Author's Notes: I have a better idea than ever before of where I'm going with this story. Don't get me wrong; I always knew how it was going to end. However, I didn't have much of an idea of what to do for the middle. I know all that now, and I've worked out a few more details regarding the end as well. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It should be fairly long, but I'm not entirely sure on that yet. (I write my beginning notes before I start writing, and my ending notes right before I upload. Sometimes they don't have much to do with each other.)
Malon's Quest – Chapter 10
"I've never eaten snake before," Malon said to her two companions as they made their way back down the cliff in the darkness of late evening. "It was actually pretty good." This climb down wasn't nearly as difficult as the earlier climb up.
"Desert cobras are a delicacy out here," Mara told her. "It's not often that we get to eat one. Thanks for catching it for us."
"You see?" Deruna teased. "And you were worried you would have a tough time. And here on your first big training exercise you manage to kill yourself a deadly serpent. Congratulations!"
"Well I'm just glad to be getting down off that plateau," Malon said. "It was so quiet and empty up there. It gave me the creeps."
"Me too," Mara's voice took on a much more serious tone. "I haven't seen it like that since Ganondorf was in power. It's not natural."
"Don't go saying stuff like that," Deruna pleaded. She sounded even more worried than Mara.
Malon felt it was slightly her fault for shifting the discussion in this direction. "I'm sorry if I brought up anything…"
"No, you didn't do anything Malon," Mara assured her. "It's just something we'd all really like to forget. Remember, we Gerudos were closer to the situation than anybody else."
Malon had forgotten that part. She didn't know what to say to fix the situation, so she remained quiet. The remainder of the descent down the cliff was passed in silence. When they finally did touch back down, Deruna and Malon went off to their quarters while Mara went off to speak with Sarina about the state of affairs on the plateau. She looked extremely troubled. The two girls were halfway back to the fortress before conversation finally broke out again.
"This is creepy," Deruna said. "I knew it was odd that there weren't many creatures up there, but I didn't really think it was such a big deal. I haven't seen Mara this worried in a long time."
"You don't really think that…that Ganondorf might be coming back, do you? I thought Link killed him."
"Well I don't know if that's the exact problem or not, but you have to understand that this is a very sensitive subject for a lot of Gerudos."
"How do you mean?"
"Well," Deruna checked around her before continuing, as if making sure no one was listening in on their discussion. "The thing is, when Ganondorf was in power…not all of us were happy with it. We all did what he said of course; he was our king. But when he was defeated…a lot of people weren't too upset about it, if you know what I mean. We were pretty vocal about our feelings, too. If he ever came back, not only would the world have to deal with his evil again – which is bad enough in itself – those of us who weren't truly loyal to him are going to be in a lot of trouble." Malon could see that her friend was quite shaken up, and was even nearing the point of shuddering as she approached the end of her explanation. They had reached the fortress by this point, and began navigating the corridors that lead to their quarters.
"So, there are some Gerudo that are still loyal to Ganondorf?" Malon asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"No!" Deruna answered quickly. "I think that out of all of us, there can't be any more than two who totally agreed with what Ganondorf was doing. The issue is loyalty. Remember how I said that we did what he said because he was king, even though we may not have liked it?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Well there are some who take that a step further. They did what he said because he was king, and they liked it because he was king. It's what we're supposed to do: follow the lead of our ruler. They felt that even in death, a king should not be spoken against because in the end he was still the king. Can you understand?"
"I'm a little lost," Malon admitted, "But I get the basic idea." By this time they had arrived at their bedchambers, and Malon swung open the narrow wooden door for her roommate.
"So you see that whether he really is coming back or not, it's still a really touchy subject." All Malon could do was nod.
"Well I'm tired of talking about that," Deruna declared as she flopped down on her bed and began to change. "Let's just go to sleep, and when we wake up tomorrow we'll pretend we never spoke of it."
Malon smiled. "Sure." She too began to change. They were both exhausted, so the transition to bed was a hurried one. As Malon blew out the last torch and laid her head down, she could hear Deruna muttering to herself as she drifted off to sleep.
"Sarina will know what to do."
* * *
Link gaped in horror at the figure that rose up in front of him. For a large portion of his life, he'd had nightmares about what he was currently seeing. He'd thought he'd finally put an end to it two years ago, when the king of evil had fallen at his feet and the sages sealed him in the dark world. However, his eyes told him otherwise as the specter before him reached its full height and gazed down upon him with its ghostly eyes.
Even though it had been two years, Link remembered everything about his adversary exactly. That tattered red robe, that black armor, and that evil, twisted grin. The latter was not apparent at the moment, as the ghost's face was still slightly blurred. Even so, the desert king's eyes were glowing red with what Link could only guess was anger and hatred. Almost unaware of what he was doing, Link slowly reached behind him with both arms to retrieve his sword and shield. He was moving so slowly it was as if he didn't want his enemy to see his motions, and he still couldn't look away from its horrible face, or even close his terror-struck mouth.
When Link's hands finally made contact with his weapons, he closed his mouth and gripped them tightly. Then, with a gulp, he began pulling them out, moving almost as slowly as before. The ghost seemed to be waiting for him or some such thing, because it didn't move an inch, did not alter its gaze, and did not speak a word until Link was fully set into a defensive battle position.
Then, without warning, it spoke. It's voice was deep, and the way it reverberated off the walls of the chamber made a cold shiver run up Link's spine.
"Who are you who so boldly and foolishly desecrates my final resting place?"
The question startled Link in more ways than one. Didn't the spirit recognize him? And furthermore, the voice didn't sound the way Link remembered.
Whatever apparition it was, it was evidently growing impatient without an answer to its question. Its eyes glowed brighter n fury with such sudden intensity that Link had to squint and its voice thundered even more horribly than before.
"I have asked you a question!" the ghost bellowed. "And you will answer it! NOW!" The room seemed to shake as the ghost issued the end of its command.
Shaken and still nervous, but less afraid because he was no sure the ghost was not of Ganondrof, Link opened his mouth to speak. He made an extra effort to ensure that his voice reflected the confidence that should be expected from the hero of time.
"My name is Link," he said boldly. "I have come here n search of Nabooru, and to find an answer to a question."
"What question might this be?" the ghost sounded far less angry this time, and indeed almost intrigued.
"Not so fast," Link declared. He now felt as confident as his voice let on. "I told you my name, now you must tell me yours."
The ghost seemed to ponder the statement for a moment, and the laughed. The laugh, like the ghost itself, was reminiscent of Ganondorf, but held less evil and more sardonic amusement.
"A mortal such as yourself is in no position to make such a bold demand. However, you amuse me, so I shall humor you for the time being. I am Throntolu, first great king of the Gerudo."
Link's eyes shot wide open and for the first time since entering the chamber he dropped his guard. The ancient king chuckled a bit at the hero's reaction, but his good humor seemed to end there.
"Now that I have obliged you, you will once again answer my questions. What is this question you wish to ask the sage, and why are you looking for her in my tomb?" The chamber once again shook, and Link had to focus to keep his balance.
"I came to the temple to find Nabooru because I could not make contact with her. When I arrived, a trap door opened underneath my feet. I met the two witches, and they sent me on through here." Link found he had reverted to the formal tone he always used when he was speaking to the royal family.
The dead king's temper died again.
"The witches sent you, you say? I see. So they feel it too. And so do you, I imagine, or you would not have come." Link remembered the witches saying that the king was upset about something, but not saying what it was.
"What is it that you speak of?" he asked.
"Ah, so it is yet too indistinct for one such as yourself to identify it, but I have felt it for some time now. There is a great darkness befalling the land of Hyrule, and it is of my own bloodline. I have felt it before, but not nearly so potent as it has now become."
"You mean Ganondorf?" Link asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Nay! This evil is not of the mortal realm; it comes from beyond. The mighty king of evil has left it in his wake, and without him it grows unchecked. It's existence is also the reason I am unable to sleep. I have been drawn back to this world against my will."
"So was it you who was blocking my contact with Nabooru?" Throntolu's ghost looked down at Link in a moment of anger which quickly subsided.
"You confuse me with my descendants," he said. "No, it was not I who cut off this temple from the outside world. The sage is also a Gerudo and feels what I do. She knows I am awake, and has for some time."
"So where is she?" Link asked.
"Alas, I do not know," said the ancient king. "I imagine she is attempting to deal with the evil that has encompassed this temple. Unfortunately, I cannot say for certain."
"Thank you," Link bowed his head. "I now know where I must go." He put away his sword and shield and started to leave, but the ghost cried out again.
"Halt!" Link turned back to face the ghost, not liking the tone it was using.
"The evil has awakened me, but it has also infected me. You who have besmirched my resting place, you will not be allowed to leave!" The ghost then slowly began gathering energy toward itself, causing the chamber to shake worse than ever, to the extent that small stones were falling from the ceiling. Shocked but not daunted, Link drew a light arrow from his quiver. He then summoned his fairy bow, as only one who has been taught by the fairies themselves can do. Link remembered the purging effects of the light arrows. As Throntolu was already dead, the arrow would not kill him, but rather rid him of the evil that tainted him. The young hero calmly pulled the arrow back, took aim, and let fly. It made contact with the ancient spirit just as larger racks were beginning to fall. The old king let out a great cry, and then ceased in his struggles. Hanging in the air with no remaining desire to do harm, the ghost looked up at Link through the falling debris.
"Thank you, young warrior. I now may rest in peace. I pray you will find a way to undo the evil my bloodline has brought into the world. Fly now, lest you be buried here for eternity alongside me." With those final words, the ghost of the first Gerudo king sank back into the tombstone from whence he came. Link quickly placed the bow over his shoulder and didn't even notice it disappear again as he turned and fled back in the direction of the witches' chamber.
Faster and faster he ran, taking note that the tunnel seemed much shorter when he'd gone down it the first time. The dead king's words rang in his ears, and he knew he would be staying down here if he didn't reach his destination quickly. As he ran, a strange sense of déjà vu took over him, but he couldn't' place it. After what seemed like forever, he saw the archway that was the door to the witches' tomb. His eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, so it didn't seem so inky black as it had before. Still, he had to get to the other side of the room and somehow find a way up the chute he'd fallen through. He wasn't out yet.
As he passed through the door into the large chamber, Link cried out in pain as a rock the size of his head fell from the ceiling and struck him in the back of the neck. It knocked him down only for a moment, and as he struggled back to his feet, it hit him when he'd experienced this before. Only this time, he had to go up instead of down, and Zelda wasn't around to help him.
The hero of time pushed forward through the collapsing underground cavern, ignoring the great pain in the back of his head. He slid to a halt under the long chute that lead down from the trap door, possessing no idea whatsoever on how he was supposed to get back up through it. Had it been a vertical drop, he might have used his hookshot. As it was, he couldn't see the top no matter what angle he looked from. He reached behind his shield for his scroll, resolving to try it anyway. As he traced his finger over the image of the hookshot and prepared to summon it, cursing himself for not leaving the vital tool on the back of his belt as he usually did, he heard an unsettling sound above him. The ceiling was cracking around the bas of the chute. Before Link had time to react or even gasp out in shock, a huge chunk of rock broke off and slammed into the ground right in front of him.
The ensuing shockwave sent Link flying backward with a start, causing him to lose his grip on the scroll in his hand. He landed with a thud in a pile of rubble. He tried to get up, but found that more rocks had already landed on him and were continuing to do so. Wildly, he looked around for his scroll, but it was nowhere to be found. He looked over to where he imagined the chute to be, but saw only dust and more falling debris. Another rock hit him in the head and he started to feel dizzy; the room spun and his eyes rolled back in his head, and there was no way out.
* * *
Well that's it. This chapter was longer, but that ending just seemed to be such a logical ending point. So yeah, sorry for the short chapter. On the bright side, the rest of this is now being put into chapter eleven, which means that's almost done. And, I'm out of school for the holidays. That means more time to write. Cool, huh? I'm gonna go now, cuz I'm getting hungry. Later!