Fragments of a Legend

Chapter 15/ The Isle of Ember

I scream as Link, Iquissa, Katya, and Silverio all fall to the ground, dead. Majora raises his blade, wiping it clean of the blood.

I struggle, desperately trying to break free of Sheik's grasp.

"Congratulations, your friends are all dead, because of you," cackles Majora. "Hyrule is doomed to eternal suffering. It's all your fault."

I sob uncontrollably, feeling helpless as Majora repeats, over and over, "It's all your fault."

He lifts his blade, about to execute me -

I sit bolt upright, and look around. I'm panting, out of breath, and bathed in sweat, all because of that horrible nightmare. I close my eyes, and remember, Link, Iquissa, Katya, and Silverio aren't all dead. Sheik is not a traitor.

My heart drops when I find that I've been robbed of all my things; my sword, the Phantom Hourglass, everything.

Surveying my surroundings, I find that I'm in a cell of some sort, built into the side of a mountain. Iron bars prevent my escape.

I've got to get out of here.

I dig at the soil, trying to tunnel under the bars. Then I hear something.

"Taniela! Psst!"

I look through the bars, and see Katya in the cell across from me. She motions for me to move to the side, so I do.

I gasp as a bolt of dark magic zaps the iron bars, causing them to disintegrate. Katya crosses the scorched land between us and slides into my cell.

"Taniela! We've got to get out of here, and find the others."

I see that she's been stripped of her stuff too, and nod. "We'll be better hidden as beasts. Come on."

I morph into my golden wolf form, and she becomes a shadowy leopard. Gingerly, we stalk out of my cell and find that the ones around us are empty. In the distance, black smoke is steaming from the volcano.

"Uh oh. Bokoblins ahead," Katya warns me in my head, as we hide inside one of the open prison cells.

Once the Bokoblin monster passes, Katya and I bolt around the trail of the mountain, keeping our eyes peeled for the others.

"Down there!" I say, looking across the sea of lava below us. On the other side of the lava, we see Iquissa and Link tied to the same wooden post, guarded by a few Bulblins astride giant boars.

"We've got to be careful. If one of those monsters catches us, they'll use that giant catapult on us," Katya points out.

I see the catapult she's talking about, mounted on a ledge of the mountain.

The two of us stealthily make our way down the mountainside, until we come to the edge of the land. Across a patch of lava, we see Iquissa and Link, trying to escape the post they're tied to.

"Those Bulblins look like bad news," I comment. "How do we get past them?"

"Not sure," Katya replies. "Can you turn Link into a wolf?"

Before I can answer, something emerges from the shadows. A creature, of some sort.

"Who are you?" I growl.

"Don't think I don't know who you are," retorts the imp. It sounds distinctly feminine. "You two are Twilit Spirit Beasts, on a mission to get to the Fire Temple, eh?"

"Back off," Katya tells the imp.

"The feisty type, are we?" She hovers out of our reach. "Listen. I can help you get to the temple."

"We don't want your help!" I decline. "We can rescue our friends and reach the temple on our own."

"Actually, you can't. Not without my help, anyway," she snaps back. "You really don't have much time. In twenty-four hours, this world will be destroyed by Majora."

"What?!" Katya and I gasp in unison.

"How long were we asleep?" I ask, astonished.

"About a day, you all were knocked out by the monsters' catapult," the imp informs us. "So you really shouldn't waste time, you know. But little ol' Midna can help you get there for less trouble than it's worth..."

"Fine!" I finally say. "Good luck freeing them, Midna."

Midna grins mischievously and merges back into a shadow. Then, she appears over where Link and Iquissa are, and somehow breaks the chains binding them to the post.

"She... She used black magic..." gasps Katya beside me.

The Bulblins patrolling the area have not noticed the broken chains yet. To my amazement, Midna, still a shadow, transforms Link into a wolf, the same way I can using the power of twilight! Midna places the same shroud of twilight on Iquissa, since her staff was stolen.

"Who is she?" I wonder.

Link and Iquissa meet our gaze across the lava, bewildered.

"Meet us at the temple," I tell them telepathically.

Iquissa and Link nod, disappearing into the shadows.

Midna floats back over to us, abandoning her shadow state.

"Told you! Eeh hee!"

"Midna! Keep it down! The demons will hear you!" I hush.

"Pfft." She hops onto my golden back. I try to throw her off, but her grip is unfortunately firm. "Listen. The quickest way to the Fire Temple is the path ahead."

"We still need to find Sheik and Silverio! I'm worried about Silverio!" Katya argues.

"She's right."

"Are you more concerned about them, or the world? Majora's ritual will be complete in less than twenty-four hours! We don't have much time!" Midna tells us.

Begrudgingly, I take off down the path Midna pointed out, and eventually it leads to the entrance of the Fire Temple. Iquissa and Link come flying around the other corner.

"Katya! Taniela!" exclaims Iquissa. "Thank goodness both of you are okay! ...Who's that imp-thing?"

I can feel Midna's grip tighten in anger.

"This is Midna. She's the one who freed you and Link from your chains. We've decided to form a temporary alliance. She's the one who turned you into wolves." I explain.

"Yeah. I totally saved your asses back there, so I think a simple 'thanks' is in order..." Midna adds bitterly.

"How do we know she's in it to help us, not for the Fire Temple's treasure?!" Link points out.

"Look. Majora's the one who cursed me to look like this. The only thing I want is his bloody head on a plate," Midna snarls.

Something emerges from the shadows, quietly and ninja-like. It's Sheik. She throws a pile of stuff onto the ground before us - my sword, the Phantom Hourglass, the Master Sword, Katya's daggers, and Iquissa's staff, Willow.

"Silverio has been inside the temple. I fear the evil within has already consumed him," Sheik announces.

Midna snaps her fingers, and Iquissa and Link become human again. Katya and I revert back to human forms as well. We all re-equip ourselves with the gear Sheik acquired.

"I see we have a new accomplice," mutters Sheik.

"Yeah. I'm here to take down Majora too," explains Midna sourly.

"So Silverio's inside the temple?" asks Katya anxiously.

"Yes. Come on, heroes. We must save Silverio," Sheik urges.

With that, Sheik, Midna, Link, Iquissa, Katya and I plunge into the depths of the Fire Temple, unsure of what awaits us.

Unsure if we'll be able to save Silverio.

Or the world.