The Calm Lands: Hyrule Bound
[Welcome back to Shadows Over Spira! In the last chapter, our heroes sucessfully rescued lady Yuna, only to be captured and put into prison! But after narrowly escaping Bevelle and the grip of the unsent maester Syemour, they find themselves back inside Macalania Woods. Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku are resting in a dark area. Auron walks over.]
Wakka: Well?
Auron: We're all clear. We will have to avoid Bevelle in the future. Yuna?
Rikku: Said she wanted to be alone.
Auron: Of course. How about Link?
Lulu: He left an hour ago. He looked depressed.
(Meanwhile, back at the Thunder Plains entrance of Macalania Woods...)
Link: Damn it... Midna... Zelda... I haven't thought about them since visiting the farplane. It was my weakness... my cowardice... (once again remembering that fateful day leaving the Twilight Realm)
"Jecht: See? I told him what i thought of him, right there!
Midna: Really?
Link: Midna?
Midna: Just a sec."
Link: I always hated my old man for what happened that day... Midna wouldn't pay a bit of attention to me when he was there... and the day he dissappeared, Midna and I were racing to Hyrule to stop Ganon... Jecht he... killed her... possessed by Ganon's shade... it was just after burying Zelda...
(back in Link's memory. In Kakariko Cemetery...)
"Auron: Is she alright?
Link: Don't say Midna is gonna die!
Auron: I Apologize."
(Memory Ends)
Link: Damn it all... it was my fault Midna was killed... No more .
[Link makes his way back to where he found Jecht's sphere and finds Yuna by the spring.]
Yuna: I always thought that this would be easier somehow. I thought that everyone would help me...with all my friends together beside me. I've been trying so hard.
Link: You.. don't have to push yourself so hard. The others... told me everything.
Yuna: Everything? Well, so then...you know.
Link: Yeah. I'm sorry. I just hope I didn't make you sad and I'm sorry for pushing everything on you. I didn't know what would happen to you, Yuna. Can you forgive me.
Yuna: I wasn't sad. I was happy.
[Link swims around in the water.]
Link: I have an idea.. just stop everything.
Yuna: The pilgrimage?
Link: Yeah, forget sin. Just quit, you know. Get away from it all.
Yuna: Maybe I will. Wouldn't everyone be surprised?
Link: Yeah. Except Rikku. She'd be with you. Lulu and Wakka wouldn't hold out long.
Yuna: Kimahri would say yes, too, I know. But Sir Auron...
Link: I'll knock some sense into him.
Yuna: No, I should tell him. He deserves it. What'll I do if I give up my pilgrimage?
Link: We can go to Hyrule! Not this one, mine. We can all go! I'll take you to Lake Hylia, Faron Woods...
Yuna: And then we could see blitzball! Your Province would play! We could all watch you fight in the stadium all lit up at night. I'd cheer and cheer till I couldn't cheer anymore!
Link: Hell yeah!
Yuna: Well, what about after the game?
Link: We'd go out and have fun!
Yuna: In the middle of the night?
Link: No problem! Hyrule never sleeps! Let's go to Lake Hylia, before the sunrise. In the distance, the city lights go out one by one. The stars fade... Then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire. It's kinda rose-colored, right? First in lake, then it spreads to the sky, then over Hyrule Field. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows. It's ... beautiful. I know you'd like it.
Yuna: I'd like to see it, someday.
Link: Hey, you will, we'll both go.
[Yuna starts to weep.]
Link: Hey...
Yuna: I can't. I just can't! I can't go! (Yuna weeps)
Link: Yuna.
(Link and Yuna embrace and kiss passionately, taking comfort in each other's arms. After awhile they go sit on the shore, quietly enjoying each other's company.]
Yuna: I'll continue. I must. If I give up now... I could do anything I wanted to, and yet... Even if I was with you, I could never forget.
Link: I'll be with you 100% of the way. Besides. It's what i signed on for as a guardian. Unless ...
Yuna: Stay with me until the end. Please.
Link: Always...
Yuna: Always, then.
Yuna: Maybe you should head back to camp first.
Link: Right.
(Link gets up and starts to head back to camp)
Yuna: Wait. I'll go with you.
[The two head back to the campsite together. After Yuna and Link leave, another dark shadow figure appears, different than what overcame Seymour.]
?: Well... the fool has a new purpose. Time for me to ruin it, he will NOT regain the Master Sword! IT... IS... MINE!
(At the campsite)
Yuna: Sir Auron? Wakka? Lulu? Kimahri? Rikku? Everyone, we leave at dawn. And...I'm sorry for putting you all through this. And...um...
Auron: Enough. You need your rest.
Yuna: Yes. Good night.
[The next morning, the party walks out of the dark forest into the bright sunlight. As they come over a hill, they see the entirety of the Calm Lands spread out before them. It's...a huge plain, bigger than any space so far.]
Link: ... It kinda looks like Hyrule Field
Lulu: The Calm Lands. Long ago, the high summoners fought Sin here. The road ends here. Beyond, there're no towns, no villages. Only endless plains.
Auron: Many summoners stray from their path and lose their way here.
Yuna: [sprawls out on the grass.] I've always known where to go.
Link: I'm not going to fail again, I swear to Goddesses of the Triforce... i will not let you die.
Yuna: Let's go.
Link (narration): I told Yuna I would find a way. I wanted to believe that words could make it come true.
[The party walks through the Calm Lands towards Mt. Gagazet. At the foot of the mountain-]
Voice: Halt!
[Some Guado emerge from a hiding place.]
Guado: Summons from Lord Seymour! Come with us.
Yuna: "We have nothing to discuss with Maester Seymour!"
Link: You tell Ganondorf, to shove a Deku Nut up his ass! Now, move!
Guado: Lord Seymour's commands must be obeyed. You will come! I warn you, the maester doesn't need you alive.
[A giant robot machina walks up from under the bridge nearby and attacks the party. Link, quickly adorns the Goron mask, and smash it into spare parts. Afterwards...]
Link (narration): Sometimes Yuna would just stare off into the distance. I finally understood why. She was saying goodbye to the places she'd never see again.
(Well, readers... It looks like our heroes' journey is coming to an end... Link is starting to grow up a bit too. Return again next time as our heroes begin the accent through Mt Gagazet. Next Chapter: Death Mountain: Road to Hyrule!)