Musical Inspiration:
Wind Waker; Medli's Awakening
Behemoth; Lucifer
Genre:
Dark | Supernatural | Suspense
Summary:
A matured, battle hardened and somber Link awakens Medli as the Earth Priestess and prepares for their inevitable descent into the dark and frightening Earth Temple, in Link's quest to restore the mighty power to the Master Sword.
EARTH GOD'S LYRE
A black void greeted her sight, cold and silent. There was no life or signs of death, just nothingness. Everywhere her gaze turned, it looked no different than the back of her eyelids, complete darkness. She felt little, her features nearly numb in the cold's grasp. The smell of earth encircled her, musty dampness on the cold's breath.
She felt a shiver crawl up. Such a spooky dream. Yet, she couldn't seem to wake from it. Oddly enough, her beloved lyre was in her hands, clutched tightly to her chest. The golden shine of the instrument shone forth even in this light-less environment, illuminating her figure in a faint glow.
A stringed instrument that sounded exactly alike to her lyre was heard next to her. She shifted to the right where the sound was heard, searching for the source but found nothing. Again, another string was touched, closer this time in proximity.
Turning back to her previous angle, a ghostly transparent image of a humanoid creature appeared before her. Her skin was shiny and smooth, large beady eyes stared at her gently. Her head had a large tail on the back, and fins protruded from her arms below the elbows. She wore a hat and skirt, clean and beautiful. But a certain sadness emitted from her transparent figure, a feeling of regret and failure.
But the most shocking feature, was the lady's lyre. It was like her own, an exact copy.
The young girl's eyes were wider than she thought she could ever get them. In her lifetime, there was only ever known to be one of her lyre; it was unique and passed down from generations before in her tribe. This fact, and the obvious sight of this troubled soul before her meant this was one of her ancestors.
The figure gave a sad smile. She raised her harp and began playing an tune with her lyre, it was so familiar to her, as if she had heard it before. A large wave of dizziness washed over the young Ritoian like the waves of the Great Sea, a mass sense of déjà vu flooded her memories. Past visions of a boy who looked exactly like the boy she met a few years ago, danced with monsters. She couldn't clarify the resemblances, for the images were blurry. The visions changed to one of the figure and the green clad warrior placing a sword in the center of a large emblem in the bowels of a desolate temple.
When the visions faded, the figure before her held up her lyre and nodded. The young girl did not know what she wanted. But, as if aware of the girl's confusion, the ghost replayed the song from before. Realizing she wanted her to play along side, Medli began stringing her lyre in perfect sync with her ancestor.
She didn't know how, but her fingers touched all the right strings without error. In this lifetime she had never played this song before, but here she was now, keeping in tune as if she had done it every single day.
As they both played, she felt herself washed away in a sea of memories that were not her own. The scenery around her changed. She stood with her ancestor in the halls of the same temple from the first vision. On one side, it was crawling with evil creatures and monsters of all sizes. Red eyes glared through her, as if she wasn't really there. She turned around, still playing the song, and saw a shadowy figure on the other, two to be precise. One; petite, frightened, but determined. The other; larger in physique than most of the postman of her tribe, swinging a large sword in his left hand. She could make little detail on either.
But what she could see, was a woman, a Rito, and a man. The woman, in what little light there was emitting from a torch she held up, looked closely like herself. The man, who's face was shadowed in the angle he stood in defiance against the coming onslaught, wore clothing that she recognized.
Green pointy hat, a green tunic, and brown boots. Blonde hair graced his head and partially hid his glaring blue eyes. She recognized him. Link, the hero who saved the sky spirit Valoo and the entire Rito tribe.
'My...he has grown so big...' She thought to herself.
Rather, he was at least five times larger than he was when she last saw him a few years ago. In both height and overall muscle. The demonic spawns behind her howled in attack, her gaze, however, never left her friend who held the large sword of his up.
The blade exploded with light filled energies that blinded her. When her vision cleared, the scenery had changed yet again to the large circular room where she witnessed the sword embedded in the emblem on the floor, the exact same blade Link was holding moments before.
Her image had played her precious lyre, with Link fighting a large behemoth creature holding a lamp. When he had slain it at last, he, still with little light to depict proper details, stood in the center of the large emblem, holding his bloodied sword in both hands. The flat of the blade near the center pressed firmly against his forehead.
When she finished the tune, the entire room went black, with only Link and the emblem being lit by some unseeable light. Medli's confusion only escalated at these images. She looked to the spirit next to her and met the same soft gaze with puzzled plead. She wanted to know what this all meant.
The spirit smiled once more, lifting her hand in the direction where Link stood.
His figure had become black. The light was fading around him. She could still not get over how big he had come to be.
Suddenly, he blew a mighty breath from his lips in exhale, a large mist of sweat exploding forth and being split in the center by the hilt of his sword. The sudden movement had startled Medli. He swung the sword skyward with a bolt of energy striking it from the hole in the roof. The blade pulsed and sparked with energy once more before he let the hilt go briefly to reverse his grip and finally plunged it with a roar tip first into the center. The force sent a shock wave from the circle in all directions, a blast so strong the wind had pushed the skulls and dust far from the vicinity, and had knocked Medli off her feet.
Gasping, Medli sat up from her bed. Her dazed mind briefly numb from the raw power the tale had induced on her dreams. Another sleepless night.
Ever since she met Link, she found little peace in her own thoughts. Sometimes, she would imagine people talking to her, and within a flash, see no one there but herself. Other times, memories that couldn't possibly be her own would play out in her head. And sometimes, like tonight, she would experience a dream so intense that she would awake in a cold sweat.
Link was a strange boy, quiet and mysterious. He carried an otherworldly aura and presence with him everywhere he went. But, if the Link from her dreams was truly the one she knew, than he had changed. For the Link she knew, was never so...serious.
A few years ago, Medli would immediately shrug this dream off as a weird nightmare. But her current state being so ravaged by these abnormal experiences made it difficult to stamp this as just a dream.
It must have been more than that. An Omen? A vision?
Calming her beating heart, Medli stepped out of bed and approached her window seal. After a moment of smelling the ocean scent, she stepped on to the base of the window, and dropped out to a cliff of sorts.
Then she realized something that struck her dumbfounded again. Her lyre, it was still in her hand. She hadn't noticed it at first for she was still under the affects of the dream. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Without even giving it a second thought, she held up her treasured instrument and began playing any tune. As the strings vibrated with every touch on the harp, she let her mind slip and her troubles sink away into the wind and then the depths of the Great Sea.
A sudden presence was felt behind her. In a gasp, she twisted about in full three-sixty and locked eyes with a familiar large figure in the shadows of the mountain side. Stern, cold and frightfully strong blue eyes stared back at her intently with a somber look. Those eyes looked so familiar to her, but she didn't know anyone who's gaze could cut the sea in half like this being's could.
"W-who's there...?" Her voice shook in fear. Not many could so easily sneak up on a Ritoian.
The figure shifted, the look turning into one of shock. But, as quickly as it changed, it returned to the same coldness before. Heavy booted feet came towards her, from the shadows came the hardened and grown-up form of Link, a large black cape covering his broad shoulders and hiding his entire back side, the wooly fabric swaying and whipping to the north bound winds.
Medli's jaw dropped at the sight of him. He really had grown big. Every muscle she could see in his chest was rock hard and sharp enough to cut diamonds. His figure was at peak masculinity, his cute features replaced by handsomeness and daring nature, with arms like tree limbs and a chest like the upper half of an hourglass. No signs of weakness within him, with what she could see in his vaguely loose tunic, his body was rippling in power. She had no doubts of the limits of his physical strength.
But as she stared at his grown and matured body, she felt a sense of dread wash over her. He hadn't been to Dragon Roost in years. Why would he come here now? And the transformation he underwent in the short time of his absence hit her with a longing to see his old, more innocent self.
She just hoped he still had some of the warmth his younger self possessed...
Link stared at his friend with hidden awe, she too had grown into a fine young lady. Her hair remained the same length as her height, her beak had shortened in width, and her figure had grown slightly more feminine in structure. The pale skin of her's had the semblance of silk, and he had no doubts it truly felt like so.
In all these long years, sailing from one end of the sea to the other. Fighting nonstop with evil beasts and occasionally, intoxicated sailors in the Cafe on Windfall, he's seen many young girls grow with him and become beautiful young lasses. But Medli surpassed them all. She truly had a figure that spoke "I'm all grown up!". Her body screamed young woman.
But alas. He felt mass guilt in his muscled chest as he remembered the reason for his return to Dragon Roost Island. He remembered the sorrowful spirit of the Earth Sage on Headstone Island, her words repeated in his wizened mind; The Earth Sage's spirit lives dormant within the one who bears the lyre of the Earth God. You must find them, and awaken my spirit within them to repower the Master Sword. Unknowingly, she awaits you, Wind Waker.
Damn the Gods...One of his closer friends was to be locked away in the bowels of some temple to replenish the evil repelling power of his sword.
"Link! Valoo's wings, you're grown up!"
He sighed briefly, it hurt to be here under the circumstance he found himself in.
"Hello, Medli. You've grown...so beautiful. And those wings; The sky spirit would be proud to call you a Rito."
She blushed lightly at the compliment. In his time here, Link learned a few things about the Rito Tribe. Their culture once said that the sky graces good blessings to those who would make proud the sky spirit with their wings.
Taking a grateful bow, she placed her instrument on her back and held her hand in front of her. Just like old times. In greeting, she stepped forward and tried to wrap her petite arms around his large chest in a friendly hug, to which he returned. He inhaled the scent of her hair idly, his strong arms encasing her like a soft blanket and warming her troubled mind.
"So, what brings you to Dragon Roost?"
Link brought his once again hardened gaze to hers, an act that stole her breath away in a silent exhale. His stare was so calculative and icy...
"...It's time, Medli."
His strong and deep voice, although quiet, sliced through their silence like the wind on the ocean water's surface, sending ripples and waves in the opposite direction of the invisible force.
"...W-what?"
Link's gaze softened as he released his friend and stepped back. Turning to his side, pushing his cape away from a small pouch, he opened it and pulled out a silver baton. Holding it up in his left hand, and with his right index finger over to his left, he motioned the baton twice to the bottom, once to the center, and followed it with left right and left.
As if in a trance, Medli followed his baton's instructions to the letter, replaying the song she immediately recognized from her dream.
A flash back of all the things she experienced within the dream reoccurred in her mind's eye. Her life flashed before her, every image shooting through yet she knew each one the split second it appeared and then disappeared. It all continued until it stopped on the vision of her Zoran ancestor and the battle weary Link huffing as he stabbed the emblem.
Her vision faded, her mind dizzied, and her legs failed her. The last thing she saw as she slipped from consciousness, was Link reaching out and grabbing her. His face as stern as before, but his eyes riddled with hidden sorrow.
A/N:
The continuity of this story will be dependent on its reception. I wanted to recreate Wind Waker in a way that would prove dark and mature, taking the young child-like Link and having him grow into a battle hardened warrior. And, depict my favorite scene from Wind Waker (Which I recently played, to which inspired this) in the views of adult friends whom haven't seen each other in years.
I do hope you enjoyed this concept.