The Fairy smiled and lifted his body into the air. She breathed out, and his garments and weapons reappeared on his body, cleansed and stitched into correct patterns. His eyes began to flicker, and the Fairy used a soft hand to stroke them lightly, keeping them shut. She then set his body onto the chiseled block near the fountain, directly onto the royal crest.
Link’s eyes opened. He blinked them a few times and saw nothing but black. His body felt amazing, though. His chest didn’t feel weird, his throat was intact, and all of his scars had disappeared. He blinked again and realized he was floating in the blackness. There, in front of him, a woman stood. He had seen pictures of her from books he had read about Hyrule’s history. She had few differences than the sketch; same eyes, same hair, same figure…Lana would probably be jealous, he thought for a second, and a frown set on his face. A tear threatened to form at the thought of his wife, and he cleared his throat and looked the woman in the eye.
She looked at him sadly. “I’m sorry that you miss your wife, Link,” she said, and Link recognized her then. This was the Great Fairy of Faron!
“Yes,” she said softly, “I am, and you are the chosen Hero. I have healed your wounds. From your scars to your heart problem, it is all pristine.”
“Thank you,” Link said, managing a smile.
“I am about to send an image of myself to your comrades to inform them of the circumstances.”
“Oh, um, do you want me to…” Link trailed off.
“I want only for you, when you wake on the royal crest in my fountain, to dip your head in the water. This will cleanse your mind of its stress and fear, which you will need to keep at bay with your upcoming challenges. Farewell, Hero.”
***
Link smiled as he stepped through the gate into Hyrule Town. After four months away in Labrynna, helping stamp out a revolt, it was good to be home. The soldiers traipsed along behind him, and Impa, who was on horseback. He greeted the occasional civilian who walked by, smiling and waving a hello, and Impa just nodded her head in recognition, remaining silent.
“C’mon, Impa, loosen up,” Link said. “Say hello to some of these people. After all…Oh hello, Olivia,” he said to a passing woman who responded with a smile and a wave. “Say Hi to Brock.” Olivia nodded, smiling still, and Link turned to Impa. “Sorry, General. What was I saying? Oh, yes…you should greet the people. They look up to you as their chief protector, save for the Princess. But still, they don’t need a silent general who will only give up a begrudging nod. They will think you look down on them. Lana has noticed your silent manner as well.”
“How is she?” Impa asked, breaking her silence, “How, uh, how long have you been with her?”
“Seven months, three of which I wasn’t here, but you would know that, I guess. We’ve gone on…twenty-three dates, I think, and that’s not counting my visits to her apothecary, either for injury, or…withdrawal injury,” he chuckled, and Impa smiled.
“How is her apothecary doing? I remember you mentioned it wasn’t going so great when you met.”
“Well, you see, after a few weeks I began to post up papers in the barracks offering a discount at her apothecary, paid by me.” He waved to a friend and exchanged a few words as they passe. Then he returned to Impa. “Um, I had already started recommending it to soldiers I saw, but it wasn’t going as well as I had wished, so I started the discount system.”
“Did she oblige? Or did she ask you to remove it?”
“She was fine with it, and it really helped her out.” He waved again.
“Are you two…clicking well?”
“Clicking where?” Link asked, a smirk on his face, and Impa grimaced, but a grin came to her face.
“I see that to mean a ‘yes’?”
“Of course. She’s special. I’m definitely gonna try and hold on to her.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Impa said, and they passed through the gate to the Noble District.
“General, do you mind if I have someone take my horse to the stable so I can meet with Lana? After all, I haven’t seen her in almost two months.”
“Is she in your house?” Impa asked, as they stopped at the crossroads, one leading to Link’s street, one to the barracks and stable entrance.
“Yes. I had a messenger run ahead and send a note to her when we reached the four kilometer outpost.”
“Ah, go ahead, Commander. But I would like to see you tomorrow at the recap.”
“Of course,” he said, smiling.
The army began walking, and Link dismounted his horse. He waved to a passing soldier. “Oi!” he said, and the soldier walked over to him. “Take this horse to the stables and see to it that she gets cared for.”
“Yessir,” the soldier said as he took the reins. He walked it with army toward the castle.
Link turned and, not able to contain his excitement, ran to his home. He arrived at his door and waited for his breathing to alter slightly to its normal rate. He pushed the door open and entered coolly. His first encounter was the scent of roasting beef. He looked around but couldn’t see anything. He checked his kitchen and found the remnants of cooking. He saw that his oven was being used. He smiled as he remembered the most obvious place for her. He walked to his room, and pushed the door open, revealing a lounging Lana. She was laid out on the bed and was adorned with Link’s favorite blue sleepwear. He smiled and removed his cap as she stood herself up.
“I’ve missed you,” she said into his chest as he embraced her.
He tilted her head back and kissed her softly, “I’ve missed you, too,” he said when their lips parted. “Been waiting to kiss you for what seems like forever.”
“Oh, Link,” she said, a joyful smile on her face. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Lana,” he said. He kissed her again. Then she smiled at him in a manner which he knew could mean only one thing. She patted his chest and left the room, a devilish grin spreading on her dainty face. He turned, confusion in his mind, and followed her to the kitchen, where she opened the oven and pulled out a pan carrying a delightful smelling roast. She set it on the counter to her right, and began sprinkling salt over the meat. She then pulled another pan from the oven, this one carrying a load of varied vegetables. She sprinkled salt on them, too, and then pulled a glass quart of milk from Link’s frost-enchanted food storage. She grabbed two glasses from his cupboards and poured milk into them before returning the milk to its place. She handed the glasses to Link, who still looked confused.
“Put these on the table, Hon, and set it, too,” she added, as she pulled a pot from the stovetop and scooped mashed up potatoes into a bowl. She brought the food out to the table while Link gathered the silverware and plates.
“Um, Luv?” he called out from the dining room to the kitchen, and she turned her head around the corner to look at him, her blue braid swinging down in front of her face.
“Yes?”
“Weren’t we…you know…but now…food…um…we’ll be…eating?”
“I cooked this so you could fill up on a delicious meal,” she said as she moved to the dining room. “After all, you haven’t had one for almost two months.”
“Ha-ha,” Link said dryly. “But, what about, you know…” He pointed off toward his room.
She turned her head and looked at him innocently, though her face sported a sly smile. “Whatever do you mean, Link?”
“I mean, us, you know…haven’t been together for…two months almost…you know…reuniting?”
“You continue to confound me,” she said.
He threw his hands into the air. “Fine, let’s eat.” He sat down and asked for a blessing for the food, then they dug into Lana’s delicious masterpiece. Though, what seemed like seconds into the meal, Lana began to traipse her hand over Link’s arm and held his right hand while they ate. He looked at her, and she smiled.
“Fine,” she said, but finish what you have on your plate, and I’ll put it away when…you know…”
 
; He smiled and tore through his food. Within two minutes he and Lana were in a passionate embrace on his bed.
***
Link awoke on the stone and blinked a few times. He stood easily and stretched his limbs. He looked around and observed the Fairy fountain. He stopped when his eyes trailed at the water and remembered his instructions. He walked to the water and dipped his head down into it. Immediately his mind felt…clean. He felt no worry of death. He felt completely courageous. He smiled brightly, and the Great Fairy reappeared before him in the air, smiling right back at him.
“Link,” she spoke,” I wish you good travels and good blessings from the goddesses. Please take care of yourself.”
“I promise to,” Link said.
The Great Fairy smiled even brighter then tilted her head back and lowered herself into the water, her garments melting into nothingness as she relaxed. She smiled again at Link, and he felt his body begin to lighten, and he felt himself disappearing…
***
Link found himself standing in the Forest by himself. Several torches lit the area. He looked around and saw small structures through the trees. He felt his left hand tingle and glanced at it; through his gauntlet the Golden image of the Triforce shone. He looked back up at his surroundings. He knew where he was. He stepped forward and pulled a torch from a bracket near him. He held it up as he walked forward into the Forest Temple.
Ch.13.
Link cut a bit of brush away from the doorway to the nearest structure, and entered. He found that this was the only shack in the surroundings, the other “shacks” he’d seen were actually only walls.
When he stepped forward his boot squished into something, and felt a crawling sensation race across his foot. He looked down and saw hundreds of fist-sized spiders racing across the floor…towards Link. He bolted out of the structure, flinging the spiders as he went. He looked back and down at the ground and saw no spiders. He had faced many a spider in his days, but never so many at once. He shivered lightly and knew he might have to go back there. But unless it was absolutely necessary, there was no chance.
He looked around and found that, unless he were to break the walls down, he couldn’t go anywhere. He inevitably delayed the search of the shack for a minute while he mulled over his options: if this was bad, the Temple of Courage is going to be awful. He steeled himself and groaned as he walked near it. He prepared to step in when the brush above his head caught fire from his torch. He pulled the brush out and batted the fire out, an idea forming in his head. He tossed his torch into the shack.
He didn’t think about the result of his action. The spiders that weren’t burned scuttled out of the shack and headed to the edge of the brush. Link stepped back even when a few spiders headed in his direction but then skewed off. He waited a minute or so, grabbing a new torch, then ran into the shack. He saw a smoldering floor but no spiders. He searched around and, in the corner of the shack, found an iron ladder blackened on the bottom rung. Link looked up, and saw a weak roof made of woven moss and branches. He lifted his torch to the roof, and it lit quickly. He exited the shack while the fire burned and the embers fell to the floor. When it cleared he re-entered the shack and inspected the empty space where the roof had been. It was clear, so he went ahead and climbed the ladder, his gloves protecting his skin from the now cooling iron.
After an extraordinarily long climb, he finally he hoisted himself onto the new floor and found himself in a stone hallway. He walked down it and through the door at the other end. He was in a large cave-like room, twenty-or-so meters high, roundish, probably half the height in its width. The thing that made him curious, though, was the large sphere in the center of the room. It was suspended by what appeared to be spider silk. It was strung to the walls from both Link’s left and right, and an attached thread dangled from the ceiling as well. To Link’s left and right were doors, and parallel to him, on the other side of the room, was another door. He stepped forward onto the mossy stone and inspected the ground below the sphere. It was simple stone with some overgrown moss on it. He stamped his foot down hard and heard a strange sound coming from below the floor.
He got down onto his stomach and pulled his shield from his back. He knocked against the floor with it and placed his ear against the stone. He knocked again, and the sound still echoed from beneath the floor. “Hang on,” he muttered. He knocked again, and the echoing rang out from below. “If that is echoing, this must be hollow,” he said. Then stood up, placing his shield on his back. He looked up at the sphere. It appeared to be of considerable weight, so maybe… If I can cut the thread, I can drop the sphere, and it might break through into the area below. The thread would be hard to cut, if he could even try. It appeared to go into the wall, so he could possibly go into the side rooms and try to find the thread.
He headed toward the room to the left of his entrance. He pulled the door open, and his instincts told him to duck behind the door, and duck behind the door he did. A ball of green bubbly acid spewed past him and landed on the ground behind him, fizzling on the stone and creating a small indentation in the floor.
Link gulped and peeked around the side to get a look at his attacker. It was a spider, freakishly large, about two-thirds of a meter across, and Link estimated it weighed about twenty kilograms. It was gray with brown fur lining the chinks in its armor-like skin. It hissed and spat out another glob of acid toward Link. This glob hit the door, and Link stepped back. The center of the door melted under the effects of the acid, and Link sidestepped another blast that went right through the gaping hole in the door. He gathered his nerves and ran into the room.
The spider spat at him, and Link jumped over the flying glob and landed a meter from the spider. He pulled his sword from his back and jumped over the spider. Before it turned, it received a blade to its innards. Link withdrew his blade and pulled a cloth from his belt. He wiped the blood and bits off of the blade and stuck it in its scabbard.
He looked around, now that he had the chance, and saw a staircase to his left; there was nothing else but a column toward the door. He climbed up the stairs and arrived at the second floor. He figured he would be seeing the thread, which he did. It was connected to a large metal column—the one from the lower floor. He walked over to the thread and saw that it trailed along through the wall and into the room with the sphere where it would hold the sphere up. He pulled out his sword and chopped it down hard on the thread; this action only caused his muscles to tense. He almost dropped his sword in astonishment. The thread must be of some adapted form of spider, because this was nothing typical, not even of a Skulltula. He tried cutting it again and failed.
He spent the next few minutes hacking away at the thread, but his efforts were in vain. He finally gave up, resigning his effort, and sheathed his sword. He sat down next to the column and stared at the wall adjacent to him. His eyes flickered for a second, and he closed them. His head lay back on the stone for a minute, his mind figuring this out, while he regained his energy.
Unknown to him, a small creature with the shape of a lizard loomed in the darkness above. The creature crawled down the wall, away from its ceiling perch, and sat silently, contemplating Link’s movements, which were nonexistent save for the moving of his chest. The creature smiled, baring its fangs, and stretched its short stubby legs. It began to twist and disfigure as its body grew to Link’s size. It flexed its lean muscles as it became used to its present form, and it approached Link. It kneeled over and prepared to sink its teeth into Link’s throat when Link’s left hand flew up, his wrist flicking his hidden blade directly into the creature’s skull, straight through its eye. It screeched and flung itself backwards, landing on the ground as it began to morph back into its small form. Link locked the blade back into place on his wrist and pulled his rifle from his back as the creature began to scuttle toward the wall. Link quickly loaded the weapon as the creature began to climb. He rested the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and took aim, following the creature up the
wall. He stopped his sights a distance away from the creature, but in its direct path.
He pulled the trigger, and it kicked back as the small explosion occurred inside the rifle, propelling the bullet out the barrel and through the air, spiraling toward the creature, when it stopped and leapt off the wall, dodging the bullet entirely. It fell through the air, and instead of splattering on the ground, it simply raced to its feet and ran away from Link down the stairs.
Link followed it, balancing running and putting his rifle on his back as he bounded after it. He ran around the column and through the door, which was open slightly. He flung it open further and looked around, trying to find the creature. He couldn’t see anything until the door adjacent to him opened and shut within a second. He barely caught a flash of the creature moving through the doorway.
He ran across the room and flung the door open, not remembering what had happened in the previous room. He had to fling himself sideways in the split second that he remembered the acidic spider, and a spread of spikes flew into the door where he been only a fraction of a second before. He rolled over on his shoulder and pulled his sword out as he stood. In front of him was not the creature that had tried to assassinate him, but an armored Dynalfos. It pivoted toward Link, slinging its tail forward and sending another volley of spikes in Link’s direction. Link sidestepped the spikes and saw that the Dynalfos’ tail was capped with a steel mace head adorned with spikes, some of which were missing, having been slung at Link.
He pulled his shield from his back, and the Dynalfos raised its arm, which had a large gauntlet built to be a multi-use shield. It spun a mid-sized dagger into its hand, and clutched it tightly. It charged after him, and he leapt forward, surging his blade straight out. Their blades clashed, and Link slipped his sword over the Dynalfos’ dagger and into its torso. His blade pushed the Dynalfos back, and it stumbled for a second, which is all Link needed to thrust his blade into a chink in the waist of its armor. His blade sunk in, and he yanked it out as the monster fell to the ground, dead.
Link looked around the room; it was identical to the room on the other side of the sphere room. He climbed up its stairs and found the shape-shifting creature waiting for him. It stood at his height. It wasn’t wearing any armor, only a brown hood that concealed its face. A leather tunic covered its torso and legs. Its forearms, hands, and feet were exposed, leaving Link to see its mottled grey-green skin. Its feet were webbed, and its hands held onto a steel short sword. It hissed and flipped its hood back, revealing its face, which was the kind of face Link would imagine a humanoid lizard to have. Its head was bald, covered in scale-like skin like the rest of its body, and some of its teeth crept out of its mouth, pressing against the sides of its snout. Its left eye was missing, replaced by an eye patch, and Link’s wandering gaze found a suspicious-looking acid green ball on the floor a few meters away. It hissed loudly at Link.