Over the Smasher Wall
Chapter 1: The Old Stock Mill
Somewhere, lost in the clouded annals of history lies a place that few have seen. A mysterious place called The Unknown. Where long forgotten stories are revealed to those who travel through the wood.
"Peter, Rupee, Octorok," Aryll rabbled on, "Carrot, Cuckoo, Benji, Ricky, but I think the worst name for this Waddle Dee is-"
"Wait a sec." Link stopped, blocking Aryll from continuing on.
Link looked at his surroundings. Branches covered the sun completely. The trees looked as if they had faces on their trunks, screaming in agony.
"Uh…where are we?" Link asked.
"In the woods." Aryll said.
"I mean, what are we doing out here?"
"We're walking home!"
"Aryll, I think we're lost!" Link started freaking out, "We should've left a trail or something."
"I can leave a trail of candy!" Aryll threw out a few pieces.
Link sighed, "No. Though I am lost, my wounded heart resides back home. There's pieces strewn about the graveyard of lost love. For only-"
Link was interrupted by a noise farther into the forest.
"Did you hear that?" Link traveled towards the sound, "Do you think it's some kind of deranged lunatic with an ax out there in the darkness looking for innocent victims?"
Aryll ran after the sound.
"Aryll!" Link quietly called.
Link reluctantly followed after Aryll.
"Aryll, you're gonna get us in trouble again!" Link warned.
There was a man, older than Link, but fairly young. He chopped down trees with his axe, humming a sad tune.
"We should ask him for help." Aryll suggested.
"No, we should not ask him for help." Link objected.
"But-"
"Shh!"
"You shush!"
"You shush!"
"Shh!"
Link covered Aryll's mouth. The man gathered his lumber and walked off.
"Shoot." Link said, "Think we should've asked him to help?"
Aryll shrugged.
"I could help you." A voice said above them.
Link and Aryll turned around and saw a bluebird perched above them.
"I mean, you guys are lost, right?" The bird said.
Link rubbed his eyes, "What in the world is going on?"
"Well you're slapping yourself and I'm answering your question and-" Aryll began.
"No, Aryll. A bird's brain isn't big enough for talking."
"Excuse me?" The bird snapped.
"I'm just saying, you're weird. Like, not normal. I need to stop talking to a bird." Link mumbled.
"And?" The bird asked.
"Well-"
"What are you doing here?!" Another voice came up behind them as a light shone on their faces, "Explain yourselves!"
It was the same man as before.
"And I'll see you guys later." The bird flew away.
"C-calm down, mister!" Link stuttered, "But whatever you do here is your business! We just want to get home with all of our legs and arms attached!"
"These woods are no place for children!" The man leaned closer, "Don't you know The Beast is afoot here?"
"The Beast? We don't know anything about the beast!" Link said, "We're just two lost kids trying to get home!"
"Well, welcome to The Unknown, boys." The man said, "You're more lost than you realize!"
[Later…]
The man was kind enough to let Link and Aryll stay at his place for the night.
"I found this homestead abandoned." The woodsman said, lighting a fire, "I repurposed its mill for my needs. Now you should be safe here, while I work"
"Candy trail, candy trail." Aryll continued to throw a piece of candy on the ground every step she took.
"So, what exactly is your work, Mr. Woodsman?" Link politely asked.
"Please, call me Chrom." Chrom stared at the flames, "Everyone has a torch to burn, and this one's mine."
Chrom placed his hand on a metal lantern.
"I grind the Edelwood trees for oil to keep the lantern lit." Chrom cracked a stick in half and threw it aside, "This is my life. This is my burden."
Chrom crouched by the fire, lightly glancing at an old set of armor.
"This guy sounds loony." Link whispered to Aryll, "Maybe we should make a break to it, if we can. But he does know the woods really well, so we may need to knock him out first. Except that may turn out really bad, huh? Yeah, bad plan. Scratch that."
"Okay." Aryll said.
"What are you two whispering about?" Chrom looked over his shoulder.
"We're talking about running away out of here!" Aryll said.
Chrom stood up.
"Leave if you wish. But remember, The Beast haunts these woods. Ever singing his mournful melody." Chrom mused, "To lost souls such as yourselves!"
"To help us?" Aryll asked.
"No. Not to help you." Chrom walked to the back door, "I have work to do in the mill. When I'm finished I will do anything I can to guide you. If you're still here when I return."
"Huh. I guess we could just leave." Link suggested, "Aryll!"
"What?" Aryll swung a log.
"Do you really think there is a beast out there? Or is that guy just messing with it?"
"Uh-huh." Aryll swung more object like a bat.
"I mean, he could have done away with us by now if that was his plan…and he lit that fire." Link sat on the couch, "That was nice."
"Yeah!"
"I guess there could be a beast out there. I mean there was a talking bird."
"Yeah!"
"I don't know." Link lay down, "Sometimes I feel like I'm a boat on a never-ending river. Twisting towards an ominous black sea. Further and further, drifting away. Wondering what I want to be. Who I want to be."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Did you know that if you soak a raisin in grape juice it turns back into a grape?" Aryll took out a rock with a face painted on it, "It's a rock fact!"
Link sighed, "You're not helping at all. Why don't you go play with your Waddle Dee or something?"
"Ah man!" Aryll stood up and dashed towards the door, "Where is that Waddle Dee of mine? Hold on there a second, oh brother of mine! I'll be back soon for your plan!"
[Outside…]
"Kitty, Kitty!" Aryll called, "Now where did that Waddle Dee named Kitty go?"
Aryll suddenly fell down, "I tripped over my own candy trail!"
There was a noise coming from the forest. A deep, low growl. Aryll went to inspect the branches until she heard a tiny squeak from behind her.
"That Waddle Dee's giving me the run around." Aryll jaunted to the barrel, throwing more candy along the way. She peeked through the window, "Kitty?"
Chrom was hunched over a machine. He grinded the Edelwood branches, humming the same tune as before. The branches came out of the machine as oil, pouring into a small bottle.
"Gross." Aryll said.
She heard the Waddle Dee again.
"Kitty?"
Aryll looked back at the forest again.
"Hm…Is that-" Aryll slipped into the barrel, "Oh there you are!"
Aryll heard the low growl again.
"Link?"
No response.
"Kitty?"
Something was suddenly on top of the barrel. Eyes furious, fur mangled, jaw drooling.
"You have beautiful eyes." Aryll stumbled.
[Back inside…]
Link was playing with a toy he found on the ground. He just wished he could get that ball on the stick. There was a sudden crash outside that made Link jump.
"Aryll?" Link called.
Chrom exploded through the back door.
"What happened? Where is your sister?"
Link shrugged.
"Holy moly." Aryll said when she entered.
The door was smashed open by a large wolf.
"It's The Beast!" Link cried.
"Stay back, children!" Chrom lifted his ax, "I'll handle-"
Aryll swung a plank of wood at Chrom's head, which barely brushed it. He turned in confusion, making him trip over and hit his head on the log. He was out cold.
"Aryll why did you do that?!" Link yelled.
"That was your plan remember? Knock him out!"
"No! Bad plan, I told you to forget that plan!"
The Beast stalked closer to Link
"Spank." Aryll hit the beast with the ax's handle.
"Run, run, run, run!" Link ran towards the back door.
"Candy camouflage!" Aryll threw more candy before running after Link with her Waddle Dee.
The Beast crashed through the door, nearly missing Link. Link scrambled up a ladder.
"Aryll!" Link called.
"Gee, this is great isn't it?" Aryll walked up right next to him.
Link spotted a bag of potatoes. He chucked a few at The Beast before tossing the entire bag.
"Oh! Am I supposed to throw something?" Aryll asked.
The Beast roared.
"Oh yeah!" Aryll threw out more candy.
The Beast quickly ate the pieces of candy.
"He's eating it." Link observed.
"I wonder if he ate my candy trail that lead to this mill!"
"Aryll! You lead The Beast right to us with your candy!"
The platform the two were standing on was flipped over, making them fly across the mill.
"Give me the ax." Link said when he stood up, "You're too small to be handling this."
The Beast scratched the platform, trying to get around it.
"Uh, we need to get out of here!"
Aryll pointed towards the ladder. The two scrambled up onto the roof. The Beast crashed through the wooden planks.
"Uh, Aryll, give him the rest of your candy!"
Aryll grabbed a single candy from Link's cloak and threw it off the roof. The Beast jumped after it, getting stuck inside the water wheel. The mill slowly started to fall apart. Link and Aryll were thrown off the roof and into the small river. Link quickly got out, but The Beast was nowhere to be seen.
"Aryll?" Link called.
"Hey, Link!" Aryll came out of the water riding a dog, "He spit up that turtle and now he's my best friend!"
The lightly shook Aryll and his Waddle Dee of and walked away.
"Hey, where are you going?" Aryll said, "Isn't that just the way?"
"My mill is destroyed!" Chrom said.
Link didn't notice he has woken up.
"The oil, all gone!"
"But, look! We got The Beast taken care of!" Link pointed at the dog.
"That dog?" Chrom yelled, "That is not The Beast! The Beast is not just some duck hunter's pet!"
Chrom snatched his ax away from Link.
"He stalks through the night!" Chrom swung his ax at a rock, chopping it in half, "He sings like the four winds! He is the death of all hope! He steals the children! And he'll rule…" Chrom trailed off.
"You always mess up Aryll!" Link said to his sister.
"Boy! You have it all backwards!" Chrom turned around, facing them, "You are the elder child! You are responsible, for you and your sister's actions!"
"I-I'm sorry. Maybe I can fix it." Link offered.
"You must go." Chrom pointed at the forest, "Take your sister north. Find a town."
"Yeah, thanks." Link grabbed Aryll's hand, "Come on, Aryll."
"One last thing." Chrom called after them, "Beware The Unknown! Fear The Beast and leave these woods! If you can. It is your burden to bear!"
"Right, yeah. Got it." Link said.
"And little one, look after that Waddle Dee. Give him a proper name."
"Okay!"
The two walked across the river, away from the mill.
"Link, I think I thought of a new name for our Waddle Dee." Aryll smiled, "I'm gonna call him Link."
"That's gonna be very confusing." Link said.
"No, I'm gonna call you Kitty."
"Maybe I'll start calling you Candy Pants."
"Yeah! Good one, Link."
"Thanks."
"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Link!"
The two siblings and their Waddle Dee walked into the night, unbeknownst to what awaits.
Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out my other fan fiction, The Smashing Dead!