Chapter 9

When we entered town it was much busier then I had anticipated, Link however knew exactly where he wanted to go and did not hold up for even a second for me. It was not long before I had lost sight of him completely. Not long after that I became annoyed with the crowd that seemed to be slowly moving me back towards where I started, and finally bellowed at the top of my lungs, "Get out of my way!" The street around me went silent and everyone shuffled away in fear as quickly as they could. I let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks," I said strolling down the path part way then remembering I had lost Link. I turned to the larger part of the crowd, "Any of you see a guy in funny green clothes go by," I asked and was kindly pointed in the right direction and told he went to "Telma's bar." I bowed and headed off in the direction I was pointed, and found the south road to be slightly less crowded and to my surprise I saw four of Hyrule's ever so brave guards fleeing from a back alley and as I went to investigate was nearly plowed over by a much shorter stocky cohort of theirs.

I walked down the alley and found a single door with a sign that said "Telma's Bar." Happy that I had finally found it I opened the door and walked right in. Link turned at the sound of someone entering and scratched his head in embarrassment when he rrealized he had left me behind in the crowd. "Oh and it looks like our young swordsman has a brave friend who'll help us out too, go get your things honey," the woman we had seen with Illia, whom she had just spoken too, said. The woman walked over and looked at me, "I'm the owner of this bar, I'm sure you know but my name's Telma," I nodded and she continued, she explained that Illia couldn't even so much as remember her name and that despite that fact she had looked out for the Zora boy first, she then explained that they needed to bring him to Kakariko and I realized why the guards had run away with their tails between their legs.

"Pathetic ain't it, that a pair, no even one of us, has more courage then five soldiers combined, too bad the West bridge is, well to put it simply, missing a chunk," I said chuckling.

"Honey, you and this swordsman here have more courage then all the soldiers in Hyrule combined, but what's this about the West bridge," Telma asked. I went on to tell her we had crossed the bridge from Kakariko and so as to avoid revealing anything about the twilight as I was sure the people in town had probably not seen much of it as they were not in much of a panic I simply told her that a small pack of monsters had come along and right out destroyed it. Illia came back at that moment and Telma assured Link and myself that she had a plan. She showed us the bridge over Lake Hylia which had apparently been taken over by one of those far ogres riding a pig.

It was not long before Illia and the Zora prince were in a wagon being pulled my a horse which Telma guided, and Link and myself were mounted up on our horses. "Link I'll stay near the wagon and defend it as best I can, think you can handle that big guy and any other monsters I can't," I asked as he finished his conversation with Telma and Illia. Link replied with a nod and we were off, but after not but maybe five seconds of riding we had reached the bridge. Link rode out to meet the creature, and they rode at each other, reminding me of the knights of old jousting. I heard the clang of metal but both mounts kept on riding and when the ogre reached this side of the bridge and shot the wagon and myself a dirty look I saw why, this ogre may have been fat but he obviously had some sort of brain for he had a shield on each arm, making him nearly untouchable.

"Oh dear, I didn't account for him having so much armor," Telma grumbled at a volume just loud enough I could hear it. Link has those bomb arrows, he could use those, but if he doesn't use them this time, I have a plan that makes sure he doesn't hog all the glory here, I thought watching the next passing and as I thought Link had not even thought of using his bomb arrows.

I rode forward so I was right next to Link, "Hold this and when I tell you to, pull it hard and do not let go," I said handing him the handle end to my sickle, I was pretty sure he understood because he nodded and held on loosely for the moment. I grabbed the bladed end, taking this end because my metal glove would protect my hand from being sliced in two when I pulled on it, and pulled on it lengthening the chain some. The pig began to charge and me and Link took off riding as well. Obviously the ogre did not see my plan because it seemed to think riding down the middle of the bridge neither of us would be able to hit him, I rode slightly ahead of Link and but a moment before we met the ogre I yelled, "Now!" Link pulled and as did I causing the chain to rise up from between our horses and we both held on tight. The ogre looking shocked attempted to turn his huge boar but could not do anything at this point and the chain caught him across the chest, and just as it did so I kicked my horse pulling my side of the chain further ahead. This caused the ogre to be thrown to one side and off the bridge, as he fell off the side he bumped the railing ad something on his belt flew towards Link who caught it and held it up for Telma and I to see it was a set of keys.

After crossing the bridge we had to go through a passage with cliffs on either side, and of course there were little goblins shooting fire arrows at all of us. I did my best to deflect the arrows using my sickle while Link shot them down with his bow. We reached the first gate and Link hopped off his horse and unlocked it, then quickly ran back and jumped back on. If we could pass through this field we were in the clear, there were sets of goblins riding boars and some large birds carrying bombs. Link shot down the birds while I knocked down all the little goblins, more came but had obviously see my last little stunt and decided to spread out a little more. I ran from boar to boar knocking them clear but the last two shot arrows at the wagon that hit it directly. Illia screamed and Link turned around in shock but then quickly grabbed his gale boomerang and threw it at the wagon extinguishing the flames just as I finished off the last two pairs of goblins on the boars. We reached the last gate as the sun was beginning to set, Link unlocked it and we continued on to Kakariko, when we stopped in front of the inn Telma ran over to the shaman's house while Illia was about to lift the Zora prince out of the wagon. I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her and she got the point. I hopped down and lifted him up with ease, walking carefully towards the inn so as not to cause the boy any more pain then he was already in. I had just put him down in a bed upstairs when the shaman came running in. I walked off and wandered, ending up on top of a roof when night came, staring at the stars.

"Night always was my favourite time, days can be too hot or bright, the night is just perfect, especially with no clouds like tonight," I said quietly to myself.

"Really, I always preferred the sunset," I heard a voice say from nowhere and realized right away it was Midna.

"I honestly thought I was alone when I said that Midna... you want something," I asked as she popped up next to me.

"Not really, I was curious as to why you were sitting up here all alone, but you answered that," she said with a light giggle.

"Ah but I wasn't sitting up here all alone," I said confusing Midna.

"What?"

I laughed, "I was lying up here all alone," I said sticking out my tongue at her.

"Whatever, same thing," she grumbled crossing her arms.

"Not so, but... never mind, it's nothing," I said wanting to say something but thinking about how Midna would probably react I decided against it.

"Tell me," she said obviously perceiving I had something to say.

"No" "Tell me" "No" "Tell me" "No" "Tell me" "No" "Tell me" "No" "Tell me" "No" "Tell me" "No" "Tell me" "Maybe another time." I finally ended the endless onslaught of tell me's

"Okay, but you have to promise to tell me sometime soon," she said and I nodded. I sat up and saw Link running after something so I decided to get up and follow. I followed him into the graveyard and then through a cramped tunnel and saw him speaking with a Zora spirit, which I guessed was the late queen. Link was holding a blue outfit in his hands and then the queen's spirit saw me and floated over.

"You are a friend of his I presume," she asked and I nodded, "then take this." She handed me a small fruit and explained there was a shortcut to the lake in the pool we stood by, but it was blocked by rocks, and the fruit I had would allow me to breathe underwater for about five minutes, but the tree only grows one fruit every year. With that she vanished and Link explained the postman had given him a letter from Barnes the bomb shop owner mentioning some new bombs and told me to wait here. I sat there tossing the fruit up and snatching it out of midair.

"So you gonna tell me now," Midna said causing me to nearly fall into the pool of water.

"Scare the crap outta me why don'cha," I sad trying to catch my breath as she giggled at me, "and that depends."

"On?"

"Do you think Link will head straight to the bottom of the lake once he gets there?"

"Knowing how obedient he is, probably."

"Well, he's going to need your brain power cause without you I doubt he could find his way out of a house when he was standing right in front of the door," I said causing Midna to laugh. "I won't be able to help you either, I can walk along the bottom of the lake, but I need a little thing called air," I said looking down at the water. "You know its odd, back in my world I could swim... but I wasn't a huge fan of the water anyways, now I can't even hop in a pool deeper then my own height without having to hurry out so I don't drown..."

"Why did you want to know if Link would head straight to the temple?"

"Right, cause if he was, I wanted to tell you what I promised to tell you... I didn't think I would be telling you so soon though," I said pausing for a breath. "Midna, as long as I have something to say about it, I will not let anyone harm you, and that's a promise I intend to keep, like I said as long as I can actually do something about it." Midna looked shocked and didn't say anything for a while and just as I was about to say something to break the silence I heard scuffling from behind me and turned to see Link crawling through the tunnel. When he got through he showed us the water bombs Barnes had sold him and somehow along the trip he had slipped on his Zora tunic. Now the thing I found so incredibly odd was, Link was able to swim atop the water, then we pulled out and put on the iron boots, which he did very fast considering their weight, he sank. Now my brain told me that as long as he was holding those massive boots he should sink like a rock but for some reason they obviously weren't heavy until he put them on. Pfft, whatever, this place has already defied a lot of the rules of Earth, like jumping off a bridge from that height, even falling into water we should be dead, not that I'm complaining that I'm still alive, I thought as I chomped down on the fruit and hopped into the water. As I thought I sank, not as fast as I had thought but I couldn't keep myself afloat. I walked, as fast as I could underwater down the new tunnel Link had just created with his bombs. After about a minute of walking the current suddenly became stronger and began shoving me along.

"Woo," I yelled as my feet dragged along the hard sand. I saw the end of the tunnel and quickly latched on to the edge and climbed up then over to the shore line. Link popped his head out of the water to check that I was alright. I gave him a wave and yelled, "Go on, like I said to Midna, I can't get down there, once my five minutes is up I'll drown, I'll just guard the entrance to the light spirits cave, so feel free to warp there after!" Link waved back and dove down, I headed over to the cave once again and plopped down on the hard concrete.

I sat there listening to the sound of the waves on the lake and laid back, but suddenly the sound stopped and a voice entered my head, "Young warrior, I Din and the other goddesses Nayru and Farore have decided to give you a title befitting your performance in our tests," unable to argue I simply continued to listen, "we argued long and came to an agreement that you are the champion of the goddesses." Kick ass, I thought in triumph of such an awesome title.

"Champion, we must warn you however, danger is all about you, however if you leave far more danger will befall the one whom you swore to protect," one of the other two goddesses told me and then time resumed back at the lake. My heart was beating faster now and I sat up and looked around, but saw nothing. I sat there panting for a moment when suddenly I heard a light humming, it was humming a tune, and the tune was incredibly relaxing. It almost felt intoxicating, I fell onto my back and to my surprise saw Midna, but something seemed off. My brain however felt like someone had put it in a blender and turned it on full power. Just as Midna drew within a foot of my face I rrealized what was off, I was in the light world and she was solid looking, not her usual shadowed self. I tried to lift my arms to attack this fake but could not get them higher then about an inch, and the same story with my legs. Gah dammit all, I thought as the fake Midna locked lips with me and my strength began to leave me all together. I could feel my very soul being sucked away, and there was nothing I could do. I've got maybe a minute of life left, I didn't think I'd die so soon,I thought weakly barely able to keep my eyes open now. Just as I felt ready to roll over and die something odd happened though, the fake Midna's eye that was uncovered, grew huge in surprise or pain, I wasn't sure until she back up that it was pain.

There was a long sword impaling her and as she writhed in pain she suddenly became one of those creatures from before and let out a howling screech before dieing with a blast of smoke. I suddenly felt all my strength return and I sat up quickly to see the owner of the sword that had saved me but saw no one. I walked closer to the water and looked around again and saw something in the bottom corner of my eye. I looked down and saw in the water, mirroring me Kris. She laughed and grabbed my arm pulling me into the water, but I quickly grabbed the edge of the shore stopping myself from sinking. I pulled myself back up and she came flying up out of the water. Taking a deep gasp of breath I managed to speak, "Damn you, I could have drowned!"

"Is that how you treat the person who just saved you from one of those cowardly sirens?"

"Wait sirens, you mean the mythical creatures that lure men to their deaths with a song that messes with their heads?"

"Yea pretty much, but these ones simply distract you until they can get their lips on you, draining your soul away and their not exactly myths now are they. I saved you because even though I don't like you, I don't think anyone deserves to die like that."

"Looks like you still have some morals... how the hell do you do that floaty thing," I asked just realizing that she was still floating in midair.

"Oh well, I do it differently then like Midna does, she just can float because of her magic or something like that, me I actually have the power to change gravity in a select area," she explained causing my jaw to drop. "Hehe, want a sample of my power worm," she asked rhetorically and suddenly I felt my whole body increase in weight. I grunted as I was forced to bend my knees to stay standing and yet they still wobbled. "Aww, look at that, you can barely support twice your own weight, how about four times," she cackled and I felt my innards drop and I was forced down onto my knees. She continued to laugh for a moment until I began to push myself to my feet with my hand. "Hmm, still no dice eh, beg for mercy at ten times your own weight," she said waving her hand over me. I suddenly plummeted towards the ground stopping myself but an inch from smashing into it. I pushed harder trying to get back to my feet, unsure of what the point was, as I could not fight like this.

"Tsk, tsk, guess I have to crank it all the way up to 100 times," she said cackling. I could not do anything as my face smashed into the ground and it felt as though the entire Goron tribe was sitting on top of me, while holding a giant stone bridge. "What will poor Midna say when she comes back to find you crushed," she laughed but her laugh went silent in my head. Midna... I promised...suddenly something snapped in my head and I felt my weight decrease, I pushed myself to my feet, slowly but surely. "What, how... fine if you want to die so badly I'll increase your weight by 10 000 times," she yelled and I barely stumbled as my weight increase likely to an amount that should have crushed my entire skeleton had I not been so overcome with this sudden power. Kris' evil grin turned to anger as I got slowly to my feet and actually managed to take a step towards her. "Enough," she said waving her hand and I felt so incredibly light I could not believe it. "I can see when your motivated nothing can stop you, here take these," she said tossing me an odd pair of metal boots and a small black orb. Upon touching the orb it was absorbed into my armor and I decided to put the boots on. They had three claws on the front and one larger one in the back. Curling my toes slightly inside the boots caused the claws to dig in very quickly.

I opened my mouth to thank her but she held up her hand and shook her head. "I will beat you, just not today, besides you have bigger problems," she said spinning on the spot and suddenly vanishing.

"What did she-" I stopped hearing breathing behind me. I rolled forward trusting my instincts and I was glad I did. "You, your... Zant, aren't you?"

He let out a strange gargling gasping noise as the bottom piece of his helmet opened to reveal his drooling mouth. "And your that annoying pest that keeps helping Midna aren't you," he asked as I drew my sickle. He laughed, "Fool, you are weak, weaker after fighting that girl!"

"That doesn't matter, I made a promise, and I don't intend to break it, ever," I yelled leaping at Zant attempting to wrap the sickle's chain around his neck and strangle him, but before I could he was already behind me.

"My God, will not let you kill me, even if you could move at half the speed you would need to hit me," he said sending shock throughout my brain. His "God," that means he's not the strongest bad guy around, dammit, who the hell could be helping him, I thought completely forgetting that the "King of Darkness" was standing right behind me. I let out a startled grunt when something hard hit me square at the top of the back of my head. Unable to speak all I could do is gasp and grunt in pain, Zant turned towards the light spirits cave. "You... are not even worth killing, not as you are, come back to fight me when your worth something. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a very annoying little man, and a little imp," Zant said walking into the cave.

"No..." I gasped putting my sickle back in the strange holster that was on my leg. "No," I said a little louder slamming my hands on the ground and pushing myself up slowly. "As long as I can still breathe, I will not let you so much as lay a finger on Midna," I yelled, my strength returning once again. I ran into the cave just in time to see Link get knocked to the ground and knocking out the light spirit. The area turned to twilight and my armor quickly engulfed me once again. Link was turned into a wolf and Midna was forced out of the ground. I grabbed the sickle back and my arm shifted into the bow.

"Zant!" Midna said in surprise and she was suddenly thrown backwards and held in the air as if her arms had been shackled there. Zant walked forward and I saw this as an opportunity to strike, moving quickly I went to impale Zant but was suddenly stopped and thrown backwards into the wall, which crumbled slightly and loose pieces fell on my as I hit the ground. Turning his attention back to Midna he pulled away her Fused Shadows and looked at them for a moment.

"Did you honestly mean to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?" Zant asked tossing the Fused Shadows behind him, "You are a foolish traitor, Midna. Why do you defy your king?"

"My KING? You, who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe? You must be joking!"

"How dare you?! Are you implying that my power is... our old magic?" He paused, "Now THAT is a joke!" He suddenly pulled Midna over his head and threw her to the ground behind him and turned. Seeing this enraged me once again.

"You bastard," I yelled leaping at Zant but he simply threw me into the smae spot on the wall, larger chunks of the wall falling on me this time.

"Insolent pest, let me finish before I grant your death wish," Zant mocked me, "This power is granted to me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you WILL respect it!" He had now formed a large red orb with a dimmer glow surrounding it. Midna turned to see this orb and I was pretty sure I saw Link stirring. I was right and the fool turned and pounced at Zant, managing to hit his head directly into the ball of magic. Midna rushed over and tried to wake him, I couldn't entirely see but I was almost certain I saw something absorb into Link's head. Zant picked up Midna with his power once again.

I couldn't explain it but every time he even came close to her I felt my rage boiling and felt a burning urge to strangle Zant. I could not control this feeling and I lunged at Zant, claws drawn back ready to strike, but as he turned Midna moved through the air directly into the path of my attack. Digging in the claws of my boots, which I also noticed had grown I ended up with my arm encircling Midna and my face about a foot from Zant's "Scum, know your place, and stay there," he said shoving me back with a ball of magic this time. I caught my balance in the air and ended up on my knees with an incredible pain running through my chest. Looking down I saw what I had seen going into Link's chest. I tried to pry it out but it fused into my chest and I felt as though I couldn't move anymore.

Zant continued speaking to Midna now, "My Midna... Did you forget? These two are both of the light dwellers who oppressed our people. No matter how much you desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind!" I glared at Zant with utter disgust.

"Where do you get off calling her yours," I screamed at Zant.

Zant simply threw me to the wall again, this time I stuck up against the wall, he continued on again, "But if we can make their world ours, Midna... light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm... and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! And that, Midna, is why..." he paused opening the mouth piece on his helmet once again. "I need you," he said in a disgusting hiss, saliva connecting his top lip and bottom. He drew his head ever closer to Midna and I felt my rage building ever higher but I could not do anything. "Not just for me, but for all of our people... Lend me your power."

Midna struggled and broke free moving to help Link once again. I would not have been able to tell otherwise but I could tell by the glow in front of me my eyes were glowing bright green. I came within an inch of hitting Zant but he had made some sort of shield this time. I bashed, slashed and jabbed at it but all my attacks simply slid off until I had worn myself out. "So be it... I will return you to the light world you covet!" Zant said angrily lifting Midna back above the light spirits pool. Fearing her safety over my hatred for Zant I jumped to grab hold of her but the light spirit rose from out of the pool slowing my movement and scorching me on every area that my armor covered. I heard Midna scream and strained harder to reach her. I managed to reach out and grab hold of Midna's leg just as light enshrouded her and we both vanished from the room.

I decided to end this chapter here for a few reasons but I really just decided this chapter was long enough so this chapter is done. Review if you got time if not thanks for reading :D P.S. I apoligize for any minor errors in spelling but the spell check built into Fanfiction seems to think if I type and nd is a spelling error along witha few otehr minor odd things...