"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!
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Aro*waves* It's been a while, eh? Well, so things go. Sometimes one's schedule is just so. But don't think I don't wanna update or anything! ^_^ Here's the next part, without further adieu! Remember, constructive and creative criticism is always gratefully accepted! It helps improve the story (or style thereof) and lets me know if I'm slagging off in areas. Thank you in advance!! *peers down at chapter* I hope I've got my basic physics down. Someone yell at me if I haven't, alright?
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"The Destiny Stone" — Chapter 22: The First Friend
The dark bird hurtled towards Link like a dark thunderbolt, talons wide and beak gaping, anticipating the moment when he would be within the monster bird's clutches. It took the space of a second for Link to realize that when (if!) the bird caught up to him, he was done for.
Abruptly Link's wings stalled, and he plummeted earthwards back first. His face turned upwards in abject horror as he saw inside the bird's mouth, the avian tongue lying across the threshold like a slimy, thick worm. Wishing he still had a shield, he forced himself to improvise before he was skewered, dismembered, or eaten whole. Bringing his sword up before his face into a standard blocking position, he braced himself.
CLANG.
The talons glanced off one by one as he brought his sword round into different blocks, parrying each individual claw as if he were merely in another sword duel. Meanwhile, he continued on his downward plummet. He was dimly aware of the land of Hyrule spiraling far below him, numbly wondering how far the wind had blown them since the encounter had first started.
CLANG.
Wincing, the Hylian realized that his fall was too slow; the wind dragging at his flailing limbs was slowing him, and allowing the Guay to gradually catch up with him. He was somewhat sure he could keep the bird at bay while only the talons came into play, but the moment it got close enough to start using that beak-
Well, now I know why Tatl wanted to avoid all of this, now. He kind of regretted having scorned her reaction to the Guays, now. Whatever, he thought irritably. If wishes were feathers I'd be able to fly.
Wait a secondflying!
Link rolled over, and his wings folded in neatly as if he'd done this a hundred times before. As he did so, he felt the wind resistance slowly ebb as his form streamlined. Battle savvy and common sense told him to fold in his arms too, and he did so, his sword point catching at the top of his left boot. Then he dived.
He squinted heavily through flapping bangs as Hyrule Field spread out before him like a target, wisps of haze fluttering like expensive silks over the land. Moving as fast as he was, he chanced a hasty glance backwards, his hat wobbling behind him like a kite. The pursuing Guay had folded in its wings and copied his dive, though he was glad to see its body wasn't well equipped for major dives at high speeds. His smaller size made him slightly better off. He idly wondered if a fairy's body was built to handle this sort of everyday stress.
Well, if I pull this off — alive — I'll never look at a fairy the same way again. For all he winced at the thought of such a tiny and delicate creature, they really were rather remarkable.
Curling off to the left, Link left one more glance to chance, then snapped his wings open to stall his dive. The Guay, caught off guard by its quarry's sudden stall, was unable to maneuver to the side fast enough. Nor was it able to stop its own dive. Link smiled in grim satisfaction as the Guay slammed by him at high speeds. This smile turned into a guffaw as the Guay actually collided with another of its kind, which had been flying up from below. The two birds instantly forgot him as they squabbled in midair, tearing feathers from each other until they floated all around like a black cloud.
Well, I didn't plan that, but that was pretty awesome. Taking the brief respite as precious breathing time, Link jerked his head upwards, looking for Tatl and the others.
The moment Tatl had noticed the danger Link was in, she'd grabbed both Nick and Kafei's wrists. "Hang on!" she warned.
The next instant she threw herself down, plowing through half a dozen buffeting wind currents as dozens of Guays flew all around them like marauding sharks. Ignoring both of her comrades' cries of alarm, Tatl pushed all her efforts into reaching her final charge. She reached him moments after the midair collision.
Link smirked as Tatl dropped down to his level, Nick and Kafei panting and breathing in short gasps from the wild plummet.
Tatl squinted downwards at the two fighting birds. "Where did you learn a stunt like that?" she asked Link in consternation.
Link just shrugged. "Dunno. I just do stuff sometimes in battle, and it usually seems to work."
She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I've just never seen someone manage to knock themselves unconscious that quickly before."
Link half-frowned. "Just lucky, I guess."
"Well, you'd better hope that luck lasts," Tatl interjected. "Because we've still got a whole flock of these things to deal with. That was just the scouting guard."
"But-" Kafei looked slightly worried. "Between all of us we've got only two small swords, my pocketknife, and Nick's dirk. And we're outnumbered-"
"Never say die," Tatl said. "On our own, I'd say we have no chance. But!"
Nick's eyes roved around warily, watching the birds circling ever closer from above. "But?"
"If we work together, we might make it. Anyhow, we're not trying to fight, we're going to have a time of it just trying to get out of this alive. If we can manage to run for it, I think we'll have done quite well for ourselves." Tatl crossed her arms after this short speech.
"The one problem is," Link said quietly. "Is that they aren't going to let us have an opening for escape. Not if they're a flock." He'd battled groups of creatures enough to know that in a scenario like this, they would always end up surrounded. He also wasn't too keen on making a run for it,' as Tatl had put it.
"Mmm," Kafei agreed hastily. He pointed at the formation of Guays that, although still far off, were quickly forming a sphere about them. "See, it's happening already. They're circling underneath, so we can't simply head for the ground below."
"I wish I couldbecause then three of us would turn back to normal, and-" Link didn't have to finish his sentence. The others knew what would be in store for the Guays if they tried attacking him full-sized.
"The point is we can't," Tatl pointed out. "If we stick together, we might be able to squeeze through those defenses and get down to the ground. However, it's going to take a lot of fancy flying and a lot of luck. And having a faint heart won't help much."
The three males looked at each other and nodded at the same time. "Righ'," Nick said for all three of them. "Well, Ta'l, yo're th' bes' flier, seein as yo' th' real fairy an' we're th' converts. So, what'll we do?"
The Guays circled closer as Tatl pulled all of them into a brief but informative huddle. Demonstrating a few hand signals, she gave them some final instructions. "I'll point when we need to change direction, just in case you don't hear me in this wind. We'll be going pretty fast as it is. I suppose you'll just have to watch me closely. If I roll, you roll. If I flip, you flip. Got that?"
"Erwhat other options we got?" Kafei smirked crookedly. "I just hope you don't do anything too advanced. We're only beginners."
Tatl shrugged almost sympathetically. "Here's hoping things will work. I'll be in lead. Just follow my trail, I'll be looking back every minute or so. I don't want to lose anyone, so be sure to look out for each other. Link especially. No offense, Link, but I've seen houseflies with better wind sense."
Link glowered, but swallowed the retort before it escaped his throat. Now wasn't the time for petty bickering, as he noticed the birds closing in a little too closely for his comfort. While a few minutes ago the sphere' had been about 50 meters in diameter, it was now more like 10.
"You ready?" Tatl asked them, cracking her knuckles.
Link, Kafei, and Nick all nodded seriously.
"Right then! Go!" Tatl twisted sharply to the left and sped off with a blur of wings, closely followed by the three in her charge. Kafei sheathed his sword in able to keep his hands free, though Link did not. All around them, as if in formation for an air show, were the Guays. Harsh cries echoed back and forth from beak to beak. As their movement was noted, the entire flock seemed to move as one to block their way.
"Left!" they heard Tatl's voice ring out as she swept her hand out in the same direction. All three copied her twist and roll, though none as well practiced as the true fairy. Kafei sucked in a breath of precious air as his back muscles twinged. Normal strain was one thing, but the high-speed aerobatics Tatl was forcing them into was another. But necessity seemed to make him able to do things he wouldn't have dreamed of even hours before.
"Left!" Came the fairy's call again, along with the hand signal. She half-spun around, dropping a yard feet first before resuming a course that took them on a zigzagging trail moving downwards at a diagonal. Spinning heavily to keep up with her, Kafei bit his lip as one of the Guays passed directly overhead like it was about to stoop. However, it didn't, and the purple-haired Hylian couldn't help but feel like he was being herded. Squinting, he rubbed his forearms across his eyes, which were watering from the high winds. He nearly collided with Nick in midair, only saving himself by ducking before their shoulders crashed.
"Oy! Sorry bou i'!" he heard the Volcanian yell, muffledly. Nick had drawn his dirk, though he was keeping the blade clenched in his teeth to keep his hands free.
Suddenly, Tatl banked sharply, dropping like a stone. She'd apparently spotted an opening below them. Peering forwards, Link recognized far below him the western edge of Lon Lon Ranch, barely even a smudge within the brownness of Hyrule Field. "Tatl!" He yelled hastily. "We've gone too far west! Any further and we'll miss Hyrule altogether!"
"I know that, but it can't be helpedwe're still up in the current, thanks to these stupid bir-VEER RIGHT!" Tatl's yells cut off rather abruptly as she threw herself in the opposite direction, an instant before a Guay slammed into her from below.
Nick, Link, and Kafei followed her lead, slightly buffeted about as the wind current whooshed by them. Link floundered, as his sword was proving to be a slight encumbrance. Tatl curved back in a wide circle, the surrounding Guays pulling again so that the fairies were caught in the center of them. The 10-yard diameter had now shrunk to a 5 yard one, and Tatl bit her lip, frustrated. There was now a definite air of doom in the air, with nearly three dozen Guays circling them.
"I don't know, guys" she murmured, her voice almost lost in all the graacks' and screams from their tormenters. "They're being very tenacious."
"Rather," Kafei agreed. "Lot of a fuss for just a couple of us, yeah?"
"It all comes back to the land," Link said miserably. "It's dyingeverything is slowly beginning to starvemonsters and animals, and that makes em desperate."
"Desperate enough to be this determined to get us," Tatl said. "I'm sorry, but I don't think there's not going to be any running away from this."
Nick sighed, his dirk flipping idly in his hand. "Y'can' jus' give up li' tha, y'know!" He ground his teeth together. "We was countin' on ya!"
"I know!" Tatl actually sounded fretful, as if genuinely sorry about the situation. Then again, she probably was. "I wish I could think of a way out of this one," she said finally.
"We will," Link said suddenly. "Think of a way out, I mean. Well, we kind of have to at this point, yeah?"
"M'yah," Nick turned his eyes heavenward. "Thinkin' caps on, folks."
They floated in a kind of miserable silence for a while. The sphere of birds was slowly becoming less and less dense, as the avians closed in on their quarry. Everybody's eyes were turned in a different direction, as they forced themselves to think. However, panic was slowly settling in, and soon even Tatl's shoulders slumped.
"I'm really sorry, you guys," she said quietly.
Losing his temper slightly, Link sliced his sword through the air. "Don't talk like that! It wasn't your fault this all happened, and you did your best, Tatl." His voice lowered gently. "If you hadn't been here we wouldn't have even made it this far."
"Yeah," Kafei agreed with a slight grin.
"Pointy at's got a poin'," observed Nick.
"And I don't know about you," Link smirked recklessly. "But I'm not exactly going to go without a fight."
"A fight! Link, you're brilliant!" Tatl nearly back flipped in mid-air. "Of course!"
Link laughed, trying and failing to appear modest. "What do you mean?"
Tatl pulled all of them closer until their foreheads practically banged together. "We've been evasive so far, and those birds have controlled our flight like herding cattle. But the moment we start biting back — it'll be every bird for itself. You saw how fast their cooperation failed when Link caused that midair collision. Lose enough of their group cohesion, and we might manage to break up this flock. And therefore, be able to break through."
"Well, it's certainly gutsy," Kafei remarked. He glanced at Link. "Though I think Link here's gonna be taking the plunge whether or not we agreed to it."
"You better believe it," Link muttered darkly.
"Mm, nuthin' li' a bunch've mauradin' pred'tors t' get y'blood boilin,' eh?" Nick giggled. "If w' buddy up, w'migh' b'able t' take a few ou', too."
"I'm all for it," Kafei said finally.
They all nodded grimly. This would either be their only chance — or their last stand.
"Well guys, if we don't make it-" Tatl began.
"We'll be pushin' th' daisies," Nick said sensibly. "Or side a Guay's gut."
"Thank you for that mental image," Tatl laughed nervously. "On the count of three then?"
"Right!"
"One-"
All four tensed up.
"Two-"
Link's knuckles shone white from his grip on his sword handle, and his aura seemed to brighten considerably. This should be fun.
"Three!!"
But even before this last word had passed Tatl's lips, the green Hylian had already twirled his sword, plummeting earthwards like a stone. The others shook their heads, but didn't comment, instead drawing appropriate weapons to join their friend. They all clearly saw him strike the nearest Guay with a yell and an explosion of ebony feathers.
Link was nearly surprised at his own ferocity as he plunged sword-first into the back of the Guay. The bird had time for one agonized squawk before it perished, and Link quickly withdrew his now crimsoned sword. Although exhilarated, and shocked at how easily it died, he knew almost instantly that it had been nothing more than a lucky shot. His sword angle had been completely perfect, that he'd managed to stab the sword directly and cleanly into its spinal cord. Instant kill. Link shook himself loose as the Guay's body quickly fell earthward.
Tatl and the others were yelling as the Guays about them froze, re-orienting on Link like he were suddenly magnetized. The female fairy blanched, and redoubled her efforts to reach her friend. "Now they're madthey're all gonna go for him at once!"
"But he'll be ripped to shreds!" Kafei protested.
"No' i' we gots' anythin' t'say bout it!" Nick hollered, before speeding downwards past Tatl. "C'mon!"
Kafei was about to join in the dive, when he turned to Tatl. "Here, you might need to protect yourself." He drew his ever-present dagger and handed it to her. "I know it isn't much, but-"
"Thanks." Tatl chewed her lip, then grinned. Maybe Link's fearlessness was starting to rub off on all of them. "Shall we?"
Kafei nodded, and they both dove towards the ever-increasing melee. Tatl did notice one thing other than the battle as she drew closer. While an hour ago they'd been high above Hyrule proper, the fields had now turned to nothing more than sandy wastes. They'd gone too far.
"Link!" She yelled though the explosion of dark feathers. "We're over the desert!"
"Yeah, I told you!" came the Hylian's grunt, keeping two monster birds at bay by spinning heavily in the air. "We'll have to double back or something!"
"Problem, though," she yelled. Her shouts were cut off as a Guay oriented its beak in her direction. She shrieked, jabbing Kafei's knife at the thing before it could close in. The bird squawked angrily, but desisted. Apparently they were lessoning themselves upon the dangers of a bladed weapon. After seeing Link's sword kill their brethren, they were conditioning on all blades as a danger. "Hmm. Yaaaah!" Tatl lunged forwards with her tiny blade grasped in her fist.
And the bird again squawked and backed off. "Incredible," she murmured. "Guys! They're learning to be afraid of blades! Just as I thought, they can't stand prey that bites back!"
"I w' noticin' tha," Nick whooped as he zipped by. "Dun' like it muchsom' th' more timid ones're backin' off, see?" The Volcanian pointed with his dirk as he passed again.
Tatl followed his line of sight. At least a third of the dark birds had broken away from the flock, and was now winging low over the desert, heading further west. Their forms were suddenly swallowed up in a haze of sand, marking that far below them, a sandstorm was occurring.
Link, however, didn't seem to care how many were deserting, or how the weather was. He was more concerned with those still actively attacking. One more Guay had fallen victim to the Hylian's sword, thrust low across its neck. It made a sound like a deflating balloon as it died. Instantly, the three other Guays attacking the Hylian drew away with angry, fearful cries.
"That's right," Link spat. "Try it and you'll have more of the same!"
Tatl looked down. More and more Guays were deserting, as hard as it was to believe. Somehow, they'd managed to bluff them off enough to make them fearful. Despite their smaller size and numbers, tenaciousness and a little courage had saved the day.
Kafei and Nick laughed aloud, and Tatl herself couldn't help but give a little cheer herself. Link, however, wasn't in as celebratory a mood. He was tired, sweaty all over from exertion. Besides, he ached a little more than he usually did, probably from all the aerobatics Tatl had put him through. With a wheeze, he dropped his guard, doubling over in midair. "Whew" His sword hung loosely in his hand, coated in greasy red smears and a few downy black feathers.
Tatl was turned the other way, and didn't notice that one of the Guays Link had driven off had suddenly veered and doubled back. It swooped above the Hylian, folded its wings elegantly, and plummeted.
"Look out!"
Link's ears twitched at Kafei's sudden cry. Snapping up, he noticed too late the giant avian descending. He twisted around just in time to face the murderous claws.
"Yaaaaaah!"
The Guay struck Link with a sickening thud, burying its talons deep into his green tunic. Link winced as he felt the talons puncture the fabric. One of them hit a little deeper, scraping a long gash in his right side, and sending up flames of pain. However, the Guay's ferocious attack had one particular folly: entangled in the tunic, and slightly panicked, the bird suddenly had only one weapon left; its beak. It drew its long neck back to stab the Hylian though the chest. Link reacted automatically, hacking away randomly at the bird with the sword, aches and pains completely forgotten again. By some sheer stroke of brilliance, he managed to drive his sword into the bird's left wing, right below the shoulder joint. Crumpling uselessly, the Guay's wing was suddenly rendered useless,, and the bird suddenly found its power of flight removed.
Link could only yell aloud as he found the bird's talons ensnared too deeply in his tunic to extricate himself, and fell, still attached to his enemy. The Guay continued to stab gamely with its beak at the fairy still in its grasp. Nick, Tatl, and Kafei all cried in dismay as the bird's beak stabbed down again and again at their friend, though it was hard to tell if the bird's beak was finding its mark or not.
The Hylian swung his sword again, and this time his friends saw the sword point glinting in the sun, to find its mark deep within one of the bird's beady eyes. It cried out loudly, and spun wildly out of control.
All three stared in openmouthed horror as the topspinning bird, still with the Hylian clenched in a death-grip, plummeted to the scorched earth far below them, lost to view and disappearing like smoke into the cloud of the raging sandstorm.
*****
Kat couldn't sleep. Partially due to the warmth in her room, but mostly due to the worry that creased her brows, and made her pace uneasily all night, despite having been given reprieve from guard duty again. An uncomfortable knot in her gut had slowly wormed its way into her arms and legs like a malicious disease, making it seem like hot agony to sit still.
Legs hanging over the side of her bed, she sighed shakily. She felt as if she should be doing something. Some sorts of thoughts — anxious ones, mostly — flittered across her mind until the whole room seemed to spin.
She was worried about the village's safety. So far, Impa's barrier had held, but how long would that be enough to keep them safe? Food was beginning to become scarce, as the villagers turned towards the village's small emergency supply. There was no more fresh produce, save Cucco eggs and the milk from the village's one lone cow. Trying to support an entire community on a limited supply of dried flatbread and preserved meats and starchy vegetables — there wasn't any fruit — it was going to be tough times ahead. At least water wasn't a problem. The river took care of that, even though the well had dried up some time ago.
Then there were Kat's own worries to deal with, though she hardly felt worthy to worry about herself, not with so much less petty things to concern herself with. The girl groaned and levered herself off of the bed. So much for sleep. Dressing herself, she tiptoed downstairs, so as not to disturb anyone sleeping. As she left the house, she passed by the door to the guest room.
Benz, Aka, and Sond were being housed upstairs, though Kat hadn't seen wind of their downstairs guest in a while, not since the wolf's arrival several nights past. Impa had said she'd tended to his wounds, and talked with him a bit. Kat wasn't exactly sure how she'd managed, unless the Sheikah knew more than just the Hylian language. Then again, there was a lot about her teacher that she didn't know. Sheikah were infamous for being good at being mysterious.
The front door squeaked open, and Kat slipped out into the night air as quietly as she could. Outside of the house, several old Lon-Lon Milk crates were stacked. They'd been out of commission for as long as Kat could remember, and served mainly as somewhere to sit instead of the grass.
Kat took advantage of the crates, clambering up onto the top one with a small grunt. She'd dubbed this her thoughtful spot, and would often come to sit when she was just tired or needed to think. Now was one of those times.
Kat couldn't help but feel like she'd missed out on something. She'd always wanted to go on some sort of adventure, yet the opportunity seemed to have passed her by. Or did she just not remember? Sond had told her of her own adventures, but claimed that Kat had had an important role in them. But how? And why, if it was true, couldn't she remember? Impa seemed to believe the newcomer, as did Vulcan.
And then there was the issue of their new guest.' Kat had been rather intimidated, until something unexpected occurred. The so called monster' had blinked its desperate green eyes, and suddenly no longer appeared to be a monster. Sond had even ventured to call him friend,' claiming that Kat herself had known him as well.
Timbre. That's what his name is, she thought. Had she really known him before? Her first impulse was no,' but then why on earth had she suddenly decided he wasn't a danger? Something isn't right, she thought. And it's not them, either. It's got to be me who doesn't remember.
It could make sense. Before that huge storm years ago, before Ganondorf had taken over — she'd just been one of a dozen orphans in the village, living off of the kindness of the villagers, and the duty of Lady Impa, who'd decreed that no Hyrulian was ever to be counted among the homeless.
Back then, before she'd become Lady Impa's protégée, her job had been water carrier. It had been her duty to keep the orphanage's cistern full, and with a dozen other occupants in the house, it had gone empty very often. Back before the well had dried up, her job had been easy, but tedious. But things had been much less complicated, too. Sometimes I almost wish I were back doing that, Kat thought, unaware of her drooping eyelids. Before that storm, before Hyrule fell to darknessthings were justless complicated then. Sleep caught her unawares, like a phantom swooping overhead. With a sigh, her head sunk lower, and her form slumped comfortably against the wall of the house as she dozed off.
Kat swung her bucket back and forth, humming to herself as she marched importantly towards the gates of Kakariko's exit. Her chest was puffed out importantly, and the ten-year old's face was one of dignified excitement. The old well had been completely dry. This morning, as she'd lowered her bucket, instead of hearing the normal splash' of bucket hitting water, she'd been rewarded with instead the dull thud' of bucket striking muddy ground.
And the nearest water source besides the well was the river, of course. The villagers had murmured about the well drying up for years. It hadn't run this low for years, though a few thought it was due to the lack of rain this season. Apparently their rumors hadn't been without merit. Kat didn't exactly care either way. Now she had a perfect excuse to leave the village! And nobody could tell her she wasn't allowed, as she had to take care of her chores, right?
With a self satisfied smirk, she strode boldly past the guard at the gate, swinging her bucket still.
"Hold on little lady," the Guard peered suspiciously down at her. "Where do you think you're off to?"
"Gotta get water," Kat replied primly. "'Cause th' well's all dry t'day. No water."
The Guard blinked, then nodded. "Alright, but be careful," he instructed her. "And no running off. Stay on this side of the bridge!"
Kat was already trotting off through the gate, an excited grin on her face. She felt very much an adult, as normally she'd only be allowed outside with supervision. As she skipped down the stairs, the twinkle of the river met her eyes, dazzling her for a second.
It was a warm day out, and the sun shone in a nearly cloudless sky. Nothing could make this day any better, Kat thought as she trotted dutifully towards the river. Dipping her bucket, she stared at the clear, cool water. Lady Impa had said its source was guarded by an aquatic race of people known as the Zoras, and that it was they who kept the water so pure and clean.
It was so nice out that Kat decided to sit awhile, wondering if Zoras ever came down this far. Staring wistfully across the river, she wondered if she dared follow it to its source.
"Nah, I'd probably get in trouble for being out after dark," Kat murmured aloud to herself, leaning back. "I don't think it's a five minute trip." But still, maybe there were other things that wouldn't take as long
Sitting up, Kat noticed some wildflowers, growing on the opposite end of the river, in Hyrule Field proper. Of course they wouldn't grow on this side, where they would be convenientKat's eyes wandered temptingly towards the bridge. She could always justslip across for a few minutes and pick some. They'd look pretty back on the table at the orphanage.
Kat stood, then faltered. The Guard had said not to go across the bridge. But if was only for a few minutes, nobody would know the difference, right? She'd gotten in trouble for running off before, though. A few years back, when she'd been a reckless little six-year-old, she'd spent the day following some visitors to the village: Two boys, an older and younger brother. The younger had been her age, while the older had been, well, older. Old enough to be considered a chaperone.' Both the brothers had had the most remarkable hue of hair- dark purple. She also remembered the boys' names — it was easy since they'd both had the same name — Kafei.
The three of them had spent the day wandering the Field, Kat pointing out in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch and the Castle Town, both barely smudges in the distance. That evening, when they returned she'd been scolded for running off and letting the cistern run dry, though she'd had too much fun to let any punishment dampen her spirits. The boy and his older brother had left a day later, and she hadn't seen them since.
The ten year old sighed. Too bad. That younger boy, Kafeihe'd been the closest thing to a real friend she'd ever had. Not that other people were mean to her, but she couldn't help but feel disconnected. With no parents or siblings, the closest thing she had to a family was the orphanage. But even the other children there were always changing, some leaving, new ones taking their place.
"Ah, whatever," Kat said to herself again. It was then that she decided she would go across the bridge and pick flowers. Maybe it would get her mind off of other things. She slowly poured out half the water from her bucket to lessen the weight. Besides, she'd need somewhere to put the flowers once she'd picked them.
With the bucket only half-full, she was able to trundle across the bridge, one shoulder hunched from the weight of the bucket. She set the slightly heavy container down with a small thud, then turned her scrutiny towards the wildflowers.
"Hmm. I should have a few of everything, I suppose" Kat busied herself with flower-gathering, wandering from flower patch to flower patch. When she saw some that caught her eye, she would kneel down and take a few. She might get her apron a little smudged, but that wasn't too abnormal.
Kat had been at it for quite some time when abruptly some movement caught the corner of her eye. Whirling around, alarmed, she called out loudly. "Who's there?" She sat back, staring in the direction of the movement. For a moment, she was sure that there was a small figure off in the distance. However, the moment she blinked, it was gone.
"Probably just the heat," she mumbled to herself, as a butterfly landed on the back of her hand. She giggled, and gently waved it away. It alighted instead in her hair, much to her young amusement. Shaking her head to dislodge the insect, she watched it flutter away into the sky, almost as if it were disappearing into the sunset-
Sunset?! Kat jumped up with a surge of panic. How long had she been picking flowers? Looking about her, she peered off. She'd wandered a fair distance, but her bucket was clearly visible in the distance, a small hump next to the bridge, just barely visible through the tall grass.
Flowers forgotten, she hopskipped with the speed of a young one who knows they are in trouble. Fretting a little, Kat didn't relish the welcome she'd receive back at the village. Berating herself for losing track of time, she redoubled her efforts to reach her bucket and the bridge.
A sudden movement in the tall grass made her halt in her tracks. "Who's there?" she asked for the second time in a hour, looking about her wildly. There was no answer, save the sound of her ragged breathing. Surprised at how loud it was, Kat held her breath.
The ragged breathing continued.
An icy hand seemed to grip Kat. With a strangled sound, she bolted for the bridge. The same instant she broke, the grass around her erupted into howls.
"AROOO!"
Kat had heard about monsters that chased people in the Field if they were caught after dark. She'd always thought it was just a scam to get children to bed early, but apparently this wasn't so. Not daring to look behind her, she leapt towards the bridge.
And suddenly her view was blocked as something skidded in front of her. With a shriek, she tripped over her own boots and lay sprawled in the soft grass. Swallowing, she stared up at her pursuer. It was huge and hairy, gray and white fur covering its body. A Wolfos! Lady Impa had mentioned them before as well, though unlike Zoras they were neither people nor friendly. Wolfos hunted at night, and apparently tonight she was their prey.
The Wolfos sat on its haunches and regarded her hungry between growling, ragged panting. It's yellowed teeth hung out of its jaw as it self-consciously licked its chops. It's forepaws rested on the ground, the middle digits of which boasted long, knifelike talons. This creature could bite and claw, if necessary.
A second growl behind her made her turn fearfully, and she found there was a second Wolfos behind her. Both creatures were now standing, slowly circling her so that she couldn't bolt and run again. She felt herself transfixed by two pairs of blood crimson eyes. Despite every effort to do so, she couldn't stand again. All she could do was stare about her in horror. The Wolfos were taking their time. Either their prey tasted better when it was terrified, or they were just cruel. Either way, drawing it out only made the eventual kill seem all the more inevitable.
Kat had no more voice for screams, as her throat had seized up. Her mind had seized up into a complete panic, and all she could to was stare blankly into the eyes of her killers as they closed in.
The two beasts circled closer, licking their chops hungrily as they fixed her with piercing, paralyzing stares. This was it. Kat could only squeeze her eyes shut, as if that would wake her up from a nightmare-
"Hoy!"
There was a loud thud in front of her, followed by two grunts of surprise. Chancing a look, the terrified girl opened one eye, to be greeted by the sight of a booted heel. Confused, Kat opened her eyes fully, and lifted her bowed head.
Standing in front of her, between her and the Wolfos, stood — someone. She wasn't sure who it was, as currently he — it was a boy — was facing away from her. Silhouetted slightly in the dying light, Kat could see that her apparent rescuer was only a boy, with black hair that spiked in random directions like wild grass. He was wearing a green tunic that looked rather smudged and dirty.
The Wolfos, however, hadn't attacked. If anything, they looked menacingly perplexed as they growled low.
To Kat's surprise, the boy growled back. It wasn't like a pretend growl, it was almost as if the boy were speaking their language. Kat reeled. Who was this? Again falling back to the lessons from Lady Impa, she remembered one more race she'd mentioned. They were mysterious folk though, wild and enigmatic, that supposedly wore green and lived deep in the fairy forest to the west where no Hylian dared venture.
As the boy growled again, Kat slowly stood up, wondering if he was one of those supposed wild children. The Wolfos seemed distracted, and backed away slightly, looking at each other with pressed back ears that could only signal indecision. As they did so, the boy turned and looked at her. Kat swallowed, finding herself face to face with the greenest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. No human she'd ever seen had eyes like that. Those eyes were currently set in a face that was scowling deeply.
"Well?" The boy demanded as if she'd offended him somehow. "Go on!"
"What?" That was all Kat could stammer at her new acquaintance, still very shaken.
The boy growled under his breath. Kat noticed a funny birthmark, almost like a slash, showing across the boy's left eye. However, the boy seemed unimpressed with her inaction. "Idiot! Get out of here!"
"Bu-"
"Just go already, you stupid girl! Get out of here!" Eyes flashing, the boy shoved her roughly back towards the bridge, and Kat found her legs suddenly working automatically. Her feet pounded the ground painfully as she passed by her bucket, not bothering to pick it up. She didn't dare look behind her until she was across the bridge, several minutes later.
The field was blank, as if the Wolfos and the wild boy had never existed. Kat panted, staring confusedly at the darkening Field. Unwilling to cross the bridge because of her bucket, she instead headed straight up the stairs, wondering if the boy had driven off the monsters. Or had he sacrificed himself?
"No way," Kat said, distracted, as she wandered up the stairs. "He made it, I know he did" With that thought in her head, she half-crawled, exhausted, back into the village, awaiting her fate.
Kat stirred restlessly in her sleep, but did not awake yet. Instead, her locked memories continued to pour forth like a dam that had burst after holding back a flood for many years.
Kat stared listlessly out the window. The ten year old had returned to the village, only to be confronted with half of the orphanage. Apparently she'd arrived just in time to see the search party formed to go look for her. With little to do but gasp what had happened, the owner of the orphanage had told her off for lying.
The girl practically ground her teeth together at the thought. Lying! They thought that she'd made it all up! But she hadn't, she knew it. That whole frightening experience had been too real to be just imagined. But, argue as she might, the adults had put their foot down. And now, after serving her punishment — cleaning indoors all day — she was now expected to go about her normal chore.
Fetching the water wouldn't be too hard — for some odd reason, the well had water in it again. Certainly enough for dipping a small bucket. It wasn't unheard of for the water supply to be so fickle, but it certainly didn't cheer her spirits any. No more outdoor adventures. Kat grumbled slightly and tore her away from her view of the village. If she didn't take care of her chore soon, it would be another scolding, and probably more work.
The search party had retrieved her bucket, and it stood as if waiting for her at the side of the hearth. She didn't look up at anyone in the room as she wordlessly grabbed it and headed for the door. She was in a pensive mood, and didn't really feel like talking to any of them.
The door squeaked shut as she quickly ghosted over towards the well, staring at her boots the entire time. She very nearly dropped the bucket when she finally looked up.
The wild boy from the other night was walking in the well's direction. He was still alive, he'd made it! Kat's initial euphoria evaporated as she suddenly squinted. The boy had a funny list to his walk, not quite like a limp, but almost as if he were having trouble walking. Despite this, he didn't appear to have unsound legs or any injury.
As the boy's odd meandering headed towards the well, he inadvertently passed through a crowd of children that Kat recognized as a group of local bullies. Kat watched with bated breath, her chore momentarily forgotten, as some unheard words were passed between the boy and the other kids. Whatever was said was clearly not in the boy's favor as the group of children erupted into unkind sniggers at his expense. The boy squared his shoulders, as if he was going to do something, then suddenly shrugged. Instead, the boy appeared to make some snide remark.
The biggest bully leapt up at that and rushed at the stranger. The wild boy leapt backwards, but the bully crashed into him anyway, and the two rolled around in a tussle that lasted only a few short seconds.
The bully was up first, though he clearly was not happy about something. Clutching at one arm, he yelled loudly enough that Kat actually heard.
"He bit me!" The bully backed away from the strange boy as if he were diseased, turned, and ran off quickly. As the boy stood, he glared at the other kids, who quickly followed suit. Shaking his head, the wild boy wiped an arm across his mouth, and started towards the well again.
He reached the stone structure, and clambered up onto the rim, cupping two black-gloved hands to get some water. Splashing it over his face, the boy used the edge of his tunic like a towel. Then with a sigh, the boy stared down, as if studying his reflection.
Kat wasn't sure, but she could have sworn he'd shuddered a moment. Dashing the mirror like surface with a careless slap, the boy turned his back on the water, and slumped down with an immeasurable sigh, mumbling something angrily to himself.
While the boy's back was turned, Kat tentatively approached the well, remembering her chore. Even as she drew close, the boy didn't seem to notice her presence. He just sat there, sitting half cross-legged and staring out at nothing in particular.
Kat dipped her bucket, and hefted it up onto the edge of the well with both hands, but didn't really look at it. She felt as if she should really say something. If anything, he at least deserved a thank you' for yesterday, even if he hadn't seemed very pleased about saving her life.
A sudden bout of sniffles made her start. They were coming from the hunched form in front of her. The realization that her rescuer was crying made her speak up. "Hey."
The black-haired boy jumped so much Kat was afraid he was going to fall backwards into the well. However, he managed to regain his composure, and whirled angrily. Kat found herself staring right at those inhuman eyes again, though now they were slightly wet. The boy scrubbed at his tear marked face with the back of his hand, growling quietly.
"What?!" demanded the boy so sharply it made Kat take an involuntary step back. "Are you here to make fun of me too? Don't you have anything better to do?"
Those words stung, but Kat just shook her head. "Actually"
The boy rudely spun back around with his back to her.
"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me yesterday," Kat continued, hefting the bucket off of the well's edge. "You really saved my life, you know."
The boy's head picked up slightly, though he didn't answer right away. "whatever," he mumbled, hunching over again.
Kat suddenly felt very awkward. "I gotta go," she murmured vaguely. "Bye" Kat turned and trundled off with the bucket's handle held fast in both hands, turning away from the wild boy. It might have been her imagination, but as she walked away, she thought she heard a small voice from behind her.
"you're welcome."
Some slight noise made Kat suddenly start awake, though she wasn't even aware that she'd closed her eyes. Completely disoriented, she sat upright, looking around her to identify the sound. Kat dimly became aware of the sound of birds singing in the distance, which meant dawn was upon the village. But the faint twittering hadn't been what had woken her out of sleep.
As she turned, she saw the front door quietly crack open. Blinking, she wondered who else could be up quite this early. Benz tended to get up rather early-
However, the larger figure that pushed himself out of the doorway was definitely not the Deku. It was a young man, with unruly black hair. He was wearing a long sort of coat that nearly went to his ankles.
Kat blinked, stunned, stifling a small scream. Who was this intruder?
She must have made some noise, because the youth's head turned sharply, and he looked directly at her.
The stranger had very odd green eyes, which in the dim light from the dawn seemed aglow with odd green luminescence. No human she'd ever seen had eyes like that. But she had seen eyes like that before, though then they'd framed the face of the wolf that had arrived, the same one she'd helped carry up to the village proper.
This guyis the wolf?
"Wh-who?" Kat stammered.
The stranger blinked, then smiled reassuringly. "Relax. It's just me."
Kat blinked, as this one statement caused the entire world to come crashing down on her. She felt something click deep down, and suddenly it came flooding back. First the dream-no, the memory — she'd been experiencing moments before, and then after that, the flood of everything the spell had made her forget. How could she have forgotten? The storm, the frantic fight to stay conscious- it was all there. She reeled, suddenly looking rather faint.
Timbre blinked, noticing the sudden vacant expression in his old friend's eyes. Instinctively, he quickly caught her by the shoulders before she toppled off the crate she was sitting on. She wasn't exactly unconscious, though her unfocused look was one that was becoming very familiar. "Is the spell on her broken?" he quickly asked the Destiny Stone.
It turned green, then offered the first message in days:
One a friend but now a foe,
One aware but doesn't know,
One a monster, one a man,
One the sandy desert span.
Not exactly aware what to make of this, Timbre focused on the first response instead. Kat would remember everything now. Of the original eight, that meant that five of them were now broken out of the spell. That left three: Kafei, who had joined them but did not remember yet; Chiron, who was working for the enemy; and Tyhino, the whereabouts of whom was unknown.
And what about Ty's brother? And Tejina? And all the others that they had once counted as close friends? Timbre knew there was more work than just their original eight to be found. If at all possibleTimbre wondered if their group would be the only ones who would recover from the effects of the spell.
Kat groaned suddenly, and Timbre backed off as she blinked slowly, looking up at him with wonderment. Staring at first, her eyes finally lit up, and she spoke.
"T-Tim?"
Timbre just grinned lopsidedly.
Kat returned the grin.
"You've grown," she said.
*****
Far away, Ganondorf Dragmire stared up at the fading stars, the sun at his back setting his whole frame aglow. As the dawn approached, it chased away the stars, their tiny points of light futile at fighting against the strength of the sun's light. The male Gerudo hung impossibly in midair, supported only by the glowing shape below him that might suggest some sort of equine, if someone had a bit of imagination.
The resemblance to any sort of earthly horse ended there. The horse's head, if one could call it a horse, sneered forwards, its face gaunt and skeletal, with burning fires for eyes. It sported fangs, unlike a real horse, as its hooves sported cruel hooked spurs. It's riddled and emaciated body hid a strength that would surpass any mortal steed's, despite appearances. The mangled armor of his recently deceased steed had provided a fitting cover for his construct, which now hung obediently in the air, awaiting his next command.
Flaming batlike wings grew from its shoulder blades, moving lazily up and down as it kept them both airborne over the rolling sea. Having left the small island far behind, Ganondorf was now returning to his own Kingdom, in the hopes of answering his personal questions.
If he ever found that dragon-
Ganondorf's fist clenched into a ball. It would pay for defying him. He'd had quiet thoughts in his head of somehow bending it to his control, converting it into a replacement steed for the one that it had devoured.
In the meantime, the lich-stallion he had constructed from the blood of his original steed would have to suffice. The hideous thing squealed as Ganondorf spurred it forward again, though his face remained riveted towards the sky. Staring upwards, he suddenly became aware of a single group of stars that was suddenly defying the rudimentary laws of nature. Instead of growing dimmer in the light of the dawn, it was growing brighter.
No, I'm just imagining things, the King thought moodily to himself, and tore his gaze away from the heavens. When he chanced another look a minute later, the constellation had once again faded away with the rest of the stars in the glow of the sun.
Frustrated at himself for imagining things, Ganondorf spurred his lich steed into new speeds, the ocean practically a blur below him.
In Ganondorf's mind, he was like the sun, and all others who dared defy him like the stars. While he was away, their light seemed strong, and they appeared to have some power. But the moment he returned in his glory, nothing they could do could ever overcome his power. They would drown in his Sun. Ganondorf chuckled lightly at the thought.
Only in his case, he was a Sun of Darkness.
*****
Wahaa! It only took me about a month to update, yeah? But with work being very tiring, and home doubly so, it was very hard to get the energy to update this. Hopefully next update won't be so long. Then again, I seem to say that a lot. I hope people aren't getting bored with this, though. As always, constructive criticism is gratefully accepted, although flames without reason make me sad. But if that's what you want to leave, go ahead, as that is how you wish to express yourself. Until next time! ^_^