Hello again!

YAY! I actually typed a decently length-ed chapter! (2 477 words) This chapter, the slope leading towards the end of Part II is becoming steeper. Things are bad and can only become worse.

Also, just as a helpful bit of info, this chapter contains some fan-lyrics to 'You are my Love,' composed by Kajiura Yuki and originally sung by Yui Makino.

Disclaimer Update: Hmm… IMMA GONNA DO IT! I own Zelda~! (To be continued)


~ The Thieves' Tragedy ~

PART II – THE INVASION

Chapter 9 ~ Friends and Fiends


Our village is divided now. More Gerudo have been pushed out of their homes as the Hylians spread like a plague, swallowing more homes each day. Now the northern half is completely Hylian residence (minus Tahl) while the rest of us are crammed on the south side.

Most Gerudo try to avoid the Hylians when possible but on this particular occasion I was attempting to reach home with a bucket of water before sundown so I had to go straight through the village.

They had built something called a dam to keep an abundance of water during our rain-free winter. We never had a problem with water before but the Hylians used galleons of it for drinking ten times a day, cooking five times a day and bathing twice a day. How does this affect the Gerudo? They didn't have the decency to build the damn dam further downstream! So now we're wasting what little energy we do have from our reduced diets for water collection!

So, as I was saying, I was walking through the Hylian residence, getting stares that would have been no different if I were a rat trotting by, when a woman screamed and I tensed. They didn't find out our secret, did they? I turned to see that it was just her pet remlit clawing at her leg. She must have stepped on its tail or something. Or at least that was what I thought until I noticed its eyes glowing red.

The woman finally managed to kick the feline off. It gave a frightened squeak and bounded towards me, giving me a view of its now-extended fangs, before rubbing its head against my ankle. Odd…

I looked up to see a number of eyes staring at suspiciously. I straightened my back, threw back my shoulders and strutted from the scene, attempting to still my shaking limbs.

One of the men whispered to his wife. "I knew there was something weird about those natives…"


I took deep breaths, trying to calm my jumping nerves. I wave of relief washed over me when I saw the Gerudo side of the village ahead. My speed doubled.

"YOU STUPID GIRL! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION THE GODDESS!"

I stopped. There was a slap followed by Harriet's cry of pain. I ran, knowing all too well of what our conversation from the other night must have caused.

And yet, I gave a small smirk of victory.


Inside the house, I only found Tahl there.

"Hey," I said with more casualty than normal.

"Hey," he said back in a mirrored tone.

We didn't speak for a few seconds. I took the time to release myself from the burden of my bucket by dumping it on the table. I fetched a cup, filled it with the water and drank, wetting my parched throat. After the final gulp, I turned to Tahl.

"We need to talk."

"Alright."

I took a long breath before starting. "You've been hanging out with Harriet."

His gaze hardened. "So?"

"Remember what my father said?"

"Yes."

"You aren't listening to him."

"Why should I?" he snapped, slamming his fist on the table.

My eyes widened. "This isn't like you."

"I'm a Hylian who lives with Gerudo. I'm constantly being told to pick a side and I hate it!"

"I never asked you to choose sides! Father just wants to make sure your careful arou…"

"Just because something happened between him and Ambross doesn't mean I have to be dragged into it!"

"We're trying to protect you!"

"From my own kind?!"

"Who says we aren't your kind?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Ugh! You've been with Harriet all the time! You… you're doing all the things that we used to do!"

"But you're never there anymore! You're always running around with the other Gerudo."

"I have to help them, Tahl! Those stupid Hylians are ruining everything. If you want me back, tell them to stop making messes for me to clean. Even better, ditch Harriet do something useful!"

"I'm not a Gerudo, Korra."

"But that doesn't mean you have to join the Hylians!" My hand clenched into a fist. "You can be such a JERK!" I swung my arm at him but he grabbed my fist just as the front curtain was wrenched back to reveal a rage-seething Ambross.

His immediate expression quickly switched to one of shock and then morphed back into one of disgust at me. I withdrew my hand and stared down at my knees.

Ambross stomped in without an invitation, making me question whether or not the Hylians had manners for the hundredth time.

"What have you done?" He glared at me.

Angry Ambross is actually quite terrifying but I swallowed my fear and glared back at him. "I'm surprised that you expect Gerudo to have mind-reading abilities."

"You know perfectly well what I mean!"

"Once again, not a mind-reader."

Our endeavour to stare each other to death continued until someone new to the scene spoke. "Why are you death-staring my daughter?"

It was Father. He had joined me on my quest to defeat Ambross with the power of stares while Tahl tried his best to look like an innocent bystander.

"Your daughter and mine had a little chat lately," spoke Ambross's perfected tongue. Father shot me a suspicious glance and I felt my heart thump in my chest. He continued, "One night, my dear Harriet decided to observe the statue of your goddess. She," he pointed an accusing finger at me, "was there and filled her head with these ridiculous ideas about Hylia thinking of her people as weaklings."

Father looked at me. "Is that right?"

I pouted and turned my head away. I did not feel the courage to answer. My guts were a quivering mess as I remembered Harriet's warning, her cry of pain, the argument I had with Tahl and now whatever punishment I was about to receive for being so reckless around Ambross.

No one was there to listen to me now. Except for one…

Before Father could demand an answer off me again, I ran past him and Ambross into the almost blackened day.

I heard someone call my name and I could not tell where it were Father or Tahl. I just ran.


I found myself clumsily swerving to avoid trees constantly in the dark of night. It soon occurred to me that maybe I'd lose my way and become lost in these woods. It wasn't as if I'd be able to spot a carving onto a trunk anyway without any light guiding me.

That was until I saw the flash of an unknown light, as if it had just disappeared, and an animal shaped figure half-a-dozen metres ahead.

I froze, praying to Rudo that it was not a wolfos (and praying some more in hope that it was not a wolfos mother). It turned towards me, showing two pointed ears that only seemed to deepen my fear, but after a second more of eye-straining, I noticed that they were about half as thin. After that one second, the now-questionable beast scurried into the darker shadows.

I took a deep breath and placed my feet cautiously as I moved towards the tree it had sat beside. My fingers travelled along the flowing ridges of the bark until they felt the forced ridges from a knife.

"Hello, Mother." The title held no meaning. Why I decided to persist, I don't know.

"It's me, Korra, your daughter." I never expected a reply, but I guess some part of me hoped for a sign.

"I'm sorry for not missing you, and saying that I don't care that you're gone, but now you're the only one I can talk to."

Silence.

"I'm… I'm crushing under the pressure of everything. Ambross and the Hylians are taking everything from us, including my best friend, and now, I think I just made things worse."

I was crying by then. Tears shed by my thoughts of anxiety. I didn't know what else I could say to a person who could not answer back. This adventure of mine was such a waste of time.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

My ears perked up at the sound of dirt grinding under a shoe. It was clear that this person was attempting to step noiselessly but lacked experience. I felt sure that this was no Gerudo.

I stood up and followed the sound. Between some of the trees, I saw a human figure stepping slowly.

"Hey!" I called, and before I could say, "Who are you?" they broke into a run. I sprinted after them. Some of the dapples of moonlight reflected off their hair, giving it a shine of… orange?

I increased my speed. The person ahead was obviously becoming tired from the chase; they stumbled and panted just as I was gaining on them.

"Korra?!"

They sharply changed direction and I felt myself slam into something and fall over. I groaned and massaged my head where it hit the ground. Then the ground beneath me started shifting and I shrieked.

"Hey!"

I blinked. "Tahl?"

"Yeah."

"What are you doing out here?"

"You mind getting off me first?"

It took a few seconds to process what he said until my cheeks tensed. "Uh- I'm sorry!" I said, scrambling off him.

He sat up. "It's alright."

Neither of us spoke. I was too embarrassed, and ashamed, to say anything. He was the one to penetrate the silence.

"Why were you running?"

"Um… I was… chasing someone?"

"Who?"

"I… really don't know…" which was true enough since I only had a small idea of who it might have been.

"Okay then."

"You still haven't said why you're here," I reminded him.

"Oh, you seemed pretty upset when you ran off so I decided to go after you."

The Blush that would have been of Doom if it were not for night's curtain invaded my cheeks once again.

"Um… that's nice…"

Awkward silence.

"I think we need to start over our talk from before," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed, "You go first."

He sighed, "I know I've been with Harriet a lot lately, but she's a nicer person than you think."

"Uh huh." I felt like slapping myself for being so closed-minded but resisted the urge to ruin the mood.

"It's not that I didn't miss you or anything. I guess I was… worried about people judging me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the fact that you're a Gerudo kinda makes things complicated. Whenever Hylians saw us together, I got quite a few dirty looks and some even went so far as to tell me to ditch you. One even thought that I was a traitor to my own goddess and ancestor."

I was quite insulted at him for avoiding me for a reason as petty as that; but then, Tahl is Tahl. He's just a human with flaws, like me. "Are you serious? They think it's a sin for you to be friends with a Gerudo?"

"You don't know how they see you. They think you're just some kind of… animal."

I snorted in disgust. "I just don't see why they view us that way. To be honest, we Gerudo think they're a bunch of cowardly control-freaks."

He cracked a smile. "From what I've heard, I'll have to agree." Then his expression hardened. "But don't think that means you have any advantage over them."

"Why?"

"They did have time to invent and develop all kinds of stuff while living in the sky. The Gerudo… they aren't really moving forward much, are they?"

I was confused and at slight unease at the same time. "I think I get what you're saying."

He just nodded.

Silence followed once again as we just sat at the edge of the woods. We stared upon the village of stars. The far side lit brightly by what the Hylians called… um… electik lighting? Whatever it was, it outshone the Gerudo's dim fires. I was starting to understand what Tahl told me with more clarity by then.

I looked over at him. His silvery-grey hair seemed to shine in the moonlight and his eyes… What am I thinking? We're friends. We're friends…

"Hey, Tahl," I said after ten seconds of courage-building.

He just turned his eyes to me. "Mmm…?"

"Um… I'm sorry about before… about how I said those terrible things and tried to… you know."

"It's okay. I kind of agree with you on the 'jerk' part."

I giggled. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

"I won't anymore," he replied, "because I said this; I'm sorry too."

I smiled. "Better?"

"Better."

I looked over in the direction of our home. "We should get going. Father'll get worried."

"Why?" he asked, "We haven't seen each other much lately. This is the first time in ages where it's just the two of us."

Someone, please tell me why I'm blushing. "Okay~!"

Seconds passed, minutes passed, and then my ears picked up the sound of a song.

"Do you hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what?"

"The singing?"

"No."

I turned to him and smiled. "You go back. I'll be there soon."

"You sure?"

"I'll be fine," I assured him, standing up to follow the noise. Over my shoulder, I saw him shrug, stand and walk in the opposite direction.


The singing became louder, clearer, as did the emotions of sorrow in it. The voice was somewhat pitchy, but this amateur clearly has a gift. Soon after, I was able to just about make out the lyrics.

The lonely girl

One yearning to be loved

Finds no one

Who cares for her true self

Identity

Moulded by a stranger's hand

For the lonely girl

I noticed a figure atop the most heavily moonlight-showered hill in the village. Harriet?

Imprisonment

Mask turning into cage bars

Where a girl struggles to hold back her tears

She is weak, she is more frail than the

Shield of her mask

When she had finished the last note, I decided to make myself known.

"That was great, Harriet."

She turned around and, once she had identified me, took a fearful step back. Her voice shook. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Um… that's a bit of a long story," I answered. "Why are you out here?"

"None of your business," she hissed.

"Why are you acting weird?"

"Shut up!"

"Why should I?"

"You ask too many questions!"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I said SHUT UP!" she screeched. "I don't want to talk to you. I will never be convinced that you're human!"

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm human."

"STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!"

I was shocked. She couldn't have…

"D-did you…? Th-the tree?"

"What are you talking about?" she sneered with convincing ignorance.

My shaking body relaxed, but only a little. She had outright insulted me; called me a monster. These Hylians, their words are so cruel. I turned around and ran, tears flying behind me.


I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It's one of my favourites. I hope you all enjoyed it too and I'd love to read about the connections you made in it. Please, PLEASE review! I love you all!

Next chapter: The Gerudo are starving, so Korra, Merinda and Rowan decide to take back what was once theirs.

We're nearly halfway through everyone! Have a good week! I think that's how long the next chapter is going to take. If not, HAPPY LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL TO THE AUSSIE READERS! :D

Scarlet Curls