Book 1: The Rescue of the Saviour

By JoeMoron2000

Chapter Six: The Tranquillity of the Garden

"So what do we do with him?"

"I can take him outside," Nabooru offered, helpfully. "I'm sure the fresh air would do him some good," she lied.

"It's not really 'outside', Na. You know we can't actually leave…"

"Shut up, Ruto, I think I know that by now. So, can I?"

"I don't see why not," Rauru said.

"Hold on a sec, Nabooru. Rauru, can I speak to you privately?" Impa asked urgently.

"Sure. What is it?" The two walked to a corner, and spoke quietly. Nabooru tapped her foot impatiently.

"About this guy, he's…more than he seems. There's something different about him. I don't think I need to tell you that."

"No, you don't. So what is it?"

"Given Nabooru's…track record –"

"Oy! I can hear you, Imp!"

Impa ignored her pun and continued "- I don't know if she's to be trusted with someone so…potentially dangerous."

Rauru considered this for a moment. "I'm sure you've seen his eyes, haven't you?"

Impa blinked, surprised. "Yes, but what does –"

"They're red."

Oh. That's what he meant. "Vermillion, actually, but yes, they are."

"Have you considered the possibility that he's, well –"

"The Sheikah are dead, Rauru. I'm the only one left. Wishing it can't bring them back."

"You doubt your family's resiliency."

"I saw it," Impa stated firmly. "I saw them die. I buried my parents, my sister. They're dead."

Rauru blushed. It was not the reaction he was expecting. The mighty, noble Sheikah race was…dead? "It's been…far too long for me," he said sadly. "Was it during the War?"

Impa shook her head. "Afterwards," she said, wiping her face. "It was after our banishment. But that's not the point. The point is that we don't know who he is or of what he's capable. I just don't think that Nabooru should…be alone in this."

"Alright," Rauru conceded, "but I'm not going to let you two stay together. I still remember what happened the last time I made that mistake." He looked past Impa to the rest of the Sages. "Darunia!" he called. "You keep an eye on him, too."

"And leave the sword here!" Impa added.

"Why?" Rauru added, but only so Impa could hear. He wasn't trying to counter; he merely wanted to know what was going through her mind. "I mean, it's a good idea and all, but…" he trailed off.

"You'll want to see this," Impa grinned.

And so Nabooru reluctantly left the sword behind, and she and Darunia carried the man through the portal back into the Sacred Chamber. As if it sensed their intentions, the symbol of the Triforce in the centre of the room flickered to life. They stepped on the platform, and Nabooru caught a glimpse of a blackened flickering out of the corner of her eye, but the Chamber faded from view, and was replaced by the Garden of Time.

No matter how many times they experienced the rush of fresh air, the smell of a lake, the touch of dirt and grass and water, the heat of a sun, it never got old. The sensational feeling was unique, and a welcome deviation from the norm.

"Alright, let's put him down here," she said, at the edge of the lake. Slowly, they lowered the stranger to the ground.

"Y'know, he's awfully light for someone of his size, eh?" Nabooru noted, sitting on the lakebed. She threw her shoes to the side, and bathed her feet in its rejuvenating water. But her mind was elsewhere. She was frustrated that Impa hadn't let her bring the sword, but if someone could penetrate the seal on the Sacred Realm, then he must surely have other valuable items worth investigating.

"I wonder what's underneath that cloak." She made to remove it, but Darunia spoke.

"Nab, when was the last time you were out here?" he asked, slightly worried.

She got up and turned around. Darunia was back at the Triforce pedestal, looking at something on the ground. The man temporarily forgotten, Nabooru walked back, and answered. "About a week ago, I think. Why?"

"Look."

Darunia pointed at the ground, and Nabooru groaned. Could you make it any less obvious, you big oaf? Nabooru looked down, and initially saw nothing. "So? What is –" she started, but froze. "What…what are those?"

"They're footprints; fresh ones, too."

"Feel better, Saria," Rauru whispered. "Take care of her, Ruto."

"Gotcha," Ruto said.

Impa slung the scabbard over her shoulder, and she and Rauru returned to the Sacred Chamber.

"Okay, first thing's first. That," Impa pointed, "is not supposed to happen."

Beside her, one of the six inactive pedestals was glowing, with a strange black 'light' – for there was no better word for it.

"Indeed, it's not," Rauru said curiously. In his decade of being a Sage, only ever did his, and, in the past three years, the next five, symbols shine. He could only assume that they were for undiscovered Sages, but he had never seen or heard of any of the other Temples.

Beside him, he could feel Impa's curiosity getting the better of her, and he turned. "Don't you think it's best if we wait?" he started, but Impa was halfway there already.

"Blast you, woman, you'll get us both killed!" he shouted, and Impa disappeared in its glow. "You'll be the end of me, I swear!" He looked around, shrugged, and followed her in. "Might as well…"

When he stepped into the light, it grew and enveloped him. Instead of the usual white glittering, he was met with a blackness that was consuming and complete. The surrounding room closed in and pushed him through.

At last, it ended. Rauru was pushed out, and a vast expanse of emptiness met him.

"So you decided to come after all," said Impa.

Rauru gaped in astonishment. "What is this place?" Around the beacon, there was a small circle of glass. After that, there was emptiness.

"I would assume it's another one of the sanctuaries. What force it represents, though, is beyond me."

Rauru raised his hands and a powerful light shone out. It illuminated their faces, the platform, and their clothing, blinding them, but as their eyes adjusted to its brightness and they looked outwards, they still saw nothing. He lowered his hands and the light faded.

"I don't like it here," Rauru shuddered. He turned around, and looked at the symbol on the pedestal – black with white markings. There was a large circle in the middle with a ring around it, and on the ring was another, smaller circle.

"What's that?" Impa turned around and noticed the markings as well.

"It's the insignia of this 'Sanctuary'. It looks kind of like a necklace, if you turn your head…"

"No…" Impa crouched, and traced the ring with her finger. "That's an orbit. That's a sun, and this is a planet. It's a solar system."

Rauru was mightily impressed, but hesitant to believe it just yet. "Why do you say that? The art of stargazing is still in its infantile stage. The Astral Observatory hasn't actually found anything significant, has it?"

"I knew an astrologer once," she said. "But anyway, if I'm right, then what is this?"

Rauru looked at the vast emptiness ahead of them. "Space."

"Footprints? Whose?"

"Don't look at me; they're too light to be mine."

"And they're too large to be mine or the girls'. What about Impa?" She looked at Darunia.

"No, I think they're his." He looked at the man, still lying on the edge of the lake. Instead, though, Nabooru looked in the direction that the footprints came, and, with no surprise, saw the Doors of Time, sitting innocently in the perimeter of the Garden. "Damn things," she muttered.

Memories returned. She had spent hours every day studying the doors, trying to find a way out, trying to break the spell that bound them shut. But no amount of strength, no amount of force, would budge them.

Nabooru had gathered help; Saria, Ruto, and Darunia had all pitched in their efforts. But sword nor fire nor water nor vine could make it budge.

So how did the intruder succeed?

"It's a match," said Darunia, and Nabooru's train of thought was lost.

"What? Oh, that," she said. Darunia had removed one of the stranger's boots. "Yeah, it figures, I guess," she said.

"Hey, at least I'm trying to do something!" he yelled. "What about you? You're just sitting there, looking at that door. It's not going to open, so forget about it!"

"Well, forgive me, then, for having some hope that I can get out of this hovel! Some of us want to go home! I don't know about you, but I had a life!"

"I have a son! Don't you lecture me on wanting to go home! I want to leave just as much as you do, but at least I know that fighting that door isn't going to help!"

"We've been here for three years, and only now you tell me you have a son?!" she shouted.

"You never asked," Darunia countered, equal in volume.

They heard a groaning, and Nabooru swore under her breath. She looked at the stranger, who, instead of waking up, merely muttered something indistinctly and continued resting.

Darunia looked back at Nabooru and, reluctantly, apologized. "Look, he's our best chance of getting out of here. If we're ever going to return to Hyrule, we need to keep an eye on him."

"I agree," Nabooru replied.

Together, they approached the man again, and removed his cloak. "If we're going to help him, we should at least see him first, shouldn't we?" Nabooru reasoned. Carefully, making sure not to disturb him, they removed the cloak. "Wow, this thing's seen battle!" she noted, seeing its scrapes and scratches and holes. Any reason why the man kept such a thing was beyond her. Underneath it laid the intruder. He appeared to be in his early thirties, judging by his height and face. He had numerous scars up and down his arms, all of which had healed, and were only faintly outlined. His muscles were larger than expected, and his hands and feet were coarse, probably roughened by wielding his overly large sword for long periods of time, as well as long treks across the plains.

On his face were only a few scars. The ones that Nabooru could find had long since disappeared, but the skin underneath was softer than the skin around it. But his lips—

"Nab – what are you doing?" Darunia interrupted.

Nabooru paused, and realized that she was getting rather more than slightly physical with him. She had already felt over half his body, and she jumped back, startled, landing in the water. Darunia laughed.

"Shut up! I've been cooped up here for 3 years! I have…needs…"

Darunia fell over in hysteria.

"'The Sanctuary of Space'? Doesn't that sound a bit…strange to you?"

"Well, it's either Space or Astrology, and, I don't think the latter is an especially useful Force, do you?"

"No, I don't, but I rather think we should leave. This place disturbs me. There's something…otherworldly about it."

Rauru glanced around him at the endless expanse about him, and nodded. "Yes, let's go." They stepped on the pedestal, and were once again consumed by black walls, pressing against them, until they were returned to the Sacred Chamber.

Impa shuddered. "Whatever that place was meant to do, it's not good," she said.

"You're probably right. I'll be happy if I never go back there again." He turned to Impa. "Okay. What is it about that sword you wanted to show me?"

"Not out here. I don't want Saria or Ruto to stumble on this accidentally. Follow me."

Curious, Rauru hobbled along behind her as they relocated to Impa's Sanctuary. A violet glow surrounded them; much more pleasant than what they had just experienced, and they exited in the Sanctuary of Shadow.

At first, it had irked him, but three years was a long time, and Rauru had grown accustomed to its darkened tones. However, the memories of the dark emptiness just moments before caused all shadows to appear threatening.

Impa seemed a bit worried about something, though, so he put his unease aside and listened.

"What do you know about Azurewrath?" she asked.

Rauru creased his forehead in thought. "Do you mean the sword? Not very much, I'm afraid. All I've heard about it are legends, passed down from aeons ago. It's supposedly a mythical sword, said to contain supernatural powers. It was very deadly, but nobody's used it, or even seen it, in centuries. But I don't believe that it ever existed, as no actual evidence ever exposed itself. Why do you ask?" Impa took the sword strap off her shoulders and laid the sword in its scabbard down on the floor. "Oh, don't tell me you think that's Azurewrath! It's just a myth, it never existed."

"It glows."

"What?!" Rauru asked, astonished.

"It glows blue. How many swords do you think do that?"

She picked up the casing and pulled it out a sliver. To Rauru's great surprise, it indeed was glowing with a faint blue. Before he could touch it, however, Impa slid it back, and directed his attention elsewhere.

"Take a look at this," she said, turning it over. "I noticed it had some markings written on it. It looked like Old Hylian, but I can't translate it. I was hoping you could."

She handed the scabbard to Rauru, who cast a light above it to see more clearly.

"Hmm, it's definitely an artefact. Text has been scratched into the surface, but I have no idea what it means. Perhaps it really is as ancient as the myths suggest. Perhaps it's not Hylian, or it could even be that the person who etched it simply liked those characters. There's no way to tell from here."

Curiosity getting the better of him, he unsheathed the sword, and allowed it to cast its cool glow upon the room. It was calm, yet threatening at the same time.

"Azurewrath," he muttered. "Could it really be?"

Its mysterious feel called out to him, and he felt an urge, a little push at the back of his mind. He wanted to touch it, to know what it felt like.

"Rauru, don't –" Impa warned, but it was too late. Rauru's hand touched the surface of the blade, and he screamed.

Nabooru got up and shook the water off her hair. "Damnit, Darunia!" she cried. She sat back down next to the man, who awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. "Whoa, calm down."

"Stop…him…" he groaned in a low voice, as though in pain. "Stop him…"

Nabooru looked up at Darunia, and urged, "Go tell Rauru he's awake!" Darunia nodded, and thundered off back to the portal.

"Lie down, mister. Why don't you start with your name?" She urged the man back, but he pushed her arm out of the way and stumbled to his feet.

"He's got to stop…"

He saw flashes of black, and a glimmer of colour in the distance. In an instant, the black was replaced with beautiful scenery, which immediately turned to a battlefield. Ages passed by in seconds.

Rauru tried to scream, but no sound came out. What's happening to me?! The blood dried and the vicious animals vanished, and a tentative peace was formed. Great hail rained down on the field, but that, too, passed in mere moments. Around him, villages were erected; the start of an organized civilization. But that, too, was demolished quickly.

Inside, he felt the emotions of the world that he watched evolve; moments of happiness buried within seconds of pain. It slowly dawned on him what he was watching, and it terrified him.

An Ice Age wrought the end of the civilization, but the snow melted and gave way to a new, prosperous land. New animals sprung forth from the ground, and new, lasting fortifications were erected. Now only the wars of Man could damage them. But so they did, and for the next two seconds, Rauru watched in fear as everything turned a darkened shade of red. But a bright light shone from behind the mountain, and cast away the darkness.

"Rauru!" shouted a voice, and the horrors before him faded.

"Hey, Impa! He woke up," spoke another voice, but Rauru was still trapped.

Suddenly, it stopped, and Rauru was left shuddering, alone and crying. "Oh Goddesses, what have we done?" he mouthed, unable to speak, over and over.

Nabooru hurried in after the stranger, and kicked him. "That's for bending my sword, jerk!" she shouted.

But the stranger was not listening. He had returned the glowing sword back into its sheath, and was shaking Rauru, attempting to bring him out of his reverie.

"Rauru, look at me!" he said, in his low, echoing voice, but Rauru didn't seem to hear him.

"Snap out of it, old man!" shouted Nabooru, snapping in his face, but that only seemed to make his anguish worse. Impa pulled her back, as well as the man.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"He's touched Azurewrath. He's not supposed to do that. There's a reason why it has that name."

Impa loosened her grip at confirmation of her thought, and the man wrenched his shirt free from her hands. He crouched back down, and whispered in Rauru's ear, "What is it? What did you see? Tell me, please. What's going to happen?"

Rauru's rocking stopped, and he regained awareness of his surroundings. He looked at the man, wide-eyed and terrified. "It's Hyrule! What have we done to our beloved land?"

"I don't know, Rauru. But if you tell me what you saw, maybe we can stop it. What happened?"

"T–There was a…a war."

"Yes, Rauru, that already happened. The Imprisonment War is over. We won. Link won. For us! What happened after the war? What comes next?"

"A f – fl – flood; there was a g-great flood, th-the l-likes of which w-w-we have never-never seen."

The man's face turned into a moment of worry, but was replaced with a calm smile. "Everything's okay, Rauru," said the man, hugging Rauru. "Everything's going to be just fine."

Inside, his fears came true. They were all in danger.