The Princess of the Zoras
Disclaimer: Look around. What do you think.
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Ruto finally comes around. She looks around the room she is in. On the floor she notices some strange areas. When she inspects them, she notices that they are actually holes. Backing up, she almost hits another jellyfish.
"Jabu-Jabu..." she whispers. "What did he do to you..." She looks around the room. The Sapphire isn't here, obviously. But she doesn't know where to go next. She stands there staring at one of the jellyfish, debating whether to try to order it to tell her where it is, then wondering if it will understand her. So she doesn't notice at first when someone else comes into the area.
"Whoa." Ruto turns quickly. She sees a young boy standing near the, um, entrance to the area. He is completely dressed in green, and has some kind of floating bug near him. She prepares for a confrontation. The boy finally notices her and goes up to her.
"YOU! Who are you!?" Ruto demands. The kid actually backs up a bit.
"Um, my name is Link." He says. "Who are you?" Ruto stands up straight trying to look "royal".
"I'm Ruto, Princess of the Zoras." She says. "What do you think you are doing here!" she demands. "And what is that stupid bug following you!?" she shouts trying to get it out of her face.
"I'M NOT A BUG!" it shouts. Link waves it back.
"That's Navi, my fairy. And, well, we found this bottle with a letter from you in Lake Hylia..." Ruto seethes inside.
[That was for the help Mamma promised. Not you!] She shouts in her mind. Out loud, is only a bit different. "Letter in a bottle?! I have NO IDEA what you are talking about." She turns her back on him. "Besides. I can't leave yet. BUT YOU BETTER GET OUT FAST!" Ruto starts to walk away, but during her conversation she forgot about the holes now in the floor.
"WATCH OUT!" Link shouts about a second too late. Ruto plunges right into it.
After a hard landing, she is slowly getting up. [Ow ow ow...I can't believe I forgot about that!] she thinks. She looks around. Another platform on the other side of the area, and more bubbles and jellyfish.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Ruto turns quickly to see that Link has followed her down. The 'fairy' is floating down a bit slower. Link stands up slowly.
[What in Nayru's name is he doing?] Ruto wonders. The kid finally seems to recover and looks up at her.
"You OK?" he asks. Ruto stares at him blankly a moment, then gets indignant.
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!" she yells. Link flinches. "It's OK, I've been going inside Jabu-Jabu since I was little." She starts hoping she can just reason him away. Link doesn't look convinced. To emphasize it, he looks around. Ruto notices.
"Is this what it always looks like?" he asks.
"Well, not exactly..." Ruto responds. "There are a lot of monsters in here, and those holes, and my..." Ruto shakes her head for a moment. "But that doesn't concern you. I ORDER YOU TO LEAVE!" Ruto turns away a moment. Then she feels herself pulled back fast. She manages to look over her shoulder to see Link pulling her.
"Did it get you?" he asks. Ruto looks at him strangely.
"What?" she asks. "And let go of me!" Link lets her go, then points to the jellyfish that was dangerously close to her. Taking out some kind of stick, Link swings it, and the jellyfish is destroyed. So is the stick.
"That." Link says finally. Ruto thinks a moment. He can obviously fight. With all these monsters, and no Noran to protect her, she needs a new guard.
[He'll do, I guess.] she thinks. Out loud, she says, "Are you really that worried about me?" Link nods.
"Your father asked me to come in and rescue you." He responds. Ruto's jaw almost dropped.
"YOU TOLD HIM!?" she practically shouts.
"It was the only way to get here." He says matter-of-factly. Ruto grimaces. Then she thinks of all the crap she has been through since ending up in here. Her legs are starting to protest, especially after that fall. She sighs.
"Fine. Since you are here to help, you may have the honor of carrying me." She looks him right in the eye. "But I'm warning you. I'm NOT leaving until I find what I came in here for. Understand?" Link nods. Then he turns around allowing Ruto to climb onto his back. After taking a moment to get comfortable, they start searching.
"Are you really a princess?" Navi asks. Ruto glares at her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she says.
"Well, you don't really act like one." Navi seems to think a moment. "Not like Zelda anyway." Ruto gets pissed at that.
"Not that brat!" she says.
"I take it you and Zelda don't get along." Link joins in.
"Little Miss High-and-Mighty." Ruto responds. "I'd like to take her down a few notches." Link seems to be unsure what to say, but Navi is right on it.
"How old were you guys when you met?" she asks.
"I think it was around five, why?" Ruto looks at the fairy.
"ALL kids are brats at five years old!" Navi says laughing.
"Are you saying I should give her another chance?"
"Couldn't hurt." Link chimes in. Ruto thinks a bit. When she looks up they have come to a door of some kind. Link seems to be looking around for some kind of switch. Ruto looks too, and sees a raised area that looks like a pimple.
"Link?" she says. She points to it. Link nods and, keeping Ruto on his back, steps on the switch. It opens the door. They go in. Link looks around a bit, then sets his jaw.
"Ruto?" he says, "I need you to stay here for a moment." Ruto considers yelling at him for not addressing her correctly, but changes her mind at his tone. Silently she slides off his back and stands there as he pulls out a slingshot and carefully goes across the room. A moment later, some kind of bat thing (A/N: if anyone can remind me what it is called, please do. I can't remember if it is a Keese or not) comes up from the floor. Link shoots it down with the slingshot. Then he hunts up a few more. When it is over, some kind of chest appears. Link opens it and takes out a boomerang. Then he comes back over to Ruto.
"Ready to go now?" she asks.
"Can we please rest a moment?" He says.
"Why?" Ruto doesn't want to wait.
"You may be light, but after a while anything gets heavy." He says, obviously trying to be polite. Ruto thinks a moment.
"Fine. But we can't stay long." She says. Link nods and sinks gratefully to the ground. Ruto sits down next to him, looking him over.
"Now what's your problem?!" Navi yells from above them. Ruto shoots her a glare.
"What race are you anyway?" Ruto says to Link. "You look Hylian, but something's off." Link nods.
"I'm a Kokiri." He says. Ruto just stares at him.
"What's a Kokiri?" she asks.
"They are kids who live in the forest and have fairy guardians," Navi tells her. "Why do you care anyway!?" Ruto shoots her another glare.
"Are all fairies as annoying as this one?" she asks Link while pointing to Navi. Navi growls, while Link manages a smile.
"Not really. I got a special one." He says. He stands up and stretches. Ruto stands up as well.
"Ready to go?" she asks. Link nods. Ruto climbs onto his back again and they are off. After a bit of dodging they are at another door. The same type of switch is found on the floor about ten feet from it. Link once again steps on it, and the door opens. But when he steps off of it, it closes up.
"Now what?" Ruto asks. She slides off Links back and they start trying to figure it out.
"How about this." Link finally says. He and Ruto both stand on the switch, and the door opens. "Stay on the switch." He tells Ruto. Confused, Ruto just nods. Link steps off, and the door stays open. Link goes in with Navi right behind him. Ruto tries to follow, but the moment she steps off the switch the door closes.
"NO!" she cries. She looks around. She can see some of the monsters. All she can do is hope they can't see her. After what seems like an eternity, Link comes back out.
"You all right?" he asks. Ruto just bursts out.
"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THAT!" She shouts. "A POOR PRINCESS, DEFENSELESS AGAINST ALL THESE MONSTERS..." Link takes her hand.
"My deepest apologies. I won't do it again, I promise." Ruto calms down and looks at him.
"Fine. You're forgiven. But if you do it again..." she leaves the threat hanging. Link just nods. After carrying her through a few more rooms, they find themselves in a circular room with a platform in the center and no obvious other exit.
"A dead end." Link says. But Ruto, being about a head higher than him while being carried, sees something else.
"THAT'S IT!" she cries. Link is confused. Ruto jumps off his back and runs over to the platform. "Don't just stand there stupid, help me up!" Link goes over and gives her a boost. When Ruto is up there, she runs to the center of the platform and grabs the Sapphire. Then she notices the way Link is looking at her.
"What's that?" Navi asks.
"It's my most precious possession. My mother gave it to me before she died." Tears start to come back when she thinks of her mother, but she refuses to let them fall. "I was so worried when Jabu-Jabu swallowed it. While I was feeding him, he suddenly swallowed me!" she manages a laugh. Deciding he didn't need the details, she decides it's high time she got out of here. After all, she needs to start looking for medicine to cure whatever illness that Gerudo gave him.
"I'm glad you found what you were looking for." Link says. Ruto nods.
"Thank you." She looks around. "Well, I don't need to be in here anymore, so you may take me home now." Link nods and starts over to the platform intending to help her down. But when he approaches, they feel a jolt. The platform starts to rise with Ruto still on it. When it hits the ceiling, Ruto finds herself in a different room. She looks around quickly, then screams.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! AN OCTOPUS!?" she cries. Then she feels some kind of tentacle grab her. She holds onto the stone for dear life as it continually wraps around her until she can't move at all, see or speak. Then it takes her into another area and seems to just dump her in a corner. For what seems like an eternity. She starts to give up hope until she hears a sound.
"DIE!" Link's voice screams. It isn't far away. She hears what sounds like some living, excuse me, formally living, thing blow apart. A moment later she feels someone taking the wrappings off of her. Once her head is free, she sees it is Link. He is covered in something green, and it isn't his clothes. After a moment, she is completely free.
"Are you all right?" he asks her.
"What took you so long!?" she yells at him. "I was just lonely, that's all!" she says. She doesn't want him thinking she was actually scared. Link doesn't respond, instead leading her to a glowing light in the center of the room. They step into it, and almost instantly they are on the fallen tree in the Shrine. Ruto is about an inch from Link.
"Tee-hee." She laughs, just happy to be alive. Link cries out and falls back into the water. It washes off whatever was on him. Ruto dives in after him. She swims back up to the surface in front of Link.
"I'm glad that's over." Link says. Navi is floating above him.
"Well, I guess I should thank you for saving me, not that I needed it." Ruto says. Navi starts to counter that, but Link grabs her and shoves her into the water. Navi comes up quickly and rams Link. Ruto can't help but smile. "Anyway, name your reward."
"Um, actually..." Link says. Ruto notices him looking at the Sapphire in her hand.
"I see." Ruto says. [He defeated the monster the Gerudo man put inside Jabu-Jabu, and even rescued me. He has to be the one Mother promised. I can really marry a hero!] "My mother said I can only give this to the one I will marry. So I guess you call it an engagement ring that isn't a ring!" She smiles wide. Link is totally confused.
"Um, OK..." is all Link can get out.
"I'll give you my most precious possession, Zora's Sapphire!" she hands him the stone. "Oh, one more thing." She looks around quickly. She notices something white at the bottom of the Shrine waters, but decides to look later. She goes right up to Link and whispers "Don't tell my father." Link nods. He brings Ruto back to the Domain, keeping the Sapphire hidden. After a few words and a monetary reward from King Zora, he is on his way. Ruto watches him leave, then turns back to the Shrine.
Disclaimer: Look around. What do you think.
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Ruto finally comes around. She looks around the room she is in. On the floor she notices some strange areas. When she inspects them, she notices that they are actually holes. Backing up, she almost hits another jellyfish.
"Jabu-Jabu..." she whispers. "What did he do to you..." She looks around the room. The Sapphire isn't here, obviously. But she doesn't know where to go next. She stands there staring at one of the jellyfish, debating whether to try to order it to tell her where it is, then wondering if it will understand her. So she doesn't notice at first when someone else comes into the area.
"Whoa." Ruto turns quickly. She sees a young boy standing near the, um, entrance to the area. He is completely dressed in green, and has some kind of floating bug near him. She prepares for a confrontation. The boy finally notices her and goes up to her.
"YOU! Who are you!?" Ruto demands. The kid actually backs up a bit.
"Um, my name is Link." He says. "Who are you?" Ruto stands up straight trying to look "royal".
"I'm Ruto, Princess of the Zoras." She says. "What do you think you are doing here!" she demands. "And what is that stupid bug following you!?" she shouts trying to get it out of her face.
"I'M NOT A BUG!" it shouts. Link waves it back.
"That's Navi, my fairy. And, well, we found this bottle with a letter from you in Lake Hylia..." Ruto seethes inside.
[That was for the help Mamma promised. Not you!] She shouts in her mind. Out loud, is only a bit different. "Letter in a bottle?! I have NO IDEA what you are talking about." She turns her back on him. "Besides. I can't leave yet. BUT YOU BETTER GET OUT FAST!" Ruto starts to walk away, but during her conversation she forgot about the holes now in the floor.
"WATCH OUT!" Link shouts about a second too late. Ruto plunges right into it.
After a hard landing, she is slowly getting up. [Ow ow ow...I can't believe I forgot about that!] she thinks. She looks around. Another platform on the other side of the area, and more bubbles and jellyfish.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Ruto turns quickly to see that Link has followed her down. The 'fairy' is floating down a bit slower. Link stands up slowly.
[What in Nayru's name is he doing?] Ruto wonders. The kid finally seems to recover and looks up at her.
"You OK?" he asks. Ruto stares at him blankly a moment, then gets indignant.
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!" she yells. Link flinches. "It's OK, I've been going inside Jabu-Jabu since I was little." She starts hoping she can just reason him away. Link doesn't look convinced. To emphasize it, he looks around. Ruto notices.
"Is this what it always looks like?" he asks.
"Well, not exactly..." Ruto responds. "There are a lot of monsters in here, and those holes, and my..." Ruto shakes her head for a moment. "But that doesn't concern you. I ORDER YOU TO LEAVE!" Ruto turns away a moment. Then she feels herself pulled back fast. She manages to look over her shoulder to see Link pulling her.
"Did it get you?" he asks. Ruto looks at him strangely.
"What?" she asks. "And let go of me!" Link lets her go, then points to the jellyfish that was dangerously close to her. Taking out some kind of stick, Link swings it, and the jellyfish is destroyed. So is the stick.
"That." Link says finally. Ruto thinks a moment. He can obviously fight. With all these monsters, and no Noran to protect her, she needs a new guard.
[He'll do, I guess.] she thinks. Out loud, she says, "Are you really that worried about me?" Link nods.
"Your father asked me to come in and rescue you." He responds. Ruto's jaw almost dropped.
"YOU TOLD HIM!?" she practically shouts.
"It was the only way to get here." He says matter-of-factly. Ruto grimaces. Then she thinks of all the crap she has been through since ending up in here. Her legs are starting to protest, especially after that fall. She sighs.
"Fine. Since you are here to help, you may have the honor of carrying me." She looks him right in the eye. "But I'm warning you. I'm NOT leaving until I find what I came in here for. Understand?" Link nods. Then he turns around allowing Ruto to climb onto his back. After taking a moment to get comfortable, they start searching.
"Are you really a princess?" Navi asks. Ruto glares at her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she says.
"Well, you don't really act like one." Navi seems to think a moment. "Not like Zelda anyway." Ruto gets pissed at that.
"Not that brat!" she says.
"I take it you and Zelda don't get along." Link joins in.
"Little Miss High-and-Mighty." Ruto responds. "I'd like to take her down a few notches." Link seems to be unsure what to say, but Navi is right on it.
"How old were you guys when you met?" she asks.
"I think it was around five, why?" Ruto looks at the fairy.
"ALL kids are brats at five years old!" Navi says laughing.
"Are you saying I should give her another chance?"
"Couldn't hurt." Link chimes in. Ruto thinks a bit. When she looks up they have come to a door of some kind. Link seems to be looking around for some kind of switch. Ruto looks too, and sees a raised area that looks like a pimple.
"Link?" she says. She points to it. Link nods and, keeping Ruto on his back, steps on the switch. It opens the door. They go in. Link looks around a bit, then sets his jaw.
"Ruto?" he says, "I need you to stay here for a moment." Ruto considers yelling at him for not addressing her correctly, but changes her mind at his tone. Silently she slides off his back and stands there as he pulls out a slingshot and carefully goes across the room. A moment later, some kind of bat thing (A/N: if anyone can remind me what it is called, please do. I can't remember if it is a Keese or not) comes up from the floor. Link shoots it down with the slingshot. Then he hunts up a few more. When it is over, some kind of chest appears. Link opens it and takes out a boomerang. Then he comes back over to Ruto.
"Ready to go now?" she asks.
"Can we please rest a moment?" He says.
"Why?" Ruto doesn't want to wait.
"You may be light, but after a while anything gets heavy." He says, obviously trying to be polite. Ruto thinks a moment.
"Fine. But we can't stay long." She says. Link nods and sinks gratefully to the ground. Ruto sits down next to him, looking him over.
"Now what's your problem?!" Navi yells from above them. Ruto shoots her a glare.
"What race are you anyway?" Ruto says to Link. "You look Hylian, but something's off." Link nods.
"I'm a Kokiri." He says. Ruto just stares at him.
"What's a Kokiri?" she asks.
"They are kids who live in the forest and have fairy guardians," Navi tells her. "Why do you care anyway!?" Ruto shoots her another glare.
"Are all fairies as annoying as this one?" she asks Link while pointing to Navi. Navi growls, while Link manages a smile.
"Not really. I got a special one." He says. He stands up and stretches. Ruto stands up as well.
"Ready to go?" she asks. Link nods. Ruto climbs onto his back again and they are off. After a bit of dodging they are at another door. The same type of switch is found on the floor about ten feet from it. Link once again steps on it, and the door opens. But when he steps off of it, it closes up.
"Now what?" Ruto asks. She slides off Links back and they start trying to figure it out.
"How about this." Link finally says. He and Ruto both stand on the switch, and the door opens. "Stay on the switch." He tells Ruto. Confused, Ruto just nods. Link steps off, and the door stays open. Link goes in with Navi right behind him. Ruto tries to follow, but the moment she steps off the switch the door closes.
"NO!" she cries. She looks around. She can see some of the monsters. All she can do is hope they can't see her. After what seems like an eternity, Link comes back out.
"You all right?" he asks. Ruto just bursts out.
"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THAT!" She shouts. "A POOR PRINCESS, DEFENSELESS AGAINST ALL THESE MONSTERS..." Link takes her hand.
"My deepest apologies. I won't do it again, I promise." Ruto calms down and looks at him.
"Fine. You're forgiven. But if you do it again..." she leaves the threat hanging. Link just nods. After carrying her through a few more rooms, they find themselves in a circular room with a platform in the center and no obvious other exit.
"A dead end." Link says. But Ruto, being about a head higher than him while being carried, sees something else.
"THAT'S IT!" she cries. Link is confused. Ruto jumps off his back and runs over to the platform. "Don't just stand there stupid, help me up!" Link goes over and gives her a boost. When Ruto is up there, she runs to the center of the platform and grabs the Sapphire. Then she notices the way Link is looking at her.
"What's that?" Navi asks.
"It's my most precious possession. My mother gave it to me before she died." Tears start to come back when she thinks of her mother, but she refuses to let them fall. "I was so worried when Jabu-Jabu swallowed it. While I was feeding him, he suddenly swallowed me!" she manages a laugh. Deciding he didn't need the details, she decides it's high time she got out of here. After all, she needs to start looking for medicine to cure whatever illness that Gerudo gave him.
"I'm glad you found what you were looking for." Link says. Ruto nods.
"Thank you." She looks around. "Well, I don't need to be in here anymore, so you may take me home now." Link nods and starts over to the platform intending to help her down. But when he approaches, they feel a jolt. The platform starts to rise with Ruto still on it. When it hits the ceiling, Ruto finds herself in a different room. She looks around quickly, then screams.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! AN OCTOPUS!?" she cries. Then she feels some kind of tentacle grab her. She holds onto the stone for dear life as it continually wraps around her until she can't move at all, see or speak. Then it takes her into another area and seems to just dump her in a corner. For what seems like an eternity. She starts to give up hope until she hears a sound.
"DIE!" Link's voice screams. It isn't far away. She hears what sounds like some living, excuse me, formally living, thing blow apart. A moment later she feels someone taking the wrappings off of her. Once her head is free, she sees it is Link. He is covered in something green, and it isn't his clothes. After a moment, she is completely free.
"Are you all right?" he asks her.
"What took you so long!?" she yells at him. "I was just lonely, that's all!" she says. She doesn't want him thinking she was actually scared. Link doesn't respond, instead leading her to a glowing light in the center of the room. They step into it, and almost instantly they are on the fallen tree in the Shrine. Ruto is about an inch from Link.
"Tee-hee." She laughs, just happy to be alive. Link cries out and falls back into the water. It washes off whatever was on him. Ruto dives in after him. She swims back up to the surface in front of Link.
"I'm glad that's over." Link says. Navi is floating above him.
"Well, I guess I should thank you for saving me, not that I needed it." Ruto says. Navi starts to counter that, but Link grabs her and shoves her into the water. Navi comes up quickly and rams Link. Ruto can't help but smile. "Anyway, name your reward."
"Um, actually..." Link says. Ruto notices him looking at the Sapphire in her hand.
"I see." Ruto says. [He defeated the monster the Gerudo man put inside Jabu-Jabu, and even rescued me. He has to be the one Mother promised. I can really marry a hero!] "My mother said I can only give this to the one I will marry. So I guess you call it an engagement ring that isn't a ring!" She smiles wide. Link is totally confused.
"Um, OK..." is all Link can get out.
"I'll give you my most precious possession, Zora's Sapphire!" she hands him the stone. "Oh, one more thing." She looks around quickly. She notices something white at the bottom of the Shrine waters, but decides to look later. She goes right up to Link and whispers "Don't tell my father." Link nods. He brings Ruto back to the Domain, keeping the Sapphire hidden. After a few words and a monetary reward from King Zora, he is on his way. Ruto watches him leave, then turns back to the Shrine.