New Add-on thingy

[Pieist]

Mersheti was taken to the room and was locked in there. When morning came the cloaked figures came and took him back to the green haired man.

The green haired man told Mersheti to follow him into the dining room. There the man and Mersheti sat at a table.

Some of the cloaked figures came in and brought in breakfast. It was khaki in color and had a peculiar smell yet Mersheti was starved enough that he ate it anyway.

After they were done eating the green haired man stood up and walked up to Mersheti and spoke to him.

"I am Callacant Uopu and I am the leader of the rebels that reside here in the forest. With that said you must know why I brought you here."

"Actually I don't..."

Uopu sighed. He pulled out a book from his pocket. It was Mersheti's grandfather's journal.

"Didn't you ever read this book? Your grandfather was one of the greatest assassins to ever be in this rebel camp. And when I look at you I see him"

"But I am nothing like my grandfather!"

"Posh! You have assassin blood in you and you can't deny it. Plus you have this."

Uopu opened the journal to a page with an illustration of the Triforce.

"You have the Triforce of Power that your grandfather stole from Ganondorf years ago in your heart. All you need is training so you know how to use..."

"I already told you I am not going to do it!"

Angerly, Uopu threw the journal at Mersheti and ordered the cloaked figures to lock him in his room.

As they carried him off Mershti thought:

"My father is probably worried sick about me!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Farnjo was in despair. He couldn't find Mersheti anywhere and the deadline for the Ratchett girl's death was soon.

Suddenly a flash appeared before Farnjo. Ganondorf stepped out of the flash and he looked angry.

"Your time is up Farnjo! Where is that girl's blood?"

"I don't understand why you need to kill her..."

Ganondorf became enraged and threw a ball of energy at Farnjo. The blast knocked Farnjo to the ground. Ganondorf sighed.

"I guess killing her doesn't matter now. But I still want that boy dead. The only way I can show my true power is that I get the Triforce of Power back from that boy. I will give till next week to kill that boy or you are dead."

The flash appeared again and Ganondorf was gone.

[Brooser]

OOC: Mine's around midnight, the night of the festival. Around the same time as PZoH's part of the story, I guess.

--------------------------

It wasn't the first time Lokuta had snuck into the castle, but still he was a bit nervous. Why had he gotten in so easily? Finally, he decided he'd worry about it later, and continued to look for Teresina.

But where would he look? He stopped as he realized that she could be anywhere in the castle. He looked around for somewhere that would be a good place to hide, and saw the kitchen. It was rather busy, and no one would notice if someone that didn't work there was in the midst of the hustle and bustle. Deciding that it would be a good place to start looking, he walked in.

------------------------------------

"And don't come back!" shouted the guard angrily, throwing Lokuta out into the street. Lokuta groaned as he sat up, rubbing his back. Okay, so maybe the kitchen was a bad idea after all. At least without a better disguise...

He looked up and noticed that the guard from before was watching Lokuta with a slightly amused expression on his face.

"You shouldn't sneak into castles when you aren't invited..." the guard remarked.

"Well, you let me in in the first place..." Lokuta remarked, standing up. His body still ached from crashing down on the cobblestone path. "Who are you, anyway?" he asked finally, looking up at the guard.

The guard grinned. "That's for me to know, and you to find out. I wouldn't want you telling the wrong people who I am..."

Lokuta looked up at him curiously. Why would he worry about Lokuta telling people who he was? Was he some kind of criminal? Or maybe an assassin hired by some distant king to kill the Royal Family...

"Well, I need to be going," Lokuta said finally, walking off.

"Alright...there's a drainpipe at the side of the castle that leads to the courtyard, by the way..."

Lokuta's suspiciousness changed to that of immense curiosity. But, deciding that the guard wouldn't be telling Lokuta his name anytime soon, he headed in the direction of the marketplace. He was about to go back to the house and tell Carlotta that he was unable to find Teresina, but looked down into the moat. Taking a look behind him to make sure no one was looking, he dived down and started to swim towards the side of the castle. He wouldn't admit defeat just yet...

[Pieist]

Uopu was sitting down in the dining room drinking coffee. He was thinking how he could convince Mersheti to become one of the rebels, but he couldn't think of anything. Gradually he fell asleep dreaming about the rebel camp when Mersheti's grandfather was still around....

As the sun was setting two figures on horseback were heading towards Hyrule Castle Town. One of the figures was Storricher Esel and the other was Uopu. They were going to try to assassin one of the members of the Royal Family.

As they drew closer to the castle the drawbridge went up. Esel sighed and started heading back into the forest.

"Where do you think you are going? Shank will have our heads if we don't kill anyone tonight!."

"Shank is a gullible fat bastard, and he will believe anything we tell him. Besides, if we try to break the drawbridge it will start a commotion.

"I guess you are right. But don't you have the slightest urge to kill one of those aristocratic *****es so Hyrule can be a better place to live?"

"Not really. Hyrule isn't my homeland anyway so why would I care if the rulers are buttholes. I only kill for money. Money is probably the only way people like Shank convince people like me to kill people....."

Uopu woke up with an idea.

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

Of all the nights Teresina could have picked to hide in the kitchen of Hyrule Castle, she had to choose the night before an extravagant royal banquet. And of all the people she could have been to be mixed up with, she had to run into a filthy, toothless, loud hulk of a man. Only, when somebody grabbed him by the shoulders and shouted "Genevieve!", she realized he was a woman.

Gevevieve must have been disturbed. She held a rusty pot in one hand which she insisted on ceaselessly banging and clanging with what was left of a wooden spoon. And her voice was horrible.

"MORE PEPPER!" she shrieked. "MORE PEPPER!" she croaked. "More pepperrrrrrrr..." she hissed. She defensively held up her wooden spoon, snorted, sneezed, spat up a rotten tooth, bent over and picked it up, popped it in her mouth, and then went back to banging the pot.

Teresina wondered what living in the castle kitchen did to people.

She'd never really considered working there, anyway. She'd only come to filthy herself up a bit, to lose her privileged appearance. She wasn't built for labor. What she had in mind was a position as one of the royal musicians, probably as a singer. That way, in royal processions, she would get to follow behind a certain somebody...

As she was deftly leaving the kitchen, trying not to be seen by any of the other servants and risk being mistaken as a deserter, she ran into the strangest-looking person she had ever seen. He was almost completely covered by a cloak, but a part of his face was caught in a flash of torchlight. It was blue.

[Brooser]

Lokuta hoisted himself awkwardly up into the small nook that led into the drainpipe, and started to climb through. It was slimy and damp, but he didn't really care. He hadn't really realized it when it happened, but now he knew that he had seen Teresina. Of course, he had been a bit preoccupied when it had happened...

----------------------------------------

Lokuta walked into into the huge kitchen, and realized what a mistake he had made. It was crowded, yes, but a bit too much. With this many people giving and recieving orders, he would no doubt be found out soon enough. A Zora wasn't exactly something you saw very often in a Hylian castle kitchen...

"MORE PEPPER! MORE VINEGAR!" shouted a disgustingly filthy and huge woman, pausing to hack into a rusty metal pot. Lokuta seriously hoped she wasn't planning to cook with it.

"Hey," said someone, laying his hand on Lokuta's shoulder. "Who are you?"

Lokuta turned around to see a bearded man glaring sternly at him. He was wearing only a greasy undershirt and a pair of filthy trousers, and held a large butcher knife.

"I said, who are you?" the main said again. "You don't work here, do you?"

"Well, I, uh..." Lokuta said, taking a step backwards and bumping into a girl with bright red hair.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were up to no good...a criminal or something. You're not that criminal who killed that innkeeper, are you?" the main said darkly, advancing on him.

Lokuta took another step backward and crashed into a tall cart filled with glass bowls and metal tools, which fell crashing to the stone floor.

"Hey!" the deep voiced man pushing the cart shouted, taking a step back from the flying shards of glass. The bearded man ran towards him, but Lokuta took no chances and ran for it. He bumped into the girl again but decided he'd apologize later. Dogdging a woman carrying stacks of silverware, he bolted through the door and down the corridor. Zoras didn't run very fast, but fortunately he had a head start against the man. Well...until he tripped on the hem of his cloak, that is...

[PVanderbilt]

As the sun veered toward noon, the next day, the royal family and their guests, assorted aristocracy, assembled into the dining hall to enjoy their feast.

The Prince was in a sour mood, as always, but tried to hide it, so as not to look a fool in front of a certain young duchess. Princess Zelda, age six, walking with her head high in the air, was in no mood for talking and wished for nothing more than to eat. Queen Zelda, her eyes burning, could hardly hold herself to stand. The King, meanwhiles, tried to put a pleasant face to the current situation. He was full of mirth, and tried to laugh a lot.

As the people settled down, and began their meal, trying to ignore the obvious tensions within the royal family, they were treated to a small group of minstrels.

The Queen, trying desperately to drown her sorrows, hardly even noticed when a hooded mistrel, carrying a mandolin approached her.

"It is time," the minstrel hissed.

The Queen looked at him with sunken eyes.

"I know," she replied. "I have seen... him."

"Have you told your husband?"

"He knows nothing."

"I don't know how long you can hide this from him."

"Nor do I."

"I cannot talk long. No one must see us."

He began to move away.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for coming back, Lizardman."

But the Lizardman had already returned to the other minstrels.

"Where is that fool of a jester?" the Prince asked. "He should be here by now."

[Pieist]

In a dark corner in Hyrule Castle Town, Farnjo was making negotiations with a cloaked man.

"So I trust that you will be able to kill the boy?"

"Of course I will! I am the most recommended assassin around."

"So how much money do I have to pay you?"

"1467 marks."

"But thats 2765 ruppees! Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?"

"You think of that while I go kill that kid."

In a flash the cloaked stranger dissapered. Farnjo sighed and decided to go to the nearest bank and kill the owner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Uopu went down to the dungeon and was about to offer Mersheti money in exchange for becoming one of his rebels, when he heard a loud explosion.

He ran to Mersheti's cell and saw a hole in the wall and Mersheti gone.

He called one of his servents down. He told the servant to tell his rebels to get ready for battle. Uopu knew that he would be going to Hyrule Castle Town for refuge, and he was going to burn it down.

A few hours hours later the rebels came to the Castle Town. Uopu and his men went into town and threw lighted torches at some buildings. They caught on fire and it started to spread.

Suddenly one of the buldings that were on fire collapsed onto Uopu and the rebels and killed them.

[Brooser]

As Lokuta reached the end of the tunnel, he realized that he had no excuse for being in the castle. He couldn't use the cloak, because the castle would be looking out for it, but...maybe he could just go as himself? As crazy as it sounded, he couldn't help thinking about it. Matakau must have said something of his father, so the guards might treat him in the very least as a non-criminal...

It wasn't exactly the brightest plan in the world, but it was the best he had. So once he reached the dark courtyard, he already had it set in his mind. He stood up, looked around, and quickly went through the nearest door, shutting it quietly. Now, to find Teresina again...

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

Teresina slipped out of the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder for safety. She couldn't get the blue face out of her mind. If she weren't in a hurry, she would have looked for the man in the crowd.

Her next thought was to find out where she could go to connect with the royal singers. The activity in the kitchen had proven that there was to be some sort of feast the following day. Certainly a few of the musicians were rehearsing. But where? It would make sense that they would be practicing in the place where they would soon be performing. Teresina decided she would have to find the banquet hall, which must have been treacherously close to where the nobles lived. But she was disguised well enough. No one would have mistaken a slivery wench, with no skin visible beneath layer upon layer of ash and filth and flour, as the granddaughter of Dame Matakau. Even Teresina had to remind herself what she was looking at whenever she passed a mirror.

Her only option was aimless wandering and following any sound of music. Wandering through dark castle halls at night. Were there ghosts? No, Teresina, don't think about ghosts. Although that figure in the light over there...is just a suit of armor. It's not funny, Teresina. Stop it! That...that...moan...it sounds like somebody is dying...

It turned out to be a soprano. Teresina was in the right place. Or, at least she was nearing it.

The voice Teresina followed had a somewhat unsettling quality, most likely because it was sounding through ancient and most certainly haunted walls. But it would sail up to a pure high note, which would grow louder and purer as the singer held it, and then suddenly fall to almost a whisper in shivery vibrato, as if someone was crying. No wonder she'd mistaken it for a ghost. At least, she hoped she'd mistaken it for a ghost. It didn't come across as a song to be sung at a banquet.

Suddenly, a door opened just a few inches from Teresina's face. She surpressed a scream, but not a fall backward into a suit of armor. Light spread quickly through the hallway from the room where the singers were, and Teresina, groaning in a pile of rattling metal, couldn't hide.

"My apologies, little miss," said what Teresina supposed was a baritone. The robed man, much smaller than his voice, held out a hand for her, but she turned away in embarrassment and helped herself up. She began to pick up the senseless scraps of armor.

"Don't worry about the suit," an elderly woman smiled. "It's not the first time somebody has knocked it over."

"I know, Sybil," another man laughed. "Don't you think they'd take a hint and move it?"

"All in the name of decor."

"Sybil, gentlemen," a very small man appeared in the doorway. "May we please resume the rehearsal?"

"Our apologies, Boss," Sybil said. She turned to Teresina. "And our heartfelt apologies to you. Carry on, little love."

"But I..." Teresina shrank away from the light. "I actually wanted to come in and..."

SYBIL: Listen? Are you coming to the banquet tomorrow?

TERESINA: Well, no, but...

SYBIL: Then come on in. See, you aren't the only uninvited servant who wants a chance to hear our performance.

As Sybil led her into the well-lit room, Teresina realized she wasn't the only one. There were a few dozen ragged odds and ends sitting on the floor in front of platform where the performers stood. Teresina took her place among them, and tried not to sneeze. They all could have used baths. Or, at the very least, dustings.

"She, I wash goin' to come along ta th' feasht, but I acshidentally dropped me besht robe in th' squattin' pit, and now I have noshin' to wear..."

"Ach, ye prissy thing...tha useth th' squattin' pit? Ain't ye a man? I heeds the call wh'rever I..."

Teresina inched away.

Suddenly, the voice sounded again, straight up to the lofty note. The crude gathering fell silent.

Teresina searched the room, looking for the owner of the voice. She missed it at first, because it was someone she wasn't picturing behind the voice: a small child. With locks of red hair straying from her headdress into her rosy yet starkly pale face. Teresina's first thought was that the singer was so shockingly young. Her second thought was that she was looking into a mirror. Teresina almost screamed. The girl looked exactly as she did when she was younger.

"Who...who is that?" Teresina asked one of the frowzy strangers.

"She's been 'round 'ere for years, but nobody seems ter know th' name o' that woman."

"Woman? Isn't she a child?"

"Ach, no. No, she's an old maid. She's 't least in 'er thirties."

Then the man lay down and went back to listening to the soprano. But Teresina wasn't satisfied. She had to know who it was. A slightly older woman who looked like a child and sounded like a ghost. And looked frighteningly like Teresina. Who had been in the castle for years, yet nobody knew her name. Surely somebody did. Teresina stood up quietly and crept toward Sybil.

TERESINA: Can you please tell me the name of that...

SYBIL: Soprano? A veteran of sorts. Been here since she was almost as young as she looks. Her name is Katherine Ratchett.

[Brooser]

Lokuta moved throughout the kitchen, relieved that noone had seemed to notice him yet. He had already looked throughout the kitchen with no sign of the girl from before. He was about to look elsewhere when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hey, you, the masked ball isn't till later..." said the bearded man from earlier.

"Or really?" Lokuta said, thankful that he had disguised his voice earlier and didn't have to now. "Thank you, I got a bit lost..."

"Say, do I know you?" the man said suddenly, stroking his beard. "Oh, I know! You're one o' them Zoras. Say, are you sure you belong here?"

"Yes, uh, Madame Elizabeth Matakau invited me..."

"Well, I..." the man paused, and looked Lokuta up and down. "Well, there's one that she keeps blabbering on and on about, but...what's your name, son?"

"My name's Lokuta," he said, more thankful than he had ever been to have been named after his father.

The man looked him over once more, then nodded. "Very well then...but don't be wandering about the kitchen again, you hear? I don't want you causing any trouble..."

"Alright, I won't..." Lokuta nodded to the man and hurriedly left the kitchen. So, it had worked. Apparently, Matakau told stories quite alot...

So Teresina wasn't in the kitchen, now what? Where else would she want to go? Maybe Carlotta could help with that part...and with actual permission from Matakau, he wouldn't have to sneak in all the time.

He made his way through the stone corridors until he reached the front door. The guard from before was standing there.

"No luck?" the guard asked.

"No, I..." Lokuta stopped and looked at the guard curiously. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Me? Well, you might find my name a little familiar...my name is Justitio Ratchett,"

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

OoC: Good one! [img]smile.gif[/img] I actually didn't know how I was going to get Juss into the story...

[Pieist]

OOC: If you are going to put a dead guy into the story than so am I .

Just a few moments earlier a strange cloaked man destroyed the wall in the dungeon and saved Mersheti. Both of them were now traveling to Hyrule Castle Town.

As they got closer they saw that the town was burning. The man just laughed and said:

"You got what you deserved!"

Mersheti's eyes were open in fear.

"My father is still in that town! We got to go get him!"

The man just stared at Mersheti like he seen a ghost. He sighed and pulled down his cloak. It revealed an old man with gray hair and a scar on his left cheek.

Mersheti gasped.

"B..but...your dead! You drowned years ago!"

"Yes I am Esel the Assassin. And I didn't drown, it was just a rumor since I dissapered. Now lets go get your father!"

[PVanderbilt]

OOC: Hey PZOH, is that the same Katherine from WAAAAAAAY back when? 'Cuz I'd like this to be the same Lizardman, even though I was pretty inconsistant with him two or three years ago.

--------
Jacob walked along in the growing darkness. He wished that he could melt into the shadows, as seamlessly as the Lizardman had done when he encountered him earlier. Jacob plodded onwards, all the while worrying about what he was supposed to do.

Ganon was about to strike soon. Jacob knew that much. Unfortunately, that still left out how and why he would strike. Jacob's father had told him about Ganon, and about his wars. After his coup, Ganon set out to conquer much of the surrounding kingdoms as well, with varying degrees of sucess. Jacob still had trouble believing that it was the Lizardman who had saved Jacob's parents from the war...

Where was the Lizardman, he wondered. Jacob had seen him wandering off in the direction of the castle, but lost him in the darkness. He held such an air of mystery. Who was he? What was he? Why was he?

There was a grand story unfolding before Jacob's eyes, and he was blind to see it. The plot was too thick.

As he neared the castle, he wondered where he would be in the morning, when the royal family would be having their banquet. He had been ordered to perform as a jester... Jacob barely had time to process the thought, when there was an explosion in the town behind him. Glass shattered and fires erupted from roof tops and walls. Slowly, the fires began to spread from building to building.

Jacob ran from the chaos that erupted toward the caslte.

Meanwhile, a dark, hooded stranger wandered through the halls of Hyrule Castle. Following the sound, he made it to a small room where a motley crew of castle servants sat listening to a small band of mistrels. A young woman, or seemingly young woman, was just finishing a song in a eerie, ghoulish soprano.

"You there, you're late," a small, deep voiced man said.

"Sorry. Had trouble finding the place," the stranger replied, as he lifted his mandolin.

"Well, we don't have much time to practice. The sun will rise within the next few hours."

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

OoC: Sort of. Her story has changed quite a bit, though. She has a twin brother now.

The baritone performed a piece, as did a harpist, a chorus of drummers, and a choir. But Teresina heard nothing. She could hear nothing but what Sybil had said. "Katherine Ratchett." And what Queen Zelda had said. "And this other girl who worked in the palace. She looked a lot like your father. Were they twins? Do you have an aunt?"

Her mother hadn't said anything about an aunt. She hadn't said very much about a father, either. But it was impossible. "Ratchett" could have been a common surname. Not that Teresina knew any Ratchetts outside of her family. But that face was unmistakably hers.

There was only one way to find out. It was the way Teresina most dreaded: asking the woman herself.

TERESINA: S-Sybil...?

SYBIL: Yes, dear?

TERESINA: Would it be all right if, after the presentation...if...if you...

SYBIL: Introduced you to someone? Of course. We're fond of our fans. Who would you like to meet?

TERESINA: The soprano. Miss Ratchett.

KATHERINE: Yes?

Sybil and Teresina both turned around to see "Miss Ratchett" standing behind them.

SYBIL: Oh, Kit, I didn't notice you!

KATHERINE: I would think you of all people would have sensed my presence, Sybil.

SYBIL: But you're so quiet.

Teresina tried not to tremble. But every time she got her head to stop wobbling, her hands would start shaking. When she got her hands to stop shaking, her jaw would quiver. And when she got her jaw in order, her head would start up again. Finally, the floor flipped over her head, the ceiling under her feet, and everything blacked out. When she opened her eyes, she was lying flat on the floor, and Sybil, the baritone, the tenor, the small leader, and several of the raggamuffins were standing over her. Where was Katherine?

Sybil sank down at Teresina's side.

TERESINA: M-may I...may I...

SYBIL: Speak with Miss Ratchett in private? I'll ask her.

TERESINA: She...she is Miss Ratchett, right? Miss Ratchett, and not...

SYBIL: Mrs. Ratchett? No, she isn't married. Although she did hang around a man years ago.

TERESINA: A man?

SYBIL: He was probably her brother. A twin brother. He looked quite a bit like her.

TERESINA: Then that decides it.

SYBIL: I suppose it does. Now, tell me, are you Miss Ratchett's cousin? Sister? Niece?

TERESINA: ...What?

SYBIL: I noticed that you look quite a bit like her yourself. Ach, nevermind. We'll get you in to visit her privately, and you two can sort this out. Up you go, on your feet. That's it. Steady. Take my hand. Close your eyes if you start to feel faint again. Come along...

[ June 05, 2004, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Princess Zelda of Hyrule: God Bless ]

[The Yoshimaster]

For a while, Daevo just stood in the Market with his spear. He had been conteplating an escape nearly all that time, but never got the opportunity. People were running back and forth constantly, some looking like bigger scoundrels than he himself did.

At last, a time came when no one came or went in the Market. His muscles were tense. He was following through the motions in his mind... first he would walk towards one of the dark alleys, then drop his spear, just as he would break off into a run. Then just as he would reach the alley, he would tear off his disguise, then head towards...

He heard marching feet coming from the castle. A group of men rounded a corner, carrying torches. The mob was back. Daevo sighed.

Suddenly, the men threw their torches into the windows of every building around them. In moments, the windows glowed with the bright red hue of a growing fire.

What the hell is going on? he thought. But he didn't bother to find out. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he tore off his disguise and fled.

He ran through the quiet streets of Castle Town, past the homes of sleeping citizens unaware of the spreading danger behind them. Daevo ran on until he came to the gate, where a guard was stationed.

Unfortunately, it was night, and Hyrule Castle always had the drawbridge up at night.

Daevo slammed his fists into the gate, and turned back to town, where a growing column of smoke was already beginning to blot out the stars.

"What's going on?" said the guard, who was quite young.

Daevo looked at him, not realizing that a lamp was lighting the area. The guard frowned at him, just as Daevo turned and walked away.

"Hey! You're... that guy!" the guard shouted, chasing after him. Daevo quickened his pace. Daevo could hear the patter of the guard's feet against the cobblestone walk as he broke into a run, followed by the sound of the guard drawing his sword out of its sheath.

Daevo turned around. The guard stopped in his tracks once he realized he was staring down a dangerous fugitive, with a bow, armed and aiming at his forehead.

"Now... just hold on there, fellow," the guard muttered.

Daevo lowered the bow. In the light from the fire beyond, Daevo could suddenly make out the guard's face. It was Dirgo... his brother.

Dirgo squinted at him. He muttered, "Are you..."

Daevo let the arrow fly. The lamp it struck fell from its support into the dirt, and was instantly doused.

Daevo turned and entered the inferno.

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

When Teresina got a closer look at Katherine - when she gathered the courage to take her eyes off the floor and make eye contact with her - she didn't look as young. Her eyes had a certain childlike energy in them - they were a lively green - but were circled by a very subtle shade of bruise gray. Though not nearly as gray as the area around her mother's eyes.

Teresina felt especially awkward for the first few minutes. She had hoped that Katherine would start a conversation, even a shallow, friendly one. But Katherine turned out to be just as shy as Teresina, if not shyer.

Finally, Teresina began.

TERESINA: You have a...a distinguished voice...ma'am. I've never heard one like it. It's beautiful.

KATHERINE: Thank you.

Katherine smiled passively and continued to avoid direct contact. She was looking at Teresina, though somewhat past her, probably so she wouldn't appear rude.

TERESINA: How long have you lived here? ...I mean, you do live here, right?

KATHERINE: I do. It's been quite a few years.

Then she went back to gazing and smiling. Teresina couldn't stand it.

TERESINA: How did you get around to joining this group?

KATHERINE: Sybil got me in. She heard me singing one day, and told me they needed a soprano, so...that's how I got to be here.

TERESINA: How old were you?

KATHERINE: I must have been fifteen. Maybe sixteen.

TERESINA: That's about how old I am.

KATHERINE: Is it really?

Now that they had an actual conversation, Teresina could relax a bit.

TERESINA: Do you sew?

KATHERINE: I learned once. I haven't done it in years. I've been pretty much devoted to singing since I came back here.

TERESINA: Since you came back here? Then you were here before?

KATHERINE: I was born here. I left when I was very young, maybe five, with my mother and my brother.

TERESINA: You have a brother?

KATHERINE: Yes. A twin brother.

TERESINA: Are you serious? ...What's it like being a twin?

KATHERINE: What's it like not being a twin?

TERESINA: I...dunno.

KATHERINE: How long have you been here?

TERESINA: This is my first time here.

Then she remembered she was supposed to be a servant, and wanted more than anything to kick herself.

KATHERINE: Oh. I was under the impression that you worked in the kitchen. You've got a lot of flour on you, and...

TERESINA: Well...

KATHERINE: My apologies. So what brings you here?

TERESINA: I...

She was dying to change the subject.

TERESINA: Actually, I sort of got mixed up with Princess Zelda. They all thought I kidnapped her and everything.

She thought she might as well.

KATHERINE: Oh, so you are Tere- that girl?

TERESINA: I'm Teresina, yes.

KATHERINE: I've heard so much about you. From your grandmother.

TERESINA: You know her?

KATHERINE: Your mother and I were best friends when we were your age.

TERESINA: You were?

KATHERINE: Certainly. You must have heard all of my embarrassing stories by now.

TERESINA: Actually...she never tells me much about her life before I was born.

KATHERINE: My mother told me everything about hers. I suppose you're lucky to be ignorant. Sometimes I wish I didn't know all the ugly secrets.

TERESINA: I'd at least like to know some things.

KATHERINE: Like what?

Katherine must have perceived that Teresina wasn't going to answer. So she proceeded to the next subject.

KATHERINE: Your mother. How is she? I haven't seen much of her since she moved out of the castle.

TERESINA: She's fine. Tired, but fine.

KATHERINE: And worried sick about you, no doubt. I heard she came by here looking for you. I would have liked to have seen her.

TERESINA: She probably wants to birch the skin off of me.

KATHERINE: Carlotta? I can't imagine her with a birching rod.

TERESINA: Not only can I imagine it, but I can remember it. Clearly. Too clearly.

KATHERINE: I suppose I remember her being a little fiesty at times.

Teresina was dying to talk about Justitio Ratchett. But she was afraid to introduce the subject. What if she were to find out, for some reason, that the twin brother wasn't Justitio, that this was a different Ratchett, who only happened to look like Teresina by coincidence?

KATHERINE: It was my brother who had the temper. He had plenty of good qualities, but any small provocation, and I'd have a black eye.

TERESINA: He really hit you?

KATHERINE: Many times. He almost killed me once. Of course, I disappeared for a few years, and he felt so sorry he'd ever laid a hand on me that I guess he nearly committed suicide. And then he made a few odd friends. A Zora who was very kind. And Carlotta. Through a crazy series of events, we were reunited. He was so remorseful. It was hilarious. But that only lasted for about a week, and then he went right back to beating me.

TERESINA: I had no idea he was so...so...

KATHERINE: You knew him? But he took off long before you were...

TERESINA: Before I was born?

KATHERINE: ...So it's true?

TERESINA: As far as I know.

KATHERINE: Teresina...I must take you home.

TERESINA: Please, don't.

KATHERINE: I'll talk to your mother. I'll even spend the night there to make sure she doesn't hurt you. But you have to go home. Carlotta doesn't need another deserter.

TERESINA: No, please! You were right - I'd rather not know the ugly secrets. I want to stay here. I want to get a job. I want to join the chorus...please, don't take me back there...

SYBIL: We have been in need of another treble voice. What's your part?

KATHERINE: Sybil! Where did you come from?

SYBIL: Don't think I haven't heard the whole conversation.

KATHERINE: I know you well enough not to think that, Sybil.

SYBIL: At least somebody does. Now, if you'll excuse me, Kit, I was talking to your niece. Young lady, what's your part?

[ June 06, 2004, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: Princess Zelda of Hyrule: God Bless ]

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

NAME: Katherine Ratchett (Kit)
AGE: 36
GENDER: Female
RACE: Hylian
OCCUPATION: Royal Canter
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Hyrule Castle
HAIR: Golden-red, long, usually worn in a loose updo
EYES: Brilliant green
SKIN: Ivory
CLOTHING: Long, dark or neutral-colored dresses. Often wears the uniform for the royal singers: a robe or cloak colored for the occasion.
FATHER: King Harkinian
MOTHER: Amaryllis Scarlet. A Calatian princess. Married to Harkinian after the death of Zelda's mother, was exiled from the palace after a scandal, which was staged for Amaryllis' own safety. Shortly after her banishment, the royal family of Calatia was overthrown, but Amaryllis, because of her low profile, was saved.
SIBLINGS: Justitio Ratchett, twin brother. Domineering, impulsive, emotional.
SKILLS: Singing - sings in an unusual, ghost-like soprano voice. Has a very good ear, and can improvise on the harp and the lyre. Used to sew. A poet, an artist, a philosopher. Is a master of disguise.
WEAPONS/ITEMS: None.
PERSONALITY: Mysterious from a glance, and very shy. But to those she is comfortable with, pleasant and witty. Very sensitive, very sweet. Devoutly religious.
A SUMMARY OF YOUR PAST: She was born in the palace as Princess Katherine Devon of Hyrule; her brother Justitio (Juss) was the heir to the throne. When Amaryllis was exiled (she was about five years old at the time), she took Kit and Juss to Crocus Valley, a village near the Lost Woods included on only the finest maps of Hyrule. They changed their name to Ratchett, the last name of Amaryllis's beloved bodyguard who had been executed in the scandal. Amaryllis died, and through a series of stories, Juss and Kit left Crocus Valley. They met Lokuta, Carlotta, and others. Eventually, Katherine took up a profession as one of the royal singers. Juss was engaged to Carlotta, impregnated her on the night before their wedding ceremony, and vanished immediately thereafter. As she grew older, Katherine always watched Carlotta and the young Teresina at some distance.
AN AMBITION OF YOURS: She used to be obsessed with becoming reunited with her father and her family. She still has that dream, but she has accepted that it will never come to be. Her father is dead - he died without ever meeting her again, which was tragic for Katherine. She's long sinced talked herself out of revealing her identity to Queen Zelda.
She is happy where she is. She considers the royal musicians to be her family. But she is still looking out for the people of her past.

[The Yoshimaster]

For a moment, Daevo could not remember why he ran back into the flames. He did not know that it was night, for the light coming from the surrounding fire burned his eyes like only a staring contest with the sun could do.

It soon passed, and his mind was jolted back to reality. He was standing in the middle of Castle Town Market... the heart of Hyrule for many years. It was now burning, and the Hyruleans who lived there were rushing through the streets to escape. Some fled towards the gate to wait out the fire in Hyrule Field; others towards the Castle, to seek refuge in the roomy halls. Still others flocked into the Temple of Time, to pray to the gods, only to find that half the temple had been reduced to rubble by Ganon's escape.

Daevo ran amidst the crowd, aware that he would be easy to spot by anyone, but also aware that everyone was too frightened to care. He ran in the direction of the only place that he knew would keep him safe: Hyrule Castle.

Then the first of the buildings to fall came down. Its base, thoroughly consumed by fire, was crushed by its own weight, leaned into the building next to it, and both came crashing down. Daevo noticed, with a chuckle at the tragic humor, that a group of men had been hiding in the alley between the buildings for shelter.

As he made his way up the path to the castle, he noticed that the crowd was growing thicker and thicker. He poked his head above the others, and saw why: the gate to the castle was locked. And there were no guards at their posts to unlock it... they all had been in the search party looking for Daevo.

The fire was growing, and the trees around the gate were beginning to catch fire. The crowd roared and seethed with panic.

Daevo felt around the cliff next to the gate. Soon, he found a vine growing into the rock. He began to climb.

The crowd noticed right away, and the people nearby began pulling and groping at his clothes. He knocked their hands away with his feet, shouting "Get away from me!" The hands grew in numbers. Daevo drew his sword, loudly threatening anyone who came near. The people withdrew.

Daevo climbed to the top of the cliff, ran past the gate, and jumped down. The people behind the gate cried out to him, reached past the bars. Daevo looked at them coldy, and walked on.

Moments later, he stopped in his tracks, looked at his feet, and sighed.

To hell with it, he thought. He drew his sword, cut the chains to the gate, and ran off to the castle.

[Brooser]

"Juss? But you're..."

"Yes I know, I left," Juss said coldly. "But I had a good reason to. One that I won't share at the moment," he added before Lokuta could ask what the reason was.

Lokuta was quiet for a moment. "So...you knew my father too?"

JUSS: Yes...back then we were good friends. I heard he died in a battle or something?

LOKUTA: Er, yes, he did...my mother died too when I was five...

JUSS: (smiling slightly) I expected as much...here's a tip, Lokuta. If you want to live for long after having a kid, don't name him Lokuta. I think it's cursed or something. Or fate, whatever you want to call it...

LOKUTA: So what are you doing here?

JUSS: Well, due to cartain recent events, I came back here and got a position as a guard. The fools up in the castle, no disrespect to Queen Zelda, never check the background of new guards. Especially in these times of peace.

LOKUTA: And I'm guessing I won't be finding out what those certain recent events are anytime soon?

JUSS: (laughs) Well, we did just meet. Anyway, now I have a message to give you.

LOKUTA: What's that?

JUSS: You need to get out of the city. Look...(points)

*In the distance, houses can be seen, just now catching on fire and flaring up. The fire is quickly spreading*

LOKUTA: Wha...who did that? What's...

JUSS: (quickly) Did Carlotta tell you the story of the Hero of Time and the events leading to the rise of Ganondorf?

LOKUTA: Yes...the city was destroyed and the king was overthrown. Why?

JUSS: Well, that same thing is happening again.

LOKUTA: You mean...

JUSS: It may not be Ganon's troops attacking the city, but Ganon has indeed returned, and no good can come of it.

[Pieist]

Esel and Mersheti ran around the burning city looking for Mersheti's father. When they finally came to the inn the door was locked. Esel took a hammer and pounded at the door until it fell.

By the time they got in the roof of the inn was on fire. Inside the buliding there was smoke everywhere and they could hardly see.

As they made it up to the second floor there were bodies laying everywhere passed out from the smoke. When they finally came to the third floor all the rooms were on fire. Including Mersheti's room.

Esel started turning back when Mersheti stopped him.

"What about my father? Are we just going to leave him there?"

"He is a goner. If we go into that inferno we are done for. The best thing we can do now is to save ourselves."

Mersheti was still reluctant to leave so Esel had to drag him out by his arms. As they walked out the entire city was burning to crisp. They saw the opening to Hyrule Castle was free of flames so they rode their horse there.

When they found a safe spot of grass outside the castle they saw that alot of townsfolk had already taken refuge there.

Esel stretched himself on the grass an relaxed. A few minutes later he began to speak.

"Mersheti I have some terrible news."

"What's that?"

"You know the reason why you left Kokoperta was because the dam broke and your town started to flood."

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"Well when the dam broke alot more water then expected came through. Alot more water. Right now the entire country is flooded."

"Is everyone alright?"

"Some people got up on top of the mountains and are starting to make villages there, but many were drowned. But that's not the worst part. The flood is going up to Hyrule. I'd say in about four days the flood will be up to this town. So we must make refuge in the mountains. But first I have unfinished buisness to take care of."

Esel got up and started walking towards the castle.