Had things gone Link's way, he would have walked out of Lanayru Spring, Fused Shadows in hand, and he and Midna would have discussed their next course of action against the forces of the Twilight. But it was not to be.
Link stands there for a moment, still dripping wet in the Zora Armor, before turning around to find himself face-to-face with a tall figure he had never seen before. The stranger stands a head taller than even him, who'd always been considered big even when he was the age of the Ordon children. The adversary stares down at him through his metal helm, not saying a word. Before Link can make another move, there is a sudden flash of light and a gush of wind. He lies on his side, paralyzed.
His vision turns blurry and his ears ring. He can vaguely register the water from the grove swirling, and then another blast of power filling the entire area. Everything in his fading line of sight becomes darker.
He does not so much see Midna crouch beside him as feel it. And incredibly, he feels her hand on his forehead. Was it really that bad? She had never shown such concern in the past.
What he can not see was that his body has been reduced to his wolf form. And the black crystal is forcing itself, slowly and painlessly, through his forehead. Midna moves her hand, but finds herself hoisted in the air. She yelps as the invisible force yanks her body around to face the new assailant.
Twilight King Zant looks at her, his arms motionless at his side. Thanks to his magic, she is completely at his mercy. Although his helmet was opaque steel, she could feel the smirk behind it.
Then he moves his head ever so slightly to the side, and Midna sees, to her shock, another figure running into the situation. She blinks.
Yes, it is Link. The young man is running in from the dark opening of the grove, decked out in his green tunic, and with his sword in hand. His face is furious, and sweat falls off his face as he raises his blade.
"Hah!"
Zant begins to turn, but he is too late. The steel slices through the air, and he feebly raises a gnarled gray hair a split second before it can touch flesh. The King lets out a blood-curdling shriek as Link slashes clean through his wrist. Light blue blood spurts from the stump. With his focus gone, the magical hold he had imposed on Midna lets up. The diminutive Twili hits the ground face-down and with a low grunt.
Zant's left hand hits the dirt the same moment, twitching uselessly in its death throes.
Link had gone back in time when the mysterious man, whoever he was, had played the ocarina. But once he had realized exactly what day he was in when he had seen that sign waver.
He had rushed straight out of Hyrule Castle Town, forcing himself through the crowds and not sparing a thought as to how strange he would seem to be.
He ran as fast as he can. His eyes took in the cobblestones, the fields of grass, and the waterways, but all he could see, really, was the image of Midna, curled up on a dank floor, her skin turned deathly white and her breath slight.
He did not even pause to look for a reed. The time he can spend summoning the horse Epona, he felt, would be better spent running.
He finally makes his way to Lake Hylia, and goes straight for the grove. If his memory is correct, it was just about now, when the sun had started to fall, that he had gotten through the Lakebed Temple and claimed the final Fused Shadow.
And he is correct.
The scene he sees when he burst into the grove is exactly as he'd remembered it. His past self is trapped in wolf form, and the usurper Zant has Midna suspended in the air. The spirit Lanayru, too, is almost certainly subdued beneath the water.
Link does not hesitate. He roars, yanks his sword free from its scabbard, and runs straight for Zant. The Twili turns around just in time to watch the sword swing his way, cutting through his left wrist.
Zant screams and stumbles back as Link presses his advantage. He grabs the hilt of his sword with both hands and swings downward.
Zant's remaining hand flashes, and there is a clang as he blocks his enemy's blade with his summoned scimitar. He gasps from pain and effort from beneath his helm.
The two stand there, grunting, before Link pulls back and slams forward, forcing Zant back another few steps.
It is at this moment that the wolf regains most of his senses. He understands only two things; that he had lost his human form yet again, and that the one responsible for the Twilight Invasion is within paw's reach. He leaps toward Zant from his prone position beside Midna, teeth bared and claws at the ready.
But Zant had already lost a hand to one surprise attack, and even his distracted state of mind will not allow him to fall victim to another.
He whips around, and the wolf's growl is cut short as Zant swings his scimitar in an upward arc, piercing straight through the creature's gut. The point bursts through the back as the eyes roll back in the skull.
Zant does not bother to withdraw his blade. Instead, putting all his strength into his remaining arm, he flings the wolf down with the blade still piercing him through. The creature lets out a low, dull groan as the metal shifts inside him.
Clutching at his bloody wrist, Zant lets his body disappear from the scene with a flurry of Twilight particles.
For his part, Link stands frozen, as he had been when he had seen Zant run his past self through. He gapes as he beholds the creature, who had already bled out or was close to it.
What would become of him, the future Link, now?
"I will say it again, Your Apology." The older man bows. "This old retainer cannot apologize enough."
Queen, formerly Princess, Zelda leans back in the chair and waves her hand. She sits primly, her hair carefully combed back, dressed modestly in a long white dress that matches her gloves. But Auru has known her since she was a little girl, and a man such as himself can detect the slightest tinges of worry in her face.
Hyrule Castle had been destroyed in the final battle against Ganondorf, and Zelda had made, in Auru's opinion, the unprecedented decision to put off reconstructing the palace and live in the home of her cousin, Agitha. It was not too grand, but that suited the newly crowned Queen just fine. The topmost room, a spacious attic with a few triangular windows, was perfect for meetings like this. It was too bad that the atmosphere of this one was si somber.
To say that the past night had been a disaster would be an understatement. A thief had successfully breached the mansion and made off with an object of untold value, the Ocarina of Time. An attempt was made to capture the intruder, but he had escaped through a rip in time created by the ocarina. The entire area of Hyrule Castle Town had been closed off.
Auru closed his eyes. Six months ago, when he had decided that the Twilight Invasion was sufficient cause to rejoin the royal court, he had not foreseen that something like this could happen.
"To your knowledge, has anyone found their way through the portal?"
"No, Your Majesty." Auru forces himself to focus again. "The entire area has been closed off. Soldiers are patrolling every hour, and they themselves are forbidden from investigating the portal on their own."
"Very well," Zelda nods curtly. "You are dismissed."
She watches Auru bow, turn, and walk down the staircase. She lets herself sink a little more into the chair. She prays that the goddesses will help her solve this problem quickly.
Auru had been her first visitor for the day. What follows that meeting is hour upon hour of interactions with statesmen, merchants, and advisors. Particular attention is paid to her proclamation the week before, where she had gone to the center of Hyrule Castle Town and publicly thanked the Heroic Six who had saved the kingdom from the Twilight; Rusl, Ashei, Auru, Shad, Telma, and the Hero of Dusk, Link.
Now and then in the past few months, she had replayed her memories of Midna, and the same thought had always come back to her: They should be the Heroic Seven.
She nodded and smiled and acquiesced all throughout the tiresome meetings, but could not keep her mind off the stolen Ocarina of Time.
When dusk finally comes, Zelda walks out of the attic and makes her way down to her personal quarters. The guards and servants she passed invariably bowed in her presence, but she did not want company.
Once she is on her own side of the iron double doors, she locks them together and takes a deep breath. She lets her eyes wander to the bed on the side. The sheets had been freshly washed, as were the blankets. It looks so inviting, especially after the events of the day.
But she can wait.
She takes another look at the locked door, just in case. Then she goes to the center of the room, kneels, and pulls away the small circular rug.
There are many flat stones to make up the floor, but there isonly one that truly matters. Zelda tugs at one corner of it, removing it from its place and exposing the compartment below it. The Queen peers down into it, and permits herself a sigh of relief. The odds of someone could possibly stealing it is one to a hundred, but she has to be sure.
And so she thanks the goddesses that the thief had not managed to get his hands on this. There is no telling what kind of horrors he could have unleashed if he had.
Chapter 2 is out! Thanks for your viewership!