Don't own Zelda, never have, probably never will (besides having the
games). Enjoy! Hoped everyone liked the little surprise thing in Ch. 6!
Thanks for reading!
**
Ch. 7: Never Forgotten
Airaen sat at the top of Hyrule Castle, her head in her hands, tears long-since dried. It was hard to forget the incident in the Temple of Time, nor of Zelda's words to her. Her mind went over the conversation again and again, her eyes watering with the threat of more tears.
I guess you and my father thought it was some funny joke, eh?
No, Airaen, it wasn't like that.
Then who said you could do it? I doubt my mother would have approved of it, had she been alive. Let me guess, when she died in child-birth you decided then, or did you wait a few moments?! Who the hell gave you the damn right?! Who?!
I did, okay?! And your mother didn't die.
Really, then where the hell is she, then? Where the hell did she go?!
She remembered the painful pause, the tears on Zelda's face, the shame in her eyes.
YOU?!, she had cried, YOU'RE MY MOTHER??!! Oh, this is just damn perfect, isn't it? Is that why my stupid father was always visiting you?! How nice! And I guess you just weren't ready for a damn child!
She had stormed out, she remembered. Airaen wouldn't even go near Zelda. I never want to see her again. All I need is the map to Gerudo. I'll steal that Sword, and get the hell out of here, she thought, wiping the tears from her face.
It was nearly midnight and the night was still. Sighing, Airaen leaned back on the roof and stared at the stars. She missed the ranch; she missed Malon, even the stupid stables. Everything's been so messed up since that night. It seems like it was ages and es ago. Before she even knew it, she found herself singing another traveling tune to herself for comfort.
"Far away, home lies for me, and there the grass is green and bright. I must turn away, face my quest alone, until the stars return to me. Oh, little valley, be ye waiting now, until I turn to you once more."
It was only after she had finished that she realized that someone was coming up behind her. I can only guess, she thought, and, closing her eyes, rolled over on her side with her back facing Zelda. Frowning sadly, Zelda sat down next to her daughter with a sigh and stared out over Hyrule. "You really shouldn't come up here, Airaen. It's not exactly safe," she said as she looked fearfully over the edge of the castle, a sheer drop.
"Why should you care?", came Airaen's muffled response, "I did it all the time at the Ranch, this stupid castle doesn't change anything." Zelda put her chin on her hands. It's no use talking to Airaen, Gate had said, she's too stubborn to care about anything. "Listen, Airaen. I'm sorry. But.it's just, if you had stayed here, Ganon would have come for you as well. I had to keep you safe. You would have been more vulnerable here than anywhere else. You were safer with your father. He could protect you better than I could. If he stayed here, he would have been easier for Ganon to find. That's why we chose the Ranch. It was closer, and an unexpected move. You know that if there had been another way I would have done it, but it was my only choice. I'm sorry for leaving you and making you a Bearer, but there was no other way." "Bull flippity shit," Airaen said angrily, sitting up, "Sure. Yes, let's all be the great Hero of Time, eh, your frickin' highness! I was better off staying with Malon, not knowing I was forgotten! In fact, I was better off going after Link myself without your damn help!" She made to stand up, but Zelda tried to hold her back. Smacking her hand away, Airaen cried, "Just leave me the hell alone!" and stormed back inside her guest room, slamming the window as she did so. Alone, Zelda put her head in her hands and wept. After awhile, she stood, wiping her eyes, and made her way back through the open roof-door and down to her own room. No, daughter, she thought, never forgotten.
**
The grass was wet with dew from the storm, but the thick, dark clouds overhead signaled even more rain. Wrapping her cloak around her, Airaen heard the gallop of hooves. Her mind screamed to run, but her body froze in fear. Squinting into the darkness, Airaen saw the silhouette of something rising out of the darkness. It began to rain again. Suddenly, there was the sound of a horse rearing, and out of the rain trotted a giant, black horse. Upon it sat a man in a black cloak, carrying a large, double-handed, black sword. Quickly, Airaen drew her sword, the legendary Master Sword, and prepared for battle. The figure laughed threateningly. "Little child wants to play? Hehe.little child holds a sword that is too much for her." Airaen's sword fell to the grass without a sound. Laughing, the man trotted closer to Airaen until he was but a few inches away. Raising his sword, he drew back his hood to reveal the face of Ganondorf! He swung his sword at Airaen as she screamed.
**
Airaen woke with a start, sweat falling down her face, tears in her eyes. She shivered. It had seemed to real to her, the sword, the face, the rain. Too real. Staring out the window, she saw that dawn was nearly come. Now was her chance! Quickly, she stood up, got dressed, grabbed her sword and walked out of the room.
Her footsteps echoed down the corridor as she made her way to the stairs. After pausing for a moment to make sure no one followed, she made her descent down the stairs. It was a long trek, and she knew the sun would rise soon, but she had to leave. Not after a dream like that could she even think of staying another minute at the Castle! Dreams like that only signaled very bad omens. Especially dreams that repeated themselves again and again.
She reached the bottom step. Carefully, she peered around the corner to make sure nothing lurked in the corridor. It was all clear. Airaen padded down the carpeted corridor at a brisk pace, her heart racing from both the fear of getting caught and from the vivid dream. It had been a long time since she had had that dream, and she had hoped it would never happen again.
She had finally reached the small wooden door leading out to the side of the castle, out onto the road and down to the Castle gate. Avoiding the guards was an easy task after years of avoiding Malon from chores. After a bit of sneaking around by the gate, Airaen ran off into the market and out of sight.
From her window, Zelda watched her daughter leave with growing sadness.
**
Once she had reached the market, Airaen, after a moment's pause, turned left. She ran up the steps, through the familiar garden, and into the Temple of Time. She sprinted down the carpet, passed the floating stones, and through the Door of Time. Seeing the Master Sword again gave Airaen a strange feeling, as if cold fingers were raking down her skin. Shivering, Airaen ran up the steps until she came to a halt in front of the pedestal. She stared at the Master Sword, and it seemed to her that it gleamed with an inner light of its own. As before, she reached out slowly with her fingers, her heart racing in her throat, mouth dry. Ever so slowly, her fingers inched down the hilt. Placing one hand at the top and another hand on the bottom of the hilt, she gripped tightly, took a deep breath, and pulled. Like a hot knife on butter, the Sword eased itself out of the pedestal. Airaen smiled.
Then, a bright blue light surrounded her even as she held the Sword aloft. With a cry, Airaen sprang backwards, still gripping her prize, and tumbled down the steps as the roaring, whirling pinnacle of light rose to the ceiling and disappeared. Yet, even as it did so, a searing pain came to the back of Airaen's right hand. In pain, she dropped the Sword and clutched it, tears coming to her eyes. After some time, it faded away.
Slowly, Airaen got to her feet, picked up the Sword and again looked in disbelief at where the light had mysteriously vanished. She was about to turn away when she saw something behind the pedestal. Stepping carefully around the dangerous area, she bent down to inspect whatever the thing was. Still, she couldn't see what it was, so she nudged it with her foot and leapt away. Nothing happened. Frowning, Airaen bent down and picked up the thing. After carrying it into the mysterious light that always came through the stained glass window, she saw that it was a beautiful sheath for the Master Sword, intricately designed in gold and red.
With a grin, Airaen swung the sheath over her back and clasped it in front. After a few tries, she managed to sheath the Master Sword. Both sheath and Sword felt as light as a feather on her back, and she marveled at it. All I need is a shield, thought she, and even I could be mistaken for the Hero of Time!
**
While sitting atop his throne, Ganondorf felt the sudden disturbance in the Sacred Realm, the same feeling he had always felt when Link had gone through time using the Master Sword. The Master Sword! That was it! The Master Sword had been removed again!
"DAMN THAT CHILD!", he roared as he rallied his horde to him outside his fortress. "Alright, you swine! Form some ranks, lousy sons of bitches! We attack Hyrule Castle tonight!"
As Ganon told his horde of his plan, Link, who had been eavesdropping, wondered, It's a few day's ride to Hyrule Castle.how does the fool think he'll attack by tonight?
Almost as if Ganon had read Link's mind, he roared out, "Tonight we shall use the Triforce of Power to warp to the Castle! Fight until the Castle is taken and Zelda is in our hands! But she must be alive! If any of you find that Airaen child, slay her immediately and bring me the body!" There were howls of Long live Ganon! and To bloodshed and war! in answer to Ganondorf's speech. Upon raising his right hand, which bore the Triforce mark, the Power piece illuminated brightly, a dark purple aura surrounded the horde, an amazing ten thousand or more. In a flash, they were gone.
Enraged, Link slammed his fist into the wall and again tried to break the cell door down, but with little luck. Defeated, Link sank to the floor with his face in his hands. His love and daughter, as well as the rest of Hyrule, were doomed.
**
Ch. 7: Never Forgotten
Airaen sat at the top of Hyrule Castle, her head in her hands, tears long-since dried. It was hard to forget the incident in the Temple of Time, nor of Zelda's words to her. Her mind went over the conversation again and again, her eyes watering with the threat of more tears.
I guess you and my father thought it was some funny joke, eh?
No, Airaen, it wasn't like that.
Then who said you could do it? I doubt my mother would have approved of it, had she been alive. Let me guess, when she died in child-birth you decided then, or did you wait a few moments?! Who the hell gave you the damn right?! Who?!
I did, okay?! And your mother didn't die.
Really, then where the hell is she, then? Where the hell did she go?!
She remembered the painful pause, the tears on Zelda's face, the shame in her eyes.
YOU?!, she had cried, YOU'RE MY MOTHER??!! Oh, this is just damn perfect, isn't it? Is that why my stupid father was always visiting you?! How nice! And I guess you just weren't ready for a damn child!
She had stormed out, she remembered. Airaen wouldn't even go near Zelda. I never want to see her again. All I need is the map to Gerudo. I'll steal that Sword, and get the hell out of here, she thought, wiping the tears from her face.
It was nearly midnight and the night was still. Sighing, Airaen leaned back on the roof and stared at the stars. She missed the ranch; she missed Malon, even the stupid stables. Everything's been so messed up since that night. It seems like it was ages and es ago. Before she even knew it, she found herself singing another traveling tune to herself for comfort.
"Far away, home lies for me, and there the grass is green and bright. I must turn away, face my quest alone, until the stars return to me. Oh, little valley, be ye waiting now, until I turn to you once more."
It was only after she had finished that she realized that someone was coming up behind her. I can only guess, she thought, and, closing her eyes, rolled over on her side with her back facing Zelda. Frowning sadly, Zelda sat down next to her daughter with a sigh and stared out over Hyrule. "You really shouldn't come up here, Airaen. It's not exactly safe," she said as she looked fearfully over the edge of the castle, a sheer drop.
"Why should you care?", came Airaen's muffled response, "I did it all the time at the Ranch, this stupid castle doesn't change anything." Zelda put her chin on her hands. It's no use talking to Airaen, Gate had said, she's too stubborn to care about anything. "Listen, Airaen. I'm sorry. But.it's just, if you had stayed here, Ganon would have come for you as well. I had to keep you safe. You would have been more vulnerable here than anywhere else. You were safer with your father. He could protect you better than I could. If he stayed here, he would have been easier for Ganon to find. That's why we chose the Ranch. It was closer, and an unexpected move. You know that if there had been another way I would have done it, but it was my only choice. I'm sorry for leaving you and making you a Bearer, but there was no other way." "Bull flippity shit," Airaen said angrily, sitting up, "Sure. Yes, let's all be the great Hero of Time, eh, your frickin' highness! I was better off staying with Malon, not knowing I was forgotten! In fact, I was better off going after Link myself without your damn help!" She made to stand up, but Zelda tried to hold her back. Smacking her hand away, Airaen cried, "Just leave me the hell alone!" and stormed back inside her guest room, slamming the window as she did so. Alone, Zelda put her head in her hands and wept. After awhile, she stood, wiping her eyes, and made her way back through the open roof-door and down to her own room. No, daughter, she thought, never forgotten.
**
The grass was wet with dew from the storm, but the thick, dark clouds overhead signaled even more rain. Wrapping her cloak around her, Airaen heard the gallop of hooves. Her mind screamed to run, but her body froze in fear. Squinting into the darkness, Airaen saw the silhouette of something rising out of the darkness. It began to rain again. Suddenly, there was the sound of a horse rearing, and out of the rain trotted a giant, black horse. Upon it sat a man in a black cloak, carrying a large, double-handed, black sword. Quickly, Airaen drew her sword, the legendary Master Sword, and prepared for battle. The figure laughed threateningly. "Little child wants to play? Hehe.little child holds a sword that is too much for her." Airaen's sword fell to the grass without a sound. Laughing, the man trotted closer to Airaen until he was but a few inches away. Raising his sword, he drew back his hood to reveal the face of Ganondorf! He swung his sword at Airaen as she screamed.
**
Airaen woke with a start, sweat falling down her face, tears in her eyes. She shivered. It had seemed to real to her, the sword, the face, the rain. Too real. Staring out the window, she saw that dawn was nearly come. Now was her chance! Quickly, she stood up, got dressed, grabbed her sword and walked out of the room.
Her footsteps echoed down the corridor as she made her way to the stairs. After pausing for a moment to make sure no one followed, she made her descent down the stairs. It was a long trek, and she knew the sun would rise soon, but she had to leave. Not after a dream like that could she even think of staying another minute at the Castle! Dreams like that only signaled very bad omens. Especially dreams that repeated themselves again and again.
She reached the bottom step. Carefully, she peered around the corner to make sure nothing lurked in the corridor. It was all clear. Airaen padded down the carpeted corridor at a brisk pace, her heart racing from both the fear of getting caught and from the vivid dream. It had been a long time since she had had that dream, and she had hoped it would never happen again.
She had finally reached the small wooden door leading out to the side of the castle, out onto the road and down to the Castle gate. Avoiding the guards was an easy task after years of avoiding Malon from chores. After a bit of sneaking around by the gate, Airaen ran off into the market and out of sight.
From her window, Zelda watched her daughter leave with growing sadness.
**
Once she had reached the market, Airaen, after a moment's pause, turned left. She ran up the steps, through the familiar garden, and into the Temple of Time. She sprinted down the carpet, passed the floating stones, and through the Door of Time. Seeing the Master Sword again gave Airaen a strange feeling, as if cold fingers were raking down her skin. Shivering, Airaen ran up the steps until she came to a halt in front of the pedestal. She stared at the Master Sword, and it seemed to her that it gleamed with an inner light of its own. As before, she reached out slowly with her fingers, her heart racing in her throat, mouth dry. Ever so slowly, her fingers inched down the hilt. Placing one hand at the top and another hand on the bottom of the hilt, she gripped tightly, took a deep breath, and pulled. Like a hot knife on butter, the Sword eased itself out of the pedestal. Airaen smiled.
Then, a bright blue light surrounded her even as she held the Sword aloft. With a cry, Airaen sprang backwards, still gripping her prize, and tumbled down the steps as the roaring, whirling pinnacle of light rose to the ceiling and disappeared. Yet, even as it did so, a searing pain came to the back of Airaen's right hand. In pain, she dropped the Sword and clutched it, tears coming to her eyes. After some time, it faded away.
Slowly, Airaen got to her feet, picked up the Sword and again looked in disbelief at where the light had mysteriously vanished. She was about to turn away when she saw something behind the pedestal. Stepping carefully around the dangerous area, she bent down to inspect whatever the thing was. Still, she couldn't see what it was, so she nudged it with her foot and leapt away. Nothing happened. Frowning, Airaen bent down and picked up the thing. After carrying it into the mysterious light that always came through the stained glass window, she saw that it was a beautiful sheath for the Master Sword, intricately designed in gold and red.
With a grin, Airaen swung the sheath over her back and clasped it in front. After a few tries, she managed to sheath the Master Sword. Both sheath and Sword felt as light as a feather on her back, and she marveled at it. All I need is a shield, thought she, and even I could be mistaken for the Hero of Time!
**
While sitting atop his throne, Ganondorf felt the sudden disturbance in the Sacred Realm, the same feeling he had always felt when Link had gone through time using the Master Sword. The Master Sword! That was it! The Master Sword had been removed again!
"DAMN THAT CHILD!", he roared as he rallied his horde to him outside his fortress. "Alright, you swine! Form some ranks, lousy sons of bitches! We attack Hyrule Castle tonight!"
As Ganon told his horde of his plan, Link, who had been eavesdropping, wondered, It's a few day's ride to Hyrule Castle.how does the fool think he'll attack by tonight?
Almost as if Ganon had read Link's mind, he roared out, "Tonight we shall use the Triforce of Power to warp to the Castle! Fight until the Castle is taken and Zelda is in our hands! But she must be alive! If any of you find that Airaen child, slay her immediately and bring me the body!" There were howls of Long live Ganon! and To bloodshed and war! in answer to Ganondorf's speech. Upon raising his right hand, which bore the Triforce mark, the Power piece illuminated brightly, a dark purple aura surrounded the horde, an amazing ten thousand or more. In a flash, they were gone.
Enraged, Link slammed his fist into the wall and again tried to break the cell door down, but with little luck. Defeated, Link sank to the floor with his face in his hands. His love and daughter, as well as the rest of Hyrule, were doomed.