Chapter 21: Putting the Pieces Together
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Note: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy the bonus chapter this week!
You may notice that the chapter numbers got a little weird; I did a major edit of the first two chapters of the story. I added a different Chapter 1 including the battle in the tournament that Link loses at the beginning of the story and references back to several times; I felt that it was important enough to him as a character that I should probably showcase it a bit more.
As a result of adding a chapter at the beginning, all of the other chapter numbers got bumped down one. I know it's very unprofessional for me to keep going back and making changes like this, so thank you all so much for bearing with me! I'm working on doing better at planning in the future, and I hope it pays off - we've got some fun things planned for this story! Next time I write a fanfic, maybe I'll *finally* learn my lesson and not post chapters until the story is finished, haha!
Have a great rest of your week! :D
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Link
He wondered absently how far into the ground beneath his back the terrible blight-guardian-thing had stabbed with its stolen katana. The creature was certainly strong enough for that. Strong enough that, perhaps, the blade hadn't penetrated the ground at all, but had shattered. Maybe there were pieces of it that had broken off inside his body – that would certainly explain the agony he felt. Or maybe that was just a natural result of getting impaled by something so horrifically powerful.
Link was aware of very little but the raw agony permeating his middle, stemming from the wound going through him and radiating outwards. Joined by a stabbing pain in multiple points across his chest and back, rendering him barely capable of choked, shallow gasps. There were lesser aches in his arms and legs and head, consequences from his pathetic attempt to stand against such a brutal opponent.
Surely this was the end – surely he would die. It was impossible for anyone to sustain such injuries and live – he remembered with terrible clarity the katana plunging down towards and then through him, past his skin and beyond. Any moment now would be his last – inasmuch as moments existed in his fragmented consciousness, of course, where nothing existed but torment.
And yet he kept breathing – his broken ribs continued to stab painfully into him, the edges of the wound in his gut agonizingly stretched and contracted. But the pain seemed to get more manageable, little by little – that, or he was just getting used to it.
His senses came back to him, piece by piece. He became aware of something bright before his closed eyes, heard the lonely exhale of a breeze across some great empty expanse. His body seemed to pulse all at once with unbearable pain, but the instant his lips parted with a breathless cry it all seemed to fade – not gone entirely, and some part of him could still feel every wound, but greatly reduced. He felt disconcertingly as if his spirit had perhaps been half-separated from his body somehow.
"Don't worry," a familiar masculine voice said quietly, almost sadly. "You're alright. You can open your eyes now."
A surge of shock and adrenaline saw him sitting up at once, his eyes flying in the direction of the voice –
A man partially obscured by a strange white mist was drawing closer, not particularly tall or brawny, but he carried himself with such a calm confidence that Link immediately recognized that he was an experienced warrior, not to be trifled with. He wore a dark green tunic over chainmail and a high-collared white under shirt. He was wearing leather boots, although they were mostly obscured by the mist, visible only with each step closer that he took.
That drew Link's attention to their surroundings – nothing but a vast, flat white expanse filled with mist so thick that he could only see the man before him. Surely nothing this empty existed in Hyrule except for the vast snowfields of Tabantha in winter, where he'd killed his lynel, and yet the air was not bitingly cold as it should have been if this was snow. In fact, Link could not actually tell whether the temperature was hot or cold at all – it simply existed.
He turned his gaze at last to the man's face, now close enough to discern, dreading what he would find. Dark brown hair streaked in places with gray, and skin heavily tanned by decades of outside labor. There was a very strange hat on his head, floppy and long, pointed at the end, that swished behind him as he walked closer. His face was fierce and yet kind, the lines of his face betraying how he had smiled and laughed more than he scowled. Eyes a muted shade of blue, like the onset of night at the last dredges of sunset.
"Twilight," Link said quietly, pushing himself to his knees. He felt a deep sense of shame before his ancestor, although it took him several moments to realize why. "This… this is… I died?"
"You will wake up from this," Twilight answered, sitting down cross-legged in front of him. "This is a sort of in-between place where ancestors can interact directly with their descendants, in special circumstances. My predecessor taught me a great many things here."
"So… I'm not dead?" Link asked, hardly daring to speak any louder. A place where ancestors can take their descendants – under special circumstances. I… this is… not good. I… I messed up badly.
A rough hand on his shoulder pulled him from his dismay, and he looked with a start into his ancestor's eyes, warm with concern. "No, you're not dead," Twilight assured him, his voice gravel. He gave Link's shoulder a light squeeze and then pulled away, looking troubled. "I unintentionally forced you to use spirit magic once before, when you first took on the form of the wolf. That spell was within your capabilities, but only just. You've since gotten better at it, of course. Increased your reserves of spiritual magic. This will make you quite a powerful shaman one day… but that is still decades beyond your current abilities." He clasped his hands together, elbows resting on his knees, his brow heavily furrowed. "More specifically, the magic required to heal an injury so severe is well beyond you. But I… I forced it, anyway. There was no other way, and we need you alive. However, as a result… well, you'll be unconscious for a few days, most likely, until your spirit has recovered enough energy. Among… among other things."
Link thought of the severe pain he had been feeling even up until his awakening in this… in-between place. "How much healing was I able t'do on myself?" he asked uncertainly, not wanting to sound ungrateful. Because it doesn't feel like I did much at all.
"The deepest part of the wound is healed, and the damage to your organs is fixed," Twilight answered grimly, meeting his gaze steadily. "You're still badly bruised all around the area, and there's still a good inch or so on both sides that were open and bleeding until your friends stitched them up."
Link frowned. "…Friends?"
"Zelda and Inpa," Twilight clarified with a slight smile. "You're with them now, and quite safe for the time being."
Link exhaled heavily, dropping his gaze. "Then… then Inpa succeeded where I…" He winced. "She defeated the guardian-thing."
"She did not," Twilight said gently, leaning forward to meet Link's gaze intently. "No one did. The instant I had you start the healing magic on yourself I took wolf form and showed myself to that abomination – blight, I think, is how you thought of it; an apt description. Anyway, I led the blight away, kept it distracted while Inpa got you away from it. It mistook me for you."
"How?" Link asked skeptically. "Guardians don't – not that I've seen – go after non-living things. You're… a spirit."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "This was no ordinary guardian," he said darkly. "And I know you're aware of that fact." He paused, eyes narrowing slightly as a distant look entered his eyes. "I've mentioned the great evil rising in the land," he began slowly. "And… and you recall the legend of the Sacred Realm, how it was claimed by a demon of hatred – Dohmos – in an age long past, and someday the souls of valiant warriors will purge it of evil?"
Link nodded slowly, his heart feeling suddenly heavy with dread.
"The Hylians and the Sheikah call him the Calamity," Twilight growled. "It is the same entity as the demon of hatred, and the great evil I've been alluding to. And you just came face to face with him – or, with one of his creations, rather."
Link felt as though a rock had dropped into his stomach. He curled his hands into fists, waiting desperately for Twilight to continue.
"The last time he reared his ugly head was during my lifetime," Twilight said. He shook his head, running a hand frustratedly through his hair. "And once I defeated him, Hyrule had peace for a long time. I thought, naively, that he would never come back. At the peace conference, I was regretfully proven wrong. Dohmos is once more attempting to plunge this land into darkness and chaos. The Goddesses are quite aware of his attempts – and so they have chosen their champions to stand against him. You are one of them – you bear the very same mark that I bore, as their chosen." He held up the back of his left hand, and Link's right hand seemed to burn with gentle warmth. There on his ancestor's skin was the symbol of the Triforce of Courage, three golden triangles with the bottom-right glowing the most fiercely. Link had seen the same symbol on his own hand, directly before the collapse of the Temple of Time.
"Our enemy has learned how to identify the Goddesses' champions," Twilight continued with a bitter scowl. "The mark on my hand set a target on my back for the forces of evil, before I even knew what it meant. Dohmos knows that the Triforce of Courage is given to his greatest foes, and most unfortunately, the Triforce pieces react to each other. The bearer of one will always be capable of identifying the bearers of other.
"So," Twilight sighed deeply, fiddling absently with a loose string along the hem of his tunic, "Dohmos sent the blight to kill you on purpose, because he knows who you are – specifically that you bear the Triforce of Courage. That power is, however, tied directly to your spirit. And so when your spirit was so battered, barely clinging to this plane, I gave it a new target. Another spirit tied to the Triforce of Courage. It does not matter that I am dead."
Link shuddered. "Then what's t'stop it from trying again?" he asked grimly. "Now that I'm… recovering."
"Nothing," Twilight said simply, his fingers falling still for a moment from their fidgeting. "And as you've learned, normal mortal weapons cannot damage it. Which is why, as soon as you can, you must get my sword. Go to the Lost Woods, and take up the Master Sword. It is filled with sacred power and has often been referred to as the blade of evil's bane. The Master Sword alone can damage the Calamity himself."
"It's my only chance against them," Link nodded slowly. "Against… him." He frowned, an image of the Gerudo King's furious glare flitting through his mind. "How does… how does that work? Th'demon f'hatred is millenia old – or older…"
"Generally he chooses a mortal vessel," Twilight growled. His hands curled into loose fists in his lap, and a hard, distant look entered his gaze. The look of a soldier remembering battles past. "A soul with enough power to serve his own purposes. And, unfortunately, that vessel is more often or not the individual that possesses the Triforce of Power. Such was the case in my predecessor's time… Such was the case for mine."
Link winced. "Because it's power he's after," he nodded. "Why don't th'Goddesses give th'Triforce f'Power t'someone else? Our legends say that they created it…"
"It's not that simple," Twilight shook his head, rubbing his temples wearily. "Once, the Triforce was not split into pieces as it is today. It was kept in the Sacred Realm, supposedly safe from interlopers. Only an individual with a balance of power, courage, and wisdom could possess the whole Triforce. But Dohmos, through his chosen vessel of the age – the age of my predecessor – tried to take it. His vessel, of course, was not in balance, and favored power over the other two virtues. He split the Triforce, and it has not been whole since. The Goddesses can exert their influence over who it is that possesses the other two pieces – Courage and Wisdom. But Power… once Dohmos got his hands on it, he would not let it go. It has been passed down through the line of that original vessel's successors ever since."
Twilight's lip curled in an expression of disgust and hatred. "And that original vessel was called Ganondorf, the Thief King of the Gerudo."
Link felt a chill drip down his spine. "King f'th'Gerudo," he whispered. "So… all f'th'Gerudo Kings have possessed th'Triforce f'Power?"
"Yes," Twilight answered solemnly. "Although not all of them were aware of that fact. Nor were all of them particularly well-equipped to utilize its gifts, either, and so most of them were not chosen as vessels by Dohmos. But the time has come now, that a Gerudo King with the Triforce of Power has enough might and willpower that Dohmos chose him as a vessel. I'm certain now that the Gerudo King Khanot possesses the Triforce of Power and the spirit of Dohmos."
Link thought back through his encounters with the king, and the sudden hatred in Khanot's gaze when their eyes met. Indeed, most of the peace conference had been nothing but a glaring match between the two of them. And then when Khanot left… the sudden flash of magenta light, the collapse of the Temple…
Come t'think f'it, th'blight was th'same color. The exact same evil magenta glow.
"What am I supposed t'do, then?" Link asked, unable to keep a tremor from his voice. "Th'demon f'hatred… Dohmos… his very name is a curse."
"Your destiny is to fight him," Twilight said quietly, sympathy in his voice as he reached out to grip Link's shoulder consolingly. "The bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom is destined to help you as well – she is a direct descendant of the Goddess Hylia, and possesses unique sealing powers gifted to her by that divine blood." He chuckled. "You've met her already, of course."
Link's eyes widened. "Y'mean… Zelda?" he asked in disbelief. "S'that how she, er… with th'dreams…?"
Twilight chuckled, a warm grin spreading across his face. "That's exactly it. The powers granted to the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom are very mysterious, and well beyond my understanding, but they're quite useful. And the sealing power granted to her by her bloodline is vital to defeating the Calamity of your age."
"So we have t'face th'demon f'hatred?" Link echoed, a note of anger in his voice. "Zelda has t'face th'demon f'hatred?" He flexed his fingers restlessly, his chest feeling hot with sudden outrage and panic. His breaths came quicker; distantly he felt the pain increasing in his body, but his mind had room only for memories of his battle with the blight-guardian. Getting thrown around, blown up, stabbed… And the thought of Zelda being anywhere near something like that made his blood turn to ice. "I'd do everything I can t'keep her away from something like that, not send her right to him!"
Twilight's grin was gone now, his brows pinched together in a stern frown. "Without her sealing powers, you're doomed," he warned. "You cannot succeed without Zelda by your side."
"By my side?" Link protested, surging to his feet. "I'd never – I couldn't do that! She's not a warrior; I doubt she'd even be able t'wear any armor! And I – all it takes is one mistake on my part, and she – she'd be –" He stopped talking, breathing hard, his heart racing violently.
There must be another way. There has t'be something. Because f'I've learned anything from this war, it's that I'm not lerkin good enough t'keep th'people under my watch safe! And they were soldiers themselves – f'I was tasked with protecting a noncombatant…
He felt something seem to shrivel inside of him, and he rubbed a hand angrily over his eyes. No – there was no way he could let someone like Zelda see battle, if he could at all help it. He'd tried his hardest to keep her away from the fighting after the Temple exploded. And that was how it should be. He could not send her into a battle against – against the very demon of hatred himself, evil and malice made corporal.
"Without her sealing powers, you'll fight a battle that could stretch on for maybe a day before you collapse from exhaustion – and that's if you're not fatally injured before then," Twilight said slowly, rising to his feet as well. His expression was hard and stern, his voice grim. "And maybe if you have enough spirit magic to heal yourself, or even if there's a shaman standing by to help, Dohmos will use his vessel to attack you while you're attempting to recuperate. There will never be enough time to save you from something like that, in the midst of a battle with a bearer of the Triforce of Power."
Link felt sick, his mouth dry as sandpaper. He tried to remember to breathe. "Then – then why fight him in th'first place?" he asked shakily, although even as he spoke the words he felt the nausea in his gut increase tenfold, insisting that he was wrong to even suggest it. "I'm – I'm not a skilled enough warrior for this." Does such a warrior even exist that could stand against – against Dohmos? He shivered. "Why – why not – er… get people to – t'safety?"
"Was that an option when the Sheikah invaded?" Twilight pointed out, his voice rising in frustration. "You've seen the villages on the front. The burned and mutilated survivors – children, many of 've seen the brutal devastation that followed, in this war you've been fighting for more than half a year now. Someone had to fight the Shiekah – there was no 'getting to safety' and waiting it out."
Link felt his breaths coming dangerously fast, dimly felt his body registering the increase in pain from the rapid movement of his lungs, felt his heart hammering desperately in his throat. Wulkrik, rising up before him, the instant before the guardian's blades tore him into literal shreds, his screams echoing in Link's ears.
"Dohmos will force his vessel to do far worse than even the worst you've ever seen," Twilight said with a bitter laugh, grief mixing with the anger in his gaze as he dragged a weary hand down his face. "And he'll do it to the entire world. But only after he's done it to everyone you care about. Because you're his greatest threat – you and Zelda. You saw the look in his eyes, the deep hatred he feels for you. He doesn't just want you dead, and he doesn't just want you to give up – he wants you to suffer. If you don't fight, he'll take the fight to you. If you're not prepared, he'll kill Zelda and make you watch. He'll kill Azrun and make you watch. Everyone you've ever cared about. And then instead of killing you he'll torture you until you've gone mad, even as Hyrule burns to a crisp around you, demons and monsters running rampant, killing and plundering to their hearts' content."
Link crumpled his knees, trembling, eyes burning. Images of fire and smoke, screams and howls of agony, raced through his mind. "And it – it has t'be me?" he asked shakily, seeing the faces of the men that had died under his command. "It… has t'be her?"
"You've been willing to risk everyone for people you don't know before, simply because it was the right thing to do," Twilight reminded him, his voice considerably calmer. He crouched down and raised both hands to firmly grip Link's shoulders. "That's even more the case now. It's a long road ahead, and you will need more training before you face him. But I know you have it in you. The Goddesses know it – or else they wouldn't have given you that." He jerked his chin towards Link's hand. "You are my heir. You are worthy of my blade. But if you still consider the idea of backing out, know that doing so will damn you and everyone you love, and destroy Hyrule."
"I – I don't know that I can do it," Link said shakily, his lips feeling strangely numb as he spoke. "And… f'I fail… wouldn't th'result be th'same?"
"Has the fear of failing stopped you before?" Twilight asked, looking at him with a knowing gaze and what might have been a small smile.
Link felt his cheeks flush self-consciously, knowing the answer. He scratched the back of his neck, his heart feeling heavy. "Th'risks have never been this great before," he countered hesitantly.
"Haven't they?" Twilight prodded with a raised eyebrow. "You could die, and your people and everything you care about could be destroyed. You're just expanding the circle of people you count as 'yours.' What's so different about that?" He gave Link's shoulder a light slap and helped him back to his feet. "I know you feel as though the weight of the world is on your shoulders, and yours alone. Indeed, there is much that is your burden to carry alone. But there are many who care about you, who can and will help you bear that burden, and you'll often find them in the least likely of places." He smiled gently, looking intently into Link's eyes. "And not a day will go by, until we meet again, that I will not be praying to all of the Goddesses for your safety, and for your happiness."
Link's heart gave an unpleasant lurch. "Why does that sound like you're… leaving?" he asked, unable to keep a tremor from his voice.
Twilight bowed his head, regret turning his hard features somber. "Healing you took so much of your spirit and mine that I can… I can no longer watch over you, as I have in the past," he answered. "That is why I took your spirit to this in-between place, and even that is a drain upon your spirit. It's… it's unwise for me to keep you here any longer." He exhaled heavily, his grip firm on Link's shoulder. "Know this, especially with the doubts you're experiencing, and the fear, that I would not leave you if there was any other way. I would stay by your side through everything, as I've done before. I will rejoin you just as soon as I can."
Link nodded slowly, feeling numb and empty. "So this… this is goodbye, then."
"For now," Twilight promised. "I will return. Remember, as soon as you can – the Lost Woods."
And with a small, sad smile, he turned around and disappeared into the mist. Link was left alone… alone in the vast nothingness, the lonely wind drifting eerily through the fog.
And then there was darkness around him once more, and the full pain of his battered body crashed down around his consciousness, swallowing him quickly up into oblivion.
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Link drifted through a haze of pain, sharp stabbing knives digging at his lungs with each strained breath. The pain in his middle was, fortunately, not as severe as it had been when he was first stabbed, but it still ached terribly, and it was close enough to his diaphragm that breathing made the pain worse. His entire body hurt – not just the pain of numerous bruises, although that of course was present as well, but a pain that seemed to flow through his very veins, permeating every inch of his being. It felt tied to his spirit, very similar to the pain he'd experienced upon his first transformation into a wolf. The pain that came from using too much of his spirit, his very life.
Twilight was… he was right… about th'healing magic…
Link dragged his eyelids open, the sound of his shallow, rasping breaths loud in his ears. He was lying down on a cot of some sort; above him stretched wooden planks alongside each other and a few thicker support beams. The smell of woodsmoke drifted hazily throughout the room, accompanied by the gentle crackling of a fire. Despite that, his body felt unusually cold, although as he gained more cognizance he wondered if perhaps that was because he didn't seem to be wearing anything but the loincloth he had on under his armor, although he could feel a coarse blanket draped over him, up to his shoulders.
He felt that he should be worried and wary – how had he gotten here? Was he alone? Who had taken his armor and weapons? – but he felt instead a strange sense of comfort, somehow. A sense of surety that he was safe. Twilight said… Zelda and Inpa…
The details of their conversation rushed back to him, and at once he felt as though he couldn't breathe, his heart hammering rapidly faster and faster inside of him in a panic. Th'demon f'hatred… th'Triforce… By th'Dragons!
"Oh, no – not again," came a quiet, panicked feminine voice – Zelda herself. He heard footsteps and she appeared shortly after by his side, her brow daintily creased with worry. Her eyes widened when she saw him awake, and she tilted his chin back. "Can – can you hear me? You've got to keep breathing; I know it hurts but you must keep trying!"
For her sake, he fought to reign in his panic, to take in as deep of breaths as he could manage, unable to keep from grimacing at the pain from his lungs. But even as he wrestled with his body to calm it, the fear and desperation lingered. He wished for Twilight's presence, questions flooding his mind that he hadn't thought to ask in time. How much time do we have before Dohmos attacks again? Is there anywhere safe right now? When will he try t'take over Hyrule? How do I get through th'Lost Woods? They're called th'Lost Woods!
He felt pressure on his right hand and flinched, thinking at once of the Triforce, gasping painfully at the pain that followed. The pressure relented at once, and he realized belatedly that Zelda had been holding his hand.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, watching him with deep concern. "I – I didn't know…"
"It's… fine," he managed to say, surprised by how hoarse and weak his voice sounded – he'd been able to speak completely normally with Twilight, an ability he instantly missed. "It… reminded me of… something." He cut himself off quickly, his heart accelerating once again. I – I need a plan. I must have a plan going into this. It was such a heavy burden to bear; was now the right time to push it on her?
Th'demon f'hatred could attack again at any moment – she needs at least a warning!
He swallowed thickly, tearing his gaze away from her and to the ceiling instead, his eyes wide with the panic still festering deep within. And how exactly do I bring that up? Without convincing her I'm completely mad, and driving away one f'th'few allies I've got?
His heart clenched at that, and he pressed his lips firmly together, fighting an itch in his eyes. He thought of the sheer terror he'd felt at the mere idea of Zelda going up against Dohmos himself. She meant more to him even than anyone else, he realized, his chest feeling a tightness that had nothing to do with his broken ribs. She was far more than an ally – she was a confidant. A… a friend.
Twilight was right. Again.
And he risked losing that here, he thought anxiously. He risked driving her away, frightening her… was it worth going forward?
What's worse – losing her friendship, or Zelda getting caught off guard and killed by not knowing about th'demon's return? He squeezed his eyes shut, his face screwed into a pained grimace, hearing her concerned questions as if from a great distance.
Especially because – because Dohmos' vessel is th'Gerudo King, Khanot! He was with her in Skohrych, and again at th'council – what'll happen th'next time she's in close quarters with him?
He opened his eyes again, meeting Zelda's gaze. She looked very worried now, and more than a little afraid – afraid for him, he realized with a pang of guilt; he'd been so caught up in his inner turmoil that he hadn't responded to her at all.
He swallowed painfully, his throat feeling thick and dry. Nothing for it but t'keep going. "We… we're in danger," he said weakly, meeting her gaze. What was it Twilight said th'Hylians called th'demon? "It's – it's th'Calamity."
And much to his surprise, a look of what almost seemed like relief flashed across her face before she nodded. "That's what Inpa and I figured as well," she said. "She's out scouting right now, trying to get some information about what's going on in the fallout of… of what happened at the Temple. We'll probably have to move on as soon as you can travel."
She did not seem nearly afraid enough, Link thought with another surge of panic. Either she was far braver than he, or she did not understand the gravity. "He is – he is Dohmos," he said fervently, his gut clenching as he spoke the dreaded name. "Th'demon f'hatred, an ancient evil. And he's – he's going t'come after us, specifically, because f'this." He mustered what little strength he had and lifted his right hand, showing Zelda the marking on the back.
Zelda nodded – again, not seeming particularly disturbed. Grim, but fairly composed, as if he'd given her news of a bad storm coming. "I have one as well," she said hesitantly, showing the back of her right hand and confirming Twilight's words yet again – the crest of the Triforce of Wisdom glowing against her skin.
"Th'Triforce has three pieces," Link said. "Power, Courage, and Wisdom. We've got two – which means th'third is out there, too." He stopped just shy of telling her exactly who had it, looking back through his memories and realizing that Zelda actually seemed fairly close to the Gerudo King. Saw him as an advisor, of sorts. But Twilight had said something more about the Triforce pieces – they reacted to each other, right? Maybe… maybe he could help her realize for herself just who had the Triforce of Power…
"How… how did y'find out that y'had a piece f'th'Triforce?" he asked carefully. "I didn't find out until… until right before th'Temple f'Time collapsed."
"I suppose I don't remember when I learned about it," Zelda answered thoughtfully, although her eyes betrayed confusion at his sudden change in topic. "I always thought it was just a response to anxiety because I often felt it in council meetings."
In council meetings? Link felt as if a cold stone had dropped into his stomach. Wouldn't… wouldn't th'Gerudo King be at those, too? He paused a moment before continuing, contemplating. His own hand felt fine now, although it had been practically on fire during the peace conference. "What does it feel like now, t'you?"
"Just… just warm," Zelda admitted, glancing at it thoughtfully. "I'd barely notice it."
And that's how mine feels now, too. But when th'Gerudo King was there, at th'peace conference… "And at th'council meetings?" Link prodded, struggling to keep his breaths shallow enough to keep the pain manageable, even as his heart raced ever faster.
"It… itches," she answered. "Or… it burns, rather. Quite uncomfortably."
Link exhaled heavily, wincing a little. "And that's just how mine felt at th'peace conference when I noticed it th'first time," he said earnestly. "Right before th'Temple f'Time exploded. It's reacting t'th'Triforce f'Power."
Zelda frowned, her expression guarded. She got abruptly to her feet and moved away from him, turning instead to face the fire. She was quiet for several moments, prodding the coals with an iron poker and putting a fresh log on top. Link watched Zelda anxiously where he lay, beginning to feel worried – the fire hadn't really needed another log; what was she doing? Am I doing that bad already?
"If they're all three pieces of the same whole, of the Triforce itself, why would ours respond differently to the third than to each other?" Zelda asked at last, her voice trembling just a little. "Besides, that would mean the bearer of the Triforce of Power has been at every council meeting!"
Link nodded with a wince. "Then he was. As for why it responds differently, I… I don't know. But th'demon – th'Calamity – is connected t'th'Triforce f'Power. He chooses a mortal vessel t'carry out his deeds, and that mortal vessel usually has th'Triforce f'Power." He felt sweat break out on his brow, uncertainty clouding his heart. He was relying on Twilight's word. And, indeed, much of it was very similar to Zonai mythology. Twilight was the Guardian, the founder of the Zonai people – he had the truest version of what the Zonai believed as their history, as their religion. Of course pieces had been lost over time; Link trusted Twilight's version implicitly – but that meant that Zelda would not be able to find evidence to support him. What if – what f'she doesn't believe me?
Heart pounding, he forced himself to continue. "Dohmos, he… he corrupted th'Triforce f'Power. Maybe that's why we react differently t'it."
"A mortal vessel," Zelda said darkly. "Someone who bears the apparently corrupted Triforce of Power. You sound as if you know who it is." Her voice was abruptly accusatory and defensive.
Another crossroads. He could back away now, save the full conversation for later. Give some vague answer and wave it all off. Was his knowledge about King Khanot worth risking this budding friendship?
But he remembered the sudden surge of distrust he'd felt the first time he saw the Gerudo King in Skohrych. Remembered the unbridled hate in the Gerudo King's gaze when their eyes met then.
And then at the peace conference, the king had not stopped staring at him, clearly enraged, until he left claiming 'sickness.' Moments afterwards, the Temple of Time exploded. Zelda would have died f'I hadn't gotten her out.
It's worth th'risk, Link decided, eyes narrowing at the memories. Khanot has th'Triforce f'Power and th'powers of – f'Dohmos. F'th'Temple f'Time is anything t'go by, that power is consuming him – and wreaking havoc on anyone around him. Which, from what I've seen, includes Zelda a lot f'th'time.
"Who is it?" Zelda asked directly, still facing the fire, her voice soft. "Who… who bears the Triforce of Power?"
"Th'Gerudo King," Link answered, matching her tone. "Khanot."
Zelda's shoulders drooped at once, her entire body seeming to sag as she bowed her head low. Link wished he could see her face, if only to see if he'd just driven away one of his few friends. Distantly he recalled Azrun scolding him about how he spoke to friends, although he had different ideas about who in Lohsitho was his friend. Maybe that was part of the problem. I was always kind f'a loner except for Groose. And that's proven even more true as th'war goes on. But what was I supposed t'do? Everything is at stake!
"There – there must be some mistake," Zelda said as he deliberated, her voice hitching. "Khanot, he… he was sick at the council. He couldn't – couldn't have been strong enough to…" She shook her head, moving to a chair beside the fire and sitting down heavily, still not looking at him.
Link grit his teeth, feeling a mixture of frustration and guilt. We don't have time for her t'be confused about this! It wasn't at all what he'd expected – she still wasn't nearly as frightened as he was. Not that he'd wanted to make her afraid, but he had wanted her to realize just how much danger they were in, so that maybe she could be more careful, or get to an especially safe place…
What's t'stop it from trying again? he had asked Twilight.
And his ancestor had responded: Nothing.
Zelda still didn't seem to be catching on to how bad it was that the demon of hatred had a personal vendetta against her and Link. Instead, she was hurt and deeply saddened that one of her closest allies could be the demon of hatred. And Link couldn't help but feel guilty about that, especially seeing her reaction. He wondered if he would feel the same if Groose or Gotvin somehow turned traitor to the Sheikah, or had turned out to be Sheikah spies since the beginning. It… it would be a betrayal f'th'worst sort, he thought, his heart aching for her. But… but t'least she knows. T'least she won't… go thoughtlessly into another council meeting with th'Gerudo King, or… or whatever she does, and get… killed. He grimaced.
The door opened at that moment, a plane of pale, stormy gray beyond revealed for just a moment as Inpa walked in, snowflakes littered across her shoulders and hair. The sight of Sheikah-crimson eyes and white hair, and the tattoo upon her brow, sent instant surges of adrenaline through his blood, nearly sending him into a panic once more, and he fought it back – she was a Sheikah, true, but… but it seemed she was not actually allied with her people. Or perhaps just that the Princess' protection was of greater importance to her than the war. Either way, he felt, warily, that he could trust her for now.
"You're back!" Zelda said, jumping up from her chair, relief evident in her voice.
But Inpa ignored her, crimson gaze shooting straight to Link's. "You're awake," she growled. "Can you move yet?"
Link scowled, shame burning hot in his chest along with the pain from his ribs. "I can barely breathe," he muttered. "No, I can't move."
Inpa made a frustrated sound, setting down a bow and quiver of arrows on the table and storming over to one of the cupboards, wrenching it open and pulling down several things.
"You found my – my bow," Zelda noted hesitantly, her eyes drawn to the table. Link's eyes widened, a question already formed on his lips – Y'can shoot?
And then Inpa was directly above him, a simple clay cup in one hand and a handful of dry fruit in the other. She set them both down on a little table next to the bed before reaching down to grip his shoulders. "I'm going to try and help you sit up," she said grimly. "You've got to get some food and water into you."
Link nodded, bracing himself on his right arm, which was mostly uninjured. His ribs, and especially the half-healed stab wound in his gut, flared with white-hot pain as soon as he moved at all, and he fought back a groan as Inpa helped him lean back against the wall. Then she gestured back to the table. "Food, and water," she said sternly.
"Inpa, you're acting… strange," Zelda observed worriedly. "Did something happen?"
"Yes," Inpa said, sighing deeply as she turned around. "We've got to move on, get out of here, as soon as we can."
Link's ears perked at that – Inpa, at least, seemed to understand the gravity of their situation! "Y'know about th'demon f'hatred?" he asked hopefully.
"Demon?" Inpa echoed tersely.
"The bearer of the Triforce of Power," Zelda told her heavily, sitting back down in her chair by the fire. "Possibly… possibly Khanot."
"Well, I don't know about any of that," Inpa admitted with a deep frown. "I guess it could be. It's impossible to know right now – we just have to get out as soon as possible."
"Inpa, you're not making any sense," Zelda said, a note of fear in her voice. "What happened out there? I see that you found my bow…"
"And your horse," Inpa nodded. "But getting him back here was a nightmare. There's guards posted all along the staircase, keeping an eye on everyone going in or out of the Great Plateau. Hylian and Sheikah both. I had to disguise both me and him to keep from being noticed." She went silent, pacing restlessly across the hearth, her brow deeply furrowed.
"What else?" Zelda prompted quietly, after several moments had passed and Inpa did not continue.
Inpa stopped moving, her shoulders tense. "Your – your saddlebags are gone," she said haltingly, the slightest tremor in her voice. "The ones that had an extra change of clothes, and the signet ring you brought for finalizing the treaty. And… there was – a body. Light brown hair, just like yours. Wearing the shreds of an elaborate violet gown, and the ring. Badly burned and… and broken. They found her in the wreckage of the Temple. They… say it's you."
Link felt a sudden chill drip down his spine, and Zelda's eyes went wide as saucers, the color draining from her cheeks.
Inpa turned to Link then, uneasiness palpable in her gaze. "They said the Temple fell because of the Zonai. That it was a purposeful attack on the Princess."
He forgot to breathe for a moment, feeling almost as though he'd been punched in the chest. Blaming th'supposed death f'th'Princess f'Hyrule on th'Zonai…
We'll be destroyed!
"Who's… who's 'they?'" he managed, his voice a croak.
Inpa shrugged helplessly, looking away. "Everyone I managed to overhear," she said bitterly. "Sheikah, Hylians, Gorons, a few of the Gerudo… everyone helping with the excavation of the Temple of Time, after the… collapse."
Link's heart pounded rapidly. Th'King f'Hyrule will see this as a direct attack. Everyone will rally against us. He felt an almost physical pain in his soul, a grief stronger than any he'd experienced before. We cannot stand against th'entire kingdom turned against us.
"So," Inpa growled, sitting in the seat opposite Zelda. "Here's where we're at. Someone faked the death of the Princess of Hyrule – which means it would be disastrous for them if the real Zelda emerged. We can bet that whoever this enemy is, they're still very close by. And they will be trying to kill you if they see you, Zelda. I'd bet that's the real reason the entrance to the Great Plateau is guarded – to try and catch you leaving."
Zelda was gripping the edges of her chair very tightly, her eyes wide and unseeing, her face drained of all color.
"And this enemy has blamed Zelda's supposed death on the Zonai," Inpa continued, looking back at Link. "Very soon nowhere in central Hyrule will be safe for you to show your face."
"Me, or any f'my people," Link whispered, the little bit of dried fruit he'd eaten turning to acid in his stomach.
Inpa nodded. "So you're going to do everything you can to be ready to leave tomorrow," she ordered. "Food, water, rest – everything you can manage. I don't want to wait any longer than that."
Link nodded glumly, taking another piece of dried fruit and forcing it down his throat. I don't want t'wait any longer, either.
