Chapter 6: A Way Back

Link ran to Zelda's room, his hat askew, Darian hot on his heels.

"So what's the plan? How are we getting there and once we get there, how do we bust them out?" Darian panted.

"No idea! I usually just follow my instincts and they almost never prove me wrong." Link answered.

"Ah, so we wing it. Just my kind of adventure!" Darian said with a grin.

"What are you two going on about?" Zelda had opened the door before either of them could knock and was now eyeing them suspiciously.

"Well…" Link hesitated, but regained his ground. "We're heading to the Twilight Realm."

"Apparently he and I had the same dream." Darian explained. "Zant took over the Twilight Realm and both the Twilight Princess and my younger brother are being held in the palace dungeons. We were going to get them out of there."

"Are you two out of your minds?" Zelda hissed. "You can't just barge in there hoping to simply take them and leave! Zant will probably have the place fortified, especially since he failed once before to keep a hold of the realm! Think about what you're doing! You might as well be walking to his throne room and saying 'here we are! Take us!'" Zelda was practically shouting. Link and Darian looked at each other and simply smiled. "ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW?"

"That's the brilliance of the plan though!" Darian laughed. "Zant isn't expecting only two people to simply stroll into the palace and free the prisoners. Think of how absurd the idea would be! It's perfect because it's so absurd! He won't be expecting it!"

"Besides, Zelda." Link spoke up. "I've always done things on the fly. It's my area of specialty! I really think this will work! I believe Darian and I are perfect for the job!" He and Darian readied their weapons and turned around to leave. Zelda was not having any of this.

She crossed the length of the room in three quick strides, preventing the two men from leaving. She slapped both of them across the face. "YOU REALLY WANT TO GET YOURSELVES KILLED?" she screamed.

"Do you really expect us to just sit here while Midna and Drimani are tortured or worse killed?" Link fired back. "I lost Midna once, I'm NOT losing her for good!"

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "What would she say if she heard the Hero got himself killed trying to save her when the world depended on him?" she said dangerously. Darian came to Link's defense.

"The same thing Drimani would say if I got myself killed. But you know what? That doesn't matter! The only thing that matters now is getting them out. I'm not letting them die, and I doubt Link would be willing to either!"

"ARGH! Listen to yourselves!" Zelda cried desperately. "You would really be willing to throw away your lives for two people?"

"I love Midna! So much so that I would immediately sacrifice myself for her!" Link exclaimed. "I'm sure Darian feels the same way about his brother, although in a different light of course."

Darian nodded. "We won't get ourselves killed, you have our word." Zelda looked at them both. Such determination in their eyes. They really would be willing to go through hell to get them back. But what if…? "Zelda, are you okay? What's wrong?" She was in tears now, but she didn't care.

"Link I know you always acted first before you thought of a plan. But that can only get you so far…" She turned to Darian and started crying in earnest. "But I never thought you would be the same way. I thought you would have had some sense in you! Idiot!" She threw herself on Darian and sobbed uncontrollably on his shoulder. He looked at her with genuine care in his eyes. He held her close to him and let her cry, whispering words of comfort.

She finally pulled herself away from him and recomposed herself. Looking at them both, she sighed. "I can't bear to lose either of you. I'm sorry I lost control like that."

"You won't lose us," Link reassured her. "And besides, we were first going to head to the Twilight Realm and scout the area. See what we're up against, you know? Once we did that, we were going to formulate the appropriate plan. Seeing as Zant became a lot stronger, we cannot afford for him to find out… At least until we get Midna and Drimani out."

"I know a few spells that would be of great help to us while we go on our rescue mission," Darian added. "We should be back safely with them." He smiled. Zelda was pondering over everything that had been said. Her mind made up, she told them to wait in the room for a minute while she went to get a few supplies. Darian turned to Link.

"So how are we going to get to the Twilight Realm anyways?" he asked.

"Well…" Link thought about it, and slowly pulled out the Fused Shadow. "Maybe this can help." Right on cue, it spoke again. "Hero of Light and Twilight. In order to reach the Realm of Twilight, you must combine our power with the light embedded in your Master Sword at the place where the Mirror of Twilight was once held. We shall help you, but you must trust us."

"Well I guess we have our answer then, don't we? There's our way in." Darian grinned. The door opened again and Zelda walked in, a long thin blade in her hand. Link's and Darian's mouths fell open.

"Oh no!"

"Absolutely not!"

Zelda stood firm. "I either come with you or none of us go." Link and Darian could not fight her. They simply nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you. Since that has been settled… Captain Medeus!" she called. An armored figure ran into the room. "Ah good, you're here."

"What can I do for you Princess?" he bowed respectfully.

"I would like for you to run things here while I am gone with these two. I shan't be long."

"Y- yes Y-Your Highness." Medeus stammered. He looked at Link and Darian. "You two better take good care of our princess, you hear?"

"Nothing will befall her, do not worry." Link responded with a smile. Darian nodded in agreement.

"Good, then let us be off at once." Zelda left the room, Link and Darian close behind. Once they were out onto the palace grounds, Zelda and Darian fastened their traveling cloaks so as to not draw attention. Link led the way to the eastern side of Castle Town, where he was promptly mauled by the annoying fangirls and other townspeople alike. Once he managed to detach himself from their clutches, he started running, waving his hands in the air and screaming his heart out. Zelda face palmed and Darian simply looked on in amusement. Link disappeared in a darker alley when he turned to Zelda.

"Umm… What is he doing?" That question was answered for him in the next five seconds. A great wolf bounded out of the alleyway. The crowd previously following Link quickly turned around and screamed at the top of their lungs, flailing their arms around helplessly. "AAAAHHHHH! MONSTER!" Zelda and Darian could not help but laugh. Hard. As the wolf trotted toward them and stopped right in front of them, Darian looked quizzically at Zelda. He turned his attention to the wolf and noticed something familiar. Those eyes… He blinked several times as he thought he saw it wink.

"Did you just see that?" he asked. Zelda knelt in front of the creature.

"Okay Mr. Showoff, you had your fun. Now we need to go." The wolf barked once.

"Zelda… Why are you talking to the wolf like…?" Darian finally realized what, or rather who, the wolf really was. "You have GOT to be kidding me!" he exclaimed before roaring with laughter. Zelda too was laughing as the wolf led them out of castle town. Once they cleared the bridge, Link reverted back to his human form, pocketing the shadow crystal.

"That was epic." Darian said with a mischievous grin. You NEED to do that again in the near future." Link laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show, but I can only do it so often before the people wizen up." Becoming serious, he continued. "The Fused Shadow told me to go to the Mirror Chamber and combine its power with the light of the Master Sword."

Zelda looked skeptically at him before relenting. "Okay. If there is nothing else we can do. Both of you grab my hands. I will get us there." Once the two had a firm hold on her hands, she called upon the power of Farore's Wind, and a few seconds later they were back in the Mirror Chamber.

"This place brings back so many memories…" Link trailed off, walking up the steps to look at the pedestal once holding the grand mirror. He took out the Fused Shadow and unsheathed the Master Sword. "We shall guide you, but you must trust us Hero."

At once the Fused Shadow glowed, and the mirror shards all floated into the air, emitting an eerie white light. Link put his faith in the Fused Shadow, and his Triforce started glowing, now much stronger than ever before. The mirror shards seemed to melt, forming a white liquid. The Master Sword seemed to pull the liquid toward it, and Link did not stop it. The liquid touched the blade, and white light erupted, so powerful that it blinded the Hero and his two companions. At last, when they could see, Link gasped.

The Master Sword was now glowing white, with strips of gold spiraling up the blade to come to a point at its tip. He knew it worked, and the Fused Shadow encouraged him. "Now Hero. State your destination loud and clear and point your blade at the black stone." Link took a breath, Zelda and Darian watching intently.

"I, the Hero of Light and Twilight, wish to enter the Twilight Realm!" he spoke, pointing the Master Sword at the stone. For a moment nothing happened. But then, gold light shot out of the blade and went into the stone, creating the familiar intricate patterns once visible on the mirror. It had worked. They were now able to enter the Twilight Realm. Midna… Just hold on. I'm coming.

Darian looked in awe. He had never expected Link to wield such power. He truly is the Hero spoken about in the scriptures. His thoughts shifted to his little brother. Drimani… I'll get you out of there. Don't give in just yet. He walked up the stairs to join Link. "This is it then huh? The portal? Nice job Link. Let's get Midna and Drimani back."

"Guys hold on," Zelda said warily. "I think the Sages want an audience with us." True to her word, the five Sages appeared behind them. The Sage of Light stepped forward.

"Hero of Light and Twilight, Princess of Light, and Guardian of the Night. You have all joined forces. But this is only the beginning. You must find the Bearer of Power in order to fight the Dark One on equal footing."

"So Caedin really broke the seal…?" Link asked.

"Yes, Hero. The Dark One is free once again and roaming the Realm of Night as we speak, getting stronger by the minute. We see you are venturing to the Twilight Realm to rescue loved ones, no doubt the Twilight Princess and the Night Prince Drimani. Take great caution, as the usurper is stronger now, using the Dark One's magic for his own purposes."

"We will, thank you," Zelda said before respectfully bowing her head. The three turned to enter the portal when the Sage spoke again.

"Guardian, I have one more message to convey to you. It concerns the Night Realm." Darian turned and listened intently. "The King of the Night Realm is dead. It appears he was imprisoned by the usurper, however the Dark One murdered him. He did manage to put up a fight, however. We are sorry Guardian."

"Ionin is… Gone…?" Darian croaked, holding back tears.

"Yes. This means the Night Realm turns to a new ruler. That new ruler… Is you… Night King." With that, the Sages disappeared.

"Ionin…" Darian could not believe it. Ionin… Dead. Ionin… I'm sorry. I was unable to help you… I'm sorry. I promise you that your death will not be in vain. He let one tear fall, and Zelda held him close to her. It was Link who spoke, however.

"Darian… I'm sorry. I cannot begin to comprehend exactly what you are going through."

"Thanks Link. I made a promise. That Ionin's death will not be in vain." Zelda gently pried him from her, but not before kissing him softly. He was initially surprised, but immediately returned the motion. Darian stood up. "Let's go rescue Midna and Drimani, and then we have a bastard to kill." With that, they walked through the portal and appeared in the Twilight Realm.

"This is exactly how I remember it. Gods I missed this place." Link murmured. The skies were orange from the color of twilight, with soft black clouds hanging above and below the plateau, and familiar black squares were rising towards the heavens. Zelda and Darian took in the serene beauty that was the Twilight, neither of them having visited previously.

I wish Ionin were here to see this. He would have loved it, Darian thought miserably. He then turned to gaze upon the Princess staring out into the fields below. Something about her just seemed to have an effect on him, washing away his sorrows, replacing them with happiness. She's beautiful… And the kindest person I could ever meet. An angel. He remembered their kiss just moments ago and suddenly, without meaning to, the words came out of his mouth. "Could this be our honeymoon spot please?"

Zelda blushed furiously and poked him in the chest. "Hey. I never said I was going to marry you. One step at a time, O Great King of the Night Realm." She emphasized his title sardonically.

Darian laughed, and it was not forced but genuine. "Okay okay." he answered dramatically.

"Could you two please get back to the task on hand? That stuff can wait till later! Or if you keep going Midna and I can pull out comments much worse," Link threatened half-jokingly and winked at them. Darian and Zelda both were blushing a violent shade of crimson. Darian cleared his throat and took a look at the palace with his new love and best friend.

The grounds appeared to be deserted. No guards seemed to be present. This struck them as odd. Surely there must be guards or Shadow Beasts running about, protecting the madman who was now probably sitting on his throne! Darian suddenly formulated an idea.

"Guys I'm going to go on ahead and survey everything, to make sure this isn't an illusion. You wait over there." He pointed to a rock outcrop close to the portal. "I'll come back and give you the full report." He murmured a spell while holding his traveling cloak. "Nox Imico." His cloak now acted as a camouflage, completely hiding his body except his head. "I'll come back, don't worry," he promised before taking to the skies. Raising his hood up, he became completely invisible to Link and Zelda.

Darian flew above the palace, not noticing anything out of the ordinary at first glance. However, a closer inspection revealed a transparent barrier. He slowly reached out to touch it… And easily passed right through. What he saw next made his heart stop.

Shadow Beasts. Tons of them. All waiting at the front entrance to the palace. As Darian was successfully camouflaged, they could not see him. He thus safely flew around the castle, checking any nooks and crannies for a possible side entrance. Secret entrances were better, if they existed. He found two more entrances, on the east and south sides, but those too were heavily guarded. Wow, Zelda was not kidding when she predicted Zant would be more careful. This is going to be quite annoying.

That's when he discovered a peculiar brick jutting out from the northeast corner. Flying closer to have a better look, Darian noticed the section around it seemed like it could cave in. He tried touching the brick, only to find that his hand passed right through. Another illusion. I wonder if… He decided to be bold and fly into the wall… And just as he predicted, he passed through it, and found himself in a secret passageway. Remembering his promise to Link and Zelda, he flew back out to them.

"Any news?" Zelda asked.

"Yes and you won't like it very much. It's just like I thought. There's a barrier surrounding the palace, providing an illusion to outsiders. This is presumably to make them believe they could easily walk through the front door and confront Zant. Unfortunately, there are so many guards and beasts guarding the three entrances that we would exhaust ourselves fighting them all!"

"I think it may be our only option though," Link said, readying his weapon.

"No, it isn't. I found a secret entrance on the northeast corner of the palace. We can sneak in through there." Link groaned.

"All this sneaking around! Why can't we just do it the old-fashioned way?"

"Why fight when we can simply avoid it all?" Zelda pointed out. "If we get Midna and Drimani out of there before all the guards notice, we can escape back to the Light Realm and plan our next course of action without even alerting them to our presence!"

"Good point," Link responded. "I also have this." He pulled out the Palace of Twilight dungeon map. "I figured since we were coming back here we might need this."

"Excellent!" Darian smiled. "Give me a moment now to camouflage you two and then we can go." He murmured the incantation again, and Link and Zelda felt something cool covering their bodies. "Okay. Zelda, you hop on my back first, and I'll take you to the entrance. Link I'll come back for you." Darian spread his wings, allowing Zelda to hook her arms around his neck. With a powerful flap, they were off. A few minutes later, Darian came back for Link, as promised. The flight, Link noticed, was smooth. Darian was obviously well practiced. A moment later, the three friends were staring at the dark path ahead.

Link pulled out his map. "We are in the northeast corner entrance. We need to travel along this passage until it gets us to the main hall. From there, we take a right and then a left. We follow the stairs and they will lead us straight to the dungeons."

"Okay then. Since you have been here before, you lead us," Zelda said. With that, the rescue mission began.

The action will all start next chapter! Stay tuned! R&R