Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda: The Ballad of Fallen Angels ❯ Hikari Zotanus And The Great Bay ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Saint Raven
In the aftermath of the battle in the Woodfall crater, Saetoushei and company find themselves on the outskirts of the Great Bay, searching through the remains of a battle that took place between Horders and the Zora. While searching the remains, Cremina makes a horrific discovery...

Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.08.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 149 | Status: Completed

Chapter 10: “Hikari Zotanus And The Great Bay”
 
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Woodfall was devastated by the battle that had taken place the night before. The armada's shelling and bombardment had killed and destroyed a large part of the vegetation in the crater. Scorched ground covered nearly all of the islands in the lake. Many of the bridges and walkways had been destroyed. The bodies of Dark Horde soldiers and Deku soldiers littered the ground and the lake. Large, darkened chunks of what had been one of Ikaylimu Descrod's prized zeppelin flying fortresses were scattered around the crater. Large chunks of stone had been blasted out of the temple walls.
Saetoushei stood with Tael, Romani, Cremina, Corporal Le'roso, Lieutenant Ariel, Commodore Trikg, and Admiral Epstig on the deck of the Greenfang, watching Woodfall shrink away into the distance.
The Deku army under Saetoushei's command had burst out of the temple, ready to fight through the troops outside. But there had been no one there. It was only when they had left Woodfall and walked onto the ledge that they found the rest of the troops.
Bodies of Dark Horders were everywhere. Romani had stayed behind and directed the snipers of the Deku fleet. Archers had slain every Horder that tried to escape Woodfall. There were no survivors, a complete victory.
 
Saetoushei, Tael, Cremina, and Romani could not return to the palace to meet with the Queen. They didn't have the time. Admiral Epstig took them straight to the entrance to the swamp, landing at the witches' home and the base camp.
“We cannot stay, I'm sorry.” Cremina told the Admiral as the group stood on the dock next to the Greenfang, the high noon sun beating down on them. “We must warn the other peoples of Termina about Descrod's plans. I doubt that he would have just tried to take over the swamp.”
“Agreed.” Admiral Epstig replied. “Most likely the Ikaylimu seeks to control all of the lands of Termina with his minions. I'm sure that the army sent to the swamp is but one small part of his total force.”
Saetoushei said, “Bring a message back to Her Majesty the Queen. Tell her that we respectfully must leave without coming to her directly. We are to head for the Great Bay at once.”
“Yes sir.” Epstig replied, throwing up a salute. “Commander Saetoushei, Sergeant Tael, and Lieutenants Romani and Cremina?”
The group saluted him back. “Admiral sir!”
“Dismissed!”
 
The Southern Swamp lay behind them as they trekked across Termina Field. The sun was low in the sky as they stopped and made camp by a gigantic hollowed out tree trunk that lay half buried in the ground.
Tael floated around the inside of the trunk, sighing sadly. “This was where me and my sister met the Skull Kid so long ago.”
“How did he come to Termina, by the way?” Romani asked.
Tael replied. “I don't really know, he never said. Do you know Saetoushei?”
Saetoushei replied, “Skull Kid used to live in the Lost Woods, in Hyrule. I met him when I was a small child, living in Kokiri Forest. One day, he apparently lost his way, and stumbled into the portal that links the two worlds. He made his way here, to Termina.”
“And Tatl and I met him here, in this trunk.” Tael said. “It was pouring rain, and we ducked inside to wait out the storm. We found him, soaking wet and shivering terribly. We helped keep him warm, and became fast friends from that day onward.”
 
They slept heavily that night, and woke bright and early the next morning. The party left the trunk after a cold breakfast and continued along their way. Tael continued the story.
“Everything was fine, until the Skull Kid stole the dark mask from the traveling salesman. Skull Kid always returned what he took; he never stole things for greed or want, just for fun. If things in the town went missing, the people went looking for Skull Kid. Usually he found them first, and returned what he took.”
“Your friend was a kleptomaniac.” Romani said.
“Yes, but he was loyal and caring. Until he found the mask.”
Cremina said, “Explain to us the mask, will you? I don't know the whole story and neither does Romani.”
Saetoushei replied. “The mask in question was Majora's Mask. Majora was an ancient demon that a tribe battled long ago. They could not kill the demon, but they were able to imprison him in a mask that bore a likeness to his own face. The tribe hid the mask away, for anyone who put on the mask would become possessed by Majora, and would have full access to the demon's powers.
“The salesman was also, originally, from Hyrule. I helped him sell masks when I was younger. After a while, he got bored staying in one place, and decided to travel. He, too, found his way to Termina, where he learned of Majora's Mask. It took him several years, but eventually he found the mask, his greatest treasure.”
Tael continued, “Skull Kid took the mask as a joke. But when he put it on, Majora possessed him. Majora used the Skull Kid to enhance his powers, and that's when he cursed the moon, causing it to head straight for Clock Town.”
“I freed the four beings that were once Skull Kid's friends, the giants. They came to Clock Town and, together, were able to hold up the moon. Majora's Mask freed Skull Kid from it's control, but was now power enough to proceed on it's own. It entered the moon itself and tried to bring it down on Clock Town. I entered the moon and destroyed the mask, and thus, the moon as well.” Saetoushei finished. “But now Tael says that the mask lives, and that Augustine Descrod now holds it.”
 
They reached the entrance to the Great Bay by midmorning. The Western Sea stretched to the horizon and back. To the right, the Pirate's Hideout stood dark and impassive against the blue of the clear sky and water. Hot white sand made the place seem like a paradise on earth.
The only thing that was wrong with the scene was the blood, gore, and carcasses scattered along the beach.
Dark Horde soldiers were scattered everywhere, their bodies battered and struck, many of the soldiers appeared to have been beaten to death. Bodies of humanoid creatures, their skin light blue mixed with milky-white, lay amongst them. The creatures has both gills and lungs, and elongated heads and fins on their arms and calves for fast swimming.
“Descrod tried to take over the bay,” Saetoushei whispered. “But he didn't count on the Zoras.”
He turned to the others, but saw that Cremina was not part of their group anymore. Instead, she was hurriedly running amongst the bodies of the slain. Disregarding the Horders, she was turning over each Zora body to look at their faces.
“What in Hell's teeth is she doing?” Saetoushei asked Romani. “Hoping some will be alive?”
“Well, yes, but…” Romani trailed off, looking slightly sickened. “There's something more, she's hoping not to find a particular Zora here.”
“Who, and why?” Saetoushei asked.
Before Romani could respond, a heart-wrenching sob broke out upon the beach. Cremina was near the edge of the water, cradling a Zora's body in her arms. Tael was hovering over the Zora, trying to revive it. Romani and Saetoushei hurried to them.
The Zora was a female, and the oddest looking Zora Saetoushei had ever seen. She was so odd looking, because she looked so much more human than other Zoras. Her head was shaped like a humans, the long steering fin nonexistent. To make up for this, the fins on her arms and legs were more developed, and stronger looking. The seaweed jerkin she wore was tattered and ripped, turquoise-colored blood seeping through to puddle on the sand. She was also the only Zora Saetoushei had ever seen with hair. It was long, bushy, and bright blue, making it look like her skin continued past her head in long, wavy strands. Her vampire-like incisors, like all Zora had, were stained with red blood, the blood of the Dark Horders she had killed.
Cremina was holding the wretched looking thing like her own child, crying openly, hot tears coursing down her face.
Saetoushei knelt down beside her. “Was she a friend?”
Cremina replied softly. “So much more than simply a friend, Link. So much more.”
Tael suddenly exclaimed. “I did it! She's breathing!”
Saetoushei snapped his head up to look at the little fairy. Tael's usual lavender glow was dimmer; the fairy had used an incredible amount of healing magic. But he had done it, the Zora's wound's were no longer bleeding and her chest was rising and falling with every shallow breath she took.
“We need to get her to shelter, so I can bandage her up properly.” Romani stated, looking around the battlefield. She pointed to the small compound and the two structures inside. “That'll do. Come on!”
 
The compound was the only completely-civilian establishment on the coast. There were only two structures. First the entrance to the Oceanside Skulltula House. Saetoushei had bested the golden spiders of this house just as he did the one in the swamp. However, he still wasn't sure exactly who he had freed of the curse, since no one was there.
The other building was the Fisherman's Hut, run by old Douglas Jameson. Jameson had been a master fisherman in his day, and the most notorious lecher in Termina. He wasn't nearly as bad now as he was in his youth, but he was still eying Romani up until she threatened to cut his eyes out with an arrowhead.
“Them black-clothed foot fighters, they come marching in one day and declare the ocean to belong to that mad man over in Ikama.” Jameson said as he made tea for the travelers as he spoke. “Then the Zoras come running in and all Hell breaks loose. Didn't think anyone survived the fight or else I would've gone out and helped `em. Suppose your little friend there's the only one left.”
“Indeed she is,” Tael agreed with the old man.
“Now for those holes in `er. She's a Zora, so seaweed'll do wonders on the wounds. They'll scar for the rest of her days, but she'll live and get stronger. Remember her from the fight, she stood out with the hair and all. Fierce warrior this one, took about eight with her hands and blade, and then two more with those fangs in `er mouth.”
 
Douglas agreed to let them stay for as long as they needed, housing them in the old Skulltula house. Saetoushei helped the old man carry in pads and blankets while Tael and Romani gathered seaweed for the bandages and looked for food as well. Cremina never let the Zora girl out of her arms. She sat up for hours at a time, whispering things into her ear, and one time, Saetoushei could have sworn that Cremina kissed the Zora on her cheek.
For three days and night, Cremina bathed and fed the girl, never saying a word once. She didn't sleep, though Saetoushei politely said that he and Tael would sleep out under the stars. When Tael naively asked why they couldn't sleep inside, Saetoushei had grabbed him out of the air and left.
On the fourth day, Saetoushei was woken up by Tael and Romani. “What? What's wrong?”
Romani broke into an enormous smile. “Nothing's wrong, all is well! Hikari's awake!”
 
Hikari, or Kari, as she insisted on being called, turned out to the Zora that Cremina had nursed back to life. She was also Cremina's lover. Saetoushei sat in dumb silence as Cremina fed the Zora some of the soup that he and Romani had made, looking all the world like a husband and wife would, or visa-versa, Saetoushei couldn't decide. Kari was still much too weak to move much, but her eyes, bright red like most Zora females, were large and alive, and were often tearing up with happiness.
Cremina hadn't slept in three days, but you would have never known it from the energy that was coursing through her. She was laughing and her eyes shone with a light that Saetoushei hadn't seen since he returned to Termina.
“A messenger from Ikama arrived one week ago,” Kari told them, her voice soft and melodious. She was, or at least could be, a singer, Saetoushei thought. A good one at that. “The message said that the Ikaylimu, Augustine Descrod, demanded that a portion of the Great Bay be annexed to Ikama, so he could build a base here. The Zoras refused, and a small band of Descrod's soldiers came to take it by force. We met them out there on the beach. And that is where they will lay, until birds pick them clean and their remains washed into the ocean.”
“Why did you fight Kari?” Cremina asked, applying a cloth soaked in cool water to the Zora's forehead.
“Didn't want to, but didn't have a choice.” Kari replied, taking Cremina's hand in hers. “Zora Hall is much different now. The strong warrior males are few and far between. Our home is filled with women, children, and old ones. I had to help, had to protect my home.”
 
Two days later, Saetoushei stood looking out to sea. From his vantage just above the tide line, he could see the old Marine Laboratory, where the old Dr. Voltaire studied various topics like evolution and the environment. Further out in the distance, he could make out what appeared to be a small island, made entirely from smooth, cut stone. It was really the top of the Great Bay Temple, where years earlier Saetoushei had breached the boss chamber of the temple and defeated the maniacal Gyorg, a giant demon-fish. Gabriel and Ryojen had journeyed with him, leading the Zoras in a surface naval battle with the pirates that had roamed the coast, the Wave Brethren.
Tael flew up to float next to Saetoushei. “Hikari is much better now. We're ready to go.”
Saetoushei asked, “Is she coming with us?”
“Yes.” Tael replied. “Cremina refuses to let her out of her sight.”
Saetoushei sighed. “I seem to recall that this was just supposed to be you and me, Tael.”
Tael turned and flew back to the compound, calling back. “Really? I never said any such thing!”
“Touché.” Saetoushei muttered to himself, watching the sun sink below the horizon. The dying light made the ocean look like it was made of blood. Saetoushei shivered involuntarily, remembering a time when that was nearly true.
He turned and walked back to the compound.