7. Dance of the Twilight Man
If only Mido and the others could see her now. Hiding in the reeds, watching starlight reflect off the moat, and waiting for the right moment to sneak into Hyrule Castle. Giddiness tempered Zelda's trepidation. Deku and the owl had talked about destiny. Well, if this was hers she'd decided that she'd grab it with both hands.
If only Saria was here, too. Her friend's smiling face flashed in her mind's eye. I'll go back, Zelda decided. Once this is over, and the witch is dealt with. I'll go back. And this time, I'll take her with me. Saria would love it!
"What are you smirking at?"
Zelda glanced up at Link. "Oh, nothing." She huddled in closer. Crickets chirped in the undergrowth. Blades of grass tickled her face. From somewhere below her, she could hear the faint sound of someone snoring. "So, is this how life is for you all the time? Running, sneaking, fighting?"
Link looked at her suspiciously. "More or less, yes," he replied. "Not much of a life."
"No?" Zelda tucked a dangling strand of her hair behind one ear. "Thought it sounded quite exciting myself."
"It can be." His voice took on its usual soft sheen. "Actually, it is. Exciting. Me? I just make sure I have a good laugh."
Zelda sniffed as she watched his face. She was becoming quite the expert on judging character, if she said so herself. "But it doesn't make you happy, right?"
"Sitting in a barn full of straw can make you happy if you have the mind for it. Or anything that you do."
"But that's just it," Zelda replied. "That's what I mean. Before, in the forest, with the Kokiri, I was so…just so upset with everyone. Mostly everyone. All the time. Because I didn't have a fairy. Because of the way they treated me. But now…just a couple of days with you, and I've seen that life is so much better. Everything's better."
"Oh, really?" There was a sour twist to Link's voice. "Just like that, eh?"
A sliver of ice needled Zelda's heart. "What?" she said. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Link's grin returned. "Anyway. Sneaking, you said? I do that. Not usually with the castle, though. I'm allowed in through the doors." He paused. "Well. Most of time. Unless she's mad with me."
"Who?" Zelda felt a smile coming. "Your queen?"
"Yes. The queen." He said it in a voice that implied the conversation was over.
Zelda's high spirits returned and it made her feel just a little bit rebellious. "So, why would she be mad with you? What, you failed to save the world one time? Forgot to slay a dragon? Left a damsel in distress?"
"Leave it."
"Oh, go on. Tell me."
"It's not important."
"Please."
Link sighed. "Swords. Weapons. Shields," he mumbled, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He made a vague gesture with his hand. "That sort of thing."
Zelda kept prodding. "What about them? Someone stole them? You ran out? What?"
Link looked quite flustered. "I overlooked the fact that they had not been restored to their proper positional situations."
Silence.
Water sloshed in the moat below.
Zelda sniggered.
"You didn't tidy up!" She threw back her head and laughed. "Wait, wait, wait. You were kicked out because you didn't do the chores?"
"Keep it down, love."
"Why, no one's here from your world. Your secret's safe." A sudden thought made her smile vanish. "There isn't, is there? Someone here from your world?"
"No." Link's voice was hushed. "Keep it down, because the guards are back." He gazed down at the castle through a pair of thick eye glasses. His fingers twisted one lens. "There."
Zelda peered down from their hiding spot. The pair of them were lying flat on their stomachs, perched upon a small hill overlooking the steel fence that encircled the moat. The guards were there alright. Two of them, steel armour glinting with silver moonlight. Ash fell from the torches ensconced into the fence, glowed in the dark, and then sizzled into the moat.
Zelda's stomach prickled, feeling cramped and uncomfortable. She wriggled. Flattened willow reeds snapped under her every movement. Again she heard the drone of someone snoring.
"Stop fidgeting," Link said.
"Sorry," she replied, her voice low. "It's just that we've been waiting here ages. When are we going to move? You said there was a secret passage…?"
"There is." Link's eyes gleamed in the moonlight. He thrust his elbow into the spongy earth. With a soft crumble of soil, a large, dark opening appeared. "Right here."
Zelda gazed down. Withered roots nestling in clumps of earth gazed back. Great. Another tunnel.
"I don't get it," she said. "If this is the way in, why are we watching the guards, then?"
"Oh, they know about the tunnel," Link replied. "They just don't know about this entrance. Or any of the others, to be exact. Though I can't use this one again for a while. Well. Not until the grass grows over it again." He gestured with his hand. "Anyway. They know. That's where the guards go to. They check the tunnel."
"And when they come back here…" Zelda said, a torch burning to life in her mind. She grinned. "That means they've left the tunnel unguarded."
Link beamed in return. "Exactly. Well, not completely unguarded. There's still one man posted under there. Heard them talk about him while you were busy daydreaming." His grin widened. "But I'm sure we can handle that, right?" He slipped his eyepiece back into his coat, fished around in the inside pocket, then pulled free a small, wooden slingshot. "There's just a little something I have to do first."
Procuring a tiny nut from his coat, Link pulled the straps taut, and took aim. With a snap, the nut went flying down, down, down the hill and hit a large lump nestling at the bottom. The snoring ceased instantly, replaced by confused gurgles.
"Go home, Talon," Link whispered. "She's waiting for you, mate."
Zelda's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Just how much stuff do you carry in that coat, anyway?"
"Don't ask," he replied. "Just be glad it's not a hat this time."
Before Zelda could even reply, Link slipped into the hole with little more than a ghostly whisper and a puff of soil. Zelda perched herself on the edge, and then dangled her legs over the opening. A current of cold air ruffled her trousers. She felt a sudden pressure weigh down on her back, like a slab of ice sliding under her skin. Zelda glanced over her shoulder. The night was thick, and she couldn't see it, but she felt the brooding presence of Lon Lon Hill somewhere out there in the dark. The Hill…and the witch.
Link's voice floated up to her, snapping her back to herself. "There's no danger, don't worry."
Zelda tensed. "Really? Who are you kidding?"
"Myself, most of the time."
Zelda rolled her eyes. "Hope I don't regret this."
With a push, she slid inside, just as Link's voice returned, "Oh, and watch out for the-"
"Ow!" Zelda gazed down at the rusted metal nail that had grazed her side just as she had landed on her feet. She glared up at Link.
The Hero of Time looked sheepish. "I see you found it, then." He turned away, all business once again, and snapped his fingers once, twice. "Well, come on. No time to dilly-dally."
"Dilly-dally," Zelda muttered under her breath. "I'll dilly his dally…"
They followed the tunnel as it led downward into the earth. Musty air, riddled with tiny dust motes, wrapped them both in invisible cloaks and tickled Zelda's throat. Not too bad, she mused. At least there are no insects this time. She felt Link's presence as he moved on before her in the darkness, heard the level flow of his calm breathing. It comforted her. Definitely not as bad as last time. The passageway levelled out, and a glow up ahead of them signified the end of the burrow. They stepped through the opening.
Zelda looked around. It wasn't what she'd expected. A large chamber sprawled open in front of her. Half-collapsed walls stood there, run through with sharp jagged cracks. Shattered pews covered with dust rested under curling tendrils of crumbling, dead ivy. Stone arches, elaborately designed, hemmed in the entranceways, and shattered marble pillars stuck out from the fissures in the ground like a line of broken, crooked teeth. Faint glowing light ran along each marble edge, giving each fallen pillar a silver lining and illuminating the entire room without any need for torchlight.
"Ruins," Zelda said. "It's like a temple or something." She caught sight of Link's perplexed face. "You weren't expecting this, were you?"
Link flicked a glance over at her. "No." His voice echoed. "This isn't here in my world. None of it. Should be just tunnels. This is different. New. Well, old, judging by the state of it. But, still." He shrugged off his disquiet. "Now. I spy stairs over there. This place must run deep under the castle." A shadow fell over his eyes as he fixed her with his gaze. "Be careful."
They didn't get far before they heard the faint sound of papery scratching. Link held up a hand: "Hold."
Zelda paused, swallowing. She heard something shuffle. "It's like those Stalchild…"
"It's not them," Link replied. He honed in on one the fallen pillars and crept in closer. "Here, Skull-tutty-tutty…"
Zelda arched an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"Drawing out the critter," Link said softly. "You're not afraid of spiders, are you?"
Zelda tensed. "Actually, I met the queen-"
The thing scrabbled out from under the pillar in a flurry of legs. Zelda recoiled, took a stumbling step backwards. It was a spider, alright. A spider with a skull for a torso. She grit her teeth. Madness again, just madness.
Link remained impassive, his stance unchanged. The spider watched him, multiple yellow eyes fixed. It lifted a leg, tested the air in front of it, then scuttled forward. Sword flying free from his scabbard, Link met the attack with a slash of his blade. The spider exploded in a cloud of thick, green goop.
"Ugh," Zelda said.
Link wiped his blade clean. "No. Skulltula."
Zelda eyed the Hero sardonically. "Right. Just another day, huh…?"
He turned away. "Now. The stairs."
Masonry crunched under Zelda's boots as she slowly followed Link towards the stairs. And I said it was 'exciting.' Surprised he's not on edge all the time. I would be, she thought. Maybe I am. They passed one of the fallen columns. Peering closely, she saw that the smooth, carefully carved surface glittered with some sort of strange light. The colours shifted under her eyes – first lavender, then opal, then deeper to indigo. Zelda was entranced.
A creak broke her out of her reverie. Link was testing the bottommost step of the staircase with his foot. The wood sagged under his touch, but held. Dust puffed from beneath his heel. He looked up and peered up the entire length of the stairwell. "I think we may have company," he said. "That sole guard I mentioned. Do what I do."
She did. Keeping Link in her sight, Zelda crept through the shadows on the very tips of her toes. The arched ceiling of the stairwell wept with moisture, allowing a trickle of grainy drops to fall to the ground in a steady plink plink plink. Pressing her back against the stone blocks roughly hewed into the walls, she slowly began to calculate the distance to the top. Misshapen rock pushed into her spine and scratched against her skin. She glanced up. A pool of torchlight marked the passageway at the tip of the stairwell. That must have been what Link had noticed earlier. Someone had lit a torch. That meant that there was someone still up there.
Seven steps to go. One…two…
Link held up a hand, bringing Zelda to an abrupt halt. He motioned for her to stay put. Heart thudding, Zelda watched as he crept up the final few stairs, his hand trailing against the rough wall. With a quick snap of his neck, Link peered into the corridor, then flung himself back into the alcove. He sucked his teeth, then looked back down the stairwell toward her.
"Dead," he said.
"What?"
"The guard," Link continued. "He's dead."
He bounded into the passageway, Zelda following quickly behind. The corridor stretched to the left, torches crackling on both walls. To the right was darkness. Link crouched beside the prone guard, and pressed his fingers against the corpse's neck.
"This was recent." He pricked his head to the right. "Feel that?"
Zelda's eyes were fixed on the corpse. The guard's hair was plastered to his scalp with a dark red blot. Frost fell onto her soul. Dead. Really dead. She turned her gaze onto the Hero of Time. She was surprised to see the softness in his eyes.
"It's alright," he said. "You'll be safe. Trust me."
She forced moisture back into her mouth and gave a short, sharp nod. "Everything for a reason, you said."
"True," Link replied. "Everything ends, as well. All things pass away." He stood. "Now. Do you feel that?"
Zelda cocked her head to the side, waiting. She let out a long breath and focused her thoughts. Her tunic fluttered. Something breathed against her skin. "The air," she said. "It's cold. Like a breeze." She peered into the darkened half of the corridor. "Coming from over there."
"Exactly." Link hefted one of the torches from its sconce. "Let's take a look-see, shall we?"
The sputtering light melted through the gloom as they walked. Zelda glanced over her shoulder. The other half of the corridor was receding into a dull glow as they left it behind. Leaving the dead behind, too. She pursed her lips, shook her head, and faced front once more. The coldness of the floor seeped through her boots and kissed her feet.
It was quite a while before they found the end. A tapestried passageway led into a large well-furnished room filled with strange, white ornaments. Crockery mostly, lining dust-coated mantelpieces that themselves surrounded chairs, a small table and a rug thick with filth. Link strode into the room, the fire trailing behind him. A clock ticked in the darkness.
Someone lived here once, Zelda mused. But now it's been forgotten. The thought made her want to wrap her arms around herself for warmth.
They spotted the source of the breeze almost immediately. The far wall was completely gone, left with nothing more than a gaping circular hole. It's immense, thought Zelda. As tall as Deku…no, as tall as two Great Deku Trees.
"Ha!" said Link. "Would you look at that?" He leapt over the table, then stood in front of the opening, arms outstretched. "Recently done, too," Link said. He sniffed the air. "Oh, I'd say it either leads all the way to Lake Hylia…or to Lon Lon."
Zelda stiffened. Lon Lon. "It's the witch," she gasped. "She's going to put that giant Darknut through here."
"Clever, isn't she?" Link breathed. He stood for a moment, gazing, a smile plastered on his face, then, "Right. Let's blow it up."
"Blow it up? How-" A flicker of movement stole Zelda's gaze. "Did you see that? What was that?"
Another flicker. "I saw it," Link said, his hand gripping the pommel of his sword. "We're not alone here."
Before Link could formulate a reply, the temperature in the room plummeted. A ghostly whisper dropped into the silence. China crockery nestling upon a mantelpiece began to shudder. Link and Zelda whirled around, seeing every item in the room begin to tremble, then rise slowly into the air.
Link grinned. "Ha haa!" he cackled. "This is more like it!"
"This? We're in trouble here!"
"You wanted exciting, love?" Link replied. "This is it!"
"Death by crockery is not exciting!"
The crockery flew. Zelda froze. A jar struck her head, jerking it to one side. A pair of plates cracked into Link's arm.
She saw the spinning edge of a saucer slice through the air towards her. Her eyes wide, she only had time to yell before she ducked. It struck a mirror lining the wall behind her, shattering it in a shower of glass.
Link deflected two more missiles with the torch, the wood careening into the ornaments with a dull thwack. He spun, his sword sliding free from its scabbard and sliced a teacup neatly in two. More and more items flew their way, driving the two of them back. A wall loomed up behind them and -
Reality stopped with a thud. The ornaments hung in mid-air, frozen. Zelda felt cold sweat trickle down her back. She could still move, she realised, but it felt so agonisingly slow. She tried with her hand. It juddered in response. Her fingers brushed against something hard and metallic. Zelda felt something hot surge in her chest. Again, she pushed. Her hand wrapped itself around her prize. Otherworldly laughter rang out in the gloom.
She forced a glance at Link. "Was that you?"
But he wasn't listening. "Merry little dance you've led us on." He strained his neck from left to right. "Doubt you've got the power to keep this up, though. Am I right?"
As if on cue, Zelda felt blood rush back into her veins, and she stumbled forward. Move! I can move! Quick as a snake, she hid her prize behind her back. No way was she going to rely on Link every single time. Some things she just had to do for herself.
The ornaments crashed into the floor in one fell swoop, layering the floor with a carpet of porcelain splinters. A small, floating figure shimmered into view.
Zelda stared. "I know you!" she gasped. "You're the Poe!"
"Nice t'meet ya again, pet." It gave a mocking half-bow. "Tracey's well angry with you. Well angry."
Zelda glowered. "Tough."
Link stepped forward. "I take it you're responsible for this tunnel, then?"
It cackled. "Mistress gave me just enough power to burrow through here. A little bit more for th' show I just gave ya." It cackled again. "And one last bit to finish the two of ye off. 'Course I was supposed to use that last bit on th' guards. Don't think Tracy will mind, do ya?" Another cackle. "After that, my most deserved reward, innit!"
"And what would that be, mate?"
The Poe's lantern tinkled as it turned its eerie gaze onto the Hero of the Time. "I'm gonna go back to Poekind, a king! Just like th' mistress is gonna lord it over you lot. No more getting' trampled on. For either of us. Waited for this a long time. Can't wait to see their faces, see 'em all humbled and grovelling at my beck and call."
"Right. Validation. That old chestnut."
The Poe bristled. "What? What do you mean?"
Zelda leaped forward, bringing her prize – a long, thin poker stick, she realised – to bear. It cracked into the Poe's lantern, splintering the glass and causing the ethereal blue flame within to plume up and into the air. The Poe screamed.
"Now, Link!"
"What?!"
"Use your magic!"
"What magic?"
The Poe started to steady itself. Zelda flung a scowl in Link's direction. "You were going to blow it up!" she cried. "Had to be magic, right?"
"Don't be daft!" He glanced at the Poe. "Hit it again."
Zelda whacked it on its head. The Poe spun through the air. She flew a helpless glance at Link again. He sighed, sheathed his sword and began to rummage in his coat. With a grin, he pulled his fist out, and then opened it. Nestling in the palm of his hand was a small, dark sphere.
"Goron special," he said, smiling. "My last one." He looked up. "It's coming back."
The Poe had righted itself and, cackling all the way, began to float towards them, sparks of magical energy snapping above its head. Zelda's trembling hand reached back, took aim, then let the poker stick fly. A burst of energy exploded outward from the Poe and consumed the projectile whole.
Link struck the sphere against a wall. Sparks ignited at one end. He flicked a glance at Zelda, shouted "Run!" then threw the bomb into the hole. After a moment's thought, he threw the torch in after it. Link grinned. "Tally-hoooo!"
They ran.
The Poe howled in protest but it was too late – the explosion engulfed the room just as Link and Zelda threw themselves back into the corridor. Zelda flung a single glance back, saw the opening of the tunnel start to collapse in on itself, then propelled her legs onward. She wanted to stop, to breathe, to rest – she felt her lungs tighten in pain - but Link was already off. They barrelled through the darkness and into the lit portion of the passageway, cold air on their faces, fiery air flattening the clothes on their backs.
Link skidded to a halt. The corridor split into two. Breathing heavily, Zelda heard the stomp of armoured boots to the left. Link had heard it two. They went right, twisting, turning, darting in and out of the tunnels and - Zelda realised with a shock – always on an incline. The castle. We're going back to the castle.
"Look!" Link slid to a stop so suddenly that Zelda careened into his back with an "Oof!"
There was a hatchway in the bare floor. With a tug, Link opened it, and popped his head in.
"What is it?" Zelda said, slowly bringing her breathing back under control. "A way out?"
"A way out, but not for us." Link's had a metallic tint to it, stuck as it was under the hatch. "It's the Throne Room. No-one there now, though." He pulled his head free. "That boy in the market. The one with all the Zora hoopla. What did he say? Tomorrow night was…?"
Zelda remembered the scroll she'd seen on the train. "The Night of Choosing."
Stroking his chin, Link looked up at her. "Sounds grand. Maybe there's some do on tonight to prepare." His mouth split into a grin. "Maybe we should attend." He stood, then turned to leave. "Royal Hall, that's where everyone'll be. Ganondorf, too."
"Hey, wait." Zelda finally had her breath back. Link looked back at her, face expectant. Her eyes found his. "Thanks."
He twitched. "For what?"
Zelda held his gaze. "Well, for what you did back there." She felt an awkward smile on her lips. Her voice sounded so small. "For stopping the witch."
Link waved it away. "That won't stop her, love. She'll find a way through. Well. Probably take the direct route now, won't she? There's still a lot left for us to do."
"Still." Zelda swallowed. "Thanks. You said you'd help. You did."
A faint smile lit up Link's face. "Thank you. You're still here with me, even though you've got your own little…affair…to take care of."
"Oh. Well." She smiled in return. "People who are wrapped up in themselves just make small packages, I guess. I didn't want to be a small package."
Link laughed. "Great Deku Tree, right?"
Zelda grinned, a little surprised. "Yeah." Her smile faded as she remembered the guardian, felt the hollowness in her heart return.
Link noticed. "Come on." He beckoned with his hand, smiling. "Let's finish this thing. Oh, and where did you get that ridiculous idea about me having magic?" They set off. Link's voice trailed away down the corridor. "Let me tell you…"
