Hello again, my amazing readers and 0 followers! I am back with another chapter! You guys have no idea how happy I am with this. Reviews are basically the things that keep me going. Thanks for your support!
Anyway, last chapter was the last part of the "History of Love" series of chapters. Now, we're back in real time and sticking to it! I also hope you haven't forgotten your little challenge I gave you. I hope you're ready to ask, because it'll blow your tops off when you get your answer. Somewhere towards the end, I suppose.
Anyway, lets get this chapter rolling, shall we?
Chapter 29: To Get to the Clouds
The sky; blue. The grass and trees; green. The fire of the dying campfire; red. The color of the duo sleeping on the tree, getting yelled at by the ones garbed in blue; violet.
"VIO! VICTORIA! GET DOWN HERE! WE'RE LEAVING TO GET TO THE MOUNTAIN SUMMIT!" Blue yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. He tried to call them down normally, yelling, and shaking the tree.
Nothing worked.
"Damn it Blue, don't yell! They might've already gone deaf and can't hear you're yelling." Green commented, making Blue glare at him.
"Surprisingly, we can hear you." A calm voice said.
Everyone looked up to the tree. Victoria's head and Vio's head poked from the edge of the tree. Sighing, they jumped down. Well, Vio did first, then assisted Victoria down. This caused Blue to snicker, but they didn't have any reaction.
Instead, they smirked.
"Like you're one to laugh, Blue. You had your arms all over Brittany. I could see." This comment from Victoria made Brittany and Blue's faces go a bright red.
"N-No I didn't!" Blue sputtered. Brittany's face was hidden by her bangs of hair, even if it didn't cover much.
"Yeah, he didn't! I bet you two were enjoying your alone time together, huh?" Brittany pointed out. Vio and Victoria's smirks were wiped clean off of their face.
"What do you mean by that?" Vio asked, curious of this girl's logic.
"I mean that you two were enjoying your private time up in that tree!" Brittany yelled, pointing at the tree that they had slept in the night before.
"..." Victoria analyzed what Brittany meant by the emphasized phrase. When she decoded it, her face flushed. However, she covered it with her own bangs, which could conceal much more.
"Ya SEE?-!" Brittany pointed out Victoria's odd behavior, literally pointing her finger at Victoria's face.
"Guys, don't fight already. We haven't even left the camp yet!" Red chimed in, upset that his teammates could never get along. Especially those four.
"Yeah, save the fighting for when we actually find some enemies." Grace commented, getting the stuff ready. "We need to hurry up if we're gonna get to the top of the mountain."
"...Agreed. We should make haste. If we don't make it, I can't even fathom what could happen to the world without the elements in balance." Victoria agreed, getting hers and Vio's stuff ready. Her crossbow and Vio's bow were put in a large, cloth bag, while the food and any other life necessities such as potions were put in a satchel they had gotten back in the village of Fire Roses.
"Okay, lets go!" Green exclaimed, walking down the trail to the mountain.
As if out of nowhere, someone tapped Victoria's shoulder. She jumped, feeling the coldness of the air around her. Feeling threatened, she unsheathed her sword. "...Samantha, don't scare me like that." She whispered, sheathing her sword again.
Laughter. Not evil, just normal laughter. This is what Victoria missed from the shadow girl. "You almost fell for it, Victoria! I scared you good!" Samantha joked, appearing in front of Victoria.
"You'll have to try harder than that. Where's Shadow?" Victoria got her answer as Samantha pointed towards the group of boys that had started already. They were jumping and slashing their swords at an unknown being. Shadow, most likely.
"He'll be bored of it in a few seconds. Don't worry about the heroes." Samantha giggled, walking up to the rest of the guys. Victoria sighed, knowing the exact nature of her shadowy friend.
~Halfway Up the Mountain~
The sun. It was so warm. The snow around the base of the mountain. Cool and soft. The contrasting temperatures gave the heroes a sense of relief on both their heads and their feet, meeting at a warm center.
"This isn't half bad! I thought you wouldn't be able to even see the sun, much less feel it's heat!" Grace commented, smiling almost as warmly as the sun.
"Yeah! The snow cools our feet as our bodies are nice and warm!" Rosie agreed, walking particularly faster than she had been.
"It does feel quite rejuvenating, but we need to focus on our task. It isn't an easy one." Victoria stated, continuing to climb with the rest of them.
"Quit being such a letdown, Victoria." Brittany complained. "We're always working. We've all suffered enough. Let us have one minute of joy here."
"One minute of joy for us could mean one more year of suffering for the people. They aren't nearly as strong as we are. You're goddesses. We are heroes. The people are people with hopes and dreams, and fragile personalities. They don't know what we live through, nor do they acknowledge it." Vio said, stating facts as usual.
"Don't get all factual, Vio." Blue muttered.
"Guys, don't fight..." Rosie pleaded.
"Rosie's right. We can't fight right now. We do have a task, and we can't waste any more time. The people need us. Zelda needs us to help her, she can't do this alone." Green pointed out. "Now come on, lets-"
"You're wrong, Green."
Green paused, then looked back at the one who spoke. Samantha and Shadow stand with a sort of scowl upon the green clothed hero. "You're dreadfully wrong."
"What is he wrong about, Samantha?" Grace asked. "I wanna know."
"He's wrong about Zelda. She doesn't need us to save the world. We're doing it out of our own kindness." Samantha stated.
"Furthermore, why would she have shouted at you guys back in Hyrule?" Shadow pointed out. This, obviously, struck a nerve with Green. He knew Zelda the most, trusted her the most, was friends with her the most.
"How could you say that?-! We're doing this for her!" Green shouted, getting increasingly angry.
"Green, don't shout!" Victoria warned. "There's snow on this mountain, and your yelling could cause an avalanche!"
"...Fine. But I don't want to hear another word about Zelda not caring from you two." Green muttered, warning the two shadows. Disappointed, the two shadows shake their heads. They knew they wouldn't get to him.
~The summit~
The summit. Cold and harsh. Winds blowing everywhere, almost knocking away the smallest heroes. The snow and hail beat on them as they reached the summit. The sun no longer shone, as the clouds got thick. The air was hard to breathe for most of the heroes as they struggled to get their footing correct.
"Just a little more, guys!" Blue and Brittany called out in unison. Wheezing, they were the first to make it to the summit.
"We're trying as hard as we can!" Green called back, holding Grace under his arm. Coughing and gasping for air, they were the second duo to make it to the summit.
"This isn't as easy as it looks!" Victoria called out, Vio helping her up every step he could. Breathing normally, since they were used to the thin air, they were the third to make it up.
"I... I don't know if I can make it!" Red shouted. Rosie struggled to climb up. However, a sound of a hookshot connecting with stone sounded out,
"Climb the hookshot's chains! You'll get up here quicker!" Grace called out, coughing from the lack of air. Nodding, Red and Rosie grabbed hold on the hookshot's chains. They felt the coldness of the metal, but ignored it as they climbed up to the summit. They were the fourth to reach the summit.
"Shadow and Samantha are under our shadows. They didn't want to climb the whole way..." Vio explained, pointing to the shadows below him and Victoria.
As the heroes saw how safe they were at the summit, whether the wind was blowing hail in their face or not, a sudden gust of wind hurdled itself towards the heroes. The hail became much more intense, and the area was hard to see two feet in front of them.
"Guys! Stick together!" Grace shouted as loud as she could. However, she doubted that the others could hear her cry. The wind was growing harsher and harsher by the minute.
"Don't move a muscle that will go with the wind! Keep going against the current!" Victoria called out from the top of her lungs.
"Don't give up, guys!" Red yelled, holding onto a rock connected to the mountain's summit.
"Don't you dare let go, you guys!" Brittany called out, blocking the wind with her arm.
As much as they yelled out words of motivation, wisdom, and planning, not one of them heard the other. The hail was getting worse, and the winds showed no sign of letting down. The heroes were running out of energy, and began to drag along the snow on the summit.
"Heroes! I hath come to thine aid!"
Surprised, the group looks up into the sky. A group of flying figures near the heroes. However, as they get closer, the figures gain color and exact shape...
Sacrane.
"Sacrane!" Green yells. "You're back!"
"I heard thine pleas to thine comrades! So, I gathered my own." Sacrane explains. "Come now, get on me and my own comrades, heroes!"
Three other loftwings land on the summit along with Sacrane. They are a cyan, baby blue, and a pinkish red. Each has the respective mark of an element. The heroes get on their elemental loftwing, after talking Blue and Brittany into flying with them.
"...Fine. We'll fly. But as soon as we hit ground, I'm not flying again." Brittany agrees, the whole team sighing that she finally agreed to join them in their flight.
"Okay. Are we all ready?" Sacrane asked the heroes, awaiting their obvious responses.
"Yes, you may go now Sacrane."
"Yeah! Lets fly!"
"Of course, lets go!"
"DON'T-YOU-DARE-DROP-ME-YOU-HUNK-OF-FEATHERS-OR-ELSE-I'LL-"
"Up, up and away we go!" Sacrane shouted as she flapped her gargantuan wings. Snow and dust flew everywhere, but she began to gain elevation. Her comrades joined, each flapping their wings simultaneously.
"Let us go!" Sacrane shouted. Suddenly, all of the loftwings began to gain speed rapidly. The area around the heroes began to become a blur as they approached the think, gargantuan clouds. The speed continued to increase. The loftwings showed no sign of stopping. The clouds looked impenetrable. Then...
They broke through.
Above the storms and hail. Above the harsh winds and snow. Nothing. Not a cloud, not a single hailstone or a snowflake. Just blue sky... The shining sun...
And the Air kingdom.
The Air kingdom. Adorned with lavender flags with the signs of the Air element. A small, purple swirl. The flags were connected to huge, towering, marble and quartz buildings unlike any of the heroes had ever seen. They had seen some of the Air kingdom, but not this area.
The area where the Air Castle resided.
A huge, towering castle stood before them. The walls were adorned with the same flags and drapery. The area was completely made from pure white quartz and marble. The gates were a perfect steel. As the heroes approached, the gates opened slowly, with a soft groan. Inside was a small garden with a large fountain in the center. The water escaped from a statue of a woman holding a pot, tilting it into the fountain.
It was beautiful.
"Wow..." Grace found her voice once more as she gazed onto the beautiful architecture. She had never seen such beauty, since she couldn't visit Victoria in her earlier years.
"This... is so cool..." Brittany gasped in awe, amazed by the stunning design.
"This... This is where Victoria lived?" Rosie questioned, her mouth agape.
"...Yes. This was where I lived." Victoria answered. She smiled warmly, happy to be home again.
"Welcome home, mistress." Sacrane said warmly to Victoria. Victoria smiled as she pet the loftwing gently, rewarding it for it's duties.
The loftwings landed gently in front of the main castle door. Victoria and Vio step down, and open the door inside.
There it was.
The throne room. Where the king and queen sat along with the princess every day of their lives. Where the servants would continuously clean the floors at the king's demand. Where Victoria would practice her spells.
...Where the death of both of her parents had occurred.
Victoria's face fell. She remembered every bit of it. The first and second stabs, she called them. This was where her life turned around for the worse.
"Wow! This is your castle?-!" Rosie exclaimed, amazed by all of the dazzling ornaments and fancy furnishings. "This is more like paradise!"
"Yeah... Paradise... Sure, Rosie." Victoria mumbled.
"Victoria, what's wrong?" Red asked, concerned. He turned around to see what was wrong, when all he saw was her fallen and dejected façade. "Did... Something happen here?"
She said nothing, only nodded. Red opened his mouth to ask another question, concerning whatever had happened. However, he was cut off by Vio's hand.
"...Dont worry about that now, Victoria. That happened long ago. That man had no right to call you his daughter." Vio stated, showing is obvious anger towards the "man" he spoke of.
"...Yes. I know..." Victoria muttered. "I just... hate being around this area due to that memory..."
"..." Vio remained silent. As did the rest of the group. They knew that this wasn't the time to talk.
"I am sorry, my dear mistress. You shouldn't stress yourself with these thoughts, Miss Ame- I mean, Victoria." Sacrane comforted Victoria, correcting her earlier error.
"...You're right, Sacrane." Victoria said, her dejectedness fading as she spoke. "I need to forget about the past and let it go. It's the past, and I don't even remember the whole thing."
"That's good, my mistress. Get those negativities out of thee." Sacrane said, covering her and Vio under her majestic wings.
Suddenly, the shadows between the two children moved, and the shadows of them revealed themselves. Sacrane prepared herself for battle, but her mistress pet her softly, telling her it wasn't a threat.
"Apparently, this whole castle and kingdom is barren of people." Samantha announced, getting wide eyes and agape jaws from her comrades. "Care to explain, Sacrane?"
"..." Sacrane remained silent. "After you left for the festival and didn't return, the people began to get anxious." She began.
"Hordes of crowds made their way into the castle, asking and demanding to know where you were and if you were safe. It wasn't an angry mob, not at all. However, the castle's people couldn't tame the rage growing within the townsfolk. So, a mage by the name of Vaati decided to..." Sacrane stopped... Gathering her courage to speak once more.
"...Curse the land into darkness."
Uh oh. Looks like the once beautiful kingdom of Air is missing their people! Will they ever fix this? Or will the majestic kingdom be no more? Find out in the next chapter!
Remember, I still have my challenge set up for you. Do not forget it! Once again, I shall bid you good people adieu.
~V-fanfics
