Twilight Princess: Footsteps of a Hero

By: C&P

Author's Note: Fourth chapter. Disclaimer included! I got a copy of the special edition guide to TP, so now I will be able to correctly name many of the enemies that Link fights in the game.

Many thanks to Rokan for helping me on this~

R&R please.

XXXXXXXX

Chapter 4: Link will save us!

Link was not pleased. At all.

He'd been busy following the scent of the Ordonian children, not paying much attention to where he was exactly going, when he'd sprinted right into the middle of three of the most annoying Twilight creatures he'd met yet – Twilit Messengers. They were huge, and when one was left standing alone it would wail and screech, reviving the other two. Once again, Link had to rely on Midna, unwillingly, to kill all three of them before the last one could revive the others. Their remains formed a warp portal in the sky above, but Link hadn't paid much attention to that. He'd gone straight on, hoping he'd be able to find his friends.

The southern plains of the Eldin Province were split in two by the great chasm that snaked its way through various parts of Hyrule. There was a wooden fence and bridge at the chasm, the eastern road continuing on the other side. Unfortunately for Link, the bridge was gone. Not smashed or burned, but gone – as if it had never existed.

"/What's this?!/" Midna demanded when she saw the missing bridge. "/That's strange… The bridge is gone… I wonder if this is the work of those shadow creatures…/"

I wouldn't be surprised, Link thought to himself glumly.

"/Ugh… What a pain! Ah well, let's look for it,/" the female went on. Link looked over his shoulder at her, his expression in his eyes demanding how exactly they were going to do that. "/Is there any place you think you've seen the bridge? I'd rather not waste time portal jumping all over Hyrule!/"

Link felt another urge to take at bite at Midna; he had never really felt aggressive towards anyone before he had met the she-imp. He had never gone farther than the Faron Woods, so how was he supposed to know where the bridge was? He hadn't even seen most of the forests; no one had. It was much too easy to get lost off the main roads and paths…

And then he remembered where he'd seen a strange wall of wood leaning against a rock face on the way to the Forest Temple.

X

The sun was just reaching the edge of the western horizon; he could easily watch its path from where he stood on the northern road to Hyrule Castle. He stood in the shade of the tree that Link had rested under earlier that day. Three others were with him, talking quietly as they stood around on the wooden bridge. They kept looking at the single tower of Hyrule Castle that they could catch glimpses of through the Twilight fog. All four were waiting for their companion; he'd gone down the eastern road a long while ago.

A low whistle reached their ears once the sun was half gone; the group looked to the east. Their companion was jogging towards them, his cloak flowing behind him.

"Did you have any luck?" the leader asked as the man joined them.

"He passed through all right, but I'm still not sure how," the slightly shorter man reported.

"He must have someone helping him from within the darkness then. We'll make camp in the vale nearby; if the eastern wall disappears, we'll know we're on the right track."

X

Traveling through the warp portals was a bit like passing through the Twilight walls. Link could feel the temperature and air pressure change as he was re-materialized onto the bridge, which Midna had transported and restored with her strange powers. As she landed firmly on his back, Link wondered how such a tiny little creature could hold so much power and magic. He reckoned part of it had to deal with the mask she wore – much like the Fused Shadow he had found in the Forest Temple.

"/Isn't the power of Twilight amazing?/" Midna asked Link, making him jump a bit. Could she read his thoughts? He still didn't know too much about her…

Ignoring Midna, he shook his wolf-head and took off at a run, following the scent of the Ordonian children up the road. After a little while they came upon a set of iron gates, shut tight and streaked with a red substance, most likely blood. On the other side of the gate, Link could see glimpses of two of the smaller Twilight creatures, the ones that wield clubs – Twilit Bulbins. He could feel Midna sitting up a little taller in her sitting spot, most likely trying to look around.

"/Huh… What are those two doing there?/" she asked quietly. Link let out a huff of air in response.

"/This is a pretty elaborate gate…/" Midna went on. "/What are they trying to keep in…Or out? I bet it'll be worth our while to dig in…/" She indicated a small, slight dip in the dirt road beneath one side of the gate. Link grunted, darting forward to dig and wiggle his way under the gate; Midna used her shadow form to dart under the gate, reappearing once Link was free of the iron, shaking off the dirt from his thick fur.

Link growled as one of the Twilit Bulbins caught sight of him and Midna; the creature snarled something to its partner as it lunged at Link, club flying. Link easily darted to the side, barking as he jumped on the creature. He snapped its neck with no problems; the beast obviously hadn't been prepared or expected such a strong attack. As its body faded into the Twilight particles floating about, Link pounced on the other beast, pinning it to the ground before snapping its neck too.

"/You're better at this than I'd thought you'd be,/" Midna admitted to Link as he finished. The Hylian-turned-wolf didn't acknowledge her words; the smell of the children was much stronger now, fresher. He turned and darted down the dirt road, following it eastward, deep into a pass with high rock walls on either side. It wasn't too long of a pass; soon Link was within the boundaries of a village. He sprinted right into a group of three of the Twilit Messengers, just like the ones from the bridge area. He quickly dispatched the monsters, drawing on Midna's power and help to take them out. Another portal opened up in the sky.

"/Looks like some sort of town…but there's no one around,/" Midna said, looking around at their surroundings. Everything was dirt, stone, or wood, and most definitely abandoned. To their left the village lay, the main road wide and cutting north. The rock walls were high here as well; the village was nestled against the mountains. Nearby there was a small wooden sign that read in Hylian, "Kakariko Village". Directly in front of Link and Midna was a good-sized building most likely a home. To their right was a large, beautiful two-level spring; floating just above where the water flowed down a small fall into the large pond that fronted the spring was a mass of light particles.

"To the hero…who was transformed into a blue-eyed beast…in the realm of shadows…in Twilight…This way…" a faint voice spoke; it was most definitely the light spirit that Link was supposed to aid. The Hylian-turned-wolf darted forward, trotting through the shallow water. The liquid felt good on his paws, worn from running so much.

X

Seia yawned, stretching where she sat, leaning against the wall at the foot of the right set of stairs of the platform in Renado's house. Renado and the children from Ordon were sitting nearby, the man telling them a story of the old Hylian Knights. Barnes was gazing out the window, watching the dark creatures wander about. Seia hummed to herself a little bit, wishing she'd thought to grab a few books on her last food run.

"Cripes! I don't see those black brutes anywhere…" Barnes said after a while. "They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll FEAST!" One of the children (Seia thought his name was Talo) scooted closer to Renado, obviously frightened by Barnes' words.

"We are safe as long as we remain in here, child. Be at ease," Renado said, his voice calm and soothing. Seia didn't say anything, merely watching and listening. She didn't know exactly how the shaman's powers worked, but for some reason the dark beasts hadn't come inside the house.

Barnes spun around, facing the group as he raised his metal mask he wore when making bombs. "Oh yeah? I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you… They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! Seia's dagger had no affect whatsoever! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh?" he ranted. "Once they attack, it's OVER!"

"Barnes…" Seia said warningly. She knew Renado's patience would soon be tested if the bomb-maker kept up this terror talk. The man ignored her, continuing.

"Remember the lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her!" He paused dramatically. "And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waitin'!" He fell silent for a few moments; Seia saw out of the corner of her eye the young girl (Beth?) shaking and sobbing silently.

"…You connectin' the dots? That means if we get attacked by them, then we'll be…"

"BARNES!" Renado snapped, his voice so loud it filled the spacious room; Seia winced. Renado glared at the bomb-maker, obviously enraged. Barnes gave the shaman a weird look before grunting and turning his face away. Beth began sobbing out loud, covering her face in her hands. Renado gave Barnes a meaningful look; the latter merely gave a shudder and covered his face in his metal mask, leaning against the wall and slinking to the floor.

Seia pushed herself to her feet and went to sit with the young girl, putting her arm around Beth's shoulders. She tried humming a soothing song, not sure what else to do. Her specialty wasn't comforting scared children, though she was just barely older than these.

"Look, Renado… All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?" Barnes asked quietly.

"There is…a cellar," Renado replied stiffly.

Seia was surprised; she hadn't realized that Barnes could move that fast – not until he scrambled forward on all fours towards Renado.

"WHAAT?! You've got a CELLAR?!" the man cried. "Where's the entrance, man?"

"The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all of the candles have been lit…" the shamant informed Barnes, who immediately snatched up a nearby burning torch from a small pile. Running forward, he lit the urn that sat in front of the tall totem that rested in the center of the room.

"…I…would not do that," Luda said gravely. Barnes started at her voice, falling forward on his face. She moved to sit next to Seia as she continued to speak. "When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside…" Her fingers twittered as her hands moved away from her body, describing the movement of the creatures. Barnes skittered backwards in obvious fright, crashing into the wall at the opposite end of the room, back under the window. Seia sighed, shaking her head.

"Don't cry Beth!" one of the young boys (the blonde one… Colin?) was telling the girl next to Seia. "It'll be OK!" From where he was squatting in front of her, he reached to comfort Beth. She shoved his hand away, turning her face towards Renado to sob.

"Link is coming to save us all!" Colin assured her, his voice firm. The others looked at the little blonde boy; Barnes looked confused. Obviously feeling very aware of himself, Colin looked down, mumbling, "I'm sure of it."

X

What none of them realized was that Link was already there, watching and listening to the conversation. But, of course, none of them had realized that they were merely spirits, trapped within the Twilight realm's mysterious powers. Link and Midna had managed to enter the house by reaching the roof (using some fancy footwork on Link's part with Midna's guiding hand) and falling through the covered hole, which Link assumed was to let smoke out and light in.

"/Those kids knew you'd come save them!/" Midna said once the group of spirits had grown quiet. "/What a hero!/" Link looked back over his shoulder at her, wondering how in the world could she be so annoying.

"/How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all… Eee hee hee!/" the she-imp cackled. "/You are chosen by the gods, and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter Twilight. And no one knows what you have done… You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever…/"

Link felt the distinct and familiar urge to snap at Midna – how could she keep pushing his buttons? It was like she could read his mind, pointing out and mocking any of his doubts and fears.

Midna seemed to catch the look in Link's eyes, because she told him in a somewhat nicer tone, "/You're the type to worry about everything, I can tell…but don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs, after all…/" Even if Link could talk (or liked talking), he didn't know how to respond to that comment. He was worried about the Princess, sure – but he wondered why, with all her power that was given to her by the gods, she hadn't chosen to stand and fight against the King of Shadows.

"/Anyway, what's with having to light candles to get to the basement?!/" Midna wondered aloud, drawing Link from his thoughts. She was looking around at the room, wiggling a bit in her seat. "/Not very subtle, is it…/" She paused to smirk at Link and smack his sides playfully. "/So, what are you going to do now? My little lonely hero… Eee hee!/" she cackled.

The insects the one girl had spoken of were probably the ones that Link was searching for, the ones that had stolen Eldin the Light Spirit's power. The girl had spoken of lighting all the lights and going down into the cellar. Assuming that none of them would do anything about it, Link ran over to the torch that lay abandoned on the floor. Making sure the end was adequately lit, he took the torch and ran up onto the platform in the house, running alongside the walls and leaping over the gaps. He made sure the torch made contact with the mounted ones as Link passed them in his leaps.

As soon as Link lit the final wall torch, the large totem in the center of the room began to slide to the side of its own accord, revealing a decent-sized square hole in the stone and dirt floor. He heard gasps from the spirits in the room; he wondered what it would look like if the torches lit on their own and the totem moved. Sometimes he was glad that they couldn't see him – they would obviously be very frightened of this wolf form, but Midna's words still bothered him.

Link hurried forward to jump down into the hole and track down the insects so he could return the Eldin Province to normal.

X

Link really didn't like tracking down the Twilit Parasites; for one, he had to concentrate on his wolf senses to even be able to see the little monsters. They had the annoying tendency of scurrying underground or flying away, often charging themselves with dark energy that knocked Link back a good three or four feet whenever he got too close. They didn't taste very good either – Link hated have to rip them apart with his fangs to release the stolen light baubles. He had to find and kill sixteen of these things. Ugh.

Taking that into account, Link wasn't at all pleased by the various other creatures of Twilight that liked to attack him while he was tracking down the Parasites, especially the Babas and Kargaroks. They didn't taste very good either.

On top of that, Link had blown up what he had assumed to be the bomb-maker's supply shack on the cliff sides of the village. He'd chased three of the Parasites into the small building, where they had hidden in the chimney of the small oven in there. Then, like an idiot, Link lit the oven with a nearby burning torch, causing the insects to fly out, covered in fire…and subsequently set everything else on fire, starting a chain reaction that included explosions. Link and Midna had barely escaped in time before the entire building blew apart. The bugs were killed, but Link still felt rather bad about the whole thing. He silently thanked the gods that the owner of the shack would never know who was the cause of the explosion. Midna, of course, had found the situation very amusing.

After that, Link had a few more insects to track down, so he went through the northern end of the village and headed up the side road into the mountain pass. The temperature rose a little bit as he went deeper into the mountains. There he and Midna came upon the spirit of Gorons, the rock-people that Link had only heard of, but never seen. Midna aided Link in climbing up the high ledges of the pass where cracks and holes in the ground and the walls released bursts of hot steam, easily blasting Link the first time he wasn't paying attention. Link growled in frustration while Midna laughed her annoying head off in amusement.

Once Link reached the chief dwelling area of the Gorons deep within the mountains, he ran into four Twilit Messengers; this time he had to take two of them out separately before using Midna's help to take out the remaining two. Link was getting tired of fighting these things, but he reckoned there would be many more if he was to rid all of Hyrule from the Twilight.

XXXXXXX