A/N: Yay! Some reviews, and alerts. I'm glad n.n as is my co-writer, Kayla-chan. I think I forgot to specify on who designed who in this, but it's not the most important yet. When it gets farther, then it'll probably be just a little more important. n.n
Shaun: Can you be a tad more specific? The fic is written in sections (thus the separators) can you tell if it's in a piece focusing around Chelsie or one around Arethusa?
Kouta: Hehe. Yeah. Takkun disappeared, though I'm not writing this by myself. I have another co-author, which helps, because if I was writing this by myself, it wouldn't be able to update very often at all, seeing as I have a fairly busy life, between high school and college and joy. I'm glad that this helped cheer you up. n.n That's an awesome thing. As for your fic, I'll definitely look into it, probably create a document so I can take it with me on my flash drive and read it where I don't have Internet access.
Orion Kokiri: Shortened your name. Hehe. Thanks. n.n I hope as it gets farther you enjoy it more and more. And it gets more reviews. xD
Ferns and dark green vines grew along the dark entrance, its opening like a giant dark mouth to a marvelously large creature. It's throat was long and gauged by the falling rains; shadowed in mysterious air of oncoming danger, the trial to the beasts stomach. Arethusa's tiny hands tightened on her dagger as she stood beside Link and Chelsie. It was impossible, there was now way they could possibly do this. She gulped and all three ran forward, dashing towards the Deku Tree. The dark pathway made Arethusa shiver with fright. She was literally shaking in her boots. The ground crackled with her every footfall and she heard crows screech overhead, flying above the canyons walls. The cave went through phases of being completely open and large expanses of rock, it seemed to still be developing or evolving as they charged onward. She inwardly winced as she realized that they were quite possibly racing towards a certain death, their so-called destiny. Arethusa trembled, edging closer and closer to the barely lit opening that was the Deku Trees home. She lagged behind, hearing her footfalls fall slower and slower. She watched Link and Chelsie stride ahead, racing behind the three fairies darting towards the opening. She paused, her chest heaving. Could she really be the water temple guardian, she wondered, and how she could possibly fill that role. She watched them round a corner and still stayed behind, almost unnoticed.
Arethusa stared at her hands, trying to see which blood ran through her veins. Where did she belong, who was she, and why was she here? Arethusa had been told the answers to all of these questions but she did not believe that they were really meant for her. Her heart refused to believe it and with each pulsing beat she tried harder to defy what she knew was her rightful destiny. Finally, Arethusa followed, quite unsure of her place in eh mysterious world of Hyrule. Sighing out of confusion and indecision she realized that she couldn't just leave or pretend that this wasn't real.
She needed to focus, this world was real to her and felt much closer to her heart and mind than Earth ever had. Raising a small hand, she ran her hand along the rock wall. Her white robe dangled over her thin fingers. She closed her eyes, listening to the tales of the wind and the stories it had to tell. She listened to the cry of the birds as they stretched their wings and flew overhead. She opened her eyes and stared at the gorge as she ran, tracing the shades of brown with her eyes and watching her shadow stretch out behind her. The sun was setting and evening was closing its fist around the wood. It was her favorite time of day, carved with deep shadows and sharp contrasts between light and dark. She smiled, realizing that now was also her time to shine. She may as well make as much of this adventure as she could. Grinning, Arethusa pressed on while listening to her heart's beating. Each pulse portrayed the truth. Each scraggly crack in the rock wall told her a story. The tale of her own homecoming and destiny would be retold by singing bards, making her infamous with each retelling. she would be known for her kindness, graceful intellect, and mercy. She would read of other's travels and rewrite them with her own memories and experiences. She would cover this world with streams of legendary realizations and revelations so full and deep that the world would flood with her happiness. Her confidence grew, feeling the weight of the silver dagger and wooden shield in her hands. She set her shoulders and dashed to catch up to the others. She was by their sides as they entered the clearing.
Startled birds flew from his tall branches, specks of bright white against a fading sunlit horizon. They spread their wings and dove down into the thousands of trees fanning out against the orange sky. Their branches stretched upward, constantly grasping at the sun; the sky and the leaves playing a game of keep away. He smiled, his ancient wooden face greeting them all with as much strength and warmth as he could muster. His eyes were filled with thousands of starlight nights. Shuddering Arethusa, nimbly stepped forward. She ducked under his large roots, gently moving moss to the side. He was a wood within himself, the animals scampered along his being with ease and of joyous skill. The Deku tree, Arethusa wondered as she spun in a circle, looking overhead. Above her the sky was a dark blue, the day was gone. She strode, first, into the clearing before his large face. She craned her neck back to look into his wonderful eyes. His dark wooden branches shook with weakness as he greeted them, his voice deep and thick with magic and regret.
"Oh Navi, thou hast returned!" said the Deku Tree. "Thank you, Link, for coming. Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares. A vile climate pervades this world. Verily, ye have felt it. The time has come for the guardians to awaken. It is time to test thine courage. Art thou prepared?"
Upon entering the clearing, Chelsie felt a deep chill entering her bones, and the over whelming urge to hurl, as if her body were rejecting some foreign substance that obviously wasn't good. She bit her tongue hard, feeling herself almost dry heaving. Dark.. evil.. she could feel it... set deep in her stomach and tying knots as well. A test of the courage. She swallowed. First was to get over this... ugly feeling, though she'd deal with. She wasn't even sure what happened, but she knew that for sure, she had changed from the time that she woke up, and now.
She was extremely sure that this was no longer a game show... no game show could leave such an unsettling feeling in her very bones, or even cause her stomach to tie up in knots just be entering a clearing.. no no this was very real now... She swallowed hard. Real..? No longer a game show.. she... would that mean she could actually die? Yes... yes she could actually die... everything that Edo has said... it was real.. wasn't it? But.. how.. no no why was she tha Shadow Guardian? What was so special about her...? There wasn't anything special about her... she was sure of it... there was just average blood flowing through her veins. Just blood of your average girl that was from an average family.. right? Yeah... yeah... there wasn't anything special about her... there couldn't be anything special about her.
"Stop doubting yourself..." She stiffened up, hearing Edo's words in her ear... he had caught her so off guard. Seeing the fairy off in her vision, she barely mustered a twitch, just looking at him as he smiled. "I'm your advisor and in a sense, guardian. I know how to read your expressions.." He murmured, smiling a little. "You are the Shadow Guardian... now.. hush... and believe in yourself."
She thought on it for a few moments, though she still wondered and couldn't really figure it out for herself.. she needed her own proof... or so she thought. Oh well. "All right then..." She let out quietly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as a sudden spark of confidence blazed to life inside her. Stretching a little, her smile grew, only gaining more confidence. "I'm prepared!" Edo smiled a little, seeing the Guardian of Shadow spark back to life, and she almost seemed cocky, but she was confident. "You ready Arethusa, Link?" She questioned.
Arethusa nodded, feeling her muscles tighten. Her heart pounded wildly but as she looked up at the Deku Tree's face she felt that none of it mattered. His voice and wondrous eyes had told her that none of this could be a lie. There was too much in probability that any prankster, even with a million dollars, could pull off these special effects. As if it were timed, The Deku tree shook with a chill, his branches groaning from the weight of the creatures and their homes. The large whoosh of air created by the movement pantomimed the ill forbidding of a curse hidden within his templar of great awe. Their journey would be hard and difficult. Arethusa's eyes portrayed no sense of fear and only calm confidence, even if the air was filled with a sickening feeling that made her stomach heave with distaste. Arethusa felt anger surge through her veins. How dare such a magnificent creature be struck with such an ill fate, Arethusa mused as he opened his mighty jaw, I have to do the best that I can to save him.
Link swished the cob webs to side, stepping into the dimly lit hollow. Arethusa followed him closely, peering into the darkness. The trials of gray tickled her face and made streaks of black across her cheeks. She shook them from her hair and continued inside. Her heart calmed quietly as she sensed Favero by her side. The fae would help her as much as possible. She wasn't alone. Pulling her shield of her back, she prepared for whatever was coming. They entered the first room and found nothing particular, just a ladder that lead to the second floor. Arethusa smiled and climbed up last, so far so good. She breathed a sigh of relief as Link opened a small wooden chest to reveal a map. Arethusa grabbed a torch from one of the walls and held it above their heads. They stared at the map breathing heavily. This place was much bigger than she'd imagined. Sighing, Link tucked the map into one of the pockets in his tunic. With amazing skill, Link jumped across the floor and opened the door to the next room. He turned around and waved with a smile. Arethusa laughed and followed in suit. Chelsie jumped across with minimal effort and they all entered the room.
Arethusa jumped, seeing the Deku Scrub in the center. A deku nut shot out of his mouth so fast that she barely had time to block it. It smashed upon impact.
"What the hell is that thing?!" She called out to Favero who was dancing over it, directing her.
"This is a Deku Scrub, he shoots nuts from his mouth that you can block and deflect with either your sword or or shield." Favero answered calmly, chuckling.
"Didn't I just do that?" Arethusa asked, peering around her shield. She heard Favero sigh and she stood up. Oh sure, it's easy to sigh and laugh when you're not risking impaling your head on a GIANT nut, Arethusa raged in her head. She heaved her shield onto her wrist and watch Link do the same. They formed a wall in front of Chelsie, whom had bated the Scrub, and deflected the first two nuts into the wall behind him. The deku jumped into the ground and shivered. Arethusa frowned, what was he giving up? She lowered her shield only to receive a smack in the stomach by one of the red nuts. She winced and raised her shield in time to block the next. Aggravation began to take hold over Arethusa's emotion. She stood up, once more, after Chelsie bated him once more. This time she angled it just right to hit the damn plant smack int eh face. Arethusa laughed as the creature began running around the room. Link cornered it and demanded information!
"Alright, I'll tell you just don't kill me!" The scrub shivered as he backed into the corner. Arethusa rubbed the large bruise on her stomach with remorse. Why had she let her guard down, she might've died if the thing was more powerful. Glancing at Chelsie and Link she nodded, they had to keep moving in order to beat this curse. In the next room they were faced with crumbling gray blocks. A small wooden chest revealed the Fairy Slingshot, which Link received because he used it the best out of all of them.
He shot down a ladder and left the room quickly, the smashing sound of blocks still echoing in their ears. Rubbing them, they exited the room. Arethusa sighed, as her ears finally popped. It was then that she heard the sickening swooshes of the Skulltula. Her stomach dropped as she jumped back, bumping into to Chelsie. Link wasn't so lucky and got smacked backwards by the giant skull faced spider. It's eerie mouth gleamed at them from the torch's firelight. The tall grass prickled Arethusa's ankles as she peered around Link's shoulder. Link unsheathed his sword and quietly walked around the room, gathering Deku Sticks and Nuts. She found a strange red substance that floated like glitter, in the shape of a heart, and it healed some of his wounds. Arethusa frowned and glanced at Favero. Favero smiled softly and explained that this was a hidden life essence that could heal them when they needed it but it wasn't always so easy to find. Arethusa nodded and directed her attention back to the Skulltula. How can we beat this freaky thing, she thought glancing at Link and Chelsie. Both had straight faces with barely contained confidence. Arethusa's brow furrowed and she turned around. Chelsie smashed the first Skulltula down with a finely aimed shot of her spear and Link the second with a quick flick of a deku nut from the slingshot. Arethusa grabbed hold of the vines and heaved herself off of the ground. She winced as her fingers scrapped the rock wall but she continued to climb up to the third floor. She sighed, already feeling sore. She rolled onto the third floor, her chest heaving. She glanced at Chelsie with a soft smile. She was getting too old for this sort of thing. Arethusa laughed and sat up, maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.
A/N: NOW! Surrender to this fic more reviews! I command you! xD Pwease?