World Tree MUSH

  One single arrow, and one single shield. That was all that the princess had time to implore her gods for, but her prayer was heard, and responded to in kind. She had been granted one single arrow, which she had used; and one single shield, which is probably the thing that saved her life.

  The shield is still there when the Summoner of Mist arrives. In the darkness of Eldin Province's night, it's a faint and flickering beacon, fragile and fickle as a candle-flame. It's difficult to see inside to where the princess actually lies, but it's not hard to see the blood spattered around the shield; or pooled beneath the stricken Hylian.

  It looks like she's been shot, and there's also a ragged gash that runs down one arm -- an older wound torn open, maybe.

  The telepathic summons had arrived a while ago, now. Even that message had been feeble, a brief and terse plea for help. Zelda's 'voice' had been steady, but there had been raw emotion leaking through it like static over a radio signal, betraying her fear. She was hurt bad and she knew it. Now, the message has gone silent; the princess has said nothing more.

  Hopefully it's because she's conserving her strength, and not because she finally bled out.

  Also there are a bunch of Hylians that are supposedly looking for help, but the next village is obnoxiously far, so Rydia stands a much better chance of getting there first.

    "Faster, chocobo, /please/."
    "Kweh!"
    Rydia was in the middle of precisely nothing important when Zelda's cry reached her from afar. It had been a jarring shock that distracted the child instantly from the task of making the beds at the inn in Kaipo to at least make herself useful while staying there. She was out the door in the same instant, calling her chocobo from the local stables and leaping onto his back, she was racing across the desert in record time.
    By the time she reaches Eldin Province, the bird is exhausted. Still, for Rydia's sake, her faithful flightless avian steed pushes himself onwards, rest can come later. After crossing paths with several panicked Hylians pointing her in the proper direction, she didn't have to go far before finding an even worse trail to follow.
    Blood.
    Seeing the blood on the ground, incandescent and gleaming, standing out so starkly against the night pushed both the bird and rider faster. Finally the bird slowed, approaching the flickering remnants of the shield.
    "Zelda!"
    And the fallen princess within.
    Hopping off the bird's back, the Summoner rushes for the Queen-Regent, flinching briefly as the dome breaks away and vanishes on first contact, taking to knees by the Hylian's side. Green eyes are already assessing those wounds. They are FAR beyond what she's capable of as a healer, but she'd be a coward if she didn't try. And Zelda would be dead.
    There is no waiting for help to come, no choice, and no hesitation as she lays her hands on the princess' body ignoring the sticky-bloody feeling and funnelling her energy into her hands.
    Zelda might feel it; the soft warmth of two small hands desperately trying to play magical surgeon for horrifying injuries they aren't qualified to handle. She might hear the imploring cries of a child begging her to not be the second person to die in her arms, and the gentle shaking. She might not. But Rydia resorts to the tested and true path any child takes when trying to wake the sleeping and dying.
    "Zelda, PLEASE, wake up."
    She begs.

  There's no answer from within the shield. The way the light flickers and gutters is probably discouraging. When she had summoned her arrows of light against Vivian, they had been scathingly radiant. This shield is barely luminous any more, and it visibly dims by the second.

  Hands reach for the Hylian within the shield, and the dome dissipates like fog. The tiny motes feel almost warm, but the sensation is fleeting. The princess doesn't respond to any of the initial pleas. Her face is ashen, almost without colour.

  Only gradually does the princess become aware that hands are shaking her. She murmurs something completely unintelligable and her head twitches slightly to one side. That voice is persistent, though, and those hands are still shaking her gently but insistently. Only gradually does she become aware of the voice's identity; it takes longer, but she eventually understands the Summoner's last desperate plea. It feels like the words come to her from some vast and unfathomable distance.

  "Ry...dia...?" Zelda can barely speak the name, but she makes an effort to try and calm the girl. Yeah, that's probably not happening. With consciousness comes pain, and her face twists as the shaking illustrates the severity of her wounds. Oh Goddesses that hurts. What the hell did he even do? What was that strange thing he was using?

  For a moment the Hylian seems to be gathering her strength, as though to move, but she just lets her breath out in a ragged exhale. "I... I feel so... very weak." The words aren't much more than a broken whisper. "Did you... did you meet anyone... on the road...? Did my people... get... away...?"

    "Stay awake."
    That's the first response Rydia has for the wakening princess, wiping at her eyes and smearing old blood on her face without thought nor care, before she resumes pouring everything she has into Zelda's body. Her breath is shivery, her eyes are moist, but the girl displays a surprising level of steel by not breaking into hysterics or panic right then and there. "Your people are fine, they pointed me this way."
    Her explanation is brief and her focus returns to the more important task for her to handle. Sweat beads on the girl's brow. At best she will not have the princess on her feet. She cannot remove the bullets from Zelda's shoulders. But she can seal the wounds off and prevent any further bleeding, she can ease the pain. But that's all. Still, something is better than nothing, and Rydia will settle for stabilizing the princess over anything else, and that's what she focuses on once she has the Queen-Regent conscious.
    "What... What happened? Who did this to you?"

  At Rydia's quiet admonishment to stay awake, Zelda lets her breath out, too weak to be called a sigh. Conscious again, even she knows on some level that if she lets herself slip, it'll be a sleep from which she'll never wake. Fortunately, all the pain's come roaring back, and that does provide a pretty convincing means to stay alert.

  Going by her sour expression, it must hurt like a son of a bitch, too.

  It's with a dry, nervous swallow that the Hylian focuses on the strength gathered back into her with Rydia's magic. "He... he called himself... the 'Adept Slayer.' He..." She trails off, as much to marshall her strength and keep from crying out, as much to remember Copen's words. "'Demon of God.' He kills those with magic. His weapons are--ghh...!"

  "Weapons... unfamiliar weapons... he held them, like--like crossbow hafts--and--they did this." Zelda gives the barest twitch of her chin towards the ruin of her right shoulder. "Oh, Goddesses, it hurts."

  She's feeling good enough to complain about how painful it is, so she must be a little further out of the woods. Being feisty suggests strength.

  "I did not... hear a name. He may not... may not have one. Oh, merciful Hylia... Your Grace... thank you for... answering my prayers." It's a shockingly fervent, absolutely believing statement in the midst of her explanation, even if it's strained and stilted; it's clear to see that the Queen-Regent most definitely does not take her gods for granted. The worship of those gods is entirely sincere and heartfelt. "I thank you." To Rydia she turns red-rimmed blue eyes. "And thank... you... Rydia of Mist. I am in your debt... one more time. I am still weak... I do not think I feel... so close to death... now."

  No, now she's upgraded into 'death warmed over.' Which is marginally worse because now she's conscious and she can feel just how very much every single nerve ending in her body is screaming at her.

    It would be a sleep thar Rydia would be unable to shake the princess from, the girl knows that much, and that's why her first response had been to tell Zelda to stay with her. Though the girl does her best to ease that pain, the severity of the wounds are beyond her ability to even do that. Still, she has done all she could, and it could very well have meant the difference between life and death, and if Rydia had been any later in her arrival...
    It's a thought that the girl pushes from her mind by force, fingers curling where they hold onto the princess' blood-sticky cloak and dress, but the answer she gets is one she can only barely struggle to cope with. If it had been a monster, she would have understood, if it had been some legendary horror of Hyrule she had never seen before, she would have been able to accept that. Zelda tells her it was a /person/. And that leaves Rydia staring in numb shock. Adept Slayer. Demon of God. They are names in their own way, but they are names that belong to a man, one who used terrible weapons with intent to kill.
    Once again, at such a young age, Rydia is shown the nature of this world- a world where horrible things happen to good people, and a world where people hurt other people for reasons that make no sense.
    "He... kills people with magic?"
    Her voice is a horrified whisper. Magic; such a simple and utterly commonplace thing where she comes from, wielded by anyone and everyone who puts even basic study into it, and it is reason enough to try and take a life? Something her world and Zelda's clearly hold in common, and someone is out to kill over it. Is it jealousy? Is it misunderstanding? Blind hate? What could drive a person to such levels of brutality over something that anyone could have?
    It is a good few beats before the Summoner is pulled from her shock when she realizes Zelda is still speaking. "-No. No no, I mean... You would have done the same thing for me, right?"
    Yet as soon as she asks the question a cold thrill of horror slides up Rydia's belly like an eel. Briefly, the burning of her home flashes in front of her. Briefly, an image of herself laying in a bloody puddle on the ground follows it, and her terrible realization about the world sinks in. Bad things happen to good people. This could have been her.
    It's a hell of a lesson to learn about the world at age seven. "Zelda, I..."

  The Hylian fades again for a moment, and it might take urging from Rydia to resist that weight that settles over her limbs; that dulls her mind. Zelda blinks hard as though she's trying to rally herself. She seems to be gathering her strength, even though she lies quietly. She's talking herself into the fact that they're going to need to move, and soon. This place isn't safe.

  "Yes." Zelda's voice is no more than a breath, and her eyes ease closed again. "He kills... those with magic. That... is what... he told me."

  It didn't make a whole lot of sense at the time, and there still isn't any way she can look at it that makes rational sense. There are a few likely hypotheses, but they still aren't rational. Perhaps he's jealous of powers he never manifested. Or perhaps he was wronged somehow by powered people. Who can say?

  Would it matter?

  She saw into those eyes, and she knows in her very marrow that there's no changing the mind of that young man. There was no reason there; no logic. He functioned on righteousness zeal and zeal alone. However he came to believe it, he believed in his own mission absolutely.

  Zelda shudders, as much from quiet horror as from pain. "Yes... I... would..." Have done the same thing for Rydia, that is. She sucks in a breath. "It is not... safe here. Help me," she adds, already struggling to get to her feet. The movement leaves behind a thin spatter of luminous blood across the dust of Eldin Canyon's road. "The villagers... are coming back... but I cannot be here... when they return. My presence... is... dangerous... to them. I attract... Zant's shadow beasts..."

  In other words, if they don't beat feet soon, they're going to be tangling with the Twilight King's pet monsters on top of everything else.

    And yet Rydia is still grappling with her new realization of how the world truly works. Like a victim of shellshock, the child is left staring through Zelda with haunted eyes. Zelda could have died in her arms just now.
    Just like her mother died in her arms.
    The people of Hyrule would have been without their leader, and possibly without their last source of hope in this world. It is a terrible fate that was only narrowly averted by chance and good luck.
    Rydia has not seen that man's eyes. This Demon of God who hates magic. She does not know the depths of his unfathomably pure hate, and she does not want to know them. If she were to look into Copen's eyes, it could very well break her.
    "M-mn."
    It is Zelda being adamant about moving so soon that pulls the last Summoner of Mist from the demons of her mounting fear and doubt. "C-careful."
    She doesn't try to dissuade the princess though. She knows just as wellhow dangerous it is to remain injured out in the open. It was a wonder nothing had come and picked Zelda off before Rydia had arrived. The child winces at the sight of that last splatter of blood, but gets her arm around the Hylian. It is not easy going, her strength is just that of a little girl, and zelda is a grown woman. But this makes the second time she'll have to manage getting Zelda on her chocobo's back; the bird already lowering itself to accept the burden of an injured rider. "I don't think we can get you all the way back to Kaipo like this... And I don't think trying it is a good idea." She murmurs. "But come on... Let's get you on chocobo. I'll walk."

  Zelda at least manages to get to her feet without much incident, though she does have to lean hard on Rydia to do it. Despite her pain and weakness, she seems to be trying hard not to hurt the girl. She stumbles as they reach the chocobo; catching herself on the beast's side by clutching at its feathers with bloodied fingers.

  She sags for moment, unable to move until she catches her breath, and then hesitates a brief instant longer. It's the first time she's ever ridden anything as exotic as this before. In any other situation, she might enjoy the novelty of the situation, but right now all she can do is to pat the bird almost apologetically. Yeah, buddy, sorry for bleeding on you.

  Then comes the hard part, one which Rydia can't help her with. Zelda tries to pull herself over the back of the saddle, but the proportions are awkward; a chocobo has a completely different centre of gravity and locomotion than the horses she's used to. Thankfully, she's an adept equestrian; so much time spent riding the fields right outside Hyrule Castle paid off. She manages to settle herself, inch by arduous inch, by clutching at the chocobo's feathers and dragging herself where she needs to get to.

  Poor bird. So undignified, being bled all over.

  "I have... never... ridden a beast... quite like this... before." Zelda manages a strained half-smile, but it's clear the expression is entirely forced. "Getting back... to Kaipo... will have to do. Tie me... to the saddle... if you must. We go. It is too dangerous... to stay."

  Once Rydia gets herself settled, Zelda slumps forward a little, letting the girl prop her upright. "If I... if I do not make it... find the hero, chosen by the gods; find he who... bears the... Triforce of Courage. Find Link... in my stead. Please... please tell him..."

  Zelda falls silent. Did she pass out? Maybe.

    Technically it's the second time Zelda has ridden the chocobo. Although she wasn't conscious for the first time. For what it's worth, the bird takes it stoicly as his bright yellow plumage is stained incandescent red in places. Some things are just wrong to complain about, and he can preen himsell clean in a nice bath, later.
    "Wark!" The feathery steed chirps, using that long neck to try and ease and guide the princess onto his back.
    "Um. You have, actually." Rydia points out as a gentle aside. "After you passed out when we fought Vivian." But she keeps the story short; doing her best to help hold Zelda up, and looking worried the whole while. A fall right now could possibly undo everything she's worked so hard to stabilize.
    "You can't be serious- Kaipo is miles away. You'll /DIE/." Rydia snaps, voice strained with turmoiled emotions. Fear. But also frustration with the princess' stubbornness. "Are you even listening to me? Zelda? ... Zelda?! Tell him what?"
    Passing out is forbidden. Rydia has declared it so, and the whole trip, will be spent shaking Zelda if she absolutely has to. "I wouldn't know where to start, you'll have to do it yourself? You understand me? You got it?!"
    It's going to be a long journey. And Rydia will have to be strong for the both of them.

  Oh, so that's how Rydia had gotten her back to Kaipo. She hadn't been conscious enough to remember the experience. Zelda tucks her chin and looks away, silently chagrined. It isn't really fair of her to impose on this girl in such a way. Asking for help chafes against her very being. The Triforce of Wisdom drives her to take the actions most inclined to preserve the establishment of Hyrule -- even if, and frequently at the cost of, running contrary to her own personality.

  Having to reconcile herself as a person and herself as a vessel of the Goddesses, as the person on whose shoulders Hyrule's semi-divine rule rests on, is a constant battle.

  It's one thing to devote oneself to kingdom and cause -- but the Triforce imposes this dedication, even against the wishes of the particular royal woman it manifests in. Maybe her mother might have taught her how better to weather that intense personal dichotomy, the closer Zelda came to assuming the kingdom's rule, but the late queen never had the chance.

  You'll die, Rydia protests, and Zelda's eyes flicker half-open again at the sound of the Summoner's voice. She'd been well on her way to a nice nap desite the protest of her logical brain; her body is past the breaking point, and she can feel it beginning to fail on her. Rest is what she needs. A nice, long rest uninterrupted by nightmares of her family's murder, or her kingdom burning, or Zant tormenting and killing the royal guardsmen -- men and women whose lives she was ultimately responsible for -- before her eyes.

  The Hylian shudders and draws in a ragged breath, as though trying to summon the strength just to speak. "I need him..." Her voice sounds haggard, quavering unsteadily. "If we are to... save Hyrule from the Twilight... than I have need of his courage. Oh, Wise Nayru." The last is more in lieu of a curse; she's still conscious enough to feel pain and feel it keenly. "Tell him... that I am sorry... I was not strong enough. I could... not save him..."

  Hmmm. One wonders if the hero-guy is even alive with that kind of talk. Did something happen to him?

  It is a long journey. Several times Zelda is almost in danger of sliding over the side of the saddle, but the chocobo is helpful, and manages to balance his passengers before gravity kicks in. By the time they reach Kaipo, she's barely coherent, and without constant attention she'll seize every opportunity to try and pass out in peace.

  But she lives. The Queen-Regent of Hyrule is made of pretty tough stuff, as it turns out, even if she's bleeding like a sieve and the light she wields is dimmer than a candle flame. She'll live; and that's the important part.

  ...She's probably not going to be leaving the village of Kaipo for a little while, though. There is no guilt quite like being guilted by a seven-year-old.