Everyone: (Waiting for the authoress to arrive)
Blue: Augh! How long is she going to take?
M.S.K: (Opens the door and enters) Whew! Finally I've got it done after. . .
Blue: Where have you been by the sake of Farore?
M.S.K: Sorry, I just got held up by a few things. Including on some thinking time on what I'll do after this story. I know it's a little early to be thinking about it, but it often strikes my head. And you don't need to be this impatient, you know. Do you remember what Vio said about that?
Blue: Well, excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Kaoru!
Zelda, Link, Vio, & Red: Blue!
M.S.K: (Sighs) Well, anyway. Sorry to keep you waiting. What kept me is what I said earlier. Plus, I've been visiting with a few people from another show almost everyday. They're very hillarious too. You just can't keep them away from you. Can't you? I'll tell you who they are later. Well, yeah and I got this chapter finally updated! Again, sorry to make you all worry. So, Zelda?
Zelda: Of course. Kaoru doesn't own Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. Only her OC. Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo.
M.S.K: Arigatou Zelda.
Red: So, uh. Who are the people who kept you from writing?
M.S.K: Well, I'll tell you later.
Blue: Humph!
Chapter 5: Hoshimi's Feelings and Shrakah's Concern
That evening, Shining Link's dream has turned into a rather strange one. He had it ever since he fell asleep in the library of his castle. He has already recovered from being drenched with sea water from the storm during the afternoon. He even told his father and mother: King Pheobus and Queen Raina, about what happened during and after the maelstrom. Of course, neither of them were too sure if that really happened.
In his dream, he found himself standing alone on the beach that's near his home. It was slightly misty and it's practically cold because it's in the night. The salty wind blew through him from across the sea as the waves roared as they move inward and outward. Up in the sky, the chilling moonlight shone brightly on the water.
"Where am I?" He asked himself. Then, in a short moment, he heard the same exact song he heard when he was lying on the shore in the same morning he was found by Sheik.
"~Please, marry me! A Dolphin Ring is one simple gift you'd give me for your return of affection to me. I've wiped my tears away, so please do take my hand. With no words alone, your hand wrapped in mine is all I truly need.~"
He hurried himself over to where the song is coming from and finally as he stopped, he couldn't believe at what he saw. "Oh!" By recognizing the color and glittery scales he caught a glimpse of before, he's seeing Hoshimi, although he doesn't know her. He's seeing her sitting on a rock, surrounded by the ocean water on the beach line, singing her song. "In the name of fair Naryu, I've never seen anyone so beautiful. . ." He whispered to himself. Then he decided to move closer to her.
When the mer-hylian mermaid finished her song, she turned her head towards the Prince and smiled.
He stopped halfway through the water as he gazes at her aquamarine eyes. "Are. . . Are you the one who. . ."
Before he can say another word or two, she said to him. "I've been expecting to see you again. . . . Prince Shining Link. . ."
He wanted to say something to her, but it seemed that he can't figure out what.
From there, the Prince woke up from his dream with wide eyes. "Ah!" He sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. "It's that dream again." Then he blinked. "Was I. . . dreaming about a mer-hylian princess?" He asked himself. "That voice has been inside my mind ever since the afternoon." Then, he got his Ocarina of Time and start to play the first few measures of the song he heard in his dream. After that, he went out to the wide window of his room and stared out into the ocean that's up ahead. "No matter where she is, I have to find her." He said to himself.
In Hylia, two weeks have gone by and things were apparently quiet around the Royal Palace. On this morning, just like any other morning, the Six Maidens swam over to the door of Hoshimi's bedroom to wake her up for the day as usual.
The Blue Maiden knocked on it first. But, when she did so, she received no answer. As she knocked the second time, she called. "Lady Hoshimi? Are you inside?"
Then, all of the maidens decided to open the door. As they did, they found that the Princess is not in her bed. "Oh!"
"We got to look for her." Said the Red Maiden. "We can't have her missing breakfast, and I do know where she is."
They all agreed and they headed through the hallway to one particular room.
That room is the Royal Rehearsal room and everyone in the palace uses it to practice and rehearse for several occasions. Such as ceremonies. The Maidens decided to check in that room for they've known that Hoshimi will often go there to do her ocarina playing or dancing.
They're all there together at the door way and the Blue Maiden slowly opened the door. Once she did so, she and the maidens found Hoshimi water dancing around the room, playing her ocarina whole heartedly.
At first, the Maidens just stared at her, wondering why she's playing her ocarina so happily on this morning.
But, to break this momentary silence, Blue Maiden said to the princess. "Um, Hoshimi, darling. Pardon us for interrupting you, but we think it's time to put your practice to a hold because you're about to miss breakfast with Prince Link and the others."
Gradually, Hoshimi stopped her ocarina playing and turned to the Maidens. "Oh, yes. And good morning to you all as well." That's all she's able to say because, she's in deep delight right now. She's even humming her Dolphin Ring song as she swam over to the doorway.
"Goodness, what's got into her, this morning?" Asked the Green Maiden.
The others are wondering the same thing until the White Maiden asked Hoshimi. "Milady, are you feeling well?"
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?" She said to them with a bright smile.
"Well, it's very unusual to find you here in the morning, dancing all by yourself and playing your ocarina. No wonder you're such a wonderful dancer." Said the Yellow Maiden.
"Why thanks." Chuckled Hoshimi. "I was dancing because I was thinking about Shining Link." Then, that snapped her mind. "Ack!" "Oh dear! What am I thinking! I almost forgotten about Vio's plan to help me hide my secret!" She thought, worrying a bit.
The Maidens heard a only a small bit of those words. "You're thinking about who?" They all asked in unison.
Then, Hoshimi said, almost hesitantly. "Uh. . . Uh. . . What I'm saying is. . . Um, Navi's shining wings. Ha, ha. Yeah, I always loved Navi's wings, Blue Maiden."
They all blinked.
Then, Blue Maiden replied. "Oh, well, I'll let her know that. It's nice of you to say such a thing for my fairy."
"Oh! That's good to hear." The Princess answered back. "Whew! By Din's name, I thought they would've heard me by now. But, that is a quick recovery I made! Man! That was close!" Her mind spoke again. "Well, I'm off to the dining hall!" She said with glee while the maidens were still staring at her odd behavior.
It wasn't too long when Hoshimi almost ran into her father. "Hmm? Ah."
The King blinked oddly at his daughter. "Oh."
"Lovely morning, father!" She said, winking at him.
"Oh, well. . . Quite a morning it is for me too." Well, that's all he could say while watching her swimming off, singing to herself.
The hall filled with silence until the Red Maiden commented. "Oh, it looks like she's completely hooked. By something rather enchanting, I mean."
"Huh?" Asked the King. "What do you mean by that? What's making her swim like that all of a sudden."
Well apparently, the Yellow Maiden knows one thing that's making her do such things. "To me, it's quite obvious that your daughter happens to be in love with someone, your majesty."
King Thor blinked again. "Oh? Hoshimi? My youngest daughter? In love with somebody? I wonder who it is."
Later on, after breakfast, the Royal Children decided to hang out around a remote coral reef that's not too far from the kingdom. Shrakah and Keir are also there with them.
As usual, Link and Blue are sparring while Vio is reading another book while lying against a smooth rock, surrounded by his favorite species of purple coral. Red, however is scouting around the seabed for any nice looking sea shells while Zelda is trying to find some oyster pearls for her collection.
Keir is muttering to himself about what has been going on since after the day Hoshimi rescued Shining Link. "Okay. . . Okay. . . Let's take it slowly. Two weeks passed and so far, everything is steady. The King, himself hasn't known a single thing about that situation. Neither does the maidens. . ." But, he happens to feel a tingle of suspense building up in him. "Oh! How are we going to keep it to ourselves for so long? If Hoshimi would have never been there, this won't be happening!"
"Just remain calm, Keir." His brother told him. "We both know that we should have left the situation alone. But, we know that it's hard for the princess to do so. So, it's best to never breathe a word about it to his Majesty."
"But, I can't take it!" He complained again.
As for Hoshimi, she's now lying on a bed rock, with a lei of kelp blossoms around the crown of her head. While sighing lovingly, she kept thinking about the Hylian Prince every minute or two or more. She even blushed too. In her hands, she has a bright red kelp blossom she plucked earlier. While waving her tail fins from side to side, she plucked the petals one by one, constantly repeating. "Ryuusei loves me. . . Ryuusei loves me not. . ." Until, on the last petal, she gasped. "Oh! Ryuusei loves me! Yes!"
She got up from her bed rock and happily swam around Vio twice, gave Red a kiss on the cheek, and Zelda a hug. Next, she paused Link and Blue's spar battle to dance around with them, giggling happily! "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it all along!"
"Hoshimi! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Blue said to her. After she lets him go, he muttered. "Little sisters. . ."
The white tailed mermaid continued to frolic and giggle with delight until Shrakah announced. "Hoshimi, Milady. We need to talk, so pause your love talking for a moment, please."
But, she pouted. "Aww! Come on, Shrakah! It's too early and too nice of a day to talk about my magic right now! Plus, there's at least a good chance for me to see that shining prince again!"
"Your magic is not what I'm going to bring up." Said the Mer-Sheikah.
"And you're not actually planning to tell him who you are. Are you? You can't be serious about that, Princess." Asked Keir.
"Of course I am." She replied. "I'm visiting him late, tonight. Plus, I ought to meet with Navi too at that time. She does know where he's located."
"Our father will forbid that if it were to ever happen, you know!" Said Blue.
As Shrakah continued to try and protest to her plan, the only thing the rest of her siblings can do is to sit on their spots and watch her odd behavior getting the best of her.
Then, Vio said, closing his book. "All right. Now, Hoshimi. Let's not beat around the coral bush. We know that you are developing a crush with someone from the upper world. But, it's time right now to focus on more important issues. Even though, you are sticking to the plan of keeping this a secret."
But, Hoshimi is hardly hearing a word he and her confidante are saying. She's still in deep thought on how to meet up with the prince once more. It seemed that keeping it to herself isn't easy. "First, I'll swim up to beach where his castle is, then Navi will hover around him to lead him to the seashore and from there, I'll. . ."
Finally, Shrakah got her attention by exclaiming, "Yes, Hoshimi! I like your plan. I like everything about it, but the thing is, your true home is here! Hylia of the Great Sea, where your father, King Thor rules! Just like every fish, mollusk, mammal, coral, and crustacean!"
Hoshimi paused in order to listen.
"Now look. We know that you are very interested in him. But, as a Mer-Sheikah warrior, hired by his majesty, it's my responsibility to assure to him that you have a sustainable well-being. Me and my brother are duty bound to help you out of any danger for his majesty." He said to her.
"But, Shrakah. I can take care of myself. There's absolutely no need for father to be so worried about me. I'll just keep on giving my magic the strength it truly needs." She said back to him.
"Hoshimi." The Mer-Sheikah said sternly. "The biggest concern the King is having already is about you and going up to the surface numerous times. You have to keep in mind that this kingdom has an ultimately strict ban upon it. A Mer-Hylian must never interact with a Hylian. Besides, people like that Prince are mostly the ones who cannot be trusted. Instead of socializing with us, they'll only prefer to hunt us for various reasons. Such as for the scales of your tails. Especially the shiny ones. That way they'll make profit with them."
"Oh, come on. We'll just have to explain to father that this shimmering Prince will never do such a thing like that and I'm sure that his culture must have the same customs as we have. Probably. . ." She tried saying.
"That's simply ridiculous!" Said Keir. "There's no way that this can be explained to him. That Prince may just be another Hylian who will be able to use a harpoon."
"Well, I highly doubt that. I'm never afraid of people like those." She said again, boldly.
Shrakah sighed. "Princess, listen. Your father is very clear on this and the law has been issued. No Mer-Hylian should engage contact with a Hylian."
Then, the Princess pleaded with him. "But, Shrakah! Father doesn't even know a single thing about him than I do."
"It still doesn't matter and don't argue with me." He said calmly. "The Ocean World is where you are born and where you rightfully belong. At that, going up to the surface more than once will lead you to no good. Remember the promise you made with your father about the Pearl of Din?"
Hoshimi paused. Then she said. "Well. . . . yes. . . but. . ."
"Good. Now, no more talk about the Prince or the Hylian world for today. We're going to have another peaceful night in the sea later on. It's going to be full-moon tonight." Then, Shrakah placed his hands upon her shoulders. "I'm sure that once you're able to dance like every usual full-moon night, your sparkling scales will please his majesty. So, be happy for who you are and where you're living." Then he turned around and got Keir over because they're going to the village of the kingdom for something.
Now, from there, Hoshimi didn't have anything else to say. She slowly sat down on the sea floor with all of Shrakah's words filling up her mind. As she looked up through the shimmering waters of the surface, she happened to see Shining Link's face through the vision of her own eyes. Surely her father and confidante mean well but she doesn't have the heart to forget the person who took her heart on wings from the moment she saved him from danger. She can't deny the fact that she wanted to show him her feelings for him, if she ever gets the chance to see him again. "If only I can change the way I am. . ." She thought, looking down at her fish tail. Then she sighed. "Oh. . . That's impossible. I can't live with him in the Hylian world like this. Maybe he's right. Perhaps Hylians and Mer-Hylians are practically too different from one another."
Then her thoughts were put to hold when Red came up to her and whispered something into her ear. After listening to him, her smile began to broaden up a bit. To her, Red happens to be the best person in her family who's able to cheer her up besides Zelda and Link.
After Hoshimi got up, Red got his brothers and sister together and they swam off to where he's planning to take them.
Moments later, Keir and Shrakah were sitting on a stony bench near a bubbly fountain in the middle of the village. They were talking about the talk that they had with Hoshimi.
"You are a motivational speaker, you know brother." Said Keir.
Shrakah nodded. "Yes, I know. But, sometimes I really think that someone should tie that Princess' fins down whenever she's frolicking like that, earlier."
The two were enjoying their moment until a call came out through the noises of chattering from the other villagers. "Shrakah! Keir!"
They both bolted up and looked around. Then they found the Blue Maiden swimming frantically to them.
"Oh! Shrakah! Keir!" She spoke under her breath. She's been swimming for quite a while because she's been trying to find them around a big village. "There you are!" She gasped again as she came up to them. "I've been searching everywhere! I have an urgent message to you from his majesty!"
"A message?" Asked Keir.
"From the King?" Shrakah asked next.
"Yes! Yes!" The maiden said hesitantly. "He wants you to report to the throne room immediately! He said that there's something about Lady Hoshimi!" After that, she quickly swam off.
There's a short pause until the two Mer-Sheikahs looked at each other with widened eyes, gasping. "His. . . His majesty knows!" With no time to lose, they quickly swim off to see the King.
In the throne room, King Thor is busy thinking with a jolly looking grin about what the Yellow Maiden said about his daughter. "Heh, heh. Well now. Who could that boy be? I do wonder if he's worthy enough to make an honest bride of my youngest daughter?"
It wasn't too long when he saw Shrakah and Keir at the door way to his throne room. "Oh! Good timing. Well, do come in, Shrakah. Keir."
Now, the two paused first. Then they slowly walked down to meet his throne. They both kneel down and said. "Yes, your majesty? What have you called us here for?"
Thor cleared his throat and asked them. "Now, Shrakah and Keir. I've summoned you both here because I'm questioning about Hoshimi. Did you two by any chance have seen her acting strange, lately this morning?"
"Acting strange, you say?" The eldest Mer-Sheikah
"Well, you know. Seeing her, moaning and sighing around. Daydreaming, playing her ocarina, singing, and dancing?" The King stated again. "You two wouldn't have the chance to notice that, haven't you?"
Shrakah stopped to think until he shrugged. "Well, I do happen to see her doing those things. But. . Well . ."
The King then smirked slyly all of a sudden. "Shrakah. . ."
"Yes. . .Sire?" He asked nervously. Although he's never been nervous lately in his life.
Thor gestured him to come closer and he did while Keir followed. Then he said. "I know that you're hiding something."
"Hiding something?"
"About Hoshimi?"
"Ho. . . Hoshimi? What about her?" Both brothers asked in unison again.
"Is she. . . in love. . . with someone?" The King's smirked widened.
After a small pause of tension, Keir then started. "Okay! Okay! It's true! She is in love! But, not with someone of this kingdom! You see, your majesty! We tried to keep her under control but, she wouldn't listen to us! Not at all! Brother and I tried to tell her to keep away from Hylians! She just. . . She just. . ."
When he just heard the word, the King isn't happy now. "Hylians?"
The young Mer-Sheikah continued to stutter while the eldest one shook his head slowly.
Then, the King placed his hand over the young one's mouth. "Now! I'm going to uncover your lips and I want you to calmly, with your brother tell me what it is about Hoshimi and Hylians. Understand?"
Keir nodded. Then as soon as his mouth was uncovered, he gave out. "Hoshimi rescued a Hylian from drowning, your majesty!"
Infuriated by the truth, the King hollered. "What? Hoshimi saved a life of a loathsome Hylian?"
"It's true." Said Shrakah, humbly. "She went up to the surface the other night, and when in a storm, she saved a Hylian boy from his watery grave."
"Yes! Yes! She even serenaded him and. . . and. . . she's been collecting items from the upper world!" The boy shrieked again. "What are we going to do? We're sorry, your majesty!"
But, the King was too furious in his thoughts about what to do about his daughter to accept any apologies just yet. Then he ordered out. "Summon the maidens and report this! They must come along with you two and me! We must go out and find my daughter! I must have a talk with her! This is the last time she's ever done this!"
Later on, without knowing that the King is coming to see her, Hoshimi opened the same slab of stone that leads over to her secret grotto. She doing this because, this happens to be the place where Red is leading her and the rest of the siblings for something.
"Red! Come on! You can at least tell me what you're going to show me!" She giggled.
"Well, come along!" He said, leading them through the tunnel and all the way to the entrance of the grotto. Then he pointed to something that's sitting on the sea bed. "There! See? It's a surprise for you."
Everyone looked at what's before them and gasped.
"Oh, Naryu of the Sacred Realm. . ." Sighed Link and Zelda.
"How did that get in here?" Asked Blue.
"It must have sunk from above." Said Vio.
However, the one who's most thrilled is Hoshimi. "Why! Red. . .!" What's in front of her is the same marble statue of the Prince! Shining Link!
Then she exclaimed with glee. "Red! Come here!" She wrapped her arms tightly around her brother, giving him a lovable squeeze! "Red! I'm so happy! You're the sweetest brother any girl can have!"
"Your. . . Welcome. . ." He grunted a bit before she releases him.
Vio, however isn't sure if the statue should be in the grotto, though. "Hoshimi. I might be having a bad feeling about this. There might be a good chance that our father will catch you with that thing."
"Oh! Relax, Vio! We're still keeping the secret." The princess is too happy to see that the statue is in the grotto. She is very delighted to have this as the biggest part of her collection. She swam around it in a few circles. "Don't you like it? It looks so much like Ryuusei, himself! It even has his face in every detail!"
Then she stopped to meet the statue's face and giggled. "Oh! Why, Prince Shining Link! You wish to start a life together? With me? Hah. . . By the Three Goddesses, this moment is so sudden for you to propose that to me!"
Hoshimi continued to giggle until suddenly, from the entrance of her grotto, stood a familiar figure! She then gasped.
Her siblings turned around and saw the figure too in shock.
"Oh!" They all said together. "Father!"
M.S.K: Yup. Hoshimi's father is going to have an absolute fit about the truth. Sorry if the chapter's end is a cliff-hanger. Pretty soon, Shadow Link will show up to her in the next chapter. (Doki doki doki doki . . .) Oh gosh! Why is my heart beating all of a sudden. . . Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Do feel free to leave a review or a comment. Jya na!
Red: Now, um. Who are those people.
M.S.K: Oh yes! These guys. . . Eight young men actually; are part of those people who represent the many countries of this world. Mostly they're men but a few are women of course.
Vio: But, who are they?
M.S.K: (Giggles)
Blue: Now what?
M.S.K: They're all good friends, even if they sometimes don't act like so. One is from North America, four of them represent Europe, and two represent East Asia. They're even named after their home countries too.
Zelda: What's the name of that group?
M.S.K: (giggles some more.) I'll tell you. . . . . HETALIA!
Italy: (Pops into the room) Buonjourno, Kaoru!
The other nations: (Enters in too.)
M.S.K: Gyah! (Jumps up) How. . . How did you all get here?
Italy: We want to see you so, we all came in!
M.S.K: My oh my. . .