"This is the place?" Asuka asked as she looked around the high trees that surrounded them.
"You bet it is," Midna's voice came out of the mirror shard. "There's another shard deep in the forest. You now this place, right, Link? This is where we went to find the Master Sword..."
"How could I have forgotten that day...?" Link mumbled. "I was stuck in my wolf form back then..."
Asuka blinked. "That must have been terrible."
"Yeah, but we couldn't have learned about the Master Sword if you hadn't told us it could break the curse Zant planted on me that day," Link smiled.
"Um, you're welcome... I guess..." Asuka muttered.
"So, how do you plan on getting over that canyon?" Midna asked. "I mean, it's not like Zelda can turn into a wolf or anything..."
"Maybe we can ask Rusl if he has another golden cucco we can use," Link smirked.
"A... golden cucco?" Asuka asked in confusion. She then shook her head. "Forget it, I don't want to know... but maybe there's abridge somewhere..."
"Trust me, there isn't," Link told her. "Or else the ruins of the Temple of Time would have been discovered much, much earlier."
"Maybe I can be of help..." a gentle voice suddenly spoke up.
Asuka looked around in confusion... and gasped when she saw a small, chicken-like figure with the bald head of a woman. Something resembling a child's head with tiny hummingbird wings fluttered around the other creature's head.
"What in the world...?" Asuka gasped.
"Relax, Asuka, that's just Ooccoo and her son, Ooccoo Jr. Remember, I told you about them. The bird people that live in the City in the Sky, you know?"
"It's good to see you again, Link!" Ooccoo said as she nodded into the hero's direction. "And I think my little darling is glad to see you, too."
"S'up, Link?" her son greeted him.
"Oh great..." came Midna's muttered voice from the mirror. "The freak-birds again..."
Ooccoo didn't hear Midna's remark. "So you must be Princess Zelda, right? I am delighted to finally make your acquaintance!"
"So, what are you two doing here?" Link asked. "I thought you said you already found out everything about your people's past you needed to know..."
"Oh yes, but I was still wondering... The Dominion Rod you found in the Temple of Time... how did it get there? Did my people bring it there? And why was it powerless? These thoughts didn't let me sleep, so I came back here to do some additional research. And my little boy needed some fresh air, so I brought him along... Say, I couldn't help but listen to your conversation earlier... is it true that you are looking for a way to cross this canyon?"
"Yes, that's right!" Link nodded. "As you know, I can turn into a wolf, but the princess..."
"No problem at all, dear!" Ooccoo smiled. "Your Highness, you should know that we Oocca have very strong wings and can even carry big people like Hylians though the air for a short distance. It should be enough to take you to those ledges over there, allowing you to cross the chasm."
"Are you certain?" Asuka asked nervously. That bird-woman's wings didn't exactly look very strong. "I mean, it is quite the distance..."
"I assure you that I won't drop you," Ooccoo promised.
"Yeah, you can relax, my Mom's has the strongest pair of chicken wings in our hometown," Junior chuckled.
"Dear, that was unasked for!" Ooccoo scolded her offspring.
He chuckled. "Sorry, Mom..."
Asuka sighed. "Oh well, I guess it can't get any worse than that..."
Asuka panted heavily. "Man, that... that was something else..." She hoped that never again in her life, she would have to do something like that again. Then she remembered that she would have to get back across the canyon after they had retrieved the mirror shard and groaned.
"Thanks for your help, Ooccoo!" Link smiled.
"It was my pleasure, dear!" the bird-woman nodded. "Well then, son, shall we go?"
"Sure thing, Mom!" her son nodded. "Bye, Link! Maybe we meet each other again in the temple..." And they vanished in the forest's thicket.
Link looked at the mirror shard. "Midna, do we have to go to the temple as well?"
Midna nodded. "Yes, one of the shards is in there. Sorry, but it seems that you have to crawl through yet another dungeon."
"I was expecting this..." Link sighed. "Oh well, at least I know have the princess to keep me company."
"Do you even know which way to take?" Asuka wondered as she looked around. "There are so many paths here... and it's so gloomy... what if we get lost?"
"Don't worry, I know these woods like the back of my hand by now," Link said. "As for finding the entrance to the temple, we just have to put the Master Sword into its pedestal and..."
He stopped himself in mid-sentence. He had heard something he had hoped never to hear again. A malicious giggle...
He looked up into the trees... and groaned when he recognized the tiny dwarf with the straw hat, the lantern and the horn he was carrying.
Asuka followed his gaze. "Who is that?" she wondered. "Do you know that guy?"
"Unfortunately..." Link sighed. "That's Horror-Kid... and he loves to play pranks on forest wanderers. He's the second most annoying imp I've ever met in my life..."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Midna snapped.
"Teeheeheehee..." the little imp giggled. "You again? Oooh, and you have lovely company... shall we play our little game again? It is always so exciting..."
"I have no time for your games this time, Horror-Kid!" Link grumbled. "So why don't you leave me the heck alone?"
"Aw, it seems like you need the proper motivation..." And with the speed of a lightning bolt, the imp came jumping down the trees, ran past the surprised duo and climbed up another tree.
Link looked down at his empty hand. "Hey, he took the mirror shard!"
"Are you looking for this?" Horror-Kid giggled from high above as he waved the shard around. "Come and get it!"
"You sneaky little dirtbag!" Asuka snapped as she took her bow. "Give that back, or else..."
"Nonono, that would be too easy," Horror-Kid snickered as he wagged his finger. "You have to catch me, while taking care that my little friends don't get you..."
"Friends?" Asuka wondered.
Her question was answered when Horror-Kid blew into his horn... and all around them, spindly figures looking like floating marionettes were falling out of the trees.
"Not these guys again..." Link groaned.
"Have fun with my puppets!" Horror-Kid laughed. "And try not to fall back okay?" And with a twirl of leaves, he was gone.
There was only one thing on Asuka's mind as the puppets with the emotionless faces surrounded them...
"Oh Scheisse..."
Link blinked in confusion. "Is that language ancient Hyrule?"
"Thank you so much for letting me in," the tiny spaceman said as he gave Yui a formal bow. He was standing on top of her ship's console while R.O.B. was carefully putting his ship in one corner of the room. "I was afraid I would be stuck there for all eternity."
"I'm glad I could be of help," Yui smiled. "But tell me, what were you doing out there?"
"Ah..." Olimar shook his head. "Just an unfortunate accident... I was on my way back home to Hocotate, when a small asteroid hit my ship and threw me off course. My engine was damaged, so I couldn't control it anymore. I already thought I was done for, when your ship appeared and I got caught. Thankfully, you were polite enough to send me your robot instead of just treating me like any piece of space waste..."
"Hocotate?" Katt spoke up through the communicator. "I heard of that planet. It is very small... but I thought there was no intelligent life on it."
Olimar smiled. "We know that our race is smaller than most of the other races travelling through space, and that our planet isn't too big either... and since we couldn't possibly defend us against any hostile invaders, we kept our civilization a secret. But now, I humbly ask for your help. Could I please use your communication systems to contact my superiors on Hocotate?"
"Well, let's see..." Yui activated the intergalactic holo-map and searched for Olimar's home planet. She frowned. "I'm afraid Hocotate is too far away that I could reach it with normal transmissions. We would have to use a more efficient communication system...."
"The sattellites of Corneria," Katt spoke up. "They are used to contact planets that are even further away than Norion. I'm sure General Pepper lets us use them if we tell him what this is all about..."
"A-are you sure this is a good idea?" Olimar asked nervously. "I mean, if a general learns of our existence, everyone will know... and I don't know what we could do if Space Pirates or the like attack our peaceful planet..."
"Hey, I know the general," Katt said. "He won't do anything without thinking about it thoroughly. And I doubt he'd want to endanger your people."
Olimar sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. You have my thanks!" And he bowed once again. "Say, if there is anything I could do to help..."
"Well..." Yui looked around her ship. There wasn't much that came to her mind. She was piloting the ship by herself, while R.O.B. was taking care of the repairs. Besides, there wasn't much Olimar could do at his size.
Meanwhile, the little captain had looked around the cockpit. "Ah yes, I see... it is very dusty in here, isn't it?"
"Well, I don't think I have much time to clean everything..." Yui muttered. "But why..."
"Allow me..." Olimar said and took a small whistle out of his pocket. He blew into it, and to Yui's surprise, dozens of tiny creatures was coming out of Olimar's spaceship. They were even smaller than the captain himself, had strange leaves, buds or little flowers on their heads and were colored red, blue or yellow.
"These are the Pikmin," Olimar explained. "An intriguing species I discovered on the last planet I visited. And they accepted me as their de facto leader and would do anything for me. I usually help them to stay organized, so they can defend themselves against any dangers... in return, they help me with many tasks."
He looked across the assembled Pikmin. R.O.B. let his mechanical eye wander over the little plant-creatures. His processor didn't know what he should think of these little guys.
"Listen up," Olimar said. "I want this nice lady's cockpit cleaned up until there is no dirt or dust left. Is that clear? Good, then go to work!"
And the Pikmin obeyed without questioning him further. Yui was amazed at the teamwork and efficiency they were displaying.
Olimar smirked. "Pikmin... the only way to do your spring-cleaning!"
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(Posted Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:15)
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