Terra landed within the vast green field he had spotted from above, about a mile away from a small village. This allowed him to dismount from his Keyblade Glider and remove his armor without being seen. He wondered why his heart had guided him to this world. Was Master Xehanort truly here, or was there a deeper purpose?
He knew that Master Xehanort was in a world that had once seen war between light and darkness. This world seemed a bit too well put together to match that description, though said war could've occurred hundreds or thousands of years ago, allowing the world to recover. Kammy had never said the war was recent, after all.
The thought of a world ravaged by war made Terra think of his own homeworld. Last he saw it, it was little more than a glorified ball of dirt, dust, and ash. A great war that had ravaged the entirety of the world broke out when he was merely a child, a war that had taken his parents from him.
Each day had been a fight for survival. Terra had done things he wasn't proud of. He stole things, beati up other kids for scraps of food, lied and tricked others when he was able to. He knew he had to be as powerful as he could to live in a world like that, and a darkness had sprouted in his heart as a result of that. It wasn't something he liked to think about, the Keyblade wielder ashamed of the actions he had taken as a youth, even if it was just so he could live to see the next day…
Shaking his heads of those thoughts, Terra approached the village. He may as well start there when it came to asking about Master Xehanort or potential wars that had occurred. As he got closer to the buildings, he noticed something was off. For one thing, it was very quiet. It was the middle of a gorgeous, sunny day. Why was there no sound of people in the air? There was no buzz of adults conversing or the sound of children at play.
It was only when Terra was right outside the village that he saw the reason. While the buildings still stood, the village was quite obviously abandoned. Having gotten closer, the young man only then saw just how decrepit the buildings actually were. Broken windows, missing doors, houses with rotting wood because of who knew how many years of neglect…
The sight was one he knew well, and it made a twinge of anger and fear pierce his heart. It reminded him so much of his own homeworld, though not quite as bad. From a glance he could tell that whatever occurred here went on many years ago. No corpses or sign that anyone had lived in the village for a long time. It was certainly possible that it was the result of some war. Perhaps even the war that Kammy spoke of!
That being said, the land looked quite peaceful from where Terra saw it, above in The Lands Between. Lots of green fields, and he saw several smaller villages along with some larger settlements as well. Looks could be deceiving, though, and there could've been a horrid war in the past that this land had only recently recovered from.
No matter the answer, his heart had to have led him to this world for a reason though, so he'd keep looking. Terra recalled he had seen a larger village to the east of where he was currently. That may be better. He had also seen that castle and the town around it, but it seemed walled of. The outsider wasn't sure if he'd be welcome, and the village was closer anyway. Keeping his Keyblade in hand just in case, he set off.
The trip was largely uneventful for a good while. Things were so quiet and so still within the field Terra found himself in. While there was plenty of lush grass with bushes and trees being a common sight…he saw little other signs of life. Occasionally he would spot a bird flying overhead, but nothing seemed to actually live in the field itself, a thought that still rang true as he walked further and further. Something didn't quite feel right. There was something with the field. A sort of darkness that seemed to be sleeping just beneath the soil…
It was almost a shock to Terra when he saw something actually approaching over the horizon. Slowly coming his way was a white horse carrying two passengers. The one up front was small, clearly a young girl, but her details were hard to make out. She wore a plain brown cloak with a hood that hid just about every one of her features. The rider was a woman, wearing a hooded cloak as well but one that didn't cover up quite so much.
This older woman's face was more visible, with a hardened expression and piercing red eyes. When she noticed Terra, her gaze focused solely on him, and she tensed up. It truly seemed any moment she was going to leap off the horse and attack him! "You there. Who are you?" The woman called, stopping the horse while the duo and Terra still had a good few yards of space.
"My name is Terra." The Keyblade wielder called, seeing no reason not to be honest. "Is something the matter? You don't seem like you like my being out here."
"It's unusual to see people out in the fields these days. Especially an outsider. I can tell by your ears you're not from Hyrule. Where are you from?" The woman pressed; her tone as severe as her ruby glare that was affixed to Terra.
At this, the young girl spoke, but did so while turning to the rider. She spoke so softly that Terra couldn't make out anything that she said. His focus on her revealed something very shocking. The Keyblade wielder could feel her heart, and it came with a sensation he felt once before. Like with Erina, this girl had a heart devoid of any darkness! She was a Princess of Heart!
Terra wasn't sure what to do with this information. He had already met two of the Princesses, and he wondered if that was why his heart led him to the worlds that it did. It wasn't like this girl or Erina had been in any danger, though. One thing he did wonder about, though, was the comment about his ears. What made them so different from the people around these parts? The two strangers had their hoods up in a way that their ears were hidden…
"What is it? A problem?" The Keyblade wielder asked as the young girl finished talking. The older woman looked a bit less hostile, her body relaxing noticeably. "My companion here trusts you. I'd still like to know why you're here, exactly."
The girl was calling the shots? It made Terra wonder if she was an actual princess. A Princess of Heart wasn't necessarily royalty, but from what Master Eraqus said it was generally the case. Pushing that aside, the Keyblade wielder felt more at ease. "I'm looking for someone. He goes by Xehanort, have you heard of him? He's elderly with a hunched back, no hair, and orange eyes."
"I've never seen such a man before. Certainly not in Castle Town or Kakariko Village. You may still want to check the village at least. You're close enough to it in any case." The woman replied.
She certainly seemed confident that someone like Master Xehanort hadn't been around, but that wouldn't dissuade Terra from looking anyway. "Well, I appreciate it." Hopefully that woman would be proven wrong, and he was indeed in the village somewhere. "I'm also curious about something else. What's with this field? It feels off, like something dark is lying beneath." Surely they could feel it as well…
"To put it simply, it's cursed. And we don't know entirely why." The woman responded, sighing as she looked about. "It's been this way for years. Some believe it's due to the Civil War. That's what my companion and I were out here doing, trying to find some sort of clue."
A Civil War? So there had been a war in this world! This really could be where Master Xehanort went! "I see. What exactly makes it so cursed?" There was a weird feeling and an odd lack of animals, but that hardly seemed too bad…
"It's more noticeable at night." The woman replied with a solemn nod. "A number of horrific creatures roam, most notably Stalchidren, the remains of slain children. Whatever you do, make sure you're in the town or Kakariko Village at night. They're one of the few safe havens."
Skeletal children?! Terra wasn't sure he had the nerve to slay something like that. "I understand, thank you. Am I…free to go?" He felt like he had to ask given the woman's initial reaction to him.
"Yes. You may go. We must be going either way. Safe travels." The woman replied, urging her horse forward.
As the pair rode past him, Terra glanced at them. The woman kept her gaze forward, but the girl turned to him and offered a small smile. When they had left entirely, the young man made his way onward. That unfortunately helped little, except with the knowledge that there was some sort of war recently. And that girl, the Princess of Heart…was she maybe the reason he was called to this world? It also made him wonder if the world he had previously been in had one somewhere that he simply missed? His heart hadn't guided him to stay, so who could tell?
Terra also noted that no Unversed seemed to be appearing at all. He should have asked what kinds of monsters that woman had been talking about, but the Unversed didn't seem to be nocturnal from his experience with Jonathan. That, and this supposed curse was years old…
He kept Earthshaker out, just in case.
Alas, the rest of the trip was surprisingly uneventful. No creatures. No Unversed. No people. The scenery was nice, and the rising sun was helping warm things up, but the emptiness made Terra feel oddly uneasy. He saw a large mountain off in the distance towards where the village was. A massive, barren looking mountain with a circle of smoke around the top. As he went past a small bridge over a gentle river, Terra finally spotted someone else.
Walking to the south was a young boy, couldn't have been older than ten years old. He was wearing green clothes, complete with a hat. What was more unusual was that he carried a sword in his hand, and a shield that was far too big for him was on his back. His curiosity unable to be sated, Terra couldn't help but glance at his ears, mildly surprised that they were distinctly pointed at the end. Was that just how people were in Hyrule…?
A small light that Terra initially didn't notice was bobbing along with the boy, floating near his head. From where the Keyblade wielder was standing, it was simply a blue ball of light. A fairy, maybe? He recalled Master Eraqus' lessons on various creatures that popped up commonly in multiple worlds.
The boy seemed to be coming from the direction of Kakariko Village, so Terra decided to approach. "Hey! Excuse me! Can I talk to you for a minute?" He called, putting Earthshaker away as he spoke. No need to spook the kid by accident.
Seemed putting away the Keyblade hardly helped, as the boy jolted a bit and turned to Terra, brandishing his weapon for a moment. When it was clear that Terra wasn't some kind of monster and wasn't openly hostile, he seemed a bit ashamed and put the weapon away. "Um…Yes? H…Hello." The boy said, clearly caught off guard and not seeming too good with social situations.
"Who are you? We don't really see people out in Hyrule Field." The ball of light said, floating between Terra and the boy. "You're alone too, which is especially odd…"
"I could say the same thing. Partially, at least. You're some of the few people I've seen out here. I thought these fields were really dangerous. Why is it just the two of you out here?" Terra asked, a bit concerned for the child. His sword was pretty small, and he didn't seem like much of a fighter…
"We have our reasons. On a bit of an errand, that's all." The fairy said, sounding a bit defensive. Notably, her companion didn't seem too eager to talk, clearly content with letting his partner do the socializing. "Now, who are you though?"
Didn't seem like they wanted to share too much. Nothing wrong with that. "I apologize. My name's Terra. I-"
"Terra?!" The boy blurted out, interrupting what the older man was about to say. "You…said Terra, right?"
Now that was odd. "Well, yes. I did. Why?" Have these two perhaps run into Master Xehanort? How else would they know his name?"
The fairy seemed to brighten up, bobbing about. "Ven told us about you! He was looking around for you, you know!" She replied, almost seeming to be scolding Terra. "He was just here the other day! Looking closer, you have ears like he does too!"
Once more, Terra was caught off guard, his eyes widening. They knew Ventus?! And well enough to know his nickname too! "Ven was here?! What?!" The young man exclaimed, this being about the last thing he expected to here. "Why was he looking for me?!" He was supposed to be at The Land of Departure!
The boy and fairy seemed a bit uncomfortable, the former especially frowning and taking a small step back. "He…Uh…Well, he didn't tell us that." The fairy replied. "All he told us was that he was looking for you and a Masked Boy."
That Masked Boy from back home? Ventus was out in other worlds hunting the two down? Terra quickly realized his outburst was a bit too much, really just worried for his friend. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so riled up. I just didn't know he had left home, that's all. How was he? Was he okay?"
Terra's apology calmed the duo down a bit. "Yeah, he was fine." The fairy replied. "He helped us out of a rough spot, in fact. But like I said, he left the other day. I don't know where he went, though. He never said. Oh! By the way, my name's Navi, and this is Link."
"Hello…" Link said, seeming a bit more relaxed at the moment. Apparently Terra being Ventus' friend was enough to loosen him up a bit. "It's nice to meet you."
The Keyblade wielder smiled a bit. "Nice to meet you guys too. And that's unfortunate. He really should've stayed home…" Terra sighed lightly. Great, now he had two people to look for! It made him wonder if Aqua was still back at The Land of Departure as well…
"Sorry. If we knew you were coming at all, we'd keep him with us somehow." Navi said, rubbing the back of her neck. If looked at closely, it was just possible to see her actual body through the blue light.
"No need to apologize. You had no way of knowing." Terra said, shaking his head. Wouldn't be fair to blame these two at all. "There is something else I was hoping to know, though. Have you two run into someone named Xehanort?" He went on to ask, describing once more what the man looked like.
Link and Navi glanced to each other, but both of them shook their heads. "No…We were actually just at Kakariko Village." The fairy replied. "We were in and out of it the last few days and we didn't see anyone like that. He really would stand out…"
Terra sighed, cursing his luck. The village hadn't looked too large from the air, and if these two had been there for a few days, there was little chance they wouldn't notice someone like Master Xehanort. For a brief moment, the young man realized that the elder had ears like the Hylians…
Well, anyway.
"That's a real shame. Maybe he's not there at all." Maybe he wasn't even in this world. Perhaps Terra's purpose was with the boy and fairy. Was it truly a coincidence that both he and Ventus ran into them? Hearts had an unusual way of working after all. Master Eraqus said what could seem like massive coincidence were really the works of hearts guiding people alongside the proper path they should take. There was a reason Terra's heart guided him to this one specific area of this world. If Master Xehanort wasn't nearby, there had to be another reason he was guided to Hyrule. The fact that Ventus became friends with these two really cemented it for Terra. "Where exactly are you two going, by the way?"
"Zora's Domain. We have business there." Navi replied, once more taking the part of conversation for the pair. "It's not too far from here. Though I don't think this Xehanort guy would be there. It's pretty isolated and outsiders aren't usually allowed in."
"If it's isolated like that, how will you two get in? Seems a bit dangerous. Why are is it just you two out in these dangerous fields?" Why was a child armed with a sword and shield? Especially a shield that didn't even fit him. Looking closer, he noted a slingshot as well, among other things like a large bag and some kind of instrument on his belt.
"We don't have a choice." Link said, piping up more than he had previously. His tone was a bit bitter, and he gripped his sword tightly. "It's something we have to do."
"…Yes. That's true." Navi agreed, seeming a bit taken off guard by how Link spoke. "That's one way of putting it, at least. I'm not sure what we'll find there, but it can't be worse than where we just came from, surely…"
Terra took note of that, frowning lightly. "Why? What happened before? Did Ven help out?"
Navi nodded, seeming a bit cheered up at the mention of Ventus. "That's right! We had to clear a cavern of monsters, including a gigantic lizard…It was tough, but with Ven there, we were able to get through it."
Wait, what? "Why were you two doing something like that? Aren't you a bit young for that?" Terra directed the second question to Link.
"I just have to." The boy replied, a bit cryptically. Apparently whatever was going on, Link was pretty deadest on not talking about it. "We're almost done, though. Just one more stop."
"That's right. Just to Zora's Domain, and it's all over." Navi replied, looking back to Link for a moment before turning to Terra once more. "It's pretty important that we get this done as soon as possible."
Terra felt bad for the kid. He didn't seem like a warrior at all. Really, it seemed like he hated that he had to fight monsters and the like. The young man was pretty curious about the situation, but it was pretty clear Link didn't want to discuss it. "Do you need a hand?"
"What? You'd help us?" Navi piped up, surprise all over her face. "But don't you have to look for that Xehanort guy?"
"I'm not sure he's even around here." Terra admitted, really feeling that the Keyblade Master wasn't the reason he ended up in Hyrule. "Besides, you're friends of my friend. I should at least offer to help. If you don't want me coming, that's fine too."
Link stared at Terra, looking to Navi after a moment, as if for guidance. It was pretty clear that the fairy was calling the shots between the two.
"Don't worry, Link, we can trust him. He's Ven's friend, remember?" Navi assured the boy, seeming to read his mind in an instant. Turning to Terra again, she nodded. "If you're really sure, we'd appreciate any help. We're not sure if anything dangerous is ahead, but still. Up on Death Mountain, that cavern clearing was a last-minute surprise."
Knowing that last detail just raised further questions, especially with a place called Death Mountain that the pair had to traverse. Like before, though, Terra would respect the fact that Link didn't seem keen on talking it over. At the very least, with Navi's words, the boy seemed a bit calmer. "Glad to hear. Now, you said you were going somewhere called Zora's Domain, right?"
Navi nodded again, beaming lightly as she lead the party. Terra and Link walked side-by-side, the boy keeping his eyes to the ground. "That's right!" The fairy replied. "Zoras are a type of fish-people. I assume you didn't know that since you're not from here. Their home is just a few hours down the river. Not a big deal!"
That didn't seem so bad to Terra. Especially knowing the two had been on a mountain earlier! If it was the one he had seen from above, it really seemed like a massive hike! It seemed that Link had more to him than Terra initially thought. After all, it was a different world. Anything was possible.
"That sounds fine. I'll make sure you get there safely." The young man promised. "Say…Have you noticed any unusual creatures around?"
"You mean the Unversed, don't you?" Navi asked, sighing lightly. "Yeah. Ven told us about them. Or all he knew, at least. He didn't really seem to know much about them though. Do you know more?"
So, the Unversed were in this world too? Terra wasn't too surprised, but he had to wonder how widespread the creatures were. Where did they even come from? "That's unfortunate…I'll keep an eye out for them especially." As he said this, he summoned his Keyblade once more. He pondered more about the Unversed, trying to figure out a possible origin. Was that Masked Boy that Ventus met somehow linked? It would be quite a coincidence that both that strange youth and the Unversed both showed up on the same day.
"Um…Terra?" Link piped up, snapping the older man out of his thoughts.
"Hm? What? Something wrong?" Terra replied, looking about and kicking himself for losing focus.
Link shook his head. "No. Nothing. I was just wondering…do you have a name for your Keyblade? Ven had a name for his…Wayward Wind…do you call yours something too?"
Ventus had told them their weapons were called Keyblades? Terra supposed it wasn't strictly a secret, but it probably wasn't the best idea to go around saying it so openly. It was best to be cautious, after all. Most worlds had no Keyblades or Keyblade users. Especially these days…
Still, the look of engrossed curiosity on the boy's face was endearing to Terra, so he couldn't stay too upset. Wasn't too big of a deal anyway, right? "I do. Earthshaker. I think it fits…" After all, it was a mighty heavy Keyblade, heaviest of the four back home. With Terra's mighty strength, it could cleave boulders into rubble much easier than with the other three. "Like it?"
Link's eyes widened, as if Terra had just told him absolutely unbelievable. "I do! Um…I mean I do." He corrected himself, having half-shouted the first time.
"Still thinking of naming your sword?" Navi asked, tittering lightly and turning so she was flying backwards and looking to her companions. Turning to Terra, she went on. "He was pretty impressed with Wayward Wind and its name, and he even wants to name his own sword because of it."
Terra chuckled a bit, feeling a bit bad as Link's cheeks went red with embarrassment. "Nothing wrong with that. I can't help you, though. That's something you have to do on your own. Where did you get that sword, anyway?" Calling it a sword was a bit generous, in all honesty. It was more of a slightly large dagger more than anything else.
By this point, the three had left Hyrule Field officially and having crossed to Zora's River. Terra noticed right away that the feeling of unusual darkness had left the air entirely. Whatever curse or magic was effecting the field really was confined to it. The area they were entered was like a breath of fresh air in contrast, the river flowing a bit faster and filling the air with a pleasant trickling of water.
Link looked at Navi before moving his eyes to Terra. "Back home." Was all he said in response. It seemed even that much information was too much to part with easily.
The older man couldn't help but wonder just what it was the pair was hiding from him. Were they this secretive with Ven too? Thinking about it more, Terra felt quite a bit of darkness from Link. It was a heavy darkness, one of pain and sadness, not of anger or ambition. Terra couldn't help but be reminded of himself a bit. Link had to fight at a young age, and had so much darkness inside of him, just as the Keyblade wielder had. It really cemented the choice to help as a good one in Terra's mind. After reading the boy's heart, he'd feel terrible to not at least stay with them until they reached the Domain.
"I see." Was all Terra could think to say. He didn't exactly get a lot to work with. A bit of an awkward silence followed, which he decided to break himself. "So, what are these Zoras like anyway?"
"Oh, they're pretty peaceful." Navi responded. "Like I said, they're kind of isolationists these days. You won't see a lot of them outside of their Domain aside from trading. They actually have a bit of a barrier to keep outsiders out, but we have a way in." She went on to explain.
The Zoras seemed kind enough, at least. That's all Terra was wondering about. He had to wonder what made them close themselves off. Maybe it involved that war he heard about?
As Terra pondered, a new voice rang out. "Hoo! My, what have we here?" It rang out from above.
Startled, the trio looked up to the source of the voice. Perched onto a thick branch of a tree was the last thing Terra had expected to see. It was a massive brown owl, one that seemed to have gigantic and pointy eyebrows! Its strangest feature, save for its size, were its eyes. They were like a humans, a crystal clear blue that held a very noticeable intelligence to them. "Did…you just talk?" Terra couldn't help but blurt out, gripping Earthshaker tightly in case the owl attacked.
"I don't see anyone else up here!" The owl replied with a joking tone. "Alas, I haven't seen you before, young man! My name is Kaepora Gaebora, what is your name?"
Well…it seemed friendly enough. Terra looked to Link and Navi, who didn't seem worried at all. Were giant talking birds just normal in this world? Either way, this Kaepora Gaebora clearly wasn't a danger. Link didn't seem happy, but not out of danger, but out of some sort of dislike for the avian guest.
"…Terra. My name is Terra." The Keyblade wielder replied. "I can't say I've talked to an animal before, so I was taken aback."
"Understandable. That makes sense, given you're not from here at all." The owl replied, turning its head upside down. The pattern of feathers on its chin looked like eyes, and its eyebrows a huge mustache. It even closed its real eyes to complete the effect! What an odd one…
While the tone of Kaepora Gaebora's voice had been jovial, Terra couldn't help but feel like there was an accusatory undertone to it. There was a clear suspicion or a bit of accusation present in the owl's voice. Clearly, it was a creature of some kind of magic. It had to be. It was a massive talking bird, after all. Did this entity realize that Terra wasn't even from this world at all?
Maybe he was just being paranoid, but he swore that Kaepora Gaebora gave hm some sort of stern look, as if admonishing him for interfering. Just as quickly as Terra noticed the look, the owl closed its eyes so it could turn its head upside down. Perhaps it never even happened at all. "Right…" The Keyblade wielder responded, not sure what else to say.
"Was there something you needed, exactly?" Navi asked, almost sounding a bit impatient. Clearly the fairy wasn't a huge fan of the owl.
"Just checking in, of course. I wanted to see how Link was doing, and I was surprised you two have another new companion! Hoo hoo!" The owl replied, turning its head back to normal and opening its eyes once more.
Navi gave off a small, surprised noise "You knew about Ven?"
"Hoo hoo! I watch you two quite often! Just because you don't notice doesn't mean I don't do it!" Kaepora Gaebora directed its eyes to Link, who was staring at the ground. "And I see the boy is just as quiet as always. Not so becoming of the Child of Destiny, eh?"
Link flinched at that, like he was being scolded. Yet Kaepora Gaebora had said it practically as a joke. "Uh…Um…Sorry." The boy replied, looking up to look the owl in the eye.
"You don't have to apologize for that." The fairy said a bit sternly. "We're getting close to the end of our journey. Can you let us go now?" Navi went on, speaking to the owl and not doing much to hide her annoyance.
The owl hooted in a strange manner, and it took Terra moment to realize that it was laughing. "Yes, yes. I'm keeping you, I suppose. Have faith in yourself, young one! The future of Hyrule rests on your shoulders!" Without waiting for any sort of response, Kaepora Gaebora spread its massive wings and started to flap, building up a light gust as it started to ascend before flying away.
Terra looked from the talking animal over to Link. Fate? Child of Destiny? The fate of Hyrule? Why was all this pressure being put on a kid like this? It certainly explained some things but cropped up a lot of new questions. Just who was it that decided such a fate was for someone so young? "Uh…You two alright?" The young man asked, having the feeling he heard some things he wasn't meant to. He certainly felt a bit awkward, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
"We're fine. That guy is just a bit rough." Navi said, gesturing vaguely towards where Kaepora Gaebora flew off. "He keeps pressuring Link about his fate. About being a Child of Destiny. He even jokes about how Link is nervous around new people." The fairy sighed. "I guess you're wondering what all this is about, right?"
Well, those were some pretty severe phrases to toss around, yes. Terra couldn't help but be curious. He glanced at Link, who had his hands curled up in fists and was staring at the ground, the boy breathing heavily through his nose as he tried to remain calm. "I don't need to hear about it if you two don't want to talk about it. It's fine, really." Terra insisted, it being pretty clear this was a rough topic. Still, he was curious about it all, but not so much he'd make them talk about it when they blatantly didn't want to.
Before Link or Navi could reply, an eruption of emotion came completely out of nowhere. Around the trio sprang half a dozen Unversed! There were three Bruisers and three Unversed that looked like Octopi. The latter group wriggled and writhed with their tentacles, somehow able to move perfectly fine on dry land.
"Right now?! Seriously?!" Navi exclaimed, hovering above Link's head and ready to support her companion.
"I'll handle the big ones!" Terra shouted, charging forward to one of the Bruisers. The Keyblade wielder raised up Earthshaker and swung it harshly against the first Bruiser he reached. Despite the size and bulk of the Unversed, Terra was simply too strong. The Keyblade cleaved through the opponent in one swift motion, reducing it to a dark mist.
However, the young man was blindsided by a second Bruiser, who rammed into Terra and used its portly frame to knock him to the ground. It charged at him while he was down but was too slow. Terra raised his Keyblade, utilizing a Fire spell to injure the Bruiser and stun it. While it was patting out the fire on its stomach, Terra launched up and sliced the Unversed in half.
"Link!" Navi cried from behind.
Terra looked to see that the last Bruiser had attacked the boy while Terra was distracted, Link on the ground with a bruised cheek. The young man was also surprised to see that the three octopus Unversed had been slain already. They had gotten some hits in though, as bloody scars adorned the boy's arms.
The young man charged forward to intervene as the Bruiser threw another punch. To Terra's surprise, Link acted first! With surprising agility, the boy rolled out of the way despite the large shield on his back and got to his feet! Charging forward, Link went around to the Bruiser's side and drove his blade into the Unversed! With surprising speed and lack of mercy, Link jerked the small sword out of the Bruiser and drove the weapon into it two more times before the Unversed could do anything. This damage would prove to be too much, and the Bruiser would vanish in a dark mist.
Link stood there panting, staring at where the Bruiser was as he also winced at the wounds he received. It seemed the boy had more fight in him than it seemed at first!
"Hey, are you two alright?" Terra asked, walking over to the pair. "You're bleeding a bit; do you need me to heal you?" A Cure spell would be easy, though the Keyblade wielder wondered if he shouldn't hold off on it in case more Unversed come.
"You can do that too?" Navi asked, fluttering over to Link and looking him over. "Ven helped us with that too. But that's a good question. Are you alright, Link?"
"I'm fine. Just a bit of Red Potion, right?" The boy murmured, dropping his sword and opening up his bag.
"You have something that can heal yourself? That honestly works better. I can Cure you, yes, but I can't do it too often." Terra responded, watching Link take out a glass bottle filled with some kind of red liquid.
"It's best if you drink, then. Not too much. The wounds aren't severe." Navi replied to Link. "Red Potions can heal wounds almost instantly." She went on, speaking to Terra. "A new friend of ours, Darunia, gave us some Rupees to buy supplies with."
Nodding, Link would take a few sips. To Terra's amazement, the wounds on his arms and the forming bruise where he had been struck by the Bruiser started to fade before his very eyes. Within just a few seconds, all the injuries were gone! The blood remained, of course. The boy put the bottle way and went over to the river, silently washing himself off.
"Link really despises having to fight." Navi explained softly, keeping close to Terra so the boy couldn't hear. "He never did any kind of fighting before about a week ago."
That certainly explained things. Just that one squabble clearly had Link a bit shaken. Those injures couldn't have helped, it seemed like those octopi Unversed had claws on their tentacles or something. Terra had never gotten too good a look at them fighting, so it was hard to tell. "And someone said it was his fate to do so?" The Keyblade wielder replied, keeping his voice down as well.
"The Golden Goddesses put him on this path. They created our kingdom and watch over it." Navi whispered grimly, with a light sigh. "It isn't fair, but Hyrule rests on his shoulders."
There were deities in this world? Master Eraqus had lessons about gods and divine beings. Not all worlds had them, but many did. So, he wasn't surprised at the casual mention of the Golden Goddesses. Either way, Terra couldn't imagine having that sort of burden at such a young age. It really made him feel that sticking with Link to help out in any way was the right choice. Before he could reply, the boy finished washing and walked back over. "You alright? Ready to go?" The Keyblade wielder asked.
"Yeah." Was all Link said, picking up his sword. "Let's just hurry please."
The rest of the trip was, thankfully, peaceful for the most part. No Unversed appeared, though some unusual purple creatures that Navi called 'Octoroks' appeared from time to time. To Terra's surprise, they spat out rocks the size of fists! The Keyblade wielder would simply strike the projectiles back, sometimes nailing the creatures right between the eyes.
"Good shot…" Link murmured as an Octorok was hit and fell back into the water, flinching as apparently he hadn't meant to say it out loud. "I mean…you're just pretty strong to do that."
"It's nothing. One day you might be as big as me. You've got a lot of growing to do, after all." Terra never asked for Link's age, but he assumed somewhere around ten. "You can grow into that shield of yours."
Link cleared his throat, looking from Terra to the ground as the three kept going. "Y-Yeah. One day."
What, did Terra say something unusual? Seemed like a pretty normal comment to him. Maybe the kid just wasn't ready to grow up or something. Ah well, none of his business.
"So, what kind of place do you come from? Ven said he wasn't supposed to talk about it much, but there's gotta be something you can share." Navi piped up, breaking the light tension.
"Yeah, Ven didn't tell us anything really." Link added on, brightening up a bit and looking up at Terra with curious eyes.
He supposed there was no harm in sharing a few of the physical details of The Land of Departure. Like Ventus, Terra decided not to namedrop where he was form. Link or Navi, more likely the latter, could possibly know there's no such place in this world. "I live in a pretty big building." Terra started, wondering if they would even believe him if he mentioned it was a castle. "It's just Ven, our Master, a fellow student named Aqua, and me." Though he supposed Aqua wasn't a fellow student. She too was a Keyblade Master.
A small feeling broiled up in Terra's heart. Envy. Angry. Self-disappointment. He quickly shoved these feelings down though, breathing steadily to keep his inner darkness at bay.
"There are some mountains, too, but not like the ones I saw before." Terra went on. "They're slimmer, but they also have plant life and even small waterfalls leading to rivers at the mountain bases…It's very peaceful there." It hadn't been long at all since he had left…but he felt himself missing it already.
"That sounds very nice!" Navi chirped, looking to the river as she spoke. "A place with a lot of nature sounds great."
"I think so too. I wish I could see it one day." Link added on, seeming satisfied that Terra shared a little bit with the two.
The chances of that, of course, were basically zero. And Terra knew that. "Maybe one day." He still said, not wanting to outright crush Link's hopes.
"Maybe…" Link echoed, turning to stare straight ahead as they went.
A few minutes passed in silence, and Terra was about to ask about where Link was from when a new sound hit their ears. The roaring of water built more and more with each step, and soon enough the trio came across a massive waterfall. What seemed to be a natural rock formation created walkways and small platforms, one right in front of the waterfall.
"Oh, we're here!" Navi exclaimed, speaking loudly to be heard over the waterfall. "Link, you just have to…" She turned to Terra for a moment as she paused. "…play the song and it'll open up for us!"
Was this another sort of secret? Terra couldn't really be upset with all the secrecy since he was doing the same thing. It just seemed like every other minute there was something the two were hiding…
"That will open up a path? The Domain is inside there?" Link asked, pointing to the waterfall as he slowly made his way up to the platform in front of it.
"Yeah! I was able to get in years ago by flying around the waterfall, but that's not really a choice for you two!" The fairy explained.
"You've been here before?" Terra asked. From what he had heard from Master Eraqus, fairies liked to live in forests usually…
"I've been all over Hyrule before Link and I met." Navi replied as Link pulled his Ocarina from his belt. "I just wanted to see new things and went wherever I could!"
As the fairy explained, Link played a lovely tune from his instrument. Despite the roar of the waterfall, the notes managed to pierce right through and were easy to hear. Terra couldn't help but feel relaxed at the song, as short as it was.
When the last note faded to the sky, the effect was almost instantaneous. The waterfall parted, the sides still cascading to the river below. A part of the rockface also stretched out, creating a walkway for the trio.
"Oh wow…" Link murmured, turning to Navi as the fairy fluttered over to him. "You were right!"
"Don't see that every day…" Terra muttered, joining the two. He followed Link and Navi inside, actually a bit excited to see these Zoras for himself…
The Domain itself was quite cool, this was the first thing the trio noticed. Not so cold that it was uncomfortable or that they were shivering. It was like being under some shade on a warm Spring afternoon, the kind of cool that made the body relax and feel at ease.
Visually, the area was quite a sight. As it turned out, Zora's Domain was apparently entirely within a cavernous system behind the waterfall. The sky was completely blotted out by the cave ceiling, and all the light was provided by countless torches lining the walls. Tunnels leading off to other parts of the Domain were visible, but in the area the trio entered in from, a huge waterfall was visible, emptying out into a massive pool at the bottom.
Then there were the Zoras themselves. As Navi described, they really did seem like fish people. They walked on two legs like usual humans with webbed feet, but were covered in white-blue scales all over their bodies with fins on their elbows and hips. Some of the strangest parts of their anatomy were what seemed to basically be massive fish tails sprouting from the back of their heads.
And there were many Zoras about; adults and children walking along the pathways as well as guards armed with spears keeping watch. Some of the fishfolk noticed that they had visitors, quite surprised but thankfully not fearful. Two guards approached, the duo looking way but not hostile.
"You three. What are you doing here?" One guard asked, keeping his eyes mostly on Terra and his Keyblade.
"You must have the song of the Royal Family, right? There's no other way to get in this way." The other guard said.
"That's right, we're here on behalf of the Royal Family." Navi answered, speaking for the trio.
Royal Family? Things were making a bit more sense. Terra glanced at the boy and fairy, realizing now why they were so secretive. If this were the mission from a king or something like that, it'd explain why they felt they couldn't tell him some things. It really made him wonder if they knew that girl he met on horseback, assuming she was actual royalty.
"We see. This must be dire, then." One of the guards said, still looking to Terra. Apparently they assumed he was in charge.
"We need to see King Zora right away. It's pretty important, you're right." Navi insisted, once more speaking for the group. "Is that possible?"
The guards glanced to each other before nodding lightly and looking back at the trio. "That's fine. I must ask you to put your weapons away, however." One of them said.
Link and Terra put their respective blades away, and the guards started to lead the three further into the Domain. More and more of the Zoras would notice the guests to their home. They'd give curious looks but would do little more than that as the trio were led on. Link especially was looking about, taking in the sights all around him with wide eyes.
"Excuse me, I need to ask you something." Terra piped up, speaking to one of the guards. "Have there been any unusual creatures around here lately?"
"Unusual creatures? What kind?" One of the guards asked. "We haven't had any outside creatures come in here. Not even an Octorok."
"Nothing at all?" Terra asked, a bit surprised. Unversed were in this world, so why not here?
The same guard nodded. "Nothing at all. Is there some sort of pest invasion outside or something? Lord Jabu-Jabu wouldn't allow that to happen to us."
"Who is that?" Link asked, the conversation having caught his attention from the surroundings.
"Our god. He watches over us and keeps us safe. Whatever is going on outside isn't happening in here, I can assure you of that." The guard replied, sounding almost proud of the accomplishments of the god.
Terra was sure even a minor deity could keep such creatures at bay. It certainly explained their absence.
The trio were taken deep into Zora's Domain and ended up at an opening with a large staircase in it leading up to another chamber. "King Zora is up there. Be mindful of your manners." One of the guards warned, the two remaining by the entryway, apparently being cautious of the guests.
"Thanks for the help!" Navi said, leading Terra and Link up the stairs.
Terra had to wonder just what Link and Navi had to do here. He knew so little of this world and what was going on in it. Whatever it was, he'd help them if possible. Hopefully, all they'd have to do was talk to the monarch and their business would be over.
The top of the staircase lead into King Zora's chambers. For a monarch, it was surprisingly bare. Torches lit the oddly small room. Drapes adorned the walls, and a waterfall flowed from a platform, sunlight streaming in from outside. On the platform, however, was the largest Zora the three had seen by far.
He was a rotund, massive individual, far taller than Terra himself was. Unlike the other Zoras, he lacked the fins on his body and the tail-like appendage on the back of the head. His limbs were small compared to the rest of his body, and he was adorned in a red cape and a ruby-imbedded crown perched on his head. To Terra's light, and private, amusement, the King had fins on his face like a mustache.
"Hm? What's this?" The large Zora mumbled; eyes half-lidded as though he were just napping. "An audience with some Hylians? And a fairy?" He squinted, trying to get a better look at the small ball of light that was Navi. "The only way you could get in here was if you were an envoy of the Royal Family. What business do you have with King Zora De Bon XVI?"
"That's correct, Your Majesty." Navi said, once more speaking for the group. "We were sent here on a very important mission. Since we were able to bypass the waterfall, it's clear that the Royal Family put their trust in us." The fairy went on, buttering the King up, clearly. "We need the Spiritual Stone of your people, it's very crucial that we get it!"
The King's eyes opened a fraction in shock before becoming half-lidded again. "That wasn't what I was expecting. You there…" He looked to Terra, clearly assuming him to be the leader of the trio. "…why do you need such an important item?"
Oh. That wasn't good. Terra looked to Navi and Link before looking back to King Zora. "Well, Your Majesty, I wasn't given the details of this mission, exactly." May as well be partly honest, while also pretending he belonged with Link and Navi.
"Ah, a bodyguard. How unusual…" King Zora replied, seeming a bit taken aback. "Still, no one would be able to get in here unless they were supposed to. Most anyone…" He murmured, seeming displeased with something. "…that Ganondorf fellow…" The monarch muttered, just barely audible.
"Ganondorf?!" Link blurted out, looking up to King Zora. "S…Sorry. I mean…he was here, Your Majesty?"
King Zora's eyes ones more opened a fraction in surprise from the outburst. "Yes, that's right. You've heard of him? He had wanted the same thing, but he wasn't trustworthy at all. You three, on the other hand, I feel I can trust. That Gerudo didn't even enter the proper way and reeked of dark magic…"
Once more, Terra was lost. He had to ask for more information from his companions at some point, this was starting to get a bit bothersome for him!
"As long as you didn't give it to him, it's fine." Navi said, still sounding worried. "Does that mean you'll let us have it, Your Majesty? I'm afraid we can't give all the details, but we desperately need it!"
The large Zora hummed in thought, a hand reaching up and stroking his fin-mustache. "Yes…I think that will be fine. On one condition, however. My daughter, Princess Ruto, has been gone for a few days. Her wandering off without telling me isn't abnormal, but for this long, it's quite unusual! If you find her and bring her back, the Spiritual Stone is yours. She really shouldn't be outside our Domain…"
"Okay, that's a deal! That shouldn't be too bad at all!" Navi replied, sounding relieved. "Come on, you two, we might as well start now!"
"But Ganondorf…" Link murmured, so King Zora couldn't here, the boy frowning in worry.
"We'll talk about that in a bit." Navi replied, speaking just as quietly as she looked between Link and Terra.
The boy relented, and once King Zora expressed his thanks, they made their way out of the throne room. They went a bit away from the staircase to an empty part of the Domain.
"Listen guys…I need to know what's going on." Terra insisted, frowning a bit. "I'm happy to keep helping you two, but I think I should know the situation."
Navi sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah. You're right. We really shouldn't be letting you help us unless you know everything. Especially since Ganondorf may be involved…but I'll start at the beginning. We were sent by the Royal Family, specifically Princess Zelda, to help gather the Spiritual Stones."
So, there was explicitly a Princess of Hyrule. "Say, this Princess Zelda…does she have a bodyguard with red eyes?" Terra asked, remembering the duo he ran into.
Link spoke up, surprised. "Wait, you ran into Impa?"
"I guess I did. I ran across a woman and a young girl on horseback in the field. The woman said something about figuring out the cursed nature of the area. They both wore hoods, but I know for sure the adult had red eyes." Terra explained.
"That's Impa for sure." Navi said with a nod. "She's the only Sheikah left alive, and only Sheikah have red eyes."
Well, that solved that small mystery. Princess Zelda was one of the Princesses of Heart. It seemed darkness of some kind was threatening the kingdom her family was in charge of! "But who is Ganondorf, and what are the Spiritual Stones?"
"To be honest, we don't know too much about what the Stones are." Navi admitted, it being clear she was telling the truth through her tone. "What we do know is that they're objects of power, and if Ganondorf got his hands on them, he could access a divine relic and get unimaginable power! There's three of these Stones, and we have two already. As for Ganondorf himself…"
"He's awful. An awful man…" Link intervened, his hands curling into fists before stopping himself and taking a few deep breathes. "He's caused us a lot of trouble…"
Navi frowned in light worry but went on talking. "That's right. He's king of the Gerudo, a race in the desert to the west. He's out to take this divine relic and take over all of Hyrule! He's laid a number of dark curses on the land, like on Death Mountain. I'm worried he might have done something here too…"
Things were definitely coming together now! Terra nodded, sighing and looking about, as if some sort of danger could be approaching. "I hadn't realized how big of a deal this was. But I'll keep helping you until you have that last Spiritual Stone." After all, he already said he'd help, and an entire kingdom was in danger!
Link and Navi both let out relieved smiles, the boy especially seeming grateful. "Thank you!" He blurted out, seeming a lot less stressed than he was a moment ago when talking about Ganondorf.
"It's no problem. We just have to find Ruto, right? I take it we just have to search the entire Domain, right?" Terra asked. How hard could it be? She was royalty, so surely she stuck out and wore some sort of jewelry or cloak to show her status.
"That's right…Maybe we should split up." The fairy mused, looking about. "Remember that waterfall where we came in? Let's meet there in an hour or two. I'll go with Link. That alright?"
"Good idea. We'll cover more ground." Terra said, wondering where to even begin considering this was an entirely new location for him…
Either way, the trio split into two teams and went on their ways. Terra would search about, looking for any Zora that seemed to be a member of royalty, and even asked a few other Zoras if they had seen the Princess, yet none had. The Zoras seemed pretty surprised at Terra's presence, yet apparently they weren't a very nosy people as they tended to ask few questions in return. Apparently they were so confident in their defenses that they assumed anyone that got into their Domain had to be an envoy of the Royal Family.
As Terra searched, he also thought to himself. The stakes here were higher than he thought, the highest he had encountered so far! Things were fine in that castle where he met Kammy, save for some Unversed, and what little he could help with Jonathan got solved. Here, a kingdom was in trouble by someone that wielded the darkness. Master Xehanort had said that darkness wasn't something to fear, but sometimes it was hard not to.
After all, it was Ganondorf and his darkness that put a threat to a chunk of this world. Wielders of darkness had surely caused a lot of ruin in other worlds as well. Not once had Terra ever heard of a wielder of light making such terrible changes across the Universe. The Unversed were somewhat beings of darkness and emotion, weren't they? Never beings of light causing issues, not that Terra had ever been taught about.
But there had to be a way to wield the darkness in a way to help others, or at least suppress the darkness in oneself and walk a path of light. That's what Terra wanted to do. He wanted to aid his friends and anyone he could, even if he sometimes had to rely on darkness. It was hard to when someone like Ventus went off on his own. What had he been thinking going out on his own?! Terra couldn't help but blame himself a bit. He should've listened more to what Ventus had to say…but it was too late for that. All he could hope for was that he'd run into Ven again sometime soon.
Also, Terra had to figure out what to do about Ganondorf. Keyblade wielders weren't supposed to force their ways into the affairs of other worlds like this. He couldn't just overthrow a king, could he? At the very least, he'd help Link, Navi, and Princess Zelda defend themselves, but even though Ganondorf had done bad things, Terra didn't feel right taking down a monarch like that…
Shaking his head of these troubling thoughts, Terra continued his search. Sadly, little came up. No one had seen Princess Ruto that day at all! The young man went back to the waterfall that Navi had instructed him to, and noticed he was the first to arrive. After sitting by the edge of the pool, he was surprised when Link surfaced, gasping for breath.
In one hand, the boy had his hat, tied up and closed for some reason. In the other, he held a bottle with a piece of paper inside of it. "Link? What happened? Where were you?" Terra asked, standing up. He hadn't seen Link enter the water, and he was at the location for at least a few minutes…
Link kept taking deep breathes, swimming to the edge and untying his hat, Navi hovering out of it. "Passage…Lake…" He said, gulping in air.
"What?" Terra asked, not able to really understand what Link was trying to say.
"He means we found a weird passage." Navi explained, patting at Link's face as he tired to catch his breath. "There's a hole here that leads to Lake Hylia. We thought it was weird that the waterfall kept going, but the water in the pond lead nowhere, so we investigated this hole. Lake Hylia is almost entirely on the other side of Hyrule, though. It's some sort of magic passageway! More importantly, though, we found a note!"
"Was it from Princess Ruto?" Terra took the bottle and opened it up. Alas…he couldn't read what was on the paper. The language was entirely foreign to him. Made sense. Not all worlds spoke the same language or wrote things down the same…
Taking the letter back, Link nodded, having caught his breath well enough to talk properly. "Navi said it was from Ruto. She said that the Princess is in trouble! Lord Jabu-Jabu swallowed her!"
"What?! How did that happen?!" Wasn't Lord Jabu-Jabu a benevolent god? Either way, they had to act fast! "Come on, we have to tell the King!"
Without hesitation, the three rushed back to the throne room once more. King Zora seemed mildly surprised to see them, his eyes widening that fraction again. "Hm? Well?" The monarch asked. "What's the news? What's that in your hand?"
"A letter from your daughter." Navi replied as Link approached and handed the letter over. "She's in trouble!"
King Zora read the paper over, his eyes fully widening for the first time as his mouth went agape! "My darling daughter! You three, you must rescue her! I don't want to cause a panic, so I must act that you help her! I guarantee that if you bring her back safe and sound, you'll get the Spiritual Stone without question!"
"If that's the only way, we'll do it." Navi said, looking to Link. "It'll be alright…" She said quietly to the boy, who had gulped and seemed lightly pale.
"Don't worry, we'll get her back safe and sound." Terra assured. He hoped so, at least, not really sure what this Lord Jabu-Jabu was really like.
"Excellent! The way to our god is right behind me. One moment, as I move." King Zora declared. He shifted to the side, barely moving. So, he did so again. And again. And again. It was somewhat of a pathetic sight, it taking the monarch almost a full minute to fully move so that the three could get past him.
Once they moved into the tunnel, they saw the sunlight much more clearly. "Navi, are you sure we'll be okay?" Link asked, frowning heavily as they got outside.
"It'll be fine, Link, don't worry. I'm sure it'll be a quick trip." Navi assured as they looked around.
The three found themselves at a massive lake outside, the sun shining brought upon them. What drew their eyes the most was the massive fish near the lake's edge. It was absolutely gargantuan, the largest creature any of them had seen! "This is their god…?" Terra said as they approached. "Do we kneel?"
Lord Jabu-Jabu didn't seem to have intelligence, its eyes blank like a regular fishes, and in fact a bit cloudy, as thought it were sick. Still, it wore a massive, jeweled crown on its head, making it seem like it had more humanity than a regular fish. Terra did sense a sort of strange energy from the deity. A sort of energy that didn't seem to belong to a normal creature. Was that the divinity? But there was something else too…a sort of darkness…
Before Navi or Link could answer, Lord Jabu-Jabu opened its maw. With a sort of roar, wind starting bellowing into its mouth, the god sucking in the area in front of it! Caught off guard, the trio were sent into the air, careening towards the fish god's mouth.
Once they were inside, the mouth closed as though nothing had happened.
Perched on the nearby rockface was an observer. The Masked Boy that had spoken with Ventus at The World of Departure. He had been keeping a hidden eye on Terra and Ventus both as they went along their journeys so far. "What does the old man see in this one? I don't get it. And that fish…whatever's going on with it, the Unversed can't even appear around here…" He sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway…"
With the appearance of a dark portal, the Masked Boy vanished from the world to parts unknown.
A/N: Yeah, I had to split this visit into two chapters as well. I don't want these to be overly long, after all. Seems Terra signed up more than he asked for, and deities do have a knack of warding of Unversed, at least. Ganondorf's darkness seems to overpower them as well, since the Unversed never appeared within Dodongo's Cavern. Different rules to different worlds and all that. Next time, finishing up Terra's visit to Hyrule, and Aqua can finally make an important appearance since she started on her adventure.
Any and all reviews are welcome.