Oh my God! Freaky reviewers who are psychic and know almost instantly when the next chappie is up! That means you, H7 and Chaotic Boredom! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that little instalment last time, because I'm writing another one! Fun funs!
Wolf: Hold it right there, Shawshank. You're not killing Link AGAIN, are you?
Shawshank: HELL YEAH!
Wolf: Attack, my army of evil Kudos!
Shawshank: *Is immediately covered in evil Kudos* Mmmmph! Geremm offa me! WoOoOoOoOlf!
Wolf: *Runs. Quickly.*
Shawshank: *Throwing off Kudos.* Get back here! Do you want me to get all depressed again?
H7: NOOOO!
Shawshank: *Eyes H7* What are YOU doing here?
Chaotic Boredom: Same thing I'M doing here – wasting time! Now write the friggin' chapter! And if you get depressed…*wields pen* I'll write your character into my story and make you LAUGH!
H7: DUN DUN DUN!
Shawshank: Oh, boo hoo. You can wait another two years.
All: *Lock Shawshank in a dark closet.*
Shawshank: NOOOOOO! CLAUSTROPHOBIA! DARKAPHOBIA! AGH!
Chaotic Boredom: Mwahaha.
H7: Mwahaha…
Zelda the 7th Sage: Wow, original, guys.
Chaotic Boredom: Shaddup, you.
Shawshank: *Escapes closet Houdini-style* By the way, I don't have H7's or Chaotic Boredom's or Wolf's or Zelda the 7th Sage's permission to use them in the chapter – they're just some of my favourite *cough*obsessed*cough* reviewers! – so they can sue for cinnamon buns if they want to. Wait…never mind, I don't have cinnamon buns. Ah well. Just feel appreciated, guys.
H7: Bugger.
***
Chapter 28 – The Broken Silence
"Where are they from?"
"Who knows?"
"See that kid? What's with his hair?"
"What's that little ball of light?"
"Do you see that woman? Who is she?"
Zelda clenched her fists. She wanted to scream, "I'M THE PRINCESS OF HYRULE!" However, she got the distinct impression folks would either have no idea what she was talking about or kill her for treason or lock her up in an asylum along with a very fat cow. Either way, she remained silent. Kawhin, however, was overjoyed, gazing around him in happiness.
Look, Zelda! The old buildings are intact! Well, mostly…
There were a few modern houses here and there, but overall, the buildings were of a design Zelda inferred was 'Old Sheikah.' However, she didn't see any Sheikah around; just various people, all staring at them and whispering behind their hands, except very small children, who were held back from running up to them by their wary parents. Okay, maybe not the warm reception they had hoped for, but it would have to do.
Zelda stopped abruptly, pulling Kawhin to a stop beside her. He was clutching her arm, trying to hide from the eyes surrounding them, now that he had noticed the stares. She, however, stood proud under the scrutiny, and when she spoke, it was with the voice of one who knows that their every request would be carried out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please, I would speak to the leader of this community." She didn't know what they called their leader, or if they called it Kakariko Village, so she stuck with safe words. She got some strange looks, but one of the women ran into a modern house nearby, returning momentarily with a man and a woman who was obviously the man's wife.
Almost immediately, Zelda was unsure of their reception. The man was old and looked as though he was normally friendly, but had reason to be cautious. His wife's face had laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, but at the moment she was scowling at the strangers. She was wearing a deep red dress, and her husband had a pair of grey trousers and a blue shirt, coupled with white suspenders. Zelda gulped, but curtsied to them, nudging Kawhin so that he would bow. Navi did the same, but they probably couldn't tell.
Zelda looked up again after several moments, knowing this time was critical. She stepped forward and spoke submissively.
"Sir, we have travelled far in hopes of assistance. Please, if you would give us a place to stay tonight, and if we could talk together, we would be greatly indebted to you."
The man stepped forward, pulling his wife behind him. He looked at Zelda suspiciously.
"That depends, little lady. Just who do you folks work for?"
Zelda was taken aback by his odd question. She glanced at Kawhin, and slowly said, "Ourselves. We work only for ourselves."
The woman squeezed the man's hand, and he nodded, his homely face breaking out into a smile. "Of course. You're welcome here. Come, stay with me and the wife tonight."
Zelda nodded graciously and followed the pair, pulling Kawhin along behind her.
***
Tyr was wolfing down the thick soup that had been simmering for a while, noting the spicy taste and licking her lips, careful to avoid her teeth. Ayran watched her intently, and she paused in the middle of inhaling another mouthful, glancing at him over the rim of the bowl and raising an eyebrow. He blushed deeply enough to rival a tomato, and his wings quivered as his gaze immediately shot to the floor. She rolled her eyes and continued eating, feeling content under the thick blanket stuffed with soft down.
Eval knocked softly on the door, and entered without waiting for a reply. He and Tyr exchanged knowing glances, and he opened his mouth to speak. He silenced himself immediately upon noticing Ayran's presence, and stepped inside, sitting down on the bed next to him. Tyr tipped the last of the soup down her throat and swallowed, wiping her mouth on her hands.
"What is it, Eval?"
"Tyr. We must speak. Alone, please."
Ayran glanced at her, his face open and worried, but she smiled at him, silently asking him to leave. He did, but not before shooting a glare at Eval's back, shutting the door as quietly as he could.
Eval wasted no time. "Tyr. Something has happened. The world is…off balance. Another soul has entered the world which you have so recently left."
She snuggled further into the blankets, putting her chilled arms under the warm weight. "How do you know?"
"I will show you what no other has seen. Come, Tyr. Take the blanket if you wish, but hurry."
She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as she stood up, lifting it up slightly so that it would not drag on the cobbled floor. She wrapped it in front of her, still feeling a bit self-conscious in the dress, but stalking silently after the Maglar as he hurriedly trotted down the corridor, his cloven hooves making little noise.
They walked through the maze of halls and past many painted doors, until they finally came to a stop in front of the door with a painted warning looking painfully out of place on the old wood. For the first time, Tyr noticed how faded the grain of the wood was; when she touched it with her fingers, she felt the soft material beneath her fingers, half-rotted from age. It smelled different, too…the faded scent was that of the sea. She cast a questioning glance at Eval, who was shuffling his feet, making it obvious he did not want to delay.
"Long ago, this wood was found washed up on the shores of the sea. We took it back here and made this door out of it. Hurry, hurry, we must go! Open the door."
"But, the warning…"
"It is not important. Open the door, Tyr."
She did so, very gingerly, expecting a whirling vortex to appear…but behind the door, there was only a huge staircase, and darkness. Eval continued on without another word, swiftly climbing the spiralling stairs and almost leaving Tyr behind in his haste. She sped up slightly, her eyes widening so that she could see the dark stairs more clearly. Finally, they came to a trapdoor just above their heads, which Eval flipped open with little effort. He hoisted himself up through the square opening, pulling Tyr after him, and shutting the door while she gazed around in wonder.
They were just above the treetops, moving slightly in the cool night breeze. She wrapped the blanket more firmly around her, her cold gaze warming slightly as she gazed at the stars and moons she had thought she would never see again. However, her joy was short-lived – Eval pointed to the west, towards the Wilds, and when Tyr squinted, she saw a distant glimmer of flame. There was a wildfire burning, consuming the dry grasses and bushes!
She started forwards, but Eval held her back, shouting in her ear. She could barely hear him over her pounding heart.
"No, Tyr! You could do nothing there. We must return to that place, you and me. We must remove the one who should not be there, and the world will be set right. But we must do it quickly."
A sudden wind blew against her, nearly pulling her off of her feet. Eval hung on to her arm, shouting in her ear as she gazed, immobilized, at the distant flames.
"Hurry, Tyr! You are the only one who knows how to enter that realm! We must go, quickly!"
She shook him off of her arm, and he backed off, leaning into the gale. Illuminated by the moonlight above the forest that was now moving like a dark, wild ocean, she held a hand out to the west and closed her eyes. The wind buffeted her, but she stood firm, reaching out, trying to still the flames that were eating away at the only home she had ever known. But, even as she forced the flames to burn themselves out, they only grew higher. Eval shook her shoulder, having made his way back to her.
"Tyr! You cannot stop it – your magic will only feed the flames! Hurry, this is the only way!"
She whirled on him, her teeth snapping and her voice throaty and rough.
"How could you know, Eval? You are a fragile unicorn! You know nothing of the outside world! My home is burning because of what you call an imbalance! I will not simply stand here and watch my world fall to pieces around me!"
Eval shook his head. "Tyr! Don't you understand? The world has been crumbling since it was first created! Nothing will last forever. Not you, not I, and not those fields! But we still have a chance to save them, for at least a few more generations! I should never have shown you this. I don't know what compelled me to, but I felt you had the right to see for yourself what evils threaten the world in this day and age. I thought it was the only way you would understand."
She walked towards him, her eyes narrowed, her hair blowing in front of her in tendrils. The moonlight glittered on her deep red scales, and she moved with a wild grace, despite the wind that threatened to blow both of them over the edge of the small circular stone tower they stood on.
"I understand perfectly, Eval. I understand that the goddesses have finally abandoned me. I understand that there is no chance left for me. I will become a mindless dragon. I will bring evil to this world, whether I want to or not. I understand that I will betray my closest friends. And do you know what else I understand, Eval?"
She glared at him, her teeth drawn into a disgusted smile. "I understand that you will only stand by and watch when my friends and I suffer, because that is what you must do, and you are too cowardly to go against that which you have been told to do. You sicken me, Unicorn. I will help you, though, but not until the flames burn for a little while longer – fire is a part of life. The plains need fire to continue to live, and who am I to deny the forces of nature? Just as you refuse to deny the fates. I will be a coward, like you, but only because I need to be. You, however…you can tell me what will happen, where the others are, and step down from the part you must play. You can lift the weight from your own shoulders."
He sighed, and closed his eyes. She knew his answer already.
"No, Tyr. I cannot tell you. It is…for the best."
"If that is what you must tell yourself, Unicorn. I know what the world is now."
Her words were harsh, and stung him. She went to sit on the edge of the tower, watching the flames from afar. He crouched behind her and spoke softly, trying to make her understand how much he regretted what he had to do.
"What is the world, Tyr?"
She smiled to herself, a cold, numb smile that had not graced her face for some time, since her life had begun to change.
"The world? The world is the cage, and we are the songbirds. We are stupid creatures, and though we may think we are weighed down by so much responsibility, in the end, nobody really matters. No one can truly be free, not anymore. Maybe once we could, a long time ago, when the world was young and the goddesses kinder; but not now, and never again. We live simply to die. That is all."
Eval stood and went to the trapdoor, his heart aching. Tyr, his surrogate child, had finally rejected him, once and for all. He slowly lowered himself onto the dark stairs, and closed the wooden door, knowing she would follow when she was ready.
As he turned, he ran into Ayran, who was breathing with some difficulty.
"Eval, where is Tyr? I saw you go through the door, but I didn't go through until now, you told us never to go up here. But where is she? What's up there?"
Eval shook his head, clapped Ayran on the shoulder, and sighed again. Suddenly, he felt as old as he was; he fully realized what Tyr had meant. He smiled weakly at Ayran.
"She is up there. You may go to her, but…she is not quite herself at this moment. Tread carefully, my young friend."
Ayran nodded, completely missing the implications of Eval's warning, and leapt through the trapdoor, which Eval had pushed back open for him. He watched as Ayran paused, dumbstruck, before slowly walking to where Tyr was sitting. Eval closed the trapdoor and went to his room, seeing Furona lying on the floor next to the fire she had managed to build. Her tail waved in the air, but he was too tired to do anything but climb under the covers of the bed and breathe until he fell asleep.
Furona leapt up next to him with next to no effort, laying her soft head over his heavy heart, and stayed there until she realized she could not weep with him anymore.
***
"Do I even want to ask as to what you're doing?"
Urian's dry voice made her jump, and the object she had been holding in her hand dropped to the grassy ground beneath the shade of the small tent she had been given upon her promotion to Lieutenant. Inriar picked it up and turned to Urian, holding a hand over her heart dramatically.
"Stop scaring me like that! I was just brushing my hair."
Urian raised an eyebrow, and took the brush from her, sniffing it and turning it over in its hands. "What's that mean?"
She sighed impatiently, holding out an expectant hand for her brush. "Getting the tangles out of my hair. You know, so it doesn't get all dirty and disgusting? Like your hair is now?"
Urian kept the brush in its hand, rubbing a gritty lock of its hair between two fingers. "What's wrong with my hair? My hair is fine."
She sighed and forcefully took the brush from it, resuming her grooming. "It's disgusting, really. Come look in this mirror! You look like a criminal."
Urian muttered something under its breath about being a criminal, but glanced in the mirror anyway. What it saw shocked it.
Its tattoos were in sharp focus, the black lines on its skin clearer than it could remember. It looked at its own face, silently fingering the drooping rose that hung over its eyes, and the tattoos on either side of its face that stated its rule over both Waeul and Borun. It saw the screaming bird spread across its chest and the chains around its stomach, and the bile rose in its throat. It was still controlled by the man who had made it, and it knew that the control would not relinquish until the man was dead. And yet, it had refused to have Yehrutte killed…and it still did not know why. It glared into its own eyes, and snarled.
"I want a shirt. Do you have any shirts that would fit me, Inriar?"
"Yes, just a moment. Why don't you do something about your hair? There's some water in that basin…" Her words trailed off as Urian glared at her. "Fine, fine. Here." She threw a shirt at its face, and laughed as she watched it try to untangle the mess of fabric.
"Wait, Urian, you'll just rip it. Here, give it to me."
She carefully untangled the shirt, and dropped it into its arms. It ripped two long slits in the back, despite her protests, and pulled the loose shirt over its chest, sighing quietly in relief when the chains and lock engraved in its skin were hidden from sight. It turned to her, shoving its wings through the rips and folding them against the rough fabric.
"Thank you, Inriar. Hurry, we must leave. You can 'brush your hair' later."
She raised an eyebrow as it made to leave. "Hold it right there. What's your rush?"
It stared back at her, its cold blue on black eyes glowing slightly in the dark shadows of the tent. "There is a fire, and it is too close for my liking. We cannot afford to lose any of the tents. Take them west, Inriar. I will scout ahead."
It spread its wings and ducked out of the tent, leaping high into the sky and catching a thermal. Inriar yelled after it.
"Hey, wait! Shouldn't you send somebody else to…oh, never mind. Stupid idiot, it'll get itself killed someday."
She grumbled to herself as she tossed all of her belongings into a small box-like trunk and hoisted it onto her shoulder, missing the extra strength the Borun blood leant her. Then she smiled to herself, remembering that she wouldn't have to miss it for long.
She walked out into the hot sunlight, whistling quietly, and began disassembling her tent.
***
Zelda, Kawhin, and the man – who, he told them, was known as Shiro – were all sitting at the table, mouths watering as the woman cooked a hot meal for them all. He called his wife Grissilda, and he laughed when their stomachs growled aloud. Navi was sitting on a flower that was arranged with several others in a vase, listening in on their conversation and occasionally throwing in what she knew about battle tactics. For, although they sat at the table and laughed, that was what they were discussing – how best to approach this threat.
"You see," Shiro said, "We villagers routinely take turns to patrol around the local country. Now, the runner from this morning came back real fast, said he saw a huge wildfire or something. And then, another runner reported he saw a bunch of campfire smoke and a coupla tents, when he was looping around as far East as I ever send anybody. There's something happening over there, and we've gotta stop it, Miss…Zelda, did you say your name was?"
"Yes, Mr. Shiro."
"Just Shiro, kiddo. Anyway, there's something happening over on the other side of our country. And we've gotta stop it, now, while they ain't strong enough, while they think they're safe."
Zelda held up a placating hand. In order to forestall the inevitable questions about Kawhin, she had asked him not to speak, explaining that he was a mute. Kawhin would shoot his comments into her head, and she would relay them to Shiro. She was doing such at this moment.
"Wait, Mr. Shiro. How do you know they're threatening you in any way?"
The average sized man, who had salt and pepper hair and was very down-to-earth, sighed and scratched his chin through a well-kept, short beard.
"Well, Miss Zelda, I see it this way. They don't mean any harm, then it's all fine and dandy, we leave 'em alone. But if they are trying to cause some damage to us, we gotta nip 'em in the bud. See what I mean?" He sighed again. "Besides, the man who's building that new-fangled town up North yonder sent a messenger askin' us to check it out. Doesn't want his lovely castle being threatened while it's still in the building stages."
Zelda gulped. That had to be Hyrule Castle. Could this man be her ancestor?
"Mr. Shiro, you speak of a man building a castle…would you happen to know his name?"
His wizened old brown eyes crinkled at the edges and twinkled at her, and he smiled a bit. "O' course I do, young maid. Now, lessee…hmm…I think 'twas…hmm…oh, for the life o' me, I' forgotten. Oh well, young missie, not like it matters anyway. Delusions of grandeur, says I."
Navi piped up, lounging back on the red petal she was currently precariously balanced on.
"So, what will we do about the army in the East?"
Kawhin glared at her, and quickly sent a message. What makes you think it's an army?
Zelda echoed him. "What makes you think it's an army, Navi?"
Navi snorted and sat up. "Oh, give me a break, Zelda. Any fairy worth her wings can sense evil when it's there."
Zelda's throat caught, but not enough to prevent her from speaking before she thought. "Oh, and I suppose you're worth your wings now, are you?"
Navi caught on quickly, and shot back, "Hey, at least I can keep my temper in check."
"Correction – you think you can keep your temper down."
"Oh yeah? Well, at least I don't need someone to fight all of my battles for me!"
"At least I don't abandon the only friend I have in the world!"
"I don't hide behind a mask and lie to my friends!"
"What are you talking about?"
Navi threw her small arms up in the air, glaring at Zelda. "What do you mean, what am I talking about!? How could you even say that? And I thought Link was an insensitive clod!"
Zelda's face blossomed into a blush. "Don't you dare talk about Link that way."
"Then don't pretend like you have no idea what I'm talking about!"
"I KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"
"GOOD! NOW TELL ME WHY THEY HAD TO DIE!"
"BE QUIET!"
Silence fell in the wake of the hoarse shout. Zelda and Navi turned to stare at Shiro, but when he shook his head, they followed his gaze to Kawhin. The Sheikah boy sat in a chair, holding his throat. He slowly opened his mouth, and drew breath.
"I haaa…" He cleared his throat and tried again. "I had forgotten."
Shiro chuckled and said, "Why, I thought that boy was a mute! Be this a miracle?"
Zelda mumbled, "I'm not sure." Her gaze refocused on Kawhin. "Since when do you know how to speak?"
He grinned. "Since no…noW. Wa. NOW." Kawhin clutched his throat again and winced. "Ow. Oooowww…OW!"
Navi floated over, and gently touched his throat, leaving behind some specks of light that absorbed into his skin. "There. Now it shouldn't hurt so much when you talk. Try it again."
Kawhin's mood abruptly changed. He glared at Zelda and Navi in turn, his youthful face creased in a disapproving frown. "You two better stop fiii…fight…ing. We don't nee…eee…need fighting."
"The boy is right, my fair ladies." Shiro's wife quickly bonked him over the head with the spoon, and he grinned whilst rubbing his balding head. "Apologies, Grissilda, m'love. You know you be the only fair lady in m' life."
She muttered under her breath and returned to her cooking. Behind her, Kawhin was still glaring at Zelda.
"Zel…DA. Zelda. Don' lie…no'…not to us. And Nav'…" He turned to the fairy in question, still glaring. "Don' think you…you are better than Zelda. 'Cause you…you're not."
"Kawhin…"
He got up abruptly, sending his chair crashing to the floor. His crimson eyes glimmered, and his lips moved with exaggerated, difficult motion. "Navi. Shut. Up."
He turned and walked out of the small house. Zelda let out the breath she had been holding, and Navi sunk grumpily back into the flower vase. Shiro stroked his beard for a moment, then cleared his throat hastily, sitting up straight. He looked into Zelda's face, felt his wife's hand on his shoulder, and said, "Well. That was interesting."
***
(A/N: I'm not quite sure about this, but just in case…***MUSHINESS WARNING!!!*** That's all.)
"Tyr…"
The girl – or was it woman? He still wasn't quite sure – didn't move from where she sat, wrapped in a blanket, her knees drawn to her chest. She was staring off to the west, at a huge, flickering orange mass. What was it? He squinted and peered closer, then suddenly realized it was a huge fire. He briefly wondered why something was burning so brightly and producing so much flame, and sat down next to Tyr, too close to the edge of the tall, circular stone structure. He looked around, and looked up, and was briefly amazed. He had not seen the sky for at least a few centuries, and it was clear tonight, showing all of the familiar constellations he had known growing up as a small boy. He smiled, laughing quietly to himself, and looked back at Tyr.
He gasped quietly as her eyes quietly met his. Their faces were far too close together, and she had been staring at him for some time before he had noticed. One of her eyes twitched, and she looked back out at the wild flames, shuddering and pulling the blanket around her so tight he heard several threads ripping.
"What do you want, boy?"
He gulped, and sighed quietly, watching her watching the fire.
"I have a name, Tyr. You could use it once in awhile."
She glanced back at him, cocked an eyebrow silently, not quite meeting his gaze with her own, and turned back around, content to just listen to him.
"Fine. Ayran. What are you doing here?"
"Watching out for you."
"Don't you have something better to do?"
"Not exactly."
She snorted and glared at him, then turned away again. Ayran sighed. "Why won't you let yourself realize I exist?"
Something in her gaze softened, though he could not see. "I don't know. I can't."
"Are you afraid?"
"I…I…"
"I'm not like him."
Tyr whirled to face him, glaring murderously. "What did you say?"
Her voice was dripping with venom. However, this time, Ayran refused to back down, though he did sputter a bit. "Well, I-I…" Her eyes narrowed. "Okay, okay. You talk in your sleep, all right? You talk a lot more in your sleep than you do to me." He grinned, the cocky mask making a comeback. "I was starting to wonder if you really had it in for me, until you muttered my name, right before you woke up."
Tyr blushed slightly, turning away again. Ayran dared to move closer, and he reached out to wrap an arm around her, his fingers twitching; but then he saw one delicate eyebrow arch, and he quickly returned his hand back to his lap. Silently, he cursed all warriors – they were far too observant of the world around them. Life was no fun with observant people around.
He smiled to himself for a moment, then decided to be observant himself, drawing on the clear-headedness he possessed in the old days, before they had been shut up in this forest. Ayran closed his eyes and listened, tuning out the wind, which had been slowly dying down. He shut out everything that wasn't important, and just sensed. Tyr was upset, that was for sure – sad, too, about something beyond him – and utterly, hopelessly disappointed. In what? Who knew? The girl was a mystery, even to herself.
"He hurt you, didn't he? He hurt you pretty bad."
"Shut up."
"He left you all alone…and your mother…"
"Shut the hell up."
"That wasn't love, Tyr. You've never known love, have you?"
"Do you want to die?"
"I just want to be your friend, Tyr." (A/N: Cough…just kidding. He has noble intentions, really, he does! Remember, he was last exposed to culture centuries ago!)
"Damn right you do." (A/N: Meanwhile, Tyr was exposed to culture mere days ago…I hate culture, don't you? It's so unhappy.)
He turned to her and gripped her shoulder, turning her so he could grab her other shoulder as well. "Tyr! Don't you get it? Not everybody in the world hates each other!"
She kept her face stubbornly turned away. "Maybe not in your world, boy."
"Ayran."
"Whatever."
"Listen to me, Tyr. I don't want to hurt you. If I have, I'm sorry!"
She threw his arms off, standing up, teetering precariously close to the edge of the tower.
"You know what? I really don't care. You're a lying, stupid, conniving, dragon boy. Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?"
He stood up, too, his calm voice piercing through the angry fog over her senses. "Because I care. Even though it doesn't always seem like there's someone out there who actually cares about what's happening to you, there is. There always is."
She snorted. "Hey, I'm not the suicidal one. That's Zelda's job."
Ayran cocked his head to one side. "Zelda?"
One corner of Tyr's mouth turned up slightly. "Yeah, Zelda. She's a princess, if you can believe that. She fell in love with…" Her voice broke slightly. "Well, she never really realized it, I think, but she fell in love with this…this guy. Of course, she's probably dead now, killed by that same thing that tried to kill me…"
Ayran's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "What did she look like?"
"Why so curious?"
He shrugged. "Well, she's got hair that's a little darker than mine…well, not really darker, but more…yellow, I guess. And her eyes are this strange, piercingly blue colour that I've never seen before, and I doubt I'll see again…"
Ayran blinked his own dark brown eyes, and asked, "Have you been in the Hall of Mirrors lately, Tyr?"
She scrunched up her nose, thinking. "No, I don't think so. Why?"
"Come with me. There's something you should see."
He dragged her all the way down the stairs, despite her increasingly violent but somewhat half-hearted protests, and through the maze of hallways, all the way to the shadowy side room that led into the Hall of Mirrors.
She felt the urge to whisper, hearing nothing and seeing only the soft flickering of torchlight at even intervals along the walls. "What? What is it?"
He tugged her by the arm, ignoring her increasingly distracted attempts to pull away, and pulled her into the light to stand directly in front of one of the many mirrors. She gasped in shock, and reached out to touch the glass, only held back by Ayran's strong grasp.
A stranger who seemed to be oddly familiar was staring back at her. While Ayran was the same sandy-haired, brown eyed dragon boy, she was an alien being. Her left eye, which had been red before, was now almost a match to the clear, half-deadly aquamarine gaze of Zelda's strange eyes. Her hair, which had mostly grown out again, was just on the brink of physically glowing, and was too bright to look at for long. Her eyelashes were distinctly longer, and her eyebrows, while still as fine as they always were, were of the same fiery glow. Her hair seemed to be made of a dying flame, and as she looked at her gleaming, red, rock-hard scales, she realized what must have happened. Ayran spoke for her.
"If a Maglar is early in the stage of transformation, they can become a different offshoot of that species. I've only seen it happen once before – Eval got lost in the forest for almost a week, and he came back a black unicorn, soon after we settled here. He was a silver unicorn before."
Tyr was still at a loss for words. Ayran smiled at his own reflection. "You're a fire dragon now. You were a sea dragon before, weren't you?"
She nodded wordlessly. "You spoke of the sea while you slept, and how a dragon from the river cursed you. I put two and two together. I guess the change in your appearance was slightly…dramatic?"
She managed to squeak, "Just a little."
He laughed softly. "So how did you change, Tyr?"
Tyr suddenly found her voice, and pulled away from his grip, only then taking notice of how close he had drawn her. She simmered beneath her own skin, wondering just how he managed to always know just the wrong questions to ask, or how to say the exact opposite of what she wanted to hear. Tyr shot him a glare, her eyes burning holes into his forehead, and growled, "I was crucified and burned alive. Don't you dare touch me again!"
She rushed out, the sound of her claws clicking on the floor with every second step clearly audible. Also easy to hear was her cursing, and the shatter that told him the ceramic pot he had slaved over for months and then proudly placed in the community room had been sacrificed. He winced, then grinned at his reflection again, hiding his concern from himself.
"Talk about a rough childhood. No wonder she's so destructive."
He shrugged at himself, sighed, and slowly trudged to his room, allowing his wingtips to trail slightly on the floor.
*** (Well, that wasn't really cheese. At least, I hope it wasn't. Was it? Ah, whatever.)
The sun had set upon the world, and Zelda was lying in an amazingly soft bed, still regretting her argument with Navi. Kawhin hadn't been seen since; he had stormed off in a mild fit, it appeared, and though some of the eager villagers had formed a small search party, the small Sheikah had eluded their grasp. Not surprisingly, since the Sheikah were the Shadow Folk – they tended to be very good at being invisible when they wanted to be, as Zelda recalled.
Either way, Kawhin had eluded their grasp, and although Zelda and Navi had made up, they were still slightly sore with each other.
However, when Navi had fallen asleep, and moonlight was shining through the princess' window, the world seemed to shift around her. She was half-asleep, and she was having a strange dream – she was chasing someone through a huge field full of dying, smouldering grass, looking for someone who eluded her. Maybe she was running in the wrong direction…
Suddenly, she encountered a cliff she couldn't see and fell, the resulting adrenalin rush jolting her out of bed. Zelda sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked out the window, seeing the moon.
She felt a strange and sudden urge to walk outside, now that nobody was awake to ask her who she was and what she was doing, and the sun was not gazing down on her, casting its tireless heat onto her shoulders. Zelda sat at the edge of her bed, pulled on some slippers and a long, thick bathrobe over her heavy nightgown – borrowed from the mayor's wife – and began to walk as if in a trance. Her eyes never left the space in front of her, as she walked unseeingly down the stairs and out the front door, into the street.
Moon shadows followed her as she let her feet take her where they would, gazing at the high, peaked roofs and wooden framed houses that were obviously ancient. During the day, they seemed very homely – but now, at night, they cast many deep shadows and seemed to house millions of eyes that stared at her as she walked unerringly up a flight of stairs and through a stone gateway.
Her eyes finally came into focus, but it was already too late to turn back. Zelda's spine crawled, the hidden recesses of her mind feeling the restless spirits around her, but knowing that they were too tired to rise up against her. She walked slowly forwards, careful to only step on the cobbled path, a thick sensation of fogged unease settling over her mind, guiding her footsteps until she stood before the wide, gaping hole that housed her destiny.
She climbed the ladder that seemed to have been put there especially for her, and stepped onto a wide, hexagonal (A/N: ?) stone platform. She didn't dare turn her back on that gaping mouth, but she did turn her head for one moment, her slightly curled, loose blonde hair brushing shyly against her shoulders as she stared with wide, horrified eyes and saw what she had just miraculously passed through.
The spirits were out in full force. They visibly wandered the graveyard, the stronger, quieter and wiser ones taking on more humanlike shapes, the weaker, more newly dead only able to assume the hooded form of common spirits. They all carried lanterns, presumably to guide visitors to their deaths through the murky fog – but somehow, she had passed them all unscathed. Their lanterns moved in an eerily organized pattern, and they seemed to call in weak, lonely whispers, calling for more to join in with their undead dance.
In the sudden clarity that her fright gave her, she took a moment to wonder what had called them out. Then she turned back to the cave, and her brain was a mass of murky water again, and only her feet led her on.
Darkness washed over her, and she walked down a flight of steps so ancient and worn that the steps formed more of a slope than a staircase. She was clear-headed enough to keep one hand on the wall close by her side, but nearly missed a step and stumbled when the wall fell away and the stairs stopped, leaving her to stand with her eyes wide in a fairly open cavern. She sensed…something intangible, something or maybe even someone she knew. But how…
She heard the quiet rustling of feathers, and fear gushed through her. Then all was silent, and all of the torches that she had innately known were there flared to life, allowing her a short glimpse of a humanoid form stepping hurriedly out of the circle of light.
All the noise of her thoughts, the blood rushing through her veins, the wild, frantic beating of her broken heart; the steady rhythm of her lungs—all of it was silenced. Each and every single sensation, memory, and conscious thought escaped her.
All of it had come to this. The noise in her head rushed, louder and louder, then finally died away. The wraith spoke in a deep, comforting voice that struck fear into her when she realized she was in the presence of a…a thing so powerful it could crush her without a second thought, and she could tell from the sureness of its deep voice that it knew it, too. And yet, it regretted its own strength, somehow. The wraith that she had known all her life and yet had just met spoke to her heart, freezing her in place with three words.
"I've been waiting."
***
The figure stayed in the depths of the shadows, staying away from the many torches that burned anew in the dark, undisturbed cave. She was silent, listening to it pace around the edges of the light, almost as if stalking her. Her spine crawled with discomfort, but she was too afraid to move, or even speak. She could now feel the beings incredible power, washing over her and stifling her senses, but making her mind so crystal clear and free of meaningless thoughts that she almost wept.
"Why have you come?"
She couldn't answer. She didn't dare speak to this inhuman being that lurked in the darkness, waiting for the torches to go out. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and her skin began to itch. She desperately ignored it.
"There's isn't any need to answer, anyway. But you can say anything you want to me. You know that, woman."
Her back tensed, and the creature chuckled. "Relax, woman. I wouldn't hurt you, even if I were inclined to. You're too…well. You've come looking for answers, hmm? To speak to the angel that the village man spoke to so long ago? Even if that isn't what you think you've come for, that's the reason."
"That's it." The voice now sounded as though it believed itself to be coaxing a young, frightened animal to eat out of its palm. "It's all right, woman. I'm just teasing you. You search for the angel? Well, there was no angel in the first place. However, there was…something that does not have a name within your comprehension. Sort of like an angel, I suppose, but much, much more than that."
She found her shaking, trembling voice. "Only the goddesses are above the angels."
The voice laughed coldly, and she sank to the floor under its force, tears staining her cheeks. The creature took no notice.
"Huh. Goddesses. They think they have some power over me. But I am still much more than them. I am much more than all of them combined. Some would say I am too much. They would say I was their creation, but spiraling out of control – but they do not see my potential, preferring to keep me on a lead."
She licked her cracked, dry lips. "What…what…"
"What am I? I am. That is all. I…I am. I am time and space; I am the oceans and the land; I am the animals and the people and everything in between. I am magic and fire and evil and nobility. I am the sky and the clouds, the leaves and the paths. I am the mountains and the valleys, the sun and the moon. I am."
"The angel…"
"That is what I appear to be, to some, anyway. To others, I appear as a different creature. It is their own minds which choose who or what I will be. For some, I am a dead relative or lover, for others I am an animal that looks at them with wise eyes and assures them that someone is watching. But for some, I am an angel, walking among people and spreading what diseases and knowledge and inspirations I must. But you, woman…you do not know what I will be. Therefore, you see me as what I am."
She slowly lowered herself on the small stone platform, wincing as the torches began flickering out one by one. She had almost found her voice again, though she could barely stand staying in this place. It was so full of magic and power that it made her entire body tense up, and she had to constantly fight the urge to turn and run towards the now-distant light atop the ancient, crumbling stairs. She gulped and said, quietly, calmly, "Let me see you, then."
The voice chuckled quietly, and answered huskily. "If I were to show myself to you, it would break both our hearts, woman."
She snapped, without thinking, "I have a name!"
The creature shot back, "I know, but I dare not use it!" When it paused and she didn't reply, it continued. "If I were to speak your name, I would lose my mind. All that I've worked for over these past millennia would be undone."
Her voice trembled as she spoke back. "You know my name, then?"
"Yes."
"Why would you lose your mind, whatever that means?"
"Because…woman, there are two sides to me. I am the first. The second…is unstable. If I were to speak your name, that other would regain momentary control of this body, and I fear what might happen then. Even now, I must share control with that other, but I have most of the power in this form."
Another torch went out. "This form?"
"One of many. This form is a mirror of the pathetic, sewn-together monster I was before I was made the messenger of the goddesses. This is the fallen angel you have heard so much about, and yet, I am still different. There is not another like me in the world; there never was, and there never will be. Never one quite like me…"
Now, only five burning torches remained.
"Tell me your name."
"I cannot. I have no name but Truth, and that is not mine. That is the goddess' pet name for me."
Four.
"Show me yourself, before all of the light disappears. Please."
"Will you be afraid?"
"Yes."
"Give me your hand, woman."
Three. She stretched her hand towards the gathering darkness, and gasped as a large, incredibly strong hand grasped her own. The skin of the hand was mutilated, decorated with lines glowing with such color and brilliance that she had to wonder why the creature wasn't visible in the dark. She almost snatched her fingers back, but resisted at the last moment, allowing her pale hands to rest in the creature's slightly darker skinned ones.
"This is what I am. A twisted mockery of magic and humanness and flight, all forced into one immortal body. A plaything of the goddesses, an imitation of life. I am nothing."
Two torches were all that burned. The creature's warm palms flexed around her thin hand, and she shuddered, pulling her own hand away. The thing sighed, and retreated further away. "You are disgusted. I understand."
Something clicked in the back of her mind. She knew there was something familiar about this thing, something she had known in a past life…tears escaped her eyes, and she whispered, "I know you."
"I have always known you…Zelda…"
The last torch flickered, and went out.
***
(A/N: I could leave it there, but even I'm not that evil. But I am evil enough to do this…)
A huge shadow circling in the sky, outlined by the sun, was gazing down on the vast wastelands of Hyrule's western-most parts. It snorted and dropped instantly, pulling up at the last second and landing silently on the hot sand. The heat burned its bare feet, but it didn't notice or even care, considering it couldn't quite link the unpleasant sensation to the hot sand beneath it. Besides, moving would give away its position, and that was the last thing it wanted, even though it had probably been seen already. At least it could still get away if need be.
Urian glared across the dancing heat waves, its eyes unaccustomed to such light. Its gaze skimmed over the endless heads of various monsters, for the most part mindlessly fighting or eating, and right to the single tent among the entire field. It was a light-colored canvas, painted with a vicious red symbol that could have passed for random streaks of paint.
Urian bared its skeletal teeth, knowing what it would find in that tent. Its so-called 'leader,' who claimed to be smarter, faster, and more powerful than any other being in the world. Well, Urian would find out the truth.
It stalked straight through the encampment, making no effort to be even slightly stealthy or conceal its identity. As it passed, the creatures nearest to it leapt up, jeering and offering their swords in hopes of a good fight; it paid no attention, making a beeline for the tent. Once it got there, it effortlessly tossed aside the two half-heartedly resisting guards and tore the canvas free from the rocks and sand weighing it down at the edges. Urian was temporarily blinded by a plume of sand that shot into its eyes, and it hurriedly rubbed the majority of the grit out, blinking heavily against the remaining bits.
When it could see properly again, four figures stood out in the fading maelstrom of dust. One was a short and stocky Borun, and one was a Waeul with shriveled teeth and wings. The third was an average-sized man wrapped in deep purple, bordering on black robes. He wore a scarf tied around his forehead, and was rubbing his hands nervously together. Urian's lips curled back when it recognized Yehrutte, the sniveling coward whom it had regretted not killing ever since the day it had had the chance. The fourth figure was a stranger, a tall, slightly stocky man decked out in ominous black armor. The man's hair was a wild red, and a yellow jewel set in a spider-like, metal piece. This contraption had been attached, mostly likely through a painful process, to the man's forehead. His skin was also an odd shade of green that allowed him to stay out under the sun for long periods of time.
Urian snorted, and Ganondorf, or the Master, as he liked to be called, grinned maniacally back, and snarled at him in a voice dripping with sarcasm and utter contempt.
"So, you're the new addition Yehrutte has been going on about? You are the one I've been wanting to meet so badly? You are the one who rebelled against this weasel--" He indicated Yehrutte-- "and then spared his life? All the time, it was YOU?"
Ganondorf laughed, clapping an astonished and slightly miffed Yehrutte heartily on the back. "Very funny, Yehrutte. I don't believe it. Him…it had to be him…"
Yehrutte hurriedly scurried in front of him, rubbing his hands again. "Wait, Master! I will show you…he is not whom you think he is. He was dead, and I took him, and changed him…this is his altered body, and the only part of him I was able to salvage from what was left."
"What part is it, then?" The battered old Waeul had spoken.
"The part that never saw the light of day. The - the part that represented the darkest corners of his mind. I took that negative energy…I took it, and twisted it, and erased what it knew of its former life…and this creature was born. Urian was born."
Ganondorf stroked his chin with one large, meaty hand. "Hmm. Urian? Where have I heard that name before?"
Yehrutte bared his teeth in a nervous grin. "Ah...ah...your mightiness, it would be imprudent to-"
"SILENCE!" Yehrutte immediately stumbled back into his place, kicking up small amounts of sand. "Enough of your endless muttering. Creature! Bow to me. You owe me your allegiance."
Urian's eyes narrowed. "Since when, oh mighty Master?"
Ganondorf seemed to flinch, but Urian must have imagined it, for he grinned again and shook his head in consternation. "You'd best watch that tongue of yours, General. Could get you killed someday."
"I am already dead."
The king of all evil reached out to run a hand over Urian's lined skin, but it wrenched away, snarling. Ganondorf reached out and grabbed it by the collar of its borrowed shirt, dragging it close and whispering harshly into its Hylian ears.
"Listen and listen good, kid. You belong to me, got it? I created you. I own you. You have no say in anything. You're just a worthless fighting machine that I can have removed at any moment I please. But I won't kill you, at least not yet. I want proof of your servitude." Ganondorf released it and stood back, once again grinning. "Bow to me, you useless piece of flesh."
Urian backed up a step and paused, smirking. "One last question, Master. Are you that afraid of me?"
Ganondorf quietly replied, "I fear nothing."
"Then why do you tremble?"
Ganondorf clenched his hands, but was unable to stop the minor shaking that had manifested a few minutes before. "This is the last time I offer my allegiance. If you refuse, I will hunt you down and destroy you."
Urian let the smile drop from its face, leapt forward, and struck him in the jaw. Ganondorf stared with wide eyes as it leapt high into the air, spreading its wings. Ganondorf spit out blood, pointing up into the sky and shouting, "Shoot it! Shoot it down! Now!"
Arrows flew towards Urian, but only one came close enough to cause any damage. Urian caught it and threw it back down, and it landed buried halfway in sand. Urian wheeled twice, shouting, "You're not worth it, slime ball! We'll meet again, under very different circumstances, I promise you!"
It vanished into the distance, and Ganondorf angrily ordered the two guards to set the tent up again. He noticed the creatures all staring at him, wondering what was happening, and he angrily shouted, "What're you all looking at? Sit down and shut up!"
Thoroughly cowed, they sank back to the ground as he stalked with hunched shoulders into the shade of an outcropping of rock.
***
Well, I think that's all right for now. Sorry about the wait - I seriously didn't have time, finals are coming up and teachers are piling on the homework. But thanks to my many *cough, cough* reviewers!
H7 - OUCH! I know you hate me, the rest of the world does, including myself. And what makes you think I'M alive?
Wolf - I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here's the chapter for you!
Chaotic Boredom - Jeeze, if you're so worried about it, just don't sign in and throw your name in the box! What's Kwanza? And you shouldn't be the tinman, you should be the lion, you chicken. Wait a sec...
??? - Yeah, I know the blooper sucked, I was just bored. Glad you're back! It's confusing, I know, I'm trying to make it as clear as I can. Heh.
Picks of the Week:
Fav Fanfic: Original Interview by Beck. Did I mention this one already? Oh well. It's great, makes me laugh every chapter! If she gets her rear in gear, my character might be making an appearance someday. For X-Men: Evo fans.
Fav Song: Holiday in Spain by Counting Crows. I got a Counting Crows greatest hits CD, and it's amazing!
Anyway, that's about it - look forward to the next chapter in less than a year! Just kidding. Wait, I mean...oh, never mind. See you next time.
-Shawshank
(The first violin is slouching!)
