Oh hey there people! Glad to see you guys are reading this! It gives me great joy to know my hard work is being appreciated.
That being said, here is chapter eight for you all. Crazy plot twists are going to go down here.
Stay classy and enjoy!
"Faster, Zelda!"
I shot the arrows at the targets as fast and as accurately as I could. Overall, for a one minute-ten target ratio it wasn't bad. Last time I hit seven bull's eyes. The timer went off in his hand, and I had just drawn the bow for the last target.
"Again, until you get all ten."
Man, Link was strict.
"Link, can I have a break? We've been at this for a solid hour."
He hesitated, looking me over. My main injuries have healed, but I now had scratches all over my arms where my arm guards didn't reach. He walks over to me and grabs my hands. I can feel his magic already pouring into me. I take a deep breath, feeling the magic. It climbs up my arms as if I am dipping them slowly into wavy water. I open my eyes to watch for a bit and can't believe my eyes. I've never seen healing magic done this way.
My arms glow a white-gold color with what looked like strings of magic encompassing the healing area. Link has a look of complete focus about him. Once he was done treating my arms, he didn't let my hands go. Instead, I started to feel more energized. I looked at him in confusion. He simply smiled and gave me a light peck on the lips.
"Now you'll be able to keep going until you get all ten. I know you can do it." He drops my hands and assumes his teacher's pose—folded arms, feet spread shoulder width apart and staring me down as if challenging me.
I accept.
I stand in the starting spot, draw an arrow, knock it, and wait for his signal. He gives a nod.
"Begin."
I shoot for the ones I know I can hit instantly. One directly in front, one slightly above it, one up to the right about fifteen feet, the two below it, and then it starts to get tricky. The other ones I have to move a bit, so I run to my left about five feet to reveal a set of three targets all stacked upon one another, but these ones move behind the tree and back at different intervals.
As if it wasn't already challenging enough.
I take a deep breath and shoot for the middle one, the top, the bottom. Now I have to run a foot to the right of where I started, turn at a forty five degree angle and aim for the two targets moving in a circle. I predict the path and loose the first arrow. Then, find the path of the second one and loose the last arrow.
I hit all ten.
Before the timer went off.
I look at my work in amazement. Without Link's persistence and guidance, this wouldn't be possible. I hold my bow to my side and tilt my head to look at him. He simply gives me his crooked grin.
"Nice work," he says.
"Thanks. It had something to do with my teacher. Maybe. It could just be my raw talent."
"Yeah, it's probably that," he responds with a laugh.
"Hey! What are you laughing at?" He starts moving closer.
"You," he smiles.
"I thought we had a deal that you couldn't make fun of me," I laugh while saying it, so it didn't come off as strongly as I had hoped. He was now standing right in front of me, looking down at me.
"Sorry," he says with a chuckle. He brings his hands up to cup my face and plant a kiss to my forehead. I smile.
"Now," he says as he pulls back. "Do you think you're up for more training? I could teach you some magic techniques that will help you zone your magic to a specific spot rather than it building and causing yourself damage. We have about a half hour left of our scheduled training time."
"Do you know what else we could do with that training time?" I say, binging my hand up to trail his arm with my fingertips. He doesn't answer.
"We could go to the endless waterfall," I whisper.
"We could," he began slowly, "but the headmaster said to stay in this area."
"Oh, come on, Link!" I grab his hand and pull him closer. "I did the ten-arrow challenge!"
"Yes you did. You did it admirably, but I would have to come up with a reason we needed to go there and clear it with the headmaster. Trust me. This is one guy you really don't want to cross."
"Fine," I mumble. "But clear it with him soon. That way, we could practice my magic while roundabout going on a date!"
"Deal," he laughs.
"What?" I say, looking at him.
"I didn't realize you are such a girly girl, getting excited about a date."
"Every girl gets excited about a date, including the most 'tomboy 'of us all. Namely me."
Link closes his eyes and shakes his head.
"You got me. Now let's head back inside. I've got some magic books that Fledge dropped off today that might help us with your technique."
"Okay," I submit. He takes my hand, intertwining our fingers, and leads me back inside.
"Link," I say quietly when he shuts the door to his room. I suddenly feel nervous, and I know why. "Something has been bothering me ever since my fight with Ghirahim." I look to the floor touching the tips of my shoes together. Link walks over and places his hands on my shoulders. He knows my little nervous habit.
"What is that?" He asks.
"Something he said. Well, two somethings," he leads me to his bed and we both sit down. I scoot back to the wall and he follows suit. I place my head on his shoulder and he grabs my hand between us. He knows just how to comfort me.
I am so nervous to tell him about my little secret. I almost contemplate not to, but don't see how it will help my situation any more. I sigh and get on with it.
"Link," I start quietly, "first off, there is something you should know. Something in my lineage that has made Ghirahim desire me over any other girl or woman," I take a deep breath, lifting my head to his ear. "I am a descendant of the human form goddess, Hylia."
I whisper it as quietly as I could, but it still felt too loud to me. I never told anyone this. It was my deepest secret. I grab one of his blankets to cover myself up. I suddenly felt cold and bare. Cowering into the wall behind me for support, I look at Link again. His expression.
He is shocked, I can tell, but his expression says otherwise. He looks calm, almost impressed, and curious. That helps me get the rest out. It helps pull me out of my shell I have lived in so long.
"Being a descendant, I have never told anyone. You are the first person I have ever told. Keep it secret?" I ask him. He nods.
"I will take it to my grave if I have to."
"Don't take it too soon, though," I say, squeezing his hand between us. He smiles. I take another deep breath, continuing.
"Ghirahim knew. Somehow he knew. My father and I were the only ones who knew, since he is the only other descendant. But, he didn't get that information from me. I think—" I suck in a breath. "I think he got that information from my dad somehow." I burrow my face into his chest and he wraps his arms around me.
"Zel," he says soothingly. "We'll check on your family and see if he is okay. I promise." I look at him in thanks. He gives me a small smile, encouraging me to continue.
"Okay." I refocus my train of thought. "The other thing that he said to me after I used the focused magic to send him down on the staircase, and used the wall to further my descent getting away from him, was that I had awakened my inner 'Sheikah'. He said that my mother was the last pure blood of her kind, and that it was now mixed within me, along with the blood of the human goddess running in my veins."
Link froze. I turned my attention to him and knitted my eyebrows together.
"Have you heard of the Sheikah before, Link?"
He nods.
"I've heard of them before. I've met one."
I put my hand on his leg, encouraging him to continue.
"It begins when I had first gotten my crimson loftwing. I was seven, and going for a small ride around the island. I wasn't allowed to fly without solid ground underneath me yet. My parents were watching. They were so proud," he zones out for a second. I know how hard it is to lose a parent. I can't imagine losing both. I squeeze his hand, bringing him back.
"Anyway, there was an air updraft that I couldn't sense at the time that blew me off course a bit. And by a bit, I mean it flew me right off the path of the island and sent me spiraling to the cloud barrier. I saw two figures jump off the platform and get their loftwings—my parents—and I tried to get my crimson loftwing to fly normally. I was thankfully headed directly for one of the lower patches of rock underneath the island. I pulled up just in time to land on it. Not without wiping out, though. I went to check if my loftwing was injured. He had a stick impaled in his wing. I started to summon magic, but being seven I couldn't control it properly. I felt a hand clasp my shoulder.
I looked up, expecting to see one of my parents, but instead was looking at a stranger. She had odd clothing—almost tribal looking, and had the shape of an eye on her shirt. She knelt down and removed the stick from his wing and continued to heal it. I stared in amazement. She then turned to me and focused her magic to her finger. She tapped my forehead and suddenly dozens of images flew in my mind—techniques for magic, new spells, different and easier approaches to the same spells.
I was stunned. I had no idea this type of magic existed. She removed her hand and whispered into my ear. She said her name was Impa and that she would help whenever I called upon her. The she vanished into thin air." Link is slowly returning to this room from his memories and looks over to me.
"I wonder if that could work now," he pondered aloud.
"If what could work?" He turned his head to me.
"Calling Impa."
I stay silent, looking at him. Then I think of something.
"How would you call her?"
That brings him up short. He closes his eyes and focuses. He must be trying to remember if she said or did anything do indicate how to call her. His eyes fly open wide and his mouth opens.
"Zel," he whispers.
"Yeah?" I place a hand on his shoulder.
"We need to go to the endless waterfall. When is the full moon?"
I am taken back by that sudden question, but don't know the answer, either. We both start searching for a calendar. I hear a victorious whoop and pages scratching behind me. He must have found one. And found the next full moon, by the sound of his groaning.
I turn and look over his shoulder, find the date and also groan.
It's tonight.
And the headmaster is already sleeping, since lights out was technically a half hour ago.
Wait, what?
I look at the clock and realize I am correct. We have been talking well into the night. I give a small laugh and Link looks over his shoulder at me.
"What?"
"Just look at the clock." I point to his desk.
He reads the time and it slowly hits him that we are breaking a school rule. I laugh, and he joins.
"Well, since we already unintentionally broke a school rule, why not break another and visit the endless waterfall?" He submits. "Looks like you get your date after all, Zel."
"Yes!" I throw a fist in the air and he laughs at me. He wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Zel," he says into my ear.
"For what?" I ask.
"Helping me remember."
I am confused why he said that. I didn't do much to help him. All I did was tell him my lineage. But before I could even think any more on the topic, he is already pulling me over to the door. He pauses, then goes over to his closet and pulls out two long black cloaks. I quirk an eyebrow.
"Cloaks? Really? Isn't that a little old fashioned, Link?"
"Maybe," he admits, "but these aren't your average cloak. Just put one on and you'll see." He waits for me to put it on. I sigh and pull it over my head, clasping it at the neck. His smile gets even bigger as he pulls his on too. I don't see how this is going to work.
"I know you don't feel it," he says, pulling me toward his mirror, "but you are actually now invisible. Look for yourself!"
Thinking this is a bad excuse for a joke, I turn around and—
I don't see my reflection.
I touch the glass, but nothing moves in the reflection. I turn and see Link right next to me.
"What kind of magic is this, Link?" I ask, stunned.
"Concealment magic traces are woven in with the threads. And they added a spell so you could see the other user of the pair of cloaks. These cloaks not only conceal us from sight, they conceal our sound as well."
"Wow, that's just way too convenient. How did you come across these?"
"They were my parents'."
I look down, embarrassed. He grabbed my hand and led me to his door. We entered the silent hall, moonlight streaming in through the occasional window, and made our way to a secret back exit that Link remembered seeing a long time ago. We exit the building and walk over to the pool of water on the other side of the island. Not without running into a couple remlits.
"Yeah," Link said, "Unfortunately the cloaks don't work on remlits. I've tried this before, but every time the animals can see right through them."
I laugh.
"Well, it's a good thing that it's not animals we are hiding from."
"True. Now come on, here's the path to get to the falls."
There were four platforms to get across the water. We crossed them with ease, and made our way to the vines that surrounded the rock for the base of the falls. Link reaches into his pocket for something and I am surprised when he pulls out a hookshot.
"Link! Where on earth did you get a hookshot?"
"It belonged to my dad. It's a family heirloom, along with a bunch of other handy tools. Now hold on to me." He said all this while readying the hookshot.
I raise my eyebrows, but walk over to him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. He wraps his free arm around my waist, and raises his other arm toward the upper vines. I close my eyes. He releases it and it grabs on the first try. The pull is impressively fast for carrying two people. Not even five seconds has passed and we're already standing on a ledge just under the top of the cliff face. Link puts the hookshot away and helps me climb. Once I'm up, he jumps up and grabs the ledge, pulling himself up.
"Show-off," I scoff. He smiles and places his fists on his hips. We start laughing. Good thing these cloaks don't let anyone else hear us. He grabs my hand and walks me to the water's edge. I watch anxious as to what he is going to try. He reaches into his pocket again and pulls out an ocarina.
"Link," I say, half amused, half amazed, "how many pockets have you got in your cloak?"
"There is an extension charm so I can carry as many things as I like. Now," he says as he examines the blue instrument. I see that it has a Triforce symbol near the mouthpiece, and its immaculate finish brings out the blue in the instrument.
Then it hits me.
"That's the royal family ocarina, isn't it?"
He froze bringing the instrument to his lips. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, then turns his attention to me.
"Yes."
"How did you get it?"
"Remember, in class, we were talking about the Hero of Skyloft and his descendants and students? And how one of those students was the Hero of Time?"
"Yes," I encourage him.
"Well, since we are all about learning each other's family trees tonight, I might as well tell you mine. I am the descendant of the Hero of Time."
I gape. How was it that two of the descendants of some of the most famous heroes in history were to meet at a military academy in the sky where it all began?
In no way was this simply chance.
He pulls the ocarina to his mouth and begins playing a tune. It sounded like a lullaby. It wrapped around me in its familiar arms. Then it hit me.
This is my lullaby. The one my mother would sing to me when she put me to sleep every night.
My mother, who was of the Sheikah people.
I can't decide to cry or be elated when a figure appears in the pool. At first transparent, but solidifying with each passing note. Her incredibly slim figure and long blonde hair strike a chord with me. She seems familiar somehow. Her clothes are exactly as Link described, but her face I know. Before I let the truth fully sink in, though, she opens her eyes and smiles, holding her arms out for me.
"Zelda, my baby girl. Come here."