Chapter 9
Back to Chima
June 7th, 12:00 A.M.
We land behind a patch of bushes, about two miles away from the Lion Temple. After a few minutes, we find that we've become animals again. Chimains. I'm the first one to exit the bushes. "...Hard to believe that we're back here." "Someone noticed us. Look." Draco points in the direction of the Lion Temple, where about thirty different tribe vehicles are speeding towards us. Then Lauren walks up next to us. "...Hey...did I miss anything?" I shake my head. "Not really. You woke up just in time-cause here they come." The others get up and joins us, and we watch the tribes get closer.
The Lions are the first to reach us. They stop about ten feet away and jump out of their vehicles, then run towards us. I end up being hugged by a Lioness. "So you're the one Laval was talking about! I'm L'elia, by the way." Then Laval pulls her off of me and shakes my paw. "Welcome back! A lot has happened since you left. I can't tell you all of it of course. That's why the rest of the Tribes are here." I look all around me. "...I don't see anyone..." Then I hear a voice above me. "That's 'cause we're in the trees, dude!" A group of Gorillas fall on top of me.
More Tribes show up in the most ridiculous manner possible and eventually, they all show up. Then the leaders greet us and say that they have something to show me.
"It seems that you left something here a year ago...the beavers found it and made it better. Take a look." Lagravis, King of the Lions, walks over and pulls a yellow cloth off an object. I'm staring at my bike. I used to ride all over Hyrule on it, doing tricks. I walk over to it, and notice a familiar helmet sitting on the black leather seat. "I haven't seen you in a while." I pick it up and let the sun shine on it. It's painted black, with a leather interior and a clear visor for protection. The Triforce is inlaid above the visor, with the Hylian Crest behind it. I lift the helmet above my head and lower it. It still fits. "So...do you like it? The Beavers aren't technically done with it yet, but you could ride it." I flip up the visor and grin at Lagravis. "Do I like it? I love it! ...Does this mean that I could race now?" "Certainly. In fact, there was supposed to be a Race today..." My grin grows wider and I reach up and flip the visor back to its original position. I then walk over and sit on my bike for the first time in a year.
I shift a bit, getting used to the weight, then put one paw on the foot rest. The bike is now leaning to one side. "We modified pretty much everything. The only thing that is left are the tires...we could change them into what we use, Tribe-Stones, if you want." I've figured out how to turn on my bike and I start it up.
After a few minutes of listening to the engine run, I kick the kickstand up, then take off.
I ride pretty much everywhere-through the Eagle Grasslands, the Rhino Quarry, the Wolf Camp...even the Badlands. I get hurt a lot, but what's the fun of riding if you're not afraid to take chances?
Outside the Lion Temple
3:00 P.M.
"Welcome! Welcome all to the monthly Golden Chi Race! Joining us today will be Lavertus, otherwise known as Shadowind, and Link the Lion! Give them a hand!" Elgor flies above the track giving reports of who else is racing today, he's the announcer for the Races. I've heard from Eris that he's never missed a Race. Ever. Meanwhile, the Beavers finished my bike a few minutes ago-it's twice as fast and looks a lot better. "So, you're going to race today? I heard that the Race is going to be difficult. If you manage to finish at all, you'll be lucky." Lavertus walks past me and roars in laughter, then walks off. I merely stare at his retreating figure.
Laval walks up to me, pushing his bike. "Still working on it? You might want to hurry-the Race could start at any moment." I stop working and lift my head. "It could?" I throw the cloth I've been using off to one side and begin to move my bike towards the starting line. "By the way-what do you call it?" "My bike? I've been calling it the Tri-bike. I know it's not very original, but it works. It's short and it literally sums up my bike. These Tribe-Stones are amazing! How are they made?" "From the stones of Mt. Cavora. While the Phoenix were here, they modified everything. From our weapons to our buildings-not to mention our Speedors." Laval begins to say more but then the other racers show up. "Looks like this is going to be interesting..." Worriz walks up to me. "How good are you?" I reach behind me and pick up my helmet. I then put it on. "On a scale of one to ten, about an elven. How good are you?" The Wolf merely stares at me. I grin at him and begin to push my bike towards the starting line.
"Hurry up, Racers, the Race will begin at any moment! Get your rides up to the starting line...and we shall see what the Golden Chi picks for the track..." Golden light swirls around everything, transforming the land into a changed landscape- Water traps, rings of fire, ditches, hills- practically everything a rider could want. Eris rides up on her Eagle Speedor. "You okay? You seem a bit nervous to me." "Nervous? I just want to race...except I've never raced on this kind of track before..." Then Cragger rides up next to me. "Don't worry. You'll be fine-trust me." Then the other Races line up at the starting line, and a few seconds later, they take off, leaving me behind.
"...What...they just..." Then I realize that Shadowind isn't with them. He's right beside me, watching the figures grow smaller and smaller. "I remember my first race. I ended up crashing...I took out about two other people when I crashed, and we all woke up several hours later." The lion grins at me. "Let's hope that it doesn't happen to you." Then he roars and takes off after the others.
'...They messed with the wrong person...It's time to show everyone here how good I am...' I flip down my visor, kick back the kickstand, and then make my bike stand on one wheel. The crowd goes nuts. Pleased with the result, I hop around the starting line in this position, then drop back down to two wheels, spin around, and take off.
I easily overtake about half of the racers, and end up leaving them in the dust. Then I overtake Shadowind, followed by Cragger and Worriz. "Hey! How are you going so fast?! We can't keep up!" "Maybe because my bike can go faster than yours? See you guys later." I leave them behind.
I round a corner and come up behind Eris. She looks back and sees me. "...How are you...never mind-you seem to be enjoying this." "I am. Tell me, what can this Golden Chi do?" "Anything. Whatever you want. Why?" I answer, by unsheathing my sword. "I'd like to see what it does for myself." Eris's golden eyes widen, then she takes out her battle-axe and swings it at me. "What was that for?" "Because your racing skills are different than what is custom here! You're going to hurt someone!" I raise my sword in Eris's direction. "And I should care because...?" "...The nerve! I thought that you were a nice Lion! What has happened to you?" I raise the blade even higher. "I want that Golden Chi, and nothing is going to stop me-not even you." Then I swing.
Eris's Speedor swerves and then crashes into the brush by the side of the track. Seconds later, she flies upwards, watching the figure on the black Speedor grow smaller with each passing second. Elgor flies to her side. "Are you alright? I hear the sound of his sword striking your Speedor from the starting line. We all heard it-what in the name of Cavora is he doing?!" Eris turns to him in mid-air. "He wants the Golden Chi! I'm not even sure if he understands our racing customs or not-he's going to hurt someone!" Elgor's feathered face grows grim. "Then we must stop him somehow...follow me. I have an idea."
"Now it's just you and me, Laval! Come here so I can secure my hands on the Golden Chi!" I ride up beside Laval and swing my sword at him. He swerves to the left and falls back a few feet. "Link! What are you doing?! Where is everyone?" "Out of the race. And soon you will be as well." I then hear a roar from above me and something lands in front of me. Unable to stop in time, I hit the thing and go flying.
'...At least he didn't hurt anyone...' '...I never acted like that when I wasn't myself...at least I don't think I did.' 'It does not matter about the past, but we must do something about your friend. What made him so violent, I can only guess.' '...Lagravis, we didn't come back here to be separated. We're trying to stay alive, if you haven't noticed. You leave him with us-we'll talk to him.' 'Very well. Talk some sense into him, if you can. We'll be in the Throne Room when you're done.'
Several animals appear above me, and they don't look happy. Two of them reach down and pull me to my paws. A very angry-looking Wolf walks up to me. "What were you thinking!? Are you trying to get us kicked out of here?! Because of you, all of us are not trusted as much. Even Lagravis doesn't know what to do with us-Draco heard him speaking to the Elders about sending us away. If they did that, where would we go? Albus hasn't contacted me to say that it's safe to go back, I don't think Kris will take us in, nor Lavertus. We're on our own. What do you have to say to that, Link?" Completely awake now, I stare around at my surroundings-nothing more than a barely lit stone cell, with a dirt floor and a locked iron-barred door. "...I got us locked in here? When?" Rambi walks up to me. "Around two hours ago. Now do you realize the situation that we're in? They took away everything-even my necklace. Even your sword, even Lauren's magic...though I have absolutely no idea how they could have done that...a few minutes after you crashed, Lagravis and Guards from each Tribe advanced on us...we gave them a huge fight but..." The Rhino reaches up and lightly puts a hoof on his head and winces. "I guess they just hit us with something...maybe their own weapons...when we woke up, they were dragging us down here. End of story. Now, I don't know what to do. None of us do."
I walk over to the door and stick my head out of it. No guards. Anywhere. I do see something shining on the wall and I reach out towards it...
The entire Temple rattles and then is quiet again. "What was that?" Several guards rush to the dungeons. What they find surprises them.
About five guards are standing in front of our cell, staring. "What? You act as if you've never seen a real Lion before? Doesn't your Legendbeast look like this?" The others are beginning to get up now and they quickly realize what happened to them. "Didn't really affect me much...but I feel more...powerful...no, that isn't it...feral?" It's David. He's somehow transformed into a massive Dragon, about the size of a tree that is 10 feet tall. He walks around the cell, then comes over to me. All the guards can do is start yelling at each other. "Why did we lock them in here for?! If we knew that this was to happen..." "Then let them out!" Then they all shut up and stand at attention. "It's Lagravis!"
The Lion King stops in front of our cell, taking David and I in. Then he smiles. "Well, it seems as if that sword of yours does something else. I think that you've learned your lesson-come out, all of you. I shall return to you what was taken by my guards. Meet me upstairs in the Throne Room." Then he turns and walks up the stairs. Two of the guards open the door and the eight of us leave the Dungeons.
The Throne Room (Lion Temple)
6:00 P.M.
Once the eight of us are back to normal (normal size that is), we begin to speak with the leaders of the Tribes about what has happened to us before coming back. I am currently leaning against one of the numerous pillars surrounding the room. I wait for a break in the conversation before speaking. "I believe that there is another person of beast that is controlling Henry. Why? Because he would have never acted like this. He would have never tried to kill us. Something happened. But what...that's what we don't know." "That's why we need to figure out who it is and deal with them." "We have no idea if they are on Chima. They could be anywhere." "I realize this. That's why we need to split up and look around. Maybe someone will find something." I stop leaning against the pillar and make my way out of the Throne Room, while Lagravis begins to make preparations.
