Sorry, it's taken me a while to upload this. It's a little shorter than usual but I have already written the next chapter and just need to type it up. For all of you who have commented on this already, alas this story is nearing its end! I'll be so sad to finish it, although that doesn't mean I'll drag it out for longer than necessary. I have already written the ending (cries to self) so I just need to fill in a few gaps (probably another 2 chapters worth) and then it's done.
Anyways, enough of my waffling! A huge thank you to: booklover13, ADD Kyuubi Naruto, Link's Ocarina Babe, QuinKilo1055, mysterygal3189 and la generala for your reviews. I can't believe I've had 200 reviews and 9400 hits! Thank you all so much! Hearing your feedback really has driven this story and I probably would have given up long ago without all your support and wow, this is beginning to sound like an Oscar's acceptance speech so I'll shut up now before I start crying. Hope you enjoy this chapter! XX
Chapter Thirty-Four – Into the darkness – following light
The darkness was all encompassing and oppressive. It filled the gaps in the air all around her and made her feel as though she was being drowned, smothered and suffocated all at the same time. Everywhere she looked she saw hideous, malformed beasts, they crowded in on her, pushing and tugging her every which way. Watching impassively from her black throne draped in silk, Saeru lorded over all, the fire from her eerie golden eyes bathing all in a dull, empty kind of glow. Ganondorf stood at her side, attending to her with the air of a lap dog. Zelda tried not to imagine the vile things he had planned for her just as she tried to remain strong and unshaken in this nightmarish realm but she could not fool Saeru.
"Are you frightened?" Whispered the Goddess, her voice ricocheting around the vast chamber in a rather ghostly manner, she laughed as an involuntary tremble passed through Zelda. "Why, we've barely started yet! If you think things are bad now, just you wait until a year has passed, or ten years, or a decade, a lifetime and eternity! I have barely begun my game with you, my little plaything."
Zelda turned away, biting back her tears. As much as she tried not to wish it, she couldn't help but long for Link to save her but in a way, she hoped he would not come. It was not because she knew that if he stayed away, he could seal the doorway to Saeru's realm permanently, she knew Xeial had the power to close the door and with both Zelda and Saeru trapped inside, there could be no escape for either of them. Zelda's sacrifice would ensure the safety of the world. In reality, Zelda's mind didn't contemplate the bigger picture – her motive for wishing Link would stay away, as unselfish as it was, was merely an expression of her desire to ensure his happiness. She couldn't picture her chaotic hero choosing to face death and the possible destruction of the world, coupled with the loss of his dearest companion, just for her sake.
Zelda harboured no illusions about herself and her behaviour towards him. She had treated him with friendly distain and had met nearly every one of his advances with a scornful rebuttal. Even if he did love her, she had never given him much encouragement to believe the feeling was mutual and so why would he now sacrifice everything to dash to her rescue? Especially when, on the flip side of the coin, he would save the world, become a hero and would no doubt bag the extremely lovely Xeial in the bargain too. Xeial, or Amber as she had been known, was devoted to him and Link had certainly cared for her. Once returned to her true form, she would waste no time in promoting a change to their platonic relationship. Zelda would become Link's dream – lovely and pleasurable but forgotten in time.
The little part of her that believed in him could barely compete with such logic. If she had bothered to listen she would have been able to convince herself that Link, for all his faults, was sincere. That voice would have encouraged her to hope that he and Xeial would find a way to break the seal, it might have even led her to realise that love has to take precedence over friendship. But she was trapped in a nightmare of Saeru's creation. The little voice of hope was inaudible above the whisperings of the Goddess – there was no point in hoping in her friend. He wouldn't come for her.
Meanwhile Impa was debating what to do. After her rude ejection from the castle at Ganondorf's hands, she had found herself lying on the flat roof of Castle Town's weapons store. A strange noise bugged her ears, defying recognition until a few moments later when the sun burst through the thick clouds and she had a moment of epiphany. It was market day, and not just any market day – it was the first market day of the first month of the New Year. In layman's terms this meant that nearly all of Hyrule's residents were congregated in the rather small towns square for the express purposes of commerce. That was the proclaimed reason for the gathering in any event. Impa knew that the real driving force behind the mass congregation was the ever present promise of free food, cheap wine and, if one was interested in such things, questionable women with loose morals.
The excitement of the event, often fuelled by the vast quantity of wine the Hylians managed to consume, meant the first market of the first month of the New Year always ended in a mass brawl, after which the people, thoroughly satisfied by a day's excesses, would attempt a journey home. The journey would be successful for the few sober and lucky, nine out of ten Hylians would wake the following morning in some random part of Hyrule Field (usually miles from their actual destination) sporting cuts and bruises they had no memory of receiving, suffering from mysterious-yet terrible- headaches and a sudden loathing for all grape-based liquids. Then they would all shakily stand and a universal vow would be passed to forevermore abstain from all forms of intoxicating liquor.
The vow generally held for three hundred and sixty four days but there was just something in the atmosphere of the first market of the first month of the New Year that just enthralled people and cast a strange date/event specific amnesia pertinent to the previous year's events and off they would go. The cycle would be complete. The riots would begin again.
Impa, being Impa and therefore opposed to anything sounding remotely entertaining, observed the joyous, slightly raucous throng below her with her customary scowl. She had had another moment of enlightenment and had been stuck by what was possibly her 'best idea ever' but she was having difficulty imagining the execution of her wonderful plan. Begrudgingly, she admitted that this was where Rauru and Kru came in handy, Rauru especially. Her colleagues were guaranteed to step in and cleverly turn her half-formed ideas and words into an effective reality and she could really use their insight right now, but she didn't know where they were. She looked around her position again and half-smiled. She didn't know how to get off the roof either.
Her observations had shown her something useful though – the Gerudo guards were keeping a low profile. That was typical. The Gerudo could be depended upon to make themselves scarce in the event of any civil unrest. Naturally the gates to the castle were firmly closed and the guards were patrolling the walls (if occasionally peeping one's head above the ramparts could be called patrolling) but other than that the Gerudo were keeping well clear of the crowd. Impa didn't blame them; in fact, she thought their avoidance was quite sensible. Beautiful women, dressed in skimpy armour and amorous, slightly inebriated men didn't mix well in her opinion and any objection a Gerudo might happen to make should she be approached by a Hylian male in such a state would only stir up the crowd more.
Impa was glaring at the castle when a flash of white caught her attention. She peered back into the crowd and saw a familiar white haired individual pass her line of sight. For a moment, she was convinced she was hallucinating: to find Rauru and Kru at such an opportune moment seemed almost too coincidental and then she remembered their plans for the day. If she had been so rudely ejected from the castle, it stood to reason that her colleagues had been unwelcome too. Her second glare in their direction confirmed her assumption: her fellows were escorted by a Gerudo woman. It was only when the Gerudo woman happened to turn around, that Impa recognised Nabooru.
This new information was not entirely to her liking, but then again, neither was Nabooru, but Impa knew that she would have to make do with the situation as it was. She could deal with the dreadful Gerudo spy later, right now she needed Rauru and if she didn't hurry, they'd be out of her sight.
She yelled his name. He did not hear. She tossed a stone at his head. It missed and hit an unfortunate trader who subsequently started a street brawl. Short of jumping from the roof, which would probably result in her breaking her legs, and if chasing them (if her legs had somehow miraculously remained in tact and she hadn't lost sight of them by that time) Impa was all out of ideas. She contented herself by waving her arms frantically, shouting his name and when that failed, glaring at him.
Obviously everything was his fault. In Impa's mind the blame could always be attributed to the men in her life, especially when she was angry, and she was very, very, VERY angry. Her eyes narrowed further and she began muttering some unkind, and unjust, things about her most long-standing and loyal friend.
Rauru, threading his way through the crowd as he followed Nabooru, was unaware. His mind was filled with outrage – really that usurper king, Ganondorf, had gone too far this time – turfing Kru and he out of the castle without reason. True, Nabooru had deigned to accompany then when she realised that the market-come-brawl was in full swing, and even odder, had been genuinely nice to them both, but something was off. Something felt off. And then there was that nagging feeling that someone's eyes were fixed – no were glaring- into the back of his head from near by. This upset the benevolent judge more than Ganondorf's rude treatment. He liked to think that he was liked and to feel some strangers…hatred…so clearly, boring into his skill, it was just plain mean.
Nabooru noticed his discomfort as she glanced around again and she halted. Her large golden-brown eyes studied him dispassionately for a moment, making him squirm, before she asked softly: "What is it?"
"I…um…feel as though I am being watched."
Nabooru cast an experienced eye around the crowd and sneered, "Well that is to be expected – we're in the midst of many people, there's bound to be thieves and whatnot lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting and, no disrespect, you two don't exactly go in for the understated look, do you? You're walking targets."
"I know that," sighed Rauru, "and if it was only that, I assure you I would feel no dread, but this sensation…it is like a beam of pure hatred is being directed at me from on high and I don't feel comfortable!"
"On high, you say?" Nabooru glanced up and almost immediately met the death-gaze of Impa. "Figures." She muttered. She directed her companions' attention towards the roof where Impa stood. Both Rauru and Kru turned a peculiar shade of green and would probably have attempted to hide themselves, had it not been so apparent that the Sheikah had seen them.
"Do you want me to rescue her?" Sighed Nabooru.
"Well, no but…" Rauru shrugged helplessly, and to his surprise, the Gerudo laughed at him. In a moment, Nabooru had gone. It didn't take long for the nimble woman to scale the awning of the shop, and in a relative space of time, Impa was reunited with her 'overjoyed' companions. Their protestations of relief and surprise were cut short by their unpredictable matriarch.
"There's no time for your practised insincerities," she said, coldly, "not that I believe them anyway. We must hurry – that pig Ganondorf has kidnapped Zelda!"
"So what's new?" Muttered Kru, rebelliously, "It's a monthly occurrence for him!!"
"The difference this time, you moron, is that he's managed to get a vile goddess-type-woman to assist him and with her mystical powers he managed to eject me from the castle and drag my Zelda into a dark portal of some sort and they swear that only Link can save her but to do so he is going to have to sacrifice Amber, his pet, so there! There is a clear difference!"
"You're not kidding!" Sighed Rauru, rubbing his beard thoughtfully.
"What's more," continued Impa, as if he had not spoken, "even if he does go and attempt to rescue her that fool of a so-called king has made a deal with this goddess and who knows what they intend to do! If Link goes to her rescue then they can break the seal on that Goddess's power and if that happens I don't know what will happen to us, but I guarantee you it will be bad!"
"It seems to me," mused Rauru, "that you are going to have to trust Link to do the right thing then, aren't you? Out of everyone, he knows the most about the Chameleon Stone after all, and he will do what he thinks is best. There is nothing we can do but pray for a positive outcome and, Impa, I do wish you would refrain from glaring at me so! I am merely stating the obvious truth, unpalatable to you though it may be."
"I am fully aware that I will have to trust that damned criminal." Said Impa, scowling "but there is something we can do to help him. Something we should have done a long time ago…"
"…and that is…?"
"We're going to stir up a little trouble for King Ganondorf." She snarled, "It's about time we used our influence for something bad! Here's my plan – you may execute it for me, Rauru…"
The deeper into the castle Link got, the darker and quieter it became. He was certain the unpleasant atmosphere was Saeru's doing. He was not by nature a nervous man, and he was unmoved by the obvious traps and hallow voices that dogged his every step, seeking to disturb him. His Calatian training had been harsh and punishing but it had all been to prepare him for this moment – it had been designed to rid him of his fears and to a great extent, it had. The ghostly wails and unpleasant illusions did not bother him in the slightest, but Saeru had discovered his one weakness, his only fear, and she used this to torment him. Mingled with the ethereal wails and childish whispers that hung in the air, he could hear Zelda. Her words were barely audible but were distinct: he could hear her convincing herself he would not come.
If it was a trick of Saeru's, it was a good one. Link tried to shake the feeling of anxiety he had but even his best attempt at cheeriness sounded uncharacteristically morose for him. He was worried, despite telling himself otherwise, worried for Zelda, worried about what Saeru could do, and moreover worried that he was not strong enough to stop her. He missed Amber so much. It had only been a mere moment since she had gone but already it felt like a lifetime. She had been with him for five years, a constant, loyal friend and in an instant she had gone. And to think she had been a Dream Snatcher all that time – one sworn to protect him! It was hard to take it all in.
As he proceeded, he wondered what he would have done had Xeial not taken the choice out of his hands – would he be where he was now, chasing after Zelda, or would he have abandoned her? Zelda seemed to think he would. Perhaps the sensible option would be to have saved Amber and returned Saeru to her prison, but if he had done that, he would have lived the rest of his life knowing he had condemned Zelda to a nightmare. The guilt would have driven him insane.
Link opened his hand and gazed at Xeial's signet ring. It rested in his palm, glittering with unnatural light. It was all he had left of Amber. If he had abandoned Zelda, all he'd have left of her would be painful memories. "DAMN YOU, SAERU! DAMN YOU TO HELL!" He shouted into the increasing gloom. There was an answering giggle. "Amber, what am I to do?" He whispered, despairingly. To his surprise, the signet ring began to sparkle more, pale gold and silver lights were lifted from the gemstone and began to dance in the air around his hand and then very slowly, a beam of light began to push between the glitter. The ring began to tremble. Link stared at it in confusion. If Xeial was trying to communicate with him, the message wasn't getting through! At a complete loss, Link decided the best thing to do would be to carry on walking through the intolerable darkness until he found a path or doorway or anything that would lead him to Saeru.
As if reading his thoughts, the ring trembled again, drawing his attention. The glittering lights surrounding the ring blinked and shrunk, narrowing into a single thin band of colour that spiralled to a point directly in front of him. After a moment of thought, Link sighed and slipped the ring on his little finger. The beam narrowed again and stretched, dragging itself into a line, about an arms length, of tiny lights pointing into the darkness directly ahead of him. The trembling dimmed into a soft throb that was strangely comforting. Link gazed at it for some time, and then moved his arm left. The beam of light disbursed and unfocussed as he did and the ring shuddered.
"Okay, I think I get how this works now." Said Link, with a little nod. He moved his hand around until the beam was in a straight line again and smirked, "I think I gotta go that-a-way!"
Following the path set by the ring was actually a lot easier than he had anticipated. Its beam of twinkling lights led him faultlessly through the castle, into its deepest, darkest depths. Apart from the occasional guard and one or two nightmare creatures, the place was deserted and he soon found himself in a wide chamber, lit with pathetically small lanterns at each wall. Jutting out into the middle of the room was a huge staircase, carpeted in scarlet leading high up to a point beyond his line of sight. The first ten stairs or so were wide and shallow but after that they narrowed and steepened, at the point where they narrowed, stone walls rose up, surrounding the stairwell. They were covered in dark tapestries and murals depicting scenes of terror and death. A lesser man than Link would have been deterred by this uninviting vista – it was a scene not for the faint hearted. On top of all that, there was a strange humming noise in the air that reminded Link of a pipe organ, only the organ in this instance was apparently being massacred. This upset him more than the vile images on the walls. Link was a talented musician and had very sensitive ears: the "music" coming from on high hurt them.
"Oh well," he sighed as he placed his foot on the first step, "I am supposed to be walking into a nightmare, I can't expect it to be a pleasant experience!" With this philosophical thought in mind, he began his epic climb. He higher he got, the harder it was to breath, the more the walls leaned in on him and the louder that terrible organ playing got and the more his sensitive ears hurt. It was driving him to a point of insanity. Finally he had had enough. He stopped and pressed both hands against his ears. Instantly the noise was gone. So had the stairs and the walls.
Link was standing on nothing. Despite telling himself not to do it, he just had to look down. His eyes were filled with the lovely vision of a cold, stone floor shimmering in the dull glow of the lanterns looking so beautifully HARD. He gulped and quickly fixed his gaze on a point directly in front of him. So the stairs were an illusion? Fine, he could deal with that, he thought. He took a breath and gingerly raised his foot, intending to place it on the next stair up.
He almost screamed when his foot passed through thin air. It was only by some miracle of quick thinking that he did not jump back in shock. He gulped and took another deep breath. The air at his feet seemed solid enough, he thought, although he did not make the mistake of looking down again – he could quite easily picture how the floor looked below him thank you very much, he did not need to see it again. He decided that he would rather have his ears mauled than drop to his death so he moved his hands away. If anything the hideous music seemed more off key and louder than before. He cringed but stayed in place. Slowly he raised his hand in front of him. Right on cue the scarlet-carpeted stairs and depressing black tapestry walls were back in place. It seemed normal enough, and when he very, very carefully prodded the next stair up with his foot it seemed solid enough but he was not convinced.
That was until he heard Zelda scream from very near by and suddenly thoughts of his own safety were blasted from his mind. The signet ring throbbed almost painfully, as if spurring him into action. Link took a breath, said a very quick prayer, covered his eyes with one hand whilst keeping the other firmly in front of him and then ran. He half stumbled, half-crawled up the remaining stairs in a remarkably quick time. He expected to drop through the floor and meet a rather squished end at any moment and did not dare breathe or open his eyes instead he just kept moving his legs blindly, running and running and running until THUD.
His wild dash was cut short as he fell over the highest step, lurched forward and slammed into a rather imposing oak door at the top. He picked himself up with a groan and rubbed his head. "Ugh, there's gonna be a huge bruise there…" he remarked as his fingers located an orange-sized bump on his forehead. He blinked a few times and wondered at the pretty lights he could see floating around him. He smiled blankly, completely zoned out until he noticed the door before him and everything came flooding back.
"Oh right, Zelda." He said. He shook his head and hoped the headache he had acquired would soon go away along with the slight dizziness he felt and the sudden nausea. The lights from the signet ring were slamming into this door urgently, and without thinking about it, Link knew why. Saeru had to be there, she just had to be. And that infernal organ music was still playing.
Link sighed and drew his sword. "Help me, Amber." He prayed as he pushed the door open.
Like I said, I just need to type up the next chapter so expect to have a post within the next couple of weeks! Let me know what you think of this!!
Buh-bye XX
