I don't care what kind of news you're bringing me, I don't want to hear it, not until you apologize for everything you've screwed up." Zelda stuck her finger in Link's face.
Ilia slapped Zelda's hand away from Link's face. "Fine! See if we care! We don't need your help, you need ours! So when you want get your act together, and stop being such a bratty little-"
"Ilia, we're leaving. Now." Link took Ilia by the arm and half led, half dragged her out of the door. Zelda stomped behind them and slammed the door after they'd left. They didn't speak a word until they'd reached the plaza.
"What is her problem?" Ilia said as she paced back and forth in front of Link, who was seated on the stone bench around the fountain. "I mean, she tried to pin the whole thing on you, when she'd obviously-"
"Ok, Ilia, you need to calm down. You're really stressed out, and we need to think of what we're going to do next."
"Great, I say we march right back in there and knock some sense into her. You hold her, and I'll punch that pretty smirk right off her face."
"I'm serious Ilia, we've got a major issue on our hands! If Zelda isn't aware of the attacks then Castle Town will be completely caught off guard, and I don't think we can beat the Bublins without the full strength of the Hyrulian army at our backs."
"I think we might be able to help you out with that," said a girl off to the side. Link looked over and saw Ashei, the resistance member, standing a couple yards away.
"Ashei, what are you doing back in Castle Town?" Link asked.
"I'm here for the meeting. I suggest you come along as well," She said coolly. "And your friend, as well. She'll probably want in on this too."
"What do you mean?" Ilia said, perplexed. "What's going on?"
"The Resistance has more work to do." Ashei replied.
Yay! Plot development! I hope you enjoyed Link and Ilia's little episode there, because it was certainly fun to write! I finally got past a major writing block and managed to piece this all together, and hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long to write! As always, please rate and review, and also, pass it along to your friends, acquaintances, strangers, enemies, frenemies, and doppelgangers. Seriously though, give it a review. Thanks!
~musicfrommykeyboard