Chapter 4 – Trade one for another
Inside Telma's bar, Rusl and the Resistance sat around the table and discussed about their next move.
"So, I heard your son will become like you." said Auru.
"Yes and also becomes like Link."
"Ah yes, Link. It's been years now since I haven't seen him." said Shad.
"We'll find him. For now, my son Colin will show how he'll protect Hyrule." said Rusl.
"Maybe your son will be skilled on an equal footing like you." said Shad.
"I'm sure he will." said Rusl. "I assure you all."
"Good, now as our part in this discussion. We all need to fortify the walls of Hyrule Castle Town and also get the Gorons to block the entrance of Hidden Village so that they never find the refugees. Others have left for Snowpeak since these beasts turned out to be friendly yetis. The refugees are going into this mansion. All we need to do is…"
Ashei stormed into the building.
"They got Link."
"What?" all gasped in unison.
"Link has been missing." Ashei panted.
"Right, it's time we make our search." said Rusl.
"We cannot." said Ashei.
"Why not?" asked Auru.
"Usually I see him on Hyrule Fields. For some reason, I cannot sense his presence." said Ashei. "Shad, can you use your magic to sense his location?"
"Well, let's see what I can find!"
Shad failed to locate Link.
"Cannot find him. It's as though he's not even in our world."
"What do you mean?"
"No matter how far Link goes, I can always sense his presence. This time, he's not even held captive in the World of Light."
"What shall we do?" asked Rusl.
"We can still defend Hyrule Castle Town because Link is always prepared to escape. Don't know who could have done that." said Auru.
"Who knows Auru? Who knows?" said Shad.
In Gerudo Desert, inside Ganon's Tower, a meeting took place. Ghirahim, Byrne, Glutko, Lupay, Vaati, Volga and Cia sat on the right side of the table.
"I heard Militron and Dark Link captured Link." said Volga.
"Captured?" asked Ghirahim.
"Yes, he's now in a dungeon in Arbiter's Ground." said Volga.
"Yeehaw, now that'll be interesting." said Twinrova, lazing on piles of cushions.
"Keep it down!" said Demise. "We all need our strength since I'm one of those beaten by Link."
"Yeah, I'm tired of being beaten by that Hylian." grumbled Onox.
Igos du Ikana sat on a small balcony, situated above the meeting. Behind him was the same black robed servant in Majora's Mask.
Malladus, Yuga, Goronu, Chancellor Cole, Gibdo and Omfak sat on the left side of the table.
The villains of the past settled down and relaxed. Ganon who was accompanied by Militron, Nabooru and Dark Link walked along a dark green lit empty corridor until they reached the room.
"Boys! We have urgent matters to discuss." said Ganon. "Militron, put the orb on the table!"
"Yes."
Militron placed a huge orb at the centre of the table. The orb displayed Zelda's arrival, Link imprisoned along with the fairies and Midna in the Twilight Realm. Cia bore a huge resentment towards the Twilight Princess.
"When you said it's urgent, what was that?" asked Gibdo.
"The Princess of Hyrule, no doubt." said Byrne. "Not very pleasant."
Demise begrudgingly agreed with Byrne. Igos du Ikana and the masked figure remembered Link.
"The hero cannot escape, but the princess gets here, we'll capture her since she has the Tri-Force." said Ganon.
"Tri-Force? If you have the Tri-Force of Strength, what's hers?" asked Yuga.
"Wisdom." answered Lupay.
"Why not let her IN?" Ghirahim saw Zelda freeing Link. "Lord Ganon."
"I know. Dark Link, Cia, go and capture her while I talk about what's important."
"Yes."
Inside the dungeon, As Link recovered, he looked around and beheld a ghastly place of terror: bars, spikes, stone walls and iron cages, bloodstains and flaming brands; and low animal noises from the creatures pacing far below. Link looked above him and saw walls around him were lined with prison cells. The area around Link was lit in gold while above faded to black.
On the wall of one empty cell Link found a hanged man, together with days marked off, precursor perhaps to the miserable fate of the wretch who had once occupied it. A deep pit was open at the centre of the room. He could not see the bottom; last resting place perhaps for some who had passed through here. Bones and ghastly blood stains were evident around sluices on the cold stone floor.
"Just great." sighed Link. "These enemies including my evil clone became stronger."
There came a familiar voice.
"Hey, Listen!"
"I know that voice." said Link.
Above him, the fairies were trapped inside a prison cell with a glass pane.
"Navi? What happened?"
"Don't hold it against us fairies! We too are put inside the dungeon." said another fairy.
"Tatl."
"How shall we get out of here?
"Ciela. Goodness, how many fairies are there?" Link was confused.
"Silence!" shouted a tall Gerudo executioner. "If it isn't the hero of light..."
"Hey listen!" cried Navi.
"Shut up, fairy! Well, how does it feel to be defeated by us?"
"You will regret saying…"
The Gerudo executioner whipped Link so hard until he was unconscious. There came a voice.
"Get off him, Gerudo!"
Zelda fired her divine arrow, burning his right hand. At once Gerudo guards, swords in hand menaced her - ready to treat this unwise intruder as they had no doubt treated many poor souls in this place in life. She felt a bit of remorse as she set about each one, consigning them to their own eternal damnation. Among these were giant brutes, swinging heavy hammers like grotesque circus strongmen. They were as easy to despatch using vaulted attacks as the rest. Now that the dungeon had been cleared, Zelda freed the young Hylian and the fairies.
Link came awake with a start.
"It's all right, it's me," she assured him as she caressed his face. "It's me."
Her words seemed to settle him. Zelda and a weakened Link hugged expressively.
"What shall we do?" asked Navi.
"No idea." said Tatl.
"What are you doing here?" asked Link.
"Rescuing you of course." said Zelda. "Let's get out of here! There's no guard here now!"
"No, Zelda," said Link. "I'll only slow you down, escape by yourself."
"No, Link. There's no way I'm leaving you behind!"
"Hey, Listen to Zelda!" urged Ciela.
"I'm going to stay behind and distract them however I can. You go and tell someone where we are." urged Link.
"But Link, it's too dangerous," Zelda retorted, "Besides, I just can't abandon you!"
"Oh please…"
"You need leave. And, there's no way I can let you stay." said Zelda.
"But I..."
"Please, Link," Zelda tried to reason with Link, holding his hand, "If I relent, Hyrule's hope is lost. I want to do what I can. I have to get you out. Hyrule needs you. Victory favours you. All our allies are depending on us. Won't you help me do that?" Link finally conceded. "Very well then."
They wasted so much time discussing whether to escape, resulting in them being spotted by Militron and Dark Link. The Fairies circled around and warped Link and themselves from their current location.
"I will come back and save you." Link promised.
Zelda struggled as Militron captured her.
"My lord." said Dark Link.
"Have you brought the boy?" asked Ganon.
"He has escaped." said Militron. "But, I got the princess.
Militron brought Zelda to Ganon. "My lord, I found her. She refuses to tell us about her allies. She has the Tri-Force and everything. This is possible to strengthen your army."
"Good work, Militron."
"How lovely to see you, Princess Zelda." Ganon sneered.
Ganon yanked Zelda by her arm. "Let me go! Or you will answer to the goddesses."
"So naïve." he sighed. "You underestimate us… Militron, send her to a chamber where she'll give a greater gift to my armies."
"Yes, master." said Militron.
"Hold on!"
"What?" Militron was surprised.
"Dark Link, put her in the dungeon!"
Dark Link breathed black smoke from his mouth. The smoke surrounded Zelda, causing her to black out. As she got up, she found herself in one of the cells. The cell was guarded by a twilight force field.
"Well princess, I see you're awake."
"What?" Zelda shook her head and otherwise unharmed. "Ganon will get my powers."
"Net yet. Now I need to see what Ganon needs. Make yourself at home!" sneered Dark Link. "Don't do anything stupid. I will hate to kill another Hylian due to your defiance. Do you get me?"
This gave no answer from Zelda. He took her silence as an approval. "Good, now stay in there!"
Militron and Dark Link went to the meeting room where Ganon and the underlings stood to attention.
"Is the princess of Hyrule imprisoned?" asked Ganon.
"Yes. I used a force field to prevent her escape. The Tri-Force won't work on this and even if it did, the cell is reinforced so that she doesn't outsmart us."
"I hope so for your sake." said Ganon. "Everyone, as we finally have the princess of Hyrule. Our army including us, will get stronger as we have the Tri-Force."
All cheered at his good news. Zelda felt powerless and her thoughts about the fairies saved Link."Navi, Tatl, Ciela, get Link to safety! I can only pray since my Tri-Force is negated. Midna, if only you didn't break the mirror, we would have been together."
Images of the cursed Midna and her normal form jumbled in Zelda's head.
Link appeared in Castle Town and saw no signs of the people. "Everyone, barricade the Eastern Street and stay alert!" urged Telma.
The soldiers followed her command and shut the gates. "All soldiers must stand on every side of the wall! All the people must stay at their homes and in the basements! And you, dear, I'm counting on you to look around the country to make sure other nations are safe."
Link nodded and went to meet Madame Fanadi.
"I knew you would come back to me, Link." said Fanadi. "I gave you one of my orb to let them understand your expressions. You have a large number of careers waiting for you."
She voiced her incantations.
"Tuoba gniklat I ma tahw."
The orb showed Link about Zelda's kidnappings. King Bulbin and his minions.
"Go and see what you can do, child! By the way, it's good to see you."
Link gave a nod and left. Link was desperate to assist. "Something is happening in here."
Tatl warned him off. "Whatever it is, it will continue until you have defeated Ganon. You cannot help Zelda!"
Though harsh, the words made sense in the greater scheme of things. "My sister is right. We need to get these people to safety first. Why not start with your home?" asked Tael.
"Then let us make haste!" Link agreed.
The fairies warped Link from his location and appeared with Epona in Ordon Village. "Home." he reflected. "And yet it's overwhelmed by enemies."
Dinolfos and moblins took over the area. He paused safely out of sight, to observe the enemies in their movement around the village. There seemed to be twenty. As before, Link reckoned that for certain must not come alert. As one of the others came close it turned, and Link chose that moment to sneak behind.
"Hey! Listen!" cried Navi. "We need to hide!"
Her cry caused Link to mistimed his stealth attack. Dinolfos seized Link by the throat in an iron grip. Link choked but fought clear, and recovered sufficiently to knock the insensible creature down. In his distress, Link inadvertently kicked over a pumpkin, and the moblin came running.
"Please, stay away from me." a woman begged.
Temporarily cornered, Link shot an arrow in the face of the attacker, then jumped to grab it, and stabbed the brute. The woman and her daughter fled. As the other Guard resumed its attack, a now armoured Colin was more able to manoeuvre, and so faced it easily. A few skilled blows and they were alone. He vowed never to have any hindrance that'd misjudge his attack again, since stealthy progress was more easily rewarded.
More enemies poured in. So swift was the attack that the moblin had not even become aware of Colin, and he crept up behind it and killed another. Link was able to punish the other enemies for such offense.
"You?" Link remembered Colin.
"Link?"
"I told you not to leave Ordon Village. What's going on?"
"Everyone is at home. My father is in Hyrule Castle Town."
"What madness is this?" demanded Link.
"The same creatures that attacked us at Kakariko." explained Colin. "I don't know what's going on. While you left Ordon Village, the mayor was looking for someone in your place. Since you were in Hyrule, I was trained by my father to be an expert in sword-fighting. Ordon Village will live under our protection."
"So, you chose to follow my path. Do you know how relieved this village would be?" asked Link.
"Lad? Is that really you?" Mayor Bo came out of his home.
"Link?" Beth expressed delights.
The villagers were awed by Link's presence. A tall girl with sandy coloured hair approached and hugged Link.
"Big brother is back."
"Aryll, I haven't seen you for…"
"Too many years." said Aryll jokingly.
"I can't believe it." said the woman whom Link saved earlier.
"Who are you?" asked Colin's sister.
"That's Link."
"So you're Link. Big brother told me all about you." she said.
"It's good to see you all."
"Goodness, what did I say about avoid doing things out of league?" said Ilia.
"Not at least a word of greetings you should say?" asked Malo.
"Go home, Malo!" shouted Ilia.
"I hate being bossed around, Ilia Ma'am." said Malo.
"Talo, I order you to go home with Malo."
"Oh yes! I forgot who's in charge. Malo, you know who's in charge?" asked Talo, mockingly. "That would be a spoiled princess who disrespects her father and boss us around. Link should be our new Mayor."
"No, he's a hero of Hyrule. Aryll should be the mayor." said Malo, monotonously.
"Yeah!" said Aryll.
"I am surprised a lug like Bo…" Talo did the impression of Gor Coron, albeit derisively.
"What did you call me?" asked Mayor Bo.
"I am surprised Mayor Bo could sire such a cute daughter." Talo imitated Gor Coron under his breath. "It is fortunate she resembles her mother so much!"
The kids except Malo laughed at Talo. The mockery was too much. "You kids are the same." shouted Ilia, leaving them.
"What's with her?" asked Colin's younger sister.
"Any son or daughter of high status will always think highly of themselves as though they're popular." said Talo.
"At least the Princess of Hyrule is not like that, Talo."
Coro rushed through the villagers and found his familiar customer. "Guy? Is that you? I thought you were gone for good."
"No, Guy doesn't die." said Beth. "He will always be here."
"Well at least you're here."
"Now it's not the time." said Tael. "We need to get to Zelda."
"Then let's hurry." Link agreed. "Everyone, I'm happy to see you all, but Hyrule needs me to protect the country. Colin, keep an eye on this village. You and Mayor Bo make a good team to protect Ordon Village. Aryll, look after Epona."
"Big brother, come back safely when you're done! Promise?" Aryll hugged Link.
"I give your promise." said Link.
Link left the village with the fairies who warped him from his area to Hyrule Field.