Chapter 12

~ The Last Battlefield ~

 pt. 3

Hyrule

            Three walk across the waters, as though it were nothing more than dry land.  Their feet touch the water, yet no dampness reaches the cloth upon the leather boots.  Everything is reflected on the surface, yet there is little above to reflect, save the waters of the great lake of Hyrule.

            "Long, now, has time passed since beings walking on two legs have disturbed the waters of the solid lake," Nabooru whispered as she uneasily walked, looking down at her own reflection in the dimly lit waters.  "Stay close, for the enemy must know of this place to have changed it so."

            Link nodded as he uneasily crept across the reflective surface.  Below him lie his own reflection, and that of Nacie and Nabooru.  Above, and reflected below, Hylia Lake flashed as lighting streaked across the skies above, revealing the silhouette of an enormous creature swimming the great depths.

            "I never would have believed any entity could possess magic capable of this," Nacie whispered her fingertips touching her lips as she spoke.  Her large eyes wandered along the clear ceiling of the great cave housed below the lake.

            Rocks jutted up throughout the cavern from the icy, clear waters on the ground, as the domed cavern rounded all, only slivers passing through the lake and down into the cavern gave any hint of light.

            "It's as though the new moon were shining down on the fields of Acornaan, when covered with snow," Link whispered, his bandaged hand carefully holding a Zorian sword.  "In all my travels, I've never witnessed such despair, such destruction, such…beauty as what I have witnessed on my journeys through Hyrule in these last days."

            "Are we all to die?" Nacie asked, as she rubbed her arm, desperately trying to keep it warm and not think of what fate had in store.  "Will this be our grave?"

            "Let fate decide," Nabooru whispered, taking her friend's hand.  "But, with all our strength, let us help fate make a wise decision."

            "Is this wise, my Queen?" Nacie asked suddenly.  "Why fight?  There are only but a few of us.  We could hide forever in these caves with none ever finding us.  We could…live in peace.  We could live happily, finding what we wish and caring for our children until the dark days have passed."

            "How will the dark days pass, if none are left to fight those who have brought the night upon us?" Link asked.  "As things are, there will never be beings more capable of defeating the dark ones than us.  There will never be an opportunity to pull the legs out from under the standing giant then before he learns to walk."

            "It is good, however, to rest," Nabooru answered, changing the subject.  "We've fought so much just to simply reach the caves of the Gerudo, again.  With all the spies the dark one has, it will be no surprise if they know we are coming."

            "Does a dragon worry when an ant charges it?" Link asked.  "Even if the enemy knows we are coming, he will not care.  He likely knows not who we are or what we are capable of.  Even if he knows three thieves are already within his domain, I doubt he will worry much, unless his precious tools are taken from him."

            "The world has already changed so much," Link whispered, closing his eyes.  "I can feel it in the air.  I can feel the cries of despair ringing through the lands as the dimensions are opened and long slain creatures rise again."

            "Are there none to rally the forces of good?" Nabooru asked.  "Can we, the sages, not be felt through the lands?"

            Link shook his head.

            "The portal to the water temple is just ahead," Nacie interrupted.  "Light is coming from the swirling clouds.  I suppose we should ready ourselves."

            "Wait," Nabooru hissed, stopping suddenly and standing perfectly still.  "Do you hear that?"

            "Voices in the darkness," Link smiled.  "Demons from the lake."

            As the three drew their weapons and readied themselves back to back to back, a formless entity floated from the solid waters and began to take many shapeless forms encircling the three.  Bright, glowing eyes began to shine out from the different forms, each narrow and shifting, as though one creature simply melted into another.

            Voices filled the air, cussing and screaming, though it was in no language Link had ever heard.  Though none understood the shrieks, they pierced the hearts of the three, violent and harsh, it was as though the words, themselves, were weapons to be used upon the enemies of the Legion.

            Slowly, steadily, the creature began to tighten the circle about the three, easing in to swallow them whole.

            Nabooru let out a piercing scream and threw a small knife as hard as she could, passing into the creature, but never striking it.  The knife disappeared, as though it had simply been thrown into a door, or an opening.

            "There is nothing here to hit!" she cussed as Nacie let an arrow go.  The arrow passed through the darkness and disappeared, forever, as well.

            "They're getting closer, hero," Nabooru hissed.  "Tell me you've seen these things, before!"

            Link's eyes darted back and forth.  "No," he answered, shaking his head.  "No idea what to do."

            The entity suddenly stopped moving closer about the three and started arching high to the sky.  The eyes all turned and peered down on the three, harsh red light lighting the waters about them turning the solid water to blood.

            "Link, do something!" Nacie screamed.

            Red dots began shining all through the entity around the three.  The red lights grew brighter and brighter until they became large tentacles reaching out from the depths of the being and shot across the solid water at the intruders.

            Nacie and Nabooru quickly and elegantly danced around the tentacles as they shot past each other and coiled about.  Link stopped one with his shield and cut another tentacle with his sword, then rolled forward under a third.

            Every time one of the three would cut or slice a tentacle two more would shoot out from the darkness and try to wrap up one of them.  Nacie fired arrows faster than the eye could follow while twisting and jumping from the tentacles, themselves, but seemed to accomplished little, save losing more arrows to the darkness.

            Nabooru swung her body around again and again, each time swinging her large scimitar with the swiftness and ease of a deadly dancer.  With each swing came the song of the creature, screaming and cussing even more than before.

            Nacie gracefully leaped backwards over an incoming tentacle, then used the momentum to jump yet again over the top edge of the entity and slide down its smooth backside.

            The Gerudo pulled an arrow from her quiver and aimed straight down at the solid surface of the creature and fired, flipping over the arrow and landing hard on the ground.

            The creature screeched and slowly began to ooze into the ground as the lights of its eyes, one by one, disappeared.  Within moments, nothing was left of the creature, save the severed tentacles, reflected on the water's surface.

            Sweat fell from Link's forehead to the water, dissolving instantly into the clear surface.

            "You…you've improved, my Ninante," Nabooru laughed as she breathed heavily, hands on her knees.  "I am now in your debt."

            "We must…we must press on," Link said, turning and sliding the blue curved sword into its sheathe on his back.  "There is little time."

            "Rest would be wise," Nabooru argued, sliding her dagger into its pouch.  "A moment to gather our strength before we step out to the legions of evil?"

            Before Link could respond, screams raged out from the darkness of the cavern.  Lightning flashed far above, reflecting through the Lake and down into the cavern below again, revealing thousands of small, distorted beings moving at the edges of the cave.

            Screams began to fill the air as it turned even colder than it had been. 

            "Moving on would be far wiser, I believe," Link whispered, pulling Nacie to her feet and helping her move along the waters.

            "What…what are they?" Nabooru asked.

            "They are the Ankou," Link answered, his eyes never wavering from the lighted portal.  "An enemy I do not wish to meet with today."

            The three hurried across the room, their swift feet carrying them as fast as they could move.  Link reached out with his hand and the three pushed through the green light into the swirling clouds, stepping to the next level.

**

            The grasses had barely changed, and yet it all somehow felt different.  Dryer, Nacie thought, though they were as green.  Whereas, it had before felt like the calm of a storm, the land now felt lifeless.  Barren.

            "Link?" Nacie asked.

            "I feel it, too," Link answered, his eyes darting about as he held his sword ready.

            "What is this place?" Nabooru asked.

            "The last illusion," Link answered, edging forward from the portal to the pathway between the large rows of weeds.  Butterflies scattered before his movement, taking to the blue skies.  "A land of peace before one goes to the pits of hell."

            "Within the main chamber, we cannot know what lies within, Link," Nacie hissed.  "It could still be a lake of lava, or full of thousands of goblins!"

            "Or it could be a land of total peace," Nabooru answered, looking about in shock.  "This is not what the bowels of hell should be.  How is it that this being can send armies of living and dead to rape the lands of our peoples, ignoring this paradise?"

            "This is not a land in which people can live," Link answered, shaking his head.  "This is only a byway.  A land which connects beings of the other world.  To stay here is to disappear.  The land reaps no life, the ground no riches."

            "Then, truly, this is heaven for me," Nabooru sighed.  "A land that would keep the greedy away.  No one would want this land, save those who wish to simply exist."

            "But to live here is to not exist any longer, Nabooru," Link answered as he began edging along the path, careful to watch for the enemy.  "It is the struggle against those would destroy us that lets us exist.  The hunger for what we truly deserve."

            "And perhaps it is not the land that our enemy wants," Nacie answered.  "Perhaps Nuerme seeks only to hurt those who would seek to keep him imprisoned."

            Heat flooded through the air from the blue portal that led to the chamber of Rau.  Link recoiled and stepped away from the bending light of the pathway as large globs of lava fell from the center and melted the grasses before him.

            "The room is filled," he answered.  "If the triforce pieces are within, then we have no way of reaching them."

            "I should have held onto them," Link whispered, tightening his grip about his sword until his knuckles were white.  "I should never have let the pieces fall into the lava."

            "You had an arrow through your heart, hero," Nacie answered, putting her hand upon his shoulder.  "I do not think any could fault you this error."

            "The lands have been re-shaped," Nabooru interrupted, looking past the portal to the other portals.  "Nuerme has not the powers alone to reshape the entire planet.  Especially Hyrule, which is too well guarded by the powers of the tri-force.  He must have the pieces."

            "So, then, all we must do is figure out where he is, and we can get them back?" Nacie asked.  "Then we can change the world back to the way it was?"

            "None with a beating heart have the power and strength to re-shape the world, Nacie," Link answered.  "Only with the destruction of the demons and the resurrection of the Goddesses, can they fix the lands to the way they once were."

            A whistling sound suddenly filled the air.  The three turned and immediately took to a defensive position as an arrow landed at their feet.  Dozens more arrows instantly took to the air as several Goblins fired at the three.

            They cursed in their own foul language and drew their swords hurrying forward.

            "How many?" Link asked, his eyes counting over the edge of his shield.

            "Too many," Nabooru answered.  "Two, three dozen."

            Nacie quickly drew her bow and fired, felling two charging Goblins in one shot.  They fell to the ground hard, kicking up dust and rocks.

            "There are too many to fight!" Nabooru hissed as she drew her long scimitar and dagger.  "It would be a waste of energy!"

            "And where will we run?" Link asked.  "The lava?"

            The creatures snorted as the rushed through the tall weeds over the hill and through the pathway.  Nacie fired two more arrows, easily killing more Goblins, but dropped her bow and readied her daggers for the close combat that was to come.

            Link raised his foot as an arrow sliced through the air, landing where his toes had been mere seconds before, and then charged forward.

            The first great creature swung a heavy axe horizontally.  Link quickly ducked under the attack and sliced upwards with his sword, slicing the creature's arm off.  The arm, axe and all, fell to the ground covered with the green blood of the creature.  Link rounded on him and sent his sword through its flesh, ending its life.

            Nacie jumped back again and again, the edge of the creature's axes nearly hitting her with each attack.  She landed with her back to the portal, slid her dagger across her back and her sword in front of her and shot forward, swinging both about her.  The sword knocked the beast's axes aside, then the dagger quickly followed, cutting through their tough armor and skin.  The creatures shrieked and ran.

            Nabooru waited for none, charging forward to meet the oncoming mass.  Crazed and furious, she swung her sword and dagger with intensity, blocking and thrusting with the same movements as Link covered her backside, finishing off any creature she may miss.

            Within seconds, nearly two-dozen creatures lay in parts or simply dead upon the dusty ground, with several frightened creatures running back down the path towards one of many purple portals.

            Link and Nabooru hurried forward as Nacie quickly followed, pulling arrows from dead bodies along the way and sliding them back in her quiver.

            The creatures slid through the portals screeching and screaming.  Nabooru screamed as loud as she could and jumped through the portal, her sword ready.

            Link reluctantly followed, shield raised and sword ready as Nacie caught up and put her hand on the Hylian's shoulder.

            Darkness swallowed the three, followed quickly by an engulfing, blinding yellow light.  As though the sun, itself had lit up just for the three thieves, the lands opened up and the group found themselves surrounded by a massive army of Goblins, Zora, and Wizrobes. 

            "Quitina k'Lanea!" Nabooru cursed, raising her sword as the shocked enemy army slowly turned to see what the fuss was about.

            "It was a trap," Nacie hissed, her daggers raised and ready.  "Nuerme knew we were there the whole time, didn't he?"

            "May have been nothing more than strange fate, Nacie," Link whispered, his sword and shield ready.  "After all, we've found what it was we were looking for, did we not?  The triforce lies on an altar before us."

            "All we have to do is cut through the hundreds of thousands guarding it."

**

            "All does not go well," Rauru's harsh voice whispered.  "The harder our forces fight, the greater our losses."

            "Your talking does not fill me with confidence, Priest," Impa hissed impatiently.  "Your voice could wake the dead, were they not already walking the earth."

            "To be this close to Ganondorf's Castle is one thing, but to find the city again destroyed does not fill my heart with joy, either, Impa," Rauru whispered, looking about the city as the two crept along the back alley, trying to avoid the zombies walking the streets.  "Termina has fallen.  The triforce has not been captured, yet, and I feel Nacie and Saria's life-energies beginning to wane."

            "It will all be for nothing if the Master Sword is not brought from the temple," Impa said uneasily.  "I'm still not sure how it is you expect to pull it from the stone, if Link is the only one who is capable.  Why did we not bring him with us?"

            "His presence would have been felt by Ganon," Rauru answered calmly.  "We do not know how powerful the King of Evil has become under Rau's influence.  To bring down the armies of darkness upon us, now, would be folly."

            "We're spread too thin, I'm afraid," Impa said impatiently.  "Zelda's plan is too risky.  Saria and Rook are hardly strong enough to protect the baby.  We should have left a warrior there with them."

            "And which warrior would we leave?" Rauru asked.  "Link, Nacie, and Nabooru are going to the depths of hell to bring back the tri-force.  Would Saria be a better choice to do that than any of the three?  Darunia, Ruto, and Zelda were all needed to rally their armies in the other lands.  And I need you to protect me while I perform complicated spells."

            "And what if we're all successful?" Impa asked.  "The ten of us against the thousands who die only to be resurrected by the God of Darkness?"

            "I do not fully know, myself, Impa," Rauru answered, shaking his head.  "We must trust the Hero of Time.  His experiences with the tools we are seeking are great and many.  The combination of the three, or maybe the three used in conjunction may be more than we need."

            "Careful, now, and watch your tongue, Priest," Impa whispered.  "We must leave the buildings and hurry across the yard to the temple, if it is still standing.  Please, be quick, and careful."

            Impa bit her lip and pulled a small dagger from her boot.  Uneasily, she lifted up to her feet and looked around the corner of a building, seeing dozens of sleeping zombies curled up on the ground.  Quickly, she put the dagger in her mouth, biting down on the blade and slipped around the corner, jumping high and quick to the top of the wall, landing on one foot at the edge and balancing perfectly with her arms spread out.  She lifted her gaze and darted along the top of the wall, her heavy feet slamming against the razor's edge of the top of the wall, but never making a sound. 

            When she reached the edge, the woman jumped, curling and twisting as she landed on the top of a gravestone, then continued with the momentum to thrust herself again to another gravestone.  Then, with amazing accuracy, she powerfully jumped to the air and landed at the front of the broken and battered door, rolling into the main hall.  She looked over her shoulder to see if the Priest was still behind her.

            "What took you so long?" Rauru asked.

            Impa nearly fell backwards as he spoke, floating gently before her in the main temple.

            "Well, then, we are, perhaps, safe?" Impa asked, regaining her composure and standing.  "After all, such a holy place as this cannot be touched by those who have darkness within their hearts?"

            "You have forgotten that the temple was once opened," Rauru answered.  "Darkness came within and changed the course of history, for a time.  The dark forces can still lie within."

            Impa carefully crossed the room, cold winds blowing through the glass-less windows and tossing her cloak about as she brushed her hands across the altar where the three stones once stood.

            Rauru chuckled a little and set his hands upon the altar, a golden glow coming from his body and at once shining with the stones above the doorway, opening the room within. 

            "I am bind with the Triforce," Rauro laughed, brushing sweat from his forehead.  "For better or for worse, whether my power is corrupted by evil or not, this temple will always heed my call."

            "A fault that may well have to be changed, if you ask me," Impa hissed.  "This is something that could haunt us one day."

            "With my death, another would gain my powers, Impa," Rauru answered.  "Maybe one with a darker soul.  Perhaps it would be better for you to push aside your thoughts of killing me to protect this temple, and keep it in my hands."

            "As you wish," Impa answered, turning to walk inside the temple of time.  "You have yet to answer how you plan to pull the sword from the stone."

            "Simple," Rauru laughed.  "It is held there by the magic of the Priests.  Link could pull it because I wanted him to.  It was written long ago that he would.  But, do you think he would be the only one in history to pull the sword?"

            "It was written that another would pull it?" Impa asked.

            "Of course," Ruaru answered.  "Many more will, and not always for the purposes of fighting wars."

            "Then, if this is all written, why did you not know of the coming of Rau?" Impa asked.

            "The writings only say who will pull the sword," Rauru answered.  "Not when or why."

            The two entered the circular chamber of the sword as flashes of lightning came through the single window high above. 

            Impa felt a cold breeze come from behind and stopped in her tracks.  Her eyes darted back as she searched the dark corners for signs of an enemy.

            "What is it, Impa?" Rauru asked, floating to the sword.

            "We are not alone," Impa answered.

            "I feel no one but you," Rauru whispered, searching around.  "No…wait.  I feel…Link and you?  And something else.  No—many things together!"

            Impa turned and pulled her dagger as two black shapes lifted from the shadows.  One took the form of a younger, weaker Link, while the other mimicked her own shape.  Beyond the two, outside at the front of the temple, the walls began to shake violently and crumble as something enormous slammed into the front of the church.

            "Rauru, get started on that spell of yours!" Impa yelled.

            The dark Link darted forward, swinging his sword, which Impa easily parried away.  The Dark Impa attacked with a powerful slash, slicing into Impa's arm as the walls at the front of the temple crashed down in a cloud of debris.

            "By the Goddesses!" Impa screamed.  "Phantam Shadows!"

            Millions of small creatures swarmed into the rooms and across the walls as Impa dodged and parried a series of attacks by the dark version of herself and Link.

            "Rauru, get on with it!" she screamed.

**

Next: Battle of Kikiro Fort, Magical Wars