Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter of…

"A Hero's Dream"!

A Happy Early Christmas! Or Hanukkah! Or whatever the people who read this celebrate this time of year!

I hope this time of year finds you well, as you celebrate with all of your friends and family!

I would also like to thank all of my readers, and wish them Happy Holidays, as we dive right in.

With nothing else to talk about, on to the reviews, and then the story!

Machia: I'm glad I'm so timely with my uploads! Please enjoy this new chapter to the fullest!

Inheritance1990: I'm glad to see you thought it was interesting, I put a lot of work into it. I hope the battle in this chapter pulls it right to enjoyable for you!

Gojiradon: I'm sorry… I hope this chapter is a bit better about it but… it likely isn't. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Gojosin: He certainly has, but he's at least had two arms. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

darkmist111: Glad to hear you understood my analogy! Oh certainly, the Arachnae is heavily tied to the Scarlet Caves, or as we know now, Jorogumo's Tomb. I agree with you, slice of life is fun, but you guys came for Action and Adventure! So, here it is!

Dragonmaster150: I'm so glad you enjoyed the atmosphere! It was really hard to decide what Link should be doing and how to keep it creepy at the same time. Get ready, I have the boss music set up in the chapter, so I hope it adds to the atmosphere.

Awesomeguy246: I am glad you loved the last chapter, though I am sorry to say that Links Arsenal is still a little bit away, as explained in this chapter. Despite that, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

celian Cogiture: Thank you so much for the praise! I hope this chapter is just as good as the last! I love your theory, it's so fun to know all the answers and have people guess about how it's going to go! I won't tell you if you're right or not, so keep guessing!

Nai-su: I will take it with a glove on my friend! Hope you enjoy this one!

Lord Darkrai: Glad your looking forward to it, and hope you enjoy it!

alexkellar: At this point, it's just fate. Even if he stands still, a hole will open under him and transport him to the next dungeon. Hope you enjoy!

HadesKillz: Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy this Chapter, and the Epic battle that takes place!

Guest: Thanks! I hope you keep reading it!

With that, let's get on to the story.

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Zelda

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Chapter 13: Hide and Seek

The horrid sound of steel cutting and shattering bone filled the cave, ringing in my ears as eight scarlet eyes winced in pain. The horrid screech that came after did so as well, as I grit my teeth to avoid covering my ears. But in between those horrid moments of echoing sound, I still couldn't see anything in the shadowed cavern I now knew to be Jurogumo's Tomb.

But I didn't need to see to know my blade only cut so deep, feeling my arm shake from the rebound of my strike. I had struck as close as possible to the only thing that I could see within this cave, the eyes that usually gave a vulnerable point to strike. The glow of the Master Sword, held firmly in my hands, revealed my thoughts to be true.

I hadn't struck anywhere near its head. Rather, I was stopped by the natural crown-like bone atop it's head, as a small crack, the only sign of my strike, formed upon it.

I glared, pulling back my blade, as the creature rose it's body up while clicking its unseen teeth. I saw something drip down with my only light, a horrible odor reaching my nose as I tried to get the basic idea of how large this creature was. The shadows within the cave were an impenetrable cloak for it though, as I couldn't get a grasp on even its basic shape due to how little light there was. I couldn't tell where to strike, and when I did, it would likely already get out of the way before any strike could connect.

But the eyes were close to the ground, meaning its body was likely just as low, even as it moved silently back and forth. Another fact that had disturbed me about this creature….

It wasn't making a sound.

It slowly circled me, as I kept my blade in front of me, preparing for any type of attack it would give. Yet, no matter how quickly it moved, I couldn't hear even the barest brush of its feet on stone. Nothing was echoing within the cave, even as the eight eyed creature (a spider?) moved gracefully around the pond. The only sound I heard was the occasional spine tingling sound of clicking teeth, as it waited in anticipation.

What was this thin-

I felt something strike my blade, a streak white in front of my eyes as the powerful strike almost wrenched it out of my hands. My hands shook at the attack, the incredible clang of bone against steel echoing across the cavern. As soon as it did, the eyes exploded forward, a foul stench entering my nose as I saw wet, glistening fangs entering my sight.

My eyes widened as I scrambled back, fangs gnashing and clicking as they furiously attempted to pierce my flesh. All as each fang dripped with a fluid that was no doubt a form of venom or poison that the creature naturally had.

Having no desire to be bitten, I dived into my item pouch and pulled out my shield, trying to block the attack even with a broken arm. Better than dying from poison, and certainly better than letting this creature get the best of me.

But nothing showed up, as a headache formed.

My eyes widened as time slowed, in the middle of another step backwards, as the water of the pond behind me crawled up my leg. I tried again to pull out my shield, defending myself from the attack that was so close to striking me.

Nothing. Merely a headache as my shield spun in a nonexistent space.

It was only instinct that saved me from whatever vile poison it attempted to fill me with. Instead of attempting to keep my balance like any warrior should, I fell back and plunged myself into the water. Quickly submerging myself, I felt it's presence above me, as I could see it's eyes stare down beneath the water, preparing another attack.

Before it could attempt to bite me though, I pulled my blade towards my chest, letting the pommel rest against my chest. The blade easily breached the water, as I swore the creature glared at me beneath the still water.

Before I felt something on my left arm, wrapping around my entire upper arm and pulling me up above the water. I glared up at the creature, feeling whatever it held me with tighten its grip, as something else grabbed me by the leg. As it pulled me closer, I decided to take a chance and stab forward, feeling my blade strike something and sink deeply into exposed flesh.

I heard a screech as it glared down at me, throwing me across the water, as I spun in the air, feeling myself fly through an abyss of darkness. I was lucky, as it didn't throw me farther than the shore, feeling the cold water cushion my fall before stopping me just on the water's edge. I shook my head, clearing the water out of my face before I saw it's eight red eyes glow with hatred, its gaze pointed directly at me.

I kept an eye on the creature as I stood, my body heavy with the amount of water absorbed into my clothes. My mind was racing as I focused on my item pouch again, trying to access my shield, my Magic Rods, anything that could give me a chance.

But they were still locked behind a wave of nausea, spinning a churning in a different reality. But that didn't make sense! I was able to pull items out of it before, so why couldn't I now!?

Quickly, I tried again as the creature glared at me from across the pond, a strange sound reaching my ear as they did. The sound of wet paper, repeatedly slapping against a solid surface, which I ignored to instead focus on my arsenal. My boots, my tunics, my shield, my weapons, my hookshots, nothing was coming out. And since I put the crossbow in, I couldn't even have that an-

Something solid fell onto the ground, the harsh sound of steel against stone cratering my ears. I blinked, letting my eyes leave the creature in front of me to look down at what had fallen before me.

It was the blue crossbow, Ryoshin. The very same crossbow I had placed in my bag only moments before.

"Wha-?" I felt myself uttering before I could even hold back my voice, as I reached down towards my only ranged weapon. "How did…"

As a test, I put the crossbow back with a thought, and focused on the storage in my head, looking for the long lost gift the Princess had given. It didn't take long to find though, as although everything else was spinning in a sickening dance, Ryoshin stayed perfectly still, along with the jewel-like pellets it came with. Even the strange badges and the book I had grabbed stayed perfectly still in their pile, as everything else spun and lurched in invisible space.

I couldn't help but sigh in frustration, feeling my eyebrows furrow as I glared at the creature across the pond. If the pouch still worked, why couldn't I pull out my items?!

Maybe it was because they were anchored in a separate dimension? There was something similar going on when I left the Temple of Time.

There was always a gate back when going to the Dark World, so there was always a connection to Hyrule. That's probably why I was lucky enough to not go through this.

That could be I-!

I felt my heart lurch as I turned around, searching for the source of the voices I had just heard. That… that wasn't my imagination right?

Was there someone else here?

But the longer I kept my ears open, the longer the sound of nothing seemed to endlessly echo in them, my blood pulsing through my veins. I could feel the chill force my skin to rise, feeling a shiver go directly down my spine.

There was nothing to see. Nothing to hear because no one was there. I was just over thinking things, reacting to my own thoughts as if they were voices.

I turned back around, pushing back my thoughts and focusing on my enemy…

Only to realize that those scarlet eyes were nowhere to be seen.

I blinked as the world returned back to its dark abyss, nothing to see beyond the light of my blade. The sound of dripping water was my only company, but that was a lie as the chill forced itself up my back.

She was here.

I looked around, attempting to find those crimson eyes, my one possible hint at her location as she moved with unnatural silence in her home. But they were gone. The eight red eyes had disappeared, along with any sign of her attempts to attack me.

Yet, I could feel it. She was watching me, waiting for her perfect chance to strike, to destroy me just as her weaker brothers had constantly tried. The question was, how?

I kept myself on my toes, turning my body and using the only light source I had to try and find this creature. If she was the cause of the curse, then that meant that the hundreds of people that had gone missing… They were all killed by her.

All because of some fake rumor about a treasure.

I glared out at the darkness, focusing on finding the demon that was responsible for what could be centuries of torment. Yet nothing was here in this cave, only the sound of dripping water and darkness. Taking a step forward, I moved through the cave beginning my search f-

Thum…

I heard the unbelievably quiet sound once again, the same sound that greeted me as I took my first step into the Scarlet Caves. I froze, feeling a pressure on the small of my back increase, as I didn't dare move my leg. Within seconds, I could've sworn I felt it…

Something was breathing down my neck.

Without a second of hesitation, I rolled forward, hearing once again the gnashing of teeth as something took a bit out of the air. I stood myself back up, and looked towards the direction, attempting to see the creature that attacked me. But I couldn't see anything, not the crimson eyes I had once seen, not the shape of the creature, not even the teeth it kept trying to poison me with.

It wasn't there…

So why could I hear it clicking it's fangs in frustration?

I took a step forward, holding my blade out in front of me, ready to strike it once more. But, once again…

Thum…

I ducked when I heard the sound, feeling something clip my hat as I did, as I brought my sword to my body to protect my chest. It was a good choice, but channeled in the wrong direction as I felt something strong strike my right side. I gasped as I felt a powerful grip from it, as something dripped down my back, the disgusting slime taking its time to fall.

Without a moment's delay, I stabbed forward, aiming for where I assumed the arm connected to the body. Waiting for sound of my sword sinking into fle-

Klang!

I felt vibration penetrate my skull, as I stared at the sparks that had come off my strike, watching them fall to the ground like stars. I felt my eyes widen at the unexpected sound, as a ringing soon echoed in my head, the sound bouncing off the walls of the cave.

I was beyond confused. Had I struck a wall? What jus-

Shishishishi…

I blinked and stared at my strike, hearing the laugh grate against the back of my head, it's sound causing me to grit my teeth in discomfort.

Only for them to be grit in frustration, as something caught the glint of the Master Sword with ease.

Whatever this creature was, it was large. Not the largest I had seen, but certainly bigger than three Moblins standing on top of one another. With what little light I had, I still couldn't tell what it was, but I knew one thing…

It was smart. Smarter than any of the Grimm I had seen yet.

Covering its form, it's silver color making it easy to see even with such little light, was Skulltula silk. Thick layers of silk that clung to the monsters form, from its body all the way to what seemed to be its arms and legs. So thick in fact, that the stab I had made to its chest was completely ineffective, as not even a scratch could be seen against such armor.

It also told me that whatever this thing, despite the hand that had grabbed me, a giant spider. It didn't help that a second hand had grabbed my left arm, forcing it to my side, and twisting it unnaturally.

I grunted, losing feeling in my hand as my blade dropped to the ground, clattering in place as the slime from this creature trialed down my back. I attempted to resist, but this spider strong enough that such flailing didn't even phase it. Worse still…

Something was wrong with my back. More accurately, everything from the shoulders down was starting to… numb.

The feeling of the liquid gel coming from this creature slowly vanished, replaced by a lack of sensation. I tried to struggle harder, but they wouldn't move, too numb to even move a muscle.

I glared, trying to rip my arm out of the creature's grasp, gritting my teeth as my heart beat raced a mile a minute. But there was no use, as another arm, appearing from nowhere, suddenly grasped my arm. I flailed again, trying as hard as I could, but no matter what I did, I couldn't rip myself free.

It was getting harder to do so, as the numb tingling slowly spread to my chest, as I could feel my lungs work harder and harder to breathe. I felt my eyes widen, before glaring up at the creature, feeling it smirk down at me. It had caught me in its trap.

But I didn't care.

Gritting my teeth in preparation, I pulled my arm out it's sling, trying to pull out something, anything, from my item pouch! If my previous items didn't work then…

I felt a golf ball sized, black crystal enter my hands, as I struck down as hard as I could on the arms holding me in place. It wasn't much, but it would have to d-

I was deafened by a sickening shriek filling my head, as my arm connected with its own, my senses now filled with a dark colored light. I roared in pain as my now light sensitive eyes were blinded, my arm throbbing in unimaginable pain, tears quickly filling my eyes.

I was tossed like a rag doll not a second later, as my body fell harshly against the stone floor on my back, silently thanking the Goddesses that I was completely numb there. Disoriented, I shakily got myself up, rubbing my eyes as I took a glance around the room.

The room spun a little, as I had to brace myself against a wall to stand up fully straight, but I was sure of what I saw.

In the light of the Master Sword at its feet, the creature was flailing around in pain. Long, thick, hairy legs soundlessly shook in the air, as the silver silk armor on them shattered the cave walls it came in contact with.

All while holding the snapped wrist on one of its three fingered hands, cradling it in pain.

I raised a brow, confused as I watched the scene with blurry eyes, shaking my head in hopes of clearing the splotches in my sight. I looked down at my broken hand, feeling a throbbing ache as I moved it…

As gray dust drifted off of my fingers, the jeweled orb nowhere to be seen in my grasp.

A Magic Pellet? Did… did it amplify my strike?

I let that sink in as I looked to my sword, the Grimm still reacting to its sudden pain as well as a child might. Was it not used to pain? With how many people it has faced before, I thought it would've attacked me by now, despite the pain.

Before it could, I stood myself up and grabbed my sword, feeling it's comforting weight once more in my hands. Backing away from the creature, I looked down at the blade, contemplating something in my head..

Before sheathing it on my back, the dark recesses of the cave finally disappeared from my sight, as I took a deep breath. Without another word and barely a thought, I pulled out Ryoshin and set it on the ground, stepping into the stirrup and pulling back as hard as I could with one hand. It was a lot heavier than I thought it would be, definitely more than 175 pounds of draw weight, but with the stirrup it was much easier to pull. Definitely heavier than my Bow though, which had a 130 draw weight, so this was definitely a powerful weapon.

This creature wasn't affected by the very presence of my sword like the other Grimm, and I couldn't cut it with my sword alone. It's spider silk armor was too thick, and strong to get past, not to mention the strength of the creatures hide in general. But…

I pulled out another of the jewels from my pouch, loading the dull yellow stone onto the crossbow and aiming it to where I last saw the creature.

If these pellets could do that much damage with a strike from a broken arm, how much could they do with a crossbow as heavy as this?

Everything returned to silence, only my own ragged breath meeting my ears in the endless darkness below. I couldn't hear the creature anymore, it's clicks and shrieks disappearing with every second ticking by. My finger twitched on the trigger of Ryoshin, waiting for the perfect moment to strike the downed creature.

I could see it just beyond my sight, still writhing in pain as it cut deeply into the walls. It was slowly getting up, glaring in my direction, as I p-

I felt my muscles stiffen up, freezing just as I was about to completely pull the trigger back.

I… I could see it?

The creature took its chance though, as it backed up into the shadows and disappeared from my vision. Not a sound was heard as it moved, and it's crimson eyes were nowhere to be seen.

But the floor and the area around where the creature once was? I could see them perfectly. Perfectly in a dull red light as the wall slowly… crumbled off, like flecks of thick paint.

I put away Ryoshin, feeling it's weight suddenly disappear from my hands, an eyebrow raised as I walked forward. I kept my ears open for any sign of the creature, knowing full well I couldn't hear it if I tried. Still, standing in the glow allowed me a little light, so I might get a glance.

Moving quickly, I grabbed one of the strange flecks, examining it as I kept an eye and ear out. It was… strange to say the least. The material was rock, it felt and looked like it in such dull light, but… it wasn't either.

I turned it in my hands, the dark substance making way for a bright, and familiar, silver material. I raised a brow, looking toward the wall squinting to look through the red light as best I could. I had watched the Grimm destroy parts of the wall with ease, so I had expected more rocks behind the thick cave walls.

Instead, I found thousands of spun spider silk, dirty and filled with loose stones and gravel. It must've been hundreds of layers of silk, with just as many layers of the dirt and gravel, as something glowed behind those layers.

The walls weren't stone. They weren't even natural!

As I stared at the wall, I remembered something the Princess had written in her journal that had struck me as odd at first.

"She's afraid, I don't know how it is possible, but I feel it. She wouldn't do this if she wasn't, she wouldn't have changed this cave into her lair otherwise."

She was right. For whatever reason, this creature was afraid. Afraid enough to cover the walls with her own webbing, as if to try and hide something. What, I wasn't sure… but I had an idea.

Without a word, I unsheathed my blade and struck the wall as hard as I could, trying to cut through some of the webs. It was for nothing though, as after a couple of swings, it was clear I wasn't getting through the web anytime soon. Not if the shower of sparks had anything to say about it.

I took a deep breath, glaring at the wall as I glanced behind me, making sure I wasn't being attacked. I sighed in relief before turning back, wishing I had my bombs on me to take care of this.

Did I have to get the Grimm to take out the walls? She seemed to be the only one capable of destroying the webs that were in my way. If I had some fire, that also could help, but I already used my last Flame Seed at Ravens camp.

…wait… that red spice that I had grabbed…

Without another word, I sheathed my blade and closed my hand around the appearing red orb, studying it for only a second. Moving quickly before I could be attacked, I brought it closer to the web, matching the dull light the both of them gave off with ease.

For whatever reason, The Branwen Tribe's camp had exploded in almost a literal ball of fire… I was always wondering why this had happened. And it seemed like I had found my answer.

'Black for impact,' I thought to myself, as I loaded the Red Gem into Ryoshin, taking a step back as I aimed it at the web. 'Red for fire.'

But it seemed like she realized exactly what I was trying to do.

With a large screech that echoed and deafened anyone in ear shot, I felt rather than heard the creature take a mighty leap from wherever she had perched. I couldn't tell where she was coming from, but a shiver down my spine told me I needed to move!

Rolling out of the way as quickly as I could, the rock beneath me shattered into thousands of pieces, as light peered in through the cracks. Not just red, but white, green, and even yellow light bled through with ease.

I turned with my blade out, Ryoshin placed back into my bag with merely a thought as color danced through the cave. Cracks splintered out towards the walls and ceiling, as more and more light bled through with each passing moment.

As the creature shrieked away from the light, glaring in my direction, fully revealed within the caves' multicolored splendor.

Spider Queen Appears ~ Okami

The first word that came to mind was heinous, as I looked upon the creature with fresh eyes. Much too large to fit in any of the caves that I had moved through, the creature was thin for something it's size, as if malnourished by a lack of meals. It was five times my height, standing on four legs as thick as my body at the base, with five separate joints to bend in any way the creature saw fit. The farther they reached the thinner they became, the black fur covering her entire body actively absorbing the light that attempted to bounce off of its legs. All while a white spike pierced the wall two of its legs were sticking to, the other two dipped into the large pond in the center of the room. It's body was to the floor, filling the whole path around the nexus by itself, four arms latching onto the ground as six serrated white finger tips cut into the stone with ease, the other six holding its weight under them.

That is, before the weight was completely removed, the legs held its body in mid air with ease…

As it stood its torso covered in silver armor upright in the air, towering over me with an unseen gaze, its shoulders snapping in place. The long arms attached to those shoulders easily reached the floor, as the black fingers gently caressed the red stain stone, one of its wrists still broken. Yet, it was easy to see that it was mended and kept in place by silver thread choking it with a fierce grip. The other two arms at its core, much shorter than the other pair, grabbed at its mouth, taking and spinning long threads unbelievably fast around its legs and arms. Before I could blink, the black hair spider carapace turned completely silver, as sharp white bones protruded from its back and upper arms. As soon as it was done…

It grabbed at its face, ripping and cutting the steel like thread with ease, before throwing it to the side into the small pond. It dissolved with ease inside, disappearing without a trace within the gently rippling waves. With its blindfold off, it stared at me eight crimson eyes, it's fan-like head covered entirely in bone and blood red tribal markings and four sharp spears spread evenly across the top….

Before slamming its hands down to the floor, bearing both its poisonous fangs and its unhinged jaw at me in a horrendous roar that echoed within my chest. Spit and paralytic poison flew past, as I felt my hat lift in the wind such a roar created, bracing myself against it as the cave shook.

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Jorogumo

The Tomb Keeper

Armored Spider Theme ~ Demon Souls

The ringing in my ears was followed by a heavy heartbeat, as the creature swung at me with a long arm, aiming to bisect me with a heavy hand. Bones clattered across the cave, as I flipped back, the whistle of air echoing sharply off of the walls from beneath me, no longer silent and deadly. Another arm attempted to sweep at me, trying its best to kill me as quickly as it possibly could, but a simple handspring on the moving arm let me evade it. The arm slammed into the wall, shattering more and more of the fake stone, as I saw three of the eyes take a quick glance before snarling.

Getting my stance steady, I watch the creature pull back it's arm, as the two at its core spun something to shape. Placing my blade between us, a large silver spear glanced off of my blade, stopping short of piercing the stone floors. The right hand made a grab for me, but it's injury must've slowed it down, as I rolled under such a simple attack.

A quick glance up and down, and I already saw an opening, as it's thorax pulsed behind it. With both of its arms encumbered, I rushed underneath the creature, aiming to attack the only unarmored section of the creature with my blade in hand.

Before I could slash across its exposed body…

"Shishishi…"

It was lifted completely out of reach, as the creature looked down at me in a horrid expression, as if attempting to smile. I clicked my teeth as it spun itself around to face me once again, already preparing to stab me once again. Deflecting it to the side once more, it stopped barely an inch before it hit the floor and shattered it into pieces.

Once again, it attempted to grab me with its broken wrist, but I dodged once more with a jump back to get out of the way. It jabbed its palm right to the floor, it's injury no doubt affecting its movement as the creature screeched in pain. Glaring down at me, it brought its body even closer to the ground, it's sub-arms ripping the thread off of its right wrist.

I widened my eyes as it brought its face so close to me, it's torso completely parallel to the stone as all but one of its arms were placed on the ground. With a roar, it began to run towards me, slamming its hands to the ground to move faster!

My eyes widened as I turned on my heel, sheathing my blade as I ran forward as fast as I could, feeling the foul scent of its fangs at the back of my heel. Without looking back, I rolled forward as soon as I felt the hair on my neck twitch, narrowly avoiding the arm attempting to grab me. It growled again, frustration building as it swiped right back at me with the same hand, trying to pin me to the wall.

I glared, pushing off the ground as hard as I could, flipping in the air as I did while I removed my blade for a moving Helm Splitter! The blade bounced off of the armor though, sparking in a brilliant show, before the arm slammed against the wall. Said wall shattered once more, revealing a new but equally brilliant green light, as the creature cried out in pain once more.

It stood itself up, holding its arm in an attempt to stop the pain, its sub-arms gripping into fist as it did. Moving quickly, I thought of attempting to attack it's exposed thorax, but the creature was thinking ahead. It raised itself once more, beyond the reach of my blade, and without a clear shot for Ryoshin.

I glared at the creature, it's horrid face twisted in a horrid, pained grin, knowing there wasn't anything I could do. But, as I did, something caught my eye, as a quick glance told me what it was.

A large and exposed green crystal, sticking itself through the webs, big enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Looking back at the creature, it seemed she noticed it too, eyes wide in what could be described as… fear?

Moving without thought, I took my blade and swung down upon it, cutting clean through the Crystal before instantly placing it in my bag. Without any hesitation afterwards, I threw myself into one of the open caves, the horrid and furious screech following close behind. Moving farther and farther back, I made it just in time to avoid being grabbed and crushed by the creature's arm, easily grabbing and destroying the stone around me.

I took a breath, keeping behind a bend of the cave as the creature tried to grab me, attempting to widen the path for more room. Its action stopped quickly though, as more glowing crystal peaked throughout the stone, as it screeched once more in a complete rage.

Quickly as possible, I glance to see the crystal, this time a bright Cyan already in pieces on the floor. Grabbing these pieces as possible ammunition, I cleared my mind and quickly thought up the creature's actions.

Actions that proved the Princess right. This thing was afraid, afraid of the magic crystals that seemed to grow naturally in this world. Why, I didn't know quite yet, but it was a reason good enough to go into a blind rage and completely stop itself from coming after me.

Meaning that these crystals were seen as a threat against it, as Magic usually was.

But that still didn't explain why it kept it all concealed away… was it hiding it, or was it killing everybody who came. It was obviously the creature's home, and it certainly couldn't get out of this cave if it's size was anything to go by…

'But,' I thought to myself, as I looked back at the tunnel towards the nexus, seeing the incredible chunks of rock ripped out of the wall. 'It could just dig its way out, right?'

'So why hasn't it? Is it too connected to its home to leave? Or is there something I'm missing…'

I thought hard about it, trying to find a reason why this was all happening. If the Curse was caused by this creature, killing everyone who came her-!

The Curse! The treasure!

I called back the green crystal I had grabbed before, feeling the energy the stone gave off pulse in my hand. The lights behind the stone wall it made… was it all this Magic Crystal?! A treasure trove of Magic Crystal, capable of doing countless things from strengthening fire to even the force of your attack? Who wouldn't call that a treasure?!

So… was it afraid of armies of people coming in, digging out its home for the Crystals. They were incredibly powerful from the looks of it, so maybe it was afraid of dying if those people used the crystals against it?!

…So why didn't it leave? Why not find a new home, a new cavern to hunt prey?

…Because it doesn't want to leave.

!

I turned to look down the cave once more, trying to catch a glimpse of the horrid Spider Grimm no doubt crawling outside of the cave, waiting for me to appear.

This thing…

It doesn't want people to have access to the Crystals! It wants to keep them buried here, so no one can use them!

I felt the grip on my tighten to the point my hands turned, as I felt my double its pace, a drop of sweat dripping down my forehead.

It was guarding them, just like the Demons He sent to ensure no one could revive the Sages!

It was smart enough to realize that?! How old was this creature?!

The sound of wet paper slapping against something interrupted my thoughts, as a chill went down my spine. I looked into the Nexus once more trying to see what the creature was doing…

But it was too hard to see. Not because the hole wasn't big enough…

But the lights were disappearing one by one.

I stood up completely, feeling the complete absence of sense slowly begin to return. I gritted my teeth as my blade got brighter and brighter, as everything slowly faded from view.

It was mending the cracks in the walls and floors!

I charged back out into the Nexus, feeling the dark quickly return, as my senses would soon disappear, giving the creature the advantage! Sheathing my blade, I pulled out Ryoshin, the red Magic Crystal still in line to be fired as I kneeled at the mouth of the entrance!

There, I watched from across the lake as the creature tried to cover up its mistakes, the webbing pouring out of its mouth before being smoothed out by the sub arms. Most of the cracks had already been covered, leaving the cave almost completely dark once more.

Thum…

I heard the sound once more as I shifted my weight, as the creature snapped its head in my direction, snarling at me as it did. Without warning, the creature charged at me, watching as I aimed my shot right at its chest!

That is, before I saw something move in the dark, something shifting and turning at its core. My glare sank deeper, as my intuition told me that the creature was planning something…

Something wasn't right…

I completely shifted my aim, the creature widening its eyes in shock as I didn't aim to shoot at the charging monster in front of me. Perhaps it now felt a chill go down its spine, as five of its eyes scanned around for where I was aiming Ryoshin.

It was too late though, as I already pulled the trigger, the force of the shot moving through my arms as I gritted my teeth in pain. The shot was dead on, striking exactly where the new and still fresh webs the creature had laid out rested…

Before exploding in a glorious ball of fire, rocketing me as I felt something singe my right arm, the cloth around it yellowing from the heat! I felt myself roll across the ground, before I set myself back up properly a good ten feet away, my arm throbbing in pain.

The creature didn't come out unscathed either, as one of its legs was too close to my shot to make it out unsigned. The creature cried out in agony as the silver thread around its body was lit aflame, as it tried to put it out as quickly as it could. While it was distracted by that though…

The webs it had used to fill in the cracks quickly burst into flames, each new flame spreading further and further with little signs of stopping. The creature finally supplied its leg into the water, putting out the fire but leaving a noticeably large burn on its now completely exposed leg. It cried out in fear as it watched it's hard work be ruined, panicking as it tried to stop it.

All as I got a glance at its core, seeing exactly what the creature had been doing while it had me almost blind. It's subarms we're outstretched, tightening what looked like a net made completely out of webs, which dropped right into the water. No doubt made to catch whatever it was that I had fired at it.

As I watched it attempt to put out the fire, I placed my foot back into the stirrup, pulling back to get ready to fire Ryoshin once more. The loud click of the crossbow locking in place was enough to put me back in its sights though, as the creature turned three of its eyes my way. The cracks in the wall got wider as it slammed down a large open palm in rage, revealing more and more exposed crystals.

The fire eventually put itself out, with no more fuel to let it catch, and the heat not high enough to light the webs mixed with rock and dirt. Still, the area I fired upon was a different story, as three different colored crystals, Dark Blue, Orange, and even more Red, stalagmites revealed themselves. There was also plenty of it to see to, as the crystals show with an extraordinary light, brightening the entire cave.

I prepared myself for the creature to charge me, standing on my toes, ready for another charge. For whatever reason though, the Grimm saw the crystals and froze, muscles tensing as it backed away from the bright crystals. I, on the other hand, saw a chance to get more ammunition for Ryoshin, and rushed forward to collect it.

Seeing me about to strike it, the creature screamed, climbing up the wall and getting as far away from me as possible. I raised a brow, before my strike connected, the bright glow dimming back to its normal light as soon as my sword touched it. Before the creature could do anything else, I swung at the other two, grabbing the huge crystals and placing them into my Pouch, before turning back to the creature.

It stared at me, all eight eyes turned to me as it easily stood on the wall, its expression twisted into something indescribable for the monster. It's alien face made it hard to pinpoint, but if I had to say, it would be something along the lines of… shock?

I raised a brow as we stared, unable to understand what the other must've been thinking. I didn't have the time to think though, as the beast snarled at me, releasing itself from the wall and landing with barely a sound. Without any warning, it charged at me again, getting low to the ground, pulling itself with its arms and pushing with its legs.

Seeing this, I began to run again, trying to keep ahead of the creature that chased me. Knowing that glancing behind would only slow me down, I grabbed my sword and glanced at the clear reflection on its blade. There, I saw the eight eyes glaring at me, as something shifted in my peripheral vision.

Seeing a large hand attempt to swipe at me, I prepared to roll under it again, trying to keep out of its grasp. That didn't work as I thought though, as the creature scooped me up and slammed me against the wall.

My lungs emptied at the impact, as the wall behind me cracked with a harsh sound. I could feel some of the bullet wounds open up, as blood slowly oozed down my front. I gasped in pain, as blood rushed to my head, having been caught right in the middle of my roll.

I grit my teeth as the creature pushed down on me, the wall and my ribs groaning from the force applied to crush me. I couldn't breath, and any air I had was slowly pushed out of me…

As eight crimson eyes glared at me, poison dripped from its fangs as it unhinged it's disconnected jaw. As it approached me, I slashed at one of its eyes, hoping to get it to let me go. However, as soon as I did, the creature pushed even harder, as I roared in absolute agony, feeling a few ribs on the verge of cracking.

Straining my eyes to see past the tears, I cut at the arm holding me, feeling my blade cut deep into the palm of the hand. This time it screamed, gritting its fangs together as it glared at me, not releasing the pressure at all, only adding onto it.

I screamed in pain, but cut into its hand once again, hacking away as my lungs burned and demanded air. It seemed it was finally tired of my attacks though, as it brought both of its sub-hands to my head, ready to crush it under its palms.

My eyes darted all around, looking for any way to escape the creature's grasp , as my eyes swam with an inky blackness. I heard the creature screech distantly, as I saw the hands attempt to crush my head in with an incredible force. Moving as quickly as my oxygen deprived body could, I set the butt of my blade against the fake stone wall.

I watched the hands get stabbed through both palms, as the creature screamed out in absolute agony. I felt the hand pushing against me leave, as I dropped to the cave floor, forcing a deep breath as my head completely spun. Water rose to my knees as a bright light and horrid scream made me cringe, an ever present ringing at the front of my mind. I continued to gasp for air, slowing each breath and welcoming it into my body, ignoring the horrible pain that was my broken ribs as best I could.

Forcing myself to stand up, I glanced over at the creature, flailing about as it tried to calm itself down. The webbing it had used for armor was completely gone as it came up soaking wet, it's arms and hands completely injured in some way. I could tell it was panicking as it looked around, seeing more and more of the crystals reveal themselves as the rose higher and higher. The creature quickly lifted herself up, the water level instantly dropping with her body no longer submerged in the water.

I could tell she wanted to kill me quickly, start everything all over again with my death and hide the treasure she had hidden for so long. She tried to move her arms and hands, but the damage had been done, as she groaned in pain with every twitch. Despite that though, I watched as it forced itself through the pain, shaking itself dry and slowly but surely applying the web back onto its body.

As it did that though, I saw the multiple crystal stalagmites around me, revealed and showering the cave in an incredible light. There were too many colors to count, as my vision spun and spun in place, size quite large. Moving as quickly as I could, I hacked away at each one, gathering all the ammunition for Ryoshin I could ever need.

Eventually, there was nothing left to collect, and no more skin to cover for the creature as we turned to one another. The hate in those red eyes was real, and I could feel them burning a hole into me as it glared down at me. I could feel the preparation to charge, the creature tightening its muscles to move as quickly as possible, wanting to kill me. Fangs gnashed towards me, poison drifting in the water beneath its head.

I got in my stance, missing the weight of my shield as the creature glared, vision slowly grinding to its usual halt. Ryoshin was in the front of my mind, as I glanced down at the water, an idea forming in my head. If red was fire, then yellow must be…

The creature shot off like a horse, bounding for me through the water, powering through it at an incredible speed. I pulled out the crossbow, aiming for the right moment to fire the yellow cr-

It turned on a dime, jumping on a wall from across the pound as if it was nothing. I looked with wide eyes as it sailed across my head, landing with a vicious crash against the fake stone wall it had made. It didn't stick though, as it fell towards me, arms out to grab me into another hold.

I dismissed Ryoshin, dashing as quickly as I could not away but towards the arms and under the creature. No doubt the creature's eyes widened as I just barely rolled under the mass of black, watching the creature catch itself before crashing into the crystals. Jumping up from my roll, I grabbed my blade and spun, cutting into the only vulnerable part of the creature.

I felt the screech echo across the cave, ringing in my ears as I rushed away, not wanting to get caught up in its grasp. I listened for the sound of it running towards me, trying to get a grasp on how far it was.

Instead, I heard the sound of another leap, as the creature right in front of me in a burst of movement, arm already outstretched. I blinked and the creature was already scrambling forward, as I tried to skid to a halt! But that wasn't enough, the arm was too close to me, fingers barely grasped around my waist…

(End Music)

It was a moment of breathlessness, a hollow feeling in my chest as I watched the fangs of the creature flair. It was already prepared to bite me, fangs opened and ready to fill me with the poison within. The pit in my stomach dropped, as I stared at the creature before me…

I flipped backwards, using my hand to grab onto its own and stand on it, all as time slowed to a crawl.

Bump- bump.

The creature's eyes widened in that fraction of a second, as I heard the slow rhythm of my heart beat. I felt the pull of my blade, as everything focused into something beyond clarity and reason, a rush of adrenaline filling my blood. The world shined gold and before I knew it…

I took a step and was right in front of the creature's eyes, all eight wide in shock, it's small arms clawing to defend itself.

First strike, fast as lightning, cutting across two of the unguarded eyes, striking from underneath and diagonally up. Slightly further the claw stretched, as the creature screeched in terror.

Second strike, dragging the sword back, cutting deeper into the creature's flesh, blank ink-like fluid seeping from the wound.

Third strike, a step back, a third eye caught in the overhead strike, cutting a new, shallower wound across the creature's injury. Hand covering the wound, hoping to stop the damage as it took a breath to scream.

Fourth strike, a spin to gather momentum, a concussive force strong enough to force the hand away in a shower of sparks. Wide open for the next blow as I kicked off of the wound and sheathed my blade.

Fifth Strike, Ryoshin in my hands, breath held as I aimed the yellow crystal for the open wound that I had created. A pull of the trigger was all it took for the crystal to dig deeply into the creature's skull, electricity forcing the body to shake and tremble.

Bump-bump

I landed, gasping for air as I collapsed to one knee, my body sore and aching in use. I lifted my head, trying to take deep breaths as I stared at the creature….

Battle of the Spider Queen ~ Okami

Only for a black hand to grab me, five eyes glaring in a deranged silence, horrid anger searing into me as I could only watch.

"Shit!" I forced out, feeling the grip crush my body as a second hand joined in, adding on to the force. I groaned in pain, pulling Ryoshin back as I kept struggling against it to escape the death grip.

I felt blood rush to my head as my breathing stopped, the fingers bruising my entire body as it continued to crush me. I grit my teeth, working as hard as I could to escape, feeling something slowly slip out.

With the last bit of herculean strength I had left, I pried my left arm out of the death grip, going for my blade. Pulling it out, I slammed the butt of it against what I knew to be an open wound underneath its armor. Slamming as hard as I could, feeling the well of strength within me slowly disappear.

I felt one of the hands buckle slightly, the injury causing the creature strength to fail slightly. For a second, I thought I had a hope to break its grip, freeing myself from the immense pressure of its grip.

But it didn't matter.

I watched with wide eyes as the creature that flinched from pain didn't react, black ink spilling from its wound like a river. I slammed again, hearing something tear underneath its armor, a flinch of pain entering its eyes,..

Only to increase the strength of its grip, silken strands snapping from the tension it placed upon me, as I screamed in pain. I heard a crack, a new rib breaking under the pressure of this creature's clutch, eyes blanking in the pain.

Even still, I slammed my blade down again and again, feeling my arm bruise with how heavy each blow was. Again and again I tried…

But the grip only got tighter, nothing phasing the creature anymore, not after the pain it had just experienced. I stared into its eyes…

And saw a light of intelligence, the power behind it given an iron will of purpose, after it had stared death in the face for the first time in who knows how long. What did pain matter?

If I was dead, the wounds would heal. And it could start its hunts again.

I screamed out, feeling adrenaline coursing through me as I struck the hand once more, the ringing of my ears present with me. I kept striking and striking, slamming each strike with the force of ten men.

It didn't care.

I grit my teeth as my vision swam, moments and time passing through my vision as I desperately struggled to release its grip. I felt my heart thus against my chest, the deadly pain sinking deeper and deeper into my body. It's armor… I needed to get rid of the armor!

My strength was waning though, each slam weakening with each second that passed. I needed something else, my hammer, a flame seed, my Magic Rod, anything! If I could get through, I can just cut this thing's hand off!

So think!

Drip…

Through the haze of my mind and the incredible ringing in my ears, I heard what started this battle. Flashes of memory moving through my mind, as I took in each second of combat. Moments where it was left unguarded, where the protections it had made failed in its most necessary moments…

With my vision swimming, I felt my eyes clear in a moment of unexpected clarity, I looked up to the ceiling…

A crystal blue light of a Magic vein hanging there. A water droplet forming on the tip of a stalactite, more than a hundred feet in the air.

I stared at the crystal, the blue light shining down as the pain of my crushing disappeared momentarily. The world went silent, my thoughts running rampant.

Ryoshin wasn't loaded, my pouch was still broken, and it's too far to reach with just a throw. Life times flashed before my eyes as I searched and searched for an answer, my own thoughts fading away into the sky…

Before a voice spoke in my head, loud and clear as a bell.

"Then use something else."

I stood in that sacred hall, emotions boiling in my chest as I made my decision. A decision that would change the very fate of history, and mark itself in time, as the story passes across each breath of the wind. A story that would engulf a Kingdom not yet named in a constant twilight of battle between Good and Evil.

All for her.

If not for that voice, the adventure would've ended there, certainly destroyed in that monster's machinations. That voice started everything, that woman, the faithful guide, stood there and whispered across the wind…

"In the name of my Creator…"

My face set into determination, every ounce of my energy placed into this last act, determination dripping from my every move. My blade was heavy, hundreds of pounds in the state I was in, as my world spun in circles. Even still, I lifted my blade, my grip tighter than it had ever been, as a whisper of wind chimes entered my eye. Higher and higher, lifting it even as my arm shook in exhaustion…

Before the weight disappeared in a glow of holy light.

"Draw the sword and raise it Skyward."

With a roar of effort anda swing of my blade, the Skyward Strike left my blade in a torrent of holy energy, the crystals in the cave shining brighter as it soared across the cavern. For once, the creature reacted in this moment, turning its head as it screeched in horror. The grip loosened as I took a large gasp of air while I still could, ironically holding on to the creature's hand as my attack flew through the air.

Before it struck the crystal blue vein, absorbing into it like water to a sponge…

Blinding me in a sudden blast of pure light, as a roar of movement entered my ears. Taking another few breaths, I took a deep one and held it, closing my eyes and holding on as tightly as I could.

Before I was smothered by a torrential rush of water, holding on with a death grip as the Grimm was slammed against the wall. It's body was being pinned to the wall by the force of the water flowing into the smaller tunnels on every side of the cave, as we were unable to move in the position.

I opened my eyes, trying my hardest to see in this now underwater arena, before I felt my jaw drop. Hundreds of rainbow colored light, glinting in the water in a beautiful cascade of light, a carnival underwater. Even through blurry eyes, the sight was stuck in my mind, as water continued to rush past me with hundreds of pounds of force.

Feeling the pull, I looked down at the creature's arm, watching the web quickly disintegrate in the water flowing by. Moving as quickly as I could, I stabbed my sword into the creature's flesh, holding on for dear life as best I could.

A horrid vibration moved through the water, as I turned to the source of the sound, watching as it tried to flail and resist the pull of the water. But it's size only meant more to push against though, as it finally felt the effects of the wounds I left on it. Worse still, one of its legs was stuck in one of the caves, being pulled backward at the wrong angle before-

A horrid sound of tearing flesh and tendons echoed hollowly in the water as I winced and cringed, the creature giving out a tremendous wail of agony. Whatever strength it had left, it spent ignoring me and making sure it's legs were safe from being torn asunder by the force of the flowing water.

Which had finally begun to die down, as it quickly drained away in the humongous cavern beneath, leaving only enough to reach my knees. Gasping for air as I tried to get some air, the creature didn't bother to move, whining pathetically as it tried to limp away. It was in so much pain, it didn't even notice it was taking me with it as it tried to limp away, even with my blade in its hand. Black ink was oozing out, staining the water before slowly disappearing into motes of light as soon as it did.

In fact, little lights were hovering around the entirety of the now open cave, slowly falling from the top where the crystal used to be. Beautiful and light purple, much like the energy from my Skyward Strike, floating like fairy's in their little fountain. Now there was only an incredibly large hole, stretching on for farther than I could see, even with the incredible bright light of the crystals here with us.

I sighed and relaxed, shifting my grip on my sword, as I stared at the creature limping away. I shifted my shoulders, feeling my body sag in exhaustion…

Before one of those fairy lights lazily drifted past my eyes, sinking into the wall of the caves…

And immediately begin to glow with similar light to the crystal I had shot earlier.

Vs Ridley ~ Other M

I tensed, staring at the wall of the cave as my heart jumped up into my chest, a feeling in my gut slowing but surely sinking down. I stood up, feeling my body's weight leave me as I looked around in terror, sweat mixing with the water drenching my skin.

The motes of light, every single one of them attached themselves to a part of the wall, absorbing themselves into the crystals. I felt my heart throb as my surroundings soon all looked the same, their light blinding me as I tried to find a way out.

But there was only one way.

I looked up, seeing the endless expanse of rock and stone in the bright light of the cave. But I was wrong, it did have an end…

One that could be dug for a way out.

Without another word, I turned to the creature as it stood up completely, it's eyes twitching in fear as it saw the light that shone throughout the once dark cave. Moving only on instinct, I rushed to the back of the creature, jumping onto it and grabbing the sobbing wet fur.

The creature didn't care though, as it screeched in horror, using the only legs it had left to scramble up the wall, struggling to find purchase before finally climbing up. The wind pushed back against me, drying my clothes and hair as the creature rushed up the vertical drop with the utmost haste. Rocks tumbled down with the force of its movement, as it used its arms to pull itself faster, trying to get out.

I felt my grip slip, the wetness of the fur on it only creating a slick surface that was too much to hold onto. I felt my heart leap as I lost that purchase, moving to stab my blade into the creature, hoping for a better purchase!

The creature roared in fear, thinking that this was a sign of bad things to come, as it forced it self higher and higher on the wall. It didn't even stop when it finally reached the ceiling of the cave, tackling it full force to shatter the stone above it.

I felt a moment of weightlessness as I was flung up into the air, tumbling as I saw how far down the bright white was. I gasped as I reached the apex of my rise, stone and rocks falling with my stomach as I tried to keep my balance with some quick movements of my arm! Reaching out with only a feeling of fear, I grabbed my blade, feeling the vorpal edge betray me as I was dragged down to the thorax of the Grimm, cutting deeply into the creature as it dug higher and higher.

It cried out in pain as the light below shone brighter and brighter, a sun coming from the deep pit of Mistral. I pulled myself onto my blade, feeling the Grimm smash limb after limb against the rock, breaking and digging further up.

I grit my teeth as I looked down, the white shone absolutely blinding as my gut twisted and turned like a pretzel. There was nothing I could do to aid the escape, nothing at all as the creature continued to dig and dig and dig faster and faster until it reached the top!

The light dimmed as the creature quickly pulled itself up, a moment of relief giving way as I thought beyond reason that the cave had dusky stopped.

Before a wave of elements rushed me at a breakneck pace, blinding me completely as I was deafened by the incredible sound of an explosion. The earth completely shook as I gripped my blade, my own scream present in the form of a vibration in my chest as I was flung into the air. The earth around me shattered and everything went bl-

A sudden stream of agony woke me up, as I suddenly tasted the grass and dirt beneath me. Pain racked my entire body, burns, cuts, road rash that I didn't have suddenly flared as I sucked in a breath.

I opened my eyes, regretting it instantly as I felt them flutter from my body trying to force them closed. A groan forcefully escaped, as I moved my arm to stand back up, moving before my brain could catch me up and tell me much it hurt to move.

It didn't take long to figure that out though, as my ears ring dully in the back of my mind, the world spinning horrendously in a torrent of sudden sights and sound. My ears twitched as the sound of incredibly loud whines were heard, a muffled voice likely miles away shouting garbled words.

I took a gasp of air, pushing myself up to my legs before immediately falling to the side, unable to hold myself up. I was lucky though, as the tree immediately caught me, giving me a chance to get my feet under me. Even still, the world churned around me like butter, a constant ringing in my ear forcing me to grit my teeth in pain. I hadn't even noticed that my sword was still in my grip, top dragging through the soft soil beneath me.

"The explosion…" I said aloud, hearing my voice not through my ears but my bones, the muffled sound no doubt much louder than I thought.

I looked up, trying to see my surroundings through hazy eyes, and a head pounding in pain. The feeling of nausea grew when I tried, but I pressed on, trying to find out what happened…

And if the smoke was any indication, it wasn't something good.

Groaning with the hot pain coursing through me, I attempted to limp towards it, trying to see what had happened to the caves. That didn't work as intended though, as without the support of the tree by my side, I crumpled into a ball on the grass. A cough forced itself out of my throat, my ribs screaming as they were jostled too quickly.

Still, I crawled in the direction of the smoke, my eyes watering from the pain, and my ears still ringing. Despite that though, the world was starting to make a little more sense, as the voice from so far away started to clear up.

"-tay in your homes!" The muffled voice spoke loudly with a quiver on his lip, as if trying to speak over a crowd of people. "Huntsmen have already been dispatched to the source! I repeat, stay in your homes! There i-is nothing to be afraid of!"

I turned to look over my shoulder, trying to find the source of the trembling voice, the echo making it hard to discern what it was he was talking about. As if hundreds of the same man were speaking at the exact same time. Honestly, my head was already pounding, and listening to this wasn't helping at all.

So, I continued to slowly crawl forward, making my way through a bush, thoughts rushing through my head.

Was the creature dead? How far was I thrown? Did I break something else in the fall? Each question pounded in my head like a Megaton Hammer, rattling around to the point I couldn't even focus on what I was seeing…

But the one question on my mind, one that made the others seem like such small problems…

Was what in the name of the three Goddesses, was the Skyward Strike?

I groaned as I kept dragging myself, trying once again to get my legs down under me so I could try to walk. The most I could pull off though was leaning on another tree, and falling into the next one I found.

That wasn't something I could do… I only ever pulled something like that off when I was brimming with energy. But Sword Beams were just something the Master Sword could do, something that it had always done…

I didn't know anything about it…

So why did I know I can do it again, whenever I wanted? How did I know that this ability was as old as the blade itself? What made me so sure…

That I had done it hundreds of times before?

A sharp pain shot through my eyes, like something was trying to break out of my head, my hands going to press up against them. Tears were pouring down my face, as pain wracked my mind, body, and Soul. My fist tightened up into balls, as I felt my mind mix and churn with someone else's, thoughts not my own entering with ease.

What… what is…

What is going on?!

Urgh…!

T-this shouldn't be possible… I asked her to make sure….

I remembered a bird, a Loftwing in a place called Skyloft, a Zelda that wasn't the one I knew. Her father that I have never met in person.

What is happening? What di- is this his doing?!

A spirit of the sword I've never spoken too, words muted as pain shot through me, like my body was turning inside out…

It'll be alright… I-it's fine. I'm sorry, I never wanted something like this t-

"STOP!" I screamed out into the night sky, a bruised fist slammed against a tree, loose leaves falling down to earth from the force of the blow. The pain still forced itself through my head, my eyes feeling like they were tearing themselves apart.

Before it finally stopped, the pain vanished in an instant and my sight cleared as it did. That didn't matter to me though, as I fell down onto the grass, my heart beating a mile a minute. Something clutched it into a terrible grasp, as my breathing seemed to stop…

A soft, golden glow willfully ignored at the edge of my vision.

What's happening to me…? Memories that weren't mine, interactions I didn't remember, knowledge that I didn't learn, people I didn't know but knew completely…

"Am I going insane?" I asked myself, feeling the ability to breathe escape me, a chill forcing its way up my spine. Despite myself, I couldn't help but chuckle, the absurdity of what was going on seeping into my head.

…'his doing'… The way he said it… That spark of anger…

I knew exactly who he was talking about.

What did he do to me….

Crunch

I numbly turned my head, emotions and reactions stunted by… everything that was happening… I was still trying to wrap my head around it, all through the exhaustion and delirium of nearly dying like I did.

Perhaps that's why I did nothing as the Spider Grimm crawled out of the woods, taller than the trees snapped to make its way over.

I watched as it stared down at me, one of its mandibles completely snapped to the side in a horrid angle. It seemed to be gasping for air, as if itself was exhausted from everything that happened, its eyes blinking as if analyzing the situation. Though, it seemed it had taken more damage from the explosion than I did.

All of the fur that had once covered its body was completely gone, singed off of the heat of the explosion, leaving only a jet black carapace. Yet, cracks covered the creature, each one leaking the black fluid that seemed to be its blood, The numerous eyes that spoke of an incredible vision were fused shut, leaving only two ruby red eyes glaring down at me. The arms that had spun the webs around its body were completely gone, only stumps left of the dexterous hands.

In fact, the creature only had half the limbs it used to have, with only the two front legs being usable, and the two incredibly damaged arms. The other leg looked like it had shattered from some impact, twisted and bent in an angle that just wasn't natural, leaving it little else but a decoration. It was barely holding on, only able to move by dragging itself with its arms, and pushing with its legs.

It glared down at me, a maddening hatred in its eyes that seemed to be the only thing fueling itself to move. It stood tall and seemed to smile, savoring its victory as the one fang it had was dripping with the paralytic poison stored within.

But just as quickly as it did, it turned to something far off in the distance, seeing something above the tall trees of the forest. It glared and turned toward me, it's eyes weighing something deep within them.

Without a word, the creature slammed its arms in front of me, screeching it a horrendous yell, the air itself pushing me back a bit. My ears began to ring again, as whatever birds nested here flew away in a panic.

I thought it would try to finish me off, a simple grasp of its hand doing the trick in the state I was in. Something no Demon, no creature would've passed up on, as they delighted in such acts of depravity.

What it did though, managed to shock me out of whatever numb state I had found myself in.

It turned away.

I stared with wide eyes, watching as the creature simply dragged itself away from me, slowly but surely. I watched, stunned in disbelief…

Why would it do that? Why just…

That was when I heard another sound, thudding and echoing through the earth beneath me…

The sound of rushing footsteps, marching across the valley as fast as they could move. The sound of reinforcements, coming to see what had caused the disturbance…

I grit my teeth, watching as the creature simply walked away, dragging itself with its tail between its legs. That was it? This creature, this demon, decides to kill hundreds of people over the past century. It hunted and killed who knows how many innocent lives, laughing all the while as it struck in its natural element?!

And now that it was damaged…

I forced myself up, my teeth grinding against one another in anger.

Now that it's lair was destroyed…

I felt energy return to my limbs, ready to explode and move despite the pain.

Now that it was finally out in the open for everyone to see…

It runs away?

I didn't know when it happened, but my sword was raised, the solid blade becoming weightless as it glowed with a holy light. My grip was tight, my teeth were bared to its open back, as I glared and the Grimm that dared tried to turn away.

A swipe was all it took, a cascade of purple energy flowing through the air, humming with a celestial power.

As soon as it struck the creature, it collapsed to the ground with a horrendous shriek, a deep cut burned onto its back. Twisting its head around, it turned to me with a glare, gnashing its one fang at me.

I only responded with a glare, my sword at the ready, relaxed and ready to move.

Wrath of the Spider Queen ~ Okami

It roared with a terrible weight, grasping trees to pull itself forward towards me, it's lower half dragging on the ground. Holding on to one of the trees, it slammed an open hand onto the ground, aiming directly for me.

As soon as it landed, I jumped back away from the arm, my body fueled only by anger for what this creature had done. Without thinking, I rushed forward, running onto the creature's arm, raising my blade as I did.

The creature saw this move, and attempted to pull its hand back, removing any road towards its form. That didn't matter to me though, as a simple slash countered any movements, a blast of pure energy guided by pure intent towards the hand holding the tree. The soft, gentle hum of the energy moved through, cutting through two of the creature's fingers, burning the stumps into nothing as the energy singed its palm.

Time slowed as the creature began to fall forward, nothing to support itself and remain standing, a screech pushing past its fangs. In a split second, the fear of being vulnerable overcame its thoughts, as it braced itself with the only hand it had left.

The same hand and arm I was running on.

With every step closer to the Grimm, a simultaneous slash was cut deeply into the creature's arm. The black ink that oozed from those wounds hardened with the smallest touch of my blade, crumbling into flecks of pure white light as it did. The cuts began to boil and burn, the holy light of the blade slowly destroying the creature from the outside as the wounds dug deeper and deeper into the arm.

Feeling this horrendous pain, the creature swung the arm I was on, uncaring of if it would fall, a deep seeded fear in its eyes. I didn't move to get off the arm though, rather, I embraced the movement and forced myself off as it flung me in the air.

The combination of force flew me into the air, sailing higher than any of the trees, my vision blurred due to the sport at which I was moving. Not yet reaching the apex of my flight, I looked down at the creature, now much smaller in my eyes…

And the humongous hole in the earth a quarter-mile away from us, smoke billowing out of it from the explosion only moments ago.

I stared with wide eyes, searching the surrounding areas as my heart rose in my chest. I sighed with relief though, as from what I could tell, there were no settlements nearby, only the rocky mountain side. Turning my gaze back to the creature, staring at me in the sky, a sense of victory in its eyes, as it slowly moved underneath me, it's fang twitching in anticipation.

I only glared down, finally reaching the apex of my flight…

Raising my sword towards the shattered full moon as I did, a holy light radiating from my blade.

The creature froze, watching as I prepared my attack, my body falling faster and faster towards the Grimm. The sense of victory it had was gone, replaced instead by a shaking in its form as it tried to turn and as fast as it could…

But it couldn't.

The creature fell forward as it did, unable to move itself as it tried to push itself up with its legs. It shrieked in confusion, trying with all of its might to move, to run away from me. It tried to move its arms as quickly as it could…

Yet, there wasn't an arm to move.

It looked down at itself, eyes wavering in a panic, as it watched what used to be its arm slough off of its shoulder, dropping with a wet thud onto the grass. The same arm I had cut so deeply into rotted before it's eyes, the wet pile hardened into stone, before collapsing into motes of brilliant light. The other arm was slowly melting away, the palm already gone from sight as the holy energy disrupted the very flesh of the evil creature. And the more it took away, the faster it melted, as if each second passed was weakening the creature, making the energy seem all the more powerful.

It collapsed to the ground, unable to move as flailed miserably in place, trying with all of its might to escape its own demise. No matter how hard it tried though, the creature was slowly but surely dying in front of my eyes…

As the energy in my blade pulsed with an incredible heat, as my body came rocketing down towards the helpless creature.

I took a breath, a feeling of weightlessness flooding my body as I quickly approached the earth. My mind was buzzing, as I looked down at the creature as it stared up at me, a look of true fear in its eyes. I felt my heart beat faster, as my eyes set into a glare…

As my blade came down with all the weight of falling behind me, as I spun with all my might in the air. The energy of the Skyward Strike followed me with a blinding light, spinning with my blade as I crashed down to earth like a comet. It cut through the branches with ease, like a hot knife through butter…

As I reached the creature, the Grimm that had slain hundreds of people before me, with a mighty…

"HYYYYAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

End Music

The base of my blade struck the demonic creature head on, slicing through the bone and flesh of the creature like it was nothing. A cacophonous roar of wind and energy followed quickly after that, as the light upon my blade extended my reach, moving through the flesh of the creature like it wasn't even there. The exoskeleton of the creature went white, its form wracked with pain as it twitched and screamed, black ink flying from its throat before falling to the ground as white paste.

As soon as I landed , I didn't bother to catch myself, as I rolled forward, letting the momentum bleed off of me as I did. Catching myself, I turned to look at the creature, flailing itself as it fell back…

Before splitting completely in half, it's body slowly but surely melting into the grass below… Even still, the creature struggled as hard as it could, unaccepting of the end that had befallen it.

With its body now lighter, half of the creature used its one leg to drag itself away, unknowingly leaving a trail of white sludge behind it as it did. It kept crawling, trying to find a way to stop this, even as its other had already melted completely. It didn't, likely couldn't, accept the reality of what was happening…

I didn't know when it happened, but the creature found its way towards me, broken and shattered in mind and body. It stared at me with the only eye it had, the other one having fallen off on its way…

I pulled out Ryoshin, and took the large green crystal I had and snapped off the tip, loading it into the crossbow. It saw this, and tried to crawl away, resist its fate to the bitter end, but its strength was already gone. Instead, it tried to attack me with the only leg it had left, pitifully shrieking all the while.

It was disturbing to see, watching this creature, this demon resist its fate with such a strong will. I… It was hard to watch, this large creature, much larger than me with even half of itself present, look so… desperate.

I grimaced as the leg slapped me, a wet sound hitting my side as the leg snapped off with the pitiful strike. It's fangs twitched, the poison in them leaking out and useless…

Even still, it fought on….

It was…

Something had stabbed itself into my chest as I watched, an emotional weight present that I couldn't begin to describe. A weight that made my heart stop and my stomach churn… and for a moment…

I wondered if I wou-

I aimed the crossbow at its head, and pulled the trigger, a green glow burning my eyes as I did.

Fyrus Clear Fanfare ~Twilight Princess

The Crystal sunk into the white skin of the Grimm with ease, with the creature shrieking in pain once again with renewed strength. The cries seemed to echo across the valley, reaching every house and every person within it.

From the wound, the flesh of the creature slowly solidified, turning into stone, moss, and even dirt. The creature stood, shaking in hopes that the petrifaction would end, screaming all the while. Crags of earth split up the creature, loud cracks forming as the creature was forced into its new position. It roared and roared more, each new cry weakening as the stone crawled up its chest, neck, throat….

Before finally turning the entirety of the creature in a stone statue, as the sledge left behind exploded into thousands of light, falling gently to the ground.

I took a deep breath and sighed, gazing at the new statue that stood in front of me, covered in dirt and moss…. The sound of people and thudding footsteps grew louder and louder, but they were still a ways away.

It was still night out, and the chill of autumn air nipped at my nose, as every muscle in my body cried out in exhaustion.

I collapsed to the ground, another deep breath filling my body and shooting pain through my body as my ribs protested. My heart was hammering in my chest, the warmth of the earth slowly filling my body…

As my thoughts moved on to the future, as I smiled in victory…

This would do it. I defeated a Grimm, an ancient Grimm, responsible for one of the mysterious Scarlet Caves.

I succeeded in my first step to finding Zelda.

I sat up with a smile on my face, warmth flossing my body in a sense of euphoric glee. I sheathed my blade with a simple flourish, as it too glowed with a soft hum of wind chimes.

Now all that's left was to tell them everything that happe-

"Spread out!"

My ears twitched, as I peeked a brow at the seething tone from so far away. What was going on?

"Sir, I'm telling you!" Someone responded, as footsteps echoed across the space, lights passing through distant trees. "I know who did this, and he is-"

"Heinkel, I've had just about enough of your 'Wanderer'!" The angry voice called out, his voice echoing off of the swaying trees. "Shut up and get searching, we need your eyes out here!"

"But Sir," The other man, Heinkel, continued to say, as I heard him gasp between each word. Was he not used to running, or was he arguing with the other man the whole way here. "This isn't him! I saw him enter the caves, and I saw him and the Arachne! This isn't some attack, it's a-"

An attack? What was h-

The angry man merely clicked his teeth, ignoring the man as he moved. "As if a Nemesis Class Grimm could show up in the middle of Mistral. If you're gonna be telling these stories, then go back home and tell it to your folks! Meanwhile, my men will be out here, searching for who set off that bomb!"

Wha-?!

I stood up, my mind racing and my eyes drifting towards the sources of the light that were slowly moving through the trees.

What did they mean, bomb?!

"It wasn't a bomb!" Heinkel argued, his breath finally caught, as it sounded like he grabbed the man, maybe by the shoulder? "I don't know what happened, but it wasn't a bomb! They don't make bombs that collapse entire cave systems, or create holes like this one made!"

"Then the White Fang made their own!" The man shouted, as the trees swayed loudly in the wind, something dropping in my chest. "If they've been stealing dust in bulk over in Vale, who says it wasn't to create this attack on us!"

"But it wasn't the Fang!" Heinkel shouted, trying to be heard by someone in the crowd. "It was the Wander-"

Something rang out through the forest, quiet and rhythmic, as the angry man spoke openly, despite a lack of response.

"Yes sir? … Yes… uh huh…. What do you mean, a- ?… alright, you're the boss."

I had to raise a brow, before something connected in my head. It must've been a Scroll he was talking on, like William sometimes did in the middle of dinner. But who was he talking t-

"Listen up everybody!" The angry man shouted, as the lights turned to look towards where the voice was coming from. "We got new orders from the Headmaster!"

The Headmaster? Who were they ta-

"Apparently, some Atlas Tech was stolen yesterday, given to Headmaster Lionheart for safe keeping." The man shouted out loud, almost making me cringe at the volume from even this far away. "He has reason to believe that the person who did it is in the area!"

What?

"Look for a man with a sword! Find him, detain him, and take back the stolen property! Got it!?"

"Right!"

I felt my eyes widen, as my heart stopped dead in my chest, my mind freezing as the lights came closer and closer to my location.

Wha-

"What?!" Heinkel shouted, his voice completely filled with shock and outrage at what had just been said. "Th-that can't be right!"

"Keep your eyes open if you're staying, bird brain." The angry man said, as something loud crunched underneath his boot, as a new light joined the fray of others. "Otherwise, get lost."

I needed to go, now.

Without another thought, I began to take off running, moving as quickly towards the Church-Lee home as I could. My legs were dragging under me due to exhaustion, but I was sure I could make it if I-

A weight in my Item pouch made itself known, as my eyes widened, as something felt like it wanted to be pulled out.

I felt my eyes widen, as I pulled out the item in question, heavy in my hands.

"He didn't steal it!" Heinkel shouted, as I stared at the item in question, as I turned my shoulder, looking at the lights. Still quite a distance away, I turned my attention back to the item in my hands…

As the Princess's book stared back, a soft silver energy glowing from it.

I stared at it, studying it as quickly as I could, trying to understand what magic was on it to do something like this. As I stared, I felt a pull in my left hand, as it jolted with a strange energy. Without warning, gold and silver mixed in gentle light, as my arm grew hot, as if it was burning.

Without meaning to, the book launched from my hands, the old and fragile text flying through the air and ready to crash to the ground. Without thinking, I extended both hands to catch it, squeezing my eyes shut in preparation for pain when I realized that I had extended my right hand.

Only…

I opened my eyes and stared at my arm, still in its cast that Joseph had put on me, a sense of confusion filling my entire body.

That… it should have hurt.

"I saw him last week!" Heinkel continued as I stared at my arm, gripping my right hand as tightly as I could. "He had a sword then! It can't be the same sword you're looking for!"

Nothing. No pain, just my arm back in the shape it was before everything happened.

While I was at it, I put my hand under my shirt, feeling for the bullet holes that were once on my torso. No matter how hard I searched my body, I could only find scars, not the wounds that made them.

I… healed? How? This… only Zelda could heal my wounds like this!

I took a deep breath, groaning as my ribs still ached horribly with every move, and some of the bruising from my battle still in place. Ok, so it didn't heal everything, just… a lot of it did… but…

How?

"It's a reward…."

I turned around, a voice gracing my ear like a soft breeze on a morning day, as the trees were swinging gently. I felt the urge to take out my blade, but instinct stopped me…

As my hand pulsed with a gentle glow, a feeling of warmth and glee spread over me, like the glow of the sun.

This voice…

"Keep up the good work…"

I looked down at my left hand, the warmth fading away in the autumn chill, only the book remaining in them. I stared up at the sky, crunching leaves signaling the encroaching men and women that were coming to arrest me.

The wind blew again… but there wasn't a whisper to be heard.

I looked down at the book, the strange pull from within my Item Pouch weighing on my mind. That faded though, as something else caught my attention…

The pages that had been ripped out… they were back.

I immediately opened the book, seeing scribbled handwriting that looked as if it came from a much younger person. I turned the pages faster, watching the handwriting become more elegant, the wording more mature…

And on the last new entry…

'Thank you.'

I stared with wide eyes, an entry appearing under the Princesses last message, her final warning to all who entered the cave.

'I had hidden my Diary with my Semblance, making it unable to be observed or touched, but… whatever power you hold gave me the chance to undo it, and give you my heartfelt thanks. I hope my Ryoshin serves you well, Wanderer, no… Hero. I pray it helps you find your own Princess…'

'Please, leave the book behind, so that I… so that I can share my life with the world that has forgotten me.'

I read it twice, making sure I read it correctly as I stared, a pulse coming once again from my left hand, as warmth filled my body.

With that, the passage faded away, swiped clean as if the words had never existed on the page to begin with. Yet, the previous pages remained, as the lights drew closer and closer, their light almost blinding me.

The power… I wield?

I looked down at my left hand, catching the symbol of the goddesses just as it dimmed completely, leaving only the mark underneath my gauntlet.

This… this is what healed me…

I smiled down at my hand, a warmth all of my own flooding through me, as another gentle breeze passed by.

"You're welcome." I told no one, as I set the book at the foot of the statue of the horrid Grimm, making sure it could be seen by the people coming. With that, I ran further into the woods, taking the long way back to the Church-Lee home…

Missing the outline of a woman with green hair sitting in the trees, smiling down at her Champion. A feeling of warmth flowing through her, and also… a deep sadness.

It took forty five minutes to make my way back to the house, as it was certainly a more… eventful trip.

With all of the guards in the area, it took me a while to sneak past all of their lights, and avoid any contact. For whatever reason, they were convinced I was some sort of terrorist, and each had a gun on them. Luckily though, I blended in with the grass and bushes pretty well, so they often just passed over me. A few were close, but all it took was throwing something in a separate direction to throw them off.

By the time I got back though, I was mentally and physically exhausted, my three broken ribs aching in horrible pain, and my new bruises leaving me incredibly sore. Not only that, but the very fact I was being hunted down for some reason was also stressing me out.

Making sure no one had followed me, it was a simple task to vault over the fence, especially now that my legs were healed back up. It was also easy to climb back up the tree, as I finally had a full range of motion within me.

I will admit, climbing with only one hand was really difficult, especially with how tired I would end up being after a long day. Still, I was glad I could finally just rest. Nobody saw me either, so they shouldn't be able t-

"I knew it!"

I felt my hands slip from one of the branches, my heart jumping from both the sudden shock, as well as the sudden fall. I fell, my back landing hard on a branch, I slid off of it, protected from a few ugly scraps thanks to my chain mail. Without a word I grabbed the nearest branch with both hands, holding my own weight with ease, as I sucked in my teeth with pain.

I took a bunch of quick breaths, calming my heart down as adrenaline flowed through me, as I started to sweat. At this point, I was feeling kinda hazy with how much adrenaline had been released tonight.

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!"

I looked up towards the top of the tree, a sinking feeling in my chest as I saw a set of tiny hands gripping a branch. The sound alone echoed through the town, as many were outside, talking and making sure everybody was ok. All while a familiar set of pink footie pajamas jumped up and down on a branch, shaking the dead leaves off with ease…

"Mom and Dad said you were just a guy who got robbed, but I knew they were wrong!"

As Eva beamed down at me, her eyes practically shining in the light of the moon. Shaking and almost jumping in joy on the tree, as I stared back.

"You and Ms. Sword are Superheroes!"

…

I really was unlucky, wasn't I?

"Farore… with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law."

-Princess Zelda

Oum's Book of Grimm

Subject: Weavers

Arachne: The highest form of the Weaver Grimm that is known, this Ancient Grimm haunts the caves of Remnant, defeating Huntsmen and Huntresses who dare encroach upon their territory. Having received the name from the person who first discovered it (or rediscovered it, due to many documents about Grimm being destroyed in the war), this creature is an example of the danger of leaving Grimm to their own devices. Their paralytic poison can stop the hearts of any who are bit, and their web is stronger than steel. This a Nemesis Class threat, the third strongest class of Grimm, and just under Blight Class. Although weaker physically than other Grimm of its class, the Arachne isn't known for attacking outright. Rather, using the natural darkness of the caves it is found in, the Grimm uses its uncanny stealth aptitude to pounce and kills foes instantly with its bite. If the space is large enough, it can even use its its four legs to climb any surface (how that's possible, we might never know. Perhaps it's related to how spiders themselves grip impossible surfaces?).

Luckily, Aura makes it extremely hard to be bitten, and in the proper lighting, stealth isn't a problem to spot this large creature. However, it's arms have enough strength to tear down a house, and if old enough, can use its webs for traps or alarms to know when you are in its territory.

Part 2:

Theories of Evolution.

Although an Arachne has reached its final stage of evolution, there have been rumors of Arachne with… above average intelligence. Due to the difference in strength compared to other Grimm of its Class, and the rarity at which they form, it is likely that Arachne, like Goliath's, have learned to avoid and learn from their prey. This brings up an interesting question of if other Grimm would be capable of this if they too can't get stronger with age. Should an Arachne be old enough, and learn to use its abilities in ways others hadn't, would it still be considered a Blight Class, or would the danger of its intelligence put it up at Nemesis Class? It's a scary thought…

Luckily, due to the mining of Dust and metal in places around the world, the Schnee Dust Company has lowered the likelihood of these Grimm forming considerably. Weavers themselves are only Youngling Class threats, weaker than even Beowulfs, so even children could kill them. β Weavers are Alpha level threats though, needing at least a group of civilians, or one person trained in combat with Aura. So long as these Grimm aren't given the chance, they'll be unable to grow into horrendous threats they could be.

It's amazing how quickly a problem grows when you leave it alone, isn't it?

References:

Peter Porter, Professor of Grimm Studies at Beacon Academy

Records from Schnee Dust Company files on Grimm accidents.

Records from Hiru Arachne, testifying about her escape.

Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy.

Next time on "A Hero's Dream"!

"Busted"