Chapter 10: Cataclysm's Night
The refugee camp in the middle of Hyrule Field finally fell silent as the sun set and the ragged fugitives, most of them from Castle Town, went to sleep, be it on salvaged blankets or simply on the grassy ground. A vigil had been posted to rouse up the people in case of another earthquake, although there was not much they would be able to do in that case, except pray that the earth would not engulf them. As she had expected, Zelda found Link sitting by one of the fires, having volunteered for the first shift. Both of them were exhausted, having done whatever they could to help during the day, and neither could afford to lose what little sleep they could get during the night. But sleep was not a servant who came when called and left when dismissed; he was his own master, and right now, he blessed neither of them with his presence.
"Hello, Link," she said, trying not to startle him. Then again, in the six months she had known him, she had yet to find anything or anyone that could.
He turned his head, nodded and smiled, recognizing her. Zelda approached him and sat down, her royal gown filthy and tattered; but she had not found the time to change, nor the clothes to change into.
"Look," she said, presenting a small blue item to him. "The Ocarina of Time. I ran back into the tower before it collapsed and got it." That admission earned her a critical frown from Link.
"Yes, I know it was risky, but it is the oldest treasure of the Royal Family that is left," she touched hear earrings, "next to these. I just couldn't allow it to be crushed under the stones." She offered him the ocarina. "Do you want to play it? I know you enjoy it. It makes you remember things, doesn't it?"
Link nodded, took the ocarina, put it to his mouth and started playing. It was not a song with magical properties that would arouse the ocarina's power, just a slow, sad melody that was quite appropriate, considering the day's events. Zelda closed her eyes and listened, saying nothing for a while, trying to clear her head from the chaos and destruction she had lived through today. The Castle was now only a ruin, the earthquakes having finished the job that the moblins had not completed. Castle Town had fared a bit better, thankfully, with ‚merely' a third or so of all buildings destroyed, but many of the surviving houses were badly damaged and could collapse on their owners at any time. At first, the townspeople had complained when Zelda had ordered the town evacuated, as the first quake had not done that much damage, but when the second quake shook it shortly after everyone had left town, they were silently grateful for the wisdom of her princess.
Then she recalled the one thing that had set this chain of event into motion – the sorrowful, tortured scream coming from Death Mountain, and the terrible wailing that followed it. All of Hyrule must have heard it, but Zelda and Link may have been the only ones to grasp its terrible significance. One of the Goddesses had fallen at Ganon's hands, and the first earthquake had hit Hyrule not long after that. No doubt the health and welfare of this land and the entire world was connected to the Gods that had created it, and it had been the death of the Goddess, and not Ganon's magic, like most of the people believed, that had triggered the earthquake. She did not have the heart to tell the people, who worshipped the Goddesses, the terrible truth, at least not right now, not before the crisis was over. And she feared that it was nowhere near over.
Link stopped playing, his song having run its course, and put the ocarina on his knees. He looked at Zelda, knowing, as he always did, when she needed to talk. And he would listen, as he always did.
"If the death of one Goddess has caused all this... then what will happen when Ganon kills another one, or both of them? I'm so afraid... I think Hyrule will be destroyed. And there's nothing I can do about – I'm sorry, nothing we can do about it. I...I just don't know what to do."
Her royal nursemaid, an old, stern woman that had died two years ago, had made her promise never to cry, that tears were a sign of weakness unbecoming of a Princess, but even as a child, Zelda had known that this was nonsense, although she had humoured the old woman. Now she felt no longer bound by that promise and started crying. She half expected Link to try and console her, but he knew better; knew that some things could not be mended by words, and that sometimes, saying nothing was the best thing one could do. Instead, he put the ocarina back to his lips and played another tune, a very old one, that had traditionally been used by the royal handmaidens to calm their charges down when they could not sleep. Zelda recognized it, naturally, and it was not without an effect on her, for when the song was over, she had stopped crying.
"Normally, you shouldn't play that song around me," she mock-chided him. "It's a song for young children, you know. But right now, it was a good idea. Thank you, Link."
He was pleased to see her sadness pushed back, if only for a short time.
"Maybe things will still turn out all right," she said hopefully. "Maybe Ganon will be stopped, or maybe he will see reason. If only I could talk to him..."
Link frowned again, obviously still opposed to any talks with the King of Evil. He sighed, perhaps remembering his promise to let her try to reason with him if they met again, and shook his head.
"You still think I am naive, don't you? No, don't deny it, it's all right. You of all people must be open with me, especially if you disagree. But words can change the world as sure as sword strokes can. I once used words to change Ganon, and I hope I can find the right words to change him again."
Maybe she thought to much of herself? Maybe her words had not been very important at all in turning Ganon on his mad quest? But she had been so sure at the time...
Suddenly, the ground started vibrating violently, and Zelda and Link jumped to their feet immediately.
"Another quake," she said. "We must wake-"
But she did not get to complete her sentence, nor did she or Link get to wake up anyone, for the earth exploded and spat fire at them. Zelda froze in shock for a second, but Link did not, taking her by his hand and pulling her away from the fissure that had opened in the middle of the camp. It was spewing fire like a geyser spewed water, and after a second, the spot where the two of them had been sitting had been set ablaze.
"By the Gods, it's getting worse," she shouted. "Ganon must have... We have to warn the people, Link, quickly!"
But Link had already emptied one of the cauldrons that had been used to cook food for the fugitives and was hitting it with the flat side of the Master Sword, effectively using it as a makeshift gong. The drumming sounds did not fail to fulfill their purpose, and the fugitives woke up, most of them confused.
"Everybody, get out of here! Take the old and sick ones and get away from the fire, fast!"
Zelda repeated her commands several times over as more and more people woke up. Then she concentrated on the fissure, trying to close it magically. It even seemed to work, for the earth began closing again, but before she was done, another crack in the earth opened somewhere else in the camp, and then another tremor knocked her off her feet, interrupting her efforts. She saw that the fire was already spreading on the dry grass, even without and the fissure spewing out more, and decided to focus her efforts on leading these people out alive. The camp was largely unlit, and some fugitives ran toward the fire, as it was the only major source of light. Zelda raised her left hand and cast a spell that illuminated the sky above the camp, so the people would at least know where not to flee. To make things worse, a second fissure opened up outside of the camp, engulfing several unlucky Hylians, and spewing forth a slowly advancing stream of lava instead of mere fire. It created even more panic among the fugitives, who were running around aimlessly, often bumping into each other and creating even more confusion.To make things even worse, the earth continued shaking, knocking countless people on the ground during each tremor. Nobody knew which way to go, and she already saw two people trapped in the fire, screaming helplessly for aid. Without hesitation, Zelda used her power to teleport to them, grabbed the two men by their waists, and teleported out with them in tow. She ignored their words of gratitude, telling them instead to get going and help others. She cast another spell, this time in order to fight the terrible confusion, creating a golden image of the Triforce floating over her head, following her wherever she went.
"Follow the Triforce!," she shouted, amplifying her words magically, satisfied that, at least, her voice was not trembling. Her idea worked well: All people of Hyrule recognized the Triforce crest, and they fell into a more or less orderly procession and followed her out the burning camp. She did not see Link anywhere, but she was certain that he was helping someone or otherwise making himself useful. She surveyed Hyrule Field and was shocked to see that many fissures like the one behind them had opened, spewing fire or lava or both onto the formerly green fields of her homeland.
She had to get these people off the plains, and fast, for lava streams would soon be criss-crossing all over Hyrule Field, cutting off their escape route and splitting them into smaller groups. No, that had already happened, she saw, since for some reason a number of fugitives had not followed her lead, perhaps too panicked to even see the Triforce crest. Before she could do something about them, a large crevice opened among the fugitives, swallowing some of them and splitting the group another time. Zelda wanted to help them and summon up a magical bridge, but she must also help the other group, and the ones remaining in the camp, and she had to put out the fires, and...
It was all too much for her alone. Even the power of the Triforce did not allow her to be in several places simultaneously, and rather than running or teleporting around, being a small help to few people, she decided with a heavy heart that she had to lead as many to safety as she could, and pray to the Goddesses that the others somehow made it.
"Follow the Triforce, if you can," she shouted again, her voice carrying over Hyrule Field. "If you can't, or get separated from the group, get to Lake Hylia! And don't you dare leave anybody behind!"
She did not know whether people even listened to her as she led the way toward the great lake in the southwest, but as she turned her head, she was relieved to see a sizable portion of the survivors following her. She had to slow down, though; she was young and fast, but many old and sick folk were among the fugitives, and she would not abandon anyone who was still breathing.
A fissure opened up right below her. She managed just in time to levitate, flying over the bottomless opening and diverting the ensuing flow of lava into another direction so that her people could pass by. Several of them cheered her on as she held her own against the mounting lava masses, only an invisible barrier between them and fiery death, and the encouragement of her people gave her new strength.
"Hurry past it, fast," she shouted as she saw people amassing around her instead of continuing on. She realized that the Triforce crest was still hovering over her head, jerked her arm around and sent it flying on its own into the proper direction, relieved to see that the fugitives followed it instead of just standing there. She waited until everyone was past the fissure, then slowly backed away to a safe distance and let go of the barrier, allowing the towering lava to cross the path her people had just walked. She allowed herself a deep breath, but only one, for she had to close the gap to the fugitives and take the lead again, before they ran into another obstacle. She dared not teleport over the distance lest she materialize within somebody and possibly kill both of them in a painful manner, so she ran, almost tripping over her own gown after a few feet. She decided that these garments were only hindering her and simply tore them off at the knees, gladly sacrificing propriety for practicality. Then she ran again, trying to catch up with the fugitives marching towards Lake Hylia, hoping to protect them from any danger on the way, and that the other groups would somehow made it. And Link! She felt a pang of guilt that she had not even thought about him ever since the cataclysm had begun. Was he part of her group? Or was he leading one of the others to safety? Or was he...
No, she dared not think about that. Link always came through somehow, she assured herself, and he probably needed less help than most of the other Hylians right now. She would keep her eyes open. That was all she could do.
She reached the group of fugitives, quickly making her way to the forefront, re-aligning the Triforce crest with herself along the way. People recognized her and again cheered for her, and that was the only comforting thing in the world right now.
"Keep the pace," she shouted, "we'll be safe from the fire once we reach Lake Hylia and cross over to one of the islands. Until then, stick together and follow me!"
Her people did as she told them to, and Zelda cast a quick spell to check whether they were heading into the right direction. They were. Not granting herself a moment's reprieve, she took the lead and guided her people toward safety.
Several hours later the band of refugees approached the shores of Lake Hylia. Here, too, crevices presented deadly traps, especially in the dark, and rivers of lava criss-crossed the landscape, but Zelda kept the group together and avoided all pitfalls. The usually tranquil lake was almost boiling, superheated by the lava streams feeding it, and she had to forcefully stop several fugitives trying to swim to the islands in the centre from throwing themselves to a horrible death.
"Hold still for a moment! I will make way for us!"
Zelda concentrated, channeling the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, and created a spectral bridge leading over the boiling water toward the islands promising safety. She stepped onto the bridge, trusting her own powers, and took several paces forward, her people gaping in amazement.
"Follow me," she waved, "to the islands! Do not fear! I promise you it is safe!" But the people hesitated, fearing to fall off the bridge's edges which were almost invisible in the darkness.
I can do better than that, Zelda told herself, and imbued the bridge with a radiant golden glow, clearly marking where it was safe to step. The refugees cheered, many of them only now realizing that there was a bridge at all, and walked onto it with confidence, crossing it fast, but orderly. Everybody made it safely across, and Zelda sighed in relief. She decided to fortify the bridge in case stragglers made it through, so that it would remain stable even if she stopped stabilizing it with her magic. After that, she told people to move toward the centre, so that further earthquakes would not hurl some of them into the boiling lake. She again disconnected the Triforce crest from her steps and sent it into the sky above the island, not only to serve as light source for the fugitives, but also as a beacon for all others who came to Lake Hylia in search of safety.
Now that the situation was stabilized, at least for her small band, she allowed herself to relax. Her knees gave in, as she had spent much of her body's strength for shaping the bridge and all the other spells, and she had to sit down. The Triforce mark on her hand was glowing brighter than ever before, than even during their recent fight against Ganon, showing her just how much energy she had expended. Of course it had all been worth it to save at least some of her terribly afflicted people.
Apparently, someone had started a cooking fire, and the countless dead fish that were spread all over the beach were being broiled to feed the people, for a middle-aged woman approached Zelda and offered her a fish pronged on a tree branch. She declined, but the woman insisted, pointing out that there were more dead fish than they could eat before they would go bad. She smiled, thanked her, and devoured the fish with a greed unbecoming of a princess, not that she or anyone else cared about that. She did not exactly look like a princess, either, her clothes blackened by smoke, her skin full of dirt, her gown torn and her hair dishevelled, but she felt more of a princess to her people than ever before.
Just after she had finished eating, two young men who had volunteered as lookouts came running across the golden bridge, bringing news of another group of survivors approaching. Zelda immediately leaped up and ran toward the bridge, the two others barely keeping up with her. After crossing the apex of the bridge she could see them, a band perhaps half as big as her own, but she was grateful for every single Hylian who would survive this terrible night. The leader was carrying a makeshift torch in the left hand and a small baby, sleeping peacefully in spite of the chaos around it, tucked under his right arm. Zelda's heart leaped up in her chest when she recognized his green clothes, and ran towards him.
"Link! Oh, Link, thank the Gods!," she shouted and ran towards him, not caring what others might be thinking of her right now. She wanted to hug him but feared to hurt the baby, so she simply stood in front of him and beamed with joy. Link raised an eyebrow, as if surprised about her surprise at seeing him alive.
"Yes, I knew you would make it, but still, I was so worried. Come on, over this bridge, to our camp."
Link handed the baby over to a woman in his group and followed Zelda, and now it was her turn to grab him by his hand and pull him behind her on to the island. She practically force-fed him a grilled fish, then sat down next to him and let out another deep sigh. Then she felt another pang of guilt, for being so disproportionately happy about the survival of only one man, when surely many others were still lost in the inferno that had become Hyrule field. But was she not allowed a friend to worry about, as well?
"Now that you're here we can organise search parties," she said, "volunteers who go back onto the field and look for others and lead them back here. I will go with them, and I want you in charge of the camp while I'm gone, all right?"
Link clearly did not like letting Zelda go alone back there, but he could not possibly deny that she had proven herself capable of handling anything the enraged earth might throw at her, so he did not object. He waved her goodbye, and she met up with the other volunteers and crossed the bridge, once again entering Hyrule Field. There were so many things going on in her head that she almost became dizzy. She wanted to think about Ganondorf and his insane war, about how many Goddesses were still alive, what they could do to stop him, what would be happening to Hyrule, but she banished all those thoughts and concentrated on her rescue mission. She was Princess Zelda, protector of the people of Hyrule, and her people desperately needed her right now. For the moment, that was all she knew, all she had to know.
The rest would come later.