Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter of…
"A Hero's Dream"!
Well, you know what time it is. It's time for me to respond to reviews for my story! Before I get into that though, I wanted to ask you guys something!
As someone who has recently got into League of Legends, who's your favorite Champion and why! (To those of you who don't play League, you can just tell me your favorite character in Zelda or RWBY.)
For me, it's Ivern the Greenfather! His kit is great, and I find it hilarious how friendly he is in a game about killing each other! Daisy is great too, and so love playing Jungle and just helping everybody out! For the others, Tetra is one of my favorites from Zelda, and Weiss is my other favorite due to her story arc.
Without further ado, onto the comments!
Dragonmaster150: I'm glad everybody seemed to enjoy the fight. Part of what makes Link Link is fighting humongous creatures, so if I can't do that well, the story will likely lose its fire. Great item description by the way, because of that, I added a few of my own to the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Inheritance1990: I'm glad you looking forward to the future, and hope you're interested in what I give this chapter! Hope to see more of your reviews in the future!
Green223: I'm glad you loved the fight, and I'm sorry I didn't go into enough detail. The purple Dust wasn't Dust, it was energy from the Skyward Strike! After Link used it on the Water Dust, the energy exploded outward and just the residual power of the Strike was enough to cause a huge chain reaction in the other forms of Dust. Hope that cleared some things up for you.
Nick Foolery: I'm glad you liked it. If you're looking for a great Zelda fanfic, I would suggest "What Makes a Hero" by Selphie Kinneas 175. They did phenomenal work on Links journey through Twilight Princess, and is one of the reasons why I am writing FanFiction. In fact, "Skyward Remnants" was heavily influenced and inspired by their work. So go check it out!
Darkmist111: Since you are a long time reader, I'll give it to you straight up. The reason it's hard to get the items is not only Link in a new place where Magic works differently, but he also has to pull the items into this new dimension. It's not that there are special requirements, but it's just so much harder to grab hold and pull them out at the moment. Who knows, maybe it'll get easier. Stick around and find out. As for the rest of your question, you'll just have to find out.
TheDevoutBeliever: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, even if there aren't any awesome fights in it.
Guest (Letters): IIIIIMMMM GLADDDD YOUUUU LIKEEEEEDDDDDD ITTTTTTTTT!
Guest (Nai-su): Thank you for reading and the review! I'm glad you liked it!
celian Cogitore: Again, thanks for your help!
Alexkellar: Thank you for your review! If you can, can you clarify what you didn't like about for so I can work on it in the future? Thank! Hope you enjoy!
Monster King: Thank you!
With that, let's get on to the story.
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File Loaded.
Choose Your Character!
—[Link]
Zelda
Continue?
—[Yes]
No
Chapter 14: Busted
It goes to show that I can't keep a secret, no matter how hard I try.
My body screamed at me in sore agony as I pulled myself in through the window, feeling my ribs screaming as gravity pressed them against the sill. It took some effort not to gasp in pain, as I slowly dragged myself in, energy drained from the fight an hour earlier.
But pulling myself over something wasn't hard, in fact, it was easy for me considering I did it every day for two years in my chain mail.
Problem was, I never had to drag myself up in chain mail and a child hanging off my leg.
"What else can you do Mr. Zombie!?" Eva asked as she hung off my boot, trying to keep me away from my bed so I could keep talking to her. "I saw you shoot lasers when you killed the gross spider, and turn things to stone! Can you walk on walls?! Fly?! Oh, oh, can you make things explode with your mind?!"
I grabbed a section of the guest bed, using it as leverage to pull myself further in, dragging the girl up to the window. I gasped for air, as I gave one final pull, flopping onto the floor with a loud bang, my head resting against the wall. Eva, on the other hand, landed on the bed, still grabbing my leg, not even phased by suddenly moving through the air. In fact, she didn't even stop, as she attempted to drag me back up on my feet, leg in hand.
"Can I do that Mr. Zombie?!" She kept asking, as my upper back and head lay flat against the floor, Rva too excited to notice. "You don't have Aura, Popop told me, so that means anyone can shoot lasers, right?! Teach me, please! Please please please please!
Giving a groan, I managed to remove my leg from Eva's grasp, as my heel came down with a loud bang. Forced myself to sit up, taking a few breaths…
Before small arms hung off my neck, choking me as the little girl hung from it like a branch.
"I won't tell anyone that you showed me!" The girl stated as I stood myself up, wobbling in an unsure balance as the girl clung tightly. "And I promise I won't use it on anyone, even if they're mean to me! Please!"
"Eva…" I tried to get out, her arms crushing my windpipe too much to even get it beyond a whisper. "Let go… please."
"Oh…" Eva gasped lightly, releasing her grip and landing on the floor, as I quickly got some air back into my lungs. "Sorry."
I sat down on the bed, the pillow in reach of my head, tempting me to fall right to sleep and just shut off my brain. That would be nice…
But that wasn't going to happen, as Eva inadvertently sat between me and the pillow, looking up at me with stars in her eyes. I groaned, looking past her at the soft pillow, before I simply sighed and accepted my fate.
"What are you doing up so late, Eva?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes, forcing them open so that I didn't risk falling into the pull of sleep. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Actually, hold on…
Lasers? Spiders? How did sh-
"Oh, that's because of that comet that crashed nearby!" Eva spoke with a smile, standing up on the bed so she could look me dead in the eye, even as I quirked a brow in confusion. Comet? "The entire house shook, and I woke up seeing a big ball of light! I thought it was a rainbow at first because of all the colors, but it was night out and rainbows need sunlight… they don't leave big holes in the ground either."
Oh… so the explosion was that big, huh? It must've woken up the whole Kingdom…
And they thought I caused it… Well, I did, but not on purpose.
I grimaced slightly at my own words, turning my head towards the window to look outside, seeing the large hole off in the distance. It was large enough to be considered a scar on the valley, as vast amounts of scorched earth lay around it. I couldn't tell how big it was from here, but it was enough to be considered a chasm.
This is not the way I wanted to get the word around about the 'Wanderer'.
"Daddy rushed in and to my room and saw the same thing." Eva spoke, continuing her story as I stared out into the dark night, a hand covering my face in exasperation. "After I asked him, he told me a comet had fallen, and to stay here with Popop as he and Mom ran out the door. I stayed with Popop downstairs for a while, before he turned on the TV, and that bushy guy showed up. He was pretty funny, because he was still wearing his pajamas and shaking like a puppy!"
I curled a brow, turning to her with a confused expression as she tried to hold back a laugh from just remembering the man. Weird, wasn't it a woman that usually appears to talk about important events on the TV? Or was I missing something?
"But that's when I remembered that you were still in your room!" She suddenly shouted, jumping off the bed and running back to the door, her footsteps bounding across the floor. "So I ran up the stairs, opened the door to see if you were alright! But you weren't here! So I ran back down and told Popop, and he was also surprised! He told me to relax, and said that you had probably gone on a walk, but I was really worried! I thought you might've gotten crushed by the comet!'"
…Well, that wasn't too far off actually.
"So I rushed back up the stairs and climbed out the window and climbed the tree like you showed me to look for you!" She continued, as she rushed to the window and pointed out of it, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Than I saw you in the sky holding with a really pretty light on it, and come down to kill t-"
"Wait, hold on." I interrupted, as Eva stopped her jumping, eyes focusing on me with an intense stare that I was sure she didn't mean to cast. "What do you mean saw me? You were- wait, were you there?!"
"No," She responded simply, as she went to the window and pointed to the tree we had both just climbed. "I was up in my secret hideout!"
This time, I tilted my head, trying to figure out how she could've seen me. Standing myself back up, and feeling my body hate me for it, I leaned out the window, looking towards the general location of where I fought the creature. The moon gave quite a bit of light, but even still, the area must've been over a mile away.
So how did she see me?
"Oh!" Eva exclaimed excitedly, as she too leaned out the window, far enough for me to have to hover a hand over her shoulder so that she wouldn't fall. "One of the guys just took the book you left behind!"
Wha-?!
I turned to the girl next to me, staring as she teetered in and out of the window, looking at something far in the distance. She turned to me with a gasp though, as she beamed up at me excitedly!
"That bushy guy's reading it!" She told me excitedly, as I turned, squinting my eyes as best I could. Despite that though, I saw nothing, even as Eva laughed at something and turned to me again. "He just jumped like a scared cat!"
"Eva…" I began, trying to wrap my head around it, wondering how it was possible that she cou-
She turned to me, her eyes staring intently as she tilted her head, curious about what it was I wanted. But, that in itself answered my question, as the girl's bird-like eyes stared deeply into my own.
"You're a hawk…" I said slowly, as it began to dawn on me exactly why it was you she could see so far away. "You have the eyes of a hawk."
"Yeah…" She said, pulling into herself, intentionally looking away, a frown set onto her face as she did. "You already saw that. I already know, it's creepy… and gross… "
"No, I mean…" I began, shaking my head, looking down at her with wide eyes, as she frowned even deeper. I actually chuckled a bit in amazement, as I stuck my head out the window again. "You eyes are am-"
I felt the hairs on my neck tickle as Eva glared at me, a hand raised before I could blink, her eyes trained on my chest. Without even looking, I grabbed the hand before it fell, holding it so she couldn't try it again. She immediately tried though, as I grabbed her other raised hand and placed them both back down at her side.
"Don't laugh!" She said with a glare, as she crossed her arms under her chest, glaring at me all the while. "It's not funny! It's not nice to make fun of people!"
I raised a brow, watching as she turned her head away from me, her arms still crossed. That was… strange. Eva didn't usually get mad like this, only when I didn't do what she wanted when she wanted.
But she never tried to hit me out of the blue like that… she usually just tried to throw a toy at me.
"I wasn't making fun of you Eva…" I told the shorter girl as I got on a knee to talk to her face to face.
"Were too…" She responded childishly, turning her head even further away from my direction. "You laughed about my eyes…"
I looked at her strangely, not that she even knew it with her head turned away, but let it go. I shook my head and let it go though, trying to think about my next words carefully.
"I was only laughing because I was amazed, Eva." I told her gently, sitting down and resting myself against the wall, as Eva perked her ear at that. "I never knew you could see that far."
The girl stayed silent for a while as I rested my body, simply relaxing all of my aching joints and muscles. As I did, I loosened the belt of the scabbard's harness, letting my blade rest next to me, trying to understand what was going through her mind…
"What do you mean?" She asked, still turned away but clearly paying attention to my words. That caused me to raise a brow though, confused about what she was talking about. Didn't she kn-
Ah.
"You don't know, do you?" I asked with a smile, as she turned to me with a glare, clearly annoyed. I held back a chuckle, trying to not make the same mistake I did moments ago.
"Know what?!" She asked with a glare, not able to know what I was referring to, even though she was clearly trying to figure it out. But how could she?
You can't exactly see through another person's eyes and compare it to your own. Just like you can't hear through someone else's ears and know you can hear things others can't.
"Don't worry about it." I told her simply, ruffling her hair a bit as she glared up at me, trying to push my hand off her head. "You'll figure it out at some point."
"So," I began, taking my hand off her head, as she stood guard, combing her hair back into place with her fingers. "That's why you were out in the tree… You know that I killed the Spider… then you also saw me turn it to stone, right?"
"Yeah." She responded with a nod, as she sat on the bed, not letting her eyes wander as she stared at me like a bird of prey. "You shot Earth Dust at it…"
"Earth dust?" I asked, raising a brow at the girl, wondering what she was talking about. "Wha- are you talking about sand?"
Now it was her turn to look at me strangely, as she looked up at me with her intense eyes, looking at me with heavy disbelief. I fought back the urge to scratch my cheek, an awkward tension forming between the two of us.
"What?" I began, trying to get her to stop making that face.
With that, Eva explained to me what exactly Dust was, taking her time to explain it the best she could. I made sure to pay attention, because with the faces she was making, and the not so subtle comments of my brain having 'rotted away', it seemed this was a common subject. Like, extremely common, if the amount of examples she was listing was any indication.
"-in the heater, in the stove," She continued to list, looking around the room for other examples of where this Dust was used. "Your lights, Daddy's car, Mom's gun, the TV, and the farmers use it to make plants grow really big!"
"Wow…" I said, looking around the room and taking in exactly where all of the Dust was used. "So… it's like Magic then?"
"I guess…" Eva told me simply, sitting back down onto the bed kicking her feet as she looked at me. "Popop explained it to me, but I don't really remember. I only remember all the colors."
"Like how red is fire?" I asked her, sitting next to her as she nodded her head, looking up at me the best she could.
"Yep." She said, as began counting on her hands, thinking as hard as she could. "Green is ground, Yellow is lightning, light blue is Ice, and white is… Wind? Yeah, Wind!"
"And Black?" I asked curiously, feeling my arm throb from the memory of my strike against the Arachnae. "What's that one do?"
"That's… um- oh, that's Gravity!" Eva told me, sticking out her chest, seeming quite proud of herself as she answered with only a moment's hesitation. "Popop said that's how all the big rocks over at Lake Matsu float in the sky!
'Ok…' I thought to myself, making a mental list of all the Dust Crystals she had listed, making sure I got them right. As I did, I took a mental look at the crystals I had gathered in the cave, keeping stock of my ammunition.
The crystals themselves were quite large, half as tall as I was, and as thick as my leg, each of the six I had were a different color. I had one red (fire), one yellow (lightning), one white (wind), one green (earth), one light blue (ice), and one cyan. Each was enough to create more than ten pieces of ammunition for Ryoshin, twenty if I were to reduce the size. And that wasn't including the two black (Gravity) crystals I still had, as well as the white and yellow one too.
So in terms of ammunition, I was just fine. In terms of how to use some of them, that I wasn't too sure about.
But I'll figure it out. Now…
I watched the young girl, rudely interrupted in her sleep by me and the Arachnae, yawn and rubs her eyes, shaking her head in an attempt to stay awake. That quickly became contagious though, as I matched hers with a large yawn of my own, my ribs aching from the deep breath.
It was time for bed.
"Thanks for the help Eva," I told the girl honestly, as I stood myself up and stretched as much as my ribs would allow. "But I think it's time for you to go back to sleep."
"But I'm no-o-t tired…" She yawned, blinking slowly as she forced her eyes to stay open. "And I wanna learn to shoot lasers…"
That caused a brow to raise for me, before I remembered that she thought you could 'learn' to shoot lasers. I shook my head with a chuckle, and kneeled down to look her in the eye, her head too heavy to hold completely up in her tired state.
"Well you're gonna have to ask Ms. Sword how she does it," I told her honestly, moving to hold her under the legs and back, making sure she was stable. "Because I couldn't do that before today."
Not in this life anyway.
I yawned again, feeling my ribs ache once more, and an echoing feeling present in my skull. With that, I walked out the door, silently making my way towards the young girl's room.
"I don't wanna…" She said with as much strength as she could, before I opened her door and gently placed her on the bed. "You can't make me…"
"Well…" I said with a smile, tucking her in as she looked up at me, confused at my expression. "That's not entirely true."
"Huh?" She exclaimed softly, trying to sit up and stay awake as long as she could…
Before I softly whistled a familiar tune, one I had gotten quite used to listening to on nights that stretched for far too long. The melody itself was barely a whisper, but before the Lullaby started it's tenth note…
The girl was fully asleep, snoring gently as Zelda's Lullaby ended, a touch of Magic filling the air from the utterance of those notes.
My eyes drooped heavily as I resisted the urge to yawn again, standing up completely while actively stopping the need to stretch. I quietly exited the room, gently closing the door without a sound, almost losing my feet from under me as I made my way back to the guest room.
The combination of the stress of fighting the horrid Grimm, and the soft spell lulling me into a state of ease was starting to take effect. I could barely stand, much less think about what happened or what would come in the days to pass. Sound was simply drowned out, as conscious thought bleed into half awake dreams, whispering and wondering.
I almost tripped on something, absentmindedly grabbing it as I went towards the bed, not bothering to wrap a blanket around myself. As I held onto what I had grabbed, I realized it was my Sword, cool steel relaxing against the grip I had on its sheath.
The worry of what was going on left, the confusion and questions leaving just as quickly, as my mind refused to wonder. My eyes closed as the metal warmed to the touch, a harmonic sound echoing next to my ear, as I swore a hand gently caressed my temple.
And with nothing to hold myself back, I fell into the world of dreams, words whispered out like an afterthought, easily forgotten.
"Goodnight Fi."
The dream was a familiar one. One I had experienced enough to know that I was asleep.
A field of emerald grass, silent but busy, resting under trees taller than eyes could perceive through the thick fog. Some were crooked and dark, shadows of faces mocking me from behind the veil, and others were older than Hyrule itself, standing tall and proud.
I was yawning as I walked through these woods, hands behind my head as an early morning dew soaked my boots. In the distance, trees groaned and swayed, not from the wind, but the presence of something in their domain.
And as I walked through the woods, I recalled something important, as I froze in place from the sheer shock.
I've never had this dream before.
A green light emerged from my chest, small and bright, gliding through the woods as easily as a dandelion seed. A rough outline set itself in the air, a boy walking through the woods without a care in the world.
What… is this?
I absentmindedly waved a hand in front of me, watching as it shifted easily through the child before me. As if in response, the child's ear perked, as he laughed and ran to the right, the mist swallowing him whole.
"Wait!" I shouted, running after the child, lost and confused as to what was going on. Without warning, the area shifted, as I arrived somewhere else, a tree covered in mist. A figure stood atop it, holding something in their hands, as a whistle pierced the fog.
"Hehehehahahah!"
"You…" I silently spoke, staring at the figure that stood on the tree, two lights dancing around him in glee. "I… who are you?!"
Your friend. You should pay him a visit sometime.
My eyes burned as something shoved itself into my head, my body tending itself in an attempt to force it away. Friend? It can't be, I don't know anyone like that!
He misses you. You should play a song the next time you see him. Maybe the Oath t-
"What are you talking ab-?!" I tried to ask the voice in my head, as something shifted in my periphery, a green light cutting through the mist. I turned and saw the boy again, as he sunk back into the mist ahead of me. "Wait! You- I saw you, didn't I! Back at the cave!"
Once again, I raced after the boy, the world drowning in fog once more, as another clearing showed itself. Filled with shadows of children, all of them barely perceivable, merely dark patches in the light, surrounded by flickering lights.
No, not lights…
Fairies.
I didn't get the chance to look further though, as the boy rushed past, keeping his head down as he did. I chased after him again, forcing myself through the shadowed figure, watching the boy with an indescribable emotion behind them. Pity? Confusion? Alienation? It didn't matter, as I ran through the fog and the shadows of things before were left behind, where they should stay.
A headache formed as I turned my head and chased after the intruder/boy. The sound of heavy footfalls crashing in front of me as I ran faster to avoid the one who shouldn't be here.
The boy continued on rushing to the left, passing by figures I didn't recognize, their loss and sacrifice weighing me down. Sages of Wisdom, and Heroes who I once was left behind as I chased the green child through the woods.
Darker things to come.
I winced in pain as I chased myself through the fog of these Lost woods, feeling many calls to many memories. Rain crashing, gates opening, Brother's hugging, Zoras whining, all manner of noises flooded into me as I rushed past the room.
A sudden veer to the left came up, as I swore I saw a blue Fairy leave the woods, tempting me to follow and bring her back. I ignored it though, as I called out to the child once more.
"Hold on!" I heard him shout, my mind filling with conflicting thoughts and senses, as… the song played. "It's you, isn't it?! Zelda… she told me about a hero who saved Hyrule as a child, a fairy at his side!"
The woods shook with his words, as he kept racing on through the fog, the song getting louder and louder. With gritted teeth, I felt myself shift/chase faster as the fog …
"You're the Hero of T-!"
The Fog vanished, as sun filtered through the sky, shining down a grove of men, women and children. None were shadows here, their faces clearly visible as they all looked at me, confusion wore on their faces. They stepped back, their forms twisting into shadow, as too many eyes bore down on me. I felt myself freeze as the boy disappeared, his form now replaced…
By a girl, sitting on a stump, playing a familiar tune with her eyes closed, holding an…an…
The girl turned to look up at me, as her head tilted to the side, the music stopping dead in its tracks. For some reason, I expected the girl to step back like the others, disappear and simply be eyes from the shadows, unable to comprehend all that had been erased.
Yet she didn't… and without knowing why, I was grateful that she wouldn't.
She stood from her stump, standing no taller than my waist as she held her instrument gently in her hands. Instinctively, I got to one knee, studying the face that appeared before me as closely as I could, just as she did mine. And in that split second, as I continued to study and memorize her face…
She smiled and laughed, holding her warm hand to my cheek, a headache I wasn't aware of easing.
"Hello Link," She said, grabbing my hand and placing her… her… instrument in mine "It's been a while."
It was recognition, a sense of deja vu that gnawed at the mind, as without meaning to, I formed the words and spoke a name I shouldn't know.
"Sari-"
I felt a cold hand place itself on my shoulder, bone clinking against the metal of my chain-mail, as that chill wrapped itself around my heart.
"You shouldn't be here."
I threw the hand off my shoulder, pulling out my blade as the forest was replaced with an endless expanse of chilling fog. Rolling to the side, I placed the instrument away, feeling connection as I lifted my blade in front of me, the weight of my shield shifted comfortably on my right arm. A quick glance showed my pursuer, a Stalfos in moldy armor, unarmed.
"This is no dungeon, no temple to explore, Warrior. Curiosity has carried you far in your journey, but here, I fear it will be your undoing."
A voice echoed in my head, as deep breaths echoed throughout the fog filled arena, structures formed and silhouetted in the distance. I felt something stalk in the fog, as another presence flew overhead, both watching with sharp eyes.
"The treasures are many, but none of them mean anything to you. To find them is a game of gain and loss, and I fear what you may lose if you continue searching…"
I felt a headache form, as I jumped forward, attacking the Stalfos with a simple Jump Attack. In an instant, he twisted to the side, a blade and shield appearing in his own hand, as I moved in for another attack. With a force from it that was incomparable but hauntingly familiar, our blades locked, and our legs shook as we pushed against one another.
"Take only what is given, do not gorge but rather be satisfied with the generous share you have been burdened with. Do this, and not only will you survive, but you will live past the Fate he has forced upon us."
A haunting chill encased my chest as I stared into this Demons eye, it's haunting red glow borrowing into me. I tried to escape our lock, but the creature twisted its blade, pushing me further and further to the floor, forcing me to stare deeply. I felt sweat cover me, not from exertion, but the weight of the presence before me, and the words I was hearing…
His words…
"And survive you must…"
I felt something pounce, a black shape snapping onto the form of the Stalfos, the Shade before me. As soon as it moved, the presence overhead swooped down, as I felt small talons lift me off the ground, pulling me away from the blade lock. They released just as quickly, as I looked to see a crimson bird fly back towards the clouds, a black wolf slinking back into the shadows before me.
"Take this trinket I have kept and be satisfied, Warrior. Go forward with the sacred honor of the green tunic you proudly wear. Our clash was enough to prove your heart, your valor in the face of the incomprehensible."
I stood myself back up, feeling the weight of the stare upon me as the Shade gasped, exhausted. Not from the battle, and certainly not from his strong emotions… just… exhausted.
"Leave this world behind, and live in your own. Your quest is far from done, and the coming trials are no doubt as perilous as ours. Leave…
He stared at me as I felt the world mix, an itching feeling coming into focus as hairs stood on my neck. The fog shifted away, but the dream became hazier and hazier, as I swore…
" Let my words be the last treasure you take from here… let it be hewn into your mind, like so many other techniques before."
A mirror now stood before me. A figure, tired from remembering, but standing taller than the sky itself, as others watched from beyond the fog…
"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has Courage."
The first thing I realized when I came into consciousness was that something wasn't right. A tingling was present on the back of my neck, as I couldn't yet decipher the explosion of senses. Instincts kicked in, as I felt something fly open, an angry snarl instantly clicking into place in my head.
Hand already clutching cold steel, I instantly jumped to my feet and blindly lunged, drawing my blade and leaving the sheath behind on the bed. It was less than a second, and my eyes were still blurry from sleep, so I couldn't see my opponent clearly. But they were tall, with sharp claws closed into a fist, a Wolfos springing into mind.
From the blurry shape, I instantly went for under the arm, attempting to end this in one b-
"Holy S-!" The figure shouted as it fell backwards, my blade sailing past their ear, cutting the air with a clean whistle. Without another word, I jumped and rolled over the creature so as to not trip, the tip of my blade pointed down at its neck as I stood tall. That was when I finally managed to blink and realize…
Wolfos can't speak.
The world sharpened into focus, as I recalled exactly where I was and what situation I was in. Without a word, I dropped my sword and took a step back, as I stared into green eyes almost entirely consumed in fear. The person beneath me was completely frozen, unable to even get the chance of defending themselves as their arms reached up to block the sword far too late.
Before I even got a chance to apologize though, I felt nothing supporting my back foot, as my balance was instantly lost. I waved my arms in the air, searching for any kind of support, but they slipped away from my cold, sweat covered hands.
I felt the hard ridges of the stairs dig deeply into my back, as the air inside my bones made an incredibly loud popping noise. Before I even knew it, it was my chest next, as I felt the wind get knocked out of me, ribs cracking in an excruciatingly painful new break. By that point, I was at the bottom of the stairs, as my head slammed into the wall behind it, stars floating in my eyes, as my eyes drooped heavily.
"Oww…" I managed to squeeze out pitifully as my lungs locked into place, not allowing any new breaths to be taken. I forced a hand to my head, feeling the swelling already start, as I just groggily sat there.
"Oh my god!" I heard someone shout, as I saw a head peak over the stairs, salt and pepper hair with tanned skin meeting my eyes. For a second, I thought it was William that I had threatened at sword point, a feeling of white-hot shame crawling through me like a plague. However, there were two things wrong with that.
For one, William didn't have green eyes, his were blue, and everyone else in the family had amber colored eyes. Two, the face was much too slender, the eyelashes too long, and the obvious green eyeshadow was something I don't think William would be caught dead in.
That didn't quite stop that feeling of shame though, as the figure stood and ran down the stairs…
All while being careful not to bump her head on the slanted stairwell ceiling.
If I thought William was tall, then this woman was a giant in comparison. Although much more slender than the broad man, she was easily over 6"8', with a grey tank top and tight jeans. Said tank top had a very… visceral design on the front of what looked to be an army of Redeads or Gibdos, one of them holding up a flag. Moving up, her face was a lot like William's, except she had what seemed to be six piercings. Three on her right eyebrow, two on her right nostril, and a final one on her bottom lip, each one a simple black ring. She also had a large silver loop on her left dog ear. Other than that, and the long salt and pepper hair that matched William's, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
"You alright?" She asked as she tried to look at my face, her head much higher than mine even though she was crouching.
"Yeah…" I managed to force out, finally taking a breath as I shifted my body into a more comfortable position. "Just… give me a sec-"
"Good," She interrupted with a loud voice, as I finally managed to look her in the eye, a bright fire behind them as she glared. I blinked, and I felt myself get pulled to my feet, the giantess towering over me with almost glowing eyes. "Then you can tell me what the hell you're trying to pull!"
"Wha-" I tried to ask, but before the words even came out, the woman just continued to speak, not even bothering to listen. This was something I was expecting though, as I did something unforgivable as a guest, and even worse, as someone who owed a life debt to this family.
"I try to wake you up, and you stick a sword in my face?!" She began, looking down on me as fangs were bared, and painted silver nails turned into claws. As she did, I flinched at her words, a feeling of white-hot shame burning me from the inside.
A familiar shame, as this had been the fourth time something like this had happened before. Each scene was a terrible regret that consistently festered in my mind, unwilling to let go…
The only saving grace was that no one was hurt this time. Not like the poor innkeeper, nor the young stablehand, and eve-
I flinched as that memory came to mind, a horrid scene after the fight with the Shadow Temple's Demon. A scene too hazy to remember, but certainly too scaring to forget, a paradox of memory, and an indescribable feeling of shame.
So, I braced myself for the worst, not bothering to resist, for whatever she said was something deserved.
"Of all the stupid…" She continued, flexing her hands, but unable to close them due to the sharp claws, in complete rage. I felt before I saw her slam a hand on the wall, the weight behind it enough to shake the house. I flinched, the shame running through me like a parasite, as the woman leaned down to meet me eye to eye…
"Didn't you warn anyone about your overreactions?!"
I blinked as she glared at me, her eyes looking around and her ears twitching, as if searching for the faintest of noises. I blinked again, unsure of what she was doing, before she turned to me again, eyes filled with a mix of emotion.
"You're lucky it was me that opened that door!" She continued hushed rage, baring her teeth and glaring deeply into my eyes. "Anyone else, and you could've killed them! You know that, right?!"
I flinched again, as her presence bore down on me, a wrathful titan ready to explode as she stirred the shame within me. That only seemed to make her anger worse, as the sound of gritted teeth was loud in my ears, a guttural growl rising in her throat.
"You knew and you didn't warn my brother?!" She forced out, as the sound of claws peeling the paint off of the walls caught my attention. "You stupid motherf-"
The sound of restrained giggles caught both our attention, as the house went deathly quiet. Without a word, we both turned and zeroed in on the source of the sound, who was hiding poorly around the corner.
As soon as Eva saw us, she hid back around the corner, a soft slap signaling she covered her face with her hand. It was too late though, as the woman in front of me seemed to have come to some kind of epiphany.
"Brat…" She growled softly, as the fangs and claws withdrew, slowly and loudly making her way to where Eva was hiding. "What are you doing?"
"N-nothing Aunt Jackie," Eva responded to her Aunt, as she slowly stepped out from behind the wall. "I- I was jus-"
"Hey, short stack?" The one I now knew as Jackie said out loud, crossing her arms and completely ignoring Eva. "Did she know?"
It took me a second to realize she was talking to me, as Eva looked on nervously, fidgeting with her hands. As soon as I realized the question was for me, it was an easy answer since I had warned Eva about it the first time she woke me up.
"Yes, she did," I told her simply, as Eva froze under the sudden glint in Jackie's eyes, capable of freezing a Moblin in place. "But only that it was dang-"
"You little gremlin…" Jackie growled, as she picked up the small child like a doll, said girl squirming around like a worm. "How many times have I told you, you don't mess with other people, especially your Aunt!?"
"No I wa-" Eva began, trying to defend herself, but Jackie was having none of it.
"Yes you were!" Jackie interrupted with a loud voice, not quite yelling, but certainly not whispering either. "And all because the 'Zombie' over there put you to sleep with a 'magic song'!"
I blinked as I was suddenly brought into the conversation, a well of confusion forming in my mind.
"He did!" Eva spoke up, crossing her arms defiantly while still being held by Jackie, glaring at her aunt as she did. "You just don't believe me!"
"Oh sure," Jackie said, putting her niece under her arm as she began to walk up the stairs, completely ignoring me as she did. "And he shoots lasers, and kills giant spiders. Whatever. But just because you're upset that I don't believe a word of it, doesn't mean you get to try and get my head chopped off!"
"But it's true!" Eva shouted, as she kept trying to squirm out of Jackie's grip, even going as far as trying to bite the woman. I watched with wide eyes though, as a metallic grey energy blocked the attempt with ease. "Mr. Zombie's a superhero! He killed the big Grimm in the Valley! Let go of me!"
With that the young girl kicked and slammed her hands against her Aunt's Aura (at least, I assume that's what it was) with a ferocious might. It didn't even phase Jackie though, as she kept climbing the stairs without a care in the world.
"Short stack doesn't even have Aura, Brat," Jackie said as she held onto the tightly to the young, ensuring she couldn't accidentally fall down the stairs. "Wanna make up stories, get a little more believable. Till then, stay in the "zombie's" room, and clean it up."
"Bu-" Eva tried to interject, but she was interrupted again, as the door closed with a loud bang.
"No buts!" Jackie said quickly, as she walked back down the stairs, rolling her eyes as she pointed back in the direction of my door. "And if I hear that door open, I'll spank you! Got it?!"
"I hate you!" Eva shouted loudly, as I heard the distinct sound of someone pouting, and stomping away from the door.
"Love ya too, brat!" Jackie shouted up, as she stood in front of me, looking down with her arms crossed. While she did, I simply stared, trying to catch up with everything that was going on.
That is, before she turned and walked straight to the dining room table, and sat down with her legs on another one of the chairs.
"Get to cooking, short stack," Jackie ordered me without a thought, staring at me as she leaned her head against the top of the chair. "I'm not stickin' around longer than I have to, and I've been waiting since morning. It's the least you owe me."
I forced another blink, trying my best to wrap my head around what exactly was going on. As my eyes wandered, I took a glance at the clock and saw that it wa-
6:50?!
I felt my heart skip a beat as too many things raced through my mind. How long was I out? What happened? Where was Joseph, William, and Carol? Did Eva get anything to eat?
And… that dream…?
"She got some food," I heard Jackie say, turning to her fully as she smirked at my reaction. "Mine actually. You didn't wake up, so I was forced to give her my lunch for both the meals you missed. Now stop delaying, I can't cook, and Eva's been taunting me with how good your food is. Make me wait any longer, and you'll get to see me mad."
We stared at one another, her eyes set into a natural glare as mine simply stared. That stopped though, as I felt my own stomach rumble with a familiar emptiness.
… A dream is just a dream. You aren't Zelda, your dreams don't mean anything.
Just… focus on cooking.
With that, I moved to the kitchen, getting ready to make a big dinner to feed the many residents of the home…
A familiar sound escaping my notice.
It took an hour for the family to show up again, some looking dead tired, while others looking ready to pass out.
Carol was the first to show up, fingers on the bridge of her nose as she collapsed on the coach, a chuckle coming from Jackie as she did. Apparently, due to the explosion, she had to reschedule many of the shows they were supposed to be a part of due to the severity of the incident. She had to work extra hard to keep their spot as part of the local "Vytal Festival" that was happening soon.
As soon as he showed up, I gave her what I cooked, Chicken Parmesan and some garlic bread I had made. She only ate half of it though before she passed out, a plate still in her hand, which I took and placed on the counter for later.
Joseph was second to appear, his age catching up with him as he took the plate and immediately went to his room to sleep. Apparently he was needed at a clinic over in Mistral due to being understaffed, and worked most of the day before he could come back. Apparently, he was the one to call Jackie over to babysit Eva and (embarrassingly enough) me, due to Will still not being comfortable with me being alone here.
And speaking of William, he was the last to come back, but the only one capable of staying up. Despite what happened, apparently he still didn't get a day off, and had been working his usual shifts. In fact, the only person who had a day off was Eva, since school was out for the next few days.
Despite that though, we didn't talk much outside of what happened, cause as soon as he was finished, he grabbed Carol and carried her upstairs. And that's where he stayed for the rest of the night.
Leaving me with…
"Man!" Jackie said with a laugh, her third serving half eaten in front of her, a smirk plastered on her face. "You really do have the worst luck, don't ya!"
I sighed, annoyance crawling into my chest as I watched Eva pick at her food, still glaring at Jackie. She still wasn't too happy after what happened, and ended up giving her Aunt the silent treatment over the entire dinner. It wasn't working too well though, as Eva had to constantly stop herself when Jackie asked her a question.
Because of that, Jackie and I had been doing most of the talking, and she was pretty open about herself, unlike Will.
Jackie was, obviously, William's older sister by five years, making her somewhere in her early thirties. She and William had lived here since they were born, and grew up with their father as their sole parent. She, like William, was a Husky Faunus.
And I knew all of this, because all she had done since I had awoken was speak to me. Alongside making jokes about my entire situation.
"Fall off a cliff, get rescued, and now you're only miles away from the biggest explosion in Mistral since the war." Jackie laughed, finding my luck just as amusing as Joseph did, before taking another bite. "You need to get a card or something short stack. 'Sorry, may cause bad luck to the extreme.'"
I didn't say anything to that, taking another bite of the meal I made as Eva just stared at her food. I raised a brow, wondering what was going on, as I had never seen Eva not finish her plate before.
"If you don't want to eat it," I started, as Eva turned to me startled, likely because I managed to guess what she was thinking. "You can just give it to me. I don't mind eating a second helping."
I was expecting some hesitation on her end, as I was mostly joking about eating her meal. I did not expect her to instantly push her plate to me, and run up the stairs as fast as she could.
"Thanks Mr. Zombie!" That's all she said as she disappeared from view, the soft slam of her bedroom door shutting behind her.
I blinked as Jackie snickered, bringing a hand up to cover her face as she looked at my expression. What was up with that?
"You guys," Jackie began, taking another bite out of the Chicken Parmesan, simply enjoying the meal I had made. "Really need to stop letting that little girl walk all over you. It's gonna cause nothing but problems."
I didn't even bother to respond, taking another bite out of my meal as I rolled my eyes.
"So…" Jackie continued, pushing her finished plate further onto the table, leaning forward on her elbows with both hands under her chin. "Any other stories you wanna share, preferably about whatever cursed you?"
She said this with a cheeky smile, somehow knowing that such a crack could annoy me. But that wasn't at all what I was feeling…
Rather, I still felt the barbed shame pierce me, making it hard to look at the woman that was over a foot taller than me. I took a breath, as I saw Jackie raise a brow out of the corner of my eye, staring at me long and hard. I avoided her gaze, as I tried to think of something else to talk about.
"There…" I began, not looking her in the eye as I began a tale from the top of my head, the first thing that came up. "Was a time I had to wander through the Los-"
"Y'know," She interrupted as she blew a piece of hair out of her face, causing me to blink again. "It's rude, not looking at someone when you talk to them."
"But I-" She had none of it though, as she held a hand in the air, signaling for me to stop speaking. I glared slightly, but kept my mouth shut, if only because I didn't want to be interrupted again.
"The only thing you did wrong," Jackie told me slowly, leaning back in her chair, as it struggled to support her height. "Was telling the brat and not Joseph about your problems. That was your mistake, not what happened back there. To blame you for that would be like blaming Eva for being childish, it just wouldn't make sense."
"But I cou-" I tried to say again, but I was cut off again, as Jackie just closed her eyes and stretched.
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," She said as I heard the distinct sound of popping coming from her back, before she gave a short sigh. "Just don't be stupid next time. Lock the door for God's sake, or set an alarm for yourself, just don't let it happen again."
I sighed, seeing that she wouldn't hear anymore of it, no matter what I tried to say or do. I just shook my head and accepted it, feeling some of the shame die in my chest.
As it did though, I couldn't help but stare at the woman across from me, as she herself stared back. I felt an itch in the back of my head, and felt myself wanting to know…
"You seem…" I began after taking another bite out of my meal, the gentle itch continuing as I ignored it, focusing on the question. "Really familiar with this."
"Oh," She asked, moving her plate to the side, finished with it as she leaned back, her eyes darting to the side. A blink was all it took for them to be back on track though, as I raised a brow. "What makes you say that?"
"Well," I said as I set my own plate to the side, no longer having an appetite as we continued to talk. "Most people don't ignore the fact that I've had them at the end of my blade. In fact, they're a lot more worried when it happens, unlike you."
She laughed at that, crossing her arms and scratching at her arm as I absentmindedly scratched my head. As she did that, I instinctively followed the movement of her hand and noticed where she was scratching.
Namely, two deep scratches near the crook of her elbow, small but noticeable if one were looking at it just right. Without a word, I moved my eyes back up, feeling I had seen something I shouldn't have in that moment.
"Back when I was abroad for some classes, I had a roommate that…" She began, stopping in an attempt to find the right words to say, her expression tightly kept in check. "Well, he had consistent nightmares. Something to do with his Semblance maybe, I wasn't too sure on the details."
I raised a brow, curiosity rising as I wondered about the many aspects of what she was talking about. A Semblance to do with dreams, abroad classes, consistent nightmares… it was kinda like…
"That sounds a lot like a friend of mine…" I said aloud, bringing a hand to my chin, as Jackie quickly moved her gaze to mine, a sudden interest in her eyes. "When we traveled, she would have consistent but confusing dreams, though they seemed to make a lot of sense to her. Were his dreams… premonitions?"
I leaned forward as I asked, trying to find out about this man as best I could. If he really could make premonitions like Zelda, then maybe… That was ripped off the table quite easily though, as Jackie simply chuckled at my question.
"You and your friend read too many fairy tales," She said with a chuckle, as she leaned back in the chair, head dipped slightly as she shook her head at my question. I took a breath, letting out an annoyed sigh as the woman continued speaking. "Semblances can't make premonitions, short stack. The most they can do is tell you that something may happen two or three seconds ahead of time."
'Well… that's disappointing…' I thought to myself, closing my eyes for a second to mourn the loss of what could've been an opportunity.
"Which means you've never been to preliminary Huntsman training…."
I blinked, words softer than a whisper caressing my ear, as I looked up at Jackie who blinked herself when she saw my reaction. Perhaps she didn't think I would hear her?
"No…" I told her, as I scratched the back of my head, the itch spreading to my hand as I did. "I haven't actually. I trained myself…"
"Huh…" She began slowly, as I suddenly felt I was under the watchful Eye of Truth, a reactive twitch calling as I instinctively reached for my blade. I stopped myself though, as I had placed her to the side. Even then, I would've been overreacting, as I took a breath and stayed completely still…
Still… Why did it feel like I was being interrogated…
"I just find it weird is all…" Jackie continued, leaning forward and looking me in the eye with a piercing gaze, which I responded to with a cool stare. "People don't get scars like you from just training… especially when Aura's so easy to awaken."
I felt myself flinch at her words, clouded memories surfacing of her looking at my scars and her expression at the time sinking in. It was… my scars were something I kept private. I didn't show them off like many of the guards back home, or even tell stories about them like others did…
To me… they were reminders, not stories… certainly not something to show off…
However, it seemed Jackie had taken my discomfort for something more, as I felt her gaze intensify.
"As long as you're over ten years old," She spoke as she stared at me, looking as if she were trying to solve a puzzle. "Anyone could awaken your Aura for you, no matter the circumstance. The only reason you wouldn't is if you have parents like Joseph who don't want to deal with teenagers who think they're invincible."
"So why limit yourself?" She asked me outright, her eyes sharpening and looking for something, a twitch in my expression. "Why fight to the point where you feel you have to protect yourself even in sleep, without Aura? There's no reason for it. Why not get Aura and protect yourself?"
"Especially…" She said as she looked down at my stomach, where she had previously seen my scars, my hand unintentionally moving to cover it up. "When you fight to the point of permanently injuring yourself."
Silence hung in the air, a physical force as powerful as gravity weighing down on me, as I said nothing. In truth though, what could I say?
Aura was as natural in this world as Magic was in mine. Sages and practitioners had Magic, Huntsmen and warriors had Aura, that was a fact that could not be escaped in either world.
For me to have fought without Aura long enough to be punished with such marks was inconceivable to Jackie. In fact, it went against everything that made sense in her reality…
But what was she fishing for…?
If it was a simple question of why I didn't have Aura, she wouldn't have spoken at such length about how easy it was to get it. In the short time I knew her, she was upfront and less than tactful, but here…
It was like she was trying to pin something o-
"Who did you say you were fighting?" She suddenly asked, pushing through the silence as one of her fingers turned into a sharp claw. As it did, she tapped her arm with said claw, the point hitting her Aura with a dull thrum with every tap. "Bandits?"
"That's right." I answered easily, getting back on the topic, as I scratched my left hand, feeling the same itch once more. As I did though, I kept an eye on her claw, as I felt the hair on my neck rise slightly, a glare setting on my face. "Why?"
"Because," She began, her ear twitching as she glanced to the second floor of the house. It was easy to see she wanted this to be kept quiet, as she dropped her voice a little, turning back towards me. "There aren't many bandits here… especially not this close to Mistral. Did you… happen to catch a name, or figure out who they were?"
"Yeah," I said easily, as I raised a brow, wondering what she was trying to get at. "I met their leader actually… Raven Branwen."
Her hand tensed and one claw became three, as my own hand itched again, perhaps reacting to the tension now in the air. She glared at me openly now, as I was now tempted to grab my blade as I sat under her gaze.
"Really?" She asked, as we both sat there, the tapping growing louder as more claws joined in. "You met and escaped… Raven Branwen?"
"You don't believe me?" I asked her, openly scratching my hand, adrenaline pumping through as the air grew thicker by the second.
"Believe that you managed to outwit one of the most dangerous women on the planet?" She openly said, as all of her claws were pulled out now, suddenly standing from her seat with a muted scrape. "No, I don't. Especially when you don't have Aura… At least… not without a bit of help."
'Help?' I felt myself raise a brow, as I felt my arm thrum, gritting my teeth at this annoying feeling distracting me from what was going on. I tensed, feeling my body ache in exhaustion and pain, ribs screaming for me to give them more time.
I gritted my teeth, glancing at my sword, ten feet away and behind the giantess in front of me, leaning on one of the chairs. I wouldn't make it, this was a fact as I was still too tired from the battle last night. If I rushed for it, she would stop me easily with her range, speed, and size advantage.
My body was too heavy, uncooperative in my moment of need.
I don't know why, but something set me as an enemy in her mind, and without knowing what, I couldn't talk myself out of it. So, despite what my body said…
My hand itched like crazy, as I immediately stood and scratched it, ready to flip the table for a brief distraction.
I needed to move… no, I needed to fly!
clink…
We both blinked as something fell to the table with a soft sound, as blood and adrenaline rushed through my head. Red filled my vision, as a town far below me against an ocean of clouds filled my head.
Pain suddenly racked through my mind, as… I- something made a desperate grab for its treasure, as I felt my hand push against my head. I sat back down not trusting my legs to stand as a wave of nausea hit me like a truck. I was the only one though, as Jackie stayed standing…
Staring down at the table with a complex mix of shock and… surprise(?), as her claws receded back into her hands.
I followed her gaze, wondering what exactly she was looking at, only to feel my eyes widen.
Two items now sat in the middle of the table, one larger than my hand and the other able to fit in my palm. The first was of no interest to me, its rusted metal face unable to shine in the light directly over the dining room table, an intricate design of what seemed to be a sleeping wolf shown. Why was it of no interest to me?
Because it was mine. Or rather, it was one of the many strange emblems I had found in Jorogumo's Tomb.
It certainly raised a brow, as I wondered how it was here. I didn't mean to pull it out of my pouch, but here it was…
I felt my eyes leave the emblem though, as they were instantly drawn to what was underneath it.
It was a feather. A brilliant, multi-colored feather of red, white, purple and gold, easily twelve inches long.
I blinked as I felt a headache form, something attempting to surface, before being forcefully pushed back down. I blinked though, as a word (a name?) came bubbling to the surface…
Kuren….
Without meaning to, my hand drifted to the feather in front of me, grabbing it by the shaft at the bottom. As I did, I was surprised to find Jackie's hand drift towards the emblem, quickly pulling back as she saw my own hand.
We both looked at one another as I grabbed my feather, feeling a warmth emanating from it as soon as my fingers touched it. As this warmth moved through me, I felt Jackie's eyes no longer radiate the cold anger from before. Rather.. there was now a new question behind her eyes…
"Where did y-" She was about to ask, staring at the emblem on the table as if it were something she had thought lost. Her question was interrupted though, as someone asked a question loudly through the house.
"Eva, what is that?" I heard William ask, as we both blinked and were brought back to reality, as I placed the feather back in my pouch, the warmth receding.
Jackie herself reacted with a blink, as she seemed to remember where she was and what had just happened. She looked back at me with a careful eye, studying me as best she could, as an argument seemed to be brewing upstairs. She sighed, moving her plate to the side as she placed both hands on the table.
"Be straight with me." She asked as nicely as she could with her upfront attitude, staring down at me as best she could. "You got those scars fighting Grimm?"
I nodded to the (technically) true statement, as the sound of the argument increased, our gaze never leaving one another as she studied me.
"You managed to escape the Branwen Tribe?" She asked, and I nodded again, all while she raised a brow, seeming unsure whether to believe me or not. "And no one helped you?"
"N-" I began, but I stopped myself as I thought back, realizing that I was wrong. "Actually, a guy named Coby helped me. He seemed… I don't know, he just gave me the key to the cell they were keeping me in."
She stared at me for a moment longer, studying me as she tried to see if I was lying or not. Eventually, Jackie seemed to decide that she got what she wanted, and stood back up, grabbing her plate and throwing the rest of the food away. With that, she turned towards me again as she grabbed a leather coat off one of the coat racks.
"I have some more questions, but they can wait." She told me as she put her coat on, buttoning up as she quickly made her way to the door. "I got somewhere I need to be. Take care, and don't be a dumbass."
With that, she opened the door, and shut it with a soft bang, as the room was silent once more. And all I could do was sit there, a feeling of tonal whiplash as the women left with more questions than answers.
Not without a final question to leave behind though, as her voice carried through the night like a soft whisper.
"Of course he isn't one of them Jackie," I heard the fearsome woman say with a scoff, as the voice became quiet, while she jogged away. "She wouldn't have trai-
"Jackie!"
I felt my attention be pulled away from the giant, as I turned to see William standing on the staircase, looking around the room. "Did Jackie already leave?"
I nodded, as William just shook his head with a sigh, a hand covering his face as he did. "She always does this. Right when I needed her for something too…"
With that, William went back up the stairs, as the sounds of his feet entering his daughters room echoed through the house. I pulled my attention away, making sure that their conversation was kept private as I turned myself inward.
What happened there? One minute, we were about to be at each other's throats, then the next she just leaves? I shook my head trying to get my bearings…
Before I yawned, feeling another wave of exhaustion hit me, as if I were completely drained.
'Guess I was more tired than I thought…' I said to myself, as the need for sleep almost forced my eyes completely shut. Still…
I guess it didn't matter.
I shrugged my shoulders, feeling a stiffness in them that eased with a few rolls of my arms. I guess it was time for bed… I hope I didn't have another strange dream….
…doot…
I felt myself freeze as I stretched my arm back, all other thoughts leaving my mind as that familiar sound graced my ears.
Hehehehaha…
That sound… it couldn't be.
"Eva, that's enough." I heard William say, as I turned my head to the ceiling, my eyes wide in shock. It couldn't be…
"But I found it!" I heard the young girl say as I stood up, my feet already carrying me up the stairs as fast as my exhausted body could carry them. "That means it's mine!"
"And where exactly did you find it?" William asked, as I reached the top of the stairs, a little ways away from the girls room.
After that, the girl stayed silent, as I moved to see her through the door, hugging something close to her chest, turned completely away from her father. He sighed as he sat with her on the bed, turning to see me with a small shake of his head in a sort of 'what-can-you-do' gesture.
That changed when he saw my face though, as genuine worry seemed to flood through him, standing up way above me. "Link, you alright?"
I wasn't. Because that… that shouldn't be possible….
Both father and daughter turned to me, one worried and the other curious as I ignored the both of them…
Because I was focused on what the girl had in her hands, not their expressions.
Taking a hesitant step, I moved into the girls room, covered in toys and dolls, more than enough that I had to watch my step. As soon as I reached the foot of the bed, I kneeled down in front of Eva, looking down at the object she had in her hands.
"Mr. Zombie?" She asked, as her grip loosened, the object becoming clearer as I was forced to swallow.
Without a word, I reached down, gently grasping the object as if it were a child. Eva gave no resistance, as she seemed worried for me, my attention completely enraptured by what she was holding…
And as soon as I wrapped my hand around it….
I was a child again, standing there in her favorite spot, the spirits dancing to the song she was playing on her stump.
There were no words. The world danced when she played, as even the Lost Woods brightened as her fingers moved across her instrument. I was smiling ear to ear, as was every creature in ear shot, unable to force down the joy she brought with her.
She stopped, but still the song echoed, gracing the ears of the Sacred Forest Meadow as it gently waned. She opened her eyes, and for a moment….
I think she saw everything…
"Wow… you've certainly grown… haven't you Link?"
I don't know why… but the way she said that… it was as if she knew… exactly what I had seen. I didn't say a word…
But she smiled, and brought her instrument up to her lips…
"You don't have to say a thing… just play and I'll know…"
Without knowing why, I felt a tear fall onto my hand, a memory not my own striking me without warning. I stopped myself, taking a breath as Eva looked at me, an honest look of worry on her face. William was the same, as he brought a hand to my shoulder, perhaps in an attempt to comfort me….
"I'm fine." I told the both of them, bringing the object close to my heart as I stood up, a shaky breath escaping. "I'm fine…"
"You sure?" William asked, his face not hiding the fact that he wasn't sure what to do. "You don't… you don't look so good."
I felt my heart wrench, hundreds of questions and emotions rising and falling, a quiet presence filling my mind…
"Was this… in my room?" I asked Eva, holding up the item in question so she could see it clearly, hoping to the three Goddesses I was wrong.
That was doomed from the start though, as Eva nodded slowly, a sinking feeling resting in my chest….
"I see…" I said aloud, as I felt my arms drop to my side, as my body seemed to go numb.
Without another word, I turned and left the room, leaving the two with nothing more than a glance. I turned the corner, seeing the quest room in front of me, the door open for all to see. The both of them seemed like they wanted to stop me, ask me what was wrong, what was going on even…
I couldn't answer them though… cause I didn't know myself…
I closed the door, leaning myself against it as I slid down to the floor.
It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. That's what I told myself for the rest of the night, well into the next dawn. Because…
Because Saria wasn't someone I knew. She was a imaginary friend, a dream I had just last night….
So how was it possible…
That I had the Fairy Ocarina she gave me… the day that started my Quest to save Hyrule?
Deep in the Mountains…
To say things had taken a strange turn would be a rather gross understatement.
I sat upon the cold stone beneath me, wind rushing past me as the chill of the mountain's peak constantly nipped at my skin. Though I was not wearing any sort of protective gear against the cold, my Aura was enough to protect me from the wind.
From this perch, the second tallest mountain of The Tama Mountain Range that had safe guarded Mistral for years, I looked down to the valley. Too small to see with my eyes, hundreds of officers in the Mistrals Military and Police Force still searched feverishly under the orders of the Cowardly Lion.
Many of which, no doubt, were placed around the new scar that Mistral made now been burdened with. A crevice of shattered rock cut deeply into the once uniform valley, a reminder of events that had just occurred recently…
But where people should be celebrating, were instead ignorant men and women, unable to comprehend anything outside of their own narrow beliefs.
I found myself glaring down at the City of Mistral, a mix of frustration and an acceptance of the inevitable. To think they could sweep the death of a potential Blight Class Grimm under the rug, so close to the heart of Mistral in fact.
Though I myself was skeptical to believe that one Faunus could have done it, the proof I had managed to uncover was undeniable. Unable to destroy it for its potential academic value, I was able to see the remains of the Grimm myself. A harrowing sight, as it seems that whoever did it spared no mercy for the affront against nature.
And the source of these rumors, Heinkel, was blatant about how it was truly one man, the Wanderer of Mistral, who had single-handedly done it.
But I wasn't convinced he did it through sheer skill alone. Like a magician on stage, I was certain he staged parts of it, never entering the Scarlet Cave himself, for if he did he would've been slayed by the Arachne. That was what the explosion was, a tool to both weaken and bring the monster out of its den to face head on before an awed public.
A shame it backfired on the Wanderer, as now no one knew the truth, and everyone believed that the White Fang was responsible.
A true shame.
I felt my ears twitch as someone approached, their steps causing the loose dirt and stone shift, making their presence easy to observe. I felt myself smirk, their attempt pulling on some familiar memories of their time under me.
"Jackie," I spoke easily, wind roaring in my ears as I continued to watch the valley below, relaxing myself as I observed. "It was a pleasant surprise, getting a call from you."
"I'm sure it was," The woman spoke loudly, pulling herself up towards the plateau I sat upon, an intense gaze filtering through the fierce wind. "But I'm not here to reminisce."
"A shame, really," I told her honestly, as I heard the woman take a few more steps, stopping right in front of me, towering over me with her height. "I assume that means you want something from me? Knowing you, it wouldn't have anything to do with a recent explosion only a few miles away from your dear Niece and Brother's home, would it?"
It didn't take looking at her to know she tensed, the sound of her breath freezing as she was so easily read. I couldn't help but sigh as I shook my head, an overwhelming feeling of disappointment filling me.
"I underestimated you," I told her honestly, still watching the Valley, imagining the placements of officers as I did. "I thought you'd have come to me with something a little more interesting… but, in your endeavors to be the Bassist of that band of yours, it seems you have slipped farther than I had expected."
"But," I began, turning away from the valley and looking the tall woman in the eye as she tensed, feeling an imaginary pressure as she met my eyes. "I suppose Calamity Jane would worry about her family more than enough that her thoughts and actions would suffer."
"Don't call me that," She growled, claws and teeth bared, but making no move or stance to strike me.
"Very well…" I said with a frown, staying seated as I turned back to the Valley, memorizing and moving pieces in my head. "If it's the explosion you're worried about, don't be. It was the Wanderer of Mistral that caused it, and with good reason too."
Jackie stayed silent, studying me as her curiosity seemed to peak about the Wanderer. So I decided to continue, giving her all she needed to know, a favor for someone who once worked for me.
However, before I could even begin, her next words caused my expression to sour.
"How's Raven Branwen doing?"
That made me pause, as a grimace managed to force its way onto my face, turning back to Jackie with a glare. If she was attempting to throw me for a loop, she succeeded as my train of thought was lost, the amount of supplies and resources I had lost to that woman surfacing with ease.
"That woman hasn't been seen in weeks." I managed to force out, my mood poisoned by the mention of that thorn in my side, as the woman stepped away from my ire. "From what my sources tell me, she's either dead or heavily injured. But that isn't any business of yours anymore…"
And as the satisfaction of having heard the woman had finally bitten off more than she could chew…
I watched as Jackie's eyes twitched, something of interest racing through her mind, as she worked to keep a neutral expression.
"Unless…" I began, standing for the first time since she had shown herself to me, my height still dwarfed by hers. "You know something I don't…"
We stared each other down, as I tried to decipher what was going through the woman's mind… It was rare when someone knew something before I didn't, as I was consistently gathering intelligence from all over the world. So I made sure to study her as deeply as possible, trying to find what she was attempting to hide…
Perhaps that was why I noticed her eyes twitch to her pocket, as my own followed suit, a hand already reaching in. Jackie grabbed my wrist attempting to stop me, but her strength was nothing compared to mine.
Grabbing the contents, I swept my legs under hers, as she fell harshly to the ground, only her Aura stopping her in time to absorb some of the blow.
"Always one step behind…" I said quietly, as I opened my palm and looked down at the contents she tried to keep from me.
To my surprise, I found something I was sure to never see again…
An Emblem of a Sleeping Wolf, rusted to the point it could not reflect any moon light…
"Well…" I began, holding the Emblem between my fingers as Jackie slowly got herself up, rushing me in an attempt to get it back. "I regret calling this meeting a disappointment, Calamity Jane."
Without a word, two of my men appeared in front of the girl, holding her back with two rifles jabbing into her sides. She stopped, gritting her teeth in anger as she watched me, as my men forced her back down the mountain.
In that moment, above almost all of Mistral, I studied the Emblem, connecting the dots Jane had been so eager to leave behind. From Raven Branwen, all the way to the Wanderer of Mistral…
"It appears I was wrong about the Wanderer…." I said to myself, as I gave a short and sharp whistle, a woman appearing behind me dressed all in black as she kneeled. She said nothing, waiting for my instructions as I sat back down and studied the Valley.
"Do you know what this is, Amy?" I asked the girl behind me, as she looked up at the Emblem I was holding, a quick look all she needed before she brought her head back down.
"It is a Huntsmen Emblem." She told me simply, not moving a muscle without my say-so, loyalty practically running through her veins. "Trainees at the Preliminary Huntsmen schools are required to create one as a representation of who they are and who they wish to be. It is usually a year-long project, as they will carry these symbols with them wherever they go…"
"I couldn't have said it better myself…" I told her, as I placed the Emblem between my eyes and the Valley, making sure it was authentic. "Though some eventually put it on clothes, it is first required to shape it from metal. It was a practice but in place by the last King of Vale."
"It was so popular…" I continued, still studying the Emblem, as a cloud passed under the moon, my eyes setting differently to see better in the dark. "That even those who weren't Huntsmen began the practice, much like the Belladonna's did… Each one is unique, and this one happens to be the only one of its kind…"
"Who did it belong to, if I may ask?" Amy spoke, unmoving in both stature and will, as I picked at the rust with my nails, finding exactly what I was looking for beneath the Emblem.
A name, signed deftly in the metal of the Emblem, which read "Zach Paaneah".
"This belonged to someone who was once head of our Intelligence unit…" I told Amy, as I put the Emblem away, making sure to place it on the next ship to Vale for his next of kin. "Jackie was assigned as his bodyguard, since his Semblance was too precious to be left unprotected. That is… before he went crazy from the constant nightmares he was experiencing."
"Crazy, ma'am?" She asked, as I stood and turned to her, telling her exactly what I needed her to do.
"Find where Jackie has been in the last 24 hours." I told Amy, as she instantly stood up, meeting my eye and ensuring she memorized my every word. "I want to know everyone she has talked to in that period, and whether or not they happen to be wielding a sword. Actually, make it 12. Jackie is far too hotheaded to keep something like this for long."
As I said this, my eye trailed towards the ugly scar now placed in the Valley, a new feeling building up as I looked at it. Already things were changing at a drastic pace, as what one thought impossible was quickly becoming a reality.
One Huntsmen, unknown to the millions of people in the world, had single handedly destroyed a Blight Class Grimm in its own lair. I knew this for a fact now…
Because in his insanity, unknown to all but me, Zach Paaneah had foolishly attempted to kill the creature that haunted the Scarlet Caves by himself. That day, I had told everyone he had committed suicide, and unable to accept it, Jackie had left us the next day…
But, the symbol returned… meaning someone had taken it from the Scarlet Caves… and avenged the death of one of my men.
It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, a Warrior unknown to the entire world, capable of defeating a Grimm as powerful as one of the Nine Tales by himself.
I would meet this Faunus, no matter what it took…
With that, the moon came out from behind the clouds, as the dark night brightened, shining on all of Mistral.
Things truly were changing…
"Of course, High Leader."
And I would ensure they change for the better.
"Nothing travels faster or hits harder than Bad News…"
Taliesin Jaffe
Da-na-na-na!
You got the Fairy Ocarina!
A relic from an ancient time, this instrument was crafted and made by Saria of the Kokiri, before being gifted to the famous Hero of Time. The Magic within is powerful, so don't just let anyone play with it!
Da-na-na-na!
You got a Mysterious Feather!
This mysterious feather is… well- Mysterious! You don't know where it came from or how you got it, but now you don't want to let it go! Strange, whenever you touch it, you feel like you're flying with your best friend…
Transcript of Oum's Book of Grimm
Subject: Differentiating Grimm Attacks
Outside of settlements and Kingdoms, it is very difficult to tell when and where a Grimm attack had occurred. Unless it is witnessed or has obvious signs of Grimm attack, many cases are missed or written off as bandits or animals. The truth of the matter is, if one finds a man lying dead in the woods, one can't be sure who or what did the deed. Perhaps that's why… uniqueness and expression of self was highly popularized after the Great War.
During the War, no one could tell who died from burns due to Dust damage outside of a DNA scan done by Mantle. As one of the highest death tolls of the two wars in Remnants history, over half of those deaths can't be confirmed as done by Grimm, Assassins, Friendly Fire, or even the Enemy Soldiers. Only people who lived to witness these events knew, and due to the increased Grimm attacks, those people were very few and far between. In fact, it is hypothesized that 30% of the bodies given to their families for burial weren't even brought to the proper families. The only proper identifications that were correct wasn't because of any science or first hand knowledge. Rather, it was because of trinkets on their person, made of metal, that the bodies were given proper identification.
After the war was over and peace was made, the King or Vale, Ozymandias, gave a speech that shook the very nature of our society. In summary, 'since the Great War attempted to silence creativity and freedom of self, that we, as a united people, should celebrate it'. Upon this declaration, it was than customary for all Huntsmen and Huntresses to create their own "Symbols of Self", and have them registered as their own at the school that had taught them. Even I had gone through this process, even though I was made a Huntsman almost 80 Years after that speech had been spoken to the world.
Notably though, after that speech and in The War of Rights, the same problem hadn't occurred. Due to the popularity of a Symbol of Self, every soldier and Huntsmen that was a part of that war was capable of being tracked and brought back to their families. In more recent years, a family (whose name shall not be listed for privacy's sake) was told that after a three month period of having a Huntress in the family go missing, that she could be confirmed dead due to having found her own Symbol in the woods of Vale. In fact, because of this, and obvious marks made in some kind of struggle, they could glean that whatever or whoever did this had to be either a Pro Huntsmen or higher, or a Nemesis Class Grimm.
So, the Symbol of Self has been used to keep track of not only a Huntsman's strength in an easily identifiable object, but also the strength of the person or Grimm that may have caused their death since the end of the Great War. To think that the King's idea, promoting a sense of self and artistic value, would have such an impact on our world today.
Subject has been deemed Classified Information due to sensitive on-going investigations.
No one below First Class may have access to these documents.
-Council of Beacon
Next Time on "A Hero's Dream"!
"A New Position!"