Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend Of Zelda.
Chapter 9
Hyrule Castle
Knowing that he would probably get lost again, Link did not even bother to look for the edge of the forest. Instead, he pulled out the golden bell and called Irene to pick him up. Now that he thought about it, it had been quite a while since he had last seen her. It was… yesterday morning.
The realization of how little time it actually had been was surreal. It felt much longer than that.
Those thoughts ceased when a familiar shadow appeared over his head.
"Hi, Irene-" He stopped mid sentence.
The broom was here, alright. But Irene was not.
For a few moments Link just blinked stupidly, before it registered to him that Irene was not there. "Where is she?". Link waited for a few moments, but nothing happened. "IRENE!? WHERE ARE YOU!?". His voice echoed in the forest. No answer was echoed back.
A cold sensation started creeping up Link's spine. "Did she decide to ditch me…?". He doubted the words even as he spoke them. Sure, she did not like him very much but after that fortune she would never leave him alone.
Something was wrong.
Irene's broom was still floating there. Link reached out with his right arm. A jolt of pain passed through it; quickly smoothed, but unmistakable.
Yuga.
The broom had traces of Yuga's magic on it. It made his arm feel as if it was suddenly impaled by a thousand needles; after the constant numbness, it was a shock to his senses.
A heavy weight fell on Link's stomach, and his breath sat on his throat.
No. No. I have to make sure. For a few moments, he stood at a loss, not sure what to do. Reluctantly, he grabbed the edge of the broom, making sure to use his left. It felt wrong to actually ride it. Even without Irene acting as a counterweight, it barely wobbled. "The… The Witch's Shop.". Had he not been that worried, he would be surprised at how the broom immediately followed his command.
The ride itself was a blank in Link's mind – he only took notice of Hyrule Castle as he passed above. It was still locked behind the black prison bars that Yuga had drawn over the gates. No sign of movement inside, yet Link felt that somehow, something had gone wrong. He could spot Sahasrahla waiting out of the gates, and his heart sunk. But first, Irene.
The sight of her house was more or less familiar, by now. Had he not known better, he would think that there was nothing wrong. The place looked the same as ever. However, something was different. An aura of gloom that was simply not there before.
I have to make sure. Reluctantly, he opened the door and entered.
"Link, my boy.".
Irene's grandmother was there, at the far end of her shop, stirring her brew in a cauldron. It was half-hearted. There was a darkness hanging in the air that did not come just from the lack of windows. Link slowly approached and walked behind the counter. He already knew what she would ask him before she spoke.
"I sent Irene to gather some mushrooms from the forest in the morning… Usually, she'd be back home hours ago. Have you seen her?".
Link took a deep breath, and shook his head. "No. I called her with the bell and the broom came but…". He could see that the old witch was frozen, and her gaze was burning holes through him. Link took a deep breath and looked at her straight in the eye.
"Do you remember the sorcerer I was fighting? Yuga?". Her raised eyebrows were enough of an answer. "I don't know what exactly he wants or where he came from, but he's after the descendants of the Seven Sages. He's already kidnapped Seres and Osfala, and he has imprisoned Princess Zelda in her castle. He may be trying to revive Ganon. I- I felt his magic on Irene's broom.".
The old witch was as white as a sheet. It was a while before she answered. "My mother's line does come from the Sages… It came from her own mother too…". Just as he suspected. Irene was a descendant of the Seven Sages.
"Do you have a bottle, young man?".
The sudden question caught Link off-guard. "Y-Yeah.".
The old woman nodded sharply. "Bring it here.". Link did as she said and handed her one of his bottles. Without a word, she went to the counter and scooped blue potion into the bottle until it was full. With a flick of her finger, the outer side of the bottle was dried and sealed. She handed it back to Link. "Take it, Link. It's for free.".
In his surprise, Link almost dropped the bottle. "Are you sure, ma'am? I can pay, I have enough.".
The old witch waved her hand dismissively. "You'll need it. I don't need Rupees right now; just bring me my granddaughter back.".
Link nodded. "Yes, ma'am.". Of course he would. It went without question. Zelda, Irene, and anyone else who fell into the sorcerer's hands.
With no further ado, Link placed the potion in his pouch, and marched out of the shop. The broom was still floating there. Link grabbed its twigs without prompting. "Link's House.". He was off.
The ride was short, and filled with thoughts. Seres. Osfala. Now Irene. That was three Sages there. If he did not hurry, Zelda too would fall in his hands. Was Zelda a Sage too? Or was Yuga after eight people? Who else had gone missing?
Gulley.
When was the last time he saw him? He even thought about him? At the thought, a wave of shame washed over him. He was so busy running around in those ruins that he had no spared the young boy a single thought. No, that was no excuse. He should have looked for Gulley. He had not even checked at Mr. Nick's forge the past few days.
But… he had been running around half of Hyrule. He should have seen Gulley by now. Or maybe he was back home already and Link did not see him because he forgot to check.
Or maybe Yuga had gotten to him.
No, that was impossible. He was after the descendants of the Sages. Gulley – Mr. Nick and Mrs. Lily – could not be descendants. The others were priests and wizards. They were simple smiths. Nothing more, nothing less.
But Yuga had attacked other people too, had he not? Captain Alfred. Just for getting in his way. What if he had randomly found Gulley somewhere and decided he was too annoying to let him be?
No. It could not be true. There was no way that was true. There was absolutely no reason Yuga had gone after Gulley. Gulley was not stupid enough to get in Yuga's way. He was not stupid, period. Something else must have happened. He was probably home, whining about Link slacking off again. Yeah, that was it.
He still felt the creeping urge to check.
No, there was no point. Gulley would be at the smithy and all Link would manage to do by visiting is scare the crap out of everyone and waste even more time. He'd just go after Yuga and free Zelda, and that would be it. He would go back to the forest to put the Master Sword back in place – but something felt so wrong about that – return the Pendant of Courage to Zelda and also put the other two back in place and he would go back to metalwork. Maybe slay the occasional monster. He had proven to be pretty good at that, and someone had to do it.
Before he knew it, he was at his house. The sign Ravio put up was gleaming in the sun.
Link was not really tired. But he was so, so drained.
Unceremoniously, he opened the door and stumbled in.
"Hello, Mr. Hero! You sure took your time. You've been gone since yesterday morning! Was the Tower of Hera that bad?".
Link had no patience for Ravio's cheer right now. "The whole Din-forsaken volcano was "that bad". And don't get me started on whatever that forest was. There's a reason I never step foot in there.".
"What happened?".
Link sharply turned to him, caught off guard. His voice was uncharacteristically serious. His smile had fallen off his lips. In spite of the mask, Link could tell that Ravio was staring right at him.
Ravio knew more than he let on. It was an old suspicion, and yet, Link felt like he could trust him.
"Yuga has already gotten at least three Sages. Seres, Osfala, and now Irene. I called her and she wasn't on her broom, so I went to the witch's shop to check... They're descendants of the sages after all.".
From what little skin he could see under the hood, Ravio had gone completely pale. "Who else has gone missing?".
"Gulley.", answered Link instantly, ignoring the sharp pang in his heart. He immediately shook his head. "But he can't be a Sage, I've known his family since forever. They're just blacksmiths. The others are priests, magicians and stuff.". He tried not to wince at how desperate he sounded.
Ravio did not look terribly convinced, but he did not push it. "How many are all the Sages?". His vocal tone was still all business. Focused. Link rarely ever heard it – the only time he could recall was back when he explained the workings of magic to Link – but he took comfort in it.
"Seven. I don't know if Princess Zelda is one of them.".
"Seven or eight then missing people… Three sages, and the Princess is in her castle, so that's four. D'ya know who the others are?".
Link shook his head. "The Elder, Sahasrahla, I think, but I saw him on my way here. From above, I didn't talk to him. I don't know any others.".
"You can't NOT know!", shouted Ravio. "C'mon, any clue at all?".
Link frowned. Was there anyone else he knew? His mind felt so clobbered… Waiting for a flash was no good.
Think, Link. Start with the Elder. What did he tell you? The Elder had told Link plenty of things over time, but it was mostly what he knew about the various places he had to search for the Pendants. Or random history facts. But what else… Did he say why Yuga is after Zelda? Anything about Zelda…
Oh, right! "Impa.".
"Ooo, you've told me about her! She's a… Sheikah, right? Is that a rank?".
Link threw Ravio a quizzical look. It was pretty clear he was not from Hyrule but he did not know what a Sheikah was? Then again, he thought they were just a myth before he met Impa, so no wonder other countries would not know about them. "It's a race, like the Hylians.".
"Oh. Uh, I, uh… never heard of them. Anyone else?".
Link thought about it for a moment. An image of the StreetPass grandpa passed through his head, but something made him dismiss it immediately. Besides, with the Lost Woods being what it is, even Yuga would never be able to find him. "No.".
"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out, Mr. Hero! Now hurry to the castle!". As he was lost in thought, Link's response was a clueless "huh". Ravio stomped his foot impatiently, his pet dancing around him. "The Princess! You just said a Sage is guarding her, and Yuga has them both locked up!".
Realization hit him like a brick. How had he never thought of that?
He had to leave. Now.
"Wait, Mr. Hero! Won't you take something with you? Ya know, for the fight. I can sell them to you too!".
Link turned around in surprise. "You're willing to sell them? I never thought you'd part with anything.".
"Hey, no fair! I rent them for as long as ever!".
"Sure, until you pick them from my fallen body.", reminded him Link.
"Yeah, 'bout that…". Ravio threw a not-so-discreet look at an empty spot on the table. Had he rented a weapon to someone else?
"What was the weapon there?".
"The Sand Rod.".
It took Link a moment to remember. Osfala. He said he had gotten himself a Sand Rod. "Wait, Osfala was defeated. Why didn't you get it back?".
"I tried, but when Yuga trapped him the Rod went with him. Sheerow can't find them now.". He sounded particularly frustrated about the last part. Link could understand, if for very different reasons. If Sheerow could track the Rod, they would at least have a clue on where Yuga was. No such chance now.
Ravio put on a cheerful disposition again. "Now, Mr. Hero, let's talk about the items!".
Link pretended not to be off-put by the sudden change of subject. He approached the Boomerang. "How much for this one?"
"Rental price is forty rupees. As for buying price… Since it'll be your first purchase, I'll cut the price by half!".
"And how much is that?".
"Four hundred rupees.".
Link choked. He slowly turned to Ravio. The masked boy was trying to look like the very picture of innocence. He was failing. "Dear Nayru, you're greedy.".
Ravio just grinned. Link shook his head. He did not know why he expected anything else, really. He turned to the last two weapons – two different rods. "How much do these cost? Rental price.".
"Both of them are one hundred rupees each!".
"One hundred?".
"They're pretty rare! I can't just go grab one and enchant it like the others.".
"Do I want to know how much it costs to buy them?".
"Uh… maybe not.".
"I thought so.".
After much, much deliberation, and careful calculation of his finances, he declined both. When Ravio asked him why, other than the obvious monetary reason, Link answered that Yuga almost certainly had a countermeasure for them. Ravio mulled over it for a moment before shrugging.
Link ended up buying and renting nothing, and made his way to Hyrule Castle.
The barrier was still there. Those blackened flames that looked like prison bars. The odd buzzing. Link did not know why he was expecting anything different. Maybe because the last few days were completely insane? Yeah, that would probably be it.
Sahasrahla was still there, waiting for him. He looked completely worn down, not that Link could blame him. He was genuinely worried for the old man's health. However, upon seeing Link, he was immediately alert.
"By the Goddesses, Link! Is that what I think it is!?".
The "it" in question was obvious. Link slowly drew the Master Sword out of its scabbard, watching how the Elder's expression formed to pure wonder. Even in the ominous light – or was it shade – of the barrier, the blade seemed to be glowing. The warmth spread through him, warming him.
"Indeed it is…! No doubt – that is the very blade of evil's bane. You have found the Master Sword! But… how did you find it?".
"Long story.".
"And how did you escape the Lost Woods?".
"Longer story.".
"Well, I suppose there is no time to waste. Strike down this nefarious barrier!".
"With pleasure.". He meant that wholeheartedly.
Link slowly walked to the front gates, the painted prison bars mocking with their very presence. He could feel the malevolent intent behind them in his skin – literally. It was not quite so bad though. The pain in his arm was far more tolerable now that the numbness had subsidized a bit.
The young hero held the sword with both hands and breathed deeply. The blade was humming. With a yell that may sound like a war cry, he thrust the sacred blade deeply in the black prison.
The pain was blinding. Lightning cut through the air. His vision was flashes. And it was over as soon as it started. The darkness just vanished like it was never there.
For a few moments all Link and the Elder could do was dumbly stare at the walls.
The painted barrier was just – gone. No weird buzzing, no moving shadows, no black, flame-like prison bars. Nothing. It was just gone.
"Why, that's incredible! How easily it cuts through such dark magic!"
"Yuga is going to be pissed.".
That shook Sahasrahla out of his stupor. "Then go on, Link! You must save Princess Zelda at once!".
Link took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I'm going.". He turned to the old man. "Thank you Elder. I could not have done it without you.".
"Link, please don't talk like that.".
"I'm serious! I'd still be looking for the Pendant of Wisdom, at best. Just – go back to the village, okay?".
"But, Link!".
"Yuga could make another earthquake! I don't want anyone near the castle if that happens! It was bad enough the last time!".
The old man looked incredibly conflicted, but he relented. "Be careful, young man, and good luck. You have a difficult fight ahead of you.".
"I know. And thanks. Seriously.".
Link slid the shield off his back and strapped it on his arm. He had a princess to save.
The castle courtyard was full of soldiers. The painted ones, that is. Beneath their helmets was nothing. No faces. No eyes. Just dark.
They were everywhere. In the walls. In the bushes. On the roof. Main hallway is full. Go from the side then. That's emptier. You can pick them out, one by one.
He did. The doors on each side of the main gate were "hidden" behind a tree or two and just by being deeper in the wall. Like they were hoping that the main gate was too magnificent for anyone to notice.
Okay, it worked last time Link was here and he completely failed to notice the side gates, but he had other stuff in his mind.
The gates were unlocked. Link pushed them open and rushed in.
Another soldier. Link expected that. But he was just one. Link sidestepped the incoming spear and lunged for the opening. One strike below the belt, and a second on the head. He was gone in a puff of smoke.
"Magic. Of course."
A flash of red on the wall made him pause. Turning around he saw it. Another soldier. A normal one. "Oh no… He turned all the old soldiers into paintings!" The flashy red uniform made him look like a toy.
Of course he did. Of course. For anyone who got in his way, all Yuga had to do was turn them into a stain on the wall and it was no longer his problem.
Looking around the room, Link noticed another one transformed, high above the floor. Link had no idea how the man ended up there.
Link remembered how terrifying being turned into a painting was. With the bracelet, it turned into his best weapon, but those first few moments… like he was suffocating… Like something was crushing him from all sides burying him alive… And it was just a few moments. How long had these soldiers been here? Days? When did he even start his adventure? Did they see anything that was going on outside? Or were they unconscious? Link really hoped it was the latter.
Link looked around for an entrance. He found nothing.
That can't be right. There's nothing!? There had to be an entrance somewhere! He was sure of it! Better check the other gate.
Link sneaked through the courtyard again and reached the other side gate. This time there were two soldiers waiting for him. Unfortunately for them, Link was at the top of his game. A few moments later, Link searched the hallway for any doors. Nothing. All he found was a treasure chest that had a pathetic blue rupee. He also found a few trapped soldiers. He tried to ignore those.
Yuga must have sealed and hidden any doors. There was no other explanation. There was absolutely no reason why the castle would have two hallways on each side that lead nowhere.
However, the fact was that the only way to get in the castle right now was through the front door. It was so, so obviously a trap. But it was working. Still, Link could not help the nagging feeling that there was something he overlooked.
Link shook his head, trying to get it straight. There was no time to waste. If he had to get through the front door and the horde of magic soldiers that was undoubtedly guarding it, so be it.
Link briefly debated between fighting all the soldiers in the garden and trying to sneak past them. On the one hand, he could take them on but then he would be too tired to deal with what was inside. On the other hand, he had no idea how hard he would have to try to open the main palace gates, but if they were half as heavy as they looked, he would take ages and the soldiers would spot him.
Then he remembered he had Rosso's power gloves.
Sneaking it was.
Link crouched down and run to the main gates, making sure to hide behind the trees and the decorative bushes. He pushed the gate, and it gave way like a plain old door.
Someone should bless Rosso.
He was in.
As expected, there were guards, but nowhere close to the huge assault force that Link expected. Did Yuga expect that nobody would be able to get in?
Well, he probably expected right.
Regardless, the green-clad soldiers were nowhere near as tough as the red guy with the spear earlier. Which meant not at all. Yet, Link could not help but think that they were too easy. Still, this meant that Link could pick them at his own pace – be the one to engage for once, instead of the other way round.
The gallery remained unchanged. Link was mildly surprised. He was expecting Yuga to have redecorated the interior to his taste, but other than a trapped soldier the room was practically identical.
He remembered the painting before him. The one with the Hero of Legend, standing victorious with his sword raised, the Zelda of his time standing by his side. The hero who looked just like him.
The painting that had almost sucked him in. Before he realized what he was doing, Link was touching the inscription, tracing the metal engraving with his fingers. No matter that he had already read it once; he found himself reading it again.
"Painting V: The Triforce, Split Apart.
The Triforce was split into three pieces, separated forever. One piece remains in the hands of the royal family. Another piece has fallen into the hands of Ganon, sealed away with him. The third piece of the Triforce has vanished, though legend says it is hidden in the spirit of a true hero. It slumbers now somewhere in Hyrule – waiting for the time when the world needs a new hero."
What?
Wh-when did the epigraph change? That last part was not there the last time, was it? He would have remembered something like that, he was sure of it.
Link tried to recall what happened last time he read that epigraph. He was wondering why the Royal Family advertized that they had a Triforce piece. But he could not recall anything about a piece being somewhere in Hyrule. If that was known fact, he would have heard it ages ago. "Finding the Triforce" was the most common joke in the country.
That last sentence was not there the last time. Someone – or something – had changed the epigraph.
The piece is here… in Hyrule… Waiting for a hero…
This was important. This was extremely important. Link had no idea why but this felt groundbreaking. It was groundbreaking. Something fundamental had changed, beyond what Link had consciously realized.
His head was killing him.
Link fell on his knees, his back on the wall. For a moment he wondered if he would fall through again like that first time. No. This time, he was solid. He just needed to get his head straight. The gallery was mercifully empty.
This was far from the first time it had happened. In fact, it was happening all the time. Those splitting headaches and the weird thoughts he would lose track of just – being there one moment and elsewhere the next. He… Goddesses, there was something wrong with him and he could not even remember what.
He curled into himself, head between his knees, hoping the pounding would go away. It felt like forever.
I have to move.
He did. He bolted for the stairway. If there was one place Impa and Zelda would be trapped in, it had to be the throne room. He knew where that was.
The red soldier had his back turned to him. Good. He did not know what hit him.
Link ran to the door, but it was locked. Great. Now what? He would have to find another way.
Maybe she's at the top.
Yeah, that made sense. Still, that did not change how the door was locked. However, there was another door to his right that was open. Not seeing another option, Link headed there.
Wait… Is this the corridor from before?
It was. Link was now on a fake floor above the normal corridor, complete with a whole in the middle. In fact, it looked eerily similar to those places where Link had found the Pendants of Virtue.
Link was officially spooked. True, Hyrule Castle was beyond ancient. But was it always built that way? Or did Yuga make it like that?
Even up here there were soldiers – both the magic and the trapped ones. The blue-clad soldier spotted him and charged. Link almost tried dodging before realizing just how narrow the passage was. He brought up his shield and braced himself. It was not enough. He was pushed a few feet back, but that was all he needed. The passage here was wider. The soldier followed and this time Link danced around him, managing two hits on his back before the soldier turned around and sent him flying on the wall. Link got away the last second and swung wildly. Bingo.
Link ran through the resulting puff of smoke and made a break for the new door.
The door led to the roof.
He spotted something gleaming under the sun. Between him and that object was an unarmed soldier. Or so Link thought until he conjured a bomb out of thin air.
Shit. There was no room to dodge here!
The young swordsman only had one option: charge.
Apparently even magic constructs could be caught by surprise. Link slammed into the soldier shield first and made him drop the bomb. By the time the soldier got back to his feet, the bomb had turned red.
Link was too busy picking the purple rupee from the treasure chest to pay any attention to the explosion.
Theft complete – besides, Link rationalized, if Yuga had turned the palace into a magic labyrinth then nobody would have claimed that money anyway – he headed back where he came from to open the new gates. He quickly dispatched the two red-clad spear soldiers in his way and pushed them open.
He was expecting a trap. Flying tiles, maybe. There wasn't one.
Link warily approached the four statues, fully expecting them to transform into Armos. Ancient castle, ancient defenses, right?
Wrong. The statues stayed still like they were supposed to.
Link did not like the air of this place at all. There was something wrong and heavy in the air, sticky, clogging his breath as if it were smoke. Breathing was hard. He would have to take it slow. Be cautious. He picked the bow.
A wise decision.
Because as soon as he stepped through the next door, it locked behind him, leaving him trapped with a soldier in spiked gold armour and a huge chain mace. He did not have time to think. He just shot. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. He was still standing, and Link was out of magic. That ball was on him.
He rushed forward. Again. He lashed out with his sword once, twice. Finally, he was down.
Among the smoke, Link took a breather. He almost got killed there. If he had reacted one second later…
Were those rupees on the wall?
They were. For some reason, Yuga had painted rupees on the wall. Maybe…
Link walked over there and merged with it. Moving in the walls always screwed his perception big time but if he moved just like that- His wallet was seven rupees heavier. This was crazy.
Still, he was stealing money from Yuga. Petty revenge for the win.
He rushed to the next room, clearing the soldiers in the narrow corridor one by one before running up the stairs. Once he made it to the third floor, the door locked behind him.
A trap. Soldiers all around him. Someone throwing spears above his head, aiming at him. He swung blindly, running away, a soldier gone in a puff of smoke. He barely dodged a flying spear before something swung at him from behind. It was only thanks to reflex that Link was able to deliver a counterattack. It still hurt. He fell on his knees and crawled up the stairs, rolled to the side just in time to avoid another spear. He got up to his feet just in time to deal with the two new soldiers. Out of dumb luck, one of the spears landed on one of them, erasing him on the spot. Link took care of the other, as well as the one that lingered behind.
There was another soldier on top of the staircase but first- that spear thrower. Link could see him on a ledge on top. Nothing his wall-merging ability could not reach. One positive thing about this power; as long as he is a painting, nothing can scratch him.
Though that spear he got on the shoulder once he reemerged from the wall did scratch him. Deeply.
Link kicked him off the ledge. The impact shattered him to ash. Now for the last one. He merged with the wall again and emerged at the top of the staircase. The red soldier never saw him coming.
With the last of them down, the doors were open again.
Run ran through the next corridor, ignoring the statues, up until the front door slammed closed right before his face again. The two statues before him activated.
Armos. Of course.
Two good things about those ancient automatons; they only activated if he was right next to them, and they were really fragile. Link destroyed all seven of them at his own pace. After some thinking, he stuffed their glowing yellow cores in Gulley's pouch. He had no idea what he would do of them or how could he use them, but why let them go to waste?
Link was outside again. He breathed in the air, still polluted with dark magic, but far clearer. It was getting dark again. The view from atop the castle was breathtaking. He could see all of Kakariko Village in detail, the woods… Din, he could even see his house!
Link leaned down by the railing and looked around at the courtyard. To his relief, Sahasrahla was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully he was back at the village.
I'll have to finish this quickly… I have to find Zelda!
Weirdly enough, there were more rupees in the walls here. Link took them, and with a last long look at the view, he climbed the stairs to the other door and went back inside.
The sight before his shook him to his core.
There she was, Princess Zelda, pale and terrified. And at her heels? Yuga. Walking slowly to her, like he had all the time of the world, cornering her at the top of the staircase, toying with her like a cat did with a mouse, his face twisted to a full-toothed smile like this was the best joke he had ever heard.
They sounded like they were in a middle of an argument – if Zelda's horrified pleas could count as such.
"Your rampage through my kingdom must stop, Yuga! How many more of my people do you intend to take!?"
He had to move. He had to move right now but somehow, he could not. He was frozen in place, he could only stand as an observer.
"My little acquisition tour of Hyrule is nearly over, Princess" said Yuga mockingly. "It really was quite a spree. A Sage here, a Sage there. And now your Impa too. She put up quite the fight, for an old hag."
Oh no.
"I've already gotten all seven Sages."
Oh NO.
"What do you plan to do with them?" She did not know!?
"Never you mind. For I have one more painting to make. So please, rid your mind of all concern. I don't want your portrait to feature any unsightly worry lines. I'm already plagues with enough of those as it is!" What did that mean? "I wish to preserve you at your very best. I daresay you're a match even for Her Grace."
Wait, what? Her Grace?
"Confess it, you monster!" roared Zelda, and Goddesses she was furious. "You plan to use our Seven Sages to revive Ganon, don't you?"
Yuga ignored her with what must have been practiced ease – Link had seen this exact scene being replayed with Seres, and he could not move.
"Ah, what golden hair you have… Such bright locks are normally far too sunny for my tastes. But for you, I'll make an exception. And those soft pinks compliment it so well… Indeed, this land of Hyrule has quite the way to make the most out of the most unsightly of combinations."
Zelda was sobbing. "You're not even listening to me!"
Yuga's gaze turned cold. "I find your protests inelegant" he replied, with a voice like ice. "Not to mention irrelevant. I wish only to possess your beauty, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, not all these ugly words of yours!"
The use of her full title startled her to silence.
"Oh, you are going to make for a spectacular painting, my dear!"
No, please, not again NOT AGAIN
The chamber echoed with her screams.
It was happening. Again. The golden light filled the room and Zelda was trapped in the vortex, her screams fading as if from a distance before vanishing altogether.
Only a portrait remained. Zelda with her hands held in prayer, framed by gold.
The silence was deafening.
Slowly, Yuga stepped to the floating portrait, touching the frame with reverence, stroking it. His eyes were wide, drinking in the details. A disbelieving chuckle left his lips.
"My lovely masterpiece! How utterly scrumptious! Dare I say, it's my best work ever!" The worst part of it all was, Link could not even argue with that.
And it was the shock from actually agreeing with this monster that finally gave him the strength to move.
And move he did. But he only managed a few feet before Yuga spotted him. His cold gaze froze him all over again.
"…What's that?"
Link felt like a disgusting bug being seen under a magnifying lens.
Yuga's expression turned from disgust to shocked recognition. "YOU! Didn't I splash you on some wall somewhere? How did you get out!?"
Link would not sell out Ravio on this guy. "Ancient Hyrule secret."
That pissed him off even more. "How impudent! Emerging? Foisting your inferior form upon my eyes? I will not tolerate this! You should have remained nothing but a stain on that wall! But I will be glad to leave you HERE, once and for all!"
Don't tell me he-
Fortunately, Link's worst fears were not realized. Instead of fighting him himself, Yuga manifested four soldiers out of the wall and… made a run for it?
With Zelda's portrait.
That Goddesses-forsaken-!
Link did not have the time to complete the thought, as the soldiers were upon him. It was nothing he had not dealt with before – the trap in the previous room was far worse – but by the time he was done with them Yuga was long gone.
The next few minutes were a blur. Link followed Yuga to an overly complicated staircase system filled with soldiers; Link took out the bomber with his arrows and cut down the others with his sword, finding himself outside but not taking time for a breather. Instead he rushed right in through the other door and it was the same thing all over again – the soldiers and the bomber and link taking them down the exact same way.
Link finally made it to the sixth floor but it was much the same – a corridor filled with soldiers, with archers on platforms on each side. Link defeated the soldiers but wasted no time on the archers.
He was outside again. He took out the lone soldier, and rushed straight inside.
Empty.
That alone made Link pause. Empty? The previous traps were intense, for lack for a better word. Death traps. Yet here, there was little more than an empty room with two staircases. No soldiers of any kind, no statues. Nothing.
The silence was far worse than the earlier chaos. On the other hand – I must be close.
He picked one of the staircases and climbed it. They both led to the same place anyway.
Outside.
It was a massive balcony, with a rich red carpet marking a clear path. Blue stone tiles were beneath it, almost transparent in how clear they were. The edges and the columns were all marked by clear white marble, sparkling in the setting sun with all the colours of the rainbow. Link had never understood how beautiful marble could be before this.
This balcony too, was empty.
Behind him was a gate. Another set of these emerald green doors. Above the gateway were four precious stones – Link could not tell what they were. Emerald green at the core and blue outside. In the middle marked in gold was the Triforce.
The darkness coming through that doorway was unbearable. He could feel his pulse in his scar – and a tension like static. The air was cold up here.
All the beauty around him was sucked in by the darkness that oozed through this door.
Link took a deep breath, steadied his heart. He pulled the bottle from his pouch and took a tiny sip of the blue potion. It was enough to heal all of his scrapes.
He was ready.
It was now the time to face Yuga.
He entered the chamber. The door locked behind him. As expected.
Yuga was standing in front of an oddly colourful wall, Zelda's portrait hanging over his head. He was almost cooing over it; not even Link's entrance was enough to draw his attention.
"What a beautiful masterpiece… My talent is almost frightening."
Link did not know about "talent", but frightening was right… How many portraits like that were scattered across Hyrule? How many people were trapped in that crushing darkness?
"And there there's you, worm." So he had noticed him. "I can barely bring myself to look at such an inferior creature." Yuga turned to face him. To Link's surprise, the expression on his face was not scorn. It was curiosity. "And yet, there seems to be more to you than meets the eye. How DID you manage to escape that wall?"
Link was giving him nothing. Let him wonder.
"Never mind", said Yuga, seeing that Link was not going to answer. "I don't have time to listen to your prattle. I have what I've come to Hyrule for, so I refuse to let you delay my departure any further. And as you seem invulnerable to my usual methods, I'll have to take a more drastic approach."
Link braced himself.
A crazed laugh escaped Yuga's lips. "Farewell – for the LAST time!"
A bright flash filled Link's eyes, and the boy instinctively took cover behind one of the large pillars in the room. However, the light was not an attack. Yuga had merged with the wall – so that's what it looks like from the outside – and somehow split himself in three.
Link abandoned his cover and just as the three Yugas emerged from the wall.
Shi- He barely avoided that blast.
It was massive. White thunder tore through the room in almost all directions, creating a net – and Link was trapped in it. The intense sensation of magic tore through him, and the air prickled his skin.
Once again the Yugas went back in the wall, and started spinning around like some twisted game of cups and balls. All Link could do was wait again.
One of them HAS to be the real one… But how to tell them apart?
Once again Yuga reemerged, and Link started frantically looking for a difference between the three. He did not get much time – the thunder was exactly the same as before. This time it grazed him.
Pain. Like a shock but so much worse. Then it was numbed. The blade was glowing.
Thank you.
Yuga went back into the wall before Link had a chance to retaliate. Link stayed in place and tracked him with his eyes, trying to steady his breath. This time when Yuga came back, he was ready.
The shadows. That's the key.
Link lunged, sword raised before him. He could see the flash reflected in the sorcerer's eyes. Link sliced, drawing his sword in a wide arc. A hiss of pain. The bright flash of thunder followed from the copies, but Link was safe – the lightning did not reach him. Yuga, all three of them, went back into the wall. This time it took Link a few moments to spot him, but he made it. Rolling around one of the pillars, he delivered a decisive strike against his foe.
For the most part, that seemed to infuriate him.
It could just be Link's idea, but now Yuga was spinning around the room faster than before. However, Link knew what to expect. Now that he had found the real Yuga and his tells, tracking him was easy.
Link dodged the lightning once again, and thrust his sword as deeply into Yuga as he could.
Of course that did not kill him. Link did not expect it to. However, it was enough to bring him down to his knees.
The mage slipped off Link's blade just as his magic failed and the doors revealed themselves. The colourful wall vanished to reveal a new path. Yuga was struggling to stay up, the wound on his chest rapidly closing – if that's what this could be called. Link felt more like stabbing in thick mud than in a monster or a Stalfos. Just what had this guy done to himself?
Regardless, he was gasping in pain. "I bore of this fight." Link felt a flash of indignity. He had just ran him through with his sword!
With a wave of his hand, a light appeared around Zelda's portrait. It flowed from it's resting place above the ground of the fight, and landed in Yuga's hands.
"Once I have released Ganon, lowly creatures like you won't be worth my time."
Link finally had it. "Are you listening to yourself!? Ganon won't care about you no matter what you do! He'll just kill you like everyone else!"
And… he left. He had not listened to a word Link said.
Link sighed in frustration. I must follow him… The top of the castle can't be that far off… He has nowhere to run…
And so he did.
The wind was biting. The silence was eerie. Everything was surrounded in an orange glow. Beneath his feet was a long thick red carpet, somehow unaffected by the elements.
Link could see the Sanctuary beneath his feet. He could see the cave entrance he had used to climb Death Mountain. He could see Rosso's house a little further. Beyond that, the Lost Woods, covered with mist like always.
He had never realized how close they all were to each other.
For a few moments Link lost himself, staring from up above the place where it all started.
On the sides of the long bridge were mighty pillars of stone, lined with a semi-opaque green lines; Link could only assume it was gemstone of some sort.
There was an entrance to a tower at the end of the bridge. The way was long, but something stopped Link from running. The gravity of this place.
Instead he walked there. It felt like being tied up.
He did not expect what he found inside.
Is this… Zelda's office?
For a place this high up, it looked inviting. The room was surprisingly small, and circular like the tower it was in. There was a large round carpet in deep red with the Royal emblem on it, and the huge window, almost as high as the ceiling, allowed for a spectacular view of the forest and the mountains far beyond the border. The setting sun cast a warm golden light on everything. The light blue curtains on the walls chased away the cold.
Zelda's office was right in from of the window, turned towards the door. There was a soft couch of white silk in the corner, with matching yellow cushions. A comfy red chair on another. Clearly, Zelda made this place comfortable for visitors.
Still, there were personal touches. A mirror with the triforce symbol on it, with a few bottles of perfume. Rose and lavender. Classic. Above the chair was a whole bunch of porcelain decorated plates; from flowers to landscapes. Zelda's desk was a mess of papers, though nowhere near the chaos in the Elder's house.
Zelda lived here. She probably passed countless hours in this room, working on papers and admiring the view of far-off lands that she could never reach.
Yuga was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone?
Had he turned into a portrait? But the walls were uncovered… except for one.
A curtain with the Royal emblem had been thrown on it. Link could make out… something oozing from bellow it. It filled his nostrils. It made his head hurt. It was black.
Link picked the curtain and threw it aside.
There was a crack on the wall.
It was taller than him, jagged yet staying in a straight line, the bricks around it dyed with greens, yellows and purples, spreading like moss, like water paint on paper. The black smoke came through the crack, suffocating and ill.
It smelled like death.
Beyond a shadow of doubt, Link knew that Yuga had escaped through this crack. And there was only one way he could have done it.
Link touched the crack. Everything in him was screaming in protest. Pushing him away. Telling him he did not belong.
Link pushed through.
A whirlwind. Shadow and light and colour and smoke and power and void. There was no path ahead but he pushed forward.
Something cracked.
And he fell.
And not for a moment did he consider how in the world he was going to get out again.
Author Note: Yes, I really did just update before March. Take this as my Christmas gift to you (hey, in my country we give those at New Year).
I also realized that at one point I was sounding like Stan Lee. That was not what I was going for.
This chapter was not as difficult as I thought it would be. It's the next one that'll be the real challenge; I'm still not 100% sure what to do with it, where to end it and what to include... Anyways, expect world building. And Link being in WTF mode.
Obviously, I have absolutely no idea when I'll be able to update again. I have a huge number of on-going projects and now my interest has been rekindled so... yeah. Just keep an eye out for that surprise notification, alright?
Please, read and review! And Happy New Year!