Chapter Nine: Well, well, well…
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Disclaimer: Still not mine…
Get ready for the biggest plot change EVER!!! Actually, it's only the second biggest that I'll make, but they both result from the same person—the coolest person!!!
Read on, fellow Zelda – ers!
OH! I've introduced something new!! Sorry to anyone who hates these, but… FLASHBACKS!!! So anything that looks like this:
****Get ready for the biggest plot change EVER!!!****
That means that it is a flashback. Don't worry…they aren't irrelevant to the plot, and they aren't used incorrectly.
NOW read on!
WAIT!! NOT YET!! I have another thing to add! Even though I always rate this a PG-13 –er, that is usually for violence and bad, bad language. This time, it's a higher PG-13 –er because of dark themes and blood, and other dark evil stuff…like Link and Sheik suffering…
OK! NOW read on!! {I MEAN it this time!!}
WAIT!!
Ha—Jus' kidding!
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The well slowly came into focus, and the blue tint in her vision gradually vanished altogether. She looked in the well, seeing her reflection. It was something that she hadn't seen in years; a pigtailed little Rae wearing smaller version of her clothes. Reaching out with one hand, she gently flicked the image away. Seeing her ten-year old self only brought back memories about her brother that had left her family. On the other hand, her new body was some relief; she hadn't known what would have happened if she went back in time when she wasn't in her own world.
"Hey! Where did you come from?"
Rae spun and gasped, recognizing the crimson-eyed little boy before her. "Sheik?" Maybe picking the well as her time travelling spot wasn't the brightest of ideas.
His eyes narrowed, and small fists clenched. "How do you know my name?" Only about ten years old, the Sheikah that stood before her wore a blue tunic with the sleeves rolled to the shoulders and dark skin-tight pants. He had light shoes, and the white band on his left arm bore the eye of truth; the symbol of the Sheikahs. "Who are you?"
Rae stepped back, still shocked at the person she was staring at. He'd met her in his past? Was that what he meant when he had said that she'd reminded him of someone? "I'm sorry." Rae said starting to run.
Sheik cut her off. "Nuh, uh." He said. "How do you know my name?"
Rae jerked away, stumbling to one side. "I, uh…um…my name is Rae!"
"Oh." He stuck his hand out. "Pleased to meet you." Rae shook his hand uncertainly. He grinned at her. "You probably got my name from one of the other kids, hey?"
Rae nodded, thankful for the excuse.
"Cool." He said. "You wanna play hide and seek?"
Rae gaped at him, thrown off by his child-like manner. It was the total opposite of what she expected Sheik to be as a kid. "Uh, no thanks, I gotta do something."
"Can I come along?" Sheik said, his crimson eyes shining brightly. "It's really boring around here."
Rae didn't see anyway to refuse him, so she let Sheik tag along. He was a bouncy, nimble and talkative little boy, impressively acrobatic and eager to make you laugh. He was the total opposite of the calm, collected, silent young man that she knew in the future.
Walking on his hands all the way to the windmill, patiently balancing as Rae played the song of storms, and then doing cartwheels all the way back to the well, Sheik seemed to have an endless amount of energy.
Sheik perched on the edge of the well, peering into the empty depths. "Why didja do that for?"
Rae threw one leg over the side. "I'm going down there." She continued on as Sheik opened his mouth in excitement. "And you aren't coming with me."
"Oh, come on!" Sheik cried. "I wanna see what's down there!" He flipped onto his stomach, leaning into the well, headfirst. "I'll be good." He said in a singsong voice.
"No," Was the reply.
Sheik pouted, taking a tailor's seat on the well's edge. "You're acting like…like a grown-up!"
"That happens sometimes."
Sheik looked over the edge, watching as Rae disappeared from view. Looking around, he dropped into the well, silently moving down the ladder.
~*~*~*~
Sheik finally gave into the dark abyss of unconsciousness, letting the wound take over, and the dark whisperings run their course. If he managed to reject all offers in this fever, then he would recover unscathed. Sheik only hoped that Link would be able to do the same.
"Rae…" Was the ragged rasping he heard next. Struggling to rise once more from the tempting euphorbia, Sheik tilted his head to one side to peer over at the speaker.
Link coughed, his whole body shaking with the effort. The elvish man breathed heavily, fingers groping in the air. "Rae…"
Sheik's head dropped back onto the pillow. So. He was dreaming of her, seeking her comfort as well. "By the Eye..." He whispered. It seemed like it was going to be a contest for whoever claimed her first.
Link momentarily choked on a thin garble of speech. Sheik fought an impulse to scratch at the welt across his chest, and felt an evil fire burn under his skin.
On second thought, it may be a contest of whomever survives…
~*~*~*~
Rae let her breath out in a soft whoosh as she stepped onto solid ground at the bottom of the pitch black well. Except for the scare when she had come face-to-face with a mini Sheik, (something that had NEVER happened in the game) she was doing pretty well. She'd played the Song of Storms in the windmill, and to her relief, it worked. Now, crawling in a dank hole in the ground, she felt her flesh creep and her mind scream 'DUMMY' over and over. Maybe she should have waited for Link to get better. The well was really freaky when she was by herself.
Rae exited through the small opening, shuddering as she felt cobwebs brush against her bare skin. She wasn't wearing her coat anymore; it had been ruined when Link used it to smother the flames on her legs. Rae paused, hearing a rustling sound. It stopped, and Rae stepped forward.
"Holy--!" Rae screamed as a heavy weight fell on her. She could feel long hairy legs and sharp teeth on her skin. It was a giant Skulltula. Her staff had been knocked away, and the creature sitting atop of her prevented her from reaching for any other weapon. "Dammit!" Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to do this alone…
"By the Eye!" A loud yell sounded in the darkness, accented by the familiar curse of the Sheikah. There was a bright flash of light, and the Skulltula let out a piercing scream as it retreated to the ceiling.
"Move!" It was Sheik and he was pushing her to the wall on the far side of the room. Rae scrambled, snagging her staff on her way by. Backing up as she neared the wall, Rae let out a short scream as she fell backwards—through the wall. For a moment, she lay there blinking and staring at the place where her legs disappeared into the stones.
Of course…the illusion walls…I forgot…
"You okay?" Rae blinked, staring up into the bright young face bobbing before her. "Uh…Rae, was it?"
She pushed herself to her feet. "I told you not to follow me."
"Geez, a thank-you would be nice." Sheik shrugged. "Besides, you said not to go with you, not to not follow you."
Rae glared at him. He was impossible! "Well…thank you. Now leave."
"Nuh-uh." The small Sheikah shook his head. "You need me! After all, you were almost done in by a Skulltula." He gave her a red eye to match the green one that was glinting his way. "And you can't make me leave."
Rae sighed, tapping her staff on the ground with a hidden impatience. As young and persistent as the young boy was, Rae had to admit that he had a point. Of course, there was the fact that having him around would chase away her jitters. It didn't matter if he was big or small, Sheik was Sheik and she felt safer with him around. "Fine," She said in a mock-resigned voice, " You can come with me if you want."
His response was to grin and clap her on the shoulder.
~*~*~*~
Link was dizzy. The room was spinning and he felt like he had fell from a great height. Surprisingly enough, he was lying in the middle of a field, the sky a clear blue above him.
Where am I? Link wondered, sitting up, all traces of his illness gone. Where's Rae?
She has left you…
Link spun looking for the source of the chilling whisper, yet he was alone in the wide empty field. Instinctively he reached for the Master Sword. To his astonishment, it wasn't there. He also didn't have any of his other weapons and equipment. He was dressed in his Kokiri tunic, something that he had not worn since before he received the Goron's or Zora's tunic.
She took your things and left you to die…
"You lie!" Link growled to the unseen assailant. "She would never do that."
You did it to her…
"I left her in Anju's care!" For some reason he was very defensive with this invisible enemy.
She was dying and you left her…
This time Link didn't answer and he glared out at the seemingly harmless field. "Who are you?"
Your conscience…
"Try again."
Fine…then I am the voice of doubt…
"Better, but I still don't believe you."
You aren't very trusting…good…
"What's that supposed to mean?" There was no answer. "Hello?" Link was once again alone in the field, a light breeze wafting over the tall grass. With nothing to do and without the voice to talk to, Link just stared at the clear blue sky, waiting for whatever was going to happen.
~*~*~*~
Rae twirled her staff in one hand, listening to Sheik fill the apprehensive darkness with an endless stream of words. She sloshed through the murky water of the well, following a walk-of-sorts around a main wall. Thinking back to the game, she kept an eye out for the Triforce symbol, and the source of the water. Sheik was talking about the village again, and how he was taking the Sheikah training.
"…Of course there's Vallis and Rebaric in training too, but Baezu—he's the head Sheikah when Impa's not around—says that I show a lot of promise. I am pretty good with the healing and stuff, but doing that thing with the Deku nuts still makes me dizzy, and—"
Rae shook her head. One would never know, with the skill that he came and went in the future. Sheik suddenly stopped, one hand hovering in front of Rae.
"Stop…" He said in a hushed voice, listening to the air. He turned and pushed her up against the wall. "If we go any further, we will…fall into shadows…"
"Fall into shadow?" Rae asked.
Sheik almost looked dreamy as he edged her along the wall with one hand. "Yeah…that's what the walls are saying…I can understand them because I'm a Sheikah…you know, one of the shadow…"
Rae nodded, spotting the Triforce symbol on the ground ahead of them. She pulled out the Ocarina of Time. Stepping on the symbol, she pressed it to her lips. Sheik waited and listened patiently, his eyes widening at the notes of the song.
"That song…I think I've heard it before…"
Rae shrugged, pushing down a well of panic. Crap! He recognises Zelda's Lullaby! But then again, why wouldn't he? It was probably used as a lullaby for him too… "Maybe…it's a common lullaby…it's said to soothe the soul…or something…" Okay, so not the best lie, but she found it hard to lie to Sheik., whether he was ten or seventeen. And she had a distinct feeling that he had the ability to see through lies as well as shadows…hence the eyes of truth.
Sheik looked at her for a long moment, crimson irises glimmering. The water was draining in the background, and Rae swore that she could hear her heart doing double time. Is he putting two and two together? Sheik shrugged repeating Rae's earlier motion.
"So…what's with you and draining the water out of places?"
~*~*~*~
Link was lying on his stomach in the middle of the field, a pile of grass in front of him. With his left hand he would pull out a handful of grass and pick it apart with his right. With a jerk, Link realized that this was a movement that Rae once used, a long time ago when he was grilling Rae for answers. She had been obviously uncomfortable with the situation and sought for a way to hide it. He didn't think about it then, but now he recalled it with startling clarity.
Is that all you recall about that day?
"What are you talking about?" The entity had been coming and going for the last little while; it didn't startle him anymore.
Don't you remember? Your little faerie friend warned you about her…that she could be working for the enemy…maybe she was right…
"Working for Ganon? I don't re—"
**** The fabric of Link's hat shifted slightly, and a bright blue ball of dust appeared, hovering above his head.
"I don't like her." The glowing ball of light said in a bell-like voice. "I don't think that we should trust her."
"I dunno, Navi." Link said, tilting his head to count the stars. "She seems to mean well enough. We could use her help."
"We don't even know her story!" The little faerie cried, bobbing frantically in the air. "She could be working for Gannon!"
"No." Link said in a firm voice. There was a distant look in his eyes, and his mouth curved up at the sides. "No, I don't think that Rae would even consider working for Gannon—by her will or his. I believe that we can trust her."
Navi gave link the faerie equivalent of a shaking head.
Link sighed. "I'll find out her story in the morning, alright?" Navi snorted, and on that note, Link closed his eyes and went to sleep. ****
Link opened his eyes; once again back in the strange field. The voice was right. Navi did warn him against Rae…but she did that all the time. Where was the faerie, anyway?
She has left you too…
Link moaned. "Oh give it up!"
~*~*~*~
Sheik choked as he was dangled in mid air, legs kicking as he tried to release himself from the grip of a Dead Hand. He dropped to the ground suddenly, as Rae brought her staff down sharply, severing the narrow arm. Sheik threw the shrivelling limb away, and scrambled to his feet.
"Where did it go?" He asked, glancing about the small room.
"Back underground." Rae replied. "I didn't see where."
A shower of dirt answered their question, and the Dead Hand resurfaced again, bloodstained white shift fluttering in an unseen wind. It's impossibly long neck bent down to bite at them. Sheik jumped on it's back, pushing the head down, and Rae delivered a heavy blow to the neck. Much like how the arms had snapped, the neck did the same, and the Dead Hand flopped to the ground. Its hands twitched and trembled, and then retreated under the dirt. They did not come back up.
A chest appeared; it's illusionary hiding place disappearing with the death of its guardian. The two ten year olds went over to the chest. Sheik pushed open the top, and Rae reached inside. She pulled out a pair of eyeglasses with thin frames and violet-blue lens.
"This is the lens of truth?" Rae said in disbelief. They were nothing like the game version!
Sheik nodded at her. "Uh, yeah…what where you expecting?"
Rae shook her head, dismissing the question. "Never mind…let's get out of here."
~*~*~*~
Why is it that you are resisting my power…? I have left my mark on you…
"What are you talking about?"
That injury you have…it will consume you…unless…
"Unless what?"
Unless you submit to me….
"I don't think so."
You cannot beat it…you are already a part of the darkness, yourself…
"No, I am not!"
Remember the Water Temple…you were ruthless…savage…a dark creature….
"I destroyed the dark creature! It killed a whole race!"
You don't remember, do you? Twice that day, did you turn to the quick hand of darkness…you are mine…
"All right, what are you talking about?"
Remember…
****" His other self grinned evilly at him, lips grotesquely pulling back from his teeth. Hands tightly restricting around Link's neck, he pinned him under the water. Without the hood of the tunic up, Link was liable to drown. Link groped blindly in the water, first at the doppelganger's hands, then at his fingers. Losing the energy to fight on, Link let his arms drop limply to his sides. His right hand landed on his quiver, the arrows inside jostling against questing fingers. Link grasped one loosely, using one swift movement to bring it out of the water and into the doppelganger's neck. Link twisted his wrist, weakly seeing the look of horror on his other self's face. The hands at his neck slid loose, and Link bolted out of the water, sputtering and scrambling backwards. The doppelganger clutched his neck, thick black blood dripping between his fingers. The image that he projected wavered and fell and the creature died. It collapsed to the ground, curling up in a dark ball that sank under the surface of the water. ****
Link started at the image that flashed before his eyes. He had almost forgotten that. It seemed so trivial at the time; he had to kill the creature before it killed him. Now, it seemed…cruel and vicious.
**** It's not working Link!" Navi yelled. "Try something else!"
With a fierce hiss, Link, unable to think of anything else, thrust his hand into the watery being. It shrieked, suddenly throwing droplets everywhere. The rainbow – colored creature wriggled in Link's fierce grasp, a low whining issuing from a non-existent mouth. Link's eyes narrowed to thin slits, and he wrenched his hand out of the floating stream of water. Pulling out an arrow, Link shoved the arrowhead through the centre of the creature's body. With a pitiful squeal the creature wriggled in Link's iron grip and died. Link let the creature drop to the ground. The water that had been controlled by the beast had splashed onto the floor. A blue warp aura appeared, and Link walked over to it, an almost absent expression on his face. "Coming Navi?" ****
Link gasped this time, as he came out of the memory-state. The thing was right. He had been quick to a sadistic action. It was…appalling…
Now you're starting to understand, aren't you? You can't resist the call of darkness when you have already accepted it…you have no choice anymore… you are already mine…
"No…" Link kneeled in the field, hands limp in his lap. He stared at the dark crimson spots appearing on his palms. It bubbled up like a well, and slowly dripped into the green grass around him. The plants withered away at the liquid.
You are mine…tainted creature…
~*~*~*~
Sheik grinned at her as they stood beside the well. He scratched a picture into the stones of the structure, and revealed it for Rae to see. It was an eye of truth in-between two other symbols. He pointed at each one before explaining it. "This is an 'S' for me, a 'R' for you, and the Eye for where we met. You know…Kakariko Village? Clever, huh?"
Rae smiled lightly. "Cute."
Sheik beamed at her. "Now we can be friends for ever and ever!" He clapped a hand to her shoulder. "You know, it's kinda funny how I've never seen you around the village. I would of thought that someone as fun as you would already be my friend." He frowned momentarily. "But then again, I'm gone half the time, training with the Sheikah, so…" He shrugged. "Oh well. Say…I'm hungry…you want to go to Anju's for lunch?"
"Uh, I have to go…" She was about to say 'home', but the word stuck in her throat.
"Come on!" Sheik shot her a inviting smile. "Anju won't mind!"
"Sorry." Rae said regretfully. "I really have to go back."
"Back where?" Sheik asked. "You live in the village, right? As long as you don't cause trouble, you get free reign around here." Again he showed a quick frown. "Of course, there is a curfew…" He shrugged once more. "But that doesn't count."
Rae shook her head. As charming as he was, it was starting to look like she was going to have to lie to him… Or maybe, just tell the truth… "I have to go back to the future."
The young Sheikah snorted. "Right…"
"No, I'm telling the truth! I am from the future, where I need the lens of truth!" Rae insisted. "And I can prove it!"
"How?" Sheik crossed his arms and leaned against the well, one eyebrow raised.
Rae shrugged, and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. Putting it to her lips, she played the Song of Time – forwards. As the shimmering light drew up around her, Sheik's eyes widened, and he reached out one hand to her.
"You…you can't be telling the truth!"
Rae shrugged, twirling her staff in one hand as she held Sheik's gaze. "Yet I am." The last thing she saw was his incredulous face peering at her, amidst a cloud of blue light.
~*~*~*~
Anju crept into the attic room that currently served as a sickroom. The creaking of the floor above her room woke her up. Normally she wouldn't have worried about this occurrence, except for the fact that both of her patients were bed-ridden and in no condition to walk or move around. She stood absolutely still, curiously watching the huddled shadow as it rummaged through Link's things. A blue glow was close by, illuminating the person's work. She didn't panic, because she could recognize the voices of the two subjects talking.
"Go away Navi!"
"Where have you been?! And why are you snooping through Link's things?!"
"Buzz off, firefly! I need some stuff to enter the Shadow Temple!"
"You're going WHERE?!"
"Shut up!" Rae hissed. "Do you want to wake up the whole village?"
"You can't go in there by yourself! You'll get killed!"
"And I'm not taking Link with me! With the shadow wound that he has, he would be eaten alive!"
"Then w-"
"No time to wait! We're talking about a shadow monster, here! This isn't the same as the creatures and bad guys from other temples! The Shadow Beast will feed off of darkness and hate and will rise to consume the world! This has to be done now!"
"FINE! But I'm going with you!"
"You? Why?"
"Link would kill me if he woke up and found out that you were dead. Besides, you're too clumsy to go into a temple by yourself. You wouldn't know what to do."
"Fine…sheesh."
Anju smiled, backing out of the room ever so quietly. It didn't warm her heart to know that Rae was going off to fight the shadows, but if she had Navi with her… then that would provide some comfort to the young woman's mind.
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WHAT'S THIS?!?!? NAVI AND RAE ARE TEAMING UP?!! WILLINGLY?!?!
Navi: Well, yeah…you thought of it…
Rae: Yeah…
Me: Oh pish posh…the announcement was for effect and suspense, people!
Navi/Rae: Ohhhhhh…
See ya next chapter…
OracleVortex
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(PS) I have a new Zelda fic posted called Fighter of the Forest…feel free to check it out…please? I need to know if it's worth continuing or not. I really don't care if ya just add your two cents or whatnot.
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