I was writing this chapter when hurricane Irene hit. That should fill my irony quota.
This is another Link & Zelda centric chapter akin to chapter 6, if the chapter title wasn't allusive enough.
Chapter 20 – Steel Princess
The two guards positioned at the staircase moved their spears, allowing Link to pass. The amount of armor strapped to every inch of their body brought back bad memories of encounters with the mysterious Darknut warriors. He needed to remind himself never to get on the bad side of these guys.
Zelda waited at the top of the staircase, but as Link drew closer, she suddenly turned and walked towards an ornate door. She motioned for Link to follow and they stepped into a large hallway.
The echo of the door closing behind them was unsettling. The hallway was completely devoid of people save for themselves, and a few braziers set along the walls providing a dim, shifting light.
Rain beat against the windows, along with the occasional flash of lightning accompanied by the rumble of thunder. The storm was only getting worse, and though the castle stood diligently, it would buckle under the increasing strength of the Tempest.
"I appreciate my protection, but I believe this is a conversation we should keep to ourselves," the princess said with a smile. "I commend you for helping our people...you're going after Kneph soon, aren't you?"
Link read behind Zelda's expression. He had felt that from Colin once before: a yearning to be of help. She had already made it clear once before that she wanted participate in the fall of the demon.
"Yes, we are," he replied. "The storm will continue unless we destroy him. The castle has resisted so far, but the power of the storm will steadily increase until there's nothing left. I'm starting to think he planned on trapping us in here like rats to level the castle on top of us all..."
"Then we must see to his demise quickly, yes?"
We? Link silently mouthed. "Princess! I've told you once before, the battlefield is no place for you."
"And I told you that it was strictly my choice."
"Zelda..." Link lowered his voice. He had to make her understand through her stubbornness, and a thought came into his head. "Do you know why Kneph came back to terrorize Hyrule after I died?"
"Lucario has been short with explanations and scarce with details, but from what I gathered, the demon is looking to annihilate powerful warriors that could rise up and pose a threat to his master."
"It's a little more defined than that – he wants to destroy everyone with a Champion Soul. Zelda, you and I have these souls! And so does the Brotherhood! Azazel fears our potential power, and that is why he sent Kneph to continue his rampages! We are his targets!"
"I...I can't say that I am entirely shocked by these developments..." Even so, the princess took a step back and her gaze fell onto the floor.
"I often wondered why Lucario chose to reveal himself and his operation to me. The things he has accomplished so far never required good rapport with the Royal Family, and yet he often informed me of some of his activities, and checked in when he could...as if he were watching over and protecting me."
Lucario becoming everyone's savior was starting to turn into a trend, even when no one asked for his help. Link was grateful for all he had been doing, but now he felt like someone was stepping on his toes. There were certain things that belonged under his watch, princesses included, even if he was incapable of doing the actual watching. Where did Lucario come from, anyway?
He realized that his feelings were a little irrational, and the origins of Lucario would have to wait.
"Speaking of protection," he started, "Kneph doesn't actually know that you have a Champion Soul. If you fight him, he will sense it, and that shield of ignorance won't keep you off his radar anymore."
Zelda fell silent, letting the room fill with the steady cacophony of the storm outside.
"I...still must do this," she whispered sternly.
Link couldn't believe his pointed ears. "But you're the princess! What will Hyrule do if something happens to you?"
"Link, I know that. But you must also understand that a princess is a not a person – it is a title; a thing to be revered and pampered and coddled. I am not just a princess; I am a person, a Hylian, and a Hyrulean. This is my country and I will protect it."
Link fell silent. He'd never truly know what it was like to be a princess. If Zelda needed to vent, she was entitled to it.
"They do not respect me because I am Zelda. They respect me because I am a princess. But I believe that...all people with titles deserving of respect, should earn that respect. My lineage bestows me with extraordinary magical prowess far beyond the average citizen and yet I am expected to take shelter in the throne room while far less powerful men bleed on the cobblestones of our land to protect me, a prime target of the demon.
"Quite frankly, it's absurd. Would you let those men die for you, Link?"
It was Link's turn to gaze at the floor. "I...well no, I wouldn't."
"I will earn my keep as princess. I will do this, Link."
"What if I said that I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to you?"
That headstrong energy fueling the princess went cold and she was taken aback by Link's sudden confession. His worry was not for the princess, but the woman standing before him. Very few people were so forward with her, reaching for the lonely woman suffocating under the expectations of an inherited burden.
"I will consider it," she murmured as her heart leapt. Why was she caving so suddenly? It was a thought they both shared.
"You know where Kneph is?" Link asked quickly, not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind.
"Oh, yes. I've sensed his foul presence since late last night. It's centered at the top of Death Mountain."
Link rushed out of the hallway and Zelda chased after him.
"Where are you going?" she called after him.
"We need to get the Brotherhood together."
Link spotted Roy standing near the bottom of the staircase. He had a suspicion that the red headed swordsman was eavesdropping, though that couldn't have been too effective as the guards refused to let him near the door.
"Roy! Find everyone and get them here. Kneph is at Death Mountain and we're going to need a plan."
"Before we can get to Kneph we have to get out of here," Roy said, looking out of the window of the hallway. The heavy rain obscured his vision. "We're sitting ducks."
"We've rescued everyone we could find," stated Ike, proud of their accomplishments.
"But it seems the storm has grown fiercer in response," Marth surmised.
"That's not a surprise," Lucario stated. "The Tempest only increases in strength; Kneph is most likely hoping to level the castle with everyone still in it. Stepping outside will make us easy targets."
Link leaned against the wall and shared a glance with Zelda before saying, "There are hidden passages beneath the castle. But with the torrential rains, they may be flooded. No one's afraid to swim, are they? "
"I actually have a better, and dryer, solution," Zelda spoke up. She turned to Link specifically and whispered, "If I don't participate in the battle, will you at least allow me help you reach Kneph?"
"Of course. What did you have in mind?"
"I have a spell that can get us close to Death Mountain," the princess said aloud.
Everyone perked up as Zelda stepped over to the hallway's entrance and slightly opened the door. The guards posted eagerly awaited her return.
"I'll be gone for a while."
"But princess...!"
Zelda gave a look that silenced the guardsman before shutting the door. She walked towards the center of the hallway and held her arms out.
"Let's form a circle and join hands."
They gathered into a circle, though Roy hesitated.
"We don't have to sing, do we?" he quipped. Peach grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard enough to make him flinch.
"Don't break the connection," Zelda warned them. "You don't want to end up somewhere else like Snowpeak or the bottom of Lake Hylia."
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. A breeze entered the room and surrounded them. As the breezed increased in strength, Link noticed that the room had become darker, and not just because of the extinguished braziers. Soon enough the room had been rendered completely black, yet he could perfectly see his comrades, as well as the phenomenon of green gusts surrounding them. The darkness was comforting, and the wind felt as if it were simply, and gently, guiding them to their next destination.
And within an instant, they were standing within the dusty confines of Kakariko Village.
"Zelda, that was amazing!" Link exclaimed, but the princess nearly hit the ground before he could catch her. "Zelda!"
Lucario touched Zelda's cheek as Link held her. "The spell must have drained her energy. Her skin has paled."
"..Link?"
A teenage girl stood near the door of one of the larger homes. Beyond that, it seemed that Kakariko was deserted – just as he remembered it.
It took Link a moment to recognize the girl as the daughter of Renado, the shaman of the village. In the years, she let her hair grow, and her slightly boyish appearance was just a memory.
"Luda! The princess needs help!"
"I was supposed to be protecting her..." Link murmured, his gaze falling to the princess in the bed across the room.
"You should not worry, she is only resting," Renado consoled Link. Bronze skin and dark locks adorned a wise and contemplative face, and robes draped his body. He hadn't changed much in Link's absence.
"The princess has a strong spirit, and she most likely knew the possible consequences when she brought you here."
Link knew everything Renado spoke to be true already, but it didn't make him feel any better.
As Luda attended to the princess, a gloved hand suddenly grabbed her arm. Zelda's eyes shot open and took in the sight of the girl's face.
"Where is Link...?" she asked immediately.
"I'm right here," Link said, hurrying to the bedside.
Zelda let out a cynical laugh once she realized what happened. "I overestimated my ability to carry along that many people..."
"You've never done it before?"
"At most, I've taken two other people with Farore's Wind."
"I want to be upset, but you did get us here unscathed...and it was me who let you use the spell in the first place."
"I would have used Farore's Wind whether or not you 'let' me." Her face went into a scowl and her eyes focused on something unseen. "We're much closer to him now. I can feel the hate and malice oozing from him. It's staining the wind that blows through this village."
"You rest and leave everything to us. Kneph will pay. I guarantee it."
Link could see the internal struggle in the princess, being so close to the enemy and not being able to contribute any further. She finally nodded and rested her head on the pillow.
Turning his back to the princess, Link left the room and descended the staircase. He left the house, the image of the dark vortex above Death Mountain reflecting in his eyes. It seemed to be increasing in a size...was Kneph anticipating them?
"It doesn't matter," Link said aloud. "You're trapped in a corner...no doubt you'll fight harder than ever, but so will I. I'm more afraid of what I'll lose than I am of you, so it's time for you to receive the justice you've evaded for so long."
The final battle was just beginning.
There's good and there's bad news.
The bad news is that, like I said earlier, I'm turning my attention to Kirby's Insane Halloween II so this story is going on the backburner.
The good news is that I've already started writing chapter 21, so if I dedicate a little time here and there to this story, it won't completely stagnate for the next month or two!
I would estimate that there are about 3-4 chapters left in this story (including the epilogue). We're inching closer to the end of this story – and the next step in the saga!