The Crossing of the Paths
By MMM/AJ
Part II: Desert Wind

A/N: I decided to split this book up and publish it in chunks. This is the SIXTH Chunk. Well I've finally had time to crawl out from under the homework to write the next chunk! I had a whopping 7 projects to do over the last two weeks, and the time before that was no different. I hope you guys enjoy the next chunk, because I expect another wait for the next one just as long as this wait!

Chapter XVI

When a Gerudo dies, death ceremonies are solemn, with no special adornments, speeches, or any other such "needless fiddle fadddle" as one Elder put it. The other Gerudos would bury her in full dress, holding her scimitar and staff by her sides, still ever ready for battle. No special days of mourning would occur, and the kin of the deceased would continue on living normally. Over many thousands of years of despair at the hands of the Empire, the Gerudos have adapted to never show their negative emotions, for if one were to see their sister die in battle, they could not break down and cry or they would be killed or enslaved. And the bleak desert existence also required a hardened mind and sharpened instincts to survive, and emotions like this would get in the way.

Two, maybe three wagons rushed past, and several warning horns were heard from the distance. The distinct whizzing sound was heard again, and Mewtwo caught a glimpse of an arrow flying through the air, hitting one of the wagons that had outstripped them. It was pitch black out, and the only way he saw it was because it was glowing brightly. The wagon it collided with rolled to a stop.

"Arrow attack!" The Elder said, jumping down from the driver's seat. She brought the warning horn to her lips and let out a mighty blast.

Things happened quicker that Mewtwo could think. The last few wagons that had passed them were shot down quickly as well, and the Gerudos let loose a single volley of return arrows before they were pinned down. It was the dead of night after all, and all of the arrows missed their marks.

The Gerudos hid under the bottoms of the wagons in order to take refuge from the merciless volleys. While scrambling for cover, the Gerudos took some hits. A glowing arrow grazed Fara's shoulder, leaving a shallow gash. Madiri had one embedded in her right foot, and was moaning in pain. Several of the arrows had come close to hitting Mewtwo in the head, but he shook it off as coincidence as he had climbed under the wagon.

There was a long, draw out period of silence. No arrows sliced through the calm air, and the bonfires glowed warmly in the short distance. The Elder carefully reached out her hand, holding a staff. After nothing happened, she began to climb out.

Mewtwo heard a quiet whizzing sound, and acted quickly. He grabbed the Elder's ankles and yanked her back under the wagon as hard as he could. A light 'Fwip' punctuated the arrow landing in the sand where the Elder's head had been. She did a double take at the arrow and Mewtwo, and her face turned quite pale.

"You never cease to amaze me." She said in a hushed voice.

Mewtwo shrugged, something else had caught his attention. He climbed out a bit, plucked the arrow out of the sand, and hastily crawled back under as three more arrows landed in unsuccessful attempts to skewer him. The arrow's white glow illuminated the motley faces of the Gerudos, and Mewtwo toyed with it in his paws while thinking. Something clicked in his mind, and he tossed the arrow aside and climbed out from under the wagon.

Gasps and cries of distress emanated out from under the wagon, but Mewtwo had his mind locked on the sound of the arrows. A little point of light moved slowly through the sky, as in slow motion. It crawled like an interstellar ant, and suddenly picked up speed and grew larger. Suddenly, it was rocketing straight down at Mewtwo's face. Ruru cried out as the arrow streaked down toward him, and then it jerked to a stop just inches from Mewtwo's forehead. Once again, gasps echoed out from under the wagon.

Mewtwo picked the arrow out of the air and examined it. The glow faded and disappeared, then Mewtwo tossed it to the ground. Three more arrows screeched to a halt in front of Mewtwo, then fell suddenly to the ground. He smirked and began walking. He picked up the pace as the arrows smashed themselves against his shield, and he was soon running in the direction that they were coming from. Once he was running as fast as he could, he jumped and took flight. He rocketed toward the single point on the horizon, and stopped inches from the face of a Gerudo carrying a bow. The Gerudo stood there, unflinching. She looked familiar, having a tiara shaped scar on her forehead, but Mewtwo wasn't paying attention since his temper was up.

"How dare you hurt my friends?" He boomed in his psychic voice.

The Gerudo woman was not intimidated. "Don't you mean your servants?" she hissed.

Mewtwo was about to fry her when suddenly she emitted a large blast of energy, catching him unawares and knocking him back into the now cool sands. His skin was slightly burned on his arms and face, and he was so incredibly surprised that his anger left him. He used his recover ability and stood up, brushing off the sand. An arrow immediately flew inches from his head. He kept his anger down and spoke.

"You really are a poor deluded woman aren't you?"

The thief laughed like a lunatic. "On the contrary, I'm the only one you haven't deluded, and you never will! Someday, I will find a way to topple your rule and free this world and my sisters!" She cried, and waved her hands in unintelligible gestures.

Mewtwo wondered just what the heck she was doing when a rather large bolt of lightning sprouted from her hands and leapt at him. He barely had enough reaction time to raise his energy shield to block it. It was easily absorbed with little harm.

"How are you doing that?" Mewtwo asked, his curiosity outweighing his anger.

"You act so stupid! Whenever one of your towers goes offline, I can use magic just as easily as you!" She shouted, reaching back to grab a staff.

"Magic?" Mewtwo sputtered, keeping his shield in place.

"Stop! You will not confuse me with your trickery!" She growled. Her staff had a small crystal orb on the top, which was now glowing. "Besides, you're about to get a nice demonstration!" She shouted.

Three large energy orbs formed around the crystal orb, and orbited it like planets. They rose up over her head and spun around quickly, and then charged forward toward Mewtwo. Mewtwo raised the shield's power, and the spheres smashed into it with catastrophic force. Instead of being absorbed however, they grew in size and gained force. Mewtwo didn't have time to be surprised, rather he raised the power input to his shield. The sphere crackled with electricity, and finally deflected off of the shield. Two of them flew off into the sky, and the third one hit the sand between them and exploded with great force. The shockwave knocked Mewtwo and the Gerudo backwards, and Mewtwo sensed another attack brewing. He formed a shadow ball and threw it for a preemptive strike, but he heard and energy clash through the disturbed sands and knew the Gerudo had blocked it. He quickly put another shield up ad a great fireball appeared out of the blinding sand.

The fireball dispersed easily over Mewtwo's shield like a blanket, and snuffed out. The sands slowly cleared, and the Gerudo fired another glowing arrow. Mewtwo blocked it and threw another shadow ball. She dodged and cackled maniacally.

"Despite all your little mines, soldiers and power, you still can't touch me!" she laughed, a twisted smile of insanity on her face.

Mewtwo couldn't take it any more. He reached into her mind and simply turned her consciousness off like a switch. She slumped to the ground, unharmed and sleeping like a baby. Mewtwo felt a kind of pity for her. He felt that if he were to just leave her with the bow, so he took it, the staff, and the quiver. He then realized that his fear was unfounded; there was only one arrow left in her quiver. He plucked it out and tossed it aside, chuckling. Then, another arrow appeared in its place. He did a double take and pulled out the new arrow. Another appeared in its place. He didn't know how this was possible, but it explained the endless volley.

When Mewtwo was sure that the Gerudo was unarmed, he took off and flew back to the wagon. The Elder and the others were still hiding underneath the wagon when he landed.

"I took care of everything." Mewtwo said nonchalantly, dropping the bow and quiver on the ground.

The Elder nearly shot out from under the wagon, and snatched the bow and quiver up like a snake striking. She examined them with a look of sheer shock on her face.

"The Sacred Arrows of the Light!" She said in a hushed voice of awe.

Gerudos slowly crept out from under the wagon, gathering around and staring in awe. The Elder held the bow and quiver out in her gauntleted hands and hushed whispers circulated through the little huddle.

"This is an artifact dating back to the ancient age of Hyrule! Wielded by the Hylian Hero, they smote down the wicked Gerudo King!"

Silence hovered over the crowded hovel of Gerudos. The Elder reached her hand into the quiver as the tension became palpable in the air. She grabbed the arrow, pulled it out, and a new one appeared. The Gerudos stood in silent amazement.

The Elder sliced into the silence with sudden words. "This has always been an heirloom of the line of Elders of the Blue Tribe! Where did you find it?" She asked, turning to face Mewtwo.

"An insane, lone Gerudo who tried to kill me." Mewtwo said. He remembered the scar on the woman's forehead and something clicked. "It was the thief! Remember the one who attacked me?"

The Elder scowled. "Such insanity that these evil times bring that a sister might steal an artifact like this and use it for terror." She said despondently.

"We have more pressing matters to think about now!" Kalana said, pushing her way up to them. She gestured toward the engine up in front of the wagon.

Mewtwo, the Elder, and Kalana walked around to the engine. A glowing arrow was stuck in the side, and fuel was pouring out of a severed rubber tube.

"It appears we will not be going anywhere for awhile." The Elder said, looking down in frustration.

Chapter XVII

Despite the fact that Gerudo Elders have passed their legends down with utmost accuracy and detail, there are still wide gaps in known history. After the desert put enough distance between the Gerudos and Hylians to end the war, connections between them became nonexistent. The fate of these enigmatic peoples is still unknown.

And so the sun rose on the eighth day of the trip, and the Gerudos hauled their wagons into the Blue Tribe village. A guard on a lookout tower whistled, and Gerudos clad in Blue clothes poked their heads out of the disheveled huts.

Mewtwo sat in the back of a cargo wagon, tied up in a cloth sack and concealed between two boxes. Everyone knew that if he were to be seen by the other tribe, there would be a panic. Mewtwo needed to be introduced formally, like when he became an honorary member of the Red Tribe he knew so well.

As Mewtwo sat in the bag, the desert heat was amplified and the air felt like molasses. Mewtwo felt like he was being smothered by a great brown hand. His mind was melting in his skull, and he needed to distract himself in order to keep his sanity. In his unrest, he toyed with his powers. He looked into the past and saw himself fighting off the lone Gerudo thief and stealing her bow. He watched the Gerudos regrouping after the attack and hauling the wagons. He saw himself helping bear the weight and screwed his face up in frustration. He could have used his powers to teleport them, or the minimum to lift the wagons off their shoulders. But the memory of the Elder's fit last time he had done something like that proved a smarting reminder.

The wagon slowed to a stop, and there were several scattered shouts in Hylian. Mewtwo remembered his scanty few lessons in Hylian and tried to listen in. He was unsuccessful however in the fact that the sack muffled most of the words and they were talking too fast. But at one point, he was absolutely sure he picked out the words "Very late". He took in a deep sigh and settled into a comfortable position, as this could take awhile.

Mewtwo was awoken when the box next to him, which he was leaning on, was pulled away. He fell over in the sack and hit his head on the hard wooden floor of the wagon. He kept quiet, knowing that they had gotten to his wagon and were unloading it.

A constant chatter of Hylian peppered the air, and suddenly a sharp finger poked him through the sack, right on the tail. He winced but kept his mouth shut.

"Here's an odd one!" A Gerudo voice near him shouted.

"I think that's part of the Red Elder's personal baggage." Another voice farther away replied.

Whoever had spoken first suddenly grabbed the tied end of the sack and pulled. He was pulled off of the wagon, and hit the ground hard on his tail. He was sure his face was turning red as he held in the pain yell, and his backside felt like it was exploding in an apocalyptic fireball. Then he felt himself being dragged along the sand. His tail was being compressed between his body and the sand, and tears of pain streamed down his face. It was all he could do not to scream in agony. Suddenly the dragging motion ceased, and whoever was carrying him released her grip. He shifted lightly in his bag so as the get his tail out from under him, and smiled in pure relief.

"Any word on the magic presence?" A Gerudo voice asked.

"No, just heavy lumps of fabric brought by the Red Elder." Another voice, most likely his carrier, replied.

Mewtwo began sweating heavily when he remembered the Elder's explicit warning, "Never use your powers until we introduce you! The Blue Elder senses magic!" Mewtwo had looked into the past, and had gotten himself possibly discovered! He would have kicked himself if he weren't still imprisoned in this cloth sphere.

"If you see anything suspicious, tell me." The second voice said.

"Right!" His carrier said. She then grabbed the sack and carried on. Mewtwo heard her mutter something in Hylian, but couldn't make it out.

Soon, the dragging ceased again, and Mewtwo heard knocking on a wooden door. He then heard it creak open. His carrier said something in Hylian, and the familiar voice of the Elder said the Hylian word for "Thanks."

The door then creaked closed, and soft footsteps crossed the room to where the creaking issued, and a lock clicked. Then there was a rustling on the bag as the Elder untied it.

A blinding beam of light rammed into the dark sack, and Mewtwo jolted his head out and gasped for air. He was blinded by the daylight shining in through various windows in the room, but the feeling of fresh air in his lungs was more than enough to compensate. He felt like he had just drunk 3 liters of ice cold water.

"Are you all right?" The Elder asked urgently.

"Just glad I can breather again." Mewtwo replied, holding his hands to hiy eyes and drawing deep breaths.

The Elder stood up and darted around the room closing the animal skin drapes in a seemingly random order. Mewtwo uncovered his eyes, but even in partial light it was still uncomfortably bright.

"Thanks for that." Mewtwo said, blinking rapidly.

"Actually, it's so no-one looks in and sees you." The Elder replied.

"Oh, I see." Mewtwo said.

"Literally!" The Elder said, and they both chuckled a bit.

"Seriously though, we need to keep you hidden until I can ease you in during a good time." The Elder said, twisting one of her four foot ponytails in her fingers.

"So where will I stay?" Mewtwo asked.

The Elder walked over to another wooden door Mewtwo hadn't noticed, and pulled it open. It displayed a small storage room about 5 ft by 5 ft in dimension, and nearly eight feet to the ceiling. Shelves were supported by iron pegs drove into the rock walls, and canned food laid on every shelf.

"I guess you don't need to worry about feeding me either?" Mewtwo asked, walking in.

"Just don't eat anything in the coldbox and you'll be fine!" The Elder said. She pulled the door closed, and a lock clicked. Mewtwo looked around and saw a mini-cooler, battery powered no less.

"Stolen from the Empire no doubt." He muttered. He laid back to sleep the rest of the day away, as there would most likely be nothing more interesting happening.

Chapter XVIII

The festival games held by the two communing tribes have always been a traditional set of ceremonies that have been performed since the four tribes settled out of their nomadic tendencies and began trading the bounty stolen from the towers. The game included four tests; speed, balance, magical prowess, and armed combat.

Mewtwo sat up and yawned. He took in his surroundings as he slowly slipped back into reality. It was dim in the store room, except for a beam of light cascading down from a lone window high up on the wall. A soft hum was emitting from the mini-fridge, and the drab metal cans of food sat languidly on the wraparound shelves. The brass doorknob on the rickety wooden door glimmered brightly as the round cast a bright spot about a foot in diameter on the door and around it. The stones in the wall were unevenly sized and crookedly arranged.

There was a loud ruckus outside the house, but the stone walls muffled the noise to a barely audible level. Mewtwo's sensitive ears caught it distinctly and a strong new bout of curiosity gripped him. He stood up and tried to reach his head to the window, but it was too high up. He walked over and was about to open his door when the image of the Blue Tribe rioting in fear stayed his hand. He sighed in frustration and sat down on th sand floor.

Mewtwo sat and sat, trying to put the continuous sounds out of his mind, but the boredom and curiosity were driving him mad. He finally reached the point where he couldn't take it and began to climb the shelving under the window. He stumbled on his awkwardly large feet, and a random can fell to the sandy floor with a muffled thump. He peeked his head over the window's edge, and saw a great square in the center of the much larger Blue Village. Mewtwo thought it looked more like a town.

Moreover, the square was a chaotic mass of Gerudos, and both red and blue clad Gerudos were milling frantically around a long, heavily burdened food table. The racket and the hubbub were heard much clearer through the thin glass than through the stone wall.

Mewtwo sighed and hopped down off the shelf, his curiosity satiated.

"I guess the feasts have started." He mumbled to himself. He sat and sat again, for what seemed to be hours, and the chatter outside continued unchanged. Then, through the mists of boredom, the sound of a door opening creaked through the still, dungeon-like air. The wooden door didn't block much sound, unlike the solid stone walls, and the sound was as clear as the ringing of a bell in the still night air. Mewtwo pressed his head against the door to listen.

"So why exactly were you so late?" an unfamiliar Gerudo voice asked.

"We were attacked" The voice of the Elder replied.

"Really?" the other voice said in a shocked tone. "Was it a sandworm, the Empire, or something else?"

"It was a sandworm around the second day, destroying one of our cargo weapons. On the third day, a lone Gerudo thief tried to make off with handfuls of our trading goods, and last night we were stopped in our tracks by an arrow attack."

The Elder paused, and Mewtwo heard a faint rustling sound.

"It was the same thief, and she used these." The Elder finished.

A loud cry of shock pierced the relatively calm atmosphere. Mewtwo stumbled backwards and caught himself before he could make a noise. He took a deep breath and listened again.

The other voice sounded on the verge of crying when it began talking. "Did the thief have a scar across her forehead?" it asked.

"Tiara shaped." The Elder said with a tone of confusion.

The other Gerudo burst into anguished, drawn out wails of despair. The Elder apologized profusely asked what it was she had said. The other Gerudo calmed herself and continued speaking.

"That was Ciela, my eldest daughter," she said, sputtering and befuddled by grief, " She had been taken by the incantation on a raid and slaved in the mines for two years. Then last week, we took control of the tower and rescued her. We found that she now had this crown-like scar on her forehead, and ranted in delusion like a lunatic! Then, she simply disappeared along with the light arrows."

On the verge of crying, the second Gerudo coughed and spat. The Elder started speaking to calm her, but she managed to gain control.

"I apologize, my grief became out of my control. But as I see it, these past events have been a bad omen. Not only have they drained the competitive spirit from my tribeswomen, but I also felt an odd magical presence earlier today as your wagons pulled in."

Mewtwo sat back away from the door as two thoughts entered his mind hitting him with the force of a fireball. He had forgotten about the Blue Elder's sense! There was really going to be a stink tonight! And also, the fact hit Mewtwo was that it was the Blue Elder whom the familiar Red Elder was talking to. Mewtwo didn't know what to think, now there were two Elders, neither of which he knew their real names!

"Nonsense!" The Red Elder said commandingly, "The only magical items we had with us were the light arrows and 2 spell books!"

"Not an item, someone was using magic, and they weren't a Gerudo either from what I could tell." The Blue Elder said in a ominous tone.

"How odd…." The Red Elder said. Mewtwo detected a hint of anger in her voice, and he knew he was in for it now.

Chapter XIX

The Gerudo trading festivals have always been set stays of two week and 5 days. Traditionally during this time there is a set schedule that is strictly enforced. The first five days are for feasting, speeches, merriment, and general celebration. The Elders of both Tribes give their own speeches during this time as well. The next five days are when the festival games take place. There are different allocated amounts of time for each event. Speed, balance, and magical prowess each last a day straight, and armed combat for two days. The next two days are for the actual trading, and the final two are for a joint raid on the mine to steal the provisions for the return trip.

The rest of the day passed slowly for Mewtwo. The jabbering and feasting lasted all day and into that night. Great bonfires roared up on the bare sand without any trace of fuel. Mewtwo assumed that this was another manifestation of the phenomenon the Gerudos called magic.

Mewtwo tried to lay down and sleep, but two things impeded his rest. The ruckus outside had reached a feverish pitch, and the noise was pouring through his little window. Flickering light from the bonfires danced along the walls and put on shadow puppet shows between the shelves laden with cans. Mewtwo had spent a good part of this day sleeping too, and now he was making up for it.

Mewtwo slowly dared another look out the window. He saw the bonfires on each of the four corners of the square, which was packed with dancing Gerudos of both colors. The food tables were nearly empty, and a few grazers hovered around, picking desirable morsels from the plates. Then Mewtwo saw a Gerudo approaching the house. He ducked down, hoping he hadn't been seen. After a few seconds, he heard the outer door of the house open. He heard the footsteps approach his closet door, and he the jingling of keys was heard. His brain finally snapping, he dived under the bottom left shelf and stacked the cans in front of him. He grabbed his tail and stuffed it in with him in great pain. He held back a moan of pain, hoping the darkness in the room would help complete his meager hiding spot.

The door clicked open, and Mewtwo caught a whiff of fresh air. As much as he longed to breathe it in, he held his breath not to give himself away, and listened intently. The woman hummed tunelessly and Mewtwo heard the fridge door open. He heard it close again, and the Gerudo strode out in a carefree manner. The door slammed shut and the lock clicked again. Mewtwo let his breath out, and waited until the outer door opened and closed again before climbing out from under the shelf.

After climbing out, Mewtwo climbed up on the shelves again to look out the window again. He saw the Gerudo walking away from the house, carrying the cake from inside the fridge. He also noticed she was clad in red clothes. Mewtwo felt idiotic, knowing that the Gerudo was of his Tribe and would have recognized him. He sat back down, and his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since this morning. He looked around the shelves until he found a can with a plain label reading "Corn". He wondered how corn could grow in this environment, but was too hungry to seriously think about it. He looked at the can dumbly until he realized that he needed a can opener.

Mewtwo scanned the room, and looked on every shelf. But there was no sign of any can opener, let alone a sharp utensil he could use to pry it open. He knew he couldn't use his powers or else risk being found, and he slammed the can down on the shelf in anger. He thought that there might be something he could use to open it in the main part of the house, but the lock was strong and from the other side. Mewtwo scanned the room again, and nearly shouted in anger when he saw every single bit of food was canned. He sat down, and growled with anger as his stomach howled at him. He climbed up the shelves to look out again, hoping to distract himself. The tables were now completely empty, and the dancing had stopped. The ruckus had died down, but it was still not quiet. The Gerudos were standing and chatting, as if waiting for something. Mewtwo caught sight of the Red Elder approaching the house. He sat back in relief, knowing she would help him.

"Having fun?" the Elder said, opening the little pantry door.

"Ha ha, whee!" Mewtwo joked, and they both laughed a bit. "Really though, can you get me a can opener?" Mewtwo asked.

"A what?" The Elder sputtered, looking confused.

"You know, the little levers you use to open these?" Mewtwo said, gesturing towards the shelves laden with plain grey cans.

The Elder scratched her chin. "I'm not sure what you mean, we just use our scimitar to cut them open." She said.

Mewtwo slapped his face. "Could I get one then?" He asked.

"Without a doubt." The Elder said. She walked back out into the main house, and came back with a small but heavy blade. She handed it to him, and opened the mini-fridge, taking a bottle of water out and opening it. She took a sip and began walking out.

"Well I've got to go, I have a speech to deliver." The Elder said.

"Good luck." Mewtwo said, smiling.

After the Elder had left, Mewtwo grabbed the same can of corn off the shelf with a spark of malice in his eye. He raised the sword and brought it down hard, cleaving the can in half cleanly. Surprisingly, little splattered anywhere, but Mewtwo had to pick it up quickly before it all oozed out onto the sand. The corn was cold, gooey, and bland, but it was the most satisfying food Mewtwo had eaten in a very long time. When he finished the last piece, he wiped the remnants off his paws in the sand and browsed the wide shelves for a fruit product. He figured that if they had corn, they should have fruit as well.

Mewtwo plucked a can of peaches from off the top shelf and set it on the ground, raising the sword. He was about to bring it down when something caught his attention in a steel trap. The slow chatting outside had stopped completely, and all was silent. He dropped the sword and nearly leapt up onto the top shelf to get a view of the outside. Mewtwo noticed that besides the lack of movement and noise, a crude pedestal had been erected on the opposite side on the square, and everyone was facing it. The tiny form of the Red Elder stepped up, and Mewtwo squinted to see from so far away. She said something, but the distance and the glass pane muffled it beyond recognition, even with his sensitive ears.

Mewtwo mumbled crossly and fumbled with the glass, trying to remove it so he could hear the speech. His giant suction cups could not grip the edges of the glass, and he cursed as he heard the Elder speaking something to the crowd. Then a thought struck him, and he slapped his forehead feeling monumentally stupid. He pressed his suction cups directly against the glass and pulled. The pane popped out easily and the Elder's voice wafted in just barely understandable.

"…And once again we stand together as one, but not for revenge or bloodshed. We stand together in celebration of the times of old, and in the hopes that we might create a brighter future."

Mewtwo listened intently, but the Elder's voice seemed to trail off. He concentrated harder on the sound, but his head was thumping all of the sudden, and he felt dizzy. His senses seemed to be dulling, and he felt light-headed. The world blurred right before his eyes, and the strength was leaving his body. Before he could react, he lost his grip on the shelf and fell backward; slamming the back of his head against a hard wooden shelf, and the world disappeared in black ink.

A/N: Well I hope that I wasn't gone so long that everybody forgot about me! I did have to do 7 projects over the span of 2 weeks ya know! Either way, please review!