The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Novelization

Link left Eldin Spring and followed the road toward the settlement in the clearing. At the edge of town stood a crooked signpost that read, “Welcome to cozy Kakariko Village.” There was nothing cozy about the village. It lay silent and abandoned, the empty streets buried in an uneasy quiet. Only the shadowy birds circling overhead hinted at life in the ghost town. Kakariko Village was larger than Ordon, but not by much. A single dirt road stretched north through the settlement, flanked by a handful of small buildings. Many stood damaged. Windows were shattered, and debris littered the road, half-buried beneath dirt and tumbleweed. The village looked like the aftermath of a disaster. Seeing it only deepened Link’s fear that the children might already be lost. If they were somewhere in Kakariko, they were in terrible danger. Link followed a sloped path that curved around a wooden shack near the spring. As he rounded the bend, he jumped onto a small balcony attached to a two-story stone building. The door stood wide open, silent and waiting. Inside, Link sniffed the air and caught the foul scent of a Shadow Insect. The bedchamber was in disarray. Bedsheets lay shredded, shelves overturned, and blood smeared across the walls. The signs of struggle were unmistakable, but no bodies remained. Link swallowed, unwilling to dwell on what that meant. He forced himself onward, stepping onto a narrow walkway overlooking the lobby below. A staircase to his left descended into more chaos. Empty boxes were piled beside a deserted bar, while tables and chairs lay scattered across the room. Above the front door, the words Elde Inn were carved into the wood. Link turned left and spotted several more bedrooms along the second floor. The scent of the insect was close. He followed it to the room nearest the stairs. Inside, he searched carefully, stopping beside the bed where the smell was strongest. Found you, he thought. The Shadow Insect burst from the darkness the instant Link looked beneath the bed. Pain stabbed through his side, but he did not hesitate. He seized the creature and tore it apart in his jaws. From its remains, a Tear of Light drifted upward. Midna’s skin darkened in its presence, shadow creeping across her form until she captured the tear within the Vessel of Light. The darkness receded, and her complexion returned. “That’s one. Are we done here?” she asked. The scent of another Shadow Insect lingered. Link searched the rest of the Elde Inn and found it hiding behind the bar on the first floor. It darted toward a hole in the wall, but Link was on it in an instant. He lunged for its abdomen, only for a shield of energy to flare around the creature. An electric shock racked his body, and the Shadow Insect tried to flee. Midna intervened, casting a field of dark magic that paralyzed it. This time, it could not defend itself. Link tore it apart. A Tear of Light rose from the remains, and Midna quickly gathered it before offering him a silent nod. Certain the inn was clear, Link returned to the second floor and slipped out the way he had entered. He spent the next several hours searching Kakariko Village house by house, uncovering two more Shadow Insects. As he moved through the desolate village, the absence of people – dead or alive – began to unnerve him. The homes looked recently lived in, yet their occupants had vanished without a trace. Maybe they escaped before the Twilight came, he thought, clinging to the idea. Still, he could not shake the feeling that something terrible had happened. After slaying the fifth Shadow Insect in an explosives shop at the north end of the village, Link made his way to the second floor. He passed through a glass door left ajar and stepped onto a balcony overlooking the main road. Stairs flanked the doorway, leading up to the roof and onward to a steep mountainside trail. It wound its way to an observation tower at its peak. Link followed the path up the slope until he found a small shack hidden in the mountains. Its siding had begun to rot, and parts of the roof had collapsed inward. He started toward the observation tower, but the faint, rhythmic beating of wings made him stop. Turning back, he traced the sound to the shack. Then the smell reached him. Shadow Insects. How do I get in? Link tried the front door, but it was locked. Circling the shack, he found a small hole in the back wall where the foundation had eroded. It was just large enough for him to squeeze through. He forced his way into the crawlspace and pushed forward until he emerged on the other side. Link pulled himself free and looked around. The shack appeared to be a storehouse for the explosives shop. Shelves lined the walls, packed with crates, while half a dozen wooden barrels were stacked across the floor. One had toppled in the corner, its contents spilled out. The acrid scent told Link it was oil. Before he could move, a Shadow Insect dropped from above, showering him in bile before retreating to a shelf along the far wall. Link held his ground, unaware of the second insect clinging to the ceiling overhead. Midna glanced up, her eyes widening as she spotted it. “Watch out!” she cried. Link had no time to react. The insect dropped from the ceiling and clamped onto his muzzle, its pincers digging in. He barked and thrashed his head until it lost its grip, then hurled it to the ground, straight into the spilled oil. The creature’s body began to spark, electricity snapping wildly. The oil ignited, and flames raced across the floor, engulfing the insect. Midna glared at Link. “What did you do?” The flames spread fast, and within moments the entire storehouse was ablaze. Crates along the walls detonated one after another. Smoke filled the air, and Link coughed, struggling to draw a full breath. “What a disaster.” Midna sighed. “As romantic as this is, I’m not staying here with you. I’m getting out.” She vanished, leaving Link alone in the burning shack. He lingered briefly, searching for the remaining Shadow Insect, but the fire was spreading too fast. It was not worth the risk. Link shielded himself from another explosion and forced his way back through the hole in the foundation as the structure began to give way. Outside, he and Midna stood in silence as the storehouse burned itself out. Smoke lingered long after the flames died. When it finally cleared, two Tears of Light drifted above the charred remains. “Hmm…I don’t suppose there’s a nicer way to hunt these insects, huh?” Midna shrugged dismissively. “Well, you had to sacrifice someone’s property to find the Tears of Light, but that’s how the cookie crumbles, right?” Link felt a pang of regret. Someone’s livelihood had just been reduced to ash. He was supposed to be saving lives, not ruining them. Midna collected the Tears of Light and sat down again on Link’s back. “Okay, let’s keep looking. We’re almost done.” Invigorated by the thought of being human once more, Link put his guilt behind him and made for the observation tower at the mountain’s peak. No Shadow Insects stirred nearby, but the vantage point might offer some sense of direction. He climbed the winding staircase and emerged onto the roof. The mountains stretched out around him, vast and silent beneath the Twilight. To the north, beyond the jagged peaks, rolling hills faded into distant plains. This place is huge, Link realized. The last two insects could be anywhere. He could not afford to waste days searching – not when he was so close to saving the children. His gaze drifted over the village below until it caught on a stone structure beside Eldin Spring. He tilted his head slightly. Wait…I haven’t searched that house yet. How did I miss that? After descending to the road, Link approached the stone building. Its front windows were boarded shut, and thick chains bound the double doors. Faint whispers carried from within. Relief stirred within him. There were survivors! Link stepped back, eyeing the crude scaffolding wrapped around the structure. Link stepped back, studying the crude scaffolding wrapped around the structure. It had been set up to repair the dome-shaped roof, which was partially blown apart. The attic lay exposed to the sky, offering a possible way inside. Using the scaffolding as a ladder, Link climbed up and slipped through the hole into the attic. Debris lay scattered across the cramped space, and the floor hatch had been ripped from its hinges. So much destruction, he thought grimly. Link dropped through the opening into the chamber below. It was a place of worship. A winged effigy stood at its centre, a small fire flickering at its base. Pews lined the walls, some of which were turned into makeshift beds. The sound of heavy breathing behind him made Link turn toward the entryway. A green spirit flame hovered near the window beside the double doors. He focused, and the flame twisted, taking the shape of a potbellied man with thinning red hair. A metal welding mask hid his face. A white tank top stretched tight across his frame, and olive-green pants hung loose around his legs. He gripped the wall, knuckles pale, staring out the window. “Cripes, I don’t see those black brutes anywhere,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “They got to be hidin’ somewhere, waitin’ for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they’ll feast!” “We will be safe as long as we remain here. Be at ease,” a deeper, composed voice said from behind Link. The man by the window turned and pushed up his welding mask. Small glasses sat crooked on his nose above a scraggly red goatee. His flushed cheeks and wide eyes gave away his nerves. “Oh yeah? I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you,” he scoffed. “They didn’t seem too impressed by my bombs. How long do you think we can hold this place, huh? Against things like that? Once they attack…it’s over!” “Barnes,” the man behind Link muttered irritably. “That’s enough.” “Remember the lady from the general store? One of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! When they got there, she was already gone, and there were two monsters waitin’!” Barnes removed his glasses with shaking hands, polishing them with a small handkerchief. “Are you connectin’ the dots? That means if we get attacked, then we’ll be…” Turned into one of them? A chill crept down Link’s spine. Were the Shadow Beasts he had fought once villagers – warped into something horrible? Had he been killing his own people all along? “BARNES!” Link turned toward the voice. A tan-skinned man sat on one of the pews, his glare fixed on Barnes. Long black dreadlocks fell around his face, a thick scar running through his left eyebrow. The lines beneath his dark eyes spoke of age and experience. He wore the brown robes of a priest, adorned with unfamiliar shapes and symbols. Link’s gaze shifted to the Ordonian children gathered around the man, and relief flooded through him. They’re okay! A young girl he did not recognize stood among them, her short black hair and features echoing those of the robed man. She looked about Beth’s age. Then it hit Link. Ilia was not there. The relief twisted into something colder. What did the monsters do to her? He pushed the thought down. As much as it hurt, he couldn’t afford to dwell on it. The children in front of him needed him now. Ilia would have to wait. The robed man comforted a trembling Talo, who was clearly shaken by Barnes’s story. Beth sat beside him, her face buried in her hands as she cried. Colin and Malo managed to stay composed, but the fear in their eyes lingered all the same. The Kakarikan girl placed a gentle hand on Beth’s shoulder, doing her best to comfort her. Link’s heart ached. None of them deserved this. He wanted to free them from the nightmare – to promise them it would be okay. Barnes lowered his welding mask and sank to the floor, barely keeping himself together. “Look, Renado. All I’m sayin’ is, it’s risky here too! Ain’t you got somewhere we can hide?” Renado glanced toward the statue, unshaken. “There is…a cellar.” “What?” Barnes shot to his feet and rushed over. “You’ve got a cellar? Where’s the entrance, man?” “The entrance is designed to reveal itself when all the candles in this room have been lit.” Renado gestured to the candles lining the sanctuary walls. Barnes did not hesitate. He rushed to the hearth, pulled free a flaming stick, and turned toward the nearest candle. “I would not do that if I were you,” the Kakarikan girl said softly. Barnes stared at the girl, eyebrows raised. “What are you talking about?” “When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside.” Barnes dropped the flaming stick and hurried back to the window. Beth’s sobs swelled, raw and uncontrollable. When Colin tried to comfort her, she brushed him off and clung to Renado. Still, he reached out again, gently placing a hand on her forearm. “Don’t cry, Beth! It’ll be okay!” Colin said, his voice firm despite everything. “Link is coming to save us all!” Beth sniffled and peeked at him through her fingers. Talo looked like he wanted to believe but doubt lingered. He shook his head, scowling. Beth’s brief flicker of hope also faded, and she nuzzled back into Renado’s side. Colin’s faith struck deep, tugging at Link’s heart. I’m here, he thought, forcing himself to turn away. Finding the remaining Tears of Light was the only way to help them now. If the girl was right, a Shadow Insect lurked nearby. He just needed to light the candles. Link reached for the smoldering stick, and Midna chose that moment to speak. “So, that kid knew you’d come to save them! Must be sad to stand right in front of someone and not be seen.” Midna paused, her playful expression turning serious. “You were chosen by the goddesses. That’s the only thing keeping you from becoming a spirit…or something worse in the Twilight. But no one will ever know what you’ve done.” Link hesitated. Recognition had never mattered. He had been given the chance to protect the people he cared about, and that was enough. They did not need to know what he had become. That burden was his alone. Midna smirked again. “I know you’re the type to worry about everything, but don’t fret over Princess Zelda. She chose this state of affairs, after all.” It was not that simple. Princess Zelda had made the only choice she could. She had saved countless lives at her own expense. Now it was up to Link to make sure that sacrifice meant something. “So, we have to light the candles to open the basement. Not very subtle, is it?” Midna patted Link on the head. “What are you going to do now, hmm? My lonely little hero…” Link picked up the stick with his mouth, checking that the ember still glowed. He moved along the sanctuary walls, lighting each of the five candles. One by one, stone gears ground to life beneath the statue. It shifted slowly to the right, revealing a dark staircase beneath it. Midna’s right, Link thought. Not subtle at all… “The statue just moved on its own,” Barnes whimpered from across the room, pressing himself against the wall. “What’s going on here?” Even Renado stood rigid, his gaze fixed on the cellar entrance. Link set the burning stick in the hearth, then paused at the top of the stairs. He glanced back once more. The children huddled close to Renado, trembling. Hang in there. It’ll be over soon. With that, Link descended into the sanctuary’s cellar. His gaze swept the darkness until the room began to take shape. The cellar opened into a space of worn stone walls and an uneven dirt floor. It was much older than the sanctuary above. An owl-shaped statue stood against the right wall, watching over the room. One of the final two Shadow Insects clung to the wall opposite the statue, unaware of Link’s presence. He struck before it could flee. The creature dissolved, leaving behind a Tear of Light. Midna gathered it into the Vessel, and Link did not hesitate. A narrow corridor stretched ahead, eventually opening into a small chamber. A crumbling stone staircase once led to a trapdoor in the ceiling, but time had reduced it to rubble. Scaffolding lined the walls instead, and Link used it to climb. With a push of his snout, the trapdoor gave way, and he emerged from the cellar into a mountainside cemetery. Dozens of tombstones stood scattered across the uneven ground, their surfaces worn smooth by age. Many of the names had long since faded beyond recognition. As Link made for the path back to the village, a familiar scent returned. The final Shadow Insect. He tracked the creature through the graveyard until he found it crouched behind a crumbling marker. The Shadow Insect hissed, and Link answered with violence. It tore apart in his jaws, its form dissolving into a glowing Tear. Midna drew it into the Vessel of Light. The vessel answered with a gentle pulse, its radiance growing stronger. “Okay, that’s it,” she said. “Let’s head back to the spring and restore Eldin.” Eager to return to his true form, Link hurried toward Eldin Spring. The children were safe at last. Their ordeal was over. At the spring, Midna set the Vessel of Light into the shallow water. The spring answered immediately, glowing with golden radiance as it reclaimed the stolen light. The Twilight broke apart, and sunlight poured back into the land. A gentle breeze followed in its wake, as if the world itself was exhaling. Link studied his reflection in the water, bracing himself for the coming transformation. It struck without warning. Heat surged through him as he yelped and collapsed, bones shifting beneath his skin. His face contorted, reforming into a human shape as his legs wrenched into place with a sickening snap. He convulsed, as if something unseen were tearing him apart and then forcing him back together. Fur receded, replaced by the green of the hero’s tunic. With a sharp gasp, Link pushed himself up on one arm and looked toward Midna. Her shadowed form was still, but not steady. Though she would not admit it, the transformation had shaken her. “Why does it hurt? When Faron’s light… I don’t understand,” Link said, his voice unsteady. “What makes you think I know?” Midna shot back. Link rolled onto his back, shutting his eyes in frustration. The question had slipped out before he could stop it. Above him, the sky stretched clear and blue. The spring’s enchanted water was already at work easing his body. He reached for the gash at his side. It was gone. No scar. No trace it had ever been there. Midna watched Link rise, her usual smirk absent. He just kept going. No matter what was done to him, he endured. As the spring’s glow intensified, Midna slipped back into Link’s shadow. Golden light rose from the water, gathering and swelling until it took shape. A moment later, Eldin revealed itself in full. A colossal, winged being emerged, clutching its radiant essence in powerful talons as its vast wings spread with quiet majesty. “My name is Eldin. I am the spirit who protects these lands,” the Light Spirit said. “O hero chosen by the goddesses… The dark power you seek rests within the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers.” Midna’s excitement – sharp and insistent – pressed into Link’s thoughts again, just as it had when Faron spoke. He remained still, composed beneath Eldin’s gaze. He would not allow her to control his thoughts. “Already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow, and seeded in evil.” Eldin’s voice was solemn. “You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them.” Link turned toward the northeast. A massive volcano loomed over the surrounding mountains. Smoke and ash spilled from its peak, casting a dark pall over Kakariko Village. Eldin offered no more words. It closed its wings around its light and disappeared. The glow of the spring faded with it. Link remained still, a quiet resentment stirring within him. There had been no warmth in Eldin’s voice. No compassion. Only command. Midna’s manipulation was something he had learned to endure, but this was different. Was he nothing more than a tool to the Light Spirits? Did his pain – his sacrifice – mean anything to them? The creak of a door pulled Link from his thoughts. He turned to see Colin in the sanctuary doorway, the other children gathered behind him. Link smiled, his tension melting away. Colin stepped forward, but the other children rushed past him, nearly knocking him over in their haste. They crowded around Link, laughing and cheering, and he let out a quiet chuckle. When the noise settled, he looked to Colin. Their eyes met, and nothing more needed to be said. Link’s attention shifted back to the sanctuary as Renado stepped out, the young girl and Barnes close behind him. His long hair and robes stirred gently in the breeze as he approached. He offered a kind smile and extended his hand. “So, you are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?” “Yes, sir,” Link said, taking his hand. “My name is Link.” “We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of Kakariko Village.” He gestured to the girl beside him. “This is my daughter, Luda.” Link offered her a curt nod, and she bowed her head in return. Barnes threw his hands into the air, muttering under his breath as he turned on his heel and stomped off toward his bomb shop. Colin stepped forward. “The beasts took us and left us to die… but Mr. Renado saved us.” “It was the least I could do, given the circumstances,” Renado said. “At first, I could not believe they had come from so distant a place as Ordon.” Colin’s expression darkened as the memories came rushing back. “Yeah, I… don’t remember much. One moment everyone was taken… and the next, we were here. Until now, it’s all been like…” “A nightmare,” Malo finished quietly, his expression as stoic as ever. Colin nodded. “Yeah. Like a terrible dream we couldn’t wake up from.” Link knew the feeling. Since waking beneath Hyrule Castle, everything had blurred together like a dream that refused to end. And yet, the children had faced it head-on. He admired them for that. At least they were safe now. “Nightmares are everywhere these days. This village has seen its share of hardship.” Renado’s gaze drifted toward the volcano. “The dark beasts attacked, but worse still was the inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe. They were once our friends, but now they refuse us passage to Death Mountain.” The shaman paused, his shoulders sagging slightly. With a weary sigh, he shook his head and frowned. “It strains the limits of belief… To think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly. I fear something within their sacred mines may be to blame.” The Fused Shadow. Link had seen firsthand what they were capable of in the Forest Temple. Eldin’s warning echoed in his mind. Death Mountain was crawling with evil. He could only imagine what the Fused Shadow was doing to the Gorons. Renado’s voice pulled Link back. “In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before any more nightmares descend.” “What about you?” “I will remain here,” Renado said calmly. “I cannot abandon my village at time like this. It is my duty to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart.” “But…Renado…” Colin protested. “We can’t leave now!” Talo nodded. “Yeah, there’s gotta be something we can do to help!” The children had seen the horrors of the Twilight firsthand. They understood the danger, and still they refused to put their own safety above the people of Kakariko. Link felt a flicker of pride. He hesitated as well, but for a different reason. Taking them back to Ordon would cost time he did not have. The second Fused Shadow was somewhere on Death Mountain. If he delayed, there was no telling what might happen to the Gorons…or what little remained of Kakariko Village. “If I may, sir,” Link said, “the road to Ordon isn’t safe.” “It’s safer than staying here,” Renado replied. “I cannot risk the children’s wellbeing.” “But–” “Now is not the time to bicker. Night is almost upon us. Stay, have a meal, and get some rest. You will depart with the children at first light.” His mind made up, Renado turned and started down the road with Luda. Sleep was tempting, but Link knew he would not have that luxury. The Gorons needed his help, and he was not going to wait. * Renado led Link and the children to the Elde Inn. While he and Luda tidied up, Link shared a vague account of his journey, leaving out the more gruesome details. Talo was enthralled, especially by the tale of the monster that lurked deep within the ancient oak of the Forest Temple. Part of Link felt guilty for hiding his destiny from the children, but he knew it was necessary. They were still young, facing circumstances no child should have to endure. They deserved to be spared that burden. Once the children were asleep, Link made his way downstairs. Renado sat alone at the bar, slowly finishing a pint of ale. Luda rested nearby. When he noticed Link at the foot of the stairs, he drained the last of his drink and stood. “I’ll show you to your room.” Renado led Link into a small bedchamber next to the bar. A single bed sat beneath the window, taking up most of the space. There was still enough room to move comfortably. A candle flickered on the bedside table, and a small wooden wardrobe stood in the corner. “Here you are,” Renado said. “Do try to get some sleep.” Link bowed his head. “I will. Thank you.” Saying nothing more, he removed his belt and set it on the bedside table, along with his things. His leaned his sword and shield against the wall, then climbed into bed and snuffed out the candle with his fingers. He closed his eyes and waited. Seconds stretched into minutes. Then he realized some of his lupine senses had not faded with his transformation. He could feel Renado standing at the door, watching him. And he could smell him. The scent was not as sharp, but it was still enough to unsettle him. Was he less human than before? Link turned onto his side. It felt like Renado stood at the door for an hour, but eventually, his scent faded. Link remained still for another fifteen minutes, just to be sure. When he was certain the shaman was gone, he threw back the blankets and reached for his sword…