The Faded Triforce Prologue Part 1
The moon rose over the mountain its cool rays reflecting over the Zora's river. The wind blew open the shutters to Mishcana's room and the sweet scent of roses washed over her. Heavy lids slowly lifted with the scent and her blankets were cast off onto the floor. "Uhh. It's not morning yet, is it?" She slowly swung her legs over the side of her bed and then looked towards her window, "Hey, wasn't that closed before?" she asked herself sleepily. Gingerly, she walked across the cold stone floor to the window. The moon was so beautiful, she thought, looking at it as it rose over Death mountain, It reminds me of that one night . . . She poked her head out the window and stroked the rough window's sill with soft slow strokes. Yes, it was just that high in the sky a few months ago . . .
She was so tired. She had not had a single drop to drink for two nights previous and was starting to feel weak. In the distance she saw a river gleaming in the moonlight. "I hope it's potable." Wearily she made her way towards it. From her back she unstrapped her ebony Gerudo bow and leaned upon it like a walking stick. Sleep. She needed sleep. It wasn't safe in Hyrule fields at night. By night creatures of darkness would chase those who strayed off the road or let their guards down. Her first night in the field, the one before, had nearly ended in tragedy. She had to keep moving. Water. Just over there. Hiding in the shadows of bushes, she passed by Lonlon ranch. The windows glowed with candlelight and she feared someone would see her and return her to the Gerudo. The moon began to climb in the sky over Death Mountain as she reached a small overhang over the river. The fence was sturdy and made of rough, weathered wood that smelled strongly of fresh pines of the Kokiri forest. Exhausted, she sat down, her back propped up against the fence. She was so tired. Just a minute, she thought, I'll rest just a minute before going down there to alleviate my thirst.
The moon hung over LonLon ranch when she awoke. Nowhere was there a sign of the pesky stalchildren to be seen. She sighed in relief with a deep forced breath. She really had to be more careful, but at least it seemed she had found a safe place to sleep. With wobbly legs she began to stand up, leaning on the fence, and looked out below at the water and towards the castle.
The castle of Hyrule was so beautiful in the moonlight; its faces lit a cyan blue by the moon's delicate rays. The torches held on the wall by cold iron brackets to castle cast orangish-red light over the immediate area of the wall on which they hung. This intermingled with the blue colour of the wall in pretty patterns. The thick wooden drawbridge was reinforced with iron and drawn up. Mishcana sighed regretfully. There would be no way in until morning. A deep moat went around the castle, preventing entry from any other direction. She had heard from the Gerudo that the people of Hyrule were unfriendly with them, and so had decided she should head there. Her thoughts began to turn to water below again when something strange happened.
The drawbridge was opened, and a small, cloaked figure dressed in a purple-pink colour stole forth into the night. Mishcana watched as though transfixed, her stare unblinking as though she watched a dream. Something was unusual about the girl below. The girl was slowly approaching the overhang where Mishcana had ducked down and hidden. She watched between the bars, as the strange traveller below got closer after a few hours. The young girl had crossed the bridge now. In the distance the call of a howling wolfos echoed through the mountain's plateau. Horror welled up from the depths of Mishcana's soul. Below, the ground around the girl had begun to shake violently. The soil erupted as thirty stalchildren broke free and surrounded the girl. Valiantly the small girl withdrew a large Deku stick from under the folds of her cloak and launched an attack on the closest stalchild. There were; however, too many. A skillful blow from the stalchild quickly disarmed the young girl. The stick flew in Mishcana's direction, far out of the reach of the young defender. Attacks fell on the girl repeatedly. A sharp kick and punch in the gut sent the young girl flying. "Aieeee. Link! Where are you!" shouted the girl in utter pain.
Mishcana couldn't take it anymore. She reached for her bow, and knocked an arrow. As she aimed for the stalchild closest to the girl, she shook her head in dismay, "If it wouldn't work last night, it won't work tonight." The night before the arrow had merely ricocheted off the stalchild's skull leaving it unharmed. Unsure of what to do, she strapped the bow back to her back. She was so tired, and yet, she could not let this girl be attacked. She climbed on to the fence and leaped. "Hiya!" With a grunt she landed in a crouch. The stalchildren were attacking the fallen girl aggressively, and it seemed as though her life force shield was weakening. "Link, Link, where are you . . ." the girl kept screaming. Mishcana stood up, determined to rush them with her bare hands.
The young girl's hand had begun to glow fiercely with a golden light; it frightened Mishcana. Ganondorf's hand had often glowed like that before he would attack her with powerful magic. She felt strange. Was this a trap? Below her a strange light had begun to glow. Her eyes shifted downward. There, like a lighthouse guiding a ship through the darkness her hand had begun to shine with the fierce light of a triple triangle, the lower right triangle glowing almost gold. It's beaming light shot forth and illuminated the Deku stick. There! Mishcana ran for it and grabbed the stick. Her challenging scream echoed through the night. A stalchild backed up, chanting. His arms glowed a brilliant green. The young girl couldn't take much more, Mishcana realized. With a giant leap she flew over the stalchildrens's heads and the girl, landing between them, "I'll protect you!" she shouted hoarsely to the girl behind her. At that moment, the stalchild's spell was complete. A horrible glowing mess of green light flew forth from his finger and nailed Mishcana straight in the chest. The pain was overwhelming. It coursed through her, pulsating through her veins as though her blood had began to boil. It forced her to her knees, and she felt as though she could not longer stand for her legs would not obey. Darkness enclosed around the borders of her sight and tears of pain flew free.
Growling in pain, frustration, and anger she forced her muscles to stand. Slowly she rose from her knees. The stalchild's eyes gleamed with disbelief and Mishcana raised her stick in invitation. "Come get me!" she called out in her dry voice. The stalchildren attacked as a group. They fell on her from above and each time she would throw them back onto the ground. Behind her a stalchild struck her back. SMACK! Its head went flying into the river and the body disappeared into the dirt. So, she thought bemusedly, perhaps these are not such special stalchildren after all. She leaped in the air again, driven hard by the adrenaline rush screaming through her body. The pain was immense and unbearable but her fierce desire to keep herself and the girl alive drove her onward. Thwack! Her stick was brought down hard on the skull of another. Soon a fourth and fifth fell to her as she whirled around smacking them each solidly in the ribcage. The young girl on the ground did not look well. Those eyes, they were so familiar, stared back at her as though in shock. The figure kept staring at Mishcana's chest. She started to look at her own chest wondering what was the matter.
Thunk. The stick flew out of her hand and into the river as a stalchild took advantage of her distracted state. Curses echoed in the night as the stalchildren closed their ranks against her once more. "You'll never win you sons of Tekitites! You won't hurt this girl!" she proclaimed furiously. They advanced their arms reaching towards her, trying to ensnare her, to grab her; "No!" again she leapt, and began kicking in midair. A double kick detached the heads of two unfortunate stalchildren whose hands dared touch her skin. Her punches landed solidly on the stalchildren breaking apart the bones of their enchantment. They all fell to pieces. All but the cursed one who had hit her with the blast of magic had been destroyed. The pain had not faded; it only seemed to worsen. The stalchild caught her arm as she punched it. Its heavy hand cut through the air like a knife through butter and landed solidly on the back of her head. The girl on the ground shuddered, as if brought out of her trance. "Ugh." groaned Mishcana. She wouldn't give up. Not yet. "NOT YET!" she screamed again and spun around, her elbow catching the stalchild in throat. Its head flew through the air and smashed upon the stone bridge a long ways away. Its body was still clutched tightly to her. Its claws were cutting, clawing, searing into her flesh. With her last reserve of strength she punched it square in the backbone. A flash of light came from her hand as it impacted with the vile creature, and then the glowing triangle mark faded and disappeared.
The young girl on the ground tried to stand up. It was a vain attempt. She winced in pain. Her ankle was bent at unusual angle. "Link, Link. Please let him find me," she thought silently. She looked up again at Mishcana, and saw the girl staring at her, panting and breathing heavily. Mishcana was seriously wounded. From her arm gaping claw marks bled crimson streams flowing over down her arm and over her hand. Her legs suffered similar fates of claw marks from kicks and grabs, for she had nearly been dragged down many times. Across her cheek a single scratch ran across, its own stream contouring her face like those formed by tears. From the back of her head a small rivulet dripped through her long green Kokiri hat. It was; however, Mishcana's chest that worried the young girl. She had seen the powerful attack that had hit. An attack meant for her. Mishcana's tunic held and covered still and yet was a horrible mess of tatters. Though no wound appeared on the impact site several gashes peaked through around it.
The girl on the ground looked up again into Mishcana's eyes. Mishcana was still watching her, she realized. Waiting, perhaps. "My name is Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. You have saved my life and I thank you. What is your name?" Mishcana moved to speak. She was so tired. Her adrenaline rush had faded and the pain was so overwhelming that she felt so dizzy. Zelda watched in horror as the young girl's eyes rolled up and she began to fall. Zelda quickly reached forward and slowed the girl's progress to the ground. Something was very wrong. In the distance two shadowy figures began running towards them, shouting as they came. After that, she had remembered no more.
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Go to Part two of the prologue.