Sol- This is almost insulting! Miss Aria's the only one reviewing!
Anri- Sol, calm down. Other people will make comments eventually. All we have to do is be patient. Besides, it sounds like you're not thankful she IS reviewing.
Sol- I am, it's just…
RCM- Sol has been less than thrilled with the number of reviews we've received. I am of the mindset of my eldest fairy child, that patience will bring more reviewers. In the meantime, we will now witness Link's transfer into the new world… the realm of Chaos! Sol, if you would?
Sol- Master doesn't own any of the video game characters, concepts, or other similar stuff. Enjoy!
Chapter 8
A Family's Farewell
Pulling up to the shore of Outset Island, Link couldn't help but feel peacefulness wash over him. He was home again, and that brought comfort, no matter how fleeting it would be. Watching from the dock, he could see the boys playing with their giant pet pig, Sue-Belle carrying her usual jar of water down from the well, and looking toward the watchtower, his little sister Aryll racing toward him. "Big brother!"
Laughing, he caught the running little girl in his arms and lifted her into a twirling hug. "How have you been, Aryll?"
"I've been great! I made about 10 new sets of clothes I want you to see, and even a set for you! And Grandma taught me how to make her famous soup too, and now I can almost make it as good as hers. It's kinda the wrong color though…"
The two walked over to their home, overlooking the water by the coast. "Well, what color is it?"
Aryll blushed slightly. "Instead of normal gold, it's kinda… well, you'll see. I was cooking some earlier today." She opened the door and ushered her older brother in hurriedly. "Grandma! Link's home!"
The little old woman rose from her rocking chair and embraced the boy. "My, you sure have grown since you left with that Tetra girl, Link. How are you?"
Link's smile couldn't have been wider. "I've been great Grandma. Aryll's been telling me you taught her how to cook your famous soup."
The woman laughed. "Ah, yes. The little one is growing up so fast… Some of her soup is still warm in the pot, if you would like to try some." Seeing his nod, she scooped some into a bowl and handed it to him. "As you can see, she still needs a little work perfecting the recipe." Instead of the warm gold of Grandma's Elixir Soup, Aryll's was a cool silver.
"Well, it may not look like Grandma's, but it still smells good." He took a sip and nearly fell off the chair. "Whoa! Aryll, this tastes great!" The little girl jumped up and down excitedly, happy her brother liked her creation. "A bit stronger than what I'm used to, but… wow!"
Grandma sat down in her rocking chair again, watching her grandchildren enjoy their dinner. As soon as they finished, they both sat down next to the fire. "So Link, what brings you here? Something tells me you won't be staying here for long."
The joy slowly fell from Link's face, remembering the reason why he came. "Grandma… Aryll… I have to go away again… But this time it's outside of the Rito post system…"
Aryll looked at her brother in confusion. "What do you mean? The Rito Postmen visit all of the islands in the Great Sea."
Link smiled sadly at her. "That's the thing… I'm not going to be anywhere NEAR the Great Sea… I'm being called to another realm… another world… I'm being sent there by the Gods themselves."
Grandma rose again, albeit a little slower this time, and fetched a pair of bottles from the cupboard. "I am glad you came to tell us in person, Link. I would have hated you disappearing without a trace and not hearing anything for such a long time…"
The young Hero of Winds pulled the Gossip Stone out of his pocket. "I'll be keeping in touch with Tetra using this stone's magic. She'll keep you up to date with what I'm doing." A scream followed by a large splash stopped him in mid-sentence. Rushing outside, he saw the wet, and seemingly agitated, form of Valoo sitting in the surf. Sue-Belle had been the source of the scream, her jar of water lying forgotten on the ground.
"Sue-Belle, relax. It's okay. He's a friend of mine. Valoo, what are you doing here?"
Grandma leaned against the railing for a better look. "Amazing. Truly amazing. I had no idea he was so big."
"Link, Din has given me a gift for you as well. Show me your Gossip Stone." The boy complied, and the dragon breathed a stream of blue fire into the stone. "As it was, the Gossip Stone's magic would not have spanned the realms. With Din's blessing, that limitation has been eliminated. Now, if you are done here, you must hurry to the Tower of the Gods." The dragon shook his head vigorously in an attempt to shake off the water, but only managed to splash more onto himself. Giving up, the guardian spirit flapped his wings and headed toward the Tower.
With a sigh, Link turned to his family. "I have to follow him. It's time for me to go."
"Wait a sec." Aryll ran inside for a few minutes and came out holding three bottles. Two were filled to the brim with Grandma's Elixir Soup, and the third with her concoction. "Take these with you."
Embracing in a group hug, the family parted. Sue-Belle had regained her composure as well, though she was still clearly shaken at the dragon's sudden appearance. As Link boarded the King of Red Lions again, he looked one last time at his home, where Aryll and Grandma watched. Sighing, he lifted the Wind Waker and conducted the Ballad of Gales. The cyclone rose around him, quickly whisking him away to the Tower of the Gods. "Be careful, Link…"
As the twister set the red boat down, Valoo and Jabun each called out to the Goddesses. "He is ready." With a mighty crash of thunder, the clouds parted. Looking up, Link could see three figures nodding to each other, then raise their hands toward the boy.
"Whoa, what's… happening?!" Another cyclone began lifting Link off of the boat. The winds carrying him were laced with bluish-white energy, the strands growing larger as the twister grew. Soon, Link's field of vision was completely covered in the energy flowing around him. Then in a flash of blue light, he found himself on his face in the dirt. "Ow… there's got to be an easier way to travel…"
Looking around, he saw that he was no longer in the Great Sea. He sat in the middle of what looked like a dirt road, leading to a town in the distance. To his right rose a grand mountain range, unlike anything he'd ever seen. As he rose to his feet, he heard a voice calling to him across the void. "Young Hero of Winds… Din, Nayru and I have successfully sent you to the Realm of Chaos… Though we cannot help you any further from our realm, we will continue to watch over you and those you care for. Be careful in this place, and let your courage guide you. Good luck, my Chosen One…"
"Farore…" Link had a hard time believing that the Goddess of Courage had just spoken to him directly, but considering what had happened moments before that, he quickly accepted it. "I guess the only thing I can do is go into town and see what I can find out…"
End Chapter 8
RCM- He has finally arrived…
Sol- Master, we're almost ready.
RCM- Excellent. Once I add the finishing touch, bring it to the Heroes. They should be leaving town shortly.
Sol- Yes sir.
RCM- The paths of the Chosen shall converge very shortly…
