Bright and early, the heroes and Nabooru filed out of the grotto. Everyone flinched at the blinding sunlight. The temperature was already high, and still climbing, but thankfully Zukto knew from experience that the Spirit Temple would be much cooler than standing outside under the sun.
"Okay, so our mission is to find the next artifact that hides within the Spirit Temple." Zukto declared. Zelda looked at him somewhat expectantly.
"What, Princess Zelda?"
"If you are going to make a grand announcement, at least say something we do not already know." She scolded. Zukto sighed. She was entirely too business-orientated at the best of times.
"Okay, I'll try. Anyway, I do not know what is waiting for us in the Temple. When Master Nabooru and I spent time in the Temple, we never went very deep into it because we were unable to. I am hoping though, since we are all going together, that we can get past some of the 'barriers' we encountered. Make sure that you look out for everyone in the group. I guess that's everything… so let's get started." Zukto led the way back to the Temple that they had visited two evenings prior.
Once inside, Zukto felt a little nostalgic. Even though he left Gerudo Desert not too long ago, so much had happened in such a short amount of time that he felt like he had already been away from home a month. Absentmindedly, he touched a statue that he had walked past numerous times before. Zelda looked around the main entrance with attention because last time she was here she was barely conscious. After a bit, she glanced back at Zukto. She was confused at his blank stare.
"Zukto, what is wrong with you?" She asked. Her question came out a little harsher than she intended which got Zukto's attention, but he was not sure how to respond.
"I was… You see… never mind." Zukto sighed deeply, thinking that saying nothing might be the better course of action.
"Hey, where is Kyoshiro?" Nabooru asked, looking around. Zukto and Zelda did not notice it before, but Nabooru was right to ask about their partner because he was nowhere in sight.
"Uh, Kyo?" Zukto asked to the mostly empty grand entrance. Zelda decided to try a different strategy: she strained her ears for a moment to listen for anything strange. After a few moments, she was sure she heard the clashing of blades.
"Kyoshiro must have found something to fight; I hear the clash of steel." Zelda explained. She immediately headed in the direction of the noise. Not wanting to lose sight of her, Zukto ran after her. Nabooru trailed behind, mostly because she was not in a hurry to fight anything if she did not have to. That was Zukto's job, right?
Zelda stopped when she spotted Kyoshiro because she also saw what he was fighting: it was another Iron Knuckle. She felt suddenly paralyzed to the spot, her mind flashing the image of a large axe piercing her shoulder. Zukto caught up to her, thinking that she was waiting for him. When he stood next to her, he saw the look of terror on her face.
"Whoah, Princess Zelda, is everything okay? What happened?" Zukto moved in front of her and stared at her seriously. It took her a moment, but she took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I-I do not understand what came over me… I just… I saw… one of them." Zelda stammered. Zukto looked in the direction of Kyoshiro, where she had been looking before, and suddenly understood.
"… Princess, if you cannot fight them, I understand. Do not force yourself to do something you are uncomfortable doing. Besides, now that we have Kyo everything will be fine."
"Y-yes." Her face was still a little pale, but she seemed fine besides. Zukto ran off to help Kyoshiro with the walking armor. While Zelda stayed back, she looked around at the new room. There seemed to be two hallways; a left and a right. From what she could see, they were both sealed off.
Well, there has to be a way to unseal them, right? Let us see what we can find…
Zelda made her way around the room to look for clues that would enable them to progress through the Temple, while making sure to leave ample space between her and the Iron Knuckle. Eventually, she found something promising: an out-of-place engraving on the wall. The engraving was written in the ancient Hylian language, which made Zelda even more curious. She read it out loud to herself:
"Spirit and Shadow were abandoned by their people. Spirit tried to rejoin those who left him behind, while Shadow preferred to hide himself from the people who forsake him. Alone in the world, Spirit found Shadow. The two, although one wanted to disappear into Nothingness and the other wanted everyone to be reunited, put their differences aside and grew strong together. Understanding that the Goddesses had not forsaken them, although their people had, the two Friends dedicated their lives to protecting a treasure of the Gods…" When Zelda finished reading, she stood still and closed her eyes; she was deep in thought.
"Aha! And now you're finished!" Kyoshiro declared triumphantly as he delivered the coup de grace to the Iron Knuckle he found earlier. The giant armor collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"These things are a pain…" Zukto muttered.
"They are a challenge, which is what I love. Let me fight 'em all! I got this, no problem." Kyoshiro beamed. He was proud of himself for not looking tired like Zukto did. Zukto ignored his overly-enthusiastic partner, who was proud about nothing in particular, and looked around the room. He spotted Zelda standing a ways off by herself. He approached her and gently called her name because he did not want to frighten her.
"Zelda?" Even though he tried not to startle her, he was unsuccessful. Zelda jumped slightly with a start when his voice pulled her back from her thoughts.
"Ah?! Oh, hey… Zukto…" She muttered, embarrassed. She looked at the ground and did not say anything.
"Hey, no need to be so jumpy. Everything is fine. The Iron Knuckle is gone and nothing else is here."
"It… it is not that…" Zelda muttered quietly.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Zukto inquired, figuring it would be better to not press her for explanations.
"I was reading." Zelda pointed at the engraving.
"Well, I am sure that it is interesting if you understand what it says. But I cannot."
"I could read it to you… if you want." She offered.
"I'm listening." Zukto replied with a smile. Zelda read it out loud again. When she finished, Zukto seemed thoughtful too.
"You know, that sounds familiar for some reason. Also, I feel like there's more to the story. If you see one of these engravings somewhere else, let me know. I want to know what it says."
"Alright. Do you know what it means?"
"I think this is part of an old legend. Nabooru used to talk about it a lot when I first showed up in the Desert. Oh, let's ask her." Zukto jogged away from Zelda to where Nabooru was standing. She was talking with Kyoshiro.
"So anyway, things like this are no problem for me. I did worse for a living." Kyoshiro explained.
"It's apparent that you're willing to do hard work. I'll give you that…" Nabooru stopped to think for a moment. When she did, Zukto caught up.
"Master Nabooru, there's something you should see." Zukto practically dragged her away. She glanced at Kyoshiro with a 'Sorry, I guess he can't wait' face. Kyoshiro rolled his eyes and found a comfortable place to sit. He had a feeling this would take a while.
When Nabooru looked at the engraving, her face lit up.
"Oh yes, this engraving talks about the families that the Sages eventually came from: the Sages of Spirit and Shadow, naturally."
"Why does it say that they were abandoned?" Zukto asked.
"Well this legend goes back many, many centuries, before the Gods selected people to be Sages. I think, originally, that the ancestors of the Gerudo lived among the other people and races of what is now Hyrule. But the ancestors of the Gerudo came to bear the curse which you know about. After the curse, it is said that the other races drove the Gerudo out of the mainland. In a way, we were cursed twice. Cursed to almost never produce male offspring, and cursed to live alone. Of course, not every Gerudo wanted to be isolated out here. I think one reason why Ganondorf became the Great King of Evil was because when he was young, he hated being isolated out here against his will. He heard of the mainland Kingdom, its wealth and progress, and always was mad that we could never take part in the proceedings. He thinks that the Royal Family is unjust and unfit to rule, and now he wants revenge."
After Nabooru finished voicing her thoughts, the company observed a somber silence for a time. The way Nabooru explained it, Ganondorf almost sounded like a victim. Of course no matter what anyone said about him, Zelda harbored an intense desire to exact revenge against him for what he did to her parents. This is why she was the one who broke the silence.
"And… what about Shadow?" Zelda asked, seemingly ignoring the implications of the Spirit Sage's remarks. Nabooru looked at Zelda sympathetically.
"You already know the answer to your question, Your Highness." With that, Nabooru ran off. Zukto looked at Zelda curiously.
"What was that about?"
"… Master Nabooru is right about what she said earlier: everything is interconnected." Zelda said out loud, although it was more directed at herself.
"Huh? Mind filling me in? I'm still here, you know." Zukto said, playfully. Zelda looked at him for a moment, then at the engraving, and finally back at him.
"It is talking about you, you know." Zelda explained, changing the topic slightly.
"Wait, what? Are you sure? How can you even tell?" Her diversionary tactic worked: Zukto had briefly wondered how Zelda could have known what Nabooru had said the night before, because he had been under the impression that the Princess had been unconscious during that conversation, but when she started talking about him Zukto let the question slip from his mind before he could ask about it.
"You mean besides the obvious? Or did you not realize that, being the only student of the Sage of Spirit, you are to inherit the title of Sage of Spirit?" She almost looked sympathetic.
"Wh-what? I am to inherit…?" Before he had a chance to process what she had said, she did something unexpected: she grabbed Zukto's hand and urged him to follow her so they could rejoin the group. Zukto smiled.
It is apparent that she has no memory of when her other self took over her body, so that would mean that she also has no clue about what I said to her to snap her out of it. Despite that, she is being more forward than I expected she would be... when you act like this, Zelda, I cannot help but think that maybe we have a chance… Without thinking, he squeezed her hand tighter.
Crap! I just did that without thinking! Though he is not pulling away... which means... he must like it, right? And he just squeezed my hand...! Ugh, I can tell that my face is getting red... but this seems enjoyable... whatever, my Father cannot control me clear out here. I think I should just do whatever I want; besides, I likely feel so drawn to him because he's my counter part... Spirit and Shadow have always had a close bond, so it seems. Zelda was relieved that Zukto could not see her face because she insisted on walking in front of him.
The duo returned to Nabooru and Kyoshiro, who were joking around. Zukto was amused that they were seemingly getting along so well in such a short amount of time. But then again, Nabooru was never the serious type like Zelda; she could make friends with almost anyone. Right before Nabooru's attention returned to them, Zelda quickly let go of Zukto's hand. After all, she hated the thought of the teasing and the questions that surely would follow had the older woman noticed. Zukto had a feeling he knew why Zelda abruptly let go of his hand, but he was still a bit disappointed regardless.
"Hey, we're back. Where next?" Zukto asked.
"Zukto, we need to get past those blocked doorways on the left and right sides. But I have been unable thus far to figure out how we are to do that." Zelda responded. Zukto looked around and understood the conundrum; he had no ideas. Nabooru, on the other hand, seemed interested in something. It was another engraving.
"Your Highness, come this way! I think you should read this." Nabooru seemed excited. Zelda hurried to join Sage Nabooru. For a moment Zukto stayed back because he was unsure of what to do, but his curiosity and desire to be around Zelda got the better of him. He joined them.
"So, what do you think?" Nabooru promptly asked. Zelda concentrated on the engraving.
"It says Spirit and Shadow are needed to progress through the sealed section of the Temple. When they became friends, they made a pact to protect this Temple and the treasure within it by combining their powers to create an inner sanctum within this Temple. Only when the ancient seals recognize Shadow and Spirit will they yield, allowing progress through the Temple."
"Come, this way!" Nabooru excitedly ushered Zelda and Zukto to a couple of alters. One alter bore the mark of the Spirit Sage; the other, the mark of the Shadow Sage. Nabooru made Zukto and Zelda stand in front of their respective alters.
"You need to pray to the ancient Sages of Spirit and Shadow to awaken them." She instructed. Zelda and Zukto did as she said. After a few moments, Zukto stumbled and fell backwards onto the ground! Nabooru and Kyoshiro looked at each other, shocked. Nabooru quickly snapped herself out of it because she feared the same might happen to Zelda; she was right. Just as Nabooru approached Zelda, the Princess collapsed into Nabooru's outstretched arms.
"… What is going on?" Kyoshiro asked, looking at his now unconscious teammates.
"I think the ancient Sages brought Zukto and Princess Zelda to their worlds so they can test them. This is important for your journey. If we stick around here for a bit, I feel like the way forward will become clear." Nabooru explained. She was still holding onto Zelda, though just barely.
"Uh… need help there?" Kyoshiro chuckled, watching her.
"Oh shush. But yes. She is not particularly heavy, but I just am not cut out for lifting lifeless bodies." Nabooru joked. Kyoshiro raised an eyebrow at her joke, but did not respond. Thanks to his muscular physique, he easily picked up Zelda in his arms.
"Where to?"
"Gently lay her out right here." Nabooru instructed. After Kyoshiro set Zelda down, Nabooru requested that he do the same for Zukto. Zukto was much heavier in comparison to Zelda, but Kyoshiro did not want to admit that in front of Nabooru because he did not want her to think he could not handle it. When the two were safe, Kyoshiro leaned against a wall.
"I hate sitting around when I think they are doing something more exciting than me." Kyoshiro complained. Nabooru chuckled this time.
Zukto sat up and shook his head.
I fell? When did that happen?
"Hey Ze- Wait a second, where am I?" Zukto looked around, confused. He was standing in what he thought to be the Spirit Temple, but it looked entirely different. For one, the walls and ceiling were much smaller, and lower, than the walls of the Spirit Temple. Was it only partially built? While he was sitting there, pondering the situation, a girl approached him.
"You are not from around here, are you?" Her voice was really young and girlish. She also looked extremely familiar to Zukto, but he could not remember why.
"N-no, I'm not. But where is 'here' anyway?"
"You don't know? You opened a secret pathway that only descendants of Spirit can open."
"Only descendants of Spir—wait, was there a girl here earlier with me?"
"Girl? Nah. I only noticed you here, which is why I came over." The girl explained. Zukto was a little worried.
If I am here, what happened to Zelda? I hope she's okay…
"Hey, come on! Don't look like that! Don't you have work to do?" The girl asked seriously.
Zukto was slightly taken aback at her abruptness, but he understood what she meant.
"You're right. I can't waste time." He abruptly stood up, but then stopped.
"Er, I would like to say that… but I have no idea what I am supposed to do here." When he said that, the girl started laughing.
"You're funny! All you have to do is ask! You probably want to talk to the Master of Spirit." The girl signaled Zukto to follow her. Knowing he had no other options, Zukto hurried after her.
"Nnhh… Where am I…?" Zelda muttered, opening her eyes. Instinctively, she reached a hand to her head but honestly she was not in much pain: she was simply disoriented. She looked around: it appeared that she was in a graveyard. It was hard to tell because it was dark, but the graveyard reminded her of the Kakariko Graveyard.
…When… did I come back home…?
While she was sitting on the ground trying to process everything, a tall figure silently approached her.
"Why have you come here? This is a Sacred place only for those who are Chosen." He explained. His voice had a harsh tone to it. Zelda looked up at him, immediately noticed his red eyes, and felt like she knew him for some reason. She stood up quickly, brushed herself off, and introduced herself.
"Excuse me, my name is Zelda. I am the Princess of Hyrule, and the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. I am here because I am to be tested by the ancient Sages." She bowed. The silent figure bowed in response.
"Well, well, I did not think you would come so soon. Follow me." He briskly walked in the direction of a large dais on the ground. He stood in the center. As Zelda approached the dais, she studied it. The dais bore the mark of the Shadow Temple.
"Princess Zelda of Hyrule, my name is Wrath. I have been waiting for you because the legends foretold your arrival. Now that you are here, I am to make sure you navigate your way through this Realm as you are tested. Take hold of my arm: we must travel to another part of this Realm." He held his arm out, and Zelda promptly grabbed onto it. The duo was wrapped up in a cocoon of darkness that carried them away from the dais.
Zukto and the girl stopped on a large dais. Zukto noticed the dais was decorated with the symbol of the Spirit Temple.
"Hey, so I guess we haven't done the introductions yet. Tell me who you are." The girl demanded with mock seriousness. Zukto briefly wondered who decided a girl like this should have such an important job.
"My name is Zukto. I have not done anything particularly important except I moved from Charcai to Hyrule a while ago. When I came to Hyrule, I began training at the Spirit Temple in Gerudo Valley." The girl seemed pleased.
"Don't worry; everything is as it should be. Or something like that. So I guess it's my turn. Zukto, my name is Nari! I have been waiting for you for oh-so-long! Now that you're here though, we can begin the test! Come on; don't be shy!" Zukto was wondering what he needed to not be shy about when Nari practically jumped on him.
"Aaannnd we're off!" Nari giggled as the two magically disappeared.
Suddenly, back at the Temple, the doors on the left and right sides of the room where Zukto and Zelda lay opened up. Nabooru and Kyoshiro were a little surprised at first because they had grown accustomed to the silence and stillness. They looked at each other.
"As much as I don't want to say this, we have to leave Zukto and Zelda here. And, you and I have to split up. Which pathway speaks to you; left or right?" Nabooru asked.
"The right path. So I take it we can meet up again after we've cleared the next couple of rooms?"
"I assume as much. Good luck Kyoshiro. Be careful." Nabooru stole one last glance at Zukto and Zelda before running off. Kyoshiro took his time getting to his door.
When Zukto could see again after being magically teleported, he looked around at his new surroundings. To his surprise, he was in familiar territory again; he was standing in the Gerudo Fortress. Nari got re-animated when she saw that Zukto was okay.
"Sorry, sorry! I might have overdone it. I forgot for a second that you are mortal." Nari looked embarrassed, but she was laughing like it was no big deal. Zukto sighed. She was a handful.
"Well, what now?"
"What do you mean; what now?"
"Well, er, what… what am I supposed to do…" Zukto muttered, almost feeling stupid for asking.
"What do you think?" Nari asked. Her voice was not condescending, but Zukto still felt like he was missing something incredibly obvious. He excused himself and started to wander through the Fortress. The structure appeared to be pretty similar to what he was used to, but of course the rooms were decorated differently. He needed just a little time to get re-oriented. After several minutes, Zukto found himself standing before two Gerudo guardswomen. When he approached, they unsheathed their curved swords and there was an excited look in their eyes; they were ready to fight. Zukto held up his arms in front of him.
"Look, I am not here to fight you." He said. But he was immediately confused, because what came out of his mouth sounded weird to him. It was not Hylian; Zukto suspected that it was some form of the Gerudo's native tongue. But the women in front of him seemed to understand him without a problem.
"So why have you come here, outsider?"
"I am searching for the Master of Spirit. I am to be tested." Again, he was freely speaking a language he never learned how to speak. It was unnerving. He tried to think about what caused the sudden switch… perhaps it was due to Nari's influence?
"Yeah? Well, let's see about that." One of the women headed through a doorway that the two were guarding together. When she returned, another woman followed her. Zukto gasped in spite of himself when he saw her. He bowed.
"Master Nabooru, I am ready for the test." This time, he was trying his hardest to ignore how weird it was for him to form a sentence in one language but speak the same sentence in another language. As Zukto spoke, the woman he called Nabooru looked surprised.
"You know my name, stranger?"
"Of course I do. You are the ancestor of my current Master. Are you the original Sage Nabooru of legend?" When Zukto finished talking, Nabooru smiled.
"Are you Zukto, by chance? I have been waiting for you, child. Come." She disappeared behind the door again, and Zukto quickly followed her.
"I want to welcome you to the Gerudo Fortress… but I guess that is rather unnecessary considering where you live." Nabooru chuckled, flipping through the pages of a book.
"Well, I live 'here,' but things definitely changed after several centuries you know."
"Oh come now, it is not proper form to mention a lady's age." Nabooru said, winking.
"You are right; I apologize, Master Nabooru."
"Hm, why are you so serious all of a sudden? Are you afraid of me?" Nabooru looked like she was fake pouting.
"If you don't mind me asking… what do I need to do here? As much as I like being here with you, there are people back in my Realm that need me." Nabooru smiled sincerely at Zukto when he finished.
"Right you are. I am really glad that you have people you think are worth fighting for. Your convictions and dedication will help you along on your journey; make no mistake about that. But as for what we must do here… I am to test you by teaching you a skill very important to the Gerudo. Ironically, despite its importance, the Gerudo you know almost entirely forgot about it."
"What kind of skill is it?"
"You are going to learn how to control Iron Knuckles."
"… Excuse me?" Zukto practically choked on his own words. He stared at Nabooru in disbelief.
"What, have you not heard of this skill before?"
"… No… n-never." For some reason, Zukto began to doubt himself in regards to being Nabooru's student.
"Oh, well… I am not really surprised... but anyway, it isn't your fault. Do not worry about it. Now you'll find out everything about it." Nabooru smiled encouragingly at Zukto before leading him to the Training Grounds.
Princess Zelda could not help but smile to herself as she and Wrath walked arm in arm through a long corridor. Usually she would have shied away from walking like this with a guy, but this time felt different. Maybe she was just excited to meet the ancestor of her Master. Finally, Wrath stopped before a large, dark curtain. The curtain seemed to serve the function of a door.
"Master of Shadow, it is I, Wrath. I have brought a visitor." He explained. Zelda heard movement from behind the curtain; someone was approaching. When the curtain was pulled back to reveal who was behind it, Zelda kneeled down on one knee.
"Master Impa, I am honored to meet you." As Zelda spoke, the woman called Impa looked amused.
"Oh, I see. I have a visitor from another era; is that it?"
"Y-yes. I am here to pass the trials you administer." Impa looked pleased with Zelda's eagerness.
"I can sense that you are indeed the student of Shadow I am to train. Come, my dear." Impa silently led the way through a series of passageways. In the passageways there was little light, but eventually they found a larger room that was filled with torches. Every torch was lit. The crackling of the flames was loud because of all of the torches located in one area.
"This is the entrance to the Shadow Temple." Impa explained. Zelda nodded knowingly; though it might be very different now than it was in her time, the idea was still the same.
"What must I do?"
"You must fight your way through a series of challenges. A true hero must be able to balance Power, Wisdom, and Courage. I know without a doubt that Wisdom is a trait you cherish. You are the descendant of the Hylian Royal blood line, and thus you were destined to bear the Triforce of Wisdom just as the Princess Zelda does in my time. But Wisdom is simply not enough. So your Power and Courage shall be tested. Are you ready, Princess Zelda?"
"I am ready, Master Impa."
"Go forth. Do not falter. I have faith that you will triumph over the challenges that face you within the Shadow Temple. When you have completed the challenges, Wrath will escort you back to me." With a slight smile, Impa took her leave. Alone now, Zelda closed her eyes. She focused on the sound of her breathing.
I can do this. I must do this. Failure is not an option.
After taking those few moments for herself, Zelda entered the Shadow Temple proper. Several hallways lead her deeper and deeper underground. Eventually, she reached a large room that had several floating platforms scattered about.
I assume that I will have to do battle here. Zelda thought, trying to steel herself. She was not particularly afraid of heights, but this kind of "arena" was dangerous. One wrong move… Ignoring her misgivings, Zelda traveled to the central platform. When she reached it, the smaller platforms that led her to the center all fell away: she was trapped. It was obvious that any minute, some kind of monster would appear… and Zelda's prediction came true.
From seemingly nowhere, two Lizalfos appeared. They cried out in excitement when they saw Zelda, but only one of them approached to do battle. For some reason, Lizalfos were incredibly patient foes and would only fight their prey one at a time. Zelda grinned, and immediately went on the offensive. She charged up a sphere of magic and fired it at the enemy. It staggered, but shook itself off and lunged at Zelda with a dagger. Zelda quickly side-stepped out of the trajectory of the dagger, and grabbed the shadow of the Lizalfos while it tried to recover. The creature shrieked in confusion and pain as Zelda forced it to run itself through. She smirked triumphantly as the Lizalfos collapsed in a bloody heap.
"Your turn!" Zelda declared, pointing at the remaining monster. Before the monster could even reach Zelda, she fired three shots at it; one shot at the monster's dagger-wielding arm, one shot at the chest, and another at the monster's head. The Lizalfos was stunned from the assault and dropped its dagger. Quickly, Zelda ran to where the dagger lay and picked it up herself. Now the enemy possessed no weapon. To finish it off, Zelda focused her energy into her arms. She thrust them forward, like she wanted to push the Lizalfos. Though she did not physically make contact with the monster, her shadow did: her shadow pushed the Lizalfos' shadow, which in turn caused the monster to fall off the edge of the platform. Nothing about the arena changed after the first two foes fell, so Zelda assumed there would be more monsters.
This time, two Dinalfos appeared. These monsters were much more aggressive than their relative the Lizalfos. Both of the reptilian monsters wielded maces.
"This shall be fun. Come, let us play." Zelda narrowed her eyes and grinned as one of the Dinalfos fast approached her. Just as the enemy was going to lift the mace over its head to strike Zelda, she lunged forward with the dagger and drove it through the monster with the assistance of her magic. It staggered backward onto the cold stone platform. Quickly, she snatched the mace from the felled Dinalfos in order to face the second one which was not far behind. The monster hesitated slightly after seeing what happened to its friend.
"What, afraid of me? Get over yourself." Zelda used her magic to manipulate her arm's shadow. A shadowy hand raised up from the ground and took hold of the mace for her, wildly swinging it at the monster's head. The mace connected with the side of the monster's face, and it shrieked in pain. It staggered backwards.
"Good. I hope it hurts." She sneered, before starting to bludgeon the Dinalfos repeatedly. Blood began to flow from the monster's nose and face, and some got on Zelda's outfit, but she was still wearing her blood-stained outfit from earlier so it was not a huge concern. Eventually the monster collapsed onto the ground, lifeless. Zelda was breathing heavily because of her rage-fueled assault of the Dinalfos. She looked at her badly beaten foe, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt for going overboard. But something in the back of her mind demanded, pleaded even, that she become even more aggressive.
Princess… you are holding back. You have more Power than this, I know. You are capable of so much more. Just let go. If you join with me, nobody will be able to stop us.
"I am capable… of so much more…?"
Of course. It is a shame that you cannot watch me while I vanquish our foes. It is a thing of beauty.
"… Stop talking to me. I am not like… that…" Zelda struggled to get her words out. The influence of her other half was becoming overwhelming. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the room. The crash broke the other person's concentration, giving Zelda full control again, though Zelda was spooked by the sound too.
"What the hell was that…?" She muttered as she looked around. It felt better not having her other self trying to take over her mind, but she was still ill-at-ease due to her surroundings.
Eventually, Zelda found the source of the noise; a group of Stalfos broke a pillar on the far side of the room. The pillar fell on the central platform which Zelda had been stuck on. The band of Stalfos warriors used the pillar as a bridge and began crossing it. Noticing that there was at least five, if not more Stalfos, Zelda began firing shot after shot of her magic at the skeletal warriors. The first one was not paying attention, and was hit directly by Zelda's attack. The monster staggered and fell backwards on top of the next warrior in line. One of the warriors in the back grew impatient from the interruption, and jumped clear over the wreckage. It charged straight at Zelda!
"Ah, I have never met a foe so eager to become acquainted with its own demise!" Zelda chuckled to herself as she prepared to face off with this admittedly impressive adversary. The warrior immediately lunged at her with its jagged, bloodied sword. Zelda erected a magical barrier between her and the sword; the sword bounced harmlessly off of the shield. This greatly annoyed the Stalfos. Unexpectedly, the skeleton began relentlessly head butting the magical shield. Zelda stepped back, a little nervous. It was unusual for Stalfos to engage in combat with anything besides swordsmanship. Within moments, the warrior shattered the barrier. It looked triumphant for a moment before trying to attack Zelda again.
Zelda quickly jumped back from the sword's trajectory. In the split second after the skeletal warrior tried to attack her and failed, Zelda used the opening the monster left to grab its shadow. The monster tried to fight back against Zelda's influence, and for a moment, Zelda was afraid it was going to win. But the thought of failing was utterly unacceptable to her. She pushed extra power into her arms, allowing her to get a firm grip of the skeleton's sword-wielding arm. With a dramatic swing, Zelda imitated running a sword through her head. The skeleton responded to her movements by raising its sword above its head and running it through its own skull. The beast collapsed.
Zelda did not notice it until now, but she was panting and sweat was trickling down her face. She hastily rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.
"What… next…" She gasped. All too soon, she got her answer. The heavy clanking of armor reverberated throughout the room. Zelda suddenly felt sick when she realized what was coming.
Eventually, Zelda's foe came into view. Of course, her foe was an Iron Knuckle.
Dammit… I wonder if she knows about the incident I had earlier… Zelda cursed her luck, but knew that she had to come up with something.
I need a weapon like the Iron Knuckle. That would make things easier… Zelda thought, glancing around quickly. Without a moment's pause, she pulled the long, jagged sword of the Stalfos out of its fractured skull. She summoned another shadowy hand like before, allowing it to wield the weapon she retrieved. Her extra hand gave the sword a few practice swings as she stared intently at the walking armor which was getting closer.
Finally, the Iron Knuckle was mere feet in front of her. She felt a little faint, and noticed that she was shaking slightly. Her nerves were getting the better of her. The Iron Knuckle, naturally, took no notice of any internal crises that Zelda was grappling with; the enemy swung its axe widely before it. Zelda quickly jumped out of the way, and dashed back up to the Iron Knuckle to strike while there was an opening. The enemy was extremely slow to react, and suffered a direct hit by the sword she borrowed. It staggered a bit, but did not waste time staging a counterattack. Zelda quickly fell back to avoid the attack. If she got hit just once, she feared that she would be unable to continue the fight against her foe.
The two slowly circled each other and took turns swinging at one another and guarding against the blows of their foe. Zelda could feel her energy draining fast; she was already tired from earlier, and she had not been able to rest between the battles.
Are you tired? Hm? How about I take over? I can take care of it in no time.
"Shut it." Zelda snapped at the voice in her head. She was not in the mood.
Hm, so rude. Well, I guess I will just let you bleed to death when it hits you.
"You say that, but you and I know very well that you would never let me die while you reside in my body; you need me." Zelda retorted. The voice did not respond right away.
Be that as it may… this foe of yours is not any closer to perishing. And you cannot keep this up forever.
"Watch me."
I must admit that your defiance is enthralling. You remind me of myself.
"Do not… how dare you—how dare you compare me to you!" Zelda yelled. Her frustration was nearly palpable.
Ahahaha, yes… you are so easy to provoke. I quite enjoy it.
That comment particularly made Zelda's blood boil, but the Iron Knuckle unexpectedly lunged at her with its sword. Without thinking, Zelda threw the sword she was using up between herself and the Iron Knuckle. The swords clashed together. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she suspected that the Iron Knuckle would be able to push right past her pitiful defense. Surprisingly, it seemed as though the two were locked in a stalemate; each one pushed against the other, hoping to stagger their foe to create an opening.
You are so careless; he could have run you through. Be thankful that I am lending you my power.
"I do not need you to bail me out, okay? This is my foe." Zelda said forcefully as she suddenly grabbed the shadow of the Iron Knuckle. It instantly struggled against her, making manipulation difficult at best. All Zelda could manage was to wrestle the Iron Knuckle's weapon away from it. She tossed the sword somewhere behind her.
"Th-there… now… you are not… such a big threat." Zelda muttered, panting. She was nearly spent. Suddenly, her other half tried to force her to forfeit control.
"Agghh, no…! I want to stay myself! No, no, no…! Z-zukto, help me…!" Zelda cried, struggling to remain conscious. Her head felt like it was being crushed; the pressure was so great. There was no two ways about it; the amount of power her other half possessed was increasing every day, and it already had a lot to begin with. Suddenly, as if on cue, Zukto appeared in the arena! He looked around and saw Zelda practically writhing in pain from the influence of her other half; he instantly grew concerned. The Iron Knuckle, while Zelda could not watch it, retrieved its lost weapon.
