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

fianc�e. 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 fianc�e

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! You just blabbed my

real name to total strangers! >

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."]

<Farore? You mean the Goddess of Courage? > It was then that the rest of

Navi's words came back to him. <Wait a second! These three are.... >

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 naivet� 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!