Chapter 1: "The Store, The Game, and the Start of a New Adventure"
Me: I might have written this fanfic before, but I decided to add a lot more details, and
correct the plentiful grammar errors that have been carelessly missed.
Matt Muse: Uh, you just made one, Neko.
Me: Where?
Matt Muse: (sighs) Neko disclaims this story. She doesn't own Zelda and their games.
Me: No seriously, where?
It all started when I was on my way to the store to buy the new Zelda and the Twilight Princess game.
"I'M GOING TO GET TWILIGHT PRINCESS WOOHOO! Spaz, spaz, spaz, spaz, spaz…" I stopped spazzing suddenly, my eyes catching a glimpse of the sign in the window of GameStop. "TWILIGHT PRINCESS HAS BEEN DELAYED FOR ANOTHER YEAR?!" I started sobbing loudly and pitifully. That's when I woke up.
"Ugh, what an annoying nightmare," I sighed. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my arms, legs, and back, before throwing my legs over the side of my bed.
"Why do I have a feeling that I'm missing something?" A doorbell sound emanated from my phone on the dresser beside my bed. I flipped it open and saw that the calendar function had opened up with an event reminder. A blinking square was boxed around the date of July 29th. I stared at the blinking square for a few moments until knowledge finally hit me.
"It's… My birthday!" My eyes widened as I remembered that my dad is going to take me to GameStop to get Zelda and the Twilight Princess today. Excitement started to slowly creep into my system making the places it touched quiver in response. I've waited forever for this moment and it's finally come! The sensation flooded into my chest and I was literally shaking with intense exhilaration. Unfortunately, the strong feelings subsided as I got to thinking of my nightmare. Well, it was more of a flashback, of the last time I went to the game store to get the latest Zelda game, minus the melodramatic outbreak of despair. I was quivering with anticipation at the door, only to be surprised by the big sign informing us, The Outraged Fans of America, that the game we all yearned for has been delayed, yet, another year. And based on dream psychology, the reason I had the dream in the first place was because I was worried the delay would happen again. When I have been waiting SO FREAKIN' LONG!
I shook my head and got out of bed.
"Eep…" A rush of clouds and haze swirled into my head, causing me to sway dizzily. I grasped the bedpost for a few seconds to catch my breath then walked to my door, carefully, trying to push the obscuring haze out of my sight. I opened the door of my room, still half-blinded, and stepped outside, only to be tripped by my dog who was sprawled out on her back in front of my door.
"Eged! Dang it, Smokey." I growled. My adorable Norwegian elkhound looked up at me happily, then rolled onto her stomach and stood up. Her whole butt was wagging with her tail, eyes rolling slightly, and her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. I sighed again: she was just too cute. I reached down to pet my dog, who had just recently taken up her little spot right in front of my door. I was still half sight impaired, and I turned and stepped forward only to be tripped yet again by the laundry basket that was left in the middle of the area between my room and the laundry room. I caught myself, and then muttered a curse. Finally, after stumbling along, I made it to the kitchen to make myself a bowl of cereal.
"Moooorning birthday girl!" Sung my mother. I love my mom so much, the sound of her voice made me happy. "Did you sleep good?"
I decided not to mention my dream, "Yep, I slept pretty good." I didn't want to lower my mom's jubilant mood with unnecessary complaints.
"So you're 15 today, eh?" Said my dad. I jumped and yelped at the sound of his voice. He always enters a room so silently, and it always surprises me. I should be used to it by now!
"Uh-huh, yep. I am aren't I?" Is THAT what age I am? Already? I feel so ancient. "And," I hesitated, "We are going to GameStop to get the new Zelda game, aren't we?"
"Of course, we haven't gotten you any presents, and we decided to take you to get you what you want."
I forced a squeal back down my throat and tried to control my body from shaking again. I always get this way, when something awesome was going to happen. I'm going to get Zelda and the Twilight Princess!
After we went on with our morning duties, my dad and I got into the car, and we headed down to GameStop. I couldn't help but doubt as to whether it will actually be here, I mean, last time we came, it was delayed, and we reserved it. And they also said they wouldn't delay it any further. But, what if I got the information wrong? What if I did get it right, but they lost the reservation? What if they lost a reservation, and they sold out, so we are unable to actually get it? What if— My chain of doubts broke instantly. We were there.
I could feel my heart thumping loudly in my chest. I was surprised my dad couldn't hear it. Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. I put my hand over my heart and told myself to calm down. My dad looked at me from outside my window.
"Are you going to get out? Or do you want to go home?" He looked at me, obviously amused, and chuckled to himself. I must have looked silly with the melodramatic expression etched into my face. I knew he was joking, but I still glared at him anyway.
"Are you kidding?! Let's go!" I quickly got out of the car and raced to the door. I hesitated for a second, taking a moment to peek at the window. No sign, and no crowd of people. That's good, hopefully. My dad nudged me to the door. I stepped through the door.
"Hi, welcome to GameStop, how may I help you?" Said the nice video game selling guy.
"Ah, yes, the last time we came here, my daughter was hoping to get that new game, erm, what was it called? Melvin and the Munchkin Princess?" I nearly yelped, but I pushed myself to calm down. I nearly yelped, and with a small groan, I said:
"No! No, it's Zelda and the Twilight Princess." I was starting to get a strong feeling he got the name wrong on purpose, just to see me panic. I looked at him and he was staring right back, with a smirk on his face. Yeah, I'd be willing to bet that's why.
"Oh, right, sorry about that, last time we came here I put a reserve on it." I absentmindedly held my breath. Ok, here's the moment of truth, is there a reserve?
"Yes sir, the game is in, let me just check the computer data base." I waited, getting more anxious by the passing second.
"Okay, what is your name?"
"Paul Faletto, F as in football, A-L-E-T-T-O."
"Okay, here we go." He took out the game and said, "So, do you want the guide as well?" I urgently looked at my dad with widening eyes.
"Yes, we do."
"For the Gamecube!" I said, breathlessly. I could seriously sing. It was mine at last. I couldn't wait to get home. To tear it open, and play to my heart's content. Oh, Lordy, this was the happiest day of my life. I finally obtained my coveted prize.
The drive home seemed to take forever, and to try to maintain my rapidly rising impatience, I began poring over the guide, drinking in every page, every illustration, every single little detail was engraved in my veins. When we did get home, I hurried to feed Smokey and with lightening speed, I raced to my room… but immediately collided into the door.
The next minute, I woke up with my parents looking down at me with shocked and what appeared to be slightly exasperated expressions.
"Erm, oops?" I smiled sheepishly at them. Ah, I had forgotten I always closed my door, because Smokey had taken a disturbing interest to go urinating in my room whenever it was left open and unguarded.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" My mom asked, worried.
"Yes, Momma."
"Do you hurt anywhere?"
What kind of question was that?
"Mhm, I think I've got a mild concussion, and maybe a few broken ribs, other than that I'm okay." I had to laugh at the agitated expression on her face when she scowled at me.
"No seriously, Momma, I'm fine!" Who cares about a few bruises? Surprisingly, I didn't hurt all that bad that was to be expected. At least they decided to lay off and let me be.
I limped over to my Gamecube and put the game in gingerly, embracing the moment. I turned it on, sat on my bed with the controller in hand, and flipped open the guide. I watched in awe of the beautiful intro. It nearly drove me to tears. It's so.. Pretty… The wait was so worth it. Ahh, I can see why it got the highest score ratings. Then I created my character. I named it Yoshimi instead of Link. In a nutshell, it's sort of a tribute to my brother when something he and I played Windwaker. He had named Link, Yoshimi. I adore my big brother.
"Nyaaaa!" The beginning cut scene started up. I watched as Rusl led Link and Epona toward the gate, in the beautiful sunset.
"Wow…" Then about five minutes later, I was setting about on chores around Ordon Village. I found the cat, caught the fish to feed it with. I sniffed critically at Beth's mother, who loved her cat more then her own daughter and husband… The guide was my constant companion.
At last, I started getting into some action. The little boys chased the monkey into Faron Forest; I chased them and successfully saved them.
Later, I was about to set off to Hyrule. Seconds clicked by, and I developed a small shock. I snuck into Ordon Spring to see Illia and Epona, jittering with excitement. In my head, images flashed as I watched the screen:
Ilia getting struck by the arrow and falling into the spring, unconscious. She and Collin being taken away by Bulbin warriors. Yoshimi getting clobbered in the head and knocked out.
Chills ran down my spine as the horrible King Bulbin blew a cloven horn. As Yoshimi gained consciousness, he chased the Bulbins to Faron Woods and abruptly stopped at the dark wall of Twilight. I watched expectantly, my breath held, and my eyes huge.
Then —
My game froze.
I was outraged, I didn't even save the game! Why was I so stupid as to not save the freakin' game! I started shouting to myself, though not loudly enough for my parents to hear me in the next room. Every curse word imaginable came out of my mouth, and when I ran out, resorting to create a few as well. Unbidden (and unnecessary) tears formed, as I walked gloomily over to the game system. A feeling of familiar depression that I usually get when I accidentally lose data in a game I play washed over me. I was reluctant to start over on all my progress. I was tempted to wait a few days before playing it again, but I decided that I should start again and gain more progress.
With that notion in mind, I felt another build up of enthusiasm at the prospect of seeing more of the game. I bent down to restart it but stopped suddenly because some flicker on the screen had caught my attention.
"Odd…." Tiny, strange letters in some unfamiliar language was scrolling along the bottom of the screen. I bent down closer so I could see them clearer, my nose practically touching the TV.
Suddenly, a bright flash blinded my vision. I couldn't see; Explicit panic rose up inside my throat swallowing and effectively suffocating my airways. My head was spinning, and I felt gravity pull my body, imperiously, toward the ground, yet I kept falling. My body never hit the carpet and I felt my stomach rise unpleasantly as I sped downward into what it seemed like an eternity of darkness. The sensation reminded me of a rollercoaster ride when the cart makes a deep, steep, drop down the rails. I really hate rollercoasters...
I squeezed my eyes closed tight so I wouldn't get dizzier, but a sickening feeling in my gut turned into nausea that seemed to get worse. Finally, my body slammed against the ground with a muffled thud. I didn't know for sure if I was on my back or my stomach, but my senses were overwhelmed with the smell of rich soil and grass. I decided I was on my stomach.
My eyes were closed, and I had no current intentions of opening them again for a while. Instead, I tried to concentrate on breathing in and out slowly to overcome the overwhelming lightheadedness I felt. I gained enough sense in my brain to observe my surroundings without opening my eyes.
Inhaling subtly, the sweet scent of fertile, rich soil filled my being. It was… How to describe… Amazingly pacifying. It liquefied my tensed, stressed feelings into a soothing, serene river that washed over my entire body. I smiled a little, and the desire to stay in the same position strengthened. I didn't want to get up. The warm sunshine blanketed my body softly; a cool, gentle, refreshing breeze swept through me gently creating a perfect balance of tranquility streaming sweetly through my body. I felt a small push of gravity settle in a loosely, snug fashion down upon me. It seemed to take my shape exquisitely, making the ground beneath me feel soft and irresistible.
I heard birds twittering peacefully up and about the air, and the rustle of leaves being caressed by the wind. I'm definitely not in Texas anymore… No pollution or any tainted air molecules in the atmosphere around me… It smells and feels so fresh and crisp… Where could I possibly be? I finally took the reluctant initiative to open my eyes to absorb my surroundings. Sitting up, I felt a wave of dizziness weigh me down.
"…" I nearly hurled. I closed my eyes again and waited for my head to stop spinning. With my eyes still closed, I crossed my legs in the "criss-cross-apple-sauce" position and rested my head on my knee.
I took another sniff at the air and identified another scent. It reminded me of cattle, but not overwhelmingly so. It complimented the fresh air around it pleasantly. I must be near a ranch. Taking in a deep breath, I lifted my head. Slowly, I opened my eyes and was amazed: In front of me, was a ladder resting on a cliff, and up the ladder was a house settling on the top of the short cliff. I was plagued by familiarity as it struck me that this house was Yoshimi's house in Twilight Princess.
"No… Way…" I breathed. I must be going crazy. There's no WAY that I'm sitting in front of Yoshimi's house. My eyes fluttered around the rest of the area, taking in more of the surroundings. There were the trees that were in the game, the same stray rocks, and the same clumps of grass… I jumped up on my feet. My breathing came in short gasps and I tried to calm myself, tranquility all forgotten. Surely, this can't be real. Surely, I'm asleep or something. I can't be inside the game! I just can't be. I whirled around when I heard a movement behind me. A squirrel was running through a clump of grass and up a tree.
"This makes no sense…" I murmured. My nerves seemed to be settling a little more and I was inhaling more deeply now. I decided to ignore my confusion and gave up trying to make sense of anything. I eyed the area where there was a blue rupee hidden underneath a rock in a clump of grass by the house. I walked over there, and picked up the rock. Whoosh! And I'll be, a very shiny blue rupee popped out!
"Ooo… Shiny…" After staring at the sparkling gem, I picked it up, and put it in my pocket. Then I realized, that even if I were in the game, then obviously the game would be the same sequence as I was playing before. But which part of the game I might be in left me clueless.
"Hrm…." While I was occupied in deep thought, I didn't notice Illia tramp indignantly into the woods, in the direction of the Ordon Spirit's spring, with Epona.
"Well, I've got no clue. Maybe I should look arou—"
Then I saw Yoshimi run toward the woods. I decided to follow him. Running along, breathing in the exhilaratingly fresh air, I saw Yoshimi run toward the small shortcut tunnel, leading to the spring. Thinking of spiders, I stared at the tunnel, frightened. Yes, in case you don't know, I'm EXTREMELY arachnophobic. A disturbing though rammed me as I thought of the sequence of scenes. If Yoshimi was crawling through the tunnel, then that would mean—
There was a huge crash.
"OH NO!" I started to run toward the gate, no need for the tunnel now. I have to save Illia and Collin dangit!! I heard a voice behind me.
"Wait, Stephanie what the hell are you doing?" I stopped in my tracks, looking on a branch in the tree only to see my muse, Matt, looking at me like I was crazy. Wait, my muse? Well, I haven't really thought of them lately, so why? Mmm, I guess I need some guardian and obviously he's concerned. Eh… might as well go along with it.
"What do you think I'm doing?" I told him, impatiently. "I'm going to save Illia and Collin!"
"Are you crazy?" Bingo, maybe I am. How could I go up against King Bulbin the way I was. I don't even have a weapon. I sighed, defeated.
"Exactly, what were you thinking?" He said, angrily.
"Erm, what? Do you know what I'm thinking or something?" I realized that it makes sense. He is my muse, after all. Created in my head to guide any stupid action that might be enforced. So of course he can hear my thoughts, considering he's lived there for who knows how long. Shoot, now I started feeling guilty, as I realized I've neglected all of my muses for months and maybe even a year.
"Don't start feeling guilty now. I'm here to stop you from doing anything stupid or crazy. And also to warn you, that you have to go along with the plot of the game, until the time you don't need to anymore. You have to gain enough sense to not to get killed…
"You saw how huge the guide was when you read it. So some advice you little freak? USE COMMON SENSE. That's the most important thing. And it's a good thing I came here when I did, or you would have been—"
I got bored and started watching the hawk that was flying around in the sky. It's so peaceful. I like it here. I've always wondered what it would be like if Princess Zelda was real, and I could save Hyrule.
I jerked back into reality when Matt suddenly hit me on the head.
"Ow!" I rubbed the forming bump on top of my head; a pout forming on my the corners of my lips, "what was that for?"
"Did you just hear what I said?" I would have thought he would have heard my thoughts, but ignored the impulse to say it.
"That was a rhetorical question…" He sighed, "Anyways, obviously you weren't, so I'll say it again. If you don't hurry up, you'll miss Link getting led into the Twilight. And you'll miss the transformation, and if you miss it, you'll die, because you have to follow EXACTLY what happens. Okay? You'll be lost forever, never be able to return to the human world. Don't bother asking because I won't bother explaining. You are running out of time, see? You're already beginning to fade away! NOW GET A MOVE ON!" I looked down and saw that my fingers were kind of turning transparent. I shivered and looked back up at Matt.
"Wait, aren't you coming?"
"DANGIT STEPH, GET A MOVE ON!"
I didn't hesitate and starting running as fast as I could toward Faron Woods. Amazingly enough, I didn't run short of breath, but that would also make sense, since this was a video game, and the characters never run out of breath when they run. This made me happier, so I ran faster, but then I ran smack into a tree because I wasn't paying attention.
"Awa… Now I see why my dad always tells me to start paying attention to my surroundings." Just because I never get tired, doesn't mean I won't suffer actual physical pain. I saw Yoshimi running out of the spring, through the gate, and across the bridge. This surprised me immensely, because of all stops I've been taking. Surely more time would pass than that… I thought while I was running. I made it past the bridge that was tied across a deep, dark, crevice. I watched Yoshimi walking slowly, cautiously and dramatically, to the wall of Twilight. I held my breath as I realized that this was when my game froze, and I haven't progressed further then this. I followed him, holding my breath, as I absorbed the scene while it unfolded. I noticed the light was getting eerily darker as we got closer to the wall. He didn't seem to notice me as he stepped right up to it.
Fear gripped my heart making it stutter, and I was driven to the impulse to shout, "NO! DON'T GET NEARER YOSHIMI, IT'S DANGEROUS!"
What struck me as stranger is that even though I did read the entire guide in the car, I couldn't exactly remember what happened.
I guess, I have to rely on instincts. I almost screamed when suddenly a huge, black, shadowy arm reached out of Twilight and pulled him in. I ran forward, and some invisible force pulled me in after Yoshimi. I landed unmercifully rough on my posterior. The ground did not feel so pleasant here.