Hello readers!It's been a week since school started, and I'm ready to SCREAM!! I hate Gov. And Citizenship soooooooooo friggin' much! Ragh!!
Moriko: Calm down, please...
Me: Yeah, I know. Anyway, readers, we've got a new reviewer! Say hello to sunshineemomix! (crowd goes wild) Yeah! Welcome! Great to have you here! XD
Moriko: I hope you like my story!
Me: Wait...it's my story! I wrote it!
Moriko: But I lived it! I know exactly what's going to happen!
Me: Oh yeah?!
Moriko: Hell yeah!!
Me: Hell no!
Moriko: Hmph! (turns and stalks away)
Me: (seething) Grrr...anyway, I own nothing except Moriko and the characters you've never heard of. The list is overwhelming...DX
Chapter 26: Back to Kakariko!
Moriko yawned loudly as she woke up, rolling over onto her side. She abruptly fell face-first onto the floor.
"Ow…," she mumbled as she pinched her nose. "Thad hurd…"
"You think you're in pain?" a small, muffled voice came from under her. "Try our position."
Moriko forced herself into a sitting position, then looked where her stomach had been. Navi and Taiki rolled off their pillow and across the floor, grumbling about wanting food. Moriko, using the couch as leverage, stood up and stumbled over to the kitchen, grabbing a few muffins for everyone out of the cupboards. She glanced at the sunlight seeping through the curtains. Judging by the amount of light, she'd say it was just past six or seven.
The sound of light footsteps alerted her to the presence of someone else in the house. She turned to see Gabe shuffling out of her room, rubbing his eyes.
"G'morning, Moriko," he said. Moriko blinked.
"Gabe, how did you get up so early?"
The boy looked at her as if she'd spoken in gibberish.
"Ever since you left, I've been getting up as early as possible so I could keep and eye out for the village. I'm sort of the morning watchman, when Laura's around to help. Otherwise, I just do chores all day long."
Moriko enveloped Gabe in a huge bear hug, spinning around the room with a silly grin plastered on her face.
"Oh my gosh! You are so cute!!" she cried, pulling him as close as possible without suffocating him. He rolled his eyes at her antics, but blinked when his gaze landed Moriko's wrist. She was still wearing his bracelet. He smiled and returned the hug.
"I really do hate to break you two up, but I believe Gabe has responsibilities now."
Gabe and Moriko stopped spinning and looked to see Laura standing in front of the kitchen window, smirking evilly.
"Good morning, Laura," Moriko said with a smile. "What are you doing up this early?"
"Heading to the watchman's post, like Gabe explained."
"Oh…right. Silly me!"
Laura rolled her eyes and pushed away from the window. "Well, I just wanted to come and warn his that he's running out of time."
Moriko grinned at Gabe and pulled him to the couch. "I want to give you a few things before I forget and leave again." She stuck her hand into her bag and pulled out the small dagger. "This is from Kakariko Village." She fished out the shield. "This is from Hyrule Castle Town." Finally, she brought out the Zora tunic. "And this is from Zora's Domain" She soon began explaining the items to the little boy, who was in shock and awe. She took that as a compliment and went into her room, grabbing her green tunic on the way. She pulled that on in a flash and fixed her hair so it fell over her shoulders, unwilling to braid it right now. She'd do it later, or something.
She reentered the living room, only to see Gabe trying to pull the Zora tunic over his head. She shook her head.
"Gabe, what are you doing?"
"Trying to look like a warrior!" he said through the fabric. He poked his hand through the hole for his head and waved. Moriko, caught off guard by this, broke down laughing as she began helping him pull it on all the way.
When they were done with that, Gabe insisted that Moriko strap the dagger and shield to his back, much to her displeasure.
"What if you get hurt? You need basic sword training to wield your new weapon."
"But it's a dagger, Moriko. And you barely knew how to lift a sword when you left."
"Yes, but I had the previous hero to help me."
"Yeah, yeah...I know," he grumbled, averting his eyes. Moriko grinned at him and hugged him. She really was gald to see him again.
Moriko let him go after a bit and stood up, grabbing her boots. "And now, without further ado, I shall escort Gabe to work!"
The boy's expression went from his current grimace to a shocked one at the mention of his job, and he bolted from the house in seconds. Moriko blinked at the his sudden burst of energy, then grabbed her bag and raced after him, the half asleep fairies floating on her heals.
They finally caught up with Gabe at the village's north gate. The boy was climbing into one of the taller trees. He'd hung a large bell on one of the branches near his position, so he could warn the village of any approaching monsters.
"Today's my turn, so I have to stay here for today. At least until lunch," he explained as he climbed higher. Moriko opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when he mentioned lunch. She'd definitely have to leave before then.
"Too bad," Navi said. "We'll have to get going before then. We should probably leave now."
Gabe groaned and dropped from his branch, hugging Moriko securely. "Then I guess…I'll see you later," he said quietly. Moriko pulled him into another hug, kneeling there until Taiki landed on her shoulder.
"We have guests."
Moriko looked to where he was pointing to see Laura and Tabatha approaching, their faces masked with sadness.
"When we saw Gabe suddenly go from happy to depressed, we assumed you'd mentioned something about your next step," Tabatha said. Laura nodded, gripping her arm where she'd been hurt.
"So now what will you do?" she asked.
"I'm heading to Kakariko again. There's a shaman there who has something that will repair the Rod of Seasons, and I need to speak with the Gorons again."
"You will come home safely, right?" Tabatha asked. Moriko stood up and faced them.
"Of course I will. You don't need to worry about me."
"That still doesn't stop me," the woman replied, wiping her eyes with the edge of her sleeve. "I've worried about you ever since your father left. Tell him, once you see him again, that I said hello, and that he needs to come home sometime."
"I will," Moriko said. Laura bit her lip, but eventually tackled her friend in a hug.
"I'm going to miss you, Moriko," she said. Moriko grinned, pulling away.
"Oh, stop it. You're gonna make me sad before I even leave," she said, hiding her eyes behind a hand. "Darn it. I'd really hoped I wouldn't cry." She shook her head and cleared her throat, earasin any evidence that she'd almost started crying. Tabatha and Laura enveloped Moriko in another hug, then hurried off to do chores.
Moriko headed to the stables and found Simeon standing in front of Meryl's stall, feeding the horse a handful of oats. He looked almost peaceful there, but that peace vanished when he saw Moriko a few feet away. He frowned and walked away, but stopped as he neared Moriko.
"You know…," he mumbled, "I never really hated you…I just…didn't like it that a girl had so much responsibility. I thought…that if I kept you away from the world, unlike your father, you might grow up differently."
"So...you knew...about this whole thing?" Moriko asked disbelievingly. Simeon nodded, then sighed sadly.
"Yes. It came to me in a dream, and I am one who believes in the truth of dreams much like Tabatha. I'm sorry I ruined your childhood, but I only thought I was doing what was best."
It was silent for a while, and Simeon turned to go, but Moriko shook her head.
"That still doesn't justify your actions." Moriko looked at him, her blue eyes flashing. "You may think it was okay, but you didn't have to treat me so harshly."
Simeon was quiet, then met her eyes. "I did what I thought would keep you from your fate. You were so precious to Daisuke, and I just couldn't let something so dear be put in so much danger."
There was another awkward silence as they both reflected upon the past, remembering the times before this whole mess had started. How carefree they all had been, in a way.
"Then I forgive you."
Simeon blinked at the comment, then arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"I...forgive you, Simeon. Thanks for caring for me, I guess."
They smiled at each other.
"But don't ever do that again," she added, unlocking Meryl's stall. Simeon nodded and headed into the village, leaving Moriko to get Meryl ready for the journey ahead.
"We're heading back to Kakariko, Meryl. Then we're going to save the world! I know it sounds cheesy, but we might as well get used to the phrase."
Meryl huffed in her master's face, blowing Moriko's hair into her eyes.
"Thank you, girl. Goddess knows I needed that."
She led the horse out of the stall and to the forest gate, waving to the villagers she passed. Some gave her food, some gave her money, and some just offered advice. Those usually went something like "Try not to dislocate your arm again." and "Take it easy. Don't overwork yourself." She smiled gratefully, but laughed on the inside. That advice would've done her so much more good if it had come up the first time she'd left.
She reached the village gate almost excited to go, when she saw Gabe waving from the branch overhead.
"We'll miss you, Moriko!" he shouted, jabbing his thumb behind him. Moriko looked, but only saw a slight glint of gold disappearing behind a tree.
"I'll miss you too," she shouted back with a smile. She snapped Meryl's reigns and they took off at a fast gallop, crossing the bridge to Hyrule Field in seconds. She was excited to go back to Kakariko Village, but even happier because there had been a place she hadn't noticed. She would've taken a look inside the Shaman's house if she'd seen it, but it had been out of sight.
She kept pace as she followed the same path to the village as before, but got a better look at her surroundings. She saw a river a few yards away, gurgling loudly. Trees spotted the landscape, like the few monsters there.
"Why don't you do some target practice, Moriko?" Taiki asked, flying out from under her hat, his new favorite hiding place. He'd given up on the bag after the mishap in Zora's Domain.
Moriko pondered the idea, then nodded.
"Okay. What should I use as target?"
Taiki took a few minutes to look from her to the monsters in the field, then back again.
"Use them," was his answer. Moriko frowned at the idea, but nodded after a while. She dismounted from Meryl and crept to a nearby tree, peering around it at an unsuspecting Bokoblin. It was wandering the area, looking for prey. Moriko silently took out her bow and notched an arrow, aiming at the Bokoblin's back.
"Aim for its rear," Taiki whispered. He had an evil grin on his face, but Moriko just frowned and blew him away. She didn't like his idea all that much. She released the arrow, watching it thud into the Bokoblin's back. The monster fell to the ground and exploded, causing a group of two Bokoblins to come running. When they reached the spot, they looked around, then began their journey back to their original locations.
Suddenly, Moriko felt something awaken in the back of her mind. It was odd to feel now, since she'd only felt it during big battles. She notched another arrow and let it fly, only to realize she'd been aiming a tad lower than before.
The Bokoblin on the left howled in pain and fell forward, an arrow lodged in its side. The other Bokoblin turned to see what had shot the arrow, but saw nothing. Moriko had ducked behind the tree, her heart pounding. She figured out that she'd been feeling adrenaline, and that was what had shot the arrow, not her. Before she knew it, she was notching another arrow, and had almost let go, but stopped herself. Even some monsters didn't deserve this.
She unsheathed the Master Sword and ran at the monsters, dispatching them in three slashes and a quick flourish. She then returned to Meryl and continued her journey onward, but not before stuffing Taiki into her bag as punishment for his actions.
They reached Kakariko within the hour, much to her surprise. She'd remembered the trip being longer, but she must've lost track of time or something the first time. She left Meryl in the capable hands of the stable boy, then headed back to the inn. She flung the door open and walked into the bar, grinning like an idiot. She took a seat near the counter and smacked it.
"What's it take to get some service around here?" she called out. She got a few looks from the other customers, but she ignored them as Roland walked in, brandishing his giant mallet.
"Sorry about that. What'll you have."
"Water's good."
Roland opened his mouth to say something, but his just froze, his jaw hitting the floor instead.
"Is that room still open, Roland?"
"No way. Is that you, Moriko? It's been too long!" he said, offering his hand to her. She shook it happily, then laughed.
"It looks like business as sped up a little since my last visit. How've you been?"
"We've been better," Roland grumbled, leaning against the counter. "There's been a ghost sighting in the graveyard, and the shaman won't come out until it's gone. That idiot's such an-"
"Idiot?" she suggested. Roland grinned and nodded, jabbing his finger out the window.
"Exactly. The twit lives in the back of the graveyard, but he's afraid of ghosts. I've been trying to get him to come out, but he just won't answer me. Maybe if the ghost went away, he'd come out, but that would also take away his reason for being the village shaman. What a loon. He's probably got his apprentice on edge." The blind man shook his head as Moriko scratched the back of her head.
"So where exactly is the shaman? I have a bit of business with him."
"The shaman lives in the graveyard, behind the reopened Malo Mart. The entrance is hidden, so you'll have to look hard."
"Can't you tell me how to get in?"
"Naw! Where's the fun in that?" Roland said with a laugh. Moriko glared at him, then turned to leave. She remembered the first time she'd come here, and how the only thing she'd seen was the market. What exactly was Malo Mart, and why hadn't she gone inside?
She made her way outside and in the direction Roland had directed her. She had to ask a few times, but eventually she found Malo Mart. It was one of the larger buildings built into the cliffs, and looked to be about three stories from the outside. Moriko took a peek into one of the windows to see what was inside, but she regretted it entirely. Inside were a few people, but the ones behind the counter were extremely creepy. They wore crazy colorful outfits with what looked to be speakers on their heads, and they kept dancing a funky two-step that left her speechless and twitching.
She continued to make her way around to the back of the building, but only found solid rock. She blinked a few times, then scoured the wall for any sign of a way through. She pressed every rock within reach, she kicked them multiple times, and even tried to find a weak spot with her sword. Nothing worked.
Eventually, she just sighed and sat with her back against the rocky wall, tired and worn out.
"Stupid rocks. Stupid cliffs. Stupid secret entrance," she grumbled, pounding her fist against the rocks with each comment. "Open up. Open up. Open UP!"
She slammed her hand hard against the stone wall, then felt it rumble behind her. She scooted away and covered her head, expecting a shower of rocks to crush her, but, the rocks never came. She looked up to see not a pile of rubble, but an opening in the rock wall.
"What the heck?!" she cried, standing up and dusting herself off. "Is that all I had to do? Gah! I could've been through fifteen minutes ago!"
She stomped through the short tunnel and into the village graveyard, and was almost immediately frozen by an eerie feeling. It was as if she'd sensed danger, but in a place where danger wasn't meant to be. She wanted to run, but something prevented her from turning around and running away screaming. Something foul.
"Hello there, child…"
That did it.
Moriko took off running, but not in the direction she wanted to go in. She was heading farther into the graveyard, away from the town. She chanced a glance behind her, and saw a silvery figure gliding on her heals. She shrieked and put on a burst of speed, only to trip on a gravestone in front of her.
She was in the air for a few seconds, then hit the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of her. She twisted around so she could see the ghost, only to come face to face with it. It was a silver cape with what looked to be a half decayed skeleton inside. It's face was gaunt and rotted, its eyes were red dots, and it carried a lantern with a bright blue flame flickering inside.
The ghost shrieked and waved its lantern around in triumph, but was suddenly knocked away by something. Moriko turned to see a young boy facing her, rocks in his hands. He threw one after another at the ghost, then ran to Moriko.
"Come on! We can take shelter in the hut! The ghost won't come near there!" the boy said as he grabbed hold of her arm. She allowed herself to be helped up, then took off running with the boy, the ghost on their heels.
They reached a small two story hut in seconds, and the boy pushed Moriko inside just as the ghost stopped a few feet from the front step. It screeched angrily and disappeared, leaving both Moriko and the boy to catch their breath. That was one situation that both of them never wanted to be in again!
"I'm sorry I didn't say it back there, but thanks," Moriko said, from her position near the fireplace in the middle of the room, Navi and Taiki gently dozing on her lap. They'd woken up shortly after Moriko had gotten inside the hut, yelling about the noise level and how Moriko should never shriek like that again. She had to explain that the ghost had shrieked, then she had to explain that she'd been chased all the way through the graveyard, and how she'd run into the boy.
Speaking of which, the boy's name was Kota, and he was the shaman's apprentice. He'd been living in the hut for almost a month before the ghost showed up.
Kota smiled and handed her a mug of hot tea, then sat next to her.
"It was no trouble. I have to do that every time it comes around anyway. I was just making my rounds when I found you. If I hadn't, you'd be six feet under."
Moriko tried to laugh at the joke, but found herself grimacing. Kota sighed.
"I know, but I try to make light of the situation whenever possible. I rarely see anyone around here. What brings you to the graveyard?"
Moriko sipped her tea, then said: "My friend Roland sends his…warm greetings to the shaman. He's wondering when you're going to have that ghost taken care of."
Kota's shoulders slumped at the mention of the shaman. "The shaman's ill. I don't know what to do. He got this shortly before the ghost showed up."
"What rotten timing!" Taiki huffed, settling on Kota's shoulder. "Just when you needed him."
"What does he have?" Navi asked. Kota just shook his head.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling that ghost is trying to take his soul away! That's why I've been making those rounds. I hope to eventually scare it off or something."
Navi pondered this for a minute, then asked for the ghost description. Moriko remembered it all too well. When she finished, Navi shook her head.
"That's no ghost. That's an Poe."
"Poe?" Moriko repeated. "What's it do?"
"It collects souls from those who've sinned, or those who are dying. No one knows how they are made, but they only serve one purpose in their cursed lives: to make the lives of those living a living hell."
"Sounds scary, but they must have some kind of weakness!"
"They do," Link said, appearing on Moriko's other side. "But you don't have the skills to use it against them."
"Then teach me," Moriko said simply. Link shook his head.
"It is not something you can learn. To fight a Poe, you must gain the sense of sight that only an animal can achieve."
"Huh…like when you turned into a wolf while we were in the labyrinth?"
"Yes. With my heightened senses, I was able to hunt down over sixty Poes in my year as the hero, but only because I had the eyes of a wolf."
"So, basically you're saying we're stuck?"
"To put it bluntly, yes. You'll have to find another way of getting rid of it."
With that, Link disappeared Moriko, Kota, and the fairies to grumble angrily about the method of extermination. Or should they say "Exorcism?"
(Entire cast keels over)
Me: So sue me, I had to put that last part in! I'm bored for cosplay's sake! Which reminds me, I still need to sew Marta's costume together, then get a pair of really loose white pants from my mom...then I need to fix my gaint paintbrush plushie...and I-
Moriko: Oh, for Link's sake, would you shut up?! What happened to our fight?!
Me: I got over it. Have a good day, everyone, and don't get struck by lightning or anything! XD