For the life of me, I can't figure out how to get this durned thing to accept italics and such in Microsoft Word 97 .doc files, so for now, brackets such as [ and ] indicate speech that is happening whilst Our Fair Hero is unconscious or sleeping.
One more note; originally, the chapters had titles, but I booted it when I was going to submit this to another site, so... yeah. And what relevance that had, I don't know.
--------------------------------------------
Chapter Three
[As you walk in the shadow of death, Hero, remember that you travel with Lance's soul in your care. Would you pay the price of a friend for the sake of a heart's desire, one that you cannot and WILL NOT win?]
A heavy murmur. Such a comforting voice.
"You must go back to Hyrule. You will be safer there!"
"But Tristan...!"
"No. I love you with all my heart, dearest, but believe me when I say I know what's best for you!" A hesitating silence.
"I'll always love you. Stay safe, my love, take our sons with you. He will never be safe in such a land as this..."
"Aye, and you as well... Will we see each other again, or will you be lost to the greedy anger of another foolish leader?"
"...`Tis hard to say, and harder to tell the truth. I do not think we'll ever meet up again... but you must go on... for the sake of our sons, you must!"
"Aye." A trembling whistle. The owner sounded on the verge of tears. "Kiss me, and let us part."
"May the gods spare our lives."
["He's been out for nearly three days... King Chandler has been contacted, and King Edward as well. Princess Zelda regrets that she cannot be by his side in his time of need."
"Aye. I'll stand here and keep watch over him, case there be another one of them moaning fits. But he do sound like a demon!"
"He does. P'raps the blow has rattled his senses."
"...Aye, p'raps... but let us pray it hasn't..."]
Fire. Heat. Screaming.
Such is what an infant witnesses as he is cradled in the arms of a young Hylian woman. She runs frantically, gasping for air, trying to escape the thundering masses of panicked people and wild soldiers.
Shouts. Moans. Dying.
She stumbles but manages to stay upright somehow. She tears through the thickets, making sure to protect her baby from the scraggly claws of trees.
They enter an opening, and she falls to her feet, nearly dropping the babe as she does so. A deep wound in her side is her chain and ball; she will die.
The woman crawls forward, sobbing and gasping for air as she, even within sight of the Gates of Elysium, tries to save her only child.
"I will care for this babe of thine, mother," a great and powerful voice utters. The Hylian woman looks up to see the Great Deku Tree looming over her. In her final moments, she sets the child down in front of the tree, kisses its forehead, and breathes her last.
"When will he wake up?" Lance asked anxiously, glancing at his comatose friend. The high priest shook his head wearily.
"It is hard to say, my son. He may or may not wake up. He is in a coma, and sometimes one might never wake up from such a deadly sleep. This young fellow took quite a blow to the head. I'm surprised to find that it didn't kill him right off." Lance's frown deepened, and the sailor sighed.
[Link...]
A gentle voice called out. Link slowly opened his eyes.
[Link... I'm waiting...]
The Hero of Time sat up and looked around, his vision clearing and sharpening as he became more awake.
[Link... please... come... Link... come...]
"Who are you?" the nineteen-year-old called out, clambering to his feet.
[Please... I need your help...]
"What are you talking about?"
[Don't kill me... Link... Link...]
"I'm not going to kill you! What do you want? Who are you?" He shouted, his frustration overpowering his weakness. "Tell me who you are?"
[I'm trapped... Beneath the beauty... beneath everything... I'm condemned to die... help... I know... your friend... He can help...]
"Lance? Do you mean Lance?" Link inquired, looking around. All he could see was hazy mist. Suddenly, a distant Hylian shape formed in it. Link stared at it for a moment, then began chasing after it. As if sensing his nearness, it began to draw away. "No, wait!"
The last thing he saw was vibrant red hair.
[Link... come... Link... see...]
"What do you know about a girl with red hair?" Link demanded, his eyes opening as he sat up. Lance uttered a yelp of surprise and toppled over in his seat.
"Matey!" He cried, joyous yet stunned. "Link, me ol' matey, I though ye were a goner, so I did, but sure `nough--" The Hero of Time flapped an impatient hand at the babbling sailor.
"I asked you a question, Lance." The dark-blue-haired teenager looked baffled and folded his hands together and sat down in his seat once more. "What do you know about a girl with... really red hair?" Lance scratched the side of his neck a moment, avoiding eye contact.
"Aye, I know a lot about the girl yer talking inquirin' after, Link. `Twas only one girl I ever remembered with such beautiful red hair. Aye. Me very best friend she was. I ain't seen her since ten years ago, so I haven't."
"Do you know what happened to her? Where she is?" Link demanded, leaning forward. Lance shook his head and looked up at his friend.
"Nay, I couldn't tell ye for the life of me. Last I heard she were a'movin' to Selinta, so she were, and I ain't heard from her since."
"What was her name?"
"Miyako, if'n I recall correctly. She only had herself a father, mind ye; her poor mum were laid low by the wasting disease, so she was..." Link nodded silently, thinking. Lance stood up uncertainly. "Well, I best be leavin' ye to yer rest, now, friend. Take care. Aye. I'll bring ye summat to eat, all right?"
"Fine," the blonde teenager replied, feeling sleep steal away the rest of his consciousness. He dreamed of the princess, but this time, his dream was torn by cries of help.
One more note; originally, the chapters had titles, but I booted it when I was going to submit this to another site, so... yeah. And what relevance that had, I don't know.
--------------------------------------------
Chapter Three
[As you walk in the shadow of death, Hero, remember that you travel with Lance's soul in your care. Would you pay the price of a friend for the sake of a heart's desire, one that you cannot and WILL NOT win?]
A heavy murmur. Such a comforting voice.
"You must go back to Hyrule. You will be safer there!"
"But Tristan...!"
"No. I love you with all my heart, dearest, but believe me when I say I know what's best for you!" A hesitating silence.
"I'll always love you. Stay safe, my love, take our sons with you. He will never be safe in such a land as this..."
"Aye, and you as well... Will we see each other again, or will you be lost to the greedy anger of another foolish leader?"
"...`Tis hard to say, and harder to tell the truth. I do not think we'll ever meet up again... but you must go on... for the sake of our sons, you must!"
"Aye." A trembling whistle. The owner sounded on the verge of tears. "Kiss me, and let us part."
"May the gods spare our lives."
["He's been out for nearly three days... King Chandler has been contacted, and King Edward as well. Princess Zelda regrets that she cannot be by his side in his time of need."
"Aye. I'll stand here and keep watch over him, case there be another one of them moaning fits. But he do sound like a demon!"
"He does. P'raps the blow has rattled his senses."
"...Aye, p'raps... but let us pray it hasn't..."]
Fire. Heat. Screaming.
Such is what an infant witnesses as he is cradled in the arms of a young Hylian woman. She runs frantically, gasping for air, trying to escape the thundering masses of panicked people and wild soldiers.
Shouts. Moans. Dying.
She stumbles but manages to stay upright somehow. She tears through the thickets, making sure to protect her baby from the scraggly claws of trees.
They enter an opening, and she falls to her feet, nearly dropping the babe as she does so. A deep wound in her side is her chain and ball; she will die.
The woman crawls forward, sobbing and gasping for air as she, even within sight of the Gates of Elysium, tries to save her only child.
"I will care for this babe of thine, mother," a great and powerful voice utters. The Hylian woman looks up to see the Great Deku Tree looming over her. In her final moments, she sets the child down in front of the tree, kisses its forehead, and breathes her last.
"When will he wake up?" Lance asked anxiously, glancing at his comatose friend. The high priest shook his head wearily.
"It is hard to say, my son. He may or may not wake up. He is in a coma, and sometimes one might never wake up from such a deadly sleep. This young fellow took quite a blow to the head. I'm surprised to find that it didn't kill him right off." Lance's frown deepened, and the sailor sighed.
[Link...]
A gentle voice called out. Link slowly opened his eyes.
[Link... I'm waiting...]
The Hero of Time sat up and looked around, his vision clearing and sharpening as he became more awake.
[Link... please... come... Link... come...]
"Who are you?" the nineteen-year-old called out, clambering to his feet.
[Please... I need your help...]
"What are you talking about?"
[Don't kill me... Link... Link...]
"I'm not going to kill you! What do you want? Who are you?" He shouted, his frustration overpowering his weakness. "Tell me who you are?"
[I'm trapped... Beneath the beauty... beneath everything... I'm condemned to die... help... I know... your friend... He can help...]
"Lance? Do you mean Lance?" Link inquired, looking around. All he could see was hazy mist. Suddenly, a distant Hylian shape formed in it. Link stared at it for a moment, then began chasing after it. As if sensing his nearness, it began to draw away. "No, wait!"
The last thing he saw was vibrant red hair.
[Link... come... Link... see...]
"What do you know about a girl with red hair?" Link demanded, his eyes opening as he sat up. Lance uttered a yelp of surprise and toppled over in his seat.
"Matey!" He cried, joyous yet stunned. "Link, me ol' matey, I though ye were a goner, so I did, but sure `nough--" The Hero of Time flapped an impatient hand at the babbling sailor.
"I asked you a question, Lance." The dark-blue-haired teenager looked baffled and folded his hands together and sat down in his seat once more. "What do you know about a girl with... really red hair?" Lance scratched the side of his neck a moment, avoiding eye contact.
"Aye, I know a lot about the girl yer talking inquirin' after, Link. `Twas only one girl I ever remembered with such beautiful red hair. Aye. Me very best friend she was. I ain't seen her since ten years ago, so I haven't."
"Do you know what happened to her? Where she is?" Link demanded, leaning forward. Lance shook his head and looked up at his friend.
"Nay, I couldn't tell ye for the life of me. Last I heard she were a'movin' to Selinta, so she were, and I ain't heard from her since."
"What was her name?"
"Miyako, if'n I recall correctly. She only had herself a father, mind ye; her poor mum were laid low by the wasting disease, so she was..." Link nodded silently, thinking. Lance stood up uncertainly. "Well, I best be leavin' ye to yer rest, now, friend. Take care. Aye. I'll bring ye summat to eat, all right?"
"Fine," the blonde teenager replied, feeling sleep steal away the rest of his consciousness. He dreamed of the princess, but this time, his dream was torn by cries of help.