Sheik sighed as he re-wrapped himself with new bandages. There was a loud cawing sound next to him, and a boy's giggling. Link was chasing around 'Sheik the Cucco'. Sheik had retrieved the boy half way toward Kakariko, but Link insisted they follow the cucco to catch it. So they did.
They were at the bottom of steep walkways, just before the entrance to Zora's Domain. Though Sheik would most likely have to swim again, he thought it would be best to wrap himself again. He was soon finished, and dressed.
"Tanner! Eri! Come out, come out!" hollered Sheik suddenly. He had completely forgotten that in all of this madness, those two evil beings were out there. Then, he pulled out his sling shot with a subtle movement, an idea springing to mind.
"Remember that time when Tanner and I fought over me calling him a fruitcake?" Sheik said loudly, looking around. There was loud, hysterical laughter for moments, and Sheik whipped around, loading his slingshot and pulling it back. Link was staring at him. The laughter was muffled, but he was still able to hear it. There was also splashing of water coming from nearly directly under them. He looked over the edge, under the walkway. He saw two brunettes, one of them red in the face, the other covering his twins mouth. Sheik took the shot.
"Ow!" Tanner yelled. Sheik smirked evilly. "Damn it Eri, you gave us away!" Eri peeled Tanner's hand from his mouth and laughed hard.
"Eri! Tanner!" Link cheered, holding the cucco under one arm as he rushed to look under the walkway. He held the cucco out for Tanner and Eri to see. "His name is Sheik!" Sheik groaned, and stood up properly.
"You guys are not so stealth," Sheik muttered. "Let's go Link."
"Don't forget Sheik!" Link reminded cheerfully, following on the real Sheik's heels.
"And Sheik," Sheik added darkly.
"What was the point in that!?" Sheik heard Eri call from behind them. Sheik ignored him, much like he ignored Navi. They began walking and soon came to a Triforce symbol right in front of a waterfall.
"First, let's deal with, 'Sheik the Cucco," Sheik murmured, looking at the cucco in Link's hands. "What are we going to do with him while we're in the Domain? We can't just carry him all over the place!"
Link looked like he was thinking. Very hard. So hard, you'd think he might explode. "It's alright Link," Sheik muttered. "I'll do the thinking, you just hold the damn thing." Link nodded happily.
"I can do that!" he giggled, patting 'Sheik the Cucco' on the head. Sheik rolled his eyes, and looked at the dumb faced animal. No, not Link; the cucco.
"I know!" Sheik proclaimed. "Stuff him in my bag."
"You mean, with all the bombs, sticks, Deku nuts and Beans?" Link asked. "Okay!" He gave a childish grin, and opened Sheik's bag.
"Whoa whoa, wait," Sheik said. "Never mind." Link looked puzzled, but closed Sheik's bag. "I have another idea!" He took the cucco from Link, and walked back down the hills. "Eri! Tanner! Come get Sheik the Cucco!" There was silence. "Get the hell out of your mediocre hiding spot and take the damn thing!"
There was rustling, and two people came up from a ladder. They were up above more, so Sheik met them up there. "Take the damn thing. I can't care for it while I save Hyrule from an evil Gerudo." He threw it at Eri, who caught it. "Bye guys." And Sheik walked back up to Link without another word.
"The waterfall blocks the entrance," Sheik told Link. "Play Zelda's Lullaby, that'll prove our connection to the Royal Family." Link nodded quickly, and pulled out the smooth brown ocarina. He placed his lips to the mouth piece, and blew the song.
The waterfall parted for them, and Sheik jumped across. "C'mon Link," he said, and left into the Domain. He heard Link following as he emerged into the Domain.
Zora's Domain was a lovely place. There was a huge pool of water, and a waterfall falling from high above. There were many walkways, and a throne room as well; and just outside, there was a lake with a large fish, that the Zora's called Lord Jabu Jabu.
"Let's go see the King," Sheik said. Link nodded, and the two started for the Throne Room.
They got there in no time, and were soon on the pedestal, facing the Zora King. He was a fat Zora with a big red cape, and who was blocking the entrance to see Lord Jabu Jabu.
"Hello King," Sheik said, bowing light. He nudged Link in the side, showing him to do the same. Link bowed as well, and they both straightened out.
"Ah, Sheik," the King said, looking to Link. He turned his gaze to Sheik. "Who is your friend?"
"Link sir," Sheik told the king. There was a fluttering and Navi the fairy appeared from under Sheik's hat. Well, Link's hat, but... You know.
"And I'm Navi," Navi squeaked proudly. Sheik took his hat, and covered the fairy once more, and placed the hat on his head.
"Perfect timing, children," the king said. "You'll be able to assist me. My dear daughter Princess Ruto has gone missing! I was hoping you'd be able to find her!" Sheik groaned.
Princess Ruto; that evil.... Fish. Sheik shuddered, just picturing her. That girl was-
"Sure, we'll fine her!" Link said cheerfully, interrupting Sheik's thoughts. Sheik groaned, but gave a nod. The two left, and began searching.
"She probably won't be in the Domain, they've probably searched all over it already. Let's check Lake Hylia. She might be there," Sheik told Link. "There's a short-cut in the main room of the Domain." So that is where they headed.
They were in the main room. "Just in the water, and through a hole... But first, we might want to get a Zora treasure... The silver scale. It'll let us search farther into the lake," Sheik told Link.
"The Silver Scale you say?" asked a Zora by the shop. "At the top of the waterfall, somebody is giving it away as a prize for a diving challenge!" Sheik smirked, nodded a thanks, and rushed Link with him back to the throne room.
"The waterfall is just down this way," Sheik said, leading Link down a water filled passage. "At the end of this passage." They soon came to the end. There was loud flowing water, and a Zora stood at the edge of what looked like a drop-off from where they were. "I'm great at the diving game, so don't worry. I'll win."
"I wanna try though!" Link said happily. "I'm good at swimming, remember!" Sheik rolled his eyes.
"Oh, you're great. But, I want to do this, okay?" Sheik said, trying to sound convincing. Link pouted. They came to the end, and the Zora greeted them with a smile.
"Hello!" said the Zora. "Would you like to play our diving game again Sheik? This time there's a prize other than money! A special prize!"
"No, I'd like to try this time," Sheik said with a brilliant smile. "I'm Link." The Zora nodded, and Sheik handed him a yellow rupee.
"Start!" the Zora said. Link cheered happily, and jumped off the edge before Sheik could.
"Gah!" Sheik snapped. "I wanted to go! The stupid little bugger!" Sheik watched as Link frantically swam around after the rupees, like he was a frog missing a leg. Both him and the Zora looked at Link in disbelief.
"He's terrible," the Zora gasped. "What's wrong with him!? He looks like such an idiot today!" Sheik groaned.
"Yes he does," he muttered bitterly. He's ruining my reputation, he thought angrily. Stupid kid. Though Sheik was a kid himself, he was a whole year older than Link. Sheik was eleven, and Link was ten. It was hard to believe that Link was already double digits, he acted as if he were half his age.
"Time's up!" the Zora called down. "Sorry! But it looks like you failed! Come back up to try a-" But he couldn't finish his sentence. Sheik shot a hand over the Zora's mouth.
"Don't encourage him! He'll want to try again if you say that!" Sheik snapped. The Zora nodded, and Sheik took his hand from the Zora-man's mouth. "Come on up Lin- Sheik!"
"Coming!" Link cheered, and rushed out of sight, going in the opposite direction than the one he had to go.
"Oh man, he's going to get lost..." Sheik muttered to himself. So, he sat in the water, and leaned against the wall. "This could take a while."
An hour Later
"Wow, how lost can you get in this place? I mean, he's not that stupid!" Sheik hissed to himself, but realized his mistake. "He is that stupid..." He groaned, and stood. He was soaked from the waist down, but he was used of that when he came to the Zora's Domain.
"I'll be back, with that little idiot," Sheik muttered to the Zora, and fled to find Link.
It didn't take him long. Link was just stuck behind the Zora King. For some reason, Link thought that Sheik was behind the Zora King, and tried to force his way past. Unfortunately, he got stuck between the gate and the King, and the King was very dreadfully slow at moving.
"God Link! We never even went behind the King!" Sheik hollered, dragging Link back to the playing zone by his ear.
"You're back!" the Zora announced as they approached the top of the waterfall. "Gonna play again?"
"Yes!" Link cheered, trying to run, but was stopped by Sheik's grasp on his ear.
"No! My turn," Sheik said. Link pouted, but didn't argue as Sheik stepped up to the edge. He paid the Zora the ten rupees, and dove into the water when told to. The boy swam around gracefully, despite his injured torso. Collecting all of the rupees, he grinned. He swam back to the surface.
"Wow! Good job, newcomer!" shouted the Zora from up top. "We have a prize for you! Come up to collect it!"
"Just send it down with Sheik!" Sheik shouted back up. "It saves us a trip!"
The Zora nodded and stuffed something in Link's hands. Link jumped off happily, flailing and giggling as he did so. "Look how sparkly this is Sh-" he started, before landing in the water.
Sheik swam over, and took the treasure from Link's possession as the boy sprang up from the water. It was the silver scale, just as the other Zora had said. "Perfect," Sheik smirked. "Now can dive even deeper!" He looked to Link. "C'mon. Let's go to Lake Hylia." Link nodded.
They dove underwater, and through a hole at the bottom of the pool. When they emerged, they were swimming in a huge lake. "Wow!" Link said, amazed.
"You're such a country boy," Sheik muttered, looking down at the bottom of the lake. "Hey, look, what is that?" Sheik had spotted something glistening from under water, and apparently, so had Navi. Navi was underwater, and glowing green next to the object.
"Oh no!" Link gasped. "Is Navi okay!? She's green!!! SHEIK! She's drowning!" Sheik blinked at Link.
"No... She's just glowing green, to tell us that she found something," Sheik explained. Link blinked.
"Oh..." he said slowly. "That's good!"
Sheik dove, deep, using the new scale. He grabbed something. It felt a lot like glass, and he came back up.
"A bottle!" Link exclaimed, looking at it. "But it looks like there's something inside..."
"A piece of paper," Sheik deduced, looking at it. "Let's go back to Zora's Domain and read it. It could lead us to Ruto." He gave a shudder just at the girls' name.
They left back to the Domain through the hole. They sat at the edge of the water, soaked from head to toe. Sheik uncorked the bottle, and carefully took out the rolled up piece of parchment. He unrolled it, and looked at it.
"It's a note," Sheik murmured. "From the princess..." The letter read:
"Help me.
I am waiting for you inside Lord Jabu Jabu's belly.
-Ruto.
PS: Don't tell my father!"
Sheik blinked. "Well this is just perfect," he muttered. "The fish princess is trapped inside that great fish." He groaned bitterly. "Don't tell her father? Is she stupid? Of course we're telling her father."
Sheik took out an empty bottle as they began through the water, toward the Kings room. On his way, he scooped up a fish. "We'll feed this to Lord Jabu Jabu... Maybe, we'll get inside that way..."
"Wait, why are we going inside a fish? That is a really bad idea! What if we're digested? I mean, this really isn't a smart plan..." Link said. Everything went silent, and Sheik and Navi both looked at Link
"...That is the smartest thing I've every heard you say," Sheik said, with a blank expression. "Navi, get a pen and a piece of paper. We have to record this! What is the time and date?" Link blinked. The fairy flew off and returned with a pen and a piece of paper.
Sheik snatched it, and wrote the following:
"Historical Events on Our Journey:
1. Day 17: Link said something intelligent!
Place: Zora's Domain
Time: Morning
Exact Quote: "Wait, why are we going to go inside a fish? That's a really bad idea! What if we're digested? I mean, this really isn't a smart plan."
Sheik's Note: OH MY DIN!!!!"
Sheik folded the paper, and put in the his pouch. "Truly amazing," he told Link, ruffling his hair. "But it's the only lead I have; and how else are we supposed to get her out?" Link shrugged. Sheik rolled his eyes. "Back to normal are we?"
"Let's go see Mr. King!" Link said cheerfully, skipping up the hills toward the Kings room. Sheik rolled his eyes, and slowly followed, corking the bottle with the note inside. They headed up to the throne room, Link skipping, and Sheik dragging his feet.
"Mr King!" Link called, as they entered the room. "We found a note from the princess! Show him Shei-Link!" Sheik rummaged through his bag, and pulled out the note in a bottle. He walked up the steps, to the small island facing the king.
"This is it," Sheik murmured, and tossed it lightly at the king. "She's trapped inside Lord Jabu Jabu." The king read the note carefully.
"Hmm, so it seems. I want you two to go find her," said the king. "Do the both of you mind looking for my daughter?"
"Well..." Sheik started, before being interrupted.
"No we don't sir! We'll find your daughter!" Link cheered.. The king gave a nod.
"Let me move for you," the King said. Sheik mumbled under his breath.
The king started moving. As you may know, the sensible ting to do when you move, is to get up, and move to a different spot. But, the king was either not in his right mind, or he was unbelievably lazy, because he began to scoot to the side. Yes, the king scooted. Not in a hurry either. The most he was moving with one motion, was maybe an inch. You may have guessed, but this takes a while. He wasn't exactly the smallest Zora in the sea.
"Sir, could you hurry up a bit?" Sheik asked, sitting down. "We don't have forever. I mean, Princess Ruto could be dead by now." The king nodded.
"I'm going rather fast boys. Not to worry," the king told them.
An hour later
The king was a little under half way over. Normally, Sheik would have just scooted past. But he knew the king would not take kindly to this. Link was asleep, his head resting on Sheik's shoulder. This could take a while.
Another hour passes
The king was almost over. Almost... Link was still snoring away on Sheik's shoulder, and Sheik himself was also starting to nod off. The king seemed to be taking his sweet time.
A half an hour later
"Dear lord!" Sheik cried out. "You aren't finished yet!?" This startled Link awake, and Navi came from under the hat. The king still have another four inches to move over. "Not to disrespect you, but come on! You'd think you'd be a bit more quick about this! You're daughter is trapped inside a fish for Nayru's sake!"
The king stopped. "Just go past then. You can be impatient if you want. But just so you know, patience is a virtue and-" the fish started.
"You know, I really don't care," Sheik snapped. He grabbed Link's arm, and pulled him up and out to the lake where Jabu Jabu was.
Link gave a yawn as they came into the water filled area. "That was very long. How can one being take so long to move in one direction?" he asked. "That was just ridiculous." Sheik nodded in agreement.
"There's a fairy fountain around here," he said stiffly. "Should we go? She's said to grant great powers..."
"I refuse to see the penny whore!" Link murmured. "They are just so creepy."
"Maybe this one is different?" Sheik suggested. "She is a whole different fairy after all. Who knows?" Link shook his head.
"It can't be that important what she can give us," Link murmured. "You can go in by yourself."
"Is it just me, or have you been talking more... Grown up lately?" Navi asked. "You don't sound like you're five lately..."
"I am not five," Link snapped. "I'm ten, and don't you forget it." Sheik blinked.
"Oh wow, Navi, I think you're right," he said. "Link, did you suddenly mature?" Link shrugged.
"Let's go find the princess!" he said cheerfully, smiling suddenly. Sheik blink continuously.
"I have it!" Sheik said suddenly. "Link is a schizophrenic!" Navi gasped, as if you say 'You have it!'. "It explains everything!" Sheik continued. "Why he attacked me when we first met! Why he's always so stupid! Why he's acting so serious! Perfect!" Link blinked, and tilted his head.
"I'm confused," he murmured. "I don't think I'm schi-foo-enic...."
"Schizophrenic," Sheik corrected, "and I think you are." Link shrugged.
"Let's go find Ruto!" he suggested. "Where is the big fishy?" Sheik looked.
"Over there! How can you miss it?" Sheik asked. He pointed as he walked to a cement platform. Right at the end of the platform was a very large fish. If you looked at it, it looked a lot like a whale. Sheik heard Link's splashing footsteps behind him as he stepped up onto the pedestal.
"I've fed Jabu Jabu before, all you have to do is put the fish right in front of him," Sheik told Link. "Maybe we can get inside when he opens his mouth." Link nodded, and stood beside Sheik as they approached the large fish. "Be ready to run." Sheik took out the glass bottle, and un corked it. He flipped it upside down, and the fish fell out. It flopped all over the place, and Jabu Jabu opened his mouth. The large fish inhaled.
"Ah!" both Sheik and Link cried out, and they spiraled inside the fishes mouth. They landed with a thump. Sheik looked around warily, as he got up. The floor was sticky a slightly wet.
"We're inside," he stated, wiping the saliva on his tunic. "This is nasty..." he helped Link up. "Let's look for Ruto." Link nodded, and they ventured deeper into the fish's insides.
Soon, they came to a door. "Why is there a door inside a fish?" Link asked, puzzled. Sheik shrugged, but opened it. They went into the next room.
"Ruto?" Sheik called. They walked in deeper into the room. The room had many holes in the bottom, and by one of the nearest holes, was a figure. A blue figure. "There." he pointed at the blue figure, and they rushed up to it. A Zora girl stood there. She was quite pretty for a fish, but, she also looked a bit menacing.
"Leave me alone!" Ruto snapped. "I'm sorry, Sheik, but you have to go!" The princess jumped down the hole.
"Gah! Follow her!" Sheik snapped, jumping through the hole, holding onto Link's wrist.
"I told you to leave me alone!" Ruto snapped, when they got to the bottom.
"But we can't!" Link said. "Your father said to come get you!"
"We got your note," Sheik butted. "The one you left at the bottom of Lake Hylia. We came to find you. You have to leave, everybody is worried."
"Note? I didn't write a note," the fish princess seemed genuinely confused. "But, I can't leave. You see... While I was feeding Jabu Jabu, I dropped my mothers precious stone! The Zora's Sapphire..." Sheik scowled. "And he swallowed me up.. He's been acting weird lately."
"That's' the Spiritual stone, isn't it?" Sheik asked. The princess nodded. He gave a groan. "Fine."
"Well, if you're going to come along, the least you can do is carry me!" Ruto said, looking right at Sheik. "I am a princess after all!" Boy, this girl came off as a brat.
"Can't Sheik do it?" Sheik asked, biting his lower lip. He knew the answer would be no. Ruto was in love with Sheik. Yes, she was madly obsessed with the boy. Since they were young children, Ruto had followed him around like a lost puppy.
"No!" Ruto snapped at Sheik. "We cannot let such a sweet boy carry me! You have to!" She played with some of Link's hair (Or Sheik's, technically), and sat down. "Pick me up!" So, Sheik picked the girl up.
And they were off, into the dungeon that was the insides of the overly large fish.
Authors Note: Oh man! There you have it, chapter eleven! I hope the wait was worth it. All in all, I think this chapter turned out well. I apologize for those who were waiting that long month for this to come out! I just finished exams, and I was so busy. I'll try and be more quick with chapter twelve! I'm excited for Chapter twelve. MORE RUTO! xD Read and Review x3