Chapter 12
"I tried stopping him!" I say.
"He's gone to the desert to find his family." Zelda rubs her temple.
Fi remains in the sword, silent and unresponsive.
"Let him go." she says.
"What?" I ask.
"There is no stopping him and I have
no doubt he will return." She nods toward the Master Sword.
But I didn't realize how big of gap was
in our group until we continued to travel south. I think I miss his crude jokes
and sneering taunts, for some masochistic reason. When we come to our tribe I
found I missed him as a team member most. The place was in shambles. Zelda and
I run, looking for survivors. Trees have fallen. Every tent is burned. So many
dead bodies. This is my home, my neighbours and friends. I hold Fado hard,
sobbing painfully. He is cold and stiff. The assault happened long ago, maybe
even after we just left.
I lay him to rest and look for my Zelda.
She is at her father's side. He is gravely wounded and slipping from
consciousness. Bloody, self-administered bandages wrap his body. It looks like
he has fought in many battles. No surprise there.
"My daughter! Zelda." his
breathing is shallow and laboured. Tears run down her anguished face. "You
must defeat Demise. He is wiping away all life from this world to make way for
his own. Do not falter. I died a proud warrior."
"No- you won't die, let me
just-" She fumbles with the crimson cloth. He touches her hand.
"I love you. I love you." And
just like that, he died. Zelda bent like a crumbling mountain and howled long
and hard. I held her as we both cried into each other's shoulders. We had
returned too late.
"How sentimental." Sneers a
cool voice. I look up through my tears. "Hylia and her Chosen,
crying. How sweet." It is a pale tall man, with purple hair, draping over
one eye. "Hold each other close, for there is nothing for you to do but
cower before the greatest Sorcerer of them all." He grins, unfolding his
fingers, the clouds darkening as if drawn in by strings. The wind rushes in
like a wall, making the trees groan and bend. I leap to my feet and draw my
blade.
"I am Vaati, the unstoppable!"
A tree crashes down, desecrating the bodies of my people. I charge, screaming
in fury. He catches my blade with two fingers.
"A trick I learned from Lord
Ghirahim." he whispers to me, grabbing my throat. "My how you've
grown." He appraises me with mock astonishment. "But still a weak
fool non-the-less." He throws me down. The Master Sword tumbles out of my
hand. Vaati's form darkens as if made of shadow. He grows until he is a giant
one eyed bat, with multiple sets of wings. His wolf like face contracts with
fury as he prowls toward me. I scramble back, trying to hide my terror behind a
glare.
He lunges past me and catches a stave
swinging his way. He yanks Zelda towards him. She stumbles and draws her bow.
He slams her down with a wing and pins me with another. The arm holds like iron
as I attack it with my dagger. I might as well be using a toothpick.
Vaati shakes his purple fur and howls.
Shadows creep up out of the ground. He releases me as they bear down on me. I
fight and struggle but they have me. Zelda grabs an arrow and brandishes it at
Vaati. He just watches her. He catches it in his teeth and eats it with a grin.
Zelda turns to run, but he snags her with his teeth.
"ZELDA!" I yell. Vaati's eye
swivels to me as he holds her in his mouth. "Keep him here." His
voice sounds from the thunder in the clouds. "Ghirahim has something
special in mind for him." The shadows holding me reform into a cage with
arms inside that grip my limbs and hair, keeping me trapped. With that Vaati
spreads all his wings and takes off toward the southern ocean.
"VAATI!" I scream after him.
"ZELDA FIGHT! FIGHT!"
There is nothing I can do. I am stuck. I
look over to see Fi by the Master Sword.
"Fi!" I gasp, unable to move.
"You can pass it to me can't you?"
"I'm sorry. I cannot do that."
She shakes her head. "There is only one thing I can do." The Master
Sword rises from the ground and points at her chest.
"Wait? What are you-?"
The blade stabs her.
"FI!"
She crumples to the ground as it forces
deeper and deeper into the gem on her chest. But the point does not protrude
out of her back. Once the hilt disappears, she transforms. Fi stands as a
human, with two arms, pale skin and blue eyes- human eyes. She steps forward
and slams her heal into the cage. It hisses and the arms holding me begin to
slip. She twirls and kicks, beating at it but it keeps recovering. She is
panting and still I am just as trapped as I was before.
"It's no use." She sighs.
"Only my blade can break it."
"Here, let me try!" I raise my
hand to call the Master Sword out to me.
"It won't work." Fi says.
"Vaati made sure of it, you cannot call on me through his dark barrier. It
must be broken from outside and I cannot wield my own sword!"
"So what do we do?" I ask.
"Get the one person that can help
us." Fi begins to leave.
"Wait- you don't mean-"
"Yes." she turns to me.
"Maltzar." And with that she ran off into the forest.
"Be quick!" I gasp. I'm already
getting a cramp.