Hey there, readers! Hope the cliffahanger at the end didn't kill you. If it did, then...(uses Mega Phoenix) My god...730 hits...thank you so much!

Okay so this was kind of fun. I really enjoyed writing about Zora's Domain and the Shrine of Sentinel, and I hope you did as well. I liked it more than Death Mountain and Kakariko (I think everyone hated that part...) Anyway, the story starts getting better (I think) from here on out, so I hope you do enjoy it.

Moriko: First, The Wing Alchemist would like to thank CloudrunnerSparty for his review last chapter--

Me: I really appreciate the help! Thank you so much! ...and sorry about the toad thing...I was in the middle of one of my Naruto rants...XD Jiraya is awesome!

Moriko: Ahem...secondly, she would also like to thank TwilightWolf79 for the review--

Me: Thank you! I'm glad you think it's funny!

Moriko: STOP INTERRUPTING ME!!

Me: Sorry!

Moriko: Anyway, The Wing Alchemist doesn't own anyone except for me, Tanner, Taiki, and the characters you've never heard of.

Me: Enjoy the story!

Chapter 16: Sentinel, the Harp's Guardian

Moriko began panicking as she ran through the rooms, back towards the ballroom. The prince was dying, and she had been fighting leisurely through monsters like everything was easy. She was an emotional rollercoaster right now, and she wanted off. She was scared for Prince Roka, she was angry at herself for being stupid, she was glad to know where the harp was, and worst of all, she was hungry. But that last one would have to wait.

She reached the water's edge in the ballroom and, making sure the cloth was secured over her nose and mouth, dove into the water. She swam down to the door she and the Zoras had been chased through, only to find in destroyed.

"Runa!" she yelled. There was no answer as she repeated herself, searching the floor for any sign of the kids. She didn't find anything. The eel must've chased them off…or worse. She pushed that thought away and made a beeline for the door. Sentinel was going to pay for this.

She swam through the rooms as fast as her legs would get her. She noticed Zora corpses lining the hallways, making her even more enraged. She prayed to the Goddesses that the Zora children would be spared. She prayed for Runa's sake, and also for the sake of the others. She prayed Roka would hang on until she could get them out safely.

She reached a pair of large double doors with the carving of an eel on it. Sentinel's room. She pushed on it, and it slid open easily.

The room was filled with treasures of gold, crystal, and silver. Each item, glass and coin, staff and plate, glittered with an intensity that left her breathless. She was tempted to touch them, but she saw something that snapped her back to reality.

The forms of the Zora children were on the floor, alive but unconscious. Moriko rushed to them, checking for any injuries. Each of them had a bump on their heads, but they were okay. Moriko looked around the room again, looking for others. Navi's glow illuminated the entire room, leaving Moriko speechless.

A lone Zora boy, around her height, was lying in the middle of the room, his arms around something pale and long. Moriko took a closer look to see it was another Zora. A Zora girl, to be precise. The only problem was, this one looked even more dead than Prince Roka. Moriko felt her heart sink as she looked at them. They must've been in love.

Moriko felt the water twitch behind her. She tensed, remembering this was Sentinel's room. She drew her sword and turned.

Behind her, jaws open, was Sentinel.

"You who seek that which I guard, state your name," it said. It's voice was a deep growl that rattled the shrine. Moriko turned to face it completely.

"My name is Moriko. I come on behalf of the hero, who is to awaken soon."

Sentinel's tail twitched as its eyes narrowed. "Unacceptable. You are only a Hylian girl. You trespassed, therefore you shall die."

It swam at her, catching her off guard. She panicked and stuck her sword out in front of her as a guard, but it was swiftly knocked away. It sank until it was a few feet away from Runa's body, which was beginning to stir. Runa looked up to see Moriko getting knocked into one of the pillars. She was about to swim to the girl, but she stopped when she saw the giant eel look towards her. She sat there, paralyzed with fear, until the eel looked back to Moriko.

But Moriko wasn't there. She'd used the time Sentinel had taken to look at Runa to get away. She swam to her friend as Sentinel looked around wildly, unable to locate its prey. By the time Moriko got to Runa, the other Zoras were waking up.

"Runa, I need you to be brave now," she said, gripping the Zora girl's hands. "I need you to get everyone out of here safely. Stay close to the floor, don't move too quickly, and whatever you do, don't come back for me. Wait here for a second," she added. She turned and swam close to the floor, taking advantage of the murky water so she could pull Roka and the Zora girl to the group.

"I hate to say it, but Roka is dying." She held up her hand to silence the gasps from the group. "I need all of you to swallow your pride and head for the exit. I'll distract Sentinel until you escape."

"There's only one problem," Runa whispered. "Only the king can get out without having to fight. We'd need something of his to fool the spell."

Moriko pondered the problem, then remembered the scale in her pocket. She took it out and handed it to Runa.

"Use this. The King gave it to me before I left. Now go. I'll take care of Sentinel. Navi, Taiki, you go with them." Both fairies protested, but Moriko was adamant on the subject. They finally settled on Taiki staying, but only if he stayed under Moriko's collar.

After a bit, she watched the Zoras swim until they were safely out of the room, then turned to Sentinel, who was watching her.

"You value their lives over yours, eh?"

"I promised their king I'd get them back safely."

Sentinel laughed loudly, then said, "You're a fool."

With that said, Sentinel slithered at Moriko, who swam right past him, heading for her sword. She grabbed it and spun around, then took out her hookshot.

"Aim for its eyes," Taiki whispered. Moriko nodded and shot the hookshot at it. They didn't stick, but it caused Sentinel a great deal of pain. As it closed its eyes, Moriko swam behind the pillar and re-aimed the hookshot.

"Try that spot on its head," Taiki suggested. Moriko aimed at the spot, which looked like a big purple bruise. She waited until Sentinel got closer, then released the hookshot. The hook latched on and pulled Moriko onto Sentinel's head. She slashed at it until something dislodged and sank to the floor. She saw it was a slim, purple crystal about as long as a sword.

Sentinel roared in pain and began bashing its body against every pillar in sight. Moriko managed to dislodge herself from the chaos and took shelter behind a pile of treasure, waiting until the eel was facing away from her to take aim with the hookshot. If she could just aim it perfectly, she wouldn't fall off again.

Sentinel heard the clicking gears of the hookshot, but too little too late. Moriko enleashed the claw and it latched directly onto the bruise. She rocketed onto the eel's head and began slashing repeatedly at the bruise, causing more and more crystal shards to be dislodged and sink to the floor. Sentinel attempted to bash itself against the wall, but it was growing tired too quickly. The best it could do was catch Moriko's leg in between its body and the hard brick wall. Moriko bit her lip as they pulled away and swam to the middle of the room, but slashed at Sentinel's head one last time, dislodging the last big shard of crystal.

Sentinel went limp and sank as well, taking Moriko with it. She moved so the eel wouldn't roll on top of her, but she wasn't quick enough. It rolled onto her foot and stopped, leaving Moriko lying on the floor. She tried to dislodge her crushed foot, but she wasn't having any luck. And every time she tried to move it, searing pain shot up her leg. She wouldn't be able to swim away like this.

She sat up as comfortably as possible, then looked at Sentinel's body more closely. It stunned her that such a creature could exist, and what's more is that Sentinel looked…odd for an eel. She ran her hand over the scales, almost completely forgetting her pain. She'd felt this before…she remembered it. Then she had it.

Sentinel's scales felt just like Zora scales.

Sentinel stirred, turning its head so it could see Moriko.

"You…to think you, a mere Hylian…could defeat me. You've barely had your fins for a day. Don't try to hide it, I can tell. You've probably realized it as well…what I am." Sentinel moved itself so it was off Moriko's foot, then relaxed. Its wounds were healing over at a remarkable rate.

"Were you really a Zora once?" she asked it after sipping her red potion. Sentinel sighed.

"Yes…I was once a Zora. I was actually a Zora prince, if you could believe it. My fiancé, a Zora girl…by the name of Eden, had…undertaken the trial…to become one of the guards. I insisted…that she quit…and forget about it. She refused…and entered this very shrine...in hopes of attaining her dream. She was gone for weeks…then they found her body…in this very room. I'd…never given up hope of seeing her again…but fate was cruel…and I hated it for taking away my princess." Sentinel paused, taking a deep breath before proceeding.

"I entered this temple…in hopes of taking revenge for my beloved…but the creature of the shrine could never be slain…and I was forced to take its place. I've...never left this shrine. Not for…a hundred years. I could never rest. That was when he came."

"Who?"

"A man with red hair and predator's eyes."

Moriko sighed, looking at the floor. "Kaiser…"

"Yes…he offered me my freedom, as well as a life with my beloved, but only if I did his bidding. I, who was lost…one with no hope, accepted his lie of an offer…and became a force of evil. No Zora…has passed my test since that day…but today was my own undoing. I saw myself, and my past, but in someone else's form. That…Zora girl…the boy was holding."

"She reminded you of your history."

"Yes. When I saw that Zora girl…come in here, ready to fight, I…lost it. I became a deranged beast." Sentinel looked sad with his eyes downcast. "I tried to get her to…turn back, but…she struck at my forehead, where a…shard of evil was embedded. That caused me to…go berserk. No one…every withstood my power…when I was mad. Not even the Zora King himself.

"But you…a little Hylian girl from the forest…managed to bring me down. You quelled my demons for me…and for that, I thank you. Now I…shall help you."

Sentinel swam to a nearby pile of treasure and retrieved a small object from it. He brought it over to Moriko, who took it and held it up. It was the Harp of Ages, though it was in its dormant form. It was made of a hard clay, and the strings were sturdy wire. Moriko held it close, relief flooding through her. She'd gotten the Harp of Ages.

Sentinel watched Moriko with soft eyes. It reminded him of his beloved, how she used to smile whenever they'd been together. It had been the best years of his life, and now he was finally free. He turned to go when he saw something that piqued his curiosity.

The Zora Moriko had called Runa was poking her head inside the door, obviously debating whether or not she would go in.

Moriko saw her and swam to her, pulling her inside the room.

"Runa, Sentinel is nice, okay?" she said, taking her friend's hand. Runa followed Moriko until they were floating in front of Sentinel.

"Sentinel, this is Runa. Runa, this is Sentinel."

Sentinel was struck speechless by Runa. She looked just like his fiancé. So much so that he couldn't stop himself from whispering her name.

"Eden…"

"What?" Runa asked, tilting her head. "Who's Eden?"

"Do you know a Zora by the name of Eden?" Sentinel asked Runa. The Zora girl paused, then snapped her fingers.

"She was my great grandmother, I think. Why, did you know her?"

"She was his fiancé," Moriko said.

Sentinel nodded as a bright flash of light surrounded him. It was warm there. He felt as if he was small again, and he was being held. It was comforting, and he didn't want it to go away.

When the light dispersed, Sentinel was still there, but he was different. He was a Zora again.

Moriko felt something lodge itself in her throat. She wanted to cry so badly.

Runa was stunned by the Zora before her. Sentinel was tall and muscular, with plenty of scars, but his eyes drew her towards him. She wanted to hug him, and say it was alright. She couldn't explain it, but Sentinel seemed to feel it too. He held his hand out to her, and Runa reached for it. Her hand went through his, but something stayed with him.

A translucent hand of white curled its fingers around his hand. Runa stepped away, revealing what had been inside her all along.

A Zora identical to her looked up at Sentinel with overjoyed eyes. He took her other hand and kissed them, his heart about to burst.

"Eden, I knew you'd wait for me."

"And I knew you would wait for me as well," Eden said. They embraced, and soon they began fading. Sentinel and Eden looked at Moriko and Runa one last time.

"Thank you," they said. Moriko bowed her head, fighting back tears.

"No…thank you. I hope you two will be together forever," she said, her voice cracking.

Sentinel and Eden smiled at them, then, holding hands, evaporated from sight.

Moriko and Runa, on the verge of tears, left the room and headed for the exit. Moriko gripped the Harp of Ages so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She was happy for Sentinel and Eden, but she was sad to see them go so quickly. It tore her heart apart to know that they'd been separated for so long, yet had lived so close. She remembered the look of pure love on their faces as they disappeared, and her thoughts drifted to Tanner.

Runa, on the other hand, was at odds with the emotions she'd felt a minute ago. She'd had another spirit inside her, but how was that possible? The only one in her family named Eden had died. But that Eden had been inside of her, longing to be with her beloved. Her feelings for Sentinel had been overwhelming to the point where Runa had felt something tug deep down in her heart. After Eden left, Runa felt as if something was missing, but that would hopefully disappear soon.

They emerged from the cave behind the water fall, tired and sad, and were greeted by the Zoras Moriko had rescued. They bombarded both of them with questions, mostly about how they'd defeated the giant eel, and other quotes pertaining to that. But they kept silent, choking back tears all the way to the throne room.

The king greeted them warmly, commending them on their great deeds. They both took turns explaining what had happened in the shrine, and both of them were cautious about Sentinel and Eden. They told the king about what had happened to Sentinel in the past, but tried to leave out a few details. The Zora King understood, explaining he knew about that all along. After, Sentinel had been his uncle.

Then they were informed on the conditions of the wounded prince and the one he'd been holding. They were both okay, but the girl was problematic. Her name was Celia, and she was supposed to marry Prince Roka once he had completed the coronation ceremony, but her injuries were too grave to ignore. The ceremony was to be posponed until both Zoras were well again.

Shortly after that, Moriko and Runa were dismissed from the throne room. They sat at the top of the cliff a ways away from the falls, dangling their legs over the side. They were joined by Takara and Shun after a bit, who sat on either side of them.

"What will you do now?" Runa asked after a bit of silence.

"I'm going to head to Lanayru's spring on Lake Hylia. After that, I'm not sure. I have to check in with some friends as well."

"Who are they?" Takara asked, curiosity playing across her face.

"Uh…Damon, Hiroshi, and Mai. They're a family of clowns on the upper cliff of Lake Hylia."

"They sound fun. How do you get there?" Takara asked.

"Well, if you swim all the way south, you should get to a large lake, but the only way to get to their house is by cannon."

"Cannon?" Shun asked.

Moriko began explaining to them what a cannon was, but that was interrupted by the big Zora's approach.

"What are you twerps doing up here?" he asked. "You could fall."

"Yes, I guess so," Runa said.

"You're Taro, right?" Moriko asked. The big guy nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Thanks for the warning." She stood up and stretched her legs. "I should probably get going."

"Wait! You haven't slept in a while! Why not stay here?" Takara asked, grabbing her hand. She, Runa, and Sun wore her down until Moriko agreed, but she'd stay only until morning. After that, she'd need to head out. They happily agreed and informed the king before hauling her off to a cave behind one of the smaller waterfalls. It was damp, but nothing Moriko couldn't handle. She set her stuff down and relaxed with the Zora children who stayed in the cave. They begged her for stories and they didn't leave her alone until she spoke of the Gorons. They were amazed that something could withstand intense heat and dry air.

Then they finally left her alone, Moriko was dead tired, and easily fell asleep. Navi and Taiki joined her just after that and curled up in her collar, wanting to be as close to her as possible after being separated so long.

Suzume and Takeshi sighed with relief. They had finally escaped the desert, relatively unhurt. It was a miracle they'd even gotten through the sandstorm. It had been ahead of schedule, and it had nearly blinded them. Had they not had horses, they'd have died in seconds.

When they looked out over the fields of Hyrule, they were entranced by the beauty of it.

"It's green!" Suzume shouted, running down the hill. Takeshi followed her with the horses, amazed by her ability to bounce back.

"Yes, it is quite green," he said, nodding. She turned on him with a frown and stomped over to him.

"Lighten up, Takeshi! We're free now! We can see blue sky!" She jumped away and spun around, her arms out. She loved the breeze on her face, the setting sun on her skin, and the sweet feeling of not being around her brother. It was like a curse had been lifted. Takeshi watched her until she tripped and fell down the hill. He found her sprawled out on the grass under a tree, grinning at the clouds.

"The clouds are nice, aren't they?" she said softly. Takeshi sat down next to her and looked at the clouds overhead. They were nicer here, in the open. You could see them completely, even in the hours of early night.

"What a beautiful place…I wish I could stay here forever," she whispered. She rolled over onto her stomach and picked a leaf out of her brown hair. Takeshi sighed and watched his friend fuss with her hair. She was so young. Barely fifteen, and he sixteen, and both of them had just run away from home. Where would they stay? How would they make a living here? It was all so confusing, but he had to be strong. He wouldn't burden Suzume with his problems. She was still a child, and until she grew up, he'd be there to protect her. He swore it.

Suzume, oblivious to Takeshi's inner strife, watched the moon rise high in the sky. She felt as if she was floating on air as she stared at the starry heavens. She remembered when she was younger, she'd pick out pictures in the sky and make up stories, usually pertaining to people she knew. But for some odd reason, the people of the desert treated them like prophecies. She'd heard that her stories had turned out to be true once or twice, but she'd brushed them off as flukes. They were hardly prophecies at all. Merely childish stories woven out of exagerated images.

Suzume stood up and brushed herself off. She wanted to sleep, but she was too excited about exploring the kingdom of Hyrule to do any resting. She turned to Takeshi, who was leaning on the tree, already dozing. She shook her head and walked up the next hill, looking to the south.

Hyrule stretched out in front of her, beckoning her forward. It had a soft call that pleaded to whisk her away to the places she'd never known. It sang to her, speaking of dense forests, rolling hills, and friendly people. She listened, hearing the call of an eagle overhead, the chirp of a cricket, the soft flux of a far off river.

But then she heard something she didn't recognize at first. It sounded like a twang, then there was a high pitched noise that sounded almost like a shriek. She opened her eyes to see a small light heading towards her at an unnatural speed. She stumbled backwards as a flaming arrow thudded into the ground inches from her foot. She took out her telescope, which she hadn't forgotten, and focused it towards the arrow's source.

A group of about seven or eight large grey horses stood at the hilltop to the northwest. Their riders wore black armor, and the symbol of Gerudo Desert was sewn into a banner they carried: a broken hourglass.

Suzume ran down the hill as more arrows rained down upon her, covering her tracks in fire. She shrieked and ran to Takeshi, who was already awake, thanks to that first arrow's sound. He brought her horse over to her and helped her on before mounting his own horse. They took off with the dark horsemen right on their heels.

"What do we do, Takeshi?!" Suzume called to him. Takeshi bit his lip until it bleed, then motioned for them to head southwest.

"It we head to the castle, we can seek refuge there. It not, then…well, I'm not going back now!" Suzume nodded and urged her horse to go faster. They were gaining ground, but the horsemen had other ideas. The leader raised his bow and let an arrow fly, aiming directly between the kids in an attempt to separate them. They only needed the girl.

The rest passed in a blur. Suzume heard a dull thump nearby, then Takeshi's stallion fell. The arrow the horseman had fired had landed in the back leg of the horse, crippling it. The horse fell, nearly crushing Takeshi if the boy hadn't leapt away in time. Suzume saw him fall and went back to help him, but he yelled at her.

"Don't come any closer! Get to Hyrule Castle! It's about a day's ride from here! I put our supplies on your horse, so don't you dare come back!!"

Suzume was hurt by his words, but rode to his side anyway.

"I want to help you! We can get there together, Takeshi!"

"No! I swore loyalty to you, so I won't tell anyone of your whereabouts! Just go and stay hidden!" He turned to see the approaching horsemen and took out his bow and arrows. He notched an arrow and fired it, taking out one of the soldiers. He turned to Suzume, his face completely at peace. He took her hand for a second and added, "Stay alive, for the both of us. You were always the one I treasured the most."

With that he let go and smacked Torrent, sending the horse and his treasure galloping south. He turned back to the approaching soldiers.

"You will not get her!" he shouted at them before loosing arrow after arrow at them. He took out three more soldiers before they surrounded him.

"You, Takeshi, servant of the house of King Kaiser, are accused of kidnapping Lady Suzume, the king's younger sister. You will be escorted back to the desert as soon as the sandstorm passes, where you will be put on trial and eventually put to death."

Takeshi dropped his bow, knowing this was probably the end of the line for him. He prayed for Suzume's safety, as well as for the entire kingdom. He wished with all his heart that he would live to see Suzume again, once the evil was cleansed from the land once more. That was all he wished for before the soldier's sword hilt came down on him, sending the worlds spiraling into black.

Suzume watched the scene below with a heavy heart. Takeshi's words had awakened something inside her that turned her world upside down. She'd always thought of Takeshi as a really good friend, but in his final words, he'd called her his precious treasure. Those words had shattered the sheltered world around her, and she knew exactly what she had to do.

She turned her horse and headed south at a startling speed, but she didn't care. She needed to get to Hyrule Castle, and no one was going to stop her now. She couldn't let Takeshi's sacrifice go to waste.

Oh my goddess, I almsot cried when I re-read that last part. That part came so easily...ok not really as easily as I'd like, but the chapter all in all was pretty fun to write. I took CloudrunnerSparty's advice and tried to prolong the fight scene a bit, but my computer was evil and killed my first draft before I could save it. Stupid new controls...DX...anyhoo, review if you liked, reivew if you have advice, or just leave a smiley face like Lekki12 did. Can't wait until the next chapter! See you soon! XD