Zeldatopia IV
Written by VariableMammal (Kittah4)
Edited by Cimar
Artwork...coming soon.
"Hurry, hurry! Quick, c'mon!"
Judy slipped through the bars of a large gate and wrenched the door open very slightly for Nick, who scrambled in sideways before Judy slammed the door shut.
Nick doubled over, gasping for breath as he looked behind him at the gate and his pursuer.
It was a chicken-like creature, making an absolute fluttering racket.
"I've never..." Nick panted, "seen such a tenacious chicken..."
Though the flapping and squawking continued, the bird did not seem interested in trying to get through the gate.
"It was an accident, chicken!" Nick shouted at it. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
"Didn't the villager say it was a Cucco?" Judy looked at it.
"Maybe that was just its name," the fox replied.
"She said, 'my Cucco!' when you kicked it," the bunny went on. "Not 'oh no! Cucco'!"
"I can't believe you're splitting hairs about this," Nick panted. He stared at the Cucco sternly. "You're lucky I'm not hungry."
Though the Cucco calmed down, it kept its head locked on Nick as he began to walk away and up the path to Death Mountain.
"Though I admit that the chickens of our world don't hold grudges."
The fox poked his fingers together as the two heroes made their way up the winding path that comprised Death Mountain.
"You seem nervous, Nick," Judy observed her partner.
"Well, y'know," Nick puffed. "DEATH Mountain and all. Wonder what those Gorons are like..."
"The townsfolk in Kakariko Village said all we really have to worry about is the Tektites, whatever those are," Judy said. "Ooh, yuck, look at that!"
A slowly bouncing, one-eyed spider-like creature with four legs made its way over to them.
"Yeesh, that's one gross cyclops crab," Nick readied an arrow, but Judy was already rushing over to it, stabbing it with her sword, where it vanished into a puff of shadow.
"Easy peasy!" Judy smiled, scraping the side of her blade on a rock.
"Judy," Nick lowered his bow. "What did we JUST figure out? That just because you're the Hero of Courage, doesn't mean you should go rushing up to every dangerous thing to poke at it."
"It was jumping slowly, Nick," Judy shrugged. "I saw its pattern, then I attacked right as it landed."
"I'm just keeping the name of the area in mind, Judy," Nick held up a paw. "It's not called 'Happy Sunshine Mountain', after all."
After several more minutes of climbing, Judy pointed to a cluster of massive dark blue plants.
"Whoa, look at the size of that fruit," Judy marveled. "You think those are berries?" Her partner responded by readying his bow. "Nick, what are you doing?"
"Checking to see if it's a monster or something," Nick said, letting his arrow fly.
PKOOOOOOM!
The fruit flashed bright red and white and then exploded violently, setting off all the other fruit near it in a chain reaction, taking out a section of rock wall that crumbled to the ground.
Nick and Judy's eyes were both pinpricks.
"Or it could just... uh, explode," Nick said in a pinched voice. "It could do that too."
"I'm suddenly not interested in eating them," Judy mumbled, but quickly regained her composure when she saw what was in the small cave that the explosion revealed. "Oh look, Nick! A treasure chest!"
Judy rushed over to look at it despite Nick holding a paw up in warning. He growled when he was too late to stop her and slapped his forehead.
Throwing open the chest, Judy retrived a shining purple rupee.
"Ooh, pretty!" Judy grinned, twisting it to let the sunlight catch it. "Wonder how much this one is worth."
"With our luck, eight or ten, at the most," Nick huffed. "Judy, where are we going to put that? I'm already carrying a bow, a quiver full of arows, and the Strings of Space, and you have a pouch with two of the three jewels we need-" he started laughing as Judy placed up the rupee to her eye. "And you are very silly."
"Mm, I guess you're right, I don't guess we really need to BUY anything else," Judy frowned, placing the rupee back in the chest and closing it. "Just seems like a waste."
"Presumably we won't be the only adventurers risking our lives on this mountain for shiny things," Nick mused as the two resumed their journey.
Eventually, they came upon a primarily stone-based city built into the mountain. At the egde of the city was a perplexed looking guard, or greeter. He had a rotund brown body and a rocky shell on his back. His face was very round, and he blinked his circular blue eyes at them.
"Welcome, travelers," he said. "This is Goron City. We don't get very many outsiders that visit us."
"Well uh, not to be rude," Nick chuckled, "but you did make your home on something called Death Mountain."
"Ah, that's just because it's a volcano," the Goron grinned. "Anyway, what can I do for you two?"
"We're looking for the Goron Ruby," Judy explained. "Nick and I are adventurers on a quest to defeat Ganon, and that's the last jewel we need to unlock the Temple of Time for the Master Sword."
"Oh, um, okay," the Goron nodded. "Our, um... our chief, Darunia... his place in the lowest part of the city. You can um... feel free to go talk to him, if you want."
"What's the matter, big guy?" Nick saw the hesitation in the broad face of the Goron.
"Well, the thing is... Darunia is supposed to be dead," the Goron made a somehow-cute groaning noise as he tilted his head.
"'Supposed' to be?" Judy interjected.
"We lost him to a fierce fiery dragon named Volvagia... but he's back," the Goron looked pensive, scratching the one tiny patch of hair on his head. "He seems just like him, too. We have no idea how he came back to us."
"Well uh, let's go talk to him, and see what we can find out," Nick suggested, beckoning for Judy to follow. "Uh, you didn't put him into a dungeon or anything, did you?"
"Why would we do that?" The Goron looked even more confused.
"Good question!" Nick replied with a nervous laugh, then walked down the spiraling path that led to the middle of the city with Judy.
"Whoa!" Judy flinched backwards and bumped into Nick as she heard a rolling sound. A small Goron whizzed past her, tightly curled into a ball. At her exclamation, he slowed to a stop and got up, looking at them.
"Hi!" The presumably younger Goron greeted them. "I've never seen a bunny and fox in tunics before!"
"And I've never seen a rolling rock, ah, boy...?" Judy smiled brightly.
"Haha, you're funny!" The young Goron laughed, then rolled back up and spun off.
"How are they doing that...?" Judy's nose twitched as the Goron's retreat kicked up an earthy smell.
"First plant people, then fish, now rock people?" Nick winced. "Jeez, you aren't free of guilt no matter what your diet is!"
"Nick," Judy chuckled wryly, "hush up."
They approached what they assumed was the abode of the Chief, and seeing as it had no door, just walked right in.
There was quite a large Goron there, looking to be about twice the girth of the one that had met them at the entrance to the city. He had prominent white spikes of hair framing his face. He turned to look at them, and his grumpy-looking faced morphed into a smile.
"Hello, travelers!" He waved one of his large arms. Nick couldn't help but notice an enormous metal hammer in the house. "I'm Darunia, Chief of the Gorons. I mean..." He scratched at his chin. "Maybe not THESE Gorons in particular, but..."
"My name is Judy, and this is Nick," she introduced the two of them to Darunia. Removing the two jewels from her pouch, she showed them to Darunia. "We come seeking the Goron Ruby so we can unseal the Master Sword and defeat Ganon."
"Oh! Okay," Darunia went to a chest near the back of the room and retreieved a five-pointed ruby held in place with a golden V shape.
"Wuh-wuh-WHAT, just like that...?" Nick's eyes flew open.
Darunia held the ruby out. "You said you were gonna take down Ganon, right? I don't see why I should keep ya from the one item that'll help you fight him!"
"That's very kind of you," Judy held out her hands to recieve the jewel, but Darunia did not drop it into her paws.
"Come to think of it, though..." Darunia moved the jewel away. "I think there is something you could do for me."
"Rrm..." Judy's brow furrowed and she glared at Nick. "Good going." Nick winced.
"I've been a little bummed ever since I got here," Darunia explained, looking at the hammer in the room. "I was busy mowing down Stalchildren by the hundreds with my trusty Megaton Hammer. I was part of a group of heroes that was assaulting Ganon's castle, but I ended up falling into a portal and ended up here! 'Parently this world lost its version of me. My people look at me like I was a ghost or somethin'."
"At least you can be the chief for these Gorons, though?" Nick tilted his head.
"Get the feelin' they were a little more friendly to their other Darunia," he said. "Journeyed down to Ganon's castle in this world myself, I did. Thing's pretty much unassailable. Wish I could bash some answers out of that Gerudo."
"Well, WE'LL find some way up into that castle," Judy held up a fist in determination. "Then we'll do the bashing!"
"That's the spirit!" Darunia laughed, slapping his belly. "While I've got you here, though, maybe do me a little favor? Nothin' big."
"What is it?" Judy asked.
Darunia looked at Nick's case. "I see you got a music instrument of some sort. Could ya play me a hot tune?"
"Oh, um..." Nick fumbled for the case and opened it, pulling out the enchanted purple instrument. "Sure... uh, what to play. ...Sheez, suddenly can't think of anything, now that I'm on the spot."
"Really? Nothing coming to mind...?" Judy gave him a weak smile.
Nick flinched and suddenly prepared to play. "Well, I can't believe I'm about to do this, but here goes."
After sounding out the song in his mind, Nick played the first five notes of "Try Everything".
"Ooh!" Judy's ears perked up and she leaned up at Darunia. "I like this one."
Nick concentrated on playing the song, but after he had played just a bit of it, violet energy sparked from the violin and spiraled out into a nearby wall, opening a portal.
"Whoa...!" Judy gasped.
Darunia's jaw dropped as he began to look through the portal. It appeared to lead to another reality. On the other side was another Darunia, who looked momentarily shocked at seeing himself before chuckling and waving.
The fox tried to keep his hand steady as he continued to play the song. The further he got, the more portals opened, some leading to empty rooms, others to other Darunias, others to just bare ground.
"Now this is a potent song!" Darunia said, dancing to it.
Eventually, the song ended, and a half-dozen portals remained open. Judy marveled, looking at each one.
"Huh... you kiddos seem to have a powerful little song there!" Darunia chuckled, placing his hands on his hips and leaning back. "Kinda wonder if any of those realities is the one I'm from. It'd be nice to go back and get with my own people... but I feel like I can't. I gotta stand guard here until the threat of Ganon is done with. THEN I gotta see how I could get home." He laughed again, but looked a little sad.
"Hmhm, haven't I always said there was a kind of magic to Try Everything, Nick?" Judy looked more than a little pleased.
"I DO have a magical violin here," Nick gestured at the instrument. "I'd blame that before I'd go accusing Gazelle of being a sorceress."
"She does write enchanting music!" Judy giggled.
One by one, the portals closed, eventually leaving the three standing there. Darunia placed the Goron Ruby in Judy's paws and then gave her a light pat on the head, which still managed to knock her on her hindquarters.
"Whack Ganon once for me, wouldja?" Darunia requested, giving a loud, boisterous chuckle. "I'd let you borrow my hammer, but it'd probably take the both of you to even lift it!"
"And maybe not even then," Judy winced as she looked at the massive weapon.
After bidding Darunia farewell, the two left Goron City.
"Is it odd that the rock people were the most reasonable out of all of them?" Nick smirked. "No 'bring me a thing' or imprisoning people that are trying to help, just 'play me a song'?"
"Sounds like Darunia was really involved in the fight against Ganon," Judy said. "He knew how important it was that someone take him down."
"Yeah, speaking of which, how ARE we going to get to the Temple of Time?" Nick rubbed behind his head. "Impa said something about a song..."
"Hm, didn't someone in Kakariko have something to do with music?" Judy considered. "Maybe we should go down there and ask around."
No sooner had they said that than a flash of red lights swirled around close to them and formed into a large, broad-shouldered bird individual. He had blue feathers, the beak of a parrot, and stood twice Nick's height.
"Goodness me," the bird said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "What a whirlwind trip of Hyrule I've been on."
"Look, Judy," Nick said in a completely even voice. "Another gigantic talking bird."
"Nick, shh," Judy sucked her teeth at him.
The bird began to play a soft, somewhat foreboding theme on the accordian he was holding. "I am Kass. My notes of songs long past have taken me to many interesting and frightening places in this land, though I have seen none of my fellow Rito tribe. You two are also a new sight to me. The songs of this world seem to have great magical power."
"Yeah, we kind of noticed," Nick nodded to his violin case.
"Don't suppose you know a song that leads to the Temple of Time?" Judy asked with a large smile.
Kass stopped playing and looked down at the bunny with a wary eye.
"I do... but I don't think you would want to go there," Kass said. "The area around the temple is swarming with shambling monsters, and the whole area is under control of the King of Evil, Ganon."
"Well, you see..." Judy showed all three of the jewels they had collected, causing Kass to gasp. "We're headed to the Temple of Time to retrieve the Master Sword, and use it to stop Ganon."
"Is that right...?" Kass marveled. "Well, in that case..." Kass set his accordian down and took out a piece of parchement and a bottle of ink. He dipped one of his hand feathers into the ink and jotted down some notes on a musical scale. "This is called the Prelude of Light. It leads straight to the Temple of Time."
"Well, that's... convenient," Nick accepted the parchment from the large bird. "Thank you very much."
"A fox and a rabbit headed off to defeat Ganon," Kass smiled at the two. "This is the type of tale that would make a great song. As a bard, I hope to sing of your success one day."
"And if we fail?" Nick winced.
"Well, there will not be much to sing about if Ganon tightens his hold over this world," Kass frowned. "As it is, I am from another, different world, where Ganon is more of a force of nature than a person. I can only wonder what effect destroying this Ganon would have on my own world, if any."
"Guess there's one way to find out," Judy smirked.
Kass waved at them and returned to playing his song.
The two kept walking down the mountain, and Judy gave Nick a weak smile. "Well, do you want to try that song?"
"We don't know any warp songs that will take us back," Nick said, "I was going to try to ask around in town. Maybe Kakariko has a bard, too. That way it won't seem like such a... a one-way trip."
"Nick," Judy placed her paw on his arm. "We can do this. We have basically all of Hyrule on our side at this point."
"Judy, we don't even know what Ganon IS," Nick grumbled. "Like, what's a 'Gerudo'? Maybe he's a giant elephant person."
"And MAYBE the Master Sword can shoot lasers," Judy shrugged. "We won't know unless we try. Try everything, right?"
Nick sighed. "I dunno, maybe you're right. I'd still like to get to town and- oh no."
Judy turned her head as a thousand-yard stare splayed across Nick's face.
The gate that led to Kakariko had no less than three dozen Cuccos congregated around it, all clucking and causing a mild din.
"Apparently the Cuccos are a hive-mind," Judy's pupils shrank.
"I'll... I'll play that song now," Nick said, fumbling for the Strings of Space. "Just one Cucco pecked the heck out of my ankles... that many would probably eat me alive."
Nick carefully played the short song entitled the Prelude of Light. A beam of light shot from the bow of the instrument and opened a portal in a nearby wall. Through the portal, a stately temple could be seen, though the sky around it was gloomy.
"Here we go..." Judy said, hopping through the portal with little hesitation.
Nick did hesitate, but only just. He jumped through, and the portal closed seconds later.
Off in the distance, eerie, droning moans could be heard, of a register usually reserved for elephants. Judy looked behind her and saw hunched-over figures that appeared to be made of clay. They walked about slowly, at an aimless pace.
"Whoa, that is next-level creepy," Judy took a few steps back, toward the temple. She looked around for the entrance, and upon finding it, waved Nick to come over. He rushed to meet with her.
Inside the temple, everything was a pristine white.
"Interesting, I wonder if Ganon's power cannot touch this place," Judy thought out loud, rushing over to what looked like an altar. "Hey look, there are grooves here for the jewels!" The bunny excitedly reached into her pack and placed the three jewels in their respective places.
She looked up at a large door expectantly, but nothing happened.
"The door has that seal I saw in the oubliette," Nick observed, pointing. "Here, let me try playing the Song of Time... ah... how did it go..."
Nick played the tune, and Judy saw the jewels flash and emit light, then the door creaked open. Judy peeked over the altar and saw an inner sanctum, and what looked to be a pedestal inside.
"C'mon, hurry!" Judy beckoned, rushing inside with Nick, but the second she was inside, she gasped shrilly.
The pedestal was empty.
"Wh-what..." Judy's jaw dropped. "No... that can't be right... we- ...what...?"
"Oh no," Nick droned glumly.
Judy's teeth grit tightly.
"The Master Sword isn't here!"