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 Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:40 pm
This Zelda fanfiction I am prouder of...even though I am still unsure about it. Unlike the other one, I'm not going to waste time on the color coding unless one of you suggests that it would look better if I added color codes. So please...Just PM your reply to me or post in Rumple's comment thread. X3
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:12 pm
“ Hello?!” Was the only noise besides breathing that broke through the silence of that dismal room. It wasn’t that the room was purposefully depressing to view, but given how there were books and things sprawled all over the place and that Link had not bothered to push aside the thick black curtains and open the windows, the effect did seem rather melancholy.
“ Link?! Are you still sleeping?” Spat Tatl the fairy, in as kind a tone as possible. It had been a few years since Termina was triumphantly saved from its dark fate and freed from the evils of Majora’s mask, but each year for the carnival Tatl and Tael met Link to spend a few days together as friends. Though Tatl was all-grown-up for a Fairy, had a partner, and would soon have offspring at her nest in the Swamp south of Clock town, she still allowed herself to enjoy carnival games with a child’s enthusiasm. Which explained her impatience.
In direct response, Link made no moves beneath his covers, pretending to be asleep in the hopes that she might fly out of his room and enjoy the carnival without him. It had been a long night of restless sleep, the carnival bore too many memories for him to enjoy the ambient entertainment wholeheartedly. However, that had never stopped him from playing carnival games and enjoying the festivities in the two years since the evil had been destroyed. This year was different, and he knew it was only a matter of time until he couldn’t remain hiding under the covers lost in his thoughts.
Though it was a great distance from Termina, Hyrule was the most prominent country nearby, and had -over the years- signed peace treaties and retained contact every so often. Both countries were ones of peace, so the treaties were really all for show and an excuse to visit each other; however, King Harkinian Raul Hyrule was too preoccupied with homestead issues to visit other countries at this time so he was sending a visitor to act as a diplomat in his stead named Impa.
Termina could remain oblivious to the obvious deception, or perhaps she had been promoted unknown to Links knowledge, but Impa was the princess Zelda’s nursemaid and had been all her life. Link knew better; knew Impa would recognize him if she saw him, and knew in his heart that the chances of Zelda being with her to enjoy the festivities was nothing short of high. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide from Zelda, if anything it was the direct opposite that kept him numb like a statue pretending to sleep. He knew it was only so long before the desire to see Zelda again tore him from his sanctuary to spy on the speech taking place in town square. The secret was that he had purposefully neglected to tell both Tatl and Tael that he was a hylian. Purposefully neglected to tell them that he had once saved his homeland from the clutches of a Garudo sorcerer named Ganondorf which required him to take up the mantle of being known as the Hero of Time.
The Sages of each temple and the princess herself, were the only ones who knew whom he was, alongside with Impa, and Link liked it best that way. Being only ten years old when destiny was thrust upon him, the Master sword had caused him to enter into a deep sleep and wake up seven years later to defeat his enemy as a man. When all was said and done, the one person he wholeheartedly desired to see happy played the Ocarina of Time and returned him to being a child again. However, Link was an orphan and had no place that felt like home anymore.
~
Being born during a dark war that had torn Hyrule in two with a neighbouring country, his mother had died bringing her to the sacred Kokiri forest, so wounded from tearing through a fierce battle in Hyrule field that she did not even have to strength to finish her words past begging the tree of life, The great Deku tree, to care for her baby. She didn’t have the strength to tell his own name, or what her own name was. Link, was all she mumbled. Whether that was his whole first name, his last name, or an incomplete name, he would never know, and it was an arrow that shot his heart whenever he dwelled on the subject.
All Tatl knew was that one day, her, her brother, and a skull kid, took notice of him on Epona his horse as they were traveling through a forest that separated Termina from the wilderness in-between Termina and Holodrum. A land southeast of Termina, and southwest from Hyrule. Tatl was…spirited and spunky to put her personality lightly, but her high-pitched voice could be the cause a day-long headache if she grew angered and used the best of it. If she and her brother knew what he had kept from them, the complications could be disastrous. In any way, it was not Tatl he was fighting by being elusive and vague, it was his himself.
A coward was not a word that could describe link, he knew no fear when it came to battles and dungeons. One had to love his life to fear losing it. If it meant his life to save a country he would give it, and so far had to the best of his abilities. Seemingly by chance, he always bumped into an unfamiliar land and when he did he braved it valiantly;but, there was always a reason for leaving. Rarely a reason to come back.
One fateful morning Link was searching through the wilderness that lead to Termina, searching for Navi; the Fairy that the great Deku tree assigned to him. Who, over-time, became his most treasured friend. When Ganondorf was locked in the evil realm and Hyrule was safe, she left. Through with great adventures besides the one to find her own home. Link stayed in Hyrule, sleeping in forests or in the plain, for two years before leaving Hyrule to search for her. It was his search for Navi that had led him to Termina.
After Termina there was Holodrum, and after Holodrum was it’s sister country Lybrinna, before he knew no other place to go and came back to Termina only for the design in keeping with the promise of meeting once a year. Link would always have a home, only by being attached to the ones who lived there. Never a physical place he could return to. Link supposed being a wanderer was his place in life, and he liked it that way. Navi, was the one person who he let spill all his secrets, followed only by Zelda, who knew of only one thing less than Navi when his two years in Hyrule were ended. Before he left to search his old friend.
Now, having his past thrust back into his life again at fifteen was both bliss and agony. He loved saving lands from certain doom; but, Link detested being in the public eye for it. He did not save people for any fame and the last thing he wanted was to be praised and admired for something anyone should have attempted to do. Zelda did as well, he knew so whenever he saw her demeanor when she was in large crowds; however, she was bred for it. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes during every stance she bore, while each step she took breathed confidence. Link understood her true vulnerability, like a flower, so easy to tear apart. Which was why she took his leaving with such difficulty. She asked, only once, to convince him to stay; but she would rather perish before putting her own wants before another’s own. Perhaps in compromise, she then convinced him to take the Ocarina of Time with him on his travels.
The only thing shared between them.
Holding it now, the moulded clay instrument was as polished blue and soft as it ever was. Regardless of how many beatings it had taken over the past few years. Feeling his thumb along the sides of its sweet potato shape beneath the covers, Link was lost in thoughts. As he continued to stroke the surface, his nerves began to sooth. Both him and Zelda had played it, and held it, and bore its responsibility as a burden together. It was her most treasured family heirloom, and regardless of its magical properties, sometimes he didn’t understand why she would give it to him. A vagabond. His heart knew it was probably the same reason he had been given a lot of gifts, for aid and comfort.
In unison with every time he held the oval shape in his hand and ran his thumb along its polished side, memories of his time spent with Zelda would always flood into his mind. Hero of time would always be who he was. Nothing was more valuable to him than his time. While still pretending to sleep, simply to remain in the world of his thoughts, Tatl was about to fly beside his ear and jingle like a bell, as all fairies do, when her brother turned around from his little nest on the bookshelf and made a bell noise of his own to counter his sisters’. His purple form becoming burgundy in agitation.
“ Sis! Can‘t you let him sleep a while longer?” He spewed calmly, as if his words did any good. Link knew where this was going, and in loo of hearing a long-drawn out argument he sat up in bed and made a heavy grunt-like noise as if still drowsy to say in the words: I’m up, what do you want? Link was not fond of talking, and they knew it.
Still at an age when oily hair was not a problem, Link sat up to splash his face in a bowl of water left on a nightstand before changing into a red tunic with a matching hat. Best not wear green. In short of wearing his stone mask and disappearing entirely, Link figured he might not be noticed if he stayed near the alley way and purposefully went as slow as possible. As if he needed to do so to aggravate Tatl, who finally just jingled a bell sound and flew around the room once or twice. “ Hurry! The games have already started!” Link attached his coin bag to his belt and took out a fifteen rupees before catching eye contact with Tatl; his eyebrows raised. Tatl took the hint, picked up the three blue rupees and flew from the room. For once, being fairy-less for a little while sounded like an appealing thing.
Tael wasn’t sure he wanted to go to the carnival without Link with them; but, given how demanding his older sister could be he turned back towards the front of the door and looked at Link as if hoping his sister would wait for him to slowly finish getting ready. Link nodded a quick nod, as if shooing the boy off kindly, and Tael took the hint, flying at full speed to catch up with her, a trail of fairy dust behind him.
The small little apartment-like room he had rented for the past few weeks, was beneath east Clock Town near the bomber’s hide-out. They were a little older now, at nine years old, and were hoping to be able to go outside of town to meet new people and complete their notebooks. In as politely a way as possible, they deemed last year that Link was too old and to sporadic to stay in their club as an official member, and that seemed to please Link just fine. He lived nearby, said hello occasionally, and solicited his advice when needed. Just looking at the open door leading to the tunnel and its moss-covered bricks added yet another element of gloom to the room. One staircase leading down and it was a damp tunnel leading to the exit into Clock Town which was a gap between two buildings beside the Mayor’s Residence.
Needing another reason to stall time, the taller elf bent down low and began to pick up the loose odds and ends to tidy things up a bit before leaving.
~
Meanwhile, Tatl and her ever-so-slow brother were perusing the booths and games. In all likely-hood of two fairies being unable to play elf-sized games but trying anyway given their stubbornness, Tatl ended up spending a blue rupee on a candy apple instead, sharing it with her brother as they watched the passer-bys in the parade, each dressed in stylish, colourful, and occasionally whacky costumes. Staring at a walking band made up of all four races playing a cheerful little tune called the Everlasting Sonata, she had her eyes fixed on one of the Zoran guitarists when a flash of shadow flew by her vision in the far distance between two booths across from the parade. For a moment, Tatl wondered if it was Link; but knew his slothfulness would mean he was back at the apartment pretending to get ready. His enthusiasm for the carnival was less and less each year, so she assumed it couldn’t be him.
“ Did you see that?” She asked Tael, who looked up from his side of the candy apple and scanned the crowd looking for anything unusual. “ See what sis?” Tatl just let out a scoff at his incompetence and turned towards where she had seen the flash of shadow, but it did not reappear. Beside her, an oversized balloon had been swaying to and fro, oblivious to all who stared at its hovering there. Inside its purple and ebony exterior, the air around it had become heavy and under the strain of the air inside being light and airy, the contrast was enough to cause the balloon to pop with a loud clash, sending Tatl flying away at light speed from fright of the noise being too close to her left ear, leftover balloon landing on a stunned Tael. The surprised fairy blinked twice, and slowly began to move his immobile body. As if on queue, both fairies jingled bell sounds in unison laughter from their own silliness at being so easily spooked.
The balloon was not so amused, its major material sprawled out on the stone, lying bare. A casualty bruised and bloodied, unnoticed on the ground…
~
Meanwhile, in the second finest room at the Stock Pot Inn, Impa stood by the window, staring out at the festivities. Now approaching her forties, the red eyed silver-haired, woman was watching a pair of jugglers passing seven balls back and forth. If not for her training when she was Zelda’s age, she probably would have been just as amazed as the other spectators, as it was, she was only seeing their movements and seeing where they could improve. It was not her idea to bring the princess along, especially under a ruse as being a maidservant, but her father had noticed the way she had begun to withdraw socially, and given the past with his daughter, whom he loved but did not notice as often as he should. To say that the King, in being so preoccupied, had noticed her go from ‘quiet’ to ‘silent’ was indeed a drastic change.
Yet, what the father thought of as ‘recent’ had actually been a gradual change that had been drawn out over three years. At first it was hidden under a guise of duty, and she put all her attention into foreign language studies and perusing over maps of other kingdoms, and etiquette. Now, she only spoke when it was required of her or she had need of it.
If only that boy had stayed and trained to be a knight. Zelda would not have withdrawn to being a wall-flower. Impa knew that playing the ‘what-if’ game could only cause someone to dwell on the past longer than needed and cause unnecessary pain. Where Zelda’s thoughts where, Impa could only guess, but something was troubling the Princess, and what it was she would never say regardless of how often she asked.
Even now she sat on one of the newly refurbished twin beds, her eyes empty and blank as she gazed upon the fire cackling in the fireplace. Her father thought it a good idea to send her to a carnival to distract her and cheer her up. But to the Festival of Time, every time she heard the word ‘time’ her thoughts drifted to her memories with Link. All those years in hiding while Link was asleep under the spell of the Master sword, wondering if he was even alive, still plagued her. He could be dead and she wouldn’t know it. Even though she had just turned fifteen, all those years in the alternate reality had aged her soul, her mind, even if her body had returned to being a child after it was all said and done.
Clad in only a burgundy gown with a brown cover and simple brown leather shoes, her hair covered by a brown cloth made to appear as a bandana, she did appear the simpleton. It was a pleasant scenario, being away from palace life. Not having to be depended on or admired for her position. She loved her people, and her ancient country, and knew she had to be strong for her people; but overhearing news of an arranged marriage had taken its toll on her spirits.
It had to be done, in a few years when she reached the age for matrimony, but the idea plagued her. Her life had to be spent always thinking of others first, and this treaty the marriage would ensue with Sumaria would foster peace between the two kingdoms and the interlocking would make such things as trade possible, and the benefits of combining their rich lands would be prosperous to her people. Sometimes, Zelda wished she could just run away and leave it all behind, but that would be selfish and selfishness was not a component of her character.
Zelda, being so distracted in her thoughts, vaguely heard Impa’s voice and glanced upwards towards her bodyguard, who for once wore finer clothing than she usually did. Blinking twice, as if trying to remember what she had not heard, Zelda cast a gentle smile to be polite and spoke calmly in a quiet tone: “ Forgive me, I was distracted, please repeat what you have spoken.”
Impa took a deep breath. “ I asked if you would like to go outside now, before the parade is over.” Zelda’s mouth opened in an ‘oh’, before she closed her mouth and nodded. Standing before the fire to warm her hands for a moment, she used her warm hands to straiten out a few wrinkles from her ankle-length gown. Without being asked she walked to the door and clasped the handle, only to open it and walk out on her own before closing the door.
Impa followed, knowing it was not just the fire that distracted her. “Zelda, regardless of how many guards protect this city, I’m still not allowed to leave you unattended.” Impa said teasingly, knowing she would have to leave her alone for at least an hour while she and the mayor went over the legalistic work of the treaty, but she would be fine on her own if she stayed in the building.
Together, they walked down the stairs and exited from the lobby into east Clock Town’s semi square. As Zelda approached a booth that was set up in front of a game-stop building designed to look like a treasure chest, Mayor Detour just happened to be traveling from south Clock Town square through the entranceway beside the Stock Pot Inn. Upon seeing Impa out of the little bed and breakfast, he stopped his pace and walked towards Impa, tapping her on the back to gain her attention.
Given her height, Impa had to look down to see him, and due to the ambient noise from the crowd shopping, talking, or standing and watching the parade, Impa had to walk away from Zelda in order to hear what the mayor had to say. Which left Zelda admiring home-made masks for sale on a booth nearby. Completely unknown to her, she had gained the attention of a nearby young man clad in a merchant’s long-coat and trousers walking towards the Mayor’s Residence. Stopping momentarily, entranced by her lovely features, he vowed to speak to her when his meeting was over and continued on his way northward through town.
Impa, now glancing at Zelda with concern on her face, called out to her from where she stood beside mayor Detour and motioned for her to follow them once eye-contact was formed. The motion was heeded, and Zelda began to follow them up the stairs towards the Mayor’s office. Yet, as Impa and Mayor Detour disappeared through the doorway, the door was only closed a second or two before it opened again and a Zora walked through; closing the door behind him. For a moment the Zora looked surprised; shocked even, before casting a smile and walking forward.
“ Are the fin‘s damp lately?” He asked as if trying to forcibly break the ice than genuinely greeting her, his voice rolling with a gentle gargle; as if underwater. Most times Zora voices were rather beautiful in tone and texture, yet times like now, it was a trifle difficult to understand the words they were saying. If he wasn’t so shyly quiet she might have been able to understand him. So, Zelda simply nodded and said a simple yes before the Zora moved out of the way and ran towards the Milk Bar; most likely to help do a sound check of the stage before the Indigo-Go’s performed; a famous Zora Band that Zelda had seen a few posters advertising. Thinking it odd that the Zora ran off so suddenly, she paused a moment before walking the easy distance to the door of the Mayor’s Residence and stepping inside.
~
Gazing at the remaining stick of what once held a candy apple, Tatl stared at her brother as he watched the last float of the tiny parade make its way into the entrance to south Clock Town. There was definitely more to be seen, but they had watched the small parade for nearly thirty minutes in their excruciatingly slow prance through town, and Link still was a no-show. Late was ten minutes tops for that boy, and he was late for late. “ Is he not coming?!” Tatl spat, her wings drooping in disappointment which she hid with irritation. Tael just tilted his body, he wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to dignify his sisters irritation with a response. He knew better than to answer right away. When his sister started to change color, then he replied: “ I don‘t know sis, maybe he got carried away on the way here…I don‘t remember you telling him where we would be waiting.” Tael realized his mistake and corrected himself. “ I mean, I don‘t remember if we told him.”
Tatl, watching the crowds for that out-of-style hat of his, didn’t even notice her brothers comment like she normally would. “ He knows we have to hit the food stand first so we get an apple before they run out…” She muttered just as her mind was made up. “ I‘m going to get him…” Tatl buzzed just before swooping down to about five feet above the ground and flew towards the northern east Clock Town passageway, turning around the corner of Stock Pot in up the stairs just as a Zoran man was running past her. Oblivious to the door of the Mayor’s Residence closing at that exact moment, she swooped to the right and towards the space between two buildings before realizing who that Zora was and turning around.
Flying back to the Zora who was Link, he was walking towards the gap between buildings with a look of confusion on his face at how Tatl looked; her being completely unaware that her coloring was almost red. At having found her objective, her color soon turned back into the white-yellow she had always been, and she simply swirled towards him as she spoke. “ Whats been taking you?” She asked, glimpsing him in this form and believing it a very gutsy move on his part. The Zora form he took was of Mikau, a deceased member of the Indigo-Go’s to whom they had only recently found the grave. If one of those Zoras caught him in this form, it could be pandemonium since the band was in such close vicinity to where they were standing.
Even though Link was naturally a wordless speaker, what seemed peculiar to Tatl was how especially quiet and far-off Link seemed. It was like he hadn’t even heard her, he seemed so out of it. Questioning his sanity, Tatl bopped her body against his head to snap him out of it, who responded only by rubbing his head and continued walking towards the gap between the buildings. “ Hello?! Did you hear me?” When he nodded, Tatl scoffed with frustration. “ Sometimes you should really think things through…Don‘t you know that the Indigo-Go‘s are right nearby!” Tatl rang, even though she was mostly ignored by him as he led the way down the ramp-like drop into the underground alley way.
Stalling on purpose, Link braced himself against the mossy stone wall before placing his right hand to his face and removing the Zora mask. Slowly; painfully, transforming back into a man, Link let the mask drop to the ground. Wishing so badly to be alone right now, Link drooped his head to keep his face hidden from Tatl. So she is here. Link took a deep breath, not realising until then that he had been holding in air. Tatl was confused, but said nothing for a moment; flying beside Link’s head to rest on his shoulder. “ Are you alright?” She asked as tenderly as possible, only to have him nod his head unconvincingly.
Tatl was about to ask what was wrong, but stopped herself when Link purposefully moved his head to avoid her before heading towards the staircase which led to his rented room. “ Hey!” Tatl piped up, following him upstairs. “ You can‘t hide out in your room all day! You promised to spend today with me and Tael!”
At this Link had to respond, or her bickering would bestow him with a headache, and the idea of feeling more pain at this moment was anything but enjoyable. “ I know Tatl.” Was all Link said before bending over to pick up the mask he had let slip to the floor. “ I am sorry for being late. Where is Tael?” He asked as he pulled another mask from a drawer in his room.
~
Tael, on the other hand, had attempted to follow his much faster sister only to bump into a random person in the crowd who just happened to be one of the workers at a booth selling exotic antiquities. Aka, the Curiosity Shop. Seeing the fairy, the man let out a chuckle and ‘toonk’ the purple fairy was captured in a bottle before the stunned little fireball could process flying away.
At being encased, he panicked; batting against the edges of the glass in the hopes of either breaking out of the jar or being heard. To the first, he had not the strength, to the latter, the ambient noise of the crowd both muffled and cloaked his words for help and the ringing of his bell-like fairy tongue.
By the time Tatl and Link in the form of a Deku reappeared to reunite themselves with Tael, the man and his newly captured prize were long gone. Tatl, seeing that her brother was not in the spot she left him, began to jingle before taking a breath and reassuring herself that he probably just got distracted and was most likely being conned to be petted like a pet dog, or getting his pictograph taken. Perhaps even perusing through things to have Link purchase for him. Her wings sunk. Please don’t be at an antique shop…She prayed, because his clumsiness meant he broke nearly everything.
Link turned his head upwards to look at Tatl with a questioning expression. “ Lets follow the trail of wreckage.” She joked, only somewhat masking her worry as they searched all the nearby booths before deciding to check south Clock Town in the hopes that perhaps he was there. But as the momentary search went from what appeared to be a few minutes, turned into hours, Tatl’s strain increased from worry to hopelessness as each booth did not have her brother, and no one asked had any positive feedback to give except if they, perchance, had seen him with a white fairy eating a candy apple. Imagining the worst, Tatl decided to go to Link’s room and wait for her brother, after finding that her wings were too weak to continue the search together.
As the sun set on the eve before the carnival, Link searched the outskirts of town and the alleyways beneath it, as well as the observatory in a fruitless search for Tael, who was in a better state than could be imagined at the moment, eating a well-cooked meal and free of his little jar.
~
Having sat inside the bottom of that clear-as-crystal jar for thirty minutes, which was resting on the rim of a shelf beside the Mayor’s Residence, the purple fairy had given up hope of being set free and had closed his eyes to try and sleep. It had only been an hour since Zelda had vanished into the Mayor’s Residence, but seeing as how the meeting went on longer than expected, she did not wish to remain seated in the front room waiting for Impa to return without stretching her legs for a bit on her own.
As Tael drifted off to sleep, the front door of the Mayor’s Residence opened again to reveal a light blonde girl dressed in rich, but common attire. The gown heavy enough with the brown flax fabric to keep from being tossed in the wind, the first thing she happened to walk towards was the nearest booth, which so happened to be the booth in which Tael was trapped in. Upon seeing a young girl who looked to have at least some money, and it being towards the end of the day with no takers who the salesman thought might be smitten into buying a fairy, the man from the Curiosity Shop folded aside the curtain and purposefully leaned a certain way in order to bring more attention to the fairy. When the girl still continued to admire a painting of a Wolfos howling to the moon, he coughed to get her attention.
“ Ahem!” Zelda looked up at him, her dark blue eyes absorbed in surprise from the noise. When she cast a nervous smile, he continued on. “ That painting was done by a…friend of mine, three-hundred rupees if your interested.” Purposefully raising the price to unreasonable, he nodded his head towards the bottle. “ But it would not be as worth-while as this little beauty.” His finger tapped the glass. Secretly, he knew not how to care for the thing, and wished to sell it before it began to look sickly.
Zelda, who needed no help being entranced by any sort of fairy, immediately gave her attention to little Tael, who though asleep, only looked depressed by his posture. When the man from the Curiosity Shop noticed how the girl’s eyes softened in appearance, he knew he had a buyer and began to make up a story as to ensure he would be entirely certain of a purchase. “ This poor fairy, names Burma. Thought she lost her entire family before she was captured, only to hear that the fountain she lived at was not destroyed as she thought, and is now separated from her family by only this glass jar.” He tapped it again for good measure. Zelda was not fooled, but was certainly moved to pity at him being so sad to be trapped in a jar. This man has no knowledge of which gender this fairy is.
“ If you would only buy this poor creature and turn her loose, I‘m sure she would grant you a wish for your kindness little lady.” Teasingly, Zelda decided to play along. “ But how could I afford such a rare fairy?” He replied with: “ Well it is indeed expensive ma‘am…” Zelda sighed and bit her lip to look indecisive. Surely my saying this will highlight his true motives…thought she, as she sadly declared. “ I only have twenty rupees…and that surely is-” and without a beat into the next syllable of her word, the man interrupted her with: “ Sold! I‘m sure she will highly bless you for your kindness.” And with that Zelda was handed the jarred fairy as she pulled a red rupee from her bag and gave it to the man, who thanked her for her purchase and recommended she feed the fairy once a day as if Tael was a goldfish. Well, lets get you home poor thing, thought she, as the movement of the jar began to wake him from his slight slumber.
At first all Tael thought of was being encaged forever as some girl’s pet, but at entering her room at the Stock Pot Inn, his fears were eased when the girl in the brown and burgundy dress popped open the bottle and let him roam free. Had the window been open, he would have been gone. Yet, because she had not done so, Tael simply hovered nearby the empty jar to examine the girl who tilted her head and smiled.
“ Dost thou fare well?” Zelda mused aloud, deciding to speak according to her Hylian accent to determine if this was a local or distantly captured fairy. Tael’s confused tone answered her question, as Terminians did not prefer to use old words. She laughed. “ I meant: Are you doing well?” The fairy’s drooping wings caused her to smile tenderly at the little fairy who came close enough to sit on a pillow that was atop of the bed that Zelda sat upon. He is indeed a very adorable fairy, perhaps he does have a lady friend where he came from.
“ I‘m not alright.” Tael spoke honestly, in as calm a tone as a pool with no currant. “ Me and my sister Tatl were just watching the parade waiting for our friend to show up. He didn‘t show so we flew back towards the house, and my sister is a much faster flier than me…I bumped into someone after getting lost trying to follow her…and he put me in that bottle.” As the fairy told his story, Zelda’s eyes grew from concerned to saddened, her heart touched by Tael’s experiences.
“ So you do live nearby, correct?” Zelda asked tenderly as she opened up a pot atop of the little table in front of the fireplace, seemingly part of a pre-made dinner courtesy of the Inn. The hot steamy bread certainly filled the room when it was brought in, but in the time allotted had cooled considerably since the meal was first delivered. Still, it had been a while since the candy apple had filled his stomach, and apart from doing clever flying tricks to bed for food, he was nearly salivating over it.
The girl, whoever her name was, took a small saucer that was used to hold a cup and poured a little soup in it, and was just breaking off a bit of the bread when he answered her. “ Yes, very close actually, but I‘m sure they wont miss me too soon.” He exaggerated, hoping to be offered some of the soup as he assumed she was given how ridiculous it would be for someone her size to eat a tiny saucer’s serving of soup. At his words; however, her eyes dimmed with a pleasant sadness. “ Why do you say that?”
Uh oh, this girl was bringing the conversation a bit to personal for his taste, but for once, the risk to open up with his thoughts and feelings did not seem to be too dangerous. He purposefully kept his feelings to himself most of the time, which was most likely why him and Link got along so well from the start as they did. “ Well, my sister raised me when our parents disappeared. So Tatl‘s been through a lot playing mom. She really didn‘t get to experience just doing her own thing. You know, being thrust into a role you have no control over.” Zelda didn’t just nod to be polite, she could understand Tatl’s feelings very well right now. “ If your hungry…” she didn’t finish because she knew she would not have to, the ravenous way his body turned whenever she moved showed how hungry the little fairy had become from worry, and while his sister was out searching and panicking, he flew to the table and sat down beside the saucer, quietly sipping some of the soup before continuing.
“ So whenever she has the opportunity to, she just bolts towards something. Its always her way or the highway, but you don‘t get taught how to mother when you can‘t remember your own mother, so she does her best…but as you can see…” Tael sipped more of his soup and took a bite of bread as Zelda tore off some bread from the loaf and nibbled it so that she could keep up with Tael’s story. “ As you can see, I‘ll be an adult fairy soon, and to be honest, I think she‘s terrified of it. Me, on my own, scares her and when I try to talk to her about it, or tell her that I can manage on my own; you know, not to baby me, she gets snippy. Sometimes I think-” Tael slurped some soup by accident, not noticing or caring that his face had become caked before quickly smacking another large bite of bread. This time, not waiting until he fully chewed to finish his words.
“ So we have a friend we meet each year to spend the carnival with, and I‘ve been seeing her trying to mother him as well, even though he‘ll be an adult soon too. I…I just don‘t think that she‘ll be able to handle it when she doesn‘t have anyone to mother anymore. So I keep quiet now, and let her mother me without complaining, to keep her happy.” At seeing his soup nearly depleted, and not biting into the bread, Zelda used the spoon to give him just a bit more in case he was hungry before breaking off another piece of her own bread and dipping it into her own bowl of soup, bringing it to her lips and chewing just as slowly with her lips closed in order to continue to hear without noise muffling his words. “ So…what were we talking about?”
Zelda smiled without opening to show her teeth, as she always did, opening another jar containing honey-water and pouring it into her tea-cup for the fairy to drink if he was thirsty; speaking as she poured. “ You were saying that you think they wont miss you.” The fairy’s wings drooped solemnly, he breathed a deep sigh before he continued. “ Like I was saying, whenever she gets the chance she runs off to do her own thing sometimes, and though rare, when she does there is no stopping her. She went off to find our friend, probably got sidetracked on the way back, and is out playing some of the carnival games as we speak. It doesn‘t happen too often, but when it does I feel neglected. No one likes to sit at home waiting to be noticed.”
Tilting her head down on purpose, Zelda drank a bit strait from the bottle of honey water, using the time she slowly swallowed and kept her mouth on the jar, to try and keep her own emotions from showing on her face. His circumstances in that regard she only knew too well. Waiting and hoping for a busy father to visit you; and a friend who left and doesn’t bother to write you a letter to ask how you are; much less visit. In her heart, she knew that she probably wouldn’t see him again, and in accepting that she could at least pretend to have moved on each day; yet, she still hoped he would. She must have been lost in her thoughts for a long while, because Tael had to repeat his question twice until she looked up. “ You know what I mean?” Zelda nodded, and being as vague as possible she replied.
“ My mother died when I was little, and my father is so busy at…his business that he rarely has time for me. He loves me dearly, but I spend a great deal of time besides learning just waiting for him to come home; only to have him kindly say goodnight, kiss my cheek, and go to bed. Even if he was around, he is generally too stressed or preoccupied to notice things. I don’t have any siblings, and the only girl who is close to my age lives on a farm which is too far away to walk to. Even then, she is very outgoing and spunky, and can marry anyone she wants.” Zelda’s eyes widened, having accidentally gone too far.
Of course, Tael was immediately interested in where the conversation was leading towards, and sipped a bit of the honey water before asking her what she meant. “ Are you a merchant‘s daughter? You don‘t seem to be from around here…Is your father setting you up?” For a moment there, Zelda had hoped that the young fairy would have changed the subject, but his questions only led up to the one she wished she hadn’t been asked. In order to not give herself away, she responded vaguely.
“ My father does a lot of trade, and because my father is very good at what he does, he has a good reputation in other countries and with other races. I‘m sure that a lot of families would want to be…joined with mine, so yes, my father set me up with someone. He hasn‘t told me yet, but I overheard him talking about it. It wont be for a few years. I don‘t even know his name, only that he lives in some other country my father…trades with.” She avoided the question of whether she lived locally, hoping that her answer would be obvious to him. It was, since Tael let out a gentle sigh and laid down on the tablecloth. “ I‘m sorry your forced to do that…but some relationships work out really well from arrangements and they can be really happy…” He paused, but not long enough of a pause for Zelda to answer. “ The way you eat is very dainty, and you say that you learn, or go to school, so I‘m sure you already know what I just told you…” He paused again, before averting his gaze from holding eye-contact to make it easier to ask his next question. “ But that wouldn‘t be a problem to be arranged, unless you have feelings for somebody else.”
Zelda could see where this was going, and though she never lost her composure, her eyes did glean from added moisture and her expression almost appeared pained. “ I…really couldn‘t compromise my family name to consider someone when my father has already predestined me. It would be inappropriate… and insensitive. I know my father has my best interests at his heart.” Towards the end Zelda’s voice began to waver from fluid in her throat as if near tears, and though her eyes watered, none fell and. With great strain she fought against the pain of swallowing that fluid before her face had the chance to flush. She quickly changed the subject. “ The Curiosity Shop‘s booth where I bought you, thought you were a female that had a family. I know better, but do you have a mate? I know a lot about fairies, but not about how fairies form romantic relationships.” It seemed an odd question, and Zelda blushed saying it.
Tael blushed as well, and for a moment said nothing. “ Uh… um… heh… noooooo… There are many cute girls out there, but I’m just too much of a bachelor.” Zelda laughed outright at Tael’s joke, and his little bell-like jingle laugh rang out loudly as well. “ I‘ve always been too young until now, and I‘m rather shy with the ones I like.” Zelda smiled without opening her mouth. “ I have faith in you…” Confusion washed her face as she realized she had yet to ask Tael his name. He quickly got the point.
“ Tael.” She smiled. “ Tael, I‘m sure that when the time comes, you‘ll be ready.” expecting a simple or shyly put ’oh, thank you’ or a phrase which symbolized a similar meaning, what he said was not all that surprising, but Zelda blushed upon hearing it. “ I‘m sure you‘ll be ready too.” She smiled bashfully and let out a gentle giggle. Bringing the bottle of honey water to her lips and slowly drinking a little, letting the water run down her throat until she felt the flush in her face cool down. This time it was her saying: “ Oh, thank you.”
“ Um. What is your name?” Zelda hadn’t thought a name though and started to say the last fake name she had ever invented instinctively before smoothing over the situation mid-word. Her face flushed at her bungled repair. “ Uh, Sheik…iah. Sheikiah.” Tael tilted his body almost in disbelief that anyone would have such a ridiculous name, but he reminded himself that she was from a far-off place. “ Okay Sheikiah, I‘m Tael the fairy, and I um…want to know…if I‘ll be allowed to go home.” Zelda giggled at such a question, as if it wasn’t obvious.
“ Of course Tael, I only bought you to free you. However it is rather late in the evening, and if you like, you could stay until morning.” Tael contemplated returning now and the verbal lecture he would get for from Tatl was not very appealing. He did wish to go home, but much preferred Sheikiah’s company at the present time. “ That’s just what I was thinking.” Tael said with a joyful little bobble, flying over to the bed Sheikiah had once sat down upon when she had released him from the bottle. Assuming it to be hers and snuggling on the right side of the pillow like Tatl sometimes did on Link’s bed. Tael had always thought the pillow to be very comfortable, and oh was the pillow soft; but, it would just be too awkward to share a pillow with someone he wasn’t used to sharing a pillow with. Nope, that was Tatl’s spot, and he dared not take it.
Instead of kicking off her flat boots like Link usually did, Zelda gently untied the straps holding them on in the buckles and stepped out of them. Neatly placing them at the foot of the bed before sitting down beside the pillow. Truth be told, she was very excited as well. Seeing Link the first time they met with his fairy Navi and seeing them together had always made her curious about what it was like to live with a fairy. To imagine Navi where Tael was a very endearing thought, which threatened to bring up the pain associated with Link’s leaving Hyrule but thankfully the pain, for once, did not settle.
Shyly getting comfortable under her own cotton covers and sheets, she stared up at the ceiling as she felt the warmth of Tael’s shining body warm her left cheek. She couldn’t turn on her left to sleep as she normally did, as a fairy right in front of her face would be simply too bright to get any sleeping done, so she turned on her right side and closed her eyes. Which only brought more memories to surface so she opened her eyelids again. Tael broke through the silence first, making a soft cooing noise from contentment at the meal, an extra-soft pillow, and a sweet person to share it with. “ Thank you for freeing me.” And with that, there was a smile, and silence.
Impa, who had returned from her meeting with Mayor Detour abruptly upon seeing that Zelda was not in the waiting room, had returned to the inn only to hear her sweet voice from behind the door speaking to someone. She could not understand the muffled words, but judging from the tones of both voices it was a friendly conversation and it was the most she had heard Zelda speak in quite some time. Not wishing to ruin it, she stayed outside the door listening until she heard one of Tael’s bell-like jingling laughs. Certain that she was speaking to a fairy, Impa’s doubts of Zelda’s safety were reassured and being confident that the princess was safe, tiptoed downstairs to the main lobby.
Upon seating herself there, began a conversation with the innkeeper who only had the highest praise to share; in that her daughter who had married three years prior, was expecting her first child. Thoroughly pleased to hear any such happy news, complemented them on their fortune and submitted a blessing before looking at the clock and returning upstairs. By the time she entered the room, both the princess, and the rather cute purple fairy were asleep. Blowing out a candle beside the table, Impa enveloped herself in the happy smile on Zelda’s face before going to bed herself.
~
Part one.
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:14 pm
Tatl, however, was not in such a pleasant state. Though she would normally be ranting and raving in worry at this point, when she saw Link return to the apartment-like room without her brother she simply slumped onto his pillow with drooped wings and a heavy-hearted cooing noise. She knew he was out there somewhere, and instead of fearing the worst, blamed her own foolishness. “ If I hadn‘t been careless, he wouldn‘t have wanted to leave.” She said as Link kicked off his boots and set aside the sword and shield that he always wore in the basic routine he did each night before going to sleep. Link rarely spoke, so he simply expressed to her a downcast look and raised eye-brows; as if to say: Are you serious? Tatl nodded, saying: “ Yes, yes, I‘m sure your right. Poor fool probably got lost or fell asleep somewhere. He‘ll be here in the morning.” But Tatl was too worried to sleep, too busy feeling like a terrible sister to let herself off of the hook so soon. When Link blew out the lantern and laid down to rest, exhausted from climbing all over town looking for Tael, Tatl calmed down as well and slowly began to drift off to sleep.
Yet, no matter how hard he tried, sleep did not come as easily for him. Link was too vexed to sleep because he had found out who had bought Tael from the man at the Curiosity shop booth. He had indeed seen the fairy’s gentle glow upon glancing up at the second story window of the Knife chamber. The room that was commonly known to be where Impa was staying. Which was not the vexing problem. Link now knew that Impa had brought a blonde haired girl with her. Regardless of what the man from the Curiosity Shop had believed, the girl in the room with Impa and Tael was no mere commoner, and to have Tael see that Zelda knew him would open up a can of worms that he was simply too tired to confront in the present time.
It was for that reason that he couldn’t sleep for more than three hours. When the clock struck ten pm, he was up out of bed, washed and ready before Tatl even flicked a wing awake. Meeting with Zelda seemed inevitable, and though Link wasn’t a control freak, he didn’t want to be caught off guard when he saw her. If possible, it would be best to talk to her alone, away from Impa and away from Tatl and Tael.
Reaching into his bag for the Ocarina of Time, Link ran his thumb across the holes that were keys in the instrument. Admiring the texture of its polished body against the pad of his finger as the soothing effect coursed through his veins and cleared his thoughts. Pocketing the silvery blue ocarina inside his side bag, dressed in the standard green, he snuck out of the room and up the alleyway to the gap in the buildings beside the Mayor’s residence. Taking a left up another small flight of stairs to the roof of the Milk Bar, Link placed his hands on the fence to both climb up it a step and use the panels for cover. Peering through the dark to see if she had left her window open.
Not planning anything beyond one step at a time, like always, Link let out a breath at seeing her window closed shut. The fire had died down at this point in the night, so the room was too dark to see if anyone was awake. What am I doing?! Just standing outside her window like a common stalker! He let out a heated breath in his frustration, feeling quite the fool as he dropped from the fence to the roof of the milk bar and leapt down from a ledge to the ground of the piazza. Purposefully going for a little walk to vent, it was in that time of contemplation that Link decided it best to cancel any plans to visit her room here or anywhere. Almost back towards the staircase leading to the gap between buildings, Link restated his resolve in his mind. I don‘t want to stop seeing her, so I will see her…at a distance. It seemed to be the only way, besides: If something happens, I can always intervene then. Nodding to himself, Link took one last look at the inn’s middle-room window before turning the corner towards the alley and heading back to his room. Oblivious to the burning in his left hand.
~
Asleep in her bed, Zelda’s was startled awake by a sudden burning pain spouting from the back of her left hand. Gasping loud enough to widen her eyes in fear and bite her hand to keep herself quiet, Zelda started to sit up in bed before a bludgeoning headache forced her to lie down. Biting her lip too hard from the head throb, Zelda kissed her hand multiple times as if to soothe the pain. As the pounding in her hand from her bite occurred less and less often, she trusted her own healing abilities to continue medicating it. Goodness what has happened to my hand!?
Casting her gaze upon her left hand ignoring the fact that the room was pitch black, Zelda’s eyes widened as she realized the source of the burning. Before her eyes the Triforce mark, which had become almost invisible, was blazing on her hand and shining brightly. A stallion being branded would know this pain! Zelda mentally joked as she kissed the blazing mark to prevent the tiny light from wakening the others. Amazingly, the mark merely warmed her lips instead of burning them. The pain must be coming from the inside of my hand, thought she, musing over all her legends and family history to try and find an explanation of why the Triforce was burning.
I want…to be one…once more.
It was merely a simple thought, and given how there was not one ounce of familiarity in any legends she knew of, Zelda would have been indubitable that the thought was her own. As if thinking that simple thought had released a spring of magical energy, the burning subsided slightly and the light glowing from her hand began to dissipate. In all the legends I know, I cannot recall a legend where three people were bestowed a piece of the Triforce. Only that it could happen. The light now gone, and the pain only a dull ache, Zelda admired the silhouette of her hand in the darkness. The thought suddenly occurring to her like lightning.
Though she did not sit up, Zelda could not help from widening her eyes and gasping her breath in shock. Could this mean? As if the treasure box music had gone off in her head, Zelda felt the tremors of excitement burst forth through her veins followed by a brief bout of nervous vibrations. Link must be here! My piece senses the Triforce of Courage in Link’s hand. In her heart, Zelda knew she was right, and as she debated getting up out of her bed to search for him, another thought prevailed. If you go outside at night with no escort on a premonition that could simply be wishful thinking, how foolish would that be? and ignoring her spirit speaking to her light as day, Zelda laid her head back down on the bed and shut her eyes; slowly ebbed to sleep in the knowledge that if Link was nearby then he surely would have known she was in Clock Town and might soon pay her a visit.
~
As the hours passed, the sun slowly found its way back to Termina as a congregation of rain clouds stifled its rays from warming the ground. As the morning grew to be noon, Tatl still remained drifting in and out of sleep, the grey light fooling her eyes into believing that it was still too early to be morning. Had there been a clock in the room to disprove this lie, Tatl would not have been so startled when the clock tower bell rang to alert the town of its being the twelfth hour.
Shooting up from the bed ringing like an alarm clock herself, Tatl glanced about the room only to discover a startling feature. Link was not in the room with her, and by the looks of the bed, had not been in it for quite some time. Unsure of where her brother and now her friend could have disappeared to, Tatl flew near to the window only to have her view be constricted by the heavy downpour of rain. Link, she did not see, nor did she see anyone she knew by name besides the postmaster running to deliver priority mail to the Mayor’s Residence.
As if struck by lightning, Tatl recalled the ceremony taking place in south Clock town about this time. Link must not have wanted to wake me knowing how exhausted I was last night. He is a very considerate friend if that be the case, but he shouldn’t have left without me! Knowing she did not have time to lose, Tatl flew towards a hole near the top of the door and made her escape into the alley.
~
Meanwhile, Link stood in south Clock town square; diluted in the crowd. Although there was no stage in south Clock Town, a gap of ten feet between the crowd and the Mayor was present which gave the visage of being a stage. Mayor Detour, being a rather short man, comically stood on a box in front of the podium to be as tall as his wife Lady Aroma. Impa stood by the small ramp which led to the open clock tower, Zelda standing beside her.
Dressed in a layered burgundy gown; Zelda’s hair was pulled back but let down past her shoulders, a small red and burgundy necklace-like crown dangling upon her forehead. Impa was equally elegant in her dress, clad in deep purple and grey, the gown extending to her toes. It was nothing as glamorous as what he was used to seeing Zelda wear in Hyrule; but then again, she could be wearing a dress sewed out of dirty rags and still be beautiful. Wearing the stone mask, which made the wearer invisible except for rare exceptions, Link stayed in the shadows beside a booth just in case Impa’s Sheikah eyes could see through the mask and spot him. Everyone in the crowd was wearing a home-made mask, so he doubted she would think him out of the ordinary. Not that he paid much attention to Impa, his eyes were immobile. His attention was on Zelda, examining her eyes to try and decipher her feelings.
She looked regal enough in her head being held high and her body strait in stature, but her eyes appeared pained or troubled. What ails you princess? Casting aside thoughts of how beautifully the grey sky brought out Zelda’s features, Link altered set his attention to Mayor Detour as the man cleared his throat to begin his speech. Beneath umbrellas that were of a different shape than the one that Zelda was using to keep her and Impa out of the rain, the water flowed down on his umbrella in such a way as to make it difficult to see the mayor’s face given his height and dark purple hair.
As the man began to speak, his voice changed from being quiet and shy, to louder and clear; drawing the crowd into silence as each listened to the mayor in his turn. “ Citizen‘s of Termina.” He paused for effect. “ On the day of this years Carnival of Time, our honoured guests; the ambassadors of Hyrule, wish to impart our country a blessing through the old-time tradition of signing a treaty of peace.” Mayor Detour looked back to his wife, who in turn handed him a scroll-like document. The Mayor lifted it up beneath the umbrella to show the crowd, who in turn either smiled, cheered quietly, or said nothing.
The moment after the final quiet cheers died down, the Mayor set down the document on the Podium and unravelled it to its full length as his wife handed him an aqua feather quill pen. Impa, who had been advised on when to approach the podium, began to walk a step or two towards them when a voice called out from the crowd through the rain; halting her steps to gaze at the intruder.
“ Stop! This man has no right to sign a treaty in this county.” Shock broke out among the crowd as the simply dressed man who had tried to join the meeting at the Mayor’s Residence yesterday stepped out from behind a booth opposite Link’s side of the square. Dressed in elaborately designed tan robes embroidered with red and teal, Link recognized the fabric from somewhere, but could not place it in his mind. Just to be cautious, he unsheathed his sword and waited for this man’s next move.
Mayor Detour stared at the man; stunned. Wondering who would accuse such a thing of him, who had always put the needs of the people first and foremost in his political life. His face turned pale, as he recognized to whom those colors represented. Either this man was a radical hoax, or Mayor Detour did have something to worry about. His wife trembled beside him, afraid for both hers and her husband’s life. “ Who makes these accusations!” Mayor Detour demanded, his voice slightly wavering during his declaration.
With a bow and a hand gesture indicating respect, the brown-haired man with the red iris’ turned his head towards Zelda for a moment before looking directly back to the Mayor. “ I am Rugosa Igos Ikana, and I am the rightful king of this country.” This avowal was to much for the crowd to handle without a gasp. No one had ruled in Ikana Canyon for over a hundred years. It was a known fact that all Igos du Ikana’s descendants had perished in the war that had eventually destroyed this kingdom and forced the people to fend for themselves. They created a democracy and called their country Termina, because of how their hopes had been terminated. Since those hundred and so years,, there had been no great wars which devastated the country, and having a possible king on the throne of what was once entirely Ikana Kingdom worried the townspeople. The thought of a bloodthirsty ruler directing Termina was too risky to accept, and Mayor Detour slammed a fist down on the podium in protest.
“ That line was broken!” Detour spat, only to calm himself down to breathe for a moment before Rugosa spoke again. “ My great grandmother fled Ikana to wait until the war was over. But because of his death she never received word from her father on when it was safe to return, so she never did, and only because of the curse on Ikana palace did my ancestors keep from returning to our homeland.” He paused, his red eyes determined. “ I ask you to perform a blood trial.” his eyes were fixed upon Impa. “ Hylians are gifted in the old magic, in the presence of all gathered please prove my innocence or my falsehood by this test.”
Link glanced then to Impa, who besides her eyes being widened, made no attempts to move forward. If she suspected this to be a trap or not, she would not willingly step aside from the princess in hiding. When the silence upon the crowd began to turn the air awkward, Impa walked forward as the man walked forward, pulling out a sharp needle from her hair with one last glance towards the crowd. For a moment, Link suspected that he had been found out, only to have Impa look away as if she were simply looking for an excuse to stall time. A blood trial seemed harmless enough, but Impa knew to be cautious.
“ I will perform this trial for you, if your intention is to foster peace with Hyrule.” Impa glanced at the Mayor one last time before clasping the Rugosa’s hand in her own and pricking his pointer finger with the needle. Her lips spoke, but the words were indecipherable. Blood ran down the mans finger, but the rain did not wash it from his skin. Slowly, a pool of fog began to steam from within the small amount of blood upon his finger, alternating from red to blue, from blue to green, and from green to black. Just as everyone gasped at such an evil heart being tested, the black bore sparks of Gold, and Mayor Detour knew not to disbelieve him any longer. Gold meant royalty, which could not be denied.
Rugosa smiled, knowing this to be true based simply on his mother‘s word. Mayor Detour knew not what to say, only that he held that treaty in his hand like a dog guarding his bone. He said nothing until Rugosa spoke, and even then it was quiet as a man in defeat. “ Blood never lies. It either cleanses or curses. I have come so that the darkness of Ikana‘s past might be cleansed, and our country made whole.”
“ Ikana is a graveyard that we had hoped would remain dead.” No one but Rugosa, Impa, and Lady Aroma heard the Mayor’s quiet statement; but it was enough of a comment to enrage the regal heir, and in his anger he ripped out the treaty from the podium and signed his name across the bottom. As if it was another confirmation of his authority, the ink blazed from black to red, the words stinging the paper. Glaring momentarily, his eyes fixed upon Impa who had remained silent, he held the paper up in expectation. Waiting for her to sign the document. Impa, who knew enough from this test that the man was not yet evil but fickle and weak in heart; was convinced that the man could not be trusted. Not wishing to appear rude, but knowing no other way to deny him, said: “ I shall not sign a treaty marked with blood.” It was an honest declaration, which only enraged Rugosa further. Soaking wet now, his anger only looked more menacing with his dark brown hair black and coating his face.
Sensing the inevitable, Impa lifted her hand to throw a magical object not unlike a Deku seed, except that instead of merely a blinding flash, the bearer was teleported to somewhere safe at the person’s choosing. However, she was not quick enough to prevent Rugosa from aiming his hand in Impa’s direction and spewing a bright black light upon her body. Impa did not writhe in pain, but her eyes did carry the weight of a strain induced from the magical light, and slowly she fell down to her knees and began to fade until only the air remained where she had stood.
At this Link could hide by the booth no longer, and upon removing his stone mask, he rushed towards Zelda as if his feet had burst in flame. Not giving her time to contemplate, he wrapped up the hidden princess and started to run up the ramp leading to east Clock Town’s northern entrance with her in his arms. Zelda, who had no idea whom it was who had suddenly caught hold of her, began to attack her captor as viciously as she could. Succeeding in a swift punch to the temple, before her eyes caught a glimpse of the face of her attacker. Link! Breathless and colorless from both shock and relief; followed by joy, Zelda stopped resisting Link’s assistance and encouraged his aid by folding her arms around him and pressing her head against his shoulder. When they neared the stairs leading to the Mayor’s Residence, Link slowed to a stop and set her down.
Now able to see Zelda fully, the tender expression on her dampened face displayed the raindrops running down her cheeks so near tear-like in appearance, that Link longed to stay and comfort her; but, knew he had to return and face Rugosa before his actions resulted in murder. “ Run up the stairs here.” Link pointed north. “ Turn right for the gap in the buildings and climb the tiny staircase around the corner. Please wait for me there.” Touching her cheek only to brush what appeared to be a tear from beneath her eye, Link ran backwards through the tunnel leading to south Clock Town square once more.
For a moment Zelda remained stationary where she stood before a determined air glistened in her rain-washed eyes. Rushing inside the Stock Pot Inn instead, the princess ran upstairs to her bags, her nimble legs used to carting up staircases so often that the extra weight of a dampened heavy gown was no great burden. Not this time. Not intending to be rebellious, Zelda rummaged through her case of gowns until she found what she sought for. A look of frustration ruddily brushed her face as the object in her hand caught on something beneath the pool of gowns in the box. Recognizing that time was the uppermost necessity, Zelda flung the travel box over until all her clothes and little things were sprawled on the floor. Like an upside down cake, the true prize was revealed at the bottom: Her longbow and quiver of arrows.
With a smirk, Zelda equipped herself for warfare and fled from the scene of the mess.
At returning down the ramp to south Clock Town square, Link was met with by Tatl who had flown after him when she saw him returning from east Clock town. “ Link, he got away! Where were you?!” Tatl received no response but a glare as he stared upon the empty stage. Lady Aroma had fled without her husband, who was standing beside Viscen, the captain of the town guards.
Walking towards them, Link overheard Viscen apologizing for not having been able to stop the ambassador from being taken. Mayor Detour simply lifted his hand to keep from hearing any apologies. None of this was their fault, he felt it was his own. So involved in the events of the day, Mayor Detour had not even noticed Link earlier when he sprinted up the ramp with Zelda. The Mayor noted him now; but, only because he carried both a weapon and a shield and did not appear too feeble to utilize them.
“ You there, Boy. Come here.” Detour gestured him to come forward; Link complied. Once he was near to them enough to be included in the conversation Mayor Detour began to speak. “ The Hylian ambassador has been captured, as I‘m sure your aware.” He paused. “ I was going to ask a battalion of guards to attempt her rescue, but given the circumstances, the fewer going the least noticeable a rescue mission would be.” With this development Viscen the leader of the guards piped up his opinion. “ Sir, this boy is barely a man, surely it would not be wise to send someone so young…” Both Detour and Link held back an urge to glare.
“ Which is why Rugosa would not suspect him of attempting such a thing.” Viscen could not argue with such logic, even though he desired to protest. In a moment Mayor Detour was looking up into Link’s eyes with a type of determined seriousness resembling a school teacher warning his pupil about unheeded detentions. Although it was a bit unnerving, Link‘s countenance did not crumble with the intimidation.“ Will you attempt this?” Link mentally scoffed. Just try and talk me out of it.
Controlling the desire to grin with eagerness, Link nodded again and even replied verbally to reassure the mayor of his intentions being sincere. “Yes.” Mayor Detour’s rigid body relaxed a bit at a citizen being so cooperative for him; however, his eyes remained serious, as the matter was.
“ If you take more than three days, I will send a battalion of guards to each of our four provinces to aid in the search” He smiled as only a father could. “ If you find Rugosa and the task is too much for your abilities, don‘t feel guilty coming back and alerting it to me. I can always send Viscen.” Link choked back another playful scoff at even suggesting him capable of such a thing, but said nothing to defer him.
With a quick bow, he was about to walk towards east Clock Town when Detour approached him. “ I have a friend who is a researcher living in Ikana with his daughter. If you give him this letter.” He was busy sprawling down words at that moment.” He should help you by providing food or lodging if needed.” Link remembered the man well, knew he had once almost become a Gibdo with his researching a well, and that under his daughters influence had left Ikana for Clock town only to befriend the mayor and eventually return to Ikana undeterred. Link nodded and held his hand out to receive the letter from him; but, the man hesitated. Concern glimmering in his eyes. “ Are you sure your able to attempt this?” Link nodded and said: “ Yes.” again, this time with more determination in his voice than he had used before. Just try and stop me.
At this the Mayor cast aside his doubts and handed the boy the letter, which Link immediately stored inside a pocket on the underside of his tunic. “ Good day.” Detour concluded before bowing slightly to be polite. Bowing back to be appropriate, Link turned around to head back towards east Clock Town; Only to be bombarded with quite the surprise.
Zelda, standing by the entrance to east Clock town and holding a long bow in her left hand. I didn’t know you could use any weapons. A grin plastered his face as Link hurried up the ramp. Glancing around the area where Impa had been, a worried expression altered Zelda’s features. Link didn’t know a better way to break the news to that was better than what her surveillance already told her. Judging by the light dissipating from her eyes, Link knew she understood. Impa was gone.
~
“ Can we get out of this rain?!” Tatl spat as she flew ahead of Zelda towards the staircase in-between the Stock Pot Inn and the Milk Bar. Leaving us alone under the assumption that we would follow her to my little apartment. I had no intention of doing so, not after so many years apart from Zelda. When she began to follow the headstrong fairy, I reached my hand out to clasp hers. Her water-drenched face turned to face me, and she stopped and gazed into my eyes.
“ Zelda…” Her eyes appeared saddened, but a glimmer of hope burned as her fingers gently curled around my own.
“ I‘m not going home without Impa.” The determination in her eyes could not be fought against. I nodded, opening the door to the Stock Pot Inn and pulling Zelda inside. I didn’t need to waste time asking Zelda which room was hers, I already knew. Together we headed up the stairs, dripping a trail of water behind us. Once inside the knife chamber, lightning flashed outside the window and in my heart I knew the storm would not soon be over. Zelda can’t travel in this weather…
Seeing a mess on the floor, my eyebrows raised questionably. Zelda closed the door behind her, and most likely having forgotten the mess, blushed considerably.
“ My bow was at the bottom of my travel case. I felt time was of the essence.” Hearing her talking about time had its effect on me, and in loo of reminiscing on the past, I stood by the cackling fire and held up my hands to absorb it’s warmth. Not sure how to break the ice when Zelda bagged her weapon and warmed her own hands at the fire, we stared at the flickering flames in silence. Distracted by the simple beauty of it.
“ I…How are you?” Zelda mumbled, and giving her a simple nod and a smile she returned the warmth before looking back to the fire. At least she tried to break the ice. There was a great deal unsaid between us that I did not have the heart to bring up at the present time.
“ Zelda…can you tell where Impa is right now?” Half expecting a sarcastic glance for such a ridiculous-sounding question, Zelda only frowned again at remembering her guardian.
“ Yes, a little. Dark magic prevents my knowing the exact location. Only that they have not left Termina.” Her voice sounds even sweeter than I remember. Caught off guard in my thoughts, my eyes widened when Zelda’s arms enfolded around me in a tight squeeze. Expecting Zelda to speak, she said nothing, and in turn I said nothing. Thinking it right to do, my own arms folded around her as I turned within the hold so that we faced each other. Her chin being situated on my shoulder being much more comfortable this way than it had before. However, it made the embrace awkward, in the intimacy of it’s closeness.
Allowing my hands to run along Zelda’s spine to comfort her, I found myself beginning to give in to the desire to simply hold her in my arms. Letting myself go, I nuzzled my chin against her neck and gently squeezed her to me. She needs to be safe. After a breath I parted the hug, simply because it was right to do so. She did not fight it, but her eyes stayed on the ground as if it better hid her disappointment; taking a breath as well before turning to warm herself by the fire again. There were a lot of questions in her eyes, and someday she would ask them. Today, was not that day.
“ Link…” She paused and turned to look at me.
“ I cannot go home without Impa.”, she repeated to lead up to something. “ Nor will I stay in this room or any little room and wait in hiding.” My eyebrows raised, knowing in my gut that things were about to become much more difficult.
“ I can fight. Never as grand as you, but this bow-” Zelda went to retrieve it from her pocket, the item magically returning to it’s original size. A radiant glow transpired on her features. Almost as if her face mirrored my own.
“ My arrow has not missed a target in the last two years.” The hidden muscle in her forearms became noticeable to me then, and I mentally chuckled at not noticing before. She must practice all the time.
“ Please let me stay with you.” Unaware to me, the color drained from my face in remembering another instance when they were together and her safety depended on him. That fateful evening when the man he thought was Sheik was a magical visage Zelda had created to disguise herself from Ganondorf. But upon revealing herself, Ganondorf discovered her through following my movements and encased her in a crystal prison. There was nothing I could do but hit the crystal, which did absolutely nothing. Perhaps I feared, if the same situation arose once more, that I would still be unable to protect her from harm. She wont take no for an answer, even if I said it.
“ Are you going to be exploring the country-side in…” My expression became uneasy searching for the right words…Her eyes lit up in understanding.
“ In this?” She pulled at the fabric of her soaked gown, noticing how long it was and how easy it would be to trip over the fabric. Not quite what I meant…
“ Of course not. I‘ll have to pack a few things but-” It was absolutely necessary to stop her now…
“ Zelda.” She looked at me from her bag.
“ We cannot stay at an inn at night where we are going. Chances are we‘ll get wet, dirty, and possibly bloody-” My message of: don’t bring anything you shall regret losing', was conveyed and she simply smiled and giggled at me.
“ I know that Link. Just because my clothes are rich in material, does not mean that such trivial things vex me.” The mutual smile burned brightly before the standing there became awkward. Zelda had stopped searching through her bag and stayed put; staring at him.
“ Um…Link, I need to change.” Ah! Turning around immediately, I was about to unlatch the door when the idea of leaving her alone in a room unsettled me. Perhaps it was a gut instinct, but I did not wish to leave the room. Turning around wont do it. Regardless of how silly it might have seemed, the idea of pulling my hat down over my head was the most promising idea. An unheeded idea.
Unlatching the lock, my fingers wrapped around the knob and with a twist the door was open. Exiting the room, I leaned against the door with my ear pressed to the woodwork. Cautious not to be caught snooping for her protection, the sounds of shuffling on the floor were heard, followed by more noises of fabric against fabric. After what seemed like an eternity, the footsteps near the door alerted me of Zelda’s arrival and I quickly shirked away from the door. Enough of a distance not to look suspicious.
When the door opened and Zelda walked into the hallway dressed in the brown and burgundy gown from yesterday, my eyes widened. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were red like the Sheikah man she had once disguised herself as. It wasn’t such a drastic change, but given as how Zelda would always be a natural blonde it was enough to startle me. I let out a small sound, and Zelda chuckled.
“ Its only temporary…” Zelda mused with a blush as she closed the door behind her. Except for the large pockets in the dress and the bandana she was slipping over her head to pull back her newly darkened hair, it didn’t look like she had anything else besides the quiver and bow strapped to her back.
“ Are we leaving now?” Zelda asked, just as another thunderclap echoed outside in tune with the torrential rainfall. I certainly hope so…
I responded with a Nod, and down the stairs we went.
~
This is all I have so far...besides other portions that I didn't like, cut out, or edited. So just comment in the Comment thread, or PM me.
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