A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: A single singer is demarked in italics "like this", while a crowd singing is demarked "like this."
Author's second note: This chapter features a very, very profane rant from a character. You have been warned.
It was dark except for the torches that cast a red hue throughout the tunnel, save for the shadows that leapt up and flickered wherever the light momentarily could not reach. It smelled strangely of baked goods deep in the mountain, and Renee Shiftlett was sure that she'd never smelled something like this before. Then again, she had never been outside of what was normally considered to be Hyrule. This was completely alien territory to her.
She heard the shuffling of footsteps around her, and shuddered despite it being rather warm. The Goron force was marching at a brisk pace, carrying their wounded and dead through the tunnel with them. The Hyrulian force that had defended them was sort of drawn into the shuffle, and they were moving too quickly and with too obvious of a purpose to stop and question why. She turned behind her to see the mouth of the cave that they had entered. The Gorons had already caved it in, in order to prevent the enemy from following them. While that meant that they were safe from the coming storm, it also meant that, for all intents and purposes, she and her force were trapped. They were at the mercy of the Gorons. And though the Goron Kingdom was their ally…she was still very uncomfortable being led through the darkness.
After some time travelling, they reached the end of the tunnel, and spilled out into a massive cave. Despite herself, Renee gasped in awe. They were clearly deep within the mountains, and here in front of them was the kingdom of the Gorons. It was a massive city, seemingly carved into the walls of the cave, with a massive and earthen castle in the center of it all. It looked like a massive and incredibly well-designed anthill, with Gorons rushing from place to place as swiftly as they could. It was a veritable hive of activity. Renee found herself captivated.
At that moment, a cadre of heavily-armored Goron rolled up to the tired force, and unrolled to a standing position. The leader of them, a gruff-looking fellow, turned towards the force.
"Brothers!" He barked. "What news do you bring from the front?"
"The Valley is lost to the darkness!" The surviving Goron captain replied. "We have sealed the tunnel entrance, but in doing so have cut off our fastest entrance to the Valley of the Seers. The Sorceress is MIA, and we bring with us the brave Hyrulian souls that helped our retreat." The leader of the welcoming force stared at the Hyrulians somewhat suspiciously.
"Who among you is Elder Brother of your force?" The Goron asked. Renee rode forward. Her horse snorted somewhat uncomfortably. It was hot under the mountain.
"I am." She said. "I am Renee Shiftlett, and I am-"
"Come with me, Renee of Shiftlett." The Goron captain cut her off. "The High King requests an audience with you." He gestured hastily for her to follow. The Spymaster barely had any time to react before she spurred her horse to follow.
She was led into the castle, forced to leave the majority of her force loitering outside on the courtyard. A pair of heavily-armed Gorons escorted her through the stony halls, their steps echoing off of the floor. There were lines of Gorons on either sides of the hallway, dressed in ceremonial garb, but other than that they did not acknowledge the trio. Finally, the two Gorons banged open a large stone wall as if it had been made of tissue paper. Renee blinked once in shock at their display of strength, and followed them into the throne room of the Goron High King.
High King Petra was pacing back and forth in front of a great stone table, a map of the known world laid out in front of him. With one hand, he rested the majority of his weight on a large wooden walking stick that seemed less and stick and more a small tree trunk. With his other hand, he stroked his long and white beard. He looked up at the approaching three, and nodded.
"Salutation greetings, esteemed sister." He said. "Are you well good?"
"Hmm?" Renee sputtered. "Erm, I am, uh, well-good, esteemed high brother." She said, struggling to remember the proper protocol in addressing a Goron noble. High King Petra's wrinkled face revealed a small smile, and he shook his head.
"Peace harmony, sister. You need not worry fret of how you address speak to me. A simple 'Brother' shall suffice-serve." He said. Renee nodded.
"I…see." She said. She vaguely recalled a moment months ago, during a meeting with her boss Lord Falk Reedus, how the latter had cursed the correspondence of the Goron King for including what he deemed "bloody unneccesary double-speak," but as the Goddesses were her witness, it was clear that it was not simply a move designed to get under the high-strung Lord's skin. "Um, Why have you requested my presence?" She asked. Petra raised an eyebrow, as if confused that she'd even ask.
"For advice counsel, sister." He said. He gestured to the map in front of him. "The drums of Goro-Boro* cry tell of…darkness walking the land. I wish request to hear what the truth fact of the matter is." He said. "You are a commander leader for Hyrule, yes?"
"Um…sort of?" Renee said. "I am the Spymaster, but…" She was cut off by the excited look in Petra's eyes.
"Spy snoop?" He asked. "Most wonderful excellent! Tell me, what do you know tell of the enemy?"
"I…" Renee found herself trailing off. She looked around, and then hung her head.
"Sister?" Petra asked, looking at her with confusion. Renee looked up at him with tired defeated eyes.
"Petra, I only just took this job a few days ago. Up until this point, I was just a scribe under the Hyrulian Lord Judicial. I…I don't know what I'm doing." She said. She paused, staring at the map in front of her like it was a foreign language. "I don't know what I'm doing." She repeated, as if it was all she could say.
…
They had been travelling for what seemed to be an eternity, but in reality it was perhaps little more than a few days. They hadn't stopped, trusting themselves that they were going in the right direction. It did not take them that long to catch up with the shattered remnants of the Hyrulian refugees. They were all refugees. Rich and poor, young and old, healthy and sick…all were victims of the tidal wave of darkness that had pushed them out of their homes.
She refused to use a horse, insisting that she too be one of the ones that sacrificed their rest for those that needed it. Zelda walked through the travelling caravan of people, all headed in the general direction of what they thought might be a fleeting salvation. Periodically, she found herself looking back in the direction of her kingdom. She thought of the castle, and of the servants that had refused to abandon their posts. She thought of the people that were unable to get out in time. And most of all, she thought of the fact that she had had to abandon her kingdom. She was a princess with no castle, in charge of a people with no home.
"Ahoy!" A burly Ravager shouted. "Good rest land ahead! Cool water to drink, and grass to sit on. Make haste! The day's travel is almost done!" He said. As the Hyrulians had fled like dogs from their home, they realized ever moreso that their survival depended on the small pockets of Ravagers that gravitated towards their weak and undefended party over the course of their exodus. And Zelda could not deny it: they were rough-looking and they did not carry themselves like it, but they were angels. Angels with dirty faces, but angels nonetheless.
Whenever she found herself getting tired, she felt his strong arm wrapping itself around her shoulder and keeping her upright. The bruises and cuts were healing slowly, and he continued to refuse medicine so that others could take it, but Link was proving that he was made of iron. Whenever she stumbled, he was there to pick her up. Whenever someone needed a burst of hope, he was there for them. And whenever he faltered, she was there for him too. He was truly the hero of the era, and the man that she would give her life for. And he knew that he would do the same for her.
"Easy, princess…" he whispered hoarsely. He must have taken a shot to the throat, for his voice was scratchy and low. He barely sounded like himself. He hadn't bothered to change out of his ripped and battered clothing, but at least had washed the blood off of his face. That would have to suffice. He would take no more help.
Lord Gawain was somewhere in the back, being tended to by doctors. He had taken shrapnel to the face, and as they last told her, he was hanging somewhere between life and death. She did not know where Impa or Ishaka were. Itami, for all she knew, had been killed. Lana was a non-factor. The Gorons and the Zoras were no doubt closing and hunkering down in preparation for when the storm turned to them. They were alone in the wilderness, and she was to lead them. She had no idea where to go.
As the sun started to set over the horizon, the exhausted Hyrulian caravan stopped at a small sliver of the River Hylia, that they would all be able to cross. The battered remnants of the Hyrulian army, as well as the pockets of Ravagers that had joined them thus far, spread out to the perimeter of the camp and started setting up rudimentary defenses. It was mostly an exercise in futility. If the enemy wanted to, he could easily override the camp and destroy it all. And yet by the grace of the Goddesses, he stayed in Castle Town.
…
Letting out a moan of exhaustion, Zelda felt her feet give out. Link caught her, and gently carried her bridal-style to the grassy banks of the River Hylia. Others were taking the time to finally catch their breath, collapsing on the ground as days of frantic marching ook its toll. The moans and cries of the wounded and exhausted started to fill the air. It was a melancholy air, the despair rising.
"Are you okay?" Zelda managed to ask Link. He looked at her and nodded through gritted teeth.
"Never been better." He said. He was lying through his teeth. She felt her heart breaking, and wished she could take some of his pain. The fact that he was still standing was remarkable. She buried her head in her hands, and silently wept.
But then she heard someone call her name, and she looked up. It was one of the nobility, a woman of elegant air and grace, even in these horrid conditions. She had been beautiful once, and was still graceful now.
"My lady!" She called out. Zelda nodded, the tears already dried.
"Yes, Maria?" She asked. Maria Grantham, wife of Elijah, walked up to the princess.
"Do…do you know where my husband is?" She asked. "I haven't seen him since he ordered me to take Joshua and run-"
"I should have stayed!" A male voice roared. They turned to see a young man perhaps just entering his twenties, who bore a striking resemblance to the missing Minister of the Interior, kicking the dirt in a rage. "I am a man! I should have been there, mom!"
"Joshua, that will not help things." Maria said, keeping her calm. Yet it was clear that she was worried sick.
"I am certain that he will be alright." Zelda said. "He will turn up. Elijah is…a crafty one."
"Yes…he is…" Maria said, though it was clear that her worry was not terribly abated. She turned to look at Link, and winced. "My Goddess, sweetheart are you alright?"
"M'fine." Link grunted. Maria Grantham frowned.
"Hardly. You can barely move from the pain. Come with me, young man. I was a nurse once, but I will gladly dust off my skills for the hero." She grabbed him gently by the hand. She gave the princess a look. "I will care for him, my lady." She said, leading the badly wincing and limping hero with her to the impromptu medical tent. Zelda sat there, staring after him forlornly. Then, slowly, she got up and started walking through the camp.
She walked tall, holding herself up high. If she could do that, then her people would be inspired to do so as well. She was their queen-to-be. And no one would break her. She walked through the crowd, helping calm the fears of the children, tending for those that asked for her, and dispensing whatever morale boosts she could. The people were battered, weakened and sick with worry. But despair would not take them. She was the princess of iron, and she would not let them.
"Zelda!"
She turned around, and barely had time to react before Impa crashed into her, wrapping her tightly in a bear hug. For a moment, Zelda forgot her princess-like demeanor. She thought that she would never see her dear friend again. As she hugged Impa, perhaps it was that that caused something to break within her. Or perhaps it was long overdue.
Either way, tears of relief streamed down her face. Those that saw it said that it was one of the most haunting…and yet beautiful things they'd ever seen.
They broke the embrace, and Impa held Zelda by the shoulders.
"Are you ok?" She managed to ask. Zelda chuckled through the tears.
"Yes. Even moreso now that I know that you are alive." She said. "Why…why did you go back?"
"I could not leave Ishaka." Impa said. "You are my princess, and he is my close friend. I could not leave either of you to your fate…so I didn't."
"I understand." Zelda said. "Where is Ishaka?" She asked. Impa's relieved face gave way to solemnity.
"He is…over there." Impa said. She gestured behind the princess, who looked towards the riverbank.
Ishaka was standing out there, his feet submerged in the lapping banks of the River Hylia. He was staring out into space. His hands were in his coat pockets, and there was a lazy cloud of smoke surrounding his face. It was thicker than normal. It looked like he was shivering, despite it being quite warm out.
"How…how long has he been there?" Zelda asked.
"Since we arrived." Impa said. "He has not moved. Won't even respond to his name." She said.
"What happened?" Zelda said. "What happened to him?"
"I…" Impa trailed off. "It's…complicated, Zelda."
"I have patience." Zelda said. "Secrets are overrated, especially when you are on the run. What did he see?"
"It isn't so much what he saw…" Impa said. "It's what he…learned."
"And what is that?" Zelda asked.
"I…I don't even know where to begin." Impa said. "But whatever it was, it must have been something awful to make him cry like that."
…
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
He held her in his hands, running his fingers over her neck for the pulse. It was faint, but it was getting harder to find. Beside him, a few of the soldiers were faithfully following his orders for whatever he asked. The remaining three stood guard, but there was no one in sight to attack. They were left to listen to his increasingly frantic orders.
"Gimme-gimme my bag." Itami said. "Gimme-gimme the blue vial."
"Light blue?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Yes. Gimme-gimme-gimme." Itami said rapidly. He took the bottle, uncorked the top, and gently poured the liquid down Lana's throat. He worked her jaw and throat to make sure that she swallowed it properly. He held her head up, and listened to her heartbeat. It was getting fainter.
"Set her hand!" He said. He pointed to Lana's clearly-broken hand. "Grab the splints I have. Move!" He said. He turned to Lana, and started stroking her forehead. "Lana? C'mon. Lana. Wake up. Don't leave us. Not now. Fight it!"
"Itami…"
"Shut up!" Itami barked at the soldier. "Set her fucking hand!" She still hadn't opened her eyes. "Lana, c'mon. Lana, fight it out! You're strong, you can do this!" He turned to the soldiers with him. "Gimme…gimme the yellow leaves! NOW!" He got them, and he started to lay them on Lana's forehead.
"Wh-what for?" The soldier who gave them to him asked.
"Fever. She can't get a fever. Lana! Lana, c'mon. Hang in there, Lana." Itami was sweating profusely. A slowly rising panic was growing in his chest. Nothing was working.
"Mr. Itami, it might be time to-"
"NO!" Itami snapped. "It isn't over! She can make it! Gimme the red vial of Chu-Chu jelly!" He uncorked the bottle. "Fuck!" He nearly dropped it. "Start-start spreading it on her cuts on her arms and legs. NOW!"
They obeyed.
It wasn't working.
"Goddess damn it!" Itami said. "C'mon, Lana! Fight it out! FIGHT IT!"
He leaned in to listen to her breath, and feel her pulse.
There wasn't any.
Slowly, he pulled away from her. The other soldiers had slowly stood up, and were standing around the two of them.
"Mr. Itami…I'm so sorry." One of the soldiers said. "You did everything you cou-"
"YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKERS!" Itami suddenly screamed, with enough force to cause the rest of them to recoil in shock. They gave him space and he reared back and roared to the heavens. "How DARE you! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO HER? What did she do to piss you heartless bastards off? She's. JUST. A WOMAN! She did NOTHING to deserve this! NOTHING! And you DARE to take her because you…because you think THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN? YOU THINK THAT THIS IS HER HOUR? FUCK YOU!" He started pointing to the heavens. "FUCK YOU DIN! FUCK YOU FARORE! AND FUCK YOU TOO, NAYRU! I curse your very names! I spit on your 'holy' relics! I DEFY YOUR DIVINITY!" The tears of rage were running down his face now. "YOU. WILL NOT. TAKE HER!" He opened his eyes, and a maniacal look of crazed delight masked his face. "You think that you decide her fate? You think that you are going to carry her off to Valhalla*? FUCK. THAT. I am her doctor! I decide if she lives or if she dies! And I AM GOING TO BEAT YOU!"
At that moment, they all heard something.
It was a gasping cough.
Itami turned to stare at Lana, his eyes wide and his jaw slackened in shock. Lana was coughing profusely. She must have swallowed water at some point, because she was spitting it up. Itami swiftly reacted by helping her cough the water out of her system and not re-swallow it. And then, as soon as the water was gone, he heard the most amazing sound in the world.
She gasped, and began to breathe again.
There was an incredulous pause. Itami held her in his hands, staring at her as if he held the Triforce itself in his hands. Then, one of the Hyrulian warriors behind him spoke.
"…I think the Goddesses heard you, Mr. Itami."
Slowly, Lana opened her eyes. She flitted them from left to right, as if taking in her surroundings. Then she made eye contact with Itami, and furrowed her brow.
"I…Itami?" She asked weakly. "Why…why are you here? Why are we…why are we in the marshlands?" She suddenly gasped in pain. "And why does my hand hurt so badly?"
Itami stared at her, his expression blank and his jaw slack.
They became aware of a sound. It started off soft, like a whisper in the wind. But then it started to grow and grow like the light rising in the east. It was a sound that they had never heard before.
Itami was laughing.
He flopped on his back, landing hard on the dry ground. His arms were splayed out as if he was about to make a snow angel, and he stared up to the heavens and the clear blue sky. He laughed as if a lifetime of stress and anger was being purged from his very being. It made the others break their miserable grimaces, and feel a warmth in their hearts. They began to smile as well. How could they not? Though he never said it, there was something deep within them that knew that this was the laughter of a man who had finally made peace with an old enemy.
Lana slowly sat upright, and glanced over at Itami, whose laughter had died down to mere chuckles. She woozily smiled.
"Are you alright, Itami?"
He sat up as well, and looked her in the eye. And then he did something that she had never seen before.
He smiled.
It was not the typical grimace that he often wore. It wasn't the sardonic smirk he wore after a joke or an insult. It was that smile. That smile; that warmed you to your core, and showed the true depths of the one smiling were not as dark as you once thought. That smile; that lit up one's face and made them positively glow like a radiant light. That smile; that told you, deep within your heart, that everything was going to be alright in the end.
That smile was the smile he shared with her now.
Lana's eyes widened in shock at the sight before her, and then she smiled right back.
"Oh, do that again!" She said. With her good hand, she reached forward and pinched his cheek. "You should smile more often, Itami." She smiled warmly. "It's a good look on you."
"She's not wrong." One of the Hyrulians remarked. "You don't look like such a tightass after all." The five of them started to chuckle. Itami narrowed his eyes and shot tem a look, but his smile didn't disappear.
"Shut up, you maroons." He said. He stood up, gathering the materials into his bag. He held out his hand, and lifted Lana up to her feet. He brushed himself off. "If we're done here, I think it's time we met up with the rest of the world. I think that they need to know what we found out here."
"But what if he's already taken them?" Lana asked, worry in her face and tone. Itami looked at her, and smiled again. This time, he radianted confidence.
"Then we gather up those that remain…and we kill him." He said. He helped Lana up to his horse, and then hopped up to sit behind her. "Let's ride!" He said.
The small band of men and one Sorceress gave a cheer, and began to gallop through the marshes and the mud, towards the rising sun.
HYRULIAN CODEX
Drums of Goro-Boro – The Drums of Goro-Boro are the colloquial name given for the intricate drum system that originates out of the Goron capital of Goro-Boro, and is honeycombed throughout the entire Goron kingdom. They echo off of the walls of caverns excellently, and are an easy and fast way to communicate. In order to deal with echoes, the drummers and listeners are highly trained to determine what are actual beats and what are echoes. It is a surprisingly difficult job, and only the bravest and stoutest can do it.
Valhalla – Another name for the Afterlife.