.Book Three Chapter Eight: With our Final Breath.
Authors note: Look at this!8 years and we're halfway to a hundred chapters! In all honesty though, your comments actually help me drum up inspiration and motivation to continue working on this. So if you could leave a review once you're done, I'd be quite grateful. And hey,thanks for being so supportive.
Hyrule
Someone was shaking her hard.
"Fairy boy, shaking her like that isn't going to help." A rough voice stated. "You might actually end up worsening her injuries."
A tiny huff was heard.
The rough voice chuckled.
"Give me that look all you want, you know I am right."
Zelda's eyes fluttered open. Darkness was all she saw.
Panic overtook her. Was she blind? Had they taken her eyes?
As her eyes adjusted, she could make out weak torchlight at the end of the cell they were in. It was old and molding. Several skulls littered the floors and Zelda could smell urine.
"Oh thank Hylia." A female voice spoke.
As Zelda was wrapped up in a hug, she could feel a deep throbbing pain deep in her skull. But that voice was one she knew well.
"Impa, what happened?"
"The three of you refused to form the Triforce. The Crystal Cowards took offense to that. And then one smashed your head off a wall. Quite hard actually." Impa brushed Zelda's hair from her face.
"Your Grace!"
Zelda's head snapped towards the walls. The Sages were pinned to the walls with chains. They looked, Zelda decided, as if some giant had pinned them like a grotesque butterfly collection.
Wait a minute."Where is Nabooru?" Zelda asked frantically. She was on her feet in an instant. If they had killed her..
"She's escaped." Ganondorf replied.
Zelda felt hope fluttering in her chest.
"There's a chance that she made it to Darkland then."
"If she could find a horse fast enough." Ganondorf pointed out.
"If she took Epona, then she took the fastest horse in Hyrule!" Saria sounded a tad offended from the wall she was pinned to.
"Whatever you say, Kokori."
Zelda cradled her head as the pain started anew. She could feel a wetness leaking between her fingers.
She prayed it was not blood.
The cell door was yanked open harshly. As the Triforce holders looked up, Zelda herself stepped into the cell.
"Well hello there Me!" The clone cooed. "How's your head doing?"
Zelda looked at the clone in disgust.
"I look horrible as a brunette, you look ridiculous, and they will KNOW you're a fake."
The clone's smile slid off her face. Rearing back, the clone slapped Zelda full in the face.
Zelda's face snapped to the side.
Link let out an outraged cry and jumped at the clone. Only then did Zelda see the thick metal collar around his neck.
The cell was thrown into blinding light as the collar gave him a powerful electric shock. All that could be heard was Link's pain filled screams.
Zelda's eyes blazed with anger. Vaguely, she could see Ganondorf sneaking around the mockery of herself.
"I will kill you for this." Zelda promised.
The clone giggled girlishly.
"Oh Zelly, you can't do that! You're in a cell!" She simpered.
"So are you.'
THUNK
Ganondorf grabbed the clone by the neck and smashed her face into the bars. As she went down, the real Zelda swiped the keys.
"Really?" Zelda asked, almost amused. "They don't know me very well."
As she unlocked her fellow Sages, she spoke.
"Listen carefully. I have a plan."
-
THE WANDERER
As the sun rose over the now desolate Hyrule, a blue cloaked figure was walking towards Castle Town.
The cloak they wore, a bright periwinkle, was fastened up to the figure's throat. A face mask covered up to their eyes.
Almost hesitantly, they walked towards the lowered bridge. A crystal guard with ruby coloring stepped in front of them to bar their path.
"This town is under occupation. No one in. No one out. I will have yo-"
The guard let out a scream. A smoking hole was now visible right through his chest.
"You will have nothing." The Figure's voice was muffled through the mask.
They began to move stealthily towards the castle. Rosalina had told them that was where Zelda was being held.
It was beginning to rain as they made it to the castle. They loosened their cloak and simply threw it off. The time for stealth was long gone at this point.
"StarMother. Do you copy?" They spoke into an earpiece.
An audibe sigh was heard.
"These codenames are foolish. Yes I am here." A femenine voice replied.
"I need a blueprint of the castle. It's bigger than I thought." Now that the cloak was gone, a blue bodysuit was now visible. A small computer was strapped to their arm.
"Doing that now." The voice replied. Her tiny computer squeaked and Squawked as the information was downloaded. The Wanderer made a mental note to get it upgraded when she got home.
"Be careful." The voice warned. The wanderer checked the computer.
"Closest entrance is through the sewers."
The wanderer pressed a button on the side of her mask. Air filtration. She was going to need it.
She tied back her short blonde hair before hunkering down and entering the sewers.
As she entered, she was very thankful for her mask. It was keeping the viler smells out of her nose.
Something vile and green floated by her. She made an effort not to gag as she kept moving.
It seemed like an eternity later when she lifted herself out of a hole.
She appeared to be in the dungeons. The smell of rot was evident.
As she brushed herself off, she could hear soft whisperings down the hall.
"Zelda?" She called out quickly. "Link?"
The whispers stopped. The sound of heels could be heard coming down the hall.
She slid against the wall and readied her weapon.
If that wasn't Zelda, then she'd have a fight on her hands.
It appeared to be Zelda.
"What-How?" Zelda looked quite surprised to see her.
"Zelda. Cut open your palm." The wanderer ordered.
The queen looked taken aback. Then understanding dawned on her.
"The clones do not bleed.'
The Wanderer drew a small knife and sliced her own palm.
Then she tossed the knife to Zelda, just as Ganondorf rounded the corner.
"Oh, it's YOU." He sneered.
The Wanderer tapped the birthmark under her lip.
Then she moved her hand under her chin and made a flicking motion.
Zelda's palm bled, and the Wanderer nodded.
"Rosalina sent me. Let's find a way to get you all out of here."
"It's not just us. The rest of the Sages too." Ganondorf added. "We had a hell of a time getting them down."
Link skidded to a halt beside them. He triumphantly held up Ganondorf's sword and Zelda's bow.
"And the Master Sword?" Zelda prodded.
Link shook his head sadly. He held up an ordinary looking sword.
That was when he noticed the Wanderer.
And his eyes widened.
"Samus?"