This chapter got longer than I originally anticipated, so I split it in order to give the subsequent scenes in the next chapter some fleshing out, instead of trying to rush it along. Thankfully, there are all kinds of details peppered along this chapter, alluding to the past and the future.
Chapter 19 – Tempest
Link had been separated from Epona is the spiraling twister, and he only had fleeting moments of spotting his comrades in the fury of the storm. But there was a curious light coming from one of them – Lucario to be exact.
The pokemon summoned two aura spheres, one for each hand. He slammed them together and created a powerful blast that ruptured and destroyed the twister's hold, but without the force of the wind, everyone began to free fall.
Link was saved before he knew it. He looked up to find Peach with a tight grip on his wrist. Her white parasol glided them down to safety, and before he could begin to panic regarding the fate of Epona, she appeared in an aura bubble that protected her as well as the rest of the Brotherhood.
"Kneph has full control over the storm," Lucario stated with a hint of anger. "He was waiting for us."
"I am sure we were quite aware that this could be a trap," Marth said, "but we all came with the intent of protecting everyone caught in the crossfire of the war."
There was a round of nods and agreement; not a single member had been deterred.
Lucario's sights were set on the sky. "I will see what I can do about the twisters. Find any survivors and get them to safety."
The pokemon shot into the air in a blur to challenge the storm itself. Ike's demeanor immediately changed, as if he were exerting command in Lucario's absence.
"We should split up to cover more ground at a faster pace."
"Okay, sure," Roy responded, though his true thoughts were written on his face.
Link hopped onto Epona and was about to begin his own search when Peach grabbed his attention – and his leg.
"Would you like some company?"
"It's fine with us, right Epona?"
The horse nickered quietly in response, nearly inaudible from the roar of the storm.
Before Link could even move to help Peach onto Epona, she had already leapt up and onto the horse, settling behind him. He was impressed but kept it to himself; he didn't want to imply that he saw her as only needing pampering and assistance.
Epona trotted through the town at a steady pace. The streets were cast in a low, eerie light thanks to the absence of the sun and the swirling clouds above. It reminded Link of so long ago when he walked the twilight-laden streets of the castle town with Midna. The total lack of people wasn't helping the atmosphere.
"This is purely curiosity, prin...I mean, Peach. Why did you want to come along with me?" Link asked.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to watch a hero with a girl's own two eyes, is there?"
"No, not really..."
"The truth is that everything I know about you I've been told by other people, like your friend Ilia," Peach told him. Link wasn't sure what to think; depending on Ilia's mood, she could have said anything.
"I want to get to know you personally, Link."
"The feeling is mutual, though I can't say I've been told too much about you."
"Well, let's cover the basics: I'm a princess, my favorite color is pink, and I love cake!" She let out a girlish giggle afterwards.
Link laughed at the juvenile innocence. It was quite surreal considering what they were in the middle of.
"What is your kingdom like?" he asked, imagining a version of Hyrule where everyone dressed in pink and ate cake all day.
"The Mushroom Kingdom is quite marvelous and houses many, many strange but wonderful lands. You should come visit sometime..."
Some of the cheeriness had been drained from the princess's voice, and Link had an inkling why.
"How long have you been away from your home?"
"We travel there a lot, actually, but never stay too long...I've left the kingdom in good hands once I joined the Brotherhood. It couldn't be any safer under the watch of Mario."
"I've heard you mention that name before. He doesn't want to join the team? We could use all the help we can get."
"That's a long story..."
They reached the town square and drew to a stop. The statue built in Link's honor, the one he never quite got to admire, had been reduced to rubble in the fountain; a taunt, no doubt. And there didn't seem to be anyone here, either.
"Maybe we're too late and everyone evacuated already?" Peach suggested.
The thought had crossed Link's mind, but so did one on the possibility that everyone had already been lost.
"It's not Kneph's style to focus so much energy on a place where there are no people left to suffer," he surmised, suppressing his fears.
A flash of lighting struck a nearby abandoned store, sending the tarps over its entrance up in flames. Epona was spooked and immediately ran away and down a street littered with debris, her panicked cries drowned out by the deafening boom of thunder.
Link eventually managed to calm the horse and brought her to a halt.
"I don't think that was a coincidence," Peach murmured, but quickly turned her attention to a pile of debris that used to be a store. Link it felt it too – there was a presence here.
A raven-haired woman emerged from hiding, finding the façade having lost its purpose. She came towards them with a slow, confident stride, though there was nothing threatening in her step.
And then she laid into them.
"Are you people stupid? Why are you sitting out in the open like this?"
Link's eyes widened as he got a good look at her. "...Ashei!"
"Link!" The woman softened a bit, "Rusl spoke of the truth! You are alive!"
"Yes. We've come to evacuate the city and put an end to this storm."
"Then...was it you that dispelled the twister earlier?"
"Not quite – it was a friend, but he's working on keeping them under control."
"Even so..." Ashei motioned for them to follow as she retreated back into the remains of the store.
Epona carefully navigated through the debris under the half of roof that was left. Huddled in a corner and staring back at them were the tear-stained faces of several children.
"Evacuation efforts have been ongoing," Ashei stated in a hushed voice. "I've been rounding up the children that have lost their parents, either through separation or...worse."
Link looked upon the children and wondered of their ages. How many of them had been born in the years that he was gone? All of them raised in a new era where a hero no longer existed...if things continued in this direction, his return would no longer be secret, but said return needed to be triumphant. There was no room for a lackluster hero in Hyrule.
These people needed hope.
"We'll help you reach safety," Link said with Peach echoing his sentiments, but Ashei's face only looked slightly relieved.
"Link, the storm is alive. It watches us, toys with us. It must be stopped." She stepped out from under the roof and pointed to two of the tornadoes ripping through different parts of the town.
"Do you see those in particular? They're planted at the entrances and they rarely budge. No one gets in or out."
Peach curiously tilted her head, "Where have the people been evacuating to?"
"The castle. The pathway is fortified; the only hurdle is getting to it." Ashei suddenly sighed and said, "Link, I believe you want to help, but unless I see the perfect opportunity, I'm not willing to risk these children's lives out in that storm."
Link felt a sudden sense of worthiness, as if the goddesses aligned the stars just for this moment.
This is why I'm here, he thought.
"I have a way to protect everyone. Do you trust me?"
Ashei slowly nodded.
"Gather the children and stay close," he told her. He closed his eyes and concentrated, summoning the barrier without using the Hylian Shield as a focal point. A green sphere encapsulated Epona and he heard the children's various gasps.
"Don't be afraid. This magic barrier will protect us from the storm," Link spoke softly. The barrier expanded, making room for everyone. "Stay close."
Epona started with a slow trot, though Link found that maintaining the barrier took more concentration than he imagined.
"I'll need you to do the navigating," he whispered into the horse's ear. "That way, I can focus all of my energy into the barrier."
Epona silently obliged.
The trip was mostly uneventful, though the barrier did deflect debris tossed their way.
Eventually, they found the path blocked by the rubble of a collapsed building. Link knew Epona would have no trouble getting over, but the children would be another story.
Peach squeezed Link's should and said, "Allow me." She opened her palm and pointed it at the pile of rubble in the road.
A jet of wind shot from her hand and burrowed into the pile before exploding like a grenade, scattering the debris and making the pathway much more accessible.
Ashei was devastated by the results.
"You're bringing more attention to us!"
"Are you suuure?" the princess asked.
A bolt of lightning struck the barrier. Link grunted; it took all of his concentration to keep it from collapsing just from that attack.
Ashei tossed an icy glare at Peach.
Peach shrugged and murmured, "Hm, I guess so."
"Link, we must pick up the pace. A twister is certainly heading our way now!"
Link nodded, "As long as the children can keep up."
The twister Ashei spoke of wasted no time making a beeline through the town for them. Link could imagine the twisted grin on Kneph's face, wherever he was, as he played director and sent it their way. The good news was that street they were on was mostly a straight path towards the castle.
The wind was taking its toll on the world around them, whipping about lose objects and ripping pieces of crumbling buildings to join the rings of debris that spiraled along the length of the twister.
Link's barrier kept the wind at bay, but his confidence in the barrier holding up if the twister actually reached them waned. For a brief moment, he considered breaking off from the group and heading in another direction as bait. After all, his Champion Soul was in the crosshairs of Kneph, so why not?
Before he got the chance to act, Lucario appeared and dove into the heart of the twister, using his same maneuver of aura diffusion to overpower it. The death of the twister also meant its collection of junk was now at the mercy of gravity.
"Let's hurry before another twister takes its place!" Ashei shouted over the rainfall of miscellaneous objects.
They made a straight shot through the town square and into the now fortified corridor leading to the castle. The journey had been so frantic that no one had bothered to look back. If anything had come after them, they either outran it or had Lucario watching their backs.
Link lowered the barrier with a sigh of relief and took the rear while Ashei lead from the front. The courtyard of the castle had several soldiers ushering them into enter the castle, horse and all.
The cylindrical room was flooded with survivors, many in need of medical attention. It was apparent that castle staff was stretched thin.
Some of the children dispersed in search of family members. The few that knew that there was nothing to search for were held tightly by Ashei.
"You are safe!" Marth exclaimed, emerging from the crowds. "Have you seen the others?"
Link and Peach traded glances before dismounting from Epona.
"We haven't seen Ike or Roy since we split up," the princess said.
"And Lucario's out there fighting the storm," Link added.
"I see..." Marth murmured, but he didn't sound too concerned. "Link, Princess Zelda has been looking for you."
"Oh, how urgent is it?"
"Quite important – it seems she has located Kneph."
For the people that never played Twilight Princess or just don't remember, Ashei was a member of the group in Telma's bar that helped Link reach some of the dungeons in the latter half of the game. Ashei scouted Snowpeak.
And a bit of a warning: as September approaches, I will be shifting my focus back to Kirby's Insane Journey, in particular the second Halloween special so I can post that by October. Progress on this story my slow down a bit as a result, but it's only temporary. There are literally only a few chapters left, I want to get those done and dive right into the sequel.