CHAPTER FOUR – Link, the Chosen Hero.

I should probably inform you of what I know about Link. I know all of the tales Midna had told me – she was only too willing to speak of them when I regained my true form. I knew the search for the Fused Shadows – my own an odd parody of it – and I knew of the search for the Mirror of Twilight, of the battle with Zant, of fighting even Zant’s god. I knew of how he and she would fish, and I had heard the first terrifying description of how a horse moved in the hands of an expert. I had heard her congratulating his bravery; I had heard her mocking him for his stupidity. Over all of that, I had heard the tenderness in her voice, and silently hoped that she would discover a Twili who would make her speak in such a way.

That was what my Queen had told me. What I knew of him on my own was only this: he was the youth I had dragged into the Twilight under the rule of Zant. That was all. My mind had been too animalistic back then to understand what and who he was. My mind had not even been able to recognise the symbol of the goddesses on his hand, though the light had repelled me.

Zant had made good use of Midna’s messengers. Few survived to transform back into their normal selves - I being one of them. Many of the survivors – especially the ones who wore the silver heads – had refused to submit to Midna’s rule once everything had been explained to them. Many of them had been crazed – my own father, Daishenka, for example. There was hope for them, but very little. I knew, with no relish, that I might quite possibly be the one to take their lives. Even my father’s.

My work as her Messenger had not been, and would never be, without blood on my hands.

Regardless, that was where I knew Link, the Sacred Beast, the Chosen Hero, the Hero of Time, from. From looking at him in the twisted form of a beast of darkness, or from tales told by my Queen.

Wait. I frowned. Hero of Time? Midna had never once referred to Link as that. Some of the scrolls of my ancestors had mentioned a Hero of Time, but no name had been linked to him. Ha, linked – maybe it was the pun that had caught me.

I ramble now.

I stood in Ordon, looking up at the face of the great Link, and wondered, quite plainly, how a young, open, honest and altogether innocent looking man like he had ever done what I had been told he had. He smiled at me, a bright, dazzling thing with no calculations underneath it, and stuck out his hand.

“Hey.” He greeted. “Welcome to Ordon. I’m Link.” He stood expectantly, as though waiting for something. I didn’t know what. After a while his smile slipped and he lowered his hand, looking a little put-out. “It’s nice to have visitors.” He said, continuing, “Where do you come from?”

Direct. What should I say to him? Hopefully something that would give him a hint as to why I was here. What should I say? I could not say from ‘The Twilight’ – at least not with the others around me. The great land of Twili? Pathetic. Midna’s realm? Too many people could recognise the name if they knew his tales. Perhaps I should simply go with something normal. Not Hyrule. Another land I had read of. “I am Sheik, from Termina.” I said, bowing to him. “I’ve heard of your journey, oh Chosen Hero, and I wished to come and meet you in the flesh, to hear them from your own lips – the tales of saving Light, with a Twilight Princess by your side.” It was a little direct, but Telma had implied that I was some over-excited child at meeting Link, so I decided to act that way.

My words were, as I saw when I rose once more, met with a bemused stare from Link, who gave me an embarrassed smile and a half-shrug. The young boy, the one who had embraced Prince Ralis, was looking at me with large, round and completely disbelieving eyes. Had I said the wrong thing? Had I insulted them all somehow?

Telma bustled round, having handed the wagon over to a stocky man with thick moustaches and carrying a sword and shield himself. She gave a laugh that broke the uneasy silence my words had brought, and shook her head. “Hey, Link.” She grinned. “Sorry about this kid. Just picked him up in Kakariko Village – got hit something nasty on the head and passed out in the Graveyard. Took young Prince Ralis there to find him and bring him back to Renado, who’s just let him out. He’s probably still a bit green in the courteousy department, honey.” I looked at her incredulously – was she making fun of me? – but she seemed to be cheerful enough. It was certain that Link seemed to look a little relieved when she mentioned Renado. It bothered me that I couldn’t get him alone right now, and had to continue to act. I nodded, trying my best to look abashed and shy. It was an act I found humiliating.

Link grinned at Telma. “It’s all right.” He said, shrugging again, much more easily than I had seen previously. “Always great to meet a fan. You’re all right, right?” He said, turning back to me. There was true concern on his face – true concern, and he didn’t even know me. I could see what Midna had meant about his stupidity. Still, I did my best to look abashed – the amount I had covered my face certainly helped with that.

“I’m fine, thank you.” I said lowering my eyes from his face – better to act completely amazed at his presence. I forced myself to even give a humiliating squirm under his attention, as if it meant the world to me. “Just travelling through and got hurt. That’s all.”

I glanced about. Ralis was walking away with his friend, leaving only Telma crowding us at the moment. I hovered there, trying my best to look uncertain, even though I was simply bored. All I wanted to do was talk to Link: ask him about the Fused Shadow, and then just move on. That’s all I wanted to do, not to wait on the formalities of the Light world. But I could act if I needed to. It had just better not last for too long.

Telma tossed back her hair and blew a kiss to Link. “Alright, honey, I’ll leave you with our little foreign cutie. Treat him nice, mind.” She winked at me. “I’ll be off to harass Rusl a bit, then go see Ilia. Sheik, honey, if you need a lift, I’ll be leaving in two days for Hyrule Castle Town.”

“Hey,” Link said, smiling. “Think I’m not good enough to escort people any more?”

Telma laughed, “No, honey, but you shouldn’t risk your fine ass around some of the creeps there.” She blew him another kiss, and then walked off, chuckling a little to herself.

Link laughed, shaking his head, before turning his attention back to me. I let him take as good a look at me as he pleased – I doubted he would be able to suss anything out from me by my clothes alone. The Sheikah Eye on my chest proved to be of great interest to him, and he reached out as if to touch it. My stomach gave an uneasy flip and I stepped back fluidly, not comfortable with him touching me. He gave me an abashed smile and lowered his hand.

“That common, where you’re from?” He asked, as if trying to break the ice. I decided to be truthful.

“No. Not very.”

“Oh, right.” He shrugged. “I’ve seen a few people with it – Princess Zelda, a fortune teller, um, a – few others.”

“Only those who possess the eye of truth itself can wear its image, where I’m from.”

“Eye of truth?” He asked, tilting his head. I wanted to sigh, but held it back.

“A symbol of a tribe all but extinct.” I explained. “People who have it can see things as they really are, and not as they seem to be. Hidden things, dangerous things, even a lie in someone’s heart.” I looked up at him, and then did sigh. “Can I speak to you in a more… private area? I bring you tidings from the Twilight Princess.”

The way his face switched from politely puzzled to suddenly rapt was almost comical.

“Twilight Princess?” He repeated. “As in… Midna?”

Honestly. How many Twilight Princesses did he think there was? I nodded my head.

He looked around, as though wary that people might overhear. He had no reason to, I supposed. I could always pretend that I, his overly excited fan – the thought made my stomach clench with indignity – simply wanted to know about the rumours of a creature not of this world who supposedly aided him. Nevertheless, look around he did, and then he crooked his finger to me, beckoning me forth.

“This way.” He said, before turning and leading me further along the road. I followed a few steps behind him, reminded vaguely of following behind Midna – three steps behind and one to her left. Daishenka had been the one three steps behind and one to her right, and Zant one step to her left, two before me. Neither of them would ever walk near her again. Only I would remain near her, just as I was near Link. The same honour seemed to rest there, though I had never known Link.

Utter nonsense. If I was lucky, I was Link’s age. The Sheikah could live a long time, true, but I remember that my coming of age had been a scant few years ago. Daishenka had been quite old.

He led me to a small clearing, where another horse was tied up in a small paddock. I stiffened, hoping that we wouldn’t have to go too near it. Despite how placid it looked, it was massive, and could easy crush a man under its hooves. I honestly could not believe how people could keep those monsters so easily. Link only smiled at the animal and then gestured for me to climb the ladder to what I assumed was his house. I glanced at him, but he nodded his head, still smiling easily at me. I did not think he meant me any harm – a quick analysis with the Eye confirmed that – and besides, it would be away from the horse, so I ascended.

His house was comfortable and looked quite cosy, but I stood stiffly in the centre of his sitting room, waiting for him to ascend. I could hear him speaking softly down below, and even a whinny from the horse, which made me think he had to be talking to the stupid thing. Eventually I heard the creak of the ladder as he made his way up.

Closing the door behind him, he kept his eyes on me, and gestured for me to sit. I didn’t, and he leaned against the small table, never once taking his eyes off of me. I met his gaze calmly, and eventually he dropped spoke.

“What do you have to talk about? Is Midna ok?”

A faint smile curved my lips. Midna was right; he was a very sweet person. There was open concern on his face, and a burning passion in his eyes. My stomach twisted, remembering what Telma had said – but it didn’t matter if he loved my Queen or not. He was there so that I could ask him about the Fused Shadows. That was all. Nothing more and nothing less.

“You travelled with my Queen a few years ago, when the throne of the Twilight was usurped.” It was just a statement, not a question. I could see his surprise at the fact I had called Midna my Queen, but did not give him a chance to speak. “When you were with her, she took the form of a small imp, and wore upon her head one part of the Fused Shadows. With her, you sought the other three parts and found them. They were reunited, but the one she had first was broken by the Black King.” I met his eyes again. “My Queen has waited a long while, but it has been weighing heavily on her mind that such a corruptive power to your people rests in your world. She has sent me collect it. Do you have any idea of where it may be?”

Short and to the point. I didn’t want to loiter around this area for too long a time. As soon as he could answer me, I would be out of here to my next location in an instant.

I hoped, at least. Link looked up at me, licked his lips, and then sighed.

“How do I know if you’re telling the truth? You could’ve just made this up from some of the stories you’ve heard. You don’t look like any Twili I’ve ever seen.” And how many Twili had he seen? I wanted to ask, but I kept the barb in my mouth for the time being. As soon as I knew what I needed to, I could be gone. My Queen trusted this one; I suppose I could trust him too.

I raised my hand and tugged down the cowl and shook the hair from my face, letting him see the mottled skin and the glowing flesh. His eyes widened again, but I pushed the cowl back up. “I have Twili blood. Now, tell me. I would not ask if not for my Queen, who once held the Princess Zelda within her heart.” A pause, and I wondered if that was enough. “She gave me this.” I snapped my fingers, holding the black stone out, balanced on my index finger. “She seemed to think you would know about it.”

His face completely changed as he saw the stone. I held it out at full stretch to him, and I noticed he backed away, swallowing slightly. That made me frown. Why would my Queen have sent anything that could have harmed him? Or was it merely just something he didn’t want to see? Or something he thought he never would.

He swallowed.

“I’ll take you to see Princess Zelda soon. She’ll – she’ll know where it is.”