Title - Rain
Chapter 3 - The Shadows
Rating - PG-13 (minor gore)
AN – Trying to keep up with my at least once a month update on all my current stories. For those of you who have Alerted+, Faved, or Followed me thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Legends of Zelda.
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Link slipped back into Impa's house with a frown. Leena was unconscious on the floor wrapped in thick chains. Twice already she had woken from her injuries in a frenzied state and had tried to attack Impa. Darunia was there to keep the wild thing under control. When she did not wake in a frenzy she stirred for a moment her eyes still bleary and confused before the pain made her slip back into sleep. Shutting the door behind him he waved the bottle at Impa showing her the soft lavender glow of healing fairy. The silent stoic woman nodded.
Darunia who was sitting on the floor his weight to much for any of Impa furniture grunted. "She is just a woman. She will heal." Link nodded his shame and regret causing him to side with Leena plight. The woman had a broken wrist, his fault, a damaged knee which was her own fault and a series of other bruises. Impa had stripped the woman and checked her herself. She had told him her back was bruised as was her sword wrist. She had a noticeable black bruise on her check and a broken nose where he had bashed his shield into her face. He certainly hadn't slayed her, but he should have. She was in a lot of pain.
Glancing down at the crumbled form he could see a blossoming bruise on her shoulder. He was sure those bruises were from where Darunia had kept her from hurting him anymore. She looked pathetic and destroyed in that small gown Impa had dressed her with. "Yes but we can't afford to wait as long it will take her if she knows something." He said casually back as he bent down next to her form. She was a small thing, even Malone looked stronger then her. Of course Malone was a farm bred girl and this girl looked like a pampered Princess who walked into the wrong alley in the market.
He popped open the jar watching as the fairy timidly fluttered out looking for the injured party. It paused for a moment in front of Leena's face, its magical glow highlight the paleness. Her bruisers seemed surreal against her skin in the supernatural light. The fairy deemed her worthy as it whizzed in the air over her motionless body. Giving a final crystal clear laugh the fairy bounced off one of her heels and disappeared in a glitter of lights.
Pushing at her sleeping form Link tried to wake her. Impa watched with unreadable eyes and Darunia continued to glare as the girl came to. She looked around for a moment the chains still keeping her from reaching out. She turned to him her normally pale skin a light tan now her frazzled locks framing her face. "Where are my weapons?" She squeaked starting to struggle against the chains.
"You don't need them. Listen up you need to answer my questions." He said stepping away from her frantic wiggling. She shook her head whining her eyes darting about the room. Her eyes settled on her sword and shield leaned against the wall by Impa's body. Startled he watched her throw herself forward crying out in pain as her knees clinked against chains and floor. He watched her wobble to her feet and hop towards Impa. The woman grabbed the weapons and shield and crossed the room in the blink of an eye. He really wished he could move that fast.
Leena began to weep, "Please just let me hold them! They are mine! Give me my weapons!" She cried her face going red at the effort she was putting in bouncing back across the room towards Impa. He gave a defeated nod waving at Impa to give in. She laid the sword and shield down at the her feet. Leena let out a grateful sigh dropping to the floor. "Thank you." She whispered wiggling about on the floor like a dying worm as she pressed her face to her shield. She continued to softly weep.
"Why are you here?" He questioned. She continued to cry for a moment more before he could hear her taking short breaths to speak. Shifting up she looked at him. He frowned seeing part of her tanned skin now a beautiful shade of blue and her eyes black through and through.
"On orders of his Majesty I am here to find a way to defeat Magaron in our world and save you from him in yours. He seeks to open the Gates of Time and use the Triforce to grant his wish." She said her voice flat and empty.
"Then you have nothing to worry about. I've already open the Gates of Time in the Temple of Time and the Triforce shattered. Took some work but order has been restored and the Sages Reawakened. Nothing to worry about, except maybe how young Zelda's sister will be when she takes the throne." He smirked looking at Darunia for his reaction. The Goron had been respect to all his lady friends ever since he had known him. However, he had always traveled with women of power and standings.
"The Sages Reawakened?" She muttered confusion twisting her two-toned face. The confusion did not last long as she began to fight her bonds once more. "Let me free. This is not right. Let me go now I must consult with your King!"He could see her beginning to fall into her madness again.
"Stop I'll let you go just behave." He hissed trying to stop her from hurting herself more. He turned to Impa who did not look happy but stepped forward key in hand to let loose the chains that bound her. He watched the woman's madness leak away as the chains loosen on her body. Violently she she kicked and clawed free of the chains that clattered to the wooden floor with a thud.
"Where are my clothes?" She snipped the blue tone of her skin fading away as did her blacken eyes. He shook his head pointing to the discreet pile of blue fabric. She nodded and without a word threw off her gown baring all to him in an instant.
"Pathetic soft women." Darunia grumbled his eyes focused on her slight curves and squishy flesh. "Bruise and break so easily." She snorted at him before she turned away cross the room to the nightstand where her clothes were piled neatly. Impa tapped her fingers on her crossed arms curious about the girl. Link merely stared having never seen a naked woman before. He wasn't sure why she was so shameless unlike Impa and Zelda who always made sure to be fully clothed regardless of the situation. He recalled how often Zelda had protected her hems from straight bits of fire that threatened to burn them up.
She turned back to them carelessly kicking her feet into her plain white underwear. "You say the Sages have reawaken? You spoke to them?" Impa laughed at this taking up the conversation where Link was content to stare.
"Child, we are the Sages. You stand before two at this very moment." Darunia nodded clapping his hands small motes of fire dancing in the air in response.
Excited she hopped into her pants the movement making her even more interesting to Link. He watched mesmerized by body and the curves that came with it. "Oh. In my world… Sages only speak to Royal Family, and only when they must. They keep their watch over the sacred realm very seriously. Though once I spoke to the Sage of Water. I was warned not to listen to the Prince. Rather smart ones they are. Had I listened I might have ended my kingdom."
Impa scoffed at that comment. "Doubtful. Our own kingdom came back from the brink of the end by Link's help. No doubt you would have saved your own." Link let his eyes rove over her naked flesh his eyes catching the glint of her Triforce.
"What a minute." He hissed shuffling over to her taking her wrist in his hand. He looked at her mark frowning. A tattoo on the back of her hand just like his was there. Three Triangles balanced on one another two very faded and one brilliant and beautiful like gold embedded in the skin.
She pulled her arm free reaching for her shirt. Broken from his revelation he watched sadly as her skin disappeared between the white clothe. Watching the chainmail dress hide her curve he shook his head, "You have the Triforce of Power…"
This comment started even Darunia into a small gasp and Impa to dart across the room to stand behind him and looking the woman over. "Hardly Hero. She is a small bean of a thing. Even Princess Zelda could out fight her."
Rolling her eyes she ignored them both pushing her arms quickly into the blue tunic that further more hide her form. Link felt a bit of him frustrated but ignored it. He would have to ask Zelda if she ever dressed in quite so much. "I agree." He added glancing once more at the twinkling Triforce tattoo as she put her gauntlets on. Finally he watched curiously as she curled up her hair tieing it with a leather cord before stuffing it into her hat.
She looked like him now, her face gave way her feminine form but little else did. She was nearly the same height, dressed in his Zoran water armor, and she carried herself much like him. Striding over to her forgotten weapons she muttered. "Don't test me I can far out do any of you."
He grimaced hearing the return of her attitude. "Are you sure about that? You were badly bruised after your fight in the Goron City." He shot back. He noticed Darunia shake his head rubbing at his belly.
She laughed strapping her shield onto her back. "Yes I am. Two against one is hardly fair, if you consider that one was also Goron then I'm lucky to be alive." She turn to him her eyes dark and angry. "You forced me to forget my goals with your stubbornness. I clearly do not need you to do my job." She laced up her scabbard to her hips and with a smirk pulled out her Orcarina playing out the Song of Time so quickly Link was still hearing the notes as she disappeared in a flurry of golden lights.
"What is she planning!" Impa hissed as she became a dark ball of light shooting out of the room the door still slamming against the wall in her wake. Darunia grimaced as he too transformed flashing out of the room quickly. Link shook his head pulling his Orcarina free. He would be the fastest. The Sages were powerful but they still took time to cross the lands. Chirping out the Song of Time as well he disappeared. Reappearing with a dizzying spin he looked around. He could see a blue streak slip out of the Temple of Time. Shaking off his teleportation confusion he chased after her his boots clanking against the polished floor.
"Wait!" He shouted knowing that wouldn't stop her but he had to try. Bursting through the doors he saw her jumping off the top of the steps heading towards the market. He grunted urging his legs on as he barreled across the court yard of the Temple. He caught brief glimpse of her as they darted through the Market. People screamed as he knocked things over in his haste. She was much more agile then himself as she twirled, dived, and even ducked with ease.
"Stop her!" He shouted to the first guard he saw as they finally broken through the last alley of the market the green a welcome changed to the earthy tones of the buildings. One of the guards let an arrow out after her clipping her in the shoulder. He frowned seeing that she did not even falter as she dashed across the lawn. He winced as he continued to chase her quick figure across the lawn. The guards were laying into her now. She had one arrow in her shoulder two in her right leg as well as an arrow that bounced of her shield and took her cap off.
The guards stopped firing when they saw her golden locks fall free. "Stop her!" He shouted again but the guards did not move, merely let her pass as she hit the draw bridge. He was startled when she stopped turned around and smiled wickedly at him. Throwing herself off the drawbridge he heard her splash into the moat. His breath a strain horse wheeze in his throat he reach the draw bridge and looked down. She was gone.
"Where is the Princess?" He barked to the nearest confused guard. The man stuttered keeping his head down at Link's rage. "Show me to her now! On your feet solider!" He shouted concerned for Zelda. He still had no clue what Leena was going on about and the fact that she shared Ganon's Triforce of Power worried him.
Together he and the solider ran through the castle its gray walls a mere blur to him as his worried consumed him. The guard did his best not to make any noise to incite the Hero's rage more. Running into the wall at the final hall to Zelda's room he saw Leena pushing the door open her blue tunic a blotch against the unusually dark hall. "Leave her alone!" He barked pushing off the wall running towards her.
The woman dived into the room whipping out her sword with a angry howl. Link caught himself on the door frame looking in at the madness. Zelda's bed charmber was shrouded in darkness a single orb of light fighting against inky strands trying to entrap it. Leena was cutting at the cords as fast as she could but her fight was lost even before it began. For every cord she cut off of the orb of light two replaced it.
"No no no!" She cried, "Let her go! She's a Sage! A chosen one! Why are you doing this?" She screamed cutting at another Inky cord as it locked the orb of light in place in the center of the room. Seemingly bored with her ranting a cord broke free from the rest snatching Leena's sword from her grasp. Link gave a startled cry as the strand whipped her sword in his direction. Ducking he heard the Master Sword fly through the air lodging itself into the castle wall with a thunk. Looking up again he saw Leena on her knees crying. "How can I be failing again? What is different in your world that is stopping me from winning." She whined turning to him.
Seeing her blonde hair gone replaced by lush wavy black hair and framing a deep sea blue face he blanched. "You're a Zoran?" She looked nearly like a Zoran woman from Termina. Impa's purple light and Darunia's red light flashed into existence behind him. Together then growled at the sight of Zelda's spirit light entrapped in the darkness.
"Where are the other Sages? Call them!" Leena ordered scrambling to her feet. "He can get no more of you! You are the keys here. This is clear. Summon them." She shouted stomping her foot.
"The keys? What keys?" Darunia questioned even as Impa lifted one foot then the other off the ground levitating in the air. Closing her eyes she brought her fingers together forming the iconic Triforce. Her body began to glow a bright purple as she nodded her head seemingly talking silently to herself. Leena ignored Darunia staring intently at Impa.
The woman opened her dark eyes her face blank of emotions. "The Sages of Light, Water, and Spirit have heard the call and are coming. You did not tell me the Sage of the Forest had fallen." The seriousness in the tone of her voice chilled Link. He should have mentioned it.
"I did not know that she was. He acts in his ways doing what he likes. I thought she was just a normal person. I should have known better, that was the Forest Temple… I should have made the connection." Leena muttered to herself looking at the floor her hand absently stroking the empty scabbard.
Link scrambled forward noticing one of the inky tendrils had slowly reach out towards Leena while they had been talking. He pushed her to the ground the inky tendril shooting passed them and wrapping itself around one of Darunia's massive wrists. The Sage of Fire barked with laughing using his free hand to snap the inky substance. It gave up quickly but the part still attached to him changed shape turning into a bracelet.
"Damn him. I'll kill him yet." Leena cried wrapping her arms around Link in a hug as she began to cry some more into his shoulder. He was baffled by her odd display of affection. Either way they had to get out of that room. No telling what the substance would do if they continued to linger about.
"We have to see the King." Link muttered trying to pull Leena off the ground. Darunia stared at his hand curiously while Impa nodded pushing Darunia away from the door.