Hey, sorry for the wait. I thought I was gonna have to move for a while, and then I didn't. ^^;
Anyway, hope you enjoy a slightly short, silly chapter.
Chapter Five
Wasting Time Between Stones and a New Friend
Linkle felt a little awkward as she walked out of Dodongo's cavern with a slightly dazed King trailing along behind her cheerfully.
"Ahhh, so good to get out of the cave! Fresh air at last!" There was a gust of hot wind from the volcano above. "Well, fresh as Death Mountain can be!"
There was a huge booming thud, and Linkle squealed, leaping back as a huge form crashed down. It unrolled, revealing Darunia's massive smile. The smile went to flat shock however when he saw what was behind her.
"GAH!" He jumped back, falling hard on his rump. King just chuckled deep in his throat.
"It's okay, I'm not evil anymore. I just woke up inside the caves. Ever since dad ate me for not being "genocidal enough" I didn't expect to come back."
"Ohhh, that explains the huge mounted Dodongo head…" Gohma trotted up, lightly pushing Darunia back to his feet. He rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"So… does this mean that the cavern is safe for Gorons now?"
"Well, the kid wiped out the other Dodongos and I don't really have any interest in staying in a pit where I was swallowed whole and digested." King rolled his eyes. "So yeah. It's safe, moron."
"Rude." Darunia grumbled, turning to Linkle, delivering a hearty slap on the back. "But you, kid! You're something else! You actually got out alive!"
Linkle was face-first in the dirt from the slap, uttering a whimper as Darunia raised his arms. "Hmph, so much for that Great Ganondorf's "great and terrible power" Heh. Nice work! Seriously! If that dumb Gerudo shows his face again, I'll punch his lights out."
Linkle just groaned as she pushed herself to her feet, legs shaking a little. That was another bruise to add to the tally.
"Well, kid, I guess if I can give this to anything, I'll give it to you!" Darunia raised his arms, a crimson stone drifting seemingly from nowhere into his grip. "From now on, you are Sworn Sister to the Gorons!"
"I don't know what that means at all but I appreciate it!" Linkle managed, taking the stone with shaky hands.
"What's that make me?" Gohma tipped her head. "I helped eat a bunch of the monsters in there."
"I don't know!" Darunia said cheerily, slapping Gohma's leg. She didn't even flinch. Linkle grimaced a bit, wishing she had thought to ride Gohma or King's back to get out, away from Darunia's reach.
"Hey brothers! Let's see our new sister off!" He bellowed. Several Gorons leapt from above, landing and bouncing precariously, and Linkle quickly ducked for cover under Gohma, who rolled her eye.
"How about a biiiig Goron hug? Don't worry, it won't do permanent damage to your spine, just temporarily snap it!" One said cheerfully. Gohma quickly shifted her legs, tossing Linkle onto her back.
"Time to go~!" She sang cheerily, quickly scrabbling up the wall, Navi rapidly tearing after them. King watched them leave his reach, leaving him with a group of very huggy Gorons.
"Why are they hugging me? What is this warm feeling in my body? I don't know if I like it!" He whined nervously.
"Oh, that warm feeling is affection!" One of the Gorons chirped.
"Sorry. My Little Brothers are very… that." Darunia shrugged. "They're not the brightest but they make up for it with enthusiasm."
"Big Brother, whatcha mean we're not bright? Of course we aren't, rocks don't glow!"
"Ya see?" Darunia smacked one affectionately. "Now… We're literally starving so let's get some rocks!"
The Gorons cheered, filtering past the King.
"Guess I'm climbing up after them." He rumbled. "The long way around… this better not become a running gag."
Linkle and Gohma flopped into a heap at the top of the mountain, twitching slightly. While riding Gohma had made climbing quicker, being pelted with flaming rocks was not a fun time for either of them.
Navi clicked her tongue, hovering over the duo. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"
"Kill me." Gohma offered. Navi shrugged, and began bumping against Gohma slightly. The tiny bit of force was nearly enough to push her a bit, and she slid a millimeter towards the edge of the cliff.
"Whoa, whoa!" She growled, rolling to her feet. "You weren't actually going to try and kill me, were you?!"
"Nah." Navi was smirking. Gohma couldn't see it but she could hear it in her voice. "Besides, Linkle is safer with you alive and helping."
"Awwww." Linkle sat up weakly. "You care about meeee!"
"I do not." Navi turned a light pink. "You're imagining it. I just need you alive to save Hyrule."
"You're pretty much her mom now." Gohma hummed, sitting upright.
King managed to drag himself slowly over the edge, gasping heavily, thudding down. "Not… built… To… Climb…" He groaned.
Linkle was rooted to the spot in abject terror as the Great Fairy appeared. Normally, she'd be fine with meeting a giant woman, but this one was a nightmare. Terrible makeup, a shrieking laugh, and just overall very uncomfortable. Despite this, the Fairy was nice enough to heal Linkle and Gohma's injuries from the fireballs, and even granted Linkle a bit of magic of her own.
"Do… Do you look like that?" Linkle glanced at Navi warily. Navi shook her floating form from side to side.
"Nope! Hold on." There was a pause, and Navi's glow faded slightly. Linkle could just make out a tiny humanoid silhouette.
"Aw! You're cute!" The girl laughed, as Navi quickly began glowing again, this time a light pink color, fluttering up and bonking against Linkle's head to shut her up. The group left the fountain quickly, not wanting to hang around the terrifying fairy's domain any longer than necessary.
Linkle let out a strangled yelp as a huge owl loomed over them.
"STRANGER DANGER!" She shouted, diving behind her giant companions.
"Hoot. I was just gonna warn you to brace yourself before visiting the great fairy… But it looks like I was a bit too late." He grumbled. "And not a stranger. Except for the lizard, never met you before."
"I don't like this bird man." Dodongo rumbled, warily.
"You look like a burnt crocodile." The owl retorted.
"I really dislike this bird man." Dodongo nodded, showing his teeth.
"I have a name." The owl said, indignantly.
"I'm sure you do, now scram." Gohma growled.
The owl huffed, readying his wings. "Fine, see if I try to help you again later. Hmph."
"STOP STALKING US!" Linkle screamed as he flew away, huge wings beating into the distance.
"Well, where to?" Dodongo hummed.
"Down the mountain I suppose." Gohma shrugged, waddling towards the edge of the cliff.
"Back through the horrible fireball path." Navi mumbled wearily, wings drooping as she alighted on Linkle's shoulder.
"I hate this place." The child muttered sadly. "It was a cool volcano but then we had to come up here and it was terrible."
"I had to live inside it." King chuckled, lightly scooping Linkle up. "Suck it up."
Linkle sighed as she lay in the soft grass at the bottom of the mountain. Navi rested idly next to her. The small girl had earned a rest after wandering the hellscape that was Death Mountain, so she allowed it. Once the people in town had stopped screaming at the sight of a huge dinosaur anyway. Linkle decided to just find a pleasant shady spot in Hyrule Field instead.
Dodongo was rolling around in the soft grass, like an enormous puppy.
"Where has this been all my life? The ground is soft here and it's not constantly on fire… Phenomenal!"
"I didn't know you were a dork." Gohma hummed, idly curled up in the grass as well. Naptime wasn't an idea she was used to, but laying there in the sun, feeling the warm rays on her carapace, she had to admit, was incredibly pleasant.
Linkle sat up, blinking as she watched the sun starting to set.
"...Aw hell." She groaned, as it dipped past the horizon.
Stalchildren were not particularly threatening. But they did annoy the hell out of the group, because they just didn't stop coming.
Eventually, they found themselves heading for the middle of Hyrule field. Sadly, before they could reach cover, the sun began peeking over the horizon, and the Stalchildren scattered to hide from the light.
"Well, I don't think we should go in that place." Dodongo hummed as he glanced at the large ranch nearby. "I'll just nap in the sun some more."
"Idiot." Gohma muttered. "I'll go and actually see if I can find out where we need to find the next stone. Don't die, kid, neither of us have lips to play the ocarina if we need that lullaby again."
Linkle saluted, heading into the ranch.
"I'll try and keep her from getting trampled by a horse." Navi huffed.
Five minutes later, Linkle was trampled by a horse. Thankfully it was a very small horse, but hooves are still hard and painful.
"Ooh, that looked bad." Malon cringed, kneeling by the battered girl. "Are you okay Fairy Girl?"
Linkle whined softly. "My bones… My poor, poor bones."
"You've had worse." Navi huffed. "Didn't Dodongo literally trample you?"
"I can't even remember anymore." Linkle slowly sat up, battered and bruised. The filly that had trampled her lightly nuzzled the side of her head, and Link's entire face lit up as if she hadn't just been crushed by the same baby horse's hooves.
"Aw, Epona likes you! She's usually so shy." Malon giggled.
"I love her." Linkle gushed. Navi sighed, but behind her glow was the faint ghost of a smile.
"All we got was a bottle of milk and Linkle made friends with a horse." Navi sighed as they left the ranch, Linkle humming happily.
"I had a nice nap." Dodongo shrugged.
"You are worthless." Gohma huffed. "I bullied my way into Castle Town and found out about the next rock. It's the stone of water. The Zora have it. They live in the creatively named Zora's Domain, which is found down the equally creative Zora's River."
"I'm not a great swimmer." Dodongo frowned.
"Me either. Too heavy. Kid?"
"I can doggy paddle." Linkle shrugged cheerfully.
"It'll have to do." Gohma sighed. "The world ain't gonna save itself. Let's go."
Hope you all enjoyed the silly shenanigans. Hopefully next one will be longer.
Goodnight everybody!