Chapter Two: Bon Voyage…Or Not
"I'm sorry that we had you come all the way here for no reason," Impa said to Lute and Cassandra. They were standing at Hyrule's only dock, waiting for their ship to finish loading up so that they could return to Xenos. "I'm sure that next time we'll actually have a wedding…"
"It's all right, Impa," Cassandra said. "I'm sorry that we're leaving so abruptly. I'd like to stay and help, but Lute's father is ill, and we need to be there."
"Good luck with finding Zelda, though," Lute put in. "I hope nothing's happened to her."
"I don't think anything has," Impa replied reassuringly. "You know how moody she is. She should be back in a few hours, a couple days at most."
"I hope the goddesses aren't too angry," Cassandra continued dubiously, staring at the sky.
Impa shrugged. "We've had it coming, I suppose. I knew the priests shouldn't have put that candle for Din."
"All aboard!" hollered one of the ship hands.
"Well, that's our ship," Lute said. "Take care, Impa, and good luck."
Cassandra hugged Impa. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Impa said as they started up the gangplank. "You guys are the lucky ones." She sighed. "What I wouldn't give to leave this insane asylum."
Cassandra laughed. "Goodbye, then!"
"Bon voyage!"
"So."
"So?"
"So."
"So, what?"
"So, we've decided to destroy Hyrule, huh?" asked Din, gazing down at Kokiri Forest. It was a flourishing, sprawling area full of vibrant trees and wildlife. It was lovely – and in Din's mind, it was even lovelier now that it was burning.
"Nah, I don't think we'll destroy it," Farore murmured. She picked at her immaculate fingernails. "We'll wreak some havoc, show 'em who's boss, and then leave them alone."
"Until they start to forget about us again in a couple hundred years," Nayru pointed out.
Farore looked at her blankly. "Then we'll just do it all over again."
"Oh, hey, it looks like I missed a tree," Din said, noticing a green spot amid the fires. She pointed her finger at it.
And a few seconds later, a Kokiri named Saria screamed as her hair burst into flame.
Link sat in the king's throne room among the abandoned wedding reception decorations. He still wore his groom costume, and it was becoming wrinkled. He crossed his legs and settled contentedly into the large chair, thinking of the day when King Daphnes would be gone and it would be his.
At least, it would if he could ever get around to marrying Zelda.
"Link, what are you doing?" shouted an outraged voice. Link jumped and nearly fell out of the throne. Daphnes himself stood at the foot of the dais, glaring up at him.
"Sorry, sir…didn't mean anything by it. It's only a chair, after all…" Link said, getting off of the throne and dusting the seat cushion off.
"Not the throne, you idiot!" Daphnes roared. "Why aren't you searching for Zelda?"
"Oh, yeah…about that…"
Just then, the doors to the throne room burst open and a horde of small people in green clothes stomped in.
"Oh, no!" Link shrieked, hopping back up onto the throne the way people do when there are mice in their kitchens. "They're doing another invasion-rampage thing!"
"We are not!" Mido, the head of the green-clad people, exclaimed. "We Kokiri are here to complain. All our forests are catching fire, and it's not even the right weather for that yet! What did you idiot Hylians do this time?"
Though he was still perched like a ninny on top of the throne, Link managed to look indignant. "I didn't do anything! Just because the priests insulted the goddesses – "
"Insulted the goddesses?" screeched one of the Kokiri. "Then we really are doomed!"
"That explains why my hair spontaneously combusted!" shrieked Saria.
"I wondered when you'd dyed it," Link remarked.
Saria glared at him and rested her hands on her hips. "You all are going to do something about this, understand?"
Link sighed and sat down. "Why is it always me who has to do something about it?"
"Because you're the Hero of Time," Daphnes told him. "Now get out of my chair."
"I feel bad, leaving them like that," Cassandra said sadly, leaning on the ship's bulwark.
"Well, we don't have a choice," Lute said. "And I don't know how we could do anything, anyway."
Cassandra sighed and slumped over the rail. "I know."
"Ship ahoy!" called the lookout from the crow's nest at the top of the mast.
Cassandra and Lute leaned farther out along the side of the ship so that they could see the oncoming ship.
"Pirates!" screamed the lookout. "It's a pirate ship!"
Suddenly, the deck burst into action. Cassandra grabbed Lute's hand so that they wouldn't be separated as they were shunted this way and that. The crew scrabbled to get the cannons lined up so that they could fight if the pirates attacked, and everyone basically ignored the prince and princess.
"There it is!" Cassandra cried, pointing into the distance. A large ship with red sails loomed forward. The grand sail was black, with a Jolly Roger emblazoned on it. It was approaching rapidly, and she could just make out a figure crouched on the prow.
"Oh, boy." Lute groaned. "We should have just stayed in Hyrule."
...TBC
