Tears burned down Mora's cheeks as she watched dust fall from the doors as they groaned open. The voice had been quiet up until now, it purred to her, let her know that satisfaction her fear fed it.
Don't cry
The tears choked her, fear burned through her body and made her joints weak as she stared into the abyss beyond the doors. "Where… where are we?" She shut her eyes tight, her body shaking as she fought off the sobs she wanted so badly to give into. They would do nothing to help her now. The darkness in her head let out a cackle before it spoke to her again.
Well, little bird. You gave me a wonderful idea when you said I'd have to use you as a puppet to get you to come back here.
"I've never been here…" Mora collapsed to her knees; an ugly sob broke from her throat. Her hand throbbed, her head was pounding, and her legs ached like she'd been walking all night. "What did you do?"
It's been a long journey, my little bird. Welcome to my long-forgotten home…
Mora's back arched as dread raked down her spine, leaving her lightheaded as the words formed in her head in a voice so dark and angry it dripped with the very essence of rage and malice.
The City of the Dead.
"My Queen, we have to do something." A male dressed in all white with a beard that went down to his belly pleaded from where he sat. On either side of him were five others in similar white garb, all waiting for the Queen and King to respond.
Duske stood at the doors, ready to keep someone from entering. Or leaving. He watched the eight people in front of him, they had called an emergency Council after Duske had informed the Queen of the Gerudo male. He had told the Council, and King, everything he knew and had told the Queen. Minus the Hylian girl. The Queen was so adamant he leave that girl out. He didn't know what any of this meant, but he had been instructed to get as much information on the Gerudo man from his men as possible without letting them know there was a Council meeting about it.
"Releasing that on the world will only cause more problems. What if the Gerudo raised the boy well and he isn't even a threat? If, and I'm sure, it is Eabim's child, then he is sixteen already and will be going on a journey so he can meet the different races. We will be the last to see him and we can test his personality to make sure he isn't… power hungry." Zelda was calm, her hands folded in front of her as she stood before the sages.
"Don't be so naïve, my love. They are savages." The King groaned; he was a fat little man. His hair was graying and untamed as it bunched at the back of his neck.
The Queen turned to him; her eyes wide as she stared at him. "Naïve? You dare call me… naïve? Last time I… we talked to the Gerudo; they made no ill intentions made. Queen Eabim wanted nothing but for this peace to last. She entrusted us with the information that she was with child." Zelda squeezed a hand to her belly, the tip of her nose and ears were flush as she fought off emotions. "Do not tell me that Eabim would raise her son with ill intentions towards the kingdom of Hyrule. If anyone knows what's at stake with a male Gerudo, it is her."
The king went to touch her arm, but she ripped away from him, taking several steps away from him. In that moment, the air in the room became thick with betrayal. The Queen told everyone with those motions that she had no desire to be touched or even near the King. "Zelda…"
"You are so quick to turn on a group of people. And all because of some… of some stupid prophet told by an old witch." Zelda turned those pain filled eyes to the woman in the middle of the six sitting before her. "This is the first male born to the Gerudo in a very long time. He is a blessing to them. And you all curse him. Give them a chance to prove you wrong."
"And what if we give them a chance and the prophecy still rings true, my dear?" The King stared to plead, but he quickly shut his mouth. The brilliant blue eyes were void of any affection, of any emotion besides pure anger. His words had cut through the façade that Zelda wore in front of anyone that wasn't her mirror.
Duske watched the anger turn into rage as the Queen took a step towards the King. He noticed the worried glance in his direction from the King. But Duske swore loyalty to the throne, the blood of the Goddess. And thus, Zelda.
"You. You are worried… about a prophecy that died sixteen years ago." Zelda's voice was quiet, a near whisper as she hugged herself, fighting the urge to lash out at the King. Her anger spilled over in the form of hot tears down her cheeks.
Duske looked away from the Queen, but he knew someone who cared needed to witness her story. One look at the six just beyond the blond beauty told him that at that moment, he was the only one that truly cared about the Queen. He tilted his head, Zelda's words striking a chord. Nearly sixteen years ago, the Queen had learned that she too, along with Queen Eabim, had been with child. Rumor had it that Zelda's babe had been still born. But what Zelda just said… had the King had a hand in that?
"You wouldn't even let me in the room to see her!"
"I am aware."
Duske bit his lip, trying to remember the prophecy the old bat up top had foretold back when the King and Queen had been joined in marriage. As if reading his mind, the words were spoken out loud.
"Green eyes release. Green eyes hold. Green eyes shall bear witness to darkness reborn."
Everyone turned their attention to the old woman, she leaned in, staring down at Zelda. "You did not give her a burial. There are no mourning plaques for the child. What did you do with the babe, Zelda?"
"Wouldn't everyone in this room like to know?" Zelda turned her back to them, her eyes locked on Duske. "I will speak no further of releasing evil. I will have no part of it, nor will my daughter." She was almost to Duske when the woman spoke once more.
"You forget your place, Zelda."
Duske's hand was on the door, ready to push it open for his Queen. He looked up at her, the sweet smile that was on her face was a lie. If it wasn't beneath her, she would probably become the evil they spoke of to rid herself of the people in that room. But she turned on her heel, giving them that sweet smile. "I think it is all of you that forget your place. I don't need a Council. I have one because it was expected of me. I do not need a King. I only need his seed to give me a daughter that is blond of hair and blue eyes. I will dismiss all of you if this is brought up one more time. If you so much as breathe in the direction of the Gerudo prince… I will dismiss you."
She turned back to Duske, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Take me to my quarters, Captain Duske?"
Duske gave her a slight bow and held the door open for her, letting her leave before he slammed the door behind them. He held his arm out for her, walking her down the hall. "Thank you for slamming the door. I needed that."
"Whatever you ask of me, my Queen, and I will do my best to fulfill."
Ganondorf stared at the empty bed and the mess on the floor. He leaned down to get a closer look at the mess on the floor. It didn't appear to be vomit. Though, it was sticky when he poked at it. He grabbed his head, he needed to sober up. He quickly looked around the house one more time, not seeing Mora anywhere. He stumbled out of the house, passing the old woman again.
Gan froze, turning to the woman. "Who gave you this letter?"
"Why, your little shadow did. She said it was meant for your eyes only."
Gan gripped his head once more, growling at himself. "She's out here somewhere sick and I've been drinking-"
"Oh, she didn't look sick. Maybe… a little annoyed, but not sick. She said she didn't want to interrupt your day when I asked why she couldn't give it to you herself."
"Fuck." Ganondorf gave a weak wave before walking away. "Thanks." He stumbled a bit, stopping short of the market square, watching everyone celebrate in his name. He looked down at the letter in his hand and carefully slid it into the belt line of his pants. His eyes scanned the people, seeing Nikesa walking around with a drink in her hand.
He started to walk towards Nikes, not sure how he was going to tell her that her daughter was missing again. Especially with the events of from a few months back. And then he saw Ubo walking around not too far from where he was standing. "Psst! Ubo!" He kept his voice a whisper as he tried to quietly grab her attention. "Ubo!"
His guard slowly turned, a smile on her lips as she moved to his side. "Yes, Ganondorf?"
Gan let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. "How do I sober up? And fast?"
"You want to sober up? But the party-"
"I don't care about the party right now, Ubo. I have something that came up. Can you cover for me? Say I... that 'started getting sick, or something." Gan gave the guard a pathetic look. "Please?"
Ubo watched her Prince for a moment, frowning at him. "Is something wrong with Mora?" Her dark eyes narrowed when he didn't answer immediately. "What has happened?"
Ganondorf pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, wishing the cloudiness of alcohol away. "I don't… I don't know yet. But I can't tell Nikesa anything, I don't want to worry her if this turns out to be nothing."
"If what turns out to be nothing, Gan?" Ubo pressed, her hand on his arm.
Gan pulled away, looking away from Ubo. "Can you cover for me or not?"
"Fine. But when you get back, you're to tell me everything, understood?" All she got was a nod before Gan took off, ducking around the buildings as he headed to the palace, going the long way to avoid any party goers'.
Gan slid into the palace without trouble due to his mother and palace guards being down attending the celebration. He took the stairs to his room two at a time. When he got there, he stopped and stared at his bed. Where did he even start? What did he take with him? With a frustrated sigh, he stripped from the fancier teal colored pants. He grabbed his thicker pants and shirt that he usually wore when he would spar with the guard during morning practice.
When he was dressed, Gan grabbed the claymore that Mora had given him. He attached it to his hips with a sash around the waist. He glanced over, seeing the letter with his name on it. He opened it; his chest was tight as he read the words.
Gan,
I'm sorry, I know I said I wouldn't go, but I must know what this thing wants. I need to be able to protect you. I hope to back in a few days, if mom asks, I went to stay at the watch tower for a few days to cool off.
With love,
Gorokastro
Gan stared at the words, his lips pulling up in a snarl at the way she addressed herself. She hated being called a beast. "What the hell, Mo?" He tossed the letter on his bed and trotted back downstairs to the throne room, glancing around before he started for the front. If he went that way, everyone would see him and wonder what he was doing. He looked to the back of the room, seeing the wide opening that overlooked the sands.
He was a decent climber, not as nimble and quick as Mora was. But his reach helped him to keep pace with her. With a gulp, he jumped over the small pool of water behind the throne and to the opening. He glanced down; he didn't have time to second guess himself as he started his descent down.
Something willed Mora back to her feet and beyond the doors, she tried to fight it but no matter how much she screamed at her body in her head, her legs wouldn't stop moving.
I should have grabbed a torch before we left. Oh well, there's plenty of flint and old torches in here to help you see.
"Why me?"
You're the one that came to me, little bird.
Mora leaned down once she was a few feet in, her fingers wrapped around two black rocks. She looked up, seeing the wall torch was still in its' place. "I told you! I've never been here before!"
But you have. Hurry up and light the torch, I'll show you.
Mora gritted her teeth as her body obeyed the command. "Why are you doing this?!"
Stop shouting. You're no good to me if you're dead. The dead really do not like when someone is noisy in their home. I thought I told you to stop crying.
Mora could feel the tears running down her cheeks, but she wasn't whimpering and sobbing anymore. When the torch was lit, she grabbed it from its' mount and carried it with her. Her feet led her past several doors and old decorations. There were several pots and tapestries that were half eaten by some kind of bug or vermin. Everything had a small version of the Gerudo symbol on it somewhere. "What is this?"
Stop being impatient. I'm showing you how we met, then we can go into the details of who I am. The voice purred as it echoed around her. It led her down the long corridor, making her stop in front of an old door that looked like it was half rotted. Open the door.
Before Mora could snap about how she didn't want to, her free hand moved, pulling the door open with ease. Her chest grew tight as she saw a large crate in the way of the doorway, and just beyond that was a small hill of rocks. She looked up into the darkness, knowing she had escaped back up that way just a few months ago. "I…"
Mora let out a shriek as the wall behind her, and the floor beneath her gave way. Before she knew it, she was falling down a hill of rocks, crying out when she finally hit the ground at the bottom. She slowly lifted her head, whimpering as her body cried out in pain. She started to move when something hit the back of her head.
Darkness seeped into the room, shying away from the fading fire of the torch that lay near the girl. It slithered across the floor and rocks much like a snake. It poked and prodded her arm, wrapping around the limb and giving a tug. Wake up child… The darkness moved across the body, searching for any broken bones, only to find none. She was just knocked unconscious, nothing the darkness could do for her.
It coiled up in front of her, away from the dying torch as it watched her. The longer it sat there, the more it sensed something nearby. The darkness slipped around the crates and under the rotting door, nothing was approaching this room. It slid back under the door and to the girl. Oh? It's you?The darkness purred and slid along her body again, searching for the pinpoint of energy coming from her. It let out a purr of a noise and spread out over her, covering her skin in the sticky darkness before seeping into her skin.
Mora stumbled back, falling on her ass as she came back to her own eyes. "Ew! You… you… What the hell!?" She rubbed her hands on her pants, trying to get the gross feeling off her skin. "You… just… like… melted into me?!"
I could have gone in through your mouth, going in through your skin is a lot less disgusting, trust me. There was a chuckle in that dark voice. Come, let's go deeper. I have a story to tell you.
Just like before, Mora's body acted without her mind. "You're… controlling me…"
Thousands of years ago, I fought what you Hylian's called your Hero and Goddess, The voice ignored her realization as she moved through the corridor, torch held out in front of them. they used the- wait. Do you know what the Triforce is?
"Vaguely." Mora hissed through clenched teeth. "I know it's an artifact of legends, there's the triforce of power, the triforce of wisdom and the triforce of courage. The royal family guards it."
Hmm, you're smarter than you look. The voice chuckled again, a disgustingly satisfied feeling washed over Mora before her own disgust took over. Also, do you know, each time you've looked at yourself or done anything… really, I've always been there? At least, these last few months.
Mora wanted to stop and vomit, whatever was in her head had seen her naked. "Oh, my Goddess."
Now that the girl was distracted, the voice started again. I'm the owner of the triforce of power. The spirit of the Hero and the blood of the Goddess thought they were cute and locked me in a place where time stood still, I couldn't do anything. But the triforce of power followed me there. Eventually I found an opening and jumped through.
Anger made the voice hiss as if talking through teeth. Low and behold, I couldn't do anything because as soon as I stepped out of the opening, I was torn in three and sealed away by the spirit of the Hero and the blood of the Goddess. The Hero was an idiot. He used the triforce to split my power into thirds and then wished everyone would forget about me, like I never showed up.
Mora looked around, listening to the voice tell his story. She started to feel bad for him, what had he done to be ripped apart as soon as he stepped foot here. But the fact that he was talking about how he was sealed away in an area where time didn't move? She shook her head, all that was too much for her to really comprehend.
So, here I am, enjoying my time as I seep from the curse they put on me when this princess falls in my lap-
"I'm not a princess."
A chuckle made Mora shiver, but the voice continued. You are to me. But now, I can finally be set free. Time has done half the battle for me, when you seal something away, you should always check on the seal. They never seem to hold. Though, your royal family was smart and sealed one part of me beneath their castle, they refresh the seal on that every twenty years or so. But they can thank the Hero when they finally realize there has been more than one seal this whole time.
Mora paused in front of a set of large doors, craning her head back to see the top of them. She started to reach for them when her body stopped abruptly. We have to be careful here, I've had some time to call my pets to me. You make too much noise and I won't stop them from tearing you to pieces.
