The blue-shimmering fairy flitted up to the treetops, where she saw several other small bodies like hers, all of them lying underneath small leaf blankets, their glowing lights dimmed as they peacefully slept.
Careful not to wake anybody, Navi flew over to where a yellow fairy girl was lying next to a younger, male, purple fairy. She gently tapped Tatl on the shoulder.
"Tatl, it's time to get up. We're going to leave early for Death Mountain."
Tatl murmured to herself as she brushed off her leaf blanket, then she yawned. "What time is it?" she grumbled. She always was a grouch in the morning. She then looked up at the sky. "The sun yet has to rise," she protested.
"Well, Link and Ryoga agreed that we should leave early," Navi whispered. And keep your voice down, the others are still sleeping."
"Where are you going, sis?" Tael murmured, as the conversation of the two girls woke him as well.
Tatl sighed. "I'm afraid we have to go now, Tael. Please don't worry about me, I'm not going to be away for seven years this time. And promise to keep an eye on the fairy children, okay?"
"Yeah, I promise... but Tatl, I really wish you... you wouldn't have to go..."
"Well, yeah, but you know how that is," his sister sighed. "Ukyo would be lost without me, so I have to go with her."
"Tatl, hurry, we must go!" Navi hissed.
"All right already! Tael... please, take care of everything around here, okay? You're a big boy now, you can do it."
"You can count on me," Tael nodded. "Good luck, sis!"
And then the two girls left him behind, as they flew out of the tree that served as the bedroom of the Kokiri fairies. They met up with their friends in front of the entrance to the Lost Woods.
"You're late," Ukyo scolded.
Tatl grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that."
"C'mon, let's hurry!" Ryoga urged them. "I don't want to know what horrible things that creature will do to my people as long as we're still here..."
"Yeah, and we also left Pops and lil' Yoiko back there," Ranma agreed.
Ukyo gave the boy who had once been her childhood friend a skeptical look. She could tell that he was really caring about his father and Ryoga's little friend, but she still couldn't forgive him that easily.
Even though he DID say she was cute...
Shiek came to a stop on top of the hill, panting as she looked down into the valley. By taking this shortcut, she should be able to reach Zora's Domain much quicker than before.
She gazed over all the many springs that were scattered across the valley. "The valley of Jusenkyo..." she muttered. "A sacred place to the Zora... I've read about this place, but I've never been here before."
She then shook her head. "I've got to hurry. I have to find a way to save Ruto's parents."
She stumbled down the hill and nearly fell down to the ground. Panting hardly, she leaned against a tree. She had been travelling for a whole day now, and even though her magic had turned given her body the muscles of a true Sheikah warrior, she had her limits like any other human being.
Wheezing, she wiped her forehead. "I can't go on like this..." she groaned. "I have to take a break."
She looked at the near springs. When she saw the fresh spring water, she realized just how sweaty and dirty her Sheikah garments were. The thought of a relaxing bath made her groan with anticipation.
She hesitated... but only for a short while. "Just for a few minutes," she decided as she approached the closest spring. "It won't do the Zoras any good if I overexert myself and collapse before I even reach their domain."
She looked around if anyone was close by. She also used her magical abilities to sharpen her senses. She couldn't feel anything, so nobody was around. She could spot a small shack standing close to the springs, but it seemed to be abandoned.
Satisfied that nobody who could see through her disguise was around, she took off the bindings that were wrapped around her head. Zelda sighed as she shook her long, blonde hair. She then took of the rest of her suit, sat down on the ground and slipped her body into the cool, refreshing water of the spring.
Had this spring been one of the many cursed springs at Jusenkyo, the princess of Hyrule would have had the big misfortune of acquiring a similar curse to Ranma and Ryoga. However, this spring was filled with ordinary spring water, and so she had nothing to worry.
At least not from being cursed...
When Zelda had scanned the area for living beings, she only sensed anything that was above the ground. So she wasn't aware that a creepy slime monster, a so-called ChuChu, was hiding in the soft ground in-between the springs.
While Zelda was sitting in the spring and relaxed, the red ChuChu came oozing out of the ground. It could feel the warmth of a human body nearby and instantly looked forward to a nice snack.
The ChuChu slithered across the wet grass until it was close to the spring. Zelda was unaware of any danger around her, so she was completely taken by surprise when suddenly, the slimy monster pounced upon her, clinging to her head like an oversized hat.
Zelda struggled against the ChuChu's grasp and flailed around, splashing water in all directions, and tried pushing the attacker from her head. But then she slipped on a wet rock and fell down backwards into the spring. The ChuChu pushed her down, so she could not get up again. Zelda tried to hold her breath, but just a few moments later, she started to choke. She would drown if she wouldn't get out of here quickly.
Desperately, she closed her eyes and called out to the Goddess of Power. 'Din, hear my plea and save my life today...'
And then, a blazing sphere of fire surrounded her body and exploded outwards.
"DIN'S FIRE!"
The ChuChu squeaked in horror and pain as the searing heat scorched his slimy little body and the flame spell blasted him away from the princess, as she came bursting forth from the spring, gasping for air.
She panted and looked at the scorched remains of the slime creature. She really had to be more careful...
Then she heard something behind her. She looked around and saw multiple red, green and yellow blobs slithering out of the earth.
"Seems like Jusenkyo has become a breeding ground for ChuChus..." she murmured. "I've got to get out of here..."
The ChuChus certainly didn't agree with her, as one of them, a yellow specimen, jumped at her. Zelda tried kicking it away, but she didn't notice that this kind of ChuChu was capable of surrounding their bodies with a field of electricity.
The princess yelped in pain as not just her foot, but her whole body got shocked by the creature's attack. She stumbled backwards, nearly slipped on a green ChuChu that was just coming out of the ground beneath her... and fell into a spring that was just behind her!
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(Posted Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:14)
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