"I
can't believe you did all of those things, Link," said
Andim. Link told her the whole story down to the last detail.
"You
sure did have your hands full while I was gone too, huh?"
asked Link.
"Oh no. There wasn't hardly any work done while
you were gone. Everyone was worrying about your safety."
"Well,
I had my hands full out there too…..Andim?"
"Yeah?"
"Can
you keep a secret?"
"Of course Link. What's going on?"
Link
reached into his tunic and pulled out the two stones. They
could both fit in his hand, with room to spare. Andim gasped.
"What
are those?" she asked in amazement.
"The green stone is called
the Kokiri's Emerald. That was what I was delivering to Hyrule
City. And the blue stone is called Goron's Ruby."
"Kokiri?
Goron's? What are those?"
"Old races that inhabited Hyrule
long ago. The King insisted that I keep them and protect
them." Link was silent for a moment. He put the stones on the
ground, not wanting to look at them. "He said that I was their
protector."
"And you just learned this now? Why weren't
you told eailer?"
"He said I'm more than I think I am. Maybe
there was something he didn't tell me."
Andim saw the
depressed look in Link's eyes. She tired to change the
subject, but Link spoke before she could. "There's something
else. He said his daughter, Princess Zelda, was kidnapped a while
back. Which is why she was never heard of for some time. I'm
supposed to save her, and find the last Spiritual Stone."
"You
mean there's another one?"
"A sapphire. I don't know where
it is. But I will find it. I have to if I can ever hope to
save the princess. It shouldn't be too hard. If it senses the
presence of the other two stones, the power of the sapphire will
awaken."
"You know what Link, I'm going to help you. I
learned a lot of magic from my books while you were gone. I learned
how to form an invisible wall, to make small objects float, I can
help you!"
"Andim, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but
you are a human. A mortal. Mortals don't have powers. Sure you can
do those things, but it's unstable and weak. I just don't want
you to get hurt."
Link expected Andim to argue, or frown at him,
but she didn't. She nodded slowly. "But I can still do those
things. Watch!" Andim stepped over to a leaf. She concentrated on
it, Link could see that easily. Slowly, a few leaves were
lifted into the air. Link half expected she wouldn't be able to do
it. Link stood up. She put the leaves down.
"Andim, that's
amazing!" Link walked over to her, but ran into what felt like a
wall. He was pushed back and put his hand over his nose.
"My
invisible wall. It takes a little extra magic to invisible, but you'd
be able to tell if you look really close. The light bends around the
edges. I used to not be able to do that," said Andim.
"That
was a great display, but I still don't want you to get hurt. Rest
your magic for a while." He went to pick up the stones.
"You
need to prepare for your journey. All of that training with the kids
should keep them sleeping. Let's go to the pond where Ilia is
tending to Epona."
"Alright."
Link and Andim stepped over
the children sleeping on the grass. The pond was pretty far away. But
Andim and Link knew a shortcut through a wooden tunnel. Andim was
small enough to fit through, but Link had a hard time. In a few
years, it would be near impossible.
Ilia was still there
with Epona. "Ah, you're here," she said.
"I need Epona
again," said Link.
"Yeah, he's going out again," said
Andim.
There was a rumble. It made the water in the pond ripple,
like a small earthquake.
"What was that?" asked Ilia. There
was silence for a long moment.
Then, suddenly, a huge band of
things on boars burst in. The knocked Link and Ilia out with a club.
Just before losing conscience, Link heard Andim screaming, but was
soon silenced. Then, he fell into the shallow pond. The bottom half
of his body lay in the water. His eyes closed, he screamed in his
head, "Andim!"
A moment later, Link awoke and felt the
rumbling again. It wasn't too far. He leapt onto Epona. He followed
the trail that the monsters took. He was thankful he still had his
sword and shield on him.
He reached the monster that had taken
Andim. It was the same ogre that ambushed him in Hyrule Field! Behind
him was A dark void, swirling like a vortex. Andim's lifeless body
hung un either side of the boar as the ogre plunged into the vortex.
Without a moment of hesitation, he rode in after him. As the
darkness pulled back at Link, he still moved forward. Then, he found
himself in Hyrule Field. But at the same time, it wasn't.
It
was darker. And what was supposed to smell like fresh, smelled of the
pain and suffering of people. The ogre posse was waiting for him. The
leader held Andim. She was tied to the ogre's club. If Link got
close, he might hurt her. But if her let him be, he would hurt her.
Besides, there was a swarm of ogres surrounding him anyway. Link
charged at one of them. He knocked him off easily. That aggravated
the others. The leader was riding away from him. Link followed hot on
his tail, but there were still more surrounding him.
He did the
same routine as he did last time: Get as many out of your way as you
can, then take down the leader. He put most of them down, but when it
came to attacking the leader, he came deathly close to hurting Andim.
"Enough!" The ogre leader called out in a deep, gruff voice.
"If you want her back, give us the stones!"
"Never! Give me
back Andim and I won't kill you!" yelled Link.
Link scowled
and growled at him with pure hatred. "Let her go!"
The ogre
turned around and jetted toward the dark version of Hyrule Castle.
Link charged toward him, killing any ogre that came up to his side.
When the ogre crossed the moat, a wall of fire came up behind him.
Link panicked and yelled, "Jump! Jump! Jump!" They both still
approached the wall with great speed. "Jump!" Link screamed one
last time. In one huge leap, Epona jumped over the wall. Link
breathed a sigh of relief and patted Epona on her mane. "Good
girl…"
Beyond the castle gate was an aisle-like pillar. On
both sides was an infinite drop to the ground. Now that Link wasn't
distracted, he saw that the ogre had no armor on. His boar moved his
left hind leg back and forth, as if ready to charge. Epona did the
same. Link was going to joust….
He stared coldly into the ogre's
eyes. He clenched the hilt of his sword so hard, his hands nearly
bled. The both charged at each other head on. Link veered slightly to
the left, on Andim's side.
Just before the ogre was close
enough, Link slashed the bottom of the club. It went cleanly through
the wood, and made a huge gash in the ogre's stomach. Almost
through his whole body.
Andim, on the pole and still unconscious,
fell the ground. The ogre staggered to the left of his horse until he
leaned off. He fell in the cataclysm below. Link could hear him
scream as he plummeted to the bottom. He continued to scream until he
fell so far, his voice faded out. Link did not hear him hit the
bottom.
Link sliced through the ropes that bound Andim to the
pole. Link felt on her chest for her heart beat. She was still alive,
thankfully. He carried her back to Toaru on Epona through the
portal.
Andim was in a deep sleep for three days. Link was by
her side for most of the long wait, but asked Mayor Doran some
questions.
"Why were they after Andim?" asked Link. He sat in
the Mayor's office. He was silent for a moment.
"I don't
know. You've encountered them before, yes?" asked Mayor
Doran.
Link nodded. "But if I was the one that defeated them,
then how come they took Andim instead of me?"
"…..Link, you
returned with tow spiritual stones right?"
"Yes. How did you
know?"
"I think I know why they took Andim then. The king and
I made a pact that you were the protector of the stones. However, one
is still not found. Perhaps the key to finding the last stone rests
in Andim."
"Why do you say that?"
Mayor Doran took a deep
breath. "Andim is the a descendant of the Zoras."
"She's a
Zora?"
"Not exactly. She does have Zora blood in her. But not
really a full-fledged Zora. The whereabouts of the final stone might
be in her family. Do you know if she has any relatives?"
"No.
She came to live here because she had no family."
"You must
protect her. Even though she may not know it, other monsters, such as
the ones that ambushed you, might think she does. Keep her
safe."
Link nodded and said goodbye. The two other stones were
also the key to finding the last stone. If only he got close enough
to it, the power will awaken.
When Link returned to the place
Andim was resting, he had discovered that she was gone. "Where's
Andim?" asked Link.
"She woke up. She's at the edge of the
woods I think," said Ilia.
"Oh no, that place is dangerous!"
Link yelled as he ran into the forest.
He found Andim minutes
later reading her books. She sat lazily against a tree while eating
an apple.
"Andim, why did you come here?" asked Link.
"Oh
hey, Link. I can't believe I slept so late. Did I pass out at the
pond?" asked Andim.
'She doesn't remember a thing,'
thought Link. "Uh, sure. You were too tired from training all day
so you just collapsed."
"Oh, well I feel better now."
"What
are you doing?"
"Reading more of my books. I want to learn how
to make an illusion. I almost have it."
Andim stepped over to a
clearing and said, "Illusion Delusion!" She conjured up an image
of a dragon. It looked so real to Link, he felt his heart pound.
"That's amazing. It's so life-like."
"Thanks. Hey,
where are those stones of yours?"
"Why?"
"I have
something about it in my books."
Link did need to know all he
could about the spiritual stones. It wouldn't hurt to see. "Ok,
they're right here." He pulled out the Kokiri's Emerald and the
Goron's Ruby.
Andim flipped through the pages of her book. "Ah,
here it is. Goron's Ruby. It says here a race of Gorons used to
live on a mountain called Death Mountain. Hm…that's sounds like a
nice place to live. Anyway, this was their "precious stone" that
they protected….."
"Go on."
"That's it. Now lets
see…..Kokiri's Emerald. The Kokiris were a forest race that never
aged. The Great Deku Tree protected the Emerald until he died one
day. He entrusted it to a young lad to take to Hyrule Castle for a
greater purpose….That's all it says."
The sound of a bird
swooping down was sounded overhead. It was a cross between a griffin
and a crow. It took Andim's book right from her hands and flew
deeper into the woods.
"My book!" yelled Andim as she ran
after it. Link grabbed her to keep her from running into danger.
"Don't Worry Andim, we'll get it back. But we're not
allowed in the woods. We have to wait until tonight before we go to
get it." Link always liked to break the rules. But now when it came
to Andim's safety, he wanted to delay her time in the dangerous
woods as possible.
"My mother left me with that book. I just to
get it back, I just have to."
Link and Andim spent the rest
of the time preparing for the departure. Link only took his sword and
shield, the stones, and a lantern. Andim didn't take anything,
because she already had her spells.
At midnight, Link met Andim
at the edge of the forest. Andim was eagerly waiting for him to
arrive. And when she did, she insisted that she walk ahead. The
forest wasn't as thick as Link had thought.
Even thought it was
midnight, the forest seemed to be getting darker and darker the
deeper they walked. The trees stopped and everything seemed to have a
black and white color. They were both now at a trench.
Andim
walked cautiously. She felt something drop behind her. She turned
around. It was Link on his knees. He clenched his chest with his
right hand and the dirt with his left. He seemed to be in pain, as if
straining himself from screaming.
"Link, are you ok?" asked
Andim. She tried to put her hand on his shoulder, but murmured
something to keep her.
"Get away…." he said. His eyes
were closed so tightly that tears began to form.
"Link what's
going on?"
Link's eyes flew open. His head moved from side to
side. Hair grew from his back and face. His eyes as pale as their
brightest moon. His nose grew….it was clear to see what he had
become….a wolf.
When the transformation was complete, Link went
into a predator stance. "….Link…." Andim managed to speak
out. Link teeth were showing. He pounced, scratched her face, her
chest and left marks all over her back. It all happened so fast,
Andim didn't feel the pain until Link ran away into the
trench.
A cool black rain fell on Andim. Weather it was just the
rain or if it was her tears that stung her eyes, one thing was
certain to her: her friend betrayed her.
