Legends of the Waker: Remnants of Old
I made an error in the last chapter. Trisyrt used Zelda's name without learning it. Oh, and Knoll survived the battle with Gepqa, not Cufell Fixed, but sorry to anyone that got confused. Heh, who am I kidding? All three of you that read it probably didn't notice. And if anyone's been reading this who doesn't have an account, anonymous reviews have been turned on. ... ' ... '
Chapter LXIX: Nightmare
(Trisyrt)
Hideously long claws shredded through the metal like paper. The princess called Zelda and I stood ready, but our chances didn't look good. Could it be that Darunia had been anticipating my next move all along? No. Impossible.
Gem-Crazed Gorons, or jrongtels as they were called in the Goron tongue, were twisted creatures, once normal Gorons until the mines had been opened. Exposed to the raw power of the strange rubies, sapphires and emeralds of our world, they'd changed. Not much was known about them. They worked to mysterious ends, killing hear and there with seemingly random patterns. The reports were all different. Ten feet tall. Able to shoot fire from their eyes. Moving in blurry packs with blinding speed.
The first one finally broke through the ceiling and lunged with a high pitched squeal. Its body was thin and curved, unlike most rotund Gorons. A clump of spikes grew from the head, and went down the neck to end at the lower back. Wicked foot-long claws tore at the air. Its eyes were the same color Griman's had always become when controlled up by Darunia, but this being was manipulated only by madness.
My sword fit easily in my grasp, training a help to combat a spike of fear. The Goron tourists were curled into balls in the corner, and one of the engineers remained where I'd dropped him. The other watched open-mouthed. I held up my sword and the Goron's claws caught, scratching my nose as they came just short of shredding my face.
I shoved and knocked him off balance. As his other claw came up to strike I was forced to duck, dodging one arm while I parried another. "Get some jewels from the Upper-Classers!" I called out to Zelda. I had a plan. A stupid plan, but anything was better than getting shredded apart and eaten, as jrongtels were reported to do to their defeated prey.
I could see Zelda running for the trio of cowardly aristocrats, but a pair of jrongtels jumped in her path before she could reach them, screaming like demonic crows. This couldn't last. I deflected another blow from my opponent and was about to risk coming to the girl's aid when my jrongtel fell, a heavy blow to the knees toppling it. An inferno of blazing heat suddenly erupted from the creature's mouth, nearly frying me in its path.
I swung a blow that should have removed the monster's head, but was blocked by the spikes on its back. Didn't matter, though. It wouldn't be getting up soon. The Goron who had helped me nodded before turning to help his coworker.
Steel clashed and rang through the battered train car as more and more jrongtels began to leap through the openings. Our limbs began to tire in the ceaseless flow. We were soon covered in slash marks, our own blood joining and mingling with the blood of our enemies.
Suddenly Zelda tossed me a three rubies and an emerald. I tossed one of the rubies back and went to work on my plan. My untested, dangerous and potentially lethal plan. But we weren't buried in options.
It had to work.
(Zelda)
My hand closed around the simple, rounded shape of the ruby and I held it up, trying to use it the way Trisyrt had. Focusing my will on the tiny sphere, I felt a pulse of energy wobble me, a sudden drain, and then burning fire swept over a blue-eyed Goron. More fire rage. More burning, mingling with bone-biting frost as I battled the strange, mutated Gorons. As mace and muscle did their work, I began to burn myself, with fatigue. Trisyrt had dropped from the fight, fiddling with the ruby and emerald I'd given him, and the sapphire he already had.
My foot slipped on a puddle of blood and I found myself face to face with one of the three Gorons who had done nothing but cower. My lip curled in disgust and I turned to defend myself. Seven had gone down, and two more were in the cramped steering room of the strange snake vehicle. Most of the walls were gone, and even on the ground my hair was rustled by sharp blasts of wind. The long cylinder where fires burned kept us going.
My opponent seemed to think I was dead. It was oddly nervous of Trisyrt, and seemed to be debating whether or not to attack him. The strange, icy mannered boy hadn't even noticed my fall! The other mutant had attacked the engineers. They seemed to be winning, but at great cost. I struggled to stand and my buddy's head swung, unleashed an ear-splitting cry and swerved with its body into attack. I screamed in spite of myself and raised my weapon...and nearly dropped it on my face. I barely managed to swing it aside as it swung heavily to the side of my head.
I'd been through so much...the weeks of torture...all I needed was sleep. A flash of silver lighting and claws were coming down to end me.
My life is over.
I closed my eyes and waited. Instead of death, I felt a wash of heat. A strange heaviness had encompassed my left arm. Somehow I found the strength to stand. My head spun dizzily for a moment. Trisyrt's right arm was swathed by sapphire and ruby blocked out sight of the left as well. Emerald covered my left arm, leaving it blunt like a mace with no spikes. But it was a little late. We were alone.
One of the engineers and two of the rich folk were dead. The remaining tourist had disappeared. The remaining engineer was cradling his coworker. The walls of the 'train' were pretty much gone. The blaze within the propelling can was dying. We were slowing. I wanted to know what happened next. After catching my breath and letting the battle rush of fear, pain, and adrenaline die, I was about to ask what we did next when the train was nearly jarred off its railed track.
"Wha-"
"Wormers. Dracos Narisde." Trisyrt said before I could finish my sentence. More mutants. Descended from dragons like Volvanga, Valler, and The Gryor. I hope you still have a prayer ready because..."
"...We're about to die." I finished.
"jrongtels!" Trisyrt called out.
I hadn't even had time to ask about the gem encasing my arm. I also didn't have time to inquire into the nature of jrongtels, but I soon found out when more mutated Gorons flowed over the coal storage cart behind us. Trisyrt began picking them off with his arm weapons. I pointed my arm and concentrated the same way I'd done with the ruby. Instead of a beam of electricity or something, carnivorous plants sprouted from the coal and began snapping up Gorons, snarling and chewing.
"Wicked!" Trisyrt suddenly burst with an out of character laugh. "You got 'em." His smile faded when the creatures were all gone, leaving mangled limbs and bones here and there. But not because he mourned their passing, or even because the large, sturdy purple plants turned on us.
His smile faded because the train was jarred again, knocking it off the track and sending us into the deep darkness beyond.
Chapter LXX: "My True Home"
Captain's Log, eight hundred sixty seventh and last entry(Ganondorf II)
My, my. What a busy day.
I only wish my father had more than one life to give, because ending the one he had was quite a pleasure. I was raised in fear and isolation for the last fifteen years. My father was afraid of me, so he had to dominate until I felt fear of him, or at least displayed it to end the beatings. I was raised in isolation. I know the old man picked up another wife and had a daughter, but I've not seen them in a long time. If they're not dead, they soon will be.
What a shame.
This wandering ship is nothing more than the haunt of ghosts. So many have died on this cursed vessel.. They are what truly kept me up so many nights in livid horror. I feel no regret or apprehension in the knowledge that I must leave this place.
I couldn't stay if I wanted to, and I don't! My father figured out how to drive this ship alone, but that knowledge is not written down in this book. I write at its end merely on a whim. I have always enjoyed seeing my thoughts on paper, ever since I taught myself to read and write years ago.
The dead close in around me. I can delay no more! I feel the power of another like me. A being of my talent and power. Greater than me. My true father. There I will find my true home.
(Fado)
I gasped and my head shot up from the book in shock. I gave a laugh of sheer exhilaration. Holly had given up and gone to exploring just a few minutes in, muttering about 'another blood potion', but I'd been hooked. All but the last entry, its yellowed pages encrusted with blood. All the entries between the two that I tore out for future reference told of the ship's captain and his life over fifteen years. Worry over Mako had driven me to search for anything that might help find him.
But nothing in Krytos's journal could really help. The only thing of real interest was when he picked up three passengers. A wife, a Goron merchant, and a Hylian painter. All were killed at some point. By whom and for what was not clear. I shook my head, wondering what I should do next when Holly came dashing into the room.
"Fado... I prepared a potion to bring me to where Mako is now...and it failed. He's gone."
"What do you mean? Dead?
"No...just...not there anymore. I think it's time to go on without him. Again."
"No!" I cried. We will not go through that again. Do you remember what happened when we gave up on Mako before? He came back!"
"We have to be realistic. We're trapped on some sort of ghost ship. He could be anywhere," Holly replied indignantly. "…Anywhere." She said softly, a tear forcing its way out of her eye.
"You're asking me to decide between my quest and my friend," I said softly, the words seemed to be coming from far away, echoing down a long, long tunnel. "I don't want to have to make that kind of choice."
"So what do you want to do?" Holly asked, awkwardly wiping away the tear that had slid down her nose but pretending it wasn't there.
"We put Mako as top priority. Getting to the temple is secondary until…"
The words died on my lips when Mako appeared right between us, weeping unabashedly.
Chapter LXXI: In the Belly of the Beast
(Shiek)
A horrible crunching noise brought me awake instantly. We'd made camp in a small side room off a massive antechamber withan enormous statue that burst from the wall, gathering around the paltry flame of a Moblin's lantern, claimed from a kill Zelda and I had made. Things were not going well. Laruto and Medli had taken to arguing at every turn. Zelda was constantly lamenting the loss of some magic shield. Knoll was acting very oddly, muttering to himself. Everyone was beat up, tired, hungry…
"Zelda?"
…And frightened. The noises were horrible. There was always something around the corner, waiting to end our pathetic dreams of victory like the sputtering fire that they were. How appropriate the fire we gathered around matched so well. This place belonged to the evil king. No doubt about it. The only plus side was that everyone had weapons now. Medli claimed a staff, Laruto a large saber, and I had added the business half of a broken Moblin halberd to my own set of weapons, joining with Sasuke's sword.
"Laruto?"
I sat up in darkness. All blank, nothing to see. I could hear my own heart thudding, and feel the sweat dripping off my nose despite the very cold state of the dungeon. I realized with a small start that my equally sweaty palms already gripped the Wind Waker. I stood and heard a clacking on the floor.
"Medli? Is that you?"
I felt a rush of air and barely had time to react before my head was nearly knocked off. I hit the ground and sent up a blast of wind, closing my eyes and trying to find my attacker.
More clattering! It was coming closer! I let out an exhilarated yell and struck with the Waker, knocking back my enemy. I drew my sword and prepared for the next blow. Before it could come, the room suddenly filled with light and the Stalfos I'd been fighting was shattered. A head dropped onto a pile of bones and I brought the blade in my hand down on it, ending the battle. Zelda grinned at me with an uncharacteristic confidence and leaned on her sword. Laruto burst into the room from another door, followed by Knoll.
"Did you all leave me completely alone and asleep?" I yelled angrily.
"No…we left Medli with you. Where is she?" I looked back at Laruto and saw her eyes widen.
Laruto spoke quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Temple has…claimed her."
-Note-
I regret to inform cyberspace in general that this is the last chapter I am going to write of RoO. I seem to be getting no readership, and I feel an original fantasy novel crying out to be written, which I will begin around the time of my nineteenth birthday early next year. But fear not. If I get any reviews or e-mails asking me to revive this story, I probably will. I hate unfinished projects. Also, I have quite a bit posted at (same screen name) that you can read. Below is a summary of the rest of the story. Do not read it if you want more chapters. MAJOR spoilers. Thanks for reading this far!
Link: Zelda and Trisyrt survive the train wreck and go after Darunia, who turns out to be the Spiritual Stone of Fire. After defeating him, Link claims the Megaton Hammer/Goron War-Hammer and Trisyrt becomes a fair leader over Kakariko. When he returns to the surface with Zelda he is attacked by his old friend the King of Hyrule, who offers him a choice. Give up the Master Sword or give up Ganon's sword. He refuses and is forced into battle with the five statues. An easy victory is quickly grasped but Zelda is caught beneath the final statue's hand. Now Zelda's life rests on which sword Link chooses. He throws away the Master. Now Link and Zelda prepare together for an assault on Ganondorf's fortress. After much debate Link shatters the Triforce of Courage with the Hammer(which is then transformed into the Skull Hammer) and orders his girlfriend's pirates to hide the shards with instructions he writes. Worried about the loss of the Triforce and the sword in the battle against Ganon, Zelda suggests they make use of a massive library of magic her mother left behind. And thus does the final battle begin. Link's father and two Ganondorfs make guest appearances. SHOCKER: Link and Zelda both die.
Fado: Mako was crying because Mareri begged him not to leave, worried that her people would return to the way they were. Mako promised to return one day, but couldn't bring himself to stay in that world. Fado, Mako and Holly resume their journey. At the temple Fado begins to create a forest with a bag of seeds that the Great Deku Tree gave him that he has carried at his waist. Ganondorf directly attacks the temple. Mako and Holly resume their Korok state but do battle anyways, forcing him off. He comes back many years later and he and Fado battle. Ganondorf wins, but Fado's inner joy has been revived for a long time, and thus in the end he really wins. Mako and Holly return home. Mako loses his ability to paint worlds and never returns to the other.
Laruto: Medli is missing because Laruto hid her in a cage. She eventually does the same with everyone, and confronts Ganondorf alone. She does not win. Ganondorf makes her a slave. Her friends defeat an evil creature that attacks their cage, and all escape the Temple alive, thinking Laruto is dead. Zelda and Shiek marry. Medli also winds up married, of course. Eventually Laruto is brought back to the Temple and a ghost creature devours her soul. It is not until Link and a descendent of Medli arrive at the temple that she is at last freed. She joins her people at last, justice poured on the destroyer of her people.
Now to explain some perhaps unclear dreams. Laruto's first dream is a premonition of Link's death. The dream where Fado wonders into a town as Mido and where Laruto becomes Ruto and meets Majora's Servant are dreams of the past. They cover part of another story I was planning to write called 'The Triforce Hunters' in which Link leads a small band into the Sacred Realm to claim Ganondorf's Triforce of Power. It took place a few years after Ocarina. Zelda's weird dream where Link dies took place in a future where Link made the right choice, kept the Master Sword, and defeated Ganondorf. Link, Zelda, Tetra and Quill set out for a new home for the Hylians, just the same way WW ends. And Fado's horrible dreams? I think they were all self-explanatory. One thing I might add about them is that they and Mako's unexplored dreams were brought on them because they are sages. If there's anything else I haven't covered, I leave that to your imagination.