9Alright, since I'm on a random standstill with KH again for no reason, here's another chapter of DoTGS. Um, suggestions for a title change are acceptable since I think it's a mouthful, but if one comes ot me, I'll let you know. I've been busy with a move that's been going on for a few months, but this should make up for it. With Skyward Sword now in my possession, expect plot lines to be diverged and merged again *evil laugh*
Disclaimer: *on lunch break*
"…a mission?"
"Yup."
"A mission in which you somehow believed you had to announce waging war on me and my kingdom…"
"Okay, I was just trying to get your attention with that."
"You can't be serious…you couldn't think of a better way to get my attention?" Midna demanded, her stoic and calm princess composure thwarted by absolute bafflement.
"Hold that thought, it feels just a bit breezy in here without my cloak." At the snap of Fella's fingers did another skeleton puppet come by and put over her another cloak identical to the one she wore before it was practically obliterated. "Thank you my bony cronies. You never fail me. Well, most of you."
"Hey, don't you dare change this conversation! You had the fight damage my throne room!"
"Alright alright. My master told me the only way to get your attention and quote: "to have her frustrated beyond belief to the point of fighting. Don't get yourself killed and don't hold back." End quote."
"What kind of master is thick-skulled enough to order something like that?"
"My master. Yeah, I'm not the luckiest person, but he is kind of desperate. And dying."
"And you couldn't tell me this the first time around because…"
"It sounded way more fun to do what master said," Fella gleefully replied with an impish grin, Midna responding by pinching the bridge of her nose. Ironic. "But yeah, speaking of the help I need, I need to present the situation right?"
"If you believe you have any hope to be able to convince me to help you, why not?" Midna flopped onto the throne in fatigue, but she had to internally admit; something was finally happening again in her life.
"Well, first of all, good thing you're the real Princess of the Twilight. I bet I would've been dead if I was struck with the power of all the Fused Shadows."
"Real one? What, is there a poser out there?"
"Well, with things being as peaceful as they are now, you never know what's possible."
"…fair enough."
"Now for the kicker; have you heard of the leader known as the Dusk King?" Fella's voice seemed to be a bit lower with her question.
"The Dusk King? That's a myth as old as the Goddesses themselves," Midna said, an uninterested tone in her voice.
"Then you know about it."
"The bare idea of it." Fella sat upon a small pile of rubble before continuing on.
"One of the Dark Interlopers that was responsible for making the Fused Shadows in attempt to invade the Sacred Realm of the Goddesses…but do you really think that's all they did?"
"…what are you saying?"
"What do you think happened to the Interlopers afterwards? They were just banished here and became the origin of the Twili, but being they were the creators of the Fused Shadow...it wasn't specified how they were banished, but the oldest tale I know says they were literally driven out from the Light Realm. From a place called Hyrule to the Gerudo Desert where the Mirror of Twilight of that realm was. Don't you think they would've already somehow made an impact in that realm before waging war with the Goddesses?" The more Fella spoke, the more Midna actually became concerned; but a different form of concern as the princess narrowed her eyes.
"…you know a lot more than you seem to do."
"My master makes sure I get the proper education and knowledge to speak to you, Your Majesty."
"And who is your master, if you wouldn't mind telling me?"
Fella seemed to give a strange and scheming smirk, taking a moment before opening her mouth, when all of a sudden the sound of the throne room doors opening broke the tension, the General of the Twilight himself slowly peeking as his head came into view.
"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt anything, but I'm afraid I'll have to interrupt the chat. This is usually the time when dinner's served, so I'm wondering if our guest is willing to stay for some."
Another head came into view above, that of Araceli's. "Forgive me Your Majesty, but I couldn't stop him…"
Of all things that could be said for an interruption, Midna could not resist having her forehead make contact with her palm, and even responded with teeth clenched. "Not now General, can't you see this is an extremely delicate conversation-"
"Dinner? That sounds great!" Fella chirped; "All that fighting definitely worked up an appetite for me. Don't mind me, I saw dining room on the way!"
With that said, the Jade Mistress dismissed the vines that hung off the walls and her bony servants disappeared back into the darkness where they came from, practically skipping out. Araceli retreated from the room just as Raishou had entered, already predicting the reaction of the Twilight Princess as she decided to take her precautions.
"…Midna?"
A physical response was one he earned as he barely dodged a short of magic in his direction that struck the door shut, the next moment suddenly feel his limbs immobile as he was levitated over before his sibling, her eyes holding the fury waiting to be released.
"Where were you?" Midna held her grip on the General as he showed no resistance to her noticeable, silent rage that was being held back.
"On my patrol as I was." He responded in a nonchalant tone.
"Did none of the guards notify you General, that I was being attacked?"
"Yes they did, and I dismissed them to continue what I did."
"Would you explain please, before I finish losing whatever patience I have left?"
"Yes. I sensed another presence that wasn't of the kingdom, and I had a bit of faith that the independent ruler of the kingdom would have no trouble with a stranger from someone –yet again- not part of the kingdom you rule."
After a long moment of tension within silence, Midna gave a sigh of fatigue, dropping the General as she slumped back in her chair.
"You've been seemingly more worried than usual. Something has to be up."
"No, it's nothing…at least, nothing to pay attention to much right now. Have you looked to what I asked you?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid it isn't as easy as it seems." Raishou materialized a scroll from his sleeves, presenting it with a bow before it reappeared into Midna's own hands; "This scroll doesn't have the exact information on the origins of the mirror, but more on history of the previous rulers and forefathers. Maybe something in the past holds some kind of secrets."
"…I suppose. Was that all?"
"For now, Your Majesty."
Midna stared at him for a bit longer giving her motion of dismissal. "Go. Have your men keep a close eye on this new 'visitor' if you're going to be out spying on other possible suspects."
"As you wish." With that said, the General rose and did not turn his back until he reached the door, but just as he reached for the handle-
"Raishou. Keep on your guard. We haven't had something like this since Zant usurped the throne. I will not let this kingdom and its people suffer again."
"Well, if you're so determined about it, I'm sure all you had to say was keep up the good work, because isn't that all you ever need to tell me?"
An impish smile graced the ruler's lips for a moment before returning to her concerned façade. "Then how come you're still here?"
"Good point." The general finally left the room, leaving Midna alone once more.
Dull pain.
A dull thudding pain.
That's all that could be felt by the transformed hero as he started waking up; he was starting to wonder of all the times he could've survived falling from impossibly tall heights.
"Hey, he's coming to."
"About time."
"Come on Antony, the pup just fell form a good few stories. We need to keep moving."
Giving a low grumble, Link slowly came up on his paws again, the events coming back to him. Immediately he turned his head to the nearest skeleton rebel, barking angrily.
"Hey, don't yap at me! That was Jackal's idea."
Before much more conversation could continue, the echoes of several footsteps and shaking armor reached their ears, the instinct to get out of sight running through Link's body once more.
"Well, less time for yapping, more time to get going! Come on!"
There was no objection to that statement, Link immediately following the skeletons into the fog, his wolf senses honed and seeing past the veil. It didn't take long to realize that past the enemies' own clamorous chase –and by the sounds of it, hooves included- he could barely detect the sound of the hollow bones hitting the ground of the warrior he followed.
This would explain why I couldn't hear these guys in Zelda's castle too well.
"We'll lose them through the forest!" Antony said, speeding up his ghost-like pace.
"We're too big to continue in a pack though, so we'll split up!" Guzik added.
Jackal looked back to Link, still running forward. "Just do best to follow me if ya can. This is gonna be a bumpy ride!"
Link didn't think going through forests was that big of a deal, especially since he's been through his own maze-like adventures and dungeons, but he also knew that the forest was not of the Light Realm. He didn't know what to expect, so all he could do was make the best of his following skills and scent tracking as he saw the black mass of the forest come into view. Out of the corner of his eye, he started seeing black javelins and flaming arrows getting closer to reaching their target, one barely grazing his right hind leg just as he leaped into the bushels at the entrance of the forest.
"Good kid! You're keeping up!" Jackal continued on, Link resisting the urge to stop and turn back to see for himself if the enemies were off their tail.
Hey, you didn't finish tell me where we were!
"Well, you didn't exactly say where you were from either if you couldn't tell what this place is."
Is that really important right now?
"That place we were in is a prison meant to hold the most dangerous of criminals targeted by the ruler of this realm, but the fact is someone like you –who has to be like me- was in a section known as the Prey of Treachery. Up-risers, usurpers, rebels, and even future-ended martyrs. If you aren't from here, or don't know what's going on, I'm baffled."
Link found his thoughts at a halt, yet his feet still moving. Rebels? Martyrs? He didn't even know where he was or how he got there, let alone recognize a single enemy in the place. He darted his eyes about to have a glance at his surroundings; due to his senses, all were outlined in a turquoise neon effect. Shorter in range but more potent within his radius, but it looked exotic as compared to the forests he has gone through. Gnarled roots thick and knobbed, resembling giant toes dug into the earth. The tree branches of above were thin bony pieces of wood with strange spike like blossoms at the knuckles and bends. The bushels would alternate between masses of thorns and moss-like bundles, from what he could see without running headfirst into a thick trunk.
Instead, something else fell in his path to bring him out of his daze; a giant trunk ripped from the roots up suddenly slammed feet away near his face, on instinct leaping just barely above it. In mid-air, he saw a giant set of claw marks from where the tree was grabbed,
"Damn! Those things are catchin' up with us! Come on! If you live, I'll explain all I can to ya when we reach the village."
Link also just realized he lost sight of his bony guide as he barely heard his voice, giving a frustrated growl as he stopped where he was. Looking and sniffing about for any evidence to follow, he barely picked up the scent of the prison that still settled on the skeletal guide and continued on.
It wasn't long before he stopped hearing the sounds of armored footsteps cease and hear his own panting from running for possibly miles for all he knew, at the moment just wanting to know what was going on. The moment he stepped off the border of the forest he saw, he took no time in flopping on his belly in front of the group.
"Aw, the pooch's all pooped. Can we keep 'im?" Guzik promptly poked Link on his head as he asked, the wolf only able to give an annoyed grumble.
"He isn' just your ordinary house pet Guzik. Come on, we need to get to shelter before the Black Shade comes over." Jackal lifted the fatigued warrior-in-wolf's-hide over onto his shoulder, summoning about a series of black wisps that quickly formed into a hooded cloak that blended into the dark surroundings. His group did the same, and they began their steady walk again.
Can someone tell me please just tell me what's going on? Link panted, eyes blinking away as much sleep as they could.
"Alright…we'll be a bit more specific this time on explanation." Antony started as they headed towards what looked like a series of buildings; "We're currently at the edge of the Twilight Realm known as the Dusk Borderlands. Within these boundaries –unlike the main kingdom of the Twilight Realm- are supposedly those who were meant to be banished for the greatest of crimes, meant for absolute isolation from every other realm that exists and every other living being."
Antony stopped as the group looked from atop a hill, down below what looked like a black and grey stained, foggy wasteland. The crumbling structures seemed to have once been the same as that of the time-to-come design buildings that the Palace of Twilight resembled some form of shelter. Now eroding slabs of stone and wood were left in their place, not a sign of life Link could even sniff out.
"They tried to provide the necessities at least, but them goddesses knew they were gonna be hated; hated enough that the worst member of the interlopers decided to lead the criminals and those of this place into an attempt at peace. Defy the Goddesses their punishment."
"So the tale goes." Guzki adds on to help break the tension.
Antony continues on leading the group, the tall veil of mist reaching to their knee bones from their tall shins. Jackal was the first to look about through the windows of several houses, stopping at one that didn't even have a roof over its barely existent walls. "Anything there Jackal?"
"I sensed some movem'nt 'neath a floor. There's a cellar 'ere."
"Alright."
So why was I brought here? I'm not even from the Light Realm.
"Hm…not from this realm you say?" Jackal held the door open as the group rushed in, the clamoring sounds of pursuit coming again just as Jackal closed the door.
"Quiet!"
Link did best to cease all movement, ducking down as he heard the thundering footsteps above, the ground shuddering and letting off the ceiling's dust as it threatened to give way. He couldn't understand much of the orders being shouted about before silencing, the footsteps suddenly being nonexistent. Link felt nosier in silence, feeling every breath he took, every bone creaking in his system. The skeletal warriors could easily play dead as they are…well, not technically dead but how's he to know?
After what seemed like an eternity to him, audible footsteps above were heard, sounding closer and closer as they seemed to head to the entrance of the door. Whether they noticed it or not was beyond him, but with his senses he could see the skeletal warriors with knife-like claws at the ready for action.
Moments pass as the footsteps ceased. Until finally a deep, overwhelming voice said something, the sounds of footsteps roared again before slowly becoming quieter and quieter with their departure.
…are they gone now?
Jackal was the first daring member to slowly lift the cellar door and look about, golden eyes shifting left and right.
"Coast's clear."
Link gave s sigh of relief, stepping out to make sure. The others followed behind, the first thing to notice being the burnt footprints made all around cellar door and on top of such.
"Huh, talk about a close one."
"That, or they were messing with us."
Then why would they just leave us alone?
"…not like we're strong enough to take care of them right now." Antony turned to the wolf; "Now you…if you're not from the Twilight Realm, then where are you from?"
…Hyrule.
The trio stiffed at the sound of such, looking to each other as if searching for a response.
"Hyrule? As in the Light Realm Hyrule? The land blessed the Goddesses?"
"Then dis don't make sense." Jackal squatted down, looking at Link closely; "We don't even know of any way to even get to the Twilight Realm, and if some'ne like you from a realm even harder to get to was in the prison, you'se must be important."
How would you know?
"It's not ev'ryday there's prison'rs from another realm, let alone prisoners from the oth'r side."
"Hey guys, ova' here!" Guzik came over with a piece of what looked like the end of a cigar, still smoking a bit. "It's da boss's!"
"Sekar's?"
"No doubt. He musta passed through here, which means he probably hightailed it outta here too." Jackal said as Guzik handed him the butt of the cigar carefully.
"Maybe the boss can help us."
"Yeah. He prob'ly knows way more than we do, 'specially if he had to be separated from us."
Antony crossed his arms. "Alright then, it's settled. We'll find go and find him and he can maybe help us all out."
Do you know where to find him?
Jackal shrugged his shoulders as he looked to the ashy stub. "Well, unless someone here can sniff out the smell of his cigar, we don't got any leads…"
It took Jackal a few seconds to realize his comment, looking to the wolf.
"Think you can do it pooch?" A solid nod of approval was his response. "Well then, now we're getting somewhere! You do this for us, the boss can definitely help explain what's goin' on. Our boss always has a cigar wit' him, so opefully the scent isn't too dead."
With the stub to his nose, Link only needed to take a few sniffs to know the overpowering ashy smell was gonna stick to his nose for a while, almost making him whine at the harsh strength of the smell, but nonetheless Link could smell with see and smell with his honed senses.
"Well, you lead the way kid."
Without a moment's wait, Link indeed started his running pacing and felt the group behind him follow, knowing no doubt that he was going to need to find Midna and need help to find out what's going on.
Yeah, it's been a very long while, and though this was a shorter chapter than usual this was a very good chapter I think. Please leave a little review and happy holidays! For readers of the KH fic Rogue of the Fallen, I has a surprise coming up soon too, so be patient =D