2Colin, Link, and Amok waited outside the top room as it was the only one they had managed to clear out with good reason if the monsters came back as Renado stepped out, the trio looking to him as he breathed in relief. "...He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time." Colin took on a face of relief as Link smiled before Renado asked a pressing question. "Do you know the fate of his mother?" Link looked to the man as he continued to explain. "Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly..." Link looked down as Amok brought a hand under the mask and sighed, that of grief and Renado left it as that, a sign that she... passed on. "...I can see the knowledge grieves you both. It must be an awful memory." Colin was next as he spoke up to Renado.
"I'll stay with him until he's better! No matter how long it takes!" Renado nodded as he kneel and spoke with a hand on Colin's shoulder.
"Is that so? Thank you, Colin." Before that, however, the pair headed off to the outside where night lingered over all of them as Colin spoke up, having followed them out with doubt in his heart.
"Hey, Link and Amok, about Ilia..." Link turned with a sorrowful look on his face to the question as Amok hummed in silence to the same notion. "Is it true, what they say about her?"
Renado chimed in as he joined them outside. "Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child." The shaman explained, their womanly escort leaning on the railing as she listened as well. "If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." Colin lightened up as he bolted back inside and Renado bowed to the pair before heading toward the spring, their hostess speaking up with joy in her voice.
"Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts..." She cleared her throat as she continued, drawing both of their attention. "Those skills of yours... Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"
"How so?" Amok asked as the woman continued to explain.
"What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying... but there's still a group trying to do what it can." She smirked as she finished that thought. "And I'm a member of that group." She pushed off and walked over to them before extending a hand. "Call me Telma." So the owner of the bar in Castle Town was someone trying to save Hyrule as Link shook her hand first and then Amok as she spoke some more, heading back over to the railing. "I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and..." She smiled as she glanced down the way to Renado, clearly having eyes for him. "Well, never mind about the rest." Link was just agape to her thought, trying to keep focused as Telma continued her lecture or rant. "Link and Amok, I want to see you both again at my bar, you hear me?"
"So forward, anything special about it, other than being the only bar in Hyrule?" Amok asked as Telma did give a reason.
"The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there, as well." That was a valuable piece of information as Telma pushed off again and skipped past them before pausing and smiling to them. "If you ever need something, stop by, I'll be waiting for you, honeys!" She blew a kiss to the confusion of both as she took to Renado's side, the priest and the barkeep, that was a bond NOT to remain as Link made to go back inside before Amok doubled checked and gasped.
"Link..." He paused and turned, surprised too as the spirit of Rutela hovered in the air before gliding away, the duo following her into the graveyard as Link yelled.
"Wait!" They made through the graves before the former queen slipped through stone and the stone emboldened with what could have been the Zora's Sapphire faded away and they crept through the hollow hole in the earth before arriving to a spring, on the other side being a grave of some regal and the Queen as she hovered by it and Link made for the other side while Amok floated over as she spoke.
"I am deeply grateful to you both for aiding my son in his time of need. You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here." She looked to them as she continued in her spiritual verse. "It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place."
"But why here, Rutela?" Amok asked as she gestured and the tombstone slid back to reveal a set of armor, adorned in Zora scales and design.
"...That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora." Link walked up and plucked the attire from the tomb, Amok taking a look at it himself as he could fashion a barrier or something that would allow him to follow Link under the deepest of waters. Rutela breathed in peace as she spoke with minor remorse. "Now, at last, I can join the king in slumber. And yet... My son... He still knows nothing of my death." She rested a hand to her chest as she started to fade. "If you see him again, please pass on this message... Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live as the king of our people. And... Tell him his mother... loves him without end. Tell him..." With that, she faded away and Link looked at the garment once more before Midna made her appearance again.
"Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor..." She rolled her wrist as she spoke. "But aren't you both forgetting something kind of important? That last Fused Shadow..."
"You remind us daily, Midna." Link answered as he crossed his arms, having stashed the garment in Amok's ability to store all of their wares.
"Remember what Faron the light spirit said... He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world..." She floated close as she tapped Link's nose, still shadowed, but still getting the point. "So even if you go back now with all of the people you saved... The whole tragedy would just repeat itself..." She rolled backwards as she ranted. "So let's go get it! We need to go to the temple on the lake bed of Lake Hylia." She slipped back into the shadow as Link shook his head.
"You would think that she is just doing this out of spite..."
"Let's not hold against her, she has her agenda and we have our mission." Amok started as he continued in thought. "Still, how are we going to get into the temple, if it is blocked, then we need something strong to blast it open, I could do it myself, but I am not sure enough to make that difference." So the question was, where were they going to get explosives that would work underwater...?
Their fortune actually held as Barnes was now selling said bombs and they stocked up before heading back to Lake Hylia, embarrassing as they flew on down by Cuccos and then donned the garments and magical shield, the entrance sealed because of the surge of monsters on the other side, but the pair were not turned away as they dove into the Temple and came back up into a hollow series of chambers, water barely flooding the area.
Link and Amok made their way through, battling monsters that sought to stop them, even facing off with a Deku Toad which was weird, but their efforts were rewarded with a Clawshot which would help Link get around the temple and pull off the metal shield of those bothersome rams or something, a better use being the number of switches they needed to pull in order to go further.
Link made a passing commented that something was not adding up and it didn't take long for either of them to realize that they needed to divert a large amount of the water flow into the central room, grabbing the Boss Key through a serious trick of motion and position, before returning to the room and dropping to the base to find a door there and unlocking it to a hole, one that they dropped into and sunk down as Link questioned through the mask. "What the...?"
Down below, no light glowed through the chamber with what brief light flooding into their entrance, but down below was layers and layers of sand residing below with a sole tentacle emerging from the sand in the sand, something was there and they dropped down mere feet form it before something traveled up the semi-transparent limb, an eye that narrowed at their presence before diving under the sand and bringing up something worse. "This can't be good." Amok spoke as more of the voltaic limbs emerged before a hided hide and abnormal jaw emerged from the sand of their foe of the Twilt Aquatic, Morpheel. They targeted the eye, pulling it out before striking it a few times before the eye returned and the thing dove under the sand before it emerged in its full glory, surging through the water freely in a far greater size than Diababa and Fyrus could even muster together. "Link! The eye!" Mounted in the back was the eye that stared at them, so they took to swimming quickly to get to the side or above and grappling on to the beast before striking the immobile eye to kill the monster.
After a few rounds and near-close shaves from the beast's consuming maw, they thing went into a frenzy and crashed into the wall, cracking it open and draining it out of all the chamber's water, without that, the eye exploded into a Heart Container and the whole length erupting into Twilight before collecting into the last Fused Shadow, overkill for such a tool, like the Twilt Bloat was as Midna appeared again. "There it is! The last Fused Shadow..." She snatched it off of Link's hands as Amok walked over after picking up the Container. "I'll just take that, thanks!" She paused as she explained, did she indeed feel sympathy for them. "Now, don't resent me for all I've put you through. I NEED this thing!" Link and Amok looked at each other as Midna continued. "Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows... His power is a false one... I'll prove it using these!" The piece disappeared into the hair as she turned to a decent spot to make a portal out. "So... I've done everything I needed to. I'm sorry for dragging you both all over the place with me..." She floated over before creating the portal and turning to them. "So... Shall we go?" She floated in and started to motion for them to come as Link spoke.
"So... this is it... no more Midna bothering us after this."
"Don't tell me that you have developed a bond with the little imp?" Amok asked as Link looked at him and asked.
"Don't you feel the same...?"
"We should be happy for her." Amok clapped his shoulder and moved toward her. "She wouldn't want us to be sad for her leaving, we should be happy that she is finally able to fight a battle that she was at a disadvantage at." Link did not fight that as both entered the portal and they headed out...
They returned to the Spring and Link huffed before he turned to leave, stumbling back in surprise as some individual stood there, masked with a fish helmet with garbs of the same pattern as the twilight creatures and even the monsters that protected the Fused Shadows. Amok bracing himself as the light spirit surged out, primed to fight the figure, but the figure blasted a shock wave, blasting all on their backs, but bashing the spirit into the earthen roots and, with powers stronger than the unprotected light, he forced the light under, submerging the world in twilight again, Link and Amok converting back to their twilight forms with Amok changing again into a robed figure with an actual bird-like face as he laid on the right path while Link and Midna were on the center, the figure silent, but not to Midna as she scoffed. "Zant!"
She was lifted into the air and hung there as Zant walked toward the edge and the Fused Shadows, emerging to Midna's horror, soared over to the 'King of Shadows' despite Midna's struggle as the figure scoffed at the power before him. "Did you honestly meant to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?" The pieces disappeared into Zant's possession as he continued. "You are a foolish traitor, Midna. Why do you defy your king?"
"My KING?" Midna screeched as she tried to struggle out of the invisible vice grip. "You, who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe? You must be joking!"
"How dare you!?" Zant took offense to the statement. "Are you implying that my power is... our old magic?" The grip shifted as Midna was pulled close as he exclaimed. "Now THAT is a joke!" The grip raised her before slamming her into the ground, a wince calling out from her frame as Zant turned, power gathering before him as Midna weakly tried to get up. "This power is granted to me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you WILL respect it!" Link stirred and, recognizing the threat, jumped for Zant, the magic stopping him short as Amok also made to strike before both was tossed back, a shard pulsing into Link's forehead and another seeping into Amok's hand.
Midna tried to rouse Link before she was grabbed again and held close to Zant. "My Midna... Did you forget? Those beasts are some of the light dwellers who oppressed our people." Midna held a look of horrified pain in her eyes as Zane just lectured. "No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind!" Zant paused before continuing. "But if we make their world ours, Midna... light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm... and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light!"
"And that, Midna, is why..." The face plate folded in before receding up and a jaw of fang and rasp drew closer to the imp. "I need you. Not just for me, but for all of our people... Lend me your power."
"Don't... do it..." Amok spoke as he looked up, blue eyes gazing back in the twilight. "What is the promise... of a false king... to the one who is cursed... You hold no weight here..." Amok shifted to stand. "If you... did not curse her such... then she would not have sought out power to overthrow... you, false king." Zant hissed as he spoke, Midna getting free to aid Link, for but a moment.
"So be it... I will return you to the light world you covet!" Amok stumbled as Midna was hauled up and Zant forced the Light Spirit up, forcing Midna to bare the full power of light on her body as she screamed like her life was dying out before she vanished and the king turned to find both the wolf and talking bird were gone as well, curious how they managed to escape...
On the outskirts of Lanayru Province; Link, Amok, and Midna appeared in a orb of light and descended to the ground before Link shook himself awake, exclaiming to his form. "Wait... I'm a wolf again... But in the light of night!?" Heavy breathing got his attention and he turned to see what shocked him in horror.
Midna, inverted with bluish mass of hair, laid on his back and he could feel that she was dying as Amok got up, taking in his own appearance with a remorseful sigh before the Light Spirit that aided them to escape spoke to both of them. "Link and Amok, hero chosen by the goddesses by scribe's hand..." Their eyes followed into the night and to the shadow of the castle in the distance. "Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you from your shadow forms..." With that, the voice faded into the night as Link turned to Amok as the now-semi bird creature raised his feathery hands to Midna and seemed to focusing with a glow in them before he asked.
"Amok...?" He flinched when his friend cawed in anger as the glow disappeared with a sweep.
"No good... her body was exposed to too harsh of light, my magic is not going to cut it here." Before they could speak once more, Midna lightly gripped as she pleaded.
"Link... Amok... H-Hurry... Hurry... t-to Zelda..." Link nodded as they headed down the way, Bulbins barring the minor way as she started... to hum, likely to slip away from the intense pain. "L-Lingering in the... last light... of dusk." Amok paused for a moment as he heard that melody before, from his own father of the realm beyond Hyrule, a song meant to instill bravery and courage in the souls of those sent through the veil. "Lies within... the shadows... of trust..." She hummed once more as she tried once more to alleviate her pain. "I... can't hold onto... what I have lost..." She made to sing once more before Amok found himself soothing her mind as well as his voice, though changed, sung back.
"Casting shadows into the light..." Midna glanced to him and it seem like she was thankful for the voice as Amok continued. "Hiding in the darkness of night..." He hummed loudly in tone as he continued. "Carry me through the fight... bathed in twilight." They soon entered the town the they sped through the panicked masses before they quickly arrived to the Bar, Amok coming to a halt as Link tried to Telma's voice shouting.
"Beast! Get out!" Without warning, Link was kicked out by a Goron's hand and he growled before Amok shook his head as the rain started to come.
"We are changed here, my friend, we must find another way." Link nodded, lucky that he didn't lose Midna in the toss as they made to get away and find some other way into the castle before a elegant voice spoke up.
"You there!" Both paused as they looked up to the window up high to see it open and a white cat jumped out and turned its gaze to them as she inquired. "You are Link and Amok, correct?"
"And you are Telma's cat, we didn't get your name when we left." The cat nodded to Amok's speech and strolled to their side as she continued to speak.
"I'm Louise. Though I don't think we were properly introduced..." Both nodded before Louise asked. "In any case, I must tell you both, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you both look like those." She chuckled a bit as she continued. "Really, dearies, you can't blame the humans for tossing you out, the way you look." Finally, she spotted the dying Midna as she mused. "Oh... Another patient? You certainly are a curious sort..." Midna was able to speak as she begged.
"...Plea... Please... Princess... Z-Zelda..." Louise glanced down before back up as she turned and strolled over to the crates of recent stock as she spoke to them.
"This way!" Both glanced to the open window and Louise explained. "Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the castle's waterway. It's an old waterway, though... so it could be a rough trip." Amok addressed the question of what the cat would be doing.
"But what will you do now, Louise?"
"Well... I suppose all that's left to do is make sure that the humans don't notice you." She strolled over and sat in the archway before Link pushed the spare crate into place and scaled into the bar, Amok behind him as they hid high up in the rafters, listening to Telma's musing of courage that the Gorons had in plenty compared to the soldiers, except the young soldier who just lingered at the counter and conversed with her as the pair listened to a conversation of three people about them and how they escorted Telma and Illa to Kakariko Village, thought Amok had to keep Link's jaw shut when the one with glasses made a notion that anyone not from the city do not know fear as they slipped into the next place.
The strange place was not so out of place as a creepy place, but they didn't waste time debating it as they dealt with the Poe that was lingering in there and conversed with the frozen statue of a greedy man, who was done in like that for greed and somehow controlled the wealth to move as the chest there opened and lead straight into the waterway.
They entered the humid place and continued on down before they found... some large problems, Link growling as the Skulltulas closed in before Amok spoke. "Let me..." The power formed in his hands before he spoke... in a foreign tongue. "Sed vade, et ignis praesule!" Suddenly, the space between them and the spiders erupted in flames and a figure formed with a haunting chuckle as the spiders hissed before the thing lanced forward its two needle-like arms and a torrent of flames surged through them and the web, it disappearing as Amok breathed, shaking his head as he spoke. "Whoa... that was a trip..." Link didn't question it as they pressed on, the brief moments of fire from Amok rendering the stick alight with fire a bit redundant.
Sadly, the way was being guarded by more Bulbins as they continued on, the wizard creature turning into his hawk form and gripping tight as Link dug down and got them into a familiar part of the castle as they headed up, the wizard creature back to sling spells at the attacking foes as Midna whispered in plead. "H-Hurry... to... Zelda..."
"Don't worry, we are getting to Zelda, I promise!" Link howled as they quickly made it out into the downpour and confronted the monstrous Kangaroks before Amok showed them what for as they kept on the path before making it to the roof of the castle proper and into the tower as they ascended up to the room and found... nothing, Link peering about before a thud was heard and the pair turned to Amok's exclaim.
"Midna!" She had toppled over to the floor as Amok made to bend down and pick her up for safety , but another was there as they looked up to the hooded visage of Zelda, she being behind the door and have closed it for their privacy quietly, a sense of unease over all of them before Midna made the first move, sluggishly raising her hand for Zelda to hold it, small like a child's as she pleaded.
"Please... Please tell me... How do we break... the curse on these ones?" Both glanced down to Midna as she continued to voice her input. "These... are the ones... You need them... to save your world!" She started to pander out as she finished. "That's why... Princess... Please... You must help Link and Amok..." Zelda peered up and raised a hand to Link, hovering it before gripping it with a look of focus and concern as she spoke.
"What binds them is a different magic than what transformed them when they first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power." She opened her eyes and spoke to the pair of them as she explained. "Our world is one of balance... Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil."
"Benevolence...?" Amok inquired as Zelda glanced to him before back to focus on the pair as she spoke in direction.
"Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages... the Master Sword. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch."
"But why the blade, Princess?" Amok asked as Zelda just shook her head as she just answered with a fact of what has affected them.
"Evil cloaks you both like a dark veil... and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it." Midna's breathing started to get more sluggish and she looked ready to drop soon as Zelda spoke as all attention went to her. "Link... Hero sent by the goddesses... and Amok, Scribe of the Hero's fate..." She lifted her hand again as she showed... a trio of triangles on the back of her hand as it glowed to them, the same pattern that was marked on Link's own paw. "Like you, Link, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses... But we are also observed and kept known by the Scribe whose bloodline was blessed beside our own..." Before more could be said, Midna rasped.
"Fine... Link... Amok... You can... You can get to the woods... on your own, right?"
"Midna..." Amok voiced as Midna made one final inquiry.
"Princess... I have one last request..." Zelda looked down as well as Midna ushered it. "Can you tell them... where to find the Mirror of Twilight?" A soft gasp slipped from the Princess of Hyrule's lips and Amok tilted his head to the Princess as he asked.
"Zelda...?" But the Princess spoke to Midna in recognizance.
"Midna... I believe I understand now just who and what you are..." She gripped tighter to the small form as she spoke. "Despite your mortal injures, you act in our stead..." She continued and Amok felt... something bubbling under the surface, something ancient... powerful. "These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty." Before Amok could voice other wise, Zelda finished as the power surged. "Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you..." She glowed as Amok shielded his vision from the bright glow as it enveloped Midna and her breathing became more regular before frantic as she yelped.
"No! NO! Link! Amok! STOP HER!" But Zelda just gave a sad smile as Midna called out. "Zelda, NO!" The small hand slipped from the Princess's own grasp and faded like the glow as Midna floated back down, back to her full form as the trio took in the place where Zelda was, no cloak to flutter to the ground, no glove to mark it, she was truly gone like a wraith to the winds. Midna felt... grief before she huffed.
"We go back, guys!" She peered forward as she spoke with confidence. "Back to Faron Woods!" She back-flipped onto Link's back as Amok followed a short distance before Link stopped for Midna to leave some parting words as she extended her other hand to the spot. "Zelda... I've taken all that you had to give... though I did not want it." They headed outside and Midna warped them away, to avoid any conflict with the town...
They reformed in front of the bridge they took to the castle and made to move away before a sudden spike erupted and they turned to Amok's exclaim.
"The Castle!"
"What the!?" A large diamond dome consumed Hyrule Castle, cutting it off from the town as Midna exclaimed. "What is that!?" They just peered at the dome before Amok spoke again.
"Do you think...?"
"Zant...!" Midna growled with Link before she released the hand, peering at it before she look downtrodden, Amok hovering over as he rested a hand on her shoulder.
"We will make this right, Zelda did not leave this mission to us, just to see us fail. Zant will fall, a false king always will..." He released and looked to the dome as he spoke. "But an evil power... if our entrance into the Twilight is not the curse that now holds me and Link in these forms... Then it is clear that Zant is getting help from someone, a patron in the very least." He rested a hand to his feathered wrist before dropping them both. "We should go... there's no telling who could have spotted us so far..." Midna nodded and channeled the portals to work, their direction Faron Woods which landed them in the northern section of the forest...
