Fan Fiction ❯ Professional Hero ❯ Showdown at Kakariko graveyard ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8 - Showdown at Kakariko graveyard

Link opened the door and stepped outside to go to the pond against the stonewall. His house had become a large ranch with inside a large kitchen annex living place with a large fire place, upstairs there were several rooms, the main bedroom, a weaponsroom, and five more rooms that momentarily were empty. Outside there was next to the stonewall a small pond where several healing fairies lived. Right next to the house, in front of the pond, there was a stone statue of an owl that the workers had found while digging the pond. Romani decided to keep it. Link found it strange since in the pedestal there was a small hole, like something round fitted inside. But now he was really looking forward to jump in the cold water, but as usual, he thought sarcastically, something intervened.

"Queen Zelda, how may I help you." He bowed his head a bit.

Zelda stood there on a white horse with Alexis on a black steed and a few soldiers.

"Link, what a pleasure to see you here." She said. "We were worried when you didn't arrive at the castle."

"I didn't know I was expected at the castle." Link said with a smile and went to the pond.

"I thought you would stay in the castle since you had no where else to stay." Zelda answered.

"I could have stayed at Kokiri forest," Link splashed water on his face and his naked upperbody, "this isn't far from Kokiri but that doesn't explain why you're here."

"Well, you left yesterday with Romani and we were worried she did something to you."

Well, Romani did something to him, several things even, but he wouldn't say that to Zelda.

"You have that little trust in your Hero of Time?"

Zelda looked (mad?) at Romani that stood in the door. Link walked over to her and kissed her.

"Anyway," Romani interrupted the kiss, and turned to Zelda, "we will take care of that poe guy today, so you don't have to worry about that."

"You think you can fight him?" Zelda asked, fighting a small mocking smile.

"You think we can't?" Link turned to her.

He went back inside with Romani behind him. Zelda didn't know what to do for a moment, but then decided to remain outside. She glanced to Alexis who kept on looking at the door. There was something in his eyes she couldn't put her finger on. It was the same look he had yesterday when she was waiting for Link at the castle. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a faint melody coming out of the house.

"I know that melody." Alexis whispered.

"Fuck," Zelda shouted, "the Nocturne of Shadows, they warped to the temple."

She turned her horses and sped to Kakariko village.

Link stood in front of the entrance with Romani next to him.

"Hm, easy way to travel."

"You can only travel to certain area's and I haven't tried it with something else than the Ocarina of Time. Although it did work with the other instruments when I was in another form, but maybe that was because they were manifestations of the Ocarina."

"Well, that's something we can try later, but how do we enter the temple?" Romani asked as she pushed the stonewall.

"With a little magic." Link said with a smile, and went to the centre of the room, raising his hand.

Romani stepped back, knowing what was to come. Link unleashed Din's fire and all the torches in the room lit up. The brickwall slid away.

"Neat trick!" Romani smiled.

Link shrugged and grabbed his sword. Romani saw he was still using the Goron sword although he had a sword similar to the Mastersword of Time. Link had told her that he picked him up in Labrynna along with some other helpful things. Romani held the guilded sword from Termina with the Mirrorshield. They got over the gap with their hookshots and stepped true the wall. Link knew the dungeon, but didn't know where his opponent would be.

He took the hover boots out of his backpack.

"What are those?"

Link looked over his shoulder. Stupid, Romani didn't have boots like that, and he didn't think he could find another pair.

"These are hover boots, used to get to the other side of that gap."

"You think he's over there?"

Link shrugged. Actually he could be in the other side of the dungeon.

"Heh heh heh, looks like you have to do the job alone, Hero of Time." A shrill voice entered the air.

A Poe was holding his lantern on the other side of the gap.

"Follow me if you want to see the poe collector," he started backing away, "alone apparently, heh heh heh, he's waiting for you on the drum, heh heh AAHHH..."

Romani just shot an arrow and the poe dropped his lantern.

"Now what?"

Link took of his hat and went through his hair with his hand. He had to face him alone, he couldn't bring Romani since she didn't have any hover boots, and if he threw them across the gap and they fell, he couldn't go on anymore, so he guessed he didn't had a choice. He was ready to put his hat back on and get up when he noticed something...

"Of course." He whispered.

He gave the boots to Romani and told her to run over to the door over the gap and when she started to loose grip, jump. Romani nodded and did as he told. With a small yell she jumped the last part and held on the ledge. Link watched her climb up the ledge and she signalled she was okay. Link stepped back and ran. Just before the gap, he jumped. And boy did he jump. He just reached the ledge and pulled him up.

"Wow," Romani said in awe, "how did you make that jump?"

Link tried to catch his breath and pointed at his hat.

"See... see this... this feather?" he panted, "Roc's feather... makes you... jump really... really far."

Romani whistled.

"Holodrum?"

Link nodded.

"The things you find there, huh?"

Link cracked a smile and got up.

"Let's hope this doesn't take long." He sighed.

"Do you know where he is?"

Link nodded. "Where I fought Bongo Bongo. At the end of the dungeon."

"I think we can take a short cut through here."

Link opened the door and looked inside. The room was empty but you could hear a grinding sound.

"Careful," Link whispered, "stay away from the centre if you don't use your lens of truth, but something else isn't right."

His words just said, a Stalfos jumped in front of Link, his quick reflexes saving him. Romani lashed out and hit his ribcage. The Stalfos jumped back as five ghosts came out of the wall. Link heard the grinding sound get closer and drop flat on the floor. The invisible blades flew just over him, right into the Stalfos who was ready for another attack. Link jumped up and drove his twohanded sword deep in a Gibdo. He uttered his deathscream as Link forced out the sword to hit another Stalfos. He caught the blow on his shield, though but this showed Link was ready for him. Romani jumped around, dodging Stalfos and Gibdo's, shooting arrows at the poes. Soon she turned her attention to the Gibdo's, thinking to handle the walking skeletons later. That's when a Stalfos attacked her in the back. She fell in front of a Gibdo who sunk his teeth in her neck. Link saw this, beheaded a nearby Gibdo and shot a flame arrow in the Gibdo who was drinking of his lover. The linen that was wrapped around the Gibdo was burning fast and while he was moving around to take out the flames, he stumbled into another Gibdo, causing them both to fall in the centrepiece. Romani jumped back as she saw the two Gibdo's being cut in half by the twirling blades. As she felt mummy goo splash on her face she suddenly saw the Stalfos that attacked her. He raised his sword as an arrow hit his head. His head just turned to see who attacked him and Romani jumped up, thrusting her sword deep in the undead monster. He fell to pieces and she slashed her sword in a spin. This did no damage to anyone, but now she had had a view of her surroundings. Two more Gibdo's and three Stalfos were behind her, Link was still at the other side, fighting off a Gibdo and in front of her was another Stalfos with a Gibdo. She jumped to the Stalfos, driving her sword deep in him but he just staggered to the back, taking her sword with him. She quickly grabbed her Biggoron knife and slashed the Gibdo. The Gibdo held the wound closed with green slime oozing through his decayed hands and the Stalfos was ready to attack again. Just as he raised his sword, Romani made a spinslash. The Stalfos dropped down in pieces and the Gibdo tried to attack her. She hit his jaw with the handle of her sword and he fell, crashing his skull against the wall. She quickly turned (ooh, perhaps too quickly as the world spun around her) and due to that dizziness she stumbled into the centrepiece. She quickly came to her senses as the tip of the blade scratched her. She jumped out of the way and overlooked the situation. Link was fighting the last two Stalfos and so she drove two arrows in the back of the head of the last one. He fell to the ground the exact moment Link broke the other one's jaw.

"Go to the opening on your left and wait there at the entrance." Link shouted.

Romani nodded and dodged the spinning blades as she ran to the small corridor with the face of a skull at the end. Link was right behind her as he saw blood at her side.

"You're bleeding!"

"Just a scratch," she said, "Romani forgot about those blades."

"And that Gibdo?"

"Nothing that will leave a scar," she said, "it will pass."

"I know what Gibdo's can do. If you're not feeling one hundred percent..."

"What? Romani should go home?"

"Because I care for you and your safety I would say yes, but because I know you care for me and my safety, I'm saying no, because I know you wouldn't forgive yourself if you let me go alone and I'm hurt. But you should drink a potion."

Romani smiled, because he was right, she would never let him go somewhere alone if he could get hurt. She would defend him 'till the end, as he would defend her. She drank the potion and kissed him.

"So, now that this is over, what do we do now?"

Link nodded in the direction of the portrait.

"Take out your lens of truth and you'll see."

She whistled at the depth of the pit. Link grabbed her hand and jumped down.

She let out a scream as she fell down but soon she had control of the fall and rolled at the end as she came down.

"Damn it Grasshopper, don't scare Romani like that anymore."

Link laughed and gested towards the big river.

"That was what I was afraid for."

Romani didn't understand. She saw nothing but the river.

"Last time, there was a boat here, but it sank when it came to the end."

"So we can't get there?"

Link shook his head.

"Fuck!"

"My my, such language."

The voice startled both of them. Both had their weapons drawn and looked around, but saw no one.

"Humhum, up here." The voice said.

They looked up and saw a scarecrow.

"Pierre," sighed Link, "how are you today, and what are you doing in a place like this?"

"Oh, I'm fine, just enjoying of a fine concert yesterday. I'm sure you've seen it, after all, didn't you play along? Nice performance by the way."

Link smiled. Of course, if they played music somewhere, you could be certain that Pierre the music loving, wandering scarecrow would be there.

"And wouldn't you introduce me to this fine young lady?"

"Oh, of course, Pierre, this is Romani, my... part-time associate in the fight against evil and fulltime lover, Romani, this is an old friend from my childhood, Pierre, the wandering scarecrow."

"Enchantée, that means pleased to meet you in another language." Said the scarecrow with a small nod.

"Pleased to meet you, that means I'm pleased to meet you in our language." Romani said with a smile.

"Oh, good with a sword and witty. She sounds really something for you, Link."

"But you still haven't answered my second question. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I thought since you're back, you would handle those ghost things, and in all my travels this place had the only undead creatures in it, not to mention, so much activity, so I though you would come here, and I came as well to see if I could help you."

"And can you help me?"

"Maybe." The scarecrow said mockingly.

"Well, can you or not?"

"Do you remember that song?"

"What if I didn't have an ocarina?"

"Then I couldn't help you no matter what."

Link sighed and took out his ocarina. He thought back at the first time he made up the scarecrow song. He was really stumbling and he couldn't even remember for a long time what it was, but the times after he found a nice tune that he learned by heart and would never forget. Now about two years later, he had to prove he still knew it. He put the ocarina to his lips and played the song.

"That was beautiful." Romani whispered.

Link didn't know what to say and put on a sheepish grin.

"Ooh, yes, that was great, my old friend. Now, I shall tell you what I know. The last time you were here, there was a boat, a boat you set in motion with a song, I don't know which one, but it was quite nice. Now, today, several hours before you got here, there was a man here, surrounded by poes. And he played that same song on some dreadful instrument and a boat came. I would say, play that song, and kill that man for playing such terrible music."

Link nodded and started playing Zelda's lullaby. Quickly a boat came, smaller than the first one, but it still had the Tri-force on its deck. Link and Romani jumped on board and waved goodbye to the scarecrow that dug deep in the ground to return to Lake Hylia.

"This is nice." Romani said.

"What? Fighting some evil monsters and risking our lives for the greater good?"

"No," Romani laughed, "although that also does something to me. No, I mean, here, sailing on a boat on a river with the person you love, it's kinda romantic."

Link nodded.

"I'll take you to Holodrum and Labrynna sometime, they have some nice rivers there. And monsters." He added.

Romani grinned. She looked up as the end came near. They jumped onto the shore and quickly made their way to the corridor leading to the boss room. Link used his lens of truth to guide them across the invisible blocks in the last room and opened the room leading to Bongo Bongo's Drum.

"Now what?"

"Now we jump." Link answered with a grin.

"Not again."

"Careful," Link got serious again, "we don't know what we can expect down there, but be sure it'll be a lot of Gibdo's, poes and Stalfos, not too mention the Poe Collector himself."

Romani nodded and took Link's hand. With a small nod they jumped the hole in the middle of the room.

They landed on the drum and bounced back up. Link looked around as Romani tried to get her balance back.

"What? No, not yet! You can't be here yet! It's too soon!"

The Poe Collector stood there with his hands waving at Link and Romani. Ten poes surrounded him. There were no other monsters on the drum. Link quickly drew his lens of truth but saw nothing. There really was no one else.

"You're here too soon!" The Poe Collector said, panicking. "You weren't supposed to be here yet. It's not possible you got here so soon, not with all Gibdo's I put everywhere."

"We didn't go everywhere." Link said.

"We took a short cut." Romani nodded.

"No, that's not possib..." The Poe Collector ducked and the arrow flew right through the poe behind him that shivered with a shriek of agony.

Romani drew another arrow and saw the poes flee.

"Big poes, huh?" Link grinned, "yeah, I remember those running away from me when I hunted them with Epona."

The Poe Collector went into his robe and sprinkled some dust.

"Uhm, Nacturna, Mortem, Diaballus, uhm..." he muttered.

A Stalfos arose from the place where the dust had fallen but it didn't seem right. It only had a shield and moved too slow. It wasn't attacking Link or Romani, it just wandered around.

"No, please, no!" the Collector begged, but Link didn't know if the words were directed at him, or some greater evil.

He decided not to take any chances and jumped towards the Collector with his sword forward. The Biggoron sword drove itself deep in the thin body of the Poe Collector. Link held the sword up and the Poe Collector slid down towards the handle of his sword.

"Hahaha, I see clearly now," the Poe Collector spoke softly, "I may have failed, but darkness shall fall over Hyrule and Termina."

"What are you talking about? Whose darkness?" Link asked.

"I don't know, but I see darkness," he whispered, "Triforce... of Power..."

"Ganondorf?" Not again, Link thought, after Labrynna he was sure he was rid of him.

"No, I'm starting to see..." the Poe Collector started laughing, "hahaha, oh, yes, I didn't see that one, hahaha, the new evil of Hyru..." the Collector coughed up blood and died.

Link let down his sword and let the Poe Collector slid down to the floor.

"Who do you think he spoke of?" Romani asked.

"I have no idea, but if it involves the Triforce of Power, we're in deep shit." Link thought for a moment. "Fuck! I don't need this."

"Don't worry Grasshopper," Romani embraced Link and kissed his forehead, "we can take on anything that threatens us."

Link smiled at her remark.

"Strange, I was just thinking that I would do anything to keep us safe." He looked in Romani's blue eyes. "I will nothing come between us and will always protect you."

"My, Grasshopper," Romani grinned, "is that a proposal?"

"Why yes, I guess it is," Link said seriously, and dropped to one knee, "Romani of Romani Ranch of Termina Field, will you marry me?"

Romani looked at Link and saw he was deadly serious. With a fast motion she grabbed her sword and the blade flew over the Link's head and cut the still wandering Stalfos in half. As the bones of the Stalfos hit the ground, she nodded.

"Yes, Link of Kokiri Forest, Hero of Time, Saviour of Termina, Guardian of Oracles, I will marry you."

Link stood up and kissed Romani passionate.