AUTHOR'S NOTE

I was afraid I wouldn't get this chapter written in time, since it was proving difficult, but here it is! I stick by what I said, and I am going to do my best to complete this by the end of the year...so, within the week. 2021 is going to be about new beginnings and renewed hope, just like I've aimed to make 2020 about completing things and acknowledging their impact, so let's keep going!


CHAPTER 33

Off The Deep End


The first days Link and Dark spent together after admitting their feelings were nothing short of miraculous. It was a sensation that made Link question why he had ever tried to run from them in the first place, and made Dark regret all the sour words that had ever passed between them.

Link had not been able to stop thinking about Dark's offer to accompany him when he left Hyrule. He was aware that they could not simply stop the process they had started, and that he would have to make a decision sooner rather than later, but it didn't make it any easier for him. Could he really bring himself to abandon the land he had called home his entire life and all the people he had met here? It would mean a clean slate for him - a new life, as a new person. No longer being known as the Hero of Time. As much as he wanted to be able to be himself, to just be Link, he did not think he could handle it if what he had done for Hyrule simply whiled away in the history books and he became some forgotten figure. But the thought of simply letting Dark go when they had become so close; had fallen in love, was nearly unthinkable.

While their inevitable separation might have loomed over them, in some ways it seemed to encourage Link to teach Dark all he could. He was surprised to realize that Dark's skills would already lend themselves well to many of the situations he might encounter in an unknown world, and he found himself almost sad to realize that, with Dark's newfound ability to use magic, the only real thing he could offer him at this point was knowledge of Hyrule, which would prove to no longer be useful soon enough. The one thing Dark had not quite managed to grasp, though, was swimming, of which their lessons almost seemed to signal the end of their time together.

"I didn't say it would be easy," Link reminded him as they laid down side by side near the water. Link had been acting as a lifeguard all day; watching for signs of danger and hauling Dark back to dry land whenever his flailing ceased or his head fell below the surface.

"Why did you bring me back, anyway?" Dark asked him curiously, sitting up slightly and leaning over him. "I think I was finally getting the hang of it."

"Staying afloat is good," Link told him with a smile. "But it doesn't get you to shore any faster. You can't always depend on the current to simply let you drift somewhere safe."

"I can stay out there all day if I can float," Dark boasted. "Wait for some hero-type like you to come along and rescue me."

"Some 'hero-type' like me, huh?" Link asked. "Don't tell me you plan to replace me."

"Never," Dark promised, and he leaned in for a kiss.

"Dark..." Link had pushed him away, looking at him with sadness. "You know we can't. Not here."

"Yeah, yeah, secret relationship." Dark yawned and waved his hand carelessly towards civilization. "It's not like anyone is here."

"There are plenty of people here," Link hissed. "Just because they're in buildings, or underneath the water, doesn't mean they aren't here."

"Would they really care that much?" Dark asked. "Unless they want you for themselves," he mused, reveling in the feel of having something that others wanted but could not have. "I know you mentioned rules about heroes, but there have to be some people who would be willing to turn a blind eye."

Taking a deep breath, Link sat up. This was something he had been trying to protect Dark from, something he thought he might not need to tell him, if only things had gone the way he had originally planned. "How much do you remember of what I've told you about the people here, in Hyrule?"

There was plenty Dark remembered, though not much of it in a positive light. Link used to spend a lot of time turning Dark away from rude behavior per the reasoning that none of the people he was impolite to deserved such treatment. Lately, this had transitioned to warning him of how judgemental Hylians could be, and how he would not want to be remembered for improper actions or words. "You spend a lot of time worrying about offending them," Dark said finally. "But I don't see what that has to do with -"

"It has a lot to do with this," Link cut him off. "Dark, I have to worry about offending them. They expect certain things of me. Certain behaviors, or thoughts, or actions. It's part of being their Hero," he said somewhat bitterly. "If I don't meet those expectations, it's going to cause problems."

"And...this, us, we offend them?" Dark guessed.

"Yes," Link said sadly. "I love this land, and I like most of the people I've encountered here. But Hylians can be a prejudiced and judgemental lot. Not all of them would be," he said softly. "Some of them might not mind. Some of them might even be happy to see me happy." He thought of Malon and her unwavering support, and of the few acquaintances he had met who he thought would probably still like him even if they knew his secret. "But I don't know who those people are. And if the wrong person finds out, they'll find all the other cruel ones in this world, and set them against me. Against you."

"Sounds to me people like that don't deserve a hero like you," Dark said sharply.

"You forget who I am," Link told him coldly, though he knew Dark had done nothing of the sort. "My life is not my own to do with as I please. I didn't choose to be their hero any more than I chose to be born. It just happened. If I hadn't done this, if I hadn't stepped up and taken on that responsibility, none of them would be alive anymore. I wouldn't be alive. You might not be either. And I'm not going to turn my back on them and abandon them just because of their flaws. It would make me no better than them."

Dark glared at him in an angry silence, and Link gazed out over the water, trying to ignore him. This was a subject he already knew they had differing opinions on, and no amount of arguing from either one of them would persuade the other to change their mind. "Maybe we should go see Mizumi," Link mused. "We're down here anyway."

He was met with silence, but he didn't need Dark to speak to know what he was thinking. There were only a few pieces of the map left to gather, and they were both aware of how close they were to the as-yet-unconfirmed map from Mizumi's branch of magic, alchemy. By chance, Link had recovered the map piece from the fiery Gerudo on the same day as Dark had uncovered the mystery of illusion and located Kenzo, running into a lady by the name of Tanvi who had led him through the desert and instructed him on digging up the map piece, all while she rolled her eyes and complained about how long it was taking him. Now, they had only three pieces to find - those of water, alchemy, and wind.

Water had been the one they were looking for the longest at this point, and it really was just a matter of when it would be found, not if. The map piece was preserved under ice, protected from the elements by its frozen prison, and with the knowledge Javo was actively looking for it they had put it off to focus on pieces that were not so easy to find. Similarly, they had made a decision not to worry about alchemy - Javo and Mizumi were friends, and he assured them Mizumi had his map piece safely secured at his house, and could provide any ability they needed on short notice. Wind, though, was proving to be much more difficult. They were not sure where to start looking, or even who to talk to about it - but in some ways, this was their protection from the reality of their situation. As long as they were still searching for a map piece, they could not reassemble them, and Dark could not leave Hyrule.

"Sure, I guess," Dark mumbled, and Link looked at him in surprise. He knew he was the one to bring it up, but part of him felt sure Dark would not want to take advantage of their location. As much as he did not want Dark to leave, he seemed even more intent on staying, or at least not being forced to leave before Link had a chance to make a choice on whether he would be coming with him.

"Then let's go," Link told him, getting up. The walk to Mizumi's house and laboratory on the edge of the lake was not very long, but it still proved to be rather uncomfortable; their hands bumping together but never holding onto the other, their mouths set in grimaces as they stepped forward side by side. Link knocked on the door, and when he heard a muffled exclamation and the sound of breaking glass he let himself in just as he always had.

"Hello there, son," the scientist said as Link entered the room, his face lighting up. "Ho ho ho! I see, there are two of you! Welcome!" Despite his somewhat skeletal appearance and absent-mindedness, Mizumi was always grateful for company, and treated everyone he met with the same warmth and kindness.

"I take it you already know why we're here," Link said to him politely, and Mizumi nodded, placing his hands behind his back. He remembered how Javo had mentioned he and Mizumi were friends, and he was sure it would have come up in conversation between them at some point.

"That I do, my boy," he confessed. "Never fear - I have put that map somewhere safe for you! Behold!" He whipped a small box off one of the top shelves, an unexpected reach for someone of his stature, and opened the box in front of Link.

Link peered into the box, but didn't see anything there. He looked at Dark, who leaned over briefly then shook his head. At the lack of response, Mizumi looked up. "Well, boys? This is what you were looking for, no?"

"An empty box?" Dark asked him sourly. "Yeah, it's what I always wanted."

With a confused expression, Mizumi pulled the box back to him and exclaimed at the emptiness, tossing the box behind him. It landed in the diving pool, sending up a small splash of water as it sank to the bottom. Ignoring the wary expressions from his visitors, he began clearing off one of his shelves, moving bottle after bottle until he triumphantly pulled out another box. "This one is it, I'm sure of it," he assured them.

Still not entirely trusting that, Link took the box from him, carefully taking off the lid. He held it out to Dark, who reached in, taking out the piece of parchment and unscrolling it carefully. He surveyed it, then nodded. "This is it," he confirmed.

Link breathed a sigh of relief he did not know he had been holding in until that moment, and offered the box back to Mizumi. "We'll hold onto it, if you don't mind," he said politely. "We have a few others to be dropped off to Zelda shortly."

"Not a problem," the lake scientist chortled, and the friendliness in his voice made Link feel instantly at ease. "I guess I shouldn't be one to talk, but you had me a bit nervous," the old man said with a wheezing cackle. "You're cutting it rather close to the deadline, aren't you?"

"Deadline?" Link asked blankly, as Dark echoed the question as well. Mizumi's smile fell, and he regarded them with a serious expression.

"No one told you about the deadline," he said, in a hollow voice, and he began muttering to himself as both Link and Dark shook their heads. "This may not be something you're aware of, but it's possible for magic to expire. I'm not sure if that holds true for all branches of magic, but it is certainly true for alchemy. Each ingredient I work with must be preserved in such a way that it will hold well beyond its original timeline, but even then, when not fresh the magic can start to run out. This can result in a locked spell, that is to say, magic that can never be undone."

It was a testament to how well-mannered Dark had become that he did not immediately begin swearing at the old man, but Link could still feel him tense up beside him like he was going to start shouting. He too had been hit by a feeling of dread; he had a terrible inkling of what might be to come, but he wanted the confirmation anyway. "How long do we have?"

"Well, let's see," Mizumi mused. "That magic has got about a fifty-year timeline on it, with the reinforced spells. When is it now...take the two...carry the five..." He finished his calculation, and looked at him gravely. "I think we have another week. Maybe two, if we're lucky. If we do not attempt to reverse the spell on the Temple of Light by then, I am afraid the effects will be permanent."


There was no more time for Link and Dark to sit around and enjoy each other's company, nor time for them to ponder life decisions or even judge each other for them. With the new restrictions the deadline imposed on them, they could only strive to find what they were looking for before they were out of time.

The first order of business, they decided, was to notify everyone who needed to travel to Hyrule Castle. The journey was not too far for many of them, but they could not risk anyone being late. Magic, Mizumi warned them, could act in unpredictable ways when close to its expiration, and the earlier they could bring everyone together, the better.

The best news they had gotten on this front was that Javo had finally broken through the back of the ice wall and had found the map perfectly preserved. He blamed the unexpected shifting of land and water during the seven years Zora's Domain had become a frozen wasteland for the time it took to find it. He was perfectly content to coordinate everyone's arrival, and he still had very good control over his magic, perfectly remembering the spell that he had used the first time around.

Good news could not come without bad, unfortunately, and while they encountered no resistance from those who had lent their magic and strength to this task the first time around, it had been many years, and not everyone was still fit to travel. Biggoron, in particular, had to decline their offer. He pointed out that he would no longer be able to fit within the walls of the castle, nor was he certain he could move from his mountaintop home without causing damage beyond repair to Goron City. In his place, he had elected a young Goron to accompany them instead. He was well-equipped to travel, but was quite new to using magic, and had taken every opportunity to practice while they escorted him to Hyrule Castle. The spell, Biggoron assured them, was a simple one, and the map piece itself was more important than magical accuracy as long as the power was provided.

As much as they were worried about coming so far only to have everything fall apart at the last minute, Zelda seemed the most stressed out of everyone. "My mother provided most of the magic for this spell," she explained, as she studied the nearly-complete map. "I fear my abilities may not measure against hers appropriately." But none of that would matter, not if they could not find the last piece. They had journeyed across Hyrule, gathering together the most unlikely group of people and finding artifacts from times long forgotten, and now they just had one person left to find; one piece of the map left to collect; one more artifact to pull from the depths of time.

"I have found some additional information," Zelda offered hopefully. "I have been searching through the Royal Archives and Library." She was alert enough, but certainly tired, and Link figured she had been staying up all night in the hopes of finding the answer they had been looking for. "They make mention of a baton in pure white, that was used to control magic straight from the goddesses themselves."

"What's a baton?" Dark asked, his expression puzzled, and Zelda smiled at him gently.

"It is a stick," she explained to him. "Most commonly used to conduct music. The description given matches what you were told, and the usage would certainly make sense given what we know of magical melodies."

"That sounds promising," Link said, wondering if he dared hold onto hope. It was one thing to know they would complete their mission eventually, but another to see that day drawing near. He wondered if Dark, with so much more on the line than him, felt the same way. "But that doesn't put us any closer to finding it, or the one who wielded it."

"I have not finished," Zelda told him. "We did indeed have this device in the Royal Archives at one point. After sealing her own magic to the map, my mother herself wielded this baton, the Wind Waker, to accomplish the task at hand."

"At one point," Link repeated slowly. "So it isn't there anymore?"

"No," Zelda said. "I have done something I am not proud of," she confessed. "With nowhere else to turn, I have pledged myself to reading my mother's personal records. She mentions things in them that..." she stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "But it is no matter. Through this, I have found that she feared leaving something with such strong ties to the goddesses, something that had arrived before its time, in such an open location. It is not just the Royal Family who has access to these archives," she explained. "Anyone in the palace can view them if they so choose - most just simply do not choose to."

"So what did she do about it?" Dark asked, his own impatience getting the better of him.

"She sent word to the Great Deku Tree," Zelda told him. "She was hoping there was some spell he could perform, either to send this artifact back to its time, or to destroy it until such time as it would be recreated by those who were meant to have it. But this was not the case, and so he simply promised to keep it safe."

"We're done for," Dark moaned. "The Great Deku Tree is dead, and we didn't learn anything useful while we were in Kokiri Forest."

"I am afraid you may have to go back there," Zelda told him. "Something must have been overlooked. According to my mother's records, the Great Deku Tree sent an emissary to collect this most esteemed artifact, and this emissary also collected the map piece to keep it safe. While I do not know if they possess the knowledge or ability to use the Wind Waker, I do know one thing. Find that emissary, and we will have completed this puzzle."


IN CLOSING

I figured it was worth mentioning that the Lake Scientist reminds me a whole lot of the Alchemist from Spyro: Ripto's Rage, which is why I decided that alchemy gets to be its own branch of magic in this story. It feels weird to me every time I write because alchemy is usually either a magic system in and of itself (i.e. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood), or simply used to describe medieval science. I certainly view it more on the medieval science side of things here, but it includes some fantastical elements as well.

Also, because I'm not above pointing out flaws in my own work, how did no one else in this select group of people know there was a deadline, and how in the world did they forget to mention that one person was wielding two types of magic for this involved spell? Rereading things I wrote years ago and trying to make them work with what I know now is always so much fun...

Don't forget to check back for Chapter 34. Thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!