Nyahahahahahahahaha!!! I ripped off of Tolkein! I'M SO BAD!!! ::sniffle, sob:: And the plotholes… the PLOTHOLES!!!! ::stabz the plotholes, plotholes go "pushuuuuu…":: But try to enjoy this anyways.

Scroll IV:

Return of the Queen

"Q-Queen Ambi…?" Din said slowly. "What are you doing here…?"

"I've been meaning to ask you the same question," Tatl said to Din.

"I would like to know that as well," Ambi agreed.

"Wait'll Ralph sees you!" Din said, "He's gonna go berserk!"

"What about me?" Ralph appeared by the entrance to South Clock Town, Nayru with him. "Thought I heard… WOAH!!!!!"

"What are you doing here?" Nayru asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Visiting Termina," Ambi nodded. "Like any other normal traveler would."

"And you brought… them?" Ralph looked at the guards.

"Why not?" Ambi huffed.

"Okay, she answered your question," Tatl flew right in Din's face. Din fought the urge to hit her in front of the Skull Kid and Tael. "How'd you get here?"

"Well, let's see…" Nayru tried to remember how they came here. "There was a landslide, and the passage to Labrynna from Rolling Ridge is blocked."

"So you came here because…?" Tael blinked.

"Well, we had to get back somehow, right?" Ralph smiled. "So we decided we'd walk!"

THUD!!

Tatl, Tael, and the Skull Kid fell down, exasperated.

"You don't know how far away Termina is from Labrynna and Holodrum, do you?" The Skull Kid asked.

"True," Ambi agreed, "It took me a fair time to get here as well."

"Well," Din looked annoyed, "I guess some people haven't heard of boats now, have they?"

"A long time by boat, dear."

Din joined the fairies and the Skull Kid in another exasperated fall.

"Hey, d'you want to see how everyone else is doing, Queen Ambi?" Tael asked.

"Yes, I'd like that very much." Ambi replied.

"What are you thinking?" the Skull Kid asked. "We're going back to Hyrule?"

"Why not? I mean, everyone's gonna think that you did all this."

"Ulp." The Skull Kid looked around. Yeah, Clock Town was pretty charred up. Of course, due to his former reputation, he'd probably get blamed for this being one of his "pranks". Yes, now that he thought more about it, he was surprised people weren't already coming after him with torches and pitchforks. "Ummm…"

~~~

Needless to say, Link and the Sages were surprised to see the others, but seeing Ambi was the biggest shock. Link felt like he was going to have a heart attack, while Ruto latched onto Link and reminded him of his adventures in the Shadow Temple and Ikana Canyon

"Aaaaaaaaah!!! YOU!!!!" Ruto shrieked. "Link, save me!!!!"

Link felt like whacking her. "Queen Ambi's normal now, Ruto," he said. "Relax."

"Is everything all right?" Zelda walked through the door. "I just heard-oh!"

She spotted Queen Ambi, who in return smiled and waved. "Q-Queen Ambi! This is a pleasant surprise!"

"Yes, it is certainly nice to see all of you again," she turned to Ruto, who was still latched onto Link. She had to give a little smile. "It seems you aren't any better off than when we last met, young hero."

"Uh... yeah... well..." Link said, "...Yeah."

Ruto pouted. "Did you forget about me?!" she asked, and hugged Link tighter. "Save me!!"

"Ruto it's bloody all right!!!" Nabooru yelled with some irritation. "Ambi's all right now!!!"

Ruto frowned. "Oh..."

Tatl was watching all this with some amusement. Well… very little. All right, none. Something was bothering her…

"Tael? Lil' bro?" she said offhandedly. Tael appeared next to her, confused. She hadn't called him "Lil' bro" for quite awhile.

"Big sister, are you okay?" Tael asked her in a low voice.

"What happened back there? You aren't supposed to yell at me like that!" Tatl scoffed.

"What, when you got in Skull Kid's face for not thanking Ralph?" Tael said, looking down. "Well…"

He relayed to his sister what happened when she had fallen asleep, when Link talked to Romani and the Skull Kid.

"……Oh." Tatl hung her head. "I should have asked first. Now I feel bad."

"But enough of this awkward conversation!" Ambi smiled, and Ralph and she exchanged a glance. "I would like to hear what has been going on since we last left each other's company! Come! Tell me everything!"

~~~

Outside Hyrule Castle, two guards stood watch at the gate, neither of them speaking much. Nothing seemed to be happening, making the evening to be very dull.

"… Nice night, isn't it?" one of the guards asked the other.

"Mm-hmm," The other responded.

The first guard stretched his arms out. "Sure wish something exciting would happen.

"Mm-hmm," The second repeated.

The first guard began to get irritated. "Would it absolutely kill you to say something besides 'Mm-hmm'?"

"I'm trying to concentrate. Shut up," the second guard snapped. "Is that enough words for you?"

"Hey," the first guard said, holding up his hands, "I was just trying to make conversation!"

"…"

The "conversation" was interrupted by a rustling in the nearby bushes. Both guards turned in the direction of the noise, but whatever it was never moved again.

"Probably a stray animal," the second guard said casually.

"Yes…"

This was the last thing that passed through the guards' minds before something attacked them from behind. The screams attracted other guards, but whatever attacked the first two turned on the others. For a few seconds, screams and cries of pain filled the night. Then, suddenly, all was silent.

~~~

Inside the castle, Link was laughing at some joke Saria had told them when the shouts of the guards reached his pointed ears. Instantly, Ralph and he leapt up, drawing their swords.

"What in the-" Nabooru gasped. "Link, Ralph, what is it?"

"Did you hear that shouting?" Link asked. "Something just happened."

"Ohhh… What?" The Skull Kid shrank back.

"I don't know," Ralph responded. "But I'm going to find out.

Ralph ran out of the room. Link opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and followed his friend. Nabooru stayed silent for a while, and then stood up.

"I'm going with them," she announced, and took off.

Darunia made an agitated noise and followed Nabooru, Impa not far behind. Ruto looked at the remaining people, then at the door, and back and forth, torn between fighting or not.

"Stay here, Ruto," Nayru said calmly.

"No way!" Ruto cried. "Link needs my help!" she looked frantically around the room, obviously looking for a weapon.

"Ruto, though I do not doubt your fighting skills, let it be," Rauru said. "We should wait in the Chamber of Sages."

Saria nodded fervently. Ruto looked slightly sad, but agreed, and the three disappeared, leaving Ambi, the Oracles, the Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael alone.

~~~

"Why are you following me!?" Ralph exclaimed.

"If it's something big, you won't be able to do it alone!" Link pointed out, running alongside Ralph.

"Well, yeah, but…" He gestured to the Sages behind him.

Link had no time to answer, because they had reached the courtyard. The party stopped, amazed at what they saw. All the guards in the vicinity were on the ground, unmistakably dead. Yet…

"Nothing," Nabooru flipped over the nearest corpse and examined the body. "It's unmarked."

"Oh, that's just GREAT!!!" Ralph flew up his hands, his sword clattering nearby. "Not only are they all dead, but we have no idea who-"

"-Or what," Impa added.

"Or what…. killed… them…?"

Everyone looked expectantly at Impa. She said nothing, just gazed at the sky, or, more precisely, at the top of the castle. The rest of them looked up, and saw something on top of the highest point of the castle-but what it was, nobody could say. From what they could see by the moonlight, it definitely had a human figure, but then, so did many other things. It also had black, leathery wings that beat against each other every now and then.

"Who-" Link was speechless. "Who are you!?"

Link received no answer except a faint laugh.

"Answer me!" he demanded.

But he again got no answer. The creature flapped its wings and took off, soaring into the black of night. But it seemed Link could still hear the laughing. And it was very odd laughter indeed; it sounded hoarse and hollow, like something scrambling for footing on rocks.

"That…" Impa said cautiously, making Link believe once again that she could read minds. "That's not laughing…"

All was silent for a moment, then they heard it again. Ralph cautiously walked over to retrieve his sword, but he was suddenly knocked backwards by some black beast.

"Ack!!" he cried as he wrestled with it. The creature was very strong, and was able to pin him to the floor. Ralph blindly groped for his sword, and his hand found something sharp and cold. He felt for the handle, grabbed his sword, and took a good swing. There was a shriek, and the creature fell backwards. In the darkness, Link could barely make out six twitching yellow legs and blue body, with a dark red spot at the end.

"Tekitite," Darunia said, disgusted.

Everyone grew silent. Nabooru walked over to two of the guards' bodies, and picked up two fallen spears. Sure they were crudely made in comparison to a Gerudo's weapons, but they'd have to do. For now…

Grunting and bone-rattling alerted them to a new presence. Over the walls of the courtyard emerged countless Stalfos and Moblins, all armed to the teeth. They saw Ralph, Link, and the Sages, and they saw the monsters. Then, with a cry, the evil creatures rushed forth, and the battle began.

~~~

Zelda paced the room, anxious. Ambi looked out the window, concerned. Nayru just watched Zelda. And Din and the Skull Kid sat on the couch, nervous.

"They've been gone too long," Zelda said, nervously. "Something must have happened-"

"There is a battle going on," Queen Ambi stated. "Outside."

Zelda looked up. "Something's trying to get into the castle," Ambi continued, narrating for them what was going on outside. "But Link and those who had left are fighting them bravely."

Din went up to look. "She's right," she agreed. "What should we do... Zel...da?"

She looked around. Zelda was no longer there. She moved quickly to the door and saw someone running very quickly down the halls.

"Sheik," Din called, and raced out.

Nayru suddenly felt very queasy. Something was wrong. How many Moblins were out there, she wondered, and how many Stalfos? And why were they doing this?

~~~

Sheik sprinted down the halls as fast as he could go. He paid no attention to Din, who was crying out for him to stop.

'Link...' he thought as he ran to the courtyard door, 'Wait for me… I'm coming...'

YES!!! Finally, we're getting somewhere!!!!! ::grabs the popcorn:: It gets better from this chapter on, I swear to you. So keep reading, fellow fans!!

-Megun-chan-