The Day the Universes Collided


Chapter Twenty-Four



New Hyrule

Great Sea

Time: 1300 hours



"We've lost contact." Elfin said flatly after everyone was settled into their seats around the table. There was a few minutes of silence as this information sank in. Allstar looked around, then raised his hand.

"What do you mean, we've lost contact? Contact with who?" he asked, confused. Maverick held up the SPC, showing the white screen it displayed. On it was a large pink Q that flashed on and off every second or so.

"We've lost contact with Zero. Something is blocking his signal to us, so we can't call him or send him info about the figurine, nor can he send us its exact location or weaknesses." he replied, "Whoever can hack my SPC's transmission signal must be either powerful and intelligent, or so stupid as to pass for smart."

"So, we're on our own?" Link asked in surprise, "And we can't go home when we're done?"

"We're not sure. That's what the meeting is for. What should we do now that Zero can't help us anymore? Of course, destroy the figurine, but should we also try to use the capsule to warp home?" Elfin put forward to heroes, "If the signal to our computers was blocked, who's to say that the same thing hasn't happened to the IDG?" A feeling of uneasiness settled in the room.

"So....we could be trapped here? Forever?" Link asked softly. Elfin and Maverick nodded slowly. Allstar and Dark Link looked at each other, worried.

"If we don't return home, we can never star in the Ocarina of Time games. They'll all fail eventually. And Soul Calibur II will probably mess up without me in the ranks." Allstar murmured.

"One of the Koopa Kids will steal my position as Prince of the Dark Side. If they take over and become King or Queen in Wendy's case, the Dark Side of Nintendo will fall into chaos." Dark Link whispered. Maverick suddenly slammed his fist into the wood table, causing everyone to jump in alarm.

"I won't allow myself to be stuck in some other Link's world!!" he yelled angrily, "I have a mission to complete and a life to live! Nin's waiting for me! I won't let her or my mentors down!" The other heroes stood up, startling Tetra and her crew.

"Yeah! We may be isolated from Zero, but since when have the Links become so dependent on a single source of information that we fall to pieces when it leaves us?!" Waker declared.

"Links don't fail! We'll beat that figurine and find our way home!" Dark Link added with a proud grin. The heroes cheered and raced out of the room, Tetra hot on their heels and yelling all kinds of insults about their intelligence and sanity.


Waker conducted at the bow of the ship, surrounding it with a protective swirl of winds as it eased into the cove nearest Death Mountain. The other Links looked up at it and frowned collectively. The space directly over Death Mountain was perfectly calm and clear, but around it was stormy and chaotic.

"Land ho!" Tetra declared and looked back at the group. "Okay, boys, go do your thing." The Links nodded and headed off the ship, bracing themselves for the winds. Waker looked back at them and sighed.

"Guys, I have to stay here and protect the ship. If I stop conducting, the wind shield will disappear and the ship will be torn apart." he told them, "So stop the figurine and then come back here. I'll give you the capsule then."

"Sounds like a plan." Allstar declared and looked out at the storm. "It's Iron Boot time!" He looked down at his feet. "Master Control Allstar N64 Link code ZN641-KF Level A Iron Boots! Activate!" The Kokiri Boots he wore glowed a bright white, then faded to reveal the Iron Boots. "Yep, least the connection to our world still works."

"Get to it, Glitter!" Elfin declared and the pink fairy spun around his boots, covering it with fairy dust.

"I summon the weight of a thousand men to hold you fast! Lead Boots!" she declared. The boots transformed to a dark gray variation and she zipped up under his hat, "Okay, now don't call me out or I'll get whisked away and then you'll never see me again and you'll be real sorry and start missing me and...."

"Glitter, stop babbling!" Elfin yelled as the others laughed at him. Maverick looked towards Dark Link and both nodded, melting into shadows and slipping into the shadows of Allstar and Elfin.

"Okay! Let's go!" Link declared and headed out into the wind, head bent and hand holding his hat down. The others followed him as Waker continued conducting, watching them worriedly.


*********


Wolfang Pass

Death Mountain Range

Time: 1400 hours



"Well, ain't this a kick in the ass?" Elfin grumbled as the Links huddled in the cave. The winds had grown stronger and now were circling the mountain, making it difficult to climb.

"Will our boots still be able to hold us down?" Link asked warily as they looked up at Death Mountain. Elfin shrugged as Maverick tried to contact Zero again. The signal continued to be blocked and the captain finally gave up on it.

"Let's keep moving. The longer we wait, the worse the winds will become." Dark Link murmured from within Allstar's shadow. Maverick returned to Elfin's shadow and they pressed on, moving sluggishly against the wind as they trekked through Wolfang Pass.


Death Mountain loomed above them an hour later. The heroes crouched low as they began to make their way up the mountain, gripping onto any ledges and cracks they could find as they climbed. Pressed against the sides of the mountain, the Links inched higher and higher. Unable to speak for fear of having their breaths stolen, the silent heroes continued on.

Suddenly, a fierce blast of wind swept across them, nearly tearing them from their precarious positions near the peak of the mountain. Allstar pressed his cheek against the rock, wincing as it scraped the skin. The other Links followed suit, shutting their eyes tightly as the winds howled and tore at them. Then, just as they were beginning to crumble under the onslaught, the wind died. Totally. Completely. There was no wind around at all, but the storm continued around them and the mountain.

"What happened?" Link finally dared to ask. Elfin looked around warily and continued his climb.

"I don't know, but I'm not gonna just hang out here and wait for the change in weather. Let's move it!" he declared and shimmied up to the ledge above him. Link and the Allstar twins scrambled up after him and stood there, resting before facing the figurine that stood stoically behind them.

For a few brief moments, they were stunned. Then the Links were just confused. The figurine looked like a large chess piece, a king, with two crystals that floated beside it. The king had arms that it waved about in a flowing rhythm and the crystals hummed a melody that was oddly familiar.

"Sooooo...what is it?" Allstar asked as Dark Link and Maverick re-emerged and studied the figurine. Mav set to scanning the strange thing as Allstar and Dark Link both walked up and circled it, trying to gauge it as a viable threat.

"No information available." Maverick suddenly reported and frowned, clapping the SPC shut. "Damn. You're on your own, guys." Allstar growled and folded his arms on his chest. Link cocked his head and brightened.

"Hey! That rhythm! It's the Storm King's Bolero! Remember how Waker moved when he conducted it back in Hyrule Castle?" he exclaimed excitedly. The group looked at the figurine. "It's copying Waker's music! It's playing the bolero to summon the storms and spread them all over the islands!" Allstar growled again, glaring at the figurine.

"This sucks. What do we do?" he grumbled.

"Try hitting it with your sword!" Link called out. He grinned, "I want to see if you get sent flying again!"

"Shut up." Allstar muttered under his breath, glaring sidelong at him, "Dark Link, what do you think we should do now?"

"I think that these crystals here are the weak point. See how they're just kinda bobbing there?" Dark Link replied, pointing at the two white diamond shapes that hovered up and down in sync with each other.

"Okay, so let's whack 'em with the swords." Allstar said with a shrug and pulled out his Master Sword. Dark Link nodded and pulled out his copy, the Mirror Sword.

"Hyaaah!" both Links declared as they slammed one of the crystals with the swords. The crystal flashed yellow and began blinking. The twins blinked down at it.

"Uh. That's...not a good thing...is it?" Allstar asked, glancing at his brother. Dark Link looked back at him and shrugged slightly. "Sooo...are we screwed?"

"What the hell did you do?!" Elfin yelled at them.

"Damned if I know!" Allstar snapped back and the crystal suddenly let out a brilliant flash of light. "Now what?!"

The figurine continued conducting as a blast of wind swooped in and hit the Links head on at full force. The heroes yelled in surprise and fell to the ground, digging into the earth to try to stay on the ledge. Allstar and Dark Link tried to brace themselves, caught off guard by the gale.

"Guys! Get down! You're going to be knocked over the edge!" Link cried, clawing deeper into the rock to hang on. Maverick grabbed onto a stone that jut up from the ledge and held on tightly, gasping for air.

"T-trying!" Dark Link stammered and screamed as he was finally swept off his feet and hurled over the edge of the cliff, overwhelmed by the hurricane force winds.

"DARK LINK!" Allstar shrieked and turned to leap after him as the others screamed in horror. The twins vanished over the edge, plummeting towards the earth thousands of feet below them......