Ah, thanks for being patient guys. I've had this chapter done for a bit but for some reason FFN wasn't letting me log in and then it was giving me problems with uploading the chapter. It was the cause for much frustration and made me want to hurt things. D:
I know I said I'd roll out the chapters from here on out but I probably won't. I know: I'm a dirty liar. D: But the story isn't coming to me as easily as it used to. I've actually strayed very far away from where I originally intended this story to go so I'm kind of winging it and that's harder to do than you think. All I know is how it's going to end - and we've still got a little bit before that comes around.
I'd talk to all of my beloved reviewers today but I honestly don't feel like it. Nonetheless, I still love you my reviewers. I may not pressure people to review but I admit - I like reviews. So those who read and take the time to review: You guys are totally awesome and I love you forever. Your encouragement is what really helps me to keep writing this. :D
The boat continued onwards on the Styx and no one spoke a word. Even if anyone had anything to say, nothing could be said because the Styx was… well, it was the Styx. As the craft continued, the Styx's white not-water broadened and its current strengthened. It wasn't hard to figure out that their husk of a boat-guide was sitting there looking creepy and the current was doing all the work then. As if the strange river couldn't get creepy enough, shadows seemed to be rising from the white currents. And as the boat kept moving forward, the shapes became more defined: people.
"Dead souls," Vega answered the unasked questions of Link and Zelda. "On their way to their final resting place beyond the Styx."
Both the wolf and the witch shivered and did their best to ignore those walking along the current beside them. But one in particular made Link double-take. Just behind them was a young man… feminine in appearance, a little bit shorter than average, red hair, green eyes… but the eyes were blank. Quinn just kept walking with current.
Link involuntarily barked at him. The next bark was voluntary.
"Link? What's wrong?" Zelda asked.
Vega wasn't concerned at the outburst, however. "Keep quiet!"
But Link kept barking at Quinn. What was he doing there? He couldn't be…? His front paws jumped to the edge of the boat and he began to bark louder. He felt Zelda tugging at his collar, yelling something at him and trying to drag him back within the boat.
"Link! Calm down!" Zelda screeched.
As if those were the magic words, Quinn became aware of his surroundings. Blackness… a river a white rushing at his knees. He was dead. His legs kept moving, though he dearly wanted to pause. He put a hand to his heart, feeling his robes intact and no sogginess from blood. The redhead looked up, to find the source of the voice that woke him from his daze. There was a boat ahead of him. There was a driver, who paid no attention to him. And then there were three others. One was a wolf, desperately barking at something – him? And there was a girl holding the wolf's collar, a girl who looked so much like his aunt. And behind her there was a silver-white haired young man, also trying to pull at the wolf's collar.
"Link! Stop barking!" The girl cried.
Link? He thought. Yes… he could see it now. The collar and the eyes… those were the same as Eugen's nephew. The dead wizard smiled sadly at the wolf. "Sorry. He found me out."
The wolf stopped barking when it saw Quinn's mouth move. The wizard was speaking normally, but the boat was a barrier for the dead. But he still heard it just fine, although it sounded like a whisper.
Zelda cocked her head in confusion at the dead man who had spoken to them. Then, to her surprise, he looked at her and said, "Cousin, I wish we could've met while I still lived." And then Quinn faced Vega. "I don't know you, but I know what you are. All I ask is that you help these two. Ganondorf Dragmire is more ruthless than I originally thought. They will need all the help they can get."
And as if on cue, the boat veered to the side – to the shore. Link began to bark again, but Zelda didn't try and shush him this time. Now she was confused.
Cousin? She thought. What did he mean by that?
The boat creaked as it bumped to the side of the blackness of the shore. Skull Kid wordlessly jumped out of the boat and waited for the others to follow suit. But its creepy, permanent grin seemed to hold some sort of sense of malicious knowing.
Vega, Zelda, and Link got off the boat. Link went back near the white river and looked for Quinn again, but could not find him. A low growl escaped his maw.
The Skull Kid made to turn off and begin to continue to lead the way, but Vega stopped him. "No. We're not going anywhere until a few things are explained."
Though its expression was incapable of changing, the Skull Kid seemed to pout.
Link turned around and looked up at Vega, who was giving him quite the suspicious look. Zelda joined in, except her look was uneasy more than suspicious.
"Turn him back," Vega said. While it might've sounded like a command, Zelda could feel it was a request and complied.
After the grueling back-to-human transformation, Link stood up groggily while dreading his upcoming interrogation.
"Dead man talking, care to explain it?" The star asked.
"Not particularly." The page said bitterly.
"Please, Link," Zelda started. She was holding her own hands tightly and her expression remained uneasy. "Does this have anything to do with what you did in the city before we left?"
While the page was perfectly capable of telling Vega to shove it, he couldn't to Zelda… Especially not when she had such a depressing look about her. "Yeah…"
"Well?" Snapped Vega impatiently. "Who was that?"
He gave the star a sharp look but answered. "That was Quinn… He is… was… Hyrule's Royal Wizard… Before me and Zelda left to find you, I went and spoke with him. He agreed with me that Dragmire was behind the king's illness and agreed to try and hold off the curse as long as he could…"
"But Dragmire found out…" Zelda finished sadly. Vega remained silent, as if thinking everything through.
Link's hands balled up into fists as he stared down at the black floor. "I didn't know him that well… but knowing that he died just because I asked him to hold off the curse…" He wanted to punch something, to hurt something, to hurt Dragmire. If he wasn't so angry, he could swear that the sword on his back was just as angry. He could almost feel it shaking on his back, but that was probably himself from his own anger.
Evidently, he wasn't the only angry one. Vega was angry. Very angry. So angry, that Zelda wanted to kick something for no reason at all. But why would he be so angry. She didn't have to wait long to get an answer.
Cursing very loudly he finally shouted up to where the sky would be if the Abyss had one, "Fine! I guess I'll play along with Fate then! But I won't like it!" Then he glanced over at the two blondes he was traveling with and smirked. "And I'll switch things up a bit."
Both Zelda and Link considered taking a few steps back. Vega turned and faced them.
"Pay attention, kiddies, this'll be on the test." The silvertop said, his smirk still decorating his face.
"What?" Link blurted out.
"Oi, no talking when teacher's talking or you'll never graduate to git, bender." Vega said. He seemed overly satisfied about something and that gave Zelda cause to worry. Before Link could begin his protest, Vega continued. "Power, Wisdom, Courage. Who can tell me what those make up?"
"The Triforce." Zelda answered, puzzled as to why this was being mentioned.
"Right-o, ducky. Both of you being Hylian, you should know the legend behind it."
"Well yes. Every child is taught it from the moment we're born." Link said, holding back threats he might want to point at the star.
"So naturally, you lot know that each part of the Triforce rests within one who best represents their piece best. Who would you say is in possession of the Triforce of Power?"
It seemed to dawn on both blondes at once. "Dragmire!"
"Good. You two aren't as thick as I first thought." He said. Zelda really wished he would drop his spiteful attitude. "Now, here's one I don't think you two will be able to get. Who has the other to pieces of the Triforce?"
And Vega was right about that. They couldn't even begin to guess who possibly have them. They knew the legends… that one was supposed to be female heir of the Hylian throne and the other a descendant of the Hylian knights. But there wasn't any heir to the Hylian throne and tons of people could be descendants of the Hylian knights…
"Tick-tock, time is running out. What? Not one little guess?" Vega said. "It's you two. Ducky, you're Wisdom, and Nancy boy, you're Courage."
"What?!" Came from both of their mouths.
"That's… that's absurd!" Zelda said before Link could interject. "I'm not wise… Smart, but not wise!"
"Isn't that the truth?" Vega drawled. "But it depends on your lineage, not your capabilities… Which doesn't make any sense, but that's not important at the moment."
"No, it is!" Zelda started. "Wisdom has to go to a princess or a queen… I'm none of those things! I'm just a witch!"
And then Link remembered something, completely forgetting his own reasons why he couldn't be holder of Courage. Quinn had called Zelda "cousin". And… there was a woman at the castle a long time ago. He remembered his father speaking of it to his mother. There was something going on with this woman and the king… and the woman was the sister to the Royal Wizard at the time… Quinn's father! Which meant…
"Zelda… You're… You're a princess! You're the prince – ah…" He immediately bowed. "I apologize to any offenses I have done against you, Highness!"
Zelda just stared blankly at the page bowing before her. Princess… but…
"Congratulations, Link. You have graduated from bender to git." Vega said as if he were bored. "But he is right. I'm guessing you're an illegitimate child of the king. Whatever the case, it doesn't matter. You're the holder of Wisdom and there's nothing you can do about it. If you want more proof, then examine the back of your right hand."
The witch bit her lip. She lifted her hand, almost afraid to look. But it would be fine. She'd look at it and there would be nothing there. She peeked at her hand and let out a sigh of relief. Nothing there… at first. After looking at it closely, she saw a faint outline of a triangle… A triangle made of different triangles… and one of them was glowing. The Triforce of Wisdom…
She just stared at her hand blankly. And when she kept staring at her hand blankly, Link looked up at her from his bow. "Is she… is she alright?"
"She's just taking it all in." Vega said, trying to ignore all the confusion she felt. "Any objections from you now?"
Then Link suddenly remembered the star's ludicrous claim that he was the Holder of Courage. "Yes! I'm not the only descendant of the knights! There has to be more!"
"Of course there are more! But none of them have your potential." Said the star. Then he glanced at the sword on the pages back. "Or the Master Sword."
"Master Sword?" Asked Link. He reached for his sword, pulling it out and examining it. Even in the darkness of the Abyss it seemed to glow in its ethereal fashion. He gawked at the sword, and then at Vega. "But… I just found this!"
"And where did you find it?"
"In some old temple but-"
"Master Sword. You have the Triforce of Courage." Repeated the silvertop. "You want proof, look at the back of your left hand."
"But you said right to Zelda."
"And you're left-handed." Said Vega, obviously getting frustrated.
Frowning, Link looked at the back of his left hand. His cheeks began to hurt from how deep his frown went at the sight of the Triforce of Courage.
"Are you done now?" Whined the Skull Kid. It was tapping its foot with impatience.
"Almost." Said the star in a tone that matched the creature's impatience. He looked over back at Zelda and walked to her. he snapped his fingers in front of her face and she seemed to wake from her daze.
"Why are you telling us this?!" She said indignantly. The witch still felt confused and now she felt somewhat angry. Vega expected a reaction like that.
"I wasn't supposed to tell you, actually. I just thought it might make things simpler if you two knew ahead of time." Said the star simply, masking Zelda's own emotions well. "Especially if I'm getting tied up in your business…" he held up a hand to the two, telling them not to interrupt. "Ducky, when you unintentionally bonded our souls together you also had me twisted up in your fate. Even if we were to be separated now, I would still somehow end up with you two in this terrible mess. Aside from me not liking either of you, that was the main reason I was so desperate to get away. Unfortunately, it seems no matter what I do I won't be able to escape this blasted situation. So I'll cooperate."
"You will?!" Both Link and Zelda blurted out. That was the last thing they expected to hear.
"Cooperation doesn't involve wish-granting." The star added spitefully. "I'm offering to help in anything else. That's all."
The brief span of excitement within the two had died down.
"Now can we keep going?" Skull Kid asked irritably.
"Ah, put a sock in it you shirty prat!" Snarled the star. "We're done!"
Not waiting for the star to say anything else, the Skull Kid hastily continued on. All three had to run to catch up.
"Ask what you want as we go," Vega said to the other two. "I'll answer as best I can – and Ducky, before you say anything: this does not make us friends."
I wonder if you all could tell that the chapter was completely and totally forced from my brain. D: Like I said, making stuff up as you go along isn't as easy as it seems.