Chapter 8 – Separate Ways
Zelda got on Spirit Train and moved from Kakariko Village before reaching The Great Bridge of Hylia. The Spirit Train went down the tunnels through the Lanayru Mountains. This led them under Lake Hylia and through a fish-like statue's mouth. It brought the Spirit Train through the tunnel to the Ocean Realm.
"Stop the train!" Zelda called out.
"Why stop the train, your highness? This place is being watched by a sea monster terrorising the Realm of the Mermaids." warned Ariston.
"Exactly, I will do this on Link's behalf. He's done enough for me. Now it's my turn to do the job. Time to show what a real ruler of Hyrule can do."
Zelda swam and found a huge coral palace. The soul of Queen Rutela appeared before Zelda.
"Princess Zelda, you must be sent here by the goddesses." said Rutela.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking." said Zelda.
"The Realm of the Mermaids is under attack by a plamuntamukko. The mermaids are also allies of the zoras. Where is Link?" asked Queen Rutela.
"Link is incapacitated at the moment and he's in Kakariko Village. I promised him that I'll help on his behalf. I don't know when he'll get better."
"I'm sure he'll get better soon. How is my son?" asked Queen Rutela.
"I haven't heard from him in a long time." said Zelda. "But don't worry your highness. I am certain; he's doing fine as the new ruler."
Queen Rutela played her harp. A bright light shone upon Zelda.
"What is this light?" asked Zelda.
"The goddess has answered and she allowed me to bestow upon you. This magic grants you the abilities to last underwater as though you are a zora. I will go and see how my son Ralis is doing and I'll get back to see Link."
The spirit of Queen Rutela faded away, leaving Zelda. She swam to the City of Mermaids where Mermaids and Zoras lived.
As Link entered yet another doorway, even on the sound of water, he had almost given up hope. But here at last, he came upon the baths.
"Zelda?"
It was an underground cavern suffused in a deep pinkish glow. From a wide sunken bath, Zelda came to the surface. Lanterns of warm candlelight floated upon the water beside her.
"It's beautiful," her voice echoed softly.
He knelt at the side. "Come on," she beckoned.
His senses overwhelmed, Link removed his weapons and left them to one side. She smiled to herself as he slipped in beside her, then brushed wet hair from her face, before turning away to swim through golden light, which glittered over her body. Link swam eagerly after her as she emerged at one side among soft cushions and velvet drapes.
Their fingers touched, tentatively at first. Link caressed her. Their faces close, Zelda's dark eyes closed as he leaned to kiss her willing lips.
He was alone. Hot water beneath him. Link raised himself upright and stretched as he tried to collect his thoughts.
"Was it real, that magical cavern? If it was a dream, then it was a dream we both shared," he declared. "I know it was!"
He reached for his weapons. The Master Sword was gone! His face hardened. On a shelf beneath a goron's statue he saw nothing...
"Zelda?"
She had left nothing. Which meant - ?
"Oh no!"
In the pit of hot spring, Link got up and looked around and heard a voice remarking about his condition.
"Ah, I see you're awake, brother." said Gor Amoto.
"You?"
"Don't you remember me, brother?" he asked.
"Yes, I remember. I saved your patriarch the other day. What happened? How did I get here?"
"You might as well find Darbus."
Link climbed up the ladder from the pit. Faint light came from and lit candles glowed in stone alcoves either side of the room. Everywhere was dust and cobwebs. Through a doorway, flanked by statues of kneeling gorons, he could see Darbus.
"Back already? Done taking naps?"
"Yes, how did I get here?" asked Link.
"Did little human get beaten so badly that he's forgotten? Well, the little princess asked me to look after you. Didn't I tell you this? Not that you could do much to help me, my tiny friend. Ga ha ha."
"Where is she?"
"Ah she left to the Realm of Mermaids."
"What?" asked Link.
"Go to the Zora's Domain! You'll be able to get there."
Link took Epona who whinnied. He kept her steady and caressing her face.
"I'm sorry, Epona. I haven't forgotten about you."
He clambered on her back and departed Death Mountain.
"Make sure you don't die, little friend."
Inside Hyrule Castle, Chancellor Cole sat on Zelda's throne. His green hooded soldiers and elites took over. In Hyrule Castle Town, the people lived under the oppression of Cole. At the marketplace, the people saw men in black top hats and long coats beating and kicking helpless citizens that cowered on the ground.
"Everything you're doing now goes to Chancellor Cole. Pay the tax or be expelled!"
"Hyrule," he muttered while looking out of the window, "Nearly conquered, and on top of that...!" A person then told him about Cole's announcement. And so, the huge orb on top of Hyrule Castle displayed the face of Cole. "This is Cole, I now rule Hyrule Castle Town. Have you made any progress?"
"Yes, we've done so." said a man.
"Then I will give you our demands. First, you will prepare 200 million rupees." A woman stammered, "200 million?"
Cole added a sharp threat to his demands, "Half of that will be given to my family members as the taxes are due. Second, those who are religious will be banned as well as those working will be thrown out."
"If you do not comply with our demands or dare conspire against me, you will all get what's worse in return. Do you understand?" The people of Hyrule sighed in frustration.
"You should try to stop us, my tax payers will continue beat you like you see what's happening now. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good, now make yourselves useful! Get to work!" shouted Cole.
"I had enough of these taxpayers. Worse, all those praying are banned." a woman muttered.
A taxpayer broke into a family's house and started robbing all the rupees. Chancellor Cole became the acting monarch of Hyrule and quickly asserted his authority over the kingdom. Surrounded by a very large army of taxpayers, he easily had them robbed the people of all they have, causing misery and despair among the population.
Link and Epona arrived at the Zora's Domain. The zoras welcomed the young familiar hero.
"Glad to see a familiar face." said a zora.
"We're all in danger. I heard of an incoming war is about to take place when the sun goes dark." said another.
"What?" Link was shocked and looked at the eclipsed that blocked half of the sun.
"If you came here to see our new king, then I'll bring you up." said a zora guard.
Link held onto the zora guard. He swam upwards the waterfall and left Link. He went forwards and reached Ralis.
"Your Highness." Link bowed down before the new ruler of the zoras.
"Rise! You came at the right time. We are all in danger."
"What happened?" asked Link.
"A plamuntamukko came to attack the Realm of the Mermaids. Once its done, it will attack Zora's Domain."
"I never heard this kind of creature."
Zelda walked inside a huge chamber straight into materialising creatures. These were another mix of black sea urchins and big star-like creatures with whip like arms, her new opponents. On the narrow walkway confines of the bridge, fighting was harder. She put up her block with her Naykilish and the Master Sword, but was caught repeatedly by hitozeishi's swinging attacks. Zelda was vulnerable here too. The Princess found that she could distract the creatures with a reminder from both swords.
With the lack of space, the counter-blocking, her ineffective close attacks and the sea urchins' tendency to knock sprout their needles towards Zelda at any opportunity. She began to find the battle against the sea creatures hard going. Checking that her Naykilish glowed bright blue to see if it was fully charged, she decided to unleash the extent of its awesome power. She executed her Speed Attack. With her enemies now confounded, Zelda moved amongst them at will, striking each down at tremendous speed in a single blow. The time over which this power could be sustained was short, but the devastating attack cleared everything in her path; those few that survived were more easily dealt with now that their number was diminished. At length she sheathed both swords.
Nearly exhausted after her journey through the underwater realm, the Princess stepped out to investigate her new surroundings. All at once she was seized in a paroxysm of agony. She grasped her arm. Flashes of blue light pulsed, and suddenly she was caught in a white helix of tremendous energy that bore her into the air. She gasped and groaned, powerless to resist as white light flashed through her tortured frame and radiated out. She was held motionless, and then cast to the ground as the helix drew away. It left a celestial figure in Zelda's place: a dark blue body that seemed to glow, her hair turned white and was flowing about in the air, white eyes burning, its torso cast in crazed burning designs of white light.
"What have I become?" gasped Zelda.
The Divine Zelda she had become retained some of the fighting abilities and was bestowed new abilities. Both swords were replaced by a greater sword that glowed blue. She experimented swiftly and was able to wield her new weapon.
Divine Zelda entered and found herself in a huge cavern, lit icy blue with light pouring from high above. Far below was a river and rocky pools, with the sound of plunging waterfalls all around. The platform on which she stood had signs of being used for storage of some provisions or other, and she could see far below another wooden beam. With no better option, she decided to make her way down and see where it led.
She moved along crumbling ledges, which restricted her passage to a single path. She dropped down where she could and presently saw a number of hitozeishi hovering in the waters below. Dropping eventually into the wide river over the cavern's basin, she set about the pests with her sword, and very nearly didn't notice that the powerful current was sending her drifting to the rushing edge of a waterfall! She fought her way off to safer ground. With every aqua demon despatched, Divine Zelda had for certainty a plentiful supply of water to restore her for the surely perilous journey ahead. She first looked out over the fast flowing waters and spotted a mermaid nearly lost amid the rainbow-haloed sheen of a waterfall close behind the rock on which it stood. After collection, she made her way over on to the wooden ledge she'd spotted from above.
"Why is this happening to me?" asked Divine Zelda.
"You were being blessed by goddess Nayru and I'm sure her powers must have had side-effects. Either ways, you were given a gift. You became more powerful than Link." Proxi explained to Zelda.
"That explains the transformation."
"Have faith! You are able to see and sense anything just like Link as a wolf."
Here now she saw the full extent of the cavern, with its treacherous waterfalls crashing to the icy depths, ledges and winding all the way down among them. There was nothing for it but to make a start. She started negotiating once again crumbling ledges that forced her on a fixed path, but as before, one way down suited as well as another. Through a series of ledges she dropped to a platform by a waterfall. A running jump across the face of this brought her - a little wetter - to a wooden walkway. She started across.
From the depths of the cavern rose a dozen fluttering sea urchins and hitozeishi, intent on her blood! There seemed no choice other than to swipe as best she could. A blue energy disintegrated them.
"You seem so quiet, Zelda. Is there something bothering you?" asked Proxi.
"I hope Link is alright."
"Link definitely got better and now he's in Zora's Domain." said Proxi.
"Huh?" Divine Zelda was astounded by the news.
"He's looking for you. Then we have no time to lose. We need to take down the monster."
A mermaid came to Divine Zelda.
"The servant of the goddesses has come." she said.
"In a manner of speaking."
"Please, help us the huge beast has come to destroy our realm."
"I don't know what I've become, but I will see how to deal with it. Please tell me where it is!"
"It is in this deep hole. You cannot miss it."
"Get the mermaids to safety! I will deal with it." said Divine Zelda.
Divine Zelda swam to the very depths of the area. The environment got darker while her body's radiance acted like a torch. At the end of a wide passage, she saw a huge giant octopus-like creature with the body of a cuttlefish, red eyes and ten tentacles. Bony ribs blazed with red fire.
"So this must be plamuntamukko. I don't know what it wants and why."
It roared in anticipation, sensing its victim's arrival. The arena was the darkest and widest cylindrical pit with a number of barred cell doors with a number of mermaids imprisoned inside. All the mermaids cried out for mercy. None could swim and reach the depths besides Divine Zelda who was blessed by Queen Rutela.
The girl was a hardened warrior, and not easily disposed to flee from a challenge. Even the monster's enormous size might prove no deterrent, she had faced such disparity before; size was often in inverse proportion to agility. Steeled for combat, Divine Zelda dashed forward to try what she may. She slashed the plamuntamukko without mercy. It snaked out its tentacles and snatched Divine Zelda. She severed its tentacles after seeing its mouth with rows of shark-like teeth. In pain and anger, it slammed Divine Zelda to the ground and hurled her towards the arena wall.
She must use speed and agility to counter every tentacle attack. Next to it were dead bodies of mermaids and zoras. No doubt they must have met such horrible fate. Blows came in rapid volleys as plamuntamukko turned to deliver tentacle attacks from behind and above. A tentacle plucked Divine Zelda and bore her towards it. She plunged her Naykilish and plunged it into its first eye. As plamuntamukko thrashed wildly, Divine Zelda distanced herself from her predator. She swam around, seeking for a better position to get to its eye. Divine Zelda must repeat the steps again to get to its eye.
Panting hard, she stabbed its other eye. She boldly closed in and struck at the gigantic creature's tentacles. Flashes of bright light emanated on each successful strike, and she hacked and dodged aside as the mighty beast howled and grunted, slashing its weapon in fast sweeping circles to fend off the unseen pest hacking at its heels.
"It can no longer see you," Proxi pointed out with satisfaction. "Move in and attack it directly."
She took a tumble as the beast lumbered side to side, but stayed close to the tentacles. She drained its energy with constant stinging slashes that brought flashes of light from the back. The mighty foe stilled for a moment, and teetered on collapse. The godly figure turned to it and struck hard. Plamuntamukko was finally weakened. Divine Zelda was nearly exhausted too, but now saw her chance.
She bounded up onto the back of the beast and struck down with the Naykilish into its spine. Plamuntamukko howled and spun about, clawing to remove the searing attacker. Once more she was flung into the air, but struck again as she landed. Her celestial blade stuck into one shoulder. The giant sea-monster swung wildly, and now the princess stabbed into its neck with the last of her strength, and stitched the length of its spine with her attack, striking flashes of light as the creature arched in agony and screeched its dying breath. She fell away exhausted and stumbled from the twisting, writhing creature.
Zelda's Naykilish glowed blue and she voiced her invocation.
"Idalibut nahamele nataukek dalut asrewupe."
A large glowing tri-force appeared below the monster. The beam emitted from the tri-force symbol, finally killed it. The last remnants of the once terrifying and invincible creature sunk into the depths of darkness. Divine Zelda plunged her Naykilish into a narrow slot and slit her sword down, releasing the mermaids. Imprisoned mermaids, intended fodder for the now departed beast, emerged into the darkness of the arena.
"We're free." they cheered. "Thank you. All hail Princess Zelda."
"I'm happy you are all safe." said Divine Zelda.
"Your highness, allow me to present to you, the ruler of this realm." said a mermaid.
"I am Aspasia, queen of the mermaids. I saw your bravery for facing against this beast. Thank you, princess."
"There is no need. I did what had to be done." said Divine Zelda.
"So it is true that fate brought you here. We mermaids are allies of zoras. Is there any help you need?" asked Queen Aspasia.
"There is one I need help with."
"Yes, I understand. Your Twili friend is being possessed by an ultimate evil. Your beloved is also on his way to find you. I will send you to her."
"Proxi, go and check on Link! I will be looking for Midna." urged Divine Zelda.
"I will." said Proxi. "Princess, I saw Midna leaving Gerudo and now she's on her way towards Link."
"Your highness, please tell the zoras they are safe now!" urged Divine Zelda.
"I will. In that case, I'll send you to him. Good luck and the goddesses will always watch over you." Queen Aspasia used her magic to make Divine Zelda and Proxi disappear.
As Link and Ralis discussed about the impending doom taking place in Hyrule, Divine Zelda and Proxi appeared before them.
"Zelda? You… what happened to you?"
"I'll explain this later. For now, we must hurry." Divine Zelda panted.
"Midna is still under the influence of what evil minion I'm seeing." warned Proxi.
"We need to try and get her back to her senses." Link agreed.