Chapter 1: Leaving Home

One Way Ticket to Catastrophe

Chapter 4: All eyes on Karina

They walked briskly across the plain field of what Navi and Tritana called the field of Hyrule. They knew an overview of what the Deku tree wanted but were reticent about revealing it all to them. The fairies wanted to direct them because they felt that it was their duty to do so. Link felt like he was being treated like a baby.

In the field, there was nothing much to see. It was just a large area of land with occasional trees here and there connecting to many places, according to Navi and Tritana. They wondered around for hours it seemed before they came across four pointy red things in the ground. Karina, with her itching curiosity, skipped towards it.

" What's this, Tritana?" she asked.

Tritana took a while to answer. " I don't know but I don't sense anything good from it."

Karina laughed. " Why am even asking you? You'd probably say it's bad no matter what it is, like Totino and Teehee." She took a confident step forward and touched it with the tip of her finger.

" I suggest that you move away from it. I do sense something wrong about it and I don't want to get us in any trouble."

Karina gave her a bright smile. " What could go wrong in this wonderful place, Tritana? It's not like it's invaded by those spiders."

Link was going to walk towards it and check it out also but when Karina touched it a second time, it flinched back, making him rethink about going over there. It now twirled around its four pointy blades and Karina stepped back in fright. A loud terrible noise filled the air and the thing dug itself from the ground, floating on the four blades. It had the most hideous face imaginable and turned it towards the horrified girl. She didn't do anything or move a muscle in the matter of fact hoping she wouldn't catch its attention. But it did and it launched in her direction before you knew it.

Link managed to get her out of the way in time. The 'thing' was really angered for some reason and he wasn't about to hang around to find out what this was all about. He took hold of Karina's hand and got the hell out of there. They ran blindly towards the unnoticed market place right ahead of them and right when it was about to close, they jump the gap between it and tumbled into the place.

" That was scary," Karina admitted.

" Well, we wouldn't have had to face it if it wasn't for your curiosity," Link pointed out.

Karina didn't care what Link had to say, really and skipped into the busy town before them. There were so many people and smiling faces but when they glanced down at her, they frowned. People scurried out of her way and stared at both Link and Karina however it was mostly Karina who they scrutinized.

" Do I sense something wrong?" Karina whispered to Link.

Link just shrugged.

As they neared to the edge of town, someone bumped into Karina, knocking her forcefully to the ground. It was a man no older than twenty, with a panic stricken face and long ruffled hair.

The people who caught the action gasped and observed the young man become more stressed out than he was originally. " I beg of your pardon, miss. I didn't see-"

" You fool! Don't you know who you are talking to?!" yelled out a bald headed man.

The man took a closer look and gasped. " You highness!"

Karina and Link looked at each other blankly and laughed. " You think that Karina is royalty?! That's a good one!"

The man was completely lost. " But she is."

Karina brushed off some of the dust on her shirt trying not to laugh any more than she already had. " Then what am I supposed to be? Queen?"

" No," he replied slowly. " You're nearly there. You're-"

Link interrupted. " I know what she is. Princess Karina. Princess of all that's hideous!"

" That's not funny!" Karina retorted, evidently hurt by his remark. But he wouldn't stop laughing and even Tritana and Navi had to chuckle some.

The young man didn't know what to make of the situation he had gotten into and fear awoke from within him as he noticed some of the royal guards strolling towards them. " No, this is not happening to me," he whispered and slipped away unnoticed.

Karina and Link got into a senseless argument and took little concern over the guards' faces hovering just above them.

" What's the problem here?" one of them asked.

Both of them looked up. " Nothing," they answered simultaneously.

" Princess Zelda? Is that you?"

" Huh?"

" Is this peasant boy causing you problems?" asked the other.

" Uh. . ."

" I think you should come with us, boy."

Link looked at Karina stunned and Karina shrugged not knowing what to do." What?!"

They took Link by both arms and lifted him easily off the ground. " No wait!"

Karina punched the nearest guy. " Hey, he hasn't done anything to you! Pick on somebody your own size!"

One of them let go of Link and grabbed Karina. " I think it's time for you to go home. Don't wanna miss that tea party."

Karina struggled. " I hate tea parties! Let me go!"

" Young princess, don't be so difficult!"

" I am not being difficult! I'm telling the truth! Let_me_go!!!"

Karina and Link struggled in vain the whole way to the marvelous castle of Hyrule and they barely took notice the enchanting landscape put before them until they came to a halt. The guards let them go causing them to fall ( the guards were practically carrying them) in front of the throne a little distance away from them. On the throne, sat a middle aged man with soft blond hair and clear sapphire eyes on the tallest and grandest of the seats placed on the throne.

Link blinked and looked from Karina to the man and from the man to Karina several times. The similarities between them were uncanny and seemingly impossible. He was sure that Karina has never seen this man before in her life yet they were alike and connected in some strange way.

" Your eminence, we found your daughter at the market with this peasant boy causing trouble."

Link protested to that. " Trouble? What trouble? We were merely arguing."

The man sat upright on his chair. " You dare argue with royalty?"

Link looked at him with pure astonishment. " You mean Karina? That's a good one." Link openly laughed at Karina's face when he said that.

" Karina, eh?"

" Yes, your eminy," replied Karina with an air of importance.

Link laughed." You mean, eminence."

" Oh, shush! This is all your fault we're here in the first place! We would be . . . . up in the mountains somewhere by now!" Karina finally ended thinking of no better words to put in.

" We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your dumb curiosity over that blade thing!"

" It wasn't my fault that I didn't know it was a monster! It looked like some kind of plant at first!"

" Yeah, sure. So you're saying that-"

" Silence!!!" The man boomed.

Link and Karina jumped at the authoritative voice and meekly stared at the annoyed (and infuriated) man.

" I should throw you both in the dungeon for such disrespect!"

" No, ple-" Link tugged at her arm to indicate to shut her mouth.

" Zelda, I don't know what kind of game you're trying to pull but I am not allowing it to go any further. As for you, boy, you are to be thrown in the dungeon for disrespecting royalty, insulting my daughter and being the cause for trouble in my kingdom! Unless your parents come and apologize for your imprudent behavior, you are to stay to rot there forever! Dismissed!"

The guards from before quickly took Link away from the throne with much protest. " I didn't mean to! I didn't know! I'm sorry . . . ." His shouts and cries faded away as he was taken deeper into the massive castle.

Karina ran up to the stern man and practically begged for mercy. " You can't do that to him! He's innocent! And he didn't mean all those rude things he said either! I swear!"

The man pushed her away. " Zelda, your filthy with dirt. Go get Liddiane to get you washed for dinner."

" I can wash myself, thank you! And my name is not Zelda! It's Karina! I am not-"

The man sighed and turned towards the guard next to him." Guard, take her to Liddiane." He turned back towards her. " Zelda, I don't know when are you going to quit this little parade of yours but it has to stop. Not another word from you." The king waved his hand and the guard began dragging her away.

" I am never going to shush up! You can't make me, you- you worthless man!" The guard stopped walking and the king looked at Karina in astonishment.

Karina expected hollering from the man's part but received no more than a mild scolding. " I know you're upset about the boy, my dear, but he has to learn to respect those in higher authority. And you have to learn your place in society." He looked at her clothes in disdain and made Karina's rage fuel through her veins once more.

" You can take her away now, guard."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

" Tritana, help me! I need to get these awful clothes off and help Link!," cried Karina.

" I'm trying, I'm trying. The laces on your hair were braided too tight!"

" Owie! Not so hard!"

To her, the comfy bed with the softest pillows and all the toys in the world didn't matter to her. Her freedom was taken away by being mistaken for someone else and Link was stuck in some dungeon because of her. She knew it was mostly her fault but not entirely, according to her. Link was making fun of her in the first place that caused the unnecessary argument.

She despised the hairdo that made her face stretch because the braids wrapped around her head were too tight, and she hated the dress that squeezed her tummy making it hard to breathe. She just wished it was all over and Link and her were out of the dreaded castle. But, you see, she didn't even know where this adventure thing was going to. She didn't even imagine that she would be sitting on the bed made for a princess and being mistaken for another person.

When her hair was free from the braids she laid on the bed with arms stretched out, defeated. She had discovered long ago that the door was locked tight. " Tritana, I wonder what Link is doing . . ."

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

" Navi, are you done yet?" Link asked for the fifth time.

" I have never done this before, Link, so be patient. These locks were made for the pickers like us."

Link sighed. " Just hurry. My wrists are starting to hurt."

While Navi worked her way through the mechanics of the locks, Link observed the dump he was in. It stunk and there was no place to sleep and water dropped from the ceiling to his head. He was in the midst of complete darkness with the exception of the little light coming from a tiny window. Talk about depressing scenery.

" Do you think that we'll ever get out of here?"

" Of coarse. You got out from Koriri forest in time, did you?"

" Yeah, but that's different."

" How is that different?"

" I don't know, it just is." He stared hard at the wet ground. " I wonder what Karina is doing in that new found princess life she has. I would have never imagined her as royalty ever."

" You know, for saying that right there is what has gotten you into so much trouble, boy. This would have never happen if it wasn't for you."

" Me?"

" Yeah, you."

" I didn't know that a fairy could be as annoying as you. Maybe all fairies are."

" Hey, that's an insult! I'm not going to help you any longer."

" Okay! Sorry. Just get me off these chains. They really hurt."

" Fine."

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next chapter: Escaping the grasps of the evil princess

That's all I've got. Sorry it took so long to get it out. I just didn't have the time. Hope you enjoyed it!

-stargazer_takile10

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