The girl seemed not at all put off by Neru's rudeness, instead she just explained what was going on. "Oh.... well... I'm Neru." she said. "Well, what are you waiting for; an engraved invitation edged in platinum? Spit it out!" Sugar said as she smacked her head. "I was dragged to the Outworld 44 years ago, and was recently granted to come back to Earth and try to gain my freedom. But what's it to you?" Sugar payed no attention to the girl's rude reply, instead she just released her companions, Willow and Ivy.

There was a hissing sound coming from Neru's pocket, and Neru remembered Bonehilda was still in there. She gently took the kitten out. "This is Bonehilda." she said quietly. Bonehilda hissed, but Neru couldn't tell if she was hissing at Willow, Ivy, Sugar, or just the fact that Neru fell on her earlier.

Neru set her cat by a small stream and let her drink from it, but kept herself at a distance. There was no way she was going to get wet. The kitten finished drinking, and came running up to Neru, trying to lick her face. "NO!" Neru shouted, as she grabbed the kitten, grabbed a small cloth from her pocket, and wiped the water completely from the kitten's face, then let it crawl all over her.

Bonehilda ran playfully to Willow and Ivy, and Neru panicked. She didn't know if they were wild, or if this so-called "Sugar" was to be trusted, so she grabbed her kitten and turned around, still sitting on the ground. She pulled a locket from inside her shirt, containing pictures of a boy she had met earlier that day, whom she had immediately fallen in love with. Of course he didn't know that - he didn't even know she had pictures of him. She rubbed the locket and closed her eyes. "I'm never going to get out of here," she sighed. "How the hell am I supposed to know who's evil and who's not?!"

There was a glow in the distance, along with shouting. "Holy hell." Neru said, as she put the locket back in her shirt, the kitten back in her pocket, and stood up. The civilians were returning, this time approx. 30 or so of them. "Got a better plan than to sacrifice the demon girl?"

(( ^ Same here. I might be on later, but I still have no pics of Inona. I have no idea what the heck is wrong with me, but I guarantee pictures soon. BTW, Merry Christmas!! ))

((Merry Christmas too! From 2PM Central time to probably like 5PM, I'll be gone, but yeah merry Christmas!!!!)

((Merry Christmas. I'll have Navi ready in a day or two. I've been getting the presents wrapped and cleaning house a bit.))

Navi flitted around the Temple of Time playing a game of "What If?"

What if I became like he is?

I would need to learn things like how to eat. And how to sleep. And how to walk. And how to remember that I can't fly. I'm sure he would help, but that wouldn't be a very good start for a romance.

What if he became a fairy?

He would be green. He likes green. And he would need to learn how to be a fairy, and it wouldn't change his feelings for Zelda, and he would be unhappy because he isn't what he was meant to be. That is no good, either.

What if I had never met him?

Well, he did defeat Gannondorf alone in that first battle... But that was before he turned into GannonPork and became even stronger. Link might have lost the second time without my help...

What if I met someone else?

Given the ratio of males to females, the chances of meeting a male fairy are rather slim. And one who isn't a fairy would just pose the same problem all over again.

Suddenly the chamber began to glow.

Am I dying? she asked without fear. -Almost- hopefully.

There was a sensation of gentle laughter. "No. You are being asked to perform your duties as a messenger. A great danger is approaching Hyrule. It threatens all worlds. You must find the Hero and gain allies to stop this evil before it consumes everything! Go! Be what you were meant to be!"

A map appeared, and several spots lit up.

Navi brightened. I can go find Link again!

She flew out of the Temple of Time to the first place that had brightened on the map. "Hey! Listen!" She exclaimed. Then she faltered. That wasn't Link down there! At least neither of them were Zelda. But they looked like they were in trouble with an angry mob. They must be some of the allies she was to find. Well, Navi was here now, so she had better help them, and then see about finding Link with them afterward.

"They have already seen you, so invisibility now wouldn't work well. But if you can find a place to hide I can make it look like you kept running."

She studied the area. "Those bushes over there look good."

Neru heard something fly into the bushes. "HOLY HELL!" she exclaimed. "Did you see that?!" she asked Sugar. Neru made her way towards the bushes then stopped, remembering the mob behind her. She never did well under pressure, and just started freaking out. "Did it leave?" Neru cautiously tried to peek inside the bush.

"GRAB THEM!" the angry mob shouted, grabbing Neru and Sugar, and putting their arms behind their backs. "HHHHHHEEEEEELLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!! HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP HEEEEELPPPPPPPP!!"

The so called "Sugar" pointed a knife at her captor, and, while Neru's captor was a smaller man, she kicked him in the crotch and ran off, surprisingly with nobody following her. But people had a feeling she would be back...

((I might be taking an internet hiatus for a while, so I'm "disappearing" until later eh... I'll just randomly show up xD))

((Come back soon, you hear? lol, JK. Trying to sound like my ancestors from the south. And Scotland.))

Inona's POV:
I awoke, lying on the ground, deep within a forest. Not where I wanted to end up, nowhere close, but it would do for now. The next thing I noticed was that I appeared to have some sort of head-cold. I couldn't smell as well. Needless to say, that would hold me back. I hadn't been planning on bringing in guards, at least not so early. Appearances were very necessary, and guards, especially guards such as mine, would be a very bad idea for image. On the other hand, no sense of smell meant that I wouldn't be able to avoid enemies, or to find my way to civilization.

Alex's POV:
I pulled my hood over my head before I went into the city. My wanted posters were everywhere, and I simply had no time to fix my facial features. I slipped through crowds of fae, heading to buy and sell wares at the market. Of course, human's wouldn't be wandering through here now. Distinctive smell, added to undead guards who can bite your arm off in three seconds made for a very dangerous place for anything that wasn't fae. Or outlaws that weren't as stealthy as me, or my sisters. After about an hour of pushing through crowds, I had reached the enormous, white marble palace that made up the center of the city. No guards up front; that alone was a bad sign. Being able to push open the huge, oaken door without being shot by arrows was even worse. The front room was empty, besides a dead body and some sort of strange, glowing artifact. Marble and crystal. I walked towards it slowly, watching it glow faintly.

Navi dropped into the bushes and waited. The two seemed to be dealing with the crowd instead of hiding. Well, she could watch and make sure she was right before trying to approach them again.
Suddenly two creatures came over and started investigating the bushes where she was. They were communicating with each other, but at first it seemed as though they were speaking two different languages. Then she realized that it was similar to certain fairy languages, where the sound itself is unimportant, it is the pattern and inflections that carry the meaning.
One was telling the other "I don't think it's a Pokemon, either. But I never saw anything like it. It should be right about here."
She came out of hiding. "I'm a fairy. I'm called Navi. I was looking for help"
"Our trainer can help! She likes people like us! She helps lots of Pokemon, and she would probably help fairies too!"
"I hope so," Navi said. "There is a danger coming to this world, and we need people to help protect it."
"She's right over there. Can you speak human? We might be able to help you talk to her if you can't."
Navi thanked them and assured them that she was quite able to speak human, and it was actually this language that she was a bit unfamiliar with.
The crowd seemed to be dispersing, so Navi flew over. She saw one of the two girls that she had first thought might be allies, and decided to hope that this was the "trainer" that the two creatures were talking about. She was about to say hello when the girl bumped into her.
"Who are you" the girl asked.
"I am called Navi. I hope you are the one that those two were calling their trainer? I have been sent because there is a danger that is approaching this world which threatens all worlds, and I need to find the Hero and some allies to stop it before it consumes everything. This was one of the places that it was indicated that I should look."

(( Leafy, are you withdrawing? It's not making as much sense with all of your posts gone.))

(( ^ I was wondering about that as well.))

((I'm baaaaack! And now super confused because all of Leafy's posts are gone!))

(( I'll PM leafpool, if that will help any))

((So I guess... Wait until we know what's up? I hope she isn't doing the Wojtek and Extensa thing again, that's pretty annoying. Still, if she wanted to quit then just say she was shot or abducted or something. I don't know how to post right now, so I guess we wait... HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!)

(( I got the PM sent, so that's four I've sent in the last week alone. Bringing my total up to six since I've joined, for a useless bit of trivia. I guess I'm going to post this mini-post for now.))

Alex's POV:
I walked slowly towards the artifact. All of my instinct screamed at me to stop, that this was a trap. That hadn't stopped me before. I touched it slowly, and with a rumble and an enormous flash of light, I was sucked into a vortex. As I fell through the endless tunnel, I fell unconscious, dead to the world.

((If she is gone I can write a post where she tells Navi that she has her own problems, and this "saving the world" business sounds like a trap. But I was really looking forward to having Navi play with an empty Pokeball. She's non-human enough that she might be able to go in and out of it.))

((I guess we could just say she ran away? And left an empty Pokeball for Navi to play with. ))

Neru returned to the grassy area, where the mob had vanished. She saw a ball of blue that appeared to be playing with Sugar's Pokemon. But she didn't see Sugar! Did this fairy kill her? She thought. Maybe this fairy is... evil? Thoughts rushed through her head. Say she is evil, does killing a fairy count? I can't remember if Lamatshu said they HAD to be human... Neru peeked at the fairy from behind the bushes, but it was too late. She had been spotted.

"So... uh, did you, um y'know... kill that girl?" Neru asked, slowly reaching for the Kama attached to her back.

The girl that the two creatures were calling their trainer was obviously upset by Navi's announcement that she was looking for people to help save the world. She muttered something about this being a trap and having her own problems to deal with, and then ran off. The two creatures were apologetic.
"Maybe she will be back" the feline looking one said. "Saving the world is a scary thought."
"I hope so", Navi said as she picked up an odd red and white ball that the girl had dropped. "What is this?"
'It's a Pokeball. It keeps you inside it when you aren't out. It's not too bad in there, but some Pokemon don't like it."
Navi was intrigued. "How do you get in?"
The two looked at each other. "You just do. It calls you in and you go."
The serpentine one suddenly added "Not the first time. The first time it has to get used to you. It has to be closer."
Can you get out by yourself? Navi asked.
"Yes, but you need to learn how. There is a release somewhere in there. You sometimes see it when you are called out."

This sounds handy once I learn how to use it! Navi thought. Suddenly she noticed the demon-looking girl was back and hiding in the bushes. When she realized that she had been seen, the other girl came out.

"So... uh, did you, um, y'know... kill that girl?" the girl asked as she reached slowly behind her.

"No, but I think I may have scared her off. I was sent here as one of the places to look for the Hero and allies to help save the world from an evil which threatens to consume all worlds. But she seemed to think that it was a trap. I saw you here, too. Maybe it was actually you I was looking for?" Navi hoped that this wasn't actually a part of the evil that she was trying to oppose. But she seemed to be on good terms with the other girl, and the Pokemon seemed to like her, so she was probably ok. "I hope you don't run away, too. I don't know how to make it sound any less dramatic without actually lying, and I really do need to collect help."

Neru listened as the fairy talked.

"Listen..." Neru said, as politely as a demon could allow, "I would love to help you, but I have my own problems to deal with! Wait -- did you say evil? Hmm... Seems like I may end up helping you after all! See I have to kill a certain amount of pure evil beings before I can be released from the Outworld, I myself, well, I'm not evil, it was all a mistake!" Neru, realizing nobody had any idea of what she was talking about, tried to get back on topic again. "Eh, nevermind. But I will help you, first explain to me WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Inona's POV:
I wandered slowly through the forest, voices echoing through the forest... or in my head. The being of ancient times and forgotten name had been much more talkative. It warned me of enemies, mostly Alex. Not too much of a problem; she was less eloquent as I, to put it simply. Prone more to actions then words, but she was strong. That would be a problem. I would have to find some kind of guide, one easily disposable once they became useless. I had magic, even if I had lost my blade-staff.

((No replies...yet))

(( Her profile says she hasn't been back since Dec. 30. I wonder if she lost internet access? Although if she had enough warning to be able to delete posts one would think she had enough warning to let people know she was quitting. Another big question is whether or not "Link" has actually checked in here yet? I'm not going to try flying off to find Link if there won't be any answer.))

Navi settled on a nearby bush. "I don't know the details. I was in moping a bit in the Temple of Time, which is a gateway to the Sacred Realm. The reason I was moping is not really important. But it meant that when they needed a messenger, I was available. I was told 'A great danger is approaching Hyrule. It threatens all worlds. You must find the Hero and gain allies to stop this evil before it consumes everything! Go! Be what you were meant to be!' Then I was shown a map, with several spots that lit up. This was the first lit spot that I came to. I saw you and that other girl, and was hoping that you were people that I needed to find, rather than someone in that angry mob. It was a logical guess, anyway. You -were- closer to the point where the map lit up."

She looked at the girl again. "You need to find pure evil souls? How are you going to manage THAT? Almost everything alive is a mixture of evil and good. Some do a better job than others of squashing one side, but they still have a tiny seed of the side they squashed. It wouldn't even surprise me if even Gannondorf turned out to have a seed of good in him, although I would be very interested to know where it was and how you found it."

Neru could feel her heart sink. She was beginning to believe Lamatshu had tricked her. "I was told to find pure evil. I never thought about the whole yin-yang. So there's nobody - absolutely nobody - that like, spits on puppies and eats children?"

((No, neither "Link," nor "Midna" have checked in yet, so I'm going to mark them as un-checked. Go ahead and treat both as if they were unclaimed... at least until further notice. They haven't checked it out, and they might not have even been online. If they have been online, they will deal with the consequences. As "Alex," I need to talk to Link soon, as well, so I'm not going to count them as truly claimed until the players check in.))

((Yeah, I'm waiting for Link to maybe be like, wandering through the forest and he sees Neru and Navi, because we have to make conversation until then! xD))

(( Well, we also have a Pokeball to play with... And Navi did have more lights on the map, so if anybody wants us to find them somewhere all they have to do is send a PM to tell Navi where another light was. Or make a post, and we can follow.))

Navi thought for a minute. "Well, there are people like that, but I wouldn't want to prove that they never ever did the right thing just because it needed to be done. True demons might qualify, but they aren't really alive so you can't really kill them. And I don't want to try to say that they can't be redeemed anyway if they wanted to be. Of course the "wanted to be" part is the big sticking spot. None of them ever want it, so it's impossible to prove that it can't happen."