Hey guys! It is time for another chapter of Heroes of Twilight! I moved back into my apartment and start college tomorrow. Summer just kind of flies by doesn't it? Hopefully, this year goes really good. And this is the year that I finish this story. It's almost done. I'd say maybe like five more chapters are left. I'm not really sure. Maybe more than that. Anyway, please review or comment and tell me what you guys think! Also, let me know what you think about the Legend of Zelda stories after this one! Finally, thanks so much for reading and here is the chapter!
Ch. 29: Ilia's Memory
(Link's POV)
Midna transported us to the first room of the Temple of Time. The room where Scarlett and I had spent the night. I look over at Scarlett and she is still visibly shaken by what had almost occurred in front of us. I place a hand on her arm and we both look down at the ground as we walk out of the temple for good.
In the Sacred Grove, we all begin to shake our heads in unison.
"I'm so glad you teleported us away, Midna. That could've been really bad!" I say to her. She gives me a wide-eyed look as if she's saying she was thinking the same thing and nods.
"I freaking know. I wasn't about to watch that thing give birth to smaller equally ugly things. Ugh. How you holding up, Scarlett?" she asks her.
"Never better…" Scarlett replies. She gives one last shake with her head and then looks at me and Midna. "...Let's...never speak of this again. Where do we go from here? Back to Telma's Bar? Kakariko Village? Where?"
I think for a minute and the thought of Ilia crosses my mind for some reason. I wonder if she's regained her memory.
"How about we go to Kakariko Village? To see the kids and Ilia," I suggest. She raises a suspecting eyebrow and smirks.
"See Ilia, huh?"
It takes me a moment to realize her teasing tone.
"N-Not like that! You're the only one for me, Scarlett!"
She laughs and begins walking towards the exit of the Sacred Grove, "I'm just teasing. But sure, we can go see if she has regained any of her memory yet. You can tell her that she lost her chance of getting with you."
I blink in surprise and she laughs again.
"I'm just kidding! That would be so mean! But...to tell you the truth, Link...Whenever you talked about Ilia in the past I think I sort of got jealous."
"What? Really?" I say, honestly surprised. She nods.
"Mhmm. I don't know if I knew I was jealous back then though...Does that make sense?" she asks. I smile and take her hand with mine.
"Yeah. It does. Luckily for me, I didn't have any competition," I tell her with a grin as we reach the outer edge of the Sacred Grove. She snorts at my comment and looks up at the sky in thought. She then closes her eyes and nods.
"Of course you didn't have any competition. All of the guys in Castle Town are self-absorbed and rude. All of them except my friend, Dante, but I've never had any feelings for him. It would've been weird. But yep, I didn't need a guy from the town. What I needed was a country boy!" She yells with glee, making me roll my eyes and blush at the same time. She giggles and lays her head on my shoulder as we walk. Midna, who is behind us, snaps her fingers and we suddenly find ourselves in our wolf forms. We both glare at her but she flicks both of our canine noses.
"Don't give me those looks! I turned you into wolves so you could get back to Faron woods and then to Kakariko Village faster. You're distracted if you're all lovey-dovey with each other," she says with a devilish grin. A grin I've seen way too many times. But she does have a point. We have to get back to the Faron Woods the same way we came so that's what we do...Just without the chicken...When we get back to the woods, Scarlett and I take off in a sprint for Kakariko Village.
We get there before the sun sets and Midna turns us back into humans at the front of the village.
"Midna, I don't think I'll ever get used to the feeling of my bones literally shifting into an animal's," Scarlett tells her with a groan.
"Yeah, well, if we defeat Zant and Ganondorf quick enough you won't have to worry about getting used to it."
"That's true," she admits to the twilight imp. I smile and look at the Shaman's home where Ilia and the kids from back home are staying. I tell Midna and Scarlett to follow me in seeing them and then go to the front door of the hut. I knock and Renado answers the door. His facial features lighten and he lets us in.
"Link. Scarlett. It's nice to see you. How has your journey been?" he asks us.
"Exhausting!" Scarlett replies, sitting on the couch. He smiles and looks at me.
"I suspected as much. Have you come here for anything? Anything I can do?"
"No, we just came to check up on everyone. Any update on Ilia's memory?" I ask him.
"Ah, you'll be happy to know that I think I may have found a way to bring her memory back. I meant to send this letter to Telma myself but since you two are here I will just give it to you. It'll be safer that way. That postman is not right. I can tell," Renado says. I glance at Scarlett and she's trying so hard not to laugh right now. In case anyone forgot, she really despises that creepy postman with the short-shorts…
"Alright, thanks! We'll get that to her as soon as possible! And thank you for taking the time to do that. It means a lot."
"It is no problem. It is hard to find something to do in this village. The research was quite compelling to me. Speaking of research, there is someone you might know in the basement. His name is Shad and he is studying the ancient statues that we have down there. Does his name sound familiar to you?" he asks me. I nod and smile. This is like hitting two birds with one stone.
"Yeah, he's actually the person we were going to talk to after visiting you. You said he's in the basement?"
"Yes, he just went down there about twenty minutes ago. You can go speak to him now. And here is the letter for Telma."
He hands me the letter and I put it in my pocket. I thank him one last time before looking at Scarlett to go with me. She hops up from the couch and we head down the stairs to the basement of Renado's home. Sure enough, Shad is observing some of the avian statues that sit in the cave-like room. He hears our footsteps down the stairs and practically drops everything in his hands.
"Link! Scarlett! Fancy meeting you down here!"
"Right? We were coming to check up on our friend and Renado said that you were down here," Scarlett tells him happily. He smiles back and readjusts the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"Yes, well...I've just been studying these statues down here. Unfortunately, the writing on them is extremely difficult to decipher. However, I have been able to solve some of it. They originate from the sky beings known as the Oocca."
Oocca? That sounds extremely similar to Ooccoo. And she does have wings...I swear if she's an almighty sky being I'm gonna freaking lose it. Scarlett didn't seem to catch on to the name like I did so that's a relief.
"...I was able to decipher this much. One statue says, 'awaken us with the word that breaks the seal'. Pretty neat, huh? I'm going to try to decipher all of the statues in here," Shad finishes. Scarlett looks out at all the other statues and places her hand on one of them.
"That's really cool, Shad. Maybe we can help. We just got back from the Temple of Time."
"Oh, that's cool. How was-...Wait, what!? The Temple of Time!? You're joking! You have to be joking!" Shad screams at Scarlett and me. We grin at each other and both nod.
"Yep, and it was awesome," I say. Shad's eyes are sparkling in interest.
"I bet! So, that was the ancient temple that Rusl was trying to discover!? Amazing! You'll have to tell me everything you saw sometime! For now, I must focus on these statues! I feel like I am getting so close to cracking the entire language of the Oocca. If I was able to decipher one statue, then what is stopping me from deciphering all of them? So until then, what are you guys going to do? I do believe my place of interest is the last place that you haven't explored out of all the places The Resistance has been studying."
"That's right. We were just going to go to Castle Town and deliver this letter to Telma," I inform him. He nods and smiles.
"I see. Well, come back here after you get it to her. I believe I will be able to figure out what all these statues mean by that time," he replies back to me. I certainly hope he's right. We can't afford to lose any time in our journey.
Knowing all that, Scarlett and I decide to go before we waste any more of Shad's time. He gives us a wave and then looks back at one of the statues intently. Walking up the stairs, I ask Scarlett if she's up for going to Castle Town and then back here tonight. She, of course, says that it's no problem.
"Hell yeah, I'm ready to go!" She cheers. I chuckle and shrug my shoulders contently. If she's ready to go, I'm ready to go. So we go! Midna turns us back into wolves and we run there together. Just like we did with Kakariko Village coming from the Sacred Grove. Epona was in the village when we left but she was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her. She deserves a good night's sleep.
"Here we are…" Scarlett murmurs as we make it to Telma's Bar. The inappropriate sign is still there in all its dirty language glory. Telma really hates paying taxes! Then again, I think everyone hates taxes. Okay, we're going inside now!
We walk inside the bar and Telma is there with her cat. She actually seems kind of bored. The bar is decently busy so I'm not sure why she looks like that. We walk up to her and she brightens up quickly.
"Link! Scarlett! It's so nice to see, you two!"
"You too! We just came by to give you a letter from Renado," I say, handing it to her. She takes the letter and skims over it before humming.
"Yep, you should go see that doctor that looked at her first. He probably has what she needs. His clinic is near the East Gate so you should head over there," she tells us, "but before that, why don't you two have a drink! Would love to see you two drunk!"
Sigh...I really hope she's joking.
"Uhh...Maybe another time, Telma. We have to get going," I tell her nervously. She laughs and shrugs her shoulder.
"Alright, I'll be waiting until then."
Scarlett and I exit the bar and she looks at me while shaking her head.
"Now she's trying to get inside both of our pants!" she screams. I burst out laughing and slap my hand against my face.
"Ugh, never say that again."
"I will always enjoy teasing you about Telma. Or just teasing you in general because you get so cute when you're embarrassed," she says, giving me a gentle kiss. I smile and kiss her back while Midna just stares at us in the background. She needs a twilight imp boyfriend or something. That shall be our next mission after you know...defeating Zant, Ganondorf, and saving all of Hyrule.
"Okay guys, let's get going. You can make out later," Midna mutters with a smirk. What is with that smirk? Does she like watching us? That's...a little creepy.
"Okay, let's go. Sorry Midna," Scarlett laughs. Midna gives her a grin and then goes into her shadow. Scarlett then grabs my hand and leads me through Castle Town to the East Gate.
"I always love walking around Castle Town at night. It's so lively. And it doesn't feel like anybody will hurt you or anything. Not like that's a huge problem here or anything. That's more of a Hyrule Field thing…"
"You and I know that all too well," I reply.
"I know. But once we finish with all this we won't have to worry about that anymore," she says, looking up at the street lamps. I squeeze her hand and do the same.
"I can't wait...What do you think we will do once that happens?" I ask, almost quietly. She looks at me and begins to smile big at me. Her cheeks have a light blush on them and it literally takes my breath away seeing her like this.
"I guess we'll find out when that time comes. I want it to become a surprise," she says. I breathe in and smile too.
"Me too."
We reach the front of the Doctor's clinic and I can see his elderly shadow working in there. Scarlett stops right before the front door and crosses her arm.
"Is it okay if I stay out here? This doctor is kind of grumpy and mean. Like...to everybody," she laughs. I nod and cross my arms too.
"He's been mean to you?"
"No! I've never gone to him. He just has a reputation. And…-"
"Say no more," I tell her, "I've got this," I finish before puffing my chest out and entering the clinic.
(Scarlett's POV)
Link puffs his chest out and enters the clinic all macho-like. I laugh under my breath and take a seat outside. Midna comes out of my shadow and sits next to me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah! I just wanted to sit out here and enjoy the town for a couple minutes. It seemed like a way better option than dealing with an old medical fart. Plus, I have Link to do that for me," I say, grinning. Midna snorts and begins messing with her glowy, orange hair.
"Yeah, I saw how he entered the clinic. He's so full of himself."
"I thought it was cute and manly. You're full of yourself."
"Hey!"
"Kidding!" I yell, "you're freaking awesome, Midna. You always will be."
"Thanks...You are too. And Link. You two may be total goofballs, but I love you guys. You know...I never thought any of these things would've happened when I saw Wolf Link in that Hyrule prison cell. I thought, 'maybe this guy can be my slave and do whatever I tell him to do'. But after all that's happened, I'm so glad that I met you and warmed up to Link. I feel better when I'm not being rude or mean to you and him. And I think Link likes me too," she says with relief.
"Of course he does. How could he not?" I ask her with a smile and a nudge of my arm. She smiles gently at the ground until Link comes barreling out of the doctor's medical clinic. Midna and I stand up.
"Did you get the medicine or whatever?" I ask him. He turns and points at a small statue on the other side of the front door, away from where we were sitting.
"I went in there and asked him about the medicine and then he became all pissy and told me that Ilia had been holding that statue when he went to see her. Apparently, he spilled some of the medicine we need on it so he put it out here to dry. He said that he wouldn't have the medicine for a long time but maybe the medicine on the statue might help her. It's worth a shot," he says, picking up the statue and dropping it in his tiny bag.
"I guess so," I reply.
"So, what did you and Midna talk about while I was in there?" He asks me and the twilight imp beside me.
"Oh, nothing," I say. I look towards Midna and she gives me a wink before going into my shadow. "...shall we go back to Kakariko Village?"
I sashay through the street towards the exit, leaving Link mildly confused and curious. He jogs after me and meets my hand with his. He really likes holding hands! But I do too…His hand is warm and is sturdier than mine. And yet, mine fits perfectly with his. It's such a relaxing feeling. So relaxing that the trip back to Kakariko Village doesn't feel as long as it usually does. By this time, it is the dead of night and most people in the village are probably asleep by now. Link and I slip into Renado's hut and see that Ilia is the only one awake. She's sitting at a table next to the fireplace with an expressionless look on her face.
"Ilia?" We both say at the same time. She snaps out of her trance and looks at us in surprise.
"Oh! You startled me for a second there. I had no idea you two were coming. Are you staying here for the night?"
"Yes...Why are you up so late?" I ask her, going over to sit next to her.
"I was just thinking I guess…"
"Well...I'm going to need you to think really hard right now, Ilia. Does this statue make you think of anything? Like, does anything come to mind? Here," Link says to her, taking the statue out of his bag and handing it to her. She takes the statue from him and I guess...the medicine's scent helps her remember something? I'm not really sure. But she immediately stands up from the table and her eyes go wide. She then takes one hand off the statue and brings it to her temple.
"O-Ow…"
"Are you okay? Do you remember anything?" I ask her, standing up as well. She nods and groans again from the pain in her head.
"Ugh...Yes. I remember...being confined with someone. A woman I think...And she saved me from the bulblins and then gave me that statue...I think…" she tells us. It's obvious she's very unsure about what she's saying. She then mentions that everything is flashing inside her mind but not staying there like a normal memory. I glance at Link and he frowns at me. Hopefully, we haven't met another dead end…
"I recognize the design on the statue," someone says behind us. We turn and see Shad coming up the stairs from the basement.
"Shad? Have you been down there studying those statues the whole time?" I question. He smiles sheepishly and nods.
"What can I say? They're fascinating. As for this little wooden statue," he stops and walks over to us, "I'm pretty sure it belongs to the Sheikah tribe. I've read that they're not around anymore but their village still is. It's hidden on the far side of the Bridge of Eldin. I tried to go there once but there was a wall of boulders that stopped me from entering. I couldn't do anything about it but maybe you two can. You always seem to make things happen your way," he says with a laugh. Link and I smile at each other.
"I bet we can think of something. Thank you, Shad. We'll try to go there tomorrow and see if we can find anything there that will help with Ilia's memory," we tell him.
"Well, good luck. I will be here when you return. I've almost cracked the code to those sky statues down there. It's...taken longer than I anticipated. But no matter. Tomorrow is a new day. Good night, you three."
He walks down the hall with a wave to us and retreats to his bedroom. Speaking of bedroom, where are Link and I going to sleep? I don't think we've ever stayed here overnight before.
"Please find something. My head is always hurting," Ilia says with a whine. Link and I nod before I chuckle a bit.
"We will. By the way, would Renado happen to have an extra bedroom Link and I could stay in for the night?"
She nods.
"Uh-huh. There are two empty bedrooms down the hall across from where Shad's bedroom is. You can stay in those rooms."
Link and I look at each other before laughing.
"Thanks, but we'll only need one room."
Ilia stares at the two of us before it finally connects.
"Oh...Oh! Okay...Then yeah, the room all the way down on the left should be fine. I should be heading to bed too. It's been a long day…" she mutters. She walks slowly to her room on the other side of the home and tells us goodnight one more time before closing the door. I sigh and began walking to our bedroom. It has been a long day, hasn't it? Link follows me and starts taking off his equipment on the way.
"I swear. Today has been so tiring. I'm still itching from seeing that huge spider earlier."
I cringe suddenly from the thought of the giant tarantula and Link laughs.
"Yeah, but you kicked that spider's ass! I was so proud of you!"
I smile and look down.
"Yeah well...I couldn't have done it without you."
Once his gloves and gauntlets are off, he comes to sit next to me. He rests his hand on mine and looks into my eyes.
"The same goes with you for me."
He pecks me on the lips and then lays back onto the bed with a groan, his legs dangling off the end of the bed.
"Oh my gods, that back feeling, when you lay on the bed at the end of the day for the first time, is the best."
"I know," I giggle, laying back with him. We stay like that for a moment before I sit up.
"If we stay like this we'll fall asleep. Better take off our armor before we do," I tell him. He nods and takes off his tunic. He then takes off the white shirt he wears underneath it and then puts the tunic back on.
"It's kind of like pajamas! Just...Take away the chainmail…"
"Ha. Whatever works I guess," I reply. I take out a shirt that I had packed from my room and put it on. It's really comfortable and it's one of my favorites. After taking everything off, brushing my teeth, all that crap, I get under the covers of the bed and wait for Link to get finished getting ready for bed. He has more layers of clothing and equipment on than I do so it takes him a little longer.
"Finally…" he whispers once he's done and getting in the bed with me. I smile and lay my head on the soft feather pillow.
"This is the best part of the day…"
"Yeah," he says with a grin, moving closer to me and wrapping his arms around me. He then turns off the lamp on the nightstand next to me and settles back in with me. I don't know what it is about Link, but whenever I cuddle up to him like this I fall asleep almost instantly.
"Goodnight, Link. I love you…"
"I love you too, Scarlett. Goodnight…" He says back to me before kissing my forehead gently and closing his eyes. I smile and close mine too, quickly falling asleep in his arms.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day for sure. But I'm excited about it. Unless it involves another huge spider...
And that is the end of the chapter! Okay, we might have more chapters than I thought. I totally forgot about Ilia and the hidden village and all that crap. So we still have a ways to go before the story is finished. That's fine. I like writing it. Although, I did have trouble writing this chapter just because I had a lot of college stuff to do. Please review or comment on the story and tell me what you guys think! Maybe more reviews will get a faster update. I don't know. I'll try. Finally, thanks so much for reading and I will see you guys next time!
