Chapter Fourteen
Fire, Light and Courage
I touch the fire and it freezes me...
I look into it and it's black.
Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel.
I want the fire back.
Now through the smoke they call to me,
To make my way across the flame.
To save the day, or maybe melt away,
I guess it's all the same.
So I will walk through the fire.
Cause where else can I turn?
I will walk through the fire,
And let it....
Walk Through the Fire
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Blinking in the sudden light, Sam shook his head as a guard offered him a hand off of the teleporter. He still felt dazed, having a member of the Wings of Council bowing, of all things, to him! Well, to the six of them as a group, but still, it wasn't a common experience for anyone. Celestrial had always been known as arrogant in the legends about it, which made it all the more shocking.
"So Sam, what was that thing?" Tidus asked, materialising into existence and stepping down to stand next to him. Looking at Tidus blankly for a few seconds, Sam realised he'd been asked a question and shook his head.
"Sorry, um... How do I explain this?"
"At the beginning, maybe?" Yuna coaxed. Turning from her conversation with Rikku and Paine, she smiled at Sam. "You look overwhelmed."
"You would be too, if you knew the full story." Sam murmured. "That was Celestrial. Back on my world, he was a member of a group of creatures called the Wings of Council. They were extremely powerful Pokém-, uh creatures, and known for being very conceited and high and mighty sometimes." Sam paused, before continuing. "Celestrial is the Legendary Bird of Darkness. In ancient legends, it's said he brings the night, while Ho-oh, another legendary bird, brings the day. Seeing Celestrial on the night of a full moon was meant to mean that you had the protection of the Wings of Council in the olden days, while seeing him on the night of the new moon meant you were condemned by the Council."
"And that's bad?" Paine prodded, frowning as she listened.
"Well, when the members of the Council had the power to caused storms capable of wiping out the planet, or caused forests to grow in minutes, then yes. I'd say you were in trouble." Sam said solemnly.
"Understood." Paine nodded. "That's what you saw down there Yuna? We'll need to see what the moon is like tonight."
"I think it was a new moon last night." Rikku piped up, sounding worried. "Yunie, you're not gonna die, are you?"
Shaking his head, Sam turned, watching as Sora flashed up from the depths of Via Infinito. Sam had already felt Sora's psychic presence, feeling more than a little intimidated by it. As if reading Sam's mind, which he probably was, Sora turned, his blue eyes catching Sam's own. Grinning, he winked. Hurriedly, Sam erected several psychic shields, hoping they were enough to prevent Sora running rampant in his mind.
"So, we're all here, except for one." Kairi murmured. Jumping, he hadn't realised she was there, Sam looked puzzled, and then remembered Link, the boy in green.
"How're we gonna find him?" Sam asked, sounding puzzled. "I mean, we found each other so far through chance, I doubt that's gonna work again." Turning to Yuna, Sam quirked his mouth. "Do you have any ideas?"
Yuna frowned. "I'll ask Buddy if there have been any reports of more strange people, no offense, running around."
"Hey!" Sora protested. Shaking his head and smiling, Sam looked around the small room they were in.
"How're we gonna find Link?" He muttered to himself. Memory suddenly kicked in and with a frown, he turned to the others again. "And what about that thing we touched earlier? The one that shone different colours?"
"Oh, you mean the Genesis Shrine?" Zelda asked, sounding delighted. "I was wondering if one had been found yet. Were you able to activate it?"
"How d'you know about that?" Tidus asked, a frown on his face.
Zelda smiled sweetly. "Crest Bearer of Knowledge, Tidus." She turned to Kairi. "Did the beam turn a golden colour?"
Kairi shook her head. "No, it had different colours appear in it as each of us touched it, but then it shut off." She looked over at Sam, almost daring him to mention how she had tripped. Sam replied with an innocent face. Rolling her eyes, Kairi looked up, focusing on something beyond the roof. "So what does it do?"
"The Genesis Shrines are the backup plan if we fail." Came the reply. "There are three Genesis Shrines in place on the five Primary Worlds, the first worlds to have been born after the creation of the Universe. Once activated, they restore part of the Universe from the darkness and once all are powered, they will reveal the path to Kingdom Hearts."
"Ooh, what's that?" Rikku asked, sounded enthralled in the story.
"Kingdom Hearts is the source of life in our Universe, from it all hearts are born, and to it all hearts will go. It is the door to the Realm of Darkness, the source of all Heartless."
Rikku blinked. "Um, ok."
"We should go up to the Genesis Shrine now." Zelda said, ignoring Rikku's blank look. "If we cannot activate the Genesis Shrines relatively soon, we may lose the ability to summon Kingdom Hearts and save the Universe..."
Coming to with a groan, Link got up, his hand instantly flying to his head where it felt like a Goron bongo orchestra was playing an extended opera. Blue eyes took in area he was in, cold blue walls, wet stone, a door that led to a corridor which, if Link wasn't mistaken, was full of water held at bay by some unknown force. His boots squeaked on the wet floor, providing unsteady flooring that didn't make the best surface for a woozy teenage boy. Slipping, he flailed his arms to regain his balance, narrowly avoiding landing on the floor again. Once he was firmly settled again, he crouched down to lightly touch the floor, wondering what was keeping the majority of it from drowning him.
As he eyed the press of water outside the door, a rush of heat sizzled its way through his veins, flowering from the hand he had on the ground. Around it, water hissed, converting to steam. Within seconds, the room was filled with steam and the floor was drier than it had been in years.
'Link?'
The boy blinked, looking around. With a sudden realisation that the voice had spoken telepathically, he waited patiently.
"Thank Nayru, you're here. Where are you?"
It was Zelda. Without waiting for an answer from the boy, he felt her presence in his mind shift. His eyes sparked, making him gasp in pain, blinking away tears as they began watering. When he looked up again, he knew Zelda was looking through his eyes.
"Macalania Temple." Zelda told him. "Excellent, we'll be there shortly. Don't open that door unless you can swim without drowning. There's a lot of water out there."
Another spark and suddenly she was gone. Rolling his eyes and wiping his eyes, he looked back at the door. Swim without drowning? He could do that... Reaching behind him, his fingers dug into the back of his tunic where a cunningly hidden pocket lay hidden under his belt. He had never asked himself how the pocket could hold everything and anything he chose to carry, nor did he know how the item he wanted would always be waiting for him to reach in, but he had the inkling Saria would know. Feeling a cool surface which gave under his fingers like a skin, he grabbed and pulled, looking down at the object within his hands. The Zora's Mask, containing the spirit of a dead Zoran Warrior. He hadn't worn it since he had left Termina, nor did he know if it would still work, but now was as good a time as any to find out.
With that, he jammed the mask on. Energy rippled through his body, but unlike normal, the energy seemed to embrace him. His body underwent the metamorphosis, usually incredibly painful, without any trouble at all. Looking at his left hand, which shone with the red Crest of Courage, he decided that maybe these things did have perks on the occasion. Walking awkwardly towards the door, he looked at it, not knowing how it worked. With a shrug he telekinetically moved it upwards, treating it much like a door on his own world.
The wall of water, its pathway no longer blocked surged past him. Diving into the mass of it, he strove to fight the current, kicked his leg and flicking his fins as he swam out into a huge lake which engulfed a good part of a building built above it. The building, supporting itself on larger glaciers looked ready to tumble into the lake, the ice that held it up moving ever further away. Judging from the level of water over the building, Link concluded the ice had been melting slowly. Looking up, he saw a yellow sun shining in the air, looking slightly younger than that of Hyrule's. Kicking his feet, he lazy swam upwards, ignoring the mass of darkness gathering below.
The sense that something wasn't right grew as he swam upwards. Frowning, a difficult ability to master in the tight skin of the Zora's, Link paused, supporting himself in the middle of the water. His instincts suddenly screamed and he dove to the right, narrowly avoiding becoming food for the creature that shot past him. Looking like a bloated puffer fish, it supported a belly like a cage, allowing water in while keeping its prey captive for later.
But following that creature was something far worse. Stretching up with tentacles made from darkness, a being that resembled a whale made of shadows let out an earth-shaking cry. His eyes widening from the sheer size of the creature, Link shot away as one of the elongated tentacles on the back of the creature drifted slowly past him. As it moved through the water, it tugged down, creating a rip. Fighting it, Link's body engulfed itself suddenly in lightning, as if hoping that the creature would damage itself. As the current almost slammed Link into the creature, the electricity halted, changing its form to that of white flames. Passing through the tentacle and leaving a hole in his wake, Link looked at his skin, started. Sensing the danger to its Crest Holder, the Crest of Courage pulsed and sent out a jet of red light out along Link's hand. Feeling a handle fit into his hand, Link looked down, gazing in wonder as the Master Sword shimmered into existence. Normally it was far heavier, but as if adjusting for the situation it became lighter until it was a suitable weight for Link to hold as a Zora. The element of surprise over, Link swam forward, cutting through the gigantic tentacle with the Master Sword. Hearing a groan of pain, Link swam away as fast as he could; narrowly avoiding the waves of darkness the creature sent vibrating through the lake.
It was too big, Link realised. Too big for him to affect easily. Dropping the Master Sword, it would only weight him down, he swam upwards. In answer, the Master Sword vanished in a flash of red light, reappearing in Link's hand. Giving a groan of frustration, he swam faster and faster, trying to get away from the leviathan Heartless that dwelt below him.
Sisters, our Champion is not doing well.
Looking at her triplet, Farore bit her lip, an expression that may be called concern on lesser beings crossing her features. He is too new to his powers to fight this manifestation. This appears to be the work of Yu Yevon.
But how? Din questioned, gently folding her arms across her chest. He was destroyed five years ago by the Crest Holders of Kindness and Determination.
Yu Yevon has possessed Tidus. The answer came on a voice that sounded like the crashing of the waves and the mournful cry of whales. The Crest Holder of Determination. It seems Yu Yevon was not defeated five years ago, but simply possessed the nearest thing to an Aeon, a change that took a while, but he succeeded eventually, possessing Tidus. When He was brought back from the Universe of Dreams, Tidus appears to have brought back Yu Yevon in his heart. This is Sin, and a Heartless.
Arching an eyebrow at Nayru, Farore's mouth turned upwards in a smirk. We cannot have a being so powerful destroy our first Champion, can we sisters?
Din grinned broadly. No we can't.
Each sister extended their hand simultaneously, holding out one finger to hover over the Seeing Pool in the Chamber of the Gods. A drop of blood fell from those perfect fingers, falling through the image and collecting into one yellow mass. Wriggling and moving, the mass strove to go four ways, breaking into four animals. Giving their first cries of life, the four creatures looked around, staring at each other, before moving off in separate directions. Reaching down into the pool, Nayru gently picked up the fourth creature, one that looked like a water snake.
Lanayru. The Goddess said, speaking to the creature. You have been called into life to protect this Universe. Here is your first charge. Protect our Champion and show the spirits of the dead that the will of the Gods is not to be trifled with. Without waiting for an answer, she dropped the creature, watching as he fell into Spira. Twisting and writhing in the air, he slowly got bigger, his intangible body of light smacked the water with a splash that was more felt that seen.
Looking down at the Heartless below him, Lanayru dove, opening his mouth to expel a beam of light into the back of the Heartless. Realising that this creature was on his side, Link slowly swam up to it, pausing momentarily beside Lanayru.
Get on my back. The being projected into Link's mind. Nodding once, he swam around Lanayru, carefully getting on its back. Once he was settled, Lanayru swam forward, diving towards the dark manifestation of Sin. Sending another beam of light piercing through Sin's body, Lanayru twisted to avoid a gigantic leg coming down on top of it.
Champion of Courage, kindly lend me your strength. Lanayru asked as they looped around Sin's tail. As if sensing the confusion in Link's mind, Lanayru sent something very much like a sigh into it. With a flick of her body, she unseated Link, turning to face him and swelled slightly. A final beam of light roared out of Lanayru's mouth, surging towards Link. Holding up the Master Sword to block it, Link flinched as the beam reached him. However, without even a whisper or tremble, the energy focused into the sword. Its blade began glowing in the darkness of the lake. I have given you my strength Courage's Champion. Lanayru's ghostly voice made the water shudder. I will see you again. With that, the giant snake vanished.
Feeling very much alone, Link eyed Sin. He had the inkling it had turned to look at him, but he couldn't be sure. When the dark tentacles headed towards the beacon of light that was the Master Sword, he swam forward, white fire playing on his skin, burning away the tentacles. When the sword in his hand began to tremble as if anticipating its first kill of a Heartless, he swung the sword, eyes widening as an epic slash of light darted out longwise against Sin's body. Cutting through the shadowy ligaments and muscles, the beam cut Sin in two, exposing a dark creature looking like a pathetic parasite floating on the water. Giving a scream of fury at the being that had almost killed him, Link slashed again, putting the rest of his energy into it. Instead of a wave, a beam of light shot from the tip of the Master Sword and engulfed the creature. Yu Yevon, creator of Sin shuddered and, under the superior magic of a Light Spirit, began crumbling away. The rest of the enigma it had created began writhing in place, dissolving as the light lit up Lake Macalania. Up above, Brother covered his eyes while Yuna shielded hers. The other Crest Holders looked as the entire lake seemed to become light itself. As abruptly as it had started, the light was gone.
"So, you think Link is there?" Sam asked Zelda slowly. "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known."