Thanks for reading! I know the chapters have been short, and a big
apology for the cut-off in Ch. 5.I uploaded the wrong thing.but it should
be fixed by now! Oh, and I sadly don't own Zelda, again (how many times
must I say this?). Anywho, stick with it, the chapters are getting a lot
longer, hopefully! Please R&R! I appreciate it.
**
Ch. 8: Kidnapping and the Fall
Airaen made her way out of the Temple of Time, an odd feeling of apprehension weighing down her spirits. Though she had the Master Sword in her grasp, as well as the sword from the Deku Tree, she still felt apprehensive. There was still the hard task of finding the Valley of the Gerudo and helping her father escape. She knew it would be difficult, and she wondered what would happen to Hyrule if she failed. Sighing, she left the Temple and made her way into the market.
It was a lot darker than she remembered it being, and there were ominous-looking dark clouds hanging overhead. The air was unpleasantly still, as if waiting for the storm to commence. Not knowing what to do, Airaen decided it was hopeless to go back to Hyrule Castle, since her "mother" would try and keep her from leaving. Sighing, she made her way towards the gate leading out of the market. Her footsteps echoed on the stone street, creating an eerie echo all along the walls. Upon reaching the gate, she found that it was shut. Dammit, she thought unhappily, I guess I'll have to climb over.
Her eyes scanned the wall, searching for a branch or vine that would help her climb. After a few moments, she found a good, strong looking vine that wound its way up the wall. Grinning, Airaen grasped the vine, checked her balance, and began her climb up the wall. Though tedious, she found that it was not as difficult as she first thought. It reminded her more of climbing up the stable wall to reach the rafters than anything else.
As she neared the top of the wall, it began to rain heavily, making the job of climbing even more tedious than before. After a few minor slips, Airaen reached the ledge. She put her arms over the ledge and rested her head on her arms, panting. She looked out over Hyrule Field, trying to calculate how far it was to the Ranch, since she was almost sure that Malon would have a complete map of Hyrule, including the Gerudo Valley. Sighing, Airaen made to push herself up and over the ledge, but as she did so, her foot slipped and she slid down. With a cry, she grabbed the ledge, holding on for dear life, her heart racing. Her feet dangled dangerously as they hit the wall repeatedly. Thinking quickly, Airaen kicked at the wall until a piece of it broke off, creating a small hole to hold her foot in. Carefully, she dug her foot securely into the makeshift hole and, after making sure she had a tight hold on the ledge, lifted herself up, closing her eyes in the exertion. Finally, she managed to pull herself up onto the ledge. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the rain was pouring down harder than before. Wait a moment, she thought, that isn't rain.it's dark purple and black! What the hell is going on?!
As if in answer, there was a bright flash, and, materializing before her horrified eyes, appeared a large host, consisting of the most horrible of enemies, including Stalfos, Lizalfos, ghosts, and wicked men, all armed to the teeth. Airaen tried to count them all, but nearly half of the host was shrouded in shadow. As her eyes moved back to the front of it, she saw, riding out of the shadows, a black horse with red eyes. Her heart hammering, she saw that atop the horse road a cloaked figure shrouded in darkness. Just like in my dream!, she thought. The very aura around the figure was shadowy, and all those nearest to it knelt down, the glimmer of fear in their eyes. Slowly, the figure reached up to remove the hood. Airaen broke out into a cold sweat as the hood was drawn back to reveal none other than Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo, master of the horde. With a stifled cry, Airaen clumsily slid down the vine, which cut her hands. Leaping down, Airaen hit the ground, stumbled, and fell. Doggedly, she leapt up and ran into the market, crying, "WAKE UP, WAKE UP PEOPLE OF HYRULE! FOES ARE UPON US! GANONDORF HAS COME TO KILL US ALL! TO ARMS, PEOPLE! TO ARMS!"
As she passed each house and store, lights went on, and people began to pour out of their homes, most in their nightgowns, while others held the only available weapon in the house, most of them being kitchen knives. Stopping, Airaen yelled, "No! Rally at the castle! Hurry! Ganon will try to break down the gate!" A few stared in disbelief, while others followed Airaen as she ran on to the Castle.
Some whispered, "Was that the Master Sword I saw on that child's back?" As Airaen passed. Ignoring it, she sprinted on up to the Hyrule Castle gate, where a guard stood, obviously having just awoken.
"Where is Zelda?!", Airaen yelled at him. The guard merely shrugged sleepily. "Then wake her!! Wake everyone! Ganon is right outside the door!" With a start at the name, he drew out a horn at blew it three times, its loud cry echoing off the hills surrounding Hyrule. Lights went on in the Castle, and Zelda snapped awake. Foes are at our door!, came the cry, To arms! To arms!
Zelda sprinted down the stone steps, her heart beating wildly. Ganon? But how? I could not sense his approach.unless.yes! The Triforce of Power!, she thought, But, then, did Airaen sense it? But there was no more time for pondering or puzzlement. War was at hand. As she passed the guards, she ordered them to rally to the Gate and try to keep Ganon at bay. Nodding, each guard grabbed the nearest weapon and shield and began to run outside.
Wrapping her gown around her to fight the cold, Zelda ran outside. There she found Airaen giving orders to every guard. A natural leader, she thought.
"'Ey, you! Lazy ass!," Airaen yelled at a passing guard, "Where the hell do you think you're going? Get to that damn Gate now!" Then again, Zelda thought, perhaps not.
"Speaking of gates, where the hell is that stupid fairy?," Airaen asked aloud. As if in answer, the familiar blue ball of light came zooming out of the Castle. "There you are!"
"Only to serve you, child, though I don't really want to," came Gate's reply.
"Save the ass talk for later, Gate, we've got to-"
But Airaen never finished her sentence, for at that moment, there was a loud boom. Turning around, Airaen saw the Gate, or what was left of it, fall with a crash. With nothing to hold it back, the horde charged in, hacking and slaying every guard that stood there. Several of the villagers turned and fled up to Hyrule Castle. So, Airaen thought, it comes to this at last. She drew the Master Sword, and it sang a clear note as she drew it. Turning, Zelda saw the Sword in her daughter's hands, and her mouth dropped. But, she thought, her spirit should be locked away! How?
Zelda made to move towards Airaen, but her daughter was already charging into the melee of slaughter. "Airaen!", Zelda called, but her words were only heard by the wind.
**
Airaen charged full-force into the battle, her blood boiling for a fight. Even as one of the Lizalfos looked up, she cleaved its neck completely off. Before she moved on, Airaen bent down and grabbed the monster's shield. Odd though it seemed, killing no longer troubled Airaen as she attacked in a blaze of sword and shield. Bodies of her foes piled up behind her as she moved through the carnage, for nothing could stop her. She hacked and slashed her way through, the Master Sword a dealer of death in her grip. Blood splattered onto her clothes, her body, her hair, her eyes and mouth, but she no longer cared. As the carnage wore on, more and more foes turned their attention towards the unbeatable child, but each fell, unable to touch her.
Eventually, news of Airaen reached Ganon, who stood well away from the battle, waiting for his opportune moment. With a smile, he drew his own black sword and moved silently through the battle, killing quietly as he moved towards his unsuspecting prey.
Airaen swung her sword, cleaving another head off a Lizalfos, the gleam of battle in her eyes. She felt confident and strangely happy as she moved. However, a shadow of shadows came up behind her, and all foes around her backed away in terror. Puzzled, Airaen turned around to see Ganondorf bearing down upon her, black sword drawn, malice in his hateful, red eyes. With a cry, she leapt backwards, shield in front of her to block his attack. As the sword clanged on the shield, she shoved it away and leapt at her foe, the fury of battle coursing through her very veins. Sword met with sword as the opponents exchanged blow for blow, parry upon parry. It seemed as if the fight came to a standstill, but Ganon was wise with many years of experience in battle. Seeing a weakness, he ducked and dealt a savage kick to Airaen's stomach. She fell with a cry of pain, and, before she could even rise to defend herself, Ganon released a powerful spell, blowing away everything in its path.
Airaen was thrown back several feet and crashed into a nearby building. Piles of stone and wood fell on her as she try to stand and dodge them, but to no avail. A pile of wood buried her.
Ganon made to check whether Airaen lived or not, when one of his captains, a large Stalfos, came to his side, yelling, "We've captured Zelda! The Castle is taken, Lord! What now are your orders?"
Torn between an extra kill and more pressing matters, Ganon answered, "We will take Zelda back to Gerudo Valley. Make sure the bitch is secure. Leave five hundred here to guard the Castle. The rest will return to Gerudo with me. Now hurry!" As the captain left, he turned to the silent pile of rubble and said, "Airaen, if you are alive, hear this: I will come back for you to finish the job once I control all the pieces of the Triforce! Then, your death will be slow and painful!" Laughing, he ran off to lead his horde to Gerudo.
**
Moaning and coughing blood, Airaen slowly crawled out of the pile of wood, her traveling cloak in tatters, cuts and bruises running up her arms. Staggering, she picked up the Master Sword as Gate came flying at her. "Where.the hell have you.been, Gate?", she said, trying to focus.
"Never mind that, Airaen," he said, "The Queen has been captured! They're taking her to Gerudo Valley! We must save her!" Nodding, Airaen ran out of the market, avoiding any enemies as much as possible, and made her way out to Hyrule Field. There, she saw Ganon raise his right hand to reveal the symbol of the Triforce on it. The horde began to glow the color of a dark purple and began to fade. Panicking, Airaen, without even thinking, drew her sword and jumped onto the nearest foe, slaying him even as she, as well as the rest of the horde, vanished.
As if she had closed her eyes for a second, Airaen appeared in an unfamiliar surrounding. This must be Gerudo Valley, though I don't know how I got here. It was then that she realized that she was at the very edge of a large host. Oh.shit.
Immediately, she threw herself behind a rock before anyone could see her. Out of breath, she turned to Gate and whispered, "Can you see where Zelda is?" Slowly, the blue fairy flew upwards, then quickly darted down again.
"She's actually not that far away from here," he whispered, "far from Ganon. Her hands are bound, and she's sitting on top of a horse. If we can get her attention, maybe we'll be able to have her gallop over here. We're lucky we're right by the 'exit.'" Puzzled, Airaen turned around and saw the way out, a large gap in between the mountains. Far off, she could see a bridge. I've got more luck than I first imagined! thought Airaen.
"Alright, then. I could wave my arms a bit, but I'll probably be seen. What if you flew over there, quiet like, Gate?"
"Say what?!", Gate hissed, "You expect me to just fly over there? What do you expect me to do? Invite Ganon and his little buddies to tea or something? You've got to be kidding me!"
"No, moron! Fly in the shadows along the mountainside. Then, come up behind her hide near her and tell her what I've got planned!"
"And what is your plan?", Gate asked, clearly not as confident in the child as Airaen hoped.
"Well, it's obvious Ganon doesn't want her killed just yet, right? So, have her get the horse to gallop to that exit over there? Then, I'll run after her and we'll cross that bridge, quick like, and cut it down. That way, we won't have to worry about them following us very soon!"
"And after that?", Gate asked, not liking the idea at all.
"Um.I'll.improvise."
Gate was not happy: "Great. Just great." However, he did as Airaen commanded, using the shadows of the mountain as a guide. Finally, (it was a lucky thing that the horde was busy with taking role, and that Zelda was near to the mountainside) he came behind Zelda and told her of Airaen's plan. Nodding, Zelda slowly had the horse back away down the road to the gap in the mountains, using the shadows as cover. Airaen moved swiftly over to wear Zelda was, and, at a sign from Airaen, climbed onto the horse and galloped away, just as one of the men cried, "Aye! The prisoner's escaping down to the bridge! C'mon, you lazy asses! Get the prisoner!" As the horde ran after Zelda, Ganon stood watching with great interest, an evil smile on his lips. That Airaen will be a thorn in my side if I don't kill her now. Drawing his sword again, he called for his black horse. Climbing on top of it, he galloped off to catch Zelda and finally kill Airaen.
"Look! The bridge! We're gonna make it!", Airaen cried as they neared the bridge. Zelda smiled as hope returned to her. "I thought you would try and save your father first, Airaen," Zelda said softly in Airaen's ear. "You kidding? I would've been killed before I could even make a stupid move!" The horse galloped on as the host of Ganon came right at their heels. Come on, you stupid horse, Airaen thought as they finally reached the bridge. But Ganon was closer than Airaen thought. With a smile, he grabbed a bow and arrow from one of the passing men, notched it, and let it fly. The arrow sank into the unsuspecting horse's neck. With a scream, the horse fell over in its death throes, throwing both Zelda and Airaen off. As they landed, Airaen drew the Master Sword in rage at the sudden failure of her plan. "Airaen, no! Keep going! We can still try to make it off the bridge if we move swiftly enough!", Zelda cried. Sighing, Airaen turned to go when another arrow from Ganon wedged itself into Airaens thigh. With a cry of pain, she toppled forward, clutching at the arrow as blood ran down her leg. Zelda grabbed her daughter's arms to lift her, but Airaen pushed her aside and got up on her own. Limping heavily, she made her way towards Zelda. Looking back, she saw that the host was making its way across the bridge, swords drawn, howls of rage reaching her ears.
Now that Ganon had Airaen where he wanted, he dropped the bow and galloped onto the bridge, cackling hysterically. "Here's to your doom, girl-child!", he called as Airaen's eyes widened with fear. But Zelda had a different plan. Since she was the Seventh Sage, she still possessed great power, even without the Triforce of Wisdom. She summoned a spell and fired at Ganon, but her aim was slightly off, and it struck the horse that Ganon rode, cutting it in half as Ganon fell. As the two turned to run (or in Airaen's case, limp), Ganon roared, "KILL THAT CHILD! BRING ME ZELDA ALIVE!!"
The horde reached Airaen and Zelda quickly. Turning, Airaen cut down as many foes as she could, the fury of battle again upon her, this time in full force. Even as Zelda fought with anything she could find, she was amazed and almost terrified of the fury of her only child. She made to command her to stop, but something stopped her and made her blood run cold.
Ganon was coming behind Airaen, her back turned to the Gerudo Valley, her foot nearly inches from the edge. Raising his black sword, he would have cut the child down then had not Zelda cried out in warning. Turning, Airaen rolled away, but tripped and fell on her face, almost falling off the edge. Rolling away from Ganon, she kicked him square in the face. He cried out and stepped away as Airaen came at him with her blade raised above her head. But Ganon was again too quick for the child. Lying low to the ground, he brought his sword up and drove it home into Airaen's stomach.
Zelda screamed as Airaen stared down at the blade protruding from her stomach, then at Ganon, who grinned triumphantly. The Master Sword fell from Airaen's cold hands and went clattering off the bridge and down into the dark abyss. Her breath came in short gasps, eyes blinking back tears. Ganon viciously yanked his bloody sword away. Airaen staggered backwards, clutching the gaping hole in her stomach. Zelda tried to get at her, but a few of the men held her back, laughing maliciously.
Ganon grabbed the terrified Airaen by the hair and drew the girl close to him. "Pathetic child should have stayed home with mommy," he said, and pushed her off the edge of the bridge as Zelda tried desperately to break free, the tears streaming down her face. Ganon turned to the men holding Zelda back, and said, "Bring her back to the Fortress!"
As the men dragged Zelda away, she screamed, "NO! NO!! AIRAEN!! AIRAAAAEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!!"
No one noticed the tiny ball of blue light streaking down into the abyss after Airaen.
**
Ch. 8: Kidnapping and the Fall
Airaen made her way out of the Temple of Time, an odd feeling of apprehension weighing down her spirits. Though she had the Master Sword in her grasp, as well as the sword from the Deku Tree, she still felt apprehensive. There was still the hard task of finding the Valley of the Gerudo and helping her father escape. She knew it would be difficult, and she wondered what would happen to Hyrule if she failed. Sighing, she left the Temple and made her way into the market.
It was a lot darker than she remembered it being, and there were ominous-looking dark clouds hanging overhead. The air was unpleasantly still, as if waiting for the storm to commence. Not knowing what to do, Airaen decided it was hopeless to go back to Hyrule Castle, since her "mother" would try and keep her from leaving. Sighing, she made her way towards the gate leading out of the market. Her footsteps echoed on the stone street, creating an eerie echo all along the walls. Upon reaching the gate, she found that it was shut. Dammit, she thought unhappily, I guess I'll have to climb over.
Her eyes scanned the wall, searching for a branch or vine that would help her climb. After a few moments, she found a good, strong looking vine that wound its way up the wall. Grinning, Airaen grasped the vine, checked her balance, and began her climb up the wall. Though tedious, she found that it was not as difficult as she first thought. It reminded her more of climbing up the stable wall to reach the rafters than anything else.
As she neared the top of the wall, it began to rain heavily, making the job of climbing even more tedious than before. After a few minor slips, Airaen reached the ledge. She put her arms over the ledge and rested her head on her arms, panting. She looked out over Hyrule Field, trying to calculate how far it was to the Ranch, since she was almost sure that Malon would have a complete map of Hyrule, including the Gerudo Valley. Sighing, Airaen made to push herself up and over the ledge, but as she did so, her foot slipped and she slid down. With a cry, she grabbed the ledge, holding on for dear life, her heart racing. Her feet dangled dangerously as they hit the wall repeatedly. Thinking quickly, Airaen kicked at the wall until a piece of it broke off, creating a small hole to hold her foot in. Carefully, she dug her foot securely into the makeshift hole and, after making sure she had a tight hold on the ledge, lifted herself up, closing her eyes in the exertion. Finally, she managed to pull herself up onto the ledge. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the rain was pouring down harder than before. Wait a moment, she thought, that isn't rain.it's dark purple and black! What the hell is going on?!
As if in answer, there was a bright flash, and, materializing before her horrified eyes, appeared a large host, consisting of the most horrible of enemies, including Stalfos, Lizalfos, ghosts, and wicked men, all armed to the teeth. Airaen tried to count them all, but nearly half of the host was shrouded in shadow. As her eyes moved back to the front of it, she saw, riding out of the shadows, a black horse with red eyes. Her heart hammering, she saw that atop the horse road a cloaked figure shrouded in darkness. Just like in my dream!, she thought. The very aura around the figure was shadowy, and all those nearest to it knelt down, the glimmer of fear in their eyes. Slowly, the figure reached up to remove the hood. Airaen broke out into a cold sweat as the hood was drawn back to reveal none other than Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo, master of the horde. With a stifled cry, Airaen clumsily slid down the vine, which cut her hands. Leaping down, Airaen hit the ground, stumbled, and fell. Doggedly, she leapt up and ran into the market, crying, "WAKE UP, WAKE UP PEOPLE OF HYRULE! FOES ARE UPON US! GANONDORF HAS COME TO KILL US ALL! TO ARMS, PEOPLE! TO ARMS!"
As she passed each house and store, lights went on, and people began to pour out of their homes, most in their nightgowns, while others held the only available weapon in the house, most of them being kitchen knives. Stopping, Airaen yelled, "No! Rally at the castle! Hurry! Ganon will try to break down the gate!" A few stared in disbelief, while others followed Airaen as she ran on to the Castle.
Some whispered, "Was that the Master Sword I saw on that child's back?" As Airaen passed. Ignoring it, she sprinted on up to the Hyrule Castle gate, where a guard stood, obviously having just awoken.
"Where is Zelda?!", Airaen yelled at him. The guard merely shrugged sleepily. "Then wake her!! Wake everyone! Ganon is right outside the door!" With a start at the name, he drew out a horn at blew it three times, its loud cry echoing off the hills surrounding Hyrule. Lights went on in the Castle, and Zelda snapped awake. Foes are at our door!, came the cry, To arms! To arms!
Zelda sprinted down the stone steps, her heart beating wildly. Ganon? But how? I could not sense his approach.unless.yes! The Triforce of Power!, she thought, But, then, did Airaen sense it? But there was no more time for pondering or puzzlement. War was at hand. As she passed the guards, she ordered them to rally to the Gate and try to keep Ganon at bay. Nodding, each guard grabbed the nearest weapon and shield and began to run outside.
Wrapping her gown around her to fight the cold, Zelda ran outside. There she found Airaen giving orders to every guard. A natural leader, she thought.
"'Ey, you! Lazy ass!," Airaen yelled at a passing guard, "Where the hell do you think you're going? Get to that damn Gate now!" Then again, Zelda thought, perhaps not.
"Speaking of gates, where the hell is that stupid fairy?," Airaen asked aloud. As if in answer, the familiar blue ball of light came zooming out of the Castle. "There you are!"
"Only to serve you, child, though I don't really want to," came Gate's reply.
"Save the ass talk for later, Gate, we've got to-"
But Airaen never finished her sentence, for at that moment, there was a loud boom. Turning around, Airaen saw the Gate, or what was left of it, fall with a crash. With nothing to hold it back, the horde charged in, hacking and slaying every guard that stood there. Several of the villagers turned and fled up to Hyrule Castle. So, Airaen thought, it comes to this at last. She drew the Master Sword, and it sang a clear note as she drew it. Turning, Zelda saw the Sword in her daughter's hands, and her mouth dropped. But, she thought, her spirit should be locked away! How?
Zelda made to move towards Airaen, but her daughter was already charging into the melee of slaughter. "Airaen!", Zelda called, but her words were only heard by the wind.
**
Airaen charged full-force into the battle, her blood boiling for a fight. Even as one of the Lizalfos looked up, she cleaved its neck completely off. Before she moved on, Airaen bent down and grabbed the monster's shield. Odd though it seemed, killing no longer troubled Airaen as she attacked in a blaze of sword and shield. Bodies of her foes piled up behind her as she moved through the carnage, for nothing could stop her. She hacked and slashed her way through, the Master Sword a dealer of death in her grip. Blood splattered onto her clothes, her body, her hair, her eyes and mouth, but she no longer cared. As the carnage wore on, more and more foes turned their attention towards the unbeatable child, but each fell, unable to touch her.
Eventually, news of Airaen reached Ganon, who stood well away from the battle, waiting for his opportune moment. With a smile, he drew his own black sword and moved silently through the battle, killing quietly as he moved towards his unsuspecting prey.
Airaen swung her sword, cleaving another head off a Lizalfos, the gleam of battle in her eyes. She felt confident and strangely happy as she moved. However, a shadow of shadows came up behind her, and all foes around her backed away in terror. Puzzled, Airaen turned around to see Ganondorf bearing down upon her, black sword drawn, malice in his hateful, red eyes. With a cry, she leapt backwards, shield in front of her to block his attack. As the sword clanged on the shield, she shoved it away and leapt at her foe, the fury of battle coursing through her very veins. Sword met with sword as the opponents exchanged blow for blow, parry upon parry. It seemed as if the fight came to a standstill, but Ganon was wise with many years of experience in battle. Seeing a weakness, he ducked and dealt a savage kick to Airaen's stomach. She fell with a cry of pain, and, before she could even rise to defend herself, Ganon released a powerful spell, blowing away everything in its path.
Airaen was thrown back several feet and crashed into a nearby building. Piles of stone and wood fell on her as she try to stand and dodge them, but to no avail. A pile of wood buried her.
Ganon made to check whether Airaen lived or not, when one of his captains, a large Stalfos, came to his side, yelling, "We've captured Zelda! The Castle is taken, Lord! What now are your orders?"
Torn between an extra kill and more pressing matters, Ganon answered, "We will take Zelda back to Gerudo Valley. Make sure the bitch is secure. Leave five hundred here to guard the Castle. The rest will return to Gerudo with me. Now hurry!" As the captain left, he turned to the silent pile of rubble and said, "Airaen, if you are alive, hear this: I will come back for you to finish the job once I control all the pieces of the Triforce! Then, your death will be slow and painful!" Laughing, he ran off to lead his horde to Gerudo.
**
Moaning and coughing blood, Airaen slowly crawled out of the pile of wood, her traveling cloak in tatters, cuts and bruises running up her arms. Staggering, she picked up the Master Sword as Gate came flying at her. "Where.the hell have you.been, Gate?", she said, trying to focus.
"Never mind that, Airaen," he said, "The Queen has been captured! They're taking her to Gerudo Valley! We must save her!" Nodding, Airaen ran out of the market, avoiding any enemies as much as possible, and made her way out to Hyrule Field. There, she saw Ganon raise his right hand to reveal the symbol of the Triforce on it. The horde began to glow the color of a dark purple and began to fade. Panicking, Airaen, without even thinking, drew her sword and jumped onto the nearest foe, slaying him even as she, as well as the rest of the horde, vanished.
As if she had closed her eyes for a second, Airaen appeared in an unfamiliar surrounding. This must be Gerudo Valley, though I don't know how I got here. It was then that she realized that she was at the very edge of a large host. Oh.shit.
Immediately, she threw herself behind a rock before anyone could see her. Out of breath, she turned to Gate and whispered, "Can you see where Zelda is?" Slowly, the blue fairy flew upwards, then quickly darted down again.
"She's actually not that far away from here," he whispered, "far from Ganon. Her hands are bound, and she's sitting on top of a horse. If we can get her attention, maybe we'll be able to have her gallop over here. We're lucky we're right by the 'exit.'" Puzzled, Airaen turned around and saw the way out, a large gap in between the mountains. Far off, she could see a bridge. I've got more luck than I first imagined! thought Airaen.
"Alright, then. I could wave my arms a bit, but I'll probably be seen. What if you flew over there, quiet like, Gate?"
"Say what?!", Gate hissed, "You expect me to just fly over there? What do you expect me to do? Invite Ganon and his little buddies to tea or something? You've got to be kidding me!"
"No, moron! Fly in the shadows along the mountainside. Then, come up behind her hide near her and tell her what I've got planned!"
"And what is your plan?", Gate asked, clearly not as confident in the child as Airaen hoped.
"Well, it's obvious Ganon doesn't want her killed just yet, right? So, have her get the horse to gallop to that exit over there? Then, I'll run after her and we'll cross that bridge, quick like, and cut it down. That way, we won't have to worry about them following us very soon!"
"And after that?", Gate asked, not liking the idea at all.
"Um.I'll.improvise."
Gate was not happy: "Great. Just great." However, he did as Airaen commanded, using the shadows of the mountain as a guide. Finally, (it was a lucky thing that the horde was busy with taking role, and that Zelda was near to the mountainside) he came behind Zelda and told her of Airaen's plan. Nodding, Zelda slowly had the horse back away down the road to the gap in the mountains, using the shadows as cover. Airaen moved swiftly over to wear Zelda was, and, at a sign from Airaen, climbed onto the horse and galloped away, just as one of the men cried, "Aye! The prisoner's escaping down to the bridge! C'mon, you lazy asses! Get the prisoner!" As the horde ran after Zelda, Ganon stood watching with great interest, an evil smile on his lips. That Airaen will be a thorn in my side if I don't kill her now. Drawing his sword again, he called for his black horse. Climbing on top of it, he galloped off to catch Zelda and finally kill Airaen.
"Look! The bridge! We're gonna make it!", Airaen cried as they neared the bridge. Zelda smiled as hope returned to her. "I thought you would try and save your father first, Airaen," Zelda said softly in Airaen's ear. "You kidding? I would've been killed before I could even make a stupid move!" The horse galloped on as the host of Ganon came right at their heels. Come on, you stupid horse, Airaen thought as they finally reached the bridge. But Ganon was closer than Airaen thought. With a smile, he grabbed a bow and arrow from one of the passing men, notched it, and let it fly. The arrow sank into the unsuspecting horse's neck. With a scream, the horse fell over in its death throes, throwing both Zelda and Airaen off. As they landed, Airaen drew the Master Sword in rage at the sudden failure of her plan. "Airaen, no! Keep going! We can still try to make it off the bridge if we move swiftly enough!", Zelda cried. Sighing, Airaen turned to go when another arrow from Ganon wedged itself into Airaens thigh. With a cry of pain, she toppled forward, clutching at the arrow as blood ran down her leg. Zelda grabbed her daughter's arms to lift her, but Airaen pushed her aside and got up on her own. Limping heavily, she made her way towards Zelda. Looking back, she saw that the host was making its way across the bridge, swords drawn, howls of rage reaching her ears.
Now that Ganon had Airaen where he wanted, he dropped the bow and galloped onto the bridge, cackling hysterically. "Here's to your doom, girl-child!", he called as Airaen's eyes widened with fear. But Zelda had a different plan. Since she was the Seventh Sage, she still possessed great power, even without the Triforce of Wisdom. She summoned a spell and fired at Ganon, but her aim was slightly off, and it struck the horse that Ganon rode, cutting it in half as Ganon fell. As the two turned to run (or in Airaen's case, limp), Ganon roared, "KILL THAT CHILD! BRING ME ZELDA ALIVE!!"
The horde reached Airaen and Zelda quickly. Turning, Airaen cut down as many foes as she could, the fury of battle again upon her, this time in full force. Even as Zelda fought with anything she could find, she was amazed and almost terrified of the fury of her only child. She made to command her to stop, but something stopped her and made her blood run cold.
Ganon was coming behind Airaen, her back turned to the Gerudo Valley, her foot nearly inches from the edge. Raising his black sword, he would have cut the child down then had not Zelda cried out in warning. Turning, Airaen rolled away, but tripped and fell on her face, almost falling off the edge. Rolling away from Ganon, she kicked him square in the face. He cried out and stepped away as Airaen came at him with her blade raised above her head. But Ganon was again too quick for the child. Lying low to the ground, he brought his sword up and drove it home into Airaen's stomach.
Zelda screamed as Airaen stared down at the blade protruding from her stomach, then at Ganon, who grinned triumphantly. The Master Sword fell from Airaen's cold hands and went clattering off the bridge and down into the dark abyss. Her breath came in short gasps, eyes blinking back tears. Ganon viciously yanked his bloody sword away. Airaen staggered backwards, clutching the gaping hole in her stomach. Zelda tried to get at her, but a few of the men held her back, laughing maliciously.
Ganon grabbed the terrified Airaen by the hair and drew the girl close to him. "Pathetic child should have stayed home with mommy," he said, and pushed her off the edge of the bridge as Zelda tried desperately to break free, the tears streaming down her face. Ganon turned to the men holding Zelda back, and said, "Bring her back to the Fortress!"
As the men dragged Zelda away, she screamed, "NO! NO!! AIRAEN!! AIRAAAAEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!!"
No one noticed the tiny ball of blue light streaking down into the abyss after Airaen.