The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ~ Love of Light and Shadow - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Forest's Shadow:

Cleansing the Forest Temple

Lhikan and Midna slept the rest of the day away. The moon had already risen by the time Lhikan had awoken. Midna was still asleep in his arms, a dreamy smile, and a rosy blush on her face. Lhikan smiled, lucky and thankful to be her husband. Taking care not to disturb his wife's slumber, he eased himself to a standing position, having regained his strength thanks to his nap. He carried Midna to the river, wanting to at least attempt to clean her up. He stepped into the river, looking at the moonlight reflecting off of the surface of the water. Lhikan smiled, admiring the beauty of the world of light.

It's a pity that when this is all over, we may never return to this place again, he thought, setting Midna down by a large rock by the river's edge. He sat beside her, draping his arm around her shoulder, choosing to wait for her to wake up before bathing with her. He sat with Midna for a few minutes, and then she let out a soft noise, slowly waking up. She reached up to her face, and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up faster. Lhikan looked down at her and smiled.

"Good evening, Midna," he said softly. Midna looked up at him, her face still coated with cum, and smiled.

"Good evening," she giggled. She looked down at her body, as well as her reflection in the water. "Geez. You came so much. But, considering you were backed up for three months, that's not surprising. I'm all sticky though," she said with a grin. Lhikan laughed, kissing Midna's lips, ignoring the semen on her face. Midna didn't hesitate in meeting her husband's lips. They kissed passionately for several minutes, wanting to spend every spare moment they had together before venturing to the Forest Temple to retrieve the second Fused Shadow.

When they broke their kiss, they washed the dried fluids off their bodies, and returned to where their equipment lay beneath the large tree. Lhikan donned his robes once again, putting his shield and sword on his back. Midna picked up the Fused Shadow she had taken from their realm, and put it back on her head, one of her eyes being concealed by the eye of the Shadow. Lhikan pulled his straps tight so they wouldn't slip off his arms, but left himself some breathing room. I can probably find a way to use these in combat, he thought before turning to his wife.

"Ready to go, Midna?" he asked. Midna nodded, and floated onto his shoulders.

"Ready when you are, Lhikan," she answered. With their heads held high, and their minds focused on their ultimate goal, the King and his Princess left their love nest, and began their trek to the Temple of the Forest.

Because it was the middle of the night, Lhikan kept his shield and sword at the ready, knowing that the bokoblins roamed in greater numbers after nightfall. He kept his eyes and ears open to his surroundings, with Midna assisting as a lookout from atop his shoulders. As they crossed the same part of the woods they had hunted shadow insects not twenty-four hours earlier, Midna noted that the area was still mostly blanketed by a noxious, purple miasma.

"The poisonous fog hasn't dissipated yet, Lhikan. I wonder why," she pondered. Lhikan looked over at the fog that blanketed the area.

"I have a couple ideas. Maybe the awakening of the Fused Shadow in the temple caused it. Or maybe some monster within the temple is responsible for creating the miasma," he suggested. Midna nodded, figuring that both explanations were very plausible.

"Guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we, dear?" she asked, adjusting herself on Lhikan's shoulders.

"Yeah. Once we clear the temple of monsters, and get the Shadow, the forest should be back to normal. Faron's burden will have been taken off his shoulders, and we'll be a step closer to putting an end to Zant's supposed reign," he said, anger present in his tone as he mentioned the Usurper King. He had not yet recovered any memories of Zant, but the fact that he would betray his own people and turn them into mindless beasts to be used as soldiers disgusted him.

"We'll stop him. As long as we're together, Zant will fail," Midna said, trying to reassure her husband. His hatred for Zant is understandable. Seeing his wife in such a state would drive any man to want vengeance, she thought. They kept walking, and soon the large tree that was carved out to make the Forest Temple entered their sight. Midna gasped as she gazed at it.

"I had the same reaction the first time I saw it, too. The Forest Temple extends well beyond this single tree, most of the deeper woods consisting of its 'interior'. I've only been inside a couple times, before the monster numbers increased. Ever since, the Temple's been declared off limits until the monsters could be cleared out," Lhikan explained.

"You've been inside? Do you remember the layout?" Midna asked, hoping that Lhikan's brief time in the world of light had provided him with enough knowledge to make their quest easier. Lhikan nodded.

"Yes. But even so, there's no way to tell the kind of resistance we'll run into in there," he said, walking up the path leading to the temple. He found the lack of bokoblins outside unnerving. It's too quiet... I figured that with all the dark energy Zant's been pouring into the world of light, the bokoblins would be out in droves, he thought, keeping his grip tight on his sword and shield. As they reached the entrance to the temple, Lhikan opened the door, and walked inside.

It was very dark within the temple, but Lhikan's Twili eyes easily began to adjust. He and Midna stepped into a chamber near the entrance, and found it filled with large diababa plants. Lhikan quickly began to destroy the plants, as well as the bokoblins near the far end of the chamber. He found that they had been guarding a cage, and inside was a monkey. After breaking open the cage, the monkey began pointing at the door nearby.

"I think she's trying to tell you something, dear," Midna suggested. Lhikan opened the door, and the monkey ran ahead of him

"Whatever she's trying to tell, it seems like she's trying to guide me somewhere, too. What's stranger is I recognize this particular monkey," he murmured. Midna tilted her head in confusion.

"How can you know a monkey?" she asked, genuinely curious. Lhikan chuckled, remembering the incident with Talo the other day.

"It's a long story. For the past few days, monkeys had been causing mischief in Ordona. And about two days ago, Talo, a child from the village, decided to do something about it. He made a play sword out of a stick, and chased after a monkey that had come to the village. But, he didn't anticipate to run into the bokoblins in Faron Woods. He and the monkey were both captured, and were held right outside this very temple. It was this same monkey, too. I recognize her by the flower by her ear," he explained, following the monkey across the next chamber.

He opened the door the monkey was pointing to, and he and Midna found themselves outside again, much deeper into Faron Woods. The monkey began to run across a nearby bridge when a large white monkey appeared on the other side. It raised its arm, holding something in its hand. It was boomerang, and it soon glowed a very dark purple. The monkey threw it, and it severed the ropes holding up the bridge. Luckily, the smaller monkey managed to keep her grip on the planks, and climbed back up to Lhikan.

"Well, that complicates matters..." Lhikan muttered.

"What was a monkey doing with a boomerang anyway?" Midna asked. "And why was it glowing?" she added, remembering the dark glow around the boomerang. Lhikan turned around, following the monkey back the way they had come.

"I'm not sure, but I heard that the Forest Temple was the home of a treasure said to house the power of the Fairy of Winds. That boomerang might've been the treasure, but why it had such a dark aura is a mystery to me as well," he answered. The monkey led them to the west.  After entering another chamber, they found another monkey in a cage atop a pole.

"I think she wants us to rescue her friends, Lhikan," Midna suggested. Lhikan nodded, and rammed the pole with his shoulder. The cage fell off, and broke apart, freeing the monkey that had been trapped within. Lhikan and Midna continued to follow the monkeys around the temple, freeing their friends, and killing every monster they encountered. Eventually, they had freed enough monkeys for them to form a chain and help Lhikan cross the bridge the large white monkey had cut down. The monkeys swung him across the high branches, bringing him to where the larger monkey had run off to.

"Midna..." Lhikan said softly.

"What is it, Lhikan?" Midna replied. Lhikan took a deep breath, and worked out the crick in his neck.

"I want you to stay close to me. Stay in my shadow until the fight is over. No matter what, don't come out, ok?" he asked, his tone serious and firm. Midna understood why he was asking this of her. He was always protective of her. Even when we were young, he always put my safety first, she thought. She got off Lhikan's shoulders, and looked at him. She could see the worry in her husband's eyes.

"If it's what you think is best, I'll stay in your shadow until the coast is clear," she said softly. Lhikan put his hand on Midna's cheek, and kissed her softly. Midna blushed as she retreated into the safety of Lhikan's shadow. Lhikan took a deep breath as he approached the door before him. I will not let harm come to my wife. Zant's done enough to her as it is, he thought. He pushed the door open, and walked inside. No sooner had he entered than thick wooden bars closed over the doorway, sealing him inside.

"Well, shit. This is gonna be tougher than I thought..." he muttered. He suddenly heard the screech of a monkey. He looked towards the center of the chamber, and saw the large white monkey on top of a pole. The creature screeched, and smacked its bright red ass, as if taunting the Twili. Lhikan just blinked in confusion, and then charged the pole, ramming it with his shoulder. The monkey lost its footing, and fell off. Lhikan noticed a large insect attached to the monkey's head. He took it off the monkey, and then stabbed his sword through it.

"Disgusting vermin..." he muttered. The monkey got to its feet, and looked at Lhikan. It screeched, then left the chamber through a hole in the wall. "You're welcome... I guess," Lhikan said, sheathing his sword. He sat down on the ground, leaning against the pole. "Coast is clear, Midna. It's safe for you to come out now," he said, closing his eyes. Midna rose from Lhikan's shadow, and sat in his lap.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked, putting her hand on his cheek. Lhikan held her hand, and looked into his wife's eyes. As he met her amber eyes with his own, he began to remember more of their past together. He saw them as children, Midna still so beautiful despite being so young. The memory was replaced by one of them as teenagers, simply watching the black clouds of the Twilight Realm. The final memory was of their coronation as the Twilight Realm's new leaders. The memories then faded back into Lhikan's subconscious, but he smiled as they returned to the deeper reaches of his mind.

"Everything's fine, my love. I just wanted to take a rest before we pressed onward," he answered, pulling Midna into a tender hug. Midna gasped softly at the sudden action, but quickly snuggled against Lhikan's chest. His memories are returning. That's impossible to deny. He's beginning to remember more about us, she thought, feeling Lhikan's arms around her. She then looked over at the boomerang, which the monkey had dropped. The dark aura surrounding it had disappeared, and a small whirlwind began to form under it.

"Lhikan, look," Midna said, pointing at the boomerang. Lhikan looked over as the boomerang rose into the air.

"I am the Fairy of Winds, whose power resides in this boomerang. You have freed me from a dark influence, and I shall reward you by lending my power to you. Use it well, and with my blessing," came a voice from the boomerang. It then flew around the room, bring a miniature tornado with it. It then flew into Lhikan's hand. Lhikan examined the boomerang, getting a feel for the power it contained.

"So that's the treasure of the Fairy of Winds?" Midna asked. Lhikan nodded, and tossed the boomerang. It flew around the chamber, bringing its whirlwind with it. Within moments, it returned to Lhikan's hand.

"This could come in handy, Midna," he said, getting to his feet. "But now we need to figure a way out of this chamber. I can't break those bars blocking the door, and with the door itself in the way, I don't think we can just pass through the bars," he said. Midna nodded in agreement, and began looking around at the chamber. She noticed a windmill-like device over the door.

"Lhikan, look up there," she said, pointing at the device. Lhikan followed her gesture, and saw the windmill.

"Maybe the boomerang's whirlwind can move it. It might be connected to the bars in some way," he said, readying the boomerang in his hand. As he focused on the device, wind began to swirl around the boomerang as it drew on the Fairy of Winds' power. "Here goes nothing..." he said, giving the boomerang a good throw. It circled the windmill, its wind spinning the device. The bars in front of the door trembled, and then rose, unblocking the door. The mystic boomerang then returned to Lhikan's hand, and the cyclone disappeared. Midna hopped onto Lhikan's shoulders, and giggled.

"Seems like we got a really useful gift from the Fairy of Winds, dear," she said with a smile. Lhikan smiled, and turned the boomerang into twilight particles, storing it in an unseen inventory. They approached the door, and Lhikan pushed it aside, stepping through. After checking the map they had acquired, Lhikan and Midna went east, freeing another monkey in the process. They continued through the temple, freeing the rest of the monkeys from the bokoblins that had taken over the temple.

"That's the last one, Midna. We should be able to make it to the shrine now," Lhikan said, checking the map. They were pretty close to the final chamber, so they went directly there. Upon reaching the door, they noticed it was much larger than any of the others.

"Looks heavy," Midna said. Lhikan didn't answer right away, deep in thought. I can sense strong dark energy beyond this door... The Fused Shadow is definitely inside the shrine. But there's something I don't like about the feeling I'm getting from it, he thought. He could feel the ancient shadow magic of his people, but accompanying that aura was a much darker feeling.

"Midna..." Lhikan said, finally breaking his silence. Midna looked at him.

"Yes, dear?" she asked.

"Get in my shadow..." Lhikan said softly. Midna floated in front of him.

"W-Why? I might be able to help you, Lhikan," she said. Lhikan raised his head to look his wife in the eye. He placed his hand softly upon her cheek, and looked deep into her eyes.

"Don't argue with me, Midna. There is incredible dark power in the shrine. Power well beyond your own in the state you're in. If you got hurt, I would never be able to forgive myself. I'll be fine on my own. Your safety is more important than anything. So please... Please stay inside my shadow until the coast is clear," he said softly, caressing his wife's cheek. Midna looked at her husband, surprised by his attitude. He's so worried about losing me... More worried than I've ever seen him before, she thought. She then held Lhikan's hand, and looked into his crimson eyes.

"Alright. If it'll put your mind at ease, I'll stay in the safety of your shadow until you deal with whatever's in there," she said softly. Lhikan gave her a soft smile, and kissed her softly on the lips. Midna returned her husband's affection. They kissed for maybe a minute before Midna broke the kiss, and retreated into the safety of Lhikan's shadow. Lhikan readied his shield, and drew his sword.

Whatever seems to be guarding the Fused Shadow isn't there by Faron's design. I can sense Zant's hand in this, he thought angrily. He tightened his grip on his sword. Well, whatever it is, I'll show it the power of the true King of Twilight, he thought. With a mighty push, he opened the massive door, and entered the shrine chamber.

Immediately, the familiar stench of the miasma blanketing Faron Woods assailed his nostrils. Whatever the source of the miasma was, it was in the shrine. As Lhikan looked around, he could feel dark energy all around him. The normally crystal clear water of the shrine was a murky purple, and gave off a foul smell. He could sense the power of the Fused Shadow beneath the surface. As he stepped closer to the shrine pool, the water began to bubble and churn. As Lhikan steeled himself for the imminent battle, he felt the Fused Shadow's power approach him. As the surface of the water broke, a massive diababa rose from pool. Its mouth opened, revealing a single giant eye. It let out a deafening roar, shaking the shrine chamber.

"So... you've absorbed the power of the Fused Shadow..." Lhikan murmured, shaking the bangs of his hair out of his face. A fierce gleam appeared in his crimson eyes as he stared down the massive beast. "No matter... I'll cut you down like the overgrown weed you are," he said with a glare. The massive diababa roared as two more giant mouths rose from the water on either side. The other mouths licked their lips, and lunged for Lhikan. Without hesitation or fear, Lhikan swung his blade, severing the massive heads from their stems with two convicted strikes. He then faced the main diababa plant, and glared straight into its single eye.

"That the best you got? I've gotten more of a challenge from Ordonian goats!" he shouted. The diababa roared and began spewing a liquid poison, which Lhikan blocked with his shield. As the liquid was deflected to the ground, it began to eat through the floor. Lhikan waited for an opening in the diababa's defense, and when he saw it, he speared his sword through the monster's single eye. After Lhikan removed his blade, the diababa shrieked and convulsed. Its body then began to harden as the power of the Fused Shadow began to reject it. With a final shriek of agony, the diababa exploded into twilight particles. The particles then drew together, forming the second Fused Shadow. The stone relic slowly floated down to Lhikan. He reached up, and took hold of the artifact, examining it. As his hands made contact, Midna rose from his shadow, sensing the coast to be clear.

"You did it!" she said happily. Lhikan smiled, and held the Fused Shadow between them.

"So this is what we're looking for, huh?" he asked. Midna nodded, her hair turning into a large orange hand. With it, she reached to take the Shadow and store it, but something happened. There was sudden surge of power, and a blinding flash of light that enveloped Lhikan. But the light began to recede, drawing into the body of the King. As its glare began to fade, Midna could see her husband's body begin to stand out from the light. And to her astonishment, he had changed.

His hair, once orange as a raging fire, had turned auburn red, and had even grown longer. New tattoos had appeared on his face, and the pattern of his skin had shifted. And as he opened his eyes, even they had changed. Anyone else would not have been able to tell the difference, but the Princess could. His eyes, normally burning like a crimson sun, now shone with a gentler light, adding regality to his warrior's gaze.

What's happened to him? Did he somehow absorb the power of the Fused Shadow into his own body? Yes, that must be it... Even now, I can feel that his magic has grown stronger, Midna thought as she looked at Lhikan. And as she gazed upon her beloved's new form, a blush crossed her face. This must be my darling's true power... And yet, I don't think it's the limit of what he's capable of. All these years we've been together, and he still finds ways to surprise me, she thought with a smile. As the light from the Fused Shadow fully receded into Lhikan's body, he looked at Midna, and smiled.

"Heh. Seems I haven't forgotten everything, doesn't it? The ability to absorb the power of the Fused Shadows into my own body, and transfer them to new vessels if I choose to..." he said softly as a smirk formed on his lips. "Now I understand why Zant wants us so badly. He wants the powers we share together as the rulers of our realm. Isn't that right, Midna?" he asked. Midna nodded, figuring that it was a very plausible theory.

"It must at least be part of what he's after... After all, he cursed me to diminish my powers considerably. And when you crossed the barrier the first time, he only captured you, rather than killing you outright..." the Princess mused. She then reached up to feel the Shadow that sat on her head. "As much as I would like to have the power of this Shadow within my own body, we'll need the relics themselves before the end," she said as she took hold of the one her husband now held, and stored it in their ethereal inventory. As the Twili looked around, they noticed that the shrine had begun to regain its light, and the water began to turn back to normal.

"Looks like the awakening of the Fused Shadow is what caused that diababa to mutate into such a beast, as well as the increase in numbers to the monsters in this region," Lhikan noted.

"So it seems. And now that the Shadow is in our possession, its power is no longer affecting the temple," Midna replied. Lhikan looked into his wife's eyes, taking a moment to lose himself in their amber beauty.

"Well, since the temple's been cleared, and the natural balance of power restored, shall we leave?" he asked. Midna nodded, and pointed at the ground, opening a portal. She then got on Lhikan's shoulders as he stepped onto the portal, and they were whisked back to Faron's spring.