Chapter 7: Night of the undead.
Zelda sat on the edge of the fountain taking small bites of her bread and staring off into the sunset, thinking of the odd company she is currently enjoying. When she first approached him, Zelda thought he might be in some form of trouble. She had been right somewhat but whatever she was expecting, it was not to be called an angel.
Zelda takes a quick glance at Vaati out of the corner of her eye. In terms of looks Vaati is a little strange, he looks to be in his mid twenty's. Wearing reddish orange sandals and pants. A purple tunic and cloak cover his torso, with a purple hat like Link's, with a gold trim and a red gem, covers a mop of long light purple hair that goes over one of his black eyes, and a black mark is on his light grey skin under the left eye.
At first when he called her beautiful, she thought he was just trying to hit on her, like so many nobles that have been trying to merry her ever since the end of the Twilight Invasion. She remembers one persistent noble by the name of Florence. He was, as in Link's terms. 'A rich asshole with his head so far up his own ass, he could see out his belly button.' While Zelda can't condone such language, she can't say she disagrees with him.
Florence has been one thorn in her side for three months that she and Impa wishes they could pull out. But unfortunately, his father is a big noble, and she needs all the support she can get if the champion plan is going to get off the ground. So, her or Impa stabbing him may not be the wises move on their part. But that doesn't mean they let Florence just do whatever he wants, especially when Link is around.
Zelda can still remember the first time those two crossed paths. It was a month after Midna shattered the mirror and a week after Florence came to stay at the castle. Link was going over some books on the legends of Hyrule in the library, in hopes of finding something about the Twilight Realm, Zelda was bored so she decided to join him.
Rain drops fell against the windows as the princess and the hero sat at one of the many thick oak tables in the library. Link currently had his nose buried in a book about the legend of the hero of the sky and his battle against the source of all evil. While Zelda was reading a book about an old festival that Hyrule used to celebrate.
"Well, this is interesting." Zelda said turning a page.
"What is?" Link said, lifting his head from the book.
"Well, you know the festival of the Black moon that is coming up in a few months?" Zelda said with her eyes sparkling with joy that she has found something she didn't already know.
"Yes?"
"Well according to this; the black moon festival used to be known as the Picori festival. But it was changed about 500 years ago." Zelda said turning the page.
"What's a Picori?" Link said as he got up from his chair and walking around the table.
"The Picori were a race of tiny people no bigger than a child's thumb." Zelda said flipping back a few pages and showing Link the illustration of a mouse like person as he leans over her shoulder.
"According to the legends; the Picori were invisible to adults and could only be seen by children with pure hearts, and long ago they helped save the land from a great darkness by giving a hero a sacred blade and a powerful golden light." Zelda remembered hearing this story from her father when she was young. "And because of this act, Hyrule started to have a festival in their honor every one hundred years when the moon turns black."
Link stared at the illustration for a few moments. "Then, why did we change the name, if they were so important?"
Zelda flipped five pages ahead. "Well, I don't know if this is the exact reason, but it says 500 years ago Hyrule was attacked by a powerful mage on the day of the festival. And after unsealing several great evils, this mage then turned the princess of that time to stone. Perhaps this mage had some ties to the Picori and the king back then wanted to bury anything to do with them."
"Like what happened to the Gerudo?" Link said putting his right hand on the table and leaning forward to get a better look at the text on the page.
"Yes, I think so." Zelda said grimacing, turning the page they continue reading, both not noticing that Links body was almost covering the princesses and that his face was very close to hers. Just as the princess was about to continue, the door to the library to their right slammed open, and in walked a man in his mid twenty's. Dressed in a white frilly shirt with the top four buttons undone to show off his muscled chest, brown pants and boots cover his bottom half, and long wavy blonde hair that reaches his back, covering most of his pointed ears so just the tips of them show, frames a hansom face with shining light green eyes and perfect sparkling white teeth.
"~Zelda, My Love~" He purrs in a sickly sweet voice, as his green eyes scan the room for his pre-I mean love, not noticing her behind the hero at first. "I have come to take you to a lovely candlelight dinner and then a fantastic night of dancing with me!" It is then that he sees her at the table, and Zelda realized at that moment how close she is to the man in green.
Zelda and Link stare back at him surprised at the sudden intrusion, so much so that they didn't move away from each other yet.
With his eyes narrowing into a look of rage the blonde man shouts with venom in his voice. "Unhand the princess you scoundrel!" He marches up to Link and grabs him by the front of his green tunic. "I don't know who you are, but I will not let some snake like you seduce and take advantage of my beautiful flower!"
Zelda is torn between slamming her head on the table in embarrassment or slamming his face into the table in rage and disgust. Standing up she tries to get him to release Link before the idiot gets himself killed. And she was having such a nice afternoon to.
"Florence! Release Link at once!"
Taken aback by the anger in her tone Florence's attention shifts to the princess. Still keeping a hold on Link, he tries to explain as if he's talking to a child. "Zelda my sweet. I was saving you from the clutches of this barbarian. I saw he had you pinned beneath him, if I didn't come when I did, he probably would have forced you to satisfy his sick desires!" He said giving Link a few shakes for good measure.
Zelda can feel the heat of rage start to fill her chest. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, so she doesn't shoot him with a light arrow, (no matter how tempting). Zelda said through gritted teeth. "Florence, this is my friend the Hero of Twilight, Link." She hoped dropping the title of 'Hero' would make him realize who he is threatening. "He was merely reading over my shoulder and not trying to take advantage of me. And even if he was attempting to seduce me, which he is not! That would be no concern of yours. As I have told you before, many times, we are not together."
Florence just shakes his head at her in disappointment, not getting the hint. "My flower, don't you see what he's doing? He's just getting close to you to use you. No man would be friends with a woman as lovely as you without trying to get her into his bed." He said not noticing the irony of his words.
Thinking this has gone on long enough Link decides to speak up. "Look, I don't know where you people keep getting all of this from, but I am not trying to get princess Zelda into my bed. Or court her. Despite popular belief, I am not in love with the princess. She is just a friend, and my heart is already set on someone else."
Florence just looks back at Link with more rage in his eyes. "You expect me to listen to the words of a mere peasant that doesn't know his place?! You might have saved us from those evil revolting creatures from the Twilight Realm, but I will not stand by as you do as you please!" Again, the irony was lost.
Silence takes over the room as Link narrows his now cold blue eyes. Zelda tries to get control of the situation before it can escalate further, because she just knows if Florence opens his fat mouth again, he will not make it out of this encounter uninjured. Link has been very vocal that the Twili were just as much victims of Zant as the people of Hyrule were. And that they should not be thought of as a race of pure evil. "Florence! I have told you before that the Twili are a mostly peaceful people, and it was the work of a rogue one that attacked the kingdom!"
Florence looked back at Zelda with a look that said she was crazy. "Zelda, my sweet, I know you want to see the good in everyone, and I love you for that. But those things are a bunch of monsters! That's why the goddesses locked them away in another dimension! They were abandoned and left to rot and honestly, they should be wiped out. So tha-!
*Crash!*
Faster than Zelda could react, Link grabbed one of Florence's arms, turned around, pulled him over his shoulder, and smashed him onto the table with such force it split in two and crashed to the floor in a flurry of papers and books along with the noble.
As he lays there dazed and in pain, Florence tries and wraps his head around what just happened. Opening his eyes Florence sees Link glaring down at him and coughs out. "Do-you have-any idea what you-just did! I am the eldest son of lord George Crowwing. When my father finds out that you attacked me it will be off with your he-!?
*Stab!*
Like lightning, Link pulled The Master Sword from the scabbard and stabbed it into the ground less than an inch from Florence's head. With the blade of evils bane being so close he can see his terrified face in the polished metal. Knelling down, Link's cold blue eyes glared daggers into Florence's petrified green ones.
"Let's get a few things straight." Link said in a voice that would freeze over hell. "I could not give any less of a Bokoblin's ass about who you or your father is. I don't even care if you call me all the worst names you can think of." He leaned down until he was a few inches away from his face. "But I will not stand for the Twili, or the Princess, to be insulted in my company. If I hear you call them, 'evil revolting creatures' or that 'they should be wiped out', or if you insult Zelda's intelligence again with your asinine comments, I will gut you like a Hylian bass. Are. We. Clear?"
Looking into eyes that look more like a feral wolfs then a mans. A terrified Florence can only squeak out his answer. "Yes!"
"Good." Link said grabbing his book from the floor and standing up. Pulling the Master Sword from the ground he slides it back into the scabbard as he turns around and heads to walk out of the library.
"I'll pay for that table, Zelda." Link said as he disappeared out the door.
Zelda takes a few moments to collect herself. It was a bit jarring to see Link act that way to something other than a monster. The last time she saw him like that was when he faced Ganondorf one on one after the king of thieves had killed Midna.
Walking over to the downed noble, Zelda tries vary hard not to smile and said. "I will send for someone to take you to the infirmary."
A pained grown was the only answer she received.
Spinning around on her heel Zelda walks out of the library to try and catch up to the fuming hero. "Well, at least I'm not bored anymore."
As the memory fades Zelda allows a small smile to come to her face. The aftermath of that little encounter wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Florence wanted Link in chains for what he did, but by the grace of the gods lord George is not as uptight as his eldest son. He was mad that someone attacked and threatened his child, but after Zelda explained the situation, he agreed that Florence was out of line. And that putting Link in chains was a bit much. So he had made Florence settle for the hero to be banned from the castle for two weeks. Zelda neglected to mention that Link would be going around to the temples then and would not be at the castle anyway.
Zelda takes another quick look over to Vaati as she takes off her crumb covered gloves before turning her eyes back to the sky. He has just finished his bread as well and is looking out into the nearly night sky as the torch lights start illuminating the plaza. The princess guesses it must be around 6:30, she should be getting back to the castle soon. However, she is presented with a unique opportunity as this man doesn't seem to know that she is the princess of Hyrule. So, she should use this chance to make a friend before he learns the truth of her lineage.
While she loves all the people of Hyrule and being their princess, Zelda can't deny that it has made it very hard to make some real friends. Aside from Impa, Zelda had no one she would call a friend when she was a child. Growing up Zelda lived a very sheltered life and was not allowed to associate with any other kids except the sons and daughters of noble families. Every one that Zelda has tried to befriend when she was a kid did so because she was the princess, and their parents wanted to be in good standing with the royal family. It wasn't until she had met Link and Midna that Zelda found people that liked her for herself and not her title.
Casting another look back at Vaati, Zelda considers the current situation. While it is very likely he knows who she is and is just pretending not to for some reason she can't think of. However, if he is telling the truth and doesn't know then she might very well have a new friend by the end of the night, one that could treat her as a person rather than a princess, since Link still likes to keep to formalities, and she hasn't broken him out of it quite yet. So, she will operate under the assumption that he is being truthful, but prepared for if he is not.
"So, Vaati." Zelda said grabbing his attention. "I assume from your clothes that you are not from Hyrule. What brings you to our fair kingdom? And why were you half starved?"
A few minutes pass with Vaati just staring at her, blinking slowly not saying anything. Zelda uses her years of etiquette training to keep from fidgeting under his stare. Just when she thought he was not going to answer her, he opened his mouth.
"...I don't know."
Zelda raised an eyebrow at that answer. "You don't know? Are you by chance lost? Do you have anybody looking for you?"
"I don't know." Vaati said again looking down at the ground, his brows creased in confusion.
Tilting her head to the side, Zelda asks in her most disarming voice that she can manage. "Well, what do you know?"
Opening and closing his mouth a few times not saying anything Vaati continues to stare at the ground. "You won't believe me. It's too crazy."
Zelda puts a hand on Vaati's shoulder. "I have seen my fair share of crazy in my life. Don't be so quick to assume."
Vaati looks back to Zelda, apprehension all over his face before he takes a deep breath and lets it out.
"I don't remember anything about myself."
Zelda is proud that the surprise she is feeling does not show in her face beyond the widening of her eyes as she removes her hand. "So, you are saying you have amnesia?"
Vaati shrugs his shoulders. "I honestly don't know. I woke up in a cave with a massive headache, then made my way here when I saw the castle, thinking someone might know me. But so far Nothing."
"You are awfully calm for someone who has lost their memory." Zelda said raising an eyebrow.
Vaati gains a bashful smile on his face. "Well, I may have worried a little bit before I made it into town."
Three hours ago, south Hyrule field.
Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Vaati yelled as he ran around freaking out after his headache went away and he could think clearly.
"What am I going to do!? What am I going to do!? I can't remember anything! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Just a tiny bit, I assure you." Vaati said coughing into his fist.
Zelda doesn't believe that, but she won't press the issue out of respect for his privacy.
"So, you don't remember anything about yourself, but you remembered your name?"
Vaati looks away scratching his cheek. "Yeah, so far that's the only thing to come back to me. I know what you are going to say, that it's too convenient for me to know my name and not anything else. And you would never believe me with a sob story this stupid. I have already heard that six times today. So can we skip to the part where-"
"I believe you." Zelda simply stated.
"Wha?!" Vaati said snapping his head back around.
"I believe you." Zelda repeated.
"Just like that?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yup."
"But I could be lying and just trying to trick you!"
"Are you?"
"No!"
"Then what is the problem?"
"You don't have any proof that I'm telling the truth!"
"I don't have any proof that you are lying to me either."
"Shouldn't my stupid story be proof enough?!"
Zelda puts a finger to her chin in thought. "Tell you what. If it turns out that you are indeed lying to me, I'll just melt your brain." She said it like one might say the sky is blue.
Vaati leans away from her a little bit.
"...Can you do that?" He asks, but kind of doesn't want to know the answer.
Zelda shrugs. "I don't know, I've never tried it. But if you are lying to me, I guess we will find out, wont we." She said with a finger on her chin.
"Well, I'm not lying." Vaati said shuddering.
"Good. I would hate for our new friendship to begin with lying and brain melting." Zelda says nodding her head.
Both of Vaati's eyebrows raise. "Were friends?"
Zelda's face gains a light shade a red. "Forgive me, was that too presumptuous? I must admit I don't have much experience in making friends. I hope I did not offend you."
Vaati quickly waves his hands in between them. "Oh no, no. It's fine, I did not mean anything bad by it. I just didn't think you would want to be my friend."
Zelda raises an eyebrow. "Why is that? Accidental flirtations and amnesia aside, you seem like a perfectly decent guy."
Vaati opens his mouth then closes it. "I don't really have a reason why." He said running a hand through his hair.
Zelda puts her ungloved hand out in between them with a small smile. "Well then, Vaati, shall we shake and officially begin our new friendship?"
'Success!'
Vaati lets out a slight chuckle. "You know, you are very formal for just making a friend."
"Is that a bad thing?" Zelda said not losing her smile.
With a smile of his own, Vaati grabs Zelda's bare hand, giving her an odd jolt up her arm that goes barely noticed by the princess, and gives a firm shake.
"No, that is just fine."
The pale ethereal light of the full moon reflects off his polished armor and great axe that sits dug into the ground next to him. The dark holes in his helmet stare out onto the vast planes of west Hyrule field in the direction of the castle, the spires silhouetted against the celestial body, and the bustling town at its base. He can feel the power of darkness inside of him start to become restless as the faint sound of a clocks bell drifts on the wind to him signaling the time is 7 o'clock.
"It is time to begin." His deep voice rumbles from inside the helmet as the orange skull insignia on his chest starts to shine with an other worldly light as he lifts his left hand.
"Procession of the damned!" He said, his voice seeming to boom across the field.
The shadow sitting at his feet turns a darker shade of black and starts to spread out Infront of him in a fan shape. Stopping ten feet away from him, a dozen black shapes start to rise from the shadow, like they were rising up from a pond of water.
When they reached seven feet high the shadows started to cascade down their body's. With the spell done his shadow recedes back to its normal shape, and he drops his hand back to his side. The shadows then finish falling from the creatures he has summoned. Six of them stand at seven feet tall with rotted and decayed flesh that peeks out from the parts of their body's not covered by soiled cloth wrappings. Their rusted and blood stained great swords, partly covered in wrappings with jagged edges ready to rip into the flesh of the living, rest in a relaxed grip at their feet.
Gold shoulder and chest plates cover the last six. The light from the moon glinting off white bone and the sharp steel of their swords and shields. Red dots blaze with a hunger inside the heads of all twelve of them.
Looking over the Redeads and Stolfos he summoned, he reaches over for his great axe that stands a foot shorter than him. Lifting it onto his shoulder with one hand he gives them their orders.
"The Princess of Light and the Hero of Twilight are mine. Kill everyone else, no one is to escape!"
A chorus of shrieks pierces the night air as the shadows at their feet turn a darker shade of black and start to stretch out in a fan shape.
Turning his head back to the city in the distance as more and more dead begin to rise, eager for the slaughter, he sees a group of knights have just left and are making their way to him. As he prepares himself for the coming fight, he can feel his excitement grow. It has been too long since he has had a good solo fight. Not since the Hero of the Oracles killed him. He's excited to see what this Hero of Twilight is capable of.
"Tonight, we will raze the kingdom of the golden trinity to the ground!"
An hour passed with Zelda informing Vaati of the kingdom he is in, the rulers, and the events that transpired the pass year (with a few details omitted of course).
Vaati takes a few minutes to digest the information that was just dumped on him.
"Ok." He says crossing his arms and nodding his head. "I think I got it; this is Castle Town, the capital of the kingdom of Hyrule. Ruled by the royal family, the princess Victoria, to be exact. And last year you guys were invaded by a country from another dimension, which I'm still having a hard time processing by the way, but then saved by a hero chosen by your gods. Which is the almost more unbelievable part, strangely enough."
"That is correct. And I know it's all difficult to believe, but it is all true." Zelda said with a laugh. So far, she has been finding it strangely easy to speak to Vaati. There is none of that awkward feeling of getting to know someone for the first time.
'I wonder if it has something to do with him not having any memories?' She thinks. Zelda looks to the full moon and guesses the time must be about 7:30. She has to be getting back to the castle very soon, but there is one thing she needs to confirm if she is going to help him.
"Vaati." Zelda said grabbing his attention. "I would like to help you try and recover your memory."
Eyes widening in surprise he works quickly to recover his composure. "Really?!" Vaati said with a wide smile. Grabbing both of her hands in his he shakes them up and down. "Oh, thank you Zelda, I don't know how I ever can repay you!"
"But I have not done anything yet?" Zelda said allowing him to shake her arms, confused at his sudden gratitude.
Releasing her hands Vaati shakes his head. "You believed my crazy story when you have every reason not to. And you want to help me, that means a lot to me, so thank you!" He said with the most sincere smile on his face that Zelda felt her own cheeks gain some heat in them.
Coughing into her fist she tries to get the conversation back on topic. "Well, to try and help you I will first need to determine if the case of your condition was physical or mental trauma. Or perhaps a magical spell or curse."
"Ok, so how do we do that?" Vaati said visibly eager to get some answers.
"Well, I don't have any method with me to figure out the other ones, but I can see about the physical trauma." Zelda said the little lie with some guilt. While technically untrue that she has no method, Zelda doubts Vaati will just let her go poking around inside of his head so soon. "If you could remove your hat please."
"Ok, but why?" He said in confusion putting his hands on his hat covered head.
"So that I might inspect your head for possible wounds."
"Oh, ok." He said. With some slight hesitation, Vaati takes the hat off his mop of purple hair as he gives his head a few shakes and tucks the strands covering his eye behind his ear.
'He seems very attached to his hat.' Zelda notes before standing up and walking Infront of him. "Sometimes when the head suffers physical trauma it can damage the part of the brain that holds memory, so I am going to run my fingers over your head, let me know if you feel any kind of discomfort or pain. It will help to figure out what happened to you."
"Ok." Vaati said both black eyes lit up with hope.
With his agreement Zelda gently placed both of her hands on his head and slowly moved them through his hair.
'Hmm, his hair is very soft.' Zelda thinks. After a few moments of silence and no reaction from Vaati, she then pulls her hands away and takes a step back.
"So did you feel anything?"
"Aside from your fingers, no, nothing."
Zelda places a hand to her chin in thought. "Unfortunate, it seems like your amnesia was the result of something else. I will need a bit of time to do some research into what kind of magic or curses can cause this."
"I hope you don't take offence from this, but you seem very smart." Vaati said, his black eyes staring into Zelda's blue ones as he puts back on his hat.
Zelda lets out a slight chuckle. "No offence taken; I was well educated as a child."
"Oh really? Do all commoners in Hyrule have such good education?"
'Not yet, but they will if I have anything to say about it.' Zelda stands up straighter and holds her hands behind her back. She should tell him who she is before he hears about it from someone else. 'He was completely honest with me from the start, it's the least I can do, hopefully he still treats me the same. It's nice, just talking to someone.'
"No, they do not." Vaati's brow raised in a silent inquiry at Zelda's answer. "I'm not a commoner, I am something of a noble. The truth is I-"
"Princess Zelda!" In a Flash of white light that blind the two for a moment, appear Impa and two other members of the Sheikah clan, dressed in dark blue body armor and a white tunic with the red Sheikah eye on the chest. The one on Impa's right had his white hair tide up in a bun on top of his head, the other one on her left had his hair in a ponytail going down his back. The two then fall to their knees as Impa steps forth.
"Princess Zelda?" Vaati says to himself, but Zelda can't pay him any mind at the moment.
Turning to face her guardian, Zelda slips back into the role of a princess. "Impa, what's the matter?"
Eyeing the man on the fountain for a brief moment, the Sheikah woman then focuses her full attention on Zelda. "Princess it's an emergency! We have just gotten word of an army of undead on west Hyrule field. And they are heading this way!"
"What!" Zelda exclaimed in shock and dread. "How long ago!? How many!?" She said snapping into action.
"Unconfirmed. The battalion of ten men we sent out was attacked and only three made it back."
"Mobilize the knights, set up a perimeter Infront of all the town gates, get me commander Ashei and sound the invasion alarm!"
"Already done, commander Ashei is waiting for you on the west wall and the alarm should sound right about."
BRRRRWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
"Now." Impa said with a smirk as people begin to rush back to their homes.
"Impa, you're a woman after my own heart. Let us not keep the commander waiting." Zelda said with a shake of her head and a smirk of her own. Right before she was going to walk off, Zelda remembered her new friend.
Turning back to face him she takes in his look of absolute shock. Taking a step back to him Zelda puts a hand on his shoulder. "I hate to do this, but I will need to put recovering your memories on hold. I hope you will not hold it against me."
Quickly shaking his head side to side Vaati stammers out. "O-of course n-not your hi-"
Zelda raises a hand cutting him off. "Please, Vaati, just call me by my name. And I would like for you not to treat me any differently just because I'm the princess, as a request from your friend." She said with a smile.
Nodding his head Vaati looks a little relived. "Sure thing Zelda, I can do that." He then gains a confused look on his face. "I thought you said that the princess was Victoria?"
"That is my name, 'Zelda Victoria Hyrule.' I apologize for deceiving you earlier."
Vaati's eyes widen in understanding. "Oh. That makes sense. Don't worry about it."
Stepping away from him with an amused smile Zelda turns back to her three guards. (She ignores Impa's all too amused look.) "Robert, this is my new friend Vaati. Please take him to Telma's bar and get a room for him, and let her know that the royal family will cover the payment."
"Yes, princess Zelda." Said the one with the ponytail. He then stood up and bowed to Zelda before moving behind her and motioning for Vaati to follow him down the street.
Standing up Vaati shakes his head. "Zelda, you don't have to do that. I can figure something out."
"Do you have any money?" Zelda said.
"Well, no" Vaati said in defeat.
"Then let me at least pay for a room for you for one night, we can figure out your situation later."
"Fine, I get the feeling I won't win an argument with you anyway." Vaati said beginning to walk toward Robert and follow him down the path, before turning around saying to the princess. "Be careful Zelda. I may not remember anything, but I'm pretty sure the undead is a bad thing."
"Thank you for your concern Vaati, rest assured I will be safe. I might even find out if I can indeed melt brains." Zelda said with a smirk.
Vaati just shakes his head and walks down the path leading to south castle town.
Turning back around Zelda prepares to endure the teasing from Impa that was sure to come.
With a smirk on her face Impa locks her eyes on Vaati's back as he rounds a corner.
"He's kind of cute." Was all she said.
Zelda sighs. "We are just friends, Impa. I had only met him an hour ago."
"Still kind of cute." Impa said with a shrug.
"Would you like to ask him out to dinner then." Zelda said motioning to the direction Vaati went.
"No, no, I'll leave that to you. But what's this about not remembering?"
"I will tell you on the way, we have kept commander Ashei long enough." The three then left for the west side wall, and the army of the undead that awaits them.
Thick clouds begin to cover the full moon, hiding its light as they approached the wall. Impa lets out a long whistle after Zelda gets done with her explanation about Vaati and his condition.
"Well, that is quite the story." Impa said as the pair stop to let two knights pulling a cart full of bombs cross the path Infront of them.
"I know what you are going to say. "I mean no disrespect princess, but his story sounds like a load of horse shit." Rest assured; I have already considered the possibility that he is lying to me." Zelda said, as her and Impa walk into the interior of the west wall and starting up the steps. The third member of their little group, Lewis, had gone back to the castle to get the princess's sword upon her request.
"But you still want to help him." Impa stated.
Zelda nodded her head. "I believe him. And I would like to help him If I am able to."
"I see." Impa said as they come to the top of the stairs and stop at the door. Looking to her right Impa's red eyes stare into Zelda's blue ones. "If you are going to help him, I would like to be present. While you may trust him somewhat, I do not."
Not breaking the stare Zelda replies. "Fair enough, I know you won't budge on this. We can talk more after we deal with this crisis."
"Right." Impa said grabbing the handle before turning back to the princess. "You know, I didn't think your friends could get any stranger then a princess from another dimension and a hero that can turn into a wolf. Which I still don't fully buy, by the way."
"Well maybe I just have a talent for finding strange people." Zelda said as Impa opens the door and they step through it.
"That's one word for it." Impa mutters under her breath and Zelda chooses to not hear her.
Coming out onto the top of the wall, Zelda looks around to get some bearings. With the full moon and stars hidden behind the clouds, the only sources of light were the torches that lined the edge. The wall that surrounds castle town is about forty feet high and thirty feet wide, with a watchtower every forty feet across it. Several dozen knights were rushing back and forth, some carrying quivers full of arrows, others with bags full of bombes, and the rest with swords and spears. Zelda spots the woman she is looking for standing about twenty feet away amidst the sea of bodies.
As she and Impa approach Ashei, they can see her with a hawkeye on her face and her full attention on the field, head moving slowly from side to side as her fingers move the dial up and down surveying the enemy. When they get over to her Ashei speaks while not taking her focus off the monsters. "You two sure kept me waiting. I was starting to think you were going to let me have all the fun."
"My apologies commander, but I had a matter that needed settling real quick." Zelda said looking out onto the plane. "So, how many are we dealing with?"
Ashei takes the hawkeye off her face and hands it to Zelda. "Have a look." She said, tone deadly serious.
The princess places the device over her eyes as Ashei grabs a bow and arrow with a bomb attached from a passing knight.
"If you would please." She said holding the arrow out to Zelda, who snaps her fingers over the fuse and a red and orange flame lights it up. As Ashei pulls back the bow string, Zelda adjusts the vision for mid range. When the commander lets lose the arrow it streaks through the black sky. When the arrow reaches a few miles out it explodes and in that few seconds of light, Zelda can feel her heart drop into her stomach.
Slowly making their way to the town are hundreds of Redeads and Stolfos.
"Before the moon was blocked, I had counted to the upper nine hundreds when you two came." Ashei said looking back to her princess. "What are your orders?"
Zelda takes off the hawkeye and hands it back to the commander as she tries to come up with a plan. 'Ok, just calm down and think. The undead can't survive in sunlight, but it won't be daybreak for many hours, so we can't count on the sun. They are weak to magical weapons, light magic and explosions, but we don't have many mages that know combat magic, and we have only just started to mine the ore we need for the weapons. So, it looks like we will need to rely on our supply of bombs and my magical abilities.' Zelda puts her right hand on her chin in thought.
"What are our numbers?" Zelda asked.
"We have about five hundred knights within the town, the rest that survived the twilight invasion are out protecting the other villages of the kingdom. And we've yet to recruit more soldiers." Ashei replied.
"And bombs?" Zelda said getting an idea.
"Around three thousand." Ashei said wondering what the princess has in store this time.
Impa was in the same boat. "You have a plan?" She said.
"Possibly." Zelda said turning around and heading back to the stairs as the other two follow. As they start down them she continues. "That many undead takes a lot of mana to summon. So, if our attacker went to all that trouble, they are likely leading the attack. So, we shall bombard them to thin their ranks, at the same time I will lead an assault to draw out their leader. Hopefully with their death, the rest of them go as well."
"And if your wrong?" Ashie asked.
Stopping for a moment Zelda turns back to the two.
"Then may the golden goddesses, have mercy on us all."
Reaching the ground floor and walking out of the wall, Zelda sees Lewis has made it back with her sword. Taking it from him she dismisses him to go get ready before Zelda turns back to the two. "Commander, send a messenger hawk to the other knight captains, let them know that Hyrule is under attack again, and that their orders are to protect the people. Then prepare the knights we have here with the bombs. I want the top of the wall lined with archers, one every ten feet, when we begin the attack, I want them to provide cover fire and to keep them from overwhelming us. We must not let the undead get any closer!"
Ashei bowed. "Understood, your highness." She said then left to fulfill the princess's orders.
Looking to Impa Zelda said. "Impa you are with me; we are going to lead the assault." Turning around, Zelda and Impa head over to a knight handing out weapons and gear.
"Princess Zelda, I do not think you should participate in the battle." Impa said as Zelda handed her sword to the Sheikah woman, then took two steel arm guards from the knight and was strapping them to herself.
Zelda sighed as she slipped a chest plate over her head. "Impa, I know you still feel guilty about being away from me when Zant attacked the kingdom. But I need to do this."
"I never should have gone on such a wild cucco chase!" She spat out, guilt taking over her features. "I was an idiot to think such an important relic would be sold at a random black market. Especially in the kingdom of Wayaway!"
"But Impa, if even the smallest chance that the Ocarina of Time was at the market, it was important that you retrieved it." She then puts a hand on Impa's shoulder. "We cannot let such a powerful item remain lost out in the world for goddesses know who to find. And if you are an idiot, then so am I, because I believed it was there as well. We could not have known it was a fake at the time."
Zelda then removes her hand and stands straight. "I understand you only want to keep me safe, however I must join this fight. With Link away are ability to deal with the undead is significantly diminished, and being the only one who can use any kind of light magic, my presence on the battlefield is needed."
Impa lets out a sigh of resignation. "I am aware." She then gains a serious look on her face. "But princess, this attack is too convenient. Hundreds of high level undead monsters attack Hyrule's capital the very night the hero leaves on a quest to who knows where. I am certain that their goal is you and you're Triforce piece, your highness."
"I have considered that Impa, and it's all the more reason for me to fight." Zelda said looking herself over as she slips on a new pair of white leather gloves. With so little time the princess can't go back to the castle and change into her armor, so she will have to make do with the chest plate and arm guards. Zelda taps her foot a few times on the ground, the flats she has on will have to be good enough, she thanks the gods that she decided not to where her heels today, however there is the skirt of her dress, which is only an inch off the ground.
Zelda reaches for a dagger from the cart. "If they are after me, it is better that I am front and center. That way their focus is not on the city." She then turns back to her guardian, and the closest thing she has to an older sister, and holds the dagger out. "And I know with you by my side I will be just fine out there. Now would you be so kind as to cut my skirt off three inches above my calf please."
Exchanging weapons Impa said. "I am glad you have such confidence in me, I hope to live up to your expectations." She then kneels down to get to work as Zelda straps the sword to her waist. After Impa stands back up Zelda takes a few steps to get a feel for the new length, satisfied Zelda heads to the gate. With Impa close behind her.
Coming out onto the grassy field, Zelda can see many knights rushing to get into position. And standing near the front line, towering above them all with his stone like face set in a determined scowl, and with a massive hammer bearing the goron symbol in his right hand resting on his shoulder, is someone she did not expect. She makes her way over while Impa goes to confirm with Ashei.
"Sir Darbus." Zelda greeted coming to stand beside the goron patriarch, as they both gaze out onto the field. "I see you are going to join us in this battle."
"Correct, tiny princess." Darbus said lifting his hammer up and giving a few test swings. "I just wish I had more help to give then five other Gorons and myself. Wish I had brought my son, Dongoro, and the guard detail that Gor-Coron wanted me to take with me. They would have been a huge help. This looks like it will be a hard fight."
"Don't worry about it, we appreciate all the help we can get." Zelda said. Looking around she can see some of the other leaders helping out, prince Ralis and sir Renado are helping out with the medical team, and sir Auru is barking orders and directing knights into position. Looking back to the field the princess takes a moment to study the enemy. From what she can see with the moon covered, they are about twenty miles out and moving slowly, their red eyes burn in the dark like a thousand torches and their silhouettes roiling like a black ocean.
'I wonder if this is what the prophecy meant by "the Dark tide."
"Princess Zelda, we are ready." Impa said coming up to the two, shaking Zelda from her thoughts, face a mask of stone and sword already drawn.
"Then, let us begin." Zelda said walking to the front of the knight's with Impa.
Taking a deep breath, the princess faces the knights and shouts in a loud clear voice.
"Soldiers of Hyrule! It is with a heavy heart I stand before you this evening. For as you can see, a horde of monsters are moving to lay siege to our kingdom, there goals are as of yet unclear, but they most likely seek the destruction of Hyrule and its people! They attack us now believing that Hyrule is weak because the Hero of Twilight is away from the capitol!" A few looks of concern are shared between some of the knights at the last part.
"But they are mistaken!" Zelda voice booms as she places her hand on her sword. It's now or never, and they, she, can't fail. "Even without the hero Link, we will not cower before this foe, will we!?"
"NO, PRINCESS ZELDA!" Booms the knights of Hyrule.
"Precisely! We will fight to protect our home and our loved ones from those who seek their deaths! We will show these villains that the might of Hyrule lies not just in the hero, but in every man, woman, and child that calls our kingdom home! And if we should fall this night, we will meet the goddesses with our heads held high and our hearts true!"
Spinning around to face the approaching horde, Zelda's grip tightens on the hilt of her sword. "Now what will we do!
"WE WILL PROTECT OUR KINGDOM AND OUR LOVED ONES!" The knight's voices booms into the cold night air as the sound a steel on leather reaches the princess's ears as the knights free their weapons.
Zelda takes a deep breath and shouts as she pulls her sword from the scabbard. "Then charge! For the people of Hyrule and the goddesses!"
"FOR THE PEOPLE OF HYRULE AND THE GODDESSES!" The knights call as they start running to clash with their foe.
Seeing the fresh meat coming to them, the monsters let out a roar and start moving faster than Zelda was expecting them capable of.
Like cracks of thunder across the stormy sky the sound of hundreds of boots slamming into the ground nearly makes the princess deaf enough to miss Ashei giving the order to fire the bomb arrows. And similar to hundreds of shooting stars, red light streaks race across the black sky before descending and unleashing their wrath upon the furthest undead.
Within the city many knights and people rush back and forth passing the entrance to a small side street. It will not be until daybreak that someone notices him lying there. Won't be until the sun's rays warm the land once again, that someone will find the man with his long white hair pulled into a ponytail, laying on his back in a growing pool of his own blood, with a giant hole in his chest where his heart once was.
And that will do it for this chapter.
Leave a review and let me know how you liked the chapter.
And join us next time for.
Chapter 8: Alls fair in love and war.