Ok, I just had to mention this, Dream][Walker3, your review brought a smile to my face, and those have been few and far between for me lately, so I wanted to thank you for brightening my day a bit^_^
Legal stuff: The Legend of Zelda and its characters belong to Nintendo, not to me. Self-made characters however, do belong to me, so no copying.
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Zyte awoke with a start, she had felt a very odd feeling, like she had been floating without the support of her wings, it was a very unsettling feeling for a person who was so use to flying with their wings. Rubbing the darkness from her eyes she sat up, blinking at her unfamiliar surroundings.
"What the…"
She cautiously stood up, the clouds beneath her bending slightly beneath her weight. She turned this way and that, trying to figure out where she was.
"I was just in the Temple of Twilight with Link, how'd I get out here? That couldn't have been a dream, or…" She touched her shoulder experimentally, wincing when her fingers passed over the tender bite marks.
"Well that's settled, now where the-" Zyte suddenly whirled around, she had a weird feeling that someone was watching her.
"Leyann?" she called out, "if that's you you'd better come out, this isn't funny."
Zyte's ears prickled, hearing a faint laugh, feeling most certain that it was Leyann's laugh, a trill that was unique to her and her alone.
Zyte started to move toward the sound, the clouds trembling under each footfall. She turned around a puff of cloud sticking out of the main mass and stopped in shock.
Leyann was sitting on top of the clouds laughing up a storm, while an eight year old Zyte was rubbing a large red welt caused by slipped strike with a practice sword.
"Stop laughing Leyann, it wasn't funny, that technique is hard enough without you deciding to start throwing seeds at me."
Leyann could barely stop laughing to respond. "I couldn't help it, you've been acting way to tense lately, you need to loosen up."
"That doesn't give you the right to start throwing seeds at me, especially while I'm practicing!"
"But you were just begging- Hey, wait a minute, what are you doing with that bottle?"
Zyte had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Her younger self had marched over to the fairy, grabbed her by her wings and stuffed her into the bottle. Twisting the lid shut she held it up at eye level, watching Leyann as she buzzed angrily against the glass.
"Hey! Let me out! This isn't fair!"
"No one said it was fair, you'll stay in there until I'm done practicing."
Leyann's form turned bright red with anger as Zyte set her down next to her pack and picked up her practice sword. Walking a bit away from the pack she fell into a stance that made the particular technique a whole lot easier to perform. She had just raised her sword when she was startled out of her concentration by someone calling her name.
Her younger self gave an annoyed sigh, "I'm over here!"
"What? Don't you want to see your father?"
The older Zyte whirled around, staring blankly at the Light Soaran who was gliding toward them.
"Father?" she managed to squeak out, it really was him.
Her father landed and began to walk toward her younger self, a large smile on his face. His yellow pyre lizard soon followed, swooping through Zyte like she was a mere shadow to settle on her younger self's shoulder.
"Hello Xianjii, how are you today," she said, scratching the particular spot on his neck where he always liked always liked to be scratched. Xianjii started to croon, his eyes closing in pleasure. She looked up into her father's face, "hello father, what did you want me for?" she asked.
He smiled, "always to the point I see," he paused and looked around, "where's Leyann?"
"In a bottle, she was throwing seeds at me while I was trying to practice."
"You put her in-," his hand went to his forehead, "I don't know what to do with you sometimes Zyte."
"Well she asked for it."
"I'm sure, be sure to let her out when you're done. But right now I have something for you." He undid a small pouch from his belt and held it out to her.
Curiosity lined her face as she took the pouch and undid the string. Reaching into the bag she brought out a silvery ocarina with a slight blue hue.
Zyte gasped, "oh, it's beautiful, thank you!" She gave her father a large hug, the ocarina still grasped in her hand. "You will teach me how to play it, won't you?"
"Of course, when would you like to begin?"
"Right now! That is if you're able to."
"Alright, let's start with one of my favorites, the ancients called it Srelo ye Osyxr. Now first of all you want to hold your ocarina like this…"
Zyte sighed, she remembered this day, the Srelo ye Osyxr had become her favorite song as well, even if she hadn't been able to translate the title. She was sure she had heard those words recently though, if only she could remember where. Her hand absentmindedly went to the pouch at her waist as she thought about it.
"Ah, music, truly one of the finest achievements of any race."
Zyte whirled around, her hand grasping the hilt of one of her swords. Needless to say she was rather shocked when the speaker turned out to be a very old looking Light Soaran leaning heavily on a cane.
The old man chuckled, "sorry to startle you m'dear."
Zyte quickly withdrew her hand from her sword. "I should be the one apologizing, I almost drew my sword on you!" She bent into a hasty bow, "please forgive my actions."
"Not to worry my child, you don't need to be so formal to one such as me."
Zyte rose from her bow but keep her head lowered in respect. "I was taught to respect my elders."
"Ah, you may have been taught respect toward your elders, but as a mere spirit I don't require such formalities."
Zyte's head snapped up in shock, a glimmer of fear in her eyes. "A spirit? I'm not… dead, am I? I thought Otsu venom only…"
The old name shook his head, "No, no m'dear, this is only a dream. I, however, am quite real."
"A dream, that would explain why…"
The younger Zyte blew a few notes from the ocarina as the memory behind them continued.
"Ah, I always did like that song, I take it you do remember it?" The old man looked questioningly at her.
"Of course I- Hey wait a minute, how'd you get in my mind anyway?"
The old man coughed, "well I was the one that brought you to the library in the first place."
Zyte's eyes narrowed, "thanks for asking permission to use my body," she said coolly, a bit of her temper showing through.
"And I was the one who awoke the Otsu."
"WHAT!"
The old man cringed as Zyte started to shout, barely making sense of the words being sent forward.
"Sent an Otsu on us… Link and I could have been killed, oh what I would do if I could shadow twist in a dream." She began to mutter in the ancient tongue, sending several vile words his way.
"Shadow twister indeed young one, it is your ability that landed you if such trouble in the first place."
She rounded on him, her eyes livid. "You think I asked for this? This curse that isolated me from every being I have and ever will know."
"And yet this 'curse' has brought you a friend, kept you safe, given you strength in times of need."
Zyte fell silent at this, it was true after all.
"And this ability has also brought you to the attention of one to be most feared, for he is the very reason the Dark Soarans exist. Perhaps you need to see that day again, if only to show you his power, and how he knows of you." He gave a wave of his hand.
They were transported from outside in bright sunlight to inside her home with a few pale rays of the sun showing of the walls.
"No, not this, not this day," Zyte moaned, taking a step backward from where her thirteen year old self was waiting impatiently for her father. Leyann floated tranquilly around her head.
"Come on father, the sun's already risen."
"I'm coming, your mother wanted to tell us goodbye."
Her father entered the room, Xianjii draped sleepily across his shoulder. Soon after came her mother, Nochara, the light blue kytel that served as her mother's guardian, fluttered in to land on the back of a chair. Her mother walked over to Zyte and handed her a cloak. She leaned forward and kissed Zyte's forehead.
"You be careful, my precious Zyte."
"I will mother, don't worry," she replied, giving her a hug.
Her mother straightened up with a smile. She turned to her husband and went to give him a kiss as well when Xianjii suddenly straightened up and hissed. Taken aback by this sudden display of aggressiveness her mother stepped backward.
"Xianjii, what is the meaning of this?" her father asked the pyre lizard. Xianjii gave another hiss and swooped off his shoulder and out the room.
The older Zyte suddenly noticed a jet black gerahk perched on the windowsill watching the happenings inside. She had never remembered seeing it before when this day had happened two years ago.
"Father where's Leyann?" the younger Zyte asked suddenly, both she and Nochara had disappeared from view, "what's going on?"
Her mother suddenly screamed. She fell to her knees, her hands clutching her head in pain. Feathers started to fall from her wings. Claws were starting to form on her fingers while her skin was growing scales.
"Mother!" Zyte cried, rushing forward. But her father grabbed Zyte, pulling her back.
"Run Zyte! Run now!" he cried, drawing his sword.
"What are you doing father? Don't hurt mother!" she cried, struggling against her father's arm.
A snarl stopped her struggling. She turned her face toward the spot where her mother had been, only to find a Dark Soaran rising to its feet from the floor, tearing away the few strands of cloth that had not already be shredded away. The Dark Soaran turned its eyes on them, a growl in its throat.
Her father placed himself in front of her. "Go Zyte, run now."
The Dark Soaran her mother had become leapt from the floor at her. Her father pushed her backward, bringing up his sword to block the assault. Zyte shrank against the wall, too terrified to move as she watched her father swap blows with the Dark Soaran.
Her father suddenly screamed, his sword falling with a loud clunk to the floor. His body was silhouetted against the window, casting a shadow on Zyte. He did not fall to the floor as her mother had, but instead arched his back and screamed, screamed so loud that older Zyte covered her ears in pain. Feathers started falling in droves as his wings turned leathery. Scales rippled across his skin while claws shredded through his boots. A long tail sprouted out of his back while his clawed hands tore at his shirt. The last thing to change was his face, three horns burst forward while his head turned streamline. He stopped screaming as his eyes turned dark with greed and malice. He gave his beak an experimental click. The Dark Soaran her mother had become moved closer to him, hissing what sounded some like sort of order. The creature that used to be her father glanced over toward Zyte, hissing and clicking its beak in annoyance.
The Dark Soaran her mother was leaped at her, its talons ready to slice into her. Zyte screamed and closed her eyes, a look of deep concentration on her face. Just as the Dark Soaran neared her a sudden burst of shadows appeared, swallowing them both. The remaining Dark Soaran backed up slightly in surprise, its dark eyes showing the slightest hint of confusion. The black gerahk perched on the windowsill looked surprised as well, and, oddly enough, strangely excited.
The shadows withdrew then, leaving a startled looking Dark Soaran on its knees. Her father drew near it, hissing and snarling, as if trying to talk to it. Its head suddenly snapped around, a voice could be heard outside. The Dark Soaran bolted to the window, barely missing the gerahk in its haste to get outside. A cry of surprise was heard, soon followed by a call for her mother and father.
"Tyrin! Asrya! If you're there answer! Is anyone hurt?"
Zyte in the mean time was still on the floor, staring at her clawed hands as if disbelieving.
"What has happened to me…" she whispered, "what have I become?" Tears began to slide down her cheeks, falling silently to the floor below.
Zyte snapped her head up as she heard someone enter the house, calling her parents names. Her eyes went back to her hands in fear.
"No! I can't let them see me like this! Please, let me change back!"
She staggered backward into a corner, sliding down to the floor she buried her face into her claws and began to sob, not noticing the shadows that had started to slither across her legs. She was covered in shadows a second time, only this time emerging from them as a Light Soaran.
Sillis suddenly burst into the room, looking around wildly. He noticed Zyte and rushed over to her, kneeing down in front of her he grasped her shoulders.
"Zyte are you alright? Where are your parents?"
Zyte looked up at him from her hands, "they're gone…"
"Gone where?"
Zyte buried her head into her hands again, "they are Dark Soarans now."
"Both of them?"
"Both." A wave of fresh sobs followed this statement.
The black gerahk fluffed its feathers, an expression close to a smirk on its face. It silently opened its wings and took off, going in the same direction, the older Zyte assumed, as her father.
"Enough! Why do you make me go through these memories again?" Zyte suddenly burst.
"Very well," the old man waved his hand again, Zyte was surrounded by total darkness.
"You saw it, did you not? The black gerahk?" The old man's voice seemed to echo around her.
"Yes, I saw it."
"That is why he knows of your power, that gerahk is his eyes and ears in the world. He is very interested in you m'dear, very interested indeed."
"But why? Why is he interested in me?"
"He wants your power child, and the only way to get it is to drain it from you, but to do that would kill you." His voice seemed to be growing fainter by the moment.
"Wait! Who wants it? What do the Dark Soarans have to do with any of this?"
"I am sorry m'dear, but the venom is losing hold of your body, I must say this quickly," his voice was barely a whisper now, "remember the tears of stone."
Zyte awoke with a start. She sat up, breathing heavily, looking around at her surroundings. She was still on the chamber where they had fought the Otsu. She looked down at her legs, noticing how warm she was, finding that she had been covered in what appeared to be a traveler's cloak.
"Link? Leyann?"
She heard soft breathing nearby and turned around. Link was sitting of the ground, his back leaning against the wall. His legs were curled to his chest and his head resting on his knees, he was clearly asleep. A fairy rested on both his shoulders, which caused Zyte to give a small smile. Leyann normally never warmed up to anyone, but there she was, asleep on Link's shoulder.
A tiny bit of hazy sunlight suddenly peeked in through on of the windows near the ceiling. Zyte suddenly felt claustrophobic, like she had to get out of this room. Rising to her feet she quietly opened her wings and gave them a flap. Nearing the top of the room she settled onto one of the windowsills, this would have to do for the moment. She felt her ocarina bump against her leg. She brought it out of its bag to stare at its shiny surface. One little song couldn't hurt, could it? She brought the small wind instrument to her lips and began to play, feeling her worries melt into the song.
Link woke up drowsily. Stretching his arms and yawning he stood up, dislodging the two fairies from his shoulders. He stared around blankly, wondering what had woken him up. Glancing over to where Zyte was he was suddenly wide awake, she wasn't there.
"Zyte?" he called worriedly.
Link heard a few soft notes slow and stop, he wondered why he hadn't heard them earlier.
"Up here!"
Link looked up to see Zyte waving at him from one of the windowsills. He breathed a sigh of relief and spread his wings to join her.
"And just what do you think you're doing up here?" he asked as he hovered near the window.
"Just getting some fresh air, I get claustrophobic if I spend too much time inside."
"Oh, you sure you're alright?" he asked, noticing how pale her skin was.
Zyte absentmindedly fingered her ocarina. "Yeah, just had a bad dream." She considered telling Link what the old man had said, but dismissed the idea, she didn't want to worry Link more than he already was. Instead she put on a bright smile, "ready to see what else is in this temple?"
Link put on a smile as well, "yeah, let's go!"
Back on the ground Link carefully folded up his cloak and placed it back in his pack. His sword and shield were already strapped to his back. Turning he caught sight of Zyte, who was apparently trying to strap her shield on while at the same time trying to avoid Leyann's excited bouncing. Link gave a small chuckle, for the last ten minutes Leyann had been telling Zyte how glad she was that she was okay, even if she knew that she had just been unconscious. That little thing sure was protective.
Zyte finally managed to get her shield strapped to her back. "Alright, let's go!" she said, flashing Link a smile and starting to walk toward the entrance. Link then noticed the pole on the ground angling slightly to precariously hold up another pole, which in turn was precariously holding up a large bowl full of rainwater, and Zyte was heading right for it.
"Zyte watch out for that-"
SPLASH
"pole…"
Zyte was completely soaked, the look on her face bordering between fuming rage and complete insanity. She reached up and brushed a few sodden locks of hair out of her face, which resolutely fell back to her face. She peered over at Link through her sodden hair.
"You know what Link? I am really starting to hate this place."
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Questions? Comments? Ideas? Criticisms?
Post them in a review or an e-mail to me and I'll see what I can do.
