Chapter Twenty One
I felt pain searing through my body. I must have moved in my sleep and disturbed my wounds, because suddenly I was in so much pain I could hardly bear it. The worst was my back. I made an attempt to sit up and rubbed my eyes, glancing around the forest. Ashia was sitting huddled on a stump, staring at the dark portal, illuminated only by the moonlight. The stars still cluttered the dark forest sky. I found my feet and made my way over to Ashia, who hadn't noticed me until I spoke.
"You okay?" I asked. She turned startled, her eyes red and puffy. She rubbed at them and tried to prevent her voice from shaking.
"Y-yeah. I'm fine." She said glancing back at the portal, refusing to make eye contact. Was she crying? Gerudo women never cried. Of all the things, I didn't expect this. Ashia was so tough, determined, I couldn't see her ever crying over anything.
"I had no idea.. Ganondorf." I said, wracking my brain for a moment trying to find words, even though my mind was still trying to focus on my aching wounds. Ashia was covered in cuts too. her stomach was slit at least three different ways, and her pants had tears throughout the length. Her face was bruised and her lips were cut. "What happened in there anyway? Before, you know, we showed up?"
She let out a sigh and glanced down. "I wasn't expecting him. The stories passed down by the Gerudo's.. of your past. Link, I would never admit this to anyone, but they terrified me. Ganondorf, the fact that he tried to lead my people into the path of evil.. I always chose that I'd rather end my life than live under his rule for even a day." She glanced back up at me." I admired you, ever since I was a little girl.. How you faced him all on your own. I made a promise to myself, if I ever came to meet you, I'd never leave you to face him alone.. He was so strong Link. I fought for so long, and barely left a scratch on him. I felt so weak, but I refused to quit. If you hadn't shown up Link, I'd be dead.. and I am so sorry. You and Zelda were almost killed too.."
"Ashia." I said simply, stealing her gaze. "You didn't nearly get me killed, if anything you saved my life. I wouldn't ever want you to face him alone, I wouldn't want anybody to. I was so worried when I saw you unconscious back there. I didn't know what to do. I love you Ashia, you're my best friend. And I'll be damned if I lose you to Ganondorf. So don't you dare cry, because we're safe now. And we won't get separated anymore. I promise." She smiled, her eyes lighting up.
"Well, all my doubts about you being the Hero.. Heh, well I was wrong." I returned her smile, then glanced at Zelda who still lay on the forest floor. I noticed the bruises around her neck, and I felt sick. "She's been talking a lot in her sleep. I think she's having prophesies or something. She's alright though, just worn out I think."
I nodded, still watching over her. "How long have you been awake?"
"About an hour after we landed here I woke up. I've been forcing myself to stay awake, in case anything happened. It's been a couple hours, I don't know, I lost track." She glanced around the wood. "Hey Link, where's Fior?"
My stomach dropped and a knot formed in my throat. She'd gone in the portal with me.. but she wasn't with me there, and she wasn't with me now.. She never left. I blinked trying to find reason, as to where she was. "She never left the portal."
"Do you think it works the way it did for us, for fairies too?" Ashia asked, taking notice to the distressed look on my face.
"We have to go back. We can't-"
"Link." I whirled around to see Zelda standing directly behind me. Her blue eyes sparkling, obvious she had just woken from sleep. "We can't go back. We all almost got killed last time. If my intuition is right, Fior's biggest fear can't be any more dangerous than Ashia's. It might be harmless even.. just emotionally distressing, like mine was." Ashia and I both stared questioning, realizing neither one of us knew what she had faced in the portal. She realized this too, and her next words sort of ran together hastily trying to avoid the subject. "By now, Nokomis could have all the Sages collected. We need to find out what's while we were in there, and how long we were in there."
I sighed looking down, realizing she was right. Fior had sorta grown on me, and the thought of leaving her behind made me sick to my stomach. But I knew we had to worry about the seal residing now, more than anything. "Alright." I responded, wincing as I moved. For the first time, Zelda realized how wounded Ashia and I were.
"I think now would probably be the best time to stop in Kokiri Village on our way out, and get the two of you bandaged up." Her gaze lingered on me for a moment before she turned, and Ashia stood following her as I watched her walk away. The first time it really occurred to me since it happened back in the portal, that kiss, did it mean something? I mean, I know it meant something to her.. but did it actually mean something to me?
A Brief Interlude
Nokomis grinned as she appeared in the temple of time with the last Sage, Impa. She'd put a seal around the temple, preventing anyone from being able to enter, or sense the sages at all. She'd placed a sleeping curse on the sages already residing there, as the five lay scattered along the marble floor.
"I should have known." Impa spat, struggling to break loose from her bound hands, and Nokomis's grip.
"But you didn't." Nokomis smirked, leading Impa past the motionless bodies. "Always the last place you look isn't it? I figured you'd put up more of a fight, but no. You came pretty easily considering you were all alone up at that farm. Heh, that farm girl though. She's pretty brave, attacking me like that. That bratty Princess Zora's the one that put up the most fight though." Nokomis shook her head, glaring at the Zora's body, still at her feet. "Almost made me feel guilty having to kill so many of her army until she'd had enough."
"I'm beginning to think you're more heartless than Ganondorf himself. Killing those Zora's, what you did to Malon.. you're despicable." Impa spit at Nokomis.
Slamming Impa to the floor Nokomis grabbed her by her hair and lifted her face from the marble floor. "Oh you blasted Sages and the mouths on you, if I didn't need you Hyrule would be decorated in your blood right now." Impa began laughing, and Nokomis narrowed her eyes. "Find something funny about murdering you and all your little friends Sheikah?"
"It's just the fact you're so clueless. You think the Hero can't stop you? You're so naive, and you're so wrong. A little weakling fairy spirit like you belongs in a bottle. You have no reason, and you have no chance. Once the Hero gets a hold of you, you're done." Nokomis had heard enough. Slamming the Sheikahs face to the floor, she raised her hands and cast the curse on her too. Impa let out a breath as her eyes began to close, and her muscles relaxed. "The Hero will always prevail, and evil will never win." She was still, and Nokomis took a last glance at the helpless Sages, as she prepared herself to collect the final pieces to her plan: The Princess, and the Hero.
Chapter Twenty One Continued
"Hold still Ashia!" Zelda shouted. Ashia had done nothing but flinch ever since Zelda had begun bandaging her wounds with some bandages she'd purchased at a hut in the Village. We sat on the edge of a pond, that circulated water throughout the small village. For some reason, healing fairies were hard to come by lately, so Zelda managed the best she could to help Ashia and I.
"For a Gerudo, you're kinda flinchy." I teased, and was suddenly jabbed in the shoulder, sending pain through the wound that resided there. I groaned and she laughed. I crossed my arms glaring at the smirking Gerudo.
"Oh knock it off you two. I'm finished." Ashia stood, running her fingers across her mid-section, now entirely covered in bandages. It took me a moment to get used to my bandages too. They could be seen under the tears in my tunic.
"Aren't we a sight eh?" Ashia joked. She was right though, the three of us, blood stained and bandaged.
"Well, let's get going." I said standing. The three of us began making our way towards Hyrule Field. We'd made plans to head back to Lon Lon Ranch to find Impa. We still had no idea how long exactly we'd been in the portal, we feared it had been days though. Our last hope was to find Impa.
Stepping out into Hyrule Field, we all gazed up at the sky. It was deep into the night as we began walking along the fields. Unfortunately, the peaceful walk didn't last long long, because there was a loud crack, and we turned to see Nokomis, who began circling us. The three of us didn't hesitate, we pulled our swords almost at the same time. We stood back to back, narrowing our eyes, watching her every move. We weren't taking chances.
"Awe, so you survived my little trap in the woods. Pity. I spent a lot of time on setting that up. Barely survived though huh?" She smirked, eyeing the bandages. "I'm surprised you lived." She spoke now, eyeing Ashia. "How you managed to defeat my Master's Phantom is beyond me. But after all, it was only a phantom."
"Enough." I said, catching her attention. "Where's the Sages." The grin on her face made me sick. I knew the answer. She had them all. She came here now for us. I struck at her but she vanished. Suddenly the noise behind me caused me to spin on my heal as Zelda was surrounded in purple haze, and teleported out of sight. Ashia then drew her scimitars and lunged at Nokomis, knocking her to the ground. Ashia placed the scimitar against Nokomis's throat.
"Bring her back." She hissed pressing the scimitar into her skin, causing beads of blood to form. "Or I'll do it." Nokomis chuckled and Ashia was sent flying through the air and hit the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of her.
"I may need him, but I can dispose of you." She lifted her hand, a curse ready to strike Ashia. Ashia lay helpless, still attempting to catch her breath. As she sent it through the air, I dove between Ashia and the curse. I was instantly hit with what felt like thousands of needles. I fell to the ground, paralyzed, but my senses still worked because I could hear Nokomis let out a curse that rang through the field. I saw the purple haze around me, along with Nokomis. I felt my body being lifted, and the night sky of Hyrule vanished.
We were in the Temple of Time, I could hear the chant and see the marble roof. Everything was a blur. Blood. My blood and Zelda's blood. They were smeared against the wall that held closed the Chamber of Sages. The Sages were set in place, but they were all motionless. Zelda and I were placed near the pedestal in the center. Nokomis snapped her fingers, and the Sages were awakened. They're hands were forced into the air, even though they struggled. Coloured beams of light shot from their palms.
Zelda was standing too, eyeing me her eyes filled with tears. She was under Nokomis's control as well. I still couldn't move. I was trapped inside my own body by the curse. The temple began to shake. Zelda was surrounded by light. I was standing, even though I couldn't feel my feet. Nokomis had used her powers to bring me to my feet. Unable to control myself, I drew the Master Sword, and it plunged into the pedestal. A crack began forming throughout the entire temple. This was it. The seal had been broken.
I hit the ground. Something had caused Nokomis to lose focus. The Sages. They were disappearing. A figure, a blur of orange and pink appeared near them. And they were gone. One by one they vanished. A giant hole formed in the center of the temple. The figure then appeared next to me, but this time taking Zelda. Once it returned, I saw the face of the King of Evil, laughing, his eyes red glowing with hatred as he rose from the depths of the Sacred Realm. Everything went white. It was hard to comprehend everything that had just happened. And before I could even open my eyes to find out where the figure had taken the Sages and I, my senses failed, and I was asleep.