Chapter 14

I woke up to the sound of Luigi digging through our packs.

"Hey, how long have you been up?" Luigi turned around, smiling at me.

"Not too long. Sorry if I woke you up, I needed something to eat." I started to sit up, but my head swayed a little. "Woah, hey there, be careful. You still look a little pale." He wrapped his arm around me and handed me an apple and some water. "Here, eat." I thanked him for the snack, and noticed that the sound of rain was gone from outside.

"Stopped raining? We should probably head out after this…as long as your head is ok. That hit looked pretty brutal." Luigi looked hesitant.

"I'm ok, nothing an icepack and some medicine didn't fix. But I'm more worried about you. You really exhausted yourself out there…"

"I'll be fine."

"And I want to know exactly what happened." I looked away, not really in the mood to talk about how I killed that pig creature with my bare hands. "I know you used magic to save me, but I couldn't make out what..."

"Can I just tell you on the way? I'm worried about not having much enchantment left on my ring." He signed, knowing he couldn't argue with that.

"Ok..." He wasn't too convinced that I was feeling better, but having something to eat really helped my lightheadedness. I looked at his watch and saw that it was still fairly early, so we could make good time. I got up and started putting away our stuff, hopefully to encourage Luigi to get a move on. After ten minutes of packing, we were ready to go.

We walked past the place where the pig creatures were. I saw a small gold charm by the one I killed; maybe Link and Zelda would recognize what it was. Luigi tried to stop me from touching it, but I told him it was harmless. He didn't look too convinced, and I told him I knew what their essence felt like…and there was none in this.

"Did you feel when they suddenly appeared?" he asked while we walked. "I felt a little tremor and they just…*poofed* in front of me."

"I felt them suddenly appear, too. That's why I went outside to help you."

"And? Last thing I remember was you telling them not to hurt me. You sounded scary. I've never heard you yell like that before!" Luigi looked at me, encouraging me to go on. He wanted to know what happened with my magic, and knew I was trying to hide something.

"I got mad. Seeing them hurt you, I got REALLY mad. The thing ran up to me, and I saw its aura…it was black. I grabbed it-"

Luigi looked shocked at this piece of information. "You TOUCHED it? Why?"

"I don't know! I was just acting on instinct!" I looked at my hands, remembering how they glowed a bright white.

"What are you looking at?" Luigi noticed me staring at my palms.

"Well…my hands were glowing white. When I grabbed that thing, he acted like my touch was hurting him. He started screaming, and his aura was going away…until it was completely gone." Luigi paled at this information. "My…my hands…they…they were…black. The color of his aura. I had his essence. I TOOK his essence." I suddenly felt a wave of nausea and dizziness, not from being ill, but from the memory of killing something. "And…and…I…absorbed it. It…made me…briefly stronger…" Luigi quickly put down his pack and wrapped me in a hug. I collapsed on the ground, and started shaking and crying.

"Hey, hey, hey…it's ok…you did what you had to do. Those things would have probably killed us. I managed to zap the other three, but one snuck up behind me. If you hadn't have come when you did…" He held me while I melted down. "I remember when I first killed something with my electricity. I'm pretty sure you are reacting a lot better than me." My breath hitched as I looked at him. "After we were fighting, and reality hit, I didn't want to go anywhere and refused to leave the cave we were hiding in. Mario had to drag me out, then picked me up and carried me to where we needed to go. Usually we'd just knock thing unconscious, but killing something…that was a lot different…"

"How do you cope with it?"

"I just remind myself it's either me or them. They aren't going to hesitate…most of these things that we're dealing with are created through means of evil." I shuddered, remembering how the pig creature just evaporated into a cloud of purple smoke. "Their sole purpose is to kill us. Besides, from what I've seen, they usually respawn." Luigi took my hands, rubbing his thumb across my palms. "These aren't the hands of a killer, Jelina. These are hands of a survivor."

After sitting for a moment, my dizziness and queasiness had dissipated; Luigi helped me stand back up. He put on his pack again and held out his hand for me to hold it. "Thanks, Luigi." He nodded, and we quietly continued on our journey. "I definitely have a lot of questions for Zelda. Hope she's prepared to be bombarded." Luigi chuckled. The day was cloudy, but it didn't look like it was going to rain again. I wondered if the rain was an act of magic, trying to keep us from getting to Hyrule.

We trudged on for the rest of the day. Shadows of mountains began to take shape in the distance, growing with each step. "Those are the HooHoo Mountains. If we keep at this pace, we should be able to camp out in a cave at the bottom of the mountain. Just on the other side is the passageway to," he looked down at his map, "Death Mountain." He shuddered at the name. "It's a volcano area in the Eldin Providence."

"And you said some rock creatures-"

"-Gorons," he informed.

"Ok, Gorons are going to meet us at the entrance?"

"Yes. We cannot enter Goron City without either the use of special armor or elixirs." I hated to think how hot it was going to be on that mountain. Nothing like my desert heat, that's for sure. "Then, we'll be transported to the castle." I picked up my pace a little, eager to get settled in for the night.

We finally made it to the base of the mountains by late afternoon. I looked at the path that led to the top, frowning. "Is that what we have to climb? Looks…dangerous…"

Luigi sighed. "Yeah, Mario and I have done it before. It's not easy, but it's doable. We should be close to the top by evening." He took off his pack and pulled out some gloves. "You may want to wear these." I took off my pack and removed my coat. It was warm, and I anticipated that it was going to get warmer the higher we climbed. Luigi did the same.

"Where are the climbing posts? I know we packed them." Luigi dug through his bag until he found two sets of hiking rods. He handed me a pair, and I unfolded them. "Thanks." He looked around, then pointed in a direction away from the mountains.

"To the south is Bean Bean Kingdom. One of my old friends, Prince Peasley, lives there. Maybe someday you'll get to meet him." I smiled at the thought, and dreamed of the day when things would be peaceful. "Well, let's get hiking."

The hike up the mountain was painful. I was out of shape, and my knees hurt the further up we climbed. Even with medicine, I knew my knees were going to be sore and slightly swollen. While I had plenty of opportunities to hike mountains in Phoenix, I never did; I wasn't really into it. Luigi seemed to enjoy the climb and had no difficulties jumping to higher ledges and pulling me up. I was not cut out for this…give me a flat road and my bike any day. After what seemed like a long, torturous few hours, we made it to the peak. On the other side, I could see the mountains extent to a giant volcano. The area had a strange haze to it, and I figured it was a magical barrier, dividing the Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule. Luigi found a small cave to set up camp, and I just stood in awe at the scenery.

"It's…beautiful up here," I whispered. The valley didn't look that large from this view point, and I felt like I was on top of the world.

"Yeah, I wish we had time to enjoy it. But, tomorrow will be a relief. I'm glad that we didn't end up needing to use our emergency medicine."

"Don't jinx us, we aren't at the castle yet." He groaned. "Should…should we take rounds watching camp overnight, in case more of those pig things appear?" I shuddered at the idea of them attacking us in our sleep.

"…Maybe…hopefully it'll be quiet, like it is now." He looked around, frowning. "There's a town over there," he pointed to a waterfall, "but I don't see anyone. I hope they weren't attacked."

I sat next to him and rubbed his back. He started to make a small fire so we could heat up some water. Coffee sounded amazing right now. "How is your head feeling?" I noticed a small bump and bruise on his forehead.

"Eh, it's fine. How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "Meh. I took some medicine, which will hopefully help my knees. Otherwise, just tired. Ready to go to sleep." He pointed to the bedroll.

"You can take a nap, if you want." I decided to take that offer, curling up under the blankets. "I'll wake you around supper time. And I'll heat up some water for either tea or coffee, depending on if we sleep all night or take shifts." I nodded, and took a much needed nap.

I felt Luigi nudge my shoulder, waking me up from my nap. "Hey, sleepyhead." I yawned, not really wanting to get up yet. "It's just before dusk. It's been quiet here…no signs of any life." I sat up and he gave me a kiss. I started to pull away so I could grab something to drink, but he wrapped me in his arms, escalating his kiss, leaving me breathless. He finally released me, looking like he didn't want to stop what we were doing.

"Somebody's frisky," I teased, putting my arms around his shoulders. He blushed, but that didn't soften the intense, longing look of desire he had in his eyes.

"We never did get to celebrate our engagement." I laughed, and he looked confused.

"We are on a run for our lives and you're thinking of sex?" I continued to chuckle, and he pulled me closer.

"So…so what if I am? I can't help it, I love you and this is the first time we haven't been scared shitless on this trip. Plus, you saved my life. Who wouldn't be turned on by that?" I laid back down, pulling him along with me. He laid on top of me, and I felt his hands start to wander towards my thighs. He started kissing my neck, and I felt him nibble on my earlobe. He started whispering in my ear, and I knew I was done for. Our small cave provided enough security to feel safe; plus, with my ability, I'd know if anyone was nearby. Luigi seemed to feel confident in my magical skills, so he didn't really have any worries of being walked in on.

I had to admit, it was thrilling to be outside in the middle of nowhere. I was surprised by Luigi's sudden spontaneity; Luigi was the type of guy who was more traditional, while I, on the other hand, was a little more on the wild side. Nothing too crazy, but I was more willing and open to trying new things than he was. We kept quiet; I didn't want noises to echo across the mountain tops, alerting those who were hunting us where we were hidden. I enjoyed our short moment of passion and was a little saddened when it ended. We carried on with our usual evening routine of having "dinner," which was usually trail mix, fruit, and jerky, then retiring when it was dark. I couldn't sleep, so I ended up journaling while Luigi slept.

My thoughts wandered to my magic. I wanted to know how to activate my magic, rather than waiting for me to be in an enhanced emotional state. Wally once told me magic became strong when your emotions were strong, but you don't have much control. I looked at Luigi, trying to focus on feeling his aura. I tried squinting and gazing at him with my vision slightly out of focus, but nothing seemed to work. I felt him, but couldn't see him. It was frustrating, and I was ready to get to Hyrule to start training. I crawled into the bedroll with Luigi, knowing we were safe for the night, and fell asleep.

Luigi and I woke up early to feeling rather warm. We didn't take too long to get ready, and after a short and measly breakfast, we were on the trail. Hiking down proved to be more difficult that up, and I toppled down a few times. Luigi was worried I had gotten hurt, but I told him I was just clumsy, and I'd be ok. We didn't approach anyone on our path until we reached our goal: the hazy area that divided the two kingdoms. I felt the presence of strong individuals who were prideful, welcoming, and friendly. I told Luigi this, and he scanned the area.

"I don't see anyone. I wonder if they are hiding?" I, too, looked around, and didn't see anyone amongst the rocks.

"Maybe…but I feel that they're close." We continued walking when two large boulders rolled down the hill in front of us. Startled, Luigi grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side.

"Watch out!" he yelled, and we collapsed on the side of the pathway. "That was too close." The rocks rolled until they were directly in front of us, suddenly coming to a stop. I was a little out of breath and confused…rocks don't just stop from rolling at full speed! That's not how physics worked!

"AH!" The rocks unfolded, revealing two rock-men hybrids. They must have been at least seven feet tall and towered over us. They looked intimidating with their small black beady eyes, a wide mouth, and tribal patterns drawn on their bodies. One was carrying a very large black sack that seemed to glow, and while the other had two small necklaces in his hand.

"Graduta!" the one with the sack said.

"Igsec dugga, borta…" the other one said, nudging him.

"Doh!"

I had NO idea what they were saying, but knew they were friendly; they radiated the energy that I had previously felt. They smiled at me and handed each of us a necklace. They motioned for us to put the necklaces on. I touched the small rock on the leather cord and heard voices whispering. Luigi gave me a sideways glance, and I mumbled, "Do you hear that?" He gave me a puzzled look, and I decided to put on the necklace. The one that was holding the necklaces reached out to grab my hand.

"Do you understand us now?" I nodded. "Good, good! Welcome, Sister Jelina! Brother Luigi! Queen Zelda and King Link has told us about you. My name is Brother Dardau!" Luigi had his necklace on and shook his hand, wincing as his hand was being crushed.

"I hope you were not startled by our entrance!" the other one said. "I am Brother Kobi! Welcome to Death Mountain! We'll be going to Goron City, home of the Gorons!" He handed us the black sack. "Before you enter, you must wear these," he pulled out two iron looking suits with helmets that had an old-fashioned look about it. "Otherwise you cannot breathe, and the heat will kill you!" That's pleasant sounding, I thought. "And put your bags in here. Don't want everything to melt."

"We should probably call Wally before we head out." I got out the phone, calling Wally. It rang a few times, but no one answered. A few rings later, his voicemail went off. WAH! You know what to do. *Beep* "Hey Wally! Luigi and I finally met up with the Gorons. We'll be in the city soon. Can't wait to see you soon…miss you!" I took my suit and put it on. It was quite heavy, and I felt a little claustrophobic in it. Luigi didn't look like he enjoyed them much, either.

"How far is Goron City?" Luigi asked, sounding a little muffled in the mask.

"Not far, not far at all, brother! We'll take you, much faster that way." Brother Kobi went up to Luigi and picked him up, slinging him over his back. Luigi grunted as he was hoisted on the Goron's back.

"Pick her up a little more…gently…please?" Luigi asked as Brother Dardau approached me. Brother Dardau picked me up, and his body felt as if he were made of solid stone.

"Let's go, little ones!" I wrapped my hands around his neck and he ran down the hill. It was kind of fun, racing down the mountain path at a fast pace. I laughed and heard Brother Dardau give a whoop of excitement. I turned to look at Luigi, and he look petrified…and a little queasy. He wasn't enjoying the trip as much as I was.

It didn't take us too long to get to the entrance of Goron City. I hopped off Brother Dardau's back, feeling the beginnings of small bruises on my chest and legs from bumping against his rocky body. Luigi slid off Brother Kobi, collapsing on the rock ground. He panted, and I was worried he was going to vomit inside his suit. He was on his hands and knees, and I tried to rub his back. I knew he wouldn't feel my hand through the metal armor, but I know my presence soothed him none the less. After a few moments, he stood up, waving at me that he was ok.

"Ah, welcome to Goron City!" exclaimed Brother Kobi. "Let me show you around!" Brother Kobi grabbed my elbow, walking me to the middle of the city. "Watch your step! That lava is hot!" Lava? I think it'd be more than hot…pretty sure I'd die if I touched that…I walked on the path, hyper aware of my footing. Luigi was walking in the other direction with Brother Dardau, still looking dazed from the run.

Goron City was imbedded in a volcanic area, with rivers of lava flowing throughout the various stone huts. One hut looked like it sold various trinkets and items, and another looked like a small inn for travelers…though, I wasn't sure how many travelers actually visited. Gorons of all sizes were poking their heads out of their huts, curious on who their guests were. "Let's visit Elder Daruk the VI. His house is right up the hill." We trudged up the small slope, and I felt someone grasp my hand. I was a little startled and heard a calm voice.

"It's just me." Luigi smiled through his helmet, and I sighed. "This place is…interesting."

"Hot comes to mind." He nodded. "At least the Gorons are nice."

"That they are…maybe little too enthusiastic. Dardau gave me a pat on the back, and I fell flat on my face. He knocked the wind out of me. Called me a little guy." I laughed; the Gorons were definitely strong, that was for sure." I looked around as we walked to the hut and wondered what time it was. It was difficult to observe the time of day as the sky was littered with ash and smoke. I saw some blue peeking through, but not enough to tell time. I hoped Zelda would arrive soon…I didn't want to be here when nighttime came. The charm on my ring would be done by then, and I had no idea how I would be able to access medicine.

Brother Dardau and Brother Kobi escorted us to the entrance of the Elder's hut, and immediately put their hand over their chest, dipping into a low bow. I wasn't sure if it was customary for me to do the same, so I just awkwardly stood there, waiting to be introduced. They stepped aside, and a massive Goron stood in front of me. Tribal tattoos were on his body, and he had a long, white beard. Despite his intimidating appearance, his black eyes were kind; I sensed a brave, proud, and kindhearted individual.

"Welcome, Sister Jelina and Brother Luigi. You have traveled far, and I am glad to see that you are well. Please, have a seat." He pointed to two small stools. "Queen Zelda will be arriving at nightfall to take you to Hyrule Castle."

"Thank you for all your help, Elder." Luigi bowed his head, and I mimicked him. "We appreciate your hospitality and helping us."

"We Gorons are happy to help! Can I get you two anything?" I wasn't really sure what he could give me, seeing that I couldn't remove my helmet to eat or drink, so I shook my head no. "This is not the first time the Gorons have been called upon to help." He looked to the side, and I saw a giant hammer and sword leaning against the cave wall. "My ancestors aided many heroes, and I fear that I time may be approaching where the Gorons will be aiding a new hero."

Luigi's legs started shaking, and I knew he was a little anxious. I gently patted his leg, and he calmed down. "Why do you think that?" I was curious to know what was going on in Hyrule.

"Strange beasts have been lurking on the outskirts of Hyrule. We've seen an increase of lizalfos near the mines. And Death mountain has been more active than usual…" Luigi did NOT like the sound of that, and resumed bouncing his legs in nervousness.

"What are lizalfos, or do I even want to know?"

"Do you know what a lizard is?" I snorted, nodding my head. It wasn't everyday someone asked me if I knew what something so normal as a lizard was. "Well, these lizards are big, and the ones here breathe fire." I stopped laughing. "They like to hit you with their long tongues and prefer to fight from a distance. They camouflage themselves to blend in with the mountain, or sometimes swim in the lava to avoid being seen."

"They sound lovely…" I sarcastically snipped. Elder Daruk laughed.

"They will not come near here, but they cause trouble to our workers in the mines and those getting our food." He groaned. "We Gorons eat rocks but prefer to have rocks near the mines. They taste better." Whatever you say…I looked at Luigi.

"Remind me not to eat their food," I whispered. He agreed. "I do have a question. On our way here, we encountered these red pig looking things. Do you know what they are?"

Elder Daruk grunted. "Bokoblins. I haven't seen any in the mountains, but they tend to stay away from here. That is not a good sign, not a good sign at all…" Elder Daruk sighed. "Nothing but evil comes with them. It is odd you saw them in the Mushroom Kingdom…" I didn't bother mentioning the redeads, since I knew what those were. I had a feeling that Bowser and Ganondorf were working together…but why?

"Is…is there anything else we should know?" Luigi looked a little overloaded with information.

"We will speak more when Queen Zelda arrives." Even though our suits protected us from the heat, the warmth was starting to bother me, making me drowsy. Elder Daruk noticed and stood up. "You two have had a long journey and look in need of rest. Brothers Kobi and Dardau will take you to the inn, where you can sleep. We have food and water if you need it."

"How…how can we eat with our helmets on?"

"Oh! I forgot!" He walked to a shelf and picked up two bottles filled with a muddy brownish red liquid. "This fireproof elixir will take care of that. It's a strong dose and will last almost twenty minutes! You have to drink it quickly, or you'll burst into flames!" He laughed and slapped us on the back in jest.

"Gee…thanks…" Luigi said as he took a bottle. "I'll, err, remember that."

"At least we know if I need medicine, I can take this so you can remove my gear."

"I will let you know when Queen Zelda arrives. Enough talk, go rest." We followed the brothers to a small inn where stone beds were lined up against the wall. I really didn't care about comfort; my head was starting to swim with the excessive heat. I rested on the bed, and Luigi sat on the one next to me.

"Well, hopefully we'll be out of here soon. I'm not too thrilled with the idea of suddenly bursting into flames."

"Me, neither. Wake me if anything happens." He nodded, and we both fell into in a hazy nap.

I awoke to find myself surrounded by an endless clear, blue sky, standing in a shallow pool of lukewarm water. I was unclothed, and when I looked at my body, my skin was smooth, free of blemishes and bruises, and was giving off a slight white glow. I felt my face, and the scar I had grown accustomed to was no longer there. Where was I?

"Je…li…na…" A deep voice called my name, which echoed in the vast sky. "Je…li…na…"

"Who are you?" I waited, but no one appeared.

"Join…me…join…us" I wildly looked around, spinning in a circle. Where was this voice coming from?

"What do you want?"

"You…Jelina…I…want…you…"

A chill ran down my spine, and I wrapped my arms around my body. "Bowser? Is that you?"

"No…Bowser is…weak…a fool…" I started walking, feeling antsy just standing in one spot for so long, but I wasn't really going anywhere. "I…am his master…I…am power…" My breath hitched, and I recalled a name associated with power.

"Ganondorf," I whispered. Straight ahead, a large, bulky shadow appeared. He seemed to be walking through a fog. He gave a low, menacing chuckle.

"Yes…" The shadow grew, but its appearance was still hazy. "Your magic…is strong" He continued to approach me, but still was masked in a veil of darkness. "We could be…so…powerful…" I tried to back away from him, but I was trapped. "Join me…Jelina…leave your pathetic allies…they'll all be dead…like the others…" My body began to glow as I became angry. There was no way I would let him kill my friends.

"NO!" White light shot out from my hands towards him. Red eyes glowed from the shadow as dark storm clouds roared in the sky; I felt Ganondorf's rage and anger.

"You…you will yield…to me…" A dark blast of energy appeared from him, shooting towards me. I didn't know how to defend myself, and closed my eyes, crying out in fear. I waited for the blast to strike me, but it never did.

I opened my eyes to see an ethereal golden glow encasing me. Ganondorf's shadow was being pierced by bright light, and he gave an earth shattering scream. His shadow burst into tiny black fragments, but I heard his menacing laugh echo in the air. "This…isn't…over…Jelina…" The fragments disappeared, and the sky returned to a beautiful blue. The golden glow around me faded, and I was alone, wondering what just happened and what I should do next. I tried to call for help, but there was no response. The silence was maddening, and I began to feel hopeless. The glow encompassing my being began to fade, and I sat in the water and wept.

I eventually laid in the water, feeling the warmth envelop my being, but it provided little comfort. I stared at the blue sky, wondering where I was. There were moments where I felt the presence of someone close by. Their essence would try to reach me but was unable to. I recognized Luigi's essence, and cried out his name to help me, but like the others, he remained far away.

Time appeared to stand still, so I had no idea how long I sat there, wallowing in misery and loneliness. Nothing changed…the water remained warm, the air was mild, and the sky was blue. I stared blankly at the sky; my tears had dried up ages ago. Questions continually ran through my mind, which distracted me from the monotony. How long would I have to wait until someone was able to reach me? What was that golden barrier protecting me? Why was I even here? I didn't notice the soft white glow around me shimmer with the appearance of another essence.

"Please…come back…" It was the first time I heard someone else since Ganondorf left. "Please…I need you. I…I love you…Please…" I couldn't make out the male voice, as it sounded hazy and muffled, but I recognized it. I sat up, turning around to see a brilliant white light behind me. It radiated love and compassion, and my essence felt an overwhelming need to be with him. I felt our essences were meant to be together. The essence came closer, close enough to touch me. It hesitated as it approached, and I reached out my arms, welcoming the safety and warmth it provided. We shimmered, swirling together to become one. I laughed with joy and exhilaration as the water and sky faded. My vision was suddenly blinded by a flash, and everything became dark.

I opened my eyes and saw I was in a dark room. Someone was walking out the door…I couldn't tell who it was, but he was surrounded by that same bright, glistening light. I felt bound to him, and my essence yearned to be with him. I tried to call out, but my throat was too dry to make a noise. I watched him close the door, feeling a heavy emptiness in the room. I felt my face become wet with tears. Eventually, fatigue overtook me, and I fell back asleep.