Hey, it's Victoria Day! So, some good *can* come out of being a monarchy – ruled country in the distant past! Long weekends rule!
CHAPTER 20 IS HERE! YAHOO!
-Shawshank
Chapter 20 – The Fogbank
Hunters' eyes pierced the darkness near to the ground, accompanied by a pair of mismatched eyes. They came slowly and silently forward, stalking, completely tuned in to their surroundings.
Tyr and the wolves were getting closer and closer to the camp Navi had said held Link's corpse. Tyr had already communicated with the wolves, and, though they weren't her pack, they agreed to listen to her. She asked them to distract any and all guards while she went in to retrieve the body of her friend. The wolves felt this was a noble cause, and the hatred of evil ran deep in their blood. They bared their yellow teeth in happy grins, and Tyr had no doubt that they would be leaving behind some corpses themselves.
They had sung to the moon, telling any other packs within hearing of their quest, and asking for help. Three more packs had answered; so Tyr would be going in backed by about twenty wolves. She bared her teeth, knowing that they were just as sharp, if even sharper, than the wolves'.
They had been held back for several minutes while they waited for their brothers and sisters. When Tyr was sitting, she had felt a probe of sorts – like someone was poking her at the base of her skull. She had abruptly fallen over, her eyes rolling up in her head; memories flashed like vivid nightmares through her head. Two of them she didn't recognize; one she did. That memory was hers, and it was filled with abandonment. She had woken to the warm tongues of wolves caressing her cheeks, licking away the tears she had shed in sleep. She sobbed and took their faces between her hands, making sure they were still there, begging them not to leave her.
And they were still there, walking towards the camp. Now they were on the edge of the firelight, and Tyr asked them to spread out in a huge circle. She saw their quivering muscles, felt their eagerness to destroy the evil scent that crawled along the ground and invaded their senses. She told them to hold back, and got into position.
Now all they had to do was wait until the time was right.
***
Well, that *was* strange.
"Those weren't just Link's memories, and they certainly weren't Navi's. Kawhin -"
Yes?
"Must you meddle around in people's heads so much?"
I've found, Princess, that sometimes – actually, most of the time – 'meddling' is the only way you can truly know someone.
"Ah. Of course."
Shall we continue meddling?
"Why don't we get out of this fog first?"
It would be more wise to wait until this fog dissipates. It would also be easier than wandering around and getting ourselves more lost than we already are.
"It's either that or keep meddling. What do you think?"
I'd rather meddle.
"Me too. But, this time, try to stay out of my head, okay?"
The second memory – was that yours?
"Well, I don't recognize it, but it must be – Sheik is my alter ego of sorts."
So you *do* keep your own mind when you become Sheik.
"Yes, but -"
You lied to us! You lied to us all! Why?
Desperation was in her voice as she answered.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you any more than you already know."
And why not?
"I just can't. Can we keep meddling, please?"
Fine. You know, I think that last one was Tyr's.
"Yes, I thought so too."
Do you think she's connected to us somehow?
"Yes, I believe so."
Hmm. She's alive, then, that's for sure.
"That's good."
I can feel her now! She must be nearby. Forget meddling, let's find her!
"Works for me. But -"
What?
"Can we link one more time? I want to see what happens."
Fine. But I'm making this one quick.
"Fine by me."
***
{ Your new Scholar is one of the most elite in the colony. Don't you dare give your Scholar the inconveniences we have to put up with. }
Yes, Father.
[ Now, we're doing what's best for you, child. We've paid good money to be sure you are taught by only the best of the best. ]
I know, Mother.
{ Don't cheek your Mother! Now, she said she would meet you in there. We'll see you when you are a man! }
Goodbye, Father. Goodbye, Mother.
[ Goodbye, son. We wish you luck. ]
Thank you, Mother. Good luck to you too.
{ You're the one who needs luck, son. }
My parents strode away, my Father's arm around Mother's shoulders. She was sobbing, leaning into Father's side, looking for comfort. Father's long and piercingly white hair bobbed as he walked, sometimes dipping low enough to brush the ground. Mother's much shorter but equally white hair was slicked back with water to form a flame of sorts at the nape of her neck. I imagined their eyes, knew that Mother's red eyes would be filled with tears, and Father's purple ones would be hard and cold, just like always. Father was never kind anymore. Now that I was seven years old, I was expected to study for most of the rest of my life with a Scholar. I had no such plans. I dreamt of running away, of venturing past those cold iron bars, of seeing green forests and blue skies. I imagined myself standing in the midst of a storm, laughing, while rain fell gently onto my face, the warm summer air smelling of lightning and renewal. I wanted to stand on a mountaintop and look into the misty valleys below, and write of all I saw. I didn't want to ever see my parents again. They didn't love me; they knew it and I knew it.
Now, though, the huge wooden doors in front of me were the focus of my gaze. They were ornately carved in ancient runes, most of which I couldn't read. The few I could were near the centre of the door, in one long column. Those runes were the beginning of the Prophecy which had haunted my race since its discovery. Our goal through the centuries was to solve the Prophecy and prevent the tragedy before it ever occurred. I didn't really care that much for the Prophecy, even though every child was made to memorize it and repeat it nightly to their parents or Scholar, whichever applied. It was a mess of meaningless puzzles, and besides, it wouldn't come true for centuries! Nowhere in any minds was there any report of the Hero or the One Who Keeps Many Secrets – at least, so the Scholar's Circle reported. Of course, they kept their own agenda. Who knew whether they were telling lies or truth?
( Why would the Scholar's Circle want to keep such news from the people, young one? )
I jerked back in surprise. The slight, lithe woman who had just stepped out of my Scholar's office smiled at me.
( Young one, you make it easy to read your thoughts. They are buoyed up on your volatile emotions. You must learn to control yourself, and then you can protect your mind from invaders. This is the most useful tool any Sheikah can have. )
I bowed slightly to her. Excuse me, Ma'am. I was just on my way in to meet my Scholar for the first time. I have no practice with blocking intrusions. Forgive me.
She laughed lightly and looked earnestly into my eyes as she replied. ( Well, now, it's not your fault that you do not know something! Besides, I think you have the basic gist of it now. ) She paused for a moment, in thought. ( Who is your new Scholar, boy? )
I narrowed my eyes at her rude curiosity, but reluctantly sent her the jumble of sensations and pictures that was my new Scholar's signature. She shook her head before I had finished. ( No, no, all of those things are too complex to make any sense of. Those who say they know each other just by receiving those things are liars. Tell me your Scholar's *name*. )
I took a second to stop and stare at this rude *female.* My Father had taught me that, though women tended to be only *slightly* physically superior, men were much stronger mentally, and therefore more valuable to the community. Women were hunters and gatherers of food, no more. However, her bright, laughing orange-yellow eyes enticed me. I answered her, slowly and cautiously.
I believe my Scholar's name is Me'Sorime. In the ancient language, it means, 'Remembers-That-Which-Has-Not-Happened.' Apparently, my Scholar is revered for their Seeing abilities. As I said this last bit, I took on a snootish tone and turned up my nose at this *female*, as my Father had told me to do whenever I wanted to end a conversation.
She laughed loudly, and my cheeks and neck burned. You mock me, woman.
She laughed again. ( No, I do not mock you. I see you are still burdened by the old beliefs. Who is your Father? Name, please. )
My Father's name is Phyfus. Why do you care?
( Ah, Phyfus. An old dry sponge if there ever was one! )
How dare you insult your betters! My attempt to injure her damn female pride only succeeded in making her double over in amusement. She wiped away tears as she answered.
( Oh, this *will* be interesting! At least you still have some hope. Maybe I can change your mind about things. )
Why would you take the time to change my mind, woman?
She looked into my eyes for as long as she could before she burst out laughing again. I almost found myself laughing with her, but caught myself just in time.
Boy, I *am* your Scholar. I will help you earn your name.
She backed up against the wall and slid to the floor, holding her stomach with helpless laughter. I stared at her for a few minutes, then, realizing the silliness of the situation, laughed with her.
We sat in the dusty hallway laughing, and in that moment, we were friends. However, I still wasn't sure about her. After all, she was a woman – but my Father was probably wrong about women, at least about this one. She was witty, she countered my every insult with another; she was like the big Sister I never had.
As time went on, and I got to know my Scholar better, I realized that my Father *was* wrong. Women made wonderful contributions to the community. Without women, men wouldn't be able to live, and vice versa. Both were necessary to our social structure. Me'Sorime was my best friend for five years. Then, when I was thirteen, she decided that she would try to put all of my staring out the window to good use. We went out into the grounds, but I was still distracted. I knew the grounds like the back of my hand; I hungered for more. So she took me outside the gates.
It was the most amazing thing! Although she made me swear to keep in sight of the gates, other than those restrictions, I could go anywhere I pleased! This concept of *freedom* was wonderful. There were few enough rules, and she encouraged me to do whatever I pleased. No one else had ever done this for me in my entire life. That day, I asked her if I could call her Sister. She said yes, but only where no one could overhear and get me into trouble. I called her Sister all of those two hours we spent outside, and I called her Sister when we went outside every day after. But inside the building, where many minds were constantly listening to each other, I called her Scholar. After all, I didn't want her to lose her position on the Circle just for my own selfish wants.
About a year later, we had made a regular event of going outside of the grounds for a few hours every week or so. She knew that though I greatly enjoyed it, I wanted to see what was beyond the hills surrounding our colony. One day, I stood silently in the doorway to her offices, hiding my presence by completely dampening my emotions and emptying my mind the way she had taught me. She was sitting at a huge wooden desk, seated cross-legged on a rich purple pillow that wasn't nearly as intense as her eyes. Her head was resting in her hand, her elbow propped on the table; her other hand was tracing meaningless patterns on the wood. Me'Sorime was thinking to herself; she had told me she had a bad habit of doing that, but it helped her sort out things. I listened to her thoughts; her emotions were boiling over.
( Oh, boy, what am I going to do with you? You are full of contradictions. One part of you wants to stay until you earn your name; another part wants to leave now, while you still can. One part of you wants to abandon the work that is part of our culture; another part of you hungers only to solve the Prophecies. ) Her entire body jolted suddenly, and her thoughts were abruptly cut off.
Her head swivelled slowly to look over at me in the doorway, her emotions still boiling. I stepped back in shock. Her eyes had rolled up in her head, and tears were running down her face. Me'Sorime got up and walked towards me, staggering, knocking pottery off of her desk. It fell to the floor and shattered. Then I realized what was happening. She was speaking, but not through her mind! It surprised me that I could hear her speak, and recognize it for what it was. I could even start to interpret it! What I could make out worried me.
"Must – can't – hurt – stop it!" She drew in breath so fast I thought she might explode, and then screamed, a high-pitched noise that practically had me jumping out of my skin! She continued walking towards me, arms outstretched, as if possessed by something beyond both of us. Me'Sorime tripped over her own feet and fell face first onto the floor, but kept going towards me, reaching for me with trembling fingers. My breath was short with fear. I knew that if those fingers touched me, something *not right* would happen. But I couldn't let her suffer like this! I froze to the spot, torn between her safety and mine. Finally, I decided that she had more of a right to live, and I slowly reached out and took her hand. I pulled her to her feet, and she collapsed against me; I couldn't hold her up. Her hand was still holding on to mine like a leech holds on to fresh meat.
I screamed through my mind for someone, anyone! I fell to my knees, Me'Sorime's head falling onto my shoulder. Her arm was around me, but her left hand was still clutching mine. I felt incredible pain in my head; it throbbed, and each time it increased, I got the faintest taste of something else. Finally she let go of my hand and fell to the floor, gasping; her eyes returned to normal. Just before I fell, I saw that her eyes hadn't rolled up; they had misted over with fog so thick it couldn't be seen through. Now that same fog pressed against my eyes, and I knew what the fog was. It was the Mists of Time. Either I was dead, or, against all odds, I was Seeing another time.
I could only breathe in and breathe out as soared into the air, caught on a thermal, rising up to impossible heights. I poked my head out from behind the bush that had suddenly appeared, and saw something very strange.
A humanoid creature with pain in its eyes was standing in front of a legion of monsters. It held a sword aloft. The entire scene was dark, but I could make out the dark taint on the sword's blade. That sword filled me with fear, but not as much as the thing I noticed next.
I had thought that there were two huge creatures standing just behind the humanoid, but now I saw that the two things were *attached* to the humanoid! They were dark and filled with hate, as was the creature's mind. But, if I reached out, if I prodded, I could sense the tiny speck of light among all of the shadows.
Now I was in the shadows, with only a speck of light to guide me. I walked towards the light, and what I saw shocked me.
There was a young man on his knees. No, he was not a young man; he was an adult. His face was lined with hurt, his body weighed down with the memories of things no one should be made to go through. He was naked, and upon seeing me, he crouched down to hide his body, whimpering. I tried to smile at him, but found that the darkness around us was weighing down my mouth. I saw that the speck of light was, in fact, a column of brightness; it stretched out to forever when I looked up. I turned back to the man, and noticed that, up close, his body was covered in wounds. The ends of broken bones poked up through his skin, and blood ran in rivulets down his body. I forced back the urge to vomit at the sickening sight, but instead stepped closer, into the centre of the circle of light. He panted and scooted backwards, leaving only his face in the light, to watch me. The light was blinding me; I couldn't see past the circle, even though there wasn't anything to see anyway.
"How did you get here?"
I jumped and turned back to him. He bared his teeth at me, and, with no small degree of amazement, I saw that his face was completely untouched, perfect as the day he was born. Only his eyes showed what the rest of his body had endured. I pointed to my throat, trying to tell him that I was unable to speak. He sneered at me.
"Oh, so you're dead, too? Welcome to Hell."
I shook my head violently, but he only laughed at me.
"Don't deny it. If you didn't see the Mists, and you died, you're in Hell. I'm in Hell. They won't leave me alone…"
His voice trailed off, and he looked around fearfully. "I tried to find some way out, but all I could get to was this light. It was always in front of me. But if I don't touch the light, something happens to me…"
I heard laughter in unnaturally deep voices surround us. The hardness in his face fell away, and he spoke quickly.
"Get away from here, fast. They're coming. Go!"
To my surprise, I began floating upwards. When I looked back down, I was above the thick layer of darkness. I could see many small beings surrounding him, but I couldn't call out a warning. His unearthly screams were the last thing I heard before the light swallowed me.
***
\ I think he's coming around now. Sit up, boy. \
| What happened? |
I don't – oh, my head – know, sir.
( Let me through! I'm the boy's Scholar, let me *through*!)
I watched through blurry eyes as Me'Sorime pushed angrily through the crowd of Sheikah. She attempted to shoo the crowd out of the room, saying that I needed space to breathe; only the Forward of the Scholar's Circle stayed. The rest shuffled out, if a little reluctantly. The Forward sat down on one of the many over-stuffed cushions, and I knew he was opening his mind to listen to our conversation. Thank goodness Me'Sorime didn't block the Forward out of our conversation!
( What were you thinking, child? Why did you touch me? )
You reached for me, Scholar.
( Are you all right? )
What I Saw was…disturbing, Scholar.
( I am not surprised. When the Sight comes to me, it is strong, and painful. What did you see, boy? )
I saw…an army. The Forward drew in his breath, panicking. I decided to pretend the Forward wasn't there.
It was scary, Scholar. A man – no, a humanoid – was standing before a horde of monsters. He was holding a tainted sword aloft, and I could feel the hatred rolling off of him. I looked deeper, and fell into the shadows of his mind. There was a speck of light, and I walked towards it.
I paused and looked at the Forward, not wanting the highest positioned person in our society to hear of the nightmare I had gone through.
( Look at me, Apprentice. ) I looked at Me'Sorime. She only used my title when she had to.
( Are you afraid of what happened? ) I started nodding before she finished communicating. ( Then you must tell us what happened. Only then can we help you to overcome your fears. )
I know, but…it is hard.
( I feel your fear. If I told you some of the things I have Seen in the past, you would be afraid to sleep at night. )
I smiled at her a bit, teasing. Are you afraid to sleep at night, Scholar?
She gazed at me, her fiery eyes piercing holes in me with their seriousness. ( Yes, I am very afraid to sleep at night for fear I would wake in the midst of a vision. Now, tell us. What was in the light? )
I sighed and continued, the memory fading even as I spoke.
Well, it's hard to remember, but I think there was a – a man. Yes, there was a man! He was haunted – no, he was…broken…he frightened me, Scholar! He told me I was in Hell. Then the demons came, and I floated up, above, and…I can't remember anymore. I can't remember!
She patted my shoulder when small tears pushed out from under my closed eyelids. I peeked up at her; she was staring into the Forward's eyes, her hand still on my shoulder. Even as I watched, she blushed slightly and quickly removed it. I knew that they were in conversation, but when I tried to listen in, Me'Sorime viciously blocked me. Finally, what seemed hours later, she turned to me.
( Apprentice. The Scholar's Circle is…surprised by my teaching methods. They agree that you have a high degree of control over your mind, and you are very powerful mentally. They wish for you to keep the watch for a few hours every week, under guidance. Do you agree to this? ) I nodded eagerly, wondering why she looked so sombre. After all, to be allowed to keep the watch, even if only for a few hours every week, was a high honour! Few apprentices even got to *see* the inside of the tower, let alone be able to use the tools inside. We both nodded to the Forward, who left Me'Sorime's chambers. She turned to me quickly.
( I will now say what I could not before the Forward. Boy, they want you to keep watch from high noon to evening on the sixth day. )
I looked at her, confused. But, Scholar, that is the time when you take me outside, beyond the gates!
( I know, child. They wish for me to stop taking you outside. They believe it is a bad influence. Also, you will not always be supervised by me while you're in the tower. )
What!? But the law says that only a Scholar can assist their student in learning the ways of the mind!
( I know, boy. They want to keep you away from me. They feel
I will spoil your potential with my 'strange ways'. Child, the time has come
for you to leave. )
What? Now?
( No, not *now*! In a few weeks time, you must go. We will make plans. But, for now, you must play along. Act the willing student. Do you understand? Also, I regret to say it, but it must be said. You must never call me Sister again. ) She sighed. ( It is too dangerous, now that you must leave. )
Yes, Scholar. I understand.
***
I sat on the topmost point of the tower, relishing the beautiful sunset for a few moments before I had to return to earth. The tower was much higher than the huge communal house the colony shared, and sitting on the top of it felt like flying to me. It added to the effect when the wind was blowing; the wind blew through the thin material of my skin - tight jumpsuit. I stared down at my arm, my eyes following the familiar deep blue and purple patterns, outlined by white. I ran my hand absently over the neckline of my shirt, which dipped just below the collarbone. My spiky white hair was left free to blow in the wind, and the ends of my hair just tickled my jaw. The wind whistled around my long, sensitive ears, making me smile a bit. I watched the sun sink below the hills, at peace for a while. I was now fourteen years old, and I would earn my name tomorrow. Instead of being called by the jumble of memories and feelings my parents had formed for me, I would have an actual *name*! I was happy.
In recent weeks, I had found it harder and harder to slip into the crisp pool of concentration, and this made me afraid. Would I still be able to pass the rigorous tests and earn my name? I wondered if I would be able to concentrate enough to get through the trials? Thoughts of escape had been weighing more and more heavily on my mind in the past few days. Would I be able to remember every verse of the Prophecies, be able to lift whatever the Circle asked of me with my mind? Would I be able to block my thoughts from the Circle, be able to listen in on a conversation? Would I be able to do all of these things without breaking a sweat, as was expected of me? I wasn't sure.
~ Deep thinking, young one? ~
It was the Forward. He stood beside me, following my gaze into the sun.
~ Ah, yes. The death of a new day leads to the birth of another. Tomorrow is your day of naming, is it not? ~
Yes, sir.
~ There is no need to be so formal. Please, call me Forward. It sounds more…friendly. ~
Yes, Forward.
~ You have a question for me. Please, ask it. ~
I looked up at him, considering.
I was wondering about what's out there. I mean, there must be something beyond the colony, even if it's only an endless bog. Have you ever been out there, Forward?
~ Believe it or not, I have. ~ His eyes were misted with far – off memories, and his gaze, along with mine, was centered on the distant horizon. ~ Normally I would not answer your question, but, seeing as tomorrow is your day of naming, and you will be deciding your life, I don't see why not. ~ He paused, and a chill breeze swept over my skin, making me shiver.
~ It's an amazing world out there, boy. There is so much *life*, so many things to see, so many stories to hear! But there are many people who would enjoy nothing more than to take all you have, use you, and throw you in the dust when they've finished. Many people are nothing more than cruel robbers; it is dangerous to travel alone, even if you are an accomplished fighter with a weapon. They form gangs to steal from you; they wait by the side of the road for innocents to come walking by. ~
How do they survive?
He sighed and closed his eyes. ~ They don't, boy. They just don't. Soon, they will all be gone because of their own foolishness. We will be the only ones left. ~
How will the world go on?
~ It will go on as it has continued before the beginning of time. The wilds will return, and the legends of old will return to us. All will be pure again. ~
How could it be pure if we still remain?
He stared at me with angry fire in his eyes. ~ We *are* pure, boy! We follow the old ways! ~
I looked down at my feet, chastened. Oh.
He exhaled his exasperation and sat beside me, being careful not to touch me. Touch was a thing reserved for family and mates.
~ You still have much to learn, child. But you are learning. ~
Thank you, sir.
Hardness seemed to sweep over his eyes as he looked over me. He knew that I had refused to use his proper title for a reason.
~ Well. It seems you still have some spunk. We will soon bend you to the old ways. ~
He chuckled to himself and walked gracefully down the stairs, leaving me alone with my mutinous thoughts. I shuddered and pulled my knees into my chest, curling my arms around myself. His tone of voice wasn't very comforting.
I knew then that I couldn't stay any longer. I nodded to myself, decided, and leapt off of the edge of the tower. I let myself fall, spreading my arms wide and catching air like a small albino bird. I smiled gradually to myself, then abruptly let my body jerk to a halt before I hit the ground. My feet gradually touched down onto the grass, and I let my hands fall too, landing like a feline. I laughed quietly and shrugged off my heavy chains as I padded silently into the ancient compound that was no longer my home.
***
"I thought you said you were going to make this one short!"
Well, apparently my memories are a bit more vivid than yours.
"Was that an insult?" Zelda advanced on Kawhin, her eyes ablaze with anger. Kawhin was relieved, until he saw that, behind the mist of rage, the deadness was still settling on her heart. He gulped and backed off.
No, it was just a statement of fact! Zelda – She sighed and dropped to the ground, and Kawhin could almost see the laughing ghoul of depression weighing down on her heavy shoulders.
"I'm sorry. I just feel like I'm losing it lately or something."
Yeah, I think I know what you mean.
"How could *you* know what I mean? You're a Sheikah! You *don't* FEEL!"
Her voice cracked in hysteria, and her golden hair pooled about her as she laid tiredly on the ground. She curled up into as small of a ball as she could, tucking her head into her stomach and weeping. Kawhin reached out for her, but stilled his hand when her shoulders began shaking. She seemed to droop, like all of the happiness was draining out of her body and into the grass, like an old and leaking cup, too tired to be of use any longer. Kawhin sat on the grass and opened his mind.
He felt all of it. The leaves, the sky, the clouds, the sun; hell, he could even feel the small insects zipping around, creating tiny air currents. But most of all, looming over their heads, was the fog. He could feel it surrounding them, hear it laughing; he could sense that it was herding them like wild animals. Unconsciously, he ground his teeth together. He hated this feeling of helplessness! All they could do was wait for the fog to part and show them where to go. There was something odd about the mists – something he didn't like. Something that reminded him all too much of the vision passed to him by Me'Sorime…
His eyes flew open and he bolted upright, his breath jumping in his lungs. Was that – no, it couldn't have been. And yet, the sensation was so strong, and it reminded him of something else he had felt once, a long time ago; that little stinging pain he had felt when Me'Sorime had told him not to call her Sister any longer. It was hurt. Not physical hurt, but emotional and spiritual hurt. He sobbed and ran blindly into the mists, ignoring Zelda where she lay on the ground.
"And just where do you think *you're* going, short stuff?"
Kawhin staggered sideways to avoid a fallen, mossy log, only to trip over a huge protruding root. He struggled to get up, his whole body shaking with his panic. He found that he couldn't control or coordinate his muscles, and his wobbling arms collapsed underneath him. His head fell to the ground, and his breath choked in his throat. Navi settled down beside his head, sitting on the root. If he squinted a bit, he could just see her crossing her legs and tossing her hair defiantly.
"What do you think you're doing? You left Zelda all by herself back there! She's coming this way even as we speak, so I'll make this fast." Navi paused, glancing around cautiously. "Don't you *ever* leave her alone again! She's *completely* unstable! You don't know what might happen! Get it?"
Got it.
"Good. Now, shut up. I can hear her crashing along. Goddesses, you Hylians are loud!"
Zelda came bursting in from the barrier of leaves and fog, panting and out of breath. "Kawhin – why – you – running?"
I felt something bad. I have to go to it!
"Whoa there, hold on to your jumpsuit. Why the hell would you want to go *towards* something bad?"
He looked at Navi and Zelda, who was doubled up, completely winded. Fear was alight in his eyes, and tear streaks were plain on his cheeks.
You don't understand. It's - He looked at them both again, unsure. It's Tyr…
"What about Tyr? Did you find her?" Evidently Zelda had her breath back.
Yes. But I'm not sure. She was hurting…
"Let's find her. Lead the way, Shadow Man." Navi was flitting around his head, ready to go. Zelda, though, hung back, hesitant.
"I don't know, Navi. Kawhin said something bad was happening…"
"All the more reason to find her!" Navi's aura tinted red, then faded into a deeper blue than usual. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to lose another one. You with me?" Kawhin scrubbed his eyes and nodded, and Zelda's eyes lit up with temporary determination. Kawhin stepped around a huge boulder that had suddenly loomed up out of the mists, and the others followed, blinking furiously. The afternoon light flooded over them, and they stood in stunned silence. Navi, the first to regain her sight, cursed softly and hid her face in Zelda's hair. Kawhin stared for a few seconds, then ran back into the forest. The stomach – turning sounds of vomiting carried to Zelda, who was still standing on the edge of the giant field, the lingering mists grabbing at the hem of her skirt. She pulled free of the clinging fingers and took two more steps forwards, before falling onto her knees in shock. The deadness settled over her again, and she could not find the energy to even weep.
They had found Tyr.
***
Ooh, cliffhanger! I decided I didn't have enough of those, so I put one in here. I also decided that putting in little 'Upcoming Chapters' thingies at the bottom is more challenging to do than quoting old people, so here you go. Don't worry, I'm still going with the songs and stuff! I'm having way too much fun with that to quit now!
I AM VERY VERY SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG TO PUT UP! I WAS LACKING IN MOTIVATION!! Anyway, continuing on.
Oh, one last thing. I got an invite from GameMaster Zero to join some web forum for gamers. Apparently they *really* like my fanfics or something. Anyway, the whole site is basically one huge message board, so if you want to talk to some other gamers, check it out!
In The NEXT Chapter: We go through a time loop of sorts and find out what happened when we were reliving Kawhin's memory. That's all I can say without giving the whole chappie away!
Today's Proverb: Don't get caught with your hand in the cookie jar. (Okay, maybe that's not a proverb, but too bad!)
Today's Wisdom From Me: Changing the oil in a car is a lot easier than you think. Trust me. It really is.
Today's Lyrical Quote:
C'mon, hold my hand - I wanna contact the livin';
Not sure I understand this road I've been given.
I sit and talk to God, but He just laughs at my plans.
My head speaks a language - I don't understand it.
I just wanna Feel real love, Feel the home that I live in;
'Cause I got too much life, runnin' through my veins, going to waste.
-From Feel by Robbie Williams
That's all folks! Please R&R!
-Shawshank
Also, I was playing around with formatting and saving my story as a web page in this chapter; let me know if you like the new format or the old format better.
