"The Destiny Stone"
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any characters, places, or events thereof, so there! Of the original characters, I came up with Timbre, Kat, Aka, Benz, Vulcan and some various bit characters here and there. Sond owns the rest. Thanks Sond! Rej is © FogFrontier!
*****
Author's Note: Wow. Okay, I actually have a weekend that isn't totally crazy, so here's my contribution. Good news: I might have an internship this summer, instead of a peon job at the local ice-cream place. Ice cream isn't half as appetizing if you spend all day covered in it. That, and you eventually start smelling like sour milk no matter what you do. Icky-poo-yuckjust thinking about it bugs me. Anyhow, I've been a-reading down this story, and trying to remember the fact it is labeled secondary-wise as a humor' fiction. So thereforehumor. Quite a bit of humor in this chapterhopefully.
*****
"The Destiny Stone" — Chapter 18: Fool Moon
"Yeow!" Link squeaked, still not used to the new pitch of his voice, as he dodged what appeared to be a large crystalline projectile before it crashed into his head. He didn't realize until several more collided harmlessly into his body that what he was seeing were actually snowflakes. From this close up, they looked like intricate weavings of clear glass, ruined as easily as a breath of air. Though the setting sun shone down on him, Tatl, Kafei and Nick, precipitory clouds still covered some of the sky. Some late falling snowflakes were still in evidence, but the storm was definitely over.
All four fairies (three of whom were still getting used to that fact) hovered above the ruins of Ikana Canyon, shaking their heads in disbelief.
"It's been completely wrecked," Tatl said in shock, staring around at the desolation. The entire face of the canyon had changed, and many landmarks familiar to her had either collapsed, cracked, or crumbled completely. "Not that there was much there anyway, but stillthere were a lot of burial groundsyou wonder what happened here, y'know?"
A few conspiratorial glances around soon found them the perpetrators, who were still hovering some distance away on their brooms. Link's blue eyes widened a fraction, and his hover faltered.
"That's Koume and Kotake! We were right!"
Nick nodded. "Ye'prolly shou' make ourse'lves scarce," he commented dryly. "We ain' no showstopper a' thi' size, but y'never knowmigh' sense your Triforce or some'tin, Linkan' if they foun' ya " The Volcanian made a grim motion across his neck with one finger.
The former Hylian swallowed stared down at his left hand, which still bore the mark despite his recent dimunitization. "Uhyou're probably rightwe're lucky they probably think we're already dead after that cave inwait a second!"
Kafei coughed. "What?"
Link was still thinking aloud. "Doesn't anybody think this is a little bit strange? There just happens to be a cave-in, when Pamela's father claimed those caverns were ancient, and secure. And these two just happen to be here, after our blood. Smells mighty suspicious to me."
Tatl was inclined to agree. "Well, we can't do much about this now. Unless you wanna fly over there right now and take em on as you are, hero."
Link looked down at himself, and sighed with resignation. At this size, attacking even the old witches with his sword would be like a wasp stinging them, hardly a threat. And then it would be one carefully aimed swat of magic, and curtains for the hero. So the Hylian shrugged.
Tatl noted this and nodded. "Besides, the Great Fairies told me to get you to Hyrule, so that's what we've got to do, and quickly."
"'Old up," Nick put up a small gloved hand. "Fir' we gotta go t' th' Alicorn an' talk t'me mates. Gonna leave Lanky in charge f'a while"
"Will they even recognize you?" Tatl looked skeptical. "Just telling you, with fairies, some people tend to swat first and ask questions later. Besides, it's out of the way-"
"Wa' y'talkin' about?!" Nick spluttered. "W'goin' to Hyrule, an' we're settin' our bearin's tha way." Here the Volcanian-turned-fairy pointed towards the west and the setting sun. "To th' sea, am I righ'? An' tha' be where m'ship is."
Tatl sighed. "Alright then. But don't come crying to me when you're stuck in a bottle or something."
"Trus' me, m'crew's had t'deal with odder things than fairiesb'sides, Leviathan'll know it's us. Dragons're smartthin' don' fool em too easy."
"Who?" asked Tatl and Kafei, exchanging a puzzled expression.
"Never mind that," Link said, buzzing on ahead. He was getting the hang of this. "We'll explain on the way."
The Fairy Spell apparently had some rudimentary characteristics that resolved for easy adaptation on the recipient's part. Already, the three were finding flight becoming as second hand as walking or breathing. It was all a matter of balance, actually. Instead of trying to balance upon ground with two legs, it was a matter of keeping balance on air currents with two compound wings. The secondary lower wings hummed in tangent rhythm with their large counterparts, and worked as a keel and equilibrium at the same time. Although all three were getting used to flight, they still had their beginner's moments of clumsiness. Link had these inelegant flashes most often. Even now the green fairy whooped as an especially dubious air current made him loop-the-loop. The others just laughed.
"This is kind of fun," Kafei admitted with a rare smile. "And I can actually enjoy sunlight for once"
"An' we goin' fast," Nick put in.
And they were. The higher the thermals, the more violent and rapid they seemed to get. Tatl called it the skyway,' and as they rose completely above cloud level, they found out why.
"Wahoo!" Link cartwheeled crazily through the air as the winds suddenly propelled his body westward at an alarming rate." Tatl just rolled her eyes.
"This is th' skywaywe'll get off at Great Bay and see if your ship's still around," she commented, looking at Nick, who nodded in response.
Link pulled out of his spin, feeling very dizzy and befuddled. The former Hylian suddenly blinked, stared upwards, and made a startled noise when he saw clouded ground. Confused, he stared down between his booted feet, only to see blue-tinged-orange sky. "Why's everything upside down?"
"Umit's because you're upside down." Tatl said. "Dummy."
Link sheepishly regained his balance, and turned his head downwards, glad to see the ground in its rightful place. The clearing storm was leaving gaps within the cloud layer, offering him brief glimpses of the real world far below. The snow still coated everything like vanilla frosting, and as he squinted, he recognized a clock that now resembled a giant gray fruitcake rimmed with white cream.
"Hey, we're already at Clock Town!" he remarked, slightly impressed.
Tatl nodded. "Tis a fast current. How else did you expect to get back to Hyrule so quickly?"
Link wasn't sure. "I'd been thinking it would take a week or something."
Tatl laughed at his ignorance. "Try a couple of days. Flight does have the advantage of speedespecially with these currents."
"But still," Link persisted. "How're we gonna sleep, and eat? I mean, two days is a long time to not do either"
"Eating's not a problemfairies don't eat that often, maybe once a week."
Link stared.
"As for sleeping, I think we could do that in turnswe wouldn't even need to stop."
Nick nodded. "Dozin' on th' wing, jus' like so' mig'tory birds do."
"But I don't really feel that tired anyway," Kafei put in. "That recharge we were given back at the Fountain should last us for a while."
As they flew, the sun's travel dipped lower and lower onto the approaching horizon, until the sea reappeared. All four blinked and hastily shaded their eyes as scintillating lights bounced off of waves. Ponderously large and fiery, the sun slowly appeared to sink into the endless ocean. Silhouetted in the thawing bay was a single ship, which was slowly being swallowed in the opaque gloomy twilight.
"Alicorn!" Nick yelled, going into a dive. The others followed, though only Tatl could really keep up to the Volcanian's fever pace.
"Woah, hang up!" Kafei yelled. "It isn't like they're gonna suddenly sail away or anything!"
Nick's form, now little more than a glowing orange dot, seemed to shrug. "Go' catch Leviathan fore he dive gain," he explained, pointing downward.
Kafei and Tatl gaped. "Is thata dragon?" Tatl pointed at the scaly head that had broken the surface of the water. Leviathan just stared upwards, his reptilian features somehow conveying a chilled expression.
"Yep," Link said, nodding and feeling slightly superior. "He saved us — twice — on the way to Termina," he explained.
Leviathan honked. Water, some of it still slushy, cascaded down his muzzle as he shook his big head with a sleepy grumble, staring intently with one hooded eye at the tiny orange light now flickering by his snout.
"Mrar?" Though it was a gentle growl, it still vibrated the air about like a hurricane.
"H'lo Leviathan, s'just me, lil Nicoli," Nick reassured the dragon, circling in front of Leviathan's right eye. Peering in closely, he could see himself bizarrely reflected in the dragon's glassy eye, and he smirked at the sight of his distorted image.
After a moment of intense scrutiny on the part of the dragon, Leviathan blinked, then honked affirmatively. Nick turned and beckoned the other three over, who until then had hung back awkwardly. Or maybe they were just scared. "S'okay, ee knows it's jus' us."
Leviathan looked very drowsy, and gave each fairy a careful but brief scrutiny as Nick explained in Volcanian to the dragon about their current situation. The dragon, which appeared to perfectly understand the rapid and complicated language, murmured sleepily, suppressing the urge to yawn.
"What's wrong with him?" Kafei asked in an aside to the Volcanian. "He looks fit to pass out or something."
"I' th' col'," Nick explained. "Mi' be goin' way now, bu' dragons dun' lik' th' col' any more'n us Volcanians do. Makes em sleepy, cause they'll hibernate when th' temp drops too low."
"Oh."
Link smirked. "So, now that we're at the ship-"
"Oh, yeah!" Nick turned to the sleepy dragon, whose eye jerked open again. "Where's Lanky? I need t' talk wi' im, fore I go."
The dragon snorted, and shrugged, looking down at the ship.
"Huh, poor guy's still too sleepy, I think," Tatl remarked, looking concerned.
"Yeah," Nick agreed, resting one hand on the dragon's snout. "Guess we'll jus' fin' im oursel', then. Thanks any'ow, Leviathanmebbe y'should sleep th' snap off"
The dragon nodded sleepily, purred, and then sank gratefully below the waves.
"Poor guy," Tatl remarked. "Have a nice nap."
Five minutes later, their light throwing sharp relief onto the woodgrained deck, all four fairies hovered by the portal leading to below decks. Nick had given them an exceedingly concise tour of the ship's topside, though the advantage of flight had allowed him to do so quickly. Now, the way below decks was currently closed. The door was thick, but sounds of general merriment could be heard from within.
Nick hit himself on the forehead. "The' ave no common sense'ave a loud party, an' don' even ave any watch out!" As the Volcanian ranted, the other three stared, consternated, at the doorknob.
"Now what?" Kafei looked to Nick expectantly. "Should we try the door?"
Nick shrugged, and tried to turn the doorknob. This amounted to a rather humorous sight: Nick hooked his heels along the lower curve, and stretched, resting his chin against the smooth metal with arms splayed over the top. He twisted a bit to the right, but the knob only rattled. "S'locked!" He disentangled himself, swearing in Volcanian. "I tell em t'keep it unlocked, too!"
Next, Nick tried pounding on the door, though with his current size he might as well have been throwing paper wads against it for all the noise he was making.
"Oy! Wa' up i' there!"
There was no lull in the merriment.
Tatl, Link, and Kafei all looked at each other and shrugged, perplexed expressions on their faces.
If Nick had been trying to attract attention of anybody watching from above deck, he'd managed to do an excellent job of it. His shouting and pounding, though rather on the squeaky side, coupled with the light they gave off, finally managed to alert the inspection of the rather drowsy cartographer who'd been busy studying the charts in the Captain's Cabin. As the bow's door opened and slammed, the four turned and stared, only to find themselves in turn being stared at. Confused, the dozy sailor approached, halting a yard away. He was unused to having fairies suddenly appear on board, so he yawned and stared drowsily, lights flickering off of the lantern he'd thrust into the area.
"I mus' be really tiredI'm seein' things! Glowy things! Fireflies!" The confused sailor said.
Tatl just hit her forehead, slightly offended at the misnomer. "I knew this was a bad idea" Link and Kafei nodded, suddenly inclined to agree. Nick, however, had other ideas. He flew forward with an important kick of wings, and cleared his throat with a notable squeak. The sailor's head swam backwards, flinching away slightly from the orange glare now filling his eyes.
Nick leaned forward until his pointing finger was only an inch away from the cartographer's nose. "Stan' down! G'get Lanky, woul' ye? Tha' a good man."
The sailor eyes crossed at the orange figure in front of him. The orange fairy's voice was squeaky, but the accent and intonation was unmistakable. "C-cap'n?" Asked the sailor finally, his voice a high tremolo. "Issat you?"
"Y'heard me!" Nick snapped, crossing his arms and gesturing at the door. "Go get im!"
The sailor backed away, his voice shaking as he stumbled. "Belay! Th' Cap'n been slayed an' is soul's returned t'haunt us!!" The frightened and superstitious sailor chattered incoherently, and tripped several times as he tried to run backwards.
Nick rubbed his temples. "Kn'w I shouldn'a let em spread tho' ghost tales " He looked up. "Ey! Y'goin' th' wrong way!"
The panicky sailor stuttered. "Wa?"
"I'll say'it again," Nick said, sighing with consternation. "E's down b'low decksgo get im. Th' door's locked an' all, an' they don' hear us knockin'. Please."
Maybe it was the please' that eventually convinced him. The sailor stood and brushed himself off, retrieving the lantern before it could spill and start a fire. Slowly he approached the door, and the fairies parted to either side of him so that he could knock on the door unobstructed. Then, raising a shaking fist, the cartographer banged on the door loudly.
Tatl snickered. "I'll assume this is probably th' last thing your crew's gonna expect, huh?"
Nick looked down at himself and smirked. "Yeahbu' t'ain' p'rmanantthey go' nuthin' t'bug "
"Still," Kafei persisted. "You have to admit you'd be scared in the same situationor at least a little confusedI mean, your Captain randomly traipses off by himself, only to reappear later as a completely changed version of himself" He shrugged. "Then again, I can't talkI practically did th' same thing."
They did not have long to wait before there was a lull in the laughter, the sounds of footsteps, and finally a husky voice that shouted from the other side of the door. "Wha's up?"
The cartographer's voice shuddered. "Th' Cap'n's back, an ee wants t'see Lanky." he said.
"Is e? Ya hear that?" The voice behind the door seemed to be shouting down to the galley. "Oy, Lanky! Summon' said ol' Cap'n Nicoli didn' kick th' ol' bucket after all! An' after we'd been avin' that lovely eulogy an' memorial for "
Tatl snickered. "Shouldn't you worry that they'd assume that you're dead so quickly?"
Nick smirked. "Naw'ee jus' jokin"
"Would you quit foolin' round?" The cartographer yelled urgently through the door. "He's back all right, butit's weird"
There was a bustle and a new voice sounded from behind the door. "Clear out, I'll go see what's up." The door swung open, revealing Lanky, cutlass thrust through his belt. "Alrighty, wot's th-" The lanky sailor stopped in mid sentence, and stared over the cartographer's shoulder at the four fairies. "What in th' blazes-"
The orange fairy smirked, and waved. "Tol' ya I'd be back."
"C-cap'n?!"
Nick nodded fiercely. "Y'better b'lieve it. Now, wot's th' big idea, not invitin' me t'my own eulogy?!" he demanded.
Lanky promptly fainted.
*****
Ganondorf sighed lazily, watching the fires of sunset as the sun extinguished itself in the horizon of the ocean. Nearby, his armored stallion - now without the flaming wings - grazed, its powerful teeth practically decimating the grass as it bit savagely at the ground. The Gerudo King sat with his back to the horse, though his hand covered a slight frown as his eyes shifted upward.
Although he had told Twinrova he would be returning to Hyrule, he hadn't. Not yet, anyway. The tiny southern island where the Gerudo currently found himself was hardly even that, more of a scrape of rock that jutted out of the sea than a real landmass. Ganondorf snorted distastefully. He hadn't come here to enjoy the scenery. He'd come here to think. He needed solitude.
Ganondorf was often described as an angry person, hidden underneath a calm exterior. Like many of royal descent, he'd been practically trained in the art of masking emotion. Emotions were for common folk, who could afford the weakness. Any person who might have observed the black-armored man as he sat contemplating the horizon, would have thought him completely at ease.
Despite a tranquil stare, something indeed was troubling the King, and as he stared into the fiery glow that was the horizon, a second, more violent fire seemed to burn behind his eyes, causing the brows of the powerful man to furrow deeply.
Something was troubling him.
He couldn't understand what it was, it was almost a fancy, as if his mind were creating troubles for him to conquest in the absence of real foes. Maybe it was just his boredom-scourged mind.
Then again, maybe it wasn't.
Ganondorf reflected. It had started in Clock Town, in the Observatory. Something vague, like the disease of knowing that a foe was near. He'd been intent on discovering the newcomers for some reason — Boss Blind's news of refugees had piqued his interest. The dread feeling had passed as soon as he'd left the Observatory, only to return again once he'd encountered the Mayor's whelp. It was almost as if the wind had eyes-
The Gerudo shook his head. He'd never been superstitious, but then again, he'd never allowed any hunch he'd had to go undisclosed. Ganondorf did not want to wonder, he wanted to know. He liked control- no, he commanded it.
One fist clenched convulsively at the thought, squeezing a handful of sand. The Gerudo relaxed, feeling the tiny grains shift under powerful pressure. As a child he'd often sat for hours, letting the sands of his desert home run through his fingers like dry water. He'd been told as he played that someday his power would be as impossible to comprehend as it would be to count the grains of a single handful of sand. Somehow this comforted him, and allowed him to take further stock of his situation.
There had also been the encounter with Twinrova. He had been almost furious with their sudden arrival and their doting, as if he required constant supervision. Stupid harridans, Ganondorf thought. They meddle too much for their own good. And then, having the cheek to suggest he leave for Hyrule at once?
It's almost as if they wanted me to leave, and quickly. What were they up to? Neither had been able to hide the look of selfish concern reflected in their bulbous eyes. There had been something worrying them, and the fact that they hadn't bothered to inform him made him suspicious.
The last straw had been the dream, though.
Ganondorf thought he was incapable of having dreams. After all, his every whim was granted in real life, why waste his time imagining what he could already possess? Swallowing, the King tried to make sense of this. If dreams were not fancies, often they were replays of memory. But his dream hadn't been like any memory he'd ever experienced.
The dream had first placed him in complete darkness. In it, he'd been unable even to see his hands in front of his face. The King had felt a sudden panic — for this darkness was too much like the half forgotten prison of the Sacred Realm — and spun around in confusion. Then, as if following a single signal, the darkness around him had lit up with millions of points of illumination — stars — that completely filled his vision. The dream denied him the ability to blink, and not even covering his eyes would block out the stars. Filled with a sudden lust to extinguish the stars that defied him, the Gerudo King's dream self had flown into a rage, throwing every iota of power and ability that he owned in attempt to put out the stars, and the light that would not leave him alone. But despite all his anger and frustration, nothing he could do would darken the stars. With a final roar of rage, the Gerudo King had woken up, his dream roar fading smoothly into a real one.
Ganondorf's teeth ground together as the sun disappeared completely beneath the horizon, making way for silvery-lined purples and pastel rose hues as the night sky encroached. The King growled softly to himself, garnering a snort from his stallion. The dark horse lifted its head and stared, as if concerned for its master's well being.
Turning his head towards the sky, the Gerudo's brow deepened again as the stars began to appear. The stars in his dream had been in patterns — constellations — that matched the real night sky. He'd never been an avid sky watcher, nor had he ever put much faith in astrology, finding it fanciful rubbish. Still, Twinrova had once told him that the constellations had ancient symbolism. Maybe his dream had acquired similar representations.
As the sky darkened further, it darkened the frame of an equally dark man, as the carrier of the Triforce of Power sat, watched the stars, and pondered awhile.
It would be a full moon tonight.
*****
The portal's end was much like its beginning for Timbre: a confusing maelstrom of whirling color and discombobulating twists and turns that had him completely mystified as to which way was actually up. Though he'd only been in it for a few moments, already the sensation was making him feel quite ill.
With a startling abruptness, the portal sneezed the youth out, and Timbre found himself falling through sudden darkness.
Aw no-
SPLASH.
Tael, whose ability to hover had allowed him the privilege of defying gravity, stared downwards, his light slowly illuminating the scene below into which his friend had disappeared.
Purple light reflected off of the soil of an underground grotto, aqueous patterns playing themselves across the walls. Under closer inspection, Tatl discovered why — there was water down there, and the sounds of someone splashing about below.
"Hey, you alright there?" Tael called out
There was a splutter, then a reply. "Just finethis water is cold!"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Tael hovered down. Timbre was floating neck deep in the muddy water, and as his dazzled eyes slowly adjusted, he laughed quietly.
"Wellat least the silver dust is gonna get washed off" With that he sucked in a breath and ducked underwater, breaking the surface a moment's later with a loud gasp. Water soaked hair fell in front of his eyes, and he dutifully cleared his vision. "Problem is that I'm soaked, and freezing of course"
Tael just shook his head, looking around the cavern. "This doesn't look like Hyrule-wait a second!" The fairy abruptly zipped away with a loud jingle. Flying a ways down the grotto, the violet light slipped around a corner, and disappeared, throwing the area back into darkness. Timbre watched dubiously as he started hauling himself out. He was dripping wet, but finally managed to find firm ground with his hands and dragged himself out of the pond with a sloshing noise. Rolling up on his side, he sighed, feeling water run down his back from his saturated mop of hair.
"Yeech" The earth smelled dank from the permeation of water, and the bank he was on was no better than a mudpie for comfort level. As Timbre hauled himself upright, his boots left the ground with squelching pops. "Mud"
"I'm right!" Tael yelled suddenly through the darkness. "It is Hyrulewe're justin a hole"
"How can you tell we're in Hyrule?" Timbre asked, shaking himself off like a dog, then proceeding to squeeze out his trenchcoat. The metal boomerang seemed no less damaged by a dunking in mud/water. There was only so much he could do though, as the coating of slimy mud was rather thick.
"Causewe're right by th' ranch," Tael replied. "So all we have t'do is haul you out of this hole, an' then we're set"
Timbre shook his coat one more time, put it back on, then walked slowly towards Tael's voice, careful not to trip or stumble on anything. "Oh." As he turned the corner, he was suddenly assaulted by the golden light of sunset as it filtered up through a hole about fifteen feet above them. Rubbing his gloves together, Timbre nodded, squinting. "Alrightguess I could climb that."
Tael shuddered and wrinkled his nose. "You're all muddy."
"Well" The youth flexed his shoulders and walked up to the incline, calculating good hand and footholds. "You would be too if you landed in a big muck puddle."
"You smell like a wet dog, too" Tael pointed out.
Timbre didn't bother looking over at the fairy, but shrugged. "Makes sense, doesn't it? Then again, I've never been partial to the smell of wet human."
Tael persisted. "You sure you'll be able to climb that? I heard Wolfos can't climb stuff very wellthat's why there's walls and stuff around settlements"
But Timbre had already started climbing with a loud grunt. "WellI'm not a Wolfos, am I?"
Tael shut up. "Point taken."
Climbing was a little harder than Timbre had expected, and he felt his fingers convulsing a little before every step, his slippery palms threatening to lose purchase and send him crashing to the floor below. Not that a fall would really injure him in any waybut it would still hurt his dignity. Too bad this hole was too deep for a wolf to simply jump out, or climb four-legged. However, the incline was too steep to make this a possibility, and the lack of opposable thumbs wouldn't help any at the moment.
Tael had little more to do than hover and watch, as any advice he could give would be useless. After all, how often did a fairy climb? A truly sturdy hand or foothold was harder to sight by eye. "Ermtry that root — the one sticking out by your right hand."
As Timbre tentatively reached for the root, a soft grumbling echoed ominously throughout the cavern.
Tael jumped, his head turning about in a pensive fashion. "W-what was that?" The frightened fairy bobbed in the air.
Timbre's green eyes crossed a little as he mumbled, "Erthat was my stomachI guess I'm a bit hungry," he admitted sheepishly. He was also parched, something he wished he'd realized when he'd been neck deep in water. Then again, the water had been pretty muddy and probably not very drinkable. UghEven thinking about water seemed to make his tongue cake to the roof of his mouth.
Tael smirked. "Well, you were wandering down those caves for who-knows-how-long. Makes sense. You gonna be alright?"
Timbre was now nearly at the top, and squinting from the red-hued sunset now glaring into his face. He could see lazy tussocks of grass looping over the well-defined edge of earth. "Yeah, I'll be fine, jus' as soon as I get out of-aaaack!"
"Out of aaack?" Tael raised an eyebrow.
Timbre's outburst hadn't been uncalled for. Something blotted out the sun's glare for an instant as it sailed into the hole, colliding with the youth's face in a compact feathery mass. The unknown assailant also happened to possess a beak and claws, and the scratching creature distracted Timbre for a vital second in which he completely lost his grip on the wall. Feeling himself slip away, the youth could only wail as gravity reared its ugly head.
"Oh nooooo!-"
THUD.
Tael winced, then hovered anxiously over to the stunned youth, who now laid flat on his back at the bottom of the muddy hole, spread eagled as if he were making snow angels. The Cucco that had chosen such an inopportune moment to jump into the hole fluttered around in a frenzy, clucking and screeching as its disoriented panic ran its course. Tael tried to ignore it.
"Timbre? Are you dead?"
Timbre opened one ironic eye. "No." He groaned. "Not yet, anyway," he added slowly.
Tael smirked. "Back to square one."
Timbre's eyes were following the path of the Cucco. "That bird better not sit still for too long," he remarked. "I might just eat it out of spite." Thinking about food made his stomach growl again.
"Erlet's not be hastyit's probably one of the ranch birdsit probably just jumped in here on accidentonto your face."
Timbre ventured to sit up, still a bit dizzy from the fall. As if to add insult to injury, the Cucco squawked and jumped with a kick of wings, landing square on top of the bewildered youth's head. It nestled cheekily in his hair, apparently pleased with its texture despite its current muddiness.
"Hey, get off my head!" Timbre snapped, trying to yank the offending avian off. However, the stubborn poultry refused to be dislodged, and only dug its talon-adorned claws painfully into his scalp as he attempted to remove it. "Ow ow ow! Fine! Stay on therebut mark my wordsyou are one plucked bird when I get out of here" With that the tempered Timbre stood, marched angrily over to the wall, and began climbing it again with a relish.
Tael shook his head. "At least he's motivated."
The second attempt was speedier at the first, partially due to experience, and partially due to pure irateness. The only real nuisance was proving to be the settled Cucco, who insisted on digging talons into Timbre's muddy scalp every time it sensed its center of balance shifting too much. As the climb became more vertical, Timbre was forced not to look up in order to stop it from hurting him. The youth gritted his teeth, feeling the sun beat down his neck again.
"There ya go," Tael praised. "Almost there-"
Suddenly, a new, larger silhouette blocked the light filtering into the hole. They heard a musical female voice exclaim, "Oh there you arehow'd you get down there, Clucky?"
Timbre froze as he felt a pair of hands reach down towards his head, abruptly seize the Cucco, and try to forcefully lift it despite its current firm anchorage in his hair.
"YEOUCH!"
Malon, the owner of both the Cucco and the voice, jerked backwards at the shriek, inertia forcefully taking the Cucco with her. Tangled in the bird's claws were two small clumps of fine dark hair. She fell back into the grass with an oof.'
Meanwhile, down in the hole, Timbre impulsively clutched at his agonized scalp with both hands, remembering only too late his current position. Gravity promptly did its job. Again.
"Oh nooooo!-"
THUD.
The farmgirl gasped at the shout, and took action. Depositing the Cucco gently on the ground, Malon crawled towards the edge of the hole, peering downwards. "H-hello?!"
A small violet fairy exited the hole and stood on the edge, glaring up at her balefully. "Now you've done it," he remarked. "If the first fall didn't kill him, wellthe second one probably did."
The redhead looked aghast. "Who was that? He's not really dead, is he?"
Tael just shook his head at her. "No," he admitted, "but you and your bird have been doing a marvelous job of attempting to make him dead." The fairy glared at the Cucco as well, which was now foraging around as if none of the ordeal had ever happened.
"Oh dear, I hope I haven't hurt him," Malon said, chewing her lower lip. "It's justI wasn't expecting someone to be down thereI thought it was just my bird down thereif I d known it was attached to someonehello?" She called again into the dark hole as she heard movement.
"What?" grumbled a voice, sounding doubly dazed. "Is it time for breakfast yet?"
Malon stared, confused. "Noit's still dusk out., why?"
"CauseI think I'm in the mood for some chicken soup," grated the voice hungrily.
"Go on Tim," said Tael encouragingly, "Third time's the charm, right?"
Malon stood, brushing dead grass off of her apron. "I'll be back," she promised. "I'll find a rope so he doesn't fall down againoh dear" the worried farmgirl hurried off towards the farmhouse, scooping the wayward Cucco up in her arms as she passed. Tael watched her go, listening with silent bemusement at Timbre's petulant monologue.
"and after the soupmaybe some Cucco pot pieor maybe Cucco cacciatorewith a little casserole on the side! And then I could make stock out of the bones-darnit!"
"What's wrong?" Tael asked, still watching for Malon as he spoke.
"Th' root I was using at this part got torn out during the last fallI'm gonna need a boost upor something to pull me out of here"
"Don't worrythe redhead coming back with a rope."
"RedheadMalon! So that's who that was" Timbre voice sounded bemused. "Thought it sounded familiar." His voice almost had a note of disappointance.
Tael wasn't about to ask how Timbre knew the farmgirl, so he just waited silently for the woman's return. With no small talk to fill in the blanks, Timbre's epicurean monologue on Cucco-themed menu items soon returned. By the time Malon returned, he almost had gotten Tael's stomach gurgling as well.
Malon didn't return empty handed. Slung over her shoulder was a sizable length of strong rope, and behind her jogged a short, rotund man with an abnormally large nose.
"Evenin'," murmured the sleepy-looking man with a yawn. Nodding to the fairy, he stooped down and peered over the lip of the hole. "Evenin' to you as well," he called down into the darkness.
"Fried CuccoCucco Cordon Bleu-oh, hello" Timbre peered up at the bulky silhouette and nodded, not sure if Talon could actually see him or not.
"Hold still a bit, Tim," Tael yelled down. "They brought a rope."
Nodding, the sleepy farmer got to work. Looping one end of the rope around a nearby boulder, he tied it off and threw the loose end down the maw of the deep hole. "Grab onto that if y'can, feller, we'll try'n haul you out."
The rope dangled in front of Timbre, who carefully navigated his way over to it, managing to catch the end. Unable to tie himself up without risking another fall, he instead clung on grimly with both arms, legs braced against the dirt wall as if he were rappelling.
Talon grunted in approval as he saw the rope go taught, then taking hold of it, began to tug it powerfully upwards, hand over hand. The farmer might have had a lazy demeanor, but his forearms were strong and his frame heavy. Malon, as soon as she saw what her father was doing, joined him, her own contributions making the job go twice as fast. Tael hovered and watched in interest.
Down in the hole, Timbre slowly walked up the wall as he felt himself being tugged forcefully upward. Gritting his teeth, he locked his shoulders so that he wouldn't fall again. As the edge of the hole came within reaching distance, Timbre chanced his luck enough to make a grab for the rim.
Talon and Malon saw the rope slacken, and a single black-gloved hand throw itself out of the hole, latching onto the soft grass. Talon strode forward, and lying down on his stomach, reached down into the hole. A moment later he drew back, hauling a very muddy young man by the back of his equally muddy trenchcoat. Timbre coughed and flopped down on the ground, squinting in the dying sunlight.
Tael applauded. "That was well done."
Talon puffed a couple times, chuckling. Pulling himself upright, he smirked at Timbre. "You're a lot lighter than y'look, boy. Prolly a fortunate thing, though. Dunno if I'da been able to yank you out if you were much heavier."
Timbre was a mess. He looked down at himself and grimaced. He was liberally coated in muddy streaks, and both his boots were saturated with the stuff. His hair was plastered down in places, not to mention his scalp still hurt. The Destiny Stone was thankfully undamaged, although it too was smeared and dirty with mud. It now resembled a dirt clod more than a pendant. The scratches from the cave-in were caked in mud and beginning to sting, though thankfully the silver dust had been mostly washed away by the initial dunking. That, coupled with a black eye and a hungry stomach probably garnered Malon's slightly critical eye.
Kneeling down, she started fussing over him like a mother bird. "Oh dear, you're really a mess, y'know that?"
Thanks, I hadn't noticed. Timbre sighed, too tired and hungry to object to prodding.
Talon shook his head. "Always a fussbudget, just like your motherand you haven't even been properly introduced! M'names Talon, co-proprietor of Lon-Lon Ranch."
"I'm Malon," said the redhead as she continued to prod. "Thank goodness you didn't break any bones when you fell, er-"
"Timbre," said the youth, managing to pull himself gently away from Malon as he stood. He worked about wiping off the Destiny Stone, which was currently unresponsive. "I'm grateful for your help, reallysorry about the trouble."
"Eh, none at all, Timbre!" Talon smiled. "All in a day's workwe've had cows fall down there before, an' that's worse, trust methough I can't help but wonderhow'd you fall down in there in th' first place? You from Kakariko?"
Kakariko! Timbre jerked upright, one hand flying to the pocket containing the boomerang. "Eryeah! I wasit's a long story." What was he doing? He had to get to the village! Resisting the urge to just take off running, Timbre continued. "I'm really grateful that you helped me out, but I really have to get going-"
"Going? But don't you want to at least get that mud off of you?" Malon looked stern. "And if you're as skinny as you are light, you got to be at least a little hungry"
Timbre's stomach gurgled. Its owner glared at it rebelliously. You can't win right now, there are more important things to do. "Nothanks, but I really have to get back to Kakariko. It's very important."
"Kakariko? You'll never make it before dark, and even if you did-" Malon shook her head. "The Field isn't a very pleasant place this time of day. Wild monsters out and all. And it's a full moon-"
Timbre shrugged, picking some dried mud out of his hair. "I'll live," he said. "I know I must sound crazy right now, but trust methis is really important. I have todeliver something."
Talon, who'd listened to this exchange in relative complacent silence, suddenly spoke up. "If he says it's important, Malon, I think th' best we can do is take it to heart."
"Bu-"
Talon looked at his daughter reprovingly. "Stranger things have happened in Hyrule," he said, repeating the age-old proverb. Turning to Timbre, he smiled. "When y'get to Kakariko, if you see a Deku Scrub an' a Skull Kid there, tell em we send our regards."
Malon's eyes suddenly widened, and she looked at her father. Is he one of the people those two were looking for? Talon merely winked at his daughter, nodding. So the redhead bowed her head. "You're at least going to need to be able to defend yourself," she said stubbornly.
Timbre held up the boomerang, and it glinted brightly in the dying light of the sun. "I'll be fine, really" Tael fluttered wordlessly to his shoulder as he turned and started walking towards the entrance of the ranch.
Malon and Talon followed, though the redhead still had questions. "What do you have to deliver?"
No harm in telling them a bit, I suppose. "Erjust something that needs to be repaired," he said vaguely. He didn't catch Talon's knowing nod. "It's just really important, I can't say more than that."
"So important," Malon continued, "That you're willing to go out into Hyrule Field, not just at night, but on the night of the full moon? The Wolfos are frenzied to begin with, buttonight they'll be ten times worse!"
"I'm flattered you're so concerned," Timbre said, "but reallyI'll be fine"
This circular conversation continued all the way to the entrance of the Ranch, now flooded in darkness, the only true light coming from the pinpoints of stars, and the dull glow of the full moon that was just starting to rise.
Malon sighed. "You're still going, aren't you? Despite the danger and everything?"
Timbre smirked. "Yep. Thanks for your helpmaybe someday I'll be able to return the favor."
"Hey" Malon looked dubious after he said this. "UmI dunno, if you happen to see a big roan mare out someplace, she's got a white mane and tail, goes by the name of Eponaloves music and singingcould you possibly bring her back?"
Timbre flinched slightly. "What happened? Was she stolen?"
"No" Malon fidgeted. "She jumped the fence and ran offI'm a bit worriedshe's not usually that panicky. If you could"
Timbre nodded. "I'll do my best," he promised, feeling a bit awkward about just leaving.
Talon stepped forward, and plunked a bottle into Timbre's right hand. "Here ya go, for th' road."
Timbre looked down at the bottle, which was labeled in Hyrulian Script: Lon Lon Milk. His stomach turned a happy loop-the-loop, and Timbre grinned.
"Thanks. For everything. And I mean thatI'm sorry I have to take off like this"
"I understand," Talon said with a smile. "Oh, and when you get to Kakarikotell Vulcan that I said hello, and that I wish him luck."
Timbre stared back at the farmer, who just smiled again and waved. He knows, the youth suddenly realized with a funny jolt.
"Hey, you going or not?" Tael suddenly hissed in his ear. "Pause much longer and you probably will end up staying the night!"
Timbre actually laughed and waved back, his reflective green eyes glowing like twin stars in the pale moonlight. The farmer and his daughter stood and watched as his form was slowly swallowed up by the deepening night, until only the tiny pinprick of violet that was Tael was visible. And even that disappeared as they topped the cresting hill, headed towards Kakariko.
"What a weird guy," Malon remarked under her breath.
"That's what they all say," Talon remarked idly. "Of course, at least until they save the world. Then they're just called heroes.'"
*****
Tael's light wasn't needed for long; soon after the moon had risen enough to flood the night plains with its ethereal, dampened color. Everything took on a half-hearted blue-violet tone, and even the brightest hues were muted, as if in respect for the night.
Timbre inhaled and exhaled loudly, pausing at the foot of a grassy tussock to sit down.
"Hey, I thought we were going to Kakariko"
"We are, don't worry." Timbre pulled out the bottle of milk, popped the cork, and sniffed it. "I just need something in my stomach first, otherwise it'll be bad for me."
"Bad?" Tael raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me wolves go crazy during the full moon, or something like that."
Taking a swig, Timbre shook his head. "No, what gave you that idea?"
"Well, I had heard stories like thatI mean, Wolfos-"
Leaning on his knees, Timbre gave the fairy a scrutinizing look. "I've told you before, I'm not a Wolfos. Do you want to know why things go supposedly crazy' during the full moon?"
"Sure, why?"
Another gulp, and Timbre re-corked the bottle, now only half-full. "Because, well, look up at the moon. What's different about the sky tonight?"
"Well, the moon's up there, all shiny-"
"Exactly. It's shedding a ton of light down onto earth, even though it's nighttime. Which means things are going to be more active with more light for them to see by, doesn't that make sense?"
"I suppose it does. But that still means that Wolfos are everywhere. Hunting."
Timbre nodded. "That's why I'm gonna have to be quick about this." Stowing the bottle in a pocket, the youth pulled off his trenchcoat. Putting the boomerang in the middle of it, he rolled it up into another makeshift bundle. Wrapping it tightly so that it wouldn't come done accidentally, he looked up at Tael for approval. "Think that'll work? I can change and carry it there this way, and be more than twice as fast about it. And if anything bad's up ahead, I'll be able to smell it first."
The fairy nodded. "Alright then."
Timbre looked down at the still slightly muddy Destiny Stone. "Alright?"
The Stone turned an obedient green, but otherwise remained indifferent.
No sooner had it responded when Timbre the wolf rolled up into a sit. Since his condition didn't improve, even if his form changed, he still made quite a muddy sight. Distastefully, he shook himself off, hoping to dislodge some of the more grainy clay particles, now caught in his fur.
Tael dodged some loose fluff that floated by, eerily lit up by the glow of the moon. "You almost ready?" he asked his companion, who was now busy scratching himself behind one ear.
One last shake, and Timbre stood, nodding. He bent his neck and retrieved the tightly wrapped boomerang, easily lifting it. The only problem with the setup was that he had to keep his mouth tightly clamped, otherwise the bundle would slip from his jaws. Of course, that would only be a real problem if there was a conflict-
Shaking his head of the thought, Timbre looked at Tael, and inclined his head in a silent suggestion that he hold on so as not to be left behind. The fairy nodded in response, and took up his now-familiar place, clamped to the wolf's right ear.
As soon as he felt the fairy clinging to his ear, Timbre stood, sniffed the wind, and then headed off at a brisk trot towards the northeast. He grimaced, as the cold night air was just as stiff and stale as it was during the day. Even though he was outside, the rank dusty smell seemed to follow them, and the wolf snorted in disgust.
"Something wrong?" Tael murmured quietly. Timbre shook his head, and the fairy stifled a quiet yelp as he was nearly flung away. Regaining his composure, he laughed nervously. "How bout we set up a systemtwitch your right ear for yes,' and your left ear for no,' okay?"
Timbre's right ear twitched, then he suddenly lowered his head, charging down an incline along the long grass. Tael swallowed and clung on for dear life.
It was an exuberant feeling for Timbre, and if anything, calmed his nerves a little. For some reason, he often felt at ease the most when he was moving as fast as he could. It certainly was an exhilarating feeling, when he was running full tilt across the landscape, wind rippling through his fur as he went. It was times like this when he sometimes nearly forgot himself.
As the wolf neared the crest of the next hill, he suddenly tore himself away from his running as his sensible side screamed at him. Now was definitely not the time to lose sight of his purpose! He dug his claws into the ground, suddenly screeching to a halt with a half-spin that turned him sideways. He stopped, pausing right before the sheer pinnacle of the ascent. Here he contemplated the field a moment, ears flickering forward as he sniffed again.
The wolf smelled blood. He whimpered quietly, and hunkered down, peering tentatively across the field.
"Is NOW something wrong?" Tael squeaked, disgruntled at the constant jostling.
Timbre's right ear twitched, and Tael swallowed, his line of sight following along Timbre's pointing nose.
Illuminated duskily in the full moonlight were several shapes. Light glinted dully on the dry boned shapes of six Stalchildren, their crimsoned knife-hands twitching spasmodically as they tensed to attack. They were battling, surrounded by five Wolfos, the hulking dark shapes radiant like greased oil in the still of the stale nocturnal luminosity. The wild animals, a few already wounded by telltale slashes, were slowly closing in on the skeletal monsters, their echoing snarls reaching the ears of the two eavesdroppers.
Tael watched in abject horror as the two sides suddenly erupted into a savage melee, kicking up dead grass and dirt in their struggles. They were too far away to see most of what was going on, although brief flashes of slashing claws and screams of agony from both sides told them that the battle was ferocious.
Though much of the attack was masked by darkness, from time to time individual monsters could be picked out as they dove back into the fight. Timbre choked at one point as he saw a Wolfos break away from the battle, raked from shoulders to haunches in long red gashes. The monster roared and threw itself back at the Stalchild that had caused its wounds.
"Ugh" Tael shuddered. "Why're they fighting each other?"
Timbre shrugged, though he knew why. The Wolfos were literally famished, so desperate was their hunger that even the undead weren't safe from being hunted. The very thought was horrifying and sickening, yet he couldn't bring himself to turn away from the battle, either.
The battle slowly lulled, and the choking dust began to settle, pale moonlight highlighting several conspicuous shapes that no longer moved from their places on the ground. Only three Wolfos were left, and though they were grievously injured, they were clearly the victors. Strewn about them like ninepins were the broken, gleaming bones of the Stalchildren.
The famished monsters flung themselves upon their spoils with a relish, snapping and snarling at each other as they fought to claim the most bones. Their jaws easily snapped even the largest of the bones as they gnawed frantically at the pitiful remains, desperate to leech any nourishment out of them whatsoever. When the bones were splintered, the three immediately turned upon each other for the fragments.
Tael was horrified into wide staring eyes. "Two of their own dead, and all they care about is their bellies," he said. "Then againthey're famishedugh!"
Timbre's right ear twitched, though it was currently flicked backwards with his left in completely revolted agitation. Even if he was ultra-quiet and gave the group a wide berth, there was still a chance of them being spotted. And currently, the monsters lay between them and Kakariko Village. And if they spotted themwell, the Wolfos had already proven that they found practically anything consumablehe turned his head away as the Wolfos turned towards their dead.
Tael winced and turned away as well. "Ughthat could've been usgood thing you stopped and noticed them."
YeahTimbre was feeling edgy at how close that call had been. If he hadn't stopped himself from running- "Grrf"
"So what're we gonna do?" Tael murmured, looking grim.
Timbre didn't answer directly. Instead he began crawling along the edge of the incline, keeping his head and ears down. It was slow going, hunkered down as he was, but he was determined to give the grisly scene a wide berth. He pointedly ignored the loud snarlings and crunchings, focusing all his attention on not being seen.
Things were going well, until Tael suddenly stiffened and yelped. Timbre winced as the fairy frantically started pulling on his ear, as if he wanted him to turn his head. Growling a little, Timbre did so carefully, and realized what had made the fairy yell.
A fourth Wolfos stood on the opposite hillcrest, staring directly at them.
Timbre's legs seemed to suddenly stop working, and he found himself completely paralyzed by the hungry feral stare the larger creature held him in. All he could do was berate himself inside his own mind. Idiot! You were so intent on what was in front of your nose, you didn't even see what was behind you! Meanwhile, the Wolfos showed its glimmering teeth in a hideous parody of a grin, then threw its head back, howling.
Timbre shuddered fitfully as the cry echoed through the moonlit night, causing the three other injured beasts to immediately pick up their heads, and turn in his direction. They still looked famished and dangerous, despite their open wounds.
"Oh no," Tael moaned. "This can't be good."
*****
I'll say it now, that last bit gave me the willies just trying to write it. And I apologize for the cliffhanger, and my complete shirking of updates. It's been a long road to working and such, and so if updates are slow, I apologize. I hope my writing's not becoming too trite. Therefore I have a simple request: if you review, could you tell me one thing you DID like and one thing you DIDN'T like about this chapter, or the story in general? Like, is there anything grammatically annoying? Do I use certain phrases over and over again? Do I blatantly misuse words? Stuff like that. It would help me out a lot. Thank you so much everybody!
Well, that's all. Thanks to everyone who's helped out or reviewed or anything of that nature! ^_^!