Link: Seriously. You really should update The Adventure of Seventh Grade.
Dark Link: Where do you get off, telling Sorcie what to do?
Link: Since when has Sorceress been "Sorcie?"
Sorceress: It's a nickname only Darkie can use.
Link: What is with all the nicknames? What am I, Linky?
Sorceress: Yes, you are. And if I owned Zelda, that would be your real name.
Link: Would not.
Dark Link: Shut up, Linky.
o~o0o~o
Termina Fever
Ch. 2: The First Ingredient
"This is easy," Dark Link stated, as they walked out of Koume's Potion Shop.
"We still don't know where the Sacred Tree Bark is, remember," Saria cautioned.
Dark Link glared at the young Kokiri. "I was trying to raise our party's moral," he retorted. "See? Big Octorock's right there."
Ruto rolled her eyes. "How do you plan on killing it then?" She asked mockingly. "It's in poisoned water. You can dive in if you want to, but I'm going nowhere near it."
Dark Link reached into his drawstring bag, producing a boomerang. Vaguely, he wondered how the little thing held all of his stuff; he'd never really thought about it. This wasn't the time to marvel at item holders, though. Right now he had to collect the Big Octorock's blood.
Tossing the boomerang, Dark Link deftly pulled a bottle out of his deceivingly small pouch. The boomerang came back just in time for the Octorock to die and for Dark Link to hold up the empty bottle at such an angle as to catch the boomerang inside of it. The blood drained out of the boomerang; Dark Link smiled triumphantly.
"See? Easy." Dark Link turned his head up proudly.
Saria frowned at him, then turned her head. "Do you hear rustling?" She asked, unaware of the vines slowly creeping up her legs.
Ruto cocked her head. "No, but I-ah!" The Zora princess screamed as she noticed that there were actual plants using her as a climbing pole.
Dark Link swung his sword at the vines that seemed to be trying to choke him; he succeeded in cutting off the quickly growing stems, but they just continued to grow at the severing point, sporting a pair of cute little leaves where the incision had been.
"What in Farore's name are these things?" He yelled, making random slices with his sword.
"I have no idea!" Saria shot back; she tripped soon afterwards trying to assist Ruto. "Help!" She added as the vines began to drag her away; the vines ensnaring Dark Link and Ruto seemed to be doing the same.
In another five minutes, the clearing bore no traces of the group that had been in the process of saving the majority of the land's population.
o0o
Saria opened her eyes blearily. "Ruto? Dark Link?" She whispered.
"I'm here," Dark Link called back weakly. "Where's Ruto?"
"I don't know. Maybe we should find her?" Saria suggested. "Umm…where are you?"
"I can't tell; it's not bright enough to see," Dark Link replied. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he had hit his head on the way to this…whatever it was; wasn't he supposed to see better at night?
Oh. Maybe he should try opening his eyes. He was just getting around to it…post-traumatic stress effects, maybe?
"Okay. I know where you are now," Dark Link stated, making his way over to Saria. He tapped her shoulder once he reached her, causing her to jump and cry out.
"Eek-oh, it's you. Do you know where we are?" Saria asked. She sat down and sighed.
"I think we're in a cell of some kind; I'm not sure, though." Dark Link sat down beside Saria, straining to take in the cavern, which was cast in a twilight-ish glow. "Aha!" Dark Link exclaimed. "We can get out over there." Taking Saria by the hand, he crawled over to a far end of the cell.
Saria could see nothing special about this place. "What do you mean, 'we can get out here?'" She inquired.
Dark Link sighed exasperatedly. "There's a tunnel here. I'll go in first; if I make it, you come after me." He began to worm his way through the passageway. It was rough going; he barely fit the thing. Not to mention its unexpected twists and turns. Dark Link estimated that he smacked his face into a wall at least five times. Well, no one said that it would be easy.
He groaned as he wiggled out of the tunnel; Saria popping out a short time later looking all bright and perky; apparently her smaller size made it easier for her to navigate the near-labyrinth.
Dark Link, after complaining about his bruises heartily, scanned the area for any recognizable features. It appeared that the two-thirds of the party were back at the Big Octorock's habitat. "Still no Ruto," Dark Link muttered. Sliding down the cliff, he beckoned for Saria to follow. Saria hopped down reluctantly, and was met at the bottom by…monkeys?
"For the love of Din…" Dark Link swore. "What are they doing here?"
"Your friend! She is being held at the Deku Palace! A sacrifice, she is; I will take you to her!" The monkey ran off, Dark Link and Saria in hot pursuit.
About a mile later, Dark Link slid to a stop. Desperately trying to regain his breathe, he raised his hand. "Wait," he panted. "Can you…sit down…and…explain what's happening?"
The monkey turned and ran back. "The king went funny after the princess went into fever. Now he sacrifices innocents to appease the gods. He thinks that that will cure his princess, but he's wrong!" The monkey squirmed. "Got to get going!" He stood up and dashed off. Dark Link gave a final pant, then sprinted after the small primate.
o~o0o~o
Dark Link grunted as he tripped, got up, and began running for what seemed like the thousandth time. He was lightheaded with hunger; he now realized that he hadn't eaten since he'd left Hyrule; that had been two days ago. Saria was keeping pace with the monkey nicely. Dark Link wondered how she did it before remembering that she was the Sage of the Forest and was completely in her element; they were traveling through a swampy-woodsy place.
"We are here!" The monkey called. Dark Link almost cried with relief as his legs gave way and he fell to his knees beside Saria, who wasn't even winded.
"Your friend is in the palace!" The monkey pointed. "Good luck!" He ran away; Dark Link was exasperated. How much farther did he have to run?
As it turned out, not much farther. After twenty more minutes of fairly easy running, Saria and Dark Link arrived at the entrance to the Deku palace; two guards barred their progress.
"You shall not pass, pi! Inside is the palace, pi!" The guards squeaked.
"Yeah?" Dark Link challenged, drawing his sword; the combination of hunger and exhaustion was having foul effects on him. "I think I have every right to pass." This said, he swung his sword between the two guards. They scurried away from the blade's merciless arc, leaving a path for Saria and Dark Link to utilize.
"'You shall not pass.' Hmph," Dark Link snorted, racing down the hall. "If the Deku King's done anything to Ruto, I'll kill them. After I thank them."
Saria, running beside him, ignored the comments as she listened into the sounds coming from the throne room. Almost like a…scream. She shuddered and hurried on. The screams sounded like Ruto. Hold on! We're coming!
The bustle of the throne room continued as Dark Link and Sari burst in. Ruto, apparently unconscious, slumped against a large Deku scrub, who was holding something silver and shiny up to her throat. The Deku King was chanting something in his own language; Dark Link thought it sounded threatening.
A hush fell as a weak "Excuse me," rang across the room. A small, frail-looking Deku scrub had just entered the room; she was easily recognizable as the Deku Princess. "But I don't believe we should be sacrificing my savior's friend."
"Ria?" The Deku King rumbled. "You should go back to your chambers. You will tire yourself."
"I am sorry, Father; but I believe I have a duty to my people. Now, do you remember when I disappeared? A boy named Link rescued me. This is he; we owe him." Ria gestured towards Dark Link.
Dark Link smirked. "Close, but no Triforce. I'm Dark Link."
Ria waved him away. "Close enough. Now…" She trailed off. "I'm willing to let your friend go, on one condition."
"Yes?" Dark Link asked eagerly; the sooner this was over with, the sooner he got food.
"You must ensure that we receive the cure first." Ria wavered. "And if you don't…" She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I shall send my soldiers out; they will hunt you down to their last moments." She collapsed, and several attendants rushed to help her.
Dark Link shrugged. "Sure," he replied, taking Ruto out of the Deku King's arms and placing her in his own.
Sustenance was soon to come.
o~o0o~o
"For a shadow he's got a big appetite," Ruto muttered, watching Dark Link wolf down his meal.
Saria nodded. "I'm hungry too."
"I'm glad my eating habits are so well observed," Dark Link retorted, cheeks bulging. Never had such a simple meal tasted so good. And sleep would be even better. He could already feel the sweet, soft bed…that is, if he didn't end up sleeping on the floor. "Well, anyway, 'night," he added, yawning and stretching.
Ruto sighed as she watched him leave. "Sometimes I wish…" she murmured, fingering Zora's Sapphire longingly.
"Wish what?" Saria asked, curious.
"Well, see, my father's been talking to me about needing to get a husband for a long time." Ruto frowned, tears slipping down her cheeks. "The closest thing I had to someone decent was Link, but you know that our class would never allow it, and I don't think he thought of me as any more than a friend." Ruto sighed softly.
"Oh," Saria replied. "There's hope for you yet, and he's close by, too." Her eyes flashed briefly. "Dark Link has good ideas. I think I'll follow his lead. See you in the morning."
Saria left the table, but Ruto sat and thought on Saria's words for a long time.
o~o0o~o
Sorceress: Hee…Dark Link's theme is Diego's Goodbye, from Mask of Zoro.
Link: And how does this pertain to our conversation…?
Dark Link: Who cares? That's a cool song.
Sorceress: Yeah. Oh, and RawkHawk2.0 gets a cookie for reviewing.
Dark Link: Uh-huh, and if you review, you too can have a cookie.
Link: So review, 'cause it makes Sorceress update faster and gets us closer to the climax.
Sorceress: Which won't involve Link, probably!
Link: WHAT?