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Chapter 14: Aine
Lief stared at a young girl, possible a year older than him. She didn't look like a normal girl though, she had fish-like features and her skin was white with blue here and there. Her eyes held the color of the ocean and her smile was simple, but curious.
"How do you know my name?" He asked sitting up in a cushioned bed that was made from an unusually large shell.
"From your friend," She smiled then glanced at a door across the room, a girl with long hair peeked in, tears glistened in her eyes.
"Malon!" Lief was so over joyed that he jumped from his resting spot and onto his feet running to her, "You're alive! how did you get here?"
"I came with Epona and Rani. Your fairy friend said she had a dream, the great fairy spoke to her." Malon accepted his embrace, "I'm so happy you're well, the last time I saw you was when I left to the river with the canteens."
"How long has it been? It had only been four maybe five days that I was with the gorons, how did you get to the zora's so quickly?"
No one answered, the awkward silence persisted as Lief, Malon, and the Zora stood in the open spaced room.
"Because you're an egg head! Stupid boy, why do I even bother!" Rani's little red orb glowed as she floated in the air in the middle of the doorway, her hands were on her hips, her aura was angry and her expression made Lief flinch.
"Rani..." He tried.
"Don't Rani me, Lief! How dare you send me off with that goron in that smelly old hat! how dare you think about taking on such a burden! You're a fool! I'll never forgive you!"
"Rani found me back at the hut and led me to the goron's cave, she told me everything about what you did in the caverns...after that we tried to sleep...that's when Rani had the vision," Malon explained.
"She said that your passed self used the ocarina to teleport you to the safety of the ocean...So I woke up Malon and we left immediately." Rani's expression was more calm now, but Lief knew that Rani could hold pretty long grudges.
"It took us two weeks to get here." Malon said.
"Two weeks?" He looked at the zora, "I've been out for two weeks?"
"Yes, you're lucky that the princess put a barrier around the reef or that dark menace who came along the beach would have really given us a bad time." The zora said, "My name is Ruto by the way" She smiled, "Make sure you thank me for that barrier."
"Thank you, what dark menace? Shadow?" He asked, Ruto shook her head.
"Much worse."
"It was Ganondorf's soldiers." Rani said.
"They're searching for you, people from my tribe have told my father and I that he's sent out different squads. One to search for you, another to take peace from our settlements, and the other guarding the castle. Ganondorf himself is searching for cursed materials. Such as the ones that you uncovered while fighting in the mines." Ruto said.
Lief sat down, he put a hand to his head and let out a shuddering breath. This is bad...Maybe I shouldn't have killed those beasts...
"What happened to the mountain?" He asked realizing that he forgot about the snowy death trap. Malon smiled happily when he brought it up.
"It's back to normal! the gorons went outside for the first time in awhile and saw the snow instantly melting, flowers began to bloom and they were able to begin gathering food." Malon was brimming with happiness.
"There's a downside to it though," Rani didn't seem very happy, "The cursed materials you freed were gone and the last creature you were supposed to get rid of was gone too. We think that Shadow took care of it for his master."
"So he's awake?" Another young zora came in, he was alittle shorter than Ruto, but still seemed around Lief's own age, "My name is Prince Ralis, I live near castle town in Lake Hylia."
"We are to be wed soon." Ruto stated simply. Clearly they weren't too fond of eachother, but how could Lief know that, he hadn't ever met any zoras before. Perhaps they had a different way of affection.
"Congradulations," Lief said taking the chance.
"Thank You, we're very happy to be together." Ralis smiled, Ruto looked up blushing then walked out of the room stubbornly. The act only made Ralis laugh and he soon chased after her.
Lief lay back on the silk covers, he began recalling everything that had happened and it wouldn't be long before he was found out here. The fairy queen had told him to use something to leave for awhile. Guess it was time to use it, he definately didn't want the unique zora tribe to come into the hands of Ganon.
"Could I be alone right now Malon?" He asked, he looked at Rani giving her the sign to stay.
"Sure," she smiled and left the room closing the door behind her. the only sound after she had left was small drops of water and bubbles of air rising to the surface just outside his window. fish swam around peering into the underwater chamber once in awhile then swam off to do fishy things.
"I know what you're going to do, Lief. Her majesty told me, you're going to travel back in time with 'that,' aren't you?" She watched him closely than smerked, "This room has such a bad atmosphere when everyone is so depressed, come on let's bring in a happier mood."
"Where will it take me?" Lief looked up obviously ignoring everything Rani just said, which made her make a sour face with her lips.
"It will pull you back in time to this very spot." she answered, now very irritated with his sad attitude.
He pulled out the music box and saw how what the great fairy meant, he could read the words clearly on it: In the Present twist it back, in the past twist it forward. No other way will work unless you wish to hear the sound of the music box itself. Lief touched a small lever underneath and a small wind-up key undid at the side, the knob was different than anything he had seen before, small creatures and islands were carefully hand-crafted onto the end of the knob. They were very small since the thing was used to turn by hand and not stare at, but it still showed decoration in it's design.
Lief gripped the latch and twisted it back, soft music played reminding him of the sea, the music box glimmered and suddenly the top popped open, something hard hit Lief in the face knocking him back forcefully to the point of sliding him back, causing him to hit his already sore head ont he shell.
"Lief?" Rani flew over then stopped eyes widening, her eyes grew angry and she seemed to go up in flames.
A small fairy with long blue layered hair lay sprawled out on Lief's face, her hair was held up in a fancy pony holder and she wore a long sleeved blue shirt, a blue skirt came around her waist glittering in the light. Her skin was a pale white and the same little trinkets, except silver, were around her wrists and ankels. When she opened her eyes they flashed a brilliant blue and she held a mysterious, but loving aura about her, she stood up her hair coming alittle past her waist and a tired look on her face.
From Rani's distance she could see the new comer's round sphere, it was also blue with a white hue about it. Her small bare feet lightly touched Lief's cheek where she stood, her wings flared outward beautifully showing off the white color and the blue tints around the edges. She looked down thoughtfully, she walked up onto Lief's nose, his eyes opened dizzily and confused.
To Rani's surprise the fairy flipped out flying over to his forehead checking for a fever, she started muttering about the reason he had so many bandages. Rani could have sworn that she started rambling on about who opened her music box, but then the words went back to worrysome mutterings.
"I'm so sorry are you ok?" She opened one of Lief's eyelids then went down to his mouth, she felt a breath and became giddy, "Whew, I didn't kill him after all!"
Rani slapped herself, "Who are you?"
The mysterious girl looked up and simply said, "I'm Aine" Then went back to her tip-toeing across Lief's chest, "Where am I? Who is this boy? Who are you? Are we dead? Is there a kitty somewhere around here?"
"Kitty?" Rani gave Aine a ridiculous look, "You're kidding right? We're underwater, cats hate water."
"Ah, but they love fish now don't they?" She smiled and flew up to Lief's face again grabbing his cheeks, pulling them out and making him smile funny, "I think he needs a doctor..."
Rani grabbed Aine's arm pulling her away, "If you would give him a chance to breathe, sheesh."
"Well excuse me Princess" She giggled at her own comment which was obviously her own inside joke; Rani just stared at her.
"Ow..." Lief put a hand to his face then his head, then finally opened his eyes, the two orbs floated about him, one red, one blue. "Did I miss something?"
Aine squealed, "He's so cute!" She flew into his hair then down his neck and miraculously on to his toe.
"Huh?" Lief's gaze was still unfocused, but finally cleared up. He started rubbing thet eye that Aine had pulled on the eyelid and tried blinking several times to get the weird feeling out of it, "Where did you come from?" He asked.
"The music box, I don't know why you opened it though." she turned looking down at the small intricate item, "I'm the guardian, I didn't believe that some one would actually come to be able to understand the words I wrote!" She smiled and then began fussing with a bruise on his arm.
Lief looked up at Rani for a moment then back down finding the bruise completely gone, Aine had a different aura about her now as she started healing another wound.
"You should really be more careful, you're still young." She looked up at him her eyes more intense now.
"I'm weak. That's why I have these wounds." He mumbled more to himself than her. I'm always hurting myself, I can't keep myself alive, how am I supposed to keep my friends and everyone else alive...if what Shadow said was true then I have the responsibility of Hyrule's safety.
"Perhaps you should rest more." while Lief was in his little daze she blew some transparent dust into his eyes, within seconds he fell onto his pillow falling asleep once more.
Rani flew up to her, "What's going on? That music box was supposed to take him back in time away from here! do you not understand the importance of his time travel?"
"No I don't" She got a competitive look on her face suddenly and stood straight up, "Then again, why didn't you try helping him feel more rested, you're a fairy and every little fairy has that gift." She let it sink in for a few moments.
"You don't understand anything about the fairies in this time."
"No, but I do know that you live on an island in the shrine of the great fairy. I know that you've risked alot for him," She pointed at Lief, "I also know that you can't heal cause you were originally from the twilight realm."
Rani froze, there was no come back for her, "You have no right to bring up such personal things."
"I guess not, I am though a direct daughter of the fairy queen and I originated in the waters surounding the grand kingdom of Hyrule."
"Don't you dare act all high and mighty angel." Rani threatened.
Aine sighed, "You're right i'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so competitive..." She shrugged smiling the first personallity returning again, "Now you said something about a kitty correct?" Her eyes widened with interest.
"No." Rani turned striding away then gliding up into the air, "Take us back in time first."
Aine smiled and flew up to Rani, "Haven't you noticed." She pointed at the little boy sleeping softly in the bed, his features were much more younger and his height was shorter, he looked very inocent and vulnerable as he slept.
Rani flew down to Lief and sitting on his pillow next to him, the music box was back to the way it was, except that there was a small blue design on top, "What does that mean?"
"It shows that we are currently in the past, five years back to be exact." She landed a few inches away from Rani and touches Lief's cheek smiling, "did you know that...sometime a fairy is said to be the reincarnation of someone's emotions and personallity?" She kissed his forehead lightly.
"Don't." Rani blurted out not thinking before.
Aine smiled mischeviously, "Looks like I've got some competition,"
Rani's face grew hot, jealousy welled up and she was tempted to shove Aine back in the music box where she came from.
A little zora girl ran in to the room and stopped as she saw the boy and the two fairies, "Why is there a boy in my bed?" She had the same resemblance as the older Ruto.
"Do you have an oracle or someone who I could talk to you young princess?"
The little zora nodded, "She isn't in our tribe though, she's the queen of the lake zoras. She's coming tomorrow though with her prince."
"If you don't mind, could this little boy stay here for the time being until he is ready to move on?" Aine asked.
"Yeah...but he can't stay in my bed, he'll have to be moved. Plus I have to ask my daddy before I let strangers into our home."
"I'll go talk to him then, please send for a guard to have this young lad sent to a comfortable room." Aine smiled sweetly at the princess. Ruto quickly scurried away.
"That simple?" Rani asked.
"That simple." Aine grinned victoriously, "One point for me," She giggled as Rani flew up after her chasing her out of the room toward the king's chambers.
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