Ok.On to ch. 9! Another thanks to my reviewer, who shall remain
anonymous, unless he/she wants to be known.Keep reading, and an apology
about ch. 5.it seems that I uploaded the wrong thing. *cowers in shame*
**
Ch. 9: The Road to Sidar
Zelda was thrown into the cell quite violently, her body skidding the floor till she rested, clinging to the floor, still sobbing. The cell door clanged shut as the men marched away, cackling and boasting about their capture. Still Zelda sobbed, until a worn but familiar voice called out, "Zelda? Is that you? What's wrong?"
Out of the darkness, Link crawled towards her, resting his hand on her shoulder, concern on his haggard face. "Zelda? What's wrong? What has happened?" Still, Zelda sobbed, refusing to move or speak. Silently, Link gathered her into his lap, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Zelda held on to his dirty shirt and sobbed into it. After a moment, Link asked, "Zelda? What's wrong? Where is Airaen? Zelda? Where is our daughter?"
**
Airaen fell, and to her it seemed endless. However, instead of darkness, as she had expected, she saw a bright and golden light, as if she had walked out of a dark room into the sun. Still she fell, though she had to shield her eyes from the bright light. There was whispering all around her, and, though she tried to look, could not see anything. Pain again grabbed her, and she tried to cry out, but had no breath to do so. She was afraid to die, but she felt more afraid of the whispering around her, which was now growing in volume. It began to grow until it sounded like a great waterfall. Then, a voice spoke in her ear, kindly, yet powerful. "Bearer," it said, "you need not die here. Do not seek answers to that which you do not understand. Nay, only acknowledge what has been given to you, and you may master it with more strength than you first thought." As the voice faded, Airaen hit the river below, and darkness took her, even as a small, blue light fell in with her.
"Airaen. Child, come on now, wake up!" Slowly, Airaen opened her eyes, her vision blurred. A figure leaned over her, but she couldn't make out who or what it was. Blinking, she allowed her vision to come into focus. The figure that leaned over her was that of an old man dressed in blue with crooked teeth. He smiled, saying, "My! You've finally woken up! You're little friend and I were getting worried, but you've got more strength in you than I thought. But, come now! You must be hungry, or at least thirsty! I'll get something for you." He turned away, leaving a puzzled Airaen. Little friend? What? Where am I?
She looked around. Apparently, she was on a bed, not dead somewhere in a river. The house, for house it was, was a one-room place, looking more like a laboratory than a home, for at the very end of the house was an odd looking aquarium that ran deep into the ground. On the wall across from her lay a long desk laden with weird objects, where the old man stood with his back to her, cooking something. She was about to lay back on the pillow when a familiar blue ball of light came in through the window. "Gate!", she called. Immediately, the fairy flew to her side.
"My my! The princess of Hyrule is awake at last! I was afraid you had either died, or were too lazy to get up at all," he said with a laugh. But Airaen was too caught on what he had called her. Princess of Hyrule. She did not like the title at all. I prefer Airaen than anything else.yes, just plain Airaen.
Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Gate? How is it that I'm even alive? I should be dead."
There was a loud cackle. The old man had returned. "Dead? After a little scratch on your stomach? Though few have fallen from the bridge of Gerudo Valley and lived to tell about it, you were lucky that your little fairy was there to help keep you afloat!", he said.
"Scratch?! I was run through with a sword! Don't tell me that's a mere scratch for you!", Airaen said, completely confused.
"What's all this talk about getting cut with a sword? All I saw was a cut on your stomach, not to mention a few bumps and bruises from the rocks. Swords indeed! Confounded generation. Here," he said, motioning towards a cup of a steaming liquid in his hand, "drink this soup. I'll get some tea for you. Swords! A hoy hoy hoy! What is wrong with this confounded generation?" He moved away to boil water for tea.
Puzzled, Airaen turned to Gate and said, "A cut? But, Ganon cut me down with his sword! I should have died right then. How can a hole in my stomach turn to a damn cut all of a sudden, anyway? Am I losing my mind?"
"No, Airaen," Gate said, "it was the two Triforce pieces. They protected you and healed the wound as quickly as they could."
As Gate said this, the back of Airaen's right hand burned slightly, and she rubbed it absentmindedly. "Then, what was that voice I heard while I was falling? And all that light I saw? And the whispering? I don't understand.Gate, what's going on with me?"
Slowly, Gate answered her: "Hmm.the voice was probably Nayru, goddess of Wisdom. What did the voice tell you exactly?"
Airaen told Gate of everything that she had seen and heard when she fell. "I won't lie to you, child," Gate said in the same, slow manner, "I saw and heard nothing except for you. Those words that you heard definitely sound like Nayru's, though I don't know the exact meaning to them. What I find most interesting is the light you saw. Apparently, you might have seen a glimpse of the Sacred Realm and heard the voices of the Goddesses. I've actually never heard of a goddess actually coming in contact with anyone, let alone a Bearer. But, you are a special case, I guess."
"But, why?", Airaen asked, getting annoyed. She was not getting the answers that she needed.
"We shouldn't discuss these matters now until you get some more rest. Drink that soup and go to sleep. We'll talk later," Gate said, eyeing the old man, who was thankfully out of earshot. Although Gate trusted the old man, he wanted to make sure that he was kept from any information, lest Ganon and his men come here.
Sighing, Airaen drank her soup and lay back. As soon as she hit the soft pillow, she fell instantly asleep.
The sea was beckoning to her. Its soft cry from the tiny waves that lapped the shore seemed to call her name. Looking out, she saw that the sea was bright as the sun set. She heard the sound of horns, and turned to see a great army, with the forerunners bearing the mark of the Royal Family on banners.
Gradually, Airaen awoke from her dream. She felt rejuvenated and ready to get up. Slowly, though her head swam a bit, she sat up and stretched. Sunlight drifted in from the window above her as she got out of bed, swaying a little. She grabbed for her boots and found fresh new clothes on a chair next to the bed. She put on the brown pants and pale green tunic, tightening the belt around it. Thankfully, her traveling boots were still intact. She swung her traveling cloak about her and then she realized it. The Master Sword was gone! Panicking, she searched everywhere for it, but it could not be found. I must find Gate!, she thought, and rushed out of the house.
Once outside, she blinked in the sunlight and saw a beautiful lake that sparkled in the sunlight. Towards the center of the lake stood a tiny island with a large tree, and a bridge coming off of it to the shore, not a few feet from where she stood. "Gate!", she called. As if in answer, the fairy came flying out of the sky over the water. As he neared her, she said, breathless, "Gate, the Master Sword! I've lost the Sword!"
But Gate only laughed: "You are a total idiot, Airaen. Do you think that I'd be stupid enough to forget that? After I brought you ashore here and made sure the Doctor here was looking after you, I went back to retrieve the Sword. It actually wasn't as hard as I first thought, for the Sword has more magic in it than one might think. It had easily lodged itself between two large rocks, with the hilt sticking out of the water, so it was no trouble at all grabbing it and carrying it all the way here. Though, I'm sorry to say, I could not find your other sword, but I think it may turn out to be a blessing soon enough. Here, I put it underneath your bed!" As he finished his sentence, Airaen ran back inside, and there, she found the Master Sword, sheathed in its scabbard. With a laugh, she picked it up and buckled the belt from it in front of her chest so that the Sword and scabbard lay on her back in the style of her father. She ran outside again.
"I must tell you about my dream, Gate!", she said as soon as she reached him.
"I've got no use to listening to your pathetic dreams, child. I've got to figure out a way we can save your mother and father and reclaim the Castle," he said, obviously annoyed.
"No, Gate! It's important! I dreamt that I was on a beach, and I turned and saw a great army bearing the Royal Family crest on banners! I think it's a vision of the future, or something!"
"Don't tell me you're prescient now, child."
"I'm what? Is that an insult?", Airaen asked, utterly confused.
Gate was officially annoyed: "NO, IDIOT! IT MEANS YOU CAN SEE THE FUTURE!"
"So, you believe me?"
"NO! YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! JUST SHUT-"
"You believe me! You believe me!", Airaen chanted.
"NO! SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT-"
"SILENCE!", a new voice called. Both companions turned to see the old man, the Doctor, coming up with an enraged look on his face. "Confounded generation! Is that all you do? And you, a fairy, raising your voice like that. The child is obviously prescient, for no Hylian could have ever even known of that place, let alone dream about it! So shut up!"
Gate floated in an embarrassed silence, thinking of ways in which he could punish Airaen. Smiling, Airaen said, "So, it's a real place? The place I dreamt about and all? And I'm really precious, or whatever you said?"
There was a slight pause from the old man. Goddesses above, he thought, this girl is an idiot in vocabulary. But he continued nonetheless: "That beach you dreamt of is as ancient a place as Hyrule Castle, though some historians, like myself, think it's far older than that. It is called Sidar, next to the Sea of Sidar on the very shores of Hyrule. An ancient people, much like the Hylians, live there, or did. None have ever gone there, for, though the city in Sidar is peaceful, the borders are certainly not. Though Zelda made a treaty with the lords of that land, she also honored their want of seclusion from Hyrule, and any who go there without the important Symbol of Peace are immediately slain by the people of Sidar."
"Ok," Airaen said, her hope slightly blanched, "how do I get there?"
The old man laughed. "Get there?", he said, "Why would you want to do a thing like that, child?"
"Because I might have a chance against Ganondorf if I can get Sidar's aid! Think about it! If I get Sidar to aid us, and also rally all of Hyrule, we'll beat that crappy Ganon and his horde to the ground and reclaim the Castle! Come now, you've got to have a map, or something, that tells me where Sidar is? Don't you, Doctor?"
"Well.I do have a map to Sidar, as well as the rest of Hyrule.but, it's going to cost you some Rupees."
"Ah, about that," Airaen said, "let's just say.I don't have any money with me because I didn't get my allowance? But, you wouldn't hold out on a pretty girl like me, would you?" She batted her eyes and tried to look pretty, though she was a bit beat up.
The Doctor looked at Airaen with a raised eyebrow. "And why should I help you? I've done enough for you. That's the problem with this generation! Always trying to cheat you out of everything!"
Airaen was angry at this statement. She marched right up to the man, bent down to his face, and glared at him with her intense, purple eyes. The old man could not even glance at her eyes, so enraged were they. "Hmph! Still won't help you!" With a yell of rage, Airaen knocked the old man flat on the ground.
Standing over him, she yelled, "Unless you want me to really hurt you.oh, stop it, you're fine.you'll give me that map for Sidar, please!"
Almost crying, the old man got up, brushed himself off and set off to find the map inside his home, mumbling, "Stupid generation.sure, I nurse her back to health, feed her, clothe her, and what do I get? A slap in the face! Confounded generation." After a few moments, he reemerged from inside bearing an old and tattered map. He unfurled it, showing it to her, and said, "Here you are at Lake Hylia. The exit is here, right behind you. As soon as you pass out of the hills, bear right and follow along the hills. There, you'll reach a forested area. That is the border of Sidar, where your perils begin. If the guards at the border don't kill you, the creatures in the forest might. But stick close to the edge, and try not to go straight through the center of the forest! Once you pass that forest, you'll come upon the gate leading into Sidar. You'll need the Symbol of Peace to get past it, though no one knows what that is. If you do manage to figure all that out, ask for Rohkensagen, the Chief of Sidar, or, if not him, then his son, Rohkensa, who I think is your age, ironically. I don't know, really. It'll be lucky if you even get past the forest at all. I suggest you bring torches and the like, for it's dark in there. So, let's see.a three day journey to the border, I think.two days, probably, from the border, through the forest, and to the gate. There, happy now?" He threw the map at Airaen, who caught it rather skillfully. "And I'll suppose you'll be wanting food to go with it, yes?" Airaen smiled. "Lousy, rotten, no good generation," he mumbled as he returned inside the house to get the necessary provision for the five-day journey ahead. He returned with a full pack of food and other provisions, as well as matches.
"Thank you, Doctor. I guess I need to repay you?", Airaen said at a glance from Gate.
"As a matter of fact, if you could finish the map from the gate on into the city of Sidara, the main city of Sidar, we'll call it even."
"I'll try," Airaen said. Then, she sang for Perigan, who came galloping towards her as Gate mumbled something like how does that horse do that? Airaen put the pack onto her back, storing the map carefully in it, climbed onto the horse's back, and with a cry, Perigan galloped off as Airaen waved at the old man.
For a while, the old man watched the girl until she finally disappeared. With a sigh, he turned back to his house, mumbling, "Confounded and stubborn generation, always thinking they can 'save the world'! Bah! But good luck to you."
Airaen followed the old man's advice and turned right as soon as she, Perigan, and Gate reached Hyrule Field. They rode until nightfall, and, after finding a good spot to camp, ate a little and slept, with Gate, being that he was a fairy and could go for weeks on end without sleep, kept watch. Before dawn, they set off again with little rest, save for when Perigan needed to stop for food and water. For three days, they journeyed like this, often referring to the map to check their direction. Then, on the third day, they came upon a thick forest with little or no sunlight streaking in. They had reached the border of Sidar.
"Oh, nice and cozy, just the way I like it," Airaen said with a grimace. Gate looked at her, clearly seeing the slight fear in her. He was about to say some words of comfort at her, when she urged Perigan into the forest, a set look on her face. He flew after her.
As they rode in, Airaen, to keep her confidence, sang softly to herself: "Here I go, on the paths from home again, and there I see yet more to come. The stars shine now, to guide my way, until I can return home once more. Distant paths come, bearing me away, but still I walk till I get home."
It made her feel a little better as they continued down a rather old and long-unused path. Tree roots and branches made traveling difficult for Perigan, but he was a proud horse, and would not suffer the indignity of falling over so easily, and carefully but swiftly made his way down the path.
The air felt deathly still to them, as if the very trees held their breath. Though it seemed quiet, every now and then, Airaen felt as if eyes watched her from behind or above in the trees. But, when she looked in that direction, she saw nothing. But, later, she felt the eyes watching her again. Shivers ran down her spine, and she urged Perigan on at a quicker pace.
After a steady journey, they stopped to rest for the night, though neither could tell, since the canopy overhead concealed any amount of sunshine and made it an eternal night. Despite Gate's warnings, Airaen lit a fire for warmth and light and ate a few berries and dried meat from the Doctor. After a small sip of water, she lay back to sleep, when a sharp pain from the back of her right hand made her sit up again. Gritting her teeth, she held onto her hand, eyes closed, until it passed. After clenching and unclenching her hand, she lay back, wrapped her cloak around her and went to sleep. Gate, having watched the whole episode, was getting worried about his companion.
Airaen dreamt again of the sea and the army, but she also saw a boy of about her age with brown hair and brown eyes brandishing a large, red, double-handed sword. He turned, smiling at her, and she saw that he wore a red shirt with the mark of the Triforce in white upon it. Though she could not hear him, he said something to her, but then the dream ended rather abruptly when Airaen heard a cry from Gate.
Waking with a start, she saw the fairy trying to fight off a freakish creature, while Perigan was trying to kick another one. It was furry and rather large, with blue eyes, sharp teeth and claws. The thing was slashing at Gate, who was dodging around it, yelling out Airaen's name. Immediately, she drew the Master Sword, but ten more of the creatures ambushed her from behind, knocking her flat, making her lose her sword. One of the creatures grabbed her ankle and flung her against a tree. With a cry of pain, she sank to the ground. Gate managed to fly over to her, crying, "Airaen! Get up! Hey, are you listening to me?! Airaen?" But the child was not looking at him, or seemingly at anything. Her eyes squinted, as if she were trying to see something far away. One of the creatures grunted something to the others. The other creatures replied with a grunt and turned to run towards Airaen, their claws and teeth bared. Gate cried out, when, suddenly, Airaen stood, her eyes narrowed, glaring hatefully at the creatures.
Slowly, she made her way towards them, calmly, her hands limp at her side. Gate yelled at her to come back, but she could not hear him. Her right hand twitched, and a burning sensation began to come from the back of it. Still the creatures charged, until one was close enough so that it could lunge at her. It flew into the air with a screech, claws bared. Airaen looked up calmly, and, with a slight grin, raised her right hand in front of her. As the creature came down, Airaen's hand glowed the color of gold, until the mark of the Triforce, with two of the pieces glowing brightly, appeared on the back of her hand. Airaen cried out as a burst of enormous energy exploded from her hand, reducing the creature into nothing but ash.
Angered, the rest of the creatures lunged at the child, but Airaen was too quick for them, a grin on her face. As Gate looked on, Airaen moved away from them until their backs were to her. She raised her palm again and let loose another wave of energy at the creatures, reducing them to same pitiful fate as their fallen ally.
Slowly, she lowered her hand. The Triforce mark faded, leaving a panting and exhausted Airaen. She looked at the awestruck Gate with a look of confusion and fear, and then collapsed on the ground.
**
Ganon stopped in his tracks outside his throne room. That power? Where? Quickly, he turned in the direction from where the power was strongest. It felt very far away, but strong enough for Ganon to sense it. And only he knew what kind of power it was, the kind he had not felt since he fought Link and was imprisoned by Zelda. He laughed. So,the two pieces that I've been searching for do not lie in those two idiots.Very clever, Zelda, no doubt of your making. But, whom did you choose? He focused his entire thought upon the energy, though it slowly began to fade. Closing his eyes, he saw dimly, and only for a fraction of a moment, a familiar, young girl with blonde hair pulled back collapse on the ground. He smiled. Clever, Zelda, oh, so very clever. You should know such power protects the Bearer. Little fool. But I'll let you think you're precious girl- child is dead yet a bit longer. It's obvious now who her mother is, anyway. I see the resemblence now. Confidently, he strode into his throne room, ordering wine and food as he passed a servant. He sat down on his throne in high spirits, and when he got his cup of wine, a good, red wine, he toasted to Airaen's health. "May you live long enough for me to take those remaining pieces and then kill you, child!", he cried and drained his cup.
Everything is in perfect position!
**
Ch. 9: The Road to Sidar
Zelda was thrown into the cell quite violently, her body skidding the floor till she rested, clinging to the floor, still sobbing. The cell door clanged shut as the men marched away, cackling and boasting about their capture. Still Zelda sobbed, until a worn but familiar voice called out, "Zelda? Is that you? What's wrong?"
Out of the darkness, Link crawled towards her, resting his hand on her shoulder, concern on his haggard face. "Zelda? What's wrong? What has happened?" Still, Zelda sobbed, refusing to move or speak. Silently, Link gathered her into his lap, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Zelda held on to his dirty shirt and sobbed into it. After a moment, Link asked, "Zelda? What's wrong? Where is Airaen? Zelda? Where is our daughter?"
**
Airaen fell, and to her it seemed endless. However, instead of darkness, as she had expected, she saw a bright and golden light, as if she had walked out of a dark room into the sun. Still she fell, though she had to shield her eyes from the bright light. There was whispering all around her, and, though she tried to look, could not see anything. Pain again grabbed her, and she tried to cry out, but had no breath to do so. She was afraid to die, but she felt more afraid of the whispering around her, which was now growing in volume. It began to grow until it sounded like a great waterfall. Then, a voice spoke in her ear, kindly, yet powerful. "Bearer," it said, "you need not die here. Do not seek answers to that which you do not understand. Nay, only acknowledge what has been given to you, and you may master it with more strength than you first thought." As the voice faded, Airaen hit the river below, and darkness took her, even as a small, blue light fell in with her.
"Airaen. Child, come on now, wake up!" Slowly, Airaen opened her eyes, her vision blurred. A figure leaned over her, but she couldn't make out who or what it was. Blinking, she allowed her vision to come into focus. The figure that leaned over her was that of an old man dressed in blue with crooked teeth. He smiled, saying, "My! You've finally woken up! You're little friend and I were getting worried, but you've got more strength in you than I thought. But, come now! You must be hungry, or at least thirsty! I'll get something for you." He turned away, leaving a puzzled Airaen. Little friend? What? Where am I?
She looked around. Apparently, she was on a bed, not dead somewhere in a river. The house, for house it was, was a one-room place, looking more like a laboratory than a home, for at the very end of the house was an odd looking aquarium that ran deep into the ground. On the wall across from her lay a long desk laden with weird objects, where the old man stood with his back to her, cooking something. She was about to lay back on the pillow when a familiar blue ball of light came in through the window. "Gate!", she called. Immediately, the fairy flew to her side.
"My my! The princess of Hyrule is awake at last! I was afraid you had either died, or were too lazy to get up at all," he said with a laugh. But Airaen was too caught on what he had called her. Princess of Hyrule. She did not like the title at all. I prefer Airaen than anything else.yes, just plain Airaen.
Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Gate? How is it that I'm even alive? I should be dead."
There was a loud cackle. The old man had returned. "Dead? After a little scratch on your stomach? Though few have fallen from the bridge of Gerudo Valley and lived to tell about it, you were lucky that your little fairy was there to help keep you afloat!", he said.
"Scratch?! I was run through with a sword! Don't tell me that's a mere scratch for you!", Airaen said, completely confused.
"What's all this talk about getting cut with a sword? All I saw was a cut on your stomach, not to mention a few bumps and bruises from the rocks. Swords indeed! Confounded generation. Here," he said, motioning towards a cup of a steaming liquid in his hand, "drink this soup. I'll get some tea for you. Swords! A hoy hoy hoy! What is wrong with this confounded generation?" He moved away to boil water for tea.
Puzzled, Airaen turned to Gate and said, "A cut? But, Ganon cut me down with his sword! I should have died right then. How can a hole in my stomach turn to a damn cut all of a sudden, anyway? Am I losing my mind?"
"No, Airaen," Gate said, "it was the two Triforce pieces. They protected you and healed the wound as quickly as they could."
As Gate said this, the back of Airaen's right hand burned slightly, and she rubbed it absentmindedly. "Then, what was that voice I heard while I was falling? And all that light I saw? And the whispering? I don't understand.Gate, what's going on with me?"
Slowly, Gate answered her: "Hmm.the voice was probably Nayru, goddess of Wisdom. What did the voice tell you exactly?"
Airaen told Gate of everything that she had seen and heard when she fell. "I won't lie to you, child," Gate said in the same, slow manner, "I saw and heard nothing except for you. Those words that you heard definitely sound like Nayru's, though I don't know the exact meaning to them. What I find most interesting is the light you saw. Apparently, you might have seen a glimpse of the Sacred Realm and heard the voices of the Goddesses. I've actually never heard of a goddess actually coming in contact with anyone, let alone a Bearer. But, you are a special case, I guess."
"But, why?", Airaen asked, getting annoyed. She was not getting the answers that she needed.
"We shouldn't discuss these matters now until you get some more rest. Drink that soup and go to sleep. We'll talk later," Gate said, eyeing the old man, who was thankfully out of earshot. Although Gate trusted the old man, he wanted to make sure that he was kept from any information, lest Ganon and his men come here.
Sighing, Airaen drank her soup and lay back. As soon as she hit the soft pillow, she fell instantly asleep.
The sea was beckoning to her. Its soft cry from the tiny waves that lapped the shore seemed to call her name. Looking out, she saw that the sea was bright as the sun set. She heard the sound of horns, and turned to see a great army, with the forerunners bearing the mark of the Royal Family on banners.
Gradually, Airaen awoke from her dream. She felt rejuvenated and ready to get up. Slowly, though her head swam a bit, she sat up and stretched. Sunlight drifted in from the window above her as she got out of bed, swaying a little. She grabbed for her boots and found fresh new clothes on a chair next to the bed. She put on the brown pants and pale green tunic, tightening the belt around it. Thankfully, her traveling boots were still intact. She swung her traveling cloak about her and then she realized it. The Master Sword was gone! Panicking, she searched everywhere for it, but it could not be found. I must find Gate!, she thought, and rushed out of the house.
Once outside, she blinked in the sunlight and saw a beautiful lake that sparkled in the sunlight. Towards the center of the lake stood a tiny island with a large tree, and a bridge coming off of it to the shore, not a few feet from where she stood. "Gate!", she called. As if in answer, the fairy came flying out of the sky over the water. As he neared her, she said, breathless, "Gate, the Master Sword! I've lost the Sword!"
But Gate only laughed: "You are a total idiot, Airaen. Do you think that I'd be stupid enough to forget that? After I brought you ashore here and made sure the Doctor here was looking after you, I went back to retrieve the Sword. It actually wasn't as hard as I first thought, for the Sword has more magic in it than one might think. It had easily lodged itself between two large rocks, with the hilt sticking out of the water, so it was no trouble at all grabbing it and carrying it all the way here. Though, I'm sorry to say, I could not find your other sword, but I think it may turn out to be a blessing soon enough. Here, I put it underneath your bed!" As he finished his sentence, Airaen ran back inside, and there, she found the Master Sword, sheathed in its scabbard. With a laugh, she picked it up and buckled the belt from it in front of her chest so that the Sword and scabbard lay on her back in the style of her father. She ran outside again.
"I must tell you about my dream, Gate!", she said as soon as she reached him.
"I've got no use to listening to your pathetic dreams, child. I've got to figure out a way we can save your mother and father and reclaim the Castle," he said, obviously annoyed.
"No, Gate! It's important! I dreamt that I was on a beach, and I turned and saw a great army bearing the Royal Family crest on banners! I think it's a vision of the future, or something!"
"Don't tell me you're prescient now, child."
"I'm what? Is that an insult?", Airaen asked, utterly confused.
Gate was officially annoyed: "NO, IDIOT! IT MEANS YOU CAN SEE THE FUTURE!"
"So, you believe me?"
"NO! YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME! JUST SHUT-"
"You believe me! You believe me!", Airaen chanted.
"NO! SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT-"
"SILENCE!", a new voice called. Both companions turned to see the old man, the Doctor, coming up with an enraged look on his face. "Confounded generation! Is that all you do? And you, a fairy, raising your voice like that. The child is obviously prescient, for no Hylian could have ever even known of that place, let alone dream about it! So shut up!"
Gate floated in an embarrassed silence, thinking of ways in which he could punish Airaen. Smiling, Airaen said, "So, it's a real place? The place I dreamt about and all? And I'm really precious, or whatever you said?"
There was a slight pause from the old man. Goddesses above, he thought, this girl is an idiot in vocabulary. But he continued nonetheless: "That beach you dreamt of is as ancient a place as Hyrule Castle, though some historians, like myself, think it's far older than that. It is called Sidar, next to the Sea of Sidar on the very shores of Hyrule. An ancient people, much like the Hylians, live there, or did. None have ever gone there, for, though the city in Sidar is peaceful, the borders are certainly not. Though Zelda made a treaty with the lords of that land, she also honored their want of seclusion from Hyrule, and any who go there without the important Symbol of Peace are immediately slain by the people of Sidar."
"Ok," Airaen said, her hope slightly blanched, "how do I get there?"
The old man laughed. "Get there?", he said, "Why would you want to do a thing like that, child?"
"Because I might have a chance against Ganondorf if I can get Sidar's aid! Think about it! If I get Sidar to aid us, and also rally all of Hyrule, we'll beat that crappy Ganon and his horde to the ground and reclaim the Castle! Come now, you've got to have a map, or something, that tells me where Sidar is? Don't you, Doctor?"
"Well.I do have a map to Sidar, as well as the rest of Hyrule.but, it's going to cost you some Rupees."
"Ah, about that," Airaen said, "let's just say.I don't have any money with me because I didn't get my allowance? But, you wouldn't hold out on a pretty girl like me, would you?" She batted her eyes and tried to look pretty, though she was a bit beat up.
The Doctor looked at Airaen with a raised eyebrow. "And why should I help you? I've done enough for you. That's the problem with this generation! Always trying to cheat you out of everything!"
Airaen was angry at this statement. She marched right up to the man, bent down to his face, and glared at him with her intense, purple eyes. The old man could not even glance at her eyes, so enraged were they. "Hmph! Still won't help you!" With a yell of rage, Airaen knocked the old man flat on the ground.
Standing over him, she yelled, "Unless you want me to really hurt you.oh, stop it, you're fine.you'll give me that map for Sidar, please!"
Almost crying, the old man got up, brushed himself off and set off to find the map inside his home, mumbling, "Stupid generation.sure, I nurse her back to health, feed her, clothe her, and what do I get? A slap in the face! Confounded generation." After a few moments, he reemerged from inside bearing an old and tattered map. He unfurled it, showing it to her, and said, "Here you are at Lake Hylia. The exit is here, right behind you. As soon as you pass out of the hills, bear right and follow along the hills. There, you'll reach a forested area. That is the border of Sidar, where your perils begin. If the guards at the border don't kill you, the creatures in the forest might. But stick close to the edge, and try not to go straight through the center of the forest! Once you pass that forest, you'll come upon the gate leading into Sidar. You'll need the Symbol of Peace to get past it, though no one knows what that is. If you do manage to figure all that out, ask for Rohkensagen, the Chief of Sidar, or, if not him, then his son, Rohkensa, who I think is your age, ironically. I don't know, really. It'll be lucky if you even get past the forest at all. I suggest you bring torches and the like, for it's dark in there. So, let's see.a three day journey to the border, I think.two days, probably, from the border, through the forest, and to the gate. There, happy now?" He threw the map at Airaen, who caught it rather skillfully. "And I'll suppose you'll be wanting food to go with it, yes?" Airaen smiled. "Lousy, rotten, no good generation," he mumbled as he returned inside the house to get the necessary provision for the five-day journey ahead. He returned with a full pack of food and other provisions, as well as matches.
"Thank you, Doctor. I guess I need to repay you?", Airaen said at a glance from Gate.
"As a matter of fact, if you could finish the map from the gate on into the city of Sidara, the main city of Sidar, we'll call it even."
"I'll try," Airaen said. Then, she sang for Perigan, who came galloping towards her as Gate mumbled something like how does that horse do that? Airaen put the pack onto her back, storing the map carefully in it, climbed onto the horse's back, and with a cry, Perigan galloped off as Airaen waved at the old man.
For a while, the old man watched the girl until she finally disappeared. With a sigh, he turned back to his house, mumbling, "Confounded and stubborn generation, always thinking they can 'save the world'! Bah! But good luck to you."
Airaen followed the old man's advice and turned right as soon as she, Perigan, and Gate reached Hyrule Field. They rode until nightfall, and, after finding a good spot to camp, ate a little and slept, with Gate, being that he was a fairy and could go for weeks on end without sleep, kept watch. Before dawn, they set off again with little rest, save for when Perigan needed to stop for food and water. For three days, they journeyed like this, often referring to the map to check their direction. Then, on the third day, they came upon a thick forest with little or no sunlight streaking in. They had reached the border of Sidar.
"Oh, nice and cozy, just the way I like it," Airaen said with a grimace. Gate looked at her, clearly seeing the slight fear in her. He was about to say some words of comfort at her, when she urged Perigan into the forest, a set look on her face. He flew after her.
As they rode in, Airaen, to keep her confidence, sang softly to herself: "Here I go, on the paths from home again, and there I see yet more to come. The stars shine now, to guide my way, until I can return home once more. Distant paths come, bearing me away, but still I walk till I get home."
It made her feel a little better as they continued down a rather old and long-unused path. Tree roots and branches made traveling difficult for Perigan, but he was a proud horse, and would not suffer the indignity of falling over so easily, and carefully but swiftly made his way down the path.
The air felt deathly still to them, as if the very trees held their breath. Though it seemed quiet, every now and then, Airaen felt as if eyes watched her from behind or above in the trees. But, when she looked in that direction, she saw nothing. But, later, she felt the eyes watching her again. Shivers ran down her spine, and she urged Perigan on at a quicker pace.
After a steady journey, they stopped to rest for the night, though neither could tell, since the canopy overhead concealed any amount of sunshine and made it an eternal night. Despite Gate's warnings, Airaen lit a fire for warmth and light and ate a few berries and dried meat from the Doctor. After a small sip of water, she lay back to sleep, when a sharp pain from the back of her right hand made her sit up again. Gritting her teeth, she held onto her hand, eyes closed, until it passed. After clenching and unclenching her hand, she lay back, wrapped her cloak around her and went to sleep. Gate, having watched the whole episode, was getting worried about his companion.
Airaen dreamt again of the sea and the army, but she also saw a boy of about her age with brown hair and brown eyes brandishing a large, red, double-handed sword. He turned, smiling at her, and she saw that he wore a red shirt with the mark of the Triforce in white upon it. Though she could not hear him, he said something to her, but then the dream ended rather abruptly when Airaen heard a cry from Gate.
Waking with a start, she saw the fairy trying to fight off a freakish creature, while Perigan was trying to kick another one. It was furry and rather large, with blue eyes, sharp teeth and claws. The thing was slashing at Gate, who was dodging around it, yelling out Airaen's name. Immediately, she drew the Master Sword, but ten more of the creatures ambushed her from behind, knocking her flat, making her lose her sword. One of the creatures grabbed her ankle and flung her against a tree. With a cry of pain, she sank to the ground. Gate managed to fly over to her, crying, "Airaen! Get up! Hey, are you listening to me?! Airaen?" But the child was not looking at him, or seemingly at anything. Her eyes squinted, as if she were trying to see something far away. One of the creatures grunted something to the others. The other creatures replied with a grunt and turned to run towards Airaen, their claws and teeth bared. Gate cried out, when, suddenly, Airaen stood, her eyes narrowed, glaring hatefully at the creatures.
Slowly, she made her way towards them, calmly, her hands limp at her side. Gate yelled at her to come back, but she could not hear him. Her right hand twitched, and a burning sensation began to come from the back of it. Still the creatures charged, until one was close enough so that it could lunge at her. It flew into the air with a screech, claws bared. Airaen looked up calmly, and, with a slight grin, raised her right hand in front of her. As the creature came down, Airaen's hand glowed the color of gold, until the mark of the Triforce, with two of the pieces glowing brightly, appeared on the back of her hand. Airaen cried out as a burst of enormous energy exploded from her hand, reducing the creature into nothing but ash.
Angered, the rest of the creatures lunged at the child, but Airaen was too quick for them, a grin on her face. As Gate looked on, Airaen moved away from them until their backs were to her. She raised her palm again and let loose another wave of energy at the creatures, reducing them to same pitiful fate as their fallen ally.
Slowly, she lowered her hand. The Triforce mark faded, leaving a panting and exhausted Airaen. She looked at the awestruck Gate with a look of confusion and fear, and then collapsed on the ground.
**
Ganon stopped in his tracks outside his throne room. That power? Where? Quickly, he turned in the direction from where the power was strongest. It felt very far away, but strong enough for Ganon to sense it. And only he knew what kind of power it was, the kind he had not felt since he fought Link and was imprisoned by Zelda. He laughed. So,the two pieces that I've been searching for do not lie in those two idiots.Very clever, Zelda, no doubt of your making. But, whom did you choose? He focused his entire thought upon the energy, though it slowly began to fade. Closing his eyes, he saw dimly, and only for a fraction of a moment, a familiar, young girl with blonde hair pulled back collapse on the ground. He smiled. Clever, Zelda, oh, so very clever. You should know such power protects the Bearer. Little fool. But I'll let you think you're precious girl- child is dead yet a bit longer. It's obvious now who her mother is, anyway. I see the resemblence now. Confidently, he strode into his throne room, ordering wine and food as he passed a servant. He sat down on his throne in high spirits, and when he got his cup of wine, a good, red wine, he toasted to Airaen's health. "May you live long enough for me to take those remaining pieces and then kill you, child!", he cried and drained his cup.
Everything is in perfect position!