"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!
Yarr. Status for senior year plugging. And unfortunately, college senior projects other writing. I apologize. At this point, this beast'll be updated when I can, if I can. Here's hoping, though! Oh, and some other random notes – since QuickEdit acts differently than the old uploading system did, I've made Benz's squeaks appear in bold. I'm hoping that this won't annoy anyone too much. I'm also working on new separators, because the old ones don't work anymore.
"The Destiny Stone" – Chapter 31: Inner Fears
As the two combatants faced each other, Link couldn't help but speculate.
Does Timbe know who he's fighting, I wonder? He has to…
He was elated to see his friend again, especially after that terrible cave-in. He'd idly worried about what had become of Timbre, and now he knew. His friend looked a little bit under the weather, however. His regular overcoat was absent, and his hair looked even messier then usual.
And that hungry gleam about his whole self didn't bode very well.
The Gerudo tribe had formed a complete circle around the two wolves, leaving them a decently sized combat area, located on the sand itself. Link and his comrades were similarly surrounded by seven of the Gerudo. From the glares he garnered, Link was sure that if he tried anything, he'd probably regret it.
"I think they're serious about this," Kafei's voice said in his ear.
Link shrugged, but he agreed. "You could always just get out of here, you know."
"I know, but I can't go solid enough in this light to be any help…and if I tried to just leave then I'll probably be stuck wandering the Wasteland for an eternity. Besides, I'm here because of you, I might as well stick it out."
"Hm." Nick grunted from Link's other ear. "Lobo versus lobo. Should be interestin'…s'long as they don' go fer us afterwards…" There was a long breath from the Volcanian. "Nice sun, though…"
Link groaned inwardly. Personally, the sun felt like it was currently beating him senseless. The escape had kept his heart racing and his body overheated. Now he somewhat glistened with fatigued sweat.
Yeech. Then again, this is nice weather to a Volcanian. They do live on a bloody volcano, after all…
Turning his attention back to the readying combat, he stared at both of them. The blue-haired Gerudo seemed somewhat agitated, as she paced back and forth. Timbre, to contrast, was standing completely still, and likened to some sort of bedraggled statue. The Sword on his back seemed to pulsate. Without taking his eyes off of his opponent, Timbre unslung the bound weapon, and placed it gently aside. Link thought he caught sight of a small glow on the pommel, but he wasn't sure. Then Timbre unlooped the Destiny Stone from about his neck, letting its chain rest on the wrapped weapon. Link made a quiet noise in the back of his throat.
Please…just get it to me somehow…
Timbre seemed to feel the words, and turned and looked at him. They were the same green eyes Link had known from his childhood friend, but they seemed slightly different now, as if he'd seen too many sorrows in the world. Knowing Tim, he could have been anywhere after that rockslide…what if something terrible had happened to him?
Link tried to smile at his friend and waved encouragingly, hoping for some sort of sign. Slowly, the corner of Timbre's mouth twitched into a familiar smirk, and suddenly Timbre's eyes lit up. When he did that, they looked a little more familiar.
Then the youth turned back towards his opponent, looking slightly more encouraged.
Timbre tensed slightly. He was hungry, tired, very winded, and now he had to fight an opponent. Obol had wisely decided to keep quiet, and now the fairy perched timidly on the cross-hilt of the Master Sword. It was as if he didn't want to be seen.
Timbre boldly locked eyes with his opponent.
"I know you," he said quietly.
His opponent stared back at him. Her face was veiled, but he could still see the anger and confusion in her eyes. Her voice was mostly growl. "You've intruded. That is forbidden."
"My apologies."
"You will draw your weapon." The eyes remained angry.
Timbre let his breath out. "I do not draw this weapon, as it is not mine to wield."
The Gerudo snorted to herself, cloak rustling. "More fool you." With a flick of her wrist, a scimitar suddenly arced, gleaming, through the air, burying itself point-first in the sand between Timbre's legs. There were a few crude guffaws from the audience. The Gerudo nodded, a second scimitar held in her right hand. "Take it. I won't fight someone who is not similarly armed."
"Many thanks, milady," Timbre said politely.
Link stared about him as there was an unsettled murmur from the Gerudo crowd.
"Hm," Kafei's voice muttered. "I don't think there was any obligation to make this fight fair-"
"Maybe she just doesn't want it to be one-sided," Link said honestly.
"An' why'd tha' be, I reckon?" Nick pointed out. "Seems kinda odd."
As Timbre retrieved the weapon, he felt a little concerned. He was terrible at swordplay. Considering the skill and accuracy at which the scimitar had reached him, his opponent was quite experienced. He sighed quietly.
"Having second thoughts?" the Gerudo taunted, as Nabooru gave the signal for the combat to begin.
"I apologize if I do not pose much of a challenge," Timbre tried to remember everything Link had ever told him about swordplay. Unfortunately, it wasn't much. He'd always had such a terrible head for these kind of things. At least he was good at blocking-
That was all he was able to think before his opponent launched herself at him. Surprisingly little sand sprayed up from the ground as she covered the ground between them, a seeming whirlwind of blades.
Biting his lip, Timbre held the blade horizontally in front of him. He'd never fought with a scimitar before, and its shorter, thicker, curved blade made it slightly alienating-
CLANG!
Timbre suddenly found himself eye to eye with the Gerudo, the two swords forming a flattened cross between them. The two blades' flats grated and sang against each other, and his opponent smirked.
"You're not one for swordplay, are you?" She said, pushing forward slightly.
"Not…really," Timbre grunted, returning the push. His hand was still tingling from the impact.
"You're holding that thing all wrong, you see. The guard goes on top, to protect your knuckles!" She suddenly disengaged from the stalemate, and sent her weapon buzzing up towards his face like an angry hornet.
Link bit his lip as his friend didn't do anything to protect himself from the attack. That was most certainly a finishing blow-
Snip.
A few loose black hairs floated down onto the sand between the opponents. The Gerudo scowled, looking at Timbre with begrudging respect. "Not even a flinch? You're either daft, or sterner then I'd thought."
Timbre smirked. "I just knew you weren't trying to kill me," he said, going back on guard. "Did Nabooru tell you not to? Or is this you wanting to see me humiliated first? Or maybe something else?"
"If it were up to me you would be very dead by now," spat the Gerudo. "You know the rules…intruding on someone else's - my - territory like this means your life is forfeit should I see fit to end it, unless you leave."
CLANG.
"I think you're lying. You didn't have to lend me a weapon. Or you could've just tried to kill me outright, before I challenged. It would've been, as you say, your right."
"You want to test that theory, male?"
"Only," Timbre pointed out, "after this called combat is fulfilled…or do I have any more unknown grudges to pay for? I mean, unless I'm mistaken, and all you Gerudo here are wolves."
"One here is enough."
"So you say."
"Raaargh!"
CLANG!
Instead of pressing with her attack though, the Gerudo stepped back, brow furrowed. "What do they call you, anyway?"
The words for some reason tore at Timbre a little, even though he was used to the spell's effects by now. It didn't make him feel any better to think that she didn't remember even his name.
As if the spell would overlook her for some reason. You idiot.
"Timbre Firral," he said with a quiet salute. "And you?"
She ignored the question. "Where's your pack?"
"Well, you and your pals've got some of them surrounded right over there," he replied, gesturing with his chin.
"Them? But they're not-"
"Neither are yours. Tejina."
Link saw his friend's opponent suddenly freeze, mouth dropped open in shock, and then Timbre attacked.
Idiot, no, you're getting way too close!
Suddenly Timbre's somewhat taller framed shoulder crashed into hers. She gasped as the cutlass passed inches from her face, slicing off her veil as it went. Instinctively her foot went up, connected with his gut and twisted. With an oath she shoved him away and followed him with a counterattack.
CLANG.
Timbre winced, winded. That kick to separate them hadn't been gentle, though he felt fortunate she hadn't kicked any lower. As the blades scraped together she twisted her wrist, and caught him smartly across the knuckles with the flat of her blade. But his opponent's anger seemed to be subdued by a little bit of shock.
"How do you know my name, when you are a stranger to me?"
"Whoever said I was a stranger? I've seen your face before-ouch!" Suddenly Timbre felt his knuckles beginning to sting. "That hurt, you know." The split skin was starting to bleed.
"Well, I told you the guard goes on top."
The youth growled quietly from the pain. "Smug as ever, aren't we?" The wound stung, but it was nothing serious, just a little demeaning.
Now that her face was visible, Timbre could clearly see the smirk on it. "You give up yet, male? You're not going to be able to handle another blow."
"No."
CLANG!
Link winced as he saw Timbre's weapon drop to the ground. "Tim, no!"
As the opponent kicked the blade out of Timbre's reach, there was a ragged cheer from the Gerudos, and Link felt his face burn angrily at the thought of defeat.
"Hah, that's the stuff!"
"She's disarmed him!"
"That means she's won, he's helpless!"
"No." Nabooru's voice, although it hadn't raised much higher than normal, somehow managed to silence all of the cheers. They died down immediately, leaving the arena quiet. "He's not helpless yet."
The blue-haired Gerudo carelessly flung away her own blade, and it landed on top of the first, as if she'd planned it that way all the time. "I'm still going to win, you know. You don't look to be in very good condition. From th' looks of it you've been rather hungry for days-"
Link's breath caught in his throat as the two combatants slammed into each other as blurs of lupine. He'd realized they could move quickly when they wanted to, but it still startled him. He had barely even registered that they'd changed form before they were moving. Nick apparently was just as impressed, as his own voice spoke of shakiness.
"T-t…yikes."
There was a brief snarling tussle in which fur flew, and then the two wolves backed away, heads lowered. Both had bared teeth and were uttering low growls. To say that the fangs were gleaming on both sides would have been trite, and somewhat untrue. But the fangs were there, and they painted dangerous white swatches against a sandy backdrop. They spoke volumes of danger.
"What are they doing?" Link said, confused. "They're gung ho for two seconds, and now they're just standing there, like statues."
"They're sizing each other up," Kafei commented. "Though I wish I knew what they were saying right now."
"Why so much of that, though?" Link said, frustrated. "If they're going to fight, why don't they just get on with it?"
"It's mostly for show, actually," came Kafei's voice. "It's how most animals fight, you know. Makes sense, doesn't it?"
"How would you know that?" Link said, puzzled.
"Well…have you ever seen two dogs get into a fight? Sure, they'll snarl and snap at each other, and look really intimidating, but it's mostly an act. Neither of them really wants to take the risk of getting hurt, they'd rather just get their opponent to back down and send him packing that way. Now, it doesn't always work out that way, but…you get the idea."
Kafei was right, as both opponents were indeed trying to intimidate the other.
"So," the female wolf said begrudgingly. "This time on more equal terms. You look more of a fighter now than with the sword, stranger."
"Stranger, eh? Is that what you call those you have met before?"
"I would've won that night at the seashore, if your friend hadn't stopped us."
"Aye, and then you watched us set off to Termina afterwards," he accused. "What were you doing there? Were you were spying on us?"
"Do you really think there's enough food in this wasteland for all the Gerudo?" She countered.
Timbre didn't believe her. "And that is why you saved me and Link at Castle Town-"
"I don't expect you to return the favor, don't go easy on me just because I followed orders."
Timbre kept his teeth exposed as he spoke again. "I really don't want to hurt you, you know."
I'd never forgive myself. But she has no such qualms. She feels that has every right to, and technically she does, as she doesn't remember me…but…
"No? That hardly sounds like a confident brag," the other replied, ears forward. "Maybe you're worried that you haven't the strength to face me."
"And maybe you're worried that I know more than I should," Timbre said back. His tail waved back and forth once, and he smelled her anger at the statement as if she's said it aloud.
Even through the petty insults and ceremonial banter, he was slowly beginning to realize that neither of them were going to be able to compromise without fighting. And that could complicate things. If she didn't give in, he could possibly end up severely injuring her, or her him. And if he ran away now, his friends' lives and his own would be forfeit. Either option, they'd both end up losing.
Unless…I can somehow get her to remember. But how do I do that?
"I'm not backing down," he said evenly. "Not until you listen."
Timbre's opponent suddenly rushed him with a snarl of rage, and the two sets of fangs clashed like the swords they had so recently wielded. Grappling wildly, it became a sudden pushing match at the shoulders, as each combatant tried to knock the other off their feet. Angrily, Timbre slammed headfirst into his opponent's belly, frustrated that she refused to back down. "Dammit, listen to me!"
"Ouf!" She sprang away, ears twisted to the side indecisively. "Give me one reason I should let you win," she challenged. "I doubt you can think of even one."
Timbre's heart raced and ached. Hunger, fatigue, and a million other troubling thoughts were starting to bow him down. What could he say, something to make her remember him? The spell had broken with a rush of strong emotions before, but he wasn't sure how to turn her towards that…
I mean…I'm certainly feeling awful right now, but…Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was secretly impressed with the female in front of him. But enough of that. What do I do?
There was a definite wordless volume being said underneath all the insults. It was what the bared mask of intimidation was supposed to be hiding, after all, that much he knew. His own façade was weak-willed at the moment, mostly because he was so distracted by other thoughts, and hunger, and worry. His opponent's was backed up by the strength of advantage. She was fighting on her own terms, and her own turf, while he was an uproot, far from things that were familiar to him. She was in better health than he was. The last thing she would be showing was fear-
Then, like that, he saw it. He read underneath her angry posture, underneath the story of anger between her snarling jaws, underneath the bristle of fur, and suddenly understood.
"Because," he finally gasped in true realization, "you're…afraid."
She charged and slammed into him, sending him tumbling sideways into the sand. He rolled twice before struggling shakily to his paws. Her face was a mask of fury. "Don't you dare call me a coward!"
"I…didn't…" While he strained to speak, millions of little floating sparks seemed to dance between his eyes. That impact had jarred him. "Fear and cowardice…are two different things. You know courage…but you're still afraid…afraid of being alone."
"You idiot," she spat at him. "I'm hardly alone. Look, you're surrounded."
"But…you're not a Gerudo, any more than I'm a Hylian-"
She bit him, and he shook her off irritably. It was working. The bite had been more distracted than painful. She was thinking about what he was saying. Without the smug, self-confident mask, his opponent was starting to crumble slightly.
"That's why you were following us before…you needed to know, didn't you? That you weren't the last one-"
"Stop!" She screamed at him, a terrible ringing noise in his ears. "I'll…I'll kill you!"
"You won't." Timbre stared her challengingly in the eyes. "You wouldn't . You don't want to be alone in this world." He hated himself for baiting her like this, but somehow, he knew it had to be done. "What if, that's what you fear…What if you are all that's left?"
"I said SHUT UP!" Then, suddenly, she was strangling teeth at his throat, cutting off his breaths into rasps. His head swam suddenly as if she'd severed all his rational thoughts, her angry scent like poison in his mouth. Timbre realized that his life now hung in that precarious grip. She could jerk her head back in a moment, and his throat would rip out, the same way the Wolfos had died at his own teeth weeks before. He'd be dead before he struck the ground.
It was all there, in her expression. Her eyes were blue pinpoints, deep pits of pure, hated fury. And yet, under all of that, he could still find the fear. Years, even months ago, he wouldn't have understood. But somehow, his lonely journey to the desert had opened his senses to it. He too, was afraid.
The feeling – no, the fear – that he was all that was left of wolvenkind. A dead race, swept from the annals of time and memory like scholar's dust. The ultimate irony, that no matter how much life surrounded you, you were unalterably sundered from it. No mate, no descendants, just an empty, apathetic legacy. And when you died, there would never be any more of your race. Years ago he wouldn't have wanted to think about it, but now, as an adult, it seemed to strangle him from everywhere. To be alone forever-
He stared back into those eyes, and spoke his heart. "I don't want to be alone, either."
Her tunnel vision suddenly zoomed out into focus, and the angry pupils dilated. The pressure of teeth on jugular lessened, and he felt the bloodflow return to its normal course. She still had him helplessly by the throat, but her perplexion stayed the killing blow.
"You waited, didn't you? Even though you didn't remember, you still waited, Tee…"
Hearing her childhood nickname, the female wolf's mind reeled. She'd always been alone…always. If there'd been someone else…the years would have at least been bearable.
"Hey Tee, come on, please!" Ana's voice called out.
"Right! Coming!" Tee turned away.
"Wait a sec, Tee," Timbre said suddenly, stepping forward.
"Huh?" The girl looked back at him.
Timbre closed his eyes and held out his hand. "Well, we did argue a lot, and get into fights, but we did make it out of Clock Town in one piece…I just wanted to make sure, before we parted ways, that…we parted ways as friends." His head was hung at an angle that hid his eyes behind his black hair.
Tee blinked. Walking over to him, she grabbed his hand. "Friends," she repeated, leaning in close.
Squeezing her eyes shut, her jaws clenched slightly, generating a strangled whimper from the male. Something…that the other male – the green-clad one - had said-
"There are some things that go beyond time and memory, things that cannot be forgotten, for they aren't things that can even be really remembered. They just…are."
It shook her to the core, that emotion and realization, and suddenly, she opened her eyes as if waking from a long slumber. Then she remembered.
"Tim," she breathed, dazed, her eyes returning to normal. "You…"
"I'm sorry," he replied, simply. Relief washed through him. "I didn't mean to make you so angry, but it was the only way I could-"
Her teeth were gone from his throat. Her nose bumped his chin in a gesture of respect, then she backed up several paces, with her head bowed. Ears down, she looked over towards the throng of Gerudo. When she meaningfully met Nabooru's eyes, the woman stepped forward.
"So then, the male has been victorious."
Link, who hadn't been able to make sounds for quite a while, coughed at this, and turned to look at her. "He what? But…she was about to kill him! She had him by the throat and everything!"
"But she did not, and she has submitted. Therefore, he has defeated her. At least for now," she added with a slight smirk.
Tejina's ears suddenly sprang up, and she pounced at Timbre, sending the both of them tumbling like puppies. "Where were you all this time, you idiot!" She growled and bit at his nose, but this time there was no malice. Link stared in slack-jawed incredulation.
Mere seconds ago they'd been engaged in mortal combat, and now here they were, playing, as if none of it had ever happened.
Nick summed it up for both of them with an exasperated sigh. "Lobos…"
Nabooru sounded mildly surprised as she watched the sudden antics. "I had not expected quite this outcome, but I will keep my word. Since the challenger has won, he has also won your freedom." She sounded relived, as if the challenge had allowed her the excuse to let them go.
Nick made a strangling sound as the seven Gerudo surrounding them went at ease. "W-we'…really?"
"I gave my word," Nabooru repeated, somewhat dangerously. "Do not question my honor, unless you too would like to do battle."
The Volcanian wisely held his tongue.
Link was staring at the two wolves, who were now playfully chasing each other in dizzy circles around the Master Sword. He caught Timbre's eyes in a single moment, and realized that his friend was, for once, laughing aloud.
And the Sword is here too!
Grinning back, he ran up to meet them, feeling as if there had been more than one victory won in the day's battle.
There were two new tenants in Kakariko Village.
One was there of his own choice.
The other wasn't.
Chiron's head injury had kept him knocked out and out of immediate trouble for a brief time, however, once he awoke, members of the village immediately started grumbling amongst one another.
What exactly were they supposed to do with their prisoner? Some wanted to attempt to ransom him to Ganondorf in return for immunities. Others thought they should just get it over with and kill him.
A third, smaller group, was in favor of torturing him first.
Impa heard all of these suggestions, and gently tried to push them out of the minds of her charges. Bargaining fairly with Ganondorf was about as plausible as the village sealing a pact with a demon. Killing or torturing Chiron, while possibly exacting justice, would just bring the fallen people of Hyrule down to the vile level of their enemies. And the repercussions of those actions might bring Ganondorf's notice to the village, something that would most certainly end in its destruction.
So it was that Chiron remained a prisoner, held by force in Impa's house. Since the immediate threat of invasion had been so recently diffused, she'd modified the original barrier. It now was localized in one particular section of the basement, and instead of being used to keep Chiron out, was being used to keep him from getting out.
Of course, Chiron wasn't at all pleased with his new arrangements. For the first few days after he was able to stand, he'd pounded relentlessly at the barrier, offering all kinds of terrible words and curses at anyone who happened to pass by. After a while, the cursing had stopped, as he realized that he was running out of names, and that in some way his struggling was amusing Impa.
The Sheikah woman was always immaculately polite to him, with an edge of condescending that drove him to near madness with anger. She changed the bandage on his injured hand twice a day, and he'd learned that if he tried anything during the procedure, he gained a sharp pinch to a pressure point that left his whole arm numb for hours.
After he ran out of curses and threats, Chiron spent his days in relative silence, slumped in the corner of his prison, brow furrowed in thought. What he actually thought about, though, was beyond anyone's comprehension.
Kat and Sond had hushed conversations about him, out of earshot, because of course they were concerned about how they were going to break the spell on him. And Sond wasn't exactly sure if even that would sweeten his temper at all.
"He might not belong to Ganondorf anymore," she said wisely, "But he's still dangerous no matter what. He's killed before, and he'll kill again, given the motivation."
Kat sighed. "But he was – is – our friend still. He did help to overthrow Ganon, with all of us. No matter what he's become now."
"Even if we break the spell," Sond said with a grim tone, "he may not become an ally, in which case, we might have a difficult decision to make."
Kat had apparently thought of that too, and bowed her head. "I s'pose Link and Tim have just been lucky so far that we've all been on the right side so far," she said. "If we are, that is…"
"Speaking of…" Sond's face twisted to one side, "You saw the 'new guy,' right?"
Sond was speaking of the second new arrival at the village, a rather tall Volcanian man with gray hair and a matching beard. He'd arrived like a puff of smoke the day before the barrier was remove, carrying a bag full of useful herbs that he traded for food. Many of the villagers were somewhat confused by him, though the falling of the siege meant that food was beginning to arrive at the village again, both from Lon-Lon ranch and from some of the carved terrace-gardens that surrounded Death Mountain's foothills. Since the items the mysterious man offered were somewhat hard to come by, most villagers were glad to share some of their recovering bounty. The man rarely spoke at all, unless he was bargaining with one of the villagers.
His right shoulder and arm seemed to be badly injured, and he'd tied it up in a makeshift sling.
"…Kas?" Kat offered slyly to Sond.
"It's got to be him. I mean, the beard and all is a bit jarring, but who else at that age has naturally gray hair like that? He must be here because of-."
"Think he might be able to help him escape?" Kat said.
Sond shrugged. "Maybe he already has tried. Maybe that's how he broke his arm."
If the man knew they were talking about him, he didn't seem to be overly concerned. In fact, he ignored the both of them as much as the rest of the villagers.
"…what'cha talking about?" Came a sudden curious voice from behind them both.
Kat and Sond both flinched and turned. Looking curiously up back and forth at them both was Benz. He coughed nervously, like many of his kind did when they were suddenly stared at. "Er…I'm not squeak interrupting anything important, am I?"
"No," Sond said before he could worry. "We're just going in circles. What've you been up to?" She suddenly changed the subject, noticing the short sword buckled at the Deku's waist.
"Oh, me?" Benz shuffled as if he'd been meaning to tell them all along. "Vulcan's been giving squeak me n' Aka fencing lessons."
"Really?" Kat raised an interested eyebrow.
"Mmm-hmm," Benz said. "S'not something that squeak my kind usually gets t'learn…" He drew the short sword and fenced idly at the wall as he talked to them. "Cause…well…getting metal weapons involves a squeak forge, and a forge means fire…you get the idea."
"So there's probably not too many Deku Scrub weaponsmiths out there," Sond said.
"I don't squeak think there's any, actually." The Deku murmured. "It would be kind of neat, though…"
"I thought you were going to be a salesman with Aka," Kat said seriously.
"Well, yeah, but…" Benz stopped at his practice and looked at them both. "Well…I could always have a hobby on th' squeak side…"
"But the fire and stuff?" Sond pointed out.
"S'not too bad, s'long as I don't catch," Benz argued. "An' Vulcan said there's material out there that can protect y' from that…'ee said squeak anythin' Goron made'll be resistant t'fire. Same goes for, er…Volcanian stuff."
"Smart man," Sond murmured. As she spoke, the bearded Volcanian ghosted past all of them, gliding with a purpose towards Impa's house, the only villager he apparently hadn't visited yet. If he noticed them, he didn't give any signal that he had.
Benz shivered. "He's awful quiet, but he's been squeak talking to the villagers."
Kat shrugged. "I prolly would be too."
The Deku put his sword away, deciding practice time was over. "Yeah, but he's squeak a little odd, y'know? Doesn't seem to care a bit about world news, or smalltalk, but he's squeakawfully interested in what goes around in this small village…"
Sond trained a confused eye at him. "What do you mean?"
"Well…let's just say people squeak don't always notice I'm around," he said haltingly. "So I was, uh…overhearing some of the conversations he's been having. He's askin' squeak around about th' mountain, and only the mountain. If you talk about squeak anything else, he just ignores it and excuses himself. An' he seems most interested in what happened to it recently…"
Sond smirked. "So that's why you popped out of nowhere, Benz. You're being nosy. You heard us talking about him, and figured we'd know something you didn't."
"Er…if y'wanna call squeak it that, I s'pose you can," he said defensively. "But I don't make people squeak say things, I jus' overhear them!" The Scrub nodded fiercely, crossing his arms. "People do their talking on their own, t'aint my fault they talk loud."
"So, anyway, I think he is after him," Kat changed the subject with a grin in Benz's direction. This was sure to drive him crazy, especially if they were vague enough.
"Well, at least now we know," Sond said, catching on. "I wish we could help more."
"You two," Benz grumbled. "love to be squeak conspiratorial. What are you talking about?"
"Oh, now who's being nosy, hmm?" Sond chided him gently.
Benz huffed.
"Aww, we were just teasin'," Sond apologized. "But, maybe you should just ask people about things instead've sneaking around. Otherwise, you're being as meddlesome as a fairy-"
That garnered a snicker. "Who squeak do you think put me up to it, hmm?" Benz winked. "An' for th' squeak 'meddlesome' part, s'just the way they are, y'know. Y'know th' new one squeak that's come about…whassername…"
"Tatl?"
"Tatl, yeah. She came by after we beat Chiron and all of a sudden they're pickin' her brain. She had some interesting info about all of squeak this mess wi' th' Sword and everything…"
"Yeah?"
"An', well…they'd given me some squeak good advice before, an' so they came by an' asked me to, y'know, check up on things for them-"
Kat and Sond looked at each other and snickered.
"…what?" Benz looked back and forth at them both.
Sond giggled. "I think you've been inducted into their conspiracy," she said to Benz. "Whether you like it or not."
Pamela looked about her. "Where are we? I thought you said that portal would lead to Hyrule!"
The Keaton sniffed the mossy ground, and looked at her. "This is Hyrule. We're in the Lost Woods."
Jim swallowed. "Doesn't sound too friendly," he remarked.
Gentle light filtered through the trees, though they were mostly obscured by dark, leafy patches. They'd stepped out of what appeared to be a hollowed-out tree trunk, perched deliberately in a glade of other tree stumps.
"Perhaps a better word would be 'overprotective,' " the Keaton replied. "The Lost Woods is not a malicious place, it simply wishes to protect its territory. Anything it deems to be a threat to its trees or well-being will find himself at great difficulty. In that sense, it is neither good nor evil, merely looking out for itself."
Rhus seemed less ill at ease than the rest of the party. The two Gorons looked slightly nervous, though sometimes it was hard to read them. Of their original group, Sonia and the two eldest Goron brothers had decided to remain in Clock Town to aid with its restoration. Pamela knew attempting the portal was a risky business. As much as she didn't want to think of it, those that were left were in some ways, the most expendable.
"So, goro," One of the Gorons, Rinku, murmured. "Why do we linger here? What is it we wish to find?"
The Keaton sighed. "If any of you wish to turn around and return to Termina now, I will understand." The ghost fox slowly sat, and everyone knew what he was about to say was important. Nobody moved, and fox continued. "We now stand in one of the few protected areas of Hyrule. Ganondorf of course has held this land for a decade, much longer than Termina. The effects of his rule on this land are quite evident in most areas."
"So, what has this got to do with us?" Jim said. "We got Clock Town back, and with our alliances with the Dekus and Gorons, we stand a good chance of keeping it. Termina fell once because it was divided. It will not happen again."
These words were accompanied by many murmurs.
The Keaton barked wheezily to halt any further talking. "That may be, but think not only of the ends, but also the means."
Pamela chewed her lip. "It all started when Link and Timbre came by, looking for that sword piece. Things just picked up from there and kept going."
"Like a boulder rolling down a hill, goro," Rinku said.
"And it is still rolling," the Keaton said. "Clock Town was only the beginning of what could come to pass as great change in our world. If Link is who I think he is, he could indeed be of greater import than any of us ever imagined."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you ever heard of an old Hylian tale, of the Hero?"
"You mean," Pamela started, "the one where if anything ever threatened the peace of Hyrule, Heroes would rise to defeat it?" She shrugged, snorting. "Load of help that turned out to be for them, eh?"
"Don't be so quick to scorn," warned the Keaton. "The weapon Link sought to reforge can only be wielded by a Hero, and is possibly the only thing that can defeat the King of Evil."
"Evil's Bane?" Rhus piped up quietly. "Truly?"
"We must look not only to the present, but also to the future," said the Keaton. "I feel it is, with your agreement, appropriate to aid the Hero, just as he aided us."
"An eye for an eye, eh?" Jim smirked. "That's all noble and all, but really, what would we ever be able to do against these odds, might I ask?"
"Perhaps," the Keaton said mysteriously, "that is something you should be asking yourself."
"If anything, we could fight by his side," said Pamela. "I have once, and I would gladly do it again, if it drove evil from this world." She looked at Jim. "Wouldn't you?"
Jim seemed only somewhat convinced. "I guess…"
"Besides, if Ganondorf is defeated, he will never be able to threaten Clock Town again," Pamela pointed out.
Jim sighed with eyes closed. "You're right, of course. Besides, what else is there to do?"
Rhus had been glancing about the glade for some time. "Excuse me, but I squeak think I've deciphered the correct path out of here." He blinked seriously.
"And how is that?" Pamela asked, curious.
"Well, erm…let's say I have squeak a few relations that live locally," he said.
"Very well," said the Keaton. Judging by its tone, Pamela realized the fox probably could have navigated the woods by itself, but tactfully held her tongue. "Lead the way, if you will."
"So, the Sword of Evil's Bane has been restored to him."
"Yes, it is a victory that surpasses all others up until then."
"But how will he leave the Desert?"
"He could leave any time he wishes by his own power, however, I do believe he will not leave in that way. He would not condemn others to imprisonment-"
"But if he just tried to escape-"
"He was desperate, and he does not yet realize how to control the Triforce of Courage."
"Will you teach him?"
"I do not think that will be my place."
"What of the wolves? Are they truly the last?"
"No. There are few others, but far away from Hyrule. Their race left the realms of men long ago."
"They fled?"
"It was the only way to save those who were left. Even now, their numbers dwindle on a needlepoint of fate. Their survival depends on the task at hand, as much as we all do."
"And your visions?"
"Still the same. Unless actively worked against, I have no power with which to prevent it. Knowledge is my burden, but without any means to act on it, it becomes more so."
"I cannot help but feel the odds are against us."
"It is true, alone he cannot defeat the evil which scourges the land. He will realize it before the end. It may be why tragedy strikes before triumph. There is hope, though. His influence has touched the hearts of many, reigniting old courage that had long burned low. The people have hope because of him."
"Perhaps it is written that trials must happen for the Hero to prevail. Certainly the life of a warrior is, in some ways, its own tragedy. Sacrificing the joy of one to ensure the joys of others."
"A Hero's life is not complete despair. However, should this Hero fall prey to it, I believe we will all be doomed."
"Then let us pray, if not for ours or his, but for the world's sake, that he does not fail."
Yawn. Ten pages (in Word) seems to be my limit nowadays. But people said they were okay with that, and so ten pages it is. Good thing, too, because otherwise I might never update, at the pace I'm going. But anyhow, there was that anticipated battle scene, though they did banter a lot more than I thought they would.