Kaepora flapped at the ground to soften the landing for the riders, once again setting Link down on the ground before actually landing. Vaati jumped off of the large owl, a slight breeze softening his own landing. A little green speck held onto his cape on his shoulder.
"Are you sure you'd rather stay as a Minish while we're here, Ezlo?" Link asked, looking at the green speck that nodded.
"Of course! This way I wont get in the way of battle if it may come, and you wont have to explain an elder following you around. I'm sure the Hylians would consider that 'creepy'." Ezlo said.
"Wow you thought of everything! ...Are you sure it isn't just because you don't want to walk on your own?"
"What? Whatever gave you that idea!" The minish yelled, Link still finding it odd to hear Ezlo yelling without the "SQWACK!" he was used to.
"Well, when we first met you attacked my head because you couldn't keep up."
"I DIDN'T HAVE FEET!"
Vaati rolled his eyes. "I could always turn you back into a hat. It'd be like old times."
"ACK! Don't even THINK about it, Vaati!"
"Actually I kind of like that idea."
"LINK!"
Ezlo continued arguing with the hero and ex-villain, shaking his fist comically in which Link poked him, causing the minish to fall off balance and cling to Vaati's shoulder for support. Kaepora watched it all from the background, once again becoming forgotten. He swore that he sweat-dropped as if he were in a game when Vaati began acting as if he were preparing a spell to change his master into a hat again, Link playing along and Ezlo nearly having a heart attack as he cursed at both of them.
The owl sighed before taking off again. These are the heroes and their teacher? Nayru save us...
Ezlo stepped onto Link's hand as they neared Hyrule Town, a sounds seemed to have silenced slightly since their last visit. Link frowned at the lack of noise, knowing his home to be full of children that would shout and play. Now it seemed as if Hyrule were mourning, even the skies seemed to darken.
"That doesn't seem right." Ezlo said, voicing all of their concerns. "Have the Hylians gotten less excitable since I remember?"
"No. Something must've happened...We need to find the goddesses fast; I have a bad feeling." Link said, looking as if he were going to be sick.
"You and Master need to go look for them." Vaati almost commanded, his gut also telling him of bad things. "I'll ask around if anything has happened."
Link nodded and Ezlo tilted his head in confusion, not understanding if Hyrule had forgiven his successor or not. As Link ran into Hyrule Town, Vaati took to the skies, going to the direction of Minish Woods. Link quickly ran a beeline for one of the houses he had unknowingly helped one of the goddesses find, not even bothering to knock on the door. Two girls gasped as the door opened but quickly changed into smiles once they recognized Link. A tan girl with a perfect hourglass figure smiled sweetly, her red hair pulled back into a long ponytail.
"Link, how are you!" She greeted, not offended at all that he just ran into her house. The girl at the table smiled and waved, a cute smile on her face. She, too, was beautiful with her green locks pulled into short pigtail-buns. Both wore an outfit to match their hair color.
"Din! Farore! ...wow how did I not put that together?" Link said, rubbing the back of his neck. Both girls blinked in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" The red-head, Din, asked.
"Never mind. I need your and Nayru's help!"
"She's...at her house...May I ask why?" Farore asked, clearly lost.
"I know you three are the goddesses. I need your power to help save Hyrule again."
Din and Nayru blinked, not any less confused than they already were. Ezlo sighed and waved, directing their attention to him and put the palms of his hands together in a prayer-like pose; his eyes closed and head tilted down.
"O goddesses of old, I pray to thee. Your land is casted into darkness, while hosts still alive. Awaken them and fill them with the power you once possessed so that we may save Hyrule once again." As he prayed, Din and Farore were bathed in a holy light that seemed to have come from nowhere, once he stopped praying the light dimmed and faded.
"What...was that?" Link asked as the girls blinked.
"They were not yet fully realized. Unaware that they possessed the power of the goddesses. Now they know." Ezlo explained and Farore gasped.
"The Minish Sage...and Link!" She said almost breathlessly. "Yes, how can we help?"
As soon as Vaati landed, monsters of different species attacked, seeming to have come from nowhere. He quickly tore each one apart, using the wind as his blade. The ones that had come far enough to touch him had their necks broken manually by him. He growled as he spilled the blood of another Octorock.
I guess that answers my questions! He thought to himself, continuing to be surrounded by the ambush.
He severed many limbs from monsters and decapitated even more, going for the fatal kills instead of actually fighting. But more and more kept coming, bodies upon bodies of monsters were quickly decomposing into ash and blew away as he wind-slashed more. Having enough of being toyed with, he quickly spun in a circle; the wind following him and produced an altered version of the famous Spin Attack. The monsters remaining didn't seem intimidated at all; acting as if they were blood-thirsty zombies. Vaati glared at broke another monster's neck, not even bothering to see what species it was.
"Incoming." The wind carried the words to Vaati, who paused slightly and allowed a monster to grab ahold of him.
Seconds later a large brown blur made a perfect circle around Vaati near the ground, taking out all of the surrounding monsters and also knocking off the one that had put him in a headlock. The monsters remaining all looked dazed, allowing Vaati to produce another Wind Spin Attack to finish the rest of them. Nearly a second after the spin attack faded, Vaati felt himself being lifted into the air by talons gripping onto his arms. He sighed and looked up at Kaepora Gaebora.
"Thanks. That was vicious."
"My pleasure." Kaepora said, nodding. "It seems that all of Hoot-rule is waiting for an ambush."
Vaati looked down at the land, seeing the hidden monsters placed in different locations as if for war. He glared, his heart full of hatred.
"The Big Guy...I mean...Ganondorf is getting stronger...Or Zelda is getting weaker..."
"Or maybe both." Kaepora added to the possibilities.
"Right." Vaati said depressingly, his bangs covering his face.
"Minish Sage Ezlo has informed me that they have gathered the goddesses and the Princess." Kaepora said, changing the subject. "I shall take your to where they await. Hold on, hoot hoot!"
"I should be telling YOU to hold on." Vaati said, looking at the talons that held him up.
Kaepora quickly descended, tilting his wings and combined body weight to turn in the direction they need and flapping when they need to go up. He flew in the direction of Hyrule Town and circled it slightly, like a vulture to its meal before flapping and facing the direction of Hyrule Castle, descending slightly as they went forward. Hyrule Town quickly passed under them, and Vaati found himself looking at the fields located between the Castle and it's Town. He saw a few people gathered in the middle of four trees; a place he remembered from his villain days.
"I'll be dropping you off, now! Good luck, hoot hoot!" Kaepore said before unclenching his talons, sending Vaati down towards the land. He quickly slowed his speed and landed next to Zelda and Link softly, hearing the end of their conversation.
"You're sick! You need to go lay down, the goddesses can handle this!" Link said, frowning at Zelda.
"Link, don't treat me like Father does. I have to help!" Zelda argued in return.
The three girls nearby rolled their eyes and smiled at their friendship. The girl with striking blue hair stepped forward.
"We must begin. The Princess can assist us. We will make sure she can withstand such power to be extracted from her." She said softly, her eyes seemingly the same shade as her hair.
Link sighed and nodded, allowing his best friend to stand next to the three goddesses. Ezlo cleared his throat.
"Vaati is here, now we can continue!" He announced, which everyone but Link seemed to have already noticed Vaati. "Din, Nayru, Farore, Princess Zelda! Please lend us your power!"
The four girls nodded and stood in a certain position; the girl with firey locks in the back while the girl with grass-colored hair stood at the right side with the water-colored haired girl on the left. Zelda stood in the middle of them, each pressed their palms together in the same prayer pose Ezlo had performed earlier. Already, the minish could feel the magic in the atmosphere strengthen.
"O heroes of Hyrule; I lend you the power to tame even the hottest flames." The red-head, Din, prayed. The light around her seemed to have turned red.
"O warriors of legend; I lend you the wisdom to tame even the greatest seas." The blue-haired girl, Nayru, prayed. Like Din, the light around her changed as well but this time changed to blue. Zelda's left hand started glowing gold, unnoticed by her but not by Link. He looked down at his own hand.
"O fighters of light; I lend you the courage to tame even the strongest winds." The green-haired girl, Farore, prayed. The light around her turned green and Link's left hand glowed gold, just like Zelda's.
"O destined heroes; we offer you the power, wisdom, and courage of Hyrule. May you put it to good use." Princess Zelda prayed, and the light of both her and the goddesses turned gold, basking Link, Ezlo, and Vaati in the light. They all shielded their eyes as it shone brighter and brighter until they couldn't see anything at all.
"May you return to us when the bell rings."
Suddenly the light faded, the atmosphere turned colder and the natural sounds of Hyrule changed to sounds of sorrow. Slowly, Vaati's eyes adjusted to the lack of light and a dark land was infront of him. Cells that held mere shadows stood and some of the creatures fiddled with their chains, causing them to clink together. Vaati's eyes glared at the world they had entered, unwanted memories returning to him.
"How nice." Ezlo commented sarcastically.
"So this is it?" Link asked, also taking in the horrid view but mostly looking at the castle-like structure in the distance.
"Yep. Welcome to my old prison...The Shadow Realm...or Hell is more like it." Vaati said, looking out to the place he hated most. Never did he really want to return, but if it meant saving a life then so be it.
We're finally coming, Twi.
Through the woods and over the Town, to the Shadow Realm we go!
Ahem. Well, as you can guess, Vaati, Link, and Ezlo's journey through the Shadow Realm will be the next chapter! How will they reach Twi? Will Ganondorf attack? Will our heroes fail? Or will Vaati and Twi have a fluffy romantic reunion?
well...you tell me. XD I hope you all like!
Review if you want.
-MidnightTwi