Chapter 25 – Light

Link felt like he would never get the taste of monster blood out of his mouth, and the sharp noise of the other hero's weapon kept making him flinch. His ribs still ached from where the Darknut had hit him, but he knew it could have been worse. Aura of Protection and all that. The blood gushing from her face really underscored it.

Surprisingly, he struggled to keep up with her mad race. He panted heavily as he raced after her. A stitch was forming independently of the pain in his ribs. The path under his claws passed quickly.

He glanced behind him to see Sheik loose another arrow, this time at a flying monster. It struck true, and the creature dissipated into ash even before it hit the ground. They were flagging. He slowed his gait to allow them to catch up.

"Much appreciated, but you must be swift," Sheik panted, "You and Midna have to reach the pool. We can draw the attention of the monsters in the meantime."

"Got it, Princess," Midna replied, setting her attention forward, "Don't lose her, Link!"

He jumped forward, sprinting faster than ever. Midna had to grip the chain around his neck like reins to avoid sliding off. The sounds of battle began to fade, though he still had to get around the occasional straggler or archer. He shoulder-checked an oncoming Moblin, who only shook its club at him before turning back to the mounting battle.

Jen's headlong rush was suddenly blocked by a lizard-like monster, but only in the loosest sense of the word. It stepped menacingly onto the footpath, brandishing a weapon that seemed to be made of glass and a round handshield.

With alarming speed, she somehow threw it over her shoulder to the ground, sprinting away immediately. It began to get up, and he knew she wouldn't be able to outrun it.

He leapt at it with a silent roar, pushing it back to the ground. Midna's Dark power spread underneath his feet, enveloping the monster. He struck at its unprotected throat, tearing through its soft underbelly. It screeched, raising the knife. Link jerked once, twice, and the creature went still. He left it to disintegrate.

The path below him changed, opening up. Out of thin air, a gleaming barrier appeared. He skidded to a hasty stop before he could crash, trotting along the side of the wall to slow himself. Through the haze, he could see Jen, locked in lethal combat with a Shadow Monster.

She managed to get underneath the monster's guard, raking at its chest, then climbing onto its back and tearing in. With a gurgle, the creature went down.

"Yarie!" Midna called, trying to get her attention. Her head snapped up, eyes wide and gleaming. A shiver went down his spine. Midna, perched on his back, stiffened. The empty bloodlust in her eyes reminded him more of a Bokoblin than a human.

"Oh shit," Midna swore as Jen disappeared, jumping down the staircase to engage some other enemies. Link couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. He began looking for ways to get over the barrier. In her current state, she might not have the presence of mind to realize why the monsters she killed kept getting up.

"There!" Midna called, pointing to a fallen tree. She floated off, hovering above the heavy trunk. He jumped on, and she moved to an outstretched branch. It would be a close jump. He trusted Midna, despite the apparent lack of depth perception, and leapt with all of his strength. He landed heavily on the branch, and for a heart-stopping second, he scrabbled for purchase on the smooth bark. Midna quickly helped him find his footing, and hovered above the barrier. With a final leap, he got over the wall.

The sound of fighting drew his attention. Three Shadow Monsters clustered together just below the stairs, occasionally swiping at something running between them. Link dropped without a second thought, landing on one of their backs. The monster reared back as he sank his teeth into its oily flesh, blood exploding across his tongue. When his claws gripped its shoulder, he began to bite, tearing holes in its hide wherever he could reach.

It shrieked, finally shaking him off, but the damage was done. Deep wounds oozed slowly down its back, running across the geometric patterns in its charcoal-like skin. The creature turned, stalking towards this new prey. One of its friends followed, growling in rage.

"Watch out!" Midna warned. Link looked just in time to avoid a backhanded swing from a monster creeping up behind him. The three creatures began to advance, forcing him back, still snarling.

From within the hooded depths of the structure, the dying gurgles of two monsters heralded the arrival of Jen, who climbed the back of the most damaged monster and began to tear deeper wounds, clinging with her legs. It bucked and thrashed, attracting the concern of its fellows, and Link took his chance. He shivered once, prompting Midna to extend a black circle around him, ensnaring the monsters around him.

"Hold it… hold it!" Midna advised, "One more, wait!"

Link checked, straining against the weight of the magic, and barely avoided the swing of one of the creatures he'd snared to see a fourth joining the fight.

"Wait… Wait… Now!" she commanded. Link snapped forward like a loosed arrow, tearing through the monsters in the blink of an eye. As the last one fell, all of them burst into flakes of magic. They hovered, just for a moment, before flying into the air and forming another portal of swirling green.

They stood, panting. Jen continued to growl, head whipping back and forth.

"Yarie, quit it," Midna commanded. When she didn't, Midna splashed a hair-handful of stale fountain water at her, "Snap out of it!"

Jen snarled at her. Link took a shocked few steps back. Then, as if she was realizing what she'd done, she took a step back. The blackness of her sclera faded, and with a few blinks, her eyes returned to their usual violet spheres. In an instant, her entire being seemed to change, even though very little transformation took place. The tense half-crouch eased into an awkward slouch, her bared teeth disappeared behind a startled gasp, and her flexed claws were tucked back to her chest.

Midna gaped. "What the fuck just happened, Yarie?"

"Her curse briefly took control of her senses."

The fountain didn't glow, like with the other spirits. Instead, a ball of orange light appeared, whirling around and around, splitting into dozens, then hundreds of smaller particles which took a shape. Link spun around to face the voice, coming face-to-face with a wispy figure comprised of sparks of light, chasing each other into a shape in ever-changing geometric and organic patterns. Link had to blink spots back from his vision whenever he looked away.

The creature appeared to have the body of a human, but the head of some sort of antlered animal. The exact shape changed with every swirl of energy. The only thing that remained constant was a black, solid thorn, embedded deep in its chest. Unlike the dynamic nature of the rest of the spirit, this remained unmoved, its pulse completely out of tune with the haphazard dance of the sparks.

"My Champion," it crooned in a dozen voices at once, reaching out for Jen. Its arm lengthened to accommodate the distance between her and its fountain. It held her cheek tenderly, kneeling on the water of the fountain, brushing stray hairs out of her face with its other arm, "Look what they have done to you."

Jen froze for a moment, caught completely off guard. Link felt an unexpected pang of jealousy.

"You were one of my mine, and they tried to make you theirs. Now, you are your own. You feel so lonely, bound to another's fate. It burns you to know you had no choice. But now, you do. The choices you make now, the things you do, can be yours."

"It's… it's fine," Jen muttered, stepping away from the spirit, "I'm proud to be a part of the Hero's journey."

The spirit cocked its head slowly, then turned its attention to Link and Midna. He froze under its piercing stare. Unlike the Light Spirits, whose gaze was light yet cold, this spirit blazed with energy. After a moment, it softened, and he felt an unexpected rush of warmth. It was like a mother's hug. Was this what Jen had felt?

The spirit cradled him as well.

"Oh, youth, forced to bear the mantle of Hero and join a generations-old war to save your kingdom. There is no reward to that task to make it worth it, beyond keeping safe what you hold dear. Your Goddesses are not kind to those they favor. The hardships you have faced were not a test of valor; they were a sign of cruelty."

The spirit's hand stretched past Link's furred cheek, carefully picking up Midna. She seemed almost frozen as she was lifted into the air, resting on hands large enough to carry her. The spirit regarded her for a longer time, and spoke very quietly.

"Princess of the Twili, you are not weak. This world, Zant, Ganon, you hate them because they made you feel powerless. But you are not, and never will be. Know that there is strength in allies. None in your party wish to see you harmed. Harness their power, and you will find your own."

The words seemed to wash over Midna like an incantation. The spirit set Midna down next to Link, and she leaned on him slightly for support.

A confused shout from above caught Link's attention, and he turned in time to see Sheik walking down the stairs to greet the spirit with a low, traditional bow. Behind them were three of the Earth heroes, including the man in the silver suit. Sheik removed their cap and scarf, ending the illusory charm. Zelda's brown hair and blue eyes reappeared. She bowed low in respect, meeting the spirit's eyes as she straightened.

"My name is Zelda, I am the Princess of Hyrule Castle," she introduced herself with a hand over her heart.

"I know," they said softly, "Bearer of the relic, you have been tied to a cruel wheel, doomed to repeat the fight of your ancestors until the rest of eternity. You know how horrible such a fate is, and yet your chains never ease. But now, you know the world has been changed irrevocably. Perhaps, your story shall finally end."

"One can only hope there is light in this darkness," Zelda replied solemnly. The spirit took one last glance at them, then struck the Earthen heroes with a piercing stare.

"Understand that the burden you have shouldered is more important than the petty squabbles of children. When the time comes, set aside your differences and join under the banner you have forged. Your powers must not be allowed to turn against each other, nor set down and left to rot. Secrets cannot be allowed to fester, and grudges against allies will lead to nothing but war."

It allowed a ringing silence to punctuate its words before it continued with a grand sweep of its arms. Glyphs appeared around its wrists and past its fingers, growing slightly larger. Link could make out some of the intricate designs in its skin.

"I have been called many names throughout my existence, in languages long since fossilized or extinct by peoples long past. I speak the worlds one needs to hear most. Therefore, I am Oracle.

I am not a Light Spirit, nor am I Dark. I, like my siblings, maintain the boundaries between this world and others. It has long been my solemn oath to ensure that the threats of the other worlds do not invade unless called deliberately."

The man in the silver suit muttered something, to which Oracle flared brighter.

"My strength is great, but there are loopholes to my abilities. Powers over my own have pierced holes in my barrier protecting this world. Dark forces hold them open."

The man seemed entirely unimpressed, but said nothing.

"We must not waste time, then. Midna, I have need of your strength. This world could not be cast in Shadow the same way Hyrule has been, but Zant had his tricks. The Invader King left a Dark power in me, and I cannot remove it on my own. Take it from my back, and I will be able to restore your allies to their proper shapes, and dispel the Twilight."

Oracle turned, displaying the thing in all its twisted glory. The Dark object, which almost looked like a knife with burr hooks, glowed black and red. The pulse forced the sparks around it to move with it, briefly darkening them. It was unnatural in a way that Link recoiled from instinctually.

Midna floated up until she was level with the power.

"Will it hurt?" she asked. The spirit seemed to glance at her through the corner of its eye.

"If it hurt going in, it will hurt coming out, but in a better way. Removing a splinter is better than leaving it in. Grip it tight, and pull steadily. It will not want to be dislodged so easily."

Midna's hair extended, grabbing hold of the thing firmly, and she began to pull. The spirit didn't move a hair as inch by inch, the thing slid free from its essence. As Oracle predicted, the burr began to pulse more wildly, and the Darkness in the area increased dramatically.

Link's vision tilted, and he sat down heavily. The world pressed in, harder and harder. His Triforce glowed, but that was the only light he could see, like a lantern in a dark cave. Even the air he breathed burned his lungs. For a long minute, he thought it was going to kill him.

Then it disappeared, cut through by a triumphant roar. Light flowed back to the land like a river returning to a dry bed. In the Light, the landscape seemed much less foreboding, less barren and dead. He could finally see the elegance and pride put into the giant buildings framing the park. In the center of his vision, a blur of electric orange-yellow rose into the air, laughing. Then it hovered in the air, returning to the fountain and shrinking to almost human size.

"My thanks to you, heroes."

One of the helicopter drivers, one who used a bow and arrow apparently, stepped up and asked a pointed question. The spirit seemed to roll its eyes.

"You will get your answers if you have patience. My champion's curse isn't so easily broken, and it eats away at her. Now, youth, champion, come close."

Jen and Link stepped up. Oracle attended to Link first, placing a hand on his paw, his dominant and triforce hand, and its thumb right in the middle of the diamond in his forehead.

"The power you need to break this curse is always with you. You simply need a conduit. Now, close your eyes and take a deep breath." He did so, and as he inhaled, he felt the Darkness flow out of his body, dissipating into the sunlight. When his eyes opened, he was eye level with the spirit, who seemed to smile at him. He realized he no longer felt sore at all. Not even his ribs bothered him.

"There you go. Now, never forget who you fight for. Hold them close to your heart, and you will find the courage to go on. I'm sorry, but I can't break the curse from Power. I promise you will find a way to break the chain."

It let him go, and he stepped back, standing next to Zelda. His fingers found the chain around his neck, wondering exactly when that would be.

…

The spirit turned to Jen. It placed a hand on her chest and her forehead, but seemed to frown.

"Yours is a bit tougher. The curse is rooted so much deeper than it should be."

"What… why did my body do this?" she asked, glancing up at the spirit. Oracle moved its hands so that it was holding her shoulder while brushing through her hair.

"My champion… It wasn't your fault. You may curse the Acolytes, but the blame is ultimately placed on chance. They wanted to create a second Hero, and trained you in their home's magic, and part of that is turning into a beast instead of a wisp. But that's not what you're meant to do. You're a survivor, like all of Mine. They didn't know you could withstand the Dark. Let me show you what those of Mine can do."

Oracle placed its hands back on her chest and forehead, and pushed.

Jen was pulled from the ground like there was a string at her back, and she choked on a scream as the ground became farther and farther away. She found herself careening out of control through light, sound, and color separate from anything she'd ever seen before, and for a brief second she wondered if she this was an LSD trip. Everything around her tilted and turned, and devolved and warped until she couldn't remember which was was up or down. It was almost nauseating, and she might have thrown up if not for the solid, dependable warmth of power around her.

Oracle's voice grounded her. "You see? Beyond the worlds you know, beyond the material, are the planes of the metaphysical. This is what I showed your ancestors, countless millennia ago. This is why I call you Mine. The powers the Goddesses grant to their children are vastly different from the ones I have given Mine. No less powerful, but barely compatible."

Jennifer whipped through realms of reality, hurtling through visions of infinite worlds connected by strings as thin as nothing at all, but still arranged in vast webs and fractals. For the briefest of moments, she understood all of Time, all of Space, and at the same time knew she knew nothing at all and never would. This was the briefest vision; the most fleeting taste of what Oracle knew. She wanted to cry.

"Isn't this amazing? In this vast multiverse, I am only one of infinite beings, as are you. And yet, our actions have impact and meaning. Life is beautiful, and I have vowed to protect it, even in this tiny corner of Everything. That is the same vow the Goddesses of Hyrule took, though I pride myself in having kept a limit on the number of curses on children."

Jen fell through a crystalline barrier, and found a dark space. She came to an abrupt stop before a face, or at least the barest facsimile of one.

"It has long been my duty to protect this Life from those who would mean it harm… and I admit that I have failed quite badly this time. To help me in my goal, I showed this to others in hopes that they could protect themselves better with knowledge, but some… some only wished to bring about the End. Majora is one of the threats Hyrule faces, but your world has its share of enemies."

Jen was pulled back sharply, and when she could make sense of the shapes around her she dropped heavily into Oracle's waiting arms. The spirit pulled her close, and whispered into her ear.

"Seek out Kamar-Taj, in Kathmandu. There is a sanctum of magicians here, in New York, but I don't think that they would take kindly to intrusion. My siblings are in Hong Kong and London."

When the spirit released her, Jen could feel her body had returned to normal. No sharp talons, no jagged teeth, and her hair had slipped loose from the bandana. Mercifully, her nose felt fine as well. The spirit vanished, and Jen re-tied her hair. She was back to wearing the purple version of the hero's garb, which she was grateful for.

She took a breath and faced the Avengers, or at least the three who were present. Hawkeye looked sternly unhappy, maybe a bit angry. Jen could only hope he wasn't quite as mad as he looked. War Machine was definitely unhappy with her.

Black Widow walked out from between the two of them and Jen flinched. A phone dangled from her hand casually, as if she hadn't just sealed Jen's fate with it.

"Everyone's waiting back at base for a full debrief. You've got quite a lot to explain, starting with your journals. The military can take care of clearing the city. We're no longer needed here."

She spun on her heel, walking back to the helicopter. Nothing about tone brokered any argument. Feeling miserable, Jen led the march into the machine as it started up and took all four of them away from the city.

…

The flight back felt like the aftermath of listening to your sibling fight with your parents, then taking a car ride and wondering exactly when they'd start ranting about the emotional mess that led up to the fight. The biggest difference, of course, was that Jennifer was waiting to get arrested.

Midna chose not to rest in a shadow, and instead hovered around the cockpit, watching the world go by through the front window. Link was strapped into a seat next to Zelda, and Jen sat facing them both, with an empty space to her left, offering a buffer between her and the pilots. The ride was utterly silent, except for the occasional radio chatter and the ever-present thrumming of the helicopter blades.

Jen pulled out her phone, happy to have cell service. Discretely, she created a group chat and added everyone that mattered, including a few choice members of the Streetside Heroes, SFO chapter. Her fingers hesitated over the names of her family, and she eventually added her sister and brother.

Jennifer Aubrey: I'm alive, and I'm relatively safe. Expect some interesting, but good news in the next few days. I hope everyone is alright and I didn't scare you all too much. I might not be able to respond for a while, but I will not be in danger.

She tucked the phone away quickly and looked out the window. They were flying past the city, over a few highways. She could see a few pedestrians walking between the stalled-out cars, either picking through what could be salvaged or returning home after a long nightmare.

Zelda broke the silence. "What did you do to make them angry?" Jen didn't meet her eyes.

"Vigilantism, mostly… though right now I think they're angrier that I couldn't explain anything about… this… before I left."

Link briefly rolled his eyes. What he meant by that, Jen didn't know. There was another moment of relative quiet. Jen's mood continued to remain as low as the Earth below.

"Who are this world's heroes?" Zelda asked, which was a much safer topic that Jen happily latched on to.

"The heroes of this world are mostly a part of an organization called the Avengers. There's been a few … difficulties regarding stability recently, though. So, uh, the heroes here are War Machine, the blond with the bow and arrows is Hawkeye, and the woman is Black Widow. She's terrifying. Aside from them are Iron Man, who Midna has probably… met… He also wears a suit, in red and gold."

Midna's lip curled. "He shot me with electricity."

Jen didn't know how to even approach that. "Huh… Good to know. And, uh, other than him is Captain America, he's got a round shield with bands of red, white, and blue with a star in the middle. There's Falcon, he's got a wing suit and can fly. And, uh, there's Hulk, he grows and turns green and breaks stuff. Lastly, but not least, is Thor. Thor's a … god, I guess? He can shoot lightning and fly."

"He wouldn't have long blond hair by chance?" Midna asked. Jen got a bad feeling.

"If you insult Thor we're gonna have a fight."

"He's an over-optimistic idiot."

Jen let her expression flatten. "When we land, you'd better have your fists up."

"Please don't," Zelda signed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "We're supposed to be presenting a unified front."

"Says who?" Midna turned on her, "We're here to tell them to kill Zant and Ganondorf, preferably in that order. I'm not here make friends."

Both Jen and Zelda groaned.

"We need them to like us so they'll agree to go out on a limb and help us!" Jen reminded her in exasperation, leaning against the belts of the seat to glare at her, "I know you hate it here, but you just got told by a spirit, of all things, to be less of an asshole!"

"I'm agnostic," Midna replied with a cheeky grin.

Zelda sent a mental prayer to Hylia for strength, looking at Link. For his part, he seemed to be enjoying it, laughing silently. Before Jen could have an aneurism, the Hylian Princess stepped in.

"Okay, okay! Shut up! Neither of you are allowed to speak to each other until we figure out what we're doing!" she yelled, "And what we're doing is asking for help from a foreign nation, which, by default, is diplomacy! Yarie is the translator, I'm the foreign dignitary representing our nations."

"They have someone who can communicate," Midna pointed out, "Thor, the long-haired blond one, apparently speaks all languages. They might just arrest Yarie and use him as your translator."

Jen hastened to include her own opinion before Zelda lost her temper entirely. "Okay, first off, when I said "arrested" I was being mostly overdramatic. I'm a minor, and I have some leeway with the laws because I'm not an adult."

"You still went around and arrested people," Midna argued.

Jen looked betrayed. "I thought you'd be on my side! Do you actually want Thor to be the translator?"

Midna tapped her teeth with one finger. "Hm… okay, no, but watching you struggle to dig yourself out of a hole by showing off how much dirt you've piled up is pretty entertaining." She grinned, gesturing for Jen to continue.

She sulked. "It's not like I didn't do my homework about the laws, and most of my arrests were within my rights. Maybe the evidence collecting and patrol was illegal, but the arrests were fine, maybe a bit rougher than necessary," Jen muttered, "Not like I killed anyone or anything. I'm more worried about the charges for possession of illegal items, and maybe how mad they'd be about accidentally keeping information from the public."

"Drugs?" Midna asked excitedly, to Zelda's ever-growing headache. Link seemed to be watching this like a play, observing how it would unfold with interest.

"Alright, so, funny story, it's not drugs. I said 'items', not 'substances'," she clarified hastily, to Midna's vocal, if mocking, disappointment, "About two years ago, my world got invaded by aliens who brought a bunch of super dangerous weapons and technology with them. When they were defeated by the original group of the Avengers, they left it all behind. The government mandated that it should all be taken away and stored in secret warehouses, since it's incredibly dangerous. However, a person in my vigilante group got their hands on some, and they made a scanner out of it so we could study your portal, Midna. And… I may or may not have been caught setting it up."

"I'm disappointed that you weren't smart enough to avoid getting caught," Midna snarked.

"Okay, we can work with this," Zelda focused, "What does your law say about vigilantism?"

Jen thought a moment, recalling what she had learned from Teague. "California penal code 837 says that if you have evidence, you can do a citizen's arrest. More often, it's if you see someone doing a crime in front of you, but you can arrest someone if you have evidence they've committed a felony," she recited, "The Streetside Heroes were always careful, though. We always had evidence, and witnesses. Illegally gotten, probably, but frankly the Avengers are technically international vigilantes at this point, so…"

Zelda took a centering breath and tried not to think about how much she wanted an undiluted glass of the fine, alcoholic wine she kept in her bedside dresser right now. "What is California? I thought this was New York?"

"Okay, so, I've been a vigilante for about a year and a half, and most of that was in a city called San Francisco, in California. We are on the other side of the country from there. I moved."

Zelda's headache built. "Alright, so we can probably pass off the vigilantism with some community service, since you're a minor by your country's standards, probably by ending this war. And… how illegal is it to have those items?"

Jen sucked in through her teeth. "Very? But, like, I wasn't the one to buy or sell it, and it was clearly made to be a private surveillance tool. I'd definitely get prison if it was made into a weapon. So, maybe a fine? I'm probably getting a ding on my public record no matter what. But again, minor, so most of the blame will be passed to someone else."

"And… anything else to note?"

"Everything I did would have been legal under Hyrule law. I hunted pedophiles most of the time, don't they get a life imprisonment?"

Zelda got an idea.

"How attached are you to your Gaian citizenship?"

"I'd be upset if I got expelled from the country, but I'm fine not voting. The whole government's a mess. Why?"

"Heroes automatically become nobility, if in title only. I can spin it to make you officially a Hylian citizen."

Jen blinked. "That's… a pretty good way to get out of punishment. Though, uh, wouldn't it make Hyrule look bad? Taking in a criminal?"

"Well, two questions. How old are you, and how old is majority?"

"Seventeen, and eighteen."

It was Zelda's turn to blink, and Midna's eye widened with shock. "How old do you live?" the Hylian asked.

Jen quickly realized why she was confused. "Eighty is the average. We don't live as long as Hylians. Nor especially as long as Asgardians, Thor's over one-thousand years old."

"That big puppy is how old?!" Midna whisper-yelled, "That's as old my ancestor Palrian of Blackcliff was when he passed, and he was the most powerful mage the Twili had ever seen!"

Zelda and Link whipped around to stare at her. "One-hundred and fifty is a very old age for Hylians, much less a thousand!"

"Thor's in his prime. Asgardians live to be about five-thousand. Now can we move on? Gaians have different stages of development and die fast, next topic, please," Jen interrupted before anyone else could speak. Zelda shook herself out of her curiosity, aided by the slight rocking of the helicopter.

"We're landing," Jen explained helpfully, "So we might want to wrap this up."

"Right, right, my apologies. So, you're my translator who will be applying for diplomatic immunity, and at least stating that you are nobility should buy you a few hours. Midna, no one is mentioning you're a princess, you're a refugee fleeing from Zant's tyranny. Feel free to use one of the translators to guilt trip the Heroes. Link, you're my bodyguard."

Link nodded, determined, then schooled his expression into the best resting murder face Jen had ever seen. She applauded him, and he quickly broke the mask with an amused grin.

Midna braced herself in Link's arms as the helicopter came to a smooth landing. "I'm going to guilt them into buying me lunch first. Any good dishes on your crappy planet?"

Jen raised an eyebrow with a snort. "You'd love Chinese takeout."