Born a Weapon

A Twilight Princess Fan story

Chapter 26

Twilit Igniter Fyrus

Midna slowly opened her tired eyes, feeling very fatigued. Her eyes slowly focused, and she saw the grey ceiling above her. She felt something soft underneath her, and it slowly dawned on her that she was on one of the makeshift beds Link made. She heard some shuffling on her side and tried to sit up, causing a few pieces of cloth to fall off her body, but she felt very weak for some reason, and when she tried to support herself with her right arm, it flared in pain, and she collapsed back onto the ground with a pained cry.

"You're awake!" The voice on her side spoke, and Link appeared above her with only his undershirt on. "How do you feel?" It took a minute for Midna to process the question. Her brain seemed to be running slowly, and her thoughts felt clouded.

"Like shit," she replied, "what happened?"

"How much do you remember?" That wasn't the response she wanted. Couldn't he just tell her?

"I remember… a room, with… those rectangles. And…" Midna paused for a moment. "I distracted them. Then you… grabbed me? And then there was pain… and blood. I was hurt?" Link nodded, confirming her suspicion. "You carried me. Then… something was hurting me… my shoulder. I was fighting it… then… nothing. That's all I remember." Something clicked in Midna's mind. She should have realized it sooner, but her brain was running too slowly. "Wait, you grabbed me? How? And… how was I hurt? I was a shadow! That doesn't-" Link raised his hand to stop her.

"Those orange things the rectangles shot are called lasers. They're made of light. They pushed the shadow right off you. As for how I grabbed you, I honestly have no idea. My hand glowed, so it must have been a hero thing."

"Alright. I guess I'll just have to accept that. But what was hurting me after the rectangle?" Midna turned her head to look at her bandaged shoulder.

"You lost a lot of blood, Midna, and you were overheating. You became delirious. Nothing was trying to hurt you. Now, let me grab-" Link moved away to reach for his pouch, but Midna grabbed his arm.

"No! Something was hurting me! What was it? Did you kill it?" Link's arm felt strange, and Midna then noticed it was covered in bandages. "What happened to your arms?"

"I just got a bit hurt. It's no big deal." Midna locked onto Link's arm, specifically the spot where her hand connected with his arm. An image flashed before her eyes. An arm held something to her shoulder, while another held a roll of bandages. She clawed at the arm with all her might, cutting deep and drawing blood. A voice rang out, 'I'm sorry, but I have to treat the wound! Midna, you have to trust me. I'm trying to help you.' It was Link's voice…

"No…" Midna said breathlessly, "I didn't…" she pulled her band back as if it was burned, looking into Link's eyes with guilt. "I didn't… I wasn't…" she broke eye contact, unable to bear looking at him. "I'm sor-"

"Midna," Link gently placed his hand on Midna's good shoulder, "it's ok. You were delirious. It's not your fault."

This was the second time. This was the second time Link had gotten hurt because of her. And yet, he didn't blame her. All she had done was hurt him. She talked down at him, insulted him, pushed him to keep going when he was hurt, and even clawed his skin off. And yet, he didn't blame her. It had to stop. No more talking down at him, no more insults, no more demanding he push himself too far. No more hurting Link. He had extended his hand in friendship, and she had slapped it away. This time, she would take it.

She only hoped Link hadn't already withdrawn it.

"Thank you, and… I'm sorry." The look of surprise on Link's face stung. He had gotten so used to her sharp tongue and condescending nature that hearing her say those words was shocking. Once the shock disappeared, a small smile spread across Link's face, and a hopeful look filled his eyes.

"No problem. Now, you need to eat something!" Link said, reaching for his pouch again. "You slept the rest of the day! You must be hungry."

Link stood before the door once again, his hand resting on it.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Midna asked, hovering nearby in her shadowy form, Fused Shadow back on her head.

"I'm ready. Just make sure to stay in my shadow." Midna nodded and returned to Link's shadow. With a deep breath, Link drew his sword and opened the door.

The rectangles were all facing the opposite door again, unaware the hero had re-entered the room. Link approached the first rectangle on the left, the same one that shot Midna. He spun around to its front and stabbed his sword into its eye, destroying it. The other rectangular machines whirred to life and began to turn. Link charged across the room to the next one and finished it, then ran across the wall to confuse the machines and jumped off, stabbing another. He then rolled to the side to avoid the lasers and shot across the room, piercing the next. Link was a little too slow and nearly got blasted, but just avoided the attack in time. The rest of the rectangles went down one after the other until there was one left. Link waited for it to attack before hopping to the side and lunging forward, piercing the red gem.

"Nice moves," Midna commented as Link sighed in relief.

"Thanks. Now let's find this last elder." Link approached the door and opened it, finding another Goron sitting inside with his legs crossed and eyes closed, seemingly meditating.

"You gotta be kidding. He was right here?" Link said nothing and approached the final elder, who opened his eyes and rose to his feet with the ease of a young man.

"Ah! You are here at last! Welcome, Link!"

"Wait, how did you know I was coming?"

"I am farsighted in all things… and I looked out the door and saw you. Tell me, Link, is your companion well?" Link's heart skipped a beat, and Midna's skipped five.

"What? How?"

"We Goron elders possess some magic. I can sense her in your shadow… and I looked out the door and saw her." The Goron elder having magic made sense. How else could they seal away Darbus? "I witnessed her courageous attempt to engage the beamos."

"Is that what those things are called?"

"That's what we have begun calling them, yes." Midna slowly emerged in her shadow form, unsure of herself.

"Uhm… hi," she said.

"Greetings. Though I know the hero's name, I do not know yours, and neither of you know mine. I am Gor Liggs."

"…Midna. How did you know Link's name?"

"Though luck or some divine intention, the hero of legend always bears the name Link." Gor Liggs turned his attention back to Link. "I assume you have heard of our plight?"

"Yes," Link nodded, "Gor Coron asked me to help. Now that I've found all the surviving Gorons, I'm going to do what I can to help Darbus."

"Thank you, hero. Though I'm sure you intend to, I urge you to exercise caution. Who knows how powerful Darbus is in his new grotesque form. But I suppose I should trust your power, considering you came this far."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful." Link stepped aside and gestured to the door. "The way to the exit is clear. Aside from a few bulbins with bows and one beamos. But you can easily outrun the Beamos, and I've heard the bulbins won't be a problem for you."

"They will not. Thank you, hero and companion." Gor Liggs approached the door and opened it before curling into a ball and rolling away.

"If the Goron elders can use magic and sense your presence, then that means all the elders knew you were with me." Link remarked.

"Oh, shit! You're right!" Midna widened her visible eye in realization, "but they seem fine with me. Especially the last one."

"I'm sure a lot of people will be okay with your presence. You don't have to hide from everybody.

"I'd rather not take the chance…" Midna said, crossing her arms.

After checking his map, Link remembered the room Darbus was in was only accessible via the massive opening filled with archers. The door was behind the beamos in that area, which Link took out from a distance with a well-placed arrow. Link took the time to shoot all of the archers with his bow and then scoured the area for any arrows he could salvage. After slipping past the beamos, Link had to deal with a few bulbins, but they didn't cause him much trouble. One was knocked into a pool of lava, and the scream it let out made Midna sick to her stomach. She heeded Link's warning not to look over the edge. Finally, the two companions stood before the final door.

"Ok, time to get another piece of your weird hamlet thing."

"Yup."

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask, doesn't it bother you having one eye covered all the time?"

"Actually," Midna poked at the part covering her eye, "I can see through it."

"Wait, what? How?"

"It's magic," Midna shrugged. Another passive effect. That bothered Link, but he ignored it. And placed his hands on the large door, forcing it open and walking through.

The area inside was dark, with almost no light visible aside from the doorway. Loud, slow breathing could be heard from inside, and once Link's eyes adjusted to the light, he saw its source. A large black creature four times the size of a Goron stood in the center of the room, its feet chained to the floor and arms to the ceiling. Its head hung, and it didn't seem to notice Link, not that he could see any way to take advantage of that.

"I can't see. What's the plan?" Midna asked, causing the beast to stir. Its head rose, eyes locked with Link, and it began tugging at its chains.

"Midna!" Link shouted as he made sure he was out of reach.

"What?!"

"I was sneaking!" The room suddenly began to heat up, and the creature started glowing orange. Its body burst into flame, lighting up the room. It tugged one of the chains holding its arm, tearing it out of the wall.

"Why didn't you say that?!"

"Because I was sneaking!" Link didn't have a plan for fighting this monster since he didn't even know what it looked like until now, but he had one idea. He was really fighting the Fused Shadow, not the corrupted Goron, so he decided to attack that. He pulled out his bow and quickly let an arrow fly, striking the object as Darbus tried to free his other arm. The arrow bounced off, but Darbus seemed to flinch in pain before roaring in anger.

"I don't think I can help with this," Midna said, floating next to Link. "If I get too close, my shadow will come off. Then the heat will get me. All I can do is shoot some weak blasts anyway."

"Don't worry," Link said as he ducked under one of the chains as Darbus whipped it at him. He hit Minda, but it simply phased through her, only earning a started yelp. "I'll figure something out. Don't risk getting hurt again." Midna returned to Link's shadow, and Link fired another arrow into the artifact. Darbus had broken all his chains and was quickly advancing on Link. Link ran around Darbus in a wide arc, avoiding a punch that sent cracks into the floor. Another arrow flew into the cursed helmet, but a chain whipped into Link knocking him off his feet. Darbus lept through the air and landed with a loud punch that Link barely avoided with a roll. Being this close to the flaming beast made sweat drip down Link's face, and he quickly attacked the Fused Shadow with his sword. Darbus quickly retaliated with a right hook that connected with Link's shield, denting it and making him stagger. Another dodged punch, and Link drove his sword under the Fused Shadow and tried to pry it off. He made some progress until Darbus flicked his head around, tossing Link off, and followed up with a double-handed smash. Link avoided the blow, but the floor gained another massive crack. Every attack Darbus threw cracked the floor more and more, and it couldn't handle the stress of battle anymore.

The floor collapsed, shattering into several pieces and falling down a large hole, taking the human and corrupted Goron with it. Midna cried out Link's name, and he stowed his equipment and grabbed at the wall to slow his fall. Link had too much momentum, and every piece of rock he grabbed snapped off. Darbus plunged into a river of lava, and the pieces from the floor splashed on top. Link couldn't stop his fall, so instead, he adjusted his course to land on the floating debris.

He landed on a piece with a loud smack, sending pain shooting throughout his body. He bruised his body, but he hadn't broken anything. If he hadn't slowed his fall, he would surely be dead right now.

"Are you ok?!" Link's shadowy companion shouted.

"I'll live…" Link grunted as he got to his feet, "what happened to-" Lava was sprayed everywhere as Darbus emerged, flinging a red-hot chain at Link. "Oh, there he is."

Link fired another arrow and had to jump to another platform when Darbus smashed his fist into his, sending it under the lava. The platform resurfaced, and Link jumped back to it when Darbus repeated the same motion. The pattern repeated several times until Darbus grew tired of it, grasped a platform in his hands, lifted it above his head, and threw it at Link. Link cried out and dove to a different floor piece, and the other smashed his previous one into bits. Darbus lifted another platform and threw it again, removing two more of Link's safe areas.

"Do something!" There wasn't much Link could do. The only success he seemed to have was when he used his sword to loosen the Fused Shadow, and he needed to get close to do that. There was only one way to get close, and it was incredibly foolish. When Darbus reached to grab another platform, Link jumped onto it. "What are you doing?! Move!"

Darbus lifted the platform above his head and began to bend it, sending a crack right down the middle. Link positioned himself on top of it, waited, and jumped straight up. The platform snapped in half as Link jumped, pulling the pieces apart. Link fell right on top of Darbus' head and wasted no time plunging his sword under the Fused Shadow and pulling. Darbus grabbed at Link, but he slid down onto his shoulder to avoid it.

Link could feel the heat coming from Darbus' flaming body, but his tunic and gloves prevented him from being burnt to death. He crawled around Darbus, making his way back to his sword while avoiding grabs as Darbus jerked around violently, trying to throw him off. Link pulled at the sword again but couldn't move in time to dodge another grab. Darbus grasped Link's leg, yanked the human off his head, and held him upside down, only to be met with a drawn bow.

The arrow struck the Fused Shadow, making Darbus roar in pain and let go of Link, who quickly grabbed onto the beast's hand. Link scrambled up the arm and back to his sword and pulled with all his might, finally pulling the cursed object free. Link nearly stumbled off from the Fused Shadow, suddenly coming free but regained his balance just in time. He sheathed his sword and grabbed the heavy object with both hands, wondering where the hell he was going to put it until Midna could store it. To Link's shock, the object began to shrink, and he remembered his magic pouch. The pouch widened to accept the Fused Shadow, and Link realized it wasn't the only thing shrinking.

Darbus was unconscious and returning to whatever his original form was, which normally would have been good. But right now, he was stopping Link from falling into lava. A lifeline appeared as the current carried Link close to a natural rock platform, and he stepped onto it once it was close enough. Link tried to pull Darbus up, but the Goron was unbelievably heavy. Link dug his boots into the ground and was dragged along the platform by the Goron stuck in the current. A stalactite approached Link, and he pressed his feet against it, stopping himself from being pulled any farther. Darbus finished reverting to his normal form and was no longer touching the lava, but now, Link had to deal with the entire weight of Darbus. Even in his normal state, Darbus was much larger than the average Goron and was way heavier than any human could handle.

The force tugging on Link shifted directions when the lava was no longer in play, and Link began falling back into the lava. Reaching out his right hand, Link grabbed onto the stalactite putting all his strength into his arms. Link screamed as he felt himself being torn apart, but he refused to let go. The light on his hand began to glow again, and he tightened his grip and yelled through clenched teeth. Link felt like his muscles were going to snap, and Midna floated around in panic, trying to figure out what she could do. She began shouting at Darbus, screaming in his face to wake up, and finally, he did.

Darbus' eyes slowly fluttered open, but everything was blurry, his ears were ringing, and his mind felt clouded. He could make out a blurry shape before him and… screaming? Darbus' eyes focused, and the ringing stopped, and he made out the shape of a shadowy being screaming at him to wake up. His slow brain finally processed that he was dangling over lava, and someone was trying to pull him out. Darbus grabbed onto the side of the rock, pulling himself up as he met the eyes of his savior. He was expecting another Goron and nearly lost his grip in surprise when he saw the person who held him was a human.

When Darbus was finally safe from falling, the human released his grip. His arms hung limply at his side, and he staggered backwards before falling over. Darbus quickly caught the human with his large hand, and the human looked at him with half-lidded eyes and a smile. The shadowy being floated nearby, concerned hands hovering just above him as she checked for any wounds.

"Link, are you ok?!"

"I'm fine… just tired. And my arms feel like they're going to fall off."

"How did you do that?"

"I… have no idea." Link's eyes slowly began to close, causing Midna to panic and shout at him to stay awake.

"Do not worry, small creature," Darbus spoke, lifting Link into his arms, "I will take your friend out of the mountain!" Darbus turned and began marching down the stone section. Midna started to fall behind, so Darbus slowed his pace to a light jog, still trying to hurry in case the human was injured. Midna still had trouble keeping up and had to fly at top speed. Luckily, Darbus seemed to know exactly where he was going as he turned around several corners and passed through many doors. A few bulbins tried to attack Darbus, but he shielded Link with his rocky body and backhanded them all at once, sending them flying out of sight. When they came upon a collapsed hallway, Midna thought all hope was lost, but Darbus gently set Link in a sitting position against a wall and began punching his way through the rubble.

"Hold on, Link, we're almost out of here!"

"Midna, I appreciate the concern, but I'm not on death's door this time." Link chuckled slightly, setting Midna at ease.

A few more bulbins later, Midna recognized the room the final elder was in. Darbus opened the next door and charged right through one of the seven beamos that harmed Midna. Darbus hopped over missing bridges and gaps and soon headed down the hallway Link used to enter the mines. Darbus emerged through the massive door and came face to face with the four Goron elders, whose faces lit up with joy at the sight of him.

"Hey," Link said tiredly, giving them a half wave before pointing at Darbus, "I found your patriarch." Darbus gently set Link down, allowing him to stand on his own. Midna floated to his side, and their suspicions about the elders were confirmed when none of them seemed surprised at her presence.

"You could have at least said hello," Gor Amoto joked, trying to poke Midna gently with his cane, only for it to phase through her body. The elders showered Link with appreciation, but Gor Coron quickly excused himself and Darbus to inform the patriarch of what had happened.

"I do not envy Gor Coron," Gor Liggs sighed. "I would not want to be the bearer of such bad news." Link turned his head to see Darbus with an incredulous as he stumbled over to a rock and sat down, his face in his right hand. "The villagers of Kakariko were close friends to many of us, and some are taking the news poorly. Myself included."

"This tragedy cannot be repeated!" Gor Ebizo added, "Whoever would commit such an atrocity must be stopped!"

"Don't worry. He will be." Link said with resolve, "I'll make sure of it."

Darbus began power walking out the door, and everyone followed him to see what he was doing. He marched down into the main area filled with Gorons and smashed his fists together.

"Everyone! listen up!" Darbus' voice boomed, gaining the attention of every nearby Goron. "I need some volunteers! We're going to Kakariko! There will be no more deaths because of our negligence!"

Darbus had so many volunteers that he had to order some to stay behind. The Gorons escorted Link back down the mountain, and he made small talk with the elders and Darbus on the way, catching them up on what he knew. Midna remained in Link's shadow most of the journey but occasionally came out to converse with the elders and Darbus, though she tried to avoid being seen by the other Gorons. Renado, Barnes, and the children were shocked when Link wandered in with an army of Gorons, and Barnes quickly spotted some friends and ran off.

Renado conversed with the elders and Darbus, apparently knowing them well. The children were initially intimidated by the large Gorons, but with Link's help, they realized there was nothing to fear and began pestering the Gorons with questions. Link silently slipped away from the joyful reunions and introductions to speak to Eldin.

"Heroic Link, you return triumphant," Eldin spoke as it emerged from the spring.

"Yeah… and sore. Eldin, I have a question." Eldin didn't speak but was clearly listing. "Why are the Fused Shadows in these places? They're pretty exposed and can hurt someone. Darbus got transformed into a monster from the piece I just got."

"Normally, we hold them ourselves to prevent what you just mentioned from occurring. But when Zant bested us and stole our light, we were desperate to keep the Fused Shadows from his reach. We stashed them where we hoped no one would find them. The consequences are regrettable but preferable to the alternative of them falling into Zant's grasp."

"I guess that makes sense. Still, you should have chosen a better spot. All right, where to next?"

"North of here, across the plain and past the stone bridge, lies the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru. You must restore his power, and he will tell you where the final Fused Shadow lies. Also, there you may find the final Ordonian."

"Ilia?" Link asked, and Eldin nodded. "I'll head there later… tomorrow, maybe. I really need to rest." Link turned to leave but stopped.

"Wait," Eldin spoke, "hold out your shield." Confused, Link took his shield off his back and held it out. Eldin lowered its wings to touch the shield, and it glowed golden. The dent in the shield disappeared, the chipped paint restored itself and the glow faded. The shield looked like he had just gotten it. "Your shield has been restored and enhanced. I used my power to increase its durability. If you get this blessing from the other spirits, you are unlikely to encounter anything capable of damaging your shield."

"Whoa, thanks. That will definitely help."

Eldin closed his wings on itself and disappeared into several bright lights that slowly faded. Link placed the shield back on his back and began making his way towards the inn. He saw Colin slowly leave the inn and caught him on the stairs.

"Hey, Colin. How're you feeling?"

"Link! Are you ok? You seem really worn out."

"I'm fine, just tired. How's your head?"

"It still hurts sometimes… but Mr. Renado says I'm getting better! He said I should be fine in a few days!"

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm going to rest. If anyone needs me, that's where I'll be."

"Ok! Make sure you get better too, Link! Maybe Mr. Renado can check on you too!"

"That's probably a good idea."

Link slid into the empty inn and groggily made his way up the stairs. He wasn't sure which room to go to, since the last time he checked, his was destroyed. Link poked his head into his room to find it good as new, with a second bed and his giant stack of books inside. He stumbled in and sat down on his bed.

"Going to sleep?" Midna emerged from the shadow in her non-shadowy form, staying away from the light spilling in from the window. Link responded with a nod. "You should give me the Fused Shadow first. It will be safer in my storage than your pouch."

"Alright, hold on," Link dug his hands through his pouch until he found the artifact. It was about the same size as Midna's helmet now, and he held it out to her. Midna seemed a bit hesitant and didn't take it right away.

"You're just… giving it to me?"

"Uh, yeah?" Midna gently took the artifact and placed it in her pocket dimension.

"I was expecting that to take some convincing. You didn't feel any desire to keep it? At all?" Link shook his head and removed his tunic and chainmail. "I thought it would try to corrupt you, but I guess the chosen hero wouldn't be affected by that, huh?"

"I'm still just a guy."

"A guy who can hold a Goron with one arm."

"Still don't know how I did that," Link said as he lay in the bed after removing his shoes. "Wake me up if we get attacked by ninjas again."

The following day Renado gave Link a quick check-up but reported that he was fine. Nobody had any explanation for how Link had held up a Goron aside from 'hero magic.' After the check-up, Link took care of some basic hygiene, followed by Midna, before saying goodbye to everyone. He felt comfortable leaving Kakariko in the capable hands of the Gorons and was sure he would be back soon. Whether he returned to visit or because he was covered in blood and needing healing was still up for debate. The plan was to head to Lanayru, and Midna would hold Link's shield when they entered. Once they found a portal, Midna would warp him to Ordona and give the light spirit the shield to enhance. Then Midna would warp Link back, and they would finish collecting the light, then ask Lanayru to improve the shield. It was a solid plan with only so many ways it could go wrong.

Link saddled Epona and checked his map to be sure of his direction before heading across Hyrule Field.

"This is the last piece," Link realized.

"The last piece…" Midna parroted, "then I can take on Zant."

"Then I can finally take some time and work on my memory. I wonder what I'll remember. Can't wait till we beat that guy."

"You know, I was going to tell you to stay out of the fight. I thought Zant would just crush you, but you keep surprising me with creative ways to win fights."

"I am extremely thankful for that skill. Without it, I'd be toast several times over. Also… when we do finally beat Zant, you won't be stuck as an imp anymore, right?"

"… I won't be stuck as an imp…" Midna repeated, almost as if she couldn't believe it. "Once the source of my curse is gone… I'll be free… I'll finally be myself again!"

"You're still yourself, Midna. You just look different. The curse didn't affect your personality, right?"

"No. I'm still me, but you know what I meant. Just wait till you see what I look like! You'll be speechless!" Midna giggled. Link joined in the laughter, thinking about what the future could hold once Zant was gone and both worlds were granted peace.

His thoughts were interrupted by something piercing his shoulder with enough force to come out the other side and send him flying off Epona.

"Link!" Midna shouted as he tumbled across the ground, rolling multiple times before finally stopping. He quickly sat up, held his shield in the direction he was riding and was forced onto his back with a loud clang that left his shield vibrating. Resting on the ground nearby was a large arrow made entirely of metal.

Link scrambled to his feet, and another arrow struck the ground where he was, sending dirt flying and burying itself so deep there was no trace of it. Link ran to a nearby tree, passing by a thin one that would not shield him from something that strong. He was nearly knocked off his feet by another arrow striking his shield but made it to a thick tree without further injury.

"What the hell just happened?!" Midna questioned as she emerged in her non-shadow form to examine Link's wound. Link moved out slightly with his shield ready to see where the arrows were coming from. The field looked empty until he saw another arrow flying at him that barely missed his shoulder as he ducked behind the tree. Wherever these arrows were coming from was so far away he couldn't see it. "Let me in your pack," Midna moved to reach for it so she could grab bandages, but Link held up his hand to stop her.

He focused. Listening for something Midna couldn't hear. Link raised his hand to grab his sword very slowly, and once he closed his hand around the hilt, something shuffled in the tree.

Link swiftly drew his sword and raised his shield to block a kick from someone who swung down from a branch. The person pushed off the shield and flipped over Link, grabbing his neck in the process and throwing him over their shoulder. Link tumbled out of the shadow into the sun, leaving Midna stranded in the tree's shade, and raised his shield to block a strike from a crossbow as big as him with a strange cylinder on the top. He slashed with his sword, and the figure backflipped away, unhindered by the weight of the massive crossbow. When Link could finally look at his opponent, his breath stopped from shock.

Not because whoever this was had somehow moved from out of sight to the tree in a second with barely a sound. Not because he held the crossbow with one hand. It was because aside from coal black skin and entirely red eyes, the face staring back at him,

Was his own.