Crystal Tears
Compelling Visions
---
Far from Princess Zelda and Hyrule Castle, an old man stood atop the Northern Mountain Range, the mythical mountains that had once been home to the Gorons. Death Mountain still stood, no longer a raging mountain of fire, but instead a dormant monolith to the past, its peak joined to the rest of the range via a simple wood and rope bridge. It was on this bridge that the old man looked out upon the whole of Hyrule from, his vision excellent despite his age.
A younger woman stood next to him, well built with unnaturally well defined muscles. Her hair was short, and her clothing consisted mainly of Lynel hides, for she was quite able to deal with the destructive horse-men in her own way. Recent migrants from neighboring lands, the hooved demons took a liking to the climate, settling seamlessly into the lands that had once been inhabited by her ancestors, the mighty Gorons of Death Mountain. Since the time of that race, bloodlines had mingled and thinned, resulting in half breeds such as herself. She was loathe to leave the mountain that was her ancestral home, but more personal reasons for her self containment included the fact that the Hylians down below would no doubt shun her for what she was.
Her skin was the color of mountain rock, and the cultural markings that adorned her arms and legs could not be denied. She was the descendant of Kings, but still an outcast in nearly every sense. She could trust only in her grandfather, the old man that stood beside her. And she was just fine with that.
"Nikeah, the scent of decay that hangs over the world grows stronger each day," Her grandfather spoke, his eyes squinted to look at the forests, plains and ruins below them. "The influence of the poisoned Sacred Realm will soon overwhelm this land."
"The Dark World," Nikeah spat.
"You cannot stay on this mountain and do nothing," the old man reproved her gently.
"I cannot travel off of this mountain and try to do something, only to be ridiculed and shunned for my ancestry. I can do nothing."
"You are a descendant of a royal bloodline. Half of you belongs to the strongest race Hyrule has ever known, the other to the most magical... part of you is as strong as rock, part of you is blessed by the goddesses themselves. Sage's blood runs in your veins, and the Seal that lifeblood leaves for you to inherit grows weak, corroded by the sands of time. You can make a difference."
"You cannot expect me to leave you up here, at the mercy of the mountain. You are too weak to make the hike down, and I refuse to abandon you."
Before the old man could reply, a strange hissing shriek filled the air behind them. (That is not the battle cry of the Lynel--) Nikeah thought haltingly, before the poisonous green snake found its mark within her mind. She fell to the ground, nearly tumbling off the bridge. Her grandfather grasped her in his frail grip, calling to her with frenzied concern, knowing that something here smelt of treachery and lies conjured with only the blackest magic...
Nikeah lay unmoving for several minutes, drawing shallow breaths, her eyes working beneath her closed eyelids as though she were having a particularly moving dream. The old man cradled her in his arms, praying softly to the goddesses to return her to him soon. He had not long to wait -- when her eyes opened abruptly, they shone with purpose and new hope.
"Nikeah...?" The old man addressed her quizically. "Are you...?"
"Grandfather!" She exclaimed. "The goddesses have sent me a vision... a vision of rebirth, new life, and paradise..." She fixed the incredulous old man with a look he had not seen in her since her childhood, before the problems of the world had set the weight of realization on her shoulders. "I must go to Hyrule Castle, to meet with the others..."
"This is quite an abrupt change," The old man observed breathlessly, wondering if he should truly hail this as a miracle, or look upon it with distaste as the workings of an evil, unseen enemy...
"You must take refuge in the caves until I return," Nikeah stated firmly. "I will show you somewhere that is safe, and then I must be on my way. The castle calls to me!"
---
The fairies danced in their fountains, hidden in the deepest grottos of the Lost Woods. These natural springs had not been disturbed in years, the entrances to them having long since been lost to the eyes of mortal men. The fairy folk had little reason to linger in the lands of the Hylians any longer, who held no respect for them in this age, and would sooner imprison them for profit than implore them for wisdom or blessing.
The world outside had changed, but within these secret forest grottos, it was as though history had been preserved impeccably.
The Kokiri had moved from the above ground lands, for as time passed the forest's magic waned, until it was no longer able to keep intruders out. Thieves moved in, finding the twisting maze of trees perfect to form hideouts and treasure hordes in, and lumberjacks sawed away at the trees on the eastern edge of the forest, harvesting living wood for dead lumber. The children had been horrified by these developments, as had their fairies. Convinced that even the Great Deku Tree's now fully grown sprout could no longer summon up the necessary magic to protect his children, they had followed their winged companions into these grottos, abandoning their villages and lifelong homes.
Within this particular grotto, a young woman stood, reflecting on the past just as her face reflected back to her through the fairy's springwater pool. Saria could sense yet another change to the world on the Horizon, a development so monumentous that it would rearrange fate and destiny forever. She had gotten this same feeling so long ago, just before Link had began having those dreams...
She reached her hands into the pool, splashing water on her still youthful face to hide the tears that ran down her cheeks. Immortality was sought after her by all of the races, but she wished she could have died with the other Sages in normal time, now more than ever. She did not want to go through another fight for Hyrule, another battle against evil to save the world from darkness. The first still burned fresh in her memory, tearing apart her heart and threatening her mind.
When her friends had all passed, she had left the Sacred Realm, the last to leave. She alone knew that the Sages had each returned to their homes, only to return to the Temple of Light, saddened by what they saw happening. They knew that their Seal had committed Ganondorf to the Sacred Realm with them, and they could feel his influence corrupting the lands around the Temple of Light like a poison. They knew that when they passed he would invade this last stronghold and have the Triforce, but never be able to break through into the Light World. Instead, he would fester in the Golden Land, slowy turning the paradise they knew into the Dark World that existed there today. Saria had stayed alone there, as long as she could bear, until his evil influence overwhelmed her.
Thus defeated, she had departed that place, and returned here to the forest. The children had welcomed her back, and she had been with them ever since. She knew that Ganondorf's activities in the Dark Land were responsible for the darkness rolling across this realm... but what could she do? Without the other six sages, the Seal could not be strengthened... could it?
She looked up in surprise as the multitude of fairies that populated the grotto scattered with cries of fear and shrieks of horror. A thin green whisp of mist had materialized within as though it were made of nothing, hissing and snapping... Saria saw that it was in the form of a snake. A horrible feeling wrenched itself into her heart as it headed straight for her. (It's about to begin again,) She thought wearily, watching it approach.
---
Far to the East of that place, behind the waterfall that had stood for centuries as the entrance to the Royal Court of the Zora's Domain, the few uncorrupt fish people that remained made their home. Most of their lives were spent guarding this last stronghold of sanity in their culture against the vicious Zolas, traitors to their race and every principle it had ever embodied. A new King had been elected, and a fearsome specimen he was, indeed. Much larger than the other Zora, he guarded the entrance to the Domain from rogue Zolas with a small number of guards to help him.
None of the Zora were aware that their first monarchy had been preserved, and that the young Zora sitting idly on a rock in the frigid water was a descendant of the once revered Princess Ruto. No one realized that the spoiled girl had returned from her post in the Sacred Realm numerous times to meet with certain members of the Zora population; even those she met with were not graced with the knowledge of her identity. Ruto had once debated returning to her throne, but had been so horrified by what she saw happening to her people at the first signs of her absence, she had opted to stay out of the whole situation. She had died in the Temple of Light, put to rest by those Sages that survived her, so many centuries ago, leaving behind an intraceable bloodline that ended with this girl.
Her name was Koral, and she had no idea of who she was. The only reality she knew was that her people were under constant attack, received no outside help, and the numbers of her community dwindled each time the men were forced to leave to scavenge for food. Her life was not one to be envied.
She had yearned for years, for as long as she could remember, to be able to help her people... to be given the ability to bring the Zoras out of their decline and back into the golden age of culture and pride they had once enjoyed. It had been her dream for so long to be the hero of her race that any other destiny for her would have been a disappointment.
She was not expecting the snake when it attacked, and the visions it held before her mind brought tears to her eyes -- her dreams were finally going to come true; surely this was a message from Nayru confirming it.
She had inherited some measure of adventurous nature, perhaps from the tomboy Ruto herself, and made good use of it in sneaking past the guards of the entrance, into the river. She was bound for Hyrule Castle, where she would play a part of immeasurable importance in the repairation of not only the world, but of her races' dampened spirits.
She would be the hero she had always dreamt of becoming.
---
Far beneath the graveyard, huddled in a chamber from which many catacombs branched, a group of people dressed in scarlet and royal purple held a meeting. At the center of the group a girl of sixteen stood, clothed in tradition Shiekah grab, the mark of the teardrop emblazoned on her front. Her scarlet eyes shone out from tufts of blonde hair... she had no idea that she was the very image of the Ancient Princess Zelda's Shiekah counterpart, Shiek.
Nor would she have cared had she known.
"You are the descendant of the Shadow Sage, Mieka."
"I am bound to tend to the shadows of the earth, with my people," She replied immediately.
"You have a responsibility your ancestry places upon your shoulders."
"Our people hold no responsibility to this land that has forsaken us."
"It was us who left the land of light, by our own choice. Impa was the last of us to live in the world of light, and perhaps it is only fitting that you, her descendant, should be the first in centuries to return to that world."
"You cannot ask me to do this."
"We will honor whatever decision you make, Mieka, but you know what you should do."
The girl opened her mouth to reply, but instead of making a scathing remark about morals in this day and age, she instead gasped aloud as a reptalian form slithered through the earth wall in front of her. The others gathered fell silent, their robes rustling slightly as they watched the creature approach the girl.
It possessed her unchallenged, delivered its message, and disappated in a few minutes, as it had done with the others before Mieka. The other Shiekah remained silent, waiting to hear what the Shadow Girl would say.
"That..." She said softly, sitting up in a daze, "was a message from the goddesses."
"That is an odd messenger for the goddesses to employ," an elderly male whispered.
"Don't argue with me now that you have what you want."
"Does this mean you will go?"
"I go not because you want me to. I go because it is the will of the goddesses."
"Then let them speed your journey and keep you safe."
---
In the windswept dunes of the desert, a single figure stood fast against the blowing sands and malicious creatures. She held a spear in her right hand, her left tightening the leather knots that held her blazing red hair away from her face. Her people had long since left the desert, but other thieves had temporarily inhabited it from time to time. She was a thief and a treasure hunter by blood, and her pulse quickened with excitement at the prospect of braving the deserts of her ancestors for lost treasures. She grunted with distaste as the sand in front of her swirled together, admitting to her presence a red skinned Leever, which she dispatched quickly with a swift stab of her spear. She had been fighting those blasted things all day, along with strange sand creatures and troublesome vultures that sought to quicken her death so they could feast upon her carcass.
She peered ahead toward the rock mountain before her, the northern border of the Desert. She wondered if the cave she saw ahead of her was an illusion or not, a mirage that beckoned her not to shelter and perhaps a hidden treasure store, but to an untimely death. Either way, it was worth a look.
Upon reaching the entrance to the mysterious tunnel, she was pleased to discover that it was in fact no mirage. Judging by the shape of the excavation it was clear to the woman that this was no natural cave; someone had deliberately carved it out of the rock, perhaps as shelter, hopefully as a storage place for forgotten treasures... she eagerly hurried inside to see which it would turn out to be. She kept her eyes open for any creatures that might be nesting in the cave, waiting to catch her off guard. Her wary eye thus did not miss the lithe shape of the demon snake arching toward her with a hiss when it finally arrived, but the conjuration moved so quickly that she had no time to so much as dive for cover before it overtook her.
When she regained consciousness sometime later, she was shocked to see an old man standing over her, wearing the traditional garb of a Hylian Sage. With agility surprising even for a person of her obviously lithe structure, she jumped to her feet, battle ready with her spear pointed at the man's chest in a second.
"Who are you?" She demanded, immediately putting her own safety even before the compulsion she felt to run to Hyrule Castle at once.
"I am Aginah," The man replied calmly. "And I must say, I am not accustomed to having my home breached by would be thieves prone to fainting spells..."
"I did not faint!" She denied immediately, her pride fueling her anger. Her cheeks flushed furiously. (The nerve of this guy!) The man just stood there, smiling gently, flustering her into feeling as though she should explain herself. "I... uh... if you must know..." (Stupid nosy old man...) "I was just granted a vision from Din herself!" She hoped this would impress him, but to her surprise and frustration, he merely stood where he was, his expression failing to change in the slightest.
"Was it anything worth sharing?" He inquired, his voice betraying only moderate interest.
"She revealed to me how the world can be saved from the madness it is sinking into..."
"You do not seem to be the sort that cares about how the world fares."
"Even so," She replied, grinning impishly, "If what that vision said was true, I will be a very important part of this... when it is over I will command a lot of respect..."
"So you'd save the world for your own gain?"
"Pretty much."
"You truly are a descendant of the Gerudo!" The man exclaimed, chuckling. She was taken aback by his knowledge of her ancestors.
"That is none of your concern!"
"I am an old man, child... but I am also a Hylian Sage. Everything becomes my business at some point." He winked at her, leaving her completely at a loss for words. He let her stutter incoherently for a reply for a few moments before interrupting her... "Will you go?"
"Anything to get away from a creepy old man like you!" She exclaimed, backing out of the cave. "Sage, bah. I have no concern for Sages." She hurried out of the cave, intent on reaching Hyrule Castle for the gathering in time.
"I'm sure Nabooru felt the same way..." Aginah watched her go, a wise smile still emblazoned on his wrinkled countenance.
---
In Kakariko Village, the final descendant of the Sages sat in a humble home, reading an aged book with a cracked leather binding. She was completely absorbed in the yellowed, curling pages, her eyes only leaving the lines when she was forced to turn the page. Her parents had gone out to the market, leaving her home alone, not that this fact would have changed her activity of choice any.
Kristian had always been a quiet girl, fascinated with learning and exceptionally well educated considering her age, a mere fourteen. Long blonde hair trailed down her back, and well tended bangs obscured her vision. She batted at them in annoyance every so often when they began to obscure her vision of the page before her.
She was so intent on her reading, that she didn't even notice the serpent messenger approaching from behind, despite the fact that it hissed just as loudly as it had for the other six girls. She slumped forward in her seat, the heavy book slipping through her limp hands to the floor. When she awoke, she carefully picked up the book, set it on the table, and looked toward the clock for a brief moment. If she hurried, she could make it to the castle by nightfall.
She didn't bother to leave a note, or any indication of where she had gone.
When her parents arrived home an hour later, they immediately noticed her absence. She had always been a meek, reclusive girl -- never would THEIR daughter be inclined to suddenly jump up and take off to goddesses knew where. So, despite there being no signs of a struggle, no indication of foul play whatsoever, in spite of the fact that even the book she was reading had been set neatly on the table... they ran out of the house, and into the streets of the town, screaming that a kidnapper was on the loose.
Less than an hour later, every parent in Kakariko held their children close, and for the first time in perhaps the town's entire history, all of the doors were locked, as anxious parents worried about the supposed kidnapper running rampant in town.
---
Aghanim stood at the top of the Hyrule Castle tower, leaning against the stone railing, staring out at the land before him. They were coming, he could feel it. Every single one. He had the spell he must cast ready to be unleashed at their gathering -- the spell that would break apart the Sages' Seal and make all of his dreams come true.
He waited there for a moment longer, then turned to prepare for the arrival of the innocents.
---
(A/N):
And there you have it, all of the Crystal Maidens revealed. Aginah is the actual name of the Sage in the Desert Cave of LttP, and the Old Man (Nikeah's Grandfather) referred to at the start of this chapter is the man in LttP who gives Link the magic mirror. He mentions his granddaughter being one of the descendants in the game. I made up all of the names of the girls (Except Nikeah... I think I got that from the name of a town in FF6, though the spelling could be off o_O), the game never gave any of them (aside from Zelda) one. So sad.
Compelling Visions
---
Far from Princess Zelda and Hyrule Castle, an old man stood atop the Northern Mountain Range, the mythical mountains that had once been home to the Gorons. Death Mountain still stood, no longer a raging mountain of fire, but instead a dormant monolith to the past, its peak joined to the rest of the range via a simple wood and rope bridge. It was on this bridge that the old man looked out upon the whole of Hyrule from, his vision excellent despite his age.
A younger woman stood next to him, well built with unnaturally well defined muscles. Her hair was short, and her clothing consisted mainly of Lynel hides, for she was quite able to deal with the destructive horse-men in her own way. Recent migrants from neighboring lands, the hooved demons took a liking to the climate, settling seamlessly into the lands that had once been inhabited by her ancestors, the mighty Gorons of Death Mountain. Since the time of that race, bloodlines had mingled and thinned, resulting in half breeds such as herself. She was loathe to leave the mountain that was her ancestral home, but more personal reasons for her self containment included the fact that the Hylians down below would no doubt shun her for what she was.
Her skin was the color of mountain rock, and the cultural markings that adorned her arms and legs could not be denied. She was the descendant of Kings, but still an outcast in nearly every sense. She could trust only in her grandfather, the old man that stood beside her. And she was just fine with that.
"Nikeah, the scent of decay that hangs over the world grows stronger each day," Her grandfather spoke, his eyes squinted to look at the forests, plains and ruins below them. "The influence of the poisoned Sacred Realm will soon overwhelm this land."
"The Dark World," Nikeah spat.
"You cannot stay on this mountain and do nothing," the old man reproved her gently.
"I cannot travel off of this mountain and try to do something, only to be ridiculed and shunned for my ancestry. I can do nothing."
"You are a descendant of a royal bloodline. Half of you belongs to the strongest race Hyrule has ever known, the other to the most magical... part of you is as strong as rock, part of you is blessed by the goddesses themselves. Sage's blood runs in your veins, and the Seal that lifeblood leaves for you to inherit grows weak, corroded by the sands of time. You can make a difference."
"You cannot expect me to leave you up here, at the mercy of the mountain. You are too weak to make the hike down, and I refuse to abandon you."
Before the old man could reply, a strange hissing shriek filled the air behind them. (That is not the battle cry of the Lynel--) Nikeah thought haltingly, before the poisonous green snake found its mark within her mind. She fell to the ground, nearly tumbling off the bridge. Her grandfather grasped her in his frail grip, calling to her with frenzied concern, knowing that something here smelt of treachery and lies conjured with only the blackest magic...
Nikeah lay unmoving for several minutes, drawing shallow breaths, her eyes working beneath her closed eyelids as though she were having a particularly moving dream. The old man cradled her in his arms, praying softly to the goddesses to return her to him soon. He had not long to wait -- when her eyes opened abruptly, they shone with purpose and new hope.
"Nikeah...?" The old man addressed her quizically. "Are you...?"
"Grandfather!" She exclaimed. "The goddesses have sent me a vision... a vision of rebirth, new life, and paradise..." She fixed the incredulous old man with a look he had not seen in her since her childhood, before the problems of the world had set the weight of realization on her shoulders. "I must go to Hyrule Castle, to meet with the others..."
"This is quite an abrupt change," The old man observed breathlessly, wondering if he should truly hail this as a miracle, or look upon it with distaste as the workings of an evil, unseen enemy...
"You must take refuge in the caves until I return," Nikeah stated firmly. "I will show you somewhere that is safe, and then I must be on my way. The castle calls to me!"
---
The fairies danced in their fountains, hidden in the deepest grottos of the Lost Woods. These natural springs had not been disturbed in years, the entrances to them having long since been lost to the eyes of mortal men. The fairy folk had little reason to linger in the lands of the Hylians any longer, who held no respect for them in this age, and would sooner imprison them for profit than implore them for wisdom or blessing.
The world outside had changed, but within these secret forest grottos, it was as though history had been preserved impeccably.
The Kokiri had moved from the above ground lands, for as time passed the forest's magic waned, until it was no longer able to keep intruders out. Thieves moved in, finding the twisting maze of trees perfect to form hideouts and treasure hordes in, and lumberjacks sawed away at the trees on the eastern edge of the forest, harvesting living wood for dead lumber. The children had been horrified by these developments, as had their fairies. Convinced that even the Great Deku Tree's now fully grown sprout could no longer summon up the necessary magic to protect his children, they had followed their winged companions into these grottos, abandoning their villages and lifelong homes.
Within this particular grotto, a young woman stood, reflecting on the past just as her face reflected back to her through the fairy's springwater pool. Saria could sense yet another change to the world on the Horizon, a development so monumentous that it would rearrange fate and destiny forever. She had gotten this same feeling so long ago, just before Link had began having those dreams...
She reached her hands into the pool, splashing water on her still youthful face to hide the tears that ran down her cheeks. Immortality was sought after her by all of the races, but she wished she could have died with the other Sages in normal time, now more than ever. She did not want to go through another fight for Hyrule, another battle against evil to save the world from darkness. The first still burned fresh in her memory, tearing apart her heart and threatening her mind.
When her friends had all passed, she had left the Sacred Realm, the last to leave. She alone knew that the Sages had each returned to their homes, only to return to the Temple of Light, saddened by what they saw happening. They knew that their Seal had committed Ganondorf to the Sacred Realm with them, and they could feel his influence corrupting the lands around the Temple of Light like a poison. They knew that when they passed he would invade this last stronghold and have the Triforce, but never be able to break through into the Light World. Instead, he would fester in the Golden Land, slowy turning the paradise they knew into the Dark World that existed there today. Saria had stayed alone there, as long as she could bear, until his evil influence overwhelmed her.
Thus defeated, she had departed that place, and returned here to the forest. The children had welcomed her back, and she had been with them ever since. She knew that Ganondorf's activities in the Dark Land were responsible for the darkness rolling across this realm... but what could she do? Without the other six sages, the Seal could not be strengthened... could it?
She looked up in surprise as the multitude of fairies that populated the grotto scattered with cries of fear and shrieks of horror. A thin green whisp of mist had materialized within as though it were made of nothing, hissing and snapping... Saria saw that it was in the form of a snake. A horrible feeling wrenched itself into her heart as it headed straight for her. (It's about to begin again,) She thought wearily, watching it approach.
---
Far to the East of that place, behind the waterfall that had stood for centuries as the entrance to the Royal Court of the Zora's Domain, the few uncorrupt fish people that remained made their home. Most of their lives were spent guarding this last stronghold of sanity in their culture against the vicious Zolas, traitors to their race and every principle it had ever embodied. A new King had been elected, and a fearsome specimen he was, indeed. Much larger than the other Zora, he guarded the entrance to the Domain from rogue Zolas with a small number of guards to help him.
None of the Zora were aware that their first monarchy had been preserved, and that the young Zora sitting idly on a rock in the frigid water was a descendant of the once revered Princess Ruto. No one realized that the spoiled girl had returned from her post in the Sacred Realm numerous times to meet with certain members of the Zora population; even those she met with were not graced with the knowledge of her identity. Ruto had once debated returning to her throne, but had been so horrified by what she saw happening to her people at the first signs of her absence, she had opted to stay out of the whole situation. She had died in the Temple of Light, put to rest by those Sages that survived her, so many centuries ago, leaving behind an intraceable bloodline that ended with this girl.
Her name was Koral, and she had no idea of who she was. The only reality she knew was that her people were under constant attack, received no outside help, and the numbers of her community dwindled each time the men were forced to leave to scavenge for food. Her life was not one to be envied.
She had yearned for years, for as long as she could remember, to be able to help her people... to be given the ability to bring the Zoras out of their decline and back into the golden age of culture and pride they had once enjoyed. It had been her dream for so long to be the hero of her race that any other destiny for her would have been a disappointment.
She was not expecting the snake when it attacked, and the visions it held before her mind brought tears to her eyes -- her dreams were finally going to come true; surely this was a message from Nayru confirming it.
She had inherited some measure of adventurous nature, perhaps from the tomboy Ruto herself, and made good use of it in sneaking past the guards of the entrance, into the river. She was bound for Hyrule Castle, where she would play a part of immeasurable importance in the repairation of not only the world, but of her races' dampened spirits.
She would be the hero she had always dreamt of becoming.
---
Far beneath the graveyard, huddled in a chamber from which many catacombs branched, a group of people dressed in scarlet and royal purple held a meeting. At the center of the group a girl of sixteen stood, clothed in tradition Shiekah grab, the mark of the teardrop emblazoned on her front. Her scarlet eyes shone out from tufts of blonde hair... she had no idea that she was the very image of the Ancient Princess Zelda's Shiekah counterpart, Shiek.
Nor would she have cared had she known.
"You are the descendant of the Shadow Sage, Mieka."
"I am bound to tend to the shadows of the earth, with my people," She replied immediately.
"You have a responsibility your ancestry places upon your shoulders."
"Our people hold no responsibility to this land that has forsaken us."
"It was us who left the land of light, by our own choice. Impa was the last of us to live in the world of light, and perhaps it is only fitting that you, her descendant, should be the first in centuries to return to that world."
"You cannot ask me to do this."
"We will honor whatever decision you make, Mieka, but you know what you should do."
The girl opened her mouth to reply, but instead of making a scathing remark about morals in this day and age, she instead gasped aloud as a reptalian form slithered through the earth wall in front of her. The others gathered fell silent, their robes rustling slightly as they watched the creature approach the girl.
It possessed her unchallenged, delivered its message, and disappated in a few minutes, as it had done with the others before Mieka. The other Shiekah remained silent, waiting to hear what the Shadow Girl would say.
"That..." She said softly, sitting up in a daze, "was a message from the goddesses."
"That is an odd messenger for the goddesses to employ," an elderly male whispered.
"Don't argue with me now that you have what you want."
"Does this mean you will go?"
"I go not because you want me to. I go because it is the will of the goddesses."
"Then let them speed your journey and keep you safe."
---
In the windswept dunes of the desert, a single figure stood fast against the blowing sands and malicious creatures. She held a spear in her right hand, her left tightening the leather knots that held her blazing red hair away from her face. Her people had long since left the desert, but other thieves had temporarily inhabited it from time to time. She was a thief and a treasure hunter by blood, and her pulse quickened with excitement at the prospect of braving the deserts of her ancestors for lost treasures. She grunted with distaste as the sand in front of her swirled together, admitting to her presence a red skinned Leever, which she dispatched quickly with a swift stab of her spear. She had been fighting those blasted things all day, along with strange sand creatures and troublesome vultures that sought to quicken her death so they could feast upon her carcass.
She peered ahead toward the rock mountain before her, the northern border of the Desert. She wondered if the cave she saw ahead of her was an illusion or not, a mirage that beckoned her not to shelter and perhaps a hidden treasure store, but to an untimely death. Either way, it was worth a look.
Upon reaching the entrance to the mysterious tunnel, she was pleased to discover that it was in fact no mirage. Judging by the shape of the excavation it was clear to the woman that this was no natural cave; someone had deliberately carved it out of the rock, perhaps as shelter, hopefully as a storage place for forgotten treasures... she eagerly hurried inside to see which it would turn out to be. She kept her eyes open for any creatures that might be nesting in the cave, waiting to catch her off guard. Her wary eye thus did not miss the lithe shape of the demon snake arching toward her with a hiss when it finally arrived, but the conjuration moved so quickly that she had no time to so much as dive for cover before it overtook her.
When she regained consciousness sometime later, she was shocked to see an old man standing over her, wearing the traditional garb of a Hylian Sage. With agility surprising even for a person of her obviously lithe structure, she jumped to her feet, battle ready with her spear pointed at the man's chest in a second.
"Who are you?" She demanded, immediately putting her own safety even before the compulsion she felt to run to Hyrule Castle at once.
"I am Aginah," The man replied calmly. "And I must say, I am not accustomed to having my home breached by would be thieves prone to fainting spells..."
"I did not faint!" She denied immediately, her pride fueling her anger. Her cheeks flushed furiously. (The nerve of this guy!) The man just stood there, smiling gently, flustering her into feeling as though she should explain herself. "I... uh... if you must know..." (Stupid nosy old man...) "I was just granted a vision from Din herself!" She hoped this would impress him, but to her surprise and frustration, he merely stood where he was, his expression failing to change in the slightest.
"Was it anything worth sharing?" He inquired, his voice betraying only moderate interest.
"She revealed to me how the world can be saved from the madness it is sinking into..."
"You do not seem to be the sort that cares about how the world fares."
"Even so," She replied, grinning impishly, "If what that vision said was true, I will be a very important part of this... when it is over I will command a lot of respect..."
"So you'd save the world for your own gain?"
"Pretty much."
"You truly are a descendant of the Gerudo!" The man exclaimed, chuckling. She was taken aback by his knowledge of her ancestors.
"That is none of your concern!"
"I am an old man, child... but I am also a Hylian Sage. Everything becomes my business at some point." He winked at her, leaving her completely at a loss for words. He let her stutter incoherently for a reply for a few moments before interrupting her... "Will you go?"
"Anything to get away from a creepy old man like you!" She exclaimed, backing out of the cave. "Sage, bah. I have no concern for Sages." She hurried out of the cave, intent on reaching Hyrule Castle for the gathering in time.
"I'm sure Nabooru felt the same way..." Aginah watched her go, a wise smile still emblazoned on his wrinkled countenance.
---
In Kakariko Village, the final descendant of the Sages sat in a humble home, reading an aged book with a cracked leather binding. She was completely absorbed in the yellowed, curling pages, her eyes only leaving the lines when she was forced to turn the page. Her parents had gone out to the market, leaving her home alone, not that this fact would have changed her activity of choice any.
Kristian had always been a quiet girl, fascinated with learning and exceptionally well educated considering her age, a mere fourteen. Long blonde hair trailed down her back, and well tended bangs obscured her vision. She batted at them in annoyance every so often when they began to obscure her vision of the page before her.
She was so intent on her reading, that she didn't even notice the serpent messenger approaching from behind, despite the fact that it hissed just as loudly as it had for the other six girls. She slumped forward in her seat, the heavy book slipping through her limp hands to the floor. When she awoke, she carefully picked up the book, set it on the table, and looked toward the clock for a brief moment. If she hurried, she could make it to the castle by nightfall.
She didn't bother to leave a note, or any indication of where she had gone.
When her parents arrived home an hour later, they immediately noticed her absence. She had always been a meek, reclusive girl -- never would THEIR daughter be inclined to suddenly jump up and take off to goddesses knew where. So, despite there being no signs of a struggle, no indication of foul play whatsoever, in spite of the fact that even the book she was reading had been set neatly on the table... they ran out of the house, and into the streets of the town, screaming that a kidnapper was on the loose.
Less than an hour later, every parent in Kakariko held their children close, and for the first time in perhaps the town's entire history, all of the doors were locked, as anxious parents worried about the supposed kidnapper running rampant in town.
---
Aghanim stood at the top of the Hyrule Castle tower, leaning against the stone railing, staring out at the land before him. They were coming, he could feel it. Every single one. He had the spell he must cast ready to be unleashed at their gathering -- the spell that would break apart the Sages' Seal and make all of his dreams come true.
He waited there for a moment longer, then turned to prepare for the arrival of the innocents.
---
(A/N):
And there you have it, all of the Crystal Maidens revealed. Aginah is the actual name of the Sage in the Desert Cave of LttP, and the Old Man (Nikeah's Grandfather) referred to at the start of this chapter is the man in LttP who gives Link the magic mirror. He mentions his granddaughter being one of the descendants in the game. I made up all of the names of the girls (Except Nikeah... I think I got that from the name of a town in FF6, though the spelling could be off o_O), the game never gave any of them (aside from Zelda) one. So sad.