Chapter Twelve: The Blade of Evil's Bane
Title: The Legend of Zelda: The Beast Within
Chapter: 12
Author: Hikari no Vikki
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Disclaimer: If you can give me a time machine, some Verituserum (or however you spell it), and a wand, and could most certainly own this thing. :) But, since I have none of those things at this current moment in time, I don't.
Description: Zelda/Kingdom Hearts crossover. Sora, Donald, and Goofy land in Hyrule. At the same time, Twilight begins to blanket it. Will our heroes be able to aid a simple farm boy named Link in conquering the Twilight, or will they all perish in the shadows?
Author's Notes-
Ooh! We get to see Zexy again! w00t! I'm having so much fun with this, I don't remember the last time I had fun writing a fic… trust me, I'm all smiles writing this. I'm also a little loopy (Pepsi sugar rush) so, yeah. I'm just warning you. Okay, on with the fic!
(Sorry for the late update, but it is technically still Monday... I'm actually considering - if I cannot make Monday/Thursday deadlines, moving the updates to Monday/Friday deadlines, and if I can't keep up with that, just Fridays, so that's just a warning. It was a busy first day let me tell you and it's only going to get busier.)
Midna's portal set them right at the edge of Lanayru's spring, at the ledge. Link was at the very edge, lost in thought, that bad feeling still haunting him. Sora was behind him, to his left, and Goofy to his right, Donald standing behind them but in between. Nothing about the situation seemed to fit.
That is, until Link turned around to speak to Sora.
"Hey Sora, I–" He stopped. Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned, very, very slowly. For a few moments, no one moved, nothing was said, until Sora said, "Hey, what's the big ideeeeaa!"
At this point, he and his friends were cast aside telekinetically, leaving the King of Twilight to walk towards a shell-shocked Link. But it wasn't him that the man was after. A glow began to form behind Link as he stared, frozen on the spot, the glow of the spirit Lanayru. Lanayru burst from the water, fangs bared, and light ready to attack the Dark King.
But it didn't even get the chance.
A burst of power took care of that, knocking Link backwards, hitting his head on the ground, knocking him out briefly, and sending the great golden spirit-snake reeling. It disappeared into the water, the world briefly becoming as it was before for the purpose of a single conversation.
Midna appeared, of her own will or his one couldn't say, sitting – or so she appeared – casually beside Link.
"Zant!" she barked.
But that was all she said before Zant's telekinesis picked her up and held her up helplessly in the air, removing from her person the Fused Shadows she'd schemed so hard to obtain. She panicked, both appalled and afraid, not just of his actions, but of his simple audacity! Then again, it did not matter what she was, she couldn't be so formidable in this form anyway.
Zant laughed softly, the sound echoic – coming from within his armor – and light, strange as it sounded. "Did you honestly mean to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?" he asked her incredulously, "You are a foolish traitor, Midna."
He threw the Fused Shadows behind him as if they were nothing.
"Why do you defy your king?" He inquired of her, one almost hearing the smile without even seeing it.
"My king?" Midna snapped, scoffing. Anger flowed from her being like a thousand waterfalls; now that was the true audacity! He had the nerve to call himself her king? "You," she continued spitefully, "who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe? You must be joking!" She struggled futilely against her bonds, baring her imp teeth as dangerously as possible.
Zant didn't move. Instead, he hissed, "How dare you?! Are you implying that my power is… our old magic? Now THAT is a joke!"
Quick as a flash, he threw her behind him and thrust her into the ground beside the fallen Link, now a wolf once more. Midna coughed up dirt as she struggled to recover. For once in her life, she actually felt fear. Oblivious to Zant, she could hear his ramblings, but did not comprehend his words. The were empty, held no meaning…
"This power us granted to me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you WILL respect it!"
A reddish black ball of energy erupted from his hands, aimed at her. Slowly, Midna lifted her head and looked back, too slow on her reflexes to do anything. Powerless. Sora, Donald and Goofy could only watch as these scenes were unfolding, now animals themselves.
Saïx was standing above them, behind them, looking down upon their prone forms. "Well," he sneered softly, "it seems we've finally caught you at last, Roxas. You've still a chance, you know, at coming back to us. Just do it. It shouldn't be too hard… why, I bet you've figured out how to take physical form already, and more." Oh, how Sora would have shuddered if he could at his words. How malicious they sounded.
And… how did he know? It seemed some of the Organization members knew about Roxas and himself, but not all. In the hands of Saïx, this was dangerous information. If he knew what they were slowly becoming to one another…
Sora, if he could've spoken, wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. His mind was a different story, however.
Roxas! Roxas! You're not seriously- -No. I am yours, Sora, always.
This was what went on for the duration of the scenes they watched happen to Link and Midna. Continuing…
Link saw what Zant was about to do, and quickly leapt to his feet. He did not know, and probably wouldn't know, at least, until much, much later, exactly why he did what he did, but he jumped in front of the path of the death-ball, being thrown off to the side carelessly from the energy. Midna, horrified, went to his side.
Saïx spoke softly, scorn lining his voice like stained linen.
"How sickly sweet… It seems she favors the creature of light more than you, hmm?" Zant stood still, watching. "Be silent," he hissed. And that was all he said before his attentions turned to the frantic Midna, who did not notice the black-and-orange stone sinking slowly into the unconscious Link's forehead.
Saïx just smiled as Zant brought Midna close to him using his telekinesis, for she knew would have done so on her own. But, as he held her in place, she looked defeated. Crushed. Beaten.
"My Midna…" he whispered to her, "Did you forget? That beast is one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people. No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind! But if we can make their world ours, Midna… light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm… and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light!"
Midna wasn't listening. Well, she was, but she wasn't hearing the words in the way one does and understands them. She tuned him out, imagining that world of complete, suffocating twilight, and she had to admit, she was horrified at what she saw. And his words! How despicably cruel!
He made things that were so dark seem so… light, so hardly worth thinking of. The killing, the despair…! Something jolted her out of her thoughts. It was the next of Zant's words.
"And that, Midna, is why…" here, the very bottom of Zant's faceplate undid itself, and his whispered to her in a still softer voice, "I need you."
He brought her closer. "Not just for me," he told her huskily, "but for all of our people… Lend me your power." Midna snapped. It took some moments, but finally, when she realized his control on her had lessened, she jumped from his 'embrace', and rushed once more to Link's side.
Zant, if he reacted, did not show it in any change of his mouth. Instead, he simply said, "So be it… I will return you to the light world you covet!"
Midna's head looked up sharply into nothing before she was quickly taken from her place by Link and held unwillingly in the air above the water. What was he going to do? Drown her? Then she realized exactly what he had said. She panicked, but she could not struggle. She… wasn't going to live through this, she knew. She felt it rattling within her like a dying last breath screaming to be let loose. To stop being.
But she was too terrified of death. The light spirit, seemingly (it had to be of Zant's accord and not its own) unfeeling, rose from the pool, the twilight disappearing. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were human again, but still unmoving. Link was still a beast, unconscious.
Then, with a long, loud, painful cry, the Light Spirit Lanayru blasted Midna with the purest light until the surroundings could no longer be seen.
Three figures with blue gray, red, and blond hair, knowing what was to come, came and stole away the three heroes with strict instructions to bring them far away from the spring. They sprinted away through the darkness, as Link and Midna were spirited away by the light spirit to that very place, awaiting their awakenings.
Zant and Saïx, upon recovering from the light, were shocked to find themselves alone in the chamber.
Not even the full moon could've kept the Luna Diviner calm that night.
.oOo.
Zexion waited. He was always good with waiting. He'd bid Axel a quick, emotionless goodbye, the redhead not bothering to return the goodbye with a quick comment of levity, as was his wont. He left for the destination Zexion sent him to without question.
Demyx was harder to persuade. He promised they would meet again, and silenced the Nocturne with a few deep kisses, sternly telling him to head for his own objective. Their… love, as it were, was a luxury they couldn't afford.
So he waited, sitting on a rock, watching Sora, Donald, and Goofy's unconscious forms lying side by side on the grass. He was also waiting for the light spirit to transport Link to this spot. It wasn't the wrong one; his book was never wrong! It knew everything, even if he didn't. He just wondered, idly, why the spirit was taking its damn sweet time.
As if to answer his query, a light appeared from above, waking the heroes on the grass, and setting down a confused, dizzy Wolf Link with a mortally injured Midna on his back.
Zexion observed her colors, the light grays and dark splotches… she was fading, and fast.
"Link," Lanayru spoke, the voice coming from nowhere, "hero chosen by the goddesses… Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you form your shadow form…"
And then the voice fell silent, Link still as confused as ever. It was then that he noticed Sora, Donald, and Goofy recovering on the grass, as well as Zexion, sitting on a rock. "Did you… save us?" Link asked him. Zexion frowned, his fingers drumming quickly against his lexicon. "Yes and no. I and my renegade comrades saved Sora and his friends; the light spirit Lanayru was your savior."
He stood up, dusting himself. "But, I digress… we have a more pressing matter at hand." He looked at Midna's weak, dying form. Link bit back a gasp. He'd never seen her like this before, nor had he ever been so aware of her skin – which was far warmer than it should've been – pressing against his fur. He looked at Zexion. Sora, who had by now recovered his wits, saw Link, still in wolf form, and asked the question first.
"Why is Link still a wolf and we are not?"
Zexion flipped through his book, searching for answers. But his book, though it knew all, could not tell all, so he closed it, unsatisfied. "I'm afraid I know not. This princess the light spirit Lanayru has instructed us to go to might know, however. If you recall, Lady Telma has an underground entrance to the castle, but I'm afraid only Link is able to access it. If you want in with him, you'll have to follow me." Zexion held out a hand, though his face was a mix of several things to be considered hopeful.
Seeing as it was his only chance, Sora took it, and in turn, helped up Donald and Goofy. "Sorry Link, you'll have to go it alone. If we make it before you, we'll wait, I promise." Zexion looked towards the wolf sharply. "But if you make it before us, do not hesitate. Midna is more important than you know."
He and Link locked eyes for a moment, but then he nodded sharply and started off for the Castle Town at a run.
Zexion turned to Sora. "I can get us to the front gates of the castle, past the guards, but there is a strange magic at work that will not allow me to do so within the walls of Hyrule Castle. Nonetheless, we must make haste." He held out his arm to Sora, who took it. Goofy took his other arm, and Donald did the same to Goofy. When he was sure everyone had everyone, he opened up a portal and suddenly they were at the large, dominating gates of Hyrule Castle.
Silent as night, Zexion opened the door, showing the three heroes in and locating the tower quickly. He proceeded to lead them through the maze of hallways and doors, hoping they reached it soon.
.oOo.
Link helped Midna back onto his back as he was thrown out from the bar. He cried out, "No! Stop! Let me in! I must use the secret passageway!"
The door was opened again, a surprised Telma staring down at him.
"I know that voice… you can't be… Link?!" Link pawed at her feet, whining something terrible. "Yes, it's me, Telma! Please, this… Midna… she needs help! I must get her to the castle!" Telma looked deep into his eyes.
"What… what's happened to you, boy? And please, come in, get out of this rain!" Link walked in, wanting to shake, but couldn't, for fear of dropping Midna again. She was already too hot, and her breathing… he could hear it in his ears like a ticking clock, tocking away until her last.
He whimpered. "Please, I need… the secret passage." The cat behind her legs meowed. "Hello. I'm Louise… we were not properly introduced before. The passage is above you. See those ropes?" He looked to them. Telma looked down at Louise. "I take it you can understand her?" Link nodded. "That passageway…" Telma nodded and called for a ladder. Then she scooped him up in her arms, Midna included, and placed them on the ledge.
"You hurry back to your human form, you hear? I hope you heal your friend."
Link didn't say anything more, thankful for his fortune as Telma's friend. He entered the passageway into a small, money filled room. Link growled, sensing danger, and used his senses to spot the ghost nearby, and he killed it, taking something from it that was black and round and… nasty tasting. He took a few licks at some of the rainwater that had made it into the house.
After he was done, he looked for any way to proceed, but could find none. Suddenly, a voice jolted him from his search, and he realized (to his surprise) it was the golden man sitting on the chair.
"Oh… thanks for beating that ghost. Can I call you… doggie?"
Link snorted. He supposed it was better than mongrel, monster, or whatever else the people of Hyrule Castle Town had said under their breaths as he'd run past them.
"Fine… do you know of any passage into the castle?"
The man didn't appear to hear him. "I'm Jovani," he said, "I… became consumed by greed long ago, and sold my soul to a dark creature that did this to me… I can't move… I can't go see my girlfriend… My pet cat Gengle is frozen on my head… I don't think I could be more miserable…"
Link sighed. "If I help you find more of those things will you just show me the way out?" Jovani's jeweled eyes flashed. "Yes, yes! Just twenty, I think should do it. Oh, but it's raining out now, so I don't think you can go outside directly." Link snorted. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
Jovani didn't seem to hear him, again. "I'll open the door to the underground waterway for you…" When the chest beside him opened, Link did not hesitate to enter it.
The sewers were no better of a trip than the last time.
Link arrived at the spiraling staircase with great relief. "Goodness… all those ropes… I wonder who put them up?" He shook his head. Trying his best to avoid the Moblins strewn about the tower. He made is way back outside, running across an impromptu bridge when the wind blew it his way, running as fast as his legs would carry him to the tower.
Zexion had just opened the door when he heard a thump on the stone. A shaken Wolf Link turned when he heard the door's hinges squeak, but was relieved to find it was only them.
"It seems we've made it at the same time. Convenient." They wasted no time in walking up the steps to the Princess's room.
She wasn't where she had been before. Sora almost feared that she wasn't even there as Link padded forward, Midna falling off his back onto the ground. Link nudged her with his nose, trying to get her to move, but it was no use… until a white-gloved hand was laid against her side.
Zelda was still there all right. She looked down at Midna with kind, pitiful eyes, Midna looking up at her much in the same manner, but with fear, and the knowledge that death was that much closer with each breath she took. Zelda took her hands gingerly.
"Please…" Midna wheezed softly, "Please tell me… How do we break… the curse on this one?" She looked off into nowhere, Zexion moving around the group, just watching. Sora, Donald and Goofy stood a little ways to the left of the scene, opposite of Zexion. "This…" she continued, "is the one… You need him… to save your world! That's why… Princess… Please… You must help Link…"
Zelda looked up, her thoughts coiling around one another.
Slowly, she held up a hand; her right hand in particular. A triangular symbol glowed upon it, and it glowed far brighter than before as she moved it towards Link's forehead.
She let the hand and its glow fall. "What binds him is a different magic," she said softly, "than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power." Link's head bowed. "So I've no chance of returning to human form, then?" Zelda shook her head. "I did not say that. You see, our world is one of balance… Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil."
Link looked up, hopeful. "Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages… the Master Sword."
"Sounds a lot like the keyblade," Sora mused thoughtfully. Zelda, beneath her bindings, smiled softly. "Yes, it is very much like the keyblade, only allowing its chosen to wield it. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch. Evil cloaks you like a dark veil… and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it."
Midna lay, staring at the ceiling with but one thought on her mind, though she hadn't yet enough gathered strength to speak it.
Zelda went on to say, "Link… Hero sent by the goddesses… Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses…" She held up her right hand to show them the faded symbol of the Triforce embedded into her glove. Link studied it, and then examined his left paw.
"So that's why… this… I'm the vessel of the Triforce of Courage, then?" Zelda nodded. Midna, by now, had enough strength gathered to speak her mind. She tugged at Zelda's skirts lightly, faintly, as if she couldn't keep a hold of her own motor functions. "Fine…" she said softly, her voice little more than a whisper, "Link… You can… You can get to the woods… with their help, right?"
Link nudged her again, laying on his stomach and whined. "No… Midna…"
Sora, as he watched the scene, heard Roxas say, Whoa, when did that happen? Sora could only assume he meant the sudden display of affection and worry for the imp. I'm… not sure.
"Princess…" she croaked, "I have one last request… Can you tell him… where to find the Mirror of Twilight?"
Princess Zelda gasped. It was a quiet gasp, but the whole room, no, perhaps the whole world went silent. For a moment, there was complete silence. Then Zelda said gingerly, "Midna… I believe I understand now just who and what you are… Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead… These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty. Accept this now, Midna, I pass it to you…"
No one could understand what she was talking about. Link had stood up again, and was staring at the Princess intently. Zexion frowned a little more. Sora, Donald, and Goofy remained silent and dumbfounded.
It wasn't until her hands, the very same hands that were clasped around one of Midna's own, began to glow, and Midna began to panic with the realization of what Zelda was doing. She floated up in the air, Zelda's power healing her faster than Zelda was fading. There was a single moment that she could hear he heart beat, slowly, echoic and loud, in slow motion. It was after this that she shouted, futilely, "No! Link, stop her!"
But it was too late, and no one had enough control of themselves to even speak.
By the time Midna's hand had left Zelda's, she was already gone. Midna was slowly set down on the ground, fully healed, standing poised as she watched the spot Zelda had once occupied. Once again, for some moments, all there was, was silence.
It was Midna who spoke first.
With a hanging head and heavy heart, she barked softly at Link, "We go back! Back to Faron Woods!" She realized she was talking to Sora and his friends as well. Quickly, with some regret, she resumed her place on Link's back, and looked to Zexion. "We'll meet next at the West Gate. You got it?" Zexion nodded. "Yes." He said simply.
Midna paused before warping Link, and said, hopefully to Zelda, "Zelda… I've taken all that you had to give… though I did not want it."
Then she warped quickly away. Zexion took Sora's hand, and they followed.
Upon arriving at the west gate, they witnessed a strange sight. As they were heading for Faron Province, a strange, golden pyramid encased the castle, most likely preventing entry of any kind.
"Seems we can no longer go back," Zexion mused, "this is a most interesting fact." He sniffed the air and looked startled for a moment, to which Sora asked him if he was all right. Zexion fell back into another contemplative air. "I smell the scent of the Superior… or, well, you know him as Xemnas. He's had a hand in this…"
Sora raised and eyebrow. "Don't you think that's kind of obvious?" Zexion shook his head furtively. "That's not what I mean. He's done that to the castle, and thus we must tread lightly around town, at times if we choose to return." Sora looked towards the ground, processing.
Midna turned her head towards them. "We're warping to the woods. You four! Look lively now!" Though the words themselves were harshly spoken, one could hear that the venom they were once said with was no longer present.
So they portaled to the woods, where they met back up with Midna and Link. They were already jumping across a series of jumps which looked a little far by human standards. "But we can't portal?" Zexion shook his head. "No… the old magic of this forest isn't letting me. You three can use Glide, can you not?" Sora nodded. "Superglide, too. Do you…?" Zexion actually grinned, which, however highly uncharacteristic of him, he had found himself doing a lot lately.
"No, I'm afraid I'm quite capable of making those distances on my own. Perhaps not in that exact manner, but I'm no damsel in distress."
Sora shrugged. "Fine with me. As long you don't fall to your death, we're all good." Zexion scoffed softly. "I'd never dream of it. I made a promise to Demyx that I'd see him again…" Sora smiled, flashing a casual pose. "Oh? I'd heard from Demyx that you were sweet on him… ha, ha!" Zexion groaned. "Please… as if, we could actually feel…" Now, as they were arriving at the moving bridges, it was Sora's turned to scoff.
"Roxas… is beginning to feel, I think." Zexion raised an eyebrow, but then looked away. "His other, you, is still alive. I think even you would notice that fact. And if you're wondering about Axel… it could be his intimate friendship with Roxas that's given him the phantom feelings he's been experiencing. Myself and everyone else… we have the memories of feelings, and simply that, though oftentimes it doesn't seem as such."
Sora nodded as they arrived at the spot where Link had finished singing to the tune of the Howling Stone.
Then they entered the sacred chambers of the forest.
Zexion shivered as they walked inside. The air in this forest only seemed to chill him slightly, warding off the stench of darkness that lay on his metaphysical person, allowing him to, for once in his life as a Nobody, feel the light magic that Sora and his friends raved about. It truly was something.
It practically poured out of Sora, despite the strange aura that Roxas's separate consciousness gave off – it seemed to be shifting between the light and the dark, unable to find balance.
Was that the cause of Roxas's feelings? If not the sole reason, it definitely had the possibility to be part of it.
While Zexion was musing, Link found another Howling Stone (that looked different from the rest, with a Triforce symbol in the middle) and howled softly to its whistle. Then, after he was finished, a short, leafy creature landed right in front of Zexion, making him shout, obviously caught unaware.
The creature back flipped twice, and proceeded to blow on its horn, causing four strange puppet things to fall from seemingly out of nowhere. Zexion, in an attempt to recover some of his dignity, threw a lash of power at them, and shredded the golems with the pages of his lexicon. More came down a short while later.
"Damn…" Link muttered, "they regenerate… lets go find that Skull Kid so we can concentrate on finding that grove!" No one argued. Zexion consulted his book and it instructed them to follow the sound of the music, and eventually they had caught up with the Skull Kid for the last and final time. He ran off, taunting them, bringing them to a small, round hole in the ground, where the Skull Kid proceeded to repay to them the beatings it had been given.
It stomped it's feet and summoned more and more golems with each hit, but it was easy to do so while it was distracted, and so it didn't take very long to scare it off.
When it finally left, it giggled childishly and called out, "Hee hee hee! … Bye!" And then it was completely gone from their sights.
Sora sighed. "Finally, it's gone. That has to be the most frustrating thing I've ever had to fight, except maybe Ansem. That Heartless just didn't know when to quit, you know?" Donald could agree. "Annoying little…" Goofy tapped Donald on the shoulder. "Donald, watch your language, now." Donald folded his arms and tapped a foot as he looked up at Goofy, frowning.
Sora laughed, but stopped when he noticed Link running up more stairs off to the side. "Hey guys? Link's leaving us behind. We gotta move." With that, he grabbed Donald and Goofy each by one arm and practically flew up the stairs to a wide, rectangular area closed off from the world.
"Gawrsh," said Goofy, "what do you think this place was?" Sora shrugged and looked at Zexion, who flipped through his book. "It's not specific… it appears to be the resting place of the Door of Time, however, though I'm not sure what that is…" With that, Zexion began to flip through more pages as Sora shrugged and gave up on him.
Meanwhile, Link was howling on the triangular spot on the floor, which activated the two stone guardians, and that, in turn, did something really strange to the floor. Zexion, Sora, Donald, and Goofy just barely got out of the way in time to not fall through into the abyss.
"We are guardians of this land," said the statues, "Guide us to where we once stood."
Everyone blinked. This was going to take a while.
And Sora being Sora, went off and went back to the area where they'd fought the Skull Kid, just kicking rocks and looking around. He was a teenage boy after all, he just couldn't possibly sit still.
It was when he found something funny just laying in the grass that he squatted to down to look at it. It was a chain, long a beautiful. It was much like the Aegis Chains he was wearing, only the symbols that repeated on the chain were different. They kind of looked like fairies. Sora picked it up and examined it for a moment before taking it to Zexion.
"He has he had any luck?" Zexion looked up from his book to glace at Link's progress. "Almost there. Did you want to ask me something?" Sora nodded and showed him the chain. "What's this? I thought maybe your book would know."
Zexion flipped through it quickly, coming to a stop at a page with its picture. He looked genuinely surprised. "It's actually a Drive Form, but you can't use it yet. It hasn't been activated. Here, just read the definition."
Flight Form:
The only form of Sora's that is only compatible with his Hyrulian clothing, the Flight Drive Form is different from the others, seeing as it does not use the drive gauge in any way. Due to this effect, it can be turned on and off at the slightest whim after activation.
For activation to occur, one must be in possession of the Master Sword, and a Recovery Fairy. It will then automatically be active for later use. The Flight Form is a simple process, it turns Sora's surcoat green, his pants tan, his belt brown, and the symbols on his surcoat white. It also grants him the ability to use the Keyblade, Masterkey, and the ability to fly or float similar to the way he could in Neverland. (Minus the golden fairy dust)
Sora stared at the chain dubiously. "Wow. That's really something. I guess that Light Spirit was right about drive forms… Faron said I'd be given a form to suit my new clothes. But… I just sort of found it." Zexion shrugged, taking his book back. "You don't know that. It could have been 'left' there for you."
Sora hadn't thought of that. It suddenly occurred to him that the ground had returned to normal, and Link was howling (literally) with laughter. "See, I can do things when I put my mind to it, Midna!" Sora and the gang walked up to him as he ran forward straight into the next chamber. Sora looked back at Zexion. "Are you coming or going?"
Zexion looked up at the sun. "I'm waiting for someone. They'll be traveling the rest of the way to the next area with you. I have some things to research."
Sora took that as a dismissal and moved forward with Donald and Goofy.
When he entered, he was blasted by a forceful warm gush of air that threatened to snatch him off his feet, but something held him fast. It was Roxas. No one else could see, and by the time the Master Sword's flash had disappeared, Roxas was back in his own little corner of Sora's soul.
There, at the very centre of the area, stood Link, human once more.
Then he knelt in front of the sword, almost afraid of it. What… was happening? Sora could see the faint outline of a man that looked very much like Link whisper something in his ear.
This man could only be seen by Sora, but could only be heard by Link. He was the original Hero of Time, reassuring the Hero of the Twilight that the sword was rightfully his. It would choose him. "It'll be just fine… take it." With renewed strength, he stood up, and grasped the hilt firmly. Then, slowly, he pulled the sword from it's stone, his sheath magically transforming.
Waves of power billowed out from everywhere, and Midna studied him curiously. "The sword accepted you as its master…" she said, amazed.
Truly, it was an impressive weapon. Though it was nothing to the Keyblade in terms of a Heartless killing machine, it was not a weapon you wanted to cross, especially if you were evil. It shined with a holy light that was almost blinding, and with a slash and a bit of flair, it looked as if it were made for him. Perhaps it had been.
Midna floated up to him, and Link realized with a strange thought that his cheeks were flushing. Of course, since he was in shadow, she couldn't see, which he was thankful for. She held out a shadow stone with orange markings for all of them to see, since Sora and his friends were now gathered around Link.
"This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you." It floated lazily on one finger. She looked at it, curious, and said, "It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic…" Link reached out slowly, but she stopped him quickly. "Careful… if you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast!" She grasped it in her hands, the stone disappearing.
"This thing is too dangerous… It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh?" She glanced at them briefly, but then looked upwards as she spoke some more. "But on the other hand… if we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted…"
She smiled. "Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can!"
Sora shrugged. "Sounds nice… but can it change us, as well, or just him?" She thought it over. "Dunno. Guess we'll just have to find out, huh? If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile, so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can also be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching to wolf form…"
She paused for a moment before moving again, this time to his right side, her arms resting on his shoulder. The blush for before was starting to show, but Midna was oblivious to it still.
"Hey, but listen, Link… everyone…" here she looked back at Sora and his friends, "I've got a little favor to ask… Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule…" Midna and Link at last met eyes. There was silence for a moment as her eyes trailed his face and found his flushed cheeks. To distract herself, she spoke again, more forcibly than before.
"Yes, the Mirror of Twilight… Our last potential link to Zant!"
She wanted to badly to reach out and touch his cheek, to feel the warmth beneath her skin, but she could not bring herself to. Instead, she flew around to his front, and met eyes with him once more before disappearing.
With that, Link shoved the strange feelings rustling inside his heart away, to be examined at a later date and turned around.
"Well friends, it seems we've yet more adventures to come."
Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded. "So it seems," said Donald. Sora nodded and looked around, realizing the chain from before was gone. However, he recalled the definition from before, and decided not to worry, at least if it was an automatic activation, like most Forms were.
So they stood there for a single moment, the Blade of Evil's Bane giving strength to them all.
Crappy ending, gah. But, but, my Zexy got to fight! Sweet! I'm inspired to draw something with Zexy in it now, XD And there seems to be something forming between Midna and Link… could it be a mutual attraction? We shall see… bwahaha… (hackwheezechough) The scene with the Hero of Time was inspired by a deviation on deviantART.
Review, my lovelies! Don't give up on me now!