Foreword regarding my organizational conventions:
I was a bit skeptical about my chapter system. Well, calling it mine would be a mistake. A few novels (published works, not fanfiction) I have read use a similar system where they're divided into multiple "parts" or Acts and there are chapters within those "parts"/Acts. In a sense, what I've done is no different than what most authors do. Instead of having multiple scenes in a chapter, I have chapters within an Act/Part. It's just another way of organizing/naming the story.
If you the reader think that using this system is confusing, I may end up just switching over to the standard "Single chapter with scene breaks". It'd be exactly the same as far as what is contained within each posted segment. It really is just a way to avoid using scene breaks because... well, I'm not really a fan of them for some reason.
Without further delay, Part II.
-The Legend of Zelda-
-Shattered Mirror-
-Chapter 5-
Link slowly began to wake; a familiar warmth bathed his face. Unlike the last time he woke, however, it was not the warmth of a nearby fire but of the sun. The hero moaned in pain as his eyes slowly cracked open. The light from the sun blinded him; it must have been midday already.
"Link, Link!" Hearing his name, the young man turned his head, careful to avoid quick movements. The one who called him was none other than Lisa; she was running towards him with a worried expression on her face. The woman's clothes were filthy and her eyes swollen from crying; they shimmered as fresh tears began to well up within them. "By the goddesses, Link! You're alive!"
The tears began to roll down the woman's cheeks as she knelt next to the Link, pushing away some rubble that lay next to him. "So many people have died... Most of us women and children escaped through the tunnels, but others weren't so lucky." Pausing, the woman took a moment to catch her breath and solemnly look around.
Kurt! Link had to know if the man had survived. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but the only sound that came out was a weak cough. Link's suddenly realized how dry his throat was.
Seeing this, Lisa reached down and lifted a small bladder of water to Link's lip. Never before had water tasted so good to the hero. It washed over his dry throat like the spring rain back in Ordon. Re-hydrated, Link finally asked the question that had been on his mind; was Kurt alive?
Lisa lowered her head when Link spoke. She knew of the emotional attachment the two had and why the young man was so concerned about her Husband's wellbeing. "Kurt is... stable. He was hit by an arrow in the back. He's alert but isn't moving much."
Link felt a wave a relief wash over him. One of the reasons he had let his guard down was because of the sight of Kurt's mighty form falling to his knees. However, the rest of the night's memories quickly surfaced in his mind.
Anger began to swell within him as he remembered Naila. Reaching up to his neck, the hero couldn't find the velvet pouch that had faithfully hung from his neck since he had found the mirror shard from the Mirror of Twilight. The shard, the physical proof that Midna did exist, was gone.
Before Lisa could say another word, Link began to rise to his feet. He could feel the venom from the arrow that had struck him the previous night still pulsing within his veins. Stumbling slightly, Link reached out and braced himself against a nearby wooden pillar that was charred from fire as he stood. Everything began to blur; he could distantly hear Lisa shouting something at him, but that didn't matter. All he knew was that he needed to get to his room, retrieve his weapons, and make chase to Naila and her raiders
Link couldn't walk straight. Right now, getting to the inn was about as difficult as walking on water for the hero. That was fine though. He'd walk through hell and face off against the monstrosities of the underworld before he let Naila escape his grasp. After what seemed like an eternity, Link was in his room. However, it was not how he left it.
Everything was gone.
His clawshots, hero's bow, and bombs had disappeared like the bandits of the night before. All of this other weapons and gadgets had disappeared as well. Link couldn't say he didn't suspect they would be gone, but it was still worth a shot to check if they'd been overlooked.
Exiting the room as quickly as he had entered, Link made his way downstairs where Lisa was waiting for him, concern evident on her face. "Link, what are you doing? You're hurt! You need rest!"
Her cries of concern rang hollow in the young man's ears. He understood her concern, but she did not understand his drive. The Hero couldn't let some flesh wounds or poison hold him back. He needed to get to Naila and take back what was his, and the window of opportunity to catch the bandit was closing with every second lost.
Link walked through the doorway of the inn, now missing its two wooden doors, and began to walk towards the stables that were down near the docks. There was one possession of Link that he knew the raiders would not be able to take.
Or should he say companion?
Link entered the stables through the now door less entryway and saw Epona. Her white mane showed cuts and signs of struggle, as did the rest of the horse. However, she remained standing strong.
Walking up to the horse, Link whispered into her ears; it was barely audible but Epona understood what he meant perfectly. Link watched as his horse trotted forward. Her saddle was gone, but that wouldn't stop Link.
Getting a grip on the horse, Link pulled himself up and sat on her bare back. With a loud yell, the young man raced out of the stables and onto the main path not far from the town.
The trail Naila left was not hard to follow. Then again, not much could hide from the passion that drove the Hero of Twilight.
-The Legend of Zelda-
-Shattered Mirror-
-Chapter 6-
The sun had long since set as Link continued to ride bare back on his mare. Epona remained strong their entire pursuit. Not once did she show any signs of fatigue, but Link was unsure if she could continue for much longer. It was, however, fortunate he would not have to find out how much longer Epona would have lasted.
Not far from Link, over the next hill even, came the sounds and sights of a large encampment. Link was positive this was the resting spot for Naila's raiders. Slowing Epona down to a trot, the hero began to dismount her.
As his feet hit the ground, Link suddenly became aware he was still poisoned. However, compared to earlier in the day when he had first awoken, the effects were much less of an issue. Still, Link knew he had to be careful; he would not last if he got into a skirmish.
Creeping over the hill, Link's suspicions were confirmed. Set in the small valley below were dozens of tents and hundreds of raiders. It looked like they were celebrating a successful raid. Link smirked, knowing he was about to crash their celebration.
Leaving Epona behind, the hero scaled down the steep hill, making sure to remain silent and hidden the entire way. Once down, it was a short walk to the encampment. There were no guards around the perimeter; perhaps they didn't feel like they needed to defend themselves against outside forces? Or maybe the guards had neglected their duty and decided to join in on the festivities like the rest of their comrades.
Either way, Link was grateful for the blessing and quietly moved forward. All around him, he could hear the shouts and cheers of drunken men; the smell of alcohol and burnt meat filled his nostrils, making him grunt in disgust.
Link stuck to the shadows as though he was allergic to light. On several occasions, Link had nearly stumbled into a group of several raiders who had rounded a corner more quickly than the hero anticipated. His quick reflexes had saved him up until that point.
However, Link's luck had just run out.
"Hey! Hey you with the stupid hat!" Link froze in horror as he heard a raider shout in his direction. "Stupid hat" was a term Midna had used to describe the floppy green hat on more than one occasion throughout their journey. Turning his head slowly, Link saw an enormous man, easily the size of Kurt lumbering in his direction. "Are you deaf or stupid? I'm talking to you!"
Link didn't know what to do. He was in no condition to fight; even standing upright was a challenge right now. Link silently cursed himself as the figure approached him.
"What are you doing over there by yourself? Come join us! We don't need to walk around in the dark guarding the camp tonight; no, tonight we feast!" Before Link could react, the man reached out and wrapped his hand around the hero's upper arm as if he was grabbing a child. Link stared in disbelief as he was dragged in front of a large fire with dozens of raiders around him. Sure enough, they were all intoxicated; they were also discussing last night's raid.
"It's a shame their woman and children fled... we could have sold them to the bulbin as servants or food," one of the raiders slurred as he took a gulp from the mug cradled in his hand.
"Are you stupid?" another raider across from the one who made the suggestion spat. "If Naila hears even a whisper that we want to sell the women and children to the bulbins, she'll cut through our ranks and gather more men later! I don't intend on ending up dead because you suggest we break one of the leader's rules."
"You're afraid of a woman!" the first raider mocked. "To think I joined a company of cuckoos!" However, much to Link and the raider's surprise, there were no laughs, only the piercing gazes all the other raiders around him.
"You best shut your mouth, novice. You know not of who you deal with," the large man who had dragged Link into the conversation growled in a dangerously low tone. "You will sooner die by our hands before you break one of Naila's laws." This was taken as a threat by the novice raider, who narrowed his eyes in anger and drew a small dagger.
"You speak big for a cuckoo," the intoxicated raider said, mockery dripping from his tongue. "You won't hurt me."
No sooner had the novice raider finished his sentence did the large man draw one of his short swords and run towards the man with its blade leveled. Things seemed to move in slow motion as the intoxicated raider's eye widened as he felt the cold steel blade of his fellow raider begin to cut through his neck.
Link watched, partly satisfied and partly disgusted, as the head of the foolish raider rolled to the ground. Chaos consumed the atmosphere as everybody got to their feet and grabbed their weapons. Link knew this was his chance.
As the chaos began to spread, the hero crept to the back of the crowd and into the shadows again. He watched as more swords were drawn, but no more blood was spilt. The short conversation had surprised Link; did Naila have some sort of honor code?
Link let out a small laugh. Honor code? If it existed, Link had not seen it the previous night.
Wearing the shadows as a cloak, Link began to continue toward the large tent in the center of the encampment he had seen from the hill. Surely thas was where Naila resided. When he found her, he would be sure to make her pay for the lives that were taken back at Belfair.
After much sneaking around and more careful avoidance, Link finally found himself behind the great tent in the center of the camp. It was much more quiet here then on the outskirts where the raiders were drinking away the day. It didn't take long for Link to find a way into the tent.
Link crouched behind several crates as he emerged from the hole he had found in the side of Naila's residence. The inside of the tent looked more like a room from Hyrule Castle then the a quickly assembled structure made of wooden supports and cloth. Ornate decorations hung on the walls and ceiling. Markings he had never seen before covered everything; it looked like he had entered another kingdom entirely.
Peaking around the crates, Link saw Naila sitting on a hammock reading a familiar looking book. Link's eyes narrowed as he realized just exactly it was she was reading.
It was a book on the Twili.
-The Legend of Zelda-
-Shattered Mirror-
-Chapter 7-
One of the first places Link had gone when he decided to search for his friend was Shad in castle town. If an ancient myth existed or a book about an obscure topic was nearby, Shad knew about it. It hadn't taken much convincing, if any at all, on Link's part to get Shad to help him. When the hero told the scholar what he was looking for, they traveled to one of Hyrule Castle's still standing libraries.
"You always are looking for the most interesting things! One of these days, you'll have to bring me along on one of your quest," Shad said longingly as his mind began to drift. "Still, the Twili. Such a strange topic. Not much exists on them."
Link was flipping through the pages of a book, absentmindedly listening to the enthusiastic man. Link found it fortunate that much of the archives in Hyrule Castle remained relatively untouched by Ganondorf's and Zant's attacks. However, he did wish it contained more about the long exiled race.
"I hear a lot of legends and stories in my studies. I once did a fair bit of research on the Twili. Even at my best I wasn't able to find much about them," Shad said in a disappointed tone. "To be honest, I don't even think the Twili exist. Why would the goddesses allow a species of monsters like them to exist instead of ridding the world of them?"
Link froze in place as Shad's words echoed in his head. "Why would the goddesses allow a species of monsters like them to exist instead of ridding the world of them?" Link raised his head and gave the scholar a look he reserved for only his bitterest of enemies.
Shad froze as his eyes made contact with the hero's. He was expecting a laugh or even a dismissive look. The glare Link gave him was nothing short of terrifying.
"Ah - I... Um, I-I'm going to go check out another section of the library..." Shad spoke as he nearly ran away from the hero.
"...Monsters..."
Is that what everybody would see the Twili as? Monsters unfit to even breathe?
Much of Hyrule was still confused about what happened to them when Hyrule Castle was invaded by Zant and his minions. They saw them simply as an invading force, not as another race from another realm. Nobody knew it was in fact the Twili who had filled their hearts with fear and taken so many loved ones from them throughout the 'war'.
When all was over, Link and Zelda had agreed the involvement of the Twili was something that must remain a secret. Both triforce wielders knew that the citizens of Hyrule would not understand what had truly happened and would likely blame the Twili. While both were fairly certain the Twilight Realm was far from prying hands, it could do no harm if the events of the past few months remained a mystery.
Link had to calm himself as his hand clenched into a tight fist. Shad couldn't help himself; he knew only of what the legends had told him. As far as the light realm was concerned, the Twili never exsisted, and those who did believe they once existed painted them as monsters who terrorized the lands.
Looking back down at the book in front of him, Link began to read, searching for even the most obscure of hints to help him find his friend. Minutes turned to hours as Link continued to search for a starting point for his quest.
"L-Link...?"
Shad's shaky voice broke the hours of silence as he entered the room. Link looked up and saw the scholar, still looking quite frightened. A pang of guilt rang through Link's body; he didn't mean to act the way he did towards the man.
"I found something interesting..." the scholar began slowly, cautious of his words. "This is the Chronicles of Vadum, a warrior in an ancient mythos from another land. It mentions a dark tribe who was sealed away in another realm with an item blessed by the goddesses." Link's eyes widened as he began to contemplate exactly what it was that Shad was saying.
"However, that's all it says. The legend comes from the far east; it doesn't say where exactly... It's vague but I thought you would like to know."
And Link did. Unknown to Shad, the hero's spirit was soaring.
-The Legend of Zelda-
-Shattered Mirror-
-Chapter 8-
Link shook his head as the memory of how he acquired the book ran through his head. It was a rare book and it only mentioned the Twili once; even then it wasn't even by name. However, despite its vagueness, Link wasn't about to let Naila have it.
Reaching over his shoulder, Link grabbed the handle of his sword and pulled it from its scabbard. The Ordon blade shined faintly in the candlelight that lit the room. It was really a hollow act; Link was still suffering from the poison that had entered his system the night before. In his current shape, he had no doubt Naila could easily dodge any attack he tried. However, maybe the woman wouldn't know this? Wiping the previous thought from his mind, Link knew his only chance was now; the hero stood and made his presence known.
Naila looked up from the leather bound book to see the ominous form of Link slowly and silently advancing towards her. Her brows raised at the sight; she certainly wasn't expecting to see the young man again.
"You know, it's not nice to point a sword at an unarmed person," Naila mused as she set the book down next to her. Turning her head back to Link, Naila's eyes narrowed as she said, "It's especially rude to enter a woman's quarters without her approval."
Rocking in the hammock slightly, Naila jumped forward and landed on the ground in front of her. Link eyed her cautiously; what could she be up to?
"I've been a raider for a very long time. In fact, you could say I've been doing it all my life," the woman began to speak as she walked towards a crate which acted as a desk. "You see, I'm the descendant of a great tribe from the desert. We were feared, non crossed us. When we wanted something, it wasn't a question of if we could get it, but when."
The look on Naila's face seemed to sadden a bit. "Those days have passed and only a few of us remain." Just as quickly as it had changed, Naila's expression changed back to one of confidence. "I've seen everything. Royal family heirlooms to cursed gold; you name it, I've seen it."
Reaching down, Naila grabbed another book. Link recognized it as another one of the books he had taken from the castle library to aid him in his quest. "Never before though, have I found such a complete collection of literature about a race of people who supposedly never even existed." Looking up, book in hand, Naila's expression was not that of mockery or smugness; it was one of true curiosity. "And never have I found such a collection on one man."
Link tensed up as he heard her speak. It was almost as if she was trying to get him to say something, but he remained quiet. "You're not from around here, are you? What is written in those notes of yours, Ordon? Coming all the way from a province of Hyrule must mean you're doing something important." Placing the book down, Naila continued. "But what that is, is the question."
"I've heard of the Twilight Realm before in my travels. It's said to be a place frozen in eternal twilight. Could you imagine such a place?" A short laugh made its way from her mouth. "I've always dismissed it as a myth though. However, your collection here is making me reconsider."
The hero eyed the woman with an icy stare. "Oh, so scary!" she taunted. "Could you imagine a place such as the Twilight Realm? Untouched for thousands of years, exotic treasures everywhere you look. It would be quite a cache. I could probably never go back to small villages like Belfair afterwards though; the thrill just wouldn't be there."
Link felt a shiver run through his spine as the words came off of Naila's tongue. She would do to the Twilight Realm what she did to Belfair? What she had been doing her whole life? No, he couldn't allow that to happen; he wouldn't allow that to happen.
"I have a proposition for you, boy," Naila began, instantly catching Link's attention. "Join me and help me find the Twilight Realm. We could greatly benefit from each other's help."
Link wanted to scream inside. This woman was offering to help him find the one thing he wanted in life, but doing so would also ensure its destruction. Oh, what a cruel game the goddesses played!
As Link's thoughts raced about his mind an unorganized mess, his eyes caught hold of something dangling from Naila's pocket. It was the velvet pouch that held the mirror shard. It was at that moment, Link knew exactly what his answer was. Without saying a word, the young man lunged forward and grabbed for the pouch, pulling it out of the woman's pocket and into his hand.
Rolling forward, Link barely regained his balance as he got to his feet. Looking back, the calm and collective face of Naila was replaced with one of rage. "Twice I've offered you membership into my numbers, and twice you turn them down! There will not be a third time!"
The woman reach down and grabbed a short curved sword from a nearby crate and began to rush Link. The hero dodged out of the way, sweeping her off her feet in the process. With a loud thud, the raider fell onto the ground as Link ran out of the tent with several books in hand.
"Guards!" Naila roared as she regained her footing. "Guards! We have an intruder! Stop him!"
Even as far away from the tent as he was, Link could clearly make out the orders the woman had given her men. Time was short; soon the mess of intoxicated men would be an organized search effort. He had to escape before that happened.
Link ran as fast as his feet would carry him to the hill where Epona was hidden. The moon was high in the sky and shone down like the spotlight of Belfair's lighthouse. It took all of his strength to scale the steep hill to reach his faithful companion.
When Link rounded the top of the hill, Epona was waiting for him. Wasting no time, Link jumped up on the horse and began to ride back towards Belfair.
The entire time home, Naila's word echoed in Link' head.
" Could you imagine a place such as the Twilight Realm? Untouched for thousands of years, exotic treasures everywhere you look."
Link would do everything in his power to ensure that Nailia would never see the serene beauty of the eternal twilight that was the Twilight Realm.
For Midna.
Hours passed, and Link laid atop Epona. Her run had slowed to a quick gait. The sun had peaked over the top of the Reslo Mountains to the east no more than ten minutes ago. Time didn't seem to matter for the hero at that moment; nothing seemed right anyways. The vivid shades of colors that covered the land had slowly blurred together in Link's vision. There were no longer any sharp lines or much of any definition.
The hero's grip on the mare was slowly weakening. Through the fogginess of his mind, Link couldn't help but wonder if this is what Midna felt like when she was skirting the boundaries of life and death after Zant's attack, riding on a lone beast's back in a nearly hopeless effort to save her realm from the King of Evil.
Link truly did miss Midna. Without fail, every day his thoughts would wander back to her in some way, shape, or form. On this particular morning though, after all he went through the past couple of days, the hero's longing to see his friend seemed magnified tenfold. What Link wouldn't give to hear the Twili say one of her sarcasm laced insults about getting himself into a mess like this.
Then again, he was in this mess because of her. Maybe she would let him off easy?
Link let out a quiet laugh with his remaining strength, though it came out as more of an inaudible mumble. Was he so delirious that he had begun to think such things?
Another laugh came from his mouth. Well, if he was going to die, why not die with his companion on his mind.
The blur of colors quickly began to fade into black. Link couldn't help but feel a bit depressed at his end. The Hero of Twilight, done in by a group of raiders while on a journey?
Maybe he had overstepped his bounds and this was the goddesses' way of punishing him.
At this last thought, Link's vision became completely enveloped in black, and the darkness overtook him.
A/N:
I'm fairly surprised... is my writing so poor that I only got one (albeit honest and very helpful) review? I have to wonder if the reason why there's a lack of interest in this fiction is because I haven't filled it with the common tropes that plague fanfiction in general and Link x Midna stories, and also that it is slower paced than many others on this site. I will not degrade myself by falling into those tropes.
This is a story about Link's journey to meet a lost friend and the people he meets along the way. I'm trying to write a mature (not as in a lemon, but as something even an adult would enjoy reading) story. If there isn't any interest in such a thing, then I won't continue writing it. I have several projects that I perpetually work on, and they consume a lot of time. If nobody here enjoys what I write, I'll put the time I allot for writing this into something else.
TheStabilityProject: thank you for you review, it's appreciated.
EDIT: XAOTL Omega:
I sent you a message, but I'll copy it here for other readers in case they too are thinking of what you wrote or are possibly confused:
"As you may have read, I DID write out this story with the intent on creating a fan-game based on it. One of the problems with any continuation, fan-game or official, is that you expect the character (in this case Link) to be at his uber-level self. That's to be expected, but, I implemented a plot device if you will that fixes that. This plot device was more intended for game-play purposes than for story, so maybe it didn't transfer well/I wasn't clear.
The arrow Link was struck by was poisoned. Naila herself noted she was surprised to see Link awake in Part One. She also states it either kills it vitctims most of the time or severely incapacitates them for months. Link, being as powerful as he is, survived but is in a weakened state as of now. I may not have gone in-depth about his condition, but I did write several times that Link could still feel the effects of the poison. The action of raising his sword against Naila was nothing more than a wounded wolf baring his fangs against a predator.
After all, the entire reason Link collapsed atop Epona at the end of Part II was because of the poison.
I am also aware of the limitations and problems one might encounter while trying to enter the twilight-realm. This has been planned for as well. I know of the twili's culture and the power they possess."