Golden skies melted into blackness far below Link. Black particles rose on the air from the darkness an immeasurable distance below where he stood. The Master Sword was held tightly in his hand as he walked towards the Castle which rose from the darkness, its black spires reaching for the golden sky. Link moved slowly, gazing about himself and the narrow walkway he stood upon. The air was heavy with the darkness; it seemed to weigh upon his shoulders and tried to feed upon his strength.
The interior of the castle was complicated, rigged with transparent geometric patterns that glowed in the presence of the great white orbs in which had been sealed beneath the large, obsidian statue of hands.
Link lifted the first orb from its resting place. He began carrying across the floor of the chamber and heard a strangled cry from Midna. He spun to see the hand rising from the floor and floating menacingly towards him. He held the orb tightly and ran. His feet thumped across the floor as he made it to the end of the chamber and threw the door open, lunging through and slamming it on the far side.
Sweat broke up on brow as he carried the orb, dropping periodically to slay the shadow beasts that swarmed to its warm glowing light. He had to place it on the floor for the transparent stairs to rise and was climbing them with his clawshot ready when the hand came through the wall. He leaped from the stairs and slashed at the stone hand as it lowed for the orb.
The hand seemed unconcerned with him as it reached for the orb and lifted it from the ground before turning in the air and carrying it towards the wall. Link leaped at it, driving the Master Sword into it. The hand dropped the orb and lowered for it. Link grabbed the orb and turned, running.
He carried the orb beneath his arm, slashing at his enemies with the Master Sword and glancing back to see the hand floating after him. Link ran as hard as he could, his muscles aching. Link broke into the open of the castle courtyard and ran to the place where the orb belonged. He set it down, gasping for air. He rose to his feet to see the hand was no longer following him.
When the portal had opened Sheik and Void leaped back, weapons drawn. The retreated into the deepest shadows of the Twilight, ready to ambush an enemy. They stood at the ready when they saw Link materialize. Sheik grew tense at the sight of Link. He looked much the same as the last time Sheik has seen him, but he didn't have the same look in his eyes that the Link he knew had. The Hero of Time had a look of someone who'd seen too many horrors in their life and could do nothing but keep moving forwards. The look in this Link's eyes was that of hardened determination. The look of someone who'd seen horrors, but knew what they had to do. This Link was no child who was thrown into a world of chaos; this Link was young adult who had entered a fray with a purpose.
Void saw Link and felt the familiar rage and hatred at the sight of him, but felt the cold calling. Link looked much as he always had, but there was something different in this Link, whether it was the way he carried himself or something about how he look. This Link was different.
The imp rose for Link's shadow and said quietly, "Link, I don't want my…people to see me like this. Please let me hide in your shadow, just a little longer."
Link smiled slightly, his blue eyes softening, and nodded. He made his way do to the castle, moving slowly and cautiously.
Sheik inclined his head slightly at Void and the two of them moved slowly and carefully after the Hero. The remained undetected as they kept to the shadows and moved in his footsteps, far enough away not to be detected, but close enough to keep an eye on him.
In the chamber with the orb, Sheik froze and muttered to himself. "The orbs were taken!"
They remained behind until Link had made his was from the room, running when the hand rose into the air. Sheik lunged at the land, his blows striking uselessly and ringing out. Void joined him in attacking the hand and slowing it down. The two shadow warriors dropped back when Void hissed, "It's useless."
"At least we can slow it down," Sheik snapped in response. "But we've got to move, there's another one we'll have to slow down."
They tailed Link all through the castle and fought the hand in the first chamber after he escaped with the orb, slowing it without the Hero knowing. They follow Link to the throne room, where Sheik pulled them up short and shook his head. They couldn't go in and risk detection. Zant knew nothing of him and they couldn't help Link in his battle against the false king.
Void growled in response, but took up a position on the opposite side of the door from Sheik. He kept his blade drawn and remained tense, waiting for battle to find them.
Link stood before Zant, the Master Sword held in his left hand and his mind racing. Zant spoke of a god that had saved him and given him the power to usurp the thrown from Midna. His rant turned into a form of temper tantrum as Midna yelled at him. He leaped from the throne and stalked towards Link.
Link leaped and attack he swung and dodged Zant's confusing, seemingly unpredictable attacks. The madness behind the mask of the usurper king were exposed as he attacked erratically, forcing Link onto the defensive and relying on everything he'd ever learned about combat. With others there was usually some kind of pattern, but with Zant, it was madness. The transparent barriers erected like when Link fought the shadow beasts, leaving him feeling caged. His attacks turned desperate as the battle wore on, but it was when he looked carefully, he saw an opening, a flaw in Zant's erratic fighting style.
Working to exploit this flaw, Link gained the upper hand, leaping and timing his attacks just right. When he drove Zant back, Zant stood by the throne, his eyes maddened and his voice hysterical as he spoke. Midna had had enough and shot forwards, driving her powers deep into his body and choking the life from him. He exploded into particles of Twilight.
Midna looked dazed as she stared at the throne and then down at her hands. An expression of anger and fear crossed her face. Link moved carefully to stand beside her and looked questioningly at her.
"I just thought," She said quietly, "that when he'd be defeated, I'd return to my true form, but…"
Link gently placed a hand on her shoulder and turned, seeming to say, "Let's go".
Midna nodded and retreated into his shadow. He made his way from the throne room and back to the portal, encountering no one. He stood at the portal when Midna appeared again and looked back at her home. "I'll go with you and help you defeat Ganondorf, and then I'll come back."
Link nodded and turned to the portal, what he didn't see where two figures following them.
"Will you go back to the World of Light?" Sheik asked.
Void nodded, "I have unfinished business there. Will you come back?"
"No," Sheik shook his head. "This is my home now. I have to take care of it until Midna returns."
Void nodded and when to the portal Link had disappeared through only moments before. He raised his hand in farewell. 'For now,' he thought to himself as he entered the portal back to the World of Light.