M.S.K: (Sitting in one place of the room, trembling) *Doki, doki, doki, doki. . .* Oh, gosh. . .
Shadow: (Rests himself upon the authoress' back) Kaoru~. . .
M.S.K: . . . . . .
Shadow: Oh, Kaoru~
M.S.K: Oh! Yeah? (Turns to him.)
Shadow: (smirks at her) Aren't you going to do something, honey?
M.S.K: (Blushes) Oh! Right, right! (blush disappears) Sorry for the wait again. I often got held up from time to time. I've been having a hard time trying to think on how the next chapter will start off with. Well, I think I should get to that later. I finally got this chapter up and Shadow is now really going to appear! So, will you do the. . .
Shadow: Yes. (clears throat) Kaoru doesn't own Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. She only owns her princess character, and her two other characters. Everything relating to the Four Swords saga of LoZ belongs to Nintendo.
M.S.K: Arigatou.
Shadow: Now, are you sure your heart's not going 'doki doki' for me, is it?
M.S.K: (blushes again, now deeply) Well, I. . . uh. . . .
Shadow: Come on and tell me the truth. . . (Walks over to snuggle the authoress)
M.S.K: Oh. . . . . *doki, doki, doki, doki. . .* It just doesn't want to stop!
Chapter 6: The Troublesome Secret Revealed!
Recap:
"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!"
The joyful and wondrous atmosphere of Hoshimi's grotto has turned into a silent and suspicious one. Hoshimi and her siblings were shocked to see their father, King Thor at the doorway of the grotto. The King, himself is far from angry right now. Shrakah and Keir, stood behind him with sorrowful expressions on their eyes. Lastly, the Six Maidens were also worried too. They have thought they'll never see the day of when the King of Hylia will look so furiously upon the young princess.
While staring at the fearful eyes of her father, Hoshimi kept herself still in the water as she tried to hide the statue from him. Then again, she does know that she's not tall enough. She's even trembling too, never knowing what he'll say or do to her.
Trying to break up the suspicious silence of the waters, Vio moved over to his father with his fellow brothers behind him, and began to say to him. "Please! Father, let me explain! It's not. . ."
Before he can say another word, Thor moved his fearsome, angered eyes at him, making the Fourth Prince glance back with the brothers. "Stay out of this. . !" He growled.
Vio, Link, Red, and Blue couldn't believe this. They've never seen their father that way before. They can't even recall the last time he looked at them that way. Another thing they want to find out is what made the King know where their sister's treasured grotto is located.
Red whispered to Link. "I've never seen him this angry."
"Father must be very upset right now." He whispered back.
King Thor approached to Hoshimi slowly. "All this time, I thought I was a reasonable and knowledgeable king. Hoshimi! I've instructed you with rules which are very simple, and I expected you to obey them, willingly!" He examined the cavern of the grotto. "This entire time, you have been hiding this from me?"
"Look!" Hoshimi tried saying to him. "Father! It's not what it is. . .!"
But, he's taking no chances of listening to what she's about to give out. "Did you really rescued a Hylian male from drowning in that storm?"
"How. . . How can you know that?" She asked him.
"How, you ask? It's quite obvious that Shrakah and Keir told me everything!" He boomed. "Hoshimi! Do you have any idea of what you just did? Are you not blind? That act was inexcusable! The rule of my Royal Court clearly said that contact between our race and the Hylian rule is heavily prohibited! Everyone in the kingdom of Hylia knows that, Hoshimi! And so should you!"
Hoshimi tried to keep herself from whimpering as she tried to hold back the urge to cry. "But. . . But, if I hadn't been there, he would have perished! He's too good for that to happen to him! Besides, he's far different from those. . . those. . . savages you always mentioned!"
"It doesn't matter! Why must I care about some worthless, loathsome devil of a Hylian boy?"
"Well, you can at least try to meet him and get a chance to know him! If you would do that, I'm sure you'll change for the better!" She hollered.
"Get to know him? Don't be ridiculous! What reason shall I get to know him? I have no need to do such a thing! I cannot have my own daughter try and change who I am! I'm the King! All Hylians like him are practically no where different from being savaging, hateful, disgraceful fish hunters! They are highly unlikely to obtain any feeling or emotion that a. . ."
Then, unable to take all of this lecturing she has heard numerous of times, Hoshimi yelled out with all of the might of her voice. "Father! Do stop this! I'm fond of him, so don't ever talk about Shining Link like that!" Then, she realized that she suddenly gave out the real backbone of the truth as she gasped with surprise! "Oh!"
After that, the Six Maidens gasped too! So did Shrakah, Keir, Link, Zelda, Blue, Red, and Vio!
Vio cringed with his widened eyes. "Hoshimi! Just what were you thinking, giving out the real fact?" He thought.
"Oh! Great Goddesses of Hyrule, he's going to be really, really mad with you, girl!" Blue's mind spoke.
"This can lead up to only one big thing. . ." Thought Link.
"Oh. . . Oh dear. . ." Zelda thought, worryingly for her sister.
"Great Farore, please don't let Father punish her! Please don't let Father punish her!" Red's mind chanted.
Among the silence, the shocked King spoke again. "What. . .? Princess Hoshimi of Hylia. . . .! Are you entirely out of your mind? Don't you ever know the difference we're seeing here? That boy is a Hylian and you are a Mer-Hylian girl! There's no way an affair can happen that way! A Hylian and a Mer-Hylian can't go together!"
"That doesn't matter to me anymore!" She said again, clinging on to the marble statue. She isn't anywhere between sadness or stress. She is secretly angry that her father just doesn't want to admit that he might be wrong on what he thinks about her prince.
Then, the King began to grip on to his trident in front of her. "It doesn't matter, you say? So! It's all come down to this! Well, I believe there is a way to make you understand me!" His trident then started to glow.
Hoshimi gasped for she can tell what might happen!
The Six Maidens noticed it too.
Blue Maiden then tried to plea with the king. "Your Majesty! Please don't! If you become too strict with her, she'll only become even more harder to control! You can't settle things this way!"
"Blue Maiden! There's only one way to discipline my daughter about the dangers of the upper world and there's no other method than this!" He replied harshly.
The Maiden lowered her head for there's nothing else she can do to hold him back, now.
Zelda, Link, and the others swam over to the Maidens' side to brace themselves for what they'll be witnessing!
Once the trident's power reached its full potential, Hoshimi began to beg. "No! Father! Please reconsider! I'll never go up there again! I beseech you! Don't do this!"
But, it's too late! With all of its power, King Thor used his trident to destroy everything Hoshimi collected for her grotto! All of the little knick knacks and treasures are being reduced to sea sand, one by one!
While he's doing so, all Hoshimi can do is watching him doing this brash deed!
After all of the knick knacks were demolished, the last thing to be destroyed is that marble statue! The King began to aim his trident at it!
Seeing what he's going to do, Hoshimi tried to use her Naryu's Love to create a barrier around it. Little did she knew that her barrier may not be strong enough against the strength of her father's power. "Father! Cease fire!" She cried out while performing her barrier.
But, he wouldn't listen! He shot out his blow towards the statue, breaking through her shield!
"Everyone! Shield your eyes!" Link shouted as he, his siblings, the Mer-Sheikah, and the Maidens braced themselves!
The bright beam wrapped itself around the statue and before anyone can see it, the entire statue, that's once been one whole piece, was shattered into many pieces. King Thor has finished the destructive deed of punishing his daughter for all she had been doing.
Seeing the entire grotto destroyed and the marvelous statue gone, Hoshimi fell to the seabed, beginning to cry. Everything she collected, everything she gathered has been turned into sand. With tiny tear bubbles floating up from her eyes, she even felt sorry for herself.
King Thor looked down at his daughter with a stern face for a bit. Then, his sternness turned into sorrow, too. As he slowly swam away from the grotto's cavern with a sad expression in his eyes, he is sure that his daughter hates him now. He's also sure that the Goddesses of Hyrule will never forgive him and he couldn't do the same for himself either.
The Maidens, the Mer-Sheikah brothers, and the rest of the Royal Children watched him swimming off from the cavern. After he has gone, they slowly swim over to the weeping princess.
Shrakah tried to apologize to her. "Oh, my lady. I know it's hard. Me and my brother are sorry. We tried not to tell him. We really do."
But, she whispered in her sobs. "Please. . . Leave me alone. . . Let me be. . ."
Well, it seemed that he couldn't do a thing or two to help cheer her up now. So, he and Keir began to take their leave out of the grotto too.
Link, Zelda, Vio, Red, Blue, and the Maidens also followed, leaving the poor princess behind.
As they leave the now empty grotto, Blue spat. "Humph! Solid plan, Vio!"
"I have nothing to report to you, right now." That's all his violet garbed brother can say.
Back inside, Hoshimi was still crying. Floating above her is Shadow Link once more! He was also smiling too. In an evil way, that is. The whole time he has been watching the destruction of the knick knack gallery. Now, his grin began to broad even wider for this is the perfect time for him to make his move!
He slowly swam down to meet her with his black colored fins. "Heh, heh, heh, heh. . . ." He chuckled vilely. "Well what do I see now. . .? Ah, yes! What an unfortunate mermaid you are. No! A Mer-Hylian princess with sadness filling up to the brim of her heart."
His snake oiled words then made her stop her crying and turn her attention to him, swimming to her. She even glanced a bit at his sudden appearance. He really looked like her four brothers, but only darker.
Shadow Link continued his smooth talk with her. "Lovely, fair, delicate Hoshimi of Hylia, you do have a big problem inside you. Am I right?"
Hoshimi blinked. Did he just called sweet-talked her? Not too many men around the kingdom will do that with her.
"I guess I'm right. I am sure if there is a simple method that can help ease this sadness. Well, I think there is." He spoke again, sitting on the one spot of the seabed in front of her. He even examined her figure with his ruby colored eyes, which are now filled with something that the princess, herself couldn't name. "My, my! Dear, dear Hoshimi. . . . Oh! You're truly are a diamond of purebred beauty as they say. Just look at the scales of your tail!" He even leaned in towards her.
Hoshimi happened to whimper a bit. But to shake it off, she asked him while narrowing her eyes. "Just. . . Who are you, anyway?"
Shadow Link chuckled again as he placed his hand on top of hers. She even blinked once he did so. "There's no need to be frightened, Princess." He then played with one of the side plaits of her hair. "I'm only a humble servant of someone who's able to help you out of the calamity you're in." He moved his hand from her hair to her the side of her tail. "A special someone who will grant your wish."
As he began to move his hand down the side of her tail, Hoshimi began to flinch and move away from it along the sand. "Whose tail are you touching?"
"Oh." He said before chuckling again. "You really moved on me, your royal cuteness." Seeing her with a scowling face really made him smile. To him, she looked cute that way. He's truly amused at the move she made earlier. "I never know that a rather gorgeous mermaid, such as yourself can be this flinchy. That's really cute. It makes me want to get even closer to you!"
Hoshimi blinked again. "Am I being flirted with by a dark clone of my brothers?" She asked herself in thought.
Before she knows it already, Shadow Link is now a few centimeters closer to her than he was moments ago. "You see, fair Princess. The reason why I'm here is to tell you that this person I'm mentioning can surely help bring you and that shining prince of Hyrule together."
"What. . . what are you saying?" She asked him again.
He chuckled once more as he stroked her arm with his hand. "What I'm saying is. . . I know that Ganondorf can help you out with his incredible magic. I know it will, my beauteous goldfish."
When she heard the name of the infamous wizard from the Gerudos, she glanced backwards. "Ganondorf. . .? Why I. . . . That's. . . There's no way. . . I can. . . No! I can't accept that! Just go away and tell him that I have no interest for help from a sea demon like him!" She then turned her back around and crossed her arms.
Shadow Link then bowed his head slowly. "Do suit yourself, your highness. . ." As he started to swim off, he said to her. "I'm only suggesting for you. That's all. But, then again you're not opened to it." His fins then kicked over the Knife of Hylia's Tears next to her.
Hoshimi saw the knife and picked it up. As she held it in her hands, she began to think about Shining Link again. Then, she made up her mind. "Um. . . Shadow Link! Wait a minute!" She called out.
Gradually, he hasn't left the grotto just yet. "Yes, princess?"
After burying the knife under the sand as a hiding place, she swam over to him and sternly announced. "Where is Ganondorf living at right now?"
Shadow Link began to grin again. Things are really going according to plan now! "That's my girl! You are beginning to cooperate with me!"
Outside of the cavern, Zelda and the Four Princes were waiting outside. Shrakah, Keir, and the Maidens have already gone back to the palace. They're all sitting on a rock together, thinking about their sister.
Red is the one who's currently sorry for her as tears float from his eyes. "Oh, poor Hoshimi. . ."
Zelda tried to bring him out of his sorrow. "Look, I'm sure that Shrakah and his brother didn't mean to tell on her."
Then, the saw a shadow overlapping them. They all looked up and there is Hoshimi following Shadow Link as he's taking her somewhere.
"Hoshimi! Where are you going, now?" Said Link as he and his siblings swam up to see their sister. They also saw Shadow Link who's with her.
He laughed when he saw the Four Princes and Zelda. "Well now! Long time no see, Link, Red, Blue, and Vio!"
"Shadow Link!" The four said in unison. Yes, this shadowy version of themselves is a rival of theirs.
"Hello, Princess Zelda!" He said, smiling at her.
"Don't 'hello' me, servant of darkness!" She isn't so happy to meet him either.
Each Prince took out their swords, getting ready to try and fight Shadow.
"Woah there!" He said laughing, still. "I'm not here to fight with you guys like in the past."
"That's what you think! We know you're up to something suspicious, so save your words!" Said Blue, pointing his sword at him.
"Hoshimi! Get away from him!" Vio instructed.
But, she just looked at them for a bit before lowering her head. She didn't even bother to say anything or do anything.
"I'm afraid my help-seeker doesn't want to do that." Said Shadow, grinning as he held her by her waist. "I'm busy taking this lovely princess to where her problem can be solved. So do withdraw your swords and let us pass."
"You're wrong!" Said Red. "Hoshimi knows that she'll never get help from you. She won't even need it."
"Ah! But she does. I saw her weeping and I came to wipe away her tears. By saying that she really wants to have her wish granted, she has made her decision to follow my guidance." He said again.
Zelda remarked. "You're lying! Hoshimi will never give in to someone like you! How will you call her a help-seeker?"
"I'm sorry everyone. . ." Hoshimi began to say. "But Shadow is right. I am in need of help and he is going to guide me to the solution he spoke with me about."
Now, all of her siblings were startled by her words.
"Wait!" Said Link. "Am I hearing right? You've already gave in for his deed?"
"Are you crazy, Hoshimi?" Blue snapped. "Don't you have any idea who this guy is? He might try and trick you! You can't be serious just by listening to him!
"I am serious, Blue." She said slowly.
"Oh, sister! Why would you do this?" Said Red, beginning to cry.
But, Vio swam over to her and asked in a demanding matter. "Tell me, sister! Just what are you planning to do, by affiliating yourself with this. . . this shadow?"
"Shadow Link is going to take me over to see Ganondorf. That's why I'm following him, now." With that, she took Shadow's hand and they swam pass her siblings.
Everyone gasped slightly! Their younger sister is going off to visit the dangerous, villainous, devious, and most powerful sea wizard from the Gerudo Tribe, Ganondorf, himself!
Link quickly grabbed Hoshimi's arm, trying to get her to withdraw from her decision, exclaiming. "No! No! Don't do this, Hoshimi! You mustn't!"
"Yes! Don't! It's for your own good! So, you shouldn't go there!" Cried Zelda.
"Ganondorf lives in the middle of that terrible, dark, cold seaweed jungle! No Mer-Hylian can ever survive there! It's too dangerous! There are sharks, sea piranha, giant vampire squids, flesh eating polyps, giant sea kraits, and monsters everywhere! Including some critters that are bigger than that sea serpent we fought with! What's worse is that there's this hideous giant abalone that guards the heart of that jungle and preys on innocent fish and Mer-Hylians! If you're caught by that beast, he'll consume you alive, and you'll never be seen again!" Red cried with panic as he clung on to Hoshimi's other arm.
"And you can never trust a sea demon like Ganondorf!" Shouted Blue. "He once worked for our family. But, he acted against Father and before he's banished, he tried taking the throne of Hylia by force!"
Vio also chimed in. "Don't forget that when he was doing so, he used you to get to him! You can't just turn to him for help! He'll do something cruel to you! He's a monster so, stay away from him!"
But Hoshimi replied to them with an angry glare. "If you all think that it's too unwise, well then, why not go home and tell Father, just like Shrakah? You all can go ahead and try whatever need to stop me, but it's a little late for that! My mind's made up!" With that said, she continued to follow Shadow Link to where he'll take her to the Sea Wizard.
Link, Zelda, and the other three boys were left behind as they're watching the two swimming off.
"Ho. . . Hoshimi. . ." Link muttered.
Now, Red is having tears filling up to the brim of his eyes. "She's. . . going away, Green. . . She's even angry at me. . ."
"What will we do now?" Asked Zelda.
Then, Link's determination for helping his sister begin to rise up in him again. He announced to his siblings. "We can't let her do this alone! We have to go to that Forbidden Seaweed Jungle and make sure Ganondorf hasn't done anything to harm her!"
"WHAT?" They all asked him.
"But Green!" Cried Red again. "We can't go there!"
"Indeed!" Said Vio sternly. "Like he said earlier! It's completely out of bounds! And plus, no Mer-Hylian has ever made it out alive!"
Link just looked at them with serious eyes. "No one has, but we can! We have Farore's Courage and Naryu's Wisdom with us. So, let's get going! Let's follow them!" He then took the early lead to swim off, as his brothers and sister followed.
They may not no the outcome of what Hoshimi is planning but, they are hoping that she should be all right.
M.S.K: Oh! Hoshimi is swimming off to Ganondorf now! But, what will he be planning just by granting her wish? Well, you'll find out soon on the next chapter. So, feel free to leave a review or a comment. Jya na!
Shadow: Well, that's a wrap for this one.
M.S.K: Yup. And, I got to hand it to you. You did a really good job, cassanova.
Shadow: (Smirks again) Oh, why thank you very much, Lady Kaoru! It was my finest hour comparing to the last few bits of me in the story. Because, the other four are getting the lime light.
M.S.K: Thanks for rubbing that in. . .