When I woke up again, the strange guy was still there with a glowing red ball aimed at Midna. I tried to stand, but found myself with four paws and a tail rather than the limbs I was used to. As soon as I was on my feet, Link was already attacking the stranger, resulting in him being thrown back by whatever that red ball was. I looked back at Link's unconscious form, seeing an odd-looking twilight piece sticking out of his head. It slowly sunk into his skull, leaving no trace of having been there to begin with.
The strange man had Midna in a magic hold, restraining her and bringing my attention back to him. I growled at him, making sure I stood in front of Link to prevent any further attacks, though I wasn't sure how a fight would go down considering my circumstances.
"You. You must be this Rheikah my master speaks of. I figured I'd get a little less resistance from someone so...infamous. Born of darkness for my master's use, and yet...you defend this pathetic human. A darkness lives in you, light dweller, and I'll make sure you don't forget that." With a snap of his fingers, a ball of twilight formed in front of him. I stood my ground out of fear he might hit Link again if I didn't, and braced for impact.
I ran at the strange man as he let out a small laugh and sent the twilight flying forwards. Then everything was dark.
The next time I woke up, we were somewhere else entirely. I have no idea how we got there, only that I was woken up by Link nudging me with his nose. I stood up and looked around, noticing two things: One, that we were both still wolves, despite being out of the twilight; and two, Midna was on Link's back... and she didn't look good.
"We have to go. To the castle—to the princess. Lanayru said she could help us, but we have to hurry. I'm not sure how much longer Midna has left." Link says. I nodded to him before looking around again. We were just North of the castle, not far from the nearest gate, though I didn't know what he planned to do once we got there. They don't exactly let wolves in to visit the princess. Not that I would know either way.
Link and I took off towards the castle, running as fast as we could. We ended up coming in the East gate, people screaming and guards holding spears at us whenever they spotted us. There was no way we were getting in through the main doors, but maybe we could go through the bar. I nudged Link's shoulder and told him to follow me down a side street away from the big crowds.
We made it down to the street Telma's bar was on and I took a moment to take a breath while Link poked his nose in through the door. As soon as they saw him, he was kicked out and the door was slammed in our faces.
"Now what?" He asks, just as a small window opened to the side of the bar.
"You there." We look over to see a white, fat cat standing in the small window. "You're Link, correct?"
I step forward to get a better look at the cat as it jumps down from the opening. I tilt my head to the side, slightly weirded out that I could understand the furry creature.
"Louise?" I ask, "It's me, Rheikah. And Link."
The white cat stepped forward and sniffed at us, sitting back once he was satisfied.
"Mmm yes, I thought so. I could just tell, you know." Louise turned to Link and introduced himself, but still gazed at us in confusion.
"In any case," he started, "I must tell you, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you look like that. Really dear, you can't blame the humans for tossing you out, the way you look."
"Please, we just need to get into the bar to use the castle passage. Our friend needs help." I say, not liking the way Midna's skin grew paler by the minute. It was then Louise noticed her laying on Link's back, and looked curiously at all of us.
"Oh...Another patient? You certainly are a curious sort..." Louise stated. This time it was Midna who tried pleading with him; barely able to get the word please past her lips along with a weak "Princess Zelda".
Louise turned from us and headed back to the window he came from. "This way!" he says.
"Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the castle waterway. Its and old waterway, though...so it could be a rough trip. Well...I suppose all that's left to do is make sure the humans don't notice you." Louise says and moves over by the door. I nod once in thanks to the white cat and Link and I work on getting inside.
He pushed a nearby crate a little closer to the stack of crates by the window, and we both jumped on then over and through the window with Link going first. Inside the bar, we stood on a wide ledge as Link assessed the challenge in front of him. The only way across to the opening was by the rope I had attatched to the different ledges. We would have to walk across them all without falling or getting caught.
I just hope I can still do it with four legs instead of two.
I gave Link a silent nod before geting started on the first rope. I went ahead of him this time, carefully trying to keep my balance. Once I was about halfway down the rope, Link started after me. I was grateful when we reached the first ledge unharmed and without alerting anyone to our presence. We continued on throughout the bar, hearing bits and pieces of everyone's conversations. A Goron that wanted to return home, Telma wondering if Link and I were doing alright (along with a little suggestive comment that didn't fail to make me walk faster over the ledge), and at the exclusive table of Telma's group of friends, a comment about Link. It started out positive, but ultimately ended in Link not knowing fear because he doesn't know the city.
I suppressed my need to scoff at the accusation. I angrily sat by the opening that lead out of the bar while I waited for Link to finish crossing the rope. Once he got to the final ledge he looked questioningly at me. I stood again and walked out of the bar passage. Mid-tunnel Link stopped me and asked what was going on. I sighed and glanced back at where we could still see the bar's lights before answering.
"What that guy said at the table in Telma's bar...about you not knowing fear. It's not fair. You are twice the fighter they could ever hope to be. With all the monsters you fight daily, you've looked fear in the face and beat it every day since all this began. It isn't fair for them to sit there and do nothing while you singlehandedly save all of Hyrule then complain about—" Link interrupted my small rant.
"Rheikah, relax, I don't care what they think. Their opinion doesn't matter to me... yours does. Thanks, but I would be more upset if you were the one saying those things." Link says, a small smile on his lips. I smiled back with a nod, walking on down the tunnel.
"I still think it isn't right..."
We continued down the passage until it opened up into a room filled with gold coins and a strange smell that sent chills down my spine. I sniffed at it to get an idea of what it was, only for my vision to flash and reveal a...something in the corner of the room. Link and I jumped down into the room and he went to go deal with the floating whatever while I looked around. Everything was golden and shiny, including the person sitting in a throne-like chair.
It took me a moment of looking, but eventually I figured out the man I was looking at was Jovani, the curly haired man who lived in the house with all the cats. This is where he disappeared to. He turned to gold. Despite the...tragic...mishap that must have happened to cause this, a small part of me couldn't help but wonder how much a solid gold Jovani would be worth. My thoughts of selling my greedy neighbor were interrupted however by Link approaching me from behind.
He stood by me and looked over at the golden man for a moment, about to ask me something when Jovani started to speak.
"Oh...Th-thanks for beating the ghost. Can I call you...doggie? I'm Jovani. I...became consumed by greed long ago, and sold my soul to a dark creature that did this to me...I can't move...I can't go see my girlfriend...My pet cat Gangle is frozen on my head...I don't think I could be more miserable...I have to ask you a favor, doggie...Can you find and defeat the 20 ghosts that lurk in the dark for me? I think if you can free the pieces of my soul from the ghosts that hold them, I'll be free...Oh, but it's raining out now, so I don't think you can go outside directly. I'll open the for to the underground waterway for you..." The chest on the floor behind us opened up and revealed yet another tunnel. Maybe I could sell the cat seperately...
"Once the rain stops, you can come back in here by digging around the front wall where the cats gather. Just watch out for that red haired street rat that hangs around here; sometimes she carries weapons...understand doggie?" Link gave me a strange look after he said that, but I ignored them both and headed for the tunnel.
Link came down the tunnel shortly after I did and we were both carried down a river of rushing waters to another area. We climbed out of the water and onto the stone walkway, looking around for a way out. It didn't take long before I found a lever hanging in front of a water gate. I jumped up and grabbed the lever, my weight pulling it down and opening the way. I let go of the lever and fell in the water, being rushed down to yet another pool with Link right behind me.
This next room had two flights of stairs that reminded me of the castle entrance from town. We must be getting close. Link and I climbed out of the water again and began climbing the steps, finding the exit blocked by two skulltulas and their web. Together we made quick work of them then burned the web to get by.
We quickly moved through the next two large areas as Midna's breathing became even more labored, burning spiderwebs and fighting off a few enemies. Link sniffed out a spot on the floor and began digging, disappearing under the dirt soon after. I followed him through the dig spot, coming out in a different room entirely.
This room lead into a large spiral staircase heading straight up and I immediately knew we'd made it to the castle. Now, we just had to find a way to the princess's room.
The trip up the staircase was a long and tense one, especially considering that big portions of it had broken off, leaving only ropes tied between the pieces of stairs as a way up. Eventually though, we reached the top and headed through a door to the outside of the castle wall. Rain and hard wind pelted us from the moment we stepped outside. We ran along the top of the castle wall, jumping over breaks and avoiding twilight infused birds, even running across a bridge that was only available when the wind blew until we reached the princess's tower.
Link lead the way, going into the tower opening and up a few stairs until he pushed through the chamber doors as I trailed behind him. A feeling of dread hit me as we went into the room. I never thought that one day I would have to actually face the princess. The one who rules my "home." The one whose father turned away when my family needed help. And just to make it better, I would be meeting her as an overgrown wet dog.
When we didn't immediately see her in the room, Link tensed. Midna had gotten so weak by this point, she fell off of his back and onto the floor. She looked blue and not like herself at all. A hand moved to touch her cheek and we all looked up to find the princess.
"Please...Please tell me...How do we break...the curse on these two? These...are the ones...You need them to save your world! That's why...Princess...Please...You must help them..." Midna barely croaks out and the princess looks up at Link, then at me. She raised her hand to him and a mark on her hand pulsed with light, glowing when she held it over his head, doing the same to me after.
"What binds them is a different magic than what transformed them when they first passed the curtain of twilight. It's an evil power. Our world is one of balance...Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was created by the wisdom of the ancient sages...the Master Sword. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch. Evil cloaks you like a dark veil...and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it. Link...hero sent by the goddesses...Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses..." Zelda held up her hand to show the strange mark I now recognized as a triforce.
"Fine...Link...You and...You and Rheikah can get to the woods...on your own, right? Princess...I have one last request...Can you tell them...where to find the Mirror of Twilight?" Midna says, out of breath and slowly dying. Something tells me she knows she doesn't have much longer, and even though we didn't exactly get along, it made me sad. At the mention of a Mirror of Twilight, Zelda tensed.
"Midna...I believe I understand now just who and what you are... Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead...These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it's you who have reaped the penalty. Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you..." Zelda began to glow as light flowed through her and into Midna. I didn't quite understand what was happening until it was too late.
"No! Link! Rheikah! STOP HER!" Midna yelled as she was lifted into the air by the strange force. As the life flowed back into Midna...Zelda disappeared. A strange feeling coursed through me. I had only met the princess once, then soon after, she sacrificed herself to save the annoying imp that only started using my name recently.
Maybe she wasn't as bad as I made her out to be...
"What now?" Link asks, as dazed as I was after seeing the princess disappear. Midna stood tall, staring at the place Zelda once sat.
"We go back, Link! Back to Faron Woods!" She says before climbing onto his back. We all start out of the tower chamber, but I stop when Midna does.
"Zelda...I've taken all that you had to give...though I did not want it." She says before motioning for Link to go on. We exited the chamber and Midna opened a portal for us to warp to Faron Woods.