Wind Song

by Dawn of Hope

They say the howling of the wind is a song. A lament of a woman who was blessed and cursed by the gods. A melody that repeats until a savoir rises and rescues her from repeated anguish. He had heard the stories before, but he never believed them to be true. He had heard them before, but he never thought they had to do with him and the girl with the red eyes. Read & Review

Wind Song

Fandom: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess/Mentions of events from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
Genre: Adventure/Spiritual/Romance
Focus Characters: Link & OC
Rating: High T (May bump to M later)
Pairings: LinkxOC, mentions of onesided LinkxMidna, LinkxIlia

Author's Note (A/N): Any questions that rise should be answered as the story progresses, and if they aren't answered, that means I'm not doing my job as an author, doesn't it. I make not promises about the speed at which this story is updated. None at all. But I do promise that it'll be worth your while.

Full Summary: He had heard the stories before. The legend of the Wind Song. That the howling of the wind is the lament of a woman blessed and punished by the gods and the whispers of the wind, her calling for aid. What he didn't know is that the stories were true, long ago a woman was punished by the gods to reincarnate forever, until the day came that she was reunited with the hero of Farore. And only with his help could the curse be broken. What Link didn't know, is that he was the only way she would ever be saved.

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Prologue: Daughter of Wind

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It is dark. Nothing can be seen save for the outline of a boy. His back is facing me and the idea of him not watching me causes a dagger to hit my heart, as if I've been poisoned. He turns towards me. I can feel him touching my face, but I still cannot see anything. He touches my face, whispers an apology. How desperately he knows that we both want things to change. How he wishes we could be together. He turns away again and whispers my name before vanishing into the darkness. 'Aira.'

"No! Wait!"

Aellai shot up in her bed, covered in a cold sweat. It was the fourth time that week that she'd been woken by a nightmare, and while it was something she had grown accustom too after experiencing it all her life, it was starting to get old. Her eyes moved around as she took a moment to convince herself over and over again that it was just a dream, clenching and unclenching her fists as she watched the still room. It was one of the most realistic dreams she'd had in quite some time, strikingly similar to the ones she had when she was young. The ones about her. The ones about Aira.

"Aellai, come down here before your breakfast gets cold! You've got chores to do, young lady, so no slacking today!"

"I'm coming, Ma!" Aellai rose to her feet and carefully made her bed before turning to face the mirror. She pulled on her clothes, washed her face in the bowl of water, and smoothed out her hair before stopping to think again. Maybe she should ask her father if there was someone in their family named Aira. Perhaps someone like her aunt Tori, who had nightmare after nightmare about the same thing. A windy chasm and endless falling and a girl with silver hair…

"Aellai!"

Aellai jerked out of her thoughts and pulled the top half of her hair into a lose knot before turning around and rushing down the stairs to the kitchen. She smiled out an apology to her mother before taking a seat by her father. He was a pale man, hair white as snow and eyes red as blood, a huge contrast to her tan skinned, black haired, blue-eyed mother who sat down with a smile. "What took you so long, Aellai?"

"Now Zara, no need to bother her about it taking so long, I'm sure that there were lady things she needed to attend to."

"You're being too easy with her, Taiki."

"I'm sorry that it took me so long." Aellai said, bowing her head to both of her parents who smiled back at her. They took a few minutes to mutter thanks to the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore for their meal and finally began eating.

"So dear, do you have any deliveries to make today?" Zara's eyes turned to her husband and Aellai followed suit, looking at him in interest. Her father was a carpenter, like their entire family had been, and was decently known Eldin and even Ordona. Normally, Aellai was allowed to go with her father, but only if he was going to Kakariko or Ordon. Lately, though, he'd been going to…

"I have some quick business in the Castle Town today." Taiki said with a small smile, not noticing the way his daughter's face fell. "I'm leaving after breakfast and I'll be back before nightfall to prepare for tomorrow's trip. It's just a few errands and I need to speak with someone for Impaz."

Impaz. The name seemed to say it all. Zara nodded without any further questions. Old Lady Impaz had a lot to do in the Castle Town lately, or at least, that was the way that Aellai had seen it. The more that Impaz had to do in Castle Town, the less that Aellai was able to see her father, and that was enough to put her poor spirits. It was enough to bring a frown to her face and it was enough to make her wonder why they didn't just put the crazy old hag on a horse and send her into town so that her father could stop playing messanger. And these words danced on her lips. "Why is Impaz so important, anyway? Why can't she go to Castle Town on her own?"

"She's our village elder, Aellai." Zara said quickly, "And she's to be treated with respect! You understand, young lady?"

"Aellai." Taiki started in a much gentler voice than Zara, "You know what we all are, don't you? Why we live here in this village?"

"Yes. Everyone in this village has Sheikah blood, and only people with Sheikah blood are allowed to be here. We hid in this village and hone our art until the time comes that we are called upon by the royal family. Until then, we will remain here. This is the village of our birth, and so it shall be the village of our dearth…" Aellai recited the words as if they were a code to live by, her voice touched with sarcasm. She had been brought up in the Hidden Village, trained in the ways of the Sheikah, the Shadow People, in stealth and in mystery, only to work in the fields like any other Hylian would. And it was grating on her nerves, to know how to battle and how to fight, when all that she could do was hide in a village, rarely leaving.

"That's right, dear." Taiki said softly, "And Impaz's clan…"

"…Is the leading clan of the Sheikah, loyal to this village and to the royal family of Hyrule. I know, Pa, I know!" Aellai frowned, swerving her head to look from her mother to her father and back again. "What clan are we from, anyway? Which of the thirteen? And don't tell me that it doesn't matter anymore, because I want to know."

"My mother was from the Mizuka clan and my father was from the Ishiko clan." Zara answered quickly, sweeping the subject away, but it did nothing to silence her daughter.

"What about Pa? What clan is he from?!"

"Aellai! Not at the table!"

"But why not? Even if you don't tell me, I'll find out sooner or later! And I'm bond to find out who this Aira girl is!"

Taiki went still and Zara frowned, taking a deep breath before looking at the table. "What were you saying about tomorrow, dear?"

"First I've got to go to Kakariko and speak with Renado for Impaz..." Taiki mumbled, his voice shaking, "And then I've got to go to Ordon to deliver a couple pieces as well. It'll be a two day trip, minimum."

"Oh!" Aellai looked excited, as if the upset from five seconds ago had never happened. "Can I go? Please, Ma! You haven't let me go on a trip with Pa in ages. I want to see Luda and the people from Ordon and the boy on the ranch and his horse. Chrios gets along so well with her."

A voice echoed through Aellai's head at the mention of this. A name and a plea to be saved. She glanced around curiously before turning her eyes back to her mother. "And if you let me go, I promise that I won't ask any more questions about Pa's clan anymore! Please, please, please?"

"I see no harm in it." Taiki laughed, "It'll be good for her to get out of the village for a little while."

Zara looked thoughtful for a few moments before giving a soft sigh. "Alright, you can go with your father..."

"Yes!" Aellai jumped up from her seat.

"But only if you get your work for the day done..."

"I'm on it!" Aellai nodded, grabbing the plates so that she could clean them off.

"And you have to help Impaz with her house work as well."

"I will!" Aellai called as she put the plates in a wooden tub of water and bounced out of the house.

Zara shook her head, watching her daughter bound away before turning to face her husband. "She's right, if we don't tell her about your clan, she's bound to find out sooner or later."

"I know, Zara." Taiki said, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair, deep in thought, "We can't protect her forever, I know that but…it's like part of me hopes that maybe if she never finds out the truth then she won't end up like the others did."

"We knew it would happen from the moment we say her eyes, Taiki. It'll be easier on us if we were just to accept it." Zara smiled at her husband weakly.

"We don't know that for sure." Taiki insisted. "All we know is the legends and what happens normally happens to girls with that eye color. Maybe it won't happen to her."

"It's time to accept the legends as reality, Taiki. The facts are there. It happens to all of them. All of the ones born with those eyes." Zara said sharply.

"What if she's the one who breaks the cycle?"

"We can only hope, sweetheart, we can only hope."

-.-.-.-.-.-

"You don't seem to understand what this means, foolish child. He is leaving you. You'll never see him again. Never."

"Aira, can you hear me? Aira!"

"Aellai?"

The almost creaking sound of Impaz's voice made Aellai jump and nearly fall off the roof she'd been standing on. She shivered and turned to the face the elderly woman, who had a windswept look, almost as if while Aellai had been spacing off the wind had been gusting strongly. Aellai climbed off the roof and stood next to the woman, frowning. "You're daydreaming again, Aellai." Impaz chuckled, "Is something on your mind, Child?"

"Kind of." Aellai frowned slightly, turning her eyes towards the sunset. She'd been daydreaming? It wasn't new, but normally she knew better than to space off while she was doing work. She blinked before looking back at Impaz, who seemed so short recently. "Actually yes. I have a question, ma'am."

"Of course. Ask away, young one." Impaz said with a gentle smile.

"Well, before the Great War, there were thirteen clans among the Sheikah tribe, right?" Aellai asked slowly.

"That's right. Before the Great War, there were thirteen clans. The leading clan, the three warrior clans, the three truth clans, the three shadow clans, and the three golden clans. After the great war, only two of the clans remained in full but the others still existed within Sheikah-Hylian hybrids like your mother." Impaz said knowingly.

"Right, and all of the clans were pledged to serve the loyal family in some way. All accept the Golden Clans, right? Because they pledged themselves to the three Golden Goddesses. Ishiko to Din, Mizuka to Nayru and Kazeki to Farore."

"Yes that's right, but history isn't the only thing on your mind, is it, Aellai?"

"Yes." Aellai turned to face Impaz, "Have you ever heard of a Sheikah named Aira?"

"My great-great-grandmother told me stories about, dear, many years ago…and my grandmother used to tell me the very same stories before she passed away." Impaz said quietly, "She was a young woman born nearly ten years after the war. A beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes, a member of one of the Golden clans. In fact, she was the last full blooded member of the Golden clans and the protector of their most treasured objects."

"What?" Aellai cut into Impaz's story, frowning.

"What do you mean what?"

"You never mentioned these treasures before."

"Oh…" Impaz blinked slowly, "I suppose I didn't. Well, you can't expect an old lady like myself to remember everything off the top of her head. The Golden Clans were viewed as the most religious of us because they pledged to the goddesses, but some of the other Sheikah viewed their pledge as selfish. In return for their full loyalty, the Goddesses blessed each clan with powers unlike any seen by our people before. This was the power to control the elements of each of the goddesses. This power was manifested in the physical form of three different instruments: A drum to control fire from Din, a harp to control water from Nayru, and a flute to control wind from Farore. As long as these instruments were held by a member of the clan it was given to, all other members would have that power.

"It was said, however, that this wasn't a gift out of generosity. There were strings attached. There was a pact made. Should any clan die out and no long reside in the village of the Sheikah, then it would fall to the other tribes to look after that instrument until the end of time. Should the instrument leave the village in the hands of one who wasn't its protector, then the person who lost it would be cursed and their clan would suffer until the end of eternity. Now…Aira was the last full blood member of the Golden Clans still in the village and, as such, she was the protector of all three instruments. But, she was blind."

"Blind?" Aellai looked at Impaz again.

"The only way she could see was through the power of the wind, which was hers and hers alone to control."

"What happened to her?"

"She died." Impaz said sadly, "No one knows how it happened. She was perfectly healthy one moment and died the next. The next day the drum and harp were nowhere to be found and her family hid the flute of Farore in a spiritual place that no one could enter without first going through the gate keeper, a golden wolf, time has it. Over time, Aira was forgotten and became one of the many Sheikah legends."

"Doesn't that mean that she died because the drum and harp were taken?"

Impaz laughed, "There are many who believe it to be so, and they say that ever generation, the clan she was part of gives birth to a female with red eyes who always dies the same and sudden death that Aira did. Most real Sheikah think that's just the bit that was added on by the Hylians to make their little Wind Song legend seem more frightening."

"Wind song?"

"The Hylians say that there was once a girl who was blessed by the Goddess Farore with the power to control the wind and in return for this power she was given the duty of guarding three very holy artifacts that belonged to the three Golden Goddesses. The girl, they say, lost the artifacts belonging to Din and Nayru and thus was punished by the Goddesses. Her punishment was to be locked in a looping song, reincarnation that hums with the wind and can only be heard by the great Hero of Farore. That's why the wind's howling is so sad, at least according to the Hylian."

"That's so sad." Aellai looked towards the sun, which was only a small glimmer of light in the sky. "Why is it so important that the girl who suffers the same fate as Aira has red eyes?"

"Because when a Sheikah has red eyes, they are full or nearly full blood, dear." Impaz said, "After the Great War, only the leading clan and the Kazeki clan was left and today, only three people have red eyes in this entire village. You, me, and your father. Surely he told you that your eyes make you equal of Sheikah royalty." Impaz snorted at her joke.

"He never…he never did." Aellai said, shocked, "But that means I'm from the Kazeki clan and I have red eyes and-!"

"It's only a story. You'll be fine, Aellai. Go home, it's dark and your father will want to leave early tomorrow morning." She shoved Aellai in the direction of the girl's house. "Travel safely."

Aellai moved slowly towards her house, gazing around oddly. She was a descendant of some kind of legend. Not just any legend, but the legend that the others told to their children to scare them into certainty as far as ideas of loyalty to the gods. And her eyes meant…no, it wasn't possible. Her father wouldn't lie to her and her eyes were clearly just a fluke. That had to be it. Her parents wouldn't like about something that important.

She pulled open the front door, her mind set that it was all indeed impossible, and walked up to her room to sleep without a second thought. She didn't want to speak to her parents, even if they had been telling the truth. She could face them in the morning.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Thunder clashes all around. The only thing to be seen, a bright light from above. Golden, the outline of a wolf. And before her, the form of a boy. A boy, about her age. Strong, clad in green. She reaches out. He turns to face her. Darkness falls.

"Find the flute."

"Darkness is coming."

"You must find the flute!"

"Twilight is falling, Aellai."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Aellai woke before dawn the next morning, going straight outside to get the horses prepared for the trip. She moved past her father several times, not speaking to him, her head still reeling from the newly received information. That she was descendant from Aira Kazeki. That she could bear such a burden. She saddled up two of the larger horses to pull the wagon before turning to her own horse, Chrios, and saddling him up. "Good morning, Chri, are you ready for a trip?"

The horse neighed in response and the girl smiled weakly, preparing the cart and everything else without further words to the horse. When everything was finished, she and her father left, the sun still low on the horizon. The first hour was spent in relative silence, with Aellai looking over the her horse every now and then and cooing to him sweetly. But not once did she look towards her father. And not once did she speak to him.

Finally, after a couple hours, Taiki finally spoke.

"Aellai, what's bothering you?" And when he didn't get a response after a couple moments, he turned his head to look at his daughter, "Aellai."

"You lied to me." She whispered, looking at her father for only seconds before her eyes darted away.

"What about, love?" Taiki asked slowly.

"Your clan...your past...e-everything!" Aellai's voice escalated quickly, and as she began to shout, the sky darkened. "You lied about who we are! You lied about where we're from! You lied about our ancestors! Why didn't you tell me that we're Kazekis, Pa! Why couldn't you just tell me that we were failures? That we're embarrassments to the Sheikah name. That when other people in the village look at me, the see the ancestor of the girl who was the biggest disappointment to the Goddesses in our history!"

"Because none of that is true," Taiki spoke very quietly, his voice even, his eyes moving from the sky to his daughter. "And I was trying to protect you from becoming obsessed with the past. We can't change what happened to Aira, Aellai. All we can do is carry on and try to do what is possible to please the Goddesses."

The sky continued to darken until it reached a premature state of twlight, and a blanket of it washed over them. Aellai didn't seem to notice, but her father did and he became very uneasy. "Pa! You should've told me! All this time and I've had to pretend I didn't notice that people looked at me strangely. All this time and everyone knew but me! And I- I have to hear it from Old Lady Impaz!"

"I understand, Aellai. I shouldn't have lied to you." There was a false smile on his lips, as if he'd be able to keep her from worrying should something come towards them. And come something did. The moment he finished speaking, a creature black as night burst from the cart. A scream escaped Aellai's lips as her father grabbed her and dove to the ground.

"P-Pa! What is that thing?!" Aellai's heart raced within her chest, tears coming to her eyes from the pain of being thrown to the ground. A fear gripped her stomach, the likes of which she had never faced before. Her eyes darted to the horses, as if a protective instinct had taken over, and she watched as Chrios stomped the ground defensively.

"Aellai!" Before she knew what was happening, her father had covered her mouth and was whispering fervently in her ear, keeping her eyes away from the monster, which was devouring the two cart horses. "When I let go of you, I want you to run. Run as quickly as you can to Kakariko. The graveyard. Yes. The graveyard. If you're really the one, then he will find you there. And if not, then Renado can give you shelter."

"He who?" Aellai voice came from beneath her father's hand, eyes moving towards the monster, it was coming towards them.

"Her hero, Aellai." Taiki breathed, "We're nearly there, Chrios will carry you the rest of the way."

"But Pa! You're coming with me, right? And everything will be okay?" A desperate demand, "You've got to come with me, Pa! I love you!"

"I love you too, and I'm so proud of you." Taiki kissed her forehead, releasing her as the beast grabbed his foot. "Run!"

The shriek that left Aellai's mouth felt as if it hadn't come from her own mouth. She instantly scrambled to her feet, grabbing onto Chrios' mane and pulling herself up, urging him forward. He moved as fast as he could towards Kakariko Village, monsters appearing everywhere, pulling at her legs, gashing them. The two hardly made it to the graveyard before Aellai fell from her horse, bloodied and battered, on the ground.

You have arrived, my child.

Aellai's eyes opened and she found herself before a beautifully built windmill. She stared at it for a while, eyes glimmering sadly as she gazed upon the well-crafted wonder that was before her. For a moment, she forgot that anything terrible had happened to her. For a moment, everything was peacefully quite. She stumbled forward, gently placing her hands on the stones of the windmill, "Pa." Her voice escaped her throat in chocked tears, "I'm sorry, Pa."

Aellai blinked as something started licking her other hand and she opened her eyes slowly, coming face to face with a golden colored wolf. She stared at it for a very long time, before taking a deep breath. "Hello, little wolf. Are you alone as well? Alone and scared, is that what's wrong?" The wolf stared into her eyes, "Wait…a golden wolf? Are you the gate keeper that Impaz was telling me about? Is that what's going on here? Is this my fault?"

It placed its snout to her forehead and there was a flash of light. She recovered from the brightness quickly and her eyes landed on the form of a man standing before her. His face was shaded but his hair was a brilliant shade of blond and his eyes were blue. She gazed at him for a long moment, "Who...who are you?"

"My name has been given to another, dearest Aellai. In the time since I have been called many names, Shade is among them, although some have also called my other form the Gate Keeper."

Aellai blinked and stepped forward, touching the man's face and shivering. He was cold, but not the normal kind of cold, it was a dead sort of cold. Aellai felt like she knew the man from somewhere, even though she couldn't make out his face. "Where are we?"

"The place where Aira hid her treasures upon her death." He looked at her with soft, glowing blue eyes.

"Did you know her?" Aellai asked, gazing around the area. Everything was so much greener than she was used to; it was soothing and comforting to be somewhere so alive. "Did you know Aira?"

"I loved Aira." He said quietly, his voice echoing in her head. "And it is because of me that she died. Now all that I can do is try to save what she left behind."

"She died because of you?" Aellai blinked, "What do you mean by that? I'm sure she didn't die just because of you…"

"I wasn't there to protect her." He looked away, towards the windmill, before looking back. "It is time for you to take Aira's power as your own."

"I won't be blind, will I?"

He seemed to laugh at this and shook his head, "You will not…but in order to receive this power, you must be ready to face the darkest of nights on your own for a while. You must be ready to fight the most vicious and vile of all enemies…and above all you must be prepared to take on this responsibility."

Aellai stared at the ground for a moment, wondering what her parents would say if they knew that she was even thinking of putting herself in such a dangerous position. Then it hit her; her father was dead because he saved her. He told her to come here. He wanted her to know who she was. This was the only thing she could do to make him proud, to make his sacrifice worth it. She looked up, "I'm ready."

"Very well, child." The man gazed upon her.

There was a rush of wind from every direction and Aellai's eyes widened as visions of the most beautiful of colors came before her eyes and rushed into her head. She kept a strong hold on her breathing and suddenly felt the strength of the wind in her body. She reached her hands out and gripped the air, taking hold of a long flute with one hand and a double bladed staff with the other. The wind finally died down and she stood before the strange man again.

"A staff?" She asked, turning her eyes towards him curiously.

"You'll need something to use in battle, my child. Master the art of the wind and you can extend your reach in a thousand directions." He put his hands on her shoulders and she stared back at him, "Always keep the flute within your reach. It's the source of your power. At first you won't be able do anything without playing it, but soon you'll find that you only need to hum to make the wind gust."

Aellai put the flute against the staff and began to spin around, easily cutting down several trees. Once she was quite sure what she was doing she nodded, gazing up at the man, "Thank you…"

"When you arrive in your own world, you'll find it is covered by twilight. The creatures that killed your father will be many, but a man you trust will be near."

"Renado?" Aellai asked softly, gazing upwards.

"Yes."

"What is it that I'm supposed to do?" Aellai asked, voice calm.

"You will know when he finds you."

"He who?" Aellai muttered quietly.

"The Hero of Farore. He's the only one that can help you, Aellai. He will be dressed in clothes just like my own and will have eyes blazing with courage."

Aellai nodded slowly.

"When twilight clears of this area, go to the Castle Town. There are people there who will help you. A woman named Telma keeps a bar. Go to her and take refuge there. She will be able to teach you how to use your powers as they must be used and she will be able to explain more." The man breathed in and out slowly, Aellai watched his chest rise and fall. "Until then, do not be afraid for I will be with you as the Gate Keeper. You will know it is me."

Aellai nodded again, "Thank you so much."

"Good luck, sweet daughter of the wind."