The chapter is named after an R.E.M song. Yay for R.E.M.!
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Chapter Six
"We'll take the first leg of the journey to Mellifluous Bay. We've kept the Tophetian Warriors out of that area; it's still a war zone, but reinforcements are being sent," announced General Aston. "There, we have three ships waiting for us.
"The immediate plan is to dock at Port Sadena, in Rinthen, before heading directly to Ashara, Selinta's main seaport. From there it will be three days' march to Ontharn, the capital. We are to eliminate all enemies encountered, Tophetian or not. As you know, Endymio is a strong ally of Tophet, and we will be sailing past their territorial waters after docking at Port Sadena.
"Any questions?" inquired the military leader. Nobody said anything; they didn't expect to live long on such a suicide mission.
The soldiers were given an hour to say their last minute good-byes before embarking on the perilous journey.
Link wandered to the stable, to say his good-bye to Epona, who would have to wait several months for his return.
"Sorry, old girl, but this is a march, and I don't want to leave you in Mellifluous Bay. You're not too familiar with the area, and the Tophetians... well... Mellifluous Bay is still a prime target for them..."
"Hello, Link, hoot hoo," a familiar gruff voice called out. Startled, the Hero of Time turned around to find himself nose to beak with the owl from his turbulent childhood.
"...It's... you!" He exclaimed, having never learned the owl's name.
"It's me," agreed the owl cheerfully, turning its head this way and that. "Since we've never been properly introduced, I am Kaepora Gaebora, and I already know you, Link."
"After all this time, you came to visit me now? Just before the most important march of my life?" Link asked incredulously. "Or have you come to offer me advice?" Kaepora shook his great feathered head.
"Be not bitter with me, young man. Hoot hoo hoot. I didn't come for leisure or to offer you advice. I came with a message, a very urgent message.
"My travels soar me over oceans, fly me high over mountains, and zoom me through thick forests. I heard a cry, a Dream Plea, for help." The owl's eyes widened dramatically. "From Selinta."
Link's body tensed up, and his heart began pounding faster. Presently his skin began to feel unpleasantly clammy. He blinked, hardly daring to breathe.
"A Dream Plea? From who in Selinta?"
"In the city of Ontharn, there is the capital's castle, Castle Dythia. And in the highest tower, there is a young girl, perhaps a bit younger than yourself, who is shackled and bound to the dry, bare cell. Her face has been covered with a hideous mask, bound by strong metal, and her dress is torn and dirty.
"She came to me when I slept one night, in the Tiptip Forest, and begged me to find someone to help her. She is imprisoned because she had somehow offended Princess Cheyanna, and the king threw her into the cell. She will die soon; her spirit grows weak."
"...What... What's her name?" The Hero of Time swallowed hard, his eyes bright and feverish. Kaepora noticed this.
"She told me her name was Miyako."
Link inadvertently clutched at his chest, his icy blue eyes widening rapidly in agony.
"Link?" Kaepora demanded, hopping closer. "Link, are you all right?" The Hero of Time blinked once, then his eyes rolled back and he slumped backwards, onto the wooden floor of the stable. Epona reared back and neighed wildly.
[The time has come, Link. Meet your destiny...]
The Hero of Time slowly opened his eyes, only to find he wasn't at Hyrule Castle's stables, or anywhere in Hyrule, for that matter.
The room was narrow, and shrank to a point as the walls met the ceiling. The cell was made of stone and utterly bare, aside from one small rectangular window, barred closely, high on the north wall.
In the corner, curled up in a fetal position, was a young teenage girl. Her hair was dirty and tangled, but any fool could easily tell that once it was clean, it would be a vibrant red.
It was as Kaepora has said; her hands were bound cruelly behind her back with metal shackles. Her bare feet were chained to the wall, the fetters tight and on a short leash. Her entire head was engulfed by a hideous, pointed bronze mask that had two small slits for the eyes, another two even smaller for the nose, and a slightly larger slit for the mouth.
"I... Um..." He stuttered, feeling somewhat inane. A woman that he was already falling in love with (or something close to it), and he had no idea who she was or what she looked like! 'I'm such a fool,' he thought, annoyed with himself.
The young girl jerked and looked over in Link's general direction. The blonde teenager had no idea what to say.
"Who... are... Are you... You must be..." She also seemed at a loss for words. "...I didn't think anyone would come... for me..." The young girl—
[She told me her name was Miyako.]
— sat upright and craned her head towards him.
"I've been here for several months. I don't think I can last much longer, Link." The Hero of Time twitched in surprise.
"How did you... know my name? I never told you..."
"I sent you those dreams, Link, I can't remain like this much longer, I'm afraid I'm going to die." Her voice was faint, and his vision became fuzzy. He blinked, but the fuzziness persisted. "My Dream Powers are weakening. Soon I won't even be able to send you any Dream Calls or Pleas...
"My friend Lance is with you, he'll be able to help you, but please, I beg you, liberate me. I need... I need to go... to the Temple of..." Her voice began to fade even more, and suddenly Link was falling, falling backwards into nothing, away from the stone cell and its single, dying occupant. "Please..."
[Link...]
Link's eyes snapped open suddenly. Kaepora was still watching over him closely.
"Link." The owl was obviously relieved. "What was that?"
"I have to go!" He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. Without another look back he was racing out of the stable, to the army's rendezvous point.
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Chapter Six
"We'll take the first leg of the journey to Mellifluous Bay. We've kept the Tophetian Warriors out of that area; it's still a war zone, but reinforcements are being sent," announced General Aston. "There, we have three ships waiting for us.
"The immediate plan is to dock at Port Sadena, in Rinthen, before heading directly to Ashara, Selinta's main seaport. From there it will be three days' march to Ontharn, the capital. We are to eliminate all enemies encountered, Tophetian or not. As you know, Endymio is a strong ally of Tophet, and we will be sailing past their territorial waters after docking at Port Sadena.
"Any questions?" inquired the military leader. Nobody said anything; they didn't expect to live long on such a suicide mission.
The soldiers were given an hour to say their last minute good-byes before embarking on the perilous journey.
Link wandered to the stable, to say his good-bye to Epona, who would have to wait several months for his return.
"Sorry, old girl, but this is a march, and I don't want to leave you in Mellifluous Bay. You're not too familiar with the area, and the Tophetians... well... Mellifluous Bay is still a prime target for them..."
"Hello, Link, hoot hoo," a familiar gruff voice called out. Startled, the Hero of Time turned around to find himself nose to beak with the owl from his turbulent childhood.
"...It's... you!" He exclaimed, having never learned the owl's name.
"It's me," agreed the owl cheerfully, turning its head this way and that. "Since we've never been properly introduced, I am Kaepora Gaebora, and I already know you, Link."
"After all this time, you came to visit me now? Just before the most important march of my life?" Link asked incredulously. "Or have you come to offer me advice?" Kaepora shook his great feathered head.
"Be not bitter with me, young man. Hoot hoo hoot. I didn't come for leisure or to offer you advice. I came with a message, a very urgent message.
"My travels soar me over oceans, fly me high over mountains, and zoom me through thick forests. I heard a cry, a Dream Plea, for help." The owl's eyes widened dramatically. "From Selinta."
Link's body tensed up, and his heart began pounding faster. Presently his skin began to feel unpleasantly clammy. He blinked, hardly daring to breathe.
"A Dream Plea? From who in Selinta?"
"In the city of Ontharn, there is the capital's castle, Castle Dythia. And in the highest tower, there is a young girl, perhaps a bit younger than yourself, who is shackled and bound to the dry, bare cell. Her face has been covered with a hideous mask, bound by strong metal, and her dress is torn and dirty.
"She came to me when I slept one night, in the Tiptip Forest, and begged me to find someone to help her. She is imprisoned because she had somehow offended Princess Cheyanna, and the king threw her into the cell. She will die soon; her spirit grows weak."
"...What... What's her name?" The Hero of Time swallowed hard, his eyes bright and feverish. Kaepora noticed this.
"She told me her name was Miyako."
Link inadvertently clutched at his chest, his icy blue eyes widening rapidly in agony.
"Link?" Kaepora demanded, hopping closer. "Link, are you all right?" The Hero of Time blinked once, then his eyes rolled back and he slumped backwards, onto the wooden floor of the stable. Epona reared back and neighed wildly.
[The time has come, Link. Meet your destiny...]
The Hero of Time slowly opened his eyes, only to find he wasn't at Hyrule Castle's stables, or anywhere in Hyrule, for that matter.
The room was narrow, and shrank to a point as the walls met the ceiling. The cell was made of stone and utterly bare, aside from one small rectangular window, barred closely, high on the north wall.
In the corner, curled up in a fetal position, was a young teenage girl. Her hair was dirty and tangled, but any fool could easily tell that once it was clean, it would be a vibrant red.
It was as Kaepora has said; her hands were bound cruelly behind her back with metal shackles. Her bare feet were chained to the wall, the fetters tight and on a short leash. Her entire head was engulfed by a hideous, pointed bronze mask that had two small slits for the eyes, another two even smaller for the nose, and a slightly larger slit for the mouth.
"I... Um..." He stuttered, feeling somewhat inane. A woman that he was already falling in love with (or something close to it), and he had no idea who she was or what she looked like! 'I'm such a fool,' he thought, annoyed with himself.
The young girl jerked and looked over in Link's general direction. The blonde teenager had no idea what to say.
"Who... are... Are you... You must be..." She also seemed at a loss for words. "...I didn't think anyone would come... for me..." The young girl—
[She told me her name was Miyako.]
— sat upright and craned her head towards him.
"I've been here for several months. I don't think I can last much longer, Link." The Hero of Time twitched in surprise.
"How did you... know my name? I never told you..."
"I sent you those dreams, Link, I can't remain like this much longer, I'm afraid I'm going to die." Her voice was faint, and his vision became fuzzy. He blinked, but the fuzziness persisted. "My Dream Powers are weakening. Soon I won't even be able to send you any Dream Calls or Pleas...
"My friend Lance is with you, he'll be able to help you, but please, I beg you, liberate me. I need... I need to go... to the Temple of..." Her voice began to fade even more, and suddenly Link was falling, falling backwards into nothing, away from the stone cell and its single, dying occupant. "Please..."
[Link...]
Link's eyes snapped open suddenly. Kaepora was still watching over him closely.
"Link." The owl was obviously relieved. "What was that?"
"I have to go!" He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. Without another look back he was racing out of the stable, to the army's rendezvous point.