Tails moved cautiously through the first chamber of the Goron Mines. Below the many ledges was molten lava. No wonder it was so hot in here!
There was a pathway down to a caged off area. Searing flames burst forth from a pipe, blocking his progress.
"Midna? I'm going to need the Iron boots a moment."
"Coming right up."
With some difficulty, he managed to stomp over and onto a pressure switch. It hadn't done anything before, but with the added weight, it triggered, and stopped the pipe.
Midna removed them without a word. Clearly she was paying attention too.
He hurried past, and not without reason. The flames returned not long after he got past.
He repeated for another switch, then jumped to a platform that had been hidden behind the cage just as the flames erupted again behind him.
A strange creature in the lava spit a rock at him. The shield blocked it.
The second time, he had an idea. He jabbed the shield at it, reflecting it. The creature sunk back into the lava, defeated.
Atop the cage was what looked like a giant fire slug. Periodically, the flames grew low. He reasoned that would be the best time to attack, and it turned out a single stab dealt with them easily.
Jumping from a somewhat unstable pillar of rock to the other side, he found another switch, which shut off another pipe on the far end of these ledges.
As he made his way to it though, several more lava slugs got in the way, slowing him. The fire returned before he got there.
The second time, without anything to slow him down, he made it easily.
The path around the corner from it led to a metal floored area raised above a more normal rock floor. There was a platform sticking out of the wall opposite, and looking at what mechanics of it he could see, it looked like it needed to be pushed down to open the nearby door.
His weight wasn't enough, but the Iron boots solved that, bringing the platform crashing to the ground.
On the other side of the door was a wide open area, seemingly free from lava, and considerably cooler – something he was glad for. The Hero's clothes weren't meant for hot places.
Out here were various cranes, controls and metal walkways.
"Don't go getting distracted," Midna told him. "I know you're a mechanic and all that, but that's not why we're here."
"You never know, I might come in useful here."
"Aren't you already?"
"You know what I mean."
The walkways branched west and east. There was a chest down the west path, and a locked door to the east – logically, west came first.
Before heading down, he spotted some bokoblins. The slingshot attracted their attention, and the sword finished them easily.
Back the east way, there were rotating platforms. Since out here was quiet though, he just flew over, skipping the problem entirely.
The next room had lava in again, and a lizard-like creature with tough looking scales – except on it's tail.
It noticed him almost as soon as he drew close, and it drew in a breath. He quickly sidestepped, and made a pass for it's tail.
It definitely didn't like that, and swung around surprisingly fast to face him. He repeated a few more times, and it sunk to the floor. It didn't disappear like most other enemies.
Then it exploded, throwing him against a nearby wall.
"I don't think you want to hang around next time."
"I wasn't expecting it," he coughed back, getting up again. He was starting to get used to being thrown around so easily.
He looked around the rest of the room. Lava geysers occasionally erupted, making it unsafe to fly. The ceiling far above had veins of a strange blue material, and even stranger, some of the lava slugs were on it. They didn't seem inclined to drop down after him though.
He carefully picked his way across various rock platforms to a larger area on the other side of the room, dealing with another of the lizard things. He didn't stay so close this time.
Against one wall here was a heavy looking chain attached to a chunk of wall. He pulled, only just managing to shift it.
As he let go, it slowly started retreating back again, so he wasted no time in finding a way around the other side, and slipping past some spikes only just in time.
The room beyond the door was cooler again, and had water in. More of the strange blue material was on various walls, some with a circle around it. There was a tall metal fence blocking him from getting through. The only way through was a small hole in it underwater – but there was no obvious way back up from the surface of the water to the ledge on the other side.
He stood thinking for a moment. Midna joined him, then sighed. "How long can you hold your breath?"
"A few minutes, but I don't like it, and I'm not exactly a good swimmer."
"It'll have to do. Use the Iron boots to sink to the bottom and walk through, then stand on that switch." She pointed to one on the floor.
He hadn't noticed it until she pointed it out.
"Then what?"
"It depends on what the switch does, I guess."
Grumbling to himself, he drew a deep breath, then plunged into the warm water, wading slowly across the bottom until he hit the switch.
Abruptly, he was drawn upwards, and found himself standing on some of the blue stuff, his Iron boots sparking a little. He was stood upside-down.
"See? It pays to listen to me, wolf boy."
He looked down – or up – at the water below. Or above. "I was not," he managed, "expecting this to happen."
"It worked, didn't it?"
He sighed, and followed the blue stuff. It headed around, then upright again, leaving him stood on a ledge normally again. Midna retrieved the boots.
He shook his head. The blood had rushed to it, making him feel a little light-headed.
In the room beyond the door ahead, there was a wizened looking Goron, about the same height as him. It's back was smoking slightly.
It looked up, peering at him near-sightedly.
"Ah," it creaked. "I thought I felt a presence, but how surprising to see such a strange creature. I am Gor Amoto, one of the four Goron elders."
"Gor Coron let me in, he thinks I might be able to save your patriarch."
"Does he now? Then take this." He handed him what looked like a piece of an ornate key.
"What's it for?"
"It is one of the three shards of the key that will unlock the door to where Darbus is imprisoned."
"So where are the other two?"
"Gor Ebizo and Gor Liggs, the other two elders have them."
"They're here too?"
They are praying in the mines for him, yes." He peered closer. "Good luck in your work, Hero."
"Thanks. Now to get out..."
"Use the floor above," Amoto told him.
"Thanks again."
"Ah, to be young again," the old Goron commented, watching him fly up the to top of the room, and out an upper door.
He was back in the same room as before, this time further above. There were magnetic blue patches on either wall leading to another door opposite him, like the one he'd just used, above the original one.
Both ways had lava slugs, and neither really had much difference, so he took the south wall, walking, with some effort, along it. The lava slug didn't cause too much trouble.
When he got to the door, he felt the expected increase in temperature. He was going back into the lava room again. At this rate, he was going to get more than a few patches of singed fur.
On the other hand, there didn't seem to be much to do, just a switch to step on. He gave another surprised cry as the ceiling magnetized and drew him up to it. Once again, he found himself upside-down.
Trying not to think about this, he made his way along the magnetic patches, slashing at various lava slugs as he went along. He wasn't sure where he was heading.
Several times, he had to stop and bend over, allowing blood to stop rushing to his head. He really didn't like this.
Eventually, he reached a door on the western side of the room that led, once again, back to a previous room but on a higher level.
It turned out to be the outside area again. There were now some Keese flying around, looking like they were on fire. With careful aim though, he shot each down. The slingshot was useful for avoiding things like that.
There was only one path, and it led to bokoblins. Whoever built these places had too much affinity for them. They really didn't hinder him much any more.
There was another switch, which activated the magnetic patch on a crane, and set the crane moving. It passed over a nearby platform where it stopped, then swung around to another part of the area he hadn't been to yet, and stopped again. He watched it for a few moments, then sighed, waiting for it to pick him up by the boots, then drop him when Midna removed them over the new area.
There were more bokoblins and fire keese, along with another switch. Like the one before, he'd have to use the Iron boots to be taken over to another new area.
After some more bokoblins, he finally went into the next room.
There were... things, jumping around on the water in here.
He ignored them until they came close, then just hacked at them, being careful not to fall in.
It looked like he'd have to though, there was a chest underwater in one corner.
He finished the last of the jumping things, then sunk down to retrieve a key from the chest.
"Alright. Now what?"
He looked around again. There was another caged off area in one corner, the only way through blocked by a... stone block.
He only just had enough breath to push it aside and resurface.
There wasn't much around here, except another switch. Which, as he expected, drew him to some magnetic floor opposite. He ended up walking on the ceiling again for a few moments before dropping down onto a raised ledge.
Up here, there was yet another switch, and a metal grate hanging from the ceiling. The switch activated another magnetic area, a circle on it seeming to suck away. He dropped down in front of it, and it drew him over. The patch led him to another raised area with an odd crystal on it.
"Hit it," Midna told him.
"What?"
"Hit it."
"If you say so." He hit it. The door below opened.
"Good wolfy," she commented.
On the other side were some strange rotating statues that seemed to have an eye. He moved to examine one, but it shot a kind of laser at him, forcing him to retreat hastily.
On the opposite side of the room, there was a chunk of metal held up by ropes. Since there didn't seem to be anything else he could do here, he flew on up, and cut them, letting it drop, and revealing a new path.
It led outside again. He spotted familiar green bulbins lining various vantage points. There was no way he'd be able to get them all with the slingshot, not at this distance.
He smashed aside a crude wooden barricade, then drew the shield fending off each arrow they fired as he pushed forward.
The path branched in two. He sheltered behind a crate, and looked both ways. One let to a locked door, the other to an area with one of the laser statues, and a chest.
He poked his head cautiously around the crate, then withdrew it quickly as an arrow whirred past.
Pulling out the shield again, he moved quickly over and took shelter again, keeping just out of range of the statue. The chest, as he'd expected, held a key.
He moved back to the crate once more, then started to make his way to the locked door. Part way along, the wooden bridge had lost some of the planks. He had to edge along carefully, trying not to step wrong, or let an arrow get through.
One buzzed uncomfortably close to an ear, but none actually hit him.
He sighed with relief, then opened the door and went on through.
There was a giant rotating platform above a pool of water in here. He stared at it, then shook his head. After that ordeal outside, he wasn't having any of this, and just flew it again, and went through the door on the other side.
Another old looking Goron was waiting for him. Unlike all the other Gorons he'd seen, this one had a thick mane of white hair.
"Oh? Ah, the courageous young fox that I heard word of. I am pleased to see you make it this far, brother."
"Gor Ebizo?"
"Indeed, that is me. You come seeking to aid our patriarch. I entrust to you the second key shard."
Tails took it. It slotted perfectly into a groove on the first.
"Thanks. One more, then I'll do what I can."
"There is something that may help you. The sight of the proud Hero's clothes has brought back old memories, memories of another hero who came to the aid of the Gorons. It is said that the sacred treasure we keep in here was left by him. Beyond price, we protected it for generations."
Tails had a realisation. "He wouldn't have been called Link, by any chance?"
"I'm afraid I do not recall. Please, young hero. Take the treasure. May it help you in your quest."
Tails left by the door above the one he came in by. It led him to a magnetic strip along the wall that would lead down to the next door.
On the other side, it grew hot again. The door locked behind him.
Ahead, there was a large magnetic platform held up by four chains. There was also a large Goron on it, wearing metal plates as armour.
He'd intended to explain the situation, but as he stepped onto the platform, the Goron reacted first.
"What! You are not a Goron! You cannot be here; this is a forbidden area! You have no business here, none at all!"
"Wait, what? The elders sent me!"
"Never! I will not surrender the treasure to such a one as you!"
He slammed the platform, snapping the chains and dropping it onto the lava.
"What have you done now?" Midna complained.
"I didn't do anything, he did this."
"You're not going to be able to stand against him easily,"she said as the Goron approached.
"I've got some ideas."
"Just don't become fox roast."
Tails readied himself. The Goron blocked every attack he made, so instead he waited.
The Goron reached up as if to punch him, opening a hole in his defences. Tails took the opportunity to slash away at him. It didn't do much, but each one seemed to push him back a bit.
Eventually the Goron rolled up, and headed toward him. Tails moved to the edge of the platform, carefully, watching his step, then when the Goron drew close, he leapt, hovered, and landed as the Goron passed underneath.
It bounced off the lava a few times, each time with a yelp of pain, then landed back on his feet on the platform.
Some of the armour had come off, but he soon discovered it made little difference, and he was forced to wait until the Goron tried to punch him again, repeating his previous tactic.
He almost felt sorry for the Goron the third time it rolled into the lava, fooled by his quick jumping.
Instead of approaching again, he instead sat groaning to himself. The lava level rose up, placing the platform conveniently where it was to begin with.
"Ugh... that hurt a lot..."
"Well maybe if you'd listened to me..."
"Huh? Maybe... you're going to see the patriarch?"
"That was what I was trying to tell you. The elders let me come to help."
"Oh... so that is why you're here... I didn't stop to think. In that case, go on through and take the weapon of the hero of the past, but promise this... you'll save our patriarch!"
"Of course I will, I already promised that to your elders," he replied irritably.
"Be nice, wolf boy," Midna murmured as he left.
"I didn't like his attitude."
"This heat must be getting to you."
"This place is getting to me, it's more difficult than it needs to be."
"At least we get a nice new weapon," she said, watching him retrieve a bow and quiver of arrows from a chest.
"Yeah. One I've never used before."
"Oh, you'll pick it up, I'm sure." She looked around the room. "Look," she pointed to the south side. "Try shooting down those ropes. It'll open a path back a few rooms, I'm sure."
"I don't think it'll work."
"I've been right before."
He grumbled to himself a little, but tried it, taking out an arrow, drawing the bow back, and loosing it.
He was surprised to see he hit first time.
"See! Told you so."
"How did you know?"
"Oh, it stands to reason. You're a hero. They always know how to use weapons they've never touched or even heard of before."
He stared at her grinning for a few moments, then burst out laughing.
"Thanks Midna," he said finally. "Somehow I feel a lot better for that."
"No charge. Fused Shadow?"
"Fetching it already," he grinned back.
"Nice wolfy." She patted his head, then retreated back to his shadow.
The path he'd just opened led into an almost circular chamber with a lot of the laser statues in. They didn't seem to be active, however.
They all blocked the way past though.
At the far side, there was another. As he examined it, there was a whir, and it activated. He drew back quickly, but stopped when he saw the ones in the circle chamber had also activated.
This time he had a new weapon though. He took careful aim at the red gem that seemed to be the eye, and shot it with an arrow.
The statue died.
He repeated for the rest, finding they could be moved once defeated. Behind the one on the west side of the room was a door that led to the final Goron elder, Gor Liggs.
"Ah, you are here at last!" The strange looking Goron exclaimed. "I've heard you might be paying a visit, as I'm foresighted in all things!"
"You mean you knew I was coming."
"Exactly!"
"Why didn't you just say so?"
"Because I am foresighted in all things! Here! The final shard of the key."
He slotted it in with the first two fragments, finishing it.
"Who knows how powerful or dangerous Darbus is now? You must take care, but defeat him also. However... I trust in your power. You have come this far."
"Thanks... I think."
"Hurry now! To the patriarch's room!"
"He's insane," he muttered to himself as he left.
"So's the postman," was Midna's only comment.
Back in the room with the now-defunct laser statues, he headed south into another room with lava in. There were a few keese in front of him, some of the exploding lizards on another platform, and a lot of fire slugs stuck to various rocks.
He used them all as target practice, even the lizards. One blew up, hurting another, which in turn exploded as he shot it's tail while it was distracted.
As the lava in here was relatively stable, he risked flying some more, shooting down a few more enemies as they appeared, then finally another crystal switch, opening a gate below.
He shot down another rope holding a slab of metal up, which allowed him to enter another part of the area with cranes in.
There was another switch. Stepping on it, even with the Iron boots, seemed to do nothing but make the crane clunk a bit.
He examined it for a few minutes, looking at it critically, the spotted the problem. A rock had become wedged, dislodging a gear. It took him only a few moments to solve.
"So I guess you were right."
"What's that?"
"Being an engineer as well as a hero was useful after all."
"Told you so."
The crane, now working properly, allowed him to backtrack to the room that had previously had the things that had jumped around on the water.
In there now were two giant fishlike creatures. They resembled the creature that had risen out of the lava near the start, except that one came from lava.
He shot each with an arrow before they even realised he was there, then the crystal switch, and finally the two statues in the next room before heading back outside to where the Bulbin archers were waiting still.
He spotted a bokoblin that hadn't been there before, and also several barrels of arrows. Well, at least he'd have some stock.
He grinned, pulled out an arrow, and started picking off Bulbins. The bokoblin watched each arrow shoot over it's head with bemused amazement – at least until Tails shot it too.
Tails restocked his quiver from the barrel – which, interestingly, seemed to somehow create more arrows as he took them – and started moving ahead, bow at the ready to shoot down any more bulbins. There were none, however, along the way to the statue from earlier.
He shot it too, deactivating it, then pulled it aside, revealing a way up to another level.
Some bulbins he hadn't spotted earlier shot at him from here, so he picked them off just like the others, then moved on. Another switch, and another crane, and he was once again hanging upside-down, being taken around to where a larger slab of metal was once again held up by ropes. He shot them down, wincing as the slab seemed to come rather close to him when it fell, then dropped down onto it and through the door beyond.
Another lava room, he didn't even need to come out into view of the rest of the room to see that. He could also hear bulbins.
There was another of the seemingly inexhaustible pots of arrows here.
Taking care not to make any noise, he crept out and around so he could see what was in the room from behind a ledge.
Two bulbin archers stood on a ledge of their own, and several more, alongside some bokoblins, were milling around.
He loosed two arrows at the archers, then ducked down as the remaining ones looked about in confusion.
When they settled again, he stood up and shot some more of them, watching in amusement as the bokoblins spotted him, then walked into the lava right in front of them. Bokoblin stupidity was second to nothing.
When they were all gone, he replenished his stock of arrows once more, and headed down to where they'd been. Yet another slab of metal was held up, until he shot through the ropes.
A small hoard of bulbins and bokoblins charged him from behind it.
He shot at each of them, loosing arrows relatively quickly, and only a few got close enough to be carved up by the sword.
He spotted the typically ornate door up ahead, and instead chose to once again restock arrows. The quiver wasn't large, so it seemed prudent to keep it stocked up.
The final room was darkened. There were pillars arranged in a circle around a magnetic patch of floor. At the back of the room was a dark shape bound by chains. Heavy breathing could be heard from it.
The shape was massive, far taller than anything he'd seen yet.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Midna said.
"You've got a bad feeling? Who's the one who's got to fight this thing?"
Midna's reply was cut off by a blaze of light from the shape's head, illuminating the area.
The entire figure glowed, turning out to be a massive fiery Goron, in much the same way Sonic had been changed into a massive beast.
The chains glowed, and with a roar and a wrench, they snapped, the thing coming after him.
"Aim for that bit of light!" Midna commanded him. "It's the weak spot!"
He didn't stop to question her, instead running to a spot further away from him, and preparing an arrow.
He took careful aim, and shot, hitting first time. It roared, and stomped around, blinded.
It stomped past him, the chains clashing with a metallic sound.
"Midna! The Iron boots!"
She didn't seem to understand, but he did. As soon as he had them on, he stepped onto the magnetized floor, and heaved hard on one chain, the boots preventing him from being pulled. Even so, it was a massive strain.
The beast collapsed with another roar. Midna retrieved the boots, and he ran to the beast's head, stabbing and slashing away at the gemstone on it's head, each blow coupled with another roar from the beast.
It got up darkening, then the fire returned again, and it saw him. It was too slow though, he'd taken the delay as a chance to take aim with the bow, and shot it again almost as soon as it gave him the chance.
This time, Midna needed no prompting, she switched his boots for the Iron ones with perfect timing, and he heaved on the chains once more, his arms starting to ache from the effort of this, the bow, the sword and everything else, but he held on.
Once again it crashed to the floor, destroying a pair of pillars, and once again he rushed to lay every blow he could on it. He finished it with an Ending blow, jumping clear as the thing drew up sharply, swaying.
Tails watched it carefully, panting.
It collapsed again, shrinking in the same was Sonic had when he'd defeated him. It darkened, then the darkness seemed to explode off it and hung in the air. With a strange sucking sound, it coalesced into the form of a Fused Shadow.
The defeated creature turned out to be a massive Goron, who rubbed at his head.
"Oog... what happened to me... so much pain..."
Tails left him be, and instead went to the Fused Shadow.
"Well done, wolf boy. You've been very helpful to me, so I think I'll let you in on a little story."
"You're too kind," he breathed acidly. He was still panting, and still ached from the fight. This being a hero thing was starting to get to him.
"It's just while you get your strength back."
"So?"
"Zant."
"What about him?"
"That's the name of the King of Darkness, who as you know cast all these shadows over this world. He's very strong. Even as far as you've come, you'd be nothing to him." Her look turned angered. "But he will never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength. That said though... I don't exactly have much good to say about this world's princess Zelda... a pampered life? How does that teach duty? I shouldn't judge based on her life though... she didn't get to choose it. And I have no wish to see her harmed." She paused.
"Well, at least not while I can get my hands on the Fused Shadows, anyway."
"Fascinating," he said, but his heart wasn't in it.
"Only one left. Come on, let me get you out of here. Eldin will surely help you feel better."
"He'd better," he muttered irritably as his world turned black while she warped him to Eldin's spring.