Chapter 14: The Girl

We leave the lake area in silence. I can tell that he's still bothered by whatever happened in the spirit's spring, but I still don't pressure him to talk about it. Besides, I'm too wrapped up in my own thoughts at the moment to even form a single question even if he would answer it.

I don't know why I got so worked up in the first place. I should have known that he was going to come out of it fine; after all, he's always fine. Yet there was something about seeing him in such a shaken state of mind that shook me as well. Before that, I had seemed to forget that he was not invincible, physically or mentally. But now I clearly see that he isn't; he is human after all. And for some reason, the fact doesn't bother me as much as it should. I mean, an invincible hero would be a good thing, no question, but somehow, something tells me that it is a person's weaknesses that make them stronger. Or at least in his case. My weaknesses don't seem to contribute much to anything at all. Once again, I bemoan my unfortunate shape, which of course makes me too weak to do much. The only asset that I personally seem to have is my powers, which are only at a fraction of their normal power. For once, I finally admit to myself that perhaps it's a very good thing that I have Link to help me. Who knows what would become of the Twilight Realm if I didn't?

I glance up at Link as he rides his horse through Hyrule Field. I'm not entirely sure where he's going, but I can see a look of slight exhaustion, but at the same fierce determination in his eyes. Once again, I'm confused as to why, but I let it go as I see that we're heading the general direction of Castle Town.

We enter Castle Town, which is loud and busy with activity. His pace is quick as he pushes though the clusters of people and heads for the south end of town. I get an idea of where he wants to go when we head towards the bar where we saw the girl earlier. Of course. I should have guessed that this would be the first place that he'd go to.

He enters the bar, where the girl and the older woman are still tending to the injured Zora child, but this time there is also an elderly doctor present as well. The second Link steps in, the doctor is on his way out, shouting angrily. "That is a Zora child!" He proclaims without compassion for the child's condition. "That is beyond my expertise!" He stomps out, slamming the door behind him.

The girl hurries towards the door and pleas with the doctor to stay, but with no avail. "Doctor wait!" She says as she runs towards the door. "If something isn't done, this child will…" She trails off in disappointment, knowing that the doctor is long gone. She starts to head back towards the injured child, but not before glancing at Link, who is staring at her in both relief and wonder. I watch the interaction from the shadows and somehow, I see no recognition in the girl's eyes. Link must notice it too because as she continues back towards the Zora child, he takes a few steps after and whispers her name softly and sadly. "Ilia...?" he says, but she doesn't hear him.

"Well this isn't good," The older woman says as Ilia takes her seat beside Zora child's side once more. "A human doctor won't do, huh?" Both of them look down at the child and from our place at the far side of the room near the door, Link and I steal a glance at him as well. Suddenly, I'm reminded of the Zora queen and what she said about her son that she sent to Hyrule Castle. Perhaps he was injured along the way and is this very same unconscious Zora child. He looks like he could be royalty: though he looks quite young, he wears golden neck decorations and earrings befitting of someone who has a position of importance among the Zoras. And if it is the Zora prince, that that would certainly make things easier for us. If he is, then we won't have to run all over Hyrule searching for him since he's right here.

"That old coot reminded me though…" The older woman says thoughtfully. "I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin Lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras…" She smiles down at Ilia, who immediately gets excited at the prospect.

"Is that true?" She says as she stands up, her voice hopeful. "Perhaps if we take him there…"

"Inadvisable! Too dangerous!" calls out one of the several soldiers who had been sitting in the back room of the bar earlier. They are all gathered together now, having overheard the conversation. "But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. We'll escort you! Right boys?!" The rest of the solders in the company raise their spears above their heads and shout out in excitement.

"Well isn't that nice?" the older woman says to Ilia as the soldiers are still celebrating. "Now, to reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts."

The minute that she's says the word beasts, the solders instantly cease their shouts of excitement. They glance at each other nervously then, as fast and as quiet as they can, they rush out of the bar, pushing their way past Link on their way out.

"But we'll be safe now!" The woman says as the men are retreating. When the two of them turn to look back in the direction of the soldiers, only one remains, but he too, like the others, runs out, scared at the prospect of monsters.

"Cowards!" the woman shouts out angrily after them as she turns towards the door. "Don't EVER show your faces here again!" Just then, she catches sight of Link, who's still standing near the door and staring intently at Ilia, who has yet to acknowledge his presence. "Oh my!" the woman exclaims, smiling at Link. "Looks like we've got one young swordsman left!" I can tell by the look on his face that he most likely barely heard a word that she said, as his eyes are still trained on the girl, as if he's silently pleading with her to speak to him. "And not only that, but it looks like this brave young man will escort us, so get ready to go honey. Pronto!"

Ilia nods and runs off to go get ready, with Link watching her every move. The older woman walks over to him. "You know that girl, don't you?" she asks him quietly. Link simply nods, sadness in his eyes. "It's a real shame… She can't even remember her own name right now…"

I watch as the realization sets in for him. Somehow, the girl must have lost her memory after she was captured. That can't be an easy thing for Link though, for her to not even remember him. Especially after he's gone through so much to find her.

"Bless her heart…" the woman says sadly. "She found that poor boy collapsed by the side of the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers in Hyrule, for sure!" She looks over Link for a second before continuing. "You lend your strength to her, you hear me?" She says with sincerity.

"I will…" Link says solemnly. "I promise."

The woman smiles warmly at him as Ilia returns, ready to go. The woman instructs Link to go on ahead to the bridge that crosses Lake Hylia where they'll meet him after they finish preparing. And so, we leave town and head in the direction of the bridge.

Once we're out of town, I rise out of his shadow and glide along beside him as he rides towards the bridge. I give him a knowing smile and when he sees it, he sighs in exasperation.

"If you're going to yell at me for escorting them don't bother," he says adamantly. "I'm not in the mood."

"Oh don't worry," I say coolly. "I won't. I think that that Zora child could possibly be the missing prince that the queen asked us to look for and if that's the case, well, this only furthers our goal in getting to that temple."

"I was thinking the same thing," he says halfheartedly.

"But that's not the only reason, is it?" I smirk, trying to get him out of this despondency that he's been in ever since we saw the light spirit. "You want to get that girl to remember you, right?"

"Well of course I do," he says plainly. "Ilia and I have been friends ever since we were little! How could she not remember me, or anything else for that matter?"

I grin at him. "You like her, don't you?"

"What?!" He says surprised. I chuckle as I see his cheeks grow bright red. "I… I… No I don't!" He says defensively.

"Oh really?" I say teasingly. "Because I think that you do. I could tell by the way you looked at her…"

"No," he says, his face still reddening in embarrassment. "We… We're just really good friends!"

"Sure you are…" I say coyly. "Well either way, maybe you'll find a way to restore her memory while we're searching for that last Fused Shadow."

"Yeah," he says as we finally make it to the bridge's overlook. We're about to head down to the bridge but we both notice that the same bothersome monster from earlier who had kidnapped Colin is patrolling the bridge.

"Oh brother…" I frown, placing my hands on my hips. "Not this guy again. I'm telling you, no matter how many times you battle him, it's a waste. Looks like you're going to have to teach him a lesson."

At that moment, we hear the sound of approaching horse hooves which signifies that Ilia and the woman are almost here. I slip back into Link's shadow before they come into view. They ride into the area, the woman driving a horse-drawn covered wagon which holds Ilia and the Zora boy.

Once they arrive, Link warns them of the monster on the bridge and the woman and Ilia go over to the overlook to see. Likewise, Link dismounts his horse and joins them and the three of them examine the obstacle for a moment or two before heading back up to the path that should take us to Kakariko Village. Finally, it seems like we're all ready to go.

"T-thank you so much for this…" Ilia says to Link before we set off. Link just looks at her sadly. Of course, he knows that restoring her lost memory won't be as easy as just telling her everything. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

He musters a weak smile, though his eyes are filled with sorrow. "Link," is all he says, as he turns his gaze away from hers to look at the path ahead.

"…Link?!" she says excitedly. Link's eyes widen and he turns to look at her once more, hoping that she remembers him, but she doesn't. "I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link," she says, smiling warmly at him. He turns away from her once more, unable to look her in the unknowing eyes.

How ironic… I think from the shadows.

"Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko…" the woman says looking back to Ilia. "This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild… like a feral beast…"

From the shadows, I let loose a small snicker. She has no idea… I think, smiling at the incredible irony of her statement. I'm sure if Link wasn't in such a despondent state, a laugh would probably escape from him too.

"We need a beast right now," the woman continues. "To keep the true ones away. If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then, OK?" She flashes Link a quick wink and for the first time in a long time, I catch him smile. And for some reason, seeing him smile again causes a smile to cross my face as well.

The party sets out and starts towards the bridge. As expected the monster still waits there, ready to attack any trespassers who dare try to cross the bridge. After telling the woman and Ilia to keep their distance until the bridge is cleared, Link rides out to meet the beast in battle. However, as we approach the monster, we notice that it now carries a pair of shields, completely protecting it on both sides. But, I notice that it's front is bare and completely vunrable.

"What's this guy's problem?" I say from the shadows as we get ever closer to the creature. "Looks like he went and got himself a nice pair of matching shields! What an idiot though! He's got his sides protected, but his front is totally open. Don't waste time swiping your sword at this guy. You should try using a projectile when the time is right!"

He takes my suggestion and gets out his bow. He quickly nocks an arrow and sends it flying directly at the monster, which causes it to lose its balance on the beast that its riding and it plummets over the side of the bridge towards the lake.

"Not bad…" I whisper to him as he motions for the wagon to continue on through.

"Thanks," he smiles confidently as he rides ahead of the wagon, to cover it all the way to Kakariko. I think he's finally going back to his old self, finally having recovered from what happened back at the spirit's spring and the fact that Ilia has lost her memory. Though I have a feeling that the latter still bothers him at least a little.

We emerge into Hyrule Field, finally leaving the Lanayru province. Of course, the path to Kakariko is far from clear. Monsters riding large beasts litter the field, all ready to attack the wagon without mercy. Link leads the way, his sword drawn all the while as we press through the field over the cover of night. The woman drives the carriage so that it stays close behind him. At first, he stays ahead of the wagon watching the path ahead, until the girl's screams erupt from the wagon. He snaps his head back to discover that one of the monsters has set the wagon on fire with its flame-tipped arrows. "Ilia!" He cries out and turns his horse around, circling the wagon and trying to figure out how to douse the flames. I watch his desperation as he tries to figure out what to do, when suddenly it seems to hit him. He pulls out the boomerang that he got from the forest temple and flings it at the wagon, a strong gust of wind following it as usual. Instantly, the flames are put out and he sighs in relief. We continue on through, but this time, Link is careful to cover the wagon even more protectively, making sure to get rid of any more monsters along the way.

After about an hour or so, we finally reach the gates of Kakariko Village and hurry through them. Though it must be late at night, Renado is still up and so are the most of the Ordonian children. As soon as our party arrives in the village, they rush out of the sanctuary to greet them and carry the injured Zora boy to the village's inn to be treated. Ilia stays by the Zora child's side while Renado treats him and Link and Colin wait outside of the room in the inn. Link tells Colin about Ilia's lost memory, among other things, before Renado emerges from the room sometime later, his brow creased in worry.

"…He has passed through the worst of it," Renado assures the two of them. "As long as he rests, he should recover in due time." Link and Colin exchange brief smiles as the shaman continues. "Do you know the fate of his mother?" He asks Link. "Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly…"

Link looks down sadly. Of course, our suspicions of the Zora boy's identity have been confirmed. Unfortunately for the Zora however, his mother is gone from the world. And the poor child has no idea. "It's not good…." He says, not needing to elaborate as Renado immediately catches on.

"I see," Renado says consolingly. "The knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

"I'll stay with him until he's better!" Colin proclaims brightly. "No matter how long it takes!"

"Is that so?" Renado kneels down to look Colin in the eyes. "Thank you, Colin."

As the two of them head down the stairs to leave the inn however, Link looks through the doorway one last time to where Ilia sits at the Zora prince's side, speaking with Renado's daughter Luda. That same look of sadness that he always gets when he looks at her rests on his features. I have to admit to myself that I feel a bit sorry for him. He trekked across Hyrule looking for her and she barely even remembers a thing about him. I know that it's not really her fault, but still, it's hard on him.

Outside of the inn, the woman waits as Link, Colin and Renado exit. "Hey, Link, about Ilia…" Colin says. The moment her hears her name, Link sighs sadly. "Is it true, what they say about her?"

Link opens his mouth to answer but Renado does so first. "Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin," the shaman says, sensing Link's melancholy and explaining for him. "And regaining it will not be a simple task. But it will be alright child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again." Link looks down sadly as he says that, and I glance at him worriedly. Though at this point, I don't think I know anything to say to comfort him. "So, Colin," Renado continues. "I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." Colin smiles and nods in agreement and then rushes back into the inn. Renado gives Link a respectful bow before heading off in the direction of the Eldin spirit's spring.

"Nice to see there's still hope here…" the woman says contentedly after Renado is out of earshot. "And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts…."

Link turns to face her as she's speaking. "Those skills of yours…" She says thoughtfully. "Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"

"Actually…" Link says, a slight smile on his face. "I have been…"

The woman smiles cleverly at him. "Oh really?" she says. "Good. What little hope there is in this kingdom is frail and dying… but there's still a group trying to do what it can. And I'm a member of that group. Call me Telma." She reaches a hand out for him to shake, which he does. "I may just stay here a bit longer," she muses, glancing around the village. "I'm still worried about Ilia and… Well, never mind about the rest…" She glances over in Renado's direction as he heads towards the spring. "Link," she says, walking over to him. "I want to see you again at my bar, you hear?" She looks around cautiously before continuing. "The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there as well."

I commit that piece of information to memory as she says it, knowing it could be of good use to us in the future. Telma starts to head off after Renado but not before turning to speak to Link one last time. "If you ever need anything, stop by," she says warmly. "I'll be waiting for you, honey!" She shoots him a sly wink and runs off after Renado.

"Well," I say from the shadows as he starts to head back towards the inn doors. "The Zora prince is safe. Now all we have to do…" I trail off as a strange wind blows across the area. Link turns around and we are greeted by the ghostly figure of the Zora queen, floating a few feet away from us. She says nothing, but simply glides in the direction of the village graveyard.

"How convenient!" I whisper as he begins to follow her. "Looks like we'll be getting our hands on that 'special ability' here too!"

"And then you'll finally have that Fused Shadow, right Midna?" he asks and I can see the smart grin on his face.

"Yes!" I proclaim. "Just remember, a promise is a promise and if I remember correctly, you promised me that you'd get ALL of them. Just because you found your girlfriend doesn't mean that anything has changed."

"She's not my girlfriend!" he says defensively and I giggle.

"Whatever you say…" I smirk at him as we arrive at the graveyard.

At the far end of a graveyard is a lone gravestone set against a wall. However as we follow Rutela the gravestone mysteriously vanishes, revealing a narrow hole that leads to an area that contains a pool of water. At the back end of the pool is another gravestone, more ornate then the last. Rutela floats beside it.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need," she says. "You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirits here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place. That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband crafted garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora." The gravestone shifts back, revealing a set of blue armor-like clothing resting underneath it. Link takes the clothing, which will hopefully allow him to traverse the depths of Lake Hylia and get to that temple. "Now at last, I can join the king in slumber," the queen says tiredly. "And yet… my son… He still knows nothing of my death… If you see him again, please pass on this message… Tell him that he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live on as the king of our people. And… Tell him that his mother… loves him without end. Please tell him…" With her final message relayed, the Zora queen fades from sight.

I slip out of his shadows to address him properly for the first time in awhile. "Well it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor huh?" I say. "But don't forget what's most important: the Fused Shadow!"

"You mean the most important for you, right?" he says, grinning lightly.

"Well… I guess…" I say tentatively. "But at the same time, it's also important for you too. Remember what the light spirit of Faron said? It said that you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world of light… So like I said before, even if you go back home now with all of the people you saved… the whole tragedy would just repeat itself!"

"I know," he says with full understanding.

"Now I know it's been a lot of trouble…" I say. "But we're in the final stretch, so let's go get that last Fused Shadow!"

"Right," he says as we work our way out of the graveyard. Before we leave however, he looks back to me in his shadow. "Hey Midna?"

"What?"

"What happens after we defeat Zant?"

For some reason, I'm taken aback by this question because I'm not entirely sure how to answer him. Of course I know that once Zant is taken down, I'll be restored to my former shape and I will reassume my rule of the Twilight Realm. But I can't tell him all of that yet. At the moment, he doesn't even know that he'll have to find the Mirror of Twilight, where ever it is and go into the Twilight Realm to even fight Zant. I know that I should tell him, but the time will come for all of that. As far as what will happen to him though after it's all said and done, I simply don't know. I guess he'll be the hero and everything, but after that… well, that's up to him. And so, I simply tell him that. "I don't know," I say vaguely, but then I laugh to lighten the mood. "I guess we'll find out once we do so. Now come on! Snap to it and get that last Fused Shadow!"

WRITER'S BLOCK IS EVIL! Yeah so, sorry it took me so long to update and i am so sorry that this chapter turned out to be much longer than expected. I just had so much i had to fit into it. I have a feeling that the next chapter is going to be pretty short though and then we get to the good stuff! :D so yeah... Until next time!