Hello again! This chapter includes a lot of different events and it was a bit hard to conclude because I have a habit on ending a chapter when they go to sleep and I don't like that. But anyway, enough of criticizing myself.
PS: I have a busy schedule ahead, so if the update doesn't come for quite some time, I apologize, but a girl's gotta take her SAT and write her research paper and visit them colleges and AH.
I enjoyed introducing a new character in this chapter and I hope you'll enjoy too.
The warmth of the sun was cool on my skin after the constant battering from being surrounded by lava. Link woke up after me, sore and whining. We found a place to bathe, taking turns in a secluded spring until the sky had borne the brunt of it's light and the day tipped into afternoon. The gentle cradling of the its light soon tightened its grip as Link and I met back up, strolling down the streets of Kakariko.
"Lanayru is covered in twilight," Link was saying, "You know what happens to people in there, right?"
I nodded, running my fingers through my damp, tangled hair, "Yeah...but I can't just stay here."
"I'll come back for you."
At each side of me were houses in tatters, collapsed or scarred by long claw marks on its siding. Their splinters were spears wielded against my presence, but when I saw Link, their alien features fizzled into a state of familiarity. "I want to go with you."
He gave out a deep sigh, crossing his arms, "Fine, but if you can't see me, promise you'll head straight for Castle Town. You know where that is, right?"
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to map out how to get there in my head. There was a rough path in my brain, but if that part of Hyrule was bigger than I remembered, than I don't think I could handle trekking all that way on foot. In the original game, Hylians and humans took the forms of spirits, unable to see certain shadow creatures. Of course one of those shadow beings was Link himself. If I was wrong in my assumption that because I was suddenly different I would be able to see him, then I would be as good as stranded.
"I don't know," I looked away from him to the spring at the end of the street, bathed in warm light.
He didn't follow my gaze, but kept staring at me, a somber expression taking him over before he quickly found interest in the other side of the road. "You'll be able to see the monsters, but I can follow you until you get to town if you want."
"I'll think about it while you say your goodbyes."
We both stopped at the end of the road by the cement building and in front of the spring. He agreed and vanished behind a wooden door. It was there, twiddling my thumbs, that I realized something and nearly had a heart attack.
The rock I destroyed…
Without it Zora's Domain would remain frozen and then what? Link was supposed to break the ice with that stupid rock. In a panic I made up my mind that I would go out alone if I couldn't see him and try to fix it before he ran into any issue. By the time he came out, I had brushed off the shaking in my chest and was ready to go.
We took Epona out of town and into the grand expanse of field where we'd encountered the King. Twilight overcame it like the day we'd fought there, dipping the grass in gold and the sky in orange. I held onto Link tightly, embracing him through every bump and leap. The Bridge of Eldin clipped underneath the horse's hooves, tinted from the sky, glowing. Below, a great expanse of darkness stretched for miles, disappearing into the horizon, cut off somewhere by something.
As we rode over the bridge, the ground began to rumble, Link halted Epona and looked back at the bridge, freezing at the sight of the stone crumbling from the center, turning into black dust. The wind carried it off, amalgamating it into a clump of dirt and shooting it off into the sky where a red portal looked down upon the rest of the bridge.
The air went still, cold until there was a distinct movement, three figures falling from the portal towards the bridge below. Link jumped off, drawing his sword. Hesitating, I slid my way to the ground and ran after him.
Three shadow beasts were slumped over on the ground, piles of dark flesh and red pulsing veins. They stood up on hind legs, dragging their lanky arms in the dirt. There was little time to make a move as they hobbled over on their uneven frames.
Link charged and stabbed through the first beast, running back into the field after the creature's emaciated body tumbled into the ravine. I stumbled into place beside him.
"Attack at the same time." he'd barely glanced at me, but the moment he moved, I lurched toward the one on the left. A wave of energy flew passed my nerves like a wave of light, erupting from my numb fingertips like a bullet into the shadow beast that raised its hand to scratch. The creature had no face, only a square blank head stamped with a circular symbol, but it still screamed when the bolt of green tore through its chest. Its friend died without a noise, the one whose blood was on my hands suffering until its last dying cry was cut off. Its body was torn apart into inky black, flying up and out of sight.
I looked up into the portal above, its red light morphing to blue. Cupping my hands over my ears, I walked away.
Link caught up and mounted Epona before I could, helping me up into the saddle with his hand. Before he urged her onward, he looked back at me and smiled, "I-good job."
I gave him a nod and wrapped my arms around his torso, losing myself in the warm fabric of his tunic and the smell of forest, subtle on his clothes. After passing into a valley the sun gave up its light to the the curtain of twilight draped over the rest of Hyrule. It was suddenly dim, the sky a deep black. We banked into a turn, met with a dead end marked by a wall of utter noire.
Epona reared up on her hind legs, refusing to go further. Link and I jumped off, making our way to the wall, its surface revealing the intense pattern of lines making turns and loops and eyes. Midna flew out, barely visible against the curtain. She yawned, "Now for the fun part."
Link turned to me, "You're still going alone?"
"Mhm, we'll meet at Telma's bar, you should know where that is by the time you're done." I shrugged, "I'll be fine I think."
"Our little Vinderendetta is growing up so fast," Midna giggled, "Let's get going before that confidence goes away."
Link hugged me tightly, his hair grazing my ear, then backed away, "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"
"I'll try," I told him, cracking a weak grin.
With a thumbs up from Link, Midna phased through the wall. It went quiet and as we waited, he put his arm around my shoulder. Gazing on into the eyes looking back, he tightened his grip. Within another moment, a huge orange fist forced its way through the wall, wrapping around us in an iron grip. I screamed as my feet left the ground and the image before me vanished. My head went cold, dull throbbing. By the time I came to, the sky was a misty grey and I was on my hands and knees, alone.
Far off in the field, monsters roamed, baring the weapons. Link was nowhere among them, but as I sat up further, I felt something poke me in the side. There was nothing there, just a patch of grass precariously flattened as if it had been sat on.
I stuck out my hand towards it, feeling only air whisk past my fingers until soft fur tickled them. Smoothing it out, I stared into the empty space in front of me. Abruptly, the fur disappeared and the grass straightened back out again. Knowingly, I stood back up and started down the path, trapped in the musings of a stranded girl.
Zora's Domain was to the north, atop a mountain where a river flowed out from. There was a way to get there from Northern Hyrule Field, but it was blocked off by a boulder. That wasn't the real issue though, it was more so getting there. I had to resort to killing one monster which slashed me across the side, but the others I ran from. It was largely an uphill trek, ended only by a steep incline, a cliff. Wedged into a hole in the cliff face was a huge rock.
I focused for a moment, pressing my palms into the cool stone, arms going tight and numb. They relaxed, shooting flashes of green that crumbled little of the rock. Trying again, I let it pulse for longer, throwing it out faster, breaking up stone but not enough to pass through. Defeated, I stood back.
Focus.
A voice echoed in my head, bold and deep. I shook out my hands, a little flustered, and tried one last time. It flowed through me naturally, I didn't will it to follow my rules, letting its numb patch itself over me like a quilt. When it was ready to go, I relaxed, a bright tangle of green striking through the rubble and tossing aside debris.
On the other side of the opening was a stone path outlined in blue dyed tiles and railings. I stepped through the rock into a frigid air, a wintery cool shivering my bones. Down the path were several offshoots, open doors to empty rooms or tunnels leading into darkness. As I kept on, up and up further, the voice came back, thick.
Look to your right.
To the right was tunnel that lead out to an open area, grey and frosted over. Underneath a bare tree was a curled up figure shaking in the frozen grass. I glanced back to the waterfall between the path and overhang, a cascade of pure ice, then turned to walk through the tunnel. The closer I got to the figure, the fluffier it seemed, a little baby, a kitten.
I leaned down, scooping up the kitten into my arms, its fur a pattern of whites, blondes, and blacks, a calico. It was a female and started purring in my warm embrace.
Her name's Creota.
She curled up in my lap, shutting her precious eyes and drifting off to sleep. I stroked her little head, then spoke to the voice that was talking to me, "Hello?" There was no response, nor was there anyone around. My heart began to beat faster, but I pressed on, "Where are you?"
I'm here.
I looked down at the kitten who didn't stir, but it seemed the voice noticed my gesture and corrected me.
I'm not the cat, I'm in your head, idiot.
"Eh-" I stood up with the kitten, trying to soothe away the sick feeling in my stomach, "Who are you?"
Vox, I'm what brought you here. Don't be alarmed.
"Alarmed?! You-" realizing I was talking to nothing, I stopped, hoping maybe I was just going mad and if I calmed down it would go away.
-I?
"Why did you bring me here then? And why are you only talking now?!"
Vox held off for a moment, leaving me to my panic before he explained, It's a long story, let's just say you were my only way of hiding...forever. The Vinderendetta are nearly extinct, and without me, well they'll die off. But they're still a threat, so trust me on this, I need you to stay with Link in case any Vinderendetta become too much for him. They aren't natural to this world, they already killed the Hero of Time early.
"What are they?"
Dimensional travelers who settled here during the Hylian Civil War. But now, do you trust me?
I began pacing around the area, breathing out chilled puffs of air visible like clouds. Again, I asked my unanswered question, "Why now?"
What? Oh...I only figured out how to talk now, if you give me some time, I'll make sure you get all of the abilities of a regular Vinderendetta, but I had to get the basics first, healing, attacking, and talking. You're not upset, right?
"Upset?! I don't belong here! Why me?!"
You liked Zelda.
I breathed out hard, stopping my circle and heading back towards the path. My outward composure was bursting at the seams, anxiety leaking out from the wrinkles in my forehead. It wouldn't take much to cut through my skin and bleed out from my beating heart.
On my way up, Vox tried to get my attention again, but I didn't respond to him.
Look, once you're done waltzing around here, you'll be able to return home no problem. And the best part? I'll be gone by then.
The kitten, asleep in my arms, stretched. I hiked up a set of stairs, all in peaceful silence until he butted back into my thoughts.
Okay fine, have it your way. I guess I wasted my time accessing your thoughts like this. They're just loud white noise anyway, I'd be glad to disconnect.
"Shut up! I just want my brain back, shut up!"
Relax, I can't hear your thoughts, like I said they're just whi-
"Please."
There wasn't a fiber in my being that was prone to snapping like that, especially to people I didn't know, but I couldn't help but let the words roll out over my tongue. With it out of my system, I took a deep breath and kept going.
He didn't say anything for awhile until I reached the top of the mountain and stalked into an area just outside of Zora's Domain. The sky had gotten gloomier, dark like storm clouds.
Look I'm sorry it was you, but I didn't think I'd find someone who knew about this place and when I did I took that opportunity. You'll understand in due time.
"So you stalked me?"
He was silent, allowing for my voice to echo. This time I didn't quiver as I took a step away towards the Domain.
It was a small town, I didn't have to look that hard.
"Whatever…" I conceded, "I might as well get over it."
Atta girl, thinking logically.
I sighed, holding Creota to my chest as I jogged up step after step until I came to a cliff overlooking the water below. Close by was the opening, a faint blue maw full of ice. The cobblestone walk was cold under my feet, leading to the mouth of the ornate domain. Stone curved structures outlined the frozen river, tracing their origins to pillars lining around the central pool. Unlike how I remembered, there was no webbing between the columns, only an open view of the clear ice.
As I stepped closer, the details of a hundred Zoras became distinct, their finned feet and arms, skin a faint grey in the winter like cold. Many held spears or wore armour, but most were stopped, reaching for the surface in vain with nothing in their hands but hope.
Are you planning on saving them?
"Of course," I placed Creota on the stone and clunked down the stairs, taking a cautious step onto the ice. My foot firmly in place, I started across to the center, only to be stopped as three shadow beasts fell from the sky. I gazed up, catching a red portal outlined in grey above. Around me, scarlet pillars materialized, shooting out transparent walls to each other and caging me in.
The three beasts stood up on their mangled limbs, trudging in on me at all sides. I took in their forms, stuck in the middle of their triangle. On my right, I stepped closer, readying a shot I could release and then make a run away from the other two. It approached, hobbling over on all fours until it was just in reach enough to grab me. I focused my energy out, a sharp blade piercing through the creature's chest.
Behind you!
As the first one slumped to the ground, long fingers grasped around my neck and clenched. My body attempted to take two huge breaths before it caught up to what was happening. Heart racing, feet hovering, I viciously clawed at the beast's hands, mustering a fuzzy flow of energy into my limbs. With every second my head thumped louder, losing track of where that small energy flowed. I held onto that dim movement, throwing it out into the void between me and the monster.
Its grip released and I coughed for air, hitting the hard ice with my knees. Just a foot from me its limp body was sprawled out on the ground. The one left standing let out an ear piercing scream, its companions rising back up into their hunched over stances. I looked up, up into the dangling appendages hanging from the beast's head, crawling away on my hands and knees.
Fingers clasped around my ankle and I lost traction on the ice, dragged across its frigid surface. The beast lifted me up to its face, a blank slate, examining me with invisible eyes. I was upside down, hanging by one leg, staring down a creature I had only seen with detail in my worst nightmares. On each of its sides the other two appeared, blocking the surroundings except for the ice and the Zoras below.
Maizy, do something.
I shut my eyes, blocking out their images and grabbing hold of the energy in my bloodstream, redirecting its course to my fingertips. My limbs went tight and numbed, a sharp wave that overtook my whole torso until it suddenly turned into pain. The energy crashed out, a sword thrust into the ice, tearing it apart as I heard a dim crackle grow quieter, further away, then silence.
My eyes opened, the beasts' faces still crowding my vision, but the two on the side seemed to have backed away. The silence was torn by another crackle, crescendoing until the very ice under their feet shook. I fell and landed on top of a long, widening rip, water beginning to gurgle up from somewhere underneath. When I looked back up, the beasts were stumbling, every step back that they took puncturing the ice and erupting water into the air like geysers. Before I could get back up, the sheer ice underneath me gave way.
The rest was a blur. I shut my eyes, whipped around ceaselessly by the warmer waters until something once again grabbed me. Its arms were smooth and it fought against the current pulling us out of the domain. We broke the surface and I felt my body hit stone. When I came to, a Zora sat watching.
I jumped up, looking around at the collection of Zoras washed up on the sides of the domain, coughing, passed out, or tending to one another, then found the portal in the sky, a deep turquoise. A small kitten plodded over to me and sat at my side, coaxing a raised brow from the Zora at my side. She was panting, but held herself upright.
"Thank you," I breathed.
She shook her head, "You were the first thing I saw."
"Thank you," I repeated, getting up onto my feeble legs and scooping up Creota into my arms. After saying, 'thank you,' one more time, I started away. However, as I was about to leave the chaos of those recovering, an elegant voice called me back.
"Wait!"
I flicked around, met with the transparent figure of a woman, a pulsing light that only gave off enough to reveal her ornate dress, draped over her body like a curtain obstructing her legs. The jewelry on her chest glimmered gold, her skin and face deep salmon pinks. Her appearance stunned me.
"I must thank you for saving my people."
"Uh...you're welcome," holding Creota closer to my chest, I begged for the conversation to be short.
Her eyes sank, "I was their queen, Rutela, but that man...Zant...executed me. I fear their last hope might perish. I sent my son, Ralis, to seek help at Hyrule Castle, but his presence seems to grow fainter with every minute. Will you find him?"
Cover all the bases.
"I will, but please, tell my friend Link too. He'll be coming through here and he's well...he's a wolf."
She gave a solemn smile and nodded, fading away into the cool air.
"Jesus."
To Castle Town now, yeah?
"Yeah," my eyes lingered where Rutela once stood, then tore away to the long walk ahead. After getting back to the residential area, I spoke up to Vox, "What are you?"
A Vinderendetta, I thought you knew that.
"Sorry," I sighed, "Where are the other Vinderendetta?"
Like I would know, I've been gone for months. They don't like to stand out so usually they'll just be walking around in their human forms. I might be able to tell, but I'd have to be looking and that would use up your magic.
"Use up?"
You haven't been using too much at a time, but you'll feel limited soon enough. I'm working on what will fix that, don't worry.
"Right."
The waterfall roared with life, the pool below flowing outward into Hyrule. It was still cold, but the grey sky had broken up somewhat to reveal a subtle orange tinge. When I reached Hyrule Field, I brought the quiet kitten to my face. Her tiny paws stretched towards my nose, little beans a mixture of pink and brown. I set her on my shoulder where she wobbled then curled up.
Back across the field, I felt what Vox meant. It became strenuous to force out enough energy to even scratch the monsters I fought. Instead of taking them on, I tried to run, even the most stubborn ones, I ran. My muscles pulsed with pain and by the time I saw the walls of Castle Town I was ready to collapse.
Stone surrounded a wooden bridge and arched over a grand metal door. In front of its handles were two guardsmen, spear tops resting above their heads. They followed my path that fell before them and scoffed, "What business do you have here?"
"Uh...visiting?"
"You got paperwork?" the second one asked.
In the darkening light, I could barely make out their expressions. "No," I sighed.
"No entry."
"But my friend will be looking for me!" As I tried to force myself closer, their spears clicked together, "What do you want?"
"Everyone in Castle Town knows the new orders, no entry without plausible reasoning or paperwork, your friend can wait." The first guard brought his spear back, casting a glare through the curtain of night at the kitten on my shoulder.
I hesitated to retaliate, wracking my brain for idea after idea until one flowed from its depths like a saving grace. "Fine," cracking my thumbs, I stood up straighter, looking down my nose at the two young men, "If it pleases you to know, I am a close ally of the hero."
"Yeah, okay little lady," the first one laughed.
With a breath, I pulled together a flow of energy and whipped it out in a shape. Three unstable blue triangles sat in the palm of my hand and before they could disintegrate I lifted them up to their eye level.
The second guardsmen retreated first, moving his spear back and stepping aside cautiously. Quivering in his armour, the other opened one of the grand doors and bowed slightly, "I'm sorry madame, the captain's orders were strict. Please tell the hero that Hyrule's soldiers are with him."
Nice one.
I nodded and slipped into the sleeping city. Lights were turning off here and there, but few souls still wandered the streets. As the door shut behind me, I gave a sweeping look at the around, the size hitting me despite the night. Houses towered, restaurants and taverns glew, at each side of me there was a road lead off to somewhere, and what was best was that I didn't recognize any of it. The main structure of stone buildings was still prominent, but much more common than before were the wooden dwellings and quaint plazas for play.
Straight ahead was the main street, a fountain obstructing the gates of the castle whose spires loomed overhead. I held back a gasp, walking forward towards its watchful eyes, to the fountain. The occasional citizen passed, their heads turning, expressions a blur in my peripheral. When I reached the fountain I took a left, lost in a tangle of buildings. It soon became evident that the endless string of structures was not close to Telma's bar, but I was too lost to turn around.
The further into the city I stalked, the worse the housing got, walls in tatters and windows shattered. I sat down on the ground and groaned. Minutes passed by, lanterns turned low, people going inside. Standing up, I went back the way I thought I came and stumbled upon a grouping of nicer housing. A single man was walking down it, indistinguishable. Keeping on despite him, we inched closer to each other until his head turned to still look at me and my foot caught on the cobblestone.
"What are you doing out so late at night?"
"Uh!"
His hair was a bright blonde, long and unkempt. I took several steps away before turning around to see him more clearly, his tall and muscular body. "Are you lost?"
"Um," I nodded slowly, cocking my head, "Do you know which direction Telma's bar is?"
The man pointed back the way I came, "Have you ever been in this city before?"
"No," I admitted.
He smirked, stretching his stubble upward to one side with his mouth, "I'll lead you there then."
I shook my head, "No, no, I can get there myself."
You're giving me a headache and I don't even have a brain anymore.
Ignoring Vox, I went to pass the man and get ahead in the way he pointed, but he suddenly stepped closer to me. Cautiously, I looked him in the eye.
"I insist," he said, low.
I couldn't make out their color, brown or deep green or blue, they were as unreadable as a twelve page essay written in the dead of night. Even still, I refused and kept going only to feel him grasp my bicep. "Get off!"
He pulled me back, my body at his whim and wish. I was a doll in his hands, flimsy. Creota fell off my shoulder and I felt a paw poke my ankle. There wasn't enough strength in my legs to counter him and my heart began to beat too loud in my ears to think straight again.
Magic! Come on, I didn't give you these things for nothing.
I smacked my palm into his chest and summoned a bolt down my arm, watching it explode from my fingertips. The man screamed, his grip leaving my bicep to his chest.
My feet fled in the opposite direction he had ushered me towards, spiraling down the street into an intersection. As I tripped forward, the house fronts turned into empty stands and when I looked left and right, it was the same. Across the road was an opening, a gap in the storefronts and stands, a single lantern hung on a hook.
Panting, I trudged over to it, discovering a flight of stairs down into an open area below. In the wall was a door, a sign beside it written in Hylian. I looked down and saw Creota run up to me and swept her from the ground. Turning the knob, I was greeted by brown and orange lights. A wave of warmth washed over me and I sighed in relief as the searching eyes of Ilia popped up from a table in the corner. A large woman eyed me from behind the counter and exclaimed.
"My! What is a young woman like you doing out so late?!" she left the bar and marched over to me, green eyes scanning up and down, "And exhausted to."
I looked at the kitten in my hands anxiously, then back up at the woman.
"The name's Telma," she smiled tenderly, "If you need anything, just ask, we support each other around here, got it?"
"My friend should be coming around here, I just need a place for us to stay the night." I pleaded.
Telma cupped my face in her hands, frowning, "You poor thing, you look like you're about to cry." Her red dreadlocks slid over her shoulder as she leaned closer, then away, "Of course, who's your friend?"
I rubbed my eye, catching the lump in my throat before it choked my speech, "Link, he has blonde hair and blue eyes."
She smiled, "I'll keep an eye out. In the meantime, why don't you get some sleep?"
Agreeing, I followed her past the bar to a hallway lined with open and closed doors. She slid a key into the lock of a closed one, turning it swiftly and throwing it open. Inside were two beds, a table, two chairs, and nothing more. Turning around, I thanked her and waved a small goodbye as she slid off back towards the bar.
I put Creota down on one of the beds and shut the door. Complete darkness took over, but I felt my way to the bed and slid in. My mind drifted off to sleep to the hum of soft voices in the bar. By morning they had hushed and when I opened the door, light spilled into the room without interruption. Link hadn't magically appeared overnight, he was still out there, and the sky was still dark.
These things take awhile.
Shutting the door behind me, I frowned, "I know."
