Chapter 7

The air is hot and dry, the heat coming from the lava below really shows how dangerous of a journey this has become. We take our time, solving the odd traps to get further into the mines There were giant lizards that breathed fire and flaming slugs that fell from the ceiling... everything is on fire and if we're not careful... we will be too. We get to a large room where there were strange devices above us we walk up and all of the metal objects on us start to get pulled towards the strange device, they're giant magnets. We use the iron boot to use the magnets and move further into the mines.

"This place is ridiculous!" I complain as Link helps me up to another level. We enter the next room and there's an older Goron meditating.

"I am one of the four elders. Gor Amoto is my name. You are a heroic young Hylian, please, you must lend to this tribe your power." he hands him a strange looking key, "That is one of the key shards. When merged together, they form the key to the room Darbus is being held in, the elders have the other two pieces." he said,

"Lot of work just keep one guy locked up. We'll get Darbus back to normal." Link said and we head further into the mines. Eventually we make it to another elder who was waiting for us. He looked much older than the other two elders we've met.

"Oh... ah... The young Hylian, I am pleased to see you made it this far, brudda. I am Gor Ebizo, take this brudda..." he hands Link the second key shard. Now we just need one more, "There may be something that may help your journey, a weapon said to have been left in the mine by a hero of old." My heart throbs... "It is beyond price, and so we have protected it through generations... it could aid you. The hero's weapon is stored safely up ahead... Talk to the guard and take it with you with the blessing of the Gorons." He said and we thank him and exit to room through the door behind him. The next room was a large stone held up above the lava by thick chains, the stone was made of the same magnetic material we used to get this far. We walk forward and see a huge Goron wearing armor sitting across from us and is blocking our path.

"What? What business does a Hylian have coming here? None! No business! This is a forbidden place! I will protect the treasure from you!" he said,

"Wait! We're not here to fight you! Gor Ebizo sent us!" Link said as the Goron jumps up and lands on the rock were standing on, the force of the jump breaks the chains holding up the rock and we go crashing into the lava. The ground becomes unsteady as it floats on top of the lava.

"Link!" I lose my balance as he turns around and grabs me. Link quickly uses the Iron boots to keep his balance,

"Wrap your arms around my neck!" He said taking out his sword and shield as I did what he said. The Goron comes at us and Link strikes him causing him to curl up into a ball shape and Link grabs him and throws him into the lava, The Goron bounces off the lava back towards us losing his helmet in the process.

"Ugh... That ... hurt a lot... Who knew Hylians were capable of such feats of strength." he said,

"I'm sorry, but you came at us. We're here under orders of the elders." Link tried to explain, as I pull away from his shoulders.

"Oh! If this the case, take the weapon of the hero of the past..." he said as something triggered, my heart throbbed again. I thought an attack was about to start but it slows down. This hero must be someone important to my past... but they've been saying the hero was around a hundred years ago... The Lava rises and the platform we're standing on levels out with the path. We say bye to the guard and walk into the next room a chest in the middle of it. Link and I walk up to the chest and he opens it. He pulls out a bow and quiver full of arrows, I stare at the bow with a smile on my face, just seeing a bow made me feel at home.

"A bow!" He said looking as me then holding the bow out towards me, "You're good with a bow, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I was one of the best archers in the last competition." I said,

"Than use it, it'll be a lot safer than you using a slingshot." he said and I take the bow and strap on the quiver. As I held the bow it felt warm in my hand, I've held this bow before... "Everything okay?" Link asked as I notice I'm crying again.

"I really wish that would stop..." I said wiping them away, "I'm fine, let's go save a patriarch." We continue forward but now at a faster pace since I'm able to take out far away enemies with the bow and it takes us less time until we finally find the fourth elder.

"You're here at last! I am foresighted in all things." he said standing up from meditating. He looks a lot scrawnier than the other elders, he must be much older than them. "Here, the last key shard." He hands Link the final piece and the key is completed. "Who knows how powerful Darbus is in his new evil form... Go hero!" He said and we turn to leave, "Wait, Pura!" He said ... I was surprised to hear him say my name. "Be wary, with your memories returning comes danger!" Link and I look at one another,

"I'll be careful..." I said and we continue to the locked room Darbus resides in.

"Ready?"

"Let's do this!" I said and he unlocks the door and we enter. In front of us is a massive black creature three times bigger than us. Its arms and legs clasped in chains attached to the walls and its head covered in a strange mask much similar to the shadow creatures but there's an odd gem in the center of the mask. It begins to glow almost like it's reacting to something. The creature starts to move. Crying out and growling. The gem gives off a light like a glowing eye... it it's starting at me! The monster then looks at the chains and he bursts into flames, rips the base of the chains form the walls dragging them behind him and he starts to run towards us. I don't hesitate to shoot the glowing red eye as that snuffs out the flames and he stops in pain. Link runs behind and grabs one of the chains attached to his ankle and uses his iron boots to weigh him down causing the monster to fall to the ground. I aim and shoot another arrow into the gem causing it to shatter as the monster shatters into twilight and reforms into a fused shadow leaving a large Goron lying on the ground unconscious.

"Well done!" Midna said, "I'm surprised at how fast you reacted, Pura."

"Me too..." I laugh,

"Since you two have been very helpful, I'll tell you a story... Zant... That's the name of the king of darkness who cast this pail of shadows over your world. He's very strong, you would be nothing to him in your current state... But Zant will never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength, not that your Zelda is much better..." I felt a little insulted at what she was saying about Zelda... "It still appalls me that this world of yours is controlled by that princess. A carefree youth, a life of luxury... how does that teach duty? But I guess I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of her life... She didn't choose it, after all. And I would never wish harm on her... No, as long as I can get my hands on the fused shadows, I'll be just fine." Midna said,

"Why do you need them?" I asked,

"That's a story for a different time." she giggles, the large Goron begins to move as Midna's shadow disappears, he looks around confused.

"Hmm... What am I doing here? Uh! My head hurts..."

"You don't remember?" Link asked,

"No... Who are you?" he asked,

"Just good Samaritans." I said,

"Ok..." he said still looking confused as we leave and Midna uses teleportation to take us back to Eldin's spring.

"Heroic Link... North of here, across the plain and passed the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru... you shall find the one that you seek..."

"Ilia is there?" Link asked but there was no response, I look behind us to see the kids walking towards us, including Colin who is being helped by Renado. I lightly elbow Link and he turns around,

"Link... "Colin said walking over to us on his own but he falls over. We both run over to him and help him back to his feet. "Ilia... You've got to save Ilia! Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else! Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold on, Link..." He backs us from us standing on his own. "See? I... I'm fine now. So you don't have to worry, go help Ilia."

"I will Colin, and I'll take you all home after" Link said,

"I will watch over them, I swear it." Renado said "Go to those who need you. In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero... and your deeds bring them all to mind. May the grace of the great goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way." The three Goddesses are talked about a lot... How do I know there are three goddesses?

"Thank you Renado," Link said as he whistles and Epona runs over to us.

"Back into the twilight?" I said and he nods as we climb on Epona's back and wave to the children before our journey north. We go to the same plain's where we saved Colin and passed the stone bridge and hear a loud noise as we look back to see the middle of the bridge was gone.

"Look's like there's no going back..." Link said,

"That's not ominous at all." I said as we get to the curtain shrouding the twilight. Link jumps off Epona's back and helps me down and we walk towards the curtain.

"Ah! We're finally here! There's only one shadow left... So this is the last of the twilight you'll see I guess. Whether or not you survive the final task and survive is up to you." Midna said,

"Let's finish this!" Link looks at me and smiles and I smile back. Midna passes through the curtain than pulls us inside. Link transforms into a wolf and Midna's body is visible again.

"Alright! I guess I'll have to help you. But what a shame that this is the last of the twilight... I had become so fond of seeing it covering this world... Or... Is it really the last you'll see?" She giggles... I can't completely understand her motives, or fully trust her. "So, shall we get going?" she asks and we walk a little ways ahead and find a small bag on the side of the road. Link sniff's the bag and I could see a sparkle in his eyes.

"Does it belong to Ilia?" I ask and Link nods his head. He grabs it and holds it up to me. "Ok, I'll hold onto it." I grab the bag it has a small strap on it so I tied it to my belt.

"You can follow the girls scent to find her, well? Get going!" Midna said as Link runs ahead and I follow after him. We make it to a very familiar castle. "Haven't we seen that castle before?" she giggles, "Only a little further, you're almost there." we head into the town just in front of the castle and there are spirits everywhere... I've never seen so many like this but then I remembered what Midna saying that the spirits are actually people. We get to a center courtyard and there's a large fountain and there's a statue of three triangles ... identical to the triangles on my chest... What does that mean?

"Everything okay?" Midna asked,

"Yes... I think so..." I said,

"Then c'mon!" she said as Link starts running again, he's really focused. We get to a bar entrance and he starts pawing at the door and I open it for him. We walk in and he walks up to a specific spirit, his eyes light up again. He found her.

"Ah! What an emotional reunion! Yes, a girl and her wolf! Sorry, but you know how it goes, these folks can't see us. So you'll have to come back for her after we save the spirit." She said as she looks over at some other spirits. "Those guys are saying that the spring is at Lake Hylia, let's head there." she said as we leave the bar.

We head further north and get to another long stone bridge, but the entire bridge has a strange black liquid splashed all over... the odor the black liquid is giving off seems familiar.

"Hey, do you smell anything funny?" Midna asked as I figure out the smell, it's something I encountered a lot at home,

"It's oil!" I said looking back the way we came and a monster lights the oil behind us as the flames get closer, I turn around and see another monster do the same to the other side of the bridge.

"We're trapped! Midna said as Link climbs up one of the ledges and looks at me. I climb next to him and look down at the abyss bellow.

"Better to die quickly that to burn alive..." I said as we jump off the bridge. The fact that I'm probably going to die never brought me any fear... just regret's, I'll never find out my past... I splash into water. I quickly swim up and gasp for air.

"Link?" I call out as I feel something brush against my arm as Link and Midna swim next to me.

"This way!" Midna said as we swim over to land, it's very smooth, almost like the bottom of a lake.

"That was incredibly lucky." I said ringing out my shirt.

"Yeah, but isn't this supposed to be a lake? Where's all the water?" She asked and that triggered something. This exact same thing happened before. I... No, we... we were fighting... someone..."The spirits spring should be somewhere around here... let's take a look around." I snap out of it as a monster confronts us and whistles, making a large bird like monster appear and it climbs on its back. I pull out an arrow and kill the monster riding the flying one, Midna flies up and sits on it. "We can use this guy to get up river, maybe we can figure out what's going on with the water." Midna said as her hair grabs me and sits me behind her and the bird like monster grabs Link and we fly up river. We get up river and release the monster, we stand at a riverbed splitting in three directions. The one path is from the way we came and the other two lead to unknown locations.

"It's cold," I said as we walk down one of the paths. The further we went the colder it got as I started to notice snow and ice. Ahead of us is a frozen waterfall and we climb up to continue going. We reach the top and are quickly confronted by shadow monsters but it's no problem for me and Link as we quickly get rid of them.

"Where are the Zoras?" Midna asked as I look down at the ice and see what looks like spirits inside.

"They... they're in the ice!" I said,

"This is really strange, what in the world happened? What should we do? We can't just leave them like this... we just need something big enough to thaw the Ice." she said as Death Mountain comes to mind.

"Remember when we were at Death Mountain and we almost got crushed by that lava stone? It was still burning when we left." I said,

"Great idea!" Midna said as we warp to the base of Death Mountain right where the large rock is. We walk up to it and you could still feel the heat emanating from it. "This could work!" she said snapping her fingers and the rock floats up and warps away and we follow. Midna drops the rock into the Ice and it starts to melts instantly as it begins to flow heavily down the river. Now there are spirits all around, they must be the Zora's Midna mentioned.

"It worked!" I said,

"Who knew something so dangerous would come in handy... alright the Zora's are safe now so let's go, we can now get to the spirits spring." She said and we turn around and start to leave.

"Wait!" We hear behind us we turn back around to see a ghost of a beautiful Zora woman appear. "Please, you must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this spring, which is the water source for all of the lands in Hyrule. In life I was the elder of this Zora village and the Queen of my people, I was called Rutela." She said as we walk over to her.

"Not to be rude, but we didn't exactly do it for you..." Midna said as I whack her shoulder in an attempt to get her to stop talking, "It's true!"

"The dark ones... they raided this village and as a message to my people, executed me before them. Young man... you who take the form of a proud beast. And the Daughter of light... I have something to ask of you. When the dark ones descended upon our village I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule castle to inform Princess Zelda of our fate. But... I feel it. His presence grows fainter to me over time... But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it greatly. I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue. Please... would you save my dearest prince Ralis?"

"If there's anything we can do to help we'll try." I said,

"Hey!" Midna protested,

"If you do this, I will bestow upon you the protection of water. This power will grant you the ability to swim underwater and respire in very deep water as if you were a Zora. Please... Save my son..." She disappears.

"Hmm... if we help her, she'll grant you the power to swim in deep waterline a Zora..." Midna said now sounding interested. "We'll rescue the prince after we lift the twilight." we walk out,

"The water is so high." I said,

"The impact must have shocked it, the speed of the current should have increased, and we should make it back to the lake in to time." she said as we both jump into the water and are swept away by the current.