AUTHOR'S NOTES: All Legend of Zelda characters are © Nintendo. Lamia Carna, Tartara, Vanessa Valeska Ardea, Saanabora, Adonica, Didrika, Irk, Jona, Zared, Yashaki, Yashakia, Undead, Cibola, Bawaadi-Yin, Beoudi-Yin, Ayo, Uta, Phillipa, the Orcus Poltergeist, Bryna, Lilu, Dis, Ewain, Bonnie, Balder, Deiphoba, Mezentius, Lord Gryph, the Skorpyons, the Scyllas, the kappas, the Zote hounds, Ephiny, Saturnalia, the jenii, Mount Stygis, Makare-Yin, Tatchi, Severin, the Sheikdom, Awen, Troy, Desdeomna, Nike, Faustine, Meredith, © Chiyome, 2009.
Laura, Linkchepto, Shurai, Habn, Era & Azeril © Laura Belmont.
This is a REALLY OLD story—we're talking ten years at least, during the heyday of Nintendo 64 and Ocarina of Time. I still don't know exactly how I came up with the concept, but it was fun to write. I fixed up Vanessa's character to hopefully make her less Mary Sueish (how come nobody warned me? I didn't notice it until about a month after I wrote it & was rereading it. It was one of those moments where you stare at it for a while, blink a couple of times, then roar, "D'OH!".)
I took out a few characters and rewrote a few bits, but for the most part the story's the same as it was when I posted it. Hopefully it's not too convoluted. Please read & review!
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA:
LAMIA'S REVENGE
By Chiyome
CHAPTER 3
Link gritted his teeth in his sleep and rolled over restlessly.
It was happening again.
The monsters in Hyrule …
Laura was resurrected …
Attacks on the Temples …
Why did he feel so strange?
Beoudi-Yin fled into the mountains.
What was happening to him?
"Bravest blood …"
Daughter of Darkness …
Vanessa staggering to stand, her blood puddling around her feet. Dying, growing weaker, so afraid--
Link screamed again as the huge demoness flung Vanessa off of the castle. He cried for her as she shrieked his name, her hand outstretched for his, her tears mixing with her blood--
"NO!!" Link screamed again, already leaping to his feet before his eyes even opened. "No!"
His arm hit something, and someone grunted, as if in pain. Strong hands suddenly gripped his shoulders, frightening him. He yelped and tried to fight off his attacker--
"Link! Link it's me! Link, wake up! Wake up, dammit! You're having a nightmare!!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Link froze, his eyes wide. He hesitated, then reached out through the dark, touching Vanessa's cheek as Navi nervously flittered over the girl's face.
Vanessa looked white. "Are you all right?"
"Uh, I-I don't--I guess so …" He swallowed hard, tasting bile. He turned away from Vanessa quick, feeling the desperate need for air.
Navi landed gently on his knee. "That was a helluva dream, Link," she said, her eyes wide. "It was worse than last night's."
"It … it was," Link stammered, sweating, yet strangely cold. He wiped his forehead and looked at the two. "Are you guys all right?"
Navi nodded, but Vanessa grimaced. "I um, had bad dreams too," she said, slowly sinking down next to him. "I woke up a few minutes before I heard you yell. God." She paused, running a hand through her sweaty hair. "I--I thought Lamia found you or something."
The words hung heavily in the silence that followed. Link watched Vanessa, noticed her nervous, quick movements. His heart took a sudden plunge as she unconsciously rubbed her throat. He had seen the dragon slash at Vanessa with those huge claws, ripping through the flesh of her throat.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Vanessa stood. "It's really late."
Link nodded. "We should get back to bed."
The girl shuddered. "Like I could sleep after that."
Link's face broke into a smile, and Vanessa laughed softly. She shrugged, then waved. "'Night Link."
"'Night Vanessa." Link waited, listened hard until he heard Vanessa's bedroom door close. He spun around, nearly flinging Navi off of his knee.
"What did she dream?" he demanded.
Navi stared at him uncertainly. "Uh …"
"Navi, tell me!!"
Navi opened her mouth, stopped, then looked away.
"She … she saw the same thing," the fairy stammered. "That you saw … on the castle …"
Link's widened in horror. That means--
"She'll die," he whispered.
*
The night passed restlessly. Link slept dreamlessly for the most part. As the sun began to rise, he began to see strange red eyes slowly approaching him from inside some temple, and snarling ringing through his ears. He woke with a gasp of fright.
Navi yanked hard on his ears to get him out of bed. Grudgingly, Link agreed. Pushing away the terrifying images, he dug out his Zora tunic and cap, quickly dressed and washed up.
Before he left the washroom, he paused to study his face in the mirror. Navi's shiny image popped into view behind his shoulder, smirking.
"Y'know, Link, worrying about how you look before going into a battle is going to start affecting your performance," she said dryly.
Link snorted, though good-naturedly. "Nah, it's not that. I just don't want Vanessa to think I'm a slob."
He walked out just as Vanessa appeared out of the guest room, wearing those strange short, tan breeches and white shirt that was held up by two straps.
"'Morning everybody," she said, tying her multi-dyed hair into a ponytail. "Hope no spookables bugged you again."
"Nope. Slept okay," Link lied. He gestured for Vanessa to sit at the table. "Have something to eat. I'll find a sword for you."
Navi's already shiny face seemed to brighten. "The sword that Zelda gave you?"
"Uh-huh." Link opened a closet, and hopped backwards as boxes of junk tumbled out.
Vanessa smirked. "Got a problem with pack rats?"
Link smirked back. "Whaddya want from me? I'm nostalgic."
Vanessa laughed.
It took him a minute to find it, finally dragging it out and tossing it to Vanessa. He began shoving the boxes back into the closet, saying, "It's looks kind of fancy, but it's a real sword. Trust me."
Vanessa stood and drew the sword from the red leather scabbard. Her eyes widened in amazement. "This's beautiful!"
Navi grinned. "It's a Sheikah sword!" she said.
Vanessa wielded the sword, causing it to sing as it cut through the air. "Isn't Impa a Sheikah?"
"Uh-huh. The last one."
Vanessa held the sword up again. "Well, I'm sold," she said, sheathing it. "What do I name it now?"
"Oh! Oh! I know! I know!" Navi squealed. "Bryna!! Like the warrior!!"
Vanessa stared at Navi blankly.
Link shook his head as he passed the equally blank Navi. "She doesn't know the story, Navi."
"Oh! Lemme tell!"
As they sat and ate breakfast, Navi recounted the Legacy of Bryna; Bryna was a young female Sheikah roughly fifteen hundred years ago. When Din's evil brother Dis had created a schism in Hyrule, he captured all of the Sheikahs, the only people capable of defeating him, and imprisoned them in Mount Stygis in the desert. He missed only one little girl, whom Din had spirited away and named Bryna.
The Triple Goddesses trained Bryna to become their hero and create unity in Hyrule and to rescue her people. Din presented her with a great sword, but it broke as Bryna battled a fierce bull monster. Bryna then set out to forge a new sword. Every time her enemies grew stronger, she created a stronger sword, eventually creating eight.
Finally, the Sheikahs were freed, and Hyrule was restored to peace. Bryna made a goddess, and when it was time for her to leave the earth, she entered the heavens with her ninth sword, the one that slew Dis' mortal body.
Excited, Navi continued, "There's a legend that says when the old Sages started having nightmares about a new evil--duh, that was Ganondorf--they called for one of the king's guards to serve as the champion of Hyrule. Supposedly, he couldn't construct a sword strong enough to last a battle. But one night, he dreamt that Bryna came to him and showed him how to create an exact copy of her ninth sword--the Master Sword!
"And guess who we think the champion was?"
Vanessa shook her head, and Link grimaced. "Navi--" Link warned.
"Linkchepto!!" Navi exploded gleefully. "We think he's Link's dad!"
Vanessa glanced at him. "Really?"
Link looked away. "We think," he muttered. "I'm not sure."
Vanessa winced, then looked down at her half-eaten breakfast. "That's … that's interesting," she said. Link glanced up curiously and she smiled weakly. "Awen said that she and my mother both were visited by our war goddess Macha in their dreams. Macha told them to construct swords that would last as long as Ardea stood and another that would insure my escape to Alba."
She shrugged, her voice dropping until it was nearly a whisper. "Ardea stands--barely--but my sword is missing." She shook her head. "I wish I knew if--"
Vanessa caught herself abruptly.
Link locked eyes with hers, hoping she'd finish what she was going to say.
Vanessa swallowed hard, and looked away.
The trio sat at the table, silent.
*******
"We'll go to Lake Hylia as soon as I get the Master Sword and we find a horse for Vanessa," Link said.
Zelda nodded. "All right. Be careful. I couldn't reach Ruto very well this morning."
"What are you going to do?"
The princess shrugged, looking suddenly older than she should have been. "I don't know … dig out my armor … try to find some books on the monsters we've seen …"
Behind Zelda, Impa leaned against a back wall, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed. "There've been reports of whole Gerudo tribes leavin' their lands and goin' t' th' Valley," she muttered, "and there's been fightin' on the Hylian/Gerudo borders …"
Noting the Sheikah's troubled look, Vanessa nudged Link with her elbow, then pointed to Impa with her chin, lifting her eyebrows questioningly.
Following her gaze, Link leaned close to Vanessa's ear and whispered, "I'll explain later."
From his seat, Zared snorted rudely. "I don't understand why you don't just go in and destroy these thieves, Link," he said.
Link glared at the prince. "They're people, Zared; the only thing I'll destroy is Lamia."
"We'll destroy," Vanessa corrected him, though her voice sounded grim.
Zelda sighed heavily. "Well, you guys better get going." She began to turn, then stopped, and smiled mischievously.
"Say hi to your fiancée for me," she said slyly before taking Zared by the hand and leading him and a saddened Impa out of the reception hall.
As soon as they had disappeared, Vanessa wheeled around to face Link, looking confused. "Fiancée`??"
Link felt his cheeks grow hot. "It's nobody," he said.
"'NOBODY'?" Navi howled, "'Nobody' my wart-covered backside! This is RUTO we're talking about!"
"Confusion setting in," Vanessa grunted.
Link gritted his teeth. "She's not my fiancée`!"
"Link, it's freaking Ruto!" Navi snapped.
Vanessa was struggling not to laugh as Link spun around and snapped, "She's not my fiancée`, she's not my girlfriend, and she's not even a potential crush, for Nayru's sake. She just thinks she's in love with me--but she is not my fiancée!"
Vanessa laughed. Embarrassed and furious, Link turned on his heel and stomped out of the castle.
He was halfway down the steps when he felt cool, soft fingers catch his hand. Stopping, Link allowed Vanessa to gently turn him around.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and steered him so that he was looking directly into her eyes. "Link, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you," she said softly, "I thought it was funny. I didn't know I'd hurt your feelings."
"You didn't." No, she didn't. It was Ruto that was hurting him, making him feel guilty and resentful and sorry for what happened.
Vanessa smiled kindly, and Link felt his defenses dropping.
"She'll figure out that you two aren't right for each other," Vanessa said. "I don't know when, but I do know that it'll happen. Witch instinct."
Link smiled at her, and she glanced away shyly, her cheeks turning pink.
The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by Navi's snort. "Yeah, well, it better happen soon; it's not like Link's equipped with gills."
***
The Temple of Time echoed loudly with Link's footfalls. He and Navi stopped several meters before the pedestal where Link had set the Master Sword nearly a year ago, when he defeated Laura. He swallowed hard. "I can't do it, Navi."
"Can't do what?"
"I can't … I can't have my life unsettled like this again. I don't think I can fight the monsters again.
Navi …"
Link broke off, and the fairy looked at her friend empathetically.
Suddenly, Link's face hardened.
"It's not my choice, is it?" he said, more to himself than Navi. "I have to."
Drawing in a final breath, Link approached the Master Sword, then spread his hands and bowed in respect to the sword's spirit. Hesitantly, he wrapped his hands around the hilt and then, squeezing his eyes shut, yanked it free with a bellow.
The Master Sword sang as it slid out of the pedestal, glinting with the light streaming through the stained-glass windows.
Link stood there for a moment, just staring at the blade. A wave of light passed through the blade, and he shuddered.
He thought he saw someone-a man who looked like him, but had brown hair-stare back.
Swallowing again, Link placed the Master Sword in the sheath Rauru had given him Seven Magick Years ago, then turned to Navi.
"Let's go."
******************************************************************************
The horse snorted angrily and tossed his head, fairly hopping across the corral as Vanessa fought to control him.
Link bit his lip, and Malon shook her head. "I don't think that's a good horse for her," she said nervously. "He's got a temper fit to kill."
As if on cue, the stallion slammed to a halt just before a jump, flinging Vanessa over his neck. When she didn't tumble off, the horse screamed and launched himself into a series of wild bucks.
Malon gasped in terror and Link yelped in shock. He thought Vanessa must've been scared out of her mind--
"YEEEEEAAAGGGH!" Vanessa yowled.
"Ride 'im, cowgirl!" Navi cried, more to encourage than to joke.
Suddenly, the horse lost his footing and stumbled, falling to his shoulder hard. Vanessa yelped as she was thrown out of the saddle and sent rolling across the grass.
"Vanessa!!" Link, Navi, and Malon all cried. They raced towards her as she staggered to her feet and as the stallion bounded away, his tail high in the air.
"Are you all right?" Link gasped.
Vanessa grunted as she brushed off the seat of her pants. "I'm okay." She glared at the stallion. "But I'm ready to turn him into dog meat."
The horse flattened his ears angrily against his head.
Malon helped Navi pick pieces of grass out of Vanessa's hair. "I'm sorry about that."
"Not your fault," Vanessa replied.
"What'll we do?" Navi asked. "Vanessa needs a horse."
Link frowned. "Malon, what about Phillipa?"
"Phillipa?" Malon's eyes went wide, and she looked uncertainly between Link and Vanessa. "I don't know … she's worse than Ulster--"
The horse behind them whinnied furiously.
"Shut up!!" Vanessa roared, and the overgrown mule leapt about a foot into the air in fear.
Seething, Vanessa turned back to Malon. "Are all of your horses as sadistic as that one?"
Malon tried to smile. "No. But Phillipa doesn't like too many people. Me and Link are the only ones who can ride her."
"I'll call her," Link offered, digging out his ocarina.
The song wasn't even halfway through when both Epona and her sister Phillipa came cantering towards them. Phillipa took one look at Vanessa and slammed to a halt.
Link watched warily as Vanessa circled around Phillipa, giving the mare a wide enough girth so she wouldn't lash out with her hooves. "Vanessa, try petting Epona. If Epona trusts you then maybe Phillipa will too."
Phillipa watched curiously as Vanessa walked towards Epona and stroked the horse's nose. Epona whinnied softly and buried her face into Vanessa's shoulder.
A slow smile began to spread across Link's face as Phillipa nosed Vanessa in the ribs, obviously fascinated by the stranger whom Epona didn't beat to the ground.
Vanessa spoke quietly to Phillipa, slowly reaching out and touching the mare's nose. Phillipa, slowly beginning to trust Vanessa, walked up to her and allowed the girl to pat her long neck.
Finally, Vanessa swung up into the saddle. Phillipa whinnied and broke into a trot. Vanessa had a little trouble turning the horse--Phillipa didn't see her as a master yet--but soon the pony was following Vanessa's commands.
The pair raced by Link and Malon and Navi. Vanessa threw her head back and laughed. "Wheee! I'll take her!"
Grinning, Link pulled the gift certificate out of his pocket. "Done deal?"
"Yep," Malon agreed, smiling.
***
They could smell the decay before they even reached the end of the road. Epona and Phillipa snorted anxiously, stamping their feet and refusing to go further. Navi clapped a hand over her delicate nose and mouth. "Eww! What died?!"
Link glanced at Vanessa, who looked both disgusted and worried. They dismounted, Link dragging his saddlebags full of Bombs with him.
He looked about them cautiously. "I don't see any kappas--"
"Oh, my God!" Vanessa cried, her face stricken. "Link, look!"
He followed the direction she pointed at, and froze, sickened to his stomach. He forced himself to rip his stare away, but he couldn't help it, there was so much blood ….
Lake Hylia was choked with dead bodies of Zoras. Most floated face down in the water, but some had been washed--or dragged--up onto shore, and then devoured by … something …
Link felt his throat tightened. What if the kappas had found Ruto and King Zora--?!
Vanessa covered her eyes for a moment, then turned away, staring down at the ground. "You'd better get those bombs ready," she said hoarsely.
Link only nodded.
Vanessa turned back to the Lake, her eyes narrowing furiously. She drew out the Bryna sword and wielded it once, as if to assure herself, then walked down to the lake.
Link was supposed to be helping Navi light a fire, but his eyes were fixed on Vanessa. He watched silently as she picked her way around bloodied bones.
Vanessa studied the surface of the water. She hesitated, then placed the sword back in its sheath. Slowly wading into the water, she lashed an arm out and caught a dead Zora by its wrist. Dragging him ashore, she knelt down and examined the ragged tear in his stomach.
"A kappa killed him," she announced.
Navi snorted. "I think we figured that out."
Vanessa frowned, but didn't reply. She gently turned the Zora's head to examine the marks on his throat. "Two fang marks …" She paused. "Three … five. There're five Undead bite marks. Two on his throat, and three on one arm."
Vanessa sat back on her heels and looked up and Link and Navi. "How many Zoras are there?"
"I don't know," Link admitted. "Over four thousand. Why?"
Vanessa shrugged. "Well, I don't understand why five different Undead would attack one Zora."
Navi gulped. "What if a ton of those freaks invaded?"
Vanessa shrugged again. "From the way it looks, the kappas pushed the Zoras onto shore … and the Undead attacked them from behind. The Zoras were caught between two armies."
She looked down at the water, then placed a hand into the discolored waves. "The water's really warm. Huh … that's really weird; kappas are cold-blooded. How the hell did they create so much heat?"
Disturbed by the question, Link stood. "How warm is it?"
"The water? I don't know … I'd guess sixty degrees."
"Celsius?"
Vanessa shook her head and stood up. "No, Fahrenheit. Why?"
"Damn! The Zoras can't survive in anything that's warmer than fifty degrees Celsius!"
Vanessa blinked. "Link …"
His eyes burned, and Link turned away bitterly. "Damned monster …"
"They could still be alive, Link," Vanessa said, trying to sound hopeful, but he only shook his head.
There was a huge crash of waves behind him, and Navi shrieked in terror. Startled, Link spun around, and cried out as Vanessa staggered and fought under the weight of a dozen fanged kappas!
Webbed, clawed hands reached out of the lake and caught Vanessa by the ankles, yanking her in. As she pitched into the water, she screamed. "Link--!!"
"Vanessa!!"
Not bothering to think of the sheer stupidity of it, Link charged right into the lake, diving in headfirst, oblivious to Navi's yalping.
Clawing through the water, Link could see Vanessa several feet down towards the bottom, her teeth gritted in pain as she forcibly ripped kappas off of her arms and legs.
Reddish bubbles erupted around her, and Link mentally gasped as he saw ribbons of blood streak away from her arm.
Vanessa kicked a kappa away, sending it tumbling end over end in the water. She looked at him pleadingly as she reached behind her and removed her sword from its sheath.
Link whipped out his Longshot and aimed, striking a huge kappa in the sail atop its head. The kappa shrieked, grabbing at its head with its paws and flailing its legs about helplessly.
Vanessa roared underwater with every sluggish slash of the sword. Link briefly admired that Vanessa was strong enough to wield a sword despite the pressure of the water against it.
It was difficult for Link to reload the Longshot and aim quickly and accurately again. As soon as he popped off one kappa, two more appeared.
Vanessa turned to him, her face strained. She coughed, then began to choke on the water.
His eyes widening in terror, Link swam to her as hard as he could. He whipped off his Zora cap and clapped it against her face. "Breathe!"
She looked frightened and doubtful for a moment, but when she began to choke again, she tore the cap out of his hands and held it against her mouth and nose, gasping hard.
Link barely had time to register his relief. He cried out in shock as several scaly bodies slammed into his, knocking him deeper into the water.
"Link, watch it!" Vanessa shouted, struggling to swim backwards, away from the kappas as she tied the cap around her face.
"Go to shore!" Link yelled back.
"Watch out!!"
Link didn't react in time. With a piercing scream, a kappa lunged for him, swinging a webbed hand and burying its claws deep into his side.
Link cried out in agony as blood poured out of his wound and clouded the water around him.
More kappas darted in and out of the cloud, nipping and clawing at him, frustrated that they couldn't get close enough to rip his liver out.
Disgusted at the thought, Link ignored the pain and launched himself off of the lake bottom, swimming to the surface.
Vanessa met him halfway, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her up. They broke the surface of Lake Hylia with gasps and cries.
"I'd thank you," Vanessa said as they began to tear through the waves to the shore. "But I just don't have the time right now!"
"HEADS UP!!!"
Startled, both Link and Vanessa stopped swimming and craned their necks skyward. Navi seemed to stagger as she flew out over the lake, struggling to carry a huge Bomb Flower.
"Terror from above!" she cackled, dropping the Bomb Flower right in the middle of a school of kappas. It blew up with a thunderous roar, and screeching kappas flew in every direction.
"Thanks, Navi!" Link shouted.
"You owe me!" Navi bellowed. "I have no feeling in my arms now!!"
Link and Vanessa clambered up onto the shore, not allowing themselves the luxury of rest and regaining breath. They both ran to the blanket where Navi and Link had set up the Bomb Flowers and fire. Together, they lit the bombs and lobbed them into the lake as more and more kappas began to march on land, hell-bent on ripping their stomachs out.
Navi flew about, dropping Bombchus as Link drew the Master Sword out, slicing kappas in half with one slash. Vanessa was cutting through the throngs as though she were trimming grass. Link paused only once to watch as she punched a leaping kappa out of the air, then kicked another so hard it slammed into one of the temple's obelisks and disintegrated on contact.
"How the hell can you fight like that?!" he roared, hacking away at the kappas.
"Easy!" Vanessa shouted. "I just pretend I'm beating up my ex-boyfriend!"
Navi screeched, shooting past Link. "They stomped the fire out! I can't light any more bombs!"
"Navi, we need help!" Link shouted.
The fairy squeaked and dodged another wart-covered kappa. "I'm on it!"
Brandishing a tiny Deku Stick, Navi bashed the kappas over their heads and poked them in their eyes, giving her a big enough opening to zip past them and plunge into Lake Hylia, heading towards the Water Temple.
Vanessa cocked an eyebrow. "Who does she think she is? Atom Ant?"
Not understanding, Link ducked, swinging his shield out, smashing it into a huge kappa and knocking it backwards. A smaller demon lunged and sunk its fangs into Link's calf. Link roared/yelped and jumped backwards, dragging the little beast along with him.
"Vanessa, give me a hand!"
"I'm coming, Link!"
The Cibolan woman sprang easily over the heads of bewildered kappas, landing behind Link. With an unceremonious yank, she ripped the kappa off of his leg and drove her booted heel down on its head.
"You don't go for subtlty," Link said dryly.
"Like I have the time," Vanessa retorted.
It seemed to take Navi hours to return. She blasted out of the lake, panting hard and looking harried.
"Here they come!!" she shouted.
Just as the fairy finished speaking, a Zora head broke the surface of the water. Several more followed it.
Link sighed in relief. The Zoras were alive!!
With a war cry, the Zoras charged forward, brandishing their shell and coral weaponry. The kappas screeched in terror, running around in circles, confused; stay on land an be crushed by the two warriors, or return to the water where the Zoras would be less than pleased to see them?
Finally, the kappas were decimated. The Zoras all cheered as Link staggered away, trying to staunch the flow of blood with his tunic.
"Link?"
"Uh-oh--!" Even more frightened than when he faced the kappas, Link spun around to the lake.
Gaak! It was RUTO!!!
The Zora princess treaded water as she search about the shores for him. Link briefly considered hiding behind a bush, but that'd only get him into more trouble than he needed.
Finally, all four of Ruto's eyes spied him on the bank, and she squealed with excitement. Lumbering onto land, she raced up to him. "Oh, Link! What took you so long? You're useless! But you saved me--uh, us! Dad will be so proud--don't look at me like that! I'm a princess and your fiancée!"
"Ruto," Link said, then gently--but firmly--pushed her away. "I don't deserve all of the thanks--"
"Oh of course you do! Don't be so modest."
"I'm not being modest!" Exasperated, Link turned and gestured towards Vanessa who stood a few feet away, watching them.
Seeing the girl, all of Ruto's eyes flew open in fury. "Another woman?!! How could you do this to me, Link?!!"
"WHAT?!"
Vanessa turned her head aside to spit blood onto the ground. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she walked up to Ruto and bowed slightly at the waist. "Princess Ruto, I take it. I'm Vanessa Valeska of Ardea."
Ruto's eyes all blinked. "Oh, you? You're the girl that's fighting Lamia?"
Vanessa grimaced. "It's not something I'm exactly proud of."
Link grunted as his injured side spasmed. "Uh, bleeding to death here," he snapped, waving a hand in the air. "In dire need of medical attention!"
Seeing the slash for the first time, Ruto squawked. "Oh! You're hurt--and holy Jabu-Jabu, that is the sickest--"
"Some fiancée you are," Navi grunted.
Rolling her own two eyes, Vanessa knelt next to Link. She let out a low whistle as she studied the claw marks. "That's pretty bad, Link," she said. "I can patch it up, but I have to do it soon."
Ruto took Link's arm. "We'll meet you inside."
Link threw a desperate look in Navi and Vanessa's direction. "Guys--!!"
"We're working on it!" Vanessa called after him as he and Ruto disappeared beneath the waves.
***
Retrieving her medical satchel from Phillipa's saddlebag, Vanessa followed Navi down through the depths of Lake Hylia, through a tunnel that led back into Zora's Domain.
The kappas had overrun the Water Temple, forcing any Zoras there out. When the water became dangerously warm, Ruto summoned up her developing Sage powers and kept the Domain cold.
Vanessa climbed up a moss and kelp ladder to what was apparently Ruto's bedroom. As she and Navi reached the top, they saw Ruto trying to coax Link into taking his shirt off.
"It needs to be cleaned!" Ruto said.
"I'm fine!" Link insisted.
Navi giggled as she flew past the pair and lighted atop Ruto's armoire. "Besides," she teased, "Don't you want to be surprised on your wedding night?"
Link gave Navi such a searing glare that Vanessa was sure she heard the water around them turn to steam.
"SHUT UP!!!" he bellowed, then grunted in agony.
Vanessa bit back a laugh. "I can handle it, Princess."
Ruto looked at her suspiciously. "Yeah, well, you'd better handle it."
Alarmed, Vanessa held her hands up and backed away.
Ruto looked back at Link. "It's too bad that I'm not into all this gory stuff," she snorted, "Otherwise, I'd stay and help."
"Don't you mean stay and watch over like a slobbering, rabid guard dog?" Navi asked innocently.
Ruto pointed a finger at the fairy. "When we're married, she is not staying in our room!" she shouted, then stomped off.
Vanessa shook her head. "God, I'm surprised she lets you talk to Zelda!"
Link, looking embarrassed and sullen, only shrugged.
Vanessa sloshed through Ruto's water-filled room to the princess' vanity table. She loosened the strings on the pouch and dumped her tools out.
"Uh … if you don't mind Link," she said, slowly and softly. "Could you take off your shirt? I need to clean that wound."
When he didn't reply, Vanessa glanced at him.
Link was already tossing aside his shredded shirt. "It's all right," he said. "I just don't want Ruto thinking that we're having an affair or something."
"Too late," Navi snorted.
Vanessa smiled thinly. She poured a small vial of clear medicine into a shallow dish, then soaked a washcloth in it. Turning back to Link, she kept herself from staring, or maybe even acting like those girls back in the U.S. who crack up laughing when they see a--well, never mind. Link was cute enough, but Vanessa didn't want to fall in love with him.
She already had her heart broken once.
"This'll sting," she warned, "but if it hurts like hell, let me know. Really, don't hide it." She narrowed her eyes. "That means they nicked the liver, and I'll have to operate."
At first, Link looked startled, then impressed.
"You can operate on people?" he asked.
"Uh-huh," Vanessa answered, kneeling down in the tide pool. "I'm going to be a doctor in Cibola, remember?"
"Wow," he murmured.
"Cool," Navi agreed.
Vanessa cleaned the wound as gingerly as she could, Link only flinching once or twice. He didn't make a sound though as she smoothed an ointment on the rip, the sewed it closed. Taping gauze to his side, Vanessa wrapped a roll of bandage around his middle, then patted his shoulder. "There you go."
Link smiled, then gently touched his side. "It doesn't really hurt."
"It'll take a day for the skin to heal over," Vanessa said, standing and gathering her supplies. "That Cibolan stuff's potent. You can be back to your butt-kicking self in two days, maybe. Less, if you don't pop a stitch."
Link stood up easily. He hesitated, his eyes meeting Vanessa's and falling away. "Thanks."
"It was nothing," Vanessa replied, but she felt a stab of emotion at Link's sudden shyness.
For an awkward moment, the two stood there uncomfortably, shifting weight from one foot to another.
Suddenly, Ruto jabbed her head into the room, and Navi screeched, leaping into the air in fright and banging her head on the ceiling as she did so.
"Don't you know how to knock?!" Navi howled.
Two of Ruto's eyes narrowed--at Vanessa. "Everything all set?"
"Yes!" both Vanessa and Link yelped.
"Good … Link, Dad wants to speak to you."
Link groaned. "Perfect. Probably something about a freaking wedding date …"
He gathered up his shirt and tunic and walked out.
Ruto lingered there in the doorway, watching Vanessa like some sort of ravenous shark.
Finally unnerved and irritated, Vanessa growled, "Y'know, if you took a picture, it wouldn't rot right before your eyes--"
"We need to talk," Ruto said softly, her hard features fading.
Surprised, Vanessa looked up at Navi, who shrugged, equally bewildered. Vanessa turned back to Ruto. "Okay, but Navi comes with."
Ruto started to protest, but she stopped. Shrugging helplessly, she waved for them to follow her. "Let's go down to the pool."
Tying the satchel to her belt, Vanessa looked up at Navi. "If I hang around here any longer," she muttered, "I'm going to start growing mildew."
Navi giggled. "Yeah--and mushrooms."
"Yeah, you'd like that."
Ruto took a flying dive off of the cliff beside her room, and, shrugging, Vanessa leapt in after her. She followed the princess through what must have been the Royal Kitchens, and out into a shallow pool of water where a huge whale sat, breathing noisily.
Ruto lumbered up the steps of a platform where the whale's mouth rested. "This is Jabu-Jabu, our guardian spirit," she said. "I'm in charge of his meals."
Hearing that, Vanessa leapt about a foot or three backwards. "Hey, whatever you're thinking is going on between me and Link, it's not so bad that you've gotta feed me to a huge fish!"
Ruto stared at her blankly for a moment, then threw back her head and laughed. "Oh, no! That's not why I took you here."
Vanessa looked at the giant fish and the fish princess suspiciously. "So, why …?"
Ruto bit her lip, the gestured for Vanessa to come forward and sit down on the platform with her. "I'm not totally happy that you're here," she admitted.
"Huh?"
"I--well … it's--it's about Link."
"Figures," Navi said, and Vanessa impatiently swatted her away.
Ruto drew her knees up to her chest and rocked slowly back and forth. "You know I'm a Sage …"
"Yeah. I met Saria, and she told me everything."
"Well … you know how Sages aren't supposed to form relationships until their training is complete?"
"Yeah."
"Well … well … I dunno … I--I had thought that, you know … 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'?"
Vanessa cocked an eyebrow, but nodded.
"I was hoping that's what would make Link love me," Ruto said finally. "I was hoping that he'd miss me so bad that he start to love the times that we spent together."
"But?"
"But it didn't work that way. He doesn't love me. I love him, though."
"I could tell."
"How come he doesn't love me?" Ruto cried, apparently to no one in particular.
Navi and Vanessa shared a curious glance, then looked back at Ruto. Vanessa scooted a bit closer to the princess. "I could give you a lot of reasons," she said gently, "and they're probably all wrong."
One of Ruto's eyes turned to look at Vanessa. "It's because I'm not a Hylian?"
"Uh, I don't think that's it, really."
Ruto moaned. "Dad always said Hylian/Zora relationships never work out--"
"Well--"
"But I was so sure! My mother told me that the person I gave the Zora's Sapphire to would be the one I married!"
"But you gave it to him because he asked for it, didn't you?"
Surprised, Ruto turned to regard Vanessa. "I gave it to him willingly …"
"But he asked for it," Vanessa pointed out, hoping she was making sense. "It wasn't like you two had been seeing each other for so long that he said he wanted to marry you. He asked for the Sapphire."
Ruto's four eyes blinked. "Well … yeah …" She swallowed hard. "He never loved me."
The princess' shoulders slumped and she turned quickly away from Vanessa and Navi before they could see her tears. Empathetic, Vanessa placed a hand on Ruto's shoulder and gripped it comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Ruto--"
"Well, as soon as this is all over, he'd better give the Sapphire back!" Ruto declared, spinning back around. "That little weasel! I want the Sapphire back so I can give it to a guy I know loves me!"
"You go, girl," Vanessa agreed.
"But, I should have known that Link'd never be faithful to me."
Vanessa's eyes popped open wider than ever. "What?!"
"What, with a face like that?" Ruto asked incredulously. "He can get any girl he wants. Right Navi?"
"DON'T DRAG ME INTO THIS!!!"
Ruto's four eyes rolled. "C'mon … Saria, Zelda, Malon, Nabooru, Beoudi-Yin, Marin, me … and those are only the ones that I know he hasn't committed himself to."
"Gotta go!" Navi squeaked, and she turned to zip away.
Vanessa's hand flew out and caught Navi in mid-flight. "No! You stay right here! I want to know everything!"
Navi gulped. "It's uh, it's private--"
"Private, hell! If he puts the mojo on me--"
Ruto shook her head. "You might luck out."
Hearing that, both Vanessa and Navi froze.
Ruto blinked. "What?"
"What do you mean?" Vanessa demanded.
"Oh, I thought the Sages told you …"
"What?"
"It's weird …"
"WHAT?!!"
Ruto shrugged. "He already has a crush on you."
Vanessa's mouth fell open. "How can that be?! I've only known him for two days!"
"So? Don't make me list everything … your eyes, your smile … he thinks you're funny and nice …"
"HOLD IT!!!" Still clutching Navi, Vanessa waved her hands around wildly. "No way! Uh-uh! Nay! Too much crap's happened to me already--"
"Vanessa, stop!" Navi shrieked. "I'm gonna puke!"
As the fairy staggered out of Vanessa's hand, Ruto giggled. "But you like him too."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed. "Nothing'll happen between us."
"Oh, come on …"
"No, seriously! I just broke up with my boyfriend two years ago and I'm still hurting from that one …"
"Vanessa, you're nuts if you don't grab him while he's still interested!"
Despite her frustration and confusion, Vanessa laughed. "I don't know Ruto …" She glanced at Ruto and grinned. "But he's cuter than hell, I'll admit that much."
Ruto laughed. "What got your attention first?"
"His eyes! I love his--hey!!"
Now Navi was cracking up. Vanessa glared at her. "You tell him--"
"I'm good with secrets. Fairy's honor."
Ruto gave Vanessa a playful shove. "All of the Sages have seen you with him in their dreams. The looks on your faces--how could it not be love?"
Vanessa didn't answer. Her heart only sank.
She couldn't have her heart broken again …
But she wasn't going to--
She shuddered; she didn't want Link to grieve for her.
******************************************************************************
Link stood in the courtroom of King Zora alone, his head bowed in shame. Over a thousand Zoras died trying to defend the Water Temple from the kappas and Undead, and they all failed, fighting and dying in vain. The Water Temple had been ripped apart, all of its treasures and icons stolen.
The Undead set fire to the Temple, heating up the entire lake. Any Zora stragglers that failed to make it back into the Domain had been captured by the Undead and fed to their monstrous pets.
There had been hundreds of thousands of Undead there that night. If Link had been quicker to respond to the crises--!!
King Zora lumbered away, heading towards his chambers, leaving Link to crumple under the weight of the words.
He sank to his knees and drew in a ragged breath, then choked on one, dry sob.
He failed them.
Hands touched his back, and he glanced up at Ruto, whose own eyes were glassy with salt-water tears.
"I'm not angry with you," she said honestly. "Even Zelda couldn't have prevented what happened."
If that was supposed to comfort him, it didn't work.
Link looked away again as Navi landed on his shoulder. The fairy hugged him around the neck as big tears dripped off her cheeks.
Link saw out of the corner of his eye as Vanessa knelt next to him. He sighed heavily, trying hard not to scream in rage and disappointment.
Vanessa wrapped an arm around his shoulders and slowly began to rock. Too tired too argue, too hurt to do anything else, Link allowed himself to be cradled.
Silently, he promised himself, swearing on his father's grave, that Lamia would pay for what she did to the Zoras.
He had no idea of the other horrors Lamia Carna would bestow upon Hyrule.