Howls of Faith
A New Face and a New Quest
"What? Say something!"
"…"
"…Am I so beautiful that you have no words left?"
"Midna…"
Link opened one eye, and eventually the other. He found himself staring up at a clear blue sky, small dots of clouds slowly passing over it like puffs of cream. It was calm; the birds were tweeting and the wind rustled through the leaves of the trees above the Hero. A curious fairy drew close to Link, but quickly fled in fright as the Hero stirred.
He was aware of the ripple of water close to him, and that his neck and back was wet. Therefore he sat up, slowly, checking to see if he had any injuries. He didn't.
What had just happened? It had all happened so fast that he couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around it just yet. Images were rapidly running through his mind, but one in particular stayed. The white wolf with her red piercing eyes. And this time it hadn't been a dream, she had definitely been there, watching him, seeing him…
"Young Hero…"
Faron's voice started Link to the point that he sprang to his feet, turning around. The light spirit was hovering not far from him.
"Thank you. Without you, the object from the twilight realm would have taken away my light." Faron's eyes traveled to Link's left. He followed its gaze and found himself looking upon the twilight object, now calm and looking like nothing more than a rock. Slowly he walked over to it, kneeling down, about to grasp his fist around it…
"Do not touch it," Faron suddenly said, and Link stopped, barely an inch away from it and quickly pulled back. "The twilight fused within this rock will turn you into a beast again."
Link quickly backed away a few steps, warily eyeing the object. "What is it?" he asked, referring to the object.
"I do not yet know. But I believe that this trouble has reached the other light spirits as well. If you were to collect all of these objects you might know more."
Link shot the light spirit an odd look. "How am I going to that? I can't touch it."
"You can't. But there is someone who can."
Link looked up – much like a dog who's suddenly heard something interesting – listening intently to the light spirit's words. Somehow he already knew who the light spirit meant.
"The young beast that was here before. You must find her. She will be able to control this twilight rock, therefore you should bring her here."
With that, Faron suddenly disappeared and left Link alone in the glade. Now that he finally had been given a moment of peace Link took the time to reflect on what had happened.
It was all so strange, but somehow he had been thrown into adventure again. And apparently his quest was to find a wolf. The wolf with the red eyes.
Sheathing the Master Sword and shouldering his shield Link began his walk. He had no idea where this wolf was or why it had disappeared, but he still needed to go back to Ordon first.
There was one question in particular that kept nagging him. How had that twilight rock come to Hyrule? The object from the Twilight Realm. That had been the light spirit's words. Did that mean… Did it mean that Midna had sent it here? At his thoughts Link couldn't help to stop and heave a sigh.
He had worked so hard to forget about Midna and his past adventure. The dreams he had about them was pure torture, never letting him forget.
The first month after Midna left… Link didn't even dare to think about it. He had refused to follow Zelda back to Hyrule and had stayed in the desert for weeks. But no matter how hard he had tried… no matter how many times he had pleaded to the Goddesses or desperately hammered at the giant dark stone…. Midna was gone. She had left him.
Link had returned to Ordon a broken man. He had refused everyone and everything and hid out in his house, determined to wither away within his dreams and memories. Too late he realized that he had loved her. And there was nothing he could do to bring her back.
Almost six months. That was how long it took for his heart to stop aching when thinking about the Twilight Princess. The sorrow and pain had instead been turned into some kind of anger towards her. The past year he had wasted sweat, tears and even blood to forget about Midna and his adventure… and now suddenly it was all for nothing? Midna had sent more trouble to his world. But why?
Link realized the light spirit had been right about one thing. He wasn't going to learn any more now, but if he found the other rocks… he just might.
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Some time before Link softly awoke in the light spirit's spring, Imana too opened her eyes. Only as she did so she found herself staring down an endless chasm. In alarm she jumped back, only to realize as she did so she felt a surging pain in her side. But before she could steady herself she tumbled back, slamming head first into a rock wall.
As she made contact with the ground she lay still, not daring to move again.
Ouch.
She groaned in pain and frustration over herself and managed to prop up on her elbows. It wasn't until now that she finally got a chance to take a good look on her surroundings. Apparently she was lying in some kind of narrow stone passage just before a wooden bridge. Without sitting up, Imana edged closer to the bridge, glancing down and saw the same endless chasm she had been staring down at moments before. Apparently she had been lying on the bridge.
Wait… Why was I lying on the bridge in the first place?
Then it all hit her. The twilight rock, the light spirit, Link and the explosion.
Imana groaned again. The explosion had been powerful enough to throw her all the way here…
Suddenly she got to her elbows again, looking over the bridge. Just where the hell was "here" anyway?
And where was Link? And – she suddenly realized something else as she looked down at herself. She was human again!
She caught herself and scoffed. Human? Hardly…
Nonetheless, she sat up, about to get to her feet. But as soon as she did this she felt a pain so fierce that she was forced to crumple back to the ground, panting heavily.
What the devil…?
Slowly shifting around so that she was lying on her back she managed to locate the wound to her ribs. At least one of them had to be cracked. It was almost unbearable even to breathe and Imana furiously tried to block out the pain. This couldn't possibly get any worse…
"Hey!" a strange voice called.
…Scratch that.
Before Imana could even think of healing herself she heard a strange voice and she propped up to her elbows again. A man was walking towards her from the bridge – she almost immediately located the sword in his hand – coming towards her.
Acting on instinct, Imana heaved herself to a sitting position – firmly ignoring the pain – in order to hide to the man that she was wounded.
"What do you want?" she demanded in her most threatening voice. She was wounded, and in no position to fight. This man presented a threat to her, therefore she decided offense was the best defense.
Only, she noted, the man was equally suspicious of her.
"I want to know," he asked in a grim voice, his rough face hardened into a distrustful expression, "who you are and what you are doing in our village," he demanded.
Imana raised her gaze ever so lightly to spot pale pillars of smoke coming beyond the trees. Apparently the man's village. Then she refocused her gaze on the man's blue eyes again. The wind kept pulling and tugging on his blond hair but he ignored it.
"How is that any of your business?" she retorted. Sweat was starting to show on her forehead. Who knew it was such a strain to block out pain? Hopefully, if she kept her act going a little bit longer she might scare the man away…
But instead of backing off, he unsheathed his sword. "Black smoke from the woods and a sudden explosion… and now a stranger in our province? I fail to see how that is not my business," the man snapped, taking a threatening step towards her.
Groaning mentally Imana realized she had misjudged the man. Cleary this was a skilled warrior she was dealing with. Typical her luck. Her only chance was now to fight, or surrender.
Mustering her strength she scrambled to her feet. Thankfully she still had her scarf covering her face, as well as her hair covering her threatening eyes. She had considered showing her dangerous appearance to the man in hopes of scaring him, but somehow she thought it would only anger the man further.
Instead she unsheathed her sword. The blade was humming of energy, due to the magic connection she shared with it. The sharp surface was currently giving off a dark glow due to her foul mood. The man observed its color, and decided that the woman in front of her was evil.
"Leave me alone or face the consequences," Imana snarled, taking a painful step forward. As she got out on the bridge she did not only have to fight against the pain, but also against the strong wind. To her regret it managed to blow the scarf down her face and the hair away from her eyes.
The man's eyes widened briefly in fear at her fierce appearance. Her face, though tanned and human, had a foreign air about it. Since the scarf was gone the man could see that there was a strange black mark starting by her neck and disappearing further down under her clothes. At first he considered it to be a tattoo but as she got closer he could see that it was actually the woman's skin texture.
But what he was most surprised about was her eyes. A deep color of red with a piercing gaze. Whatever she was, she was certainly not human, which triggered the man to his next words.
"What are you?" he spat, yet took a step back, losing his nerve a little.
Imana couldn't help to feel hurt by the man's words. This was always the reaction she received from people. Never would she fit in. She would always be an outcast. That's what you get for being a half-blood…
But the fraction of a second later she felt anger surge through her again and her sword started to vibrate in her palm again. What kind of right did this man have to judge her? What right did anyone have to judge her?
With one movement she spun around and aimed her sharp sword at the man. But he quickly raised his sword and blocked her attack. As her sword's blade clashed into his she felt her whole body jolt and she was certain that her rib cracked again. The impact was worse than Imana had predicted and for a moment all her powers drained her and the world tilted nauseatingly around her. There was only one thing she could feel. Pain.
Stumbling forth she weakly managed to raise her sword, blocking the man's next blow. But her vision was blurry, and soon she had stumbled to her knees. Desperately she tried to get to her feet, but her whole body screamed in protest.
She was hardly aware of the strike she received by the base of her neck; she was already falling back into the darkness again, and she lost consciousness. With a soft thud her body made contact with the rough wood of the bridge.
Over her stood Rusl, holding his sword with the hilt downwards which he had used to hit the woman lying on the ground. He eyed the woman for a moment, feeling slightly confused and shocked by the aggression she had showed. Then he turned his head, looking in the direction of the Faron Woods. He knew Link was in there; Colin had told him. He hoped he was alright. Another part of him also wished Link knew more about this that he did.
Until then… he turned back to the woman again. It was best to keep an eye on her.
-----------
Epona pricked her ears forth and back, listening intently. Her eyes darted around the glade, her whole body tensed. She had sensed her master's worry when he had rushed away from her, and she was growing nervous. She danced a few steps to her left, but was stopped by the rope tied to her bridle and connected to the pole in the ground. If it was possible she grew even more nervous, starting to tug violently on the rope.
"Easy, girl," a voice suddenly said softly.
Epone recognized the scent belonging to the voice, and she calmed a little. Though now she could only be at peace if her master returned but the girl patting her muzzle was almost the same.
"Link will be back," Ilia said in a soothing tone, her soft hand running down Epona's neck. The young woman was feeling just as worried as the mare. Link hadn't been himself since he returned from his adventure, she knew that. Since his return he had been silent and closed, definitely not the friend she was used to. And now…he had just rushed off and she feared for his safety.
But suddenly Epone jerked her head up and whinnied loudly, causing Ilia to jump in surprise. She whirled around and found to her relief that Link was walking down the path from the forest and entering the glade. He looked troubled.
Nonetheless, it didn't stop Ilia from leaving Epona's side and jogging up to her friend.
"Link?" she asked tentatively, her blue eyes round with worry, "what's going on?"
Link, who had been lost in his thoughts – mainly about Midna- wrenched his gaze towards his friend. He was grateful for Ilia's friendship. If it wasn't for her support, he never would have made it through his depression. Of course, she didn't know the details how the adventure since he had never told her, but he didn't know how much she had figured out on her own. But he doubted she knew of Midna. She had never seen her, since the imp had never shown herself to others and Link had never spoken one word of her.
"I have no idea," Link confessed, reaching up and taking of his hat and sighing defeated. After all, it seemed like an impossible task lay ahead of him. He had no idea what kind of twilight magic it was or how threatening it was, and now he was supposed to find a wolf that could be anywhere?
Suddenly he noticed Ilia's worried eyes, and he took her hand reassuringly. "But we're safe at the moment."
"I don't know, Link," Ilia argued, stealing a worried glance at the pathway to the village. "Rusl went out looking for you and he just got back. He had this girl with him – she was unconscious, and Rusl said she was hurt – but he also said she was really angry and had attacked him. So of course I got really worried because you were still out in the woods and what if there were more like her out there-"
"Wait, a woman?" Link interrupted, as usual having trouble following his friend's babble – a habit she had when she was worried. During her rant Link had walked over to Epona, stroking her muzzle affectionately which finally caused her to calm down. At Ilia's words however, he paused.
Ilia refocused, breaking off, and then nodded breathless.
"She was strange too. I mean, she looked like us, - well, more like you I guess since she had those pointy ears, but she had the strangest color on her hair, not blonde but white! Not like white like old people have, but just white! I think it might have been a little red in it too, like-"
"Ilia," Link warned, raising an eyebrow.
The girl snapped back, once again refocusing on his question. "Anyway, Rusl said he was going to take her to my father's house, probably because there's a cell down there. Which reminds me, Rusl asked me to tell you to come down there as soon as you got back." Ilia smiled satisfied, finally coming to a silence. To her joy she could see Link smiling a little.
"And you couldn't have told me that first?" he asked a little scornfully as he grabbed his hat, put it on his head and started jogging towards the village, leaving Epona and Ilia. Twilight was over and night was quickly falling as Ilia gave Epona one last pat before following Link.
-----------------------------
"I'm… I am going to leave."
Pause.
"…your father died yesterday, and already you run away? Even I expected better from you, Imana."
"…he was your father too."
"Really? So now you bring up the fact that we're family? Isn't that sweet."
"That wasn't my point. What I meant is he's clearly showed how he wanted things to be. Look at who is the Princess."
"Yes, I am, because my mother was the Queen! She would still be here too, if father hadn't fallen for that… that creature!"
"That creature? She is my mother!"
"Our people did right in refusing her entrance in this realm. She is not one of us!"
"Then neither am I! Don't you see how I have nothing left here? I have to leave. I have to find my mother."
"You know what? Leave. Since I am the princess, I ban you from this kingdom!"
"I'm already gone. Good bye, Midna."
Imana snapped open her eyes. At first she couldn't see anything, but then she realized it was because the air around her was murky. Night was falling; she could sense it.
She drew a deep breath, but immediately regretted it as a searing pain passed through her ribs. As she tried to move she could feel her body protesting violently so she decided against it. Instead she closed her eyes again, concentrating. She wasn't big on magic but she knew she possessed it, and it was more than enough to use for a simple healing spell.
She felt warm and her ribs started to tingle, which was a sign that the spell was working. Her rib cracked back and the relief was a sensational. I can breathe!
As proof of this Imana immediately drew a deep breath, but suddenly stopped dead as she heard voices.
"Has she said anything yet?" Footsteps against a wooden floor and then a creak, like someone sitting in a chair. Imana didn't recognize the voice and frowned. It suddenly now returned to her: the fight against the man on the bridge. She had fainted – again – and apparently, from what she could make out of it, she was in some kind of cell.
"She's still knocked out cold. The only thing I've heard so far is mumbling."
She recognized this voice. It belonged to the man she had been fighting on the bridge.
"Mumbling?"
"Aye. I think she's been having nightmares, though I don't have a clue as to what they're about. Who's Midna?"
Imana froze, her heart suddenly speeding up. Since when did she talk in her sleep?
There was a silence, indicating that the other man was shrugging.
"No idea. It's all strange though, Rusl," said the strange voice. "That black smoke suddenly showing up in Faron Woods. And then that explosion, and now suddenly this strange woman! Have you heard from Link yet?"
By the mention of the Hero Imana perked up, like a dog perking his ears towards a sound.
"No," the man – apparently named Rusl – replied. "I had Ilia tell him come down here first thing, though."
"Maybe he found something in the woods that'll shine some light upon this mystery," the strange voice said with a hint of conclusiveness to it. "You need me to watch her for a moment, eh?"
"Thanks, Bo, but I don't think it'll be necessary."
"Fine then. If I see Link I'll tell him you need him."
There was the sound of a chair scraping again and new footsteps. Then the door opened and closed again with a muffled thud.
The room fell silent again, and Rusl heaved a tired sigh.
Imana exhaled softly, contemplating on her possibilities. She could reveal that she was awake to the man, but it would only give birth to questions from his side. She had to admit, these people didn't strike her as nice, considering the behavior from that man Rusl, and this had only served to fuel her foul mood. Therefore she was seriously considering the option to hurt him. A lot.
But before she could do anything at all, the door opened again with a creak and new footsteps were heard.
"Rusl?" a voice asked, belonging to the new footsteps. The voice was clear and strong, belonging to a young man.
"Link!" Rusl boomed, and Imana snapped her eyes wide open. He was here.
Link walked into the room, first of all spotting Rusl, sitting on a chair in the murky room. Then he noticed the pile of clothes inside the cell, until he realized that there was a figure lying under the clothes.
There were a million questions running through Link's mind at the moment but he managed to pin down one and ask it.
"What happened?" The question was directed at Rusl, though his fierce gaze was still on the unconscious female. He couldn't make out what she looked like; she was lying with her back to them and her whitish hair lay over her face. Though Link could distinguish her right ear through the hair – which had peculiar red highlights in it – and found that Ilia had been right. Her ears were similar to Link's. Did that mean she was a Hylian, like him?
"I'm not sure, exactly," Rusl started, scratching his head. "I found her outside the woods, but she was one vile creature. Attacked me first chance she got. And her looks…" Rusl's voice trailed away, and Link finally wrenched his gaze away from the woman and landed it upon Rusl, who met his eyes. "…she's unnatural," Rusl finished.
"Unnatural?" Link repeated and looked back at the sleeping form.
"I took her sword," Rusl said and nodded towards the table where indeed a sword lay, sharp and thin. The hilt was a beautiful mixture of silver and red, almost like the woman's hair. Link didn't know if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw the sword first give off a subtle golden glow to then turn to the darkest shade of black, like shadow and light were both infused within the blade.
"Though," Rusl continued in a grim voice, "I'm guessing that ain't her only weapon. There must be a ton of daggers and such wicked magic with that woman."
Little did he know that Imana was smirking from her place on the floor. He had no idea how right he was.
Link turned his gaze towards the woman again. Rusl's words had made him suspicious. It was strange, indeed, to find a foreign woman so deep into their lands. And a hostile one as well. There was something nagging in the back of Link's head, a growing suspicion. Also, he got the feeling that the woman in the cell was not sleeping at all. There was something about the way she lay, so still and barely breathing that gave him the feeling that she was listening. Intently.
"I'll watch her," Link suddenly declared, his gaze fastened firmly on the woman. Rusl was about to turn him down and say it was doing fine, but there was something in Link's gaze.
"Right then," he muttered and made his leave.
Link watched after him before turning his thoughts back to the woman again. He turned back and saw that she was still lying on the floor.
"So," Midna said, crossing her arms, "it's you."
Link, utterly baffled, looked from Midna to the wolf, to Midna again.
"You still live in this world… instead of your real home," she said, hovering closer to the wolf, who didn't move a muscle. Midna inspected the wolf closer, stroking her own chin thoughtfully. "Isn't that funny? Apparently you cannot exist in twilight…the way you should, at least."
Link's dream last night made a reappearance in his mind as he remembered the Midna's words. That wolf he had seen in Faron Woods… it had another form in the light.
"Get up," he muttered.
There was a sound coming from the woman. A chuckle.
"Really, what is it with your people and manners?" she asked in a clear voice, yet filled with cynicism, like she found it funny.
Link felt his spirit falter a little at the tone of the woman. Rusl's words of her aggression had made him suspicious, but the tone of the girl's voice reminded him of someone else. A certain imp.
She gracefully sat up and then seemed to float to her full height. As Link took a few steps closer to the cell's bars she saw fit to turn around. Link noticed her tanned face, beautiful and flawless. Her clothes, though slightly battered, were beautifully sown and Link couldn't help to notice the crest of the royal family on her red shirt. The clothes hung gracefully of what he could sense was an athletic body, though he could not quite make it out. He raised his eyes to her face again, and saw that her hair – he noted that he already found the color of it beautiful – was combed in such fashion that it covered her eyes.
"And here she said you were the Chosen Hero. Clearly you lack the manners of one," she added, a faint smirk trailing along her delicate lips.
Link still didn't respond to her taunting. By now he was truly baffled. Just who was this woman? And who was the she that she was referring to? He took another step towards her just as she finally raised her head and her bangs fell away to give away her eyes.
Midna.
The Twilight Princess' face flashed before Link's mind as the woman's red eyes fastened upon his. He immediately recoiled, yet unable to wrench his gaze away. It took his a moment to realize that the woman wasn't Midna, but her eyes were the same shade of red.
The woman before him misunderstood his shock and suddenly laughed a clear laugh, yet free of humor.
"Unnatural, aren't I?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm to her voice.
Link managed to shove away any thoughts of Midna and instead he focused on the woman in front of him. Her heart-face shaped face, the tanned skin making a perfect contrast to her intense eyes, was not quite like the races of Hyrule. Though she wasn't unnatural… she was beautiful.
At Link's loss of words she arched a delicate eyebrow. "Am I so hideous that you have no words left?"
She had no idea how much those words meant to Link, and something triggered inside of him. But instead of vanishing into thoughts of Midna, his suspicion of the woman returned.
"Who are you?" he barked, taking a menacing step towards the cell.
Imana smirked again, snaking her slender hands around the bars to her cell as she neared them.
"Do you not know, Hero?" she teased. She always acted like this; it was her way of shutting people out. Zelda always hated it, but that Princess was so honest it was almost boring. Besides, she wasn't quite sure what to think of the man in front of her. She had thought he was different, having seen so much of the world. But no, like everyone else he recoiled in fear when he saw her true appearance. And she loathed that behavior.
Link, tired of her teasing, strode up the bars of her prison. "I asked you a question," he snarled in a low voice. Despite being significantly shorter that the Hero, the woman didn't look the least bit afraid. And Link realized why, as something sharp was suddenly pressed to his stomach. He glanced down and realized it was a thin knife, produced from the woman's sleeve.
"Like I said," she said in a tone that was suddenly rid of all humor. "Manners."
Her eyes were locked onto his, and they both glared at each other for a beat. Link noted that her eyes were now deadly serious.
But then in a quick move that surprised Imana, he reached in and grabbed her thin wrist. He twisted it in a painful angle and then brought it up to her neck, pressing the blade dangerously close to her neck. At the same time he grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her towards him so that she was pressed up to the bars. Imana was surprised that she was unable to escape his grip; he was far too strong for her. She realized that this only served to make her loathe the Hero even more.
"Who are you?" Link asked again, his face close to the bars, close enough for Imana to feel his warm breath on her cheek. His tone inclined that she wouldn't be alive for him to ask again.
"My name," she finally growled and fruitlessly struggled against his grip, "is Imana." Her eyes seemed to ignite with fury. "Now get the hell away from me."
Link didn't obey at once, but then lightened his grip on her shirt and she immediately snatched away from him. As she withdrew Link found time look at the knife she had threatened him with. He raised his eyebrows as he again saw the insignia of the royal family on it.
"Why are you here?" he asked and this time his tone wasn't as menacing.
By his question Imana suddenly remembered her mission and she mentally groaned. She was supposed to summon this prick of a Hero to the castle.
She turned back to him again. He was still standing by the bars, his gaze steadily fastened on her.
"I'll tell you," she started in a dark voice, "if you spring me from this cell."
He raised his eyebrows for a moment and then scoffed. He turned around, muttering something that sounded strangely like "in your dreams" and moved for the door.
Imana didn't budge though.
"With that attitude it's gonna be real hard to free Hyrule from the twilight," she called after him airily and had the satisfaction of seeing him stop in his tracks.
Link suddenly remembered the light spirit's words. "The young beast that was here before. You must find her. She will be able to control this twilight rock, therefore you should bring her here."
He slowly turned back and saw her standing with arms crossed, one eyebrow arched daringly.
"Fine," he finally growled and then stormed out the house, slamming the door angrily behind him.
Imana smirked. He would come around.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please drop of a review!