Summary: The 3 Goddesses Din, Nayru and Farore have created Hyrule but all are not welcome. The demi goddess of shadow and space has adopted those who have been shunned. Are monsters as evil as they seem or have they gotten a bad wrap? Set in BOTW.
Author Notes: Hello, I am a amateur writer. I have included an original character. I know people don't tend to like those and I understand why. However, I really am trying to steer away from the Mary Sue thing. I would like him to be a genuinely fleshed out person. Just looking for some constructive feedback and some encouragement. I know there is a lot I'm doing wrong but hope there are some things I'm doing right that I can build upon.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. This is just a fanfiction.
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Prologue: Mother of Monsters
In the beginning there was nothing... and in that nothing there was Vyomi. A consciousness in the black, spacious, never-ending void. A dark presence in the absence of light. Weightless, boundless, with and without shape. Endlessly folding, stretching, bending, curving... the heart of her being at the center of the Nothing could feel all the empty spaces in the many universes. Wrapped in her darkness like a second skin, she extended herself through it and could feel her shadowy borders wisping against the outlines of any light filling one of the once "empties." These once empties were full and spilling over with the light of creation. And once full she no longer felt quite as connected to them. So, she turned her attention to other empty places. These black gems – for a time- were hers and hers alone.
But in the end the Golden Goddesses appeared (the way they always did) except this time wanting her blackest, deepest and most quiet of empty places. If one were to descend through her vast network of hollow dimensions, this particular Empty was at the heart of all her Nothing. It had been a while since they last asked for a space to create. Vyomi was always honored when they did.
There were an endless number of quilt patch pockets of creation. "Worlds" the Goddesses called them. Some of these worlds were close together and others more spread apart. The Goddesses were always working to fill the spaces.
When the Goddesses demanded that she give them what she considered the heart of herself, a treasured black pearl of empty perfection - she obeyed. That was what was expected of her. This was her one and only duty to the Goddesses. But still she wondered if the world they planned to create would be of equal value to what she most treasured, and so she did not gracefully retreat into one of her other empty domains. She remained close to watch the work.
Once again Din... with her strong flaming arms cultivated the land and created red earth. Nayru... poured out her wisdom onto the land and gave it the spirit of law. Farore... with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.
Vyomi paid close attention when Farore created the five races that would inhabit this new world. Farore shaped and molded much like an artist sculpting from clay. At times, adding and taking away, then taking away and then adding. There were bits of misshapen discarded "clay" strewn all about. Life was breath into the five main races and the others meant to inhabit the new world. This world was more beautiful than others they had created. Vyomi felt envy burn through her from within. All the while, the three Goddesses marveled at their world with satisfaction and pride. Their attention captured, Vyomi stealthily reached forward and touched an unobtrusive part deep within the new world. Pulling back, Vyomi's attention was drawn to the strewn bits. They quivered and grasped at life. When the Goddesses noticed, their displeasure was quickly evident. These discarded bits created with disregard were condemned as unbeautiful, strange and misshapen almost immediately. These "monstrosities" would need to be removed.
Vyomi shocked (and feeling surprised and guilty at the audacity of her shock at the three), revealed herself to the Goddesses. The brightness of their light burned against her dark. In reverence to them she allowed that light to diminish her darkness instead of absorbing it. To do so would appear like a challenge and she was already unintentionally showing a level of disrespect by intervening like she was. In contrite deference she bowed, appearing before them like a small, wispy, faded shadow. She pleaded and begged to take custody of the Unintended.
The three Goddesses spoke as one. "What possible use could you have for such as them? They are the Mistaken. Refuse... They are not welcome in this world of light."
Shame and something else she had never felt before burned through her. She forced herself to not give attention to that latter feeling for fear it would reveal itself on her face.
"I am alone and cannot create like you," she allowed her shame to speak for her. "Please, I will take them far from this World of Light."
The three Goddesses of Creation loathed to unmake what was made even if made by mistake. They allowed Vyomi to take the Unwanted. She hastily gathered them into her folds of darkness and receded from the new World of Light that would soon be called Hyrule. In time Vyomi would call the Unwanted her Nulli.
The three Goddesses watched as Vyomi retreated from Hyrule. Her darkness was a long cloak that dragged over the land and the very sky. When almost all parts of her had gone, a piece of her cloak snagged on the bright shining moon, veiling it in a shroud of black for a span of time.
Nayru, wisest and most intuitive of the three, narrowed her eyes in scrutiny. The bright shining moon had slowly been unveiled again. Its light remained luminous but still looked as though it were shining through a veil – albeit a much thinner one. "Her presence has undoubtedly affected other things."
Just then a strong, malcontented wind blew in from the direction of the golden desert. Farore took note of the wind's scent. It seemed to course with strange energy. Its aura an unruly red rather than a undaunting green. It blew erratically and then rushed up toward the moon as though chasing after something. It howled and swirled high above their heads, slashing through the clouds that now covered the moon, as though to break through a closed door with demands to enter. For a brief moment the moon's light was tinted a strange red color. The tantrum garnered no response and the erratic wind soon moved off to unknown destinations to continue its wild wayward travels.
"A strange wind that is not a wind at all," Farore decided solemnly.
Din stared off just as concerned in the direction that the wind had come from. "Are we so concerned about these affected things that we would tear everything down and start from the beginning?"
The three observed the beauty surrounding them from every direction with motherly love. They eventually reached out their hands to one another to create a circle. They had resolved to conduct the simple completion ritual that always concluded their work. It was an agreement to interfere no further on a large scale unless absolutely dire. They squeezed one another's hands in reassurance and infused their words with power.
"This world has been made and is as it will be - for good… and for bad."
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Notes: A few notes about the story. I have taken some liberties to change a few things. #1, The blood moon is not necessarily connected to Ganon's power spilling over and out of Zelda's seal. #2 Monsters have not been seen in Hyrule since Ganon was last defeated 10,000 years ago. Oh, and the story starts just before the day of the Calamity (within a few months to a year of that fated day). There are some other things but these are what come to my mind most immediately.
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Chapter 1: A small forgotten library deep in Hyrule Castle...
Dust floated in the torchlight like fuzzy, slow-drifting dandelion seeds. They tickled Florian's nose. His every movement to carefully turn a page of the ancient text in his hand sent the dust particles into a dancing frenzy. He pinched his nose to halt a cascade of uncontrolled sneezing. His eyes squinted to make out a more difficult to read passage. Giving up he reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose.
"Another goddess? In service to the three," he voiced aloud in surprise. His voice sounded stark and stilted in the small room. He felt his throat tense and stifled a cough. He'd never been so deep into Hyrule castle before. In fact, he wasn't too sure how he'd even gotten to his current location. Though as he had descended deeper into the bowels of the castle, it had felt like a foreboding had been licking at his heels, pushing him to and fro. He couldn't shake the feeling of being observed. The room was stifling with its lack of free-flowing air and the impenetrable darkness just beyond his torchlight was unnerving.
Nonetheless, he urged himself on. Although he was only an apprentice to one of the lower ranked royal scholars, he'd been working as tirelessly as any of the castle scholars in service to King Rhoam and Princess Zelda. Their goal was to reveal any and all information that could help them to better understand the Ancient Sheikah technology. Their hard work had brought forth many new advances to better prepare the kingdom for the coming Calamity. Still, when it came down to it there wasn't much certainty as to when that calamity would occur. This very thought boar into him with piercing urgency. So much was at stake.
In honesty, he would likely get in trouble if his… master. Florian felt the very word catch in his throat. "That pompous ass is definitely not my master," he grumbled to himself. Still if said jackass found out about his secret excursions into the deeper parts of Hyrule castle he'd be in trouble.
The lower levels had been deemed off limits out of concerns for safety for quite a while now. Most of the books believed to be useful for achieving their goals had been brought up from the lower levels anyway. But still he had wondered if anything had been overlooked and that persistent curiosity had helped him to find an unexplored area.
He'd been lucky he hadn't fallen and seriously injured himself when the floor in a corner of one of the emptied libraries on the lowest level had caved in. Florian had kept this new discovery to himself. He couldn't risk losing his position and he'd also wanted to show anyone who doubted him that he was more than a glorified old timey secretary.
It hadn't occurred him to explore the lower levels until he'd been looking through a discarded pile of older books deemed useless in his not-master's work chamber. The not-master was more interested in tinkering with all the bits of ancient tech being excavated rather than translating books anyway. Some books were written in an old Hylian dialect, some in the language of ancient Sheikah (often encrypted) and others in the old tongues used by the other races.
Florian had always had an ear for languages, and he had learned a lot in his current position. He had been especially intrigued when he came across a text that briefly discussed monsters. Not much was known about their origins except that anytime they had appeared in Hyrule they had acted as allies to one of Ganon's many incarnations. This same text had mentioned a "mother of monsters." He had tried talking to the not-master about this, but the not-master had dismissed Florian's interest in the subject.
Obviously, Ganon was the origin of monsters. Ganon conjured them and they appeared when Ganon appeared. What else needed to be known? Florian had also been told that he'd mistranslated "mother" and that the word was clearly "father." He could still hear Prestwick's snooty voice. Or Prickwick as he liked to call him. Not to his face these days but it would be nice if he could get away with it. Florian scowled. He needed this apprenticeship. So instead he sighed in frustration.
No matter what insults he came up for his not-master in his head (and he could admit, like his studies in engineering, those needed work too) it still didn't change the fact that he had been unfairly ranked an apprentice scholar and Prestwick a master. When the results of their placement exams at the Institute of Hyrule had posted, Prestwick hadn't smirked or rubbed it in his face. He'd given Florian a cold, pitying look. It'd been hard to swallow back his anger. It was even harder to believe that as children that they had been friends of a sort. All short lived, of course. It'd ended in disaster.
Florian hadn't seen Prestwick in 7 years and then after turning 15 he found himself suddenly face to face with him again at the Institute. Florian had earned a spot at the Institute as a student but with no way to pay for it. He'd left home without his father's blessing and had known better than to ask for help. The Institute told him if he could find a Master who was willing to take him on as an apprentice for one year, if after the one year the master found him competent, he would be recommended for a scholarship. Simple enough, right? That was until the last person he expected made the only offer he was going to get in time for the start of the semester.
A few months into apprenticeship…
"So, correct me if I'm wrong? Instead of completing the tasks I gave you earlier, you decided to focus all your attentions on monster lore? How does any of that help us to better control the Guardians?" Prestwick scolded him like a young child despite the fact that he was only a year older. "If you can't be useful then there's no reason for you to be here. You're fortunate to even be here at all."
Florian imagined himself burning holes of Guardian-like devastation through Prestwick's inflated head until it caved in on itself. He had in fact finished his tasks from earlier, but Prestwick hated Florian exploring interests that he thought were a waste of time. Florian was convinced Prestwick's arrogance had a lot to do with him being Sheikah and Florian not so much. Although, Prestwick had achieved the rank of Master Scholar at such a young age, he was still at the bottom of the pecking order as far as masters went. Florian could still feel the air of self-importance rolling off Prestwick - slapping his face and gut-checking his stomach.
However, priorities still in check, Florian began making his secret descents. He figured what he did in his personal time in the later hours after his duties were complete weren't likely to bring much attention. He couldn't chance bringing up any of the books he found since he would have no choice but to tell the truth about where he got them. He eventually came across a curious book that contained a deity crest he had never seen before.
The book had been written by a Gerudo sage from thousands of years before. Florian suspected the book was enchanted to have held up as long as it had so far. He had been translating pieces of the book over the last few months. The work in doing so had been tedious since the book happened to be written in Gerudo, cryptic in its vernacular in most of its pages. He'd even found a book written by a Sheikah sage written in Ancient Sheikah, also making cryptic but corresponding mention of this deity of space and shadow. Tonight, he thought he would try putting together pieces he had translated from the book written in Gerudo so far.
"Pee…peeping…no that's an S…Seeing. Scrying maybe? The Scrying Pool of Vyomi?" he said looking back and forth between the book and some of his own notes. There were no scrying pools left in Hyrule to the best of Florian's knowledge. Most had been destroyed during the Hylian Wars. Likely destroyed by opposing forces not wanting their opponents to know their movements and so forth. This scrying pool was hidden and different from any others that had existed. It was a tool of divination that had the power to converse with this lesser goddess. It also hinted at being able to connect with other worlds beyond Hyrule.
Florian's body hummed with excitement. His hands gripped the book possessively. He had to force himself to hold it more gently - enchanted or not. If such a pool could be found and used, they could find out the exact date of the Calamity. Florian frowned slightly. As helpful as the book had been so far, it had not exactly explained the Goddess Vyomi's connection to Ganon or his monsters. He put that thought aside for the time being and went back to puzzling out more passages.
The pool was hidden. But, of course it was. Not only that, but its activation required pieces of a magical artifact and recitation of an incantation by one who has an affinity with the Goddesses. His groan deepened as he read that the incantation had something to do with the blood moon. A time when wild magic abounded freely. Blood moons were near impossible to predict.
"An affinity with the Goddesses?" he said in his quiet whisper. "Surely that must mean the princess. It's said she's of their blood line."
Florian knew what he had to do. Truthfully, there would be immense satisfaction in rubbing this information in Prestwick's face. Prestwick would predictably follow the chain of command by taking the information to the head master scholar who would take it to King Rhoam. And his accomplishment of being the one who found the information in the first place would somehow become Prestwick's accomplishment. Life would continue. Prestwick would become an even more insufferable prick than he already was, and Florian would continue to be a lowly scribe. Prestwick's lowly scribe.
Mind made up, Florian decided he would get the book and its contents in the hands of the princess directly himself. He tucked away the precious cargo into his satchel and reached to take the burning torch he'd arrived with from the holder on the wall. The discomfort he had tucked away under the excitement of his discovery had begun to push to the surface again. His deep dive into the book had distracted him from the droplets of sweat snaking their way down his spine. A moment later something colder and icier than his sweat swept its fingers up his back. Florian whirled around as though to strike away that coldness. The enveloping darkness in the room seemed to lean back from his torchlight.
Light and shadow battled each other against the walls. He'd never felt this way before on one of his descents. The urge to flee from the room was stronger than ever, but he had taken so many twists and turns this time around… Which way out? He licked his lips and began to feel lightheaded as he peered into the darkness. Doing so made him feel disoriented and off balance, but he couldn't look away.
The thick darkness seemed to be moving with life. He flinched and pressed his back against the wall. The torchlight seemed to be dying and he felt his fear grow. His mind shifted back to the importance of the book. With what remained of his courage he swung the torch forward to force back whatever seemed intent on swallowing him whole. Darkness always ran from the light, didn't it? But to his horror his torch came to a complete halt, half embedded in the thickness of the black something. Strength drained from his hand in that moment.
The blackness moved slowly to swallow the torch whole. Then the cloud began to glow a color that made Florian think of death and blood. He was trapped in that small space, lost and far from anyone who might help. The black mass was a wall blocking the room's entrance. This was good for buffering Florian's scream of terror when a single droplet like dark arterial blood and the pink of fresh meat touched his skin. The pain was unbearable and scalding. A dark intelligence heavy with malice pressed against his mind almost instantaneously and enclosed around it with a vice-like grip. All of his muscles seized and twisted to the point of almost tearing. The torment only stopped after he began to feel despair. The malicious presence seemed to lick away at that and nestled comfortably deep down in his flesh. This thing within him...whatever it was...it intended to use him… and would slowly devour his life in doing so.
Florian's mouth moved but it was no longer him.
"It would appear I was right to keep an eye on you. There is much at stake just as you surmised. The princess is not the only one with an affinity with the Goddesses. You will service me for as long as your flesh will hold."
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It was a sensation like flying…and then floating. His movements were swift and flowing, smooth and liquid. Florian had never moved so deftly in his life. His footsteps lightly padded from rooftop to rooftop as he leapt through the cool, late night air.
He remembered seeing Sheikah warriors practicing their skills during the one time he had visited Kakarikko village as a child with his father, a traveling merchant. He had envied them and been in awe of their abilities. Now here he was, moving like one of them but in great pain and with great strain. The effort left him breathless and exhausted.
When he finally came to land on the largest house in the village it was all his body could do to not lose his footing. His legs felt numb and loosely attached. The entire trip to this very spot had felt like being lost in a hazy dream from which he was slowly awakening. He suddenly heard the voice of the Thing that had violently taken control of his body at Hyrule castle. Its voice was loud in his head.
"So frail and so weak," it spat in frustration, words dripping with disgust. Feeling foggy-headed, Florian wanted to rest but the Thing wrenched him straight and erect, forcing him to look for a way to enter the house through an unobtrusive opening. Once inside they crept stealthily along a hallway with no hint of a squeak or groan from the wooden floorboards. Florian felt himself forced to a jarring halt as he neared a staircase when they heard two voices coming from a sitting room just below.
"I have told you already once before Yuzu," said a voice belonging to an older man. The voice spoke irritably with tiredness. "I have yet no intentions of announcing who is to succeed me as village chief." The old man launched into a terrible fit of coughing.
"Let me pour you—" said the voice of the man whom Florian recognized as Yuzu. Dread crept through him. The older man interrupted briskly.
"My successor," the old man said raising his voice, "is concerning themselves with the work that needs to be done right now, and not wasting time pursuing selfish interests."
"I assume you are referring to Impa," Yuzu said with genuine disappointment tinged with bitterness.
"Under Impa's leadership many great rediscoveries in the use of our people's lost technology has been made," the older man replied. There was approval and pride in his voice for a moment before turning back to admonishment. "What have you been doing besides pretending to check on the failing health of an old man?"
"Elder Butan," Yuzu began with a note of incredulousness, "with all due respect, but it may have escaped your notice during your convalescence, but my son and brother have greatly contributed to the efforts made in researching our people's technology. My family—"
"Stop!" the older man rebuked sharply. His voice lashed like a whip. "There is nothing more shameful than to use the accomplishments of others to exalt yourself." A long, tense pause between the two men ensued.
Florian could feel the impatience of the thing within him swell to a breaking point. It was searching for something and tired of being delayed. Its voice directed its baleful attention upon him again.
"Tell me where it is," it thundered harsh and vicious in an internal monologue only he could hear. It was prepared to forcefully glean any and all knowledge possessed by Florian to help it get what it wanted. A sharp spear of pain lashed his nerves. Florian wanted to scream. An orb…large enough to fit in clasped palms, round, polished smooth and made of blue moonstone appeared in the forefront of his mind. The orb sat on a pedestal in the same room as the one Elder Butan and Yuzu were currently occupying. Florian felt the thing's anger come ablaze and he recoiled expecting further assault.
"Yuzu I grow tired of this conversation," Elder Butan simmered in warning. "While I do not approve of your reasons for wanting the role of chief," the elder's voice paused for a moment as though he had come to a sudden realization. "I… I know your motivations are not rooted in…great darkness. I will speak of succession no further tonight."
"I apologize. Please forgive my misplaced concerns," Yuzu forced out brisk and tight. There was a pause before he continued in that same tone of realization as the elder. "Yes…At the moment we should focus our attentions on more important matters."
Florian could hear Yuzu collect himself and then retire from the Elder's home. Quick and stealthily, the Thing forced him to hide and wait with patience in the shadows. They waited until they heard the old man retire to his rooms. Once certain the perfect opportunity had arrived, Florian was moved to the room below. The room was dark and illuminated by little light coming through the windows from the night sky. The thing moved quick to find the orb exactly where Florian's memory had shown where it'd be. Florian had recalled as a child the orb appearing more crystal clear with a tinge of glassy blue. The orb in front of him looked like a black ball in the darkness. His hand reached greedily to grasp it.
"Stop where you are," came a steely voice from behind him. Florian recognized it as belonging to Elder Butan. "What are you doing in my home?"
Florian grasped the black orb tightly. He leapt high in the air to land on the banister of the staircase and then stepped down with a supernatural grace. He halted when Yuzu stepped out from the entrance of the upstairs hallway. He was a middle age man trim and lithe, dressed in traditional Sheikah garments of white, red and dark blue. His white hair like the elder was pulled up into a top knot.
"You are skilled without a doubt," Yuzu observed, genuinely impressed. "I've known few with such light footsteps, but even if you were completely noiseless, we were still made aware of your presence." Yuzu's eyes went to the black orb in Florian's hands.
"It absorbs the intentions of others – dark and pure. And I have never in all my days as an elder seen the moonstone blacken as it has tonight." Elder Butan leveled in a hard, graveled voice. "Who are you?"
Florian ignored the old man. Instead, he tucked the orb into a pack on his back with the clever hands of a magician and replaced it with a single short blade. Elder Butan and Yuzu were cutting off his exits. The Thing seemed to have every intention of leaving the way it came, and that meant going through Yuzu. However, Florian felt his gaze forcefully shift to the elderly man who despite his show of strength was clearly not in good health. This had not stopped the old man from moving with a surprising quickness to position himself at the bottom of the bookcase. Florian watched the old man quiver as he suppressed another violent coughing fit. In his moment of weakness, the old man staggered forward. Everything then happened quickly.
Knife in hand, Florian launched himself down the stairs with what looked like the intentions of burying it deep in the elder's chest. Yuzu was quick to come to the defense of the old man and barreled into Florian from behind with his arms wrapped around Florian's waist. Florian was horrified when the click from the knife in his hand sent its blade projecting forward with great speed and force. A new blade ejected from the knife hilt a split second later.
Yuzu and Florian continued their tumble down the steps. Florian twisted in Yuzu's grasp and with a quick jab he plunged the new blade into Yuzu's back. He raised his hand again to plunge once more, but Yuzu shifted his weight and managed to grasp the wrist of Florian's knife hand. Florian came to straddle Yuzu and using his weight he intended to bring the blade home to rest in the other man's chest.
Florian felt his strength and stamina quickly ebbing. Sheer terror and panic coursed through him, but the Thing was completely immersed in the pleasure of battle. Despite the skills of The Thing controlling his limbs, Florian's body had not been honed and hardened for battle. While Yuzu on the other hand was a trained Sheikah warrior from birth. In a competition of direct strength, Yuzu had the upper hand. In spite of this, the Thing merely sneered down knowingly at Yuzu. Yuzu's eyes widened when the click of the knife went off once again.
Florian watched in great sorrow as the Sheikah man's eyes flashed in surprise and pain. Yuzu's gaze went down to his chest where a blade was embedded deep. Dark blood pooled around the wound and his strong grip on Florian's wrist loosened. Florian still had the bladeless knife hilt in his hand. Yuzu's eyes went to linger on the empty hilt, and then focused on Florian's naked face as though piecing together a puzzle. In their struggle down the stairs Florian's face covering had come undone.
Blood trickled out of Yuzu's mouth. "I know you," recognition flooded his voice.
Florian had never killed anyone before and though he knew it was not himself who had done this terrible thing, it had still been done by his hands. His mouth moved on its own and ominous words that were not his own came out.
"Soon all will know and remember me. And many will remember and know me again."
Yuzu's eyes grew lazy and dull before finally closing.
Florian felt his stomach sicken in horror as he was forced to plunge his hilt down on the end of the blade sticking out of Yuzu's chest. The blade clicked back in place easily. He then looked up to stare at Elder Butan who had slumped to his knees, his back pressed to the wall and his head resting lifelessly to one side. The old man's hand was wrapped around the blade sunk deep through his heart. Florian moved involuntarily to retrieve this blade as well.
He wanted so badly to look away from it all. He felt the sickness in his belly grow as it mixed with perverse satisfaction. The satisfaction didn't belong to him, but the intermingling of it with his own horror made his stomach roll. He was grateful when he felt himself begin to sink into the haze from earlier. Full of guilt and shame he thought about Yuzu's final words. Yuzu had not been talking to the vicious thing that had mercilessly ended his life. He had been speaking directly to Florian.
Author Notes: Hello, I am a amateur writer. I have included an original character. I know people don't tend to like those and I understand why. However, I really am trying to steer away from the Mary Sue thing. I would like him to be a genuinely fleshed out person. Just looking for some constructive feedback and some encouragement. I know there is a lot I'm doing wrong but hope there are some things I'm doing right that I can build upon.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. This is just a fanfiction.
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Prologue: Mother of Monsters
In the beginning there was nothing... and in that nothing there was Vyomi. A consciousness in the black, spacious, never-ending void. A dark presence in the absence of light. Weightless, boundless, with and without shape. Endlessly folding, stretching, bending, curving... the heart of her being at the center of the Nothing could feel all the empty spaces in the many universes. Wrapped in her darkness like a second skin, she extended herself through it and could feel her shadowy borders wisping against the outlines of any light filling one of the once "empties." These once empties were full and spilling over with the light of creation. And once full she no longer felt quite as connected to them. So, she turned her attention to other empty places. These black gems – for a time- were hers and hers alone.
But in the end the Golden Goddesses appeared (the way they always did) except this time wanting her blackest, deepest and most quiet of empty places. If one were to descend through her vast network of hollow dimensions, this particular Empty was at the heart of all her Nothing. It had been a while since they last asked for a space to create. Vyomi was always honored when they did.
There were an endless number of quilt patch pockets of creation. "Worlds" the Goddesses called them. Some of these worlds were close together and others more spread apart. The Goddesses were always working to fill the spaces.
When the Goddesses demanded that she give them what she considered the heart of herself, a treasured black pearl of empty perfection - she obeyed. That was what was expected of her. This was her one and only duty to the Goddesses. But still she wondered if the world they planned to create would be of equal value to what she most treasured, and so she did not gracefully retreat into one of her other empty domains. She remained close to watch the work.
Once again Din... with her strong flaming arms cultivated the land and created red earth. Nayru... poured out her wisdom onto the land and gave it the spirit of law. Farore... with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.
Vyomi paid close attention when Farore created the five races that would inhabit this new world. Farore shaped and molded much like an artist sculpting from clay. At times, adding and taking away, then taking away and then adding. There were bits of misshapen discarded "clay" strewn all about. Life was breath into the five main races and the others meant to inhabit the new world. This world was more beautiful than others they had created. Vyomi felt envy burn through her from within. All the while, the three Goddesses marveled at their world with satisfaction and pride. Their attention captured, Vyomi stealthily reached forward and touched an unobtrusive part deep within the new world. Pulling back, Vyomi's attention was drawn to the strewn bits. They quivered and grasped at life. When the Goddesses noticed, their displeasure was quickly evident. These discarded bits created with disregard were condemned as unbeautiful, strange and misshapen almost immediately. These "monstrosities" would need to be removed.
Vyomi shocked (and feeling surprised and guilty at the audacity of her shock at the three), revealed herself to the Goddesses. The brightness of their light burned against her dark. In reverence to them she allowed that light to diminish her darkness instead of absorbing it. To do so would appear like a challenge and she was already unintentionally showing a level of disrespect by intervening like she was. In contrite deference she bowed, appearing before them like a small, wispy, faded shadow. She pleaded and begged to take custody of the Unintended.
The three Goddesses spoke as one. "What possible use could you have for such as them? They are the Mistaken. Refuse... They are not welcome in this world of light."
Shame and something else she had never felt before burned through her. She forced herself to not give attention to that latter feeling for fear it would reveal itself on her face.
"I am alone and cannot create like you," she allowed her shame to speak for her. "Please, I will take them far from this World of Light."
The three Goddesses of Creation loathed to unmake what was made even if made by mistake. They allowed Vyomi to take the Unwanted. She hastily gathered them into her folds of darkness and receded from the new World of Light that would soon be called Hyrule. In time Vyomi would call the Unwanted her Nulli.
The three Goddesses watched as Vyomi retreated from Hyrule. Her darkness was a long cloak that dragged over the land and the very sky. When almost all parts of her had gone, a piece of her cloak snagged on the bright shining moon, veiling it in a shroud of black for a span of time.
Nayru, wisest and most intuitive of the three, narrowed her eyes in scrutiny. The bright shining moon had slowly been unveiled again. Its light remained luminous but still looked as though it were shining through a veil – albeit a much thinner one. "Her presence has undoubtedly affected other things."
Just then a strong, malcontented wind blew in from the direction of the golden desert. Farore took note of the wind's scent. It seemed to course with strange energy. Its aura an unruly red rather than a undaunting green. It blew erratically and then rushed up toward the moon as though chasing after something. It howled and swirled high above their heads, slashing through the clouds that now covered the moon, as though to break through a closed door with demands to enter. For a brief moment the moon's light was tinted a strange red color. The tantrum garnered no response and the erratic wind soon moved off to unknown destinations to continue its wild wayward travels.
"A strange wind that is not a wind at all," Farore decided solemnly.
Din stared off just as concerned in the direction that the wind had come from. "Are we so concerned about these affected things that we would tear everything down and start from the beginning?"
The three observed the beauty surrounding them from every direction with motherly love. They eventually reached out their hands to one another to create a circle. They had resolved to conduct the simple completion ritual that always concluded their work. It was an agreement to interfere no further on a large scale unless absolutely dire. They squeezed one another's hands in reassurance and infused their words with power.
"This world has been made and is as it will be - for good… and for bad."
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Notes: A few notes about the story. I have taken some liberties to change a few things. #1, The blood moon is not necessarily connected to Ganon's power spilling over and out of Zelda's seal. #2 Monsters have not been seen in Hyrule since Ganon was last defeated 10,000 years ago. Oh, and the story starts just before the day of the Calamity (within a few months to a year of that fated day). There are some other things but these are what come to my mind most immediately.
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Chapter 1: A small forgotten library deep in Hyrule Castle...
Dust floated in the torchlight like fuzzy, slow-drifting dandelion seeds. They tickled Florian's nose. His every movement to carefully turn a page of the ancient text in his hand sent the dust particles into a dancing frenzy. He pinched his nose to halt a cascade of uncontrolled sneezing. His eyes squinted to make out a more difficult to read passage. Giving up he reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose.
"Another goddess? In service to the three," he voiced aloud in surprise. His voice sounded stark and stilted in the small room. He felt his throat tense and stifled a cough. He'd never been so deep into Hyrule castle before. In fact, he wasn't too sure how he'd even gotten to his current location. Though as he had descended deeper into the bowels of the castle, it had felt like a foreboding had been licking at his heels, pushing him to and fro. He couldn't shake the feeling of being observed. The room was stifling with its lack of free-flowing air and the impenetrable darkness just beyond his torchlight was unnerving.
Nonetheless, he urged himself on. Although he was only an apprentice to one of the lower ranked royal scholars, he'd been working as tirelessly as any of the castle scholars in service to King Rhoam and Princess Zelda. Their goal was to reveal any and all information that could help them to better understand the Ancient Sheikah technology. Their hard work had brought forth many new advances to better prepare the kingdom for the coming Calamity. Still, when it came down to it there wasn't much certainty as to when that calamity would occur. This very thought boar into him with piercing urgency. So much was at stake.
In honesty, he would likely get in trouble if his… master. Florian felt the very word catch in his throat. "That pompous ass is definitely not my master," he grumbled to himself. Still if said jackass found out about his secret excursions into the deeper parts of Hyrule castle he'd be in trouble.
The lower levels had been deemed off limits out of concerns for safety for quite a while now. Most of the books believed to be useful for achieving their goals had been brought up from the lower levels anyway. But still he had wondered if anything had been overlooked and that persistent curiosity had helped him to find an unexplored area.
He'd been lucky he hadn't fallen and seriously injured himself when the floor in a corner of one of the emptied libraries on the lowest level had caved in. Florian had kept this new discovery to himself. He couldn't risk losing his position and he'd also wanted to show anyone who doubted him that he was more than a glorified old timey secretary.
It hadn't occurred him to explore the lower levels until he'd been looking through a discarded pile of older books deemed useless in his not-master's work chamber. The not-master was more interested in tinkering with all the bits of ancient tech being excavated rather than translating books anyway. Some books were written in an old Hylian dialect, some in the language of ancient Sheikah (often encrypted) and others in the old tongues used by the other races.
Florian had always had an ear for languages, and he had learned a lot in his current position. He had been especially intrigued when he came across a text that briefly discussed monsters. Not much was known about their origins except that anytime they had appeared in Hyrule they had acted as allies to one of Ganon's many incarnations. This same text had mentioned a "mother of monsters." He had tried talking to the not-master about this, but the not-master had dismissed Florian's interest in the subject.
Obviously, Ganon was the origin of monsters. Ganon conjured them and they appeared when Ganon appeared. What else needed to be known? Florian had also been told that he'd mistranslated "mother" and that the word was clearly "father." He could still hear Prestwick's snooty voice. Or Prickwick as he liked to call him. Not to his face these days but it would be nice if he could get away with it. Florian scowled. He needed this apprenticeship. So instead he sighed in frustration.
No matter what insults he came up for his not-master in his head (and he could admit, like his studies in engineering, those needed work too) it still didn't change the fact that he had been unfairly ranked an apprentice scholar and Prestwick a master. When the results of their placement exams at the Institute of Hyrule had posted, Prestwick hadn't smirked or rubbed it in his face. He'd given Florian a cold, pitying look. It'd been hard to swallow back his anger. It was even harder to believe that as children that they had been friends of a sort. All short lived, of course. It'd ended in disaster.
Florian hadn't seen Prestwick in 7 years and then after turning 15 he found himself suddenly face to face with him again at the Institute. Florian had earned a spot at the Institute as a student but with no way to pay for it. He'd left home without his father's blessing and had known better than to ask for help. The Institute told him if he could find a Master who was willing to take him on as an apprentice for one year, if after the one year the master found him competent, he would be recommended for a scholarship. Simple enough, right? That was until the last person he expected made the only offer he was going to get in time for the start of the semester.
A few months into apprenticeship…
"So, correct me if I'm wrong? Instead of completing the tasks I gave you earlier, you decided to focus all your attentions on monster lore? How does any of that help us to better control the Guardians?" Prestwick scolded him like a young child despite the fact that he was only a year older. "If you can't be useful then there's no reason for you to be here. You're fortunate to even be here at all."
Florian imagined himself burning holes of Guardian-like devastation through Prestwick's inflated head until it caved in on itself. He had in fact finished his tasks from earlier, but Prestwick hated Florian exploring interests that he thought were a waste of time. Florian was convinced Prestwick's arrogance had a lot to do with him being Sheikah and Florian not so much. Although, Prestwick had achieved the rank of Master Scholar at such a young age, he was still at the bottom of the pecking order as far as masters went. Florian could still feel the air of self-importance rolling off Prestwick - slapping his face and gut-checking his stomach.
However, priorities still in check, Florian began making his secret descents. He figured what he did in his personal time in the later hours after his duties were complete weren't likely to bring much attention. He couldn't chance bringing up any of the books he found since he would have no choice but to tell the truth about where he got them. He eventually came across a curious book that contained a deity crest he had never seen before.
The book had been written by a Gerudo sage from thousands of years before. Florian suspected the book was enchanted to have held up as long as it had so far. He had been translating pieces of the book over the last few months. The work in doing so had been tedious since the book happened to be written in Gerudo, cryptic in its vernacular in most of its pages. He'd even found a book written by a Sheikah sage written in Ancient Sheikah, also making cryptic but corresponding mention of this deity of space and shadow. Tonight, he thought he would try putting together pieces he had translated from the book written in Gerudo so far.
"Pee…peeping…no that's an S…Seeing. Scrying maybe? The Scrying Pool of Vyomi?" he said looking back and forth between the book and some of his own notes. There were no scrying pools left in Hyrule to the best of Florian's knowledge. Most had been destroyed during the Hylian Wars. Likely destroyed by opposing forces not wanting their opponents to know their movements and so forth. This scrying pool was hidden and different from any others that had existed. It was a tool of divination that had the power to converse with this lesser goddess. It also hinted at being able to connect with other worlds beyond Hyrule.
Florian's body hummed with excitement. His hands gripped the book possessively. He had to force himself to hold it more gently - enchanted or not. If such a pool could be found and used, they could find out the exact date of the Calamity. Florian frowned slightly. As helpful as the book had been so far, it had not exactly explained the Goddess Vyomi's connection to Ganon or his monsters. He put that thought aside for the time being and went back to puzzling out more passages.
The pool was hidden. But, of course it was. Not only that, but its activation required pieces of a magical artifact and recitation of an incantation by one who has an affinity with the Goddesses. His groan deepened as he read that the incantation had something to do with the blood moon. A time when wild magic abounded freely. Blood moons were near impossible to predict.
"An affinity with the Goddesses?" he said in his quiet whisper. "Surely that must mean the princess. It's said she's of their blood line."
Florian knew what he had to do. Truthfully, there would be immense satisfaction in rubbing this information in Prestwick's face. Prestwick would predictably follow the chain of command by taking the information to the head master scholar who would take it to King Rhoam. And his accomplishment of being the one who found the information in the first place would somehow become Prestwick's accomplishment. Life would continue. Prestwick would become an even more insufferable prick than he already was, and Florian would continue to be a lowly scribe. Prestwick's lowly scribe.
Mind made up, Florian decided he would get the book and its contents in the hands of the princess directly himself. He tucked away the precious cargo into his satchel and reached to take the burning torch he'd arrived with from the holder on the wall. The discomfort he had tucked away under the excitement of his discovery had begun to push to the surface again. His deep dive into the book had distracted him from the droplets of sweat snaking their way down his spine. A moment later something colder and icier than his sweat swept its fingers up his back. Florian whirled around as though to strike away that coldness. The enveloping darkness in the room seemed to lean back from his torchlight.
Light and shadow battled each other against the walls. He'd never felt this way before on one of his descents. The urge to flee from the room was stronger than ever, but he had taken so many twists and turns this time around… Which way out? He licked his lips and began to feel lightheaded as he peered into the darkness. Doing so made him feel disoriented and off balance, but he couldn't look away.
The thick darkness seemed to be moving with life. He flinched and pressed his back against the wall. The torchlight seemed to be dying and he felt his fear grow. His mind shifted back to the importance of the book. With what remained of his courage he swung the torch forward to force back whatever seemed intent on swallowing him whole. Darkness always ran from the light, didn't it? But to his horror his torch came to a complete halt, half embedded in the thickness of the black something. Strength drained from his hand in that moment.
The blackness moved slowly to swallow the torch whole. Then the cloud began to glow a color that made Florian think of death and blood. He was trapped in that small space, lost and far from anyone who might help. The black mass was a wall blocking the room's entrance. This was good for buffering Florian's scream of terror when a single droplet like dark arterial blood and the pink of fresh meat touched his skin. The pain was unbearable and scalding. A dark intelligence heavy with malice pressed against his mind almost instantaneously and enclosed around it with a vice-like grip. All of his muscles seized and twisted to the point of almost tearing. The torment only stopped after he began to feel despair. The malicious presence seemed to lick away at that and nestled comfortably deep down in his flesh. This thing within him...whatever it was...it intended to use him… and would slowly devour his life in doing so.
Florian's mouth moved but it was no longer him.
"It would appear I was right to keep an eye on you. There is much at stake just as you surmised. The princess is not the only one with an affinity with the Goddesses. You will service me for as long as your flesh will hold."
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It was a sensation like flying…and then floating. His movements were swift and flowing, smooth and liquid. Florian had never moved so deftly in his life. His footsteps lightly padded from rooftop to rooftop as he leapt through the cool, late night air.
He remembered seeing Sheikah warriors practicing their skills during the one time he had visited Kakarikko village as a child with his father, a traveling merchant. He had envied them and been in awe of their abilities. Now here he was, moving like one of them but in great pain and with great strain. The effort left him breathless and exhausted.
When he finally came to land on the largest house in the village it was all his body could do to not lose his footing. His legs felt numb and loosely attached. The entire trip to this very spot had felt like being lost in a hazy dream from which he was slowly awakening. He suddenly heard the voice of the Thing that had violently taken control of his body at Hyrule castle. Its voice was loud in his head.
"So frail and so weak," it spat in frustration, words dripping with disgust. Feeling foggy-headed, Florian wanted to rest but the Thing wrenched him straight and erect, forcing him to look for a way to enter the house through an unobtrusive opening. Once inside they crept stealthily along a hallway with no hint of a squeak or groan from the wooden floorboards. Florian felt himself forced to a jarring halt as he neared a staircase when they heard two voices coming from a sitting room just below.
"I have told you already once before Yuzu," said a voice belonging to an older man. The voice spoke irritably with tiredness. "I have yet no intentions of announcing who is to succeed me as village chief." The old man launched into a terrible fit of coughing.
"Let me pour you—" said the voice of the man whom Florian recognized as Yuzu. Dread crept through him. The older man interrupted briskly.
"My successor," the old man said raising his voice, "is concerning themselves with the work that needs to be done right now, and not wasting time pursuing selfish interests."
"I assume you are referring to Impa," Yuzu said with genuine disappointment tinged with bitterness.
"Under Impa's leadership many great rediscoveries in the use of our people's lost technology has been made," the older man replied. There was approval and pride in his voice for a moment before turning back to admonishment. "What have you been doing besides pretending to check on the failing health of an old man?"
"Elder Butan," Yuzu began with a note of incredulousness, "with all due respect, but it may have escaped your notice during your convalescence, but my son and brother have greatly contributed to the efforts made in researching our people's technology. My family—"
"Stop!" the older man rebuked sharply. His voice lashed like a whip. "There is nothing more shameful than to use the accomplishments of others to exalt yourself." A long, tense pause between the two men ensued.
Florian could feel the impatience of the thing within him swell to a breaking point. It was searching for something and tired of being delayed. Its voice directed its baleful attention upon him again.
"Tell me where it is," it thundered harsh and vicious in an internal monologue only he could hear. It was prepared to forcefully glean any and all knowledge possessed by Florian to help it get what it wanted. A sharp spear of pain lashed his nerves. Florian wanted to scream. An orb…large enough to fit in clasped palms, round, polished smooth and made of blue moonstone appeared in the forefront of his mind. The orb sat on a pedestal in the same room as the one Elder Butan and Yuzu were currently occupying. Florian felt the thing's anger come ablaze and he recoiled expecting further assault.
"Yuzu I grow tired of this conversation," Elder Butan simmered in warning. "While I do not approve of your reasons for wanting the role of chief," the elder's voice paused for a moment as though he had come to a sudden realization. "I… I know your motivations are not rooted in…great darkness. I will speak of succession no further tonight."
"I apologize. Please forgive my misplaced concerns," Yuzu forced out brisk and tight. There was a pause before he continued in that same tone of realization as the elder. "Yes…At the moment we should focus our attentions on more important matters."
Florian could hear Yuzu collect himself and then retire from the Elder's home. Quick and stealthily, the Thing forced him to hide and wait with patience in the shadows. They waited until they heard the old man retire to his rooms. Once certain the perfect opportunity had arrived, Florian was moved to the room below. The room was dark and illuminated by little light coming through the windows from the night sky. The thing moved quick to find the orb exactly where Florian's memory had shown where it'd be. Florian had recalled as a child the orb appearing more crystal clear with a tinge of glassy blue. The orb in front of him looked like a black ball in the darkness. His hand reached greedily to grasp it.
"Stop where you are," came a steely voice from behind him. Florian recognized it as belonging to Elder Butan. "What are you doing in my home?"
Florian grasped the black orb tightly. He leapt high in the air to land on the banister of the staircase and then stepped down with a supernatural grace. He halted when Yuzu stepped out from the entrance of the upstairs hallway. He was a middle age man trim and lithe, dressed in traditional Sheikah garments of white, red and dark blue. His white hair like the elder was pulled up into a top knot.
"You are skilled without a doubt," Yuzu observed, genuinely impressed. "I've known few with such light footsteps, but even if you were completely noiseless, we were still made aware of your presence." Yuzu's eyes went to the black orb in Florian's hands.
"It absorbs the intentions of others – dark and pure. And I have never in all my days as an elder seen the moonstone blacken as it has tonight." Elder Butan leveled in a hard, graveled voice. "Who are you?"
Florian ignored the old man. Instead, he tucked the orb into a pack on his back with the clever hands of a magician and replaced it with a single short blade. Elder Butan and Yuzu were cutting off his exits. The Thing seemed to have every intention of leaving the way it came, and that meant going through Yuzu. However, Florian felt his gaze forcefully shift to the elderly man who despite his show of strength was clearly not in good health. This had not stopped the old man from moving with a surprising quickness to position himself at the bottom of the bookcase. Florian watched the old man quiver as he suppressed another violent coughing fit. In his moment of weakness, the old man staggered forward. Everything then happened quickly.
Knife in hand, Florian launched himself down the stairs with what looked like the intentions of burying it deep in the elder's chest. Yuzu was quick to come to the defense of the old man and barreled into Florian from behind with his arms wrapped around Florian's waist. Florian was horrified when the click from the knife in his hand sent its blade projecting forward with great speed and force. A new blade ejected from the knife hilt a split second later.
Yuzu and Florian continued their tumble down the steps. Florian twisted in Yuzu's grasp and with a quick jab he plunged the new blade into Yuzu's back. He raised his hand again to plunge once more, but Yuzu shifted his weight and managed to grasp the wrist of Florian's knife hand. Florian came to straddle Yuzu and using his weight he intended to bring the blade home to rest in the other man's chest.
Florian felt his strength and stamina quickly ebbing. Sheer terror and panic coursed through him, but the Thing was completely immersed in the pleasure of battle. Despite the skills of The Thing controlling his limbs, Florian's body had not been honed and hardened for battle. While Yuzu on the other hand was a trained Sheikah warrior from birth. In a competition of direct strength, Yuzu had the upper hand. In spite of this, the Thing merely sneered down knowingly at Yuzu. Yuzu's eyes widened when the click of the knife went off once again.
Florian watched in great sorrow as the Sheikah man's eyes flashed in surprise and pain. Yuzu's gaze went down to his chest where a blade was embedded deep. Dark blood pooled around the wound and his strong grip on Florian's wrist loosened. Florian still had the bladeless knife hilt in his hand. Yuzu's eyes went to linger on the empty hilt, and then focused on Florian's naked face as though piecing together a puzzle. In their struggle down the stairs Florian's face covering had come undone.
Blood trickled out of Yuzu's mouth. "I know you," recognition flooded his voice.
Florian had never killed anyone before and though he knew it was not himself who had done this terrible thing, it had still been done by his hands. His mouth moved on its own and ominous words that were not his own came out.
"Soon all will know and remember me. And many will remember and know me again."
Yuzu's eyes grew lazy and dull before finally closing.
Florian felt his stomach sicken in horror as he was forced to plunge his hilt down on the end of the blade sticking out of Yuzu's chest. The blade clicked back in place easily. He then looked up to stare at Elder Butan who had slumped to his knees, his back pressed to the wall and his head resting lifelessly to one side. The old man's hand was wrapped around the blade sunk deep through his heart. Florian moved involuntarily to retrieve this blade as well.
He wanted so badly to look away from it all. He felt the sickness in his belly grow as it mixed with perverse satisfaction. The satisfaction didn't belong to him, but the intermingling of it with his own horror made his stomach roll. He was grateful when he felt himself begin to sink into the haze from earlier. Full of guilt and shame he thought about Yuzu's final words. Yuzu had not been talking to the vicious thing that had mercilessly ended his life. He had been speaking directly to Florian.