Adventure in Skyloft

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"...pleeease" is the only word Zurin can manage to slip out, but it escapes the mouth of his body all gargled and incomprehensible. The outstretched arm produces a fireball sufficient to stagger a large fighter, and is enough to knock Callia on her back. Someone else shouts for Link to head after Demise, who disappeared in all the chaos through a large, black portal, but whatever is controlling Zurin's body isn't about to let him turn around and look. Instead, it casts a teleportation spell of enormous range that draws everyone back into the Sealed Grounds temple, then makes a dash for the gate of time. Thank goodness Byarly is able to grab an ankle and trip his body up. 

 

Zurin's body scrambles up again, face snarling. "Wretched humans..." it mutters before conjuring a swarm of smaller fireballs. The flames hit everyone and don't cause severe burns, but do result in a good deal of pain for the injured, The cries of torment from his friends, caused by his own bodys' actions, are more than Zurin can bear; if the fight lasts any longer he might lose his sanity before dying. Callia grits her teeth and stands up, then charges Zurin's body again.

 

Another fireball whizzes past her thanks to a well timed dodge, and readying her sword with all the hatred in her body, Callia lands a mighty swing to Zurin's body's arm. It doesn't cut deep, but there's no armor to take the blow, so it takes a moderate toll on that arm's mobility. The thing possessing Zurin's body only lets out a cruel, high laugh, but Zurin himself feels incredible pain from the blow. Callia barely dodges a huge pillar of flame launched as a counterattack, but doesn't stick the landing quite well enough and is vulnerable to a second, fatal burst.

 

But the flame never comes. Someone scrambles up and grabs the arms of Zurin's body from behind. It seems to be the woman from earlier that Zurin helped; according to the others' cries her name is Impa. "I'm sealing his magic and holding him in place, but I can't keep this up for long," She says. "Someone, finish him off!"

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I watch him there for a moment, writhing in fury as Impa struggles to keep a hold on him. And it's then that I realised that no one else is going to do this, it will have to be me.

I turn, slowly approaching the furiously struggling Demon Lord I once called my friend. He doesn't notice as I approach, he's too preoccupied with trying to escape. But as I place my left hand on his shoulder, he comes to a stop. He stands still, heaving for breath as I find the right spot... directly underneath the ribs, able to puncture the lung and kill fairly quickly, certainly with less pain than going for another one of the organs. As I press the tip of my blade against that very spot, he tilts his head up defiantly, looking me in the eyes.

And maybe it's because we were friends once, but something about the way he looks at me causes me to recount the adventure. More specifically, every enemy we've faced. And as I cast my mind back, I can't seem to recall a single enemy that I defeated myself, someone that I delivered the final fatal blow to. And as I watch him standing there, looking me dead in the eye, something in the back of my mind is forcing me to reconsider.

"Callia - hurry!" Impa grunts.

I'm so angry... so infuriated from everything - I want to do it, I want all this pain to just be over... but I don't want my to be the fatal cause... especially not for someone that I once called my friend.

But that's when Impa loses all power over the situation. Zurin gives one last heave, raising his leg and letting loose with a backwards kick that sends Impa flying. Her thin figure skids across the floor of the temple, though she doesn't appear to be too badly hurt. Zurin looks at me, and for a second it looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. Instead, he clenches his jaw, raises his hands, and unleashes one final fireball.

It's not until I hit the ground that my mind registers what just happened. I can hear the sound of Zurin's heavy footsteps and the side doors of the temple being thrown open. I can hear Pipit and Karane arguing about whether or not to follow him, and I can hear the continual soft rhythmic grinding over the Gate of TIme. But the horrific stinging sensation overwhelms it all... my skin is raw with pain from every move I make as I pull myself up onto my hands and knees. I can feel the skin blistered and singed all around my left collar bone. spreading from my upper arm, over my shoulder and onto the left hand side of my neck and jawline. Even now, as I try to stay perfectly still, the pain throbs in my skin. Fledge tries to say something to me, but I can't make sense of a single word... all I know is that tears just make it burn more.

That's when I scream.

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Zurin's body marches on despite all protest, looking for a place to hide and recuperate out here in the blackness of the forest. Trapped and completely alone now, his true consciousness can only try and think of a way to escape... or perhaps die. Suddenly an idea came to him within the madness, a thought about how he'd talked to his friends before when he was alone. Yes, the object necessary was right there, if he could just reach out with his mind and use it...

 

Back at the temple, the dead silence among the livid members of the group was broken with a familiar "Hello?" Everyone looks up at Emzy, who herself is baffled by the noise coming from the gossip stone. "...Zurin!?" she replies, retrieving the stone from its resting place. "Oh, thank the goddess. I've never been so happy to hear you all!" he replies. "Please, we don't have much time. You have to destroy my body!"

 

"Destroy your body!? You're completely insane!" Callia shoots back. "Of course that's what we plan to do now! Why do you want us to kill you all of a sudden?" The stone is silent for a moment. "...I don't want this at all, but there is no other choice. Demise has magically thralled me with a spell. Even if he dies, my body will continue seeking out the Triforce and use it to resurrect him. You have to kill me before that happens!"

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"CALLIA!" I sceam as I run towards her.

In the meantime Emzy is talking to someone over the gossip stone, but I didn't notice it the first time. 

I was too busy staring at my best friend, covered in blisters and burns.

Tears stream down my face as I rummage through my pockets. The first thing I give her are all the red potions we have left. I have to numb the pain.

Fledge sits besides me, whispering loving and caring words to her, telling her everything is going to be alright.

Suddenly I hear the voice coming out of the gossip stone. Zurin.

I grit my teeth. I hate him. I detest him. What he did was inexcusable. 

"... You have to destroy my body!" I hear Zurin yell on the stone.

That would be a solution.

Since when did I think such... evil thoughts? I sigh.

Then again, no one hurts my best friends.

Suddenly Callia moves. "Destroy your body!? You're completely insane!" she shoots back. "Of course that's what we plan to do now! Why do you want us to kill you all of a sudden?"

The stone is silent for a moment. "...I don't want this at all, but there is no other choice. Demise has magically thralled me with a spell. Even if he dies, my body will continue seeking out the Triforce and use it to resurrect him. You have to kill me before that happens!"

That explains something. But still...

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Posted (edited)

"Where are you?" Karane asks Zurin with a sigh.

"Just north of the temple," Zurin replies, before the stones glow dims to nothing and his voice disappears.

Emzy looks horrified as she pockets the stone again, looking around as us all in confusion.

"We can't kill him!" Pipit yells.

Bryarly sighs. "What other choice do we have?" Bryarly asks. "Look what he's done to us! To Callia! There's no other choice..."

I push myself up into a sitting position, trying -and failing- to ignore the blistering sting that spreads over my skin from the burns. I don't know how bad this looks... I'm afraid to see for myself. But my mind is ticking away...

"Were you even listening?" Pipit snaps at Bryarly. "None of that was him! He's been magically possessed by Demise, there's no way to reverse it! Even if Link manages to kill Demise, it won't fix anything!"

"Maybe there's someone who can reverse the spell?" Karane suggests.

"No!" Pipit yelps. "The only person we know who's magic is Zurin himself!"

"Maybe there's someone..." I whisper.

"What are you talking about?" Fledge asks.

I glance over to the doors that lead to the back room of the temple. "The old lady... when we first arrived in the temple she used her magic to unlock the doors for us..." Fledge takes the arm that's not been burnt, helping to pull me to my feet. I glance around, formulating a plan in the back of my mind. "Ok... Pipit, Karane, and Emzy. You need to go and find Zurin. If he's left out there on his own, he's going to go after the Triforce, we can't leave him alone. You need to bring him back to the temple, even if it's against his will, drag him back here if you have to! Lock the doors. If he really has been possessed by Demise, he'll try to fight you. Whatever you do, don't fight him! I don't want any of you dead - and as for him..." I pause, I'm angry, ridiculously so, but he needs to explain. "We have to find a way to get the real Zurin back."

Pipit frowns. "How are we supposed to not fight him? He'll be launching fireballs we'll just have to sit there and take it?"

I shake my head. "No... you'll have to find a way to restrain him... tie him to a chair if you have to! I know he keeps ropes in his satchel..."

"Don't you think that's a bit much?" Emzy cuts in.

"No." I reply. "I'm not taking any chances. While you guys are doing that Bryarly, Fledge and I will go through the gate of time and bring the old woman here. We need to see if there's anything she can do to help us... and we'll need her help to suppress Zurin's fire powers..."

Edited by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

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Zurin's body is on the move again, this time running back to the temple. At the eastern wall he is met by Emzy, Pipit, and Karane, the people who trusted him the most. They had always been by his side, and even though he could only sense their presence and not actually see them, he knew this was a battle that filled them with incredible sorrow.

 

All three were the best knights in the Skyloft Academy, and had no trouble dodging past Zurin's fireballs, but getting close was impossible given the sheer number of attacks Zurin's body was making. It was a deadlock that went on for seemingly forever, and all the while Zurin racked his mind for a way to break it. As he sensed the energy fading from his friends, a way to stop the magical assaults finally occurred to him.

 

"Emzy," He said, reaching out to the stone once more, "this battle cannot end so long as my body can use fire. We're going to put a permanent stop to this... and maybe prove my innocence to the others in the process." "Prove your innocence? What are you talking about?" She replies. "These fire powers are not originating from my body alone. Whatever is upholding my possessed body is taking the ability to use fire from my very spirit. If there is no spirit, there is no fire." Zurin can sense the distress this causes all three of them. "Zurin, no! You don't have to prove anything to us by killing yourself!" Karane shouts. "Yeah, we still trust you! Nobody is gonna die today!" Pipit adds in. The words fill Zurin's spirit with happiness, but his mind isn't changed. "I truly appreciate your belief in me, but without my assistance this fight will only end with you dead. I'll expend my remaining essence to recover your injuries." He replies, already preparing his remaining self to work the necessary magic. The others continued to call his name, begging him not to destroy himself. "Hey, don't lose hope! You might be able to save me yet." He replied, "But if you can't... please tell Callia and Byarly I don't hold anything against them, okay?" 

 

The spell was complete, and soon all of his consciousness was channeled out of the gossip stone itself and showered over the three knights, mending their injuries. The virtually empty body of Zurin, now unable to use any magic, wailed in anguish but didn't have the ability to do much else. Unfit for transmuting actual energy rather than sound waves, the gossip stones crumbled to dust from overexertion as the spell finished. Emotionally depleted, Emzy, Karane, and Pipit made quick work of their friends body, and took his incapacitated but alive remains back to the temple.

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Posted (edited)

"What are we going to do in the present?" I ask Callia who's already going to the gate of time.

"Get the old woman, are you deaf?" she replies.

"No but haven't we forgotten something? What about Link? I mean, he's fighting all evil in the goddamn world!" I yell.

Callia and Fledge stop in their steps. 

I cross my arms. "Yeah, remember? He's who knows where, fighting Demise... For what we know, he could be dying!" 

Callia steps forward. "Bryarly..."

I raise my hand. "No! If he dies tonight, we will all die. And then it won't matter if Zurin's alive or not. Besides, if Demise is defeated, Zurin will probably be gone..."

"You might be right..." Fledge whispers.

"So you guys do whatever you want, I'm staying here... Until he's back," I say, and I sit down in front of the large doors. 

Callia nods. "Ok... We'll try and persue her to come with us..." 

"Ok," I nod. "Good luck..." 

"You too..." Callia smiles.

They run towards the gate, Callia using Fledge as support, and in a matter of seconds, they're gone. 

Only a minute later, the great doors open. My heart skips a beat. Could it be Link?

It's not. I see a blur of red, and hear someone yelling for help.

It's Groose.

"Bryarly, help!" he yells as he sees me. In his arms, he's holding something white and golden. Or rather someone. 

It's Zelda.

Edited by Franne (see edit history)

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(( Umm Franne... doesn't Link fight Demise in the past??? ))

Edited by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

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(We are in the past right now, I thought Callia and Fledge we're going to the present, to the old lady now?)

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(( Ahh yeah, damn, now I'm getting confused! You might wanna change the first line of yours then :P ))

 

The old woman is standing in centre of the temple as Fledge and I arrive. She lets out a low noise that slowly resembles an 'ahh'.

"Callia, what happened to you?" she asks.

"It's a long story..." I say. "But we need your help!"

She nods understandingly. "I know. I foresaw your arrival. Tell me what has happened."

So Fledge and I relay the events to the old woman and she listens in silence, nodding at the appropriate times.

"What your friend is suffering is dark and complex magic... it will take great skill to mend."

I frown. "So... you're saying that you can't do it?"

A smile spreads across her face. "I never said that. Take me to him, I will see what I can do."

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(Oh, sorry! My bad... :) But how will there be two Impa's in one timeline?)

 

"Zelda!" I want to yell but someone's faster then me. 

It's Impa. She runs past me and takes Zelda over from Groose, who immediately falls down on his knees. Impa takes Zelda in a seperate room of the temple. She lays her down on a bunch of blankets, and stands up. 

"I'm going to get bandages and potions. You two, stay here!" she commands us. 

I nod and she leaves.

Zelda looks horrible. She has always been pale, but now, she looks like she's....dead... And she technically is, I mean, her soul has been devoured by Demise after all.

"I had caught her, you know, but I didn't know if it was safe to move her but you guys where gone and I didn't know what to do," Groose sighs. I've never seen him this vurnerable. 

"You did a good job," Impa says, walking back in. She stoops down besides us and starts to check Zelda for wounds. "She doesn't look wounded..." 

 

Suddenly we hear rumble in the main room. 

Impa sighs. "I'll go check it out. You," she points at me. "Take care of her." 

I nod. "I will." 

Impa nods back and leaves the room again.

"I'll give her a health potion..." I say. I grab the bottle and hold it up to her lips. "Come on Zel, open up..." 

Her mouth stays closed.

I sigh. "Well that's not going to happen..." 

"He has to win," Groose says suddenly.

"What?" I ask, a tad confused.

"Link. Or Zelda and everyone here or in Skyloft will die," Groose says quietly. 

"He will save us..." I say and my voice cracks. "He will."

Groose sits down against the wall and closes his eyes. 

"You can sleep if you want to," I mutter. 

He grunts. "I need to stay awake for her..." 

For a moment, I'm rememberd of the fact that Groose and I are in the same boat. We both had a crush on someone impossible. He on Zelda, and I on Link. 

I smile. "I'll take care of her... You've done you part."

A tiny smile forms on his lips. "Thanks Bryarly... you know, you're not that bad of a person."

I laugh, what feels like the first time in months. "Thanks Groose. You're not that awful either."

 

His breathing gets slower and heavier from which I assume he's fallen asleep. I turn to Zelda again.

She looks so beautiful in her goddess dress. She really looks like one. I stroke her golden blonde hair. 

We were always good friends before she got kidnapped. Even though my jalousy of what her and Link had or were about to have. 

But I've accepted it, you know. That I'll never be the one to get together with Link. I mean, he and Zelda are actually destined to be, and I'm not coming in between that. 

I guess I've always known actually.

I just never admitted it. 

But now, I'm... ok with it. I'll find someone, hopefully. Though there isn't exactly much choice in Skyloft...

But those are worries for later. 

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(( ANYONE ELSE SHIPPING GROOSE AND BRYARLY RIGHT NOW OR IS THAT JUST ME?! And I'll apply the Doctor Who ruling here... Don't know if either of you are whovians but when Rose encountered herself as a baby, everything was fine as long as they didn't touch! ;) ))

 

As we emerge back through the gate of time to the past, Bryarly and Groose are just making their way out of the back room of the temple and Pipit, Karane and Emzy make their way in through the side doors, carrying an unconscious Zurin.

"What happened?" Bryarly asks.

"He gave up..." Pipit says quietly, he's staring intently at the floor like it's the most interesting thing in the world, but I can tell by the tone of his voice that he's been crying.

"What do you mean gave up?" I ask.

"We were battling him," Emzy says, sniffing. "He told us that the battle wouldn't end with our victory if he still had his fire abilities... they're attached to his soul, so in order to remove that possibility... he... uhh..."

"He sacrificed his soul..." I whisper.

She nods. The words sting like a knife to the gut.

"Take him into the back room," Bryarly says quietly. "Zelda's in there too."

I watch them go, following the group into the small room. Groose is snoozing, sitting up against the wall at Zelda's feet. The trio lay Zurin's body down on the blankets next to Zelda, before making their way back out into the main room. I sit, watching the two almost lifeless figures in silence. Both are deathly pale, still as corpses, and silent as the night. But I can feel my mind whirring away again.

"The two of them are in exactly the same position," I mutter. "Bodies... but not soul..."

"I see why you're fearful, Callia," the old woman says, making her way into the room. "But aren't you curious as to why the Spirit Maiden has not yet left this world?"

I nod. "That's what I was just thinking. If Demise has her soul, then surely she should be dead..." The words taste sour, but they seem logical to me.

The old woman shakes her head slowly. "It takes time to fully absorb a soul. Souls do not properly attach themselves to bodies for a long while... it takes three months in natural Hylian birthing processes... the time significantly drops as the person matures. But it can still take as long as a day in these circumstances."

I frown, turning to look at her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She chuckles. "That depends on what you're thinking, but the likelihood is... yes."

"So there's still hope for Zelda and Zurin?"

She nods. "In Zelda's case, it's as simple as the Hero defeating Demise and transferring his soul into the Master Sword, while Zelda's transfers back to her own body. But In Zurin's case, it's more complex. As Demise didn't actually remove Zurin's soul, the soul would have to be transferred from current occupants back to Zurin through a sacred vessel such as the Master Sword."

"How does that even happen?" I ask.

She ponders for a few moments, before speaking. "A touch of the Master Sword is enough, no one must be harmed in the process. But seeing as Zurin's soul transferred to Pipit, Karane, and Emzy at the same time, they'd all have to touch the vessel at once. No one else must touch the vessel during the transaction process."

I nod. "That doesn't seem too difficult..."

"The mortal goddess must be the one to perform the transaction," she concludes.

"Oh..."

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(Hahaha Bryarly and Groose together would be hilarious! And yes, I'm a doctor who fan, and like that I understand ;) )

 

"Come on Zel...." Emzy says, "Wake up..."

It's weird, seeing Zurin lay next to Zelda.

A demon next to a goddess. 

"She looks so pretty..." Karane smiles. "I missed her."

"We all did," Callia sighes. 

"Remember when Link and Zelda slipped out the academy together when we were eight? In the middle of the night? To catch starry fireflies?" Pipit laughes.

"And Geapora found them sleeping on the top of the lighthous at the plaza," Karane continues, laying her head on Pipit's shoulder. 

I laugh. "He was so mad at them."

"And we were all trying to defend them..." Callia smiles.

"I even said they had to do it for a bet they made with me," Emzy laughes. "I got detention instead of them."

We all laugh. "We had an amazing time with them didn't we," Fledge sighs.

"I hope Link will get back," I say, a tear rolling down my cheek.

Callia puts her hand on my shoulder. "He will, and Zelda will awake in no time-"

Suddenly we all hear a loud gasp for air. We all turn towards it and watch with our mouths open. A golden light blinds us.

Zelda's heavenly blue eyes flutter open. 

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"Zelda..." I whisper, taking one of her dainty little hands. She blinks a few times, taking a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the light.

"What happened?" she whispers, taking a deep breath in once again.

"Link must have defeated Demise..." Bryarly says with a smile. "It's all over now..."

Zelda grins happily as she grips my hand a little tighter and I help her sit up. A small blush seeps over her cheeks at the mention of Link's name, and I can't help but smile. Despite everything they've been through, everything they've been told that they are or that they should be or that they could be... they still act like love struck teenagers around one another. It's adorable.

Bryarly and I help her to clamber to her feet. She's still a little unsteady, but she's gradudally coming back into herself. She stoops down, wiping the dust off her flawlessly white dress.

"You really do look like a goddess in that..." Karane says. "I guess it's appropriate."

"Please don't," Zelda says softly, closing her eyes. "I will happily fulfill my duty here, to watch over the Triforce and to care for the surface and it's creatures, but I am not a goddess. I was not born as a goddess, I'm still the same girl who grew up in Skyloft. I still remember plaiting your hair..." she says to me, before turning to Bryarly and Emzy. "And playing dress up with you two... I'm still Zelda, nothing's changed in that respect."

We all grin, looking around at each other. "Come here!" Pipit says eventually, wrapping Zelda up in a tight friendly hug. He pulls Karane and Bryarly in, then invites Emzy and I to join. Soon, we're all hugging and laughing, feeling like little kids again.

And that's when the doors of the back room are thrown open. We all break apart, turning to see Link stood in the doorway. He holds the Master Sword and his sheild in his hands. There are cuts and bruises all over his face, and probably under his tunic, which is ripped at the shoulder and fraying in a number of places. His hair is messy, his hat lopsided, but he's beaming like a kid in a candy store as he lays his eyes on Zelda, alive and happy again.

Zelda pushes through the crowd, standing just ahead of us. Link's grin spreads as he watches her, and they both stand in silence, almost like they're sharing a telepathic moment that none of us could know about. Suddenly, Link's sword and shield clatter to the ground as he runs forward, enveloping Zelda in his arms. She's openly weeping, but I know that they're tears of joy as she tucks her head beneath his jaw, resting it on his chest. His eyes are pressed closed as he rests his chin on the top of her head, squeezing her tighter.

"I've missed you so much..." he whispers.

Edited by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

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I smile, and a tear rolls down my cheek. Not because of jealousy or anything, but because of happiness.

It's finally over. This is the one moment our adventure has been leading up to. 

We all run up to Link and Zelda, and all embrace into a group hug. 

"Thank you," Zelda whispers over and over. "I think it's over... Finally... It's all over..." she starts to cry and we all hug her tighter.

I can't imagine what she's been through. She was kidnapped, chained, almost killed... 

"You have done well, Link," Impa smiles. "You all have my thanks."

"You're welcome," Callia says. 

"We were happy to help our friends," I smile.

"And it was pretty awesome too," Emzy laughs, and Groose pats her back.

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