I wrote this chapter mostly over the weekend, but I couldn't update it until now. Now bear in mind that you probably won't get another until next weekend or late next week... sorry! Hahaha just enjoy this one while you can ;) It's epic!
Chapter Thirty-Five: What Everyone Wants
"Are you ready to return to Kakariko Village, Link?" Ralis asked, glancing at Link, who was completely zoned out as he kept his eyes firmly on the paper. Thalassa and Ralis had worried expressions on their faces, but Link didn't notice. The only thing on his mind was finding Zelda, and showing her the paper. Then maybe they could solve this puzzle once and for all.
"Link?" Thalassa's smooth voice finally managed to cut through his thoughts and bring him out of his trance. Blinking, he glanced up and hurriedly tucked the paper into his tunic. "Are you ready to go?"
Link nodded as they began walking toward the corridor of water leading out of this secret alcove, and he slipped into his Zora armor. While following Thalassa and Ralis, Link zoned out yet again. The serenity and tranquility of the water put his body at ease as he swam through it. His mind, however, was far from at ease. On the contrary, the racing of his thoughts was quite uncomfortable.
As soon as the three of them emerged into Zora's Domain, the stone glowed in Ralis's hand, and then the wall lowered again, closing off the entrance and startling the reekfish around them. Link sighed, propelling himself toward the shimmering surface. The sun was still shining brightly, and Link guessed that it was about midday or afternoon. It was still relatively deserted of the Zoras that he usually saw, and it made his heart pound heavily. If he and Zelda didn't figure all of this out, Zora's Domain was going to stay like this, and Hyrule would follow suit. Soon, the entire kingdom would return to its days of ancient chaos, when the plague ruled all. Link would do whatever it took to keep that from happening. It was in his heroic nature.
"If you would like, we can go up to the throne room and prepare you for your journey home. If you feel strong enough, that is," Ralis suggested, treading expertly in the water. Still slightly disoriented, Link nodded, responding to Thalassa's encouraging smile and Ralis's blinks.
"Very good!" the enthusiastic secretary exclaimed. "Let's head up there right now!" Thalassa began leading Ralis and Link to the powerful, flowing waterfall. The Zora that usually took Link to the throne room was, of course, nowhere to be seen.
"Here, I'll take you up," Thalassa offered, noticing Link's lost look and obvious inability. She turned around, her fin wiggling on the back of her head encouragingly. Link uncertainly grabbed it, and Ralis stifled his laughs. Then, he shot upwards, fighting the flow of the water easily. Thalassa readied herself to do the same.
"Hold on tight!" she warned playfully. And without warning, she propelled herself upwards, and Link's body began flailing uncontrollably. He widened his blue eyes, and felt slight pain; Thalassa wasn't as smooth as the other Zora. Link wished that he'd learned his name...
"Well, here we are!" Thalassa welcomed, and Link shakily stood up in the now calm water. "After you, 'Messenger of the Royal Family,'" she winked teasingly.
"Go ahead. I'll be there in a moment," Link replied as he pulled the Zora armor off.
"Whatever you say. We will be waiting inside," Ralis nodded understandingly, grabbing Thalassa's scaly arm and urging her to follow him. She gave Link one last uncertain smile before disappearing with her prince through the entrance of the throne room. Link chuckled to himself, wringing the water from his blue suit. He made sure, however, that the paper was kept safe and dry. After putting all of his things and making sure everything was secure, Link stood at the top of the waterfall and faced the rest of the village, smiling at the beauty. He put his gloved hands on his hips, heaving a deep, longing sigh.
Zelda's beautiful face appeared in his head, and he cringed slightly. He had been so horrible and unfair to her, and he could imagine the terrible things she was thinking about him. He had pretty much ruined their chances of a relationship of being more than just friends—
Unless, of course, Zelda was willing to accept his apology. Because honestly, Link was willing to give her the best, most genuine apology he could.
With those thoughts in mind, Link turned from the lovely view and began making his way to the throne room, where Thalassa and Ralis were waiting for him.
"Excuse me, hero," the frighteningly familiar voice called behind him. Link, narrowing his eyes and going into attack mode, drew his sword. Then, he turned around to face the guardians, sword at the ready and prepared to pounce. There were three of them, all heavily armed, facing him. Their red eyes were piercing into him, and the flowing water of the top of the waterfall lapped at the heels of their armored feet.
Link took a menacing step forward, tightening the grip on the hilt of his sword. He had had enough of the guardians coming in and screwing up his life and the welfare of his kingdom.
"I believe you have something we want," the tallest guardian said, cracking his knuckles ominously. Link scoffed, laughing at their pointless accusations.
"You're not getting the Orb," he replied plainly.
"That's too bad," the guardian said sarcastically, tilting his head. "I was willing to do some negotiating. Because we have something that you want, as well..."
Link caught his breath anxiously. One of the two guardians flanking the large one reached behind his back, pulling something out.
It was true. The guardians did have something he wanted.
"Zelda," he gasped under his breath as they threw her down into the water and she collapsed on her knees weakly. There was a gag covering her mouth, and her hands were tied tightly together in front of her. Her dress was ripped and dirty, and there were numerous scratches and bloody cuts on her delicate skin. Her blue eyes were bloodshot and large as she looked up at him.
Link felt his stomach churn, and his heart was near bursting from his chest all together. Goose bumps appeared on his skin, and chills ran up and down his spine. His knuckles turned white from how tight he was clenching them, and his breathing became strained through his gritted teeth. Though he itched to run forward and scoop her up in the safety of his arms, he knew he couldn't. For the guardians were hovering over her dangerously, keeping their swords frighteningly near her frail body. One wrong step...
"So, about that Orb," the guardian clicked his tongue. Link's eyes were glued on Zelda, and her breathing was broken and labored. She avoided his gaze, and he could see tears on the brim of those gorgeous eyes. He could only see pain in her eyes, and he could only feel fury and the urge to crush those guards with his own bare hands. They were threatening the girl he loved, and he wasn't going to let that happen.
"I think we could do some negotiating now, am I correct?" the guardian continued. As if this was a game, and he was just playing with its toys, he knelt beside the princess and put her face in his hands, squeezing her cheeks. Link's temper flared, and he raised his sword as he stepped forward.
"It would be a shame for a pretty face like this to get hurt, wouldn't it?" he taunted.
"Don't touch her," Link growled, sucking in his breath. The other two guardians accordingly, silently stepped forward as well.
"I'm sure you want to keep her safe," the guardian continued, and Zelda struggled to get her face from his grasp. He only squeezed her cheeks harder. "And I want the Orb. I'm willing to trade, her,"
Link looked Zelda, and he felt the urge to just pull out the Orb and hand it over. He would do anything to save her...but he would also do anything to save Hyrule...
"So what's it going to be?" the guardian sighed, standing up and releasing her face. Zelda could see the hesitancy on Link's features, and when he looked at her anxiously, she widened her eyes at him and shook her head vivaciously. He stared at her blankly for a few moments, his mind and heart racing. The choice was killing him, but he knew it had to be made. It was either Hyrule, or the love of this life.
"...Release her first. Then I'll give it to you," he succumbed, sighing and diverting his gaze to the ground as he sheathed his sword. He heard Zelda's muffled screams of protest as the guardian cackled triumphantly.
"Actually, I'm going to need the Orb first," he sighed, shaking his head. Link narrowed his eyes angrily.
"No," he said bluntly. "Let her go, or you won't get the Orb," Zelda tried to scream again, but the gag created restraints. She was still shaking her head, giving Link panicked and frantic glances.
"Fine," the guardian shrugged with a sarcastically sad sigh. Then, he snapped his fingers ominously.
One of the other two guards stepped forward, grabbing Zelda's tied wrists. He easily lifted her light figure into the air, letting her dangle by her wrists. Link ran forward reflexively, and then...
"No!" Link screamed, reaching his arm out. But the guardians blocked his way as they held Zelda out over the edge of the waterfall, threatening to drop her. Her hands were being held above her head, and the princess struggled uselessly. But Link knew that if they dropped her, she would surely drown without the use of her arms and the gag on her mouth.
"The Orb," the lead guardian repeated, now completely serious. "Or we drop her."
The guardian holding Zelda narrowed his eyes, holding her higher over the edge.
"Stop!" Link cried, trying to move forward. But the other two blocked his way, pushing him back.
"The Orb, hero?" the guardian repeated. Link kept his eyes on Zelda as she wriggled, fighting his iron grip. Then, she met Link's gaze. She shook her head, slowly this time, and narrowed her eyes warningly. It was obvious that she was willing to sacrifice herself for the welfare of Hyrule; but Link didn't know if he was willing to let that happen.
In defeat, Link stepped back, reaching into his tunic. Zelda continued giving muffled screams, but he ignored her. He pulled out the incomplete Orb, though the voice in his head warned him not to. In one hand was the nearly complete orb, and in the other was the final piece. As soon as he took them out, he saw lust and longing flash in the guardians' red eyes, but Link hesitantly took another step back. They were going to do this his way.
"Give it to us!" he demanded. Link stayed silent, his hands shaking. He looked at the Orb pieces, then to the guardians, then to Zelda, and back to the Orb in his trembling fingers. Zelda's screams of protest and warning never ceased, and she kept her eyes firmly on Hyrule's last hope. "Now, hand it over!"
Link made a hasty decision as he looked at Zelda, his love and his life. There was no way he was ever going to let her die. But there was also no way he was going to put the safety of Hyrule in these ruthless brutes' hands.
"NO!" the lead guardian shouted as Link took a deep breath and took on an angry, determined expression. "STOP HIM!"
Then, he connected the Orb piece and completed it.
Zelda's eyes widened in shock, and Link clenched his teeth as he looked down at his work. As soon as the pieces came together, a bright white light flashed all around them, and Link was blinded for a moment. Then, pain rushed through his tingling fingers and flowed through the rest of his body. He couldn't suppress the scream of agony as he fell to his knees. But he didn't dare let go of the burning Orb in his hands. He could only see the silhouettes of the world around him and the creatures in it. And though it was vaguely, he was aware of the surprised guard letting go of Zelda, and she rushed down the waterfall...
Link couldn't move. The power of the Orb was overwhelming, and he screamed again as he doubled over. He could tell, though, that each time a guardian tried to touch him, he was sent back by the light being emitted by the Orb. The Triforce on Link's hand began glowing crazily, its green and gold light shimmering brightly on his hand. He groaned in pain, struggling to stay conscious. He had never imagined that this tiny little sphere could have so much power.
"NO!" the guardians all repeated, in obvious suffering as well. Finally, the light began dying down, as did Link's agony. The world was becoming clearer around him, and he could see the three monsters crouching and shrieking shrilly. Though his vision was blurred, he saw the strength seeping out of them. Then, the Orb in his hands began shaking horribly; it shook so hard that Link could barely keep a firm grip on it.
Then, doing something Link had never expected, the Orb turned bright white with black lines etching it, creating intricate and traditional designs on it. Suddenly, the guardians started screaming even louder, and they, too, started to turn completely white. As if in slow motion, their movements became slow motion, and Link squinted in wonder. Then their features started blurring, and their voices began echoing hauntingly. Finally, the Orb gave one last horrible tremor.
Then it sucked the Guardians of the Source right into it. Their bodies became more like liquid as they flowed into the glowing sphere, and Link gasped as he felt the power of the Orb being emitted. In a few seconds, the guardians were gone, leaving only a small piece of paper behind. Link was breathing heavily, still on his buckling knees as he stared in shock at the Orb. He'd never seen or felt anything like it, and it amazed him.
Suddenly, he heard a slightly distant splash.
ZELDA! Link thought, his eyes widening in sudden realization. Without a second thought, he let the Orb drop from his hands and into the water as he shakily stood up and made his way toward the edge of the waterfall. Without bothering to put on his Zora armor, he dived from the top of the waterfall. He had perfect form as he cut gracefully through the air, but there was determination and worry written all over his face. His heart pounded heavily as he hit the water, descending rapidly into its blue depths. Narrowing his eyes, he could see Zelda's silhouette slowly sinking to the bottom, and it only encouraged him to move faster. He kicked his legs and flapped his arms frantically, ignoring the lack of air. The absence of oxygen was nothing compared to the life he would have with the absence of Zelda.
Chills ran through his body when he reached her, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist. Her eyelids were fluttering, and her body was completely limp while her hands were still tied tightly. With her securely in his arms, Link started for the surface. He knew that there was no time for him to untie her hands or take off the gag... but at this rate, he wasn't going to get her to the surface in time...
Letting his instincts guide him, Link paused in the water, and reached into the small bag at his waist. He was frantic as he pulled out the mouthpiece of his Zora armor, and he placed it over Zelda's nose and mouth. Though she didn't move, Link saw her chest rising and falling slightly. Though he felt relief, he still needed to get her to the surface before he drowned himself. Keeping the mouthpiece secure, he continued for the surface.
It wasn't an easy feat. By that time, Link's lungs were crying out for air, and his legs begged for mercy as he kicked relentlessly. The only thing driving him was the girl in his arms, and the light shining on the surface only encouraged him to go faster. Link was near unconsciousness when he finally reached the surface, and his legs were barely moving by the time they broke to the air. He gulped in the air hoarsely, his eyes sunken. He coughed out the water as he breathed heavily, barely able to move. Zelda was safely above water as well, but she was fully leaning against Link. She wasn't completely unconscious, but she could neither speak nor move. And Link himself was struggling to keep his head from sinking back beneath the small ripples. Zelda, however, was worth it.
With what little strength he had, he moved to the nearest patch of land, making sure Zelda's head was above water. Finally, he reached a small island, and relief washed over him. He had almost lost the only girl he could ever love. With trembling arms, he managed to lift her onto the land, and then he put his arms on the edge. He just let himself rest there for a moment, the majority of his body still immersed in the liquid. But then, somehow, he pulled himself onto the platform. It sent tremors through his body, and he felt an overwhelming sense of weakness as he crawled onto the land. Unable to handle it anymore, he collapsed onto his stomach, his cheek pressed up against the grass. He was panting, struggling for air, and his entire body trembled. Zelda lay safely beside him, and because of that he was satisfied.
Summoning even more strength, he managed to sit up shakily. Hovering over her, he gently untied her hands and pulled the Zora armor from her face. As soon as he did, her blue eyes shot open, and she gulped in the air hungrily. Her fingers reflexively grabbed the grass, and her chest rose and fell as she took large breaths of the sweet air. Link smiled to himself as he sighed in relief. Her eyes moved to his face, and she calmed down a bit at the sight of him.
"...Link?" she said his name, and it sounded lovely rolling off her tongue.
"I'm here," he replied, stroking her cheek. She grinned, closing her eyes for a moment and basking in the warmth of his tingling skin. Suddenly, Link was overcome with a rush of weakness, and he sighed heavily as he crumpled back onto the ground, curling up on his side. He could see Zelda's blurring silhouette sitting up beside, but the rest of the world was spinning. His lack of strength and the intensity of his recent endeavor were becoming too much for him...and then it was all black.
So, as always, tell me what you guys think. And don't be afraid to be specific with your criticism! I'm willing to change anything you deem worthy! Actually, I really like your feedback so far, so thanks for that! It's really been helping me. So if you notice anything (or just wanna say hi), review! Hahaha like always, I love you guys :)))