Zelda and Zoras are copyrighted Nintendo, and not by me. Saige, Sakura,
Ivan, Xieon, all monsters and any other character not copyrighted by Nintendo, is mine and mine ONLY! You may only use them if you e-mail me
and ask (politely!)
*~* Chapter 5 *~*
The Outside
Sakura stood a couple of yards away from the large oak doors. She suddenly felt very, very small. It was as if she was standing on the edge of two universes, hers and a whole new one. She had no idea what was on the outside, nor where the steps she was supposed to meet Saige at were. She hoisted her pack further up onto her back, and staggered under it's weight. She began to wonder if she had packed too heavy. She had no idea how long she was going to be gone, and had packed many, many pairs of pants, and over a dozen shirts. She hoped the guard wouldn't get suspicious of a 14 year old girl, sneaking away with a backpack and a sleeping bag in the dead of night. She pulled the hood of her white sweatshirt up over her head and did her best to disguise her voice. "open the gates!" she hissed skyward. The wooden door began to open, groaning its protest all the way. She slipped out and suddenly was very glad that she had brought her sweatshirt. It was definitely much colder out here, without the walls to block out most of the wind. Shivering, Sakura took a step further, but shrieked as she realized there was no ground below her. By the time she had realized there was a large marble stairway, and regained her balance, Sakura was already a good dozen steps down. She gazed at the castle walls behind her. It looked beautiful in the moonlight, but very insignificant compared to the rest of the world it stood on. A slight chuckle from the darkness at the bottom of the stairs caused her to wheel around. "Your late" a voice said simply, and a figure of Saige was illuminated by the moon. Saige stepped up onto the first step and smirked. "so, what's it feel like?" she asked "exhilarating?" Sakura stepped up a step in awe. "You quoted my diary!" She said, bewildered. "Yeah, you left it on the wall" Saige casually tossed the diary back to Sakura. "We'll spend the night at my place" Saige smiled. This was going to be her first sleepover. Not that her house really was that glamorous... "okay with you?" Sakura nodded, and darted down the steps and soundlessly after Saige. "It'll take a while to walk there" Saige explained, as they cleared the field that surrounded Hyrule and started going into a small forest. The trees were small, with a considerably large distance in between. Saige explained that the thicker the trees are, the closer they are to her home. Sakura nodded every now and then, becoming more and more aware of how dark it was getting. After a couple of hours walking, the moon no longer shone through the canopy at all. "How much longer?" Sakura complained, she was getting very tired of this. She knew she'd already asked at least 3 times, but felt like asking again anyway. She sorely longed she had brought a flashlight, as she could not see any more than 2 feet in front of her face. "Almost there..." Saige answered, just as she had the first three times. Saige pushed aside a large vine that hung limply from a tree, and reveled a large open patch, where light streamed through the trees. It was like a small patch of happiness in a dark forest. Sakura noted that the sun was just rising. "c'mon!" Saige said, and Sakura noticed she was already halfway up a nearby tree. Sakura squinted up the tree, but saw nothing. Sakura scrambled up the tree, falling down 2 inches for every 5 that she climbed. It took her a while to get halfway up the tree, but then Saige threw down a crude rope ladder. "You could have done that earlier!" Sakura gasped, out of breath, as she took hold of the ladder. "didn't reach the ground!" Saige said apologetically. "you should learn to climb faster!" Sakura ignored her remark and made the rest of the way up the ladder fairly okay, despite a few scratches from stubborn branches. At the topmost limb of the tree, hung a hammock. A very large hammock. It was made from vines, and was about 20 square yards. The center hung inward, and the sides were higher. In it was a small sleeping bag, and a pack full of clothes. There was a large bit of firewood in the center, and the house had a clear view of the sky. Kyra was sitting in the sleeping bag, Saige beside it. Saige nodded, and pointed upwards. Sakura looked up and gasped, the sky was still deep blue, and full of stars. But around the edges of her vision, there were orange and red streaks; giving the sky the look that someone had painted the blue and the stars on a rainbow. It was the most enchanting thing Sakura had ever seen. "What do you do when it rains?" Sakura asked, absentmindedly dropping her stuff on the floor, and laying down so as to see the sky better. Saige stood up, and motioned towards some vines that hung from two branches just above the house. "You see, the house is slung on vines like this right? Well I can do this.." Saige moved a few leaves that were about the size of her whole body inward, so they covered most of the floor except for the small patch in the middle by the firewood. They hung about 5 feet off the ground, leaving about a few inches above each girl's head. Sakura still had not moved from her spot on her back on the floor, and looking right up at the leaves even looked pretty. "I've never seen anything like it.." she breathed, looking at the intricate patterns on the leaves as they went in and out, making the edges all squiggly. "you like?" Saige smiled, as she shoved Kyra out of her sleeping bag and rolled it up. "It's real pretty when it rains, an' you 'ear all the rain drops lull yah' to sleep" Kyra said, tapping a paw on the leaf closest to her. Sakura cocked her head to one side. "didn't catch that.." she smiled to Saige. Saige nodded and quickly translated. "can she understand me?" Sakura asked, pointing at Kyra. The shaggy brown dog shook, and stood up. She trotted over to Sakura, and to make herself more clear, exaggerated a large nod. "good!" Sakura smiled "now Saige can translate for me, and I won't have to bother her translating for you." Kyra opened her mouth and panted, in what was inevitably a dog-ish grin. Saige moved the leaves back, and moved her pack closer to her. "how long you think we'll be gone?" She asked. She really didn't have much more to pack, but was just wondering. "I don't know.." Sakura replied "I'll need a map to see how far the next few towns are. I do hope we'll be able to tell them about the Force before it's too late.." Saige unzipped her shabby knapsack and reached into it. She emerged a few seconds later with a large map of the east side of the planet Avvia. She lay it out on the floor, and stabbed a spot marked "Northern Hyrule woods" with her finger. She withdrew a pencil from her pack, and drew an arrow on the side of the map, pointing away from the map. Under it she wrote "West Avvia – Western Ocean – last attack" "I only have the map of the East side of the planet, since I don't think anyone really has been on both sides. I think they choose one and stay" Saige explained. "the best thing for us to do, is circle around East, since we are pretty close to the last attack anyway. We just need to find some help, and then return to Hyrule." Sakura nodded, but was still deeply involved with looking out at the landscape from the tree. "Is the whole world like this?" She asked, more to herself than anyone else. Saige smirked. "I wouldn't know, I just said, I've only been here and Hyrule. The furthest I've been is those mountains" She pointed somewhere in the distance, where some jagged points were just visible in the early morning mist. "I know that heads West. Towards the last attack, and towards Gem Mountain Pass, it should take us directly towards the Ocean." Sakura nodded silently. She'd definitely heard that name before, maybe from another villager. "But we'll need food first" Saige said casually tossing the map back inside her pack. Sakura stood up, dreading the long walk back to Hyrule. "where do you think your going?" Saige asked "You've run away remember? Won't anyone notice you!?" Sakura threw herself back down on the floor. "'Kay" she said, tossing Saige a 10 dollar bill "you go" It hit her then that she had run away, to go on an adventure with an orphan she hardly knew, had just thrown her all her hard earned allowance, and had let her lead her hours away from home with no idea which way was home. Sakura sighed. She really should have thought this out more. "I-"But before she could say another word, Saige was already halfway down the tree, yelling something about not falling. Sakura sighed and rolled onto her stomach, letting her gaze wander to the bear sized dog in the corner. Kyra looked down from the hammock, as if to check to see if Saige was really gone. Then, paying no attention to Sakura, leapt onto the rolled up sleeping bag she had been tossed out of earlier, and buried herself in it. She cast an apologetic glance at Sakura once nestled deep inside and hoped Sakura wouldn't be mad that she'd disobeyed Saige. Just as Kyra was beginning to settle in, she leapt to her feet. Snarling and bristling she approached the ladder. Sakura stood up and looked over the edge, and saw that someone was climbing up! She stepped back and in her haste tripped over her own feet and fell flat on the floor. With a loud 'snap' a large puff of gray smoke appeared. When the smog cleared, Sakura could see a form in the center of it. Bits of blonde hair framed the figures face. It was dressed in many different colors of blue cloths, and wore a mask over its head that covered everything but its eyes and the mess of blonde bangs. "w-who are you?" Sakura stammered, leaping to her feet. The figure didn't answer, but looked Sakura up and down. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and melodious. "I've come to wish thee good luck" The figure said "Who are you?!" Sakura asked, this time more confidently. "I am Sheik, but that means nothing" The person said. "I've come to warn you also, things are not looking up. Xieon is gathering recruits, and their powers are growing. They hold a deep magic that even I do not know much about. Get help. There is a weary traveler by the Gem Mountain Pass. He knows much about this magic. He will help thee" With that the figure turned to leave. Sakura still wasn't sure if what she'd seen was real, or maybe she'd fallen asleep on the floor, but she still wanted answers. "How do you know?" she demanded. "What if we don't make it? Will someone else warn other towns? How will help get to Hyrule?" The figure stopped a few feet from the ladder. "I know. You must trust me." It said "The mountains are treacherous, and failing will result in chaos. You decide how to get the help you wish for. You must be brave. Fate is the reason you are doing this, nothing more nothing less. Learn to accept fate, and adapt to its many twists and turns in store for you." The figure closed it's fist, and opened it again. In its hand was a smooth rock, the color of a cloud-ridden sky. It was pale blue and white, and it shone in the sunlight that filtered through the tree's canopy. "It will give you strength. Believe in yourself, your Avvia's last hope. You and Saige. Be brave Sakura" With a loud snap and other puff of smoke the figure was gone, leaving Sakura alone and bewildered, with the rock clutched in her hand. Kyra was just sitting in the corner, her maw open, staring at the spot the figure was seconds before.
Upon Saige's arrival, Sakura learned this figure had visited her too, and given her the same message. Saige had brought back enough food to feed them for about a week, at least until they got past the Gem Mountain Pass.
Ivan, Xieon, all monsters and any other character not copyrighted by Nintendo, is mine and mine ONLY! You may only use them if you e-mail me
and ask (politely!)
*~* Chapter 5 *~*
The Outside
Sakura stood a couple of yards away from the large oak doors. She suddenly felt very, very small. It was as if she was standing on the edge of two universes, hers and a whole new one. She had no idea what was on the outside, nor where the steps she was supposed to meet Saige at were. She hoisted her pack further up onto her back, and staggered under it's weight. She began to wonder if she had packed too heavy. She had no idea how long she was going to be gone, and had packed many, many pairs of pants, and over a dozen shirts. She hoped the guard wouldn't get suspicious of a 14 year old girl, sneaking away with a backpack and a sleeping bag in the dead of night. She pulled the hood of her white sweatshirt up over her head and did her best to disguise her voice. "open the gates!" she hissed skyward. The wooden door began to open, groaning its protest all the way. She slipped out and suddenly was very glad that she had brought her sweatshirt. It was definitely much colder out here, without the walls to block out most of the wind. Shivering, Sakura took a step further, but shrieked as she realized there was no ground below her. By the time she had realized there was a large marble stairway, and regained her balance, Sakura was already a good dozen steps down. She gazed at the castle walls behind her. It looked beautiful in the moonlight, but very insignificant compared to the rest of the world it stood on. A slight chuckle from the darkness at the bottom of the stairs caused her to wheel around. "Your late" a voice said simply, and a figure of Saige was illuminated by the moon. Saige stepped up onto the first step and smirked. "so, what's it feel like?" she asked "exhilarating?" Sakura stepped up a step in awe. "You quoted my diary!" She said, bewildered. "Yeah, you left it on the wall" Saige casually tossed the diary back to Sakura. "We'll spend the night at my place" Saige smiled. This was going to be her first sleepover. Not that her house really was that glamorous... "okay with you?" Sakura nodded, and darted down the steps and soundlessly after Saige. "It'll take a while to walk there" Saige explained, as they cleared the field that surrounded Hyrule and started going into a small forest. The trees were small, with a considerably large distance in between. Saige explained that the thicker the trees are, the closer they are to her home. Sakura nodded every now and then, becoming more and more aware of how dark it was getting. After a couple of hours walking, the moon no longer shone through the canopy at all. "How much longer?" Sakura complained, she was getting very tired of this. She knew she'd already asked at least 3 times, but felt like asking again anyway. She sorely longed she had brought a flashlight, as she could not see any more than 2 feet in front of her face. "Almost there..." Saige answered, just as she had the first three times. Saige pushed aside a large vine that hung limply from a tree, and reveled a large open patch, where light streamed through the trees. It was like a small patch of happiness in a dark forest. Sakura noted that the sun was just rising. "c'mon!" Saige said, and Sakura noticed she was already halfway up a nearby tree. Sakura squinted up the tree, but saw nothing. Sakura scrambled up the tree, falling down 2 inches for every 5 that she climbed. It took her a while to get halfway up the tree, but then Saige threw down a crude rope ladder. "You could have done that earlier!" Sakura gasped, out of breath, as she took hold of the ladder. "didn't reach the ground!" Saige said apologetically. "you should learn to climb faster!" Sakura ignored her remark and made the rest of the way up the ladder fairly okay, despite a few scratches from stubborn branches. At the topmost limb of the tree, hung a hammock. A very large hammock. It was made from vines, and was about 20 square yards. The center hung inward, and the sides were higher. In it was a small sleeping bag, and a pack full of clothes. There was a large bit of firewood in the center, and the house had a clear view of the sky. Kyra was sitting in the sleeping bag, Saige beside it. Saige nodded, and pointed upwards. Sakura looked up and gasped, the sky was still deep blue, and full of stars. But around the edges of her vision, there were orange and red streaks; giving the sky the look that someone had painted the blue and the stars on a rainbow. It was the most enchanting thing Sakura had ever seen. "What do you do when it rains?" Sakura asked, absentmindedly dropping her stuff on the floor, and laying down so as to see the sky better. Saige stood up, and motioned towards some vines that hung from two branches just above the house. "You see, the house is slung on vines like this right? Well I can do this.." Saige moved a few leaves that were about the size of her whole body inward, so they covered most of the floor except for the small patch in the middle by the firewood. They hung about 5 feet off the ground, leaving about a few inches above each girl's head. Sakura still had not moved from her spot on her back on the floor, and looking right up at the leaves even looked pretty. "I've never seen anything like it.." she breathed, looking at the intricate patterns on the leaves as they went in and out, making the edges all squiggly. "you like?" Saige smiled, as she shoved Kyra out of her sleeping bag and rolled it up. "It's real pretty when it rains, an' you 'ear all the rain drops lull yah' to sleep" Kyra said, tapping a paw on the leaf closest to her. Sakura cocked her head to one side. "didn't catch that.." she smiled to Saige. Saige nodded and quickly translated. "can she understand me?" Sakura asked, pointing at Kyra. The shaggy brown dog shook, and stood up. She trotted over to Sakura, and to make herself more clear, exaggerated a large nod. "good!" Sakura smiled "now Saige can translate for me, and I won't have to bother her translating for you." Kyra opened her mouth and panted, in what was inevitably a dog-ish grin. Saige moved the leaves back, and moved her pack closer to her. "how long you think we'll be gone?" She asked. She really didn't have much more to pack, but was just wondering. "I don't know.." Sakura replied "I'll need a map to see how far the next few towns are. I do hope we'll be able to tell them about the Force before it's too late.." Saige unzipped her shabby knapsack and reached into it. She emerged a few seconds later with a large map of the east side of the planet Avvia. She lay it out on the floor, and stabbed a spot marked "Northern Hyrule woods" with her finger. She withdrew a pencil from her pack, and drew an arrow on the side of the map, pointing away from the map. Under it she wrote "West Avvia – Western Ocean – last attack" "I only have the map of the East side of the planet, since I don't think anyone really has been on both sides. I think they choose one and stay" Saige explained. "the best thing for us to do, is circle around East, since we are pretty close to the last attack anyway. We just need to find some help, and then return to Hyrule." Sakura nodded, but was still deeply involved with looking out at the landscape from the tree. "Is the whole world like this?" She asked, more to herself than anyone else. Saige smirked. "I wouldn't know, I just said, I've only been here and Hyrule. The furthest I've been is those mountains" She pointed somewhere in the distance, where some jagged points were just visible in the early morning mist. "I know that heads West. Towards the last attack, and towards Gem Mountain Pass, it should take us directly towards the Ocean." Sakura nodded silently. She'd definitely heard that name before, maybe from another villager. "But we'll need food first" Saige said casually tossing the map back inside her pack. Sakura stood up, dreading the long walk back to Hyrule. "where do you think your going?" Saige asked "You've run away remember? Won't anyone notice you!?" Sakura threw herself back down on the floor. "'Kay" she said, tossing Saige a 10 dollar bill "you go" It hit her then that she had run away, to go on an adventure with an orphan she hardly knew, had just thrown her all her hard earned allowance, and had let her lead her hours away from home with no idea which way was home. Sakura sighed. She really should have thought this out more. "I-"But before she could say another word, Saige was already halfway down the tree, yelling something about not falling. Sakura sighed and rolled onto her stomach, letting her gaze wander to the bear sized dog in the corner. Kyra looked down from the hammock, as if to check to see if Saige was really gone. Then, paying no attention to Sakura, leapt onto the rolled up sleeping bag she had been tossed out of earlier, and buried herself in it. She cast an apologetic glance at Sakura once nestled deep inside and hoped Sakura wouldn't be mad that she'd disobeyed Saige. Just as Kyra was beginning to settle in, she leapt to her feet. Snarling and bristling she approached the ladder. Sakura stood up and looked over the edge, and saw that someone was climbing up! She stepped back and in her haste tripped over her own feet and fell flat on the floor. With a loud 'snap' a large puff of gray smoke appeared. When the smog cleared, Sakura could see a form in the center of it. Bits of blonde hair framed the figures face. It was dressed in many different colors of blue cloths, and wore a mask over its head that covered everything but its eyes and the mess of blonde bangs. "w-who are you?" Sakura stammered, leaping to her feet. The figure didn't answer, but looked Sakura up and down. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and melodious. "I've come to wish thee good luck" The figure said "Who are you?!" Sakura asked, this time more confidently. "I am Sheik, but that means nothing" The person said. "I've come to warn you also, things are not looking up. Xieon is gathering recruits, and their powers are growing. They hold a deep magic that even I do not know much about. Get help. There is a weary traveler by the Gem Mountain Pass. He knows much about this magic. He will help thee" With that the figure turned to leave. Sakura still wasn't sure if what she'd seen was real, or maybe she'd fallen asleep on the floor, but she still wanted answers. "How do you know?" she demanded. "What if we don't make it? Will someone else warn other towns? How will help get to Hyrule?" The figure stopped a few feet from the ladder. "I know. You must trust me." It said "The mountains are treacherous, and failing will result in chaos. You decide how to get the help you wish for. You must be brave. Fate is the reason you are doing this, nothing more nothing less. Learn to accept fate, and adapt to its many twists and turns in store for you." The figure closed it's fist, and opened it again. In its hand was a smooth rock, the color of a cloud-ridden sky. It was pale blue and white, and it shone in the sunlight that filtered through the tree's canopy. "It will give you strength. Believe in yourself, your Avvia's last hope. You and Saige. Be brave Sakura" With a loud snap and other puff of smoke the figure was gone, leaving Sakura alone and bewildered, with the rock clutched in her hand. Kyra was just sitting in the corner, her maw open, staring at the spot the figure was seconds before.
Upon Saige's arrival, Sakura learned this figure had visited her too, and given her the same message. Saige had brought back enough food to feed them for about a week, at least until they got past the Gem Mountain Pass.