Chapter 31
Gem and bone
Twilight shimmered outside the palace's casement windows and the translucent barrier offered a glimpse of Castle Town through the ever shifting shadows playing on its surface. Helmed castle guards stood stiffly on either side of the gate; their spears glinting under the rays of a mid-morning sun. Clouds drifted lazily, an illusion of a normal day.
Alabaster fragments littered the throne room. Goddess Din missed an arm, Goddess Nayru did not have a head and Farore's midsection lay as rubble at her feet.
Chains rubbed Zelda's wrists raw; she rotated her arms to keep a creeping numbness at bay. On the throne sat Ganondorf, face in an impatient snarl. She blinked slowly when the Gerudo prince got up and her eyes tracked his movements as he paced the room, boots hammering on the tiles. The Warlock Blade gleamed pearl white in its sheath and not knowing why, Zelda stared.
Anger mounting at another failure, Ganondorf grabbed an ornament, a porcelain vase, and hurled it. The vase smashed with the gilded throne and shards exploded everywhere. He waited for Zelda to tense in her seat, but she passively turned her attention to him. Dark veins ran across her face and stalking towards her, he grabbed her chin and examined her.
"You are angry," she noted sluggishly, "one of your plans have failed." The words bled emotionlessly.
Smirking, he let her chin drop. "Quiet, puppet," Ganondorf growled. "Nothing has failed, the Triforce of Courage will be mine, as Wisdom is already is." The triangle at the back of Zelda's hand winked feebly and in response, the lines on her face flashed. She gasped. "You can't resist this power," Ganondorf bent low and whispered, "it is the magic the Royal family of Hyrule is so afraid of. Writhe in pain, feel the hatred of the generations of people you have enslaved."
"We must save Zelda." Midna did not stop to witness Twilight changing into the realm she loved. Once Zant collapsed at her feet, the edges of his alien face smoothing into a familiar, handsome one, she turned her back on his cooling corpse and sailed to the portal leading to Hyrule. "Ganondorf will be in Hyrule Castle," the Twilli announced and warped to the edges of Castle Town.
Following at her heels, Link recalled the poisonous hatred she harbored for her wayward advisor. The imp declared she will laugh when he finally died and she killed him once...no, not really him, an image of Zant; with her own two hands. As Zant slid off the throne, she stood above him, his blood lapping at her little feet. She waited patiently for a while, staring at his dead body and swept his marigold hair to the side of his face. Delicate fingers traced the rune on his forehead and Link swore he imagined the glint of a tear in his eye.
He did not imagine it.
But when Midna turned to him, daring him to question her vulnerability, he merely bowed and left the room.
From the outskirts of Castle Town, the pyramid loomed large and impregnable. Racing across the withered grass, the sacred wolf bolted down the streets without stopping. Ladies with voluminous skirts and elegant hairstyles, shrieked in horror when he streaked past them. Guards poured from street corners like ants and baring his teeth at them, Link wormed his way to the high stone walls bordering Hyrule Castle. He briefly wondered how the resistance members fared; did they dig a tunnel and go underground? Or did Shad finally find a way to bypass the barrier?
Two spears thwacked on the cobblestone in front of him and howling in fright, Link backed away. A pair of Castle guards barred his way and he barked at them. Unfortunately, they did not quiver like their street-guard counterparts, nor did their aim falter. One herded the wolf away from the castle and the other crossed to the gate post. Ears flat, Link slunk backwards, irises narrowing for a potential slip, however, the guard thrust his spear in the wolf's face, cutting his cheek.
"It's got an earring..." while Link paused to lick the blood trickling in his mouth, the guard spoke. "Do wild wolves wear earrings?" he asked his companion, keeping the spear pointed directly at the wolf's wet nose.
The other sentinel shifted slightly. "Keep it away from the castle no matter what. We don't know what's covering it," he motioned to the Twilight Pyramid, "but it's ominous, it could kill the creature."
Letting the weapon drop, the castle guard pulled off his helmet to reveal a ruddy faced hylian with close cropped hair, he crouched, one hand snapping expertly around Link's muzzle and the other pinching his ear. "Do you remember the Triforce brat?" he queried, bright blue eyes searching the wolf, "the Captain's son?" Metal lined boots shuffled on stone. "I heard he had a prophecy to fulfill…" the guard trailed off thoughtfully.
The man at the gate stiffened for a second before forcefully marching forward. He undid his helmet and brushed long, silver hair away from rounded ears. A human like Rusl. "You might be right," the man bent closer, "he's wearing the Captain's earrings," the wolf's ear's flicked, "but why is he wearing a manacle?" Breaking off, he grabbed Link's paws and the wolf snarled.
"What are you doing? Who knows what the wolf stepped through?" the first guard commented, nose wrinkling in mild disgust.
"He's got the Triforce, let him in."
The two guards dutifully stepped away from Link and he gingerly crawled inside with their gazes firmly fixed on his back. Letting out a breath he did not know he held, he trekked through the gardens, springy, fragrant grass a welcome relief from the windswept dry fields. Rose hedges bristled with thorns and sweet smelling buds. Vivid violets peeked from beds of dark green foliage and sandstone steps led to a raised platform edged by boxes of daisies and other blossoms Link could not name.
He lingered at the perfect picnic spot.
Peeling off his shadow when Link neared the Twilight pyramid, Midna assessed its strength. Zant's demise did absolutely nothing to decrease the barrier's strength so it must be maintained by a fragment of Ganondorf's power. She pressed her palm against it and her hand stung like acid. Only ancient magic could match the magnitude of the barrier and she called on the pieces she forced Link to hunt down. The voyages in the temples gradually sucked the innocent twinkle in his eyes and now the human stood next to her, expression unnaturally solemn. Midna floated higher in the air, searching for weak spots in the structure, the hovering fused shadows encircled her body, both drawn and repulsed. Finding no errors, she huffed and lowered to the hero's level.
"Hold my hand," she commanded.
The human gawped. "Why?"
"I need an anchor to pull me back when I'm using the fused shadows," Midna explained. "There is no other way to crack the barrier, the shadows will consume my mind and sap my living energy, but it is a small price to pay for rescuing Zelda." A piece of the rotating shadow smacked on her body, fitting neatly with the cracked edge of her headpiece and she grinned manically. Familiar Twilli magic flooded in her veins and she shuddered, euphoric. "Whatever you do," Midna warned, "do not let go of my hand, light magic acts as a dampener." The explanation flew over Link's head and he nodded vacuously, repulsed by the way the fused shadow slammed on the imp. "It will prevent me from losing my mind entirely." Her voice turned grave. "Whatever happens," she repeated urgently as the pieces covered her like arcane armor, "do not let go!"
Her words rung like a death knell and Link squeezed her limp hand.
For the first few seconds, golden orange ribbons of energy seamed the armor together; the Twilight Pyramid shone brighter, the shadows on its surface scampered away. Link gasped when Midna rocketed forward, she pulled him along like a flimsy kite and he dug his heels in the ground, kicking dirt. His hand burned like a shark clamped on it and he grabbed his wrist with a free hand and squeezed it tightly to stop the feeling from spreading to his shoulder.
Midna cackled, the shadows on her body vibrated with an eerie thrum. She exploded against the barrier, her grating laughter echoing to the sky. The pyramid sparked, shoving both human and Twilli to the ground and she relentlessly dragged Link and bashed herself against the pyramid.
It shattered with a thunderous crack. Golden shards striped with dark bands rained from the sky.
"Whew!" The Twilight Princess pried the shadows off her body and slumped to the ground. "I am tired," she announced and yawned exaggeratedly, melting into Link's shadow. "I will be resting till we find Zelda," she turned the pieces in her hand, "don't die before then."
Shaking his dead arm to entice feeling back into it, Link swallowed a thousand grumbles cropping on his tongue. The Princess of Hyrule was imprisoned somewhere in this maze of a castle and Midna used an enormous amount of power to get them in. Bow in hand, he selected a direction at random, west, and entered a small courtyard, reeling at the dozen monsters hissing and snapping. A bokoblin clobbered its nail studded club against ivory walls, pitting the smooth surface. Shadow kargaroc nested in tall pine trees.
A chain dangled within easy reach and tempted, Link pulled it, tensing for an admonishing scream from Midna, none came and a metal grill gate lifted. Eyes roving for threats, he stepped in another circular courtyard lined with mossy walls and frowned, how did anyone navigate in here? All the areas appeared the same. A graveyard silence blanketed the area, no birds chirped on gnarled tree branches and mist seeped from goddess knew where. Looking up to an iron grey sky, Link squinted at a black shape descending from above.
The thing landed, a mini earthquake rippled across the floor.
King Bulblin eyed the human. It puzzled him; a creature so small and fragile clashed with him a few times and lived to tell the tale. Something in the human changed, its eyes took a fierce gleam and lowering his battle axe, crusted with blood of slain enemies, King Bulblin gritted his teeth. "I've come to play," he announced gutturally.
"You…you can speak?" the adolescent echoed faintly, his arm hung like an unwanted weight. "How come you never talked before?"
His answer came as a weapon screaming for blood. Ducking, Link lost balance and collided with the ground, slithering away when the axe landed between his legs. The ball and chain flew out of thin air, battering into King Bulblin's face; it retracted with a bloody squelch.
The monster merely wiped its face, bleeding with a dozen punctures. It swiped its axe and it cut Link's tunic at the stomach.
Touching the protective chainmail and glad he never complained about it, Link dropped into a back-slice. The ground shuddered as King Bulblin attempted to move out of the way. Too late. The Master Sword slid into tough flesh and gripping the pommel, Link cut a jagged wound in the monster's back.
King Bulblin screamed in agony. Several meters away, a flock of birds took flight. The monster dropped to its knees, the axe fell from its grasp and breathing heavily, Link circled it, waiting for it to lunge and grab him by the throat.
Instead, the olive skinned monster produced a shiny key and whistled for its mount, Lord Bulbo. Docile, the pig-creature lumbered in the clearing and King Bulblin mounted it. "Enough," it rasped, "I only follow the strongest side." Its muddy eyes gazed at the foggy horizon, "...that is all I've ever known."
Lord Bulbo charged away, leaving dust to mingle with the mist.
"Link..." Midna phased into view, a simple, ebony outline, "it...the thing spoke..." she stared at the retreating monsters.
"Yeah whatever," he responded distractedly and picked the key, "the Bulblin left this," he showed the key, "it must be important."
Why the map of Hyrule Castle lay in a velvet blue treasure chest tucked in a corner of a dilapidated courtyard crawling with monsters is a question only the goddess' could answer. The map made little sense to Link and when he asked help from Midna, he received no response. Rotating the sheet of yellowed paper, the hero eventually tucked it into his backpack and sniffed the air for clues. The morning mist thickened as afternoon wore on, coagulating to a cloud of dirty white. It distorted sounds, smells and sights. The loamy fragrance of earth clogged Link's nostrils, masking the undertones of distorted magic and prowling monsters.
Crude monster towers leaned against embossed marble pillars. Bokoblin constructed huts and watchtowers, remains of fire pits burned embers in the center of outdoor gardens crawling with dead ivy. Slashing through the tendrils, Link stopped a troop of purple bokoblin chanting for his head and butchered them, his sword tearing effortlessly through hide and bone.
Strange...his arm did not ache anymore.
He wiped a spot of blood off his tunic and sighed resignedly when it refused to come off. Sweat caked his hair to his forehead, dirt ringed his nails. Link experimentally sniffed himself and gagged.
"Eww..." he moaned, "I stink like I haven't bathed for a month!"
"You will have all the time to bathe after we vanquish Ganondorf," Midna reminded him unnecessarily, "we have to hurry."
"Aren't I supposed to be presentable when I meet the Princess?" he retorted and tasted the air, the scent of death lingered beyond a tall wall embossed with geometric patterns. Pawing the soil with his boot, Link found a patch of soft soil to dig through. "The knights in the fairytales I read to Aryll were all good looking and clean," stains of unidentified substances saturated Link's tunic, "I look like a hobo..."
"I'm sure she won't mind, besides, I'll be there to distract her," the Twilli added suggestively and Link clawed the ground, tunneling through the soil and emerging as a wolf in a graveyard.
He blanched at the rows of tombstones sitting undisturbed upon the earth; the imaginary teeth of a giant, fathomless monster. The world changed into a high resolution tint of green and greyscale, the sacred wolf traced scars in wooden fence posts, miniscule ants scurried in a tree trunk weeping sap and icy blue irises turned to the largest threat in the room; a bunch of skeletons waving swords and wearing helmets. What's the use of a helmet on a bony skull?
"Stop admiring them and attack!" Midna piped, "We don't have the entire day."
The stalkins lunged with surprising speed and a sword tip dug in Link's front paw, he barked angrily and pulled the skeleton's forearm, it came apart in his jaws. The undead warriors rattled with each step and wind skimmed over the pine needles carpeting the ground. He spat the last bone shard out of his mouth and stalked to the walls, searching for switches or traps.
Human Link placed a bomb near the rocks, he puffed in pride when the blasted chunks revealed a switch and turned to show his results to Midna. Blushing in embarrassment, he stepped on the switch and a nearby gate whirred open.
The entrance to Hyrule Castle loomed large and unforgivable; Link's legs suddenly lost strength and he wondered how he possibly survived time and time again against such grueling odds. While he goggled at the impossibly large castle, it looked bigger than Outset Island; Midna rifled through his sack and commented on its contents.
"There is too little oil in your lantern," she lectured, "find some yellow chuchu gel and fill it up." She sounded like Orca. "Your clawshots are jammed with dried blood and dirt; don't you clean your weapons?" Two bottles rattled in the cloth bag and she picked them up, lips twisting in disbelief. "You only have half a potion?" she asked and dangled the bottle, red liquid sloshed in the glass, "are you serious?" Midna renewed her dig through his backpack and came up with an ampule containing a fairy. "At least have the brains to make another bottle! What are you going to do when you are almost dying?"
Squatting on the ground and sorting through the things she tossed, Link found a sandwich and his mood lifted. "You are always there to save me," he garbled through a mouthful of bread, butter and cheese, "and besides, you have your own store of potions, bandages and food, why I do need to lug around a bag? I have enough weapons weighing on my back."
"Idiot!" she hissed, her voice uncharacteristically venomous. "There is no guarantee I will be able to save you." Link stopped chewing, Midna not being there sounded ridiculous; she stalked him since day one. "There might come a time when we are forced to go our separate ways-"
"That won't happen," Link declared, finality stiffening his voice. "I won't let it happen," he crammed the sandwich in his mouth and dusted the crumbs from his lap. "And even if I'm in a near death situation," he recalled shivering like a leaf on the slippery slopes of a crashing waterfall, "the Triforce will bring me back."
Repacking the back furiously, Midna hurled the clawshot inside and the metal head stuck the ampule, releasing the fairy. It glided into the obscure environment, speeding away from the Castle they were about to enter. "The day you grow up, is the day you realize the world is a cruel, unpredictable place."
"You don't have to worry about that." Link scratched his chin, irritated. "I already know the world is cruel and unpredictable," his boot steps echoed like crashing boulders in the empty castle vestibule, "and you need me." Twilight barriers hemmed human and Twilli in a circular space, "You won't abandon me as long as you need me."
Bokoblins swarmed endlessly into the area, a tidal wave of purple, steaming bodies and glinting hatchets. A spin attack sent their heads rolling across the ground and blood painted the intricately engraved tiles. Link did not think, the pull of the gathered Triforce tugged obstinately in his chest. Detachedly, he watched the Light Sword in his hand spin through the air, along with a gout of blood pouring at his feet. Thinking hurt his brain.
Thinking brought the possibility that he might fall to Ganondorf's blade.
XXXXX
Carving constellations
A piece of golden triangle glimmered in his palms. Sleep lay thickly on his eyelids and yet, he refused to lie down, instead, Link crossed and re-crossed the Great Sea, collecting the Triforce of Courage shards in a frenzied trance. He took occasional naps when the sword slid from his grasp during training. Resting his head on top of the boat's figurehead and arms encircling the dragon's neck, he snored lightly. At times he jerked awake and scanned the surroundings for the monsters in his nightmares to materialize under the sun.
"My boy, you have done it," Daphnes praised warmly and Link smiled, "you have collected the Triforce of Courage." The shards fused together in a single, solid triangle and winked under the evening sun. "I am proud of you," the King of Red Lions declared. A long time ago, he said the same words to his wise young daughter. Perhaps he said the same to his rosy cheeked son. Daphnes did not remember.
An inexplicable sadness passed through the child's inkwell eyes and he lowered his face.
"Thank you," he whispered and raised the Triforce. A triumphant grin crawled on his face and his gaze speared the sky, daring. "Do they see me?" he asked, "the goddesses? Do they approve of me to be the bearer of the Triforce of Courage?" The triangle glowed brighter and he shielded his eyes from the supernova brilliance. It flared like the sun and vanished. Blinking at the emptiness in his fingers, Link searched the back of his left hand and his face lit up at the Triforce marking. "Look!" he excitedly chirped, "I have it, it's seared on my skin!"
Chuckling at the childish expression of glee, the King of Red Lions nodded. "Of course, you have proved yourself time and time again." Link grabbed the WindWaker, stance prepared for the Ballad of Gales. "But first, you have to get some rest," the boat insisted. "You are tired, you cannot hope to continue without sleep and meager food; your body will give up."
The hero distastefully poked his belly and nodded offhandedly before retreating to the deckhouse. The door shut quietly and alone Daphnes rocked on the waves.
"All hail the Hero of Winds," he saluted under his breath.
Dawn barely broke the surface when Link clattered on deck. At the stern, he checked his crates and boxes, sifting through potions, food and arrows. The sun inched higher; painting a rectangle on his small back and the boy organized the contents of his backpack.
Grandma's elixir soup, red and blue potions, and pitchers of magic clamored for space against his weapons; the hookshot and grappling hook tangled together, the Deku leaf crumpled under their weight. After much deliberation with blonde eyebrows narrowed, Link discarded the grappling hook. He polished his mirror shield as the boat sailed to the location of the Tower of Gods and dusted the intricate metal work on his hammer. Laying the weapons on the deck, he pulled the Master Sword towards him, hunted for the whetstone and purely out of habit, sharpened it.
A favorable south eastern gale ushered the boat on white flecked waves. Seagulls rushed alongside and leaning over the rails, Link held a pear in his hand, the birds fought over the sour fruit and dove at once, snatching it out of his palm and peeling away. Sharks cruised for a few leagues and abruptly changed course, their triangular fins slicing through the water.
By dusk, the tangerine portal leading to the sunken continent of Hyrule flared like a halo of fire. Prying his gaze off the newly acquired Triforce of Courage, Link paddled the boat into the portal and the edges widened to accommodate them.
Daphnes sunk and Link stood in the bow, telescope glued to the eye for any new developments. The waters swirled, murky and foreboding. A few meters in and the watery environs changed into an oily, tar black. Schools of fish flitted through a forest of kelp, their silver bodies flashing like thin knives. The turrets of Hyrule Castle crawled into view, maybe too quickly; Link thought and squinted to get a better look. His Triforce pulsed in acknowledgement, somewhere in the labyrinthine palace, Ganondorf held Zelda hostage.
However, Link smirked; the pirate Princess would not bow easily, at the very least, she will go kicking and cursing into confinement and hopefully, give the Gerudo an almighty headache.
Wrought iron gates swung open on soundless hinges, boat and passenger docked at a flight of stone steps and Link hopped out, tightening the leather straps fastening the hammer to his back. He turned. "Will I see you in there?" he asked and pointed to the castle.
"Who knows my boy?" Daphnes cryptically replied. "By all rights, I should not exist."
"Don't say that!" Link hissed and the King of Red Lions blinked, taken aback by his anger. "...I'm going in, wait for me," the boy instructed. "I'll take pictures of the castle," he mumbled, "to show Aryll and Grandma and you. You can compare them to the Old Castle and tell me how it changed." Nodding self-confidently, Link waved and climbed the stairs. "I'll return as soon as possible with Zelda, she'll probably complain about how I failed to save her, but it'll be lively to have her back."
Daphnes acknowledged him with an indulgent grin and the palace swallowed the little boy whole.
Color bled into the castle vestibule, ominous orange and flickering fire. Crashing to a stop, all thoughts of snapping pictographs fled from Link's mind as he ogled in mute horror at the broken Hero's bust.
Choking back a pained sob, he limped to the disfigured statue. A stone arm lay on the floor, the alabaster hero missed an eye and its nose was broken! Staring at it with his mouth open, Link glanced at the stairs leading to the basement.
Who did this?
Who had the audacity to vandalize such a work of art?
He'll deal with them, personally.
Charging down the steps, he jumped back on meeting Zelda at the Master Sword pedestal. She waited patiently, her face strangely blank. Eyes roving for threats, Link held his ground, Tetra did not speak, an uncommon behavior; and behind her the stone knights gleamed eerily lifelike.
Taking a step forward, Link unsheathed his sword when Zelda disappeared. A ring of flames raced around the circular chamber and one of the stained windows cracked. A thick line marred sage Zelda's regal face. The floor juddered under the combined weight of two heavily armored darknuts dropping from...somewhere...and the monsters prowled the small human in the center of the clearing.
Predator glared by prey.
One swung its sword and Link swiftly stepped inside the sword's arc, his blade sawed the armor locks and before the Darknut registered surprise, it lay dead, bleeding from a stab to the throat.
The second monster pawed the cobblestone floor, hoof throwing sparks and lunged. Link deflected the initial stab with the shield and when the Darknut reeled backwards to get its bearings, he grabbed its cape, throwing it off balance. The Master Sword plunged into an unarmored chest and Link exhaled slowly; the iron reek of blood perfused the chamber.
Bowing to the sages preserved in glass, he traced a path to the back of the castle. The Triforce flashed gold, mapping the way.
A clear barrier of mauve energy slammed across the bridge leading to Ganon's Tower and without pausing in stride, Link slashed and continued seamlessly. An arch gate of ash granite, pitifully undecorated, blurred above and the once lush lawn of the rear courtyard sprawled before him. Tall elms clustered on the outskirts and in the middle, a willow tree hunched, its leaves brushing over a myriad of deep red tulips. The ivory stone staircase broke abruptly, revealing a yawning gap between and triggering the hookshot, Link flew over the chasm, stomach briefly dropping at the darkness below. He landed forcefully, massaged his throbbing toe and stalked into the Tower enclosure. He barged through a door engraved with a boar motif and skidded into the vestibule, panting heavily.
What the hell was this? His sword arm lowered, momentarily stunned by the inside of the Tower.
Lava flowed freely, where did it come from? Spiked vines, parasites, his mind supplied; crawled over doors and titan water jars perched in seemingly impossible rocky outcrops. A river of lava with a steaming platform at the end, snaked underneath four bridges leading to four different rooms. Irritably swinging at a bubble toying with his cap, Link sucked in a lung blistering breath and set off determinedly to the only passable bridge.
The walls sizzled his skin when he accidentally brushed against it, a red rash cropped immediately and wept bloody water, pouring a potion over it, Link neatly folded the Deku Leaf back in his bag, behind him, lava welled into large bubbles and popped, speckling the bricks with molten rock. Regretting the loss of his grappling hook, Link entered a black and white door, appearing out of place with the rest of the tower.
Gohma screamed in his face, a greyscale replica of the parasite thrashed in a silver pool of faux lava and clawed for the young hero. When it reared to the air, Link speared its single eye with the hookshot, disappointed at the lack of a challenge. The eyeball detached from the socket with a wet lurch and examining the dripping organ, Link tossed it away when he lost interest.
Boring, he breathed when the image of Gohma illuminated the gate.
When the faded motif of Molgera blazed to life on the door, Link tensed, his body became numb and the area, wood-beam ledges and mini cyclones, melted and reformed into the central clearing. Swiping the air cautiously, the hero noted the lack of a sealed door and marched fearlessly through. A tribe of miniblins accosted him on the way and they met a gruesome end; thick red lines oozing sluggishly from their throats.
A maze of corridors spanned in different directions and scrutinizing the doors thoroughly, Link entered one at random, a pattern of candles pooled soft light in a darkened room with a stage dropping off to nowhere. Noting the number of candles, he retraced his steps to the chamber on the right and a similar room greeted him. Crystal switches emitted a faint, pearl light and holding his boomerang, he let it rip through the room, striking the switches. They lit up simultaneously and a firelight portal to the surface opened.
Link titled his head at the portal and snorted, leaving was not an option.
Returning to the room with the candles, he searched for a bridge of light or an invisible platform to lower him into the dark. Nothing. Warily, he let his foot hang in the darkness and crouched to his knees, groping the open space for abnormal situations. The long fall to a certain death did not appeal to him and he prowled to a small stone pillar at one end and kicked it, no response. Link examined the candles, climbed the relief walls to fiddle with the lamps and swallowed a scream when a fixture detached from the ancient wall and he fell, landing awkwardly on his feet. He paced thoughtfully, entertained notions of contacting the King of Red Lions, decided against it and stuffed the stone in his pocket. Hitching the bag of supplies comfortably on his overladen back, he glared into the darkness and jumped.
Damp air filled his nostrils, terror ripped through his heart.
He was going to die. He jumped in an unknown chasm like a brain dead fool.
A gust cushioned his landing and a familiar anger weighed on his tongue. Discarding his backpack and letting it clank to the floor, Link whipped the Master Sword out, steadied by its familiar hilt and lunged for Phantom Ganon spinning mysteriously out of shadows.
The ghost flickered and spread into five copies. These apparitions semi-circled around Link and he dropped into a dodge roll to avoid simultaneous fire. The phantoms moved individually, one powered a ball of crackling lightning; the other hefted its rune covered sword. A third fired glowing beams and the circular chamber momentarily lit up, revealing tribal spirals etched on slate walls.
Seeking the phantom with the most presence, Link ducked when a ball of cyan soared over his head. A dark shape flitted in a corner and a magenta orb danced on the tip of its sword. The phantom flicked the energy ball and Link raised his blade to meet it.
The ball smashed into the blade and drove him back, hissing, Link flung it and sidestepped when a sword aimed for his head. Phantom Ganon pelted the ball in return and gasping when another ghost nicked a line on his shoulder, the boy hit the orb of pink making a beeline for him.
A risky game of hit the ball and avoid the other ghosts initiated. Swinging his shield when a clone phantom veered too close, Link's arm ached when the batted the orb with all his might. Lighting blasted next to him and his vision momentarily blanked, painted by dizzying stripes of color. Blind, he sliced on instinct, lips curving into a sardonic smile when the orb met the blade's edge and smashed into Phantom Ganon.
The apparition fell to one knee, paralyzed.
Weaving through the ghosts swirling for him, Link stabbed the phantom in its face and it screeched loud enough to wake the dead. The ghost disappeared, leaving its black sword glimmering on the ground and Link poked the weapon with his Master Sword, drawing closer when it did not detonate in his face. Leaving the sword laying on the ground, he grabbed his pack and went to the next set of corridors.
Cloying darkness pressed him on all sides. One tunnel lead to the next, to the next and to the next and fed up, Link tried marking the walls with the tip of his sword. He traced one such mark with a nail and inwardly moaned at the identical corridors branching into more identical corridors. No monsters charged out of the gloom to keep him company, nor did he hear any. Placing his ear to the uneven ground, he searched for vibrations and leaning against the rough wall, he slid into a heap on the floor.
"I'm lost," Link concluded to Daphnes and cupped the cyan stone in his palm. Sounds of gentle waves reached him and he imagined the fresh, salty air. "I'm in a maze spanning the middle of the tower, it's been ages since I've met anything out of the ordinary," his stomach growled, "I estimate about six hours. I fought Phantom Ganon and the books offer little about the Tower and the current holder of Triforce." He bit into an apple, savoring the juicy fruit. "The Triforce is not pulsing, I'm going in the wrong direction."
The boat listened patiently; the child never mentioned the possibility of going home and his professional calm unsettled the figurehead at times. "A labyrinth always has a clue or two pointing to the correct path, have you tried searching for them?" The boy munched and replied in affirmative. "Hmm...the room you fought Phantom Ganon in, did you find anything out of the ordinary?" Daphnes enquired.
Licking his lips, Link pulled to his feet. "The phantom split into five parts, they worked independently of each other," he stated. "The darkest one is usually the main body, when I defeated him, his sword..." The hero paused. "Of course!" he exclaimed, "I thought it was odd for him to leave his sword behind, the rest of the ghost dematerialized but his sword fell at an awkward angle." In the dim tunnel, Link's pitch irises shone. "I'm going back in there to investigate-"
The Pirate's charm died abruptly.
Hacking through the consecutive Phantoms took slightly less effort than the first one. Memorizing their attack and converging patterns, Link twisted through the numerous energy balls honing his way and spin slashed the darkest Phantom. It left its sword, pointing to the next correct room in the maze.
As he stepped in yet another chamber, his eyes roved over the differences. Previously, crude paintings decorated the wall, here, the baked earth was stark naked, a hardness to their appearance. A red orb bloomed in the middle and leaked malevolent energy and without waiting, Link strung an arrow and pierced the orb, it let out an ear piercing shriek and imploded, bathing the chamber with light red smoke.
The smoke cleared to reveal a chest and the lid opened on oiled hinges.
Inside, nestled in swathes of midnight velvet, lay the light arrows, each projectile glowing like a miniature sun.
Wiping his hands on the tunic, Link reached for the fulgent arrows and pulled the velvet fabric out. It felt clandestine to simply drop them in his quiver and so he wrapped the blinding shafts and stored them in his bag, keeping one for immediate use.
Princess Zelda used arrows crafted from monster bone. Sitting on the eaves and nibbling on a peach stolen from the Castle kitchens, Link scaled his way to the inner courtyard and watched the Princess practice with an elegant bow. He surpassed her in swordsmanship, however, no matter if he practiced till his fingers bled, the Princess remained unmatched with the bow. In the silent yard, thick with the scent of jasmine flowers, Zelda stood at one end and focused intently on a wooden dummy on the other; Link admired the curve of her toned arms when she strung a bow, her hair, normally pinned in a loose braid, was piled high on top of her head, wisps of it clung to her sweaty forehead and ears. Teeth sinking into the peach, he stiffened when she let the arrow soar.
Crack!
It split the target dead center.
He observed, eyes bright in wonder when she smoothly nocked a second bow. It split the first arrow in half. Hanging forward eagerly, he studied her stance, her feet seemed one with the ground and her gaze speared into the target dummy like her arrows. She turned and Link flattened himself on the roof.
If anyone found him ogling the Princess while she wore no royal regalia, a dungeon will be a merciful option. Holding the fruit in his mouth, he painstakingly retreated to the outer courtyards and slipped into his quarters when none looked.
Phantom Ganon withered at the might of the light arrow and a single one dispatched him permanently. Unlike the first parts of the turret, where crude bricks formed the walls and large, unpolished tiles covered the floors, luxury swathed the latter part of Ganon's Tower, evoking the likeness of Hyrule Castle.
Smashing painted pottery pots, Link stormed up the wine red carpet stretching along the middle of the endless hallways. Pillars, bases leafed in gold, stood to attention on either side of the carpet and moblin sentinels, thick necks wreathed in skull necklaces, guarded the entrance to double height doors. No wholesome sunlight streamed through the long windows, the moon did not dare show its silver face in the corridors breeding evil.
A pair of cape wearing darknut held vigil before a door and marching to them, Link waited for the monsters to notice his puny presence. He chuckled at the thought. One helmeted warrior peeked from behind its upright sword and gawked at the skinny human perched defiantly on carpet. Its movement alerted the other one and with both their broad blades drawn for blood, they charged.
Link smiled. Let them come.
Let them all come.
A/N: One more chapter to go before the story finishes. TP Link finally got the Triforce he so much covets and he's itching to clash with Ganondorf. While playing the game, I remember staring at the broken Hero's statue when I entered the Castle for the last time and thinking, what a shame. Poor Link, having his precious ancestor desecrated gave him the extra energy needed to slay his enemies!
Seriously, no feedback? Read and review people! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Devil's food cake to all the readers; hope everyone is eating some good food.