February Eve
ZD District Attorney
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2010
- Location
- USA
This is a short scene I wrote the other day based on a writing challenge my friend gave me. It is set in the Twilight Princess storyline and is rated G.
Let me know if the "smart quotes" create a problem - I cut and pasted directly from Word.
Twilight was beginning to fall on Hyrule field. Link, still in wolf form after defeating a bulbin, lay down on the ground to catch his breath and recover his wits. It was strange the way, in the heat of battle, he could get caught up in instinct to the point that he felt less like himself and more like the wild beast he resembled. Stranger still was how he was becoming used to it.
He would ask Midna to change him back soon. For now, though, she sat by his side, staring up at the sky, and he let her have the moment. After surveying the region once more, he lay his head down and closed his eyes for a brief rest, ears perked for any sign of danger.
In time the sound of rustling put him on alert. It was followed by a tuneless hum, interspersed with bits of childish singing, and he relaxed slightly. Humans were scared of him in this form, but most of them didn’t represent any danger. The only nuisance was that Midna refused to let him change back to normal if there was any possibility that the person would see him. Though she claimed it would scare someone even further, he didn’t feel she was telling the whole truth. She certainly didn’t seem to have a problem the other night when he playfully nipped at a city guard and gave the man enough fright for him to fall in the fountain.
The child finally came into view. Agitha was regarded as an odd bird by other citizens, but Link liked her. She reminded him of the children of Ordon village. In fact, Beth would probably be best friends with her at first sight of Agitha’s dress. Thinking of his friends and family made him give an unconscious sigh that he only noticed when Midna patted him on the back. He was never sure if this was meant to be affectionate or if she thought he had to be nudged like an animal, as she only did it when he was thinking and she was ready to go.
He stood up, still watching Agitha. On impulse, he began to move forward, and Midna sighed herself as she merged into his shadow. “I won’t try to stop you, but I will never understand why you keep approaching people as a wolf.”
Even if he could explain it in this form, he wouldn’t. Midna released pieces of her past carefully and hadn’t seemed to notice yet that she wasn’t the only one. Growing up, he’d known he was different than the others but never knew why. Now he wondered if the twilight had truly chosen his form or if he’d chosen it the moment he entered the twilight.
Agitha was bending over a patch of grass inspecting a butterfly. He loped steadily towards her, not slow enough to seem as he were stalking and not fast enough to look like he was attacking. Presently he came into view and she straightened up. Link stopped to give her a chance to react.
“Oh hello, puppy!” she said.
Had he been human, he would have laughed. Something about her attitude made him wonder why he thought she would even be scared, and it made him like her even more. He went up to her and wagged his tail to show his appreciation, and she patted him on the head apologetically. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak puppy,” she said. “Do you want to play?” Link ran in a circle and wagged his tail again. It was meant to be encouraging, but it felt more like second nature than an act.
“Let’s have tea!” she said. “My castle is this way. Won’t you follow me?”
Link hesitated before following at her heels. “We just left here!” Midna hissed in his ear as he began walking, and he felt a twinge of guilt, but kept going. He knew it was important to continue searching for the mirror shards, but moments like this were the reason he kept fighting.
For a few fragile seconds, the world felt as it should. It lasted until he crossed the stone landing and went through the gate. As they began passing through the market, a couple of loiterers saw him. There was the familiar sound of screaming, but with a new fear.
“It’s going after the little girl!” one of them cried. Windows opened, and the shouts began to spread. A tomato smashed near his feet—one of the merchants had begun throwing his unsold wares, and others around him began to get the same idea. Linked hunched back as Agitha turned and looked at him, perplexed.
“Are they allergic to you, puppy?” she asked.
But Link knew from his own experience how people reacted when children were in jeopardy. Glass shattered nearby, making him jump, and he knew that if he weren’t “scared” away soon, things would only grow worse this time. As luck would have it, the same guard he’d terrified the night before reappeared. He now looked a lot more lethal now as he charged, afraid but furious.
Link nuzzled Agitha’s hand briefly as a thank-you. Then, knowing she wouldn’t understand, he turned on his heels and bounded away as fast as he could. He heard her surprised shout but didn’t look back until he was well outside the gate. “And stay out!” the guard yelled after him as the great wooden door was closed behind him. Link would let him have that victory. For now.
He grunted and curved his back as Midna apparently deemed it safe to reappear and plopped down on his back, unannounced. “You should be more careful. One of these days you’re going to meet someone who isn’t a clown in disguise, and then where will you be?” she scolded. He just looked at her and pawed the ground in signal.
“What do you need?” she asked, kinder now that he was returning to his quest. “To warp or to change back?”
He didn’t always choose the practical choice, and Midna didn’t question him. The transformation back to human always felt weird on the outside, but tonight it took him a moment to realize when it was complete. Usually there was a subtle shift in his thoughts and purpose, but this time he felt no different. He wondered what that meant.
He stretched as if to test his muscles, and cleared his throat, as if he were reminding himself that he had the ability to speak again, even if he didn’t exercise it much. Their next goal was Ordon. He might call Epona soon, especially as he approached the kargarok nests, but for now, the walk in night air would do him good.
He glanced over his shoulder at the closed gate more time as he prepared to leave, and the thought passed his mind that if he were to approach it right now, he’d be welcomed in. He wondered how they’d react if they knew both visitors were one and the same. Sometimes, he wondered if that was what Midna was hiding.
As he turned back around he heard a whisper from behind him, one of those he was never sure if he was meant to hear. “I’m sorry, Link,” she murmured, and he thought again about her past. Sometimes he felt she understood his situation more than he did.
He nodded his head slightly, and set off in a resolute stride.
Let me know if the "smart quotes" create a problem - I cut and pasted directly from Word.
***************
Agitha and the Puppy
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Agitha and the Puppy
***************
Twilight was beginning to fall on Hyrule field. Link, still in wolf form after defeating a bulbin, lay down on the ground to catch his breath and recover his wits. It was strange the way, in the heat of battle, he could get caught up in instinct to the point that he felt less like himself and more like the wild beast he resembled. Stranger still was how he was becoming used to it.
He would ask Midna to change him back soon. For now, though, she sat by his side, staring up at the sky, and he let her have the moment. After surveying the region once more, he lay his head down and closed his eyes for a brief rest, ears perked for any sign of danger.
In time the sound of rustling put him on alert. It was followed by a tuneless hum, interspersed with bits of childish singing, and he relaxed slightly. Humans were scared of him in this form, but most of them didn’t represent any danger. The only nuisance was that Midna refused to let him change back to normal if there was any possibility that the person would see him. Though she claimed it would scare someone even further, he didn’t feel she was telling the whole truth. She certainly didn’t seem to have a problem the other night when he playfully nipped at a city guard and gave the man enough fright for him to fall in the fountain.
The child finally came into view. Agitha was regarded as an odd bird by other citizens, but Link liked her. She reminded him of the children of Ordon village. In fact, Beth would probably be best friends with her at first sight of Agitha’s dress. Thinking of his friends and family made him give an unconscious sigh that he only noticed when Midna patted him on the back. He was never sure if this was meant to be affectionate or if she thought he had to be nudged like an animal, as she only did it when he was thinking and she was ready to go.
He stood up, still watching Agitha. On impulse, he began to move forward, and Midna sighed herself as she merged into his shadow. “I won’t try to stop you, but I will never understand why you keep approaching people as a wolf.”
Even if he could explain it in this form, he wouldn’t. Midna released pieces of her past carefully and hadn’t seemed to notice yet that she wasn’t the only one. Growing up, he’d known he was different than the others but never knew why. Now he wondered if the twilight had truly chosen his form or if he’d chosen it the moment he entered the twilight.
Agitha was bending over a patch of grass inspecting a butterfly. He loped steadily towards her, not slow enough to seem as he were stalking and not fast enough to look like he was attacking. Presently he came into view and she straightened up. Link stopped to give her a chance to react.
“Oh hello, puppy!” she said.
Had he been human, he would have laughed. Something about her attitude made him wonder why he thought she would even be scared, and it made him like her even more. He went up to her and wagged his tail to show his appreciation, and she patted him on the head apologetically. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak puppy,” she said. “Do you want to play?” Link ran in a circle and wagged his tail again. It was meant to be encouraging, but it felt more like second nature than an act.
“Let’s have tea!” she said. “My castle is this way. Won’t you follow me?”
Link hesitated before following at her heels. “We just left here!” Midna hissed in his ear as he began walking, and he felt a twinge of guilt, but kept going. He knew it was important to continue searching for the mirror shards, but moments like this were the reason he kept fighting.
For a few fragile seconds, the world felt as it should. It lasted until he crossed the stone landing and went through the gate. As they began passing through the market, a couple of loiterers saw him. There was the familiar sound of screaming, but with a new fear.
“It’s going after the little girl!” one of them cried. Windows opened, and the shouts began to spread. A tomato smashed near his feet—one of the merchants had begun throwing his unsold wares, and others around him began to get the same idea. Linked hunched back as Agitha turned and looked at him, perplexed.
“Are they allergic to you, puppy?” she asked.
But Link knew from his own experience how people reacted when children were in jeopardy. Glass shattered nearby, making him jump, and he knew that if he weren’t “scared” away soon, things would only grow worse this time. As luck would have it, the same guard he’d terrified the night before reappeared. He now looked a lot more lethal now as he charged, afraid but furious.
Link nuzzled Agitha’s hand briefly as a thank-you. Then, knowing she wouldn’t understand, he turned on his heels and bounded away as fast as he could. He heard her surprised shout but didn’t look back until he was well outside the gate. “And stay out!” the guard yelled after him as the great wooden door was closed behind him. Link would let him have that victory. For now.
He grunted and curved his back as Midna apparently deemed it safe to reappear and plopped down on his back, unannounced. “You should be more careful. One of these days you’re going to meet someone who isn’t a clown in disguise, and then where will you be?” she scolded. He just looked at her and pawed the ground in signal.
“What do you need?” she asked, kinder now that he was returning to his quest. “To warp or to change back?”
He didn’t always choose the practical choice, and Midna didn’t question him. The transformation back to human always felt weird on the outside, but tonight it took him a moment to realize when it was complete. Usually there was a subtle shift in his thoughts and purpose, but this time he felt no different. He wondered what that meant.
He stretched as if to test his muscles, and cleared his throat, as if he were reminding himself that he had the ability to speak again, even if he didn’t exercise it much. Their next goal was Ordon. He might call Epona soon, especially as he approached the kargarok nests, but for now, the walk in night air would do him good.
He glanced over his shoulder at the closed gate more time as he prepared to leave, and the thought passed his mind that if he were to approach it right now, he’d be welcomed in. He wondered how they’d react if they knew both visitors were one and the same. Sometimes, he wondered if that was what Midna was hiding.
As he turned back around he heard a whisper from behind him, one of those he was never sure if he was meant to hear. “I’m sorry, Link,” she murmured, and he thought again about her past. Sometimes he felt she understood his situation more than he did.
He nodded his head slightly, and set off in a resolute stride.
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Thanks for commenting!
I'm glad the style worked for you, too!