Chapter 25

After Link climbed a flight of stairs, he found more sturdy double doors, this time made of stone. A softly glowing mushroom sprouted from each wall to light the staircase. Link had to pull a stone rod from its resting place across the two doors in order to open them. Sunlight flooded in, and he was surprised to find himself out in the forest. He had escaped!

The instant he stepped onto the soft, mossy earth, the doors swung shut behind them. Spinning around, he found a smooth stone cliff. There was no sign of any seam.

Wow, Link thought. Their technology is way better than anyone else's. Of course they had to use it to make that stupid pearl. If the humans befriended them, we'd gain a lot. It's too bad they're all going against each other. It's just the same thing as with the Moblins.

After soaking in his surroundings, he decided he must be a fair distance from the city. The tunnel had probably spanned the gap over the big pit around the central mushroom. Hopefully he wasn't out too far, where all those giant insects were. The best thing for him to do was look for the high bridge Freid had taken him across, try to find a way up to it, and go back to the swamp looking for Tael and Horacio.

I sure hope they're okay. I don't want to go trudging through the whole swamp searching for them.

Just around the corner of the cliff, he found large notches carved into the wall, one above another. He looked up the strange ladder and smiled. It led to the top of the giant boulder that formed the cliff. From there a rope ladder led up to the wooden catwalk. He started climbing the rock face. Before he was halfway up, he heard someone call his name.

"Link! Up here!" Horacio yelled, and Tael hovered down from the catwalk to Link's level.

"You're okay!" Link and Tael both said at the same time. Tael laughed.

"You honestly thought I was dead or lost or something," the fairy giggled. "It's you who were knocked out and carried across the forest. What happened? Tell us everything!"

"Hold on there, Tael. Link, hurry and climb up here. We need to exchange information, I can tell," Horacio called, leaning over the edge of the bridge. Link nodded and quickened his pace. Soon he pulled himself onto the wooden catwalk. The three sat in a sort of triangle, each ready to hear the other's story.

"I'll start," Horacio said. "After I left the cabin..." Suddenly he put on a blank expression.

"Horacio? Something wrong?" Tael asked, turning where Horacio was looking in case there was something there. There were only mushrooms.

"I forgot how I got into the cell," Horacio muttered, staring into space.

"Well, that's not important. Just hurry on with the story," Tael quickly said.

"You got put in a cell too?" Link asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah. It was a nasty place, full of swamp water. I was locked in, but there was a lever on the wall. I pulled it and then had to get rid of this angry swamp flower."

"You fought an angry flower?" Link said, biting his lip to avoid laughing.

"It was a big monster!" Horacio said, trying to defend himself. "Anyway, I escaped and found myself in the middle of some kind of temple with walking mushrooms. I was about to get out but they spotted me, and Tael came by just then. We tried to run away, but I just went right back into my first cell. Then comes the weird part."

"What? How'd you get out?" Link asked.

"Dark Link helped us out."

"Whaat? You're joking. He couldn't have!" Link argued.

"No, I'm serious. He looked just like you, and he led us out through the sewers. After that, he got this weird look on his face, dove into the swamp, and turned into a shadow before he hit the water. We watched the shadow float away. I'm dead serious," Horacio said with a convincing face.

"Well...actually, it's starting to make sense now," Link said. "I think I believe you. Listen to this. When you left, Freid knocked me out and carried me across the forest, right?"

"Right," Tael jumped in. "And he knocked me out too so I couldn't follow you."

"Well, guess where he took me?"

"Beats me. Was it still in the forest?" Horacio asked.

"It was. He took me to the Fungistul city. Remember, he had talked about them earlier saying they were all dangerous and whatnot? Well, he took me right into the middle of their city! I think I fell asleep, but then I woke up in this crazy crystal box that I couldn't get out of," Link said.

"Wow. Then how'd you get out?" Tael asked.

"I don't know how long I waited, but a Fungistul came by and the floor kind of melted for me to sink through. He took me to this really dark courtroom where the king asked me why I took the Pearl of Darkness," Link said.

"Dark Link took it and framed you!" Tael shouted. "Then he came to the temple and let us out...but we still don't know why."

"Exactly," Link said. "Anyway, I found out that the pearl Dark Link stole apparently wasn't the first one! Sixty-some years ago, a teenager stole their old one. They expected the humans to attack with it, but they never did. They made a new one, and now that's been stolen by Dark."

"So if that guy is still alive, he'd be in his seventies or eighties, right?" Tael asked.

"Umm...yeah, probably. Why?" Link said.

"Just thinking. So how'd you get out?"

"Well, I blamed Freid for taking it from me, and while he was arguing with the king I slipped under the floor and got away. It's weirder than it sounds, because there was nothing under the floor but mushroom stalks. I had to jump from - "

"Okay, Link, that's enough," Tael said. "Come on, I know where we're going next."

"Where?" Horacio asked.

"Hayen Village."

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Hayen Village, year 506

Gary trudged after his older brother Palter. On their journey back home, he had gone behind a tree to do his business and suddenly the dead, shadowy, forest blossomed and grew back into the normal, bright, sunlight, colorful forest he knew. Sure enough, he found the pearl in his feces after poking through with a stick. He had shouted for Palter and then showed him the cleaned-off pearl.

Palter had shaken his head, laughed, and then tousled his younger brother's hair. He hadn't said anything about it. Gary wondered what should be done. Would it be best to give it to the king and let him make the decision? Now that the sporeheads didn't have it anymore, maybe it wasn't needed. He could keep it for himself. That is, if Palter or his mom didn't force him to give it up.

The trees parted and the two found themselves standing at the edge of Hayen Village. Gary glanced back into the forest. For a few seconds he stood there, his eyes starting to water, and then he pulled himself away from the trees and followed his older brother home. It was no use searching for Dad; he was probably dead like Palter had said. And after Palter had brought up the subject of what Dad would want them to do, he had to give in.

"Palter! Garod! You had me worried sick! Where on earth were you?" Gary's mom screeched, rushing out the door of their house to embrace the two brothers.

"Mom, you know I hate being called that," Gary's muffled voice said through his mom's shoulder.

"Oh, nonsense. We named you Garod and that's what I'll call you! Now both of you hurry inside! I want you to tell me how your camping trip went!"

Gary looked over at Palter as they walked toward the house. The older winked when their mom wasn't looking. They wouldn't tell about the little incident with the sporeheads. It was just a normal camping trip in the woods and they lost track of time, that was all.

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King Mushi was furious. Anyone foolish enough to get within sight of him was knocked out of the way harshly. The boy suspect was nowhere to be found. The guards had lost him. Such brainless soldiers! Every day he was amazed at their stupidity. Was it that hard to obey his orders?

He slammed his fist down on the armrest of his throne. The door at the far end of the dark room slowly creaked open, and a shaky guard poked his head through.

"Y-yes, Your M-Majesty?"

"I want all the troops mobilized. We've had enough. Tomorrow morning we march for Myrennia Castle. Get the Moblin ready for battle. He may be a thief, but he should be useful. Call in all able-bodied Fungistuls from the old temple, too. The humans have gone too far, and I'll see to it they are properly punished. I'll give further orders tomorrow."

"Y-yes, Y-Your Honor," the guard said quickly, slipping back through the door. He let out the breath he had been holding. Everything was okay. But now he had a job to do. He scurried off down the hall to carry out his king's orders.

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Garod opened his door to find two dark figures standing side by side with dark looks on their faces. One of them was Link, but he didn't recognize the man. He was so surprised that he didn't say anything as the two forced their way through the doorway into his home. Tael, the fairy, flew in after them.

"We're not leaving here until you tell us exactly why you lied," Link said sternly and quite loudly, his eyes boring holes through Garod's skull. How did he find out? Surely he wouldn't kill an old man!

"Don't kill me! You have to understand! I was threatened! If I hadn't told you everything that I did, your clone was going to kill me!" Garod cowered under Link's stare.

Link glanced at the man who had come with him, and the two pulled three chairs up to the table in the middle of the room. Link motioned for Garod to sit, and the old man obeyed.

"Do you still have the pearl?" Link asked, leaning forward over the table. His face was still strictly business and no jokes.

"How did you..." Garod stumbled, choking. Link's gaze brought the words out of him. "I still have it. Look, I tried to make you stay and rest here for a while, but you insisted on going out there!"

"That's because you told me it was the only way! Now Dark Link has the new pearl, and you sent us on a wild goose chase that almost killed us several times! We found out that you stole the original Pearl of Darkness from the Fungistuls sixty years ago. Since then, they've made a new one. Dark Link stole it to frame me, and now we don't know where he is. I need you to tell me where the pearl is so I can save my friends," Link said coldly.

"It was sixty-nine years ago," Garod said, and tears filled his eyes. He had tried to forget about that day his whole life. Just when he thought he had gotten rid of the memories, they had been forcefully dug up. He used to imagine what would've happened if he hadn't listened to his brother and stayed to save their father. Every day he would blame himself. And now, he had almost caused a young person to die just because he was too weak to face death at such an old age.

"Look, I don't know what you're thinking about, but we need the pearl now," the man interrupted Garod's thoughts. "We're not going to kill you; just show us where it is."

Suddenly Garod felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He slapped at it, cursing the insects. There was some kind of thin tube lodged in his neck. His eyes widened.

"Help me...I'm...being..." Garod's eyes closed and his head thumped to the table, senseless. Link, Tael and Horacio stared for a few seconds. Tael started going berserk.

"Link, help him! Do something! There's something in his neck!" Tael screamed, shooting around the room frantically.

"Garod! Wake up! Can you hear me?" Link shouted, slipping the dart from the back of Garod's neck and lifting his head. The old man's eyes were rolled back and motionless. "Is he dead? Horacio, is he dead? Hurry, look at him!"

Horacio hurriedly put two fingers against Garod's neck. There was still a faint pulse, but the man wasn't breathing. He reached for the dart Link had thrown away. It was a tiny sea urchin needle with a tuft of animal fur attached to one end. Horacio touched the end of the needle to his tongue and then spat.

"It's poisoned. I can't tell what kind it is, though, so I don't know if there's a cure or not," he said.

"Hurry! We need to get him to the doctor!" Tael screeched. "Link! Horacio! Pick him up! I'll take the dart!" Tael was stopped in his tracks as a hand flashed out of the shadows of the room and smacked him to the floor.

"You're not going anywhere except against the wall. Both of you, get back. Link, stand up."

Link stared in horror as an exact replica of himself emerged from the corner, holding a freshly sharpened blade outstretched in front of him. Horacio and Tael remained where they were. Garod slept away precious minutes of what life he had left.

"Step aside. This is Link's fight, not yours. You're just going to get killed if you stand in the way," Dark Link said calmly to Horacio and Tael.

"We're not leaving him! You'll have to cut through us before you cut through him!" Tael shouted.

"That's encouraging," Link muttered.

"Enough," Dark said, narrowing his eyes. He raised his sword. "If you all want to die, so be it."

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