Chapter XIII

In which the Knights of Hyrule meet the Zoras...

The group of Hyruleans wasted no time in rushing back upriver, towards the waterfall. Hot Rodder slumped Impa carefully over his back so that Zelda wouldn't have to keep carrying her.

"We must hurry!" Zelda urged the group on as they ran as fast as they could. The group was already tired from their previous battle, and the long climb back up to the waterfall was not easy for them. The howls from the pack of Wolfos behind them grew louder and more excited; the animals had picked up the scent of blood from the dead Moblins.

Finally they reached the waterfall. Glancing behind her, Hana could see the Wolfos now; they were investigating the corpses, their sharp teeth clacking together in their anticipation of killing something.

"If we're going to do something," Hana said warningly.

Zelda glanced over her shoulder before turning her attention back to the waterfall. She raised her arms, and a soft glow emanated from her arms. The waterfall instantly slowed and parted, responding to the princess' silent command. A large cavern was revealed, its ceiling dripping with water. Peering into it, they could make out the flickering lights of torches deeper inside.

"Everyone get across!" Zelda called before leaping over the gap and racing into the cave.

"Fado!" Hana shouted as Hot Rodder took a few steps back to prepare to jump, Impa still draped over his shoulder.

"Yes?" Fado asked, not an inch of fear in her voice as the wolfos began to pound their way up the hill towards them.

"Cover fire, now!"

"Ok." Fado shrugged before whipping out her slingshot and pelting the animals with deku seeds. Surprised yelps sounded from below them, and the wolfos' progress slowed as they tried to avoid the bullets.

Hot Rodder started to run as fast as he could before leaping across the gap. It wasn't a very large gap, but for a Goron, who was quite heavy and had small legs, it might as well have been a great chasm. His toes managed to land on the other side, but he wasn't balanced and started to fall backwards. Right before he began to fall into the water below, several blue-tinted hands reached out and grabbed him, pulling him to safety.

"Everyone else, get across now!" Hana shouted, pulling out her sword as a more aggressive wolfos started to round the top of the hill. Fado hit it right between the eyes with a deku seed, but even that didn't seem to stop it. It merely snarled at her before lunging towards her. Hana was ready for it, stabbing her sword into its side as it leaped through the air. It howled and fell to the ground, Hana landing on top of it. Fado never stopped firing at the other wolfos, even though they seemed to be acting more cautious now that one of their own had been killed.

"Hana!" Tak shouted. "We're across, hurry!"

"Time to go!" Hana said, and she gripped Fado before pulling her backwards towards the waterfall. The Kokiri continued to shoot, although her aim was slightly off now that she had to walk backwards as well.

"Hurry!" This was a new voice, and as Hana looked for the voice she spotted several humanoid fish - Zora - lining the cliffside above the waterfall. Each raised their arms in front of their faces before slinging them forward; sharp fins detached from their arms and flew over Hana and Fado's heads, just as they leaped across to safety. Several wolfos were killed and the others fled from the area, howling as they went. The fins swung back around and shot back towards the Zoras like boomerangs, reattaching to their arms as if they had never left.

A young female Zora was standing nearby, gesturing for them to follow her. "This way."

They stepped through the cave and were soon standing in a humongous cavern. There were a few walkways scattered about, but most of it was filled with water. Another, smaller waterfall kept the cavern filled with a fresh supply of water. Several Zoras were swimming about in the pool below them, looking as if they were just there for a good time despite that they were nearly attacked.

"Welcome to Zora's Domain," the Zora said. "I am Ruto, daughter to King Zora."

Hana's eyes widened as she realized that she was standing next to the princess of an entirely different race. "Thanks for the rescue," she said.

"Oh don't mention it, they needed something to practice on anyway. You can only shoot at stationary targets for so long before it just becomes redundant."

Tak put his sword back into its hilt. "Well it certainly was good timing. But won't you get into trouble with Ganondorf now?"

"Oh, him," Ruto dismissed the name with a wave of her hand. "Right now that man doesn't know what to do about us. We have too powerful of an army for him to risk taking on right now, not to mention that he's hoping we'll join him." She laughed at their expressions. "I know, right? That's how I felt when I saw the message he sent us. Oh, Zelda, my father wanted to talk to you again before you left. Lucky that those things attacked, or you might not have returned at all!"

"Yes, lucky thing," Zelda repeated before following Ruto along the walkways towards the throne room.

"You lot can stay here for now!" Ruto called over her shoulder. "You'll be safe here!"

"What a place!" Hot Rodder commented as another Zora took hold of Impa and carried her up to the throne room as well. "Remind me not to trip and fall! You'll never get me out!"

Hana glanced down at the deep water below. "Maybe we should move down a bit for now."

Fado began to skip ahead of them. "Yes, just incase you forget not to fall!"

They soon discovered that the pool grew more shallow in certain areas, and they were able to rest their sore feet in the cool, refreshing water. Fado would every so often kick her feet out and splash whoever was sitting closest to her at the time.

"Well," Hana began, and everyone turned their attention to her. "I'm proud of us today. We won against two giant Moblins, and a pack of wolfos."

The others grinned happily.

"You know," Grog said hesitantly. "I think maybe we should practice more often though. It took me a while to get used to the way that sword was balanced."

"Hana," Tak grabbed his friends attention with excitement in his voice. "I think we can win this."

Hana nodded. "Me, too."

The others nodded eagerly before turning back to watch the waterfall, sitting in companionable silence.

"What do you mean you haven't met Lord Jabu-Jabu yet? Why, everyone should meet him while they're visiting! It's not everyday you get to meet a god, you know!"

Hana raised an eyebrow towards the Zora that they were currently talking to. Tak, however, seemed most interested in the fact that the Zoras' god was actually living with them.

"Does he have super powers?" Tak asked excitedly.

"Super powers?" The Zora rubbed his arm fins together uncertainly. "I don't know."

"But, he's a god, right?"

"Well of course he is! You should visit him!"

Tak turned to Hana. "Can we? Can we?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm not your mother, go see him if you want to see him!"

"Awesome! Who else wants to meet a god?" Tak turned to the others.

Fado tilted her head as she considered the question. "I already met a god." No one else had any idea what or who she was talking about, but Tak accepted the answer all the same. "Grog? Hot Rodder?"

"Count me out, goro. I'm staying down here until we leave, I don't want to fall."

Grog sighed. "I guess it's something to do."

Tak and Grog marched towards the throne room, moving closer to the edge of the walkway to allow Zelda through as she passed, heading towards Hana.

"Hi, Zelda, how's Impa?" Hana asked as Zelda reached them.

"Awake now, and fine, thank the goddesses."

"Glad to hear it."

"Listen, I never got the chance to really thank you for what you did today. If you and your... what is this group of yours anyway?"

"It's a long story."

Fado clapped her hands together. "We are awakening the Knights of Hyrule. Once more shall they ride across these great lands, for their defense and the defense of their people."

"Yeah, that," Hana said, leaning casually against the damp wall while Zelda stared at them with wide eyes.

"You are not joking?"

"Nope," Hot Rodder said cheerfully.

"Incredible. I did not think that... why though?"

"Because," Hana began. "Even if Link does return, this is all too much for one person to handle on his own. He's going to need all the help he can get. Plus, we can distract Ganondorf from your plans... whatever those are, exactly."

Zelda looked astonished, and she was about to say something else when Fado interrupted her. "Zelda... that doesn't sound quite right."

"Excuse me?" Zelda asked while Hana and Hot Rodder just looked at the Kokiri curiously.

"You are disguised as a Sheikah, you need a different name than that now."

Zelda blinked. "You... you are asking me to discard the last remaining connection I have to my past, to my lineage?"

Fado gazed into Zelda's red eyes, and suddenly the Kokiri girl grew somber. "No, just to forget it for a while."

Zelda was silent for a while as she gazed towards the water. "You are right, of course. I need to stay hidden, and should get used to using a different name so I can apply it easily should I have to. I will consider it."

It looked as if Fado wanted to make a suggestion, but then Tak's voice from above echoed towards them. "Hey, Hana, Lord Jabu-Jabu is huge! You should see him!"

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!