Legend of Ranma Disclaimer: Sit disclaimer, sit! Good boy. < >: Thoughts [" "]: Telepathic communication Chapter 8 Link's Link Hyrule Castle... Princess Zelda sighed as she read the daily requests and reports concerning her subjects. It had been some time since anything exciting had happened since Ganondorf's defeat. Peace had reigned since the evil Bandit King was banished to the Dark Realm, along with the TriForce of Power. Dull, boring and unending peace. The Zoras and Gorons were at peace with one another, and even the Gerudo Thieves had not stirred up anything that was even remotely worthy of intervention. Other than the fact that each of the kingdoms were currently rebuilding themselves since the evil had been banished, there was no conflict of any kind on Hyrule. As of now, the reconstruction was nearing completion. The Forest of the Kokiri was still alive with its never-aging youths, yet they seemed to be lacking a certain amount of vibrancy, since Ranma no longer inhabited those woods. Ranma's childhood friend Saria had visited Hyrule Castle, occasionally. She too had missed his company and wondered how her old friend was doing back on his world. Princess Ruto of the Zoras had come by recently during a peace conference and she had confided with Zelda about her yearning to be reunited with her fiancée. Though technically speaking, as the Sage of Water, Ruto's engagement to Ranma wasn't valid nor official, she still maintained that he was her husband-to-be. Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons would always chuckle at the mention of his 'sworn brother' as he continued to raise his son Ranma, who he had named after him. Yes, the world of Hyrule was at peace, and it had become so tedious that Zelda would sometimes wish that something would happen to break the monotony. As if in answer to her wish, something DID happen. Just as the ruler of Hyrule was reading another boring request, her right hand suddenly flared with pain as the back of her hand flashed with the symbol of the TriForce of Wisdom. She let off a cream, which brought the Royal Guards standing outside the throne room barreling inside with weapons ready. "Princess Zelda? Are you all right?" Impa asked. Despite being the Sage of Shadow, she still considered herself as Zelda's personal bodyguard. The princess nodded as she looked back down at her hand. Her eyes widened as she saw the TriForce of Wisdom glow brightly. The two empty sections of the symbol also began to flicker, indicating that something was happening to the other two parts of the relic. Zelda felt the strongest sensation from the section that pertained to the TriForce of Courage and realized that something had happened to Ranma. Impa also had a psychic connection to the TriForce as a sage and she began to feel what Zelda was experiencing. Throughout the lands of Hyrule, the remaining sages stopped in whatever they were doing and turned their attention to the sudden disturbance. Darunia had been ready to bite into a particularly tasty rock when he suddenly got the premonition that his sworn brother was in danger. Princess Ruto had been relaxing in a hot spring when she saw an image of her fiancée in great pain. Saria stopped playing her ocarina when she felt the influx from the TriForce of Courage. Nabooru had lost count while taking inventory of her tribe's loot. Raoru of the Temple of Time stopped reading from the ancient scriptures and took notice. The Sage of Light then began weaving a lore spell to discern what was going on and what was causing this disorder. When the image of the Silver Millennium Crystal appeared, as well as that of Queen Serenity, his blood ran cold. He had just finished reading about the ancient history of Hyrule and of its allies. Back on Earth... Belldandy applied a wet cloth over Ranma's forehead after laying him on a spare futon in the guestroom. Beside the Hyrule Knight was his fairy companion Navi, who was also unconscious from their last encounter with the Sailor Senshi. As the Norn of the Present tended to their wounds with a few healing spells, she then noticed an incredible surge of power emanating from his right hand. She recognized the energy from what she had detected previously and looked down at it. She gasped as she saw the symbol. Belldandy was not the only one who detected the surge of power. Her sisters Urd and Skuld were just entering the temple when they too sensed the TriForce of Courage. They ran toward the guestroom and flung open the door. When they saw who was lying on the futon, their eyes widened in astonishment. "Hey! Isn't that the Hyrule Knight?" Skuld exclaimed as she and Urd crowded behind their sister. Belldandy nodded as she turned to her siblings. "Yes, I found him and his fairy friend sprawled out in the backyard." She gestured to the faintly glowing ball of light. "I brought them in to heal their wounds." Urd smiled as her eyes roamed over Ranma's muscular frame. "Hmmm, he looks even better in person than on TV." She then got a close look at his elfin features. "He looks like he might be one of the fairy folk or maybe one of the elves. Is he from Aesgard or the Fairy Realm?" Belldandy shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Look at his right hand and tell me what you think." Urd and Skuld moved their gaze toward Ranma's right hand and noticed the three triangles imprinted on the back of it. Urd was the first one to recognize the mystical handiwork. Her eyes became wider as she turned back to Belldandy. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that was Farore's work! I can also see a little bit of Din and Nayru's as well!" "Farore? Din and Nayru?" Skuld was a little confused. "Weren't those the three goddesses that Dad sent away on some business a while back?" Belldandy nodded. "Yes, Father had sent them on a mission to create a new world. I believe they called that world Hyrule." It was then that Navi began to stir. When the sprite opened her eyes and saw the three goddesses, she immediately tensed up and backed off. The power emanating from these three almost put her magical senses into overload. It was very similar to what the TriForce of Courage was producing and that made Navi even more nervous. The Norn of the Present smiled as she bowed her head to the fairy and said, "Good day to you, daughter of Farore. Welcome to our home. I am Belldandy, Goddess of the Present. These are my sisters. Urd and Skuld, Goddesses of the Past and Future." Navi would had a heart attack right at that moment, (if such a thing was possible for a fairy), but then some of Belldandy's words came back to her. "Huh? You know about Farore?" It was said that the Great Fairies of Hyrule were the direct descendants of the three Goddesses, and all other fairies came from them. Navi had come from the Great Fairy of Courage, and it seemed fitting that she would be the life-friend to the carrier of Farore's portion of the TriForce. Belldandy smiled at the bewildered fairy and replied, "Yes little one. We know of Farore, Din and Nayru. There were very good friends of ours." She noted Navi's nervousness and smiled to soothe her. "Do not worry little one... oh, I'm sorry, but I had neglected to ask you your name. What are you called?" Navi swallowed and bolstered as much of her courage as she could. "I am Navi, life-friend to the Hyrule Knight and descendant of Farore, Goddess of Courage." Belldandy continued to smile as she said, "Well then, Navi. You are among friends and I promise you that neither you nor your companion will come to any harm here. As of now, you two are under the protection of the Three Norns." She glanced to her sister and nodded to them. They in turn nodded in agreement. It was then that Ranma began to stir. He let off a low moan as he regained consciousness and opened his eyes. When he found himself lying in a strange room, he bolted up to a sitting position and looked to his surroundings. When he saw the three goddesses, he tensed up in panic and tried to get up. It was then that Navi darted out in front of him and said, "No, no Ranma! Don't! They aren't here to hurt us! They're friends!" The Hyrule Knight stopped for a moment then frowned as he used his telepathic link to scold at his fairy partner. Navi sighed and replied. ["I really doubt I could have kept the truth from goddesses. They're on our side though and they happen to know about Farore and her sisters."] It was then that the rest of Navi's words came back to him. Ranma could only stare at the Norms as Navi sheepishly made introductions. "Ranma, I'd like you to meet Urd, Belldandy and Skuld: Goddesses of the Past, Present and Future." Meanwhile.... In the time stream, Sailor Pluto frowned as she peered into the Time Gate. The future was still going all over the place and she had thought that with the elimination of the Hyrule Knight, the space-time continuum would have stabilized itself. She was still getting images of the Hyrule Knight as he changed the future of Crystal Tokyo and interfered in key events. There were still too many divergences. That meant that the Hyrule Knight had not been eliminated. Well, the Senshi of Time would soon rectify that problem. At Rae's temple... As the Senshi of Time contemplated her next move, the Inner Senshi were gathered around the brainiest of their group, as she gazed at the readouts of her computer. She frowned as she read the data. On the table in front of her were the shattered and charred remnants of the Mirror Shield, which they had collected after their battle with the Hyrule Knight. "So what's the scoop, Ami?" Rae asked. The blue-haired girl shook her head as she replied, "My computer's scanners can't identify the alloys that this shield was composed of. Whatever this material was, it was highly resistant to energy attacks. The fact that it reflected Setsuna's Dead Scream attack was nothing short of remarkable! The metal is far denser than even vanadium or the best titanium alloys! That probably explains why the pieces were so heavy." "I'll say they were!" Usagi affirmed. The shield had been shattered to small fragments, but even a nickel-sized piece weighed more than small lead weights! It had taken the Inner Senshi some time to collect as much of the remains of the Mirror Shield as they could. They now had the pieces laid out on the table in its general shape like a haphazard jigsaw puzzle. "It nearly took the combined powers of both the Inner and Outer Senshi to destroy it." Ami continued. "Though the Hyrule Knight did use that magical barrier as well." Makoto sighed in depression as she thought back to the battle. She just couldn't believe that someone as heroic as the Hyrule Knight could turn on them. He was so handsome and brave, just like her old sempai. It just wasn't fair! "Did we have to destroy him? I mean, he saved our lives... twice." Minako was also regretting their actions. "It could have been a mistake or some kind of misunderstanding!" Rae wasn't convinced. "Minako! Makoto! You saw what happened! We all did! He tried to kill Rini! Micharu was wounded! Setsuna was right! He double-crossed us!" Rini shivered as she remembered the sight of Neptune diving to save her and taking that arrow in the shoulder. Luna nodded as she said, "She's right Usagi. I'm afraid that Setsuna was correct in her suspicions that the Hyrule Knight was a danger to us and the future of Crystal Tokyo." Usagi held the little pink-haired girl close to her and nodded. Though she too was a bit unsure about the entire event, there was no arguing the point that the Hyrule Knight had been seen attempting to assassinate her future daughter. She had her doubts though, since the whole scene went by too fast and they had acted impulsively, following Uranus, Neptune and Pluto into destroying the person whom they thought as a potential ally. Not that it mattered any more. The Hyrule Knight was gone and Setsuna's vision of the future Crystal Tokyo was assured. It was at that moment that the Senshi of Time popped into existence, startling the Inner Scouts. "Whoa! Can't you ever come in the normal way?" Minako said with a hand over her heart. The Senshi of Time took on a serious look and said, "I'm afraid to tell you all this, but our work is not yet done. The Hyrule Knight still lives!" "He does?" Makoto said, a small part of her relieved that they had not killed him. Setsuna nodded as she replied, "The Time Gates haven't stabilized yet and I still keep seeing images of him interfering with our futures. He somehow survived the last attack. We must find him and make certain that he is completely destroyed!" She noted that Minako, Makoto and Usagi were somewhat apprehensive of the notion and she gave them a penetrating stare. "This isn't the time for romantic ideals or hesitation! He has already shown his true colors and his very existence endangers the future of Crystal Tokyo. I've already contacted Uranus and Neptune and they will destroy him on sight. We must all work together to ensure our futures and that of this world! Do you understand?" Ami, Rae solemnly nodded. Then a few moments later, Usagi, Minako and Makoto reluctantly did the same. There was no turning back! On Phoenix Mountain, Saffron was congratulating Mara for a job well done and assured her that he would not forget the debt he now owed her. Though deep in his mind, the phoenix god had no intention of ever paying her back. With the TriForce of Power at his command, Saffron could easily welch on the marker at any time. Mara was at the moment, feeling very satisfied at the moment as she cackled. "Heh! That was just too easy! All it took was a simple illusion and those half-wits in the fukus are now out for elf boy's blood! What a riot!" Saffron nodded in agreement. "Yes, and none of this can be connected back to me. In any case, will the Senshi suspect anything?" "Not a chance!" Mara grinned. "That illusion spell made them all think that the Hyrule Knight had turned on them, and I even maintained the illusion after the battle to give it more credibility. Watch!" The Demon first-class gestured to a viewing portal at a scene where Sailor Uranus was pulling out the arrow. Neptune let off a scream of pain as the projectile was yanked out and seemed to fade away in a cloud of black ash. "Those stupid Senshi only THINK that they removed the arrow, when in actuality, it wasn't even there to begin with! Neptune thinks she is in pain, when the pain is all in her mind! I'll maintain the illusion for a bit more until she's 'healed.' They won't suspect a thing!" "Excellent! Now that the Hyrule Knight cannot depend on the Senshi as allies, it is now only a matter of time before the other parts come to me!" "Parts? What parts?" Mara asked. "That is NONE of your concern." Saffron replied. "No leave! I shall repay you for your services later." Mara frowned at being brushed off, but vanished anyway. She could always come back later to find out what Saffron was planning. After all, he owed her now. On Hyrule, Princess Zelda got some startling news from the Sage of Light as she and the other sages were gathered in the conference room at her castle. "What?! Are you certain Raoru?" The elderly man nodded as he said, "Yes, Princess Zelda. The images in the lore spell I used to discern what had happened to the Hero of Time were very clear. He had been attacked... by the Moon Kingdom of the Silver Millennium." "I too must agree." Saria said. "I had consulted with the Deku Tree Sprout. As you all know, it possesses all the memories and knowledge of the Great Deku Tree. It has been confirmed that whatever attacked Ranma was in fact... the ancient powers of the Senshi." The ruler of Hyrule frowned as she had read the old texts concerning the alliance between Hyrule and the Moon Kingdom. She then turned to Raoru. "Tell me, is the treaty that they signed with us still valid, after all this time?" "Yes, Princess." Raoru replied. "So does this mean...?" Zelda thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes it does. Ranma had been born on Earth, but he is still considered the Hero of Time, and Hyrule's ambassador. By attacking him without just cause, the Moon Kingdom has violated the terms of the treaty and therefore..." Zelda took a deep breath and said in a very cold tone. "We are now... at WAR!" Darunia slammed a rocky fist on the table and nodded. "Indeed! No one shall harm my Sworn Brother and get away with it! The Gorons shall stand by your side, Zelda!" Ruto nodded and raised a finned hand. "The Zoras shall also stand by your side and see justice done! My betrothed had done much to save our kingdom and that of Hyrule!" Impa and Saria paused for a moment, then nodded their agreement. Nabooro, who had been silent until now, raised her hand and said, "The Gerudo Thieves hold great respect for the Hero of Time. He had freed us from the tyranny of Ganondorf. We shall also see this matter through." Zelda gave each of the sages a nod and said, "All those in favor of this course of action?" "AYE!" Everyone said. "And opposed?" No one said a word. "So be it! Now we must prepare. The Moon Kingdom shall rue the day they decided to attack our savior! We shall take back what we had given to them two millennia ago. It seems that they have proven themselves unworthy!" "But Princess…" Impa said. "How are we to get to Earth?" Zelda stood up to her full height and said in a solemn tone, "When I last sent Ranma to Earth, using the Ocarina of Time, I had no reference point to use and had to rely on his earliest memories and the nexus within the Temple of Time. Now however, with the TriForce of Courage as a beacon on Earth, we can now travel to that world by way of the nexus. My fellow sages, we must once again open the Temple of Time!" The other sages nodded as they began to make plans to invade Earth. Belldandy's home… "Oh dear! How terrible!" Belldandy said as Ranma finished with his tale of his battle with Tokima, Morpha and the misunderstanding with the Sailor Senshi. "It was obvious that I was framed, but I haven't a clue as to who that other Hyrule Knight was." Ranma said with a sigh. "I may have an idea as to who it was… " Belldandy said slowly. "However, I don't have any proof as of yet." "Really?" Ranma said in hope. The Goddess of the Present held up her hand. "Let us not be hasty. I said that I might have an idea that a rival of mine may be responsible, since this sounds like something that she would do. However, we don't have any evidence so we shall have to wait." "Oh…" The Hero of Hyrule said in depression as he looked to his fairy companion. He finally noticed that he was without his Mirror Shield. His Biggoron's Sword had been placed off to the side with his boots. "Navi, have you seen my Mirror Shield?" "No Ranma. Though I can still detect its presence, it has been moved from where you had it last. I can also sense that it is badly damaged." "Well, damaged or not, I certainly can't leave it lying around." Ranma raised and arm out in front of him and mentally called for his shield. At Rae's temple, the Usagi and her friends were shocked when the pieces of the Mirror Shield suddenly vanished from sight. "Huh? Where'd it go?" Usagi gasped. "This proves it." Setsuna said with a frown. "Proves what?" Usagi asked. "This proves that the Hyrule Knight still lives!" Back at the temple home of Keiichi Morisato, Ranma smiled as he saw the Mirror Shield appear on his arm, but frowned as it fully materialized and then fell apart into a small pile of scrap metal. "Damn!" All three goddesses flinched a bit at the swearing and Ranma apologized for his sudden outburst. He stared down at the remains of his shield. "Navi, is there any way that my shield can be reforged?" Navi shook her head. "I'm afraid not. The shield was composed of Hylian steel and other materials that can only be found on Hyrule. It was also imbued with several enchantments. The best metal workers of Hyrule crafted it. It would take someone of Biggoron's skills to rebuild it from the condition it's in now. I'm afraid that there's no way to repair it." "On the contrary." Belldandy intervened. "I believe that it can be repaired here, perhaps even better than it was." "What do you mean?" "Excuse me, one moment." The goddess of the Present walked over to a nearby phone and dialed a number. She waited for a minute, then began speaking into the receiver as someone answered. "Hello?" "Hello. Is that you Belldandy?" "Yes it's me. How are you today, Hephaestus?" "I'm fine. So how are you?" "I'm fine." "So what can I do for you?" "I was wondering if you could spare the time to help out a friend of mine. His shield was badly damaged and I was wondering if you could rebuild it." The Greek God of Fire and the Forge stroked his beard for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure. Zeus is still waiting for the next shipment of Thunderbolts and Ares is on my case to get his sword fixed. Athena wants HER shield right away. I've got a really big backload of orders to fill out." "Oh please." Belldandy said in her sweetest voice. "It is very important that the Hyrule Knight get his Mirror Shield repaired." "What's that you say? Hyrule?" That got Hephaestus' attention. "He's from Hyrule? Well why didn't you say so?" Hephaestus was always willing to help out anyone from the world that Farore, Din and Nayru created. In fact, he had visited Hyrule long ago and influenced the blacksmiths of that world. Biggoron's family handiwork was the result of Hephaestus' teachings. Like his idol, the giant Goron did his best work INSIDE a live volcano. The Biggoron's Sword that Ranma carried had been forged in the fires of Death Mountain. "Then you'll do it?" Belldandy asked with a smile. "No problem! You came to the right person. I do have some spare Hylian steel and other metals I can use to patch up this person's shield. Just bring up the pieces and I should have it ready in a day or so." "Oh thank you very much! I'll send the shield up now." Belldandy turned to where Ranma was sitting and gestured to the pile of metal. In an instant, the damaged Mirror Shield disappeared, leaving Ranma and Navi to stare in shock. Belldandy waved a hand and said, "Don't worry. The shield will be returned to you in a day or so." She then spoke into the phone. "Did you get it all?" Hephaestus looked at the shattered Mirror Shield that was on his worktable. "Whoa! This shield has seen better days! Whoever attacked this friend of yours did a real number on it." "Can you repair it?" The Norn asked. Hephaestus gave the pieces the once-over and nodded. "It will be tricky, but it's still possible. At least all the fragments are here so all I have to do is melt them down, add some more steel, reshape the shield, restore the enchantments, and polish the surface like I did for Perseus'. I might be able to make it even better. Though I have to admit, this was a fine example of Hylian workmanship." "Will it take long?" "Naw. A day, two at most." "Thank you Hephaestus." "Hey, for you or the three goddesses of Hyrule, any time!" The Greek God hung up and began to work on Ranma's shield. Back on Earth, Belldandy hung up the receiver and went back to where Ranma and the others were sitting. "Who was that?" The Hyrule Knight inquired. "That was Hephaestus, Greek God of Fire and Master Blacksmith." Belldandy replied. "He knows about Hyrule and even taught the ancient people how to forge metals. He will repair your shield." "Whoa!" Ranma was more than overwhelmed at how casually Belldandy was taking this. He was still unnerved that he was in the presence of beings that had a direct link to the most powerful relic of Hyrule: the TriForce. Urd smiled a bit at Ranma as her eyes continued to roam over his muscular form. She liked his inhuman beauty and how his pointed ears emphasized the angular face and golden hair he had. Though she was curious at what his other form looked like and if it was as good-looking as his present appearance. "By the way, Ranma… do you mind if I call you that?" Ranma looked back at Urd and was even more nervous at the openly hungry look she was giving him. He paused and then figured since Navi had already blurted out his real name; it didn't matter if she called him that for the moment. "Sure, you can call me that. So what's on your mind?" Urd smiled even more seductively. "Well, I was kind of wondering when you were going to drop that disguise spell. I'd like to see your other self." "Huh? H-H-How did you know…?" Ranma looked back at Navi. Navi gave a helpless shrug. "I told you that it wasn't easy hiding things from them." Belldandy nodded to him and said, "Don't worry. You're among friends and we would never betray your secret. Urd does raise a valid point though. The mortal that we live with will be coming home soon and it wouldn't do for him to meet you as you are now." "Uh, does he know about you and your sisters being goddesses?" "Yes he does. He was the mortal in which I granted a wish and his wish was for me to be with him forever, bless his heart." Belldandy began to have pure thoughts about her Keiichi. "Hmpf! I still think he's not nearly good enough for you." Skuld sulked. "Now, now Skuld…" The middle sister soothed. She then turned back to Ranma, who was still debating as to whether or not to transform. Finally, seeing that his current form needed a rest, though the TriForce of Courage could maintain the disguise almost indefinitely, the Hyrule Knight nodded as he raised his right hand. "Transformation… reverse!" The TriForce of Courage flared as Ranma's body underwent the metamorphosis. When the light faded away, Ranma, now in his human form, said to the three Norns, "The name I use in this form is Link Kintaro." The three goddesses of the Past, Present, and Future nodded as the Hero of Hyrule began to tell his story. The Mano residence… "It's not fair!" Yohko screamed out as she, her friends and her grandmother were in the kitchen. "I was SO close to the perfect boyfriend and those stupid Sailor Senshi had to waste him!" Chi shook her head and said, "But Yohko, you saw what happened! HE attacked the Sailor Senshi and tried to kill one of them! He… " "It was a mistake I tell you!" Yohko said in denial. "He saved our lives and he was just too CUTE to be evil!" Yohko's grandmother, the 107th Devil Hunter sighed. "Yohko, as much as I want to believe that the Hyrule Knight was innocent, we can't deny what we saw. In any case, what we believe doesn't really matter now. There was no way he could have survived that attack. It's time to face reality. He's gone." "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Madoka could only shake her head while giving off another depressed sigh. She had hoped to find a powerful ally in the Hyrule Knight, but that incident at the park had dashed all hope, Though, she did have a suspicion that there was more than what appeared to be during that time. She had sensed something strange about that scene, just before that arrow had hit Sailor Neptune. Like her ancestors, Madoka had developed a kind of sensitivity to things pertaining to the supernatural. Something or someone had been there when the attack was made. She did have a nagging doubt about the whole thing and that the Hyrule Knight had been framed somehow. She then dismissed these thoughts as they were now irrelevant with the hero destroyed. At the Tendo residence… Nabiki was getting agitated when Link didn't show up for dinner. She kept on wondering just what that houseguest was doing. He always seemed to be coming in late and never told anyone of where he had been. Just what was he hiding? The girls she had sent to follow him reported that he had given them the slip earlier this afternoon and the mercenary of the Tendo family became even more irritated over the lack of information she had on Link. Who was this Link Kintaro? Where did he come from? Where did he get all that money? Nabiki had a feeling that Link was connected to the strange events happening at the Tendo household. Over the last week, he had not only paid for his rent, but also the electric, water, gas and food bills for the next six months! The Tendo home was now getting regular deliveries of supplies that have already been paid for, thereby eliminating Kasumi's need to go shopping. The utility bills would always come in with a balance of zero, paid by a person named Link Kintaro! Soun was pleasantly surprised to see the bills already paid, and made a note to thank their houseguest for his generosity when he saw him next. Nabiki however, was too suspicious. She still wondered how Link had arranged for all this and where was that money COMING FROM?! She was close to tearing her hair out through her roots. She just had to know about this guy! There had to be a motive to all this! Nobody could be this GOOD to be real! If Nabiki only knew how wealthy Ranma really was, she would have been drooling enough to fill in the Grand Canyon! When Ranma had moved in, he had secretly sent his fairy friend to arrange for the bills and food to be paid for, using Navi's newly acquired computer hacking skills, a few hypnotic spells and several rupees from his Giant's Wallet. It was Ranma's way of thanking the Tendos for letting him stay at their home. Though his innocence and naiveté made him quite charming, the Hyrule Knight had no idea just what kind of trouble he had stirred up with his well-meaning intentions. Nabiki's interest in him and quintupled and was going to soon lead him into more headaches. The Temple of Time… Zelda and the other sages entered the chamber where the Master Sword rested on a pedestal, like Excalibur in the Stone of Destiny. Once removed from that spot, the Sacred Realm would be open and the sages could access the nexus. The Master Sword glinted in the dim light of the chamber as the ruler of Hyrule withdrew an object from the folds of her gown. The object was the treasure of the royal family, the Ocarina of Time! The other sages took their places on six different symbols that were engraved on the floor, surrounding the Master Sword. Each symbol represented their respective elements: Fire, Water, Forest, Shadow, Light and Spirit. Zelda stood before the Master Sword in the center of the circle, holding the Ocarina of Time in her hands. Normally, to access the Sacred Realm, the Hero of Time must take out or replace the Master Sword into the pedestal. However, with Ranma not present, the powerful weapon could only be removed using the combined magic of the sages and the Ocarina of Time. Zelda held up the instrument high and intoned the ancient deities of their world. "Din… Farore… Nayru. We the sages of Hyrule do beseech thee to allow us entrance into thy Sacred Realm. We also have need of the mighty Master Sword or rather, the Hero of Time has need of it. I, Zelda, ruler of Hyrule do ask you of this." The Master Sword began to glow with an eerie light as the six other sages began intoning their own spells. "I, Saria, the Sage of the Forest do hereby request that the Sacred Realm be open once more." She held up her hands as if in prayer then a green ball of light appeared above her. "I, Darunia, the Sage of Fire do hereby request that the Sacred Realm be open!" The Goron held his arms at his side and a scarlet ball of light appeared. "I, Ruto, the Sage of Water do hereby request that the Sacred Realm be open as well!" The princess of the Zoras crossed her arms together and made a blue sphere appear. "I, Impa, the Sage of Shadow, wish for the Sacred Realm to open!" Zelda's bodyguard held her arms up with clenched fists and a purple orb appeared. "I, Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, also request the opening of the Sacred Realm!" An orange ball of light appeared. "And I, Raoru, the Sage of Light do hereby wish for the Sacred Realm to open!" A yellow ball of light floated upward to join the others. When all six spheres appeared, they began floating higher and picked up speed. They soon became bright comets, streaking above them like fireflies. They then made a beeline toward the Master Sword. When they struck the weapon and encased it inside a multi-colored envelope, Zelda brought the Ocarina of Time to her mouth and began to play the Song of Time. Slowly, but surely, the Master Sword pulled itself free and then the Sacred Realm was once again open. The sages found themselves inside the chamber in which they could now access the nexus and reach Ranma. At the center of the chamber, the Master Sword hovered in midair, waiting for the hand of the Hero of Time. It had begun… To be continued… Author's notes Well, the Sailor Senshi are now out of the frying pan and into the fire. Get ready for some really big things happening in the next few chapters!