274The blazing sun has begun to sink far below the horizon, the sand red like flames. The wind is timid and slowly blows onto the Grounds with such shyness that the heat has no mercy on those waiting within the coliseum. The two inhabitants cared less about the sultriness that plagued Arbiter's Ground or the menacing history that bled from its stone. They are too engrossed by the words spoken by a friend to feel the burning.
"Well…I guess this is farewell, huh?" She begins.
The physical agony, the open wounds of battle, the unavoidable humidity; nothing matters to them but the all too casual words that leave a trembling mouth.
"Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But…"
Encouragement sows itself into the next few words, but her eyes tell them that she only speaks wishful thinking. Thoughts of unity, of bonds that cannot be seen but felt. One of the inhabitants, the rose of the land she tried to keep together, adds to the moral with, "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin…One cannot exist without the other."
The rose of the land continues her speech, thinking that if her mouth was busy enough, the tears would not rain down. She speaks of divine intervention, of fate, and spills out all hope she has left within her tired body.
The friend smiles at such kind and true words, she believes the rose can save her dwindling country, but still a frown adorns her beautiful features. They can no longer stall the inevitable. Without a falter the friend walks into the dim rays that pooled in from the setting sun, and the rose looks toward her with a set face. Conceal all emotion is the mantra drilled into her petals, but deep inside she fears she will cry.
Winds of change smooth over their perspiration and leave an odd feeling of serenity. The friend is not graced by it, but the rose is well aware that the past cry of her people is what raked through her hair. They know pain; they know how it will go away.
"Thank you…" The friend speaks again, looking back at the other inhabitant that chose not to speak. He was the sun, the beacon of light and hope these few months, and even with a knot in his chest he illuminated the room with a smile as the friend expressed the hope of meeting again.
A single tear falls from a perfectly formed eye, and like a small life it pulsed and moved to grace slender fingers white as snow.
"I…See you later…"
The sun ponders on the words she would have spoken, a phrase unborn from dark lips that smiled ever so sadly. The sun and the rose were to ask her what she needed to say, but the small life born from her decision had begun to kill their only way to her. The audience of two gawk at the cracks and splinters that lace their only chance at reuniting, but the sun hears the friend scanter away, giving a final smile before bathed in hallowed light.
All felt so slow, the content restfulness that lightened her once dull eyes has made a grin tug at her features. So at peace the friend appeared, and like a phantom she has begun to disappear, until nothing's left but a blank stone and the irretrievable shards that promised to reunite them.
The sun and the rose are now completely alone, with only the numbness of the stone walls and the howls on the wind of those who have left this world to comfort them.
...
The castle halls were undoubtedly haunted, he was sure of it. When he still attended the academy in his adolescence he would listen with great interest to the stories the veterans told of seeing figures in the shadows or the laughter of children who did not appear. At the time he thought the stories were just used to keep the trainees away from the castle, but now he wasn't so sure.
Five years he spent in that academy, five years he spent telling himself such stories were ludicrous, yet as he marched through the empty halls while a storm raged outside he repeated the tales in his head one by one.
The eyes of the portraits of the Kings of the past followed his every step; he could feel their stares through his armor. No laughter yet, but the clanking of his steel sabatons made hearing difficult.
"This would be an easy job, they said," He whispered to himself, "It would be fun, they said."
He shivered in his chainmail, eyes shifting about nervously. The air was too still, too…lifeless. No one was venturing the halls at this time, just him and the stalking paintings. He looked down at the carpet, the deep blue shade of it. The many strong Queens of old walked along the same fabric as he did, and thinking of this gave him some pride.
That was until he recalled the death of the most recent Queen when he was just a child, too young to understand the great tragedy of this loss. Maybe her soul still walked along this same path.
He cringed at the thought and walked faster.
Upon reaching the westmost wing he began to mumble to himself. "Now, where did they say I needed to go?" He noticed a large door and wasted no time striding to it. "I still can't believe they gave me escort duty. A castle guard's work was supposed to be easy; I'm just supposed to walk around town with the men, not baby sit."
It was true that most men of his status did nothing more but stand around all day; a pass time they were more than content with in the old days. Things had changed drastically within the gates of the castle years ago- lots of things in his beloved Hyrule had changed.
The door was slightly ajar, and he couldn't help but peer through the crevice like a naughty child. This room was large, colossal even, with books and maps and parchment laid neatly on desks and shelves patiently awaiting use. Sconces lit up the dark room lightly along with a blazing fire in the fireplace that produced bright flames that whipped about feverously. This was the castle archive. Why would his charge be in the castle archive?
"And then what happened, tell us! Tell us!"
Children? There were children! They surrounded a lithe figure draped in black that sat beside the fire, dirty faces swelling in mystical wonder as they watched this enigmatic stranger. These children were the help, servant boys and girls that have left their posts. He grasped his spear tighter and his knees shook harder. I'll watch and see what this intruder does first, then I'll strike, was what he told himself over and over until it sounded believable.
"Now now children, no need to grow impatient." A small, pruned old woman stood beside the sitting figure, hands behind her bowed back. What was her name? He remembered the captain speaking to a man from the bazaar who knew of this woman's past. The unneeded nursemaid forgotten by the royal family decades ago returned only in fear of the deceased Queen's curse. Impaz, her name was Impaz, member of the Sheik-Can tribe or something like that. The title was not familiar to most, but the veteran knights once spoke about guardians of the royal family that fell years ago. This Impaz was just a dying memory of the past.
The robed figure moved a bit, and the guard held his breath. It was about to speak "…After the Princess of Twilight went home, the Hero of Time returned to his, and the Princess began to rebuild her kingdom. The end." What a melodious sound left the slender figure in shadows! It was a woman, a young woman who spoke with such grace, the sound of fine silk being ripped.
The children's faces fell, and they leaned closer, the guard unknowingly mimicking their actions to better hear the voice of Hylia herself once more! "That's it," A small girl whined, "I liked the other legend better, the one with the instrument in it! The hero stayed with the princess in that one."
"Ew, no, this one's better, it had a wolf in it!" A freckled boy threw his arms up in the air dramatically.
The mystery woman spoke, "I believe it is time for you all to return home to your mothers, am I correct?" The guard leaned in as far as he could to drink in such a heavenly whisper.
Thunder boomed behind the nosy man, and in fear he leapt inside with a shout. The room grew deathly silent at his arrival, the children watching him breathlessly with eyes fearful at the sight of his sharp spear, and Impaz watched him with her ruby pools.
He straightened his back and cleared his throat. "I am here as an escort…" He tried to sound strong and menacing, but his statement came out meekly and easily trailed away.
"And who might you be escorting?" The older woman squinted, her wrinkles deepening to look like a cracked vase.
He thought for a moment but failed to produce a voice, placing his spear in his other hand, the children gasping. The woman clad in black rose from her seat and slowly turned to face him. He took a sharp intake of breath when he saw her face was hidden behind a shadowed hood, and mouth covered by a regal purple scarf.
Milky white skin the shade of cream was seen briefly, illuminated by the flames' kindling glow. "That would be me." The woman said, raising a gloved hand to her hood.
She was going to reveal herself to him! In a way he felt unworthy to see the owner of such a voice, but as she pulled down the cloth, he gasped in surprise. For years, the people of Hyrule had heard of this woman's beauty, and at that moment he knew such wives tales were lies. Her hair was not flowing like the water in Lake Hylia, but sleeker than the blades of grass in the fields, the shade of the rumored Deku trees' bark. Her lips were not red as blood but pale rose and held a natural shine to them. The crown and jewels that often adorned her were nowhere to be seen, but rightfully so, for he saw them as impurities on an already perfect piece of artwork.
One thing that haunted him though, were her eyes that watched him carefully. A blue deeper than the sea they were, glistening in the dim room with a shine only the goddesses could possess. So wise and truthful they seemed, like her stare alone could protect all, yet they felt so old and tired the way she looked at him. What had those youthful eyes seen to begin to glaze over so aged?
This was to be his charge, which he was to escort from now on. The rose of Hyrule; Princess Zelda.
It took him some time to realize that he had been staring for far too long, and blushing he looked away. "Pardon me, Your Highness, but the King would like for me to return you to your chambers for the evening."
She looked away. "I see…" He watched with great interest as she knelt down to look within the eyes of the children. "Like I had said before, it is time you all returned home with your parents. Until next time."
Impaz lightly tapped on his greaves to pull his attention away. She looked up at him with a smile. "You are new, aren't you?"
The guard swallowed nervously. "I used to patrol the city streets; this is my first duty within the castle."
"Then you haven't seen her?" Impaz raised her thin brows.
"The Princess? No, but I have heard—"
"No, not the Princess, I mean her. The Princess's Grandmother, the late Queen of Hyrule? She haunts these halls, you know, I often think she does it to check on her beloved granddaughter." This woman was senile, she knew not what she spoke of…right?
"Y-You're lying." He stuttered.
Impaz chuckled, "I wish I was. But no need to worry, the ghost of Queen Zelda XVII won't harm anyone as long as they keep their lustful eyes away from her dear little granddaughter. Do you understand where I am heading to? "
Her message hit him harder than a rock, and his face grew redder. He could hear the princess walking up behind him, and he quickly turned to stare at the door in front of him.
"Shall we, then?" Princess Zelda moved to his side. He could feel her soft stare, but he refused to meet such a sad gaze. That was what her eyes looked like, old on a new face.
He began to march forward into the hall, the princess and her small companion following behind like ducklings. Looking back, he saw the princess was staring out the window in some ghostly concentration, but the longer he looked, the louder the old woman's warning became in the back of his mind. Quickly, he turned to face the front, face hot in embarrassment.
They walked in heavy silence, interrupted only by the pats of rain on the large windows. Although fairly dark out, he was still able to see the princess's reflection; at one point, the white of nightgown peeked out from behind the black cloak, and in a few lucky instances he would catch sight of the pale smoothness of a leg.
"Look princess," the old woman sighed,"You were right, it's finally began to rain." She turned to stare at the storm, but the guard noted the emptiness in her eyes as if she wasn't really there.
Impaz continued, "The Gods surely smile upon you; never mind those false oracles and their ridiculous rituals! Your grandmother knew very well that music would please our beloved Nayru. I'm sure she is smiling down at you this. Very. Moment."
The guard paled at the thought, guiding his eyes away from olive flesh under white fabric.
The moment they reached her door she froze, and without a glance she thanked him and disappeared through the steel doors. He stood in a pregnant silence, slipping out of his stupor and organizing his hurricane of thoughts. She was so beautiful, yet frightening, and as the guard traveled down the spiral staircase he grew more and more sure with each step that their beloved princess Zelda was not a rose, but Hylia born from human flesh.
...
"They really seemed to enjoy tonight's bedtime story," Impaz kindled the fireplace, "Don't you agree your highness?" There was no response. "Princess -."
Turning around she saw the young woman standing silently before the tall window of the chamber, hand placed gently on the glass which fogged around the soft touch. Zelda stared out at the rain absently, black robe contrasting with the bright white of a now visible nightgown. Her expression was that of mild surprise, and Impaz sighed at the sight.
"Not another episode…" She whispered to herself.
"The rain...it is beautiful." The princess casually spoke.
Impaz smiled, "Yes it is, and we have you to thank for it, Milady. The Gods' smile down upon you, as expected."
The rain inevitably reminded her of a time so long ago, and she clenched her jaw at the thought of it.
"What are you thinking about your Highness?" Impaz pondered, grabbing her hand and guiding the girl to sit on the chair before the warm fire. She began to brush the girl's long, brown hair in slow rhythms, pausing to check the eyes no one knew to read.
"Nothing." Zelda closed her lids and raised her head to feel the warmth on her skin. It was raining when it happened, she thought to herself indifferently; haunted by the ghosts of her past, her hands began to quiver as they replayed their scenes over and over again.
"You think you can keep me in here, caged up like some animal?" The rose bared her thorns at the unwanted visitor.
But the serpent was cunning, and secretly terrified her very core as he laughed at her aggression. " I don't think, I know. You have nowhere to go, your Highness. Your kingdom, the land blessed by the Gods' light which has never lost a war, has fallen to a people of darkness in a mere matter of minutes! You've lost."
"We Hylians are a people of perseverance, the light will prevail! These walls are merely stone - they cannot contain me!" She conjured deep within her heart to find the winds from Farore's breast she could ride to freedom. But the lack of concern in those glowing orange eyes and wicked smile on cut lips made her uneasy.
"If you leave, your people die." The serpent smirked.
The rose quickly rooted herself back to the earth, and stared in fear. Her stomach dropped and blood froze in her veins, "...You are not capable of that..." She said timidly " This world of Twilight... it isn't their own, you could not possibly be able to -"
In a snap a wisp of light was glowing between them, and with the flick of the serpent's wrist the rose saw the outline of small child no older than five, staring nervously around the room, transparent like a ghost.
"Where am I? I want my mommy!" They cried, not seeing the battle of power occurring before them.
The serpent disappeared in thin air, only to appear behind the rose tightly, cold breath on her ear. Her eyes grew wide, face gone white with fear, and as he spoke her breathing grew labored. "Your kind think they're so...superior in this world when in fact, you're nothing but parasites who haven't woken from this dream that the Gods' care for your lives... The choice is yours princess: stay where your new king has placed you in this tower, or go out and pretend to be a hero. But if you do get brave and wish to violate my orders, just remember-" He snaked his hand within hers, and as she turned to strike him he raised both their arms, and the child outlined with light felt to the floor with a gurgling sound, grew still and the wisp finally died, " - Their blood is on your hands."
"...What do you think, Princess Zelda?"
The ghost fled her mind and the daze was lifted from her. Her head snapped up, eyes opened, and lips parted to release a soft answer of, "I apologize."
Impaz stopped her strokes and sighed, walking slowly to face the princess. Her ruby eyes furrowed in a glassy sadness, her wrinkled hands encompassed the still shaking soft ones, and the small elder clicked her tongue. " It's about what happened four years ago...Isn't it?"
Zelda's heart lurched, but her expression stayed as stone. "No," she lied, " I was simply planning...what legend to tell the children next."
Impaz leered at her, " You're a terrible liar your Highness, just like your grandmother."
Zelda looked down in shame.
"What would the Hero think?"
Bright blue eyes, winning smile, the image of pure vitality and youthfulness crossed her mind, and her heart fluttered when his face appeared. How did he look now, four years later after she'd last seen his smile? Was he married; with children of his own sharing his light? A small part of her hoped not, and for reasons unknown she felt jaded by the thought. Link - the vessel of courage. Did he think of her?
There was a loud knocking on the door, and Zelda tightly wrapped her robe around her slender body as Impaz opened the door. "Who is it?" She asked, pushing back the long strands of hair that fell in front of her face.
"Pardon, your Highness," A messenger awkwardly stood at the foot of the spiral stairs," I come with a message from the King."
She strode over, heart and mind glowing in gladness but face still as potted water. " Please," she asked, standing in the doorway.
He cleared his throat, " In regards to your request of an audience with King Daphnes the Third, it is in his deepest apologies to decline this -"
"I see." Zelda interrupted.
The messenger bowed his head, " I'm sorry Princess Zelda, another decline."
She sighed, " No worries...Please, go home for the night and be with your family. My orders."
"Thank you your Highness, goodnight."
The distraught princess walked back into her chambers and stared. On the outside she was calm and collected, unmoving like a statue. On the inside; however, was a hurricane of emotion. She screamed in frustration in her head, blood on fire as a hard heart aggressively pumped her rage throughout her petite form. Do not let them see you feel, she reminded herself as her fists clenched and relaxed as she bit back words unbecoming of a lady.
"Princess?"
"He can't even make time to see his own daughter...Would it be different if I were a son, carrying his name? Foolish man...blind to his own people's ills even when I try with all my might to help him see it!" She paused at the faint sound of instruments in the cold air. She tsked, " And he's holding a party…"
Impaz grew worried as Zelda walked to the door. " Your highness, what are you thinking to do? Need I remind you the King doesn't want you leaving this room after dark?"
The princess stopped with the door in her hands, and the edge of her mouth curled up into a tiny smile as she answered, " I'm thinking of what the Hero would do under these circumstances."
The castle was her home; its winding and connecting halls may have seemed like a maze of a place to others, but to her it was as familiar and easy to read as her own handwriting. It was so invigorating to break her King's wishes; a strange fervor was lit in her core brighter than it had ever been. The danger of it all was exciting, the impending doom if she was caught poured adrenaline within her like a drug. She bolted through the halls swiftly, taking the fastest route she knew to the ballroom, all the while staying unspotted by the patrolling guards. It wasn't hard, her footsteps weren't very heavy, and the working men were (as she sadly noted) very bad at their jobs.
The thought crossed her mind, as she pressed her body against the wall to evade a pair of guards passing perpendicular from her, that she might have been the only princess in Hyrulian history who would sneak through her own castle like some criminal. It was an exciting idea, one of the first she'd had in a long time. Too long was her every action choreographed by her father.
Rounding the corner she took a slower pace, a wave of anxiousness and fear gripped her heart. She grabbed the wall for support and breathed shallow breaths, hands trembling, ghosts flashing against her eyes.
A sea of flames filled the halls, flags were burned, statues destroyed, paintings ripped from their frames. The serpent wanted destruction of it all, and the black smoke soon became the shadow of a new world.
The rose fought to save as much as she could from this holocaust, hiding all that her power allowed. Only when these beasts of darkness began to terrorize the wisps of light of her people did the rose forget the burning banners and drew a long sword.
She ran to the monster and fletched, a bright light appearing on her hand in a protective glow. The beast was moved a bit but not mortally wounded, and releasing a blood curdling cry it looked to her with its stone face and wiping tendrils. It was terrifying, and before she could attack it again the serpent had disappeared, and she stood in the confines of her room. He threatened her, but stated his malicious God would not allow him to harm her; however, because she had left her room, he had behind him a wisp of the two maids she'd attempted to save. With a flick of his wrist, and cold unchanging stare of his helmet, there was a loud crack. The maids fell to the floor, and were left there for the remainder of the day.
Somehow Zelda had ended up kneeling on the floor, and coming to her senses, she looked up at the paintings and flags on the wall.
"Pull yourself together." She whispered to herself.
"Hey! Who goes there!" cried a guard who spotted her from afar. She glanced over her shoulder, and noticed three more men standing at his command. A familiarly courageous voice came into her head and said, "Run."
Lifting her skirts, she ran as quickly as she could through the remainder of the halls, the guards shouting at her to stop as they chased after; a game of cat and mouse. The more she ran, the more guards noticed her presence.
"Stop!" They'd cry, and by the time she reached the foyer there was a whole platoon chasing after the swift princess. The music was loud and pounding by now; she cut a corner then another. Finally the doors to the King's ballroom box was in sight, but the guards were at her heels. She had five seconds to decide: confront the King, or turn around now.
1 second…
She's broken all the rules already.
2 Seconds…
But if she turns back now, there will be no retaliations, the guards wouldn't snitch.
3 Seconds…
King Daphnes needs to hear this news.
4 Seconds…
No one would know she gave up.
5 Seconds…
What would the Hero do?
With a mighty push she threw open the porcelain doors, and cried out, "King Daphnes!"
The room was filled with bodies dressed in bright jewels, and colorful faces looking at her as if she was stark naked, whispering loudly as the music came to a halt and cups ceased to be filled in awe. In the center of the room was a large man sitting on a throne obscured by purple silks, his shadow against the fabric an only indication of his presence as he looked down at his party.
Slurred words left plump lips. "It seems the princess is up past her bedtime."
The crowd chuckled, long noses reaching high into the air. "King Daphnes, I insist I have an audience with you immediately!" Princess Zelda began to walk forward, only to have guard upon guard grab onto her arms and shoulders, pulling her out of the room. "Release me, I command it!" She kicked and growled. Metal clad hands appearing as obscured fingers in her eyes as she struggled to break free.
The crowd gasps at such an ugly sight, a princess thrashing about like an animal. The hidden king let out a hearty laugh and she watched him raise a cup to his lips before saying, " Do as your princess commands, men; if she's made such a fuss, it must be important."
Gingerly the guards let go, leaving the room and closing the doors behind the silent Princess. She dusted off her nightgown and raised her head tall, slowly walking toward the silk enscorned room. The crowd parted not out of respect, but disgust; they wished not to attract whatever she had at the moment - the women with plump red lips and earrings larger than their eyes said loudly, "How unsuitable for a princess to behave".
Do not show them how you feel, conceal all emotion, she reminded herself, her trademark blank face radiated indifference and emptiness. It was at this point that her escort - who was guarding the evening - noticed a small flame in the pit of her old eyes disappear to nothingness and he was amazed.
" Why are you all just standing there? Continue! " The King shouted out angrily at the band below, and the music began slowly once again, the crowd timidly starting to dance and converse. Zelda knelt down before the King and said, "King Daphnes the Third, I , Princess Zelda the -." She was interrupted by the sight before her.
He sat in his chair like a proud peacock, cheeks rosy red, hands busy with a cup of wine in one, and a woman's rear in the other. Hylian woman dressed like Gerudo slaves danced and sat around him, fanning and feeding him fruits. Such a sight sickened her, and he continued to rub and grope the woman around him even with her in his presence. Whores or not, this was no way for a King of Holy Lands to behave.
" Someday," he began, " You will have a son Princess Zelda, and you will name him King Daphnes Nohansen the Fourth in honor of my glory." His sky blue eyes looked down at her dominantly, but he was too drunk to really show any true strength.
"You're drunk." Was all Zelda could say when the rancid scent of his breath reached her nose. "The Gods do not appreciate such behavior when their kingdom's people are starving."
The King chuckled, " THEIR kingdom? You mean MY kingdom. I am the king of this land, not those bedtime stories!
"King Daphnes, do not speak ill of the Gods!-"
"And with this rain, the crops will be fine this year."
Princess Zelda jumped up, " Just because there is good rain means nothing, they have sent me a message and-"
"Who did?" He interrupted again.
"The Gods did." She said.
He rolled his eyes, " The Gods sent you a message, what an overused statement. When will you get through your head that these so called Gods of yours are simply just means to make the poor feel adequate?! They do not exist; never have, never will!"
Her eyes widened in horror," Father! How dare you speak such blasphemy, when it is they who have given you your crown!"
He threw down his cup at her face which she dodged sloppily. His face thickened in anger, " I AM ABSOLUTE! NO GOD OR SPIRIT OR ANYTHING ORDAINED MY REIGN! I AM THE KING, WHAT I SAY IS LAW, I AM THE GODS! I AM THE NORTHERN STAR, THE SEAS, EVERYTHING!"
She held her hand up and removed a white glove, revealing in dark colors the birthmark that gave her a name. " And I am the living proof our Gods are ever constant. I - like your mother and Queens before me - am Hylia in human flesh, and I refuse to let you speak such ill of our creators! I came here to try and save you, but you're obviously too stubborn to be saved!"
There was a pregnant pause; the people stared anxiously between the King and Princess. There was a deep chuckle. " If your Gods are so grand, then why is it that their chosen princess was unable to defend her own kingdom from invaders hm? You were defeated in mere minutes after the Twili attacked, where were the Gods then? You cling onto them like a baby to their mother's teat to make up for your incompetence."
Zelda stepped back and pulled back tears as images of flames and screams filled her mind. "The Gods gave us a hero, like they always do."
" Is the only reason why you came here is to stir up trouble Princess? I refuse to give you back the opportunity to become Queen again, we've been through this. You were far too young the first time, and I now know that a benevolent ruler isn't what Hyrule needs anymore. This country is reformed now. I suggest you go before you consider to make a fool of yourself, if you haven't already." King Daphnes sat back down and smoothed back snow white hair.
"Grandmother would never rule this way," she said under her breath, "The Gods were her strongest allies."
"The Gods are not real, you stupid girl! Now escort yourself from my presence," His eyes lit up, " Or maybe you should join the festivities, perhaps your beloved hero could help you from embarrassing yourself more." The room erupted in laughter, but Zelda walked away in false pride, wearing her tears proud as they snickered and judged her.
This Hyrule was one she did not enjoy, one where the Gods are long forgotten and spat on, and she was more a myth to the people than a savior. She could hear their prayers at times, they begged Din to give their Rose the strength to save them, but this made her feel even more weak. What was she to do when the enemy was no longer darkness, but her own flesh and blood.
"Gods help me." Was her only comment as she left the room, and wished she had the hero's courage to do something for her people.
"You and I are not so different you know," The rose commented when faced with an imp dressed in light and shadow. Both friend and foe, the creature rolled blood red eyes.
" What makes you say that, hm?" The friend responded.
"I can see you are cursed, just as I am," the rose looked away, "Maybe worse so."
The friend spat," Don't you dare refer to us as equals. I'm not weak like you are, I wouldn't give my people up to save my own skin. You're a coward, and I'm glad twilight is everywhere. Your Gods have abandoned you just like they did us."
There was a full silence in the room, and rose touched the glass of her window, looking down at the emptiness below. " Then why do you stay here with me?"
"I'm looking for something, and I'm pretty sure you know where to find it." The friend stared her down coldly, running her nimble fingers on stone before looking at her tiny hand in shame.
"I am of no use to you. I pray the Gods show me what you seek, but they have showed me nothing." The symbol on the rose's hand lit up faintly.
" Are you an idiot?! I just told you your Gods have left you, why can't you accept that? They. Won't. Save. You!" The door at the foot of the tower opened, and the friend jumped up to move out the window before the monster checked the chamber. Just as she was about to leave the rose spoke in a whisper.
"That is where you are wrong. There is a legend amongst our people of a hero who transcends time. It is only when the land is in turmoil will the Gods send him to the women of the Hylian royal family, and they have never let us down yet. I eagerly am awaiting his arrival, for I , like my ancestors have received visions of darkness and light, and his name floats in my mind every second."
The friend curiously asked, " How will you know it's him?'
Her marked hand rose up to her face and revealed triangles thrice in a symbol not familiar to the imp hidden in darkness. " He will be protected from darkness just as I am."
A shocked expression graced the friend's face as she left the chamber with a planning grin.
And that's the end of the Prologue of this story! This is probably my last fanfic ever, and this is a story I have been planning since I was about 10 years old and finished Twilight Princess, a dark and realistic take on the amazing game that deserved so much more love. So thank you for taking the time to read it and hopefully you've enjoyed it. I plan to publish a new chapter once a month, but since this is the prologue I've decided to post chapter two ( one?) next week. One way to start the new year huh? And I promise you there will be romance so bare with me.
Special thanks to my beta reader: SunnyAirisu222
Please leave a review so I can know if I should continue this journey and let me know how I'm doing.
Bye!