A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: His singing lines are demarked "like this," and her lines are demarked "like this." Them singing together is demarked "like this."
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Zelda had slept well the previous night. She still awoke as the sun was beginning to rise, and sighed as it peaked through the flap of her tent. She hadn't done a very good job of closing that thing. Still, it was probably for the best that she didn't sleep in; there was still work to be done.
She eschewed dressing in a particularly regal manner that day, instead opting for wearing what amounted to outlander clothes. Truthfully, she didn't have the chance to bring many outfits with her when she'd been forced to evacuate the kingdom, and she didn't want her armor and regal wear getting smelly. She didn't have a mirror, save for the side of a particularly wide-bladed knife, and had to chuckle at how un-princesslike she looked. Maybe in another life she might have complained, but here she was in no position to do so.
She emerged from the tent to see that the camp had grown exponentially in the evening hours; evidently, the Bulblins and Skyloftians had been a lot faster at retrieving the settlers and wounded and old and ill from the River Hylia than she'd expected. Considering that they were in firm control of the oases that surrounded this temple, this was probably a better place to be than right on the outskirts of a kingdom that Ganondorf firmly controlled. And in this obscure land, she could begin planning a counterattack.
She came upon Lord King Romulus, who was hobbling through the camp. He saw her, and offered a tired smile.
"Good morning, your majesty." He said. "I did not expect you to be up so early."
"I could say the same for you." Zelda replied. Romulus smiled.
"Please. Crusty old folk like myself do not need this thing you young ones call 'sleep.' I barely imbibe." There was a pause, and then he shrugged. "But then again, my gout keeps me awake too."
"I feel your pain, Romulus." Zelda said.
"No you don't, and I wouldn't wish it upon you in the slightest." Romulus said somewhat chidingly. "It is all fun and games to be a warrior in your youth, while your body is still able to handle. But when the spirits begin to take from you, one of the first things that they will demand is the elasticity of youth. I am old, and I feel like dented iron. Keep that in mind as you age yourself, Zelda." He said.
"Do you regret living your life like that?" Zelda asked.
"Not at all." Romulus said. "I am a warrior, and a Bulblin. I may be in daily pain, but I have extended my life decades longer than it would have been if I had been content to just sit by. I simply do not wish for you to meet my fate…or the Hero."
"Link?" Zelda asked.
"Indeed." Romulus said. "He takes a beating, does he not?"
"He…I suppose he does." Zelda replied. "But he never stops."
"And there is an admirable quality to that." Romulus said. "But all the same…he must be careful." He said. "It would not be wise to walk into Ganondorf's turf at anything less than full strength."
"That I can agree with." Zelda said. There was a pause, and then it came to her. "Romulus, you said that you and your riders know the back terrains of the mountains and the northern ridges, correct?"
"Relatively well, yes." Romulus said. "Why?"
"Because I have an idea." Zelda said.
…
Sometime later, as the sun began to rise higher and the rest of the camp started to wake up, Zelda gathered some of her council around a small crate that served as a makeshift table. She tapped on the piece of paper laid out on it.
"We probably do not have much time before Ganondorf puts two and two together and realizes that we have killed his lieutenants." Zelda said. "This is as good as any time to start planning a counterattack."
"Duh." Midna said. She was treated with a few sharp looks, but she was unrepentant. "Sorry, but that's sort of obvious, honey. What exactly do you have in mind?" She asked.
"I want to get some more kingdoms involved." Zelda said. She looked at Darunia and sighed. "As much as I appreciate you bringing your honor guard with you, we need the artillery of Petra. We need to link with the Gorons."
"Hah ha!" Darunia said. "No offense taken, dear sister! All I request is that I ride with whomever you send after this Petra fellow. I should like to see how the Gorons fare under him."
"I am not understating when I say that he will very much appreciate your company." Zelda said.
"He stammers enough as it is." Impa remarked drily. Lord Gawain snickered, but said nothing. Zelda ignored them, but continued.
"Lord King Romulus has agreed to send some of his most adept warbeast riders with you then, Darunia, so that you can navigate the northern mountains towards the Goron kingdom. With luck, you will pass by the Valley of the Seers without alerting anyone."
"So…you wish that I do not engage the enemy?" Darunia asked, somewhat disappointed. Zelda smiled.
"I know how much you look forward to it, friend, but I am afraid that you will just have to wait."
"I hate waiting." Darunia muttered somewhat petulantly, folding his arms across his chest like a child. Ruto, who somehow had managed to wake herself up for this, giggled.
"Aw, cheer up Darunia! You'll like it, I promise!" She said.
"That brings me to you, Ruto." Zelda said.
"Me?" Ruto asked, completely stunned.
"Yes, you." Zelda said. "I need you to help my forces get in touch with the Zora Kingdom down south on the River Hylia. You'll need someone to help you talk to them, though once they see you I doubt they'll ask questions." The princess looked a little worried for a moment. "Truthfully, if you could stop by the Chateau de Gaulle, that would be wonderful. I fear for Gustav in the aftermath of the takeover."
"How will I know where this de Gaulle fella lives?" Ruto asked.
"You'll know it when you see it." Zelda, Impa, Gawain and Link all said simultaneously.
"Well then!" Ruto said, somewhat surprised from that reaction. "Fair enough. But can I pick out some people to help guard me?" She asked.
"…Yes, Ruto. You may." Zelda said with a resigned expression. Ruto let out a little "eeeee!" noise, and then sprinted off somewhere into the camp.
"Where does that leave the rest of us?" Midna asked somewhat frustratedly.
"Patience, Midna." Zelda said. "I'm going to have Fi and Dorias travel with Darunia and Romulus. Ruto is going with some of the higher guards and…a personal guard to Gustav's manor. You are going to stay here with me, Link, Impa, Gawain and the Ravagers."
"Why?" Midna asked, somewhat annoyed. "You think that I can't handle myself?"
"No, I think that you know how to fight dirty." Zelda said. "And I need all the dirty war consultants I can get."
"Dirty war?" Impa asked.
"I want that bastard to start looking over his shoulder." Zelda said, a hint of fury in her eyes. "Let him sweat. He took my kingdom like it was a stroll on the beach. He's about to step on forgotten glass." She turned to Agitha. "Your highness?" She asked.
"Yes, your majesty?" Agitha asked. Zelda smiled.
"Could you be a dear and help the settlers here?" She asked. "You would work well with Maria and the nurses."
"Ooh, I've always wanted to be a nurse!" Agitha giggled. "Where is this Maria?" She asked.
"Lady Grantham is over at the oasis pool." Zelda said, pointing to the pool in question. "She has the purple dress and red hair. You'll know her when you see her."
Agitha let out a little squeal of delight, and grabbed the hand of Meathook and forcibly led him off to the medical tent. Meathook didn't seem particularly annoyed, mostly confused.
Zelda gave the order for the rest to dismiss. When they had all left, there was only her, Link, Impa, Gawain, Midna…and Itami and Ishaka.
"So what happens now?" Gawain asked. Zelda turned to face him.
"I want to start making Ganondorf sweat but…" She sighed. "I am not built to fight in unscrupulous manners." She said. "And I want to make something clear: we only do what we must to defeat him. Nothing more, nothing less."
"No offense, princess, but are you sure you want us to start getting dirty?" Midna asked. "It doesn't suit you."
"No, it doesn't." Zelda said. She turned. "That's why we have Itami and Ishaka."
"Hmm?" Ishaka asked, having been caught mid-puff of his pipe.
"I ask so much of you, but I need you to figure out where his outposts are. Where his troops move, and where we can expect the most resistance in planning an attack." She said. "We need a starting point. I know that Renee is still with Petra, and if she can get some intel then we can start coordinating things. But…I don't know the first thing about how to get into the heads of an enemy that doesn't fight fair and doesn't know honor." She said.
"I'm a little bit out of practice, otherwise I'd help." Gawain admitted. "I was a thief. I wasn't a cutthroat."
"And you just automatically assume that we are?" Itami asked, somewhat testily.
There was an awkward pause.
There was the sound of swords being drawn. Both Itami and Ishaka had somewhat scary looks on their faces.
"Well, once 'pon a time, we were." Ishaka said.
Zelda and the others shuddered.
…
They dragged the three prisoners towards the far edge of the camp: A Bokoblin, a Lizalfos, and a Moblin. The three were bound with their hands behind their back, and were knelt down on the ground. They all looked up at the two men staring at them.
"Isssss thissss ssssupposssed to be sssscary?" The Lizalfos hissed, flicking its tongue at the Ravagers as it spoke. "Becaussssssse I'll die before I sssssssay anything."
Itami tapped his finger on his chin in thought.
"Sure about that?" Itami asked.
Ishaka proceeded to punch the Lizalfos in the face with what looked like a pair of brass knuckles, knocking out several teeth and causing the creature to bleat in pain. The others flinched in horror, and they watched as Ishaka started to punch and smack the creature in the face again.
"ENOUGH!" Itami snapped, yanking Ishaka off of the battered being. "You're supposed to talk to them, not kill them!" He snarled. Ishaka stared at him darkly, but said nothing. Itami looked at the wounded Lizalfos, and smiled somewhat pleasantly.
"Still wanna die, big guy?" He asked.
"Yessssssssss…" The Lizalfos hissed, though this time it was out of legitimate pain and not defiance.
SMACK.
Ishaka slapped him hard across the face.
"Fuck you. I give th' ord'rs 'round here." He said. As the Lizalfos lay down on the ground, Itami looked at the other three. He shrugged.
"It's your call. You talk, or he will hurt you. Badly."
"And if we do talk?" The Moblin snarled.
"Then he don't hurt you." Itami said. "There's no reason we can't be civilized about this, after all."
Ishaka took that moment to step on the tail of the downed Lizalfos, who howled in pain.
…
"Oh, that's just mean." Midna muttered, as she watched the two Ravagers hold a civilized discussion with the three beings that weren't in excruciating pain. Zelda looked at the display and sighed. She might have signed off on this sort of thing, but that did not mean that she had to like it, by any stretch.
Lord Gawain stared at them with his good eye, and squinted. He snorted.
"I hope it doesn't become a habit for the Hyrulian army to outsource what amounts to torture, your majesty." He said, staring pointedly at Zelda. She shook her head.
"Absolutely not." She said. Lord Gawain nodded curtly.
"Good. Because this is going to get ugly." He said.
…
Ruto was practically skipping through the camp at this point, as she looked for the person in question. She'd told the small band of Ravagers and her Zora guard to stay put on the end of the camp, while she came back with her personal guard. When they'd asked, she had deliberately refused to say.
She found him at the edge of the camp, currently on the receiving end of a lecture.
"Matthew Joshua Grantham, do you have any idea what your father would say about this?" Lady Maria Grantham said, her normally warm features very cold and sharp. "I am so disappointed in you. You snuck off without my permission, and could have gotten yourself KILLED!" She looked somewhat heartbroken. "I don't know where your father is; I don't want to lose you too!"
"Mom, I-"
"I don't care if you came back in one piece, that doesn't change the fact that there was no reason for you to be out there!"
"Um, excuse me?" Ruto asked, interrupting them.
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but my son and I are busy." Lady Grantham said. Ruto blushed.
"I…I heard. And I have to disagree with your assessment, madame. Your son had a reason to be out there. There was a purpose to him riding with the Bulblins and the army." Ruto said. "He saved my life."
"He-what, now?" Lady Grantham asked, shocked.
"He saved me from a pair of Moblins. I think they were captains. Snatched me right out of danger's way. He…you would have been proud of him, ma'am. And while I know you have every right to be worried that he left…if he hadn't, I might have died."
There was an incredulous pause. Lady Grantham stared at Matthew, somewhat flabbergasted.
"Honey, is this true?"
"Yeah." Matthew said, after a pause.
"Why didn't you tell me?" His mother scolded. "That isn't the sort of thing to leave out, when you tell me that you snuck off to fight in a battle!"
"It wasn't that big of a deal, mom." Matthew said. "Just something that I felt I needed to do." His mother sighed, and palmed her forehead.
"Goddesses, you are so much like your father it is inconceivable." She said. "Now I don't know whether to be mad at you for sneaking off or proud of you for saving someone! Saving a princess, at that!"
"I'd go for option B." Ruto said with a smile. "That's the position I'm taking." Lady Grantham rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile forming on her lips.
"Of course." She said. "Now, um, what do you need, princess Ruto?" She asked.
"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow your son." Ruto said. "I'm on a mission to meet up with…de Gaulle?"
"Gustav?" Lady Grantham said. "Goodness, I hope he's alright! From there are you headed to the Zora kingdom?"
"That's the plan." Ruto said. "It's just, I'm kind of an important person, and I was wondering if I could have my good-luck charm with me when I go." She said. Lady Grantham sighed. She stared at her son pointedly.
"Don't go out of your way to be a hero, Matthew." She said. She gestured for him to get up and go, but not before giving him a big hug, the kind that mothers are best at. As he hustled off after Ruto, he managed to say something to her when they were out of earshot of his mother.
"I owe you big time for that, your highness." He said. Ruto giggled, and wrapped her arm over his shoulders.
"Oh, you don't need to be so formal with me, sugar. 'Ruto' is fine. And big time, hmm?" She tapped her chin in thought. "I think I might need to call in that favor…"
Matthew felt hot, and had a feeling that it wasn't the desert heat.
…
"A fine mount, this is!" Darunia said. He had been given the strongest of the Bulblin warbeasts, and was currently getting a strong grip on the reins. Standing beside him, leaning against his cane and smiling, was Lord King Romulus.
"He has served me well, and he will serve you well." He turned to the Bulblin at the front of the cavalry line. "Lead the way to the eastern entrance of the Goron kingdom, but allow King Darunia here to take the lead when you think that you are in sight of the Goron kingdom. I do not want there to be an accident. And if they see Darunia amongst your ranks…" he smirked. "…Well, I think that you won't have much to worry about."
"Brother Romulus!" Darunia said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you not coming with us?"
"I fear not, friend." Romulus said. "I am too old and fat and slow. The young should take command of this mission. And it is to your people that you go, not mine. Who am I to deny you the right to lead an expedition into the heart of your people's kingdom?"
"What a wonderfully magnanimous way to put it, chap!" Captain Dorias said, doffing his hat. He was astride his Loftwing, which was clicking its beak with eagerness to get into the air.
"The lack of Lord King Romulus will increase the aggregate speed of our mission by about-" Fi was cut off.
"Madame, perhaps a statistical analysis is not appropriate for this occasion?" Dorias interrupted meekly. He turned to Darunia. "Your lead, sir!"
"Forth, to the hills of my people, friends!" Darunia barked from the top of his warbeast. "YOOOOOOOOOO!"
With that, he and his mount sprinted off towards the west, and towards the Goron kingdom. The rest of the expedition recovered from his outburst, and swiftly departed as well in order to keep up. Romulus watched them go until they were but a speck in the distance, and then turned around. Sighing, he began hobbling back into the camp, looking for a particular hero.
…
SMACK.
Ishaka swung his fist like a hammer, striking the Moblin in the face so hard that one of its teeth was knocked out. Each of the three creatures looked to some degree of hell, with cuts and bruises and a weary look in their eyes. Itami tutted.
"Goodness, you guys are making this difficult for yourselves." He was peeling an orange, and making conversation as if it was the most normal thing. "I was pretty straightforward, you know. If you talk, then Ishaka doesn't hurt you."
"We don't want to talk to him!" The Bokoblin shouted, staring at Ishaka with terror-filled eyes.
"Why not?" Itami asked.
"Becausssssse he isssss an idiot…" The Lizalfos managed to hiss. "The type who thinksssss that punching thingsssss getsssss ansssswerssss."
"Aw, lucky you!" Ishaka said, cracking his knuckles. "I never got ta knock out all'o th' teeth of some'un b'fore, yeh dumb fuck." He stepped towards them menacingly, only for Itami to step in front of him.
"Easy, big guy." He said. He turned towards the Bokoblin that had spoken up. "You don't wanna talk to him? He scare you? I mean, don't get me wrong: Ishaka is one scary dude. The kind that might eat you, let alone beat you up. Not exactly the type of person to talk to, right?"
"What're yeh sayin' bout me?" Ishaka growled. Itami rolled his eyes and ignored him.
"You have eyes, though. Right? You do realize that he isn't the only one here, right? I'm here, too." Itami said. He watched the gears turn in the three creatures' heads.
"You haven't offffered to ssssspeak." The Lizalfos said in a disbelieving tone.
"You never asked." Itami replied, casually. "So, you wanna talk to him? Or you wanna talk to me?"
"You!" The Bokoblin blurted in fright.
"You little traitorous rat I oughta-" The Moblin never finished his sentence, as Ishaka punched him in the face so hard he was knocked completely out cold. At that, Itami rose up, and shoved Ishaka hard.
"Goddess damn it, what the fuck is wrong with you? I'm about to get them to talk and you go and fuck it up, just like you always do!"
"Jus' like I always do?" Ishaka asked, highly offended. "Wha' th' fuck is tha' s'pposed ta mean?"
"You know what I mean, you big gorilla!" Itami shouted. "Get the fuck out of my face, or so help me I'll make you get out of here."
"How you gonna do tha', Mohawk?" Ishaka stepped towards Itami threateningly, standing a good half foot taller than the Craol.
But he was stopped cold by the pointed blade under Itami's wrist that was now pointed directly at his Adam's apple.
"One more move." Itami said. "I dare you."
Ishaka stared at him darkly, and then spit right in his face. He stormed off.
…
"Ishaka, what the hell was that?" Impa was on him immediately, as soon as the Ravager captain was out of the interrogation space. "Are you trying to screw this all up?"
"That was very unbecoming." Zelda scolded.
"Way to act like exactly what they think you are." Gawain chided.
So far, Ishaka had said nothing. He was staring off in the distance, looking away from them. Midna smacked him on the shoulder.
"Hey, tall, dark and brooding! They're talking to you. And as a personal aside, I think you need to read some more fantasy novels: if you were playing the ol' 'white knight, black knight'* routine on those idiot prisoners, you went way too far as the black knight. Way too far!"
"Y'all don't get it." Ishaka said quietly. The response was enough to quiet them all down.
"W-what did you say?" Zelda demanded. Ishaka turned to face them. He was smirking somewhat.
"I was th' white knight."
…
"Thank th' ssssssandsssss." The Lizalfos said, getting back up to its knees. "With that brute out of the way, mayyybe we can ssssspeak like gentlemen-"
Without even looking at the creature, Itami lashed his hand towards the beast's arm. A knife that he'd been secretly carrying in his palm was jabbed right into the fleshy underside of the Lizalfo's triceps. It let out a screech of pain, and collapsed to the ground howling.
"Don't take that out." Itami said, still not looking at the beast. "It's very close to a nerve cluster your species has. You yank it out without professional supervision, you will bleed out here on the sand. So lie down and shut up."
Itami turned towards the sweating Bokoblin. His expression was blank.
"Now it's just you and me, big guy." He said to the sweating creature. His face was a kabuki mask; completely devoid of emotion. "And I have to say, this is a pretty nice little conversation we're going to have. Very interesting. Because, see, just because you have an option to change the route you're on doesn't mean that that is the right way to go." He gestured to a bag that he had on his hip. "You see this?"
The Bokoblin nodded fearfully.
"I'm a doctor." Itami said. "I want you to remember that. I am the only way that any of you three are getting out of tonight alive. Even that piece of shit Lizalfos, who has been asking for a knife to the throat since he opened his ugly-ass mouth."
"Wh-what about the captain?" The Bokoblin asked.
"That fatass Moblin?" Itami asked. "Too stupid to tell me anything. To dumb to remember the self-preservation instinct. But, here's the thing, boss: you do. You are smart enough to remember it. You're smart, right? Right, pal?"
"Y-yes?" The Bokoblin asked. Itami smirked a little bit.
"Good. Now, see, you caught me at a rather interesting time in my life. If you and I had run into each other…maybe two weeks or so before? I would have killed that Lizalfos right in front of you. Then I would have gone to work on the Moblin. Then, after I got what I needed, I probably would have offed you too. But, like I said, you've caught me at an interesting time in my life."
"W-why?" The Bokoblin asked.
"Because I don't want to kill you, and you don't want to die." The Ravager responded. "And all that needs to be done is for you to tell me a few things." Itami dug into the bag, and unrolled a map of Hyrule. "You're gonna tell me where Ganondorf has camps. Where he has divisions moving. How well-guarded Castle Town is. You're gonna tell me all of this."
"He'll kill me!" The Bokoblin replied.
"And I will kill you if you don't." Itami said. "Or, I might not. But that might not be the best option for you." Itami cleared his throat. "Look me in the eye. Do you think that I am less scary than your boss?"
The Bokoblin was too afraid to answer.
"That's what I thought." Itami said. He smiled cheerily, and clapped the Bokoblin on the back. The creature flinched like it had felt the Grim Reaper touching it on its skin. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine. Just tell me the answers to my questions, and I promise you on the soul of my forefathers that you will survive."
"I-"
"But remember this." Itami said, cutting off the Bokoblin. "I am a doctor. If you fuck with me, I will break out my surgical tools."
…
"He's got 'im." Ishaka said quietly. He turned around and started walking towards one of the fires in the camp.
"You are that certain?" Zelda asked.
"Pos'tive." Ishaka said. "Th' Bok'blin be th' only one wit' th' sense ta talk ta 'im. He'll 'ave 'im singin' like a birdie soon 'nough."
"I've been able to catch bits and pieces of his conversation." Impa said. "It's…disturbing."
"Itami be a dist'rbin' guy, Impa! But a good un'. He tell tha' Bok'blin he ain't gonna kill 'im? He ain't gonna kill 'im."
"You're asking us to go on your word for that." Lord Gawain said. Ishaka nodded. Gawain sighed. "Well, I can hardly say that this is a normal day. Nor have we been in a normal situation since we lost the castle. I guess that, in the end, we'll have to take what we're given."
"Which is a lot."
Itami had snuck up on them, scaring the hell out of everyone except Ishaka.
"I-Itami? But-"
"Knocked the little git out with some of my own mix." Itami said. "He gave me everything. Troop movements to the best of his knowledge, outposts, a few tips on how they defend the castle and town…the works. Ganondorf liked to keep his troops informed, under penalty of death, I guess. It worked against him." He handed the rolled-up map of Hyrule to Lord Gawain. "From here, I leave it to you to plan things out. I'm tired and I'd like to get some rest."
"You've earned it, Itami." Zelda said. She turned towards the prisoners. "And they-?"
"They'll live." Itami said.
He strolled off.
Zelda sighed, and shrugged.
"I guess…I guess I'll start discussing things with you then, Lee?" She asked. The Lord of War nodded. She turned towards the others. "We'll call you in a bit. For now, get some rest. Especially you, Impa. You've been at my side for a while now. I can handle myself."
The Sheikah rolled her eyes, but nodded. Zelda smiled, but then frowned.
"Now that I think about it, where is Link?"
…
He was sitting at the foot of the temple, looking up into the yawning abyss caused by the open gate. It was old and dark, and though he knew there wasn't anything to be afraid of…there was something about the whole place that put him on edge.
"It is a somewhat dark place."
Link was startled by the approach of Lord King Romulus, who had rather quietly appeared next to him.
"Y-yeah, I guess so." Link said. Romulus smiled tiredly.
"My people have ridden through these deserts many times, and we have seen this place off in the distance many times as well. And yet…" he tapped his chin in thought as he gazed up at the massive stone works. "I cannot for the life of me say that any of us have been inside its stony halls."
At that moment, a glowy little ball of light appeared by Link's head.
"You should give it a try!" Proxi said. "Link here will protect you!"
Link's eyes widened, and Romulus chuckled.
"You have a rather excitable friend, don't you?" He asked the hero. He smiled some more. "Now that I think about it, that is a rather interesting idea." He looked at Link. "Want to see what's inside?"
"Uh, won't you be a little-"
Link was cut off with Romulus thwacking the Hyrulian's shin with his cane.
"I can more than handle myself in there, young man." Romulus said. "I simply think it would be wise to carry a form of insurance."
Link looked around. Zelda was nowhere in sight.
"I suppose we can take a peek." He muttered. Chuckling, Romulus started walking into the gloam, with a cautious Link following right after him.
It was a massive atrium, barely illuminated by the remaining light left in the night and the faint blue glow of Proxi's light. Romulus bent over to pick up an old piece of wood, and reached into his pocket for a bit of flint and a match. He held up the torch, only for Link to take it from him.
"I can probably hold it higher than you." Link said, somewhat apologetically.
"Hmph. Young 'uns always thinking they need to care for their elders." Romulus grumbled.
"Uh, I mean-"
"I'm kidding. Of course the younger one should be doing the heavy lifting." Romulus said. There was a hint of teasing in his voice. Link rolled his eyes, but continued to follow the Bulblin into the temple.
"I've never been in here, but I have heard stories about this place." Romulus said, as they made their way down a hallway. Link looked at the ornate carvings on the wall. They were mysterious and dark and somewhat familiar all the same. "It is allegedly the sight of a bygone legend." He tugged at his wispy beard in thought. "A rather curious tale, in fact."
"How so?" Link asked.
"Well, I don't entirely know for sure. But allegedly this is the resting place of a great power. Or a great hero. Or was it a great evil? I'm not certain." He looked at the panicked look on Link's face. "I'm kidding about the evil part. At least, I think so. But I know that it isn't what is kept here." They reached a dome-shaped room, where there was a small pedestal-like altar at the far end. "And yet this is as far as I think we can get. Perhaps this all meant something meaningless, and over the years the legends have warped it into something that it isn't. That does tend to happen. Many stories are, at their core, imaginary." He turned to Link. "Link?"
Link hadn't heard the man's ramblings, and instead was paying attention to the pedestal itself. There were runes on it, and a carving of a being. He didn't know how, but the runes were familiar to him. And there was a trace familiarity with the carved figure on the pedestal. The figure was tall-looking, with a weapon he couldn't quite make out, and clearly was supposed to be someone important. Even in this stony setting, there was something fierce about the way that that figure looked.
"Link, what do you see?" Romulus asked.
"I…I don't know." Link said. "But I have the oddest feeling that I know this place. Or, at least I know why this place might matter."
"Really?" Romulus asked, leaning against his cane. "Do tell."
"Yes, do tell."
They whirled around to see a slightly-exasperated Zelda standing behind them. Romulus cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Your majesty, it was all my fault. Just a foolish old man that wanted to go for a nightly stroll, and wished for some company."
"Can the obfuscation, Romulus." Zelda said. "It doesn't fit you." She turned to Link. "Be careful, Link. There's something powerful about this place, but I can't put my finger on what it is." Link turned back towards the pedestal, and stared at the runes. There was something about them, but he wasn't entirely sure what they meant. And yet at the same time he did, all the same.
He walked over to the pedestal, and drew a knife from his pocket.
"Link, what are you doing?" Zelda asked.
He gently nicked the back of his hand, drawing a bit of blood. He let it bleed a bit, and then pressed his cut against the top of the pedestal. He watched the blood sink into the stone…and then suddenly disappear.
"Link, that's not normal." Proxi said.
There was a rumbling like an earthquake. Then a massive bang. Link felt the floor give way beneath him, and let out a yell as he fell into the dark unknown.
…
Lana looked up from her stitching to see Itami coming towards her. There was a slightly faraway look in the Craol's eye. She stopped knitting, and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you okay, Itami?" She asked. The Craol looked at her blankly.
"Am I a bad person, Lana?" He asked, finally. Lana looked flabbergasted.
"Of course not! What makes you say that?" She asked. Itami shrugged, and sat down next to her.
"I've done some bad things." He said. "And I didn't feel too good just a little bit ago."
"Your interrogation." Lana finished for him. When he looked at her in confusion, she continued to knit. "Zelda told me about it. Said you seemed somewhat off, even by your standards."
"It's just…a while back, I used to do that sort of thing all the time and never really stop and think about it." Itami said. "But now…now I was thinking about it. And I realized that I didn't really like it."
"And you think that it makes you a bad man?" Lana asked.
"Well, doesn't it?" Itami asked. Lana looked thoughtful for a moment.
"I think the fact that you recognize the darkness for what it really is says more about you than the fact that you had to play rough to get some information out of people." She said. "And I don't think you're a bad man." She said with firmness. "You are too hard on yourself. That's your real problem." She said it as if it was the most simple thing in the world.
Itami nodded, but didn't say anything. He just sat there, and watched her knit some ornate bit of cloth together.
…
It was getting dark out. Ishaka was quietly walking through the camp, taking the time to interact with some of the settlers that he hadn't had a chance to in several days. For the older folk of Hyrule and the disposed nobles that were scattered amongst the tents, to see the gregarious Ravager commander back to his old self was a remarkable relief. And he figured if there was something that he could do to help them feel better, then he would do that.
He was so busy in his own thoughts that he didn't sense the presence next to him until a rough pair of hands had grabbed him and yanked him off to the side.
"Wha' th'-" He managed to grunt as he was pushed up against an exposed pillar on the edge of the camp, away from most people. He looked into the eyes of Midna, who was close enough to him to make it implicitly clear she wasn't about to let him run off.
"Midna? What's goin'-"
"Let's talk." Midna said. There was a curtness to her voice, and perhaps even a level of exasperation to it. Ishaka raised an eyebrow.
"Talk 'bout wha'-"
"You and Impa. What's the deal?" Midna asked.
A/N: CLIFFHANGERS!
HYRULIAN CODEX
"White Knight, Black Knight" –A somewhat standard interrogation routine with prisoners or otherwise delinquents. The perpetrator in question is approached by two members of the state or capturing party, in order to extact information. One of the two will take on the role of the 'black knight,' and act in a manner that is very intimidating and brusque towards the captive. In return, the other will act as a sort of 'white knight' in order to mitigate the fears of the captive, and let him or her know that there is someone else in the room that isn't crazy. Thus, the captive is more willing to talk to the white knight than to the black knight.
This is a fairly well-known and frequently mocked technique, so it becomes a sort of performance art between the two actors taking the black or white knight roles. Sometimes they invert the standard expectations. Sometimes they both play one role. But even rarer are the teams that are able to pull off the most twistedly effective of bait-and-switches so that the captive has no idea the trick is being sprung.