1.1.1.1 Chapter 9: Deepening Shadows
From its high up soaring, a dark bird watched. Down below, in a dusty mountain pass, a small boy ran. Large boulders, forever rolling, tried to crush him, but the boy was agile and quick.
"Hooo!"
The owl flapped its great wings, the feathers surging through the air. It took a last look at the hero, who was plunging his sword into a four-legged spider.
"Come, young one, come," the fiend cackled. "Hooo! Come to my realm. Soon, you shall be out of the way forever," K'aopira mused as he headed to his dark home atop Death Mountain. "Come indeed, hero. Try to stop us. Hooo! With you dead and gone, our lives will be much easier."
In a quiet forest village, a lone Kokiri, dressed in brilliant green, stood below the great canopy of magnificent trees. The sentry kept a watchful eye as he leaned against the hollow log that marked the entrance to the clearing, listing to the chirping and squeaking of the woodland animals.
As the child of the forest stood guard of his home, all sounds suddenly ceased. The boy stood up, alert at the silence. He started pacing, fearful of what bad omens could threaten the sanctity of the forest.
"Neri," yelled a voice. "Neri, help!" yelled a younger Kokiri child, running towards the sentry. The little boy's face was white.
'Tokimi, what is it? Is a Scrub picking fun again?"
"No," said Tokimi, suddenly shy. [To be a rambunctious boy again,] Neri though. The little boy looked up and whispered, "It was the Shadow's Mirikiri."
"Oh, has Mido been filling your head with stories again? Can't you tell that they're all old wives' tales?"
"But Neri," the boy insisted, "I saw it." He gasped, and then whispered, "There it is again."
Neri looked up to where the impressionable young child was pointing. "It's only a Baba, Tokimi. Be mindful of what you think…" he trailed off. As the guard looked on, the simple Deku Baba flower took a step, then another. ['The plants will walk, and the shadows will live,'] he thought. Neri's face took an astounded and horrified look as he saw the shadow of a tree rise up, and move along the ground. [I remember that line of the Mirikiri "prophecy" from when I was a boy.] The living darkness found a wilted and nearly dead Baba and engulfed it. The old flower rose out of the ground and lifted its roots in a plodding march.
"Tokimi, go to your house. Hurry, now," Neri urged. He saw another plant rise out of the ground. The boy silently ran off, scared. Neri, who was more afraid than the boy was, ran towards the Council of Kokiri. [If the prophecy is true…I must find Sarie and quickly.] The guard, who was untrained and nothing more than a symbol of security to the people, rushed off.
Twang! An arrow rushed through the air, right on target, net to the glowing yellow dot, downing a flaming bat.
"Link, it's hot in here. Why can't we leave?" Navi complained, fluttering back to his side.
Link, who was sweating bullets himself, ignored her impatient comments, and replaced his bow in his satchel. He walked up to the pit of lava that covered most of the superheated room, seeing the door on the other side. [Now is when I wish my Goron mask was still with me,] he though with remorse.
As he considered the situation, the molten rock in from of him began to bubble. He jumped back as an inhuman figure rose out of the pool. Its short stature, and sloped skull atom a skeletal body show the figure of a small undead warrior. A Stahlchild, dripping with magma, and glowing with flame, stepped toward him.
Link's sword was already out, and his shield was facing the short skeleton. He moved around a bit, hoping to confuse the beast. It plodded towards him with a dragging gait. Link moved in closer, ready to strike. The inflamed monster struck, clubbing with its bony hand. Link easily blocked, but a wave of heat from the skeleton's flames passed over him. The shield was made of strong stuff, although he was glad for the thick leather grips to protect him from the heat. The Fire Stahlchild took a few more unbearably warm swipes, before Link preformed a quick thrust-slash. The bones, fell to the fire cavern's rocky floor, and dissolved; banished to the grave where they came from.
A single platform rose out of the lava. "Yah! We're closer to the door!" Navi rejoiced. Link jumped to the stepping-stone, and the lava in front of him began to bubble. He sword was still in his hand as the skull rose; he saw the pattern and knew what to do.
Thunderclouds billowed over the water, perpetually covering the bay in darkness. Under the shadowy veil, great waves crashed on the single, rocky isle. An air of dead silence hung over this place. The dark tower that stood on the isle did not help the air of deathful dread. It was marked by a shadowy aura, and at its top, there was a room. Shrouded in shadow, a dark figure sat at the round table.
"The day of the shadows. The Shadow's Mirikiri for the Kokiri. Rahuhlja K'tamhet to the ancient Gerudos. They all mean the same thing. Our rise to power." The figure of shadow gave an arrogant shrug, and walked out of the room. Dark waves crashed on the rocks below.
Four torches burned in the corners of the chamber, which was made of red- rock bricks, decorate almost the same as Hyrule's Fire Temple. Link and his fairy looked around the room, checking for more Fire Keeses. There was a single platform in the center of the floor.
"Hey!" Navi fluttered over to it and yelled. "This must be the way out," she stated the obvious. The platform was a raised square of stone, with a smaller square lying inside and atop it. Link approached the object, with a guess to what it was.
"Stay close, Navi," he commanded, and stepped on to it. A rumbling sounded below them, and the small square began to shake. Slowly, it began to rise, and then faster. Fire and lava blew it out from the base, moving Link faster and faster up towards the ceiling. Navi squeaked and ducked into Link's satchel. Link, with experience on his side, looked up toward the square hole in the roof, steadying his legs. They flew into the darkness of the long, narrow tunnel. The rushing air cooled his sweating face. Their movement soon slowed, and the light at the end of the tunnel showed.
The boy and his fairy rose out of the floor in the new room. A chill passed over Link's body and he looked around. Snow piled in the corners, and icicles hung over their heads. A mysterious icy breeze stirred the cold air in the room.
[And here we have Snowhead,] Link thought. [This world is so akin to Hyrule, but I keep seeing Termina. What a strange place.]
The fire elevator's platform began to fall away as it lost its power. Link jumped to the cold stone ground. On the piles of snow around him, many small orange eyes popped open. A gaggle of fuzzy white critters swarmed towards them. Link pulled out his sword and shield, and Navi quickly fluttered over to show him the best one to attack fist. The hero's blade swung.
"So what you're saying," a Deku councilman snidely asked, "is that a child's ghost story has now come true. Is that it?"
Neri, who was now feeling insulted, was quick to defend his true experiences. "All I know is that the child's tale has been passed down through the generations. That ghost story was invented long before anyone can remember. What if it's not a story?" Have you ever seen a shadow live or a Baba walk?" he asked, becoming more agitated.
"The sky will grow gray, The plants will walk, And the shadows will live, The wind will howl, And the mountains will cry, On this day you will fear, And everything you know will end, For on this day it is the coming of darkness, And it will be called the Shadow's Mirikiri," Mido quoted the story in his best ominous voice. "That is the legend of the Shadows' coming." The members of the Council of Kokiri sat; contemplating whether of not it truly was an ancient prophecy.
A chilling breeze blew though the clearing, moaning past the trees.
Sarie stood. "Gather the people," she commanded. "Prophecy or fairy tail, we'll all wait inside the safety of the Deku Tree." They all scurried toward the village in fearful silence.
Link stood on the wooden seesaw, shivering from the cold. He sighted along the arrow shaft and let go. The thin dart leap out and struck the giant icicle at its weakest point, and it fell. The weight of the frozen water struck the raised end of the board, moving Link upward. He quickly jumped to the balcony platform of the snowy room. Link ran towards the door. Navi poked out of this satchel, only to see them enter another room of snow and ice.
"Run, my shadows. Run!"
Below an unnaturally gray and dark sky, atop the peak of Death Mountain, an ancient ruins sat. A few crumbing pillars and stone walls stood on the old stone paved plateau.
"Today is your day, minions of darkness. Ruin the peace, shatter hopes, spread your reign of evil. Hooo hoot!"
Perched on a decimated wall was the darkened silhouette of the owl. The evil red tint of his eyes glowed into the autumnal twilight.
"Hooo! Today is the day that K'aopira Gamoira shall have his revenge on the wretched inhabitants of this world." His head turned halfway around. "The young one comes. Yes, now, hero. Come to me." The bird glowered in evil delight, knowing that he now held the dark defense to the boy's feeble powers of light.
Huddled throughout the floor of the great hollow tree were the people of Kokiri. Children whimpered and young Scrubs squeaked. Parents tried to comfort the little ones, but were hampered by their own fears. Outside, darkness gathered as evil plants plodded through the village. Shadows pranced everywhere, basking in their freedom and the good people's terror. Inside, a young boy asked his mother why they were so afraid; she had no answer.
In a dark corner, a figure sat, alone.
"And everything you know will end," it whispered, "For on this day it is the coming of darkness." The person shrouded in shadow's eyes flashed with an evil darkness.
"Do you feel it?" Navi and Link were before a dark, stone staircase leading far upwards.
"The bird is near," Link stated. A dark presence flowed from the top of the passageway. It permeated every corner of the room; they could almost smell the evil.
Link sat down, and Navi fluttered beside him. He pulled his satchel onto his lap.
"What're you doing?" Navi asked. Link pulled a covered object from the bag. He began unwrapping the oilskin. A glint of polished metal showed. He finished removing the protective cloth.
"Wow," Navi said in awe of the shining object. "I never knew you had this!" The Mirror Shield, blessed with magical protection, glimmered. Link replaced the Hero's Shield in his satchel, and hoisted it onto this back.
He brought the shield to this arm and fastened it. Link pulled his shield to attention. His blessed blade found itself in the fighter's stance. He loosened his bow.
Link and Navi went up the stairs, pushing though the dark presence.
From its high up soaring, a dark bird watched. Down below, in a dusty mountain pass, a small boy ran. Large boulders, forever rolling, tried to crush him, but the boy was agile and quick.
"Hooo!"
The owl flapped its great wings, the feathers surging through the air. It took a last look at the hero, who was plunging his sword into a four-legged spider.
"Come, young one, come," the fiend cackled. "Hooo! Come to my realm. Soon, you shall be out of the way forever," K'aopira mused as he headed to his dark home atop Death Mountain. "Come indeed, hero. Try to stop us. Hooo! With you dead and gone, our lives will be much easier."
In a quiet forest village, a lone Kokiri, dressed in brilliant green, stood below the great canopy of magnificent trees. The sentry kept a watchful eye as he leaned against the hollow log that marked the entrance to the clearing, listing to the chirping and squeaking of the woodland animals.
As the child of the forest stood guard of his home, all sounds suddenly ceased. The boy stood up, alert at the silence. He started pacing, fearful of what bad omens could threaten the sanctity of the forest.
"Neri," yelled a voice. "Neri, help!" yelled a younger Kokiri child, running towards the sentry. The little boy's face was white.
'Tokimi, what is it? Is a Scrub picking fun again?"
"No," said Tokimi, suddenly shy. [To be a rambunctious boy again,] Neri though. The little boy looked up and whispered, "It was the Shadow's Mirikiri."
"Oh, has Mido been filling your head with stories again? Can't you tell that they're all old wives' tales?"
"But Neri," the boy insisted, "I saw it." He gasped, and then whispered, "There it is again."
Neri looked up to where the impressionable young child was pointing. "It's only a Baba, Tokimi. Be mindful of what you think…" he trailed off. As the guard looked on, the simple Deku Baba flower took a step, then another. ['The plants will walk, and the shadows will live,'] he thought. Neri's face took an astounded and horrified look as he saw the shadow of a tree rise up, and move along the ground. [I remember that line of the Mirikiri "prophecy" from when I was a boy.] The living darkness found a wilted and nearly dead Baba and engulfed it. The old flower rose out of the ground and lifted its roots in a plodding march.
"Tokimi, go to your house. Hurry, now," Neri urged. He saw another plant rise out of the ground. The boy silently ran off, scared. Neri, who was more afraid than the boy was, ran towards the Council of Kokiri. [If the prophecy is true…I must find Sarie and quickly.] The guard, who was untrained and nothing more than a symbol of security to the people, rushed off.
Twang! An arrow rushed through the air, right on target, net to the glowing yellow dot, downing a flaming bat.
"Link, it's hot in here. Why can't we leave?" Navi complained, fluttering back to his side.
Link, who was sweating bullets himself, ignored her impatient comments, and replaced his bow in his satchel. He walked up to the pit of lava that covered most of the superheated room, seeing the door on the other side. [Now is when I wish my Goron mask was still with me,] he though with remorse.
As he considered the situation, the molten rock in from of him began to bubble. He jumped back as an inhuman figure rose out of the pool. Its short stature, and sloped skull atom a skeletal body show the figure of a small undead warrior. A Stahlchild, dripping with magma, and glowing with flame, stepped toward him.
Link's sword was already out, and his shield was facing the short skeleton. He moved around a bit, hoping to confuse the beast. It plodded towards him with a dragging gait. Link moved in closer, ready to strike. The inflamed monster struck, clubbing with its bony hand. Link easily blocked, but a wave of heat from the skeleton's flames passed over him. The shield was made of strong stuff, although he was glad for the thick leather grips to protect him from the heat. The Fire Stahlchild took a few more unbearably warm swipes, before Link preformed a quick thrust-slash. The bones, fell to the fire cavern's rocky floor, and dissolved; banished to the grave where they came from.
A single platform rose out of the lava. "Yah! We're closer to the door!" Navi rejoiced. Link jumped to the stepping-stone, and the lava in front of him began to bubble. He sword was still in his hand as the skull rose; he saw the pattern and knew what to do.
Thunderclouds billowed over the water, perpetually covering the bay in darkness. Under the shadowy veil, great waves crashed on the single, rocky isle. An air of dead silence hung over this place. The dark tower that stood on the isle did not help the air of deathful dread. It was marked by a shadowy aura, and at its top, there was a room. Shrouded in shadow, a dark figure sat at the round table.
"The day of the shadows. The Shadow's Mirikiri for the Kokiri. Rahuhlja K'tamhet to the ancient Gerudos. They all mean the same thing. Our rise to power." The figure of shadow gave an arrogant shrug, and walked out of the room. Dark waves crashed on the rocks below.
Four torches burned in the corners of the chamber, which was made of red- rock bricks, decorate almost the same as Hyrule's Fire Temple. Link and his fairy looked around the room, checking for more Fire Keeses. There was a single platform in the center of the floor.
"Hey!" Navi fluttered over to it and yelled. "This must be the way out," she stated the obvious. The platform was a raised square of stone, with a smaller square lying inside and atop it. Link approached the object, with a guess to what it was.
"Stay close, Navi," he commanded, and stepped on to it. A rumbling sounded below them, and the small square began to shake. Slowly, it began to rise, and then faster. Fire and lava blew it out from the base, moving Link faster and faster up towards the ceiling. Navi squeaked and ducked into Link's satchel. Link, with experience on his side, looked up toward the square hole in the roof, steadying his legs. They flew into the darkness of the long, narrow tunnel. The rushing air cooled his sweating face. Their movement soon slowed, and the light at the end of the tunnel showed.
The boy and his fairy rose out of the floor in the new room. A chill passed over Link's body and he looked around. Snow piled in the corners, and icicles hung over their heads. A mysterious icy breeze stirred the cold air in the room.
[And here we have Snowhead,] Link thought. [This world is so akin to Hyrule, but I keep seeing Termina. What a strange place.]
The fire elevator's platform began to fall away as it lost its power. Link jumped to the cold stone ground. On the piles of snow around him, many small orange eyes popped open. A gaggle of fuzzy white critters swarmed towards them. Link pulled out his sword and shield, and Navi quickly fluttered over to show him the best one to attack fist. The hero's blade swung.
"So what you're saying," a Deku councilman snidely asked, "is that a child's ghost story has now come true. Is that it?"
Neri, who was now feeling insulted, was quick to defend his true experiences. "All I know is that the child's tale has been passed down through the generations. That ghost story was invented long before anyone can remember. What if it's not a story?" Have you ever seen a shadow live or a Baba walk?" he asked, becoming more agitated.
"The sky will grow gray, The plants will walk, And the shadows will live, The wind will howl, And the mountains will cry, On this day you will fear, And everything you know will end, For on this day it is the coming of darkness, And it will be called the Shadow's Mirikiri," Mido quoted the story in his best ominous voice. "That is the legend of the Shadows' coming." The members of the Council of Kokiri sat; contemplating whether of not it truly was an ancient prophecy.
A chilling breeze blew though the clearing, moaning past the trees.
Sarie stood. "Gather the people," she commanded. "Prophecy or fairy tail, we'll all wait inside the safety of the Deku Tree." They all scurried toward the village in fearful silence.
Link stood on the wooden seesaw, shivering from the cold. He sighted along the arrow shaft and let go. The thin dart leap out and struck the giant icicle at its weakest point, and it fell. The weight of the frozen water struck the raised end of the board, moving Link upward. He quickly jumped to the balcony platform of the snowy room. Link ran towards the door. Navi poked out of this satchel, only to see them enter another room of snow and ice.
"Run, my shadows. Run!"
Below an unnaturally gray and dark sky, atop the peak of Death Mountain, an ancient ruins sat. A few crumbing pillars and stone walls stood on the old stone paved plateau.
"Today is your day, minions of darkness. Ruin the peace, shatter hopes, spread your reign of evil. Hooo hoot!"
Perched on a decimated wall was the darkened silhouette of the owl. The evil red tint of his eyes glowed into the autumnal twilight.
"Hooo! Today is the day that K'aopira Gamoira shall have his revenge on the wretched inhabitants of this world." His head turned halfway around. "The young one comes. Yes, now, hero. Come to me." The bird glowered in evil delight, knowing that he now held the dark defense to the boy's feeble powers of light.
Huddled throughout the floor of the great hollow tree were the people of Kokiri. Children whimpered and young Scrubs squeaked. Parents tried to comfort the little ones, but were hampered by their own fears. Outside, darkness gathered as evil plants plodded through the village. Shadows pranced everywhere, basking in their freedom and the good people's terror. Inside, a young boy asked his mother why they were so afraid; she had no answer.
In a dark corner, a figure sat, alone.
"And everything you know will end," it whispered, "For on this day it is the coming of darkness." The person shrouded in shadow's eyes flashed with an evil darkness.
"Do you feel it?" Navi and Link were before a dark, stone staircase leading far upwards.
"The bird is near," Link stated. A dark presence flowed from the top of the passageway. It permeated every corner of the room; they could almost smell the evil.
Link sat down, and Navi fluttered beside him. He pulled his satchel onto his lap.
"What're you doing?" Navi asked. Link pulled a covered object from the bag. He began unwrapping the oilskin. A glint of polished metal showed. He finished removing the protective cloth.
"Wow," Navi said in awe of the shining object. "I never knew you had this!" The Mirror Shield, blessed with magical protection, glimmered. Link replaced the Hero's Shield in his satchel, and hoisted it onto this back.
He brought the shield to this arm and fastened it. Link pulled his shield to attention. His blessed blade found itself in the fighter's stance. He loosened his bow.
Link and Navi went up the stairs, pushing though the dark presence.