Link and Akane were strolling over Hyrule Field, with the Zora Sapphire in their bag. They were glad that this chapter was finally over, but they couldn't help but worry about what the Gerudos would plan next. If what the old witch said was true, not only the Hylian kingdom was in danger, but all of Hyrule.
And there was one other problem: When they rejoined with Ukyo and Ryoga, should they mention Ranma at all?
Akane believed without any doubt that this Ranma was the same one that Ryoga held a grudge against. The way he described the young Zora-girl he bumped into while waiting for Ranma at Jusenkyo made it clear that this girl had been Ranma... or Ranko, respectively.
After giving it some thought, they decided not to tell their two friends for a while - at least not until they knew more about their grudges. And perhaps they wouldn't even meet Ranma again...
"Hey! Listen!" Navi's voice pulled them out of their thoughts. "I've been trying to talk to you two for some time now."
"Oh... sorry, Navi," Link sheepishly said. "What's the matter?"
Navi gestured ahead. "I just wanted to show you something... look who's over there!"
Link grinned when he realized the green-clothed girl that was approaching them from the direction where Death Mountain was lying.
He waved. "Yo, Ukyo! Over here!"
Ukyo saw them and came running. Soon, they could also see the spot of golden light that was hovering next to her head.
"Hey, everyone!" she greeted her friends after catching her breath. "How's it going?"
Link smirked and pulled the Zora Sapphire out of his bag. "Mission accomplished! And you?"
She smirked back and showed him the Goron Ruby. "Same here! So, this should be enough to protect this 'Triforce' thingy from that buffoon Ganondorf, eh?"
Akane looked closer at her face. "Ukyo, what happened? Your face is all green."
"Well, we met..." Tatl started to stay, but quickly shut her mouth when Ukyo glared at her.
When Link, Akane and Navi looked at her questioningly, she sighed. "Look, I'd rather not talk about it, okay? And please, do me a favor and don't mention the word 'owl' around me."
Link and Akane exchanged a confused glance, but shrugged and nodded.
That's when Akane noticed something. "Hey, where's Ryoga?"
"He stayed behind in Goron City," Ukyo explained. "His chief offered him to give him some training after we defeated the Dodongos within their cave, and he accepted. But..." She smiled. "He wanted me to tell you that he will return once as soon as he's finished with the training."
"Well, that's good to hear," Akane said. "But hopefully he won't get lost again..."
"I dunno..." Tatl grinned. "He DID manage to follow us when we left the castle, remember? I guess he likes you so much that he simply can't bother with getting lost, eh?" She winked.
Akane blushed, while her friends giggled.
"So, you defeated some Dodongos?" Link asked. "Cool! The Great Deku Tree once told us about those nasty things... and you and Ryoga managed to beat them by yourselves? Not bad!" He smirked. "Lucky thing you didn't run into one of their kings, eh? I mean, they're supposed to be as big as my house."
But when he saw Ukyo's expression, he looked at her in awe. "You don't say... You... actually met one?"
Ukyo nodded.
"And you... fought him?" Another nod. "But how...?"
"Ryoga... grabbed him by his feet and... ahem... hurled him into a lava pool."
Link stared. "NO WAY! How can that Goron boy be so strong? Wow... I wish I could've seen it!"
"I'm glad out not there anymore," the spatula-wielding girl groaned. "That heat... I couldn't stand it." She then looked at her friend expectantly. "And you? What did you do to get your stone?"
Link and Akane looked at each other, once again.
"Um, we..."
"We walked through the innards of a giant whale."
Ukyo and Tatl looked at them, then at each other, and then they started to laugh uncontrollably. "Bwahahahahahah! That was a good one! No, really, what did you have to do?"
Akane considered telling the laughing girl and her fairy that what they said WAS true, but decided against it. It sounded too absurd in her own ears. So she simply sighed and said: "We had to help saving the Zora princess from a monster."
"Right!" Link nodded. "And her older sister Ranko helped us."
"You fought alongside a Zora princess? Was she a good fighter?"
"Um, you could say that," Link replied, recalling how easily Ranko tore right through the monstrous Barinade.
"And what was that about an owl?" Navi wondered. "Did you..."
"I thought we decided NOT to touch that subject, right?" Ukyo snapped angrily. "Now, can we please go back to the castle?"
And when they saw their friend marching ahead, the others wisely decided not to say anything more and followed her.
After they had been walking for some time, Navi fluttered up into the air and looked ahead. "I think I can see the city walls of Hyrule Town," she said.
"Great!" Ukyo grinned. "Then let's deliver those gems, so we can finally go back to the forest!"
"Something's wrong..." Akane suddenly muttered. "Why is it so dark above the town?"
They all stared at the clouds of darkness hovering over Hyrule Town, and the great plumes of smoke that were rising from the roofs of the houses.
"What... what's happening?" Akane whispered. Then, a thought hit her and she gasped. "The castle! MOM! KASUMI! NABIKI!" And she started running.
"Hey, wait up!" Link shouted. And they ran after the distressed Sheikah girl.
----
About two hours earlier...
Little Shampoo looked up from her resting place when her great-grandmother entered her room.
"Shampoo... I came to say goodbye. We'll be leaving now."
"I can't come?" the young Gerudo girl asked in a hopeful tone of voice.
The elder sighed and shook her head. "No, you are too young... but you know that, don't you? Now, be a good girl and wait until we return. As soon as Lord Ganondorf has conquered the kingdom of Hyrule, a better life will be waiting for us. The green plains of Hyrule will be ours to take. Not anymore will we live the life of outcasts, here in this dry desert." She smiled down at the child. "We will be free."
"Sounds too too good to be true," Shampoo sighed. "Great-Grandmother... you make sure to come back, is okay?"
Cologne smiled and petted the girl's head. "I'll do my best, child! Now stay here and do what Aunt Nabooru tells you to do, okay?"
"O-okay..."
Loud noises suddenly came from outside, strange bellows and shrill hisses.
Cologne sighed. "I guess the second half of our army just arrived..." She never liked working together with those monsters and outcast barbarians, but she had to do what her lord ordered her to do.
She took her broom and turned around to leave. "I'll come home as soon as I can, Shampoo! Wish us luck!"
The little girl then jumped from her resting place and hugged her great-grandmother from behind.
"You come back safely, yes? Is more important than taking over Hyrule... you promise?"
Cologne sighed. One of those days, she had to teach that girl the significance of their battle against the Hylians... but for now, she had a battle to fight.
So she simply said: "I promise, child!"
Shampoo then smiled and waved as the old witch climbed on her broom and flew outside.
----
Only a short march over the Hylian Plains later, the big army was standing in front of the gates of Hyrule Town. The startled guards on top of the big wall had quickly send a message to the king, to tell him that an army of desert thieves and monsters was approaching them.
And then, the knights and soldiers of Hyrule were standing on top of and behind the city walls, waiting for their enemies to attack.
But Ganondorf didn't attack immediately. "Let's let them sweat for a while," he decided, and the sight of the roaring and sword-swinging monsters really made the brave defenders of Hyrule worry.
After half an hour was over, Ganondorf finally raised his impressive blade and gestured at the walls that surrounded Hyrule Town.
"ATTACK!" he yelled.
And the battle for Hyrule had begun.
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(Posted Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:07)
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