Ten
On a whole, I don't like the cold. I don't like snow, I don't like ice, and most of the time, I will claim that this is because I am from the desert, or because I am thin.
The truth is, I don't like the cold, the ice, or the snow because it scares me. It is the one thing that has come the closest to killing me without warning. I may not fear it the same as I fear heights, but I will never feel comfortable, or even slightly safe, when it comes to ice and snow.
So walking into Zora's Domain, once again frozen over, left me feeling numb, and awash in memories I could have well done without reliving. In the end, I sought high ground, outside Zora's domain, and stayed put. They could do it without me while I dealt with what I could.
I admit, I am not proud of this. But there are some things that I simply cannot face. A frozen Zora's Domain, knowing precisely where all my allies were, was one of them. I had no desire to see them trapped under the ice, flash-frozen in the spell. Midna, to her credit, said nothing when I left.
I stayed outside the domain, and waited, huddling near the singing stone. Link was clever, and even though she was still maturing, Midna was too. I knew they would find some way of restoring the water.
They found me there a few hours later, and Link whined a little, nudging up close. Midna looked pale, and shock still lingered in her eyes. I didn't need an explanation to know what they'd seen.
"We have to thaw them out," Midna said abruptly. "How, though?"
Link whined again, then sneezed, and curled up around me as close as he could. Whether it was for his comfort or mine, I'm not sure, but I admit to appreciating it either way.
Not even the strongest fire spell I could manage would melt that ice, not that I could have managed it in the twilight. But as Midna pulled out the portal map, an idea seemed to occur to her.
"Hey, how fast does lava cool?"
I blinked, and lifted my head a little; she pointed to the portal on Death Mountain with a grin.
"I bet the Gorons could help~"
I sighed a little, but after thinking about it, that did seem like the most sensible option; even if they couldn't set foot in the twilight without being made into spirits again, surely they would have some ideas.
"Shall we warp?"
I looked at Link, who had picked up on my change of mood quickly, then placed my paw firmly over the portal marker for Death Mountain.
Really, I expected we'd have to talk directly to the elders and get advice. I did not expect the rock spike that had almost skewered us to be still running hot enough to scorch the stone around it. I shed my furry form and carefully paced around the stone, eyeing it thoughtfully, and with the first real stirrings of hope.
"It's been sitting here for a while, but it's still this hot?" Midna observed. "I'd have thought it'd be long cool by now."
I nodded, staring up at it speculatively, then nodded again.
"This should work. Let's take it."
She grinned at me, then cast her spell, yanking the rock up into the air and sending it through the portal; abstractly, as she pulled us through again as well, I wondered what the Gorons would make of the suddenly vanished stone. It would certainly make for some amusing theories if nothing else.
The molten spike did exactly what it was supposed to do; the water practically exploded out of the throne room as the source was melted, steaming hot water boiling away at the ice that blocked the flow.
Midna dropped us neatly at the edge of the throne room, and nodded, pleased. I allowed the shift back, though I wished I could walk among my allies, my friends, and reassure them in some manner. There were so many Zora perched, coughing, gasping, shaking on the edges of the waterfall pool...
"That thing came in really handy, I'm impressed," Midna said with a grin. "And now that we've helped the Zoras, and restored the water flow, we can go meet the last spirit!"
I could hardly argue her point, though I wasn't really looking forward to seeing if I could swim in this form.
~Wait!~
It was not the call of a spirit, but it was a voice I knew all too well. My heart sank as I turned to view the real spirit in the room.
Queen Rutela.
~Please, you must allow me to thank you for this. Not only have you restored my people, you restored the spring that brings water and life to the people of Hyrule.~
Link whine a little.
"No, it's all right. This... this is Rutela. She was their queen," I said somberly, turning to face the ghost of a friend. "She's not going to hurt us."
"Not to be rude, but we didn't do it because of you," Midna said. Her tone was actually quite polite, and I slanted her a sideways glance, wondering just what was going through her mind.
~I understand... and I wish to ask a favor of you. When the shadow beasts raided the village, they executed me as a warning to my people. I was able to get my son out, and he was to head to the castle to inform Princess Zelda of what had befallen us.~
I winced a little; I knew where this was going.
~I fear that danger has followed him, however. I can sense that his presence grows weaker and weaker, though one of our allies has helped him to her best effort.~
Rutela smiled at me, but it was a worried smile. I could hardly blame her; she was dead, and she could no more risk her life for Ralis than she could swim in the water with her people once more.
~Would you please, in my stead, save my dearest Prince Ralis? If you would do this for me,I will grant you the protection of water; a gift that will allow you to breathe and swim as though you were Zora yourself. Please...~ Her voice faded as she did. ~Save my son...~
"Well, that would be useful,wouldn't it? Being able to do all the things a Zora can. What do you say, Hero?" Midna teased, patting Link's sides playfully. "Though I suppose you can't exactly meet a prince in this shape, so I guess we should go about returning your world to what it's supposed to be."
"How are we going to do this?" Link asked me.
"Telma. When we lift the twilight here, we'll go to Telma's Bar, and get her to let us take the boy."
"Can we bring him all the way up here?"
"No. But we don't have to. We just have to get him to Kakariko."
Link nodded a little, trusting me, and we turned towards the water.
Because of the molten rock now residing in the spring, the water was running high and fast, as if making up for its previous utter lack. And the sudden release of moisture into the air seemed to have triggered a cloudburst as well, which did very little to help.
"Since this runs all the way to the lake, why don't we let it carry us?" Midna asked gleefully.
"Is this a good idea?"
"...no. No it is not. Unfortunately, it's probably the only thing we can do."
Link looked at me, then whined a little.
"Just keep your face above the water as best you can" I said grimly. "No drowning allowed."
I was no more ready for this than he was, but we both jumped in, and let the water yank us downstream. I could swim, but the river was not so friendly or steady; it pushed me under with a will, and more than once I felt Midna's magic plucking me out before I got swept away.
The rush of water eased right around the steps up to the spirit spring, and we dragged ourselves out, bedraggled and exhausted, then collapsed at the top step, into sleep. Midna was... less than pleased by this, and let us know as soon as we both were awake.
"Really, aren't you two up yet?" she complained. "The water dropped us right where we needed to be, and you just wasted hours on sleep! And I suppose you want food now too?"
Link nodded; I stretched, claws out in an 'innocent' display of threat. Midna made a faintly disgusted sound, but brought out the food for us to eat.
"It's not like we don't know what the spirit wants," Link said between bites.
"Ah, let her have the hissy fit," I replied. "I think she was worried about us, and she doesn't show that well."
"Hmph."
I couldn't help but be amused by Link's seeming pout.
Like the other spirits, Lanaryu was a weak collection of golden light, far softer than Eldin had been.
~You have... done well, chosen... hero. Please... gather my light... in this.~
There was no second tier, no littler waterfall in Lanayru's pool. But like a fish jumping up, the vessel of light appeared, and Link quickly helped me pull it on.
~The dark insects... have scattered far. I will... mark them on your... map.~
Lanayru had not been joking; the bugs were scattered not just up and down the river and lake, but into the town as well. It took us several days worth of effort, even with teleportation. Flying up the river facing bulbin on the shadow kargarok; stalking and pouncing the ones in Zora's Domain while around us the Zora searched for their lost prince. Facing down shadow beats who blocked us, both at the lake, and at the entrance to the castle.
We caught all the ones marked on the map... but the vessel was not yet full. Midna frowned, and pulled out the map again with a confused noise.
"We got all of those, and all of those... so where's the last one?"
Slowly, as if struggling to life, the last dot appeared in the area of Lake Hylia.
"Oh. Huh! How'd we miss that one? That's just weird..."
Back to Lake Hylia we went, and the air felt... tense. Expectant, perhaps? There was a feeling to the air the made my fur want to stand on end, and seeing as the bug was right out in the middle of the lake, I was not about to go out and get it. The rain, at least, had stopped.
"Have fun," I said dryly.
Link laid his ears back and gave me something of a woeful look.
"Oh no, don't look at me. I'm not taking human form, and I'm not going out into the deep water like this any more than I already have. You got this, puppy. All yours."
He heaved a mournful sigh, then jumped into the water and swam towards the bug.
Did I feel guilty? Maybe a little. But I was tired of being soaking wet, and something about the way the water was moving out there didn't give me any good feelings. Link, with his bulk, was a much better choice for biting this bug.
In the end, I was glad to have given him the duty of it too; this big was not the small ones we were used to. This bug was massive. It took him and Midna a good ten minutes to figure out how to beat it, not just dodge its attacks.
When they did, the last drop of light-laced water flew to me as though it was magnetized. While I could have run straight into the shrine, I waited for poor Link to drag himself onto the stairs and shake himself off before we went in, and I dropped the vessel into Lanayru's pool.
At least, as the twilight receded, my full power was returned to me. I could have danced for the joy of it, really, but I refrained, only allowing myself a long, relieved sigh as the sand cat form was banished once more in favor of my own two feet.
"Now, be sure to get that last Fused Shadow for me~" Midna said with a giggle, before vanishing once more into the shadows.
Before Link could say anything, the orb of light appeared... but Lanayru did not so much spawn around it as it did leap up to grab it in its mouth. I laughed a little at the Hero's surprise; admittedly, of all my spirits, I do love Lanaryu the best. It is the one closest matched to my personality, with none of my particular emotional hang ups.
"All right, Lanayru, enough playing around," I said in gentle reproof as the giant water dragon churned through the pool, clearly delighted to once more be back to they way it was meant to be. "We need to talk now."
Obligingly, it came up to be of a height with us, nudging me fondly as it did so.
~Your efforts have proven fruitful, chosen hero, and have restored the light to this world,~ it said, addressing Link who still looked slightly stunned. ~And now you seek the last of the sealed powers our mother has hidden away, in the temple below the surface of the lake.~
Link nodded firmly, and I felt the spirit's attention shift to me. I let out a slow breath, then nodded fractionally.
Show him, Lanayru. Show him the dangers of this power that I am allowing Midna to hold.
~Before you do, you must bear witness... you must remember. Our mother locked these pieces of shadow away for a reason.~
I watched as Link fell into the trance that would show him the past. Lanayru's words were, in that moment, for the Hero alone, but I knew well what warnings, what images, were being shared; the birth of the world, the calm, and then the desire of the people for the power of the Triforce. The wars that tore the land again and again.
The edict from the goddesses, and what I had done to protect the world. I held a fleeting hope that Lanayru would not directly indicate that I had a hand in it; as much as I had done, as much as I had lived, I had no desire for Link to realize everything I was in that moment.
I watched his expression, and saw the precise moment Link returned to himself. The shock of it made him limp, and he fell to his knees, panting for breath, pale and sweating. When he looked up at me his eyes were wide, and there was a new level of fear in them.
"I know," I said, sitting down next to him. "It's not easy. It never has been. The fact that power corrupts so thoroughly is not lost as a lesson to the ages. It is witnessed by Hyrule again and again. But the wise, and the courageous bring balance to power, and temperance."
Even as a child in my first life, I had known this fact. I had never let it go, and had only come to accept it more and more as the centuries passed.
"How... how do you...?"
"How do I live with it?" I smiled thinly. "By realizing that I am not perfect. No one is. All we can do is try our best from day to day. Some days will be harder than others. Some days, you won't even want to get out of bed. And that's all right. Taking time to remind yourself of who you are now, is not a bad thing."
He nodded slowly, and closed his eyes for a moment, slowing his panicked breathing.
"But... what if you don't know who you are now?" he asked finally.
"That's all right too. Look, you've had a lot of things thrown at you over the past weeks; you turned into a wolf, you've befriended Gorons, you found your horse, and your friends. You've witnessed what damage a dangerous power can do. It takes some time to process changes like this, and you certainly haven't had any of that."
"...I made a new friend too," he said, and smiled shyly at me.
I half-smiled back, and lightly patted his shoulder as I got up. I wasn't going to admit it there, but that helped me feel just a little better about the madness we were about to participate in. Call it instinct or memory, or what have you, but I knew that this wasn't just going to end with the Fused Shadows.
"Come on, Hero. As much as I'd like to give you time to process, we've still got a Zora prince to save. I'd prefer to do it sooner rather than later."
"Right!"
He nodded firmly and jumped to his feet, and we headed out into early evening sunlight to start the next leg of work.
There are paths up from Lake Hylia to the surrounding plains. They aren't easy to climb, but they do exist, and they are much less disturbing than Fyer's cannon. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that we had the time, so it was to the old man we went, to get launched up to the cuckoo farm that his friend ran.
Really, the less said on that, the better. I hate the cannons.
Once on the plains, Link called the horses; he jumped about a foot when they actually showed up, despite us having left them on the opposite side of the realm, more or less. Magic may only work in small ways these days, but that spell has never failed... and every now and again, I have to indulge in just a bit of mischief.
It took us only a day and a half with the horses, to get to the city, though we had to leave them in the stable outside of town; not even nobility rode within the walls, there was simply too much foot traffic, and not enough room. Fortunately, I had been to Telma's bar many times before, so where Link was overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, I simply towed him along until we reached the relatively calm back corner of town, and the bar.
"Remember, don't rush her," I said firmly. You don't want to scare the girl."
He nodded obediently, and we stepped in. Right into the middle of an argument, it seemed.
"This is a Zora child!" came the rasping whine of the doctor. "I can't treat a Zora!"
Quickly, I moved aside, pulling Link with me as the doctor stomped straight for the door. He didn't even spare us a glance before he slammed it behind him, even as Ilia tried to chase after.
"Oh please! If something... isn't done..."
It was no use. And the moment was made worse when she glanced at Link and showed absolutely no recognition. I wasn't looking at his face, but I was close enough to feel him go limp in confusion.
"Raiha, sweetheart!"
"Hey Telma,"I smiled a little, stepping forward. "Having a tough time of things?"
"Oh honey... you have no idea,"the larger woman sighed a little. "You're a Zora friend, is there anything you can do for him? This girl here found him collapsed in an ally, and that useless doctor..."
"I heard," and my voice was dry as I stepped over to Ralis. "But just from looking... Mn..."
I moved in and Link followed, trailing wounded feelings like a kicked puppy. Something was wrong with the girl as well, but Ralis' problem was genuinely life-threatening; given the choice between the two, the little prince had more of my attention.
"I can't fix him," I said, reaching out a hand that lowed faintly with golden light. "Not here, anyways. Lanayru's spring might help, but it'll be better if we can take him to Kakariko, and let Renado care for him. You have a cart, right?"
Ilia's head jerked up, and she stared first at me, then at Telma.
"Oh really? We can take him?"
"Mmn... It'll be almost two weeks, and that's the best possible speed for a wagon."
"Why so long?" Telma asked.
"The bridge out the east gate collapsed. And there's a chunk that's clean gone from the Eldin bridge too," I said grimly.
"Oh... dear..."
Ilia sounded so suddenly uncertain that I almost laughed.
"That's putting it mildly. Telma, you and this girl here should get ready to leave as soon as I'm done."
"Nonsense! This trip is much too dangerous for ladies to undertake!"
I bristled, getting to my feet; I loomed a head taller then all the guardsmen, who were lined up at the bar, looking—or trying to look—brave while brandishing their spears.
"We could hardly ignore pretty girls in distress, however! Therefore, we should accompany you! Right boys!"
The cheer the five men set up was raucous enough to show that they had clearly been drinking. Telma glanced at me, her eyebrows raised, and lips pursed thoughtfully. I scowled, and shook my head a little; guardsmen weren't trained riders, and we would have to move fast. These were also soft men, used to patrolling around town, and breaking up drunken fights at worst. They wouldn't have lasted ten minutes in a real fight.
"Well, now aren't we lucky," she said with a smile, her voice smooth. "They'll make a fine escort for crossing the two plains full of dangerous beings. Bulbins, if I'm not mistaken, and kargarok, among other nasty little things."
The way the cheer abruptly died almost made me laugh.
"We should be especially safe now, huh?~"
"Ah..." Ilia's eyes widened a little as the pattering of feet sounded; toa man, the guards had run. Link looked like he was torn between laughing and sighing. I smirked a little.
"Well done, my friend," I snickered a little.
"It's disappointing how many of the soldiers around here are just cowards... is the lad with you, then?"
"Mmhm."
"Then honey, you get ready to go," she said to Ilia. "Raiha?"
"Shouldn't take too long to stabilize him. Don't bite the Hero."
She laughed her warm, rich laugh, and stepped over to Link, starting a low conversation with him. I turned back to Ralis, and took the seat Ilia had vacated, closing my eyes for better concentration; this was going to take some work.
Lanayru, Eldin.
We hear, our mother.
I need to stabilize Princes Ralis, and keep him in a state that's fit to make the journey to Kakariko. Show me the spell, and lend me the power.
I knew what I asked for was not a light piece of work; Ralis as he as wouldn't last halfway through the journey, even if he was kept properly damp. I needed a way to keep him stable, without scaring the people who weren't used to showy magics. I needed a stasis spell that was not going to show outside of his skin.
I suppose you are wondering, whoever you are, why I did not simply just heal Ralis. In truth, Renado is actually better at it than I am. Humans are easy enough for me, but both Zora and Gorons have a different structure to them, a different method of recovery. And while I have been a long-standing ally of both, trusted in many things, that was always one area where I was never allowed. And because I value my allies, and there was never a reason to pry or press, I did not.
This ban has since been lifted, but I am ever grateful that I have not needed this new swathe of skills. I suspect half the reason was because I simply wasn't there so often. Renado was, and they came to him when their need was great.
The casting of the spell was not necessarily time intensive, but it required focus and finesse, both of which I had in abundance now that the guards had fled. And more importantly, I could feel the difference in Ralis; he was not healed, no, but he was not likely to die any time soon either, not unless someone managed to strip all my power from me. Given that this was an impossible prospect, he was as safe as I could make him.
Link was standing by me when the spell finished, hands clasped uneasily in front of him.
"Telma said to tell you that she's gone to hitch up the horse and cart, and when you're done, lock the door and come to the west gate," he recited.
"All right. Well, I'm done. What's the matter?"
"Ilia..." He looked distressed and unhappy. "She has amnesia..."
"Mmn. Well, it's good she's coming with us then,"I said, carefully picking up the unconscious Zora prince. "Renado might be able to help her too. Get the door, will you? Did she take any supplies with her?"
"She said she was going to purchase some, and get barrels of water from the fountain now that it's running again."
"Good. Spell or not, Ralis should be kept damp; Zora aren't meant to be in an arid environment like this."
Of course, Castletown has nothing on the desert, in terms of arid, but this was bad enough. At least they seemed to have taken the hint from the magically falling water glass; while not the proper level of moist, Ralis was certainly not dry either.
Boxes and bags filled the wagon, save for one spot tucked into a secure corner where Ralis was laid on a wet blanket. Ilia, seemingly not being a rider, was going to sit with him and keep an eye on his health, and switch off driving during the day with Telma, while Link and I rode guard on either side.
The first two days were only minorly incidental; the occasional kargarok would get curious and swoop down, only to be chased off by an arrow, or Link's slingshot. It wasn't until we reached Hylia Bridge that we found our first marker of serious trouble. I stared at the bulbin leader blocking the bridge.
"I thought we killed that thing!"
"Me too," Link said unhappily.
"Tch... He thinks he's clever," I frowned a little. "Those large shileds make it impoosible to hit him with your sword..."
"How do we get past him then?"
I thought for a moment, then nodded. I was in no mood to be polite, and this fool thing had cheated death once already. It was not going to happen a second time.
"We do this my way. Here. Hold her."
I dismounted, knowing I would be faster on my own two feet, no matter how fleet Windchaser was.
"Raiha, honey, what're you doing?" Telma called, worry clear in her voice.
"Clearing the road."
"But that thing will-"
"I'll be fine. Just get ready to cross."
"Are...are you sure?" Link asked.
"I'm not going to play nice. That's the son of a dear friend in that cart, and I am done with games," I said grimly.
Lanayru,I require aid.
As I stepped onto the bridge,the magic of the spirit fountained up within me, casting a golden halo that was only just noticeable in the dawn light. From across the bridge, I heard the squeal of the battle boar as it was goaded into a charge, from behind me I heard Ilia cry out in fright.
And then I called the spells to life.
Nayru's Love shielded me from top to toe, just in case I didn't dodge fast enough, a skintight glowing blue shield that brought to mind the hot desert sands, and the ancient palace that had once house Gerudo treasures. Farore's Wind swirled before me, waiting direction to be unleashed; it was far more powerful than the Gale Boomerang, and much more versatile.
To the waiting tornado, I added Din's Fire. A flash of memory came tome then; the Fire Temple lost in a devastating eruption of Death Mountain, and the Flare Dancers that had almost taken my life. The beauty and terror of facing Volvagia...
I took a breath, heard the panicked sounds of a boar forced to run forwards when it would rather be going in the opposite direction, and turned the magic loose.
The fiery tornado whooshed across the bridge, following the only possible path, directly to the leader. Fire seared it and the boar as it lifted them aloft, and then dumped them off the bridge before dissipating as thought they had never been. From far, far below came two loud splashes. After a moment I nodded in grim satisfaction, and turned to walk back to my allies.
Thank you, Lanayru.
There was a sense of concern from the spirit, no doubt for my state of mind; I am brutal, and I am ruthless, but only when I need to be. In this case, I was also moderately desperate. I wanted to get Ralis to someone who could heal him, far better than I, and sooner was much better than later, stasis spell or not.
Link was staring, I couldn't tell if he was in awe, or afraid. Telma had the set look I knew that meant she was worried about what I'd just done, but also moderately approved of it. As for Ilia, she had her head down and appeared to be tending to Ralis.
I simply swung myself back up into the saddle, and we continued on our way.
Of course, after the bridge, it stopped being easy. A gate I hadn't expected forced us to stop while I picked the lock, and it took me almost two hours; it was a surprisingly well made one, considering the locks on the other gates had been full of rust and crap. We guarded the wagon at night in shifts to keep the bulbin and more aggressive kargarok off us. During the day, kargarok picked up bombskits and tried to spook the horses with them, and we suffered more attack by bulbin archers with their flaming arrows.
I lost track of the number of times I or Link used harsh winds to swiftly douse the fires that scorched the canvas covering, shot kargarok, and killed bulbin and their boars. Never had I been so glad to reach the narrow canyon that took us to Kakariko, safety, and a chance to breathe.
