A/N: Hi guys! Another chapter edited, one left to go! As soon as I finish rewriting the next chapter, I shall begin work on a new chapter :) Thanks for being patient! Unless the next chapter has edit notes, it will be messy and gross and just bad writing, so please bear with me!
EDIT (17/05/15): Minor and major edits made to support removal of crossover feature. Original chapters 2 & 3 merged to create longer chapter (should have really been only one in the first place) etc.
Waves lapped gently at the bank of the moonlight lake. Light reflected off the partially disturbed surface of the water like a mirror. The ripples washed gently around a small, pale figure, huddled on the shore.
Aries subconsciously pulled her wet kimono closer for warmth. The frigid air was cold enough to pervade her heavy sleep, freezing her to the core. Those of her kind were weak to lower temperatures - she was not built to survive cold seasons. She was used to a much warmer climate.
Her moon-white halo of hair sprayed out on the soft, dark, sandy dirt. As she began to awaken, her nose itched and she sneezed. Aries pushed herself up into a sitting position, her limbs heavy and her sodden shoulder length hair clinging to her face. She brought her knees up to her chest, trying to conserve heat as she looked around the new location.
The moon had risen high into the sky, it must have been close to midnight. The stars glowed like tiny shards of metal in the indigo sea above her. From where she was huddled, she could see that the lake was quite expansive, and was in some kind of canyon. Sheer cliffs stood black in the night, surrounding the lake on all sides. In the dark, she couldn't see anything far away in great detail, but she could still make out some kind of platform jutting out from the cliff face. Aries couldn't be sure whether it was man-made or natural.
Casting her gaze back to the lake, she surveyed the land at her level. The land that she was sitting upon ran for quite some distance along her side of the lake, breaking off into small islands as each side grew further away from her. There was fencing along parts of the bank, bridges joining islands, and some kind of hut to her right, suggesting there was possibly some kind of settlement in the area. There was also some odd, square, multi-levelled platform floating on the water that she could not make head nor tail of. Turning around Aries stared open mouthed at the rock behind her.
There was some kind of tunnel inset in the stone, the rock face surrounding it carved with swirling patterns. It reminded Aries of when she was younger and would stare in fascination at puddles on a rainy day, captivated by the way that the raindrops would send ripples through the surface. Entranced by the darkness of the cave, Aries almost missed the sign by it's opening. Crawling toward the post, she brushed away the algae and moss that had begun to grow in the damp wood. She could barely make out the strange characters in the darkness, but she had the feeling that even if it had been broad daylight, she still would not recognise the symbols. A different language, perhaps? That could make things difficult.
Aries trailed her fingers along the tunnel wall as she walked, as not to get lost or disorientated in the darkness. While it had looked menacing, it was her best bet when it came to searching for shelter. She shivered, pulling her tattered kimono closer to her body. While it had been cold outside, it was absolutely frigid in the tunnel. A light appeared ahead of Aries and she sighed in relief.
The tunnel opened out into a large, moonlit cavern. Tree roots twisted around rock, some gripping at the edges of the cave, others spiralling from the ceiling into the pool of water below. There was a wide ledge running around the edges of the clearing, especially towards the entrance, where it jutted out toward the centre of the crystalline water. Behind her, there were two stone reptilian heads, one on each side of the tunnel entrance, illuminated by moonlight that streamed in through a crack in the roof above. The thing that caught her attention most however, was not the carvings, not the clarity of the water but the swirling ball of light which hung above the water.
This light radiated a pure power, warming Aries's skin. She stepped back cautiously, unsure if she had stumbled across a place where she should not be. The place felt so holy, so sacred. Aries felt as though no person would be worthy to feel it's presence, let alone one such as her who was cursed by blood. A flash of light caused her to start, light swirling in vein like patterns across the tree roots and stone. Light rippled through the water, the cavern illuminated in holy light.
From this light emerged an enormous, radiant white reptilian figure, dangerous jaws clamped around a sphere of spiralling light. Alabaster flames shimmered under it's scales, and it stared her down, narrowing it's eyes at her as it thrust it's head forward to level with her own.
Aries felt a pang of true fear grasp at her heart, quickening her breath and dilating her pupils. As much as she hated it, as much as she wanted to pretend she was strong, it was an emotion she was becoming quite familiar with.
Aries back-pedalled, tripping backwards and landing on her ass as the holy beast brought it's head closer. It huffed in... amusement? Wait, it was laughing? The serpent seemed the situation humorous, withdrawing slightly to give her space, chuckling all the while.
"No need to be afraid, little one," He (Aries wasn't sure if it even had a gender but deemed it easier to refer to it as male) stated, mirth rich voice echoing around the cavern, "I shall not harm you. I apologise if I frightened you, I was merely analysing your intent. I sense that you do not come from this land."
Aries eyed him suspiciously (and still a little fearfully). "What do you mean by 'not from this land'?" she asked carefully, "As far as i'm concerned I haven't left Ashra."
"This is not Ashra," He murmured. She stared at him, dumbfounded, as he continued, "This is the land of Hyrule, crafted by the goddesses."
"Goddesses?" In Ashran mythology, they had many gods that served different purposes in history, but their deities had all been male. She had never heard of a female deity before, let alone multiple.
The spirit (Aries decided that that was what the serpent was - no other title really suited it) gazed at her intently. "There is much you do not know, little one. I do not have much time, for I am weak, but I can help you understand this;"
Aries pulled her knees to her chest, revelling in the spirit's warmth as it began it's tale.
"Before I begin, I believe it would be best that I introduce who I am. I am the light spirit, Lanayru, charged with protecting Lanayru Province and all it's inhabitants. What is your name, little one?"
"Aries." She murmured.
"A fierce name for a small warrior," he replied, "It is fitting."
Aries frowned slightly at the 'small' part but remained silent.
"This is the land of Hyrule, a land crafted by the hands of the Three Goddesses. Din; The Goddess of Power, Nayru; The Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore; the Goddess of Courage. I will not delve into the story of how this land was created at this moment, as we are short on time and there are more pressing matters as of current.
My three brothers - Ordona, Eldin, and Faron - and I watch over the land of Hyrule in the Goddess' absence. Just as I myself watch over Lanayru Province, my brothers look after their respective areas - Ordon Province, Eldin Province and Faron Woods.
The land and it's people have lived in prosperity for many years, however, recently things have changed. A strange power invaded our realm from another, and an evil tyrant from the place the evil originated usurped the Hyrulian throne and spread his darkness across the country.
The Twilight, as the darkness was named, took us Light Spirits' powers away, and we were left in such a weakened state that we could not fulfil out duties. If it had not been for the Hero of the Twilight, travelling the land to banish the darkness, neither I or the other Light Spirits would be able to protect our people.
Do you feel how the air is colder towards the shadowed ground?" Lanayru questioned, motioning with his jaws toward a darkened patch of earth close to where she sat. Aries tentatively waved her hand over the spot, immediately pulling it back instantly as a disconserting chill assaulted her fingers. She nodded quickly.
"That is the very ground whereupon the Usurper 'King' himself stood. He came to my spring, using his dark powers to manipulate my body and powers against my will. With his own power he cursed the Hero and then using mine he injured the Hero's companion. I do not know how they fare, but the Hero is alive, I can sense it." The spirit trembled, his image flickering.
"I am out of time. I have informed you of all that I could. I ask of you nothing but this - Help this land. Aid us in our time of need and you will be rewarded with a path to your home." With that, he began to withdraw back into his ball of light.
"Wait! Aries called, scrambling to her knees and reaching out towards him, "You can't leave yet, I don't understand!"
Lanayru paused, his bright eyes fixed on her slim form. "You will come to understand in time. I am afraid I cannot hold this form any longer, I am still weak and my power is drained. I must rest now, but you may find reassurance in the fact that you may sleep in my cavern tonight - you are safe here, nothing shall harm you. Now go, help this land... The Goddesses brought you here for a reason, and if the Golden Goddesses fortell it, it is destiny. Seek the Hero clothed in green, he and the light spirits will aid you."
With that, he withdrew completely, the light dimming to the phosphorescent mist hovering as she had first found it. Through the crevice in the ceiling, she could see that the moon was slowly sinking from it's peak. In a few hours it would be morning. Aries yawned quietly, shuffling to the cavern wall and curling up against it. The small presence of the light spirit was comforting, and it wasn't long until her eyelids fell shut and she gave in to the lull of sleep. She rested well for the last precious hours of night.
A/N: That's another chapter done! I forgot to mention - Aries's traditional clothing would be called something different in her homeland, Ashra, but for now I'm referring to it as a kimono for visualisation purposes - as Ashra is very loosely based off of feudal Japan and the clothing style would have had a few similarities. I intend to explore Ashra a little bit more in future chapters, but I don't really have any idea of how in-depth I will go :)
As always, please R&R! It really helps :)