PART III: SEPARATE WORLDS, BOUND TOGETHER
CHAPTER 38: UNDER THE SHEIKAH'S MANTLE
For a short while Link only knew the sensation of the cold and misty air which had enveloped him just a few days earlier in the City in the Sky. In his current state he could see only darkness and hear no sound. He could not comprehend the feeling; it was as if he were trapped within that strange, unknowable dimension of Midna's magic.
Next moment, he watched as his fingers and toes reshaped themselves, and as his sight returned to normal, his eyes were pelted by an ocean of deep violets and reds and blinding yellows all against a backdrop of blackness. An awesome city rose up before his eyes, and in the distance of every direction, the barren lands and hills and canyons of the Twilight Realm stretched on and on into sunless horizons. The sky was starless, poisoned by black of shadows.
Even with all these dark designs, the city--no, the realm--seemed just as Midna had described. Serenely beautiful. Waterfalls of shadows streamed gently from pockets in the buildings before them and strokes of red luminescence laced their façades. The structures owned a base architecture, nothing very elegant, but that was what Link liked about it so much. It was all so simple and calm.
However, though the atmosphere was warm, a kind of lifelessness infested the city, and solemn howls of pain and sorrow seemed to dowse the air. Discomfort immediately settled into Link's bones, and he at first mistook the shiver down his spine as a sign that the twilight had pierced his defenses and he would soon transform into a beast. He did not change, though, and he realized the feeling that had shot through his nerves had simply been the misery of the lamentation that filled the air. It was as if he had breathed it in.
He set aside the frigid feelings and turned to Midna for guidance; he did not know the road which would lead them to the usurper king, but he was surprised to find that her body had been demolished to nothing but shadows, her single red eye the only color preserved within her figure. His only speculation was that, with the force of light living within her from Princess Zelda, the imp could not retain her previous state.
"Zant. How could he…?" It was less of a question and more of a frustrated understanding.
Link realized that she had been absorbing the lay of her own lands--where she had not been in a very long time. In particular, she had been looking at the denizens of the world. Link had not realized the citizens at first, for their shadowy and beast-like forms seemed to melt into the landscape.
"My people," her voice caught in her throat, coming to terms with the full reality of what she had let Zant do. "With his foul magic, he's turned them to beasts. But hope is not lost for these at least. There are others, like the ones we've encountered in your world…. For them … it is too late."
"Midna--" Link tried to comfort, but she turned to him then.
"The palace is directly ahead," she interjected, trying to keep her focus on the mission, "but the shadow clouds that block the way are too great even with our powers combined." Her companion looked toward the palace and noticed the dark fog. "Do you see those daises at the center of the square?"
Link nodded. The short bluish pillars were formed like braziers, but their bowls were empty.
"At one time they held the Sols. The Sols were like the suns that illuminate this world. Once they were lost, everyone began to transform." Link could almost hear the screams within her memories as she had likely been forced to watch her people suffer through the horrifying transformations. "If we can find them and bring them back," she said, "then the Twili should return to their natural state and we should have the power we need to reach Zant."
With their plan set, Link nodded and searched the buildings. He noticed two larger structures in the distance. They were the nearest to the palace and positioned to either side of the royal building. If Link were a usurper king, he would have hidden the Sols separately and as far from the reach of the people as he could without making the palace the obvious choice.
His mind made up, Link moved forward but soon realized Midna did not follow.
"Regardless of what my reasons may have been, I once abandoned this world." Link could hear the shame within her voice, and he turned to her and he could see true pain in her countenance. "I left behind the Twili, these people who had followed me, considered me to be their ruler…." She looked at them and could see their faces while Link continued to struggle to find any resemblance of facial features. "Even now, as they remain here … suffering … they believe that help will come for this world."
She met Link's gaze. "Can I ask you one last selfish favor?"
Link did not speak, waited to hear her request.
"If they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp…." Midna could not finish the thought. Her hurt was unbearable. "Don't you think they'd feel let down?"
Link remembered one afternoon on the fields of Hyrule, when he had told Midna his excuse for not wishing to show or tell any other Hyrulean citizen of the monster he had been forced to embody…. His same shadowed curse. "If they knew what I have become do you think they would be reassured or even more frightened?" And he remembered how she had fallen into silence, how she had not argued the point, and now he realized why. She, too, had been cursed, and she had shared his pain.
"It's only for a bit longer, but … do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow?"
He could not think of an appropriate answer. She seemed so delicate now, so frail, as if one small step or one short wind would shatter her into pieces. He did not know what was keeping her together now, and he did not need to know.
Link would never realize that it was his partnership, his friendship, his mere presence and the kind smile he offered when he nodded to agree to her terms…. He was the only thing holding her together.
She wrapped her hands behind her back and looked at her feet. "I'm sorry." With that, she at once disappeared beneath him.
The gravity of Midna's grief was all too real then. Link had never once heard her say those heavy words. He had never imagined a day when she would ask for any kind of forgiveness. There was so much more to Midna than he could have ever predicted. So much about her had come to light since the revelation of her true identity. He would never fully understand her past, and he was not sure if she had always been this sensitive, growing more callous and angry due to Zant's actions, or perhaps she had always been an unsentimental and harsh princess, growing kinder and more selfless only due to her time with Link.
None of it mattered. They were partners. They were on the brink of freeing both their realms.
Onward, Link pushed, for the taller building on the left. As he passed the disfigured, faceless Twili, each left a series of painful weeps in his wake. Trying his best to ignore them, for he could do nothing for them at the moment, he trucked on and stepped down the incline, the street-like path bordered by white lines sporadically dotted with glowing red designs. He avoided the Twili lying outside the threshold of the structure, its moans vibrating the very core of Link's being.
The door nearly immediately lit up at the center, a wave of green patterns--much like those that decorated the cursed Twili--radiating out from it. In the next moment, its bulk rose up to allow Link entrance. He was not quite sure how the mechanism or magic of the door functioned, but he suspected that the presence of Midna had something to do with it. He did not contemplate the easy access for long, however, for he had a quest to see through and he did not have reason to complain.
Inside, the hallway was just as plain and dark as the rest of the royal city of the Twilight. Greyish floors and blacker walls, all with a solemn hollowness. The floor declined toward a door at the opposite end, but instead of being located at the bottom of this slope, it rested at the back of a balcony constructed atop the wall which abruptly ended the path. Along each wall were two shadowfalls, like the ones he had seen on the exteriors of the buildings, and they faced each other, bringing perfect symmetry to the hall.
Link made his way to the far side without any trouble but never lowering his guard. Once he reached the wall, he saw that it was only just too high to reach by jumping. Having been used to climbing broken stones in the sky city, he looked around for any mountable surface … but found none. The walls were clean and uncut, perfectly smooth.
All was not lost, however, for he noticed that the border that ran the base of the walls bubbled outward, and he knew that he could use their awkward design to assist him. He backed up far enough and then ran at the wall. Once he came close enough he leapt into the air, his feet landing against the surface of the border, and, just as quickly, kicked off from the wall to twist about and propel his body up toward the edge of the balcony. He managed to catch onto it, hanging off by his shoulders.
He slipped a little as he gained a better grip and breathed hard as he dragged himself up onto the balcony. He exhaled one deep, restful huff before gathering himself once more to his feet. Facing the door, this one, too, illuminated and opened itself to him.
On the other side, Link breathed in what felt like ash. His lungs heaved against the weight against his chest. Breaths would have turned to coughs, however, if fire raged within the chamber, and with a swift glance there was none to be found. True, what looked like smoke had settled to the ground, but this fog had gathered at the bases of more shadowfalls at the center of the room.
For the most part, the shadow cloud had been contained, bordered by twilight barriers on either side. These transparent walls had been left open down the middle, as if Zant had adjusted them this way just to tease him. He could walk straight through the black, but as far as King of Shadow was aware, Link would transform at the touch of their magic, which Midna then relayed to Link. "However," she added, "with Zelda's gift you should be able to walk freely. These clouds aren't as thick as the ones in front of the palace."
Bearing that hope inside, Link tugged his hood over his head and started down the stairs that emptied into the chamber. He could barely see through the haze before him, but he could just make out an identical stairway leading to another door behind it.
He stepped up to the blackness and momentarily paused. He did not wish to relive the transformation into his bestial self, not on Zant's terms. If ever he chose to change into that monster again it would be because he wanted it. He lifted a hand to the fog. Strangely, it seemed to have life, coiling about his fingers ominously, as if trying to tie its dark hands around him. He shook free of the darkness and it wafted away but still stretched out to reach for him.
Subconsciously, Link held his breath when he entered the cloud, and as he passed through, he held his cloak around him tighter. As he reached the midpoint, he could feel its essence crowding him, surrounding him, and choking him. It boiled his blood, made him feel sick. That was when he knew that, though he was sheltered from the twilight under the sheikah's mantle, this dark fog contained much more powerful properties that even the magic of the old race could not entirely thwart. It would shield him from the power, but only for a short time, for already, that sick feeling grew stronger and sweat beaded against his forehead.
He saw flashes of red peer out at him from the black, and for a moment he thought it was Midna's red eye staring up at him, but the crimson patterns dotted the dark in a more sporadic fashion, and, when they shifted about, inching closer to him as he sped his pace, he grew dizzy from their scuttling motions.
Link paused when at last free from the shadow, glad to be rid of the suffocating darkness which had risen in him. He did not linger long, however, and he took long strides toward the door at the top of the staircase. It was only then that he discovered the door had been bound by hard steel. Several locks bolted the chains together. Underneath, the door reacted to his presence, but its restraints only allowed its central panel to glow.
Unsheathing his sword Link hoped that the chains did not contain some magical component, for if they did, he was sure that the power of the Master Sword alone would not break its hold on the door. With all his might, he struck the blade against the chains. Sparks flew as metal struck metal, and after several long moments the bonds broke free and crumbled to the floor.
The green glimmer of the door was at last free to radiate outward, stretching to its every corner until finally it lifted free of the floor and beckoned Link onward … and onward Link crept, into a chamber of unmatched light. The room was hollow of anyone or -thing save for strange carvings projecting from the back wall. Two large and dark hands stretched outward, their forearms attached to the wall. Their palms were upturned, as if giving offering, but in this case it seemed the hands had taken an offering by force. In their twin grasp laid the very Sols for which he and Midna needed, and their bulky fingers clutched the orbs tightly, as if trying to crush the light from their essence without destroying their shape.
So, not hidden separately after all…. Either Zant had thought Link a fool unable of reaching the Sols, or Link had been made the fool for entering his domain.
Above this display hung a mask like a hunter's trophy, but instead of serving as a beacon of triumph it delivered warning. Its shape was that of the Shadow King's helmet. Between it and the hands were three circular patterns of glowing green set up much like a pyramid, almost serving to connect the mask and the hands.
Into the depths of the chamber Link went, and he only hesitated once when he heard something that sounded like a blade being drawn from a scabbard. Hand on hilt, he turned to find not an enemy but another obstacle. Black pikes had cascaded over the door behind him, their redness outshining the brilliant peridot colors. Magical barriers, he instantly knew, and his soul immediately screamed ambush.
Mindful of his predicament, Link continued into the chamber rather than attempt to raise the barriers. Sometimes one had to spring a trap to escape from it. Understand the trap and one could undermine it just as easily.
Link stepped up to the hands, coming to a stop in front of them at their direct center. He gazed upon the Sols, orbs of a most pure light, even perhaps as blinding and beautiful as the light orbs the Light Spirits each possessed. He never thought he would find anything that could compare, or compete, with such a magnificent light, but here were two perfectly formed, precisely round objects. The only thing that truly differentiated these spheres from those of the spirits, were the patterns of gemlike green that added to their flawless twilit shine. Link felt a wave of awe come over him in those moments, and the light absorbed him, drew him in, and just as he reached out a hand--just as he nearly touched the glowing orb between the dark fingers of its captor….
"The power of the Sols is the source of life in this world," said Midna. Link guessed that only because there were no souls within the room had Midna dared ascend from his shadow. She looked at them with such guilt, as if she personally had placed them here under confinement. "It is pure power."
And this is too easy…. Link added silently. He gazed up at the glaring eyes of the large mask, eyes that almost felt as if the King of Shadows himself were spying down on them … eyes that promised no mercy to whomever touched its treasures.
Link braced himself for the ambush that was surely waiting to spring forth, but as nothing yet attacked him or his companion, he had no choice but to do the one thing he knew would force Zant's hand. What happened next gave new weight to the phrase of springing a trap, for just as he touched one of the hands binding an orb, his body sprung backward, as if blown back by some vile wind.
As soon as Link gathered his wits and picked himself back up, black spikes assaulted the chamber; their construction was far bulkier than those that blocked the door, and they moaned with scarlet life, casting out a barely visible bloody web which linked all of them together and barred Link from any exit.
Just then, the King of Shadows appeared before him, and the usurper remained uncharacteristically silent. Link expected his usual taunts, some calm surprise or recognition that he was still alive after their last encounter in the Arbiter's Grounds, but there was nothing save the raspy breathing. Muffled by his helmet, his breaths sounded like choked anger. He stood still like the statue of some ancient time, but as soon as Link drew his saber upon the warden of the Sols' prison, Zant launched into the air with a bellow. There he hovered and cast his arms above his helmeted head.
Link dug his feet into the floor, preparing himself for the onslaught of whatever would come. So, you've come to me instead? Is this to be our final battlefield? Many more thoughts like these zoomed through Link's mind in those moments as he waited with bated breath. Though, he could not place it, but something seemed … off.
Darkness gathered above Zant, his serpentine, ghoul-like fingers choking the air, bringing every particle of life and death itself to reign above him, forming into the dullest light which strangely blinded and strangled Link's eyes. A deep crimson center pooled together as if the blood of every living thing had collected there, the darkness absorbing the life of it, transforming it into a wicked orb of black and glimmering shards of dark crystal.
Zant eye's pierced into Link, engulfed his stare as the reflection of the pulsating crimson played against the king's features. With another heavy roar, the king hurled the massive magical orb into the air above Link. It splashed against the air as if an invisible ceiling stretched the length of the room, as if gravity itself had been bent and redirected. The orb puddled there, droplets of shadow springing outward from the center, but before they returned to their lake above, they fanned out and took form.
In an instant hundreds of winged keese, blackened by the sick magic of the king, took flight. Their shrill voices reverberated off the walls and pierced Link's ears so violently he thought for sure he would soon be deaf. The keese had no pattern to their attack; they simply dove at him, again and again. Link could barely defend against their number, and Midna screamed as the swarm engulfed her. Her arms shielded her face as best as their thin and short length could. Link drew his defense as well, and blocked his face from the throng of twilit keese. He heard hundreds of pangs and screeches as talons and teeth attacked the Hylian metal.
The deadly flock had succeeded in separating the companions, and just as Link began thrashing through the birds as if his sword were a machete ripping through an impossibly navigable jungle, another burst of twilit energy blasted through the air. Link could barely see through the thick cloud of keese to know what had happened, but just then he felt a sharp pain around his middle. Something jerked his body back, dislocating his shield from his forearm. As the Hylian shield clanked to the floor, Link twisted enough to realize that he had now succumbed to the jaws of a baba serpent infested with the same black evil as the keese. Its teeth did little to harm him since they were dull and short, but they grated against the chainmail under his tunic, scratching his skin with enough force that he was sure to have bruises if he somehow survived this massacre.
Link writhed in the grasp of the baba, his sword arm trapped against his side by the pressure of the maw tightening around him. It may not have had teeth, but, like the serpent it was, it could certainly squeeze the life from him. He could not reach his last remaining dirk with his right arm, for it was sealed away under the weight of the creature's mouth. Having to bat away the keese which continued to descend upon him, he barely had the window to combat his new foe. At each opportunity, Link beat his fist into the baba's head, willing it to release him, but its grip held strong.
Thrashed about by the baba, Link soon became disoriented as the keese clouded and smothered his air. He could hear Midna's wails and her many attempts at casting the keese back with her magic, but her powers seemed to wither in comparison to the might of Zant's magicked assailants. Desperation burst through Link's muscles then, and he yanked his sword arm this way and that in an attempt to once again free it from the monster's grasp. No matter how ruthlessly he struggled he could not break free, however.
An idea came to him then, and immediately he set it into motion.
Tossing his blade to his feet and directing it so that the hilt clanged to the ground to his right, he completely relaxed all muscles, and his knees gave way since his legs no longer supported his weight. Surprised by the sudden movement, Link's mass pulled the baba head to the floor, but he knew he only had moments before the creature compensated. They landed next to his saber, and without a moment's hesitation he reached out with his free arm, grabbed up the blade, and sent its singing silver surface down to slice through the baba's neck. Instantly, the creature involuntarily released Link to squeal, and Link took that moment to finish it off, landing a hard thrust straight through its head.
He was hardly clear of the dangers, however, and he just then realized that when he had landed against the floor, he had been deposited right next to yet another serpent's head. It reared its head with a growl and launched out at him. Link rolled over to his stomach to get to his knees and slashed horizontally along its jawline, severing the head in half.
Now, it was time to dispatch the rest of the infestation. Balancing himself on a foot and one knee, he closed his eyes and opened his mind to everything. The keese were descending upon him again, and he could feel every flutter of wind as they moved closer and closer. He could hear the beating of their wings, could hone in on the slurping lips of the other babas surrounding him, could feel every cold heart pulse within his own. In that moment the fire of his soul built to boiling point, his arm outstretched, Master Sword in hand.
Link unleashed the power within him in a burst of ruby magic. The crimson wave surged from his body to his sword, and with a great spin the magic rippled throughout every corner of the room, catching the keese and babas in its fiery ocean.
The smog of evil lifted almost instantaneously, each creature popping out of existence as the energy pierced its black soul. Free of the swarm, Midna looked to Link, taking in his stone-like stance. His body was still bent with his sword arm now held diagonally before his face, the blade glinting as it reflected his cold stare, a stare that bore into the hovering eyes of Zant.
Midna returned to Link's side as the Hylian slowly surrendered his tense stance. He flexed his wrist, twirling the Master Sword once within his grasp. He clutched the hilt tightly, ignoring the countless scratches his fingers and face had suffered. He offered Midna a single swift glance to assure himself that she was well, but then his sight never wavered from the figure opposite him.
A low rumble emanated from Zant, the combination of a furious growl and his recharging magicks. In an instant another bubble of crimson and black energy hung in the air, and Link rolled backward just as Zant spread his fingers in a grand gesture, breaking it into smaller spheres that rocketed toward him. Link tucked his arm through the straps of his shield and gripped it tight over his frame as he ducked out of his roll. The blast of one of the energy spheres dispelled against the metal, scattering it into even smaller orbs that faded back into nothingness. Link peered over the top of his defense to see that Midna had dodged to the side. There was an odd look in her eye, as if she smelled something that did not quite sit right.
So, she had felt it, too. Something was not quite right here.
Link rose from his pose and studied his opponent closely. He barely moved, just wavered there in the air, as if beckoning Link, daring him to come closer. The two times that he had encountered Zant, the king had been rigid in his movements, taking each step methodically as if trying to instill a cold and instant fear into his prey. Link remembered him appearing suddenly both times, but each time the usurper had taunted had mocked the hero for trying to save a people that by Zant's perspective were already sealed in their fate.
Where was the derision, the simple pleasure the king took in demeaning his prey? Though Zant moved like he should, his lack of any comment confused Link. Had the king simply lost his temper, lost his patience in allowing Link to toil on in vain? Had Link's appearance--and Midna's reappearance--into the Twilight Realm shifted Zant's focus, altered his mindset and made him understand what a threat Link had truly become, a threat not to be treated lightly with something so meaningless as a sneer?
Zant's sudden lack of movement also confused Link. It was as if they had suddenly come to a stalemate, left only with judging whose glare could do more harm. Was the king out of tricks, has his magic worn his strength, or did he calculate his next move? Whatever the case, Link could not yield to the wait of finding out. He had to act, and the perfect window had provided itself. With a sprint and a swift lunge, Link flew through the air toward Zant. He cast a diagonal strike, but his blade met no resistance.
As Link descended once more to land on solid ground, he replayed the impossibility in his mind. The blade had passed right through his opponent, and Zant's color had shifted into a green spectrum, and his image fizzled and sputtered.
An illusion, realized Link. All this time he had been battling a phantom, one that now zapped out of existence to teleport behind him at the center of the room. Link turned about just in time to see another sphere of energy splashing down, this one creating a portal that rose up from within the ground, tiny vermin each the size of his foot skittering out of its magic. They looked like miniature versions of the shadow beasts, slender tendrils constructing their body, slithering their way toward Link and Midna.
Without a moment's hesitation, Link called upon the power of the hero within him again and unleashed his power as the small, crimson-patterned creatures surrounded him. The energy wave slaughtered all the beasts save for two, which crawled up Link's leg and jumped at his face. Link arched his back trying to avoid the tentacles of the flying vermin; it was too close to manage an attack, a hair's breadth away, but a blast of green and black magic slammed into the creature, tossing it into the air beside Link, who understood that Midna had stepped in at the last moment. In one fluid motion, Link slashed the soulless vermin in midair back into nonexistence, then kicked the other from his body and loosened his grip on his hilt so that his sword twirled downward. Once his sword pointed down, his fingers drew taut over its leather binding again, and he stabbed out what life there was in the second creature. Both crackled into speckles of dust just like their brothers had moments before.
Again, the hero and the false king's phantom stood opposite each other. An attack would do the illusion no harm, Link knew, but when he searched the room his sight lingered on the mask of Zant suspended on the wall behind him. He had a hunch, but his blade would not be able to pierce the twilit barrier that the phantom had erected. Thus, Link had only one guess as to how he could cleave this fabrication from reality.
Link placed himself between the phantom and the helmet and waited for its next attack.
As he had suspected, the phantom charged its attack, channeling every ounce of its limited power into the humming orb above its head. It surged with the might of shadow, and as if in a last attempt to squash the intruder, the phantom flung the orb in full toward Link, who, at the last moment, dove out of its path, its crackling energy crashing into the barrier behind the Hylian. But the magic did not break through the wall; it instead was absorbed by it. As soon as it had struck the surface of the transparent wall, its crimson veins flickered as the extra power thundered throughout its surface.
As the barrier consumed the sphere, however, both Link and Midna noticed how its skin sporadically wavered against the sudden surge of power. Before the power reinforced the barrier, it weakened it. Link knew he had to take this moment to his advantage, but before he could think of a way to reach the helmet on the other side, Midna was already forming a fistful of twilit energy, its green sparks rotating and flaring around its dark mass as she then hurled it at the barrier. Her magic was a dwarf, like she, in the face of Zant's awesome powers, but in its destabilized state, she knew she had to try.
In the quick moments it took Midna to cast her spell, the phantom had teleported over to her in an attempt to sap the energy from her hands, but Link stepped in and slashed out, the phantom responding in the only way it knew how, by zapping itself to another corner of the room.
By the time Midna's green sphere sliced through the fizzling obstruction and struck the helmet, it was too late for the illusion to act. Her magic blazed into the mask right between its eyes, and its energy coursed throughout its mass like a small lightning storm. In an instant its power over the phantom was severed, and the illusion burst into an enormous cloud of shadow that settled over the most of the room. Link was glad that being so close to the Sols, the shadows could not reach him for fear of their incredible light.
The magical hold over the room now removed, the radiance of the pikes confining Link and Midna crumbled away and diminished to mere ashes of shadow, which faded into the air once more. The companions traded glances and thankful nods to each other's assistance. Link thought that they had never before felt so much like a team than they had during recent events. It was enough to make him grin after such a close battle. What weighed heavily in Link's mind, however, was that the real Zant would like have a few more tricks up his ornate sleeves than just a swarm of twilit keese.
Link stepped up to the twin Sols again, and bathed in their healing light. He felt almost reenergized just being near them.
"We must take these back," urged Midna, and when Link nodded, she fell into his shadow.
He was a little unnerved at how easily the fingers of the giant hands opened to his forceful grip. The two inside fingers of each hand were half the length of the bordering fingers. Each appendage seemed to stop short as well, ending abruptly in the shape of a sawed off tree trunk, only its inner rings of age were lit with a fierce red luster instead. Link removed the first Sol from its prison and stared for a moment in sheer wonder at its magnificent shine, the glossy, circular green patterns decorated over its glasslike surface making its inner star seem all the brighter.
Blinking away the moment, Link shook free of his awe and grabbed up his cloak. He deposited the Sol into the folds and then stepped over to its sibling. He pried away the fingers of its cell and gently loaded it, too, into the wrappings of his mantle. Link took one last look at the mask of Zant above, ready for some last, desperate attempt at regaining the treasured Sols, but nothing happened and he turned away.
As he took careful steps to avoid the shadow cloud, he realized how futile his route was, for the dual power of the Sols within his possession combated the darkness as if vacuuming their essence into a world of nothingness. As the shadows dispersed, Link made his way to the exit, which was no longer sealed by the magic of the shadow king's traps. It was here, however, that Link felt a vibration boom through his toes. Turning around, he found that the two hands were no longer attached to the far wall. Instead, they had ripped themselves away, and their fingers flexed stiffly as if trying to sniff out the essence of the Sols Link now held within the folds of his cloak.
Link needed no command to tell him to flee at once. He was presently at the exit that would free them from the grasp of these hands forever, and he did not hesitate in rushing through the door. Once on the other side, the threshold shut away the danger. Breathing a little easier, Link took a moment to stave off his pants left over from his fight with the phantom and its conjurations. His pause did not stand for long, and within a moment wherein he shifted the weight he carried, he was descending the staircase. The Sols were remarkably as light as apples, but what made them awkward to transport was their size, each twice the size of his head.
He approached the shadow cloud within the center of the hall, and immediately the specks dispersed. However, not all the fragments were whisked away. Some remained, but these were not just shadows; they were skittering vermin. He remembered seeing red patterns in these shadows when he had first traversed the hallway, and he realized these creatures had been hiding within the darkness the entire time. He wished he had taken the time to inspect the fog more closely the first time through, for now his impatience forced him to battle their number with two Sols in tow.
Drawing his saber as he juggled the orbs into the protection of one arm, Link balanced his feet carefully. Just as he did so, he felt the vibration in his toes again. An incredulous expression crossed his face in the moment he looked behind him. The giant hands were melting through the walls, and they hungered for the warm embrace of the Sols. Their stubby fingers flexed, honing in on Link's position.
It had caught Link off guard, and by the time he returned his attention to the vermin at his feet, several of their tendrils were already groping his legs. He cast a worried glance back at the hands. Their approach was painfully slow, slow enough for him to know he could outrun them, but it was also the kind of creeping pace that stirred a frightful tension, like the sensation of a nightmare coming forth from shadow to grip him in its claws. A nightmare he could not escape no matter how fast he ran.
"Link, just run!" shouted Midna.
He did not know what skills these hands may hold, and he knew by Midna's urgent tone that he did not want to waste any more time. He sprinted for the opposite end of the hall and sliced through vermin as he went. When his sword could do him no further service--with the rest of the creatures suctioned to his clothes--he sheathed his blade and drew his knife. As he pried the vermin from his body one by one, he skidded to a stop in front of the door leading to the front hall. It opened just as he stabbed the last mess of tentacles from his body, with the giant fingers twitching just a third of the length of the hall behind him.
Link passed through the doorway and the black ashes of the vermin as it sizzled out of existence. He had nearly forgotten about the drop-off he had climbed when first making his way through the halls, and he dug his feet into the ground in order to stop in time. Without time to properly lower himself, since the hands were likely soon to dissolve through the wall in order to reach him, he simply jumped.
The ground was not far away in the least, perhaps about two meters, and he landed hard but safe on the metal soles of his worn boots. Just then, the hands reappeared, their hard fingers fidgeting restlessly in their thirst for the Sols' light. Ignoring their looming presence, he dashed for the opposite end of the hall, to the door that would lead him once more into the semi-darkness of the outside realm.
Link breathed hard once he had cleared the hallway, and now that he stood under the serene and starless sky, he twirled about to watch the façade for any indication that the hand would follow him into the cool and fresher air. When no appendage came, Link huffed a sigh of relief. He assumed that the magic controlling the hands had been confined to only the stones of the building.
Hearing a loud moan behind him, Link turned on his heel, pointing his dagger in the direction of the sound. What met his gaze, however, was not that of an enemy but of one of the suffering Twili disfigured since the vanishing of the Sols. In the presence of the light Link carried, the beast turned once more into a normal denizen of the Twilight, its figure shrinking down and then darkness of its monstrous image shattering away to be engulfed by the reigning twilight. Link now stared into the hollow red eyes of a being only slightly taller. Colors much like that of Midna's impish figure covered the length of its slender body, but the dark reigned over most of its skin. It had long slender arms and short legs, and adorning its narrow head was red hair that just barely peeked from under a black covering which Link had a hard time figuring out if it was a hood of fabric or an actual scalp.
Its vacant eyes looked into Link, and he could tell that the Twili tried to understand. It was confused and he could not tell if its withdrawn moan was due to the aftermath of its prolonged suffering or the attempt at a question. Even though he was not sure it would understand, the Hylian assured the Twili that everything was all right, and he moved away, heading toward the twin daises in the town square. He felt the eyes of the Twili groggily following him.
Standing before the first dais, Link scanned the square, looking to all the agonized Twili wailing into the cool yet warm air. He realized how stuffy the air was, almost as if it, too, were sick with the alien power of Zant's cruel magic. Unlike the people of Hyrule who had only roamed as ignorant spirits in the twilight, these denizens, these poor souls of a lost world, were forced to writhe in shadow, ensnared by the evil as if the benign darkness within them had transformed into a plague.
Link's lips thinned to a tight frown. There was a time when he had hated the twilight, when he had feared their devastating powers, but now to truly see that they had been just as innocent all along … it made his heart catch in his throat. It took him a few long moments before he could swallow that feeling again, reminding himself that the longer he lingered in stillness the longer the people of both realms would continue to suffer.
He placed the Sols into the bowls of the daises gently, and just as soon as he stepped back, the realm seemed to shine. The gleam of the Sols gleamed ever brighter now that they had been returned to their proper places, and Link bore witness to the rebirth of an entire people. Before his very eyes he watched as the brilliance of the suns momentarily spiked and sent out a rush of light, its dome consuming everything in its path. Once the blinding light dispersed into the horizon, Link could again see shapes again. Every corner of the realm gleamed a bit brighter from the touch of the pure Sols. The stickiness in the air had been swallowed, the spread of violet and orange in the sky seemed to dance like the oils of a painting, and the twilit kargaroks that flew in high above seemed much less threatening. The shadow beasts surrounding the square had now converted into their former selves once more, each patterned differently with blue, black, or white skin, but each held similar green blemishes. Countless pairs of dazed eyes searched the square, looking to each other for guidance. No more were their warm-colored eyes filled with the mindlessness of their pain.
Suddenly, Link felt a pulsation within his spine and a chime echoed into his ears. At first, he could not understand the source of the buzz. All he knew was how good the unexpected warmth felt. His veins were awash with fire and water in all the same moment; pure light. Without knowing how, he knew that the source of this new sensation spiraled from his sword. Drawing the Master Sword, he felt the light before he saw it, a helix of pure light coiling around and imbuing the steel with magical energy. It felt white hot and yet frigidly cold in all the same moment.
He could see everything clearer in that moment, as if a dark haze had been swept from the very membranes of his eyes, water of such purity cleansing him and baptizing his soul against the harshness of the shadow realm. Holding the blade at his side, he powered on … straight through the crowd of bleary-eyed Twili toward the wall of shadow that shielded Zant's obvious hiding place.
Link stopped at the end of the road, and Midna ascended from his shadow, for they had come a far distance from the main square and none of the residents would be able to see her at such a length.
"Your sword has been blessed with the power of the Sols. It seems the guardian deities of my world are also on our side." Midna spoke with such strength and Link knew that it had been the image of her people returning to their natural state that had revitalized her. But he also sensed longing within her voice still, and perhaps a tinge of jealousy in being the only Twili still under the curse of Zant. "You really are the chosen one, Link…. A true hero."
He traded a glance with her then, and she knew that he accepted her statement with the utmost humility. Never once had he called himself hero, and never once did Midna imagine he would so selfishly claim the title, but regardless of his modesty … he was truly the man that would save two worlds from the evil grip of false kings.
She turned back to face the overwhelming wall of dark fog. "As long as you have that sword, you should be able to repel the shadows Zant has spread."
As Link readied his blade, he noticed that she did not disappear into his shade, which rested upon a crimson filled design on the stone path. He realized that, with her people gathered behind them, from here on out she would remain at his side. With a grand wave of his sword, the yellow light ringing against his blade surged outward and cut through the dense fog. The moment the energy touched the darkness, it evaporated completely, revealing a chasm separating their path and the grounds of the palace. Just as Link banished the thought of jumping such a wide distance, a deafening hum shook the ground, and in the dead space a platform carved from the most luminous peridot came to life, connecting the island of the palace to the rest of the city.
Midna led the way across the magical path and came to stop at the entrance of her palace. Her eye narrowed and some emotion fluttered across her face so quickly that Link was unable to name it. And he did not inconvenience her with the question.
The palace stood remarkably tall. Black stones imbedded with symmetrical scarlet patterns laced the yellow and brown stone into which it had been built. Link approached the doorway, which lay underneath a slab of cold stone bearing three globular patterns. In a strange way the designs seemed to create a face. Ignoring this, Link entered the palace in Midna's wake.
As soon as they entered the grand foyer, a massive room with unreachable balcony walkways two levels up, six shadow beasts attacked the intruders. Link and Midna were ready for the assault, however, and back-to-back they fought. With each swipe of Link's sword, Midna also did not hesitate, slaying her former Twili followers with sometimes just a single, well-aimed magical hit to the heart.
Link slashed diagonally through the last of the beasts, the battle ended before it even had time to pick up much momentum. He looked to Midna; her anger was clear but she did not give voice to any thought she may have had at that moment. Link had never killed a Hyrulean citizen. He had only ever killed the followers of Zant, followers of the demon king. He wondered how heavy the pain must have weighed on Midna's small shoulders. True, the beasts, these messengers of the dark, were no longer Twili, but it did not mean that they were not still as much a part of Midna as they were monsters, expendable grunts of a usurper king.
Link turned his attention away from Midna and noticed two dark globes that rested in niches at the center of the room. Somehow, he knew what to do, and he tapped each smoothly with the blunt side of his saber. Instantly, the darkness ebbed and light consumed their surface. A hum sounded, and in a rush of motion, a glistening stone staircase rose before them, trimmed with the magical green that echoed the Sols' power.
For a third time since the beginning of his journey, Link found himself ascending yet another array of stairs crafted by powerful magicks, and at the top, they did not encounter any further resistance. Instead, they came upon an open doorway, and down the corridor within Link saw a great many shadowfalls dancing along the sides, each surely hiding a few shadow beasts waiting for the opportunity to ambush trespassers.
"The throne room lies at the end of this hallway," said Midna, and Link could almost see her memories of traipsing elegantly and haughtily down its path.
"Are you ready?" he asked her.
She looked up at him then, and reflected in his eyes was the same thing she had been thinking in that very moment. This … was the end. In a few moments, the fate of the world would be decided. This was their last chance to turn away, to give up and surrender lest they die.
Midna nodded, and together they entered the long corridor infused with the blackest of shadows.
A brilliant green line, with several smaller capillaries sporadically webbing outward, stretched the length of either wall, leading them along. Within seconds the shadowfalls and dark clouds that strangled the hallway were either banished by the light of Link's sword or took on new life in the form of shadow beasts … and their number was plentiful.
Link and Midna's trek through the corridor was like some ancient tribal war dance, spinning madly, casting spells and slashes into every nook and crevice that moved or even twitched with the promise of threat. In a span of minutes, wave after wave descended upon them, and Midna's green blasts combined with Link's swipes of yellow cut down each of the monsters before they could even rear a clawed hand to strike. A few of the crest-headed beasts landed their attacks, one set of fingers slashing across Link's left forearm as it tried to dislodge his blade from his hand. Midna reacted in kind if this happened, killing the assailant, and Link, too returned the favor if she were caught in the same situation.
After a short time, which felt like forever, the shadow horde was at last no more, and the light of Link's sword had banished all clouds within sight. They stood and hovered there looking across at the countless piles of dark bodies amassed in the corridor. An overwhelming sadness passed through Midna, and she closed her eye and bowed her head only momentarily, barely long enough for Link to register the gesture. He understood that by whatever guardian deities watched over her realm, she was perhaps sending out a silent word to bless and forgive their souls.
When Midna turned about, Link followed suit. They were only a few meters from the double doors of the throne room, and they slowly crept toward the entrance. No magical barrier or steel chain barred their entry, and after another short was exchanged, they pressed the doors open.
At once, they were surrounded by four shadow beasts. Link readied his blade, using it as a buffer between him and the monsters. Midna snapped a green and black sphere into hand and prepared to cast its magic. The beasts screeched their horrible screech and readied their claw, tossing their manes in a fury.
Then came the shrill alternating pitch.
With that single command, the beasts softened their posture and backed away to flank Link and Midna. Once their mass had moved aside, the companions had access to the staircase leading up into the throne room. Wary of the shadow beasts behind them, they lowered their defenses but did not surrender their guard. The monsters remained at the doorway, sealing them in, and with no other course of action left to them, they ascended the cold, dark steps, Link's metal soles clanking in echoes.
They reached the highest stair and halted.
Link's grip tightened around the Master Sword's leather binding.
Midna's eye and lips hardened into a permanent scowl. "Zant."
Next moment, he watched as his fingers and toes reshaped themselves, and as his sight returned to normal, his eyes were pelted by an ocean of deep violets and reds and blinding yellows all against a backdrop of blackness. An awesome city rose up before his eyes, and in the distance of every direction, the barren lands and hills and canyons of the Twilight Realm stretched on and on into sunless horizons. The sky was starless, poisoned by black of shadows.
Even with all these dark designs, the city--no, the realm--seemed just as Midna had described. Serenely beautiful. Waterfalls of shadows streamed gently from pockets in the buildings before them and strokes of red luminescence laced their façades. The structures owned a base architecture, nothing very elegant, but that was what Link liked about it so much. It was all so simple and calm.
However, though the atmosphere was warm, a kind of lifelessness infested the city, and solemn howls of pain and sorrow seemed to dowse the air. Discomfort immediately settled into Link's bones, and he at first mistook the shiver down his spine as a sign that the twilight had pierced his defenses and he would soon transform into a beast. He did not change, though, and he realized the feeling that had shot through his nerves had simply been the misery of the lamentation that filled the air. It was as if he had breathed it in.
He set aside the frigid feelings and turned to Midna for guidance; he did not know the road which would lead them to the usurper king, but he was surprised to find that her body had been demolished to nothing but shadows, her single red eye the only color preserved within her figure. His only speculation was that, with the force of light living within her from Princess Zelda, the imp could not retain her previous state.
"Zant. How could he…?" It was less of a question and more of a frustrated understanding.
Link realized that she had been absorbing the lay of her own lands--where she had not been in a very long time. In particular, she had been looking at the denizens of the world. Link had not realized the citizens at first, for their shadowy and beast-like forms seemed to melt into the landscape.
"My people," her voice caught in her throat, coming to terms with the full reality of what she had let Zant do. "With his foul magic, he's turned them to beasts. But hope is not lost for these at least. There are others, like the ones we've encountered in your world…. For them … it is too late."
"Midna--" Link tried to comfort, but she turned to him then.
"The palace is directly ahead," she interjected, trying to keep her focus on the mission, "but the shadow clouds that block the way are too great even with our powers combined." Her companion looked toward the palace and noticed the dark fog. "Do you see those daises at the center of the square?"
Link nodded. The short bluish pillars were formed like braziers, but their bowls were empty.
"At one time they held the Sols. The Sols were like the suns that illuminate this world. Once they were lost, everyone began to transform." Link could almost hear the screams within her memories as she had likely been forced to watch her people suffer through the horrifying transformations. "If we can find them and bring them back," she said, "then the Twili should return to their natural state and we should have the power we need to reach Zant."
With their plan set, Link nodded and searched the buildings. He noticed two larger structures in the distance. They were the nearest to the palace and positioned to either side of the royal building. If Link were a usurper king, he would have hidden the Sols separately and as far from the reach of the people as he could without making the palace the obvious choice.
His mind made up, Link moved forward but soon realized Midna did not follow.
"Regardless of what my reasons may have been, I once abandoned this world." Link could hear the shame within her voice, and he turned to her and he could see true pain in her countenance. "I left behind the Twili, these people who had followed me, considered me to be their ruler…." She looked at them and could see their faces while Link continued to struggle to find any resemblance of facial features. "Even now, as they remain here … suffering … they believe that help will come for this world."
She met Link's gaze. "Can I ask you one last selfish favor?"
Link did not speak, waited to hear her request.
"If they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp…." Midna could not finish the thought. Her hurt was unbearable. "Don't you think they'd feel let down?"
Link remembered one afternoon on the fields of Hyrule, when he had told Midna his excuse for not wishing to show or tell any other Hyrulean citizen of the monster he had been forced to embody…. His same shadowed curse. "If they knew what I have become do you think they would be reassured or even more frightened?" And he remembered how she had fallen into silence, how she had not argued the point, and now he realized why. She, too, had been cursed, and she had shared his pain.
"It's only for a bit longer, but … do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow?"
He could not think of an appropriate answer. She seemed so delicate now, so frail, as if one small step or one short wind would shatter her into pieces. He did not know what was keeping her together now, and he did not need to know.
Link would never realize that it was his partnership, his friendship, his mere presence and the kind smile he offered when he nodded to agree to her terms…. He was the only thing holding her together.
She wrapped her hands behind her back and looked at her feet. "I'm sorry." With that, she at once disappeared beneath him.
The gravity of Midna's grief was all too real then. Link had never once heard her say those heavy words. He had never imagined a day when she would ask for any kind of forgiveness. There was so much more to Midna than he could have ever predicted. So much about her had come to light since the revelation of her true identity. He would never fully understand her past, and he was not sure if she had always been this sensitive, growing more callous and angry due to Zant's actions, or perhaps she had always been an unsentimental and harsh princess, growing kinder and more selfless only due to her time with Link.
None of it mattered. They were partners. They were on the brink of freeing both their realms.
Onward, Link pushed, for the taller building on the left. As he passed the disfigured, faceless Twili, each left a series of painful weeps in his wake. Trying his best to ignore them, for he could do nothing for them at the moment, he trucked on and stepped down the incline, the street-like path bordered by white lines sporadically dotted with glowing red designs. He avoided the Twili lying outside the threshold of the structure, its moans vibrating the very core of Link's being.
The door nearly immediately lit up at the center, a wave of green patterns--much like those that decorated the cursed Twili--radiating out from it. In the next moment, its bulk rose up to allow Link entrance. He was not quite sure how the mechanism or magic of the door functioned, but he suspected that the presence of Midna had something to do with it. He did not contemplate the easy access for long, however, for he had a quest to see through and he did not have reason to complain.
Inside, the hallway was just as plain and dark as the rest of the royal city of the Twilight. Greyish floors and blacker walls, all with a solemn hollowness. The floor declined toward a door at the opposite end, but instead of being located at the bottom of this slope, it rested at the back of a balcony constructed atop the wall which abruptly ended the path. Along each wall were two shadowfalls, like the ones he had seen on the exteriors of the buildings, and they faced each other, bringing perfect symmetry to the hall.
Link made his way to the far side without any trouble but never lowering his guard. Once he reached the wall, he saw that it was only just too high to reach by jumping. Having been used to climbing broken stones in the sky city, he looked around for any mountable surface … but found none. The walls were clean and uncut, perfectly smooth.
All was not lost, however, for he noticed that the border that ran the base of the walls bubbled outward, and he knew that he could use their awkward design to assist him. He backed up far enough and then ran at the wall. Once he came close enough he leapt into the air, his feet landing against the surface of the border, and, just as quickly, kicked off from the wall to twist about and propel his body up toward the edge of the balcony. He managed to catch onto it, hanging off by his shoulders.
He slipped a little as he gained a better grip and breathed hard as he dragged himself up onto the balcony. He exhaled one deep, restful huff before gathering himself once more to his feet. Facing the door, this one, too, illuminated and opened itself to him.
On the other side, Link breathed in what felt like ash. His lungs heaved against the weight against his chest. Breaths would have turned to coughs, however, if fire raged within the chamber, and with a swift glance there was none to be found. True, what looked like smoke had settled to the ground, but this fog had gathered at the bases of more shadowfalls at the center of the room.
For the most part, the shadow cloud had been contained, bordered by twilight barriers on either side. These transparent walls had been left open down the middle, as if Zant had adjusted them this way just to tease him. He could walk straight through the black, but as far as King of Shadow was aware, Link would transform at the touch of their magic, which Midna then relayed to Link. "However," she added, "with Zelda's gift you should be able to walk freely. These clouds aren't as thick as the ones in front of the palace."
Bearing that hope inside, Link tugged his hood over his head and started down the stairs that emptied into the chamber. He could barely see through the haze before him, but he could just make out an identical stairway leading to another door behind it.
He stepped up to the blackness and momentarily paused. He did not wish to relive the transformation into his bestial self, not on Zant's terms. If ever he chose to change into that monster again it would be because he wanted it. He lifted a hand to the fog. Strangely, it seemed to have life, coiling about his fingers ominously, as if trying to tie its dark hands around him. He shook free of the darkness and it wafted away but still stretched out to reach for him.
Subconsciously, Link held his breath when he entered the cloud, and as he passed through, he held his cloak around him tighter. As he reached the midpoint, he could feel its essence crowding him, surrounding him, and choking him. It boiled his blood, made him feel sick. That was when he knew that, though he was sheltered from the twilight under the sheikah's mantle, this dark fog contained much more powerful properties that even the magic of the old race could not entirely thwart. It would shield him from the power, but only for a short time, for already, that sick feeling grew stronger and sweat beaded against his forehead.
He saw flashes of red peer out at him from the black, and for a moment he thought it was Midna's red eye staring up at him, but the crimson patterns dotted the dark in a more sporadic fashion, and, when they shifted about, inching closer to him as he sped his pace, he grew dizzy from their scuttling motions.
Link paused when at last free from the shadow, glad to be rid of the suffocating darkness which had risen in him. He did not linger long, however, and he took long strides toward the door at the top of the staircase. It was only then that he discovered the door had been bound by hard steel. Several locks bolted the chains together. Underneath, the door reacted to his presence, but its restraints only allowed its central panel to glow.
Unsheathing his sword Link hoped that the chains did not contain some magical component, for if they did, he was sure that the power of the Master Sword alone would not break its hold on the door. With all his might, he struck the blade against the chains. Sparks flew as metal struck metal, and after several long moments the bonds broke free and crumbled to the floor.
The green glimmer of the door was at last free to radiate outward, stretching to its every corner until finally it lifted free of the floor and beckoned Link onward … and onward Link crept, into a chamber of unmatched light. The room was hollow of anyone or -thing save for strange carvings projecting from the back wall. Two large and dark hands stretched outward, their forearms attached to the wall. Their palms were upturned, as if giving offering, but in this case it seemed the hands had taken an offering by force. In their twin grasp laid the very Sols for which he and Midna needed, and their bulky fingers clutched the orbs tightly, as if trying to crush the light from their essence without destroying their shape.
So, not hidden separately after all…. Either Zant had thought Link a fool unable of reaching the Sols, or Link had been made the fool for entering his domain.
Above this display hung a mask like a hunter's trophy, but instead of serving as a beacon of triumph it delivered warning. Its shape was that of the Shadow King's helmet. Between it and the hands were three circular patterns of glowing green set up much like a pyramid, almost serving to connect the mask and the hands.
Into the depths of the chamber Link went, and he only hesitated once when he heard something that sounded like a blade being drawn from a scabbard. Hand on hilt, he turned to find not an enemy but another obstacle. Black pikes had cascaded over the door behind him, their redness outshining the brilliant peridot colors. Magical barriers, he instantly knew, and his soul immediately screamed ambush.
Mindful of his predicament, Link continued into the chamber rather than attempt to raise the barriers. Sometimes one had to spring a trap to escape from it. Understand the trap and one could undermine it just as easily.
Link stepped up to the hands, coming to a stop in front of them at their direct center. He gazed upon the Sols, orbs of a most pure light, even perhaps as blinding and beautiful as the light orbs the Light Spirits each possessed. He never thought he would find anything that could compare, or compete, with such a magnificent light, but here were two perfectly formed, precisely round objects. The only thing that truly differentiated these spheres from those of the spirits, were the patterns of gemlike green that added to their flawless twilit shine. Link felt a wave of awe come over him in those moments, and the light absorbed him, drew him in, and just as he reached out a hand--just as he nearly touched the glowing orb between the dark fingers of its captor….
"The power of the Sols is the source of life in this world," said Midna. Link guessed that only because there were no souls within the room had Midna dared ascend from his shadow. She looked at them with such guilt, as if she personally had placed them here under confinement. "It is pure power."
And this is too easy…. Link added silently. He gazed up at the glaring eyes of the large mask, eyes that almost felt as if the King of Shadows himself were spying down on them … eyes that promised no mercy to whomever touched its treasures.
Link braced himself for the ambush that was surely waiting to spring forth, but as nothing yet attacked him or his companion, he had no choice but to do the one thing he knew would force Zant's hand. What happened next gave new weight to the phrase of springing a trap, for just as he touched one of the hands binding an orb, his body sprung backward, as if blown back by some vile wind.
As soon as Link gathered his wits and picked himself back up, black spikes assaulted the chamber; their construction was far bulkier than those that blocked the door, and they moaned with scarlet life, casting out a barely visible bloody web which linked all of them together and barred Link from any exit.
Just then, the King of Shadows appeared before him, and the usurper remained uncharacteristically silent. Link expected his usual taunts, some calm surprise or recognition that he was still alive after their last encounter in the Arbiter's Grounds, but there was nothing save the raspy breathing. Muffled by his helmet, his breaths sounded like choked anger. He stood still like the statue of some ancient time, but as soon as Link drew his saber upon the warden of the Sols' prison, Zant launched into the air with a bellow. There he hovered and cast his arms above his helmeted head.
Link dug his feet into the floor, preparing himself for the onslaught of whatever would come. So, you've come to me instead? Is this to be our final battlefield? Many more thoughts like these zoomed through Link's mind in those moments as he waited with bated breath. Though, he could not place it, but something seemed … off.
Darkness gathered above Zant, his serpentine, ghoul-like fingers choking the air, bringing every particle of life and death itself to reign above him, forming into the dullest light which strangely blinded and strangled Link's eyes. A deep crimson center pooled together as if the blood of every living thing had collected there, the darkness absorbing the life of it, transforming it into a wicked orb of black and glimmering shards of dark crystal.
Zant eye's pierced into Link, engulfed his stare as the reflection of the pulsating crimson played against the king's features. With another heavy roar, the king hurled the massive magical orb into the air above Link. It splashed against the air as if an invisible ceiling stretched the length of the room, as if gravity itself had been bent and redirected. The orb puddled there, droplets of shadow springing outward from the center, but before they returned to their lake above, they fanned out and took form.
In an instant hundreds of winged keese, blackened by the sick magic of the king, took flight. Their shrill voices reverberated off the walls and pierced Link's ears so violently he thought for sure he would soon be deaf. The keese had no pattern to their attack; they simply dove at him, again and again. Link could barely defend against their number, and Midna screamed as the swarm engulfed her. Her arms shielded her face as best as their thin and short length could. Link drew his defense as well, and blocked his face from the throng of twilit keese. He heard hundreds of pangs and screeches as talons and teeth attacked the Hylian metal.
The deadly flock had succeeded in separating the companions, and just as Link began thrashing through the birds as if his sword were a machete ripping through an impossibly navigable jungle, another burst of twilit energy blasted through the air. Link could barely see through the thick cloud of keese to know what had happened, but just then he felt a sharp pain around his middle. Something jerked his body back, dislocating his shield from his forearm. As the Hylian shield clanked to the floor, Link twisted enough to realize that he had now succumbed to the jaws of a baba serpent infested with the same black evil as the keese. Its teeth did little to harm him since they were dull and short, but they grated against the chainmail under his tunic, scratching his skin with enough force that he was sure to have bruises if he somehow survived this massacre.
Link writhed in the grasp of the baba, his sword arm trapped against his side by the pressure of the maw tightening around him. It may not have had teeth, but, like the serpent it was, it could certainly squeeze the life from him. He could not reach his last remaining dirk with his right arm, for it was sealed away under the weight of the creature's mouth. Having to bat away the keese which continued to descend upon him, he barely had the window to combat his new foe. At each opportunity, Link beat his fist into the baba's head, willing it to release him, but its grip held strong.
Thrashed about by the baba, Link soon became disoriented as the keese clouded and smothered his air. He could hear Midna's wails and her many attempts at casting the keese back with her magic, but her powers seemed to wither in comparison to the might of Zant's magicked assailants. Desperation burst through Link's muscles then, and he yanked his sword arm this way and that in an attempt to once again free it from the monster's grasp. No matter how ruthlessly he struggled he could not break free, however.
An idea came to him then, and immediately he set it into motion.
Tossing his blade to his feet and directing it so that the hilt clanged to the ground to his right, he completely relaxed all muscles, and his knees gave way since his legs no longer supported his weight. Surprised by the sudden movement, Link's mass pulled the baba head to the floor, but he knew he only had moments before the creature compensated. They landed next to his saber, and without a moment's hesitation he reached out with his free arm, grabbed up the blade, and sent its singing silver surface down to slice through the baba's neck. Instantly, the creature involuntarily released Link to squeal, and Link took that moment to finish it off, landing a hard thrust straight through its head.
He was hardly clear of the dangers, however, and he just then realized that when he had landed against the floor, he had been deposited right next to yet another serpent's head. It reared its head with a growl and launched out at him. Link rolled over to his stomach to get to his knees and slashed horizontally along its jawline, severing the head in half.
Now, it was time to dispatch the rest of the infestation. Balancing himself on a foot and one knee, he closed his eyes and opened his mind to everything. The keese were descending upon him again, and he could feel every flutter of wind as they moved closer and closer. He could hear the beating of their wings, could hone in on the slurping lips of the other babas surrounding him, could feel every cold heart pulse within his own. In that moment the fire of his soul built to boiling point, his arm outstretched, Master Sword in hand.
Link unleashed the power within him in a burst of ruby magic. The crimson wave surged from his body to his sword, and with a great spin the magic rippled throughout every corner of the room, catching the keese and babas in its fiery ocean.
The smog of evil lifted almost instantaneously, each creature popping out of existence as the energy pierced its black soul. Free of the swarm, Midna looked to Link, taking in his stone-like stance. His body was still bent with his sword arm now held diagonally before his face, the blade glinting as it reflected his cold stare, a stare that bore into the hovering eyes of Zant.
Midna returned to Link's side as the Hylian slowly surrendered his tense stance. He flexed his wrist, twirling the Master Sword once within his grasp. He clutched the hilt tightly, ignoring the countless scratches his fingers and face had suffered. He offered Midna a single swift glance to assure himself that she was well, but then his sight never wavered from the figure opposite him.
A low rumble emanated from Zant, the combination of a furious growl and his recharging magicks. In an instant another bubble of crimson and black energy hung in the air, and Link rolled backward just as Zant spread his fingers in a grand gesture, breaking it into smaller spheres that rocketed toward him. Link tucked his arm through the straps of his shield and gripped it tight over his frame as he ducked out of his roll. The blast of one of the energy spheres dispelled against the metal, scattering it into even smaller orbs that faded back into nothingness. Link peered over the top of his defense to see that Midna had dodged to the side. There was an odd look in her eye, as if she smelled something that did not quite sit right.
So, she had felt it, too. Something was not quite right here.
Link rose from his pose and studied his opponent closely. He barely moved, just wavered there in the air, as if beckoning Link, daring him to come closer. The two times that he had encountered Zant, the king had been rigid in his movements, taking each step methodically as if trying to instill a cold and instant fear into his prey. Link remembered him appearing suddenly both times, but each time the usurper had taunted had mocked the hero for trying to save a people that by Zant's perspective were already sealed in their fate.
Where was the derision, the simple pleasure the king took in demeaning his prey? Though Zant moved like he should, his lack of any comment confused Link. Had the king simply lost his temper, lost his patience in allowing Link to toil on in vain? Had Link's appearance--and Midna's reappearance--into the Twilight Realm shifted Zant's focus, altered his mindset and made him understand what a threat Link had truly become, a threat not to be treated lightly with something so meaningless as a sneer?
Zant's sudden lack of movement also confused Link. It was as if they had suddenly come to a stalemate, left only with judging whose glare could do more harm. Was the king out of tricks, has his magic worn his strength, or did he calculate his next move? Whatever the case, Link could not yield to the wait of finding out. He had to act, and the perfect window had provided itself. With a sprint and a swift lunge, Link flew through the air toward Zant. He cast a diagonal strike, but his blade met no resistance.
As Link descended once more to land on solid ground, he replayed the impossibility in his mind. The blade had passed right through his opponent, and Zant's color had shifted into a green spectrum, and his image fizzled and sputtered.
An illusion, realized Link. All this time he had been battling a phantom, one that now zapped out of existence to teleport behind him at the center of the room. Link turned about just in time to see another sphere of energy splashing down, this one creating a portal that rose up from within the ground, tiny vermin each the size of his foot skittering out of its magic. They looked like miniature versions of the shadow beasts, slender tendrils constructing their body, slithering their way toward Link and Midna.
Without a moment's hesitation, Link called upon the power of the hero within him again and unleashed his power as the small, crimson-patterned creatures surrounded him. The energy wave slaughtered all the beasts save for two, which crawled up Link's leg and jumped at his face. Link arched his back trying to avoid the tentacles of the flying vermin; it was too close to manage an attack, a hair's breadth away, but a blast of green and black magic slammed into the creature, tossing it into the air beside Link, who understood that Midna had stepped in at the last moment. In one fluid motion, Link slashed the soulless vermin in midair back into nonexistence, then kicked the other from his body and loosened his grip on his hilt so that his sword twirled downward. Once his sword pointed down, his fingers drew taut over its leather binding again, and he stabbed out what life there was in the second creature. Both crackled into speckles of dust just like their brothers had moments before.
Again, the hero and the false king's phantom stood opposite each other. An attack would do the illusion no harm, Link knew, but when he searched the room his sight lingered on the mask of Zant suspended on the wall behind him. He had a hunch, but his blade would not be able to pierce the twilit barrier that the phantom had erected. Thus, Link had only one guess as to how he could cleave this fabrication from reality.
Link placed himself between the phantom and the helmet and waited for its next attack.
As he had suspected, the phantom charged its attack, channeling every ounce of its limited power into the humming orb above its head. It surged with the might of shadow, and as if in a last attempt to squash the intruder, the phantom flung the orb in full toward Link, who, at the last moment, dove out of its path, its crackling energy crashing into the barrier behind the Hylian. But the magic did not break through the wall; it instead was absorbed by it. As soon as it had struck the surface of the transparent wall, its crimson veins flickered as the extra power thundered throughout its surface.
As the barrier consumed the sphere, however, both Link and Midna noticed how its skin sporadically wavered against the sudden surge of power. Before the power reinforced the barrier, it weakened it. Link knew he had to take this moment to his advantage, but before he could think of a way to reach the helmet on the other side, Midna was already forming a fistful of twilit energy, its green sparks rotating and flaring around its dark mass as she then hurled it at the barrier. Her magic was a dwarf, like she, in the face of Zant's awesome powers, but in its destabilized state, she knew she had to try.
In the quick moments it took Midna to cast her spell, the phantom had teleported over to her in an attempt to sap the energy from her hands, but Link stepped in and slashed out, the phantom responding in the only way it knew how, by zapping itself to another corner of the room.
By the time Midna's green sphere sliced through the fizzling obstruction and struck the helmet, it was too late for the illusion to act. Her magic blazed into the mask right between its eyes, and its energy coursed throughout its mass like a small lightning storm. In an instant its power over the phantom was severed, and the illusion burst into an enormous cloud of shadow that settled over the most of the room. Link was glad that being so close to the Sols, the shadows could not reach him for fear of their incredible light.
The magical hold over the room now removed, the radiance of the pikes confining Link and Midna crumbled away and diminished to mere ashes of shadow, which faded into the air once more. The companions traded glances and thankful nods to each other's assistance. Link thought that they had never before felt so much like a team than they had during recent events. It was enough to make him grin after such a close battle. What weighed heavily in Link's mind, however, was that the real Zant would like have a few more tricks up his ornate sleeves than just a swarm of twilit keese.
Link stepped up to the twin Sols again, and bathed in their healing light. He felt almost reenergized just being near them.
"We must take these back," urged Midna, and when Link nodded, she fell into his shadow.
He was a little unnerved at how easily the fingers of the giant hands opened to his forceful grip. The two inside fingers of each hand were half the length of the bordering fingers. Each appendage seemed to stop short as well, ending abruptly in the shape of a sawed off tree trunk, only its inner rings of age were lit with a fierce red luster instead. Link removed the first Sol from its prison and stared for a moment in sheer wonder at its magnificent shine, the glossy, circular green patterns decorated over its glasslike surface making its inner star seem all the brighter.
Blinking away the moment, Link shook free of his awe and grabbed up his cloak. He deposited the Sol into the folds and then stepped over to its sibling. He pried away the fingers of its cell and gently loaded it, too, into the wrappings of his mantle. Link took one last look at the mask of Zant above, ready for some last, desperate attempt at regaining the treasured Sols, but nothing happened and he turned away.
As he took careful steps to avoid the shadow cloud, he realized how futile his route was, for the dual power of the Sols within his possession combated the darkness as if vacuuming their essence into a world of nothingness. As the shadows dispersed, Link made his way to the exit, which was no longer sealed by the magic of the shadow king's traps. It was here, however, that Link felt a vibration boom through his toes. Turning around, he found that the two hands were no longer attached to the far wall. Instead, they had ripped themselves away, and their fingers flexed stiffly as if trying to sniff out the essence of the Sols Link now held within the folds of his cloak.
Link needed no command to tell him to flee at once. He was presently at the exit that would free them from the grasp of these hands forever, and he did not hesitate in rushing through the door. Once on the other side, the threshold shut away the danger. Breathing a little easier, Link took a moment to stave off his pants left over from his fight with the phantom and its conjurations. His pause did not stand for long, and within a moment wherein he shifted the weight he carried, he was descending the staircase. The Sols were remarkably as light as apples, but what made them awkward to transport was their size, each twice the size of his head.
He approached the shadow cloud within the center of the hall, and immediately the specks dispersed. However, not all the fragments were whisked away. Some remained, but these were not just shadows; they were skittering vermin. He remembered seeing red patterns in these shadows when he had first traversed the hallway, and he realized these creatures had been hiding within the darkness the entire time. He wished he had taken the time to inspect the fog more closely the first time through, for now his impatience forced him to battle their number with two Sols in tow.
Drawing his saber as he juggled the orbs into the protection of one arm, Link balanced his feet carefully. Just as he did so, he felt the vibration in his toes again. An incredulous expression crossed his face in the moment he looked behind him. The giant hands were melting through the walls, and they hungered for the warm embrace of the Sols. Their stubby fingers flexed, honing in on Link's position.
It had caught Link off guard, and by the time he returned his attention to the vermin at his feet, several of their tendrils were already groping his legs. He cast a worried glance back at the hands. Their approach was painfully slow, slow enough for him to know he could outrun them, but it was also the kind of creeping pace that stirred a frightful tension, like the sensation of a nightmare coming forth from shadow to grip him in its claws. A nightmare he could not escape no matter how fast he ran.
"Link, just run!" shouted Midna.
He did not know what skills these hands may hold, and he knew by Midna's urgent tone that he did not want to waste any more time. He sprinted for the opposite end of the hall and sliced through vermin as he went. When his sword could do him no further service--with the rest of the creatures suctioned to his clothes--he sheathed his blade and drew his knife. As he pried the vermin from his body one by one, he skidded to a stop in front of the door leading to the front hall. It opened just as he stabbed the last mess of tentacles from his body, with the giant fingers twitching just a third of the length of the hall behind him.
Link passed through the doorway and the black ashes of the vermin as it sizzled out of existence. He had nearly forgotten about the drop-off he had climbed when first making his way through the halls, and he dug his feet into the ground in order to stop in time. Without time to properly lower himself, since the hands were likely soon to dissolve through the wall in order to reach him, he simply jumped.
The ground was not far away in the least, perhaps about two meters, and he landed hard but safe on the metal soles of his worn boots. Just then, the hands reappeared, their hard fingers fidgeting restlessly in their thirst for the Sols' light. Ignoring their looming presence, he dashed for the opposite end of the hall, to the door that would lead him once more into the semi-darkness of the outside realm.
Link breathed hard once he had cleared the hallway, and now that he stood under the serene and starless sky, he twirled about to watch the façade for any indication that the hand would follow him into the cool and fresher air. When no appendage came, Link huffed a sigh of relief. He assumed that the magic controlling the hands had been confined to only the stones of the building.
Hearing a loud moan behind him, Link turned on his heel, pointing his dagger in the direction of the sound. What met his gaze, however, was not that of an enemy but of one of the suffering Twili disfigured since the vanishing of the Sols. In the presence of the light Link carried, the beast turned once more into a normal denizen of the Twilight, its figure shrinking down and then darkness of its monstrous image shattering away to be engulfed by the reigning twilight. Link now stared into the hollow red eyes of a being only slightly taller. Colors much like that of Midna's impish figure covered the length of its slender body, but the dark reigned over most of its skin. It had long slender arms and short legs, and adorning its narrow head was red hair that just barely peeked from under a black covering which Link had a hard time figuring out if it was a hood of fabric or an actual scalp.
Its vacant eyes looked into Link, and he could tell that the Twili tried to understand. It was confused and he could not tell if its withdrawn moan was due to the aftermath of its prolonged suffering or the attempt at a question. Even though he was not sure it would understand, the Hylian assured the Twili that everything was all right, and he moved away, heading toward the twin daises in the town square. He felt the eyes of the Twili groggily following him.
Standing before the first dais, Link scanned the square, looking to all the agonized Twili wailing into the cool yet warm air. He realized how stuffy the air was, almost as if it, too, were sick with the alien power of Zant's cruel magic. Unlike the people of Hyrule who had only roamed as ignorant spirits in the twilight, these denizens, these poor souls of a lost world, were forced to writhe in shadow, ensnared by the evil as if the benign darkness within them had transformed into a plague.
Link's lips thinned to a tight frown. There was a time when he had hated the twilight, when he had feared their devastating powers, but now to truly see that they had been just as innocent all along … it made his heart catch in his throat. It took him a few long moments before he could swallow that feeling again, reminding himself that the longer he lingered in stillness the longer the people of both realms would continue to suffer.
He placed the Sols into the bowls of the daises gently, and just as soon as he stepped back, the realm seemed to shine. The gleam of the Sols gleamed ever brighter now that they had been returned to their proper places, and Link bore witness to the rebirth of an entire people. Before his very eyes he watched as the brilliance of the suns momentarily spiked and sent out a rush of light, its dome consuming everything in its path. Once the blinding light dispersed into the horizon, Link could again see shapes again. Every corner of the realm gleamed a bit brighter from the touch of the pure Sols. The stickiness in the air had been swallowed, the spread of violet and orange in the sky seemed to dance like the oils of a painting, and the twilit kargaroks that flew in high above seemed much less threatening. The shadow beasts surrounding the square had now converted into their former selves once more, each patterned differently with blue, black, or white skin, but each held similar green blemishes. Countless pairs of dazed eyes searched the square, looking to each other for guidance. No more were their warm-colored eyes filled with the mindlessness of their pain.
Suddenly, Link felt a pulsation within his spine and a chime echoed into his ears. At first, he could not understand the source of the buzz. All he knew was how good the unexpected warmth felt. His veins were awash with fire and water in all the same moment; pure light. Without knowing how, he knew that the source of this new sensation spiraled from his sword. Drawing the Master Sword, he felt the light before he saw it, a helix of pure light coiling around and imbuing the steel with magical energy. It felt white hot and yet frigidly cold in all the same moment.
He could see everything clearer in that moment, as if a dark haze had been swept from the very membranes of his eyes, water of such purity cleansing him and baptizing his soul against the harshness of the shadow realm. Holding the blade at his side, he powered on … straight through the crowd of bleary-eyed Twili toward the wall of shadow that shielded Zant's obvious hiding place.
Link stopped at the end of the road, and Midna ascended from his shadow, for they had come a far distance from the main square and none of the residents would be able to see her at such a length.
"Your sword has been blessed with the power of the Sols. It seems the guardian deities of my world are also on our side." Midna spoke with such strength and Link knew that it had been the image of her people returning to their natural state that had revitalized her. But he also sensed longing within her voice still, and perhaps a tinge of jealousy in being the only Twili still under the curse of Zant. "You really are the chosen one, Link…. A true hero."
He traded a glance with her then, and she knew that he accepted her statement with the utmost humility. Never once had he called himself hero, and never once did Midna imagine he would so selfishly claim the title, but regardless of his modesty … he was truly the man that would save two worlds from the evil grip of false kings.
She turned back to face the overwhelming wall of dark fog. "As long as you have that sword, you should be able to repel the shadows Zant has spread."
As Link readied his blade, he noticed that she did not disappear into his shade, which rested upon a crimson filled design on the stone path. He realized that, with her people gathered behind them, from here on out she would remain at his side. With a grand wave of his sword, the yellow light ringing against his blade surged outward and cut through the dense fog. The moment the energy touched the darkness, it evaporated completely, revealing a chasm separating their path and the grounds of the palace. Just as Link banished the thought of jumping such a wide distance, a deafening hum shook the ground, and in the dead space a platform carved from the most luminous peridot came to life, connecting the island of the palace to the rest of the city.
Midna led the way across the magical path and came to stop at the entrance of her palace. Her eye narrowed and some emotion fluttered across her face so quickly that Link was unable to name it. And he did not inconvenience her with the question.
The palace stood remarkably tall. Black stones imbedded with symmetrical scarlet patterns laced the yellow and brown stone into which it had been built. Link approached the doorway, which lay underneath a slab of cold stone bearing three globular patterns. In a strange way the designs seemed to create a face. Ignoring this, Link entered the palace in Midna's wake.
As soon as they entered the grand foyer, a massive room with unreachable balcony walkways two levels up, six shadow beasts attacked the intruders. Link and Midna were ready for the assault, however, and back-to-back they fought. With each swipe of Link's sword, Midna also did not hesitate, slaying her former Twili followers with sometimes just a single, well-aimed magical hit to the heart.
Link slashed diagonally through the last of the beasts, the battle ended before it even had time to pick up much momentum. He looked to Midna; her anger was clear but she did not give voice to any thought she may have had at that moment. Link had never killed a Hyrulean citizen. He had only ever killed the followers of Zant, followers of the demon king. He wondered how heavy the pain must have weighed on Midna's small shoulders. True, the beasts, these messengers of the dark, were no longer Twili, but it did not mean that they were not still as much a part of Midna as they were monsters, expendable grunts of a usurper king.
Link turned his attention away from Midna and noticed two dark globes that rested in niches at the center of the room. Somehow, he knew what to do, and he tapped each smoothly with the blunt side of his saber. Instantly, the darkness ebbed and light consumed their surface. A hum sounded, and in a rush of motion, a glistening stone staircase rose before them, trimmed with the magical green that echoed the Sols' power.
For a third time since the beginning of his journey, Link found himself ascending yet another array of stairs crafted by powerful magicks, and at the top, they did not encounter any further resistance. Instead, they came upon an open doorway, and down the corridor within Link saw a great many shadowfalls dancing along the sides, each surely hiding a few shadow beasts waiting for the opportunity to ambush trespassers.
"The throne room lies at the end of this hallway," said Midna, and Link could almost see her memories of traipsing elegantly and haughtily down its path.
"Are you ready?" he asked her.
She looked up at him then, and reflected in his eyes was the same thing she had been thinking in that very moment. This … was the end. In a few moments, the fate of the world would be decided. This was their last chance to turn away, to give up and surrender lest they die.
Midna nodded, and together they entered the long corridor infused with the blackest of shadows.
A brilliant green line, with several smaller capillaries sporadically webbing outward, stretched the length of either wall, leading them along. Within seconds the shadowfalls and dark clouds that strangled the hallway were either banished by the light of Link's sword or took on new life in the form of shadow beasts … and their number was plentiful.
Link and Midna's trek through the corridor was like some ancient tribal war dance, spinning madly, casting spells and slashes into every nook and crevice that moved or even twitched with the promise of threat. In a span of minutes, wave after wave descended upon them, and Midna's green blasts combined with Link's swipes of yellow cut down each of the monsters before they could even rear a clawed hand to strike. A few of the crest-headed beasts landed their attacks, one set of fingers slashing across Link's left forearm as it tried to dislodge his blade from his hand. Midna reacted in kind if this happened, killing the assailant, and Link, too returned the favor if she were caught in the same situation.
After a short time, which felt like forever, the shadow horde was at last no more, and the light of Link's sword had banished all clouds within sight. They stood and hovered there looking across at the countless piles of dark bodies amassed in the corridor. An overwhelming sadness passed through Midna, and she closed her eye and bowed her head only momentarily, barely long enough for Link to register the gesture. He understood that by whatever guardian deities watched over her realm, she was perhaps sending out a silent word to bless and forgive their souls.
When Midna turned about, Link followed suit. They were only a few meters from the double doors of the throne room, and they slowly crept toward the entrance. No magical barrier or steel chain barred their entry, and after another short was exchanged, they pressed the doors open.
At once, they were surrounded by four shadow beasts. Link readied his blade, using it as a buffer between him and the monsters. Midna snapped a green and black sphere into hand and prepared to cast its magic. The beasts screeched their horrible screech and readied their claw, tossing their manes in a fury.
Then came the shrill alternating pitch.
With that single command, the beasts softened their posture and backed away to flank Link and Midna. Once their mass had moved aside, the companions had access to the staircase leading up into the throne room. Wary of the shadow beasts behind them, they lowered their defenses but did not surrender their guard. The monsters remained at the doorway, sealing them in, and with no other course of action left to them, they ascended the cold, dark steps, Link's metal soles clanking in echoes.
They reached the highest stair and halted.
Link's grip tightened around the Master Sword's leather binding.
Midna's eye and lips hardened into a permanent scowl. "Zant."
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REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER:
~silverheartlugia2000 Feb 27, 2012 awsomeness!!! the tension is intensly growing!! btw, i HATE those hands!!! there almost as bad as wall/floormasters
~nasanerd09 Feb 27, 2012 First of all when I read "Link would never realize that it was his partnership, his friendship, his mere presence and the kind smile he offered when he nodded to agree to her terms…. He was the only thing holding her together." I literally face-palmed my forehead so hard that it was stinging for a good minute or two. Ay Link!!!!! argh!!! sometimes boy, you are just too clueless...anyways, that rant was for our beloved clueless Hero, not you.
Second, I really like how you condensed the all the fights against Zant's whatevers (Zant's mask, Zant's Hands, Phantom Zant, really this guy is just too arrogant) into one. It really made the fight so much more challenging and awesome. And your description of the pure dread and creepy fear those darned hands instill when they magically melt through the walls and continue chasing you...that was EXACTLY how I felt when I played the game. There were a lot of difficult challenges, a lot of scary entities, but i think those awful creepy hands take the trophy for the thing that scared me the most in game.
Third, I was just a little disappointed that you didn't include the magical floating platforms, because I thought those were the single coolest thing in the Twilight Realm (aside from the fact that your sword glows!), but no biggie.
Great job, I'm really looking forward to the battle against Zant!
*Mushkikizou-chan Feb 29, 2012 GAH!! Why'd it have to stooooop?! DX I want Zant fight scene! Anyway, I really like this novel ^^
~nasanerd09 Feb 27, 2012 First of all when I read "Link would never realize that it was his partnership, his friendship, his mere presence and the kind smile he offered when he nodded to agree to her terms…. He was the only thing holding her together." I literally face-palmed my forehead so hard that it was stinging for a good minute or two. Ay Link!!!!! argh!!! sometimes boy, you are just too clueless...anyways, that rant was for our beloved clueless Hero, not you.
Second, I really like how you condensed the all the fights against Zant's whatevers (Zant's mask, Zant's Hands, Phantom Zant, really this guy is just too arrogant) into one. It really made the fight so much more challenging and awesome. And your description of the pure dread and creepy fear those darned hands instill when they magically melt through the walls and continue chasing you...that was EXACTLY how I felt when I played the game. There were a lot of difficult challenges, a lot of scary entities, but i think those awful creepy hands take the trophy for the thing that scared me the most in game.
Third, I was just a little disappointed that you didn't include the magical floating platforms, because I thought those were the single coolest thing in the Twilight Realm (aside from the fact that your sword glows!), but no biggie.
Great job, I'm really looking forward to the battle against Zant!
*Mushkikizou-chan Feb 29, 2012 GAH!! Why'd it have to stooooop?! DX I want Zant fight scene! Anyway, I really like this novel ^^