Chapter 20
Sin City
"I am tired of fighting... Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I shall fight no more forever!"
-Chief Joseph
We were moving very fast. The moment we all woke up, there was no conversation. Link just put the gauntlets on and then played the Requiem of Spirit. I felt the disorientation and quickly put up my bubble. The sand flickered off of it. (We didn't even stop to eat. Link said we'd stop sometime in the temple after we made some progress.)
When I looked around at the temple, it was as if nothing changed. The spot where Nabooru was taken was totally normal, and... the only thing that had changed at all was the treasure chest in Anubis' outstretched hand. Now it was open. We didn't spend much time looking at the differences. We walked in and straight to the block obstructing our entry deeper into the temple. Link put his hands on each side of the block, and Navi flew in front of him.
"Link, even though you're wearing gauntlets that give you superhuman strength, remember to lift with your legs, not your back."
He nodded. "I'm familiar with lifting things."
She smiled. "Okay, just being sure."
When she flew back out of the way, I felt something. I... I could sense something beyond this statue. No, nothing really "evil" as in the Void... it was something strange. Yes, there was danger beyond the statue; I knew that. But... it felt like something was keeping me from seeing what else was to come. I felt limited.
"Jack, you okay?"
I nodded uncertainly. "I guess so... Navi, do you feel... bound?"
She returned my nod with one of her own. "Yes... come to think of it, I didn't feel this way 7 years ago... Ganondorf must be trying to prevent us from helping Link. I cannot tell what waits beyond this door."
Link opened it anyway. "We'll just be careful."
0.0
None of us ever thought it could get more confusing in this temple than it was 7 years ago. I swear I could hear someone talking in another language; no, not close by or anything. The part of the temple we were now exploring seemed to be built for acoustics. Link's boot clattering echoed through the temple halls. Torches and some select few holes in the ceiling were the only things to aid our vision.
It was... almost too quiet. The most we'd been seeing were Keese. Link simply cut them in half as they came along like all they were was a mild irritant. We saw a few sarcophagi so far, but they were all so broken down that anything inside would've had to vacate long ago.
We saw some kind of stone carving that resembled the sun with eyes closed. Under it was a plaque:
Solar looked unto the wanderers that danced around it. Satisfied with the work it put into its young kin, Solar closed its eyes, to awaken once more as it sees the light.
"Link, 50 moneys say that we need to get a source of light onto this carving."
Link glanced at me. "Maybe the Fire Arrows?"
Navi and I agreed with him. "That could work."
When Link shot the fire arrow at the carving, absolutely nothing happened. Link looked to both Navi and myself for advice, but we were drawing a blank.
"Hmph..."
He tried again, but there was no response from the carving.
"Hey... maybe it isn't the fire arrow after all..." said Navi.
"I don't have anything else that could let this thing 'see the light'."
I've always hated riddles... these are no exception.
"Maybe... maybe there's something that can help further in this temple..." Navi mused.
Link nodded. "You're probably right. How do you guys feel? Do you feel the temple sapping your magic still?"
I shook my head. "It's not sapping it. It's blocking our senses. We don't know what's ahead, Link. Try to think of what you encountered 7 years ago."
We decided to go on what Navi was suggesting. She seemed... almost certain that whatever it was that the riddle was referring to was further in the temple. I wasn't even certain if the carving meant anything or not. Still, we didn't get this far by saying "It was probably nothing."
My idea that the carving was nonsensical was shot out of the sky when we started passing a few that had light shining on them. The eyes were open on them.
"Sunlight! We need to find something to reflect sunlight!"
Link sounded more certain than he really was. We didn't have anything to reflect light on us, so we continued on.
T_T
By the second hour in the temple we came into one room where the door slammed shut behind us. Iron bars blocked our exit. The room was similar to the room we found Caterina in.
Sure enough, an Iron Knuckle sat at the top of a few stairs. Two sarcophagi lay on each side of the throne in which he sat. Like the one Link defeated several years ago, it did not react to his presence; not even as Link approached with a sword drawn.
The coffins on either side of the Iron Knuckle reacted. The tops opened up and two Gibdo climbed out. One let out a screech and Link was frozen to the spot. The Gibdos shuffled towards Link, and I could tell he was trying to break free of his paralysis, but to no avail.
We were lucky the Iron Knuckle wasn't attacking yet. It didn't take long for us to figure out that the Iron Knuckle wouldn't engage us unless we touched it- or stabbed it.
The Gibdo... that's another story.
After a few more agonizingly slow seconds, Link managed to break free from the paralysis, but not before a Gibdo tackled him to the ground and started trying to bite his neck.
Once again, Canis' armor turned out to be a complete life saver. Had we never come across that wolf... Link would've been in trouble a while ago. After a few moments of Link trying to get his arms back from the paralysis, he grabbed the gibdo by the neck while the other stood by, seemingly to let the former have its victim.
The gibdo he grabbed by the neck started making a strange gurgling noise. It seemed like Link was choking it. Slowly, it brought its bandaged hands up to Link's to try to free itself. Link rolled over on top of it and put one hand on the top of the abomination's head. He jerked the head to one side and the gibdo fell limp.
Link didn't look the other gibdo in the eyes, but he sure heard it coming. He brought his ocarina to his lips and played the Sun's Song, freezing the second gibdo to the spot. Link put the ocarina away and ran towards the frozen gibdo, sword outstretched.
...I can only describe the resulting impact in one way: The sword won.
Link hit the gibdo with such force that he broke the paralysis on it and sent it to the ground. Who says you can only kill zombies by shooting them in the head? Link stabbed one through the stomach and did it in!
With the two gibdo dead, Link took a moment to regain his composure, and then he approached the Iron Knuckle. Instead of tapping it, slicing at it, or stabbing it, Link took a bomb, lit the fuse, and put it on top of the throne so it didn't touch the Iron Knuckle.
"Take cover!" he shouted. Navi and I darted out of the way, and Link dove off to the side behind one sarcophagus.
Well... the explosion didn't kill the Iron Knuckle. At best, it just broke the throne and made the enemy fall backwards. He didn't show it, but I could tell that was all Link really wanted to happen. The Iron Knuckle tried to stand up and look tough, but it's kind of hard to look scary when you're crawling off the wreckage of what was once a chair, specifically a throne.
I could make out light scratches on the armor from the explosion, scratches that could probably be buffed out. Although I couldn't see the Iron Knuckle's eyes so well, I knew it was glaring at Link. The grip it had on its battleaxe never loosened during the explosion. I gulped when I saw how sharp this axe was. I never really had much of a chance to look at the blade of the one Link fell seven years ago; it was swinging it around too wildly and I wasn't interested in seeing what my insides look like.
I took this brief chance to stare at the axe, and I sincerely hoped Link was either feeling agile, or his armor was very strong.
He dodged the first swing relatively easily. The blade caught one of the sarcophagi and put a decent-sized cleave in the side. The Iron Knuckle needed a moment to pull the blade loose again, but Link didn't manage a slice.
When the blade was free the Iron Knuckle charged forward at Link (as fast as such a heavily armored person could move, at least). He knocked Link to the ground with his elbow and brought the axe above his head, but Link rolled to the side. The battleaxe's impact with the ground sent debris in all directions. Navi was at a safe distance but I have no depth perception so I swung my arm to create a small shield and deflect one piece headed for my torso.
It was around there that I decided to get closer to Navi. That decision may have prolonged my life. Link had to dodge a few consecutive swings, jumping backward each time. It wasn't long before he was cornered. The Iron Knuckle didn't allow for any chances to escape. It didn't take a minute to savor victory, didn't back up a tad to get a good slice, and certainly didn't want to keep fighting. It brought the axe up and Link sighed.
Link's Hylian Shield started off shiny and once had various symbols on it. There was once blue paint on it among other colors. After seven years of abuse, the shield still could stand up to various enemies, but not without paying a few prices. The paint had faded off and the shield was now very deformed. There were various scratches and dents, rust, and even a hole in one spot. The only thing that lent itself to what the shield may have originally looked like to a stranger was the faint picture of the Triforce, still trying to shine on his shield despite the forces working to corrupt it.
Link knew that using his shield to block the attack was a very unwise decision. If it was able to protect Link from being cut, it still wouldn't protect him from the force behind the attack.
We all heard the loud "TANG!" resulting from the impact of the battleaxe on the shield, but there was another sound mixed in there that almost made me vomit.
I heard a sickening "CRACK!" too. Link started howling with pain and the shield clattered uselessly from his arm (with a rather noticeable crack down the middle). There was a scratch on the vambrace Link wore, but his shield arm wasn't moving. Link knew he couldn't let the pain distract him and he just rolled past the Iron Knuckle, bringing his sword through the leather connecting a few pieces of armor on the way. He let out a loud groan as his hurt arm hit the ground, but adrenaline combined with the desire to not die prevented him from whimpering.
I had no idea how injured Link's arm was. I know Navi let out a concerned "Link!" when she saw what happened (I was too numb to make a peep), but he didn't respond to her.
Now, Link was careful. He glanced behind him between the swings of the Iron Knuckle. At one point he tried to take cover behind a column in the room. The Iron Knuckle couldn't break through it, but he could hit it and get Link to stumble in surprise.
The beast started to toy with Link. It started swinging sloppy, easy to dodge strikes to get Link's confidence up... but then it would take it away again with a precise strike that would nearly take Link's head off. His arm was curled to his chest and all he'd managed was to remove one of the Iron Knuckle's vambraces so far, though that's not to say that he didn't cut through other straps connecting pieces of armor.
By now the battle wasn't looking so good, but I saw Link eye the exposed arm of the Iron Knuckle. He sheathed his sword and the Iron Knuckle paused a moment, wondering if his opponent was giving up or planning on something.
Link called for the Megaton Hammer. The Iron Knuckle actually watched in amusement while Link fumbled to get the hammer onto his shoulder for support (he couldn't use his other arm). When he managed, the Iron Knuckle brought its battleaxe up, probably thinking the battle was over.
It was far from over. Link sidestepped the attack and bucked forward, bringing the Megaton Hammer down on the exposed arm of the Iron Knuckle with as much force as he could muster with the one arm. It was certainly enough, because we all heard another loud "CRACK!" and saw the arm snap like a twig. We also all heard the voice of the Iron Knuckle for the first time. It was a very deep groan/scream.
I could see the bone poking through the skin on its arm. Link put away the Megaton Hammer and went for his sword again.
The Iron Knuckle took a moment to look at its arm and the battleaxe, and seemed to understand that the primary weapon was useless for anything other than show. It drew its sword with its good arm and started trying to swing at Link. Now, the attacks were quicker, but the beast itself wasn't, if that makes any sense. Link blocked a slice with his sword and brought his foot up to knock the Iron Knuckle off balance. He kicked the enemy's shattered arm and quickly followed through with a few slices to the straps securing its chest plate. It didn't clatter to the ground, but the Iron Knuckle seemed to understand that the battle was not yet decided.
Now it was on the defensive. Link couldn't get an opening to cut at the armor. He stopped for a moment and pointed with his sword.
"You're going to leave this in a box!"
With a loud grunt, the Iron Knuckle lunged with its sword and Link pivoted to the side, expertly kicking the wrist of the enemy and sending the sword clattering to the ground. He cut through the remaining straps and the chest plate clattered to the ground.
The Iron Knuckle let out a howl. It brought a fist up into Link's stomach faster than he could react and also knocked the sword out of his grip, as well... but Link still had his secondary weapon: the knife on his leg.
The Iron Knuckle went to go pick up its sword but Link charged it, stabbing it through the back several times. The flurries of attacks weren't enough to stop the Iron Knuckle, but at least he was making progress.
The Iron Knuckle elbowed Link's chin and managed to regain its sword, but Link made no effort to regain the Master Sword. The Iron Knuckle stabbed at him and he sidestepped the attack, took a step forward, and sliced at its collarbone. I could tell Link was aiming for the throat... but... what can you do?
Again the Iron Knuckle tried to stab Link and this time succeeded. For a moment I stared in horror but smiled when I saw the sword bounce off Link's armor. The irony was so thick I could cut it with a- never mind.
Link leapt forward and drove the knife through the Iron Knuckle's heart, then brought it up through its throat. He pulled free again and prepared to fight some more. The Iron Knuckle went to bring its sword up to swing at Link again, but the blade fell from its grip and clattered to the floor. The enemy itself fell to its knees, and then face first onto the dusty ground.
Link was panting and shivering. He too fell to his knees, cradling his bad arm. He took the vambrace off and I almost vomited again.
Link's arm... it was in bad shape, to say the least. The bone wasn't through the skin but it was definitely broken; crooked and bent.
Without our say, Caterina popped out of her bottle.
"Hey, kiddo. My, my... you grew. And your arm looks like an accordion. Want me to make it look like an arm again?"
He was eyeing her. Shock was setting in. Anyone with half a brain would be able to tell based on how pale he was. "Fix it."
"I could charge you-"
"Fix. My. Arm."
"Don't you say please?"
"Fix. My. Arm. Or. I'll. Turn. You. Into. Confetti."
Caterina put her hands out. "In my defense, you kept me cooped up in-"
"Fix it! Please!"
Caterina huffed. "Fine."
With that, she flew around Link a few times and I saw the color quickly return to his face. We couldn't hear the bone cracking into place again, but we could see it. Imagine watching an arm break in reverse.
Suddenly Caterina was gone and so was the deep irritation we all felt towards her. At least she did a good job.
"Link... are you okay?" asked Navi. He nodded. "I'm fine now."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded again, then glanced at his mangled shield a few feet away. "Can't say the same about that, though."
We heard something clatter to the floor and Link drew his sword in preparation for another battle... but no battle was waiting. A treasure chest had fallen and Link instinctively took a few steps toward it.
"Hope this isn't a trap..."
He kicked the rusted lock on the chest and the top creaked open. Link smiled, and then spared a look at the retired Hylian Shield.
"What's this, a blessing from Farore?" (I'm sure she gave a thumbs-up from the clouds.)
Link pulled a new shield out from the chest. It was very shiny and had a red trim to it. A sun and crescent moon were engraved in the top left corner of the silver middle, but other than that there were no noteworthy characteristics.
Suddenly, we heard a voice (a different voice from what I heard earlier).
"Speculum reflectitur scutum percutit atque leves."
Link blinked. "What?"
The same voice responded again, but this time in English.
"Awaken Solar with the Mirror Shield."
We looked around for the source of the voice but couldn't find it. It fell silent, and Link took a knee.
"Guys, why don't we eat now? We'll retrace our steps afterward."
My stomach growled, as did Navi's.
"Sounds good," we said at the same time.
Once we sat down, Link cut up a few pieces of fruit for us. As he was doing so, he spared a glance at the body of the Iron Knuckle.
"The white elephant," he muttered. We chuckled.
"I still can't believe Caterina's reaction to your injury. Very rude!"
I said nothing, busying myself with the food. I was starving. For a moment I thought Navi would misinterpret my silence, but she was smarter than that.
"Link... are you worried?"
He glanced at Navi. "Of what?"
"Well... this is the last temple that needs to be cleansed... then we move onto Ganondorf. You seem... tense."
"Navi, I nearly got killed by an Iron Knuckle. Excuse me if I'm a little bit tense."
"Hey, don't talk to me like that!" she warned. He looked to me for support.
"Sorry, Charlie. You're on your own!"
"...Gee, thanks..."
Navi giggled. "I was asking if you were worried about Ganondorf... if you were feeling stressed about having to face him soon..."
Link slowly nodded. "I guess... but I want to talk about something other than this journey... like what we're going to do after!"
Navi smiled. "I promised Jack that we'd play a few songs together."
I smiled. "I promised Navi that we'd play a few songs together."
She glanced at me. "And I think we'll all live happily ever after in the forest with you!"
"And I think we'll all live happily ever after in the forest with you!"
She glanced at me again and Link chuckled.
"And I'm behaving like a child," she said.
"And I'm behaving like a... wait..."
She giggled and we kept eating.
"Link... what do you want to do after?"
"...before I rebuild the Assassins? Maybe... be a kid. I want to play and have fun... before I met you guys I was very shy. I really only spoke to Saria and her fairy... but I want to make friends when we're done."
"Link, that's great!" said Navi. "...but... you've had friends all along! You've got Saria, Canis, Malon, Ruto, Zelda, Impa, Jack, myself, and more!"
He squinted. "You think?"
"No, Link. I hate you," I said. He chuckled.
"Cute."
We kept eating and I kept thinking. Just... how was I going to bring up why I got kicked out of the band? I knew I didn't really have to; I wasn't obliged or anything, but I wanted to. My parents always stressed the importance of honesty... although I can't stand when people say "If you tell me the truth, you won't get in trouble."
Yes, I will. Stop being a hypocrite, and just say "Alright, how pissed off are you going to make me now?" It would save a whole lot of trouble... I digress.
How would I bring it up? "Hey, Navi... listen... I got kicked out of the Fallen Angels because I beat the tar out of my band leader. I was in jail for assault and I basically have been lying this whole time, so let's do this: You say you hate me, I say I hate myself, I go into the fields and become the world's first politician, all the while hating my own guts until the day I start pushing up daisies."
...It's a work in progress.
I finished eating not long after Link. For seven-year-old strawberries and blueberries, it was a good meal!
Link and Navi started chatting about the temple when I thought I heard something behind me. I turned around to look but saw nothing and looked back at Navi, just yapping I heard a low rumbling behind me again.
"What the hell?" I asked. Navi stopped and glanced at me.
"What is it, Jack?"
"I hear something..."
Link stood up quickly and drew his sword. Still... I saw nothing.
"...are you sure? I see nothing..."
"Neither do I... are you sure?"
I shook my head slowly. "Must be my imagination," I reasoned, though I wasn't quite certain myself. Navi and Link resumed chatting and I fell silent, letting my mind wander.
Once again I heard that rumbling sound but thought it was just some paranoia and shrugged it off again. I should never have done that.
I saw Link draw his sword and point behind us, but before I could react, something dark launched itself at Navi, swallowing her up with a loud "Gulp!" and turning on me.
Wait... did that thing just swallow Navi? My eyes widened and I let out a choke (it was a translucent black slime with orange eyes and a wide mouth; very smelly). I was stunned. This creature just popped up out of nowhere. I couldn't sense it! It just ate Navi and now it was heading towards me! I tried to move, but I was paralyzed with fear and grief.
Link wasn't, however. This thing was totally focused on me, and didn't notice Link approach behind it and quickly poke it with his sword. It just... popped like a bubble!
The black sludge that made up this creature covered Navi's motionless form before vanishing into nothingness. I feared the worst but found my muscles again and rushed towards her; tears started to leak from my eyes.
"I... Navi... please wake up!"
Link was silent and kneeling with me. I felt some relief when I picked Navi off the ground; she was still breathing.
"Navi! Navi... please wake up!"
"Jack," said Link. I didn't respond.
"Navi!"
She wouldn't say anything. I brought her close, and felt myself sobbing softly. (I haven't cried like that since Titanic.)
"Jack, let's take her back to our little camp... hey, it's okay, Jack."
"She's hurt, Link! That isn't okay!"
Link picked me up along with Navi. "I'm worried about her, too... but she'll be okay. She has to be."
I said nothing. He set us down by the scraps left of our food and I gently ran a hand through her hair.
She was unconscious for an agonizingly slow hour. There were no words between Link or myself. We were just... waiting. She was hurt before during our journey, but never eaten.
I was distracted by the tears flowing from my eyes, and I remembered what Navi once said to me:
"Fairies carry a lot of magic in their small bodies. Some magic surges into a fairy's tears, making them sparkle and fall to the ground slowly."
"Sacred Hearts..." I finally whispered. I don't think Link heard me.
She wouldn't stir. I wasn't the only one crying. Link had tears leaking from his eyes, too.
It felt like an eternity before she opened her eyes again. When she did, she smiled gently at Link, and then at me.
I sniffled. "Hey, the sun says 'Good morning, Navi'. Any thoughts?"
She giggled tiredly. "What happened?"
"Something attacked you guys," said Link. "It looked like a blob of black slime with orange eyes."
Navi stretched a little and sat up slowly. "It ate me, didn't it?"
I cringed, and she put a hand to my cheek. "I guess that means 'yes'... Aw, don't worry you guys! I'm okay!"
I pulled her into a hug which she returned, and we had to hug Link in spirit (lest we be crushed).
"It was a Darkling," she said after I released her. "Darklings are magic-eating creatures. They are difficult to sense, incredibly stupid, and smell terrible... They're mostly harmless alone but can be very dangerous in groups. Just keep swinging your sword until they stop moving, Link."
"Ganondorf must be fed up with your assisting me," muttered Link. We agreed with him.
"You know what that means, Link?" I asked, my throat a little raspy. "The guy is scared. He's afraid of you, Link!"
Navi nodded. "He's right, but it seems like he thinks that getting rid of Jack or I would stop you."
Link shook his head. "If he took either of you from me, I'd make it twice as painful."
I eyed Link for a few more moments. He was... almost certain he was going to win. No, no! That's not a problem! He's not overconfident; just... determined.
Any doubt I had in Link evaporated right there. One way or another, Ganondorf was falling. No matter what trick Ganondorf has up his sleeve, one thing felt like it was written in stone:
He was going down, and there was nothing he could do... to stop it.
Once we were certain Navi was alright we backtracked to the stone carving of "Solar", leaving the ruined Hylian Shield behind. (It felt as if we'd lost a companion. Bite me, Eden.) We encountered no more darklings along the way. I assumed they were abundant deeper in the temple.
When we reached Solar, Link looked around for a potential source of light. There were a few holes in the ceiling, but they weren't big enough to produce the light Link needed. He did, however, see an old red curtain blocking a window.
"That looks flammable," he said. I looked down at Link.
"The only thing separating you from an 18-year-old pyromaniac is the fate of the world."
Link ignored me and called for his bow and the fire arrow. When the magical arrow appeared in his quiver, all of the others became infused with its magic. He had 37 fire arrows.
Aiming this particular elemental arrow was no doubt difficult. The moment he nocked it flames erupted at the tip, obstructing Link's vision. His accuracy was lowered and I could see beads of sweat slowly form from the heat.
He let the arrow loose and promptly rubbed his eyes. Be it luck or skill he landed the shot in one try, and the curtain blocking the window began to burn.
Soon, the entire curtain was burning to ashes and sunlight began peering through the now exposed window. Something was strange, though. The light... it was brighter through this window than it was in the little cracks and holes in the ceiling made by time.
Link took his spot in the light and took a moment to bask. I glanced at his shield and quickly regretted it.
They didn't call it the Mirror Shield for nothing! It was very good at reflecting light. Into my eyes. When I looked away, I saw the reflection cast on the wall before Link took the shield off his back and inadvertantly blinded me again. Navi wisely shut her eyes. This may very well be Natural Selection at work.
When Link aimed the reflection at Solar, I heard a "clunk" and some crumbling. Through my tortured eyes I managed to make out some brick falling off a wall leading to a new door. I rubbed my eyes a few times, trying desperately to stop my eyes from complaining. When I finally managed to get most of my sight back, Link and Navi were already about 100 feet down the hall that just opened up. I looked from my left to my right.
"...Hey! Wait for me!"
"You snooze, you lose Jack!" chimed Navi.
.~.
"Guys, get high into the air!" ordered Link as he drove his sword through another darkling. We didn't need to be told twice.
The room we were in at this time was absolutely crawling with those disgusting hunks of jello. (Insert half-empty joke regarding Bill Cosby here).
Most of the darklings were more interested in the two fairies in the room than Link. They were all practically climbing on top of each other and hopping trying to reach us. I was surprised they didn't fuse together into one big hunk of jello. I wasn't complaining that they did no such thing, though.
If Navi and I were to fly any higher, we'd have to become part of the ceiling. Link was swinging his sword wildly, trying his hardest to protect us.
My eyes widened; my wing twitched. I started to slowly sink from the air and Navi made a mad grab for me, but I managed to right myself before I got too close and became lunch.
Link was panting, but he was lessening the darkling threat in the room. By the time it was safe for Navi and myself to descent, Link was covered with so much... darkling that I could've assumed he was one, too.
It wasn't long, however, before the gelatin covering him began to vanish. The stench, however... did not.
If only that armor was also stench-proof. He smelled bad and it made Navi almost gag, but... he was no rotten egg. Or bloated squirrel. Or spoiled milk. Still, we both thanked him for his intervention and he waved it off.
"Let's continue."
We kept moving, and Link stuck his sword out as yet another darkling made itself known. The stupid thing ran itself into the sword trying to get to him.
The next few corridors were so dim that Link needed to nock a fire arrow in front of him just to see until he found a torch to carry. There were no carvings of "Solar" in this room, but I heard a voice again- this time speaking in plain English.
"...And Din said unto Solar "No man shall set foot in these sacred sands save for once every hundred years; one of my sand children will bear a male child." Solar agreed to these terms, and in turn Din became the Goddess worshiped by the sand children: The Gerudo."
Link walked slowly, his head darting this way and that searching for the source of the voice.
"...but in 1198, a new Gerudo King began his quest for power. That same year, this King destroyed the warring Order of Assassins and Knights Templar when each made an attempt on his life. Praise be to Ganondorf."
"Praise be to Ganondorf,"
said several dozen new voices at once.
"Is this... a mass?" I whispered. Link shrugged.
"Ganondorf spared one Assassin and placed a curse upon his shoulders- a message to others of what may happen to those who attempt to buck the system. This cursed assassin wanders the lands today as part of the animal kingdom, as a cursed wolf. Fear Ganondorf's might."
"Fear Ganondorf's might."
"There is but one true danger to Ganondorf's rule, a Hylian who desires nothing more than to destroy our great King. The unavoidable conflict between this horrid Hylian and our great King has not yet occurred but is already decided. The so-called "Hero of Time" will fall, and Ganondorf will be made to rule as he so deserves. Bow to the great one."
"Bow to the great one."
The mass continued in this fashion, but it didn't seem like whoever was preaching knew Link was so close. We wandered slowly, and Link drew the sword.
"This Hylian uses the blade of evil's bane, yet it is through his own corruption that the sword which evil ones could never touch is now a dark weapon; it succumbs to the evils of this man's heart."
"Lies," grumbled Link. He swung his sword at an approaching darkling.
"Din desires nothing more than his death while the two weaker sisters Nayru and Farore desire his success. Din will be the victor; her sisters are no match. Beware the wrath of Din."
"Beware the wrath of Din."
I could feel it; a strong anger coming from above. It was so strong that it easily pierced whatever shroud covered this temple and blocked my sensitivity; it was almost a God like fury.
"Navi... do you feel that?"
She nodded. "I do! That's... I think either Din, Farore, or Nayru are trying to tell us that the preacher is wrong."
"You are correct, Navi."
We all stopped, and the air around us started to shimmer. After a few moments, everything around us had turned a dull blue color (except Link, Navi, and myself). The preacher above was silent, and it was then that I noticed the torch Link carried... the flame appeared to be frozen. I looked behind me and nearly shouted in surprise.
A darkling had been sneaking up on us and was frozen with its mouth wide open.
Navi and Link turned in my direction (Navi cringed at the darkling) and it was then that I noticed not far off from the smelly creature was a very beautiful woman with glowing green hair. Her eyes were as green as a healthy field and I was reminded of a beautiful forest. She wore silks of the purest white and light brown sandals. A medallion in the shape of the Triforce was around her neck.
"Link... my Hero of Time and his two fairy partners... it is great to meet all of you."
Link eyed this woman with an unreadable expression on his face. "Who are you?" he asked. "Are you a witch?"
The woman smiled a gentle, almost motherly smile. "I am not a witch. I am Farore, the Goddess of Courage."
At those words, Link immediately took a knee. Navi bowed her head and I panicked and saluted her like she was from the Marine Corps.
"...Great Farore... Goddess of courage... to what do I owe this great pleasure?"
Farore took a few steps forward and smiled at Navi and I. She held a hand down for Link.
"Stand, Hero of Time. I come to deliver warnings, information, and a gift."
Link stood as per her wishes and Navi and I rested on his shoulders. Link was totally stunned.
"The preacher you hear above is not a true preacher. She is Twinrova, the mother of Ganondorf."
"The mother of Ganondorf?" we echoed. Farore smiled.
"Yes, his mother. Twinrova is a Gerudo witch. She is a vicious, unforgiving, vile being of this earth. Had Ganondorf been raised by kind, proper parents, he would have become a great king of the desert; he could have brought Hyrule into a Golden Age... but he was corrupted by his own mother."
We were all respectfully silent, allowing the powerful Goddess to continue.
"She wanted much more than just the desert. She wanted much more than just Hyrule. If there was a way for her to leave this planet and conquer others, she would. If she could conquer more than just one universe, she would not stop until she had infinitely many. However, she is earthbound as is her son... and so her desires must cease at the Earth."
Farore put her hand down on the darkling and it glowed a bright light before vanishing.
"Because of her high aspirations, I respectfully warn you, my Link. She would stop at nothing to destroy you. When you finally confront her, it will be one showdown, and that showdown will last until the death of one of you. Without my information, you cannot hope to defeat this evil witch. In order to banish her to the Void, you must use your shield to reflect her elemental spells, and deliver justice with your sword when you are able. You fairies are crippled at this moment; they cannot sense the weakness of Twinrova in this temple, and Ganondorf is trying desperately to remove them from your side. Do not tarry when you fight Twinrova."
Link nodded wordlessly.
"When your errands in this temple are done, my dear, you will head to Ganon's Castle. I do not wish for you to leave this room without knowledge, though: My sisters are both on your side. We all are. Nayru, Din, myself... even the Ferryman. Din respectfully apologizes for this false preachers words and we all assure you that you are blessed. Link, I walk by your side at all times."
Link must've had a look on his face that said "I have a question", because Farore smiled.
"Yes, I am able to break your friend's curse... but I am forbidden from meddling with affairs on this planet and can only assure you that he has a spot in the heavens with us, as do you and your fairies when your time to depart the planet arises. I do not believe that time to be anytime soon, Link. You are strong and courageous beyond belief. The outcome of the battle between you and Ganondorf is not predetermined. You decide it yourself."
Link smiled half-heartedly. "I understand."
"My Link, I have for you a gift: a fairy friend you knew not long ago by the name of Louis."
It was then that Louis appeared in a bright pink light. He waved at us. "Hi, bud! Long time no see! Hey, Far... am I really getting a chance to go with him again?"
Farore smiled. "I feel he may require your assistance either in this temple or Ganondorf's Castle. With this, you are free to travel with him until he has need of you again."
Louis did a flip in the air. "Cool! Thanks so much, Far!"
Link took his bottle out with a shaking hand and Louis found his way inside. He poked his head out once before Link plugged it.
"I told you I knew Farore!"
Link smiled. "I never doubted you, Louis."
"Oh... darn, that's no fun then."
"Dear Link... continue on! Twinrova is no match for you!"
With these last departing words, Farore vanished and the world returned to its normal color. The preaching resumed where it left off and the flame on Link's torch flickered with life again.
We kept moving in complete silence. I think we were all wondering if we really just met Farore, or if we all were hallucinating from bad fruit and happened upon Louis by coincidence...
"...Our great King will one day kill the supposed "Hero" of Time- and his will be a name of mere legend. May his name be forgotten by history."
"May his name be forgotten by history."
Link finally made it to the end of the long corridor and walked through a door.
It slammed shut behind us and iron bars blocked the exit. There was the familiar red carpet leading to a throne... two sarcophagi already open (they were empty) and another Iron Knuckle in the throne.
This Iron Knuckle... something was strange about it. Most Iron Knuckles sounded masculine, but I don't think they have genders. This one... the armor it wore was... slender. The axe it carried was big, but not as big as the typical Iron Knuckle's. This one was smaller, but still potentially deadly.
I was... antsy. The sarcophagi had me concerned, but there were no Gibdo in sight.
There was, however, a giant darkling that plopped itself down from the ceiling. It let out a low roar, but Link quickly poked it with his sword.
It didn't pop. It became two slightly smaller darklings. They didn't just ignore Link this time, either. One leapt at him (mouth shut) in some type of body slam, but Link simply poked it again.
It became another two darklings. This time, each managed to body slam him, but Link hardly flinched. None of the darklings paid mind to Navi or myself- yet.
Link spun around with his sword outstretched in an attempt to remove them all at once. The attack... all it did was make more darklings.
"Guys? What do I do?" he asked. We didn't know.
He kept trying to kill them, focusing on one and slashing at it again and again... but all the attacks were doing was multiplying the amount of enemies in this room.
Now
the darklings were beginning to become a problem. There were thirty or so before Link stopped slashing. They got to a certain size and stopped getting smaller when attacked- they would just be cloned then.
A few broke from the herd and lunged for Navi and myself. We darted out of the way and flew to the other side of the room where the Iron Knuckle sat. I was grateful that it wouldn't attack until Link made the first move, though.
Link made a break to get out of the center of the herd. Those few darklings that tried to attack us seemed to forget we were there (in a level of attention-deficiency only a darkling can reach) and were focusing on Link again. The Iron Knuckle shot a glance at Navi and I. She ignored it, but I said something.
"...'sup?"
It didn't respond to me.
Link must've come up with an idea to get rid of the darkling presence in the room. He called for the deku nuts and slammed one on the ground, managing to stun the thirty darklings that were pursuing him. After they were reasonably blinded, Link called for a bomb and threw it into the crowd.
This was either going to make another three-hundred appear or not.
When it exploded, the entire room rocked. Some loose pebbles fell from the ceiling around us. One small piece bounced off the Iron Knuckle's helmet, but it didn't move. I guess that didn't really count as an attack.
When the smoke cleared... the darklings... well...
...Okay, the darklings were there... and then the explosion happened and they weren't there anymore. I'd say Link won.
He took a moment to make sure there were no others, and then he set his sights on the Iron Knuckle. He sliced at one of the straps on the Iron Knuckle's chest plate and it stood. He leapt back to avoid the violent counterattack.
"Something's wrong!" he shouted. "This Iron Knuckle is quicker!"
"It must be stronger or something. Be careful, Link!"
After she said that, the Iron Knuckle struck with a horizontal slice. Link failed to dodge in time and took the full blow in his side.
If I were to watch that attack in slow motion, Link would look like a rag doll being hit. The attack sent him sprawling across the room onto the floor, and the Iron Knuckle stalked over to him.
I was absolutely amazed when he stood up again. The armor absorbed the entire attack and Link's relaxed stance prevented his bones from breaking, with only a scratch to show evidence of the attack. (A relaxed body has a greater chance of surviving an impact without bones breaking).
The Iron Knuckle was even surprised when Link stood up and resumed fighting. He kept a stoic face and darted forward and to one side to avoid another attack.
He managed to cut a few straps connecting the chest plate again, and he squinted for a moment, almost as if he were... in thought about something. He couldn't stick around thinking for long, though. The Iron Knuckle turned and swung again. Link dodged and sliced at another strap, but this time the blade clanged off the armor.
Hey, you can't be perfect all the time, right?
The Iron Knuckle managed another hit with its axe in Link's side, but again his relaxed stance protected him from serious injury.
I've heard a story of this fellow who got knocked unconscious moments before this tornado went tearing through his house. It picked him up, and tossed him a few miles away onto the ground. He landed (still unconscious) and when he woke up, he was unharmed. He hit the ground full force, but doctors say that because he was unconscious (slack) his bones were able to better protect his body from the pressure he suffered when he landed.
Because Link's stance was slack instead of rigid like when he blocked one Iron Knuckle with his shield, he could better resist the damage.
I still wouldn't want to get hit by that battleaxe. I don't care if I'm wearing armor made of the toughest metal. It still looks like it hurts!
When Link was sent sprawling on this occasion, the Iron Knuckle stalked over again. This time, Link jumped up using his back and cut a few straps with the knife on his hip, not having time to reach the Master sword.
When he managed to get to his sword again, the Iron Knuckle seemed to get the hint. It started aiming for his arms, legs, and head. He had to dodge more often now. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and his limbs had to remain somewhat rigid in order to react to attacks.
Besides, we all still remembered what happened last time he even had to block an attack with his shield.
He wove one way and another, trying to avoid being hit by the axe. At one point he managed to get behind the Iron Knuckle and slice more armor straps.
It was around then that the chest plate came off. Link kicked the Iron Knuckle upside the head and sent the helmet flying, too.
He almost dropped his sword and Navi and I gasped.
His attacker wasn't a typical Iron Knuckle. It was Nabooru. His brow furrowed into anger.
"Nabooru! What in Nayru's name are you doing?"
She turned around and slashed at Link with the sword on her hip.
"I'm fulfilling my duty to the Great Ganondorf," she responded. It didn't take a rocket scientist to sense something... off about her. Her eyes were devoid of the emotions I remembered from seven years ago.
Link blocked her attacks and went on the defensive.
"Stop! I... I don't want to hurt you!"
She sliced at him again, but failing to leave a scratch on the armor, she swore.
"I thought we were allies!" shouted Link. He blocked another attack and leapt back to avoid one more.
"We never were! You support that wench, Zelda! I support the Great Ganondorf! It's nothing personal, kid. We fight for different sides. That's politics."
Link blocked an attack and kicked her so she would stumble back.
"But, you said you were a double agent!"
This time, Nabooru hesitated, but she still attacked.
"You and I, Link! We're two sides of the same coin, as are Ganondorf and Zelda, the Assassins and Templars, your blood and my sword!"
"Two sides of the same coin? How do you mean?"
Clang!
"One half is for destiny!"
"And the other half?"
She managed a complex sword strike that knocked the Master Sword from Link's grip. She smirked (her eyes were still... seemingly clouded over).
"Fate."
Link leapt back to avoid an attack and Nabooru practically rammed her body into his. He sidestepped and drew his knife again.
"But... don't you remember? The silver gauntlets? Those witches? They took you away!"
Nabooru stopped for another moment. Her eyes flashed a hint of recognition, but it went away quickly.
"Fate, Link! Zelda is fated to lose to Ganondorf! Had he not destroyed them, the Assassins were fated to fall to the Templars! Your blood is fated to be spilled by my sword!"
Link looked to Navi and myself for advice, and then something popped into his head.
"Nabooru! This isn't you! You're... you've been brainwashed! Try to think back... seven years ago! You wanted to destroy Ganondorf just as much as I do!"
She stopped again. This time was different, though. She put one hand to her head for a moment and slashed weakly with the other. Link put his hand out to stop the sword.
"You wanted the silver gauntlets! You wanted my help retrieving them. You warned me of the Iron Knuckles... don't you remember?"
She groaned. "...N...no... You're... you're trying to trick me!"
"No! Nabooru, those two witches..."
"Koume... and Kotake..."
"Yes, those two witches found out about your... plans against Ganondorf..."
"...Ganondorf... that... that... scum..."
"That's right, Nabooru," he said. He took his shield from his back and showed her the reflection of her shocked face.
"See this woman? This is you. You are Nabooru, and you... you're invaluable in the upcoming death of Ganondorf. Nabooru... you're the Sage of Spirit," he said. My eyes widened and so did Navi's. Suddenly, life found a way into Nabooru's eyes again.
"I'm the..."
Navi and I fluttered closer to Link.
"Link? Was that-"
"A complete guess? Yes, yes it was," he whispered.
"...Link... Wow, kid... you've grown..."
Link was about to say something but the door behind the throne opened up and the two witches flew in.
"Drat! Koume... this is your fault! If you'd cast your share of the spell more efficiently, she'd have killed him!"
"I fear you are mistaken, Kotake! If it weren't for your sloppy witchcraft, the boy wouldn't have been able to break the curse!"
"...This is no time to be arguing, sister. Let us take Nabooru for further 'practice'."
One of the witches (I was never able to tell them apart) cast a spell and sent it towards the now fleeing Nabooru. She vanished in a puff and Link turned to face the witches.
"I'm going to stick those brooms where the sun don't shine!" he called. The old crones didn't even flinch.
"If you ever wish to see your friend again, follow us."
The two witches retreated into the next room (I could make out the bodies of those attending the mass. I couldn't tell if they were dead or alive).
"Follow us if you dare!" they said at the same time. The door slammed shut and Link collected himself.
"This is it, guys. Time to see just how powerful Ganondorf's family really is."
"Be careful, Link," said Navi and I.
No more words. Link entered the next room and looked at the bodies strewn on the ground. They were all Gerudo dressed in noble clothing; what I assumed was church cloth. None of them were dead, but unconscious.
Link walked down the aisle towards the next door where Koume and Kotake no doubt waited. His boots echoed loudly in the hall and I could see paintings of Ganondorf and Din, and even one of a white robed man with tan skin, attempting to plunge a small blade on his wrist into Ganondorf's throat. I didn't understand why this "church" wanted a picture of an assassination attempt on the wall, but I quickly understood by the next picture- a painting of the familiar cursed wolf, looking very sad and defeated.
Link took a moment to look at the paintings. Was that really what Canis looked like before he was cursed? He had short brown hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes that even in the painting radiated determination. We continued through the door.
Now, we were standing on what could be a battlefield. The witches weren't visible, and this battlefield... there were no boundaries. If Link fell off the field... I couldn't see the bottom.
Suddenly, the witches appeared before us.
"Boy... why must you bother us so?"
"I've come for you!" he shouted.
"Did you hear that, Koume? He's come for us!"
"Do you think he knows who taught Ganondorf that curse?"
Link's eyes widened. "What?"
"That's right, Hero. It is our magic Ganondorf used to curse your friend. It is our magic Ganondorf used to create havoc. The Triforce of Power only bolstered it."
Link's eyes grew angry. "Fight me! Now!"
"Let us not keep him waiting any longer, Kotake!"
"I will freeze him to the bone!"
"I will burn him into ashes!"
"Success will be ours, the sisters Twinrova!" they said at the same time. Navi reminded Link what Farore said about fighting the witches, and he prepared.
Koume whirled a wand in the air a few times and threw a ball of fire in Link's direction. He wasn't quite prepared to block it and so he dodged out of the way. When the fireball made contact with the ground, it formed a small pool of lava, bubbling for a few moments before quickly cooling and solidifying.
"Drat. Kotake, give it a whirl!"
Kotake eyed Link's shield for a moment, as if trying to register if she'd seen it before or not. She quickly shook off her confusion, though. She whirled her wand and cast an ice ball, sending it in Link's direction. Link quickly blocked with his shield.
The shield didn't freeze on contact, the ice ball didn't just break through his defense and hurt him... instead... the ice ball bounced against the shield and then was sent in the direction Link was pointing it.
"No! That... that shield!" shouted Koume, clearly alarmed. The ice ball was sent in the direction of Kotake, but she simply knocked it out of the way.
"I will not be done in by my own attack!" she shouted. Koume cast another fireball and Link smirked; he knew their weakness.
The fireball connected with the shield the same way the ice ball did. It hit the shield, and was reflected, this time in no particular direction. It exploded in the air and an ember managed to hit Kotake. She let out a shriek.
"Agh! That burns!"
"Stay out of the way of my attacks, Kotake!"
"Don't attack so close to me, Koume!"
They started to bicker again. This battle was going to take days to complete if they had to stop and argue every thirty seconds. Link, I saw, understood what to do.
"If I aim the attack back at the witch who cast it, it's no good... but if I aim it at the other witch, I bet it works!"
Navi and I shrugged.
"Yeah? Well I'm better at spell-casting than you ever were! And I'm younger!"
"Younger? When you were young, the goddesses were still in preschool!"
"So you're-"
Link cleared his throat. "Hey! Bicker all you want in the Void. Let us finish this!"
"Not now, Hero! So what does that- wait... the Void? We are too great for the Void, Hero! Kotake, we'll argue later. Let us kill him!"
Koume cast another fireball and Link blocked it with his shield, this time quickly pivoting to send it towards Kotake. Kotake stiffened and let out a gasp.
The fireball knocked her out of the sky for a few moments, but when Link tried to get close, Koume flew into him and sent him backward.
He rolled a few feet before standing again, and Kotake had gotten back on her broomstick.
"You ought not to have done that, Hero..."
Now Kotake was angry. Link must've come up with an idea, because he started taunting her.
"You want me dead, right? What, now they send old hags to do a man's work?"
"You'll pay for that, Hero!" shouted Kotake. Koume was angry, too... but she still had sense about her. Her eyes widened as she saw Kotake prepare another ice ball.
"No, don't! He's expecting that-"
It was too late. Kotake launched the ice ball and Link easily blocked it, sending it careening towards Koume. She tried to fly out of the way, but the Mirror Shield also increased the speed of the projectiles. She couldn't dodge it in time.
"Agh! Kotake, you fool!"
She wasn't knocked out of the air immediately, but Link throwing a loose stone at her fixed that.
Oh, now they were pissed. Koume was staring at Link with the coldest stare I'd ever seen, and Kotake was turning a bright red. It was like their elements were suddenly reversed.
Koume launched another fireball, but something was off. As Link bought up his shield, Kotake launched an ice ball.
Both attacks hit their mark and the forces combined knocked Link backward. Kotake quickly shot another ice beam and managed to hit Link's chest, freezing much of the front of his armor.
"Yes!"
Navi and I were unmoved, because when Link let the enemy get the upper hand, he usually had an idea for setting them up. He was still conscious, and while the witches were celebrating their supposed 'victory', Link nocked a Fire Arrow and shot Kotake.
"Agh!"
Koume ripped the arrow out of Kotake's shoulder, earning a shriek and a glare from her sister.
"Kotake... The boy is stronger than I anticipated..."
"Yes... he is, Koume."
(I'll just say it. Their inherent need to say each others name in every sentence bugs me.)
"I think... perhaps it is time he meets her, Kotake."
"Perhaps it is time indeed, Koume."
Koume and Kotake flew away from each other for a moment and cast another spell.
They formed a portal between them and both flew into it. I gulped.
"Now, Hero... fear the wrath of Twinrova!"
There was a bright flash of light and Link had to shield his eyes. When the light subsided, Koume and Kotake were here no longer. Instead, there was a big Gerudo woman, with one iris as red as Betelgeuse and the other iris as blue as the star Vega. Her hair was split into two ponytails, one red and the other blue.
She was the fused form of Koume and Kotake, and she looked... pretty powerful.
Twinrova said no words. She threw one fireball at Link and he blocked it with the Mirror Shield, but this time it only absorbed the attack. Link shook it in confusion, but had no time to investigate as another fireball was launched in his direction. He blocked the second one, too... but now his shield was shining red, and I could tell his arm was starting to burn.
"Oh, is that too hot, Hero? Here, let me cool it off for you!"
Twinrova threw an ice ball this time, and once it made contact with the Mirror Shield, suddenly it wasn't so hot. Now it looked... normal again.
"She just cancelled the attack. Link, you'll have to really charge from her attacks in order to win!"
Link nodded. This time, Twinrova fired another ice ball at him. He blocked it easily with his shield, and blocked another that was fired quickly after. Now his shield glowed a bright blue color, and his arm looked like it was getting cold.
Now he dodged out of the way of a fireball.
"Come on, Kotake! I know you're in there! I've seen tougher nursemaids!"
Twinrova suddenly started to struggle. It looked like she was having a battle within herself.
"No! Sister... he's trying to trick you!"
"Come on, Kotake! I thought you were in charge!"
Twinrova's eyes widened. "I am!"
"No, you're not!"
Twinrova was... almost convulsing. Koume was holding the form back from the newest ice ball, but Kotake's insistence won. One more ice ball was sent towards Link, and it hit his shield.
Suddenly, the Mirror shield began to make a whirring noise, and there was a loud blast as a giant ice ball was sent careening towards Twinrova. Meanwhile, Twinrova was totally distracted. Koume was shouting at Kotake, and neither noticed the ice ball until it was too late.
The massive ice blast nearly knocked the witch out of the sky. This time, Link took advantage of temperature extremes. He shot another fire arrow and the shock managed to knock Twinrova down. He dropped his bow and sprinted towards her, leaping onto her and driving his sword thru her heart.
Twinrova suddenly vanished. Koume and Kotake reappeared, each with a stab wound on their chest.
There were no more words from them. They were trying desperately to stay in the air, but the attack took its toll. Each witch fell from their brooms with a "Thud", and the sisters Twinrova were no more.
Link looked at his shield. It was reflecting light, practically beaming at the boy. He smiled.
"Navi... let's get out of here."
Navi nodded. "I cast Farore's Wind!"
=.0
It turned out Link was right about Nabooru. She really was the Sage of Spirit. She stood on the orange medallion. When we opened our eyes to the Sacred Realm again, I was relieved to see Nabooru not trying to kill Link.
"Well... looks like you've got more fight in you than I thought, kid. Not bad. That armor is pretty decent, too."
Link smiled.
"I'm sorry for the attack. Those witches... they brainwashed me. I also have to thank you for not killing me."
Link chuckled. "Not a problem."
"...The Sage of Spirit... I knew it existed, but I never would have thought that... it would be me. Kid... when I promised to make you very rich seven years ago, I was referring to this medallion I carry. It's been with me as long as I can remember, and I thought it was worth money... but I'm wrong. It's work so much more. Link, this is the Spirit Medallion. With it, you can see through traps without the eyes that can see the truth. Heed my words, though: It must never touch the Shadow Medallion."
Link nodded, and Nabooru pressed the Spirit Medallion into his hand. "Now, go. Do whatever must be done, and then return to the Temple of Time. Sheik is waiting for you. From there, head to Ganondorf's castle."
Link nodded his head once more, and a bright light enveloped us again.
When we opened our eyes again, we were in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Link smiled, put the Spirit Medallion in his satchel, and played the Song of Courage one final time.
End of Chapter
10,690 words.
The wind's back in my sails, but today my computer randomly shut down and told me I had a "disc drive 0 seek failure". It said there was a "thermal event" and I assumed it overheated. Even now, it's very slow.
Darklings are monsters in a flash game on that good old flash website that starts with an "N" called "William and Sly". It's a good game for the whole family, and I reccomend giving it a play. It's an excellent game.
Two more plot chapters, guys. One is devoted to the fight with Ganondorf, but before that we have one more.
I was going to put this up on 6/6 (Jack's birthday) but I got finished earlier than I thought I would.
Next chapter covers- dun dun dah! Ganondorf's Castle.
Oh, and I hope everyone had a safe and happy apocalypse.