Tal says: thanks so much for the reviews! -does a little dance- I'm do glad to have some regular readers, and I'm really glad you guys like it! Sorry for the cliffhangar, LinkSage, I couldn't resist! -grins- er, anyways...let's get to the story.
The Shield of Life
By: Sonnet A.K.A. Talonclawfange
( E-mail me at , but not if you're going to give me sick advertisements! I DONT WANT THEM!! I'M ONLY 16! Just feedback, please.)
Disclaimer: blah blah I know ya don't want to read a long disclaimer, so...I don't own Zelda! Yeah, I got the mancreatue thing from Princess Mononoke...hey, it's funny!
Note: This one's a bit longer than Threat to Life...By the way, despite what pervs might think about what Raykel says in sec 4, he was not gay with Cosha. And in sec 6, Ganon is not gay with Llance, either. So you people get you minds out of the gutter. I hope this story will be my best since it will it will be Link's last one in Hyrule (I really mean it this time). It'll be more action packed and more...fluffy...than the rest. Those of you who don't like lovey-dovey stuff I apologize. Those who do, your day has come. Those who don't like violence: well, you better not read this. It's PG-13, there's NO sexual themes or foul language, but there's lots of violence and blood and fluff. Enjoy!
Section 1
The New Sage of Light
There's nothing I can do, Link thought, his mind fogging annoyingly. I'm dying... The flesh around his wound was getting numb and cold, a contrast to the warm blood pouring from it. My blood's pouring right through my fingers, soaking the ground....my life is soaking the ground....Link heard some commotion around him and opened his eyes. There was a reddish black furry thing in front of his face, but it was distorted strangely. He heard a wierd low noise like someone talking under water.
"Link! Hello? I think he's dead, Saroe..."
"Don't be rediculous!" Saroe groaned, standing up. She put a paw over the slash on her chest that Ganondorf had given her and healed it mostly. "We didn't get to the castle and hear Link was gone, then fly all the way over here as fast as we could just to find him dead!"
"Silov, you had me worried..." Coflix said, walking over to her. They embraced and licked eachother's snouts for a few seconds, then Saroe broke off and ran over to Link.
Stop....making wierd noises. Don't...slap my face...Link thought numbly. The huge pain in his gut was lessening. He almost welcomed it, then realized what was happening. Lessening of pain was not good. Dying was kind of scary...at this point Link couldn't see anything. He was in a black abyss, with no companion but pain. He would have thought he was already dead if not for that pain. He felt more warm liquid rise in his throat, and he resisted a strong urge to sleep...
"Coflix, don't argue! There's no other choice! There's no way my normal magic can heal that. I must use the ancient calwot magic!" Saroe yelled.
"But Saroe, that magic only works for calwot kittens who are related to you by blood. He's not a calwot, and he's not related to you!" Coflix growled.
"He's right, Your Majesty." Another calwot said. "Even when used on calwot kittens, it is very risky to the user's health. If you perform it on this human, you may very well kill yourself!"
"I don't care! Link...just look at him! Look at that pool of blood! If I don't do something, and I mean now, he's a dead boy. And besides, we are close...I feel like he is my kitten. Love is the main ingredient to the calwot magic, it was created inside every calwot mother centuries ago when calwots first disregarded part of their proud nature. They started truly loving their kittens; taking care of them instead of leaving them shortly after birth like before. It will work! I'm going to use it!" Saroe said, kneeling next to Link. He was barely breathing, the red pool around him growing with every passing second. Coflix stretched out his hand and almost protested, afraid for his mate's safety. But she was one pig-headed calwot. Once she made up her mind, no one could stop her. She leaned down and placed both paws and her cheek on Link's back. She felt a warm, rushing sensation in her body. It's working! She thought, her world becoming enveloped in light.
But the onlooking calwots saw something quite different. They saw their queen glow slightly. Then she went unconscious and the glow spread to Link; but after that nothing happened. The Hylian's wound did not close up, and he did not awaken. The light faded and neither Hylian nor calwot moved.
"Saroe!" Coflix yelled, leaning down and cradling his mate. He found to his relief that she was still breathing. He then looked a little closer at Link's wound, and observed that there was a thin white mist covering it, stopping the bleeding. It would keep him alive for a little while.
"We must take her and Link to the Great Fairy in the desert!" Coflix declared.
"Begging your pardon Majesty, but what is that?" A reddish-brown male cat asked. He was Dhimun.
"Link told Saroe of the Great Fairies, and she told me of them. There is one here in the desert, but we must fly over a sandstorm to find it. Somebody grab Link. It better be you, Dhimun, since you have red-brown fur..."
"Yes, King Colfix." Dhimun said, easily lifting the limp Hylian. He was covered in blood, but Dhimun was not a squeemish calwot and didn't complain.
"You three...carry that horse over there. Since it doesn't look evil, it must be Link's. Get the fairy, too. Oh, I almost forgot...the Hylians don't know what's happened. Leal, you are the fastest, you take the news to them. May the wind be at your back."
"May the wind be at your back, King." Leal said, getting a running start and flying towards Hyrule Castle. Coflix opened his wings and leapt into the sky, carrying Saroe. The cats carrying Link and Epona followed, then the rest. They spiraled upward in a graceful formation, and as soon as they were high enough to spot the desert of illusions and its giant, constant sandstorm, Coflix led the way to it.
Leal the light tannish-grey calwot tore through the sky, his skinny body and large black wings carrying him at great speed toward the castle. He got there in a mere fifty minutes, and saw some Hylian guards on the battlements, eagerly awaiting his arrival. The calwot gracefully landed on the wall above them, sitting and curling his tail around his legs.
"The princess will be here momentarily, friend." A soldier said, "Then you can give us your news." A few moments later Zelda came running up the stone steps and over to the cat; with Chain, Taig, Cyphas and Impa following her.
"Did you find Link? Please tell me you found him...why are you the only one back?" Zelda asked.
"I regret to tell you some troubling news, Princess. Link has recieved a very lethal wound. Our Queen Saroe attempted to use ancient calwot healing magic on him, but she became unconscious in the middle of the process. Link's bleeding stopped, but I cannot guarantee either he or Saroe is alive now..." Leal said, sadness covering his feline features. Zelda looked extremely worried. "King Coflix spoke of a Great Fairy. The calwots are taking Link and Saroe to her now, and I pray they find her. They will return as soon as they are fit, I suppose."
"This is terrible..." Zelda said quietly, putting a hand over her mouth.
"Link! He's gonna get it for worrying u-uh...you, Princess!" Cyphas said, punching her hand. Taig and Chain looked at each other hopefully.
"Shouldn't some of us go help?" Taig asked.
"No, King Coflix has all the help he needs. If the flock of flying creatures were any bigger, it would attract attenion and perhaps draw an attack from Ganondorf's Fortress. All we can do is wait, I'm afraid." Leal said, hopping down from the wall next to the small group. "So...I take it the main fleet has not arrived yet?" Leal asked.
"No, it hasn't." Zelda responded. They were talking about Sahoriel and Cirokaal, who were flying toward the castle along with their huge black-cloud-shrouded fortress. All of the calwots, griffons and dragons would arrive with them. The zoras, gorons, and sea griffons would arrive some time soon as well. "But they should come tonight...along with their huge, black cloud dragon fortress, large enough to house all of the flying races's armies so they wont have to camp on Hyrule Field."
"Hey, black clouds remind me...I had a really wierd dream last night, Zelda-" Chain began, but Zelda cut him off, staring wide-eyed at the sky.
"What is that?" Zelda asked, pointing toward the skies Leal had just come from, across Hyrule Field. Everyone on the battlements looked that direction, and to their horror they saw an enormous demon dragon flying to the castle. "Leal, you didn't notice that thing following you?"
"No, I fly so fast that it was eating my dust and I never heard it." The cat said, forming a ball of ice over his paw. Immediately the guards on the battlements sounded the alarm, alerting all the soldiers in the coutyard of an attack. The demon dragon was so large that it was apon the castle in moments, the wind from its wings nearly flooring the Hylains as it flew over. It circled around, roaring menacingly, and swooped at the castle. Then the red-eyed monster opened its great, razor-toothed maw to breathe blackish fire on the group of Royal Guards below. Zelda quickly summoned a huge shield of light, casting it over the gurads to portect them as they fired arrows at the dragon. The beast was so huge that the arrows glanced harmlessly off its black scales. Leal threw his ball of ice at the demon dragon's wings, freezing a small part of one.
"Aim for the wings!" Zelda shouted, her shield fading as the dragon flew high into the sky. As the dragon swooped and breathed fire again, a thick volley of arrows plunged into its great wings. Zelda again created a shield so the men wouldn't be burned, but knew she couldn't do it for much longer. A shield of that size and strength could not be mantained easily. Chain shot fire arrows (Link had taught it to him) at the demon dragon's wings, and Impa and Cyphas threw blades at it (Chain dimly wondered where Cyphas kept the kunai-like blades. He hand't realized she had any, but she was known for concealing her weapons well...). With the combined rain of sharp projectiles assaulting the demondragon's wings, it began to have trouble flying. It stopped breating fire and roared in pain, dropping to the ground and nearly squashing a troop of soldiers in the process. Now that the dragon could no longer fly, it would only anger the beast to continue attacking its wings. The soldiers couldn't do much.
"Try to hit its soft inner mouth, but careful not to get eaten!" Zelda yelled, wondering where her father was. Wasn't he supposed to lead the battles? Well, he had piles of supply difficulties to figure out since the zoras and gorons would be staying in the castle. He had probably just heard the roaring and would come out to lead his forces any time now...
Zelda and Chain stayed on the battlements to have a clear casting path, but the rest jumped down to attack the dragon. Taig got to it first, just as it was snapping at some men. Taig nimbly jumped through its mouth, grabbing its tongue on the way, and pulled the tongue out to the side of the dragon's maw. As the dragon closed its jaws, expecting to crush a soldier, it instead chomped down on its own pink tongue.
"GGGRRRAAARRRGGGG!!!" It roared loudly, exposing its vulnerable gums and throat. Arrows and blades found the mouth, along with a blast of light magic from Zelda. The dragon's head was thrown downwards from the force and it roared again, blood pouring from its mouth (its head was pointing at the ground as it roared, so nobody could attack it during that). Angry from being hit with light magic, the dragon turned on Zelda. It stomped toward the wall Zelda was on, intent on destroying the neusance. Impa, Cyphas and many soldiers got it its path and tried to stop it, but were only pushed aside by its huge paws. As it got close it opened its huge mouth, black fire spewing out before anyone could shoot it, and it was all Zelda could do to raise a light shield over herself, sending the black fire deflecting everywhere. Chain crouched and got behind her, having no defense against black fire. Zelda stalwartly maintained her sheild for a few moments, but she was weakening from the repeated use of powerful spells. Nobody could hit the dragon's mouth to stop it either, for any projectile shot there was instantly disintegrated by the fire.
It seemed to be hopeless, but then Chain stood up. Suprising Zelda, he held out his arms to either side and bright spheres of light formed over them. He threw the spheres at the dragon. They sped away, swirling in an abnormal flight path, but hitting the dragon's neck anyways, in an incredibly effective explosion. The hit was very well aimed, and had just enough power to kill the dragon. It roared and slumped to the ground, its neck bleeding everywhere. King Hyrule bealatedly burst out of a castle door below, and Zelda turned to Chain, astounded. He smiled sheepishly.
"Um...Zelda? My dream last night had a huge owl named Kaepora Gaebora and this old, fat, bald Hylian in it..."
"There it is!" Coflix screamed over the howling of the wind. "That's the eye of the storm!" He dived down toward the calm area, his cats following closely. The harsh wind threw them around a bit, but once they got past that they found the eye to be perfectly calm. They landed on the soft, warm sand below, looking around and suprisingly not seeing the storm they had just gotten out of. What they saw was a clear, blue sky. It was truly a desert of illusions. "Now then...Saroe told me that Link said the cave was in a wall, not in that huge statue of a goddess over there. It was a wall blown open by a bomb..."
"King it be that hole over there?" Cimtu, a pure white male calwot, pointed to a hole blown in a rock wall. The calwots rushed over to it and enterred, just as green cactus-looking monsters were popping out of the sand and spinning toward them. The cats had a little trouble squeezing Epona (still limp and heavy) into the small entrance, but they managed to get in before the cactus monsters reached them. Inside the cave it was dark and damp, and after traveling down a tunnel for a minute or two, thay came to a beautiful room. The walls were covered by shining, colorful water which was falling down at a strangely slow rate. In the middle of the room was a stone basin and a clear, blue pool. The whole room reverbarated with faint magical harp music. The calwots were momentarily surprised, but being creatures of magic, were not shocked for long. This has to be it, Coflix thought. But nothing's happening...what do we do?
"Ahem...Great Fairy! Is this your cave? Come out, please!" Coflix yelled. His words echoed off the walls, but nothing happened. "Hm, strange. Great Fairy! We have wounded individuals and we desparetaly need your help, or they'll die!" Even as Colfix said it, Dhimun gave a short gasp and put Link down.
"He's begun bleeding again, King Coflix..." The reddish cat said solemnly.
"Blast it! Great Fairy, we need you! Are you not here? Answer me! Is this your cave or not?!" Coflix carefully put down Saroe and leapt over to the pool of water. "Show yourself!!" He reached down a paw and made a splash in the water. Instantly the whole room got a lot darker, and the falling water surrounding the room turned the color of blood. "What the heck? Is this a fairy cave or a demon cave?!" Coflix shouted, jumping back in alarm as the pool of water rippled and bubbled.
"WHO HAS DISTURBED THE HOLY FAIRY'S WATER?" A deep woman's voice boomed, and a large, skinny femal emerged from the seemingly shallow pool, spinning and wreathed in flames. Her three ponytails of pink hair flowed out behind her and her only clothing was a strange design of green leaves. Her eyes were red as she gazed down at the bewildered calwots, then she spotted Link. All the flames dissappeared and the room turned back to normal. "Oh, you're Link's friends. Why did you say so?! I get Gerudos trying to summon me all the time, and they are not worthy of my magic...but friends of Link are friends of mine, hahahahaah!" She laughed blissfully, smiling. The calwots heaved a collective sigh of relief.
"Great Fairy, please heal my mate and Link..." Coflix began, but the fairy shushed him, grinning and forming some magic in her hands. The calwots shifted indignantly at their leader being shushed, but didn't say anything.
"All who are weary and worthy of great things may come to my cave and recieve relief. Recieve this now, Hero of Time!" Blue, spiraling magic radiated down apon Link, and the calwots watched in amazement as the hole in his stomach closed up. "Recieve this now, Queen of Calwots...the proud race of flying cats!" The same magic came apon Saroe, encricling her. "I have done what I can do. The Hero of Time has lost much blood...and he may yet die if his will is not strong. But, I know that it is. Keep him warm. As for the Queen of Calwots, she will recover strength in a matter of hours. Link's horse and fairy merely need rest.
"An enormous sandstorm will shortly cover the desert of illusions, rendering the act of leaving this place impossible. You cannot stay in this place, calwots. Quickly go to the Goddess of the Sand. Now I leave you. If you are weary of battle, come back to me...friends of the Hero. Ahahahahah!" Laughing happily, the giant fairy raised her hands above her head and spiraled feet-first back into her small pool. The calwots were silent for a few moments.
"That was freaky," A greyish-blue female cat with white stripes muttered.
"I heard that! Get out!" The fairy's voice bellowed, making the cats practically jump out of their skins. They rushed out quickly, into the open air. But, it was not so open anymore. The formerly clear skies were replaced by a swirling vortex of sand, spinning around the large clearing. It seemed to be getting smaller, so the cats ran/flew over to the Spirit Temple (in a giant statue of a Gerudo-like godess) and got in. In a matter of minutes the sandstorm closed in apon the temple, and the cats could only wait for the storm to end, trapped in their statue prison.
Section 2
A New Look
Link stood face-to-face with the King of Evil, Ganondorf. He was laughing crazily, watching Link suffer from some unseen attack. Then he kicked Link, sending him over the edge of some great void. The void seemed to suck him down, evil voices beckoning to him, telling him to join them. Link sprung a pair of black wings, flying and getting free of the void. Once he was free the wings vanished, making him plummet the the cold, hard ground before Ganondorf, who was still laughing. Link got to his feet slowly, feeling strangely weak and small.
"DIE, HERO OF TIME!" Ganondorf shoved his blade to the hilt in Link, and red covered everything...
"Ahhhh!" Link sat up, clutching the wound in his gut, but there was none. A cold sweat covered his body and he was panting. "What? No wound...ugh..." Link laid back down, his head pounding painfully.
"Link, are you okay? Thank goodness you're awake...I think you were having a nightmare or something." A kind voice said. Link forced his tired eyes to focus, and Saroe's furry, white, black-spotted, cheetah-like face came into view. "Whew! You had us worried, Link. You've been out for two days."
"What?! Two days? Ughhh..." Link head hurt more when he yelled, and now he regretted it.
"Take it easy, buddy! By the way, Epona is fine, but she's really hungry. And your fairy...well, she's not in good shape. She's still asleep." Saroe said quietly. Epona had been napping and woke from the commotion. She quickly came over to Link and began to lick his face repeatedly.
"Aw man...hi, Epona." Link said, grimacing as he wiped the horse's slimey saliva off his face. Link sat up again, groaning.
"Link, you need to rest-" Saroe protested, trying to push him back down.
"No, I have to see Navi. Where is she?" Link asked, ignorring his annoying headache. He tried to stand up and failed. "Ugh! I hate being weak!" He complained, sitting again. Saroe smiled compassionately.
"Shush, you. The rest of the calwots are sleeping." She said. Link looked around and saw it was true. He and about twenty calwots were all in the Spirit Temple, and he heard a fiercely howling wind outside. "I'll bring your fairy." Saroe retrieved Navi and carefully brought the fairy to Link, handing her to him. The fairy's glow was dimmer than it usually was, and though she was breathing like normal, she seemed to be sick and weak. She was unconscious, but didn't have the look of someone sleeping. She looked almost poisoned. "She's been like that the whole time." Saroe said.
"Dangit...that black magic must have effected her. I have to get her back to the forest. If only I had my ocarina!" Link growled, slamming his free fist into the ground beside him. "Why did Ganon take it, anyways? I forgot to ask him...he's gonna get it for this..."
"Link, I don't know if you've forgotten, but he just ran you through! You're lucky to be alive, so I don't think you'll be doing any getting of Ganondorfs unitl you're stronger."
"You're right...shoot, he really whipped me. Thanks for saving me, by the way. If you and your people hadn't shown up, I'd be toast." Link took off his hat and put it on the ground, laying Navi on it. He then crossed his arms over his knees and rested his head on them. "I wonder if I can even beat Ganondorf...he seems so much stronger! But how? How did he beat me so easily? First my back and now my stomach...the next fatal wound he gives me could truly be the last..." Saroe was quiet, waiting to see if Link would say more, but he decided not to. Dwelling on such things could lower morale, and if Link didn't fight with spirit, how could he ever hope to win? If he lost his spirit, he might even lose his bravery...
"Well, I'm sure you'll beat him next time, right? All you need is extra training or something. But for now, all we can do is wait for the storm to end so we can fly outta here. I suggest you get some more rest."
"But I've been sleeping for two days! I need some exercise!" Link stomach growled loudly. "And food..." He said, holding it embarassedly.
"Yeah, we could all use some of that, buddy. I hope this ends before we all starve. But anyways, I'm going back to my cat nap. I better not catch you exerting yourself before your blood has had sufficient time to regenerate!" Saroe said sternly.
"Oh, all right." Link said, laying down on the hard floor again. Epona and Saroe went back to sleep. Despite the many things plaguing Link's mind and his desire for movement, he found that he was quite exhausted. He was worried that he might dream of getting run through again, but fear of dreams never stopped him from sleeping before. He fell asleep quickly.
When Link awoke it was strangely quiet. The wind has stopped, he realized. But then that would mean the storm's over, and the calwots would have woken me...Link opened his eyes and sat up, moaning because his head still felt like a ton of lead. It took his eyes a few seconds to focus, then he realized why it was so quiet. Directly in front of Link was a Gerudo, holding Saroe at swordpoint. Link gasped and looked around, finding that the other calwots all had blades to their throats as well. They had been ambushed in their sleep.
"Hahahah, we've got you now, Hero of Time! Caught you sleeping, didn't we? You fools should have posted a watch. Didn't you know Gerudos can survive and even travel through very fierce sandstorms?" Link recognized the woman and slowly got to his feet. To his relief, he found that he had the strength to stand, but he felt a little wobbly.
"That wasn't your attitude a year ago, Gerudo. What was it? 'Oh, this man is a fine thief, welcome to the Gerudo's Fortress'!" Link snapped angrilly. "Now that Ganons back, it's all the sudden 'off with his head'?"
"Of course. He is our King, and he wants you dead. Now come along, or your pet gets it..." The woman said, raising her blade. All of the calwots growled indignantly.
"I AM NOT A PET!" Saroe screamed. She may have lacked most of the ordinary calwot ego, but when it came to dirty insults, she was as hot-tempered as the next cat. This sudden burst of sound startled the Gerudo and Saroe elbowed her. The other cats took advantage of their captors' surprise and escaped as well. The Gerudos that weren't hurt by their former prisoners leapt at Link, and there was about eight of them.
"Kai-ten-giri!" Link yelled, spinning and creating a huge ring of red fire that KOd the Gerudos (because they were jumping at him, they were too close to block the attack in time).
"Well, I see you've gotten your strength back!" Saroe said happily. Link collapsed. "Eh, I guess not...poor guy shouldn't even be standing," The calwot muttered. "Well, it's time we get out of here."
After that, the calwots gathered up Link, Epona and Navi (now that Epona was awake, it was hard to carry the heavy, frightened horse, so four calwots had to carry her). As the cats were leaving, they inevitably had to go over Gerudo's Fortress. They were high and partly behind clouds so they wouldn't get spotted, but Link looked down at the fortress as they passed.
"Saroe, look! Where on earth did he get all those dragons?! There must be a dozen of them!" Link said in awe. He also saw some strange-looking black beasts walking around, but was too high to tell what they were.
"He must have summoned them with magic," Saroe said. "The place reeks of evil power." The cats flew as quick as they could away from the place, but by then several were tiring. They hadn't had anything to eat in days, and flying was quite arduous without a proper diet. Saroe made Link aware of the problem, and he told them of the old scientist who lived at Lake Hylia. That place was much closer than the castle, and the scientist would surely have a bit of food he could spare. They didn't need much, because Saroe and Coflix could magically multiply whatever amount they got to accomodate all the cats (and Hylian).
When they got to the lake, the calwots followed Link's directions to the old man's house and he happily gave them a meal; which Saroe and Coflix multiplied until there was plenty for all. Epona was grazing nearby, and Link had never seen her munch grass so fast in his life. She was fast enough to be an instant lawn mower, but Link didn't care because he ate pretty fast himself. He was famished, but knew he would regret his eating speed later. In his condidtion, it could easily give him a stomach ache. After the cats had eaten and recovered their strength, the group left for the castle. It took them an hour and a half to get there, and Link saw to his delight that the black-cloud-covered dragon's Flying Fortress had finally arrived, along with all three flying races from the mountains. As eager as he was to see old friends, Link asked Saroe to take him beyond the castle, to the Kokiri forest, and his horse also. She obliged, soaring quickly there along with the cats carrying Epona. They landed outside and put their passengers down.
"I can't express my gratitude to you cats for both saving me and taking me here. Thank you very much. I'm going to drop off Navi, then ride back to the castle on Epona." Link said, taking Navi out from under his hat and watching the calwots leave (after Saroe had given him a quick hug). Link enterred the forest, and after a few minutes of walking came to the Kokiri village. Navi began stirring. "Navi! You're okay!" Link said a bit too loudly.
"Heylookwatchoutlisten!" Navi yelled so fast Link could barely tell what she was saying. She sat bolt upright, her eyes wide open. "Oh, I'm not in a battle...hello, Link!"
"Whew, I was beginning to worry that Ganondorf's magic had hurt you for good, partner." Link said. "But it came awful close. You know what that means, Navi..." Navi was now fully awake, and though she felt a bit weak, she was perfectly aware enough to know what Link was talking about. She hung her head sadly.
"So, you really can sense my health...well, there's no point if decieving you anymore, Link. You know as well as I do that if I get so close to dark magic again, I'll die." Navi said. Link nodded. "Well, I don't care! Let me die, if it means I'm protecting you! You need me Link, we're partners! You can't leave me here...I won't allow it!!"
"Navi...you're a wonderful friend. I'm lucky to have you, but you're forgetting something all Kokiris learn about their fairies..." Link said quietly.
"Oh yeah...now that I'm in this weakened state I can't leave the forest even if I wanted to. The spirit of the forest won't let me leave until I'm well again...you took me in here on purpose, didn't you! You knew I'd be trapped!"
"I knew you'd be dead, if I didn't!"
"Well, I guess there's no choice, then. Goodbye for now, Link. It could take weeks for me to get out of here with how much magic I was exposed to...stay out of trouble...don't die..." Navi looked tearful. Link patted her.
"C'mon, it's alright. I'll sure miss your help, but I won't die. I'll come visit you, you'll see."
"Hey, Link!" Link turned to see Saria running up to him.
"Hi, Saria. I'd love to stay, but I really must be going...."
"I'm coming, too!" Saria said, grinning.
"What?"
"Hello, I'm a sage! I have to go to the castle along with the rest of the sages to help you fight Ganondorf, remember?"
"Uh...oh, of course! Heh heh..."
"You airhead." Navi muttered quietly. "I don't know how you managed to survive without me so long..."
"See ya, Navi. Don't worry about me, okay? Go meet some boy fairies!" Link yelled back as he left the forest with Saria. The two of them mounted Epona and rode back to the castle. Miraculously they did not meet any monsters on the way, but Link saw Zelda waiting for them when they arrived. He and Saria dismounted, and Saria started toward the castle.
"I have to go give some forest weapons and magic to the King," She explained, and dissappeared through the drawbridge. Link faced Zelda. He hadn't thought about it until now, but she had good reason to be very, very mad at him. Instead, she looked emotionless.
"Well...hm...I don't know what to say," Link began lamely. "I'm a big fat jerk, and I'm really really sorry and I'll listen to your advice next time?" He tried his best to look sincere, with a cute puppy smile. "But you know, Ganondorf did have Malon. If I didn't go to the Fortress, who knows what he would have done to her?" Zelda stared at him a few moments, saying nothing. She sighed.
"I'm angry at you and yet not. You disregarded my prophetic dream. You worried me sick for two whole days, making me think it had come true, that you could be dead. Yet, it's true that you did have to save Malon and Epona," She said, looking at the horse. She was extremely glad to see Epona alive, but mentioning that would change the subject. "But tell me this...after you had saved them both, why didn't you leave? Why did you stay and invite death? Life isn't a game, Link!" He looked at the ground.
"I know...I'm sorry I worried you, Zelda. I was just so mad at Ganondorf I couln't stop myself..." Link heard a whooshing sound and saw a figure flip over the castle wall and land right in front of him. He caught a glimps of Cyphas's face before she punched him square in the jaw, sending him to the ground.
"Link, you unbelievably stupid, mornic, retarded, reckless, ignorant FOOL! That was for worrying m...uh, Zelda sick!" Cyphas screamed. "We thought you died or somthing!"
"Cyphas! That was not neccessary!" Zelda said.
"No, I deserved that." Link said, getting to his feet. "But now that I've been properly punished, can we get down to buisiness? You won't believe what I saw at Ganondorf's Fortress."
"There has been some interesting developments while you were gone too, Link." Zelda said. "For starters, your brother is the new Sage of Light."
Time was running out, and Hyrule had an enourmous military to prepare for battle. The day after Link returned, the Zoras and Gorons arrived, along with a few Hylians that lived in remote areas like the carpenters and the lake scientist. That meant that every Hylian in Hyrule was now in the castle, and combined with the zoras and gorons it was very crowded. Despite this the soldiers still found room to train; some in the huge courtyard, some in Hyrule Field, and some in Royal Field. The sea griffons also appeared, joining the calwots, dragons and mountain griffons in the dragon's Flying Fortress. The huge thing blotted out all sun over the castle, and the skies beyond were filled with flying creatures training and readying themselves. The King of Hyrule, the leader of the entire thing, was holding a council in his throne room; and the room was packed. Link was there with Cyphas and Taig, the seven sages were there, and representatives from both griffons races were there because the actual leaders were too big to fit. Saroe and Coflix were also in attendance, so that leaders or reps from all races were included. There were also some advisors with the leaders, so altogether there was over a score of people there.
"Admirable and wonderful allies of Hyrule, I'm glad you've come. Before we start, I want to say that the races who didn't come, which are the Kokiris, Swamp Faries, and Sea Dragons, have contributed as well. They have sent magic and items which will be discussed later. Now then, since there are so many races and so many forces to deal with, you must all now consider yourselves to be my advisors and head generals, and you will in turn command the generals in your own armies. This is how I will communicate with the whole military. I have studied military strategy extensively but am not perfect, so if you see flaws in my plans during battle, do not hesitate to make suggestions. Hesitating may cost lives. Is this understood?" Eveyone nodded. "One thing I want to make very clear is this: No one, and I mean no one, is to go looking for King Ganondorf. Concentrate on the forces he sends against you. If he comes close, I want you to either back off or defeat his forces so badly that he must retreat. I do not know what war strategies he will use, so it is imperitive that no one disobey this and face him personally.
"With our forces so large and skilled, I have doubts that Ganondorf will defeat us, even after the disturbing monsters Link reported. I intend to beat his armies first, then we will invade the Gerudo Fortress and be able to gang up on Ganondorf. That is the only way to beat him-"
"Hold on, hold on! You're forgetting the Hero of Time here," Chain said, and all the leaders looked at him dissapprovingly for interrupting the King. "What about the powers of the sages and Link combined, eh? Why don't they go attack the Master of Evil right away and be done with it?" The King frowned. "Wouldn't that save a lot of bloodshed?"
"Chain, let the strategical movements be decided by the strategical thinkers. Such an attempt would be foolhardy, for Ganondorf will surely be well protected. We must wittle away at his defense first. Besides, I'm not saying Link isn't capable of defeating the King of Evil, but he did lose last time..." Oh great, make it known to the world, Daphnes! Link thought irritably, truning red as everyone looked at him.
"I...don't worry guys, I can beat him...I think..." Link said. Zelda, standing next to him, put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let us not forget the destiny of Link or let one battle cloud our view of him. Just get on with the strategy, Father!" The King did. He elaborately and clearly explained what defensive and offensive groups he would establish among the ranks, and to what use the spells of foreign allies would be put, etc. He explained many things and the meeting lasted hours, and when it was over everyone was relieved. The sages and Link, along with Cyphas and Taig, went to the coutyard to get some fresh air.
"Man, how rude!" Taig said, bursting out with the exclamation he had been holding in the whole time. "I can't believe he told everyone you lost! Rumors will spread, and soon everyone might lose faith in Link's ability or soemthing. Is he trying to sabotage his image? Or was he just mad that most people in the room were surprised he was leading instead of Link?"
"T-they were?" Link asked. "But I'm not a leader!" He blurted out. "And I don't know the first thing about war strategy!"
"Yes, but regardless of that, you are the reason why Hyrule has so many allies. You helped them out, and they thought that you might be the person to lead. Even if you didn't lead, most of them had great faith in you until King Hyrule said that!"
"But what he said is true," Link said sourly.
"That doesn't matter! Don't you even think about it, Link!" Saria said emphatically. "We still believe in you." The rest of the sages nodded.
"That's right! I KNOW you wont lose next time, Brother!" Darunia boomed, and before Link could run for his life the huge goron jumped forward to give him a nice, bone-crushing 'Goron !" Link said, gasping for air and trying to smile at the same time.
"I think that's enough goron affection for now," Impa said nervously, seeing Link's face get a purplish tint.
"Oh, alright." Darinia said, letting Link go. The Hylain staggered backward into Impa.
"Thanks, I needed that," He whispered to her. She merely smiled.
"Link!!" Link heard a high-pitched yell behind him and was yet again embraced tightly, but this hug didn't squeeze the life out of him, at least. It was Malon. "The meeting finally got out. I'm so glad to hear you made it back safely. You worried the heck outta me!"
"Sorry about that," Link said.
"By the way, I was surprised to see Epona shortly after you got back. She looked like she wanted to pick a fight with Dark Sky because you rode him, but then they started getting friendly with eachothter. Go figure!" she said, still hanging on Link.
"That's interesting," Link managed to say before Ruto and Saria (jealous that they didn't get hugs, apparently) joined the hug and made all four of them fall to the ground. "Ack! I like you guys too, but...heeeelp!" While Zelda, Chain, Cyphas and some others laughed their heads off, Taig walked over and picked the girls off Link one by one. "Thanks Taig," Link said, getting up and brushing himself off. "I can't tell you how great it is to see you all, but I think Ganondorf's forces could attack any time. I suggest we train or something."
"Yes, that's a good idea." Zelda spoke up. All turned to her. "I have seen his forces, and they're not pushovers."
"That's right," Link said. "I'm going to train in Hyrule Field with Epona. Anyone who wants to train with me is invited." Everyone who wasn't the leader of a race followed Link, and even though they didn't all train with him, they trained in the same area. The whole day passed that way; all the races training hard in their respective areas and preparing the castle for war. By the end of the day, everything was in order. The supplies were in their proper places, the weapons were easily reachable, and the races were divided into different offensive and defensive groups. Everyone knew who they were taking orders from, and what to do in case no orders were given. The calwots, under the direction of their leaders and with help from Sahoriel and Cirokaal, went around casting a spell on everyone. This advanced spell would protect the one it's casted on if they recieved a deadly wound. If their head was cut off or something they would still die, but if they were simply shot with an arrow in the lung or something they would fall to the ground and appear dead, but actually be alive. That way when the battle was over and the forces of Hyrule gathered up their 'dead', some of them would still survive.
The sun set slowly, first coming into view as it descended below the Flying Fortress cloud, then dissapearing again behind approaching clouds and the horizon. The huge military retired to their beds, stifling the anticipation of waiting for a battle with thoughts of peace and hope. Link and Zelda walked side-by-side toward the castle, over the soft green grass. It was pleasantly cool, a soft breeze caressing the two who were out to feel it. Everyone else had gone to sleep an hour ago, but after dinner Link had thought he needed more training, and Zelda had agreed to help him. As they went inside and toward their rooms, he smiled over at her.
"Thanks a bunch, Zelda. Even though I think there's something wrong with my light summoning abilities, you helped me improve my technique and aim." Zelda smiled back.
"Anytime, Link. But no matter how much stronger you feel you're getting, you aren't going to go straight for Ganondorf, are you? I know you're won't going to listen to what my father says and maybe you won't listen to me either, but do this for Hyrule, okay? I know a fight with him is irresistable for you, and I'm not saying you can't beat him..."
"Yeah, yeah I know. Stay away. But if he comes for me, I'm not running."
"No, I can't ask that of you. But you won't go looking for him, right? Promise?" They were now at their rooms and stopped walking. Link turned to face her. He didn't want to promise that, but he owed it to her. After all, the last two times he didn't heed her warnings he had ended up in near-death siduations. It was the wise thing to listen to her, and besides, she was his friend. It was time to stop neglecting that fact.
"I promise, Zelda. I will not go looking for Ganondorf unless he kidnaps somebody. And if I go looking for him then, I'll be extra, extra careful." Zelda sighed in relief and smiled.
"Thank you, Link. You have no idea how much stress that just got rid of!" He laughed, shaking his head.
"You always did get worried and stressed over everything. Goodnight, Princess." He said, taking her hand and kissing it in a formal gesture. "Thanks again."
"Goodnight, Link. Rest well." She said, gazing into his blue eyes for a few seconds before going to her room.
Oh no, not again. It's another one of those prophetic dreams... it has the same cold, dreadful feel to it. And I'm with Link once again. I say something, and for a change he hears me, turning and grinning. He's up to something. The place we're in is terribly cold and dismal. The walls around us feel like stone, but are flawlessly smooth and black, with little green wisps of light here and there to see by. Link is moving forward down the corridor, but then takes a few turns. He's being very quiet, sneaking around. Soon I hear something ahead. We walk a few moments, and a large cage comes into view. The cage holds many small birds, each of them whitish-grey. There's a loud screeching, and I see three black falcons fly out of nowhere, attacking the cage with their talons and beaks, being very vicious. They can't get in, but after a few moments the little birds inside, who at first had been very brave, now start to fear. The cage door slowly starts to swing open. It will soon be open enough for the falcons to get in, to kill the white birds. Link rushes forward, yelling and shooing the falcons away. They leave and he opens the door all the way. The little whitish-grey birds fly out as quick as they can, escaping before the falcons can return.
The scene changes. We are in a different room with the same kind of walls, but there is a large exit in front of us. It opens up to the outside, and there is a storming sky outside. I put a hand on Link's shoulder but he doesn't react. What's up with that? He can't feel me now? He's sweating, staring at something. He almost seems...no, that can't be. Link, what is it? I ask. Predictably, he can't hear me. A figure takes form in front of us, a black outline of a man. The face changes into Llance's face, and he's scowling. In his hand is one of those little birds, except this one has a green tint to it's light body and a yellow tint to it's head. He's not hurting it... He suddenly smiles.
"Thank you, Link. Thank you." he says, surprising me. But then his face shifts into Ganondorf's.
"Suffer, Link. Suffer." He says, then a black falcon comes swooping toward him. Link jumps forward, but isn't fast enough. Ganondorf throws the little bird to the falcon, which swallows the poor thing whole.
"NOOOO! I'll never forgive you, Ganondorf!!" Link screams, then Ganondorf dissapears. Everything dissapears but Link. He sinks to his knees, and for some reason his wrists are bleeding. He draws a knife out of his boot. What's he going to do with that?! He holds it over his heart. NO! I scream...He falls forward; I see nothing but light.
Lightening. That was the first thing Zelda heard the next day, and she rose even though it looked as if it was still night time. She looked out her window and could see that it was day, but thick black clouds covered the entire sky, almost indistinguishable from the cloud that was the Flying Fortress. It could be today, she thought, meaning of course Ganondorf's attack. His forces would be ready by now. It was one of those days during which everyone would be on edge. Zelda did not put on her princess clothes or Sheikah clothes today, because all of Ganondorf's monsters would know what she looked like. Instead, she put on some light armor and a red cape. Some high-ranking Hyrule Army officers wore capes and the King's bodyguards did too, so the cape wouldn't make her stick out too much. Even though her magic and the fact that she was a girl might give her away to intelligent creatures, at least the more stupid ones wouldn't know her. She walked out the door, and to her surprise she saw Link and Chain right outside.
"Oh, we were just about to wake you," Link said, shrugging. "Nice armor. I didn't know you had any." Both he and his brother were wearing thier normal clothes.
"Link, you can't wear that." Zelda said.
"What? How come?" Link asked.
"All the monsters will recognize you! In those clothes, they could pick you out of a group easily and all attack you."
"Well, I'm not going to wear my Royal Guard armor if that's what you're thinking. Armor slows me down, and it's itchy."
"No, I've got an outfit for you," Zelda said, grinning.
"Oh no...you're not getting your hands on my clothes!" Link said, ducking behind Chain.
"There. You see, it fits perfectly. Nobody's going to know who you are unless they're intelligent enough to recognize your sword." Zelda said approvingly, looking Link over.
"Aw, Zelda! I look stupid! Do you really expect me to go outside in this?" Zelda had put him in a sleeveless black shirt with net-like fiber. At least it's stretchy and not thick, so it won't be hot or slow me down, Link thought. But he still didn't like it. He had some new black fingerless gloves, and Zelda wouldn't let him wear his hat. The pants were black and neither tight nor too baggy, and on the thigh of the right leg there was a strap to put his dagger sheath on. A belt was attatched to the pants but it was too loose, so he had to wear a second one. He wore the black boots that Cyphas had given him, with blades inside the treads. The boots came up to about four inches under his knee, and the pants were tucked into them. "Besides, with all this black I'll be really hot!"
"Don't worry, it's cold outside right now. You won't be hot, at least not temparature-wise..." Zelda trailed off.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Link growled, grimacing as he looked at his outfit.
"Never mind. One more thing, we've got to cut your hair or it'll get in your way."
"No we don't. Give me my hat."
"No! Everybody knows your hat. I'll cut it with scissors, don't worry. Scissors don't hurt like a sword does." Link sighed irritably.
"I'm only letting you do this because you're the Princess, you know. Fine you can cut my hair, but that's all! No more ugly clothes, and don't cut it too short!" Zelda laughed.
-hello there. sorry I couldn't end on a more interesting note -shrugs- but I'll update quick enough if I get reviews. Thx so much for reading!! if you review plz leave your author name so maybe I can email you or at least read your stuff. If you want pick from my stories email me and I'll tell you how to get to them on Thanks again!! -Talonclawfange