Suddenly, Ukyo and Link gasped and backed off in surprise. Just now, they had watched the king and chancellor laughing about something, and Ganondorf looked like he had forced himself to smirk. But then, he had jerked his head around and stared through the window they've been crouching at.
"What's wrong?" Zelda asked in alarm. "Did he see you?"
"I'm afraid so, yeah..." Ukyo gulped.
"Don't worry," Zelda reassured them. "He knows nothing about our plans... We just have to hurry."
"Don't worry!" Link said and made a fist. "We'll find those spiritual stones, I'll see to it."
Zelda smiled at them. "Thank you very much, both of you!" She produced a small piece of paper. "Wait a minute... I'll write a quick letter so you can show others that you are on a mission on my behalf. Also, my confidant Impa will teach you a very important song."
She turned around to face Akane. "Akane, could you please fetch your mother? It's urgent."
Akane nodded sharply. "Yes, right away!" She took her little Cucco and ran back inside.
Intrigued, Zelda looked at the two forest children. "I have to admit, I'm curious... It's not very often that one of the Kokiri leaves his or her forest home, so we don't get many tales from them. Please... could you tell me what life in the forest is like?"
Ukyo scratched her head. "Well... I have to admit, we've been living in the forest for all this time, and we never came out of it, so I'm afraid Hyrule Town is the only place outside of the woods we've seen by now... But..." She smiled. "I can certainly tell you I like the forest life. Kokiri and their fairies try to get along with most of the wood creatures, as long as they are no monsters... And the Great Deku Tree protected us all."
"The fairies..." Zelda looked up at the shimmering forms of Tatl and Navi. "I heard every Kokiri has his or her own fairy... is that true?"
"Yeah, that about sums it up," Tatl nodded. "We watch out for them, and they protect us from bigger creatures... actually, it's a pretty good deal for both sides."
"That sounds so interesting..." Zelda said in awe. "I wish I had a fairy guardian, too... The four of you must be pretty close friends if you knew each other for all that time..."
Navi blushed. "I... I'm not... I'm just trying to do my best..." How should she explain to the princess that she had only recently turned into Link's guardian?
"I think it's great that Link has a great friend he can rely on like you, Navi," Zelda said.
Navi blushed even deeper... She desperately tried avoiding to show the others just how much she grew to like the blonde-haired boy...
Tatl grinned and nudged her. "Hey, don't be ashamed... the princess just complimented you!"
"Th-thank you..." Navi mumbled nervously.
The princess smiled. "It was my pleasure!"
Just then, Akane came back into the courtyard, followed by a middle-aged Sheikah woman, dressed in fine armor.
"Everyone, this is my mother," Akane said.
Impa nodded. "I am Impa, last warrior of the Sheikah... My daughter told me about your mission, and I have to say, you two are pretty brave for such young children."
Link and Ukyo went red. Link in embarrassment, as he wasn't used to such praise... and Ukyo with anger, because she didn't like how the woman treated her like a child.
"The letter the princess gave you will show every royal soldier in Hyrule that you are on a mission on her behalf. But... there are other tribes in Hyrule that may be a little harder to convince... For this, I'll teach you a special song... A melody that has been passed down from generation to generation of the members of the royal family, and to their guardians... This melody will show others that you are in direct contact with a member of the royal family."
Ukyo grimaced. "A song... I must say I can't remember melodies very well. Um, Link... you take care of this, okay?"
Link smiled as he produced the Fairy Ocarina Saria had given to him. "Sure!"
"Now listen carefully..." Impa put two fingers to her mouth and whistled a nice-sounding tune.
Link listened, put the ocarina to his lips and played along with the Sheikah.
After a while, Impa nodded and lowered her hand. "That should do it! I wish you good luck, to the both of you."
She turned around to face her daughter. "Akane... you will go with them."
"M-me?" Akane squeaked in surprise. "Wh-why?"
"They need someone to show them the way to the two tribes that are holding on to the remaining two stones, and your abilities will be a great help to them. Besides, it will be a good training for you, and I think it's time you get some contact with someone your own age. It's for your good, believe me."
Akane sighed. She still didn't trust those forest children, but she didn't dare defying her mother... or the princess. "Yes, Mom..."
Zelda raised her hand to say goodbye. "Have a safe journey... I will try to convince my father some more."
"We'll come back as soon as possible," Ukyo said wholeheartedly.
Impa put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Akane, I'm counting on you... Please, show them the way out."
"All right," the young Sheikah girl nodded, then turned around to her two new travel companions. "Come, it's this way..."
----
While Akane and the two green-clothed children left the courtyard, a small Cucco chick was sitting on a windowsill and looked after her.
'Akane...' Ryoga mentally sighed. 'What should I do? Shall I go after her... or would I only be a burden?'
Suddenly, he felt himself being picked up by someone. Letting out a tweet of surprise, he glanced up at the serious face of another Sheikah girl, slightly older than Akane.
"I need to talk to you for a moment, 'C-chan'..." Nabiki muttered.
She carried him into the Tendo family's room in the servant's quarters, where she had prepared a tub with hot water. She tossed the little Cucco inside and waited.
When the flailing Ryoga came bursting out of the water, she didn't bother to turn around, as most Gorons were naked all the time.
"C-could you be a little more careful next time, Nabiki?" Ryoga coughed. "You know how nervous we Gorons are when in water..."
"Never mind that now..." Nabiki interrupted. "I only want to ask you one question, Ryoga: Do you care about my little sister?"
The rocky boy stared at her. "Of course I do. Why shouldn't I...?"
Nabiki looked at him sternly. "Because I just saw how you let her go all by herself and didn't go after her. We know that while Akane is a better fighter than both me and Kasumi, she's still a beginner... And I don't believe both you and me have a really big trust into the abilities of those forest kids..."
"So... what do you expect me to do?" Ryoga asked.
Nabiki responded with a look that seemed to say 'What a stupid question'. "Go after her, silly!"
"B-but what if she finds out that I'm C-chan...?"
"Ryoga, listen... You know I've never been too happy that you're sleeping in my little sister's bed and pretended to be her pet Cucco... But at the same time, I know you had some hard times in your life: Your bad sense of direction, your curse and your fear of water. But trust me with this one: Going after Akane and helping her is the first step to show her that she is more to you than just a friend... and perhaps she will forgive you, if you decide to tell her about your curse one day."
Ryoga had to admit that Nabiki had a point. He looked out of the window.
"Akane..."
Nabiki smirked and gestured outside with her head. "What are you waiting for?"
----
"I really hope they have a safe trip..." Princess Zelda said to her nursemaid and bodyguard.
"Don't worry," Impa reassured her. "They have already beaten one demon, and Akane is with them. I think they will do fine."
Then, they both yelped in surprise, when something resembling a rocky boulder came crashing down on the ground next to them and began rolling out of the courtyard at an amazing speed.
"AKANE! WAIT FOR ME!"
Zelda gasped. "By Nayru... what was THAT?"
Impa smirked as she looked after the form of the rolling Goron. "I believe it's a tough guy with a soft spot for my little daughter..."
----
Ryoga panted as he stood next to Akane and her two companions. "A... Akane, I'm sorry that I couldn't... that I didn't catch up with you earlier..."
"Don't worry," Akane smiled. "I'm glad you decided to join us... Although I must say I'm surprised that you didn't get lost this time, while following me."
Ryoga looked up in surprise. "I didn't?"
Akane grinned and shook her head. "Nope."
A single tear was flowing down Ryoga's solid cheeks... This had to be the happiest day in his life. Even if this was a one-time accident, he somehow knew that no matter what, he would always find a way back to Akane...
"So, you're a Goron, huh?" Ukyo asked while they were walking past the town's gates. "Interesting for a forest dweller like me to meet a mountain guy like you."
Ryoga chuckled. "Yeah, pretty amazing... Although, I don't come home too often..." He gave off a sad sigh. Then he snarled angrily. "Everything... just because of that damn Ranma..."
Suddenly, Ukyo stopped.
The other ones stopped as well and turned around. "Hey, Ukyo," Link said. "What's wrong?"
"Ranma..." Ukyo murmured. "Ranma... somehow... that name sounds familiar..."
"Well, if you know Ranma, than I hope you're not his friend," Ryoga grumbled. "Because I'll kill him if I ever see him again!"
Navi and Tatl backed off nervously... An angry Goron was not a pretty sight.
Suddenly, it all came back to Ukyo: Her family's cart... her dying father... her suffering... the bald man... and his son, the boy with the pigtail..."
Ukyo growled as she remembered the one person who was responsible for the misery she had lived through before she came to the Kokiri... and for her father's death.
"Ranma Saotome..." she snarled.
----
Nodoka and her family were just walking up the banks of the Zora River, when suddenly, her daughter sneezed.
"What wrong, honey?" she asked and turned around.
'Ranko' sniffed while riding on the blue, winged bear her father had turned into. "I don't know..." the little Zora girl shuddered. "But somehow, I have this inexplicable feeling of doom..."
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(Posted Sun, 10 Dec 2006 21:46)
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