Broken Promises
The strong current carried of the water spilled Peach and Zelda into the main chamber of the Water Temple. The water was not at its maximum height, so the fall was a bit far. They popped to the surface of the water and looked around.
"That was strange," Peach said. Then, she saw the serious look on Zelda's face. She was looking up at a higher ledge on the central tower in the in front of them.
"Ruto," she said.
"I see you finally decided to show up," a voice came from above. They could not see all of her, but her crossed legs were hanging over the uppermost ledge of the tower.
"Why are you doing this?" Zelda said, knowing it was something bad.
"Don't insult me," Ruto said. "You know damn well why you're here."
"I honestly don't…"
"Then, let me refresh your memory. I'm sure you've no doubt heard about my new title."
"Queen Ruto…Your father died."
"He didn't just die! You killed him, you heartless bitch!"
"No, I…"
"And then you killed Lord Jabu-jabu! My god, Zelda!"
Zelda remained quiet for a few seconds and asked, "Anything else?"
Ruto dropped down, onto the ledge that was just above the water's surface. Zelda shuddered when she saw her. Her once elegant fins were now torn and ragged, just as they had been in her dream. Likewise, her breathing looked strained. "This is what you did to me. All of this…just to try and steal Link away from me and who knows what else. Why Zelda? You know I would never force him to marry me over some promise he made when he was ten! I would never force him to break a promise!"
"What do you mean?"
Ruto briefly had a look of surprise and then seethed. "…I won't waste anymore words on you." She held her arms to her sides, letting the shredded remains of her fins fall limply along her elbows. Underneath them were steel blades embedded in her arms, reminiscent of a warrior Zora's fins. The water began to churn and Peach and Zelda were blasted to the upper ledge. Once they regained their footing, they saw several columns of water rise up around the tower.
"What do we do?" Peach asked.
"Get back," Zelda said, charging fiery energy. Peach backed away as a dome of fire spread out around Zelda and evaporated the water columns. Then, she yelled down to Ruto, "You're wasting your energy! I didn't do any of those things to you!"
A water form of Ruto flowed up in another column and spoke, "As if your word is worth anything anymore." The clone outreached its arm and water flew out towards Zelda. Zelda used another fire spell to counter the water. Suddenly, water shot up behind Peach and slammed her into the wall.
"Leave her out of this!" Zelda yelled.
"I'm not taking any chances like the others," the clone gurgled.
"You know about them?" Zelda said, evaporating the clone with a Fire Arrow.
"Of course, you idiot!" another water clone spat. "We may be on a vendetta, but it's still our duty to protect the Triforce. We're just making sure you never get your filthy hands on it. Now, it's time to stop playing around!" The clone disappeared as a swirl of water blasts came around the tower and knocked Zelda and Peach into the outer walls of the temple. Suddenly, all the water drained out of the temple, leaving them to fall all the way to the sandy bottom floor.
"Please, stop this!" Peach yelled out. "Zelda was with me the whole time. She couldn't have done anything to you." Water poured into the chamber from every open passage, flooding the chamber so fast that they didn't even float to the surface yet. Ruto swam down as fast as a shark and punched Zelda in the face. She threw more punches that Zelda could not defend against easily. When she grabbed Ruto's wrists, Ruto electrified herself and pushed Zelda away with a strong current. As she was about to follow up with a slash of her blades, Peach bashed her over the head with her crown from behind, temporarily dazing her. Peach took the chance to help Zelda up to the surface.
"I have to reason with her," Zelda coughed, pulling herself onto the ledge. "We'll have to restrain her first, though."
"Right," Peach said, holding onto the ledge. "But how do…" She was abruptly pulled under.
"Peach!" Zelda screamed, diving in. She didn't get far because another blast of water shot her back onto the ledge. She could see Peach being held to the bottom by a strong current. Ruto lunged out of the water, attempting to strike her once again. Zelda ducked the blow and the Zora rolled behind her and came to her feet.
"You're not going anywhere!" Ruto yelled.
"Not if I can help it!" Zelda said, attempting to jump in once again. This time, the water reached out and slammed her back. She turned to Ruto with her sword in time to block a blade strike. Ruto remained on the offensive, showing off surprising skill. Punches, as well as blocks, easily turned into deadly slashes. Then, she brought up her electric shield once again and continued to fight directly. Zelda had to constantly back up to not be electrocuted. She had to use her magical shield to block any blows that could not be dodged. A spurt of water nearby caught her attention and Ruto took the opportunity to attempt another punch in the face. Zelda leaned back and Ruto turned it into a stabbing elbow attack. Zelda fell backwards, missing the attack, but Ruto simply grazed her webbed foot against Zelda's leg to electrocute her.
"AAAAAAH!" Zelda screamed. She shakily moved away and continued to defend.
"We have to attack!" Sheik said urgently. "Peach can't hold her breath much longer!"
"Any worthwhile attack might be lethal," Zelda said back. "I won't kill Ruto!"
"All the easier for me," Ruto said, jumping at her with a low blade sweep. Zelda's leg was cut and she fell. Just as Ruto attempted to plunge her elbow blades into Zelda's body, she grabbed Ruto's wrists, screaming as she was electrocuted. Yet still she held on. Then, she slammed Ruto into the wall of the tower.
"I don't…want to fight!" she winced, holding her there.
"Then, shut up and die!" Ruto growled, pushing back. Zelda used Ruto's momentum to flip her into the water, while coming down with her. She wasted no time in spotting Peach and began to swim there. Peach was obviously having trouble, since she had stopped struggling and was trying to conserve oxygen and energy by holding her hands over her face. Unfortunately, a rush of water thrust Zelda out of the pool and pressed her against the outer wall of the tower. It continued to hold her there, seemingly attempting to crush her against the stone wall.
"We have to break free!" Sheik yelled.
"I know!" Zelda replied in frustration. She attempted her telekinesis, but Ruto's hydrokinesis was too strong.
"Use it on Ruto!"
"No!"
"It's the only way!"
"I won't murder another friend!"
"But Zelda…"
"No!"
"Then, let me!"
"No!"
"Something wrong, Zel?" Ruto mocked her, standing on the ledge of the tower. "Realizing that you and your little friend are about be floating face down in the water soon?"
"Urraaagh!" Zelda grunted as the water pressed harder. Her eyes turned blood red and she scowled at Ruto. She outstretched her hand and took a psychic hold over Ruto's throat.
"What are you doing?" Zelda exclaimed mentally.
"Ugh!" Ruto gasped, grabbing her own throat. "I knew…you'd try this…sooner…or later!" She put a foot into the water and electrified the flow pressing into Zelda.
Zelda relinquished the psychic hold. She took out her Hookshot and shot the chain into the target above Ruto. She escaped the water before the electricity could reach her and kicked Ruto away. Ruto backflipped and held her blades up. As she lunged forth with her electric shield still up, Zelda blocked both blades with her sword, bearing the electrocution, and used her other hand to stab Ruto's stomach with Sheik's dagger.
"Ah!" Ruto yelped, doubling over and losing the shield.
"No! Stop it!" Zelda cried, struggling to retake control.
While Ruto was still hunched over, Zelda sliced across her face, knocking Ruto on her back. Ruto, startled, touched her face and felt the bloody scar. Zelda smacked her across the face with the broadside of her sword, further dazing Ruto. Sheathing her weapons, Zelda then jumped on her stomach and grabbed onto the blades embedded in the Zora's forearms.
"Aaah! What are you doing!" Ruto cried in pain. With a sickening sound that was a mix of a squish and a clang, the blades were ripped out of Ruto's arms. Ruto was screaming and struggling to scoot away as her arms bled.
"Sheik, stop this now!"
Zelda dropped down onto Ruto, who was still pinned down. The possessed Hylian then raised the fin blades and began to mercilessly plunge them into Ruto's chest.
Ruto screamed in agony, "No! I give up! Please, stop!"
Zelda panted after having heavily wounded her. By now, Ruto was merely whimpering and crying.
"Can't you see that's enough!" Zelda's body was suddenly replaced by Sheik's, though the red eyes remained the same.
"I just wanted," Ruto whispered tearfully, choking on her own blood, "to avenge the people you took from me…and to protect Link… I promised…I promised to end your reign of terror…I've failed…But at least I got one of you…Now the others…" At that, Sheik sent the finishing blow with both blades and twisted them. Ruto breathed no more.
"You bastard!" Zelda screamed at him. Ignoring her endless curses, he tossed the blades aside and dived deep underwater. Fortunately, the water was draining quickly and it was only a matter of seconds before he reached Peach's motionless form, lying on the ground.
"Peach, wake up!" he said, turning her on her back. She did not respond at all. He gently slapped her cheek. "Peach? Come on, Peach!" he said, shaking her. Still she did not respond. He put his ear to her chest and was stricken with horror that she was not breathing. Even Zelda stopped yelling at him. He ripped off his veil and began to attempt mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She remained still.
"Don't you dare die on me!" he yelled. She still was not breathing. He put his ear to her chest once more and found that her heart was no longer beating. Using his dagger, he cut her dress open down from her collar to her girdle. Then, he began doing chest compressions. "Come on! Don't give up!" He occasionally breathed into her mouth, but kept up the compressions, growing desperate. He was pained when he felt her ribs break under his forcefulness, but continued. He began to cry as the futility of his actions started to set in.
"Sheik…" Zelda began.
"Silence, Zelda!" Sheik shouted, continuing the compressions. "I'm not giving up!" He continued until his arms were too tired to press any more. Ten minutes had passed since he began and he could do no more. He panted and gazed into her damp face, moving a tress out of her closed eyes. He could bear no more and turned away to sob quietly to himself.
A minute later, he heard coughing in her direction. He looked and saw her coughing up water and struggling to breath. He rushed over and sat her up. "Peach, you're okay!" He was so overjoyed, he grasped her in a tight hug before she was ready. "I'm so glad you're alive!"
She coughed over his shoulder, still trying to catch her breath and in a daze. "…My chest hurts…"
"I was trying to save you," Sheik said, releasing her and looking into her eyes. "I was afraid I'd lost you."
"Oh…" she said, before coughing again. "It must have been…that green mushroom I ate in Delfino…Did you have to…tear my dress open?"
"I didn't want it to get in the way," he smiled blushingly. "Besides, it's not as if I removed your undergarments. Just the excess clothing."
She just now noticed that his face was no longer hidden. "You look just like Zelda…but with a tan…"
"It's her body," Sheik smiled. Then, a pang of guilt struck him as he remembered what he did to Ruto against Zelda's wishes. "Shall we leave?"
Suddenly, something pierced through Sheik from behind and continued through Peach's stomach as well. They were both lifted up into the air by whatever had impaled them. Peach could see that it was but one of many sharp, thorny vines that had slithered out of the tower.
A woman's voice spoke, "It seems I'll have to personally do away with you."
"Ah! Peach…Who is it? I've never heard that voice before…" Sheik winced, grabbing a hold of the vine. It turned so that they could both see the woman standing in the doorway of one of the tower's entrances.
It was a barefooted, young lady with long chartreuse hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a short, dark green skirt and a similarly colored, though somewhat raggedy shirt that stopped just below her breasts. "Please, excuse my state of dress. I didn't have much time to make clothing."
"Who are you?" Sheik asked.
"Don't tell me you can't see," she said. "I'm Saria, the little girl you left for dead in the Forest Temple. The one who thought she did the same to you in Death Mountain."
"But how?"
"Less talking, more dying," she said, causing the vines to spin through the two. They screamed and writhed in agony. "Resisting will only cause you more pain…" She let the vine lower back down to the bottom and watched them squirm.
"Peach…" Sheik said, taking her hand. "I'm…so sorry…I've failed to protect you so many times…"
"Sheik…now's not the time," Peach winced, still having not fully recovered from inhaling so much water.
"I need to say this before it's too late!" he choked. "Peach, I…I love you. I've felt this way…since…since I first met you!"
"Cut it!" Peach screamed, keeping her eyes closed.
"I understand if you don't feel the same way," Sheik said regretfully.
"No, I mean cut the vine!" Peach coughed. "I can't keep us alive much longer!" She had been healing the both of them since the would-be lethal blow was made. Sheik realized this and immediately went to work on cutting the vine with his dagger.
"Hurry!" Peach grunted, coughing up blood. She had been keeping her eyes closed to avoid the sight of the cursed fluid. The vine was trying to anchor them down by plowing into the outer walls of the chamber. Sheik could already feel her power fading as he weakened and the pain increased. He managed to cut the part of the vine between them, letting her plop to the floor. He quickly moved himself off of the rest of the vine and dropped down with her. She healed them just enough to stop the bleeding, but reserved the rest of her magic.
"We're leaving!" Sheik said, as Piranha heads began to burst out of the tower all over. He held Peach close and took out his lyre. After quickly playing an ineffective Nocturne of Shadow, he switched to Prelude of Light. "Dammit!" he cursed, as it also proved ineffectual.
Peach went into a bought of coughing before saying, "There's more of…Watch out for the…Piranha Plants." Sheik turned around and saw the bestial plants continue to burst out of the tower. Vines were beginning to creep out of other sections of the temple.
Saria's mature voice echoed, "You can't warp out of here. When you slaughtered Ruto, I replaced her barrier around Hylia with my own. There's no escape."
Peach continued to cough over Sheik's shoulder. He took a moment to pick up his veil and cover his face. As a drooling Piranha Plant growled above them, he took her in his arms once again and played the Serenade of Water. To Saria's surprise, Sheik and Peach disappeared in a swirl of blue sparkles.
"Cowardice will only lead to more suffering," Saria said quietly, stepping onto a large stalk.
Sheik and Peach materialized atop the tall island in the middle of Lake Hylia, directly above the temple. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by well-armed Zoras. Some had swords. Others had lances. A few had natural fin blades.
"Hands up, Hylian scum!" one of the Zoras ordered.
"Where is Queen Ruto?" another demanded. Before Sheik could reply, the island began to rumble. The dead tree that had always been on the island began to bloom with leaves and flowers. Sheik threw down a Deku Nut to blind the Zoras and ran to the bridge, carrying Peach.
A massive Piranha head burst out of the center of the island, sending the Zoras flying in all directions. Sheik stopped to see the monster. It was the biggest creature he had ever seen. It towered above everything for miles. As it continued to surge out, countless lesser heads broke through the island, quaking the immediate area. It's core was a dangerous tangled patch of thorns and briars. Saria could be seen standing fearlessly on one of the vines near the top. She caught Sheik's gaze and directed the Piranha Plant toward him. It lurched forth and accelerated its approach rather quickly for something that big with no real legs.
"Sheik," Peach hacked, holding on as tightly as her weakened state would allow. "We need to go…now!" He turned around and ran across the long bridge as fast as his pained body would take him. He had crossed to the miniature island with a solitary tombstone in a manner of minutes. Needless to say, his haste was costing him a great deal of energy. The Piranha Plant's weight collapsed the bridge once it reached the center. Sheik began his tired sprint across the next bridge to cliff near where the Lakeside Laboratory had been. The monster moved even more quickly through the water and extended its tendrils onto the bridge and began to pull at it. Some of the lesser heads began to spit fireballs, setting the bridge on fire. The stress was too great and the bridge soon snapped in half, with Peach holding onto Sheik, who held onto one of the ropes, dangling above the beast below. It had been purposely staying low, at Saria's request, to simply muddle with their fear.
"Is this how you want Link to remember you, Saria?" Sheik yelled angrily.
"I won't leave anybody behind to tell him," she replied, staring up at him. She reached into her hair and held a single leaf between her fingers. With a flick of the wrist, she sent the leaf flying above them, slicing the rope that held them above the plant's drooling maw. Unexpectedly, Sheik and Peach were whisked away by a flash of brown, leaving behind feathers.
"We'll see about that," the owl hooted, already in the distance with Sheik and Peach in his talons.
"You wouldn't dare!" Saria shouted. The Piranha Plant rose back up to its full height, pulled itself over the cliff and followed the owl through the miniature canyon back to Hyrule Field. It extended its vines to their limits, attempting to smack the owl out of the air or chomp on it with one of its lesser heads. The owl dodged expertly, diving until it was inches above the slowly receding floodwaters of Hyrule Field. Sheik was amazed by the pure speed of the owl. He noticed that they were heading north, while staying close to the eastern ridge.
Things became more difficult when the heads began spitting fireballs. The owl was quick enough to avoid them, but the large splashes in the water disrupted his flying. He flapped harder to gain altitude, but had to duck back down when the main head belched a jet of flame.
"I could use some assistance," Kaepora said, as they neared the river in the northeast, not far from Kakariko Village.
"Zelda, if you wouldn't mind," Sheik pleaded. "Please, for Peach's sake." Peach was alert, yet she still looked ill and was coughing to a worrisome degree. He transformed into Zelda, who readied a fire arrow and shot it at the main head. The head burst into flames, yet remained unharmed, continuing its chase. She shot once again, only spreading the fire on the creature. Its flames grew and it spat fire from all heads.
"Not good!" the owl hooted, barely dodging the flames.
The Shadow Barrier was visible now. Saria was beginning to get nervous about the prospect of them reaching Kakariko Village and telling Link about what she had been doing. She had a particularly small sprout rise up to her. She poured a handful of Deku Seeds into its mouth and directed it to fire at the owl.
Kaepora was so busy with dodging fireballs he did not notice the small, but fast-flying projectiles until they struck him from behind. The pure shock caused him to drop Zelda and Peach. They hit the ground hard. Kaepora attempted to dive down to save them, but was snatched out of the air by a vine and devoured by one of the heads in a single gulp.
"Kaepora!" Zelda shrieked. She charged her Shining Ray and fired directly at the main head. One of the vines accidentally swept in the way and was blown to pieces, but quickly grew back. Zelda tried once again, only drawing fire from the mouths. Her blasts were not doing enough damage.
"Peach, I…" she stammered, putting up her shield to block the constant barrage and jets of flame. "I don't know if there's anything we can do any longer. I'm sorry… I wasn't able to keep my promise…"
Peach coughed and slowly stood up before the monster. "What did I tell you…about giving up?"
"But there's nothing I can…" Zelda stopped when she saw Peach materialize a small cherry bomb in her palm. "If my Shining Ray can't do it, what makes you think something that small will work?"
"Stand back…Zelda," Peach said, still coughing.
"You can't be seri…"
"I said stand back!" Peach said sternly, as the bomb became lit and a pink glow surrounded her. Zelda humbly did as told.
"You must be joking," Saria almost laughed.
"Psych Bomb!" Peach yelled harshly, pitching the puny explosive at a high arc. As it fell, her hair flared and she held her arms forward, screaming. The bomb seemed to have multiple after-images as it dropped into the middle of the Piranha Plant. The small, red explosion quickly grew to mammoth proportions, completely engulfing the entirety of the creature. A huge cloud of pink, peach-scented smog remained in its place.
"Peach…" Zelda gasped. "You…How did you…When did you…ugh…" She was dumbstruck by the sheer power Peach had concealed this whole time.
"I hate that attack," Peach whispered, falling to her knees. When the smoke cleared, all that remained were a few blackened husks of thorny vines. A charred arm draped over one of the vines and Saria painfully picked herself up. "It causes too much destruction." Peach then glowed pink briefly and a balloon popped, sending sparkles harmlessly into Saria. The Kokiri girl outstretched her arm and was shocked to see nothing happen.
"What's wrong?" she said, looking at her hands. "I can't hear the forest! What did you do!"
"Please, just give up," Peach said tiredly, attempting to resist coughing. "There's been enough suffering already."
"You'll never see Link again!" Saria screamed, running straight for them. Before she could get off a single punch, Peach smacked her down. The sound of it echoed throughout the field. She then picked up Saria and restrained her. Saria thrashed about, kicking and screaming.
"Saria, you're confused," Zelda said. "I didn't do anything to you before you attacked us in the Forest Temple. Can't you see something has been tricking you all? Your nightmares were an illusion to turn you against me. Which is the greater nightmare, Saria? Believing everything you thought you saw? Or Link finding out what you've done?" Saria paused, scowling into Zelda's eyes. She elbowed Peach in the stomach and swung around behind her, biting deep into her neck and shoulder with surprisingly sharp, carnivorous teeth.
"Aaah!" Peach yelped, as Saria shook her in her jaws, quickly drawing blood. She released Peach and pushed her away.
"No! No!" Zelda screamed as her eyes turned red at the sight of blood pouring out of Peach's neck as she lay on the ground, going unconscious. "Why Saria!"
"You have the nerve to threaten me!" Saria snarled in an inhuman voice, as she rose upon vines that surged out of the ground. "You dare to belittle my torment! You conceited, wretched Hylian! I will show you…the GREATEST nightmare!" Spikes grew along all parts of the vines. Saria herself turned a pale green and small thorns grew along her limbs. Her arms and legs grew like branches and she hardened like wood. Her fingers grew into claws and her hair grew into vines.
"Please, don't! Sheik, Saria…No!" Zelda cried as she struggled not to transform. Sheik overrode her and he took her place. He used the Hookshot to quickly get halfway up the tangle of vines. With quiet rage, he ran up the vines, effortlessly avoiding the thorns. When vines whipped at him, he jumped from vine to vine, using his dagger to keep up his speed.
"Suffer!" Saria growled, spewing out a poisonous mist of pollen. Sheik ran moved through it relatively unaffected because of his veil. He threw his needles in her face to distract her and moved up the length of the vine patch, digging his dagger into her trunk-like legs. She attempted to whip him away, but he simply kick-jumped from branch to vine and back, still climbing in the process. Her hair reached out to smother him, but he disappeared in a puff of smoke. He reappeared just above her and jammed his dagger into her body, dragging her downward as he fell. Her branches snapped and she fell like a tree, while he hopped to safety and tossed most of the last of his Deku Nuts at her simultaneously. They were enough to set her on fire.
"Damn you!" she screamed, swiping at him with her vine hair, while her limbs grew back quickly. He disappeared, using his last Deku Nut. He reappeared behind her, with the Megaton Hammer in hand, and bashed her over the head with it. Though she was totally knocked out, and bleeding green blood severely, she was still in flames and her warped body returned to her regular, though adult form. By any other standards, a person in flames and not moving would be considered dead. To Zelda's horror, he took out his sword and chopped her head off with one fell sweep. He lodged poison needles into her, which only fueled the fire.
"Aaaah!" he cried in pain, grabbing his head. Sparkles flew around him, as he shifted back and forth between Sheik and Zelda. Even their voices began to meld as Zelda screamed, "Get out of my body! Get out of my head! I hate you! I should have never let you in!" Then, Zelda fell to her knees, fully in control, as she panted before the massacre that was Saria's remains. She looked to Peach, and panicked. She ripped off nearly half of her own dress and frantically attempted to wrap Peach's wound. She calmed down a little once the bleeding stopped, but saw that Peach was dangerously pale. At least she was breathing and had a good pulse. Zelda looked around and saw that Lon Lon Ranch was half a day's run away. She would have to rely on the close proximity of Kakariko, an hour or two away by walking and still shrouded in shadow, if she hoped to save Peach's life.