Yay! Chapter 9 is up, and I'm still going! I'll have this story finished by...oh man I don't know...probably the end of the year, if I work hard. Unfortunately...I might need to get a...job! (gasp) I love me free time!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Today's muse: Taiki!

Taiki: You're a lazy bum...

Me: Yeah yeah...

Taiki: An Idiot

Me: Do your worst...

Taiki: and a Sasuke fan.

Me: (strangles Taiki and stuff him in a jar) Take that, noisy fairy! Ahem...I have an announcement as well. I was extremely bored last week, so I put together a soundtrack for this story. Call me crazy or whatever...but I had fun doing it. It's on , and I'll put up a link on my profile asap. On with the story!

Chapter 9: The Letter

Moriko awoke to the sound of someone pounding on her door, yelling something about getting up. She buried her face in her pillow and shouted, "Go away!" When the yelling didn't cease, she got up clumsily and stumbled to the door.

"Don't want any!" she yelled through the door. She opened it to see Tanner standing there with an annoyed look on his face.

"You sleep like feakin' log, you know that? I've been here for at least fifteen minutes trying to get you up."

"Wasted effort…," she growled, managing another partial sentence. Tanner shook his head and poked her forehead.

"Wake up, woman! You need more supplies, don't you?"

"Why…d'you care?" she asked with a yawn. She rubbed her eyes as he ruffled her unkempt hair.

"Your fairy friends told me you were heading to Goron City. I have business there, so I thought I'd accompany you. But with your meager supplies, we wouldn't get ten feet. Get dressed and come to the bar."

Tanner stepped back and allowed Moriko to close the door. She shuffled to her bag and pulled out her spare outfit. It had the total Ordon Village thing about it. Her usual black tank top and pants, but this one had been designed by Tabatha and Laura. The first piece was a loose green shirt that hung on her shoulders like a poncho, only it was cut short just below her shoulder blades. The second piece was a short wrap with a piece of cloth tied around the waist.

Once Moriko had all this on, she pulled her boots on and let her hair down, running her fingers through it until there weren't any snarls left. Navi was just beginning to wake when Moriko poked both her and Taiki.

"Hey, you guys. You need to wake up."

"…urk…I awake," Navi grumbled. Taiki sat up with a jingle and yawned loudly.

"What's up, Moriko?" he asked, watching her get ready with dazed eyes. Moriko sighed.

"You didn't hear that little spat with Tanner a few minutes ago?" Both fairies shook their heads. "Oh well. I'm going to do some shopping with him, so I'll be back soon. We have to head to Goron city soon, anyway."

Both fairies nodded and fell over, asleep in an instant. Moriko grabbed her key and left the room, making her way downstairs to the bar.

Surprisingly, it was almost full of people. Mostly big burly men, but a few women were there as well. A couple of people looked up as Moriko entered, but most kept to their conversations. The room was abuzz with noise. Clinking glasses, conversations, and the distinct sound of people losing bets on card games.

Moriko looked around until she spotted Tanner, who was crossing the room to meet her.

"Can we go, Tanner? I need to make this quick."

"Sure, sure," he said. She turned red as he took her hand. He was smiling like a fool at the moment, and Moriko wanted to hit him for no apparent reason.

They walked to the market, where Moriko slipped her hand out of his. He let it go and walked ahead, only to stop a few booths later. Moriko looked up at the sign, reading "Potions and Elixirs". Tanner took out one of his bottles and scooped some red potion up.

"What are you doing?" she asked him as he sealed the bottle.

"You need a form of healing, so here it is." He dropped a few rupees in the donation box and headed farther down, pausing only to let her catch up. "You're items are pathetic. You've got a sword, the lantern, and a couple of nitwit fairies as guides. Admit it. You need my help."

She glared at his smirking face, forcing back the desire to strangle him in public. He sighed and went back to looking over the items in the display, going over their uses in his mind. Okay, I need to restock on potion, plus a new bottle, more lantern oil, and a new cape.

As he was thinking, Moriko's eyes wandered from the items to the sky. It looked a little grey, but rain probably wouldn't come until tomorrow or later. She liked the rain, but she didn't know how the rain felt out here in the open.

Tanner glanced at her as he paid for his cape. He poked her until she looked at him, annoyed. He really didn't like that look. Girls were meant to smile and allow men to help them. This girl was different though. Practically bipolar.

"Let's go," he said. "I'm finished here."

"Okay. So what do I need?"

"Well, you'll need a fairy for healing and you'll have to get some kind of shield. I've got a spare cape you can use and you can have one of my extra bottles."

"Thank you. I'll pay you back for them."

"No, no. This is for helping me with Elrond."

"Oh. Alright then. Thank you."

It got really quiet after that, and the two teens finished their restocking with only a few mumbles between them. Tanner purchased all the necessary items for Moriko, and she thanked him every time, being as polite as possible.

It was noon by the time they stopped, and they took a seat on a rock bench near the spring.

"So where do you plan to go after this?" Moriko asked.

"I told you, I have business up in Goron city."

"Business?"

"Yes. I hunt down criminals for a profit and bring them to justice in Hyrule Castle Court. I've captured almost thirty criminals before I met you."

"So you plan to ask the Gorons if they need your help?"

"Yes, I do. That reminds me. I have to get that item Elrond stole from the castle."

"Can I come?"

"Sure."

The stood up and, grabbing their bags, headed down to the prison. It was small, for a prison. There was only one barred area, though that was more like a cage than a cell. Seated on the cot, leaning against the wall, was Elrond, dozing. He was drooling a little, so both teens had to stifle a few laughs.

They turned away from the sleeping man, looking at the man seated behind a table. He was playing a card game Moriko didn't recognize. When they got closer, the man looked up with a grin.

"Hey, Tanner. I assume you're here for the items Elrond had on him?"

"Yes, I am. May I seen them?"

"Old man didn't have anything on him of extreme importance. Just a bag of junk and a really old book."

Tanner's ears perked at the mention of the book. "I need to see that book!"

"Alright. One second," the man said, getting up and shuffling over to a pile of objects in the corner. He sifted through them and returned with a small book. It was brown, with a few ancient Hylian letters of the front. Tanner took it from him and turned it over in his hands, handling it with extreme care.

"Is that the item he stole from the castle?" Moriko asked. Tanner nodded, then slipped the book into his bag.

"I hope you understand, but I need to hold on to this."

The man nodded and went back to his card game, humming a light tune. Tanner pulled Moriko back outside, his other hand clamped onto the opening of his bag.

"Moriko, I need to run this back to Hyrule Castle. It'll take a few hours, but I will be back soon. Don't head to Death Mountain without me, okay?"

Moriko nodded, blushing as he gripped her hand tighter. He let go after a bit, then ran to the stables. Before long, he rode by again on a spotted black horse, a look of determination burning in his hazel eyes. Moriko watched him go until he was gone. She wondered if he'd really be back in time. She suddenly felt as if she'd lost her father all over again. She forced that thought away as she headed to the spring, wanting to talk to Eldin about a few things.

After a few moments of waiting, Eldin appeared, but only as a faint glow.

"What is it you want, child?"

"What do the Sacred Items look like exactly?"

Eldin was silent for a minute, then said, "They are the items of the Oracles. The Rod of Seasons, the Harp of Ages, and the Book of Secrets."

"Oh. What do they do, aside from what their names suggest?"

"The Rod of Seasons allows you to control the seasons in whatever area you are in. The Harp of Ages allows the user to travel back through time. The Book of Secrets, though it has never been truly used by the hero, allows the reader to access spells long forgotten."

"Can you tell me what they look like?"

"Alas, I cannot. You must find them for yourself. And that in itself is a great task, considering where they may be hidden."

"You mean you don't know where they are?"

"We Light Spirits only guard the innocents in our provinces. The items themselves choose where they want to be. We only know approximately where they are."

"Oh. Thank you."

With that, the spirit disappeared, leaving Moriko by herself. She was bored now, and looked at the sun's position. It had only been about ten or fifteen minutes since Tanner left, and Navi and Taiki were probably asleep in her room.

Moriko watched as a few kids chased a ball around the area, yelling silly comments at each other. Moriko sighed and thought of Gabe. She wanted to surprise him with a gift of some kind, but didn't know what to get. He didn't like weapons like the other boys his age, but he liked crafts.

She sighed and stood up and wandered the curio stands, looking at the items they held. She saw bow and arrow sets, wooden swords, little kendamas, and other toys, but she didn't see anything that really shouted "Give me to Gabe!" They just sat there, collecting dust in the sunlight. She passed stand after stand, looking for something worth sending to her little cousin. It dragged on for almost an hour, before she was anything that he might like. A dagger with the Triforce carved into the hilt. It glittered in the sun like a beacon, seeking Moriko's eyes out.

She skidded to a halt in front of the stand, staring intently at the dagger. The owner was beginning to get paranoid when she looked at him and demanded the price.

"It's 75 rupees for that dagger, miss, but you shouldn't be handling a weapon."

"It's for my cousin," she said, barely hiding the anger in her voice. The man shrugged and placed the dagger in a bag, holding his hand out for the money. Moriko gave him the rupees and took the bag, seriously thinking about telling him off. But it was best not to make a fuss about sexist people. The jerks.

Moriko went back to the inn, slowly making her way up the stairs. Her feet were sore, but that's nothing a trip to the spring wouldn't cure. She said hello to Roland, who was listening to a card game between an old man and a small child of about nine. Roland grinned as the little boy threw his cards onto the table, claiming the old man had cheated.

As she entered her room, she was greeted by an open window and two missing fairies. They must've gone to the spring. She sat down on the bed and rifled through her things until she found a piece of paper and a pencil. She left the dagger in her room and went back to the bar, taking a seat near Roland. He heard her sit down and turned his head towards her.

"What can I do for you, Moriko?" he asked. Moriko tapped her chin in thought.

"Can you get me some water?" she replied, twirling her pencil in her fingers. Roland nodded and went into the back, disappearing from sight. Moriko looked down at the blank paper in front of her and began writing.

Dear Gabe,

How've you been sweetie? Have you been good to Tabatha and Laura? I hope they're still not angry with me. How's the village been? Have you been attacked? Did Simeon get hurt? (not that I really care…)

I've been okay, if you ignore the fact that I met that man from our dreams again. Don't worry, I kicked his butt. I've been hanging out with a guy named Tanner as of late, and he's acquainted with the KING! Can you believe it? I almost couldn't, that is, until he saved me from a criminal. I'm stuck in Kakariko Village now, waiting for him to return from Hyrule Castle. We need to head up to Death Mountain soon, or we might not make it in time for the hero's awakening.

Anyhow, I just want you to know I have a gift for you, and once I finish my journey, I'll hand deliver it to you. I know you'll like it. Be good to the villagers, and stay out of trouble.

Moriko

Moriko folded the letter up and took a sip of the water Roland had set by her. She'd been so wrapped up in the letter that she hadn't seen him come back. He was standing a few feet away now, leaning on the counter.

"You writing a letter, girl?"

"Yeah," she said, writing Gabe's name on it. "It's to my cousin. He's stuck in Ordon Village, even though he wanted to come with me. I just need to get this to the mailman."

"His headquarters is in Hyrule Castle, but he's got a postbox here. It's next to the north gate."

"Thank you, Roland. I'll head there now."

Moriko got up and headed north, avoiding the throng of people in the market. She sprinted the last few yards and looked the postbox over. It had - slots; one each for Ordon, Hyrule Castle Town, Zora's Domain, Lake Hylia, and Gerudo Valley. The one for Gerudo had a block of wood nailed over it for some odd reason, so Moriko ignored it. She slipped the letter into the Ordon box with a sigh of relief. Hopefully Gabe would get that letter before long. She didn't want to worry him much more. She turned to go when Tanner rode up, looking tired.

"Hey, Tanner. That was somewhat quick. Ready to go?"

"Give me a minute," he said, breathing deeply. Moriko frowned and took his horse's reins, much to Tanner's displeasure, and brought them to the spring. Tanner dismounted and stepped into the water, almost instantly refreshed.

"I'll be right back, then we can head up the mountain," she said. He nodded as she ran back to the inn. She collected her things and threw them in her bag. She changed into her tunic, which was now clean, thanks to the maids, and pulled on Tanner's spare cape. She pulled her things out of her pockets, only to find two sleeping fairies hiding in them. She shrugged and continued packing. Her important things were in her bag's front pocket for easy reach, such as Tanner's bottle, as well as Gabe's dagger. She slung the bag over her shoulder and exited the room, heading down to the bar.

"Thanks for the room, Roland," she said, placing the keys near his hand. He pushed them back towards her, shaking his head.

"I'll reserve the room until you return, so make sure you come back."

Moriko sent him and unseen smile and thanked him, placing the keys inside her bag and heading back to the stairwell.

She sprinted to the spring where Tanner was petting his horse, whispering in its ear. Moriko tapped him on the shoulder.

"Should we get going?" she asked. He nodded and led them north, but not before stopping at the stables. Horses didn't belong on a mountain, he explained, and Moriko nodded. He told her how the mountain trails were unpredictable above ground.

"What about underground?"

"Goron use only," he explained. "They're the only living creature, aside from lava monsters, that can withstand volcano heat."

"So we're in for rockslides? Lovely," Moriko said sarcastically.

They were at the foot of Death Mountain Trail now, and they could already feel the rocks tumbling down towards them.

"Let's go. It'll be horrid if we get caught on the mountain at night."

Moriko managed a nod as they began their journey up the mountain, unsure of what they would encounter.

Hurrah for chapter 9! Sorry it was so short, but I had to cut it off there. this was pretty much just a filler, a plot helper, or something like that. But, readers, I must thank you. Over 300 HITS?! Glomps all around! You guys are awesome! Just review so I know what to do.

BTW: Next chapter is really short, so I'm going to update two next time, as soon as I finish the rough drafts for chapters 16-18. Have a great day (or night)! See you soon!