Hey guys! Sorry for the small delay in updates, needed a few days to catch up on chapters and life and stuff. P:
But here we are! So, enjoy! ^_^
Chapter Twenty-Six: Illusion
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"
The loud, long shouts of the four terrified boys were stopped in an instant, their cries ceasing mid-yell as their breath was knocked forcibly from their chests at the force of the impact.
And yet, as each of them recovered from the split-second stop, their eyes blinking and adjusting to the new lighting, neither of them truly felt any pain at the sudden, impacting stop- after all, they noticed with surprise as they each looked underneath them, they had landed on something very… very soft.
Blue was the first to talk, his jaw nearly dropping in surprise as he pushed himself to his feet, looking down incredulously on what they now stood on.
"Are these… clouds…?" he gaped, looking all around them at the vast expanse of white, puffy smoke they all seemed to float upon, though standing on top rather than falling down through.
"Wow! I guess the cannon really did work!" Red spoke up next with a grin as he jumped up, looking down in glee at the strange turn of events, and jumping up and down on the soft, pillow-like surface of the tops of the clouds.
"This… defies all logic," Vio sighed with a shake of his head, looking around in quiet frustration, his arms crossed as he tried to grasp the impossible concept which was obviously true before them. "I don't believe this…" he muttered, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Well, whether you believe it or not," Green said with a smile and a laugh, getting up and dusting some of the wisps of clouds off his tunic, "we're here."
Suddenly, interrupting the others' stunned silence and awe, came a loud and bubbly voice.
"Oh, oh! Guys! Look!"
As each of the Links heard the cries of Red, they turned around to face what he was facing, a hand pointed upwards at something not very far off in the distance. And as the four heroes looked up at the majestic, impressive sight, each of them fell silent in awe and wonder as they stared at the beautiful, magnificent towers and pillars which supported the ivory-and-beige stones of the Sky Temple.
If each of the boys could only find one word for the impressive, amazement-inspiring temple, it would be peaceful. It was pristine and untouched- each stone in its walls and towers looked as if they had only just been set, hardly a speck of dirt or rust found on any of the beautifully, expertly-crafted moldings and engravings on the sides of the temple. Just by looking at it, each of them were brought into a sense of respectful silence, feeling honored just by looking at its massive, yet breathtaking architecture of the holy temple in the sky.
Finally, breaking the silence of the four, came a calm and collected voice.
"… We must make haste. The Air Element is surely inside."
The three Links turned to look towards Vio, who had spoken quietly, though his expression calm and yet determined as he looked upwards at the temple.
Looking back to the others, Green gave a nod. "He's right," he said firmly with a smile, turning back towards the temple. "We don't have much time to waste. Be on your guard, guys," he added, holding his shield by his side as he began to walk over the clouds toward the temple. "I know it looks empty, but… I don't want to take any chances."
Nodding in agreement, Blue and Red also took up their shields, following after their leader, with Vio close behind.
The walk was not a long one- the temple was much closer than it had looked, and though it seemed smaller than the Earth Temple or the insides of the Fire Temple of Death Mountain, it most certainly made up for this in its beauty and wonder. Also, the each noticed as they grew closer to its stone walls, a single tower rose up even higher into the sky and the clouds from behind the temple- its end, they could not see.
Though he leaned against the door with all his might, Green ended up gasping for breath as it still did not budge. However, he hardly had to say a word- and, smiling, watched as the other three came to his aid, all leaning against the massive, regal door, pushing with their combined efforts against it until they all heard the quiet, satisfying squeal of the hinges giving in to the pressure, and the door slowly swinging open, the light from outside drenching the inside of the temple with its warm, soft glow.
And as the light shone through the door and into the temple, the four sets of boots slowly began to clap against the stone tile of the floor within, the four Links quietly entering the sacred temple.
Their wonder and amazement upon seeing the temple for the first time was nearly overshadowed at the awe they found themselves in by looking at the grandiose, beautiful interior of the temple. The main room which they had entered was wide and open- the ceiling was tall, and covered with stained glass windows, beautifully-crafted pillars lined the perimeter, and set in the center of the room, on the far side, lay a grandiose, magnificent staircase, leading up to a massive double-door set in the far side of the wall. On either side of the grand staircase were two open-door passageways, their entrances hardly as intricate or specially-designated as the double doors.
And yet, as the Links were quietly, instinctively drawn to the royal, sweeping staircase, each of them hesitated on the first step of it- their eyes looking up and their hearts sinking down as they each stared at the massive lock fitted tightly to the center of the doors, with four large chains binding the lock to the frame of the door.
Finally, interrupting the silence of the boys- and sending his quiet voice echoing off the wide, empty walls of the room, Green spoke. "Well," he said with a sigh, shaking his head, "Looks like we won't be going through that door anytime soon."
"We'll need to find a key for this," Vio said with a frown, taking another step up the staircase to closer inspect the lock- though, for some reason he couldn't identify, still keeping his distance.
"Yeah, you won't be able to break it like you did last time, Blue," Red giggled, breaking the awe-struck tension with a grin. Though while Blue and Vio looked at him in confusion, Green laughed quietly to himself, remembering exactly what Red was talking about. Blue frowned and crossed his arms, looking away and huffing in resentment. This, of course, only caused Red to laugh some more, with Green shaking his head and smiling.
Vio, for his part, had ignored the small joke, instead setting his sights on either side of them, to the two undecorated passageways which lay on either side of him. Turning around, he crossed his arms and said calmly to their leader, "I suspect the key may lie hidden somewhere in the temple. And from what it looks like," he continued, his voice stable and cool, sweeping his arm out in front of him, "the temple seems to be mostly deserted. I think Veran and Onox have not yet been able to infiltrate it. We should take this time to our advantage and search for the key."
Green, back to business, gave a nod over to Vio. And as he moved to separate a still-giggling Red and a fuming Blue, he gave a smile, saying, "Alright, that sounds good. C'mon guys, we'll search one tunnel and then the other."
"Why not split up and search both?" Vio commented with a raised eyebrow, in light surprise. "There are no monsters here yet. It would be quicker if we were to move into two separate teams and search each room at the same time."
Green shook his head. "We're not separating," he said firmly. "Yeah, maybe that is a better idea, but I'm still not gonna let us split up. We'll find the key together." Blue and Red, no longer at conflict with each other, nodded at Green, looking over at Vio. The calm boy merely shrugged, walking back down the step to the others, and awaiting their move.
Turning to his left, giving one last nod to his teammates, Green smiled as he walked towards the passageway on the left side of the wall. The others followed behind him- though, slightly frowning, Vio hung back at the end of the group, looking around suspiciously at the walls of the narrow tunnel as they passed through it, the light growing dimmer as they walked further and further away from the main chamber.
Soon, however, a light grew in front of them- though Red had moved to take out his Fire Rod so they would have a torch in the darkness, he blinked in surprise as he moved to put it away just as he was taking it out. Another room, lit by torched lanterns which hung high on the wall, was fast approaching the end of the tunnel, and as the Links piled out of the tunnel one-by-one and stood together in the new room, they each gaped, their hearts sinking lower and lower by every sight they took in.
The entire room looked like a cross between a labyrinth and an obstacle course, with several walls separating the room into jumbled pieces, puzzles with square tiles or pots or engravings on the wall, and various deadly weapons hanging from the ceiling- axes, swords, spears, all dangling by ropes, as if waiting for a wrong move to be made in order to swing down at whatever lay beneath.
His eyes narrowed in concentration, Blue moved forward to take a small step…
"Blue! Get back!" Vio suddenly snapped, shouting loud as he lunged forward, grabbing the back of his friend's shirt and jerking him backwards.
Vio was only just in time- for seconds after Blue had stepped on the ground in front of him, a tile sliding down where he'd stepped, a sudden clicking noise was heard, as if something was become unlatched- and, as Blue shouted out, being jerked backwards by Vio, another sound flew by him. A sharp hissing sound hurtled across him as five or six small, yet swift darts flew through the space Blue had once been standing in, missing their mark and hitting the wall on the far end of the room, where they clinked uselessly against the stone and clattered to the ground.
The Links were quiet- yet deep under his breath, Blue swore heavily, and Vio shook his head, sighing as he spoke.
"… This whole room is booby-trapped."
"And I'll bet anything the key is hiding somewhere here," Green added grimly, looking around the room. The three Links behind him were silent- but, shaking his head, their leader finally sighed, turning around to speak to them again.
"We can't go anywhere without that key," Green spoke to the others, giving them a nod, "But this room is obviously dangerous. We'll have to be careful here, is all."
"I understand not wanting to separate into two different rooms before, Green," Vio commented calmly, "But in a single room, I think logic has it that we should split up, so we're not as vulnerable to the traps as a group than as we would be as one person. We may also find the key faster this way."
Blue and Red were quiet as they looked from Vio to Green, awaiting an answer.
Finally, biting his tongue, Green sighed and shook his head. "I really don't want us to separate," he said- though gave another grim nod, continuing, "But you're right- I don't think we have any other choice, either." Looking back over to Blue and Red, he spoke again, "Try and stay where we can see each other- but go in the labyrinth different ways. If someone finds the key, or another door, shout out and let us know. And… be careful, everyone, alright?" he added, trying to keep his voice from shaking as he looked at the three.
No longer shaken from his narrow escape by the darts, Blue gave a grin, crossing his arms. "Hey, don't worry about us, Green," he said with a laugh, "We'll find that damn key. And hey!" he added, balling his hands into fists eagerly, "Whoever finds it first gets bragging rights the rest of the temple!"
As Green laughed, Red beamed, nodding his head enthusiastically. "Awesome! I just know it'll be me!"
"What? No! I'm gonna find it first!" Blue retorted back sharply, rounding on Red.
"Outstanding. The more time you two waste fighting," Vio spoke up with a smug grin, calmly walking past them as he talked, "The more time I can use to find the key before you do."
The two Links blinked in brief surprise- but instantly exploded outwards, jumping up and shouting and running in opposite directions, all of them eager to find the key first.
And while Green laughed and shook his head, he couldn't help but calling after them, "Remember, guys! Be on your guard!"
Green's voice echoed throughout the wide room, bouncing off every strangely-placed wall and puzzle and contraption in the maze-like room, until it finally faded away, leaving each of the Links to navigate their path of the puzzle in silence.
And yet, as each of the four heroes quietly twisted and turned through the maze, narrowly and deftly evading traps or putting their minds to work at solving a puzzle in their path, neither of them were noticing the quietly approaching and growing sounds behind them, nor the dark shadows which accompanied those voices, growing closer and closer to each of them…
And before they knew it, they were upon them.
Shouting out in surprise, the Links hardly had time to call out for one another- and even then, their cries would have been useless, as each of them were beset upon at the same time- before they found themselves stumbling back, whirling around their shields in front of them in desperate attempt to protect them from what had jumped up from behind each of them and attacked. The Links found themselves stumbling, trying to avoid hitting the traps or walls of the labyrinths, yet at the same time swinging their swords and shields as best they could in the narrow, cramped space in order to defend themselves.
Knocked to the ground, Red gasped as the breath was knocked out of his chest, his shield in front of him being the only thing which had protected him from the cruel blade of the axe which had swung out in front of him. On the ground, blinking and trying to regain his senses, he had only a moment's glimpse of his attacker before it moved behind him, cackling and swirling and dancing as it moved to strike again.
As it ran, a smoky, wispy trail of silvery-grey mist followed behind it, the same sort of mist and smoke covering its entire being with the glistening, eerie glow. The only light other than the blinding silver-white of the strange, undefinable creature's being came from two small, glowing red circles near its head. In the split-second as it ran past Red, after having knocked the smaller boy to the ground, the young Link could clearly see the ghost-like monster running past him, its back hunched and its cruel, hooked claws dangling out hideously in front of it, and its two, malicious red eyes burning in malicious glee, all the while with the silvery, twisting mist swirling around its being.
Gasping and struggling to get up, Red cried out aloud as he jumped backwards, once more raising his shield to protect himself from the elusive, quick-moving enemy. Once more he stumbled back as he was struck against the shield- but this time, shouting out, jumped forward, swinging out with his own sword against the creature. His blade went right through the monster- but Red's eyes went wide and his jaw fell open as he watched his sword merely glide effortlessly through the seemingly transparent enemy… And though a sliver of the mist was sliced in half, the monster's body separated by the cleaving in two… The ghost stood there, cackling, looking down at the gash in its ether-forming body… And slowly, the mist began to grow over it, the strange smoke of the being joining back together until the slice had been completely sealed back over.
Looking back up at the boy, cackling and chattering and screeching with its high-pitched, terrifying voice, the ghost monster looked at Red with its bloodthirsty, soulless eyes, slowly approaching him once again.
Finally- a voice rang out.
"GUYS! We… we need to get back together!"
Red's eyes lit up. That was Green! He was calling to them from somewhere in the labyrinth… Gasping, he jumped backwards as he avoided another swing of the ghost's axe, his ears straining to hear anything more from their leader, yet keeping his focused eyes on the approaching monster in front of him…
His muscles slightly shaking in exhaustion, Green took a step back, swinging his Four Sword out in front of him and slamming his shield to the side, hoping to draw back the two ghosts attacking him long enough for him to call out to the others again. His sword sliced through one ghost, and the impact of his shield caused another to be knocked backwards on top of the other- a few seconds worth of distraction before they'd attack again, true, but necessary for what he needed to do.
"Everyone! To the entrance! Now!" Green yelled again, as loud as he could, looking upwards as he shouted- though, quickly after, looking back at his two attackers as they each began to get to their feet once more. How… how had they been so caught off-guard, ambushed so quickly? These strange, ghost-like monsters had struck him from behind as he worked on solving a puzzle, and he'd only had a second to get up and leap to the side before the second one jumped him, its fierce, terrible claws slashing right where he had fallen.
But whatever had happened- however it had happened- Green knew, as the sweat raced down his temple, that they could not fight off these monsters on their own. He'd already seen how his own blade could only sail harmlessly through the strange ether of the monster's being, perhaps slicing it in half and disabling it temporarily… yet, only seconds would pass before the ghost would rebuild itself, the strange, terrifying silver mist swirling around its glistening, horrible form and sealing itself back into place.
And so, leaping forward and shouting aloud, Green swung his sword sideways in front of him once more, his blade slicing evenly through the two ghosts, despite their attempt to jump backwards and avoid it. Cleaved in two, the ghosts fell to the side- and, without wasting a beat, Green leapt over their broken forms, racing down the path he'd come through, knowing that the ghosts were already beginning to rebuild themselves, and would only be after him again in seconds.
Screaming and howling in pain, three sets of burning, red eyes fell to the ground as their silvery, writhing bodies crumpled beneath them, sliced to shreds by the still-swinging sword in front of them. The mist surrounding each of the ghosts was once more building around them, slowly closing the gaps between each sword slice- and yet, as each cut was being rebuilt, another was being added, as the relentless sword-fighter continued to slice away at his enemies, his teeth ground and eyes narrowed in concentration and determination.
Finally, taking a step backwards as he panted in exhaustion, Blue looked down in spite at the pile of ghost enemies which had attacked him. Every muscle in his body was screaming, aching in pain… While trying to solve a difficult puzzle, he'd been jumped all at once by the three ghosts, and had fought for his very life to get them off of him. They'd done quite a number on him- and while his shield bore most of the marks of the ghosts' slashes, his sleeve was torn in one or two places, small drops of blood lining the edges of the tears. True, he'd been successful in the end at getting them off, and now the attackers were lying in a useless, swirling silver mist at his feet, but after the first few attacks, he'd noticed how they were only rebuilding every cut in them he sliced. In vain, he'd tried to cut them to so many shreds that it would be impossible for them to rejuvenate themselves- yet, as the heaps beneath him were already regaining their forms, he knew that this was not working.
Blue ground his teeth in fury. True, he'd heard Green's shout… and, shaking his head, finally cleared the thoughts from his head. He wasn't sure how the hell they'd even be able to defeat things that could only heal every wound they made, but… he had to do what Green said. Shouting out and cursing the ghosts and their mothers and ancestors before them, Blue gave one last slice of his sword at the three fallen ghosts before leaping over them and running back the way he came, his sword gripped tightly in his fists and his eyes narrowed into concentrated, fierce slits.
The cold stone of the wall bumped up against the back of his tunic, and his feet came to a halt as his heels backed up against the wall behind him. Vio's harsh, narrowed eyes looked in spite at the two cackling, chattering ghost monsters which were slowly but surely cornering him into the dead end of the labyrinth. He had his shield in one hand, held in front of him sturdily, and his sword hung lightly by his side- though his hand was clenched tightly around its hilt, ready to swing into action the second they jumped.
Like the others, he assumed, he'd also been caught off-guard by the surprise attack from behind. He'd managed to gather from the few, split-second fights he had in an attempt to gain some space between them that they were some sort of ghost-like enemy, with a strange ether engulfing them which prevented his blade from defeating them. Arrows had not worked, either- upon gaining some momentum in the fight, he'd tested this possibility by bringing out his bow and firing upon his attacker. However, the arrows had simply sailed right through the ghosts, striking against the walls behind them and landing on the ground.
And though he had heard Green's shouts to them, only seconds earlier, the Link was finding it difficult to maneuver around the corner, the dead-end, which the ghosts had trapped him into. Twice he'd tried to move and jump to the side, only to be stopped by one, and attacked on the side by the other. And each time, it had cost him dearly- though he had no free hands to hold it, he could feel an ache on his side from where one of the ghosts' claws had ripped a thin line through his tunic, just barely scoring the skin beneath and leaving a small trail of red liquid oozing out from beneath the surface.
Vio grit his teeth tighter as his narrowed eyes did their best to frantically evaluate his situation. He was cornered, and the ghosts were advancing- and though their wide, red eyes were vicious in nature, they were not stupid- he knew that, as soon as they found an opening or a single second's worth of weakness, they would attack. His time was running out- and, above all, he had to get past them and regroup with the others, as Green had commanded.
Snarling and twirling his sword effortlessly in his hands, Vio took a sudden step forward, advancing upon the enemies. They stopped their own approach in sudden surprise, and Vio took the opportunity to lash out with his sword, shouting as he did so, "Come on! I don't have all day!" If they were going to attack, he needed them to do it fast, so he could make his move and regroup with the others.
And yet, the ghosts merely looked at one another- and then, looking back at Vio, chattered and giggled and laughed in their insane, demented voices, their claws once more eagerly twitching in front of them.
Vio's narrowed eyes looked up, past the ghosts…
… From behind the two enemies, round the corner of the labyrinth's walls, came two… three… four… four more ghosts, their bright and furious red orbs for eyes focused intensely on the trapped, outnumbered boy in the corner of the maze. And behind those four, another… two more, three more, and four… Vio's eyes were slowly widening in shock, and he stumbled backwards. He… he could no longer count them; they were all grouped tightly together, laughing as they advanced upon the boy…
Gulping past his fears, Vio snarled as he twirled his sword in his hand, planting his feet firmly on the ground facing the ghosts.
"…Well, fine, then," he finally managed to grumble under his breath and through gritted teeth, his narrowed sights set firmly upon the approaching hoard of ghosts, "If I'm going down… I'm going to take some of you down with me."
The sound of the ghosts chattering, laughing, and howling as they advanced upon the boy grew, drowning out everything else. And as they finally grew close to the young, alone Link…
Vio grit his teeth, clenching his sword tight.
In a brilliant burst of light, and an explosion of sound and motion, the swarm of ghosts leapt forward, screeching and laughing as they lunged out towards the Link, who, shouting out in response, leapt forward, his Four Sword gleaming against the harsh light of the silvery, twisting mist.
Gasp! O: What's going to happen to the Links? Will the be able to get past these strange, ghost-like enemies?
And what about Vio? Has he been overrun by the sheer amount of attackers?
Find out this and so much more in tomorrow's dramatic chapter, Chapter 27: Introspection!