Sweet, Dark Lullaby
Chapter 9: Ocarina of Time.


'What do you want to tell me?' Link asked, shuffling closer to her. Silence was shared between them for a couple of seconds, and he could tell Midna was struggling to form words. This was unusual. Midna never hesitated, she was confident, especially with what she wanted to say. Link waited, patient, until she was ready to confess whatever was wrong.

However it wasn't that she just lacked confidence. Midna hoped Link wouldn't consider her insane if she revealed what had happened to her while she was unconscious. Watching him, she realised she was a fool. Out of everyone she knew, Link was the kindest and most accepting individual on this earth. She liked to believe he wouldn't doubt her, or see her differently.

They were both a little insane anyway.

'I've been having these dreams,' Midna started. 'They were frequent, but short. I was in them, I was always in them. Zelda was there too, though, and she kept referring to you as the Hero of Time.'

Link raised his eyebrows. 'Hero of Time?' He exhaled slowly. 'You know, I met Queen Rutela's spirit earlier today. She informed me about the Royal marriage, but she also called me the Hero of Time. Do you know what that means?'

'I wish I did.' Midna frowned. 'You met her again?'

'Yes. She wanted me to see Ralis. Continue telling me about your dreams.'

'There is an instrument you have to obtain apparently. Zelda showed me this instrument: it's blue, made out of wood. She calls it the Ocarina of Time.'

'An ocarina.' Link nodded. 'When Colin was younger, he was always asking his father if he could have one. They're quite a popular instrument. The sound they make is beautiful; I've not heard of an Ocarina of Time, though. I wish I knew more about it.'

'You're in luck. Turns out I was told plenty. Or... I think I have. It's confusing, Link. In my dreams, I don't remember Zelda informing me about what the Ocarina of Time was, but for some reason, I know so much about it. Almost as if this memory isn't mine.' Quickly, she shook her head and continued, 'The Ocarina can go through time. If you perform a certain melody, then you are taken back to a certain period. You can even travel to the future with it, but no one known has mastered the ability to go forward.'

This was a lot to take in. Link stared at her for a while, dumbfounded, before leaning back slightly. 'Why would I need this instrument? It doesn't make any sense.'

'I know,' Midna said slowly. 'It's puzzling for me as well.' A pause. 'What bothers me more is that the Mirror has been stolen. How could something like this happen, Link? That son-of-a-bitch obviously had something to do with its disappearance.'

'Midna, stay calm. We'll claim the Mirror back, I promise.'

The Twili sighed, and a look of defeat passed her expression. 'I'm so sorry. You almost killed yourself into claiming back the shards. I'm very angry they were taken away again. Those good-for-nothing Sages are utterly useless. They're supposed to make sure nothing like this happens!'

While she seethed with rage, Link almost smacked himself for forgetting about the Sages. Surely they would know something about the Mirror's disappearance and, hopefully, inform him about the Ocarina of Time. Looking towards the imp-like creature, he smiled. 'We should ask them, Midna. See what they have to say. I don't intend to go if you're not well, though.'

'I suppose I could come along and give them a good scolding. And I'm fine, Link. That Shaman treated me, and he didn't do a bad job either.'

Maybe it was reckless of him to bring Midna, but he required her to listen to what the Sages said as well. There was a reason why Zelda came to her. Even if these dreams sounded ridiculous, Link believed her. Sometimes he also had the odd dream where he met someone, met someone who taught him the ways of the blade. There was nothing crazy about it.

Gently he placed a hand on her small shoulder. 'I'm glad to have you back.'

She didn't respond. Instead, she smiled at him. It was weird to have someone who was so enthusiastic of her return. In fact, the whole situation was touching and she knew she would treasure this –– him –– forever. 'Your tunic. I don't think black suits you, Link.'

'You'll have to tolerate my attire for the moment. My tunic is still drying. It should be ready when we return.'

'Do you mind if I hide in your shadow again? Without my Fused Shadows, I don't have the ability to levitate and it's awkward for me to walk.'

Clearly this was something Midna felt ashamed about. Link curled his lips and nodded. 'Of course you can. I'll go and tell Renado what we're doing. You rest a little more until then, okay?'

'Like that's going to happen. Don't be too long.'

Escaping the bedroom, Link hurried down the staircase and searched for where the Shaman could be. As soon as he left the Inn, the sun beamed down on him, and this was the first time he really appreciated the weather. Ever since Midna awoke, he had felt better, as if a pile of bricks which were weighing down on his shoulders had gone.

Luda was outside dealing with Link's wet tunic. She had hung it onto a line, allowing the sun to dry the moist. She heard him approach and turned to him. 'Hello. Your tunic should be ready soon.'

'Thank you. Do you know where your father is?'

Nodding, Luda pointed in the direction of the graveyard. 'I saw him head that way. By the way, I'm happy your friend finally regained consciousness. I hope she's okay.'

'Ah, she's doing all right. I'll tell her you said that.'

The graveyard might as well be associated with Kakariko Village, it was so close. Link rarely visited. Actually, the last time he did was when he went searching for Ralis a year back. Link swallowed, realising how long ago it felt since then. He hadn't attempted to defeat Lord Ganondorf, and it was a time his relationship with Midna was starting to grow into something strong and special.

Gods, he was pleased she was here.

When he entered the graveyard, Link discovered the Shaman standing before one of the graves. Quietly Link proceeded over, mouth slightly ajar. He didn't want to disturb Renado, but he was eager to get going to the Mirror Chamber quickly and sorting out the mystery of this Ocarina of Time.

To his surprise, Renado was aware of his presence. Without turning to him, he said, 'Many honourable men and women lie here. Some deserved a more luxurious burial, one with a crowd, but what's a crowd when every face is that of a stranger?'

Link turned his head, scanning his eyes across some of the gravestones. Unfortunately the writing engraved on the majority was starting to fade away.

'How is your friend?'

'She's okay,' Link said. 'I was going to ask if she's recovered enough to head somewhere with me?'

'That's very good of you. As long as you don't intend to do anything perilous, she should be fine. I suggest you keep it easy for yourself as well, child. Confidence can be admirable, but also foolish. I know many who have died due to having too much confidence. Your father was one of them.'

Link narrowed his brows. His heart skipped a beat and he felt his cheeks flush. 'You knew him?'

'Fairly well. A good man, but reckless. I wish I could say he has been buried here, Link, so you could visit his spirit. I'm sorry. Whatever happened to him I do not know. One day he vanished, and no one knows how or why.' Renado cleared his throat and faced the blonde. 'Where do you intend to travel?'

'Gerudo Desert.' Link was in a daze. He didn't know anything about his father, except he was rarely around when he was a child. It was a shame Renado didn't know much more about him. 'We shouldn't be too long.'

Nodding, Renado faced the gravestone before him again. 'Good luck, and take care.'

After that nothing more was said. Link remained standing, hand in his pocket, and then, after a minute, he swivelled around on his heel and left. Renado heard his footsteps fade away, aware he had shocked the boy with the news he offered.

Then he sighed and looked down at the gravestone. 'He looks exactly like you, Maria.'


Despite the loss of her Fused Shadows, the Twilight Princess could still travel her companion and she to the Mirror Chamber. Link noticed Midna wasn't in any rush to check if the Mirror was missing, she believed him, yet she wished he had been lying. He could only imagine how she felt. Midna needed to return to her Realm, reassure her people that their Princess had come back.

Now, she was only absent for longer. Goddesses knew what chaos was occurring there. Link shivered and proceeded up the steps, leading to the Mirror. There stood the stand, empty, and the huge rock ahead lifeless.

It was gone. The Mirror was gone. While it had happened before, this time was much worse. This time there wasn't one shard left for them. They were stuck. Completely stuck.

'I'm sorry, Midna.'

That was when he realised she was no longer hiding in his shadow. Instead the Twili sat, legs crossed, at the corner of the platform. He could tell she was not only angry, but upset. Everything that had happened to them was unfair and harsh. They didn't need this.

'I don't know what to do,' she said quietly. Then she jarred her teeth and raised her gaze to the tall, large stands which occupied the border of the Chamber. 'You hear that?! I don't know what to do, you useless idiots!'

Link wasn't entirely sure the Sages would appreciate Midna's tone of voice, but he couldn't help share her anger. Miraculously, two of them appeared, gradually revealing their ghostly forms against the colourful sky. One of them ascended down from their stand, and levitated an inch off the ground, staring over at Link, before turning his gaze to Midna.

Then the other soon joined, and shrugged, almost in defeat. 'We cannot involve ourselves with darkness.'

'Rubbish!' Midna snapped. 'You have a duty to make sure the Mirror isn't damaged, otherwise chaos would ensue, like you have already witnessed.'

'Your Highness, please don't spite us for we have done nothing wrong. Yes, you are correct: it is our duty to make sure no harm occurs, but to our Realm, not necessarily yours. For we only view your world as a prison, the land where sinners are born and raised. As long as both Realms cannot meet, then we are safe.'

'Safe?' Their words were only brewing Midna's anger, and this time she had risen to her feet. She was still tiny, still looking very young, but Link was beginning to see what she really was. He only had the liberty of imagining her true appearance, yet now he knew that whatever she looked like, it was powerful and frightening. 'Safe?! You, Link or anybody in this Realm are not safe. You have removed the one way for Link to stop Ganondorf. What lies within my Realm might be of some use to defeat him.'

'I agree, Twilight Princess, but what you seek can only be used by someone who knows how to control its power.'

'Link is more than capable of using it. He is chosen by the Goddesses, after all.'

'No, this is much, much more different. Only someone who has been corrupted by darkness, yet touched by light, knows the way of this weapon.'

'You're all words but no action. It makes me sick.'

'It is not our duty to fight amongst mortals.'

'Sometimes I just think you don't have a duty at all.'

Link decided to step in, not liking how this conversation was turning. 'Our reasons for arriving here are because we need to ask you a question.'

'What, Chosen Hero, must you query us?'

'The Ocarina of Time. Have you heard of it?'

Silence. The Sages trembled and backed away slightly, which only made Midna roll her eyes in irritation. 'That is an instrument which has plagued man.'

'Tell me of it.'

'There are no complications to the instrument. It shall travel through time. You are its master, and it is your slave. Yet the slave has a way of manipulating the master.'

'Someone else originally possessed it,' Midna said. Link looked at her in disbelief. How did she know? 'Another Hero, am I right?'

'You stand corrected once again, Twilight Princess. The Hero of Time required the instrument to become a man, but to also retrieve the Blade of Hero's Bane within the Temple of Time. He was destined to defeat the Lord Ganondorf once and for all.'

Link and Midna exchanged looks, before the boy faced the Sages again. For some reason, he felt as if he had heard this story before. Hyrule loved to tell of myths, and he remembered the Spring Spirits informing him about another Chosen Hero, dressed in green.

I am continuing his duty as protector of this Realm.

'Do you know why we need this instrument?' Link asked.

The Sage in front opened his palms and nodded. 'Yes, we know. Twilight Princess, you claim to know of a weapon within your Realm which will silence the Dark Lord. While we advise otherwise, it might be the only way to stop him. However, without the Mirror to transport you, the Hero is shunned of his victory. We do know of the Mirror's disappearance, but a long, harsh task awaits you. More challenging than the previous.'

A small, impish smile travelled across Midna's expression. 'Good to know you acknowledge my wisdom for once. Link can take on any challenge.'

The boy was surprised with the amount of flatteries she was throwing his way. Chuckling, he shoved a hand into his pocket bashfully. 'Most challenges, I suppose.'

'Lack of confidence won't win you any favours, Chosen Hero.'

'Tell us then,' Link replied, 'Where is the Mirror?'

'In pieces once again, yet the one who hides these pieces was not a fool. He is smart and tactical. Each shard has been placed in a certain period of time, be it the future, present or the past. A pattern has been created, and one which only you can unfold. However, you desire the Ocarina of Time for this, Chosen Hero. Where the instrument lies, we do not know, but it is said that the two who share an honour, share a crown, know.'

Thousands of questions whirled in Link's mind, but before he could ask any of them, the Sages vanished. Inhaling deeply, he looked over to Midna who appeared just as stunned. The Mirror was shattered, and its pieces had been taken to different places in time. Link swallowed and rubbed his cheek. This was going to be tricky, especially since they didn't have the Ocarina in their possession.

What did they mean by "... the two who share an honour, share a crown, know"? Midna walked over to where Link stood and tugged on his trouser leg. 'We should return to Kakariko, maybe ask if the Shaman knows anything.'

'You're right,' Link sighed. 'I have to ask, though, how did you know the Ocarina was owned by someone else before?'

Midna pondered over this for a moment before shrugging. 'I don't know. It just... came to me.'

Something odd was happening here. Link frowned and looked up at the portal in the sky. 'Let's go back.'

Closing his eyes Link prepared himself for the transformation, when he heard something: a click. It echoed throughout the Chamber, bouncing off the walls, breaking the silence. He breathed, wanting Midna to speak, but suddenly the world was quiet.

... click.

And then he was stabbed. Maybe it was a dagger, a sword, a knife he didn't know, but it cut through his flesh and darted into his arm. Link exclaimed, falling onto his side and pressing his hand down onto the wound, expecting to see a knife wedged there. Instead, he found nothing, just blood, pouring between his fingers and pooling onto the ground below.

That wasn't a blade.

It was heard: a bang. It made his head spin, made the blood rush to his head. There was banging, and something was escaping these bangs. He didn't understand, didn't want to understand. Where was this noise coming from?

'Midna!'

Terrified, Link searched for where the Twili could have gone. She wasn't anywhere. He hoped she had vanished into his shadow for protection, but doubted this. Link snapped his head up, and then saw it. A lean figure, very tall –– so tall, he had never seen anything bigger. The figure was draped in dark clothing, what looked like a cloak, and his face shadowed by the large hood he wore.

In his hand was a silver piece of metal with a snout. Link stared at it. He didn't know what this piece of metal was, but he knew it was dangerous, fatal.

This was what made those bangs, what had hurt him.

Suddenly the lean figure fell to the side a little, but quickly regained his balance by claiming the wall. Link watched, wide-eyed, whilst a sharp, small spear was shot at the figure again, this time making him exclaim. Then the piece of metal was turned to where the sharp spears came from, and he pressed down on the metal, and then––

Bang!

Link's ears felt as if they were bleeding. They were numb, he couldn't hear for a second, his head hurt, and when he opened his eyes he saw the figure had gone.

Breathing frantically, Link struggled to his feet but slipped and fell, smacking his face into the ground. Midna, Midna... Midna, where are you? Link jarred his teeth, could feel his heart pound against his chest, and then he scrunched his eyes closed, wishing this –– wishing everything –– was a dream, and that he would wake up, wake up in bed, in Ordon Village, and realise the world was wonderful.

It always had been.

'You're hurt...'

A voice. It was soft and peaceful, and he raised his head, and saw her. Link inhaled sharply, trembled. 'Did–– Talk to me.'

Midna claimed his face in her hands. 'It's okay. He's gone. I scared him off.' Slowly, Link exhaled and then rested his head on her shoulder. 'You're going to be okay.' Carefully she guided her hand to his arm where he bled. Midna felt the injury, the hole that had been made. 'We must take you back to Kakariko. You're losing blood, Link. Please get up for me.'

For her... Please get up for me... It could have been the shock, the wound, or the confusion, but Link struggled to find his balance. It took him a while, but he finally stood to his feet, looking left and right.

'He's gone for now. We need to take you back.'

The pain in his wound disappeared when Midna stabbed his forehead with the crystal which transformed him into a beast. Link didn't make a noise, continuously stunned, and was warped out of the Chamber and back into the safe, peaceful Village.

Even when Renado found him, discovered there was an object stuck in his arm, Link remained in shock. Renado required Barnes' help to remove whatever this object was, and the process made Link's eyes water, made him hiss in pain, muscles tense, but he felt her. She was near, in his shadow, close. It's okay. Yes... yes, it was okay. Everything's going to be okay.

Arm wrapped in a bandage, and the object removed, Link sat still, frozen in place. His arm throbbed, but the pain had subsided. Yet his head continued to spin, and he felt he was going to be sick.

'What's wrong, Link?' Midna asked later that evening. Her tone was soft, concerned, upset. She hated to see him this way.

'I recognised the weapon he used.'

It wasn't a weapon from their time. Link had no idea where that man claimed it from, but he knew the weapon was unheard of, knew he shouldn't know of it...

'My mother was murdered by that weapon.'

... but he did.


author's note: Thank you for reading. As you can see, more is being revealed, and we're starting to get into the real meat of the story. Yes, what that mysterious figure had was a gun which wouldn't be around during the time TP is set. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Quick thank you to miano53, [ Guest ], Combobulated, ShiftingWinds125 and snakedabomb for reviewing. That was very kind of you.