Some conversations taken directly into the game! Some minor modifications, however, to make them fit better into the story :)
Link felt his body reform as they touched ground in Eldin Province. He watched as Midna appeared above him, her hair guiding a large cluster of black squares down into the gap in front of them. The bridge reformed itself and Link heard it fall into place when Midna lowered her hair. Midna laughed as she lowered herself onto Link's back.
"See! Just as I thought... Eee hee! So, isn't the power of Twilight amazing?" Link looked back to see Midna briefly glance at Maple, who turned to her and glared back. Midna smiled. "Call me if you need the power again. It should help you find what you're looking for, don't you think?" Midna looked at Maple again. "All right! Let's keep going!"
Maple ran ahead of Link, her nose close to the ground. Link took off after her.
"Your powers are as amazing as her's, you know," Link said once he got closer to her. "And they can help me find those I need." Maple sighed, but said nothing.
Link stopped briefly to take down a shadow creature. He wasn't going fast enough, however, and had to pounce on it again once it stood up. Link then took off after Maple, who had also stopped to wait for him.
They soon approached a wide, metal gate which had a strange, red symbol painted across its grey surface. Link felt Midna pat his head.
"Huh... What are they doing there?" She asked as she pointed to the other side of the gate. Link and Maple followed her finger to see two creatures standing guard on the other side. "This is a pretty elaborate gate... What are they trying to keep in?" She paused as tapped her chin. "Or out?" She looked down at the ground and pointed at a soft patch of dirt. "I bet it'll be worth our while to dig in..."
Maple looked at Link. "The scent goes in that direction," She said as she motioned toward the gate.
Link nodded. "I'll go first."
Link crawled close to the ground and dug his claws into the dirt. It was soft, and he easily dug a hole to the other side, just behind one creature. He heard Maple slide under the gate behind him.
They both took down one creature, and both did with ease.
"Follow me!" Maple said as she ran into the canyon ahead.
Link followed her.
They emerged into a small village full of old buildings. Link could also see a Spirit Spring off to their left.
"Welcome to Kakariko Village," Maple said as she slowly walked ahead of them.
Link saw them then: the three shadow creatures that had taken the Spirit's light. There were two closest to them, but one was separated from the group.
Link acted on instinct. He ran passed the two closest creatures and pounced on the farthest one, just as the strange barrier surrounded him. He tore at the creature's flesh until he was knocked free. Link shook his head as he rounded on the creature again, biting and clawing at it until it fell.
Link turned around and ran to the two that were chasing after him. He barely even felt Midna led him her power as he crouched low to the ground. He jumped, taking out both of them with one, fluid pounce.
Both the barrier and the bodies disappeared.
A voice filled the silence around them.
I heard the voice of the Spirit surround us. I turned in response to look in the direction of the Spring, where the shattered Spirit floated above the water.
"To the Hero...who was transformed into a blue-eyed beast...in the realm of shadows... In Twilight... This way..."
I followed Link as he approached the light.
I wasn't surprised that Eldin didn't address me as well. All the Guardian Spirits knew that my identity was to be kept a secret until I said it was okay. So, until then, they were to pretend that I wasn't there. I was sure that that bothered them more than it did me.
"I am...a spirit...of light... Hero...chosen by the gods... Look for...my light... Gather the light stolen by the shadows...into this..."
A strange light appeared above Link's head. We watched as the light faded, revealing a strange device. It was made up of sixteen glass orbs, connected by a simple, bronze handle: the Vessel of Light. I knew it well.
"The insects of darkness...they are the form taken...by the evil that attached itself...to my scattered light... In this shadowy Twilight...the shadow insects are invisible, much as the people from your light world are... Take this...and return my scattered light...stolen by the darkness... But...be careful... The darkness...now hunts you..." The Spirit's voice faded.
"Are you ready to help?" Link asked me. I turned to him and nodded.
"I can help you. I know where these insects you seek are. I can sense them."
"Where are the closest ones?"
I pointed my nose in the direction of the nearest house. "In there."
I was pretty sure that Link heard the distress in my voice. That house belonged to the Shaman, Renado, and his young daughter. I had lived with them for a short time in this life I was living now, and I cared for them. I knew that if there was a shadow in there, which there was, that meant that they were in danger.
"Alright. Let's find a way in," Link said as he ran, but stopped near the only open window to the house. "Look. Someone is there."
I walked up to him and looked as well. There was. A man, wearing a welder's mask, was staring out the window with a frightened look on his face.
"Cripes!" The man said. "How the heck am I supposed to babysit someone else's little brats when I oughta be savin' myself?!"
"Keep going!" I said. Link nodded as he ran around the back of the house. I followed. We stopped near a lone, leafless tree, which stood next to a section of a long-since-gone fence.
"Hey!" Midna said as she jumped from Link's back and floated to the top of the tree, stopping above the thickest, tallest branch. "You can get up there from here! Follow me to sure footing!"
I watched as Link pounced after her, landing effortlessly on the branch. Instantly, Midna appeared above the roof, where Link followed. I did the same, being careful to land where Link had.
Link and I stared at each other for a brief moment before we fell through the roughly patched roof.
Link and Maple fell with an awful 'thud' onto the hard ground far below. Link was growling to himself when he felt someone nudge him.
He looked up to see that the room was full of spirits. When he looked harder, he realized that Colin, Beth, Talo, and Malo were all in the room, gathered around a wise-looking man with long, black hair, olive skin, and kind eyes. Link gasped in surprise.
"Cripes! I don't see those black brutes anywhere..." Link heard someone say from behind him. He turned to see the man with the welder's mask standing near the open window. "They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out!" Link growled slightly. He could already tell that the children were scared. Talo was huddled close to the other man, and Beth looked close to tears. Link wanted nothing more than for the man to hear him so that he could tell him to shut up! But Link knew that no one would hear him, so he could do nothing but listen and watch.
"Then they'll feast!" The man continued, oblivious to the children's fear.
Link looked over to see Talo bury his face under the wise-man's arm, and Beth sob. Malo looked solemnly up at the man, while Colin avoided everyone's gaze.
"We are safe as long as we remain in here, child," The man said to Talo, speaking for the first time. "Be at ease."
"Oh yeah?" The other man said. "I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you..." He pulled up his helmet, revealing a strange mustache, glasses, and gritted teeth. "They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh? Once they attack, it's over! Remember the lady from the general store?" The man paused briefly as everyone avoided each other's gazes. "Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened? She was already gone, and there were two monsters waitin'!" He paused again as the other man glared at him. "You connectin' the dots? That means that if we get attacked by them, then we'll be..."
Beth burst into tears.
"BARNES!" The other man yelled, stopping his rant. Link saw Barnes' expression soften slightly when he heard Beth crying.
"Look, Renado... All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?"
Renado was silent for a moment. He then looked up at Barnes. "There is...a cellar."
Link watched as Barnes gasped. He dropped to all fours, showing an amazing display of agility for one his age as he crawled up to Renado. "WHAAT?! You've got a CELLAR?! Where's the entrance, man?" Barnes screamed, his voice full of fear.
Renado answered as he soothed the children. "The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all of the candles have been lit..." Link looked up to see that the circular platform above them had four alcoves, candles hidden in each one.
Link looked back down to see Barnes frantically lighting a torch, which he used to light a brazier in the middle of the room.
A young girl, whom Link did not recognize, spoke, "I...would not do that. When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside..." She made a crawling motion with her hands as she spoke.
Instantly, Barnes dropped the lit torch and quickly retreated back to the open window, pulling his helmet back down with a cry as he sank to the floor.
"Don't cry, Beth!" Colin's voice broke through the tense silence. Link turned to see Colin reaching out to her, but she just turned away. "It'll be OK! Link is coming to save us all!"
Link felt his heart drop as a tear ran down his cheek. Yes, I'm here guys. You just can't see me... Everyone in the room looked at Colin. Beth looked up from her hands. Talo glared at Colin. Renado's eyebrows lifted. Link could even tell that Maple was staring at him.
"Those kids really love you," She whispered.
"I can feel it!" Colin continued after a brief moment. Everyone then went silent.
Link heard Midna laugh and pat him on his sides. "These kids knew you'd come to save them! What a hero! How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all... Eee hee hee! You are chosen by the gods, and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter Twilight. And no one knows what you have done... You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever... You're the type to worry about everything, I can tell... But don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs, after all..." Link growled. "Anyway, what's with having to light candles to get to the basement?! Not very subtle, is it... So, what are you going to do now? My lonely little hero... Eee hee!"
Maple nudged him with her nose. "Don't worry. I will know about the hero you really are."