Fan Fiction ❯ Professional Hero ❯ The royal family ( Chapter 31 )

Chapter 31 - The royal family

The Gorons didn't understand. Darunia had gone into the cavern but was called out before he could do anything since something happened at the Fire Temple. Then some kids ran in the cavern and a gush of warm air came out of the cavern. Surely those kids couldn't have…

"Excuse me, coming through!"

The Goron jumped out of the way as three boys and one girl ran out the cavern and down the trail to Kakariko village. There was no way…

"This is news for Big Brother." He muttered and ran up to the Goron village.

The four children arrived in Kakariko village and stopped to look in awe at the many buildings and people.

"Hey, you think grandpa will be here?" Dekaru suddenly asked.

Mikau shrugged and looked at the others to see what their answer would be.

"I think he's back in the Lost Woods," Darmani replied, "I don't think his errand was this long."

"But we could look to score a glass bottle," Navi said, "we were lucky this time, but it's clear we will need help to vanquish other monsters."

"How do we do that?" Malon asked.

"We'll find a way," Mikau grinned.

After an afternoon of running errands for local merchants, the four kids were rewarded with each a sparkling new bottle (only used five times, honest). At the advice of Navi, they went to the graveyard and opened a grave when no one was around. After Malon reassured the boys she wasn't afraid by knocking them down, they jumped down the hole. Behind the debris of an old brick wall they could see dancing lights in the dark.

"Fairies," Navi whispered, "this is one of their breeding grounds."

"Let's go catch them." Dekaru said, as he opened his bottle.

It was getting near dark as the four children ran past the town guards down the stairs.

"Hey!" one of the guards shouted, "what do you think you're doing? It's dangerous out there!"

The children just ignored him and entered Hyrule field.

"It's over the bridge and then left," Navi explained the way, "following this stream and then passed the river."

"Wait," Dekaru suddenly urged his brothers, "there's somebody there."

At the bridge there seemed to be two guards as a third person arrived from the direction of the castle.

"Let's go over the river," Darmani decided, "it may not be safe to pass those guys."

"You're right," Mikau agreed, "the Deku tree said the evil was powerful. You never know who you're enemies might be."

"You guys are just paranoid," Malon sighed as she shook her head, "but since I don't want to spoil your pleasure, I'll follow you."

The four kids went the other way and swam across the stream until the reached the entrance of Zora's fountain. Darmani looked back once more but he couldn't see the bridge anymore in the dark.

The two guards stood to attention as the head of the Sheikah approached.

"Trouble, sir?" one of the asked.

"Could be," Dark answered, "but nothing to worry about."

If only, he thought, now Itaké has lost contact with the ice demon in Dodongo's cavern. Something was amiss and…

"Something wrong?" the guard asked as Dark peered through the darkness to the stairs leading to Karkariko.

"Nothing," Dark said after some hesitation, "thought I saw something."

Darmani, Mikau, Malon and Dekaru ran towards the waterfall in the dark. When they reached it, they looked at Navi.

"So, now what do we do?" Mikau asked.

"The guardian of the Zora's is Lord Jabu Jabu," Navi explained, "so, if something is threatening the Zora's, it must get passed him."

"And how do we get there?" Malon asked.

"Link could open the waterfall with the melody of the royal family." Navi answered.

"But we don't know the melody," Dekaru sighed as he sat down, "and we don't have any instruments. Plus, I'm tired."

"We all are," Darmani said and looked around.

He pointed to the small pool that led to the Lost Woods.

"Let's go make a camp over there, we'll be sheltered from the cold."

The others agreed and soon the four children slept vast.

Malon slowly woke up and blinked a couple of times. Finally her vision focused and she saw the waterfall stop and two Zora's come out of the tunnel behind the waterfall. She nudged her brothers awake and as soon as the two Zora's had left, the four children ran to tri-force emblem on the bridge and jumped to the cavern before the water started flowing again.

"Wow," Mikau whispered in awe, "this is even bigger than the Goron village."

The rest could only nod in agreement until Darmani snapped out of his trance.

"Let's find that Lord Jabu Jabu." He urged the others.

"Excuse me," the young boy asked a passing Zora, "but where can we find Lord Jabu Jabu?"

The Zora looked down at them and then nodded towards a large staircase.

"Lord Jabu Jabu is beyond the throne room but only those in the presence of the royal family may enter the shrine."

"So where can we find the royal family?" Mikau asked.

"I believe queen Ruto has just left for lake Hylia with king Djeran," the Zora replied, "but I don't know when she will be back."

"You think they were the two Zora we saw leave?" Dekaru asked his brothers and sister.

"I doubt it was them," the Zora spoke, "they never leave without the royal guards and they used the underwater entrance of Lake Hylia."

"Where's that entrance?" Mikau enquired.

The Zora gestured to the water at the bottom.

"Crap." Mikau responded when he looked down.

"Now what?" Malon asked.

"We'll find a way," Darmani said, sure of himself, "we always do."

Mikau thanked the Zora for the information and ran to the staircase.

When the children reached the throne room, several elder Zora sighed and struggled as they tried to restrain three Zora children. One of the Zora children saw the four kids enter and jumped towards them. Mikau responded quickly and moved his fist forward, right in the face of the kid. As he hit, every Zora in the room gasped.

"Prince Kerin," one of the elder Zora ran over to him, "are you alright?"

"Prince?" Darmani whispered to his twin brother, "way to go, Mikau."

Mikau gulped as the young prince got up. The young Zora held his finger in front of Mikau's face.

"You! You're gonna pay for this insult."

"Oh shut up, Kerin," a young Zora girl sighed as she jumped off the back of one of the Zora elders, "you had it coming with all your violence."

"He…he assaulted a member of the royal family," The boy tried to defend himself, "you all saw it."

"You attacked him," the girl continued, "that's what I saw. He just defended himself, there's nothing wrong with that."

The girl turned to her mad brother.

"In fact, everyone you attack should punch you like that, maybe then you would have a more agreeable personality."

The young prince gasped in disbelief and turned away. The girl chuckled and turned her attention to the boy that had "assaulted" her brother.

"I'm princess Ella, daughter of Queen Ruto and King Djeran," she introduced herself, "these are my brothers Kerin and Daibe."

Daibe waved as a token of greeting while Kerin did his best to ignore them.

"What brings you here to the royal throne room of the Zora?" she asked as her eyes remained fixed on Mikau.

"Well…" Mikau looked at his brothers and sister to help him out of this uncomfortable situation he felt he was in, "you see…"

"I'm Malon," Malon helped her older brother, "and these are my brothers, Dekaru, Darmani and Mikau. We were sent here by the Great Deku tree of Kokiri forest, he has told us that a grave danger threatens Lord Jabu Jabu, guardian of the Zora."

"A talking tree?" Kerin laughed, "what a joke, why not a singing bush or an invisible man?"

Darmani opened his mouth to tell him off, but Navi nudged him to keep quiet.

"Wait until you see Lord Jabu Jabu," she said.

Darmani closed his mouth and let Malon continue.

"And we were told that we can only see Lord Jabu Jabu if we are accompanied by a member of the royal family."

"I'm sorry," Daibe said, "but our parents have left for the Water temple."

"We can help them," Ella smiled as she took Mikau's arm, "after all, we're also members of the royal family."

Mikau smiled a bit as he tried to pry his arm free but failed. Once again he turned to his twin for help. Darmani just shrugged, indicating he didn't know what to do.

"That would be nice," Dekaru jumped in as he took Ella's free arm, "I'm sure we would all," with this he made a gesture to his brothers and sister, but mostly to Mikau, "appreciate it if you could lead us to Lord Jabu Jabu."

"Ella, you wouldn't…" Kerin huffed, but his sister just ignored him and led the Links children to the back of the throne room.

"So," she said as she eyed Mikau, "you are from Kokiri forest. I've heard the Hero of Time comes from the forest. Did you know he was once engaged to my mother? It appears that he was madly in love with her."

Mikau and Darmani exchanged a glance at her words, doing their best not to ask where she got that information, knowing the answer.

"But my mother had the common sense to turn him down and marry one of the generals of grandfather's army."

"What happened to your grandfather?" Dekaru asked, trying to draw Ella's attention away from Mikau.

"He died a few years ago," she answered the young boy and turned again to Mikau, "mother succeeded him. We haven't decided yet who will be the next successor, but I'm sure it'll be..."

"It's too soon to talk about that," Kerin interrupted her, "and besides, I don't think you'll ever be queen."

"Will too!" she reacted, "I have more chance of becoming queen than you!"

As she let go of Mikau to get into an argument with her brother, the boy quickly changed place with Darmani. Ella turned and was about to take his arm when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked closely at Darmani. He gulped.

"You're not Mikau," she said, "you're that other boy."

"His… brother…" Darmani quietly objected.

She scouted around and quickly found Mikau again. Ella tripled next to Mikau and took his arm again.

"We'll soon arrive at Lord Jabu Jabu's shrine," she said.

"Thank the Goddesses," Mikau muttered.

Ella shot the boy an angry glance when she heard this.

"Because…" he tried to save himself, "he's in great danger… and we must save him…"

"And time is of the essence." Dekaru completed.

"Exactly," Mikau nodded as they emerged in the open air, "so where's Lord Jabu… holy crap!"

"I think a fish ate Lord Jabu Jabu." Malon said as they children saw the large fish, resting at the shrine.

"That IS Lord Jabu Jabu," Daibe frowned.

"Ah, okay." Malon apologised, "so, now what?"

"If an evil is threatening Lord Jabu Jabu," Kerin thought out loud, "then it will be inside of him, just like the last time."

"Inside?" Dekaru gulped.

"Are you scared?" Kerin grinned.

"No," Dekaru shook his head as he got out his deku stick, "I just don't want to hurt him, that's all."

Mikau drew his sword.

"So, how do we get on the inside?"

Daibe kneeled at the waterline and his hand shot in the water, retrieving a small fish.

"Like this," he smiled as he threw the fish in front of Lord Jabu Jabu.

The monstrous fish opened it's mouth and swallowed the seven children.

AN: My apologies for my absence but I've been very busy lately. I seem to have less time then when I started writing and since I didn't completely work these parts out in my mind, it's a bit tougher to write (actually, it's already a re-write which also didn't help me in my time schedule).

Anyway, I know you're are anxious to see Link in action again, but you'll have to put up with his offspring for just a little while, until they resolve the matter with Lord Jabu Jabu and they return to the Deku tree. Then they'll have enough fire power to help out at every temple (and they will have fire power).

As for Kerin's remark about the singing bush and invisible man, that's a reference to the best movie Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short have ever made together, namely… THE THREE AMIGO'S (insert patented three amigo's gesture here). Not that anyone would care, or even notice, but hey, it's my fic, I can put in any movie reference I want.