To Baby Mama Valkyrie: XD It happens to the best of us. Thank you! I know, but soon :) Oh, don't worry, we'll get our wonderful fill of the buckass this chapter ;)
To Karii Lynne: Why thank you! I'm very happy with my progress ^_^ Haha, I rarely go back to read the original XD I love it, but it really isn't the greatest. The masquerade was fun, I feel horrible for saying this but I love breaking Link's mind XD I've already begun to rethink the arc (not too much, just a bit) to help tell more lore on Hyrule. Also, best character returns :D Thank you for being patient ^_^ I really need to stop worrying so much about getting these out late, all you guys are more understanding than I give you credit for XD And thank you so much for reading it!
Gery: Whooo! Update! I'll shut up now, as you aren't here to listen to me ramble XD Enjoy!
Chapter 6: The Sage's Domain: Lord Jabu-Jabu's Temple
Disabilities are not very common in Hyrule, from what I've seen. At least not to the extent I've had to live with. Everyone I've met can talk, walk, hear and see, some less than others but they can still do it all. Being mute was very difficult, especially when I was really young. Ilia hadn't always been so good understanding my actions and eyes. I would often get frustrated when my thoughts couldn't get across to her or Rusl, and they would in turn get frustrated as well. From a very early age I had always seen myself as stupid and useless. 'What kind of kid can't talk at my age?' I would always think. Now I fully understand it, I understand I was born like this and nothing I can try to do can change it. I was born with the Hero's Curse, unable to speak and unheard by those without high amounts of magic.
But as I said, I was born mute. I've lived like this all my life and while in the past, and even now, it causes problems and hinders me, I've learned to deal with it and adapt as best I can over the span of seventeen years. I wasn't able to talk one day then loose that ability the next.
Not like Nura, who was born able to see and suddenly had that all taken away with a single mistake. A single slip and a moment too slow.
Adam helps guide the Gerudo out of Lord Jabu-Jabu's mouth, where Ralis and a guard of five have arrived. Firin greets two of the guards with a friendly smile as she steps out, then turns to Ralis to report what had transpired. Chimera and Cerberus follow behind me as I leave, seeming almost hesitant to emerge. With the reactions focused on them I understand their hesitance. I slow a step and smile back at them, encouraging them to follow with a wave.
This is enough to prompt them into coming out, although when the first Zora spots them Cerberus is doing all he can to hide behind Chimera. Luckily none of them react as Firin did, but the fear on their faces is something I haven't seen since the Domain was frozen over. It's painful to see again.
Everyone walks on ahead, with Firin now changing her reports to Ralis. I linger behind, gathering all my scattered weapons. I hold my side with a hiss, feeling the blood and grit underneath the repaired tunic. I'm surprised that bite didn't kill me. The way the Basilisk was coming down it was clearly going to bite Nura's head off. Why did it seem to change direction at the last moment to bite my side?
As I store them inside my Baggie, the necklace falls into my line of sight. With a grunt I pull it off, storing it alongside the rest. I don't want a repeat of Zant using my own Ocarina against me. With my weapons on my belt and the Master Sword put firmly on my back, I no longer feel so naked and useless.
I jump when I feel a heavy paw on my head, accompanied by Lionel's voice. "We apologize for your friend. We did not intend for anyone to be hurt or blinded." I turn around to face him. "But we are thankful for your help killing the Basilisk. He would have only caused more trouble alive."
"Little Snack, we have a request," Abber says bluntly, stretching over top Lionel's head to be eye-to-eye with me. This makes me back up a step. "We want to go home. The man who brought us here is very powerful if he can so easily connected our two kingdoms."
"If he has used this power to bring the Gryphons over as well, it could spell disaster if he were to bring more dangerous creatures like the Basilisk. In return of helping us get home, we will aid you and help you learn more about the mystic beasts, our kind, that you may come across," Gote says as Abber pulls out of my face.
I seem to be making allies wherever I go, but who am I to complain? Even if these guys had no help to offer I would help them. It's what a knight does. It's what a hero does. It's what I do.
I nod at the two beasts. Chimera shows plain gratitude and Cerberus, the giant, slobbery puppy, tackles me down happily. I groan as he licks my face, pinning me down with a heavy -but gentle- paw. I push back on Lancer's face, but can't occupy my attention to all three heads when they find openings to lick my face or neck.
I'm terrified to find out what would happen if I turned into a wolf with Cerberus around.
"Cerberus, stop smothering our little friend," Chimera laughs with Lionel using his head to push the three-headed pup off of me. I wipe my face on my sleeve, clenching my side I hadn't noticed began to bleed more. At the sight Cerberus whines, sniffing my side. "Come, Little One, you must rest. We will wait outside of this place, we don't wish to unnerve these creatures."
Lionel walks behind me before I can stand and grabs the back of my tunic. He lifts me off my feet easily and begins walking, making me blush and wiggle to try and free myself. I really don't need to have my friends see this.
It's too late when I hear a chime-like noise and feel my ears flicker down. I look ahead to see Navi hovering above Ralis' head with the young Prince holding his hand above his mouth. I cross my arms and huff at the two, you could have helped you know?
"The others are recovering now. We will be sending an escort with them while they return to Hyrule Castle. But I would like you to stay, in case Lord Jabu-Jabu is still too ill I don't want to have to contact you again and waste time," the Zora Prince bows his head to me when Chimera puts me down. "If that is okay with you?"
I see the backs of the others through the tunnel and frown when I see Nura leaning into Adam. I can see a soft shutter of her shoulders from here. Absently I nod and walk past Ralis, running up to the two red-heads with concern. Adam smiles sadly at me as Nura keeps her head in his shoulder. "Hey, your side okay?" he asks quietly, rubbing the Gerudo's head.
I put a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the question. She flinches lightly but turns her head to face me. I wince when I see her eyes cloudy and distant, such a contrast to the bright, mischievous amber. Despite the missing glint, Nura smirks and awkwardly waves her hand at my head in an attempt to ruffle my hair, but her hand passes right above me. Gently I take a hold of her hand and place it on my head, gulping.
"Hey, don't be so sad guys. Gerudo are adaptable," she winks, successfully ruffling my hair. She does so longer than usual and I can feel her hand trembling. I squeeze past Adam's hug and stand on my toes, burying my face into her neck. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This is my fault. If I didn't go ahead without you guys, we would have been more prepared, we would have gone through Jabu-Jabu together. We could have...have...
"Link I swear to the Gods if you have that guilty, 'my fault' face I will slap you. Adam, does she?"
"...Yes."
I can't muster the mock-glare for Adam, I just rub my burning cheek and keep hold of her side as Adam holds her other side. Before we get far Chimera stops us. "If we may, we would like to look into your eyes, young warrior," Abber hisses. Nura steps away from us, oddly not cautious of the hybrid. Abber's eyes shine around the pupils lightly, creating light waves of colour and light. Looking at it too long gives me a headache and I rub my temple, deciding to look at the floor instead. "That Basilisk was a sorry excuse for his kind. He was the last remaining Basilisk in our territory, and so he never had another Basilisk challenge him or push him. Because of that he was not as strong or wise as he should have been. He was far too animalistic for one of his kind. Which is lucky for you. While his sight was strong enough to blind you, I can still see colour in your eyes. It will take time, but you will slowly regain your sight, although not to the extent you once had."
"Really? How long will that take?"
"Calm yourself," Lionel says gently. "It won't happen over night. We cannot be sure, but it should return in the next two months. But you will have to come to us daily so Abber can quicken the process. He can use his own, milder blinding affects to lessen the damage. Only if you wish to have your sight, of course."
"Of course I want it back!" the Gerudo snaps, but with more glee than anger. She spins, somehow looking directly into Adam's eyes and grins. "Just you wait, I'll be back kicking ass beside you guys in no time."
"Not until we get you back to the Castle for rest," Adam brushes a strand of her hair aside. "That goes for you, too, Link. I saw that thing bite you."
I blush, feeling my new wound sting. I let the Zora doctors see my side and wince as they apply a gooey healing ointment. It seals over top of my skin, akin to a bandage, and grows thick. It hardens like a shell and I poke at it curiously, feeling it's smooth and slightly sticky surface. "Since you don't have scales it may be a bit awkward to move. This ointment can repair broken Zora scales and must harden to do so. It won't harm you having it on but we suggest you avoid unnecessary exercise. It may open the wound up again."
Like I of all people can avoid pointless acts. It's like these guys don't even know who they're talking to. Nonetheless I nod and follow them to a small cove, oddly it is warm, almost humid. I shrug it off, I'm far too tired to think much of it. The stone beds are covered in thick moss, soft enough to lie on without the promise of an aching back the next morning. I smile to the guards in thanks and stretch out on the bed, tucking my arms behind my head as Navi sleeps on my hat on a small stalactite. Or is it stalagmite? I can never get that right.
But my mind doesn't allow me a moment's rest. The events of the past day keep plaguing my mind. The worry of Nura, the curious case of Lord Jabu-Jabu and Zant's sudden new magical skill frighten me. If the Twili can now preform feats of magic that not even Ganondorf would risk, as Ganondorf wouldn't want a destroyed kingdom, how could he have learned it all? Did he always have the knowledge but lack of skill? It worries me if he's advanced in magic. I'll admit he was a very strong opponent, I'd argue he was even harder to fight than Ganon just from his spastic bursts of energy and magic, but even he couldn't summon multitude of creatures from another kingdom.
It almost feels like there's someone else he's working with. Maybe this was the person who brought him back from death? But who? This doesn't seem like the type of thing Ganondorf would do. Ganon wanted control over all of Hyrule, how could you rule a dead kingdom? First with the failed extinction of the Gorons, now the failed murder of Lord Jabu-Jabu?
'Hey Navi? Did Zant do anything else while he was here?'
The fairy yawns, wings flickering as I feel her eyes land on me. "Why do you say that?"
'I dunno, he just likes to make a mess of things. Did he try hurting the Zoras besides just killing their Deity?'
"No," she says, almost too quickly. "He just cursed Lord Jabu-Jabu then vanished."
'You know Navi, I feel like I really know you. Even if I don't have any memories of you, I remember you,' I smile. 'You remind me of a concerned mother. And you've quickly become one of my closest friends. So Navi, can I ask something of you?'
"Of course."
'Don't insult me by lying. What did Zant do, and was anyone hurt?'
Navi's wings twitch, much like my ears do when I'm caught lying. She sighs, her aura weakening ever so slightly. "He began to drain the Domain with a very powerful fire spell. It was almost like the sun itself was crashing down on our heads. Not many Zoras were hurt, but a few elderly Zoras perished in the heat."
'...And?'
"And what?"
'Navi...'
"...A few young children were killed as well. Not many, maybe one or two."
'That's still two too many,' I run a hand over my forehead, frustrated that wherever that tall bastard goes he always has to have a death toll on his head. Can't he leave some place without having a death follow?
"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how'd you react."
'It's okay. Thanks for telling me in the end. I get I can get a little...carried away sometimes.' Wouldn't be the first time.
"You should go bathe. It's been a long day and you smell."
'Tends to happen when your coddled by a giant dog in a giant fish,' I smirk lightly, sitting up and heading out of the cove. I pull some soap and a rag out of my bag as I walk passed the guards, who nod at me. I nod back, surprised when they direct me to Lord Jabu-Jabu's lake. I guess they'll allow me to enter any time now. To them meeting Jabu-Jabu like I have is a huge honour.
Funny, when did I become so nonchalant about meeting deities? Powerful beings that could kill me in their sleep if they wanted to? When did I come to the conclusion that it was almost, dare I say, normal to meet and converse with them? Shadow isn't wrong, how much royalty do I know?
I walk into the lake, smiling at Lord Jabu-Jabu who hums in greeting. It is a happy and warm sound and although his eyes are weak, they are bright. It's an uplifting sight to see after all he's been through.
It is a cool evening, not a surprise, but at the moment I just care about getting all the slimy residue off of me. Besides, the water should still be warm with the remaining sun and the cold water will help take my mind off things. After scanning the lake for any signs of danger, I strip down. I toss my chest bindings on top of the pile I put as close to the edge as I can. Goosebumps cover my arms as I stare down at my reflection. The hard casing of the ointment gleams in the night and I wince as it tugs at my skin, but begin to wade into the water. I gasp, feeling my ears perk up in reaction to the cold water before diving into the water.
Like a pierced arrow, have to get it over with.
I don't resurface immediately. Instead I swim downwards a bit, rubbing my side with a small smile when I feel the water sooth over the rubbing skin. The ointment is a little uncomfortable, but the chilly water's helping numb it -and my body. Once I resurface I let out a soft sigh, still shivering but my thoughts cleared even for a moment. I swim to the shore and grab my bar and rag, absentmindedly washing as I gaze up at the cloudy sky. This doesn't alarm me, what's the harm of getting more wet? And once it's night it will give me more cover.
But I shouldn't need to worry. Zant isn't one to so quickly try a plan that failed. He likes to take a step back and try something new. And I don't need to recover as bad as I did before, this isn't the worst injury I've had.
Lord Jabu-Jabu's hums vibrate the water, making me giggle lightly when this sends a small wave over my head. I stick my tongue out at the deity and push some water in his direction, not really intending to splash him. The shark-whale moans deeply and sinks into the bottom of the lake, out of my sight. I narrow my eyes with a smirk, watching for any signs of him. Quite suddenly I see his massive form on the other side of the lake, breaching the water and jumping high into the night. I cover my head and laugh as the wave sends me tumbling backwards, my back hitting the dock gently. The deity lets out a warbled hum as he resurfaces before me, just enough so his eye is directly looking at me. I smile and wave at his eyeball, to which he replies with a happy moan.
I swim towards his eye carefully, should he react negatively. He lets me come close and I pat him underneath the eye, laughing as he closes his eye in content. He's so gentle. 'Don't worry, big guy, we'll find out what's making you sick.'
Bathed, cold and now refreshed, I climb out of the water and shake myself off. I'll be honest, aspects of being a wolf have rubbed off on my human self more than I'd care to admit. I often find myself kicking in my sleep or growling when I spot someone or something I dislike. Sometimes, when I'm lost in the night sky, I even open my mouth and try to howl. All that comes out is a strangled cry like a dying goat. This always wakes me from my thoughts.
I chuckle to myself, pulling my tunic over my head and shaking my hair a bit. I go to pick up my breeches when I feel a shiver down my spine. Jerking I stand up, looking around. Out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow and spin, finding nothing. My heart pounds as, to my horror, I hear heavy hooves. Blood drains from my face as I turn, seeing a tall abomination of a creature, looking directly at me with large, emotionless black eyes. My breathing pace increases when I hear two more hoof beats. I spin around, seeing two more of the creatures cut of any escape. Shaking I pick up the Master Sword, holding it both hands. The blade rattles uselessly, but I'm ready to swing at whatever monster decides to take a step forward.
I hear a low, menacing growl and scream as one of them step forward. Closing my eyes, I thrash my sword around as hard as I can, screaming and crying. Get away, get away, GET AWAY! My sword clanks on the stone as I flail, hoping to catch one of them, any of them, with the side of the blade. To see these nightmares end and put myself out of this misery.
'I WON'T LET YOU HURT ME AGAIN!' I scream to the Sacred Realm, feeling my foot catch onto my discarded pants. I let out a cry as my knees scruff the stone, cutting into my kneecaps and jerking me to my hands. The sword clatters beside me and I shake, feeling my tears drip down my chin as I grit my teeth. My hands clench and I grab the Master Sword, standing quickly and looking around with blurry eyes. I continue to swing wildly, but trip again. This time I find something stops me, making me freeze. I feel its arms around my shoulders and scream, pushing back against its...cloth...covered...chest?
Blinking, I look up. To my surprise I'm met with unreadable red eyes. "What were you thrashing about for?"
I push away from the buckass, looking around the lake to see nothing. There are no shadows or monsters, nothing here to hurt me. I collapse to my knees in relief, head tilted back and eyes closed. 'They're not real. They can't hurt me,' I sit back, running a hand over my forehead and trying to settle my breathing. 'I'm safe.'
"You're crazy. Didn't expect that from Hyrule's special Hero."
I huff, promptly ignoring Sheik and instead taking great interest in the indent Zant made with my chain-ball. I see Sheik's shadow pass over me and yelp, covering my ears as visions of a similar shadow pass before my eyes. When nothing happens I risk opening my eyes and see my breeches dangling in front of my eyes. I glance up and see Sheik turned to the side, offering me them with a blank expression. "I'm surprised your little secret hasn't been found out by all of Hyrule with how careless you are."
"Hmph," I snatch my breeches from him and stand, slipping them on and walking past him. It wasn't my choice to get stuck with this facade. Besides, fooled you, didn't I? Well up until you, oh I dunno, heard my thoughts.
"Are you really choosing to ignore me?"
Well somebody likes to have attention.
"Pretending I can't hear you isn't going to make me go away."
I pause, glancing at him over my shoulder. I contemplate for a moment before sighing and turning, placing my hand on my hip and fixing him with a glare. The effect probably isn't as affective as I wish it were, seeing as I'm dripping wet still. 'What are you even doing here, Sheik?'
"I'm here to help."
'Oh really? And where were you when the Gorons need help, eh?' I walk up to him, standing on my toes and looking him in the eye. He just smirks at me, making my anger flare up more. 'If you had been there to help a lot more Gorons could have been saved from Volvagia! But instead you decided to run off with an innocent race slowly dying! Why now? Why help now when you could have stopped some of the carnage?'
"There was nothing more I could do to help," he shrugs, patting the top of my head hard enough to send me back to the soles of my feet. I infuriatingly whack his hand off my head. "What does it matter, anyway? Those Gorons were dead before I arrived so it's not like there was anything I could do for them."
As much as I hate to think it, he isn't wrong. There were so many Goron remains that it would be impossible for them to happen in just a single moment. But that doesn't excuse the 'who cares' attitude towards the whole situation. But he never answered my question, either. 'Why now, then? What could you possibly help me with now?'
"The Deity is still sick," he says, looking at Lord Jabu-Jabu, who was watching the whole exchange with curious eyes. "And I just happen to know a way to cure him."
'How?'
"Did you know there's a Temple at the bottom of his lake? The Zoras built it to worship him while he regenerated for his previous incarnation. An amazing piece of Hyrule's history, but judging by the scathing look you're giving me you're far from interested," he smirks at my red face, making me turn redder. "Inside this Temple is a creature. It's using its powers to poison the lake very slowly. So slowly, that it would take days to even affect you even after your little swim. This poison has been slowly eating away at Lord Jabu-Jabu, but as he is a Deity it took some time before he began to show symptoms of sickness."
'So how long as the water been poisoned for then?' I look at the lake. Is that why it's so dark?
"If it's taken this long to finally show the normal signs of poison intake, I'd say about three weeks-hey! What's your problem?!"
I find myself too weak to stand as I grip his shirt, eyes wide and body shaking. No, it can't be. Over three weeks? The same amount of time I was recovering from Death Mountain?
So Shadow was right. Zant was just buying time while I was unable to leave the Castle. And there was nothing I could do to speed up my recovery, which makes it all the more frustrating. I push off Sheik again, sighing angrily. 'Seriously, screw Zant with a spear. That Twili deserves to get blown up twice over at this point,' I rub my temple, wishing now more than ever that Midna was here. She'd at least know what Zant might try next. 'Why'd you have to break the Mirror? I could really use you're help now.'
I look up at the sky, which is now a brilliant shade of orange, red and purple. I smile sadly, closing my eyes for a moment. The Hour of Twilight...I wonder...
'Midna, please, if you can hear me now we need your help. We can't do this on our own,' I sink to my knees, feeling my scuffed up skin burn. 'Please hear me. Please help me. I...I miss you, Midna. Please...'
I feel night fully descend, ending the Hour of Twilight. The single moment in our time where the worlds of Light and Twilight connect, when the precious few minutes link the two opposing sides together to be one.
And once again I am reminded that there is no irony in my name.
"And who the Din's Hell is Midna?"
Aaaand the peace is ended by a buckass. Ears plastering on my skull I turn my head and glare back at him. 'A good friend,' I reply simply, standing and watching the stars begin to form. 'I haven't seen her in a while is all.'
"Another little secret I've found out about you."
'Huh?' I turn to him.
"Well you're not very good at hiding your secrets, it seems."
'Not like I want them to be secrets. Besides, the only secret I want to stay a secret you don't know about,' I think. Well that and my alternative, maybe even official, title as a Hero, but I consider that a thing only people in the situation deserve to know.
"So you don't want the entire Kingdom to think you're a man? Why keep it a secret at all then?"
'Cause it's not important now. My gender shouldn't be a factor in Hyrule's safety,' I shrug. 'I just want my kingdom to be safe from dangerous tyrants like Zant and Ganondorf. The less magic-wielding maniacs like them the better.'
"That reminds me, I want to ask you a simple question," he crosses his arms with an air of arrogance. I snort quietly, unimpressed. "Why haven't you used your own magic at all? Surly being the Hero of Hyrule and a Hylian you would have outstanding magical abilities. Why not use them? You could have used it to sense the creature currently inside Jabu-Jabu's Temple."
I feel my ears twitch. Of course he would ask that. ''Cause I don't have magic, at least not very strong magic. My Core or whatever Zelda calls it is very weak and can't even let me preform simple magic like Nayru's Shield. Which is fine by me.'
"A Hylian with a weak Core? I suppose there's a first for everything," he smirks. I'd like nothing more than to slap it off his face.
'If this is all you have to say, I have a bed waiting for me,' I huff and begin to walk by him.
"If your Core is so weak, how can you use telepathy so well?" I pause. "Those mental walls you've built are very strong if you're so easily able to make your thoughts reach me. You just get a bit careless sometimes."
'Maybe I get careless because somebody shouldn't even be able to hear me,' I glare back at him. 'How is that possible anyway? You're not like Zelda or Navi, you don't have any connection with me. Why can you hear my thoughts when you have no magic?'
"Who ever said I don't?" I freeze, to which he raises an eyebrow. "I find using magic to be a waste of energy in a fight. I use it as a last resort. How do you think I get this to work?" he unhooks the chain around his waste and it straightens, stiff as a staff. I hide my hands behind my back as I feel myself start to shiver. Oh Gods, why is it always Mages? "This weapon is infused with magic and I only have to touch it to activate it. No one with a weak Core like you or a regular Hyrulian would even be able to lift it."
'S-so it's because you have magic?'
"No. I don't have the skills to use telepathy. Even if I did, it doesn't explain how you can pass your thoughts onto me so easily. I've seen others use telepathy and they always claim to have a headache when it is used on them."
I recall the countless hours it took for me to finally speak to Midna without giving either of us a migraine. The long days before I could finally control my thoughts behind my Mental Wall. Even Zelda and I struggled a little as we became friends. It is now I realize it really has been easy to speak to him, although it was as easy to speak to Navi without a headache. But that's different, Navi said all Fairies can use telepathy.
I let out a sigh, biting my lower lip. 'So you don't know what's goin' on either. Figures. Nobody ever has answers, only questions. It's always questions.' I can feel my body shaking. When did it get so cold? 'Look, I really gotta go. I...guess I should thank you for your help. So...thanks.'
When I go to leave, I freeze feeling the hairs on my neck stand up. I look up suddenly and gasp, once again seeing a shadow looking down at me. It's not real, it can't be real. I see the flutter of a torn cloak and stumble back, suddenly hit with a massive headache. For a moment it feels like something is trying to dig through my very brain. Glancing up I see nothing once again, making me shiver and hug my arms. Damn mind playing tricks on me.
"What has the brave Hero so excited?" Sheik asks, crouching beside me. "Here I thought you were the one who killed Ganondorf."
'I wasn't alone then. I wasn't haunted then. You wouldn't understand,' I think, shadowing my eyes with my bangs so he won't see my tears. I don't need him to notice now.
"Well let's warm you up then you can-" With a flicker, a flame appears on his hand. I stare at the fire, breath hitched and body stiff. He can use magic. I crawl backwards from him, to which he gives me an odd look. I gulp and shiver more, the night quickly causing my damp body to turn to ice. But even freezing is better than being beside a flame, a flame so red it reminds me of Volvagia's eyes. The same merciless eyes that massacred hundreds of Gorons for fun while only eating a few of them. The eyes that change from a poisonous yellow when using strong magic to torture someone who was foolish enough to turn their back.
'GET IT AWAY FROM ME!'
Silence falls over the lake. The Sheikah stands on the opposite side of the dock, watching me shiver like a child as he looks between me and the flame in his hand with an odd expression. I gulp and close my eyes, slowly standing and feeling my scar prickle at me. '...Congratulations, you've learned another one of my secrets. If you find out one more I may give you a prize, but I doubt it'd be anythin' interestin'. I gotta go. Thanks for the heart attack.'
There is silence as I begin to walk down the steps.
"Betrayal." Once more I pause. "Getting hurt deeply by someone you put all your trust into. Who you thought you would never be apart from." I look at Sheik, but he refuses to look back at me. Instead he is looking out over the lake. "I guess that makes the two of us even. I learned your fear, now you know mine."
'And why exactly did you tell me this? S'not like I asked ya to,' I think, feeling odd. This man continues to baffle me. Is that just the way of the Sheikah or this one guy?
He doesn't say, instead he picks up my cloak off the ground as he walks towards me. He goes to hand it to me when he pauses, staring at the cloth with that unreadable gaze. "This is a Sheikah cloak made of very rare and expensive material. How did you acquire this?"
'A friend,' I think, taking it from him and securing it around my shoulders. The last thing I need is this guy thinking I ask Zelda to give me these luxury items.
"I see. Remember what I said about the Temple," he turns away. "I'm sure one of your Zora friends will help take you there. From what I hear the currents under the lake are very strong," he walks past me.
'Um...thanks!' I put my hand on his back, it would be his shoulder if I could reach. He looks down at me, making me falter a little at his piercing gaze. 'For tellin' me this. But I do gotta ask...why are you here and why were you at Death Mountain?'
"You'd be best not to poke into other people's lives," he says, flicking my nose and making me take a step back. "I have my reasons, but you don't have to know them."
Before I can ask anything else he throws down his arm. There's a flash and I reel back, blinking spots from my eyes and lowering my arm. He's gone, the cracked shell of a Deku Nut laying at the bottom step. I frown, looking around the lake before walking towards the Domain. It's getting late, and I feel a deep chill down my spine.
-0-0-0-0-
"The one from the Sky descended to the Surface, intent on ruining everything I worked for." I spin, trying to locate the direction of the voice. It's hard to when there's nothing but an echo coming from all directions in the black void. "He ended my Master's reign before he could show the world his greatness. I despise you, Descendant of the Sky, but you will be fortunate to know that you are worth more to me alive."
I feel a shiver and turn, gulping as far in the distance I spot a shadow. The same shadow with a fluttering cloak that I have seen for the last two days. A white smile cuts through the shadow like a scar, making me go to draw the Master Sword which I find is not there. The shadow throws back its head, laughing in a high-pitched voice that threatens to make my ears bleed.
"One day we will meet face to face, and I will take pleasure in knowing that my Master's face will be the last thing you ever see."
Beneath me the black ground cracks, swallowing me whole. A scream catches in my throat as, while I'm falling, a giant creature rises before me. With the void surrounding me I can barely make out a shape, similar to an oval, covered in thick reddish-brown scales. All I see is a wall of large, sharp teeth before I jerk to the side-
I pant, lying on the stone floor of the Zora guest room. My hand clenches my pounding chest as I shakily try to stand using the bed as leverage. I just end up falling onto my back with a groan. I slowly sit up and rub the back of my head, trying to think of what I just dreamed of. That voice sounds so familiar, almost too familiar for comfort, and everything they said brings that dreadful feeling of Déjà Vu. But for the life of me I can't remember what words were said and what caused me to wake up in such a fit.
Such is the life of my dreams, they're either visions or memories of my past lives and they're never clear the first time. The more I have them, the longer and less blurry they'll be in my memory. By the time I had finally met Ganondorf in person I felt I knew him entirely.
Navi is still asleep, somehow not even stirring from my tumble. I smile softly and shake my head, finally able to stand and stretch my back. I look towards the entrance of the room to see the wall opposite glistening in the morning sun, warning me of what time it is.
The dream is almost completely forgotten once Navi is awake and I explain what Sheik told me. She lets out a soft hum before flying off to inform Ralis, while I get dressed into my Zora Armour.
I fix the blue cap on my head and smile lightly. While it doesn't feel the same as wearing the Hero's Tunic, it has done more than enough to save my life multiple times. I tug at the cold grey chain-mail and play with the meshy fabric that will go around my mouth before I enter the water. Navi rambles on about how far Goron and Zora enchantment have come since she'd last been out of the forest while Firin walks in, smiling at me through her own armour.
"Prince Ralis says it'd be best for me to go with you, being Jabu-Jabu's Keeper and all," she grins.
The Zora and Fairy chat idly as we wander into the Domain. I pause when I see Adam, Shadow and Nura prepared to return to the Castle alongside Chimera and Cerberus. The boys are arguing over which route will be faster to the Castle and Nura is standing to the side. I motion for Firin and Navi to go on ahead as I walk over to the Gerudo, who's shaking her head at the boy's antics.
Timidly for a moment, I hug her around the torso. I feel her tense up before she relaxes and hugs me around the shoulders and I say, in a strained and weak voice, "Nuh...ruh."
She whacks the side of my head lightly with a chuckle. "Don't waste your energy on me, moron. You have a mission to complete and trying to speak will only make you tired. Now shush and save that big ol' Fish God." She claps my back and pushes me towards Navi and Firin, the former who is staring at me in shock.
"Did you just...speak a little?" she asks, sitting on my shoulder.
'Ehh...kinda. I can make small noises and I do my best to say 'em in a way similar to my friends' names. It only happens sometimes, in a desperate situation or if I force myself like I just did there. It's really hard and actually takes a toll on me.'
"I guess that's a clever way to get someone's attention in a hurry," Navi hums softly.
"We're all set, Prince," Firin waves as Ralis stands at the entrance to Jabu-Jabu's Lake. He frowns lightly and looks about to say something, but shakes his head and smiles back at her. It's forced and shaky. He knows something.
"Stay safe, you two. You'll want to keep a tight grip on Firin, Link, the current down there will be too much even with the Zora Armour," he bows to us, now not looking Firin in the face. The Keeper doesn't seem to notice and bows back, smiling brightly and turning to the tunnel.
"See you later, Ralis! Come on, Link!" she grabs my hand and pulls me after her. I'm barely able to keep up, the Zora Armour makes it a bit difficult to walk. "We'll save our Lord in no time!"
'Heh, you bet,' I smile, chancing a glance back at Ralis. Our eyes meet and he looks away with a sigh, heading towards the throne. I hope, for all our sakes, he knows what he's doing.
Firin and I secure a rope to our wastes, the Zora looking deep into the water. "It's very dark and cold down there. You're sure you're up for it?"
Heh, it can't be as bad as Snowpeak. I'm sure my mask is on and nod.
We dive into the water, swimming far into the depths. At some point a current picks up too strong for me to move in, forcing Firin to tug the both of us through. The deeper we go, the darker and murkier the water gets, until I am unable to see anything but the sheen of Firin's scales. It becomes deathly silent, making me uncomfortable. The water vibrates every now and then in tune with Jabu-Jabu's moans and movement.
It seems to take longer than it should, but finally I spot a different shape in the darkness. Imbedded in one of the walls is a carved gate, the arch slightly cracked under the water pressure. I can feel the pressure tightening my chest, too. Firin's fins snap out and she propels herself forward at lightning speed, causing my head to snap back but shortening the trip. Through the arch is a tunnel that goes straight up, lit only by a faint glow far to the top.
"Hang on tight, Link!" Firin yells through the water, going so fast bubbles blind me. I grip the rope as tight as I can, protected only by the gauntlets.
We break the surface at last, welcomed to a dim chamber with several tunnels leading down into water. It is damp, but we are free to walk in this chamber. Firin cuts the rope with her fin, huffing lightly but smiling. We're both covered with a mucky substance, causing me to make a small face as I shake some of it off my boot. "Wow, I've never seen this Temple. Normally it's forbidden for even the King or Queen to come here. This is such an honour!"
"Why wouldn't the monarchs be able to come here?"
"The legends have been a little lost in time, but it's said that this Temple is all that remains of a society of ancient Hyrule, one so old even the history books don't have much knowledge on them," as Firin says this, I begin to scope the room. There are a few tunnels in the walls, but some of them are high up or caved in. "It's said that the ancestors of Zoras lived in such a place. Although I'll be honest, I've never been too good at remembering our history."
"Amazing. It's all made to mix with the different tides. But there's also a magical element to this Temple, keeping it alive and giving air pockets. I remember a feeling familiar to this, but that Temple was very new and intact."
I walk up to one of the wall tunnels, finding a dark welcome. The only sources of light in these chambers are dark stones embedded into the walls. I reach out to touch one, but think twice. I don't like magic and I don't know magic. If I try to inspect something I have no interest in looking at I shouldn't mess with it. I let my arm fall to my side and instead just lean close to the only stone at my eye height. Despite being a dark purple, it seems to shine with an off-white colour. As much as I hate it, magically enchanted items can be very beautiful.
"Well, we have to find whatever it is that's harming Lord Jabu-Jabu but I'm unsure of where to start. There's so many tunnels."
"We're not in a desperate time frame. We can afford to make a mistake or two while going through some of these. Let's just start here and see where it takes us. If you're okay with that, Firin."
The Ocean Zora shrugs, looking back at the tunnel we entered from. "Well he isn't going to keel over so quickly. I'm sure it'll be fine," she grins, far too happily. She's doing a better job than I would in this kind of situation.
The tunnel is short, leading us to a huge ravine. The walls are wet with streams of water pouring into a rushing river at the bottom, dark and roaring. The glowing stones give us the light to walk the narrow path beside the ravine, scanning the walls for anything. Oddly there are thick cracks in the walls, most the size of a full grown man, but they don't show any signs of different tunnels.
Our current path eventually becomes wider, until we hit a dead end on a large overhang. The glowing stones here seem to form the symbol of the Zoras, three crescent moons facing away from each other forming a snowflake-esk appearance and three orbs in the crevice of the moon. It's rough, as if someone made it with their bare hands, but it's certainly the Zora's Insignia.
"Strange, I don't think we have used this depiction of the Zora Sapphire in centuries. I wonder who thought of this idea, to carve this particular symbol."
I can't help but stare at the symbol, almost as if in a trance. Slowly I walk to it, hearing but not listening to the other two talking. I see my reflection in one of the stones making up the shape. These stones seem far more bright than the others. Is there a point to all this that I'm missing?
My foot suddenly feels off balance and I look down, finding it sitting in a small indent in the ground. Curious I crouch down, poking at the indent. It's hard like a stone, unlike the soft sand that we've been walking on the last few minutes. I brush away a coating of dust and see a small glimmer. I sit on my knees and take off my hat, using it to brush away the sand. A green stone is uncovered and I, touchy person I am, dig it out of the ground to look at it.
Not a second after I remove the stone the entire wall lights up, blinding me momentarily. I feel Firin grab my arms and pull me back and the ground quake under my feet. Once the lights stop dancing in my eyes I see the entire wall has collapsed, revealing a chamber. To our surprise a flock of Keese escape the cave, flying between us and hitting us with their wings. But they don't attempt to harm us for intruding on their territory. Instead, they're making loud screeching sounds as if in a collective panic. We look back at the opened chamber and freeze for a moment when a foul stench crawls out. Tall, brown bodies step from the darkness, slow and moaning. I see movement and soon my eyes are met with the hollowed, expressionless faces of ReDead.
The sight of these creatures is not enough to frighten me to the spot, but it does take a far too long moment to realize what exactly we-okay I-have unleashed. Almost as if on a cue, ReDead begin to break through the cracks and walls, slowly making their way towards us. I unsheathe the sword and shield, ready to fend them off. Firin, on the other hand, grabs my arm and pulls me away, running between a gap and not stopping even when on the edge of the ravine.
"We can't take them all, Link!" her voice is high-pitched in fear. "We'll circle back around to the main chamber and find another way. Oh Stinkfish this is so bad."
I sometimes forget that not everybody is so used to fighting monsters like these. ReDead are a very terrifying monster the first few times you see them, but unless they're the ReDead Knights I saw in Arbiter's Grounds I haven't flinched from their screams. I can see Firin desperately covering the sides of her head, though. 'Any ideas how to shake them off, Navi?'
"All we can do is run for now. We can probably-watch out!" we grind to a stop when we hear moans before us. I peek over Firin's shoulder to see a drove coming towards us. I spot a few shapes of white in amongst the sickly brown, but can't recognize what kind of monster it could be. I turn back and growl, seeing the ReDead blocking our escape and now we're on a path too thin to fight on.
There's a sudden rumble under our feet and the path collapses. I roll down the side for a moment before I plummet, wrapping my arms around my head. Luckily I come to a halt, only leaving me with an aching side and a dangling arm. Opening my eyes, I didn't even know I closed them, I see the rushing waters below. I jerk my head back in shock and sit up, finding myself trapped on a small outcropping only big enough for me to lie on. I look up and, to my surprise, Firin is hanging onto the side of the ravine with her fins embedded into the wall. She retracts one of her fins and looks down at me. She's so far up.
"Are you okay, Link?"
I nod, shifting slightly for a reduced risk of falling off. I can see Navi hovering between our distance, her aura a bright red. She's going to hate me for this.
'Navi, help Firin get to safety.'
"Oh no, I am not leaving you alone again!"
'You don't have to worry,' I pat the outcropping. 'I'm not going anywhere, my Clawshots are useless on stone. Right now Firin needs more help. I'll be here when you get back. Promise.'
She's understandably silent. She has such a mother's instinct. 'Can't you trust me?'
"Fine. But if you're not here when I get back your grounded," she says with apparently no room for ifs, ands or buts." I salute her and lean back on the wall, watching Navi shine brightly in front of the ReDead. It's so bright they seem to freeze to the spot upon seeing it. Navi keeps this up and stiffly yells at Firin to start climbing up. The Zora takes a glance at me before using her fins to climb. I feel my ears twitch nervously as she makes it to the top. The ReDead are immobilized from Navi's light.
"Follow me, Firin! Keep close!" Navi strains her voice, slowly but surly flying towards the way we ran. The ReDead in front of them can't move, allowing them to pass through the horde harmlessly. That doesn't stop my heart from pounding. I can see Navi stagger and almost fall several times. At one point when she comes dangerously close to the ground I reach my hand out as if to catch her, even if I'm unable to. I awkwardly put it back down once I see her in my sights again, still bright but slowly dimming.
I feel a chill down my spine, then once again the stone under my feet crumble. I yelp and fling my arm out to grab something, but there's nothing to save me on this barren ravine. I fall backwards feeling the chill of the river before I sink into it. I pull my mask loosely around my mouth, closing my eyes as the murky water stings. The roaring water deafens me as I'm pulled violently down the river, unable to fight the current or even break the surface. I'm able to come up once, before the back of my head is struck by a protruding rock. My vision fades in and out for a few moments.
-0-0-0-0-
I stretch out my limbs, smiling contently. Although I ache, for reasons I can't seem to remember right away. Instead of opening my eyes and finding out, I decide to procrastinate and bury my face in some cloth. Huh, who knew this could be so soothing? Steady breathing, cloak wrapped around me, heartbeat in my ears.
Wait, what's going on?
I blink my eyes open, confused, and tilt my head up. Oh for the Love of Nayru. I yelp and jerk away, face red as the eyes looking at me.
"Do you enjoy almost dying every day?"
It isn't bad enough I fell into the river and lost traces of Navi and Firin. It isn't bad enough I got knocked unconscious in said river. It isn't even bad enough that I don't even know how I fell. Oh no, this buckass had to be the one to fish me out of the river and keep me warm. This buckass who kept me warm by wrapping me in my own cloak and giving me his body heat.
What is even with this guy? One moment he's indifferent, then he's almost, dare I say kind? One moment he's no where to be seen but the next he could be right behind you. People don't tend to shift between two extremes like that. Is that normal? Or a Sheik-only thing?
Either way, I could do without the obvious jab at my luck in life. It doesn't take a genius to know that the Goddesses love to mess with me, but you don't have to be an ass about it.
"Choosing to ignore me again? It won't do you any good, you know." I glare at him. I'm still a bit dazed from the blow to the head and I get dizzy if I move too much. Thus, I'm forced to sit and wait for my vision to fully clear while he leans on the wall looking more arrogant than Alex and before-friend Midna combined.
I sigh, rubbing my temple lightly. 'Fine. But I gotta ask, why are you following me?'
"I'm not following you."
'Oh really? Then how did you happen to find me? I doubt you would come here without a good reason.'
"I was following someone else. They're also the one who found you, not me. I just happened to be the one to keep you alive."
'Psh, as if a little cold would kill me,' I roll my eyes. 'Do you not know what my Triforce does for me?'
"I know more about the Triforce than you," he says without hesitation. "Sheikah tend to read our history, unlike you Hyrulians."
'Well there isn't exactly a library in Ordon. It certainly isn't wealthy enough to trade for books, either. All we have to offer are goats, goats and more goats. And the yearly sword tribute, but that's beside the point. So don't go clumping me in with the other Hyrulians. It isn't like I don't want to learn.'
He quirks an eyebrow at me. "You're not from Castle Town?"
'No. What made you think that?'
"I just never knew there were Hylians so far south. I thought most of you lived in Castle Town."
'As far as I know only Zel and I live there.'
Sheik turns his head to the side, his hair shielding his entire face. My ears perk in interest and I lean to the side to try and see his eyes. 'Uh, you alright there?'
"How's your head?"
'Eh, better,' I say, standing up. Surly enough the dizziness has passed.
"Good. I should go."
'Why are you so weird? You show up and leave very quickly or act mysterious then you open up. I mean seriously, what made you tell me your fear? And how do you even know where to find me half the time?'
"You're an enigma to me. I hate not understanding something and there's just...something about you that eludes me. It's frustrating. Because of all that I can't understand why I told you my fear in the first place. And I just happen to have my own reasons for being around. For the Gorons I heard they were good with meditation practices for helping someone relax. The Zoras are said to have special herbs in their tea to help people sleep. I don't need to tell you details. But just because I happen to be in the same places as you do doesn't mean I'm following you."
'Okay, then. You're still weird, Buckass, but okay.'
"Why do you keep calling me a buckass?"
'Because you're not a buckass, you are Buckass until further notice.'
"Well why am I buckass?"
'Because you still didn't help the Gorons. Nothing changes that.'
"I thought you were over that."
'I wish. Look, more happened in Death Mountain than just the deaths of my friends. Something that...made me have to stay at the Castle for three weeks. It was more than just a broken leg and the memory of the massacre. I...I can't say it,' I can feel the knee in the center of my back, making my skin crawl, 'but it's something that still haunts me. Look, Sheik, I just wanna find this Water Sage and move on to the rest. If I don't, the Twilight will come back stronger than ever,' I think, walking down a path lined with slivers of glowing gems. The other way leads to a dead end.
I hear footsteps and see him slip in beside me. He refuses to look at me. 'So now why are you still here?'
"If you're such a trouble magnet, someone has to babysit you."
'I'm an adult!'
"Could have fooled me, runt."
'Oh right, because I've never heard that one, Buckass.'
"Fine then, Little Enigma," he scruffs the back of my head and I glare at him. I huff when he just laughs and continues on, hand resting on the chain at his hip.
Oddly, I can't help but smile when he isn't looking. Having someone I can actually talk to will be nice traversing this place. Even if he shouldn't, he can, so I can't just keep pretending he doesn't hear me anymore. I look up ravine, seeing it closed off above us. I hope Navi and Firin are alright.
'So I still have on more question,' I think, trotting to keep up to his pace. 'Who did you follow into the temple? If you really aren't following me, that is.'
"You probably wouldn't believe me."
'Try me.'
"I followed a predatory bird that was made of fire."
'That doesn't sound so weird. Kinda like a Keese, right?'
"No. This bird wasn't just coated in it. This bird was made of fire. Needless to say it caught my attention and guided me down here. It was so hot it evaporated the water around it allowing it to enter this temple. I just swam after it."
'How? Do you have enchanted armour, too?'
"I have magic, remember? The reason you began to freak out?"
I wince. Sometimes I try to forget people have magic. Helps me stay around them easier. Well as long as he doesn't use it this will all be fine.
'Right. But a fire bird...that sounds so cool. I'd love to see it.'
"Well you're out of luck. It flew off once it brought me to you."
I tilt my head to the side, not at what he said but at the dilemma ahead of us. Following the river up has gotten us to the open ceiling of the ravine, but at another dead end. My ears flick back as I look up, searching for any ways to climb up. All the walls are too steep and slick to attempt it. I wish my Clawshots could work on stone. When I tried a few months ago all it did was bounce off and smack me in the face for being curious.
'Oh great, we're trapped,' I huff, crossing my arms.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Sheik trace the wall, humming softly to himself and mumbling. All I gather is "use a little". He looks at me and seems to study me for a moment. I tilt my head. 'What?'
His eyes glance over my shoulder and the one I can see widens. I spin around, expecting a ReDead, but see nothing appear behind us. 'What are you-Farore's Spirit!'
I can't believe I fell for that. Distracted, he grabs my arm and pulls me into his side. I growl, pushing back, but he hooks his arm under my armpits and uses the chain-whip to latch onto a jutting rock on the other side of the river. 'You dirty Buckass!'
He just smirks and kicks off, using the momentum of the pull to jump off the stone wall. Somehow he's able to leap from one side to the other, using the chain-whip to pull us and kicking off the walls with far too much strength for a normal person. Very abruptly we land on at an outcropping, the tallest one available to stand on for two people. I shove myself away from him and pant, leaning on the wall and glowering at him. There are no glowing gems in this tunnel, letting my eyes adjust so I can see his face.
'Never do that again!'
"Little Enigma you are," he says thoughtfully, making my cheeks puff out in anger. Buck. Ass. "Tell me, if you have no magic how are your eyes glowing?"
I blink and poke at the corner of my eye. Oddly enough, not many people have questioned my Twilight Sight. Those who don't know how I got it tend to just brush it off as a 'Link thing'. 'Oh, it's an, eh, side affect of my journey. It developed on it's own and heightened my senses. Unlike before I can see in the dark, and my hearing and smell have increased as well.'
"Does this have anything to do with this 'Twilight' you mentioned?"
The way he didn't even blink when I told him made me think he knew about it somehow. I guess he doesn't? Although only two people in Hyrule know what exactly happened so it's not surprising.
'Yeah. It has everything to do with it.' I'm about to go into a bit more detail when I hear a low moan. I turn my head down the tunnel ahead of us and see shapes move among it. For Din's Sake, those wrapped ReDead again? 'Oh look who's here to give ol' Link a hard time.'
"They're just Gibdo," Sheik shrugs. "They're easy to deal with."
The side of my face grows warm when a glow lights up the tunnel. Both the Gibdo and I freeze as Sheik lights a fire in his palm, brightening the walls with it's crimson light. I back up against the wall, feeling my knees shake. 'I told ya I fear that stuff, didn't I? You even saw it for yourself!'
He gives me a frustrated look. "Isn't your courage supposed to help you push past your fears?"
'I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FEAR YOU!' I mentally scream, clenching my fists to the stone. 'I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FEAR ANYONE WITH MAGIC! Sheik, please. Just please put it away. Make the magic stop. There's room to fight. This isn't a last resort.'
I never talk about it to anyone, I never want to, but I harbour a small fear for my friends with magic. Midna, especially. It's something I never bring up because I don't want my friends to treat me like I'm fragile. Magic is just...I can't exactly explain fully why it scares me so much, but even in the comfort and safety of my friends there's always a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me to be cautious, always taunting me with the knowledge of the magic. I really, really don't want to fear my friends, but to some extent I do. To be perfectly honest, sometimes I'm even terrified around them.
"Fine then," the light dims and I open my eyes. He flicks the chain-whip straight, looking me in the eye. "Can you deal with this?"
I look at the chain-whip with a cautious eye, but nod. 'Yeah. Enchanting fine.'
He nods, turning to the Gibdo now free to come at us. There are a lot. I unsheathe the Master Sword and shield, taking a deep breath and smirking. I'll be honest, the rush of battle is a bit exciting. It's been a while since I've been in a fight and haven't had others to worry about. 'I take the right, you take the left?'
Gibdo begin to rise out of the ground behind us, somehow breaking the stone with their hands. This forces us back-to-back, standing in different but effective battle stances.
"You sure you're up for this, Little Enigma?"
'Heh, was 'bout to ask ya the same thing, Buckass.' We smirk at each other from over our shoulders and fix our gaze on the Gibdo. 'Try to keep up.'
The Gibdo are perhaps the easiest thing I've fought in a long time. They are completely mindless, even more-so than the ReDead, and their screams aren't even enough to stop us. I don't understand, but as long as I don't have to freeze all the time helps immensely. The Sword of Evil's Bane cuts cleanly through their necks, searing the bandages slightly before they drop to the ground. My shield blocks a few that get a bit too close, but a swift jab from under my shield goes through where their heart could be. All these Gibdo are deceased Zoras, which I guess the ones who built the temple buried here. Luckily for us their fins have rotted away, leaving their forearms bare of any weapons. All they can hope to do is grab us, but we prove very quickly we're more than enough for them.
'Heh, I'm at fifty two. How about you?'
A hear a Gibdo fall as another knife embeds into it's forehead. We keep moving, never standing still, but our backs are always into the others. Sheik makes a small noise of content when his chain smashes the skull of another. "That? That was just sixty five."
'Oh that's just because you have time for ranged weapons,' I huff. 'If I got my bow out you wouldn't be so smug.'
"I'd still be winning. Bows are too slow to be reliable."
'Hey, I can get an arrow ready in seconds!'
"Still too slow for a real fight. Tell me, did you ever use an arrow in a demanding battle?"
'Psh, yeah. It's my favourite weapon besides a sword.'
"Swords are also useless if you lose them."
'That's why I don't make it a habit.'
"Like when you didn't have it in Jabu-Jabu?"
'That was a one-time thing.' I don't go into detail about how that is far from true. 'Besides, you're using a weapon!'
"I'll never lose this. Even if I did I'd be able to fight with my hands."
'Do I look like the kinda girl who could take on someone with her hands?' I snort, slicing up through a Gibdo, cutting it in half.
"You hardly look like a girl who could hold a sword."
'Excuse me, this is the Master Sword. It's different.'
"Changes nothing."
This has to be the most relaxed fight I've ever had. The Gibdo just keep coming, slow and lazy. They don't seem to be stopping any time soon, but they're not exhausting us. I've never been able to just bicker with someone while something is attacking me. With our two different fighting styles, we're able to hold our own. Something about this whole thing just feels oddly right. Like this is the way things should be.
'Ha, seventy eight!'
A Gibdo screech later. "Eighty. You'll never beat me. I have more skills."
I blink and grin wolfishly, ears flicking to my skull at the challenge. 'Oh yeah? This is about skill, eh? Well, heh, why didn't ya say so?'
I leave his side, rolling onto my shoulder between the legs of the Gibdo and once I finish the roll I come up in a wide spin, cutting through the five monsters. They fall around me, but I'm not done yet. He takes a moment to glance at me as I bend my legs, holding the sword to the side but the blade tip pointing upward. I feel my Triforce glow as a golden light crawls up the blade, surrounding it in light before I swing right, left, and finish with a leap forward with the edge of the blade facing down. This kills nearly all of the remaining Gibdo, leaving only three to slowly come forward.
I spin to Sheik, who has a stunned look on his face. I stick my tongue out. 'That's not magic, that's using my connection to the Master Sword to my advantage.'
I step to the side, allowing him to throw three final knives at the remaining Gibdo, grinning widely. "And what was that?"
'Eh, just the Back Slice followed by the Jump Strike. What, never heard of 'em?' I lean forward, weapons now sheathed and cheekily smiling. 'Sorry, I can't teach 'em to ya,' I spin, chuckling and walking over the bodies. 'It's a Link thing.'
There's an almost-silent whoosh and I glance back, seeing the knives fly out of the bodies into Sheik's hands. He pockets them all in different locations before snapping the chain-whip to his hip. A small shiver goes down my spine, but it's mild. I look forward again, scanning the tunnel. Every now and then there will be the gems in the walls.
"I used magic, you know," he smirks down at me as he easily catches up to me. I look at him in alarm. "How do you think we even got up here? Or weren't affected by the screeches? Sorry, can't teach them to you. It's a Sheikah thing." He knocks me over the head with his elbow without breaking stride. I huff, losing balance for a moment, before smacking at his shoulder.
We walk through the tunnel in silence. Oddly, it doesn't feel awkward. At least not to me. It's hard to tell what he's thinking. Although something in my gut tells me he isn't feeling awkward, either. Huh, thinking back on it, did I ever feel awkward around Sheik? I don't think I felt shy around him even as a wolf, more on alert if anything.
'So, any ideas how to get out of here?'
"Why do you think I brought us to this particular tunnel? I didn't expect the Gibdo, but this is the way I came. At the end of this tunnel is a large cavern with water all over the ground. I think it was used as the main burial chamber of the first Zoras here. Would explain the horde that decided to show up."
'At least they were easy to deal with. Are all Gibdo like that?'
"The oldest ones, yes. The older they are, the more their brains have rotted away. Although some are tougher than others, like a human Gibdo. You've seen the Zoras. They're fast, nimble warriors but are very frail."
We step into the cavern, ripples forming from our footsteps. Amazingly the entire ceiling is covered in bright crystals, illuminating the entire cavern and reflecting perfectly into the water. My face brightens at the sight, not seeing something so beautiful since the Twilight Realm. Well, that's a bit generous, the Realm was so amazing and beautiful, but this is a close second.
'This is so cool!' I can't help but beam at Sheik. 'I gotta get one of these for Ilia!'
Before I pull out my bow he speaks. "I wouldn't advise that. You could attract more Gibdo or ReDead and as much fun as that was it was time consuming. We should just get moving if we want to save this giant fish."
'Yeah, I guess you're right,' I let my hand fall as he walks ahead. On the other side of the cavern is a direct tunnel to the first room. I smile, hoping to find the other two waiting there. Before I can take a step forward something wraps around my ankle. I shake it a bit and look back, gasping when I see me rising from the water. I spin and swing my sword at the weird clone, but it sinks back into the water before I can hit it. 'Uh Sheik, there's a fake me in the water!' I look over my shoulder only to find Sheik fighting a fake version of himself. Or is the fake him? Oh Gods this can't be good.
"Kind of busy!" Both Sheiks yell over, trying to overpower the other.
There's a ripple of water and I turn, coming face-to-face with the Fake Me. I swing my shield arm at it but it blocks my attempt with it's own shield, it's face mirroring my own shocked expression. I narrow my eyes and growl, ears pinning back dangerously. I jab my sword under my shield but it parries effortlessly, followed with an upward arc. I jerk my head back and roll away, gaining just a bit of distance before it can strike me.
I watch it carefully and see it's muscles twitch in a familiar way. The Fake jumps to the side and follows with a roll, trying to get behind me before jumping up with a spin. I don't let it get me by rolling to the side, coming up and slashing at it's knees. The Fake jumps over the swing and jabs forward at my shoulder. I move just enough to dodge the attack and raise my shield as it tries to counter. I back-flip away from it before it tries again to hit me.
I ram forward with my shield and hit it over the face, smiling and jabbing out from under the shield at its abdomen. It dissolves into the water and I grin, but my quick victory is short lived when I hear ripples behind me. Turning I barely dodge the up-ward swing of the blade as the Fake jumps from the water. I stab at it before it can land and manage to hit its side, but to my astonishment it doesn't bleed. It lands and hits me across the face with its shield. I land on my back, feeling blood rush from my nose. With no time to think I kick at the Fake's shin, causing it to stumble just enough to stand and back off a bit.
'It doesn't bleed!'
"Yeah, I noticed!" the Sheiks reply, each now darting around the room trying to out manoeuvre each other. I chance a grim glance at the blue blurs before being forced back into the duel with my clone. If I look closely I notice it's eyes have a certain, unnatural sheen to them as if they're unfocused. Nothing about this is right at all. How did these even appear?
'How am I gunna kill you?' I wonder, trying hard to focus on the counters to this clone. It follows my every move with an almost perfect response, resulting in my side starting to ache from the constant hits. Oddly the clone only seems to be trying to get at my wound. 'How do ya kill somethin' that can seem to read your mind? Hey, Sheik? Yeah any ideas how to stop these things? Or escape? Or anythin'?'
"Like I said, kind of busy!" I hear a grunt and risk turning my head, seeing one of the Sheiks with a dagger in their shoulder. Judging by how I see no blood, looks like the real Sheik is doing better than I am.
And thus, because I am not paying attention, the clone stabs its sword into my side, causing the hardened shell to shatter and making me bleed far too much for my liking. I growl as I turn my eyes to the clone, ears pinned back. It mirrors my expression without missing a beat before I charge at the clone, getting a bit sick and tired of it. Our swords clatter out of our reach and we begin to throw shields into the others face. I raise my shield above my head, intent on slitting its throat with the bottom, when I'm knocked off of it by an unseen force. This force slams me into the wall, knocking the wind out of me and causing a crack to snake up behind me. I lay holding my stomach as I glare up at the approaching fake. What is with this temple and bothering me completely at random?
On a side note I can almost feel Sheik's 'I told you' gaze boring into me from the other side of the room. Okay, so I lose my grip on my sword more than I should...
I fish out my bow and shoot, but it melts into the water again. It rises in front of me and I kick out, managing to trip it. I get up and run to the sword, getting barely enough time to grab it. I spin, forcing the clone back, and strike it with my shield. I flip over it's head and slash, but it once again goes into the water. It appears under me and grabs my foot, slamming me into the ground hard enough to make me dizzy. I groan and feel its knee on my chest, making my stomach churn.
Visions of that day assault me and I scream, bringing my knee up. I feel it hit something and I push the clone off, stumbling back with the sword in both hands. My blood roars in my ears as I swing the blade wildly, unable to see much more than a blur. A blur that, to me, begins to grow. I close my eyes, gritting my teeth and forcing down the desire to throw up. Not again, why now?
Why won't this all just go away?!
I find myself crouched on one knee beside the clone, which has a slash through it's shoulder. As before it doesn't bleed, but I don't think that means it can't feel pain. I see it mirror my own feelings of terror, forcing me to look away as I'm forced to see myself so weak. I stand with my eyes closed, trying to fight back the memories. But it's so hard.
"Snap out of it already!" I feel Sheik run by and hit me over the head lightly, bringing me out of my thoughts. He's still trying to get the upper hand with his own clone by circling around and using his chain-whip as much as possible. "We won't end this if you go crazy."
'At this rate this won't end at all!' I sigh in frustration as the fake, once again, goes into the water. 'It's cheating!'
"And exhausting," the Sheiks both grunt. "At this rate we'll wear ourselves out."
'And all 'cause these things follow our moves perfectly,' I huff, dodging another swing from the Fake Me. 'Could there be a way to trick them?'
One of the Sheiks, I think the real one, looks at me sharply, then at the clone. I swear I see his eyes glow faintly for a moment before the cloth around his face moves, as if he's smiling. It's so hard to judge what his facial expressions are. All too quickly he sprints at me, body so low to the ground his chest almost touches the water. In seconds a blue and grey blur runs by me and into the clone, a knife dug deep into the Fake's stomach. He looks back at me as his clone chases after him. "Well? Trick it."
I tilt my head in confusion and he rolls his eyes. "That can follow my movements, but how well can it follow yours? Instead of wasting time fighting our own clones, fight the opposite," he throws the Fake Me several metres away.
Ah, okay.
I swing the Master Sword horizontally, catching the Sheik clone directly in the gut. The blade sears through the fake flesh, stopping the fake as Sheik jumps after my fake. The fake Sheik fixes gazes with me, sending a shiver up my spine, before looking back at Sheik. The gash left by the blade is deep, cutting almost half way through the stomach. Before the clone can run after Sheik I twist the sword, making the clone's face twist in pain as it falls to one knee. I rip out the sword and bring it up, slashing down on its neck.
I wince as the clone's head falls from it's body, making my stomach twist. The body melts into the water and although I watch carefully, I don't see or hear any signs of it coming back. I pant lightly and look back at Sheik, who holds my clone up to the stone while holding one of his knives at its throat. For some reason, I can see his bladed hand shaking.
I tilt my head and walk up to him, placing my hand on his shoulder blade. I feel him jump under my touch and pull back, gulping lightly in worry. 'Sheik? You okay?'
He looks the clone directly in the face, which is now copying my own worried expression. He shuts his eyes and jabs the knife through it's breast, right through where my heart would be. His arm drops as the clone melts, never to return this time around. For a few agonizing seconds I watch as Sheik seems almost on the verge of crying, before he turns to me with scary, almost dead eyes. "Let's go, Link," he whispers, walking forward with his cowl covering his entire face.
I glance back at the wall before trotting to keep up. Something shook him deeply, clearly, but I don't bother to bring it up. It might shatter what little trust we have in one another.
I almost stop walking at that word. Trust. I'll be honest, I find it hard to trust strangers. I don't really know why, but I've always been like that. Yet around this mysterious stranger who keeps crossing my path I feel at ease. Like nothing can go wrong. Who knew one could feel such a way?
"The main chamber is through here," he finally breaks the silence. "Through it we have access to any place in the temple."
'You gonna be okay?'
"It's nothing," he mutters. It's clearly not, but okay. "Be on your guard in here. That monster may be lurking around here."
'How did you find out about it?'
"I was able to sense it's magic with my own. Hard to tell if it is a big or small creature, though. Magic doesn't listen to body limitations."
Certainly not with all the magic Midna could do as an Imp.
'I hope we find it before it finds the other two. I'm not so sure Firin is suited for fights,' I grimly think. Why would Ralis have her escort me even through the temple? What will it accomplish?
There's a low rumble and Sheik pulls me back into the shadows, covering my mouth. I blink twice before, as deadpanned as possible, think, 'Really? You really just put your hand over my mouth?'
"Shh," he shushes me. He shushes me.
'You do realize you're making more noise than me?'
He ignores me and peeks around the wall into the chamber. He swears under his breath and pulls back, looking down at me. "Well, it's big. It's some sort of giant cat." Of course it's a bloody cat. "Luckily it seems to be asleep. We should be able to sneak by. Except, your shoes aren't exactly quiet," he mutters, looking back out.
Without another word he flips me around and places me on his back in such a way I'm forced to wrap my arms around his shoulders. I glare at him, leaning forward. 'What the Din's Hell, dude?'
"Trust me on this, your footsteps will be too loud. Just stay still."
'Fine, just don't use that wall-jumping trick again.'
He leans low, making me feel like I'll fall off, and sneaks forward. Now in the chamber I can see this giant cat for myself. Its coat is a sandy colour and its back is faced to us. It's curled tightly and I can hear faint snores. Yeah, I guess it is asleep. I make a face, though, at the odd smell lingering in the air. If I didn't know any better I'd say it smells like a gutted fish. But that makes no sense. What kind of fish could be in here-
Oh. Oh Farore's Spirit. Oh, oh Gods please no...
'Sheik. Sheik we have to stop for a moment. Please, I'll be quiet but I have to check something.'
"Check what?"
'Navi?' I cry out, looking around the room. I almost hope I don't hear her reply. If she does that means Firin... 'Navi, are you here? Can you hear me?'
For a moment everything is quiet. I let out a sigh of relief when I don't hear any reply and I can rest easy knowing that it is possibly just a fish that washed into the temple. But then I hear it. The faint sound of a flying Fairy. Out of the corner of my eye I see the aura and, ears flat, look towards it. Navi struggles to stay airborne as she flies towards me, one of her primary wings bent and one of her secondary torn down to a useless stub. I reach out my hand for her to land on and she collapses. I hug her close and gulp down my growing fears.
'Navi, what happened?'
"This...thing tricked us. She said we had to win her game... and she would let us go. It was...a riddle. Firin, she thought she got it correct. I did, too. The creature, though, did not. She...when Firin got it wrong she...Gods, Link she ate Firin! Tore her apart! It was horrific. This creature is exactly like a cat with her pray. She played with Firin, several times giving us both false hope Firin could escape. In the end, Firin wasn't able to fight back. I got struck by one of her paws and only just woke up. I...I let her down. I couldn't do anything to help. I'm a useless Fairy..."
'Quiet, Navi. You're not useless. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you two,' I think, making sure only she can hear me. 'I'm sorry I fell.'
"Heh, for once it wasn't your fault. I saw a magic bolt strike your outcropping. I couldn't do anything then and I couldn't do anything now. My wings are too injured for me to fly and I feel light headed."
'Shh, just rest, Navi,' I place her inside my hat carefully, feeling her nestle into my hair. 'It's been a long day for the both of us. We'll avenge Firin somehow. Sheik, we gotta kill this thing.'
"No kidding," he mutters, slipping into the shadows. "Just how is the question. It's far too big. And if we get caught I assume we'll have to solve this riddle."
'There has to be a weak spot. There always is.'
"She has a jewel on her forehead. She's a strange creature, has the face of a woman like those Harpies. I think I felt a strong magical presence in that gem. If you break it, you might be able to weaken her," Navi suggests, peeking out from under my hat.
"Okay then. How do you figure that?"
"I was able to scan the gem just a bit before getting hurt. It's just a guess, but it's all I have."
Okay then. So we need to do this quietly while sneaking to the face of a half-cat woman hybrid. How will we do that without alerting her? I know cats. Cats are demons and somehow always know when you are in their presence. Then they claw you up for every small movement you make.
Screw cats.
"There's no point trying to sneak now, then," Sheik says. "I have an idea. This riddle game, I'll give it a shot. Link, you stay hidden and strike the gem with the hardest weapon you have with it distracted. If I fail this riddle I'll be fast enough to escape it."
'If you think so.' I feel uncertain about all this. This seems like a far too easy solution. Something's gunna happen, I can feel it. But sometimes a sacrifice or some faith is needed. So I slip off Sheik's back and stay put, fishing out my ball and chain and hugging it to my chest. Thanks to an enchantment Midna placed on it, it is lighter when I'm holding it, but grows heavy the instant the ball flies from my grip. This should be more than enough to break the gem.
Let's just hope breaking the gem ends all this.
Even before Sheik can confront the massive beast, it turns and faces him, smiling wickedly. Somehow he doesn't even flinch. Its eyes are a deep yellow, making me force myself not to think of him, and its entire face is a dully grey colour. There is indeed a gem embedded into its forehead, a dull, rust coloured orange that shimmers in the cavern. "Welcome to my domain. I am the great Sphinx, Master of Riddles and Keeper of Truths. Now, young challenger, I wish to play a game. I will ask you one riddle. A simple riddle to make you think. If you are correct, you will be allowed to tell me what to do. If you are wrong, however, I get a free meal much like that little snack that just wandered through. With these rules set, will you play my game?"
"Yes."
The Sphinx giggles. I inch to the side, keeping a tight grip on my ball and chain in case I drop it. Not a good time to be a klutz.
"Who makes it has no need of it
who buys it has no use for it,
who uses it can neither see nor feel it.
What is it?"
Good thing I'm not doing it, because I have no clue!
As Sheik is thinking, I see his hand twitch behind his back. Somehow I know this is the sign to hit the Sphinx. I take a deep breath and swing the ball and chain, however as always it makes a loud sounds. I let it fly, but the Sphinx swats it away with me dragging behind it. I lift my face from the sand and spit it out, groaning as I find my foot caught in the chain. A shadow looms over me and the Sphinx picks me up with a single claw, holding me to her eye.
"And what kind of game are you playing?"
"Put him down. He's not a part of this," Sheik says, somehow completely calm despite me being a general screw up and messing up the plan.
"Of course not. But to ensure he does not interfere..." She wraps her tail around me in a tight coil, pulling me behind her to where I can't see what's going on. "Now, before we were so rudely interrupted, I will be generous and ask my riddle once more."
'Shit shit shit. Dammit I'm so sorry, Sheik!'
"Do I have a limit on how long I can take to think?"
"There is no such limit," the Sphinx sits, seeming to punish me by forcing me into the sand with the weight of her tail. I wiggle to escape, but she ticks and slams her tail on my back. "But if you take too long this little nuisance may need to be dealt with."
"I see."
And now we play the waiting game, as I am now useless, blew the plan, and Sheik has to answer a dumb riddle. One that got Firin killed. I growl, curling my hands into fists in the sand. Instead of a soft mush, I feel something sharp dig into my palm. Curious, and looking cautiously at the back of the Sphinx's head, I pull my arm free and look inside my palm. My heart leaps to my throat at the greenish-blue scale tipped with blood. I feel my chest swell as I close my eyes and grip the scale, holding it to my forehead as I hold back sobs. Once again I'm unable to save a life. How is it I let so many people down, yet they still find faith in me to save them?
Quite suddenly I feel a burning sensation on my palm. Holding back a hiss I watch in horror as the scale begins to fuse into my skin, slowly and painfully digging under the layers. I try to pull my other arm free to scratch it off, but the tail's weight is too much for me to free it. I'm forced through a painful process as, with a final jolt of pain, the scale flashes forcing lights to dance in my vision. When it clears I can see the coloured scale under my skin, as if a part of it. This confuses me.
Navi, able to get through the last few minutes harmed any further, stumbles out of my hat and onto my wrist, feeling the spot where the scale now is.
"This is very old magic. Link, I think Firin infused her power into this scale to help you!"
'How can this help me now?'
"I don't know if it can. I'm just surprised Firin was able to do this. I can explain better later, right now we need to get to that gem."
'Yeah, great idea. How? Kinda stuck here.'
"Still working on that part."
"What is the answer? I am not so patient as you think. Are you suddenly not so confident?"
"Coffin. The answer is a coffin..."
Oh Gods, please be right.
"Ho. Correct." Thank Nayru. "Now you may tell me what to do, as were the rules."
This seems far too easy.
"I want you to leave Hyrule."
"Believe me, I would if I could. As things are, I am trapped here and was promised food in exchange of poisoning the water. Another request, if you please."
"Fine then. Stop harming the water. If you do so, eventually you, too, will die."
"That I suppose I can do," the Sphinx uncurls her tail and raises it. I crawl to my feet, scooping Navi up and backing away from the giant cat. "Now. Time for another game."
Blood drains from my face as the Sphinx uses her tail to push me towards her face. She grins at me, making me far more than unnerved. "You, too, will have to answer a riddle of mine."
"He can't speak," Sheik says quickly.
"Oh? Well then, we'll have to play a different game then. You will hide in this room. If I cannot find you, you win. If I find you, I get to eat you. Deal?"
I don't like this. I don't like this at all and I only want to shoot this thing in the eye. But I nod, glancing at Sheik for some sort of help. The Sphinx sits up and turns her head upwards. "And no helping him," she directs to Sheik.
'Shoot shoot shoot!' I think, gripping my hair. I look at all the tunnels, but I have to remain in the chamber. But there's nowhere to hide! Sheik can't help and I'm on my own and I'll get eaten if she finds me. Gods why did I have to get caught? Link you useless idiot!'
"Link, turn into a wolf! You'll be faster!"
'If you think it will work.'
I hit the back of my neck and feel Navi sitting on my head, tugging at my ear. "Oh, there's a boulder! Hide behind it!" I sprint at it, diving into my hiding spot moments before the Sphinx says she'll open her eyes.
'She's gunna find me if I don't do something,' I groan, hitting my neck on the boulder to change back. If I can't take out the gem she'll eat me for sure. And if my strongest weapon is too heavy, I'll go for my next strongest. I summon my bow and a bomb, tying it to the end just above the arrow head. I keep a hand around the bomb, waiting for if, and when, the Sphinx moves the boulder and finds me. I'll only have one shot and a single moment. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears as the Sphinx's shadow covers the boulder.
"You foolish, silly little human. You think I am not clever enough to think of the most obvious spot?" With too much ease the boulder is knocked aside and I turn, releasing the arrow. It lodges in the Sphinx's gem for a moment before it explodes, causing a deep crack to snake across the gem. The giant hybrid yowls, slashing at me with a claw and slamming me into the wall. She presses me against it and hisses at me, her eyes glowing in rage and pain. "If you will not play by my rules, I will not play by yours."
Well shit.
There's a blur and the Sphinx stumbles back, blood pouring from her right eye as Sheik jumps down beside me, helping me to my feet. "And once again I have to save you."
'Hmph, just you wait. One day I'll be saving your ass.'
"Don't count on it. Now give me those bombs," I hand him one of my bomb bags and he sprints up to the Sphinx with them, jumping over her head. They land and explode on contact, making sears in the fur and skin. The gem cracks more as a bomb hits it as well, making it begin to glow. I fire another bomb arrow at the crack, moving to the side as the creature tries to squish me under her paw.
Before the fight can escalate any further there's a shrill shriek and a flash. I see a bright light fly down from one of the caves on the walls, hovering before the Sphinx's eyes. I cover my eyes as the blinding light burns. Only when I feel the intense heat die down to I dare look up. I see a bird that is clearly covered in flames. Sheik's guide.
The Sphinx, enraged by this turn of events, begins to thrash around. Her gem explodes and she lets out a scream, slamming her shoulders into the walls and ceiling. The impacts make the stone crumble and fall in huge chunks, so big even I won't survive if they land on me. I dodge left and right, able to keep up through pure adrenaline, when a bolt of magic strikes the sand at my feet. I look up and in one of the caverns I see a shadow.
'I knew it was real!' I think to myself.
A storm grey bolt of magic fires at me again, making the hairs on my neck rise as I run behind the cover of some rubble that previously tried to crush me. The rubble is shattered by the bolt and I scream as it flings me forward onto my stomach. I flip to my back and lift my arms as I see a brighter, more silver blast rush at me. Only to hear and feel it stop short just in front of me. Lowering my arms I see a rusty red sphere around me, stopping the blast. When the dust from the magic clears I can see Sheik standing far to my left, one of his hands reaching out towards me with a similar glow surrounding it. The other hand is holding his stiff chain-whip. I gulp, fighting my nerves down just enough to offer him a wavering smile.
Last resort.
The shadow continues to strike my protective bubble and I huddle my knees to my chest, burying my face and hoping it will stop soon. It takes all of my self control to not succumb to my fear, if only barely. The more blasts that hit, the more the shield wavers and the more I begin to shake. I only glance up once, only to see the smoke surrounding my bubble thickly. At last the barrage stops and the smoke clears. I hear Sheik yelling and can only just make it out.
He tells me to run for cover. I do so, running through the magic shield towards a half shattered boulder. I hear another shot of magic, but don't feel the hairs on my neck rise. I make the mistake of looking back to see the bolt come from Sheik's direction. Only for a second do I see the red shield around him before the bolt hits me square in the back, right in my scar. It hits me with enough force to knock me to the ground, unable to move from the pain as the magic seems to sink into my permanently-opened scar.
Unable to move on the ground, I can't dodge the avalanche of boulders as they fall around me, each coming closer to crushing me than the last. I feel a piece break off as it lands, hitting the back of my neck. I let out a gasp as the change begins, but my mind begins to grow fuzzy and dark. I see a flash, feel arms wrap around me, and then there's an unpleasant pull on my gut. Teleporting.
I feel grass touch my skin and lift my head weakly, seeing red eyes seemingly vanish before I fade in and out of consciousness. Before I succumb to the darkness completely I see a tall shadow fall over me, blocking out the distant, rising sun.
Gery: So this was less of an action chapter and more of a character interacting chapter. It took so long because I wanted Link and Sheik dialogue to be perfect XD I absolutely love those two dorks. Also now Link's nickname is Little Enigma, because Sheik's still an asshole who mocks her for being a Shorty McShrimp Pants in a more creative way than just 'Shorty.' Also, fun fact, this would so be a MidLink fic (I ship it so damn much) if a certain somebody wasn't here. I may make a series of Alternate One Shots based on my Fem!Link and Midna being cute (I can no longer see Twilight Princess Link as a male or freckleless, 'tis a Writer's Curse) So yeah, this is the end of the First Arc; Let's call it Time's Change for now XD
