Long chapter is long, so short commentary is short.

Enjoy! :D


Chapter 29 – Green


Green's hands were growing sore and scratched as he pounded his fists against the sturdy wall of rock which had effectively sealed the tunnel from the previous room. He shouts were loud and angry as he beat against the stone wall, leaning all his weight on it as hard as he could.

Vio's hands were also bleeding, rubbed raw as he searched the rocks frantically for a weak point, a wedge where he would be able to place the exact amount of pressure on the weakest link of the blockade and cause the rocks to come tumbling down.

Even Red was frantically digging at the smaller rocks at the base of the cave-in, ignoring the stinging sensations on his palms as he dug away the smaller rocks- only to cry in surprise and dismay as more rocks from above fell into the place he had just dug some smaller rocks out of.

Finally, Green's strength began to leave him as he slipped down to his knees, his fists still tightly clenched and pressed against the rocks. His head hung between his shoulders as he fell silent.

Looking over at the two dismayed heroes, Vio's face saddened as well, and he rose, walking quietly over to Green and kneeling down by him. "Green…" he spoke quietly, trying to comfort his friend.

"The… the idiot…" Green muttered, his voice shaking underneath his breath as he dropped his bleeding hands from the rocks down to his bent knees. "The damned idiot… Why… why did he do that…?" His eyes were trembling as they were shut against the blinding tears which were burning over his eyelids. He… it was his responsibility, his duty to keep them all safe… had he… failed…?

Red's eyes trailed back up to his two silent friends, and he also moved over to them, looking down sadly at them. Still quiet, the boy took a look back at the rock wall… suddenly, he frowned, his eyes narrowing in determination. "I… I dunno… but Blue said we were strong, didn't he?" he snapped suddenly, looking down at the two boys. "And… I'm not gonna let him down!" Instantly, Red whirled back towards the wall of rock, slamming his palms against a large, wedged boulder and leaning his shoulder against its side as he pushed his full weight into the rock, his teeth gritting and his feet sliding against the ground.

The other two Links looked from Red and to each other… and, with a single, serious nod, both instantly rose to their feet and stood on either side of Red, placing their hands firmly on the rock and leaning with all their might against the boulder. Their feet slipped and stood against the floor, their shoulders pressing on the rough surface of the rock with all the strength they could muster.

And slowly… The rock began to slip against the boulders surrounding it- in sudden, small jerky motions, it started to slide against those around it…

And in one final, powerful push, the Links hoisted all their strength against the boulder and cried out in surprise as the heavy rock gave way underneath their fortitude, suddenly crashing outwards and sending the rocks all around it sliding down in a massive, sudden rockslide.

"Get back!" Vio gasped as he was the first to jump backwards, grabbing the backs of each of his friend's tunics and pulling them away from the collapsing wall. The trio watched, wide-eyed, as the rocks continued to fall around them, crashing into each other and slamming off into the side… until, finally, a sliver of light peeked through a hole in the avalanche- instantly followed by a massive, blinding surge of light as the last rock blocking their way fell off to the side, rolling outwards towards the empty, dust-filled room and leaving the three Links standing and looking into the destroyed room.

The ceiling was entirely gone… they must have been in a side tower, for the clear, night sky shone through the large, gaping hole in the roof and illuminated the scene before them. Everywhere there was littered boulders and rocks of every size, and not a single pillar remained standing. Even the Giant himself, buried under the deadly boulders, was nowhere to be seen.

Red took a shaky, slow step forward… and then erupted as he bolted into the room, crying out his friend's name as he struggled over the mass of boulders, Vio and Green hot on his tail as they searched and called out for their friend.

The three heroes searched and dug at the rubble, pulling away as big as rocks as they could manage as they desperately searched the moon-lit room for any sign of their friend.

And yet… before they were about to lose all hope…

Vio's eyes snapped open and lit up as he spotted a familiar, blue-colored object amongst the rubble near the corner of the room.

"Blue!" he gasped, instantly running over to where the colored fabric lay, the three heroes hot on his tail as they ran up to the corner… and each felt their hearts shatter as they looked down sadly upon the single, ownerless blue hat.

"B… Blue…" Red whimpered, his eyes wide and heartbroken, as he knelt down, slowly taking the tattered, dusty blue hat in his hands. And yet… as he lifted it upwards…

A hint of yellow was peeking through the rocks.

"G-guys! He's buried under the rocks!" Green shouted, breathless, as he noticed the tips of a certain blonde-colored hair peeking out from under the rubble. "Help me dig!" he shouted as he instantly fell to his knees, tearing at the rocks beneath them.

The two other Links knelt down without hesitation, their eyes wide and full of worry and hope as they pulled and pushed away at the rocks which covered the single spark of yellow. And as Green's fingers gripped around the largest rock, he shouted out as he summoned all his strength to pull it free from the crevice. As the rock rolled off to the side, the three Links paused in an instant at they looked at what was in front of them.

Shaking his head and coughing, Blue squinted against the small pebbles which fell around him, struggling to lift his hand free of the rocks and rub across his eyes, where the dust had settled and temporarily blinded him. "Owwww…. My head…" he groaned as he once more coughed and shook his aching forehead. Blinking the sand out, the hero continued to wiggle around in the rocks as he attempted to free himself… and suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he looked upwards at the three Links who were staring, wide-eyed, down at him.

Blue's eyes stared at the three for a moment- and then, his eyesight traveled up to above him, and his eyes instantly narrowed as he shouted, his face red with anger, "ALRIGHT, you little jerks, which one of you has my hat?-!"

"BLUE!"

Overcome with their joy, the three Links instantly swarmed Blue, hugging him from every angle and helping clear away the rest of the rubble which trapped the lower half of his body in the wreckage. Once they had lifted him out of the rocks, Red grinned as he held out Blue's hat. With a quiet smile, Blue reached out and took the familiar token, placing it back on his head and nodding at how right it felt for it to sit atop his messy hair.

Then, surprising everyone, Red leaned forward, his balled fist punching Blue playfully in the gut.

"YOU MEANIE!" Red shouted, his angry- yet still smiling- face tearing up, "You scared us half to death! Don't ever do that again, okay?-!"

Blue staggered back a step as he clutched his stomach, his face puffing up as he felt the wind knocked out of him. Forcing an embarrassed grin, he looked over at his friend sheepishly. "Ah, Red… I, uh…" He then looked over to the quiet, yet smiling faces of the other two, and nodded his head. "I'm sorry…" He looked to the side at the rubble, and laughed quietly. "Y'know… I really didn't think I was gonna make it." He shrugged as he looked back to them, nodding his head firmly and grinning. "But, hey… you guys have all sacrificed yourself for each of us before; I was beginning to feel left out!"

Vio smiled as he looked towards Red and Green, then back at Blue as he shook his head, sighing softly. "Well, Blue, you got your fifteen minutes of glory, then. Let's head out- we're wasting time here." Though his words were calm and calculating, instantly dismissing the situation at hand, even Blue could see the light glint in his eyes- and took the disguised compliment he knew he was getting for what it was.

Blue laughed as he shrugged, "Fine with me. Hell, I'm just happy to still be here!" With another grin, he whipped out his sword from his back, slashing it ecstatically in the air. "Let's go kick some Ganondorf butt!" he shouted as he charged ahead towards the tunnel of the entrance, laughing as Red chased after him, apparently still a little angry at him.

Green laughed quietly as he shook his head, walking after the two as he smiled through his eyes. His gaze traveled sideways to Vio as they continued to walk back to the entryway. He raised an eyebrow as they walked, talking curiously as he looked back towards Blue and Red. "Blue…" he muttered, deep in thought. He looked back towards Vio. "He… he shouldn't have survived that, huh? The cave-in…"

Vio looked back at Green in brief surprise. He knew that Green meant "shouldn't", in that, it was not physically possible. Had logic itself been turned on its head? He nodded his head. "Against all odds… no, they all pointed towards the opposite of what happened. But… our friend is alive. That's all that matters…" He nodded, and a wry smirk tugged at the ends of his lips, and he teasingly tossed back Green's words at him. "And I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"HEY, SLOWPOKES!" Blue shouted at the trailing heroes from the entrance of the tunnel, and Green and Vio grinned at the sight ahead of them. Blue was cringing and running away, laughing, from Red, who was still fuming and chasing the other as tears stained his cheeks. No doubt, Blue had said something unknowingly inconsiderate and had put off the more sensitive Red, and was trying to avoid being punished as he kept hiding from the other. He grinned as he yelled again to the others. "Come on! We don't have all day!"

The grins returned to Green and Vio's faces, and they nodded once more to each other before catching up to a jog, meeting the other two at the start of the tunnel and starting through the next passageway, together and ready to face the next challenges they would face together, strong, and as a team.


Flickering warmly against the stone walls of the passageway, the bright light from the flame of Green's torch shone brightly around the four heroes as they continued their trek through the unknown passageway. Though each silently had their doubts about where the tunnel itself led, none spoke them- instead ready and willing to trust their leader to take them the last stretch of the maddening castle towards where they knew Ganondorf would be waiting for them.

The minutes passed as the heroes continued their journey, and Green noticed, waving his torch around briefly in front of them, how the tunnel seemed to be getting smaller and smaller- it reminded him of the tunnel-turned-air-duct which they had travelled through in the Dark World, which had eventually led them to Shadow. And yet, it wasn't shrinking in height- just width. He looked behind him to notice the others were forced to walk in a near single-file line.

Sighing, Blue shook his head as he looked up ahead. "I sure hope this is the right way to go," he muttered under his breath.

Red grinned, peeking from behind Blue's shoulder and nodding excitedly. "Of course it is! Green knows where he's going, don'tcha, Green?"

… Did he know where he was going? The thought quieted the leader as he continued to look forward through the uncertain darkness. He saw no other option, true, but… He glanced over his shoulder once more as the other three looked at him expectantly. Well… whether he knew or not, he knew how vital it was to keep their drive strong. He smiled calmly, looking back in front of him. "This is the only path," he said simply, "It must lead to Ganondorf."

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Red teased as he resumed walking normally behind Blue, grinning widely. "We'll be fine! Green will-"

Suddenly, interrupting his own sentence, the Red hero cried out in surprise and fear as he felt the ground beneath him suddenly disappear and his body plummet downwards.

"RED!" Vio and Green shouted in surprise, helpless to do anything in the narrow corridor as, instead, Blue lunged forward, grasping Red's wrist as he leaned over the pit his friend had walked directly over, catching his friend just in time.

Grunting and gritting his teeth, Blue swung his other arm over the side of the edge of the strange, suddenly-appearing ledge, grabbing Red's other hand and pulling him back up. His chest heaving, Red struggled to regain the ground beneath him, and leaned against the wall, his heart pounding and his eyes still wide in terror.

"What the hell was that?" Blue shouted as he looked around them at the pit that had suddenly appeared.

Green's eyes suddenly widened. "H-Hey! Look out!" he shouted, leaning forward as he suddenly grabbed the back of Vio's tunic, pulling him backwards- right in time before the ground beneath him also suddenly evaporated into thin air. And all around them, the Links watched in horror as pieces of the corridor in which they had been walking began to dissolve into darkness.

Parts of the floor, ceiling, and walls were disappearing into pitch-black darkness, and the Links found themselves crowding in the small amount of solid ground space left. And yet, as some pieces randomly disappeared- others suddenly began to appear, random slabs and walls of stone appearing to their sides. The eyes of the heroes widened in surprise- what they were witnessing… was it even possible…?

"Vio, what's going on?" Red cried as he huddled against Blue on the small amount of surface that was left for them to stand on.

The mind of the wiser began to race as he looked around them at the splotchy parts of stone and darkness. His eyes narrowed as he began to notice a pattern in the breaks of darkness and paths of stone… "It's… It's a maze," he breathed as he looked back and forth.

"A maze?" Green repeated, gritting his teeth angrily. Lifting his torch out in front of him, the Green hero leaned over the pit of darkness in front of him as he shined his light against the strange place they had seemed to have fallen into. Yes… he began to see it, as well. The spaces of darkness were carefully placed, and the random stretches of rock served as broken pathways between them. His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"But… if it were a maze, there'd be one single path," Blue said, shaking his head as he looked at the pieces of rock which were scattered and disconnected around them. "They're all separated!" He looked at the space of darkness which separated him and Red from the other two, and then looked around them. His eyes went back up to Green. "What are we supposed to do now?"

Once more, the Green hero held his torch out in front of him as his eyes tried to decipher the maze of stone and shadows… and as the flame flickered over the darkness, his eyes widened in surprise. What… was that? Something had glinted in the light of his flame when it was cast over a certain part of the empty darkness. He… he wondered… slowly, he took a step towards the darkness, his foot hovering over the shadows. And, ignoring the shouts of his friend, the hero grit his teeth as he let his weight fall on his outstretched foot.

He cringed- awaiting the certainty of falling through the pit as Red had almost done.

And yet… his eyes opened in surprise, looking down at his foot, which appeared to be standing in thin air, overtop the shadows… Jubilantly, he looked up to the confused faces of his friends. "Guys, I think I've figured this out," he said with a firm nod. "Just… follow my lead, okay?" Looking back down on the shadows, Green moved his other foot to stand on the seemingly groundless floor, unfazed by the fact he appeared to be walking on thin air, going by the light of his torch alone for where he needed to walk.

Bringing his torch once more out in front of him, the hero's eyes scanned the patches of darkness which both connected and separated the firm grounds of stone around them. He knew what had to be done now… the glints of light that had shone through his torch's beacon would show and connect the true pathway. His eyes suddenly snapped to a glistening patch of darkness in front of the separated two Links.

"Blue, Red!" he said sharply, his eyes narrowing in determination as he held out his torch as far as he could. "Listen to me carefully, okay? Right in front of your left foot, Red… there's a patch of darkness separating those two stone pathways. Go across it."

"Go… across it?" Blue repeated, at first confused, then aghast, and finally angered. "Are you insane? We'll fall through the pit like Red almost did!"

"Just trust me on this!" Green shouted back, equally as loud, to the other hero.

The other two heroes looked at each other, unsure… but then nodded and stood back up, carefully and slowly placing their feet over the edge of the sure stone and into the unsure darkness…

"Green… are you sure about this?" Vio muttered calmly under his breath as he watched the other two prepare to take the step. By all accounts… it didn't make any sense. He looked over his shoulder at Green, a little skeptical. True… the other Links had learned to believe in their friend and how he would lead them, but… walking across thin air? Was this something that could really be done?

The leader of the four Links nodded firmly to Vio's question, resolute in his belief, his eyes still focused on Blue and Red as they stepped onto the darkness.

The two heroes cringed, ready to feel the plunging feeling of falling off the edge of the stone- but opened their eyes when they realized they had set their weight down on their outstretched foot, and now stood on the black, empty air.

"Keep walking about three steps forward," Green instructed carefully, unable to hide the glint in his eyes. It had worked! "Now take a left and walk straight on towards us," he instructed carefully, watching with intent eyes as the others did as he instructed… and his face broke into a wide grin as the pair finally reached the platform that he and Vio stood on, effectively reuniting the four once again.

As soon as he stepped onto the visible, solid ground, Red let out a huge sigh and shook his head. "I… I know I trust you, Green, but that was just scary! I don't want to walk on thin air anymore…"

Vio crossed his arms as he looked over at Green. "We're going to have to," he said simply, "And Green seems to be the only one who can see which path is the correct one. We must follow him."

Holding his torch out in front of him, Vio's words barely reached Green's ears as he instead was looking across the mix of darkness and stone, trying to find the secrets in the shadows that his torch was displacing. The hero took a deep breath as he nodded, seeing the path through the maze just barely. He looked over his shoulder to the others.

"Follow me close behind," he said firmly, "Take exactly the steps I take. We…" He trailed off as his eyes looked over the three, unsure faces of his friends. Smiling, Green nodded as a confident expression crossed over his face. "We can make it through this, guys," he said firmly, pressing his confidence onto them and asking for their trust once more. The others, reassured by their leader's words, nodded as they filed in behind him, ready to follow Green across the pits of blackness.

The first few steps were terrifying- and, though he hid it well from the others, it was just as hard for Green himself to continue to step across the seemingly nonexistent floor, instead trusting the light in his torch and his own instincts to keep going. Ignoring certain patches of black- and sometimes, when his guts told him to, even going around the solid stone tiles themselves- the quiet hero continued to look around him, feeling for the correct path in the confusing maze which would lead them safely out.

Even Vio was having a hard time as his eyes looked frantically at the nonexistent ground they walked upon. Looking over his shoulder briefly, he noticed how both Red and Blue were taking shaky steps along the invisible path, nervous at the ordeal of a single step plummeting them to their doom. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Vio looked back towards the leading Green as he shook his head, desperately trying to cleanse his doubting mind of its fears. This… this was no time to panic. This was the time to throw caution and logic to the wind and follow what their friend was saying.

Stopping to look over his shoulder, Green's concerned eyes fell on the troubled figures of his friends. How… how long could he ask them to go on like this? Even he didn't know how far the winding path would take them. Looking in front of him, pausing in his walk, he once more drew his torch out in front of him, searching for the invisible pathway. The shimmering hints of light which sparked out in the darkness, lit up by the light of his torch, once more caught against Green's eyes… and his heart sank at the long path which led in zig-zags and a whole slew of confusing, winding paths in front of them. Determined, his gaze once more swept further over the darkness- and his eyes widened as he caught the sight of a faint glimmer of light in the distance. The light was different than the brief sparkles that had so far lit up his path- instead, this light was bright, like a beacon. Was it… an exit? Yet… he could see no path towards it, only the terrifying and arduous zig-zag path, which itself seemed to have no beginning and no end.

"Green… what's going on?" Red whimpered, looking as best he could p;ast the other two to the hero in front who had stopped walking and was staring quietly out to the darkness in front of them. Nervously, Red reached forward and held onto the shield on Blue's back, his balance worrying him as thoughts of tripping and falling raced through his mind. "Why… why'd we stop?"

Blue looked briefly behind him as Red held on to his shield, but brought his gaze back to Green. He took a shaky, deep breath… "Green, I… I don't know how much longer we can do this," he said finally, shaking his head as he looked down at the vortex of blackness beneath them and upon which they stood.

Once more, the thoughts raced through Green's mind as he looked from the clear path to the side, and then towards the beacon of light to the other- though which had no path leading towards it. He closed his eyes in thought… and, moments later, nodded his head as he understood.

"Stay here, okay?" he said firmly as he looked briefly over his shoulder at Vio. "I… I think I see an exit up ahead, but I need to test it… to see if the path is stable. It isn't marked like the path we've been walking on… but I don't see any other option."

"Green, we can't let you do that," Vio said firmly as he placed his hand on Green's shoulder, preventing the other from walking forward on his own. "What if you were to fall? We'd lose you!"

"Better me than you," Green replied instantly with a grim smile.

"No," Blue suddenly said instantly and firmly, shaking his head. "We're a TEAM, Green! You may be our fearless leader… but…" He looked down, his face suddenly ashamed. "After I trapped myself in with the Giant… I suddenly felt terrible. Guilty, even… Not because I thought I was going to die, but because I knew that it would mean leaving my team with one less member. I… I made a mistake." He looked back up at Green, his face determined and resolute. "And I'm not about to let you make the same one I did. We're ALL going across that path, Green. Whether we win or lose… we're in this together."

Red smiled shyly as he nodded, looking past Blue up to their leader. "We'll follow you, Green… but you have to let us, okay?" he spoke meekly, but also proudly, with a glint in his eyes. "No matter what, we're sticking together until the end!"

"And that means all of us," Vio finished with a stern nod and a calm, quiet smile, raising his eyebrow at his next words. "Including you."

Green's eyes shook in emotion as he listened to the words of his friends. Back at the cave… he had felt responsible, that it was his job to lead them all through the toughest of times, and keep them all safe. He was their leader, after all… but a leader… he also had to keep his team together. They were right… even if he was unsure, he could no longer bear to place their safety in front of his own. Whatever they did… they did it as a team.

Once more, the smile crossed over Green's face, and he gave a quiet nod. "You… you're right, guys. I'm sorry…" He took a deep breath as he turned around, his chin lowering and eyes narrowing in determination. "Thanks… for believing in me." He then nodded, the wild grin he learned from his friends flashing boldly across his face.

"… Let's go, then... Together."

Without another word, the leader held out his torch in front of him, and placed his foot out across the void of darkness, hovering in above the nothingness of the shadows that led towards the light…

And in one final breath…he took his step.


I told you it was a long chapter. :D

I know, there are many mysteries surrounding how Blue survived- but, all in good time, my friends. All in good time. ;3

Everything happens for a reason.

Prepare yourselves- we are getting closer and closer to the final battle!

Bring your popcorn again for tomorrow's chapter: Chapter Thirty, Phantom!