Time Stop: It's our tenth chapter…I'm so happy sniffs
Wang: Our fic is so grown up sniff Wahhh!
Shadow: As if it couldn't get any more annoying.
Wang: I can't stop crying! Wahhh!
Shadow: Quiet! picks up a piece of duct tape and tapes Wang's mouth shut There!
Time Stop: Shadow, un-tape Wang's mouth right now!
Wang: Mmmph! Still crying
Shadow: No!
Time Stop: And I thought this was going to be a happy occasion. Sighs We don't own Legend of Zelda.
Wang: Mmmph! Mmmph!
Chapter 10: Barinade
Outside in Zora's Domain, Navi fluttered helplessly as Jabu-Jabu sank back beneath the water. "What am I going to do?" She cried.
Link landed on the tongue of the great god-like fish. Beside him, Nadai landed and rolled into a crouch. Navi was nowhere to be seen. Link stood up, and rubbed his back. "You alright?" He asked Nadai.
"Yeah, what about you?"
"I'm fine. Navi?" No response, the familiar ball of light was gone. "Navi? Where are you? This is no time to play tricks." Link called out.
Nadai spied around, "Link, Navi isn't here."
Link whirled to look at her. "Then where is she?"
"I don't know."
"But she is the one who directed us this far! What will we do without her?" Link stopped his rant when he noticed the water around the back of the fish's throat ripple.
Nadai also noticed, and stood behind Link. "We better go on without her. We must do this ourselves." The Octoroks attacked from the pool of water, and Link deflected the attacks back at the squid like monsters. With timed deflections, Link defeated the monsters. Nadai, noticing a small switch on the ceiling, used her Fairy Slingshot to activate it. The throat opened in the back, and Link and Nadai went through.
"Come on, we need to find Princ-"Link ended his sentence when they looked ahead of them. In the fish's stomach, various tentacles were placed randomly. The walls of the stomach were covered in dark and red sores. Even glancing at them Link could tell that they were painful. "So this is what evil Gannondorf has been making. He's been hurting Jabu-Jabu and therefore making the Zora's distraught. Now with the Princess captured he can do whatever he wants to get the last Spiritual Stone."
"Link," Nadai whispered, pointing ahead. "There she is!" Link looked directly ahead and there stood Princess Ruto, the only spot of blue in the cavern of red. She had her arms crossed, and she looked at them in anger. They hurried to her, avoiding bubbles which shimmered when you looked at them, and stood in front of her.
"I told no one to rescue me!" The Princess snapped. She was about the same age and height of Link and Nadai, except she was blue, and had an attitude.
"But your father did!" Link protested. "He said if we-"
"I don't care what he said. Jabu-Jabu is my responsibility, and if I cannot take care of him, then I don't deserve this position. Besides, I am not leaving until I find what I dropped. I can take care of myself." Princess Ruto walked away from the two kids, but fell into a sink hole. "I can take of myself," she repeated as she fell.
Nadai looked at Link. "Come on, let's end this curse and we can go." Nadai tugged on Link's arm.
"But we promised to save her."
"If she doesn't want to be saved then so be it. She can stay in here until we save Jabu-Jabu, it's not like she'll be hurt if we leave her."
"Nadai, what is it?" Link asked. "You haven't acted like this since, well, since we first met."
Nadai scowled. "I just don't like her, and her spoiled attitude. I can't deal with her."
Link spoke like a stone, resolutely. "But we need to. I'm going to protect her, if only to get the Spiritual Stone." Link turned to the sinkhole, and jumped in after her. Nadai growled in frustration, before she took out her daggers.
"This triforce thing better be worth it," Nadai jumped in after. She landed next to Link as the saw Ruto surrounded by those bubbles. Her face was resolute, but her eyes betrayed her demeanor. Ruto cried out in pain as one of the bubbles touched her, popping. Even from their position on the other side of the room they could tell that the bubbles released an electric shock on impact.
The other bubbles moved forward, to the Princess who now tried not to run away in fright. Link swept in, for he was halfway there when Nadai arrived, and cut at the closest monster. To everyone's surprise, the bubble morphed its body around the sword, and the sword ended up on the other side of the monster, completely unharmed.
Link looked at the Kokiri sword. It had failed him, why? As if he couldn't believe it he tried to stab another one, but that too was unaffected. Nadai had her slingshot out, and used it with great efficiency. The monsters popped one by one, and soon Link and Ruto stood there, safe from the monsters. A few more roamed the far side of the room, but Nadai didn't worry about them.
"What are they?" Link asked Ruto.
"I don't know, but they never attacked me before," she said as she rubbed her sore arm. "So, you really want to rescue me?"
"Yes," Link said over Nadai's mumbling. "We will help you leave."
"But first you need to help me find the…thing I lost. I am not leaving without it!" The Zora princess sat down. "Now, Kokiri, you may carry me until we leave."
"What?" Nadai exploded. She went right next to the Princess's face and screamed at her. "Why should we do that? You've done nothing but boss us around and order us about since we helped you! We should leave you here to die!" Her face was red with fury, and the Zora Princess stood up in anger as well.
"Gerudos, never trust a Gerudo. My father always said that. The very fact he stooped low enough to ask for your help means he is desperate. I am not leaving until I find what I lost. And I am not going to be walking!"
The two girls faced each other off, almost an inch apart from each other. Link tried to get between the two, but they wouldn't budge, even with his enhanced strength from the Goron's Bracelet. "Girls, please-" Link tried to calm them down.
They both turned to him and told to buzz off, and then the fight began. Nadai whipped her daggers aggressively against the Zora, but Ruto was faster than she looked. She attacked viciously, but Ruto kept out of reach. The Princess attacked using her hands and feet, moving at a speed that made Link's eyes hurt.
One of the daggers flew from Nadai's hand, and Ruto backed off as Nadai stabbed again. Nadai growled, and then tumbled forward, before kicking out at the Zora. With an inborn speed, Ruto knocked away the Gerudo's other dagger. Then, the fins growing along her arms grew rigid, and sharp. Using her fins as blades, she tore at defenseless Nadai until the Gerudo child bled from many wounds. Finally, the Zora let up her assault.
"Well, Gerudo, do you yield?"
"Never," Nadai growled before standing. Ruto mercilessly attacked the Gerudo. Nadai went down again, but this time Link stood in between the two fighters.
"Stop!" Link shouted. His Deku Shield deflected Ruto's attacks as he defended Nadai. "Listen! If we want to leave alive we need to work together. Ruto, you win. I'll carry you out of here, IF you tell me what you lost."
"Link-" Nadai protested.
"Nadai, just do it." Link knelt down next to his friend. "We cannot do this without Ruto with us, at least until we can get her out. Just hold your temper until then. Take it out on the enemy."
Nadai scowled, before nodding her head. She stood with the help of Link. "Well? Are you ready, Kokiri? You may carry me now," Ruto commanded.
"No," Link spoke. "Tell me what you lost, and I will."
"Of all the insolent-"
"Now you need us to get out of here, like it or not. And you won't get my help until you tell me what you lost!"
Ruto snarled fiercely. "I would rather die."
"Then, we cannot help you." Link turned away. Nadai just moved off to the side when Ruto launched herself at Link. He fins sharpened and went for his unprotected back. Link turned at the last instant, and deflected the attack with ease. Using the flat of his blade, he twisted her arms like so, and sent her spinning to the ground.
"How-How did you do that?" Ruto asked. Link put away his blade.
"Just tell me." Link's mind rolled in thought. How had he done that? All the moves he had done before were basic. But this, this was something years ahead of his time. Nadai knew of it as well. Fighting Link the first time showed her that Link had great skill, but after that he had fought like a beginner. Something was locked inside his brain, but what?
"Fine, I'll tell you," Ruto surrendered. "I lost the prized possession my mother gave me before she died. She gave me, the Zora's Sapphire. The Spiritual Stone of Water."
"What!" Link and Nadai both exclaimed.
Navi flew about the spot where Jabu-Jabu was. There was no way for her to help her friends. But if she found a fish…. With a plan in mind, Navi flew back into the Grotto. With a fish burdening her down, she managed to make it back before she dropped it on the island on the far side.
She rested for a moment, before noticing a spider-like creature skim across the water to her. She couldn't defend herself against this monster, a Blue Tektite!
They watched the Princess sit down again. "You mean to tell me, that the Spiritual Stone that we were told to get, is also the stone your mother gave you?" Link asked.
"Yes. Wait, why do you want the Spiritual Stone?"
Link grunted, his legs and back forcing the Princess above his head. With the Goron bracelet on, he was strong enough to lift the Zora Princess. "Gannondorf is a Gerudo male from the desert. He wants the sacred triforce, and in order to keep it safe we need to find the three keys in order to find the sacred realm. We have the other spiritual stones already, we just need the last Spiritual Stone."
Ruto nodded gravely on top of Link's head. Nadai, hurting everywhere, walked forward, guarding the two. "Gannondorf. Yes, I know of him."
Nadai scowled. "But how come you know about all of this, and we don't!"
Ruto smiled. "That is because, Gerudo, I just do." Nadai made a move toward them, but Link caught her gaze. Scowling in anger, Nadai led the way through the dungeon. "As for the Spiritual Stone, I cannot give it to the Gerudo, nor the Kokiri."
"Why not?" Link asked. His arms started to burn with their load, but with Nadai clearing the way, he had it easier.
"The Spiritual Stone, the Zora's Sapphire, it is customary given as a wedding promise to the royal ones beloved. If I gave it to the Kokiri, I would have to marry when him I came to age."
"What!" Link shouted, almost dropping the Zora Princess. "That is not going to happen-EVER!"
"That is why I cannot give you the Spiritual Stone."
"But we need it!" Link protested.
"But you will not marry me! And I do not want to marry you, Kokiri." Ruto shouted back. Nadai, who had went up ahead came back and ushered Link forward. They hadn't fought anything really hard on their way through Jabu-Jabu, but only Ruto really knew what was going on, and she decided to remain quiet.
A switch stood in front of a room off of the main room where Ruto had fallen earlier. With Nadai demonstrating, she showed how the switch was activated by weight, but needed weight for it to remain open.
"Ruto, stay." Nadai ordered. Link set Ruto down on the switch.
"Why should I stay? It is my Spiritual Stone, I have a right to get it, not be left behind!"
Link looked so sternly at the Zora that she submitted. "If there are monsters in there it is only right if Nadai and I enter. You don't have a weapon, and those monsters are hurt only by the Deku Knuts from the Fairy Slingshot. I can defend against them with my Deku Shield. You, can't."
Link and Nadai ran through. As soon as they went through, the door closed on them, a trap. The bubble monsters attacked, rushing Link and Nadai. Link's shield prevented the shock from hurting him, and Nadai, while she shot them with rapid accuracy.
Together, with the eased experience of working together, they finished off the monsters. A chest revealed itself in the middle of the room. Opening it, Link frowned. "It's a ranged weapon. It's called a Boomerang." He tossed the weapon to Nadai, but yelped in surprise when it curved in the air and returned to him.
"I guess it returns to the owner once you throw it." Link handed the weapon to Nadai, who spent a few seconds trying out the new weapon. Soon, the weapon could curve where she wanted and return to her.
They returned to the previous room, where Link picked up the angry Zora. With her yelling all the time, Nadai was tempted for some more practice with her Boomerang, but a quick glance from Link told her not to. She had her chance a little while later, when she used her Boomerang to defeat one of the colored tentacles that the three children assumed hurt Jabu-Jabu. Of course when they hurt one of the tentacles, they were able to go on and Jabu-Jabu seemed to Ruto calmed down a bit.
But, they defeated a few more tentacles, and they also cleared a few more rooms within Jabu-Jabu's stomach of monsters, but they still seemed to be going nowhere. That is, until Ruto spotted her foot prints leading to the last and final door.
"In there! That's where we need to go, in there!" Ruto urged on Link and Nadai. Link, tired of carrying Ruto, and Nadai tired and wounded from her fight with Ruto, both sighed. Fortunately, this door wasn't pressurized to open. They entered, and Ruto saw the Spiritual Stone on the far edge of the room.
"There it is! Let me go!" Ruto escaped from Link who gladly let go of the Princess. Nadai, who saw this as her opportunity, ran forward, ignoring her wounds.
"No, way! I'm going to get that first!" Nadai and Ruto fought each other as they made their way to the Spiritual Stone. Nadai, using her Boomerang, snagged the Spiritual Stone towards her, then threw it to Link. He caught the Boomerang and the Spiritual Stone. But as he did, he watched as the two girls both land on the platform where the Spiritual Stone was.
To all of their surprise, they zoomed away, leaving Link alone. Except he had someone there to keep him company.
Navi flew as fast as she could while dragging the fish. The Blue Tektite followed her, moving with the blinding speed of a Tektite. She made it to the platform, and laid the fish down. Jabu-Jabu rose to meet the fish, and with one gulp ate Navi, the fish, and the Blue Tektite.
Navi flew up high, away from the Tektite, but that was the least of her worries. The Blue Tektite met the Octoroks, natural enemies. They fought, leaving the Octoroks the winner. Navi left through the opened throat door, and into the stomach. From there it wasn't that hard to find her way through Jabu-Jabu. She was glad of the countless hours training with the Great Deku Tree.
Then, she saw the footprints of Ruto, and the much earlier footprints of Nadai and Link. She entered the room, and almost was shocked to unconsciousness from what she saw.
Link was surprised when he saw the giant…well; it could only be called an Octorok. The Giant Octorok was massive, and charged Link as he ran around the room. The Spiritual Stone he thankfully had put in his pack before the monster had arrived, but he held the Boomerang in one hand and the Kokiri Sword in another. Unable to use his shield, he ran around the room, his hands full of weapons, wracking his brain on how he could defeat the monster.
Some otherworldly thought told him to use the Boomerang, but he ignored that thought completely. He couldn't use this…thing to save his life. He couldn't win. He needed Nadai, or Navi. Or even Ruto to help him out at this point.
The he heard the best thing since he had entered the dungeon. "Hey! Link!" Navi flew to the weary Kokiri.
"Navi! Where were you?" Link cried out in relief. He continued to run as the Giant Octorok chased him even faster.
"I'll explain later, just listen to me." Navi said. She perched herself on Link's shoulder and told him what to do.
Link exasperatedly looked at Navi. "But I can't-"
Navi scolded him. "You must and you will." Link sighed, and then turned. With a quick flick of his wrist, he flung the Boomerang at the Octorok. Luckily, since the fates or the goddesses looked kindly down on Link, he scored a hit. The monster spun in frustration, then started charging…the other way. With another Boomerang throw, Link was getting the hang of this weapon now; he stunned the monster in its unprotected backside. With a few attacks, Link struck at the stunned monster.
Rinse and repeat. Serve when chopped finely.
The monster died, and disintegrated into dust. Link smiled, before he ran to the platform on the far side, now returned. Quickly, as the floor started to rumble, he sped through a door, and continued his journey. The rest of this journey sped quickly for Link. He used the Boomerang to keep some blocks from moving, and jumped across. He found a switch, one that he and his friends couldn't reach before, and put a block on it. Now, able to go through the one blocked doorway, he ran through.
"Wait! What about Ruto and Nadai?" Link shouted as he finally remembered his lost friends.
Nadai watched as Link became lost to view. She turned to Ruto. "No, we need that more than you do," she began. Ruto attacked, her fins razor sharp.
Nadai defended herself. But, with the Zora Princess aiming to maim, Nadai could only defend, not attack. "How dare you! You will die Gerudo for what you have done! Then, that Kokiri is next!" Ruto swung wildly, eyes almost red in anger.
Fortunately for Nadai, she could defend against the Princess's attacks with ease, for anger made her use simple attacks. "But we need that to stop Gannondorf from obtaining the triforce!" Protested Nadai. She saw an opening, and moved to strike. But Link's voice popped into her head, almost pleading with her not to attack Ruto. So, she missed on purpose. She defended herself as the platform moved to the last place either of them wanted to be.
Then, Ruto stopped. The platform had stopped moving only a few seconds ago. "Turn around." The voice that came out of Ruto was so scared, and so cold. Nadai did, and saw the most powerful thing she had ever faced yet.
"Run!" Nadai screamed, and they ran. A long tentacle grabbed them, and stuck them to the wall using a sticky adhesive. They were trapped, and if no one came to help them soon, they were toast.
Link entered the room. Navi hovered worriedly by his side. "Link, those switches there, use the Boomerang."
"How?" Link asked. He climbed up the wall to a ledge. There, two switches lay on the other side of a mesh wall.
"Just throw, the Boomerang will return to you." Link threw, but it hit the mesh wall, before flying back. "No, no, no. Feel the Boomerang in your hand. Fell its shape. Feel the weapon flow from your body when you throw it. Feel it arc. Like the Kokiri Sword, direct the Boomerang until it hits the switches, then return back to the other hand."
Like as if it was yesterday, Link saw in his mind's eye the memories from before. A glimpse of himself doing this exact same thing, with Navi by his side and him angling the Boomerang like so….
Link threw, and the Boomerang curved just right, hitting the switches before it returned to his hand. He jumped off the ledge, and rolled. He stood up and looked in the large chamber ahead. He could do this. Something told him he did it before.
Then, things became interesting for our four heroes. (Wang: Time Stop, stop saying "our" and "we", we are not in the story. Time Stop: Wang, quiet! You ruined the mood!)
Link entered, and almost jumped when the door closed. He then noticed the large parasite clinging to the ceiling. Three tentacles hung from the ceiling, pulsing in a red eerie light. Three more tentacles sprouted from the top of the monster, moving about, and feeling for intruders. The body of the monster was clear, and a mysterious glowing green liquid filled the inside, along with other strange shapes. Electricity coursed along the monster's body, sometimes emitting a sharp crack when energy released itself.
The monster didn't have any eyes, at least from what Link could tell. Then he heard his friends. "Link! Up here!" Nadai called. Link turned and looked up. Up above, Ruto and Nadai were plastered to the wall from a sticky goo.
"Hey, get us out of here!" Ruto called down. Link judged the angle of the throw, and threw the Boomerang at the side. The Boomerang swerved, and cut through the goo, dissolving it, before returning to Link's hand. Nadai fell and landed hard on her legs. Her injuries still existed, but now they were somewhat closed up by the goo. Ruto landed lightly, and almost threw herself at Link. "Give me my Spiritual Stone back!" Ruto demanded.
Nadai noticed Navi for the first time. "Navi! When did you get here?"
"Only a little while ago." Navi answered. "Ruto, stop this at once. If we want to survive this, we have to fight it in order to escape." The four of them turned to the monster. As they did the monster roared out its challenge. Navi swallowed audibly. "This is Barinade! Watch his electric attacks!" Link dived to the side. Ruto went to the other, and Nadai forced her legs to push her up. A bolt of electricity shocked the area where they stood not a moment before.
"The only way to defeat Barinade is to sever its ties to Jabu-Jabu. Aim for those tentacles." Navi screamed. Link turned, and threw to Nadai. Nadai caught the Boomerang, and threw at Barinade. The Boomerang cut through one of the Tentacles. The monster emitted a low hum of anger, before firing more electricity at Nadai. She dodged as best she could, and threw the Boomerang again.
Ruto attacked the body, her fins as sharp as ever. But not to everyone's surprise, she was shocked back by the electricity, and hit the wall. She groaned and tried to stand. But an electric blast from one for the three tentacles sent her into unconsciousness.
Link ran and ducked from the electricity. One of the three tentacles focused on him, and the second as soon as Ruto was knocked out. He was tiring, and could only hope that Nadai would finish the monster's tentacles before he got too tired to fight back.
Nadai's throw proved accurate, very accurate. The Boomerang hit two of the tentacles, severing the tie from Jabu-Jabu. Barinade hit the ground with a thud, knocking Nadai and Link off their feet. When they stood up, the Monster supported itself upright on the three stumps. It roared out a challenge, and five Jelly-fish came out of the holes in the ceiling. They connected themselves to Barinade by electricity, and circled defensively around their master.
Then, Navi had very good advice for the two heroes. "Don't hit the monsters directly; use the Boomerang to kill them. Then, when you hit Barinade with the Boomerang, he'll be stunned and defenseless."
They followed her advice. Soon all the Jelly-fish were gone, and Barinade open to attack. But more Jelly-fish came every time Nadai killed one. Link was being hurt by electricity ever second. Then, in a final, desperate move, Link jumped at the monster. Holding the point of the sword downwards, he gripped it in two hands. As he landed on the monster, electricity coursed through his body. Screaming in pain and in anger, he cut downward with all his strength, forcing the sword up to the hilt into Barinade.
This move was different, never before did Link or Nadai see the move happen before.
But it worked. Barinade swelled into an enormous size before exploding. Masses of goo and blood covered the room. Link had to peal himself from the wall in order to get free. Nadai was better off, and was only covered in it. Navi hid inside Link's hat, so she was okay. Ruto, who was unconscious in the corner, had to be quickly freed before she suffocated.
"This has got to be the most disgusting boss I have ever fought," Link complained. His joints hurt like no tomorrow. He tried his best to clean off the goop from his sword, and slipped it into his sheath. Nadai nodded, then motioned to the uncovered Ruto.
"We gotta get out of here."
"Right."
"How do we keep the stone?"
"I'm working on it." Link replied. Together, Link and Nadai dragged Ruto into the blue light. Navi held onto Link's hat and the four of them whisked into nothingness.
As before, Link's joints were healed, and the constant ringing in his ears subsided. Nadai didn't know how bad she was after the fight with Ruto, but the pain she had been ignoring was replaced by warmth that soothed her aches away. Navi who was tired but didn't show it, was only rested. The most profound effect was Ruto. She opened her eyes and stood up. He wounds, many from Barinade, was cleared, and she was back to her usual self.
They landed in the water next to Jabu-Jabu, where the giant fish happily greeted Ruto. "I-I owe you my life." Ruto said. "I can't repay you for what you did."
Link smiled. "We don't worry about that. We just need the Spiritual Stone in order to complete our quest."
Ruto's eyes flashed red in anger, but it subsided. "Then my debt is repaid. Take the Zora Sapphire, you deserve it." Link aand Nadai cry out in victory, only to be stopped by Ruto's final words. "And don't you think I will marry you, 'cause I won't!"
Ruto swam off to her father, but Link and Nadai had better plans. "We promised Saria we would meet with her again," Link reminded Nadai as they walked out of Zora's domain.
"But how are we going to get there in time. If we leave now it would be night, and as much as I love to fight stalchildren, I don't."
Link pointed to a pool of water in an alcove in the cliff wall. Navi smiled. "Yes, that's one of the few ways to enter the Lost Woods from the outside. The only way to do that is to swim. It is Kokiri made, so it is easy to swim back and forth."
"How come we didn't do it earlier?" asked Nadai as they stood in front of the pool.
"It was too deep for us before, now we can do it." Link pointed to the silver scale upon his neck.
"See you on the other side Link," Nadai said, and jumped in. Link smiled before following. This quest was getting easier and easier. They were so close to finishing their quest.
But now things got even more interesting, if that was even possible.
Time Stop: Well, there it is, Chapter Ten.
Wang: Yeah!
Time Stop: This next part is going to be hard to think about, but we have a few ideas.
Off in the corner of the room, Shadow sits in front of a trash can, filled to the brim with paper Shadow: This is hard!
Wang: Please Review!
Shadow: Help me!
Time Stop: Bye!
Shadow: Help!