REVIEW ANSWERIN' time does not necessarily reflect the opinions of this web site or its advertisers:
u00dfrady: [Holds big, toothy, shameless grin] I kinda led you all on there, didn't I? Truth is, Link speaking was planned from the get go. My only problem was that I couldn't find enough opportunities to clue you in that Link could speak without actually letting him speak. The earliest clue? "I don't need your eloquent speeches..." Also, the pirates saying Link told them this or that... you know, stuff you simply can't emote your way out of. I kinda sucked in cluing you in, it seems. As for Niko and Gonzo... I don't want to spoil you or anything... so I'll just say re-read the last few chapters. There's at least one clue that relates to their fates. Oh, and I don't mind your interpretation of what was to happen. Why, I still think about the stuff. But, this story has a purpose, and when it's fulfilled, maybe we can go and talk about the Hyrule Reconstruction Project (Or simply a few sets of one-shots based off what this story builds). And of course I had to put Linebeck in there somewhere. He's one of my favorite 'Zelda' characters ever!
shadows-of-ballance: To be honest, the chapter wasn't even supposed to end there. But I was running a bit long in the tooth (longest chapter ever and all) so I just cut down there and continued here. And a bittersweet ending? Do you really think we could see a bittersweet ending for this saga, where the future is TRAINS? Trains, I tells ya. The future can't be bittersweet with that! And thanks for supporting this story for so long. It means a lot to me.
Hoosier: And leave huge gaping plot holes hanging? No, I couldn't possibly end it on last chapter. Granted, I'm sure you'd find a couple (read: a LOT) of plot holes when it's all said and done, but I'm sure it would be better filled than if I stopped right there. I am glad you finally commented, and I'd suggest you keep on commenting because otherwise, you'll never be heard from again. NEVER! (Well, that's not exactly true, but...)
The Legend of Zelda:
Overlord of the Land
Chapter 17:
The Half-Truth
Feeling groggy was not something that was usually in the cards, but when one spends a long time battling the raging currents of the ocean, one is only luck that the sea did not become their grave that day. Of course, there are things that were certainly not expected: sand... and the sound of seagulls.
[CAW CAW] [CAW CAW]
The light of the sun filtering through the slowly opening eyelids was anything but pleasant, and it made everything a blurry mess of shapeless colors, but for Link, being able to notice anything but endless oceans was a plus already. He groaned loudly as his mind began to recover consciousness and he began to take in the surroundings he was on. He was laying in a rather rocky beach, and the fact that he was not pushed into one of the jagged rocks was nothing short of a stroke of luck. That specific beach was surprisingly devoid of palm trees or any other sort of vegetation, which made the fact that Link kept hearing seagulls all the more head-scratching.
"Wha... who..." Link began sitting up, and he tried to shake off as much sand from his face as possible. It was then that he noticed a pair of seagulls standing in front of him, pecking at some red leftovers in the sand. "Oh, you guys woke me up. I guess you wouldn't know where this is, right?" The seagulls looked at Link rather weirdly, and then resumed their pecking business as if nothing happened. Link sighed deeply, thinking it ridiculous to try and get directions from a bird.
He finally stood up and began assessing himself to check if everything was alright, and although he was physically fine (albeit a bit woozy from drifting in the sea), there was definitely something wrong with his tools. Although his sword and shield looked okay, the rest of the weapons were either missing, broken or incomplete: his bow had no arrows left, his Deku Leaf was ripped in half, his three remaining bombs were hopelessly drenched, his hookshot was nowhere to be seen, and he had already lost his grappling hook battling Dante. He didn't even have his trusty cap on. Thankfully, his Magical Glove looked like it was intact, and he had a couple of Deku Nuts that, despite being soaked, seemed usable enough.
Link sighed, resigned at having such a limited set of weapons, and resorted to seeing if he recognized any part of the place he was on. Unfortunately, the beach did not seem to be anywhere he had been before, what with the life-less beach filled with sharp stones and tall, steep hills that looked more like a desert than an actual beach. To his left, the beach extended up until a large rock formation closed it in as it extended deep into the ocean, and to his right, a cave-like entrance was quite noticeable from the rocky hill. "I guess the way to go was chosen for me." Link mused quietly. "What do you think, winged buddies?" He asked the seagulls. The seagulls looked at Link rather weirdly... but this time, they hopped into flight, circled a few times over Link, and then flew right into the cave entrance. "Well... considering the alternative is descent into the watery darkness..." Link commented, looking back at the taunting waves behind him. "The cave it is."
Link was grateful he didn't encounter any enemies while inside the thankfully short cave. He was feeling weary enough, and the fact that he had little in the way of defense and allies (what would the gulls do, anyway?) wasn't exactly comforting, either. The cave did not get any darker than a rainy afternoon when light started to permeate in front of him, which gave Link enough strength to rush over to the exit. What he saw didn't exactly excite him, for he was in a beach area not unlike the one he had just left, with no vegetation and plentiful in jagged rocks, with its only marked difference from before were a couple of dried up tree trunks laying haphazardly on the sand. To his left was a faraway cave entrance which, to him, began taking a rather strange and scary form the longer he stared at it. To his right, the sand gave way to the ocean, which showed no signs of any proper landmass or ships within its massive blue expansion.
Link sat down on the sand (it was truly safer than any rock he could choose) and pondered his options. There could be the chance he could find something or someone within the cave to his right, but that was clearly a long shot. On the other hand, he could use the logs in front of him to build a raft and try to get out of the beach, but he had nothing to tie the logs together, and he didn't know how much could the logs stand before breaking apart. He had to choose then: the rock or the hard place? "Man, and I'm usually good at these things." Link whispered to himself. In truth, he always did his best helping others and bringing about his opinion on the matter, but now he was completely alone, and the only sound around him was the ocean waves and the occasional seagull cry.
That, and a sudden shuffling of the sand over to the left.
Link's keen ear alerted him of the unexpected sound and he turned his gaze to see if he found anything in the beach area. As it turned out, right by a tall rock, Link could see what looked like a leather boot. It may not be much, but if one boot could make such a distinctive sound, then it probably meant something, so Link decided to check whatever it was. As he drew closer, the boot started to look attached to a rather torn piece of white clothing which looked like pants, which in turn looked to be beside a long blue piece of rough cloth, partly covered by a long streak of unkempt blond hair. As these things began revealing themselves to Link, his face began lighting up much more as he considered the implications behind it. And behind the rocks, he saw his suspicions were true.
It was her. Tetra was there as well. And, thank goodness, she was still alive and well.
Link made to talk, but somehow, the words escaped him. This would be a joyous reunion... except it's been who knows how long since the events in Waarheid. It certainly hasn't been more than a few hours, considering how clearly he could still remember everything. The mere thought of this brought his cheerful mood down alarmingly fast, to which he thought he had to do something now if he even wanted to raise Tetra's spirits some. Trying to put everything that's happened before in the back burner, he thought up some rather nice small talk to begin with and took a big hearty breath to begin.
"Seagulls."
Link felt deflated. Just as he was about to say something, Tetra stepped in and began speaking, seemingly to the seagulls nearby as she wasn't really looking over to Link.
"I envy you guys." Tetra said quietly, almost in a whisper. As she talked, she started making some crude drawings in the sand. "All through my life, I've always wanted the freedom to do as I wanted, and you have that freedom since the day you're born. You can fly anywhere, live anywhere and see everything. You guys are truly free. Why... you remind me of a story my mother used to tell me, about a girl from a dream world who wished to be as free as a bird. In short, the dream world was shattering all around her, and she pleaded to have her last wish granted. Meanwhile, in the real world, a sailor found an egg, which cracked open before him, revealing a seagull, a surprisingly mature one at that, too. Without even a chance for the sailor to catch it, the seagull extended its wings and flew away, circling all over the skies as if it were enjoying the freedom of flight to the fullest. So you see, in the end, the dream world girl's wish became true. She was transformed into a seagull, arguably the bird with the most freedom in the skies."
Tetra then turned her head lazily over to Link, implying she knew he was there the whole time. Link gasped inaudibly in surprise, but quickly recovered, though he was still incapable of thinking up anything reasonable to say. Tetra saw the hesitation in Link's eyes, and took it as a signal to turn her gaze back down to the sand, hiding her face to Link with her hair.
"I've always wanted to be as free as a bird." Tetra continued in the same whispering tone. "But I've always found myself grounded by something, as if some cosmic force desires to see me unhappy. And whenever I try something new, it will bring me some sort of misfortune, if it even works at all. I wanted to get rid of everything that meant giving up the life I knew, but destiny decided I had enough of that dream world. I wanted to make the best of the new situation, but someone was ready to trip me over with their feet and make me eat dirt. And then this time, when I was so close of finishing up everything, when I could finally feel that long deserved rest approaching around the corner... this happens."
Link could not notice any discernible change in Tetra's voice, but he could clearly read her anguished expression through her clenched fists and her jittery feet. It was clear to him that, for someone who's formed such a hard shell around herself, and for someone who's seen many things and lived many rough experiences, all these things that happened lately have been too much for Tetra to handle. The façade was crumbling, and the masks were disappearing. At this point, Link saw and he knew and understood, that this was most likely Tetra at her most vulnerable yet. This was not a comfortable position to be in, as he somehow lost the ability to form up proper words, but he knew he had to say something, even if it came out as nonsensical babble, if it meant giving Tetra some sort of comfort in the tribulations they were in.
"I... I'm sorry." It was the first words that Link could utter. He mentally kicked himself for saying them, but he decided to try and make them work anyway. "I don't really know what to say to you right now." 'What am I saying?' he thought to himself. 'Think up something, idiot.' "See, I... I miss them, too. I still can't really get over what happened, and seriously, I didn't expect to get over it so soon. But I can't just get stuck in what's happened and stay there, that's just not my nature. I prefer to move forward, and to find a way to fix things, if possible." Link began to speak faster and more fluidly as he continued to think more and more things. Still, it didn't seem to bring Tetra's attention enough to make her turn her face to him. "Well, when I was five, I lost my favorite toy soldier. I searched high and low, and I even almost fell down the island's bridge looking for it. I left no stone unturned, and eventually I found the toy well-hidden in a pigpen."
"Link, I don't think a toy compares..."
"When I was ten..." Link interrupted Tetra, feeling on a roll. "One bad joke by my sister ended up crippling me for nearly a month. It would've been more time if I wasn't stubborn enough to train a lot with Orca and get my leg back into shape. And when I was twelve..." Link did a sliding whistle to point out how big the subject had become. "If I tell you the things that happened to me when I was twelve, we'd be here all day. Then again, you were there for a good deal of them, so that shortens things. I mean, my sister got kidnapped, I got lost in the ocean for weeks, a lot of things blew on my face, I inadvertently caused a great evil to regain its powers, I locked you in a castle basement, I had to chase that evil man Ganondorf down to save you only to lose you to a ghost ship, and then I found you turned to stone, and I revived you only to see you being kidnapped again by that creepy monster with many eyes... and that's not getting into detail of the stuff that's happened in between."
Link caught his breath after finishing this. He then noticed he had been going slightly off-track, and he was probably missing his own point. He then calmed down some and decided to kneel right beside Tetra to talk to her on a more personal level. "The point is... there were times when I felt like nobody would blame me if I gave up and went back home... but I didn't, because I knew that if I kept going, I would do what I set out to do. Yeah, I'm stubborn like that, but also... in each of those times, I was fighting for something worth fighting. I was giving it my all for something I love." Tetra's head involuntarily turned around to let her see Link with the corner of he eye. For all she could see, there was not a hint of playfulness or mocking manner in Link's face or expressions. He looked, talked, and even darted his eyes in the most sincere way he could. "Like... the love for my toys, and the love for my mobility, and the love for my family... and you."
Tetra's eyes widened. Her ears and brain could not immediately comprehend if Link had just said what she thought he had just said. However, even in his own weird way, and even with his circumventing through it like crazy, she was almost certain he did just said what she thought he had just said. She tried to control it, but there was no hiding her creeping smile upon her blushing face.
"This... this right now, it's just another stepping stone." Link continued. "A... I admit it's a rather large and steep one, but a stepping stone, no more. Are you gonna let this take you down, when you're basically three steps away from reaching the goal? I sure won't, and neither should you. You're not about to let this overwhelm you... not again. So... what do you say? How's about we finish this up... together?"
Tetra faced Link directly for the first time since he's started talking. Her blushing face hadn't completely gone down, but she still braved to put on a face she hadn't put on in a while: The warmest, kindest, singularly most tender gaze and smile Link's seen anyone pull. Without saying a word, she nodded once and stood up, followed by Link, and they dusted off the sand before turning around to face the ominous cave in the distance.
Side by side, they gathered their wits to enter the cave in front of them. Tetra's hand, seemingly moving on her own, began searching sideways and reaching for Link's. When her fingers grazed his hand, he immediately reacted by opening up his hand and reaching out to her as well. Their hands touched, and their fingers began to criss-cross in between each other's fingers, slowly but certainly, until they held on to each other's hand, their fingers interlaced. As a final signal of reassurance, Link gently squeezed Tetra's hand, to which she responded with a corresponding squeeze, followed with a sideways glance and smile.
Finally, they walked on. They did not know what awaited them, or how prepared they were, but so long as they were together, they felt they needed nothing else. As they approached, the cave appeared to take shape of a monstrous face, complete with leering eyes and a large, gaping maw with sharp fangs expecting its next unsuspecting victim. After all the majestic places they've been to, and after all the unsettling, surreal, unforgiving, and astounding situations they've been placed, they were finally upon what they felt was their final challenge. It was strange, as they did not know it, but they were upon the doorsteps of...
The Witches' Keep
The entrance led into a long, dark and low corridor, which eventually led into a brightly lit, intricately designed room unbecoming of a normal cave. This room had exquisite designs all around the bottom and top parts of the walls, a doorway locked with two locks, and two square pedestals where one could easily stand on. The room was rather small, but it gave the impression of a much larger thing hidden beyond the doors. Too bad they didn't know where to find the keys.
"Okay, so this is it, then." Tetra said, looking around the room for any particular clue. "Did... did we miss something on the way here?"
"Beats me." Link commented. "It was just a straightforward walk up to here. I would've known if I've seen or felt something." Link then broke apart from Tetra and decided to inspect the pedestals. He knocked on them and tried to shift them around, but as far as he could see, they were pretty solid and well grounded on their spots.
"I don't think they're part of solving this." Tetra suggested. "Maybe there's something outside. We should..."
Suddenly, a low rumbling noise was heard all over the room, stopping Tetra's attempts at retreating outside. Then, a screeching elderly voice boomed all around, assaulting the pair's ears with every word.
"Princess Zelda!" The old, female-sounding voice said. "You have done well to make it all the way here. You have certainly proved your worth. Now, you will have the privilege of seeing what we have seen, to know what we know, and to understand as we do. You alone can bring about change to this forsaken world, and all we ask for you to do is to show your true self. Shed the shell of your past and embrace your future. Let your true self shine through."
"Tetra..." Link spoke with a hint of alert.
"Please, Link." Tetra scoffed at Link's nervous reaction. "I know false advertising when I find it. I'm not just gonna do what they say just because they say it."
Link sighed in relief. "Well, I'm glad for that." He then made to walk back towards the entrance of the cave. "Now how about we go check the coast like you... GHAAAAAAACKACKACKACKACKACKACKACKACKACKACK!" Suddenly, Link was thrown right back to the floor due to an invisible magical wall stopping him cold, all while emitting a steady stream of smoke all over his body. His breathing became shallow, and his face seemed genuinely shocked. "Ah... I think you better do that transforming if we want to continue."
Tetra didn't want to do it. Not because she was afraid of her own power or anything, but because she hated being coerced into doing things she wasn't planning on doing anyway. Still, with no real way of moving forward, and with their only escape route magically blocked, was there really any choice for them? Tetra closed her eyes and looked inside herself to see if she had the ability to willingly do what she had done involuntarily before. She then felt like she was tapping into a enormous power source within her, a power enough to create a great deal of good or level cities much like Dante did. All she needed was to use it.
"Eh..." Tetra suddenly hesitated. She opened her eyes and looked at Link with a rather bashful face. "I, uh... I've never done this before. On my own, that is. So... I don't know how this will turn out, so... you see..."
"Oh." Link nodded simply. After some thinking, though, he opened his eyes and started nodding slowly. "OH! Yeah... I see what you're... I'll... just turn around, ok? I won't peek, I promise."
Link turned away from Tetra as promised and started whistling a tune to keep himself entertained. While he was doing so, a flash of light enveloped the whole room, being brighter around the corner of his eyes. He was tempted, but decided to retain his promise and instead focused his eyes on the intricately designed walls in front of him. After a short while, the light subsided and the room returned to its normal illumination.
"Ok... you can look."
When Link turned around, he was quite surprised with the results. "Wow." (See, I told you!) Tetra's ragged clothes were nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by a sophisticated and detailed dress of pink, white and blue colors, a full pair of light-blue long gloves that went past the elbows (the magical glove was still noticeable, though), and her re-styled hair sported a golden tiara with a red ruby in the middle, as well as some assorted golden jewelry on her dress. She had successfully regained her princess-like state, and with an added bonus in that without her scary, vengeful demeanor, her overall new look was positively beautiful and pleasing to the eyes.
"So?" Tetra asked.
"I don't know how to say this..." Link mused, taking a good look at the exquisitely designed dress and rubbing the back of his neck. "but seeing you on a dress when all you wear are your regular clothes is... well... strange, but at the same time a refreshing change... and... well... just really pretty and stuff."
"Eh... thanks..." Tetra managed to answer before going full-on bashful mode.
"But... where did that come from?" Link asked, pointing to the black sheath hanging by Tetra's hip.
"Oh!" Tetra noticed her cutlass, and though it was a tad weird for her, she didn't mind it much. "I had it under the coat, so I guess it must have..."
Immediately afterwards, a large, purple cylindric force field surrounded Tetra all around, trapping her completely. Link quickly stepped forward and tried to break into the force field, but it had the same shocking effect the magical wall had on him before. "Link!" Tetra called. She punched the force field once, but the shock was so great she couldn't try again. Link, on his part, tried to push through using his shield to absorb any damage, but no matter how much he pressed forward, the force field did not budge one bit. Then, Tetra got lifted off the ground as a large vortex opened up on the ceiling directly on top of her. She tried to stay grounded, but the strength of the vortex was too much and the started floating away.
"LINK!" Tetra screamed, completely in panic.
"Don't worry! Hang on, I'll find you!" Link declared just before Tetra got completely absorbed by the vortex. After the last loose thread on the dress passed through, the vortex disappeared and the force field vanished into nothingness. "Only... I don't know how to yet." Link admitted before hanging his head in shame and covering it with his hands. He decided to take some time to think, so he sat down on one of the pedestals.
"WHAAAAAAAAH!"
Next thing Link knew, he was on the floor beside a pedestal much like the one he sat on, but on a completely different room. This room was almost claustrophobic in nature and sported a single unlocked door. Upon this, Link's resolve returned quickly and, knowing what he had to do now, he marched forward to the next room, and to find the keys to the locked doorway, where Tetra was most likely being kept.
"Welcome, Princess."
When Tetra was finally able to step on solid ground again, she was in a darkened room where she could barely even see past her own arm length. She was no longer covered in any force field, which was good, but now she was afraid to even step forward without knowing if there was a trap or a pitfall in front of her. Instead, she preferred to address the voice calling out to her. "Who are you?" She said defiantly.
"A hostile young woman, this one is, sister." A different, slightly higher-pitched voice said. A speck of blue shone briefly in the darkness afterwards.
"She has zest, that much is true, sister." The first, lower pitched voice answered. A flame of red ignited briefly in the darkness.
"Before you know our names, though..." The second voice explained. "We feel you should know some things. We shall begin, as all good stories do, in the beginning."
"Before your time, or your ancestor's time, before the Great Flood and anything that caused it."The first voice began. "Before there was even a Hyrule or a royalty... the world was in chaos. Earth and stone mixed together with water and air, and the land was formless and incapable of sustaining life. Then, one single thought changed it all..."
"Descend and create!" Just as the second voice said that, two flames ignited, one bright red and one sparkling blue, both supported by tall, black pillars with golden designs. At their sides, two small elderly women with big bug-eyes, large noses and odd, greenish skin floated atop ancient brooms, clad mostly in black clothes with gold lining and white cloths with red and blue lines. They were identical in nearly every point, except that one had a big, red jewel adorning her white hair and the other one had a big blue jewel on her hair instead. Tetra could not believe it, but these were most likely the witches that Mendoza was talking about before.
"Wait... you..."
"Bup, bup, bup." The witch with the red jewel interrupted Tetra before she could continue. "You might want to avoid making questions before you hear everything."
"Like hell I do!" Tetra snapped back. "Who are you two? Why do you want me here?"
"All in good time, dear." The witch with the blue jewel interjected. "But I agree we cannot continue without a proper introduction, wouldn't you say, sister?"
"Very well." The witch with the red jewel agreed, and faced Tetra on a mock-bow. "Princess Zelda, I am Koume."
"I am Kotake." The witch with the blue jewel addressed in a mock-bow as well. "We are the Sorceress Sisters of the lost land of Gerudo."
"We are who have seen everything as it was before... and everything as it will be." Koume continued. "We know what sort of vile, stupid mistakes were done in the past, and what can be done to prevent those tragedies from repeating themselves."
"The creation of the land was a momentous event." Kotake said. "The Three Golden Goddesses descended on the chaos of this world and gave it form and order. When the land was created, life was created and recorded history began."
"When this first happened, the world's men and women were cordial at worst." Koume explained. "They did not know of anything besides themselves and their survival. But then, one rose above the rest, seeking added control over the land and the people. Naturally, others opposed, and eventually, people began separating themselves in bands and tribes. These became the precursors to the towns and countries of old, including Hyrule."
"These rifts between men..." Kotake continued, "led to many wars, and countless lives were needlessly sacrificed. Eventually, though, one person took a stand, and brought along a resolution to this war, and an era of peace was ushered. This man became the first ruler of the unified land, the first King of Hyrule."
Koume then floated over to her red flame and, with a wave of her hand, made the flame extend wide and tall. Inside the flame, several images were shown of several men of different heights, sizes and hairstyles, all wearing the same golden crown over their heads. "And while the first King delivered peace to the land, others did nothing to remember his legacy, and acted according to their own wishes. You could say the first King did not plan for the future."
"The almighty fool." Kotake added with an airy laugh. "Hyrule has always been the chosen land, but with these heathen Kings taking the throne and forgetting their role in the play, they had made Hyrule fall out of favor with their deities."
"I'm sure you're aware of the tale of the Hero of Time, Princess?" Koume asked. Without waiting for an answer, though, she continued, as her red flame showed images of a warrior clad in green facing off a large man in black. "A young man who could travel through time disposed of the Great Evil King Ganondorf, sealing him forever, away from everybody. This was to have been the end of Ganondorf, but he was far too powerful to keep locked forever, so he broke through again. At that point, Hyrule had degenerated from their once glorious state and were on the brink of provoking another great war between the countries and races. When Ganondorf returned, he returned to a weakened and divided Hyrule, which was easy to conquer and decimate."
"Legends say of the people who pleaded to the deities to help them, to bring along a hero much like the fabled Hero of Time. But this time... it was not to be." Kotake said, showing images of the weakened Hyrule on her blue flame. "The Goddesses decided then to grant Ganondorf's wish and give him Hyrule, which they sealed under a thick blanket of water, deciding to save only a fraction of the people by bringing them to the mountaintops. This was the Great Flood, and the result was the Great Sea which people have sailed on for over a hundred years."
"This brings us to present day." Koume picked up where her sister left off. "Present time, where the Goddesses pretend to rebuild their majestic masterpiece, and they believe they had purged the land of the evil that it had, and everything will be as prosperous as they envisioned."
"And you, dear Princess..." Kotake pointed right at Tetra's face. "Are stuck right in the middle of it all. You have become an unsuspecting pawn to their game."
Link ran as fast as he could. He needed to, since a floating Wallmaster was following him, and for no light reason: Link had just collected a key he found laying on the ground. He should've known the whole thing looked way too easy for him, and now he was blindly running through a maze which raised from the ground, hoping not to encounter on a dead end and end up getting swallowed into the abyss again.
"Where's the exit? Where's the exit? Where's the exit? Where's the exit? Where's the exit? Where's the exit?" Link mumbled to himself as he ran with the key. He has so far made it without having to stop, but this only served in making him increasingly panicked about finding any eventual blockade. He then came into a three-way intersection, which made him stop for a small moment to choose his way. "Left or right? Or straight forward? Maaaaan... left!" He chose and ran through the opening, taking a few sharp turns, and almost crashed on a few walls... to find himself on a dead end.
"No, no! This isn't fair." Link whined. He turned around and rushed off on the opposite direction he was on, having surprisingly enough time to still avoid the Wallmaster. He waded through tight turns, and even managed to walk on the walls a bit, and ended up... facing another dead end.
"No way! I don't believe it!" Link shouted. He made to run back and go through the one remaining road, but unfortunately, the Wallmaster had caught up with him. The Wallmaster threw itself towards Link, but he instinctively rolled back and narrowly avoided the attack. Link prepared his sword and shield and waited for the Wallmaster to do another attack. The Wallmaster began walking across the floor towards Link and jumped to grab him, but Link stabbed the air with his sword, stopping the overly large hand cold and making it wince in pain. Link's heart was racing, but seeing as he had the upper hand for the first time, he built up enough confidence to step forward and slash the Wallmaster good.
Before long, the disembodied menace turned into a puff of dark smoke, which made Link wonder how was he so scared of something so simple in the first place. Then, the walls of the maze started receding into the floor, making Link's way through much easier to see. He immediately ran to the door and proceeded to go to the following room. Forget calming down, he had to reach the room where Tetra was.
"The road to perdition is built on good intentions." Koume declared. "The first King of Hyrule had the best of intentions to end the war, but instead found a way to segregate all races and enforce supremacy onto the Hylians. Some took this as providence, as they had necessity of the resources in their given lands. The Gorons, for example, need the rocks of the volcanic soil, so living next to a volcano was a blessing to them, and the disappeared race of fish-men called the Zora prided themselves in living at the source of the great River Hylia."
"But there was one race..." Kotake explained. "That did not receive such blessing. Forced to live in the scorching desert where water and food is scarce, and marked as thieves and killers by the reigning Hylians, they were the scourge of the land as far as the rest of the world was concerned. This group... were the Gerudo."
"The Gerudo?" Tetra wondered. "Your people?"
"That is correct, Princess. Our people... the oppressed ones, only to make the rest look better in comparison." Koume narrated, while the red flame showed images of what she was telling. "Under the rule of Augustus Normand Hyrule, the Gerudo suffered the worst possible time. He sent his best troops under the shade of night and killed all but a few male Gerudo, followed by a curse on the land where the female Gerudo could not bear male children but once every hundred years."
"Princess, I hope you understand where we are going with this." Kotake said. "A foolish and ignorant race can and will commit the same arrogant and terrible mistakes of the past. Time passes, stories are forgotten, and people become lost in their own folly. It may seem that even the Goddesses, everlasting and infinitely wise as they claim to be, are not immune to this, seeing as they wish to rebuild what was once a heathen civilization."
"You, my dear princess, who has seen what this world has to offer, and have been capable of sensing the hearts of the men and women in the world, you could answer me this." Koume inquired. "Do you believe this world is ready for another monarchy as the Goddesses have envisioned? Do you believe this new era they are trying to usher upon the land will be actually beneficial to all of them, and that they will accept it and live it without any sort of difference of contention? Can men truly learn and avoid repeating themselves, and can they avoid their own destruction once again?"
"These things you say..." Tetra uttered, being rather apprehensive of many things the witches have told her. "How do you know them? How can they be true? There are things you said that I've never heard from. How can you assure me they were true?"
"My dear Princess, do not become as ignorant as your predecessors." Kotake taunted as she floated about Tetra's proximity. "These things are true. We know because we have seen it. The creation is legend, and no man or woman in Hyrule dared contradict it, and the Great War was recorded into the history books, and I'd be surprised if it's not in the Ancient Book you've been restoring these past months. You should know of the Great Flood as you saw the destroyed Hyrule under the water. As for the rest? Well, since when would you consider a great heroic thing to assassinate half a race in the shade of night and curse the rest of them? Or why would an egotistical, despot ruler say that he or she was egotistical or despot?"
"Princess, these are the things that precede you." Koume pointed out. "These are the things that shaped your past, and can shape your future if you even do so much as to forget them. The Goddesses have apparently forgotten them, and they have started a strong initiative to restore Hyrule to their so-called former glory. But we have been wise and recorded everything that we have seen. We alone have been witness to what has been, what it is, and what will become should these events were truly to unfold. Make no mistake, child... this will come to pass."
"No... You're wrong." Tetra defended herself, though with not a lot of empowering strength to it. "I am not... I shall not let any of these things happen. Not as long as I... as I..."
"As long as you'll live?" Kotake questioned, staring down Tetra with all her might. "And how long will that be? Sixty years? Seventy? Two hundred? Regardless of resistance, you shall eventually die, and then who will take the helm of your kingdom? How will you know that they will follow on your footsteps?"
"Face it, princess." Koume said. "You have been thrown into something that is too big for you, and you will never completely gain control of this horrendous situation. Just as your past haunts you, so will your future. The Goddesses either don't remember this, or are relishing in your foolishness."
"You're speaking in circles!" Tetra snapped. She stomped one foot on the ground and pointed menacingly at the witches. "I see the whole bloody past thing already, but that's no reason for me to repeat it. In fact, seeing that you just told me means that I cannot make the same mistakes as my forefathers. So if you're just going to yap about all day, you might as well tell me just why would I want to relinquish everything right here and now. You're just trying to psyche me out of all this, but I've yet to listen to one solid reason to do so. And as for the Goddesses... Why are you questioning them?"
"So you'd defend them?" Koume responded, looking mildly surprised. "You were shoehorned into this task, and have suffered a great deal for it, and still you'd defend them?"
"And what would they do, anyway?" Kotake questioned in a mocking manner. "Will they rain death upon us heathens? Will they send a mighty energy wave against us? Come along, you deceitful deities! Don't delay and show yourselves to us! Give us your worst! Surprise us! I want to stare at our doom in the eye right before it strikes us! Now!"
They waited a moment. They looked all around the dark room for any sign of hostility, but nothing happened. Just as it was before Kotake had uttered her defiant words, there were only three people in the room, with no sign of another person or thing added in.
"Need we say anything else?"Kotake boasted. "The Goddesses play tricks with you and they are deaf to your pleas. But we know better, and took matters into our own hands. We have taken advantage of the situation and shifted things to our end. We scattered the seeds of doubt all over and set the stage so that you would find them."
"What are you...?" Tetra was to ask, but she suddenly understood what the hag was telling her. "You don't mean... the pages?"
"For a hundred years, we watched over the remnants of the Royal family that had mysteriously survived the Great Flood." Koume narrated. "Until the time was right for the plan to be enacted. We needed the Ancient Book, and we needed someone foolish enough to deliver it to us. Needless to say, at one point you would've been capable of seeing the Book in all its glory."
"What... wait... Mom?" Tetra whispered. Her eyes started to widen as she started to understand the full scope of it all.
"You seem to understand this." Kotake said, while the blue flames showed images of Madam Jacques and the witches in another time. "And to think that the previous princess was willing to part with such a precious family heirloom so easily at the slightest hint of danger. Not towards her, by the way. No, we knew she was too stubborn to give up something for her own life. Now how was the phrase like... 'Over my own dead body' I think is how it went. No... she protected someone else... someone very near and dear to her."
"If only she knew what we truly were going for." Koume said mockingly. "There wasn't any real danger to anybody else's life, so her efforts, and may I add, her untimely death, were all for naught."
"Don't you dare talk about my mother that way." Tetra retorted in between clenched teeth. "She was a better person that what you two could ever hope to be, regardless on how old you are. She was loving and caring and... she never pulled anything nasty, unlike you. I can read you now. You hide behind confusing words and dubious history, only to hide your nature. You are nothing more than thieves and murderers."
"Murderers? Us?" Kotake questioned, sounding indignant at that. "Are you talking about your mother, the previous princess? Why we never laid a hand on her. We only gave her a rather hearty cup of liquor, didn't we, Koume? She didn't want to bother us, but we insisted, of course. We strive to be good guests, you know. Of course, what happened next was rather... strange. Do you remember, Koume?"
"Yes, I do, Kotake." Koume responded. "After all, I was the one who had to clean up the blood she coughed up on our entrance. Methinks she's never had something so... strong." Koune tried hard, but she barely managed to stifle her mocking laughter. "Maybe it was like... poison... to her."
"Maybe the drink didn't... mix... with her system?" Kotake stated. This was met by a silent stare from her sister, who simply shook her head in disappointment. "Regardless, five years ago, we held the Ancient Book in our hands. Knowing what the Goddesses were so foolishly going to do, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We studied the Book and signaled the most essential things from within it, and then..." Kotake's blue flame lit up tremendously, showing a great deal of pieces of paper falling around. "We tore it apart."
"These pages would prove to be essential to your development, Princess..." Koume continued, "but without real life experience, you would most likely not mature your abilities near enough for us to be satisfied. So we carefully chose hiding places for the pages, where one would need to go through many trials and face many an enemy just to claim them." Koume's red flame lit up and showed images of places Tetra and her crew had gone recently, like the Abandoned Castle and the inside of the Dark Tree. Also, it showed several people along the way, like Dante and one of the Garo. "Some, we entrusted to others, who would either blindly help us in exchange for some petty favors or end up being little more than a footnote on the end line."
"And then, the final preparatory steps." Kotake picked up the narration, and showed through her blue flame a picture of a cave room with a sandy floor and scattered dunes. "We hid the Book itself, knowing it was to be the trigger for the Goddesses to start their plans, which would let them inadvertently start our plans. Of course, that alone would not be enough, for which treasure would be found without a map?"
"You know, Princess..." Koume said. "I am rather surprised you sill don't recognize me. Then again, I was covered in rags the last time we saw each other. Or do you not remember? It was only a few months ago."
Tetra tried to think back, to before the whole thing had started, to before she had found the Ancient Hyrulian Book. She then suddenly remembered they had made a brief stop at Frelon to stock up when she found a rather strange tent...
FLASHBACK
"Hello?"
"Miss Tetra, I don't think we'll find anything here."
"Don't be silly, Gonzo. This gang's been starving for some honest-to-goodness adventuring, and it's in places like this where it all starts. Now then... hello in here."
"Welcome, strangers." An elderly woman's voice greeted the group entering the dark and mysterious tent. Out of the darkness, a short, old woman draped in many exotic robes emerged. She was covered so much, that the only thing they could see of her was her long, pointy nose. "You seem to be the ones who like to seek adventure and great rewards, no? And you, young lady." She then extended her wrinkly hand and pointed straight at Tetra. "You have an air of destiny about you. If you're willing..."
"Don't talk to me about any destiny of any sort." Tetra remarked and stared at the old lady coldly. "Now what do you have in here that's any good?"
"Very well... If it's adventure you seek, I have something I found not too long ago." The old lady then reached inside a nearby crate and pulled out a small chart, which she laid on the floor in front of her. "This is a chart to an island filled with riches, but it's hidden deep beneath a series of caves and perils. Do you wish to take this task?"
"Miss Tetra, I don't think..."
"Do I ever?" Tetra exclaimed excitedly whilst grabbing the map right from the floor. "How much do I owe you, old lady?"
"Oh, don't worry, young lass." The old lady shook her hands when Tetra reached to pay her. "First one's on the house. When you find this treasure, you can come back and thank me later." She then bowed to her guests and, as mysteriously as she had appeared, she dissolved into the darkness on the back of the tent.
FLASHBACK END
"I can't beli... That was you?" Tetra asked, still trying to get past her astonishment over the situation. "You gave me that map. You set me into that quest, which triggered this whole journey, which is why I am now standing here in this dress in front of you... It's all because you started all this? Why? What's the end goal? What do you hope to accomplish by having me fetch these papers you once had and then try to read and understand them?"
"Think back on what you have learned these past months, princess." Kotake interjected. "Do you seriously believe that all that you know now, and everything you've experienced for all this time, that you would have known this if it was all handed down to you? It would've been easier for you, yes, but at the same time, you would have not been able to get the proper life experience, nor would you be capable of evolving your abilities to where they are now."
"And where they are now is where we want them to be." Koume continued. "Your abilities are the centerpiece of our plans. Without them, all we have done would have been for naught. We need what you possess, princess."
"Specifically, we seek the mystical Light Force." Kotake explained. "The one Royal Family Heirloom that cannot be gathered, grasped, or even found under normal circumstances. The Light Force is passed along from generation to generation by the women of the Royal Family. Your mother had it, and when you were born, it was automatically transferred to you. But you were too immature to even use it, much less tap into its source safely, so that is why we set everything up like it was done."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Tetra stopped the witches for a moment. "How do you know this. The Book had stuff about the Light Force, but I never read anything about how I turned out to have... wait..." She suddenly remembered there was one possibility in which such event was indeed possible. "I never did find that last page on the book. That info has got to be in there... if only I had it sooner."
"And do you think we'd let you find such critical information so soon?" Koume questioned. She then extended her left arm, and from her hand produced a yellowed piece of paper torn from a side, then from her right hand, she produced the Ancient Book of Hylian History.
"B... b... b... How did you get that?" Tetra asked bewildered while pointing directly at the book. "I though that had sinked with the rest of the ship?"
"We've told you already." Koume reiterated. "We knew what you and your underlings were going to do, as well as that fool Dante. We knew the book was to be lost, and we could not allow that, so we managed to sneak into your little ship and find it. Blasted compass was shielding it, and the Goddesses had enchanted it with a most nasty burning curse on it..."
"It must've been Din." Kotake interrupted.
"But that did not deter us." Koume continued. "And that's why the book is here, complete again, and you did spectacularly in your job to recover it and claim control over the Light Force... all for us!"
Link had been forced to walk on all fours. He wasn't receiving any significant hits, but the ground he was forced to walk on was less than ideal. Then again, nobody in their sane mind would consider a bunch of tall, thin pillars spaced randomly above an endless pit 'ideal walking conditions'. Worse than that, Link was facing an enemy that, under any other circumstances, it would've been exceedingly easy. It was a gigantic one-eyed black widow spider known better as:
Queen Gohma
Queen Gohma was adept at walking the treacherous floor, and all eight of its feet hogged a pillar each, effectively locking Link off at least a quarter of the room's length. Worse of all, he knew he could've used his arrows to make short work of the gigantic spider, but he had lost all of them, which crumbled his defense options. All he had was his sword, his shield, and a handful of Deku Nuts, and he wasn't just about to make much of a difference with those.
"Could I have worse luck?" Link muttered to himself moments before Gohma lunged at him and almost bit him in the arm. "This thing has teeth? How?" Despite that last surprise, Link did not stick in one place and hopped like he were some wolf out of the spider's reach and tried to get behind it to try and find a weak spot. No matter how much he tried, though, Gohma was adept at climbing up walls and backing away as soon as it sensed danger.
"If only I could just... Oof!" Link suddenly tripped. He desperately stretched his hands and gripped onto any piece of solid ground he could find as to not fall down the pit below. There, he could hear Gohma shifting about as if poised to take advantage of Link's current situation. In a desperate manouver, Link instinctively reached into his half-empty bag and turned around to face the giant spider head on. Unfortunately, it was closer than he wanted it to be. Gohma opened its spider mouth, lunged at Link... and got a taste of the blinding Deku Nut.
Link was breathing hard, but he could clearly see he was still alive. Even better, he could see Gohma completely frozen in place, its big mouth wide open and its large single eye unblinking. Link knew better than to waste time on this, so he wailed on what he saw was the monster's biggest weak point: its eye. When Gohma was finally able to move again, it was completely blinded and unaware of where its opponent was. This gave Link plenty of room to maneuver around the spider, despite its desperate thrashing about. Link wisely moved around the spider's legs as it ran around wildly and decided to try and take those nuisances off first. He deliberately made some noise on a wall to catch Gohma's attention, and the monster charged towards the source of the noise, crashing spectacularly at the wall. This allowed Link to cut one leg clean off before it writhed in pain and staggered back.
Gohma managed to stand up again, but had problems keeping its balance, which meant that Link was gunning for the other legs in the same side. In two quick passes, Link had reduced the number of legs from eight to five, making the poor monster stumble and reducing it to a crawl. Seeing how the tables were turned so, Link decided to end Gohma's suffering and end it once and for all, doing one mighty swing to lop off the spider's head. Both body and dismembered head shook a bit before stopping entirely, and before dying off, Gohma's head spit out a key, and not just any key, it was the key he needed to open the locked door in the main room.
"Yes! That's the second one. Hold on, Tetra, I'm coming."
"The Light Force. A great and mystical power dating back to the first big era of Hyrule." Koume detailed. "Unlike the ancient relic, the Triforce, the Light Force has no physical shape. Furthermore, it was not given from the deities, but rather it was a gift to the Royal Family by a legendary race long since forgotten by time. This gift was given directly to the current first-born princess of the kingdom at the time, and since then, the first-born princess automatically inherits the Light Force at birth. Since then, the bearer of the Light Force had been invariably the one to rule all of Hyrule, an act seen favorably by the Goddesses."
"Truly a foolish move on their part." Kotake continued, relishing on every tiny detail. Her blue flame lit up again, showing once more images of previous rulers of Hyrule. "This one act brought along the many stupid acts of many egotistical rulers through many generations. Even the King had no say in who was to be the next ruler, save for hoping the man that married his first-born daughter was halfway decent. But the deed was done, and the fate of Hyrule was decided."
"And now you, Princess." Koume addressed her guest directly, hovering closer to her face. "You are young, you are naïve, you are incapable of predicting the future. How, pray tell, would you possibly expect to be sure that this new Hyrule the Goddesses wish to create will hold for 100 years? How do you even expect to keep the kingdom from collapsing in your reign?"
"Uh... I..." Tetra was caught off-guard, and she was too clearly incapable of forming words. "I'll... I'll think of something. I can always try some new ideas... I'm no stranger to leadership, either. I can..."
"No, Princess." Kotake interrupted. "Leading 10 pirates on a ship surrounded by water is not the same as ruling over tens of thousands over a large landmass. With tens of thousands of people of different ages, races and opinions, fights and civil wars are bound to break out. The unnecessary spilling of blood will occur every day, children will become orphans and parents will have to bury their offspring, all because of senseless causes. When these things come to pass, how would you lead them?"
"People from different lands will inevitably arrive to the doorsteps of the castle." Koume said. "Those who do not bring an offering of peace are bound to find reason to despise you and will bring along their hatred and spite in the form of great attacks to your kingdom. Even though diplomacy is the first choice, they dare not accept it, preferring the art of war to the art of peaceful negotiations. Were you confronted with that right now, what would you do?"
"Man's nature is one of violence, vanity, hunger of power and forgetfulness." Kotake said. "They will seek to be greater than their lot allows them, and in their search, they have destroyed themselves and their civilizations time and time again. Instead of learning from past mistakes, men have foolishly forgotten that which destroyed their forefathers and repeat their mistakes. Current events dictate that the future will not be much different, and before the new Hyrule is formerly founded, it shall already be on its path to destruction. By the time you take up the throne, it may be already too late. If you had the opportunity, how would you act?"
Tetra was completely speechless and ashen-faced just thinking of all the possible horrors that could happen from any sort of trigger. Her mind raced back and forth through all the possible outcomes of all the possible situations that she could possibly imagine, and she could barely make a comprehensible thought. Of all this, one thing popped on her mind clear as day: 'There's a solution to it all. There must be.' And then, as if her thoughts could be heard, she was presented with the Ancient Hyrulian Book once more, as well as the final missing page.
"You have a choice, Princess." Koume explained, in a lower-than-usual tone of voice. "This page we deemed too dangerous for you to have early, but now it is time. This explains how to transfer the Light Force to a close relative should you be incapable of bearing children. We researched the paper, and we have determined that it does not need to be a blood relative nor anybody from the Royal Family to transfer the power to." Koume then stared right down at Tetra, seemingly without blinking an eye, and spoke in her most inviting tone yet. "Your choice, Princess, is either to embrace your own destruction if you follow on the path the Goddesses have set you, or to relinquish that which links you to the burden of this kingdom. Read the page. Give us the Light Force."
"Any one of us will do." Kotake interjected. "Relieve yourself of your burden. Give it to us."
"Trust us." Koume said. "We have foreseen what will become of the future. We alone will be able to put order to the world."
"All we need is your help this one time." Kotake pressed on.
"The Light Force. Give it to us."
"Forget about everything that's happened."
"Forget this insipid quest."
"Return to your life. Return to what you are."
"Let's end this game right now, while you can still win."
Tetra could hardly think clearly with the two witches speaking in her ear constantly. She decided to take a good look at the page she was given and see what was it she was being asked to do. So this was it: the remaining missing page of the book. Indeed, it explained mostly about the passing of the Princess' mystical powers to someone else in a way other than birthright, and mentions of that someone else to be a relative were treated as nothing more than a mere suggestion. After all that's happened, after these months of grueling tests and tribulations... this was the only time she had ever felt like she could truly escape it all, that she could somehow become as free as she wished before. Would she believe the words that Koume and Kotake have told her?
"Well, if that isn't the biggest load of crap I've ever heard!"
The concentration between Koume, Kotake and Tetra all but vanished. The blond one turned around to see what the witches were staring at in awe. Among the darkness, a shining glow of green emanated and drew closer to the red and blue flames in the middle of the cave. The green glow shaped up and took the form... of an arm, an arm holding a large shield, and attached to an equally green body. A young man, blond-haired and clad in green, wielding a sword and a shield, emerged into the room, looking directly at the three people in its midst.
"Link?" Tetra whispered.
"Told ya I'd find you." Link replied to Tetra. He then shifted his gaze towards the witches surrounding her. "These things... they're witches, right? Sorcerers. What are you doing paying attention to them?"
"Th... they... They said I wasn't... I can't think clearly." Tetra managed to say, shaking her head in frustration. "I just think... maybe I'm not cut out for this whole 'ruling a kingdom' thing. Maybe I can't do this after all."
"So what are you saying?" Link questioned, a serious look forming in his face as he went on. "That you'd much rather forget this whole thing happened? You'd rather take the easy way out, and forget why did your crew did what they did? Would you rather forget... me?" Tetra's eyes opened wide at the simple truth Link was saying. "I don't know what these witches were telling you, but..."
"We have names, you know." Kotake interrupted, annoyed by the sudden intrusion, but also curious of Link's arrival. "How did you manage to survive our traps, anyway?"
"Never underestimate the willpower of a guy in green on a mission!" Link declared. "There was nothing in there that I wasn't able to handle."
"So you solved the Infinite Maze?" Koume wondered.
"Of course!" Link answered.
"And you defeated Gohma?" Kotake questioned.
"That spider thing? As good as dead." Link said, satisfied.
"And even the Room of a Thousand Redeads?" Koume asked, incredulous.
Link's face whitened. He gulped down hard and darted his eyes constantly. "Yes." He answered nervously. "Now let's just never speak of it again." He then shuddered at having to remember that event again. The witches even shuddered at the mere thought of so many redeads in one room.
"Regardless!" Kotake exploded in a loud, echoing voice. "Your arrival here is inconsequential. You shan't stop us now." She then hovered to Tetra's side and lowered her voice. "Now, Princess. You know what you have to do. Just give us the Light Force."
"Tetra..." Link implored. "Think for a second. Why is it you have those powers, that Light Force? In a way... weren't they a gift from your mother? Would you rather forget that, too?"
Tetra lowered her head, facing the floor for a moment. Link and the witches watched intently at her every movement, waiting in bated breath for her decision. No matter what they could say now, in the end the choice was hers and hers alone.
"Link?" Tetra called softly. Link took a few steps closer to listen to Tetra clearly. "The two witches in front of us... they have a name. They are Koume and Kotake." Link's expression dropped, while the witches' faces did not even try to hide their gleeful smile. Link tried to appeal to Tetra, but she raised her hand before he could say a word. "I say this because I want you to know..." She then lowered her hand and reached for cutlass that was almost completely hidden by the darkness, which she unsheathed in one quick, smooth motion and pointed it straight at her hosts. "... the names of the vile people who killed my mother!"
Now Link was astonished. He could see those witches were evil a mile away, but learning that they were no strangers to killing was another matter altogether. And not just that, having killed someone near and dear to Tetra and being so far unashamed in front of her was something he couldn't truly understand. As surprised as he was, however, the witches were even moreso. In that one act, they could see their whole plans, which they have worked hard all these years to accomplish, crumbling down to the ground. Considering all they had claimed to see ahead, they didn't take into account a complete negative from her. What they really didn't foresee, though, was that Link could manage to be there to sway her away from them.
"Is that really your last answer, Princess?" Koume asked.
"The blood of many will be in your hands." Kotake warned her.
"The blood of my mother is in your hands!" Tetra shouted, finally showing her strength in front of the witches. "Do you feel no remorse? Then why should I believe you'd feel remorse for other lives? What is this better world you envision, if you cannot care for anybody in this world? Why should I believe your rule will be better than mine? I shall not give you anything except a taste of cold, sharp steel."
"You..." Koume said, feeling insulted at this sudden barrage of words. "Just who do you think you are?"
Tetra stared down both Koume and Kotake with a reborn furious gaze as she grabbed the hilt of her cutlass tightly. She knew, clear as day, who and what she was, what she wanted, what she was doing, and (what could be the first time in a long time) what her decision would take her. "I am Princess Zelda Tetrilynn Hyrule. You killed my mother. Prepare to die."
The witches sighed in unison. They had hoped this had not happened, but fortunately for them, they did not go this far into their plans without having a plan B. Unfortunately for them, it involved a lot more physical activity, which their old bodies were not completely up for it. Still, being so close to their goal, they were not just about to leave everything to rot.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Princess." Kotake lamented.
"I guess we have no choice, Kotake." Koume said. Then, she summoned her powers and, as her red flame on the pillar lit up brightly, her gray hair exploded in flames. "I shall burn some sense into these insolent children!"
Then, Kotake summoned her powers as well, and as her blue flame shot to the room's high ceiling, her gray hair became encased in ice of coldest winter. "And I shall frost our reasoning onto them!"
Suddenly, red and blue flames started lighting up all over the walls of the room, showing the true dimensions of the grand room. Once it was lighted up, the room resembled some sort of glorified sacrificial chamber, and the pair of Link and Tetra were standing smack-dab in the middle of the sacrificial circle. Link approached Tetra and readied his sword and shield, as they were just about to fight:
Sorceress Sisters
Koume & Kotake
Koume and Kotake decided to split and stay as far away from each other as possible and fly high in the air to try and tackle both their opponents in the best way. Koume attacked first, charging a powerful fire attack and throwing it at Link, forcing the green-clad hero to raise his shield to avoid it. While he successfully avoided serious injury, the blast heated up his shield to downright unbearable levels, making him shake off the shield right to the ground. Kotake took this cue and surrounded herself with an icy blast, and threw herself like a shooting star at Tetra. Kotake picked up velocity as she braced herself to strike the princess head-on.
And then, her long sleeve got tangled in Tetra's cutlass.
Kotake suddenly stopped her attack, and began tugging at her sleeve to try and break free. Tetra, on her hand, noticed how her opponent had become trapped in her outstretched blade, and decided to take advantage of it, swinging her like she were an oversized morning star before throwing her hard into the ground. Kotake tried to get back up from the slam attack, but she had become incapacitated.
Koume had witnessed all this and had become furious for the attack on her sister. So furious, in fact, that she swooped down and flew low to approach and try to defend her. Link took this opportunity and grabbed his still hot shield with his right gloved hand and threw it like a frisbee, conking Koume in the head and making her crash and twist around on the floor before ending up lying still right next to Kotake.
"That's... it?" Tetra wondered, seeing the two witches immobile on the ground. "You guys talked some scary things, but in the end, you couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag."
"This is pathetic, Koume." Kotake wheezed in labored breaths.
"Where did we go wrong, Kotake?" Koume asked, crawling slowly to get closer to her sister.
"It's time." Tetra announced as she approached the witches, blade in hand. Her face featured an indescribable expression that emanated pure, unbridled spite towards the frail old women laying on the floor. "Any last words?"
"Y... yes." Koume answered. Then, she reached her hand to hold Kotake's hand, and a sudden surge of energy was expelled from the two witches. This surprised Tetra greatly and gave her no time to react before the energy surge threw her back and made her land on her back. When she and Link looked at the source of the energy, both Koume and Kotake were floating in the sky without the help of their brooms. Their eyes were closed and their limbs were limp and unmoving, but still they did not show definitive signs of defeat.
"We have several words to say." Kotake said. Suddenly, both the sisters opened their eyes and extended their arms up high as the energy enveloped both of them slowly but completely.
"KOUME AND KOTAKE'S DOUBLE DYNAMITE ATTACK!"
The light of the energy surrounding Koume and Kotake flooded the large room, temporarily blinding Link and Tetra. When the light dispersed, Koume and Kotake were nowhere to be seen. Instead there was an incredibly large woman of green skin, whose hair was divided in two parts, one of fire and one of ice, wearing a skimpy black and golden top and white pants with red and blue lines and holding the witches' brooms as if they were wands. She leered at Link and Tetra with an outright sadistic gaze, almost like she was enjoying the possibility of what she could do on them. This was it. Link and Tetra were facing the true form of the mastermind behind the whole events of these past months. They were dreadfully under-prepared and both physically and emotionally spent, but they could not stop now. They had to find strength where there wasn't, or they knew they wouldn't stand a chance against:
Mastermind Sorceress
Twinrova
"Last chance, Princess." Twinrova spoke to Tetra. Her voice was youthful, but strangely duplicated in a lower or higher tone about half a second in delay after the original voice spoke. "Relinquish the Light Force and give it to us. We promise everything shall be as it was before you encountered the book. You will continue sailing the seas, and everybody that was with you will be there again. You need not forget it all, only that which made you pursue this quest. Choose now, for this offer will be made only once."
"Who do you think you're kidding?" Link said defiantly. "Tetra has already chosen. Right, Te... Tetra?" When Link looked at Tetra, he was surprised she was actually thinking about what Twinrova had just told her. "You're not seriously considering what that... thing has told you, right? Right? "
Tetra did not answer him. Instead, she remained in deep reflexion. What did she really want? What would her decision affect? Was there a right choice? In the end, she took a step forward and faced Twinrova, and spoke with a clear, determined, voice.
"My final decision is..."
**To Be Continued**