Alaina
Aight Chapter 6! Hmm...all I can really say is that this is Alaina's last time in Catalia (maybe, I still haven't decided), and this chapter isn't really much, but I needed it. I don't own Zelda, I own my characters, blah blah blah. I forgot to mention this in Chapter 5 about the Temple of Malum. Malum means "dark" in Latin, so basically the translation is "Temple of Dark" but my translation is "Temple of Darkness." My friend Melissa helped me come up with the name. Thanks Melissa!!
Chapter 6
There was suddenly a crack of a branch, and Alaina whirled around, her fists raised in front of her in case they were needed. "Who's there?" she called out threateningly, her eyes flashing.
"Ali?" a familiar voice said. A figure emerged into the moonlight. It was Milo.
Alaina lowered her arms. "Goddesses, Milo, you scared the Cuccoos out of me!" she exclaimed. Then her voice took on a suspicious tone. "How long were you here?"
"I just came," Milo said. "Anaka said that you were probably out here to be alone, so I was coming here to make sure you were okay."
Alaina tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. Milo had just said it himself that he knew that she was out here to be alone. Unless they had changed the meaning of the phrase a few minutes ago, Milo really had no business being here.
"Milo," Alaina said, trying not to yell from exasperation. "When Anaka told you that I came here to be alone, that basically meant that no one should've came to look for me. That means you."
Milo opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. Ignoring Alaina's last remark, he walked over to her. "What was wrong?" he wondered.
"It was nothing," she brushed him off.
"I'm serious!" Milo insisted. "I can help. Just tell me."
"Milo, I'm serious too. Just go and leave me alone, please!" she almost begged in spite of herself.
Milo was being persistent. "Tell me!"
That was it. She totally lost it. "Milo!" she shouted. "Do you not get it?! I came here to be ALONE! A-L-O-N-E! Do you know the meaning of that word?!"
Milo walked backwards silently, looking down at the ground with hurt. Alaina just stared at him, exhausted from yelling so loud and her ice blue eyes even brighter from the reflection of the moonlit water below. When she calmed down, she finally realized what she did, and immediately regretted it.
"Sorry," she muttered. Milo didn't respond, but he didn't walk away either, so Alaina knew that he wasn't mad.
"I'm leaving here, you know," she continued, so quietly that she almost didn't hear herself. Milo looked up with shock, but he still didn't say anything. "In my home kingdom, we are guided by the three Goddesses. They came to me tonight. I have to go back."
"Why?" Milo sputtered.
"I have to defeat Ganondorf, the Dark Lord that usurped my kingdom…and murdered my parents. I need to get my kingdom back," Alaina told him.
"It'll be really dangerous, won't it?" he asked, point-blank. Alaina nodded.
"I'll be okay," she promised. "I'm going to defeat him. He can't win again."
Milo was well aware of where she was from and the whole background of the situation, so he completely understood how important and dire the situation was. Thankfully, he asked no more questions about all of that. He did ask, however, "What will you tell Jimney and Anaka?"
Alaina sighed. "They'll be able to take it. They'll have to. They probably had a feeling this time was coming up. I just don't know what I'll tell the girls. Zaypha could hear it without freaking out, but I don't know about Selina, and I would rather stab myself than tell the truth to Nanda."
Milo half-smiled. "Tell them you're going on a trip," he suggested. "At least tell that to Selina and Nanda. It'll work. They probably won't ask any questions." He grew serious again. "Do you know what you might see over there? I obviously wouldn't know personally, but it'll probably be pretty bad."
Alaina looked down at her toes. "I know," she whispered.
"Will you be okay?" he pressed on.
"I have to," Alaina answered determinedly. "For the sake of myself and my kingdom. I can't be scared or back away. I have to be brave throughout the whole thing."
Milo shook his head and lay his hand on her shoulder. "No," he said earnestly, his eyes somber and looking straight into Alaina's soul. "You don't have to be brave all the time. You can still be scared. I know that you will be one day."
"How do you know that?" Alaina asked him softly, her gaze burning into his.
"All knights are like that. Even I get scared. I'm scared to go to the Catalian Army. I don't know what to expect. I was scared when I was trying to get those flowers for you." This earned a laugh from the girl. "I'm also scared for you," he added, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Don't be," Alaina said. "I'll get out of this without a scratch." She suddenly thought about what she just said. "Okay, maybe I'll get a few bruises and a broken arm, but seriously, I'm not going to die or anything." She smiled at the future knight before her. This was the first time she had a conversation with him where he was actually…human.
"You know," Milo said. "If you ever need any help, I'll be there in a second. You never know if you'll need any experienced knights to fight anything that is too much for you."
Okay, maybe she thought he was human a little too soon.
"Will do," she agreed. She sighed. "I guess I should head back and tell Jimney and Anaka. She and Milo started walking back to the village, which was now quiet since the party had ended a while ago.
When they reached the Murkoto's house, Alaina started go to inside. "Wait!" Milo called out. Alaina turned to face him, one hand already on the door handle. "When are you leaving?" he asked.
"Tomorrow morning," was Alaina's quick reply, as if she had already decided this hours ago. "I should reach Hyrule a few hours after noon." Without saying good-bye, she opened the door and stepped inside, leaving Milo to stand there for a minute and then finally leave.
Alaina smiled as she heard the familiar noises of the parlor; Jimney and Anaka were on the couches talking while Zaypha was trying to calm Selina and Nanda down because they were being too noisy, insisting that "people living in the entire kingdom couldn't sleep because of them." When she entered the room, they became silent as she walked across the room and sat on another couch.
"Are you okay, Ali?" Zaypha asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah!" Alaina answered brightly. "I'm fine." She glanced down at her hands and did a double-take. She didn't notice how prominent the dark gray Triforce was, probably since Milo had never mentioned it. She casually covered the top of her left hand with her right before anyone had noticed. "What did I miss?"
"Well, the villagers wish you a happy birthday, and everything's cleaned up. Milo was looking for you again," Anaka said.
"Yeah, I was talking to him," Alaina said. There was a moment of silence again. Alaina decided it had to be now or never. "Um, Jimney? Anaka? Can I talk to you two?"
Jimney sensed the urgency in her voice. "Zaypha, can you take Selina and Nanda to your room?" he asked Zaypha.
"Zaypha can stay," Alaina murmured to him.
"Selina, you and Nanda should go to bed now," Jimney suggested. Selina and Nanda obeyed without any complaints or questions, plus, they were exhausted anyway.
"What's wrong?" Anaka asked quietly once Selina and Nanda were out of earshot. Alaina sighed. She wanted to get this over with.
"I have to leave Catalia," she said bluntly. Zaypha gasped and Jimney and Anaka just kept looking at Alaina. "I got a visit from the three Goddesses, the creators of Hyrule." The three of them nodded with understanding; they all studied Hyrulean history. "They told me that it was time for me to return and defeat Ganondorf."
"The Ganondorf?" Zaypha echoed.
"Yes, only he's more powerful than he was years ago," Alaina said to her. "That's why my parents died." She lifted up her left hand, and they gasped again. The Triforce of Wisdom was glowing faintly. "I'm the new holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, and I have to find the holder of the Triforce of Courage."
Anaka's eyes filled up with tears. "Ali," she began.
"I have to do this," Alaina interrupted, knowing fully well that Anaka would beg her not to do this. "I have to save my kingdom."
"Alaina, do you even know how to fight?" Jimney asked. Alaina couldn't help smiling; nobody in the village had ever seen her with weaponry.
"Trust me, I do," Alaina said, sharing a grin with Zaypha, who was handling this situation remarkably well.
"Ali, it'll be dangerous. Hyrule is probably a wasteland!" Anaka blurted out. "Where will you go? Enemies are probably wandering about, searching for you! You'll be killed!"
"Anaka!" Jimney said sharply, motioning to Zaypha, who had listened with fearful eyes.
"I know what I'm doing!" Alaina insisted. "And I won't be killed! I have more wisdom now, and I can hold my own when it comes with enemies. Anaka, trust me. It's my duty!"
The room was silent again, and Anaka burst out sobbing, running over to Alaina and wrapping her in a tight embrace, almost cutting off Alaina's supply of air. Zaypha started crying silently and joined the hug. Jimney was last. "You'll be fine. I know it," he whispered in her ear.
After an eternity, they all pulled away. "I guess I better break this to the girls," Anaka sighed, wiping her eyes.
"NO!" Alaina almost shouted. "They wouldn't understand, and they'll freak out. I know it. I talked to Milo about this, and he said that I should tell them that I'm going on a trip or something."
Jimney nodded with agreement. "You better tell them now."
Alaina walked over to a door and opened it. Selina and Nanda were in the room, lying on their beds. "Ali!" they cried out weakly, almost asleep.
Alaina sauntered over sat on the edge of Nanda's bed. "I have something to tell you," she said. "Do you promise that you will be brave about it?"
Selina immediately sat up, her eyes wide. "What happened?!" she cried.
"No, no, nothing bad happened," Alaina reassured her. "But you might not like what I'm going to say."
Nanda sat up as well, staring intently at Alaina with her big eyes.
Alaina heaved a big sigh. "I'm going on a trip, and I won't be around for awhile," she told them, grabbing onto Nanda's hand.
"Where are you going?" Selina wanted to know.
"I have to go outside of Catalia. It's business," Alaina half-lied. "The trip will take a long time, and I won't be able to visit. I'm leaving tomorrow morning." Selina climbed onto Nanda's bed and sat on the other side of Alaina.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"I swear, everything's fine. It's just something I have to do," Alaina said. The two girls looked at her with sadness in their eyes, and Alaina's heart went out to them.
"But we'll miss you," Selina said pitifully.
"Listen," Alaina said, her voice breaking. "I know you'll miss me at first, but after a while, you'll get used to it, and before you know it, I'll be back. Trust me."
"But Ali, will you come back here forever?" Nanda questioned.
Oh shit.
"Not forever, Nanda. I have to tell you the truth. I probably might be leaving this village later on and moving somewhere else. But that doesn't mean I won't stop by. Both of you, and Zaypha, are like sisters to me, so I couldn't bear to leave all three of you." She put her arms around them and held them close. "Tell you what, put your beds together, and I'll ask Zaypha to move hers. We'll all sleep here tonight."
The girls instantly grinned. "Okay!" they chorused, and immediately became hard at work trying to put their beds together.
Alaina watched them for a few seconds, and then turned to get Zaypha. But there was no need. She was waiting patiently by the door, her arms crossed and her long hair cascading over her shoulders. "They took it well?" she asked.
"I hope so," Alaina replied, turning back to them. "There weren't any tears, so that looks like a good sign."
"I hate to burst your bubble, Ali, but just wait until you leave. Then they'll be flooding the house," Zaypha laughed. "Add that to all of the village children-"
"Oh no, the other children!" Alaina gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "I forgot all about them."
"Leave that to me," Zaypha sighed. She peered over Alaina's shoulder with interest. "I'm guessing you want me to move my bed?"
"If you want," Alaina said. Although Zaypha appeared to be too old for something like this, she eagerly started moving toward the fray. Alaina shook her head good-naturedly at the girl, who had grown so much over the past five years.
About ten minutes later, all four of them were piled on the beds, fast asleep. Alaina was in the middle. Nanda was on one side, sucking her thumb, while Selina was on the other. Zaypha was at their feet, lying across and snoring lightly. Jimney and Anaka watched this adorable scene with tears in their eyes, and quietly closed the door.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was early in the morning, around 8:00. The sun was beginning to light up the entire village, and a light mist was still hovering above the grass. Alaina was at the edge of the woods, facing the entrance to Catalia Field, which took up part of the western side of Catalia. The path to Hyrule was reachable at the western end of the field. Alaina remembered riding through the field five years earlier, but it was dark, and she was too frightened to notice her surroundings.
She had woken up earlier, before the other villagers were awake, and silently packed her belongings. She slipped out of the house and retrieved her horse before the Murkotos woke up. She wanted to leave as quietly as possible, even without saying a proper good-bye to her surrogate family.
"I guess we should go now, Reya," Alaina said sullenly, patting her faithful mare. She took out a roll of bandages and wrapped them around her left hand, hiding the Triforce from view. After a moment of thinking, she took out her sword and reached for her blonde locks. Reya snorted behind her.
"Relax," she said, feeling silly for talking to a horse. Without thinking twice, she slashed off much of her hair, the remainders only reaching to her shoulders. She fixed a few of the sloppy ends, and for the finishing touch, she murmured a few words, and was surrounded by a whirl of light. In her place was a boyish-looking fellow, her hair covered by bandages with some strands covering some of her face. More bandages covered her nose and mouth, but extra magic made her able to breathe and talk clearly. She was dressed in a blue bodysuit, while ripped cloth covered her torso, containing symbols of the Sheikah tribe. This was the same disguise her mother had used twenty years earlier, using the name of Sheik. Satisfied, she climbed on her horse and was about to ride out when-
"Ali?"
She whirled around, facing a figure running up the path. "Milo?"
Milo ran up to her and Reya and looked up at her. "You're leaving," he mentioned quietly. Alaina nodded. "What's your disguise?"
Alaina looked down at herself. "My mother used this disguise the first time Hyrule was taken over. She had to help my father but couldn't show herself or she would be captured. I know the same thing will happen to me so I'm doing this as well."
Milo paused for a moment. "Well, I guess…I should let you go," he mumbled. "I just wanted to…say good-bye before you left."
Beneath her bandages, Alaina smiled. "It's not good-bye, Milo. It's 'see you later.' We both know that I'll need your help at some point, and when I do, I'll let you know."
"And when I do help you, I won't let you down," Milo said seriously. "Ali, you're going to beat that son of a bitch. It'll be like shooting an arrow for you."
"Thanks, Milo," she said softly.
They stood there for a few moments, not knowing what to say next. Then Milo spoke. "Well, see you later then," he said quickly.
"See you later," Alaina agreed. She lightly slapped Reya's flank and they began trotting out of the woods. "Oh, and Milo!" Alaina called as she was leaving.
"Yeah?" Milo shouted back.
"Do me a big favor. Help Zaypha practice her archery, and teach her some sword fighting while you're at it, okay?"
Milo smiled. "Okay!" he yelled. He watched Alaina enter the massive field, and finally left only when she was out of sight.
Obviously, Alaina will reach Hyrule next chapter. And as you can see, Milo will remain an important character later on in the story, and maybe some other Catalian will too? Who could it be? That's your guess. R&R!