The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Novelization

That night, nightmares plagued Link. He tossed and turned, unable to drive the image of the dead Bokoblin from his mind. He relived the moment again and again until it became too much to bear. At last, he rose and walked to Ordon Ranch, seeking the quiet of the open fields. With Epona beside him, he sat in the empty pasture and watched the sun rise in silence. Link could not shake the thought that Ordon might no longer be safe. Rusl rarely worried about anything, which made his concerns about the Faron Woods all the more troubling. If something had managed to rattle him, then the danger was real. Maybe I should stay here. The thought lingered only a moment before Link forced it aside. Rusl would expect him to deliver the gift. He sighed softly and rested against Epona as she slept. Everything will be okay… As Link’s thoughts drifted, sleep slowly overtook him. The next thing he knew, Fado was shaking him awake. He blinked drowsily, rubbing his eyes before stretching and yawning. Fado put his hands on his hips and smirked. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep last night.” “Excited?” “I’m not sure how I feel,” Link admitted. “Especially after yesterday…” “I heard about Talo’s little adventure. You’re incredible.” Link shrugged. “It was nothing, really.” Fado waved a hand. “Oh, stop being so modest, will ya?” Link glanced up at the sun, now climbing toward its peak. I must have been out for a while. He roused Epona with a gentle pat, gave her a carrot, and climbed onto her back. “I should probably get going before Mayor Bo thinks I got cold feet,” Link said to Fado. “You sure you don’t want something to eat first?” Link shook his head. “I’m fine. Thanks, though.” “If you say so.” Fado grinned. “Safe travels, bud. I’ll try to keep the place from burning down while you’re gone.” Link chuckled dryly and nudged Epona into a trot, guiding her down the hill toward Bo’s house. He stopped beside the veranda, dismounted, and climbed the steps to the front door. Just as he lifted his hand to knock, the door swung open. Ilia stood on the other side, face-to-face with him. Bo appeared behind his daughter in the entryway. A full head taller than Link, the hulking man filled the doorframe. His bushy gray mustache was the only hair on his head, while his round eyes and button nose seemed oddly small on such a stout frame. “Ah, Link.” Bo turned back inside. “Give me a sec to grab the gift.” While the mayor went to retrieve the royal offering, Link and Ilia stood together in awkward silence. When their eyes met, his heart began to pound. This is ridiculous. Say something to her. Just as Link opened his mouth to speak, Bo returned to the doorway with the royal offering and placed it carefully in his hands. “There ya go, son.” Bo wrapped his arm around Link. “Now listen, the royal family of Hyrule requested this gift specifically. It’d be…bad if the representative of Ordon were to be late for such an occasion, you get me, lad?” Link nodded. “You can count on me, sir.” Ilia moved over to Epona and stroked her mane. “The path ahead is a long one, my sweet horse. Please guide Link safely along it.” As she turned to say goodbye, Ilia noticed a dark patch on Epona’s thigh, standing out against the rest of her coat. She brushed her fingers over it and immediately pulled back. It was dried blood. “What’s this?” Ilia snapped. “What happened? She’s injured!” Link and Bo turned in confusion as Ilia held up her fingers, stained with crusted blood. Link winced. Epona must have been hurt when the Baba Plants ambushed them. Before he could explain, Ilia marched up to him and thrust an accusing finger in his face. “Link! How could you? You were pushing Epona too hard again, weren’t you? I bet you hurt her jumping fences!” “But…I…” “Now, now, Ilia. There’s no need to get so heated with him,” Bo said calmly. Ilia turned on him immediately. “Father, how can you be so easy on him? You’re the mayor! Start acting like one!” Link and Bo shrank back in surprise. Where did that come from? Ilia seized Epona’s reins and began leading her away. “You poor thing,” she whispered. “It’ll be alright. I’ll take you to Ordon Spring. You’ll feel better in no time.” “Ilia…wait! Without Epona, the royal gift will never be delivered in time!” Bo called after her, but Ilia ignored him. “This won’t do.” Link shook his head slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. Ilia was normally so even-tempered. Something must have really set her off…but what? Link turned to Bo. “I’ll go talk to her.” “You think she’ll listen? You know how stubborn my girl can be.” “I can get through to her. Don’t worry, sir.” “Alright, son. I’ll trust you on that.” Bo rested a hand on Link’s shoulder. “Safe travels out there, okay?” Carrying the royal gift, Link crossed the village toward his house. Beneath a nearby tree, Colin sat slouched with his head propped in one hand, staring miserably at the ground. When he noticed Link, his expression brightened. He jumped to his feet and ran over. “Hey, Link. Are you going to see Ilia? I saw her pass by with Epona a few minutes ago. She looked really mad.” “Yeah, there was a bit of a misunderstanding.” Link tilted his head. “Why the long face?” “Talo and Malo are being really mean today.” Colin pointed across the clearing. “I wanted to go see Ilia, but they won’t let me pass.” Some things never change. “I’ll handle them. Want to come with me?” Colin nodded eagerly. “Sure!” The two of them made their way over to the brothers. Talo was already back to swinging a sharpened stick, grinning as he waved it through the air. Looks like he’s already feeling better, Link mused. “Hey, Link!” Talo exclaimed. “I was just telling Malo how I let that monkey go instead of catching it!” Malo folded his arms with a sly grin. “Oh…so you two didn’t get caught?” Talo grumbled and turned on Colin. “Nice job telling your dad and ruining everything! I thought that scolding would never end! If you’re going to see Ilia, you’re not getting past me.” Colin stared down at his feet as Link stepped beside him. “He did the right thing, Talo.” “But he got me in trouble.” “No, you got yourself into trouble when you chased that monkey. Don’t blame him.” “I…” Talo faltered. “But…” Link’s patience was wearing thin. “Let us pass, Talo. Please.” Talo nodded and stepped aside. He let out a dejected sigh as he headed back toward the village, his brother following behind him. Colin watched them leave for a moment before turning back to Link. “Thanks for dealing with them,” Colin said. “Those guys are always teasing me.” “You just have to stand up to them. They’re not so tough when you do.” “Yeah…” Colin smiled shyly, scuffing his foot in the dirt. “When I grow up, I want to be just like you, Link. I don’t really want to learn about swords or anything…but could you teach me how to ride Epona sometime?” “You bet.” “Thanks, Link. I’ll try to calm Ilia down. She said she didn’t want to talk to you.” “Do what you can. I’ll be right behind you.” Colin nodded and made his way down the trail toward the spring. Once he was gone, Link took the opportunity to rest for a moment. Knowing how stubborn Ilia could be, Colin would likely need some time to convince her. Inside his house, Link hastily threw together a breakfast of bread and goat cheese. It was not much, but it would have to do. He needed to get moving. As Link prepared to leave, he noticed the Greengill he had caught sitting on the table. The rancid smell hit him immediately, making his eyes water. Ugh…what a waste. Pinching his nose shut, he hurried outside and tossed the decaying fish into the forest for the animals to eat. Brushing off his hands, Link finished his meager breakfast and headed for Ordon Spring. When he arrived, he found the gate closed. On the other side, Colin stood in the water beside Ilia, who was still fuming. The moment she noticed Link out of the corner of her eye, she turned and glowered at him. “If you’ve come to get Epona, you can forget it!” “Ilia, you don’t understand–” Colin began. “I said forget it! Why don’t you think about what you’ve done, Link? I’m not opening that gate until you change your attitude!” Colin sighed and stepped closer to the gate. “I’ll tell her about Talo and the monkey.” “You can try,” Link said, “but I’m not convinced she’ll believe you.” Colin glanced to his right. “Hey…do you remember that tunnel Talo dug last summer?” Link nodded slowly. “Yeah… I do. Good idea. I’ll be right back.” He backtracked up the trail until he found a small crawl hole hidden among a pile of boulders and fallen tree trunks. Talo had dug the passage so he and his brother could reach Ordon Spring even when the gate was closed. Link and Colin had discovered it a few weeks earlier but kept it to themselves. I hope I fit. Link dropped to his knees and squeezed into the crawlspace. The passage was tight – barely wide enough for him to crawl through. When he reached the other side of the tunnel, Link stood and brushed the dirt from his pants. Ahead, Colin spoke quietly with Ilia while Epona rested in the water behind them. Ilia covered her mouth. “I had no idea. I hadn’t heard the details about Talo’s capture.” “Epona must’ve gotten hurt while Link was trying to save him,” Colin said. “He would never hurt her on purpose.” Epona noticed Link approaching and let out a happy whinny. Taken by surprise, Ilia scowled at him and tried to lead the mare away, but she refused to budge. “So, you still prefer your master over me, huh?” Ilia murmured. For a moment, Link stood in awkward silence with Ilia. She averted her gaze, still unable to look at him without feeling anger she knew deep down was undeserved. Talk to her, Link told himself. “Ilia–” he started. Ilia raised her hand. “Don’t worry about your horse. The injury isn’t serious. You two can go on together.” “Thanks…” “I…” Ilia sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped on you like that.” “It’s okay,” Link replied. “I appreciate you looking out for her.” Ilia finally looked into Link’s eyes, a weak smile forming. The last traces of her anger faded, and a quiet warmth returned to her gaze. She released the reins, and Link felt the tension ease from his body. I have to get going. As he reached for Epona’s reins, Ilia opened her mouth as if she had something to say. Instead, she hesitated, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. His heart fluttered in surprise before the feeling melted into calm. Being in her arms felt…right. Ilia looked into Link’s eyes. “No matter what happens on your journey, don’t do anything that’s out of your league. Just come home safely, okay?” “I will…” Link and Ilia leaned forward to kiss, but the ground suddenly began to tremble beneath their feet. Moments later, a massive brown boar crashed through the spring gate, carrying two green-skinned monsters on its back. Sharp horns curved from their skulls above their ears, and masks concealed their grotesque faces. Only their burning scarlet-red eyes were visible. One rider held a bow, while the other gripped a massive club. Ilia and Colin screamed as Epona bolted. Link frantically tried to unsheathe the royal gift, but he was too late. The bow-wielding monster loosed an arrow that struck Ilia in the shoulder as she fled. She fell with a pained gasp, her head striking a rock in the water. Blood trickled from the wound as she lay motionless. “Ilia!” Link cried. Before he could reach her, the second monster brought its club down against the side of his head. Link collapsed instantly, the royal broadsword falling from his grasp. His vision swam before everything went dark. With their opposition subdued, the riders dismounted from their boar. One caught Colin as he tried to flee while the other lifted Ilia’s limp body. They tossed them onto the boar’s back, then froze as a large figure stepped into the spring. Encased in metal armour, the heavyset, green-skinned ogre rode atop a blue-furred boar. Long, sharp horns curved from its skull, a mark of its higher rank. It surveyed the spring with a satisfied nod before signaling its minions. The riders barked to one another as they climbed onto their boar and prepared to leave. Their commander blew a war horn and sneered as a black mass formed above its head. Like a swirling vortex, it cast a dark shadow over Ordon Spring. The ogre’s thunderous laughter echoed through the forest as it rode off, its henchmen close behind. * Link’s eyes fluttered open as he stared blankly at the shadowy shape above him. He touched the back of his head gingerly and winced. He lay there, his thoughts scattered. What happened? Then suddenly his memory returned. Ilia! Colin! He jumped up and looked around the spring, but Ilia and Colin were gone. Overcome with fear, Link dashed out of the spring and spotted boar tracks in the mud heading toward the Faron Woods. He followed them without thinking. As he ran, his tunnel vision kept him from noticing the forest growing darker around him. Only after crossing the gorge did Link snap back to reality. What he saw stole the breath from his lungs. A gargantuan wall of darkness loomed across the provincial border, rising impossibly high into the sky. Unfamiliar, glyphlike markings rippled across its surface. Daylight had vanished, swallowed by shadow. Link slowed, every instinct urging him to flee. A cold dread crept over him at the sight of the wall, and Rusl’s unease echoed in his mind. He had been right to worry. Against his better judgment, Link moved closer to the barrier. Without warning, a long black arm burst from the wall and seized him by the throat. He screamed when it dragged him through the shadowy veil into the Faron Woods. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Link realized he was held in the grasp of a black monstrosity. The quadruped was gaunt and grotesque. Black tendrils spilled out from behind the round stone plate that concealed its face. Its oily skin was covered in the same glyphlike markings that lined the barrier. The monster pulled Link closer, and he cried out, his breath catching in his throat. He struggled to break free but froze when a burning sensation flared on the back of his left hand. He glanced down to see the golden tattoo pulsing with radiant light. The dark beast recoiled from the glow, rearing back before hurling him to the ground. Link rose to his knees, rubbing his throat as he coughed and looked around. It looked like Faron Woods, but something was terribly wrong. The sky swirled with orange, black, and lavender hues. The dim, unnatural light stung his eyes. A violent wave of nausea hit Link as his heart pounded. He bent forward and retched, but nothing came up. I have to get out of here, he thought desperately. When Link tried to stand, searing pain tore through his arms and legs. They began to change, and he cried out in agony. His joints snapped into unnatural positions as the pain spread to his hands and feet, which stretched into something bestial. Link screamed as the shock of the transformation overtook him. He collapsed into the dirt, unconscious. The darkened Faron Woods fell silent as the glow of his tattoo slowly faded. Eventually, the masked creature regained its senses and approached. It studied Link’s transformed body with a low growl, tilting its head as if puzzled. Then it grabbed him and began dragging him away. From the branches of a nearby tree, a lone figure watched…