Rise of Ruin

"Avis probably wouldn't have knocked if she knew what was going on and Iridian, all other things that can be said about him, did get her to leave without forcing us to acknowledge her. Maybe he won't give us such a hard time." he said, stroking her back soothingly and nuzzling her cheek. Let's try not to think about it more...all I want to think about tonight is you." he said, kissing her tenderly.

~

Iridian smirked ruefully. The price you pay for this kind of fun, baby. But we'll get some water down you in the morning and it'll go down. We'll see how it goes. Good night, Rag doll." he said, kissing her.

Avis smiled softly at Iridian's kiss, her soft lips closing in acceptance of his as she returned it as well. "Mm...it's no fair...only I get a nickname...I'll think of one for you tomorrow..." she breathed, curling up at his side as she dozed in his arms, sighing his name softly.

Farei sighed and nodded. "I...I guess so. He better not, either." she scowled. Her distressed mood faded with his gentle and sweet affections and she smiled when he nuzzled her. "I guess they are gone now...and I'd like to not think about anything but you as well." she whispered, kissing him tenderly on the lips to return the one he had given her.

Mardian held the kiss, caressing her shoulders and back, and nuzzling her sweetly, slowly working her back into their previous mood. He woke beside her in the morning, smiling faintly at her beautiful sleeping face and woke her with a kiss, stroking her hair and preparing for the day. He didn't know exactly how much longer they were going to have here away from the stress of the situation, and he wished that there were no urgency at all. Once they were back out to travel to the final battle there would be no time or easy opportunities for romance and tensions would be rising all over again. He and Farei ate a simple breakfast and spent a little more time relaxing before the two of them headed outside. They had yet to see Iridian and Avis that morning, and for now, he didn't mind that at all. The awkwardness was something they didn't need. Mardian walked Farei down to the shore of Lake Hylia, they had decided that today was a good day to start her on her swimming lessons and he tugged off his boots and tunic, leaving him in a pair of pants, which he rolled up to the knees. He had bound back his long hair so that it was less likely to get in the way and he stood waiting for Farei to be ready by the water.

~

Iridian presently was tending to a certain hung over young woman in his company that morning. He had gotten her some water and some food to help and he smiled faintly as he rubbed her back. "Next time, Rag doll, you should eat while you drink. Keeps you from getting too drunk too fast." he said.

"I was..."Avis grumbled. "You don't remember the picnic basket..? And couldja keep it down?" she whimpered. Both her eyes and ears were in pain, both especially sensitive that morning.

Thankfully, by the afternoon, her head was feeling much better, and she was more or less back to her overly enthusiastic and cheerful disposition.

Farei had slept wonderfully by the time she had managed to fall asleep and enjoyed a long, hot bath shortly afterwards. When he suggested they try teaching her to swim, she was more than a little apprehensive. She had never once had the chance to try in the desert due to the extreme lack of water and knew it would be much different than taking a bath. After a good deal of searching, Farei managed to find something suitable to swim in and walked out in the shirt he had put her in the night before last, not wanting to show too much just in case Iridian was slithering about. She followed Mardian to the edge of the water and stopped once she was about ankle deep. She looked back at him, nervous.

"It's kind of cold..."

Gayle looked over at the duo, her mask almost seeming to shift to show her emotion. "Clothes?" she asked.

"Yeah. I kinda ruined my old dress when I fought Phantom Ganon and I don't have anything else that would be good. Iridian said I could use a new outfit."

"Well...I do have a stash from visitors that would trade with me. I suppose you could have your way with it," she said, directing the duo towards a nearby room.

Iridian headed to the room that Gayle had specified with Avis. He supposed that the trade that Gayle spoke of must have occurred while she was still among the living. Ghosts didn't buy and sell to his knowledge. Of course, since when had they orchestrated a big 'save the world' rescue mission. He frowned a little as they walked, glancing over at Avis. She seemed so innocent, not like a fighter at all. Well, innocent was a relative term at this stage as many times as he'd taken her aside for some private entertainment, but all the same she didn't seem like the type of girl that would be all that good at risking her neck for the sake of the world. His brother he supposed had the resolve for it, or what did you call it, the intestinal fortitude? Farei? Well, he'd seen that woman pissed and he figured she could handle herself in a pinch.

~

Mardian smiled faintly. "It's really best to just get it all over with at once." he said, "It feels warmer after your body adjusts to the temperature. It is something you should really know how to do, Farei. Come on, let's give it a try. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Avis, of course, had held her own for some years, now. After all, she had managed to steal a machete off of a bokoblin and had managed to use it to take down plenty of creatures, some big ones lately with help from her friends. She even had had the blue candle, of course, that seemed to have vanished during her battle with Phantom Ganon...not that she needed it as much anymore. And of course, with the Triforce of Power, she was now even more of a powerhouse. She glanced towards Iridian, looking up at him softly as she noticed his expression. "Is something wrong?" she asked, looking up at the older man inquisitively.

Iridian's frown melted away instantly and he smiled down at his female companion. "Oh no, I was just thinking, Avis. Nothing to worry your pretty little head over." he said. He realized that he hardly ever called her by her real name when he addressed her, although, he was rather fond of the nickname he had selected for her. It suited her in a lot of the positive ways that people thought of rag dolls. She was cute, sweet, and very pleasant to hold.

Avis smiled softly. "All right, then," she replied, before she let out a soft grin. "You didn't call me 'rag doll' this time. Did you grow tired of it?" she asked, doubting it highly. Coming from him, she didn't mind the nickname at all. The way he spoke, the silky-smoothness of his voice, just about anything sounded truly wonderful to her ears when it passed his lips.

Iridian smiled faintly and kissed her little button nose lightly. "Not a chance little Rag doll." he smiled, draping his arm across her shoulders as they strolled and holding her against his side. "Some things fit too well to be ignored." he smirked.

Avis smirked, playfully shoving him with her weaker arm. "You're such a meanie, Iridian. Always calling me names and hitting me on the butt." Of course, as soon as the reference to her posterior left her lips, she swung her hips, turning it so that her soft cheek hit him in the thigh.

Farei frowned at him and looked back at the water. There was no way she was going to just jump in all willy nilly when she couldn't even swim. She scowled when she saw a few Zora playing about ten meters off in the distance and felt she was being challenged. If only she had been born a Zora instead of a sand walking Gerudo. Tentatively, checking every spot with her toes before she stepped, she moved farther into the water, shivering the whole time. "How am I supposed to just get it all over with at once if you're not even in yet?"

Mardian smirked faintly, a hint of mischief in his eye. "How indeed." he said before his long legs had him to her in and instant and both of them were flung down into the shallows. He had made absolute sure that Farei's head was the last to go under and he brought her back up immediately, both of them now soaked to the bone in the water and he laughed at her sopped state, helping her back to her feet.

~

Iridian chuckled softly and gave her thigh a firm squeeze. "It's only because it's such an irresistibly adorable butt." he smirked, "And you know I like you being my little rag doll." he said.

"And I like being your rag doll," she replied, leaning on tip-toe to playfully peck at his jaw with her scarred lips. It wasn't long before the duo arrived where Gayle had directed them. It almost seemed like the room was a closet of sorts, with clothes hung along the walls, and various other garments stowed away in dressers lined along the walls.

"Gayle must really like some of these," Avis thought aloud as she started to look through the room. Some of the outfits were sorted together, plenty matching together. It was clear that Gayle had done a great deal of trading with many cultures, some that weren't even native to Hyrule, and Avis was certainly impressed.

"She must have enjoyed playing dress up when she was alive." said Iridian, looking around vaguely, though not with as much interest or enthusiasm as Avis was. He was usually only interested in taking women's clothing off, after all.

"I dunno," Avis replied. "Maybe she didn't like to stand out when she traveled," she said, thinking that perhaps the ghostly woman had visited many of places. As she looked around, it was clear as she began to beam that she was seeing plenty of things to enjoy. She saw something slightly familiar as she rummaged through a certain drawer, pulling out some garments that vaguely resembled bits of Farei's clothing, only on a different scale, as some of these were a little more revealing.

It was then that the young girl felt something...something completely wrong within herself. It was like an incredible heat inside her head, burning at her mind and she let out a scream of pain as she clutched her head, falling to her knees as she felt an incredible surge of power starting to bubble forth within her. What was merely seconds seemed like hours in her mind before she fell over onto her front, still as death.

Farei yelped in fear when he tackled her into the water. The cold seized her limbs for half a second but the adrenaline made her shove him off of her and sit straight up, shivering. She spluttered just a little and turned, punching him square in the chest. "I-It's too cold.." she squeaked, wrapping her arms around herself. It took a while to coax her to deeper water for actual swimming lessons. It was extremely hard just learning to float but she could paddle a bit after an hour or so. She was just feeling confident enough to pull away from Mardian a little bit more when she suddenly felt ill. The magic inside of her wrenched, as if wanting to go toward Gayle's home, and she felt ill. She clutched Mardian's arm tightly to keep from sinking. "We..we have to go inside...something is wrong...Mardian..."

Mardian chuckled when Farei punched him in the chest, and it took him a little time to coax her to come back deeper in the water, but after some reassurance, he managed it, gripping her hand and supporting her at her waist he had her lean forward on her hand and move her arms and legs. She was just starting to get confident when Mardian saw her suddenly lurch and clutch at him. At first, he thought she had simply lost her never and he gripped her gently back to steady her and reassure her, but he got a sinking feeling when she said something was wrong. He trusted her instincts, and if Farei said something was wrong, he believed her. He helped her back to shore, the urgency in her voice hurrying him along to the beach. "Let's go." he said, hurrying back up toward the house.

~

Iridian had been watching Avis browse, and was just thinking how she might look in that gerudoish number she had just been holding up when she suddenly screamed, and not in the good way. Iridian was taken by surprise and he just barely caught her before she slammed her face into the floor, confusion and worry both reflected on his features. "Avis! C'mon, little Rag Doll, answer me...." he said, cradling her in his hold and trying to wake her. He scooped her up in his arms when he couldn't rouse her and raced through the doorways. "Mardian! Gayle! Anyone, something's wrong with Avis!"

Gayle was there within an instant, her pale hand touching the young girl's cheek softly. It wasn't long before Gayle's demeanor seemed shaken as well, and she let out a curse. "Damn...for this to happen now...just when she was getting better...hurry along, Iridian," she said, leading the way to a wider-spaced room, directing Iridian. "Lay her on that bed there...we need to work quickly."

Iridian did as he was told, hurrying Avis to the room and carefully setting her onto the bed, stretching her out as comfortably as he could. "What's wrong with her, Gayle? She was just fine one moment, looking through some of those clothes you showed her to and the next thing I know she's screaming, grabbing her head like it's coming apart and collapsing face first to the floor." he said, gripping Avis' hand. It was clear that the usually easy going and overly laid back man was shaken, and he was frightened for Avis. Much as he made light of things, he cared about the girl, very, very much. "Is she going to be all right? What do we have to do?"

Gayle's tone relayed her uncertainty and fear. "For the longest time, Avis has been...very unstable. Ever since she was a child, her being has been fragile, and slowly degrading. However, that was beginning to change upon her friendship with Mardian, Farei, and the rest. With you, it was nearing a completely healed state. I'm not entirely sure what it is that just caused this drastic change, but...as it stands now, Avis' mind, or rather her soul...it has been shattered," she said grimly. "Avis won't die just yet...but if we do not hurry and piece her back together, she will cease to be, and the consequences will be very dire now that she holds both the Fire Element and the Triforce of Power."

Avis' breathing was almost non-existent, so faint and small. "We must hurry...I'm going to send you to fetch the shards of Avis' soul and piece them together...I need to remain to try and stabilize her for as long as possible."

Iridian listened to her and felt a little guilty after she mentioned how his relationship with her had almost gotten her back to a good state. Would this have happened sooner if things had gone even worse than they had when Mardian and Farei had confronted him? What was he even thinking? Shattered soul?! How the hell was he supposed to 'fetch' these fragments she was talking about? Nothing made sense right now. He looked at Avis, she looked like she didn't have long left, and this was no time for him to be hesitant. He gripped her hand a little tighter. He might not understand any of it, but Gayle seemed to. He looked up at her. "Tell me what I have to do."

"I am going to send you into the realm of Avis' soul," Gayle began touching her forehead to Avis' brow, a light, greenish-white glow surrounding her fingertips. She held out her hand, a wispy orb forming in her palm. "To restore Avis, you must seek out these. These are the shards of her soul, which have been spread throughout her," she explained, the wisp dispersing into the air, clearly a fake, an example to help Iridian understand what he would need to seek out.

"I do not know precisely what obstacles you may face inside...I am certain that you won't face any creatures, but the realm itself may be difficult to traverse. You will have to trust yourself, and trust in me. Have a seat..." she said, pulling up a chair beside the young woman. Once the young man was seated, Gayle began.

Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper as she began to chant, a spell forming. A glow began to shine forth from Avis, slowly at first, but then suddenly spreading outward, beginning to take over the room and seemingly spread even further. No longer was Iridian in Gayle's home. It seemed as if he had been warped to another land entirely. The area seemed very much like a field, yet everything was tinted a dark shade of blue, specks of light floating through the air. The sky itself was as night, with a pale, full moon hung among a beautiful sky. Surrounding the field were many parts of the realm, broken off, detaching into the air, spreading around, lights glimmering in the surrounding area.

A tall, mighty tree stood to the right of Iridian, and the largest glow came at its base. It was Avis, or what appeared to be her, sleeping at the base, but it was clear the extent of the damage done to her. It was as if a doll had been dropped to the floor, chunks of her missing, leaving nothing but empty space within, the rest of her slowly dispersing into streams of light, like sand filtering into the air. From the looks of things, there were only a few, but the chunks were large, and had reached deep into her soul.

"You must hurry, Iridian. I will do what I can to slow the rate of her soul's degradation, but I won't be able to stop it. I'm sure you can see the shards from where you are...be swift, Iridian. They are degrading as well. Once you have gathered them all, return them to the main part of her soul."