The Legend of Zelda: Forgotten Goddess

by N Felts

stone floor they are standing upon is obliterated causing Rift to fall with the debris down onto a hidden floor of the structure. Quickly scrambling out of the rubble, the boy finds himself in a cage of barbed wire suspended below the floating island. The blood-stained net of cringe-inducing metal is arranged in a domelike shape, the floor only traversable because of the fallen stone. Above, the room he was previously standing in has been destroyed, any chance of escape via portal now impossible. As if his situation weren’t bad enough, a deep groan sounds from beneath the debris, and a moment later, a disgustingly thin hand claws its way out of the rubble.

  “Alright, Rift,” Mai starts, appearing next to the boy to be certain she has his attention. “You can do this. These things are slow, but you’ve got to defeat it quickly. Don’t give it time to attack you, just go over there and smash it, okay?” She rambles off as quickly as she is able. Nodding in agreement, Rift utilizes his new tunic to bolt across the cage and smash the zombie’s hollow, wooden head the moment it appears from beneath the gravel. Without a second to celebrate, three more of the ghouls slowly emerge from the rubble, their movements slow and methodical. The occasional twitch or muscle spasm makes Rift’s skin crawl, the bony apparitions of flesh turning their disturbing wooden heads toward the boy. Two empty holes set in their coffin-shaped craniums appear to be eyes, and below, a lipless, snarling mouth craving fresh flesh. Remembering Mai’s words, Rift shakes off the fear, flashing toward the ReDeads and bashing their wooden skulls with a lunging punch followed by a spinning back fist.

  The final creature has almost managed to climb from the wreckage completely, its foot caught between a pair of large rocks. Moving in for the kill, Rift freezes in his tracks when the zombie suddenly twists its head in his direction and shrieks like a thousand women being torn apart. Though he cannot understand why, the boy is certain he cannot move a muscle. The ghoul manages to pull its leg free, lumbering toward Rift as its movements continue in slow motion. A sudden twitch contorts its head, the random jolts and spasms only serving to heighten the boy’s fear. Inhaling short breaths rapidly through its lipless mouth, the creature screams, the sound clawing at Rift’s bones from the inside out. Gradually approaching, like an old woman searching for a lantern, the monster paws at the open air blindly. A fleshy hand weakly clasps onto the boy’s gauntlet, the zombie slowly pulling itself toward the boy’s vulnerable throat. The closer the ghoul drifts to his face, the more tightly the vice-like fear clamps down upon Rift’s extremities, squeezing his muscles until he is still as a statue. Suddenly, Mai appears directly in front of him, her hands upon his cheeks as she attempts to snap the boy out of his trance.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” she starts, her voice absurdly calm considering the situation. “I just need you to do one thing right now. Forget about everything else. All you need to do is relax. Just calm down,” she explains, dragging out the last two words as she presses her forehead to his. “Just look at me,” she continues, breathing onto his lips. “And calm down.” The thought of her lips against his is enough to distract Rift from the hungry ReDead, moments away from biting into his flesh. Without even realizing it, his muscles soften and he trips back to a knee, just as the creature’s jaws snap at him. Rapidly returning to his senses, the boy almost freezes in place once again as the sickening sound of wet breaths through clenched teeth bears down upon him. With a primal war-cry, Rift leaps into an uppercut, punching through the beast’s head as he spirals up into the air with unnecessary momentum. Landing back upon the uneven battleground, he simply stares in awe as the larger pieces of rubble begin to gravitate into a staircase leading up and out of the trap. The small treasure chest that was only an answer away is now revealed as the debris is lifted off of it. After opening the container and retrieving its key, they boy inspects more closely to discover there is a single word etched inside the lid of the box.

  memories

  Sighing and shaking his head, he kicks the now empty chest aside before ascending the hovering stairs. After portaling back to the central room, Rift regains his composure as Mai materializes to guide him through the area. Even with her hand in his, the thought of falling into a pit full of those creatures crawls into the boy’s mind, and without warning, his leg goes stiff. The horrible cries and shrieks echo through the room between the rhythmic sucking sounds as the ghouls refill their lungs. Simply placing a hand on his cheek and locking onto his eyes is enough to get Rift back to his feet, the mental game of focus having taken its toll on the boy. Slamming the door shut behind them, the duo make their way to yet another floating island. Welcoming the lack of surprise, Rift strolls into another identical room, taking a moment to psych himself up before stepping forward and revealing the ghost. A cute, female ninja stands against the wall next to the door with a foot propped against it. Both of her hands cupping the back of her neck, she resonates a casual calm as she greets her visitor.

  “What’s up? I’m surprised you made it this far,” she chuckles, remaining in her relaxed position.

  “Piece of cake,” Rift shrugs, failing to generate enough confidence to sound anything short of extremely sarcastic.

  “Ready?” She asks, her eyes lighting up as she looks the boy up and down.

  “Bring it on,” Rift declares, his voice tired, but ready.

  “I’m a box of keys with no locks, and a keeper of notes. It’s with hands but not clocks, I make cords but not ropes,” she says with a mischievous smile. Praying Mai has the answer this time around, the boy turns his back to the ghost, closes his eyes, and waits. Regardless of what trials may come, he desperately wants to avoid falling into another cage of those creatures. Even now he can hear the screams in his mind. Only the most unspeakable torture inflicted upon the most innocent people could generate such a sound. Unsure of how much time has passed since the riddle was spoken, he opens his eyes once again, only to hear an unwelcome sound.

  “I don’t know, Rift,” she starts, felling awful when his shoulders slouch in defeat. “I’m sorry.”

  “Keys without locks,” he repeats to himself after a moment, catching the interest of the ghost behind him. “Notes… Hands… Cords…” He ponders, realizing the pieces are coming together. “Not cords,” he blurts out with a smile. “Chords! You’re a piano!” He declares, pointing a finger at the reclining phantom.

  “Took you long enough,” she laughs, rolling her eyes. With that, she simply rises off the wall before strutting through the room as she vanishes. A snicker of delight escapes the boy’s lips as he throws the chest open and takes the key. The screaming has become constant within his subconscious, the slurping sound between shrieks replacing his own ordinary breathing. His descent into madness occurs so slowly even he fails to realizes the path he is journeying upon.

  “There’s only one left,” he laughs, not noticing how crazed the tone of his voice sounds. Immediately exiting the room and summoning a portal back across the vast chasm, he feels a strange sensation resonating from his right hand.

  “Rift? What’s wrong?” Mai breathes upon deaf ears, her concern steadily growing as she watches his uncharacteristic antics. His iris’s shrinking to pin points, the boy gazes into his palm, the fluttering waves of blue spilling out as the void calls his mind in. The horrible noises haunting his every thought fade away, seemingly pulled into the vortex overtaking his vision. Phasing into existence behind the boy, Mai gently wraps her arms around him, not forcing his hand away from his face, but gently urging Rift to cease staring at it. As his arm gradually falls out of view, the boy nearly passes out from the devastating mental effect this temple is wrecking upon him. After a time in her arms, he returns to normal, confused as to what caused his sudden episode to begin with. The grinding groan emanating from the darkness below refills his ears as if he is hearing it for the first time. After the reboot of his senses is complete, he decides he can continue. Parting from her one-sided embrace, Mai traces a finger down to Rift’s hand,
clasping it tightly as she waits for the boy signal for the door to be opened. The trip through the room of barbed wire and blood is difficult, Rift’s limbs consistently freezing as Mai struggles to pull him forward. His mental defenses have faltered, some vital piece of his thought process lost to the void in exchange for his continual sanity. Back outside he gathers his composure before setting his sights on the floating room in the distance. Finally, the last chasm is crossed, and the last door leading into a small room is opened.

  “The final key awaits,” a deep, manly voice calls as the spirit appears. Sitting with his legs crossed in his lap, the ninja’s back reclines against the small chest, his position suggesting meditation.

  “I’m ready,” the boy breathes, unsure if he is currently sane enough to comprehend the word puzzle.

  “Very well. The more of me you have, the less you can see,” he proclaims, closing his eyes and returning to his meditative state. Shocked at first, the boy finds himself expecting another verse, but the specter offers none. Mentally exhausted, Rift can scarcely summon the willpower to consider