Chapter 4: So, About that Ravenscroft Guy?
"Well, well. What have we here," said a white-clad figure from a high window.
In a distant, barren land, where the sun rarely shone, four men had arrived among the laborers and began making their way to higher rooms of the tower. In a swoosh of shadows, they all arrived in hardly any time at all.
"My lord," the shadow-swordsman greeted as he knelt before the pallid, slender figure before him.
"You're back much sooner than I'd anticipated. In which case, I assume there was some calamitous failure," the lord said grimly.
The four men hesitated to convey the news of their defeat and the loss of their leader to the volatile demon.
"Speak to me! I demand to know what happened," the demon said in a low, quiet, yet seething with rage voice.
If they remained silent any longer, the men knew that their lord was liable to kill one of them. "We did find magic that was suitable for our cause," one man explained.
"And? Did you acquire it," the demon asked impatiently as his skin darkened.
"We were...unable to match the power of the boy wielding it."
"Did you say that you were outmatched by a boy!?"
Not a single one of the men wanted to continue with the details of the battle, knowing it would only further infuriate their lord.
"You," the demon stated as he pointed at the man who used a wheel of swords, "Elaborate exactly what happened during your mission. And I expect you to go into details of the incident that led to your defeat."
The man swallowed hard before he explained what had happened. "We had been in the area searching for Ravenscroft as we had intended. When we suddenly sensed another powerful magic nearby."
"The boy, I assume?"
"Yes. He arrived with some unknown form of magic. But, before we could apprehend him, he led us on a chase through the woods."
"And that was where he defeated you?"
"No. We were assaulted by...by Ravenscroft…"
"So, you did find him! And yet you return without him! This...is...so... INFURIATING!" The demon thrust his arm forward, casting a volley of diamond-shaped blades into the man who displeased him, spraying his blood onto his own pale skin. Once he had come down from his fury, he turned to the next man. "Do please continue. And try not to anger me further. Blood is so unhealthy for the complexion," he said as his tongue extended unnaturally to lick the blood off his face.
The next man shivered slightly at the notion that he had to be the one to put his life on the line next
"We searched for the fire god, but to no avail. We went to the nearby town, where we searched for him. But, that was where we met the boy from before. And he wasn't alone this time."
The demon's face changed to a mix of both irritation and intrigue.
"He...was accompanied this time…There were four of them..." the man continued unsurely, now realizing he was going to have to explain who was with the boy. "There was a young girl…"
The demon's face grew more irritated.
"And a...and a foal…"
"Let me see if I understand this," the demon began, "You were defeated not only by a boy, but another child as well? Along with their horse?"
Not a single man answered.
"You said there were four of them. Who was the fourth? A PINK FLOWER!?"
The demon had finally lost it. His pent up rage burst forth, covering the ground with yellow and black geometric shapes, which burst violently, tearing apart the remaining men in a shower of crimson.
Soon after, the demon began teleporting to all different levels of the tower as he vented his fury.
"UNACCEPTABLE!"
He reappeared in another room.
"UNBELIEVABLE!"
He reappeared in another room.
"COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY USELESS PEONS!"
All around the tower, random workers were cut down as diamond shaped blades sliced into their hearts. One of them, a young girl with red hair, managed to dodge one, though she nearly lost her eye in the process.
Back in the tower heights, the demon began to come down from his tirade. Though the wanton murder stopped, he was still seething with rage, and felt liable to do it again.
"Hey, how's it goin' devilock," came a voice that sounded as if it was trying to speak as fast as it could.
When he turned, the demon was displeased to see the red and blue form of his associate. He never liked having to look at the thing. To him, it seemed nothing but a mess of spindly limbs and a bobbing head atop a heart-shaped aberration. Adding to it's grotesque appearance were two oversized yellow eyes in it's torso.
"Whatever happened to fillin' your heart with rainbows? You know, all that anger can't be good for ya. Keep it up, and ya might get a tumor. Matter of fact, I knew a guy once. Burst almost every capillary in his body when the sandwich he ordered came back with no pickles. He looked like a great big strawberry when the medics put him in that body bag. I got me some equipment if ya want me to check that blood pressure," the thing said as it magically conjured a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope.
"I won't be taking any advice from an oversized ritual item."
"Strong words from a guy what used to be a sword. Maybe if ya started takin' advice from lowly schmoes like me, ya'd be a happier guy. Make more friends. Be more productive. Better serve the cause for our master."
"There is none more dedicated than I. Not you. Not that oaf of a general. Not that so-called shadow sorceress. Not that raving usurper king! And certainly not that blasted sheikah wizard!"
"Ghirahim!"
A nerve snapped in the demon's brain as he turned to face the owner of the gruff voice that addressed him. His stomach churned when he saw the aforementioned sheikah wizard before him, clad in his long, blood-red robes, adorned with the piercing blue eye on the front. To many who met him, he was only a stranger who left terrible things in his wake. To those present, he was Agahnim.
To the wizard's sides, were two of the others Ghirahim had mentioned. On his right, clad in a midriff, cleavage and leg-revealing purple dress, displaying her deep blue skin was the sorceress of shadows, Veran.
On his left, covered from head to toe in gold and black armor that only revealed his mouth, and threateningly holding his ever present weapon. On one end was a fierce axe blade. On the other end of the handle was a long, wickedly spiked chain ending in a spiked iron ball. This intimidating mountain of a man was Onox.
"Are you and Majora bickering again," Agahnim asked in a low, stern voice.
"Ya better believe we are, bossman," Majora answered when he suddenly ran across the room in the blink of an eye, stopping right in front of Agahnim's face. The wizard, however, didn't even budge. "Mr. Broody-Moody here just got his mantle in a twist when he got some bad news. All I did was try to counsel him about that volcanic temper of his. But, 'nuff about me. What's new with you fellas?"
He shot next to Veran.
"Veran, is that a new dress? New hairstyle? I always thought red was your color. I myself could use a bit more red. But that just ain't in the books, is it honey-bunny?"
He shot next to Onox.
"What about you, Knock-'Em-Sock-'Em-Onox? Sharpen that blade? Polish that armor? Or did you finally get a tan somewhere besides your lips?"
The next thing the mask knew, it's neck was grabbed by one of Onox's massive hands.
"Stop talking, you half-wit," Onox growled before he threw Majora across the room, where he cracked a wall on impact.
"Can't you do anything without destroying something," Veran asked her large associate.
"Destruction, dear sorceress, is the only sure way of keeping others under your rule. If one simply gives an order, the other can choose to ignore it. If one gives an order, and demonstrates the terror that can befall the other's life, there will never be dissent, and your will shall become the only right in the world."
"An interesting philosophy, General. But, I've always preferred to dangle what others hold dear on the brink of oblivion, sending them into an obedient sorrow from which there is no return."
"Both are valid methods, but neither explains why Ghirahim has overreacted the way he did," Agahnim said, cutting to the point.
"Ah, yes. I still need to convey what our underlings have reported," Ghirahim began. "It seems that we've found the fire god."
"It would be wise not to jest, demon," Agahnim warned. "For all our searching, I'm beginning to become agitated by the lack of any results."
"I think there's some truth to this report," Veran chimed in, "You'd think somebody would recognize flame god slayer magic, even if they'd never seen it used before."
"True enough," the wizard conceded, "However, something disturbs me."
"If you're referring to how our minions returned empty handed, they were defeated. By a boy," Ghirahim informed.
"A boy defeated our minions," Onox repeated deadpan, "There really is no good help these days…"
Despite the general's dismissive statement, something rang to the five present. No ordinary boy would be able to defeat their minions. Whoever this boy was, he would have to be exceptionally skilled. But, no child would have gained that kind of prowess. They would have to be born with it. As though it were divine.
"I think that this warrants an investigation," Agahnim said before his body blurred and disappeared from sight.
"Dad?"
"Mmm…"
"Dad!"
"Daddy's hungover, sweetheart...Go bother the horses for a bit…And quit pullin' my sleeve..."
"No good, Epona. I think that trick only works on me."
*Neigh*
"Who the hell's that talkin…? New ranch hand?"
"Dad, this is the boy who helped us fight those men."
"Hoowhuh?..."
"He turned into a puppy."
"I don't remember seein' that…"
"I guess the pink elephants got in the way of the show. Hang on, I'll find something to dry out this old soak. I don't think there's ever been a more redundant sentence."
"Is that sass I hear, boy... Stow it, or I'm gonna smack it outta you…"
"Don't be so mean! He's the one who helped us just now."
"He's not gonna anymore if he keeps up that smart mouth of his…"
"You don't even know him! He hasn't said five sentences to you!"
"That doesn't mean I'm gonna let him sass me… Long as I'm runnin' this ranch, I'm gonna get the respect I deserve…"
"Sorry, sir. It's a bad habit of mine, but it's tough to kick. Here's a drink to make it up."
The drunk was only half conscious, which somehow only made the sudden feeling of a sharp, cold wetness splashing over him all the worse. Spitting and sputtering, he opened his eyes to the sight of his daughter, Epona, and Link, who was holding an empty bucket.
"Hope you like it on the rocks. The guy in the magic shop needed to get rid of some of his ice," Link explained.
"What the hell happened," Marley's dad asked as he wiped the dripping water from his face.
"You got drunk and passed out in the streets...again. This time after causing some collateral damage," Marley explained.
"Aw, crap in a hat! That's another expense I don't need," the drunk said as he sat up. Once he had, he locked eyes with Link and looked the boy over. "What's your deal? Runaway elf?"
"Yeah, the others in the tree kept telling me about a magical place where wine flows like rivers, so I went looking for it. I see you got there first," Link retorted.
Marley's eyes went wide when she heard what Link said to her dad. Admittedly, he was right, but it was still her dad he was talking about.
"Hey, keep that up, and your ass is fire- Oh yeah, you don't work for me," the drunk suddenly remembered.
"My pots! Look what's happened to my precious antique pots," a man yelled as he held shards of a decorative urn up to the four.
"Hey! Hey! I never touched your pots! I'm clean! If anything, I'm guilty of grand theft pepper," Link defended.
"Not you! Your stupid horse! She made mulch of my priceless collectibles!"
Epona nickered indignantly at the aspersion.
"Buddy, if you're collecting pots, you need a new hobby anyway," Link answered.
"There you are you little snatcher," a new voice said. Another man approached Link with smashed red peppers in his hands. "You think I can sell these!? I only just paid off the last shipment of peppers I got!"
"Maybe with a better display you'd attract more business," Link said before he reached into his pocket and produced two green stones. "Try dangling these in customer's faces."
"What the- What's a kid like you doing with precious stones like this," one of the men asked.
"They're from my elven treasure trove, and should cover the cost of any damages," Link explained, not telling either of them that green rupees were practically worthless.
"I don't care how he got them. As long as I can replace those pots, I'm happy," the first man said as he left with the second.
"You handled that pretty good, kid. You done this before," the drunk asked Link.
"We've kind of been doing this all day," Marley answered. "In fact, it's all we've done ever since you passed out."
"That, between looking for this Ravenscroft guy," Link added.
"Good luck with that, kid. Nobody's seen that old fart in years," the drunk answered as he wobbled to his feet.
"I tried to tell him that, but he seems dead set on finding out where he is," Marley answered.
"Well, somebody's got to. If I don't, someone else will, and then who knows what kind of trouble can happen next," Link reasoned.
"You may not be bright, but you got spunk, kid. You're gonna get far like that," he then offered his hand to shake, "Name's Tarley."
"Marley and Tarley," Link asked, knowing that sounded familiar, "I think I ate that at a foreign restaurant once."
Somewhere, a rimshot sounded.
"If I wasn't so hungover, I'd smack the sass out of you" Tarley said as he retracted his hand and placed it on his forehead. "Ah well. What's your name, kid?"
"Back home, people called me 'Get that damn horse out of my shop.' But, I prefer to go by Link," the boy answered.
"Can't you answer a question like a normal person," Tarley asked.
"Sorry, pal. It's a hundred rupees for that answer. Hundred and fifty if you want a straight one."
"I think that's a 'no,' dad," Marley answered.
"Hey!"
Down the road, they could see another angry townsperson coming toward them.
"And, that's our cue to hit the road," Link said as the whole group bolted down the street, away from any more angry merchants.
Unknown to them, they were all being watched by a stranger from the door of the magic shop. He had watched carefully the situation before him, and kept a special watch on the boy.
Admittedly, the boy bore a striking resemblance to the Hero of Legend, right down to the ridiculous, old-fashioned green garb. Then again, this boy acted nothing like the plucky young warrior he knew. This one was more like a bad comedian who didn't realize how terrible he was.
Still, there would be no sense in risking the chance. Something would have to be done, and the boy would have to be eliminated.
"Pardon me, good wizard, but are you here to buy something," the still-frozen shopkeeper asked.
"No. I'm merely browsing," Agahnim answered. "Actually, now that you mention it, I would like to purchase these three medallions."
"Ah, a wise choice, my friend," the shopkeeper said, trying to zip around the shop as he had done before, though found his efforts hindered by his frozen state, so he could only tremble. "The set will cost you thirty-thousand jewels."
"This may well cover the cost," Agahnim said as he placed a green rupee in the shopkeeper's icy hand.
"Ooh! I have something to appraise later."
"See that you do. Good day," Agahnim said before he departed in a swirl of frost that took all of the ice out of the shop, and freed the frozen man.
Outside the town, Link, Epona, Marley and Tarley all walked on the road under the setting sun. While they walked, Link found his mind going back to the unanswered question he had before.
"So, you never did tell me about this Ravenscroft guy," he said, breaking the silence.
Marley nor Tarley gave any answer. They continued to walk along as if nothing had been said, until the drunk spoke up.
"Well, I don't know if I'm the right guy to be tellin' this story, but I'll tell you what I know," Tarley began. "See, Ravenscroft wasn't just a person. It was the name of his magic guild, and he used to live right around here. What made this guy special was that he used a kind of magic that everyone else forgot about. Some scary crap called Fire God Slayer magic."
"You wanna throw me a map, 'cause I'm lost right now," Link said. "Sorry, but I don't really follow when you say 'magic guild,' and 'Fire God Slayer magic.' We don't have that kind of folksy vernacular where I'm from."
This was something that was unheard of to his company. Neither one of them had ever heard of anyone who had never heard of a magic guild, especially someone who already used magic, however strange it was.
"You seem kind of out of the loop, so I'll explain it to you later," Marley said, thinking more and more that he may have been serious about living in the woods, "Dad, can you finish your story for Link?"
"I'd better. This guy sounds like he's been under a rock in the bottom of a lake at the top of a mountain, so he'd better learn somethin'," Tarley agreed. "Anyway, this guy was a real big shot. Real popular with the community. Loved by his students. This guy did nothing but good: kept the town safe from monsters and bandits, helped out folks with their problems when he had the free time, and trained some of the most powerful wizards there are. Problem is, when somebody has the kind of power he had, you get the attention from the wrong kinds of people."
"Eventually, some new guys came to town. Real scary sons of bitches who kept roaming around like they were just loitering. But, nobody was fooled. Everyone knew they were there for a reason. Some folks tried askin' them to leave. You can imagine that didn't go so good. Other folks tried getting Ravenscroft to handle them, but that didn't work out either."
Link became slightly intrigued by the way that the drunk's face changed when he spoke his next words. He hopped on Epona's back so that he could simply focus on listening to the story.
"After a while, people started to think that maybe Ravenscroft was in cahoots with these guys. See, he was the only guy who acted like he didn't mind them being around. That, and people started disappearing."
"At first, nobody noticed a pattern, until three of Ravenscroft's mages went missing. Next thing we knew, all hell broke loose. Turned out that the strangers were scouting the town for mages, and abducting them. Some guy caught one of them knocking out one of Ravenscroft's students and running away with him."
"The people did what they could to stop them. But, the bastards kept coming. They killed anyone who got in their way, and plucked up any mages they found. Soon, every member of Ravenscroft was taken. And, when the man himself was called on, he turned a blind eye."
"After that, shit really hit the fan. The townspeople thought Ravenscroft had turned on them, and they resorted to violence. Big mistake. No one in their right mind would go after a mage that powerful, but folks weren't exactly rational at that moment. Ravenscroft used his magic to level half the town, along with most of the people in it. In fact, he went down with them."
"That was about thirty years ago. I was just a kid then, but I still remember that burst of black flames that flew into the sky. But, not a lot of people here talk about it. And, nobody's mentioned the name 'Ravenscroft' since. And, that's about the long and the short of it. So, what do you think, kid? Can I tell a story, or what?"
Link stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at what he had just heard. No matter how much he experienced such things, like how Zant nearly killed the entire zora tribe at Lake Hylia, or when he turned his own people into monsters, Link never got used to it.
"What's the matter? Nothin' funny to say," Tarley asked.
"How can that be funny," Link asked. Normally, Link would try to calm his nerves with some kind of quick joke, but this was completely humor-stopping for him.
"I know. It's pretty scary stuff, isn't it," Marley asked. "I didn't sleep for a week when dad told me about it."
"You tell your kids about this," Link asked.
"Folks have gotta know these things. If everyone forgets, it's sure as hell gonna happen again," Tarley reasoned. "'Nuff about that. I still want to know who you are, and where the hell you came from. And keep that sass to a minimum, boy."
During the walk, Link and Marley filled in the drunk about what his life was like before. As it was with Marley, Tarley took in every word the boy said, though he didn't ask nearly as many questions as his daughter. It was when Link finished up his story that he spoke at all. "How'd you get here in the first place?"
"Yeah. I wanted to ask you about that, but then we started talking about your horse. Does it have anything to do with how you got separated," Marley asked.
Nerves snapped and frayed in Link's brain when he heard that question. He hadn't thought of a cover story beforehand, and was flailing to come up with a reasonable excuse. "...Mmmmmagical mishap?..." Link said after stalling for almost a minute.
Epona snorted incredulously at the lame excuse.
The two ranchers stared doubtfully at Link, making him feel like his head was about to explode.
"Good enough for me," Tarley said finally. "Just tell me one thing. Does everyone where you're from have ears like that?"
For the first time in his life, Link felt conscious of his pointed ears. Nobody ever mentioned them back home, but he learned a while ago that he was far from there. "Uh...not everyone. But, it's not a big deal. I think it'll be a big thing one day. People will start cropping their ears to look like mine!"
"Don't worry. I don't give a crap why your ears look like that. Just curious was all," Tarley assured him. "We're home now. You can stay in the shed over there. There's a cot and everything."
"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Are you inviting me to stay here? Doesn't that go against common sense," Link asked.
"Here's common sense for ya: a lost kid whose only companion is a horse shows up out of nowhere, and as soon as he arrives, he's followed by a bunch of kooks who try and abduct him, for what I assume to be his magical abilities. Sounds like that kid needs to stay safe, if you ask me."
"Sounds like you're still a little drunk if you ask me," Link answered.
"Hey, I might be-"
Tarley cut himself off.
"But...?" Link said, expecting a follow up.
"Nothin'. I'm just still a little drunk. So, get you and your horse settled before I sober up and kick your ass out. Marley, show these two around while I get the horses taken care of."
Tarley left, leaving the other three alone.
"So, I guess we'll go this way," Marley said as she guided Link and Epona away.
In the setting sun, the ranch seemed somehow nostalgic to Link. He could almost see the familiar sights of his home as he looked around, and would have thought it was, if not for Marley talking over his thoughts.
"Over there's the corral and track, where we let the horses run around and stretch their legs," she said as she pointed to the structure some distance away.
"Let the horses exercise, so you won't have to. We can ride on their backs, and still feel accomplished," Link said.
"Up there's the stable, where the horses stay. You can keep yours up there, if there's room," Marley continued after a brief giggle.
"Nah. She never did too good in stables. She's better just hitched up to a post. You might say she's an 'unstable' horse. And after the grief she gave you and your dad, I bet you'd agree."
Epona snorted as she swung at Link with her head, making him stagger off balance.
"One day, I'm going to get that head of yours registered as a lethal weapon," Link admonished his filly, who snorted at him again.
"And up there's the outhouse," Marley continued after another bout of giggling.
"I've always been suspicious of that name. Kind of makes me wonder what an 'inhouse' might be. Then again, maybe I shouldn't, considering the function of an outhouse."
"How did you get to be so funny," Marley asked.
"I'm an only child and an orphan. What was I supposed to do to get attention? Learn to fly? Since I wasn't going to grow wings anytime soon, I decided I'd better be funny," Link explained.
"It must have been hard growing up with no family," Marley said. "Didn't you have any relatives at all?"
It was something that Link rarely ever thought about. Only on the loneliest nights when he found himself unable to sleep did he ever think about any family he may have once had. He knew very little of his own parents, and nothing about any extended family. All he had ever known were the people he had grown up with in Ordon.
"Well...I didn't exactly have relatives. But, I was raised by most of the other villagers back home. I lived with Mayor Bo and Ilia for most of that time there. Then there was Rusl and his wife Uli. And their son, Colin, who was kind of the little brother I never had. And Fado, and Beth. And all the others there. They sort of filled in for what I never had."
"You miss them, don't you?"
"I...Well, yeah. I think it's going to be kind of a pain to adjust without them. It's, uh-"
"Link," Marley said, cutting him off, "It's alright to admit that you're scared you won't see them again. It's only what anyone in your position would be feeling."
She had seen right through him, making Link feel like he had been punched in the stomach again. Only this time, he didn't hate the feeling as much as before.
"It's not so bad, Link. I can tell that you're brave, and you've been in a lot of fights before. But, showing your friends when you're vulnerable is what makes you like the rest of us. Come on, I'll show you where you'll sleep."
Link nearly went catatonic as he approached the shed. In the short time he had known Marley, she had cut right past his facade of humor and confidence, making him feel bare and weak.
Marley opened the door to the shed, and since Link wasn't moving, Epona got behind him and pushed him forward with her head.
"So, here's the cot dad mentioned. I know it's kind of crowded in here, but we still keep a few things in this old shed. Mostly, the stuff that doesn't fit in the new one. I've got to go help dad now, so you two can get settled while I'm gone. I'll come get you when dinner's ready. Okay?"
"Uh-huh…"
"Alright. Bye." And with that, the girl left.
After all that had happened, the impact finally hit Link and sent him reeling onto the cot. Everything was taking it's toll on him, making him wish he was back home with all of his friends. He had so many questions he wanted to ask Marley and Tarley, but the clutter in his mind began to fade as he drifted off to sleep.
Link sharply awoke back in the twilit courtyard of Hyrule Castle.
"Oh, great! Not this again," he groaned, now having one more grievance to deal with.
He became aware of a presence behind him, not unlike the first time he met The Hero's Shade. However, he felt the presence was somehow darker than the skeleton' around, his jaw almost dropped at what he saw. Floating in the air before him was a diminutive, impish form with an ornate, broken helmet atop its head.
"Midna…" Link exhaled quietly when he saw her.
It made no sense. The last time he saw her, she sent himself and Zelda out of Hyrule Castle before she was killed by Ganondorf. Now, she was there before him alive and well.
"Link? Do you love me," Midna asked quietly.
"What?" The question struck Link like an arrow, but he did his best to respond. "Why would you ask something like that?"
"It's something I wanted to ask for a long time. I've seen the way you look at me, and for the longest time I've felt something that I didn't think I could for a being of the light."
"Midna...What...What are you saying," Link asked.
"Please, Link. Of all the times you shouldn't act like Link, this is one of them," Midna answered.
"Alright. Say what you need to," Link said, now giving her his full focused attention.
"I don't know if it ever meant anything to you, but whenever I touched you, and I saw the way you smile, something happened that always made our journey easier. I felt like I understood what it to have someone who I wanted to stay with above all others. Who I could follow to the ends of the world. And even die for them."
Link felt a slight pain in his chest when he heard the last sentence.
"I need to know, Link. Did you feel the same way?"
Link's heart raced as he thought of a way to answer. Even when he was talking to Midna, who he never had trouble talking with before, he was coming short of anything to say. Instead, he decided to simply be honest with her.
"I...Uh...Y...Yes…Yes. I think so…"
"You 'think so?'"
"Yes! I mean-I did. Midna I did. I loved you!"
Every one of Link's nerves were frayed when he spoke those words, but the burning feeling under his skin stopped when he saw Midna smile and slowly drift toward him.
"That's all I wanted to hear," Midna said as she placed her hands on either side of Link's face.
Their eyes met, and Link could feel a surge of familiar emotions boiling within him. However, it started to leave him as he watched the Twilight Princess's face change to a demonic smile.
There was no time for Link to comprehend Midna forcefully pressing her lips against his.
"Midna!? What are you doing," Link asked as he tried to push Midna away, though he found the tiny imp to be more persistent than he preferred.
"Make love to me Link! I need you so badly," she said as she pushed her face to Link's and her eyes suddenly turned solid white.
Whatever this was, it wasn't the Midna that Link knew. He tried to push her away from himself with more force, but couldn't escape her. Finally, he put his hands on her face and shoved with all his might.
Under the force of his push, Midna's neck snapped and twisted to an unnatural angle. Link was appalled by what he had done, and backed away as quick as he could to watch Midna start giggling impishly the way she had always done, while her head began spinning further in the direction it had twisted.
Soon, Midna's familiar giggle became a mad cackle that made Link feel like his head was going to explode.
After what seemed an eternity, Zant appeared next to the disfigured Midna, cackling loudly as he waved his hand and made the image of Midna disappear.
"You loved her," Zant shouted as he pointed at Link, his impossibly long arm placing his finger in front of the boy's face. "I can't believe this! This is too- This is too good! Bwahahahahahaha!"
Link clenched his fist as he heard Zant's mocking.
"What did you expect? That she would stay with you, and live happily ever after in your wretched light! Bwahahaha! You're even more naive than I thought! Ahaha!"
"Shut your goddess-damned mouth, Zant," Link threatened. After having his emotions toyed with, he was in no mood for the usurper king's antics.
"Or what? You'll cut me to pieces? With what weapons," he asked as he conjured black squares into his hands, which burst and became the master sword and the hylian shield.
"Where!?-But how!?-"
"Oh, I took these from you when I brought you here. I'm sorry to say, but these are the only things I managed to save, while everything else you had is hurtling through the infinite darkness between realms," Zant answered.
"Give me those. Now!"
"Fine. Suit yourself," Zant said as he nonchalantly tossed Link his equipment.
Link fumbled to catch the heavy metal items, and was knocked down when the shield was thrown at him.
"How strange. You were so light on your feet once before. Perhaps it was your love for Midna that attributed to your agility?"
"You son of a-" Link growled as he tried to wield his weapons. However, he found that he had trouble lifting them at all.
"Is everything alright? Perhaps we need to, as you hylians say, hit the gym? Or 'pump some iron?'"
"What did you do to my weapons?"
"Me? I didn't do anything. Your puny child frame simply can't carry their weight. Since you have no use for such things, I will be carrying them. Along with a few other things you may pick up," Zant said as he summoned the shard of twili magic that Link saw come from the man he defeated earlier. "Unless, you would like your sword and shield back."
Whatever Zant was planning, Link knew that he wouldn't like one bit of it. However, he did desire to possess his equipment again.
"What do you want me to do," Link said.
"Simple. I have another spell to teach you," Zant answered as he summoned Link's weapons back into his hands and dropped them on the ground. "Do you remember when I said that you would only be able to use magic in your wolf form? Well, as it turns out: I lied."
Link said nothing, but looked curiously at Zant.
"As you already know, someone like you using twili magic is excruciatingly difficult. And in your hylian form, you could be here for months to learn even the simplest storage spell. As such, I am going to allow you to learn this spell as a hylian, as I believe its will be more useful for you to use it in both forms. And it should prove more amusing for myself."
There were many things Link wanted to do to Zant, and none of them pleasant. But, he would have to restrain himself in order to learn a potentially useful technique.
Once again, an eternity passed as Link endured Zant's abusive training. The objective was to use dark magic to store his items as shadows, but every attempt was met with a failure, and Zant summoning increasingly large objects to pummel Link with.
There were points when Link simply refused to cooperate with Zant, who would only abuse him further when he did. Sometimes, he would continue to mock Link over his feelings for Midna. Whenever he did, Link would return to his lesson with twice the vigor, only to be met with another failure and more punishment.
Finally, Link saw his weapons darken, and disappear into black squares, before they reappeared in his own hand, and stabbed Zant through the middle with his sword.
"I see after almost a month you've finally mastered the Shadow Cabinet," Zant strained with the blade in his stomach. "Now, you can store what you need within this pocket of darkness."
Link said nothing, but magically stored his heavy sword into the darkness.
"I can see that you're weary of my presence. So, I will take my leave of you. Remember to practice your technique. And that love does not always conquer all."
With a sadistic grin, Zant melted away with the rest of the world.
Link awoke back in the shed, feeling not at all refreshed after his sleep. Needing to clear his head, he stepped outside while Epona curiously followed him. Once out in the open, he was greeted by the sight of Marley walking toward him.
"So, how do you like your room," she asked.
"Well, it suits my needs: shelter and privacy. And that's good for when I'm feeling lonely," he answered.
"I'm glad you like it," Marley said, not getting Link's innuendo. "Come on. Dad got dinner ready, and I think we deserve it after the day we had."
"Epona can come too, can't she?"
"Maybe. If she ate by the door or window."
"But, what about the draft? I don't want my baby to catch some equine flu!"
"She'd be outside, Link."
"She's not allowed inside? It's not like there's a dress code to eat at this place. She's already got shoes on, and that should be good enough!"
The two children talked back and forth as they walked toward the house. And though Link was enjoying his talk with Marley, he still had many questions to ask her. But, they would have to wait until he was inside. Until then, he would continue his joyful bantering.
A/N: How do you do people? Like this chapter? I did. So, we got to meet the villains this time around, and you may recognize them from previous Zelda Games.
I get that a lot of people are likely wondering about Majora's oddball personality, but I feel like his situation is similar to Link's: we don't actually ever hear Majora speak, thus allowing us to apply our own personality to him. In this case, he's a fast talking wisecracker like a mix of Hades and Henny Youngman. Also, the form he takes is Majora's Incarnation, for anyone who was confused by the description.
So, ranchers named Marley and Tarley? Those names sound familiar? Link missed it, but I'm sure you all get the reference. They will be Link's sort of companions for the time being. Not sure for how long, since I haven't thought that far ahead into the story.
Heads up to those fans of the Midna x Link pairing: I don't think it's going to happen in this story. Sorry if I got your hopes up by the end of this chapter, but I don't know if they will reunite just yet. I myself feel this is a bummer, as I too am a fan of that pairing.
That's about all for me. Rock on, folks \m/