Hey guys! Sorry for the really long wait. Classes have been taking up a lot of my time (it also doesn't help that I spend most of my spare time trying to beat Final Fantasy XIII :D). Things have been hectic around here, with homework and work and whatnot.
So, it's been a long time since I've played Zelda (still having speaker problems on my tv), so if I get some details wrong, please look passed them.
I added a couple more drawings up on my deviant art site, so follow the link on my profile to look at them, if you are interested.
Oh, and for those of you who are being really impatient on my updating, remember that I'm in college full time and have a part time job, so actually getting the energy to sit down and write is difficult. Don't forget that I warned you before on how it might take me some time to update
Link and I sat exhausted on the floor, breathing heavily as we hid behind the rock wall that separated us from the bulblin archers a floor below us. I wiped away the sweat that had beaded up on my forehead, and Link did the same.
We were just moments away from the chamber in which Darbus was being held. All we had to do was descend one floor, lower the bridge, and unlock Darbus' prison.
"So, are you ready?" Link asked from my right. I could feel his anticipation running through me as well. Both of us were shaking, even though deep down I wasn't at all scared or nervous. Everything I was feeling was because of him.
"Yep," I answered, my voice actually managing to reflect my true feelings. He nodded and started counting. At three, we both sprang up.
Both of us swiftly nocked an arrow and let them fly. They easily found their targets, leaving us with two fewer bulblins to deal with. As we rounded down the stairs, Link pulled out his sword, slashing through a couple of bulblins with relative ease. I protected his flank, shooting arrows at the bulblin archers in the distance before they got a chance to shoot at us.
It took us only a few seconds to clear the area.
"Okay, so I just do like before, right?" He asked as he nocked an arrow, aiming it at the rope that held up the bridge before us.
"Yes, just like before."
Link let it fly, and we watched as the rope snapped and the bridge creaked as it started to fall. When it did, the ground shook and dust flew in all directions.
"Get ready," I said as I nocked an arrow and aimed it at the now open cavern ahead of us.
Link started swinging his sword around as bulblins seemed to explode out of the cavern, their weapons raised and swinging around above their heads. I counted their bodies as they fell and disappeared. Ten... twelve... fifteen. I lost count.
Link managed to avoid getting hurt too badly, although I felt it whenever he was hit on the head or obtained a gash on his cheek. I wouldn't allow myself to flinch, however. Just a brief moment of having my eyes closed could be deadly for either of us.
After five tense minutes, Link and I had slain them all.
Link sighed as he slid down to the floor, exhausted and dripping with sweat. I did as well. I suspected that the lava spread out throughout the mines wasn't helping our energy levels anymore than the enemies were.
We didn't talk for the ten minutes that we sat there. Both of us just leaned against a pillar and closed our eyes, resting our heads back against the (somehow) cool stone. We sat like that until I heard Link stand up. I didn't open my eyes until I was on my feet.
"You ready?" I asked as I brushed off my clothes. Link nodded as he came over and grabbed my hand, leading me toward the giant door that separated us from the imprisoned Darbus.
The lock on this door was just slightly larger than the one that had been blocking the door inside of the forest temple. It wasn't any higher, however, so Link boosted me up onto his shoulders so that I could unlock it.
When I was done, I stepped off of Link's shoulders and turned in mid-air. Link easily caught me and brushed a kiss across my lips as he did. He smiled as he lightly picked me up so that my feet were brushing the ground, and then swept me across the gap that remained between us and the door. He then set me down as he opened the door.
All of us (including Midna) were quiet as we entered the large, circular room. There were about ten pillars spread out in a circle, closer to the walls than the middle. And, in the middle, was a twenty-foot tall figure, its hands chained to the ceiling and its feet chained to the floor. It was completely black, the only spot of color being a golden helmet on its head with a glass eye positioned between the figure's own two.
"Darbus," I whispered to Link.
Darbus must have heard me speak, because the glass eye seemed to shine from some unknown light behind it. It opened wide, glowing a strange amber, its pupil just a slit. His own eyes then started to glow an unnatural red as his head lifted.
Darbus extended his neck toward us, opening his large mouth and roaring. His somehow bear-like head shook back and forth, his bottom canine teeth so large that they were level with his eyes. Darbus then looked up to where the chains on his hands connected to the ceiling.
In a flash, Darbus engulfed himself in a raging fire. He then growled as he pulled one of his arms down, snapping the chain. He did the same with the remaining arm.
Link and I jumped back as Darbus looked at us again and roared, throwing his hands out toward us as he took a step forward, snapping his chains that held him to the floor.
"RUN!" We both yelled as we jumped out of the way of his giant claws, hiding behind a pillar as we did. We both were forced to our feet, however, when Darbus broke the pillar down with ease. A piece of stone crashed against my head, leaving my head spinning and a gash as proof of our encounter. Link must have seen the stone hit me, because he instantly grabbed my arm and led me across the room.
Darbus was apparently slow, because Link was able to set me down and make sure that I was okay. He then jumped up and ran in a different direction, leading Darbus away from me.
"His eye! Shoot him in the glowing eye!"
Link heard Maple yell at him from across the room, telling him to shoot Darbus in the eye. Link responded by quickly nocking an arrow and aiming at the glowing orb on top of the creature's head.
Darbus responded by growling and throwing his arms up to his face. He started stomping around the room and thrashing around, his chains waving around dangerously.
That's when Link noticed that the floor was magnetic. If Link could get his iron boots on and grab onto one of the chains connected to Darbus' legs, he could get the creature to fall over. But, Maple was hurt and in no position to help him, so he had to act fast.
Link quickly pulled out his boots as he ran a few feet to his left. He then dropped to the ground and peeled off his boots, quickly trying to stuff his feet into the iron boots. When he finally had them on, Link felt his feet instantly mold to the ground. Link then looked up in horror to find that Darbus had recovered, and was just feet away from Link, his claws swiftly swinging toward him.
Link braced himself for the pain, but gasped when Darbus roared, reaching up to his head once again as he started flailing around the room. Link looked to his left to see Maple standing about twenty feet away, blood dripping down her cheek and neck, her bow at her side.
Link turned back toward Darbus, just as one of the chains passed in front of him. Link instantly reached out for it and grabbed on with all his might, pulling back as he did.
Darbus roared as he looked back at Link, and fell. As he did, the fire that engulfed his body was gone, the eye suddenly glowing brighter than before.
Link's boots were switched in an instant and he ran across the room, unsheathing his sword as he did. Link then, in one fluid motion, jumped in front of the unconscious Darbus and slashed the glowing eye. He then continued to slash at the eye, until Darbus stood up and threw Link back as he engulfed his body with fire once again.
Link repeated what he had done before, with Maple now at his aid. It didn't seem as hard, since she had a bow ready for whenever Link's arrow missed.
After ten tense minutes, Darbus' strange eye started to glow with an intensity that blinded them both. He then started swinging his arms around blindly, trying to hit whatever was close enough. Then, he let out a great roar and literally froze. His eye then exploded, leaving behind a heart container. Darbus then roared again as the black shell surrounding him exploded into tiny black squares, leaving behind a smaller body, which slumped down to the floor.
The pieces gathered in front of Link and Maple in the shape of another Fused Shadow. As if the Fused Shadow had called her, Midna popped out of Link's shadow and took the piece.
"Eee hee hee! Well done! Now we have two Fused Shadows... Hmm... You know, you've been very helpful so far, so as a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story." Link heard Maple sigh, but she said nothing. Midna seemed to sigh as well. "Zant. That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world." Link saw Maple raise her eyebrow. "He's very strong. You would be nothing to him in your current state..." Midna growled. "But Zant will never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength." Midna smiled at them. "Not that your Zelda is much better... It still appalls me that this world of light is controlled by that princess...and other beings." Midna threw a quick glance at Maple, which Link ignored. "A carefree youth, a life of luxury... How does that teach duty?"
Midna sighed as she seemed to sit down in some invisible chair. "But I guess I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of life. She didn't choose it, after all. And I would never wish harm on her." Midna gave Maple a brief, pained expression, so quick that Link imagined that he hadn't really seen it. "No, as long as I can get my hands on the Fused Shadows, I'll be just fine."
Midna conjured a portal and started beckoning them with her hair. "Well, just one more left... Shall we? Eee hee hee!"
Link turned to Maple, and was surprised to see that she was looking at Midna, as though she had new eyes. Her expression was sad, pitiful.
At that moment, the figure in the middle of the room stood up, cradling his giant Goron head.
"Unngh... Urrgh... Hmm? What am I doing here? Unngh... My head, it aches... Urrrgh... So much pain... I cannot remember anything."
Maple stepped between Link and the awakened Darbus then, holding out the heart container.
"Come on. I'm sure the Goron elders will be glad to hear of Darbus' awakening."
Once again, sorry it took so long. It took me four days to write this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it!
Oh, and yes, I know that the boss (aka Darbus) is referred to as Fyrus until he is beaten, but I didn't want to cause any confusion there...