Heh, sorry everyone, if anyone still reads this, but I believe I will end it with this chapter. This story was never very big, so, I'ma go ahead and finish it up now. The chapter will be semi-long, I think, but that's okay... I may have it being two chapters, but I dun think so. Anyways, I would like to say I do not own anything from the Zelda series, the characters, nothing... I own NOTHING! ... Ahem ... Moving along, I would also like to thank some people:
Neosun7: THANK YOU!! Thank you very much for your support in reviewing this story, quite faithfully, too. It would be DOA (Dead on arrival) if not for you. (Hehe, I like saying DOA since I found out what it meant... Hyperly laughs And, further more I would like to award you this potentially useless trophy of reviewer's honor! You deserve this trophy, and if it were real and useful, all the more! Aha... Sorry, couldn't think of anything else...
Akie: Thank you for defending my right as a writer to write what I want to. ...Starts laughing Wow, a right and two write's really close together there! Wheeee...aren't I so mature? Evil smile And further more, you are rewarding the thanks-for-defending my story award! Yes, I just made it up, isn't it brilliant? Hahaha... But anyway, sis, thankies for it.
lectrcfireball19aol.com-person: Thank you for your review! . Hope you enjoyed it, hehe. And yes, I tried for longer chappies, but...dunno if I succeeded... Shrugs And uhm... I can't think of an award to give you...except this one! Person-who-is-probably-not-reading-this-anymore award! Claps Congrats, man! ...Yes, I'm running out of ideas, so what... Coughs
Lurch: Thanks for the thought, and it is the thought of the review that counts, hehe. I do like the idea and every thing, but, Zelda's captured and is there really that much wrong with a SI fic? I hope not, well, if it's well written...which...this story...then uhm... might not...be... Starts talking really fast Yougetthethanks-for-the-idea award! Bye now! Runs away
Oh yeah...
alreadythursday: I would be happy to say that I thank you for ruining the story. Well, you contributed to the number of reviews, so thank you very, very much for that! I wonder if you still even keep up with this story...maybe when you see that it's finished, you will take a look again, ne? Well, I see you also enjoy, in some way or the other, flaming peoples fics for your own self-means and gains. In any case, you get this award: Thank-you-for-reviewing-my-story! Even though I wish it was not a flame, maybe this story did deserve it.
Anywho, I'll start the story now:
Aisu and Link whirled around to be met face to face with a guard. Aisu gulped, they had been caught!
"Where do you think you two are going?" Came the gruff voice. Katana hissed at the man, crouching down low. She sprang at him, trying to make a distraction for Aisu and Link to get away, as she had done before. Link and Aisu took off running down the hallway, much to the guard's annoyance.
"Grr...Stupid cat! Get off of me!!" He hollered at the cat, drawing his sword he slammed the cat into the wall, where she lay, still and unmoving. He smirked then ran after the two escapees.
Natsu turned her head toward the door, trying to back up toward the corner of the room. She heard someone clapping as they entered the room; the lights were now on.
"Very good show, Miss Kasumi." The man started, walking toward her.
"You...you stay away from me!" She yelled at him, putting up her hands again.
"Don't do that!" The man cursed, suddenly turning and running to the other side of the room. Natsu let her hands relax, looking at the man oddly. He had a black cloak covering most of him, so she still couldn't see what he looked like. The man suddenly let out a harsh laugh.
"You don't even now your own powers, do you?" He looked at her face and could tell she hadn't the slightest clue of what he was talking about. "Silly girl...you don't even know... However, this can be a very interesting development for us. Very interesting indeed.. Guard!" Yokoshima hollered, his cape swishing about through the air as he turned. A guard clad in black metal, which seemed to shine, came running up.
"What is it, sir?" He asked, coming to a complete stop a few feet before Yokoshima.
"Take this girl to the torture room, she needs some discipline. And, of course, see that she screams." He took the guard's arm and dug his fingernails into him, whispering the last part as he squinted his eyes. The guard nodded.
"Good. I shall go then, you know where to find me if something goes array. I will take much pleasure in taking care of it." He said with an evil glint in his eye as he left the room. The guard snorted, looking back at Natsu.
"C'mon, little girl." The guard reached out for Natsu, about to grab her arm when she bit him.
"Ow! You little.." He grumbled, trying to snatch at her again, but she dodged. Wasting no time, she ran. "GET THAT GIRL!!! Do NOT let her escape!!!" He cried, running after her. Natsu hoped for the life of her that she wished she could just sink into the shadows, that these people wouldn't see her.. Having no choice, she ran through the mass of guards, her eyes wide with fright. She was running through all those guards, she didn't understand why they were just standing there...
"Where did she go?!" The guards and knights, at least Natsu thought they were knights, were looking around in confusion for her.
'I'm right here, why can't they see me..?' She blinked, tilting her head to the side. She shook her head, continuing to run. She didn't get very far.
"Ahh!! What the heck did we run into?!" Aisu yelped as she fell backwards. Link was able to stay on his feet. He quickly helped Aisu up, then looked around the hallway.
"Aisu? Aisu!" Natsu grinned happily, hugging her friend.
"Natsu! ... Natsu?" Aisu sounded happy at first, then confused. "What...how did you escape?"
"I'm not sure, it's hard to explain, but..."
"There you are! After them!" Natsu was cut off by the guard's shouts.
"Run!" Link ordered, herding the girls away from the guards and down another passageway. "Hurry, we have to keep moving!" He ran ahead, taking the lead of the small group to make sure no dangers or traps lay ahead of them, but he would always look back to make sure both were still following.
"How...much...longer...do we... have to run?" Natsu asked, exhausted.
"For as long as those guards keep tailing us." Aisu answered, taking a quick look over her shoulder.
"Wait, I have an idea." Link stopped suddenly, looking to his left, then right. "There!" He grabbed Natsu and Aisu by the arm, pulling them back into a space in the wall. It wasn't very deep, but if they were quiet enough, they just might be able to loose the guards...if not, they were dead meat. Sure enough, the guards did not see them and continued to run on past. After a few minutes, Link sighed a breath of relief.
"I think it's safe now...," He said quietly, stepping out into the hallway. As soon as his foot touched the cloth there on the hallway's floor...
"Hah! You thought you puny little people could escape me, did you? Think again!" Natsu recoiled, trying to move further into the space, and away from him. She knew whom that voice belonged to. That man named Yokoshima.
"No!" Link screamed, his fists clenching together with such force, one would think they would go completely numb from loss of blood. "We can't get caught now... There's only one way out." He muttered. There was such a fiery rage in Link's eyes; Aisu did not want to question him. "We have to defeat him."
"Hahaha, oh, that's good for a laugh. Do you remember the last time you faced me? Oh, that was quite a show, wasn't it? Ha! What, are you that eager to lose again?" He asked, sarcasticness dripping from his voice. "Oh, I'm so scared, I'm shaking in my boots."
"I don't plan to beat you on my own. We're a team now, you cannot stop us." His voice was low and harsh, but nonetheless, Aisu and Natsu ran up to either side of him.
"Pah! What is this, the three musketeers?" Yokoshima laughed, glaring at them. "I would like to see you try..."
"Then you will. But we won't try, we'll succeed." Link smirked, drawing his sword and bringing it up, into a ready-to-fight position.
"You're just going to lose again." Yokoshima reminded him.
"I don't care!" Link shot out, running straight for Yokoshima. Yokoshima opened his cape and drew his own sword, blocking Link's with it. "You girls, run, now! Go find Zelda!!" Link yelled at them, "Go! Now!"
Aisu and Natsu weren't moving, because they didn't know what to do... Natsu knew she should run and go try to find Zelda and get her free, for she could probably help in this battle. But...
"Natsu! You heard him, c'mon, let's go!" Aisu waved franticly at her friend, trying to get her to follow.
"No!" Natsu also knew Link needed help right now with this battle. She knew that she was the one who could help. "I...I need to help Link!" Aisu snorted.
"How? You don't even know your powers, IF you have any! Natsu, the only way we can help Link right now is to go find Zelda and free her!" Aisu screamed at Natsu. Natsu closed her eyes, trying to get her breathing to steady, pulse to slow... Before she knew it, she was bringing her hands up to her chest, her eyes opened as a blinding flash of light engulfed the entire hallway. Yokoshima fell to his knees, screaming in pain, as he was not used to so much light. She tried covering his eyes but nothing much helped at the moment; he would have to wait for it to sub-side.
"Come on! Now is our chance!" Link waved at the girls, trying to get them moving. They finally understood: Run while the bad guy is down for the count, or distracted. So, they ran. Link was right behind them.
"Run closer to the top, that's more likely where we will find Zelda." He told them. Natsu nodded, glancing at Aisu. When she looked back a winding staircase was right in front of her.
"Should we go up it?" Aisu asked, looking back at Link. Link took one look behind him, then nodded and tried to rush them.
"Yes! There is no time to lose!" Aisu nodded, taking the lead up the stairs.
"Can't you run any faster?" Natsu complained, right on Aisu's heels.
"No! Whoa, there's no more stairs..." Aisu looked around in amazement, wondering why the stairs just suddenly stopped. Natsu nearly knocked into her for the sudden stop, but was able to brace herself. Link had seen it coming.
"We must be getting closer to where they are keeping Zelda. They almost always have mazes like this as you get closer." Link told them. "Are you sure there is no where to go?" He asked then, moving to the front to get a better look.
"Yes. All that's here is a huge gap between where we are now and the other side. There's no way we'll-"
"Never say never." Link muttered, pulling out his grapple-hook. (A/N- Sorry, not sure what it's called/how to spell it...)
"What? How do you purpose we get all the way over there, can it reach that far?" Aisu blinked in confusion, looking at the size of the gap and the hook in Link's hand.
"No time for that; you two will have to hang on tight, as I think we can only make one trip across here before they can come." Link told them, taking aim at something on the ceiling he was sure would hold it, then fired at it.
"Are you sure it can hold that much weight?!" Aisu screeched at him.
"Only one way to find out... Hold on tight, now!" Aisu and Natsu both clung to his sides as he swung out over the gap. Then, when they were about halfway over the gap, the rope began to break.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!! We're going to fall to our deaths! I'm too young to die!!" Aisu began crying, holding on tighter to Link.
"She's right; we might have to jump." Link's voice came out strong, a lot stronger than he actually felt inside.
"Jump? I'm not sure if I could make it that—ahhh!!!!" Natsu screamed as the rope broke again, then they came to a stop-in mid-air. They were still hanging over the gap, the rope was still breaking. "What happened?!"
"We're definitely going to have to jump.." Link closed his eyes and took a depth breath. "On three... One..."
"But, what if something goes wrong? What if we fall?!" Aisu wailed, wishing she were back home rather than risking her life like this. Oh, they should have stayed home that day...really should have stayed home...
"Two..."
"I dunno if I can do this..." Natsu said, her voice wavering.
"Three!" Link shouted. He had swung the rope a little with each count, but now, they needed to jump. He started the jump, Natsu and Aisu each began to jump as well. Link let go of the grapple, lunging at the other side, really, really hoping he would make it. At last, he grabbed onto the edge, pulling himself up quickly so he could help Aisu and Natsu. When he was up, he turned to see where the others hand landed, but he only saw Aisu clinging to the edge... Where was-?
"Are you just going to sit there and stare or help me? Please, help!" Aisu called to him, still clinging to the edge.
"Oh, right! Sorry!" Link quickly grabbed her wrists and pulled her up. "I was just...I don't see Natsu..." Link quietly told her, wondering if Natsu had made the jump or not...
"What...-?"
"Yeah, what are you talking about? I could use some help here!" Natsu hollered. Link got on his knees again and looked over the edge. There was Natsu, clinging onto a piece of metal that was sticking out.
"Natsu! I thought you didn't make it!" Link reached over more until he could get her hand. With a bit of trouble, he finally was able to pull her up.
"Wouldn't you wish..." Natsu mumbled, then shook her head, waiting for a moment to regain her breath before speaking again. "Anyway, we need to get going!" Link nodded, and with that said, they were on their way again.
Intermission
(Gosh, this wun work right for some reason.) Hahaha, decided to put this in here in case you needed to go take a break or something. So, go do what your mother asked you to do a half-hour ago or what ever it was. Go on, shoe, shoe!! Come back when you're done... (Okay, real reason is because I'm really hyper right now and I need to go to bed, so, just letting you know the rest of the chappie might not be as good! With that said, good night!) (A/N- Good morning! Back for writing now...)
Close of Intermission
"This is...strange."
"This is beyond strange...It's weird. Really weird." Aisu commented on what Link had said.
"It's like... Like he wants us to go a certain way or something...like he wanted us here." Natsu observed. The three were walking down a hallway, there were no doors on either side of them, nothing at all except the stairs that lead up to a door at the end of the hall.
"Natsu's right. We have to keep our guard way up here, there could be traps around every corner..." Link told them, eyeing every part of the wall as they passed. He had his hand on the sword at his side, ready if anything came at them. They soon reached the door, Link made Aisu and Natsu back up a ways incase it was a trap. He put his ear to the door, listening for if anything was inside. Silence. Slowly, he turned the doorknob and peeked inside...absolutely nothing. Nothing at all was inside the room, save for the three doors on each side. Link sighed in relief and opened the door wider.
"The coast is clear." He told Aisu and Natsu as he stepped inside. Another step, one more, and then--he fell through the floor.
"Link!" Natsu and Aisu ran forward, having to grab onto his tunic to keep him from falling all the way through. Link stayed there, his legs swinging over open air. Aisu and Natsu were finally able to pull him back up onto solid, steady ground.
"Whew... Thanks. Guess we will have to go around, then. On the edges." Link told them, rubbing his head slightly. He looked up at the three doors, then added: "And pick a door."
"What... What door do you think would be best?" Aisu asked, looking around the room. That's when she noticed something in the center of the room. "Hey, what's that?"
"Looks like some sort of stone. Maybe it has something written on it to help us with the doors... What do you think, Link?" Natsu asked, turning from the stone to him.
"I would agree. I just wonder how we can get over there to read it." Link put his head in his hand, taking this time to think.
"Run really fast across?" Natsu blinked, wondering if her suggestion would work.
"If I had the right equipment, maybe, but all I have is my sword now." He sighed a little, shaking his head. "Are you willing to try running across?"
"Yes. We need you to get Zelda out, so I could-"
"No no, Natsu, I go, I'm much faster." Aisu put her hands on her hips, grinning. "I'll go." Without waiting for an arugment from them, she raced across the falling platforms and onto a stable platform with the tablet on it. Link and Natsu blinked in amazement.
"She did it! I can't believe she did it." Link laughed, then shook his head. "What does it say?"
"You'd better believe I did it! I haven't won the 15-yard dash 3 years in a row for nothing!" Aisu yelled back to him, then turned to the tablet under her feet. "It says... "The path you choose will not be through a doorway if you wish to succeed." ... ... What does that mean?"
"Uh...let me think." Link carefully looked around the room. Now that he was in the room, he could also see the three doors on the top. Could it mean that they had to go through one of those? He took another look around the room; there must be something that he was missing in here somewhere...but where? "Hey, I wonder.." He got up and carefully walking along the edge until he came to a spot on the wall that was covered thoroughly with cobwebs. The place was so dark, he hoped there wasn't a spider on it that he couldn't se-did his hand just go through the wall? He had wondered if there was another door here, but it looked like another way out—without going through a doorway!
"Guys! I think I found it!" He called to Aisu and Natsu.
"Really? Hold on, I'm comin'." Aisu ran back across at full speed, having to jump the rest of the way. She made it with about a foot or so to spare.
"See, this is a way out that has no door way. I think this must be what it was talking about." Link nodded his head, he was sure this was it.
"Okay, what else do we have to lose? Let's go." Natsu nodded, following Link through with Aisu following her close behind.
"Geez, it's really dark in here." Aisu murmured, fear surrounding her words.
"It's okay. Look, I see a light ahead." Natsu pointed ahead of them to a small light at the end of this weird tunnel.
"Let's run!" Aisu told them, Link and Natsu quickly catching onto Aisu's idea, they took off running. As the light came nearer and nearer, however, they found that it was no torch. It was a guard! It was a guard carrying a candle, which is how they got up to it so fast!
"Hide!" Link whispered forcefully, shoving Aisu and Natsu to the ground, in where he thought the shadows would be when the guard past. The guard wasn't moving. Soon, they realized the guard didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon. In fact, he looked like he was guarding something...
"Zelda!" All three of the hushed voices called at the same time. Thinking he heard something, the guard looked over his shoulder and in their direction.
"Duck!" Link pulled them to the ground again. If the guard looked down.. However, the guard looked to his left, then his right, slowly looking at everything. He shrugged, turning back around. Link let out a silent breath of air he didn't know he'd been holding.
"Stay here." He whispered to the girls, knowing what he had to do. He quietly got up and made his way over to the guard, using his stealth skills to make him undetected by this guard. He snuck up behind him, easing his sword out of its sheath and brought it up to the guard's neck. Once he was sure the guard felt the metal on his neck, he whispered with an authoritative voice in his ear...
"You scream to alert the others around here, and you die. Slowly, and painfully." Link made sure the man understood him, then looked back at Natsu and Aisu. "Got anything to tie him up with, maybe even gag and blind fold?"
"Hmm... Let me look..." Aisu pulled out a bag they had never seen before and started looking through it. "Make-up, lipstick, perfume... Nope, all's I got is some necklaces...think they might do as ropes to tie his hands? They're silver, so they should stick."
Link nodded, "Sure. Hand them over." At Link's command, Aisu tossed them over to him and he caught them with ease.
"Okay, this won't hurt a bit..." Link told the guard as he used the necklace as a rope and tied his hand together, then used another to tie his ankles. "All right, you stay on the floor and don't move. We'll be watching you." Link eyed the man, then turned back around and looked at the door. Zelda had to be inside.
"This is it. She's inside, isn't she?" Aisu asked, looked up at Link. Link merely nodded, opening the door and stepping inside. There, in the middle of the room, was the pink diamond in which was the Princess Zelda. Link raced up to her, drawing his sword and tapping on the ice. Or at least, he thought it was ice... It must have been, but when he touched it, it was not cold. He exaimed the diamond incasing her.
"So, how do we get her out?" Natsu asked, blinking.
"I think the only way to break the spell that has her trapped is to...to defeat Yokoshima Warui." Link responded his attention still with the princess.
"Did I hear my name?"
Link, Natsu and Aisu whirled around to see Yokoshima himself standing in the doorway. This time, he had no guards with him...weird.
"Yokoshima, I challenge you to a battle, here and now! Are you willing to except or run away and hide behind guards and knights, like the coward you are?" Link already had his sword at his side as he faced Yoko, the rage dancing in his eyes said he was beyond ready for battle. Yokoshima only snorted a laugh.
"Foolish boy. Don't you remember what happened last time we battled one-on- one? Ha." Yoko crossed his arms over his chest, sure Link would back down now. Link only grinned a cat-like grin.
"Who ever said it was going to be one-on-one?" He leaned toward his sword a little more as Natsu stepped up to bat beside him.
"Yeah. I don't think I heard anything about it at all." Natsu added in, nodding. Yokoshima's eyes grew big.
"Wha-what? But, you girl, you have puny powers compared to me." When this didn't phase them, he tried something else; "You mustn't think you can come up against me yet, your powers are so uncontrolled...what if one of your friends gets hurt accidentally in the cross-fire, hmm? Ever think of that?" When a light went on in Natsu's eyes, he knew he'd hit the right spot. So he continued, "Yes, that's right. Your powers are not centered yet, you do not have enough control to actually battle someone."
"No, Natsu. Don't listen to this jerk. You can do it if you believe in yourself, in your powers...trust me." Link glanced at Natsu, wondering what she would do. Natsu slowly shook her head from side to side, closing her eyes.
"Link's right...how can I listen to a jerk-wad like this guy? I can do it. I can! If I really try..." She muttered more to herself, her eyes opened again and glared at Yokoshima with much anger. "Let's just go ahead and get this over with, kay? Less talk and more action." She closed her eyes again, trying to draw on where she thought her powers would be. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her hands lifted before her to her chest, she somehow began to channel all her anger out at this man.
"No, no-wait! I-I have some valuable information, it's about that princess! There is more to it than getting me! She cannot be freed without it!" Only Link caught this before Natsu's blast was unleashed and a creamy pink-red wave of light came shooting at Yokoshima. He screamed, trying to make a defense barrier, but Natsu was able to make the blast stronger; it went right through it and to the man, or should I say, monster. Yoko screamed once again, then his eyes went white, his body shuddered a little, and then he fell to the floor in a motionless heap.
"Wait-wait!! ... He, he said something about Zelda..." Link he shook his head, knowing what ever it was was probably a lie. He turned back to the princess, awaiting for the pink diamond to remove itself.
"Natsu! Are you okay?!" Aisu was the first to notice Natsu looked completely drained, as white as a bleached ghost and even looked like she could fit in with them, she looked sick.
"I'm...okay...did we get Zelda...out?" She breathed, her eyes trying to focus on the princess. A light from it glowed in the room, so bright that's all anyone would see. When it was done, the princess was out of the diamond, but, she was still as cold as a stone and her eyes were shut tight.
"What wrong? I thought... I thought it was supposed to free her." Aisu observed, looked over Zelda. She showed no signs of life. "Does she have a pulse?" She asked softly, reaching for Zelda's hand. Link stopped her.
"She... I don't-I don't know. She can't...she can't be..." He said even softer. That's when a familiar feline came prancing into the room. She came right up to Natsu, pawing at her.
"What-?" Natsu's words were interrupted with a quaking. The castle! It was falling apart!
"Everyone, out!" Link orederd, already having Zelda in his arms. Aisu was up and by the door before she noticed Natsu was still lying there, staring at the wall. Voices whispered, only heard by the red-haired girl, but she understood them.
"Natsu! We have to move-now!" Aisu called to her. "Natsu!!" She screamed when the girl didn't respond.
"I know..." Natsu simply said.
"You know what?" Aisu blinked. She was well aware of the falling castle around them, she had to knock some since into her friend before this castle came down.
"I know how to help Zelda...what I must do." Natsu gave a heaving sigh and look up at Aisu, her eyes portraying a sad type of look. "Good bye, my friend." She whispered before closing her eyes once again.
"Good-good bye? What?" Aisu was dumb founded. What on earth did she mean?! "Oh no, you're not staying here, come on!" Aisu grabbed her wrist and pulled. Natsu opened her eyes and just looked at Aisu. "We have to get out- now!" Aisu ran for the door, but that way was blocked now...what other way was there out?!
"Aisu. Aisu, calm down. There's a way out over here, but you will have to jump into the water." Natsu said in a voice Aisu had never heard. Aisu nodded, going over to the window. She gulped. It was a long, long way down.
"Do we-do we really have to jump?" She asked in a small voice. Natsu's eyes got soft with a smile but she nodded yes. Then shook her head no.
"You do... Go on." She made a shoeing motion with her hands. Aisu shook her head, grabbed Natsu by the cuff of her shirt, then jumped from the window. Both of the plummeted several stories and into the water below. Aisu was able to make a dive with her hands, so she wasn't hurt, but...where was Natsu? She looked around after surfacing but she did not see her friend anywhere.
"Natsu? Natsu, where are you?!" Aisu yelled, but received no answer.
"Aisu! Aisu, come quick! It's a miracle!" Link called to her, jumping up and down on the other side of the lake. The princess with him was stirring, and then she slowly opened her eyes.
That was when Aisu understood. Something clicked. Natsu had found out something... Something had told her that she was needed in order for Zelda to come back to life. Somehow, there had been a trade...
"Natsu." Aisu breathed through her tears. "Natsu!" She screamed, now crying. She splashed at the water forcefully, but knew it wouldn't help. Her best friend was gone, and nothing could replace that... Not Zelda, not Katana, not-
"What...what are you blabbing about?" Came a weak voice from behind her. Aisu turned around and was met with her friend-Natsu was alive!! She was!
"Natsu! I thought..." Aisu glommped her friend, almost causing both of them to sink. She could see Natsu was in no condition to swim anyway, so she took them to shore.
"I did, too. But, Zelda was stronger than we all thought... Though I gave her most of my energy, there was enough left... just enough..." Natsu said softly, her voice growing weaker and weaker.
"Well, my friend, if you don't shush up, there won't be any left." Aisu sighed with joy, Katana soon met the two. She hadn't jumped out the window, but had made it out in time with Link and Zelda.
Everything was all right, then. Yokoshima was beat, the village and everyone was restored to how everything was, none of the people having any memory of being in ice, however.
Whooo!!! I finished! XD Okay, so, did that stink? Really really stink? I dun think I'll re-write, but, if you want me to write an Epilogue, please review saying so, 'else I wun write one! ; It might have more stuff explaining what happened as well, ehehehe...he...