Chapter 25
Hissing sea of static
His first instinct was to grab the falling imp with the clawshot. No such luck, the metal hooks will tear through her tiny, pale white body and she'll go splat.
Splat is not good.
The second thing he noticed was her skin color. When he first met her, Midna scared him senseless. When she smiled, an overgrown fang often protruded from beneath her top lip, making her appear as a deranged demon (which to some extent, described her perfectly). The Twilli's skin melded whale fat white and black together and teal veins ribbed her body. Now, as she fell, the black disappeared into the sun, smoking out of her in a thin stream and dark clouds smothered the City in the Sky.
A storm.
Journeying to Hyrule Castle exhausted him. The sacred wolf ran without thinking, only one goal in his mind. Rough grass and the bony remains of recently decomposed monsters, tore through his paw pads but he did not allow himself any rest. Laying on his back, Midna's breath grew feeble. She slipped.
And he tried to grab hold of her desperately.
Howling, Link launched off the platform. Stupid, his mind admonished as the stone ledge vanished from under his legs and a long fall awaited him. Time slowed or maybe his heart stopped beating. He did not care. The clawshot triggered, a length of chain snaked through the air, spearing through the ancient tower's unstable walls. He swung through the air, arm outstretched for the falling Princess but...
But...
Gloved fingers missed the unconscious Midna. Link felt her freezing skin but could not grab hold of her.
The Helmarock king, tail feathers blinding.
Glinting claws fastened on Aryll's shoulder. Nausea prompted bile to rise in his throat and Link swallowed, hanging uselessly. Hanging limply as she plunged into the afterlife.
Strange, he touched the corners of his eyes. No tears. He bit his lip. The tears will come later, he knew, and once they start, they will keep on haunting him for the rest of his life. Unable to bear much weight, the tower wall crumbled and the clawshot's metal hooks dislodged along with a triangular wedge of stone. A flash of ebony scales slithered through the cloud cover and Link fell as the first drops of rain touched his face.
He closed his eyes.
I'm sorry Grandma...Aryll.
An Ooccoo grabbed hold of him, digging sharp talons into padded shoulders and flying him to safety, he landed in a familiar alcove and the bird disappeared. Warping to Nayru knew where. Alone, Link watched the rain create a silver curtain, shaking, he squatted to the floor and buried his head in his arms.
"If you have time to mope, I suggest you help me save her." Ooccoo flapped on to the landing, ivory wings glittering with raindrops. He deposited Midna on the cold floor and Link froze, not quite believing his eyes. Slowly, he poked her puffed abdomen and snatched his hand back. She still breathed! "There is an imbalance in the energy inside her...although it is really strange. Her Twilight magic is disproportionate," Ooccoo blubbered, coherent speech punctuated by the occasional gobble. "Pump her chest, make sure her heart does not stop," the bird instructed and wiping away the tears threatening to blur his vision, Link crouched over the inert form of Midna, careful not to crush her delicate bones. "She seems to be suffering from a tragic loss in magical power," Ooccoo tilted his head, "and it is strange that the power sustaining her is light. It does not make sense."
Link put his ear closer to the Twilli's mouth, desperately hoping he did not imagine her stronger inhalations. "Princess Zelda," he explained, "she said Zelda lived in her, in her chest." He recounted the episode. "She lost all her powers before and Zelda sacrificed herself to bring her back from a near death experi...Aackk!"
A glowing demon hand wrapped around Link's neck and lifted him to the air. Gurgling, Link wrestled with the vise grip around his throat, legs thrashing wildly. The Twilli's headpiece glowed eerily and alarmed, Ooccoo backed off, a shield of white energy automatically surrounding him. Color bled back to Midna's body, head first and the grip around the Hero's throat strengthened. Lungs burning, he wrapped his legs around the demon arm and squeezed vehemently. To his relief, the deadlock loosened and he pulled the tangerine limb away.
Unsheathing his sword, Link hesitated, but the hair hand groped wildly and he swung, cutting it into half. Strands of ginger hair littered the floor and his boots and Midna sat up, glowering at him angrily.
"That was my glorious shock of hair you butchered, imbecile," she scathed and wobbled to her feet. Crouching, Link lent an arm to steady her and her tiny fingers dug into his biceps. "Zelda is gone," she informed, saffron eye downcast in sorrow. "Someone ripped her away from me and the sudden loss led to this." Her grip turned painful. "Link, we have to save her, my intuition tell me Ganondorf got ahold of her and that brute..." Spitting a curse, she whirled to the human. "If he dare lays his hands on her I will...I will." She clapped her hand over her mouth and breathed deeply.
A pair of warm arms encircled her and Link embraced her tightly, willing all the warmth in his body to seep into her cold one.
Thunder flashed overhead, illuminating the sky in a blinding pall of light. "We will save her," he reassured in a low voice. "We will find Ganondorf and put and to him." And then what? His mind asked. The Twilli struggled in his tight hug but he did not want to let go. What if she went all white again and they were too late to save her? "Midna, maybe you should rest in my shadow." She glowered at the suggestion and pulled his cheek painfully. "I'm serious; you don't have Princess Zelda's protection anymore and..."
She cut him off by sailing to the open air. "Hmph, I have my fused shadows back thanks to a certain idiot who couldn't stay away from me." Midna smiled suggestively and Link clenched his fists, anger roaring through his veins. "Don't worry," she patted the fuming hero's shoulder, "I won't overdo it this time, but seeing your panic stricken face certainly does have its benefits!" The Twilli crowed and Link's cheeks inflamed.
How dare she make fun of his worry.
The leer faded. "Time is not on our side, this is the final mirror piece and after this," she turned and Link swore he spied a teardrop in the corner of her large eye, "I can finally go home."
Link wondered why his stomach dropped. It did not have to do anything with the drizzle dampening his fur and certainly the height did not faze him. The sacred wolf put one paw in front of the other and Midna gripped the fur on his back, keeping steady. Scaling the chains in a clockwise motion, he touched the familiar texture of granite and he arched his back. The shadow crystal eased from his forehead and he handed it to Midna.
Determination burning a fire in her eyes, the Twilli sped off, conferring with Ooccoo in raised voices which bounced from all sides. Large fans rotated in the walls of a well-kept chamber and a flock of Ooccoo greeted them as they traversed. Giant screens of wire mesh, fixed to pillars of alabaster, rotated under a triple height ceiling. The entire area smelled of ozone, metal and bird feathers.
Wrinkling his nose, Link poked his stomach, maybe he was hungry. Finishing an orange and wiping sticky fingers on his tunic, he earned the admiration of many Ooccoo as he clung to the metal meshes and navigated through the gushing, wind turbines. One of the fan blades nearly sliced his leg in half but the crippling threat seemed trivial to the weight lodged in the pit of his stomach. Swallowing did nothing. Eating only gave him indigestion; nonetheless, he crammed a handful of biscuits, burped and trailed behind the chattering duo.
A long corridor, miraculously intact, led him to an open field of knee high grass. Towers of metal, their front covered in pewter mesh, cordoned the field in four corners and there, Ooccoo and Midna stopped. The bird indicated the towers with his wing and despite the resolute smirk on Midna's face, Link felt like the gathering storm clouds. Angry and confused. Poking his turbulent stomach one last time, he sprinted towards them, head snapping up when an ominous shadow passed over the ground.
Framed by forks of white thunder, the Twilight Dragon announced its appearance with an ear shattering roar. Clapping hands over his ears, Link trembled and glared at the ebony dragon. Sleek and body protected by plates of armor edged in gold, Argorok inspired terror.
Heat in his glare melting, Link understood the foreboding feeling lying in the pit of his stomach.
The Twilight Realm.
He did not want Midna to go home.
Argorok flapped webbed wings; the resulting gale nearly blew Link off the clearing and anchored himself with the clawshot. The iron boots lay a mere meter from him and Midna sought refuge in his shadow. Warping to the safety of Sky City's domed enclosures, Ooccoo left Link to battle the elements and a blood thirsty dragon with teeth the size of fingers.
The clawshot's metal anchor ripped up from the ground, along with a clump of clay and grass.
Battered like a withered leaf in the gale, Link scrambled on top of the iron boots and numbly tugged them on. Hair poked his eyes and they teared. Upright, he squinted at the dragon, freezing when the monster's presence loomed larger than life.
Argorok blitzed towards the insignificant speck, tucking its wings, the dragon dove forward, maw opened wide to swallow Link whole. Immobilized, the hero stared in dismay at his boots, fumbled with one and then the other and squeaking, rolled to the side, barely avoiding the dragon's salivating jaws. Shaken, he wiped a film of water from his face and dragged his leaden legs across the field.
"Use the clawshot to move around," Midna suggested.
The mesh on the four towers provided for ample holds, but Link did not want to be fried by lightning. Thunder rumbled in the great underbelly of the clouds and the drizzle increased into a lashing downpour. Churning mud, Link waded to the stone paved areas and his fingers gripped the tower. Argorok eluded him, melting into the sheet of grey, unforgiving rain.
A thick, stocky tail snaked into his vision; it dug into the tower and uprooted a chunk of stone. Breathing heavily, Link crouched and searched. The tunic stuck to his body like a soggy, wet blanket of cotton and metal and his shoulders ached. Toes numb inside the iron boots, he confirmed the dragon's presence on the other side of the city and turned to the tower.
A fork of lightning lit the sky, blinding him. Teeth gritted in determination, he clawed his way up the tower. Rain, more like water spears, slashed his face.
The perilous climb cut short.
A sickening blow caught Link on his side; the tail cut through his chainmail and rebounded on snapped ribs. Punched out of breath and dizzy with pain, he tore off the grill, flying sideways with flailing arms. Screaming, Link depressed the clawshot and the length of chain wrapped around the dragon's tail. Giddy with relief and blood running pale pink rivulets down his pants, Link held on for dear life as Argorok flapped and buckled, trying to dislodge the trailing nuisance.
It flew close to the ground and legs dangling half a meter above the treacherous landscape of mud, Link grabbed his sword. His eyes flicked, searching for a suitable stabbing place. Neck, stomach or heart? Argorok's undersides were not protected with shiny black armor but the tough leather skin, did not pierce easily. Giving up on trying to penetrate the heart, he slashed the throat.
The monster screeched, the noise throbbed in Link's ears. Bright red blood sprayed his chest and grimacing, Link let go when the tops of his boots kissed ground. Flipping around and clipping the human's face with a wing claw, the Twilli dragon peeled to the skies. Gingerly touching the gouged section of his cheek, Link limped to the nearest tower and the smell of burnt grass hit his nostrils.
He sneezed.
Burnt grass? Fire?
The sword fell from his weak grasp. A barrier of dancing flames fought against the downpour and his eyes inched up, up to the dragon spouting flames.
So, Link numbly thought, all those fairy tales about princess being locked up in a castle with a fire breathing dragon held some element of truth in it.
The flames' intense heat scorched his body and Link shivered. Steam screened the dragon but no matter, wherever he went, Argorok made sure to follow. Swinging from one tower to the other, Link blinked when a shadow followed him. Changing direction in midstride, he charged for the dragon and drowned Midna's urgent yowling in his head.
Numbskull she called him, but if he pulled his off correctly, the monster will be gone for good.
Swinging past the speeding dragon, Link kissed the Master Sword and tasted blood from a lacerated lip. Holding the blade sideways, he scythed through the thick neck and his weapon juddered to a stop by the nape's armor plates. Muscles burning and suspended between a dying dragon and the clawshot's thin chain, he let go, plummeting to the ground with a steaming carcass.
Mud covered him from head to toe and he recovered the sword from Argorok's shriveling corpse. Clutching his side, he carefully slid down the steaming monster. Trampled grass and soil and the sky melded together, like one of Aryll's abstract paintings. Link toppled, legs buckling underneath him. Before his head collided with mud, Midna caught him.
"That was reckless," she admonished and set to work, pulling his belt off and rolling up the tunic to inspect damages. "This needs stitches, constant dressings and almost two weeks of bed rest." The imp sighed. "I suppose the journey home could wait." Nearby, the dragon imploded into little squares of black and the clouds vacuumed the malicious energy. Midna wrapped her hand around the barely conscious Link and instead of whimpering at his injuries, he grinned widely. "What are you smiling about?" she asked, alarmed. Could he be losing it again?
Thankfully, he did not crackle madly but the disturbing smile stayed on his face. The human became limp and yet, his lips curved amiably.
A small smile of achievement, Midna exhaled. He deserved it.
Barely two days later, he lounged in bed, shoveling porridge cooked with raisins and nuts. The Ooccoo waited on him constantly and flew off to accommodate Link's numerous whims and fancies. Several times, he asked for the room to be remodeled and watched, dissatisfied, as the ivory birds relocated his stone and wood wardrobe, pushed the alabaster bench till he nodded and thereafter pulling it back. Artist Ooccoo produced artwork, one which depicted Link fighting the dragon. The painting, framed in precious garnet, hung above his head and snarling, Link took it off and asked Ooccoo to dispose of it.
The adolescent paced constantly, around the pool, in his luxurious bedroom, in the temple foyer and disturbed the Ooccoo observing ceremonial rites. Light magic burned within the furnaces and wiping sweat from his brow, Link crammed in the tiny room, where the bellows forged works of silver and bronze. Picking an ornamental dagger, he tossed it in the air curiously and caught it by its ruby hilt. Another toss and the blade reflected sunlight streaming from a gilded window.
The weapon landed in his palm and pearls of blood sprang a neat, incised line.
Holding the stinging palm, he sought for Midna. Frowning when he missed her near a crumbling sundial, Link still did not understand how they operated; he retraced his steps to Sky City's administrative building.
Covered in trailing ivy blooming with violet flowers, the sandstone building glimmered. The dome, leafed in alabaster, shone blindingly white and leaving a trail of blood drops in his wake, the hero pushed the door aside to see Midna and Ooccoo deep in conversation. What did she find so fascinating anyway? The City in the Sky was an ancient, crumbling relic but bathed in shadows cast by an alcove, Midna's single eye shimmered with life. Stalking towards the duo conversing in hushed tones, Link made sure they heard ever loud boot stomp.
"We can leave for Twilight by tomorrow." Midna giddily shot to the air and clasped his shoulders. "Are you alright? You look like you swallowed something sour," the Twilli sang and twirled. "Home at last, I can retake my rightful throne and," she glanced at Link, smiling coyly and he scowled, "with my full magic and the combined effort of both Twilight and Light, I will search for a way to take you back home." Brushing her fingers tenderly across a bandage over his cheek, Midna sank back to the ground, her hand resting atop her chest. Her lips parted, but thinking the better of it, she grinned in her usual, crazy fashion and faced Ooccoo.
"I cut my palm." Link crushed the beginnings of a new conversation between the two. "It hurts." He flexed his fingers. "Those stitches on my fingers are stinging as well."
Ooccoo perched on his shoulder and examined the incision. "Nothing I can't fix," the bird ruffled his feathers and the wound melted into his flesh. The pain disappeared and left nothing.
Not even a scar.
Glowering angrily at the bird, Link stiffly thanked Ooccoo and slunk back to the sunlit terrace. Dropping into a bench, he listlessly munched on a bunch of grapes, courtesy of a passing Ooccoo and touched the rows of turquoise stones threaded around his neck. The city stopped degenerating. Since Argorok died, no spontaneous combustion of the fans took place and Hylia showed her favor by granting a spell of fair weather. The resident Ooccoo thanked the Goddess and prepared for the eventual contact with humans. The Old temple underwent re-construction and the birds flapped to and fro, leaving white feathers dancing in the air.
Slouching, Link stopped eating, preferring to crush the grapes and stain his fingers with juice. The plan to delay Midna backfired spectacularly, thanks to Ooccoo. Twisting a grape, the adolescent thought of other ideas. Princess Zelda needed saving, but Ganondorf resided in the realm of Twilight. Shoulders sagging, he heaved to his feet and paced.
What could he try next? Something not too distracting, he still needed to get rid of Ganondorf and an extended holiday will sap his will and strength. Link wondered if anything could dissuade Midna from wanting to go back home but the only person who could sway her, was in the very center of the accursed land.
Giving up, he reclined in the shade of an overhanging wisteria and absentmindedly tore the lavender blossoms from the tree.
A team of Ooccoo rolled a sky cannon in place. Curious, he walked to the work site, standing silently as they assembled the cannon.
"This will take you back to Hyrule," one of the Ooccoo explained and Link grinned at the information.
Muttering amongst themselves, the flock of birds left and he climbed into the cannon. The barrel accommodated him comfortably and he triggered the switch, exploding out of the muzzle and spearing through puffy clouds.
Ears perking at the muffled boom, Midna sat up straight, cutting Ooccoo off when he described Sky City's economic developments. She floated to a window and stared into the disarming quietude beyond. The lush greenery calmed her and she hovered back to a small desk overrun with parchment and ink.
"Oh yes," the Twilli commented, "it's nearly lunch time, make sure to feed Link properly, he throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his food."
XXXXX
Black and deep desires
Wasn't she the girl big brother saved in the Fairy Forest? Aryll thought back. She remembered a giant ship. A pirate's ship, and a girl falling in the forest.
So why was she holding a gun to big brother's forehead? The young girl could not understand.
The pirates fanned around their leader and Link observed them. The King of Red Lion's tipped them off, he concluded, when a Pirate's charm dangled around Nico's neck. Nico examined the hexagonal room and while the rest of Tetra's entourage paid the utmost attention to her, only he seemed fidgety.
The muzzle pressing against Link's head began to hurt, but escaping with the kidnapped girls and Aryll without killing most of the pirates was impossible. The first mate, by the looks of his broad shoulders and close proximity to Tetra, held a cutlass and silver moonlight winked off the curved blade. Hairy forearms, tattooed, bulged with muscles and the men leered.
Trembling, Aryll peeked from behind Link's back, her palms sweated, her stomach twisted into knots but she released her vise grip and stood next to her brother. He shot her a warning look but Aryll lifted her chin.
"Big brother saved you in the Fairy Forest," she declared, voice shaking. Surprised, Tetra titled her head sideways, to study the scrawny girl covered by threadbare clothes. "Let him go." Aryll clenched her teeth. She will not cry.
The musket lowered from Link's forehead and he irritably rubbed a ring shaped bruise.
"You are a very brave girl," Tetra said and winked. Her pirates relaxed and swarmed over the cell, smashing wood into bits and pilfering food crates. Cheers reverberated when they discovered a casket full of silver rupees and jewels. "One of my boys told me I should come here," the captain twirled her gem encrusted gun, "there is a lot of treasure, but that's not the reason why I'm here."
Link glared at her, hand automatically reaching for his sword. Jamming her weapon in a custom leather holster, Tetra snapped her fingers. Reluctantly, Nico peeled away from a wall and rounded the imprisoned girls, talking to them gently and ushering them towards Tetra.
"I'm actually here for them." She squeezed the girls' shoulders comfortingly and one burst into tears. "Oh dear, I'm not here to sell you people to slavery or something," the captain clarified, "I'm here for a rescue mission, of course I'll be rewarded handsomely." The female pirate grinned and called her first mate over. "Gonzo, escort these girls to our ship, make sure they are well fed and taken care of." The hulking man saluted and the girls followed him, light footsteps echoing on stone.
Glancing upwards, Link failed to see any sign of the Helmarock King, the pirates created a racket and he protectively grabbed Aryll's hand when Tetra made a move towards her.
"Aryll is coming with me," the captain stated, crossing arms over her navy blue jacket. "We will sail for the girls' homelands and return them to their family, no exceptions. Outset Island in the far south, it will take time to get there but I give you my word to get Aryll back to safety," Tetra solemnly announced. No mischief danced in her coal irises and for once, she did not wear a teasing smile. "Nico has an informant, I'm sure you know who I'm talking about," she jabbed a thumb at the young pirate, "and he arranged this. You want to meet Ganondorf upstairs right?"
Keeping a death grip on his sister's skeletal hand, Link regarded her with more suspicion. Tetra knew about Ganondorf...the scrolls in her trunk, of course. A harsh cry split the night air and his eyes snapped upwards, catching the end of a multicolored tail. The Helmarock King. Tetra's movements became urgent, she rounded her men and they filed out the door, screaming at each other and balancing giant treasure chests. Again, she implored for Aryll and Link's lips pulled back into a snarl.
"You can take my sister over my dead body," he hissed and Aryll jumped. Loosening his death grip, he pulled her closer to him, "I failed to save her the first time and now, I'm taking her back to Outset myself. Thanks for the offer but no thanks." The Pirate's charm in his pocket beamed and lip curled in anger, Link refused to answer it. "Come on," he held Aryll protectively, "we're going home." Without a backward glanced, he marched forward, herding his sister away from a waiting Tetra.
The young girl glanced back and forth between her brother and the pirate captain and bobbing her head apologetically, followed Link towards the door.
"You have the Master Sword." Link stopped. "That means you must face Ganondorf and use it to get rid of him." Tetra's voice boomed loud in his ears. Gonzo appeared in the doorway, casting a giant's silhouette on the floor. "Take her," the captain commanded and snarling, Link lunged for the first mate.
A palm thrust to his nose shoved him backwards and tottering from the blinding pain, he fell to the ground. Hoisting Aryll by the waist, Gonzo threw her across his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and the young girl screeched, beating his broad back with feeble fists.
"Leave," Tetra ordered.
Aryll stopped struggling. It was no use. The man's beefy arm clamped around her like a noose and wriggling only hurt her. On the floor, Link rubbed his temples furiously and hauled to his feet. He smoothly withdrew a long, shiny blade and charged.
"Give my sister back!" the boy bellowed, blade teasing a line of blood from Gonzo's calf. "Or I'll cut you up into fish-bait."
Tetra clutched her dagger and tensed while the first mate's eyes trailed on the line of crimson oozing into his shoes. Turning, limp, Aryll stared at her brother.
Was that really him? Scowling so furiously?
"Do I need to make another example?" Link hissed and flicked his sword free. "Return Aryll to me or else..." The threat hung, more potent than the Helmarock King's ear splitting squawks. The chamber trembled and Link spared the wooden beams a disgusted glance. "What will it be?" he addressed Tetra, "either give my sister back or you will have one less pirate mouth to feed."
"Big brother," Aryll called and the furious glower dropped, he quickly sheathed his sword and raised his arms. "It's okay," the girl said and the brother's arms dropped in disbelief. Smiling, Aryll continued. "I trust Ms Tetra..." Ms? Link snorted, more like pilfering war monger. "And I understand you must get rid of the Helmarock King...you wanted to do so didn't you?" Aryll asked and jaw set, Link glowered at his disheveled boots. "Big brother, I love you and don't worry, I'll be safe." The young girl waved and before the boy changed his mind and came after him with another weapon; Gonzo retreated with a lingering Tetra on his heels.
The pirate captain waited by the door and eyed the forlorn figure inside the room. "You know, when I met you again in Windfall Island, you struck me as odd...like someone else possessed you," she touched her dagger, "but, after seeing you with your sister, I suppose you just matured." A golden half triangle winked at her neck. "Good luck with that thing flying on top of your head." She winked and disappeared just as the entire room vibrated again and chunks of masonry dislodged from above and clogged the door.
Mind numb, Link mechanically flitted to the edge of the hexagonal chamber and hopped on a wooden platform. The landing immediately gave way under him. Huffing, he vaulted to the next one and the wall cracked, dousing him with a jet of water. Irritably wringing water off his tunic, Link hurtled upstairs, mind a scramble. He thought about the King of Red Lions, engineering such an elaborate plot.
Plumes of brightly colored feathers soared in his vision and he focused his turbulent feelings into vanquishing the monster.
His foot landed forcefully on a bridge of stone and it disintegrated. He remembered scrambling for a foothold when the ancient, basalt steps gave way under him in Hyrule Castle. Flailing, Link hooked his fingers on brick landing and skin rubbed raw, he pulled himself up.
A powerful sea breeze toyed with his hair, the burning chill seeped into his bones.
The Helmarock King soared above him, fixing beady eyes on the tiny human brandishing a silver sword. Diving, the bird stopped short and rose in the air again. An arrow bounced off its beak and a second one sunk deep in the monster's wing. The rest fell short of glinting talons and swooping downwards, the Helmarock King thrust its neck forward, beak aimed to spear prey.
Rolling to the side, breath squeezed out of his chest, Link ducked when the monster brushed close. Talons lacerated his back. Straightening, Link whirled, the sword sliced through air and came to a clanging halt on the metal capped beak.
Blinking owlishly, he regarded the sword mistrustfully and a violent gust of wind toppled him off his feet. Tottering, he wiped his bloodied nose and gingerly felt the grit caked stripes on his back.
Assured by the hammer's weight, Link's tracked the Helmarock King's trajectory.
The monster teased him, flapping out of reach and raining midnight feathers on the ground. Patiently, the boy followed, grip tightening when the bird dove at high speed. It landed on the clearing, feet uprooting tiles. Link yelled a war cry and smashed the hammer on the beak. The monster screeched, its cry of pain echoing for miles.
Ears ringing, Link struck again. Bits of bone and metal bounced against Link's forehead and he let the hammer drop on the Helmarock King's neck. A sickening crunch skewed the bashed head into an unnatural angle and a clump pulverized skin hung loose.
Wiping microscopic pieces of bone and tissue fluid, the boy gasped. The night's fog returned, oozing into the fortress and distorting the search lights into huge, orange blooms. Sucking in air, he wiped the hammer on the bird's dull plumage and unsheathed the Master Sword. Comparing the two weapons, Link re-holstered the sword and held the hammer, begrimed fingers caressing the skull engraved on it. Clasping it in a two handed grip, he climbed the ramp, breathing heavily.
He stopped before a foreboding door of wood.
Behind it, he could feel...taste the evil.
The sin, curse, which should have been erased hundreds of years ago.
A feverish tremble wracked his body and Link grinned. He could feel. The rage ran like fire in his veins. It consumed him. Here, behind this door, stood his goal.
No.
The hero stood taller and restrained himself, not his goal, everyone's goal. Sealing Ganondorf was not a personal achievement; he did not need to compete for acceptance. This time, the Triforce holder of power needed to be checked, not because Link must do it, but because he chose to do it.
No one forced him to come here.
After all, he could sail home with Aryll and forget about the Gerudo menace.
His breathing calmed. The trembling stopped. A cold wind pecked his skin and he raised the hammer above his head, reducing the oak door into matchsticks.
Deep inside the cabin constructed of polished wood, a figure, clothed in ebony robes, hunched over a mantelpiece. Clouds parted, letting a ray of white light pool before the individual's feet. He turned around and Link glared at the haughty man swathed in shadows.
Head framed by a shock of flame hair, Ganondorf stepped forward and the moon shied away, swallowed behind a bank of clouds. "The Master Sword," he said, voice thick like poison, "surely you have it, Link...Hero of Winds?" A hand rested teasingly on top of a gold hilted sword. "Hmm...you, there is something very different about you."
Wasting no time on words, Link lunged and swiped the hammer sideways, unbalanced; he wildly swung in an arc. The hammer head smashed the mantle and wreaked a path of destruction. A lantern exploded, oil and glass shards cascaded to the floor.
Bemused, Ganondorf glided out of the way and raised his sword to block a decisive blow.
"You were trained...and well." The Gerudo prince smiled humorlessly and pushed Link back. A scintilla of unfathomable emotion flickered in stone cold irises. "This is pointless," he flicked his wrist and Link sprang back. "But I suppose, killing you here will-" Ganondorf blocked another attempt on his skull and grabbed the hammer shaft tightly, "-spare me a great deal of misery." Link pulled the hammer and when it refused to budge, he let go before his skinny arms ripped off.
The weighted head thudded next to the Gerudo's foot, smashing planks but not bone.
Tsk, the boy clucked his tongue in annoyance. Unsheathing the sword, he backed into a corner, bumping into table and low stool. A glance sideways showed a map spread across the table top, a drying inkpot and measuring implements. Ganondorf loomed, lips twisted into an amused half smile.
"Your Master Sword, it is wields no power, but you set me free." Link clutched his sword tighter, teeth grinding in frustration. "The castle at the bottom of the sea...Yes...I can feel it returning to me." The Triforce on Ganondorf's hand glowed and hefting the sword like a spear, Link chucked it. Catching the blade edge bare-handedly, the Gerudo prince examined it halfheartedly and let it drop.
The weapon clattered on the wooden floor, unnaturally loud in Link's ears. Heart hammering, he searched the old cabin for an escape, but diving from this height will result in certain death.
"Your attempts to attack me are courageous, if not foolish." Ganondorf flexed his fingers and deliberately slowly, stalked towards the hero standing near the wrecked door. "Are you going to run?" he taunted, "even if you do, our paths will always clash and there can be only one victor." The man lunged before Link leapt out of the wooden ship and closed thick fingers around the young human's throat. "So young...you do not understand what time can do to a person." The Gerudo's dark eyes landed somewhere faraway, but his unrelenting grip did not ease. "Patience is a virtue, what I longed for, eventually become nothing more than a dream. Now I sit and think...I wonder about the reason for my existence."
Pausing in his struggle to free himself from Ganondorf's powerful grip, the hero listened, enraptured by the words. The personification of power, blessed by the Goddess Din, sat in the wrecks of a ship, pondering on role in life. Laughable. Link managed a gurgle, shoulders shaking. He brought his legs up and kicked Ganondorf in his abdomen. However, the grip renewed in intensity, cutting off Link's warped chortles and the ends of his toes and fingers tingled.
Blood roared in his ears, black spots danced in his vision and the hulking Gerudo, robed in midnight, flickered like a bad dream. Gasping, Link slackened and yet, the Gerudo did not let go.
A light winked in the periphery of Ganondorf's vision, whipping sideways, he caught an ornamental dagger. The blade cut his palm. A young, dark skinned girl crashed through the window, raining shards of glass and firing two bullets. Letting Link go, Ganondorf ducked and the bullets soared harmlessly over his head, striking an ancient clock and reducing it into a mess of gears.
The pirate captain, evidenced by her slovenly dressing style, leapt at him and he quickly grabbed her by her throat.
Her necklace glowed.
Resonating with his Triforce of Power.
Eyes widening, Ganondorf reached for the golden triangle shard hanging around a piece of old string. His dream. So this must be...he took a good look at the scowling female, she writhed in his grasp, unbuckled her cutlass and swiped upwards, cutting a scar into his chin. Ganondorf dropped her and swiftly, grabbed his dual swords and lunged after her.
The Triforce of Wisdom...it could finally be his.
Tetra bowled across the ground and irritably pulled a slice of jagged glass from her upper arm. A blade whistled above her head, clipping into a wall hanging. Blades winked in moonlight and the air sang menacingly.
Skidding along the floor slicked with oil, Link grabbed his sword and returned it to his hilt, lifting the hammer, he chased after Ganondorf who chased after Tetra who screamed at Link to go. Buckling the heavy weapon on his back, the boy spun when an unearthly shriek rung in his ears.
Ganondorf pinned Tetra between two sharp, sharp blades and jammed a hand over her throat. She heaved and kicked, loosing strength with each breath. Eyeing the cabin, Link lifted a giant tin and flung it. The Gerudo sliced through the milk can and splatters of white fell on his robe. Scrambling to her feet, Tetra signaled Link, together, the duo dashed for the broken window and leapt to their death.
Link winced when a pair of yellow talons grabbed his shoulders.
A giant dragon, ruby scales glistening, hovered above the shipwreck and as Ganondorf arrived at the broken window, face twisted in quiet anger and passionate determination, the cabin ignited. Smoke poured into the sky and Valoo, roaring defiantly, flew off into the direction of Dragon Roost.
Covered in sticky sweat and panting, Quill deposited Link next to the King of Red Lions and he swamped to the floor. Exhausted. "I doubt it is the last we see of him," the Rito commented and Komali fluttered to a stop, dropping Tetra awkwardly.
The pirate landed cat-like on her feet and fixed glowering eyes at the burning wreckage. She nodded.
Komali handed Link a handkerchief. "Your sister is alright," he informed. "The pirate ship set sail quite some time ago and the King of Red Lions asked us to come here, good thing we did." The human smiled politely. A far cry from the sniveling Rito chick he met in the dwelling caves of Dragon Roost, the prince matured into a responsible adult and carried himself nobly. "Are you hurt?" Komali asked and Link gulped a potion, shaking his head in a negative. "That's a relief," the prince's crimson eyes rested on Quill, "we need to leave, my father entrusted us with delivering news of Ganondorf's return all over the great seas." The brown tipped feathers atop his head swayed in a breeze. "We have to warn the other Islanders of his reign of terror and power, are you sure you will be able to sail alone? Would you like us to help you?"
"We'll be fine," Tetra assured and Link scowled at her.
Who's this we?
Pitch black irises landed on the golden triangle lying on her chest and he wondered. Could that really be the Triforce of Wisdom? Link mentally compared the loose mouthed pirate captain with the divine Princess Zelda. No, he stared at the mirror-esque surface of the water and wiped his lips. Perhaps Tetra was a vassal of the real holder of Triforce...
"I need to get the crybaby here to catch up with my pirate ship and we will go our separate ways, but not before he coughs up the travelling rupees he oh so graciously promised." The female winked and Komali, wearing an indulgent smile, took to the skies with Quill in a tow. Bright red messenger bags dangled from their bodies and in a few minutes, darkness swallowed them whole. "Right," Tetra chirped when Link trudged to the boat, "My boys are making for Windfall Island first, gotta stock up and let those girls go, we'll be sailing for-"
"Are you awake?" Link interjected, addressing the boat. Daphnes creaked, uncertainty shining in painted eyes. "As I thought, the Master Sword, it lost its power and worse of all, taking it out of the pedestal allowed time to flow through the continent down under and slowly restore Ganondorf to his full power." The boy jumped on deck, comforted by the familiar things strewn on the boat. "I failed to wound Ganondorf; on the contrary, he almost choked the life out of me."
"Are you listening to me?" Tetra huffed and jumped onboard. Sparing her glower, Link faced the King of Red Lions.
The boat regarded Tetra curiously and the girl, bored of the scrutiny, stalked to the food crates and rummaged, presumably for treasure. Poor thing, the hero snorted to himself and leant over the boat, washing his stinging cuts with sea water. He needed to bandage the two lacerations on his back.
"Are you...did you find what you were searching for?" The rummaging near the deckhouse stopped and Tetra straightened, fixing an inquisitive stare at the talking boat and boy crouched in the prow. "I did ask for help behind your back, but the fact you trusted me enough and not said anything, rose my spirits greatly." Daphnes danced above the waves. "My boy, can you feel again?"
Paint flaked off the figure head's base and Link dug a nail in the sea scoured boat. More flakes landed on his fingers, exposing the wood underneath.
"I confronted Ganondorf, during that time, all I felt was fear." The King of Red Lion's drooped. "However," he shot an irritated glance to the eavesdropping pirate nonchalantly lobbing orange segments into her mouth. "I can't do it alone; I need help, from the Triforce of Wisdom. We need light magic; to truly vanquish Ganondorf, the three of us must wage battle. It is the only and sure way." The stars above them evaporated one by one, making way for the frosty light of dawn. "I felt anger when those Pirates took Aryll away." In the background, Tetra vehemently defended her actions and her 'boys'. "And although sometimes I feel confused, I think...I look forward to a future where I don't need to chop monsters on a daily basis."
Smiling, the King of Red Lions moved in the water and Link crouched at the base, dousing his wounds with a mixture of alcohol and potion. "Get Tetra to bandage those cuts on your back." Daphnes sailed south east. "We are heading back to Hyrule Castle." The boy raised an enquiring eyebrow. "The Master Sword needs to be returned to full power and you need to gather the Triforce of Courage." Link smirked. "But before we do all these things, first, we must meet the Triforce holder of Wisdom."
The hero immediately worked on his appearance, standing in front of a princess, with a tattered, bloody tunic and scruffy boots will be an insult to them both.
Easing off his clothes, he swabbed the shallow injuries on his abdomen and handed his supplies to Tetra. She grudgingly cleaned the slashes on her back, complaining loudly whilst she scrubbed the grit mixed in dried blood.
False dawn gave way to true dawn. The sun rose amidst a cloudless sky and Link looked up, eyes narrowing in the light. A flock of sea gulls flapped alongside them and moved away, squawking a cheerful cacophony.
He did it.
Content settled like warm soup in his stomach.
He forced the goddesses to acknowledge him.
A/N: Remember the 4-Koma panel I referred to? It was also the inspiration for Link meeting Ganondorf with the skull hammer instead of the Master Sword, of course, there it is presented in a much light hearted way. Appearances are quite important, but I hate formal wear, so unnecessary and stifling and tight in all the wrong places.
Please read and review, constructive criticism is highly appreciated. Hopefully someone out there is enjoying a chocolate milkshake.