Short chapter of extreme crap. You've been warned.
Vega hawked out the mixture of saliva and blood swelling in his mouth and cackled. "Sorry, I thought it was your grandmother striking me." He managed.
Ganon sighed as he looked at his captive. To say he wasn't enjoying hitting the star would be a lie, but he wasn't quite sure how the star hadn't broken during the process. He was chained to the wall, arms suspended over him, ankles firmly chained to the wall… Unless the wretched Time Spinner came and helped him again, there was no way this star was going to leave, and surely he recognized that. Add the fact that there was quite a firm stone wall behind him, beatings were even more uncomfortable than they would have been if the star wasn't bound.
"You really do insist on making the situation this difficult…" Mused the Gerudo.
"Tch. I've told everyone around me about a thousand times: I'm not granting any wishes. Period."
"You have to be one of the most stubborn people I've ever met."
"Thank you." Said the star with a proud smile.
He gave the silvertop a flat look. "That wasn't a compliment."
"And that only makes it more of a compliment to me."
Rolling his eyes, the Gerudo walked to the exit. He'd give the star a short reprieve… mostly because if he wasn't seen any time soon, someone would notice.
When he was sure Ganon was out of sight, Vega then groaned in pain. The man's bulk was no lie. Vega grimaced as he was sure a few teeth had been knocked loose… And that crooked nose he was trying to avoid was now unavoidable. His back was pounding, his arms were aching, and he was sure he was bruised just about everywhere. Torture wasn't enjoyable. He could safely come to that conclusion now.
The star spit out one of the teeth that had gotten loose. Rather than despairing, Vega actually found himself quite angry. As long as he lived, he was not going to grant any wishes – especially from Ganondorf! But how long could he talk like that? With his connection to Zelda severed… That was when the despair kicked in.
He groaned again, but this time not from pain. Alone. Memories that he would rather have no remembered made it into his mind's eye. The loneliness that only Estrella seemed to be willing to cure. And when he came to Earth, he was alone again. No Estrella. And then there was Link and Zelda. Annoying at first… especially when Zelda bonded his soul to hers. But at least then he was never alone. Now was different from then. He'd gotten too used to having friends…
Looking up to the ceiling, he actually found himself doing something no star had ever done before: pray. Stars had little to no faith in anyone or anything except for their parent, the moon. But perhaps it was being in such a dreadful situation that was making him have any strand of faith.
"Goddesses, my lot doesn't have much faith in you… I can't say I have much faith in you either. But you must be doing something right if the people who pray to you have such faith in you.
"I'm not asking for anything for myself. I've been much too selfish lately. I could actually care less about what happens to me. As much as I may reconsider, I'll never do what that brute says. But even if I don't do a thing, those two aren't safe. And since they're representations of your virtues, I feel it only fair that you protect them. You already put in enough crap on them as it is. Blimey… they're only kids… You must get some sort of sick kick out of this."
He frowned, realizing that his first prayer probably wasn't a very good one. "Ehm… Anyways, my point is that written history isn't always accurate. Especially when big chucks of it are left out; such as the fact that good doesn't always prevail over evil. The reign of Ganondorf is always so terrible that once a new hero does eventually rise up and defeat him, they completely erase it from history. And I'm afraid something like that may happen. And I really don't…
"Zelda and Link… they're like fungus. They grew on me. They're my friends. I could care less if I die, I can safely say that. But if those two die, I can also safely say that I will have a world-class shit fit in the afterlife and will never let you hear the end of it! So protect them, dammit!"
It was perhaps the worst prayer uttered by any living thing, Vega thought. But hopefully, the goddesses were willing to overlook insults and threats. Ah, who am I kidding? I should do a brownnose version, just in case that first one cheesed them off.
Zelda didn't like being told to sit still while Vega was in very obvious danger. She worried even more because she couldn't even tell if he was in pain or just fine (though she had her doubts that he was just fine). Paranoia and moodiness were just a few of the things that made her unapproachable to Link, as much as he wished to speak with her. Now more than ever he wanted to tell her that everything was going to be all right.
Nabooru was also having a rather bad time of the situation, as well. Once again, she had no idea where she stood on the playing field: a pawn for the Gerudo or her own self that made her own decisions. She definitely wanted to be the latter, but she was raised as a pawn. To leave something one had been their whole life wasn't easy.
But action seemed to want to come sooner rather than later. It was the very same night of the very same day that Vega had been kidnapped when a man barged right into the temple. The first thing noticeable about the man was that he was soaking wet. Other than that, he was a very angry man with long black hair. It took the three a few seconds to recognize the sandy cloak and realize that the man was one of the necromancers. They had no doubt it was the master of the duo.
Upon spotting Zelda and Link, he pointed in their general direction. "You're going to that damned castle and beating the shit out of that damned Gerudo. Not tomorrow or the day after, you're going in ten minutes."
They were shocked at the crude language that the master necromancer used. Normally he spoke very politely and calmly. Now he sounded like some rogue.
Finally, Rauru came out and asked the question everyone had on their minds. "Good goddesses man! You're soaking, what happened?! There hasn't been a single cloud in the sky all day!"
"It was those damned Gerudo witches literally raining on my parade. Sorry, did I say witches? I meant bitches." He snapped bitterly.
"Wait, witches?" Nabooru perked up. "What did they look like?"
The necromancer's angry glare went to the Gerudo. "Old and ugly, but one's fire and the other's ice."
The desert woman's eyes narrowed into feral slits. Koume and Kotake.
"But where's the other one of you?" Zelda asked the black haired man.
"Telling Eugen that you two are moving now." Said the necromancer. "Now hurry it up! Those hags are about to cause mass mayhem near the town soon – can't have them figure out who you are." It was then he seemed to notice something. "Where's the silver haired fellow?"
Link quickly explained.
"Then what're you still doing standing around!? Get your damned sword!" The necromancer practically shouted.
"What are you going to do about the witches?" Zelda asked the necromancer.
He responded with an ugly frown. "Nothing. After this I can't interfere anymore."
"Then I'll handle them." Nabooru stepped up. Both magic users looked at the woman skeptically. Seeing that look, the Gerudo flared up. "I may not be able to use magic but I have a score to settle with those two!" She could've said more, but she had a feeling the rage on her face made it absolutely clear what else was on her mind.
The necromancer examined that look in her eyes and smirked. "Fine then. They're yours. Kick their wrinkly asses into the next ten years."
Feeling a great deal of satisfaction, Nabooru nodded and left the temple. At the same time, Link came back, sword over his shoulder.
"Good. Now you two go straight to the castle. If my estimations are correct, Eugen should be waiting for you by the time you arrive." He said, seemingly having calmed down a bit from his rage… but just a bit.
Both Zelda and Link looked at each other for a moment with worry. But they nodded, feeling confidence swarm within them and rushed out of the temple.
From behind, Rauru shouted, "May the Grace of the Goddesses guide you!"
They both raised an arm in a gesture of thanks, but kept running on. Destiny was calling them, and they were going to answer. Inhibitions hadn't come to mind yet, so they didn't dare dwell on it as they went. And just as the necromancer had said, Eugen was waiting there for them. They had expected his goofy smile, but they were becoming all too used to his grim look. Next to him stood Anya, looking stoic. Even as they neared, they could sense a dreariness coming from the castle.
Link noticed a subtle change in the guards that made his stomach lurch. They still stood at the ready, looking straight ahead, but the normal sash they wore around their waist was gone - a sash that held a very important symbol.
An extra flag was being added to the flagpole. Directly underneath Hyrule's traditional flag, a hawk carrying the Triforce, was a plain black square.
Zelda's brow twisted upwards, full of worry. She looked at everyone's depressed faces. "What does that mean?"
Eugen sighed and said, "The necromancer's anger was wiser than it first appeared, though probably completely unrelated to the current situation."
The witch had expected Link to make an angry retort to that, but he said nothing. He seemed to know exactly what Eugen was talking about.
So she did the angry retort. "And what does that mean!?"
"What it means," began Anya snappishly, "Is that a half hour ago, the king took his last breath. He is dead."
Next chapter is interesting, I pro-... Wait a second. I'm not promising crap since I don't even know what the next chapter's going to be! D: Eh, but I guess I can promise that it will be more interesting. XD
Anyways, for those wondering what happened to Mr. Necromancer, Koume and Kotake threw a river on him and his apprentice. Yeah. A river. Not fun.