AN: So much for trying to get this out earlier XD. The last week of school is always a rush with carol services and things. But it's the holidays!! :D Whoop! Bring on Christmas Here's my present to all of you (A lousy one if you ask me XD but it's the thought that counts right?)Enjoy.
Chapter 6:
Impa knelt at the altar, the great door of the Temple of Time looming in front of her. Beyond it slept the Master Sword, where the entrance to the Sacred Realm lay. No longer were the three Sacred Stones displayed atop the pedestal, shining through the unholy darkness, and the chill in the air was unsettling, even to a seasoned Sheikah warrior such as herself. It wasn't often when such petty occurrences bothered Impa, but it soon became something that she couldn't ignore. With her hands clasped together, a quiet prayer was uttered from her lips.
"Great Sage Rauru, lend me your guidance in these dark times. The Hero has fallen in battle, and I fear that worse may still come. Please, tell me what I should do."
The stagnant air began to move. Impa's eyes opened slowly as a burst of light shot through the gloom of the Temple. She smiled as she rose, and the light settled into an ethereal glow around the stout, elderly man that had appeared before her.
"I too have sensed a great disturbance, Impa," said Rauru. "As to what is causing it, I have not yet deciphered. But fear not about the Hero, for there shall come a time when he will return to us. There is no need to fret about that."
"I have seen his shadow wandering the castle like a ghost."
"Yes, long does his spirit remain in Hyrule, restless and tired. His nature is to fight, and fight he does against the confinement of death. Do you not wonder why such a soul always finds its way into the heart of another? It is his instinct to live and to protect. If he ever loses such will, the Hero will cease to exist, and Hyrule shall surely fall into the hands of evil."
"So what I saw wasn't just a figment of my imagination," Impa said to herself. "But why can I see him, while the Princess could not? Surely her own connection with him is far stronger than any other person in the land?"
"Dear Impa, you forget who you are," he said gently. "You are a sage, one chosen to lend their power to the heavens. Your connection with the other world is far greater. Strength is not important. The Princess Zelda may also be a sage, but her power lies in the physical world. Her bond is with the empirical. Yours, on the other hand, lies in the Sacred Realm, the spirit world. Is not the image you see a ghost?"
Impa nodded, and Rauru cleared his throat. "Do you understand the task I gave you before?" he continued.
"No, I must confess I did not. But now," she said confidently, "I think I understand you now."
"I am glad, Impa. Now, I must return."
"Thank you, High Sage," Impa said, and with that, the glowing man disappeared.
The darkness returned, and Impa looked toward the great door once more. Before she hadn't understood why Rauru had told her to move the body of Link to the Temple of Time, but now she had some small inclination as to what the Hero's fate was. The memory of such treachery was still deeply set within her, and never had she had to resort to such disgraceful behaviour. She had never suspected that her Sheikah arts would have to be used to steal the Sacred Jewels and the Ocarina of Time from the Royal Vault, disturb the coffin of Zelda's beloved, remove the body, and then drag him silently to the Temple, all in the middle of the night.
She had used the stones and the Ocarina to open the Door of Time, and just as Rauru had previously instructed her, she laid the limp man on the pedestal next to the Master Sword. It had surprised her that Link had still looked as young and healthy as he had done while he was alive. And as she had looked back at him, if she hadn't known that she had just carried a dead man from his grave, she would have said that Link was sound asleep, dreaming, like any other. Even with his soiled clothes, and cold skin, there had been that soft look on his face.
The Princess was none the wiser about her little escapade, and even though he wasn't there, everyday after the funeral she went to tend to the dying flowers in the courtyard, talking to herself as if he were there. Impa would often watch her from behind a drawn curtain in a window, watching her try to smile as she spoke, and also the tears that eventually caught up with her. She would watch her dash from the empty graveyard, and she would walk toward the garden doors, catching the princess in a much-needed embrace.
It had been a long time since such events had occurred. Zelda had stopped going to the courtyard, and she had taken to sobbing in her chambers, away from prying and accusing eyes. Impa understood, and became her sole attendant, for she would see no other. Yet every time she saw the crying woman, the guilt of keeping her out of the secret was everything but bearable. So many times had she wanted to tell her, but Rauru had warned her very severely that Zelda must not know; no one must know but herself.
But now as Impa walked back toward the castle, a thought suddenly struck her and she said another prayer to the heavens. Now she fully understood Rauru's plan, and she couldn't help but smile to herself in the waning sunlight. The event of seven years ago was about to repeat itself.
The King strode through the corridors of the castle, his heart pounding against his chest. The mere thought of another invasion, of any sort, whether it be the country's border or the castle gate, chilled him to the bone. But even as worry-stricken as he was, a strategy began to form in his mind. Such was his blessed talent. Unlike most of the generals and captains, he could think coherently on his feet. If they had been detained in the dungeon then all was not lost, for if they had escaped then there would be a vicious rumour infecting the entire country within days.
He descended down the spiralling steps that led down to the prison cells, and sure enough there were crowds of soldiers peering through the bars as if the women were animals, taunting and jeering at them. The torches flickered as he walked past, sending the light dancing over their scared faces and casting leering shadows before them.
"Stop this humiliating display at once!" the King bellowed. "All of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Now return to your posts immediately!"
There was a chorus of "Yes, your majesty!" and everyone filed out of the dimly lit dungeon, clanking in their armour as they went, each with an embarrassed look on their face. The King rolled his eyes at the lack of competence in his soldiers. Now he was going to have to waste more time disciplining them instead of tending to the more pressing matters of his daughter's future.
He turned his attention to the two intruders, but from the look on their faces, he didn't have the heart to be harsh with them. Their eyes were wide with fear as they stared at the King. Their lithe limbs shivered in the cold, dank air and the women clutched each other's hand for some small chance of comfort. Before the King could utter a word they both cried,
"Please spare us, your majesty - your grace, please do not kill us!" They pressed their heads to the floor in a deep bow and remained grovelling before him, whimpering unintelligible words and pleas.
"Sit up, both of you," the King said calmly. Hesitating, they cast a look toward each other and then to the King before they rose slowly. "Now then," he resumed, "would you like to tell me exactly why you are here? Nabooru has sent no letter with you I presume to explain your defilement of the oath, for it certainly looks as though she hasn't."
"Please, my lord! We do not know why we are here. We do not know how we came to be here either!"
"How is that possible? You're telling me that you just woke up and here you were?" he said sarcastically.
"Yes!" they both said with such honesty the King found it hard not to believe them.
He sighed. "You do know that this breach of promise is a very serious matter. A flimsy excuse like that is hardly justifiable - "
"It was the witches!" exclaimed one of them. "The witches of the Colossus, they attacked us! I swear, your majesty, this is the truth!"
The King was too baffled to reply, but a very sure alarm arose: his family was in danger. He knew little of what myth surrounded the Desert Colossus, but he certainly knew that Nabooru had once been possessed during the Dark Ages and that Link had saved her from the clutches of Twinrova's black magic. All the Gerudo knew the same thing too. How Twinrova could possibly be alive was beyond his understanding, but that fact that two Gerudo, claiming to have been attacked by the witches, were now outside of their fortress and inside his castle was nothing but frightening to contemplate. Could they have come to murder his family, knowing now that Link was gone?
"I believe you," The Gerudo stared at the King in amazement, "but I must ask you this. If what you say is true, then Hyrule might be under threat." With a heavy sigh, and a long pause, he said, "I need you to do something for me. If I let you go, you must return immediately to the desert." They both agreed instantly. "However, I do not want you to go alone."
Link ran as fast as he could back through the streets of the Market Square, the daylight growing ever thinner. Everything was beyond his reach, shrouded in mystery, but nothing could deter him away from wanting to protect the castle. Whether it was instinct or not was something Link didn't consider, but he couldn't just sit idly by and watch Hyrule fall into destruction. He had to do something; he had to fight.
His legs carried him through the walls of the houses, across the streets and over the dying grass, bringing with him a cold blast of air wherever he trod. He floated over the drawbridge, and into the castle, knowing exactly where to go. That morning Zelda had been summoned to see her father, and to his tower he went. He would never have stopped, but something caused him to halt, and a faint voice caught his anxious interest.
"You have to take her to Gerudo Valley. It will be profitable to you, I assure it. In return for the kidnap of Zelda, I promise you freedom from your confinement."
"Yes, my Lord."
The two Gerudo thieves that he had just seen then came into view from around the corner where Link waited. They walked by without even giving him a glance, and scampered down the corridor, and down the turning toward the Royal Towers. Link didn't wait to see who their accomplice was. Ganondorf could be but meters away from him, and he fled, whisking past the Gerudos and through the door at the top of the tower.
Zelda sat serenely at the window of her father's chamber, fast asleep, unknowing that her fate as about to change. He ran to her, attempting to rouse her from her slumber, but his hand disappeared into her body as he touched her shoulder. He could hear the footsteps becoming louder and louder, the threat of the Gerudos coming ever closer.
Her eyebrows furrowed and gently her eyelids drew back as the Gerudos stopped outside the door. As she turned around, Link placed himself in front of her, believing that with some downtrodden, forlorn hope she would see him, kneeling in front of her. But she rose, walking straight through him, her eyes unchanging. Link's heart sank, and he watched with an averted remorse as the thieves broke in, rushed toward Zelda, beating her enough so she would fall unconscious, carry her out the window and disappear into the forest.
With his head down, fighting away the helpless grief that tormented his cold heart, Link gritted his teeth, clenching his hands into fists. A sudden moan forced him to look up, and somehow a little of his anger fell away. The King knelt distraught on the floor confessing everything to no one, speaking apologies that only he heard. His hands came to rest against his side once more, and with a final glance at the pitiful King, Link stole away out of the window.
If to protect his own daughter the King had to have her kidnapped, then perhaps there was something more that he could do. He wasn't entirely helpless and useless. There was still something that he could fulfil for the King. Link only hoped that Nabooru would understand the predicament with a little sympathy as he pursued the Gerudos through the Royal Forest.
"Do you have any idea how serious this is! Our oath has been broken and the Royal Princess is in Gerudo territory!" Nabooru screamed at the two unfortunate women.
Resting her elbows on her table, her hands held each side of her dark face. The effects of this dreadful, terrible, inexcusable crime were endless. Scenes of war and slaughter failed to leave her head. She could almost feel the blood on her hands as she rushed through the carcasses blanketing the sandy ground. The capture of the Princess; the betrayal of an oath; eternal condemnation… How had the Gerudos damned themselves now?
"The King ordered us to take possession of the Princess, my lady, I do not lie. You yourself have taught us that deceit only leads to punishment. The King ordered us, and we obeyed. He paid us, and promised to send further details of this arrangement at a later date. Until then, he has entrusted us with the protection of his daughter. This is the complete truth, Lady Nabooru."
'Why now, why us, and what in all of Hyrule is the King thinking?' Nabooru thought. 'He wants us, the imprisoned race of the Gerudo, to help him? He expects us, the most hated of all Hyrule, to co-operate in this outrageous abduction? He now wants help from us, the ones he banished from civilisation! Well, isn't this an ironic turn of events?'
"Does this satisfy you, my lady?"
"Get out of my sight, both of you, and next time you plan on kidnapping royalty, you bloody well tell me!"
They both shuffled out of the room, glad to have escaped two possible punishments for their blunders. They only hoped that the goddesses would smile upon them and not give them anymore distress in one day.
Nabooru knelt in front of the unconscious princess lying on a bed of straw. Never had she seen such pale, delicate skin. The ivory whiteness almost shone against the deep tan of her own. If things really were as they appeared, then the poor girl would need be slightly less conspicuous. The harsh desert sun would burn her skin the appropriate colour in no time, but attire was indeed another problem. Such stuffy, layered material would boil her in only a matter of seconds, and water was of precious supply.
"What have I done to deserve such misery?" Nabooru muttered as she hauled Zelda into her arms.
She took her to her own chambers and laid the sleeping Princess down on the softer, more comfortable sofa. Zelda began to stir in her dazed sleep and Nabooru sat beside her, pitying the poor woman. She too had heard the news of Link's death, and had grieved the loss of Hyrule's finest hero. She had lost an admired saviour, but Zelda had lost not only her lover, but now she had lost her home too.
Nabooru sighed. Thievery was their talent, not babysitting.
Hououza: I wouldn't say 'sold her to the Gerudo', but it's along those lines , and I hope this chapter fleshed that out a bit more The fair went all right. There was only one minor breakdown on my part XD
serenitythefaierikin: Mwa ha ha >D Originally I never had Link as a ghost, and this scene would have been rather more dramatic. I would have liked to have written it, but Link has to be a ghost otherwise the end woudn't make any sense. Sorry about that ;
zeldaisthebest: Thank you! :D
Crimson Ashes: Thanks! :D
Vampiress24: I hope this chapter made up for any confusion in the last one. Sorry about that ; but I have a cliff-hanger obssesion that I just can't seem to get rid of :)
Forlorn Rain: Yay! Thank you so much :D I hope you enjoy the rest of this as much as you have done so far.
par armsford: Ah, I can answer your question about the time problem. Sorry I didn't make it clear. There have been some theories about how the LOZ games all fit together, and one says that after Majora's Mask (which is only three days in Termina), 100 or so years has passed in Hyrule. I was going along the same basis, so it may appear 20 years to Ganondorf, but in Hyrule it wasn't that long ago.