Goodness, I didn't realize that I hadn't updated this in over 40 days! Yikes, I'm so sorry! But I'm pleased to announce that I will shortly be starting my first SERIOUS chapter story.

Well, I'm sorry for being so slow. But there's been a lot going on lately. I was having major problems with my boyfriend, and in the end, it wound up with him cheating on me and then dumping me. I didn't find out he was cheating until after I got dumped, though... Damn, I'm one of them hopeless romantics, ain't I? All the relationships I get into go awry. Maybe I'm too young to be dating.

In all honesty, I suppose that's not an excuse for this chapter being so late. Blame it on procrastination then, ok?

Oh yeah, and I've also been doing a collaboration fic with two of my all-time best friends ever! They've been doing most of the planning, but I wrote up the prologue and put it on this website. I don't know what they want me to do for the next chapter yet. You can find the storyon this website under the username "dottedleaf". It's about the Warriors series (they're books), and though I'm not really all that fond of the books, it's still good to be involved in the story.

Oh, and why did I name the Minish in this chapter after terrorists? I do not know.

Please review! Luv you guys.

Chapter 11 -- Whispers in the Grass

Through the damp, rain and mud-soaked grass tramped a group of tiny creatures, so tiny, in fact, that the blades of grass were more like trees towering above their heads. There were four in the group -- at the head was an elder among the creatures, garbed in grass-green robes and holding a wooden cane carved like a bird at the top in his gnarled old hand. He had long white hair and a long white beard, long enough to nearly trail along the ground, but it was straight and well groomed. His face was mostly hidden by all the hair, though he did have two shiny black eyes peering out angrily. Like hamster eyes or something.

Marching behind him side-by-side were two young adult males with rosey cheeks, pointy ears, and green outfits made of grass. Resting on their small heads were red elf hats.

Holding up the rear, walking grudgingly was a young female with red eyes, pale, greyish skin and long, wavy silver hair that fell down to the middle of her back. She was dressed in a white robe.

These, my dear friends, were specimens of the Minish species. They were created by the gods to aid the human and Hylian race, despite the fact that they are only seen by good children. They were once a popular Hyrulian legend hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, but as time went, so did their memory. They were completely unheard of after the drowning of Hyrule and the start of the Great Sea, but they lived on...in Oceana AND on islands throughout the Great Sea. And not to mention the fact that they thrived.

Back in the present with our little party of Minish lead by the elder, the group waded through the mud and water with great difficulty. They looked around, crying out the words, "Is anyone there?" on occasion. But always there was no answer. The mud got deeper as the little Minish marched on, and the struggle worsened, especially for the little girl at the back. But at last, they found a rock -- a safe haven. Pulling themselves out of the muck, they climbed on, their clothes now stained.

"That mud nearly snapped my cane in half, dammit!" complained the elder. He turned his head to look at his weary companions.

"HEY! SIT UP STRAIGHT, YOU LOT! BE PROPER!" he ordered, dealing each of the three others a smack with the cane.

"Master Ezlo, please...! This pisses us off just as much as it does you! It's bad enough without you beating us. We're trying our best to find the flood survivors, you know!" said one of the young adult males in a fatigued sort of way.

Now, you see, Minish lived all over Oceana. Often in places that the Oceanans wouldn't think to look. They were much like humans, having government, religion, and towns. The town where Ezlo and his crew had come from had suffered the damage of a terrible flood resulting from the extreme amount of rain over the past few months. Many Minish had been washed away with the flood, which had taken place a few days ago, and search groups were assigned to the task of going out in hopes of discovering survivors. A few had been found alive and were given medical attention. But most of the finds, however, were corpses.

Back in the present time, Ezlo turned to glare at the Minish man who had spoken out against him.

"Silence, Osama! I'll beat you however many frickin' times I want!" snapped Ezlo, beating him with the cane again.

"Master Ezlo, please, stop!" begged the other young male.

"Go fuck yourself, Saddam!" snapped Ezlo, hitting the other with the cane too.

So, finally, Osama and Saddam shut up and let Ezlo complain all he wanted. And complain Ezlo did, for a time. The foursome sat in silence after that, until Ezlo glanced at his totally awesome electric watch and groaned.

"We're behind schedule! We need to go at least another mile and then return home! And with the length of time you all have been just sitting here, we should have already been on our way home!" announced Ezlo with scorn.

"But it's not entirely our fault, Master Ezlo! Y-you were sitting around too..." murmured Osama timidly.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Nothing...!" Osama shrank down in fear.

"Good." Ezlo straightened himself up and looked down upon the little girl Minish, who had not said a single word.

"Natacien!" he barked. She quickly averted her red eyes to her elder.

"Natacien, as my apprentice, I choose you to lead the group for the final mile of our search. That way, if we run into anything that eats Minish, it'll eat you first while the rest of us can get away."

Natacien stood up, sneered, and gave a mock-curtsey to Ezlo.

"Yes, Your Highness," said she with sarcasm.

Ezlo stiffened. Natacien, his apprentice...she was so much like his last apprentice, Vaati, in both appearance and behavior. In fact, she was an incredibly close relative of his last apprentice, which was why Ezlo took her under his wing. In his own way, it was a sign of making up to himself for what Vaati had done. Vaati had done the unthinkable... And he was still alive that very day, and was no longer a Minish, thanks to something that was partially Ezlo's fault. Natacien did not know of her blood relations with the other apprentice. She didn't even know he existed, and Ezlo planned to keep it that way for fear that she would be inspired by the infamous deeds of the other.

"Do not mouth off to me, Natacien! Now get down from this rock, and we shall follow you. AND STAND UP STRAIGHTER! LIFT YOUR CHIN HIGH, GIRL!" ordered Ezlo.

Smugly, Natacien climbed off the rock and took up their path from earlier, leading the group. Ezlo, Osama, and Saddam weren't far behind.

"Wake up, Link, my love! Please, tell me that you are alive!"

Link groaned and rolled over away from the voice, his eyelids twitching slightly with the effort to stay sleeping.

"He's alive! He really is!" exclaimed a second voice.

These voices...they were familiar. And they had seemed to be just another dream up until, well...recently. Link had lost track of time.

"WAKE UP!" yelled a third, and Link felt a hard kick on his wounded stomach. He let out a long groan of agony and forced his eyes open to look at the sources of the noise.

Towering above Link's injured form were, to his disbelief, the pirates! Though Tetra was not amongst them. There was also another face, which Link focused his blurred vision on... Who was this other guy, he wondered? He seemed familiar. But then it hit him -- the man accompanying the five pirates was none other than King Arnav, ruler of Oceana and father of his beloved Tetra and Princess Pike. He was thinner, tired, and harassed-looking, but was Arnav all the same.

"G-guys...?" uttered Link.

"He spoke words!" cried Senza.

"Link, we thought you were dead!" breathed Nudge.

"I would have preferred it that way..." murmured Mako.

Link, his head spinning, tried to sit up, but failed. He had been living near the river for over three days after Shadow and Dark had attacked him. Too badly wounded to travel very far, and too hungry to do much of anything, Link crashed at a spot near the river to waste away, completely stranded. He had only a few belongings kept with him, but no food, and hardly any decent medical supplies. He had felt hopeless, certain that he was going to die.

"Link!" Niko squeaked, kneeling beside him quickly.

"OH MY GODDESSES! YOU'RE HURT!" Gonzo exclaimed dramatically, kneeling down on Link's other side and hugging him around the waist tightly. Link cried out in pain again.

"OW...! YOU...YOU PERVERT! AGH..."

Gonzo released Link.

Arnav, for some reason, was quivering with what seemed to be anticipation. He was about to attack Link with many questions, but Senza stopped him.

"What happened, Link?" he asked.

"I was attacked by Dark Link and this other clone of me, a fat one that Dark said was his twin, Shadow Link... It's, uh...a long story, but it ends with me having pretty much nothing and wasting away by this here river."

"Well, we'd better take you back to our hideout with us and get you taken care of. Can you stand?" Nudge asked.

Link thought about how to answer that question. Yes, he could stand. But hell, it would be way easier to be carried.

Pulling on an expression of exaggerated pain, Link rubbed his stomach wound and whimpered.

"No...I...I don't think I can walk..." he lied.

"He's lying, you assholes! That is so FAKE!" Mako spat. Judging by his expression, Arnav seemed to be thinking the same thing.

But the other pirates paid no regard to the protest. Senza gently picked up Link, and the pirates and the king were off to wherever their hideout lie.

"You are SO overreacting..." Mako hissed to Link.

The men's hideout was, as Link discovered, an underground cave that lead to under the river, secured from leaks by thick stone walls. There was junk and cargo strewn about casually and carelessly, not to mention crap on the walls.

Oh yeah, Link thought, This place has been the home of the pirates... Damn, for gay guys, they sure aren't very neat...

The pirates had been sleeping on sacks stuffed with leaves. At first Link wondered why they had no beds, but then slowly, ever so slowly (he's a dumbass, remember people?), it occurred to him that if they escaped Majora's wrath, then they probably had to leave quickly and with very little.

"It's not the most comfortable, but it's better than nothing..." sighed Senza, setting Link down on one of the "mattresses".

Link closed his eyes and relaxed. True, they didn't have much good of anything, but he decided it best to take advantage of the kindness he was being offered.

"Oh...I am SO hungry...!" Link groaned in his best drama queen tone, scrunching his face up in an imitation of pain.

"Oh, Link, I'm sorry...we don't have any food with us right now..." admitted Nudge.

Link rolled this factor over in his brain. He was pretty damn hungry, no lie there. But he wasn't in the physical shape to scavenge for anything. Well...maybe he could if he tried, but he really couldn't dig up the motivation for such a task. If anyone was getting any food ASAP, then one of the pirates was to do if, because like hell if Link was going to! He had to gain more sympathy to...push them a little, so to speak.

"OH! I THINK I'M DYING! I NEED FOOD...NOW!" Link wailed, pulling up a few fake tears.

"Swabbie, we need to take care of your wounds first!" insisted Niko.

"BUT I MEAN IT, GUYS! SERIOUSLY, MY HUNGER IS KILLING ME...! GAH..."

"You're not dying, you cheap-ass bastard! Cut the sympathy crap!" snapped Mako.

Link grew discouraged. Aparently the overdone injury bit was wearing itself out. Link then thought of what he always thought of in doubt: what would Tetra do in this situation...?

Hmm. What WOULD Tetra do? Order people to do what she wanted, most likely... But Link was no good at that. However, he remembered what Tetra did to gain sympathy and spoils from people other than the crew, occasionally: pretend she was pregnant. Or in labor. That was the solution to Link's situation!

"Fine..." Link sniffed. "If you want to let my baby die, go ahead! In this delicate condition, I can do just about nothing! I...I am completely dependant on the generosity of others in this state..."

"Link, what are you talking about?" Gonzo asked, puzzled.

"I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT MY PREGNANCY!"

"Pregnancy?" The pirates looked around at eachother and Link, shocked and confused. Only Arnav sat in the corner, eyeing Link with a cold calm that seemed to mean he still had something to say.

"Yes. I'm pregnant."

"But...how...!"

"Er..." Link hadn't exactly thought up that part. But then it came to him so suddenly that he was quite surprised by his own burst of intelligence!

"Majora did it," he stated.

"THAT BASTARD RAPED YOU...!" Gonzo sobbed, tears forming in his eyes.

"Yes, he raped me! And now I'm pregnant with his child!"

"That's not possible, Link! You're a boy. How can you get pregnant, eh!" Mako sneered.

"Majora is maaaaagical, MA-KO!" replied Link sassily. "He can do what he wants!"

"Did he want to get you pregnant?" Senza asked.

"Maybe..." said Link, rubbing his stomach.

"Oh, you poor thing...! Pregnant and a boy at age twelve! We'll get you food right away!" cried Nudge, jumping up. The others followed suit, except for Mako, who reluctantly lagged behind, and soon the crew was off, leaving Link alone with Arnav.

"That was stupid," Arnav said after a moment.

"No it wasn't! How come you didn't buy it and go with them?" retorted Link.

"Because for one, it was not very convinving to me. And two, there might be bandits outside..." Arnav looked around furtively.

"Um...bandits?"

"Yes, bandits! They are everywhere! Can't you see them?"

"...No, I don't think I have seen a single bandit while I've been in your stupid Oceana."

Arnav glared.

"Fine. Go ahead and not believe, but I warn you, bandits are out there waiting to put you in a sack and kidnap you, then take you out of the sack and take off your clothes, then rape you and then kill you by stabbing you in the neck with a particularly sharp object," he said.

"Um, ok then..."

"BUT LET'S GET TO THE POINT!"

Arnav's sudden, loud words made Link jump.

"What the hell have you done with my darling daughter Pike?"

"What are you talking about, dude! I didn't do anything to her, honest! We got separated!" cried Link. "And besides, aren't you worried about Tetra?"

Arnav went on, "Pike is princess of this land, and you couldn't protect her?"

"I'm not worried about Pike! She acts like she has a fucking stick up her ass all the time! It's Aryll I'm worried about! And Tetra! Tetra, your other daughter, dumbfuck. Don't you care!"

"No, I do NOT care! She is her mother's copy! An outsider that I will not accept as my own! And you, DEAR boy, are practically the reincarnation of that foolish blonde liar, Bo, that accompanied her! It's almost has if history has repeated itself. Surely Bo's blood flows through your veins!"

"Dude, I never even MET Bo! Lazerus said that he was BAMBI'S father, not mine! And you should respect me just as much as any of your people. You should be out there believing I'm pregnant too, you know!"

"HA. Why would I ever have reason to grant any respect to someone such as YOU?"

"I'm the son of your precious, dead maiden, Astasia!" Link bragged.

"Then she was a fool to birth you," replied Arnav coldly.

"Well then...you suck. And you're a bastard."

"Mmm...I miss Bambi...and big brother...and Tetra..." Aryll whimpered, tramping through the deep mud as she held the lead of the small pony that was her only companion.

"It's all wet and sticky...and mud is getting into my sandals..."

A gust of cold, heartless wind blew across the field, carrying the sound of the tiniest, oddest soundings shrieks Aryll had ever heard. She stopped and listened.

"Help! Help!" cried the tiny voices.

"Wow! I'm hearing voices!" Aryll said in awe, looking around.

"Voices! Oh, voices! Where are you!"

"Here! Down here!" they squeaked.

"Huh! Where!"

"Look down, bitch!"

Aryll looked down. She saw a leaf.

"Oh my gosh, no way! A talking leaf!" she exclaimed excitedly, bending down in the mud. It didn't matter that it was wet, seeing as she was already covered in mud.

"THIS IS NOT A TALKING LEAF! LOOK CLOSER!" squawked one of the voices.

Aryll squinted as hard as she could and moved her face closer. She saw the sources of those voices now: four tiny creatures with human characteristics, clinging desperately to the leaf and nearly drowning. One was old with long, white hair and a beard to match, garbed in mud-stained green robes. The other two looked identical, with little red hats and clothes made of spring-green leaves. The last one she focused on was the smallest. It had long, silvery hair, red eyes, white robes, and pale, greyish skin...something familiar about that one, in Aryll's mind. What were these things, she wondered? But then the presumed correct answer came to mind -- her brother had told her about these little creatures.

"Oh, my! I'm seeing crabs!" Aryll squealed excitedly, clasping her hands together.

"CRABS! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" snapped the elder.

"Yes, crabs, crab! My brother told me about crabs! He said you are little creatures that live in people's genitals and are spread from unprotected sexual acts!"

"We are not THOSE crabs! THOSE crabs are a sexual transmitted parasitic disease, damn you! We are not any type of crab! We are Minish!" cried one of the red-hatted ones.

"YEAH, AND STOP STARING LIKE SOME IDIOT AND HELP US!" the littlest Minish screamed.

Aryll shrugged.

"Well, if you say so."

Picking up the leaf, Aryll carried the Minish to safety and set them down on a rock nearby. She then laid down on her stomach to stare at them.

"If you are not the crabs my big brother mentioned, then do you still live in genitals?" she asked.

"No, of course not! Well, most of our kind don't, anyway... And how do you even know what genitals are?" questioned the other red-hat.

"I don't. My big brother just talks about them a lot!"

"Well, don't you copy! It is very unpolite for a lady to speak of her genitals, and those of others," sniffed the elder.

"Okey dokey! Anyway, my name is Aryll! How about you guys?"

"I am Ezlo, wise sage of the Minish world," the elder boasted.

"I'm Osama," said one red-hat.

"And I am Saddam," introduced its twin.

"Natacien," the littlest one said stiffly, her face blank.

Aryll beamed.

"You're just like my little doll house people, only weird-looking! I should --"

"NO. YOU WILL DO NOTHING TO US!" Ezlo screamed. Aryll shut up.

Much more calmly, he continued, "We must be going back to our village. And you have our thanks, little girl. But we should not let you go unrewarded."

"I know of your journey," Ezlo went on, "Though my fellows may not. A most important object, one you must seek, lies southeast of here." Ezlo pointed in the direction. "Keep walking that way until you come to a bridge -- No Man's Bridge -- and keep going in the same direction. You should soon reach a valley. It is a dangerous place, home to yet another evil monster, so step lightly and you won't meet trouble. Go straight south once you hit the center of the valley, and once you leave it, you should come upon some ruins. The ruins are highly dangerous, but to them you must journey, and then, and ONLY then, will you find what you need."

Aryll was silent for a moment.

"...Huh?"

"Damn you! You heard me! Now set us down!" snapped Ezlo.

"Okey dokey. Bye crabs!" Aryll said cheerily as she set down the Minish.

"REMEMBER! Southeast, bridge, southeast, valley, south, RUINS!"

And then, the Minish walked away. Aryll watched them leave, then turned to look at her pony.

"Those were some interesting little crabs," she commented. "They were nice though!"

The young girl turned her head to the southeast.

"I don't see much else to do aside from what the old crab said. I guess I'll just take his advice then, won't I?" Aryll mounted the pony and headed southeast.

"This is hopeless. They are nothing without me! Link and Tetra don't know this land as I do. I best hope they're together, wherever they are... It's not safe if you don't know Oceana, not in the least..." murmured Pike, shaking her head as she leaned against a tall tower -- the Mountain Tower.

In Oceana lay four sacred towers: Mountain Tower, Valley Tower, Ocean Tower, and Swamp Tower. They were posts for power that protected the entire world, untouchable to humans and even beings like Majora.

Pike knew all of Oceana like the back of her hand. She had been to every single part of it more than once, and had all the maps memorized. The young princess was confident in her ability to not get lost, but had a creeping certainty that Link and Tetra, wherever they were, could not say the same. Pike hoped they were alright. Even Link, asshole or not.

Oceana's princess had traveled far since the three had gotten separated, and had eluded much danger. She had escaped from a tribe of dark people called hafwens. Hafwens...they looked like humans. Beautiful, sexy, enchanting, seductive humans. But, of course, they were definately not human -- they seduced people, and when the sex was over, the victim was a vegetable (not literally), unable to move or talk, lost to their own mind. Like spiders, the hafwens would eat the victim. Hafwens were highly dangerous, as it was hard to tell them apart from humans aside from a feeling of strange attraction to a hafwen. Pike had nearly been lured to bed by some, but had escaped. Angry and vengeful, the tribe of Hafwens had slaughtered the princess' horse, forcing her to flee on foot. Since the incident, Pike had frequently wondered if they were after her, but luckily, her Light Cutlass gave her a good deal of security.

Now Princess Pike was making her way to the Light Shrine, a holy place of prayer and guidance just east of Mountain Tower, and not a long trip at all. Her mission was seeking answers and guidance from the spirits of the shrine. Pike was confident enough that Majora hadn't touched the Light Shrine. Of course, it was too, well...light.

Princess Pike took up her journey again east, and it wasn't too long before she reached the shrine. As she had hoped, it was untouched. The Light Shrine was a small shrine, surrounded by a small pond that glistened with sunlight even on the cloudiest of days. The structure itself was quite small and made of white marble.

Pike entered the shrine, got down on her knees, and set all her weaponry on the floor in front of her. She began to pray more desperately than she ever had before; she prayed for her sister, her father, for Oceana, and everyone who had been harmed in the whole miserable ordeal.

"If ya keep prayin' so fast and hard like that, lil' girl, you'll run outta oxygen," said a female voice.

Pike nearly screamed from shock. Her brown eyes flicked open wide, and she looked around for the voice. The source was scarier than the shock -- standing above the Light Cutlass was a misty figure, shaped vaguely like a woman. She couldn't see the face, and all the colors seemed blended and mixed together.

Heart pounding, Pike made to jump to her feet, but stumbled backward.

"Would you cut that shit out! Jeez, do ya gotta flip out so damn bad?" snapped the misty figure.

A small voice in Pike told her that this thing wasn't going to harm her, and she used this thought to calm her nerves just enough to stay still and think sensibly. Her wits and calm returned quickly after that.

"W-what are you?" Pike asked as firmly as she could.

"What do ya think I am, idiot? I'm the spirit of your blade! Your Light Cutlass."

"Right. Like I would've guessed that."

"Kids these days," sighed the spirit. "They ain't different enough from kids back in my day, sadly."

"Ok...so you're the spirit of my Light Cutlass...? You're a ghost?"

"If ya wanna get technical, than yeah, I guess you could call me a ghost."

Pike squinted, studying the misty apparition.

"Do all ghosts look like you?" she asked.

"Oh, this mist-look? Call it a default appearance for a ghost. It's about time I use my true appearance now, ain't it?" With those words, the ghost began to focus until she looked so human Pike nearly forgot she was dead.

The spirit was a very pretty young woman, tall with dark-tanned skin. She had hair so light a blonde that it almost looked white, and it was short, going to a few inches below her chin. She was dressed in a pink one-piece outfit that ended just far enough to cover her breasts. The outfit covered her feet, where it seemed to have built-in high heels. There was gold embroidery that circled the breasts and went down the outfit, where it disappeared once it hit the groin area. There were flaps of the pink material on each hip. It was, admittedly, rather scanty. In Pike's opinion, anyway... But something odd was the fact that she looked...familiar.

"Oh, so you really were human..." Pike murmured, mostly to herself.

"Well, DUH. What didja think I was? By definition of 'ghost', I technically was someone who was alive once and died, right? Right," scoffed the spirit of the Light Cutlass.

Pike's interesting was piqued. However scanty the outfit may have been, it still gave the impression that this woman had done battle during her time. And after all, if she was the spirit of her blade, then that was just more to back up that theory, right?

"Umm...do you have a name?" questioned Pike.

The spirit nodded.

"Yep. Missy. Last name's Dek."

"So...you're the spirit of the Light Cutlass..."

"Jeez. An' ta think I thought you were a smart one. How many times do I gotta spell this out for ya, kid! I'm a ghost, as in, person who ain't no longer alive. I'm the spirit of your blade. An', if your brain can handle any more information, that makes me somethin' of a guardian spirit to you," explained Missy.

"What exactly is the spirit of the blade?"

"A long time ago, hundreds o' years ago, back when I was your age, me an' some other kids got ourselves into a mess much similar to yours. Seein' as me an' those others have been watchin' over this place even after death, our first major quest is the one written about in that bible thing of yours...y'know, the one about the Six Tools of the Gods. In fact, I even know the guy who wrote that Prohpecy o' yours."

Missy had Pike's full attention by that time.

Missy went on, "I was one of those Six. That Light Cutlass...I made it."

Now Pike knew where she had seen Missy! In the basement of Oceana's castle, there were the pictures of the Six and the Seventh. Missy was in the picture, only it depicted her as she was at Pike's age. The Missy standing before Pike was an adult, dead or not.

Pike gently picked up the Light Cutlass.

"Wow...you made this...!"

"Yep, and I'd say I did a pretty good job, too. After my death, my spirit was enclosed in the cutlass, though I could and can still watch all that goes on in Oceana. Obviously, the other Six and the Seventh are dead too, but the same goes for them. They lie dormant in their respected God Tools, awaiting the new wielders of the weapons they made.

I guess, judgin' by the Prophecy, that six and seven are still very important numbers in such a perilous time. Ya gotta find the other five, not to mention find out who your Seventh is. Six may seem to be the number of fighters you'll need to defeat Majora, but you ain't gettin' anywhere without lucky Seven," explained Missy.

"Waaaaiiiit...you're losing me."

"Are ya that stupid, bitch!"

Pike cringed. She wasn't stupid. It just seemed that Missy kept repeating herself, and it was all getting jumbled together...

"Ya need five other people in order to become the new Sacred Six! Not ta mention y'all also need a Seventh."

"Why don't we just call it the Sacred Seven then?"

"BECAUSE THE SEVENTH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE SIX. THE SIX DO MOST OF THE DIRTY WORK, DAMMIT. THE SEVENTH IS LIKE THE LEADER, AND IS SAID TO ALWAYS BE THE ONE TO DELIVER THE KILLING BLOW TO THE ENEMY! History is repeatin' itself! Ya can't mess up at all on this journey, or everyone's doomed. Do ya wanna be doomed?"

"Um, no."

"Then listen and stop actin' dumb! I know you ain't dumb, princess.

It's important to find out who the other Six Tools will belong to, and who gets the Seventh. You gotta unite yourself with these people. Always remember that team work is important -- I once took that for granted.

Well, yer kinda pissin' me off, so I'm gonna get back in the cutlass now. I'll be watchin' though, and I'll be helpin' ya even though most of the time ya won't see me." And with that, Missy burst into tiny sparkles that descened upon the Light Cutlass in Pike's hands.

"Wait! C-come back!" Pike cried.

No answer.

When the sparks were all gone, Pike sat back to think about the even that had just taken place. She had learned so many things she had never know before, while she had once thought she knew all there was to know.

Princess Pike was jolted from her thoughts at the sound of footsteps, heard clearly, of course, echoing on the marble floor. She gripped the Light Cutlass in a battle-ready fashion, and rose to her feet, rigid.

"Who's there!"

A cloaked figure cautiously stepped out from behind a pillar. Whoever it was was considerably shorter than Pike, and did not appear to be armed or wanting to hurt Pike, but you just couldn't trust anyone.

"Name yourself," demanded Pike loudly, pointing her blade at the figure.

"I-it's only me..." said the cloaked figure in a female voice most familiar. Small, delicate, pale hands pulled down the hood of the cloak, revealing the already-known newcomer. Before her stood a smaller girl her age with pale, pale blonde curls, very fair skin, and big silver eyes.

"Oh...!" Pike gasped, trying to match name to face. She knew this girl fairly well, but what was the name...?

The girl sighed, and answered Pike's un-asked questions in a quiet voice, as though afraid of being caught.

"It's me...Bambi," she said.

"Bambi!" Pike hurried over to her.

Bambi! That was her name. The best friend of Pike's sister who had played as Tetra's decoy, sacrificing herself to Majora in place of Tetra. Pike had left the party too soon to see what had happened, but was later solemnly informed by Link and Tetra that she had either been killed or kidnapped, for she had not been found anywhere in the ruins of the party. So now, it seemed she was alive.

"Where have you been! We all thought you were dead or something...!" exclaimed Pike.

Bambi shook her head.

"No. After you left the party, I was kidnapped by Majora's followers. It didn't take them long to figure out I wasn't the real Zelda, but they spared my life. I've been kept as a slave since then."

Pike studied Bambi's appearance. She was much skinnier. Paler, too. Her pretty face had a dark purple bruise on one side that also became a black eye.

"Oh my...well..." Pike faltered, not knowing what to say. Then it hit her.

"Bambi, come away with me! It's not safe for you!"

Bambi looked down and shook her head. Sorrow darkened her delicate features.

"No... I can't leave with you, not yet. Majora has a tight leash on me. If I were to escape, they could easily bring me back; they know how to find me. It's been said by them that I give off an aura, probably because I have the Triforce of Power, and with that, they can find me. I have to make my visit here short... But I'm happy I saw you near that tower, because you need to be warned.

Majora has assigned the different parts of Oceana to various members of his following. He alone is in the north, the sorcerers Vaati and Agahnim are in the east, Dark and Shadow are in the west, and two gerudos, Ganondorf and Ciara, rule the south. Majora is desperate to find you and Tetra...so be careful, because he's finding ways to strengthen his forces like you wouldn't believe. For now, I am in the western territory, which is how I spotted you, but I warn you: never, NEVER come to find me."

A thought struck Pike after she quickly absorbed all the information. Had Bambi seen the spirit?

"How much did you see of what I was doing?" asked Pike.

"I saw you come here, and then I saw the ghost.

But I was also wondering, why are you alone, Pike? Where are Link, Tetra, and Aryll?"

"Aryll? I have no idea. But...Link, Tetra, and I...we got separated." Pike sighed.

Bambi looked frightened.

"Well, don't let it stay that way! Link, as far as I know, was already found by Dark and Shadow. And you must find Tetra. Majora needs you and her for extracting the Light Force. And if you find Aryll, please take care of her!" she pleaded, and then turned and started running away.

"Wait! Where are you going!" Pike cried, following her.

"I can't stay any longer than it took to tell you that! It's too dangerous for me and for you! Leave this place immediately, or you're bound to be found! Remember my warnings, and remember what that ghost told you!" Bambi said over her shoulder.

"Wait...!" Pike said in a faltering voice. But she slowed and stopped, watching as Bambi left her sight.

"It's important to find out who the other Six Tools will belong to, and who gets the Seventh. You gotta unite yourself with these people. Always remember that team work is important -- I once took that for granted," Missy had said.

Pike couldn't help but feel she had let someone important slip through her fingers.

A banging on the door. All morning Tetra had waited nervously, dreading the moment when that noise would come to let her know it was time to do what needed to be done.

Reluctantly, Tetra rose from a chair in the room she had been given to by the zoras, and jerked open the door. Dalit stood before her, but he squeaked, covered his eyes, and turned bright pink in the face when he saw that Tetra was wearing nothing but underwear. Just...underwear.

"What's wrong?" Tetra asked. Then she looked down at herself.

"Is it that I'm pretty much naked? What's wrong with that, I mean, most of you zoras walk around naked all the time."

"I, well, uh..." Dalit nodded, but didn't take his hands from his eyes.

"Oh, fine. I'll get dressed," sighed Tetra. "Sorry."

"I-it's ok..."

It didn't take Tetra long to get fully clothed.

"You can look now, Dalit."

Dalit removed his webbed hands from his face, let out a little puff of air as a sign of relief, and straightened his posture.

"My father, King Aquarius, and Queen Kendra have ordered me to escort you to the location of the monster Gyorg," said Dalit with a proud, stern authority, though his eyes were quite soft when he gazed at Tetra.

Tetra cursed under her breath as she picked up her dagger. She wondered, how exactly was she to kill a giant fish monster with a dagger?

"Well, I think this is a crazy idea. All I have is a dagger. Do you zoras have any weapons I could borrow?" she asked.

Dalit looked down sheepishly.

"Well, you see..." he said, "We zoras are a peaceful race. We don't use weapons -- only magic, and only when nessecary."

"Well, do you have any magic then?"

"Only zoras can use zora magic..."

"Fuck."

Her life already flashing before her eyes, Tetra allowed herself to be escorted to the home of Gyorg.

"I can't believe I'm gonna get eaten by a monster for the sake of fish eggs..." grumbled Tetra as the pair trudged along.

Dalit looked slightly offended, but then understanding.

"I won't let you die. I'll do all I can to help you, Tetra. Our problem may not seem so important to a human princess like yourself, but what you intend to do for us really means a lot to me and all the other zoras, the king and queen especially," he said with a smile.

Tetra smiled weakly. For a fish dude, Dalit was really very sweet.

At last, Tetra and Dalit reached the lake. It was a heinous sight -- dark, murky, and stinky.

Dalit looked sad.

"It was once so beautiful. It started dirtying the moment Agahnim put Gyorg there," he said wistfully.

Tetra stood staring at the ugly water for a moment, thinking. This monster...would it be like Odalwa? There seemed to be room to hope that it was one of those Termina monsters. If that was so, then there would probably be another maiden! And that, of course, was another big step in completing the mission. And maybe that maiden could reunite her with Link and company!

Filled with new hope and confidence, Tetra stiffened up boldly, clutched her dagger, and shouted, "COME ON, YOU DAMN FISH THING! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Tetra...!" squeaked Dalit in alarm.

But it was too late -- apparently, Gyorg had good ears (as far as fish creatures go, I suppose), and answered Tetra's call quickly. Dalit and Tetra watched as something massive, spiked, and red rose to the surface. It's wild green eyes focused angrily on Tetra; its long, sharp teeth parted to open a mouth filled with many more.

Tetra went pale as she gaped at the huge monster only inches from her face...and only inches from swallowing her whole.