Disclaimer: I do not own the LoZ series, but I do own Princess Fionna and Nyla; those two are my original characters (OC).
T-Lea: Sorry it has been some time since I've updated. My goat just had a baby last Friday, so I've been really busy with that. I'm still editing through all these chapters, so just give me some time. Oh, and please let me know how I'm doing by reviewing. I've received a comment that someone has never played the game before, so I'll put as much info. in my author's notes about certain things to help her/him with it. Yeah, long author's note, huh? Well, enjoy!
Princess Fionna
"You're a princess?" Link whispered, horrified.
Pip ignored him as a woman dressed in a strange attire of blue and black approached them. Her hair was short, white, and covered by a black hood that belonged to a black cloak that fell down her body. She wore a blue tunic with black slacks, and her feet were hidden beneath Goron-hide boots. She also seemed quite young, possibly in her early twenties. Upon arriving, she sheathed her sword, and cast Link a piercing glance with ruby-red eyes before focusing her attention on the girl before her.
"Foolish child!" the woman hissed at the girl, snatching her by the elbow. "I've told you before to never stray away from the castle without a guide! I have been searching for you since the moon rose, and here you stand before me in front of the Temple of Time—the one place you have been forbidden to visit even from your own father! Explain yourself, Fionna."
Fionna cast a glance over her shoulder at Link, who stared back in wonder and fear. He knew wandering off with a strange boy during the rise of the moon was not wise, but wandering off with a girl—let alone princess? Link knew that he had made a huge mistake.
"But, I was with a guide," Fionna protested, smoothly gliding over to Link's side and wrapping both arms around his right arm, leaning against his side. "Mr. Rin has been with me all this night. We were safe, Nyla."
Oh, she was cunning!
The woman, Nyla, observed Link with her piercing, red eyes. Link noticed that she scanned every inch of his body, her eyes coming to rest on the sword in his belt. Fearful, Link slid his cloak over the sword to hide it from her eyes, and she returned her attention to his face.
"Is this true?" Nyla asked of him. "Has my foolish child asked for your aid in her idle wandering this night?"
Link nodded reluctantly. "Yes, but I thought she was a boy," he admitted sheepishly.
Nyla smirked at him before sweeping up her cloak and spinning on her heel. "Follow," she instructed the two, and they did so without hesitation.
Nyla led them down the eight steps, and back through the empty stalls and past the buildings. They passed by the mysterious fountain rumored to hold Nayru's reflection within the moon's face, past where Link had slept earlier—where he quickly retrieved the sleeping Navi from beneath the blanket and slipped her into a pouch tired around his waist—and then back through the alleys. The nocturnal people did not bother them as they moved past, but rather bowed to Nyla as she passed them. Link noticed from his right that Fionna seemed to be in a rather haughty mood. She had her arms across her chest tightly, and a pouting expression on her young, fair face. He couldn't help but feel that Fionna wanted to keep playing her little charade a little longer before being exposed.
Finally, they came to the empty, back alley where Link had first discovered Fionna, and Nyla led them over to the only wooden door built into the stone wall. She rapped twice on the surface, and a voice hovered out, "*How can you tell the difference between my little Richy and the other mutts that wander around the marketplace at night?"
"Richy always comes back," Nyla replied dully, as if she was made to recite that phrase all day.
"Of course!" the voice responded, and the door was thrown open to admit them. Link looked into the house at a stove that was illuminated by a brilliant fire. Nyla stood back, gesturing them inside, but Fionna stood her ground firm. Link cast her a nervous, sideways glance—knowing full well that it was 'ladies first'—but she still stood her ground firm as she stared at the wall opposite her.
"Princess Fionna," Nyla called to her gently, "please get inside before more adversaries appear."
"I can take them!" Fionna replied, stubbornly. "I refuse to be treated like a child for much longer."
"Quite headstrong, aren't you?" Nyla grumbled irritably. "Fine, be it as you want nothing more to do with my protection. Come, young master, we must leave our headstrong friend to fend for her own."
Nyla swept into the house, but Link hesitated. He stole a glance at Fionna, but she didn't even seem to have noticed what it was Nyla had said. She was quite a headstrong, defiant girl, this second princess. She gave no indication of fear when they fought the masked men, and she seemed to hold herself well on her two feet. Once she didn't move, he took a step forward to proceed into the house after Nyla, but was stopped short as Fionna threw out a firm arm to bar his way.
"I've decided differently," she snapped at him, and turned and walked straight into the house without looking at anyone. Link followed after, and the door was shut tightly from behind him, and then latched with a wooden bar.
This house actually seemed quite cozy. There was a wooden table set in the middle of the room with three stools placed around it. A warm, brilliant fire burned in a stove at the far back of the room, and it looked as if there was a pot of stew cooking within. Two beds lied on the left wall, only separated by a side table. There was a dresser close to the door on the right wall, and a random **crate sat between the dresser and the wall the door was built into. Link suddenly had an urge to roll into it to discover what was within, but his thought was cut short as a small, ***white dog scampered up to him and sat before his feet.
"That's my sweet, little Richy," a female voice hovered over to him.
Link immediately directed his attention to the corner near the stove where a very large woman stood. She wore a blue dress that covered her entire body, and her brown hair was put up in a single, blue ribbon. She flashed Link a wide smile that seemed to dominate her entire face, and he returned it only halfheartedly, looking away instantly to avoid any further contact from her beady eyes.
"You have disobeyed me for the last time, Fionna!" Nyla snapped at the young girl sitting at the table with her head in her arms.
"I've not disobeyed you!" Fionna protested, lifting her head to glare at Nyla. "I had a guide with me, did I not? I was completely safe, Nyla!"
"No, you brought along a young boy as a companion when you, yourself, were disguised as a young boy," Nyla corrected irritably. "You left without my knowledge and found a friend to wander about with. I am very disappointed in you, Fionna. Haven't you any sense to you?"
"That is enough!" Fionna barked at her. "I have sense, I just prefer to not use it when I want what I want."
"You owe this young man an apology," Nyla hissed at her. "For you almost cost him his life. Had I not come in time, you would probably have been stolen into the night, and this young man's body might have had need to be transported to Kakariko's graveyard."
Princess Fionna fell back in her seat with her arms locked tightly across her chest again, the most defiant and nasty expression on her face. Link stared between the two in bewilderment as the large woman near the stove began spooning stew into a bowl. There seemed to be an unsettling silence that fell in the house, and not even Link's bounding heart could be heard.
He was confused. Link couldn't believe that he had mistakenly come across a princess in disguise, and had nearly single-handedly saved her life, save for the fatigue that he was still feeling. But what really confused him even more was her attitude. Link never had the pleasure of getting to know a princess, but he knew that they had good tempers and were graceful and beautiful. While Princess Fionna had beauty, she had an attitude that matched that of Mido's, and her behavior was that of a boy's in some way.
"Will you say nothing?" Nyla demanded of Fionna. "Fine, be it that your mouth remains shut. You, lad, come sit," she addressed Link. "You must come eat and tell me of your battle with your adversaries."
Link was taken aback at this proposal. He expected that Nyla would send him away, but it seemed that he was wrong, yet again. Quietly, he crossed over to the table and slipped into a vacant stool at the front of the table while Nyla sat herself down with a heavy sigh. The large woman handed them each a bowl of stew, all of which they did not touch. Nyla stared transfixed at Fionna, Fionna stared long and hard at her left arm, and Link glanced between the two in anxiety. The atmosphere in the room lied heavily on him.
"Speak," Nyla urged Link, turning her attention to him with a gentle expression. "I am sure there is much to explain."
Link cleared his throat, though he was still at a loss as to what to say. "We were ambushed," he managed to choke out, "by masked men. They surrounded us and we fought, but fatigue soon overwhelmed us— "
"You mean, you," princess Fionna interrupted, casting him a nasty glance. "I was doing just fine. I had managed to defeat my foes, but had it not been for your quick defeat, I would not have dropped my guard and allowed my foes to throw my balance. Weak!"
"Princess Fionna!" Nyla snapped sternly at her, summoning her attention to Nyla. "You will learn to hold that tongue of yours and show gratefulness to those that save your life. I watched from afar your battle, and did, indeed, notice his defeat. However, he managed to protect you as best he could, despite not knowing your true identity."
Fionna shoved back from the table and stood with such force, Link thought for sure she would break her bowl of stew. She then bowed shortly to Link before storming across the room and removing the bar from the door.
"Princess Fionna!"
"I will sit on the wall for my disgrace, Nyla!" she called back to the woman, and then threw open the door and slammed it shut hard after herself.
Link sat still with his hands pressed tightly together in his lap, the sound of the door slamming, echoing through the silence that had followed. He was beginning to wonder to himself if maybe it was his fault she was in such a nasty mood.
"Please, you must forgive her," Nyla told Link, slowly seating herself once again. "I, myself, taught her the art of swordplay, but I suppose I should have taught her to control her temper first.
"Forgive me, I must introduce myself. I am Nyla, one of the descendants of the Sheikah tribe. I am daughter to Impa the Wise, whose mother was Impa the Great—the first known Sheikah to raise a child of the Royal Family. I am Princess Fionna's Nanny, though at times I wish I was the mother she never had so that I may discipline her the way a mother does to her daughter. I am truly sorry she deceived you, young master. She is quite defiant and brutal."
"No, do not be," Link replied quietly, looking down at his hands in shame. "I suppose she had every right to conceal herself from me. Lady Nyla of the Sheikah, I have also deceived her." She looked up at him, taken aback at this confession, almost as if in surprise. "I told her my name was Rin, but my true name is Link. I also mentioned that I was a wanderer, but that is far from the truth."
He reached into his pocket and retrieved the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and gently placed it on the table before himself. The curious green glow seemed to illuminate the entire house in green light, and the large woman near the stove clutched at her chest in fear. Nyla, however, stared at the object with wide eyes of wonder.
"You come from the forest," she whispered to Link. "Who sends you to us in his hour of need, young master?"
"The Guardian Spirit of the Forest," Link replied urgently. "He has given me a task to find and retrieve the three Spiritual Stones, and then has told me to keep them safe. I am not sure what his plans are at the moment, but I am sure it is of much importance. Do you know where the other two are, Lady Nyla?"
"Nay, but one," she replied quietly, looking in his direction. "There is a village to the east of Hyrule Castle. It is known as Kakariko Village, home of the Sheikah Tribe, and there is a proud race that lives in the mountains. You will find its trail at the edge of the village. Once there, meet with the leader of the Gorons and ask for the Spiritual Stone of Din. However, do not expect to receive it so simply. The Gorons are proud of their treasure, and they will not give it up to one so unworthy. I can guide you there, but you must discover a way to retrieve it from them."
Link took the stone from the table and slipped it back into his pocket. "Thank you for your knowledge," he said to her, bowing his head slightly. "I will heed your words. But, first. . .the Princess— "
"You needn't ask," Nyla interrupted with a heavy sigh. "As you must know by now, there is only one girl born into the Royal Family each generation. This girl is given the name 'Zelda' for wisdom. However, Fionna was born the second girl—and the only second girl that has ever been known to be born—in the Royal Family, and because of this, was given the name 'Fionna' for 'red wonder'. I am not sure you have noticed yet, but she has a hair color that of an apple's."
"Yes," Link replied with a nod, "I did see it. How has such a girl of the Royal bloodline of pure hair come to acquire such a hair color, my lady?"
Nyla sighed heavily. "Alas, it is unfortunate. I am not sure she is aware of it, but the goddesses in heaven blessed her with a fearsome gift or gifts. I am not sure what these gifts may be, but she has them and will one day be forced to use them to protect all that is Hyrule."
"But, why does she act like such a boy?" Link wondered curiously.
"I can only assume she understands that she is the only second girl ever born into the Royal Family, and believes that she has a boy's soul trapped within a female's body," Nyla replied thoughtfully. "I can understand you see her behavior as disconcerting, but I do assure you that she means no harm."
Link stood up from the table, and Nyla followed his lead. "I do not think of Princess Fionna's behavior as disconcerting, but of interest. She is a strong girl, and no matter what she faces in her life, she will always have the strength and courage to fight against it. I think you have done well to raise her, Lady Nyla of the Sheikah."
Nyla smiled at this response and bowed her head in thanks. Link dipped his head once she lifted hers, and then thanked the large woman near the stove for her hospitality before turning to leave.
"Young Link," Nyla called after him. "Are you thinking of going it alone?"
Link turned towards her. "Yes; for it is my task. Do you have a request?"
"Yes. Allow me to accompany you on your travels to Kakariko Village. I have business to attend to there, and I must say that you need a guide to get you through the dry and hot fields." Link's face contorted in confusion at this as a sly smile slid across Nyla's face. "I noticed earlier this day that you had that fellow from the ranch escort you to our market town. I must say, I am quite impressed that one bearing a royal insignia on his sword wanders alone. Tell me. . . How has that come to be?"
Link stared at her in confusion. What was she talking about a royal insignia?
"I. . .am not sure of what you speak," he mumbled in response, his eyebrows furrowing deeply over his eyes. "Royal insignia, my lady? I have none. . .do I not?"
"Indeed," Nyla replied grimly, crossing over to him in an instant and pushing aside the cloak covering his sword. "Why does one so young wander on his own without protection? You bear a royal insignia on your sword. . .red and gold. You are a king of one of the nations of these lands, young master, for your sword bears a Triforce. Why do you wander alone without any company while bearing such an insignia on your sword? Do you not know that your adversaries will soon come to see this and kidnap you?"
Link stared down at the sword tied around his waist in shock. He didn't know that it bore such traces of royal means at all. What could that have meant?
"You must be mistaken," Link told her, shaking his head in denial. "I am a mere peasant who was given a task by the Forest Guardian to retrieve the three Spiritual Stones. I know nothing of royalty, nor anything more about the sword on my side."
"Then, how did you come to acquire it?" Nyla asked suspiciously.
"It was my mother's before me. I inherited it when I came of age. I know nothing more."
Nyla studied his expression with her fierce, ruby-red eyes for a hint of lying, but the wrinkles on her face soon smoothed as she fell into understanding. Quietly, she swept past Link and threw open the door for him to follow. Confused, but grateful she did not pursue the subject, Link followed her out the door and back into the dark alley. Princess Fionna sat with her back pressed to the wall on Link's left. She had her arms pressed firmly over her chest once again, staring directly across the alley to the stone wall. Link couldn't help but smile at this, for Princess Fionna reminded him so much of Saria.
"Come, we must leave now," Nyla told Link, nodding towards the corner at the end of the alley. "We must make haste while the sun is down to brave the fields ahead. Tis dangerous to wander Hyrule's fields during the night, but it is even more dangerous to go it while the hot sun sits atop the sky. This way, we may make it there by the break of dawn."
"You are leaving?" Fionna wondered, jumping to her feet and glancing between Link and Nyla. "Where to? And why so soon?"
"This young man has business to attend to in Kakariko Village," Nyla replied to her question. "We must make haste there. I, myself, have business there, so you will be coming with me, Fionna."
Fionna's expression fell from that hard defiant nature into smooth bewilderment.
"You wish for me to go with you, Nyla?" she repeated, dumbstruck. "I must admit, I thought you would send word to my father of my behavior."
"It would not matter what I would tell him," Nyla replied smoothly, carelessly. "For I had already planned to take you there with me."
Princess Fionna bowed her head to hide her shameful face at Nyla's response. It seemed to Link that she had meant to challenge Nyla, and was shamed in the process.
"Despite your conditions, we must leave immediately," Nyla continued, sweeping her cloak and beginning to lead the way through the alley. "If either of you bear any treasures within your clothing, I would advise you purge them. Traveling in the fields during the night brings advantages for thieves, and I must admit that the thieves of the deserts are crossing the fields to find those unfortunate wandering in the shadow of the moon."
Link and Fionna exchanged quick glances before hurrying after Nyla's heels. As they emerged from the shadows of the alleys, Link caught a sideways glimpse of Fionna's face in the full moon's light. A brilliant smile had slid across her face, illuminating her pale face and giving her the appearance of a goddess. He looked in her direction quickly, but the smile had long faded, as if it hadn't even been there. She gave him a challenging look as he stared at her fallen expression before turning away once again as he flushed. But then, he saw her smile again, and a grin of his own slid across his face as he tightened the hood over his head, and pulled the strings of his tunic even tighter: Because Nayru's reflection couldn't be seen in the full moon's face from the mysterious fountain; it could be seen through its rays shining on Princess Fionna's face.
* = In the game, there was this woman that quizzed the player on how they could tell the difference between her dog from the other dogs wandering the streets at night.
** = There was this crate in that woman's house that contained blue rupees or red (It has been a while since I've played the game, so don't sue me if I made a mistake with what kind of rupee it was).
*** = Richy is the woman's dog.
T-Lea: Yeah, I'm not too proud of this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy. I think I'll get the next chapter up tomorrow if anyone is interested. Please drop a review. Thanks!
