AN: Hehe. You guys have NO idea how close I was to putting up an April Fool's joke saying that this story was discontinued. But then my common sense kicked in, and I figured I would probably lose a couple of people in the chaos of explaining to people that it was just a joke. :D
More description in this one, and it's longer! Whoo!
Oh. This chapter reminds me of 'Desert Storm' (one of my oneshots.) You'll see why.
Fluffiness is still winning in the poll. Sequel has 2 votes at the time of typing, fluffiness 7 at the time or typing, and action/epic stuff has 3…at the time of typing. Anyway…
Chapter 28
Wasteland
The scorching sun glared down at us causing sweat to form on my back and behind my neck. We have been traveling the somewhat barren wasteland called the Gerudo Desert for the past couple of days, and you know what the worst part is?
The Hero of Time won't even tell us why we have been suffering the past few moons under sizzling conditions with only a minimal amount of water for all three of us.
Sane Link's voice was raspy as he asked, "Where are all of the boars that used to call the Desert home?"
I could only shrug in reply as I desperately tried to keep up with the two Heroes, all the while wondering if I really could defeat Ganondorf like I was destined to if I couldn't even last a few days in a barren land.
The Hero of Time glanced back at me with an exasperated frown when he realized I was falling behind, "Terra, pick up the pace!"
I scowled and repeated his words in a high-pitched voice, which earned me a glare from the Hero of Time.
Sighing in defeat, I surveyed our surroundings with dull eyes. Nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. Of course, I wasn't expecting anything different.
The sounds of frantic gulping pushed me out of my thoughts as I watched the Hero of Twilight guzzle the rest of his water. He turned to look at me with a look that said 'This sucks.'
My thoughts started to wander as I stared at the back of the Hero of Time in mild hatred. He didn't even look tired. Of course, he was a shade, so I didn't think he even needed to perform the basic functions that a human would need to do to survive. I didn't even understand how he managed to get into his 'true form', and I don't think that Sane Link knew what was up with that either.
As if I had thought something insulting, I felt a pulse of pain flow through my body coming from the Master Sword that was strapped onto my back. The Hero of Twilight was carrying his old sword that he got from Ordon, and the Hero of Time had a two-handed blade called the Biggoron Sword. He wasn't surprised when Sane Link and I both said that we never heard of it.
I turned my head ninety degrees to glare at the dark blue hilt as it bounced up and down against my back for every step I took, before beginning to scan our surroundings again.
Thoughts and memories filled my head as I began to ponder what has happened to me ever since I got transported to this world by that book in the dentist's office. The fact that I had managed to survive thus far still surprised me, but I often found myself wondering if my 'allergy to death' will wear out during my fight with Ganondorf.
Of course, the death of the Princess Zelda still wore down on us like some sort of bad omen, but we decided to put that past us until we defeated Ganondorf. It made sense, because we didn't want thoughts involving grief, guilt, and sadness created due to Princess Zelda's tragic (and sudden) death to get in the way of our conquest against the Evil King, so we all agreed to 'try and forget about it for awhile', as Sane Link put it.
A sudden pang of homesickness smacked me in the face at the thought of my family back on Earth, and I gasped when I realized that I had somehow managed to forget about them ever since I got brought to Hyrule. Guilt began to settle at the bottom of my stomach when I came to that conclusion, and I swore right there and then-
"Terra. Quit thinking, seriously." I heard the Hero of Time mutter underneath his breath. I narrowed my eyes at his back, determined to drill a hole through his spine with my glare.
"I guess you wouldn't know how thinking feels, because you've never done it." The snappy retort shot out of my mouth aimed directly at the Hero of Time.
He muttered something else underneath his breath and then spoke up, "Whatever. Just hurry up, we are almost there." Grinning at my victory in the verbal battle, I realized that I was falling further behind, so I forced my legs to pick up the pace even if they were screaming bloody murder from all of the walking I was forced to do.
"Almost where, Time? We've been traveling like this, only to stop at night, for the past few days. What's going on?" The Hero of Twilight curiously questioned the Hero's 'Shade'.
A pause…and then, "Oh. I forgot. I guess you two wouldn't know about the Gerudo race that used to dominate this land."
I sighed, muttering under my breath, "Oh great. Another story"
The Hero of Time heard me - I'm sure of it - but decided to ignore me and started yet another tale. "This one is short. The Gerudos were a race of all-females who were partially loyal to Ganondorf. After I proved myself worthy of them, they allowed me to become a member of their clan so I could travel to the Spirit Temple to awaken the last Sage."
The Hero of Time took a breath as we both listened in interest, "After I had awakened Nabroou, the Spirit Sage, the Gerudo race swore that they would help me whenever they could in the future to repay their debt that they owed me because I cleared their temple from monsters and evil."
Another pause. I opened my mouth to ask what this had to do with our current quest, but he talked over me. "When we arrive at the Gerudo fortress, I want you two to not talk and just follow my lead." He looked back at me, "Terra. I want you to keep the hand with the Triforce of Power hidden at all times, because they will think you are a recarnation of Ganondorf and try to kill you." I nodded in understanding, slightly shaken at the thought of me being slaughtered by a hoard of angry women, but kept my composure.
"These woman aren't to be messed around with." The Hero of Time added as an afterthought, and I briefly wondered what had happened to him in the past with these women.
--
A few hours later, a dark brown fortress came into view just as the sun started to set and the temperature cooled down by a few degrees, much to my relief.
I gulped in nervousness when I spotted the sharp scimitar that the desert woman had on her hip. I could help but look at her attire as I shuddered in intimidation.
The woman was wearing a two-piece set of armor that was skin-tight which was made of boar hide. The woman had a slender frame, but it was muscular too. She had bright red hair and deeply tanned skin as she scrutinized us in suspicion. She barked, "Membership card."
I flinched at her voice, and the Hero of Time was about to respond but the Gerudo cut him off. "I was asking her not you, you piece of man-filth!" She growled out at the Hero of Time and he held up his hands in defeat as he stepped back beside Sane Link who was staring at the woman like she was a goddess or something.
I blinked in nervousness when she narrowed her eyes at me, "Membership card."
The Master Sword pulsed that sent a peaceful shiver down my spine as if to try to give me comfort.
"I will give you five seconds to show me the card before I divide you and your two pieces of dung into ribbons." The woman threatened in a menacing voice.
My started beating at a rapid pace, while my breathing became ragged as the Gerudo woman started counting up.
"One."
I heard a mutter coming from Sane Link from his position behind me. The Hero of Time opened his mouth to say something, but the Gerudo spoke over him.
"Two."
Panic continued to make its way through my body, causing the Master Sword to pulse to try and calm me down again.
"Thr-"
"Wait, Miss, I'm the Hero of Time and these are-" Said Hero tried to explain, to the raving woman.
That ticked the woman warrior off, "Don't you know your place, you man? Do you have any idea what men have brought into this race of all-woman? Nothing but suffering and trouble, I tell you!"
That was when my Triforce decided it was a great place to let itself be known to the woman by letting out a high-pitched shriek successfully making me shudder from the weird feeling that I got at the pit of my stomach that something was horribly wrong.
She held her ears in pain and her eyes shot to the hand that had the Triforce imprinted on it.
"Let me see your hand." She ordered.
I hid it behind my back again. Her eyes narrowed as she swore, "Let me see your damn hand, you whelp!"
The woman unsheathed her scimitar, which caused both heroes to draw their swords, which caused the Master Sword to bounce up and down on my back like an excited little kid while pulsing. It wanted out of its scabbard.
I forgot to mention, before we got into view of the fortress, the Hero of Time had me put a cloth over the hilt of the Master Sword because he said that it would help to avoid trouble.
The woman's sharp eyes caught the sword move, though. "You! With the moving sword! Show your true identity at once!"
As if her words were…well…magic, a dozen guards came running out from the wooden gates of the fortress all with scimitars and pissed off looks on their faces.
The Heroes went on each side of me and held out both of their swords in the defense position as if that would do anything to protect me from a horrible death-by-angry-women-with-swords-and-probably-more-experience-with-them-then-I-could-ever-have.
The first Gerudo that met use was about to issue the order to attack, when another voice rang out from the fortress entrance. "Link!? Is that you?"
All eyes turned to the source of the voice and I recognized her immediately. The Hero of Time had described her to the bone. Nabroou.
…Wasn't she dead?
The first Gerudo glared at me, again, before turning back to the Sage. "Queen. These three were trying to invade into the fortress."
The so-called-Queen ignored her warrior though and walked up to the Hero of Time who had weird look on his face.
"Link! Why brings you to the land of the Gerudos, how are you still alive, and who are these two?"
The Hero of Time muttered something underneath his breath as he gestured to Sane Link. "Long story." A quick pause, "This, is the Hero of Twilight, also named Link, and over here," he pointed at me, "Is-"
I couldn't listen anymore, because the Triforce of Power suddenly shot the pain equivalent of a roaring wildfire through my arm causing me to drop to one knee in shock, not able to utter a sound. The Triforce let out a stream of unidentifiable clicks and high-pitched noises as the pain continued to increase and slither across my whole body. I grasped that same hand as it started to twitch uncontrollably in an effort to stop the random twitching. A series of gasps came form the woman as they all recognized the Triforce of Power shimmering a pale red on the back of my hand. I tried to hide it, but I knew that they all saw it.
The Master Sword, as if tired of being hidden, managed to shake off its hilt cover and pulsed in an effort to try and stop the pain.
It didn't work.
Sweat started to pour out from my glands, more than it already was, like a waterfall and my breathing became uneven and ragged from the intense pain that I was experiencing.
I barely felt somebody's hand on my back. As if the simple action really did anything, the pain disappeared as fast as it came, slowly trickling down to a flickering candle flame instead of a roaring bonfire.
My muscles finally gave way causing me to collapse onto my stomach, thus causing me to whimper out in pain. Nabroou, after some time, spoke. "Young lady, who are you…what are you, and why do you have the Triforce that belonged to That Man?"
I opened my mouth to respond, still breathing irregularly, but still unable to speak because I felt lightheaded. My vision started to fade at that exact moment, and I felt myself falling onto the sand. Darkness consumed me.
AN: Gerudos! XD
They need to include them in more games, because really, they kick major ass.
Just to clarify…this chapter is NOT an April Fool's joke.
Oh, some might say that the 'type of pain' that Terra had is a 'copy' of the story 'Dark Futures' (which is an awesome story, by the way.)
It's not. You'll see why later.
Review, please! :D
