Lunarian :.
Only around two weeks this time, that might just be a record for me. I would like to thank everyone once more for taking the time to read my story and letting me know what you think of it, I quite appreciate it.
Key
Text Narration
"Text" Dialogue
'Text' Sarcasm, Saying's, and/or so-called... quotes
Text Character Thoughts, and/or Character Tittle
Text Sound Effects
--Chapter Fourteen--
- Water World, Why? -
The Great Fairy had gone back to her home and had been there for several minutes as Link stood where he was, thinking about something. She didn't tell him or Tatl anything else, no instructions of where to meet this fairy queen. He was about to ask Tatl what she thought when she interrupted his musing by crash flying into his chest.
Now that the immediate concerns were taken care of Tatl's cognitive faculties returned to where she was last thinking inside that dream world. According to the GF, Link left her behind because he had to rescue a girl and he didn't have time to snap her out of her thoughts. She could understand that since that is just the kind of thing her partner would do, but when she was still fighting the indecision of going with Link or remaining behind and noticed that he was already gone ... it terrified her.
The last thing Tatl could remember doing before being recalled from the trial was flying as fast as she could to that doorway Link wanted to get past so badly. When the idea that Link had already went away hit her, all thoughts of staying in Termina vanished leaving her only with the desperate need to follow her friend. Tatl was really sore at the GF for putting her through that but at least it cleared up the confusion about her choice.
She could finally contain herself no longer and so she came to rest against Link's chest, doing her best to hug him as she could with her tiny body. "Link!" she sobbed as some tears from the situation broke through, "I was so afraid that you went home already!" Feeling the warmth of his body and the beating of his heart helped to soothe her trembling body. "When I looked around and couldn't find you I was so worried you left me behind."
Stuck with a situation in which he had to act comforting to someone and couldn't use his usual response of ducking out, Link tried his best. Gently he ran his finger along the glow on his chest, hoping it would work. "I'm here Tatl," he said, it was all he could think to say being as to how far out of his element he was.
Tatl was ready to turn into a warm pile of goo now after luxuriating in the Hylian's ministrations. "Ahh... Link, thank you," she moaned out in appreciation.
Link was glad his efforts seemed to have helped her. Removing his hand he asked her, "There now, are you feeling better Tatl?" Then he remembered some of the words she used. "And what do you mean left behind, you're home is here isn't it?" He never thought she might want to join him, her brother was here and he won't be coming back. Navi certainly didn't stick around with Link any longer then she had to.
"I'm coming with you Link," Tatl said. Done with her show of affection she flitted off back to around his height's level. When she saw in his eye's that he still doubted her words she slowly came up to him to stare him straight into his pupil's. With her most resolute intonation she let him see her bare emotions, "When I thought that you were gone I felt like my heart would break. You are my best friend Link and I'm never leaving your side again." I love you. The thought came to her mind unbidden but she refused to worry about it or its implications.
Link was really touched that Tatl felt that way. She never said anything to the contrary so he had always assumed she was hanging around with him until he left more for the fun involved in doing exciting things than seeing him as a best friend. He would not turn down the chance if she was to join him, he would welcome her company gladly. Still, Link had to be certain. "Are you sure Tatl? I'll never be coming back to Termina."
"I mean it Link. I'm going with you." Her words had that same dead serious tone telling the boy before her that her mind was made up and nothing would change it.
A few seconds more of staring into each others eye's and the deal was set, they would travel together. The good feelings they were giving out to each other was making it impossible to resist smiling. A bout of inevitable laughter was about to erupt when a coughing noise was heard off to the side.
The cough was made by a fairy and once she had their attention she spoke to them. "I'm sorry to interrupt but the Great Fairy told me to relay a message to the champion of the trial's." Her voice was soft and timid. "She says that the queen will meet you in front of the door to home."
"And here I was thinking of some names to call that Great fairy for leaving us dry." Tatl said in a way that couldn't be decided if it was serious or not.
Link shot a quick irritated glance at Tatl for that comment before talking to the fairy. "Thank you." It was strange that the fairy could even talk in a way he understood since usually the faeries he found in the wilderness communicated about as well as an insect. Uh oh, now that I have this language gift I can understand them ... that's going to really bite me in the ass next time I need a bottled fairy. He didn't think he would be able to capture a fairy to use if they could talk to him.
When the other fairy didn't seem to be about say anything else Tatl took that as her cue to get Link moving. She could see he was in one of his thinking moods, where he would just stand there looking at nothing while thinking things she'd never follow since he was weird that way. Luckily she was proficient in snapping him out of such. "Hey Link! Wake up and let's go, don't you want to hurry back so you can finally leave?" She yelled at him while flying around his head.
It did the trick and soon Tatl and her friend were on their way back to the clock towers basement. One quick song later and they were walking into the town.
"Don't you have to say goodbye to your brother and the skull kid?" Link suddenly asked just before they went through the clock towers doors. The thought had hit him rather suddenly.
"You don't have to worry about that, I told them before I came back to you." She told her thoughtful companion. What she did not tell him was that they were still under the impression that she would come back, and she was content to keep it that way. I don't need Tael getting all weepy on me. Tatl planned on sending word back home through some other fairy's someday since it's not uncommon for magical folk to cross worlds often.
"Oh." There was not much else to say to that.
As soon as Link came within a few feet of the shut door, a small whirl of water formed in front of him. Glittering sparkles rose from the whirl forming a rising column of magic and a rising pitched note tapering off at the end with the column exploding outwards covering the area in star dust. Then, with the laugh of a little girl a form rose out.
It's entire body shone like a clear cut turquoise gem stone, smooth all around. In the shape of a small girl she appeared, with teardrop hair and large pupil-less bug eyes. She looked to be entirely of a single substance, just arranged in a way to look like she wore clothes.
As she was still rising out Link asked Tatl, "Is that the fairy queen?" Somehow when he pictured a queen of the fairies he didn't think of a small child like being.
Tatl had never seen the queen herself but just from being in the vicinity of her she could feel it was her. It resonated with her very being that this was the queen of fairy's. "Yeah Link, that's her. Don't let her looks fool you, she is a very ancient and powerful fairy."
"You don't say ..." Link replied distractedly. The queen had finally finished appearing and was staring at him with those eyes devoid of all life. It was freaky. With a short cough to clear his throat Link said to the queen. "Greetings your majesty." He gave a slight bow, nothing more then a small inclination of the head and body. Man I feel awkward.
"My queen!" Tatl squeaked out after feeling compelled to say something following Link.
The fairy queen laughed that care free childish laugh of hers again saying. "No need for that, children. We are all friends here, are we not?"
Tatl and Link's bodies relaxed as the queen's disarming nature swept over them. All uneasy feelings and awkward notions flew away.
"Link, young man of many talents and Tatl, fledgling fairy full of life. You have championed the five great fairys of this world and won this audience with me. Tell me, young ones ... what do you wish?" The queen spoke to them gently.
As usual for the more official meetings Tatl chose to keep quiet and let Link do the talking.
"I wish to return home through this door." Link said. As a short time passed on the queen gave no reply, he decided he would have to explain it a little better. He had thought that she would know everything already and would just open the door for them. "I came from Hyrule and entered Termina through a passage deep in the north western forests. The great fairys told me that the door would remain shut, but that you could open it for me. So I took the tests and here we are."
So open the door already. Tatl thought. She didn't want to say it out loud, it just didn't seem appropriate.
The fairy queen smiled serenely at the two before her. "And do you, Tatl also wish to journey beyond the door?"
"Yes I'll follow Link wherever he goes." Tatl answered.
Seeming to be finally satisfied with the answers given, the queen turned towards the door. "I will open the way for you."
A miniature puppet of a great fairy appeared floating between the queen's hands. It let off a bright flash of light and dozens of small faires began to come out of it. Soon there was a small swarm of tiny fairys between the queen and the door. She then pointed her hand at the door and all the fairy's flew into it, covering the door like bees in a hive.
The queen finished off her little 'show' by clapping her hands once. All the fairies that covered the door bled off, vanishing back into the aether and revealing the doorway to now be open.
"The way is now clear, you may enter through the path and return from whence you came." The queen of fairys told Link. "This is your only chance, enter now or remain here forever." She then went back into the little pool of water with a splash, causing it to dry up immediately after.
Tatl was just itching to yell at the child-like fairy now, queen or no. It was true Link and her had already decided to leave and they were ready to, but to force him like this was still cruel. She could see in Link's eyes that he wasn't going to think heavily about this. He had toiled long and hard to get back and now he wasn't going to wait anymore.
Link felt almost giddy when the many small fairys went away and revealed the door to be open. Without delay he slowly walked in taking great care in relishing the experience. Looking down the corridor he saw something strange. At the distance he was at it was hard to tell, but it looked like past the halfway point in the hall everything was colored blue.
Before she could finish her train of thought about what Link might be forgetting, Tatl had to hurry up to keep with him as he entered the corridor. "Hey Link wait up!"
She reached him with swiftness, he had stopped just before the long way twisted itself. "What is that?" She asked Link, he was standing staring at a clear blue wall taking up the entire space beyond.
It's water! Link thought in alarm when he pushed his hand against, then into the barrier. Somehow from this point onward all he could see was water everywhere, which made no sense as he could remember coming in this way with not a drop of liquid in site. "I can't believe it, it's water." He watched as the water rippled when he pushed his hand in yet remained in the same form.
Tatl turned around to see if the fairy queen was still around to question about this oddity. She was surprised however to discover that the doorway was once more sealed, apparently having shut when they weren't paying attention. "Link look, the doors." She exclaimed loudly.
Drawn from his experimenting on the wall of water Link turned behind him to Tatl to see what she was talking about. "It's shut already?" He asked incredulously. He had just crossed the opening no more then two minutes ago and didn't hear any noise when it closed.
With a close inspection of the sealed passage Link saw that it was just as shut on this side as it was on the other. There was definitely no going back now. "Oh no." He realized. "Epona's gonna stay trapped here now." At least she would be well cared for at Romani's ranch.
"You dummy, it's not like you could get a horse past all this water. You don't even have any idea how far it goes, you're very lucky to have that Zora mask." Tatl lectured Link seeing as how he could've gotten all broody about leaving his horse behind if he wasn't spurred on.
His friend was right of course, there was no reason to worry about it now. "Let's go then." Link decided. He put on his Zora mask and transformed into his aquatic exploring form. Tatl took up position near his head's front and he jumped into the watery barrier.
He encountered no resistance, it really was like jumping into a pool of water, just horizontally. The once green forests that lined the edges of the corridor were now barren and drowned making it noticeable that where ever this water came from it had been there a long time, much longer then Link spent in Termina. Is this what the Great Fairy of Magic meant when she said that things would not be the same? What has happened?
Link began to get a feeling of disquiet, things were changed radically. Everything was completely covered in water, what's more was it was seawater. As a Zora he could tell the different types of water and he expected to begin seeing sea life any minute now.
He swam past the room that was full of flowers and the petrified body of a deku scrub, now nothing but the vast water and no sign of the deku. He passed the place where he first met Tatl, the stone doorway now missing.
"This is all wrong Link, it's like an ancient watery crypt down here now." Tatl voiced her opinion, unknowingly echoing Link's own thoughts and concerns.
Not for the first time Link silently thanked his transformation mask and fairy companion. Without them he would be in the total dark down here and probably get lost and drown. I still wonder what that is all about? He wondered as he angled upwards to swim through the area that he fell down a deep pit. The thing he was curious about was the circle of light with the strange symbols within the rim that was still there unaffected by the water.
"Hey Tatl, you Tael and the Skull Kid went past this way at least twice right. So, do you know what these symbols mean?" Link asked.
Tatl took a moment to see what Link was talking about. It was funny, but each time they passed them before she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Seeing them now she couldn't understand them anymore then her partner could. "They look like some kind of glowing runes but I have no idea, I can't sense anything about them." She told him.
As soon as Link swam out of the cavern entrance at the top of the pit, he was hit by a sudden feeling of vertigo. An intense dizzying sensation spread through his body making him shut his eyes briefly. When his eyes opened once the feeling was gone, he could hardly believe what he saw.
This land was a great forest teeming with life when he rode Epona through it before being sidetracked by the Skull Kid, the woods were green and the sky blue. Now, as his eyes surveyed the area it was like looking at an alien world.
The entire forest was gone, as far as the eye could see it all looked like the bottom of the ocean. There was all kinds of fish both large and small, sandy floor and rocks long suffered from erosion. Looking up Link could not even see where the water ends and the surf begins. With no destination or landmarks recognizable he saw no other choice then to break for the surface.
Tatl was thinking how grateful she was to be a fairy. Her glow acted as a natural deterrent to the hordes of aquatic life swimming around. She shuddered about what could happen without it, probably swallowed up without a second's thought. There was even some creatures in the deep that looked like they could swallow Link, even as a Zora.
The surface of the water was now in sight and Link was hopeful that things would look better above, because at the moment the whole world seemed to be one giant ocean. Tatl was keeping pace with him as usual lighting the way and serving as a back guard, sometimes with a timely warning of a danger he would have otherwise missed.
"Link, over there to the left." said Tatl.
Like right now. Link thought to himself. Turning his head to the direction mentioned he saw a dangerous looking sharkish creature headed for him very fast. Luckily he was in Zora form right now and had a good defense against natural predators. "I see it."
Without any time to spare Link used his magic to electrify the surrounding waters. As soon as the creature got close enough the currents did their job. It didn't die like the monsters commonly encountered in dangerous waters, but it did get hurt enough that it went away to look for a less bothersome prey.
Link decided to keep his field active until it was safer above the water. It took half a minute more before he broke the surface and he wasn't bothered by any more predators thanks to his active defense.
In a few moments he was adjusted to the change from being underwater to above. Link's Zora body floated in the calm waves as he looked all around. The situation did not look very promising, no matter in which direction he turned all he saw was wide open expanses of tranquil water. A strong wind blew. He could see seagulls in the distance flying around, and the day was set full on with a bright sun overhead peeking from behind a group of clouds.
As he bobbed up and down with the tide he let his magic ease off. Slowly his racing heart started to come down from the rush of danger. Even over the feelings of panic from not knowing what was going on Link's Zora influenced mind was finding the scenery to be exciting. Here was a seemingly endless expanse of water that was very inviting to his affected mind set.
Tatl took the time of Link's idleness to fly up high for a better look around. She went several hundred feet above the sea level, up where the clouds began to form. From this altitude she was able to see an object really far off on the horizon. It was shrouded in mist and impossible to identify from the distance, but it was the only indication of possible dry land in any direction.
She flew back down to Link's resting form to tell him what she saw. "Link, I saw something."
He had been aware that Tatl took off to look around, so her message didn't come as a surprise to him. "What did you find?" He asked her inquisitively.
Flying away from him several feet away Tatl said. "Over in this direction is a large landmass, it was hard too see because of fog, but I think it is an island." When she had looked she saw a large structure obscured by mist with water all around it.
"That's the only thing you can see?" questioned Link.
"That's right, there is absolutely nothing else out there." She confirmed.
With no other path open to him, Link set off towards the direction Tatl set out for him. He dived down into the water a dozen feet to get a better speed going and was soon off.
To Be Cont'D:
Omake
A few seconds more of staring into each others eye's and the deal was set, they would travel together. The good feelings they were giving out to each other was making it impossible to resist smiling. A bout of inevitable laughter was about to erupt when a coughing noise was heard off to the side.
"So are you two going to kiss, or what?" The GF of kindness asked. "C'mon do it! I wanna see some hot sexorz!" She started to plead.
It seemed the great fairy had more then just kindness on her mind. That certainly explained where the infatuated girl from the illusion came from.
Review Replies
Arvel: Hehe actually I liked your helpful grammar hints. It's nothing I haven't heard before, but I have been out of practice with any of the like for so long that a little reminder can't hurt. That little scene with the girl in the illusion was just that, a somewhat pointless scene .. nothing further to be read into, just a small dose of comic relief. Main Arc? ... Sure, let's go with that. shifty eyes. In actuality the whole WW portion needs to be thought up still, and I'll be replaying it soon to do just that.
CrystalC: Thanks so much for that bearing. Heh this time it was like the glacier melted.
Evil Riggs: No matter how many times I reread what you wrote, I can't make heads or tails about it! Please explain what you mean?
Youthninja: This story above all my others, I have no intention of stopping my updating. My kindness challenge took a lot of thought on my part, and I'm glad with the result as I'm sure you are too.