Shad pointed to the last place on the map, "...and Kokiri Forest hasn't seen a portal either."
Link slumped his shoulders and Ashei frowned. "What's with that. It's as if you want mischief to happen, yeah?"
Link fiddled with his fingers and shook his head, "No, not mischief, just..."
Ashei deepened her frown, "A hint? Something to stick your sword into?"
Link sighed and looked up, "Yeah, just- something that would let me know were to go."
"Nothing's happened so far, though. Maybe you should just forget about it, yeah?"
"But it's a fact that a portal opened." Ashei gave half a nod. "So something is linking the worlds still."
Shad sat and gave Ashei a flat smile, "I can always go and check again."
Ashei rolled her eyes. As if portals wouldn't just spring about whenever they liked. "We're playing the waiting game, yeah?"
Link remained silent.
"That's why you don't like it."
Link shaded his eyes against the sun. Almost a month had passed and nothing had happened. No portals, no monsters. Nothing. As if the incident hadn't happened.
Link had taken plenty of strolls alone at night, deep into the night, away from the city. The only thing he could link to that time was him and now it wasn't enough. And by now it was time to let it go. It wasn't worth it putting Shad to work by searching and looking if there was nothing to look or search. Nothing.
As if nothing had happened.
Link ought to be happy. But he knew there was something wrong. Deep down. A worry so deep he didn't dare share it with anyone.
With anyone but Zelda.
Zelda tried to make the wrinkles on his furrow disappear, "There's little you can do."
And knowing there was nothing to do while also doing nothing was torture for Link.
"Rather, there's nothing you can do." Link let his head fall to Zelda's. "I'm sorry."
"Midna didn't disappear just for those things to come back."
Zelda squeezed Link's hand. Tried her best to soothe him. How were they supposed to fight something that wasn't there?
It was sunny outside. Almost two months after the first portal had opened. Almost two months before the wedding was to take place. Just when Link was beginning to think that the portal had opened because of something to do with him and the stone and the Mirror of Twilight and that as long as he kept those three pieces separated nothing would happen.
A little away from the center of the city but still inside the city. A lot slower than the first time but way faster than what Link would have liked.
And as Link ran towards the tearing in the sky, surrounded by whispers turned screams turned pleas. As he shoved soldiers to Zelda's direction shouting instructions, as Ashei fell in place next to him.
They fell.
A couple dozen of the same ones he had fought time and time again. And one that towered over the others, one that raised its head as soon as his legs made contact with the surface and that moved away from the group with purpose.
"Ashei, go take care of the small ones. Don't let them get away, don't let them near the castle and be care-"
Ashei slapped Link's back, "See you later!"
Link looked at Ashei's back growing farther and farther away. And he rushed to the barn.
Gabe had Epona outside and as he saw Link's figure getting closer he breathed a sigh of relief. His Hero. Their Hero. Epona neighed and as soon as Link whistled, Gabe let go of the mare.
Gabe's blood was pumping. Fear and anticipation mingling together. He had wanted to shout something to Link, 'good luck' or 'be careful', maybe a 'go get them!'. But Link's semblance had been somber and the tear in the sky was still looming menacingly over them so Gabe kept his mouth shut.
Link made an effort to keep the portal out of his mind. The big one. He had to take care of the big one.
The monster moved faster than Epona, and Link started to get irritated. "Where are you going, you monster." Link squinted his eyes and tried to remember the map of the town. The monster was nearing the Castle but was not going straight to it. Link frowned, what could be nearby that could draw a twilight monster. Link thought of Zelda and breathed out, she was being guarded, he had to focus.
When Link heard a high-pitched scream he snapped out of his reverie. He was surrounded by buildings that he barely recognized. He could see the Castle from here and there were walls surrounding everything.
It came in with a whisper, "Robert." Or more precisely, the rock Robert had, maybe the mirror. Link spurred Epona and couldn't decide whether he wanted for robert to have those things with him or safely guarded in a chest. What would happen if the monster touched the mirror?
Link tried to see the monster through the buildings but he was moving now guided by screams and curses and one or two people who pointed him in the right direction.
Link played smart after the next corner and shouted for directions to the Keen's house. He hurried Epona and saw the twilight monster running from the next street.
Link arrived with less than 5 seconds to spare, he kept shouting Robert's name, telling him to run. A man greeted him in horseback, so similar to Robert, Link recognized him immediately.
"Where is Robert?"
The man would have bared his fangs if he could, but only shouted for the archers that followed him to assume position. "What's all this ruckus you've brought?"
The twilight monster appeared drifting into view and Link readied his sword, "Where's Robert?"
"Here!" Robert's voice was drowned and Link looked back for a glimpse. An entourage of 7 soldiers surrounded him and wouldn't let him move.
The monster screeched and Link heard a couple of gasps. Nobody moved.
"What are you waiting, give the order to fire."
Richard could feel his breathing quickening, "I don't receive orders from you."
"For Hylia's sake," Link took a bow and arrows from one of the archers nearby - who gave them almost with delight - and Link fired arrow after arrow at the monster, trying to slow it down.
"Robert! To me!" The monster clawed at the arrows and growled when a couple hit its body. It did nothing more than annoy him.
"I'm-! Trying!" Robert pushed one of the guards - who's legs started to tremble at the sight of the monster - and Robert dashed towards Link.
Richard saw his brother next to the idiot blond and glared at the soldiers, "Robert, go back! And you!", the soldiers were barely listening, "at least come and stand guard!"
"What are we doing?" Robert asked, Link was clicking his tongue and took out his sword.
"I'm protecting you, hopefully we get to kill this thing."
"Robert," Richard started.
"Hey," Robert shut him, "believe me when I tell you that Link is worth more than all your soldiers combined. You want me alive? Let me shadow his ass."
"The things I left you?" The archers were firing now and the monster seemed to have enough of it as he roared and stood on its hind legs.
Link crouched and stepped forward, "It's coming!"
"I have them with me! You want me to do something with them!?"
Link breathed out, the monster came full speed to Robert, "Just keep them with you, and do not leave my side!"
Link clashed with the monster and the ring made Robert cover his ears. Half the soldiers had run away and Richard had taken a full ten steps back. As if Robert would leave Link's side.
Link could dodge and hurt and the monster was nothing that terrible to deal with... if it could me killed by plunging a sword through its body.
But it was a twilight monster and it didn't die and Link was made of flesh and he was getting tired and pissed.
Link roared and kicked the monster on its face, "Robert!"
Robert - thank Hylia - was right behind him. "Here!"
Link rummaged through his pockets and raised his hand, "This might be too bright. Don't move!"
Robert took a step towards Link and closed his eyes. Robert could hear the monster charging again and Link's heaving breath. The monster sounded closer and closer and sure, Robert trusted Link, but he also knew the man was prone to the extremes and what was he planning on doing waiting so long for the monster?
Robert was about to open his mouth to ask what the hell was going on. But the monster's screech interrupted his train of thought and when he opened his eyes, Robert blinked twice to make sure he was seeing right. He was inside a golden ball cage that looked like water.
Link smirked. He had activated Zelda's light barrier when the monster had been about to attack and the barrier had split it in two. Link stabbed the monster's head and exhaled. "Good."
Robert patted Link's shoulder, "Don't know what happened, but yes."
Robert tried touching the barrier and it was warm to the touch, "Link-"
"Don't ask."
Link stepped outside the ball, at the same time as the head started to disintegrate. He had to go back to Ashei now. Epona.
Link had whistled for his mare when he heard Robert's 'Oh, no' from behind him. The lower half of the monster twitched and jerked before making little legs and a miniature head that screeched ridiculously high pitched.
"You-" Link ran to it, sword in hand. But the monster jumped away from him and hanged to a broken window. "son of a Baba." Link aimed the Clawshot to the monster and shoot just as it jumped again.
"Stay in the dome till it disappears!"
The monster was having trouble walking but it could jump with strenght. Link got on Epona and spurred her on. The monster jumped and fell on its ridiculous face.
And now, Link was sure, now it was going to the Castle.
Robert crouched and whined as he saw Link leaving.
Richard stood next to Robert, looked at his brother from his full height, "I guess you're doing what he told you and I have no way of convincing you to get out of there."
"I'm staying here till it fades or Link comes back."
Richard opened his mouth but Robert spoke faster.
"Or I die, whatever."