[M] Invasion of Twilight IC (Etoile & Drakonnas)

[Etoile Mizu]

Rated M for violence, gore, language, adult situations, and possible sexual occurrences.

Alice sighed softly to herself as looked up at the sky from the city gates. It seemed strange to leave again, but the feeling she had begun to feel within her felt as if she needed to set things right in Ordon. She had just left, no explanation had been giving to the family who had helped raise her for a period of her life... he had other children though, and they all seemed so happy. Alice had always felt like she didn't belong, she felt like she didn't belong anywhere for that matter though. Frowning at the sky once again, she began her walk past the gate and towards Ordon village, she felt like something terrible was going to happen though as she walked and she would miss it and wake up with the aftermath later on in her life. The weather seemed nice, but Alice just couldn't shake the ominous feel of the air.

Alice started to hum a small tune as she walked, she could have used a horse at a time like this, but she couldn't afford it as a rogue peasant, most of her money earned went to the one sibling she kept in touch with which happened to be the fourth of eight kids. Alice herself was the seventh and probably the luckiest out of all of them. Anyway, the fourth child, Marcellina was around twenty two and was pregnant trying to turn her life around for the better. Alice normally tried to not feel sorry for people, but Marcellina was the only one of her siblings she could find. She knew that her baby brother, the eighth, Toby had been killed by her father just after he was born. Alice could have had it much worse, but she chose to got away and Marcellina was finally making that choice.

Alice was on her own now, no giving money, no sympathy. She needed to make her own life other than that of what she had already made. She was a runaway rogue, an assassin of sorts, but she loved to help others but... there was only so much one person could do for others. Alice continued to hum to herself as she brushed a hair out of her face. She silenced herself and got her sword ready as she heard something coming from the forest behind her. She had walked farther than she thought but saw a dark cloud behind her over the city. Something was definitely not right. You can't go back there Alice... there's nothing for you. You need to fix things, Marcellina is strong she'll live if this is really bad. Alice didn't know what to do honestly, so she ran. She did the thing that she was the best at and ran towards Ordon Village.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan felt like a coward. Princess Zelda had told him to run, told him to get away, to save himself, and as many of the village children as he could. They were under attack. He hated to run like this, but it was a direct command from Princess Zelda, he couldn't disobey it. He was leading them to Ordon, the place where the princess had told him to go. He also carried a letter for someone named Link in the village. His mission was twofold, to get the children to safety, and to deliver the letter. It was certainly a stressful job, considering he had to get twenty or so scared children safely from Castle Town to Ordon. "I should be protecting the princess...." He sighed to himself. "I could protect her from whatever those creatures are that were going to attack...." Still, Zelda had trusted him with this mission. She could have assigned it to any of her guard, but she had chosen him.

"Come on, we're almost to Ordon. You're doing really well, Phoebe... Still got your teddy bear, Rick? Good." It was a good thing that Ryan was good with children. He had managed to get them this far, it was only a little longer. He could see the village in the distance, they were nearly there. There was a feeling of malice in the air, as if the evil had spread its influence all the way out here. It made Ryan rather nervous. Still, he knew he had to be brave, to not show his concern. It would help the children.

Only hours previously, Ryan had been chatting with a few others in Zelda's personal guard. Ryan was the son of a friend of the Kings, so he had been raised in the luxury of Hyrule Castle. He had been taught swordsmanship by the best of the best, and had even been assigned to Zelda's personal guard. Still, the nineteen year old was considered "feminine" by many of the boys his age. It was somewhat true, Ryan enjoyed playing music, he was good with several different instruments. He preferred negotiation to fighting. He was always doing something to help someone else out. Finally, one of the children spotted Ordon, and the rest of them soon saw it, and were clamoring with excitement. "Phew... I did it...." Ryan thought to himself.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice had reached Ordon Village a short time before the hoard of children did and was just talking to the family that had temporarily raised her. All seemed to be forgiven and they were just happy to see her healthy and making good choices for herself, but attention was quickly drawn away from her as all the children arrived with the royal looking warrior man. Alice just watched from afar as the villagers rushed forth to shelter children and everyone seemed to grow confused and panicked, why were all the city children coming into such a small and quaint village now? Alice thought for a moment and her thoughts drew her back to the ominous feeling and clouds of earlier that morning when she ran. She wanted so desperately to run once again but she also wanted to go help but didn't know what she was going to do.

So many emotions had taken over her in the last few days leaving her completely useless. She watched the scene unfold as what she recognized as Link stepped forwards talking to the man who had brought all of the children. Soon enough Link was off on some sort of quest and Alice herself felt more lost and confused than ever. She eventually approached the group of children and picked up a small girl who was crying. Alice was good with children and the girl soon stopped crying and a few other children fled to Alice's care. Alice wanted to talk to the man though, she felt as if she had seen him before in the city and wanted to know what was going on, but the children wanted her attention more than anything it seemed until more villagers came and took children away from Alice so they could all be housed and fed.

Alice stood awkwardly at the scene then watching children being taken away into homes and realized that she herself had no where to stay since her once upon a time caretakers had three children of their own and had taken in at least two others. Alice sighed slightly and took her sword off her back and held it beside her, it was still sheathed but she looked at it in silence, she wished she had another, but maybe Russel would give her one if she went off to help Link, but she doubted that would happen. No one trusted her to stick around for very long and Alice was well aware of that fact. She looked around once again though and saw that the man was finally not busy as well and she slowly approached him.

"What's happened in the city?" Alice asked weakly.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan sighed as he saw that everything was going well. He had actually managed to complete his mission successfully. But then someone came over to talk to him. He turned, trying to look friendly and approachable. "Good day, ma'am." He greeted her with a smile. Something about her seemed familiar... What was it though? He couldn't quite place it, but he thought he had seen her before. She was quite pretty as well. His smile faded as he spoke again, concern flowing through him. "Hyrule is under attack." He said sorrowfully. "Princess Zelda ordered me to bring the children here, and to deliver a latter.... I wish I was still there to protect her, I hope nothing has happened to her..." Ryan responded to her, worry evident on his face. "I'm one of Zelda's personal guard... and yet she ordered me to flee, to save the children... "

Ryan looked back in the direction of Castle Town and Hyrule Castle, and realized he had forgotten to introduce himself. "I forget my manners. My name is Ryan Atlas. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said, and inclined his head in a small bow, and held out his hand.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice listened to him quietly and instantly put her head down as he mentioned that Hyrule had come under attack. The Princess had a good heart though, getting the children out first... "At least the children have been saved, but I hope that the other villagers are alright... I actually left Hyrule this morning," She muttered. She looked up once again as Ryan introduced himself, he seemed like a nice guy. She took his hand and curtsied slightly herself. "My name is Alice Nightingale... more formally known as the Runaway Rogue." Alice felt somewhat ashamed that she had mentioned the last part but oh well. It was too late now. "Now that introductions are done though... what exactly attacked Hyrule and what does Link have to do with any of this?" Alice asked, concern obvious in her eyes. She didn't want her concern to show but she couldn't hold back in her emotional state.

Alice continued to look at Ryan, he really was quite handsome. Of course, he seemed to have a huge crush on the princess but Alice didn't know for sure, he probably had a girl waiting for him back in Hyrule where as Alice didn't allow herself to get attached to anyone.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan's eyes lit up as he heard her alias. "Aah! I've heard you. You're not the traditional rogue, are you? I've heard stories form the people you've helped. Truly, it's nice to meet you, Alice." As she asked what had attack Hyrule, Ryan thought. "Some sort of shadowy beast... They moved extremely fast, and could take out a soldier with one attack..." He said, wincing as he remembered the terrible monster that had attacked. "I don't know anything more about them other than that little fact... I'm sorry. I do not know how the Princess or the King fares. I don't know the situation. Forgive me."

Ryan looked troubled, and he turned in the direction of the castle. "I hope everything's all right..." Ryan murmured slowly, closing his eyes momentarily. His blue armor and robe stood out in the green village, it was the only blue around, apart from the small river running through the place. It was, or would be, peaceful had he not known about the attack on the village. Things seemed a little darker now...

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"I guess I'm not entirely traditional, it's nice to meet you as well." Alice looked down as he mentioned the attack on Hyrule. She could only pray that Marcellina was alright now. "I know this sounds ridiculous probably, especially coming from me. But I want to help." Alice looked at Ryan once again, complete seriousness in her face and eyes. "If there is anything... anything more that I can do other than run away. I will do it. I've wasted too much time running, sure I've helped some people but then my emotions take over and I can't fight anymore." Alice frowned to herself,"I've said to much." She muttered quietly before she ran off. She headed towards the spring that was just past Link's home. No one called for her, no one tried to stop her or anything... She didn't expect anyone to of course.

She sighed as she sat there by the spring and just looked out at the spring in silence. She hated herself right now, she couldn't do anything write seemingly as her emotions that she had locked away for so long were finally exploding out of her in a way.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"I guess I'm not entirely traditional, it's nice to meet you as well." Alice looked down as he mentioned the attack on Hyrule. She could only pray that Marcellina was alright now. "I know this sounds ridiculous probably, especially coming from me. But I want to help." Alice looked at Ryan once again, complete seriousness in her face and eyes. "If there is anything... anything more that I can do other than run away. I will do it. I've wasted too much time running, sure I've helped some people but then my emotions take over and I can't fight anymore." Alice frowned to herself,"I've said to much." She muttered quietly before she ran off. She headed towards the spring that was just past Link's home. No one called for her, no one tried to stop her or anything... She didn't expect anyone to of course.

She sighed as she sat there by the spring and just looked out at the spring in silence. She hated herself right now, she couldn't do anything write seemingly as her emotions that she had locked away for so long were finally exploding out of her in a way.

[Drakonnas]

As Alice said she wanted to help, Ryan saw that she was serious, that she actually wanted to help. She was genuine. But she was apparently shy, as she ran off before he could reply. Ryan followed after her, but walked slowly through the village, looking around, taking in the sights. He had never been in Ordon Village before, and wanted to see the sights, to remember this beautiful place. After all, Hyrule was his home. And he wanted to see as much of it as he could, so that he had a better idea of where he lived. He sat down on a dock for a few minutes, and watched the fish swim up the river. What a simple life they held, yet it was precious. He smiled, but his smile faded as he heard horns.

"Damn! Was I followed here?" He asked himself, looking around. The horns were clearly moblin horns. Jumping up, he ran to where Alice had run off, that was about the area where the sound had come from. He unsheathed his long blade gracefully, and hurried off. Indeed, there were mobins, they were crossing a large bridge, attempting to enter the village. To his left, there was a spring, and he thought he saw Alice over there. But he had more important matters to attend to, such as protecting the village from the moblin attack. "Come get some...." he stated simply, eyes narrowed. He held his sword in a ready position, he was clearly very well practiced at swordplay.

As the moblins charged him, Ryan didn't flinch at all. In fact, he was graceful, elegant, and almost dance-like as he fought the moblins. Even though their numbers were higher, they were no match for Ryan. For the most part. He took care of most of the moblins without a problem. There were a few bokoblins in the mix as well, and the archers gave him trouble. He took an arrow to the shoulder, but kept on fighting, ignoring the pain. He had to save the village, he wasn't sure if there were any fighters in the village, but he didn't want to take any chances. Besides, he had a few potions he could use if he got too hurt.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice had just been sitting by the spring until she too heard the horns. She was a ways behind Ryan but as soon as she noted that he had been hit she ran forward ahead of him, her flexibility and agility obvious as she started to fight with two katana swords, she had been able to find one in the short time she had been back in the village which seemed a little strange, but that wasn't the number one thing people would worry about. She began to lose herself in the battle though as things started to seem to move slower and more dramatically. She ended up passing out on the side of the bridge, she had been injured, an arrow had hit her in the side and she had lost a good amount of blood.

When she woke up the moblins were gone... Alice really had no record of what had happened and her head was killing her. When she looked up though she noted that the sky was a strange color. "No..." she whispered weakly. She looked down at herself to find that she was at least still human and ran towards the spring despite the shooting pain in her side. She had no idea where Ryan had gone or anyone for that matter. Link was gone in the village, as were half the children. Alice looked around frantically seeing all the villagers mourning over their lost children. She even spotted Russel and his pregnant wife. "Where is Ryan?" She asked quietly looking at them both. They didn't seem to know either. Alice ended up running around half the village. She knew that something had happened and she really did need to step up now... Ryan was probably getting himself fixed up somewhere from his own injuries but Alice couldn't be sure.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan was growing frustrated, he had defeated so many of the moblins, the bodies were piling up now, nearly four feet tall. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Alice. She had two katanas, and was helping him defend the village. They fought on, until Alice collapsed. Ryan fought his way over to her, despite the overwhelming numbers, and the four or five arrows sticking out of him like a pincushion. He needed to protect her now. Still he fought on, only slightly tired, ignoring the pain.

Ryan had just defeated the last of the many moblins when he noticed the large beast that was in the distance. Hurrying over to Alice, he checked her vitals, she was still very much alive. That was all the time he had, as the large black beast was upon him. He wasn't prepared for such a powerful enemy, he could understand why Zelda had made him flee. These things were not to be taken lightly. Ryan knew he needed to stay out of this thing's reach, as it would most likely kill him with one attack. He defended the village, Alice, and himself for nearly fifteen minutes. This beast was smart, it was trying to wear him out. It was working, too. Still, he had a very good amount of stamina. It grew to the point where Ryan knew he needed to finish the beast soon, or else he wouldn't be able to dodge like he needed to. He had dealt the beast a few injuries by dodging and attacking. Beginning to look for an opening to finish the thing, Ryan backed up, trying to lead the beast away from the village. Finally an opening! The shadow beast struck. Ryan took the hit, grimacing, and thrusting his sword up into the beast's mouth, killing it. Ryan sank to the ground, exhausted. He fell into a state of unconsciousness, hearing something else run past. "No...." He thought, vision fading.

Ryan woke up to an orange, shadowy sky. What the heck was going on here? He looked around, and saw a large wolf looking back at him. When Ryan sat up, the wolf ran off. "How...odd..." He thought. The pain quickly brought back his recollection of what had happened back there. "Alice!" Was she okay? She wasn't anywhere in sight... "The village...." He limped back to the village, probably looking a mess. He had five arrows embedded in him, and several scratches. He had some potions he could use, but he'd still need help with the arrows. Finally, someone was in sight. "Excuse me, ma'am, I could use a hand if you have one to spare...."

Half an hour later, he was fixed up, the arrows pulled out, and wounds healed with his potions. "It's a good thing I had them on me..." He thought, as he excited the building after thanking the woman. He saw Alice talking to some villagers, and headed over. He felt the pain all around, and knew he had failed. For the first time, he had failed in protecting someone. It felt awful. "Alice, are you okay?" He asked her, approaching from behind. After waiting for her reply, he turned to the mayor. "Can you please forgive me? I failed... I failed to protect you..."

"On the contrary, my son. You and Alice saved the village... I've never seen the feat which you pulled off, my boy. You defeated all those moblins, and then took on that beast... It's a wonder the moblins didn't kill you, let alone that thing... I don't blame you. King Bulbin ran in afterwords, and caused some havoc, but we managed to keep it in line. We drove him out. If you hadn't defeated the moblins, Ordon Village would have fallen. And for that, I thank you."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice was stunned when Ryan came up from behind. She was happy he was okay though. "I'll be okay, I'm glad you're alright though, I got lost in the battle... and I just kind of slipped away from consciousness. She sighed a little, she had been completely ignoring her side wound but it was fine, she could always get it fixed up later. She listened to the mayor's little spiel on how they had pretty much saved the village, but she felt like she had done just about nothing to help. "Is there anything that we can do to help get some of the children back... and help Link?" She asked quietly. She was sitting down not really looking at anything as she was in deep thought with herself. She felt awful, not only did her side hurt but she felt like despite the fact she had killed some moblins she felt useless. The mayor was acting so kind, but his own daughter had been kidnapped. The children that were born in the village were gone, well most of them. Most of the Hyrule children remained but still.

"Despite the fact that you've said we did a good deed for the city, I feel like I was completely useless. Ryan did most of the work because I lost myself in my injury and passed out, he took so many more arrows than I did, killed so many more moblins, all while I lay there useless on the side line. I want to be of more use than I have been..." She muttered quietly looking at the mayor. With her little speech, it was obvious that there was something going on in Alice's life to make her so miserable and self hating. She couldn't see any good in what she had done. She put a hand over her face in slight shame. She was definitely babbling a lot today which made her even more frustrated with herself. She almost wanted to lock herself away somewhere so she could force herself to not care once again, she wanted to throw away the emotions inside of her and be rid of all internal conflict.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan turned to Alice. "Thank you for helping me back there. I don't think I could have killed that shadow beast had you not helped kill moblins. Still, I wasn't strong enough..." He sighed. "But, are you feeling well? Apart from your injuries, I mean. You weren't useless, Alice. you were a big help, and for that I am very grateful. I cannot speak for you, as I don't know your past. But I'm sure you're just being too hard on yourself. I've heard you've done some great deeds, Miss Alice." The mayor waited patiently for Ryan to finish. "I apologize, I wasn't aware you were ready to answer her question yet."

The mayor smiled. "It's quite alright. As for what you can do... That giant boar went in that direction with my daughter Illia, amongst others... Would you please see if you can find her and the other children? I'd be ever in your debt should you do this for me..."

Ryan smiled and nodded. "This is my chance to redeem myself. I accept. I do not speak for my friend Alice, but I do believe she would like to as well." He turned to her. "Would you like to accompany me? I could use your bravery and companionship... I feel this might not be a simple quest as I had hoped..." Ryan thought for a minute, wondering what else he should say.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"You're welcome, and thanks for believing that I was good enough. I'll be fine as well, I'll have my side attended to before we head out." She muttered quietly. She listened silently to the mayor as well, her glances locked on the floor as she loosely held her side. When everyone seemed to be done talking and asking her things she forced a smile. "I'll accompany Ryan on this quest. It's the least I could do... I was a child hear once... and I ran away to forget it all. I'm still deeply sorry for that... I should've stayed but I let my fear take over me and ran back to Hyrule. But I want to fix everything, I don't want to see the world taken over by darkness, and I surely don't want to see anything happen to any of the children."

Alice stood up once again and didn't falter in her steps despite the pain in her side. "I won't run away from Ordon Village or it's residents again... I promise that much." She muttered quietly before she looked at Ryan. She could have smiled at him, but she didn't. She was trying to force down the emotions again. "And with that... I'll go get fixed up so we can leave as soon as possible." Alice quickly left the mayors house after a quick bow for respect and went outside to talk to Russel and get herself healed up.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded as she walked off to get her wounds healed. He expected as much from her. He had also thought that she was dealing with some emotional turmoil, and decided not to comment on it for the time being. They had plenty of time to talk, so Ryan felt no rush to ask questions. Besides, he wanted to appear interested, but not too interested that he appeared creepy / stalker-y.

Looking up to the sky, Ryan wondered what was going on. The sky was no longer blue, but almost a shade of orange. He say down on the dock again, and examined the air closely. It was difficult to see, but there were almost little black particles floating around in the air. Eyes narrowing, Ryan wondered if anyone else could see them. Waiting for Alice to come back out, Ryan tended to his sword, cleaning it off in the river. Soon it was back to perfection. He slid the sword lovingly back into the scabbard, and rested.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice came back later on after she got her swords cleaned and her injuries healed as well. She had gotten some potions and such as well but she knew where they could get more if they needed them later on. She walked up behind Ryan. "Do you see the black particles floating around too, or is that just me?" she asked quietly as she looked up at the sky. The orange color frightened her and made her wonder what was going to happen. "I'm sorry about earlier Ryan. I just lost it for awhile, but I won't let that happen again." Alice sat down next to him and brushed a strand of her white hair behind her ear and watched the stream. The more someone looked at her the more obvious her imperfections and insecurities would have shown.

Alice was tiny, weight wise of course but she didn't really care about that much. She had changed from her original outfit to something else (http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/marisa476/RP%20Anime/cb-warrior-white.jpg) as well as it was more suited for the adventure. Her hair was short though and the bow looked somewhat strange, as did the two katana's attached to her back. "We can leave as soon as you want to. I'd be ready to leave now even. We can make some ground and then rest later on. But I really want to make it up to the mayor for running away."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan looked around as Alice joined him at the dock. "I see them too. They're almost not there... I've never seen them before. I think they came with the change in sky and atmosphere... It makes me uneasy." He said, observing both her reaction, as well as the sky above. "Don't worry about it. I understand that things are stressful right now, both personally for you, and in terms of the attack. It's okay."

Ryan sat quietly with Alice for a moment, enjoying a moment of peace. "I'm ready whenever you are, Alice." He finally said, a few minutes after she had spoken. He put on a smile, and stood up, offering her a hand to help pull her up if she wanted it. "Shall we go rescue Miss Illia?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice agreed with the fact that the black dots made her feel uneasy. They truly did, there was a lot that made her feel uneasy at this point though. Just the atmosphere of the village after the attack was so different and ominous and it frightened Alice. She wanted it to go away and she wanted the natural beauty of the earth to return. She hated seeing everything so grim and it seemed like there could be some sort of monster at every corner, which definitely wouldn't help her paranoia in anyway.

Alice smiled a bit and took Ryan's hand and stood up and brushed herself off a bit. "Let's go save them." She said smiling genuinely. She really wanted to make a difference and this was her chance. "I'll follow you till the ends of the Earth if I have to, as long as we save as many as we possibly can." Alice was 100% serious about this.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled. "Let's be off." Ryan was determined to save the kidnapped children. After all, he felt that it was his fault that they had been taken. "We're gonna save them. I swear it. And who knows? While we travel, we might discover the reason for this change... If we can do something about that, we might be able to save my princess...." He said softly. He knew, somehow, that Zelda was still alive. He had to save her. He was duty bound to do so. "I don't know if I told you this, but I am one of Princess Zelda's personal bodyguards... I'm duty bound to protect her... But she ordered me to do this mission. Perhaps I can work on both missions at once... I normally wouldn't ask you this, but if we succeed on our mission to rescue the children, would you want to come with me to attempt to save Hyrule?" Ryan asked slowly, hoping to not freak her out or anything. "I'm asking since you said you wanted to save as many as possible. And if we succeed here, we might be able to save the nation of Hyrule...."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice followed him for awhile and listened to all that he had said. She listened to his story about being Zelda's bodyguard again but didn't seem annoyed by it or anything. When he brought up the second suggestion though she didn't know what to think but she nodded quietly staring at the ground. "I'll come with you," she whispered "Ryan I need to tell you something though. If at any time I lose it again... just leave me behind and I'll catch up, this mission requires speed and if I drag you down I want you to promise you'll leave me and I'll just take care of the remains and eventually I'll catch up to you. It's not a guaranteed thing that I'll lose it again, but if it does occur." Alice sighed a little,"And I know you've heard this a thousand times by now, but I'm not actually from here. I was born in Hyrule but jumped between here and there rather often."

"Anyway though." Alice started to walk in the direction they needed to go watching the ground for awhile. She had a lot on her mind and sighed a little,"I apologize for seeming like such a downer." She said as she turned around towards him forcing a smile. "I've just had some harsh realizations over the last few days. I'll be okay though." Alice felt like she was just screwing everything up because she couldn't control herself, but she would force the emotions down like she was suppose to soon enough.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan had been slightly caught off guard by this request, but it made sense, in some sort of way. He looked back at her, and nodded. "I'll do what I must. But I highly doubt that you'll be the one holding me back. From what I know of you, I could just as easily be the one to hold you back." It was another diplomatic solution, one that he thought they both could be happy about. He had just agreed to her request, but had also let her know that he had confidence in her.

"And I understand. With all the moving around you've done, you might know the place better than I. I know things like where cities are in relation to others. I know where lakes are. I know where rivers lead. But you are sure to know more detailed things, such as where good shelters are if we need them, or if there are any monsters we need to be wary of." Ryan believed that they would make a good team, each of them covering sort of a weakness the other had.

"Don't worry. You're not being a downer. I understand that you have a lot on your mind. And that's okay. If you'd like some silence to think, I'd be happy to grant it. Or if you want to chat, I'd be happy to oblige as well. I'm a good listener." Ryan said with a smile, although he was looking straight ahead with the occasional glance at her. He was keeping an eye out for anything that could pose a threat to them.

They exited Ordon, and were walking for about ten minutes when they saw a curious man, sitting by a lonesome house by the side of the road. There was a fork in the path. "Should we go chat with him? See if he knows anything? Or should we take the other path, into the cave?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice thought for a moment as they exited Ordon. She was glad that Ryan seemed to be such an understanding person because that truly did mean a lot to her. When they came to the fork in the path she recognized the man sitting there by his home. "That man sells lanterns and oil, it might be in our best interest to talk to him, he probably also holds the key to the gate blocking off the cave. She muttered as she ran towards the man and introduced herself.

The man of course offered her a lantern which she took and she bought some oil in case they ran out because apparently the cave was a rather dark area. She had plenty of rupees saved up from her rogue jobs despite the charities she donated to. She always carried an emergency stash with her in case of adventure situations such as this. The man seemed to be fine otherwise, he like anyone else was concerned with the twilight above. Alice turned towards Ryan and wondered if he would want to talk to the man as well so she just looked at him as if to say go ahead.

While Ryan talked to him Alice looked around the area to see if she could find anything suspicious.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan went to talk to the man, to get some potential information on where the children could have been taken. "Hey guy. I saw a large creature run by here, with a couple of kids... You better take a lantern, the caves up ahead get rather dark. By the way, I also sell oil."

After a few questions, Ryan headed back towards Alice. "All right. I've got a pretty good idea of where we need to go. Have you ever been to Eldin? Apparently, King Bulbin likes to roam around in Eldin. That's our next target. Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns?" He asked, wondering if she knew something he didn't.

[Etoile Mizu]

"I know the cave... but once we get out of there I don't know much. My information mostly lays here in Ordon, or in the Farron woods and Hyrule. I'm useless anywhere else, I may have been to Eldin but I don't remember it much. I was probably young and had just run away from Ordon I think." She muttered quietly. She felt somewhat useless as she sat there. "Let's head that way though. Maybe we can find some clues of some of the kids." She muttered quietly.

Alice headed along on the bath and stopped at the mouth of the cave. "This is more menacing than I remember it to be." She muttered softly as she headed inside with her lantern. There were a few bat like things but she took them out easily. She looked back at Ryan every now and then to make sure he was following her, she'd hate to be left alone at a time like this.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled. "Well then, shall we go exploring a bit? We'll have to poke around here and there to find hints to where King Bulbin went... I have a vague idea of a couple of possible places he could be, places where someone like him could make a home, a hideout." Ryan said with a calculating expression. One hand rested on the hilt of his blade, always at the ready. I promise, we'll find you kids... I swear it..." He thought, eyes closed for a moment to compose himself.

They entered the inky black caves, their lanterns the only source of light besides the glow of the Keese's eyes. They took out a few keese, and continued on their way. They were nearly attacked by a deku baba, but Ryan took care of that before it struck. He bent his knees, hand on the hilt of his blade, eyes narrowed in concentration. With a lightning fast motion, he drew his blade, and dashed foreword. With that one slice, the one stroke, he unsheathed his blade, killed his enemy, and ended in a samurai - like pose. The deku baba fell on the floor behind him. He held his blade aloft now, prepared for any more potential enemies. He cut through a few spider webs, and light soon filled the tunnel.

When the exit of the cave appeared, Ryan stepped out, and into more of the odd sky, the tiny black particles, and the unease. He stepped cautiously foreword. Suddenly, they were surrounded by a wall of light. A portal appeared in the sky, and three miniature versions of the shadow beast he had killed earlier fell from the hole in the sky. "Be careful!" He stepped between Alice and the beasts. "The giant one of these I killed earlier... It was really smart, powerful, and a formidable foe... I don't know about these three though.... I just would prefer it if you didn't get injured..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smirked a little as she followed Ryan through the cage, the way he was so prepared for anything astounded her. Alice was one of the people that fought for the moment, she didn't necessarily prepare for anything but she helped a little as they explored the cave killing some things for herself. Soon enough though they were outside in the twilight once again, and Alice found herself staring out with uneasiness building up inside of her. When the black things fell from the sky Alice didn't know what to think but she got her swords ready. "I have a feeling we shouldn't leave one of them dead last, if there are more than one of these things they might be able to call each other back to life, you never know."

Alice went for the first one and had it laying on the ground soon enough,"It's as I thought!" she called to Ryan,"We have to kill the other two at the exact same time or we'll just have to keep re-fighting these things!" She ran back to Ryan,"So you get one and I'll get one and when you should finish it we'll finish them off at the same time, hopefully this works." She muttered quietly before she got ready to attack the one she had picked out, not that there was any difference between the two. She waited for Ryan's symbol and used petty attacks on the thing while she waited. Alice was a lot stronger than she was earlier though which was obvious.

[Drakonnas]

"Why do I get the feeling that there is some outside influence giving you knowledge that you shouldn't otherwise have?" Ryan said with a laugh. "I mean, have you fought these things before? What made you take a guess that specifically as to their abilities?" He chuckled, and continued on. "If you're so intelligent, what is the weakness of the final boss we're gonna fight?" He laughed once again. "I jest, I jest. Sure, let's try this." He said, observing his foe carefully. They were "eyeing" each other, for lack of a better term. This thing... How did it see? But they faced each other, trying to determine what the weakness of the other was. And then he saw an opening. "Now!" He shouted, and struck foreword with a beautifully precise stab. It struck the beast, and it fell to the floor with a dramatic wail.

Ryan observed Alice closely, trying to get a read on her. She was definitely more powerful and skilled with a blade than he had previously expected. This girl was full of surprises. He hid a smile ads he turned away. "Excellent job, Alice. You did wonderfully. I'm really glad you decided to come with me."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice struck the beast when Ryan gave the signal and it fell as well and they were sucked back up into the sky. Alice put her swords away and brushed herself off for a moment. "There's no outside influence on me at all, it was just a theory, Why would they come down in large groups if there wasn't some trick, and it didn't disappear or instantly decay so I assumed that the trick was that if there was one left that it could bring the others back." She muttered. "I don't know what the final boss ahead is, nor do I know much else, it was simply a theory." She smiled a little at Ryan though as he praised her fighting skills.

"Thank you, I did a lot more than just sit around in cry in the forest when I ran away every time you know," she smirked a little and looked back at him. "Come on, let's get a move on before it get's dark outside, I don't wanna know what kind of monsters the twilight will bring at night." She smiled a little to herself and continued to walk ahead searching for some sort of clue or anything as to what they should be doing.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded in agreement to that seemingly contradictory statement. Twilight and night, at the same time? To an outsider, it might have seemed slightly preposterous. But the two had reached an unspoken agreement that this... substance, whatever it was, would be called twilight. After all, it did appear to make things look... darker, more, surreal, and phantasmagorical.

They continued onward, attempting to gleam what information they could from the surroundings. There weren't any footprints they could follow, nor were there traces of clothing that were left behind. The sky was darkening, clouds congregating above the world below. Traces of rain were becoming visible, and a few flashes of lightning lit up the sky. A slight breeze felt wonderful as it gently wafted across the land. "Looks like there's a storm coming, Alice. Do you want to find shelter? I think there's a cave up ahead we can enter.. It appears to be the forest temple... What do you think?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned as she felt as if the storm was coming, the fact that there was a storm coming gave her a very uneasy feeling. They hadn't found traces of anything which worried Alice, where could they have gone without leaving a single trace, especially if they were riding such a large creature. Alice turned towards the cave and nodded a little,"Yeah, I know where we can stay inside without to much worry of being killed." She muttered quietly. She quickly ran through the cave entrance fighting off whatever stood in the way until they entered the main entrance to the cave. There weren't many immediate threats of monsters in the room, but what was there could be taken out easily so Alice took mostly everything out in a quick manner and fashion before she headed towards the center of the room.

Lanterns lit up some of the room so it wasn't too extremely dark and she could see clearly. It was more settling in the temple than it was outside with the twilight and the storm though, that was for sure. Alice didn't like the twilight at all, and who knew what kind of storm the twilight could cause.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan entered the temple, sword in hand. He looked around, there were a few monsters, easily dispatched, of course. Walking slowly inside, he looked around. "Alice, do you want to explore a little? Or should we wait here for the storm to pass?" His voice echoed a little bit in the large cavern. If he hadn't been worried about the twilight, about the kids, about Zelda, about his mission, about rogue monsters, he would have found the place rather comfortable. It was quiet except for the crackle of fire, the sound of footsteps, and their talking. Sheathing his blade, Ryan walked around the perimeter of the room, looking for any telltale signs.

"Hey Alice, come here..." Ryan said, stooping over a pice of cloth. "This looks like a piece of material from one of the dresses in Ordon... I could be mistaken though. Could you come confirm or deny?" The presence of this cloth could possibly mean that one or more of the children had come this way.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice didn't answer Ryan when he asked if he wanted to explore since she had just kind of lost focus and was thinking about things to herself. She really did want to find those kids more than anything. But she didn't know what she wanted to do after that. She had a bad feeling about all of this anyway like something was going to be wrong with some of the kids when they found them. She sighed softly and was brought back into reality when Ryan said he had found something. She quickly ran towards Ryan and took the cloth into her hands and thought for awhile. "I believe this is one of the children's..." She whispered. She knew of all the main children they would have to find. Colin, Malo, Talo, Beth, Ilia.. But she didn't know how many Hyrule children were taken...

"We might find some of them later on tomorrow, if we're lucky." She muttered quietly. She wanted them to get lucky but it was the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that the twilight brought with it that was changing Alice's feelings.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan stood up, his cape fluttering slightly as he moved. "I think we should look around in here a little more. If anything, we might find something interesting..." he said slowly, thinking out loud. "I wonder if they're really in here... It could be old, or it could be from recently. I don't know."

Ryan straightened suddenly, as if hearing something. "Don't move..." He whispered, looking around slowly. "I think we might have attracted something..." Sure enough, two large skulltulas were sniffing around, making their way towards them. Ryan stepped in front of Alice protectively, sword in hand.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little examining the cloth a little more closely and froze completely as Ryan said don't move. Alice just smiled as she turned around and looked at the Skulltulas. When the two things moved towards them Alice just smirked quietly pulling out one of her two katanas and stood besides Ryan rather than behind him. The gesture of protection was nice, but Alice could defend herself as well, most of the time.

She looked at Ryan for a moment and said she'd take the one of her side. And she did exactly that, she managed to take it out after awhile, its defense with it's front legs challenged her slightly, but she managed well enough. She sighed as she finished up and pulled a hair out of her face moving it behind her ear.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan realized his mistake slightly too late as he saw Alice step up beside him. He'd have to apologize after he took care of one of the skulltulas. Having fought these things before, he knew that their defenses were rather good in front. But in the back, however... Ryan's sword flashed as he struck lightly, getting ready for a feint. Finally, an opening. Ryan dived to the side, so he was behind the skulltula, and hacked away at the overgrown spider until it keeled over, defeated. Wiping off a little bit of sweat off his brow, he lowered his sword as the giant spider burst into shadow. "How... odd..." he said, eyes narrowing, observing the death of the overgrown spider.

He walked over to Alice. "Forgive me. I forgot you are more than capable of defending yourself." He was used to protecting his charge, and he had automatically done that. "It is more an action I do automatically, Alice. I'm trained to protect, even if my charge can defend him or herself. While I realize that you are not my charge, and that you can defend yourself, it's an automatic reaction. Please don't be offended..." He said sincerely, hoping that she wasn't too upset.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled at Ryan as he walked towards her. "I'm not offended at all in anyway. Sorry if I made it seem like I was angry with you. The gesture was nice and I appreciated it, but I understand that you're so used to defending people so you're not used to having a companion." Alice walked a little towards where she had started to set up a fire for warmth as the storms cold air had started to come into the cave. She was able to start one on her own with the help of her lamp oil and some stones that were dry enough to create a little fire. She laid back slightly as it got larger, it was in control though.

Alice watched as Ryan looked around a little more, she would have explored more but she really was practically emotionally done for the day and she was physically warn down for the day. She rolled up her sleeves slightly and looked at the marks quietly and quickly rolled her sleeve back down. She didn't want Ryan to notice, it was bad enough that she was so thin.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled as she replied back to him, clearly not offended at all. "You were fine, I just wanted to make sure that we understood what happened. Miscommunications have the potential to be detrimental. I didn't want anything going wrong this early in our journey." He said, sheathing his sword slowly. "I don't think we'll run into any more monsters for the time being, it seems quiet. I just hope I didn't speak too soon."

Ryan sat down next to the fireplace, and listened to it crackle. "Listening to a controlled fire is always relaxing for me." Ryan spoke calmly. It was better to have something to say, to try and have a conversation, rather than sit and stare off into space. There were several various things that he could talk about, and with good reason too. "I've come to associate the crackling of a small fire like this with peace. After all, in the palace, the small fires at night meant that everything was safe. But if the fires went out, it was a sign that something was up, and we needed to investigate. Kind of a crude way of doing things, but it works."

Ryan wasn't speaking directly at Alice right now, but more along the lines of just speaking to clear his mind. After all, it would give Alice some information about him as well. They could bond a little bit here, learn about each other. This would help strengthen their teamwork, as well as how well they worked / travelled, and increase the chance of success.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"Yeah, hopefully nothing else comes out tonight. The cold from the storm should keep them out though, the fire only spreads warmth in our direct area, not the entire cave." Alice sat there by the fire with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting there on her knees. She had sheathed her swords but they were still besides her.

Alice was listening to the crackle of the fire as well as she closed her eyes, Ryan's voice was soothing to her as well just like the crackle of the flames. "It's not a crude way of doing things... the crackle of flames in a controlled fire.. represents safety for the time being only when you here it's rage among things or don't hear it at all in a place where it is normally present is it a bad thing. Alice frowned a little as she thought about it, "Honestly, the crackle of a small controlled flame reminds me of when I first came to Ordon, before then no one had wanted me but Rusl and his wife Uli took me in. Colin hadn't been born quite yet but was born less than a few years later. I stayed there till I was sixteen... but that's besides the point."

"I would sit in front of the fire by their house all the time.. It just calmed me down after I had a vicious nightmare or.. just in general." Alice sighed a little. She felt like she shouldn't have shared that information, so she decided to change the subject. "Should we sleep in shifts, just in case something comes to 'visit' after all?" She asked quietly.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan chuckled gently. "I suppose you're right." He noticed the quick topic change, but didn't press on about it. He knew that it was a sensitive matter for her, and respected that. If she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't force her to talk. Smiling supportively, Ryan thought. "Why don't I take the first shift? You look like you could use the sleep, Alice. And, if you need someone in the night, don't worry, I'll be here." Ryan was trying to be nice, as well as supportive, by showing that he cared enough to think about what was best for her, by being there if she needed something.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little as she listened to his suggestion. She laid down quietly and smiled softly at him once again. "Ryan... thanks for being so kind to me." She muttered quietly before she curled up and closed her eyes and eventually she drifted off, she occasionally twitched in her sleep though with the occasional nightmare. She wouldn't ever tell Ryan what her nightmares were about, but there were several different ones she had regularly. There was the one about her running which was usual and it normally ended with everyone she ever had talked to dying.

There were others in which she was brutally tortured by her father out in the streets, those nightmares were of course a reality that had occurred to her when she was very young before she had run to Ordon. There were others as well, but she knew that she would never be able to share them as they revealed too much about herself and her fears.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled. "Don't worry about it, it's perfectly all right." As things quieted down inside the temple, Ryan contemplated about what had happened today. Was Zelda okay? What about his friend Orion? Were the kids okay? What was with this twilight that had suddenly covered the land? The crackling of the fire was the only noise apart from their breathing.

Ryan's thoughts turned to Alice. She had clearly had a difficult life, and it still influenced her to this day. He'd have to try and reach her real self. There probably wasn't anyone that she could really trust, that she could confide in, that she wouldn't be embarrassed to talk to. Ryan wanted to help her, everyone needed at least one friend that they could trust their life with... And Alice clearly needed someone like that. He thought he'd try to reach her, behind her seemingly impenetrable walls, and get to her actual self. If he could only get her to open up a little more, he thought she'd be a lot happier.

A whimpering made Ryan jump slightly, and he looked around, realizing that the sound was coming from Alice. She looked like she was having a nightmare. Wondering what he should do, he decided to wake her. He knew that it it was him, he'd want to be woken. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and spoke gently. "Alice... Alice.... wake up...." He tried to be as gentle as he could. "Hey Alice... are you okay? You were having a nightmare... I'm here, it's all right. Everything's okay."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice had just been having a nightmare but something woke her up, she didn't really comprehend what he said at first and assumed there was something wrong and was going to reach for her weapons but she ended up not doing that as she actually understood what he had been saying. She sighed a little and rubbed her temples for a moment,"Sorry. I'm fine. I didn't mean to screw up the guarding schedule or anything like that."

Alice stood up and picked up her swords,"Well, I'll keep watch for awhile then. Go ahead and sleep. Sorry once again, I'm fine, I have nightmares a lot so I'm generally not scared of them much anymore." That was a lie, she was obviously whimpering during the last one which is what caused Ryan to freak out and wake her up. "I really am sorry for the disturbance." She muttered as she sat down on a nearby rock.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan felt a little badly for her. "Don't worry about it, Alice. It's totally alright. I was just concerned for your welfare. There's no schedule or anything, don't be silly. I don't mind at all. Can I get you anything? I have some lavender scents that never fail to make me feel better. Here." He pulled out a small package, and opened it. "Here, give me your hands..." He gently took one of her hands, and put a little bit of the gel on her hands. "Here, rub this around. It'll make you feel better, I promise." Ryan put the scent in his pack again, and looked at her, a kind look on his face. "I can also get you some water, if you like..."

As Alice stood, Ryan saw right through her comment. "It's okay, nightmares can be really nasty. Especially when based upon reality." He said, hazarding a guess as to what her nightmares were based on. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Alice. If there's any way I can help, please let me know." Ryan truly was concerned for her, and genuinely trying to help wherever possible. "Don't worry, Alice. It's perfectly fine. I don't mind at all. Do you truly wish to stay up? I don't mind if you want to sleep some more..." He offered.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little as Ryan took her hand and she rubbed it around. It was nice smelling and it did brighten her mood just a little. "I'm fine, but thanks." She said quietly about the water. She listened what he had to say about nightmares as well, he was right about them being focused on reality for the most part. Some of them contained things that weren't quite on the same track as reality but his guess was close enough. She was going to apologize again but realized how stupid she would have sounded so she just sat down on the rock once again and sighed.

"I'll stay up, it's not a problem at all. In fact I'd kind of like to stay up for awhile and watch the fire. It sounds like the storms ended though which means that the cool air from the storm won't be entering the cave anymore so we might have something show up, but go ahead and sleep, I can handle things on my own for awhile." She smiled a little, but she had an overwhelming feeling that Ryan was beginning to be able to see through all her actions and words which meant he was getting through to her and Alice didn't know how to feel about that.

[Drakonnas]

Nodding, Ryan heard and accepted her argument. "I understand. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He listened, the rain had stopped. "There's something about the aftermath of a storm that makes you feel peaceful. Hearing the quiet after the clamor, the feeling of peace that seeps over you... focus on that." Ryan smiled, and lay down, the moss softening his makeshift bed. He lay there, thinking. Gradually, the thoughts started draining from his mind, leaving it blank and calm. Falling into a dreamless and peaceful sleep, Ryan had a small smile on his face.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice stayed awake with no problems. She smiled softly as she saw how peaceful Ryan looked when he was sleeping and the smile on his face made it so Alice couldn't not smile if she was looking at him. Her thoughts drifted to the fact that he was beginning to get through to her though. She didn't know how to change that or make things hard for him again. She didn't want things to be hard for him, but she didn't want him knowing information that could be used against her in the end.

Alice found it strange that despite the fact that he had practically saved her multiple times, she still didn't trust him with her darkest secrets. She trusted him, but there were just things that she didn't want people to know about her. There were things that Rusl and Uli didn't know when she was living with them. They didn't know what her past had included. They knew a general fact that she had been living on the streets, that's all. They didn't know about the emotional turmoil. Colin knew some, he had noticed in his young age the way that she had acted sometimes but Alice always let it be so that Colin was the star child, not herself.

Alice didn't want to be known. It just wasn't her nature. She was one of eight kids who weren't recognized or cared for the right way and despite the fact that Alice should have wanted to be loved and be star child, she couldn't even allow that to happen. She just assumed that if someone got special attention like that the other members of a family that deserved it wouldn't get love and affection. So Alice put others first, always.

Alice had been able to stay awake for quite awhile and it seemed like it was morning by the time Ryan woke up. Alice didn't bother to wake him though because she thought that was rude or whatever. She seemed a little tired though when Ryan woke up, however she would manage perfectly fine.

[Drakonnas]

When Ryan woke, the sun was beginning to poke through the sky. The door to the temple had been opened, and a fresh breeze was wafting through the area. Despite the gloomy twilight that covered the sky, the day had the makings of peacefulness. It wouldn't last, though. Something would happen, Ryan was sure of it. He didn't know what made him feel so uneasy, but there was something in the air. It might have been the fact that he had been on guard duty for years, since being about ten. Whenever something was not quite right, there was a certain miasma of malcontent hung in the air. It was only vaguely there, but there nonetheless.

"Good morning, Alice." He said, sitting up. She looked a little tired. Ryan stood, and did a few stretches and exercises to get himself up and ready for the day's events. Besides, it helped keep him in top physical condition, something he found very important. "You look a little tired, I hope you got enough sleep last night?" He asked her, trying to judge how careful he'd have to be today. He wasn't sure how she would differ in personality when tired, but he had known some people who got awfully crabby when they were tired, and hoped that she wasn't like that.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a bit and stared at Ryan as he stretched and did his exercises. "Morning," Alice said quietly. She didn't seem to be in a bad mood or anything like that. Just the same as usual. "Oh, yeah I got plenty of sleep. I'm used to not getting much anyway." She smiled and stood up and stretched a little bit herself. "So should we go ahead and start exploring the cave?" she asked quietly. She looked towards the path that would lead them deeper into the cave and instantly got a bad feeling. There were going to be some scary things on that pathway and Alice was well aware of it. But she had Ryan and so she was going to try to remain brave.

[Drakonnas]

"If you're not used to getting much sleep, maybe you'd be surprised at how good you feel if you get a good night's rest." Ryan said objectively, stating a simple possibility. He finished up, and walked over to his makeshift bed, picking up his sword. "Yeah, I think we better explore just a little bit. Who knows, we may find something useful. If not, we know that we didn't find them, and that they are elsewhere. But we'll know we looked here. However, I have a feeling that we'll find them here. I can't explain why, but something just makes me feel as if they're in here..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little at the sleep comment. "Yeah, I probably would be surprised, but we don't have time for that right now," she muttered quietly. Alice grabbed both of her swords and held one in each hand and started ahead of Ryan. "I think we'll find one in here at least. They may have been intercepted by someone but there could always be a chance that they're all in here. I would hope for that myself, but it seems like it'd be to good to be true." She sighed a little as she walked ahead. She heard some Keese up ahead of the path but she kept going waiting till she could actually see their eyes.

"I hope we do find something useful though, if they're not here, I hope we can at least find some sort of hint to where they could have gone."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled. "I think we'll find them here." He said, noting several footprints on the ground in the next room. There were a few walltulas, but those hardly qualified as enemies. They were easily taken down, and they progressed without much trouble. "Okay... be careful here..." He said as they entered a new room. It was quite large, and had several doors, some torches, wooden platforms, and ropes. A chest hung from the ceiling as well. "Yeah, there are some deku babas here..." They were easily dispatched, with a little more caution though. "Okay... The path north is blocked, we have to find some way across...

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice followed Ryan and dispatched what was necessary. She was staying quiet though and trying to be more observant to her surroundings as they needed to find someway to get across. She walked around the room and found a door,"Ryan, let's try this way. We can always backtrack if there's nothing." She muttered quietly. She pulled the door open. (Are we throwing the monkey's into this?)

The room was smaller than the one before and held similar enemies as the last. This dungeon/cave wouldn't really be a problem at all hopefully. She had a feeling though that she could be very wrong. She just hoped that the kids were here though, she was growing increasingly worried about them as they went along. She was trying to stay observant as they walked into the room.

[Drakonnas]

(nah, the bridge'll be up, and we can find them (or some of them) in the "boss" chamber... except the boss won't be Diababa.)

Ryan followed her into the next room. The temple all seemed similar, and Ryan thought it would be easy to get lost here. There wasn't much to do here, there wasn't a sign of the kids. A few Dekulikes were chomping happily away, and Ryan didn't see anything else to do in this room. "Come on, let's go back. It's a dead end here."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just nodded and followed Ryan back. She felt like this place should have been so much more familiar to her, but in reality she had forgotten everything about it. It was like a piece of her childhood had just been ripped away from her in a way. She couldn't explain it anyway. She felt lost though as they entered the main room once again. "I'll let you lead the way, I don't know why, but I have no memory of this place now that I think about it." She sighed a little and just walked behind him feeling somewhat useless.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded. "Dont worry about it. It's probably this odd twilight. Everything seems odd and unfamiliar to me as well... I hope it isn't messing with my head... Here, let's try this way." He led her north, onto a platform. Four unlit torches were on each corner of the platform, and several objects were hanging from the ceiling above them. The other door they hadn't tried yet was on the east. "Wait here, I'm gonna check this other door really quick." Ryan walked hastily over towards the door and tried to roll the boulder out of the way. "No good. I can't move this. We'll have to try to go northward." However, going north would be difficult. The door to the north was on a ledge too high to climb. "Looks like we'll have to find a way on in here..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice walked with Ryan but had gotten distracted by the four unlit torches in the room. "Ryan..." she muttered quietly. She quickly grabbed the lamp and lit the four torches and jumped a little when she heard a loud rumbling noise. Her fear was stopped though and replaced with a smile as platforms rose up like stairs for the north door. Alice was glad that she had become of some use, it seemed like this cave would be full of puzzles rather than just monsters. She could handle puzzles fairly well, monsters as well, but she was more likely to lose herself fighting monsters rather than solving small puzzles.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan stopped talking mid-sentance, and watched as Alice lit the torches, and the way on was cleared. "Good job. I might have figured it out sooner or later, but you get full credit for this." He smiled, his sword feeling comfortable in his hand. "Let's go on." He led the way, into another room. This was an outdoor room, with a long bridge. They crossed the bridge without hardship, and entered a large room. There was a purple hue to the room, one that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. There was unmistakably something else in the room, but he couldn't hear or see anything else. But in the corner... sat three or four of the children from the village.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just followed in silence and instantly felt as if something was wrong in the room. She had chills even but she still seemed confused though, she saw the children though and smiled a little, it was Colin, Malo, Talo, and Beth luckily, but Ilia wasn't with them. She looked at Ryan. "I feel like if we just run towards the children, it will be some sort of trap." She whispered weakly. She wanted to run towards Colin and embrace him since it had been so long. He had been young when she was around, but he remembered her. Alice sighed a little and looked around the room in silence. "After you." She muttered quietly stepping behind him slightly.

[Drakonnas]

Nodding, Ryan agreed with her. There was some evil presence here. But then, one of the children looked up and saw them. They all stood, and started running towards the two rescuers. "No. Stay where you are!" Ryan said in a very strong, commanding, powerful and rich voice. It was much different than his normal talking voice, reserved for situations like this. "There is something evil in this room, that wants us to attempt to reach each other." His voice was more back to normal now, and he looked around cautiously. "Did you happen to see what it was that brought you here?"

"Yeah! It was this creepy spirit thing!" One of the kids piped up. "It was on a large bull or something. It was sooo coooool!" "No, it wasn't! It was scary..." "Yes it totally was awesome!" "No it wasn't!" "Was too." "Was not."

Ryan shook his head, but was interrupted. A purple mistlike fog was slowly seeping in from around the room. Slowly, the chamber was becoming more saturated with this fog or gas. It made Ryan quite uneasy, he wasn't sure if it was harmful or not.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned as the fog of purple gas grew. She didn't know if it was harmful or not so she just looked at the kids. "Breathe through your clothes so that you don't get the gas in your lungs." She shouted, Colin just nodded and attempted to get the others to take a piece of cloth for their semi tattered outfits and breathe through it. It would protect them from the gas slightly if it was extremely harmful. "Ryan, we need to kill whatever is in here and get out of here with the kids fast. We don't have time to worry about if this gas is harmful or not." She was obviously worried and some sort of maternal instinct had kicked in as she desperately wanted to get Colin and the other three children out of here.

[Drakonnas]

"Kill me? I think not..." A voice rang out from every corner of the room. As it did so, Ryan noticed something peculiar. "Alice... look over at the torches... there's no purple fog near them... Can I ask you to get the children to a safe zone? Here, use my lantern, and create a triangle with yours, and one of the other torches while I attempt to deal with and or reason with this thing..."

He turned around, looking for the speaker. "Listen, we only want to get the children to safety. We didn't come to desecrate this temple or anything..." He looked around, there was also a treasure chest in the corner of the room.

"You fool.... I brought them here to devour their souls... you shall not escape when you are nice enough to give me more to eat...."

Ryan looked helplessly at Alice. "when you're done there, look in the chest over there. It could be an item that might help us..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded quickly and did as Ryan asked and put the lanterns diagonal from a torch creating a triangle of safety. "We're going to get the four of you out of here, I promise." She whispered quietly as she stood there for just a moment before she hugged Colin and ran to the chest and opened it finding some sort of tool that she tossed to Ryan. She really didn't determine what it was as it seem they didn't have time for that. The overwhelming ominous feeling was scaring her though and she could feel her mind deteriorating mentally. She didn't want to be useless once again though so she fought it but it was hard...

She joined Ryan's side quickly and looked around once again. "Show yourself!" She yelled semi loudly. She wanted to end whatever was planning on hurting the children, she wouldn't allow anyone else to get hurt.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan watched as a figure started to form in the middle of the purple mist. His mind was feeling numb, but he knew he had to fight the power of this odd mist. He caught the item that Alice tossed to him, it was a boomerang of some sort. Boomerang and sword in hand, he faced the boar that was now forming. A shadowy figure was on top of it somehow. "I won't let you harm any of them..."

A shadowy blob of energy formed, and flew towards Ryan, who was ready for it. He sidestepped, and the energy ball hit the wall, and dissipated in a puff of smoke, releasing more fog. Ryan sheathed his sword. How could he hurt a phantom with a physical weapon like that? He had to trust in the boomerang now.

He threw the boomerang towards the shadowy figure, who dissipated a little bit as the wind from the boomerang passed him. "This is the key to winning... It clears a path, then we strike!" He didn't ask Alice to fight. He knew she wanted to. Drawing his sword again, he struck at the bull-like thing, who howled, before the fog covered him up again. "So... we hit with the boomerang, then strike at the bull... got it?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice watched the figure behind all the mist. She didn't know what to do but when Ryan did the little trick with the boomerang she knew exactly what they needed to do, she listened to Ryan's explanation though. She smiled a bit to herself as she grabbed both of her swords,"Ryan. Go ahead and throw the boomerang again." She yelled and waited until he did exactly that. She followed the thing as fast as she could and nailed a few hits on the beast before she backed up once again.

The mist was really starting to get to her but she needed to do this, not for herself, not for Ryan. But for Colin and the other children. They were her motivation right now and she needed a motivation to focus and not lose herself.

[Drakonnas]

The fight was going fairly well, Ryan and Alice worked together very well as a team. Still, this unnerving mist was getting to him, clouding his mind a little bit. They continued this cycle of throwing the boomerang, and attacking the boar several times. Twice, Ryan was nearly hit with an energy ball, but dodged. A third caught him unawares however, and he hit the wall with a thud. Standing up, he felt a little winded, but not too much the worse for wear.

"How much more are you gonna take...?" He growled, tossing the boomerang once more. The figure on top seemed to be nearly gone, he hoped that it would only take one more series of hits to knock out this thing. "I think... I think this'll do it, Alice." He said somewhat fiercely, catching the boomerang once more, and looking for an opening to attack where he wouldn't be in Alice's way.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice watched carefully planning her attacks in a quick and efficient fashion, she needed to beat her mind to the punch almost as it was fighting to just have her let go again, and she didn't want the kids to see such a horrible thing happen. Alice quickly made yet another move and noticed that the thing was very weak now. "Ryan, a few more hits and it's over, I can feel it in the air." She yelled. She watched for a moment as Ryan made a few more hits and soon enough the thing disappeared, and the mist disappeared with it.

Alice couldn't help but smile a little as it was done, she had exhausted herself and she knew that Ryan would be somewhat tired as well, but they needed to get the children home before they rested. She walked over to where Colin and the others were and Colin just embraced her once again. "We're going to get you guys home alright?" She muttered softly picking up Colin as she looked at Ryan. There was a slight weakness in her eyes, but she would be fine now that the gas like mist was gone.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan wanted to slump against the wall, to relax, to catch his breath. But he couldn't do that now. Not until the children were safely back in Ordon. He was clearly tired, and had one bad gash on his shoulder where he had been hit with magic. He'd have to take care of it sooner or later before it got infected or worse. Ryan looked back at Alice, the same tired expression in his eyes. "Let's get them back." He said softly. "On the way back, we can see if we can find out what happened to Illia"

Ryan led the way back across the bridge, into the next room, and the next, until they were out of the temple, the six of them were safe now. For the most part. Things still didn't look right, the twilight was still overpowering. "I'm tired of this twilight... I wonder what caused it to come...?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice shrugged a little as Ryan asked where the twilight had come from. She had no idea herself, she just wanted to make sure that they all got home okay. They could rest in the village for the night and heal themselves up before they moved on to search for Ilia. Of course, Alice had no idea where they could look for her at this point. They'd have to talk to the mayor about other routes that she could have been taken on. Alice didn't know much beyond the forest and the city.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan carried Malon on his shoulders, as he was the smallest, and would probably tire fastest. "It shouldn't be too much farther until we get back to Ordon." He told the children with a smile. "But then again, you know the place better than I..." He was quiet for a few minutes, and spoke again. "Do you know where, or did you hear anything about where Illia is? We still need to rescue her, and a few others as well..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice listened quietly to Ryan as he asked if anyone knew where Ilia was. Colin moved a little when her name was mentioned. He had been with her when they were taken. Malo and Talo had been taken but weren't in the same area. "Something about the Goron mines was mentioned when they dropped us off in the forest, Ilia and I were taken in a separate group than Malo, Beth and Talo. Ilia might have been taken by the orcs that were near... "Colin muttered enthusiastically. He wanted to help the heroes in this storyline, especially Alice since she had done so much for him.

Alice looked at Ryan with a smile as they neared the village once again,"The Mines might be our best shot, if we can't find her there we could hopefully at least find a hint or head to Castle Town after that in search of other children. It sounds like we might have multiple kidnappers after the original anyway." They walked into the village soon enough and the children all went home to their families. Ryan needed to get his wounds looked at, Alice didn't have any wounds in particular that were bad, so she went and sat by the water and was joined by a small cat.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan sighed. Gorons. Those stubborn fools were always too proud to accept help from others. He had dealt with a few of them during his work for Princess Zelda, and they were always annoying to deal with. Or, at least the ones he worked with were. He had heard that there were gorons who weren't as proud, who were friendly towards humans and other races. But so far, he hadn't dealt with them. "Thanks Colin. That information is very helpful." He said with a praising look.

When they reached the village, Alice and Ryan were talking about possible ways to continue searching for the kids from the village. "Yes, that sounds like a decent plan. Besides, I can check up on Zelda... I do hope she's alright. You see, Zelda and I grew up together. As I told you before, my father was the king's best friend. Naturally, Zelda and I grew up together. As children, we were playmates. But as we grew, the status difference began to show as Zelda began to take on her duties, as I began to take on mine. And you know the rest, I became one of Zelda's bodyguards. It was a little odd, as we both remembered our past days. Sometimes I wish things had stayed that simple." He said, looking out across the small body of water that led to the village. "But what is done, is done, and I cannot change that." He had long since accepted the fact that he was not meant for the Princess of Hyrule. It was hard to understand his feelings for her, considering all they had been through. But now that he was with Alice, working to save the children, he was confused as well. What was going on?

An hour passed, and Ryan's wound had been treated. He walked out of the house after thanking the lady who had helped him, and went to find Alice.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice was just sitting on the small boat dock where she had been earlier that week. She was resting somewhat, she didn't know what the plan was. She knew that they were going to the Mines, and then to the Castle City. Ryan was extremely worried about the princess and even though he voiced his worry, Alice could see that he really was just a kind and cared about people. It was nice to see people like that making a difference. She was making a difference as well and had been for some time, but she wasn't like Ryan who so easily voiced his worried and those that he cared about.

She was known to keep her intentions and emotions silent, only revealing them after the fact of helping someone and her emotions, those were rarely voiced. She saw Ryan after awhile and waved slightly before her eyes were drawn back to the water of the small pond.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan saw Alice sitting on the dock, and joined her. The water rippled gently beneath as he rested his feet in the cool water. "Hey Alice. Are you well?" He asked her, hoping everything was. "I'm glad things went as smoothly as they did back in the forest temple. I had no reason to expect that they would go as well as they did, and I am thankful that they did. I'm also thankful that you were there. I couldn't have done that on my own." He fell silent, listening to the river run slowly downstream. Every now and then the silence was interrupted by the cawing of a cuckoo, or the laughter of a child. Things were starting to look better around the village. Repairs were being made, and the general sense of relaxed happiness was slowly returning. "When did you want to leave for the Goron mines?" He asked slowly. "I don't know that much about Gorons, but I think I know enough to get us by."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little as Ryan sat down and nodded,"I'm well enough," she said with a small smile. She listened to everything else that he had to say as well as the soft sound of the river. She felt so at peace when she was in nature like this, without a worry for the moment. "I'm surprised it went smoothly, with all the twilight around I thought it would have been a lot worse, but maybe it's not bad around these parts quite yet. We can only hope that it doesn't get worse here." She sighed a little. "We can leave in the morning or whenever you'd like to. And I don't know a lot either, but I'm sure if we stick together we'll be fine." She smiled a little at him before she looked out at the water again. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them, and of course that pose made it obvious of how small she was.

[Drakonnas]

"That we will. We'll get through this. Even if I have to fight the Great King of Evil himself, I'll right the wrongs that have been done." He noticed her small figure, and admired her for it. She was a strong person, she had been through so much, and yet remained true to who she was. "Normally I'd say we should take a few days off to recover, but with the children in danger, we have to keep going. Zelda ordered me to take care of the children, and by golly, I'm gonna do that. How about if we leave in the morning? We should get to Death Mountain by twilight, and can start looking the next day."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just smiled a little to herself as Ryan talked about things. "Well, in the morning it is." She smiled a little and stood up. She looked out across the water once again before she turned around. "Which house are you staying in for the night?" She asked quietly, she wasn't looking at him and had her back turned towards him since she was standing. She was staying with Rusl and his family for the night, it was only the extended kindness even after all those years that had passed. "I'll be with Rusl's family for the night, but you'll more than likely find me here in the morning. Goodnight Ryan."

Alice walked away in silence and headed to her place to stay for the night. She had bathed earlier which had been nice. She found herself sleeping soon enough though on the floor of the house.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan sat there still, even as Alice stood. "I'm... not staying anywhere, really. Who knows? I'll just find somewhere that's comfortable." He smiled a little wistfully, and bade her goodnight. "See you in the morning." He said as she walked away. Looking out across the water once more, Ryan thought about the day's happenings, as well as what was going on recently. He thought about the kids, and how he had to rescue them. He thought about what they might need in the mines. His mind was too busy to sleep. But after about an hour or so, he found himself a quiet spot under a tree, and fell asleep.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice awoke in the morning and stood up weakly and got all her stuff together. Uli gave her a small pack of food before Alice left and went looking for Ryan. It was still very early as the sun hadn't even risen quite yet, but Alice knew that they needed to get a move on. She found Ryan under the tree and couldn't help but smile to herself as she gently shook him and woke him up. "Come on Ryan, we need to get a move on." She smirked a little as he woke up. She was way more awake than he was which was a little surprising to her.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan woke up to see Alice standing over him. Yawning, he stretched, and stood up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Alright... I'm coming." He said, still not fully awake just yet. He flipped his cape that he had used as a blanket back to it's normal position, and worked a crick out of his neck. "You ready to go?" He asked, trying to stifle another yawn.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little when Ryan asked if she was ready to go. She had her pack that Uli had made and filled with some food and potions for the two of them. "Yeah, Uli was nice enough to pack some food and potions for the both of us. There isn't much so we'll have to ration a little bit, but we can always hunt for our own food as well depending on how many days we'll be traveling." She smiled a bit, she was in a better mood today which was nice. But she knew with the twilight ahead that good mood would more than likely die fast. "Do you want to stop for anything else or are we good?" She asked.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan thought for a minute. "Yeah...I think that it might be a good idea to hunt for our own food, just in case something happens to delay us. I expect it'll only take a single day to get there, but it will cut it close. We may have to spend the night somewhere if we don't make it. But don't let that hurry you too much. We need to be ready for whatever awaits us in the mines." The morning was quiet, and Ryan appreciated that. It was not hot, but it was not too cold either. It would have been a beautiful morning had the twilight not been there to ruin it. As always, it made Ryan feel a little uneasy. "Do you want to take a horse or two, or walk?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a bit,"I would say to take horses, but they probably wouldn't be very useful in the mines. They'd be frightened easily by Gorons as well and I'd be worried about leaving them in the open while we went through the mines." She sighed a little bit, so I suppose we should just walk. We could find horses for our trip to Castle Town though." She really didn't know what to do about anything. She was starting to feel like she wouldn't be of much use to Ryan on their journey. "So. I guess we should leave now and get a good amount of distance for the day."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded. "Let's go then." Without a word to anyone, the duo left the village, and headed towards Kakarikaro Village. Death Mountain was just beyond the little westernesque village. They had been walking for about an hour when they left the forest, and moved into a more open plainslike terrain. It was definitely much easier to see potential problems, but it also left them to be more easily seen. So far they had had some conversation, but it had mostly been quiet. This didn't bother Ryan. Sometimes silence was more comforting than conversation. "Here we are... the plains..." He said with a soft sigh. "Not many things to be wary of, except the occasional moblin, bokoblin, bomb bug, and crows. Although, I don't know what the twilight has brought here..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice had just been lost in her mind as they walked, they weren't having any conversations so it was easy for her to do that. When the reached the plains she snapped back more into reality and looked around. "It's hard to say what the twilight has brought here," she muttered honestly. The Twilight had brought plenty of strange things into the Faron Woods, so it would more than likely bring plenty strange things here as well. The entire world that Alice knew seemed to be infected with this twilight. "Whatever is out here though, let's take it down and return the fields to what they should be, safer to an extent." She sighed a little and took her swords from their sheathes and held one in each hand.

Alice seemed almost grim as she looked ahead towards the visible horizon. She had been thinking about a lot of serious issues as she had walked this far, but something was bothering her on a deeper level, she was worried about going to Castle Town since there was a chance that she could find out that her sister and sister's unborn child were dead.

[Drakonnas]

Drawing his sword gracefully, Ryan looked out over the grasslands that he could see from their vantage point. "Let's go cleanse the land of some of these monsters, shall we?" There were a few bokoblins in the distance, wandering around aimlessly. Ryan wondered if they were there on orders, or if they were just bored, not sure where to go, lost, or simply there for the heck of it. It could have been one of many things. But as they stepped foreword, a portal in the sky opened, and four of the shadow beasts dropped down. "Be on your guard, Alice! Take one down each, then we'll try to get the other two together!"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little looking at the shadow beast. Something was different about them though, it was more unsettling to see them here than it was in the forest. She pulled herself together though and took out the one she was suppose to take out on her own as quickly as she could. It got a decent hit on her though but she'd manage to be fine in the end, she always did. She waited for Ryan to finish off his own before she and himself both went in for attack on the other two and just as they had done before they managed to kill them at the same time. When the sky opened up again she sighed. The beast had returned back to wherever they went. Alice looked at Ryan in silence and just continued walking forward, they had a quest on their hands, and there was no turning back.

[Drakonnas]

The shadow beast Ryan fought was much more skilled that the ones he had defeated before, and as a result, it got a few hits on him. Ryan dodged nimbly, he was swift and difficult to hit, striking back whenever he had the chance. After awhile, it fell. Ryan wanted nothing more than to rest against something to catch his breath, but he had to finish of the other monster. "Now!" He shouted, jumping high, and landing a finishing blow on the black creature. He sighed, trying to catch his breath. Seeing Alice injured, he spoke. "Do you need a potion?" He asked, eyeing her wound warily, as if calculating the likelyhood that it would be a danger to her later. "I'm fine, my armor blocked most of the blows." They continued walking, determined to get to their final destination as quickly as possible.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice shook her head when Ryan asked if she needed a potion,"This is nothing." She whispered, she'd had so much worse that had scarred just under her sleeves. She followed him in silence as she thought about everything. She knew that going into the mines with Gorons could be very dangerous, especially since just about every Goron she had come in contact with had scared her badly. She had run to the mines once, she hadn't shared that information with anyone though. She didn't ever want to go back there since she had just been a child, but it didn't matter now. She had to go there.

[Drakonnas]

They were walking rapidly now, neither of them wanted to spend a night in the plains. Their best-case scenario would be to spend a night in Kakarikaro Village, and then proceed up to Death Mountain in the morning. Besides, they could probably find out other information about the mines. Ryan had never been in them, and thus was slightly nervous. The unknown was always somewhat of a stressor, especially at a time like this.

"What do you think we'll need for the mines?" He asked awhile later. The end of the plains was still nowhere in sight. They had taken care of some moblins along the way, but hadn't found anything more dangerous than that. "I don't know anything about it, which isn't a particularly good thing. I don't know what to expect, other than guessing the obvious. It'll be hot there, that much I know. So we're going to have to take it easy. I don't want to have to deal with heat exhaustion, it's a very real problem. We can't exert ourselves too much, and we need to take a good amount of water. I'm also worried about toxic fumes and gasses from the volcano..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little as she listened to all that Ryan had said. "I don't know what all we'll need. We could always stop in Kakarikaro Village for the night and try to get some information. I know that you're right in the fact that we'll need a lot of water though, it will be very hot as they smelt right there in the mines." Alice sighed a little, "I don't know about toxic fumes and gases though. I never thought about it until now, Kakarikaro Village information is the only thing we have to rely on though at this point." Alice didn't want to have fumes hurting them. She knew also that she was already not healthy and dehydration or exposure to some toxic element would not do her any good.

[Drakonnas]

"Yes. Let's plan to make a stop in Kakarikaro. I had planned on that from when we left, I hope we have enough time to get there before it's dark. I don't fancy the idea of being out on these plains when darkness falls. Who knows what creatures are out there?" They were nearing Kakarikaro, but still had a few hours to go yet. "Do you want something to eat? I think I see a river or stream up ahead... we might be able to catch some fish."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice shook her head,"We need to get to Kakarikaro, I'm fine for now, I can go along while on just rations as well." She forced a smile. She was worried though which also would have been obvious because she had quickened her pace. She didn't want to know what kind of monsters would show up in the night here in the plains. "Let's just keep moving." She said quietly as she continued to walk ahead of Ryan slightly at that point.

[Drakonnas]

"Alright. Let's go." They passed the body of water, and continued towards Kakarikaro. Nothing they encountered gave them any trouble. "Ah, I think I see it in the distance... Or is that just me imagining things in this heat?" Ryan was feeling like he needed to rest, his armor made the heat much worse than normal. His chain mail weighed a lot, and it trapped heat underneath his tunic. "Phew... Do you mind if we rest for a bit...?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice shook her head,"We can rest for a short time, and it's not the heat that's making you see it unless I've been effected by the heat as well." She sighed and sat down on the ground for a moment and scratched at her wrist slightly though they were covered, she was hot but she had been known to where fall and winter clothing in the summer heat. It didn't necessarily bother and it covered the scars which was always a good thing to hide, it prevented unwanted questions, and allowed it so that Alice didn't have to look at them either.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan rested against a tree stump thankfully. He needed a minute to relax, to catch his breath. It was unusual for him to need a rest, but heat like this... It zapped his stamina reserves faster than he could have imagined. "Thanks..." He said, closing his eyes for a minute. "Sorry, this won't take long." He set his sword on his lap, and took a few deep calming breaths. After about five minutes passed, Ryan stood again. "Okay... that should give me enough energy to get to Kakarikaro. Ready?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little and stood up. She hadn't realized how hot it was until she had sat down for those few moments. "Staying the night in Kakarikaro should hopefully be a good thing." She muttered quietly. She frowned a little as they walked, they didn't have that far left to walk at all but it was still so exhausting in the heat. She knew at that point that she was dehydrated but they didn't have time to worry about that and she would try to rehydrate during the night in Kakarikaro.

[Drakonnas]

"Yes. I've been to Kakarikaro once... Renaldo is sure to have a place for us to stay. I'm a little dehydrated right now. But if you want, they have a small lake there you could go swimming in if you wanted to." The small village was just now in sight, and just in time. Night was beginning to fall rapidly. "Had we been even half an hour later.... we wouldn't have made it. Good job."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little, swimming sounded really good. "Well... maybe you could go talk to Renaldo and figure out if there is a place for us to stay, and I might go swimming for a little while." She frowned a little. She hadn't gone swimming in a long while but she knew she'd be fine. She could defend herself no matter what situation she was in. She smiled a little,"I know where the lake is from here actually I think. " She smiled a little and ran off and eventually found the lake. She stripped down to just her under garments and jumped into the water before anyone could see her. There was some natural light around the lake but not enough to fully determine that there was someone in the water.

Alice swam for awhile before she got out and sat with just her feet in the water. She was just fidgeting slightly and scratching at her wrist. There were long scars on her back that could be obvious chain whip scars, which they were. Her life on the streets really had been rough. Her good deeds weren't always full of happy endings or happy questing. There was always a chance that people set her up to be beaten up and such, she had scars to prove it. Her skin was pale in the moonlight and looked even paler because of the twilight around if that made any sense.

She found herself forgetting time and everything else though as she sat there deep in thought.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded, and headed in the direction of Renaldo's place. He found the man relaxing as normal. They greeted one another, and began discussing plans for infiltrating the depths of the Goron Mines. Ryan expressed his concern about the heat and volcanic gasses, something that Renaldo agreed with. He re-hydrated himself, and spent about an hour talking with Renaldo. It was quiet in the village, and night had fallen. Alice still wasn't back yet, and Ryan stood up to go look for her.

He went to look for his new friend and partner back at the small body of water. He saw her sitting there, quite still, looking rather pale and beautiful in the moonlight. He saw she was only in her undergarments, and was suddenly somewhat hesitant to approach her. "Alice?" He called out from a little ways off, just so she could know he was coming. "You okay?" She didn't seem to hear him as he approached though. Perhaps he hadn't been loud enough. Now he was a little lit closer, and saw what he thought were scars on her back. "Alice?" He tried again, a little louder and a little closer this time. As he got closer, he saw that her back had many scars from what looked like a whip or something similar. Revulsion grew inside him, not at her or the scars, but at the act which had placed them there. She hadn't kidded about having a hard past. "What's up, Alice?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice was just sitting there when she heard Ryan's voice. She would have scrambled to cover herself up more, but honestly she didn't care. She looked at him as he approached and knew very well that he had seen the marks on her back. She stood up weakly and looked at him. "Not much, I must have just lost track of time or something." She sighed a little and pulled her clothes back on in silence. She seemed a little distant but at the same time there was something about her that made it obvious she wasn't but she was being haunted by something in her mind. "Sorry if I worried you by not returning." She forced a small smile,"Did you find out any important information about the mines and such?" She asked crossing her arms.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan sat down next to her, remaining calm even with the state of affairs. He almost mentioned something about her scars, but thought better of it. He didn't want her uncomfortable, when she was obviously already troubled. But maybe he'd inquire about it later. "Understandable. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be more than happy to listen, and offer advice if the situation warrants it, and should you request it." He looked out over the water, thinking.

"Well, yes. The mines are quite warm, moreso than today by a good deal. There's magma in there. If we go, we're gonna have to be very careful... In my armor, I won't last more than a few minutes at most. It'd superheat, and that wouldn't be a pleasant death..." He shuddered thinking about it. "We also have to watch out for toxic fumes... Luckily they're visible, so that makes things easier to handle. But... we're gonna have to find some way to deal with the extreme heat. Also, there are parts of the mine that require special equipment to cross... electromagnetic rocks that make platforms on the ceiling and walls... If we choose to go there, it's not gonna be a simple go in, beat the boss, and get out. It's gonna require more brains than that. For one, we can't navigate the electromagnetic segments, which alone could make this entire trip pointless. If we can deal with the heat, that is... I fear that this isn't the place we're looking for. But if it is, we can't afford to not go in..."

- - - Updated - - -

Ryan sat down next to her, remaining calm even with the state of affairs. He almost mentioned something about her scars, but thought better of it. He didn't want her uncomfortable, when she was obviously already troubled. But maybe he'd inquire about it later. "Understandable. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be more than happy to listen, and offer advice if the situation warrants it, and should you request it." He looked out over the water, thinking.

"Well, yes. The mines are quite warm, moreso than today by a good deal. There's magma in there. If we go, we're gonna have to be very careful... In my armor, I won't last more than a few minutes at most. It'd superheat, and that wouldn't be a pleasant death..." He shuddered thinking about it. "We also have to watch out for toxic fumes... Luckily they're visible, so that makes things easier to handle. But... we're gonna have to find some way to deal with the extreme heat. Also, there are parts of the mine that require special equipment to cross... electromagnetic rocks that make platforms on the ceiling and walls... If we choose to go there, it's not gonna be a simple go in, beat the boss, and get out. It's gonna require more brains than that. For one, we can't navigate the electromagnetic segments, which alone could make this entire trip pointless. If we can deal with the heat, that is... I fear that this isn't the place we're looking for. But if it is, we can't afford to not go in..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice listened to Ryan and frowned,"There are too many risk." She whispered. "I think it would be stupid of a Goron to take Ilia into the mines, so there's a large chance that she may just be in Castle Town." Alice sighed a little,"I hate to give up on the fact that there might be a child in there, but there is truly no way that we can get in and out of there in one piece. Any human child that may have been taken in their would have perished already. Should we just move on to Castle Town? I don't want you getting hurt and I don't want to become worthless in there and pass out because of heat stroke or anything like that." Alice truly was worrying and she was fidgeting once again to prove her worry. "Ryan... I'm sorry." She whispered,"Now that you list all the risk, I know for a fact I wouldn't last in there. The heat would do things to my head and I can't afford that happening... Let's just move onto Castle Town, if it's a mistake I'll take all the blame. I'm used to taking blame for things anyway." She forced a weak smile but it was obvious her worry was taking a hold of her.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan looked down, feeling slightly worried and depressed. "Yeah, I think you're right... It's against my better judgment to go in there... But... if Illia's... If Illia died because of my incompetence..." It wasn't really his fault that the children had been taken. If they hadn't defended the town of Ordon like they had done, the village might not even be there right now. They were both being hard on themselves, and needed to cheer up. "It's not your fault, Alice. If any fault is at hand, it lies with me. I should have realized that the Goron mines weren't suitable for a human... But our trip here wasn't wasted. Let's go to Castle Town tomorrow. I'm sure we'll find a clue to her whereabouts tomorrow. I'm sure of it."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little and stood up once again. "Ryan... let's just go rest for the night okay? We'll find Ilia. I know we will." She forced a small smile and offered a hand out to him. She knew that he was being very hard on himself and well, they both needed to cheer up, but Alice was only good at making other people happy. She had never learned how to make herself happy because something else was always bringing her down which was absolutely horrific in her opinion. "Ryan... if you wanted to ask about the scars you could... I won't mind, you can ask anything that you want." She sighed a little.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan took her hand, and they began walking towards the village once more. "Thank you, Alice. I didn't ask, as I didn't want to bring up an unpleasant memory for you in a time like this. I could tell you were troubled, and I didn't want to cause you more grief. So I kept quiet. I did notice, and I did wonder." He was quiet for a minute. "I... If I may ask and you don't mind, why are you so hard on yourself all the time? You're good at supporting others, but you seem to have a hard time supporting yourself. I understand that your past is not a pleasant one..." Ryan did feel slightly sorry for Alice, and wanted to help her if he could. THat she had told him he could ask was a vote of confidence that he appreciated more than she could know.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice walked with Ryan slowly as listened to all that he had to say. "My past wasn't a pleasant one, but I'm still here, and that's what really matters I guess, I don't always believe that though as you may have noticed. I'm so hard on myself because I wanted to be better than what I was raised to be, I didn't want to be on the streets my entire life... I wanted to find someone and settle down, but fate didn't have that in mind for me. I should have known that from the time I could actually formulate legitimate thoughts in my brain." Alice laughed slightly, it wasn't a happy laugh, but more of a sarcastic laugh.

"If anything don't feel bad for me Ryan, I don't deserve pity. I hate that word actually... pity." She shook her head slightly and sighed,"Sorry. I'm just a person who puts other's first. I don't want people to live the same life I did when I was growing up, that's why I'm so kind to others and I'll do anything to help them get on their feet and do what needs to be done. I just figured that there's no hope for myself..."

[Drakonnas]

"I understand... It's not easy. But... do you not see? You are a wonderful person. You do wonderful things. How is that not admirable? And... You don't have to be on the streets. I'm sure I can get you a nice place to live in Castle Town... I'm sure that I can arrange something... even if I can't, please, feel free to take shelter at my place any time you want..." Ryan had seen enough of her to be fairly sure that she was an honest soul, and one in which he could place his trust. "I think I know you well enough to know that you deserve a better life. I can help make one for you, if you want..." He spoke softly and calmly, wanting to make sure she knew it a sincere offer.

"Give it time, Alice. I firmly believe that your life will take a turn for the better sometime or other... How can it not? You're the most generous person I know, and I know quite a bit of people." Ryan wasn't the best with words, and thought that he had probably missed something he could have said. But he had tried to help, which was the important thing.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just smiled a little while she was listening to Ryan. "You have a kind heart Ryan. I hope you know that. Maybe I will come stay with you if I can't manage to find my own place in Castle Town." She sighed a little,"I feel like I'd need someone to back me up as well considering I get in fights so often." She sighed at that last point but forced another smile and stopped walking. "Ryan... Thank you for everything, understanding, offering me all these things.... It means more than you could probably ever realize." She didn't know what to say to him, she was so used to taking orders and completing task, not talking for herself.

[Drakonnas]

"Thank you, Alice. I appreciate your words. When we get out of this mess, don't forget my offer. I'll be open." He smiled back at Alice, and realized that something new awoke inside him. It was a curious feeling, one that he hadn't felt before. He felt as if he wanted Alice to accept his offer, to come live with him. Part of him reveled in the idea that they might travel together more. But he dared not say anything about it, not when he was still breaking down the formidable self defense barriers Alice had put up. Not while he still was gaining her trust. "You're welcome. I'm glad I can help." They continued walking silently, in perfect comfort. It wasn't awkward, but was comfortable.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little. "Thank you." She whispered quietly. She felt strange, she felt safe with Ryan which was nice for her, but there was another feeling that she couldn't really explain, but it made her smile like an idiot and she couldn't get the smile off of her face. She didn't know how many times she was going to thank him, but she felt like all the thanks were necessary. Alice walked silently besides Ryan, feeling comfortable in her own skin for once. The walk back wasn't strange at all, other than the fact that Alice couldn't get rid of the stupid smile on her face. She wouldn't mind staying with Ryan at all, she felt safe around him and knew that she could talk about anything with him.

[Drakonnas]

As they reached the house where they were to sleep, Ryan opened the door and held it open for her. There were four beds in the room, and it seemed comfortable enough. Ryan went into one of the two bathrooms, and got ready for bed. He left, and lay down in bed. A little while later, Alice was in a bed of her own. "Good night, and sleep well."

Ryan slept really well, and woke late morning the next day. He woke, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Yawning, he stretched, and stood up. It was a nice morning, cooler than yesterday, cloudy, and dry. He looked out the window, and saw some activity outside, some children were playing in the street. He didn't know if Alice was still in here, or outside.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little and nodded. She got ready in the other bathroom and crawled into one of the other beds in the room. Ryan was the first to wake up in the morning and she just lay sleeping still. She was really worn out over the last few days probably, and she had slept on floors for the past two nights so it was nice to sleep in an actual bed. She didn't stir when Ryan woke up and walked around though either and stayed silent in her sleep. She looked pale still as she laid there in the bed but she was fine.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan turned to see Alice still sleeping soundly on one of the other beds. Smiling to himself, he turned, and silently opened the door. Closing it, he reveled in the cool breeze that flowed through the town. Thinking to explore a little, he wandered around, both admiring the structure of the town, and thinking about their next move. They were going to visit Castle Town, which scared him. Would things be okay? Would Zelda be safe from the attacks? Would he be able to find a clue about Illia in the crowded city? Things looked grim, but he had to do it. He had to.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice woke up after awhile and changed in silence. She had brought another outfit that was more suitable for the warmer weather, it showed her arms but she really didn't care. Ryan had seen her scars, so he wouldn't mind seeing them again she figured. She packed the remainder of her things in her pouch and walked outside to find Ryan and eventually caught up with him smiling. "Good morning. We kind of slept in a little late don't you think?"

[Drakonnas]

Ryan turned to see Alice walking towards him and smiled. "Good afternoon, Alice." He said with a serene smile. "You slept well, as did I. It's just after noon. I was thinking... do you want to spend the day here, just winding down from our journey? It might make sense to do so, seeing as we haven't really had a chance to recover. It might make our journey foreword a little easier as well. You look nice, Alice." He said, suddenly noticing how pretty she looked in her new outfit.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little. "I think it'd be nice to stay here another night, plus we've lost a lot of ground since we were sleeping." She sighed a little but smiled and blushed as Ryan complimented her. "Thanks..." She muttered quietly. She didn't really know how to react so she just smiled. "So... since we've decided to stay for a day, why don't we have some fun?" she asked quietly. She seemed like an entirely different person today, more lively and happy to be out and with people.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled, noting the difference in her behavior. "Sure. Did you have anything particular in mind?" He asked her, wondering if there was anything she wanted to do. "I've heard that there's a really pretty view from one of the lookout towers if you wanted to climb up there sometime. We could also go relax by the lake. Or if you wanted, we could just relax here in the village. I'm sure we could enjoy a chat with some of the people who live here." Ryan spoke, thinking of possible things they could do.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice shrugged for a moment,"I've never been out here." She muttered quietly. "I wouldn't know of anything, maybe we should go up to one of the towers though." She smiled at him. She really would be okay with doing whatever, she just liked being able to relax for once after such a long time, she couldn't even remember the last time she took a day for herself, it was literally always about other people and helping those in need, she didn't care about her health conditions whether they be physical or mental.

[Drakonnas]

"Sure. Let's start by going up to the lookout. Maybe we can see somewhere else we'd like to visit?" He suggested, offering her his hand, in both an offering to walk with him, and as a question, should they go now? Or wait a little bit? The day was a little cooler than the day before, and there was a gentle breeze which helped tremendously. It felt about ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the day before, all things combined. Clouds drifted lazily across the sky as well.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little, and took his hand. His hand was somewhat larger than her own hands but his hands felt warm and she felt safe as she stood there with him. "Maybe we'll visit the lake when we get back down from the tower." She smiled a little at him and followed him as they started to head towards the tower. She was excited to go see the view of the valley and the town from the tower and she was just glad to relax.

[Drakonnas]

"That sounds delightful." Ryan said as they walked towards the path that would take them towards the top of the lookout tower. There were a few places along the way that were rocky and difficult to navigate, but they managed to do alright. They were about halfway up when he heard some sort of a commotion down below. A few kids were running about, when someone wearing a green tunic and hat rode into town on a beautiful red horse, and slowed to a stop in front of the bomb factory. "hm... I wonder if the bomb salesman is that popular...? Surely there's other places to get them..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice watched the commotion below but didn't really know how to feel about the situation. "Maybe he just needed somewhere local..." She muttered quietly. "Should we go down there?" She asked quietly. "He doesn't seem to be causing any troubles... he's just picking some bombs up, he could be on a quest just like we are..." She frowned a little to herself and looked ahead on the path. She really didn't know what to think about anything right now though. It was as if just the sight of something that could mean trouble through her off completely.

[Drakonnas]

"Perhaps. Shall we move on?" Still, they watched for another minute as the man went on his way. "Alice....? Shall we continue?" He smiled at her as he offered her his hand once more. Their path was rocky, and he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't fall. It was a long way down, and the didn't need any broken bones now.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"Yeah, let's move on." She muttered softly and forced a small smile before she took his offer and held his hand. She understood why he held her hand though as they walked, it was rocky and he didn't want her to like break any limbs, he needed her around for support, nothing more most likely. She felt like she was letting herself get to attached though but she tried to let that thought slip away.

[Drakonnas]

Finally, after what felt like a long and arduous climb, they reached the top of the lookout tour. The view from this height was impressive, Ryan had never quite seen anything like it before. They could see for miles out, visibility was very good. "Wow..." He said, looking out across the landscape, taking in the scenic view in front of them. "Are you seeing this? It's magical! I've never been this high up before, and the view... the view is phenomenal!"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled as they finally reached the top of the lookout. She couldn't help but smile a little at the view, as Ryan said it was truly phenomenal and magical. She had never really seen anything like it herself. She was speechless though, they were so high up and this was so amazingly worth the uphill climb. "I could stay up here forever,"she finally whispered and sat down in silence. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in her surroundings. "Hey Ryan... I think we're both going to want to swim after we get back, it's starting to heat up out here." She opened her eyes and smiled softly at him once again before she stood up to admire the view once more.

[Drakonnas]

"Sounds good to me. When do you want to go back down?" Ryan asked, looking around at the beautiful view below. He saw a few gorons rolling about on Death Mountain, and a few children running about, chasing each other. He smiled, recalling the times when he had been one of those, running around with Zelda and a few of her friends. Again, confusion welled up within him. Was he being disloyal to Zelda by enjoying this time with Alice? Would she have minded?

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice shrugged a little,"Whenever you want to go is fine." She muttered softly, her attention was also caught by the children in the streets, she had never been able to be a kid. She was forced to grow up so fast in the streets without a home. She had to act weak to get food for the longest time in her life. She sighed a little as she watched them and closed her eyes. "Can you tell me about your life growing up?" She asked quietly,"I realize it sounds dumb, but I never really got the chance to be a kid and run around like that... And I just... I don't know what to think. I didn't know what children even did until I started to stay in Ordon, but they were all so young when I was there. It's just strange." She sighed softly and looked at Ryan.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan felt a pang of sympathy for Alice as she spoke of not being able to be a kid. "Of course. But even better, I could show you, if you like... We're not grown up completely yet..." He said with a small smile. "But... now is not the time. Perhaps in a little bit." He said, with a somewhat mysterious smile. "As a kid, I was never really as carefree as they are, for I grew up with Princess Zelda. She had a couple of playmates, and I was fortunate enough to be one of them. For me, life was often doing things like having royal tea parties, playing dress up, and things like that. Things that were deemed appropriate for a princess to do. But on the rare occasion that we actually got out to do things... " He looked back down below them once more. "On the occasion that we did get out, we would run around Castle town, chasing each other, looking in shop windows, but mostly just enjoying ourselves without a care in the world."

"As I said, I can't help you relive your childhood, but I'm sure I can help you have a little fun before our journey is over." Once more, he had a gentle smile on his face. "It may not feel exactly the same, but it's better than nothing, right?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice didn't know what to say to Ryan when he said that he could show her what it was like to be a child. "Yeah... it would be better than nothing." She smiled a little at Ryan. "I really appreciate your want to help me Ryan... you've offered me a home after all of this and now you're offering to help me get back the years of my life that I never got before all this. It really kind of makes me happy and for once I don't feel so alone when you say stuff like that.... thank you." She whispered quietly. She knew that she couldn't even thank him enough for all that he had promised and all that he was already doing for her. She felt nice, it was nice to feel like she wasn't alone and like someone actually cared.

[Drakonnas]

"Don't worry about it. How can I not help?" He asked, chuckling. "But we must not forget our quest either. Still, I'm glad I can be of some help... It's what I do best." They sat together up on the lookout for about ten more minutes, when Ryan felt the time was right to begin their descent. "Shall we go back down then?" He stood, and offered to help her up once more. (if you want, you can cut to when they get to the bottom.)

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded and soon enough they were at the bottom,"So do you want to go swimming in the lake now or is there something else you would want to do?" She asked looking at him with questioning eyes. She wanted to go swimming but if Ryan had something else in mind she would listen to him. "We can do whatever, since we still have the night to stay here before we continue on our quest tomorrow." She smiled at him and looked towards the lake was. She knew that Ryan would have to look at her scars again but she knew that he wouldn't really care. He could ask about them if he really wanted to.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan was sweating some by the time they got down to the town's level. "Yeah, swimming sounds like a great idea, Alice. Do you have a swimsuit...?" He asked, his voice trailing off slightly at the end of his question, not wanting to have her interpret it the wrong way. "I mean, we can find you one if you don't... If you like, I can go do something or wait here if you want to change..." He wanted to give her the opportunity and the chance to have her privacy, should she want it.

[Etoile Mizu]

"Yeah I do actually. I'll just go change in one of the bathrooms in the room, you can do whatever and I'll meet you back out here." she muttered quietly. She walked back to the room by herself and changed, the suit she had was a two piece but she didn't care and if people around the village judged her she didn't care. She had battle scars in a way which was somewhat respected pretty much. She sighed and walked back out towards the lake in silence. She found herself there and just sat down waiting for Ryan to show up.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded, relieved. "Good. I'll just wait around here then." He said, just as quietly. As she walked off towards their room, Ryan explored just a little. Behind Renaldo's place, he found a graveyard. He wandered around it, admiring, and respecting the graves. But he found a curious hole in the wall, one which he wanted to explore. But he didn't have the time just now, Alice would probably be back by now.

He walked quickly back, and saw that Alice was just sitting down. "Talk about timing!" He said as he neared her. She looked pretty, he thought. Her scars were more visible and more numerous than he had previously thought, which worried him some. He might have to ask her, she almost seemed like she wanted him to ask. But first...

"Alright... Are you ready for your first lesson on how to be a kid at heart?" He asked her, smiling happily. He was growing to enjoy her company more and more now. "You gotta promise me that you'll do your best to loosen up, and simply enjoy it, mmkay? No worrying allowed! Just have fun!" He walked slowly to the edge of the water, and splashed her. "Come on! Betcha can't get me back!" He said, in a teasing tone. "Come on!"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little as Ryan showed up and she stood up. "Well look at that. I was beginning to think you had just ditched me." She laughed a bit,"Just kidding." She sighed a little and listened to what he had to say. "Alright, I'll try to not worry." She muttered a little coldly. It would be weird for her, because she was literally always worrying about something, whether it be her sister, the impending twilight, herself, other people, etc.

When Ryan splashed her it brought her back into reality and she smirked a little before she ran into the water, she appreciated how the lake was clear during the day time, it made her feel safer that she could see what was in it rather than have it be some dark water full of creatures that were very unattractive and violent. She smiled and splashed Ryan back as she was deeper in the water and before he could get her back she went under the water to protect herself or so she thought.

[Drakonnas]

"Me? Ditch you? Naw." He said with a grin, shaking his head. "I don't ditch people." He was a little worried that she was mad at him with the coldness in her voice, but that changed once they started splashing about.

Alice dove underwater, and Ryan followed. Swimming was easy for him, he had swam quite a bit as training, it was good strength conditioning. He followed her, trying to tag her. It was a lot of fun, he thought. He hadn't had a chance to simply enjoy himself like this in a long while. When she had to surface for air he followed her, and splashed at her again. "Betcha can't catch me!" He said tantalizingly, darting off after tagging her on the shoulder.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just kind of looked at Ryan when they were out of the water breathing. Ryan was different now, he seemed laid back and his worries about the twilight seemed to be temporarily out of sight. It was nice to see him relaxed and she was sure that Ryan would probably appreciate if she could let go for awhile. She smiled a little as he tagged her and ran after him in the water. She managed to get to him and tagged him back before she tried to dart away in the water going towards the deeper part of the pond like lake.

[Drakonnas]

(oof... sorry, I've been kinda out of it lately...)

Ryan grinned, laughing as they both burst above the water, taking deep breaths. "Hah, nice one. But I'll get you back!" He swam after her, tagging her with some effort, and diving underneath the water, seeing how deep he could go without needing to take a breath. The water was cool, and very refreshing on such a warm day. He was glad to be here with her, it was a wonderful break from the tiring worry and fear that had gripped them since the Twilight had taken over.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little, she would have gone after Ryan but at the same time some kind of feeling had taken over her and she didn't want to try anymore, she just wanted to relax. "Let's just relax for a bit." She smiled at him. She swam back towards the shallow waters and just sat there itching at some of her scars slightly. She didn't know why but sometimes they just itched, she had inflicted wounds upon herself to stop the itching but she really couldn't do that with Ryan around and their journey was exhausting enough already.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded, and swam after her. He stayed mostly submerged, with his head sticking out of the water, even though they were in the shallow part of the lake. "Are you okay?" He asked, noting that she was itching at some of her scars. "How did you get your scars?" He asked softly, gently. He didn't want to seem overly interested, but he did want to know how and why she had gotten so many. He guessed abuse was part of them. "Do you dislike having them? If you really wanted, I know of a herbal medicine that can help erase scarring..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little as Ryan asked if she was okay. "I'm fine, it's just weird to be so carefree for once." She sighed a little as she continued to itch before Ryan asked. "Oh... um." She frowned,"Might as well be completely honest." She looked down at the water and frowned a little more,"Well, Ryan not only was I beaten and used a lot in the streets... but when I got away from all that it felt like someone was missing so I started to hurt myself. When I go into the city it's not hard to find trouble. I help people so they don't have to be like me and no, I'll have to refuse on the medicine, my scars are a part of me."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded as she spoke. He had expected these words, but it didn't make it any easier for him to accept them. Instead, he tried to focus on the fact that she had escaped, and was now traveling with him, doing good for the world. This way, he was able to admire her, not pity her. He was fairly sure pity wasn't something she wanted. "I admire you for being able to be the person you are after all that you've gone through. You're a strong person, Alice, in ways that I'm not. But... promise me that you'll try not to hurt yourself. If you feel like you need to, please come to me, I can help." He wasn't sure if he was pushing his boundaries at all, but he wanted to help her as much as she wanted to help others. "Stop the cycle of pain..." He gently took one of her hands between his own, and held it gently.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned a little and listened to him. "I don't understand why everyone calls me strong... I don't feel strong..." She whispered quietly. She held his hand in silence and stared down at the water. "Sorry Ryan... I don't normally like to show my emotions as you may have noticed..." She sighed a little and looked up again rubbing her eyes with her free hand as she was starting to tear up a little. "Stop it Alice." She whispered more to herself. Eventually she managed to get a hold on her emotions. "Sorry." She muttered. She had tightened her grip on Ryan's hand. "I don't feel strong at all Ryan. I might look like I am, but in reality I'm falling apart on the inside... the only part of me that's strong is my ability to hide the fact that I really am not strong at all. I don't even know if that even makes sense to you, it barely makes sense to me."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan accepted her words with a passive quietness that he hoped would help Alice. "Alice, my father taught me these few words before he died. I think they would do good if you learned to believe them. 'You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.' " He was silent for a minute to let her contemplate his words. "While it's not complete, it gives a general gist of the meaning. Think about it a little bit." He was quiet for a little bit longer, contemplating her other words. She was clearly insecure, and unsure of herself. Was there any way that he could help her get over this? If he could, she'd have a much happier life, even if and probably when they did separate sometime. But what could he say? That she trusted him enough to talk about this made him feel warm and special, he felt that he should try to say something else. She had said something very personal to him, something that was important to her. "Well... if you're falling apart, can I help hold you together? Is there any way I can make you more confident in yourself? If only you could see yourself from my point of view... You'd see a beautiful, strong, quiet, compassionate girl. I don't think that even Zelda could match you, Alice. If only you could see what a good person you are..." He blushed slightly, not meaning to imply that he was beginning to like her. "I know it may not be easy to see, but I wish you could. I know it may not feel like everything is well. It's a normal part of life, as much as I don't want to admit it. But... I'll be here to help support you if you ever need my help."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned but listened to all that Ryan had to say and then just thought. It was almost as if Ryan liked her in a way that was just above friends, and it was strange. "Ryan.... thank you. For everything that you've said to help me, and all that you've offered. I've never met someone so kind as you. Sure other's have tried to help me when I was younger, Rusl and Uli did but I was young and stubborn and I'm still a little stubborn now. I wish it was easy to get better... but I want to try to be helped again. I'm tired of having to lie to everyone and say that I'm okay when I'm really not and I'm tired of getting in fights with myself because of my insecurities." She sighed a little and without really thinking about it she leaned her head onto Ryan and just closed her eyes relaxing there up against him in the water. She didn't know what she was feeling but she really was starting to feel safe and comfortable around Ryan. And she maybe even liked him a little. She couldn't explain how she felt, however when he said that Zelda couldn't match her she felt like she could have exploded right then and there. How could she even be on the same level as Zelda, Zelda was the princess and so perfect in every way and Alice wasn't. At least she didn't see herself that way.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded, acknowledging her words quietly. "You're very welcome. And, like I said, I'll do whatever I can to help. You just need to let me know what I can do, kay?" He told her softly, as she leaned up and rested against him. The water rippled gently around them, it was cool and relaxing, a nice contrast to the warm and dry air around them. Ryan wasn't sure how long they were there. It could have been a minute or an hour. Either way, he enjoyed the moment, holding her close to him to comfort her. They still had most of the afternoon left to them to do whatever they wanted. This was their one day of relaxation before they needed to get back on the trail again. Since the Goron Mines wouldn't work out, they would have to go to Castle town to see if they could find another lead or two. Ryan just hoped that Alice wouldn't slip backwards into old habits when they visited.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice had no idea how long they had been sitting there in the water like that. She didn't' want to slip back into old habits when they got to Castle Town though but she knew she'd be recognized by several people, and not necessarily good people either. There was a large possibility that someone would pick a fight with her while they were there despite the looming twilight in the sky above them. Eventually Alice stood up and just looked around. "How long do you think we've been here?" she asked quietly. She sighed a little and waited for Ryan to stand up as well. She didn't want to talk about her problems anymore for now, she felt like she'd just lose herself once again. She didn't want to get in any fights while they were in Castle Town, nor did she want to be recognized and made fun of, but she could see if her sister was alright. "Ryan... I need to look for something other than clues in Castle Town as well." She muttered quietly.

[Drakonnas]

"I don't know... Half an hour, maybe? An hour?" Ryan stood up with her, and together they walked back to the house they were staying at. He knew that he had reached the limit of trying to help Alice for now, judging by her looks. But he had been able to reach her, that was the good thing. He heard her other comment, and nodded. "Alright. I can help if you need. But if you want to do it alone, I'll understand." He wanted to give her the option of going alone, in case it was something that she didn't want him to see, or if she would just be more comfortable going alone.

When they reached their little house, Ryan thought it would be about time for something to eat. He wasn't sure exactly what time it was, but it wasn't quite late enough for dinner, but it was past lunchtime. He was still thinking about the time they had spent together that day. It had been special to him, and he thought Alice had enjoyed it as well. "If you're hungry, I can cook us something to eat."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice walked back with Ryan in silence. She sat on the bed once they got back into the house and she just thought about things for a moment. "I think I'd prefer to have someone with me. I don't know who all we'll end up running into in Castle Town and if certain people see me things might not go so well." She forced a smile,"Besides, if you come with me maybe you'll get to meet one of my sisters." She went into the bathroom and changed and was back soon enough. While she was changing though she couldn't help but smile, she had fun with Ryan and it was nice to try to relax and have fun rather than worry about fighting or things like that. When Alice came back into the main room though and Ryan asked about food Alice shook her head,"I'm fine." She muttered quietly,"Thanks for everything today though Ryan. It means a lot that you're trying to help me."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled as she spoke. "Alright. I'll come with you." He said simply. "And I'd love to meet your sister." As she left to change, Ryan took a large drink of water. He was quite thirsty, and would need the hydration on their quest. As Alice came back in and declined something to eat, he nodded simply. "Alright. We can certainly wait for dinner. And don't worry, Alice. It's not a problem whatsoever." He looked outside, for the sky had darkened suddenly. "Grab your weapons." He said sharply, "I think there are some shadow beasts coming." He slipped on his armor which was lying nearby, and unsheathed his blade, and looked up into the sky. Sure enough, a portal appeared there.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little but it quickly disappeared as she noticed the sky darkening. She quickly grabbed her swords and ran out after Ryan. She was ready to fight, it was a good thing that they had stayed there for the night, otherwise they would have been half way to Castle Town by now and the people would have to fight on their own against all the shadow beast which wouldn't be good for them in anyway. Alice watched the shadow beast came from the portal down onto the ground and started to fight, she seemed a little more focused than usual.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan hurried out, his blade sparkling in the twilight. "TO ME!" He shouted, drawing the beasts attention away from some last minute stragglers who hadn't gone inside yet. He ran, his cape fluttering gently behind him. He struck rapidly and repeatedly at one of the beasts, but there were simply too many. About seven of them were attacking him at once, and three more were heading off towards Alice. There had to be a better way to fight these things. His sword was light and swift, meant to take on more humanlike opponents, rather than these large creatures. "Come on you foul beasts..." He said, slaying one of them with a powerful strike, but getting smashed across the chest by one of the others. Ryan flew back several feet, and skidded across the ground, getting to his feet. "Come at me!" He challenged, holding his sword in a more defensive stance.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice tried to fight them off to the best of her ability but there was so many and as she took two down another three were approaching and she could feel herself slowly drifting into a state of limbo in a way. She tried to fight it as she took on another shadow beast but it got harder. She had to stop for a moment, just a second even might have helped her if something wouldn't have hit her and knocked her up against a building, her body literally slamming into the bricks causing her to be stuck for a moment before she could get back up to defend herself. She barely got her swords up though before she was struck by the two remaining beast in front of her. "Dammit." She hissed as she managed to get her distance from them. She was bleeding in several places including the back of her head from hitting the wall but she really didn't care.

She wasn't going to pass out again, she wouldn't be worthless. She managed to take out another one but it was obvious the last would be the hardest. She couldn't focus anymore. Her vision was fading slightly and before she could even attempt to hit the beast she was hit and knocked into the wall again and blacked out.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan slew two more of the creatures before one of them sent him flying again. He collapsed next to the fallen Alice. His left arm was paining him, had it been broken? Or simply bruised? He saw Alice on the ground, and groaned. Why had there been so many of them this time? Was it his fault that she was injured? Was it his fault that they were in danger now? He had to defend her, he had to. They had come too far to be defeated now. Plus, Illia was depending on them. He stood slowly, sword in hand, and turned to face the five beasts that remained. He slew one more before getting knocked down again. Like a yo-yo, he got up, but was knocked over immediately this time. He had sustained serious injuries, but he had to keep fighting. He had to. Another beast fell to his blade before he was felled once more. This time, he had not the strength to get up. Ryan fell unconscious, his last thought on Alice, and how he needed to protect her. Not too far off, a certain green-clad warrior was hurrying towards Kakarikaro on a chestnut horse...

[Etoile Mizu]

When Alice woke up she was alone in the room, Ryan was no where to be found and then she tried to move and a pain just started to eat away at her entire body. "What... what's happening? Ryan?!" She cried, she continued to mutter and call for Ryan until she realized that she was utterly alone. She looked at all the bandages on her and frowned. How long had she been asleep? Was Ryan okay? Did he leave without her because she was a burden? Alice didn't know what to think or what to feel. Someone came into the room and informed her that Ryan was missing and Alice felt like everything was just going to crash right there. She got up and managed to get ready to go.

"Miss you really shouldn't leave in your condition." The woman muttered. "I don't even care, I have to find Ryan... He was the only person who..." Alice couldn't even finish her sentence before she just ran. She had almost just admitted that she had feelings for Ryan... that couldn't happen. She couldn't let herself get attached because then bad things would happen. He was missing because of her, if she wouldn't have been so weak and passed out he'd be okay... Her mind flashed back to the days before when they had just relaxed until the village was attacked. She could feel the itching in her skin as well as she started to feel like everything was her fault. She had run from the village and was near the road to Castle town... but she didn't know what to do. She could run and be guilty forever, or keep going on the quest and accomplish something of use but more than likely get attacked in the process again and die.

"Ryan... I'd rather die than be guilty for your own death." She whispered before she started to head towards Castle Town."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan woke up, feeling groggy. But as soon as he woke, he knew that something was wrong. Very wrong. For one thing, his sense of smell was incredibly strong. For another, he felt much stronger for whatever reason, but also more sluggish. He opened his eyes, and stared at what was supposed to be his hands. Instead of hands, he saw snowy white paws. What the heck was going on? He struggled to get up for a few minutes. His body felt weird, not normal. He swished his powerful tail in annoyance as he tried to get up. Finally, he managed to get up on all fours. Looking at his reflection on the stone floor of his cell, Ryan saw, to his astonishment, that he was a snowy white tiger. A few black stripes ran across his powerful body, creating a gentle contrast with the pure whiteness.

He eventually got used to this new body of his, but couldn't get over the fact that he was a tiger. What had happened to him? Why was he like this? Where was he? Where was Alice? Had she been captured like he had been? But for now, he had to find a way out of this cell. He had to find an escape. He threw himself against the bars a few times, but it was no good. He couldn't get out. Laying back down, he rested his head on his paws, and waited.

In due time, a moblin guard came to check on him. Pretending to be asleep, Ryan waited until the guard opened the door, and entered. He pounced, knocking the moblin over as easily as if he had been a toy. He was free! Running around, looking in the other cells for Alice, he soon realized he was in Hyrule Castle. What was he doing here? Was Alice here? But no, all the cells were empty. He dashed off up the stairs, taking out any moblins he saw.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice managed to get into Castle Town soon enough, she had woken up early in the morning so by noon she was there but there was no one else. She was deeply confused as she walked around and wondered where everyone had gone to. Castle town was normally bustling with people and life.. but now with the twilight hanging around them... everything was different. She heard windows shut quickly as she walked by until she saw a woman running towards her. "Marcellina!" Alice muttered before Marcellina quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a building. "You can't be outside Alice, it's not safe anymore." She whispered. Alice looked into the eyes of her sister, they shared the same strange eye color, the yellow brown but Marcellina's hair was jet black unlike Alice who had white hair. Alice had always envied her siblings dark hair. Out of the many there were only three of them with white hair, but Alice didn't know where her six other siblings had gone. She was the second youngest after all. The youngest dead, so really she didn't know where five of them went.

Marcellina frowned as she looked through the blinds quickly the room was dark, "Yesterday.. more shadow demons showed up then ever. They carried someone past here, a castle soldier it looked like, might have been just a palace guard." Alice's thoughts instantly drifted to Ryan, but how was she supposed to get into Hyrule Castle with all the beast around?" She frowned at the thought. "That may have been the man I was traveling with Marcellina." She whispered. She frowned once again though as her eyes adjusted to the surroundings. It was obvious that Marcellina had her child. "Where's the baby?" She whispered weakly looking at Marcellina, "Is everything okay?" Marcellina forced a smile and nodded,"It was a little earlier than I expected, but everything is fine, she's asleep. I named her Natalia." She muttered softly.

[Drakonnas]

Dashing past the barracks, Ryan hadn't seen a single soul he knew, it was only demons. This worried him. Where was Zelda? Alice? His other friends? Finally, he found himself in front of the throne room. No one had been in Zelda's room, his room, or any of the other rooms. He had been able to avoid fire from archers, but one of the moblins had thrown a dagger which had pierced his side, and it was paining him greatly. He couldn't reach around to get it out. He'd have to get help before he bled too much, or before it got infected. The moblins were known to have diseased weapons.

He pushed open the door to the throne room, and saw the empty chambers he was expecting. "Dang it..." He thought, which came out as a growl. He hurried along, a trail of red following him. He wasn't bleeding profusely, it was more of a slow drip, but it still could be bad if not treated. Twenty minutes later, he made his way out of the castle, into Castle Town. He wandered through the streets, looking for a sign of Alice, Illia, or someone that could help him. No one was out, and he was about to give up, and move on. Maybe he could head back to Kakarikaro, and see what happened to Alice.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just sat there with Marcellina and frowned,"Keep her safe, I need to find someone and save another person I promised to find." She whispered. "I love you, and I'll come back for you okay?" She muttered before she went out into the street. She saw the tiger and was going to run quickly but there was something about it that made her stop and stare. It had Ryan's eyes, she noticed that as she approached the thing. "Ryan...?" She asked weakly as she got even closer to the tiger noticing it's injury. "You poor thing, you're hurt..." She muttered not sure why she thought it was Ryan. She was greatly confused honestly and probably seemed crazy for sitting in the street talking to a tiger.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan saw someone exit one of the houses, and looked a little bit wary, but he saw that it was Alice! What was she doing here? Had she escaped? Had she been brought here? He called out to her, but all that came out was a gentle growl. Of course. He was no longer human. So how would she recognize him? How were they so lucky as to be in the same place so soon after separating? But for some reason, Alice recognized something about him. How did she know it was him? He nodded as she said his name, his great head dipping, then rising again. He lay down, so that she would not think he was a threat. It was unusual behavior for a tiger, another way he tried to convince her that it was him. As she noticed his injury, he looked up at her. It was amazing that she had recognized him, and he was very grateful for it. He lay his head down next to her, closing his eyes. The wound was very painful, and growing slowly moreso. He hoped the dagger hadn't had a lethal poison on it.

[Etoile Mizu]

When the Tiger laid down at the mention of Ryan's name Alice smiled but knelt besides him examining the wound, it didn't look good at all so Alice quickly stood up and dragged Marcellina out with some bandages and such. "I never mentioned how nice your eyes are Ryan." She muttered quietly as she started to disinfect the wound. "I don't even know if you're Ryan, but if you are give me some sort of sign, there's no way a tiger could have the same eyes as him... but it almost makes sense." She sighed a little and started to clean the wound before she pulled the dagger slowly out of his side and started to bandage it with Marcellina's help. "This is my sister Marcellina by the way. I have seven siblings, but she's the only one I could find, the others are elsewhere or dead. We don't know." She frowned a little and looked at Ryan.

"We're going to figure out how to change you back. I promise." She whispered weakly, it was more than obvious that she wasn't doing so well herself, her wounds covered up by her clothes though so it was unnoticeable but Ryan would be able to smell the blood on her.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan lay there as Alice brought someone else out. She was older, and they resembled another in many ways. At the request for a sign, Ryan stood once more, and spelled out the name "Alice" in the dirt with his paw. He gave her a meaningful look, and lay back down again, so they could take a look at his wound. He tried not to flinch as they cleaned the wound, and pulled the dagger out. As soon as it was out, most of the pain vanished, and he relaxed visibly. It still stung, but not nearly as badly now. He looked at Marcellina as she introduced him. She must have thought it odd to be talking to a snowy tiger. He smiled at the thought.

He could tell that Alice was still injured, and this worried him. He gently nudged areas around her worst wounds, trying to tell Marcellina that she needed to be taken care of as well. He wasn't sure if he got his message across though.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled as Ryan wrote out her name in the dirt. It really was him. He had shown her that it really was him. Her smile disappeared though as he started to nudge at areas where she was injured and Marcellina caught on nearly right away. "Alice what the hell are you running around like this for?" She frowned and dragged Alice back into her small home, she beckoned for Ryan to follow as well and soon enough they were all back and Marcellina made Alice strip down into just her under garments and sit while Marcellina bandaged her up, some of the wounds truly were bad, Alice had no idea they were that bad until looking at them though. She sighed a little as she waited for Marcellina to finish before the baby started to cry and Marcellina was upstairs leaving Alice by the fireplace just sitting in the warmth in silence.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan was satisfied as he saw that Marcellina caught on to what he was doing. He followed them silently. It was rather annoying not being able to communicate easily with them. It was frustrating, but he knew he should be thankful that they were both okay, and that they were together again. Being in this situation to him was superior to having one or the both of them dead. He lay down, facing away from Alice, just in case she preferred to have some privacy. He could tell that she had been injured rather badly based on some of the comments and noises that he heard. But when the child began to cry, Ryan stood up, and walked over to where Alice sat, and looked at her, willing her to understand what he was trying to say. "Are you okay? I was worried about you."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice didn't really respond to Ryan coming to sit next to her. She understood what he was trying to say, but she didn't really acknowledge it for awhile, finally though after what seemed like a long time she shook her head. "No Ryan.. I don't even know right now. This is my fault though, it's my fault that I wasn't strong enough to keep on fighting and now you've become a tiger and I'm just here. I'm worthless, I should have realized that. I don't know why I lie to myself anymore. Marcellina and you both tell me I'm so strong... but I just... I'm not really. I don't feel strong, I don't feel confident. Look at me Ryan, I'm dying, I'm a walking death sentence, hell I shouldn't be alive. I'm lucky I made it this far without dying or getting into a worse fight while I was here. And now you're a tiger and there's literally nothing I can do about it because I don't know exactly what happened." Alice frowned and curled up with her knees pulled up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. "I'm so so sorry Ryan." She whispered, she had started to cry in silence not only from the pain but from the emotional stress she was causing herself.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan growled, somewhat intensely. He wanted to snap her out of this mood she was in, he wanted to snap her out of this downward spiral. The more she said things like this, the more she would believe them, and the harder it would be to escape. He had come so close to helping her over the self confidence issues she had, too far to let her slip this easily. But then again, he had to give her some room. She was tired, and in pain. But he had to do something. He tried to get a little closer to apologize for growling, hoping he didn't startle her too badly. He wanted to startle her, just to get her to see that she was snowballing towards her old habits once again. He nuzzled his head against her, letting her know that she could hold him if she needed something to hold on to. "It's not your fault." He tried to tell her. "It's not your fault."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned but didn't move at all when Ryan growled, it had frightened her but she realized she was being an idiot. She knew that he knew it too. She was in her downward spiral, and it was going to take more than a snap of a finger to fix that, maybe Ryan didn't realize that though. She didn't know how else to feel though, the pain whether it be physical or emotional was all she knew how to feel. If she wasn't causing it to herself other people would do it for her, she was well aware of that fact. She looked towards the fire again and wiped her eyes. "Sorry. It's just hard you know? To suddenly be rid of something that you've grown up with..." She sighed a little and laid down on the ground letting Ryan lay next to her. "I wish there was something I could do to go back and prevent you from changing into a tiger," she whispered. She didn't know what she could have done differently, but she could have tried harder. But there had to be some way that she could save Ryan, because no matter how many times he would say it wasn't her fault, her mind would never let her believe it.

[Drakonnas]

The snowy white tiger looked up at Alice as she spoke. He knew that her scarring would be deep, but he wasn't aware of just how deep it really was. He nodded, and tried to apologize. As she got down next to him, he relaxed a little bit more. It irked him to no end that he couldn't communicate with her. He wanted to say a lot of different things, but he was unable to. He was quiet for a little bit trying to simply be there for her. Maybe that was what she needed more than anything, someone she could always count on, no matter what she needed. Maybe that would help her. It was also possible that she was scarred so deeply that she would never outgrow her suffering. But he had to try, he had to do something. After all, he was warm, fuzzy, and comfortable now that he was a tiger. There were perks to it after all. But he did want to resume his human form sometime soon. He just didn't know if it would be possible or not.

[Etoile Mizu]

Marcellina came downstairs with a baby in her arms to find Alice asleep, curled up with Ryan besides her. Alice was using him as a bed in a way though since he was bigger than her in size and she could just snuggle right up to him. She smiled at Ryan a little and then sat down in a chair that was somewhat near the fire. "She likes you a lot you know. I can tell," she muttered softly with a slight smirk on her face," I'm being a hundred percent serious. I've never seen her get so worried about anyone including myself. It seems that some part of her has attached to you emotionally and it wants to help her get better. I've tried to help her, but her mind makes things so difficult for her... she's damaged, more than a lot of people realize, but seeing how she is able to sleep like that and sit without shame of her visible damage is more hope than you could ever realize Ryan. "I'll leave you too be though, goodnight."

After that Marcellina disappeared up the stairs once again and went to bed also.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan was relaxing when Marcellina came downstairs. Ryan looked up at her, wondering what she wanted. As she spoke, he was touched by what she had said. And once more, the desire to communicate struck at him. Because he couldn't talk, he simply purred gently, hoping she'd get the gist of what he wanted to say. He was glad, very glad that he was able to provide the sisters hope. They definitely needed it, and deserved it for that matter. It got him thinking as well. If he was able to help her this much just by being there for her... Could he possibly help her even more? Obviously not as much so in his current form, but perhaps when he re-obtained his human form. He purred a gentle goodnight, and rest his head back down, and eventually fell asleep.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice woke up the next morning and tried to move but felt pretty sore. She could manage though. She was warm despite her lack of clothing thanks to Ryan's new coat of fur. She couldn't help but smile a little as she stood up and watched him sleep for just a moment though before she went into another room and changed into actual clothes. She was a little tired but knew that they'd need to figure out how to get Ryan back to his original form. First they needed to figure out what happened to him in the first place but Alice had no idea how to even do that. And to top all of that they needed to search for clues to find Ilia. It seemed like a lot to take on but Alice was feeling up to it today rather than her normal one task at a time state of mind. She walked back out into the room and sat down at the table trying to figure some things out.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan woke up around mid-morning, and noticed that Alice was up, but it didn't take him long to locate her. Stretching, he yawned and looked around, feeling somewhat hungry. He wouldn't ask them for anything to eat, they needed all they could get. But he'd definitely try to find something somewhere. The more he experienced, the more respect he had for the two of them. He had never dealt with hardships like they had endured, and now that he faced a small amount of what they had to deal with, he knew that it couldn't be easy. He softly padded over to where Alice sat, and gently nuzzled her, letting her know he was up and awake. He was eager to get going again. Not only would they have to continue their search for Ilia, but they would also have to try to find a way for him to return to normal.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little at Ryan as he came and nuzzled her,"Oh good morning." she smiled at him a little. She had an idea as to what they could do to get Ryan back to normal but it would require a journey all the way back to Faron woods. "So. Um. I don't know if you've ever heard of the light spirits. But I think they might be able to help us out a bit, there's a legend of one in Faron and since the Twilight seems to be out of there we might use that is our best guess. We'd go back there and see if we can figure out how to get you back in human form, and then we can come back here to Castle Town and search for Ilia, only if that's okay with you of course." She muttered quietly staring at the table for a second before she looked back down at Ryan. He was really adorable as a tiger, but Alice didn't know how to feel about all of this.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan shook his head as Alice asked about the spirits of light. He had not heard of them, but he would, of course, listen. He nodded his head, as if agreeing to the plan. It was alright with him. Not even being turned into a tiger could stop him from continuing his mission with Alice. But it was, of course, hindering in other ways. But they were here in Castle Town now. They might want to search for clues now, just to look while the trail was still warm. His transformation back into a human could wait, for a little while at least, while they looked for clues as to Ilia's whereabouts.

[Etoile Mizu]

Marcellina quickly came back into the house with a basket in her hands. "Oh good morning you two." She sighed a little,"I found information on that girl you were talking about Alice, Ilia. She's here in Castle Town, but she's completely lost her memory but is slowly getting things back thanks to the woman she's been staying with. She knew her name at least. So ya'll should just head back and fix Ryan up and she'll be here when you get back guarantee. Well I don't know." Marcellina sighed a little,"The people here are starting to panic though, the twilight is getting worse. I realize you might want to stick around and look for more clues, but it might be in your best interest to get back as soon as you can and come save the kingdom when you're both human and healthy."

Alice just listened to Marcellina and really didn't even know what to say to her. It was good that they had a clue on where Ilia was. But she was still concerned as to what they were supposed to do. She couldn't really communicate with Ryan enough to figure things out in every way.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan looked up as Marcellina came down, and said good morning to them. It felt a little bit queer to be a tiger around her, she didn't know who he was, what he looked like. She just knew he was supposed to be human. It made it a little bit odd for him, but it wasn't too bad. He nudged Alice again, then turned his head to look at the door, as if asking if she was ready to go. The fact that Ilia was safe gave him enough confidence to leave in search of these light spirits. If he could regain his human form, he'd try to pick up a heavier sword in case they met more of those shadow beasts. He'd carry two swords, one heavy, one light. There was a wonderful swordcrafter here in the town that he'd visit later.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little,"So now we head back to the forest." She muttered quietly to herself and stared out into nothingness for awhile. "Marcellina, are you coming back with us to Ordon? It might be safer for you and Natalia there..." She muttered weakly. She knew that Marcellina would refuse so she wasn't surprised to see Marcellina shaking her head at her request. Alice nodded a bit and stood up getting her stuff so that they could leave whenever they needed to, she was ready to have Ryan back into human form but at the same time she missed how it was practically acceptable to snuggle up with him for warmth or comfort, but maybe she could still do that. She wasn't quite sure. "Whenever you want we can leave Ryan."

[Drakonnas]

Ryan felt a little bit awkward. Since he couldn't communicate, what was he supposed to do? Lie down and wait like some common housecat? As much as he wanted to return to his human form, there was something peaceful about being a tiger. Almost like he didn't have to worry as much. But that was silly, of course he still had his duties. He still had a mission to complete.

A few minutes later when he was sure that they were ready, Ryan walked to the door, ready to leave. He didn't want to damage the door, so he didn't try to open it. But he realized he had forgotten to thank Marcellina for her hospitality, and medical treatment. So, he walked up to her, and nuzzled her for a second, trying to get his message across. He felt a little foolish having to do this, but it was the only practical way to do so.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just went around the house doing some things while she waited and eventually it was time for them to go. Marcellina had understood what Ryan was doing and smiled at him before she hugged Alice and wished them both good luck. Soon enough they were off and heading back the way they had come back towards Faron Woods in hope for the light spirits. Alice felt awkward as they walked though because she couldn't really have a conversation with Ryan since he couldn't reply to her or answer her questions really. He couldn't ask her about anything either.

[Drakonnas]

As they walked, Ryan felt an uncomfortable silence fall between the two of them. It was because they couldn't communicate that it was uncomfortable, not because they didn't want to be together or anything like that. Well, he could spell things out for her, but that would take way to long to do, and they didn't have much time. Ryan knew he could probably run faster than they could walk, there was always the possibility that she could ride on him if they wanted things to go faster. He knew he could handle it, but he didn't know if she would be comfortable riding on him or not. He looked up at her, not sure if he should ask her or not.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little but was moving quicker than usual. She was feeling a bit weak and her wounds were hurting a bit, well she was fine but it was just weird to start moving so much all the sudden. She would keep going though, it had already been a few hours even as they moved along the path, they seemed to be making a lot of progress which was always a good sign though. She didn't like the silence between them though and it almost made her want to scratch but she knew that she'd get scolded for that. So she continued quickly hoping to get there soon enough.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan noted that she was slowing just slightly. It was only just noticeable, and didn't make much of a difference. But he wanted her strong just in case they ran into monsters of any sort. So, he slowed, and stopped about five feet ahead of her. Her turned to look at her with a caring and concerned look in his eye. With his paw, he once again spelled out a short message for her. "Ride me." He wasn't sure if she would recognize his reasons for requesting this. He hoped she would accept. If she didn't, there wasn't much he could do but accept, and continue on their way.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice looked at the message that Ryan spelled out for her and didn't know what to think at first. She just kind of stood there and stared awkwardly at the message written, it was true that she was light enough to not be a problem at all but it felt awkward for Alice and she would feel like she was being a burden, but obviously she was a burden because she was so slow. She didn't know what to think at the moment so she frowned and agreed and silently got on Ryan's back and just sat there. She didn't affect him at all seemingly, of course she was too thin.

[Drakonnas]

The extra weight wasn't a burden to him, and he was happy to make things a little easier on her. He started walking, giving her some time to get used to the feeling of riding on him. If it was uncomfortable, he was sure she'd tell him. He sped up to a trot, then to a run. He didn't go faster than that, wanting to conserve some energy for later. He hoped that Alice was okay as is, hoping she'd let him know if she wasn't.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice slightly laid forward on Ryan's back and closed her eyes. She was small enough that she could have easily slept there, of course tigers were huge but she had never really seen one for herself until Ryan became one. She found herself falling asleep though as they ran, it wasn't bothering her at all, riding on Ryan's back. She thought that it would have but now that she was there she didn't want to complain it was nice, she didn't have to worry about her own pain as they moved along and they'd get there faster than they had planned which was even better. They wouldn't even have to stop for the night probably depending on how things went.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan ran on, careful that Alice wouldn't fall. He was making very good progress, and was surprised when he began to recognize the entrance to the woods. "Wow... are we here already? It's not even halfway past noon..." He said, trying to judge the time based on the position of the sun in the sky. The twilight inhibited the light some, but he was still able to see about where it was. They still had a few miles to go, but it wouldn't be too bad, considering the long ways they had come so far.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice had fallen asleep there on Ryan's back. She had her arms loosely wrapped around him though but due to her weakness and overall exhaustion she had just kind of passed out. She woke up a little though and was surprised they had gotten there so quickly, it didn't seem right to her that they would get there so soon when it had taken them days to get into Castle Town from Ordon. "Find the spring," she muttered quietly.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan looked up a little as she spoke. Alice did seem tired, and Ryan didn't blame her. He was simply glad he would be able to help her when she was as tired and sore as she was. After all, he was still sore from his encounter with the shadow beasts, and knew that she would probably be as well. HE enjoyed doing nice things for others, and this was no exception. He continued to run, until they finally reached a place that Ryan recognized as the area that they had fought off the moblins near Ordon. "Wow... we're already here..." He thought, as he slowed to a halt. They had just passed over a big bridge, and there was a sound of water nearby. Was this the place they were looking for? Ryan wasn't sure, so he slowed, and tried to look around for anything that would tell them if this was right location or not.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just watched the surroundings and knew that they were in the right place. They had to be unless some forest had appeared purely to confuse them and she didn't really expect any less from the looming twilight above them still. "This looks like the place where we're supposed to be. Let me down." She muttered softly, that way she could look for the spring as well just in case Ryan missed it, she wasn't implying that he would, she just wanted to be more useful than she had been being seemingly before all of this. She had been sleeping while they traveled which kind of made her feel lazy and awful in ways she couldn't really explain. She walked around for awhile once Ryan let her down and eventually found the spring and called Ryan over. She didn't know how they'd find the spirit but she would try her best to find a way to summon it to them so it could help them on their journey.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan saw the trees shiver in the pre-storm breeze that was beginning to blow across the oddly silent and deserted land. He had seen this before, it would soon start raining, with a potential for violent lightning, and crashes of thunder. He wasn't particularly fond of large scale storms like the one he thought was coming, they had scared him as a kid. Truthfully, they scared him even to this day. The air was a little moister as well, and his fur felt a little bit heavier as well as... more charged? He thought that he might actually shock Alice if he wasn't careful. This feeling irked him to no end.

At Alice's request, he lay down on the ground so she could get off. His eyes were somber, serious, quiet. He knew that they had to continue on, even if the light spirit didn't show up, or couldn't help him. He didn't want to be too disappointed, so he tried to be somewhat skeptical. This way, he wouldn't be so disappointed in the outcome if it was negative. He searched around, startling a few butterflies who flew off into the distance lazily. He watched them go, and returned to their search. Alice's voice brought him back to reality, and he headed over towards where she stood.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned a little and walked into the pond closing her eyes. She didn't know what was happening but she could feel like something was there. She frowned a little more and took a deep breath. She looked towards the ground, her eyes still closed. "Please." She whispered,"We seek your help Faron, Spirit of Faron woods." She opened her eyes and stepped back slightly. Her fist were clenched at her sides. All of her life she had asked for nothing, so it'd be great if for just one time something would work for her. She stood there for what seemed like hours but had really just been minutes when a feint light appeared in front of them. Eventually the spirit unfolded and stood before them. "What is it that you wish for? I am Faron, the spirit of Faron woods."

Alice just smiled, she couldn't believe it had actually worked, she had been setting herself up for disappointment but it actually worked. "My friend... Ryan. Was captured by the Shadow Beast and changed into the tiger he is now, in order for more progress in our quest to help the people in need due to the twilight we need him to be human once again." She muttered quietly. She didn't know what would happen after her request. She knew that they could still be turned down.

[Drakonnas]

The spirit of light, Faron, looked at Alice, as if trying to see if she was telling the truth or not. It watched her for a few minutes, silently contemplating the request she had made. "No." Faron finally said, resting eyes upon Ryan for the first time. "I cannot grant the wish of every passerby that comes my way. Is it not enough that you have spoken to me?" Faron wore the faintest of smiles, as if it was testing them, to see how they would react. If they were truly the ones that they appeared to be, of course he could change the tiger back to a human. But it all depended on their attitude...

Ryan's eyes opened a little wider as the spirit of light refused to help. He felt annoyed, angry, and frustrated. He couldn't do this on his own, could he? Hanging his head a little bit, he looked up at Faron, and spoke, his voice coming out as a long, drawn out growl. It wasn't menacing, more along the lines of pleading. He turned away slightly, giving Faron one last, long look, and nudging Alice's hand gently with his head.

"What's this you say, tiger-human? After I refuse to help you, you're going to continue on your journey, despite the hardships? You certainly are determined to do good, aren't you? Very well. You pass my test. I shall turn you back into a human. But beware, it is only temporary. As long as this Twilight lasts, my magic will not be permanent. Keep this necklace on you, and you will stay a human. But take it off, and you will become your Tiger Form once more." A treasure chest appeared in front of Alice. "Alice... take the necklace, and help your friend. You two are important, keep each other alive..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little, she didn't want her joy to show. She felt like the spirit would take this opportunity away from her if she did. "Thank you. I understand that there is not much I can do to make this up to you" She muttered softly before she took the necklace from the chest and gently put it on Ryan. She looked emotionless as she did it and just acting that way made her almost feel that way. She watched as the spirit disappeared and then looked around once again unsure of what to say or do at that point. She felt like the time that Ryan had been a tiger had revealed a lot about her and her vulnerability as well as her blooming feelings for him.

[Drakonnas]

"You can repay me by getting rid of this twilight once and for all..." Faron said as he faded. Ryan watched as Alice took the necklace from the chest. It was rather simple, really. An emerald broach in the shape of a tear was outlined in silver as the main piece of the necklace. Ryan felt her slip the necklace over his head, and he began to glow white for a few seconds, before he appeared as his human form once more. He wore all his armor still, but had no weapons.

Ryan looked into her eyes, strange feeling floating about inside him. "Thank you, Alice. I couldn't have done it without her." He gave her a quick hug, but realizing she might not want it, he let go quickly, blushing. He wasn't sure what to say or do, he was afraid he had made her feel a little bit uncomfortable.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little as Ryan thanked her and blushed a bit when he hugged her but suddenly let go. She wondered what had caused him to do so but she figured that he just felt like he was making her uncomfortable. She found herself remembering everything though and hugged him again not letting him go and showing him that it was okay. "I'm just glad you're normal again. I hated the fact that we couldn't communicate as well, and I'm sorry about last night and how I was so injured without telling you and.." She found herself babbling and just stared down at the ground when she finally pulled away from Ryan. "Sorry."

[Drakonnas]

A little taken aback as Alice hugged him again, he slowly put his arms back around her, holding her close to him once more. "I'l glad as well, Alice... Not being able to communicate was really frustrating, I'm glad we can speak once again..." He smiled as she pulled away from him. He let go, and responded to her other statements. "Alice, don't worry about it. What is done, is done. You're ok. I'm ok. That's what matters, right?" He fell silent, and looked around. The wind was blowing a little bit harder now, and Ryan looked up. Dark clouds were making their way across the sky. Lightning flashed brightly in the distance. Low rolls of thunder could be heard from many miles away. It looked to be a very big storm. He wondered for a few moments what their next move should be.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little at Ryan but went back to looking down but then rolls of thunder could be heard unsettling Alice slightly. "We should start heading back I guess... If we're lucky we could make it back to the village before Castle Town... or we could I don't know. I feel shameful going back to Ordon without Ilia." She admitted. She wasn't going to admit that she hated storms though. She felt like that made her weak and vulnerable and childish even. So she refused to admit it. "Let's get moving." She muttered before she started walking back towards the way they came from.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan looked thoughtful for a moment, as Alice said she wanted to head back. He wasn't sure if she knew how much longer it would take them to get back than it had taken them to arrive her. He was no longer a tiger, no longer had endless bounds of stamina that he had before, no longer could carry her as easily as he had. It was probable that they wouldn't reach town before morning, and it was certain they couldn't outrun the storm. "I don't want to go back to Ordon either..." He said looking a little bit uncomfortable. "But nor do I want to weather this storm... I'll leave the choice to you. Do we brave the storm, or go back to find shelter?"

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned a little and looked up at the sky as it started to rain,"We better just find shelter." She muttered somewhat annoyed. She wanted to get moving but she knew the storm would more than likely be magnified thanks to the twilight and she was already uneasy because of things. "I don't know where we could go though other than the Faron cave but I'm not so sure I want to go back in there but that might be our only option considering even Ordon isn't close enough for us to beat the storm." She frowned a little and stared down at the ground. She wasn't going to start admitting her fears in front of Ryan right now, information about Alice was better taken in small amounts rather than all at once since there was so much to really take in.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan sighed just a little bit as the rain began to fall. He had underestimated the ferocity of the storm if it was already upon them. "I think we need to find shelter. We're not close to the caverns where we stayed before, although I could easily be mistaken. It looks like we'll either have to weather the storm until we get somewhere where we can find shelter, or we attempt to stay as sheltered in the forest as we can. I don't fancy being out in the open with all the lightning, and if I recall correctly, we need to pass through a small plains in order to get to the caverns. No easy option is available. But then again, I could be missing a painfully obvious path... I think we should try to build some sort of makeshift shelter. It shouldn't be too difficult..." He picked up one of the large leafs, looking at it, examining it. He sighed as the rain ripped holes through it. "Apparently, that idea won't work. The caves may be the best thing for us..." Ryan's uncertainty was beginning to show, he was beginning to doubt himself. He was aware that something was bugging Alice, and knew he had to be a leader here. "I was wrong, Alice... I don't know the potential for this storm... the caves may be the safest place..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little watching the sky as she began to get soaked by the hardening rain. "Let's just go to the caves then," she muttered weakly. She started ahead slightly as the rain began to truly soak her to the bone, her clothing clung tightly to her sides revealing her small figure and all the bandages that had been placed on her, it looked like there wasn't much of her left, almost like she was wasting away but that wasn't really true physically. She managed to get the the cave and forced a small smile towards Ryan but it quickly disappeared with the echoed sound of loud thunder outside the cave. She even jumped a little but made it seem like it was nothing. "Well, the weather apparently didn't want us getting back today." She forced yet another smile before she started to gather some things in the cave to start a fire so they could warm up and hopefully dry off a little.

[Drakonnas]

The rain fell harder, and Ryan followed Alice silently. It would be absolutely pointless to try and talk over the nearly constantly booming thunder, he wouldn't be heard. At one point, he almost lost sight of Alice, thinking he saw something else in the heavy rain. Finally they both arrived at the caves. Ryan was completely soaked, and water dripped from his clothes as he stepped out of the now torrential downpour. He shivered, feeling very cold. As he was about to speak, an extraordinary blast of thunder shook the caverns, causing Ryan to clap his hands over his ears.

"Yeah, no kidding..." He said, ears still ringing after the thunder. The cave was cold and damp, not helping warm them up at all. He forced a smile, and began helping gather firewood. After about ten minutes, they had a small fire crackling. In all honesty, Ryan didn't think that it was helping, but didn't complain, although it was obvious he was cold, showed by his shivering despite the fire.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed a little as they sat by the small crackling fire, she was freezing herself, her clothes still dripping despite the amount of time they had been in the cave. She disliked it, but she had an idea. "Ryan. I know this might sound ridiculous, but sitting here in wet clothing is just going to make things colder.. as is sitting on our own." She frowned,"If we maybe stripped down a bit and cuddled... we might be able to preserve more body heat rather than getting sick and suspending are journey even longer." She sighed a little and stared blankly at the fire awaiting Ryan's response. It was a valid point, they would warm up faster if they were only in there under garments and closer together rather than sitting there dripping wet on opposite ends of a fire together.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan stared into the fire as he contemplated Alice's suggestion. It was certainly a logical one, but he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. But the fact that she was comfortable enough with him to suggest it made him feel good inside. Granted it was probably necessary, but still. "You make a good point. Our clothes will dry faster as well. I don't want either of us to suffer hypothermia... and... I could honestly use the comfort right now." He looked Alice, wondering what she thought of this. Something about being in this cave again made him uneasy. Remembering what they had encountered last time was enough to make him nervous. But they weren't exploring now, they were simply using it as a place to wait out the storm that didn't seem to be weakening, but strengthening as time passed.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice sighed and stood up and managed to pull of her wet clothing. "We may as well. I don't like storms at all, that's why I'm so uneasy, and the cave memories don't make me feel that great either." She sighed a little and sat her clothes down next to the fire on a separate rock so they wouldn't light on fire. She frowned as she took the soaked bandages off of herself as well revealing some of the healing gashes that she had gained in Ryan's absence. She was fine though. She waited for Ryan to do the same before she sat down next to him and just kind of waited for Ryan to be ready. She felt awkward but it would be nice and for the best in the long run. She didn't want either of them to get sick or anything like that. "Alright then." She muttered quietly.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan pulled off his shirt, cloak, armor, and boots, and lay them down on a rock so they would dry faster. He sat, and Alice sat next to him. He gently put one arm around her, trying to be careful of her healing wounds. He didn't comment on them, though. "Alright then." He repeated softly, gently. He pulled her a little bit closer to him, so that she could rest against him if she wanted to. "There. You don't need to be afraid of the storm. And as for the cave, we don't need to worry about that, we're not going in any deeper. Relax, Alice. We're safe for now. We can relax." It felt a little awkward, but he soon got used to it, and found relaxing with her to be very pleasant. THey could hear the rain and the everpresent thunder outside, but now that they were out of the storm, Ryan found it to his liking. He only wished the thunder wasn't so loud.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice felt a little awkward at first as Ryan wrapped her arm around her and told her that it was okay to be afraid and that she didn't need to be afraid at the same time but eventually they laid down and Alice found herself pulled close to Ryan feeling his warmth. She felt like it was okay to relax and could have even fallen asleep if it wasn't for the booming thunder outside. She wished the thunder would go away as well, but she couldn't wish such things for now. She lay with her eyes closed, nuzzled up to Ryan. She was surprisingly completely relaxed as she had been the night before when she laid with Ryan in Tiger Form. "Ryan... thank you for everything that you've done and offered me. I feel... relieved almost and maybe even happy." She was a little shocked at what she had said but didn't let any emotion show, she was tired so it may have very well seemed like she was babbling slightly in her near sleep state.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan was silent, relaxing as best as he could. It was comforting having Alice there beside him. He didn't know exactly why, but he felt at ease, despite the crashing thunder and the torrential downpour. They were comfortable in silence, there was no need to talk. Ryan was half asleep when Alice spoke again. "It's the least I could do... You've saved my life at least twice..." He was quiet for a moment, before speaking again. "I never... thought... I'd meet someone... as wonderful... as you..." And in another minute or so, Ryan fell asleep.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice heard Ryan's words and just stayed silent blushing slightly before she too eventually fell asleep with her head on his chest. She was so happy to have met Ryan... to finally have someone there for her after so many years that she was relying on herself only and doing poorly at it. When she woke up in the morning there were no more sounds of thunder or even rain which was nice, the smell of the rain could be sensed though even in the cave air. Rain really had no scent though, it was just the smell of the earth after it had been soaked by the rains. Ryan was still asleep so Alice just gently pulled away from him trying not to wake him up in the process and smiled a bit as she tended to the fire and slipped on her clothes that were not only dry but warmed by the fire. She just sat down then thinking to herself and waiting for Ryan to wake up.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan woke the next morning, feeling oddly groggy and tired, yet happy and content at the same time. He noticed two things at once. First, he was alone, which meant that Alice had already woken. Secondly, it appeared to be late morning. The sun was streaming into the cave, brightening things up. Ryan didn't look around the cave, he was sore and was still attempting to wake himself from his slumber. "A...a... aliiiiiiice?" He asked, yawning in the middle of his question. Why was he so tired? He just couldn't wake up this morning, it was really odd. His eyelids felt heavy, he couldn't keep them open. So, he lay back down to rest for a little while, hopefully he'd feel better when he woke again. As he lay back down, he saw a small insect crawling around. Realizing what it was, he forced himself to jump up, to get up, to get active. It was a Sand Cicada, he was deathly allergic to them. "Alice... do we have any water? Any poison cureing potions? I'm deathly allergic to Sand Cicadas... and there's one in h...h...here..." He said, failing to stifle a yawn.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice jumped a little when Ryan called for her and when he asked for those things she nodded quickly and went into her bag handing him what he needed. She hadn't noticed anything else in the room other than she and Ryan. She was still a little out of it. "Are you going to be okay?" She asked somewhat worried. "Is there like something I need to do? Or?" She was standing now pacing slightly as she took out a blade to take out the cicada, she didn't know why she hadn't thought of that before, because apparently she was still tired enough that she wasn't thinking straight. She quickly stabbed at the Cicada killing it in a few moments. "Sorry Ryan. I don't know why I couldn't focus." She whispered.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan took a large gulp of water, as well as the potion. He felt himself return to normal slowly, but surely. "Oof... thank heavens you were here, Alice... If you hadn't been..." He shuddered to think what would have happened. "I'll be fine now... Luckily it didn't bite me, or I'd already be dead. You're fine..." He stood, pulling on his clothes which were now warm and comfortable. He looked outside, and noted the lack of storm. "We should probably be going..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little and grabbed her things. "Yeah, let's go." She muttered quietly, she almost seemed more distant again but it was just the fact that she was so tired and worn out. She had slept well and felt pretty good at the same time. "Just glad you're okay." She said smiling a little before she made her way towards the mouth of the cave. She was ready to get on with their quest. And the walk to Castle Town would give her time to think of everything that had happened, her feelings for Ryan were so confusing, she didn't know what to believe. She didn't even know what to think, she really liked Ryan, almost more than liked him but she didn't know what he felt and she knew that things would just be weird if she felt one way and he felt the opposite.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled back a little bit as she looked at him. At the instance their eyes met, Ryan thought he knew, but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't be sure. "Since we've been delayed, do you want me to take Tiger Forme, and we can run back that way? It would be faster and would make up for lost time. But the only downside is that we would have to stop if we wanted to talk..." Part of Ryan wanted to go along with this plan, and part of him didn't. He wanted to get back to Castle Town as soon as possible, but the other part of him wanted to chat with Alice, and enjoy what time he had with her.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice frowned a little,"Um. I'd love to just walk and chat, but it might be better if we had you change for now, we can always take short breaks to talk about whatever." She forced a smile and waited for Ryan to change into a tiger. There was really a part of her that didn't want him to turn into a tiger at all, but they had lost a lot of time while they were waiting for the storm to pass and they needed to confirm Ilia's condition and continue on their quest to bring her home safe and help diminish the twilight. She wished that they could have another day to themselves though, when it was all happening she didn't know what to think, but it was such a happy memory now.

[Drakonnas]

"It's settled then. We'll go on foot." He kept his necklace on, and stepped to the mouth of the cave. "Everything looks as normal as possible, considering the Twilight is still there..." He commented, observing lack of clouds, wind, or any other potential problems. The grass was still wet from the storm, and it was muddy, which would slow them some more, but it was still crossable. "I'd prefer to go on foot as well. For one, we can still talk. Secondly, I don't know how well I'd be able to navigate the mud as a tiger." He looked around, as if looking for something. He was eager to get away from this place, in case there were any more sand cicadas around. It was lucky for him that they were fairly rare, which meant he didn't have to be as careful as if it were something more common, like an Eldin Roller, or a Blessed Butterfly.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little but walked ahead in silence just listening to everything that Ryan said, sure he had his point about navigating through all the mud, but they would reach their destination much later, they could probably make it to the village and stay another night there and then return to Castle Town, but Alice would do whatever Ryan wanted to do in the situation. She walked for what seemed like forever in silence as they continued to move forward towards Castle Town. "I really don't even know what to talk about now that we can talk." She muttered quietly as she stared down at the ground being careful not to slip on the mud or something like that. She truly didn't know what to say to Ryan, she was so absorbed in the thoughts concerning what she truly felt about him.

[Drakonnas]

Whilst the path was indeed muddy, Ryan was able to navigate through the mud without too much trouble. There were a few occasions when his boots stuck, but they weren't too problematic. They walked on in silence for quite some time. Ryan wasn't sure what to say, Alice was being fairly quiet, and clearly thinking about something. Not wanting to disturb her from her thoughts, Ryan stayed silent as well, pondering matters of various importance. He thought about Alice and his feelings for her. He thought about their mission, possible routes they could take to learn more about the Twilight. He thought about the children from Castle Town. He thought about the fact that he had to have his necklace on to stay human. It irked him a little bit, but the necklace really was pretty, and he loved the design. Alice's gentle voice interrupted his thoughts momentarily.

"Well... we don't have to talk about anything big or important. Just conversation. Or if you'd rather, we can simply enjoy each other's company. An example. Do you have any fond memories of Castle Town? Anything you particularly enjoy? What season do you enjoy most? Simple things like that are often the best conversation."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little as Ryan replied to her statement. She thought for just a little more about all the things he had asked. "I think my favorite season would have to be spring... Simply because it's the blossoming of plants that prove that there was hope throughout the winter for things to become beautiful again, all the seasons are rather beautiful though to me. Each one with their own hidden meaning in the end." She sighed a little. "Castle Town doesn't have any happy memories for me. Other than when we were there a few days ago, getting to see the hope in my sister's eyes for her daughter... and other things." She found herself blushing a little but quickly got a hold of herself. "And I don't truly know what I enjoy, what about you?"

[Drakonnas]

"My favorite season...? I'd have to say Winter. I really find the solitude and the gentle calm of winter to be my favorite season." He said, closing his eyes momentarily and remembering. "There's something soothing and peaceful about the snow... It seems to quiet things, make things still... I love the feeling in the air. Besides, I like the cold a lot more than the heat." Ryan stopped for a moment to jerk his foot out of some particularly squelchy mud. At least the bokoblins wouldn't be out bothering them.

"As for what do I enjoy? I enjoy many things. I love the peaceful feeling that comes over me when I'm with someone special. I enjoy the calm and quiet of simple music. I enjoy training in the early morning. It's serene, peaceful. If you can't tell, I enjoy a quiet life, not full of loud and boisterous people making a din all the time. I enjoy the simple things that many people miss. Here... take a look at this." He knelt down, and pointed to a particularly pretty flower at the base of a large tree. "How many people would miss this? A beautiful yellow blossom, with a sweet, yet not overpowering smell. Things like this..." He cut himself off there before going too far and completing that sentence. "...things like you that I love..."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice smiled a little listening to Ryan. However it seemed like he had cut himself off but she didn't want to pry into his cut off statement, she didn't want to stir up some emotion he didn't want to share, she wasn't one to pry. "Ryan... I understand that you enjoy the quiet life, but there's a part of you that I feel wants to help people rather than live in sweet solitude. Your heart is far to kind go ever put yourself in a place where no one would ever find you or bother to talk to you." She smiled a little at him as they continued to walk. "But to be honest, I would have openly locked myself away in isolation before all of this happened. I love helping people, but it get's to be so taxing when you get caught up with helping other people but you can never help yourself. There was always someone who needed help and there was never much of a break. I'm glad that we didn't run into anyone else in Castle Town honestly, because there are a lot of people who wouldn't hesitate to fight with me."

She frowned a little,"Sorry I'm making things depressing again."

[Drakonnas]

"You know me really well, don't you?" He said, standing, a gentle smile on his face. For one so proficient in combat, he really was gentle. "Thank you, Alice. That means a great deal to me. And, I think, ultimately, that you're right. I would get lonely if I was living alone. Heck, sometimes I was even lonely when at the academy. But..." He stopped talking, heartrate increasing dramatically. Since he had nearly bursted out that time, he had realized something. But he wasn't quite ready to speak his thoughts yet, he needed time to digest, to understand. They started walking again, and Alice spoke again, of helping people, and of others at Castle Town.

"We had a bout of very good luck there... we somehow found each other again, and got out without trouble, not to mention locating Illia. And don't worry, it's alright. It's better to speak up than to bottle your emotions." He said, taking her hand in his gently, without realizing he was doing it.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice blushed a little as Ryan took her hand but got control of herself after that and just continued walking with him. "Thanks." She muttered quietly. She smiled a little to herself, she knew so much about Ryan because she was quiet, when she was quiet she had all the time in the world to listen, to observe to determine who someone was and what truly made them tick. It was a mixture of a curse and a gift, Alice of course couldn't read minds, that would be over the top and more than likely lead her to madness farther down the road than how far her own madness was. She wished that she could stay like this though, feeling somewhat happy and like she was safe, ever since Ryan had come along she had an overwhelming feeling that nothing could hurt her, and even if it did as long as Ryan was okay she would be okay as well.

[Drakonnas]

They reached Kakarikaro Village without incident. By the time they saw the town in the distance, Ryan was feeling quite tired, and the sun was setting behind the mountains. "We're here..." He said softly, looking over the little town where they had spent their day together. It had been wonderful, and Ryan wanted to spend another day or two like it. "Well... shall we go on, then?" He asked, looking at Alice, drawn in by her eyes. "Did anyone tell you that you have beautiful eyes?" He said softly, looking into them, a small smile on his face.

[Etoile Mizu]

When they reached Kakarikaro Village Alice was exhausted, she knew that she really shouldn't have been that way but she was. "Thank goodness, I'm so exhausted." She muttered quietly as they headed toward the inn that they had been staying in before. "Are we going to keep moving though?" She asked quietly looking at Ryan until she was caught off guard by his compliment. She looked down embarrassed,"No, I've never been told that, but thank you." She whispered quietly. She couldn't help but smile down at the ground as she thought about things for a moment until she managed to get a hold of herself and looked back at him. "So what's the plan from here?" She asked quietly, a smile and slight blush still on her face.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan shook his head. "No... we're both tired, and I think rest would do us good. Besides, we don't want to barge in on Ilia at night. No, I think it's best if we stay here for the night." He stifled a yawn, and looked back at Alice. "Well, if you don't have any complaints, I had thought that it would be best if we go to Castle Town tomorrow, and see if we can find Ilia. If we can, we take her back to Ordon, and complete one part of our mission to return the children safely back to ORdon. If I remember right, there's a few more missing, but I could be wrong. I think another logical place to look would be Zora's Domain. It is possible they have some clues for us. I think we should also look for the remaining spirits, and see if they can offer us any advice."

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little thinking about all that he had said. "I think everything you have said is a good plan, we'll just go through it that way, find Ilia, manage to get her to come with us to Ordon tomorrow and then make our way towards Zora's domain." She sighed a little she had never been to Zora's realm either so she was feeling somewhat useless. "But for now we should rest and stay the night as you said." She started to walk towards where they had stayed the nights before his turning into a wolf and where she had woken up bandaged and alone. She hated that memory, waking up she had felt so useless and utterly horrible for passing out and losing Ryan, but she had found him which was all that mattered now.

[Drakonnas]

They made their way into the place where they had stayed before, and let Rinaldo know that they would be staying there that night. Rinaldo was obviously pleased to see them both safe, and they settled in a little bit later that night. Ryan yawned, sitting down on the bed. He was tired, and could tell that Alice was too. "Shall we hit the sack, Alice? I know you're tired... There should be enough room for the both of us here, if you want..." If she was uncomfortable with that, he'd gladly sleep on the floor. It wasn't anything unusual for him, after all.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"I'm okay with that." She muttered quietly stripping down slightly and crawling into the bed side that was closer to the wall so Ryan could take the other. She didn't want to make Ryan sleep on the floor, it just didn't seem fair, neither of them really deserved to sleep on the floor though after all that they had been through in the past few days. She just kind of buried herself under the covers though as she was truly exhausted. She closed her eyes but couldn't really find sleep right away so she just laid there thinking to herself once again about just about everything while she waited for Ryan to settle in the bed as well. She wasn't surprised they had gotten a smaller room tonight, the village seemed a little busier though that night and it was later than it had been the time before.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan slid into bed after all the needed preparations had been made. He tried to leave Alice as much room as possible, so she could be as comfortable as she could. "Good night, Alice. Sleep well. We've done great work today, let's keep it up tomorrow..." He said softly, adjusting the blankets so that they were both covered. Part of him wished that Alice would snuggle up to him, to put her arms around him. But the other part of him wasn't sure if that would be acceptable, and told him to just go to sleep.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice would have fallen asleep nearly right away if a sudden cold hadn't gripped her, she was feeling a little cold and sighed more to herself. She didn't know if it was acceptable to snuggle up to Ryan to keep herself warm and less sick. She couldn't afford to get sick now... so she decided it would be in her best interest to curl up with Ryan which she did. She snuggled closer to Ryan acting as if she was sleeping or something close to that and laid with her head gently on his chest, she had noticed the night before in the cave that when they had slept like that her sleep was absolutely nightmare free, which was absolutely fantastic for her since she could barely get any sleep when she was on her own thanks to gruesome nightmares. "Night Ryan." She whispered quietly before closing her eyes once again.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan smiled a little as Alice lay next to him. Was now the right time to tell her? No... a little voice spoke inside his head. It would only distract her, prevent her from getting any sleep. He would have to simply let her know some other time. But for now... now it was time to sleep. Ryan slowly drifted off into the land of dreams, where he knew no more until morning came. The sun was shining on him bright and early the next morning, and Alice was still sleeping when he woke. "Morning, Alice..." He thought happily, noting her calm and serene features. He hoped this meant that she had slept well, for he had. There was no noise outside, apart from a bird or two chirping away, serenading the morning with their song. It was peaceful.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice woke up soon after Ryan did and stirred slightly before she opened her eyes and pulled away from Ryan for a moment. She stretched a little, and smiled at Ryan. "Morning." She muttered softly. She felt slightly awkward and just kind of laid there with a stupid smile on her face. She couldn't manage to get rid of it though so she just buried her face in the pillow for a second, what was happening to her? She was just... feeling so weird compared to her usual awkward hateful behavior that was more cold and depressing. She wasn't feeling sick like she had been the night before though which was nice. So she just kind of waited there for Ryan to move so she could get passed him and go bathe or something before they left. She didn't know what it was about him right now that made her feel so happy though.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan yawned, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as soon as he knew that Alice was awake. He hadn't wanted to wake her, but now that she was up, he could get up as well. He slid out of bed, and stretched a little bit to wake himself up. "You hungry?" He asked, feeling a little bit so himself. Today they would hopefully get Ilia back to Ordon. It would feel wonderful to have another child safe. Well, Ilia wasn't a child anymore, but nor was she an adult. Ryan would need to purchase a sword or two here or in castle town, as well as get some new armor. He had lost both when captured, which was very unfortunate. He felt open, vulnerable without them.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice crawled out of bed and went to go take a shower ignoring Ryan's question to see if she was hungry, she really wasn't hungry at all now that she thought about it, she didn't know why. Actually, she was rarely hungry. She bathed quickly and came back clothed soon enough. "I'm not really hungry." She muttered with a smile as she gathered her things, she realized that she would need some supplies, she had her weapons unlike Ryan but was running low on food and medical supplies since they had both gotten so injured the days before. She was just standing and collecting some things when she stopped and frowned for a moment,"Ryan... I need to know... the other day in the cave you muttered something to me.. and I want to know why you think I'm so wonderful, you really don't have to answer though if you don't want to I guess." She frowned a little and still wasn't looking at him.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan watched her go, had she heard him? He shrugged, that was a very Alice-y move. He sat down and relaxed for a little bit while he waited for her to finish. He planned to get his swords today, but wasn't sure where he'd get them, or how he'd pay for them. He didn't have any money now, either. He might just have to do simple things, as ask for a loan, or something along those lines. As Alice finished and came out, Ryan noted that she looked quite beautiful as always. She told him she wasn't really that hungry, and he nodded. And then she asked him the question that he had been wondering about, trying to figure out how best to approach the subject with her. Looking a little uncomfortable, Ryan fished about for words, wondering what to say. "I... well, I've never met anyone quite like you before..." He began, thinking carefully. "You... just have qualities I've not seen in other people... I... when traveling with you, I found myself... having a better time than I thought possible... You're fun to be around, and I find myself caring about you more than I thought I would... I... You're beautiful... kind... considerate... and I... I think I... I think... I might be in love..." He said this last part nearly inaudibly, it was difficult for him to say this, he didn't want to drive her off, or think that he was odd.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice didn't look at him at all when he spoke. She wasn't mad or anything nor was she offended in anyway. She just didn't want him to see the stupid smile on her face or the fact that she was crying, it wasn't out of sadness of course. "Ryan... well for one that was probably the nicest thing I've ever heard about me ever... and I think... I think I feel the same way." She muttered weakly. "I've been trying to hide how I felt because I didn't want to mess up the entire mission. "I don't find you odd, and I'm not going to run away because of what you just told me either." She wiped her eyes in silence for a moment before she turned to look at him. "I don't even know what to say though at this point." She muttered quietly,"I've never felt like this about anyone and no one has ever said such nice things to me or cared so much about how I actually was..." She sighed a little and sat down on the bed trying to process things for a moment looking down at the ground. She frowned at herself. She felt like she was being stupid and that she had done something wrong already. She didn't know what would happen now. Or anytime soon for that matter.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan sighed in relief as she didn't chastise him, she didn't yell, get upset, or simply leave. He had been afraid that she would, and his fear had been proved wrong. He wasn't sure if he should push it further at all, or leave their discussion as is for the current time. But something inside him pushed him on gently, nudging him foreword. "Don't say anything..." He said softly, they were very close now. "Not now, at least..." He moved towards her slowly, as if waiting for her to tell him to stop. He kissed her gently on the cheek, and backed up once more. He turned away, blushing somewhat. He had never kissed a girl before, and wasn't sure if he had done it right. Leaving it at that for a moment, he took a deep breath, feeling somewhat elated. Looking outside, the day was bright and cheerful, as if sharing his happiness.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice blushed a little as Ryan kissed her cheek but stayed sitting, the more she thought about it the more she was glad it had happened. "So um." She scratched her head a little,"We should probably get moving don't ya think? I have enough rupees saved up that we should be able to get you a sword and what I need." She muttered quietly, she knew that he had been wondering about money since he didn't have any on him and needed a sword. Also though she didn't know what to say or do in that situation, he hadn't kissed her on the lips, but it was still a kiss and it made her feel happy and giddy and she didn't want to let it show though. She felt like if she overreacted Ryan would think she was weird or something like that. She stood up in silence and walked towards the door before waiting for Ryan to be ready to head out as well.

[Drakonnas]

Smiling a little bit, Ryan nodded, still facing the window. "Yeah, we probably better get going. I hope we can get to castle town, locate Ilia, and get back to ordon today. It's a tall order, I know, but if we can do it sooner, the better. I couldn't ask you to buy me a sword... I can probably borrow one, or at least take out a loan..." He was ready to go, and opened the door for Alice, ready to get a start on their day. "Did you sleep okay last night?" He asked, as they walked towards their destination.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice nodded a little,"We'll see what happens with the sword and such. I feel like I owe you anyway for being so kind and offering so much to me." She smiled a little as they walked, she almost went to hold his hand but resisted and decided against it. She just walked in silence listening to Ryan. When he asked how she slept she couldn't help but blush a little, rather than having a nightmare she had dreamed of Ryan that night, it wasn't hard to do since she was practically sleeping on top of him. "I slept good actually, it was nice for a change to not have a nightmare. She found herself smiling a little at the ground and actually found herself gently holding Ryan's hand as they walked towards the market area of the village.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan shook his head. "No, you don't owe me anything... I want to help you because it's not only the right thing to do, but I want you to be happy... I don't want to see you suffer anymore... You've gone through so much, and I want you to be able to have a good life like most people have the experience of having." He was quiet for a moment, as Alice spoke to him once more. He was happy that she had a good sleep the night before, it would make their journey all the more pleasant. He smiled as she took his hand, he held it with a gently, yet firm grip.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice just thought about what Ryan had said, she wanted to be happy but wasn't the world supposed to be balanced in such a way that not everyone could be happy? That was how she saw things, if she became happy then someone else would become miserable. "If I become happy, wouldn't someone else become miserable somewhere in the world?" she asked weakly, she didn't care if she sounded like an idiot. "I just feel as if the world was created to be balanced in such a way that no one could be happy, or if it was we all screwed up so now it needs to be balanced in such a way that some are miserable while others are happy..." She sighed a little and decided it would be in her best interest to shut up. She did want to be happy, but she didn't want someone to be as miserable as she had been before all the twilight.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan chuckled a little bit at this twisted bit of logic. "Nope. Your decision cannot negatively influence someone else out there, unless their happiness is inversely correlated with yours. If you choose to be happy, that's your choice. You don't have control over the situations others find themselves in. You see, there is a power within us all, a power to choose how we feel about things. No one can absolutely force you to think one way or another. No one can absolutely force you to be happy, or to be miserable. There's always a silver lining, even though sometimes you just have to look for it." He gently squeezed her hand in a friendly gesture, trying to get her to relax a little bit. "No matter how you feel, there will always be someone out there who is going through a rough time. And... it'd make me very happy to see you cheer up and be happy." He added at the end, turning to look her in the eyes. "Can you promise to try and be happy? If I must, I'll interfere..." He said grinning a little bit, and poking her in the side, in an attempt to make her laugh. "I might have to turn up my charm meter." He laughed, turning away from her, back to their destination.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan chuckled a little bit at this twisted bit of logic. "Nope. Your decision cannot negatively influence someone else out there, unless their happiness is inversely correlated with yours. If you choose to be happy, that's your choice. You don't have control over the situations others find themselves in. You see, there is a power within us all, a power to choose how we feel about things. No one can absolutely force you to think one way or another. No one can absolutely force you to be happy, or to be miserable. There's always a silver lining, even though sometimes you just have to look for it." He gently squeezed her hand in a friendly gesture, trying to get her to relax a little bit. "No matter how you feel, there will always be someone out there who is going through a rough time. And... it'd make me very happy to see you cheer up and be happy." He added at the end, turning to look her in the eyes. "Can you promise to try and be happy? If I must, I'll interfere..." He said grinning a little bit, and poking her in the side, in an attempt to make her laugh. "I might have to turn up my charm meter." He laughed, turning away from her, back to their destination.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice listened to all that Ryan had to say and forced a smile when he asked her if she could try to be happy,"I'll try." She muttered quietly. She did smile for real when he was trying to make her laugh, and even laughed a little. She then focused once again they needed to get to their destination. She managed to get everything she needed for a rather low price, seemed like the owners of shops were desperate to sell things since customers had been down. Everyone was locking themselves away as the twilight loomed over head. It made Alice sad that such a thing could do something to so many people. It wasn't killing them, but it was seemingly killing their spirits. The world was gloomy enough as it was already, they didn't need the extra sadness and misery around. It would effect Alice drastically.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan felt his swords in his hands, very pleased with their quality. One was a light falchion like he was normally used to using, and the other was a much more powerful broadsword. He'd have to practice with it, it was heavier and longer than he was used to, and the fighting style differed from the one he knew best. But he knew that if he wanted to be safe from those shadow beasts, he needed to learn how to wield it properly. He strapped both to his belt, and they walked out of the stores. He noticed that Alice was looking a little bit glum, or so he thought. "Hey Alice... You ready to go get Ilia? Her parents will be so happy to see her agian..." He hoped to distract her with this positive thought, he hoped it would help cheer her a little.

[Etoile Mizu]

Alice forced a smile and nodded a little,"I see you got some swords, that's good." She muttered quietly as they started towards Castle Town once again. Alice just hoped that nothing bad had happened to Marcellina and Natalia. They were the only family Alice had that she knew of, she knew she had plenty of other siblings running around. Toby was dead. Her oldest sibling was probably in their 30's. She had no idea. There were 8 of them though she knew that, well 8 total including Marcellina and herself. She frowned a little, she had no idea why the thoughts of her siblings came into her mind. Marcellina knew of Lucias but not where he was. Lucias was 23, two years older than Marcellina. Lucias might have known where some of the others were she wasn't sure. She forced another smile though and continued to walk with Ryan.

[Drakonnas]

Ryan nodded. "Yep. I'm gonna need to practice with my broadsword, so I can get the feel for it. That's rather important, especially considering the fighting style will differ from that of my normal fighting style." They exited the town, and headed towards Castle Town. They were fairly silent the entire journey, Ryan couldn't help but shake the feeling that they were being watched. He looked around several times, but he didn't see anything. It was the queerest feeling.