You know, I am seriously considering just to change the update day back to Thursday since that seems to be the day I've been updating lately. Eh, whatever. You may or may not have an update Saturday.
I wouldn't get your hopes up.
Oh yes! Legend of Zelda 4 Life, Vega would like me to relay to you that he thinks you are a "cheeky duffer" for assuming that Zelda was the first girl ever to hug him. But you're welcome to ignore his insult. :D Time Spinner, on the other hand, seems to be quite glad to see its garnered a small fan base within such a short time of its creation and thanks you for being happy to see it again. XD
Darkness… They were surrounded in pure blackness. But things moved in the blackness behind the veiled figure before them. Things that one didn't need a magical sense to know were malicious and bloodthirsty… And if creatures so wicked weren't attacking them because the veiled creature with the ridiculously long, white hair was between them…
"What the hell is that thing?!" Link choked out. He was gripped his sword tightly in one hand and holding Zelda with the other. He was so focused on trying to figure out what the veiled creature's intentions were, he didn't even think of how protective he was being of the witch in his arm.
The creature said nothing, allowing Vega to explain. "This is the Time Spinner; a creature whose power rivals that of the goddesses. A High Immortal, and one who owes me a debt."
"Kekeke, indeed… and I'm repaying it." Said the Time Spinner.
"Time Spinner… I've never heard of him…" Zelda mumbled. "Or her… or High Immortals…"
"You wouldn't know of me or my brethren, child." Said the Spinner in an amused hissing voice. "We prefer privacy."
Zelda shuddered as it spoke, and not because of the creepy voice it was using. Even Link shuddered. As both their eyes adjusted into the darkness, they could see things moving around behind the Time Spinner's flowing robes. Things with evil little grins and beady little eyes that were as black as the Abyss they were in. Tentacles, claws, fur, all moving around and fiddling behind their master, waiting to be let free…
"Name the conditions on which we are allowed to pass through your Abyss." Vega said to the Time Spinner in his most professional tone.
They could feel the smugness coming from the Time Spinner. "As I am indebted to you, young star, you will have safe passage. None of my creatures will harm you," Though it would be so much more interesting if I did let them. "You will have a guide that will take through my Abyss safely." But where is the fun in the journey without danger? "Follow the guide faithfully, no matter how dangerous the path may seem." Ah, and my poor pets… What will entertain them? "Always listen to the guide. Always." There has to be a way to let my pets have a little fun…
The Time Spinner's lips curled upwardly in an evil fashion, glad that its guests could not see under its veil. They would be safe within the Abyss… but anything out of the Abyss was just an unfortunate accident, wasn't it? They wouldn't be killed, of course - Fate wouldn't allow it. But instilling fear and causing trouble to the lower creatures was much too fun!
"Skull Kid," the Immortal summoned with a twitch of its claw.
From the moving shadows behind it, a small scarecrow-like figure jumped out and stood at a gawky attention. Though, it wasn't a serious kind of attention but a sort of mockery of it. Even as it saluted to the Immortal, it twitched and giggled childishly. Skull Kid seemed an accurate name for it, as the face it had looked very much like a grinning skull. But where empty sockets should have been, yellow-orange spots of light shone brightly. Looking at it, it almost seemed like a broken puppet without any strings… and one that had a hard time sitting still.
In a deep, warbly voice Time Spinner continued, "Skull Kid, you'll be their guide." The much taller creature kneeled down to be at the level of its subordinate. It lifted a kindly claw up and then spoke like a mother to a child, along with a voice to match, "Make sure to take them through the safe ways –" and then, speaking in a pitch that could only be caught by the ears of the creatures of the Abyss, it added another order.
The little scarecrow jittered excitedly and nodded just as fast as its jitters. "Yes, Master Spinner!" And then it skipped happily past the three humanoids as a strange flute appeared in its hands and it began to play a jumpy tune.
A creepy laugh escaped from the Time Spinner as it stood up straight again and began to fade into the darkness. "I've also released the seal on your magic – and if adding that on top of everything else doesn't repay my debt then you are much too picky, dear Vega." It cackled devilishly, even when there was nothing to be seen except for the hordes of creatures that so desperately wanted to tear these new visitors apart. "best you start following, Skull Kid. He will leave you behind, if you allow him."
Vega turned on his heel and looked down at the two on the floor. "Come on. Get up now. We've got a ways to go."
Both nodded before realizing how close they were. Their faces becoming extremely red, they scrambled away from each other and tried to get up as if nothing had happened. As they did so, Vega felt something pierce through his head. Not literally of course, but it was enough to make him double-take at Link and Zelda and take great notice of their attitudes towards each other.
What happened while I was gone?!
"Hey! You're taking so looong!" The Skull Kid whined.
"Put a sock in it!" Snarled the star to the scarecrow, which just happily went back to playing his little song.
The three then followed the scarecrow into what seemed to be the never ending darkness. Link wondering why he held so tightly to Zelda; Zelda wondering why she'd been so embarrassed to be so near Link; and Vega cursing Zelda for his chronic headaches.
Down the corridors Anya walked, still dressed in black and papers tucked under her sleeve. She had taken it upon herself to rid her wardrobe of anything that wasn't black. Perhaps one day she would move on, but at the moment she didn't even want to consider it. As long as Dragmire lived, there would only ever be one thing on her mind: revenge. There was too much rage and sadness for her to truly think clearly.
And it was for that reason she knew needed help. And she knew where she could find this help. And she was no in front of his door.
She knocked.
The door opened, and bright blue eyes and a silly grin looked right up at her. "Anya! What a surprise!"
"Eugen," she nodded. "Are you going to invite me in?"
The man-child considered it and then said, "Why should I?"
She smiled sadly and tiredly. "It's strictly business."
Finally, the short man shrugged and opened the door more, allowing the woman to enter. His room was much like hers, except a more masculine version. There was a small study space in one room – the one that was first entered - and the actual bed chambers in the other room. She didn't see the latter, though, because the door was closed. That was fine. She had no intention of seeing it and she knew Eugen had no interest in her.
He pulled an extra chair out for her by the desk and then went to his own chair. The desk was a little cluttered with what looked like machinery. She could see that Eugen had been working on constructing something, but whatever the main bulk of that "something" it was in a drawer. The glasses that Eugen needed, but hardly ever wore, were resting on an old and weathered book before he took them and slipped them on. The blond then put his hands together professionally and he asked her, still with a broad grin on his ever happy face, "What brings you here?"
The woman decided to be as direct as possible. "You. I need your help."
Cocking his head to the side, but still with his annoying smile, he said. "And why would you need my help?"
"You have more information then I could ever hope to gain by using my normal methods." She stated.
"And what makes you think that?"
"It's my understanding that the Sheikah are the king's elite spy network."
The glasses flashed. The grin on Eugen's face remained but seemed a bit more… intimidating. "Sheikah? Now what would make you think that bumbling little me is a Sheikah?"
She bared her own teeth at him with an equally intimidating smile of her own. "I figured it out on my own. A simpleton that's obviously smarter than he look; that's blind as a keese but doesn't need his glasses to find his way or identify a person. Any person who was looking for it would notice except that Sheikah don't take public positions. You must be an exception to that exception, however."
The threatening air around him lessened. "You really are as smart as they say!" His stupid little grin had returned. "To be honest, I never really thought much of you beyond being a complete slut!"
Once upon a time, that might have hit a nerve but it didn't bother Anya this time. Instead, she smiled pleasantly. "As with you, looks can be deceiving."
"Yep. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure how good this knowledge is for you. Unless you have anything of interest to me – which I'm sure you don't – I can't allow you to leave remembering any of this."
"But I do have something of interest for you." Anya assured tranquilly. It was then that she placed the papers she had carried with her onto Eugen's desk. "You can take your time looking through them… but I would like them back."
The blonde's glasses flashed and his intimidating smile returned. He took the papers and skimmed them over. As Eugen flipped through each page, his eyebrows twisted more and more downwards and a little bit of his smile seemed to have dropped until his mouth was nothing but a straight line plastered upon his face. When done scanning over the papers, he set them down – not far enough to say he was finished with them, but far enough to signify he was done looking at them for the moment.
"Quinn's handwriting." Eugen commented.
She nodded. "I believe you've heard from Dragmire that I was there during his final moments…" She paused, as if expecting Eugen to inquire about. Upon his silence following her own, she continued. "In his dying breaths, he gave me a message meant only for my ears: 'Desk and Eugen's nephew.' I found those papers in a hidden compartment in his desk. Your nephew – who is conveniently not present in the castle – seems to be quite important according to Quinn's writings."
With a sigh, Eugen leaned back into his chair, steepling his fingers on his lap. "Sister dearest did always say he was special. I never could have imagined he was this special, though… and this definitely confirms all that my superiors have been warning of."
"How long have the Sheikah known about Dragmire?" Anya asked sternly.
Eugen, who had seemed to have wandered off to some far off and distant place, snapped back into reality. The dumb smile he normally wore returned and, sitting up straight again, he said brightly "Oh, we've suspected him for a long time. One of ours has always been tailing him since he first arrived, but we've really had no basis on which to convict him of anything!"
"And now?"
"We still can't arrest him nor can we take any other more… extreme… measures."
Frowning, Anya made no attempt to hide any ill feeling she had toward that comment. "And why not? Surely you've managed to figure out that Quinn was murdered by Dragmire!"
"Only one of the reasons we can't do anything." Commented the small man. Before the woman could retaliate, Eugen held up a hand to keep her silent and continued. "I understand your driven by revenge but hear what I have to say. Quinn – may he rest peacefully – found out this plot and was killed promptly after being found out. Also the papers mention a curse on the king… If we Sheikah could not detect this curse, then we are dealing with a warlock that doesn't need to go through so much deliberation to take the throne. He could usurp it if he truly wished to do so, and we shouldn't give him incentive to do so. if we do, he'll kill anyone who gets in his way, and that is a large waste of life that we Sheikah are supposed to prevent. And - perhaps the most important reason - it's not in either of our destinies to meddle with the affairs of the Chosen Three."
The Eldin province holder was still not satisfied with that answer. "I will make it my destiny to end Dragmire."
"No. Nothing you can do can change that." Eugen sounded very much like a child as he said that. A child that knew he was right and perhaps felt smarter than any adult that would attempt to prove him otherwise.
Anya was about to say some very unladylike things but was only able to open her mouth before the blond continued, "But, we can still make sure that we can make it as difficult as possible for him to succeed the throne – at least until my nephew comes back."
Biting her lip as she mulled it over, Anya finally scowled. "Your nephew is only – what? – sixteen, seventeen? And a pageboy! What could he possibly do?"
And once again, Eugen's smile changed, this time going into his creepily all-knowing grin. "He's the holder of Courage. It's his destiny to face Power and defeat it with the help of Wisdom."
A moment of eerie silence later and then Eugen's expression turned thoughtful. Putting a finger to his chin as if to accentuate the thoughtfulness of thoughtful expression, his silly grin returned. Looking more like a child then ever, he cheerily said "Isn't it funny? The legend of the Golden Power always says that Wisdom and Courage overcome Power… I suppose that means Power is meaningless without the Courage and Wisdom to control it! I never really thought about how deep the meaning of the legend was!"
Anya merely frowned.
You know, I'm really happy that I am now this far into the story. Why? One, because there's copious amounts of Eugen being an ominous bastard. Two, because Vega will start being less of an asshat from now on! Yes! That's right! He's going to lighten up! You know, in his original story, he wasn't nearly this much of a wangsty pain in the arse. But then again, his past in his original story was radically different. Nonetheless, I will enjoy purging him of ANGST and EMO in future chapters. Because ANGST and EMO belong to Raziel (who is another character of mine that none of you need concern yourselves with).