Will you guys PLEASE quit guessing my name? Please? XD
Well, I'm VERY, VERY unsatisfied with the ending of Chapter 10. I just couldn't find a suitable way to end it -_- so keep that in mind...
Note: Twilight Messengers are the enemies that make portals when you defeat them.
Chapter 10
"What is this place?" Link stared at the valley in shock and awe; the regular orange light had faded, replaced with one nearer to that of the Light Realm. A field of white flowers grew near a small stream, green grass and trees surrounding it. "It looks like..."
"Hyrule," finished Midna. He nodded.
"That's because this is the Valley of Light; it is a reminder from the Goddesses of what we lost when they threw us into the Twilight Realm." She paused. "My parents... they came here many times. I could never understand why; the light seemed so... harsh... compared to the twilight. But now, I think I understand... light is just as beautiful as twilight in its own way."
Link smiled. "You've definitely changed. The Midna I met back when I was a wolf would have killed herself before saying what you just said."
The princess stuck her tongue out at him. "I'd still never admit something like that to anyone else," she replied, and moved past the flower bed. Link followed her, taking in the sight of a place so like his birthplace, yet still so foreign. As they delved further and further into the valley his thoughts slowly wandered back to the loved ones he'd left behind. Ilia was probably worrying herself sick because of his disappearance; in fact, the entire village was probably worried about him. Zelda, he assumed, was managing Hyrule as best she could; as long as she ruled the country was in good hands. Telma was still managing her bar - mooning over Renado, he guessed - while the shaman was leading his normal life in Kakikiro along with his daughter.
"Link? Is something wrong?" Midna looked at him, concerned; the hero had slowed down, head bowed.
Link's head snapped up. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I'm fine, really."
Stop it, he ordered himself angrily.
Now Midna's worried about you. You're here, and they're back in Hyrule. They're all doing well without you, so quit your worrying! The hero forced a smile onto his face and walked past Midna. "Which way?" he asked, changing the subject. The princess motioned towards the end of the valley, where two streams merged into a roaring river, swallowing everything in its path without remorse.
"All right, let's go then."
The princess lingered behind for a moment, her amber eyes fixed on the white flower field. She knew Link was lying to her; it was plain as day he missed his friends, yet the hero didn't want to talk about it. They'd been completely open with each other up until now; the thought that Link had deliberately shut her out hurt. The princess knew that he'd kept his feelings a secret because he thought he'd hurt her.
As much as I appreciate that, I'd rather have the truth instead. When will he get it through that thick skull of his that he doesn't have to lie to protect me? Midna sighed.
I'll talk to him about it after we free the Shadow Beast, she decided, then turned to follow Link.
----------
Atop a cliff, a horned warrior watched as Link and Midna traversed the terrain, his features unchanging. With one arm he motioned at the pair; the Twilight Messengers behind him let out a scream and scuttled forward, spilling down the sides of the cliffs. Hundreds of them crowded together on the ground as the plump green warlord made his way down, gigantic battle axe in hand. He grunted and gestured at the path Link and Midna had taken, then slammed his axe on the ground. The Twilight Messengers stared blankly at him, lost.
Grumbling, the warlord cleared his throat, a gutteral growl issuing forth as he said, "Attack."
----------
Link's eyes widened as he heard the familiar screams of the Twilight Messengers.
"Oh, no," breathed Midna, her face pale. "Zant must have left his army here to stop us!"
The Hero of Twilight stared at her. "Zant has an army?"
She stared back at him in shock. "I didn't tell you? I thought I'd mentioned that after the arena..."
Link counted the events on his fingers. "Let's see... I defeated Orthos, then fought Cesar when Zant interrupted the battle... then we found out about Majora and set off to find out how Zant got the sorcerer's power. No, I don't think you told me."
"All right. Remember the fighting going on at the palace?" Midna scanned their surroundings nervously; not a single enemy was in sight yet, but it was only a matter of time. "This is the same army that attacked the palace! They withdrew after you defeated Orthos; I should have guessed that Zant was the one leading them and had called them back to guard the Shadow Beasts." The princess readied her magic as the first Twilight Messenger appeared over the hill behind them.
"You're okay with doing this? They're your people," said Link, notching an arrow to his bow and letting it fly. The rest of the Messengers were coming over the hill in droves, a rippling black tide that blotted out the greenery of the valley.
"Of course I'm not okay with doing this, but we don't have a choice!" she snapped, and sent several balls of shadow magic hurtling into the mass of creatures. "It's like before; them or us!"
Link hurled himself into the fray, his obsidian blade flashing in the light. The emerald glow that surrounded the sword flared to life as the hero cut down several Messengers with a single spin attack. He backflipped away from the claws of one and leapt into the air, bringing his sword down with such force that shockwaves rippled across the ground, knocking all within the blast radius onto the ground. The Hero of Twilight pulled out a bomb and lit it, throwing it into the crowd. Several moments later it exploded, turning those unfortunate enough to be near it into blue specks that simply floated into the sky. Link sent the two Messengers in front of him reeling away with a blast from his Gale Boomerang, then whirled around in time to gut a Messenger in the stomach before its claws tore him to shreds.
There's just too many of them! thought Link as he fended off an attack from another creature. Suddenly, without warning, he was picked up and tossed into the air. Twisting in midflight, Link buried the Sacred Beast Sword into the skull of a Messenger and slammed his shield into another, stunning it for the moment. Retrieving his sword, the Hero of Twilight prepared to face the incoming wave.
Midna blasted her enemies back with powerful bursts of shadow magic, then drew on the power of the earth to impale them with stalagmites. Several phantom blades whirled around her, shredding any creatures that ventured too close to her. Shocking row after row with lightning, she released the blades, skewering beast after beast as they flew threw enemy lines. Drawing upon the power of the river, she sent torrents of water cascading onto the Messengers' heads, breaking their bones with sheer water pressure. With each spell her body grew weaker, but the creatures kept coming, reinforcements threatening to overpower her as she staggered backwards, her legs threatening to give out at any moment. Making her way towards Link, she hurled several fireballs into the crowd.
"This is hopeless!" shouted Link above the din of battle cries. Though he and Midna stood back to back, it was nearly impossible for them to hear one another amidst the cries of the creatures. No matter how many Messengers they felled, several more appeared to take their places.
"Link?" Midna's hands were shaking as she eyed the Fused Shadows in desperation.
I can barely stand as it is... but I don't think there's any other way.
"What?" The Hero of Twilight hacked away at the nearest Messengers, his arms growing heavier with each swing.
"I'm sorry." The relics of her family froze in place around the princess' head. In the blink of an eye she vanished, replaced by the towering Fused Shadow Beast. With a loud roar it brought out its spear and buried it in the ground, a blazing field of fire engulfing the area. Link closed his eyes, the sheer brightness of the flames nearily blinding him. As the brightness faded, he opened his eyes - every Twilight Messenger lay dead, their bodies strewn across the battlefield. And laying among them -
"Goddesses, no," he whispered, and ran to Midna's fallen body. Dropping to his knees he picked her up, resting her head on his lap. She coughed weakly, a weary smile spreading itself across her face. "I overdid it again, didn't I?" she said, her voice little more than a whisper.
"What were you thinking?!" he shouted. "You nearly killed yourself!"
"I was thinking.... it'd be nice if you stopped shouting. It's hurting my head, you know," she replied, eyes dancing.
"That's not funny!" he snapped, but lowered his voice. "Don't you ever do that again," he said. "I thought you were..." he trailed off, seeing Midna's amused look.
"Really, Link? You
really thought I was dead?" She rolled her eyes. "I would have hoped you'd learned that I'm hard to kill by now."
Despite the seriousness of the moment, Link had to grin. "Yeah, yeah, all right." Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a bottle full of red potion and eyed it warily. The medicine had been made to cure Hylians; he had no idea how it would affect a Twili such as Midna. The hero shifted it from one hand to the other, hesitant to hand it to her.
"Oh, just give it to me," she said, exasperated. "I don't think there's any way I could feel worse right now." Snatching the bottle from his hands, she drained it in a single gulp.
"That's terrible!" she squeaked, making a face. "How do you drink this stuff, Link?"
He shrugged. "It was either drink it or die most of the time. Feel better?"
Midna nodded, strength surging anew through her body. "Why didn't you give this to me yesterday, anyway?" she asked, sitting up.
"That potion was only for desperate times," he replied. "I've got nothing left in any of my bottles."
Before she could say anything else a loud scream pierced the valley as the Twilight Messenger that had stealthily crept up behind Link dropped to the ground, dead.
"What the -?!" Link scrambled to his feet, sword drawn. The warlord stood above its lifeless corpse, axe resting on one shoulder.
Link hesitated, then made a slight bow. "King Bulbin, I owe you my life." Though the warlord and the Hero of Twilight had clashed numerous times throughout the quest to save Hyrule, they had walked away as equals.
King Bulbin snorted. "Thanks not needed. I serve the strongest," he said gruffly. "Until now, sorcerer the strongest." He pointed at Midna, then Link. "You two combined stronger."
The princess whispered something to Link.
"You don't know if there's a.... erm... big.... black.... thing.... around here, do you?" asked the Hylian. Midna winced at Link's wording.
"Shadow Beast there." King Bulbin pointed at the place where the two rivers converged. The princess blinked.
"How do you know about the Shadow Beast?" she asked, curious.
"Sorcerer said so. Now go. I will finish other enemies." The warlord stomped off, axe in hand. Link watched him go for a moment before picking his love up and starting towards the river.
"Put me down! I can walk!" protested Midna, but fell silent under Link's stern gaze.
"You need to rest," he said as the Shadow Beast faded into view above the rivers, antlers gleaming in the light.
"Great Ion," said Midna reverently. The stag snorted.
"I know why you have come, Princess of Twilight. And I'm afraid I cannot allow you to take my power."
Link looked at Ion, dumbfounded at his prompt refusal. "Why not?"
"Who is to say whether you will use such power in the name of justice? Unlike my brethren, I do not trust easily; I have seen the wrongs committed in the name of righteousness. You aim to defeat Zant... but what will you do with the sword afterwards?"
Link drew back, startled. "I .... haven't thought about it, exactly. I guess I'd keep it if ever danger arises," replied the Hero of Twilight.
"But what will you do with it?" pressed the Shadow Beast, silver eyes boring down upon the Hylian.
"... protect the ones I love."
Ion nodded. "A noble cause indeed... but even the best intentions can result in tragedy."
Midna was livid with anger; jumping out of Link's arms, she marched up to the stag, her face a mask of fury. "Ion, what is your duty?" demanded the princess, struggling to keep her anger in control.
"To protect the Twilight Realm. Do not presume I do not know that. The blade may be used for good.... up to a point. Who can say whether the Hero of Twilight will continue to be a champion of the Goddesses? If he falls into darkness, this world is doomed."
Link's face had suddenly turned pale. Ion turned away and walked into the river once more, fading away as quickly as he had appeared. "I cannot take that risk."
Midna opened her mouth to utter an angry retort when Link motioned for her to follow him. "What?" she hissed as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Ion's right." Link let out a heavy sigh. "The thought's crossed my mind several times, but when Ion put it that way...."
Midna folded her arms. "Just get to the point, Link."
"Midna, how many people do we know that can beat me?"
She looked at him blankly.
"Rusl could hold me back for five seconds; Cesar, maybe a few minutes. King Bulbin could beat me if I was weakened enough, maybe." Link stared off into the distance, dark veils drawing themselves around his thoughts.
"What are you getting at?" she asked, understanding starting to filter into her mind. The hero exhaled and turned to the princess.
"I'm saying that there's no one left to stop me if I ever fall from the grace of the Goddesses, and that scares me, Midna."
Midna's eyes were blazing now, bright amber pools that threatened to engulf him. "You're wrong, Link; there's one person who can," she said hotly.
"Who?" asked Link dismally, past caring about the answer.
The princess drew back one hand and slapped him lightly. "Me."
Link's head jerked up, eyes wide.
"It's
me, you idiot! What, you didn't think I wouldn't try and stop you? If you ever fall into darkness Rusl and Cesar won't get a chance to kill you
because I will kill you first for ever letting something like that happen to you!" She paused, taking a deep breath. "I will always be with you, Link, and if you ever need me to stop you, I will, but it won't come to that. Do you hear me, wolf boy?"
He looked up at her; the dark veil cast over his thoughts vanished, driven back by the light of her revelations. "Midna...." he whispered, wrapping his arms around her in a fierce hug. They stood together, locked in their embrace, for a full minute. The princess let him hold her, waiting patiently until at last the hero had composed himself once more. "Are you okay now?" she asked as he pulled away. Link nodded.
"Link, will you promise me one thing?"
"Anything."
"Don't lie to me about your feelings next time. It's perfectly fine with me if you miss your friends."
Link opened his mouth and closed it again. "You knew?" he asked quietly, averting his gaze.
She shrugged. "What did you expect? After all the time we've spent together, did you really think I wouldn't know you're lying?"
The hero sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry."
Midna shook her head. "You don't need apologize. Just... don't do it again." She turned her gaze back to the river. "Now we just need to convince Ion to lend us his power," she murmured.
"You've already convinced me," came Ion's voice. The Shadow Beast appeared next to them as the Sacred Beast Sword, tucked away in its sheath, began to glow with a soft blue light. "Your words, O Princess of Twilight - they had the ring of truth to them. As long as you are with the Hero of Twilight, then I am sure my power will not be misused." The stag fixed one large silver eye on Link. "Do not prove my judgement to be erroneous. Farewell." In a single bound the stag dove into the water, vanishing into its clear depths.
"Wait," called Midna, looking at the desolation that had overtaken the once-beautiful valley. Trees had been burnt to ashes, the earth scorched by the raging flames. Countless bodies littered the battlefield, a testament to the power of the Fused Shadows. "Is there anything you can do about the valley, great Ion?" asked Midna in desperation.
"Plant the sword in the ground." Ion's voice echoed throughout the valley as Link obeyed the stag's command. The instant the blade touched the scorched earth the land sprung to life, the trees and greenery restoring themselves to their former glory in the blink of an eye. The Twilight Messengers shrunk and twisted until at last they had assumed their normal Twili forms.
"I sheltered as many as I could from harm. Zant's influence still lingers over them; they shall sleep until it has been removed completely."
Link retrieved his sword, sheathing it once more.
"Ion... thank you..." whispered Midna, and eyed the Fused Shadows warily. "Link, when this is over... I'm going to throw these in the deepest, darkest vault I know of. Their power is too much for any one person to handle."
The Hylian said nothing; after all, it was her decision to make.
"The last Shadow Beast is... by Mount Mjollnir. Let's go, Link!"
Chapter 11
Mount Mjollnir loomed before them, gray clouds circling the summit; set at the base was a small cave. "The Shadow Beast, Xenos, resides in there," said Midna. Much to Link's surprise, it was unguarded; not even a single bokoblin was in sight. Silently they advanced into the cave, making their way through the narrow, twisting tunnels as quickly as they could. At last they stood before the sacred spring, several sols floating in the air to provide adequate lighting.
"Welcome, Princess of Twilight. And you, courageous hero." The last Shadow Beast swooped down from the ceiling, landing before them with a thunderous crash. Folding its massive reptilian wings, the dragon lowered its head until at last it was at eye level with the couple. "You have done well to make it this far."
Link was staring at the dragon in a state akin to shock. "Why haven't you been sealed?"
In response Xenos let out a long, deafening roar, so powerful that Link and Midna were nearly swept out of the cave. "Me? Zant is but a fly when compared to my power; he would no sooner attempt to seal me than attempt to eat lava," scoffed the dragon, tail swishing on the ground.
"O Xenos, wisest and most powerful of all Shadow Beasts - will you lend us your power?" asked Midna, wording her plea to flatter the dragon. Xenos let out a puff of smoke and touched the Sacred Beast Sword with his nose. The sword flashed flashed once, then began to shine with a black aura.
"It is done; once again, the sword of darkness shines with its sinister radiance..."
Link blinked. "Sword of darkness?"
"Purified darkness," corrected Xenos. "It can cut through anything except that which it is made from. Now go - Zant sits alone on his throne; save this world from his malevolent intentions!"
--------
Link and Midna eyed the large castle in front of them incredulously.
"Link, tell me I'm not hallucinating; there's really no door here, right?"
The Hero of Twilight scratched his head, bewildered. "I don't see a door either. Then again, this is Zant's castle; who knows what act of insanity caused him not to build a door...?" The Hylian had drawn his sword, eying the solid rock face in front of him. With three quick slashes the rock fell away to reveal a well-lit passage leading further inside. Link nodded to the princess. They advanced inside, constantly on guard for any enemy or trap that Zant had set for them. However, every word of Ikaro's story had been true - not a single living soul stood guard inside the castle, nor were there traps anywhere. Within minutes they'd reached the door to the throne room.
"So... he did keep it after all..." said Midna softly. Sitting on a small table next to the door was a locket. Link picked it up, inspecting the intricate engraving on the cover. Inside was a small portrait of a smiling young girl and boy, standing outside of the Palace of Twilight.
"There's a story behind that portrait..." continued the princess, staring off into space as she began to reminisce. "Once, there was a lonely little girl who had nothing better to do than cause mischief. And one day, she met a little boy."
Breathing heavily, the girl darted through a door and softly closed it behind her, sweeping her gaze over the room for a way out. Nothing. Of all the times to run into a dead end, she fumed.
"Where'd that brat go?! It took me three months to finish that painting!" came an angry voice from close by. Suppressing a giggle, the girl slowly edged away from the door - and tripped over a soft, warm bundle of blankets. She fell to the floor with an audible thud as a small head poked its head out from under the blankets.
"Sorrysorrysorry, I didn't mean to sleep..." he began, and stopped as he saw the girl staring up at him. "Who are you?" he asked, almost timidly.
"Don't just look at me, help me up!" ordered the girl. Getting to his feet, he pulled her up easily.
"Who are you?" he asked again.
"I'm Midna."
"The princess?!" The boy's eyes widened in disbelief. "You shouldn't be down here! If you get caught -"
"I realize
that, stupid!" Midna rolled her eyes. "Look... um... what's your name again?"
"Zant." He looked back at the door as loud footsteps approached. Turning back to Midna, he said quickly, "Follow me!" Grinning, he tapped a stone hidden behind a tapestry. The wall next to them faded away to reveal a small passage, illuminated by a single sol. Wordlessly they entered the passage, the wall fading back into place behind them.
"Zant, how did you know about this?" demanded Midna. He shrugged.
"I know all the passages in the palace, princess. You learn a lot when you have as much free time as I do."
They'd reached the end of the hall; Zant reached up and tapped a glowing red stone. The wall in front of them faded away to reveal a large storeroom, barrels and boxes of ingredients placed on the shelves.
"You can take it from here, right?"
She looked at him oddly. "You're... not like everyone else, are you? All the kids I know stay away from me..."
The boy shrugged once more. "I guess not." He extended one hand out to her. "Friends?"
She shook it without a second thought. "Friends."
"Zant was my first - and basically only - friend when I was growing up. Whenever I'd cause mischief, he'd tag along to bail me out if I ever got into trouble. As we grew older, Zant and I had less and less free time - he was a servant, I had my duties as the Princess of Twilight. But one day, when I had arranged to play a prank on the council...."
"So what's the plan today, Midna?" asked Zant, plopping down on a chair next to her. Midna shrugged, an evil grin on her face.
"Nothing much - playing a few pranks on the council, that's all," she replied. Zant let out a cackle of glee.
"Oh, this'll be rich! What are we doing?"
Quickly the princess outlined the plan. When she'd finished a sinister smile had grown on Zant's face.
"That's brilliant, you know that?" he said.
"Did you expect any less?" she replied playfully, brushing her hair back. "Now, let's get going - the council's meeting will start in five minutes."
Before she could walk off Zant fished a gold locket out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Take it, as a sign of our friendship," he said as Midna gasped.
"Zant... this is..." The princess opened it; inside was a small portrait of Midna and Zant, smiling in front of the Palace of Twilight. "Did you draw this...?"
He nodded.
"... thank you, it's beautiful." She donned the locket, feeling its weight settle against her chest. "All right, let's go!"
"As we grew older, Zant... changed. I made the mistake of mentioning the ancient magic to him... after that, he became obsessed with attaining its power. I rarely saw him after that... until the day the council rejected him as a potential king."
Zant walked towards the princess, his arms trembling. "They rejected me," he said tonelessly. "They chose you
over me." A hint of anger crept into his voice as he continued. "They said I was too ambitious, too willing to assume power." Then he exploded. "Those old fools! Don't they see that ambition is what we NEED?! We've been stuck in a rut for so many years now; tell me, Midna, how many advances have we made since we were cast into this... forsaken place?!"
Midna stared at him as if he were a total stranger. "I wouldn't know."
Zant threw his head back and laughed. "None, that's how many! The Twili have become too complacent, too lax! And yet those old fools can't see that!" He took her hand in his own. "Marry me, Midna. You of all people should know I'd make a good king."
The princess jerked her hand free. "Zant, are you insane? Do you really believe that after I've seen you act like this I would think you would ever make a good king?!" She shook her head. "We're friends, Zant... and that's all we'll ever be. I can't marry you..."
And suddenly he had his hands around Midna's throat. "I said marry me!"
Calling upon the power of the one Fused Shadow in her possession, she blasted him back with a ball of shadow magic. Midna fell to the ground, gasping for breath, as Zant picked himself up off the floor.
"You're not the person I knew before," she said quietly, and with a single movement unclasped the necklace that held the locket around her neck. It fell to the ground with a soft thunk. "Get out, Zant."
He looked at her for a moment as his hands balled into fists. "You'd throw away our friendship?"
Midna shook her head. "No. I'm not throwing away my friendship with the Zant I knew. I'm throwing it away with the person you've become. You're not Zant.
Now get out before I summon the guards!" The princess abruptly turned on her heel and walked away.
"There may come a day when you'll regret what you've done!" shouted Zant, shaking with rage. The princess kept walking, leaving Zant alone on the balcony. Throwing his head back, he screamed incoherent words at the sky until a glowing face of yellow fire appeared before him......
"Two weeks later, Zant invaded the Palace of Twilight, turned me into an imp, and... well, you know the rest, Link." Midna had closed her eyes, resting against the wall.
"Can you do this?" he asked carefully. She nodded.
"Of course I can." She let out a sigh. "The memories were just too much, I guess. It's better to have them come out now rather than later." Midna turned her attention to the door. "Ready?"
Link's grip on his sword tightened; with a quick slash of his blade the door fell away and he stormed into the throne room, eyes alight with determination. Zant rested on his throne, his helmet nowhere in sight.
"So glad you could join me," spat the madman, his twin scimitars perched precariously on the armrests of the throne. He stood and paced back and forth, muttering to himself. Clearing his throat, Zant glared at the pair. "I present my offer once more - surrender and live under my rule, or perish." The sorcerer eyed Midna. "Be my queen, Midna, or face a painful death."
"Never," she hissed, the Fused Shadows floating around her. Sensing her anger, they began to store energy in preparation for the fight.
"You dare to reject me?!" he shouted, cocking his head to one side.
"You really thought we'd accept those terms? You're even more insane than I thought!" shouted Link, pointing the Sacred Beast Sword at Zant. "After all you've done, you deserve to die!"
At this Zant's eyes narrowed. "I am dead!" he screamed, ripping part of his robe away to reveal a gaping hole through his chest. "Remember this, princess?" He stuck one arm through the hole. "This was where you killed me with the magic of our ancestors!" Zant let out a manic laugh. "You couldn't imagine the pain! One moment, part of the living...." The Twili began to flap his arms like a bird. "The next, floundering in that endless abyss, the void!" The sorcerer bent backwards until his head touched the ground, wild eyes staring at the ceiling. "It was there I met my benefactor, the legendary sorcerer Majora."
At the mention of his name, Link scanned the room for any sign of the dark mage.
Where is Majora, anyway? he wondered briefly before turning his attention back to Zant.
"He offered me a proposition - I could have his power and the Twilight Realm itself... if I would set him free." Zant let out a humourless laugh. "For all his power, he could not free himself out of the void - no, he could only send those unfortunate enough to be cast into the void back to do his bidding." The deranged sorcerer drew himself upright, snatching his scimitars from the throne. "I accepted, of course; how could I not take the offer? Majora sent me back as I was - dead. Tell me, Hero of Twilight - can you kill what is already dead?"
Link grunted. "You'd be surprised what I can do," he replied, every muscle in his body tensing.
Soon, whispered his mind.
The fight will begin soon.
"Where's Majora?" demanded Midna. "He's not here, obviously, or he would have never let us take two steps into the throne room."
Zant smiled, a sinister smile that send chills down her spine. "Why, funny you should ask that." His eyes locked with Link's. "He's in Hyrule."
The Hylian froze, unwilling to believe what he'd just heard. "What did you just say?" asked Link, his voice trembling. Zant smirked.
"Didn't catch that the first time? Majora is in Hyrule, you miserable excuse for a hero, plunging that despicable land into darkness!"
"No," growled Link, refusing to believe it. "No! Shut up and fight!" he shouted, charging at the sorcerer with such fury that Zant stood frozen with shock. Recovering, the Twili raised his scimitars in preparation to strike.
"So be it," growled Zant. With a clash and shower of sparks, the battle for the Twilight Realm had begun.