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"Mindtrap"MindtrapBy: ShogunChapter One: Hunted It was said that their power ended at the stone arch, but even if she believed that, she knew that she could never reach it. She tried, oh, how she tried, yet in her heart she knew that no prey could escape these hunters. It was a bitter thought. The stone swirled under Nabooru's feet as though it were the River of Sand, drawing her down, enveloping her feet. She stumbled; she tried to crawl away, to no avail. She was sinking, no longer even in liquid stone, but in...evil. It felt like vile slime slowly swallowing her. Dark malevolence whispered horrible promises in her ear, a constant babble of madness buzzing in her skull. Her own thoughts drowned in that ocean, struggling to take rational form in her head. She screamed. As her head lifted in terror, seeking some sign from the heavens that she would be saved, she saw him. The green boy, standing on the right hand of the Colossus. That kid, Link. That was his name. She cried out to him. "LINK! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" She writhed hopelessly in the slimy vice of the sorceresses. "These...WITCHES! They're using black magic on me! Run!" The dark energy pulled her down further, swallowing her shoulders, working its way up to her chin. She was horrified to realize she could no longer even feel the rest of her body. She wanted to scream again. His eyes seemed to plead for her survival, but she knew that they were both helpless. Those twins, circling her like vultures over a dying animal, could not be stopped by the likes of him. He was only a child. She only prayed that they would not notice him. As blind hands groped her, pulling her down, she screamed one last time,
giving away all breath. "AAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!" The world vanished. She stood on nothing, surrounded by nothing. In the distance was a single shining light, unwavering, yet opposite the light lay deep shadows, shifting endlessly. Her muscles felt cramped; her insides felt bloated. Silent discomfort filled her body. The light seemed familiar, yet she could not remember what it was. Come home, daughter, said a voice in the darkness. Come to us. We can protect you. Let us save you. Nabooru turned towards the shadows, peering into the inky blackness. Who are you? she asked. She tried to ask it; her throat felt tight, and it came out as a croak. Another voice seemed to answer her, though. We are who we are, and you are who you've always been. Please come here. You can be safe. Why should I listen to you? she thought weakly, not even trying to tell them aloud. She turned away, turned to the light. She walked-was it walking?-towards it. Pain lanced through her. She staggered, shocked at the suddenness of sensation. Why should you hurt yourself so, daughter? said the voices in unison from behind her. We alone can save you from the pain. We will shelter you, if only you would let us. Nabooru had never been one to depend on others. She straightened, somehow staring defiance at the darkness without turning her head. She moved forward, determined not to let the watchers see weakness. The pain only increased with every step, rising from an endless ache to an all-consuming fire in her veins. She shut her eyes tightly, as much as because of the pain as to protect her eyes from the blinding light. It felt like the blazing desert sun on her face. She saw red even through her eyelids, even as she covered her face with her hands. She had felt pain before, yet she had never felt so vulnerable to it. She had always thought she had callused, had grown a thick skin towards physical sensation. This light stripped away all protection; it left her quivering and naked inside. She crumpled, huddling against herself, trying desperately to flee. She wanted to leave the pain behind. The nothingness swirled. She stood on nothing, surrounded by nothing. In the distance was a single shining light, unwavering, yet opposite the light lay deep shadows, shifting and changing. Her muscles felt cramped; her insides felt bloated. Silent discomfort filled her body. The light seemed familiar, yet she could not remember what it was. Come home, daughter, said a voice in the darkness. Come to us. We can protect you. Let us save you. A brief moment of awareness made her gasp. Or, she tried to gasp, her throat seemed tighter than before. She remembered the pain of the light; she remembered cowering before it. Fury and indignation welled up in her, mingled with fear. She had never cowered like that before, not ever. She had fled, and known defeat, but never cowered. Certainly not out of fear, or pain. Please let us save you. We will shelter you from the pain. We want to save you. Come, and embrace us... The Gerudo's pride would not let her give in to them. Forcing stiff legs-Did she even have legs, here? Was this place even real?-she took her first step towards the light once more. The pain came again, and she was not surprised. What did surprise her was that she stumbled. Her knees felt weak, and tiredness spread through her shoulders, her back, turning muscle to water. Her neck seemed about to give way, ready to snap under the weight of her own head. As though she were on a sand dune, she slid backwards, slid through nothing on nothing to that strange limbo between the light and the darkness. She wept with frustration, shedding silent tears that had not touched her eyes in years. She had never felt so helpless. Please, daughter, said the voice again. It sounded like an old mother, hurt and offended by her rebellious child. Come to us. We want to embrace you, as we know you wish to embrace us. Come here, and you will never have to feel as you do now again. Standing on unsteady legs, she turned to the shadows, watching their endless shifting waves. They seemed open arms, waiting for her to come so they could encircle her. Tentatively, her pride wavering, she took a step forward. She nearly gasped in relief. The tiredness did not fade, exactly, so much as it felt...distant. Someone else's legs were walking forward; someone else's throat burned. As though she were on a slant, the way forward came instinctively. One foot in front of the other, moving forward was the only way not to stumble. Stopping was out of the question. Her skin felt numb; she stroked one arm with her hand. Not like flesh, it was smooth and cool. Not hers. Someone else's. She wasn't flesh. Of course not, what had made her think that? Open arms, waiting for her. Gliding downhill. Was there something behind her? No, why would there be? Darkness filled her vision. She wasn't moving. Of course not; why would she ever have moved? She was in the embrace of... Odd thought. Inky waves of black against black wavered, hesitated, and closed in. Velvet shadows carressed her mind and soul, wiping away useless memory, soothing away all the troublesome thought she had had to suffer through. She was enveloped. No, there was no enveloping. She was one with it. She was darkness. |