The Day the Universes Collided
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Gallera Police Academy
Training Center
The Links blinked as the light beamed them down in front of a gauntlet of some kind. The room looked modern and sterile. Elfin frowned and scratched the tip of his nose.
"This brings back memories." he murmured, "This is the police academy's training gauntlet." He pointed at each test. "That's the 100 yard dash followed by the rope net climb and the rope bridge crossing. Then there's the swing over the pool of water and the tire run. After that is the last hundred yard dash to the finish line."
"You're torturing people with this?" Link asked incredulously. Elfin grinned.
"Torture?! Hell, this was fun for me! I even set the record of two minutes fifteen seconds for the run back home!" he declared. Allstar pouted and narrowed his eyes at him. Nintendo Training Facility had a similar setup; his best time was three minutes flat.
"Brag all you want but that's not gonna help us out here!" he said loudly, tossing his head aside in disdain, "We have to solve the puzzle of this room and get to the next level!" Waker walked forward and sighed. Taking a few deep breaths, he gazed out at the room and waited. The other Links watched him, curious to see what he was up to now. Waker let his mind drift and, sure enough, his eyes wandered up to a large board that sported a timer on it.
"Uh, guys? I think I know what this one's about!" he cried and pointed at it. The group looked up and gaped at the time. Two minutes...even. "We have to run through all this in two minutes!"
"Oh, crap." Elfin groaned. Allstar looked at Dark Link, who stared at him, white-faced. The dark elf knew of Allstar's best time and also that he couldn't run the course with Maverick on his back.
"Brother...." Dark Link murmured, but Allstar shook his head quickly. "Link, I don't want to lose you. What can we do?!"
"Pray, and hope somebody can hear us, because I'm not leaving Maverick behind!" Allstar growled and stepped to the starting line. "Okay, Quinta! Start it up!"
A light shone next to the time and a buzzer sounded. Allstar sprinted forward and dashed to the rope net. Dark Link shut his eyes tightly and began murmuring prayers to the Twins from their world as the other Links cheered him on. Maverick's weight seemed lighter to Allstar as he reached the net.
"Can't climb it! Have...to...jump!" he panted and leaped up as high as he could. Waker yelped in shock as he watched the actor skip the net entirely and land on top of the wooden construct that served as the starting point of the rope bridge. The heroes roared and cheered even louder as Allstar carefully walked across the single rope to the other side and scampered down the slope on the other construct.
"The swing! How's he gonna do that with Maverick?!" Link cried to Elfin. The cop pointed at the frantic star.
"Like that." he replied simply. Link turned and gaped as Allstar quickly shifted Maverick around to his side, one arm wrapped around his waist, the other stretched out to grab the rope. "Nice save!" Elfin called out and clapped as Allstar swung across the pool and headed to the tires.
"He's down to the last forty-five seconds!" Waker exclaimed and covered his face. "I can't watch!" He peeked his eyes through his fingers, though, unable to stop himself from knowing if his friend won or not.
Now holding Maverick in his arms, Allstar charged on, running nimbly through the tires and then dashing full tilt down the straightaway.
"Ten seconds!" Waker cried and screamed as Allstar dove across the line, shoulder first. Tumbling and rolling, he clutched the tiny body close to his to protect it and gasped, coughing and choking. Dark Link stopped praying and dropped to all fours, shaking.
"Liiiink!" he cried, "You did it!!!" The other elves cheered loudly and waved their arms, jumping joyfully as the timer reset back to two minutes. Allstar only hugged the little elf he held and tried to pace his breathing. His entire body was screaming in pain, it had been almost two years since he had last pushed himself to any limit, whether at the training facility or in the Smash Brothers Tournaments. He had gotten too soft and comfortable with life.
"Oooh man, that's gotta hurt." Elfin remarked with a grin, then pushed Waker forward, "Okay, your turn!" Waker shrieked and jumped back from the starting line.
"Me?! Why me?! Why not you, Mr. Record Setter?!" he yelled as Dark Link ran up to the line himself.
"Quinta! Next!" he cried and the buzzer sounded as a second light came on. He dove to the ground, melting into a shadow in the same moment. As a black spot on the floor, he sped across the hundred yards in a flash and slid up the net. Zipping across the shadow of the rope bridge and down the slope, he popped out of shadow mode to swing across the water and run the tire portion of the obstacle course.
"He's making good time. Almost thirty seconds to clear that chunk of the course." Link remarked in surprise. Elfin frowned and folded his arms on his chest.
"He's got that shadow power to help him. The little cheat." he muttered as Dark Link shot down the last of the stretch and knelt next to his twin, lifting his head and bending over him. "Okay, Waker. Now you." The young hero gulped and walked up to the starting line as the timer reset for the third time.
"All right! I can do this!" he muttered and blinked. Looking around, he seemed to sense something. On a hunch, Waker licked a finger and held it up above him. He grinned almost ferociously as he felt a faint cool breeze pass over the wet fingertip. "Perfect!" Whipping out the Wind Waker, the Hero of Winds and Time conducted the wind, increasing its strength and bringing it back behind him. "Wind of the Training Ground! Push me to the finish!" he declared, "I need your help to pass this test!"
With the wind coiled behind him, Waker dashed forward as the buzzer sounded, the third light shining bright. The two remaining heroes watched as the wind shoved Waker along, increasing his speed as he made his way to the net. Scrambling up it, the elf carefully walked across the tightrope and rolled down the slope.
"Yeah! That's the way! Go, little man, go!" Elfin hooted as Link cheered along, jumping and pumping his fists into the air. Waker leaped out and grabbed the rope swing, sailing expertly over the pools of water and landing right at the beginning of the tire run. Running as nimbly through it as he could with the wind shoving ever harder on him, Waker zipped through and charged down the last stretch.
"Hurry! Thirty seconds left on the clock!" Link called out and howled for joy as Waker fell across the finish line, tumbling his way to a stop with only ten seconds left on the timer. Elfin leaped up and thrust a fist into the air.
"Yeeeeaaah!" he roared and clapped proudly as Waker sent the wind away and rubbed his head sheepishly. Dark Link blinked at him and smiled, the smile growing wider as Allstar resumed normal breaths and sat up, cradling Maverick in his arms still. "Right! Well then, my turn!" Elfin declared and cracked his knuckles. He strode up to the starting line and crouched in a runner's position, focusing intently at the stretch. The timer reset and the buzzer sounded, lighting up a fourth time. Elfin surged forward and Link watched him dash down the run, breathing in a pace and still focused on what was before him. Waker was jumping and cheering at the end of the run but Elfin took no notice.
"He's blocking everything out." Dark Link murmured as Allstar stood up, Maverick still in his arms. The young captain's head was draped back, hanging as limply as his free arm and legs.
"If we can all make it here under that time, we should get to the next level and be that much closer to facing off against Quinta!" Allstar whispered fiercely, "I'll make him pay for what he did to Maverick!"
Elfin reached the rope net with good time left and expertly climbed up it, then followed Waker's example of tightrope walking and rolling down the ramp. He swung across the pool and ran to the tire run.
"Each of us had something to help us run this course in under that time." Link murmured to himself, "Allstar had the determination to save Maverick. Dark Link had his shadow power to move faster than any of us. Waker used the wind to aide his speed and Elfin has past experience and focus. What do I have to help me?"
Elfin made it through the tires and raced down the last stretch, skidding to a halt after he made it across the finish line and puffing as the others cheered for him. He grinned, the looked up at the clock. He blinked in shock. Only five seconds were left! He had barely made it!
"Damn! Just a little off and I'd have been a goner! I think." he exclaimed, eyebrows raised in surprise. Waker laughed and called out to Link, hands around his mouth.
"You're the last one, Hero! Come on! Let's go!" he cried and waved a hand at him. Link smiled weakly and walked to the starting line. He sighed and crouched down like Elfin had done, watching the timer reset and murmuring a prayer to the Goddesses to guide him.
"Go." he whispered and the buzzer sounded. He took off, running as fast as he could down the stretch. Elfin immediately frowned and shook his head.
"Bad start. He's going to burn up his energy by the time he gets to the tires. Dammit, Link! Don't act rash! Pace yourself!" he shouted out the last bit of advice. The Hylian hero tried to pace his breathing and glanced up at the clock. So far, so good. He'd used up about twenty seconds of time. He reached the rope net and clambered up, clawing at hand-holds and glancing at the clock again. Another twenty seconds gone by. Link jogged over to the rope bridge and paused for a moment before starting to walk over it.
"What if I don't make it? What will happen to me? To the others?" he thought worriedly and nearly slipped off. The other Links gasped slightly.
"Concentrate! Don't lose focus!" Elfin yelled out.
"He keeps looking at the clock." Dark Link murmured, "See? He looked at it again! Link, don't look at the clock! It's just distracting you!" The elfin hero jogged down the slope after making it across the rope bridge and swung over the pools of water. He glanced up at the clock again and ended up landing in the pool.
"Stop looking at the timer!" Waker shouted, "Come on, Hero!" Link scrambled out of the pool and ran through the stretch of tires, huffing and puffing tiredly as the water from the pool added onto his weight. "You don't have much time left! Hurry!" Waker urged him, "Please!"
"He's not going to make it...." Elfin whispered in horror, looking up at the timer. "Only twenty seconds. He'll never make it!"
"Hero!" Waker screamed as Link raced down the final stretch. The Hero of Winds reached out to him with both arms, "Jump, Hero! Hurry!" Link looked at him, face pale and terrified. He reached out with one hand, stretched out towards him. Waker stretched out, their fingers mere inches away.
The timer hit zero at that moment.
"HEROOOOO!" Waker cried in anguish as a brilliant white light erupted from Link's body and he vanished without a trace, just blinked out of existence in a moment. "Noooooo!"
"Link!" Elfin yelled as a glowing circle appeared in the center of the training room. At the same time, another glowing light appeared before the stunned group. It formed a small figure, then dropped it onto the floor as laughter rang out around them.
"Hee hee! One down! Five to go! Don't worry, you'll see him again, when you all fail alongside him!" the mystery voice teased. Allstar ground his teeth as he continued to hold the unconscious Maverick in his arms. Dark Link walked forward and picked up the figure. He brought it back to the group. It was a plush doll made to look like Link, its solemn face looking up at the remaining heroes.
"Level Two, cleared by five heroes. Access permitted to Level Three." another voice remarked flatly. Dark Link gave the doll to Waker, who tucked it carefully into his Delivery Bag.
"He's going to pay." Allstar hissed as they headed for the glowing circle in sorrowful silence, "So help me Miyamoto, that creature will pay for this....!"