AN: Yay, I actually changed stuff in this chapter! Tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Midna"
"It wasn't that bad."
"You're right."
"I know."
"It was worse."
"How?!"
"In case it escaped your notice Link, but we were SHOT OUT OF A GIANT CANON!"
The male beside her started to pout.
"Well I thought it was fun."
He was rewarded with a dry look from his partner.
All too soon they found themselves back in front the drawbridge leading into Castle Town. Grabbing his wrist in her hand, Kagome began pulling 'The Hero of the Gods' behind her.
"Whoa! What's the hurry?"
"We have a little Zora Prince to save!"
Giving a chuckle, he pulled her back towards him and placed his hand at the small of her back, leading her through the crowd of the revived Castletown. As they walked the busy streets, a stall caught Link's eye.
"I'll meet you at the bar," he told Kagome distractedly. "I'll meet you there."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, there's something I want to take a look at real quick."
"Ok, I'll wait for you at the door then." Giving him a strange look, Kagome walked off.
Waiting until she was out of sight, Link approached the stall he saw earlier.
"Good day to you, young sir," said the friendly sales woman. "Is there anything here that tickles your fancy?"
Link points to an item behind the woman. "How much for that?"
The old woman smiles as she retrieves the item in question.
~* With Kagome *~
Leaving Link, Kagome made her way to the bar as Midna hid in her shadow.
"I've been wondering something, Midna."
"And what would that be?"
"How is it that you got caught up in all of this?"
"I'm just a citizen who refuses to see that animal in charge of my people!"
"Is that all?"
"…How?"
"Just little things I've noticed here and there," she said. "I won't push for details, but I hope you know you can talk to me if you need to."
"And Link?"
"I don't think he knows, or, if he does, he's just waiting for you to bring it up."
"It's like what happened here," said the imp. "Zant shows up with his monsters and uses his magic to take over."
"And cursed you as well?"
"Tsk, that idiot thinks that I'm harmless in this form," she scoffs. "Just wait until I get my hands on the last Fused Shadow, then let him see how 'harmless' I am!"
Kagome chuckles as she listens to Midna rant. Both become quiet as they reach the bar.
"I wonder how long Link will be."
"He probably found a shiny new toy and is wasting time playing."
"It's nice to know you hold me in such high regard."
Turning around, the two saw Link walking towards them with a smirk on his face.
"Where did you run off to," questioned Kagome.
"I'll tell you later, let's just go in for now."
Shaking her head, Kagome follows Link into the bar.
They felt a thick tension as they entered, and its source seemed to come from where the Zora Prince rested. It looked like the doctor was arguing with the two women watching over the child.
"That is a Zora child! That is beyond my expertise! Hmmmph!"
Link bent his head down and whispered to Kagome.
"I doubt that's the only thing beyond his 'expertise'.
Kagome pursed her lips to keep from laughing and gave him a light swat in the gut for his crude remark. They turned their attention back as the young woman, Ilia, tried to plead with the doctor.
"Doctor, wait! If something isn't done, this child will..."
The doctor just turns to leave and the red headed woman places her hand on the girls shoulder. Ilia looked up at the older woman who is looking at the door with a thoughtful expression.
"Well, this isn't good. A human doctor won't do, huh... That old coot reminded me, though... I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras."
A sparkle of hope shines in Ilia's eyes.
"Is that true? Perhaps if we take him there..."
She is interrupted by the Hylian Guards standing off to the side.
"Inadvisable! Too dangerous! But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. Yes, we'd better escort you! Am I right, boys?!"
Link looks down at Kagome with an eyebrow raised.
"What are growling for?"
"How much do you want to bet that these idiots will run at the first sight of danger?"
Link begins to observe the group of soldiers.
"Hmm…I don't think I want to take that bet."
The red headed woman gives a smile at the soldiers and looks back at Ilia.
"Well, isn't that nice. To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts. But we'll be safe now!"
She looks back at the soldiers and gets mad when she sees all but a little fat one gone, but he ran too once he figures out his friends left him behind.
"Cowards! Don't EVER show your faces here again!"
She then notices Link and Kagome.
"Oh my! Looks like we've got one young swordsman and an archer left! And not only that, but it looks like these brave young people will escort us, so get ready to go, honey. Pronto!"
Ilia nods her head and moves to gather everything they'll need. The woman moves over to the warriors, noticing the male gazing at the Ilia longingly, and speaks to them lowly.
"You know that girl, don't you? It's a real shame... She can't even remember her own name right now. Bless her heart... She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure! You lend your strength to her, you hear me?"
They got to work to ready the wagon that would take them to Kakariko.
Kagome turned to Link.
"I'll ride in the wagon with them, that way if we get overcome I can help out if they get too close."
"Yeah, that would probably be best."
Soon everyone was situated, Link on Epona and the rest on the wagon as they head off toward The Great Hylian Bridge. Stopping just before they reach the bridge, Link pulls Epona up so that Telma could speak with him.
"So you say the bridge to the west has been destroyed, huh? Then our only option is to cross the bridge to the east. You see what that means? You'll have to deal with that thing!"
Link looks down at the bridge and groans.
Kagome sticks her head out of the flap behind Telma.
"What's wrong?"
"See the figure on the bridge?"
"What about it?"
"That's King Bulblin."
"Who?"
"The thing that took Colin?"
Kagome peers down at the figure again.
"You sure?"
"Pretty sure."
His jerked forward when Kagome smacked the back of it.
"What was that for?!"
"Go down there and beat him already! You already did it once; you should be able to do it again."
"'Should be'?"
She shrugs at him as Telma watches it all in amusement.
"Well yeah, providing the first time wasn't a fluke."
He narrows his eyes at her before spurring Epona into a run.
Telma and Kagome make light conversation as the watch him joust the bulblin.
"Fluke?"
Kagome shrugs.
"The best way to get a man to do something is to hit his pride."
Telma laughs before studying the girl beside her.
"You care about him, don't you?"
She receives a sad smile in response.
"It's hard not to with as much as we've been through together."
"But you're not sure he feels the same way."
"I just try not to get my hopes up, is all."
Noticing that he finished and was on his way back, she stretches and moves to back into the wagon.
"It's not the first time I've been in this situation."
"Situation?"
"Being in love someone who already loves someone else."
Telma just stares at her.
Kagome smiles at her.
"Like I said, this isn't the first time, but I'm more prepared for it."
She then looks at Link as he rides back to them.
"So I guess it wasn't fluke after all, huh?"
He scowls and sticks his tongue out at her before turning to Telma.
"The bridge is clear, we should get going."
Telma nods and snaps the reigns to get the horses moving.
As they pass Link, Ilia speaks to him.
"Th-Thank you so much for this. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
He hears Kagome whisper within the wagon.
"...Link?! I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link."
Telma's voice comes from the front.
"Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko... This swordsman and archer of ours have great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild...like a feral beast. We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then, OK? You ready to roll, you two? You've got to protect these young ones on the way to Kakariko!"
Links face adopts a look of disbelief.
"What is it with you women and doubting me?!"
He hears Kagome laughing.
Sighing, he comments that they should get going.
Following the dusty road leading to Kakariko Village, they came across the occasional enemy, but nothing the two fighters couldn't handle. After a seemingly long journey, they finally made it. Renado was quick to tend to the Zora Prince. After treating him, he spoke to the group.
"...He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time. Do you know the fate of his mother? Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly..."
He pauses as he sees Link and Kagome look away with pain in their eyes.
"...I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."
Colin, who had been standing beside Link, speaks up.
"I'll stay with him until he's better! No matter how long it takes!"
Renado smile down on the Ordonian child.
"Is that so? Thank you, Colin."
Colin smiles before looking up at Link with a thoughtful gaze.
"Hey, Link, about Ilia... Is it true, what they say about her?"
Link lets out a breath and opens his mouth to speak, but the shaman takes over.
"Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed."
Renado takes his leave and begins back towards his house and Colin goes back into the inn.
Telma looks at the two before speaking.
"Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts... Those skills of yours... Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule? What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying...but there's still a group trying to do what it can. And I'm a member of that group. Call me Telma. I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and... Well, never mind about the rest."
Two sets of eyebrows rise when she looks at the Kakariko Shaman.
"You two, I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me? The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there, as well. If you ever need something, stop by, I'll be waiting for you, honey!"
She then jogs after Renado and begins walking with him.
"Someone has a crush."
Link winces.
"Yeah, that kind of creeps me out a bit."
He gets hit in the arm for that one. He turns to mock scold Kagome when his attention is caught on something else.
"Link? What is it?"
He says nothing, just turns her so she is facing what he sees.
It's Queen Rutela.
"This way…"
She leads them through the town and to the graveyard, past a secret entrance. Once through the tunnel, they come across a deep pool of water, and on the other side is a tree, where the queen is waiting.
"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need. You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place...That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora. Now, at last, I can join the king in slumber. And yet... My son... He still knows nothing of my death. If you see him again, please pass on this message... Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live as the king of our people. And... Tell him his mother...loves him without end. Tell him..."
With her last plea, Queen Rutela fades away for the final time.
"Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor... But aren't you forgetting something kind of important? That last Fused Shadow... Remember what Faron the light spirit said... He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world... So even if you go back now with all of the people you saved... The whole tragedy would just repeat itself... So let's go get it! We need to go to the temple on the lake bed of Lake Hylia!"
Link and Kagome look at each other.
"There's only one."
Kagome smiles at him.
"I think it might be a bit big for me, so you'll have to wear it."
"You know that's not what I meant."
Kagome wraps her arms around him and lays her head on his chest.
"I'll be fine by myself. While you're in the water temple, I'll walk around town and listen for anything interesting."
"I suppose you're right. It'll be strange not going in with you though."
"It will, but it's necessary."
He tightens his hold gently in answer.
"We should probably spend the night here and rest before I head off to the temple and leave you alone in a shopping district with money."
Kagome laughs.
"That's a good idea. Why don't you try out your new armor, get used to it, and I'll go back to the house we were in last time and make us something to eat?"
"I think that would be a good idea."
With a plan for the time being, the two split apart before retiring for the night.
