I literally scared the hell out of myself with the last chapter. I'm scared to go into a dark basement by myself. And a reviewer thought that the creature might be a chuchu. I was meaning for it to be more like a Like-Like, but I did just make it up. It might sound like a big Wind Waker chuchu, but I promos it's not! It's a freaky blob creature that actually can be considered a threat! I should be done with my rant. Anyway, we all want Zelda.
Thanks to Princess Zelda-figure skater, erico637, StattStatt, DarkOppressor, The Supreme, Farore64, The First of the Nentari, Iranda20, Vermilion Ruby, GlissGirl99, ShadowNinja1011, Not-Alone-Anymore, Katia0203, Rich, anonymous, barrissandahsokafriendz, Jupsi, predatorform, pyrosavvy5, LauParisi, and Sheikagal for reviewing! I love you all in a demented Internet way!
~Leila
Read The Legend of Zelda: Wisdom Lost First Chapter by The Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and Brother of Mine by Infamously Me. They are two fantastic writers with great stories! And Tenacity by the very talented Kabrex. It's getting so good! And anything by MsBBsue. She is an amazing author. And please please read The Wondrous Adventures of the Righteous Maximus by Split Infinitive. It's amazing. And my friend LauParisi has a fic going, and she'd love it if you reviewed! It's very interesting with Zelink! Check out It was meant to be. And I made a oneshot, maybe I'll continue it, called Missing You. Check out all of these if you can!
I don't like this chapter as much. It's just... Ugh. I don't know, you guys tell me.
I'm going to start doing all my author's notes at the beginning so I can maintain whatever suspense I may have at the end of a chapter. Alright. Read on.
(Zelda)
Golden eyes. The last thing I remember before surrendering to the darkness is a pair of golden eyes looking at me, just like in all of my nightmares. They haunted my flitting dreams now, dancing among the flames of a burning Hyrule, taunting me as my homeland burned.
Pounding pain had accompanied the golden stare. I think I cried out before collapsing, staring up at the orbs of gold. I saw a smirk, too, nearly hidden behind a curtain of blonde hair. She looked so familiar, like someone I should know well...
I winced as remembering became painful. Where was I now? I have been floating in and out of dreams for... Days? Weeks? Months? What happened? Struggling to open my eyelids, my consciousness became aroused. Waking up was a slow process. My eyelids felt like they had been sewn shut with rocks, and I was now aware of a dull, faded pain in the back of my head.
As I pulled further away from the darkness and the dreams of fire, I was becoming more and more aware of the soft pillow and mattress beneath me and the warm blanket covering my body. I could hear crackles and pops of a fire and feel the warmth on my left cheek. Wherever I am, I'm being taken care of. Perhaps I've finally had stroke of good luck and someone on our side has picked me up?
After a few more minutes of lying in limbo, my eyelids fluttered open, and I could finally see my new surroundings. I was in a small, circular stone room with one window and a shut door, and an open archway with stairs leading down. A hearth was lit and blazing in the wall opposite the bed, and a bookshelf was next to the fire. Rubbing my aching head and pulling myself into a sitting position, I could see more out the window. Gray clouds blanketed the sky, and bare hills rolled in the distance. But those were trivial things. What I noted were the stone walls and men in armor pacing back and forth outside beneath me. I am in a castle.
What am I doing in a castle tower? Is it possible that I could be in Hyrule Castle? Did a passing guard find my unconscious by the river in Hyrule Field and bring me back to the Castle? Surely I would have remembered that. What about Link?
Link!
My eyes widened, and I scrambled to throw the covers off my body and stand up. Nausea and dizziness overtook me; I stumbled a little and winced at a pain in my head. Did I hit it on a rock? That's probably what happened. I slipped with the heavy pot of water and hit my head on a rock. A nearby... princess, maybe, found me and has taken me to her castle. Yeah.
What castle?
I furrowed my brow and leaned out the window a bit. The gray sky showed no patches of blue, and the hills were gray and bare of any life. On the surrounding horizons, mountains or cliffs rose from the ground. Where could I be? The wastelands of Ikana? A valley in Snowpeak?
A knock on my door made me jump and jarred me back to the present. A guard wearing full, dark metal armor entered the tower holding a pile of folded clothes.
"Where am I?" I asked, turning away from the window.
He ignored my question and handed me the clothes. "My master has requested your presence at dinner this evening. He requires you clean up and dress in more appropriate clothing before sitting before him."
Then, he promptly turned on his heel to leave. My hand shot out and caught his arm. I need to know where I am!
"Who's your master?" I inquired. "Please, sir, I'm so confused, and I don't know the whereabouts of my friend-"
"Clean up and your questions will be answered," he replied in a slightly annoyed tone. "Now, go. The bathroom is just down those stairs."
With that, he shook my arm away and closed the door.
"Wait!" I cried, grabbing the handle and attempting to pull the door open. I gasped as it resisted. It's locked. I'm locked in a tower. Like a fairytale princess awaiting her prince.
I slumped to the ground, my back against the door. Obviously, this was not a rescue. I am a hostage. How could I be so stupid? I let my guard down, and now they have the Princess of Destiny, playing the damsel in distress once again. Did they get Link, too? Chewing my lip, I pulled myself up again. He wouldn't let them get him. He'd fight them off. And he'll come and rescue me.
Reassured with the thought of Link swooping in to save me like in a storybook, I made my way down the stairs and found myself in a spacious bathroom, with a large tub, a sink, and multiple mirrors. One window lit the room, set directly over the tub. Bath salts, oils, shampoos, and soap all sat on the edge of the tub, and fluffy black towels were folded neatly, along with turquoise silk washcloths.
I turned on the running water, watching the deep tub fill up with steamy water. I'm just now realizing how long it has been since I've had a bath. I probably smell horrible, like death. And Epona.
After the tub was filled to a depth I found satisfactory, I eyed the bath oils. Might as well try a little. I dumped in a little lavender scented bath oil, along with a handful of rose bath salts. Now the water looks silky, pink, and smells like a flower garden.
Peeling off my torn and tattered Sheikah suit, I stepped into the hot water, sighing in relief. The water felt amazing on my dirty skin. Already, dirt and dry blood were coming off in the water, leaving me a shade paler than I thought I was. Hm. I wonder what my actual skin tone is.
Smiling to myself, I dunked my head underwater and shook my matted hair around. I forgot how much I missed the feeling of my hair flowing around me underwater, like a mermaid's. Surfacing, I grabbed a bottle of 'violet and sweet pea' smelling shampoo. I squeezed a generous portion into my palm and began massaging it in my scalp. It's amazing how good a hot bath feels after going on a month long, outdoor killing spree.
That was a morbid way to put it. Frowning, I ducked underwater again to rinse all the suds out of my hair. This whole escapade has turned me a little sadistic. I grabbed the bar of soap and used it to scrub my skin raw. I want every little bit of blood off my skin.
The bath had suddenly lost its good feeling. After I rinsed the soap off my skin, I got out and wrapped myself up in one of the black towels. And I stood and watched the water drain from the bath until every last bit of dirty water was down the drain.
Turning away from the bathtub, I found myself facing a mirror. Looking at me was a skinny, muscular girl with a hollow face and eyes of steel. And covering her body were scars. Long scars, short scars, small scars, big scars. Scars, scars, scars. I took a step back, frightened by the appearance of the mirror girl. Reaching down, I traced a series of three long, thick scars from my belly button to a little beneath my breast. Small, silvery scars, barely visible, adorned my face. A longer one stretched from my ear to my mid-cheek. A few thin ones coiled around my arms. My legs were bare save a thick, small one on my left kneecap.
Stepping back, I turned and bolted up the stairs, wanting to be as far away from the bathtub and the mirrors as possible. Breathing heavily, I leaned against the wall. I'll have those forever. No matter how hard I'll try to forget all of this, as soon as look in a mirror, I'll be reminded all over again. Destiny sure made its mark on me. It branded me with scars.
Taking a few deep breaths, I cast the towel aside and picked up the clothes left for me. I was given a long, plain, short sleeved black dress with black slippers and new undergarments. Everything was perfectly my size. Frowning, I donned the undergarments and slipped the dress over my head. How does my captor know so much about me? Even the little black ballet flats were my size, and I have unusually small feet.
Grabbing the towel and rubbing my hair with it wildly, I sighed. I want Link here. I want to know he's okay. He can get extremely emotionally charged at times. I hope he is okay and does' think I left. What if he's mad at me? Biting my lip, I padded back down the stairs to hang the towel and find a hairbrush.
All the supplies I would ever need, including makeup, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothpaste, and hair ties were all lined up on the counter by the sink. They were all the brands I like. Fresh mint toothpaste. Hair ties that match my hair color. Rosy pink lip gloss. What is going on here?
Grabbing the hairbrush, I began to yank it through my long, wet hair. Wincing as it came across snarls, I spent a good ten minutes taming the monster that was my hair. After I was satisfied that not a single tangle was left living in my hair, I drew it up into a high ballet bun, making sure that not a single wisp of hair was out of place, and applied a small amount of mascara.
If I didn't know better, I could have thought that I was back home in my own bathroom, getting ready for gymnastics practice. A full day with Beth and Orielle, listening to Ashei yell about pointing toes, strong finishes and perfecting back handsprings.
Sighing nostalgically, I trudged back up the stairs, back into my cushy little prison. Am I supposed to go out of my room downstairs? Is the guard going to come to retrieve me? Pulling experimentally on the door, I decided it was the second one.
"Well now what?" I spoke aloud, just to hear myself.
My eyes drifted around the room and landed on the bookshelf. Smiling, I walked over to it and began browsing titles. The smile was wiped from my face instantly. Every book on the shelf was a favorite of mine. Hylian history. Creation books. Gerudo fairy tales, Deku legends, dramatic adventures, sappy romances. Not a single title was unfamiliar to me. There were even a few textbooks, all lessons for next year. Backing away from the shelf, I hit the bed with my back.
This is all too creepy. Too isolated. I need out, I need Link, I need help-
The door was thrown open abruptly, causing me to scream and jump at least a foot in the air. The guard eyed me warily, making no notion to apologize for startling me.
"My master will see you now. Follow me," he commanded, turning around and stalking out the way he came, down a staircase.
I obeyed and followed behind him, surprised to see two guards positioned outside my door. My heart sank a little as we traveled down the spiral staircase. There goes any hope I might have had of escape. Damn.
The guard led me through multiple, dark hallways, down a another flight of stairs, and through what looked like a grand ballroom. Across from the ballroom, two large double doors were open, revealing what looked like a Gerudo themed throne room, but I only caught a fleeting glance. Finally, he stopped at a set of black double doors. Knocking once, a voice answered almost immediately.
"Enter."
The doors swung open by themselves, and I found myself in black throne room, illuminated by swirling, glowing turquoise designs on the floor. They reminded me of Midna's tattoos. No one occupied the dark throne, but instead the speaker who the guard called his master sat at the head of a long table that had been set up in front of the throne. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quiet figure out why I recognized him.
Stifling a gasp, I allowed the guard to pull me and shove me in the chair opposite the grinning Twili man.
"Leave us," he commanded, his horrible orange eyes never leaving me.
The guard bowed and immediately exited the room, the doors closing with a boom that echoed throughout the large throne room. The man was still staring at me, a small smile playing on his lips now, almost like he was amused. Snapping his fingers, two Twili servants stepped forward and filled our glasses with red wine. After fulfilling their purpose, they disappeared back into the shadows.
"Zelda Fairchild," the man spoke at last, twirling his wine around in his glass before taking a sip. "What a pleasure to meet you at last. The last time I saw you, you were a little... wrapped up."
My heart stopped. Wrapped up in spider's silk.
"You're the man who killed Link's parents." My voice was flat, almost devoid of any emotion. Another grotesque smile lit up his features.
"As much as I love going by that name, I'd prefer it if you called me Zant, Lord of Darkness," he rasped after another swig of wine.
I frowned and swirled around my own wine before taking a hesitant sip. It was good, probably from volcanic grown grapes in Eldin. "Very well then, Zant. Where am I?" I demanded.
"So much fire in a young lady. It is most improper. Address me in a more formal manner, and I might answer your question," he sneered.
Rolling my eyes, I tried again. "My good Lord, might I inquire the location of our current vicinity?" I asked in a breathy, light voice like all the noblewomen.
Chuckling, Zant nodded his head. "Much better. We are in a very isolated valley somewhere in the Snowpeak mountain range, and that my dear is all I will tell you. You were brought here three days ago and have been unconscious until now," he told me.
So we are in Snowpeak. I frowned at my wine then took another small sip. I don't plan on drinking the whole glass. If he thinks he'll be getting me drunk, he has another thought coming. "Hm. This seems to be quite the operation you're running here. Too bad it'll never work."
His eyes narrowed. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Link will stop you," I replied, looking him straight in the eye. "He'll come save me and stop you. He won't stop until he does."
He let out a short bark of laughter. "Link! Don't make me laugh. You pathetic Hero is nowhere near a position to be able to defeat me! He's emotionally compromised, and I hate to break it to you but he hates your guts!"
"He does not! He'll come to rescue me because he cares about me!" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Not after what-" he stopped himself, and glared across the table at me. "Not anymore. You left, and he wants nothing more than to see you dead."
"That isn't true," I countered. "He will come, and he knows that I would do the same for him."
He opened his mouth to shoot me down again, when a loud knock resounded through the room. Zant smiled and turned in his chair to face the door.
"Our other guest for the evening. I believe you two have met. Come in, dearest!" he called.
Glaring at him, I set my wine glass down and turned to see who the newcomer was. The doors opened slowly, and a tall, slim, curvy silhouette entered the throne room. Squinting to try to see facial features, all I could make out were two eyes, glowing like embers.
"Sorry I'm late, Zant. I was preoccupied with other manners," she spoke, allowing Zant to kiss her hand before sitting next to him. That voice... It can't be...
The girl turned to me, and I almost fell out of my chair. Dressed in a revealing black number that displayed swirling turquoise markings all over her body was Midna.
"M-Middie?" I squeaked, not believing my eyes.
She turned to me, a smirk on her face. As she saw me, her face twitched, and something in her eyes changed, but it was gone once again, hidden by contempt. No. It can't be her. It's not her. It can't be.
"Zellie!" she cried with a cruel undertone. "It's just fantastic to see you! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
I turned to Zant, fumbling to find words to say. No. Midna wasn't bad, Midna wouldn't assist in kidnapping me, Midna wouldn't... "H-how?" I finally managed, my voice a quiet rasp.
"How? Sorry to break it to you, Zellie, but your dear friend joined me out of her own free will. Sorry you lost a friend, but she's my Twilight Princess," he said, turning to smile at Midna, who returned the smile.
It was sick.
"Midna... How... How could you! This is so unlike you! You're not the bad guy! Midna!" I pleaded, looking at her desperately.
"Oh, Zelda. You are so smart, but sometimes you just can't see a threat when its right in front of you. You just couldn't fathom that your best friend forever would turn around and stab you in the back. Welcome to reality, honey!" she snarled.
"I-I..." I stammered before lapsing into silence.
Midna glared at me a moment more before turning back to Zant. "Fire is subdued. We found him today. He's the son of the Goron representative for the Courts of Hyrule," she told him as he nodded in approval.
"Good, good. Three of the Six are acquired, and we know the positions of Light and Earth," Zant said, taking another long drink of his wine. A dribble trickled down his cheek, gleaming like blood.
"What about Shadow?" Midna questioned, motioning for a servant to pour her a glass of the wine.
"I found him the other day. He's a young Sheikah, the little goddess girl's personal escort. I must say, he was stronger than I thought. He's obviously been made aware of his powers. I was healing Light magic burns for days!" Zant exclaimed bitterly, wiping away the wine from his chin with a napkin.
Midna's brow furrowed. "My Lord, are you sure he was the Sage of Shadow?"
"Of course I'm sure! He had the Shadow Medallion!" Zant snapped. "I'm never wrong, Midna. You should know that."
"Yes, sir. I've just never heard of a Shadow Sage possessing Light magic. It's actually quite contradictory."
Their conversation faded from my ears. It didn't make too much sense to me anyway, all the talk of Shadow and Light and some group called "the Six." I stared at Midna blankly, trying to understand what happened to her. She had been acting strange at school. Jumpy, nervous. I always found her staring at me. And someone had to have told Zant about Link's emotional state when his past is brought into conversation.
Maybe it's the tattoos.
I squinted to try to see the swirling turquoise designs better. She had been perfectly fine before them. The same, normal Midna. Then she got these tattoos, and suddenly she's evil...
Something isn't right here. Something isn't right, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.
Dinner was a silent affair on my part. Midna and Zant talked in hushed voices from the other end of the table, while I picked at my piece of steak. It was too raw for my taste.
I managed to hear bits and pieces of their conversation. More about "the Six", and a little bit about a "kedua putri," which translated to Hylian means "second princess."
Who are these six people, and who is the second princess? Zant referred to Midna as his "Twilight Princess" earlier, perhaps she is this kedua putri? But why would she be talking about herself?"
Promptly after the meal, I was escorted back upstairs to my little prison with promises of meeting for dinner tomorrow night. As soon as I was alone and I was sure the guard had left from the door, I let my hair back down and kicked off the shoes. A white nightgown was waiting for me, folded on the bed, and I shimmied into after discarding the black piece on the floor. The soft material of the white dress was much more comfortable than the tight black dress.
I walked over to the bookshelf and selected a thick book on Hyrule History. Perhaps I can find a few things about this Six and a kedua putri. Flipping through the pages, I stopped as I came across a large heading.
The Six Sages.
The Six Sages were six powerful beings that sealed away the Dark King with the aid of the Princess of Destiny. Each sage held a medallion as a proof of their authority and represented a different power from six elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Light, Shadow, and Spirit.
These must have been the Six Zant and Midna were referring to! But why would Zant be seeking the Six Sages? A thought entered my mind, a thought so terrifying and evil. Heart thudding, I flipped through the book until I arrived at a different page.
The Triforce Realm.
The goddesses created the Triforce realm so that it was virtually impossible to enter. Even the goddesses themselves could not open the mighty gates to obtain the golden power. Only a mortal can open the doors, if they accomplish four nearly impossible tasks. A mortal would need the three Bearers of the Triforce, a goddess, the Six Sages who bear the pieces to the key, and the oldest member of the Royal family to play a song on the ocarina of time. Only then will the doors open, allowing the person who has succeeded access to an unimaginable power-
The book fell from my hands and to the floor. I understand now. I understand why they need me and why they bothered to take me hostage instead of killing me on spot. Not for their own amusement, but for their plans to obtain the whole Triforce. Now they're scouring the land for the Six blessed to hold the six pieces of the key to the gate, and they're waiting for Link. I'm not only crucial to their plan, but I serve as bait. Link will walk straight into their trap.
But the goddess... I hurriedly flipped to another page, more towards the beginning of the book.
The goddess Hylia, in order to save the world she cherished from a ravaging demon known as Demise, abandoned her divine form and transferred her soul to the body of a mortal. She made this sacrifice so that the power created by her sisters could someday be used. For while the supreme power of the Triforce was created by the Three, its power could never be wielded by one. Knowing this power was her last and only hope, Hylia gave up her divine powers and immortal form.
Hylia must have been aware of what Zant was planning and once again transferred herself to the body of a mortal to obtain the Triforce and stop him before chaos ensued... But this is all working in Zant's favor! Before, Zant wouldn't have had a goddess, and now there's one running around Hyrule! I suppose its better she's trying to stop him, because if Zant hadn't had a goddess at his disposal, he most likely would have attempted to summon a goddess and would have had one delivered right to him.
I rubbed my aching head, trying to sort through my thoughts. We're screwed. This has all been so meticulously planned, down to every last move. We're all like little game pieces on a board, being controlled by either Zant or the goddesses. It's much bigger than I thought it was. Did we ever have any hope to win?
I glanced back out at the dark sky, out at the stars glittering above.
Good luck to you, Link, wherever you are.
It's all down to you now.
