Ukyo glared at Link while she was putting more wood onto the fireplace.
"To say it again," Link sighed. "I am sorry. I really believed we could have made it to the farm in time." He looked across the nightly plains, at the distant silhouette of the Lonlon Ranch, which was only illuminated by the pale moon. "Darn, the sun really does set pretty quickly, doesn't it?"
"We could have used the Warp Spot to return to Zora's Domain," Ukyo grumbled. "We could have asked the proprietor of that Lakeside Laboratory for a place to stay. But nooo, Mr. 'We can make it in Time' had to make a point..."
Link exchanged a helpless glance with Epona. The brown mare shook her mane in amusement. Humans could be so funny at times. She might have looked forward to a nice stable to spend her night in as well, but this time, she just couldn't help but this served the humans right for having forgotten her in the Lost Woods all the time.
"In the woods, we could have asked a few of our friends to provide some light," Navi apologized. "But fairies tend to be rather rare in the open field."
"Could be because certain Hylians have the strange habit of putting us into bottles," Tatl remarked sarcastically.
Link sighed again. "Oh well, at least we don't have to worry for having anything for dinner... I mean, we have one of the best Okonomiyaki Chefs with us, right, 'Ucchan'?" He grinned.
Ukyo glared up at him. "Sorry, we're fresh out of Okonomiyaki!"
Link boggled. "Wh-what? What do you mean, fresh out?"
"It means that our supplies have run out," Ukyo remarked while reaching into her bag. "Here, a bit of bread and some cheese... that's all that remains from Darunia's lunch bag. And we didn't really have much time to get any provisions from the frozen Zora, right?"
The Hero of Time groaned. "And here I was looking forward to a nice evening meal..."
"Look at it like this," Navi smiled. "Tomorrow, we'll be at the farm, and which better place to stock up on provisions is there? We'll have Lonlon Milk, Cucco Eggs..."
Link's tummy rumbled. "Stop talking like that!" he complained. "Hearing you talk is making me hungry!"
Navi blushed. "S-sorry about that, Link..."
So they sat down and ate their meager dinner, while Epona munched on some grass.
"I just hope no Poes attack us during the night," Tatl then said.
They kept eating for a while.
Suddenly, they could hear something... it was a frightening scream, high-pitched and blood-curdling.
Navi yelped and dove under Link's cap. "The ghosts are coming!"
"Don't be such a scaredy cat," Link frowned. "We've fought Poes and other undead before, remember?"
The blue fairy peeked out from underneath his cap. "Y-yes, but they've never attacked us at night yet..."
Tatl looked around uncomfortably. "M-maybe they'll go away if we don't bother them..." she muttered.
"Are you saying you are scared?" Ukyo asked.
"M-m-me?" Tatl stuttered. "N-no way! All I'm saying is... it would be better if we didn't have to fight them, right?"
Suddenly a thin figure came running out of the darkness. It was wrapped in a ragged cloth and waved around with its spindly arms, yelling like a madman.
"Here it comes!" Link shouted, reaching for the hilt of his blade. "Prepare yourselves!"
"Wait a minute..." Ukyo murmured. "Something's wrong here..." she stepped past the confused Link, not bothering to draw her weapon and stood in front of the approaching figure.
"Hey, hold on!" she shouted.
The cloaked figure yelped in fright and fell back on its behind. "Another g-ghost?" a male voice whimpered.
Ukyo shook her head. "Wrong, sugar, we're just a couple of wandering adventurers... but what are you doing here, all by yourself?"
"You're no ghost?" the stranger asked in a hopeful voice and pulled back the hood that had covered his face, revealing a very thin and pale face, looking almost like a ghost himself.
The boy sighed in relief. "Man, I am so glad... I've been stumbling around the plains for hours, trying to find my way back to town... and when those Poes appeared, I was so scared that I ran away..."
"Town?" Link wondered. "You came from Hyrule Town? But... but nobody lives there anymore. It's a ghost town."
"Th-that's right," the stranger nodded while Link pulled him to his feet. "That's exactly why I decided to put up my store in there... after all, where else would you find the most ghost than in a ghost town?"
"Wait a minute..." Tatl frowned. "Didn't you just say you are afraid of ghosts?"
"I can't help it," the boy whined. "My store has been a family business for centuries, and naturally, my father wanted me to continue the tradition..."
"And what kind of store is it you are running?" Ukyo asked.
"I'm a g-ghost merchant," the boy explained. "I buy Poe souls in exchange for rupees. And ever since Ganondorf had became king, business has improved visibly. Now if only I could overcome my fear of ghosts..."
"Come on and have some bread," Ukyo said, and together, they sat down around their fire. "My name's Ukyo, by the way!"
"And I'm Link!" the Hero of Time introduced himself. He gestured up to his cap. "That's my fairy companion, Navi!"
"I... is it safe to come out?" she muttered, crawling out of her hiding place.
"Some hero's companion you are..." Tatl grumbled.
"H-hey, you were as scared as me," Navi protested.
"Me? Of that guy? In your dreams, maybe!" She looked at their guest. "Oh, and I'm Tatl."
"Um... nice to meet you all," the cloaked stranger replied. "I am Hikaru... Hikaru Gosunkugi. Owner of the Gosunkugi Ghost Market."
Ukyo raised an eyebrow. "A ghost store..."
"Um, right," Ukyo nodded sheepishly.
Ukyo sighed. "I don't understand you... if you are so afraid of ghosts, why don't you just do something else?"
"I... I promised my father before he died," Gosunkugi mumbled. "Besides, handling supernatural entities is pretty much the only thing I'm good in, even if they frighten me to death..."
"Don't you have any special outstanding attribute?" Navi asked.
"No..." Gosunkugi sighed. "My father always used to say: 'Boy, the only thing that outmatches your lust for young girls is your fear of ghosts..."
Ukyo stared at the ghost merchant for a while, then she scooted a good distance away from him. That boy was seriously freaking her out...
Link grinned. "Well, if you buy Poe souls, and like cute girls, I think I have just the right thing for you..."
And he pulled a certain bottle out of his bag.
The little Poe girl inside the bottle pounded her little fists against the glass.
"Hellooooooo!" she shouted. "Let me out of here!"
Gosunkugi's eyes went wide when he saw the ghost girl. He crawled over to Link and brought his face as close to the bottle as possible.
"So cute..." he whispered.
Mariko grimaced and backed off until she touched the back wall of her glass prison. "Who's that creep?" she muttered.
Gosunkugi licked his lips and looked up at Link with hopeful eyes. "You... you'd be willing to sell her to me?"
Link grinned. "That depends... what are you willing to pay?"
Gosunkugi reached into his pockets and pulled out a sizeable amount of Rupees.
"How about 200 Rupees and this brand-new large wallet?"
Link nodded. "Sold."
Mariko squeaked when she was handed over to the creepy guy in the torn robe.
Gosunkugi snickered. "Don't worry, my love, I'll keep you safe... and I'll always carry you with me, in my robe, close to my heart!"
"No way!" the Poe screamed. "You can't do that to me! That's inhumane! Lemme go, lemme go LEMME GO!!"
"A deal is a deal," Link smirked and accepted his new, Rupee-filled wallet.
"Nooooooooo..." Mariko wailed while her bottle vanished in the depths of Gosunkugi's robes...
Ukyo shuddered. "When I die, I don't plan on becoming a Poe..." she grumbled. "Not as long as this guy is around..."
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(Posted Thu, 01 May 2008 15:35)
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