The Legend of Zelda: The Hero's Twilight, a 'Legend of Zelda' fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 5: Redemption
"Is it just me, or did Death Mountain get hotter over the years?" Time groused as he and his protégé traveled west* to the province of Eldin. Twilight smiled as Time wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, shaking the droplets of perspiration off his glove and down to the ground where they instantly hissed into steam. Twilight agreed with a nod and a smile, trying unsuccessfully to fan himself with just his hand. As they trudged wearily into Kakariko Village, Time was feeling slightly dizzy, so Twilight put one of his ancestor's arms around his own shoulders and helped him to the sacred spring where the water slowly revived him.
[This is in the GC version of the game. In the Wii version it would be East. I play the GC version because I prefer a left-handed Link. XD]
"Ahh- much better." The Hero sighed in relief, thanking the goddess Nayru for thinking of creating such a wondrous thing as water. A couple pink fairies flew over to the boys, but they waved away the offer of assistance- knowing that the healing fairies sacrificed their own life forces to heal the hero. They weren't wounded, just overheated.
"Link!" A man's voice greeted from a round, tower-like house that was nearest the spring, and both boys looked over at the sound. Twilight smiled in greeting and waved back- happy to see his friend Renado- while Time just nodded his greeting to the unfamiliar man.
"We haven't seen you in a while." Renado smiled, clapping the teenager on the back in a friendly gesture. Twilight just smiled wider and nodded. "What have you been doing? And who is your friend? He looks like he could be your twin brother."
Twilight kept smiling, looking over at Time and summarizing who he really was. He felt that keeping the truth from someone like Renado was an exercise in futility and saw no point in it. Renado reacted with only a raised eyebrow of surprise, but then he smiled and offered his hand to the reborn Hero- who shook it gladly. He invited the two visitors into the town hotel for some refreshments and a place to rest from their long journey, which they gratefully accepted.
After a light mid-afternoon snack and rest, the shaman and two heroes gathered at one of the larger tables to talk. Joining them were Renado's daughter Luda and the explosives expert Barnes, who had popped in to see what all the excitement was about.
"So you're the mastermind that came up with bomb arrows!" Time laughed, shaking Barnes' hand. "They're really something. Sure would've come in handy in my day!"
Barnes waved off the compliment, grinning widely with his face red as a cherry. "Anythin' ta help a hero on his mission." He chuckled.
The group continued to discuss various topics of varying interest until the conversation shifted to the weather.
"Ah yes." Renado sighed. "You've obviously noticed the heat wave that has spread from Death Mountain as of late." He turned his empty mug around absently in circles. "It began a few weeks ago. I've spoken with the Goron elders, but for some reason Darbus- the tribal patriarch- will not leave the mountain, and I am getting too old to make the journey to the summit entrance to the mines. All that the elders would tell me is that a great evil has been reawakened deep in the mines. Far deeper than you journeyed in your quest, Link." He looked over at Twilight, who looked surprised, but intrigued as well.
"They did mention something else, but they didn't explain themselves when I inquired further on the subject." Renado continued. "Something about an ancient temple connected to the mines-"
Time gasped. "Not the Fire temple of my day! Could it be? The same one?"
Renado's eyes widened. "That just might be it, Hero of Time! That must be what they were talking about. They mentioned something about a 'legendary hammer' being the only thing that could seal away this evil force, but it was lost long ago in a bygone age."
Time looked down, suddenly sheepish. Reaching into one of the pouches on his belt, he pulled out a silver hammer with both hands and carefully set it on the wooden table. "Heh. I- ah- forgot to return it. Whoops."
"And the Hero of Time continues to amaze me." Renado laughed, inspecting the ancient hammer appreciatively. "This is the same Megaton Hammer that you used to defeat Volvagia in the Future that Never Was, is it not? It looks as new as the day it was forged!"
"That's Goron smithing for you." Time laughed in agreement, nodding to confirm Renado's question. "Finest craftspeople in Hyrule."
"No arguments here." Barnes commented, still pleased by the praise he'd received earlier.
Twilight- however- was concerned with more immediate matters, not the ancient past. "Did the elders say anything else about this 'ancient evil'?"
Renado looked down at the table. "Unfortunately, they did not. However, they did speak of throngs of undead creatures swarming the mines and the temple, abominations they had never encountered." He looked up when Time and Twilight exchanged a knowing glance. "I take it that you two have encountered them?"
"Yes. The Forest temple of Faron was overrun with them, and we had some troubles with them in Ordon as well." Time explained, causing Renado to tense. He was worried for his friend and the children he'd come to care for.
"We drove them out and put out the fires, but my house was burned to the ground. I'm pretty sure everyone's okay, but there are many repairs needed to get Ordon back on its feet." Twilight assured, intentionally leaving out his banishment. No need to report that to him after so much bad news. Plus it was personal.
"I am relieved that no one was hurt, but I'm sorry for your loss, Link." Renado answered sympathetically after a moment, seeming to perceive more than the boys had told him. For a moment, Twilight was afraid that the shaman suspected the truth, but Renado said nothing more on the subject.
"I insist that you boys stay with us in Kakariko tonight and resume your quest in the morning. May the Light Spirits be with you, as well as the goddesses." Renado invited, and the two heroes accepted gratefully, choosing their beds on the upper level of the hotel before climbing up to the hotel's hot-spring above and behind the establishment for a nice, steaming bath.
By some miracle, the only occupant of the spring was a black-feathered Cucco, so the boys had no problems about undressing down to their undergarments and jumping right in.
"Ah, that feels good!" Time sighed as he came up for a breath after dunking himself to wet his hair. "The air temperature could be a bit cooler, though."
Twilight nodded distractedly, trying not to stare at all of his ancestor's scars. His biggest was a shiny red burn that covered almost his entire back. Time smirked when he noticed what Link was staring at in open-mouthed horror. "Got that from Koume's fire attack in the Spirit temple, but then Kotake put ice on it immediately afterward, so it's not as bad as it could've been." He chuckled. "And by 'put ice on it', I mean freezing me nearly to death."
Looking over at his descendant, Time noticed a huge scar on the young man's abdomen. "How'd that one happen?" He asked, intrigued and concerned at the same time.
"This?" Twilight asked, pointing at it. Time nodded. "Gored by one of Ganon's tusks." He shrugged, then added when Time gasped in horror, "Really glad I had a healing fairy for that one. Midna had to open the bottle for me. I was fading too fast to do it myself." He laughed, remembering how flustered she'd been.
"Wow." was all Time could say, remembering his own fight with the giant pig-like creature.
They compared their many scars for a good while, then Time got out of the spring- putting his tunic and gear back on. Twilight did the same. Then both boys walked back into the hotel to rest for the night. They were going to need it to tackle the Goron Mines and Fire temple tomorrow.
"All set?" Time called back into the room of the hotel the next morning. He was eager to see Death Mountain and how much it had changed since his day.
"Just about!" Twilight called, packing his gear into his Adventure pouch. He walked out a minute later, smiling in greeting at his old teacher.
Time smiled back. "I hate to make you undo some of your work, but you're gonna need this for the Fire temple. The goddesses know I did." He handed a crimson tunic to his double, who took it reverently. If the legends were true, the Hero had received this from the son of the ancient Fire Sage, Darunia.
After Twilight came back out in his 'new' tunic, he looked at his ancestor in confusion. Time laughed. "You're wondering what I'm gonna use, right? Well, that's easy. I actually have two of these tunics. I bought one from the shop in Goron Village before I talked to Darunia's son about what happened, and he gave me a free one.* I actually never used the one that you're wearing, that's why it looks brand-new. I'll be using my old one."
[True story. I saw that tunic in the shop as a kid and I went in there and bought it as an adult before I did anything else. Whoops! So I had two Goron Tunics the first time I played OoT. (Not that both showed up in my inventory, but still)]
Twilight nodded, then put the red hat on to match his tunic- feeling a bit cooler already. It seemed the old tunic was still heat-resistant, even after all these years. Then the two heroes left Kakariko Village for Death Mountain and the north, but not before stocking up on supplies and potions for the battle.
As the two boys journeyed up the cliffs and through the narrow mountain passageways, Twilight was confused. Why haven't we met any Gorons yet? This is strange.
Time also seemed uneasy. I don't like this. The whole area reeks of black magic, and the Gorons have always been a race that favors strength over spells. What could it mean?
At last they reached the quarry, where just above them lay the entrance to the Goron City and the mines, and- by extension- the Fire temple. Time looked up at the tunnel entrance dubiously, wondering how in the world they would get up there without the help of the absent Gorons. He didn't notice Twilight had left his side until the boy waved at him from over by a small opening. "In here." He pointed. "There's an elevator that'll take us right to the top."
Time smiled in interest and intrigue, then ran over and followed his student to where the elevator sat. To tell the truth, it looked rather like the one he'd used in the old Forest temple, but this one had a strange button on it. Twilight stepped on the switch with his Iron Boots, startling Time as the lift rose.
"It's activated by weight." He explained as they ascended and Time nodded in understanding, fascinated by how far the Gorons had advanced in their technology since his day. Granted, it had been decades since Hyrule's Golden Age- the time in which he'd lived. And Gorons lived a long time. Far longer than any of the other 'mortal' races (not including the immortal Kokiri). Zoras lived a long time too, but not nearly as long as the Gorons.
The two boys finally reached the 'throne room', and Twilight gasped when he saw that only five Gorons remained in the mountain. All the others had somehow disappeared. The four elders: Gor Coron, Gor Amoto, Gor Ebizo, and Gor Liggs were there, plus the tribal patriarch Darbus.
"Ah! Little humans!" Darbus boomed, but he was pleased to see them. "Our 'Hylian brother' is visiting, and he brought his twin!"
Twilight chuckled and shook his head while Time bowed respectfully. "Greetings, mighty Darbus, patriarch of the Gorons! I am called Link." He introduced himself in their tradition. Darbus was delighted by this and clasped the reborn Hero's forearm with one monstrous hand as Time did the same. As this happened, Twilight noticed that his ancestor wasn't wearing his usual gauntlets- but a pair of strange golden bracelets instead that were decorated with the ancient symbol of the Goron's Ruby.
Darbus noticed Time's accessories too, and looked appalled. "Those bracelets- they were given to the legendary Dodongo Buster, Link! He grew up to become the one humans call the Hero of Time!" He paused, glaring at the teen suspiciously. "How came you to possess these treasures?"
Time smiled, not intimidated in the slightest. In fact he was rather enjoying this. "They were given to me as a child by the Sage of Fire himself, the wild Darunia!" Time grinned with a spark in his eyes that Twilight hadn't seen before, at least not from him. Mischief.
"HA!" Darbus laughed, throwing back his head. "You are a funny little Hylian! I like your spirit! However, lies do not become us, for we are men of action." He boomed, but Time stood his ground, still grinning mischievously.
"It's no lie, my Sworn Brother." He stated confidently, and before anyone could add anything to his answer, he reached into his pouch and pulled out the Megaton Hammer*, the lost treasure of the Gorons.
[Picture Elrond revealing Anduril (the sword) to Aragorn in LotR: Return of the King.]
Every jaw in the room except for the two heroes' dropped to the ground at this revelation. Not only was this the legendary weapon that had twice defeated the dragon Volvagia, but it confirmed that the young man standing before them was indeed the Hero of Time!
"The legendary hammer-" Darbus breathed, shell-shocked, then he threw back his head and roared with laughter. "The goddesses are quite mysterious, that much is true!" He clasped Time's hand in both of his, wonder in his dark-blue eyes. "Ever since I was small, tales of your strength and feats have been passed down through my line. From the son of the wild Darunia- Link of the Gorons- to my father Darmani the Fourth*, and now to me, Darbus. I never dreamed in my wildest fantasies that I would meet you, the savior of the Gorons, face to face!"
[No blood-relation to Darmani in Majora's Mask. This Darmani was named after him, though, after Darunia's son heard of his Sworn Brother's adventure in Termina. Time was certainly revered by the Gorons in Hyrule, wasn't he?]
Time blushed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, bashful. "You honor me, Darbus. I only did what needed to be done. Your people needed help, and I was there to give it."
"And the Hero is modest as well! The legends have not been exaggerated." Darbus boomed, causing the other four Goron elders to whisper among themselves.
"And that is what I have come to do again." Time continued, all humor replaced by a fiery determination. "My brothers have been captured and imprisoned once again by Ganondorf- or at least his followers. It's my sworn duty as a Hero to stop their evil designs."
Twilight nodded in agreement. This statement applied to him as well.
"Well, far be it from us to stand in your way, my Sworn Brother!" Darbus boomed again, grinning from ear to ear as he stood aside to let the two heroes enter the Goron Mines, and- by extension- the ancient Fire temple.
As the two Hylians were walking in, they were stopped by one of the four elders, Gor Coron. "Ancient hero, do you need a map of the temple? If so, we have a copy that you could use."
Time smiled and shook his head. "I still have the one I used in the Future that Never Was. I'm sure it's still fairly accurate, given that stone doesn't change much as time passes. Link can guide us through the mines, and when we get through that passage to the temple, I can take over and lead the way. If we come upon any of our brothers, rest assured that we will do our utmost to free them." He vowed, then the two spiritual brothers entered the Goron Mines- one armed with the legendary Hammer of the Gorons, the other with his bow- as he remembered that he'd used that particular accessory the most when he'd fought his way through the mines in the Twilight War.
One trip through the Goron Mines and Fire temple later- "Ready?" Time asked Twilight as they prepared to enter the boss's room. Twilight nodded, and as one they inserted their two Big Keys into the keyholes. The thick chains fell at their feet, and Twilight rolled away the stone that guarded the entrance to the lair of the fire dragon, Volvagia.
Both heroes jumped down to the main platform, watching the discs of lava warily for any sign of their opponent. Sure enough, the center disc began to erupt, and the ancient enemy of the Gorons rose up out of the molten magma for now a third time to wreak havoc on the mountain-dwelling race. However, this time the dragon looked a little different. "Is that- a small orange eye* on his forehead?" Time asked, squinting to try and get a good look at it while the dragon was wheeling around in the air, circling the two heroes and taunting them in his own tongue.
[Just like the orange eye corrupting Fyrus in TP.]
And to think I'd thought he was cute- Time thought to himself, remembering back to when he'd bought- saved the then baby dragon from a greedy merchant in Hyrule Castle Town.* Guess he doesn't know how to show gratitude.
[Referring to the LoZ manga. I forget which chapter. Look it up if you want to. Baby Volvagia was cute in the manga! EEE! Kawaii!]
"What was that?" Twilight asked, looking at his partner.
"Huh? Oh, I was just- thinking aloud, I guess." Time answered. Then he thought, Why not? He might as well know the truth about this dragon. He turned to his pupil and explained, "I freed this dragon a long time ago when he was just a baby and I was ten. A greedy merchant had him in a bird cage that was way too small for him. I took pity on him and bought him with all the Rupees I had, then set him free in Hyrule Field. He sure has grown-" He trailed off, a small part of him proud of the hatchling that he had befriended. Well, it has been around a hundred years since I freed him. And dragons are practically immortal. The Volvagia that I fought in the Future that Never Was might have been his sire- No wonder he's mad at me.
Volvagia did something very strange then. He put his claws to his head- as if he had a headache- and roared in pain. Time cocked his head in confusion, but then realized what the problem was. "That eye on his forehead! It's controlling him somehow and causing him pain! If we can somehow get rid of it, maybe he'll return to his senses!"
Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow, but then shrugged. It's worth a shot. He thought, nocking an arrow to shoot at the eye. Forgive me, mighty beast.
The arrow connected with the evil eye on Volvagia's forehead, and the dragon roared again as he crash-landed on the ground. Though he regretted it, Time knew that smashing that eye was the only way that might save his old friend, so he brought the hammer down on the dragon's skull with all his might, trying to aim only for the crystalized oculus.
Volvagia roared in pain and grabbed his head again, reeling from the sudden headache adding to his already monstrous migraine. The dragon retreated back into the liquid lava to recover, then flew up to the ceiling of the cavern to rain down boulders on the heroes that dared to wound it. Forgive me, old friend. Time thought sadly even as he dodged the boulders and stalactites that were coming down like meteorites. Eventually Volvagia got sick of trying to crush them and decided to try to fry them with his fire-breath instead. The heroes' heat-resistant tunics protected them from this, though they still stayed well out of the way of the flames.
Three times more was this process repeated, and when Time delivered the final blow to the evil orange eye with his Megaton Hammer, the cursed ocular organ shattered into thousands of tiny shards- almost as if it were made of glass. The dragon grasped his head again- roaring in agony- then put his head down on the ground in defeat, conceding victory to the two heroes. Twilight stowed his bow and single arrow, thinking idly to himself, I'll have to restock on those pretty soon. My quiver is almost empty. Time walked over to the wounded creature- who was whimpering weakly- knelt next to his head and put a gentle, gauntleted hand on his neck just behind the ear- which he knew was one of the dragon's weak spots and that the scales were thin there.
The dragon looked at the reborn Hero blearily- still whimpering- then softly communicated telepathically with the Hylian that had rescued him so long ago. "Please, end my suffering." He pleaded. "Let me die- as I deserve- for all my misdeeds these past months."
Time took pity on the dragon, glad that he'd once again returned to his senses. "You remember me, don't you." Time didn't voice it as a question, for he could clearly see the recognition and friendship in the dragon's green eyes.
"Yes. The forest boy who saved me from that greedy human who intended to sell me to a butcher when I was barely a hatchling. You saved my life, and how do I repay you? By trying to crush and torch you and your twin. Not to mention capturing the rock-eaters and imprisoning them in this temple. Take thy righteous vengeance, brave hero. I deserve death for all that I have done." Volvagia answered with his mind, casting his gaze down to the ground in shame.
Time smiled sadly. "I cannot. You were my friend once. And I will never harm someone close to my heart. I believe there is still some good that you can do for this world, wherever it may be. The path before you now is not death, but life. Go free, my friend." He reached into one of the pouches on his belt and drew out a crystal bottle filled with- to Twilight's jaw-dropping surprise- Ordon's best health-restoring milk. "Open up." He ordered brightly, and the dragon smiled weakly and did as told. The hero patiently helped the wounded dragon to down the entire contents of the bottle, smiling as he watched the simple drink work its magic in seconds. The dragon raised his head and opened his eyes to their fullest extent, then breathed a massive column of flame to the ceiling- his way of saying 'thank you'. He nodded to the two Hylians- who returned it with gentle smiles on their faces- and Volvagia flew out of the lava-hole and curled up next to the two boys.
"You both saved and spared my life." He communicated to both telepathically. "The least I can do is give my saviors a ride out of this hellish furnace of a temple. How those Gorons can stand so much heat is beyond me."
Twilight and Time both snickered at that, then mounted the fire dragon behind his elbows- but not before Time cast 'Nayru's Love' around them both to protect them from the dragon's searing hot scales. Then Volvagia carried the boys out of the final room, through the quickest route out of the Fire temple, then flew up through the mine shaft and tunnel that led to the Goron Mines- heading for the summit and freedom.
End of chapter 5
Next Chapter Teaser: Realization
I skipped the temple again, but you can look up a walkthrough of TP Goron Mines, and then the Fire temple in OoT and just imagine that they're somehow connected. Just imagine both of them filled with undead enemies. And just like in the OoT Fire temple, both Links freed all the Gorons to get the second Big Key.
I decided spur-of-the-moment to let Volvagia live. He's my favorite boss in OoT. Not only does he look awesome, but he's very easy to beat and looks really funny whenever Link gives him a good whack with the Megaton Hammer. Although I don't blame him in the slightest. That's gotta be one doozy of a headache. XD
Good thing Time was using his head before they got on the dragon, otherwise- to quote a fun character from one of my favorite anime- "That'd be my clacker on the barbie and I'd be sittin' here today on two extra-toasty buns!"- Chu, Yu Yu Hakusho, Yusuke vs. Toguro (Episode 61). He makes the funniest face when he says that!
All right, enough silliness for one day. See you next chapter!
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm