Chapter 5
The Twilight Forest
A portal opened in the sky as Lhikan and Midna
descended on Ordona's spring. The sun had set, and to their relief, the
twilight veil had not reached the province.
"Good. My theory was right," Lhikan said,
looking around. Midna, still sitting stop her husband's shoulders, looked at
her hands in confusion.
"Strange... I shouldn't be able to exist in the
world of light... Not in this form anyway," she said.
"It may have something to do with the Fused
Shadow you're wearing. It might not be able to restore your full power, but it
may be making you strong enough to exist in the world of light, even in your
current state," Lhikan replied. Midna nodded.
"That's probably it. But at the moment, we need
to talk to this Ordona," she said. Lhikan didn't exactly know how to call
Ordona, but suddenly he heard a voice.
"Come to my spring..." it said. Lhikan and
Midna looked at each other, then approached the spring. The water was cool
against Lhikan's skin. As he approached, several large stones surrounded him, a
barrier extending between them. "Beware, young ones... A shadow beast
approaches..." said the voice. Midna looked up and got Lhikan's attention.
"Above us!" she said. Lhikan looked up at
the portal that had formed. A large black creature dropped from it, landing in
the spring.
"Zant must know we're here," Lhikan said,
readying himself for a fight. The shadow beast lumbered forward. With a roar,
it took a swipe at Lhikan with one of it's long arms. Nimbly dodging to the
side, Lhikan got behind the creature, and wrapped his arm tightly around its
neck. In one harsh motion, Lhikan snapped the shadow beast's neck, killing it
instantly. As it fell, it turned to twilight particles and vanished, leaving
only the portal from whence it came still floating in the sky.
"I thank you for protecting my spring," said
the mysterious voice. A large sphere of light began to rise from the water.
Midna quickly hid in Lhikan's shadow. A form began to shape around the sphere,
becoming a large Ordonian goat.
"You must be the spirit Ordona," Lhikan
said, shielding his eyes.
"I am indeed. Forgive me if my light causes you
pain, but I have an important task for you and your companion," said
Ordona. Lhikan nodded.
"I think I know what you would ask of me. You
want us to help your friends, the other three light spirits. They were targeted
by the Dark King because he knew they could impede his conquest of this
land," he said. Ordona nodded slowly.
"Yes. While you yourself are a denizen of the
realm of shadows, you understand our plight, and the threat this represents to
this world of light. You must enter the twilight that is familiar to you, and
help my brethren. If you return their light, they will be able to rid their
respective territories of the curse placed upon them. Can you do this for
us?" Ordona asked.
"I will do what I can. You have my oath," Lhikan
replied. With one last nod, Ordona returned to his spring, allowing Midna to
come out of hiding.
"So who's the first spirit we need to help,
dear?" she asked, floating next to Lhikan. He looked at her, and kissed
her cheek.
"The closest is Faron. His spring is in the
woods just over the bridge that's nearby. We should go there first,
Midna," he answered. Midna nodded, but hesitated to get on Lhikan's
shoulders.
"Lhikan..." she said softly. Lhikan looked
at his wife, noticing the sad look in her eyes. He gently caressed her cheek.
"Is something wrong, Midna?" he asked,
concern in his voice. Midna looked at him, a definite sadness in her gaze.
"I just wish we had more time to enjoy our
reunion before going to war with one of our own..." she said softly.
"War? But this isn't..." Lhikan began, but
Midna cut him off.
"It's war, dear. Whether or not it will be
remembered by history as such is inconsequential. This is a war between us and
Zant with the world of light caught in the middle. That shadow beast, as well
as the others we will no doubt encounter, are innocent people from both realms
who have been stripped of their true identities, and are being forced to fight
for Zant," she explained. Lhikan looked at where the shadow beast had
fallen before it had disappeared.
"So that creature I killed... It was..."
he asked.
"Yes. It was either a citizen of Hyrule, or one
of our own people... But there is no cure for the curse placed upon them by
Zant. Once they have been turned into one of those monsters... Death is the
only way to be released..." Midna answered sadly. Lhikan closed his eyes.
"And Zant's had more than three months to build
his forces... There's no telling how many innocent bystanders have been bent to
his whim..." he said angrily, clenching his fist. Midna reached up and put
her hands on Lhikan's cheeks.
"We must
stop him, Lhikan. If he is left alive, the worlds of light and shadow will both
fall," she said. Lhikan held Midna's hand in his, and looked deep into her
amber eyes.
"We'll put an end to him, Midna. He is a
disgrace to our people, and he perverts our magic, using it for conquest. We
would be remiss in our duty as the rightful rulers of the Twilight Realm if we
let this continue," he said. Midna smiled, taking her place atop her
husband's shoulders. They left Ordona's spring behind them, and crossed the
large bridge connecting the Ordona and Faron provinces. Within moments, they
came across the very spot where Lhikan had been pulled into the barrier.
"This is it, Lhikan. This is the same place
where you were first pulled into the twilight," Midna said softly. Lhikan
reached with his hand, feeling the barrier pulsate in reaction to his own
shadow magic.
"And this time I will be entering willingly. I
just wish it was under better circumstances..." he murmured, walking
through the barrier. Upon reaching the other side, he felt a familiar sense of
home. But those feelings were laced with disgust at knowing the cause of the
twilight veil.
"It feels like home..." Midna said sadly. Lhikan
kept walking, looking at the woods he had come to know so well; Drowned in the
shadow of his true home.
"But it's not
home, Midna. Not by a long shot..." he replied. Midna got off Lhikan's
shoulders, floating beside him.
"Where's the spring? We need to find it before
more shadow beasts track us down," she said, looking at her husband.
"Listen. I can hear Faron's lament. His spring
is close by," Lhikan said, listening to the sounds of the woods. He could
hear the call of Faron... As well as the sounds of monsters commonly found in
Faron Woods that have been twisted by Zant's curse, and were no doubt stronger
than ever.
"Lead the way, my husband. I shall follow you
no matter where the path ahead leads us," Midna said, holding Lhikan's
hand. Lhikan looked into his wife's eyes, feeling an even greater sense of home
as he looked into her gentle amber eyes.
"I want you to stay close to me, ok? I don't
want to lose you again, my love," he said softly. Midna nodded, and got
back on his shoulders as they proceeded deeper into Faron Province. As they
entered a small clearing, they were suddenly ringed by the same barrier they
encountered at Ordona's spring.
"Damn. They've found us again," Midna
cursed as a portal opened in the sky. Three shadow beasts descended upon them,
quickly surrounding them. Lhikan avoided their strikes, and tried to put some
distance between them in order to come up with a plan of attack. As the beast
closest to him reached out to strike him again, Lhikan took hold of its arm,
and restrained it while he broke its neck as he had the first beast he
encountered. As the second creature reached for him, Lhikan nimbly ducked away,
and got behind it, proceeding to deal with it in the same manner. As he turned
his eye to the final creature, it let out a deafening shriek. To Lhikan's
astonishment, the shriek had restored the life of the fallen beasts.
"Fuck. This isn't getting us anywhere. No
matter how many I take down, if one remains alive, it'll revive the
others..." Lhikan cursed, retreating to the edge of the barrier. Midna got
his attention.
"Darling, if you link your power with mine, I
think I can help you kill them in one chained attack," she suggested. Lhikan
looked back at her, and nodded.
"Let's give it a try, love. I just wish I had a
weapon..." he said, not liking the idea of being unarmed against such
monsters. Midna closed her eyes, and suddenly a shield and sword appeared in Lhikan's
hands; Both were black and adorned with turquoise Twili markings that glowed
with their own power.
"Will these do, my love?" Midna asked her
husband. A smile spread across Lhikan's lips, as he got a feel for his new
equipment.
"They'll do just fine, Midna. Now let's put
these poor souls out of their misery," he said, readying his sword. Midna
nodded, and held on tighter to Lhikan.
"Just focus on linking your magic with mine.
I'll take care of the rest," she said. Lhikan nodded, and began to attempt
to link his magic with Midna's, advancing on the trio of shadow beasts. Midna
grunted, summoning all the strength she could muster. Her orange hair suddenly
became a large hand that began projecting a strange enery field that extended
about two meters around her and Lhikan. Lhikan began to get the idea, and
maneuvered himself to catch all three of the dark creatures in the field. Once
he had, his instincts took over, and he and Midna launched their joint attack.
It all happened in an instant.
With Midna's power augmenting his own, Lhikan lunged
for the nearest shadow beast, cutting it in half at the waist. He quickly
changed his course, slicing through the second beast at the shoulder. Before
the third creature could revive its friends, Lhikan plunged his blade through
its throat, the shriek quickly turning into a gurgling death rattle. As Lhikan
pulled out his sword, the creature fell to the ground. Lhikan flicked his
sword, casting the blood from its blade, as the beasts exploded into twilight
particles, leaving only their portal behind.
"Well... That was an interesting
experience," Lhikan said, putting his sword and shield on his back. Midna
was panting heavily, and nearly fell off Lhikan's shoulders. Lhikan stopped,
and kneeled down, gently taking his wife off his shoulders, laying her down on
the grass. "Are you alright, Midna?" he asked, concern in his voice. She
nodded slowly, trying to catch her breath.
"I'll be alright, Lhikan. That just took a lot
out of me... More than I had expected," she said with a weak smile. Lhikan
smiled, and caressed her cheek.
"You're still as strong-willed as I remember.
At least Zant couldn't take that away
from you," he said, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. Midna
let out a soft moan as she welcomed her husband's kiss. While the kiss was very
brief, it helped to remind her that no matter what her form, she was still his
wife. And that thought alone was enough to give her the strength she needed to
continue their quest.
"We should keep going. We can rest after we
help Faron," she said, getting to her feet. She was a little wobbly, so Lhikan
held her steady.
"You're sure you're alright, love?" he
asked. Midna nodded, but she did not let go of Lhikan's arms just yet.
"As long as I'm with you, my beloved husband, I
can do anything," she said softly. Lhikan smiled, and lifted her off the
ground. Midna smiled sweetly, and floated onto Lhikan's shoulders, resuming her
perch. They resumed walking to Faron's spring, and heard his voice as they
approached.
"You who dwell in shadow... Who have chosen to
defend our world... Come to my spring..." said the voice. Lhikan and Midna
stepped into the calm water of the spring, noting that Faron's sphere of light
was faded and incomplete. "I know why you have come... But the insects of
shadow have stolen my light... If you can retrieve my Tears of Light... I will
be able to dispel the dark curse that blankets my woods... " Faron said,
obviously in an extremely weakened state.
"We'll help you, Faron. The man who brought
this curse upon you is a traitor to our people. We do not condone his actions
of conquest against the world of light," Midna said from atop her perch on
her husband's shoulders. A strange object with many small orbs rose from the
water and drifted towards the two Twili.
"Keep my Tears in this Vessel of Light... When
it is full, return it to me, and my power will be restored," Faron said,
his voice fading until he fell silent.
"The 'shadow insects' are likely scattered
throughout the province. It looks like my knowledge of these woods will prove
very useful," Lhikan said as Midna turned the Vessel into twilight
particles, making it easier to carry.
"By my count, there are sixteen insects we need
to find and kill. Luckily, we'll be able to see them," she said. Lhikan
looked back at her, confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Some creatures of the twilight are hidden,
even within these barriers. The insects we seek are among these creatures.
However, our people are naturally able to see all the creatures of shadow, no
matter how well they can hide," Midna answered. Lhikan nodded, beginning
to understand.
"Well, let's get started. As much as I'd like
to return to our realm, I'd like to say good-bye this twilight as soon as possible," he said with a shudder.
"I agree. This twilight is so very unlike our
home... It chokes this land with its darkness," Midna said, disgust in her
tone. They went deeper into Faron Woods to begin tracking down the insects. It
wasn't hard, considering the bugs were the size of housecats. Within fifteen
minutes, they had tracked down all sixteen bugs, returning the Tears to the
Vessel Faron had given them.
"And that makes sixteen. Looks like we're all
done here, Midna," Lhikan said, checking the Vessel as the last Tear fell
into the last empty sphere. Midna smiled, and got off Lhikan's shoulders,
floating beside him.
"I wish I could see Faron myself. But exposure
to such powerful light in my current state could prove fatal," Midna said.
Lhikan held her hand, looking into her eyes. Her eyes... They're as beautiful as I remember, he thought. Midna
began to blush a light pink as she met her husband's gaze.
"You'll have your old body back soon, Midna. I
swear it," Lhikan said, trying to comfort her. Midna smiled at him. He
cares so much for me... Even in this form, he loves me... I am truly lucky to
be his wife, she thought happily. Turning the Vessel into twilight
particles once again, Lhikan freed his hands so he could embrace his wife. He
took Midna's hand, and pulled her in close. She let out a soft gasp, the sudden
action taking her by surprise. But, she welcomed it, and nuzzled against Lhikan's
chest. Lhikan walked back to Faron's spring, holding Midna in his arms.
As they approached, the Vessel was drawn from their
possession, and returned to the water. As they watched, the veil of twilight
began to vanish, being replaced by the morning's warm light. To Lhikan's
astonishment, as the light returned, he found himself donned in voluminous black
robes adorned with turquoise Twili patterns. The robes were open to expose the
form-fitting black bodysuit beneath, and billowed around him in the breeze. He
was also wearing pants of black silk, and his arms had several leather straps
wrapped around them, each with metal studs. This
must've been what I wore before I came here, he thought. He also noted how
sharp the studs were, figuring he must've used them as a weapon at one point.
Midna noticed the return of her husband's robes, a smile appearing on her face.
"We did it, my love. We've broken Zant's curse
over this area. And you have reclaimed your former attire, as well," she
said. Lhikan smiled.
"Well, at least it looks good on me," he
said. Midna giggled, and dove into her husband's shadow. No sooner had she done
this than Faron's sphere rose from the spring, a large monkey forming around
it.
"O brave warrior of shadow... You have returned
my light, and banished the curse placed upon my land. You have my eternal
thanks. But, there is one more thing I must ask of you," said Faron.
"What is it you would ask of me, Faron?" Lhikan
asked. Faron looked at the former king, as if trying to peer into his soul.
"Your presence in this world at this time
is no coincidence, young king. The one who has usurped your power has caused a
dark power hidden deep within my forest's temple to awaken. I have long been
the guardian of this power, entrusted by the goddesses of Hyrule to protect it
until such a time as it would be needed. Now is that time. If you wish to
defeat the Usurper King, you must acquire this power. Only with it can you
overcome his power..." Faron's voice faded on the wind as he returned to
the waters of his spring.
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