A Sequel to Crossing of the Paths
By MMM/AJ
A/N: Hmm, things eased up a bit over the last week or two. I've been really getting into this story now, it's really enjoyable. If I can keep this pace, I'll have the next chunk in a week and a half or so. But, knowing my school the workload will increase again. Wish me luck!
Chapter IX – R3
"What do you mean, the Hylian Unity Council has been disbanded?" Kalana shouted at the Hylian messenger. Ruru felt a spike of adrenaline jolt her system at those words.
"Just as I said milady," The messenger replied, "Queen Sirpala has announced that the Hylian Unity Council is henceforth null and all peace treaties between the Gerudos and Hylians have been terminated. So have the treaties between the Hylians and Sheikah, as well as the treaties between the Hylians and Gorons. You have one week to remove all your people from Hylian territory or they will be detained indefinitely."
"You've said all that I need to know. Leave now." Kalana said gruffly to the young Hylian man. "Oh, and tell Sirpala that if I see any of her soldiers intruding on our lands, we won't hesitate to do the same to them as she has threatened to do to ours."
The messenger scurried down the hallway like a plague ridden rodent and Kalana slammed the door in her rage. Dust spiraled through the air of the Great Hall and seven other Gerudos in the opposite side of the room stopped and stared.
"She's done everything short of declaring war on us!" Kalana snarled at no-one in particular. The dust shuddered and spiraled through the sunbeams that were lancing down from windows in the vaulted ceiling. "Who does she think she is to do this to us? Her army is disorganized and shorthanded! Surely she doesn't think to take us on along with the Gorons and the Sheikah?"
"She's relying on the Iresians," Ruru said, "She is counting on the 30,000 soldiers that Anmor has been flaunting."
"She's a royal fool!" Kalana growled, slowly lowering her voice. "Anmor is a terrible liar, I could see it in his braggart's eyes. He's drawing Sirpala into her own undoing. I can't tell what his motives are, but I know that it is impossible to transport an army that great over a body of water as vast as the Western Sea. He's bringing Sirpala straight to her demise."
"But, you wouldn't have Sirpala killed would you?" Ruru asked, shocked at the violent tone that Kalana was using.
"I wouldn't out of pity for her falling into Anmor's trap, but I don't think that Abaim would share the same sympathy. The Sheikah have not been known for their generous hearts over the past few decades. If Sirpala gives him reason to, he will try her for treason against the people of Hyrule and have her executed."
"There must be some way to prevent a war." Ruru said.
"If there is, then we will have to work hard to find it. Anmor and the Iresians seem hell-bent on dividing Hyrule, and I can't figure out why. They could be looking for an opportunity to seize political control, but if he supports Sirpala in a war against other Hylian peoples then he will be hard-pressed to get anyone behind him." Kalana said, sitting down next to Ruru to think a moment.
"Could he be doing this for any sort of personal gain?" Ruru asked.
"What would he gain from inciting this war? Hyrule's treasury of gold is dangerously low as it is and Hyrule's resources are starting to get thin. If the Hylian nation is destroyed he will have little material gain from it."
"There is something driving him though, I could see it in his eyes. They craved power, and it looked to me like he would do anything for even the smallest amount." Ruru said.
"I know, I could sense it too. He reeked of bloodlust, and the way that he wore his battle gear to meet us made it even more obvious. But the only real power in all of this land lies in the hands of the Zoras. The Zoran mages are some of the most powerful wielders of magic in this world, but so far he has not made any sort of gesture toward Iona or her people."
"But," Ruru said, "He has not incited any hostilities between them and the Hylians either!"
Kalana blinked and sat silent for a moment. By now the Great Hall was empty again, and the golden beams of sunlight were changing angles as the sun moved across the sky. "You might be on to something dear sister. He might want the power of the Zoran mages for himself!"
"But if Sirpala were to declare war against us, the Zoras would aid her. They could be lost in the fighting if Iona were to make a tactical blunder. She's still new to leading a people." Ruru said.
"It sounds like Anmor likes to live to live dangerously. That is, if obtaining the Zoran mages is his true goal at all. We might be totally wrong, and a war is still yet to happen. Fate might have something else in store for us." Kalana said, staring up at the shining windows that lined the glorious ceiling.
Suddenly, the door to the great hall was flung open and a panting Gerudo raced up to the table.
"Milady Elder! Queen Iona of the Zoras is here to meet you!"
"Don't just stand there panting, show her in!" Kalana said, surprise evident in her voice.
A procession of five of the pale skinned Zoras appeared at the door, the young Queen Iona at the front with two attendants on either side. The golden sunlight glimmered off of her damp skin. She left darkened footprints of moisture on the sand floor.
"Iona, what brings you to honor our halls?" Kalana asked, standing and bowing to the majestic young Queen.
"I've heard word that the Hylians have snubbed you and your people." Iona said, sitting and gesturing for Kalana to sit. "I've come to assure you that the Zoras will not do the same."
Ruru could almost feel the barrow cart of stress that had been lifted off of her older sister. "It is a most gratifying thing to hear Lady Iona, these past few days have not bode well for the unity of our land."
"I know, Anmor of the Iresians has met with me twice. He has attempted to create a rift between the Zoras and the Sheikah by threatening me. He has only mentioned the Gerudos as a side note, expressing mild disdain for you and your people as well as the Gorons. It appears the elimination of the Sheikah is his prime objective, and he is intent on crushing anyone who gets in his way."
"Don't tell me you've been taken in by his deceitful tongue as well!" Kalana said.
"No, I hardly believe his claims either. My people know the ways of the sea and its effects on people who dwell solely upon the land. It would be an incredible feat for him to have lead an army across the Western sea and still have it fit for battle. And I have yet to meet their true leader, King Rirsh, who has already met with Lady Sirpala several times."
"Yet you've been appeasing Anmor's wants for an alliance with him?" Kalana asked.
"Nay, I have only kept him hanging with lingering promises of Zora aid. I've surrounded him with luxuries and royal gifts to appease him, but I have managed to not commit to anything. Unfortunately, Sirpala has already disbanded the Hylian Unity Council and thrown all of her kingdom's support behind the Iresians."
"Yes I've heard, not hardly twenty minutes ago did a Hylian messenger bring me this very news."
"It is an ill omen indeed, but know that you, the Gorons and the Sheikah will always have the support of our mages should worse come to worse."
"You have my unending gratitude." Kalana said.
Just then, the doors swung open once more and the same Gerudo woman dashed into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt Your Highnesses, but Dregar of the Gorons is here to meet with you."
"Well show him in then!" Kalana said, annoyance now ringing in her voice.
Dregar came alone, he needed to guards with his massive muscular body and rocklike Goron skin. A Goron alone could defeat several armed soldiers. There were small craters in the sand floor where his massive feet collided with the ground.
"I cannot believe this!" The immense Goron said. "How dare Sirpala sever the treaties that have tied our people for three hundred years! I knew as soon as she took the Hylian crown that nothing good would come from her!"
"Calm yourself Dregar!" Iona said. "I was just telling Elder Kalana of my people's support for her! You should be calm in knowing that you will have our mages backing your people in battle!"
"Aye, though your mages and my fighters make an unstoppable force together, I'm still worried about what will happen to the Hylian Kingdom should war come and we are forced to depose Sirpala. There are currently no more living heirs to the Hylian throne to succeed her, the entire land could be thrown into chaos!" Dregar said, scowling and cracking his knuckles.
"Indeed, and there is no telling what Abaim could do should the Hylian throne be want of someone to sit in it." Iona said.
"I think," Ruru said, "That we're over thinking this entire situation. We don't know yet if Anmor will incite any conflict or not."
Dregar glared at Ruru venomously. "Who are you to tell us what to think young apprentice? Wait until you were the Tiara of an Elder before trying to council with us."
"But she's right, we need to lie low over the next few days and see what happens." Kalana said, rallying to her sister's aid.
Dregar shrugged and sighed heavily. "I suppose if Iona agrees."
"Yes, I believe it a wise course of action." Iona said gracefully.
"Then, I guess there's no more reason to stay here then. I should be off back to the mountain before the mines grind to a halt without my supervision." Dregar said.
"I should be leaving as well," Iona said, "The dryness of this area makes me feel unhealthy. I look forward to our next meeting."
It was one of the oddest days Ruru had ever seen, and a part of her wondered if she had dreamed the whole thing. The two Delegates that had come stayed for such an incredibly short time, it was uncharacteristic of them. She could now see stress evident in her older sister's eyes, she had never handled a crisis like this before. All of this taken together created a pit of worry in the stomach of the young apprentice as she tucked into bed that night, she was feeling her sister's worries in an empathic bond that neither realized yet.
Chapter X – I3
The first sensation that leaked into Isaac's comatose mind was the feeling of pain. It was a slow, burning pain that was coming from his left leg. As he gradually regained consciousness, the pain intensified. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was darkness and a faint red glow radiating from somewhere in the periphery of his vision. He could hear slow rumbling like that of a small earthquake nearby. He tried to move his body and he suddenly realized the trap he was in.
Isaac's body was completely closed in by rock in every direction. There was a jagged piece of rock piercing his right leg as well, hence the pain. He suddenly remembered the summon that Garet had called forth and everything made sense in his mind. He was trapped, buried under what could be hundreds of feet of stone. Most likely his companions were all dead and he would be soon as well. Not being one to give in to the inevitable so easy however, Isaac began to try to manipulate the stone around him with his earth magics.
The great jagged rocks around him shook and quaked as Isaac tried to move them, but his psynergy was not powerful enough and he was tapped soon after starting. He sighed heavily and settled back to think. His hand randomly wandered around the dark crevice that he was occupying, trying to find weaknesses anywhere. His hand suddenly stumbled upon the hilt of his blade, the Darksword. He nearly laughed in glee for his good fortune and pulled the weapon free from the rocks. Feeling it the dark, he checked to see if it was undamaged. Luckily the sword was unharmed, and Isaac knew he could try and use it.
He would probably cause a collapse of rock that would kill him, but Isaac didn't want to go quietly, he wanted to at least die trying to escape. He pointed the sword directly up at the rock above him and shouted, "Acheron's Grief!"
The great magic blade appeared at Isaac's command once more. It speared its was up from the depths and sliced up through the rock and past Isaac's disabled form. With a trail of swirling rocks left behind it, the spirit sword continued upward through the stone and Isaac watched with a hopeful heart. As the sound faded away and eventually stopped, a faint light filtered down from the tunnel Acheron's Blade had created.
His heart swelling with new hope, Isaac suddenly tried to craw over to the light, but pain slashed up and down his leg. He looked back into the dark, frowning at the rock that had skewered his leg. Not giving up, Isaac turned back toward the tunnel and filled his lungs as full as he could. He shouted as loudly as he could, crying for help and hoping someone on the surface would hear him. He sat and waited silently, listening for a response. When none came, he let out another great shout that was deafeningly loud to him in the small space. The rocks all shuddered around him, and Isaac suddenly sensed that expedience had just become a factor of his situation.
After calling several more times, Isaac heard a sharp crack behind him. The rock was shifting, and with another pronounced crack the rock in his leg suddenly shattered loose from the rest of the stone. A few small rocks suddenly fell from the ceiling of the cramped space and one hit Isaac smartly on his head. He felt a lump growing on his head and scrambled toward the escape tunnel. He could feel heat building up around him and his mind suddenly danced with images of him being incinerated by magma. He began attempting to climb, but found his right leg unusable due to the large piece of rock that had severed most of the tendons and snapped the bone. But he hadn't given up before and he wasn't about to now. He climbed slowly and in a staggered fashion using only his left leg, continuing to shout for help along the way.
Isaac had climbed almost 20 feet up the 100 foot shaft when a sharp explosion rocked the earth around him. He saw red light suddenly flood up from underneath him and his feet suddenly felt very hot. Doubling his pace, Isaac felt adrenaline pumping through his body. The pain in his leg suddenly dulled underneath his terror of being char-broiled. He climbed with his bad leg clumsily, and as the clear sunlight above slowly came closer and closer, Isaac suddenly lost his grip on the rock wall and fell backwards back down the shaft.
The stone seemed to fly past Isaac in slow motion as he finally came to accept his inevitable fate. He was grateful that he had been able to save the world once before, and mourned his own coming death and the apparent deaths of his friends. As the light above shrank and the light below intensified, Isaac felt the heat on his back increase to painful levels. He turned to face the bottom as he plummeted towards it, the magma below was bubbling in an almost welcoming fashion. He opened his arms to embrace death and suddenly something happened that he could not comprehend in the small amount of time that it occurred in. A powerful arm suddenly grasped him across the chest, gripping his armor and stopping his fall. The rock and magma suddenly melted away into a black void that swirled in front of his eyes. It swirled into the form of an above ground scene, in which rocky devastation covered the ground and patches of smoke rose sullenly. The arm let go of Isaac who suddenly fell to the solid ground face first.
Isaac quickly stood and looked to see his rescuer. He was shocked beyond words to see that enigmatic, blue haired adept named Alex, standing there and looking smug at him.
"Alex......why?" Isaac stuttered, too surprised to form a sentence.
"Simple my friend, I want your Djinni!" Alex said, pointing at the stout little brown creatures studding Isaac's armor.
"Listen, I appreciate what you've done for me, but our goals are still opposite and I will not give you my Djinni." Isaac said resolutely.
"That's ok," Alex said nonchalantly, "I didn't expect you to hand them over willingly. It will be easy to take them by force."
Alex reached down to his belt, brushing his cape aside. Isaac saw that every Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter Djinn were now in Alex's possession. The only ones that were missing were the ones that Isaac was wearing right now.
"What have you done with my friends?" Isaac shouted, rage boiling over into his mind.
"Oh they're all right if that's what you're worried about. It was quite easy to convince them to give me their Djinn, I just told them I was holding you hostage. It was true in a way, while they and I had escaped Magma Rock's remains alive and well, there was no sign of you. I knew where you were and I chose not to tell them, favoring the hostage story instead. Now I've got all but eight of all the world's Djinni and it's all thanks to you!" Alex laughed.
"I'll make you pay for this!" Isaac growled, fingering the hilt of the Darksword. "I gave you a taste of my blade's power before and I'll do it again."
"I healed myself with psynergy before and I can do that again too! Let's face it, a battle between us would be a war of attrition, the victor being the one with the most psynergy and Djinni. I think we both know who will win." Alex said, his voice laden with a tone that could almost be described as patronizing.
There was a brief silence between the two as they waited for the other to make their move. When at last Isaac took the initiative to attack, he unleashed the Ground Djinn to paralyze Alex. Alex suddenly jolted stiff as a board and toppled over and Isaac ran up to stab the Darksword into him. Isaac had time to puncture Alex three times before Alex recovered and retaliated with an attack of his own. Unleashing the Mercury Djinn Hail, Alex knocked Isaac off of his feet with a blizzard of ice bits and freezing water. Isaac rolled to a stop and jumped to his feet. He raised the Darksword to call on Acheron's Grief once more, but this time Alex was ready. He knew exactly the right time to jump to the side to dodge the great purple blade that fell from the sky to try and skewer him. He dodged it with ease and unleashed the Mars Djinn Fury.
Fury floated up into the air and released a torrent of fireballs that took the shapes of skulls. Isaac was thrown backwards by the torrent of rearing pain. He rolled and stood up again, concentrating some newly regenerated psynergy power to use one of his natural healing abilities. It was at this time that something incredible happened. The third ship, the one that carried the men who had interfered with Isaac's earlier attempts to capture Alex, had just landed. He and Alex both turned to look and saw twenty of the familiar black clad men jump down from the ship. They moved like lightning, surrounding the two fighters in a circle before they could react.
"Give us your Djinni." One of the men hissed, his voice like that of a snake's hiss.
"Ha, do you take me for a fool? I just went through to much trouble to get them for myself!" Alex said, a devious grin on his face.
"You resist, then you will suffer." The man hissed, and suddenly the gang of the marauders moved in unison in an all out assault.
Isaac was completely outclass by the swordsmanship of these black clad men, he dodged and blocked several blows out of sheer dumb luck. Alex was doing quite well however, his newfound power aiding him quite well. His skills with the sword were on par with the raiding men, they moved in a liquid dance that seemed to merge with the air. That dance was punctuated with multiple explosions as Alex unleashed his psynergy upon the raider, blowing some of them to pieces outright.
When Alex had finished all of the original 20 save for three, then those remaining suddenly bolted off back toward the ship. Alex let out a long, maniacal victory laugh while holding his bloody sword in the air. When finished, Alex turned to the badly injured Isaac and grinned maliciously.
"Although they were annoying to fight, those men made my job easier by weakening you. Now, hand over those Djinn." Alex said.
"I believe that is my line." A deep, evil sounding voice echoed. Alex turned back to the raiders' ship where it had come from to see a dark form rising through the air and hovering toward them.
The figure was completely covered in a blood red cloak and hood, not a part of him was visible underneath it. He landed gently in front of Alex and stood there silently. Alex was almost unnerved for a moment, but his arrogance didn't let it last.
"So, you must be the leader of those black clad brigands?" Alex asked mockingly.
"Yes." The figure said, its voice intoned in an unnaturally low frequency. Alex felt a chill run down his spine, but he concealed it. "Give me your Djinni, now." The figure said again.
"I told it to your buddies and I'll say it to you, no way in hell. I worked to hard to get them and I'm not letting go of them now!" Alex said in condescending tone.
Alex suddenly jerked spasmodically and began hovering into the air; the figure had raised its robed arm and was pointing at Alex. Alex suddenly cried out in pain and struggled against the invisible grip wildly. He flailed in the air for a moment and then was still.
"Will you give me the Djinn now?" The figure asked. Isaac felt waves of fear travel up and down his body with every word that came from the man's hooded mouth.
Alex fixed his eyes on the red robed figure with a new rage. "If it's a contest of power you want, then so be it!" Alex roared, and suddenly glowed a vibrant blue. Whatever had gripped him was thrown off and Alex landed on his feet. He raised a hand toward the figure and shouted multiple psynergy spells. A gigantic wave of water, clusters of ice spears, and several lightning bolts all screamed toward the robed figure. The robed one simply raised his hand and all the spells were deflected. He then glowed a brilliant red and Alex suddenly gripped his own neck and began to choke. Isaac then finally managed to conjure enough willpower to act.
The man in the robe didn't see it coming as Isaac walked up behind him and slipped the Darksword into his back. Alex suddenly relaxed and stopped choking, and a great bellow of pain came from the man in the robe. Alex then rushed forward and stabbed his blade directly into the man's head. A sudden, high pitched scream and then a deep bellow roared from the cloaked figure, and suddenly the cloaks and hood burst into flame. They then oddly dematerialized, exposing what was truly underneath. Alex and Isaac looked in equal fear at the creature beneath the robe for a few moments before it suddenly too burst into flame and rapidly turned into a hunk of blackened charcoal. When the rocky debris field was totally silent and nothing moved, Alex and Isaac looked at each other and then back at the pile of ashes that had been the raid leader. They didn't know what kind of horrible creature it was, but they certainly knew that it wasn't human.
Chapter X1 - T3
In the endless blue of Earth's sky, a tiny, almost undetectable object caught Tanis' eye. It was almost too hard for even his finely tuned eyes to see, but he could definitely tell it was there. It looked like a tiny human hair that stretched across the sky, hair thin and black. He traced it across the sky with his eyes, horizon to horizon.
"Look at that." Tanis said, pointing his robotic arm to the sky.
"Not now Tanis, I've almost got this lock." Ashley said.
Ashley and Tanis had intercepted some good intelligence on team rocket earlier that day. Ashley had used her recognition as former League Champion to meet with a man who had claimed to be an ex-team rocket member. They had met on the outskirts of Viridian city, Tanis hidden in a back alley in case the man tried to harm her. He told Ashley that he had left the team ten years ago as it was on the verge of being permanently being disbanded. It had been in turf wars with other syndicates for the last five years and it had suffered several humiliating defeats. He told her the location of the old hideout that he had worked at, and now the two of them were there attempting to infiltrate it.
Ashley mumbled in frustration as she jammed her hair clip into the rusty lock. The building they were trying to access was small and inconspicuous in the industrial section of Viridian City. It blended in with the other analogous concrete edifices that covered the Earth in this region. There was a uniform layer of rust over the dull metal door, making its age evident. Finally, the lock gave up its struggle and clicked open. Ashley had to twist the knob hard to open the door, the rust made the mechanism almost immovable. The door screamed like a banshee as Ashley forced it open, the rust on the hinges cracking and fighting against the motion fiercely. The hallway beyond was night-black, only the light from outside reflected on the concrete walls within.
"Are you ready?" Ashley asked, pulling out her flashlight with new batteries.
Tanis looked down at Ashley and grinned. "I consider myself ready for anything. And, you won't need that either." Tanis lifted his robotic arm and a small slot opened up. Bright white light streamed out, illuminating the hall three times as far as Ashley's flashlight.
"You have a full Swiss Army Knife in there?" Ashley asked, smiling as she pocketed her flashlight.
"I have a sword blade in it, if that's what you mean." Tanis said, not familiar with what a Swiss Army Knife is.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "You can take the lead."
Tanis and Ashley braved the chilling, stale air of the apparently abandoned hideout. Tanis' arm light revealed the long, empty hallways ahead of them as they turned consecutive corners. There were absolutely no doors to be seen as they descended and turned innumerable corners. It was almost like they were inside an inverted pyramid. They passed an area where water dripped out of a crack in the ceiling and pooled on the floor. After passing six more turns in the tunnel, they arrived at a junction. There were two wooden doors and a steel door.
"Pick a door, any door!" Ashley joked.
Tanis walked straight up to the steel door, observed it for a moment, and clenched the fist of his robot arm and punched it. A large, round dent appeared in the door, and Tanis wound up again and took another swing. The dent grew and the door suddenly rattled. Tanis hit it one more time and the hinges snapped under the pressure. The malformed door fell backwards and hit the steel floor beyond with a monumental clang.
Tanis light revealed the room ahead was filled with hundreds of computer towers. There were cords and wires hanging off of the computers and crisscrossing the floor. The rum was humming with the spin of hard drives and the whirring of cooling fans. Small LED lights twinkled on the top of each computer. There was no sign of life anywhere, much like the rest of the hideout. Tanis pressed on into the room, weaving between the whirring towers. Ashley followed swiftly stepping gracefully over the cords. Tanis' foot caught on one suddenly and he almost fell, but he managed to grab one of the computers to catch himself. His robotic hand grasped it and crumpled the plastic casing like a piece of paper.
Once they reached the end of the room, there was nothing to find except a small computer terminal. Dust was layered over the glass lens of the holographic screen projector. Ashley wiped it off and pressed the activation on the terminal. The machine hummed to life and a small burst of light flashed from the projector. It flickered for a moment and projected a solid grey screen into the air. There was a large red "R" in the center of the screen with "Loading" on the bottom. A few moments later, the screen changed to a list of files and a titles displayed on the top, "Team Rocket Historical and Scientific Archives" Ashley and Tanis exchanged glances.
"What should we read?" Ashley asked.
"Well, since these people are the ones who created my father, we should see if we can find their files on him." Tanis said. "Look in the scientific archives."
Ashley reached up and poked at the air where the second archive was projected in. She was more comfortable here than she had been in Tanis' home lab, these were the screens she had always used. The folder opened and encompassed the screen. The file list showed over 800 entries named DataHistory with numeric identification codes next to them.
"These files are named by number; it could take days to find the ones about your father!" Ashley whined, fingering the air where the scroll bar appeared.
Tanis stood silent for a moment. He concentrated his mind on the computer towers that surrounded them, translating their thoughts into ones that he could read. He sifted through scenes of violence, oppression, and greed until he saw an image of his father. "File 79964." He said calmly.
Ashley stared at him for a moment. She shook her head and turned to the screen. "I need to remember you're psychic in more than one way." She said.
Ashley scrolled the screen down for a few minutes until she found the sought file, "Datahistory79964.tri". She double touched it and the screen flickered to lines of code.
/Accessing file Datahistory79964.tri
A/N: Hmmm, interesting callback there eh? I knew I would provoke a lot of thoughts with that prologue, and now hopefully a bunch more have just been created. Lookout for more callbacks like this, it's something that could happen a few more times in this story! Read, review, enjoy, and I'll be happy.
