Ocarina
Part 8
by
Gerudo Valley, Border Between Calatia and Hyrule (Afternoon)-
The prison cell was hot, more than just hot... dreadfully hot. Lana had removed her Hiefie garb, dressed now only in the grey tanktop and brown daisyduke shorts she had worn underneath. Zelda had opted only for opening the front of her Sheik garb, showing the same style grey tanktop. Kevin and Mike didn't have exactly the same option, though luckily they could take off their letterman jackets. Their t-shirts were drenched with sweat.
"Where did you learn to lockpick?" Kevin asked Zelda, who was doing exactly that.
"Well," Zelda replied, "you learn a thing or two getting locked up with Sleezenose." Click! And the cell door freely swung open. "Whala!"
"If you could do that," Mike began, "why didn't you escape sooner?"
"They never left us alone long enough before," Zelda quiped. "We need to find Link."
"Link's here?" Lana asked.
"He's disguised as Lusus Naturae."
"We also need to get the horses," Mike reminded them.
"Then I suggest two teams," Lana said. "I'll go with Mike to get the horses. Kevin and Zelda will go find Link. Okay?" The others nodded.
Gerudo Valley, Border Between Calatia and Hyrule (Afternoon)-
Nabooru frowned. She had just come from the gathering where Resurgam told everyone that the final part of his plan would start tomorrow. Obviously meant that Lusus had not been able to change Resurgam's mind. But she had seen a sort of hesitation in Resurgam, so even if Lusus failed, he didn't fail completely.
But what most bothered her was that Lusus had not shown up to hear Resurgam's pronouncement.
She stuck her head into Lusus's quarters, wondering if she might find him there. There was someone in there, but it didn't look like Lusus. Nabooru approched, and she found that the closer she was, the more like Lusus he looked... except as a perverted sort of Lusus. It looked as if he had been on the wrong end of a battering ram, and had managed to crawl back here.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
"Resssurrgammmm annnd Tekuieeeeelllllaaa..." Lusus sounded offkey.
With nimble fingers, Nabooru probed Lusus. "Well... whatever they did, you've got fractured ribs and a broken arm."
"Could have told you that," Lusus numbly said.
Nabooru gently coaxed Lusus out of the Gerudo armor, then the green tunic underneith that, then the white body suit- the last she only removed down to the waist. She reached into a standard Gerudo supply box and pulled out a bandage roll. "Listen, if you're going to stop Resurgam, it had better be pretty darn soon." She finished wrapping his chest and moved to splinting his arm. "He's moving on with his plan."
"Plan?"
"You know..." Nabooru chided herself. "Oh, yeah. That's right. I didn't tell you. To get revenge on the royal family of Hyrule, Resurgam's going to start a war between Calatia and Hyrule. He's been working on putting a rift between the two countries for years. The problem is, Gerudo Valley is right between Calatia and Hyrule. If war starts, we'll be overrun. We'll die out."
Lusus winced. "That would explain the shaky relationship Zelda and I have noticed for the past several years..." He pushed himself up, nearly fainting from the pain he caused himself.
"Careful..."
"I don't have time to be careful," he grunted. "My head..."
"Yes, they did hit you there badly, didn't they?"
"It's not that... it's the serum."
"Hmmm, I had heard you had permanently gotten rid of it. It seems the rumors are wrong. I will go get you some Gluecose to push back the headache until you get your own cure." Nabooru gazed at him, then exited.
Gerudo Valley, Border Between Calatia and Hyrule (Late Afternoon)-
There were no Gerudos near the corral. Lana and Mike crept over, not questioning good luck. Mike looked over to Lana, checking if she was ready. "You're a bit red."
"Well, I didn't remember sunscreen," Lana replied. She pushed Mike along. The gate wasn't hard to open... but the horses didn't realize it was open. It just stood open, with the horses minding their own collective interests. "We need to get those horses moving. How are we going to do that?"
Mike pulled out his zapper. Though the Gerudos hadn't taken it away, it was heavily drained of energy during the fight after breaking Lana out that resulted in Lana, Kevin, and himself being captured. "I've got one shot left."
"You aren't planning on shooting one of the horses, are you?"
"Nope." Mike aimed. The zapper's last shot flashed, shooting across, striking an overhang's support. The support vanished, sending the overhand crashing down with incredible noise.
"That worked," Lana commented.
"Maybe too well," Mike grumbled. He shoved Lana out of the way of the panicked horses. The thundering dustcloud was at the gate, eating up Mike. After three seconds short of eternity, the horses had passed by, Mike standing exactly where he was when the cloud overcame him. He had a sort of dazed look on his face.
"Mike, you're a lucky S.O.B.," Lana said from where she had landed on the ground.
Mike fell over.
"Or maybe not," Lana corrected herself.
Gerudo Valley, Border Between Calatia and Hyrule (Evening)-
Nabooru stopped in the corridor.
The yellow haired female prisoner and the brown haired male prisoner stopped in the corridor.
Nabooru sized them up. Under ideal conditions, no doubt that individually either would be anyone's match. But in Gerudo heat, they were a bit worn down.
Besides, she had an idea exactly what they were doing.
Nabooru walked right by them, "Come along, then." When neither moved, she looked back at them. "You are looking for Lusus, are you not?"
"Well... yeah," the male said.
"Then come along." Nabooru lead the way through the winding corridors. At the door stood the other two prisoners. They looked at their compatriarts questingly. Nabooru didn't have time, she simply went into the chamber.
"Gods!" gasped the blond female. Nabooru couldn't blame her, Lusus was still a sight the second time around.
"I assure you," Lusus croaked, "that Din, Nayru, and Farore had nothing to do with it, Zelda."
One of the prisoners is the Princess of Hyrule? Nabooru looked at the prisoners. This changed things.
"Zelda," the brunette female said. "You've really have to give up that long lived cult."
"I'll do that right about when you become religious, Lana."
The princess of Hyrule and the princess of Videoland? "Forgive me for inturupting," Nabooru cut in, "but you don't have the luxury of time. Resurgam's going to start a war between Calatia and Hyrule, and Lusus needs help if he's going to stop Resurgam."
The blond gave Nabooru a hard look. "I don't suppose Resurgam's the reason behind the slipping relation between Calatia and my country?" The other three prisoners look absolutly horrified. They evidently didn't know about the situation between Calatia and Hyrule.
"He would," Lusus said. "That's why he's gotta be stopped. That's why I need to get to Megaland, then Calatia. Kevin, do me a favor and go to Calatia ahead of me. I need you to go to this ranch called..."
"Last Chance Ranch," the brunette male filled in. On Lusus's confused glance, he said, "I know where it is, I'll be happy to explain later."
Lusus nodded. "Lana, Zelda, you might want to go to SeaSide, Calatia."
"And try to defuse the situation before Resurgam gets there," the blond said. "Or at least enough so that you can finish it when you get there."
"What about me?" the big male asked, after a notible silence durring witch the big male had almost literally bent down to retrieve his jaw and slam it back where it belonged with the rest of his face.
"You get to help me get to Megaland," Lusus grinned. "Trust me, I'm going to need it."
"Oh... joy..."
Last Chance Ranch, Calatia (Evening)-
The table was extra full. The usual people were there, the Chance family, the ranch hands... four others were there, too. Rick, Stacey, Romeo, Julius. Any problems they had durring the day were forgotten... they were on the verge of forgetting their own names. "Like, wow," Stacey said. "That smells bodacious!" With the food around, it was about impossible to remember anything else.
Julius had already dove into the food, Romeo wasn't far behind. Evidently it was normal, for the ranch hands were nearly imitating Romeo and Julius stroke for stroke. Stacey managed with the grace of a valley girl, Rick simply ate. The only person not eating was Arn, it was Medila who asked what was wrong.
Arn held a yellow parchment in his large hands. He simply handed it to her. She looked through it, suddenly finding that she had to hold back a gasp. Numbly, she lowered it.
Rick, sitting next to her, looked over. The fork with the potatos stopped half way to his mouth, reversed dirrections, and landed on the plate. "Oh my God. Is that for real?" Various munchers looked up, interested in his exclamation. "That's got to be a joke, right?"
Knock knock.
"I'll get it, honey," Medila got up and patted Arn on the shoulder. She walked to the door and opened it. "This is a pleasent surprise."
Stacey and Rick were the only ones at the table who could see who was at the door. "Kev!" Stacey exclaimed.
Arn turned around in his chair. "Well, if it isn't the kid who left me the most useful help. You know, thanks to them, we got the repairs done sooner than otherwise."
"Kev' Miester," Rick frowned. "This surprise wouldn't happen to have something to do with this bit of news we just got, would it?" He reaced over and lifted the yellow parchment.
Kevin walked in the door. "Depends on what's on it."
"Yeah, what is on it?" Ted asked from near the end of the table.
Arn plucked the parchment out of Rick's hand. "Like most official state documents, this one is laced with words and phrases that are absolutly archaic and useless. But the bare bones of it is, Calatia is about ready to declare war on Hyrule. All Hyrulian citizens are to leave Calatia. All Calatian citizens are to leave Hyrule." He turned his head to face Kevin, as did all the others.
"In that case," Kevin kept his voice controled, "yes, my return here has a lot to do with what's on the parchment."
Arn leaned back, crossing his large arms over his chest. "Well then, you mind explaining exactly what you have to do with this war buisness?"
Kevin pulled over a chair and sat down. "I'm not sure you're going to want to hear all the details."
"I'm all ears."
Kevin glanced at his Hylian ears, not bothering to make an oral note of the pun. "It has to do with your eldest son."
Growl. "You mean he's responcible for the war?"
Even Kevin's ear picked up the hint of pleading in Arn's voice, pleading that it was not so. "No, actually... From what I've been told, he's the only person capable of stopping it."
"I'm confused," Medila said.
"Why's Link the only one who can stop it?" Rick asked.
"Well..." Kevin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is where it gets complex, and I don't have all the details. The leader of the Gerudos is a guy who was brought in from the outside. He's called Resurgam. Link tells me he isn't a transformed, although I honestly don't know the significance of that. He's out for revenge on whoever it is who killed his nephews, and apparently a pretty high ranking Gerudo told him that it was the royal family of Hyrule who kidnapped his nephews for the intent of taking over the entire world. When the nephews didn't cooperate, they were killed."
"But in actuality," Rick filled in, "that's the farthest thing from the truth."
Kevin nodded. "I get the feeling Link doesn't believe Resurgam's nephews are dead. I assume he tried to tell Resurgam, for which he got more than his fair share of beating."
"Ouch," muttered Romeo.
"Gag me," Stacey said. "What happened?"
"Broken arm and fractured ribs," Kevin said. "From what he says, after his beating, he spent most of his time crawling back to his chamber, thinking up a plan. Most of the plan is basically stalling Resurgam long enough for Link to get there and confront him one last time."
"And if this fool plan of his doesn't work?" Arn demanded.
Kevin looked at him squarely. "Then Calatia and Hyrule go to war."
"I don't get it," Medila inturrupted. "How come Link is the only person who can stop Resurgam."
"That's the confusing part," Kevin replied. "I've asked. Lana and Zelda's asked. Mike... well... I don't know what he did qualifies asking... I'm not sure we were ever given an answer. My best guess is that Link and Resurgam may actually know each other... or at least have known each other."
"And what's your part?" Rick tilted his head.
"My part is rediculously simple." He paused. "He wants me to fetch his ocarina... and he didn't mention this... but I think he wants you two," he looked at Arn and Medila, "to come tomorrow."
"No," Arn snapped.
"Honey," Medila pleaded.
"Absolutely not!"
"Forgive me for being rude," Kevin inturrupted, "but isn't it about time to remove the wall?"
"Huh?" Arn and Medila simutaniously said.
"He means," Rick interpreted, "that maybe the fight between you and Link's been going on a bit too long."
"It's true, boss," Ted put in from the end of the table. "We ain't been able to make mention of the kid without you boiling over, and he ain't done a thing to get it. He tells the same story over and over. Maybe it is about time you give him a shot and believe him."
Arn glared. He seemed more like a wild cat ready to tear at everyone. "You all would tell me how to run my family?"
"No," Kevin said quietly. "Link is in no condition to fight tomorrow, there's a good chance Resurgam will kill him. I think Link knows Resurgam because Link didn't fight back when Resurgam and Tequila attacked him. If tomorrow Resurgam attacks him again and Link doesn't defend himself again, Link'll die. Any chance to mend your relationship with him will be forever lost."
Arn sat silently.
Rick broke the silence. "I hope Resurgam doesn't live up to his name."
"Like, how?" Stacey quieried.
"The word resurgam is Latin for I will rise again." Rick shrugged. "It could be coincidence that particular name is also a Latin word."
Kevin's eyebrows furrowed. "Link said the Gerudos give names to their slaves who have won their own freedom. Uh..." Not mentioning Link... "One of them was called Lusus Naturae, and was held in high esteem."
"Lusus Naturae?" Rick repeated. Kevin nodded. "Whoever it is, I hope he's ugly as sin because lusus naturae is Latin for freak of nature."
Yeah... Kevin supposed that could describe Link from time to time. His unphenominally freakish ability to aim and preform complex trick shots- for starters... Then again... maybe he was ugly as sin to them, he wasn't exactly a golden-eyed redhead with skislope nose like the Gerudo women.