Ah Children in Need tomorrow, dressing up as Fantastic Mr Fox. Shame this chapter won't be as happy. Thanks for your reviews by the way ^-^ Also, spot the Antigone quotes.
Chapter 30
To watch the world meet its terrible fate
Ice cold darkness coursed like frozen fire through his veins. The dark burrowed deep into his core, flooding his senses with hatred and bitterness. His soft warm ties to his own mist shattered under the onslaught, as a thousand tonnes of evil crashed down upon him. It filled his mind, flooding the tranquil forest with a darkness so absolute that no thought or emotion could glow without being snuffed out with the ferocity that a bear kills the coyote that tries to steal her young.
On and on the darkness rushed, like a great mounting tide rolling from one memory to the next, smothering the goodness to replace it with a hatred as deep as the roots of mountains. Until it came to a grove of such tightly knitted trees, that no sound or light came from within. So dense was it, that the memories secreted inside were lost to their very owner and around the grove shimmered a green mist. A blazing sigil of moon upon sun upon moon, eclipsing each other yet glowing nonetheless. As the darkness tried to enter the grove, it repelled them. Blazing brightly, like the sun and moon combined.
But the darkness could sense the terrible emotions within, and called upon them.
Black leeches, a curse of darkness, pressed against the sigil from the inside, worming their way through the smallest gaps, empowered by their brethren.
Slowly, the sigil began to crack.
…
"How?" Was all Silver could say.
Ciara stepped back, looking at her daughter. They had the same downy wild hair, but while Ciara was as black as a raven's wing Silver's was the colour of the shining gleam of moonlight on metal. They had the same lithe figure, but while Ciara was tall and slender like a young larch tree, Silver was sinewy and strong. The woman had the silvery-grey skin of a twili etched with glowing white markings, Silver's complexion was pale and her faint grey markings were barely visible.
"It doesn't matter how or why. All that matters now is that you're here." Ciara's soft voice had a musical tone to it.
Epona lowered her head between the two of them and smiled.
"Just call me Aunite Poni!"
"Yeah yeah whatever." Silver growled, pushing Epona's head aside.
Phaira now stepped forward, shining like a tiny moon.
"As much as I hate to break this reunion up, ceolaith wasn't joking about Link's situation. Without her protection, I doubt the dark will be waiting around for us to save him."
"But what more could it do to him?" Epona asked. "Without his mist, or his sword, or his pack. He has nothing it can take."
Phaira shook her head, drops of moonlight falling from her antlers.
"His body is still searching for the mist even if he himself refuses to call it. I've no doubt the dark would pass up such an opportunity to take another grey."
Ciara's hand flew to her mouth.
"They wouldn't. Surely…"
The horror on her's and Epona's face sent a chill down Silver's spine.
"What do you mean? Take another?" Silver asked.
"Nubia wasn't born an evil psychopath." Phaira explained. "The dark, if given the chance, will take the place of a grey's mist to turn them into something unnatural, something so warped and twisted it defies the goddesses themselves."
"Then, we have to save him." She turned to Epona. "You have to let me go. I don't have time to practice anymore."
The mare bowed her head.
"I know…"
…
Link was in his memory. It had happened enough now for him to be able to tell the difference. It was one of those third person memories, where he was watching a cub and a lynx walking together.
The lynx was beautiful. She was young, in her teens if not even younger. Her fur was a rich tawny, awash with reds, golds and browns. As if autumn had been condensed into a palette of colour and painted onto her pelt. It was so thick too, not even the finest artisan could've woven such a beautiful coat.
Next to the lynx was a little wolf cub. His dark grey fur, that when it caught the light, seemed to catch and play with the colours of the tall broad pines that filled the world of the greys. His white-gold markings were so familiar. His paws were too big for his body, and his fluffy grey coat had that wispiness all cub fur had. Link knew who it was, it was himself.
"Ubi?" The cub whined.
"Yes Aӕli?" Her voice was so gentle, like the rustling of a warm breeze through the trees.
"Where are we going?"
"To the crater."
"Where's that?"
"Not too far from here. Only a few minutes more."
"Ok." Link paused. "What is the crater?"
"Long ago, when demons walked the earth, Lady Phaira made a last stand there. The crater is all that I left of their fight."
A twig cracked. The lynx froze.
"What was tha-?" The lynx cut cub-Link off with a hiss, her tufted ears flicking to and fro as she searched for the source of the sound.
She must've sensed something, because she nudged the cub forward.
"Move!"
The cub obeyed immediately, racing forward. But his too-big paws kept tripping him up. The lyn hissed at something, and there was a brief scuffle. Link couldn't see her attacker, but within moments the lynx leapt clear and chased after the cub. There was a fresh cut on her face. As the lynx caught up she grabbed him by the scruff and ran on.
Neither Link nor the cub-Link knew what was chasing them. But whatever it was had the lynx very spooked.
After an age, they stopped running and the lynx slowed down and put the cub on the floor. The cub's fear was evident, for his mist was swirling round him comfortingly. They were at the valley, on the far side where the ground dropped away into a crater filled with ferns.
The bracken stirred and rustled. A low growling could be heard from within. Cub-Link's mist reared up protectively.
Suddenly the cub whirled round.
"Look out!" His voice was terrified and high.
Leaping forward, he knocked the lynx aside. She staggered back, her paws caught the edge of the valley and she lost her balance, toppling over the edge. She slid down into the ferns.
"LINK!" She yowled.
Something snarled, and the cub's cries could be heard from all over. The mist flashed blue, then red. Whatever was chasing them screeched as it was scorched by Link's burning mist. The flames caught on the dry needle covered ground.
"LINK!" came her yowl once more as she saw with horror, the fire begin to build.
A tree was devoured by hungry red flames. The pines going up like kindling, their leaves curling and dropping off, catching fire as they fell to spread seeds of flame across the ground. The wind blew harshly, fanning the flames further. The fire caught to the other trees. The cub whimpered and scrabbled away, running along the ridge of the crater. His mist was glowing blue, then green then blue again, trying to protect its master. The cub was clearly panicking, the whites of his perfectly visible as he tripped and tumbled to get away from the flames. The fire was almost out of control, and a proud pine, reduced to a burning black skeleton, toppled over falling down into the crater. The ferns went up in smoke.
"Link!" The lynx dissolved into a fit of coughing as the smoke began to build.
"This way!" He called, trying to lead her to the entrance to the valley, a part of the steep cliff slopes which was cracked and level, providing a path up. His mist flashed blue, protecting him from the choking smoke.
The lynx fought her way through the ferns while the fire filled the valley. It nipped at her heels, so that the air was filled with the smell of burning fur. Her mist wove around her, but unable to help. Nubia was far too panicked to use it.
"Come on Ubi! Just a little farther!"
He was too afraid to jump in after her. Yet his muscles still quivered as if they might still go.
The lynx was getting weaker as smoke began to collect in the crater. She stumbled as she fell, but still tried to drag herself on further. The flames taunted her, leaping forward before being pushed back as the wind changed direction.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the smoke, and thunder shook the forest.
"UBI!" The cub howled as he saw her stumble once more.
The lynx disappeared from view as the howling wind brushed smoke across the crater.
"UBI!"
The flames roared, eating through the dry bracken. It cornered her, cutting off her escape. Link saw the lynx make a half-hearted attempt to climb the wall, but she was so weak from inhaling smoke, she almost instantly slid back down.
The heavens opened, releasing a torrent of water down onto the forest. The smoke and rain combined was so thick, she was lost from sight.
"UBI!" The cub howled into the deluge, he sounded so frightened.
The summer storm was short and torrential, quenching the flames before they had the chance to properly take hold of the forest.
"Ubi?" Link called forlornly.
No answer came.
For a time, the cub paced the edge of the crater, too afraid to jump down for fear of the smoke but couldn't bear to leave her and call for help.
As the smoke thinned a little, the cub made his decision.
Cub-Link jumped down the slope, sliding down the side as the rain began to peter out.
There she lay. Her beautiful fur was scorched. The ferns around her were sooty and black, and the smoke hung heavy on the air.
"Ubi!" he called with relief as he ran up to her, nuzzling her fur.
She didn't move.
"Ubi? Ubi, wake up!" He pawed her nose.
"Come on, this isn't funny Ubi." His voice was shaking.
"Ubi? Ubi? Wake up!"
He chewed her muzzle and bit her ear. Her jumped on her belly and batted her paw. He pulled her tail and he nudged her face. But she refused to move.
"No…Ubi please, wake up."
He was almost too young to understand.
With a whimper, he curled up beside her, burying his muzzle in her fur as the tears came.
It was a long time until the shouts of the search party could be heard. All that time, the cub cried huddling next to his dead babysitter, slowly feeling the warmth leave her body and her muscles stiffen and harden with death.
"Link! Link! Where are you!" came the shouts. "Nubia? Link?"
"Over here alpha!" It was Epona's voice, she sounded so young. "Oh sweet Farore." She whispered as she saw the lynx's body lying amongst the ferns.
"Did you find them?" It was different voice this time, Ciara's.
"My cub!"
A huge dark grey wolf leapt past them, sliding down the wall of the crater.
"Link. My little mab." She picked the cub up, nuzzling and licking him as he wailed and cried.
A smaller black wolf slid down the wall to stand next to her.
"Oh my chwaer…" She licked the lynx's fur as tears splashed down her face.
The image disappeared, and Link found himself in darkness.
"You did this." The voice said. "It was you who pushed her into the crater. Your mist that started the fire. Your fear that stopped you saving her."
Link backed up, shaking his head.
"You murdered the one you loved the most. You are the monster here."
And to Link, those words rang with truth.
…
"Where did you see him?" Phaira asked.
"In Eldin gorge. She's got him in one of the caves."
Silver easily kept pace with the galloping mare, as they raced across western Hyrule field. Phaira was there too, and Ciara now in her form as a lithe black wolf. She had the same white-gold markings as Link. But they didn't actually need to run as such, they had no substance and could float along just as easily.
"Will he be ok?" Silver asked, she sounded scared.
"He'll be fine." Epona assured her, with more confidence than she felt.
As Silver drifted away, to speak to Phaira about the technicalities of getting in. For it was Phaira who knew best how to approach undetected. Epona looked down at Ciara.
"I can't help but feel as if this was our fault." She said.
"Me too…" Ciara agreed. "If we'd taken more responsibility, looked after him instead of relying on Nubia all the time then maybe he wouldn't have been out that day."
"We were lazy and selfish, and we paid for it." Epona said.
"Maybe if I hadn't run away, I could've helped the two of you get away. Then maybe both of you wouldn't have been cursed."
Epona shook her head.
"Then Silver would've died all those years ago."
"Sometimes, I wonder what would've happened if things had gone differently, where we would be now."
"Maybe, but I guess we'll never know."
Ciara nodded.
"Yeah, we got we got, so we may as well make do."
Epona stopped at the foot of the bridge, Epona skidded to a stop behind her, half-rearing in surprise.
"Why are we stopping?"
She peered past Phaira's shimmering form.
"Oh…that's why."
Facing them was a huge black wolverine type creature. With fangs so large, they spilled out from his mouth. Sitting on his shoulders, was a small creature. On their head was an upside down circular mask, with a v-shaped mouth filled with horrid tombstone teeth and two eyes of different sizes, and at unnatural angles. One eye, circular and pinched at the ends, had a pupil so large it almost filled the entire eye, glowing red with hate. The other eye was long and almond shaped that was almost perpendicular to the mouth, the colour of bright yellow acid. The brow of the mask had been cut out to show the face of the creature beneath. Two bright neon green eyes, peered from the shadow the mask showed. Her hair, for it looked like a she to the animals, was black as her wolverine's fur, and as wild and spiky as straw. The skulls of animals decorated her hair, tying it at irregular angles so that it looked a reed torchlight. Her skin had the colour and texture of marble, and her black waist coat had buttons of skulls. The waistcoat was so long, it could've been a dress, as from the waist it had been ripped and torn into long shreds that reached past the creature's legs. She wore a black shorts beneath her waistcoat and her tiny feet looked like a child's but her face was more adult.
It was terrifying.
"This is my bridge. Get your own!" She called in a high-pitched voice.
"Who are you?" Epona demanded, stamping the ground.
"I'm the Skulren. Who are you?" Her wolverine-monster snarled and slobbered.
Silver silenced Epona with a flick of her tail.
"A group of animals trying to get to our friend. We really don't want to keep him waiting." Silver gave the Skulren her biggest puppy-face. "It would make him ever so sad."
The Skulren put a short stubby finger to her lip and tilted her head as she thought.
"Well, I don't see why not. You're not going to the gorge are you?"
The group exchanged glances.
"No of course not." Epona said. "We're heading to north Hyrule field."
"Ok, you can pass." She moved her mount aside.
As they passed, she noticed the flicker in the spirits. Humming, she leant forward, peering at the two spirits then at the two animals.
"Wait one minute."
Silver gulped.
"You're greys! Mami told me I'm definitely not allowed to let any greys pass. She said I have to definitely kill you." Her mask twisted the right way up so that it covered her face.
Now her real features were hidden, and the features that were revealed at the top of her head were possibly even more disturbing. A skull, with a wide gaping mouth covered the top of her head. It was hungry.
"Silver..." Epona said. "Run!"
The wolfos leapt into a full sprint, followed closely by Ciara.
"Kick her butt for me chwaer!" the ghost called over her shoulder.
Epona reared, smashing her hooves into the ground.
"You can bet on it."
An eagle screamed overhead.
The wolverine ran at the mare. Epona skipped aside and lashed out with her front hooves, pounding the creature's shoulder. It hissed and twisted round to snap at her. Epona moved a fraction of a second too late, and the wolverine's teeth scored deep lines into her flank.
The Skulren lashed out, throwing a bone at Epona's head. It hit her head, momentarily stunning her.
The wolverine would've mauled the mare there and then if not for Phaira who fired a bolt of silver light at it, singeing his fur.
Epona made her move while the wolverine was distracted, nipping the Skulren's arm and drawing black blood. It hurt the mare's teeth.
Phaira also attacked, firing another bolt of light. But the Skulren reflected it. Epona frantically tried to hold off the wolverine which snapped and clawed at her. Its huge claws were the size of scimitars and its teeth would've put a shark to shame. Epona reared, and the wolverine slashed her belly, rawing blood. Epona brought her hooves crashing down on the wolverine's head, but even with all her weight behind it, it merely stunned the creature.
The Skulren let out a high-pitched shriek and clapped her hands together. A huge ball of dull grey light appeared above Phaira. It looked like a moon, but moons didn't have glowing red eyes or pointy noses. The ball of light came to crash down on the grey spirit. There was a flash of light, and a cloud of smoke rose from the stone bridge.
Epona reared, warding off the wolverine, her eyes searching for Phaira.
When the smoke cleared, Ordona was standing there, a shield of bright white light shimmering before her. Behind her, the smaller Phaira was smiling.
The eagle's scream came again. Then something white swooped down to claw the wolverine's back, narrowly missing the Skulren.
Epona backed up, nostril's flared and ears flat against her neck.
From beneath the bridge, something reared up. A huge crocodilian face filled Epona's vision, as a great serpent lanced down and snapped at the wolverine's tail, biting it off with the ease of a hot knife through butter.
"What the hell is happening?" The Skulren screeched, holding her hands together to create a ball of lightning.
A scorpion's tail lashed at the Skulren, striking her mask and shattering it.
"You attack one guardian spirit, you feel the wrath of all of us." They spoke as one being, if it weren't for the fact they were on her side, Epona would probably have fled.
Faron leapt down to stand on the bridge. His tail, rather than curled round him as usual was up behind him, hanging above his head like a scorpion's tail. Lanaryu's great head reared above the bridge, a huge smile on his crocodile lips. Eldin landed on one of the towers on the bridge and let out a scream again. Ordona stamped the ground with one claw and Phaira grew to her full-size, shaking her branched antlers. In the shadows, two more spirits snarled, glowing blue.
The Skulren backed up.
"I uh-just remembered, I left the uh-oven on." Her wolverine turned tail to flee. "Bye!"
Eldin flew down and plucked the Skulren from the back of the wolverine. The wolverine fled, its tail tucked between its legs.
"Nice try." Phaira said. "But now you need to tell us everything you know."
The Skulren gulped.
"…help…"
…
Link was in another memory. This time it was a first-person memory.
There was screaming all around. Shadows were pouring forth from every crevice. A bear reared up on her forelegs, fighting her own shadow. Her cub cowered behind her, crying out. A stallion reared up, kicking out another then changing into a human to hit him with a club. The shadow copied his exact movement. The dark grey wolf from before was fighting her shadow, fur flew up around her as she fought with the viciousness of a mother protecting her young. Link was behind her, whimpering.
"Ceorigh!"
Epona cantered over. Her sides were flecked with foam and she was clearly panicking. She was still a filly, her legs disproportionate to her body.
"Take Link and run!" The wolf barked, batting the shadow away as it leapt for Link.
Epona didn't stop to ask questions. Becoming a girl with wild red curly hair, she picked Link up and put him on her back. Link clung to her neck as she changed into a horse once more.
"Go!"
Epona wheeled around and galloped out. A shadow ran parallel to her and lashed out to bite her. Epona shied away, nearly unseating her rider. A large palomino shire cantered up and bit the shadow on the neck, throwing it to the floor.
"MAM!" Epona called, skidding to a stop.
The shire reared up over the shadow.
Link could feel Epona quivering with indecision. She longed to aid her mother, but was the Ceorigh's orders were absolute.
"Look out!" Epona shouted as the shire's shadow ploughed into her.
"Run merch!"
Shutting her eyes to the pain, Epona turned and fled. Tears streamed down her face as her hooves pounded a heavy rhythm into the ground.
All around them, greys were dying as their shadows leapt to life.
A skydragon fell from the sky like a shooting star, crashing into the ground while its shadow held it in a death grip. A strong powerful goron was crushed beneath its shadow's mighty blows. A tiny lion cub mewled for its parents, wandering lost through the battlefield. A baby chick's corpse lay mauled upon the bloodied ground, the shadow of its mother standing over it. Everywhere they looked there was death and destruction. A howl rent the air and Link whimpered as he heard his mother's dying scream. He twisted his fingers tighter through Epona's mane and his bottom lip quivered as tears carved tracks through the grime on his lay fallen upon the ground and more than once Epona had to jump them. Their once proud trunks scarred and stained with sap and blood. A wild boar lay crushed beneath one, a dead piglet between its hooves.
On and on the two greys ran, leaving their people to certain doom.
Soon the screams of the dying faded to ominous silence. The horrible warped spirit songs of the shadows were no more than a horrible nightmare. Epona didn't slow down until they were safe inside Faron Woods. Epona's sides were heaving and drenched in sweat.
"Are we safe?" Link asked.
"I think so." Epona replied, looking around.
"Do you think the others are ok?" Link was desperate for some small hope to cling to.
"Yeah, I'm sure they got away."
"I miss Arri." Link whimpered, sniffing louder and wiping his tears roughly away.
"We'll find her, don't worry."
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." Came a familiar voice.
Shadows filled the small clearing they were in. They writhed and coiled on the ground like a horde of black snakes, surrounding the pair. The moon went behind a cloud, plunging them into darkness. Epona half-reared, in fright.
"Epona? What's happening?" Link was terrified, wild eyes darting to and fro.
A lynx stepped from the shadows.
"UBI!" Link grinned, the fear melting from his face.
The lynx hissed.
"Deifur! You're alive? But how?" Epona was wary, and she took a step back, shaking her mane.
Link tried to get off, but Epona moved, making him grab hold again to stop himself falling. Young as she was, Epona was still pretty tall and falling off would probably hurt.
"Poni!" He pleaded, he wanted to much to run to her.
"You were there dearthiur, there's no way she should be here."
"Forever the sceptic." Nubia growled.
"Why are you here?" Epona demanded.
"To get revenge, why else would a restless ghost such as myself be here." Why did she sound so gloating and bitter? Link couldn't understand, she had always been so kind.
Epona snorted.
"On whom?"
"The murderer that you so dutifully protect."
Link whimpered, as vivid images of the forest fire flashed before his eyes.
"I didn't…I never…" He was almost in tears.
"Link is no murderer!" Epona brayed, rearing up.
"My, so faithful. I was like that once, and look where it got me. Hand him over!"
Epona snorted and stamped the ground.
"Never!"
"It's your funeral."
From the shadows stepped an exact copy of Epona.
"Ubi? Stop scaring me." Link whimpered.
Epona's reddish-gold mist circled around her.
"Link, I want you to stay here. When I say, run."
Link reluctantly slid off her back.
"It'll be ok." Epona shifted into her hylian form and hugged Link tight.
Her mist curled around him, and flashed green, forming a thick barrier of wind around the little boy.
"There's no-one here to save you now Epona. This forest will be your tomb."
"I won't let you hurt my deiarthiur."
"Your deiarthiur? Let's see if you still call him that after my friend here decorates the trees with your blood."
Epona drew a whip and dagger from her belt. Her fiery red hair framed her face. She looked like an Ordon villager, with round ears and armour of goat leather. But a fierce desire to protect her herd had set her face in stone. There was no mercy in those eyes.
Epona attacked first, and the shadow copied her. Even from the get-go, Link could see it was a doomed fight. The shadow knew Epona's moves before she did. No matter whether Epona was human or beast, she couldn't outsmart it.
"Poni!" Link cried, as the shadow opened up Epona's shoulder with a flick of its whip.
Epona screamed and backed up out of range. The shadow just grinned, an evil psychotic grin that would haunt Link for the rest of his life. For even if it was a shadow, Epona should never have such a warped and twisted expression on her kindly face.
"You can stop this Link. You can save her." Nubia said, her voice tempting and sweet.
"Shut up!" Epona tried to go for Nubia, but her shadow slit her arm with its dagger.
Even with all her skill, Epona couldn't outsmart herself. Blow after blow hit its target, until Epona was left on the ground unable to stand. She was bleeding heavily, her red hair clotted with her own lifeblood. Yet all Link could do was kneel inside the sphere of winds that Epona had created to protect him. His eyes were red and puffy, and he could barely see straight through the film of water. It felt as if he was having his heart torn out. First Ubi, then Arri, then his family and now Poni. It was killing him.
"Poni!" He wailed.
"Are you going to kill another one of your sisters Link? Are you going to abandon her like you abandoned me?" She was mocking him, and that cut him all the more.
"I…" Guilt and sorrow writhed in Link's heart, squeezing the life out of it.
"Go on."
Link bowed his head, trapped. Slowly, he lifted his head and got to his feet. There was a fierce determination on his face, he couldn't let another die. Link stepped from the safety of Epona's mist.
"No…" Epona wheezed.
"Leave her alone!" He said, he sounded so weak and frightened and he was shaking like a leaf.
"Good boy." Nubia smiled like a cat who had cornered the mouse.
The shadows bunched around Link, and he screamed, falling to his knees.
"Let him go!" Epona cried, trying to drag herself forward.
Nubia, now in her kokiri form, stepped on Epona's wounded shoulder. She screamed.
"You worry about yourself."
She kicked Epona over, so that she lay on her back. The shadows clumped around her. In her hand, a spear of darkness formed.
"You and Ciara always had something better to do then be with me. You thought I was expendable. Well, looks like you're the expendable one now."
She stabbed the spear through Epona's heart. Her scream was terrible, as the spear melted into the wound. Her mist lost its form and colour, lying close to the floor.
"Poni!" Link cried, trying to get to her. The shadows blocked his path, twisting around his mist so that he cried out in pain.
"I'll get to you soon enough." Nubia crooned, kicking Epona one last time for good measure.
Nubia walked over to Link. Link lashed out at her with a tiny fist.
"Leave her alone!" He cried.
Nubia laughed, her voice insanely high. She kicked aside his wild punch, grabbing his neck and lifting him to eye-level. Her hand slowly crushed his neck, darkness seeped into his skin, leeching its colour.
"You can't help her now."
"Lea…" Link choked as the shadows leapt down his throat.
Nubia opened her hand and a shard of pure darkness materialised in her hand. Her hand closed around the raw blade and with a satisfied smirk she drove it deep into his forehead, right between his eyes.
"You deserve a slow and painful death for what you did to me." Nubia spat, throwing him to the ground.
Link couldn't speak as he clutched his throat, slowly choking. More shadows clumped around him. They strangled his mist and covered him like a second skin. The darkness spread from point where the shard had entered, rushing across his body and it fell away in flakes. His mouth was open in a silent scream, and his face etched in terror was palid and grey.
Nubia kicked him over.
"Feel what it's like to slowly suffocate, while being roasted alive in a furnace you pushed me in."
Link's thrashes were getting weaker. His throat and gut boiled with darkness. It froze his heart and filled his lungs so that he drowned in shadows. Cold fire coursed through his veins, paralysing his limbs and entombing his chest in a coffin of ice.
He looked up at Nubia, his eyes pleading for release.
"Die alone, like I did!" she spat.
With that, she left, leaving Link's and Epona's shadows to ensure the deed was done.
No sooner had she left did thick mist fill the clearing. Divine music filled the air as the spirit songs of goddesses flowed across the forest, and a woman dressed in furs emerged. Behind her came her two sisters, one dressed in a gerudo-style garb, the other in a long-flowing peplos. The shadows moved to attack, but the eldest goddess held up her hand and flames leapt up to devour them. The middle goddess spoke in a low chant, and chains of blue light bound them in place. Finally, the youngest goddess summoned the mist around her and sent it forward whether coiling around the shadows, it turned them back into the mist they once were. The force driving them destroyed, they dissolved into nothing.
She crouched beside Link. His eyes were beginning to glaze, the iris and pupils were so small, they were no longer visible. His white eyes were begging, whether for death or rescue Farore couldn't tell.
"Little cub." She whispered, stroking his hair softly. "What has she done to you?"
Holding out her hand, the triforce of courage spun in her palm.
"Take this, it will protect you."
The triforce settled into Link's hand, glowing faintly. Its light, combined with the three goddesses' magic dispelled the shadows from Link's body.
Her two sisters came to kneel beside her.
"He is too far gone." Nayru said.
"I'm sorry sister." Din laid a hand on her arm.
Link's face was different, charged with power. Slowly it was beginning to change. His hair was slowly turning white and red and blue markings slowly drew across his face.
"There must be something we can do. Anything."
"We could seal them away." Nayru suggested.
"And turn his mind into a time bomb? The deamhan is still out there." Din shook her head. "I forbid it."
"What if I myself hunted her down?" Farore said.
"You know as well as I that I forbade divine intervention."
"Please sister, you know what it is like to be connected to a creature who feels nothing."
"Do not bring up his name." Din growled.
"Please. We need his heart as much as his strength. Do not condemn him to a heartless existence."
Din looked at Nayru, as if the goddess could offer her some insight to the true path. Nayru dipped her head, she had always hated to see her sister's pain and couldn't bear to see another suffer the same.
"Fine then, but neither I nor my Nayru will help you." Din rose to her feet, taking Nayru's arm and leading her away.
Farore placed her hand over Link's heart. His mist curled around her arm.
"It'll be alright."
The goddess began to sing. Her voice was as soft as the keening wind, filled with power.
Her symbol burned in the air, and her mist enveloped him.
Slowly, his pupils returned. His muscles relaxed and his breathing became regular.
Her song swirled around them both. Building in intensity, sorrowful and slow. She mourned the deaths of the greys, yet rejoiced in Link's and Epona's escape. She grieved for Din's wretched triforce-bearer, heartless and cruel, and she mourned for her own triforce-bearer and his pain.
A choir of ghosts sung with her. The dead greys surrounded Link, ghosts adding their power to their remaining heir, giving him a future. Their pale flickering forms like static on a television. Each added his own voice to her spell.
The song grew and grew, the mist swirling up in a column of white light. At its centre burned Farore's sigil. A moon eclipsing the sun eclipsing the moon. The power of the greys themselves, neither black nor white. The first greys, the sun and moon, which sacrificed everything to protect the world.
Din and Nayru looked on.
In Link's mind, trees grew up around Link's memories. Thick tall pines cut off the death of Nubia and the genocide of the greys to protect his mind. They grew so thick that no darkness could pierce it. Then Farore inscribed her sigil on their trunks to add further protection. She buried Link's memories of his childhood, lest they should trigger anything. She buried them so deep, none could ever fine them.
The song slowly died. Link was unconscious. Farore stood up.
"It is done."
Her sisters nodded. They dissolved into their golden forms and left.
Farore looked over to Epona. She was murmuring, delirious from blood loss and pain.
"Shhh, little one." Farore whispered.
Her face was ashen grey, she was almost monochrome.
Farore touched her hand to Epona. Her sigil burned upon Epona's chest and with the help of Farore's mist, the girl changed back into a filly. The horrible grating song that flowed from her slowly harmonised as Farore locked the curse away. But it was too late to save Epona's mist, which was all but dead.
Farore stroked the mare's nose. She was so far gone with pain, she was neither conscious nor unconscious, just floating on the threshold of death.
"I'm sorry." Diamond tears fell from her eyes. "You will hate me when you awaken, but Link needs a guardian."
Then, Farore too made her departure.
Welp, this chapter took longer than expected. It was depressing too. I thought I'd be done on Thursday, but here I am three days later. Life sucks. No updates next week because life is a pain. Do review, I love them.
