A/n: This chapter took a little longer than I thought, but on the brightside, we've got the remainder of the story roughly sketched out, so this will not be another one of those unfinished stories, because we're way too stubborn for that.
Any way, here is the transition chapter between three consecutive, action-packed chapters. Hope it's not too boring (we did add some witty and funny things in : )
Chapter 24: Splitting Up
Amy gratefully sipped on a cup of fresh juice supplied by the Zoras, while Naomi thanked Lulu for taking them back in, explaining that they had received a message concerning the fulfillment of a promise to someone in Clocktown--a true story without much explanation. Upon her return to the table and the Zora's return to their daily routines, the matters at hand began their discussion.
"So now that we've made yet another useless trip what is our next course of action?" Aura said with a bitter frustration. She took a huge bite out of her piece of bread and slumped back in her chair. Damien watched her calmly and shook his head.
"Well we obviously have to take up on that promise, as Naomi said." He relied. Naomi nodded sassily and sat pridefully in her chair. A sudden burp arose from amid the table and a sheepish looking fairy peeked out from a hole in the loaf of bread.
"Excuse me…" Navi said and then resumed eating a pathway through the loaf. Link rolled his eyes as he pulled out the paper from the previous encounter with the old man, and once more tried to read its inscriptions. Amy was the first to notice his behavior.
"What is that?" She exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to Link. He looked up from the paper to see the curious eyes of his companions.
"It's something we found by the old man's perch!" Tatl said as she pulled herself from the punch bowl and back to Link's side. Amy shook her head.
"Link, you have to tell us these things… we're in a freaking group for the Giant's sake." She said exasperatedly, Link arched a brow.
"A group wasn't my idea." He muttered, Amy did all she could to ignore his comment.
"Well, what's on it anyway?" She asked with clenched fists. Link turned it around and showed it to them.
"I can't quite tell, all I know is that in each corner of the paper, it specifies something different." Link replied. Damien snatched it from his hands as Navi added her input.
"You can tell because it's color coded." She squeaked, swirling around Damien's head. Tatl quickly followed to have a good look.
"It's like it's the four giants' temples or something." She added. Damien rubbed his chin.
"It's exactly like the four temples. This is a map, or directions rather, on how to get four herbs, and according to the inscriptions at the top, these herbs can be put together to make a potion that reverses evil spells." Damien scratched his head. "Who was that old man? Had you guys seen him before?" Aura wrinkled her nose.
"Yes, he's only randomly disappeared on us twice." She replied in her frustrated tone. Damien nodded suspiciously.
"And he never gave you a name?" Aura shook her head as Arian cut in.
"He knows quite a bit about the ancient history of both Hyrule and Termina, along with the history of this great evil being." He added as he held his glass in front of him, swirling it before another drink. Damien rubbed his chin again while translating the markings on the old man's clue.
"He seems to be on our side though." Naomi said with a meek smile. "I don't think he's harmful in any way, just a bit mysterious." Damien nodded, acknowledging her comment.
"This does tell us exactly where to find these herbs, and reversing an evil spell is what we need to do for that Anju girl." He muttered. "Just be on the lookout. In this day and age, nothing will have an honest appearance. For all we know, that old man is luring us into some sort of trap."
"That's the way to be paranoid." Aura said mockingly. Damien merely sneered at her as he shook his head, Aura smiled. Amy nodded.
"Okay then, Link. You go and get one of the roots, and we'll meet you back at Clocktown." She ordered. Link looked surprised.
"So you aren't going to demand to come with me?" He asked, Amy smiled sardonically.
"No, I'm not. We will go to Clocktown and tell Anju that you are getting the roots she needs. Besides, I suppose one person doing it really would make it go faster." Link nodded, Amy was strangely becoming more tolerable to him. However, as she continued to stare at him, he became unnerved while sipping his drink.
"What?" He asked nervously.
"When are you going to go? We need to get this done quickly don't we?" Link nodded again.
"Okay, which one should I get first?" He asked Damien. Tatl answered for him in a sassy reply.
"Well we are right by the ocean, why don't you get that one first." Damien nodded as he began translating the ancient text.
"It says the herb needed is a type of seaweed growing in the masked one's pool, whatever that means." He said, wrinkling his nose. Link rolled his eyes.
"It means it's at the very end of the temple." He replied. "But since I defeated the masked one there should be a portal at the beginning of the temple that will take me straight to his 'pool'."
"Great, now go on and get that one, we can wait for you here and then when you head out to get the next one, we can be traveling back to Clocktown with the first root." Link nodded and stood. He had every intention of entering the temple then and there, until he remembered something from his childhood--with the help of a little fairy of course.
"Link, didn't some big turtle give you a lift last time?" The reminder chimed. Link flinched as the memories came rushing back to him.
"That's right. I guess I'll have to ask Lulu to wake it up again."
Naomi responded to his thought quickly.
"Okay, I'll go ask her. Oh, and then I can go and get that ocarina cleaned up, so just set it on the table so you don't take it with you." She cheerfully got out of her chair and ran off to find her friend.
"Naomi's getting to be a little too happy, she's still sensible, but a little too happy..." Damien said when she was out of earshot. Amy and Aura nodded in agreement.
"You guys have got to fill me in on what happened." Amy's eyes widened as she shook her head. Arian smiled as he once more thought over the previous events. The conversation stopped as Aura elbowed Damien after seeing Naomi come running back. The girl frowned as she looked at Link.
"I'm sorry Link, but Lulu is too busy right now. She's in the middle of schooling her children, and all of the other Zora's are either fishing or doing other chores. However, Gangor said that he can take you to the temple in a few hours or so." Naomi smiled. Link nodded.
"Okay, then I can go and get a different temple's herb in the meantime. I'll just play the Song of--" Link stopped and sheepishly handed Naomi the jar of brown, muddy liquid concealing the temporarily indisposed instrument and then thought once more about his course of action. "I'll take Epona to the Deku Temple and--" Tatl cut him off.
"You might not want to do that, it's been poisoned again and unless you still have that deku mask, there's no way inside other than the Song of Soaring." She informed him. Link rubbed his face.
"What about the mountain temple, do you think I could get up there to Snowhead?"
"Yes, actually, they just recently built some bridges and made that place a tourist attraction." There was a group nod of approval.
"Okay then, I'll take the tour and get the herb, maybe they have it on display, and well, they still owe me a favor for saving their home." Damien was reading the map again.
"I doubt it, this says here that the herb grows on the very top of Snowhead, and it's white, so
it'll blend in with the snow."
"This day just keeps getting better." Link shook his head. "O well, I'll see you all in about three hours or so." Naomi looked at the jar.
"And I should have this thing cleaned out by then… hopefully…" She suddenly began muttering things to herself. "Maybe I can use a reed… or a small fish…" Link nodded and headed to the dock, Tatl and Navi floating above his head. He looked up, realizing how much longer this journey was going to seem with two know-it-alls bickering about which one of them is more right.
"Say, Tatl." He said, gathering the fairy's attention. "I have a very important mission for you."
"Ooh! What is it Link?" Tatl flew right in front of his eyes. Link grinned.
"I don't know if I can trust those kids alone, so I'm thinking if they get into any trouble, they'll need someone familiar with the area to help them out. Do you think you can handle it?" He asked in a demeaning tone. Tatl shook.
"Of course I can handle it Link, you've only known me for like what, seven years now? Sheesh." Tatl quickly flew over to Amy's head and Link turned to wave goodbye as he and Navi departed. The blue fairy giggled after they were out of sight.
"I can't believe she fell for it. That was a great idea Link, getting rid of some unnecessary baggage." Link nodded.
"Yup, one down, one to go."
"WHAT?!"
"Nothing."
"You know, I liked you better when you were silent."
"Wish I could say the same for you." Link had a smile on his face. He knew that his new friends were rubbing off on him, but he was content with that. Life was certainly more amusing.
Now his friends were left cleaning up the dishes, with a yellow fairy that seemed slightly more annoying than she had been before, hovering over their shoulders and correcting their 'mistakes' as she saw fit. It was only Naomi who escaped the recently protective fairy as she swam into the Great Bay and anchored herself to the bottom of the water with some seaweed.
Rubbing the outside of the muddy instrument, she slowly saw its original form and color and now began to work her way through the interior of it with some delicate tools, blowing through it occasionally to release a cloud of mud. As one cloud finally blurred her vision, Naomi was forced to close her eyes. She swam back and waved her arm in front of her--a reflect to being blinded by dirt. In an instant she found it safe to open her eyes. The mud cloud had quickly left her area as if a sudden current had swept it away, yet Naomi had felt nothing of a sort. She stared curiously at her hand, but shook it off and resumed her work.
The instrument was nearly back to its original condition just as some creature in the water began creeping closer to the oblivious Naomi. She was so focused on her duty that the skeleton of a fish peering at her with hollow eyes had escaped her. So it sat in secrecy, waiting for its moment to strike. While most of these creatures were highly unintelligent, swimming towards anything in motion, this one had received particular orders from its original creator; an authority it could not ignore.
It twitched, a higher power giving it intellect as it configured its course of action. Quick flicks of the bony tail sent it flying towards Naomi. The speed of the creature left the girl without time to react. Bubbles rose from her mouth as she gasped in shock when the fish shot through her hands, taking the ocarina in its mouth. Naomi quickly chased after it, but her moment of shock had given it a head start. Despite her uncanny talent for swimming, the creature was able to out-swim her as it hurled itself into the underwater entrance of the Bay Temple, Naomi following behind.
Her friends were completely unaware of her rash chase and of the fact that she continued her search for the stolen ocarina deeper into the temple. Many hours passed and Amy began to worry.
"Hey guys." She began, approaching the group after a long bath. A towel was draped about her shoulders as she dried her hair. Damien was busy sharpening his sword and Arian was hard at work on making a small dagger out of a very hard bone, given to him by the Zoras. Aura had also cleaned herself up but now was busying herself with a game she made up for Tatl. Amy's weak hello caught the attention of the two boys, but Aura was amid her last session with Tatl.
"Ready? Pull!" Tatl catapulted herself out of a small contraption made from a rubber band and several spoons while Aura readied to catch the flying fairy, holding a soft glove with which to cushion the landing. Diving over a small chair, Aura caught the little fairy and rolled to safety. Tatl flew happily from the soft mitt.
"Haha! Good catch." She squeaked, they both suddenly turned to the stunned Amy. "Man that was fun… yeah…" Amy shook her head and began her comment.
"So does anyone else think that it shouldn't take this long to clean an Ocarina?" The group stopped to think and in one silent moment of worried thoughts, they all stood and quickly walked to the docks--where they had last seen the girl go.
"Naomi?" Arian called out. No response followed. Aura found herself looking into the water, a strange little creature had caught her attention. Where its head was assumed to be, there was a particularly large mass moving about in a sporadic manner. The water distorted its figure but Aura could tell that the little thing was swimming towards them.
Aura gasped as it surfaced, calling the attention of the others. All were staring over the edge at a little skeleton fish, holding the ocarina in its mouth. It spit it ashore and with a squeaking, drowned laugh, it dove back into the water and swam away. Everyone was speechless and most motionless save for Arian who bent down to retrieve the instrument. He stared silently at the clean ocarina.
"What does this mean?" Aura asked with a sickened worry. "A skeleton fish just spit the ocarina at us, but where's Naomi?!" The rushing sound of water replied and a small island settled in front of the docks began to rise. The four took one step back as their astonishment increased. The large head of a turtle surfaced, its mouth was clamped to the bony fin of a skeleton fish. Throwing it in the air, the turtle opened its mouth and snapped it closed as the fish fell to its tongue. The sound of chewing followed.
"Just as I thought… it tastes a little evil." The giant turtle said at last. He had an elderly, warm voice. Turning to face the group on the docks, he smiled as best as any turtle could.
"I saw your friend, just as I see everything in this sea. That little fish lured her into the water temple you see in the distance." The turtle looked at the little, yellow fairy. "Well hello there Tatl, how have you been?" The fairy laughed and explained her current fair state. The rest of the group, however, was not feeling so fair. Arian stared despairingly at the temple.
"Is she safe?" He quickly asked, his stomach churned as paranoid thoughts haunted him. The great turtle forsook his pleasantries and gained a stern face, ready to discuss matters of importance.
"For the time being it would seem so, but there is a strange creature waiting for her in the depths of that temple, drawing her nearer with trickery and deceit."
The great turtle's loud entrance had attracted the attention of many Zoras, and as the group absorbed the information recently given, their blue friends scurried to the docks, Lulu being the first. She immediately recognized the reptile and realized the gravity of the situation before the perils were told to her, for this turtle had met with her once before.
Nearly ten years ago she had lost her voice-- a very important asset to her and her old band the Indigo-gos. Link, with the help of her children who were then mere tadpoles, had brought her voice back, her first song incidentally awaking the creature. She was unsure as to why he awoke, or why it was necessary for him to escort Link to the distant temple of the bay, but Lulu knew that it had something to do with the perils of the time, and that it had everything to do with the survival of Termina.
Now that the turtle was once more awake, she knew that it could only mean more perils were upon them. Her eyes searched the group in a worried but curious behavior.
"Where is Naomi?" She asked the girl's friends, Aura was quick to fill her in on Naomi's endangerment. Gangor too overhead her explanation, and as the other Zoras fell into a roar of whispers, he approached the group.
"How are we going to save her this time?" He asked Arian, disregarding their previous, silent quarrel. Arian too allowed his fear for Naomi to outweigh his dislike of Gangor.
"We'll have to follow her, and we'll just wing it again. We've done it once before, and will do it again." He decided. Gangor nodded as the two turned to the turtle as the great reptile expressed his opinion on such a valiant decision.
"Such young courageous souls." He began, eyeing each one. "Perhaps something is motivating such heroism, but that is for another time. For now, I wish you both luck. If only the times would allow me to escort you there, but I believe that the current situation calls for me to examine these newcomers more closely in my all-seeing slumber. And to you others who are not saving the girl, I recommend that you pursue your plans with great quickness, for others are after your necessities in hopes of thwarting you. May the Giants give you much swiftness to reach your treasures before your enemies." Upon this last note, the great turtle sank back into the deep, drifting off into another omniscient dream beneath the bay floor.
Before his own departure, Arian turned to his friends.
"What did he mean by 'our enemies' getting them first?" He asked nervously. Damien clenched his fists.
"It means that this great evil has figured out that we have to help Anju and Kafei before the portals will reopen, and are headed to take the plants so we can't get them. That would trap us in Termina." Amy bit her lip at Damien's explanation. She grabbed the ocarina from Arian and immediately began to take charge.
"Gangor, take Arian to the water temple and save Naomi, now, we'll take care of the roots and meet you back here." Arian dumbly nodded, grabbing hold of Gangor's back leg as the Zora jumped into the sea and began heading towards the temple. Once the two were out of sight, Amy quickly turned back into Zora Hall.
"What are you doing?" Damien asked as he and Aura followed her. Amy kept her quick pace while explaining her plan.
"I'm going to call Epona, ride to the mountains, deliver this Ocarina to Link and tell him to hurry up." Her voice became rough and strained upon her last words. Damien and Aura glanced at each other.
"Who is Epona?" Damien questioned. Tatl chimed in.
"She's Link's horse." He nodded, remembering Link had mentioned such a creature.
"How are you going to call Epona when she's already at the mountains with Link?" Aura asked in her logical and worried tone.
"She comes after hearing a particular tune. I should be able to pick it out, I was there when he called her the first time."
"And how are you going to play it? On Link's Ocarina?" Amy shook her head.
"I have no idea how to play this thing, but I saw a piano as I was walking to my bath-- I should be able to play that." Sure enough a great piano graced the back wall of one Zoran room, and Amy didn't hesitate to make her way towards it. She played three notes, the first two made a sweet melody, but the last was off, causing all who heard it to cringe.
"No…" She whispered, trying again. This time the note rang too flat. "Once more." Amy rolled her eyes. Hitting the first two again, the last one finally fulfilling the melody. She repeated it, the sound filling the room and echoing out into the halls. Another beautiful voice took over, one that was not present, but expressed the magic of the song as it drifted out of Zora Hall and into the mountains. Amy listened in awe for a minute and then quickly ran to the docks, hopping into one of the boats and rowing toward the shore. Damien and Aura stumbled into it as well.
"Are you sure the horse heard it?" asked Aura. She picked up an oar and began helping Amy who replied with a sarcastic tinge.
"I don't think the song would have finished itself if it didn't work." Aura nodded and silently continued to paddle. Tatl circled jubilantly around them all as she saw the beautiful horse in the distance. Amy smiled with relief and began the next course of action.
"Okay, so Link and I will get the herb from the mountains and then he'll use that song to get the Deku one. Naomi, Arian, and Gangor are currently… sort of protecting the water one, leaving the fourth uncalled for." Damien read over the map.
"Then I guess I'll get that one." He laughed at an unknown irony. "I know this place like the back of my hand."
"Where is it?" Aura looked over his shoulder.
"It's Stone Tower… it was my home… a very, very long time ago." Aura smiled as Amy pulled them ashore.
"Then hopefully you'll know another way to get there. The only way out I know requires a horse, and Epona only trusts a few people… and hopefully I'm one of them." Damien nodded with a smirk, watching Amy approach Epona with all caution she thought necessary. The horse cocked her head to the side and flared her nostrils, but she didn't move as Amy awkwardly mounted her.
"I'm fairly sure I know another way out, through a skultulla house on the other side of the beach. There should be a tunnel deep inside that leads to some farm land near Termina Field." Damien replied as he waved to Amy. "I suppose you shall come with me then Aura, seeing as how it wouldn't be wise to leave you alone." Aura arched an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, but she remained silent.
"And I'll look after both of you." Tatl said to Damien, his eyes widened as Amy smiled and quickly said goodbye.
"Great, I'll see you guys soon, hopefully." She urged Epona onward, the horse taking flight in an instant. Damien was speechless as he looked from Tatl to Aura.
"Then I suppose we're all stuck together for the time being…" Aura said casually and began heading to the other side of the beach.
"Where are you going?"
"The skulltulla house… you said it was this way, right?" Aura asked, walking backwards to face him. He nodded while shaking his head at his momentary lapse of thought, making for a rather unusual mix of gesticulations. Aura grinned unnoticeably as Damien quickly jogged to her side, and the two began heading on their way.
This sudden split up would make them all more vulnerable, but each member still had one other that could be depended upon--a fact that may become a necessity.
A/n: Was it boring? Please R&R.
Note: The next three chapters will all be happening at roughly the same time, following the three groups separately. We'll try to make that very clear but you know how confusing split ups can be (remembering the beginning of this story) but this split up is much better organized, so hopefully it won't be too confusing. We'll try to get the next one posted in at most three weeks- sorry it takes so long and thank you so much for continuing to read this. : )