A/n: Whoo hoo, schools out and I just had my last exam a couple of days ago, Amy E. however had her last exam on Wednesday… curse her. O well, we were still able to get together to write this chapter, although I didn't get to go over it as well as I would have liked, if you do catch any errors please inform us. I'll probably go through and edit the whole thing when we finish, but for some reason it's disheartening to try editing it now. Go figure? Anyway, thank you all for reviewing again, they really inspire us to continue writing. Thanks. We hope you like this chapter and promise A LOT of action in the next one.

Chapter 23: Plans to Thwart and Plans Thwarted

Naomi stirred her breakfast at the table with Aura and Damien. The three were awaiting the rest of their coincidental group to rejoin them, and Naomi still seemed to be in a dreamlike state from her previous rescue. Damien and Aura gulped down their food without notice, barely able to thank Lulu for the meal as she left to take care of her seven children.

Naomi sighed heavily as she rested her chin on her hand, only one thing remained on her mind.

"So you and Link know?" Naomi asked suddenly, looking up from her food. The question came randomly to its listeners, but that was the way with Naomi; if something were on her mind, she would speak it without any warning. Damien swallowed his last spoonful of Zoran foods.

"Huh?" He said as he coughed from inhaling it. Naomi adjusted in her seat, continuing to stir her food.

"You called Arian a wolf earlier, so you guys know?" She insisted. Aura looked from one to another as she sipped on her drink.

"Know what?" She questioned them. Damien suddenly remembered the chat he had with Link and Arian on his first night with them. He looked to Aura, the inquisitive look in her eyes worried him as he glanced at her swords and realized the seriousness of Arian's predicament.

"Um… that… Arian is a real beast… yeah…" Damien stumbled at first, trying to find a way to make Naomi agree and keep Aura from realizing the truth, but then he settled back into his natural charm. "Naomi should know." He winked at the girl in a suggestive way. Naomi cocked her head to the side and stared at him curiously.

"I don't think we're talking about--" Her words were cut off by the joyous squeal of a fairy.

"Naomi, Aura, Damien!" Cried Tatl as she swirled around them much to Damien's relief. "Thank heavens we're finally back! And we even brought that other guy." Sure enough Link, Amy, and Arian came walking in looking wearied and relieved. Naomi quickly stood from her chair and ran to Arian's arms.

"Why in Termina did you decide to take a walk without telling us?" Arian looked confused as he received her embrace, but his eyes drifted to Gangor peering at them from the kitchen. Their gazes met and Gangor shuddered as he realized Arian would tell Naomi the story of how he had left her 'savior' to fend for himself, but Arian donned a stern expression and pulled Naomi from him.

"Yeah, I figured I needed the fresh air."

Link and Amy looked at the two and began speculating as to what they missed, even Aura and Damien were rather surprised by Naomi's display of affection, but Tatl and Navi were more interested in what she was wearing.

"Why are you dressed like a Gerudo?" Navi asked, Tatl shoved her away from Naomi.

"Gerry doe? You mean like a Pirate… I don't think there are any Gerry doe's around here." Naomi chuckled.

"Yes, I am dressed like a Pirate, which also seems to be similar to Hyrule's Gerudo's, which I found out when I was there." Naomi rolled her eyes, remembering her brush with the Hylian Zora's. "And well, just so everyone is clear, I was a Pirate but I decided to exile myself from that society…" Naomi smiled at Amy and Link.

"And what are you wearing?" Aura laughed as she brushed her hand across the skirt that flowed about Amy's legs. Amy blushed lightly as she remembered how feminine her attire was, and how uncharacteristic.

"My clothes became ruined in our journey and I had to borrow someone's…" Amy worded carefully, hoping that she and Link could keep that story a complete secret. It seemed to work, but the next question had Link on his toes.

"What took you so long?" Damien asked rather angrily. Link rubbed his head.

"We had to get my horse." He answered plainly.

"Why didn't you just play that song?" Link warped his face to an uncomfortable expression which remained there as he pulled out his ocarina.

"Oh my goodness…" Naomi said with mouth agape as she took the musical instrument from his hands to examine the damage done to it. She chipped off some of the dirt.

"How did this happen?" Aura exclaimed as she too stared at the pathetic piece of junk once called the Ocarina of Time.

"It uh… fell…" Link replied rigidly, he also didn't want to explain what had happened and he could see that Amy was quickly becoming nervous. Naomi came unintentionally to his rescue as she finished her examination of the broken tool.

"Obviously the dirt is clogging the holes in which the air is released that create those strangely magical sounds. I don't know if the magic was affected, but if we remove this dirt, then it should play alright again." She said to herself, hearing herself speak helped her to organize her thoughts. "Now how will we force this dirt out without breaking it…" She turned to Link. "Is there any way to take this thing apart?" Link's eyes widened as he shook his head back and forth. Arian took the Ocarina from Naomi's hands.

"Why not take it underwater and blow the dirt out?" He suggested as he examined it closely, holding it above his head to catch the light.

"But it might crack as you're forcing the dirt out." Naomi replied, crossing her arms as she began thinking of another solution. Arian smirked and shook his head.

"You know when dirt gets wet, it becomes mud… and it should come out easy, it will just take a while." Naomi stopped, her eyes widened and she covered her face to hide her embarrassment.

"Of course…" She laughed. "I feel like and idiot now." Arian smiled and rubbed her head.

"Don't worry, you would have thought of that eventually." The good feelings warmed the room but added to the confusion of the others in the group.

"Since when did you two get so close?" Amy asked as she crossed her arms. Naomi blushed and immediately changed the subject.

"That's not important right now, first lets get some water to soak this in while we're on our journey back to Hyrule." Naomi placed one of her long, thin fingers to her lip as she began looking about the room. "We just need to find something to hold it in with all the water and such so we can travel while it soaks." Link nodded and dug through his pack, pulling out a large glass bottle.

"Like this?" He asked, the group reverted their attention back to him. The very large bottle glistened in the dim light.

"Were you lugging that big thing around with you the whole time?" Amy asked in amazement.

"Yes…" Link's eyes followed her as an awkward silence ensued. Naomi snapped out of her surprised state and snatched the bottle from him, filling it with some fresh water within the Zoran Hall, placing the ocarina in it, and sealing it with the stopper. She handed it back to Link who in turn replaced it into its pouch strung across his chest.

"How does that fit?! Without anyone noticing it or breaking it? And isn't it heavy? What else do you have in there?" Aura began bombarding Link with questions as she tapped on his strap of pouches. Navi flew in her face to back her off.

"It's a Kokiri secret! That's what it is!" The fairy screamed. Amy nodded.

"Well, I suppose we can go as soon as I change out of these clothes. Naomi, you still have my stuff in your bag." The little pirate girl nodded.

"Come on, we'll get ready and meet you guys at the back dock, I'm sure I can get one of the Zora's to give us a boat so you guys don't have to swim." She said as she pulled Aura and Amy away. Arian concurred in a mumble.

"Yeah, I've done enough of that today…"

"What?" Naomi asked, Arian's eyes widened.

"Nothing." He replied. She shrugged and quickly left as the three boys turned to the dock as they were told. Link took one last glance back at Amy, trying to imprint the vision of her in a dress before she burned it. He was rather sad to see it go, but at the same time, glad he would no longer be distracted by it.

The three boys stood on the dock, staring out at the sea and noticing the strange fish shaped temple in the distance. It was then that Damien grew the mischievous grin that constantly adorned his face.

"So Arian…" He started, the boy didn't catch on to his mocking tone. "What is with you and Naomi?" Arian smiled dreamily.

"She kissed me." He replied. Link's eyes widened as he turned to his companion.

"So… the one, eh?" Link grinned. Arian nodded wistfully. Damien laughed.

"Yeah, I was beginning to wonder when beauty and the beast would get together." Arian smiled again despite Damien's attempt to make him feel uncomfortable. So the guard gave up his attempts to make a joke and instead sat in quiet with them as they awaited the girls to join them and begin their journey.

The group was completely unaware of the eyes that remained upon them. Devoren had already heard of Naomi's rescue at the pirate fortress and was now brewing a plan to increase his army. Similarly to the incidental heroes, the intentional villains stood on a dock looking out towards the temple. This particular dock was surrounded by boats handmade by the Pirates. Devoren himself stood with Aveil.

"So you say they intentionally disgraced the Pirate name and fortress?" He said with false sympathy, Aveil nodded crossly as she strongly gripped her spear, making her knuckles turn white.

"To think we once called her a Pirate." She hissed. Devoren nodded, the sly grin born on his face.

"Do not fear, we shall take care of them, so long as you hold up your end of the bargain." Aveil glared at him harshly.

"I gave you a Pirate's word of honor, there is no word better." Devoren let out a harsh laugh as he held his hands up.

"Yes, very well then. I shall have my men send you her body to dispose of as you please." Aveil cocked her head to the side.

"Are you sure you have not visited these shores before, you look so familiar." She said. Devoren laughed uncomfortably.

"Oh no, I just have one of those faces." He bid the satisfied Pirate goodbye as he walked to Vereor's side, whispering into his black-eyed and pale companions ear.

"So the first one on our agenda is the littlest girl." He laughed. Vereor nodded.

"The one with the Zoran clothing." He looked to General Gaft. "The one that you could not defeat." General Gaft shrank back in shame.

"I was outnumbered." He muttered to himself. Devoren ignored him.

"I will give you a chance to redeem yourself." He said with arms crossed. "She will be lured inside that temple, we'll wait until we can get her alone. Wait for her inside there, and I want you to personally take care of her."

"Oh, yes, master," Gaft fell to one knee. "I will not do you wrong this time." Devoren nodded doubtfully.

"Now go." He dismissed him. Gaft quickly jumped to his feet and began on his way. "Oh and Gaft, try not to mess around this time." Gaft nodded and took off in a boat, heading into a mystical fog to hide his arrival at the temple.

"Master, I mean you no disrespect, but I am curious as to how we will lure the girl into the temple when our sources clearly heard they were heading to the portal today." Devoren laughed again.

"The portal is closed." He explained to the confused Vereor. "I know my brother, he is here and thanks to one most unhappy couple at Clocktown who they made a promise to, the portal will remained closed by the one who despises un-kept promises, buying us some time to dispose of them one by one."

"And then we will have the sword."

"Yes, and once the sword is destroyed, there will be nothing holding back my powers." Devoren sneered as he looked toward Zora Hall.

Naomi swam to the bottom of the glistening pool below a beautiful waterfall, a rope tied around her waist. She felt the wall, trying to find that hole. The crevice was finally rediscovered, she quickly stuck her fingers inside, reaching for Hyrule. She closed her eyes, waiting for the rush she had felt before, but there was nothing. Reopening her eyes she found herself in the same pool, nothing had changed. Frantically Naomi looked for a different gap, wondering if she had found the wrong one, but there was no other crevice and there was certainly no gravitational force trying to pull her through as there had been before.

She surfaced, swimming back to her friends who held the rope that hung around her small torso.

"The portal, it isn't there anymore!" She exclaimed as she hoped to the side of the rock shore, wringing out her hair.

"Are you sure you have the right pool?" Arian asked, looking around. Naomi nodded.

"I'm positive. I went through there twice and it worked fine then… Maybe the rope is throwing it off?"

"Don't waste your time little ones." Called a strangely familiar voice from above them. The group looked to the overhanging ridges that led to the Beaver's homes to see the old man sitting on the edge, his cane sitting across his legs.

"Old man?" Link called, realizing that he still didn't know his name. "I thought we were going to eat dinner, why did you suddenly leave us."

"I went to eat dinner, I felt like fish, and there's no better fish than the ones these beavers can catch." He replied mysteriously. Link sighed.

"Next time old man, please tell us when you are going to leave." The old man nodded.

"Fair enough." He said in his friendly tone. Naomi shielded her eyes from the on-coming sun as she stared up at him.

"Why are we wasting are time? Do you know what we're doing?" She asked, heading straight to business. The old man nodded.

"I know very well what you're doing, you're wasting time when you should be helping people."

"Why should we be helping people?" Damien asked heatedly. "We have a rather urgent quest to complete."

"No quest is more important than that of the welfare of others."

"We thank you for your lesson in morality, but there will be no others if we do not complete this quest."

"And believe me, you will never complete that quest if you don't know what it really is." The old man replied, Damien was silenced. "Your quest is for others and you made a promise. This portal will not open until your promise is fulfilled." He said sternly as he shook his head. "Now I'm craving some lunch so I bid you farewell."

"No wait!" Link exclaimed as the sun made its way over the ridge, blinding the group temporarily. Naomi quickly ran to the side as her sight returned, looking back up from the shady area.

"He's gone!" She called to her friends. Link shook his head and quickly headed up to the top, hookshotting from tree to tree until he reached the top. He looked all around and confirmed Naomi's claim that the old man was in fact gone, however his climbing had not been in vain. A small folded paper, weighted down by a stone, sat where the old man had once been. Link quickly retrieved it as his companions continued to debate below him.

"Where do you think he went to eat this time?" Aura asked as she rubbed her eyes. Link shook his head and sighed as he re-folded the paper, shoved it in his pack, and jumped back down, using amazing acrobatics to land safely.

"You just love doing that, don't you?" Amy asked with her arms crossed. Link shrugged.

"Well, I guess we're headed back to Zora Hall to get supplies to go back to Clocktown and help Kafei and Anju, just like I wanted." Naomi said with a mocking tone. Damien sneered at her. So the group headed back from their vain attempt to leave Termina to the home of their caring friends the Zoras.

A/n: Please R&R!