My last exam is over! At last, I am free! So much to do…so little time. I probably should be cleaning out the fish tank but it…uh…I'm sure someone else will do me the favour.
Chapter 24
Burning bones
Silver ran down the corridor, unable to shake the feeling that she'd made a mistake. The sort of tugging feeling in your heart when you leave a shop, as if you've forgotten something but you can't remember what. As she rounded the corner, she saw them.
The cavern was vast, but even then it struggled to accommodate the pack. The wolves were all varying shades of brown, and Silver could see the resemblance to Dal. There wasn't enough space for the them in their cell; they were pressed tight together, like a shoal of fish trapped in a net. They looked horrible. Their eyes were dull and lifeless, as if they'd never even seen the sun. It was worse than the other groups of animals that she and Link had freed. These animals had never even seen the sun. The ground was soiled and dirty, the mouldy straw only serving to intensify the filth. Their coats were horribly matted and patchy. Their tails were hung with clumps of stuff Silver didn't even want to think about. The air stank of animal waste, so much that it was difficult to breathe.
"Dal?" A little voice called from the throng of wolves.
Silver shook his head.
"He's on his way." Silver replied.
No point in stealth now. She lifted her muzzle and howled. It was only short, but the result was almost instantaneous.
The wolves watched her as she examined the lock on the door. Zelda had a similar skeleton key to Link, Silver just had to wait for them to arrive.
It didn't take long for the sound of running footsteps to come rushing down the corridor.
"Silver? Why the-" Dal's voice died in his throat.
Zelda was right behind him.
"Why aren't you with Link?" She asked.
"Not enough time. You need to get Dal's family to safety. Link went on ahead for Ilia."
"Dal? Dal!" A small cub shouldered her way to the front. "You came! You came back!"
Dal leapt forward, nuzzling the cub through the bars.
"Maria. Thank Farore you're alright."
Zelda crouched by the door, taking a small key from a ring at her hip and inserting it into the lock. It yielded grudgingly and the door slowly creaked open.
"Dal can you lead them to the entrance alone?" Zelda asked.
The wolves padded through. They were unfit, and many could not carry their own weight.
"Not in one go."
"If we're to get them out quickly enough, it'll take all of us." Silver said. "Link said that they wouldn't be able to make it out themselves."
Zelda glanced at the entrance. Epona too was prancing impatiently.
"We can't abandon them." Zelda turned to the wolves. "Anyone who is too weak to walk come to the front. If you're strong enough, take a cub."
There was a bustle of movement as weak wolves were pushed to the front and the stronger ones found cubs to hold.
Zelda picked up a wolf, draping the animal over Epona's back. The mare could carry five on her own., though Zelda had to use a length of twine to stop one falling off her rump.
"Are you alright to go?" Zelda asked.
"Yes, the weight is nothing. We need to move." Epona's impatience was almost tangible, weighing down the atmosphere.
Zelda helped an elderly wolf climb onto Dal's back. Another wolf, just as old, was helped onto Silver's. Finally Zelda took a wolf on each shoulder. Even then there were plenty of wolves who still had trouble walking. But they would have to struggle on their own.
"Come on, move out." Zilver called, padding down the entrance. "Follow me and don't die."
Link ran down the corridor. He could hear Fi's warnings, telling him to go back to Silver and then go after Ilia. He had to get to Ilia, something, he didn't know what, call it intuition or a sixth sense but something told him that the darkness was beginning to grow tired and it would soon lose its patience.
He ran fast, paws barely touching the worn stone floor. He could smell Ilia's scent now.
This is the darkness that made mincemeat out of Rusl and Epona. The small voice in the back of his voice whispered, advising caution.
"Master, there is a 99.9% chance that it will be a safer with Silver and the others. I must advise you turn back. You must exercise caution."
Caution. Caution. He'd been cautious for too long. He had not taken on Nubia and her allies head on, instead resolving to finding the sages. That had got his best friend kidnapped. He was done with caution.
The tunnel widened into a small cavern. Overhead, something clicked. Link leapt, twisting in mid-air to avoid the attack from above.
"LINK!" Ilia's scream sliced through the silence like a knife.
A heavy metal net covered the entrance. If Link had been a second slower, he would've been caught in it.
"I didn't think it'd catch you, but at least it keeps you here." The voice sounded nonchalant, but Link could hear the malic beneath the surface.
Link snarled, looking into the darkness.
"Link! Get out of here! Run!"
"Shut up lady!" The voice snapped at Ilia.
"KYAH!" Ilia's scream was like the rifle to start a race.
Link leapt through the air at the source of the voice. The figure hadn't been expecting so quick a retaliation, and as a result received a face full of angry wolf.
"Master, I would advise a better strategical plan for you next attack." Fi called in his ear.
Link ignored her, biting and clawing and gouging and slashing at the eye that served as the monster's only facial feature.
"GAH! GERROF! GERROFFAME!"
The monster flailed manically. A lucky hit managed to tear Link off, throwing him across the cavern.
"My face! What did you do to my beautiful face?!"
Link ignored it, changing into a hylian, key in hand.
"How am I gonna seduce innocent virgins now?! My beautiful beautiful face!" ('good omens' in a nutshell)
Ilia looked worse for wear. Her clothes were grimy and blood-stained. A fresh cut down her cheek wept blood. She was chained with her arms above her head but her feet were unshackled. Not wanting to waste time, Link quickly fitted the key into the lock, turning it hard despite the lock's protests. Ilia's arms dropped to her sides as Link managed to prise open the manacles.
"Now you made me mad! And you won't like me when I'm mad!" The monster's incoherent babblings were growing in intensity.
"YOU MONGREL!" The scream was so harsh and grating, Link and Ilia instinctively covered their ears. "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY IN BLOOD!"
Link pushed Ilia towards the exit, drawing his sword.
"SUFFER THE WRATH OF MAJORA!"
The monster was suddenly engulfed in bright magenta flames. As it burnt, screaming curses at Link. Its face changed. It was no longer a single eye, but a complete face with a maw filled with fangs befitting a dragon and a single eye in its forehead. The mouth was open in a scream, so large was it that it nearly made up half the creature's face. Horns grew from its head, two on the crown and two in the place of the ears. A third pair of thick horns sprouted from its shoulders. It did not have hands, but long leathery whips. Its chest was made up of the mask that had haunted Termina all those centuries ago. The same symbol that blazed in Runo City, and the same symbol that had appeared when Link had played the song of healing to save Silver.
Majora had returned.
"Is that everyone?" Dal called from her place at the top of the ramp.
"Yeah, these three are the last." Silver replied.
"Dal, make sure they get back to Ordon. We'll go and help Link." Zelda told him.
"Alright. I'll meet you in Ordon."
"See you there!" Silver called in reply.
With that, Silver, Epona and Zelda turned and ran back to where Link had gone after Ilia.
Link watched Majora pace back and forth, occasionally striking the whips that grew from his wrists against the ground. He didn't flinch. Neither wanted to show weakness.
Link tightened his grip on the hilt of the Master Sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he could Ilia halfway between him and the exit. But instead of escaping, she had frozen stock still, staring at Majora.
Link's mist bubbled around him, rising up behind him like an angry serpent.
A whip sliced through the air towards him. Link reacted with lightning reflexes, leaping aside. The whip smashed into the wall behind him. Link flashed Ilia his best, 'move it!' look.
"DON'T YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME!"
Majora turned his attention to Ilia.
"Master!" Fi's warning was loud in his ears.
The mist bunched up around Ilia, turning blue as if made from crystal. Link too, sprinted to her.
Majora's mouth twisted into a demonic grin.
"CAN'T TOUCH ME NO MORE!"
The whips passed straight through the shield the mist had created. In a last ditch attempt, Link threw himself between them, shield up to deflect the blow.
The whips wrapped around the shield. Two of them, biting into his right arm.
"CAN'T TOUCH ME! CAN'T STOP ME! MIST CAN'T HURT! CAN'T HURT YOU! CAN'T HURT ME! YOU! ME! BOTH! BUT I CAN! I CAN HURT YOU!" the pronouns were stressed, held for too long so that his voice sounded disjointed and manic.
With a flick of his arms, Majora threw Link across the room. Link tried to drop his shield, but the straps were too tight. He couldn't slip it off.
The floor rushed up to meet him. The mist clumped to his head, protecting his vulnerable skull.
It hurt. It hurt like hell.
Stars exploded in front of his eyes. The mist had taken the brunt of the blow, but some of the shock still reached his head, knocking his brain against the wall of his skull.
Ilia's screams filled his ears.
"Master, I have scanned my database but there is no record of Majora in detail. Shes did not use the sword as often as the others. All I have found, is an aversion to light. It burns his bones."
Link groaned, pushing himself up onto his knees.
"DON'T RUN GIRLIE! CAN'T RUN FROM ME! GIRLIE!"
Link got shakily to his feet. His head swum dangerously. Din that hurt. His right arm hurt, but it was still useable. He loosened the straps around his arm, and in one fluid motion hooked the shield on his back. Pulling out his bow, he nocked two arrows. Pulling back the drawstring, he fired. One arrow snapped on Majora's wooden chest, but the second lodged itself in the monster's neck.
Well, at least it got his attention.
Ilia scrabbled away, running for the exit while Majora was distracted.
"CAN'T HURT ME! CAN'T HURT ME ANYMORE!"
The arrow was pushed out as the skin regrew. It clattered to the ground, the tip bent and blunted. Majora stamped on the shaft, snapping it in two.
"Master, there is a 55% chance you are royally screwed."
Link growled, putting away his bow and taking his sword and shield back.
"Yes, it would seem the personality of the Links have influenced my speech codes."
Link rolled aside, as one of the whips smashed into the ground. Fi was one of a kind, in more ways than one.
Majora grinned, a psychotic glint in his single blood-red eye. Then the demon began to spin. It was like Zant the psycho ballerina all over again. Faster and faster, until all Link could see was a blur of brown. What was worse, those whips were suddenly a much bigger threat. They flew through the air, and Link knew that even if they hit his shield, they'd still throw him into the nearest solid object. The mist couldn't stop Majora, nor could it hurt him. Fire, ice or wind. Nothing did any damage nor could it defend him.
Too fast to dodge.
Link dropped to his knees, in the hope of weathering the storm out of range.
Idiot.
Majora crouched in his spin, and the whips collided hard with Link's shield.
"Master!" Fi cried in warning.
Link in instinct held on. He couldn't let himself be thrown again, that would hurt and probably render him unconscious at this speed, kill him even. That would be a bad idea. Epona would kill him if he died out here. Or worse, chase him into the afterlife and haunt him for the rest of eternity.
Majora was spinning very very fast now. Link felt like a leaf in a tornado. His dinner rose in his throat. Nope, being sick here would mean he'd get a face full of it. He was going so fast, it would be splattered all over his face.
Unsure where to go next, seeing as Majora showed no signs of slowing down, Link did the only option which would not leave him splattered on the walls or splattered with vomit; he climbed.
Climbing up a slippery whip-like appendage that was moving at some insane speed was not an easy feat. Just the act of letting go and latching on again was extraordinarily difficult. But it took his mind off of his churning stomach.
"Master, may I suggest next time you pay heed to my counsel." Fi called in his ear.
Shut up. Link thought, pulling himself further up along the appendage.
Link was now surprisingly close to Majora now. The stupid demon had his eyes closed as he span as if savouring the moment. Well, serves him right for not paying attention to the battle.
Now he was clinging to Majora's arm. Din, this would be an awkward story to retell. Nevertheless, Link pulled his sword from his back. If Majora didn't like light, then let him get a taste of the Master Sword's bright steel.
With some difficulty, Link stabbed downwards, straight into gap between the shoulder horns and the mask. Majora stopped spinning. Link clung to the sword's hilt as the world suddenly stopped moving and he was nearly thrown into the wall.
"AIIIEEEEE!" Majora's scream sounded so much like a child's, Link almost doubted his actions.
Then something picked him up by the collar and threw him the wall. Nope, definitely not regretting stabbing Majora. By some miracle, Link still clung to the sword, and he managed to twist it sharply as Majora threw him off.
The wall hurt just as much as the floor did. Combined with the dizziness of the spin, and the hard stone to the head even with the mist's assistance, it very nearly knocked Link out.
"Epona, take Ilia and get out of here."
Was that Zelda's voice?
The world rocked like a ship in a storm, Link put a hand to the wall for support. He blinked to dispel the stars that were fighting for centre stage in his vision. At this rate, Link was going to need glasses.
"That net is death to greys. Don't let Link near it."
Epona sounded really scared. Link was starting to regret taking on Majora alone. How on earth Shes had managed it when he was half his age was beyond Link.
"NO! GO AWAY! YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH ME! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PLAY WITH ME!"
"Shut up and go to hell!"
Yep, that was definitely Silver's voice. Dal must've taken the wolves back to Ordon. He had to warn them. That Majora's whips were dangerous. That the mist was useless against him.
"Are you ok?"
That was Zelda. She helped him to his feet, the world was a bit fuzzy, but that was fading fast. The mist curled around him, healing small wounds and dispelling the dizziness.
"Mistress, Majora is vulnerable to light. I strongly advise making use of light arrows."
"Right."
Link blinked back the last of the dizziness. The world had stopped rocking so precariously and he could see clearly.
"Mistress, the best course of action would be to use the strategy the three of you implemented against Ganondorf."
Zelda nodded, drawing her bow.
Link took on his wolf form, and ran to where Silver was doing an excellent job of annoying Majora.
"GO AWAY DOGGIE! CAN'T PLAY WITH ME! NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY WITH ME!"
"What you gonna do about it?" Silver barked in reply, waving her tail tauntingly. "Gotta catch me first!"
"RAGH!"
Silver leapt aside as a whip came slicing towards.
"That the best you can do?"
Link growled from the other side of the cavern, play bowing and generally taking the mickey out of the poor demon. Majora turned to attack Link. Silver ran forward and slashed his Achilles heel, pulling him down to one knee. The wound healed instantly, but it still hurt. As Majora turned round to attack Silver, Link hamstrung him with a crippling slash on his claws, bringing him to his knees once more.
"HURT! IT HURTS!"
"What? Can't you deal with two little puppies? Are we too much for you to handle?" Silver teased, crooning patronisingly.
"GO AWAY! DON'T WANT TO PLAY! DOGGIE HURT ME!"
"Allow me to help you with that."
Zelda's arrow was glowing with an intense light. The swirls on her bow were glowing bright white, as if the bow was a light spirit itself. Zelda looked into the demon's single eye, and fired.
"Uh…oh…" was all Majora managed to utter before the arrow lodged itself in his eye.
"Now Link!"
Link took on his hylian form, and leapt through the air, stabbing his sword downward. Majora, blinded and stunned, could not defend himself. The blade sliced through his skin like a hot knife through butter. Link buried the sword up to its hilt. The skin sizzled and blistered in the light of Zelda's magic and Link's sword.
Majora's scream rent the air in two. His skeleton burnt white from beneath his skin. Disintegrating to bright white ash, like moon dust.
"Chew on that." Silver's voice was venomous.
Majora collapsed on the ground, shrinking until he was just a mask with a lot of tentacles growing out the back. Link sheathed his sword, turning to face Zelda and Silver. He was smiling.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I leave him alone for five minutes and this happens." That voice.
Zelda's face blanched, her blue eyes wide and dilated in fear. Silver too was staring at something behind him.
"But at least all isn't lost."
"Link!"
Link half turned, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Oh please, there's no need for that."
The shadows clumped together to form chains, thick heavy chains made of steel.
No time to think.
Grabbing his sword, he pulled it from the sheath.
"Master? What are you-?
The chains wrapped around his legs. They burnt like hell. It felt as they were burning his very bones. It hurt so much, as if every pore in his body was exploding in pain. It took all his willpower just to stay on his feet.
"Keep Fi safe."
That had been what Phaira told him. Must keep Fi safe.
"Give that here, won't you?" That voice, so sweet yet so unbelievably evil. So warped, that it made Link want to run and hide under his duvet.
With all his might he threw the sword towards Zelda, the mist clumped around it. Just like when he was inside the sword, the mist had come from the master sword. He could remember it curling around Pan's blade. The mist was drawn to the sword. Given a choice, it would choose Fi.
"NO!" That screech, like a child watching her teddy bear being decapitated.
Zelda caught it, horror dawning on her face.
GO
The triforce connecting the three of them began to glow bright on their hands.
RUN
His message flashed insistently in their mind's eye.
The chains snaked around his arms, binding them tight.
Then the mist left Link, rushing towards the sword. As it went, Link gave it one final order. It flashed red and the ceiling between him and the other two triforce holders collapsed.
My writing style's changed a lot since I started Heartless this time last year (ish). Could I ask what you guys think of it? Anyways, that aside, do you review and I should update next Friday.
