Read the AN please!
An: Since there a lot of traveling so far, I'd like to clear this up in case anyone is confused. (Though I can't be sure if anyone is) Even though ALBW goes under the Fallen Hero Timeline, the general layout of Hyrule is similar to OoT. The Nyctillian Forest neighbors Kokiri Forest and the fortress is on the other side of those woods. This layout best suits the stroyline later, location-wise.
-Those of you who did follow/favorite, thank you. I am really glad that people do enjoy my work! Please, feel free to leave reviews. I don't mind taking advice or answering questions. :)
-Sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in a couple weeks, I have been busy with school. (Semester projects, yay...) To make up, this chapter's pretty long:)
-()-
(Emerald)
The hall seemed to extend eternally, with no end in sight. Emerald trailed behind Link, with Ravio behind her as they sped down the hallway as stealthily as possible. She was mystified about the dark princess, Hilda. Ravio's slightly one-way conversation with her made absolutely no sense. Then, she had let them go in the end and even gave them the keys to the weapons room. Maybe Ravio could explain better. He had always seemed a bit mysterious to her, never wanting to talk about where he had come from. Nevertheless, she still did kind of trust him because he openly took fault for this incident. Then she thought about the dream that she had, which was never mentioned to the others, but should it be? It was possible it was just her imagination, but she couldn't convince herself. The end of the corridor was is sight; doorway out of this crazy house. Her heart was ready to jump out of her chest.
"Hey, get back here!" Someone was shouting from behind them, and if definitely didn't sound like someone that she wanted to stop for. An arrow whizzed past her.
"Aw, come on!" Ravio continued to curse as he picked some speed.
Emerald glanced over her shoulder. Two giant-like guards were chasing them, equipped with bows and plenty of arrows. Great, just great. A few more arrows flew towards them. She slid against the wall while Link and Ravio moved to the other side, the arrows flying past them. Thank the goddesses it's hard to aim while running. They regrouped and scrambled towards the end, watching for more attacks. The guards loaded their bows again and prepared to shoot.
Link glanced at the door on the opposite side of the hall. "The weapons room!" He clutched the key, and then shifted to the other side. He grabbed the lock on the door while the others waiting with anxiety. The guards were closing in. Link pulled it off the door, and slipped inside with the others. He slammed the door behind them with lock and key in hand, and then he locked to door from the inside. "We don't have much time. We need to at least stall them so we can get out of here."
Emerald scanned the strange room. The walls housed shelves filled with a wide selection of swords and shields, bows and quivers of arrows, and many other weapons. Something else caught her attention almost instantly. Emerald came up to a table in the middle or the room and her eyes fell upon Ravio's scarf. It was folded neatly on the table with a note, which she picked up. "Ravio, look."
Ravio, who was clearly petrified with fear at this point, was leaning up against the wall. "What?"
"Your scarf, this letter. The letter's from Hilda."
"What?"
She clutched the letter and showed Ravio.
Ravio,
I wish all of you the best of luck. However, it is very possible that the next time we meet, we will be opponents. I only hope that you are aware that I am only doing what will be best for Lorule and Hyrule. You have my sincerest apologies for my actions.
Sincerely, Princess Hilda of Lorule
Emerald flipped the card over and examined the back.
Remember who your enemy is.
Ravio's eyes focused below the table. "Look at that."
Emerald had seen it too. Her bag was underneath the table, with a note attached to it.
Emerald,
I believe this belongs to you. Everything is still in that had come with it and I wish you the best of luck out there.
Princess Hilda of Lorule
Link was holding a new sword and shield while tapping his foot with impatience. "Well, that's nice guys, but we have a situation."
"Alright, alright." Ravio rolled his eyes and picked up his scarf. "How are we gonna get out?"
"Fight our way out?" Emerald suggested.
Link shrugged and then he spotted something on the floor against the wall. "The bombs!"
Emerald turned to see a wooden crate, stamped the the word explosives. "That could work." She grabbed a smaller sword from the rack and pried the crate's lid off with ease. Night-colored bombs were stacked strategically inside.
-()-
"What the hell?!" The guards scrambled away from the door as soon as a bomb had appeared outside it, the fuse lit. Emerald slid outside the weapons room with a sword, shield, a bow and a quiver arrows with her. She kicked the bomb down the hall and snickered as it detonated, the two brutes fleeing for their lives. I almost feel bad wasting a bomb on them. Some security guards they are. She beckoned to the others.
"Well, that was... pretty easy," Ravio remarked.
"Yeah, now let's get going. I need to see Zelda right away." Link led them down the hall.
Emerald could see why. Now, he did have legitimate information for the princess. Dreams can't prove anything, but now they have some type of evidence. First, they needed to find their way back. She shuddered as she remembered the bone-chilling weather. Hopefully, she could get there without freezing.
-()-
(Link)
With a tug, the metal door opened with a screech. Link paused to see if it had alarmed anyone else, but there were no signs of any alerts. A shattering breeze barreled through the doorway and Emerald recoiled at the frigid air. He felt guilty about her having to venture out into the cold like this. At least he and Ravio were wearing winter apparel, whereas Emerald couldn't afford anything like that. Ravio handed his scarf to her reassuringly and she accepted it with some hesitation, wrapping it around her neck nervously. "Let's get going." Link headed through the doorway as the others followed. They trekked forward, into the dark forest. As they walked, Link noticed how thick the layer of snow was on the ground. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since they were captured, but he guessed that they at least had spent a full day there; already too much time. More snow had rained upon the area since they were last venturing through this forest, and it was becoming a growing problem. Continuing forward, they began to loose their footing as the snow shifted under their feet. Emerald had already slipped and fallen once. Now she was rapidly shivering and covered with snow. He wanted to say something, but he didn't think a girl like Emerald would appreciate pity. No one said a word, which forced Link to think; something he wanted to avoid. The last image of Hilda was engraved in his mind, with her scarlet eyes filled with desperation and remorse. There wasn't much see through that tiny cell window, but he sense her scrambled emotions. There was simply too much happening and too many problems to repair. Her nerves were simply frayed. Hyrule and Lorule are in danger of being turned against each other?
"Hey Link! I think were here," Ravio called.
He blinked. Before them was Hyrule Castle, the home and fortress of the Royal Family. Under different circumstances, he would have actually enjoyed the scene before him. The moonlight was reflecting off the small river, or moat, that surrounded the entire castle, turning the water a shimmering silver. However, it was somewhat icy from the cold. The snow gave a small glimmer on the roof of the majestic white towers. It was nice to take a minute, breathe, and focus on something else.
"Hey, is that you Link?" A gatekeeper called.
Of course, that moment didn't last. He mind though as he remembered that Emerald was probably an ice-pop by now. He faced the guard. "Yeah, it's me. We have some important information for Princess Zelda. It's urgent that we see her right away."
"Of course. Come along."
-()-
(Ravio)
He had never seen Hyrule Castle before, but of course it wasn't that different from Lorule Castle. It seemed much bright, more pure and clear. All the picturesque tapestries and gorgeous stained-glass windows made the place look less... super scary. The warm, pleasant feeling radiated from it and he actually would have enjoyed himself more if there wasn't super important business to attend to. They entered the throne room where Princess Zelda was seated.
"Your Highness," Link greeted Zelda. His movements steady and graceful, he gave a respectful bow.
Emerald said nothing, but she copied Link's stance.
"It's an honor." Ravio also tried to bow correctly, but awkwardly tripped in the process. As a result, her stumbled into Emerald, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
Link jumped out of the way and glared at them.
Ravio stood and help his friend back up. His cheeks blushed a deep pink, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Emerald gave him a subtle motion. As if she said: "It's fine. Believe me, it could have been worse."
He still felt mortified about it, but he tried to shake to feeling by putting on a casual goofy grin.
Zelda did not acknowledge Ravio's blunder. "Welcome Link, Ravio, and... I'm sorry, but don't believe we have met before." She gestured to Emerald.
She nodded, "I'm Emerald."
"Well Emerald, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Zelda, I've found the Pendant of Courage." Link extends his arm with the pendant in his palm.
"That's wonderful! Where was it?"
-()-
Link did most of the talking, while Emerald and him chipped in now and then. The further they went into detail, especially about their time in capture by Hilda, the more insane they sounded. To summarize, Link got the Pendant of Courage from someone he actually met once years before she was introduced to him. They were captured, questioned, somewhat tortured and let go by Hilda, and then ended up here.
"This is quite an interesting story. Perhaps your recent contact with Hilda is somehow connected to my dream. Let's discuss this more tomorrow. It's late, and I was just ready to turn in for the night when I heard of your arrival. If you would like, you can stay for the night and we further address this later."
Ravio didn't protest, and neither did the others because they were all tired from their experiences in the past day or so. In fact, he looked forward to a long sleep.
-()-
The stone chamber was dim and frigid, as if he was outside all over again. Ravio squinted to adjust to the darkness and glanced around; nothing but shadows and blackness. A single a torch blazed in the center of the room, only giving off a minuscule amount of light. This place seemed eerie, and it was making Ravio uneasy. He fumbled through the darkness, over the center of the room where the torch was. Tension was rising in his throat, soft, mysterious voices echoed throughout the room. His darted in every direction in search of an explanation, but there was nothing to be seen.
Know where you loyalties truly lie... sometimes dark times cannot be prevented...
Attachment is for the weak...
Your past haunts you, no matter what...
Ravio dropped to his knees and shut his eyes. The torch's blaze vanished. He felt like a shattered piece of glass. No, I don't need your advice! Just go away! Just don't tell me something I already know!
Ravio's eyes snapped open and he sat up, taking a few heavy breathes. He was in the room that was given to him to stay in at the castle, in bed. "It was just nightmare," he whispered to himself. He looked through the window and saw that it was still dark out, plenty of time for sleep. He adjusted himself into a sleeping position and pulled his covers back over. "Still time to sleep." Soon, he dozed off again.