'Nother Random Disclaimer: The original song "It's Raining Men" is copyrighted to its respectful owners. (I doubt I really need this, but just in case.)
Krista: ...Huh, seems as if I returned from the dead. Thank you to everyone who continued to send positive reviews years after this story went on a sudden hiatus. Please enjoy these overdue chapters, and review at your leisure.
Chapter Twelve: Hyrule Castle: Part Three
"Look, there they are!"
"Thank the goddesses...." Link watched Patience run toward her older sisters, who were coming down the opposite way toward the locked door than he. He smiled slightly as Hope ran to meet her youngest sister, her short hair flying behind her.
"Omigod, Patience, you're not hurt, are you?" Hope asked, almost shaking the young girl by her shoulders as Hope inspected her. Faith caught up, nodding to Link and Patience before slipping the key out of Hope's pocket and unlocking the door in front of them.
"I'm fine," Patience responded, breaking away from Hope's hold, feeling a bit dizzy from the shakes. "We didn't even meet any bad dudes! And look!" She held up her weapon triumphantly. "Link let me have the fire rod!"
Link did a double-take at Patience's claim as Faith's narrowed eyes glared at him. "Wha--No, I didn't! You took it!"
But Patience hardly heard him. Instead, she just gave him a quick smile before bouncing off after Hope into the new hallway. Faith rolled her eyes as she cut in front of the Hylian to follow.
"Sure, blame the innocent kid," she muttered.
"B-but, she--Oh, whatever!" Link grumbled as he followed the girls through the bare corridor and heard Hope stifle a scream beyond the stairs. As he emerged in the outdoor clearing, his eyes widened as he saw Faith darting around a soldier heavily armored who was swinging a giant spiked ball from a chain. Link's delicate ears swore that he heard her growling under her breath in frustration, but his eyes trailed over to the side where Patience was kneeling beside Hope.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," the eldest said through gritted teeth, shattering the illusion of her being fine, while gripping her left knee. "The jerk just caught me with the ball, that's all."
"And the nerve of him!" Patience shook a fist toward the soldier. Of course, his attention was all on the red-clad girl practically hopping like a rabbit in front of him, but that didn't stop Patience from yelling at him. "The armor protects him from my fire rod!"
Link watched as Faith dashed in for another slash at the soldier before unsheathing his own sword and rushing behind the enemy.
"C'mon!" Faith taunted. "Show me how you dance!"
The soldier said nothing and revved up his chain for another throw at the girl. Link ducked and rolled from the spiked ball as it neared his head. He heard Patience giggle near one of the walls, and he realized that his hat had fallen off once again. With a silent vow to buy a comb somewhere, the young man took a flying leap at the enemy at the same time as Faith did.
"Ow!" A look of disbelief and irritation crossed Faith's face as she dropped her sword and looked at her arm. Looking up at Link, she glared at him and snapped, "What was that for? We're on the same side!"
"You're not the only one who got hurt," Link said, making sure his shoulder was fine. Luckily for the heroes, the soldier had also gotten hit with their swords, disappearing from their sight after the final impacts.
"Giant force gem!" Of course, Patience had to claim the green gem as her own prize, despite the fact that she did nothing. Before anyone could comment, a shrill whistle sounded and large doors opened on either side of the clearing. Immediately, dozens of enemy soldiers flooded into the clearing, aiming their swords at the quartet.
Faith cursed under her breath as she picked up her sword, and a fearful squeak came from Patience as the youngest hid behind Link.
"Patience and I will take care of this." Hope limped slightly over to the other three. Patience squeaked again.
"Hope, have you forgotten how to count?" she asked. "Let the two who like fighting take care of them!"
"Just do as I say and you'll be fine," Hope said with a calm voice, staring at the enemies. "Link, Faith, please move back." Faith immediately obeyed her older sister, taking a few steps back, but kept a tight grip on her sword as her eyes gazed at the soldiers. Link, however, hesitated.
"What about your knee--"
"We'll be fine," the eldest repeated, backing up slightly as the soldiers came closer. "Patience, get over here with your fire rod out!"
The youngest crept out from behind Link, but a maniac-like grin swept over her face as she got her weapon ready.
The eldest sister took out her bomb bag and, with a grin toward Patience, said, "I need you to light these for me." With that, Hope threw the bomb toward the large mass of soldiers.
Patience just stood at her spot for a moment, blinking, as she comprehended what she was supposed to do. After a few seconds and an "ah-HA!", a fireball emitted from the rod's end and flew through the air toward the bomb. As it lit, the bomb exploded, causing a chain reaction within the soldiers and destroying quite a few at once.
Link watched the display of awkward fireworks until an arrow whizzed by his head. Glancing back and forth behind and in front of him, he noticed Faith shooting the stranglers of enemies after the bombs went off. He spotted one going a bit too close to Hope and Patience, and whipped out his bow as well. Within the next few minutes, all the enemies had been defeated.
"It's raining gems! Hallelujah! It's raining gems! Amen!" Patience darted around, singing at the top of her lungs as she collected the force gems that descended from the sky. Never missing a beat, she also tossed a couple of healing hearts toward the other three as she scooped around the area.
"Thanks, Patience," Hope said, flexing out her knee to make sure it didn't hurt anymore. Patience just waved her hand and continued to pick up the other gems. Soon enough, the quartet's swords began to glow saffron and orange once more.
"Let's keep going," Link said, grabbing his hat and leading the way north and out of the clearing. Faith grabbed Patience's arm to make sure she kept up, ignoring the protests coming from the youngest.
"Aw, c'mon, there are still a couple of small green ones--Ooo, pretty lights!" Patience's eyes widened as she spotted the icy-blue, electric barrier that discouraged entering the central part of the castle.
"Look out--!" At Hope's voice, Faith yanked Patience from her spot and dived toward the left as an enemy's bomb exploded at the place they were just standing on. They glanced across the way at Link and Hope standing near the right. Although Faith was ready to make a dash across the walkway to team up with her older sister and Link, Patience glanced around behind her.
"Hey, what's that?" With that, Patience darted down the left pathway, leaving the other three. Link saw Faith's mouth move in what was probably a silent curse before she ran after her sister.
"...Shall we see what's on this end, then?" he asked Hope after the two stared at the other girls disappearing in the opposite direction.
She glanced at him. "Well...sure...They'll be fine, right?" she asked for reassurance as she followed Link.
He smiled. "With Patience's energy and Faith's temper, I'm sure they will be." The pair spotted a few soldiers in the outdoor corridor. Link unsheathed his sword, but was stopped from rushing toward the enemies by a shockwave.
He felt Hope's slim hand on his arm to try to steady him as he stumbled backwards. Shaking his head, he glared around the corridor, noting that the soldiers didn't even notice them yet. Hope tapped him on the shoulder and, when he looked back at her, she pointed up toward a higher ledge.
There was Shadow Link, pounding on the ground like there was no tomorrow with a hammer. The dark young man grinned insanely as his crimson eyes saw Hope and Link.
"Only two of you?" Shadow Link taunted. "What happened to the younger women?" He gave neither Hope nor Link time to answer as his hammer disappeared in darkness. "No matter; I'm sure they're occupied." With a dry chuckle, he whirled around in a mass of shadows and ran away.
"What did he mean by that?"
Link heard the worry in Hope's voice as his sword shot a beam of energy out at the few soldiers milling about. "They'll be fine, Hope," he said. "You know they've got a lot of fight in them." The last soldier disappeared as he -- it? -- fell. "Besides, we'll catch up to them after we figure out what's over here."
However, all the pair found was a long lever that wouldn't budge with their efforts.
"You were saying?" Hope muttered, leaning against the steadfast lever and panting slightly.
"Okay, fine. Obviously we need more man-power to pull this," Link said. He caught the look Hope gave him. "Err...more woman-power? Whatever, you know what I mean! After exploring their side of the castle, they'll come over to join up with us."
Hope shook her head, a faint look of amusement on her face. "Knowing my sisters, they're probably saying the same thing about us at this moment."