Chapter 21- Rescue
When Link emerged from the castle, the courtyard, now in bright colors, had changed pleasantly for the better. The King waited in the pond, looking thoughtful. Link stood at the edge of the dock, ready to impress, ready to show the King that their previous discussion didn't matter.
He opened his mouth, and his voice came out high and hesitant.
"Um… I'm back," he said.
The King looked up. He seemed distracted at first, but he quickly came to himself.
"Ah, Link," he said. "Or, should I say, young hero. Congratulations on a job well done."
"Uh… Thank you," Link said uneasily.
"Climb aboard," said the King.
As soon as he finished speaking, a second ring of light appeared in the center of the pond. The King must have noticed Link's hesitant manner, because he continued speaking.
"Link," the King said. "I have been thinking about our earlier… discussion."
Link raised his eyebrows in surprise. The boat went on.
"I wanted to assure you," the King said, "that as soon as our foe is defeated, I shall tell you everything you need to know—about this place, about Ganon, everything."
Link stared at the King, momentarily at a loss for words. He cleared his throat.
"Thank you," Link said. "Really. Thank you."
The boat smiled at him.
"Shall we be off, then?"
"Yes," Link said. "To the Forsaken Fortress!"
ooo
Boy and boat sped across the open sea, the sea breeze strong at their backs. Link felt as if the wind was on their side, urging them forward, urging them to victory.
The King was quiet as they traveled, leaving Link time to think. It was strange to be back on the surface, away from that still, silent kingdom beneath the waves. It would have been easy for Link to dismiss the whole occurrence as a dream, if not for the sword strapped to his back.
Thinking of the sword, Link couldn't help but frown. He had been feeling more than a little uneasy ever since his first use of the sword, in that battle against the monsters in the castle. Of course, there was that matter of all the monsters disappearing before he could defeat them, and there were his questions about the kingdom and its connection to the Hero of Time, but that wasn't all. The fact was that it had felt so good, fighting with the Master Sword. It had felt right. And yet… he couldn't dismiss the idea that there had been something… lacking, during the battle. He couldn't put his finger on why he felt this way.
Link turned these thoughts over and over in his head. He considered sharing them with the King of Red Lions, and was even starting to lean forward to do so, when he stopped.
He was being foolish. There was nothing for him to worry about. The Master Sword would ensure his victory over Ganon and the safety of his sister. What he was experiencing now were probably just nerves.
Hoping to distract himself, Link leaned forward slightly to speak to the King, raising his voice so as to be heard over the pounding waves.
"How close are we?" he said.
"We should spot the fortress any moment now," said the King.
They fell silent again. Link wondered what the King of Red Lions was thinking about. Was the boat as nervous as he was, or did he have more faith in their quest than Link did? He tried to read the King's expression, but it was impossible to see his face from that angle.
True to the King's word, the twisted hulk of the Forsaken Fortress soon appeared on the horizon. Link shivered at the sudden chill in the air. Night was already well under way, but the darkness of the hour seemed to deepen the closer they sailed to the Fortress.
"Keep your eyes open, my boy," said the King softly. "We are unlikely to gain easy entrance into Ganon's strong—turn!"
Link gasped and threw all his weight against the tiller, sending the King sharply to the right. He barely managed to avoid the explosives-filled barrel the boat had spotted just in time. No sooner had Link accomplished the turn when he spotted another mine. Link sent them into a lurch that nearly capsized them.
"Duck!" the King shouted.
Link dove down to the deck as a bomb sailed over his head, launched from a nearby boat marked with a skull seal.
"The gate!" called the King. "Make for the gate before it closes! Hurry!"
Sure enough, the wooden gate of the Forsaken Fortress, visible just a few feet ahead, was lowering shut.
Link threw all his focus into keeping the boat on a straight, fast course. He ignored the smell of smoke and explosives all around him. At this rate, he was likely to be hit by something, but he couldn't think of that. He just had to make it to the gate.
A lucky gust of wind caught the sail, sending them surging through the gate just before it lowered into the water with a splash. Link sank to the deck, breathing heavily.
"We made it."
"Thank goodness," said the King.
They had emerged in the same courtyard Link had found himself in when Tetra had first launched him into the Forsaken Fortress. He recognized the stone dock where he had been captured by the Moblin guards. He steered the King over, and they both caught their breath.
The King of Red Lions shook his head as if to clear it.
"Well," he said, "it would seem that Ganon is aware of our little incursion."
"No kidding."
"But you need not fear, Link," he said. "For you have the Master Sword. It shall shine in the darkness, casting back evil. With it, you cannot fail."
The King looked Link directly in the eye, his gaze almost a warning. Had he somehow sensed Link's doubts?
"I understand," Link said.
"Good. I will await you here."
"Will you be all right on your own?" Link said. "If Ganon knows we're here…"
The boat looked taken aback. His reply contained genuine warmth.
"Do not concern yourself with my safety," the boat said. "I have ways of protecting myself. Focus on your task."
"All right. If you're sure."
"Go well, my boy."
Link headed off. He glanced back at his companion and waved goodbye. In spite of the King's words, he couldn't quite put a stop to his feelings of foreboding. At the same time, he was buzzing with adrenaline. Aryll was close. He wouldn't be calm until she was out of harm's way.
The King, for his part, kept his eyes fixed on Link. His brow furrowed.
"Go well," he said again, softly. He stared down at the water, as if he were looking into the depths of the sea. "Or this old fool won't be able to live with himself."
ooo
Link followed a flight of stairs up to a plaza lit with searchlights. He surveyed the space ahead from the top step, staying just out of range of the lights. At the far side of the plaza, Link could see a walkway leading up to the Fortress ramparts. If Link could just reach that path, he would be able to find his way back to the tower where Aryll was being held prisoner. But the searchlights were going to pose a problem. He couldn't afford to get locked in a cell again. Or worse.
On the other hand, he did have the Master Sword. He hadn't had any sort of weapon on his previous visit to the Fortress, and now he had the most powerful blade possible. He would be equal to the challenge posed by any guard.
Link took a deep, fortifying breath, and stepped off the staircase and into the glare of the searchlights.
No alarms sounded. No Moblin guards appeared.
Link took another tentative step forward. Then another, then another. Nothing challenged him. He felt the lights from the towers boring into the back of his neck. At every moment he expected to feel a spear pierce his body, a fist connect with his skull, but the plaza remained empty and silent. Link kept walking.
More than halfway across the plaza, he started to relax. Maybe Ganon was less aware of their presence than the King had believed. Link smiled grimly.
A deep, cold laugh filled the air.
Link froze. He drew his sword.
"Ganon?" he said quietly.
The laugh came again, like a rumble of thunder. Link looked all around the plaza. It remained empty.
"Ganon!" Link said, with all the force he could muster. "I know you're there! Show yourself!"
There was no response. Link began to wonder if he had imagined the laugh, if he was all alone with the empty plaza, the searchlights, and the shadows they formed.
The shadows. There was something about them that wasn't quite right. In the darkest corner of the plaza, the shadows were deeper than they should have been. Link hadn't been aware of it had first, but now he could see the shadows converging, solidifying into a form—into the outline of a man.
The shadow figure rose until it floated several feet above Link's head. Link looked up at it, eyes wide, hand clenched tight around the hilt of his sword. The phantom was tall, with eyes that glowed white. It wore a flowing cape of darkness and a horned helm. It carried a long, black sword. Link knew immediately who the shadow was meant to resemble.
The two figures, Link and the Phantom Ganon, faced one another. Still looking at Link, the phantom raised a ghostly hand. A shining ball of white light formed on its palm, crackling with energy. Link stood transfixed. With a light flick of its wrist, Phantom Ganon tossed the ball straight at Link's head.
Link jumped to the side and felt the heat of the glowing orb as it passed him by. The ball hit the flagstones and exploded into nothing, leaving a black, smoking burn mark where it had landed.
The phantom laughed. Once again, light crackled between its fingers.
"Oh no you don't," said Link.
Quickly, he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, released the bowstring. The arrow passed uselessly through the phantom's forehead, to land with a clatter on the stones below. Link lowered the bow and glared up at the mocking phantom. Just as he'd suspected.
Phantom Ganon released a second ball of energy. Link stood his ground. He didn't want to run anymore. He held up the Master Sword, defiant. The orb came closer. Link swung…
The orb bounced off his sword with a clank, shot back towards Phantom Ganon. The phantom struck the orb in turn, sending it back towards Link. Back and forth went the orb, faster and faster in a deadly volley. Sweat streamed from Link's brow, but he couldn't pause to wipe it away. He needed every ounce of his focus.
Clang! Another hit. But this time, the phantom wasn't ready. The orb struck it full in the chest. The phantom roared in pain. Its head lulled, and it sank slowly to the ground.
Link ran at the fallen phantom, Master Sword raised. But even as he did, the phantom straightened to its full height. It slashed at Link, who put up his sword in response, blocking the attack. The two pressed against each other's blades, locked in their struggle. The phantom was much stronger than Link, but the Master Sword seemed equal to the figure's power. With a screech of metal against metal, Link broke the phantom's hold, slicing it across the chest.
The phantom clutched at its wound. It glared at Link, its glowing eyes fierce.
Link expected the shadow to fall, or attempt to attack him again. But Phantom Ganon did neither. It straightened, sheathed its sword, and floated just out of Link's reach. It hovered in midair, doing nothing, simply looking at the boy on the ground. Then, it pulled its cape across its body and vanished in a puff of black smoke.
Its laugh rang out in the night air.
ooo
Shaken as he was by his encounter with Phantom Ganon, Link made quick progress through the Fortress. Retracing his previous route through the building was a simple matter. He didn't meet many guards on his way up, and those he did meet were easily dispatched. The Master Sword truly was unstoppable.
Except in the case of those undersea monsters, he reminded himself. Not to mention Phantom Ganon.
It was these exceptions that worried him.
When Link heard the squawking of seagulls, he knew that he had finally arrived at the tower where Aryll was imprisoned, the tower he had entered previously to such disastrous consequences. Link's sense of déjà vu was so strong that he almost lost his resolve. If the bird caught him off guard again, it would all be over.
He scanned the skies for the bird. There was no sign of it, and its gigantic nest atop the tallest tower was empty. It must have been out patrolling somewhere. Link felt himself relax, but not completely.
Link stepped forward and pushed on the enormous wooden door—slowly, so that it wouldn't creak. He entered the room and eased the door closed. So far so good. But now came the real test. Would the door lock behind him? Heart pounding, he took one careful, careful step forward. He waited.
The door did not lock.
Relieved, Link looked across the room to the cage where the girls were kept. This time, he recognized the sallow, pug-like face of the Windfall Island beggar's daughter, and the pale, haughty face of the rich man's daughter. But these were not the faces he cared about. Crouched on the floor, staring at the boards as if she'd lost all hope, was the person he most wanted to see.
No longer mindful of the danger, Link crossed the room. He stopped in front of his sister, and crouched down to her level.
"Aryll," he said softly.
Slowly, Aryll looked up. The expression on her face was one Link would never forget. It was like the sun breaking through the clouds, like she would never be sad again.
"Link," she said. Her voice broke. "You came back."
Link took her hands and squeezed them gently.
"That's right," he said. "It's okay. You're safe now."
He looked around the room.
"We just have to find away to get you out of here—get all of you out," he said.
He directed that last part at the other imprisoned girls. They were crowding closer to the reunited siblings, their faces full of hope.
"Don't worry," Aryll said, turning to address the others. "Link will save us. He's my big brother."
Link stood up and began examining the cell door. He was flattered by Aryll's confidence in him, but when it came down to it, he had no idea how he was going to unlock the cell. Why hadn't he thought of this before?
As if to test them, he pulled on the bars.
"The cell's not going to open that easily," said a familiar voice.
Link turned, hardly believing his ears. In the doorway stood Tetra, Gonzo, and one of their strongest crew members.
Link could have hugged all three of them, even stupid Gonzo.
"How did you-?" Link said. "When-?"
Tetra suppressed a smile.
"Quit your babbling, Link," she said. "We followed you here. Arrived only minutes after you did. Who did you think lured the bird away? Now, step aside. My men will take care of this lock."
She waved the muscular men forward. The two of them yanked on the door, and in a moment it came free, practically ripping from its hinges. The moment the door was open, the girls streamed out, chattering with excitement and nerves. Only Aryll remained behind in the cell. As soon as the other girls had cleared out of the way, she ran towards Link with a cry of happiness. Link caught her in his arms and hugged her tight.
He didn't care what happened next. At that moment, all that mattered was that they were together again.
Tetra's high pitched whistle brought them back to reality. Link put Aryll down. The siblings and the rest of the girls turned their attention to Tetra.
"We've come to rescue you," she said simply. "If you want to get home safe and sound, you'll stay quiet and do as I say."
"But you're pirates," the rich man's daughter said. She spoke the last word as if it tasted unpleasant. "Why should we listen to you?"
Tetra looked as if she were about to say something, but Aryll stepped in first.
"So what if they're pirates, Mila?" she said. "They're here to help us, so you'd better listen to them."
Mila glared at Aryll, but the younger girl didn't so much as flinch under her gaze. Link stared at his sister, impressed.
Mila backed down under Aryll's stare.
"Sorry," she muttered.
"Apology accepted," said Tetra. "Okay. You half, you're with Gonzo in the green. Other half, follow Senza."
As the groups organized, Tetra turned her attention back to Link and Aryll. Her expression was gentler than usual.
"I hate to interrupt your reunion," she said, "but I'd better send you off with the others, Aryll. Link has things to do, and it's too dangerous for you to stay here."
Aryll turned to Link, eyes wide.
"But, Link, why?"
Link placed a hand on each of her shoulder's and looked her seriously in the eye.
"Because there's a person, an evil person, I have to defeat. I'm the only one who can do it, and if I do, no one else will be kidnapped. So I have to stay behind. See?"
Aryll's lip trembled, but there was resolve in her eyes.
"I'll stay and help you," she said.
"No way," said Link. "Aryll, you have an important job to do. Grandma is waiting for you on Outset Island, and you have to stay safe so that you can see her again."
Aryll said nothing. Then, she nodded.
"Okay," she said. "I understand."
Link hugged her one more time. Aryll smiled sadly, and hurried off to join the exiting captives. Just before leaving, she turned and shouted.
"You'd better not get hurt!"
Link waved back.
"I'll do my best!" he said.
She nodded seriously. She hurried through the door and was gone.
Gonzo hung back slightly. He looked at Tetra expectantly. She waved him away.
"Go on," she said. "I'll catch up with you in a minute."
He looked a little put-off, but he nodded and headed off after his group, leaving Link and Tetra alone.
"Will they be okay?" Link said.
"Of course, though their parents are going to have to pay one hefty reward for our trouble."
She grinned at Link.
"Usually I'd expect you to pay too, but this time, it's on me."
"How generous of you."
"Don't mention—"
Tetra's eyes widened and she abruptly cut herself off.
"What is it?" he said. "Is there something on my face?"
Even as he asked the question, he realized that she was not looking at his face, but at his left shoulder, where the Master Sword's hilt was visible.
"Turn around, Link," she said.
He hesitated, but obeyed when he saw the serious look on her face. He turned.
She gasped.
"That's—but that's not possible," she said.
"What's not possible?" he said. "Are you talking about the Mast—"
Link was interrupted by a harsh, screeching call. He and Tetra froze, turning their gazes towards the open ceiling. Far overhead, the bird circled.
"I guess I'd better skedaddle," Tetra said, back to her old self. "I'd stay to help, but I need to make sure that those idiots get back to the ship all right."
"I understand," Link said. "Take care of Aryll. And take care of yourself, for that matter."
Tetra smiled.
"I'll be back," she said. "That's a promise."
She winked, then ducked out of the room. The bird circled, growing closer. Link took a deep breath and drew the Master Sword. He planted his feet and prepared himself.