Chapter 11: Goddess Statue
As the Clockwork Policemen were closing in, Link followed Fi around the base of the Goddess Statue to a carving of a door with a sun-shaped disk and rays streaming from it.
"Point the sword at the door and concentrate," Fi said. "Once you've built up enough energy, release it and the door will open."
Before Link could question her, Fi vanished back into the Master Sword. So Link did what she said and pointed the sword at the door-shaped carving. The sword started to glow again, and then just as the Clockwork Policemen approached the statue from the other side Link swung the sword. A burst of light flew from the sword and hit the door, which suddenly rumbled as it opened from the inside. Link quickly went in and closed the door, leaving him in complete darkness. Feeling his way around, Link touched the tip of something and walked onto it.
Feeling elevated, Link guessed this was the staircase Fi mentioned and started to ascend. He kept close to the wall that ran alongside the staircase for balance, and then when there was nothing Link fell sideways. Landing on a stone floor, Link guessed this was the alcove and got up to see a wooden door with a metal handle and a keyhole above it.
"This must be it," Link said and turned the handle.
The door didn't open, but then it suddenly vanished causing Link to draw his hand away. In its place stood a blurry image of a castle made of white bricks with red-tiled roofing surrounded by several buildings and shops surrounded by stone brick walls. On the other side of this image Link could see a circular room with a barred window that contained a bed, a workbench, a wash-basin, and several pieces of machinery and metal. Then at the forefront of this room was a young girl about Link's age with long blonde hair, pointy ears, sky-blue eyes, wearing a pair of Bird's Eye Glasses, a white blouse, a blue skirt with a pink sash that had bird-like design on it, and brown knee-length boots.
On her left hand she wore a leather gauntlet with metal armor and three different-colored orbs that seemed to be glowing which she held out with her fist clenched. Lowering the gauntlet, a smile crept on the girl's face and then she noticed Link and looked confused. Using her other hand, the girl reached out to touch Link but her hand seemed to vanish into the image. Then without warning, the image vanished and the door was back where it was.
"Oh, rats!" cried the girl angrily. "The Punctures are still too short!"
"Let me talk to her," Proxi said quietly and slipped through the keyhole.
Inside the room, Link heard the girl's footsteps halt and the fluttering of Proxi's wings.
"Well, hello," the girl said sounding pleasantly surprised. "Where did you come from?"
"The keyhole," Proxi answered. "I'm Proxi, by the way."
"How did you get into the Goddess Statue?" the girl asked.
"I had help," Proxi said. "You're Zelda, right?"
"I am," the girl replied.
"Your nurse Impa and the sorceress Lana found the Hero of Infinite Possibilities and he's here to rescue you."
"Really? What's his name?"
"It's Link."
"Link." Zelda paused and then said, "Somehow that name sounds…familiar."
"Okay, well we have to get going," Proxi said urgently. "Ganon's Clockwork Policemen spotted him on the way here, but we used the secret entrance to get in."
"That won't be enough to stop them," Zelda responded. "There's another entrance inside the abandoned Knight Academy, so they might be heading towards that as we speak."
"Then let's go," Proxi said flying out of the keyhole. "You can open the door from that side, right?"
"No," Zelda answered. "The door can only be opened from your side with a special key that Mayor Ganon keeps with him at all times."
"Then you should probably stand back," Link said raising the Master Sword. "I'm going to try to break the door down with my sword."
"But you can't do that," Zelda said nervously as her footsteps moved further from the door. "The door is made from Deku Wood, and nothing can break that except the Master—
Link pierced the door with the Master Sword and sliced it in half. The pieces fell down and crashed onto the stone floor of the room beyond. There was a loud thud and then there was silence as Zelda look surprised to see Link and he of her. The two stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes until Proxi pulled on Zelda's hair causing her to move toward Link.
"Stop staring and get moving!" Proxi said, letting go of Zelda's hair.
"Wait," Zelda exclaimed and went back to her workbench. "I just need to grab a few things."
From the workbench, Zelda grabbed a pink parasol and a leather satchel.
"All right," Zelda confirmed and walked over to Link. "I'm ready."
"I take it you've been planning to escape for a while," Link noted as they descended the stairs.
"Of course," Zelda said following behind. "Being locked up in one room for seven years is pretty boring."
"Then what was all that stuff on the workbench?" Link asked.
"Just some inventions I've been tinkering with to pass the time," Zelda responded. "Lana taught me a lot of things when I was living with her and Impa, so I didn't feel like putting that knowledge to waste. But this latest invention—
Before Zelda could finish, several clanging noises and footsteps were heard further down the stairs. In response, Zelda went back up the stairs with Link following.
"Where are you going?" Link wondered.
"Don't worry, Link, I have a plan," Zelda said as they ran back into her room. "But you'll have to grab my waist."
"What?"
"Just do it!" Zelda said as she pointed the parasol at the bars on her window and opened it, causing a sudden gust of wind to blast the bars away.
So Link did as she asked, and to his surprise Zelda leaped out into the open air. Link held on tightly as Zelda's parasol lifted them into the air away from the Goddess Statue.
To be continued…