Okies... I think this is my longest chapter so far... and it's also the last chappie for the um... offer. I would really appreciate some more reviews though... I'm planning on making this fic a pretty long one, and it would be nice if people could tell me how they feel about it.
Also continued in making Kira more nervous, and easily frightened. In short, a crybaby. Hope I succeeded somewhat!
Chapter 6: Close Encounter
The Poe and the two Stalfos crept through the empty courtyards of the castle. The Poe had done a good job. All of the guards were tied up and quietly sleeping. No need for violence - they would surely be overwhelmed, caught, and killed. They only had to get a pendant back from the blond boy who had picked it up in the morning. How hard could it be?
The Poe floated through a wall and opened a window to let the Stalfos in. The trio wandered around the empty halls. Everyone was fast asleep. But... the castle was huge! They would have to search all of the rooms. At least they knew what kind of person they were looking for...
Kira tossed to and fro in her bed. There it was again! That slamming sound! Someone had to be in the castle! She silently slipped out of bed, happy that the night was warm. She wouldn't have to wear anything over her shirt and shorts. The ground was warm too - that was good - going barefoot would make for better stealth. She furtively stepped out of the doorway and sneaked to Zelda's room. Silently hoping that its occupant was awake, she lightly knocked on the door. Almost immediately, it was answered by the princess, dressed in a pale yellow nightgown, holding a lamp in her hand, and wearing a worried expression on her face.
"D- Did you hear the slamming noise?" Kira whispered, shivering. The thought of monsters attacking her in her sleep was not very calming.
"Yes, but there are guards everywhere on the grounds... Should we go look?" answered Zelda, also whispering.
"Um... Hold on. Let me get my staff, just in case." Kira crept back to her room, grabbed the item, and then tiptoed back to where Zelda was standing.
The two quietly sneaked down the hall, down the stairs, past the King's and Lyson's chambers, to the source of the noise, which happened to be the royal kitchen. Someone was apparently looking for something, opening and closing cupboards and pantry doors to find it.
"Let's wait at the door and when the person comes out, you can hit him with your staff and I'll stun him with my magic," Zelda suggested.
Kira nodded in reply. They took up their positions, one on each side of the door, which opened soon after. "Now!" shouted Zelda.
"OW! HEY! What's the big idea!" the figure cried when the staff and spell hit their mark.
Link clutched his head in pain, his sandwich and glass of water spilled on the ground and on his shirt. "Owww... that hurt... why'd you hit me? I was just getting a snack..." He tried to look as if he were in intense pain, but when he didn't receive a response, he sneaked a glance at his inattentive audience. Zelda was trying to stop from exploding into a fit of giggles, and Kira was beet red from holding her laughter.
"Hello! Someone tell me what's wrong!" Link was getting more than a little exasperated at the current situation. At that comment, the two girls burst into laughter. Link, more annoyed than ever, suddenly realized the reason for the laughing fit when he ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. A slice of wet tomato fell on his face, eliciting more laughter from Zelda and Kira.
Link sighed, removed the tomato, checked his clothes for any other offending articles, tried his best to wring out his wet shirt, and waited for the laughter to die out, which it eventually did.
"Don't come crying to me when you two get stomach cramps tomorrow... and with your wounds no even fully healed yet, Kira," Link said in a mock tone of disgust.
"Well... it WAS your fault, technically, and besides... my wounds are almost healed, thanks to Zelda and her skill with medicines," Kira returned jokingly.
"It's also your fault that I dropped the lamp and it rolled over there. Just be glad that the carpet didn't catch on fire else it would REALLY be your fault," teased Zelda as she went to pick up the lantern.
Link heaved a long sigh. "Whatever you say... YOUR MAJESTY. Might as well pick up my lost sandwich. Not my fault they served "delicacies" for dinner... Cucco brains? There's absolutely no way I'll ever eat those! Could you help Kira?"
"Sure. Be h-"
But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Zelda's scream. Kira whirled around as Link jumped to his feet. A Stalfos was holding Zelda's hands behind her back while a Poe was busy tying her up. Another Stalfos stepped in front of them and brandished a twisted spear.
"Alright you," it hissed, pointing to Link with the spear. "Hand over the pendant!"
"What pendant?"
"Don't act stupid. The Triforce pendant you picked up today!"
The Hero of Time stared at the Stalfos, amazed at its ability to speak yet confused as to its strange order.
The pendant I picked up today? Kira's pendant!
"Well?" the Stalfos sneered. "Do you have it?"
"And what if I don't?" returned Link defiantly.
"Then we kill this girl since you're obviously lying. The Boss said that a blond haired blue eyed boy took the pendant and headed back to the castle. And yer the only one who fits the description!" the Poe cackled.
Link was shocked. This was the second time in a day that a monster had mentioned a "Boss".
"Um... A- And how would you know that? And wh- what if the boy lived in the town, a- and not the castle?" Kira questioned, hoping to find a weakness in the Poe's statements, though her voice quavered from nervousness.
"Easy. T'answer yer first question, we've checked all the rooms in the castle already 'cept for the King's. It goes by much quicker when ya got a Poe on yer side. We found three empty rooms, heard a noise, came t'investigate, and now we've got our missing person. As for yer second question, the Boss has Guay spies. And they said that the boy headed fer the castle and never came out!" growled the other Stalfos, who had just finished with dumping a dazed Zelda next to a wall.
Link grinned. "Too bad all your hard work will be for nothing. I'm sure that there are guards rushing here right now after hearing the Princess' scream."
The first Stalfos returned Link's grin with a wicked one of its own. "That ain't gonna be a problem t'night. Sleeping gas. Knocks'em out pretty fast. 'Though there was this one lady, a Sheikah I do believe. Put up a good fight she did. 'Most took off our heads 'fore the gas kicked in. Now since I'm pretty sure ya don't want yer future ruler t'die, hand over the pendant so we kin all go our own merry ways."
"For a Stalfos, you're pretty good with words, but that's not gonna help tonight. I know better than to trust monsters like you, especially those who want other people's things to get rich, even if you're just following orders!" Link yelled.
"Tut tut. No need t'shout. Besides, ya shouldn't judge a monster by the way it looks. And I'm pretty sure our Boss won't be selling that little trinket of yers. We gotta follow orders, so just hand the pendant over and we'll let ya off the hook easy this time," the Stalfos scolded, a sarcastic sneer on its bony face.
"Theives!" Zelda's scream took both sides by surprise, but she wasn't finished yet. "Cowards! Tell your dirty boss that the pendant will never belong t-"
She slumped on the ground, unconscious from being whacked on the head by the Poe's lantern, whose owner cackled. "She was getting annoying."
Link stared coldly at the ghost. He held out his hand, and conjured up a crystal with a core of dancing flames. It shattered into a stream of red light and flowed into Link's extended palm. "Din's F-"
But before he could finish the spell, a gust of wind slammed the Poe into the castle wall. The tattered ghost howled in pain and disappeared into black smoke, which slowly died away, leaving nothing behind; no lantern, no grimly smiling spirit. Link and the two Stalfos turned from the spot the newly deceased Poe had occupied to face Kira, only to see her staring at the last wisps of smoke, clutching her staff tightly. The pearl was glowing brightly, but its light quickly dimmed soon after.
The Stalfos uttered a wild scream of rage as their sullen eyes glowed a dark red, a red the color of blood. Both raised their twisted spears at the same time, and charged. Link grabbed Kira's arm and ran down the hall, closely tailed by a pair of bloodthirsty skeletons.
"But... but Link! What about Zelda? We- We can't just leave her there!" Kira managed to shout during the pause between the Stalfos' screams and Link's curses.
"Don't worry 'bout her. She'll be fine. It's not like they're after her."
A suit of armor stood in one or the hallways, and Link borrowed its spear as he passed it with Kira still in tow. They were nearing the top floor of the castle and it was a looooong way down. The stairways were getting narrower, not a problem for the smaller Hylians, but a growing concern for the wider-boned Stalfos, who had to squeeze through single file. But still, they growled and fought their way upwards.
Link was getting worried. The stairs ended in an open, circular balcony, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Their only option would be to fight. At least he had a spear and Kira her staff. But despite his experience with the monsters, he still felt uneasy.
These Stalfos seem... different. They're smarter... and faster... and to make things worse... I've never used a spear before...
The door to the balcony loomed ahead. Link shoved it open and then barred it behind him, hoping to buy a little more preparation time. "We're gonna have to fight, so get used to the arena."
Kira gasped. The balcony was very very high up. It was definitely a great place to suicide. She turned back toward the doorway and followed Link's example, clutching her staff as tightly as she could manage, sweat running down her face.
I- I've never fought Stalfos before... Everything I've faced... What if? N- No! I- I don't want to die! I- I don't want other people to die! N- Not because of me! Not because of me!
Almost immediately, two spearheads burst through the wooden door. Splinters flew as the Stalfos repeatedly rammed against their obstacle. Link inched closer, preparing himself for a charge.
This is it...
The door burst apart, and the eerily grinning face of a Stalfos peeked through the wide hole. Link charged at the visage with spear outstretched. The point lodged in the Stalfos' skull and then... snapped, leaving the hero with only the bottom half of the spear.
"Uh-oh..."
The skeleton grinned evilly, and then swung its weapon at Link, who rolled out of the way just in time.
"L- Link! See that white orb in its chest? You have to shatter it with magic! Then the Stalfos will die!" shouted Kira.
Link nodded, not bothering to wonder how Kira came about with the information. He conjured the flaming crystal again and shouted, "Din's Fire!" The expanding walls of flame were joined by beams of ice from Kira's staff, which formed an ice crystal around the two Stalfos, trapping them in a prison of fire and ice. Kira raised her staff again, and immediately, a bolt of lightning struck the crystal, causing a massive explosion. A wretched scream issued from the smoke, causing Link to shudder involuntarily. The crisp night breeze soon cleared the balcony of the haze, revealing a single scorched spearhead where the Stalfos had once stood.
Link let out a low whistle. "Wow Kira. You're really good at magic aren't you?"
"N- No... not really. It's your spell that did most of the work. See? The spearhead is scorched black, not frozen or fried. Besides... Without my staff..."
"Stop being so modest! You deserve praise and that's what I'll give you! If you ask me, I think that- Kira! Watch out behind you!"
Kira spun around, just as a spearhead grazed her cheek, a thin stream of blood spilling from the cut. "B- But it should be dead by now! Unless..." The Stalfos sneered and raised its spear for another swing. Link pulled Kira out of the way and blocked the next stab with his stick.
"Ahh! Link! This one has a black orb! You have to use a weapon! Its spear's not gonna break until you kill it!"
"Thanks for the info but I don't HAVE a weapon right now! Can't you hit it with your staff?" the Hero of Time shouted back, quite a bit irked at the Stalfos' sudden appearance and his inability to do anything about it.
Kira circled the monster, taking care to avoid any more slashes. "I- I'm sorry! B- But my staff's not a great weapon for breaking orbs. You'll need something sharp to pierce the rib cage!"
Link glanced at his splintered stick, then at the scorched spearhead still lying on the ground, then back at his stick again. He gained eye contact with Kira, pointed to himself, motioned to the spearhead, nodded at her, and gestured to the Stalfos. Kira shook her head in agreement, and then busied herself in keeping the skeleton's attention on her. Link ran to the spearhead. It was still keen, despite having been trapped in fire, ice, and lightning. He immediately started using it to sharpen his stick into a makeshift spear, well aware that he had not much time to spare.
A scream disrupted his work. Link looked up to see Kira cornered against the railing, staff held tightly in front. The stick wasn't quite that sharp yet, but it would have to do. He yelled to distract the Stalfos' attention and dashed at it, planting his stake into the orb. But the jewel simply cracked, not shattered. The skeleton writhed in agony, and rammed its heavy body into its closest target.
"Kira!" Link stumbled to the railing, which was still miraculously standing, although nearly in ruins. He looked over the handrail to see Kira hanging precariously onto the edge of the balcony. She was too far for him to reach, and the stick was currently wedged in an orb in a Stalfos, which was dancing around in pain. A growl made him re-evaluate the condition of the monster. It wasn't dancing around in pain anymore; now it was advancing with a very murderous desire.
"W- Wait! Don't attack it! It won't do any good!" Kira yelled at Link, holding up her staff at the same time. She whispered something to the breeze, and the white pearl began to glow. Both the Stalfos and Link stopped in their tracks, staring at the sight. A ring of light shone around the spot the monster was standing on, and immediately, the enclosed area began shaking. The Stalfos dropped to the ground in surprise, and held its skull between its arms, apparently afraid of the "earthquake".
Link used the skeleton's fears to his advantage, reaching over the railing to grab Kira's staff, which she had held out for him. Unfortunately, the handrail chose to break at that inopportune time, leaving Link hanging onto the edge with only one hand, supporting Kira's weight with the other. And on top of that, the Stalfos decided to overcome its fear of miniature earthquakes, approaching the vulnerable Hylians with a smirk on its face. Link hung down his head and cursed himself silently.
Great. Just great. I knew I shoulda been more prepared. I think I'm losing my edge with all these years of peace. Nothing I can do about it now. Bye Zelda, bye Saria, bye Epona, bye-
Kira's voice jolted him out of his thoughts, as she shut her eyes and murmured a few words. Two large, feathery wings sprung from her back, (A/N: Think Song of Soaring) and she lifted a very surprised Link past an equally shocked Stalfos. Kira fell to the ground, panting from exhaustion, her wings disappearing into thin air.
The skeleton recovered from the surprise first, and knowing that its quarry had no hope left, advanced slowly, its grin growing wider and wider with every step. Link clenched his fists and tensed himself for battle, stepping in front of Kira.
"Link! Kira!" A cry came from the fractured door. Zelda appeared, dragging the Gilded Sword with much difficulty. "Here! Catch!" She swung it at Link, who caught it expertly.
"Take this!" he shouted, driving the blade into the black orb before the Stalfos could respond to the new threat. The jewel shattered into smoke, and the skeleton's bones dissolved with it, its scream reverberating through the air.
Kira settled herself against a wall, trying to recover her breath. She felt her cheek, noting that the blood had already dried. Link slumped down next to her with a sigh of relief. "Thanks Zelda. But why'd you bring only the sword?"
Zelda laughed. "Don't be so picky Link! Your sword was heavy enough! Just be glad that I saved your life back there!"
"Umm... I- I want to thank the both of you for saving my life again..." Kira declared quietly before Link could start another debate with Zelda.
"No need, but we do have to get both of you cleaned up," answered the princess. "Right, Link?"
But Link was lost in thought, reminiscing about the events that had led to the struggle. First, there were the Stalchildren. Then Kira's questionable story. Then the dinner. Then the Stalfos and the Poe. Well... maybe the dinner wasn't really that important.
But still, a "Boss" who wants a treasure, which is supposedly Kira's pendant? I'm pretty sure of it now. I know that she's hiding something from us.
"Hello! Link! Are you awake?"
Zelda's voice snapped him back to reality. "Er... right. And Kira, I think you have some explaining to do. Why did those monsters want your pendant? You're keeping something from us, aren't you?" Link questioned, but the only reply he got out of the girl was a shocked expression, full of despair and worry. She murmured to herself so quietly that Link could barely make out the words. "Don't- Don't leave me? Is that what you're saying?" he asked.
Kiraonly continued repeating the phrase, as if unaware of the world around her.
Link sighed. He was getting impatient. Normally, he would have waited for her to stop mumbling, but he wanted to find out why the monsters had wanted that pendant, to find out if there was a new threat to Hyrule. "Kira! Snap out of it! I-"
"Link! Stop it! You're scaring her! Let me handle this!" Zelda pushed the indignant hero away, who sulkily took up a post leaning against the wall. Then, she began to comfort the still mumbling Kira. "Don't worry. Calm down. No one's going to leave you. Just tell us what's wrong."
Her subject stopped and gazed at Zelda with a pair of questioning eyes. "Really? You- You promise you won't just leave me alone here to die?" she ventured.
"Promise. Isn't that right Link?"
Link nodded eagerly. They were finally getting somewhere. Maybe Kira could tell them more about the premonitions Zelda had been having.
Kira glanced at the hero and the princess uncertainly. "And... you promise you'll believe me? Everything I say?"
"Of course."
"Ahh... You- You've both been so nice to me so then... I guess I should start by telling you about myself, right?"
"Yes, please do," Zelda said.
Link added mischievously, "It IS the truth this time, am I right?"
His comment elicited a smile from Kira, the first in a while. "Um... Yeah... It is."
A/N: Oooo... you get to wait for next time to find out Kira's story! Remember, this is the last chappie for the offer, so get your ideas in fast!