The Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Mark of a Soulmate ❯ Under the Clouds ( Chapter 1 )

     Asuriel hummed the ballad of the goddess as she walked under the canopy of leaves covering the floor of the Faron Woods. A light breeze blew through the treetops, causing them to sway as the light streaming through the branches danced across the young girl's face. The skirt of Asuriel's dress gracefully floated about her figure as the hem brushed the lush grass beneath her feet. All of that day, she had met with the forest kikwis and aided them in gathering food. 

     Ahead of her, she could make out the solid stone of the Sealed Temple poking out from the sea of leaves. It was both a sanctuary and a home to her, a place to train and to rest. As an attendant of the goddess Hylia, it was Asuriel's duty to train herself with the magic she had been granted so that, when Hylia returned, she would be ready to serve her. Learning to use and control her power was never easy for Asuriel, but under the gentle instruction of Impa, the elderly woman that took care of the girl, she felt it was easier to remain diligent.

     Slipping into the Sealed Temple, Asuriel glided to the place where Impa slept and carefully woke her.

"What news do you have, my child?"

"All you asked me to do is taken care of. The kikwis are safe and well fed."

"You are a wonderful child, Asuriel. I love you as I would my own child, you have done well with what I have asked. It is not long now before Hylia will descend from the clouds and eliminate the  small remaining bits of evil here. Because of your hard work, we will be ready to receive her."

"Thank you."

"Now child, you must rest. Tomorrow, you will set out to the halls of Faron."

"Yes Impa, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Asuriel."

     The girl turned to her left and walked into a small, circular room. It had once been open, but she had since secured a curtain around it and transformed it into a comfortable dwelling place. Laying down, Asuriel quickly fell asleep, dreaming of the beautiful Faron Woods and Hylia's return.

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     As the first rays of dawn peered through the openings in the Sealed Temple, Asuriel finished packing the last of her provisions to see Faron. Many times before, she had gone to serve the ancient dragon, for although she was an attendant of Hylia, she waited on many of the goddess' allies. Asuriel felt particular excitement when she thought about meeting the Hero of Courage. She would provide for him as well; he was said to be kind and fair.

     After giving a farewell to Impa, Asuriel set out into the woods. Everything seemed perfect, as if the world was waiting for Hylia with eager anticipation. The girl felt as if nothing could go wrong, for, what could happen to stop the triumph of the goddess?

     Asuriel was greeted warmly by Faron, who had grown quite fond of the child over the seventeen years of her life. She brought the dragon news of her domain, of Impa, and of the soon predicted return of Hylia.

     At nightfall, after a long day of work, Asuriel entertained Faron' subjects. She summoned faire lights, which she made dance across the surface of the water and emit a soft glow as they floated through the air. Even Faron herself was captivated by the girl's beautiful magic.

"Asuriel, you have grown into a fine young lady. Impa has raised you well and has taught you good manners and wondrous magic."

"Thank you, Faron. I am grateful for your praise."

"It is well deserved. I am certain that when your soulmate is revealed on your eighteenth birthday, they will be the luckiest of husbands."

"I am very excited to meet him for myself. You know, I have never met any other like myself that is not female. I have seen your subjects and kikwis, but I long to know what  a man of my race will look like."

"Human men can be quite dashing. With your beauty, you will surely be matched well. I sense the Hero may be quite handsome. He could make a good soulmate."

"You really think that I could be wed to the Hero? I am not worthy of such a thing."

"Give yourself more credit, my dear. You will know your soulmate soon enough. Human girls like yourselves become to giddy at the prospect of marriage. You have the comfort to know that your match will be perfect for you, and you will be perfect for him."

"How will I know who my soulmate is?"

"The process of finding him may be long, or it may be short. Speaking of which, I have a gift for you. These fingerless gloves are for when you receive your sign. On your eighteenth birthday, a mark representing your soulmate will appear on your right hand. You must find your soulmate by yourself from that point, so you must cover your hands to keep others from seeing it. The first person to see the mark besides yourself should be your soulmate. Take good care of these."

"Thank you for this gift. I eagerly await the day that I may use them."

"Yes, but you more eagerly wait for the time when you may set them aside."

"Well..."

"Worry not, it was a jest. For now, enjoy some rest so you may journey back to the Sealed Temple tomorrow."

"Yes, Faron."

"Asuriel, before you go, another word about our discussion. The mark will not be the only way to know who your soulmate is, there are other signs. You will get a strange feeling when you speak with them for the first time. This will also happen when you touch for the first time as well. Keep this in mind, it will be useful to you."

"Of course. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Faron."

"Goodnight, Asuriel."

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     Another glorious morning dawned on the radient Faron woods. Asuriel, feeling reassured by the gorgeous day, skipped through the forest, stopping here and there to pick delicate flowers or exchange tunes with the many birds that resided in the woods. Even without instruction, Asuriel was gifted with a wonderful voice. Impa herself had even said her voice was as lovely as that of  the goddess. Wanting to greet her kikwi friends, the girl walked to their shelter, yet she did not find them. She scanned the ground, their favorite places to rest, and even the treetops. She could not find one kikwi. 

     Starting to feel a little worried, Asuriel walked around the great tree the looked around for a sign of Bucha. To her astonishment, she saw a creature with odd red skin, scruffy white hair, and a razor sharp sword, standing in the clearing. The girl gasped, having never seen such a curious thing before. She tentatively took a step towards it, for its back was to her. As she neared two yards to it, it turned to face her and let out a shriek. Drawing its sword, it brandished the metal at Asuriel before screeching again and running towards her.

     Asuriel let out a yelp and ran for the Sealed Temple. Now, she could see more red monsters. Because of the one pursuing her, the others took notice and gave chase as well. Now being followed by a considerable host of monsters, the girl continued to flee for safety.

     She screamed as she inevitably tripped over her floor length dress and fell to her knees, knowing she could be overtaken at any time. Quickly, she cast a small force field around herself, just in time to stop a blade from slicing into her arm. The monsters surrounded her dome-like protective force field, hitting it with their swords yet making no progress; still, she was trapped. How was Asuriel going to get out of this?

     A sudden tremor shook the earth, sending the creatures tumbling to the ground. They shrieked with excitement, jumping to their feet the waving their weapons in the air. In the distance, the girl could see something forming in the sky. Another tremble going through the ground reminded her that she must make it to the Temple. The now constantly shaking ground caused her to stumble until a huge black tornado appeared in the sky, creating a massive hole in the clouds. As the girl reached the front of the temple, she spotted Impa. She was gazing at the tornado with dread and disbelief. Upon seeing the child, she turned to her and grabbed her hands.

"Asuriel, there is no time to explain. Fate itself is changing;  everything is happening too soon. He has returned to this land at last! Please, find a place to hide. Get out of sight, you cannot let him see you, he is too powerful for you to handle now."

"What are you talking about, who is "He"?

"Someone I hoped you will never meet. Hide, quickly, there is little time. Hurry!"

     Terrified, Asuriel ran into a clump of trees, climbed one, and watched the sky. All of a sudden, a small, pink shape could be seen coming down from the clouds and falling to the surface. Although not deafening, the unmistakable sound of a scream could be heard above the roar of the tornado.