Chapter One – Sand and Stone
The sun, blazing at its peak, roasted the sand. Large heat hazes made it difficult to see, the sweltering temperature drained the spirit of anyone who walked on the sands and cost the body its precious water.
Link, however, knew these dangers well before travelling the desert once again. Sipping from his second of three canteens, he pressed on. In the distance, the ruins of the Arbiters Grounds were just visible, shimmering in the haze. His green tunic dripped with sweat, making it chafe. He raised a large leaf above his head, grateful for the slight respite the shade offered. The curious and powerful items he had found during the days of Twilight were outshone here.
As he continued the long journey, he did his best to clear his mind. Only a year had passed since Midna had ripped herself from his life, yet each day was no different. He would wake, unable to elicit any feeling. He thought of playing with the children in Ordon village, swimming with his Zora's Armour and riding the Spinner device. Nothing. Pleasure eluded him. He thought of good meals, Hylian Ale and pastries that the bar owner, Telma, occasionally provided. Nothing. Satisfaction was only a concept. Then, his mind wandered back to Midna once again. Leaving through the Mirror of Twilight and shattering it whilst tears streamed from her eyes.
His gut wrenched and a familiar longing set in his heart. Feeling himself on the verge of misery once again, he returned to the single realisation that had fired his entire being with determination once more. Midna had lied.
"I don't love you." she had said.
Link closed his eyes and remembered her saying it. His minds eye drew her in perfect detail. Utterly broken, shaking and crying. What bothered him, was why she would lie in the first place. A small smile crept onto his lips. After having shared so much during their travels, how could anyone not fall for such a partner. He felt stupid for having not seen through the lie when he first heard it. His naïve mind had not allowed rational thought and heartbreak had sealed any notion of that.
"You damn fool..." he said aloud, mocking his own inexperience. "You damn stupid wolf..."
Taking a final sip from his canteen, he closed the lid and placed it into Epona's saddlebag. His dependable warhorse was bearing the heat and hot sand well enough, but she had been carrying him for hours.
A few months after the Mirror of Twilight had shattered, Princess Zelda had commissioned a bridge from Lake Hylia that allowed travel into the desert, making the trip a lot easier than being shot out of a cannon.
Link shuddered. The memory of being shot into the city in the sky was not one he wanted to relive, let alone to the desert.
As he slowed Epona to a canter, he stared into the horizon as something caught his attention. As he squinted to avoid the suns glare, he made out the shapes of several large birds, circling around the crest of a small dune.
"Kargaroks..." he sighed.
As Epona carried him, he took his bow from his storage belt. As it materialised in his hand, he drew the string. Hearing the creak of the supple wood soothed the anxiety that had surfaced in him. The birds were hardly much of a threat, but that didn't mean they were harmless. They were known to sometimes feed on carrion, sometimes living creatures. More of them just made it more likely that something was either close to death or a nest was nearby, making travel dangerous for the average person.
He withdrew his quiver and slung it over his shoulder. He was ready to face them.
He spurred Epona on across some flat ground and approached the dune. As he closed the distance, the shapes were easier to distinguish but so were their calls. He caught the end of an extended screech. Then he saw the flock turn towards him.
Tightening his grip on Epona with his knees, he knocked an arrow and slowed his breathing. Patiently, he aimed for the leading Kargarok and loosed the arrow. Within a second, it found its mark and the ugly bird fell from the sky, the arrow having pierced its heart.
Spurring Epona on more, she quickly gained speed. He wrapped her reins around his right little finger as he quickly knocked another arrow. Slightly steering to the left, he made to orbit the birds. He knew they would probably catch up to him before he could shoot them down, but he still had the Master sword.
He maintained his distance as he loosed another few arrows, reducing the Kargaroks to three. Seeing their losses, the remaining birds allowed fear to control them and they flew away, to some Goddess forsaken place in the vast Gerudo desert.
Link stored his bow, he knew they wouldn't come for him again. So he turned Epona and made for the crest of the dune, wondering what had interested several large birds of prey. At the top, a breeze cooled him slightly, but carried the metallic smell of spilled blood. He saw a great boar, laying on the hot sands. Its eyes were barely open and its breathing was weak. The creatures belly had been torn at with large beaks, leaving blood to pool and agony to doom the poor beast. Within a moment, Link dismounted Epona, drew his sword and stabbed straight into it's skull with a wet crunch.
After wiping the tip of the Master Sword in the sand, he withdrew a small knife and some cloth.
"Finally... No more sandworms." he said aloud.
As he set to butchering the boar, he recalled sharing the disgusting worms with Midna on their first trip into the desert.
"We have to eat something!" Midna had said, struggling to say the sentence out loud.
He had known she was right but that didn't make him feel any better. He held up a freshly killed worm and summoned what little determination he could. He had cut the worm straight down its middle as mucus spewed out of it. He remembered having to fight the urge to vomit, performing a rough butterfly cut on the grey meat.
"But do we really have no other option?"she said as he put simple skewers through the meat.
Midna had been unable to look away from the gory sight, swallowing a little bile.
"It's fine. Let me just find some Kargarok droppings to smear on it. Then it'll just be horrible, instead of insane." he had said dryly as he held the sticks over a fire.
She laughed her impish laugh, lightening the mood as only she could have.
Link cut the exposed meat out of the beak wounds on the boar and made fresh cuts into the flank. His emotions turned blank again, much like every memory he replayed. A memory of making Midna laugh brought no joy to him. It wasn't the same without her there.
Frustrated, he sliced too hard and got a couple of uneven chunks of meat and chipped one of the ribs. Putting the cuts into several cloths, he put them in his storage belt. Irritated, he went to Epona and took out a bottle of Hylian Whiskey. He had since gotten used to the burning sensation and it made it easier to cope. Drinking straight from the bottle, Link's throat warmed. He put the bottle back and was eager to be on his way, to get away from his own mind.
As the day progressed, the sun eventually sank over the horizon, and the heat hazes started to thin out. The ruins of the Arbiters Grounds were much easier to distinguish now. Although he was still some miles away, the towering structure looked imposing against the darkening sky. It's sandstone bricks seemed like they could be seen from any point in the vast desert.
Recalling the trials he had faced with Midna in the ruins, he felt his nerves start to fray. The Poes that once inhabited the place had struck Link at his greatest regrets and fears, forcing him to recall how his actions had impacted the lives of those closest to him. He knew he had no control over King Bulbin kidnapping his childhood friends, but he was aware of how misfortune seemed to pursue his every move. Getting moody, he drank from his whiskey bottle once more. The tingle at the back of his throat snapped him out of his self pity.
"You're a far more pleasant ride than those boars" he said as he patted Eponas muscular neck.
She snorted, grateful for the praise. Link managed a weak smile.
"I won't be long. But if you are threatened, you run. Understand?" he spoke softly, scratching behind her ear.
She lowered her head slightly, agreeing but unhappy at the thought of leaving her master behind. Link recalled his battle with Ganondorf and the wounds she had sustained. He had since made her safety a much higher priority.
An hour later, the moon lit the sky as Link dismounted and left Epona at the base of the stairs leading into the Arbiters grounds. He checked his equipment, straightened out his tunic and adjusted his hat. He paused, thinking why the Hero of Time had worn such a garment. It wasn't uncomfortable, just odd, he thought. He had seen no other person ever wear a hat close to his own.
Exhaling, he cleared his mind and looked up the stairway leading into the grounds. Looking over his shoulder as he walked, he smiled at Epona in a bid to reassure her.
He was certain the areas ahead were clear of monsters, but that did little to settle him.
Too many bad memories were made in this place. It was one thing for the Poes to have exploited his fears. But learning that Midna had suffered the same mental torture made him want to rip and tear the ghostly figures with his wolfs teeth again.
Entering the grand doorway, he perked up his ears and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on any out of place noises. He slowly paced forwards, letting his feet fall quietly. Nothing.
Opening his eyes again, he looked at the room where he had first encountered quicksand. It was utterly still. He supposed Ganondorf's magic had tried to slow his progress at the time. Old torches still lit the room somehow. Link slowly placed his feet on the fine sand in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief as it didn't sink. He carefully advanced, one foot at a time, over the large expanse.
Some minutes later, he stepped back on to solid sandstone again and exhaled. He remembered drowning in quicksand the last time he had come to this cursed building. Inhaling out of reflex, he had filled his airway with the fine grains. Thankfully, the sand had not reached his lungs as the built up sand had stopped any more from trickling into him. It had been incredibly painful until he had lost consciousness. And once again, Midna had then saved him...
He slapped his cheeks hard. The shock and pain helped clear his mind. He couldn't let his mind stray.
"Come on, get to the tower..." he grumbled to himself.
Walking through the crumbling entrance hall, he arrived in the main hall. The chiselled columns stretched high and decorative winged Triforce motifs enhanced the ornate design of the grand room. It would have been impressive, but Link saw the four large braziers mounted on the stair bannisters ahead of him. The blue flames were, thankfully, still there. Walking more slowly, he began to creep up the stairs, eyes darting between each flame.
He felt his heart beat faster as anxiety made his gut clench. Halfway up the stairs, he turned around to keep the four flames in view. Breathing rapidly, panic began to take hold of him. Shutting his eyes as the fear rose, his minds eye saw the faces of the Poes inches from his own. The decayed and translucent flesh was pulled taut inside its hood. The hollow eye sockets still appeared to stare right into his own. Its long and sharp teeth were protruding outwards as it opened its hideous mouth with a ragged breath.
Panicked, he opened his eyes and sat on a step, trying to calm himself. He stared at the worn stone stairs and focused on controlling his breathing.
In. Out. In. Out.. In.. Out...
Slowly, his heart began to calm its frenzied beating. He stared at the ground for a while longer, focusing entirely on regulating his breaths. The knot was still in his stomach, but he got to his feet, not lifting his gaze. He turned about, and walked quickly into the tower chamber where he had fought the Stallord.
Fragments of bones were strewn all about the large room. Link wondered how many had died in these ruins. Executed prisoners were likely who the bones had belonged to. The amount was still staggering. Link dragged his boots through the piles of bones, knocking them aside instead of stepping on them. Soon after, he got onto the sandy rim where the central tower was raised to a great height. Looking up, Link didn't think it was such an imposing sight. After all, he had nearly fallen from the sky.
Reaching into his storage belt, he pulled out the Spinner device he had found in the grounds. As it gained its weight again, Link arms slumped as he held it. Placing it on the ground, he pushed onto the central recess, making the teeth around the edge push out and spin. He kept pressing in with his foot until it had gathered enough momentum. Stepping back, the device righted itself as it span on the spot. Taking a few steps back, he ran and hopped onto the spinner. Landing with good balance, his momentum carried him forward whilst the spinner remained steady. He steered with gentle pushes on either of his feet and aimed straight for the notched grooves on the central tower. The teeth connected and began to ride the column to the top. Pressing on the recess a few more times, he maintained his speed. Without the Stallord bearing down on him with enormous fireballs, the ride brought a giddy smile to Links face. Moments later, the smile faded as he reached the top and the spinner set in the cog in the middle of the columns platform. Links mind raced as he tried to imagine how the little spinner maintained its orientation. Probably a question for Shad, he thought.
Picking up the small device, he place the pointed tip into a pouch on his belt and it faded from his hands. Rolling his shoulders and taking a deep breath, he walked over the bridge and out of the door. The night air quickly sapped his warmth.
As he climbed a familiar circular staircase, he peered through an iron fence and looked below.
Epona was still waiting by the stairway leading into the building. He turned back, wanting to be done with this place. Horrors had filled it in the past but as his heart started to ache, he remembered Midna stepping through the Twilight Mirror and shattering it. But that was the reason he had journeyed here once again.
He looked around and saw the mechanism that had held the mirror. It was exactly as he and Zelda had left it. Decorative podiums surrounded the hoist. He remembered the Sages who had caused the entire crisis by sending Ganondorf through the mirror of Twilight in a desperate bid to seal him away from Hyrule. They had asked Midna for forgiveness, disappearing before she had a chance to process anything.
Ignoring the anger that was rising in him, he looked around the mirrors mount. There lay what he was searching for. Shards of the Twilight Mirror. He had scarred his fingers as he had desperately tried to return Midna once she left. It had been a fruitless effort. Today however, he carefully picked up as many fragments as he could find. He even scooped fine dust into a pouch. After wrapping the shards up in cloth, he pocketed as many as he could find.
In what felt like an hour, Link finally sat down and nursed his fingers. Even through his thick leather gauntlets, several sharp shards had pierced through and drawn blood from his hand.
After cleaning and bandaging the cuts, Link sat facing the large stone that had supported the mirror. Whenever he had been hurt in the past, he had tried to focus on keeping his breathing steady to deal with intense pain. It usually worked, but with the minor pain he found himself slipping into daydreams. He had a harder time focusing on anything since the end of the Twilight crisis. He visualised all the different ways it could have happened. Midna could have accidentally broken the mirror before stepping through it. Perhaps she could have just refused. What if he had shot the large chains with explosives, he wondered.
There were so many other ways it could have happened. Yet it had to happen in the worst possible way.
Staring blankly, he found himself unable to think. Minutes passed, but his mind felt empty. A light discomfort in his stomach told him that something wasn't right with him for being able to do such a simple thing.
"Why?..." he said quietly.
Why couldn't he muster any simple thought? Surely he had plenty to think about. The time he first met her? Or when she had overreacted to ghostly rats? Perhaps when he first saw her in her true form...
Still nothing. The discomfort in his stomach grew in it's intensity. This wasn't simple indigestion, he rationalised. It was a feeling. It made him frustrated. He tried hard to remember his adventure with Midna, but he saw nothing in his minds eye. It had been so easy before...
As the frustration built, he got to his feet and pulled out a silver hip flask. Opening the lid, he drank deeply. It felt like fire was searing down him. Inhaling sharply, he coughed hard. Telma's special spirit always hit too hard, in the throat and wallet. But it helped him focus on something else at least.
Good. He could still feel pain at least.
His throat still stung, but he seated himself again. This time, he thought over his aims.
He knew the only way to open a portal back to the Twilit realm was through the mirror. If he was to have any hope of building his own, it would require knowing everything about the mirror, the site it was located at, the mounts, the sages that watched over it as well as the huge stone that the mirror projected on to.
After catching his breath, he made for the huge stone obelisk. The closer he got to it, the more he felt the Triforce resonating within his hand. Looking at his gauntlet, he saw the golden pattern glowing. Silently, he thanked the goddesses for not having it glow whilst he was trying to sneak around.
He touched the stone and left his hand on the strange rock. It wasn't any basic stone that he was familiar with. It shined a little under the stars, almost illuminating itself. He took his gauntlet off and felt it beneath his hand. Smooth. Very smooth. It looked like ordinary limestone during the day. Perhaps the stone itself had characteristics of both his realm and the Twilit realm he thought.
Looking around, he saw no chunks or bits on the floor resembling the stone. He took out a hammer and chisel he had purchased in Castle Town and tried to chip a piece off the corner. However, each strike of the hammer knocked the chisel away. He spent over an hour trying to find purchase on a corner but no matter how he aimed or struck, the stone did not yield.
Getting impatient, he swung his hammer too hard right onto his exposed thumb.
Searing pain ran from his thumb all the way up his arm as he shouted in fury at his mistake.
Doubling over, he cradled his now broken thumb. Adrenaline allowed him to ignore the pain briefly whilst he wrapped bandages around it and tightened it as much as he could.
Thankfully, the bone had not pierced his skin like it had when the dragon of the city in the sky had fallen on him.
Moments later, he opened his hip flask again and drained it. Within another minute, the pain was still there but much more bearable than before. Standing again and regulating his breathing, he stood still in front of the stone once more with a more drastic idea forming in his mind.
Before he tried it though, it couldn't hurt to ask the residents.
"Sages... do you hear me?" he said aloud.
No response.
"Sages! I intend to take a piece of this rock!" he shouted.
Still no response. Shrugging slightly, he withdrew six bombs from his pouch and piled them together at the corner he had been working on.
Looking to the large pillars where the sages once appeared, he decided that since there was no longer any use for the stone, it was free to be repurposed.
"Then forgive me."
He lit an extended fuse and ran for cover back at the stairway.
He had just slid behind a pillar when an enormous blast shook the entire floor beneath him.
The shock wave wrapped around the pillar and pushed him forward slightly, but he regained his balance and took his fingers out of his ears. Turning around from his nice and safe pillar, he smiled.
The huge obelisk had cracked and a large chunk was missing from the corner he had been working on. Moving closer to the smoking blast site, he looked around and saw several bits of debris, all in assorted sizes. Hopefully, the sages didn't mind their useless stone being treated as such. Collecting as many as he could, he stuffed them all into his pouches. He wondered still just how his belt managed to reduce the weight of all of his items. Whilst he was grateful for it, it posed many questions.
Shaking his head briefly, he reminded himself of his purpose. He looked around the large platform, eventually to the now hollow mount of the mirror. His memories came flooding back. He remembered Midna crying like she never had as she faded into Twilight. Within a split second, Links gut had wrenched as he realised he would never see her again. A sharp pain rose in his heart, feeling as if it was splitting itself apart. His mind was unable to focus on anything as his emotions went into free-fall. Hopelessness, regret, anger and some guilt had all overwhelmed him.
In the present, he felt the pangs again. Tears welled in his eyes as his heart started to hurt once more.
"No!" he screamed.
His throat hurt and the pain helped him snap back to reality. He forced his mind back to when he had realised she had lied.
"I don't love you" he heard in his mind.
"Liar..." he said bitterly, as he turned to leave.
He walked back through the temple after riding the spinner back down the central column. As long as he had something to focus on, he was fine. He almost wished that Ganondorf was still a threat. Hard to ignore the end of freedom. Then, remembering his brutal fight with him, shut the idle thought down.
He met Epona again and apologised to her for taking so long, as well as the loud blast. She was a dependable steed though and had fought through much harder things than loud noises.
Smiling a little, he mounted her and said "We're done here. Lets head to Castle Town and see if Zelda or Shad can help us figure these out."
Epona snorted happily and carried her master as he directed her.
Meanwhile, Ordon Village experienced an enormously bright flash of magical light. Leaves stopped falling, water stopped flowing and the people had all stopped in their tracks, suspended in time.