"Why would someone make a barrier around a castle, but keep the town intact?" Matt asked.

"To keep someone important inside," Hugo said. "Town doesn't matter."

"We need to get moving," Link said. "Let me call my horse."

"There's a horse out here?" R.D. asked, scanning their surroundings. He didn't see any horses. Ugly-looking red-skinned and blue-skinned goblins and strange, bug-like creatures running around aimlessly, but no horses. Link ignored the question and walked up to a couple of plants with horseshoe-like reeds growing from their stems.

Picking one from the ground, Link stood and raised the reed to his lips, and blew. Three melodic notes came from the reed as he blew, and a second breath produced a matching set of notes.

Within a few moments, they heard a distinctive whinnying of a horse, and the sound of hooves beating into the ground. From down the path ahead of them, a large horse was seen galloping toward them. As the horse approached, Alasea began to make out details--the reddish-brown coat, and the white mane and tail and the white fur on its lower legs--all of the details causing her to mentally label it as a Clydesdale horse. The creature appeared to be geared up for riding.

And it was big too, she noticed. Really big for a horse. When it got close enough, it slowed down to a trot as it made its way up to Link, who smiled and pat it on the nose for a moment as he looked the horse over. "Thatta girl," he murmured, finding nothing wrong with her.

"That's a neat trick." Matt plucked one of the reeds and brought it to his face, squinting. "Can I get a horse with one of these?"

"No," Hugo said. "Put it down."

"I'm just asking. Geez."

"What's her name?" Alasea asked, stepping forward to pet the horse, which didn't seem to mind the attention.

"Epona," Link replied as he adjusted the fittings for her saddle. "She's been my steed for a long time now."

"Mmm. She's a very pretty horse," Alasea said admiringly, almost giggling when Epona nudged her hand after she stopped petting her. "What was that song you played to call her?"

"Its just a little ditty that's been passed down in my family for generations," he explained. "All of the horses owned by my family loved the song." Slipping one foot into the stirrup, Link hoisted himself up onto Epona's back. "Well, let's get going. Do you guys know how to fight?"

"We're good," Matt said. "How far is this town?"

"Not too far, if we hurry," Link said, guiding his horse to turn around. "Just stay on your guard. Those Bokoblins down there will attack us on sight, but any ranged weaponry should be able to kill them before they can get too close."

"Alright. Let's get going then," R.D. said, stepping forward. Link urged Epona to move at a slow walk, so as not to outpace his new companions.

"So when did you arrive in Hyrule?" Link asked as they made their way forward, nearing the first plateau.

"Not too long ago," Matt said. Another half-truth. Hell, Link would find out the truth in about an hour or so, so he should just bust out the Firebird. Then again, Surprise Car might spook Epona.

"I'm still curious as to how all of you arrived here. There's no pathway to Hyrule from the Forest Temple," Link said. "At least, none that can be accessed by a human. Hold up, there's a Bokoblin coming this way. Dammit, its a red one, too."

"What's so bad about that?" R.D. asked, spotting the red-skinned Bokoblin--a pot-bellied, ugly-looking creature with a large cleaver as it was running at them, mouth open in a snarl.

Link pulled a ornate-looking longbow out from nowhere, and nocked an arrow on it. "They're hard to kill," he said, pulling back before letting the arrow fly. It zipped through the air and struck the creature in the chest, but after flinching from the blow, it kept on coming at them. Link nocked another arrow and took aim, waiting for it to get closer.

Hugo leapt out of Helena's arms and chambered his pickaxe. G-Stone aura flared about the Mettaur as he aimed at the Bokoblin, firing a charged shot.

The blast struck the Bokoblin dead-on and sent it hurtling back. As they watched it impact the ground, they saw its body darken to a black color before exploding into ash, with trails of magic fire swirling around it until it disappeared entirely.

Link froze from his aiming, staring at the feat. After a moment, he lowered his weapon and looked down at the Mettaur. "I guess this trip will be easier than I thought," he said, stowing the longbow away.

"You know, you certainly don't seem too bothered by us," R.D. commented, looking up at Link.

"What do you mean?" Link asked, looking down at him as they started forward again.

"You didn't even bat an eyelash at seeing Hugo, and you haven't commented on Helena's appearance," R.D. said. "Most people we meet usually ask us about them."

Link looked over at Helena, looking considerate as he examined her draconic features, then looked down at Hugo. Then, surprisingly, he shrugged before turning back in the saddle.

"I've seen stranger things in Hyrule," he replied. "Your clothing's unusual, but its not the most outlandish I've ever seen."

"Then you know we're not from around here," Hugo remarked, dismissing his aura. "So don't be surprised when we pull out any new tricks."

Matt spread out his hands. "And we've got tons."

"Be careful who you pull those tricks out around," Link warned. "Not everyone in Hyrule is as tolerant as me and Coro. Simple wolves can frighten even the guards in town, and I'm sure you know how people react to things they fear."

"Great," R.D. muttered.

They crossed over a wooden bridge to another hill, past more easily-dispatched Bokoblins and the pterodactyl-like Kargarocs. The pathway wound up towards a crevice between two walls, towards the castle. It was when they reached the crevice when Ileyna finally spoke up.

"Um, Link, sir?" she called, looking a bit shy. He looked down at her, waiting for her question. "There's, um, something following us. Following you, actually."

Link looked surprised, then looked up and around, becoming alert.

Looks like it was already time to kick some butt! "Where are they coming from?" Matt said, hunching a bit and gathering electrical power in his hand.

Ileyna shook her head, keeping a hand on her beret so as not to lose it--again. "Its not something you can see," she said. "Its like its... invisible. But I can feel it around Link!"

Link froze up at that statement, blinking in total surprise. "Wait... you mean you--?"

He was cut off by the sound of a giggling, feminine and mischievous voice.

"The little girl's perceptive, isn't she?"

Link sighed a bit, and on the ground, they saw his shadow move--against all reason--around regardless of the sun before peeling off of the ground, becoming a short, shadowy figure with a bright yellow eye that hovered alongside Link. It quickly gained substance, forming into a grinning imp with a large metal mask adorning its head.



The imp leaned one arm against Link's shoulder, who did not seem perturbed at all by its appearance.

"I'm surprised to see anyone besides Link and Zelda capable of detecting me," the imp spoke. "You guys certainly are strange."

Hugo immediately aimed his pickaxe at the strange creature.

"Hugo," Matt warned, stepping to the Mettaur's side.

"What IS that?" Hugo said. "Tell me now!"

"I'm Midna," the imp greeted, looking down at Hugo without any fear whatsoever.

"She's my partner. She's from another dimension, the Twilight Realm," Link explained, looking over at her. "Lower your weapon, Hugo. She's an ally, not an enemy."

R.D. froze at that. "Another..."

"... dimension?" Alasea finished for him, sounding a bit faint.

Matt found a smile spreading across his face. "Well, what do you know? So are we! What a coininky-dink!"

R.D. sighed as Link reined in Epona. "Why do we even bother trying to hide it anymore?" he asked Matt. "Its like we're being conspired against."

"I thought I felt something off about the lot of you," Midna said. "So, now that your secret's out, why don't you tell us what you're really here in Hyrule for?"

Helena pushed a few bangs aside. "We're looking for something called Omega Essence. That's the artifact we told you about, Link. Have you heard of anything like that, Midna?"

It suddenly occured to Matt just how at ease Helena was talking to the grinning imp monster. They were a pretty messed up bunch, after all.

"Can't say I have," Midna replied. "I guess you'll just have to stick around and see if you can find this Omega Essence."

R.D. nodded. "Seems to be the trend concerning the stuff," he muttered.

"What's it look like?" Link asked.

"Like a broken piece of blue glass," R.D. said. "Glowing. That's only if it hasn't bonded with anything yet, which it probably has."

"You said this artifact can give powers or increase powers, right?" Link asked.

"Yeah," Matt said. "You know anyone who might be interested in using something like that for nefarious deeds?"

Midna glowered at that. "I can name one," she muttered. "The last thing we need is for Zant to become more powerful than he already is."

"Zant?" Alasea asked.

"He's our enemy," Link said. "The one responsible for the mess Hyrule's in right now."

Midna's lips curled into a truly fearsome snarl as she thought about it, turning her head to the side. "That usurper took over the throne of my people and turned them into monsters," she spat. "And now he's trying to take over the realm of light. Link and I were able to stop the advance of the Twilight, but now we need to find the way back into my realm, so we can put a stop to him... for good."

"Guess we're working together on this one," Hugo said. "If this Zant has the Essence, then you'll need all the help you can to take him down."

"Link can take out monsters twenty times our size on his own," Midna boasted, grinning at them. "How hard can it be?"

"Well, for starters," R.D. began. "Ileyna here is the only one who can extract the Essence from something that's bonded with it. On top of that, we've been thrashed by things our own size single-handedly because they had the Essence. Trust us. You'll need our help."

"Very well then," Link said. "We'll ask around town when we get there."

Midna nodded. "Nice meeting you, kids," she said with a haughty chuckle before fading into a shadow before merging with Link's.

Matt shot a smirk at Link. "Well, she's cheerful."

"Come on, let's go." Hugo waved them along with his pickaxe as he started down the path again.

They proceeded up through the crevice, seeing bits and pieces of broken rock scattered throughout it; like something had recently dug its way through the area. After some walking, the crevice ended, and Hyrule Field expanded out before them once more--as well as the walls to Hyrule Castle Town, accessible by the large stone platforms leading up to the gates.

Before they could go any further, a voice called out to them with a loud shout.

"Mr. Link! WAAAAAAIT!"

Link reined in Epona, motioning for the others to stop. "Don't worry," he said. "Its just the postman."

The postman was an odd, lanky fellow with a crazed-looking expression on his face, dressed in a white, sleeveless jumpsuit, a large red banner mounted to his backpack and a large red cap adorning his head. He ran up to them at a brisk pace, breathing oddly with each step. Stopping before Epona, the man made a relieved sigh. “Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter.”

“It is a letter from Telma,” he said, pulling a red stationary from his pack and handing it to Link, humming a short little victory tune as he did so. He then saluted the green-clad warrior, chuckling. “Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!”

And with that, the man turned and began jogging back from whence he came, towards Hyrule Castle Town, breathing oddly with each step.

“… all kinds of people in Hyrule, huh?” R.D. commented, watching the postman leave.

“Summer here in Hyrule get pretty hot,” Link said, opening up the stationary and slipping out a short sheet of paper. “He’s probably gone mad from the heat after all this time, but he still gets his job done.”

Edited by RisingDragon on February 6, 2010 at 0:54:01.

"I'm not sure if I like his pants," Matt remarked, putting his hands in his pockets as he watched the postman run off. "They're pretty saucy."

"Nah, I know that look," Helena said. She took Matt by the shoulders and rested her chin to the side of his neck, also observing the postman dash away. "I bet you think you'd look good wearing it. I can see you putting on something like that."

"Cut thy tomfoolery, woman!" Matt replied dramatically, with a rise of a curled hand. "I say it's saucy! Saucy!"

"Is he always like this?" Link asked, watching Matt's dramatic movements and dialogue.

"Yep," R.D., Alasea, and Ileyna all said at the same time, not even giving it much thought. "You get used to it," R.D. continued.

"Alright then," Link said, going back to his letter and giving it a brief once over before stowing it away. "Looks like Telma wants to see me at her bar."

"I'm buying that for you next time we're in a world with a store," Helena whispered to Matt, poking him gently with the knuckle of her claw.

"Like hell you are," Matt whispered back, but not in a 'I am being serious' kind of way.

Link urged Epona forward once more, towards the stone steps and ramp leading up to the platforms before the town gates, causing the others to quickly follow after him. As they walked towards the town, Ileyna took in the sights around them. To their right was a large stone pillar, one side of it covered in vines, and surrounded by a flock of crows that soared in uneven circles around it. To their left, however, was what appeared to be a giant hole in the ground, one that Ileyna was not keen on going near.

Epona carefully made her way up the stone ramp between the two stairwells, while the others proceeded up the stairs. "Hey, this place looks nice," Alasea commended, referring to the three flowerbeds surrounding a shallow man-made pond in the center, with a pedestal raised up inside of its center. The pond was flanked by two ramps and four sets of stairs, and along the sides of the platform were more flowerbeds featuring small trees. On the upper platform, two connected pillars formed a large arch that seemed to frame the entire structure splendidly.

On the right-hand flowerbed by the pond, they spotted a young girl with blond hair tied up in pigtails sifting through the flowers. A wide-skirted, colorful dress adorned her body, ornamented with large butterflies on her back and up the front of her skirt. A small parasol was resting against her right shoulder, and her left arm looped around the handle of a wicker basket. The girl looked up when she heard the group approach, and smiled as she saw Link and Epona.

"Oh, hello, Link!" she said cheerfully, walking up to him. "Its good to see you! I'm glad you weren't affected by that dreadful storm the other night."

"Hello, Agitha," Link greeted as he dismounted from Epona, neglecting to mention what had actually happened to him during that storm. "Its good to see you too. Still searching for them?"

The girl nodded. "As of now, I have nineteen of them at my castle," she said. "We only need five more until all of them are here... Please do your best to find partners for the ones that are not already paired up!"

Link smiled affectionately at the girl. "Don't worry, I will."

The girl leaned to the side, looking past Link. "Oh! I see you've brought friends with you this time!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I found them in the Faron Woods," Link said. He turned to them. "Before you guys enter, you'll need to find more suitable clothing. You'll stand out less and people will be more willing to talk to you."

"How exactly are we going to find that?" R.D. asked, crossing his arms.

"I'll have to purchase some in town for you and come back with them," Link said. He looked over at the girls. "I'll need to get your measurements before I leave."

"Excuse me?" Alasea asked, raising an eyebrow. "Our measurements?"