The Legend of Zelda: Bridge Between the Worlds (Temporary Title)
Co-authored by Umi Kanshisha and Sargent Snarky
Summary: Link returns to Hyrule only to have everything go wrong. And Hyrule is not all that's in danger. Tatl and Tael return, bringing warning of the impending doom of Termina, and the return of Majora… Not to mention the return of Ganondorf. With the aid of an interesting assortment of companions (including -three- fairies) Link must embark upon yet another quest waged across the two parallel domains to save both. Lucky him…
Disclaimer: Neither one of us owns the Legend of Zelda franchise. All right? We wish we did, but that doesn't count.
Umi: Although, I do own it in my dreams. When I'm sleeping, the magnificent Legend of Zelda series, Golden Sun series, and a number of other anime's belong to me. And then I wake up, and I don't own it anymore…
Disclaimer take 2: We've borrowed some ideas from the magnificent author Rose Zemlya - a.k.a. Lady Rose, mostly concerning the Sheikah, the Gerudo, and details concerning the loverly Hyrule. And possibly brief mentions of some of the characters in her story – but only brief mentions! O.o The only thing plot-wise we've borrowed from her… I shan't mention until we actually get to it. Since mentioning it would be somewhat of a spoiler for later chapters.
Disclaimer the third: Umi wrote the prologues for Draconis, Karin, Tatl & Tael, the Happy Mask Salesman, Tingle, and Anko & Raisuke. Snarky wrote the ones for Zelda, Nila, and Zyr. She would have written one for Link, but was a) lazy, b) thought that the beginning of the first chapter served as enough of a prologue and c) the entire story, pretty much, follows him. What does he need more screen time for?
Ok… So here are the prologues, listed in the following order:
Happy Mask Salesman
Tatl & Tael
Tingle
Zyr
Draconis
Karin
Zelda
Nila
Anko & Raisuke
Zyr
Ok? Ok…
Happy Mask Salesman Prologue
He knew it as soon as it had happened. He didn't know how he knew it, exactly, but he supposed it had something to do with the fact that he had once been possessed by the mask itself.
The Happy Mask Salesman stopped in his tracks, staring at the forest around him. Perhaps he was expecting to see a fairy, or a demon of some sort; whatever he was expecting to find, he wasn't finding it, and it made his unease rise.
Majora's Mask was being worn again. He knew it, he just didn't know where it was.
And even worse yet, he knew that this time – since the seal had been broken so soon after it had been put in place – was going to be much worse than the last.
"It gives the wearer unlimited power to fulfill ones deepest desires at the cost of ones free will…" The Happy Mask Salesman whispered, basically repeating his same words from before. He trembled slightly – either in excitement or fear, he wasn't sure which – and then took off running at a speed one would not have expected from him, considering the fact that he was wearing an overly large sack full of masks on his back.
He knew who he had to find. There was only one person who could stop the curse of Majora. After all, that one person had stopped it before – why not again?
The Happy Mask Salesman was on a quest to locate the Hero of Time…
Tatl and Tael Prologue
"Tael! I'm back!"
A voice that sounded more like a bell ringing called through the forest, belonging to a small, glowing fairy. She was obviously female, though that did not mean she was delicate – or cute. In fact, most described her as "not cute", "mean", or "rude". Not that she cared. Nothing ever affected Tatl.
Short, spiky blonde hair fell like a mop on her head, just barely touching her shoulders and shadowing her pale, yellow eyes. Her skin was as white as moonlight, and her wings were large and clear. The glow that was surrounding her was normally white, but if you ticked her off enough, it would glow golden.
"Hey, sis!"
This voice was deeper and might remind someone of a shadow. It, naturally, belonged to the little brother of Tatl, a small, short fairy. This easy-going fairy had unruly maroon hair, which sometimes fell down to cover his odd eyes; one of them was red, whilst the other was purple. His skin was slightly tanned, and his wings had something of purple sparkles in them.
Though the fairies were siblings – close siblings, in fact – they were as different as night and day.
Though maybe that's why they were so close. Or it could have been the fact that they were both orphans. Whatever it was, they were hardly ever seen apart.
"Hey," Tatl replied, brushing some of her hair away from her eyes. She then noticed their friend – Skullkid – who was sitting in a melancholy fashion upon one of the stumps. "What's up with him?"
"Oh…" Tael turned to look at Skullkid, letting out a sigh. "I'm… Not exactly sure. He's been like that since you went off to baby-sit Anju's son."
Tatl frowned, and then rolled her eyes. "And you didn't bother to ask him about it?"
"No…" Tael replied slowly, looking at the ground and shifting his weight. Groaning, Tatl zipped over. "Sis! Wait!"
"Yo, Skullkid!" Tatl snapped, hitting him on the head a few times. Skullkid slowly looked up at her with dull eyes. "What's up?"
"…I…" Skullkid trailed for a moment before sighing. "I want a name…"
"You already have a name," Tatl sighed. "It's Skullkid, remember? Geez, you're being as thick as Tael."
"Hey!" Tael yelped, wounded.
"It was only a joke," Tatl told him reassuringly.
"I know my name…" Skullkid was speaking so slowly that Tatl was about to tell him to hurry up, though he interrupted her before she could. His reply made both of their stomachs drop considerably, and a sickening dread filled the voids they made.
"It's Majora."
Tingle Prologue
He had never thought he'd be as lonely as he was at that moment. His father had finally disowned him, and his brothers had basically done the exact same thing – no matter how much he tried to convince them that he was right. So, even though he had always been apart from them anyway, thirty-five year old Tingle was feeling as low as he had in his life.
Letting out a sigh, he stared at the confetti in his hand. Tingle hadn't seen a single fairy since Link had been around; add that to the fact of the fight he'd had earlier with his father, and he just didn't feel like his magic words would help him anymore.
A distant conversation suddenly caught his ears. Head snapping up, Tingle's eyes widened as he saw a creature run through the entrance to South Clock Town, and two fairies zip after him; one was red and purple, and the other was white.
Tingle's heart skipped a beat. Surely those fairies wouldn't want to hang around that creature; they would have to go with him! Besides, they were perfect for him; two of them would definitely show his father and brothers that he had been right after all.
Trembling with excitement, Tingle tossed the confetti up into the air. "Tingle, Tingle, Koo-loo Limpah!" He yelled, blowing hard into a small tube in his hand. A balloon blew out behind him, and carried him up into the air. From his spot near the clouds, he could track the fairies… And make them his.
Draconis Prologue
It took his best effort not to scream.
The sword was thrust through his stomach so far that the point of it came out his back, and the one who thrust it was now twisting it; pulling it up through his chest and listening with a sick satisfaction at the squishing noises that were being made.
Blood was spilled onto the ground from the ruined stomach, and was dripping from the sword point. The one holding the sword finally jerked it roughly out, letting the nineteen year old fall backwards onto the grass.
Breathing was hardly an option. Though his rib cage had protected his lungs, the large wound in his stomach – and that rose through his chest – was so painful that his breaths were nothing more than ragged gasps. Basically all of his energy was spent as he reached up and pulled something off from around his neck, tossing it into the night air.
The one with the sword gazed at the object with cold blue-green eyes, and reached his hand out to catch it. As soon as his hand extended, a screech resounded from the air and a red-tailed hawk swooped down, catching it around his neck. With a couple short flaps from his wings, he rose back into the air and out of the murderer's reach.
"That's fine," The murderer whispered softly, "I have no need for such a paltry trinket."
He then walked beside the fallen one, who – shockingly enough – was still taking in those ragged gasps of air. Squatting down, he examined the hole for a moment and then moved his eyes to the boys face – surprised to see defiant – yet foggy – golden eyes staring at him.
"Pity it had to end this way," he said sadly, shaking his head, "I didn't want to have to kill you."
"Heh. If you hadn't wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have." The boy replied, coughing weakly.
"True. But I wasn't intending on killing you at first. I – no, Lord Ganondorf – wanted your skills and your powers. All you had to do was agree to serve him."
"I don't serve anybody… 'Cept for those in my… Country." The boy replied. "And… Your lord… He's evil, I know it… Plus… I don't have any powers… That would have been any… Use…"
"Ah, but see, that's where you're wrong." The murderer whispered softly. "I come from your country – from Westaria."
"You…" The boy looked surprised, but it wasn't easy to tell as his eyes kept fluttering shut.
"Yes," he replied, "I know who you are, and the strength that you have. You could be great, you know. You have the potential to unlock a lot more magick than can be taught at that school that you went to. In fact, your entire family has been known for being able to do that. Why do you think you were accepted into school without any sort of talent test?"
The boy didn't answer at first, but finally managed, "Name one talent…"
"Necromancy," The murderer answered simply. "You could also summon spirits, integrate with them, force possession on others—"
"That's all… Dark and… Forbidden…"
"Yes, because of its power. But don't worry; I'm sure that there are others like you. Your parents would be too old, of course, but if I search long enough, I'm sure I could find someone else."
"No! Leave her…" The boy stopped suddenly, realizing his mistake with wide eyes. The murderer gave a twisted smile.
"Ah, so you admit there's someone else? After I return Lord Ganondorf to this world, I will have to find her. Now, I shall leave you to die—" The murderer rose to his feet, his aquamarine eyes falling on the boys' weapon.
"Beautiful sword…" He muttered to himself, eyes moving over the dragon. "And it fits me perfectly… Since you won't be needing it, I think I'll take it."
Bending down to scoop it up, the murderer jerked backwards with a shout as the hawk once again swooped down – this time racking the murderer's cheek with his talons. Completing a fast swoop, and muttering something to the boy, the hawk dove down and grabbed the sword hilt in his talon's, flapping as hard as he could to get airborne again.
"That's just as well. I have a feeling I'll be meeting up with that blade again soon," The murderer spat, wiping some of the blood off of his gray armor. "And as for that remaining relative of his, I have a feeling I'll meet her soon as well…"
Karin Prologue
A soft sigh escaped the lips of a seventeen year old girl who sat perched on the roof of a ruined building. The buildings were all in ruin around her, and a few corpses littered the streets. As it was, the only building that wasn't in ruin was a large, pearly white building off in the distance – her school.
The school was protected. It always had been. Everyone loved it, and was willing to defend it.
But Westaria was slowly falling apart. With The Sickness – as it was called – killing off the people, the intruders from Lintrien – a neighboring country – were slowly destroying the country.
And such was the result of this town. In a few weeks time, the Lintrienian forces had destroyed buildings, killed people, and stolen money and goods. After all, a destroyed town didn't need it anymore.
The girl sighed, swiping a black and purple strand of hair away from her golden eyes. She hadn't been in the town when it had happened; she had been at the funeral that she and her father held for her mother, who had died because of The Sickness. The funeral had been short, but the downpour that had begun during the ceremony had prevented them from getting back to town in enough time to help defend it. As such, it had fallen quickly.
Hugging her knees, she tried to distract her thoughts away from the one family member who was still around with her – her father. Though he was steadily denying it, he had The Sickness too. And even though he was strong, he would probably live a month at the most. Worse still, she knew deep in her heart that no one would find a cure in that amount of time.
"Tobias… Where are you?" She asked softly, her eyes flicking up to the sky. Her older brother – Tobias – had left the country months ago to go and search for the cure. A prodigy since he was five years old, Tobias was one of the strongest warriors they had. And even though everyone had wanted him to stay – to help with the war— The Sickness was just too big of an illness to ignore. They believed that if anyone could find it, it was Tobias. And so, her brother had left.
She had endured a bad feeling since the day he had left – the feeling that he would not return. And though she tried her best to ignore it, it was there – just like a nagging stomachache. She idolized her older brother, and the fact that he wasn't going to come home was just too hard for her to bear.
But he had left two months ago. Even so, for one of those months he had written letters constantly. Then he had just stopped replying.
Suddenly, her eyes caught on a shape that was flying towards her at seemingly a quick speed. Standing up, she narrowed her eyes and finally realized what it was; a bird carrying what seemed like a sword.
"Atreyu…?" She asked quietly, and her eyes widened as he dropped the sword right over her. "Atreyu!" She cried joyously, almost dancing around in her triumph. "You're back! You're finally…" She looked to the ground, her eyes scanning out, but not seeing anything more than the destroyed country. What she was supposed to be seeing was her brother.
"Tobias? Tobias, where are you?" She called, her overjoyed heart suddenly feeling with dread. "Tobias?"
"He… Isn't here, Karin." The red-tailed hawk swooped down and landed on a tree next to her, his intense eyes staring at her.
"Then where is he?" Karin asked, clutching the sword to her chest.
"He's… Not coming back. Ever."
"No…" Karin snapped her eyes tightly, shaking her head slowly. "No… That can't be…"
"He was approached by another in the dead of night in the land called Termina—" Atreyu went on, deaf to Karin's protests. "—and given an offer. He refused, naturally, and the one who gave him the offer killed him."
"No, no, no…" Karin went on, tears now slipping down her face as she fell to her knees. "No, you're lying, it can't be true… You're lying!"
"Why would I lie?" He snapped, "And why – other than to deliver another letter – would I be here? The flight from Termina to here took me an entire month, Karin. He's—"
"NO!" Karin shouted, pounding one of her fists upon the roof. "SHUT UP – YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE LYING JUST BECAUSE… BECAUSE…"
"Because what!" He demanded harshly. She raised her teary, golden eyes to lock with his and spat,
"Just because you hate me, and you want to torment me."
"Yes, I don't like you. You're perfectly correct there," He retorted, ruffling his feathers. "I think you're an immature, petty, headstrong, impudent little brat who could never match up to the great man her brother was. You're nothing but a child, and for that I do hate you. But I could never – and would never – use your brother's name to torment you. So for that, you are wrong. He was murdered, Karin. I know that is hard to accept, but he was murdered."
Karin let a few more tears drop before bursting out into shaking sobs. Atreyu didn't do anything – just let her cry it out – but after she seemed to be done he bent and shook his head, letting something of a small totem fall from around it.
"Put that on. He didn't exactly say it, but I know that he would have wanted me to protect you."
"I'll have my own Guardian, thanks," Karin retorted, turning away.
"No, you won't. You're dropping out."
"Excuse me?" She retorted, anger in her voice. "I'm not as stupid as you seem to think, Atreyu. I can graduate."
"You could, yes," He shot back, "but I would think that, after knowing that your brother found out what the antidote was, you'd want to go find it."
"He what?" Karin asked in a hushed voice. "What is it?"
"It's called the Philosophers Potion. He didn't know where it was, but he did know that it would cure The Sickness."
Karin stared at the totem for a minute before slipping it around her neck, and then reached for the sword that Atreyu had dropped previously. The hilt of the sword was a deep red, and the silver blade – still holding a comforting sparkle – was engraved the full length by a dragon.
"This was his treasure… The Dragon Blade…" She whispered. Atreyu nodded.
"Yes. His murderer was going to take it, but I knew that he would have wanted you to have it. Little brat or not, you always were his best friend." Karin gave a weak chuckle. "So I took it before the slime that killed him could take it."
"Thank you…" She whispered, and stood up. "I'll have to leave a note for my father – he'll stop me before I can go if I tell him about Tobias – and then we can go…"
And so – an hour later – Karin was at the gates of town with her brother's sword on her back and his Guardian Hawk in the sky. She was merely on foot (all the horses had been killed for food), but something about her seemed surer than it should have been.
"All clear, Atreyu?" She called up. "There aren't any Lintrien warriors out there, are there?"
"No," he called back, "all clear."
Nodding slightly, Karin curled her hands into fists and left the borders of her country.
Zelda's Prologue
She awoke with a violent start, sitting bolt upright, her breath coming in rapid gasps. It was a full five minutes, though, before the Princess Zelda collected her wits enough to realize she was no longer dreaming. Her pulse and ragged breathing returned to normal, albeit slowly. However, the fear did not leave her eyes, at least not entirely. No, the crystaline blue depths were yet suffused with a terror.
This fear, though, was not of something physical, something definate. Instead, it was a vague, unnameable dread of things unknown yet to come; this indefinaility made it all the more portent, all the more terrible. In a way, Zelda wished that whatever was going to happen would just go ahead and get itself the hell overwith, because then, at least, she'd know exactly what it was she feared, and thus she'd be able to do something about it. And yet, whatever it was certainly would be bad. Very bad. She loved Hyrule too much to ever wish anything bad upon it, least of all the... whatever it was that was coming.
Now that she reflected upon the darkness so prevellent in her dreams, it occurred to her that it had a familiar flavor, or at least part of it did. Ganondorf. The Gerudo King, bearer of the Triforce of Power, King of Darkness, now trapped within the void between the Sacred Realm and the physical realm of Hyrule. Or at least that was where he was supposed to be. In truth, he'd found some way to circumvent the seals and re-enter the Sacred Realm, or wander to other planes of existance. Zelda knew as much; as one of the seven Sages, she had to know things like that. But this... this was different.
Mingled with the 'flavor' of Ganondorf, another presense made itself felt strongly. But, it was unfamiliar. It was wild, almost... tribal, in a weird sort of way. It was not of or from Hyrule or the Sacred Realm, but where it was from, she didn't know. Still, according to her dreams, it seemed to know Hyrule; it threatened it, at any rate. And it also seemed to know Link. Or, at least it knew that Link was the one to whom it ought to direct its most potent fury.
The princess rose from her bed, slipping on a silken robe over her thin night gown Pulling it tightly around her to ward of the nighttime chill, she moved over to the window/door to her balcony and opened it. Shivering slightly in the damp, dew-laden air, she stared across Castle Town beyond the castle grounds. She strained her eyes to see beyond the sleeping city, as if by sheer will she could push aside the low mist coating the Hylian Fields and see all of Hyrule. That was, of course, impossible, but she tried nonetheless. After a time in which the veils of distance did not pull themselves aside, Zelda turned her eyes to things closer.
For a long time her cerulean eyes fixed upon the Temple of Time, a strange combination of emotions swirling within. Foremost was her anxiety for Hyrule, but also there was an anxeity for Link... the Hero of Time. He had left four years ago in search of Navi, or so he had said, though Zelda knew there were other reasons besides. However, those reasons were his own, private ones. Well, ok... so his boredom and thirst for adventure were not terribly private, but there were reasons he wouldn't tell to her. Tch. Not like he ever did tell much to her.
Granted, the two were friends, and she liked him very much. As a friend of course. Her blushing would have been fierce, and her denials quite adament if one suggested anything more. Anyway, even after some time, there was still a... gap between them. Something that would eventually need confronting, but neither wanted to do so. She had indeed used Link... It was indeed mostly her fault that he'd endured so much in his short life. And, while he'd mostly forgiven her... he hadn't completely forgiven her. Hell, she couldn't even completely forgive herself for her foolish meddlings... Her naive efforts... Yet, for all her wisdom and knowledge, without Link's determination and sheer inability to give up that they'd ever managed to 'pull it off.'
Now that she thought about him, she decided she missed him. Missed him a lot, actually. When would he return...? She hoped it was soon... before... before the darkness came... Because, without him... it would be hopeless.
A few minutes later, the Princess Zelda was no longer in her room, nor even upon her balcony. No, she had assumed the guise of Sheik and now perched upon the roof, watching the darkness slowly fade, stars giving way to the sun's rise. It wasn't like she was going to get anymore sleep that night anyway...
Prologue of Nila
It was much easier now, than it had been, for Ausranila to teleport to that portion of the Sacred Realm that was still clean and pure, protected by Rauru. Nila, as she was most often called, had certainly improved in her skills, especially under the tutelage of Rauru, the Sage of the Light. He wasn't Sheikah, but he knew more about magic than any of the Sheikah themselves. Few mages existed among the people of the shadows anymore, and those who did – such as Nila and her mother – were few and far enough between that much of the knowledge they once had was lost. Certainly many had the capabilities for a little magic, maybe a spell or two, but only Nila and her Mother remained of those who were true wizards.
Nila was fifteen, soon to be sixteen, though she looked older, in part due to her lengthy silver hair, and in part due to an early development, causing her to be on the curvy side of the spectrum. Silver hair wasn't uncommon among the Sheikah, but Nila's golden eyes were. They were the oddest things, for the iris's were metallic, shining like real gold in the right light. However, the most interesting thing was the contrast they made with her silver hair.
But in the Sacred Realm, Rauru cared nothing for how his pupil looked. No, he cared more for her alertness, quick learning, and innate skills with magic, especially Light magic. It was uncanny how well she learned Light magic, be it lightening bolts or a simple werelight. Sometimes, it made him wonder. Could it be that his time as a Sage was drawing to its close? He hoped not… and yet… to finally rest… that would be nice.
He stood in his usual place as Nila materialized in the center of the platform. "Greetings, child," he said as she bowed, as was proper of a student to a master.
"Good morning, Rauru," she replied, smiling. "What are you teaching today?"
"Something a bit different from anything else I've taught you," he said.
"Oh? What!" she asked, voice eager with anticipation.
However, there was never an answer. Both of them felt a sudden twinge, and Nila knew, somehow, that the Master Sword had been drawn. Rauru froze suddenly, expression shifting to one of anger and disbelief. His eyes moved behind her to a dark shape looming at the edge of the platform.
"You!" he hissed, his kindly voice shifting to a hard, cold one Nila had never heard before. It frightened her, and she could feel Rauru's sheer power. "You are not allowed here! I command you, Ganondorf, to leave!"
A deep, cruel voice laughed, and the chuckle made Nila's skin crawl. "Make me," he hissed. "The seals are weakened, and you are fading. You have not your full power any more. I can tell… The girl… Why don't you tell me who she is, old friend? It's only manners to introduce us…"
"I said LEAVE!"
Nila was nearly forced to leave herself under the force of the command. However, Ganondorf did not move. Instead, he stepped forward, onto to the platform! Into her mind, Nila felt a tendril of thought from Rauru, bidding her leave. She replied that she would not. She would help him. Therefore, she concentrated, trying to add her power to Rauru's. As she concentrated, she could feel his power, too, vying with the pure darkness of Ganondorf, not to mention the Triforce of Power.
Ganondorf just laughed. Suddenly, he was right in front of Nila. She drew her scimitars, ready to attack, meeting his glimmering yellow eyes and glaring. Ganondorf studied her, then shock found its way onto his face amidst the arrogance.
"You," he breathed. "But… she… died… by Maeori."
"Get away from her!" snapped Rauru, stepping forward, moving next to Nila, while pulling her back.
Ganondorf snapped back to himself immediately and laughed. "Well, now… Isn't this just perfect? Ah… the irony of it all. Rauru, your time has ended!"
Suddenly, the darkness pressing all around grew stronger. Then, even as Rauru concentrated on pushing it back, Ganondorf dove forward, hands lengthening into claws and his form shifting to the truth of Ganon. Nila cried out in horror even as the creature stabbed his claws into Rauru, and through Rauru, slashing and coming out several times, leaving a mangled, disfigured and completely unrecognizable mess. The Sage's blood spilled across the platform.
Nila felt incredibly sick, and her knees gave way beneath her. Suddenly, amidst the carnage, a golden medallion gleamed, floated upward and flashed brilliantly. Ganon shrieked in pain, hissing curses as the light pounded at him, temporarily blinding him. However, the medallion also shattered, landing in several pieces in Nila's lap. She stared it for a long moment, before gathering the fragments and tucking them away. The medallion had come to her… She… she was the next Sage of Light. Somehow… that didn't surprise her.
Shakily, she got to her feet, turning to Ganon. She sheathed her blades, suddenly knowing, somehow, what to do. She held her hand palm outward and closed her eyes. Feeling for the Triforce of Power, she concentrated on it, bidding it to heed her command. It did, albeit grudgingly, and Ganon let out a cry of disbelief as his own power, his own piece of Triforce forced him away, though it remained with him.
Nila opened her eyes again, just in time to see the darkness vanish before a different darkness took her, and she collapsed, falling from the Sacred Realm back to Hyrule, to the platform at the entrance to the Shadow Temple where Impa waited, catching the girl as she appeared and taking her back to the Sheikah caverns. Despite her unconscious state, however, Nila heard the Triforce of Power begging to be rid of Ganondorf, begging to be freed that it might find a more deserving wielder, or reunite with it's siblings in stability within the Sacred Realm. And somehow, Nila suddenly knew she had to do it. The question was, then, could she and how…
Raisuke and Anko Prologue
Large, puffy white clouds like marshmallows blew across the bright blue sky, giving Hyrule Field a peaceful, calming look. Not many people were out, but those who were certainly enjoyed the beautiful weather.
Well, almost everyone. Running for his life out of Kakariko was a fifteen year old Sheikah boy. He had no idea what had possessed him to go into Kakariko, but he certainly wasn't going to be trying it any time soon.
Narrowing his orange eyes, the boy pulled a kunai from his pouch and spun on his heel, facing the man who stood before him. The forty year old Sheikah was glaring at the boy, and spat,
"Raisuke, you stray, stay out of our village!"
"I wasn't even anywhere near the graveyard! Can't I even just have fun at the archery shop?" Raisuke demanded with irritation and sorrow in his tone.
"No! You're exiled; stay away from us!"
"I wasn't near you!" Raisuke repeated, anger now rising in his eyes. "I was just minding my own—"
"Then mind it somewhere else! You're not allowed anywhere near Kakariko or the Sheikah Tunnels!" With that, the Sheikah raised the Deku Nut and slammed it to the ground – disappearing from view.
Heaving a sigh, Raisuke put his kunai away and turned around, stalking off into the field. True, he had wanted to see some of his family, or maybe one of his few friends that he had managed to gain during his life, but he wasn't about to go anywhere near the graveyard. He had just wanted to spend some time in the Archery shop, but apparently the man who worked there informed the Sheikah in the graveyard immediately. They just couldn't stand to have him anywhere near them.
Looking up, Raisuke realized that he was heading towards Lon Lon Ranch again. This normally wasn't a problem; Malon was his friend, and always helped him out if he needed food or a place to stay and rest. But Malon wasn't there; she was busy delivering milk for the castle while her father was sick. And Ingo – the slimy (in Raisuke's opinion), uptight man who worked for the Ranch – didn't like him, and therefore wouldn't let him in when Malon wasn't there.
Instead, Raisuke turned to look at Castle Town. There was another place where he wasn't always welcomed. True, the Sheikah couldn't kick him out of there, but whenever he ran into a Sheikah that was stationed there he'd receive a look of utmost contempt – or just be ignored. At least, that's how he felt. As such, he tried to stay as far away from Castle Town as he possibly could.
With a sigh, he drew a Deku Nut from his pouch. He supposed he could go visit Lake Hylia; the Zoras didn't have a problem with him, and he didn't feel like visiting the Gorons. And he knew that the day the Gerudo accepted him – an exiled Sheikah or not – would be when Hell froze over.
Raising the Deku Nut – his thoughts switching from place to place rapidly – Raisuke threw it to the ground.
The first thing Raisuke did when he landed was start coughing and sputtering. He fell to his knees, choking on the grainy substance that was clogging his throat. His hands clasped on the ground in front of him, but didn't close on anything but sand.
Panicking now, Raisuke moved his arm to shield his mouth and looked around, realizing with a sickening feeling where he was. The swirling sandstorm and the vast desert plan could only mean one thing: The Haunted Wasteland.
I knew it was a bad idea to use that when my thoughts were messed up… Raisuke thought to himself, and stiffened when he heard female voices:
"How many times have you been told not to go out there, Anko? You're not allowed at the Spirit Temple – quit trying!"
"Nabooru's not the only one that goes out there," Another younger, sullen voice replied. "Some of the other Whites go out there sometimes."
"Yes, but you're not a White. You're a Red. There's a difference. You're in for a bad punishment this time – and next time, you might even get demoted!"
"Even if I get demoted, I'll keep trying."
"And they'll end up locking you up, Anko! The Spirit Temple is off—"
Raisuke's insides became ice as the three Gerudo stopped dead in front of him. Two of them were in Green outfits, and were firmly holding on to one in Red. All three of them looked about as stunned as he was for a half a second; they then pulled their scimitars and started towards him.
Thinking as fast as he could, Raisuke pulled a Deku Nut from his pouch and cracked it. All three of them were blinded for a second, and Raisuke took this as his chance. Pulling a kunai, he grabbed the Red and spun her around, holding her to him and placing his weapon at her throat.
"Don't move," he warned the Greens, who – now that their sight had returned – were glaring burning daggers at him. "If you do, I'll kill her."
The Red – Anko – was frozen. Her scimitar was in her hand, but she wasn't moving; instead, she was merely stiff as he pressed his weapon to her throat. She could see that her sisters were enraged with her; and she didn't blame them. Finally, one of them turned to the other.
"Anko isn't moving; she's just about as worthless as she is a trouble maker. We should kill them both."
"We can't just kill our sister, but we can incapacitate her," the other replied, and the first one nodded. Anko paled; knowing how much trouble she was going to be in when she got back to the fortress. Not only that, but she had frozen up because of a Sheikah; a male Sheikah at that! The shame was unbearable…
"Sorry, but I can't let them hurt you too," Raisuke whispered in her ear. Had she been able to, Anko would have turned around to stare at him incredulously. Drawing yet another Deku Nut, Raisuke cracked it once more.
The pair found themselves at the entrance to Gerudo Valley. Raisuke was about to start blessing the release from sand when Anko tackled him, snarling.
"You bastard! What have you done! You just had to enter our desert, didn't you! What were you there for! Why did you take me out! Now I probably won't ever be able to go back in without the question of treason and possible death!"
"Woah, woah, chill!" Raisuke grabbed her wrists to prevent her continual assault, and then stared directly into her purple eyes.
"First, I just saved your life – or maybe just you from getting wounds. Second, it was an accident. Same goes for your third question. My first answer also matches with your fourth question, and as for the fifth, I'm sorry, but those two seemed bitchy anyway."
Anko pulled one of her hands free and punched Raisuke in the mouth, almost knocking one of his teeth out. "You jerk," she sniffed, "I'll never forgive you for this."
"'Oh thank you, Raisuke, for getting me out of there before they could kill me for freezing up,'" He mocked in a high pitched voice, earning him yet another punch to the chest. "Look, could you at least get off? I really don't want to lay on the ground all day."
Anko reluctantly climbed off, and stared at the desert with sullen eyes. "Now I won't ever get to go back…" She whispered, and then shot Raisuke a glare. "And it's all your fault."
"Listen, I feel bad about getting you exiled from your home. If it makes you feel any better, I'm exiled too." She glared at him, so he went on. "Okay, I guess it doesn't. But I've been living here – anywhere really, I'm sorta homeless – for two years now, and you can live with me until you get the hang off—"
"I'll be fine on my own, thanks," Anko spat coldly. Raisuke shrugged.
"Alright, suit yourself." Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he turned and started to walk off.
"…Wait!" Anko ran after him, crossing her arms. "I am coming with you. Since you kidnapped me, I'm your responsibility, and therefore you are my slave."
"What?" His eyebrows raised as she nodded and shoved him forward.
"You said your name was Raisuke? Good, I'm Anko. You have to do everything I say now at risk of me killing you."
"And if I fight back and you seize up again?"
"Don't think you'll get that lucky," She snarled. "Now, show me around Hyrule."
Convinced that she was just joking – assuming that Gerudo could make jokes – Raisuke nodded and started leading her towards Castle Town. Of course, any trip consisting of just a Gerudo and a Sheikah was sure to be a long one…
Zyr's Prologue
Something was wrong. However, the dawn broke over Ikana Canyon without much ado, as usual. And, as usual, a figure.. a living figure sat upon a precipice facing east, watching the sun climb up over the horizon. I mentioned that he was living, for few within Ikana were indeed living. No, most of Ikana's inhabitants were dead and had been for some time. But this solitary young man - he looked no more than 18 years old - was in actuality, living. However, judging from the color of his skin, one might not think so.
The young man was quite pallid in complexion, though this might come as somewhat of a surprise, considering his dwelling place was somewhat of a desert. However, if one also considered that his attire normally consisted of concealing robes, complete with a hood, and that his 'class', as it were, was that of a ninja, then perhaps the pallor of his skin would not be so shocking. Still, it was pale.
However, one must not think that the pale skin was the oddest thing about this youth. No, that distinction was reserved for his eyes. They were solid green. No, not merely the irises - for he had none to speak of - but the entire eye. Neither white nor black, but merely green. A shifting, bright green that glowed, mind you. Yes, it glowed. Not enough to read a book by, or anything, but they gave off a perceivable light, nonetheless. Kind of eerie, actually...
Anyway, his fine-boned face held a speculative look as he contemplated what precisely was wrong; he chewed through fully upon his thin lips. He absently brushed a loose tendril of his long (very long) black hair out of his eyes. Most of his hair was pulled into a pony-tail, secured with a strip of cloth, but various locks framed his face, some even serving as bangs to brush across his forehead. Friends of his had mentioned that, with his hair down, and with his robes, he did look somewhat like a girl, but he heartily disagreed. His build was all wrong, for one thing. True, he was skinny and not particularly tall, but he wasn't curvy or anything.
Back to the subject at hand, he sat, legs dangling over a cliff that faced east, watching the sunrise and thinking.
"Zyr?" came a soft questioning call.
"Yes, Teia.?" he replied, not bothering to look at who spoke. Zyr knew her well; she was among the dead Garo, the dead guardians who remained, watching over him (the last of the Garo) and watching over Ikana.
"... The elder ones asked me to call you... We all need to speak with you... About... about what's coming... Something dreadful is coming, and..." She broke off as Zyr stood.
"Very well... Tell them I'll be there shortly."
"Zyr... Are you all right? You don't seem yourself."
"No... I'm fine. I think I'm just distracted by whatever it is that's coming. Even then Gibdo feel it, though they can't put a name on it. But I can."
"You can?"
"It's Majora."
"It can't be! That boy... Link! He defeated Majora!"
"But he didn't destroy it. And he only defeated the incarnations of the mask. He never fought the creature, the foul spirit that is Majora. He didn't face that demon fiend that destroyed our people. Or at least he didn't face it in its full power."
"True... But how are you so certain?"
"I can feel it... And I don't think we'll be even remotely able to stop it on our own. I..."
"...What?"
"Teia... I'll have to leave. I'll have to travel to... Hyrule. Yes.. that's where he was from, isn't it? I don't know why, but.. I sense something from there... Something dark. Something that calls to Majora.."
"... I see... Come... Let us go to the full circle."
"Yes... There is much to do... too much to do.. and..! What was that!"
The wraith that was Teia shrieked and clutched at her head. "Nooo!" she moaned.
Zyr gritted his teeth and staggered against a boulder for support as a wave of something dark and evil washed over the canyon. "The Stone Tower!" he cried out in horror. "He's sealing the damn tower!"
After a time, the sickening presence left, but its taint remained... Not terribly long after, but one of many journeys began... a journey to Hyrule.
And that's that...
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