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Authornote: Sunday April 2nd 2017
Hello everyone!
Technically, it is still Sunday somewhere in the country. lol Sorry, the chapter ended up being late, I got called into work to cover someone's shift. They gave me a massive box of chocolate as a thank you, so I guess I can't be too upset. lol
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I'm going to put this to a vote: When we find out The Postman's name, do you guys want me to switch to using the name or continue referring to him as The Postman? I've gotten several PMs about this, so I'm going to let you guys decide. The vote will be decided on the last chapter of Part 2. I'm keeping track of any votes I receive by review or PM.
Vote count so far:
The Postman: 5 Votes
His Real Name 6 Votes
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Thank you very much for the reviews, everyone! :D Reviews are always greatly appreciated. :D
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defiant-decay- I'm using all of the Zelda games I've played which are Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, Windwaker, Link's Awakening and I might add a few things from Breath of the Wild. (no spoilers though, just characters) I have many, many ideas for future stories once The Postman story is complete. I have an idea for a Link story, an idea for a Ganonorf and Happy Mask Salesman Story (i posted the first chapter of this a while ago, but when i start on it, i'll fix a few things) and I have an idea which involves the thief that was Sakon's predecessor. After The Postman story is complete, I'm going to start my drabbles fic which is all short-stories that are requests from readers.
There will be a lot more involving The Happy Mask Salesman in this series. ;)
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Rainmy- Thanks for the review, my dear! :D Your vote has been added!
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Reiz16- Even villains have birthdays! :D
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ChangelingRin- No, it doesn't bode well at all. Nothing ever seems to go right for any of my characters. lol
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There are 5 parts to The Postman series, and chapters will be between 4000-7000 words. Updates will be on Sundays and Fridays.
To anyone that didn't read the original version of this story, this series kind of merges all the different Zelda universes into one. In this story there is only one legendary hero that was singlehandedly responsible for saving Hyrule on multiple occasions. This story assumes all Zelda adventures happened within the same timeframe.
Thank you very much for the reviews, they're always greatly appreciated. Please let me know any feedback, suggestions or criticisms you might have.
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How To Be A Villain
Part 2 Chapter 20
Minoko the Brat
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"Owww!" Minoko complained as she was pulled down the hallway by her ear. "Stop it, you're hurting me! Owww!"
The cook's response was to give her a hard slap across the bottom. "You little brat! I hope Lord Ganondorf orders you to be beaten! You're just like The Thief when he was a child, and I am not putting up with another one of him."
Minoko tried to protest the injustice of it all, but every time she opened her mouth, she was given another slap. By the time they reached Ganondorf's throne room, Minoko was in tears, and the cook was even angrier. She reached out and rapped on the door with an air of importance, and a moment later, Ganondorf bellowed out his permission for them to enter. The cook opened the door and stalked inside, dragging the crying girl after her.
Ganondorf was studying the stone that held the Great Fairy, and when he looked up to see them, a puzzled look flashed across his face. Civilians normally stayed clear of him, so he definitely wasn't expecting this.
"Yes?" he demanded.
The cook shoved Minoko towards him. "Please forgive the intrusion, Lord Ganondorf, but something incredibly serious has happened."
She now had Ganondorf's complete attention. Serious? Had the Hero of Time found a way inside the city? Did someone important get killed?
"What happened?" he demanded, standing to his feet, and reaching for his sword.
"This little demon child," the cook hissed, pointing at Minoko. "Ate your birthday cake!"
Ganondorf blinked, not quite following her. "And?" he asked, hoping there was more to this story.
"I worked all day on that!" the cook exclaimed. "Now, I'll have to make another one!"
Ganondorf narrowed his eyes. "Did you seriously interrupt my studies over a cake?" he demanded, his tone going icy. "I'm preparing for war, and you think someone eating a cake was an important enough reason to disturb me?!"
The cook wasn't expecting this type of reaction and she faltered. "She stole your birthday cake, and she deserves to be punished!"
"Then punish her." Ganondorf snarled, his voice rising. "I don't know why you thought I would care about a stupid cake when I'm trying to research ways to protect our people. I'm dealing with life and death decisions, and you're blathering about a cake of all things! I'm way too busy to deal with this nonsense! Get out of my throne room now, you stupid incompetent woman, before I order you to be arrested! "
Ganondorf had expected her to immediately turn and leave, but instead the cook burst into noisy, hysterical tears. Ganondorf grimaced, unaccustomed to dealing with regular civilians, and wasn't quite sure what to do. He simply stared at the crying woman awkwardly, and then glanced around the room feeling very uncomfortable.
"Forgive me, my Lord!" the cook wailed. "I was just so upset about the whole thing that I didn't think things through! I've made every single one of your birthday cakes since you were born, and I always look forward to presenting it to you every year! It's a very big deal for me, my Lord. When that little brat destroyed all my hard work, I wanted her to come apologize to you in person. I'm so sorry, my King, this old woman has overstepped her bounds. Feel free to kill me for my error in judgement."
Ganondorf let out a heavy sigh, and rubbed at his temples in irritation. He was used to dealing with the calm and collected Gerudo warriors, not a hysterical old woman who worked in the kitchens. He honestly hadn't even remembered it was his birthday until she had brought it up. He stared at her as she wailed out her apologies, and decided that perhaps he'd been a little harsh. Civilians weren't held to the same standards that the military were after all.
"Alright, alright." he said, with another sigh. "Make another cake, and do what you need to do. I'll attend supper tonight, as per tradition."
The cook wiped her tears away and gave him a beaming smile. She bowed low and then said. "You won't be disappointed, Lord Ganondorf, I'll make sure it's the best cake you've ever had!"
Ganondorf turned his eyes to Minoko. "And what do you have to say about all this?" he demanded.
Minoko was staring down at the floor, and she bit her bottom lip, scuffing at the floor with one of her boots. "I'm sorry I ate your birthday cake." she answered. "Happy birthday..."
"Is your brother awake yet?" he demanded.
Minoko looked up. "Well, sorta..." she replied. "He's still doing nothing but sleeping, but now you can wake him up if you poke at him."
"Who's been watching you?" Ganondorf asked. "You shouldn't be bothering The Tracker while he's recovering."
"No one." Minoko said with a shrug. "I've just been exploring the castle for the last couple days."
Ganondorf shifted his gaze back to the cook. "Take her to the junior training group and leave her there."
"She's too young, my Lord." the cook answered uncertainly. "She needs to be ten."
"Tell the instructor that it's an order. They'll take her."
The cook gave a nod. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I'll do as you say, my Lord."
"Brat, give this to your brother." Ganondorf ordered, tossing her a heavy pouch.
She caught it and looked at it in confusion. "What is it?"
"That's The Tracker's pay for his last mission. Make sure he gets it."
Minoko gave him a salute. "You can count on me!" she promised.
The cook bowed one last time, and then grabbed Minoko by the arm, and left the room, dragging the girl after her. She didn't speak a single word to Minoko, instead taking her to the East side of the castle and entering through a large door. Minoko quickly saw several dozen girls a few years older than her training with wooden swords in a large room with high ceilings. The instructor, a middle-aged woman with greying hair, turned to see who had entered. When she saw the unusual visitors, she approached.
"Yes?" she demanded.
"Lord Ganondorf has ordered that this little miscreant join your training group." the cook replied. "She's a little monster in serious need of discipline."
The instructor looked Minoko up and down with a frown. "How old are you?" she demanded.
"Eight."
The Instructor shook her head. "She's too young to join my group."
"Lord Ganondorf said it's an order, and that you have to take her. She's been causing chaos in the castle, and needs supervision."
"This is The Tracker's sister?"
The cook nodded. "The Tracker is still recovering, and he can't care for her yet. She cannot continue running wild or she's going to end up exactly like The Thief. He never had parents and look at how he turned out! She's already showing startling similarities that need to be ground out of her before it's too late."
The instructor let out a sigh. "Alright, I'll take her if it's a direct order." to Minoko she said. "Follow me."
As the cook left the room, Minoko trailed along behind the instructor.
"I am lieutenant Xela, and I will be in charge of your military training until you leave our lands, or when you turn fifteen. You will do anything and everything you're told without question, and you will be graded monthly on various skills. Training begins at nine a.m. and ends at five p.m., six days a week. Your day will consist of morning classroom training and afternoon physical training. Failure will not be tolerated. Your brother will be expected to ensure you're doing what you're supposed to. I will provide you with a set of uniforms that are to be kept clean and neat. Any questions?"
"So, you're going to teach me how to fight?"
Xela nodded. "That's right."
Minoko gave her a wide grin. "When can I start?"
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After much deliberation, and a lot of studying, Ganondorf created a magical prison that he was certain would hold the Great Fairy. After triple-checking the magical wards, he activated the fairy crystal, releasing all of the fairies into the new containment field.
The Great Fairy looked incredibly confused, and she glanced all around herself as if she didn't remember what had happened. Her gaze fell on Ganondorf, and her eyes widened. Snapping her fingers, a whirlwind of magic surrounded her, but had no effect. She then reached out and touched the magical barrier surrounding her, and received a painful shock. Retracting her hand, she tried once more to use her powers. There was no effect. She was trapped. She tried again and again to no avail, not realizing what had happened.
"That won't work." Ganondorf informed her. "The magical barrier absorbs any magic you use. It's pointless to try."
The Great Fairy paused, and looked back at him. "How did I get here?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea who I am? Release me at once, Gerudo!"
Ganondorf gave her a smirk. "No, my dear, you are my guest of honour. You will be helping me win this war against Hyrule."
The Great Fairy narrowed her eyes. "I will not." she snapped. "I would never help the likes of you. You reek of evil and unworthiness. Release me."
Ganondorf gave a slow shake of his head. "I am your new master, and you will submit your power to me. I can make your life miserable, or you can make things easier on yourself and cooperate. It's completely up to you."
The Great Fairy scowled at him and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I will not be intimidated by a mere mortal villain. I have lived for thousands of years, and I will continue living until this world crumbles. You, however, will die by the hands of the Hero of Time."
Ganondorf's expression hardened, and he sauntered up to the every edge of the barrier. Without a word, he laid a hand against it and the fairy within instantly screamed in agony as a surge of power tore through her. He kept his hand to the barrier for ten seconds, and then pulled, back, releasing her from the pain. The Great Fairy fell to her knees, breathing hard, and when she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with hatred. Ganondorf met her gaze directly.
"Like I said, fairy, you can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way, I will eventually get what I want. I will give you some time to consider your options, and then I will be back for your answer."
Ganondorf gave her one last glance and then turned and stalked from the room. The moment she was alone, The Great Fairy smoothed out her crumpled wings and stared at her prison miserably.
"Goddess Farore, please hear my prayer." she whispered. "Save me, please save me before it's too late! Please..."
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Minoko had greatly enjoyed the physical training and she was eager to learn everything she could about fighting. She was considerably smaller than the other girls, but she was twice as vicious. Lieutenant Xela had been surprised at the girl's willingness to listen, and she had patiently explained a few basic moves. She found the girl much too reckless, however, throwing herself at more skilled opponents fearlessly. Minoko had gotten the snot beat out of her several times, but she was completely undeterred. At the end of the day, she was bloody and bruised but very happy with her progress.
Lieutenant Xela had then walked all the girls down to the dining hall for supper, and Minoko found herself seated between two older girls around thirteen or so. She was starving and the moment a plate of food was placed in front of her, she dived in with gusto. She was three bites in when the spice hit her and she gagged and spit the food back out onto her plate. Spitting a couple more times to get the taste out of her mouth, she grimaced when the burning persisted. The two girls beside her gave her identical looks of disgust, but Minoko was still retching and gagging, certain she was going to throw up. She drank a tall glass of water, and then shoved the food away from her with a scowl.
Glancing towards the door, she figured she'd go ask her brother to find her some edible food. He'd certainly take pity on her! Slipping away from the table, she hurried out of the room, eager on seeing if The Postman was awake.
She ran up the stairs all the way to J-Wing, and excitedly burst into her brother's room, wanting to tell him all about her afternoon. To her disappointment, he was still fast asleep. Padding over to him, she crawled up onto the bed beside him, and gave him a nudge. He shifted slightly but didn't wake. Giving him a sharp prod in the ribs, The Postman still remained asleep. She frowned, wondering if she had bothered him too much earlier.
"I'm hungry." Minoko whined loudly. "The food here tastes like poo."
The Postman still didn't move.
"Ganondorf gave me your pay." she told him, dropping the fat pouch of rupees onto the bed. "Today's his birthday. I ate his cake."
The Postman made a sort of annoyed sound, but otherwise didn't wake. Minoko persisted.
"Since I can't eat the slop here, can I borrow some rupees so I can buy supper at the market?"
When he didn't react in the slightest, she frowned and gave him a hard punch in the arm. The Postman opened an eye and stared at her, clearly having no intention of moving more than that.
"Can I borrow some rupees for supper?" she demanded.
"Mmm hmm." The Postman answered, once again closing the eye.
Biting her lip, she gave him another glance. Did that count as permission?
"Okay, I'm borrowing a few rupees, brother!" she announced loudly to the comatose postman.
Reaching down, she took back the pouch of rupees and opened it, peering inside. Her eyes widened.
"Wow! Ganondorf is paying you a lot of money to be a Tracker!" she exclaimed, digging through it, looking at the rainbow of colours within. "I only get one rupee a week for allowance!"
Giving The Postman a slightly guilty look, she stuffed the entire pouch into her pocket and ran out the door, before he could wake up and notice what she was doing. When she'd played in the market with the other children the day before, she'd seen a variety of stalls so she knew one of them had to serve edible food.
Minoko ran down the flights of stairs as fast as she could back to the main floor, and then continued out of the castle. The Gerudo guards posted at the main doors gave the small girl a curious look as she passed, but they weren't too concerned about her. Children her age were always running in and out of the castle as they did chores or errands for their mothers. They assumed The Postman had sent her on some sort of errand and didn't stop her.
Minoko ran straight to the market and pushed her way through the crowds, looking at the different stalls for something that looked good. The old hummus lady waved her over, and she cautiously approached, looking at the various flavours of hummus with a wrinkled nose. She thought whatever it was did not look very appetising.
"Are you looking for some supper, child?" the old woman asked. "Your brother usually buys supper from me every night. I haven't seen him in a while though..."
"He's sick in bed." Minoko responded.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. He always has such nice things to say about my cooking. I hope he gets better soon."
"He'll be fine." Minoko said dismissively. "He just needs to rest for a few days."
"Good, good." the woman answered. "Have you come to the market looking for supper?"
Minoko nodded.
"I have a junior trainee size supper that is much smaller than the standard trainee supper. It's only ten rupees for the junior supper."
Minoko wrinkled her nose again. "What is that?" she demanded pointing to the hummus.
"It's hummus, dear. It's made from ground chickpeas, oil, and various spices and flavours."
"It looks like puke."
The old woman slammed her hand down on the counter angrily. "Rude, disrespectful child!" she scolded. "I'm going to make a complaint to your brother! Hopefully he teaches you some respect!"
Minoko stuck out her tongue at the woman, and then turned and ran off back into the market. She ran for a few minutes until she came across the same candy shop she'd stolen from. She paused and glanced inside, wondering if they sold chocolate. The cake from earlier had given her a severe craving, and she considered simply eating candy for supper. Her candy supply had gone missing from the medical ward, and she suspected Sakon had re-claimed it.
Minoko entered the shop, and the Gerudo at the counter instantly greeted her.
"Welcome, girl, is there anything I can help you find?"
Minoko looked around with a frown. "Chocolate?"
The cashier pointed to the display kept behind the counter. "What kind are you looking for?"
Minoko's eyes widened. "There are different kinds?!"
The cashier gave her an amused smile. "Indeed there are. Is this a gift for your brother?"
Minoko hadn't even considered that. Maybe if she picked up a gift for her brother he wouldn't be as mad when he found out all the trouble she'd gotten into. She gave a nod to the cashier.
"Excellent." she said, reaching behind her to select a box of chocolates. "He'll like these ones, they're coconut."
Minoko gave another nod. "What kinds of chocolates do you have? I want another box."
"Is this for you?" she asked.
"Yes, I want to try allllll of the different kinds!" Minoko said excitedly.
The cashier gave a laugh and pulled down a large box of chocolates. "This is a triple layer variety box of my finest chocolates. There are some of every kind inside. Pay attention to which ones you like best, and then you can always come back to get more."
"I'll take it!"
"Very well, for the two boxes of chocolates, that comes to 98 rupees."
Minoko eagerly reached into the rupee pouch and pulled out two purple rupees. "I'll take some hard candies for the change." she said.
The cashier dutifully bagged up the purchases and then handed the bag to the small girl. Minoko let out an excited whoop and ran from the shop. It was then that she realized she had forgotten to haggle with the cashier. Her mother had taught all of her children to haggle with every shopkeeper no matter what it was you were buying. She would be ashamed if she knew one of her children had paid full price for something. Minoko frowned. Shoot. She wasn't used to buying things and she had forgotten. Oh well, she would haggle the next time she bought something.
As Minoko walked through the market, she looked from one stall to another until she came across a stall which sold various weapons and items. To her delight she saw a pink healing fairy sitting on one of the upper shelves. She'd almost completely forgotten her promise to Tingle!
Peeking over the counter at the grouchy looking Gerudo in charge of the stall, she smiled brightly. "Hullo." she greeted.
The Gerudo looked down at her, and raised an eyebrow at the small girl. "Yes?" she demanded.
Minoko pointed at the bottled fairy. "How much is the fairy?"
"What do you need with a fairy?" The Gerudo snapped. "You're not old enough to be a warrior yet! You won't even see a battle for at least another ten years! Come back when you're a grown-up."
"It's a present." Minoko explained with a frown. "It's very important, and I promised I'd get one!"
"I see." The Gerudo stated, skeptically. "Fairies are incredibly rare nowadays, and it's not cheap. I caught this one trying to get into the castle a few days ago. It seemed like it was trying to find someone, and it took me hours to capture it. Do you even have the rupees to pay for it?"
Minoko nodded. "I have lots of rupees!"
The Gerudo still looked skeptical. "Do you have a fairy-bottle to put it in?"
Minoko's face fell. She hadn't thought of that...
"You need a special bottle to store the fairy in." The Gerudo explained in exasperation. "The fairy will fly away if you don't."
Minoko frowned, and looked back up at the bottled fairy. "Can I have that bottle?" she asked.
"No, that's the stall's bottle, it's not for sale."
"Please can I buy it?"
"No."
Minoko gave her an absolute tragic look, complete with trembling bottom lip. The Gerudo crossed her arms impatiently.
"That's not going to work on me." she stated. "I have two daughters of my own, and they're much better actresses than that."
"Oh." Minoko stated, sighing heavily. Now how would she get a fairy for Tingle?
The Gerudo eyed her for a moment, the small girl reminding her of her own children, and then she let out a resigned sigh. "I suppose I can sell you the bottle. 500 rupees for both."
"How about 300?" Minoko asked, instantly all smiles again.
The woman crossed her arms. "450."
"350?"
The cashier seemed to consider it for a long moment and then countered. "400."
Minoko gave her a grin. "Okay!" she exclaimed.
She opened the pouch and carefully counted out the correct amount of rupees, handing them to the vender. The Gerudo accepted the rupees with a nod, recounted them, and then reached up and plucked the jar down off the shelf. She handed it to Minoko who immediately stuffed it into her pocket.
"Thank you!" Minoko said, turning to run back through the market.
As she ran past several more stalls, one in particular caught her attention, causing her to stop. The stall was covered top to bottom in toys from the puppet show she'd seen the other day. She let out a gasp of delight as she recognized the characters. She'd only ever had one doll in her entire life, a raggedy doll that smelled a bit like mould. The doll had been passed down to her from her five sisters before her, and it had definitely seen better days. She'd never had anything new before, and she stared longingly at the beautiful dolls.
One in particular caught her attention and she let out a sigh of longing. The doll was made with the utmost care and was the most realistic doll she'd ever seen. It was the Gerudo warrior princess Arietta, and Minoko wanted it more than anything. It had long, beautiful red hair, a detailed military uniform, and twin swords that were attached to the doll's belt.
"Wow." Minoko breathed in admiration.
The vender looked down at her, and instantly went into sales mode, Minoko being her directed clientele.
"That's princess Arietta," The Gerudo explained. "She's very popular with girls right now. Did you want to see her?"
"Yes, please!" Minoko cried, eagerly. "Princess Arietta's my favourite! I just watched a puppet show where she saved the whole Gerudo Nation! I want to be just like her!"
The vender gave a laugh, and took the doll down off its hook, and held it down to the girl, who seized it greedily. Minoko couldn't believe how life-like the doll was and ran her fingers through the hair with appreciation.
"She's beautiful!" Minoko commented. "Her hair feels real!"
"Her hair is handmade from tiny fibres of dyed silk. Each doll takes weeks to complete. Only five of this doll were ever made, and she's the last one left for sale."
"How much is she?"
"She's 2200 rupees." The vender said. "She's the finest doll that's ever been sewn!"
"Oh..." Minoko said hesitantly. "That's a lot."
"Do you even have any rupees?" The vender asked, giving the girl a suspicious look. Normally children came with their mothers to buy dolls like this.
"Well, it's my brother's money...but I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Recognition flashed in the vender's face. "Oh, I heard about you! You're The Tracker's sister! I was wondering why there was a foreign child here!"
"Yeah." Minoko confirmed, giving the doll another longing look.
"Did you want her or not?" The Gerudo asked. "I've had many people look at that doll today, so she won't be here for much longer."
Minoko frowned and looked down at the pouch of rupees in her hands. The doll was very expensive but she really, really wanted it. Biting her lip guiltily, she held out the pouch.
The vender took it and upturned the contents on the counter. As she counted out the rupees, Minoko wondered just how mad her brother would be. She'd offer to pay him back but it would take her a lifetime to pay it all back at her current level of allowance.
A few minutes later, the vender looked up. "There's only a little over 1600 rupees here."
"Will you take 1600 for her?" Minoko asked, desperation clearly written on her face. "Please?"
The vender considered it with a frown. Truthfully, not very many people could afford such an extravagant doll and no one had been inquiring about it. The other four dolls had all been sold to the richer Gerudo children who lived in the castle. The fifth doll had been taking up room in her stall for weeks, and she doubted anyone else would want it. She had lied to the child about many people wanting it. She let out a sigh.
"1600 it is."
"Thank you!" Minoko cried out happily.
Minoko was handed back a considerably lighter pouch, and she decided she could handle her brother being mad at her. This doll was worth it. She gave the doll a loving hug and gave a grin to the vender.
"Thank you!" Minoko said again as she turned and ran back towards the castle.
The vender watched her go and simply shook her head. She had a feeling The Tracker would soon be by to return that doll.
Minoko ran through the market and she burst back into the castle at top speed. She headed straight for the dungeon but wasn't expecting someone to step out from another room directly into her path. She ran into the person hard and they both crashed to the floor, the contents of the woman's arms falling down with a splat.
"Oh, ouch!" Minoko complained, rubbing at her knee. "That hurt!"
"YOU INSUFFERABLE BRAT! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"
Minoko looked up and saw a huge layer cake was splattered all across the floor, and the cook from earlier was looming over her, looking angry enough to kill. Minoko's eyes widened in horror.
"I"LL TEACH YOU, YOU LITTLE DEMON CHILD! I'LL TEAR THE FLESH RIGHT OFF OF YOU!"
When the cook began removing her belt, Minoko scrambled away and ran for it as fast as she could. The cook took chase and Minoko ran faster than she ever had before, running up the stairs, hoping to lose the older woman. Minoko took as many twists and turns as possible as she ran through the corridors completely at random. Surprised such an old woman was able to keep up with her, Minoko ran up flight after flight of stairs, finally getting a bit of distance between them. She turned another corner and dove into the first room she came to, slamming the door closed behind her. She heard the cook stomp past the room and she let out a breath of relief.
"Who are you?"
Minoko froze, and slowly turned around. A young woman was laying in bed, completely covered in casts and bandages. Her face was stained by tear-tracks and Minoko suddenly felt very awkward being there.
"Sorry, I was just trying to hide." Minoko explained.
"From who?" the woman demanded.
"From the cook." Minoko explained. "She's really mad at me..."
"What's a dirty, little foreigner like you doing here in the city?" the woman asked, curling up her lip in disgust.
"Fine, I'll leave." Minoko replied, reaching for the doorknob.
"Wait!" the woman cried out with a hint of desperation.
Minoko paused and looked back at her in question.
The woman looked awkwardly away. "No one has come to visit me, and so it might be nice to speak with someone for a while..." she said, lamely.
"I thought I was just a dirty, little foreigner?"
"Come sit with me for a while." the woman ordered, ignoring that comment. "What's your name?"
Minoko frowned, but was in no hurry to go back out into the hallway, so she approached the bed and crawled up to sit beside the woman. "My name is Minoko." she said. "Who are you?"
The woman's eyes widened. "You don't know who I am?"
Minoko shook her head.
The woman actually seemed a bit relieved at that. "My name is Milan." she said, struggling to sit up.
Minoko helped her sit up, and she shoved a pillow behind Milan's back to make the woman a bit more comfortable. Milan didn't thank her, but she also didn't scold her for the action.
"What happened to you?" Minoko hesitantly asked. "You're hurt very badly."
Milan's expression darkened. "The Tracker blew me up with his magic."
Minoko's eyes widened. She was certain her brother would never do something like that. He was sweet and gentle, not a complete monster!
"It was an accident...right?"
"No!" Milan instantly snarled on reflex, but her expression quickly changed to one of defeat, and she let out a resigned sigh. "Yes." she admitted. "I suppose it was an accident...of sorts."
Minoko felt a lot better about the situation, but she didn't think it would be wise to admit being related to her brother. "Why can't you use a fairy?" Minoko asked, thinking of the fairy she had hidden away in her pocket.
Milan gave her a miserable look. "The blast was so powerful that it left magical residue which cancels the effects of healing items. I have to heal the slow, painful way."
"Oh." Minoko said, feeling awkward.
"What's that under your arm?" Milan asked suddenly.
Minoko looked down and held out the doll so the woman could see it. Milan gave her a small smile.
"You got the newest Princess Arietta doll!" she exclaimed. "I've been a fan ever since I was a little girl."
Milan pointed to the other side of the room and to Minoko's surprise and delight she saw dozens upon dozens of dolls from the puppet show.
"Oh, wow!" Minoko cried, dashing over to take a look. "Look at them all! You must be very rich!"
Milan looked troubled once more. "My uncle gives me a new doll for every birthday, knowing I love the stories. The problem is, I think he's forgotten that I'm not a little girl any more. He still sends me dolls..."
"...can I have them then?"
"Not a chance." Milan answered with a laugh. "Nice try though."
Minoko crawled back up onto the bed. "Who's your favourite character?"
"Princess Arietta of course." Milan answered with a scoff. "As if there's any other choice."
"I dunno, the Moblin Bobo was pretty funny. He's very loyal to the princess."
"Bobo?!" Milan cried out, offended. "Don't tell me Bobo is your favourite?!"
Minoko gave her a cheeky grin. "Naw, I love Princess Arietta, she's great. I want to be just like her when I grow up."
"I was the same way." Milan stated, her expression crumbling.
"Oh no! What's the matter?" Minoko asked. "Are you in pain?"
Milan shook her head. "I'll never be a warrior now. My injuries will never fully heal, and the doctor doesn't think I'll ever be able to walk again. My dreams are gone forever."
Minoko felt terrible for the woman and she wrapped her arms around her in a careful, but tight hug. "It's okay, maybe you can do something else exciting? Maybe you can write Princess Arietta stories?"
Milan accepted the hug, this being the very first piece of comfort anyone had offered her. Her injuries were her own fault, and her family were completely ashamed of her. She hadn't even seen her mother yet, and her sister had only stopped by long enough to scold her. Ganondorf had sent her an expensive present, but he hadn't visited her. Milan sagged into the hug, forgetting how good it felt to have physical contact.
"Thank you, Minoko." she whispered.
Minoko released her and gave her a smile. "It's okay, I can stay for a while. I was just going to give someone a fairy, but I can do that later."
"Fairy?" Milan questioned. "What kind of a fairy?"
"A pink healing fairy." Minoko told her. "I was asked to find one, and I bought it in the market."
"I once had a fairy." Milan said wistfully. "I caught her when I was your age, and she was my friend and companion for many years. I used to talk to her all the time, and she was a very good listener. Her name was Legend."
"What happened to her?"
Milan looked heart-broken. "She was taken from me to heal an injury I had caused. It was a just punishment I suppose, but I still miss her. I thought she would have returned to me, but I guess she didn't love me as much as I thought..."
Minoko placed a hand over her pocket. Could it be? She pulled out the bottled fairy and held it out.
"This fairy was caught trying to get into the castle. She was looking for someone. Is she your fairy? Is it Legend?"
Milan looked up and when her eyes fell on the bottle, she let out a shocked gasp and grabbed the bottle out of the child's arms.
"Legend!" she cried out, bursting into noisy sobs.
The fairy flew erratically around the inside of the bottle, and when Milan opened it, the fairy flew over and nuzzled itself into the woman's hair.
"Thank you, Minoko, thank you!" Milan cried, pulling the girl into another hug. "I owe you more than I can repay."
"It's okay." Minoko assured her. "I just want you to get better. I bet you can tell me tons of Princess Arietta stories!"
Milan let out a laugh. "I'll tell you as many as you want." she promised.
Minoko gave her a grin. "Awesome! I'll have to track down another fairy first though. I still owe someone one."
"Take that one." Milan said, pointing to a bottled fairy sitting on her night table. "My uncle sent me that fairy in hopes I would like it, but she's just not the same. Take her, and give her to whoever you like."
Minoko eagerly seized the fairy. "Perfect, now I don't have to buy another one!"
As Minoko got off the bed, and headed for the door, Milan gave her a panicked look. "You'll come back, won't you?"
"Sure." Minoko agreed. "I want to hear some stories when I get back!"
Milan looked relieved and she nodded. "Of course."
Minoko opened the door, peered nervously into the hallway, and when she was sure the coast was clear, she slipped out. She took off running and headed downstairs towards the dungeon. Luckily, she didn't come across the cook and made it to the entrance to the dungeon within minutes. She eagerly ran down the steps, and when at the bottom, she headed straight for Tingle's cell.
Tingle was sleeping on a dirty pile of hay when she peered in, and she cleared her throat loudly, causing him to wake in a panic. When he saw who it was, he looked up at her in desperate hope.
"Were you able to find Tingle a fairy?" he asked hesitantly.
Minoko gave him a wide grin and pulled out the bottled fairy. Tingle let out a shocked gasp, and he suddenly found his strength as he jumped happily to his feet.
"You found Tingle a fairy!" he cried out in pure ecstasy. "Tingle finally has a fairy of his very own!"
Minoko held the bottle through the bars of the cell, and Tingle grabbed it away from her like he was afraid she would take it away again. He stared into the glass bottle with an almost hungry expression, and he did a twirl of happiness, throwing sparkles in all directions.
"Thank you, sweet little fairy girl! Tingle is so happy now, and he'll never forget your kindness! You are a hero!"
Minoko gave him a smile. "No problem, sir. I have to get going now before someone notices I'm here. Good luck with your fairy!"
As she trotted back up the stairs, Tingle danced around in his cell, holding the fairy high above his head proudly.
"Fairy, fairy, fairy! Tingle has a fairy!" he crowed. "Now Tingle can become a fairy himself! Fairy, fairy, fairy!"
The fairy inside the bottle wilted ever so slightly.
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UPDATE: Friday March 7th
I am in the hospital so the update will be delayed.