Chapter 3
Link almost didn't recognise this part of Hyrule Town. People were huddled and talking in hushed tones, stalls had been ransacked, the stone women, part of the fountain was missing a nose and a few fingers, jars were smashed.
Link frowned at a jar as it jiggled and then smashed to reveal a hideous skeletal creature and after breaking it apart quickly realised he had to smash its skull to get it to vanish.
"We don't know what they are but they came out of the old passage ways to the castle' dungeons" A resident said
"Oi! You! What are you doing here!?" A soldier, who had been guarding the path leading up to the front doors of the castle courtyard demanded
"I'm here to help" Link said
"You're a student, you can't help us, clear off back to Green Veil!" The soldier said
"My family have served this family for centuries, Zelda knows me, tell her I'm here she knows I can help her..."
The soldier growls and throws Link back into a flowerbed.
As the soldier turns back to his post the resident rushed to help Link.
"You're brave, answering a soldier back, who are you anyway?"
"I'm Link" Link said
The resident stepped back in shock,
"No relation to the hero?"
"We're closer than you think, I have to find a way into that castle" Link replied
"I think I might be able to help you, follow me"
Link followed the resident down a side ally and left up to a green door with pink painted daisies on it.
"This was my daughter' house, she's a bit of a wild one, went missing a week ago, the soldiers won't do anything, something is definitely up"
"Did you see the tracks? They're floating in the air" Link said
"I never leave the town...how strange" The resident said with a shiver
"Why are we here? Where was your daughter when you saw her last?" Link asked
They entered the house.
The house was covered in cobweb and had been ransacked. Link was visibly upset by this.
"She was in the forest, looking for a rare butterfly when they took her...monsters that's what they were. Cost me 50 rupees to get a sketch off a Skull Kid, though how reliable they are I don't know but I'll take anything at this point"
The resident took the sketch out of his pocket and Link immediately recognised him as a Bokoblin
"My teacher, Lilt was taken too, the classroom looked just like this. I'll find your daughter I promise. I know how to fight these things but my sword is inadequate" Link said
"The reason I brought you here is because there's a ladder behind that fireplace. I always thought that odd but it leads to a series of tunnels that come out just beneath the main tower that the King resides. Zelda too. Part of the map got burned so I can only tell you how to get part of the way" The resident told him, now taking out half a burnt map.
"That's alright, I'll figure out the rest while I'm down there...thank you" Link said
The resident nodded and waited for Link to climb into the fireplace and down before sighing and leaving the house.
Once at the bottom Link reached for the empty lantern handing on the wall and filled it with oil before lighting it using a stick he struck off the wall a few times.
He then used what was left of the map to get him half of the way through this maze of tunnels, though he did have to stop a few times to strike a rat or two that tried to steal rupees and bombs from him.
He had to flatten them to get them back.
Around the next corner he was horrified to find a Like, Like. This he took a swipe at with the lantern and set fire too before it could swallow him whole. It shrivelled up and spat out a chest, and some stones that could do some damage if used on an enemy. Inside the chest was a stronger shield,
"I'll take that but the wooden would could still come in handy, especially if I hit a storm" Link said to himself.
On he went until he could follow the map no more and then a flashback from the OOT era came to him of his journey through the lost woods. If he went the wrong way the music stopped but if he was going the right way the music was clearer.
Link shook this memory off briefly and put a blindfold on to help his hearing and from this, sword held out he was able to navigate his way through the rest of the tunnels to the bottom of the tower.
It struck him that no one was guarding the tower at all as he made his way up to the King's room but he soon found out why. Zelda' room was two floors below the King and it had been ransacked in just the same way the butterfly girl's house had.
Stood in the centre of the room Link gasped when a hand placed itself on his shoulder. He turned and sighed with relief to see that it was in fact the King.
The King led Link into his study,
"I knew you would come here before long. Zelda disappeared two nights ago, the tracks uprooted themselves and a light appeared in the area that used to house the tower once linking our Hyrule to the old Hyrule from the era of Spirit" The King told Link
"Do you believe that's where she is? The tower?" Link asked
"It is possible but why now?"
"Forgive me but that Link is from a different time line and though I have his memories I don't remember how things ended"
"Malladus, or The Demon King, possessed the princess Zelda, and upon the restoration of her body and his defeat he betrayed Byrne, the servant of Cole, who was coincidently the servant of Malladus, and both Malladus and Cole escaped to Low Rule" The King revealed
"You mean there's an evil version of me down there?"
"Zelda too, we are in a precarious situation here Link and I don't overly trust my advisors of late"
"So what is the plan?" Link asked
The King walked over to the window,
"You see what has become of our tracks" The King said
"I have" Link affirmed
"I believe this is a sign from the leaders of four long since lost leaders, with access to elements we will need if we are to save Zelda and the others...yes I see your surprise but I know about the butterfly girl and your teacher. Two others are missing from two very different villages and I don't know how but I feel certain they have a role to play in restoring the tracks of the Era of Spirit, only trouble is no one knows how to find the four leaders" The King said
"I have a theory" Link said
"Go on" The King encouraged
"Well, have you an old map of Hyrule from that era?" Link asked
"Only one of 5 but it disappears into the forest off to the East" The King said before retrieving the map and showing it to him, "Look"
"Can you take me to where this track would have started from? The base of the tower?" Link asked
"I can but I can't just leave the castle I have guards watching my window from below in the courtyard" The King told him
"No problem" Link took out his Ocarina and played the tune of Emptiness from his time in Termina
The King felt funny and stepped forwards and when he turned back he found himself stood where he just was, only this version was wooden but realistic, it could fool someone from a distance.
"Incredible"
"We only need it to last long enough for us to reach the base of the tower and I can take it from there" Link said
Without another moments hesitation the King and Link made their way down to the bottom of the tower, through the tunnels and up the ladder into the home of the butterfly girl where the King found a long cloak to wear.
From there they snuck out of the house and out of the town via the mote, which the allowed to carry them around the perimeter where it sloped up.
Quite to Link' surprise Epona was waiting for them with a note attached to her reigns,
"She wanted to come"
"I never had a horse but I know this one" Link said, "As long as my skills remain I guess my memories with her don't matter, she knows me, we can make new ones"
The King smiled and joined Link on the horse, where they soon made short work of the trip to the base of the tower.
"I go no further Link, what is your theory" The King asked once both had dismounted
"What do you see regarding those woods?" Link asked handing the King a telescope
"Its impenetrable and there appears to be an unusually large tree stump up on end" The King observed
"Do you remember the Minish people? They had stumps just like that and if you stood on one you became Minish yourself. I have a feeling that if I could get something of that era the track will come down and I'll be able to get into those woods"
"Excellent but we don't have anything do we?" The King asked
"I think that's what, whoever ransacked my school was looking for...it'd have to blend in" Link said and then he jumped in the air, "The cap!"
The King smiled,
"Link, if you're going in there you'll need a real sword, sadly the master sword was hidden away many moons ago, however I believe that for now until I can locate it my one should suffice"
With that the King gave Link a sword similar to the one that once sat in the church of Skyloft. Link bowed, placed the sword in its cobalt, jumped up onto Epona and galloped back towards Green Veil.