Thanks to: DLandZel (Hi there! Hope you like this chappie.) and Sphinx Jinx n(The next J.K. Rowling...Hm, I really like that idea! That's awesome. You're so smart. ; )
Caution: Baddy returns with avengence.
Legolas: Don't give anything else away.
Caranril: I won't.
The Dark Before The Dawn - Chapter 21: "Oh Brave New World That Has Such People In It!"
Both elves were weary, but haste was foremost in their minds. The sensible voice in Link's head told him that a few more hours wouldn't affect what had happened in eight months. As usual, he ignored the voice. He steeled his nerves to push his muscles, occasionally allowing himself a glance in Zelda's direction to make sure she was keeping up. Her face was set with a grim expression, almost a wince, and then Link remembered that she had been hurt when Meltose had dropped her.
"Are you okay?" he asked noting the beads of perspiration that were forming on her face from the effort.
"I'll make it," she grunted.
"It's better if you don't." Link stopped and pulled out his ocarina. He summoned Epona, and within a minute he and Zelda were taking a much quicker pace towards the darkening north. They reached the white cliffs, but there was no need to search for the door again: it had been shattered and large stones blocked it.
"There's another way," Link promised. "When I climbed the stairs to get a better look at the statue, I was on top of the cliffs. We'll have to climb..." he trailed off, raising an eyebrow in question.
"I can do it," she said firmly.
Epona tossed her mane to get Link's attention. She turned her head and tugged on the saddlebags.
"Of course!" Link fished through the bag and found a whole heart-fruit. He held it out to Zelda, who devoured it eagerly. While she waited for its healing powers to take effect, Link studied Epona, who gazed at him with the most intelligence he had ever seen in her brown eyes. She definitely understood what was going on more than it appeared. A lot had happened to her in those eights months.
"I'm good. Let's go," Zelda urged. Her blues eyes were worried. "I have a bad feeling that we're running out of time."
Link found the safest route to scale the cliffs, Zelda immediately on his heels. When they reached the plateau, they ran. The plateau was immense, providing a horizon against the night sky. And then they stopped. Link nearly pitched head-first into the small crack, but his balance was regained and senses gathered. They followed the crack, eventually widening into the Krityache. The stairs had fallen into poorer shape since Link had used them. They basically squatted and slid the entire way down. Link hit the floor and somersaulted to his feet. Zelda rolled on her side and to her knees. There was another large crowd gathered just as before. The tension and silence was cut by the falling earth that followed them, but the crowd paid no heed. They were focused directly ahead.
Link grabbed Zelda's hand and pulled her after him into the crowd. Each Dark Sheikah had a bland expression and was staring forward. None heeded them and none hindered either. Gradually they made their way to the front, where a cage was set on the temple steps and guarded heavily. A small figure sat within the cage, a bag over the head. Link climbed the steps and drew the Master Sword, which now rested on his back. Beleguial hadn't returned to Hyrule with him, perhaps because it had fulfilled its duty and was allowed to fade. Besides, he need the Master Sword to unlock Time. He expected resistance, but the guards too were in a daze, though they had fierce expressions on their faces.
The clanging of heavy doors and the falling of many footsteps alerted them. They hid behind one of the giant pillars and discreetly observed. The leading figure was immediately recognizable, and Link swung around to cover Zelda's mouth as she gasped. Link pressed a finger to his lips to indicate silence, then turned away as she nodded in agreement. Genicca's words rang all too true. The pale man stopped and gazed across the crowd with his yellow eyes.
"Servants!" he cried, stretching his arms out in emphasis. "We have seized the traitorous one! Her mind has been weakened and her will shattered. Now we will make amends. Let this be an example to others who wish to leave the caves!"
The heavily armed guards stepped forward like automatons, sluggishly lifting their weapons in defense as another unlocked the cage and dragged Genicca out. Jeric yanked the bag from her head. A purple eye was swollen closed and her lip bloodied and enormous. Her hair was a mass of purple, through which she peered through with a single dulled eye. Jeric grinned evilly and grabbed her arms. She flopped like a dead fish in his grip.
"You are very annoying, you and your little friends. For that, you are going to watch them die, one by one, each adding to my power with their life bloods. And then you will finally die...I shall squeeze you from existence."
Link's spine stiffened at this statement. He stifled a shiver as Meltose's angry words came back to mind, "However, once I take your life blood a second time, I will be able to hold Time in the palm of my hand and squeeze you from it. Squeeze you from existence..."
"Zelda!" Link whispered. "I think it's-"
"-Meltose," she finished. "I caught it too. No wonder things haven't returned to normal: he's using Jeric's influence as leader of the Dark Sheikah to regain power."
"I thought he couldn't hurt anyone."
"He can't, but he used Genicca to control others to hurt them."
"Bastard..." Link seethed, stepping forward.
Meltose glanced in his direction, his evil grin fading into a mixture of horror and hatred.
"YOU!" He dropped Genicca without a second thought. "You stay away from here! How did you get here!"
"Do the names Din, Farore, and Nayru ring any bells?" Link asked sarcastically.
Meltose twitched uncontrollably. "D-d-don't say those...names!"
"Yeah, it's definitely him," Zelda stood beside Link. "What are you going to do?"
"This." Link lunged for Meltose, who didn't move, and lay the Master Sword across his neck. Meltose blinked, then noticed the cool steel upon his neck and gasped. Zelda gasped as well.
"How did you do that?" she asked in wonder.
"Huh?"
"Y-you were here, and then you were there. Just like that."
Meltose took the moment of distraction to fall back and sweep a leg under Link's. Link fell hard on his right elbow, a crack sending a bolt of pain into his spine. Blood flowed from his lip as he bit back the pain. Meltose was escaping. Link used the Master Sword as a crutch to stand, then staggered after him. He couldn't kill Meltose, but he could run him off. Hopefully for eternity.
Link stopped. He had lost Meltose, but a sixth sense had suddenly appeared to him. He could feel Time surrounding him, like an river actually flowing about him. He focused, and caught sight of a shadow, moving at an imperceptible rate. Meltose had used the Dark Sheikah's abilities to blend and was attempting to catch him unawares. Link smirked as the irony of governing Time used to be the god's position. He held the Master Sword's handle like a javelin, and flung it directly at the shadow. Link released his hold on Time to hear the cry of pain. Meltose appeared with the Mast Sword buried in his thigh. He tried to yank it out, but the touch burned his hand. Link grasped the handle and jerked the sword free none to kindly.
"You'd better rethink your strategy, Meltose. The goddesses and I have our eyes on you. I'm going to make sure the Dark Sheikah leave the dark and join the surface dwellers. Every woman, child, and warrior will remember your face and will shun your presence. I suggest you grab a change of address form on your way out of Hyrule."
Meltose snarled angrily as he hobbled away, gushing blood yet healing slowly.
"Oh by the way, you might want to get that looked at. I didn't get a chance to clean this before I used it on you. Don't want to develop a nasty infection."
Meltose's glare was displayed more like a grimace of pain. Satisfied that he was gone, Link wiped the Master Sword clean and sheathed it. It felt good to have the scabbard on his back again. He could move so much more freely.
Zelda was attending to Genicca, who was speaking to the Dark Sheikah population, the entire lot wavering between wakefulness and their daze. Zelda noticed Link and greeted him.
"Genicca said that Jeric-er, Meltose thought that if he Let enough blood like last time, he could break free from the mortal form he was bound to. Obviously he was mistaken."
"Obviously." Link gave her a silly grin.
"What?" Zelda asked.
"I think...no I know that everything is going to be all right. For a while, anyway."
"What about Meltose? Shouldn't we keep an eye on him?"
"Nah." Link stood next to Genicca. "I can see him in the flow of Time."
Genicca smiled up at him.
"Hello...Auntie," Link quipped.
Genicca gave him a hug before descending the stairs to be with her people. Link watched the crowd celebrate their freedom. From what he could tell, the guards' expressions remained stupefied even when acting on their own wills.
"You can see Time?"
"What?" Link snapped out of his notations.
"You said you could see Time," Zelda pointed out.
"Oh, well yes. And you can too."
"I can? How?"
"Oh just...I dunno, focus or something."
Zelda concentrated, holding her breath. Her brow furrowed and her face turned red. She finally gasped for air and shook her head.
Link laughed. "It'll come to you with practice. After all..." He wrapped his arms around Zelda and dipped her slightly. "...we have all the Time in the world." He sealed his promise with kiss to Zelda's stunned lips. He lifted her up as the Dark Sheikah population cheered in encouragement. Link tested his now-numb elbow, waved for them to follow him, and led the shadow people to a brave new world where they could live in the light.
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Caranril: Tout le monde! Tout le monde! C'est le fini! Mon dieu!
Legolas: Huh?
Caranril: Everybody! Everybody! It's the end! My God!
Legolas: Are-are you serious?
Caranril: I'm damn serious! I'm desperately hoping this ending will suffice. It didn't work out to be a smash-bang sort of end, but if this isn't enough I'll write an Epilogue or something to satisfy your curiosity.
Legolas: You mean...I'll actually be free to go?
Caranril: (tears up, sniffs) Y-yes.
Legolas: Until you write another story, right?
Caranril: (brightens up) Of course!
Legolas: That's my author...(gives Caranril a big, squishy hug)
AN: Just so that I don't get in trouble or nothin', the title of this chappie comes from William Shakespeare's The Tempest. Take that citation, English profs!