Yes, there is fluff. Shush. I'm going to go die now. 'Cause I wrote fluff. Allow me now to sulk in the oblivion that is my non-fluffiness.
MUCHOS GRACIAS TO MY REVIEWERS! NO QUIERO BEBER SU SANGRE, AMIGOS!
Chapter 16: The Second Gift
It had taken some doing, but Kaze finally worked Aiko into a good enough mood to listen to his plans. So far, he had only retrieved two of the Spiritual Stones. He had obtained the Gorons' Ruby shortly after his encounter with Link and the others, so there was now only one remaining. Whenever Dameus ordered him to go for the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, Kaze would offer some lame excuse and refuse to leave. It had worked so far, but he could tell Dameus' patience was wearing thin.
"Listen, Aiko," Kaze began, not daring to speak in a voice of any more than a low whisper for fear of Dameus' ever present ears. "I have a plan, but I need your help. I don't think Dameus ever had any plans to grant wishes to either of us. He's been using you for your skills in sorcery and me for my strength. When he has what he wants, he'll surely kill us."
Aiko flinched visibly. The idea of dying before being reunited with her brother clearly frightened her. "What's your plan?" she asked hesitantly.
"Use your sorcery on Dameus' looking glass while he's away. I'll provide a distraction for you. All you have to do is make all the images false so Dameus can't see how Link and the others are progressing. That last guardian almost killed Hieke, and I don't want him sending any more monsters after them," Kaze explained. Aiko shook her head unbelievingly.
"He'll surely discover us," the girl reminded pessimistically. Kaze gave a somewhat despondent smirk. "Yeah, he will," he agreed, "but the idea of our plot is to give Link more time to get done what he has to. There's not a doubt in my mind that we'll be found out. And he'll probably try to kill us too. But…"
The Gerudo thief paused and momentarily touched his lips to Aiko's. "I won't ever let him hurt you," he promised sincerely. The black-haired girl flushed but uttered no word of protest. Kaze grinned. "Whaddya say we put our little ploy into action?" he proposed.
---
Link poked at the fire thoughtfully and watched as the flames leapt from the red-hot embers like water splashing at the base of a waterfall. Lor, Artemis, and Isis were asleep. Hieke was seated silently at his side, studying the campfire as though there were faces forming from the heat. She spared him a momentary glance, then turned back.
"Link…" Hieke whispered after another period of silence. "Why did you look so sad earlier? Anyone would've guessed by looking at your face that we had already failed…"
The young hero sighed softly. "After Isis and Artemis take their places at the Fairy Fountains, we'll only have one task left before us, to defeat Dameus," he stated dryly. Hieke narrowed her eyes, not exactly understanding what was so bad about the situation.
"And defeating Dameus means fighting Kaze," Link murmured. Hieke drew a sharp breath in sudden realization. Someone would have to win, and someone would have to lose. Saving Hyrule potentially meant killing Kaze, and they both knew there was no way they could bring themselves to do such a thing.
Hieke sighed and leaned gently against Link's shoulder. For the moment, they had peace. Just how long that peace would last, neither could tell. Eventually she started humming, and her humming soon evolved into song:
"The sand drifts slowly amongst the stars
and settles by the moon.
Across the Sands of Time they fly
to sing to the land their tune.
The stars shine bright with the Goddesses' light
who dance across the sky.
They sing to the heavens and to the night
their haunting lullaby."
Link grinned. "I remember on our first adventure together when your singing killed our first major enemy," he reminisced. Hieke grumbled with a displeased frown. Link inadvertently placed his hand atop Hieke's and sighed. Peace was good. He had forgotten just how nice it was to forget your worries and laze about with friends.
He turned to try and catch a glimpse of Hieke's face. She was snuggled against his shoulder, eyes closed and breathing steadily. "Hieke…" he murmured. The girl looked up at him with childlike innocence in her limpid amber eyes. She blinked in expectancy.
Link bit his lip, shoving his desired statement aside. "We've gotta get moving early tomorrow morning," he commented. "I think we should go to sleep." Hieke broke her gaze and looked at the ground for only an instant, as if in passing. When her eyes again met Link's, there was a rather disappointed smile on her lips. "Of course," she agreed. The girl then scooted away and lay down on the ground, pulling a blanket up over her shoulders.
"Good night, Link," Hieke muttered. Silence fell upon Link once more.
Lor was first to wake the following morning. He sat up and stretched with a yawn. His blue eyes found their way to the sunrise. The surrounding water was basked in a soft white light, shimmering beneath the gentle caress of the morn. Lor watched the skies somewhat groggily. Eventually he decided it wise to rouse his companions.
"Artemis, Isis, wake up," he said quietly as he leaned over the sleeping bodies of the two girls. Isis responded first. She rubbed her eyes and gave a wide grin. "Today's my day!" she recalled aloud. Lor chuckled. "Yeah, it is," he assured, turning to Artemis now.
The girl patted her silver hair to tame it and smiled at Lor. "Good morning," she greeted cheerfully. By this time, Link and Hieke had also risen. With everyone awake, they had no purpose to stay at the Zora Fountain any longer. Dawn had just recently broken, so they expected no intervention from King Bubbles or Princess Fishy.
Soundlessly the group treaded the spiral path. The trek through Zora River was short, albeit tedious, and they were at the entrance to the area in no time. Link led the entourage along the river, which soon brought them to a dirt road that extended far beyond their vision. However, Link knew this road to lead directly to Hyrule Castle.
---
"Dameus!" Aiko heard Kaze shout from the dining hall. That was her cue. The white-haired man growled in frustration and exited his throne room. Aiko could tell he was at his wit's end from dealing with Kaze. Wordlessly she positioned herself over the looking glass through which Dameus monitored Link's adventure. She closed her eyes and held her hands levelly over the surface.
Aiko drew images of Link and the others into her mind. "Before me lay an object of power. Seal the magic that doth radiate from its core," she murmured. The looking glass flashed for an instant, then all was calm. Aiko turned her attention to Kaze's conversation with Dameus, curious to see the excuse he had come up with.
"Dameus, I told you to stay outta my waffles!" Kaze rebuked loudly. Aiko giggled as she imagined the expression on Dameus' face. The man uttered no reply; instead she heard his angered footfalls approaching. She stationed herself beside the door, where she had been standing before Dameus left. The villain took his seat before his looking glass. "Where are those bastards…?" he wondered aloud as he searched image after image.
Aiko bit her lip. It was only a matter of time before Dameus detected the seal on his looking glass. Kaze entered the room discreetly as to not alert the silver-haired man of his presence. He turned to Aiko with a smirk and gave her a thumbs-up. The girl smiled and nodded. Now they need only to wait.
"Kaze!" Dameus snapped. The named whipped around to face his master. "Yes, sir?" he said.
Dameus narrowed his eyes. "Go for the Spiritual Stone of the Forest," he commanded. "Now."
"But sir…" Kaze protested, racking his mind for an excuse not to go.
"Kaze! I gave you an order!" Dameus shouted. The Gerudo winced.
"Yes, sir…"
---
Link used his ocarina to summon the Great Fairy of the Fountain of Din. She appeared the same dazzling display of lights her sister did. Isis approached the waters.
"I am Isis, incarnation of the goddess Din. I have come to receive the second of the Three Gifts," she stated. The Great Fairy nodded.
"The Gift is through this door," she said as the waters on the back wall dissipated. Isis nodded and proceeded down the long hall, eventually coming upon a room flooded by crimson light. She looked at Artemis and nodded to her in farewell, then approached the glowing orb that was the Gift. Her body was enveloped in a white light like Diana's was, and similar wings appeared on her back. She held the Gift delicately in her hands. The scarlet light floated towards Hieke, and a bright flash distended the room. When the light cleared away, there was a vibrant ruby attached to Hieke's Moon Pendant.
"Hieke, Heroine of the Celestials, I leave with you the Fairy Charm of Power. May you go with the light of Goddess Din," Isis said in a voice as soft as sighing. Hieke nodded her thanks, and the blinding light of transportation whisked them to the cave's entrance.
"One left," Lor declared, turning slightly to give Artemis a smile.
Likin' the whole Fairy Charm business? I'm still not sure exactly what kind of Charm Lor's gonna get. He doesn't have any weapons to attach it to, and he doesn't have any necklaces to wear it as. Eh, I'll come up with something... Maybe. On a totally random note, here's a pole!
Son or daughter?
Also, there's about three days left on my contest and I still have naught but TWO entries! Two! That's less than last time! Please send me an entry! Deadline's December 1st; details are in my profile.
Yes, I wrote fluff. Shut it.