Sorry I took so long to update. I've had a bad case of writers block for this story x.x; So...I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next one will be longer...I promise.
Chapter Sixteen
Link crashed through some brush and rolled along the ground. Sheik was up in the trees, hopping swiftly from branch to branch. Link pushed himself up and started running again, just as the giant worm crushed the trees behind him, still following. It was then that Link realized he and Sheik were in a large clearing now, so he turned and faced the worm.
"What you planning on doing?" Sheik asked.
Link drew the Master Sword. "We're in an open area now. I can battle this overgrown worm without worrying about accidentally smashing into a tree or something."
"Yes, I know that. But how are you planning on taking it on?"
"You'll see," Link said, patting a brown bag hanging from his belt. "Now, distract it for me."
Sheik nodded and ran over to it, and started slashing at its rough hide and dodging its great jaws.
Link drew his Hookshot and fired at a tree close to the worm and the grapple hooked and buried itself deep into the trunk. Link turned the handle of the Hookshot until he heard a small click, thus making the chain reel in at a rapid pace, dragging the Hero through the air and to the tree. As soon as he reached it, Link let go of the handle and kicked off the tree, sending himself flying up and over the massive body of the worm.
"Up here!" Link yelled, landing on the dirt and slime that covered the worm's body.
He drew the Master Sword and stabbed it down into the worm, grabbing it tight so as not to slip away from the worm. As it screeched in pain, Link managed to pull himself up and leap from the broad side of the sword up to the mouth of the worm. He landed on its teeth and quickly pulled the bag off his belt and tossed it down into the black pit that was the worm's throat. Holding up two fingers, Link jumped high in the air... then fired down a streak of blue fire at the bag.
Sheik looked up and suddenly realized what was in that bag. He crossed his arms and disappeared in a small flash.
The fire shot strait into the bag and whatever was in there made a large and loud explosion, ripping the worm apart and scattering bits of it everywhere. Link had managed to clear the area by using his Hookshot again, and was making his way back to look for Sheik.
The Sheikah was looking around at the gore spread out everywhere, and was trying not to breathe through his nose either.
"You should have told me what you were going to do," Sheik said, not letting his annoyance show in his tone.
"Well, you knew that that was the bag I purchased some bombs in back in that village, so I figured you'd know what it was and do that teleport thing you Sheikah can do," Link shrugged. "Anyway, c'mon. We have to find Miroku and the girls."
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Rittowa slowly opened her eyes. She wasn't dead? Or was this ...total darkness... the after-life? She pushed herself off the ground and looked up for the hole that she fell through. She didn't see anything. The Gerudo called out into the darkness for Zara, but got no reply. How could they have been separated? In fact, how on earth did she survive that fall? And where was she now?
Rittowa's head was full with all these questions, but she knew she'd have to get out of the forest fast. Without Zara's protection Rittowa was now in danger of turning into a Stalfos. She drew both of her swords and putting one out in front of her to make sure she didn't hit anything, she started forward. She didn't like it though. There was something about the darkness here...more than that there was no light...
Rittowa felt like she had been walking around for hours by the time she finally heard something. It was a quiet whimpering...at least, that's what it sounded like until she got closer. She still couldn't see anything, but that thing that was crying loudly could have been Miroku.
"Hello...?"
She heard a gasp and suddenly two glowing red eyes appeared. Rittowa quickly jumped back and put her swords in a defensive position. No Hylian child she new had eyes like that!
"Wh-who are you?!" came the voice of a small boy.
Rittowa blinked. Could it be some kind of forest demon's trick? How could the child have gotten deeper into these woods than anyone else had dared to go? The eye's got a little farther away.
"I...am Rittowa... Who are you...?"
"I'm M...M..." he stuttered. "I can't remember....Have I been in this forest all the time....? I can only remember being here....all alone....in the dark."
"Miroku...is that your name...?"
"Mir...oku...My name...? Miroku...I've heard that name before."
Rittowa didn't know what to think. The others had told her that children that got lost in those woods turned to Skull Kids. Did they forget everything about their past life too? This had to be the child. Was it too late? If he still remembered something perhaps it wasn't.
"Come on, take my hand! We have to get out of here, fast!"
"Are you going to take me out of the darkness?"
"Yes! Now, I know you can't see, but follow my voice and take my hand."
"I...can see you."
"Wh...what?"
"Everything is dark...everywhere...but...I can see you."
Rittowa knew it was no time for questions, so as soon as he grabbed her hand, she flung him up onto her back and just ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she had to at least try to get this kid out of the forest before he completely changed. That is...if he hadn't already.
After running for a good fifteen minutes, Rittowa finally stopped running, but kept going, doing a fast walk. She was tired out, but could keep going another good half hour or so if she slowed now. But then...something happened that prompted her to finish her break early and get going. That something had been a loud hiss and an evil laughter, and footsteps coming up behind her. She took off like a streak of lightning, slashing her sword this way and that, dodging trees whenever the blade found one.
Rittowa had heard stories of great evil living in the deep, dark places of the world. Beings that were born into this evil darkness and lived in it.
She could hear the child on her back screaming, and could feel his head turning this way and that, then burying it in her back. That poor thing! If he really could see through this thick darkness, who knows what horrors his eyes beheld.
Rittowa took him from her back and carried him with one arm, the other still watching for trees.
She started to feel things grabbing at her legs, not just from behind, but from the sides and even in front of her. She panting hard, her heart racing. She was no stranger to fear, but this was different. The only thing keeping her from breaking down and being consumed by the darkness and fear was her determination to save this child...and her determination to live until she avenged her sisters.
"You're going to be okay Miroku...I'm going to get us out of here!" Rittowa yelled.
The laughter was getting closer... and then Rittowa felt something sharp stick into her leg, pulling her down. She grunted in pain as she fell, but rolled over before she hit the ground, so as not to crush the boy under her. Getting up, she half-limped half-ran forward.
The laughing was close now...right up to her, it stopped...and everything was silent...even Rittowa's foot steps didn't make a sound in the grass. She felt something grab the back of her shirt. This was it...she had tried her best...but it hadn't been enough.
Then something happened she never expected....
Light engulfed the whole area...a pure, bright light. The creatures of darkness screamed and wailed, and Rittowa felt the hand that had grabbed her pull her forward and she went crashing through grass, weeds, and bushes.
It was daylight!