A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: A single singer is demarked in italics "like this", while a crowd singing is demarked "like this."
They returned to the Castle Town as night was beginning to fall. Only a paltry few had fallen in the attack by the undead and then by the ambush of Wizzro's forces, and the morale was through the roof. Impa looked around her, having recovered enough where she could walk on her own, and took it all in. Most of the men and women in the force, though staying to their position as they marched, were periodically glancing up to the front of the line where he rode upon a horse. Link was at the very front, right next to the princess, and she knew that he was probably quite embarrassed. He might be the Hero of this Era without question, but even then he was still a young man who had been thrust into something he never would have dreamed imaginable a mere few weeks before.
Impa winced as she landed a little funny on her heel, and a shooting pain went through her leg. She was still incredibly sore for some reason, though there was little explanation as to why standing at the base of a totem would cause one to feel like a runaway Goron had tackled them. She attributed it to the very nature of the totem and the mystical magic and power that fueled the Temple of the Sacred Sword, and decided not to think that much about it. Not that she could think about it too much, either. She was in too much pain.
"Yeh alrigh', Sheikah?" Ishaka had taken it upon himself to walk alongside as they made their way back from the temple to the Castle Town and Hyrule Castle. Impa yawned.
"I'm fine. Sore, tired…nothing out of the ordinary. I've felt worse during a day of marching with the men than I do right now."
"Cons'd'rin' how I had ta carry yeh outta ther', some'ow I 'ighly doubt that." Ishaka said. It was getting dark, but the Sheikah warrior could see that he was smiling. She smacked him on the shoulder.
"Keep it down, ordo." She said. Ishaka simply gave that "hee hee hee!" chuckle that irritated her so, and reached into his pocket for his pipe. He lit it up, with something particularly sweet-smelling. He puffed a few times, and looked at her again.
"A'ite. If'n yeh want me ta pipe down, I'll pipe down." He pointed to his pipe. "But I ain't gonna put this away, if'n yeh don't mind."
Despite herself, Impa smiled.
"No. No, I don't mind that, Ishaka."
The drawbridge had lowered down, allowing the forces safe entrance into the castle town and protection from the enemies that might come to them in the night. For now, they were safe.
.
As they moved through the streets of Castle Town, they were became aware of resonate church bells ringing through the gloam. Zelda looked around quizzically, and then looked like she'd just realized something.
"By the Goddesses…the timing couldn't be more perfect."
"About what?" Link asked. Zelda looked down at him and smiled.
"We retrieved the Blade of Evil's Bane and returned in time while people are at the temples praying to the Goddesses. Sometimes things work out rather too perfectly for a coincidence." She dismounted from her horse, and gestured for a Hylian captain to take it. "I think that I might just go enter the temple myself. It's been a while since I've paid respects at the town temple. Would you like to join me, Link?"
It was too dark for anyone to see his extremely sheepish expression. He nodded.
"Yeah…yeah I think I'd like that." She smiled, and then gestured for him to follow her.
From there, the majority of the force splintered off. Some of the Hyrulians and a few of the Ravagers made their way to the temple, while still others went out to the boulevard outside of the temple where various statuettes and spots of prayer were located. Lana looked and saw that Impa and Ishaka were quietly conversing about something, and then both started walking towards the temple themselves. Darunia and a few of his Honor Guard followed suit, while Ruto, Midna and Agitha made their way back to the castle. (She'd heard Midna mutter something about checking in with Fi as to why the floating statue-girl had declined to come to the Temple of the Sacred Sword with them.) Lana thought about entering the temple herself, if only for the reason that a lot of the others were going. But then she saw something that caught her eye.
Unlike a good portion of people, who were either going about their business or trudging towards the temple or another place of quiet contemplation, Itami was just standing in the square and staring at the temple. It was getting dark, but she could see the look of disdain in his eyes. He shook his head, muttering something that was audible only to him. He turned around and walked away. Lana watched him go, off in the direction of one of the groves that bordered the Royal Grounds and Castle Town itself.
For whatever reason, Lana decided to follow him.
.
The inside of the temple was larger than he'd expected. Something about the architecture made it so, and the ceiling seemed to be impossibly high above them. The sun had long set, leaving candles lit throughout the temple as the only form of light. A chandelier of candles had been hung in the center of the building, casting light and shadows across the pilgrims that came to this holy place. It was simple and elegant, with pews to the left and right of the altar where a mage would give the sermon. There was an upper deck of pews, but it was currently blocked off for repairs.
"Pretty place, innit?" Ishaka asked. He was talking barely above a whisper. He and Impa were sitting to the back of the left pews, giving them a chance to see everyone around them. There were a few Ravagers, more than a couple of Hyrulians, and a few Gorons. Link and the Princess were sitting up in the front. A women's choir was practicing some ancient hymns for the following day's sermons. No friar was on duty at that time, which left the temple at that time a place of open and quiet reflection. Impa, who was sitting next to Ishaka nodded.
"Yes. It's one of the oldest buildings in the city. Might even be one of the first, along with the castle. I'm always impressed when I come in here." She said. She leaned back in the pew, wincing as it creaked slightly. Ishaka smirked, and chuckled silently.
"Not a word, Ravager." Impa said. She, too, was speaking barely above a whisper. Ishaka cocked his head to the side.
"You come 'ere oft'n, Sheikah?" He asked. Impa shrugged.
"Not terribly. I worship in a different way than most Hyrulians do. Well, I should say that the Sheikah are a little bit different than the typical way to give thanks to the Goddesses." She said.
"Oh?" Ishaka asked. He seemed genuinely interested. "There be more'n one way ta do it?" Impa, despite herself, smiled.
"Yes and no. It's a matter of perspective, I suppose. A temple or church like this? Very formal. Very…I don't want to say stilted, but a little sanitized. It's good, but it feels strange to someone like me."
"Go on." Ishaka said.
"Sheikah people are very…intuned with the world itself." Impa said. "It's difficult to put to words, but as a part of my heritage I simply feel more at home in a natural setting. We believe in the divinity of nature itself, I suppose. That…if you listen carefully, you can hear the voices of the Goddesses in their very creation." She furrowed her brow in thought. "Again, it's odd explaining it. I suppose because we've never really cared about theological disputes. To cherish the world itself is a form of prayer to the Goddesses itself, and through that we've maintained a strong faith." She smirked, and shrugged helplessly. "It's also a…very vibrant style. Lots of song and dance. Drums, string instruments, clapping…a little different from haunting hymns from a choir." She smiled. "But no less majestic, I suppose." She turned towards him. "What about you?"
"Dunno." Ishaka said with a chuckle. "Sim'lar ta yeh, I figger. Jus' bein' thankf'l fer th' fact that we be alive. Lotta singin' an' dancin' in th' Rav'ger camp, Sheikah. I betcha yeh'd like one o' our sing-and-dance moments, Impa. Might make yeh feel like yer home wit' th' Sheikah people." Impa smiled.
"And what of the Goddesses? Or do you Ravagers believe in something else?"
"Both." Ishaka chuckled. "Some o' us are ol' Hyruli'ns, some o' us tribals, some o' us got Gerudo blood…it's a mix. But we all believe in somethin' up there, watchin' us wit' a curi'us eye. Somethin'." He said this, but then he looked thoughtful. "Well, most o' us b'lieve in somethin'."
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Impa asked. "You don't?"
"Me? No, not me." Ishaka said. "I believ' in somethin', I jus' don' know wha' yet. But…a few o' us aren't even tha' gen'rous."
.
She was walking through the forest somewhat briskly, darting her eyes back and forth. She was sure that he was somewhere around here. She had seen him enter this grove, after all. Calming herself down, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to do this, but he was leaving her no choice. She began to reach out into the magical aether, looking for his aura. He wasn't anywhere near where she was. He was already back in the camp? How had he moved so quickly?
She made her way to the gate dividing Castle Town from the Royal Grounds. She saw that Captain Dorias, the Skyloftian who had offered his services for the duration of the war, was standing watch. He looked at her and waved.
"Good evening, miss Sorceress! How are you this brisk night?" He asked. Lana offered a thin smile.
"Good, captain. Have you seen Itami? Has he come through here recently?"
"Erm…I'm sorry, I must confess I'm still learning names. Who is Itami?" The Captain asked. Lana sighed.
"About my height. Thin-looking Craol…" She saw his blank expression. "Er, somewhat beige-skinned. Has his hair cut into a Mohawk. Red, painted stripes under his eyes?"
Still nothing.
"…Slightly grouchy doctor?" Lana tried. Captain Dorias' eyes widened in recognition.
"Ah! That fellow! Yes, he came through here not a few moments ago. Rather surprisingly fast, I might add. I figured that it would take longer than that to get from the Castle Town to the Ravager camp." He twirled his mustache on his finger. "I think you'd find him in the medical tent? He seemed like he was in a hurry to get away from something."
"Thank you, Captain." Lana said. She walked past him, and headed up the path towards the Ravager camp.
Several fires had been lit as a means of warmth and light throughout the camp. Lana was cautiously making her way through the camp, looking unsure as she scanned the many faces. She passed by a familiar one, who was sitting on a tree stump.
"Hey, witchy. What're you looking for?" Ryu asked. Lana turned towards the Ravager leader.
"Erm, I'm looking for Itami. You seen him?"
"Yeah, he's off at the far end of the camp." Ryu said, jerking her thumb back over her shoulder and to the right. "He was at the medical tent for a few moments, but then left when there wasn't anyone to treat. Looked a little…pissy, even by his standards."
"That's what I wanted to talk to him about." Lana said. Ryu snorted somehow amusedly.
"Good luck to ya, witchy. Just gimme a holler if he starts going feral." She went back to her whittling, leaving a rather unnerved Lana to continue looking.
She found him sitting on a rock at the far end of the camp. His tent was a small and rather unassuming thing, very unbefitting a man of his stature and importance to the Ravagers. The fire he'd made was burned down to semi-glowing embers, and his back was turned to her. He seemed to be staring out to the horizon, watching the moon rise.
"I don't appreciate being peeked on." He said as she moved in closer. It took Lana a moment to realize that he was referring to her magic, and she looked away sheepishly.
"Sorry. It's just…I was worried."
"About what?" Itami asked. "There's nothing wrong with me." He still wasn't turning around to face her. "You know who I am by now: I'm not a social butterfly like Ishaka. If I want to be left alone, then I want to be left alone."
"Being alone all the time isn't healthy, Itami." Lana said.
"Yeah?" There was an air of derision in his voice. Lana could picture him sneering, even though he wasn't turning around. "And what would you know about that?"
Lana frowned.
"More than you can possibly imagine." She was getting tired of his attitude.
There was a silence. His shoulders slumped a little bit. Then, after a few more moments, he jerked his head to the side, as if gesturing for her to take a seat next to him. Lana grabbed a little box nearby, and pushed it over beside him. She sat down next to the Ravager, and he turned to look her in the eye. For once, he didn't seem so nasty-looking.
"What's got you so worked up, Lana?" He asked.
"It's just…" Lana struggled for the words. She wanted to dance around the subject, but then realized that a man like Itami had no use for euphemism. So she came right out and said it. "Your attitude at the Temple of the Sacred Sword. And then the look you gave at the temple in Castle Town. It's…the disdain is noticeable."
"Good." Itami said after a moment to register what she'd said. "Glad someone else is recognizing it."
"It's…well, every time someone brings up the divine or the Goddesses around you, you get all grouchy. Even more so than normal." She added that last sentence after a moment's pause. "Why?"
"Well, maybe that's because I'm not so quick to sing their praises." Itami said.
"What, you don't believe in them?" She asked. Itami, to her surprise, laughed. He shook his head.
"Hell no, I'm not that stupid. Not when I've seen the Triforce itself imprinted upon the palm of a princess and that kid Link. Anyone who sees that and still thinks that there isn't some sort of divine puppetmaster pulling all of our strings is either delusional or ignorant."
"I don't understand, then." Lana said. Itami shrugged.
"It's simple, really. I know that Din, Farore, Nayru…whatever the hell their names are. I know that they exist. I know this, and I refuse to worship them. The very thought of them makes me sick to my gut."
"But…why?" Lana asked. "What have they done for you to be so harsh?"
"That question is exactly why I refuse to sing their praises." Itami said, startling Lana with the swiftness of his response. "'What have they done?' I'll tell you what: nothing. They don't do anything. In the beginning, they created all of existence, and then after that was done decided to sit on their thumbs and watch it all go to hell in a handbasket before them. One of them even encourages it." He turned slightly so that he was facing her better. "Look no further than the Triforce. The Triforce of Power. Din. Her greatest artifact, the physical embodiment of her power, gets taken by evil incarnate. Every story through the ages is the same. The power of Din is taken by the darkness. And what does Din do? Nothing! She never once raises a finger to stop it, to cast that hellspawn out from defiling her sacred piece of divinity. And then her 'sisters' Nayru and Farore don't do anything except send their champions to clear up her mess. Their mess. It's nothing but a cosmic gag. Worship that? That?" He looked her in the eyes, and to her surprise she saw that his were starting to water.
"And you know what the worst of it is? I have to see the results of their original sin from up close: the endless stream of men and women crippled, bloodied, and dying because the Goddesses couldn't get their house in order. War. Nothing but war and death and suffering. We Ravagers don't have a homeland. We struggle to survive. And we haven't always been this successful, Lana. Many of our fights in the past were retreating efforts, and many of us were hurt or killed. You do not know pain, Lana, until you've stood at the bedside of one of your dearest friends, grasping their bloodied hand as they cry in pain and agony…asking you if he or she will see their father or their mother or their husband or their wife or their kids in the afterlife…and you have to catch yourself from saying 'I do not worship the Goddesses' to their face because they're looking to you for some degree of comfort in their dying moments. So you have to smile, holding back the tears, and say 'Yes, they'll be waiting for you' even though you have no idea if the Goddesses are even that kind." He looked away. "I want so desperately to believe in them…and they leave me heartbroken every time I walk away from that bedside of another person I couldn't save." He reached into a little bag by his feet, and pulled out a small bottle. He uncorked it, and Lana caught a whiff of something very sharp. "All I've known is death. That's what I've lived with ever since I jumped ship with Ishaka…it won't leave me."
"And what of life?"
Itami blinked once. He looked over at Lana, who was staring at him with conviction.
"Hmm?" He managed to get out. Lana looked at him pointedly.
"Everything you've told me…I can see your point. I mean…that's sort of the magic I do, myself. Healing, trying to save those that are wounded or ill or dying. I know that pain, too. But you've only told me about your struggles with death. What about life?"
Itami opened his mouth slightly to speak, but then fell silent. Lana spoke again.
"It sounds like you know a lot more about death than you do about living."
He was staring at her with a furrowed brow, but she could see in his eyes that something had gotten through. Sighing, he nodded ever so slightly. He then took a sip of the liquid, only to cough and spit it back out.
"Fuck, I don't know how Ishaka drinks this shit." He said. Lana, despite herself, smiled.
They sat in silence and watched the moon rise in the clear night sky.
.
The service had ended about a half hour ago. Most of the people had already filed out of the place, and had returned to their homes for the evening. A few remained in the square or in the temple in silent contemplation, while others still sought to continue their night at one of the several inns and taverns that lined the streets of Castle Town. The fountain in the center of the town square continued to run, softly arching water up and then back down through the air. Other than some hushed talking, it was the only sound in the square. It was eerily silent.
"Rupee fer yer thoughts." Ishaka said, breaking the silence. He and Impa were standing by the fountain, with the Ravager captain sitting on the edge of stone structure and periodically fiddling his hand through the water. Impa was standing next to him, her arms crossed across her chest in deep thought.
"Hm?" She turned to him. Ishaka grinned. He had his pipe out again, and the light it made was gently illuminating his face a barely-visible orange. He chuckled.
"Yer awf'lly quiet, Sheikah."
"Sorry. I'm just…thinking." She said.
"Yeh don' say."
"Don't be an ass." Impa narrowed her eyes. She sighed. "Something has been bothering me ever since we left the Temple of the Sacred Sword."
"Oh?" Ishaka leaned over a little bit towards her. "An' wha' be tha', Sheikah?"
"Escalation." Impa finally said. Ishaka stared at her blankly.
"Yeh lost me."
"I mean…the escalation of this war." Impa clarified. "In that, what is going to happen next. We've retrieved the Master Sword, yes. But we also let a good force from Cia's army escape to report back to her. So she undoubtedly knows that we have this ace up our sleeve. What will she do to counter it? We marched into the Valley of the Seers last time, and she responded by summoning that…Manhandla. What will she do in response to this? Summon something even worse? How many more people are going to die before this war ends?"
"Yeh 'avin' a crisis o' faith, Sheikah?" Ishaka asked. Impa turned to look at him.
"Not of a religious sort, no. But…of a military sort, I suppose. I'm wondering how I can lead these men in good faith to the great unknown, when I have seen what lengths that Cia will go to in order to have Link for herself. And that brings me to my second fear." She sat down on the fountain next to Ishaka. "Link himself. Yes, I know that he is a good and noble young man. Brave, heroic, strong…everything that the Hero of this era should be. He's also quite humble, which is a rarity." She gave Ishaka an amused side-glance, which earned her a scowl. "But…I fear that having the Master Sword might lead to him being overconfident."
"Hate ta spoil it fer yeh, Sheikah, bu' tha' kid migh' jus' be unkill'ble." Ishaka said. He blew a puff of smoke out from his mouth and nostrils. "Itami tol' me tha' he ain't ever seen some'un ripped apart like tha' an' then be back fightin' so quick."
"I imagine that the return of the Triforce of Courage had something to do with that. You and I saw it for ourselves when he was first granted the Triforce in the battle out in the fields." Impa replied. She looked up to the stars. "Still, I worry about him. He isn't a little boy, and I'm not his mother…but I guess it's part of my nature to look out for him. Especially considering the way Zelda feels about him."
Ishaka turned to look at her, and gave that little "hee-hee-hee!" chuckle of his. He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Th' princess 'avin' some…amorous thoughts 'bout our 'ero, Sheikah?" He asked. Impa smiled and rolled her eyes.
"It's really kind of ridiculous. She follows him around like a baby duck. The trick is getting her to admit that there's something special about her feelings for him. Not like she'll listen to me about that." Impa threw up her arms in exasperation. "I give her too much grief for her non-existent lovelife to begin with. Anything I say she'll assume is just me being a gadfly: being a nuisance with my stinging."
"An' is it such a bad thin' tha' she be 'avin' a li'l crush on our 'ero?" Ishaka asked. Impa smiled and shook her head.
"No. I just wish she'd be a little bit more serious about how she feels. Or at least think harder about it." But then Impa frowned. "But it's not them that I worry about: it's Cia. I just know that that witch is aware of the growing feelings between the two of them, and I fear that she'll use it as a form of ammunition against them. Perhaps play to Link's sense of heroics, or Zelda's insecurities. I do not know, but it is something that I worry about. Cia has already proven that she is a master manipulater; I shudder to think what she'll try to do to Link or Zelda as we tighten the noose around her neck."
Ishaka nodded, and took a good and long puff from his pipe.
"Tha' be a good poin'." Ishaka finally said. He looked contemplative. Then he smiled. "I keep an eye on 'im."
"Hm?" Impa grunted. Ishaka's grin widened.
"I said I keep an eye on 'im! Link be like a li'l brudder ta me inna firs' place. Won't be that 'ard." He looked at Impa. "Yeh shouldn't worry so much, Sheikah. It ain't 'ealthy."
"This coming from a man who smokes like a chimney, and drinks like a sailor?" Impa asked, crossing her arms with a smirk on her lips. Ishaka shrugged.
"I ne'er said ta do as I do, Sheikah, I jus' said ta do as I say. Big diff'rence!" He said. He proceeded to blow a puff of rather sweet-smelling fumes in Impa's face. The Sheikah laughed and waved the air around her face.
"Gah! You're such an ordo sometimes. I shudder to think of how you won the hearts and minds of the Ravager army sometimes." She said. Ishaka winked.
"I jus' was m'self, Sheikah. Pe'ple like a man who's honest, I s'ppose."
"Yeah…" Impa said with a smile. She stood up. "We'd better get going. I imagine that Zelda is wondering where I've gone off to, and your Ravagers need their leader." She playfully punched him in the shoulder. Ishaka winced with a smile.
"Easy, Sheikah! Tha' be th' shoulder I popped inna Twilight realm." He said. Impa started walking away, so he couldn't see her smirk.
"I know." He heard her say over her shoulder.
He chuckled. She had beaten him in a game of riddles. Figures that she'd be able to get in the last word, too.
.
Perhaps because she was willing to consider Ruto's complaints the last time, Zelda did not call together a new meeting of the coalition until just after lunch the following day. The Zora princess didn't look sleepy this time; she looked rather hungover. No one could make eye contact with her without having to stifle a giggle, and it was only the threat of her sharpened Zora scale that kept them from doing anything. Zelda cleared her throat.
"Well, I suppose it's time to take the fight to Cia again." She said. "We've been fighting a war by proxy through the three other realms that were under her control, but now that she's lost control in those three ranges it's perhaps for the best that we move on her directly. She isn't going to let us sit on the fact that we've uncovered the Master Sword."
There was a general muttering of agreement amongst the other leaders.
"What would you have us do, princess?" Darunia asked, his arms folded across his chest. Zelda pointed to the map, and circled the area that was the Valley of the Seers with her finger.
"We return to the Valley of the Seers, and from there we finish things." She said.
Everyone seemed to be in agreement with this plan. All except one.
"She won't be there." Lana said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her. "I know this because…if it were me…" She stopped herself. It was by now a well-known fact amongst the leaders that Cia and Lana were once the same person, but that still didn't make it any easier for her to say anything about it. She cleared her throat. "I wouldn't be waiting there. I'd be hiding somewhere else."
"Oh?" Zelda asked. She put her hand on her hip, clearly interested in where this was going. "Where would you go, Lana?"
"It's…well, it's kind of strange to explain but…I'd hide in the Temple of Souls*." Lana said. There was a silence.
"What the heck is the Temple of Souls?" Midna asked, breaking the silence. "That sounds like it doesn't exist!"
"Miss Kitty is right, is that a place of make-believe?" Agitha asked. "Because I'd love to go there!"
"No…no." Lana said, trying not to smile at Agitha's innocence. "It's…well, it's a place that is neither in time nor in space. It's…it's in a pocket dimension that can only be entered through a portal that a master magician can create. It's the ultimate safe place. In fact, you can't even enter it if you don't know of its existence and what it looks like. Or you have someone who knows those things." She said. "Before…before Cia and I were different, it was a place that we frequented a lot with our teacher. I liked it. It was peaceful. But…" She looked worried. "That was because Cia and I were in equilibrium. I don't want to know what it looks like now."
"But…even if it looks different, could you get us in there?" Midna asked.
"The probability of that is very high." Fi said. "Even if it looks different, the magical energy must be of the same strain."
"Fi is right." Lana said. "I can create a portal that would allow our armies to enter the gardens of the Temple of Souls but…" She frowned. "It will be…scary."
"I think we can handle it!" Darunia said with a grin. He clapped Lana on the shoulder like a supportive older brother. "How bad can it be?"
Zelda looked at the white sorceress' eyes, and could tell that Lana was underselling the truth of what she knew.
.
They spent the rest of the day preparing. Lana assured them that the concept of time and space did not exist in the Temple of Souls, and that what seemed like an hour in there was but a minute if not less on the outside world. The Hyrulian forces and Ravagers began stockpiling their weapons and their armor, and made sure that they had everything that they needed. The Goron Honor Guard was at the ready, with Darunia having cleaned out the grooves of his hammer. Captain Dorias approached Zelda, who was currently adjusting her armor.
"Would you wish for Skyloftian support, your highness?" He asked. Zelda shook her head.
"I appreciate the offer, Captain, but I will not drag your people into this mess unknowingly. They do not deserve to die for my problems. That is why you do not see me calling forth aid from the land of Twilight or the land of Time." She said. Captain Dorias stood ramrod straight.
"Well then, if I cannot persuade you to use some of the Skyloftian Guard, then you leave me no choice but to offer my services as a commander at arms. However you wish to use me."
"Th-that's noble of you, but-" Zelda was cut off.
"No, think nothing of it. When I return to my wife and infant son, I want to be able to tell them that when the battle of existence came calling, I did not run from the call." He stood proudly, his Skyloftian armor gleaming in the afternoon light. Zelda smiled.
"If more men were like you, perhaps the world would not be filled with such strife." She cleared her throat. "Where would you like to serve?"
"If you do not mind, your highness, but I would like to serve with the Ravagers." Dorias said. "I have experience with those fellows, and I must say that I've grown rather fond of the chaps during my extended stay here in your land. They may not be quite the same as Skyloftians or even your Hyrulians, but I cannot deny their honor in combat."
"Very well. Speak with Ishaka. He will assign you to a division if you so choose." Zelda said. The Skyloftian nodded vigorously, and walked towards the mass gathering of Ravagers. Zelda looked after him, and smiled. It was nice to have people risking themselves for this cause, even if it wasn't technically theirs.
She prayed that his decision would not cost him.
.
There was a humming in the air. Zelda turned to see that Lana was standing in the opening of the Royal Grounds, holding up her arms and chanting something in an ancient language. The Ravager shamans and a few Hyrulian mystics were standing amongst her, mostly for moral support as well as secondary magic. There was a sound like a thundercrack, and Zelda watched in awe as she saw a rip form in the fabric of space. It opened up into a circular shape, and if she looked closely into the void she could make out the hazy image of what looked like a temple. Lana lowered her hands, her eyes no longer glowing with magic. She walked over to Zelda, and sighed. There was sweat on her brow.
"There. It is open for us to enter."
"What will keep it open for a return?" Zelda asked. Despite herself, Lana offered a wry smile.
"Don't let me die." She said. She walked back into the fold of the troops.
.
Link was slowly and meticulously wrapping his wrists, making sure that the tape was snug but not too tight. He found it easier to grip his seord that way in addition to his swordsman's gloves. He felt a clap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Ishaka.
"How yeh doin', 'ero?" He asked. Link smiled.
"Good. Great, actually." He said. He cocked his head to the side. "Shouldn't you be with the Ravagers?" He asked. Ishaka smiled.
"I gots me some sharp lieuten'nts in me army, 'ero. I can step aside fer a bit. Itami, Ryu, tha' Dorias fella…even Uhaa is a good li'l ground worker." He smiled. "Figger'd I could give yeh some 'elp."
"Erm…thanks, Ishaka." Link said. "But, uh…" He pulled out the Master Sword. "Won't that be overkill, with you helping me cut through everything?" He offered a chuckle, and even Proxi giggled a bit. But then they noticed that Ishaka wasn't laughing. He looked rather serious.
"It migh' be th' Blade o' Evil's Bane, Link." He said. "But at th' end o' th' day…it's jus' one sword." He looked resolute. "Lemme 'elp yeh. Think o' me as…insurance."
"Ok." Link said. "Just try to keep up." He winked, and walked to join the front of the pack. Ishaka stared after him, and sighed.
By now, Zelda had stood before everyone in the army before her. She stood upon a rock so that everyone could see her. She felt the sunlight reflecting off of her bright and polished armor, and in that moment she felt as close as she'd ever felt to the Goddess of Light that she carried within her.
"What I ask of you is not easy. What I ask of you might just be the grandest and most terrible fight yet. We seek to find the Sorceress Cia, and bring her to answer for her many crimes. She lies in wait at the other end of this portal. What lies on the other side…I cannot be certain. I only have faith in the Goddesses that we will actually be able to land properly in this dimension so different from our own." He closed her eyes. "I have asked so much of you. More than any princess should ask of her people and her allies. More than any queen should ask of her armies. But as I stand before you, with my sword in hand-" She drew her rapier, the sound of metal scraping the inside of her sheath singing in the afternoon air, "-and the grace of Hylia and the Goddesses by my side, I ask of you this: Will you follow me into the void, one last time?"
The roar could be heard for miles. A legion of swords and spears and other weapons raised into the air in unison, the cries of countless men and women willing to stand for the light. It was an electric moment, and it filled Zelda with renewed hope. She turned around, and faced the pulsing and dark breach before her. She closed her eyes, saying a prayer to the Goddesses. And then, she raced through it.
.
Dark.
It was a land that was dark and cold. Zelda took a moment to get her bearings, as the rest of the army began to materialize around her. She looked up to the sky. It was stormy, shades of purple and black and rolling red like lava. Lightning bolts of an eldritch shape and color raced across the sky. Thunder claps rumbled in the air.
They were in a labrynthine garden of sorts, with ivy fashioned as maze-like walls around them. Well, it looked like ivy. Zelda looked again and saw that it was in actuality messes of thorn and gnarled roots fashioned together into horrific patterns. One of the braver soldiers gingerly touched the tip of one of the thorns with his palm, and then howled in pain at the sharpness. He tore off a piece of his tunic, and wrapped it around his now-bleeding hand.
"This is the place." Fi said. "This is where we will find Cia. There is an 100% certainty to that."
Midna looked around, and then made eye contact with Agitha. She stared at the little girl, who was perched safely atop the shoulders of Meathook.
"Whatever you do, do not leave his side." She said. Agitha looked around, and her childlike excitement had been replaced with that of a shrinking sense of fear. She huddled close to Meathook's neck, and nodded. The large Goron tensed up, and began looking for any danger that might threaten the little girl that he'd sworn himself to protect.
"This is an evil place." Ruto said. Darunia only nodded sagely.
"Courage!" Impa said, looking at the uncertain faces that littered her soldiers. "Do not fear the darkness! We are the light that shall cut through it!" Those that heard her and made eye contact with their general nodded, swallowing their fear.
"Link, it's up to us to make a difference." Proxi whispered in her liege's ear. "We can turn the tide!" The hero nodded, and then drew the Master Sword from his sheath. The sight of the hero fearlessly drawing his blade caused everyone else to start readying their weapons. Soon, a flurry of orders were being barked.
"Caution!" Impa barked from atop a horse. "Captain Dorias! You form a defensive ring around the portal that we came through! You are to be our rear guard, in case the worst should happen! I want the Seegs up front! Twilight Wolves at the the peak of the formation!"
"You heard the lady, lads!" Captain Dorias shouted. "Set down shields as a wall! Archers, stand guard!"
"A'ite, now lissen 'ere." Ishaka had pulled in Itami, Ryu, and even Uhaa. "Y'all lissen fer th' whistles. Fer now, I wan' Ryu an' her force ta be th' front as we go to th' temple. Uhaa take th' left. Itami? Yer wit' th' princess an' 'er honor guard to th' right." The Ravager leaders all nodded, and went back to their forces to instruct their men and women of the orders. Zelda turned to Impa. The Sheikah warrior nodded. She gave a bark, and her portion of the army began to move forward. Link sidled himself into the center of it, and Ishaka took great care to stay by the hero's side.
They made their way through the maze of thorns and ivy with caution, all the while worrying as to when they would find the Temple in question. Lana had taken point of the entire force. She had her Deku spear up in the air, and had modified it as a sort of magical staff. The tip of it was glowing with a bright and white light. It was guiding them through this dark, byzantine, and hellish place. She was the lone light in this horrific dark, and they trusted her. Which was more than could be said about how she felt about herself.
.
And there it was. Like a nightmare risen from the ground stood the Temple of Souls. Lana held up her light, both as a means to help illuminate this terrible place, and both to still her rapidly beating heart. It was unlike anything that she had remembered. While she remembered an elegant place of white marble and simple design, this place was black and purple and twisted and radiating with darkness. Massive roses and their thorns covered the walls and spires of the temple like a twisted sort of ivy. Purple, red, and somewhere in between. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time.
So was the sight of countless dark Bokoblins and Moblins materializing from the shadow as if from nowhere. They stared at the forces of light with a hungry and frenzied expression.
Then, as if carried on the wind, a fell and beautiful and terrible voice was on the air.
"Mmmm…I didn't expect guests…But I don't mind it when my hero is among them…" There was a pause. "Kill the rest."
.
Before the armies of darkness could react, Link had charged forward. In a few moments, it was one man against literally thousands of enemies, fighting and hacking and slashing his way through. At first, no one moved. Not even the majority of the forces of darkness. It was as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. One man alone cutting through their forces, as if trying to win a war by himself. And by the ferocity of his attacks and strikes, he seemed like he was more than capable.
There was a howl. Ishaka had drawn his knives and had sprinted into the fray, both to kill the enemy and to catch up to Link. There was a beat, and then the forces of light and darkness charged at each other. The resulting collision was titanic and terrible to behold.
Growling, Ishaka kept forcing his way through the enemy. Link was always what seemed like several dozen yards away from him, and steadily advancing into the unknown. He took a moment to glance behind him, and saw that the rest of the forces of light were bogged down against the rest of the darkness. For a brief moment, he met eyes with Impa. The Sheikah had just decapitated a Moblin captain, and she looked at him with frantic eyes. The unspoken message was clear. Help him.
Snarling, Ishaka went to work on the fools that stood between him and the man he'd promised he'd look out for.
.
He followed the trail of dead bodies, and the blood split from their hacked and slashed and mangled forms. Link was certainly fighting like the hero of the era, the way he was cutting through the darkness like butter. Ishaka ducked under a swing from a Moblin spear, and rammed his knife through the side of a Moblin's head so hard that he nearly split the creature's skull. He yanked it out, and then continued pressing. He climbed up the stairs of the main lobby, not taking notice of the décor. He saw the black and white tiles, spread in endless snowflake patterns along the ground, but did not notice the other things. But then, as he blocked a charging Bokoblin and rerouted the creature to go flying headfirst into a painting, he looked up and saw the artwork for the first time.
"Oh, shit." He managed to mutter. The revelation of what he was looking at chilled his blood to his core. A new and horrific determination as he saw the statues and the paintings for the first time gripped him like a cold claw upon his heart. Like a manic, rabid dog, he sprinted through the hallways after his friend.
…
You are Link, the hero of this age. You have slain countless enemies in your time in this war. You have defeated the physical embodiment of evil, and you avenged the death of a man whom you felt a fatherly connection to for the first time since the old soldier who'd adopted you. You survived a fall that would have killed countless men, and were so badly injured that it was a miracle that you even survived.
And you got up.
You are the hope of a nation, a man whom mothers tell their children is the one that will lead Hyrule out of the darkness. The one who has earned the respect of countless people before you. Who has defeated those that many have fallen trying to stop, who has garnered the attention of the Goddesses as they graced you with the physical embodiment of courage.
And this was before you pulled the Master Sword from its ancient pedestal.
And as you make your way through the labrynthine hallways of this dark place, you feel no fear as the enemies fall before you. The Blade of Evil's Bane has rendered you nigh-invulnerable, and your enemies would rather flee just as soon as lay eyes upon you. You hunt them down anyway. The power of the Goddesses courses through your veins. This sword whispers in your ear, telling you great and powerful secrets of the light that leads you to believe that you are the champion of the age. And with good reason, as you continually dispatch all that come before you. You know everything.
You hear a cry of distress from the corner of your hearing. You turn towards the sound, and see that it comes from the far end of an adjacent hallway. You both panic at the realization that it sounded like Zelda, and then grin at the realization that you will be able to save her with your newfound power. With Proxi cheering you on and with the power of the Master Sword in your hands, you race down the hallway. The enemies fall before you like cards. You see the doorway, and with a cry you burst through the opening to save the princess.
There is no one there. It is a large and open room, and you can see a balcony through the doorway at the far end of the room. You look around, and then you see the doorway ahead of you slam shut. A magical forcefield covers it, preventing any chance at it opening. There is a slamming noise. You turn around, and see that the doorway you came through has been shut, with the same forcefield coating it as well. Your feet are heavy, and you look down to see chains binding your ankles to the ground. You struggle, but they seem to tighten with every move you make.
You look up, and there is a woman. She is both terrifying and intoxicating in her dark allure. She walks slowly towards you, her hips sashaying with each step. She has taken off her mask, and for the first time you can see the triumphant gleam in her eyes as she smiles and slowly licks the corner of her lips.
"Link…darling."
And in that moment, you realize that you had known nothing all along.
And you are alone.
Alone.
Alone.
With the psycho.
HYRULIAN CODEX
Temple of Souls – A strange and mythical place that many do not even know the existence of. Only the most powerful of mages or shaman are even aware of this place's existence, and only then does that come as a result of complete and total mastery of oneself within the psychic plane. It is a place that reflects the mental state of that who claims it for his or herself. The amount of magical prowess required to keep the Temple of Souls from collapsing within itself as a magical vacuum is said to be enormous, which is why all of those trained in magic are hesitant to educate young and particularly ambitious magicians and mages about the place: none have ever managed to sustain the place with losing themselves to the void.