Αιδως ολωλεν (Modesty died)

- Theognis


Panting, Luna emerged from the edge of the Lost Woods, standing atop the arched cliff overlooking Hyrule Field and a river. The moon, big and bright and beautiful, awaited her, ready to sink into the horizon.

Wiping her brow, Luna turned, watching where the shafts of moonlight illuminated the forest floor. Sure enough, the bloody footprints slowly followed after her. She glared. "That's right, just keep coming..." As long as you're not heading towards Kokiri Forest...

She looked down the cliff then jumped, landing by the riverside. She straightened her back and looked up, returning eye contact with an owl. Luna smiled. I wonder how her owlets are doing...

Luna scurried headlong upriver, occasional splashes revealing Octoroks, spitting large rocks at the unwelcome guest. The Kokiri swerved betwixt the incoming projectiles, hearing them shatter against the cliffs behind her.

A loud, wet crack sounded, followed by a guttural grunt.

Luna giggled. "The Octoroks will keep him busy!"

Up ahead, the ruinous remains of a gate blocked Luna's path. The only company was a large, strange plant with a tall stalk, its immense leaves continuously yet gently wriggling. She hopped upon it; the strange plant uprooted itself and flew off. She used the plant's stalk as a lever, controlling flight. Luna looked back and smiled. Ha! I wish I could see the look on his stupid face!

The child observed the blooded imprints angrily charge into the water—the Octorok submerged while the threat was carried away downriver.

Luna flew her Magic Plant across Zora's River, Octoroks sometimes leaping from the waters to spit more rocks at her, always missing. "Why do they even try?" Apart from several big-eyed frogs staring at the flying plant, Luna saw nothing remarkable. Off she flew...

Soon, the humming echoes of the waterfall reached Luna's ears, amplified by bouncing betwixt the cliffs. Luna flew higher and higher, her blood rushing as she approached the waterfall. Feeling moisture and then the flicking waterdrops, Luna parked her plant upon the first rock arch before the waterfall. She grabbed a handful of whistle grass and scuttled upon the inscription.

Filling her lungs with air, Luna blew into the grass, playing a slow, eleven-note song...

The Sleepless Waterfall flowed so gently there was scarcely an echo, lulled asleep.

Luna pocketed her grass and mounted the Magic Plant, whooshing up once more. Her hair fluttered in wind as she beheld the lake over Zora's Domain, calm waters reflecting the moon. Hopping off her ride, Luna landed by the lakeside. She went before the drop-off and, with the wind and moon to her back, took a deep breath and released a mournful howl.

Luna's call reverberated down Zora's River, amplified by the gorge and carried by the wind.

Faraway howls answered.

Luna smiled.

Keeping her eyes closed, hair fluttering in the wind, she participated with the exchange of howls, taken away by primal sensation.


Luna opened her eyes and turned around. Where moonlight had once been, the rising sun shone, shimmering waters trickling underneath. Dragonflies whizzed, bees buzzed, warblers chirped, loons sang...

The albino gasped. She carefully leaned over the ledge... No bloody footprints anywhere.

Eyes closed, Luna held her knees, taking a deep breath, then sighed with relief. She opened her eyes, a black thing inside a large bubble hovering in front of her face. She frowned, blankly staring with her sleep-deprived eyes.

"When I heard the howling...I knew where to find you," the black thing remarked.

Luna blinked once, twice.

Making a tremolo whine, the hovering thing snuggled against Luna's shirt and sobbed. "I thought I lost you...forever... Why did you run away?"

Luna looked down, unsure of what to say. What is this thing?

The fairy let go and bounced in the air. "I almost can't believe we're together again! Ha ha! But I'm never leaving sight of you again! And this time, I never needed two weeks to find you! And I'm not covered in blood and pollen, ha! I'm the one getting better at this hide and sneak!"

Luna stared.

The entity bobbed close to Luna's face, ringing like a bell. "Luna? Hello!? You awake?"

She didn't react.

He hovered for a few seconds. "Luna...is something wrong?"

The albino slightly cocked her head. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

The fairy flew back a bit, wings tilted. "What do you mean? Luna...it's me! I'm Kibou! Don't you remember me?"

She just stared. Who is Kibou?

Her friend's wings wilted. "You...you don't remember me?"

Luna blinked. "I remember everything, and you aren't there."

Kibou paused mid-flap; he swooped then hovered closely. "Luna, what happened to you? You...don't seem yourself anymore!"

The albino stood motionless, unblinking...

Bushes rustled—Kibou flew around Luna as several pairs of glowing eyes skated amidst the trees, three pairs yellow, the other two red. A silver-coated Wolfos trotted by, her tongue goofily hanging out. The silvery Wolfos stood sideways in a semi-dramatic pose, tongue hanging out in the wind.

Luna smiled. "Rosfir."

The silver-coated Wolfos swung her head and stood theatrically, sucking her tongue in.

Kibou commented, "The others, they're...Denol and Rejo, and..."

A bright Wolfos limped forth, sometimes licking his gashed back. He awkwardly trotted to Luna and knelt.

Luna patted the bright Wolfos' head. "Piro...you healed from the spear thrown into you." He licked her hand then he pricked his ears. He looked towards the waterfall then darted back into the bushes.

"Glad to see your furry friends still remember you," Kibou sadly commented.

"But why don't you remember me?"

"I never met you."

"Luna...I've known you since you were tiny. What's wrong with you?"

"I remember everything, and you aren't there."

Kibou briefly flew backwards. "Maybe you're not her..." He flew around her, going up and down. "Same clothes, same hair, same eyes...everything's the same except your smell... Do you have a sister?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Luna gestured, Kibou turned. Rosir posed again.

"I mean, do you have a Kokiri sister? You are Luna, correct?"

She nodded.

"You know Kokiri Forest, Mido, Fado, the others, right?"

She nodded again.

"Hmm... Then why don't you remember me?"

"I remember everything. You aren't there."

"Luna, I heard you the first time... But what happened to you, truly?"

She pondered. From the deepest corners of her lost memories, a twinkle echoed. "I am closer to who I once was."

Kibou tilted. "And who's that?"

"Me, before me... What I was, before what I am now..." Luna's eyes shivered, making crackling noises as the nerves throbbed. "A maiden of pain."

"Ughh...I don't know what you're trying to say."

Luna clasped her hands behind her back. "It does not matter. I must go home."

He reared. "And I was just thinking about how to get you there... But yes, yes! Let's go home! The place you are meant to be!"

She frowned. "And who are you to be with me?"

Kibou reared. "I...I'm... I am your friend, Luna..." He whispered, "you promised."

Luna slightly raised her right arm from the elbow, hand open. "If you really are my beloved friend..."

Kibou hovered above her palm. "Then we'll be friends forever, won't we?"

"Even when I am lost?"

"No matter what, Luna."

Luna warmly smiled, her eyes returning to normal. She looked towards Rosfir. "Kuriver's coming."

A black and cream-coated Wolfos burst through branches, landing on all fours beside Rosfir, claws digging into the dirt as he growled, the three other Wolfos' eyes glowing from the forest.

Keeping her arm partly raised and tired face blank, Luna turned while Kuriver growled behind her. Rosfir just stood there, all satisfied with herself and her dangling tongue.

Blood trailed from the drop-off, seeping towards Luna. As if a curtain made of a picture, a flap of reality swung open, a sinister chap with crocodilian teeth and a red suit stepping out, the aspect of reality from whence he came reverting. He stabbed his cane into the ground, adjusted his obsidian glasses, and crossed his arms.

"I thought I killed those mutts already... Hmm. I suppose I should take back what I said about you." He cocked his head and grinned, blood drooling between his reptilian maw. "No matter how often you traverse through this world of twisting time, it won't change the inevitable."

Kibou crossed his arms, all smug. "I don't know who you are, but I ain't afraid of you."

"When I go fishing, I will use you as live bait."

Kuriver growled deeper, slobbering as he crawled forth, the other Wolfos following. Luna put her hand on his neck to calm him, stopping the lupine advance. She whispered, "Shh...let me handle this."

Frowning, Luna approached the man. "There's one thing your powers cannot save you from."

He cocked his head the other direction and huffed. "What's a little princess like you going to—"

She kicked him in the nuts.

The man grunted, holding his crotch and falling to his knees.

"Kuriver!" Luna barked. The Wolfos jumped over her, tackling into the injured man with such force he fell over the waterfall.

The Wolfos peeped their noses over the ledge, Kibou flying over as a loud splash echoed. "That's what you get!"

Luna whistled, getting the Wolfos' attention. She pulled the man's cane out the ground and jumped upon Kuriver, holding tightly as he and his friends darted through the woods, Kibou flying after her.

"I don't know what happened to you," the fairy said, swerving amid branches, "but I like the new you!"


Luna gripped Kuriver's fur, feeling her blood rush as he swerved amid trees, an occasional twig or leaf slapping her face, yet she held onto her mount. She looked back, shrubs and small trees rustling aggressively.

"Looks like he's catching up to us!" Kibou warned, the Wolfos growling.

"Don't worry, he's still sore between the legs, that'll slow him down!"

"Ha, yeah—look out!"

Luna gasped; a rip in reality appeared ahead, spiked chains whipping out. Luna ducked into Kuriver as he leapt, dodging an incoming spike, a few others lashing around as the beast past.

The other Wolfos veered, disappearing. Luna looked back, overhearing growls and grunts. The Wolfos to reappeared, running with Kuriver then turning away again.

"Sounds like they're slowing him down even more!" Kibou stated.

"Let's hope things stay that way!"

A vast force rippled across the forest, shaking vegetation and trees, Kibou zigzagging. "What was that!?"

"The gap between dimensions!" Luna answered.

"The what!?"

"I'll explain later!"

The rippling caused many trees to creak, Kuriver continuously looking side to side, ears pricked, leaves and twigs fluttering everywhere.

As if a pair of curtains pulled open, a section of reality tore asunder ahead of Luna, a giant, bloodshot eyeball emerging, flashing blue. Kibou rang aloud.

Luna pulled Kuriver's scruff. "Now!" Growling, he leapt, a blue beam scraping across the ground where he had once been. He angrily looked back, teeth clenched. His rider also turned, the giant eyeball sinking into the darkness it came from, reality there closing.

Luna patted Kuriver, leaning to his ear. "Call the others back! We can't risk them getting caught by the gap!"

He sharply barked, answered by howls.

"Sounds like they led Mr. Red-Suit astray, I don't see him anymore," Kibou said.

"He'll be back—ow!" A branch smacked Luna hard, nearly hitting her off the Wolfos.

"Luna! You OK!?"

A red mark lined her face. "Yeah..."

High-pitched rattling echoed, Luna and Kuriver looking in opposite directions. Spiked chains protracted, some stabbing into trees, others crisscrossing, some incoming. Kuriver and Kibou evaded them without much difficulty, but then many more bombarded the area, hurling dirt and sticks up from the ground.

Luna gripped Kuriver's fur, nearly dropping the sword cane as the Wolfos ran in a squirmy manner, wriggling amidst the bombardment of spikes and chains. He growled and huffed as some spikes slid across his body, blood and fur flicking out, yet his eyes remained determined.

Luna screamed; a huge shadowy mouth bent over a cluster of small trees, gaping maw and silhouetted teeth chomping. Unblinking, Kuriver jumped, front paws hooking upon the upper lip of the giant mouth as it opened for a bite, instead hurling the wolf through the air!

Luna pressed her chest against Kuriver's back, wrapping her arms around him and keeping the sword cane against herself.

More spiked chains shot, intersecting each other to net Kuriver. He grabbed a chain, swinging on it, landing on the side of a tree then leaping off, changing direction so abruptly he easily avoided a flurry of spikes and the flying eyeball's beam. He and his rider looked back, the giant eyeball flying after them, glowing blue...

Grunting, Kuriver swerved amidst trees and boulders, the beam following yet interrupted by many trees.

"I don't know what kind of monsters we're dealing with, but they sure are persistent!" Kibou exclaimed.

Regaining balance, Luna raised the sword cane. "I got an idea!" She turned, thrusting the sword cane into the incoming beam, highly reflective sheath redirecting the beam elsewhere!

The pursing eyeball blinked, veins red and bulging, iris flashing with blue light...

Another vast rippling waved throughout the woodlands. Trees shook, pinecones and twigs briefly raining.

"Take that!" Kibou yelled, tackling a falling Deku Nut, hurling it right into the pursuing eyeball, its blinding flash stopping the imminent beam.

Curling amidst tree trunks, immense, demonic arms writhed, each segmented with endless forearms and elbows, tendons popping as they snaked after Kuriver from all directions.

Kuriver frowned. "Harrmmff!" A demonic arm lunged; he caught it with his teeth, jaws crunching bones. The arm groaned and retracted, several others clawing at the Wolfos as he swerved, snapping his jaws here and there continuously.

Luna thrust her sheathed sword cane like a spear, sometimes jabbing demonic arms, Kibou doing what he could and redirecting falling Deku Nuts to stun them.

Gradually, Kuriver grew tired, demonic hands clawing his flanks and legs. A few grabbed his fur but he kept running, dragging the extra weight and gnawing on their forearms until they let go, but more and more clutched him. Luna unsheathed the sword cane, holding the metal scabbard halfway in one hand and swinging the blade around, Kibou flying around to avoid being hit while Luna cut the demonic arms.

Kuriver grunted as more spiked chains rattled, some hitting demonic arms or entering the links of other chains, creating a tangled mess he effortlessly hopped through.

Clusters of demonic arms emerged from holes in trees, slithering out then whipping through the air, sliced by Luna and chomped by her ride, though he panted. He and Luna assailed the evil limbs coming at them, though the clusters now almost resembled octopus arms, each mass throwing several arms at once—only for the other Wolfos to reappear, leaping forth and mauling the arms mercilessly, tendons and bones crunching within their maws.

"Kuriver, you're tired—Rosfir, come!" Luna sheathed her sword cane and jumped off Kuriver, landing on the silvery Wolfos, who kept her tongue hanging out. While Kuriver changed direction, Rosfir carried Luna, the other Wolfos growling and biting like crazy, sometimes ripping demonic arms off the trees.

Luna whistled loudly, Rosfir howling, reminding the pack to never stay in one spot for too long!

"Here he comes again!" Kibou warned.

Luna looked back, bloody footprints smacking along the forest floor, gradually catching up,

"He's invisible!?" Kibou cried. He whizzed back.

"What are you doing!?" Luna yelled, Kibou wildly swirling sparks around the invisible man, distracting him enough for Rosfir to leapt through a series of bushes and vanish.

High-pitched rattling echoed. Luna ducked, sheathing her sword to grip her ride better. Rosfir's ears pricked, though she left her tongue dangling. Rosfir changed direction before a few spiked chains shot into the ground, trotting along as if playing. She swerved between trees, spikes thudding into them all around her, then leapt upon a boulder, several spikes pinging against stone. She hopped along trees, jumping from branch to branch, zigzagging through the forest, thuds from shooting spikes echoing after her yet her effortless grace enough to avoid them.

The giant, shadowy maw returned, aggressively snapping its teeth together. It moved forth, tilting aside trees and breaking branches, the floating eyeballs knocked out of its way.

The girls looked back and grimaced. "Go amid the biggest trees!" Rosfir did so, the shadowy mouth slowed then eventually barred, unable to proceed. However, the demonic arms wriggled around the trunks, growing endlessly!

However, another round of rattling chains came. One zoomed past Rosfir, nearly hitting Luna. The Wolfos bit the chain, pulled by it enough for her to swing to the side, a wave of spiky chains flowing where she would have been moments ago! The Wolfos landed elsewhere and darted off, chains shrieking through the air.

"Ow!" Luna felt a spike cut across her shoulder, Rosfir changing direction but panting as demonic arms crackled into view, gripping crisscrossing chains to pull themselves out faster. The girls looked around, innumerable elbows and twitchy fingers appearing along the forest floor, the cacophony of popping knuckles and crackling tendons resounding. As if twitchy snakes, the arms slithered after the girls, Luna cutting them whenever she could.

The girls looked back, several giant eyeballs flying after them but often hitting trees or each other, irises flashing blue.

Luna grimaced as a few beams flickered amidst the trees, Rosfir sprinting from cover to cover. Luna sometimes deflected beams with her sheath, a few times even back at a pursuing eyeball or two, hurting them enough to make them water.

Rosfir, however, had the same problems as Kuriver, continuously biting at the devilish arms slithering after her, some clawing or grabbing her. She bit back and kept running, Luna cutting aggressively while clubbing and thrusting her sheath, but the evil hands kept coming.

Several giant eyeballs bounced through the air, irises leaking blue as they neared—Kuriver, Denol, Rejo and Piro leapt from treetops, each landing upon an eyeball, burying their claws and teeth into the horrible foes. The eyeballs panicked, blasting beams into the air while their passengers' weight pulled them down, descending into a snarling heap of sharp teeth.

The few unperturbed eyeballs spun around to see what the heck happened, though the Wolfos dispersed, biting demonic arms as they ran.

Protracting chains screeched through the air, barraging around Luna and she and Rosfir squirmed betwixt the spikes.

Luna grunted. "Dammit! There's no end to those things!" Sheathing the sword, she pulled Rosfir's scruff. "That way!"

Rosfir darted off, Deku Babas arising in her path, mandibles hopelessly clacking after the girls. After the Wolfos past, the carnivorous plants realigned themselves and lunged at the demonic arms, distracting them enough for Rosfir to disappear.

Up ahead, Rosfir slowed to a trot, panting. Shrubs rustled all around, the other four Wolfoses reappearing. Luna looked around, though none of the otherworldly entities appeared. She sighed with relief then flinched as a purple light bounced against her face.

"There you are!" Kibou said. "I'm so glad you're safe! But, Luna, what are those things!? What is this gap between dimensions!?"

Wind picked up, blowing Luna's hair sideways. She spurred Rosfir, all Wolfoses trotting onward as Kibou flew along. "A place that shouldn't exist, clawing its way into our world, empowered by the Infernal Engine. I first saw the gap at Hyrule Castle Town, though it seems to be of greater force here. We don't have much time left before it devours everything we know."

Kibou needed a few seconds to think. "Well, that sucks."

"It does."

"And I really, really wanted to talk about where'v you been, what happened..."

Wet stomps sounded.

Kibou spun around, ringing heavily. "Here he comes again!"

Luna reared Rosfir around, the beast rising on her hind legs and growling.

A hole blinked into being, rims leaking blood as he stepped out, still sore between the legs. "It's not good to steal—"

Rosfir slammed her forepaws upon the ground. "Rrau! Rarr!" Her friends lunged at Red-Suit, biting his arms and legs, bringing him to his knees and using him as a chew toy. The man grinned. Rosfir reared then jolted forth, headbutting Red-Suit in the chin, his jawbone cracking and glasses flying off as he fell over. Kuriver snapped his jaws over the man's throat, thrashing him side to side. Rosfir jumped in and bit his free arm as he punched, all his limbs caught and gnawed.

Luna hopped off Rosfir and unsheathed her sword. Hoarsely screaming, she rammed the blade into Red-Suit's abdomen, pushing her body weight upon it, feeling the blade sink through him and into the ground. Pinned to the earth, the Wolfos savagely chomped him, Luna repeatedly stomping on his crotch while holding onto the sword. "Take that, you freak! Take that!"

"You show him, Luna!" Kibou encouraged.

The thrashing knocked Luna over, though she refused to let go of the sword cane, blade sliding out Red-Suit as she fell. She got up and gasped, seeing several flying eyeballs zooming by, a wave of demonic arms following them. Sheathing her sword, she barked, "Kuriver!" He dove under Luna and she clung to him, her ride leaping into the air as the eyeballs flashed blue.

Mid-air, Luna speared her sword into a pupil, Kuriver biting an iris, the other eyeballs foolishly turning as their beams shot, intersecting each other and shooting one another. Paws clawing across an iris, Kuriver arched to the ground and spun around growling, biting at the demonic hands lunging for him.

Luna unsheathing her cane sword, swinging sheath and blade at the horrible appendages.

Kuriver spun as well, pawing, kicking his rear legs, and biting in all directions, he and Luna fending off dozens of the evil hands. A much bigger demonic arm shot out, Kuriver leaping straight at it, headbutting its knuckles and cracking them. Upon landing, Luna thrust her sheath and blade into a demonic arm each, then the Wolfos ran off, Luna swinging both pieces of her cane sword, Kibou zigzagging continuously to avoid being hit.

"Fall back!" Luna yelled.

"You heard the lady, let's go!" Kibou stated.

Kuriver glared at his brethren. "Rrraf! Rrur!" The Wolfos jumped off Red-Suit and dispersed, leaving behind a bloodied nemesis with a shredded suit.


Red-Suit (or lack thereof) sat up, picking up his glasses and putting them on his face, then fixed his tie. "Well, that didn't go as expected..." The marks and cuts throughout his body weaved themselves shut, excess blood seemingly gluing the rips throughout his suit together, his skin and fabric soon back to normal. Groaning, he weakly stood, brushing himself off, then stepped into a window of blackness, vanishing.


Meanwhile, Luna and her friends made their getaway.

Kibou frequently looked back as he flew after Luna. "I think he's gone."

"For a while," Luna corrected.

"Who was he?"

"An old friend."

Kibou whizzed in front of Luna, flying backwards but staying in front of her face. "Wait! You know him!?"

Luna nodded. The Wolfos slowed to a trot.

Kibou angrily rang. "Luna! You never told me you met strangers! Don't you think his horrible teeth were an indication he's not to be trusted!?"

She looked at him weird. "I don't owe you explanations."

"Oh, right, you have no memory of me." He glided alongside Luna. "Sorry for yelling at you, it was wrong of my to treat you like a child. That man...what's his name?"

"Mīkāʼēl."

"What does he want?"

Luna shrugged. "He seems attracted to violence and pain. He doesn't need much else."

"A real charmer, that one... Why does he hate you?"

"It's only recently he's trying to kill me. I think he's angry that I..." She slightly leaned back, holding her breath, eyes big.

Kibou's wings fluttered.

The albino slowly turned her head, looking at the black fairy, her eyes moist. "Kibou... I...remember you."