((For disclaimer, see previous chapter. Actually, I don't know why anyone
would be so bothered if a writer didn't put a disclaimer, since everyone
knows Zelda characters belong to Nintendo and this is a site for FAN
fiction, etc, etc, etc. . . There. That's my rant over with; I shall now
continue writing. *Ahem* :] ))
THE LIGHT SIDE
Din appeared back at the pool first, and settled herself on her rock to wait. Since neither Nayru nor Din knew how to change the visions the pool of water showed, they were stuck with the scene of Moth and Impa.
Eventually, Nayru arrived, looking flushed. Din slipped off the rock, "What happened? You look worn out."
"I could kill Ruto!" stormed Nayru, "I hope I haven't, but wish I had. She's turned into such a prissy little fish!" Din thoughtfully concealed a smirk.
"What did you do to her?"
"A little shock wave. Nothing to bad, but it knocked her unconscious. You know what, Din, I couldn't resist giving her a little push further out into the Lake."
Din's smirk returned, unhidden. Nayru grinned as well, "What did you do to the Gerudo?"
Din looked at her fingernails, "Oh, just knocked him out with his own fist, released his horse and snapped his broadsword, that's all. . ." Nayru laughed and was relieved that the punishment she gave to Ruto wasn't the worst between them. Din added, "The little bugger went for me as well, you know! Hand on the hilt and everything."
"You should have heard what Ruto was screaming. . . Actually, you'd probably have killed her on the spot."
"Why, what did she say?"
"Along the lines of: Link was a big sissy, you're trying to break me and Kiren up, I hate you, you loved Link."
Din's jaw dropped. "What's happening down there?! Nobody believes us Goddesses anymore. Nayru," Din touched her sister's wrist, "What will happen to us if they stop believing?"
Nayru shrugged, a worried look on her face. "Who knows . . . I suppose we will simply cease to exist. . ."
Din looked horrified, so Nayru added quickly, "But that won't happen until every single Hylian stops believing in us. Kiren believes in you - I saw it in his eyes. Princess Impa believes in Farore, and Zelda believes in me."
"So life flows on, and we survive," murmured Din.
She shook herself out of her reverie, "So, how do we change this vision, then?" Experimentally, she brushed the water with her dark skinned hand. A little mist of steam rose from the pool, and to her surprise, the vision she wanted appeared on the surface. She and Nayru knelt to watch. . .
***
Kiren awoke to a pounding headache and a sticky trickle running down his cheek. He groaned and tried to pull himself up, but, receiving a head full of leaves and branches, quickly slumped again. He brushed his face and gazed at his hand: blood. Abruptly, it all came back to him, and in a surge of rage he rolled out of the bush and into the grass. The back of his head was bleeding a little, and it ached to high heaven where he had inadvertently clubbed himself with the sword hilt. Apart from that, he seemed to be all right, minus the loss of his horse.
Kiren struggled upright and, fighting the dizziness, stood. He staggered forwards a few paces, and then his sluggish brain leapt into action so suddenly that his vision clouded and he had to sit down again. He had been attacked by Din: he recognised the eyes that had burned into his own before he was knocked out. If Din had gone for him, then. . .
Kiren was up and running before the pain in his head caught up. If anything happened to Ruto, he would die. His left hand, throbbing at the wrist where the Goddess twisted so viciously, clutched the sapphire pendant so tightly it dug into his skin, so tightly he drew blood without realising.
He crossed the Field within 10 minutes, and, gasping with pain and tiredness, burst into the tent to find Ruto. . . gone. He crushed the panic and forced himself to think. ~Ruto is Zora, therefore, look in the water.~ He peered over the edge of the gorge. Normally he would have dived in, no questions asked. But the pain of his head wound was returning, and suddenly running around seemed much more appealing. Kiren gathered himself again and sped off in the direction of Lake Hylia.
Leaping the two fences easily, the Gerudo forced himself up the steep slope and down the hill. He searched the Lake with his eyes and thought he saw a faint shape drifting near the centre. Without a thought as to how he would get back, whether he would get back, or even if it was even Ruto, he waded in and began to swim.
Kiren swam tirelessly, ignoring the screaming in his muscles. He wouldn't admit it, but he was exhausted. Only the thoughts of loosing Ruto kept his legs kicking and his arms moving mechanically. After years and years of swimming, he finally reached the limp form in the water, and was relieved to find it was Ruto. He took her gently by the arms and towed her as carefully as he could to the nearest shore: the island in the middle.
He dragged himself out and pulled Ruto up behind him. Her naked figure seemed perfect, too perfect. With a ball of leaden dread building in his stomach, Kiren bent over her and shook her shoulder. Her head lolled from one side to the other, but she did not stir. Kiren felt his breathing quicken; become panicky like the flight of a moth. His right hand shaking slightly, he felt her pulse and was rewarded by faint throbbing. She was alive. ~Think, Kiren, think. What were you taught?~ Suddenly, he remembered. He took a deep breath, gently covered Ruto's nostrils, placed his mouth over hers, and blew steadily.
The life that had been slowly draining from Ruto's body leapt back with such a rush that she jerked, struggled upright, and vomited water all over herself. She gasped in horror at the mess she had created, and then her skin registered the gentle touch on her shoulders; her eyes realised Kiren's handsome face creased in worry inches from her own. She stared into his eyes for a moment, and then retched again, twisting out of his grasp and throwing everything up into the grass beside her. She felt his hand touch her back, comforting in an unconfident fashion. She was silent for a few moments, breathing great gulps of fresh Lake air. At last, she managed to whisper, "Thank you. . ."
Kiren sat awkwardly beside her. Then he tugged her hand gently, "Maybe you should get a wash?" She nodded gratefully and splashed her face and body in the warm shallow water near the shore. Kiren watched her for a second, then sat beside her and began bathing the cut on the back of his head. Ruto looked up, and seeing what he was doing, winced, "That looks nasty. Would you like. . . I mean, can I bathe it for you?" Kiren nodded and turned so she could see. Ruto grabbed a handful of soft moss and soaked it in the water. Then she began swabbing the cut.
A couple of minutes passed, and Kiren felt the pain lessen as Ruto worked. She finally finished, and flung the blood stained clump from her. Kiren turned slowly. Ruto met his gaze, and they kissed.
***
"Ruto!"
Ruto snapped her head around, and saw one of her father's Zora attendants floating in the water. He looked furious. Kiren broke away and put a hand on his sword hilt, "What do you want?"
The Zora waded ashore. He was clad in a long billowy tunic for modesty, clingy with wetness. A long knife was strapped to his back. "My name is Vada. You have kidnapped our Princess," his voice had the quality of ice: deceptively smooth but sharp, "I am here to bring her back."
"No," retorted Ruto and Kiren, simultaneously.
The Zora raised his eyebrows, "Princess, you do not wish to return?"
"No. I love her, and she loves me!" snarled Kiren, putting a protective arm around Ruto's waist.
"You do?" asked Vada. Ruto nodded. Vada smiled wryly, "Unfortunately, I am under strict orders to return her, love or no love. You are our Princess, Ruto. Think of what you have. Do not throw it away for the love of a thief." "You'll pay for that, fish!" growled Kiren, stepping in front of Ruto and drawing his sword. He realised something was wrong as his hands felt the weight of his weapon. He pulled the sword from the sheath on his back and stared in disbelief at the broken stump. His mind worked quickly, ~When I was unconscious. . . it must have been Din. . .~ His thoughts took form in a howl of fury, and Ruto stepped back, alarmed. His whole body quaked with his anger, and even Vada hesitated. Then he took out his knife and leered at the Gerudo, "Weaponless I see. Not the time to go trading insults, boy."
Ruto felt a battle rise within her - whom should she help? The powers of the Water Sage soared through her blood, charging her for a fight. As Kiren circled, the useless stump of his sword held ready nonetheless, she knew she must do something. One would definitely kill the other - but which one?
Kiren ducked Vada's first swing and back-flipped from the next. He managed to block the third with what was left of his sword, and the jolt sent splinters of pain into his injured wrist. His broken sword fell from his trembling hand as the pain shot through his arm. His head began to pound again, and Kiren felt a terribly powerful magic surface from the depths of his being and flood his arms and hands. Purple sparks danced across his fingers as he flexed them and formed claws, turning the greasy air until a pulsating irregular ball of darkness and purple hung, spinning gently, in the cage his fingers made. Vada stared for a second, then drew his arm back and prepared to sling his knife . . .
Simultaneously, a sphere of compacted boiling water flew from Kiren's right and splashed, steaming, onto Vada's chest.
As Vada screamed in pain, the knife falling from his flailing fingers, Kiren unleashed the energy with a roar, stepping forwards onto his left foot and launching the glowing ball with outstretched arms.
Vada was dead before he could blink, a scorching burn across his chest, quivering steadily as the darkness took him. He crumpled and sprawled on the grass, little tendrils of purple smoke coiling from underneath his body. Kiren spat, and kicked him into the Lake where he vanished with barely a ripple.
***
Nayru let her concentration go with a sigh, "I was sure I had her then! She nearly aimed the wretched thing at Kiren!"
Din leaned over the water, "Too bad for Vada. You know, Nayru, maybe we shouldn't try and change these events. . ."
Nayru sighed again, "Maybe you're right. . ."
***
Kiren held Ruto as she sobbed. The Lake was unnaturally still, and the sun was sinking slowly. The sky was a vibrant red. "Ruto, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Kiren whispered, holding her tighter.
Ruto sniffed, "It's alright, Kiren. You had to. If we are ever parted, I won't survive." She swallowed and composed herself. Kiren glanced around and saw, to his fury, two thin rope bridges spanning the water up to the island. In a fit of pique, he broke away from Ruto and clenched both hands.
The snapping of ropes echoed in the evening air, and both bridges fell into the water with splashes, floating. "There. Now anyone else who wants to get to this island will have to swim like me," said Kiren darkly.
Ruto looked up at him with a trace of her former smile, "So we will not be disturbed?" Kiren caught her drift and grinned in the twilight, and they lay together in the grass as the moon rose over the silent water.
***
THE LIGHT SIDE
Din appeared back at the pool first, and settled herself on her rock to wait. Since neither Nayru nor Din knew how to change the visions the pool of water showed, they were stuck with the scene of Moth and Impa.
Eventually, Nayru arrived, looking flushed. Din slipped off the rock, "What happened? You look worn out."
"I could kill Ruto!" stormed Nayru, "I hope I haven't, but wish I had. She's turned into such a prissy little fish!" Din thoughtfully concealed a smirk.
"What did you do to her?"
"A little shock wave. Nothing to bad, but it knocked her unconscious. You know what, Din, I couldn't resist giving her a little push further out into the Lake."
Din's smirk returned, unhidden. Nayru grinned as well, "What did you do to the Gerudo?"
Din looked at her fingernails, "Oh, just knocked him out with his own fist, released his horse and snapped his broadsword, that's all. . ." Nayru laughed and was relieved that the punishment she gave to Ruto wasn't the worst between them. Din added, "The little bugger went for me as well, you know! Hand on the hilt and everything."
"You should have heard what Ruto was screaming. . . Actually, you'd probably have killed her on the spot."
"Why, what did she say?"
"Along the lines of: Link was a big sissy, you're trying to break me and Kiren up, I hate you, you loved Link."
Din's jaw dropped. "What's happening down there?! Nobody believes us Goddesses anymore. Nayru," Din touched her sister's wrist, "What will happen to us if they stop believing?"
Nayru shrugged, a worried look on her face. "Who knows . . . I suppose we will simply cease to exist. . ."
Din looked horrified, so Nayru added quickly, "But that won't happen until every single Hylian stops believing in us. Kiren believes in you - I saw it in his eyes. Princess Impa believes in Farore, and Zelda believes in me."
"So life flows on, and we survive," murmured Din.
She shook herself out of her reverie, "So, how do we change this vision, then?" Experimentally, she brushed the water with her dark skinned hand. A little mist of steam rose from the pool, and to her surprise, the vision she wanted appeared on the surface. She and Nayru knelt to watch. . .
***
Kiren awoke to a pounding headache and a sticky trickle running down his cheek. He groaned and tried to pull himself up, but, receiving a head full of leaves and branches, quickly slumped again. He brushed his face and gazed at his hand: blood. Abruptly, it all came back to him, and in a surge of rage he rolled out of the bush and into the grass. The back of his head was bleeding a little, and it ached to high heaven where he had inadvertently clubbed himself with the sword hilt. Apart from that, he seemed to be all right, minus the loss of his horse.
Kiren struggled upright and, fighting the dizziness, stood. He staggered forwards a few paces, and then his sluggish brain leapt into action so suddenly that his vision clouded and he had to sit down again. He had been attacked by Din: he recognised the eyes that had burned into his own before he was knocked out. If Din had gone for him, then. . .
Kiren was up and running before the pain in his head caught up. If anything happened to Ruto, he would die. His left hand, throbbing at the wrist where the Goddess twisted so viciously, clutched the sapphire pendant so tightly it dug into his skin, so tightly he drew blood without realising.
He crossed the Field within 10 minutes, and, gasping with pain and tiredness, burst into the tent to find Ruto. . . gone. He crushed the panic and forced himself to think. ~Ruto is Zora, therefore, look in the water.~ He peered over the edge of the gorge. Normally he would have dived in, no questions asked. But the pain of his head wound was returning, and suddenly running around seemed much more appealing. Kiren gathered himself again and sped off in the direction of Lake Hylia.
Leaping the two fences easily, the Gerudo forced himself up the steep slope and down the hill. He searched the Lake with his eyes and thought he saw a faint shape drifting near the centre. Without a thought as to how he would get back, whether he would get back, or even if it was even Ruto, he waded in and began to swim.
Kiren swam tirelessly, ignoring the screaming in his muscles. He wouldn't admit it, but he was exhausted. Only the thoughts of loosing Ruto kept his legs kicking and his arms moving mechanically. After years and years of swimming, he finally reached the limp form in the water, and was relieved to find it was Ruto. He took her gently by the arms and towed her as carefully as he could to the nearest shore: the island in the middle.
He dragged himself out and pulled Ruto up behind him. Her naked figure seemed perfect, too perfect. With a ball of leaden dread building in his stomach, Kiren bent over her and shook her shoulder. Her head lolled from one side to the other, but she did not stir. Kiren felt his breathing quicken; become panicky like the flight of a moth. His right hand shaking slightly, he felt her pulse and was rewarded by faint throbbing. She was alive. ~Think, Kiren, think. What were you taught?~ Suddenly, he remembered. He took a deep breath, gently covered Ruto's nostrils, placed his mouth over hers, and blew steadily.
The life that had been slowly draining from Ruto's body leapt back with such a rush that she jerked, struggled upright, and vomited water all over herself. She gasped in horror at the mess she had created, and then her skin registered the gentle touch on her shoulders; her eyes realised Kiren's handsome face creased in worry inches from her own. She stared into his eyes for a moment, and then retched again, twisting out of his grasp and throwing everything up into the grass beside her. She felt his hand touch her back, comforting in an unconfident fashion. She was silent for a few moments, breathing great gulps of fresh Lake air. At last, she managed to whisper, "Thank you. . ."
Kiren sat awkwardly beside her. Then he tugged her hand gently, "Maybe you should get a wash?" She nodded gratefully and splashed her face and body in the warm shallow water near the shore. Kiren watched her for a second, then sat beside her and began bathing the cut on the back of his head. Ruto looked up, and seeing what he was doing, winced, "That looks nasty. Would you like. . . I mean, can I bathe it for you?" Kiren nodded and turned so she could see. Ruto grabbed a handful of soft moss and soaked it in the water. Then she began swabbing the cut.
A couple of minutes passed, and Kiren felt the pain lessen as Ruto worked. She finally finished, and flung the blood stained clump from her. Kiren turned slowly. Ruto met his gaze, and they kissed.
***
"Ruto!"
Ruto snapped her head around, and saw one of her father's Zora attendants floating in the water. He looked furious. Kiren broke away and put a hand on his sword hilt, "What do you want?"
The Zora waded ashore. He was clad in a long billowy tunic for modesty, clingy with wetness. A long knife was strapped to his back. "My name is Vada. You have kidnapped our Princess," his voice had the quality of ice: deceptively smooth but sharp, "I am here to bring her back."
"No," retorted Ruto and Kiren, simultaneously.
The Zora raised his eyebrows, "Princess, you do not wish to return?"
"No. I love her, and she loves me!" snarled Kiren, putting a protective arm around Ruto's waist.
"You do?" asked Vada. Ruto nodded. Vada smiled wryly, "Unfortunately, I am under strict orders to return her, love or no love. You are our Princess, Ruto. Think of what you have. Do not throw it away for the love of a thief." "You'll pay for that, fish!" growled Kiren, stepping in front of Ruto and drawing his sword. He realised something was wrong as his hands felt the weight of his weapon. He pulled the sword from the sheath on his back and stared in disbelief at the broken stump. His mind worked quickly, ~When I was unconscious. . . it must have been Din. . .~ His thoughts took form in a howl of fury, and Ruto stepped back, alarmed. His whole body quaked with his anger, and even Vada hesitated. Then he took out his knife and leered at the Gerudo, "Weaponless I see. Not the time to go trading insults, boy."
Ruto felt a battle rise within her - whom should she help? The powers of the Water Sage soared through her blood, charging her for a fight. As Kiren circled, the useless stump of his sword held ready nonetheless, she knew she must do something. One would definitely kill the other - but which one?
Kiren ducked Vada's first swing and back-flipped from the next. He managed to block the third with what was left of his sword, and the jolt sent splinters of pain into his injured wrist. His broken sword fell from his trembling hand as the pain shot through his arm. His head began to pound again, and Kiren felt a terribly powerful magic surface from the depths of his being and flood his arms and hands. Purple sparks danced across his fingers as he flexed them and formed claws, turning the greasy air until a pulsating irregular ball of darkness and purple hung, spinning gently, in the cage his fingers made. Vada stared for a second, then drew his arm back and prepared to sling his knife . . .
Simultaneously, a sphere of compacted boiling water flew from Kiren's right and splashed, steaming, onto Vada's chest.
As Vada screamed in pain, the knife falling from his flailing fingers, Kiren unleashed the energy with a roar, stepping forwards onto his left foot and launching the glowing ball with outstretched arms.
Vada was dead before he could blink, a scorching burn across his chest, quivering steadily as the darkness took him. He crumpled and sprawled on the grass, little tendrils of purple smoke coiling from underneath his body. Kiren spat, and kicked him into the Lake where he vanished with barely a ripple.
***
Nayru let her concentration go with a sigh, "I was sure I had her then! She nearly aimed the wretched thing at Kiren!"
Din leaned over the water, "Too bad for Vada. You know, Nayru, maybe we shouldn't try and change these events. . ."
Nayru sighed again, "Maybe you're right. . ."
***
Kiren held Ruto as she sobbed. The Lake was unnaturally still, and the sun was sinking slowly. The sky was a vibrant red. "Ruto, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Kiren whispered, holding her tighter.
Ruto sniffed, "It's alright, Kiren. You had to. If we are ever parted, I won't survive." She swallowed and composed herself. Kiren glanced around and saw, to his fury, two thin rope bridges spanning the water up to the island. In a fit of pique, he broke away from Ruto and clenched both hands.
The snapping of ropes echoed in the evening air, and both bridges fell into the water with splashes, floating. "There. Now anyone else who wants to get to this island will have to swim like me," said Kiren darkly.
Ruto looked up at him with a trace of her former smile, "So we will not be disturbed?" Kiren caught her drift and grinned in the twilight, and they lay together in the grass as the moon rose over the silent water.
***