Robin fidgeted in place, hoping more than knowing that the device would work. Starfire hovered nervously over his shoulder, somehow able to summon enough joy to fly. Robin internally shrugged; her powers were weird.
"Alright, any second now the portal should open," Robin stared at the contraption, wishing Cyborg were there to test it.
Starfire looked at the glass dome now filling the kitchen counter with forced optimism, "So, using the Control Freak's own device, we shall open a window to where the other remote is?"
Robin nodded, grateful his mentor had taught him to hold on to everything. Using Cyborg's particle accelerator (why the other had a portable particle accelerator was a mystery), and some crash course dimensional physics, Robin had rigged one of Control Freak's remotes to the device.
When Control Freak pulled them out of reality in the past, Cyborg figured they had phased into television wave signals. Robin didn't know too much about the specifics, but he did know that the core of the remote was a unique alloy, one that happened to leak harmless radiation; traceable radiation.
As he told his girlfriend, the device would open a portal to the corresponding phase location of the other device. Whatever Control Freak made his remotes out of, they were at least user friendly.
A brilliant orb suddenly appeared in the air about a foot from the accelerator. It grew to a painfully bright disk, and Starfire clapped, "Magnificent! Let us go once more unto the breech!"
Robin shook his head, smiling; only Starfire could quote Shakespeare and have it sound interesting.
TtTtTtTtTtTtTtTtTtTt
Link! Wait up!
Beast Boy sighed, stopping his light jog to allow the fairy to catch up. He had been running nonstop since Sari had handed him the ocarina, even passing by the giant owl at the outset of the forest. The humongous creature had hooted after him, trying to get him to listen, but Beast Boy knew what it had to say. Not to mention that it was an incredibly disturbing animal.
"C'mon Navi, we have to get to the castle," the fairy pulled up beside him, quiet panting audible only to Beast Boy's hypersensitive ears. Why exactly his instincts remained while his powers were lost was a mystery, but Beast Boy was grateful for any blessing.
So… you think the 'Princess of Destiny' the Deku Tree mentioned is at the castle? Beast Boy rolled his eyes, "Duh, Princess Zelda. She is only the center of pretty much every LOZ game,"
Navi moved into his field of vision, a bright spot against the rolling hills of Hyrule's middle. You speak as if you know the future Link; what is happening?
Beast Boy fingered his newly acquired Ocarina, picking up his pace and forcing the fairy to land on his shoulder to keep up. "Well, this is gonna sounds crazy, but… I'm actually from another, er, dimension, where this is all a video game."
The fairy most certainly gave him a queer look, as he felt it touch his forehead for fever. "Game stories, stories that are played out, y'know?"
No, said the fairy flatly, I do not… but, however you're getting your knowledge, it has been right so far. Beast Boy nodded, "Good enough I suppose."
There was silence for a while as Beast Boy ran, amazed at how comfortable the boots on his feet were. It occurred to him suddenly that the clothes he was wearing were probably from living creatures. He swallowed bile and kept running, hoping at the very least they were from things he had never been. Empathy seemed only to apply to those species he had been, thank goodness.
Navi tinkled as the sun began to lower on the horizon, turning the sky into a wash of rich orange. This… other place, will you return? Beast Boy thought for a minute, replying with as much doubt as he felt; "I suppose so. That's why I'm chasing Control-er-Ganondorf; he was the one who sent me and my friends out here."
Oh, Navi settled into Beast Boy's collar, shivering as the temperature dropped in preparation for night. Then there are others?
"Yeah, two, my friends," Beast Boy trailed off, squinting as a silhouette emerged in the distance.
And they, like you, have taken the place of others… here? Beast Boy shushed as the shadowy blur came into view, dark in the dusk light. To his luck, there was a row of bushes of to his right, the only notable landmark for what appeared to be an endless field.
Navi tried to fly up to see, but Beast Boy caught her, "It's four armored men on horseback," he said, "coming fast, we need to hide." The fairy tinkled indignantly as he stuffed her into his tunic, and slid into the bushes, even as the horses brought their rider's within visual range.
Beast Boy lay flat on his back, the short Evergreen like bushes matching his tunic, and hopefully camouflaging him. The horses came ever closer, and he saw their rider's clearly, grateful he had hid. The horses carried Gerdos, three, and heavily armed. Oddly their skin was a deep green like Ganondorf's, not like the brown Beast Boy remembered from the game.
"That went well," the farthest woman said, taking a drink from her water gourd.
The middle one was silent, large eyes scanning the empty horizon. "I did not expect the king 's parlay to be so successful," said the nearest, clearly referring to Ganondorf.
The furthest hissed, "Blasphemy, the king is the greatest Gerudo ever born, how could he not succeed?"
"I only mean I was surprised at how foolish the other rulers were," the near one defended. The far one nodded, "Yes, they were foolish, and soft."
The front one at last spoke, her voice significantly deeper than the others', "Such is the consequence of wealth, and in their complacency we will strike."
Beast Boy squinted through the miniature pine needles, the woman in front sounding oddly familiar. "At last, all of Hyrule will be ours, no more dessert…" the leader halted her speech after a strong glare from one of the others, "His, the land is his, and in his century reign we will prosper as his people."
"Of course," the woman said, smiling innocently. The leader turned back to the path and Beast Boy caught sight of her as she passed by the bushes.
He held his breath; it was Nabooru! In the game he remembered the busty warrior was an ally, but not for another seven years. If memory served she was only a captain at the moment, and from their conversation Beast Boy assumed Ganondorf had recently addressed the Kings.
That meant that things were already in motion, and soon Ganondorf, Control Freak, whatever, would be on the move to crack open the sacred realm. Beast Boy scratched his ear, wondering if the plot would be foiled if he simply didn't collect the spiritual stones. After all, Ganondorf couldn't do it himself, and if Link didn't gather them, the monster would never obtain the Triforce.
Beast Boy smiled, imagining how shocked Raven would be at the depth of his thinking. Reality may be a mystery to Beast Boy, but nerd facts were a way of life for the animorph.
The light faded further, and the Gerudo's disappeared into the distance. Finally Beast Boy emerged, covered in pine needles. Navi pushed out of his shirt, gasping, you really smell, you know that?
Beast Boy shrugged, "I needed to dim you. Now let's go, the castle is where the action is."
What action? We just need to talk to the princess. Nothing too exciting, Beast Boy shook his head, "That's where you're wrong. Everything depends on the princess." Navi shrugged in her own way, light form bending to resemble the non-committal gesture.
TtTtTtTtTtTtTtTtTtTt
The moon was high when they reached the castle walls. The moat gurgled cheerfully below the towering grey walls, gate drawn up for the night. Torches lined the battlements at even intervals, and the ground was scarred by the thousands of carts and feet that had passed over it just this day.
Beast Boy rested his hands on his hips, huffing as he craned his neck to see the top. Navi floated to his right, looking to him for instruction. He whistled, "That is a tall wall."
Duh, the fairy replied, lazily tracing figure eights with her wings. "I always had trouble getting here in one day," Raising his gloved hands to either side of his mouth Beast Boy shouted, "Hello?"
No replay but the crickets, and a distant wolf howl. Beast Boy chewed on his lip, thinking for a way through. The game had short day cycles, but this place (as far as he could tell) moved at a regular pace. Which meant that they couldn't stand here until sunrise, as it could very well be ten hours away still.
Hey, listen, Navi began, and Beast Boy cringed. What? Beast Boy shook his head, "Nothing, what is it?"
There is a ranch not too far from here, but since you're in a hurry, Navi began flying, turning back and motioning for Beast Boy to follow. They stayed close to the moat, the towering walls taking up half of the sky.
Navi flew for about an hour, finally coming to a stop at a corner in the wall. The moat gurgled by at a faster pace, and looking into the field Beast Boy could see the mouth of the Zora River. The moat branched off into a separate stream, winding out towards the distant river.
Beast Boy was still amazed at how large this world was; the game he knew like the back of his hand was a mere fraction of the reality. Here,
Navi had to tinkle again to get his attention, and Beast Boy turned back to the fairy. Look, he obeyed, leaning over the edge. Not getting it, he looked back at the fairy in confusion, and she sighed. The bottom?
Beast Boy looked again and this time saw an old grate set at the bottom of the moat. The heavy iron bars curved with the bed of the moat, coming up to just below the water's edge. While the bars were spaced fairly far apart, there was no way Beast Boy would get through.
When he pointed this out to Navi she simply grunted in frustration and flew down to the water's edge, landing on a rusted bar hidden in the grass. Here you goof, the handle. This drain leads straight to the palace.
Beast Boy reached down after her, wrapping his hand around what felt like an old brass knocker. He gave the handle a tug, then a few more, finally jarring the rust and swinging open the grate.
"Huh, I don't remember this in the game. Well, maybe Twilight Princess," As he prepared to jump in, he looked at Navi, "How do you know about this?"
The fairy made what could pass for a wink, I wasn't always a wise, behaving fairy you know.
Beast Boy cocked his eyebrow, intrigued and wanting to know more. The fairy however blushed a weak shade of pink, flying into his arm to nudge him forward. Beast Boy chuckled and jumped in, sorely missing his morphing powers.
He landed knee-deep in black sludge, at least he thought it was black. The sewers were pitch dark, and only his altered eyes gave him a vague sense of the space. He remembered Raven's explanation earlier, and wondered why only certain mutations carried over.
Navi brought a little light as she descended, shivering off the water pouring down from the moat. She landed on Beast Boy's shoulder, muttering incoherently.
"Where to Navi?" Beast Boy whispered, looking either way down the long cobble sewer. The scent was overpowering; he never actually thought about where all the sewage from Hyrule went, but now he knew.
To the right, the fairy replied, and Beast Boy set off. Every step was a struggle, lifting his once white clad legs out of the muck and then plopping it back down. On the plus side, his nose was so overwhelmed by the variety and severity of scents it had virtually shut down.
Thankfully the tunnel widened after a while, and a ledge jutted out from either wall, forming a thin sidewalk of sorts. Beast Boy pulled himself out of the slime and shook off as much as he could, refusing to think of exactly what it was.
The trek was long, and slow, but they eventually came to a crossroads, five tunnels meeting in a single junction, including the one they were in. Cobblestone weathered by centuries of water walled the cavernous room, covered in carious fungi as it ascended. Beast Boy saw a number of rats the size of dogs in the adjacent tunnel, but they thankfully were more interested in the heap of sludge they were eating than him.
A ladder shot up from the goo, about twenty feet, to a heavy wooden hatch. Looks like the temple from Shadow of the Colossus, Beast Boy thought, and grudgingly stepped down into the slime. As he made his way to the ladder, Navi flew ahead.
She hovered by the wood door for a moment, then called back, This is it, hatch 4-8-15-23-42. He gave her a slightly surprised look as she floated gracefully back to him, We'll come out in a store room on castle grounds; should be deserted at this time of…
The fairy trailed off, frozen in the air. Beast Boy looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue. Link, run. Now.
Beast Boy's neck hairs stood on end and he slowly turned his head. Behind him a single vein covered tentacle waved from the goo, silent and tall. It's tip bore a number of barbs, dripping with more than sewage.
Trying not to panic, he took a slow step back. The appendage snapped to attention, swinging its business end towards him. Heart pounding, Beast Boy looked into the maw, suddenly sympathizing with all those in the Alien movies who refused to run.
RUN! Beast Boy didn't have to be told again; he turned and leapt at the same time, almost skipping through the sewage as behind him the creature woke. Fingers extended, he reached the ladder unharmed, but the creature caught his foot.
The tentacle wound its way tighlty around his ankle, groping for more, and he yelped in fear, pride no longer intact. The sword! Navi unnecessarily shouted, And Beast Boy hollered back, "But I thought you were blind," No matter the problem, Star Wars has an applicable quote.
With his left hand he tore the Kokiri sword from its sheath and down, slicing through the soft tissue of the tentacle. An unearthly howl sounded, and Beast Boy made the mistake of looking out into the tentacles. There, covered in god knew what, was the horrific face of an octorock, purple flesh pulsing with hunger fueled fury.
Another rather girlish scream escaped him as the tore up the ladder, kicking and slicing the groping appendages. Sarlaac or hentai, this creature was terrifying, and when it caught hold of both his legs, Beast Boy began to panic. He slashed frantically, but the purple creature hauled itself to the base of the ladder, and a sphincter on its belly opened, peeling back to reveal row upon row of wicked teeth.
It was over; Beast Boy slashed at the arms, but he knew it was pointless. Then, like a bolt of lightning Navi shot towards the creature, a mini sonic boom in her wake. The streak of pissed fairy struck the Octorock straight between the eyes, and it lurched back.
Black slime spewed from its eyes, and Navi was nowhere to be seen. Beast Boy sheathed the sword and clawed at the rungs as the arms fell one by one. With a mighty sigh of pain and anger the monster sank into the sewage, deflating and slipping beneath the surface.
Then from the gunk rose a flickering white light, sputtering in its flight. Beast Boy pried a hand from the wood to catch her, as Navi heaved and gasped, collapsing on his palm.
Beast Boy stared at the fairy with new appreciation, and he brought her close to his face to inspect her. "You, you saved me…" Navi appeared to be unharmed, just utterly exhausted, and she could barely manage a tinkle in response.
He gently tucked the fairy into his collar, "please be alright, please," and ascended the remaining distance.
A few hard hits loosened the door, and with a last ditch huff, Beast Boy was able to open it all the way.
Darkness greeted him again, thankfully though this one was not full of sewage and monsters. Barrels and crates lined the walls, and as far as he could tell there was no one else around. Shaking with exertion and adrenaline, he pulled his bruised and grimy self from the pit, letting the hatch fall shut behind him.
He dragged himself to the nearest box, a crate stamped with the symbol of Lon Lon Ranch. Beast Boy tenderly slid Navi from his chest, the fairy's light almost completely faded.
"Navi? Navi," Beast Boy had no clue what to do, since the Robin's EMT (Emergency Medical Training) never covered a patient no taller than an inch. "I do believe in fairies, I do, I do,4" Now that her light was dimmed, Beast Boy could make out more of Navi's figure, and while he was concerned, he was intrigued.
Navi was barely an inch tall, with wings the size of her body extending from her back. Her body was tiny and lacking in discernible detail, but he could tell that she wore no clothes. She wasn't indecent though; her skin was all one shade and texture, no organs or privates to speak of.
Her little face was blue, and he could hear her ragged breathing slowing, though whether that was good or bad was beyond his ability to tell. He leaned back, wishing he could help but not knowing how. Navi's hand rose, and delicately pointed, straight at Beast Boy… or through him?
A light clicked on in the green boy's head, and he flung himself backward as hard as he could. The Lon Lon crate cracked, the clinking of glass bottles audible within. Beast Boy tugged off a slat and revealed a treasure trove of the Ranch's famous milk.
With a little prying, a jug popped out, and Beast Boy pulled out the cork eagerly. He placed it down beside the fairy, who was dying for all that he knew, and let a few drops of the thick milk to fall into its central depression. He slid his finger behind Navi's delicate shoulders and raised her, whispering urgently for her to drink.
The little fairy obeyed, sipping the milk from the lid slowly. Beast Boy kept his finger behind her, holding her up, and he prayed to anyone listening to help his new friend.
Navi pushed the cork away after a few long drinks, falling back into Beast Boy's hand. She sighed, and to his great relief began to light up again, white skin blurring as it latterly glowed with energy. She was still weak and, as far as Beast Boy could tell, unconscious.
He gingerly placed her beside the milk bottle, which he tipped the give her access. Standing and flinching at the pain, he decided he needed a new pair of pants, and boots, not to mention some kind of ice for his shins; they weren't cut, but they were crushed just the same. He tugged a second milk bottle from the crate for starters, wondering why his life was always so strange.
The little fairy on her way to recovery, Beast Boy had a look around. There was only one door other than the trap door, and with a heavy shove it squeaked open. Beast Boy peaked through, green eyes dilating in the sudden light. Could they really have been down there the whole night?
The sun was just beginning to poke its way onto the horizon, and the sky was awash with colour. A tall fence ran off to the left, and beyond were large, well tended trees. The ground was made of white stones, crossing like bricks until they dropped off to a stream.
At the water's edge, propped up against a barrel, was a burly man, snoring loudly. Blue overalls wrinkled about his ample belly and his hairy arms were crossed, and on his face was an impressively thick handle-bar moustache.
Beast Boy knew the balding man the instant he saw him; Talon, owner of Lon Lon Ranch. Like in the game, an opening was etched into the castle wall across the water. It was with an eerie sense of deja-vu that Beast Boy shoved the barrel into the stream, waking the sleeping oaf.
After an apology and admonishment, and a mention of his daughter, Malon, Beast Boy had the older man running back to town. Beast Boy gave a little chuckle and ducked back into the storage room. Navi looked a lot better, but she was still out. He decided to leave her to recover; there was no sense in dragging her through another drain.
After all, he was positive that he knew his way from here. Raven would probably be fuming in the courtyard beyond, grumbling about her pink outfit. He would grab her, take her back through the pipe, into the storage chamber to pick up Navi, and then off to find Cyborg; piece of cake.