Dark Skies, Blue Waters
A thundering crash echoed out of the heavens; a blinding shot razed the land. A halo of rain could be seen sweeping across Hyrule field.
This halo found its way to a young boy walking along a worn pass. He winced as the droplets seeped into his wounds.
A blaze of light and deafening blow from the skies showed the boys face.
It was Shikotsu, on his way from Talon's. He had started off in hopes of getting to a village Talon told him about. Kakariko, as it was called. He didn't quite understand where it was; all he knew was that there was a long set of stairs leading up into a plateau.
He got accustomed to the pain soon enough. He was waterlogged anyway; far beyond reason to hurry anymore. So continued along the side of the now muddy path.
He was not worried about being attacked this time. He reasoned that the monsters probably would flee from the storm. He was wrong.
He froze in place as the all too familiar sound of sod tearing and earth shifting filtered through the rain.
He looked over his shoulder to see that which he prayed not to.
He desired to see the scenery, just not when he was running for all he's worth. He passed by the castle, but he found the drawbridge to be sealed. He came across the entrance to Gerudo valley eventually. Not particularly wanting to have a family reunion.
South of Gerudo valley's entrance, a set of large, stone pillars appeared, with stone similar to those which enclosed castle town.
Once he reached the nearest, he found that there was a ladder to the crest of the barrier. He scaled it without difficulty, unlike the scarechildren unearthing right behind him.
He leapt down to the interior of the enclosure. Steel gates forged between the pillars. He found a roadway heading away from the field. And since the scarechildren seemed to be unable to pursue, it seemed worth a walk. He left the beasts clawing at him through the fence, some cutting their own arms off.
He proceeded down the shallow canyon, ending up at a vast expanse similar to the field. Except this one was blue. He walked forward, awestruck, for he had never before laid eyes on such.
Before him lay Lake Hylia. Its crystal clear waters giving way to minuscule ripples, seeming to pull at his soul.
He ventured down to the fluid's edge; passing by more pillars like the gate. He knelt down and gazed into his likeness. His violet eyes, highlighted by the full moon's soft glow, reflected from the lagoon.
A chill shot up his back and neck as he sank his hand into the water. He closed his eyes seeming as if a dream. He smiled, rose to his feet, and shook the chill from his flank.
He was so preoccupied with the lake; he missed the blue tektite behind him. It leapt into the air, thrusting at the boy. He flew forward over the water, now realizing the current situation.
He landed face first in the water; a chill like no other, nay to mention reopening his wounds. He just floated there for a few seconds before he started to sink, thinking...
"Ow."
He looked around, now at the bottom of the lake. Aside him laid varied rupees of size and color, around him small fish. And above him, on the water's surface hopped the insect that sent him there.
His breath grew short as he kicked off of the bottom, smacking into the creature. He swam over to the bank, and climbed out just as the tektite landed another attack behind him.
He readied his newly carved boomerang and fell back slowly, luring his assailant onto the bank as well. And once the beast was, he fired, striking its massive red eye. The insect froze, stunned from the blow. He rushed in, picking his weapon off the ground at his target's feet. He flipped the boomerang round, wielding it as if a knife. And with a single might thrust, he drove it deep into the creature's eye. He kept driving it in, nearly to his elbow, before he withdrew.
A high shrill filled the air as the tektite fell before Shikotsu in a lifeless heap. Momentarily, it degenerated into the soil leaving several red rupees behind.
After wiping the insect's entrails off of his boomerang and arm, and collecting his reward, he noticed an odd looking house of sort; it was built on a ledge overlooking the lake.
He followed the hill up to the building. He came upon a small wooden sign at the door, but he didn't read it. All he read was the other sign. The one on the door saying.
"Out. Be back in three days. Leave milk shipment inside door." A grin came across Shikotsu's face, as he turned the handle. It was unlocked yes, but it was far from empty.
For once inside he saw things of which he could nay describe. He soon became familiar with the structure. From the stuffed fish on the walls, to the funny looking thingy in the tank in the corner.
The worst was when he was exploring near the pool. He lost his footing and slipped in, but this didn't matter at the time. For below him, at the bottom, through the murky water, he saw several rupees. He fetched the deepest breath he could, and dove. He couldn't help but grin as he grabbed the money. He had all but one, which was at the other side.
He swam over to it, but as he reached for it, a patch of murky water faded out. He looked up, seeing a few off-white triangles flash by. He focused on the water there.
His eyes began to glow in the water. He could hear a faint growl within him. Then, without waning, the murky water cleared as a giant white shark lunged forward at him, bearing its teeth. Shikotsu's panic rang in the great fish's head...
"EEP!"
Shikotsu launched off the bottom, cutting a funnel through the water up to the surface, except he did nay stop there. He erupted from the pool, kicking and wailing his arms, sending a white spray after him. And before he realized it, he was crouching on one of the rafters far above the floor, panting, and clenching his boomerang.
His eyes still glowed. He could hear the faint growl again; Shikotsu kept quiet. The growl shifted to a light chuckle, then it called out to him...
"Bwa ha ha ha!! That was great! Hoo! Boy... I haven't gotten a scare like that from someone for years!"
Shikotsu dropped from the rafter and walked up to the water's edge.
"Hello? Who's there?" He said, as his eyebrow rose.
"Me. The thing that you thought was going to eat you. You should nary have worried though. I'm caged in down here. I couldn't have gotten you anyway."
"Oh, I'm sure you are."
"Hey come on down here. I won't bite. Ha ha ha! No, but seriously I won't."
Shikotsu stood there, wondering if the beast was being honest...
"Now see? I'm not dangerous." The shark said as Shikotsu floated down, arms crossed over his chest.
"So you are caged. But why attack me?"
"Felt like it. Besides, that old kook up there never lets me out anymore."
"Who?"
"The funny-looking old guy that owns this house. He found me in the lake when I was just the size of a cucco. Speaking of which, he was supposed to go and get some of those. Some experiment of feeding habits I think. Anyway, he raised me in this pool. He used to release me into the lake. But I ate...hey where are you going?"
"I need to breath..." he called out as he rose to the top again.
"Hey, kid. Why don't you go get a Zora tunic? With one of those, you'd be able to stay and talk."
"A what?" Shikotsu said as he sank back down, and sat on a small crate at the bottom. "A Zora tu..."
"Tunic." The shark interrupted him. "They are made out of Zora scales. With one on, you can breath underwater. The professor had one. But he had it made into that robe he wears now. So you can't use that one..."
"Oh! I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. I am Shikotsu. A Gerudo."
"Hi. I don't have a name. The professor calls me something, but I can't understand him as well as you. You'll have to tell me how you can do it sometime. Not to mention why your eyes glow."
"It's a long story. I will tell you sometime, but until then, I think I'll get one of those tunics. It will make talking to you much easier. I'll come back in a little while okay? Hey, how about I call you..."
"Oh, don't worry about it. We can decide that later. It was nice meeting someone new for a change. See you later Shikotsu..."
Shikotsu pushed off once more, bobbing up to the surface. He pulled himself from the pool, worn out from keeping his breath for so long.
He waited for a few minutes as the first rays of sunlight broke through the window and cracks in the walls. He rose to his feet from the table he had been resting at and headed off into the new days light.
A thundering crash echoed out of the heavens; a blinding shot razed the land. A halo of rain could be seen sweeping across Hyrule field.
This halo found its way to a young boy walking along a worn pass. He winced as the droplets seeped into his wounds.
A blaze of light and deafening blow from the skies showed the boys face.
It was Shikotsu, on his way from Talon's. He had started off in hopes of getting to a village Talon told him about. Kakariko, as it was called. He didn't quite understand where it was; all he knew was that there was a long set of stairs leading up into a plateau.
He got accustomed to the pain soon enough. He was waterlogged anyway; far beyond reason to hurry anymore. So continued along the side of the now muddy path.
He was not worried about being attacked this time. He reasoned that the monsters probably would flee from the storm. He was wrong.
He froze in place as the all too familiar sound of sod tearing and earth shifting filtered through the rain.
He looked over his shoulder to see that which he prayed not to.
He desired to see the scenery, just not when he was running for all he's worth. He passed by the castle, but he found the drawbridge to be sealed. He came across the entrance to Gerudo valley eventually. Not particularly wanting to have a family reunion.
South of Gerudo valley's entrance, a set of large, stone pillars appeared, with stone similar to those which enclosed castle town.
Once he reached the nearest, he found that there was a ladder to the crest of the barrier. He scaled it without difficulty, unlike the scarechildren unearthing right behind him.
He leapt down to the interior of the enclosure. Steel gates forged between the pillars. He found a roadway heading away from the field. And since the scarechildren seemed to be unable to pursue, it seemed worth a walk. He left the beasts clawing at him through the fence, some cutting their own arms off.
He proceeded down the shallow canyon, ending up at a vast expanse similar to the field. Except this one was blue. He walked forward, awestruck, for he had never before laid eyes on such.
Before him lay Lake Hylia. Its crystal clear waters giving way to minuscule ripples, seeming to pull at his soul.
He ventured down to the fluid's edge; passing by more pillars like the gate. He knelt down and gazed into his likeness. His violet eyes, highlighted by the full moon's soft glow, reflected from the lagoon.
A chill shot up his back and neck as he sank his hand into the water. He closed his eyes seeming as if a dream. He smiled, rose to his feet, and shook the chill from his flank.
He was so preoccupied with the lake; he missed the blue tektite behind him. It leapt into the air, thrusting at the boy. He flew forward over the water, now realizing the current situation.
He landed face first in the water; a chill like no other, nay to mention reopening his wounds. He just floated there for a few seconds before he started to sink, thinking...
"Ow."
He looked around, now at the bottom of the lake. Aside him laid varied rupees of size and color, around him small fish. And above him, on the water's surface hopped the insect that sent him there.
His breath grew short as he kicked off of the bottom, smacking into the creature. He swam over to the bank, and climbed out just as the tektite landed another attack behind him.
He readied his newly carved boomerang and fell back slowly, luring his assailant onto the bank as well. And once the beast was, he fired, striking its massive red eye. The insect froze, stunned from the blow. He rushed in, picking his weapon off the ground at his target's feet. He flipped the boomerang round, wielding it as if a knife. And with a single might thrust, he drove it deep into the creature's eye. He kept driving it in, nearly to his elbow, before he withdrew.
A high shrill filled the air as the tektite fell before Shikotsu in a lifeless heap. Momentarily, it degenerated into the soil leaving several red rupees behind.
After wiping the insect's entrails off of his boomerang and arm, and collecting his reward, he noticed an odd looking house of sort; it was built on a ledge overlooking the lake.
He followed the hill up to the building. He came upon a small wooden sign at the door, but he didn't read it. All he read was the other sign. The one on the door saying.
"Out. Be back in three days. Leave milk shipment inside door." A grin came across Shikotsu's face, as he turned the handle. It was unlocked yes, but it was far from empty.
For once inside he saw things of which he could nay describe. He soon became familiar with the structure. From the stuffed fish on the walls, to the funny looking thingy in the tank in the corner.
The worst was when he was exploring near the pool. He lost his footing and slipped in, but this didn't matter at the time. For below him, at the bottom, through the murky water, he saw several rupees. He fetched the deepest breath he could, and dove. He couldn't help but grin as he grabbed the money. He had all but one, which was at the other side.
He swam over to it, but as he reached for it, a patch of murky water faded out. He looked up, seeing a few off-white triangles flash by. He focused on the water there.
His eyes began to glow in the water. He could hear a faint growl within him. Then, without waning, the murky water cleared as a giant white shark lunged forward at him, bearing its teeth. Shikotsu's panic rang in the great fish's head...
"EEP!"
Shikotsu launched off the bottom, cutting a funnel through the water up to the surface, except he did nay stop there. He erupted from the pool, kicking and wailing his arms, sending a white spray after him. And before he realized it, he was crouching on one of the rafters far above the floor, panting, and clenching his boomerang.
His eyes still glowed. He could hear the faint growl again; Shikotsu kept quiet. The growl shifted to a light chuckle, then it called out to him...
"Bwa ha ha ha!! That was great! Hoo! Boy... I haven't gotten a scare like that from someone for years!"
Shikotsu dropped from the rafter and walked up to the water's edge.
"Hello? Who's there?" He said, as his eyebrow rose.
"Me. The thing that you thought was going to eat you. You should nary have worried though. I'm caged in down here. I couldn't have gotten you anyway."
"Oh, I'm sure you are."
"Hey come on down here. I won't bite. Ha ha ha! No, but seriously I won't."
Shikotsu stood there, wondering if the beast was being honest...
"Now see? I'm not dangerous." The shark said as Shikotsu floated down, arms crossed over his chest.
"So you are caged. But why attack me?"
"Felt like it. Besides, that old kook up there never lets me out anymore."
"Who?"
"The funny-looking old guy that owns this house. He found me in the lake when I was just the size of a cucco. Speaking of which, he was supposed to go and get some of those. Some experiment of feeding habits I think. Anyway, he raised me in this pool. He used to release me into the lake. But I ate...hey where are you going?"
"I need to breath..." he called out as he rose to the top again.
"Hey, kid. Why don't you go get a Zora tunic? With one of those, you'd be able to stay and talk."
"A what?" Shikotsu said as he sank back down, and sat on a small crate at the bottom. "A Zora tu..."
"Tunic." The shark interrupted him. "They are made out of Zora scales. With one on, you can breath underwater. The professor had one. But he had it made into that robe he wears now. So you can't use that one..."
"Oh! I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. I am Shikotsu. A Gerudo."
"Hi. I don't have a name. The professor calls me something, but I can't understand him as well as you. You'll have to tell me how you can do it sometime. Not to mention why your eyes glow."
"It's a long story. I will tell you sometime, but until then, I think I'll get one of those tunics. It will make talking to you much easier. I'll come back in a little while okay? Hey, how about I call you..."
"Oh, don't worry about it. We can decide that later. It was nice meeting someone new for a change. See you later Shikotsu..."
Shikotsu pushed off once more, bobbing up to the surface. He pulled himself from the pool, worn out from keeping his breath for so long.
He waited for a few minutes as the first rays of sunlight broke through the window and cracks in the walls. He rose to his feet from the table he had been resting at and headed off into the new days light.