Chapter 14: She's All Alone Again
It had been a week since Link had sent her back home. Oddly, when she returned home that day and her parents weren't freaking out, Scarlet discovered that although she had been in Hyrule for quite a while, only a few hours had passed in her world. That only meant that if she had been back a week here, it must have been like a month there, and he still hadn't come back for her.
Scarlet was miserable the entire week. She had barely eaten, hadn't slept more than a couple hours, and missed school several times. Her parents were probably beginning to think she was suicidal. On the bright side, the black dye was actually fading from her hair. Oddly, it was fading so fast it was already back to her original colour.
She had lost weight, ever since ending up in Hyrule, and now that she was back she couldn't stomach anything. As clichéd as it sounded, it felt like Link had literally tore out her heart and stomped on it. He told her he loved her, and then sent her back to her world, never to be heard from again? Who did that?
Scarlet had nearly been killed on several occasions, actually had her first kiss, fallen in love, and now it was all gone. She was beginning to think she had just imagined it all. She went to touch her necklace, but it was gone, too. It must have fallen off at some point. More reason to believe none of this had even happened.
As time went on, Scarlet glanced in the mirror to see that her hair was still fading, even though it had already gone back to its natural colour. After two weeks had passed, and likely two months in Hyrule, her hair was so light blonde it was almost white. Weird… she thought, twirling a strand of her long, apparently platinum blonde hair between her fingers.
Hardly any of her clothes fit anymore, having lost weight. Taking the opportunity of the weekend, she decided to go shopping for some new ones. Returning from the mall with too more bags than she had the ability to carry, Scarlet felt quite content with herself.
Shopping was never a fun experience, but oddly now that she had lost weight, everything seemed to fit better and she felt more confident. She even decided to get contact lenses, as they wouldn't be as easily lost or broken as glasses. Not to mention less nerdy.
Eventually Monday came, and Scarlet's parents, noticing her new outlook on life, forced her to go to school. She woke early, despite her newfound confidence she was still having trouble sleeping, showered and took her time getting ready. Deciding on a pair of medium wash skinny jeans from American Eagle, she pulled them up and topped them off with the brown belt Malon had given her.
It could totally pass for modern. She pulled a light grey tank over her head, also American Eagle, with a sweetheart top, gathered just under the bust, and loose the rest of the way down. Finishing it off with a black cardigan and beige moccasins, Scarlet glanced in the mirror before heading out. Oddly, she actually liked what she saw. Her hair, light blonde and wavy, fell to just below her chest now.
Throwing on a pair of sunglasses, which she could wear now without the annoyance of glasses, Scarlet hopped in her mom's car and drove to school. The end of the school year was approaching, and Scarlet could taste freedom. The May air was warm and comforting, as she pulled into the parking lot of hell.
This is going to be a good day… she told herself, before emerging from the car. Swinging her purse over her shoulder, she set off into the hallway. She was met with stares, something that had never happened before, unless she had embarrassed herself. Raising an eyebrow, Scarlet placed her sunglasses on her head, and continued on down the hall, confused.
People were staring at her left and right, and she could not figure out why. Do I have something on my face? What is it? She wondered.
Suddenly Alice bumped into her. Great… Scarlet groaned inwardly. "Hey, watch where you're…" Alice started, and then looked Scarlet up and down. "Who are you?" She asked.
Scarlet made a face. Seriously, this girl had tortured her for five years, and she suddenly couldn't remember her name? "Oh my god, no way…" Alice gasped. "You're Scarlet! What happened? You look so different!" She exclaimed.
"Nothing happened, Alice, I'm still the same person." Scarlet sighed, and brushed past her.
As Scarlet was driving home that day, she passed by the park, and nearly crashed as all the memories came flooding back to her. Making a hasty lane change, Scarlet pulled into the parking lot and stopped, just sitting in her car, staring at the expanse of green.
After much hesitation, she got out, locked her car, and slowly walked onto the grass. She imagined a green clad figure lying in the grass, with pointy ears… It felt like it had been ages, when it had only been two weeks, at least in her world. It had been much longer than that in Hyrule. Had he really forgotten about her already?
Walking around the huge park, Scarlet lost track of time. She had wandered into the wooded area of the park, and as she was finding her way back, realized it was already dark. Scolding herself, Scarlet carefully treaded through the trees, squinting in the darkness.
Eventually she emerged from the trees, only to walk right into something. Or someone, as she found out a moment later. That someone grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, and all she saw was a glint of light off his teeth before she was shoved back into the forest.
Landing roughly on her behind, Scarlet groaned. Her attacker was on her in a second, forcing her to the ground and kneeling over her. Suddenly, a big hand wrapped around her throat, constricting her breath, and preventing her from crying out. He traced thick fingers down her chest and over her stomach, fumbling with her pants button.
Scarlet kicked her legs furiously, but he had her arms and legs pinned down. Removing his other hand to attempt the button again, Scarlet took her opportunity to scream as loudly as she could. Her attacker, clearly annoyed by this, struck her across the face, and then held what felt like a knife to her throat.
All of a sudden, Scarlet heard a loud thud and the man, swaying, landed on top of her. "Ew, ew, ew…" She whimpered, trying to shove him off. Someone else did it for her, tossing the man to the side with ease. Her saviour held out his hand, and she took it, rising to her feet.
Squinting, Scarlet tried to make out the face of this stranger, and when she finally did, she almost had a heart attack. It was Link. He looked very haggard, he had even grown a bit of scruff on his chin. Her mouth hanging open, Scarlet remembered that she had begun to resent him for ditching her, and brushed right past him without a word.
He grabbed her arm, gently, though. "Scar…" He whispered.
"Don't call me that." Scarlet snapped, without turning around.
There was a pause, then Link spun her around to face him, and pulled her into his arms. Stunned, Scarlet didn't know what else to do, so she just gave in, resting her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist.
They stood like that for a long time, just holding each other. "I'm so sorry," he said into her hair finally.
Pulling away from him slightly, Scarlet looked up at his worried expression, and hers softened. "It's okay. You were just trying to protect me. I get it."
Link smiled. Looking down at her, her kissed her gently, and it was the most amazing thing that had happened to her in a long time. "I shouldn't have sent you back. There's… there's something you need to know." He said quietly. Then he noticed her hair. "Your hair…" he said. "It's so light!"
"Yeah, I don't know, it just kept on fading, even after it was back to normal. It's so weird." Scarlet remarked.
Link cupped her cheek in his hand, tilting her face up towards him. "Your eyes are different too…" he commented. "They're more brown." He said quietly, staring off into space like he was deep in thought about something.
Now this Scarlet hadn't noticed. "Really?" She wondered.
Link nodded. "Yeah. Anyways, you need to come back with me." He said, pulling her towards the middle of the park.
Scarlet frowned. "Oh, I need to, do I?"
Link made a face. "Don't be like that," he said. "I came back for you. I said I was sorry, what more do you want, Scarlet?" He sighed.
"Relax, I'm just joking." Scarlet snorted, smacking him lightly on the arm. Link bristled awkwardly at her touch. After a moment, he grabbed her wrist lightly and as they walked his hand slowly slid down to hers.
Scarlet decided that she didn't mind. A while ago she might have pushed him away, but for once in her life someone was actually paying attention to her… good attention, not the taunting and ruthless torture that Alice had put her through.
They stopped in the very centre of the grass; the same spot where she had first met Link. Scarlet vaguely wondered why they had to be in the exact same spot to travel to and from Hyrule. Link his Ocarina out from a pocket and was about to place it to his lips when Scarlet spoke up. "So what was it that I should know?" She wondered, folding her arms over her tank top.
Link looked deep in thought again. "It's probably something you should hear from the source," he said awkwardly.
Scarlet made a face. "And who might this source be, exactly?" She asked. Her question wasn't answered though, for Link had already played a song and a blue ring of light had enveloped them and whisked them away to Hyrule.
Scarlet felt her stomach get left behind in the park, and felt like she would hurl. They tumbled through black nothingness, clinging to each other's hands for dear life, and finally fell into the vast expanse of Lake Hylia. Scarlet, somewhat expecting that to happen, nonetheless still emerged coughing and spluttering.
She was rather unimpressed with the fact that her clothes and hair were now sopping wet. She glared at Link while treading water, her jeans weighing her down. "Is there nowhere else you can warp to?" She groaned. "You know, somewhere with a little less water?"
Link laughed, dumping water out of his hat. "I don't know, for some reason this spot is the only place where the way between the worlds will open." He chuckled, and then splashed her.
"Well, isn't that convenient…" Scarlet scoffed sarcastically. She scowled and splashed him back, and then turned and dove underwater, taking off towards the shore. Link followed swiftly, an adept swimmer, especially after having traversed the water temple.
Scarlet clambered up onto the muddy shore, shaking her blonde hair and wringing the water out. Link followed, and they stood there for a moment in silence. Scarlet broke it by addressing Link again. "So… as you were saying?"
Link glanced at her. "There's… there's a reason why you are the only one able to travel to Hyrule; why it was you that found me in the park and not someone else." He said slowly, staring at the clouds.
Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She wondered.
Link shook his head and started walking away from the shore, pulling out the Ocarina again. "I can't explain it," he said mysteriously. "We'll leave that up to Impa." Link said, and then went on to play the song that called his horse, Epona.
Scarlet made a face. "Impa?" She repeated. "Who the heck is Impa?"
Link helped her up onto Epona's saddle and then climbed up in front of her. "You'll see," he said vaguely. "She's the sage of shadow, guardian of the shadow temple… and one of the last known of descendents of the Sheikah race." He went on to explain as they rode out onto Hyrule field.
Scarlet rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see. "Can you please explain to me in a way that actually makes sense?" She scoffed.
Link sighed. "The sages are the guardians of the Sacred Realm. Evil is banished there and prevented from escaping by the sages. There are six of them, including Princess Zelda." He explained. Scarlet hummed in understanding. "Impa is the sage of shadow. The Sheikah are a nearly extinct race, with white hair and red eyes. They have always been the guardians and protectors of the royal family of Hyrule. We're not entirely certain what happened to them. Perhaps they were killed in the Seven Year's war, or the civil war before that. No one knows for sure." He went on.
Scarlet nodded, and then remembered that he couldn't see her. "Okay…" She said slowly of the sound of the wind rushing past their ears. "But what does that have to do with me?" She wondered.
Link shook his head. "Impa will have to tell you that herself." He said solemnly.
Scarlet shook her head. What was he keeping from her? Why was he being so mysterious? What could this Impa person possibly have to tell her that was so important Link couldn't do it? It's not like I'm important… Scarlet thought. Although since she had gotten here, Link was the only one who had made her feel important.
Nobody had ever made her feel the way that he did. The way he made her feel was indescribable – so much so that it scared her. Like she had told him, embarrassingly so, she had never had a boyfriend. They had hardly paid any attention to her in high school. Maybe it was because her body was still boyish and lacked the womanly curves that every other girl seemed to have.
But Link noticed her. He protected her, he worried about her, and he had even saved her life several times. What high school boy did that? Then again, if Link lived in her world, he was the same age, so he would have been in high school too. He was so many firsts for her – her first real friend, her first kiss, her first… love. But she hadn't told him that yet. She hadn't gotten the chance, he had sent her a billion miles away first.
Scarlet realized that she had basically drifted off into space, and Link was shaking her back to reality. "We're here," he said.
Climbing down from Epona, Scarlet recognized Kakariko Village. So this was where they would find this Impa person? Scarlet was still baffled as to what she could possibly have to say. Shrugging it off for now, Scarlet waited while Link found a fence to tie Epona up to. Then they walked together through the relatively deserted town towards a windmill.
Scarlet meekly followed Link through a stone archway and into a fenced off area that turned out to be a graveyard. Scarlet shuddered. Cemeteries had always creeped her out, and this one had a particularly eerie feel to it. They climbed up to a higher grass platform that overlooked the graveyard, and were faced with a dark opening in the cliff wall.
Scarlet suddenly felt nauseas. Link turned to her and grasped her hand in his as they walked down the stairs into the darkness. Immediately the darkness disappeared as they emerged into a circular room filled with dozens of torches. Scarlet was awestruck and also slightly afraid that she would catch herself on fire.
Link pulled her into the centre of the room, where they waited in silence. After a moment, a figure appeared out of the shadows in front of them. Scarlet was taken aback, as she wasn't really sure what she should have been expecting. A woman stepped forward, tall, white haired and red-eyed with a commanding presence. She was clad in armor, with white paint beneath her eyes.
Scarlet found herself taking a step back, because this woman's presence was so fierce that she couldn't look up and face her. Impa stepped towards them from the shadows and held out her hand to Scarlet. She took it hesitantly, instantly feeling very small in the sage's firm grip. "I'm Impa," she introduced herself in a deep, powerful voice.
Scarlet let go of her hand quickly. "I-I know…" She muttered. "I mean, I'm Scarlet." Link rolled his eyes at her.
Impa smiled, and instantly Scarlet felt a lot more comfortable in her presence. "I know," she said, laughing. "Come, sit." She said, leading them to the round platform in the centre of the room. Link and Scarlet followed and sat down on the edge next to each other, while Impa remained standing, pacing back and forth.
"So, what did you have to tell me?" Scarlet asked hesitantly.
Impa stopped pacing, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "My people, the Sheikah, are a race that have been long lost to Hyrule. Most of them were killed in war, serving as protectors of the royal family. Many perished in the civil wars before Link's time, and even more in the Seven Year's War after that." She began.
"I am the only remaining Sheikah in Hyrule. Following the Seven Year's War, the few remaining Sheikah used their powers to open the way between the worlds. They travelled to another world in order to save our race, and closed off the way behind them." She continued. "In order to not attract attention to themselves in their new home, the Sheikah used magic to disguise their appearances, hiding their white hair and red eyes and Elvin ears to appear human."
Scarlet noticed that Link was staring at her. She had been too entranced by Impa's story to notice at first. Scarlet shot him a look and he glanced away, blushing slightly. She fiddled with her hair as Impa went on.
"Scarlet," she said slowly, turning to look the girl directly in the eyes. "You are one of the descendents of those Sheikah that travelled to another world. It was your world."
Scarlet wasn't sure how to react. She wasn't even certain she had heard Impa right. Had she drifted off into her imagination where she was actually supposed to belong in a land filled with sword wielding heroes and evil monsters? Her mouth fell open and just kind of hung there stupidly, and she shook her head as if trying to clear her cluttered thoughts. "I'm sorry, what?" She burst out.
Link jabbed her arm with his elbow and gave her a pointed look. She hadn't meant to be rude, but this didn't make any sense to her. Why Scarlet? Why not any of of the other billions of people on earth? Why her? She didn't understand this. It was too much to take in all at once. Why was she so special?
Impa smiled warmly. "I know it's a lot to take in," she said, almost reading Scarlet's mind. "But it's all true. My ancestors foretold of a day when this would happen, when the Sheikah would return to Hyrule once again. Our race is not extinct after all, it seems." She said happily, glancing down at Scarlet.
Scarlet blushed as she noticed that now both Link and Impa were staring at her. "Haven't you wondered why your hair was changing colour? Why your eyes have changed colour?" Impa went on, raising a white eyebrow.
Scarlet glanced down at her hair. It was so light now that it was nearly white, although it still had a faint golden tint to it. She could see a blurry reflection of herself in Impa's armor, and her eyes were a deep brown, almost burgundy. The sage had a point; people's eyes didn't go around just changing colour, unless they were contacts. And she was pretty sure she hadn't bought colour contacts.
Scarlet stared at the ground at her feet. "Why… why wouldn't my parents tell me?" She wondered slowly, feeling betrayed.
Impa paused, folding her arms over her chest. "It is likely that they did not know," she explained. "But I'm not sure why they didn't tell you that you were adopted."
Scarlet swallowed a lump in her throat, suddenly feeling sick. "I can't believe this," she said suddenly, standing up. "I can't believe they didn't tell me," she continued angrily. Scarlet strode past Link and Impa and through the torches to the doorway where they came in without another word.
She emerged into the graveyard only to find that it had started to rain. Ignoring it, Scarlet folded her arms over her chest and jogged down the hill and past the tombstones. Her hair was already plastered to her cheeks and she could feel her clothes soaking right through, but she kept walking. At least just to get out of this creepy graveyard.
Link caught up to her quickly. "Scar, wait!" He called after her. She could barely make out his voice over the thundering rain. Ignoring him, Scarlet kept walking. He caught up to her, grabbing her wrist gently. "Please, don't walk away… you can't walk away from this, Scarlet." He said quietly.
Glancing down at his hand, Scarlet bit her lip and pulled her arm out of his grasp. "I just wanna be alone right now, okay?" She whispered.
Link nodded after a moment, and led her back into the village. Her showed her to the inn where they would be staying that night, and then left her alone, like she wanted. Immediately after he disappeared through the door Scarlet regretted her decision. All she really wanted was for him to hold her and tell her everything was okay.
She wanted him to tell her that her parents hadn't lied to her for seventeen years and that she was just a normal human being. Despite the fact that Scarlet had always felt like she hadn't quite belonged in her world, it had just been a normal teenage thing – 'I don't fit in' didn't necessarily mean 'I'm actually part of an ancient race of warriors who disappeared from a far away land called Hyrule'.
Scarlet stood up and walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall. The room was filled with the soft light of several candles. Looking up, Scarlet didn't recognize the person in front of her. Her hair was longer than it had been; it fell just to her chest. Leaning closer, Scarlet inspected her eyes. They had been a greyish colour all her life, except when she was a child when they had been bright blue. Now they were brown? What was happening to her?
She found that there were dry clothes laid out on the bed for her. Thankfully, they didn't include a dress. There was a white cotton top with three-quarter length sleeves, and a ruched empire waist with an eyelet design and buttons on the bust. Along with the top went a pair of black cotton straight leg pants. On the floor beside the bed were a pair of brown boots similar to the ones Malon had leant her, as wells as a pair of socks.
Scarlet peeled off her wet clothes and discarded them on the bed. She dried herself off with a towel and slipped into the clothes, inspecting herself in the mirror. She looked like a completely different person. Her hair was still damp, but it was drying curlier than it had been before.
She looked up with a start when the door opened. Link stepped in hesitantly, peering through the doorway before closing it behind him. "Are you… should I…" he stammered. "Are you going to bite my head off or can I come in?" He asked finally.
Scarlet smiled weakly. "Yeah, it's fine."
Link sighed in relief. He was soaking wet, so he took off his hat and placed it on the dresser, shaking his head. He messed his hair up with his hand, and smiled at her tentatively. "You know, if you wanna talk…" he offered.
Scarlet shook her head. "Not now," she said, brushing him off.
Link nodded, walking over to where she was standing by the mirror. "You look nice," he commented, eyeing her up and down. "I mean, you don't even look like you anymore but… it's not a bad look for you," he added.
Scarlet rolled her eyes, blushing a bit. She glanced down at herself, suddenly clutching at her neck where her necklace should have been. "Link, I…" she said quietly. "Your necklace, I don't know where it went…"
He shook his head. "It's okay," he said, smiling. "It must have fallen off when…" he broke off, recalling the events before he had sent her home. He had been wrong; he thought she didn't belong in Hyrule but she did, according to Impa. He could see it with his own eyes, she was transforming right in front of him. She almost resembled a Sheikah, not a trace of her human self was left, except her ears, apparently.
They stared at each other in silence for a while. Scarlet looked down at her feet, shifting uncomfortably. "I think I owe you an apology," Link said suddenly, reaching out and taking her hand in his. "Again," he added.
Scarlet blushed at his touch, glancing down at her hand in his. He pulled her closer to him, and she looked back up to see his ice blue eyes looking into hers. He leaned down and kissed her lips softly, and she kissed him back tentatively. Last time this had happened she had been sent a billion miles away not a minute later, so naturally she was a little hesitant in case it happened again.
Link pulled away from her, smiling. Scarlet smiled shyly, still blushing. "Link, I…" she started. Her sentence was interrupted by a loud bang from outside, loud enough to make their ear drums ring.
Link squeezed her arms, and said, "Hold that thought," and then rushed over to the window, looking out. He had to duck two seconds later when something came smashing through the window where his head had been a moment before. Scarlet ducked too, throwing her arms over her head.
Link stood, and noticed that it was a flaming crossbow bolt. Glancing back over his shoulder just in time, Link knocked Scarlet back to the floor as another bolt came flying through the window and struck the wall behind her. He shielded her body with his, but it didn't appear like any more would be coming.
Sitting up, Link looked down at her. She looked slightly shocked, but other than that she didn't appear to be injured. "Are you okay?" He asked anyway, holding out his hand to help her up. She took it after a moment, and he pulled her to her feet.
"Yeah," she muttered, her eyes wide.
Link suddenly noticed that a lantern had been knocked over, and the flames from the bolt were quickly spreading across the floor towards the oil. He quickly grabbed his hat, sword and shield, and pulled Scarlet out of the room. They dashed out the front door moments before the building burst into flames.
Scarlet glanced behind them once they were safely out of the way, her mouth hanging open. They had just been in there not a minute ago, and now the building was up in flames. This was beginning to get ridiculous. Link grabbed her hand and pulled her up some stairs and behind a house that wasn't on fire. They stopped for a moment to catch their breath.
"What's going on?" Scarlet wondered, feeling a bit panicky.
Link inspected his sword, peering around the corner of the building. "I suspect the Gerudo have something to do with it," he replied after a moment.
Scarlet glanced over her shoulder nervously and moved closer to Link. "What happened while I was gone?" She asked.
Link sighed, turning back to face her. They were standing only a few inches apart. "Not a whole lot, actually," he said. "Which is why this doesn't surprise me."
Scarlet nodded, feeling like any moment someone could creep up behind them. "Do they know…?" She asked quietly. "About me?"
Link looked at her. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "Hopefully not. We can't let them find out, either."
"Find out what?" A voice said from behind them.
Scarlet whirled around and Link stepped out from behind her. A Gerudo Scarlet didn't recognize was standing in front of them, hands on her hips and grinning, her teeth glinting in the firelight. The fire from the burning houses, that is. "None of your business," Scarlet shot back hastily.
Link rolled his eyes at her but stood in front of her protectively. The Gerudo laughed. Why were they all so damn cocky about everything? Link was just going to beat them anyway, so why were they so confident? "It may not be mine, but any business of yours is business of my Queen's." She snarled.
Link hefted his shield on his right arm, gripping his sword. "Hardly," he scoffed, but didn't make the first move. The Gerudo winked at him and swiftly unsheathed two familiar looking curved blades from behind her back, and then lunged.
Scarlet jumped back out of the way, planting her hands against the brick wall behind her. She wished she had a weapon of some sort, at least to attempt to protect herself with while Link was otherwise occupied.
She watched with baited breath as Link fended off attack after attack from the Gerudo, but she was quick and he was tiring fast. The woman spun around him lightning fast and swung her swords at his unprotected back. They both hit their mark, and Scarlet winced when she saw whip-like wounds down his back.
She was edging around the corner of the house slowly when someone grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth. Scarlet tried to cry out but it was muffled. She was dragged away to who knows where, and then finally released. Scarlet glanced up at her attacker, panting, and realized that it was Impa, and she had carried Scarlet to safety on a rooftop. "What about Link?" She demanded, glancing back down to where he was fighting off the Gerudo.
"He'll manage," the sage told her, although it wasn't very comforting. "Stay here!" Impa told her sternly, and then swiftly jumped off the rooftop and landed gracefully on the ground below.
Scarlet fumed. "I'm just supposed to sit up here and do nothing?" She grumbled to herself. "Not likely…" Glancing at the wreckage around her, Scarlet saw a village on fire, bodies strewn across the ground and battles taking place everywhere she looked. She doubted anyone would notice her slip through the smoke.
Finding a foothold, Scarlet climbed down the side of the house and landed unsteadily on the grass below. Getting her bearings, she ran across the village, pausing to hide behind buildings and slowly edge around the corner. She saw a sign hanging off a building up ahead that read Bazaar, with crudely drawn images of weapons.
Grinning slyly, Scarlet made sure no one was looking, and then made a mad dash for the store. Safely inside, she collapsed against the door, breathing heavily. She found a chair to block the door with, just in case, and then searched vainly behind the counter for a weapon. She eventually came up with a sword, and lifted it off the shelf.
She hadn't entirely been anticipating how heavy it would be, so she lost her grip and the tip struck the wooden floor. "No!" Scarlet cried out, yanking on the hilt as hard as she could, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, she heard deep laughter from a darkened doorway behind the counter. Expecting another Gerudo attack, Scarlet vainly tried to pull out the sword again, but to no avail.
Looking up, she was surprised to see several Hylian men emerge from the shadows, all big and burly and several feet taller than she was. Biting her lip, Scarlet scurried backwards behind the counter and managed to find a smaller knife, easier to wield. However, that didn't help the fact that she was stuck behind the counter, the three men advancing on her slowly.
The one in the middle, the tallest and thickest, grinned a toothy grin. "What do we have here?" He cackled, slurring his words slightly.
Shuddering, Scarlet backed up against the wall, brandishing the knife. The men laughed at her again, making her feel very small and insignificant. She had thought the town was mostly deserted once the Gerudo attack had begun, but apparently everyone was just in hiding. The tallest man advanced on her, closing the distance between them in one stride.
Scarlet gulped, the hand holding the knife shaking uncontrollably. She jabbed at him uselessly with it, but it may as well have been a butter knife, for it bounced off his rough skin like plastic and cluttered to the floor. Scarlet gasped and quickly looked back up in time to be roughly yanked to her feet and held a few inches off the floor by the burly Hylian.
He pushed her up against the wall, his huge hand enclosing her throat. Scarlet kicked her feet frantically, gasping for air, and tried to pry his pudgy fingers off her neck. Failing that, she brought up her leg and swiftly kicked him in the gut as hard as she could with her boot. It didn't do much, but it was enough to make him falter; his hand loosened its grip and she fell to the floor in a heap.
Feeling a bruised tailbone coming on, Scarlet struggled to scramble to her feet before they could grab her again. She managed, but there were still three of them, one of her, and a counter blocking the way to the door. Scarlet was running out of ideas, and running out of time. The bigger man had recovered, and now looked very angry, his face dark.
Scarlet was frozen, immobile like a deer in the headlights, and he grabbed her hair roughly and slammed her body against the wooden counter. Wincing in pain, she tried to pull herself free but he had a firm grip. The other men advanced on her, each grabbing an arm with their dirty fingers and pulling at her. "No!" Scarlet protested, but her voice could barely be heard over the clamour outside.
Squirming, she forced herself up on the counter so that her elbows were supporting her and her hips were on the edge, and with the most energy she could muster pulled herself free and with the force rolled across the counter and onto the floor, leaving behind a sleeve from her top and several strands of hair from her head.
Wincing from the impact, she tried to crawl across the floor, but a sharp pain in her shoulder was preventing her from moving very fast. They were on her in a second, pulling her to her feet painfully, and surrounding her, their filthy hands all over her. At that moment, the door burst inwards with a shower of wood and the chair went skidding across the floor.
Scarlet struggled and through them she saw Link storm into the room, looking around frantically. When his eyes landed on the scene before him, his face grew dark with anger and he raised his sword. The men, seeing Link, shoved Scarlet roughly in his direction, and she stumbled forwards and fell to her knees beside him.
They laughed and Link advanced on them, stepping in front of her protectively. He shook his head, and the two smaller men attacked him first, with their bare fists. Link shoved one away with his shield, sending him flying across the room, and whirled on the other with his sword to the man's throat. Cowering, he backed away and ran through the doorway as fast as he could. The other, who had stumbled over the chair, got to his feet and joined the other man quickly, leaving just the one.
Link turned on the burly Hylian, swinging his sword with ease. Growling, the man lunged forwards but Link quickly jumped to the side out of the way. Being smaller, he could move much faster than the bigger Hylian. The man lunged again, his huge shoulder colliding with Link and smashing him up against the wall.
Link recovered quickly, stepping over the debris from the door, and held out his shield in front of him. The man came at him again, fists flying, but Link blocked every attack. Scarlet turned painfully to look over her shoulder, and saw that Link's back was still torn open from the Gerudo's twin blades. He fought on like he couldn't feel a thing, and swiftly hefted his shield up and smashed it into the other man's face.
While the other Hylian was stunned momentarily, Link brought the sharp edge of his sword up against the man's throat. This time the larger man looked frightened. Link leaned up and growled through his teeth, "If you ever touch her, or any other woman ever again, I'll gut you like the pig you are." Pressing his sword hard enough to draw blood, Link let go, and the man scurried through the doorway like a dog with his tail between his legs.
Link dropped his sword and shield and turned to kneel beside Scarlet, his expression softening. He held out his hand to her, and she took it with her right hand, thinking that her left arm wouldn't be able to withstand any movement at the moment. Her right sleeve had been torn off by the Hylians, and her top was now hanging off her shoulder, exposing her bra strap on one side. Her head was stinging where a clump of hair had been torn out, and she was pretty sure she had dislocated her shoulder.
She was shaking, and Link gently pulled her into his strong arms. Scarlet pressed her face into his chest, wrapping her good arm around his waist, careful not to touch his wounds. They didn't say anything for a long time, until finally Link whispered into her ear, "Are you okay?"
Scarlet shook her head violently, thoroughly shaken by what had just happened. Her tailbone was definitely bruised, and everything was sore from being shoved around. Link softly kissed the top of her head, and then pulled away, squeezing her hand. He walked behind the counter and emerged with a dagger that was smaller than the sword stuck in the floor, but would do more damage than the butter knife she had tried to use earlier.
He handed the knife and a sheath to Scarlet, who was still trembling, and she attached the sheath to her belt. "I'm sorry," Link said somberly. "I shouldn't have left you vulnerable like that," he said sadly, staring at the floor.
Scarlet shook her head, holding her left arm and wincing. "You were… busy," she said, brushing it off. Not that it would be that easily brushed off. She wouldn't be able to get the feeling of those men's dirty fingers off of her for a long time. Scarlet moved closer to him and walked around him, inspecting his back. "You're hurt," she commented.
She noticed the ragged clothing on his back, the deep, angry red wounds that looked like lashes and traced her finger along the fabric of his tunic where it wasn't ripped. Link turned to look at her over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "So are you," he replied.
Scarlet moved back to stand in front of him again and he took her hand in his. "What's happening out there?" She wondered.
"We've managed to fend them off, for now." He said solemnly. "But they'll be back. Again and again until they get what they want."
Already knowing the answer, Scarlet glanced up at him and wondered, "And what is that?"
"Me," he replied simply, and let go of her hand. "Do you think you can make it up Death Mountain?" He asked suddenly, moving towards the doorway and picking up his sword and shield.
Scarlet nodded and followed him outside into a scene of utter carnage. The town was gutted, the flames had torn apart buildings and burnt down homes, leaving nothing in their wake. Bodies, both Gerudo and Hylian, were scattered across the grass. But everything was still, and eerily silent. Impa strode towards them, sheathing her sword. "Is everyone okay?" She asked.
Link and Scarlet glanced at each other. "Relatively," they responded simultaneously.
Impa nodded and the three of them started walking, painfully and slowly, up the mountain towards safety. Another sage was on their side now, so surely they would be able to come up with a plan. Right?