HM: HELLO MY POINTY-EARED PEOPLE!
Gin: … Do you know how long I've been waiting for this to come out?
HM: Umm… close to four months?
Gin: *summons bow* exactly…
HM: *gulps* w-well… he he… funny story actually. I got, like, SUPER busy, what with my new job and all that. But now things have been calming down and I have a little bit more time, I've been writing my little author's heart out. I actually have 'Illustrandis Corda Tenet' ready, I'm just waiting for my beta to get back to me on that. And, as a bonus, this chappy has over 7k words! XD One of my longest chapters ever!
Gin: Hmm. *dispels bow* don't think you're out of trouble yet. I'll still get you.
HM: *nervously backs away* ok ok, no need to get violent. But anyways, without further ado, ON WITH DA STORY! Oh, before I forget, this chapter was beta'd by Ratatosk The Divine Demon, thanks bro!
Oh, and , me no own LOZ… or any affiliation to Nintendo… just Gin… dam it.
Chapter IV: Twilight Hour Pt. II
Gin
I was wandering through a dark corridor made of stone. Behind me was nothing but blackness and in front of me was a small purple dot in the distance.
After walking for awhile, I found myself in a large, circular room with a dome-shaped ceiling. In the middle of the ceiling was a small hole, about the size of a platter that allowed the full moon to shine down.
In the middle of the room was a raised, circular platform. Seven torches ringed the edge, all unlit.
One was a forest green, another ruby red, one sapphire blue, purple, tan, yellow, and a warm gold.
I stood on the platform and saw a symbol etched into the floor. It was of an upside down triangle with a dot on each side.
"What is this place?" I looked around and saw tapestries depicting a very familiar image. A red eye with three, triangular shaped lashes on top and a single tear being shed.
A woman's voice, stern yet kind, echoed throughout the chamber. "This is your ancestral home." I looked around, but didn't see anyone. "It is not time yet, Ginkage Higure. I will tell you this though; your eyes are a powerful thing." The voice said. With that, I felt my world spin until it faded to blackness.
~o~
When I woke up, I immediately knew that I wasn't the same. I looked down and saw a snow-white paw instead of my hand. I spotted a conveniently placed puddle and looked in. Staring back at me was the face of a wolf.
I was a wolf. I. Was. A. Freaking. Wolf. My fur was white and my eyes kept their same crimson color. The same eye that I had on my neck was now on my forehead in purple, and I had purple lines under my eyes and around my mouth.
Once I got over the fact that I was a wolf, I started looking around my cage. To my right was a grate and hanging above me was a chain with a hoop at the end. I laid down and stared at the chain, trying to figure out a way to pull it.
I was brought out of my musings when I heard the cell door creak open. Another wolf walked in, this one greenish with a white underbelly and paws, tribal marking on his forehead, and a blue ring in his left ear. His eyes were also a very familiar blue color. "Link?" I asked. The wolf barked in joy.
"Gin! Goddesses, am I glad you're ok!" He said.
"What happened to you?" I asked him.
"I could ask you the same thing. How did you get here?" He replied.
I shook my head. "That's not important right now. How did you get free?" I asked.
"I helped."
It was then that I saw an imp with black and white skin, lines along her arms and legs that glowed a neon green, a strange helmet that covered her right eye, and fiery orange hair that was tied in a ponytail with a metal ring.
"Who're you?" I asked. She grinned, revealing a pointed tooth that stuck out from under her upper lip.
"Don't worry about that right now. I can help you get free too." She said. Link shook his head no furiously and I gave him a confused look. A ball formed in her hand, black with red lightning, and threw it at the chain that held my leg. It shattered and the manacle fell off.
I thanked her and turned my attention to the chain. "Uh-uh-uh! Not so fast!" She said. "I helped you get out of there, so now; YOU need to do EVERYTHING I say." She giggled. I raised an eyebrow (or tried to anyway).
"And why would I do that?"
She giggled again. "Because. I'm the only one who can get you out of here."
There was no further discussion. Link pulled the chain and the grate slid up, allowing us passage through a tunnel and into a sewer. "Gross! Do I have to go in that?" Link whined.
"Unfortunately, yes." I deadpanned.
~o~
Through the sewers we went, killing these strange looking rats and pulling chains to adjust the water level. We came upon this floating green orb and Link's eyes began to glow a slight golden color. He stumbled back in surprise. I looked at the floating orb and my vision changed. It was like I put on sunglasses, as my vision gained a red tint. I saw a soldier shaking while he brandished his spear. He said something about some creatures and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, my vision was back to normal.
We soon reached a stone staircase, multiple gaps in it. We started climbing and when Link reached a gap, he jumped but fell short. I started laughing at him as the imp complained. I took a few steps back and got a running start. I leapt and landed smoothly on the other side, sending the others a smug look.
We reached the top of the circular staircase. The imp giggled at us. "Know where we are yet? Come to the top and find out." Link and I jumped on the stone platforms that jutted out from the columns and went through the open door.
When we got outside, it was... odd to say the least. The land was bathed in twilight and tiny black particles flew through the air. I realized that we were in a castle-like building. "Link..." I breathed. "I think this is Hyrule Castle."
"So, we were finally able to get out." The imp said, preventing Link from saying anything. "And look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today? Do you know where this is?"
I turned to look at her. "I just said that this was Hyrule Castle."
She grinned at me. "Well, it looks like you're the brains of the two. Eeh hee! Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to... but I'll need you to go to that tower to do it!"
We started going down the path, passing another soldier. We pushed a box against a wall and climbed up to keep going. Along the way, we were ambushed by these two large, black birds with circular heads. After killing them, we made it to the end of the path. "Look! Just a bit farther!" The imp said. We both jumped to a roof and ran across it to a tower with an opening.
We made it inside the tower and came to a stone staircase. We climbed it and went into a room where a cloaked figure with a hood looked out the large window. Link started growling and the figure turned in surprise. "...Midna?!" A very familiar voice asked.
The imp giggled. "Eee hee! You remembered my name? What an honor for me..." She said.
"So, this is the one for whom you were searching..." The figure then turned their attention to me. "And who is this? Nevermind, it matters not. You are both here now." She said.
"He's not exactly what I had in mind, but... I guess he'll do. The white one's smarter than him at least!" Midna said with a giggle.
The figure kneeled down and looked at Link's paw, seeing the manacle. "...You were imprisoned?" She turned away. "I am sorry." I tilted my head.
"Poor things, they have no idea where this is or what's happened... So, don't you think you should explain what you've managed to do? You owe them that much... Twilight Princess! Eee hee!" Midna smirked. I rolled my eyes.
"I told you that this was Hyrule Castle. Gods, and you say I'm slow." I said.
They both turned to me and Midna scowled while the figure sighed. "Listen carefully... This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule. But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight... It has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light." She proceeded to tell us of how an evil man, with his Shadow Beings, gave an ultimatum to the Princess.
"It is time for you to choose: surrender or die." He had said. "Oh yes, a question for all the land and people of Hyrule... Life? Or death?!" Seeing no other option, the Princess had dropped her rapier and surrendered.
"Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms... All the people know now is fear... Fear of a nameless evil..." She rose and turned to the window as she had told the story, then she turned back to us. "The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess..." She said. Link's ears perked up when she said this. She took off her hood, revealing a beautiful girl with chocolate colored hair, fair skin, pointed ears, and hazel eyes. On her head was a golden crown that looked more like a headband. "I am Zelda." She said.
"Zelda!" Link ran up to her and gave her the equivalent of a hug. She looked down in confusion as Link licked her cheek.
"What?"
I decided to clarify things for her. "Gods Zel, it's only been two months since you've seen us." I chuckled.
She still looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes widened. "Link? Gin?" Link barked and wagged his tail. "But... how?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. It just happened. Just be thankful that the Fates were kind enough to let us meet again." I said.
Midna looked at the three of us in confusion. "Wait... how do you know her?" She asked.
"Long story. I'll explain later." I said.
Downstairs, a door slammed closed. "You must go now. The guard is coming." Zelda said.
"We can't leave her here alone Gin!" Link barked at me. I looked from the door to Zelda and made a split-second decision. I grabbed Zelda's cloak with my teeth and put her on my back. We ran to the door just as it opened and one of those Shadow Beasts walked in.
It stared at us for a minute. What happened next I couldn't explain. I felt a tingling in my eyes and my vision began to tunnel, focusing solely on the beast. I have no idea what happened, but the beast began to twitch and hold its head in its hands. It howled in pain and collapsed to the ground.
My vision cleared and I started swaying a bit. I closed my eyes and shook my head to get rid of the dizzy feeling. "Gin, are you ok?" Zelda asked.
"Yeah... just, give me a sec." I replied. She patted my head and we went through the door.
With some help from Midna, we made it back to the roof we were on a little while ago. Midna looked at us and grinned. "So, you guys want to get back to you true forms, right? In that case, little Midna will be happy to help you. I'll bring you back to where you first transformed and then we'll work our way from there." She said. Suddenly, our bodies began to break apart into those little black particles that filled the air and we floated upwards.
~o~
We reappeared in Ordon Spring. Midna vanished and said something that I didn't catch because I had a pounding headache. "Gin? Are you ok?" Link asked me worriedly.
"I'm fine, just let me catch my breath." I said.
"So, what next?" Midna said as she popped up out of Link's shadow. "Eee hee hee!" She giggled as Link fell back in surprise. "Did you think I disappeared? Listen, there's another thing I forgot to tell you... Don't think you can just run off and save your friends, because you can't. Just beyond that bridge, the land is covered in twilight. Last time, a shadow beast pulled you through the curtain of twilight... But if you want to go that way this time, you'll need the cooperation of someone FROM the twilight... like me! So you really have no choice but to do what I say. Saving your friends and all that... Well, that'll depend on your actions... Because you never can trust words, you know." She said.
"Unless you swear it on the Styx." I muttered.
"Right now, I want a sword and shield that'll suit me." She continued. She then looked at Zelda. "And we need to keep her someplace safe." She turned back to Link. "You do understand me, don't you? Eee hee hee! So what do you two plan to do? While you're here dawdling, the twilight continues to expand. Come on! Hurry it up!" She then disappeared back into Link's shadow.
"Geez, pushy much?" I asked sarcastically. Link and Zelda giggled while I heard Midna grumble in Link's shadow. "She's right though. We need to get Zelda someplace safe. I recommend that we leave her at the house." I said. They nodded and we headed off.
Along the way, we were faced with a few of those green things. "What the Hades are these things?" I asked irritably.
"Bulbin. Smarter than Bokoblins, but ten times as brutal. They normally live in Gerudo Desert; I do not know why they have come here though." Zelda said once we were done killing them.
~o~
Back at the house, we dropped Zelda off and told her to stay there. I also spotted my bow on the porch. I picked it up and strung it on my back, happy to have the familiar weight on my back. "Link, you go get the stuff and I'll stay here with Zelda." I said. He nodded and was about to leave when we heard a voice call out to us.
"Wait!" It said.
A squirrel jumped down from a tree and landed on my head. "Thank you for taking care of those bad guys! They made both the village and the forest a mess... They kidnapped the village children... But I know... you two aren't with them. I can tell because you smell like the trees of Ordon... If you run into any trouble, try talking to the animals. We animals understand one another, so you'll be alright!" It said. With that, it left. Link shrugged and headed off to Ordon, leaving me with Zelda.
"So... how's life?" I asked. She gave me a look and I chuckled sheepishly.
"You know..." She said. I looked at her and saw that she was looking in the direction of Ordon. "I had hoped to come back here again... I just wish that it was under better circumstances." She said sadly.
I nuzzled her side in comfort. "It's alright Zel, we can't control what the Fates have planned for us, we can only take it and keep moving forward." I said. She smiled softly and stroked the fur on my head.
"Hey Zel?" I asked suddenly. She hummed in acknowledgement. "I was just wondering, do you know what happened back in the castle? With my eyes?"
She sighed and continued stroking my fur. "I have a few theories and ideas, but nothing concrete yet. I'm sorry Gin." She said finally.
I sighed and laid my head in my paws. "It's ok. I just thought..."
She gazed at me sadly and patted my head. "Do not lose hope Gin. I'm sure that soon you will find answers." She said.
Just then, Link came back with Midna. "Ready Gin?" He asked. I nodded and, after bidding Zelda goodbye, I raced after Link who went towards Faron Woods.
~o~
We raced along, keeping an eye out for any monsters (me) or tripping over our own legs (Link). After what seemed like the fifth time stumbling, Link growled in annoyance. "Stupid wolf body! Why couldn't we have turned into something else? A bird maybe? Something that doesn't have four legs!" He complained. I chuckled under my breath and he glared at me. "How come you're not tripping?" He complained.
"Because..." I said cryptically. He huffed and kept going. In actuality, I was pretty sure that it was because a wolf is one of Apollo's sacred animals and we also used wolves in the Hunt, one of the only times Kaa-san and Tou-san actually get along (other than when I'm involved of course).
We were right in front of Ordon Spring when we heard it. A voice, labored and weak. "Wait... come... to my spring..."
We stopped when the voice called us. We went into the Spring and approached the small waterfall. "You have been transformed by the power of twilight, blue-eyed beast, and Shadow-child." Suddenly, black stones shaped like spikes with glowing red lines dropped down from the sky and surrounded us. "Beware... a shadow beast... approaches..." The voice said. Sure enough, one of those helmeted things dropped down from the sky and landed in front of us.
It roared at us and tried to swipe at us. Link dodged and I ducked under the large arm. I growled at it and lunged gor its throat, sinking my fangs into the leathery flesh. Link did the same, but he attacked it from behind. In no time at all, the creature fell and exploded into black particles. The particles flew up into the air and formed into a portal with neon green lines.
A golden ball of light materialized and dropped into the spring with a 'plip' noise. The spring began to glow a golden color and a being made entirely out of light materialized. It had the appearance of an Ordonian goat and a golden ball of light was in the circle between its horns.
"Oh brave youths... I am one of the four light spirits that protect Hyrule at the behest of the gods. I am Ordona, light spirit of Ordon Province. That... was a shadow being... if you hadn't arrived, it would have taken my light... like my brethren." After a pause, it continued.
"My brethren in Hyrule have also had their light stolen by the powers of the shadow beasts. The entire kingdom has now been reduced to a netherworld ruled by the cursed powers of darkness. The blight will not stop with only Hyrule, soon the entire word of light will fall into the hands of the king who rules the twilight. To save this land from the king of twilight, the lost light must be recovered. The four light spirits who have lost their light must be revived." She then gave them a stern look.
"There are but two beings who can revive them and redeem this land... you, blue-eyed beast... and you, Shadow-Child. You two are the last hope this land has of recovering from the twilight." She concluded.
Link stumbled in surprise. "Us? But, but why? How?" He asked, clearly in shock. I was silent in resignation, as being raised in the mythological world; I was used to questing demigods. However, I felt sympathy for him, just being thrust into a mission this grand of a scale with no warning, he was probably freaking out.
"You young ones... have not discovered your true power. Those transformed by the twilight cannot recover their original forms... unless you were to revive the spirit of Faron Woods, where you were first transformed... if you were to revive the light spirit. There by the power of the light spirit you may be able to recover your original forms and you may find the means to regain your other state of beings, good luck young heroes." With that, Ordona began to disappear.
"Wait!" Link cried. "You haven't answered my question! Why? Why me?" His words went unanswered as, in a brilliant flash of light, Ordona disappeared and Ordon Spring returned to its normal state.
Link was still staring at the spring, probably trying to glean an answer. "Link." I said. He turned to me, ears drooping. "I don't know why the Goddesses chose you for this duty, but I do know that if they chose you, it's for a reason. And..." I looked back at Ordon Spring, thinking over the spirit's words. There was no way in Hades he could do this all by himself. "And I'll be there with you every step of the way."
A warm breeze blew through the trees and in our fur. I saw Link shiver slightly and his eyes filled with determination, courage, and purpose. He nodded at me and we exited the spring, heading towards Faron Woods.
~o~
We were silent on the way to Faron Woods. Link was most likely still thinking about this task the Goddesses thrust upon him. I, on the other hand, was still thinking about what had happened at the castle with the Shadow Beast. It was totally weird and unexpected... I didn't like that.
Our journey was short, and we soon came upon the black and orange wall that barred Faron Woods from the realm of light.
"So listen, the Faron Woods that you guys know so well... they're covered in twilight... once you go through here, there's no going back... understand? Do you still wanna go in?" Midna asked suddenly. The both of us nodded and she smirked. "'Kay, but don't say I didn't warn ya!" With that, she floated through the barrier, a ripple effect appearing where she passed.
Suddenly, an orange hand came out and grabbed Link, pulling him through. After a moment, it came out again and pulled me through.
I shook my head and looked ahead, having to hold back a laugh at the sight in front of me. Midna was on Link's back, the Ordon Shield on her face and the sword in her hand. She looked like a knight riding into battle on a green wolf.
"So these are the weapons you use." She said, swinging the sword and barely missing Link's head. She tossed the shield and sword on the ground and stared at them.
"Not very effective, are they?" She asked. "But still," She snapped her fingers, causing black and neon blue electricity to curl around them, them disappearing soon after. "I guess I'll hold onto these for you. So come on! You wanna bring the light back? Let's find that spirit!" Both Link and I rolled our eyes but obeyed.
The walk through the woods was, eerie, to say the least. The trees looked different, the ground looked different, it was like putting on a pair of sunglasses during a cloudy day.
We soon came upon a clearing with a path I knew for a fact led to a small lake.
Before we could take in the sights, four black pillars fell from the sky and laned in a box formation around us, some kind of red energy field keeping us inside. A swirling black and red vortex appeared in the sky and three Shadow Beasts fell out.
Both Link and I growled at them. Midna, on the other hand...
"So, you two got this, right? 'Cause if so, imma be over there, bye!" With that, she teleported to the other side of the field. We glared at her but she just smirked and waved.
We each pounced on one. I sank my fangs into its bony neck and used all of my strength (which was a lot, apparently) to tear its throat out. I spat out pieces of flesh and black blood, spotting Link take down his foe.
"Alright then, let's-" I was interrupted as the last Beast let out an ear piercing howl. And when I say 'piercing', I mean that every bloody animal in a thirty mile radius could hear it. Add that to me having sensitive ears, yeah, Gin's gonna get a massive migraine.
Surprisingly, the two that we just killed stood back up, as if nothing happened. I just stood there with my mouth open. "Are you kidding me? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" For those who know me, they know that I only swear when I'm extremely pissed. And pissed I was.
Midna groaned and teleported back to us. "Do I have to do everything for you two?" She groaned. "Okay, here's what you have to do, you have to kill all three of them at the same time. Got that? So tell you what, you get ready to pounce, and I'll erect a field of twilight magic, it'll keep them still and help you kill them in one blow, 'k? I'll stay here on Wolfy, 'cause it looks like Scowl's about to blow a gasket." She quipped.
"Whatever, I don't care." I muttered, going to the edge of the arena and plopping down.
Link circled the beasts again, but this time Midna's hair turned into an oversized hand that pointed a finger at the ground. A circular field of energy sprouted from around Link and the three beasts now had orange electricity coating their bodies, paralyzing them. Link pounced and, with the aid of Midna's magic, jumped through each Beast, killing them all instantly.
He trotted over to me and flopped down next to me, mouth open and tongue hanging out.
"So," He said, a bit breathless. "Shall we continue?" I got up and headed towards the small cave up ahead that would lead us to a lake.
When we got there, I was struck again by how much the landscape changed. I remember coming to this lake during a hunt, its crystal clear water tasting exceptionally sweet and rejuvenating my body. Now though, now the water was brown and murky.
"Heroes... chosen by the gods... come..." We walked to the edge of the surf and sat down. "My light... has been stolen... locate the twenty insects of darkness and retrieve my light. These dark creatures are unseen to the naked eye... go now... with the last of my power... I shall reveal the location of these creatures."
I felt my mind being prodded and a mental map of Faron Woods appeared in my head, twenty light blue dots scattered around, probably the bugs. We headed out of the Spring and began our hunt.
Twenty minutes into this hunt and we had barely found three insects. Three! I was growing more and more irritated by the minute. Link and Midna were in the same boat.
"Honestly!" Midna griped. "How hard is it to find some bugs?"
Finally, after an hour of searching, we found the last bugs near the Forest Temple. They were circling around the same monkey that was imprisoned with Talo. She was shaking in fear on a tree stump while the bugs surrounded her.
"Oh Goddesses! Make them go away! Take them away!" She cried, hiding her face with her hands. Link and I quickly killed the bugs and she looked around. "What? They died? Whew." She looked towards the Forest Temple. "Man, the woods have been crazy scary lately, even more so now that boss got all funky in the head."
Suddenly, Link, Midna and I were back at the lake. A vessel in the shape of a grape vine appeared before us and each orb of light we found shot into the spring. The water began to glow the same way as in Ordona's spring and we looked away. When we looked again, the sun was shining and everything looked normal again.
"Aw, but I liked the twilight." Midna said, floating above the spring in her translucent form once more. She turned at them and giggled. "But still, this isn't gonna be the only place you visit. Eee hee! See ya!" With that, she disappeared.
The light spirit appeared before us then, its appearance resembling a monkey or lemur holding its golden ball of light with its tail.
"Heroes... chosen by the gods... I am one of the four light spirits that dwells in Hyrule. By the decree of the gods, I protect this forest. I am Faron. Oh brave youths, in the land of twilight, where people roam as spirits, you both were transformed into that of beasts. That was a sign... a sign that the powers of the chosen ones rest within you... and that they are now awakening. Behold... your awakened forms... Hero Chosen by the gods... and Hero's Shadow chosen by Destiny."
I looked at Link and saw that he had on a green tunic with matching pointed hat, white undershirt, chainmail, tan pants, and brown boots. He also wore two brown gauntlets with black fingerless gloves.
"The green garb you wear once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods. His power is the power that sleeps within you... and is awakening." Faron said. He then turned to me. "You have changed as well Shadow-child." The spirit said.
Confused, I looked down at myself and saw that I was wearing a black bodysuit with silver trimming. My torso was white with the same eye symbol that has haunted me throughout my life emblazoned in red. Looking in the reflection of the water, I saw that I had some type of scarf/turban thing that covered the lower part of my face. Some of my hair had also been styled so that it was swept across my forehead and slightly in my right eye, although I could still see just fine. (AN: Think of Shiek's outfit and hairstyle but with this color scheme.)
"The garb you wear belongs to your tribe, your kin. Wear it with pride." Faron said. "Link. You are the hero chosen by the gods to rid this land of eternal twilight. Ginkage. You are the Shadow sent to aid the hero on his quest." Faron looked at us solemnly.
"Brave Link, Cunning Ginkage. A dark power rests within the temple that lies deep within these woods... it is a forbidden power. Long ago, I and my brethren locked it away. Because of its power, it is something that should never be beheld by those who were lustful for power. But, this world weeps 'neath a mantle of shadows... and so there is no choice... you must match the power of the King of Shadows. If thou seekest this power, then proceed to the temple hidden in the forest depths. Wake the Guardian of Forest. I wish thou luck on thy perilous trek. May the gods watch over you both..." Faron started to fade, but I was still able to ask him one more question.
"Faron, what am I?"
Faron's voice echoed in the air. "You will find what you seek... in the temple... that lies in the forest..."
Link
I stared at Gin as he just stared at himself in the reflection of the water. Finally, I laid a hand on his shoulder and shot him a reassuring smile. He sighed and looked down. "You know... I'm starting to get tired of immortals screwing me over." He said with a small smile, though his mouth was covered I could see the way his eyes scrunched. I laughed and clapped him lightly on the shoulder.
We turned to go deeper into Faron Woods and Midna popped out of my shadow. "So, you're heading to the Forest Temple? What a coincidence! I was just about to head there myself!" She said.
"Why do I get the feeling that we've become your errand boys?" Gin asked.
Midna giggled that giggle that was quickly getting on my nerves. "Well, think of it this way: we're heading in the same direction for reasons that currently align. And hey, your friends might be at the temple, just waiting for you two to rescue them! So come on! Mr. Important Hero and Mr. Hero's Secretary! Eee hee!"
After she said that, she sunk into Gin's shadow.
"S-secretary?! Oh like Hades I'm his secretary!" The silverette spluttered in indignation. I just chuckled at his expression and continued on.
A Deku-Baba sprung up not too far from me, but before I could get my sword and shield, two arrows flew through the air and impaled it in its massive jaw. I looked back to see Gin stomp towards me and past me, muttering something under his breath. I decided not to ask.
~o~
"Again?!" Gin yelled at the locked gate. I shook my head and went to see Coro, as I figured he had the key. Once I got it (and another bottle, this one full of lantern oil), I went to the gate and saw Gin attempting to pick the lock with an arrow.
He was muttering under his breath and seemed completely focused in his task. I smirked and cleared my throat, causing him to look at me wide-eyed. Still smirking, I held up the key and waved it a little. His left eye began to twitch and placed his arrows back in his quiver. Clearing his throat, he gestured his head at the lock. "Carry on." He said. I couldn't help it, I started laughing and I even heard Midna laugh from her place inside Gin's shadow.
Gin blushed and lifted his scarf higher. "Let's just get to the damn temple." He muttered. Still grinning, I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and unlocked the gate.
~o~
"So let me get this straight," Gin said as we walked through the forest to the temple. "We're supposed to go to the Forest Temple, the monster infested Forest Temple, somehow find this power that's so forbidden the light spirits locked it away in said temple," he paused as he fired an arrow at an incoming Keese. "Take it for ourselves, wake the 'Guardian of Forest' and save the world. Have I missed anything?" He asked.
I grunted as I swung my sword through a Deku-Baba, flinging the black blood off my blade afterwards. "Nope, I think that's everything." I replied.
"Oh good," he said. "I would've hated for us to miss something important." He said with an eye roll.
"You two are taking this 'saving the world' business very laxly, you know that?" Midna piped up from Gin's shadow.
Gin shrugged and walked on.
We soon came upon the area where we first encountered the Bokoblins, though the area was unpassable due to a purple cloud of fog that blanketed the ground. One whiff of it and I knew that the fog was poisonous.
"Seriously?" Gin complained. "Of course there had to be a poisonous cloud of fog, why wouldn't there be? I mean, it's not like we have to go through or anything." I gave him an odd look and he turned to me. "What?
Before I could say anything, the monkey with the flower in her hair came and stole my lantern, holding it on the end of a long branch. She hopped up and down at the end of the pier, making little noises.
Midna popped out of Gin's shadow, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at us. "Now look! While you two were off in dreamland, that monkey swiped the lantern! What're you still standing there for? Go get it!" She said.
"Okay, okay. Geez calm down." I said, heading for the monkey. She huffed and went back into Gin's shadow.
What next occurred was fairly odd. As we got to the monkey, she jumped down and waved the lantern, the fog parting around her and making that section clean. Seeing no other option, we followed the monkey through the poison cloud.
Once we got to the other side, the monkey dropped the lantern and ran off. Midna made a snarky comment, but I just ignored it and moved on.
We passed the shop owned by the bird and headed for the ramp that led to the Forest Temple. Before we reached it, however, a golden wolf that looked like it was made out of sunshine with one red eye pounced at me, my world turning white.
Gin
I saw the wolf hit Link and disappear. I ran to help him but a midnight blue raven swooped down at me. My vision swirled and I blacked out.
When I woke up, I was in the same room as before, when I was dragged to the dungeon of Hyrule Castle. The green torch sparked every so often, but no flame burned within.
The raven stood in front of me and cawed loudly. A blinding flash of white light caused me to look away. When I looked again, there was a man standing there. But when I say man, I mean undead skeleton that had a masculine figure.
He was wearing the same suit I was, but it was in a light blue color and had rips and tears along it. Strands of blonde hair covered his left eye, leaving one crimson eye visible.
"Hello Shadow-Child." He said. "I am the one who is to train you in the methods of your people; such is the will of the gods. The emblem on your chest represents the 'Tribe of Shadows' the eyes that guard the Royal line." He paused for a moment and his hands clasped behind his back.
"Shadow Mana runs through your veins. Because of this, you are able to use Shadow Magic. Shadow Magic, as the name implies, allows one to manipulate the shadows around them to do their bidding. Do not take this lightly, as using magic uses up mana. Once your mana is depleted, you will die."
Now I was kind of nervous. He relaxed a little and spoke again. "That is why I will train you in seven basic spells. Your people, unlike the other mages of Hyrule, do not require incantations. Just will the shadow to do your bidding and it will obey."
He gestured for me to come on top of the platform with him and I did so. "The first step in becoming a mage is to actually access your mana. Dig deep into yourself, find that inner power." He sat down cross-legged on the floor and gestured for me to do the same. "Close your eyes, and concentrate." I did so and my breathing evened out. To be honest, I didn't even know what I was looking for.
Eventually, I felt something. It was almost like a barrier. All it took was a gentle prod and I felt a rush that I had never felt before. It was indescribable. A multitude of my senses and nerve endings were firing on overdrive. My body was tingling and I felt my ears twitch.
I opened my eyes and the man nodded. "Good. Now, for the actual spell." He got up of the ground and stood across from me. "As a user of Shadow Magic, you can manipulate the shadows to do your will. The first spell I shall teach you is the 'Shadow Strike'. Send your mana into a shadow, and mentally form a tendril or something similar to strike at your foe." He held his hand close to his abdomen and made a slicing motion. A tendril shot out of his shadow and followed the motion of his hand.
He looked at me and put his hand down, the tendril returning to his shadow. "Remember, concentrate on a particular shadow and bend it to your will. Try the spell on me." I nodded and focused on my shadow. I felt power seep out of me and connect to my shadow. I raised my hand and a tendril of shadow, the end shaped like an arrowhead, followed my motion and struck the man.
He got back up and nodded. "Excellent. That was a well-controlled and performed spell. Given time and use, your mana reserves will grow, allowing you to use more spells at any given time. There is a variant of the Strike that allows you to grab your enemies and fling them away. The technique is the same, but instead of ordering the shadow to strike, instruct it to bind." He was quiet for a moment and clasped his arms behind his back again.
"The first spell, the 'Shadow Strike', and its variant, have been taught. Before you return to the conscious realm, I shall tell you this; your eyes are a powerful thing. To know the truth, seek out the Guardian of Forest." With that, my vision swirled again and I blacked out.
When I woke up, I realized that I was back in Faron Woods. A groan next to me notified me that Link was waking up as well. He held his head and looked at me. "Well, that was trippy." I said, trying to lighten the mood. He smiled at me and got up.
"What happened to you?" He asked. I told him about the man and the fact that I could do magic. In turn, he told me about a skeletal warrior that taught him a sword maneuver. In the end, we just looked at each other. Midna popped out of my shadow and gave us a look.
"Well?" She said. "We're wasting daylight when we can go get that ting in the temple! Get a move on!" She then dove back into my shadow.
Link rolled his eyes and headed up the ramp to the temple, me following behind. When we reached the top, there were four Bokoblin guarding the entrance. Link unsheathed his sword and charged. I, on the other hand, focused on my shadow, willing it to strike at a Bokoblin. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Midna cried as she tumbled out of my shadow.
The tendril had an arrowhead tip and pierced through a Bokoblin. I then manipulated it to grab the other one and toss them both over the edge. The tendril retracted back and Midna floated before me, a look of thought on her face. "You know, that could be pretty useful, just warn a girl next time, ok?" Then she went back into my shadow. Link finished off his Bokoblin and flashed me a grin as they exploded into black smoke.
"You ready?" He asked as we stood in front of the door.
"Nope, you?" I replied.
"Absolutely not." He said.
"Let's do this then." I said, opening the door. With one last look at each other we walked in the temple.
HM: Whew! Chapter complete! Gin left some time ago so y'all gotta deal with me. Again, sorry for not updating as much. I actually forgot some parts to the TP storyline and had to play the game again. Problem was, I would be playing and writing at the same time and by the time I paid attention to what was on the page… let's just say that I was further in the game than in the chapter. Like waaay further. Anyways, once my beta for 'Illustrandis' gets back to me, I'll update, so give me like a week or two.
So, how'd y'all like the chapter? What's so significant about the seven torches? Who's this 'Guardian of Forest'? What do you think happened to Gin at Hyrule Castle? What do you think about his Shadow Magic? Why do people keep telling him that his eyes are powerful? And, who do you think the guy training him is? Find out next time (maybe) on 'Return of The Shiekah: Reborn'!