Have some bloopers
"Bork bork", he say.
She must've done something to cause the terrible dankness
He analyzed the duddette in front of him
Fortunately for Link, the cloaked figure hadn't noticed him yet. A million thoughts raced through his head. Who was this? Had they done something with the princess? Were they behind the darkness? He crouched into attack position, and prepared for another fight.
The imp on his back giggled at his growl. The figure heard and turned towards them but did not strike as he thought it would. Instead of being met with another monster, a human stood in front of him with only the tip of its nose showing through the gap between the hood and collar. The figure tilted the cloak hood back to see who the visitors were.
The figure's lack of aggression set Link back to a normal stance, but he kept himself guarded. Instead, he analyzed the non-monster in front of him. The few parts of the face he could see were clearly feminine, with very fair skin and delicate features. Her pale eyes were shadowed by a distinct sadness and something like guilt.
"Midna?' Confusion sounded in her voice, with maybe a hint of shock.
Who the hell was Midna?
"You remember my name? What an honor! I feel so blessed!" The imp gasped dramatically.
Ah, that's who the hell was Midna.
Midna, the newly named imp, dug her heels into his ribs, urging him towards the young woman. She stared down at him as he approached her. She seemed to be analyzing every aspect of him in an oddly creepy way.
"So this is who you were searching for." She nodded down at him in approval. Link felt his guard drop a little at the appreciation she showed.
"Well, he's not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess he'll do." Midna sighed in disappointment. Link's bit of happy appreciation disappeared.
She crouched down to meet Link at eye-to-eye level, looking down at the chain still on his paw. The guilt in her eyes deepened.
"You were imprisoned?" Her voice broke for a second. She quickly turned away from him, recollecting herself. "I am sorry."
Link tilted his head in confusion at this person before him. They had only just met, yet she showed so much remorse for him. What did she know that he didn't?
"Poor thing, he barely knows anything. Don't you think you owe him an explanation, your highness?" Midna interrupted, her tone condescending.
Link took a second to process. This was the princess? Princess Zelda? He mentally slapped himself. Of course this was the princess. They were in Hyrule Castle. They were in the princess's room. And there was a young woman in front of him who matched the age and description of Princess Zelda. Link wondered if perhaps maybe that blow to the head had caused some brain damage. He found himself much more in awe of her presence than before, now knowing she was royalty.
Princess Zelda looked down in shame after Midna's words. Obviously she must've done something to cause the terrible darkness surrounding the castle. That explained why she felt so much guilt, too.
The princess sighed and turned to Link. "Listen carefully. Hyrule has been transformed by the king that rules the Twilight. He has turned it into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light. They attacked us, even making it to the throne room. I remember it clearly."
She faltered for a second before continuing. "I had maybe forty soldiers in front of me. Our army was already greatly weakened by their attacks. His monsters poured in, easily overpowering them all. I remember hearing the screams and watching the blood pour. His monsters were vicious. They showed no mercy, even when my soldiers begged for their lives."
Coldness crept in her tone and her body tensed in anger. "His monsters killed all but my two royal guards. He offered me a deal, to surrender or die. I chose to surrender. My people were plunged into Twilight and all they know now is fear. And I remain here, under the watchful eye of his guards. There is nothing I can do." She stared hopelessly out the window, watching the raindrops hit the glass.
Link now realized the severity of the situation. All of his friends and anyone he had ever known were now reduced to those flickering blue flames, like the soldiers in the sewers. Sickness built in his stomach as he thought of little Colin and Ilia living in perpetual fear. What was going to happen? Would they be saved?
"You don't need to be sad! I, for one, quite like living in the twilight!" Midna said cheerfully.
Princess Zelda turned to her with anger flashing in her eyes. "This is no time for jokes, Midna. The monsters are after you, too. Why?"
Midna gave a lighthearted shrug. "Who knows?"
The princess narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Midna, but turned away. "Time is running short. The guard will soon check on me. You must leave."
Link hesitated but a sharp jab from Midna pushed him towards the door. The rush of adrenaline returned as he heard the guard's footsteps just past the staircase.
"Quick, through the window!" Midna whispered hurriedly.
With a leap, he was safely out of the tower and out of the guard's point of view. Relief flooded through him. Still, he couldn't shake how sad the princess had seemed. He could only imagine how heavy the guilt weighed on her.
The rooftop was as welcoming as ever. He hovered just out of view of the window to let the heavy information settle in his mind.
The world as he knew it was falling apart. His friends, in danger. And for some god-forsaken reason, he hadn't been turned into a blue spirit. Instead, he was a wolf, now following orders from some Midna creature. Was he the only wolf here? Why was he spared?
Midna hopped off his back and faced him. She seemed like she had answers, but barking wasn't a great way of asking questions. And anyway, she didn't seem to like giving answers. Even Princess Zelda couldn't pry them from her. He might just have to figure out these things on his own. For now, he just had to deal with the problem at hand.
The largest problem should've been the world in danger, but the only thing sticking in Link's head was his home, his friends. The people he grew up with and the people that raised him when his parents failed to. Colin, who looked up to him, and Ilia, the closest thing he had to a sister. He knew it wasn't his fault that the bokoblins had taken them. And yet, the guilt was crushing. He should've tried hard, reacted faster. If there was any way to fix this, he had to take that chance.
He growled roughly, shaking the thoughts from his head and the rain off his fur. Midna stood in front of him and eyed him carefully. She chewed her lip in thought as she stared him down. Judgement hung in the air around her.
"Do you understand where we are now?" She asked. Her tone was light but her eyes hung heavy. "A promise is a promise, so I could bring you back to where you were before you tumbled into twilight."
Link stood firm. As tempting as just going back to normal was, Colin and Ilia's terrified faces were etched in his mind.
Midna tilted her head. "Or would you rather do something more… important?"
Link gave a deep growl and put his paw forward. The metal chain sounded against the roof.
Midna's face brightened. "You want to save them?"
Link barked with strength. He was desperately hoping it sounded like a yes.
Midna's smirk appeared on her face. "In that case, I'd be happy to help! As long as you'll be my servant, and do exactly what I say!"
Link rolled his eyes.
She laughed. "Well, why don't I give you some time to think it over?"
And with the slightest wave of her hand, the world went black and Link felt the roof disappear from under him.
He definitely did not yelp as he free-fell through a dark endless tunnel. Except it did end, and in about a second, there was ground.
"So much for being a hero." He thought as he braced for impact. Fortunately, his fall slowed and landed him gently on the ground. His stomach, however, was still doing flips. He had to force himself to swallow the bile rising in his throat. Perhaps dark scary portals just weren't for him.
Once his mind got back into focus, he realized how wet his paws were. The pool of water and the waterfall before him were the very same as Ordon's forest spring. This was the exact spot from which bokoblins had broken through. He spun to look towards the gate, still in pieces from the boar's strength. The spring looked like it hadn't been touched since the bokoblins came through.
A flash of light blinded the poor wolf. Link jumped back and let out a whine, lowering his head to protect his eyes.
"Ah! So you're the chosen one. Oh, you poor dear." An ancient voice echoed around him. "Oh, honey, you must be so confused."
Link lifted his head to the bright light. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw a glowing creature before him. It looked almost familiar. Giant antlers held a ball of light and attached to a wolf-like body. It looked like one of the pictures he had seen in an old folk story. The legends of the light spirits that would protect Hyrule.
"I am Ordona, one of the four light spirits that protect these lands, a task given by the hands of the gods." The blinding light prevented him from seeing the creature's face, but he could've sworn it smiled at him.
"The power of shadow has changed your form. It is that very same power that has stolen the light from my fellow spirits. The king of twilight is hungry for this land, and he is the cause of this. He craves power. He has already taken over the kingdom, and he will continue until he has taken over the entire world of light. I'm sorry, young one." Ordona said. "But you've been chosen by the gods for this task. You must save Hyrule and prevent the world falling into darkness."
Link sat in the pond, stunned. Him? But he was just a goat farmer. He wasn't anything special. He had never fought, never even traveled outside his little town.
Ordona smiled understandingly. "I know, sweetheart. It's not fair. You are so young, but the gods see such bravery inside you. I can see it sparking. You have true power, but you haven't quite discovered it yet. You must trust the gods' decision. If not, the world will fall into darkness." Ordona bowed her head. "I'm afraid we're all relying on you. But not to worry, brave one. We will help as best we can."
"To help defeat this evil, you must revive the other light spirits across the land. There are three: Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. You may recognize Faron from your very own Faron Woods. You must clear the twilight there first. If you succeed, not only will your land's light be restored, but you will also return to your human form."
Link ears perked up at that. He was really starting to miss his thumbs.
"The king's shadow-beings run in these areas. You must be careful. But to defeat the twilight, you must find the evil creature that resides in the twilight. I am afraid I do not know what it looks like. You must find it and kill it. Only then will you bring back the light to Faron." Ordona lifted it's heavy horns. "I know this is a lot to ask. But I believe in you, young one. It's confusing and it'll be such a difficult journey, but it's all up to you."
With that closing statement, Ordona's bright light flashed again. Link whined and turned his head away. A moment later, he opened them to find the spirit gone.
Link paced the cool water of the pool, sniffing the air to see if he could catch Ordona's scent. Nothing. The light spirit had completely disappeared. He knew little about the four light spirits, even after growing up with folk tales about them. He could only assume Ordona was telling the truth. After all, the desperation in Ordona's voice had seemed genuine.
Midna's voice cut through the stunned silence. "If you want to get back into your human form, you're gonna need to listen carefully. Just beyond the bridge outside this spring, there's twilight. You'll need me in order to get in and clear it out. But first, we're going to need a shield and a sword."
Link barked in frustration. Where the hell was he going to get that?
Midna's laugh echoed. "Oh, hush. I didn't mean go and get them."
Before him, a familiar sword and shield appeared and clattered to the ground.
"Oh, you recognize them? We're 'borrowing' them from your buddy Rusl." Midna said mischievously. "Never you mind. He wasn't doing a very good job, anyway."
Link gave a small whimper, confused.
"Oh, that's right. You don't know." Midna's tone dropped. "It wasn't just your friends that were with you that got grabbed. The other children are missing, too. Your town keeps getting hurt trying to find them. But don't worry! Once you save them, they'll stop searching. Use this for motivation or whatever."
Link growled at her but yeah, she had a point. The faster he cleared the twilight out here, the faster his people would stop getting hurt. He nosed the sword and shield on the ground. It's not like he had a way to carry them.
To his shock, his shadow popped up and shaped into Midna's form. A small yelp escaped yet again that day.
"I'll hold onto these. And yes, I'm still here. But I'll only come out when I need to tell you something or you call me. Deal?" Midna asked, raising her hand in a mock handshake.
Link gave a bark and a nod.
"Perfect! Now, hurry up!" The shadow fell back onto the ground.
Link took a deep breath and sped towards the twilight.
Once he stepped foot (or paw) in Faron Woods, he knew something was wrong. These were not the same woods he had saved Talo from. Something horribly evil and dark had entered. He could feel it in the air.
Fog hung over the trees instead of the sun pushing through the leaves. Shadows filled in the world around him, obscuring all the normal scenery he had encountered before. Although he had visited the woods only a few days ago, the terrain was different. The smells were different.
Pushing forward down the path, his surroundings remained hazy and unclear. The rocks towered over at strange angles and casted even more shadows. He could hear a faint whine through the air, getting louder and louder as he continued down the worn dirt path.
"You hear that? That's sound of the spirit whose light was stolen…" Midna trailed off.
Link shuddered. Was it in agony? Or was it just the sadness of not being able to protect the world?
He crept closer and closer to the sound. Whispers filled the air from the trees, distorting his hearing. He could've sworn he heard a squirrel speak. Eventually, he reached a clearing where he determined the whine was the strongest.
"These woods have changed…"
Link tilted his head, straining to hear the words of the fallen Faron. He followed the sound to another waterfall and pool. A faint light, similar to Ordona's, hovered above the falls.
"Be careful. Look for my light. The darkness is so very close…"
Link could hear the weakness in Faron's voice. The loss of the light must have been painful, or perhaps Faron's life was tied to this light. He tried to give a reassuring bark.
"Cross the poison...past the caves. Please, young one…" Faron's voice trailed off.
Link tried to hear more, but the voice fell back into a faint whine. Faron must've used it's last bit of energy to help him.
The caves? Link cocked his head, pacing back and forth in front of the pool. When he had gone to save Talo, he had to pass through that creepy cave-like tunnel. That was really the only way he could think of that would lead somewhere. But there was no lake beyond that, just a clearing. He kept wracking his brain trying to think of where a lake would be, other than the pool before him.
The least he could do was look around that cave tunnel to find something. Faron did say the woods had changed; perhaps there was a new entrance to a lake? Shaking his head, Link headed out toward the caves. The gates in front of the tunnel were locked, just like before, but he dug under. Maybe he didn't need to miss the thumbs so much.
Upon the entrance of the tunnel, a bat swooped at him. Link was better prepared for these attacks and made a quick kill of it, wincing at the taste of blood on his jaws. But he wasn't prepared for just how many bats and spiders had found home in this cave. Before, he could've sworn it was just a few animals to kill. But the twilight appeared to have attracted even more monsters than before. Maybe the dark and evil air welcomed monsters.
Link nosed every wall and rock in the tunnel. No luck on finding any entrances. His focus on finding the lake distracted him, and a few monsters had landed some hits. He needed to get away or he'd get too wounded to even touch this dark creature, whatever it was. He had to keep looking for this supposed poison lake.
He exited the tunnel to the clearing he had remembered, just beyond the exit. But a foul smell attacked his senses. Peering over the clearing, he discovered he wasn't searching for some hidden lake at all. It was a flood.
The trees below were darkened. The poison must be coming up through the roots and weakening the nature surrounding Faron Woods. The rocks were smaller, sharper. The poison must be slowly corroding the rocks. He could only imagine what the small pebbles and grass at the bottom had turned into. Sludge, maybe? He could almost taste how acidic the poison was just off the scent alone. He wouldn't dare touch it. The toxic smell hovered over the entire clearing. When Link dared to look at the water, it gave off a strange purple glow. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before.
"So… somehow you have to clear this." Midna's familiar weight rested on his back, returning to her seat she had used back at Hyrule Castle. "Look at the trees. You think you can make it across?"
Link scanned the weak trees, searching for branches that looked like they could hold his weight. Maybe. One nearby looked sturdy enough, at least.
He calmed down his breathing and backed up to give himself enough space to leap. With a swift jump, he landed on the branch. He heard it crack under his weight, but not enough to break.
"See, and there's one over there! Keep going!" Midna patted his back encouragingly.
He leapt again, and again, until he got halfway across the flooding. There seemed to be no sturdy branches in sight, only weak ones.
"What are you waiting for?" Midna grumbled, pointing at the nearest one.
Link growled. It wouldn't hold his weight.
Midna began yanking on his ear. "You're gonna have to face a lot more dangers than this. Let's go already!"
Link barked in frustration. He had no other options.
He steadied himself and jumped, landing as lightly as he could. The branch made a horrifying sound but held up.
"See?" Midna taunted.
Link rolled his eyes. Preparing to jump again, he pushed his weight down and-
Came crashing into the purple waters below.
It stung. Burned. He whimpered and yipped, almost blinded by the pain he was in. The water was seeping into his ears and his throat as he desperately tried to stay above. He could faintly hear Midna's voice over his own cries of pain.
"-this way!" He heard her shout.
He paddled through and did his best to ignore the burning he felt with every second. After what seemed like ages, he hit a rock.
"Up, up!" She cried.
Link hefted himself up on the rock, ignoring it's sharp edged poking and cutting into his skin. At last, after he was fully out of the lake, the burning began to subside.
"Stupid wolf…" Midna muttered. He lifted his head and bared his teeth in annoyance. It was her damn fault. How the hell was he going to fight, after all that?
"Look, you've got one more tree to jump to. Then we're across. You paddled pretty far." Midna ignored his anger.
After a few rough breaths, he started to stand. His legs still wobbled from the toll the poison had taken on his body. If he didn't have the fur protecting him, the damage could've been much worse. After a few more minutes, his legs stopped shaking. His mind still felt fuzzy and weak but at least his body was recovering as fast as it could.
Midna was right. One more jump, and it was over. He had made it across. He was definitely ready for a nap now.
His path continued down the same way before when he went to get Talo. It was only a short walk up an old tree trunk that had been repurposed as a bridge. A light flickered where Talo had been trapped before. Link recognized the blue hue. When he focused, he saw the figure of the monkey he had saved before. But what made his heart stop was the gigantic bug scurrying around it, snapping it's pincers.
"So that's the monster…" Midna said in a low voice.
The thing he had to kill. It looked enormous. The bug kept chasing the monkey, which was barely avoiding it by jumping around. Maybe the monkey would be a perfect distraction so he could land a few hits.
He snuck around the edges at the end of the bridge, avoiding the sight of the bug. It kept racing around but seemed to have a pattern. He positioned himself on top of a tree stump and waited, until three, two, one-
He pounced and landed directly on the bug's back. He sunk his jaws into it's tough exoskeleton, eventually cutting through the skin.
The bug kept trying to reach its head back to attack Link, but it couldn't reach. Link took his shot and got a few bites in. A steady amount of black blood began to flow out of the wound he created.
The bug must have realized that snapping at him wasn't going to work. Instead, it began shaking its body, trying to throw Link off. Link tumbled onto the ground but quickly got to his feet. The bug now had angry sparks dancing off it's grey body. It's dull green eye searched the area until it landed on Link. It roared and charged directly at him.
Link waited until the right moment and observed. It had six legs, and seemed to rely on it's speed for the charge. The legs on insects were pretty weak and easy to tear off. Most of the time, bugs rely on blood circulation to keep their legs attached. If he could easily bite off a leg or two on one side, it would mess up the bug's balance and would bleed it out much more quickly than the bites on top of the bug.
The bug came up quickly. Link used one of his few remaining bursts of energy to dodge last second, turning and immediately biting at the legs. He got one ripped off completely, but was only able to damage the second. But sure enough, blood came pouring out. The bug began to falter in it's steps as it tried to charge at him. It's lack of balance disrupted its charge and crashed the bug into the side, making it fall. After only a few seconds, it stopped moving completely.
The bug's grey body darkened to black. Light seemed to burst from it's stomach, gravitating towards Link. As tired and injured as he was, he seemed to heal under the light.
"I think we should go back to the shrine." Midna tugged at his ear.
Link nodded and raced back toward where he had heard Faron. The light gave him new energy. It seemed to follow him as he ran back to the waterfall.
When he reached the falls, the light that followed him rose toward the weak light hovering over the water. Again, a flash of light covered the area, causing Link to duck his head.
Immediately the sense of dread that had covered the woods disappeared. Link could feel the sun shining on his back again.
"Oh, young one… Link." Faron's voice, stronger now, called to him.
Link looked up in surprise. It knew his name?
Faron's figure, unlike Ordona's, was monkey-like. The bright light surrounding him hovered around his curled tail rather than antlers. "I suppose you have already figured out my name. I am Faron, another light spirit." Faron gave a playful bow. "I think it's time you returned into your human form."
The blinding light surrounded Link. In a second, it had disappeared, and his old world returned to him.
Link smiled, fascinated and relieved. Legs! Only two. Thumbs! Also only two. A working voice, clothing instead of fur-
Clothing. This was not his.
"Yes, the green tunic. The Hero's clothes. You, my dear, are a worthy owner." Faron nodded gracefully. "You did not turn into a blue spirit like the other civilians of Hyrule. A blue-eyed wolf suited you better. A sign of the chosen one, of the ancient power that lurks within you. Alas, more than one ancient power hides in this kingdom." Faron heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid you must continue this journey. There are hidden spots, lost temples, which hold dark and ancient power. Now, only under dire circumstances, would I tell anyone about this power."
"Unfortunately, those circumstances are now. You must find it, use it as your own. You must fight the king of twilight. If you do not find this power, and you do not defeat him, the world of light will fall apart. The world will only know shadows, and all the people living with only remain as spirits. They will only know fear and darkness." Faron's face was dark and serious. "You must go. Be careful, young one. The shadow monsters still lurk in this area. They are dangerous."
Link nodded.
"Good luck, hero." Faron bowed to him before disappearing. In only a moment, the waterfall had become just a plain old waterfall. Not the home of the fabled light spirits.
Link sat on a nearby rock and collected his thoughts. First, he was wearing the clothes that the tales of the ancient hero had worn. Green tunic. He pulled at the fabric. Much sturdier than anything he'd ever worn. The pants were tan and coarse, yet loose. Those might be able to hold up a few scratches without tearing. Instead of his sloppy sandals, a fancy pair of brown boots were on his feet. He felt the smooth leather. Those would've cost him a year and some's salary. Leather wristlets wrapped around his palms and covered his forearms. Lastly, an odd green hat protected and hid his messy hair.
On his back he felt weight. Across his chest ran some brown leather straps. Feeling and tugging on the strap, he felt a scabbard holding the sword Midna had stolen. On the side, he felt the wooden shield tap against his back.
He walked over to the pool and splashed some water on his face, hoping it would help him calm down. He took some in his hands and hurriedly gulped it down. He hadn't felt human in a long time, nor had he had the luxury of eating and drinking. Unless he counted the accidental poison.
He continued to slurp down his fill of water, ignoring the sounds going on around him. That is, until a heavy roar rang out around him.
Link spit out the water and turned to see something he could only describe as a beast. It was black and it's limbs hung long. It had no face, just a blank grey canvas surrounded by sharp spikes of hair. Glancing at its hands, it had long claws that it dragged through the dirt. A bright glowing red mark decorated it's chest and back.
It roared again as it looked right at Link. It's roar was high-pitched, similar to a scream. The creature almost sounded like it was in pain, but it charged at Link anyway.
Link was lucky enough to dodge last-second, but wasn't prepared for the swipe of it's claws. It barely hit his ear but he could feel a small trickle of blood falling against his face.
He stood and raced to the other side of the waterfall. He just needed a second to grab his sword. He kept reaching behind his back and barely missing, trying to find the handle. The beast targeted him again and charged, and he had no choice but to roll out of the way.
Again he crossed the field, this time climbing onto a high rock. He frantically grasped for his sword of shield but couldn't seem too reach. The creature crept close and screamed, momentarily deafening Link. He clasped his hands over his ears to stop the ringing. The creature sensed it's opportunity and lunged, knocking Link off the rock and onto the ground.
Link was cornered against the ground and the creature. He scooted back away until he felt the wall of the clearing hit him. A sense of dread and horror came over him as the creature lunged toward him. He closed his eyes, ready for the pain to hit-
But it didn't. He heard a voice, and the sound of a knife sinking into flesh. The creature howled. Link opened his eyes just in time to see a figure yank a small dagger out of the creature's leg. It spun to face the figure, and promptly got its throat slit.
Link tried to see around the creature to figure out who this person was, and if they were going to kill him too. But his vision was obscured by the creature falling limply onto Link, smacking his head against the wall.