THANK YOU THANKSGIVING BREAK! I'll probably even have another one up before Tuesday! But after that, updates will be slower again. Hahaha. Anyway, fair warning: this chapter is very...dense. There's very little dialogue, and it's mostly just meaty paragraphs. I hope it doesn't get boring, but it's not as bad as it looks! Enjoy! :D

Chapter Forty: Halls of the Castle

Link, his heart pounding, turned his back to the castle and its many guards. His eyes were set on the light as it glowed brightly, causing his stomach to do a periodical somersault. Hastily crumpling the paper back into his tunic, he narrowed his eyes and began making his way toward the light. It seemed to be coming from the large field, at the Eastern exit, where the entrance to Lake Hylia lay. It was simply a speculation, yet just that thought made the inner source inside of him jolt in confirmation. He felt more exhilarated than he'd ever felt before as he rushed through the dwindling crowds of people, even more so than the first time he'd kissed Zelda...

Link ignored the constant pushing and shoving of the crowds, and almost never took his eyes off of the light. It created a small hole in the clouds, as if it were an area from which the light descended. Thought it was green, it gave off a slight golden glow. And he also tried to hide his shining hand from the people around him, keeping it obscured while the Triforce pumped incessantly. It was almost painful, how much adrenaline was running through his veins. It only pushed him to move faster toward the unknown light, and soon, he found himself before the door leading to the southern field. Without any further hesitation, he pushed the doors open (while still trying to hide his Triforce) and ran out. Once outside in the fresh night air, on the stone ground, Link paused. As the doors closed behind him, he took a moment to breathe in the air. Then, his eyes moved to his right...

The light was there.

With another rush of excitement, Link found himself smiling. Then, he bolted down the stairs while struggling not to trip, and soon found himself running on the soft grass of the field. By this time, he was squinting from the brightness of the light, and lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sight. To his surprise, the light was shining right on the spot where the bug princess Agitha usually stood, looking for bugs for her party. A large circle of green light was in the center of the bed of the flowers, and as Link cautiously drew nearer, the light began to dim. By the time he had reached the obscured spot, the light was gone, and Link was able to lower his hand.

When he stepped into the flowers, nothing happened. He stared down pensively, curious and lost, at the spot where the light had just been. Though the ray was gone, Link's Triforce was still glowing ferociously. He let out a sigh in frustration; and for the millionth time, he found himself expecting Midna to pop out and tell him what to do. Closing his eyes tightly to get the painful thought out of his mind, Link instinctively took the papers out once more. Simply following the urges inside of him, he crouched down with paper still in hand, and put his shining hand to the flowers. Gently, he tried to move them aside.

But the flowers wouldn't budge. With a furrowed brow, he resorted to force and grabbed the flowers in fistfuls, attempting to rip them out. Still, they refused to move even an inch. Letting out an exasperated breath, Link straightened his legs and stared down at the flowerbed in contempt. He knew that to discover the meaning of the light, he would need to move the flowers...or whatever they were. Then, he raised an eyebrow as a brilliant idea came to mind.

Slowly, he backed up out of the flowers, sneaking a glance at the setting sun as he did. Anxiously, he looked around; making sure that there was nobody around. When he saw that he was all alone, he smirked and pulled out a weapon from his knapsack. For a moment, he just held the boomerang in his hands, delicately running his fingers along the smooth, white surface. He hadn't used it in what seemed like forever, yet it had always been useful for him. Hopefully it would prove its worth at this moment, when Link needed it most.

Closing his right eye, Link lifted his left hand with the boomerang. Using his perfect aim, precision, and experience with this weapon, he flicked his entire arm and let it fly. He was sent stumbling backwards a bit as the tornado of the boomerang emerged, whirling wildly as it approached the flowerbed. It hovered for a moment above the flowers, letting the tornado sweep away the plants, and then it came flying back to him. With barely a blink, he lifted his hand and caught it perfectly. Satisfied, he put it away and made his way back to the flowerbed. There were no flowers left. The force of the tornado had ripped them mercilessly from their roots and left them scattered on the grass, revealing the thing that Link had been waiting for.

There, were the flowers had been, was a large slab of stone. And etched precisely into the stone was a Triforce; below the Triforce, some words were scribed. As he approached, he knelt once again and softly brushed the remains of the crumpled petals away. But as his fingers made contact with the stone, a burning sensation rushed through his body, and he clenched his teeth as he suppressed his screams. His hand shined more brightly than ever, causing his entire body to tremble. Soon, however, the pain passed.

When Link opened his eyes, the Triforce on the stone was also glowing, but faintly. He could just barely make out the words, because his eyesight was slightly blurry from his previous jolt of pain.

The Messenger of the Royal Family, the one who will find the cure: the only one who can enter.

The one who needs the missing piece, the Hero of the Plague: the only one who can enter.

The one who holds the divinity, the one who knows how to use it: the only one who can enter.

The one who feels the force, the one who sees the ray of light: the only one who can enter.

The one with the Triforce... The one who must prove himself worthy.

Link was sick of riddles. Groaning discreetly, he ran a hand through his hair as his mind struggled to decipher the words written before him. He knew that he was the one being described, yet he didn't know how to "prove himself worthy." What more could he do besides save all of Hyrule from the ancient King of the Gerudos? He couldn't think of much. All that he did know was that this was certainly the entrance that led to the third and final parchment. The words made it clear. And he was pretty sure that he was the Messenger of the Royal Family, and he had felt the force drawing him to this place and seen the light. What else did this riddle want from him?

Suddenly feeling the inner source take over once more, Link dropped to his hands and knees on the stone. Taking a deep breath, he took his hand and placed it in the center of the golden Triforce, and as he did, he felt power rushing through him. Along with the power came pain, and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Before he could even open his mouth, the white light suddenly coming from the Triforce on the stone blinded him. He tried to lift his hand to cover his eyes, but he couldn't move. It was as if his hand was glued to the stone.

Then, without warning, the stone beneath him simply disappeared. The light faded into blackness, and the hard surface was gone. Before Link could even register what had happened, he fell heavily through the now gaping hole where the stone had been. With a loud scream, he tumbled violently down the entrance, unable to control his movements. He flipped this way and that, screaming all the while as he went through this free-fall. He felt as if his stomach was about to explode, and his entire body was still aching from what he'd just experienced. His voice echoed into the abyss eerily, and he could see the small slither of light above slowly close off, leaving him in darkness. The falling never seemed to end.

Link couldn't keep himself sustained, and found his eyes closing and his consciousness leaving him...

When Link opened his eyes, there was still darkness. His whole body hurt, his head more than anything. He was laying on something soft and somewhat comforting, and his body was sprawled out from the fall. A moan escaped his chapped lips, and as he tried to sit up, a horrible throbbing came to his head. His heart was pounding horribly, and he had no idea where he was.

The messenger...The hero...

A quiet, haunting voice resonated through the area, bringing Link gloomy chills. He now remembered everything: the flowerbed, the stone Triforce, and the horrible free-fall. He managed to straighten his legs and sit, and though the surface was soft, it brought him pain. Groping for some kind of supporting wall, he struggled to stand, waving his arms blindly. Finally, he found himself standing on a bouncy, plush material, and he still wasn't quite sure what it was. Still disoriented, he stood there for a while, blinking slowly and trying to come to terms with what had just occurred.

Finally able to function properly after a few minutes, Link pulled out his lantern and silently lit it, creating light in the dark vicinity. He noticed with relief that he still had enough oil for an hour or so; hopefully, he wouldn't need longer than that. What the light revealed surprised him, and he furrowed his brow curiously as he cocked his head.

He was standing on a large, eloquent, curtained bed with bright red and yellow covers and innumerable pillows. The large, golden and transparent curtain surrounded it and sparkled beautifully. A smile appeared on Link's face as he looked around the now illuminated area. Then, curiously, he looked up to the place where he had first fallen. But he could see nothing; it was only black, infinite darkness above him. Still significantly confused, he moved apart the curtains and gracefully hopped off of the bed. The harshness of the surface was surprising and sent a momentary shock through his body. After teetering for a moment, he walked around a bit to see more of the room. As he did, he found empty lamps, and proceeded to use his own lantern to illuminate the room. Soon, there was not a spot of darkness, and Link turned off his lantern and returned it to the knapsack.

He let out a shocked gasp as he looked around him. Link was standing in a brightly lit, elaborate chamber, fully equipped with a bed, mirror, cupboard, and chair. He turned around and saw his reflection staring back at him, and his eyes widened a bit at the sight. His hair was disheveled, and his hat was crooked on his head. His blue eyes were bloodshot and tired, while his skin was scratched and cracked. He barely recognized himself, and he anxiously brought up a hand to his face, just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. On top of the mirror was the Triforce mark, which for some reason comforted the dismayed Link. In fact, he saw the sign all around: on the cupboard, on the blanket of the bed, on the chair, and even on the intricately designed carpet.

But as Link looked around in wonder, something interesting caught his eye. Slowly moving across the room, he reached the cupboard and gently grabbed the piece of paper on top. It was actually an envelope, sealed with a wax Triforce. Subconsciously holding his breath, Link anxiously broke the seal and proceeded to open the mysterious envelope. Inside was an old parchment, about the same age as the other two he'd found. However, Link knew right away that it wasn't the last piece. The Royal Family wouldn't make it so easy to find...

Dear Hero,

By the time you read this, Hyrule will be in grave danger. That is why this mission is so important. Also, if you are reading this, then you have already uncovered the other two pieces of the page and you hold a piece of the Triforce. Otherwise, the light revealing this location wouldn't have shown itself to you. It is activated only when a holder of a piece of the Triforce has both papers, and they must have the true desire to find the third. So you are no doubt searching for the third piece. This mechanism was designed by the Royal Family to make sure that the page does not fall into the wrong hands or is stolen.

First off, I would like to congratulate you for getting the pieces from the Gorons and the Zoras. I find it useless to describe why the page is ripped into three pieces; you should know that by now. The plague has returned. We predicted this. It is spreading through Hyrule as it did centuries ago, and only you can stop it. This time, I'm sure that the goddesses will not help us. That is why it is now up to you and the other Chosen Ones to stop this. The last piece is hidden somewhere in the castle, and to find the cure it must be retrieved. However, as you no doubt already know, the full power of the Triforce is needed to truly defeat the source of this plague. This page will help reveal the details... but please do not let anybody but the true Chosen Ones see it. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, disaster could strike and the cure would never be found.

Now, read this carefully. You are to climb into the small entrance above the bed and emerge into the secret passageways of Hyrule Castle. Simply follow the path, and it should lead you to the last parchment. However, beware: there are obstacles that will only be able to be overcome by a true holder of the Triforce. So if you are not a holder of the Triforce, then do not even attempt this. It is impossible.

You must hurry. If you are reading this... then there is little time to waste.

Sincerely,

King of Hyrule

Link read the letter, first in shock...and then in relief. This was truly it. If he was able to overcome all of the obstacles, then the paper would be within his reach and he would able to finally figure out the cure. And if this letter were right, then it would also help him figure out how to defeat the source. Everything was starting to come together, and Link chuckled in amazement. Now, maybe he could get to Zelda earlier.

Tucking the letter with the other pages, he climbed back onto the bed. For the first time, he noticed the hinges above the bed. Taking a deep, preparing breath, he found a small notch and flipped open the door. There was all darkness, and an eerie moaning. He was astounded as he climbed in, ignoring the discomfort of the small area. He had never heard of a secret, intricate system of passages in Hyrule Castle; he doubted that even Princess Zelda knew about it. But also, he felt slightly scared. He didn't know what obstacles he was going to encounter, or how he was going to overcome them. But if the letter said he could, then he could.

Link cringed when the door shut behind him and he crawled forward, leaving him in complete darkness yet again. Sighing heavily, he continued somewhat hesitantly. There was absolute silence but for his deep breathing, and the sound of him sliding across the dirty passageway. Suddenly, the ground dropped downward, and Link was unaware because of the blackness. As a result, he reached for air, and tumbled headfirst down a long slope. He face-planted at the bottom, and he groaned bitterly as he managed to lift himself. Grumbling and cursing under his breath, the hero realized that he could now stand without having to crouch.

While he dusted himself off, he moved forward a few steps before remembering his lantern. After lighting it and making the path much clearer, he made an expression of repulsion. Cobwebs hung all along the walls, and dust created a thick coat on the surface of the walls. Spiders scuttled along the dirty ground, and Link swallowed anxiously.

Suddenly, he heard something above him. Instinctively drawing his sword and shifting the lantern to his right hand, Link stepped back and snapped his head up, staring up at the ceiling suspiciously. He narrowed his twinkling eyes as the sounds continued, and after a moment, he realized that they were footsteps. Crinkling his forehead, Link dropped his guard. He was underneath the castle, he finally figured out. For all he knew, it could be Zelda making those footsteps, and the thought brought a smile to his face. Still grinning dumbly, her face now imprinted in his mind, Link continued. He kept his sword drawn, just in case.

The silence soon returned, and it gave Link chills. This one corridor seemed to go on forever, and he was on edge the entire time. Each moment, he was waiting for a monster to pop out, or a riddle to reveal itself. After a prolonged period of time, there was still nothing. Yet Link remained on his toes, making sure that he was ready for anything that might be thrown his way. After what seemed like an eternity, he came to a small, steep, wooden stairwell. He paused for a moment, staring at it with disdain. When he looked up, he saw the staircase wasn't extremely long, but it was very steep.

Cautiously, he placed his right foot on the first step. A creak was immediately emitted from the old wooden plank, and he cringed subconsciously. It felt as if it would break at any instance; nevertheless, Link continued fearlessly. Being afraid was not one of his many traits. Each step felt like a new danger, and Link didn't realize that he had been holding his breath until he reached the top, and let out a heavy sigh. Then he walked forward.

This time, there were many turns and hills and such as he walked; yet he was never conflicted about which way to go. Each time he reached a point where there were many options, the inner source inside of him would direct him where to go, and his Triforce would shimmer faintly each time. Soon, he began hearing voices. They weren't eerie, haunting voices that he'd been expecting. After having encountered them many times, he finally realized where they were coming from. He pressed his ear against the walls, and could hear the voices of servants, butlers, and maids of the castle. And each time, he prayed that it was Zelda; it never was.

Occasionally, he would find a small, barred window around the size of his head. When he did, he would eagerly peek through it, hoping to see something that might help him. However, each window provided an opening into a part of the castle, and Link would be able to see inside a room, the kitchen, or a hallway. He was now level with the floors of the castle, after the wooden staircase. More staircases sometimes appeared, and he came to realize that each one took him higher up in accordance with the floors of the castle...

"Caine, stop, please."

Link stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes moved to the window that was a little ahead, and stared at it with determination. He would know that sweet, silky voice anywhere.

"I will not let you get in the way of my success, Zelda. I am willing to do anything to get what I want in the Royal Council. Now that I'm here, I want to make a difference in Hyrule, and I want to do it my way."

Another voice reached Link's ears, and after hearing those words, he bolted as quietly as he could towards the window. Dropping the lantern and sword, he wrapped his fingers around the bars that blocked the window. After one moment, he saw that he was peeking into Zelda's room. What he saw made him grip the bars as tightly as he could, until his knuckles turned red. He felt his face turning the shade of a tomato, and his anger boiling up inside of him. He was in a position where the two people inside of the room couldn't see him, but he could see them perfectly.

There was a man...one that Link didn't recognize. He made the assumption that he was a member of the Royal Council. He had Zelda pinned against a wall, and was whispering threateningly in her ears. Her face was pale, her eyes droopy as she turned away from him in repulsion.

"I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get my rules instigated in Hyrule. And I won't let anything, especially you, get in my way," the man continued. Then he ran his hand down Zelda's back, and Link could actually see the shivers appearing on her delicate skin. He had the urge to call out her name, break through the window and rush to her aid. But he knew he couldn't. With clenched teeth, he ran through the scenario through his head. He would bring attention to himself, only to realize that he couldn't do anything. Then he would no doubt be tracked down for trespassing... it just wouldn't be a very good idea.

After the man was finally gone, Zelda sighed and ran a hand across her face. Link felt longing tug at his heartstrings as he gazed at her flawless figure, her beautiful face, and the stress that was written on her features.

He couldn't do it now...

But Link would find that man. And he would make him pay for whatever he was doing to the girl that he loved.

WHEW! That's one was big. But yeah, tell me what you thought! Once again, constructive criticism is welcome! And if you haven't done so already, check out the poll on my profile! It'll be open for a LONG time :) Thanks guys, LOVE YOU! :D