Chapter 11
I wake up with Link and Midna looking at me with worried looks, my head was pounding...
"Hi..." I said, my vision was blurry,
"I'm sorry, I should have listened! This was a horrible idea." Link said, he sounded paniced.
"Is it that bad?" I asked reaching for my head as I feel something wet. I look at my hand and it's covered in blood. "Oh, yeah, that's a thing." I joked,
"We need to get her out of the sun." Midna said,
"There was a cave we passed not that far from here." Link said picking me up, He holds me tightly as he walks to a cave and he lies me down, "We'll stay here for a while,"
"Just gotta heal it..." I said reaching for my head but Link grabs my hand,
"Rest first," He said,
"I just want to make sure the bleeding has stopped, I'll get better a lot faster that way." I said as he hesitantly lets go and I reach up and start to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry, Pura." Midna said,
"It's my fault, I shouldn't have relied on something I haven't done in a long time... I'm a little rusty." I joked as the bleeding stops,
"Before we go further... There's something I want you two to hear... Do you remember what the spirit said about the fused shadows?"
"Yeah," Link said
"What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the sacred realm? They were banished, they were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses. It was another world entirely... The antithesis of Hyrule, where the sun shines bright. Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually, most came to call it the Twilight realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light... they were forever doomed to live in the Twilight, flitting in the half light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule... This is the history of the Twili as it has been passed down from our ancestors... DO you understand what I am? I' a descendent of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight realm."
"It makes sense, but you are no monster." Link said as she looks at him shocked, then lowers her head,
"It was a peaceful place... until Zant took control of the Twilight realm and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts. It's clear to me now that he somehow gained a great evil power previously unknown to our tribe... In any case, I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the Twilight realm without his power..." She said, now I felt bad for fighting the shadowed beasts... they're just being controlled by Zant... "But there's another tale told by my people... though the goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and the darkness."
"The mirror of twilight." Link said,
"Yes... it is our only path to the twilight realm... and we must get there!" She said grabbing both of our hands, "You'll come with me... won't you?" she asked looking away,
"Of course," I smile and Link smiles as well,
"Thank you," she said returning to Links shadow,
"Get some rest Pura," Link said as I close my eyes and sleep.
I wake up and my head still hurts a little but I can move, I sit up and look outside, it's dark out. I reach for my head and start to heal the wound some more.
"Feeling better?" I look over and see Midna sitting next to me.
"Yeah," I said looking over at Link who was fast asleep, "You've been keeping watch?"
"Yes, he watched over you until he fell asleep. You make him worry." she joked,
"I don't mean to," I said as Link starts to wake up,
"You okay?" Link looks at me, I reach for my head and finish healing my wound.
"I'll live," I smile at him and he lets out a sigh of relief. "We should get moving while it's still dark"
"Agreed, we shouldn't be out long when the suns is at its brightest," he said and we leave the cave. We get to the prison which is being guarded by monsters. The entrance is even blocked by a fence and there are arches on watch towers.
"Looks like we'll need to break through," I said,
"How are we going to do that?" Link said,
"I'll take out the archers on the tower, you take care of the guards on the ground, and we'll use one of the boars to breach through the barricade." I said as Link looks at me shocked, "What?"
"You're really smart..."
"One of my mother's is Nayru, goddess of wisdom... I'm just clever." I said,
"Still... You thought up that plan so quickly, that's amazing." he said,
"We haven't even started," I said as he hands me the hero's bow and quiver. "Gotta make these count" I count the arrows, "Once I take out the archers you charge in." I said aiming at the head of one of the archers, I knew with the weight of the bow that it wouldn't make it that distance, so I cast wind magic on the arrows so they can fly further. I take out the archers on the three watch towers and Link attacks the monsters around a campfire. Link climbs on the boars back and it starts running around out of control.
"Whoa!" Link said trying to control the beast but after a few minutes of him almost flying off, the boar finally crashes through the barricade opening out path. Link jumps off before he's thrown off looking exhausted, "That's a lot harder than it looks..." he said and I giggle.
"C'mon let's keep up the pace." I said and we continue forward but we're stopped by the hero's shade and brought to the sacred realm.
"Really bad timing..." Link said as Hero's shade appears but he quickly runs over to me,
"Are you alright?" he asked examining my head,
"You stopped us for that?" I said,
"Not just that, I have more to teach him. But I wanted to make sure you're okay." he said,
"Yes, I'm fine," I said,
"Remember when you used to tell me I wasn't invincible?" he laughs,
"Seems I also need to be reminded of that." I said as he lifts his hand from my head, He turns to Link.
"The skills I have to teach you have entered the realm of true secrecy. They are forgotten ways that do not leave our bloodline. Some of these techniques may even endanger your life... It is called the Mortal Draw!" I didn't like the sound of that... "The ways of the sword are known to many creatures. And some have strengthened their guards against shield attacks and back slice. Should you encounter such a foe the mortal draw will be the most effective. you mush sheathe your sword and must cast aside the most basics of sword skills... you must wait until your foe is upon you... then, before the enemy can see through your ruse, you must quickly draw your blade." He shows the technique, pointing his blade at Links neck. "There is no defense for this.. The mortal draw deals death, now try it." He said pulling back. Link sheaths his blade and waits till the Hero's Shade was upon him then, he quickly draws the Master Sword and strikes the Shade. "Hmm... that was a pointed strike, but do not forget this technique leaves your life at risk, there are still two more hidden skills." he said looking over at me, "Shall we test your skills?"
"Bring it on!" I said drawing my bow and he charges at me, I shoot an arrow but like last time he blocks it and he swings his sword and I cast Nayru's love but only in front of me like a wall. I push the wall back making him lose his balance than I cast fire magic on an arrow and it hits his armor exploding on impact and he's knocked down.
"Impressive! But you seem to be struggling with your magic." he said, "Why are you not tapping into the power of the Triforce?"
"I can do that?" I said "All I remember doing is transferring energy to another person..." it must be one of the things I can't remember...
"There's magic around you that is not your own, go further into the prison and you'll find those who can help you." he said as we leave the sacred realm,
"Ugh! Now he's being cryptic?" I said standing up,
"That was a cool technique," Link complemented,
"The idea just came to me so I thought that would be a good time to have a trial run." I said,
"Agreed, but don't push yourself." Link said as we move forward the next gate and I shoot down the archers and sneak behind the wall. Most of the monsters were fast asleep so it was easy to get past them. We find a small chest with a key inside.
"I think we passed a locked door on our way over here." I said as we back track and find a large barn like building with a locked gate. Link tries the key and it unlocks the Gate and we walk in. There's a Boar roaming around inside and the gate slams shut behind us. Link runs to the door and tried to open it,
"It won't open!" he said,
"Of course..." I said looking at the boar, "maybe we can use the boar to knock the gate down." I said as we walk over to the boar as a very familiar monster emerges from the shadows. The same monster that we've knocked off two bridges. He's carrying a massive hammer that he starts swinging around, hitting the boar and knocking it back then the hammer comes at us. I quickly cast Nayru's love but it wasn't strong enough and it shatters and we're sent flying back. Link jumps back up sword in hand and starts fighting the monster. I could tell that the Hero's shades lessons are helping him improve. Link strikes the hammer out of his hand and the monster glares at Link then runs through another door that quickly closes behind him and the door catches on fire along with the rest of the building.
"We gotta get out of here!" Link said as I run over to him and we see the Boar get back on its feet and we run over and climb on its back and it starts to run around out of control eventually running into the gate and a bunch of other barricades and we get to the entrance of the prison.
"Well... that was fun..." I said coughing,
"Let's not do that again." Link said,
"Agreed, but at least we made it" I shrug,
"Yes, now we need to be careful... We don't know what's going on in there." Link said,
"I'll stay close." I said as we head inside. The majority of the floor was sinking sand. On the other side of the room in another door, "I don't think my magic is strong enough to get us that far..." I said calculating it in my head.
"Oh!" Link said pulling out a very familiar item, the hookshot. But it looks a lot more high-tech then the hero of times hookshot.
"Where's you get that?" I asked,
"The temple under Lake Hylia." Link said attaching it to his hand, "Um..." he blushes, "Is it alright if I..." Link tries to ask me and I can't help but giggle, Shade would just grab me and we'd be on our way. Link is much more polite about it.
"No, I don't mind." I said wrapping my arms around his neck and he gently grabs my waist and we shoot across to the other side. He quickly lets go of me and goes to open the door to the next room, he's been a lot shyer lately, I wonder why? We walk into the next room and a bunch of skeletal creatures emerge from the sand. I throw a fire ball at them and they all shatter. "Nope! None of that!" I said feeling uncomfortable by their appearance.
"Don't you think that was a bit over kill?" Link said,
"Absolutely not! Those things were creepy!" I said as we walk into the next room, it's a grand room with a staircase straight ahead with four blue torches leading up. Four unlit lanterns floating in the air float form down the stairs. They swing over the flames removing the blue flames from the torches. A large gate closes, blocking our path. The lanterns float over and circle around us as three of them float off in different directions.
"Midna, do you mind transforming me?" Link said as Midna appears holding a strange object, it gives off the same malice as the orb of magic Zant has. She touches Link's shoulder and he transforms into his Wolf form. He jumps up above the floating lantern and a ghostly monster appears and Link destroys it. After the ghost disappears the lantern breaks and the flame floats back into one of the torches.
"We have do to this again?" I asked remembering when I went to rescue Saria but had to be rescued myself... Lint transforms back and looks at me confused, "Stuff from the past, it's not important."
"Ok... but it looks like we're going to have to find those other ghosts to get further in the prison." Link said
"Why does it have to be ghosts...?" I whimper
"Do you not like ghosts?" Link asked.
"No..." I said,
"Then you should stay close." Link said as he laughs as we look around as I find a hidden leaver and find a secret path leading down to a lower level. We walk down and enter the next room. There's a pillar in the center with a stone slab sticking out on one side. We stand next to it and push, the walls around us move and our entrance moves to another path.
"No going back." I laugh and head forward but I'm stopped by a mummy like looking creature dragging a large sword behind it. I quickly pull out my bow and reach for an arrow but the monster lets out a loud high pitched scream and my entire body goes numb... I can't move!
"Pura!" Link runs over just as the monster swings it's sword at me and Link pulls up his Shield taking the brunt of the strike as I regain my ability to move and I pull out an arrow and kill the monster. "You okay?" he asked me looking concerned,
"I think so... it was weird... after I heard the sound I couldn't move my body." I said, "But you were farther away meaning it's not a long ranged attack." I said,
"Stay away from them if we can, got it." Link said as we continue down the path until we eventually make it upstairs to the second floor to a room full of lit lanterns, "Midna, if you'd be so kind." Link said and he transforms into a wolf again and kills the ghost. They remind me a lot of the Poe's but they're a lot larger in size. The lantern breaks and the blue flame disappears, Link transforms back. "I wish I didn't have to transform..." he said,
"Aw, but you're such a cute wolf!" I joked and he blushes, we head back to the main room. "Two to go." I said as we enter another room, we make our way through puzzles and traps and find the next lantern behind a hidden wall.
"One more." Link said as we get to the second level and continue searching for the last ghost. We find another room full of lanterns and four of them lift from the wall and circle us. I pull out my bow but something strikes it out of my hand, Link transforms and jumps at one of the lanterns. But nothing happens, I reach for the bow but I'm pushed back and Link attacks the lantern nearest me. It fears the bow! I forgot that this bow is a fairy bow, it has its own magical powers. I jump and grab the bow and aim at the lanterns... but which is the real one? Link attacks one and another floats near him and throws him to the side, I shoot and it sticks. The ghost becomes visible and the others disappeared. Link transformed back holding his arm.
"You're hurt!" I said,
"It's nothing..." Link said as I grab his arm and pull back his sleeve. There's a large bruise covering most of it.
"Yeah, it being broken is nothing. It got injured when you blocked that sword for me... and fighting just now caused it to snap." I said starting to heal it. "This is going to take a bit, sit down." I said,
"We should keep moving..." Link said,
"You can't wield a shield with a broken arm... Please, let me do this." I said as he sits down and I heal his arm. "Why didn't you tell me it was hurting?" I asked,
"I thought it was just a bruise." he said,
"Next time, tell me, even if it is just a bruise. What if we were fighting something larger and you couldn't use your shield? I can't heal and defend for long." I said as my magic wavers... it's hard to keep control of it.
"You need to take it easy also... I can tell using too much magic puts a strain on you." Link said grabbing my hand,
"Once I have all of my memories back I'll have full control on my magic, but until then I need the practice. It's the only way to strengthen It." said as he lets go of my hand and I continue healing him. After his arm is fully healed we rest for a bit.