All I have to say is that basements are kinda cold. And that's about it. Wait…yeah, that's it.
-Shawshank (E-mail me, I'm lonely)
Chapter 25 – Lessons
Din looked at her sister. She was laying on that cloud again, staring down at the world. Din rolled her eyes. What a wimp! Farore cared too much about all those plants below. They were just *plants*, after all.
"Sister, why do you bother yourself with the earth? They're a waste of our time. We could be helping them evolve, but you insist on watching them, to see what happens."
Farore turned her misty brown eyes to her sister, and looked into Din's angry green eyes.
"Well, sister, if you had your way, we would destroy the world and be done with it."
Din got up, running a hand through her short red hair.
"Well, baby sister, you have your way, so do not complain."
Farore brushed her own hair out of her eyes. It had been long and brown, once – now, though, it was green from the small plants that grew on her scalp. She looked back down to earth, watching the group of about a hundred monsters moving west. She knew that, among them, was the one under her protection. She sighed, and looked back at Din.
"Well, sister, what has happened to your Chosen One?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and flopped down onto a cloud.
"She was found by her brothers and sisters in the Forest of the Lost." She looked suspiciously at Farore. "If you would tell me where Nayru is, I could tell her what has happened to her Chosen One."
Farore, however, refused to take the bait. "No. I will not reveal her hiding place to you. You would attempt to destroy her, and if you succeeded, the world would change too quickly for it to recover. No, she is safe where she is, and she knows what has become of her Chosen One."
Din cocked a fiery red eyebrow, adjusting her white toga. "Does she know that her Chosen One has fallen into shadow? Does she know that her Chosen One is no longer herself?"
Farore frowned a bit. "My Chosen One has fallen into a deep sleep, and I fear that she may never wake."
Din looked a bit troubled. "What kind of sleep?"
Farore looked at her sister, who was determinedly staring into the sun.
"I am not yet sure. But it one of the deepest of sleeps, the most real of dreams. I am not sure that she will ever find her true self again."
Farore closed her eyes, and remembered what it had been like all those millennia ago, when they had first created this ancient world. Din was also treated to Farore's memories, though she did not appreciate it.
"Do you remember, my sister? Do you remember the trees, covered in moss and reaching for the sky? Do you remember the open fields? Do you remember the freedom there was for all who wished it, and do you remember the Tamra?"
"The talking animals? Yes, I remember them. Where did they go, anyway?"
"No one knows. No mortals have memory of the Tamra, and I was not watching when they escaped to live in their own world."
Din smiled a bit. "Did we create the world they live in, or did they create their own?"
"I believe the world they live in now was already there, but perhaps they were the first to stumble across it. We will know soon – some of them are beginning to return to Hyrule."
Din looked a little surprised. "Well, I always liked the Tamra. But how do you know they're returning?"
Farore smiled and simply said, "The Truth."
Din nodded. "Of course." She thought for a moment before she spoke again. "But, sister, remember that I did not start this war. I have kept the promise I made to you."
"I know, sister. This is the fault of an evil far greater than anything we can know."
"Is it…"
"Yes, I am afraid so. The evil is rising again. In fact, it has already risen, and it is just now beginning its reign of terror."
"Will the Chosen Ones be able to live through it?"
"For the sake of the world, I hope so."
"Well, I just want to see what happens. Though, if you would let me speed things up a bit…"
"No, Din. They must live at their own pace."
"And die at their own pace?"
"Yes."
They sat in silence for a while, comprehending the fate of the world below them. Well, at least Farore did. Din was more concerned with looking upwards, dreaming of returning to that place beyond the Sacred Realm, where the rest of their sisters lived. She dreamed of returning to that place beyond where she and Farore were now trapped. But while she knew that they could only return there once she made peace with Nayru, she couldn't find it in herself to forgive her baby sister. Nayru had gotten in her way, interrupted her glorious plans, and screwed up the fate of the world! Nayru had destined the Chosen Ones to lives of torture and agony – not directly, of course, but their ancestors probably would have been killed in the wars Din had planned to start.
"Farore…do you think they will be able to do it? Will they finally be able to rest?"
Farore smiled. "Silence, sister. The Truth approaches."
Indeed, when Din looked out into the sky, a dark shape was growing larger, coming closer. The shape was wreathed in shadows and light, making it almost impossible to distinguish what was generating the aura. Din already knew, so she didn't even squint at the strange being.
"Well? What have you found?"
A deep, gravely voice floated out from behind the rapidly shifting aura.
"All is coming as it must. But…I have lost one of them." (A/N: If anybody besides me watches Yu-Gi-Oh, think of the emperor dude's voice when he's taking control of Yu-Gi's body. You know, that guy? Anyway, I'm imagining his voice, so that's what this thing sounds like. Just to letcha know.)
Din raised an eyebrow.
"I have lost your Chosen One, Din. But I will find her."
Din nodded. She couldn't tell the Truth that the girl was deep within the Forest of the Lost. The Truth must find out all things for himself. Farore spoke.
"Good. Continue to watch them, but remember – do not let them see you, and under no circumstances speak to them until the time is right."
The low voice replied, somewhat subdued.
"Of course. I know my duties."
Farore's eyes softened, and Din almost felt sorry for the being standing before her. But then, of course, she didn't care about any living being besides herself. And maybe her sisters. Maybe.
"Thank you. And…I am sorry. But it is your fate. Even we have no control over that."
The being nodded, and took off again. Farore and Din stared after it, and Din felt anguish rolling off of Farore in waves.
"Do not worry, baby sister. The Truth knows what he must do."
Farore shook her head slowly. "Yes, but I cannot help pitying him. His burden is greater than it should be."
"I know, sister. But he will be rewarded in the end."
"Rewarded with death?"
"No." Din looked into the sun again, and her shoulders were suddenly heavy. She lay back on the cloud and closed her eyes.
"No. Rewarded with eternal sleep."
***
"General? Is something troubling you?"
Urian looked up from the fire, and saw Inriar, its Borun Lieutenant. It gestured to her, inviting her to sit. She did sit, across the fire from it, and stared into the flames. Urian looked up at the sky instead, where the stars were now visible in a deep blue sky. It sighed.
"Yes, Inriar. Something is troubling me."
She looked at it across the flames, and saw that its normally angry face was neutral. She worried a bit, but knew it wouldn't hurt her unless she provoked it.
"Might I ask what is troubling you, sir?"
It looked directly at her, its gaze piercing. "Let's drop rank. Call me Urian, if only for a while."
She nodded. "May I ask, Urian?"
It closed its eyes, considering, while Inriar's stomach filled with tiny butterflies. Even she feared for her own life, though she had a feeling that Urian wouldn't hurt her.
"Yes, you may ask. What is troubling me?" She cocked her head to one side. "I fear that I have no purpose, Inriar. I fear that I will simply live as a faded shadow, and no one will remember me for things I have done, because I have not done anything." It looked at her again, and got up, starting to pace, wings folded.
"Yehrutte never referred to me as a person, as you do. He thought of me as a mere creation, and I cannot dispute that, because I do not remember anything before coming out of a darkness under his knife."
She watched it pace for a while before replying. "You mean, you fear that you are not good enough to be classed as a sentient being?" It nodded.
"Well, you wouldn't let us kill Yehrutte. And I don't buy that garbage about his magic destroying us," she added as it tried to interrupt. "You wouldn't let us kill him because he brought you to life. Like it or not, he is your creator, and you can't dispute that."
Urian ran its hands through its hair, confused. "But I hated him! I hated the control he had over me, and I hated that he had a say in everything I did."
Inriar smiled a bit. "But you couldn't let him be killed. Does that tell you something?"
"That I'm an idiot?"
"That you're as human as the rest of us. You're not just a creature."
It looked at her. "Are you sure? I mean, I let you kill the runner."
"That was because you cared about us. You had to make sure we had something to eat."
It shook its head, growling aloud. "I don't understand. I mean, how could I be a sentient *human* when I have these?" It waved a hand at its wings, and at its skin. Inriar stared at its tattoos for a moment, then giggled a bit. Urian was shocked.
"Well, you know, those tattoos are actually kind of nice. They give you something more, you know? They make you more special than a Waeul, not just another skeleton with wings."
It grumbled. "Yeah, sure. I'm a *tattooed* skeleton with wings."
She laughed outright this time. "See? You're just an…*altered* human, like me. Only I'm a Borun, a werewolf, and you're…well, I think you're pretty much your own species."
It sighed and sunk to the ground, wrapping its wings around itself.
"But if I am human, why do I feel so angry all the time?"
She smiled wisely. "It's normal to feel angry. You're angry because you can't
remember before you came to life. The point is, you're human because you can
*feel*, even if its only anger."
It sighed and sat down again. "I don't *feel* human."
"You are. Never, ever question that. You can question your own decisions, but don't question your humanity."
It looked up, and its eyes darkened. "But my decisions decide my humanity. After all, didn't I decide to torture and kill that innocent woman?"
She stared deep into the flames, and thought for a moment before answering. "She wasn't innocent, and I know you regretted it afterwards. Besides, your ability to make decisions, whether they are bad decisions or good ones, *is* your humanity. You don't just blindly follow orders – you decide for yourself what you will do. That makes you sentient and human."
"I am not human. I'm not entirely sure I ever was in the first place."
She sighed. "You know, I saw what you were before you were altered. I wasn't entirely sure if you were human then, either."
It looked up sharply. "What? You saw me before I was sentient?"
She shook her furry head. "No. That was not you. It is not important."
It dashed around the fire and grabbed her shoulders, putting its face close to hers. "Tell me. Tell me what I was."
She shook. "Please, don't force me to reveal things that are better left hidden."
It narrowed its eyes. She sighed, and it released her.
"Fine. I'll tell you."
She stared into the fire, and absently scratched her head.
"You weren't normal, I can tell you that much. Yehrutte brought you to us using magic of some kind – but it was really very odd. I don't know how he managed to change you like he did…"
Urian was becoming excited. "Change me? How did he change me?"
She stared up at it, and her gaze softened. "Couldn't you guess? Before you woke up, before you became Urian? Before you had those wings and those tattoos and Yehrutte's magic binding you to his will? Why did you think you had no memory?"
It stared her in the eyes. "Is it possible to erase memories from one's mind?"
She shook her head sadly. "There is only one way, and it is irreversible – or at least I thought it was."
It kneeled down beside her, intently staring her down. "Tell me."
Inriar looked him directly in the face. Were those small tears, staining her fur? "Death."
Urian bared its teeth. "What? What do you mean, death?"
Inriar's shoulders shook just a little bit. "You were dead. Just a dead body. Yehrutte brought you to life and changed you. *That* is why you can't remember. You were dead."
***
Oh Nayru. My stomach hurts… a lot.
Zelda rubbed her own shrunken stomach. She was used to less food, thanks to the prince, but she was still hungry.
"Well, I guess grass doesn't exactly make the best dinner. I think we have to go looking for something else, before we all die of hunger. What do you say, Kawhin?"
Most definitely. I agree.
Only Navi protested. "Zelda! We can't go wandering around in the *dark*, we'll get attacked!"
Zelda grinned and pulled Kawhin to his feet. "Well, I'm hungry, and so is Kawhin. I'll take that risk; there's not much around here, except for maybe a few birds. How about in that forest over there? There's sure to be some kind of food in there."
Navi floated along behind them, whining in her usual Navi-ish way.
"But we'll get lost in there! We'll die for sure! We'll…you're not actually *going*, are you?"
Zelda called back over her shoulder, "Feel free to stay here! You make too much noise anyway."
Navi skittered along behind, muttering something that sounded like, "That's not what I meant." Zelda grinned, Kawhin's stomach growled, and they all stepped past the first thick fringe of leafy trees.
***
"Tyr. Awaken, child. I am here."
Tyr mumbled in her sleep, not wanting to fall out of the pleasant dream. She had dreamt she was flying…
"Hybrid. You must come to yourself now. Please, stand up."
Suddenly, Tyr's eyes snapped open. Who was this who was pleading with her to wake? She sat up and blinked several times, amazed at what was around her. She appeared to be in another world, filled with long green grass and all kinds of trees, most tall and ancient, but some small saplings. She was on the top of a hill, and the trees were on her left, forming a half circle around her and stretching out as far as she could see, to the very top of the huge and majestic mountain range that seemed to be too close to be real. There were mountain on her right as well, and in front of her. She was ringed completely by a range of tall, snow-capped mountains. The grasses in the middle were dispersed with wildflowers, and the sky above was pure and blue, broken only by the sun. But what a strange sun it was! Instead of the small, round, blindingly bright disc she was used to, in its place was a huge, glowing red orb, whose edge was still below the horizon. But it was not any ordinary shade of red – this red was dark, almost ancient, as if it was dying. How odd, a dying sun setting over a dying world…dying world? How could she think that? But, as she looked around, she realized that there was no life in this forgotten place. No eagles soared through the skies, crying out in their desperate search for prey, no butterflies fluttered contentedly around the field of flowers, alighting on choice blossoms to drink of their nectar. This place was completely devoid of life – except for her.
As she took a second look, she realized that this world was not the happy place she had first thought it was. The forest seemed dark and forbidding, and the sky was a darker blue, weeping. The flowers seemed to sigh and sag in the light breeze, and even the mountains were lonely, their deep calls of pain echoing on their rocky sides. No, this world was one of sorrow and utter aloneness, and Tyr felt it weighing on her shoulders, making her droop like the flowers. However, in all of the scenery, she saw nothing that could be the source of the beautiful feminine voice.
"Good, child. Yes, awaken. Stand up now."
Tyr followed the directions and stood, tuning her body in to her surroundings automatically. She heard no breathing other than her own. Could she be hallucinating?
"I am behind you, Tyr. Turn to face me."
She did as the voice instructed, and saw, to her surprise, a woman that looked nothing like the being of light. No, this woman was old and haggard, miserable, while the being of light was aloof, surrounded by protective tendrils of sacred light. No, this was not the being of light.
As if knowing what she was thinking of, the old stooped woman chuckled, and got up from her seat on a stone. Tyr saw that she had been sitting before a cut stump, the only thing marring the perfection of this place. On the cut stump, several small figurines were stood, on the random mesh of colours that had been painted onto the stump. But she saw that one figurine had been knocked to the ground, where it lay, separated from the others. She reached for it, but the woman knocked her hand away.
"No. It must remain there until the time is right."
Tyr looked into the woman's eyes, which sparkled with life, and wondered. Who could this be? The woman stared back at her, then laughed.
"Who am I? I'm the being you saw in the fountain, of course!"
Tyr cocked an eyebrow. "But…but in the fountain, that was a thing made of light…"
The woman laughed as she scuttled around, making tiny adjustments to the figures on her board. She was short enough that Tyr had to look down to gaze into her eyes, and she stared down as the woman barely touched the many statues.
"Oh, that's my true form, of course." She looked at Tyr, smiling. "I have many forms, you know. The one you saw then and the one you see now are just two of them." Even as she spoke, her body became stronger and leaner, and she transformed into the beautiful woman that Tyr had seen carved into the fountain. She was completely naked, but she didn't seem to care as she stared intently at the pieces, almost as though she was forgetting Tyr was even there. Suddenly, she looked up and smiled, making Tyr jump. When she spoke, her voice was smoother and lighter, almost as if it were a musical tune floating on a breeze; it was not the old woman's croak or the being of light's commanding voice. It was the voice of a loving woman, who loved all she saw and knew it loved her, though she was more lonely and ancient than Tyr could possibly imagine.
"Now that you've come, and you've brought the other with you, we can begin. You have much to learn, and only a short time in which to do it."
Tyr was shocked. "Other? What other? I am alone."
The woman smiled at her a bit, and Tyr knew that it was the truest smile she would ever receive from this form of the woman.
"That's what you think. Come here, child." She gestured to Tyr, and turned back to her stump. When Tyr did not come, she gestured again. "Come. I will not allow anything to hurt you."
Tyr spoke slowly, thinking over her words before she spoke them. "I do not fear being hurt. I don't know what I fear."
The woman's smile dropped from her face, but she was still sincere when she replied. "It does not matter, Tyr. Come."
Tyr cautiously walked forward, and peered over the woman's shoulder at the painted stump. What she saw amazed her. The painted stump was not just randomly splashed with colour – it was an intricately painted map of Hyrule, complete with rivers, trees, rock formations, lakes, small towns, and mountain ranges, all clearly marked and perfectly represented. She was even more amazed when she saw the small rock statues in closer detail. She recognized one as Zelda, another as Kawhin, and a tiny one as Navi; with a lurch of her stomach, she saw the creature who had stolen Link's body and attempted to kill her, and a furry creature that walked upright close to it. She saw a statue of a tall, imposing man with the face of a boar – it gave her the chills, despite its silliness. She even noticed a hooded figure holding a ball of what was supposed to be magic, a tiny teenaged boy with dragon wings (which she quickly skipped over, frowning), and the man with the tattooed forehead, but she didn't see herself anywhere. The statues were all simply carved of marble, unpainted and completely accurate. She turned to the woman with the question in her eyes – the woman pointed to the statue on the ground, and Tyr kneeled over it, careful not to disturb it.
There she was. This was her statue – but why was it on the side of the stump that was painted entirely black on its side? She circled around the stump, and saw the wavy line where black met white. Maybe this stump was symbolic of something? Perhaps. She looked up at the woman, expecting her to explain, but she only received that same small, sad smile.
"I am sorry, child, but I cannot explain all to you until later. First, you must learn how to defend yourself, and how to attack those who threaten you."
Tyr stepped back at that. "What? But I already know how to use my swords…" Her voice trailed off, and she remembered what had happened to them. The woman looked at her intensely.
"But your swords have snapped. Besides, you were only just brushing your potential. I will teach you to reach down to the depths of your soul and use powers you never knew you had, although you are not my Chosen One. The training will be hard, the days difficult and the nights long and lonely. Do you accept the training, Tyr, Chosen of Din?"
Tyr looked at the woman, and suspicion dawned on her. "Are you Nayru? Are you tied to earth until you make peace with Din?"
The woman nodded and looked away sadly, and spoke in a whisper.
"Do you accept the training, Tyr, Chosen of Din?"
"What do you mean by Chosen of Din?"
"I cannot explain until you give me the freedom to. If you accept the training, you accept the burdens that I must place on you, because Din refuses to. Now, Tyr, answer me. Do you accept? Do not make your answer in haste."
Tyr, though, was impatient. She wanted answers, and she didn't consider what she would have to go through to get them. She nodded quickly, then said, "I accept, Nayru. I accept the training." *Whatever the hell that means,* she thought to herself. Nayru picked up on her strong thought and smiled that same sad smile, the one Tyr would get to know well over the next few months.
***
"Eval."
The centaur woman approached her cousin, the cursed unicorn. She bore with her the weight of news.
"Eval. Brother. There are intruders in the forest. I know not their intent, but they may stumble across us."
Eval lifted an eyebrow. "How did you hear of this?"
"I listened to the sighing of tree branches. We are not the only things in this forest that are enchanted."
The tall man nodded. "I trust your wisdom. We will go to meet them. Find five others, and bring enough spears for all. We must defend our home."
She turned to go, but looked back over her shoulder before she trotted off. "What of the missing girl?"
Eval smiled. "This will not take long. We know these woods better than they do. Bring them here, but do not let them see you until you can no longer remain hidden. It would do best to only reveal our secret once we know for sure they do not mean any harm."
The woman nodded and gracefully trotted away, leaving Eval alone with his thoughts. He wandered through the familiar maze of doors and halls, absently looking in every corner. He somehow knew that the girl wasn't here – in fact, his unicorn instincts told him that she wasn't anywhere near the entire structure. But for once, he ignored his gut and chose to be guided by reason. However, all reason fled his mind when he heard someone shouting.
He dashed towards the sound, his hooves taking him swiftly through the halls and through the door, so that his ever-growing mane was flying behind him when he made it to the mirrored hall. He stood frozen for an instant in shock.
Ayran was shouting at the top of his lungs. He was battling with a creature, a wolf that looked too large and ferocious to be a true wolf. Ayran was only managing to hold the beast off using his wings and teeth; he could only breathe small amounts of fire without losing control, and he had basically no knowledge in swordplay. Eval had felt no need to continue routine training for the Maglar, and so they each only knew how to use one weapon each, or two at best. He regretted that now, dashing towards Ayran as he desperately tried to keep the monster out of the hall. Eval added his powerful hooves and horn to the mix, managing to help Ayran drive back the creature a few steps. Finally, when Eval's horn began to shimmer threateningly, the creature backed off, snarling, and retreated back into the forest. Eval panted heavily – he was getting extremely out of shape – and patted Ayran's back. The youth grinned at Eval, and went dashing off, still at the height of his prime and laughing with cocky confidence. He rubbed at the deep scratches on his stomach and winced in pain, but was able to ignore it because of the adrenalin still rushing through him.
"Did you see him run, Eval? It was like we were going after him with torches and singing his mangy tail!"
Eval rounded on him, displeased. "Ayran. You must learn not to gloat over every small victory."
The boy pouted, letting his eyeteeth sag out over his lips. "Aw, Eval, I'm just happy! We got him, and he was going to hurt people if we didn't! We have reason to be happy."
Eval stared severely at the boy, almost too young to be called a man. "Yes, I know, but you must not provoke the creature into returning. What if it heard you, and returned with a pack of others like it? Then what would you do, Ayran?"
He shrugged, blushing a bit. "Uh, call for backup?"
Eval actually smiled. "Well, I'd start running first. Anyway, good job, Ayran. Now, keep looking for Tyr. If we don't find her in an hour, we'll eat, and then start searching the forest."
Ayran trotted off, waving over his shoulder, to find some water and a cloth to disinfect his scratches, looking into every nook and cranny as he went in hopes of finding the elusive Tyr. Once he had his back turned, though, Eval let his face drop into a frown of concentration.
How had that wolf *thing* found their sanctuary, let alone been able to cross the invisible barrier of magic around it? When the ancient humans had trapped them in this forest and placed a spell upon it that slowed the aging process of any being that entered it, they had also made sure that only Maglar could enter the place they called home. An invisible magical barrier that only let Maglar pass by unharmed was set up a few metres away from the hall, far enough away so that the candlelight could not be seen. Could the magic be weakening over time? Surely not. After all, they hadn't been aging any faster over the years…no, the wolf must've found a weak point, where the barrier had been crossed through many times, like metal being bent back and forth until it snaps.
But something was still nagging at him as he resumed the search for their newest member and waited for the arrival of the strangers in the forest.
***
The old woman's shouts echoed through the grassy clearing as winds blew through the long plant stalks. The woman and Tyr had worked together to set up a target of sorts, though Tyr had had no idea what she was supposed to hit the target with – until now. Nayru was shouting at her over the strange noises coming from the air around her as she followed the goddess' instructions. She sighed and lowered her hands in defeat, and the odd wind and sound gradually faded away. Nayru's old woman form was angry, stomping her feet harder than necessary on the ground as she walked over to Tyr, her anger showing plain on her face.
"No, no, child! You mustn't give up! Your friends' fates may well depend on you, and yours upon them!"
Tyr knew an opportunity when she saw one, and immediately started pressuring the woman for information.
"What do you mean by that?"
Nayru smiled, and Tyr blushed a bit. No, she was not the one to outwit the embodiment of wisdom herself. Nayru frowned again, and ran through the same instructions she had been shouting at Tyr for the last couple of weeks.
"You must concentrate, Tyr. Find that barrier within yourself, but don't attack it! No, instead, soar over it, or under it, or through it, wherever your mind directs you. You must bring up strong emotions within yourself, and bring your emotional level to boiling point – then go over it. Explode, and the magic will come to you. After you accomplish it for the first time, it will become much easier."
For the millionth time, Tyr asked, "What will I accomplish?" And for the millionth time, Nayru answered, "I am not sure." And, once more, Tyr rolled her eyes and tried again. She knew she had to build her emotions to a high level, and the only way she knew how to do that was through anger. However, she didn't want to touch those memories that evoked the most anger and frustration in her out of all others; she was sure it would not be worth it. When that by-now familiar spark lit up in Nayru's eye, Tyr sighed heavily. The goddess had picked up on her strong thoughts, and knew exactly what she was thinking. Then something in her gave. What business did she have, poking around in someone else's head? Who cared if she was a *goddess*, people still deserved some privacy! The anger built deep within her, but she did not notice the wind stirring up around her, or the sounds in the air like delayed thunder. Nor did she notice the smell of lightning building in the sky, or the dark clouds swirling above her. Well, she was distantly aware of these things, but she didn't know that their origin was her anger. She shouted at Nayru over the gathering storm, "What gives you the business to go poking around in my head, huh? What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Nayru backed off, and stared up at the ominous sky. Tyr took it as a sign that she was ignoring her, and advanced a step, unconsciously wielding the power that was searing her veins.
"Don't walk away from me! Those memories are mine, *mine*! I won't have you poking around in them, or my thoughts, any longer!"
Then Tyr fell over that edge, the power erupting from her, making her scream in agony. Nayru threw up a magic shield around herself, and in the infinite wave of fire that burst in a ring from Tyr's body, only Nayru stood strong and unfailing, forcing the fire to part around her. Tyr's body began to float slightly off the ground, and her dress was whipped around by the cyclone that was forming around her. Fright conquered her, and she begged and willed it all to end.
As soon as that thought ran through her mind, the huge surge of power abruptly stopped, forcing Tyr to fall out of her half-trance half-daze, the confusing mist falling from her eyes. She fell to the ground, her limbs sprawling around her randomly, like long blades of grass unable to support themselves. Nayru walked to her, placing her back on her feet and looking at her with such seriousness in her eyes that Tyr was almost afraid to see tomorrow. That was a feeling she wasn't used to.
"Tyr, that was a good example. You know how to summon up your inner strength, but you are still holding back. I know you have more power than that. You must use those memories I caught a glimpse of – do not fear, only a glimpse – to force your anger to build. I see inside your heart, child. The only emotion you can use that makes you 'boil over' is frustration. I do not find fault in this, for you are too young for love; you are too old for joy; too innocent for hatred; and too guilty for happiness. In fact, this is true for most humans who learn this technique of bringing out their inner selves."
Tyr looked around at the charred forest and fields, already repairing themselves. Nayru had not yet allowed her to venture to the sea, a good few hours hike from here, but she could still gaze at it, if from a distance, and imagine the forever rolling water. Even as she watched, the trees regained their healthier brownish colour and began sprouting leaves, and it seemed as though she was watching the birth of spring in extreme speed. Nayru was watching as well, and they spoke to one another without taking their eyes from the forests and fields.
"I'm sorry, Goddess. It's just…I'm not too fond of those memories."
"Well, I must apologize as well, child. I have no use for addling in others' minds, and yet I do it anyway."
"Don't worry about it. Just…please, don't do it again. It gives me the jitters."
"All right. I will try not to, but I must warn you that I've developed a habit of sorts of reading people's stronger thoughts."
"Thanks. And I'll try harder to learn how to control…whatever the hell that was."
"It was your magic, Tyr. All magic-wielders have their own special kind of magic; it is not separated into mere elements, no, it is far more varied than that. For example, your magic manifests itself as fire, but it is based on anger."
"I think I get it. What about your magic, Nayru?"
The woman sighed. "My magic. My magic cannot be seen, cannot be heard; my magic is tied to my love for all that is living and good."
"Does that mean you're more powerful than anybody else? I mean, if you can't even tell if you're using magic or not…"
"No. It does not. It just reflects that my magic is rooted
in a world that is crumbling and dying around me." She turned to Tyr, and
looked deeply into her mismatched eyes, watching the sinking sun in them.
"Listen, Tyr. This world of Hyrule…this world is an ancient one. Its end will
come soon, much sooner than you think, and you must be prepared for it. Do you
understand?"
Tyr shook her head slowly, not able to meet Nayru's eyes. "No, I'm not sure I
do. The world, ending, in my lifetime? I don't know if I can believe that."
Nayru's gaze became even more intense. "Tyr, you must believe it. But remember; *the world is not ending in the way you think.*"
Tyr was immediately confused. "What? What are you talking about? The world is supposed to go up in flame or something, and everything will die, and it'll be left as a barren wasteland, like the desert in the west."
The goddess shook her head desperately. "No, no! I told you, *the world is not ending in the way you think*! Humans always assume the end of the world is just that; *the* end. No, my child, this will be but *an* end, one out of many; it is necessary, I am afraid. Though the world will never be the same, though I suppose it must change with every end…yes, the world will change, and certain things will cease to exist, and others will just begin to…"
Nayru shook her head sadly, and refused to say any more, no matter how Tyr badgered her. When they finally went to bed, Nayru sleeping on a bed of leaves and Tyr sleeping some distance away on the ground, neither of them slept soundly. The goddess' thoughts were filled with visions of what she knew the future would bring, and Tyr slept fitfully, slipping in and out of nightmares. A few hours later, all she could remember of her many dreams were a pair of burning eyes, staring at her intently, whose owner she could not identify.
She shivered, rolled over, and closed her eyes, feeling a slight upsurge of joy when her slowly lengthening hair tickled the back of her neck.
***
Kawhin was the first one to panic when eleven pairs of glowing eyes surrounded them. As he started screaming, Navi hid in Zelda's hair. Zelda herself was basically unaffected, besides Kawhin's panicked yelling. She only winced and cupped her hands, concentrating.
AH! WHO ARE YOU?! GET AWAY!
Zelda's hands began to glow, and the eyes advanced a few steps closer. She saw the light from her hands glinting off of either spearheads or swords, and she squinted and built up the blast of magic. A voice echoed out of the darkness, a woman's voice, slow and patient.
"Please relax. We do not wish to hurt you, but we will if we must."
That's what they all say! They're gonna KILL US!
Navi dodged out from the tangles of Zelda's hair to speak.
"Kawhin's right! Blast 'em away, Zelda!"
Once again, that comforting voice came seemingly out of nowhere.
"We will not harm you. We wish to know if you will harm us."
Zelda put her hands in front of her, ready to blast. "We'll only hurt you if you don't give us one good assurance that you won't hurt us."
"I can offer no such assurance. Is it not enough that we did not simply ambush you from the trees?" Zelda felt a pair of searing eyes on her, travelling down to where her hands were. "You cannot hurt us with magic…Zelda, is that your name? Feel free to try, but if you do, I'm afraid we might have to either kill you or escort you out of this forest."
Zelda sighed, and let her magic seep away, despite the other two's protests.
ZELDA, WHAT ARE YOU *DOING*?
"THEY'RE GONNA KILL US!"
Zelda angrily pulled Navi out of her hair, which was tangled enough already. "Oh, be quiet, you two. You're giving me a headache." She turned to where she was pretty sure the voice had issued from. "Please, help us. We have no food, and we're lost."
This time, a different voice answered her. It was a man's voice, low and rough, but it had some strange underlying tone to it that reminded her of someone else – she just couldn't think of whom. "We will help you, if you promise to keep what you are about to see a secret from everyone else for the rest of your lives. Do not speak of it to anyone, including each other. Do not even think of it, if you want to be safe. Do you understand?"
Zelda answered for the other two. "Yes, we understand."
There was a general grumble of assent from the owners of the eyes around them, and they began moving, the ones in the back prodding Zelda and Kawhin forwards with the butt ends of their spears. They began walking, but they didn't dare speak to each other. Navi floated along between them, and even she seemed to realize that this was a time for silence.
They walked for what seemed to be a very long time, although it was closer to fifteen minutes. There were constant mutterings around them, though Zelda couldn't catch any words other than 'strangers.' But when she saw the light, it drove all thoughts of danger and whispered mutterings around her to the back of her mind. The eyes in front of them had parted to let them through, and were standing in a wall behind them. However, they found that they could not walk into the well – lit hall. When Kawhin tried to step onto the stone floor, a powerful blast threw him back onto the forest floor. Zelda reached out her hand and touched the invisible magic barrier; but as soon as she tried to push through, it expelled her with such force her shoulder cracked. Navi didn't even try. Zelda was amazed.
"We can't get through this…barrier thing. Why not?"
The man answered her this time. "You are not one of us. However, long ago, when we were visited by another outsider, we discovered a way to allow other beings to pass through the barrier."
What do you mean by *other* beings?
Zelda could hear the smile in the man's voice. "You will see, little man. I will take you – somebody take the other two."
An arm reached out of the darkness to grab Kawhin's arm, but before Zelda could peer more closely at it, another being grabbed her shoulders. A pair of webbed hands reached out and trapped Navi, and just as Zelda was turning to look behind her, at her captor, the being in question steered her straight through the barrier and into the light. Zelda was temporarily blinded by the light, but when she looked at the one who was still holding her shoulders, she gasped and tore away from it. It was like nothing she had seen before. She could see that there was a human female standing upright before her, but the woman was…altered. Her hair was brown, but when she tilted her head at Zelda, it shimmered to an almost blonde colour. The strange hair was cut short, but it was thick and heavy. Her eyes were dark enough to be black, and her shoulders were heavy and powerful, covered in a thick coat of the same hair. The woman didn't wear a shirt, and the fur stretched down to her stomach, where her muscles tapered down into normal human hips. However, her arms were also thick and heavy, covered in that *fur*, and her hands were paws instead. Zelda circled the woman a bit, and saw that there was a large hump on her back, between where her shoulder blades would be. The fur hadn't yet reached her face, and her skin was normal from her forehead to her collarbone. The woman growled at her and dropped down to all fours, lumbering along into a dark adjoining room.
Zelda whirled back to the others, recoiling in fear. A woman that was almost entirely covered in purple scales, who had webs between her fingers and toes, along with long blue hair, was smiling at her. She had taken Navi through the barrier, and now released the small fairy, allowing her to zoom over to Zelda and get tangled in her hair again. Zelda looked at the man who still had his hands on Kawhin's shoulders, causing the young Sheikah to shake a bit. He had a full head of black hair, some of which was silver, and a tail was hanging in the air behind him. His head was entirely that of a wolf's, including the snout, whiskers, and piercing yellow eyes. Zelda rushed over and grabbed Kawhin, dragging him away and holding him behind her as she surveyed the rest of them.
There was a small boy with huge, round, yellow eyes and randomly placed brownish feathers sprouting out of his skin, who was staring at her silently, as if in contemplation. He was standing next to a man with a pair of antlers sticking out of the top of his head and a coating of light beige fur covering his skin. A woman who towered above them all had her hand on his shoulder, but she removed it when she walked over to stand beside the man. Zelda immediately saw why she was so huge – her lower body was that of a horse and her torso was completely human, giving her almost twice the height of any of them. When the woman spoke, Zelda recognized the slow voice that had first spoken to them.
"Welcome to our home. These are the Maglar. That is Meran." The woman with the scales waved. "That is Taybur." The wolf man nodded his head. "The woman who you scared away was Ursa, and this man beside me is Idran." The man with antlers attempted a smile, but backed up a step in face of Zelda's staring. The woman pointed to herself, but before she could speak, a young man walked into the room, ignoring them all. Zelda winced in empathy when she saw the scratches on his chest, but he didn't seem to notice or care. He was tenderly bathing them with a damp cloth, and he seemed almost normal until he sat down on the fountain's lip with his back to them. Zelda had to hold back a scream – he had wings, huge, leathery wings! She couldn't, however, choke down a gasp, and the youth turned to her, raising an eyebrow. He apparently had decided that they were no threat, so he continued bathing the scratches on his bare chest with his bloody cloth. The woman glanced over at him, and actually smiled a bit.
"That fool there is Ayran. You can try and talk to him if you want, but I doubt he'll answer you."
Zelda forgot her shock for a moment, and questioned the half-horse, half – woman. "What? Why not?"
A red-haired man with the long ears of a rabbit walked absent – mindedly through, catching the tail end of the woman's introduction of Ayran, and answering for her. "Probably because his lady love has gone missing." The youth jerked a bit, and the man snickered when the back of Ayran's neck and long ears turned as red as his cloth. The man turned to Zelda, grinning. "I'm Gregory. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand for Zelda to shake, and she took it, still in slight amazement. He stretched out his hand to Kawhin, who also shook it, and tried to smile back, leaning out from behind Zelda.
"Jeeze, Rhianne, do you have to scare them like that? You
could've at least warned 'em before you dragged them in here."
The tall woman glared at him. "Gregory, you are far too soft towards our young.
You must prepare them for life outside." Gregory shrugged, and ruffled the
young owl boy's hair as he passed. "Hey, as far as we know, we're never getting
out of here. I gotta go and stir my soup." He disappeared back through the dark
doorway whence he had come, and Rhianne, the centaur woman, rolled her eyes.
"He is almost as much of a fool as young Ayran. But no matter. Come with me, I will arrange for provision sacks to be assembled for you." She swept them along through the doorway, through the darkness. All the while, Zelda felt a pair of eyes staring after her, but when she looked back, the Maglar were all talking amongst themselves, and none of them were looking in her direction. But had she seen the little boy, the one Rhianne had forgotten, turn away just as she whirled around? She shivered and followed Rhianne down a spiralling flight of stairs, her grip on Kawhin's shoulder tightening as they went.
***
Well, there's Chapter 25 for ya. Sorry it took me so long to get this up – we were getting a hardware upgrade, and it was taking forever because the software wasn't compatible or something, so my mom had to call in her super computer genius skills, and it only got running yesterday, which is Friday. Also, I've been dragged out to into the wilderness, *AGAIN*, but at least I have the laptop, and I'm using it. Anyhow, enough with my endless blabbing.
Thanks to Reviewers: ???, you're back! Yahoo! I missed you, dude (or dudette)! Thank you so much for the review!
In the NEXT Chapter: Zelda, Kawhin and Navi get fed, Tyr gets some answers, and Urian figures out what the heck they're gonna do. And also, another part that may surprise some, but probably not many! You were expecting it, right? Well, I won't say it here, so you'll have to tune in next week, same Zelda – time, same Zelda – channel! Or however that goes.
This Week's Recommended Fanfic: Broken Dreams by H7 (GO READ IT NOW)
Fav Song This Week: My December by Linkin Park
Feel free to tell me what you think is gonna happen, just so I can surprise you! And that purple button is calling out to you, it's loooooooooonely…
-Shawshank (E-mail me, I'm hungry)
