Chapter 37
"I said it a thousand times already, no! It's far too dangerous now." I growled stretching my wounded arm.
"Chris, if I hadn't been there you would have died!" Midna shouted back at me.
"Yeah you also wouldn't have been injured yourself, so I still say no." I growled picking up my sword.
"Just let me come with you, I don't want to be alone again." Midna said and I hesitated.
"I know... I promised... but like I said, I don't want you to get hurt... especially not by me... and you won't be alone you'll be with Aidan, Basha, and Kris." I said and without another word I snatched up my new pack of supplies and ran off out the door and down through the village. She can't sink into the shadows in her injured state so she'll not be able to catch up with me, plus I asked Basha to stop her if she tried to come after me... I'm sorry Midna but I don't want whatever is going on to kill you or my family.I ran hard until I was in the middle of Hyrule field heading for the lake in hopes of finding a way up to Zora's domain. I recalled what Midna had told me happened, it almost seemed to play in my head as I did. My burnt body lying there seemingly dead until suddenly I got up, my eyes lit aglow with a strange black light like that of my still scarred left arm. I had hit Midna before drawing my sword away from the fire elemental and lunging at Midna with it. I thanked the goddesses of Hyrule that Aidan had been there or else I would have probably killed her. Aidan had jumped to her defense and held me off long enough that Gor Coron arrived and held me at bay while the fire elemental explained to them that the cursed blade I held was the cause of my sudden outrage, and that if my wound could not be cleansed I would descend into madness and kill anyone who stood in my path. After receiving the shard of the mirror, Aidan, Gor Coron, and Midna brought me back to Basha's home where she had some very handy anti-burn potions already made. I had apparently been asleep for several days afterward but Midna had wanted to continue travelling with me.
Now I found myself wandering alone, reminding me slightly of when I arrived in this world except I felt more mature somehow, it had only felt like I was here a couple of years and to be honest every passing day the time I had spent trapped in that strange realm after Ganon attacked me seemed longer somehow. I looked down at my hands, a couple of sparks jumped between my fingers and I put them all together, it stopped and I opened them back up larger sparks forming to jump the gaps this time. Just what the hell am I? Nothing. Who the hell are you? I'm you... and yet I'm so much better... just give me control of this body and be done with it worm. You're part of that damned sword aren't you, you almost killed Midna you rotten- Yes, that woman has done nothing but distract us, she needs to be removed so you can concentrate on killing the man that has half of your powers! What? Ganon you fool, he doesn't just have your old body he has half of your powers, let me kill him so you can be whole and rule this world. I don't want to rule this world... Oh but you do, why else would you have married the leader of the Twili, you wanted to use her people as an army to conquer this world. Your just playing with my head, shut up. I'll never shut up, not now that I am gaining more control over your body. Have you taken the part that makes me immune to my own spells? ... Freeze you rotten bastard! No do- The voice cut out as I felt my head freeze from the inside out. Oh god, brain freeze. I clutched my head and quickly unfroze it save for the part of my right brain where I had heard the voice from.
I continued walking toward the lake without incident. Once there I found a couple of Zora's who agreed to take me to the bottom of the waterfall for a small fee. Their "small fee" turned out to be all but one green rupee in my wallet, which I lost as well on the way up the river. Once I reached the top I swam around the pool with my blade drawn but it did not react in any way. I clambered out of the pool and stared out at it then looked down at my cursed sword knowing full well why it was cursed today more then ever. I turned and saw the entrance to the ice mountain where Link had met the yeti and we had gone "ice-boarding." I've gotta try that again some day, but not today.I walked out into the freezing wind and looked out over the half-frozen water before me. "No way am I gonna cross that." I said and found myself feeling perfectly fine despite the rather thin material of my clothing. "How am I not cold in nothing more then a white shirt and pants... and a cloak?" I asked no one in particular. "I suppose my power over ice has something to do with it." I said and pulled out my sword and hurled it out towards the lake, it spun rapidly then fell blade first into a large chunk of ice and as expected it then sunk into the patch of ice. Alright, ice versus ice would be too fair a match, so let's go with lightning pike of doom!I thought and a strike of lightning like before brought forth my pike just as the ice elemental rose out from the floating patch of ice and to my surprise leapt down into the lake. Wait, he's ice, water will simply add to his power, I gotta move, I thought dashing forward I stabbed my pike into the water just as the elemental leapt out and over my head. I withdrew the pike and whirled around as a large pillar of water followed the elemental and splashed over it forming into what looked like a thicker skin.
I've gotta take this fight somewhere a bit warmer, even if I can stand the cold it's just making him stronger by the second,I thought and dashed to my right. I ran closer to the elemental until it suddenly shot a barrage of ice spikes at me like bullets. I leapt up and bounced off it's head landing on the other side on the opposite foot. I took a step with my right foot which had bounced off the elemental's head and felt that foot slide. I looked down and saw that it had been frozen in a block of ice in the brief second it had touched his head, I slid several metres away before falling flat on my ass. I smacked the ice with my bare fist and shook it off as my knuckles turned red. "It's too hard to break." the elemental said calmly.
"You've certainly got the cool as ice personality." I chuckled and a large ice spike hit the ground next to my right leg I got to my feet, putting my right one down carefully I decided to use it like a single skate and push myself along. It worked well until I started trying to go up the hill back to the cave to the Zora's domain. "Alright think.... um... maybe..." I concentrated and managed to absorb the ice on my foot. "Perfect- yeep!" I shouted as the ice elemental lunged at me. I hopped back out of the way and it stabbed the ground then withdrew the sword quickly and took a swing at me. I ducked narrowly under the second swing and smashed the ground with my foot bringing up a wall of crystal I smashed it with my palm and it fell over toward the elemental who I heard slash it twice then barely leap away in time to avoid it smashing him. Without another thought I dashed back up through the cave and out into the waterfall area below the Zora's domain. I turned to see a couple of Zoras looking straight at me and muttering something. I looked back down the tunnel and saw the elemental rushing straight at me my blade raised high above it's head. "Run, get out of here!" I yelled turning to face the elemental just in time to block the blade with my pike and held him back as the two Zoras jumped in the water and I watched holding back the blade as I saw the Zoras all swim straight up the waterfall. "You've got water here but it's not as cold." I smirked and pushed him back briefly enough to hop backwards and narrowly land on a floating piece of something that resembled land in the water.
"Have you forgotten...? I am both ice and water..." the elemental continued it's very "cold" personality as it walked forward and sunk into the water. For a "water" elemental he sure sinks like a- I started to think but suddenly he zipped out of my sight, I stand corrected. I looked around but could only see that the water below me and in the entire pool was churning rather violently. I heard a splash from behind me, allowing my instincts to take control I ducked just as a spinning chunk of ice flew over my head and went back into the pool. I stood upright and tried to leap to another floating platform of sorts but found my feet stuck. I looked down to see a majority of my legs were locked in ice. I was about to try and absorb them when suddenly a second splash came and I jerked my body to the side to narrowly avoid a second attack but a huge pillar of water followed the elemental and froze as it touched me, locking me in place. Suddenly the elemental rose from the water and stood before me on another floating platform. "Do you see now, as long as we are in my element, you cannot win."
"You're... wrong." I said trying to move every muscle and limb that was frozen, I heard a light crack.
"You will fail." the elemental spoke again and a huge splash of water rose up and froze me solid. I won't no matter what, and I won't let myself be taken over again. I absorbed a small amount of ice around me and with a mighty swing of my still frozen lightning pike I shattered the huge block of ice around me.
"You think I can't win... prove it, face me under the water now!" I said stabbing my pike into the floating rock I leapt into the pool and let myself sink. The elemental dove in as well looking cocky as it began to spin and zoomed off and around me. I closed my eyes waiting for the perfect moment and suddenly felt it arise. I opened my eyes and with a small flash of light all the water around me in a ten foot radius had frozen solid, save for a small round pillar in the centre which I floated. Acting quickly I leapt from the water and grabbed my lightning pike, I fired a huge blast of cold at the pool freezing it entirely, all the way up the waterfall and creating an ice "dam" of sorts the waterfall stopped.
"You're only making me stronger." came a voice form under the ice.
"Wrong, I'm just putting you right where I need you." I said and swirled my pike around so the sharp end was facing down, "Or have you forgotten that ice is frozen water, and water conducts electricity." I said and drove the pike down no more then a foot into the ice and pushed as much lighting into the ice as I could, I felt the current running up through the ground and back into me however, despite my elemental immunity currently to lightning the shock still seemed irritating, until finally the ice literally exploded into pieces and to my surprise my sword floated up to the top. I grabbed hold and sheathed it as the water suddenly seemed to form a hand which materialized an object within it and held it for me to take.
"Thank you mighty warrior, but there is something you must know now, my brethren and I are not fighting you because we wish to, that sword is corrupt and forces us to fight you, however in some way it seems to become more frail with each fight, I feel you should continue, and yet if you do and become wounded any further it may corrupt your mind." I took what the water offered, another fragment of the mirror and nodded.
"At this point I almost knew my sword was behind this, I left my wife behind because I felt it was too dangerous to have her near if I were to become corrupted." I said trying to attach my newest shard of the mirror to the others I had with no luck.
"You are close, the information you have been promised is a lie, your sword made it up to press you forward, but yet I sense something very disturbing in your future... all I ask of you is despite the stress you have been under lately, please, if and when it rains in your future, take the time to let the cool waters wash away your problems, and cleanse your mind and soul." I nodded and the water proceeded to return to normal.
"That's earth, wood, fire and water out of the way. That just leaves me with air, light and darkness." I said rubbing my left arm which throbbed in pain quite frequently as of late. "Air I would assume to be in the sky city... but how am I supposed to get there... unless I try..." I looked down at the water and then to my back again. "It's worth another shot." I said and dove into the water. I concentrated for a minute then swiftly swam straight up and out of the water as I lept out I took notice of a couple of Zoras staring in astonishment as what appeared to be a normal human took flight using giant wings of ice. I'm probably freakin' nuts for trying this but whatever.I was astonished as I managed to fly higher and higher up into the clouds that covered the hot sun and then above them. I felt so at peace this high up and yet the feeling did not last long as I spotted the floating city and to my surprise felt a drop of water on my head. I looked up to see as I flapped my wings sprays of water fell off. "Holy... my wings are melting... that seems... familiar somehow... wasn't there some old story about..." I stopped as another spray of water woke me up. "Later, later... for now I gotta fly over to the city before my wings are gone." I pulled down and glided toward the city my wings slowly becoming smaller around the edges then to my dismay a hole began to form in my right wing. Hold out just a few seconds more, I thought and pointed myself downward more picking up speed. Suddenly I felt myself pulled downward and realized my wings were merely dead weight now. I reached up and ripped the wings at the root and dropped them, spreading myself out in hopes of getting a slower safer landing, but I quickly realized I was going to pass the city and fall further. I reached out and to my relief and sudden pain, my hand caught something nearly jerking my arm out of it's socket as I came to a sudden halt.
I heard something odd as I hung from the edge, like metal bouncing off stone and looked down to see a sword spinning and falling below me. I blinked and looked at my belt and instantly noticed my sheath had fallen from it. "Son of a-" I felt my hand begin to slip and pulled up quickly grabbing the ledge with my other hand I pulled hard trying to get myself up. I pulled my chin up to the ledge and rested it there, holding my weight just a bit more with it, until I noticed one of the "people" who resided in the city staring at me. I stared back for a minute at the strange looking brid-like creature with a human face until it jabbered something in a tongue I didn't understand in the least. "Uh, I didn't catch that..." the creature blabbered on much more frantically as I began to grow irritated, "Look I don't understand whatever the hell you're saying, now would you just give me a hand before I-" -CRACK.
I looked at the ground around my precarious ledge and quickly realized that the bit I was hanging onto was very weak. I pulled and struggled trying ot get up before it broke away but a second crack followed by the feeling of my stomach lurching up into my throat told me I was too late and now likely doomed to fall to my death. I shouldn't have tried it, not after that other battle, I should have rested first, I thought watching the clouds draw closer faster and faster until I was in them and a few seconds later my stomach lurched again this time down past where it started. I blinked and looked around, shocked I had stopped so suddenly. "Well, it appears despite your great power even you cannot do everything." came a voice seemingly from nowhere.
"W-who said that," I said and noticed as the shock faded it felt as though someone was gripping me under the arms, suspending me in the air.
"Well you flew to the highest point in Hyrule and dropped your sword, did you really think it wouldn't bring me out?" the voice form nowhere laughed and I finally noticed as I started floating back upward that there seemed to be a humanoid shape amongst the clouds.
"Ah... the element of air itself saves my life, I am eternally grateful."
"Then you won't mind defeating me once I set you down?"
"Huh?"
"In case you forgot your sword not only summons us forth but corrupts us temporarily, I managed to overcome it in order to save you but I am sure when I set you down I will succumb to the corruption and you will have to fight me." the elemental said and we rose above the clouds again, approaching the floating city.
"Alright, but for now tell me, do you know where I can find the dark and the light, they are the only two left after you." I said and there was a brief silence.
"I apologize I am still fighting the corruption your sword brings about, now to answer your question I do not know much of the dark's location, except he enjoys venturing into the Twilight now and then, it is said he resides most frequently in the darkest place in all of Hyrule though... I have no idea where he could be, but we are almost to the city, after my defeat I will tell you more, for now I must tell you I shall not be easy to beat, I am the third strongest of all of us."
"Third? Who's stronger?" I asked looking up as we reached the city and the elemental moved me over the solid ground and let go.
"The dark and the light are both stronger then I." it said and suddenly the clouds that composed it's "body" seemed to turn a light grey. "Ah, but we are out of time, prepare yourself... your previous opponents could hold back the sword until you armed youself, now you may not have that luxury." it said and there was a small crack of lightning as the clouds of the elemental now turned nearly pitch black and a strong winds seemed to swirl all around us. "Ahahaha, tell me... how long do you think you can suppress me?" the elemental said and I looked back confused. "Don't play dumb worm, you knew from the second I cut you that I was trying to take over, you won't last if I can cut you again."
"Ah so you've taken full control of this elemental then... maybe you'd care to tell me where I can find the light and the dark so after I destroy you I can get this over with." I snickered and decided to summon forth my lighting pike at that moment.
"You will find me harder to beat then before, oh and by the way... I hope you can fly!" he shouted and a huge burst of wind literally pushed me from the ground sending me flying up and away form the flying city. Son of a- there's no water to create my ice wings like before, I mean there's water in the air, and the clouds but it's not concentrated enough... I've got to think of something, I thought trying to spread out my body as much as possible as I fell towards the clouds and nearer the ground every second. I could only hope that spreading myself out would slow me enough to buy me time to think.
"I'll smash you to the ground myself!" I heard the blade's voice yell out and saw the air elemental lunge for me at an incredible speed. I tried to quickly pull in my arms and legs to pick up speed but it was too late, despite the elemental's airy appearance he had enough physical presence to smash my face. I hurtled through the thin layer of clouds and saw that I was falling towards the desert. Great, dry air, even less of a chance of making myself some wings... unless, I quickly tried forming a wing shape on my back with crystals but the instant I tried flapping them they broke apart. Their not flexible enough... damn, only one other option, I now started building up a large amount of crystal all around myself as the ground drew closer and closer. I had maybe two feet of solid crystal built up when I heard it shatter as I smashed into the ground. I felt my whole body jerk and bounce as I had hit the ground at an angle. The crystal had all but shattered, leaving only a few areas shielded as I bounced and rolled in the sand, scraping my skin and it felt like breaking a few bones too. I slowly got to my feet grabbing my left arm as it throbbed in pain. It was clear it was broken along with possibly a cracked rib and sprained ankle.
I panted for breath as the air elemental stopped inches from the ground directly in front of me. "My oh my, how the mighty have fallen."
"So what, you're trying the lame puns now too, your such an air head." I chuckled softly as the air elemntal laughed.
"I had no pun intended, thank you for pointing it out though, I can't believe this is all you have to offer... it's almost... disappointing." it said pointing my cursed sword directly at me.
"I'm not quite done yet." I growled and focused what power I had. I felt the familiar feel of my power increasing substantially when the first seal broke and ran my fingers through my hair, which to my surprise felt cold but with added tiny sparks. "In fact... I'm just getting started." I said as I focused on healing myself for a brief second and felt perfectly fine.
"As am I." the elemental said and lunged at me. I managed to side-step his attack, almost losing my footing on the loose sand but I quickly retaliated with a swing from my lightning pike which I had somehow managed to hold on to through the whole ordeal. He laughed as it passed through him and the clouds composing him seemed to grow darker. "As you can see your lightning will only make me stronger... and I already know if you switch to using your ice power your weakness will be lightning, which I can use." he said and I smirked.
"Haven't you noticed something?" I laughed back and I didn't give him a moment to reply as I took in a deep breath and exhaled a freezing mist at the elemental. He jumped back and shot out a bolt of lightning which chained to me and I felt my whole body become electrically charged I stood there as the charge built then suddenly just burnt out. "My hair represents which element I'm using when the first seal breaks, too bad for you I have enough focus to use both at once making me immune to my only two weaknesses rather then absorbing one and being weak to the other." I laughed and the he looked angry for a brief moment then looked around and seemed interested by a deep crater in the sand.
"Alright, if I cannot defeat you by conventional means... I'll try something new." he cackled to my surprise flew off and hovered over the pit, the ones that always seemed to look endless. I stared as he raised his blade to the sky and a bright ball of light moved down and impaled itself on the sword, but before anything more happened he dove down into the pit. I ran to the edge and watched the light get dimmer and dimmer until suddenly there was a bright flash. I covered my eyes and slowly uncovered them again looking down the pit. Without warning something leapt from the pit and mounted an attack on me. I leaned back just in time to avoid a sharp blade cutting my nose off. I whirled round on my heel and stared at my new foe, he looked to be made of three elements now. Air, darkness and light, I blinked and looked him over a second time. He seemed now to be made of armor, that was darker then the darkest night with what looked like cracks in the armor along with a couple round spots that glowed brighter then the desert sun with a pure white light. All of this armor surrounded a barely visible mass of clouds topped off with a swirling wind that shrouded him in sand in this desert.
"Impressive, guess I'll have to amp it up a bit." I said and drew out more power and I felt a new feeling which I was sure was the second seal breaking, I felt odd however and zapped the ground below me with lightning to look at my reflection. "Whoa... what the hell iss thiss." I stared as my voice seemed to be that of a reptilian creature. My reflection had crazy eyes that reminded me of a cat in some way but were different in many other ways. I saw something move behind me and looked back in shock to find myself with a lizard tail. "What the f-"
"It would appear you've turned into some sort of lizard-man." the new elemental said and I noticed the sword swirling with dark energy.
"Yesss, I feel stronger, faster... but yet I feel this will not be enough..." I growled and lunged forth in an attempt to attack him but before I could reach him a huge ball of un-recognizable energy blasted forth, I quickly leapt up out of the way and found myself face-to-face with the elemental again. "As I susspected." I hissed as I put up my arm to defend myself only for him to slash the same spot he had already cut several times before and then smash me to the ground with his now armored fist. I bounced and rolled along the ground before I quickly and without thought sprung to my feet hunched over. I winced as my arm seeped blood but it was not red, it turned black as it left my skin through the wound.
"I am slowly corrupting you... and there's nothing you can do." he laughed.
"Wanna bet, your going to release the third seal for me, it releases if the fight gets very one-sided against me, but I just hope you can't figure out how to counter it." I was lying through my teeth but I wasn't sure if he would buy it.
"Ha, I wonder what would happen if I didn't fight you at all, but instead simply dropped you, maybe somewhere significant, like in Kakariko, right on top of your family!" I hissed at this remark.
"Cursesss, I've ssaid too much." I hissed and I stood there as the elemental lunged forward and grabbed me around the throat and flew high into the air.
"We'll just see how well you splatter!" he yelled as we entered thin air and I found myself gasping for breath through the elementals tight grip and the lack of oxygen. "Enjoy your flight!" he yelled and spun around a couple of times before hurling me towards the ground, it felt like despite my speed, and the fact I was falling straight down that I would fall forever. I'm weak but my little lie should get me what I need, and just to ensure my safety... I built up a chunk of crystal around my head and hoped for the best as I saw the ground approaching quickly.
Hm, a shorter chapter, but it had to be as I have something interesting planned... wow I'm tired, I'll edit the next chapter tomorrow, and I'll likely be rendered unable to continue at the next chapter unless some people start reviewing for pity's sake. Thanks to all those who have actually took the time to read this far in ^.^ For now I'm going to post this then I'm off to sleep.