Chapter 14: Unbreakable

Ghirahim walked through the halls of the palace again, pondering what he should do now. Grendel had asked to meet with him earlier. Or more accurately, had said he didn't want to talk with him absolutely as soon as possible, but Ghirahim had gotten his true meaning clear enough. He grimaced. He wasn't looking forward to that.

His mind wandered back to the Sky Hero, and he smiled. He had already left the elf his meal earlier, but maybe he should drop by again, just to make sure he didn't need anything else? Why not? Grendel could wait a little longer.

Ghirahim snapped his fingers and teleported into the Sky Hero's room. He stared at the empty space in front of him for several moments, confused. Usually the Sky Hero was at the table, or at the window. The bed was also empty. He turned around, but didn't see the elf near the door, either.

"Link?" he called. The room itself did not look much different from the last time he had been here. But he didn't see Link anywhere. There weren't really many places one could hide here. He walked around the room, checking behind the furniture and under the bed. But Link was not there. Not that he had thought he would be. But he was having trouble believing the alternative possibility.

It's impossible to escape from here! No one can get in or out! And certainly not without damaging anything in the process...Ghirahim frowned. Unless they were a teleporter. I know that Link is not, and if Fi could have done it all herself, she surely would have made the attempt earlier. But-

Several of the other demon sorcerers were teleporters. Why would they do something like this, though?

He looked over at the papers on the table and walked over to them. Perhaps they will tell me something useful? Link usually tried to communicate through his drawings. The demon lord turned the top one over. His own face smiled back at him. He stared at it, biting his lip and blinking furiously. This is...so beautiful. He turned the other pictures over, but they were all of Zelda, or that large bird creature, or images Link had already shown him when he had tried to explain something. He looked at the picture he held again, the one of himself, and then dissolved it into one of his teleportation caches.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Then he teleported to the other side of the door. Darrow and the other two guards sat at a table, playing cards. Darrow looked up, seeming mildly surprised. "What is it, my lord?"

"The Sky Hero is gone. You did not hear anything recently?" Ghirahim asked.

"No, my lord," Darrow said, rising from the table, an expression of alarm crossing his features. The red bokoblin opened the small slat in the door and peered in the room. "That can't be! Are you sure...?"

"I already checked the entire room," Ghirahim said. "You did not hear me in there, either?"

Darrow shook his head. "I don't know how-"

"But I think I do." Ghirahim reached his senses out toward the room, and detected a magic encasing the room that was in many ways similar to his, but also very different. Fi. Examining the spell more closely, he could sense what it was. "There is a spell that mutes sound around the room."

"But how did he escape?" Darrow asked. "It's not as if he walked out the door. And I didn't see any damage in his room."

"He must have had a teleporter help him," Ghirahim said. "That is the only way he could have escaped. You did not notice anything out of the ordinary? His escape must have happened recently. He was still here earlier today-"

"No, my lord. I didn't even hear a peep from his room, although I guess I know why, now." Darrow grimaced and bowed his head. "I have failed you, my lord."

"This is not your fault," Ghirahim said, shaking his head. "When I find the one responsible, they shall pay. But you, I will reassign. Because whoever aided Link has just revealed a weakness in my cell design. I shall have to rethink how they are guarded."

But for now, he had to find out who had taken Link and why. He guessed the person must have been helping him. Otherwise he did not think Fi would have assisted with the silencing spell. He sighed. "This is not going to be easy, to find out who did this-"

Suddenly, he saw Orynx and Ferrik rushing down the hall.

"My lord!" Ferrik gasped. "The Sky Hero escaped!"

"I know," Ghirahim said. "I was just—wait, how do you know that already?"

"Because we saw him on his way out," Orynx growled. Ghirahim noticed he had a large gash in his arm. "Who gave you that?" He asked.

"The Sheikah he escaped with," Orynx said. "I'm sorry, my lord. We thought we had them, but then the Sheikah just teleported away..."

Ghirahim scowled. He had been sure the Sheikahs didn't have any teleporters! Otherwise, wouldn't they have used them to attack his base in the pit before now? A teleporter would be able to enter his shield easily, and teleport other soldiers in as well. But none of the Sheikahs he had seen had ever teleported, even when their lives were threatened. He had assumed that none of them possessed the ability. Clearly I was wrong.

"Tell me everything you remember," Ghirahim said.

Orynx and Ferrik recounted how they had found the Sheikah and the Sky Hero. Orynx described the appearance of the Sheikah, and Ferrik detailed their pursuit of the two. Then Orynx described how the Sheikah had finally teleported away.

"You say he threw something down before he teleported?" Ghirahim asked.

"Yes," Orynx said. "I didn't know that's what he planned to use it for. I've never seen anyone teleport using an item like that."

Ghirahim shook his head. "Teleportation can't be stored like that." He thought for a moment. "I think—he must have used those because he has difficulty teleporting if people can see him. Some teleporters have problems like that. And the fact that you saw him at all, that he didn't just teleport Link and himself straight to safety-I think he must be an imperfect teleporter. He can only travel a certain maximum distance before he drops back out." He fisted a hand. "But he was still good enough to escape with the Sky Hero. Fi must have helped him teleport through the concealment spell, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to find us to begin with. But I should have planned for this possibility!"

"You can't plan for everything, my lord," Orynx said.

"I could go after them for you," Ferrik offered. "Maybe I could-"

"No," Ghirahim said firmly. "I'll find the Sky Hero." he grinned. "After all, we are both looking for the Goddess. And we both know where she is going." And of course I will catch up with her first. And then I will wait for the Sky Hero. We will meet again-soon.

Ghirahim was feeling better now. This was only a minor setback, really. And as an added bonus, he had learned about the Sheikah's secret teleporter. Soon, he was planning to have a long talk with Link—about the Sky Hero's exceedingly poor choice to escape, of course. And such terrible timing, too.

Link sheathed the sword on his back. Sheik had given Link back all of his items. Apparently, Fi had already had the Sheikah retrieve the Goddess Sword and his other items before he had rescued Link. Link was glad that he had them all back. Fi had said that he would need them all for his quest. Especially her sword, of course.

"We need to talk, Sky Hero," Tala said, drawing Link's attention away from his thoughts. She motioned toward a door with one hand. "Please, follow me."

Link followed her to a small room in the temple. Looking around, Link was instantly reminded of Owlan's office in the Academy, which was filled with plants of every kind. Vines, flowers, small trees, and bushes grew in every crevice of this small room. A skylight filtered sunlight into the room. Tala plucked two apples from one of the small trees and handed one to Link. Then she motioned towards a stool near a small table, which Link sat down on.

"You and I did not get to talk much, the first time we met. I had meant to explain more to you later, but then you were captured. I feel I must do so now, both because you deserve to have a clear idea of what is going on, and because you will need to know some of this information if you are to adequately defend the goddess." She seated herself on a stool across from him. "Also, I have many questions for you. But those can wait a bit. It is time I explained to you just what is happening here."

She settled onto the stool across from him. Link took a bite out of the apple and listened attentively. There was a lot he wanted to convey to Tala as well—but she was right. That could wait until after she helped him understand what the Sheikahs planned to do and, hopefully, why.

"I am incredibly gladdened to see that you are well. When the demon lord told us he had captured you, I feared the worst."

Link only smiled and shook his head.

"Yes, Sheik and Fi both agree that you do not appear to have received any mistreatment at the hands of the demons. I cannot be sure what Lord Ghirahim planned to do with you, but my guess would be some sort of spell. There are several major ones that require the victim to be unharmed at the start of them. The finish is a different matter entirely."

Link shook his head emphatically. Ghirahim wouldn't do that!

"You don't think so?" Tala asked. "I can see I'll have to ask you about that later. But first, let me explain to you what we are trying to do. We have two goals. Namely, we wish to return Hylia's memories to her so she can once again assist those who live upon the surface, as she did for ages until the war with the Demon King, Demise. Secondly, we seek to seal away the demons again. And with Hylia returned to us, she will be able to prevent any future tears in the Seal."

The first of her goals Link had no problem with, in and of itself. And he very much wanted to help Zelda, and Hylia. It was the second that made his heart sink, since it was exactly the opposite of what Ghirahim was trying to do. What was worse, he was worried that accomplishing her first goal might help bring about her second goal.

"But I think you might require some background on all of this, since when the Goddess created the land of Skyloft, she separated your people from us, and that separation has now continued for well over a thousand years. You see, Hylia created Skyloft near the beginning of the war, to shield those of her people who were weakest from the worst of its violence."

She took a minute to take a few bites from her apple before continuing. "Those who could stand against evil stayed on the surface and defended it from Demise's army. Life was not easy for them. I should know. I was there."

Link gaped at her. Could she really be that old? No one in Skyloft lived that long. Maybe they might live a bit past their hundredth birthday—no longer. How long had it taken her to become the old woman who was seated before him?

She grinned. "Surprised, are you? You shouldn't be. With a lot of luck, you could live just as long, or longer. You see, though you are of the same people who you have lived among in Skyloft, you are also the Chosen Hero of the Goddess. The power that resides within you makes you strong in many ways. One of them being that your life is not bounded by age."

Link eyes widened, and he gasped. What she was telling him was completely contrary to anything he would have thought possible before.

"But let us return to the topic of the war. Demise began the war when he challenged Hylia for dominion of the entire surface realm. She refused to allow this, of course. Unfortunately, Demise had earlier obtained a vow from her that she would never directly attack a demigod, a type of demon of great power to which Demise belonged. He began to burn the lands of the surface realm, and choke the springs, so that he might compel her surrender.

"However, she did not surrender. Instead, she chose her greatest champions to stand against him-Eldren, the Chosen Hero of that time, and Alat, my sister." She gave him a sad smile. "Oh, how she hated that name! We always just called her Aly." Her smile faded. "I buried her at the end of the last war. Eldren, too, died at the end of the war-felled by Demise. But I am getting ahead of myself."

Link recognized the two names from his dream. But how could he have dreamed of two people he had never met, who were both long dead? And why?

Tala continued. "Aly possessed the power of Death. She could drain the life from someone-a little, or a lot, or all. In the last war, she led the armies of the Sheikahs. After all, Hylia told us, a master of death is the best one to serve in the difficult task of fighting a war. As for me, I was not to fight at all. The only time the soldiers saw me then was when they had a sword or arrow through them. I healed them, and sent them on their way to fight some more.

"Eldren was a man of great courage. At first, we Sheikahs did not think much of him—he was of the People of the Sky, after all, and they were known to be the weakest of the creatures Hylia sheltered. But he earned our respect with his bravery and his skill.

"When Eldren died, Hylia took up the sword he had wielded and ran it through Demise, killing him at long last. But that was at the cost of her immortal form-that form which could not be slain by any being or weapon of this world, for she had broken her vow."

"I should tell you my power now, too, although perhaps you have already guessed. I think a comparison might be insightful. The demon lord is powerful, and his power has many facets. My power has only one. It is the power of Life. Do not discount it, though. For that one facet is more powerful than all of his combined. I am not simply a healer, you see, although my power is well-suited to that skill. The full description of my abilities is this—anything in the realm of Life, I can create or mold as I desire. I cannot use my power to directly take a life. But indirectly? Certainly. Many times over and in so many different ways."

She stood. "Look closely at my clothing. Can you tell what it is made of?"

Link leaned forward over the table and examined the strange red and orange cloak with the pointed hood, as well as the patterned blue and yellow garb she wore underneath it. His eyes widened when, instead of a cloth weave, he saw it was all made of innumerable tiny interlocking flowers. He leaned back again, giving her a questioning look.

"Yes, my clothing is alive as well, since that makes it much more convenient for me to—well, perhaps I should demonstrate." she changed into a large creature that reminded Link of a remlit only with pointed ears and much bigger teeth. Its slitted golden eyes stared back at him intently. Then her form shifted into a red and orange bird even larger than a Loftwing, with a sharp, fierce looking beak. Shifting again, she changed into a much younger woman, tall and with wavy red hair. Her eyes were a vivid green that matched the color of her new clothing, a set of green robes. Leaning forward briefly again, Link saw these were made of miniscule interlocking leaves.

"This is my true form. I take the other since it reminds my soldiers of my age. They age much as your people do, after all, and youth is difficult for them to take seriously."

She gestured around the room. "Everything here, all of these plants, were created with my power. I have a great many abilities I have not yet shown you as well, some of which I do not ever intend to attempt. You see, my power is capable of both great good, and great evil." her expression grew thoughtful. "Therefore, as with all of those who possess great power, I must practice great restraint." She gestured towards Link. "You must, too, for you also possess great power."

Link gave her a puzzled look.

"You do not understand yet, I see. Your power is not the same as mine, or the demon lord's, after all. It is more subtle. But I assure you, you are one of the most powerful creatures alive today. Perhaps you will eventually understand your full strength, and be able to make use of it. But let me explain one thing to you. As the Chosen Hero of the Goddess, you possess an unbreakable spirit. And that you will most certainly need, if you are to complete your task."

She changed back into the old woman in the red robes with the long, faded grey braid. "Because the war with the demons that happened so long ago is beginning again, though Demise is long dead. And that is why we must seal the demons away—because long ago, to ensure his vengeance against Hylia, Demise enacted a curse to ensure that the demons would always seek to conquer the surface, to kill and enslave its people. And yet, Hylia was not willing to destroy the demons, since they are not inherently evil. So she sealed them away under the ground, where they could not reach the people of the surface realm. But since there is a crack, a tear, in the Seal, they must be sealed away again now. And the one who wields the Goddess Sword, in its final form, is the one who must do that."

Link shook his head emphatically and rose from the stool. Since his items had been returned to him, he had his notepad and pencil back. He sketched quickly and handed the image to her.

"I see. You want to help both the Goddess and her people, and the demons. You wish to end the curse. Is that correct?"

Link smiled and nodded. She had understood his meaning.

Tala did not return his smile. "Then I am sorry. Just because you can withstand any pain does not mean that you do not feel it, after all. The curse cannot be ended, you see. So you will find that you cannot help everyone you might wish to. I know well how painful that can be."

Zelda's travels after visiting Granite had gone quickly, even though Flight was no longer with them. The goron, for that was what Impa had explained to Zelda that the rock-woman was, had told them everything she remembered of the demon lord, and fed them both a thick root soup. Then she had given them some bombs in case they encountered any of the 'things' in the caves, which Impa had explained were a type of large lizard called dodongos. Impa had then carried Zelda through the caves, and then across the field until they had finally stopped here, where the area became rocky and viscous red fluid flowed between the rocks.

"The temple is not far from here," Impa said, gesturing to an enormous mountain in front of them. It towered over all else and smoke issued forth from its insides.

Zelda recalled something Impa had told her earlier. "Is that—Eldin Volcano?" She looked up at the Sheikah.

"Yes," Impa said, adjusting the black cloak she was now wearing which covered even the lower half of her face. She had given Zelda protective clothing as well. "We will need to scale it to reach the temple."

"Impa?" Zelda said, clasping her arm.

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"Who are they?" She pointed to two furry creatures who watched them from the other side of the lava.

"No one important," Impa said. "I know you must be curious about this world, Your Grace, but we cannot stop to talk to everyone we meet." She gave her a small smile. "Maybe you will have time later, when this is all over."

They traveled through the area so quickly that they soon reached the volcano that Zelda had seen in the distance. Impa began scaling a particularly steep part of the mountain. When they reached a more level part of it, her guardian placed Zelda down carefully.

"We can't enter the Temple through the door, as we did last time. The demons are on their guard now, since they know you are traveling. Some of them will likely be waiting outside the temple for us. We will have to enter another way, so we can prevent them from alerting the demon lord to your location. Fortunately, I have already tracked down our assistant."

Impa walked over to a patch of dirt, stuck her hand straight down in it, and pulled out a strange furred creature like the ones Zelda had seen earlier.

Most of his fur was cream-colored, except for a mop of black at the top of his head. He had a long snout, and sharp claws at the ends of his fingers. Zelda couldn't see his legs, which were still underground.

"Hey! Owww! Don't scare me like that! I thought you were one of those red guys!" He frowned and said, "Although to tell the truth, that might've been better. I don't know nothin', Impa! Whatever you want from me, I can't help you!"

Although Impa's black cloak covered her mouth, her voice was quite clear even under the fabric. "Today's your lucky day, Perrin. Do you know why?"

"No," Perrin said. "Doesn't look very lucky to me."

"Well it is, because today's the day you dig us into the Earth Temple."

"And why should I do that?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"To help your Goddess, of course," Impa said. She gestured at Zelda.

Perrin turned to face her, a skeptical expression on his face. "You're the Goddess?"

"Er, yes," Zelda said. "Sort of."

Perrin turned back to Impa. "I don't believe you. If I helped every Sheikah who thought they'd found, or were, the Goddess, I would have a full-time job on my hands. Go away and come back when Tala heals your insanity."

Impa rolled her eyes and took a ruby out of her cloak. She held it up. "You're impossible, but I anticipated that. Help us get into the Temple, and you will get this for your trouble."

Perrin laughed. "You must be kiddin' me. Find someone else to be your errand boy, Impa. You'll have no shortage of someones who'll be willing to risk life and limb for that." He pointed to the ruby. "Worth—I don't know—maybe ten thousand rupees? That's half a decade of treasure hunting saved, for those who bother with treasure. You could probably get a few guards from the king hisself."

"I don't need that kind of deadweight, Perrin," Impa said. "And this is more valuable to you than you think."

Perrin crossed his arms and scowled. "Never thought you, of all people, would think that. But no. Since you need to be reminded, I couldn't care two shakes of a stick for treasure. Offer me ten of those if you want. Won't make no difference to my answer."

"I see I must be clearer," Impa said. "This only looks like a ruby."

Perrin shrugged. "Meh. I'm no expert on the sparkly rubbish. Doesn't matter what it is, though-"

"It's a firestone," Impa said.

Perrin paused. He gave her an amused smile. "You're lying. They don't look like that—they look like rocks. Brown, round, boring rocks."

"It's under a glamour the original owner cast on it. But it is a firestone, and not just any firestone, but a flawless one. Very powerful. Won't break, either. Not like your last one."

The creature's right eye twitched. He reached out toward the stone. "Give. It. To. Me." Perrin said, holding out a hand. "I must know if you speak the truth."

Impa handed him the stone without hesitation. The creature waved his hand over the stone he held and it burst into flame. His eyes widened. He waved his hand over the fire, and it disappeared. Slowly, he held the stone back out to Impa. She took it back.

Perrin grimaced as he looked between Zelda and the firestone. "Fine. I'll do it."