I just want to say two things. First, Link has a dimidium only because I want the people of Hyrule to know who he is and recognize him as a Hero. Not just Ikana, the whole land, which wouldn't happen because no one knows about the Triforce Realm or his quest to get there, so he's going to fight in the war. Second, I know Link is kind of mentally perturbed and unstable, but frankly, it's real life. This is Reality, guys, and though I'll try to lighten it up in-between, whenever a major event happens he'll probably be a little depressed/have a breakdown/whatever.
Thank you so much to LEva114, Stripesdatiger, Time's Quill (thanks for all the reviews!), devilmania67, The First of the Nentari, Kamil the Awesome, Jupsi, Allieo, Katia0203, Wolfboy, blacksunset1214, sym spidey, zeldax, and Insane. Certifiably for reviewing! It means a lot! But the average number dropped last chapter... Sorry if you guys didn't like it... I can't believe I did the math for the average number... Wow...
ALSO! I published a fluffy, non-depressingly sad/disturbing one-shot! It's called This Lullaby, it was requested by a reviewer! Hey, I'm on the internet and this is crazy, but I'm excited about this so read it maybe? Oh Lord. I'm tired.
~Leila
Thank you for reading my rant, and hope you like this one better! It isn't necessarily happy, but no mental breakdowns... Also, I'm very impressed with any of you still reading from the beginning! I went back to edit, and almost died from cardiac arrest! It's like two different stories, all fluffy and horrible and then BAM! Depressing and dark. Anyway, read on! I'm such a rambler.
The song I use later is called "Hushabye Mountain" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Weird movie, beautiful song. We're singing it in elite choir.
If you want to hear it, look it up on YouTube, Dick van Dyke sings it, and its wonderful, or when I was looking up the choral arrangement we're doing, I found a good group called the Grove Singers that does a fantastic job. Either way gives me chills!
Chapter 35 (Zelda)
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, craning my head to see my bare back. There, engraved forever and ever in my flesh, was my punishment for escaping. A 'Z', etched into my back.
It could be Z for anything. Zelda, zebra, zero, zephyr... Zant...
"This way you'll never forget," he had whispered. "Memories fade, but scars never will..."
Shuddering at the thought, I pulled the back of my dress up again, hiding the angry red scars from view. The fresh cuts on my pale skin stood out like crimson roses on the bleak snow.
I turned and shuffled back up the stairs. Though he may have tried to teach me a lesson, I'm not going to give up. I will escape, I will find a way out. So despite the scars, I'm trying again today.
The guard entered my humble little cell with lunch just as I reached the top of the stairs. Without so much as a word, he set the tray on my bed and walked out quickly like I had some sort of contagious disease.
"Thanks for hostilely shoving me food like I'm some animal! Really, I appreciate it!" I called out just before the door slammed shut, leaving me alone.
I smirked. Perfect.
Looking at the platter piled with fruits and cheeses, I grabbed a slice of cheddar and a grape, shoving them both in my mouth before walking over to the bookcase. It was harder to see now, as Zant kindly had the window removed, and the room was only illuminated by the flickering orange flames of the fire.
Pressing down on the Triforce engraving, the bookcase slid to the side once again. Smiling, I began making my way down the stairs again. This time, I'm going down the dungeon path. The other way didn't work so well last time.
Feeling my way down the wall, I finally came to the illuminated crossroad. Taking a deep breath, I continued on, following the path that would lead me to the dungeons. Perhaps I could find a way out through there.
The air temperature was dropping considerably as I walked. It was colder, wetter, and several drips landed on my head. Shuddering, I continued on, hoping the tunnels would end soon.
I began humming to myself to pass the time. This was a habit I had only just recently developed. My days were long, and I had finished all the books on the bookshelf. The window is gone, and the only thing I have left to save myself from insane boredom is singing and humming. sing everything from childhood ditties to lullabies to the dirty songs on the radio. One of the books on the shelf is an actual songbook, and I've been teaching myself the old ballads and dirges.
Though I sing to keep myself from going insane, I swear I'm insane already. I've begun to hear singing at night, a female soprano singing old Zora melodies. And if that isn't insanity, I don't know what is.
Now, I was humming my favorite lullaby as a child. My father would always sing it to me, and said his mother sang it to him. It was a beautiful song, one called Hushabye Mountain. I used to get chills from the beautiful notes my father would sing.
My father. Tears stung my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. Where is he now? What is he doing? Is he looking for me, never stopping? Maybe he's close? The thought of my father coming to rescue me was comforting.
I quickly changed songs to a jazzy tune from a musical. My hope is unrealistic. I can't be thinking like that. The only rescuing I'll be getting will be done by myself.
My fingertips that had been grazing the rough wall alongside me suddenly met a corner, and feeling ahead, I found a wooden wall before me. Smiling, I groped for some sort of handle or break in the wood, anything that would allow me to open it. Quickly finding a cold metal handle, I grasped it and pushed forward.
Instantly, a foul, musty smell greeted my nostrils, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Breathing through my mouth and acting as silently as possible, I jumped down from the passage and quietly shut the wood panel. It blended into the wall quite nicely.
Being sure to be on my guard, I scanned the dark dungeons. As far as I could see, it was empty. There were no guards in sight, and there were only a few hulking shadows looming in corners. Tables, I guess.
The only route of escape I could distinguish was a grated window on the other side of the room, providing meager light for the dank prison. Making my way over to the window, I stood on my tiptoes to peer out of it.
It was reassuring to see the light of day again, however, the sight outside was not hopeful in terms of escape. The window looked out onto the main road out of the fortress.
A round of guards was just marching out of the drawbridge while another was marching in. There were armed guards with crossbows watching closely from above.
I frowned. I know I can break the bars with magic. But how can I get out unseen? Perhaps I can turn myself invisible... That will give me something to work on during the day. All that's left will be to watch and time when they change guard.
I can do this. This actually seems possible. A wide, goofy grin spread across my face, and I giggled in spite the fact that I was fantasizing about escaping while standing in a fortress dungeon.
Turning to return to my room, I froze up as I heard a muffled voices and quiet sobbing.
"Quit yer sniveling. It's givin' me a 'eadache," a man's voice growled as the dungeon door was thrown open. A yellowish light suddenly flooded the room, and I pressed further up against the wall, praying I wouldn't be seen.
Two dirty prison guards entered the room, roughly leading a bedraggled woman by the arm. Shoving her roughly in one of the cell blocks, the first man slammed the door shut and gave the key a twist before shoving it back in the pocket of his ragged, muddy pants.
"Little wench," he spat. "Ya better do what 'e asks next time er there's a gon' be trouble."
"She's dead a'ready," the second man cackled, shutting the door, closing off the light and leaving an echoing bang behind.
As soon as they left the woman began crying again. Her sobs resounded through the dark chamber, and a wave of pity washed over me. I was about to approach her, when she began to speak.
"Oh Mikau," she whispered. "Miky where are you? What's happening to me?"
My eyes widened. No. It can't be. I crept closer to be sure, holding my breath and crossing my fingers.
The woman was crouched down, holding her knees to her chest. She wore a torn white lacy dress and socks. Her hair fell down in dirty strips, framing her gaunt, but still recognizable face. Her violet eyes, aimed at the floor, once full of cheer, were the last give away.
"Lulu?" I whispered hoarsely.
She snapped to attention, looking up at me with eyes wide with fear.
"Who are you?" she hissed, backing away. "What do you want from me?"
"Lulu! It's me, Zelda! It's been awhile, I was a customer at your cafe..." I trailed off as tears accumulated in her eyes again.
"I remember you," she murmured, scooting back towards me. "You and that other boy. Link."
My throat tightened, and I nodded. "Yes, him. But oh, Lulu, what happened?" I cried, crouching down and taking her cold webbed hand through the bars.
A tear trickled down her cheek, and she let out a sob.
"I was walking to the grocery store to get some sauce for Mikau," she wailed. "He was making us a special dinner. I was taking a shortcut through an alley. And then, and-and then-" She was lost in a fit of hysteric sobbing. I pulled her into the closest thing to a hug I could manage through the bars and rubbed her back comfortingly.
"And then what, Lulu?" I whispered.
"And I met a Twili girl. Midna. His little lapdog," she said, regaining her composure.
"Whose lapdog?"
"His," she whispered, glancing around like she was afraid of saying his name.
"Zant's?" I asked her gently. She shook her head, and I frowned. "Whose, Lulu?"
She shook her head again, biting back tears. "She tricked me, and I was knocked unconscious by him. When I woke up, I was here, and I've been here since," she sniffed.
Who is this man she is referring to? Is it the same man Zant calls "master?"
"What does this man want with you Lulu?" I questioned.
"I d-don't know! He calls me up to his throne room everyday, and the same t-thing happens every d-day," she disclosed, shivering in fear.
"He gives me my necklace and tells me to 'unlock it.' It's just a necklace, and I don't know what he wants!" she cried, hysteria rising. "He forces me to drink these disgusting potions and- and..." her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. "He's a wizard. I know it's crazy but he uses magic Zelda and I know I'm going crazy and one time, after he hurt me with his magic, I-I used magic too."
She began sobbing again, her tint figure shaking with each breath. "I'm going crazy, Zelda!" she wailed. "And I've been throwing up, and I'm starving and I've been really, really hungry for bananas!"
I nodded, squeezing her hand. "Do you want me to go get you food? I can get you a banana. Anything else you need, like feminine products?" I asked, forcing as much fake warmth and cheer into my voice for her benefit.
She shook her head. "Only food. I haven't needed any of those things lately," she told me.
"Alright. I'll be back soon, okay?" I said, turning to leave.
I was stopped as she suddenly gripped my arm tightly. I turned to face her and saw her eyes wide with terror.
"You promise?" she asked. "Promise you'll be back soon?"
I looked at her, straight in the eyes and smiled gently. "Of course. I promise."
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.
"Unlock your necklace."
That's it, I thought as I ran back down the passage leading to my room. That's what he wants. Whoever this man is, he wants Lulu to practice releasing the power of the Water Medallion. Lulu is the Water Sage.
Opening the bookshelf, I gabbed the three bananas off my plate of lunch and turned to run back down to the dungeon.
He's training her to use her magic so he can get into the Triforce Realm. And Midna is helping him.
Midna. Every time I hear her name, I can't help but cringe, because it fees like someone is driving a dagger deeper and deeper into my heart. I tell myself it isn't her, that she would never do that, but the reality of it is, she is doing those things. Maybe the evil was always in her and I just never saw it.
No, she's your best friend. Best friends are forever, regardless of ups and downs, a small part of me whispered.
Yeah, well best friends don't throw innocent women into dungeons and torture them into submission.
I arrived back at the wooden door, and cracking it open soundlessly, I scanned the dungeon for any guards or Midnas that might be lurking in the shadows. Luckily, the coast was clear and I slipped back into the dungeon with no problem.
"Here, I found a couple," I told her, handing her the bananas.
She tore the first open savagely and tore into it. She was so gaunt, this had to be the first good food she'd eaten in... Days? Weeks? Months, even? How long had she even been down here for? Then again, I couldn't tell you how long I'd been here. Too long, I'd say.
Lulu started the second banana, and sat on the floor to be eye-level with her.
"So you don't know why you're here?" I asked her.
She shook her head and swallowed her chunk of banana. "Nope. But they're all evil here, Zelda. I can tell you that. Not just kidnapping-murderer type evil, there's something bigger at play here," she said in a hushed voice before taking another bite of the yellow fruit.
"And you have a part in it," I whispered.
She seemed not to have heard me, she only sat in silence, chewing the last bit of banana and then peeling her last one.
"Why are you here, Zelda?" she whispered. "How do I know you're not on their side, that you're not just another thing he sent to mess with my head?"
I squeezed her hand through the bars and blinked away the few tears that had begun to form,
"I'm in the same boat you are, Lulu. I've been locked away upstairs. They need me too, but I found a way out and I'm trying to escape," I told her.
She squeezed my hand tighter, her nails digging into my skin.
"I'll get us out, Lulu," I whispered, my voice thick with tears that were now splashing on the cold stone floor.
"Promise?" she croaked.
"I promise."
Ganondorf entered the small, windowless room silently, as quiet as any predator on their hunt. A fire was crackling still in the fireplace, only just beginning to die out.
She lay in her bed, in the middle of her dreams.
He walked over without a sound and knelt by her bed. Her blonde hair was arrayed like a halo around her head, and her lips were curved into a smile. His little girl was no longer a little girl anymore. She was a beautiful young woman.
Smiling with pride in spite of himself, he thought back to when she was barely seven years old.
He used to sing her lullabies and stroke her hair. She loved when he stroked her hair. Lullabies always helped her sleep, and when his song was over and he was ready to leave, she'd always grab his hand and turn to look at him sleepily.
"I love you, Papa," she'd always say with a small, tired grin.
Stop it, he scolded himself. You're not making this any easier.
Taking a shaky breath, he began to pet the girl's hair. She stirred in her sleep slightly, causing him to tense up, and her smile widened. Relaxing, he resumed petting her hair, just like old times, and for the first time in a long time, he began to sing.
"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain, softly blows o'er Lullaby Bay. It fills the sails of boats that are waiting, waiting to fly your worries away."
The fire dimmed, and the room was illuminated only by dying embers, casting odd shadows across the tower. He pulled a knife from its scabbard, the noise ringing through the room, and the blade glowing red like the fire.
"It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain, and your boat waits down by the quay. The winds of night, so softly are sighing. Soon they will sail your troubles to sea."
With a shaking hand, he brought the knife down closer to the girl's throat, his voice wavering as he did so.
"So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain. Wave goodbye to cares of the day. And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain sail far away from Lullaby Bay."
Cool metal of the blade was pressed to the girl's throat now. Her smile had faded, and her face seemed troubled. The man was shaking tremendously, struggling to keep the knife still against the girl's neck.
His girl, his baby girl, his little angel his little girl...
"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain, sail far away, from Lullaby Bay..."
He froze for a moment, then his eyes widened and the knife fell out of his hand, clattering on the stone floor. Laying his head down on the bed, he began to cry, his body trembling with each breath he took.
"I'm sorry Zelda," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."