Link: Okay, okay, everyone. We all know it's been a little bit of a delay because the authoress has been busy with something was once up all night watching a certain anime that happens to be quite addictive upon her. But, she's finally got this chapter up to date now. We also had to remind you that two of her own characters are going to be introduced and there's one character in this chapter who will be joining us, after she has gotten permission from another writer. So, she doesn't own him. But, she is also given permission to do a few minor alterations with him. Now, Blue. It's your turn.
Blue: YES! Finally! (Jumps in) For the disclaimer's notice, Kaoru doesn't own a single thing about Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords. She only owns her characters and she doesn't own the new guy we have in this story. Everything about our game belongs to Nintendo.
Link: That's good for you, now. So, um. . . Kaoru-san? Do you think you can continue with this chapter opening?
M.S.K: (Lies on a soft futon upon her front side while Shadow Link is constantly rubbing her back with his hands. Also blushes while he's doing so.) Haaah~
Shadow: (Smirks) Mmhmm! Feels good, doesn't it?
Link and others: -_-. . . . Um. . . . Kaoru?
M.S.K: Oh. . . . You guys can just go on without me. I'll catch up. Haaah. . . Raku desu. . . . (How relaxing. . .)
Link: . . . . Okay, I think she's pretty. . . . busy right now. On with the story.
Chapter 3: Hyrule, the Upper World, Forbidden?
Later that afternoon, Link, his brothers, and Zelda have already brought Hoshimi over to their father's throne room to talk about what happened during the ceremony.
There's not only Thor, himself. The Six Maidens were assembled on the right side of the throne while there are also two more people on the left side.
One of them is a tall young man dressed in a tight teal colored body suit while wearing a thin white poncho which reached from his shoulders to his torso. The poncho bears an ancient looking eye on it. His hands were covered by black fingerless gloves. He had short blonde hair and on his head, he's wearing a cap made from long white straps of fabric. Also, half of his face was covered by a thick white scarf.
Standing close beside him is a young boy who's roughly the same age as Link, Red, Vio, and Blue. He is dressed in a shinobi-like garment that can make him resemble a ninja. He had black hair and there's a black bandana tied around his head. On his left cheek he had an X marked scar. Tied around his back was a katana as well.
King Thor sighed at his youngest daughter. "Oh. . . What will I do with you. . . You've said to me last night that you'll remember to do your part at the ceremony and then, just now, you snuck out of the palace without any permission from your father." He's practically disappointed about what Hoshimi did.
"Look. Father, I know I've made you feel this way. But, it's just that this morning, it's a beautiful one, ever since the storm died down. It's too much for me to resist the fact I enjoyed exploring places beyond Hylia on such a day when the water is shimmering and. . ." She tried saying to him.
"Do let me finish!" The King ordered. After she fell silent. "You see, by the conclusion of you, becoming careless. . ."
"Careless, and reckless, your majesty." Suggested the young man in the body suit.
"Yes, thank you, Shrakah." Thor replied to him before turning back to his daughter. "Everything in the celebration was going well until. . ."
"Until it's completely ruined!" Exclaimed the little boy who's standing besides Shrakah. "That's what happened! Even with Zelda singing Naryu's Song without your ocarina, everything just went nontraditional and out of the ordinary!"
"Keir is right." Said Shrakah, crossing his arms. "As his majesty have told you, the ceremony is very important and you shouldn't be completely careless enough to forget it. Zelda's earning of her pearl is part of the tradition of becoming a full fledged mer-hylian princess. It's a custom passed down for many years. You however, are not yet close enough to earn the Pearl of Din because you're the only one in this family who's apparently the youngest. Plus, it's not acceptable if you keep slipping off."
After hearing him, Hoshimi lowered her head. "Thanks, Shrakah. That helps a lot since you're meant to be the watchful Mer-Sheikah spy, hired by Father." She said with sarcasm.
"Hoshimi!" Said her brothers and sister in unison while Shrakah cleared his throat sternly.
Then, Keir remarked. "You know better than saying things like that, Princess. The thing we're talking about right now is not about our tribe! It's about our concern about the Pearl of Power and you, all because you slipped out of the palace and trespassed a shipwreck cementary!"
"Well, it's not like she missed the celebration because she didn't want to take part of it. It only slipped out of her mind, making her forget so." Red spoke, wanting to have a say in this conversation too.
Keir turned over to him and asked. "How will you speak about it?"
Red stayed silent for a short moment and made his answer. "Well, it's very unlikely to be explained. Because, you see Father, here's what happened when me, Link, Blue, and Vio went out there to look for her. We entered the graveyard of ships and there was this big sea monster. Very big, long, scaly, and ugly looking too. Plus, his teeth looked like he's never brushed them at all."
Keir, Shrakah, the Maidens, and the King looked at each other with questioned looks. They highly doubt if Hoshimi has ever met a monster but, it's not the first time she's ever encountered one and it may not be the last either.
"A sea serpent?" The Mer-Sheikah asked Keir but, he shrugged.
Red continued the story. "Yes, yes. So, we got into a fight with it. We gave it everything we got. Our swords, Hoshimi's magic and all. But, we always made go like. . Like, growwwwl! And at one moment, we're all like, woah! Woah! Woah! Until finally, we're safe with relief at the fact none of us were hurt. Then, we went up and meet with Navi, the fairy to. . . ."
Before the Second Prince can continue any further, Thor had something remind him through his mind. Something that his children have known. "Wait! A seashore fairy?" He asked sternly.
"Navi?" Asked the Blue Maiden.
Red gasped and swam behind Hoshimi who turned and stared at him. He then notices that it's not only her but also Zelda and his brothers. "Um, why is everyone staring at me?" Then, he's knocked on the head by Blue. "Ow!"
"You gave it away! Dang it! By the Three Goddesses!" He shouted at him while Link face palmed himself and Vio rolled his eyes.
"Hoshimi." Said the King as he approached her after placing his Trident of Hylia by his chair.
The young princess turned around to face him.
He asked her once more. "Hoshimi, did you went up to the surface again? And you brought your brothers up there too?"
From their position, the Six Maidens were whispering to each other about what the Princess has been doing.
She stood on her spot silently and blinked with a tense look in her eyes. She can guess that he knows that she went up there, even though she's not supposed to.
"Well? Did you?" The King demanded.
"Well. . . ." She mumbled. "Yeah. But, nothing bad happened though. Really."
Thor let out a semi frustrated sigh and said to her. "Oh! Hoshimi! We've been through this many, many times and still, you've shunned my regulations. I'm saying this to you once and I'm never going to repeat it again. You must never go up to Hyrule."
Then, she blinked. "I know that. But, my question is, how can you be so suspicious about Hyrule, father? How can it be a bad place?"
"The reason is because it's not safe up there! Especially for mer-hylians at your age! You could have been caught by one of those vicious devils, those. . . those vulgar Hylians!"
"Father! Reason yourself! I can assure you that they're not evil! No matter what you say about them, they're not evil!"
"You just listen! They are dangerous! Dangerous beings of the worst kind! I never want to hear anything that sounds like a piece of news saying that my youngest daughter has met the fate of being caught or slayed by a fish hunter from the upper world. Our race has a life span that happens to be the strongest in this world. Yet we can still meet an accident and die anytime. Just like your mother have." The King is now becoming strict with her.
Hoshimi then said back to him while the two Mer-Sheikah, the Six Maidens and her siblings watched. "Father! Please! I'm now almost thirteen years of age! I'm a teenager, not a small mermaid!"
"Don't you dare raise your voice to me like that! You're a Mer-Hylian Princess! As one, it's your responsibility to respect my rules and follow them, just like everyone else in this kingdom and in my ocean!"
Getting tired of what she's been hearing from her father for years, Hoshimi protested once more. "Please! Father! For once, listen to me!"
"Say no more!" He shouted, startling everyone in the throne room. "I'm not going to tolerate this behavior you're showing towards me and I'll never again, want to hear another word about you going up to the surface! Understood?"
She scowled silently for a moment then she scoffed and swam away from the throne room! "Be it, so!" She couldn't stand it any longer.
As she swam out of the room, Link, Vio, Blue, Red, and Zelda followed.
After excusing the Six Maidens to go back to what they're supposed to do, Thor sat back on his throne and sighed. Maybe he shouldn't be yelling at his daughter like that.
"Strong words as always, your majesty." Said Shrakah, bowing his head a bit. "I almost thought she'll keep rebelling you, verbally. All the way down to the words that can spill out hatred."
The King sighed once more and turned to him. "Oh, Shrakah. Do you think I'm being a little too hard on her?"
"Of course not." Said Keir.
Shrakah took a look at the boy next to him and then said to the now flustered King. "You see, your majesty, if I were to have a daughter like Hoshimi, I will easily show her who's the head of the family. I'll have nothing to do with all those visits to the surface, sea monsters, and etc. Absolutely nothing about it, my lord. I'll have her under complete control of an iron fist."
After listening to him, Thor then had something coming up in his mind. "You know what, Shrakah? You're absolutely right. I do believe that my daughter should have complete supervision."
"Yes, sir."
"What I need is someone to watch over her well-being and safety. By all means, keep her out of trouble."
"Yes, out of trouble at all times."
Then, he finished. "And you want to know? You and your brother are just the two for the job."
"Yes, yes my. . ." Then Shrakah blinked. "Wait! What did you just say, your majesty?"
The King blinked then repeated. "Your job is to keep watch on Hoshimi with Keir."
From there, Shrakah and Keir didn't know what else to say.
"Think you can manage it?" He asked them once more.
"Yes. . . sire." That's all he can say to him for now.
For starters, Shrakah and Keir were two brothers from a tribe known to be the Mer-Sheikah. Yes, they happen to be similar to the Sheikah tribe in Hyrule. But the thing is, they rarely interact with each other since King Thor constructed a ban to forbade anyone to ever go up the surface, which Hoshimi constantly ignores. Another thing about the Mer-Sheikah is that although they don't have fins like the Mer-Hylians, they do have the special capability to breathe and talk in the water of the ocean.
The reason why the two were working for the King is that in order to prove that they're worthy for their tribe, they should do so. The Mer-Sheikah have been friends of the Mer-Hylian Royal Family for generations.
Shrakah, as the eldest of the two, happens to be the one who's mostly calm and motivated with his duties. Even during rough times.
Keir on the other hand, may look like a slightly temper mental, mischief making Mer-Sheikah warrior in training, but underneath it all, he's slightly loyal with his brother. He's actually Shrakah's adopted brother. His parents abandoned him for unknown purposes when he's small and then, Shrakah took him in with his family. When it comes to fighting, he can be as over confident as Blue. But, still he's good kid.
While walking down the hallway with his brother after they're dismissed by the King, Keir asked. "I don't see why we're doing this. Keeping watch on Hoshimi, I meant."
"Well, I wasn't sure about this duty myself, either. But I do think it will have something to do with what Hoshimi is always doing during the day, though." His brother humbly replied.
Keir shrugged. "Well, I think I can't argue with that. But, what my mind says to me is that I should rather be doing combat practice and not playing ring around the rosie with a rather head strong princess."
After walking a bit, they came upon a window and Keir happened to saw Hoshimi swimming out into the garden with her bag and out somewhere beyond it. He also saw Link, Zelda, and the others swimming after her. "Oh! Brother! Come here!"
"What is it?" He took a look out the window and he saw the Royal Children swimming out. "Let's go and see what she's up to."
So, that's exactly what they did. They left the palace to hurry after them. Especially Hoshimi.
The Royal Mer-Hylian Children swam quite a long distance without any notice that Keir and Shrakah were following them. They happen to come across a stony cave. The front entrance was covered by a giant slab of wine red sea glass, there.
Once the two Mer-Sheikahs reached the area, they hid behind a giant rock to make sure they're not found.
Hoshimi moved the slab out of the way to uncover the entrance, then one by one, her siblings went inside first. After looking around to make sure no one is looking, she went inside and let the slab to close the entrance.
When the right time is right, the two brothers slid inside the cave before the entrance is closed up. Shrakah perfectly went into the cavern but, Keir happens to get stuck!
One of the boy's feet is stuck halfway because the slab happened to close in on it. He tried to move it out but, his foot didn't seem to budge. Then he grabbed his leg and began to heave and pull. Once his foot loosens, he accidentally flung himself upon his brother! "Oof!" He exclaimed loudly.
"Sssssh!" Shrakah shushed him to remind him about their plan.
Then, the two swam further into the cavern and hid among the shadowy side of the doorway inside. When they looked into what's beyond their hiding place, they gasped as their eyes widened.
On the other side of this cavern is a large rocky grotto with shelves from top to bottom. At the very top there's a hole that had the bright light shining from above the water. On each and every shelve, there are many knick knacks, treasures, antiques of any size, and collector's items here and there! All of this must have been collected and gathered by Hoshimi. This is her secret grotto for her hobby of pure curiosity and all of these items are from the upper world: Hyrule. It seemed that she's more curious about it than ever.
Sitting on a rock at the very bottom of the grotto is Hoshimi, polishing her newly found rupee. Next to her is the magic knife that Navi spoke to her about. While she's polishing her piece of Hylian Currency, she often thought about the things her father have said to her. They were often the things he kept reminding her about year after year. But, she didn't seem to have the heart to understand why he greatly despised Hylians.
Link and his brothers were constantly examining on what she has gathered so far while Zelda tries to comfort her sister. Her siblings happened to be the only ones who she can trust upon with her secrets about her unusual hobby.
Hoshimi finished polishing her rupee and shone it under the glistening light. Then she sighed. "I think. . . maybe father is right. I am a real shelled fish on never understanding him."
What she just said caught the attention of her brothers as they swam over to her.
"Are you sure you're all right, Hoshimi?" Red asked.
Link, Blue, and Vio were also concerned about her too. They don't think they're able to get over the sight about the argument between their sister and their father.
Zelda tried to cheer her by saying. "I'm sure he wasn't always like that, you know. You don't have to judge him too harshly. He's just too worried, that's all."
Hoshimi placed the rupee on one of the treasure chests filled with gold and replied to her. "Here's my problem, Zelda. I just don't feel like being a normal Mer-Hylian girl isn't easy for me. You see, you're a real princess on every whim and me, I just goof off, exploring forbidden ground and swimming up to the surface when it's like. . . like. . . calling out to me or. . . something. I guess I'm not getting anywhere close to earning the Pearl of Din at all."
"You shouldn't say those things." Said Link. "You are a princess of Hylia just like Zelda. But only in a different way, though. Nobody in this world has to be the exact same thing, you know. I really like the princess my younger sister is right now. Even though you're weak with Din's Fire, you are always there to help us out as we did for you."
Red agreed. "I also love the Hoshimi I'm sitting next to as well." He even nuzzled on to her shoulder. "I never want you to be too much of a girl that rather sticks to the ordinary concepts of Mer-Hylian life. I appreciate a sister who is always adventurous. If it weren't for you, saving me back at that shipwreck graveyard, I would have been shark bait. And if it wasn't for your ever-so-fabulous ocarina playing, Blue will never get in total touch with his hidden soft side."
Blue almost glared at his brother. "Oh yeah? Well, I will. . ." Then he sighed. "Well, you know, girl? He's right."
"If I have my own preference," Vio stated putting his hand on her shoulder. "I would have my sister the way she is. To tell you, the reason why father is strict with you is because he wants you to have superb safety. He just doesn't want you to be in any danger. The entire kingdom wants you to have a pure well-being."
Hoshimi sat silently at everything her siblings said to her and nodded. "I guess you're all right. But my only question is, how will I get him to change opinion about the upper world. I don't see why he calls it a dark and crucial place. How can Hyrule be dangerous if nothing has happened to us, Mer-Hylians so often?" But, to clear her mind out of that thought, she took out her pearl white ocarina and turned to Zelda. "May I, since I wasn't there?"
Her sister nodded and with that, Hoshimi began to play Naryu's Song on her ocarina for a while.
After she is done playing, everyone felt silent for a while at that moment. Then the silence was broken when a loud crashing noise distracts them! A few items fell to the seabed from one of the shelves. There's also something large that fell down as well.
All of the Royal Mer-Hylian Children turned around and looked over to find Keir all covered in sand and is surrounded by the things that fell down earlier. "Keir?" They exclaimed together.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Hoshimi.
Keir coughed on some of the sand while his brother, Shrakah came up to him to get him up. As he sat up, he asked the princess back. "Hoshimi! What. . . . What is all of this stuff?" He wasn't too surprised about all of the items she has gathered for one cavern.
"Well. . ." She mumbled a little uneasily. "It's. . . It's just a hobby I intend to have from time to time. These are all part of my collection."
The two brothers stared and Shrakah chuckled in a mocking sort of way. "Ha ha. I see. A collection is it?" Then he exclaimed. "What are you thinking, gathering all of these things? Your father will never approve of this place!"
"Wait! Wait!" Red pleaded. "You're not seriously planning to tell on him! Are you guys?"
"Yes, Shrakah." Said the ivory haired princess. "He doesn't have to know unless if you really want to tell him. He won't be able to understand me much if you do."
"But, he won't like this place." Said Keir. "Not one little bit."
"But. . . You see. . . He wouldn't. . . . I wouldn't. . . ." Hoshimi stammered, worried about what will happen if her father ever catches sight of her grotto. She figured that if her secret is revealed, then King Thor will hate her for the rest of her life. Not to mention disown her.
"Now, let's give this all a rest for now." Said Shrakah, taking her by the hand. "Do come with me, and I'll get servants to fix you up some kelp tea."
Before they can get any where closer to the entrance of the grotto, Hoshimi happened to notice an odd looking shadow overlapping the ocean floor. She looked up through the hole that's at the top of the grotto and saw it there. "What in the world?" She asked herself softly and skeptically. Then, with that, she swam to the entrance of the cavern.
After she swam away from the cave, Keir and Shrakah didn't happen to know of what's making the princess swim off now. "Hoshimi? What are you doing now?"
She did not answer but continued to swim upwards. She spotted an odd looking figure on the water's surface. Then she made her way up to the surface again.
Once she appeared out of the water, she found something new and exciting up ahead upon the sea! A large ship! Up in the sky above it, fireworks are popping, crackling, and shimmering! "Woah! How pretty!" She exclaimed with inspiration. "I didn't know anemones can be shone in the sky too. They're prettier than the ones I had in the royal garden!"
At that very same moment, Zelda, Link, Red, Blue, and Vio came up to the surface to see what their sister is gazing at. Then, "Ooooooh!" They exclaimed when they saw the ship.
Then, Shrakah and Keir also appeared. The second Mer-Sheikah brother asked her. "Hoshimi! Just what are you. . ." Then he saw the ship. "Oh! Great Goddesses of Hyrule!"
"Say. I wonder what's going on over there." Said Red, blinking with curiosity.
"I can't see from here." Said Blue.
"Let's get a closer look!" Said Hoshimi before swimming over to where the ship is sailing.
"Hey! Hey! Hoshimi! Get back here!" Shrakah shouted at her, urging her to come back.
"Wait up!" Said Link as he and the rest swam after her too.
"Oh. . . ." The Mer-Sheikah groaned realizing it's too late to stop them. "If her father finds out about this, he's going to have an absolute fit!" He thought to himself.
The children have already met up with the great ship on the right side. Luckily, to get an even better look of the situation, they found a rock and climbed upon it to sit and watch.
"Are you quite sure about doing this, Hoshimi?" Asked Link. "Father will be very, very mad if we found out we're disobeying that ban again."
"Everything will be fine, Link." She answered before returning her attention to the ship.
From the rock they can still see most of what's going on. On the ship they found sailors dancing and making harmonious music as the fireworks continued to fly amongst the stars.
Red smiled and said. "Wow! That's quite a party they're having."
"Indeed, it is." Agreed Zelda.
"But, what's it for?" Asked Hoshimi.
After a short moment of watching, Hoshimi could have sworn she saw another thing that's new.
What she saw with her very own eyes while gasping is that she found a young Hylian boy who looked a lot like her four brothers, but he happens to be an age older than them. His looks were very different too. His hair color is in the slight mixture of golden blonde and ivory white, and his skin looked so pure in the creamy color that seemed lighter than milk. As he looked out into the sea, his eyes were platinum silver with slit pupils that can resemble those of a cat. He's wearing an ivory tunic over his white undershirt with a silver belt around his waist. His belt bore a golden royal-looking crest that had the Triforce engraved on it. He's also wearing a flowing white cape upon his shoulders. On his feet, he's wearing light gray colored boots. Lastly, on top of his head is a white hat that is similar to Link's when he and his brothers were in battle. At the ridge of it, where he's wearing it upon his head, it's decorated with a golden outline with a diamond right at the center!
From her perspective, Hoshimi has never seen a boy who's as beautiful as the one she's seeing right now. She even began to blush lightly.
"Um, Hoshimi?" Asked Blue. "Are you feeling all right?"
"She looks like she's staring at something that is completely new, right now." Said Vio shrugging as he looked at his sister.
"I think it's that boy up there." Said Zelda.
"What about that Hylian male?" Blue asked once more.
"Maybe it's not like she's ever seen one before." Said Red. "I think it's love~" He began in a sing-song voice.
"What? That's impossible!" His blue garbed brother retorted, knocking him into the water.
"Oh!"
"I don't know if we should snap her out of this trance or not." Link said, for he wasn't too sure about the situation.
Hoshimi didn't even hear or paid any heed to her siblings' concerns.
All the while, she longingly stared at the white garbed boy until then, "Hey! Hey! Hoshimi!" Said a familiar voice.
The princess snapped herself out of her trance and looked over. She saw Navi hovering around her head.
The fairy squealed. "Quite a show! Isn't it?"
"Ssssh!" Hoshimi shushed her. "Keep quiet, Navi! What if they're hearing you? Even from far away?" She said to her silently.
"Oh! I see! I see!" The fairy giggled. "There must be something so incredibly special, you can't take your eyes out of, I suppose!"
"Or someone, apparently." Blue muttered.
Then, Navi squealed with delight once more. "Well! Well! Well! What am I seeing with Hoshimi here?"
Quickly, she grabbed hold of the fairy and shushed once more at her. "Ssssh! Not so loud! He'll might hear you. That young boy in white, up there in that ship."
She even saw that the boy pulled out a blue ocarina and began playing a melody on it. As soon as she lets Navi fly free, she gazed at him longingly once again. "Haah. . . Don't you think he looks so beautiful, Navi?"
The little fairy examined the boy on the ship as he continued to play his ocarina. "I don't know. You really got me there, Princess. He does look kind of cute. But, too bad I'm only three inches high."
Hoshimi chuckled and allowed Navi to perch herself on her hand. "Oh! Come now. Even though you're pretty much on the smallest side of tiny, you can still hear him playing the Ocarina of Time!"
M.S.K: All right! Now, how is it so far? Yup, King Thor is pretty strict. And yes, we are having a newcomer in our story. Right now, I may not have much to say. But, all I can say for now is that I hope you like the chapter and do send a review or comment. So, I'll see you next time!
Shadow: Ready for more. . .?
M.S.K: (Spins around to see Link's shadow.) Uh. . . . Maybe later when I feel like so. Is that okay?
Shadow: Aw, come on~! I know you're begging for another massage from me!
M.S.K: Look! I'm telling you. You've already gave me one. So, now I'm not in the need for another one just yet.
Shadow: You're no fun! I hate being ignored! Play with me!
M.S.K: Not right now! There's still another chapter to be written! Please wait! (Runs off)
Shadow: (Starts chasing her) Come on~! I want to play with you!