Chapter 4: Return to the Black City

Link landed on the stone surface and drew his sword. He looked around very warily, moving his head from side to side, searching for Tael. He spotted the beast about 50 feet away, staring up at the bridge that was now above him.

"Look, Link! There's the door!" Skull Kid pointed to a door down by where Tael was standing.

"Alright, but I don't want to alert Tael, I mean he, or maybe I should call him an 'it', could probably kill us if it wanted to," Link noted, a little scared now that he realized what he was after. He wanted to get all his weapons back. Surely, though, Tael would know what he was doing. Unless…

"Skull Kid I have an idea! You're faster than me, right?" Link asked quickly.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so, why?"

"If you could get Tael's attention, and run while it chases you, I could see if that door is the right door," Link replied. Skull Kid scratched his head and thought for a moment.

"Fine. I'll do it. But you'd better kill the thing when you get your items back!" Skull Kid exclaimed, giving Link an evil eye.

"Don't worry, if I get my items back, then I'll warp us out of here," Link assured the Skull Kid.

"Ok, go lure him away so I can search this place," Link said as he crouched and waited for the Skull Kid to jump down over the stone ledge. Link army crawled to the edge and watched as the Skull Kid slowly snuck up behind the Beast.

"Hey, Tael!" Skull kid shouted. "Come get me!" Tael's claws grew about half the size of Skull Kid and it let out a blood curdling screech. Skull Kid ran like mad, finally disappearing around a corner, Tael right on his heels. Link took this chance: He jumped off the ledge and dashed to the door. Before him was a large, steep, spiraling staircase. Link began climbing, and about ten minutes later, huffing and puffing, he reached the top. He was in a room with a giant throne on both the floor and the ceiling, and right in the middle of the room on the wall was a blood red gem.

"What! So they knew! This must be why they captured me! At some point, they wanted me to turn this place upside down!" Link was furious. He should've known this when he saw the table on the ceiling. That thought made him remember what he was looking for. He spotted a door on the other side of the room, and he rushed over and opened it. There were broken pieces of glass everywhere. And in the midst of the broken glass were… his items! Link gathered all of the masks and weapons and bottles up and stashed them in his pack. He picked up the last thing on the floor, the Fierce Deity's mask.

I wonder if this works here. Link thought. He put the mask on and felt a dark power take hold of him. Next thing he knew, he was the Fierce Deity! He ran to open the door that led outside when he realized that the room was still upside down. He ran back across the room and in doing so, slipped in something wet and fell to the floor, catching himself with his hands. His palms began to burn and sting, and quickly he stood up, stepped back, and examined the floor. The acid from the tub that used to be on the ceiling was now all over the floor here. Link ran back through the door he came in and took off the mask. He knocked a light arrow. He shot the gem and fell to the floor. He ran back through the door to the acid room and ran outside from there. He saw the Skull Kid, who was cornered by Tael. Tael reached out a clawed hand and grabbed the Skull Kid by the neck. Link knew that the scene looked familiar. He knocked a fire arrow and shot Tael's shirt, engulfing it in flames. Tael dropped Skull Kid and Link ran in for the kill. He slashed Tael, but the beast quickly turned around and knocked Link to the ground. Link felt the steel claws on his throat as he closed his eyes, waiting for death. Suddenly, the claw was pulled back. Link opened one eye to see Skull Kid on Tael's back, choking him.

"Ugh- Hurry Link! Do- agh- whatever you have to! I can't hold him much longer!" The Skull Kid shouted to Link. Link pulled out the Fierce Deity's mask and pushed it onto his face. He drew his curved, double bladed sword and pulled Skull Kid off of Tael. He then tapped Tael on the shoulder. Tael turned around and, with a shocked look on his face, muttered, "Huh?" Link hit him in the face with the hilt of his sword, sending Tael to the ground. He then put the Goron mask on and lifted Tael up by the neck, asking in a deep voice, "How do you like it?" He then took off the Goron mask and drew his gilded sword. Tael swung at him. Link blocked it with his shield. Link slashed Tael's hand, slicing it off. He then sliced the other hand off, and finally, in one last gory slash, Link slashed through the top of Tael's head all the way down to the stomach. Tael fell onto the ground without a sound.

"We did it!" Link shouted joyfully. He and the Skull Kid jumped around for about thirty seconds, and then Skull Kid stopped abruptly, staring behind Link.

"What are you-?" Link started to ask, as he whipped around. A white mist in the shape of Tael was standing there. It appeared to be Tael's spirit. Then, without warning, the spirit flew around Link and right into the Skull Kid's body. Skull Kid shook his head, looked down at his hands, and then back up at Link. His eyes were pure white and he grew to twice Link's size. He held his hand out, and a giant sword appeared there. After looking the sword over, Skull Kid began shuffling after Link. Link pulled out his ocarina, and then he realized that he couldn't leave without the Skull Kid. He had no choice but to fight back. He shot an arrow, which Skull Kid pulled out and threw aside. Link had an idea. He knocked a light arrow and shot. The spirit flew out and Skull Kid shrank down to normal size. Link shot the spirit and it disappeared with a scream. Link ran over to the Skull Kid, who was bleeding badly from the arrow wound in his stomach, and crouched down next to him.

"Come on, buddy, it'll be alright. Grab my hand." Link held out his hand and pulled the Skull Kid up carefully. He put Skull Kid's arm around his shoulders and pulled out his ocarina. He played the Song of Healing, although it had no effect. Link then played the Song of Soaring and warped himself and Skull Kid to the Stone Tower. Link laid Skull Kid on the ground and shot the Gem with a light arrow. He quickly rushed over and picked up Skull Kid before the place turned back so that Skull Kid wouldn't be further injured. Then, he warped him and Skull Kid to Clock Town. He ran to West Clock town and set the Skull Kid against the wall by the Trading Post door. He knew he had little time now. He ran in and bought a blue potion. He rushed outside to a closed-eyed Skull Kid and he pressed the bottle to skull Kid's lips. He tipped it back and saw Skull Kid's eyes open.

"Link?" He asked, "Is it over?"

"It's over, buddy, it's over," Link replied softly. The two walked to South clock town and into the clock tower. They began making their way back to the Kokori Forest, where they could finally live a normal life again.

THE END

(Of part 1)

A part 2 of this story will be out soon! I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, and read the next story, too!