To the Moon and Back: Prologue
Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.
(Author's Note: You're probably wondering what the HECK this is, and why the heck I haven't updated my other story yet. Fear not. I am not abandoning any story. This is just something to help with the writing process. What is it? Read on and you shall see)
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Kat wandered through Kakariko village, looking like a woman on a mission. In fact, this was actually the case — as she was currently yelling out someone's name.
"Tim!! Tim, where are you?!"
The fourteen-year-old was exasperated, and her voice betrayed that fact quite readily. It was a nice day out, and she was starting to get annoyed wasting it on a search mission.
"TIMBRE!"
People were starting to stare, though by now they were quite used to her and her friends behaving oddly. Kat ignored the stares for the most part, as she was quite used to it as well. Grumbling under her breath, she tried to think of where Timbre might plop himself on a nice day like this.
And like that she had her answer.
Two minutes later she stood on one of the many red-shingled roofs, looking up the long ladder to the watchtower.
"Tim! I know you're up there! Tim!"
There was a slight movement at the watchtower, and slowly a fuzzy silhouette peered down at her, blinking owlishly in the noontime sun.
"Woof?" it offered, looking slightly perturbed.
Kat just scowled. "'Woof' yourself. Come down here, I've got a message for you."
The head withdrew, and suddenly a large object hurtled down onto the roof beside Kat, giving her a bit of a start. The large object shook himself off, giving her the benefit of a long, toothy wolf-grin.
Kat wasn't impressed. "Showoff. I didn't mean you had to chuck yourself off the roof or anything"
The wolf, who of course was Timbre, just wagged his tail noncommittally. It had been four years since she'd first met the strange little boy in Hyrule Castle Town, and like her and all of her friends, he'd grown. Quite a bit, actually. He'd practically tripled in size, though like most adolescents, he had that kind of stretched and unfinished' look about him.
Moments later, and that lanky wolf was replaced with an equally lanky teenager, whose wildly spikish black hair blew in every direction as he stood up straight.
Years ago, Kat and everyone else had been taller than Timbre. Now the boy towered over all of them. He wasn't much taller than some of the boys, but he certainly had his growth spurt first, and fastest.
"Message? From who?"
Kat gestured towards the windmill. "Kas. He wanted to talk with you. Did you do anything wrong?"
"Wrong?" The youth put a gloved hand to his chin. "I don't think so, why?"
"Dunno, he just kind of seemed like he was really thinking about something. Well, knowing Kas, it's probably important."
"Probably." Kasumi was actually the older brother of Tyhino, and a very good friend of them both, though Kat knew Timbre often took counsel with Kas as if he were actually his older brother. "I'd high tail it down there, if I were you."
"Will do." Without a backward glance, Tim flung himself down the sloped roof gable, changing forms again before he'd even hit the ground.
Kat just shook her head as she watched the wolf gallop off towards the windmill. So much energy, she thought. Lately he's been nothing but. He's either asleep or in a crazy mood. What is up with him?
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The windmill was dark and cool, compared to the hot noontime sun, and it took Timbre a minute or two to adjust to the lower light level. If he knew Kas, he'd know that his friend would be wedged up in the windmill's attic, where he could watch the village go about its business without being disturbed.
Funny that Kas is like that, Tim thought. He acts like he doesn't care, but he's always watching out anyways.
He stood and waited for the windmill to revolve its inner carousel until it was just perfectly aligned for him to make the series of jumps necessary to reach the attic. Not many humans could make it up there, owing to the timing, and the distance. Four legs did have its advantages. A few quiet leaps later, and Timbre padded down towards the soft glow that denoted the upstairs window. Kas would be sitting right alongside it, like usual-
Timbre smelled his friend a moment before he came into view. If Tim hadn't know the man was Volcanian from first glance, his nose would have told him otherwise. There was just no mistaking that slight air of cinnamon and charcoal as anything but one from that land. Though it appeared his friend was asleep at the moment, as both his eyes were closed, and his mouth hung slack.
AhaTimbre smirked, and turned his walk into a stalk. Normally it was very difficult to get the drop on Kasumi. So far, Tim had managed to pounce all of his friends at least twice in the last weekmaybe today would finally be the day he'd surprise Kasumi
Almosttwo more feetand-
The Volcanian's hand neatly curled up, clasping about Timbre's muzzle and holding his jaws shut. "There you are."
Nuts.
Timbre just growled.
"Yes, I heard you coming, and no, I wasn't asleep," Kas said in his quiet fashion, letting his friend go.
Timbre drew back in the lupine version of a scowl. "Was I really that obvious?" he growled.
"Not really. I just know what to watch out for," Kasumi answered, perfectly able to understand Timbre in either form. "Now, to business."
Timbre sat down, looking dejected. He didn't really want to be lectured about anything. "This better not be boring."
"Boring?" Kas raised a serious eyebrow. "Hardly. I have a favor to ask of you, that's all."
"Okay"
"As you know, Lady Impa has been slowly building the village library, though it remains largely incomplete."
"Yeah. You need me to go find you some books or something?" Timbre was hoping it meant he'd be able to at least be outside, and not inside shelving dusty volumes or something.
"Not quite," Kasumi said, noting the antsy behavior of his friend. "Though you look like you could run to Lake Hylia and back, with the mood you've been in lately"
"SorryI'm just soso eager to go somewhere. Somewhere that isn't here, y'know?" Timbre cocked his head to one side. "Like if I stay in one place for too long I'll take root or something."
"Hmm. Boredom?"
"M-not really. I mean, I'm happy here and all-"
"I doubt it is that," Kasumi said. "In fact, I think I do know what your problem is, and how to solve it."
"Wha? Really?"
"but firstI need you to do me this favor."
"okay. What?"
"I want you to write an account of Termina."
There was a long pause.
"You want me to what?"
"Write an account about Termina."
"write an account?"
"Yes. About Termina."
"AboutTermina?"
"Yes."
Another pause. "Butwhy me, Kas? Why not Kafei? He knows a lot more about Termina than I do, he lives there after all-"
Kasumi just stared calmly at his friend. "I think this is a task we should allot to you, however. We are in need of all kinds of perspective, you know. And your perspective would possibly be quite different. And it isn't about Termina in general. We just need an account about what happened during that whole incident with the moon."
"Oh, that part. Well, yeah, I was there for that-"
"Exactly."
"But" Timbre's eyes flickered around, as if looking for excuses. "I don't even write that well! You've seen my Hylian, I mean, I know five-year-olds who write better"
"Then write it in Lupine. I can translate it, you know that."
"you really want me to do this, don't you?"
Kasumi nodded. "Tell you what. We'll make a deal. You write this account, and when you're done, I'll give you some good advice about how to get rid of that antsy tic of yours, alright?"
Timbre sighed. It looked like he was stuck for it, now. "alright, fine."
"Excellent! Here you go." Kasumi withdrew a scroll and pen, and offered it to the wolf, who gingerly took both in clenched teeth.
Good grief, thought Timbre. What have I just gotten myself into?