Thanks for the great response on the last chapter! Enjoy this one! I'm listening to "The Sign" by Ace of Base—it matches my mood currently. EDIT: It's nighttime now…I got a very beautiful, rustic looking bedset tonight—it's BEAUTIFUL! Now, I just feel satisfied. I'm listening to Innocence by Avril Lavigne.
Link sighed, dawn's weak rays coming through the loft window. He would have to go to work soon, but his mind dwelled on Ilia's angry words. 'You are such a swine sometimes, you know! I was left out for SIX HOURS, until I finally found that shop. You scared me half to death, too. You know, I just care about you—I always want you to come home safely.'
Frustrated, he raised himself from the cot once again, stifling a yawn as he climbed down the two ladders. He sighed, regretting his response to Ilia last night. He had snapped at her. He had been angry with her…he had just let all of his confusion that had so long been on the back burner of his mind for so long—he had unleashed it all on her. He wanted to slap himself so hard that it stung his hands.
He walked heavily into the kitchen, finding a small white bowl with two hard boiled eggs soaked in warm soy bean sauce. A small, dusty yellow note marked in neat handwriting was marked "LINK".
Link,
I know that you're probably really upset and confused right now. Don't worry—I forgive you. I'm never gonna be mad at you—well, if you're not counting when you "mistreat" Epona—and so don't feel too bad about it. I hope you like this breakfast—you were fast asleep when I came over with it. I'm up, working on the "project" that you still don't know about. Hehe. Have fun at work.
Don't do anything out of your league. Come home safely.
Ilia
Smiling at her kind act, Link bit one of the hard boiled eggs. He ate quickly, knowing that the Blacksmith shop was waiting for him.
))))))))))))))(((((((((((((
"Sorry that you had to travel all this way…" Abby's voice trailed off as Link shook his head, disapproving of her apologizing for something that, in his opinion, was not the guilty person.
"It's alright. No harm in a little horse riding." Link's tone was casual, matching the content mood he felt. "Speaking of which, I really hope that you don't mind Epona being tethered out in the back."
A soft, bemused chuckle aired the room, followed by a chilling clang—Abby starting her work. Link fell into the same pattern, watching the flames in the oven start licking the coals eagerly. He grabbed the tray of ores, putting them in the oven with the tongs to smelt.
Clang, clink.
"I'm sorry if this sounds odd—do you want to hear a story?" Abby's voice was instable, as if she was nervous. Link could not picture her being nervous, try as he might.
Clink.
"Go for it. I don't mind one bit."
"Decades before you were born—when Hyrule was just starting as a village instead of a town, Kakariko Village was already fully set up, as well as the Zara Domain, and Death Mountain. Obviously, the land was growing to be very diverse." She paused for a moment, a long huff of a sigh blowing from the other side of the room, where she stood at her work.
Link patiently waited for her to continue as he worked silently, starting to forge a purely steel two hand.
Clang.
"The Royal Family—at the time it consisted of Queen Jade, King Ronald, and Princess Zelda, though Zelda was a mere child at the age of twelve. In two years she would be on her own, but until then—the guards were not enough. Many thieves tried to invade the Big House—or what is now known as Hyrule Castle." Another pause.
Clink. The noise, the high pitched keen of steel against steel, from both sides of the room.
"The Queen herself decided to take matters into her own hands. One night she said to Zelda that she would be gone for possibly a very long time, and not to tell her father that she had told her. Zelda, being a loyal and wise girl whom bared the Triforce of Wisedom, agreement. She bid her mother goodbye, and Queen Jade disappeared into the night on horseback." This time it was only a brief pause. She coughed softly.
"Kakariko Village started to slowly grow to be what seemed to be…private and hostile to the public. They would not let anyone through, which greatly disturbed Hyrule—which was now a great province—to the point of disbanding their truce. People started to gossip and not serve Kakariko—but the worst of the matters was that Kakariko did not mind this. They did not ever come to Hyrule asking for forgivness."
She seemed to chuckle, but continued. Link was very curious to the matter, and she knew it—she would finish it, hopefully. "Meanwhile, King Ronald interrogated many people, putting male servants to death in the 'suspected involvement in the disappearance of Royal Family'. He locked Zelda in her tower, claiming that it was not safe for her to come out anymore…he appeared to be going insane. It greatly disturbed the now thirteen year old Princess. She had heard of what was going on in Kakariko, but was no longer being informed."
Clank.
Abby giggled briefly before going on. "After everyone was asleep, hours before
dawn, Zelda's Triforce glowed. It sent her in a frenzy—her voice was lost, because nobody could hear her screams. Her whole body was in a rip roar of adrenaline and suddenly, her soul became very focused on finding her mother. So…she jumped out of the tower window."
Link gasped at this. Abby laughed at his reaction, but then silenced the room the clang of the steel. "Go on!" Link urged, now completely intrigued in this story.
"Well, yes. She jumped out from the window, trying very hard not to scream. Surprisingly, a bed of golden fog broke her fall—it felt like a soft, satin pillow. Then it disappeared, and she suddenly started into a fit of laughing. Her feet kicked up, and she soon found herself running as fast as she could to Kakariko." She took a breath of air.
"At the entrance, several Tribal Guards stopped her and smiled widely at her. They welcomed her in, and there, in the Tribal Shaman's House, was her mother. But she was not alone, or so she claimed. She lead Zelda beneath the ground, and there was a secret…oh, you could say…village underneath Kakariko. In it was the sewer system, where huts were set up and children bathed in a sparkling gold substance. Everyone there wore strange, suit like outfits. They were all very tall, and they had blood red eyes. They were the Sheikahs—the new Royal Protectors."
Link sighed, thinking of a marvelous underground city. How grand, how clever.
"So, Queen Jade and Zelda went back to the castle to live in peace, now that they had their protectors. They were silent in the night, always watching over that castle and its town. All was peaceful—until Zelda became formally Princess. An insane guard had purchased a vile of…let's call it…Royal Venom. He coated his knife with it, and at Zelda's ceremony, grabbed her and attacked her with it. It was a blessed Sheikah legacy, this venom—it blessed whoever got it in their body with eternal immortality. They would never age." She caught her breath once more before her words flew again.
"More imposter guards turned on Hyrule. In the midst of the chaos, Zelda crawled out of the castle and into the night. She made it no farther than a quiet, deserted alley way. She called for help, and started whistling and singing to herself. Pain was in her body, it roared through her, tensing her muscles so much that it was too much pain to move. She sang a melody her mother had called 'Angel Come'. Zelda was waiting to die…when suddenly, she saw a very fast shadow move towards her. She hoped it was an Angel, but no—this shadow was a Sheikah."
"The Sheikah took Zelda by the hand, and stroked the tears off of her face. Zelda cried into the Sheikah's chest, and the Sheikah comforted her until the pain stopped. Princess Zelda opened her eyes and was shocked and scared at what she saw. Flames were all around her and a larger shadow was above the Sheikah—a guard, with a knife."
"Zelda's new friend was writhing in pain. Zelda, too, felt pain but emotionally. She glared menacingly at this guard and attacked him with the power of her Triforce. After that, she went to the Sheikah, who lay dying. The Sheikah claimed that she had done her job, and that Zelda would be a great leader now. She also told Zelda to give her last vile of venom to her daughter and the other Sheikah survivors."
Link smiled weakly at the story, waiting for the grand finale…
"This is where I come in. I ingested some of that venom, inheriting immortality. Both of Zelda's parents were gruesomely killed that night—I will not get into the details. Many Sheikahs also died in that battle—along…" Abby's voice broke. "Along with my kin…my mother was the Sheikah that helped Zelda. My father was the first to die, standing in the way of the attackers, guarding the King and Queen. My sisters and brothers all died, fighting that night…and yet, I was the one who escaped along with a few other young ones—I personally sought out the guard that had stabbed Zelda. I killed him quickly. I did not ever want anyone to suffer more than needed."
There was a long, stretching silence before Link's wind chimed voice shattered it. "I'm so sorry, Abby…you must have a gaping hole in your heart, where your kin once stood. I am so sorry for you."
"Don't be. I have eons to remember their great acts."
Hope you all like this chapter—I also hope that you understand Abby's character a little bit more now. I'm REALLY sorry if the "battle" part seemed a little…unbelievable. I haven't played OoT, so…