Author's Note
10,000 Views!?
Thank you guys so much! This is my most viewed Story in my time here. :D
Thank you so much for sticking with me through it!
But don't worry! We're just getting started!
"Ganondorf Dragmire."
"Wait, that guy in the cell?"
"Yeah, he's still in his armor too. Poor Bastard."
"Damn, what'd he do?"
"Someone ratted him out, he planned on killing the King and usurping the throne!"
"Really? Who was the poor soul to do that?"
"Some guy called Link."
"Sounds familiar...Wait is he listening to us!?"
Ganondorf barely remembered those beatings he had to endure, it was only during his execution did his Triforce intervene. Before that, he was powerless whenever the guards in Arbiter decided to punish him for any indiscretions.
And yet here he was, under the hot sun of his homeland, facing the last few pillars of the Prison, long buried by the sand.
Pulling up the bandana covering his face, he began walking away when he heard...felt an oddly familiar presence...
Twilight Magic.
Thinking quickly, he scurried over a dune and dug a hole in the other side, burying himself with just his head visible, but perfectly camouflaged by the tan hood he wore. He watched carefully as the newcomers arrived.
The boiling heat was the first thing Link noticed, the second being him slamming into burning sand. He rolled over, the small particles stinging his nose and eyes.
"H-hot...hot..." He rasped, fumbling for his pack. He always kept spare Heat and Cold resistance potions with him, no matter what.
Feeling around inside the pack, he felt the icy cold bottle at the very bottom. Grabbing it and pulling off the cork, he tipped back the icy liquid and sighed in relief when a feeling of coolness washed over his body.
He sat up, setting the bottle back in his bag before glowering at Twilight. "Can you at least warn me before you do that!?"
Twilight wasn't paying attention, he was glaring off to the side. Staring intently at a nearby sand dune, as if Ganon himself was gonna burst out of it.
"What?" Link frowned.
"..." He muttered something. "Nothing...I felt something...odd."
He turned around and observed the area, a thick sandstorm swirled around them, but left a hole where the sun shone through. Link quickly flipped on his hood and pulled out his climber's bandana to wrap around his face up seeing it.
The only things around them were a bunch of pillars sticking out of the sand. Whatever was buried here, it was massive.
Twilight walked forward, unheeded by the heat. He knelt down in the middle, sifting through the sand with his hand. He murmured something softly, standing back up and looking around.
"It's here alright." He said, walking back. "I'll need to find it before we can find the Four Sword."
"It?" Link asked, exasperated.
"A Fused Shadow. It's here, I can sense it, but it's buried...Deep." He frowned, walking back to where he was before.
He closed his eyes, flexing his hands. He held out his right hand, the Triforce mark still present there, the bottom right mark glowing a murky gold. The color of twilight.
Link felt something shift under his feet, a steady rumble began taking precedence over the entire area.
Wisps of red and black lighting began arcing from Twilight's fingers, shooting into the sand faster than anyone could see.
Slowly they began to focus on a single spot, and the rumbling began to worsen. The sand in that spot began to deform and expand, creating a small lump in the ground.
Then a big lump.
Twilight's eyes shot open, the ground bursting as something huge erupted from out of it, sand flying everywhere as it crashed back down, glaring at them with one big fused and warped eye.
They both leaped back, sword and shield at the ready as the massive creature glowered at them, sharp black teeth gnawing for a meal, four limbs that seemed to have been forcefully attached to it's stumpy body. Large fins and gills with dark highlights fluttered ineffectively in the air.
It took Link about five seconds to realize what it was, emphasis on was.
And it took Twilight only two seconds to realize where the fused shadow was.
TWILI SAND CRAWLER
MOLDUGA
"Wild, what the hell is this thing?" Twilight barked, steadily backing up.
"It'a a Molduga, they burrow under the sand and will eat just about anything. I've killed one before, but there are several around here." He frowned. "This one is different."
"It ate the Fused Shadow." His ancestor said. "It explains the makeover for sure."
"Okay, you need to explain what a Fused Shadow is to me-"
The Creature reared back, giving a terrible screech that made both Knights wince in pain. It shot forward, burrowing under the sand with it's new limbs.
Link scanned the ground in a panic, there were no lumps to tell where it was. It was burrowing deep underground now. Thankfully, there was a large rock nearby they could stand on to not be eaten.
"Get on the rock!" He yelled, running towards the large stone. He hopped up onto it, turning around and reaching out to pull Twilight up on it.
They surveyed the area, the ground still rumbling as it burrowed underneath them.
"How are we gonna hurt that thing?" Twilight huffed. "I can't tell where it is..."
Link looked around, spotting just what they needed nearby.
"Sand Seals!" He pointed to a nearby dune, where two of them had been sleeping undeterred by the events happening nearby. "Get your shield out!"
He jumped off the rock and sprinted over to them, pulling out some rope from his pack. When he was close enough, he tossed the middle out and wrapped it around it's tusks.
Startled by the rope, the seal yelped and burrowed into the sand, shooting off. Link brought out his Shield and hopped onto it, surfing along the sand.
Steering towards the rock, where Twilight stood watching him in confusion. Link whistled, getting his attention. He tied a rope around his midsection and waved for Twilight to come after him.
He nodded, jumping off the rock just as he passed by. Throwing his Hylian shield on the ground and hopping onto it, he grabbed the rope and was dragged along behind Link.
"Whoa!" He yelped, uneasily balancing on his shield.
"First time?" Link snarked at him.
"No! I've sledded before, but this is damn stupid!"
Link laughed, leaning back while using one hand to steer. A loud rumble, accompanied by a nearby sand dune bursting signaled the Molduga's emergence. It's big beady eye spotted them and it began chasing them, with half it's body submerged.
"Okay, we've got it's attention." Link grinned. "What the hell was step two?"
Twilight gave him a flat look.
"I'm joking. You still have that Bow of Light?"
Twilight nodded, looping the rope around his belt, then snapping his fingers to summon the Bow. He turned around and took aim, shooting off an arrow dead into it's eye.
It gave a loud cry of pain, but remained undeterred in it's plan to eat them.
"It's still coming!"
"Aim for the gills!"
He did so, leaning to the side as Link did a sharp turn to go alongside the beast. He nocked the bow and let the arrow fly, it sailed clean past the Fin and into the gills. Light erupted from it's insides, along with a massive outpour of black and purple blood.
"Nice!" Link whooped.
The Molduga growled, turning sharply to face it's meal. It's maw opened wide in a huge roar of anger, it lasted for a few seconds.
Which was more than enough time for Twilight to notice an object attached to it's Uvula.
"That was it!" He yelled, leaning forward. "The Fused Shadow! It's in it's mouth!"
"Shoot it!" Link yelled back, dodging a rock in the sand.
"I can't! It'll destroy it-Whoa!"
The Beast arose from the sand, flying into the air and landing on it's belly, sending a tilde wave of sand. Leaning to the side, they both bounced off it and landed back down hard, but safely.
"I've got an idea! Bring me around, I'll shoot the other gill!"
Link nodded, turning sharply and dodging the beast's tail. Just as it brought around, Twilight instantly nocked another arrow and shot it dead center. More light and blood followed.
The beast cried in pain once more, burrowing deep into the sand. Both heroes looked around, not seeing any trace of it aside from the blood staining the sand. For a moment, it was all quiet and calm. Like nothing even happened.
"Where do you think it we-" Twilight began.
The ground beneath them erupted, sending them, their shields, and the sand seal flying up into the air, the beast's gaping maw beneath them
Time slowed as Twilight tossed Link his bow, diving downwards into the creature's mouth. Narrowly avoiding sharp teeth perfect for disemboweling him, he reached out, the Fused Shadow so close to his hand. His fingers lightly touched it's surface...
Then he warped away, The Molduga slammed it's mouth shut, realizing too late that the source of it's power had been removed. It began convulsing and squirming in pain.
Link, noticing Twilight splash down in the sand out of the corner of his eye, drew the Master Sword, burying it to the hilt in the creature's eye, bursting it. He kicked off, sheathing the blade and aiming the Bow of Light.
It's eye missing, the Beast's jaw opened in one final howl of pain. Link nocked an arrow, aiming for it's maw.
"Down the Hatch!" He quipped, letting it fly.
The arrow sailed into it's mouth and down it's throat, it got about two seconds reprieve before it exploded into millions of pieces, bits of gore and blood flying everywhere and showering everything, except for him and Twilight.
Link twisted in the air, landing hard on his back. He went with it, rolling backwards and onto his hands, pushing off the sand and landing gracefully onto his feet, digging his hand into the ground to stop himself.
Standing up straight, he noticed the fused shadow on the ground next to his feet. He reached down to grab it, but withdrew his hand when bits of black and red lighting arced onto it. It shifted slightly in the sand, then flew away from him and towards the source.
Twilight.
He caught it deftly, immediately turning the artifact over and inspecting it. Link noticed a look of melancholy and nostalgia on his face as he ran a hand down the side, scratching away at bits of sand and blood stuck to it. He was oddly...happy, when looking at it.
His face hardened into a determined expression.
"Alright...Let's see..." He said, holding it up with both hands.
More black and red lightning coursed down his arms and around the artifact, the ground trembling as it's sheer power transferred over to Twilight.
With a loud boom and a gust of heavy wind, it stopped.
He breathed out, arms dropping to his side, left hand still clutching the artifact. Looking up at Link, he gave a grin, waving his arm so that the Bow of Light would vanish.
"Care to explain what a Fused Shadow is now?" Link inquired, crossing his now free arms.
Twilight held up the artifact. "This. Is a Fused Shadow. It's a powerful artifact of the Twili, but was left here when the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed in my era. I dedicated the last part of my life to searching for them, I was...partially successful."
"And so that one boosted your power?" Link asked, walking up to him and eyeing it.
"Yep, just watch." He turned around, flexing his hand. "The Four Sword is underground, inside Arbiter, which had been buried for centuries by sand."
He held out his right hand. "So let's fix that."
His Triforce glowing brighter than before, more black and red electricity arced from his hand, expanding out into a much larger area.
The ground began trembling once more, and Link couldn't help but reach for the Master Sword. The sand began to part, the pillars around them began to rise.
And Link watched in awe as a fortress the size of Hyrule Castle rose from the sand, only partially weathered by the ages.
Twilight breathed out, grinning to himself. "I think my Powers just upgraded from a Ten point scale to a Two-Hundred Point Scale."
"I...do not doubt it." Link looked around it wonder. "This is Arbiter's Grounds?"
"Yep." Twilight said, crouching down and running a hand through the sand. "Your Four sword is in there."
Link looked down at him. "You're not coming with me?"
He shook his head. "That place brings bad memories. I'm gonna hang back, make a camp."
Link sighed, steeling his nerves and walking forward and up the stairs to the entrance.
"I can sense the sword!" Twilight yelled. "It's in the main chamber, just through the door!"
Giving a thumbs up, Link walked through the doorway and down a long flight of stairs. The stone underneath his feet cracked with every step, and the stale air got colder and colder as he went. He took of his Bandana and stuffed it in his pack, sand not being much of a problem anymore.
He finally stepped into the main room, the floor completely covered in sand, faint outlines of platforms and pillars faded away long ago. All around, it was a perfectly square room with faded stone walls and a sand floor. In the middle...was a Pedestal, not unlike the Master Sword's.
Laying in it, was a sword. It's spiked hilt golden with a red center jewel, tan ribbons around the pommel.
The Four Sword.
Smirking, he walked forward...
TOOM!
He flinched, looking over his shoulder to see the entrance had sealed itself.
That meant one thing...
He turned back around, the door on the opposite end of the room slowly opened.
Behind it was him. '
His tunic and hair was black, his face shrouded in shadow, with two beady red eyes. He walked forward, up to the Pedestal. He reached forward and grabbed the hilt of the Four Sword and pulled, yanking the blade out with ease.
Link's vision seemed to blur for a second, the lone Dark Link replaced with 4 identical copies.
The room changed as well, morphing into a vast open area with a water-covered floor.
His four opponents moved in rank, spreading out to surround and circle him.
"Conquer Yourself, Hero." They spoke in union, their voices deep and demonic.
Link didn't respond, but he did find himself grinning. His blood began to boil and his spirit ached for a fight. He drew the Master Sword, stylishly slashing it to the side.
It's blade glowing Blue.
Here you go! :D
My internet went out two days ago, so I was worried I couldn't make my self-appointed deadline. But I did!
To be honest, Molduga and Dark Link were not planned whatsoever. I just...threw 'em in for shits and giggles tbh. The Molduga is different, it's now less of a Hermit Crab/Fish mix and simply a giant Sand Fish.
Twilight isn't really setting up camp, he's thinking about Midna. Also, he still has his Triforce mark, but it doesn't glow gold anymore, it glows twilight instead.
What else...Oh, E3 is in about 3-4 days. So sorry if I don't get anything out by then. It'll be alright in the end. :3
And yes, Twilight's powers are now on a 200 point scale, unlike the measly 10 points he had earlier. So that's gonna be fun. :D
But...did Twilight know about Dark Link? I mean, he was told about the Dark Interlopers during his adventure...right? Right?