Chapter 24

-Prison of the Dead-

Link blindly thrust his sword toward the sound. The intruder fell over backward and glared up at him.

"What is wrong with you?!"

He huffed in irritation as he sheathed his sword. Tetra, dressed in Gerudo clothes, lifted herself back up.

"Me?!" he snapped, "Din, Tetra, what's wrong with you?! This place is dangerous! I thought you were a monster! I could have run you through!"

"But you didn't," she reasoned, crossing her arms, "and anyway, I'm going with you."

"No you're n-"

"Yes, I am," she said, drawing a long, curved sword, "I have something to protect myself with, I'm not as delicate as you've convinced yourself that I am, and I think you need my help. No, I take that back. I know that you need more help if you're that tense. Speaking of which, your knuckles are turning white. Did you know? You should stop that before you get a hand cramp. Then you won't be able to hold your sword at all." Link grunted angrily in response and turned back toward Fyrus. The redhead shrugged and continued on.

"What, you don't care if she gets hurt?" Link said, catching up to his friend. Fyrus shrugged again.

"She looks like she can take care of herself," he said, "and we will keep together. There is strength in numbers, so this could be good."

"But this is Tetra, princess of Hyrule," Link said.

"A princess?" he repeated, glancing back, "Ah, well. I am a king. Just because we are both royalty doesn't mean that we are incapable of defending ourselves. Besides, as I said, she looks like she can take care of herself. If she looked too delicate, I would not let her come."

"I like him," Tetra said with a grin. Link rolled his eyes. Fyrus then guided them into the next room, but paused in front of a door.

"Just to warn you, the next room is fairly dark," he said, "There is some light, but do watch your step." He opened the door and they followed him in. Link squinted to see better through the gloom. Aside from a couple torches, the light was, as Fyrus had said, minimal.

"Oh, be careful of the sand," the king added.

"Why?" Link asked. His heart sank then began to pound as he felt something grab his boot.

"Why?!" he repeated, his voice deeper, as he shook the thing off of his foot.

"Stalkin," Fyrus replied, "They come out of the sand. They are small, but can be mildly harmful."

"What is a 'Stalkin'?" Tetra asked, shaking off a couple of the little creatures.

"They are, essentially, tiny skeletons," he answered, "Like Stalfos, but much smaller. Link, are you- uh, Link?"

"I'm over here," Link called, holding the door open, "I found the door, so let's go. Let's just go, hurry up; come on." The others sprinted toward him, stepping over and shaking off the Stalkins. The following room was enormous in comparison, the young hero noticed.

"Oh, good," Fyrus said, "the Poes have not taken the torch light again. We can just go straight to where she is."

"How much farther is it?" Link asked.

"What, are you getting tired?" Tetra teased.

"No," Link snarled in response, "I just… wait… what's that?" He pointed to a tall, dark figure standing in the middle of the room.

"That looks like…" the king's voice faltered as he tried to get a better look through the gloom. Navi flew over to the strange being and allowed some of her light to shine on it. Link felt his heart skip a beat again as he saw the hideous, decaying face.

"It's a ReDead!" she shouted back as she quickly pulled away from it.

"A ReDead," Link said flatly, "A ReDead, why not?! But why did it have to be a ReDead, of all the things in Hyrule?! It could have been a Moblin. It could have been a Lizalfos. It could have been anything from any of the fairytales I heard when I was little. Din, it could have been a Poe, at worst! But no. No. It had to be a Farore-forsaken ReDead of all things!"

"You're afraid of ReDeads," Tetra said, an eyebrow raised, "You are supposed to be the great Hero of Time, and you're afraid of an overgrown string bean wrapped in bandages. Great."

"It's a…" he replied indignantly, trying to think of the word, "…big… fear of mine."

"A 'phobia'? Fyrus suggested.

"Yes, that's it!" he said, "It's a phobia. Of dead things, that is. Well… undead things, anyway."

"Ganondorf probably found out about you and may have ordered it to stand guard here," Tetra guessed.

"But of all things…" Link said, frowning, "It's almost like he knew to send that above all else…" Fyrus waved a hand in the air dismissively.

"That isn't a problem," he said, aiming his hand at the monster and releasing an explosion of magical fire. Navi dodged the fireball as it slammed into the ReDead. It let out a horrific scream of pain as it crumpled to the ground.

"ReDeads and Gibdos hate fire," the king explained, "Fortunately, it is common for Gerudo kings to become excellent magic users and I am no exception. I don't see any more… alright, then, follow me." The small group walked quietly through the dark room, each glancing around to ensure no other enemy would stand in their way. Soon, they came upon a circular room that was even taller than the last with a wooden pathway that nearly reached the incredibly high ceiling.

"We've been working on this ramp for quite a while, now," Fyrus said, "Since we have finished with that, we will be building a permanent, stone stairway. We all agreed on the idea that one day, all of the Gerudo will live in here, once we can clear the Arbiter's Grounds of its… less than pleasant occupants and renovate to ensure safety throughout. It will become like the Gerudo's version of Hyrule Castle."

"That sounds like some good protection, if you can make this place solid," Tetra said.

"Yes," he replied, "We experience sand storms and we need more defense against Ganondorf's followers. Once we finish, this place would not only be a castle, but an impressive fortress, or so we hope."

"It looks like that may take a while," Link said, tilting his head back as far as it would go. He had never seen a room so tall as this. It seemed too vast to be real, he thought.

"Is there a faster way than just walking up this ramp?" he asked. Tetra rolled her eyes.

"There once was," Fyrus replied, "See the tracks spiraling along the wall, just above the path? There was once a device that would allow one to ride to the top. Unfortunately, it was taken and never returned."

"Thieves?" Tetra guessed.

"No," he said, "The last hero of Hyrule came here and needed it. But that's alright. We have our own way, now, and we will make it better soon."

"Still, it would be nice," Link said, "That way, we could get up there faster and save our energy. The sooner we get up there, the better. Right?"

"Yes," Fyrus agreed, "My poor Nabooru is waiting."

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Link, panting, peered over the edge of the ramp. From the top, which they had only just reached, the floor seemed incredibly far. His stomach churned at the thought of losing his balance. All he had to do was lean too much and he could fall all the way down. Link pushed himself back, keeping away from the edge.

"C'mon…" Tetra huffed, " What're you… sitting down for? Are you… are you tired?"

"Elevator," Link said.

"What was that?" Fyrus replied, seemingly unfazed by the long trek up.

"Elevator," he repeated.

"What would that be?" the king said.

"It's this new thing that lifts people up and carries them down when there's no other way to get where you want to go or if it's a lot harder otherwise," Link explained, "At least, that's what it seems to be to me. You really need to get one or make one or something. Please."

"That sounds useful," Fyrus said, "I will look into it."

"Are you alright, Link?" Navi whispered, landing on his shoulder.

"I'll be fine," he replied softly, "but I wish I had wings like you, Navi."

"Is that where the sand dragon lives?" she asked. Link looked up at a large set of doors before them.

"Is that where the dragon is?" he said aloud, pointing at the doors as he stood up.

"Yes," Fyrus said, his expression becoming grim, "It is just beyond those doors."

"Is it locked?" Tetra said.

"In a way, yes," he said, "But no one can find a key and none of us can break it down. That is why I haven't been able to get to Nabooru. The doors seem to be cursed. I thought that, perhaps, the Hero of Time could open it."

"I… I don't know how," Link said, "but I can look at it and see if anything works." He approached the large doors and examined them, feeling along to try to sense any cracks or hidden locks.

"There's nothing," he said after a few minutes. Fyrus sighed in frustration.

"Then maybe we can find another way," the king said, "Maybe we could attempt an aerial approach?"

"…Master Sword…"

"What?" Link said, "Navi, did you say something?"

"No," she replied.

"I thought I heard-"

"Master Sword."

"There it is again!" he exclaimed, "I heard a voice. It said, 'Master Sword'." Tetra sighed.

"So now you're hearing voi-"

"Shh!" Link held up a hand, to which she rolled her eyes.

"I know that voice," he said, "It sounded like…" He thought for a moment, trying to recall exactly where he had heard the mysterious voice. It reminded him of the forest and of Saria. It made him think of…

"Farore!" he shouted, "It was Farore!"

"You have heard Farore?!" Fyrus gasped.

"Yes," Link said, "I talked to her in the forest. In the… well, never mind. That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that she wants me to use the Master Sword. But how?"

"Strike the doors with the Master Sword. It will banish the evil that is sealing them shut."

Link pointed his sword at the twin doors.

"What? What did she say, Link?" Navi asked.

"She said that the doors are being kept shut by some kind of evil," he said, "but I can open it with the Master Sword. That's what she meant. Stand clear!" With as much strength as he could muster, he slashed at the doors, letting the blade scrape the metal. A black wall became visible as it cracked and shattered into thousands of pieces all around them, accompanied by a sound like glass shattering echoed throughout the enormous room.

"A wall…" Fyrus whispered, once the near deafening crash had faded, "That would explain why we could not get in. The dragon must have created that barrier."

"Or Ganondorf," Tetra said, "He is a powerful sorcerer, isn't he? I think he would definitely be able to make a dark shield like this."

"Maybe it was to keep me from getting in," Link suggested, "since I'm the new Hero of Time, he would want to stop me with anything he can, right? But evil and darkness can't stop the Master Sword."

"Perhaps I can help you defeat Ganondorf later," Fyrus said, "but now I can finally reach my Nabooru!" He reached for the doors, then slowly drew away from it, looking back over his shoulder.

"I want to warn you again," he said, "The Sand Dragon is dangerous. Very dangerous. He can travel not only in the air, but also in the ground, as I have mentioned. Be prepared for anything. Watch yourselves and you surroundings very carefully." Fyrus reached for the doors again, this time pressing against one. Link stepped forward to push the other one inward. The large, dusty doors creaked and popped as they parted to reveal a large, circular room.

"So… where is it? The huge, dangerous dragon you were going on about?" Tetra asked, though the fear she felt was evident as she rapidly glanced around.

"It could be in the ground," Fyrus said.

"If it is, it's being very quiet," Link observed, "Do you think it's asleep?"

"Possible, but unlikely," the king said grimly, "The dragon is a very clever beast. It is probably waiting until we step onto the sand."

"But we can't just stay here," Link said, "we have to do something."

"I agree," he said, "but we cannot just-"

Making up his mind, Link drew his sword and dashed onto the sand, examining it.

"…run right into it," Fyrus finished, slapping a hand to his forehead.

"He's not terribly bright," Tetra told him, "Sweet, but dim. You'll get used to it."

"Link!" he hissed, "Get back here! We just need to find Nabooru right now. You don't want to wake-" He staggered as the ground began to shake. They all fell as the sand shifted toward the walls in waves. Shocked and having only a moment to react, Link tumbled into the depths of the sand. He struggled to break to the surface, but he could hardly move. He wanted to swim out so that he could breath, but it was so much thicker than the water he was used to swimming through in Lake Hylia. Just as his lungs were beginnings to ache, he felt a hand grasp his own. He felt a tug as he was lifted out to where he could once again breathe. Link coughed and spat out sand as he tried to gasp for air.

"Are you alright?" Fyrus asked, patting him the back, "Your fairy friend came to me as soon as you went under."

"Navi?" Link huffed, "Where is she?"

"I'm here, Link!" a tiny voice called, as the fairy swooped down and circled him.

"Thanks, Navi," he said, "You really saved me! But we need to get rid of that dragon before it tries to bury anyone else. Can you find any weak spots?" Without another word, Navi flew high to where the dragon swirled around its layer. Link watched as the little ball of blue light circled the great beast, then flew back down.

"Did you find anything?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "There is a red jewel on its chest. I think your sword should be tough enough to break through it."

"But how am I going to get underneath it?" he said, "That thing is like a giant snake with wings! I don't want it on top of me."

"The dragon has claws."

Link spun around, coming face to face with Tetra. She stared back at him, glancing up at the Sand Dragon.

"It has stubby legs and feet with claws underneath," she said, "It can pick you up."

"Your point?" Link said, though the ache in his stomach told him that he already knew.

"If you can get the dragon to grab you, you'll be right behind that jewel. It might be protecting the heart," she explained, "You're sword can reach that far from there. All you have to do stab up into it, break the jewel and you will probably slice into its heart. That should get rid of the dragon."

"But if it's dead and still in the air, what about me?" he said.

"Improvise," she said with a shrug.

"Improvise, right," he sighed, drawing his sword and examining it nervously. He knew that it, being the Master Sword, would no doubt have the strength to easily pierce through the Sand Dragon's red jewel. But that did not make him any less uneasy about being dropped from so high up. He nervously bit his lip, readying himself to catch the dragon's attention.

"Look out!" Fyrus shouted, tearing Link from his thoughts, "The Sand Dragon is diving!" They scattered as the enormous creature swooped down then dove into the sand. A monstrous bulge rapidly traveled along the ground.

"Be still!" Fyrus commanded, freezing, then placing a finger to his lips. The lump of sand stopped after a few moments, listening. Navi perched on Link's shoulder.

"It can't find us," she whispered. Link shook his head. The dragon shifted slightly, deciding where to move, then the sand suddenly, slowly, began to sink.

"What's it doing?" Link hissed. Fyrus frowned, then widened his eyes in horror.

"It's going to-"

The king's words were cut short when the dragon burst up from the beneath the sand, it's long nose tearing through the surface like a great sword, resulting in another huge wave. Link ran forward, avoiding becoming buried again. He waved his arms and shouted, attempting to attract the beast. Seeing him, the dragon roared angrily and emitted fire as it turned toward him.

"It breathes fire?!" Link whimpered, his voice high. He staggered back, turning to run, but yelped as he felt several enormous, cold claws wrap around his arms and hoist him into the air.

"Link!" Navi exclaimed, flying in front of him, "Hang in there! You need to stab the red jewel just above you! Look up! Look up!"

"Navi," he said, looking down at the ground far below, "I don't think I want to do this anymore…"

"You have to!" she said, "Now is your only chance!"

He sighed and looked up at the dragon's chest. A red jewel no bigger than a Hylian shield was just within the reach of his sword. He grasped his sword in both hands and jerked it upward. With a crash, it pierced through the jewel and into the dragon. A deafening screech filled the air as the Sand Dragon wavered back and forth in pain. Link grasped onto a claw with one arm as they glided steeply to the ground. Within seconds, the great creature crashed, sliding into the curved wall. Link had let go, being thrown into the middle of the room. He groaned as he lifted himself up and squinted at the monster. The Sand Dragon was dead.

"Link! Link!"

It was Tetra. Link painfully rolled over to see her kneeling beside him. Fyrus stood just behind her as Navi floated beside him.

"Are you okay?" Tetra asked, looking him up and down, a hand hovering over him, unsure of what to do.

"I think I bruised my… everything," he groaned. She sighed.

"You'll be fine, "she said with a smile, "You're alive, and that's what-" She shrieked as the ground began to shake, then rise.

"What's going on?!" she said. The floor continued to rise until it reached a bridge that connected to it.

"It is another floor!" Fyrus said, then, pointing to an open doorway, "That must be the way out."

"Can you stand?" Tetra asked Link, offering him a hand.

"That was a pretty nasty fall," the king said, "I could carry you the rest of the way."

"No," Link said, "It does hurt a lot, but that's okay. I think I just need help getting up." The two lifted him up as Navi attempted to help by pushing on his back. Link yelped in pain and fell back down.

"What's wrong?" Tetra said, her brow furrowing in concern as she checked him over again.

"It's my leg," he grunted, "It hurts- I can't move it." Fyrus knelt down and examined his right leg.

"It is crooked," he said, "It seems to be broken."

"With all the other things I hurt when I fell, it didn't seem so bad until now," Link said gloomily, "Well… I guess I'll take that offer for you to carry me, now." Fyrus bent down and scooped him up.

"I do hope I won't be making this any worse for you, Hero of Time," the king said with a frown.

"I'll need to-" Link winced, shifting slightly, "I'll need to see my great-aunts at Lake Hylia after this. They should be able to fix my leg. They're both witches and they make potions all the time. I'm sure they'll have something for me."

"Witches?" Fyrus said, "I have heard stories of witches known as the Twinrova who once lived out here, in the desert, but they vanished hundreds of years ago."

"Maybe your aunts are descended from them?" Tetra suggested. Link shrugged.

"Well, never mind that, now," Fyrus said, "We can reach the top of the Arbiter's Grounds from here, it seems. The Sand Dragon must have left Nabooru there. Come, we will be moving much faster since I am carrying you. I will try not to move too quickly, though, since I do not want to make this any worse for you." The young hero nodded, cringing.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Link squinted, trying to see through the blinding sunlight. His eyes soon focused on a young Gerudo woman who sat with her back to them, her long red hair hiding most of the rest of her form from view.

"Nabooru!" Fyrus gasped. The woman turned slowly, clearly exhausted from neglect.

"Fyrus!" she called back, though her voice was weak.

"Link," the king said, "Would you be alright if I placed you in the shade? I want to go see her." Link nodded.

"I'll stay with him," Navi and Tetra offered simultaneously.

"Very well, then," he said, "I will leave him here." He gently placed Link onto the sand, his back against a wall.

"Link…" Tetra said, once again hovering a hand over his leg, "Your… tights… or whatever they are… are red here! You're bleeding too much. We need to get you to your aunts soon. Very soon." She looked back to see Fyrus and Nabooru reuniting in an embrace.

"Fyrus!" she called, "Link's getting worse. We have to get him to Lake Hylia now!" The two hurried over.

"How did this happen?" Nabooru asked, kneeling down to see.

"This is the Hero of Time that I told you about," Fyrus explained, "He broke his leg when he fought the Sand Dragon."

"Then we must… we must…" the young woman's eyes glazed over. The king, concerned, placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her.

"Nabooru?" he said, "Nabooru! What is the matter?" He gasped as the jewel on her forehead began to glow.

"Wait…" Tetra said softly, "I recognize that. That's the Spiritual Stone of Fire! I thought that it was the Goron's Ruby! Why does she have it?"

"I allowed her to find it," Nabooru said in a low voice.

"So, then," Link said through heavy, pained breaths, "you must be…"

"Princess Din," she said, "You are very strong to destroy the Sand Dragon and save this girl. For that, I will add my strength to your sword." She placed a handon the Master Sword, which Link was still barely clutching. A red mist flowed from her hand into it. She then sat up straighter and focused on Link.

"You are weak because you are losing blood and you will not be able to battle your enemies with this broken leg, as you should know," Princess Din said, "Thus, I will send you to the two witches who helped raise you and they will heal you. You must see them for a gift, as well."

"'Gift'?" he said, "What… what do I need it for?"

"You will see," she said, "Now go, heal, then find Princess Nayru. Only then will you be strong enough to stop the evil king." The light faded. Nabooru fell limp and Fyrus caught her. Her eyes fluttered back open.

"I am Princess Din," she said, sitting up, "I am the princess!" Fyrus smiled down at her. He then turned his attention to Link.

"She said she would send you to the witches," he said, then, turning back to Nabooru, asked, "How? How will you do it?"

"I do not know," she said, shaking her head, "I am Princess Din and I am not Princess Din, it seems. Perhaps if I waved my hand? I do not know." She did so in demonstration, but another red mist poured from her fingers and surrounded Link, Tetra and Navi.

"I did not think that would work," Nabooru admitted, "But may it send you where you must go, hero!"

"Thank you for your help, Link!" Fyrus called, although his voice was becoming distant, "I will find a way to repay you!" Link tried to see through the now dense red cloud, but only gasped as the pain in his leg increased. He would need help very soon.

-You know, I really did think that I was going to be able to get this chapter up by Christmas. I really did. But, you know, things happen, which led me into being very, very busy. So, I tried to make this chapter longer than any other thus far as a sort of apology. But I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

By the way, I'm considering making an 'Ask Tangled In Time Link' Tumblr blog, so I can answer questions that way, too, and even draw a few pictures to illustrate. What do you guys think?- TwilighFairy928