The Twilight was in an uproar. People were running and getting weapons, children were screaming, and Ilia was looking up in terror at a large silhouette on a cliff above us. The cliff was more like a long rock that protruded from the rock face behind it, but that only made it all the more harder to get to Ganon.
I bounded up the rocks like a mountain goat, smoothly changing into a human mid-stride so that I stood up walking, and Ganon turned to face me.
Most of the Twilight was watching us by now, and I saw Ilia standing where we had left her.
"Have you decided to join me, then?" Ganon asked smoothly, and my grip tightened on the handle of my sword.
"What do you want, and what evil power has given you the ability to return?" I growled, taking a step forward. Ganondorf smirked, and--instead of answering my question--turned to Midna.
"Ah, my dear princess," he purred, looking at her human form for perhaps the first time. "I rather thought that the curse suited you better, with your temperament."
"Be silent and answer the Hero's question," she snarled, and Ganon shook his head, clucking.
"Tut tut. I would think that a princess would have better manners than that, my dear Midna." Then he turned back to me and held up his hand. A Triforce was again on it, but this time it glowed a dark silver, instead of gold, like it had on mine and Zelda's hands.
"How…?" Midna asked, abandoning her angry guise for a moment. Ganon sneered.
"Your Goddesses are more of idiots than I thought," he said simply, and thunder boomed across the land. Ganon looked up at the sky and leered at the Goddesses, and then turned his palms up.
Fire sprouted from his hands, and grew until the flames were as tall as a bonfire. They did Ganon no harm, but Midna and I had to take a step back to avoid being scorched.
"None can control the elements except the Goddesses themselves," Midna snarled, and Ganondorf smiled again.
"But if one were to take a Goddess from her throne, then he would be blessed with her power," he smirked, holding up his silver Triforce again.
"You didn't…" I said slowly, remembering a legend that I had once heard, about how the Triforces of the Goddesses were a breathtaking silver, as brilliant as they themselves were. An enormous amount of power must have gone into taking a Goddess. I didn't even think it was possible.
"I suppose I know which one you stole," Midna spat, and Ganondorf turned to her in polite interest.
"Yes?"
"Din, the Goddess of Power," she hissed, and he raised his eyebrows.
"Very good, Midna. Yes, the Goddess of Power," Ganon replied, still keeping a mild tone.
I saw Midna look at me for a moment, and behind her back she conjured a glowing orb of black magic. I nodded once, and we both leapt at Ganondorf.
He was caught off guard, but only for a moment, and quickly summoned a ball of light, throwing it at Midna. I held my breath, looking at her in my peripheral vision, but she dodged, and I unsheathed a dagger, throwing it at Ganondorf. It sank into his thigh, and he roared, casting another ball of magic at me, though this time it was pitch-black.
I jumped out of the way, and then leapt at Ganondorf, buffeting him with my sword while dodging his magic and praying to the Goddesses for Midna.
She cast a ball of Twilight at him, using her Fused Shadows, and he was knocked backward, almost off the cliff. I dove at him, and we began a type of wrestling match of sorts, each of us trying to gain the advantage by being on top.
I finally leapt up, backing away, and then attacked Ganondorf again.
So quickly I wasn't sure if I had seen it, a smile flashed across his face, and he again made fire in his palms, but much quicker than before.
I flipped backward as a ring of fire shot up around Ganondorf, Midna's magic the only thing that could go through it. She fired off bolts of energy like crazy, but we were now at a severe disadvantage.
An orb of Light magic came speeding out of the fire, and Midna didn't have time to avoid it.
The incantation hit her squarely in the chest, and she fell, not moving.
"Midna!" I yelled, still fighting. Ganondorf smiled again, and stepped back into his ring of fire. A burst of Twilight magic rocketed out, but I blocked it with my shield, sending it back into the fire, where it disintegrated.
After fifteen minutes, I was beginning to get tired of dodging magic and trying to find a way into the fire. I saw magic coming toward me, and my tired muscles didn't get the shield up in time.
Pain lanced through my fingers, traveling up my arm and settling in my chest, where it intensified to levels I had never felt. I had the sensation of falling, and then everything went black.
"Link?" A quiet, hoarse voice woke me. I knew that voice like the back of my hand, no matter how quiet it was. I sat up, and felt the same mind-numbing pain in my chest and around my ribs. I gasped and almost fell back, but caught myself by throwing my hand back before I could hit the ground.
"Midna?" I asked, pushing myself up and gasping again, then walking slowly over and kneeling by her. "Are you alright?"
"I think so…" I helped her up, putting a hand on the rock-face to steady myself. She seemed okay, except for the fact that she was paler than usual, but nothing compared to when Zant had used Lanayru to attack her.
"You think everyone else is…okay?" I asked hesitantly, and she shrugged, wincing a bit.
"Shall we go and check?" I nodded, and touched the crystal of black magic, transforming into a wolf and relieving some of the pain in my chest and ribs. Midna carefully settled onto my back, and I started down the cliff.
We descended into ruin. Buildings were crumbling, and everywhere there were injured Twili. Midna's soft exclamation of sadness reached my sensitive ears as she looked upon the carnage.
Suddenly remembering something, I raced to the palace, ignoring my muscles shrieking in protest, and burst in, changing back into a human and quickly catching Midna before she could fall. She changed into a Twili as well, and I looked around wildly for Ilia.
"Ilia!" I yelled, and Midna joined in as we looked for her, shifting the ruins of the city and looking for a flash of tan pants or a white dress.
"Ilia!" Midna yelled, but it was with recognition. She had found her.
I raced over, and moved the last of the Twili metal out of the way. Some of it had probably fallen on her, as her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow.
"What do we do?!" I asked, and Midna shrugged helplessly.
"We might be able to get her to the healer…" she began, and I swooped down and scooped Ilia up.
"Where?" I asked, and Midna gestured to the north, leading the way to a strange woman with more markings on her skin than I had ever seen, even on a Twili.
She took one look at Ilia and turned, getting specific, pitch-black herbs and vials full of inky liquid, and then taking her from me and laying her on a bed.
"You are the Chosen Hero?" she asked quietly, and I swallowed.
"Yes."
"Then your time has come again. Go, and by the Goddesses, be careful. Princess, I must ask you to go as well. I will tend to this girl," she said, turning back to Ilia.
"I was going anyway," Midna said with a smile. The healer chuckled.
"I should've known. Now go!" We turned and ran out, but Midna slowed to a halt, her brow creasing.
"His presence is nowhere in this world…" she murmured. "Neither is Zant's…"
"Don't tell me they're both in the Light World?!" I asked in alarm, and she nodded weakly. "Then we need to go." I raced for the place where I came in, stepping into the void with Midna, our injuries all but forgotten.
"Link!" Zelda's hoarse voice sounded from her throne, and she stumbled forward. "Midna! Thank the Goddesses! Ganondorf--"
"We know," I cut in. "He hit the Twilight first." Zelda became quiet.
"How much damage did he do?" she asked quietly, and Midna answered.
"Everything collapsed," she said quietly. "Ilia almost died. The buildings are crumbling." Midna shook her head, and Zelda put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "Ganondorf went to Gerudo desert, if it helps." My head snapped up, remembering the legend that the Sages had told me.
"We have to go," I said quickly, and Midna nodded. "Thanks," I said to Zelda, and she nodded as well before Midna and I quickly warped to the Mirror Chamber.
"No!" she shrieked, but Ganondorf had already blasted one of the Sages off their pedestals, killing him instantly. I leapt at him, while the Sages cowered and Midna shot silver beams of magic at Ganon.
"Fight, dammit!" I yelled at the Sages, but they only cowered more. I yelled in frustration and stabbed Ganon's shoulder, and was repaid with magic hitting my stomach. Out of breath, I stumbled backward for a moment before leaping back into battle, but Ganondorf suddenly warped away. Midna snarled and began to warp after him, but one of the Sages stopped her.
"Please…" it said slowly. "He is too powerful…" Midna jerked her arm out of it's grasp.
"Oh, no he isn't," she hissed, and we both warped to Kakariko Village.
"Renado!" I yelled, and the shaman looked up. "Get back in with Luda! I'll explain later!" I had always respected Renado's sense, as he nodded and went back into the sanctuary.
"Good thing he knows when to swallow your pride," Midna murmured, and I nodded. We began to look for Ganon, but no sooner did we take a step forward than a bolt of magic burst out of the cave behind us, the one that led to the back of the spring. I had discovered it when I had first gotten bombs, as there had been two bomb-rocks blocking the entrance.
"Duck!" I yelled, and Midna obliged while I slashed the magic with my sword and sent it careening back into the darkness. "C'mon."
We walked in, me slashing magic every now and then and taunting Ganondorf in order to get him to come out of hiding.
"What kind of a Hylian are you?" Midna jeered. "You're a disgrace, hiding from a lowly Twili and a Hylian half your size." That did it. Ganondorf exploded out of the water in the back of the spring, and I buffeted him with my sword, almost being knocked backward as we tried to keep him from entering the village.
The silver Triforce on his hand glinted, and suddenly Zant appeared at his side, cackling madly, and distracted Midna for a moment, who used her Fused Shadows to defeat him. Right after he fell, Ganondorf made a swooping motion with his hand, and Zant rose again.
I didn't know how long this went on, but my arm began to feel like lead and Midna's magic was getting weaker and weaker. She faltered, and Zant shot beams of energy at her, throwing her backward and onto the ground. He began to attack her again, this time with different magic, but I threw myself over her and felt the incantation hit me instead. Pain exploded in my back, and I knew no more.
I felt Link go limp, and I jumped up, filled with energy. That magic was for me, not him. He can't have…maybe Renado can save him…the Chosen Hero can't just…not when the world is in peril again…
I attacked Ganondorf first, absently keeping Zant away with my Fused Shadows, and--just as I was about to knock him down--he disappeared with Zant. I screamed in frustration and threw my dagger against the wall, and then hurried back to Link.
His Hero's Tunic was whole and clean, but that was only because of the magic put on it by the Light Spirits. I touched the shard of Twilight magic to him, and he transformed into a wolf, his gray fur crimson with blood.
I picked him up and carried him to the sanctuary, and Renado gestured for me to set him down. I obliged, and then walked out, not having the reserve to see his human form again.
Two days passed, and I spent that whole time sitting outside the sanctuary, fidgeting. Finally, Link walked out, with a tired-looking Renado after him. "Link!" I said, leaping up and hugging him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, and Renado smiled.
"Always good to see happiness repay your work," he said good-naturedly, and Link laughed.
"Thank you," he said. "We will do our best to repay you." Renado nodded, and Link transformed into a wolf, running to the spring and walking under the waterfall for a moment. I looked at Renado, who shrugged,
"I know of your power and his, and I will not tell a soul if my life depended on it," he murmured, and then walked back into the sanctuary as Link bounded back up to me, his tail swishing in contentment, spring water dripping from his fur.
"Hylians," I teased, shaking my head, then transformed into an imp and settled onto his back.