Author's Notes: I have nothing to say this time, except that It took me awhile to make myself sit down and write this one. I knew exactly what I wanted to happen; I just never got around to typing it. You've probably grown to expect that from me by now anyway, right?
Malon's dream ended as the last of her memories faded away. She opened her watery eyes to see the rope she could no longer hold just as her strength gave out. She whispered one final farewell as the last of her will power used itself up and her fingers let go of the rope.
"Goodbye, Link…"
Malon's Quest, Chapter 9- by Illjwamh
"Gotcha!" Malon looked up to see Deruna had reached out and grabbed her wrist just as she had let go of the rope. The Gerudo now held her up while keeping one hand grasped firmly around her own rope.
"Don't scare me like that!" Deruna said. "You've gotta be more careful up here. This is a really tough climb the first time up."
Malon looked at her friend in disbelief. She had nearly plummeted to her death a moment ago, and now she was being scolded for it. She was about to say something to that effect when Deruna hoisted her up and told her to take hold of her rope again. She did so, but not without complaint.
"That's it?" Malon demanded. "I just barely escaped dying and all you say is 'Be more careful,' and 'Grab the rope again'?"
Deruna didn't seem taken aback at all. In fact, she looked downright calm.
"Yeah, pretty much. We'd better hurry, Mara's probably been waiting for us for a while now." With that, she scurried up the rope before Malon even had a chance to reply.
Now the farm girl was mad. She clenched her teeth and tore up the rope after Deruna, intent on giving the insensitive thief a piece of her mind. Before she knew it, she was at the top, completely out of breath, and her two companions were sitting patiently, waiting for her.
"Ah, good! You made it up!" Mara exclaimed. "And in a pretty good amount of time, too."
"Now hold on just a second!" Malon screamed. She'd caught her breath and was now going to let these two have it.
Mara's face took on a look of understanding all of a sudden. Malon's tone and expression told her all too well what had happened.
"She almost fell, didn't she?" she asked Deruna. Malon's tirade stopped immediately.
"Yep. It's a good thing I noticed her when I did, too." This time Deruna managed to sound like she actually cared, which was quite a contrast from before. Mara looked back to her new student.
"Don't worry about it," she said. "Everyone struggles the first time they climb up here, and it's hot and you haven't been getting much sleep. It's completely understandable." Malon blinked.
"You two sure are acting like this isn't a big deal. I almost died!"
"But you didn't," Mara pointed out. "And look! You made it to the top just fine."
Malon stopped in her tracks again. She hadn't thought about that part.
"Now you just sit down and rest for a minute," Mara continued, "and then we'll get back to the reason we're up here. That climb always makes me hungry." She unslung her canteen from her shoulder and tossed it to Malon. "Take a drink of that, too. Some water'll do you good. I'm guessing you got pretty dizzy."
Malon silently did as she was told, and looked on in awe at the two Gerudos as she gulped down the water. Who were these women?
* * *
"I don't think I like this," Link said to himself as he struggled to keep his balance while the rumbling increased all around him. He had both his sword and his shield drawn, but he doubted they would be of any assistance to him in the current situation. Then, without warning, the floor began to crumble beneath him. Link barely had time to register what was happening before he plunged down through the stones he'd believed to be a solid base.
A moment later, he felt smooth stone against his back, and his trajectory changed ever so slightly so that he was no longer plummeting straight down. Evidently, he was sliding down a long passageway of some sort. Its purpose was something he could only guess at, for he hadn't even known of its existence before.
After a rather long slide, he reached the end of the tunnel, and came reeling out of a hole in the ceiling of an underground room. After the initial shock of hitting the floor wore off, he stood up and took a look around.
That proved to be a futile gesture however, as the room was almost completely black. He could barely make out his own hand in front of his face. It was times like these when he missed Navi most of all. The fairy's light could penetrate even the thickest darkness and allow him to see. Many of his undertakings would have been impossible without the illumination she provided. He was considering using the ocarina to return to the entrance of the temple when he saw a light appear on the far side of the room. It looked to be the flame of a torch, but what startled Link the most was when it spoke.
"Who is it?" It spoke not to him, but rather it seemed to be speaking to itself. "Who comes down here to disturb us? Look familiar, you do."
"Yes, we have seen him before." Link jumped three feet in the air. There behind him, close enough to lean over his shoulder, was an icy blue flame above a glowing set of eyes. It took a moment, but Link suddenly remembered where and when he had seen those eyes before.
"Can it be, Kotake?" The flame on the far side asked. It was rapidly approaching Link's position, and he could see an identical pair of eyes underneath it.
"I do believe it is, Koume. It's than young man who bested us and brought our destruction. You remember, back in the days of Ganondorf?"
"Of course I remember! It was only two years ago!" snapped Koume, now as close to Link as her sister was. They began circling around him and as they did, more light seemed to fill the room so that the hero could make out their whole forms, broomsticks and all. He also noted the glowing yellow rings above their heads.
"Ah, so it was. Time flows so strangely down here."
"Too true, too true. But what, I ask, is the young lad doing here in our resting place?"
"That is the question to be asked. He didn't even ask our permission!"
"Yes, so rude!"
"Do you think he has to do with what is troubling the great king?"
"It might be, it might be. Ask him, Kotake, ask him."
"Very well, if I must." The icy witch turned her gaze on Link as the two sisters continued to slowly circle him on their brooms.
"Why have you come down here?" Kotake asked him. "Do you not know that we wish to be left alone?"
"Are you what troubles the great king?" Koume prodded further. "Tell us at once and leave this place, or stay forever!"
Link stood his ground with confidence. He didn't really know how powerful the witches were, especially with them being dead, but he knew from experience that he could handle them if he needed to.
"I'm looking for the sage Nabooru," he said.
"Ah, the girl!"
Koume said. "We remember her as well!"
"Terrible thing that Ganondorf did
to her, terrible thing."
"As I remember it, it was the two of you who took control of Nabooru," Link chided them.
"Ah yes, you tell the truth," Kotake said. "But did it for Ganondorf, we did."
"Indeed, when one raises a king from youth, one has a certain fondness for him, no matter how wicked he may be." Link was taken aback.
"You two raised Ganondorf?"
"Of course!" Kotake declared proudly. "Only the best and most powerful are fit to raise the Gerudo King!"
"Kotake, we must remember what we're asking him," Koume said. "We must stay focused."
"I am focused, you old fool! Be quiet!"
"How dare you! If I remember, it was I who made the decisions when we were alive!" Koume shouted.
"Which is probably why we aren't anymore!" Kotake shot back.
"Excuse me!" Link interrupted them. They stopped arguing and looked at him. "Do either of you know where Nabooru is?"
The two witches looked at each other, and seemed to be debating whether or not to tell him anything. Finally, they looked back at him and Kotake spoke.
"You won't find her up there, or down here, most likely."
"Darkness has befallen the temple once again. The sage is trying to destroy it."
"You must go that way," they pointed, and a corridor was illuminated on the far left side of the room.
"If you survive, you may see the sage again. If you don't, you will see us."
The two witches spun around on their brooms and disappeared, leaving one final call.
"Don't tell him we sent you!"
* * *
"Are you sure there are animals up here?" Malon asked. She'd lost track of how long they'd been hunting, and she was beginning to get very hungry.
"I wouldn't have brought us here if there weren't," Mara said. Malon wasn't so sure if that was the truth or not, but she kept quiet about it.
"Don't worry," Deruna reassured her. "Even if we don't catch anything, I brought up some food just in case. We wouldn't want you to almost pass out again on the way back down, would we?" Malon managed a weak smile of gratitude. "Just don't tell Mara, okay?"
The other result of this endless walking was that it gave Malon time to think, and evidently she had more to think about than she'd previously imagined. Why had she only thought of Link when she fell? Of course she would miss him, but what about her father? What about Epona? What about everyone else who cared about her and that she would miss? She felt guilty that the thought of her father not being rescued never once entered her head, and that was supposed to be what she was here for.
Furthermore, what did this mean about her relationship with Link? She'd always been fond of him, and even attracted to him, but she never allowed herself to think of it as anything more than childish infatuation. Was there more? Were her feelings for the young hero deeper than even she herself realized? She really wished she hadn't run out on him. She felt incredibly guilty about it. After all, he was probably worried sick about her, and all she could think about was how much she wished he were there with her right then. It was incredibly selfish, she told herself.
"Malon?" The farm girl shook her head to clear it when she heard her friend call her name. Deruna was looking at her, a rather confused expression on her face.
"Hmm?" was the only response she gave at first.
"Are you awake? I've tried to ask you a question three times, and you're just staring off into space."
"Oh, sorry," Malon blushed. "I was just thinking about a few things. What did you want to ask me?"
"Why are you really here?"
"What do you mean? I'm here so I can-"
"I know, I know, so you can save your father. But Mal, you could've asked Link to do it for you. Hell, from what I've heard he was about to anyway. Why not let him?" Malon was hesitant to answer.
"Because…because I've always wanted to go out into the world an experience it for myself. All I've ever done is work on a ranch and deliver milk to the different villages. I wanted something more, and Link promised he's help me. But then my father was taken away, and when I told Link I wanted to go with him he said no. So I left without him. Looking back, I really wish I hadn't. I hope he isn't angry with me."
"Look Malon, I'm not going to lie to you. Running out on him like that wasn't the best idea. But I don't think you have to worry about him being angry with you. He's probably just really worried. I've never gotten the chance to meet him myself, but I've heard all the stories about him. I don't think he's the type to hold a grudge. Besides, you said the two of you were close friends, right?"
Malon nodded sheepishly.
"Well then you've got nothing to be afraid of. No Gerudo would ever refuse to forgive a close friend when they show real regret. And as I've said, he's one of the greatest of all of us."
Even though the talk was short, Malon felt a lot better. She decide to get as much out of her training as she possibly could, so Link would be proud of her when she finally went home.
* * *
Zelda sighed out of exasperation. The castle archives were huge and to top it off, she wasn't even sure what it was exactly she was supposed to be looking for. The only two leads she had were stalchilds and Nabooru's disappearance, and those weren't much to go on.
"I wish Impa were still here," the princess lamented. "This search would be much easier if she was helping."
She placed the scroll she'd just finished inspecting back in its place and pulled out another one. After a brief look her mood changed drastically and a triumphant smile appeared on her face. The scroll began, "Stalchilds are believed to be the cursed undead spirits of fallen warriors who…"
* * *
It was getting late, and the three women still hadn't found anything to eat. Malon was really starting to feel the effects of hunger.
"Do you think we'll be able to find anything before dark?" she asked her two companions.
"Well I certainly hope so," Mara said, coming to a stop and turning around to face the other two. She rested the butt of her glaive on the ground as if it were a walking staff.
"What do you mean by that, Mara?" Deruna asked.
"What I mean is we should have caught something, eaten it, and returned to the fortress by now. This is strange. I've never seen it so barren up here. Well once, but that was several years ago."
"I don't like
the sound of that," Malon said. "I don't think I could manage the climb back
down on an empty stomach."
"Don't worry," Mara reassured her. "If
it comes to that, you ca nit the rations that Deruna brought with her." Deruna immediately looked ashamed.
"H-how did you know about that?"
Mara simply laughed. "What kind of poor excuse for a thief do you take me for?" she asked jokingly. "I could smell that food from the moment we set out."
"Hehe… I guess next time I should-" she stopped herself in mid sentence and brought her glaive up to a defensive position. Malon instinctively followed suit.
"What is it?" the farm girl asked nervously.
"Malon," Deruna said cautiously, "turn around very slowly." Malon did as she was told, and let out a quick shriek when she saw what Deruna was looking at. There, only a few feet away from her, was a very large serpent with a hood on its neck, long front fangs and narrow eyes reared up in an attack position.
"Wh-what is that?" Malon whispered.
"It's a desert cobra," Deruna whispered back. "Its venom is extremely deadly, and it's very quick."
"Malon, don't move," Mara warned. She was silently sneaking up on the snake from behind. "Any sudden movements may cause it to attack."
The warning was unnecessary however, as Malon was almost petrified with fear. She watched as the serpent slithered ever so slowly nearer, and as Mara stealthily crept up on it from the rear. She watched as Mara raised her glaive to strike the viper, and how it chose that exact moment to lunge.
"AAA!" Malon screamed in terror and clinched her eyes shut. Without even realizing what she was doing, she swung out wither glaive, and then awaited the pang of the cobra's venom. However, the bite never came. Malon carefully opened her eyes to see a very unexpected site. There lay the cobra on the ground, a foot or so away from its head. And there lay its blood, still dripping red from the blade of Malon's weapon.
Malon stood speechless, unable to believe what she had just done. Mara was the first to speak.
"Well congratulations Malon, you've just caught your dinner!"
* * *
Link wandered aimlessly down the dimly lit corridor, not exactly sure where he was going or what he was about to find. The apparitions he'd just spoken to had left him ready for anything however.
As he rounded another bend, he could just make out in the faint light expanding walls in the distance. He was approaching a chamber. He quickened his step, excited at the prospect of actually getting somewhere, and didn't stop until he reached the threshold of the cavernous room.
It was only when he looked on from the entrance did Link realize just how big the room was. It was easily the size of the King Dodongo's cave from all those years ago. There were torches burning at even intervals along the walls, and in the center there appeared to be a massive erection of some sort. From the feel of the room, it looked like an altar, but based on what the witches had told him, Link guessed that it was more likely a tomb.
Deciding not to hesitate any longer, Link took a step into the room and immediately regretted it. The second his foot touched the floor, a chill gust of air blew from nowhere and extinguished all the torches, bathing the hero in darkness. He could hear a faint sound that resembled a soft whistle, and then he saw a tiny bit of light emanating from the altar at the center of the room. When Link looked to find the source of this light, he froze in horror. For there, out of what was now without a doubt a tomb, rose a ghostly image that Link prayed daily he'd never have to see again.
BOOM! That's the end for today. I really pushed on the end, because Friday was my birthday and I wanted to have a gift for all of you. Eh, so it's a little late. School's here now, so I have even more things on my schedule. I'll get to this though, I never leave a story unfinished.