Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Majora's War - Kyou Kai

-Link-

Despite Link's brovado, he did not fall all the way down the well. He immediately took hold of its side and descended. Monster or not, he was going after Soli, both for her sake, and his. It was his actions that had set these things in motion and she was in trouble, whether it be from herself or the monster.

The well was deep, deeper than he expected, and deeper than any well he had ever seen. The trees above kept sunlight from easily reaching the well, and the close encasement of the well made it darker still so he found himself entirely encased in darkness. He could see the light above, but not around him. Link did not know how long he descended, only that it lasted forever in his mind. His skin became wet with a dew and his nostrils filled with the familiar scent of rot and death.

Finally his feet found purchase and something crunched under his feet. He expected to have already encountered the monster, but it seemed the well was larger than expected. He reached out and found the well opened into an underground cavern. There was more to these extreme Sheikah than met the eye. He blindly entered the cavern. Each step crunched on something beneath his feet. Nervously, he pulled out his spear and inched his way forward. The confinement of the cave limited his ability to use his spear, but he would make do.

A light appeared behind him and came closer. He stopped and turned in time to see a couple Fae fly to him and around him. He smiled. "Hey, little guys. Thanks! That's a big-ohMYGAWD!" Link jumped back.

Beneath his feet was a combination of skeletons and shell like structures. The shell structures extended from the floor, to the walls, to the ceiling. Looking all around, it was everywhere. It was familiar, like he had seen it before...

"Was this... a Fae Grove?" Link finally asked. He looked to the Fae that flew around him. One flew close and nodded sadly.

Link gulped. He got the important details from Impa, but it seemed there was more to this place than met the eye. Children, orphans raised from a young age to be powerful warriors. Were they all expected to kill their peers like Zant did in a show of strength, or was he one that went out of control? Was Zant created by these extremists on purpose or was he an accidental prodigy? Link still carried the scars from his fight with Zant. Was Soli like Zant? Why did they use a grove? Why were the Fae imprisoned in glass bottles?

Questions one after another raced through Link's mind, but just as he asked them in his heart, he felt there was no answer he could give, and even worse, he didn't want to know. He grew up with a simple existence as a child slave. yet... the country all around, before and during his innocent years, was suffering and perverted and twisted piece after piece... by what? It was almost like the country had a sickness in it. From the things Link had heard from Zelda, Ganondorf, the Fae, and Impa, it sounded like the son of King Shorlin had brought a great sickness into Qin.

"Qin is sick," Link whispered. He looked at the Fae. They were weak and their light was dim. He didn't know if they could be bruised or broken, but they just looked so weak and hurt. His heart broke. "Zelda will make it better. I swear. What was done here will not happen again. Already your Fae are accepted in the capital and old wounds are being mended."

The saying surprised them, and he saw they were skeptical, but there was little he could do about that. From the condition of the area, it seemed they had been imprisoned a long time. They would have to see it to believe it. At least he could give them a hint of hope.

Link heard a weak roar in the distance, and turned to face it. He gripped his spear tightly and whispered, "Let's go. Be careful." Link entered the cavern further, his steps illuminated by his companions. Unbeknownst to him, a Fae grove was not merely a hole in the ground, but a vast underground network of tunnels comparable to an ant colony. The most ancient of groves extend to the center of the world and to caverns large enough to produce their own ecosystems. Thankfully Link did not have to go far. This grove was very young at the time of its subjugation.