(BiggerBetterBarbie; idea by diego-toon-master)
With feathers flying all over his face from the Cucco flapping its wings,
young Link carried the last of the escaped Cuccos into the pen. After throwing
the Cucco inside, the nearby adult woman who owned these Cuccos, Anju, raised
her hands up and smiled.
"Oh! Thank you, young man, for finding my Cuccos!" Anju said.
"It was nothing, really. How did they escape, anyway?" Link asked.
"I have allergies, so I get goose bumps when I touch them." Anju said.
"I see…" Link said.
"Anyway, for helping me, I will give this to you. It's fine glass and should
prove useful, so please take good care of it!" Anju said as she handed Link an
empty glass bottle, who proudly held it above his head. As Link stored the
bottle away in his tunic, he then looked up at Anju.
"By the way, one of the construction workers told me this isn't the first time
the Cuccos have run away." Link said.
"Well, yes. Again, it's because of my allergies, and…" Anju said, only for Link
to interrupt.
"Don't you think maybe you should take care of those allergies? Maybe there's a
medicine out there to help you out and allow you to handle those Cuccos." Link
said. Anju was surprised the boy would make that kind of a suggestion, and she
looked rather solemn for a brief moment.
"I'll… I'll see what I can do. Thank you again, young man." Anju said. Link
nodded and walked away from the woman, making his way towards the graveyard.
As he did so, Navi couldn't help but comment about the behavior she just saw.
"Hey, Link! Don't you think maybe that was a bit harsh?" Navi asked.
"Well… not really. Didn't the Great Deku Tree teach all of us to learn from our
mistakes instead of always relying on others?" Link asked.
"Well… yeah, but still. Maybe that lady has a reason for not seeking relief."
Navi said.
"Whatever, we can't worry about that now. Let's just keep looking for ways on
how to scale Death Mountain so we can get the next spiritual stone." Link said.
Navi just sighed and tucked herself inside Link's tunic so she could rest her
wings.
As the sun started to go down on another long and busy day at Hyrule, Anju
was slowly approaching one of the Cuccos in her pen. When it suddenly made a
short leap towards her feet, Anju gasped and backed away, trying to brush off
the goose bumps on her arm.
"Brrrrrr… it's almost like a rush of cold air when that happens." Anju said.
"It's such a shame, isn't it?" a ragged old lady's voice suddenly said. Anju
gasped as she turned around and looked at the ghostly person suddenly floating
before her eyes. She didn't realize it, but she was looking at a Big Poe.
"Who… who are you? What are you?" Anju asked.
"Don't worry about my name, and do not let my appearance deceive you. I am a
merchant who travels the world selling goods that people need." Big Poe said.
"Oooooookay…" Anju said.
"Forgive my snoopiness, but I couldn't help but hear you have an allergy problem
with Cuccos?" Big Poe said.
"Yes… I love them so much… to the point where I own this many of them. But when
I get near them, my skin does all sorts of funny things." Anju said.
"Yes, it's such a shame that a medical condition prevents you from touching the
thing you love most. Perhaps I can help." Big Poe said.
"How?" Anju said. The Big Poe then reached into its cloak. Anju was nervous
thinking something deadly was going to come out, but instead, the ghastly
creature was holding what appeared to be an ordinary spray bottle.
"Just spray this allergy medicine all over your clothes and skin, and you'll
never have to worry about freezing or sneezing over even one feather from a
Cucco again." Big Poe said. Anju gently took the bottle from Big Poe, and looked
it over a few times before looking back.
"Okay, I guess I'll give it a try. How many Rupees do I owe you?" Anju said.
"I'm feeling generous, young lady. This bottle is on me. Think of it as a free
sample before you decide to buy any more." Big Poe said.
"Oh? Thank you! I'll try it out in the morning when it's time to feed the
Cuccos. I need to get to bed, in the meantime. Thank you again!" Anju said as
she hurried back into her humble home. The Big Poe, meanwhile, just cackled away
before disappearing into thin air.
Anju, meanwhile, gently placed the spray bottle full of allergy medicine on her nightstand and got ready for bed, eventually drifting off the sleep right as the distant wolves howled over the arrival of the full moon. Little did Anju realize that the bottle given by Big Poe would cause her to trade in one problem for another. A much bigger problem, no less.
The rooster yelled in the distance, telling Kakariko Village the sun was
rising and it was time to wake up. Anju did just that, stretching as she got out
of bed and got in her usual attire. Once she was dressed and ready to go, she
picked up the spray bottle of allergy medicine and stared at it for a few
seconds.
"Well, here we go." Anju said as she sprayed on the medicine from head to toe.
Once she felt her entire body had been covered, she put the bottle down and
walked outside.
It only took seconds to see if the bottle worked, as one of Anju's Cuccos came
running happily towards her. Anju was very nervous at first, but then she took a
deep breath and kneeled down. She put her hands on the Cucco and…
Nothing. She didn't feel her skin urgently wanting to break out or any other
symptoms of allergies, such as sneezing. She was holding the Cucco as if she was
holding a human baby.
"Oh my… it works! It works! I can finally hold Cuccos! Wheeeeee!!!" Anju said as
she happily skipped around, which made the Cucco flap its wings rapidly.
"Oops… sorry!" Anju said as she set the Cucco back down on the ground. Wanting
to make sure this wasn't a fluke, Anju picked up another Cucco and once again
didn't feel anything bad happening to her.
"Ahhhh… now I can easily rescue you rascals if you ever fly out again! This is
great!" Anju said with a beaming smile on her face.
After she set the Cucco down to pick up another one… something radically
different happened. Something Anju was not expecting. Suddenly the Cuccos were
in fear. They were crowding up against the corner of the pen near the house.
"Huh? What's wrong? You're not allergic of me all of a sudden?" Anju said. It
was then the young woman noticed something else changing. The Cuccos were
shrinking.
"Huh? Why are you shrinking?" Anju said. She looked to the side and gasped. She
could see over the ceiling of her own house now! A rapid look around finally
made her realize what was happening.
"I… I'm growing? Why am I growing!?" Anju said worriedly as she held her hands
to the sides of her face. Indeed, it wasn't the Cuccos or her house that were
shrinking, but instead, she was slowly growing bigger. She was already over 15
feet tall and she still seemed to be slowly growing. If there was one sliver of
good news, it's that her clothes were growing with her, including her all
important brown shoes. Anju looked and saw the other citizens of Kakariko
Village stopping what they were doing and looking up at the growing woman. Anju
blushed red seeing all these people staring up at her, and she did the only
thing she could think of.
"LIIIIIIIIIIIINK!!!" Anju screamed.
As he ran down from Death Mountain, Link was astounded that Anju had the
capability to scream that loud. Then again, he had no idea what had happened to
the woman just yet.
"Geez! That woman sure is manipulating!" Navi shouted.
"Come on, Navi, maybe it's something important..." Link said.
"What can be so important about catching Cuccos? Besides, you already helped her
once, and wouldn't her allergy problem be solved already?" Navi said.
"I'm still going to see what she needs! Cucco Lady!" Link said. He suddenly had
to fight his way through a crowd of people that was gathering around the
village.
Finally, he made it near the house Anju lived in, and he would eventually look
up to see what was happening.
"Cucco La… Aaaaaah!!!" Link screamed.
"What!? What is it, Link?" Navi said. She finally looked up in the same
direction Link was facing.
"Waaaaaah!" she screamed as she, Link, and the rest of Kakariko Village were now
looking up at a 20-foot-tall Anju.
"Link! Please! Do something! Before I grow any bigger!" Anju shouted. She
watched as a flock of birds almost flew into her face and turned away at the
last moment. The fact she came into close contact with this part of nature was
almost too much for her to take.
"Ugh… I think I'm going to faint…" Anju said as her eyes rolled back and she
fell away from her house. Despite falling away from the crowd of people, the
loud thump she left behind from slamming to the ground was enough to startle
everyone.
"Er… don't panic, everyone! I'll handle this… I hope." Link said.
"How?" Navi asked.
"Well… try and wake her up and…" Link said.
"You! Stop right there!" a male voice suddenly shouted. Link gasped as he
watched a royal guard (the same kind he had to sneak around inside Hyrule Castle
to get to Zelda) run up to him, spear in hand.
"Eeeeek! Guard, I had nothing to do with this, I swear!" Link shouted.
"Well, it doesn't matter whether you did or not. The point is we need to get
everyone back into their homes for safety!" the guard said.
"Yes, I agree. Everyone, you heard the guard, get away from her before something
else happens!" Link shouted. With help from the guard, Link shooed everyone away
back to their homes and away from the giantess. Link then ran towards the
lookout tower.
"Hey! Where are you going, Link?" Navi shouted.
"To the lookout tower so she doesn't eventually step on me!" Link shouted.
"Ugh… why is it I gotta do the big and heavy lifting? No pun intended…" Navi
said as she looked back at the giant Anju.
For the next few minutes, Navi gently flew around Anju's head trying to wake
the giantess up. She wanted to do it fast given the fact she was still slowly
growing, now approaching 35 feet tall.
"Hey! Listen!" Navi shouted, repeating her words as she flew around almost in
circles. Finally, though, Anju stirred awake and slowly sat up, rubbing her
eyes.
"Oooooooh… what a strange dream. To think I would actually grow to that big a
size…" Anju said. Then she looked around and saw everything was still small,
especially the people looking nervously up at her.
"Maybe this is one of those double dreams…" Anju said.
"Cucco Lady! Over here!" Link shouted. Anju followed Link's voice until she
found him standing atop the lookout tower.
"Oh, there you are, Link." Anju said. She carefully got back on her feet and
approached the tower. Link only had to look up slightly as she now stood inches
away from the tower itself, but he could also clearly see her still growing as
she now reached 40 feet tall.
"Cucco Lady, are you alright?" Link asked.
"Ummmm… no offense, but do I look alright? I'm bigger than my own house! I can't
take care of my Cuccos like this." Anju said.
"Can you at least tell me how you grew so big?" Link asked.
"Well, this ghostly lady appeared out of nowhere last night. I don't know how,
but she seemed to know about my allergy problem, so she gave me this medicine
for free. I sprayed it on this morning, and while I could handle a Cucco at long
last… the next thing I knew I started growing." Anju said.
"Sounds like a Poe. Those things are always up to no good!" Navi said.
"No kidding. My sword can speak for that." Link said as he briefly touched the
handle of the sword strapped to his back. Anju suddenly had a sad look on her
face and sighed.
"Oh, Link. What if I'm stuck like this? What if… gulp… what if I grow so big I
could crush this entire village? I'm scared! More scared than me with Cuccos
before I took that allergy medicine!" Anju said as tears started to come down
her eyes, eventually splashing down on the ground and drenching a few people who
couldn't get out of the way on time.
"D-d-d-d-don't worry, Cucco Lady! I know someone who might be able to help you!"
Link said.
"*sniff* Who?" Anju said.
"Um… Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle!" Link suddenly shouted.
"Link, are you serious!?" Navi shouted.
"What do we have to lose, Navi? Zelda knows so much already as we learned from
our visit." Link said.
"Well… okay. But what about her strolling into Hyrule Castle? She's already big
enough to cause panic here at this village!" Navi said.
But then Anju offered her commentary.
"Huh? Hyrule Castle? That seems far away… but this princess, you said her name
was Zelda? She really can help?" Anju said.
"Sure, Cucco Lady! I mean… even if she can't directly reverse what's causing
your growth, at least maybe she or someone else there can point us in the right
direction." Link said.
"Okay, I understand. I should get out of here anyway before I get too big.
Ummmm… just one question." Anju said.
"What is it?" Link asked.
"Where is Hyrule Castle?" Anju said. Link and Navi looked at each other like
'did she seriously just ask that question?' But then again, not everyone in
Hyrule cared or even knew about the royal family, especially those in Kokiri
Forest where he came from.
"I'll guide the way, Cucco Lady. Just let me sit on your shoulder!" Link said.
"You really think so? I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you… or
really anyone or anything else in Kakariko Village!" Anju said.
"I trust you, Cucco Lady. Honest." Link said.
"Okay. Hold still then…" Anju said as she carefully leaned in and gently picked
up Link, who landed squarely on her right shoulder, allowing him to sit on it
like a chair.
"Are you comfortable, Link?" Anju asked.
"Yes, actually." Link said.
"Good. Off we go then." Anju said as she carefully made her way out of Kakariko
Village, but it wasn't a smooth exit. She accidentally kicked a steel beam that
was laying on the ground, and it flew over the heads of a couple nearby
construction workers.
"Hey! Watch it, lady!" one of the men shouted.
"Oops! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!!!" Anju said as she rapidly bowed her head.
After tiptoeing her way out of the village, Anju looked out ahead and saw
Hyrule Field spread out before her.
"Wow… I had no idea there was so much more to the world." Anju said.
"Heh… I had the same feeling when I left my home, Cucco Lady." Link said.
"Where was your home, Link?" Anju asked.
"Kokiri Forest." Link said as he pointed towards the forest.
"I see. It would be nice to see the forest from this high up…" Anju said.
"Hey! We have no time! We've gotta find a cure for you before you grow too big!"
Navi shouted.
"Navi is right. We really should get a move onto Hyrule Castle." Link said.
"You're right. Thanks, Link." Anju said as the giantess walked straight ahead.
She was scanning her head left and right trying to find any hint of the
Hyrule Castle.
"Hmmm… Hyrule Castle has got to be around here somewhere." Anju said. Link then
looked down and saw where Anju was a couple giant steps from… the Lon Lon Ranch.
"Cucco Lady, stop!!!" Link shouted.
"What!? Whoa whoa whoa!!!" Anju said as she realized she was about to step over
the Lon Lon Ranch. She put the brakes on her step and almost lost her balance in
the process as she fluttered her arms around wildly, but she was able to stay on
her two feet, and Link was able to keep from falling to the ground by holding
onto her dress.
"Whew… that was a close one." Anju said. The two then watched a familiar face
come running out of the front entrance of the ranch.
"What in tarnation was that shaking and booming? And what about that big shad…"
Malon said as the young girl came running out. Just as quickly, she stopped and
looked up and up and up, looking at the giant Anju right in her somewhat worried
face.
"Oh. Well, I'll be darned." Malon said.
"Uh oh. Uh… Cucco Lady, you better let me down. This girl can be quite curious.
Just stay still no matter what." Link said.
"Okay." Anju said. She did just that, gently picking up Link and setting him
down on the ground.
Link immediately ran up to Malon, who immediately recognized him.
"Oh! Fairy boy! The one who became friends with Epona!" Malon said.
"Hey, Malon. Um… listen, about this giant woman, she's a…" Link said.
"A friend of yours, right?" Malon said.
"Well, um, yeah. Aren't you at least a little bit curious?" Link asked.
"Nah… my father told me about a giant Goron that sleeps behind Death Mountain.
So I was hoping there'd be a giant woman too! Teehee!" Malon said.
"Heh heh… well, she won't stay giant long. We're heading to Hyrule Castle hoping
to find a cure for her. But, listen… Malon?" Link asked.
"Yes, fairy boy?" Malon said.
"Could you please please please not tell anyone about this? She's kinda scared
as is and doesn't want the added attention." Link said.
"Teehee… at the size she's at, she's already gonna be the center of attention!"
Malon said. Link looked kinda sad, but watched as Malon gently pat him on the
shoulder.
"But don't worry. I reckon your secret is safe with me. Although…" Malon said.
She then walked over and approached Anju's gigantic shoes that she wore on her
feet.
"I gotta say your shoes look mighty fine, giant lady." Malon said.
"Why thank you, young girl." Anju said. She very gently kneeled down and lightly
stroked Malon's red hair.
"Teeheehee! I just got tickled by a giantess! Sigh… I wish I could be that
tall." Malon said as she held her hands to her chest and strolled back into her
ranch.
"Heh… that went better than expected." Anju said.
"Come on, we better get moving." Link said as he stood still, allowing Anju to
pick him up and place him back on her shoulder. Immediately afterwards, Link
pointed to the distance.
"There's Hyrule Castle right there!" Link said.
"Okay!" Anju said as she gently walked towards the castle grounds.
It didn't take long for the people inside the marketplace to take notice of
the giantess, especially when she had to crawl over the drawbridge and under the
wall that protected the area. It was a tight fit for the now 60-foot-tall
giantess, especially for her behind, but she finally did make it through. Half
of the people inside went running for cover, while others looked up in awe.
"Um… don't be afraid, everyone. I'm just going to Hyrule Castle." Anju said.
Link could easily see the depressed look on Anju's face.
"Don't be sad, Cucco Lady! Hopefully Princess Zelda will have the cure. Still,
be careful." Link said. Anju's next step clipped part of the water fountain in
the center of the marketplace, causing water to come trickling out onto the
ground.
"*gulp* I'll try." Anju said as she practically tiptoed through the marketplace
and on the path towards Hyrule Castle.
But of course, the giantess was already met with opposition as an army of guards
suddenly came running out of the gates and pointed their spears at her ankles.
"Stop where you are, giant beast!" one of the guards said.
"Please! I mean your princess no harm! I just want to speak with the princess…
or anyone that has a cure!" Anju said.
"Leave now!!!" another guard said as he threw his spear at one of Anju's ankles.
And it hurt.
"Ow! Okay, okay. I'll leave. *sniff*" Anju said as tears started to come down
her eyes again. She started to turn around and leave, only for her and everyone
else (including Link on her shoulder) to hear a loud female voice.
"Everyone stand down!" the female voice said. Link immediately recognized who
the voice belonged to.
"Impa! Let me down, Cucco Lady." Link shouted, watching as the guards stepped
aside and allowed Impa to walk through.
"Guards, you may return to your posts. I will handle the situation." Impa said.
The guards nodded and left the scene.
At the same time, with Anju's help, Link was back on the ground and he ran up
to Impa.
"Impa, where is Princess Zelda?" Link asked.
"She is safe in her quarters, don't worry about her. I am here on her behalf. I
can see we have a biiiiiiiig problem on our hands." Impa said.
"Heh, yeah, that's putting it mildly. I'm sorry for bringing her here, I didn't
know who else to turn to." Link said with half a smile. Impa gave him a pat on
the head.
"You did the right thing. I can clearly detect magic being involved with this
matter. Giant woman, may I please see the palm of your hand?" Impa said.
"It's okay, Cucco Lady!" Link shouted.
"Okay…" Anju said, gently getting down on her knees and resting her hand on the
ground. Impa, without a second of hesitation, jumped onto the palm of her hand.
Impa rested one of her hands on the giant palm and closed her hands. Impa's hand
glowed a bright purple for a brief few seconds and then pulled it back.
"Just as I suspected. Big Poe magic." Impa said.
"We kinda figured that ourselves. All we want to know is if it can be cured."
Navi said.
"Yes, but you must hurry. This woman's growth will greatly accelerate within the
hour, and once that happens, it will be too late and all of Hyrule, nay… the
entire planet will be underneath those shoes of hers." Impa said.
"*gulp*" Anju gulped nervously, visibly sweating now.
"Well, let's not stand around much longer! Where is the cure?" Link asked.
"Forgive me, but this isn't something that can be cured here. However, I do know
someone that may be of assistance." Impa said.
"Who?" Link and Anju both asked.
"There's an old scientist in Lake Hylia who, rumor has it, knows how to fully
eradicate the effects of Big Poe magic." Impa said.
"Is he the answer?" Link asked.
"If he isn't, then nothing is." Impa said with a grim look on her face.
"Then I guess to Lake Hylia we go." Link said.
"Head to the south to reach your destination." Impa said as she hopped off
Anju's hand. Anju stood back to her full height afterwards.
"Thank you." Anju said as she nodded. After picking up Link, she turned around
and walked away from Hyrule Castle.
Now just over 80 feet tall, Anju tried to exit the marketplace the same way
she came in, but she was about to run into a big problem. After watching Link
run out, he turned around and watched as Anju once again had a hard time fitting
all the way through the opening between the town and the drawbridge.
"Ugh! Not again!" Anju said as she tried to push her shoulders through. In doing
so, however, the castle walls started to crack apart, something that was not
lost on the hero.
"Cucco Lady, stop! You're gonna bring down the walls!" Link shouted. Anju backed
away and sighed, standing back to her full height.
"Now how am I supposed to get through?" Anju said. As Link got back near Anju's
shoes, he went into thinking mode and looked all around. He eventually went back
and forth between the top of the wall and Anju's slowly increasing height.
That's when he snapped his fingers.
"You can jump over the walls!" Link said.
"Huh? Jump over them? Are you sure?" Anju said.
"Sure! You should be able to clear both the wall AND the moat on the other side!
This way you don't risk damaging the castle walls!" Link said.
"Hmmm… you're right, Link! You're so smart for a little boy." Anju said.
"I try. Oh… but you're gonna have to get a running start to do all that." Link
said.
"I see…" Anju said. Link quickly sprung into action and ran towards as many
people in the marketplace as he could.
"Okay, everyone! Back up! Back up! Give the giant Cucco Lady space!" Link said
as he waved his arms around trying to get everyone to back up.
It took a couple minutes, but finally the marketplace was pretty much cleared
out, allowing Anju to take a few giant steps away.
"Hey! Wait for me, Cucco Lady!" Link said as he ran up towards Anju's gigantic
shoes.
"Oops! Sorry!" Anju said as she kneeled down and gently picked up Link again,
placing him on her shoulder.
"Hold on tight, because here we go. 1… 2… 3!" Anju said as she took deep breaths
between numbers. On 3, Anju broke into a full on sprint, which shook the ground
quite profoundly and broke it apart in small places. With precise timing, Anju
leapt high in the air and hoped she made her jump right.
Thankfully, she did, landing with authority outside the walls of the marketplace
and past the moat as well.
"Oh wow… I did it! I actually did it!" Anju said.
"Good job, Cucco Lady!" Link said.
"Thank you, Link. I couldn't have done it without you." Anju said as she gently
patted Link on the hat atop his head.
"Okay, break it up, you two lovebirds! Besides, I think your growth is
accelerating like Impa warned!" Navi said. Link looked down and could visibly
see the shoulder he was standing on getting larger.
"No more time to waste. Let's hurry to Lake Hylia!" Link said. Anju nodded and
walked carefully across Hyrule Field, especially since she almost stepped on the
Postman (who shouted all sorts of colorful language at the giantess) on the way
there.
Now a shade over 100 feet tall, Anju finally arrived at Lake Hylia. The
giantess marveled over how big the lake was despite her own massive size. She
set Link down with a worried look on her face.
"Please hurry and find this scientist, Link. I'm getting too big!" Anju said.
"Don't worry, Cucco Lady. I won't rest until he knows how to cure you." Link
said. He walked away from the giantess, who casually sat down (with her shoes
just inches away from the water) and waited patiently. Link gently knocked on
the door of the Lakeside Laboratory, and watched as the door swung open.
"Whatever you're selling, I don't want!" the old man inside said.
"Er… I'm not selling anything. Honest!" Link shouted.
"Oh, it's you again. Forgive me… lately I've had these kids trying to sell
useless junk. It almost makes me wish I could throw my new potion at them, which
would temporarily turn them into one-eyed toads!" the old man said.
"Um… I see. Anyway, speaking of potions, I was hoping you had one to fix a…
well… a friend of mine. A friend from Kakariko Village." Link said.
"Hmmmm?" the old man said. Link eventually led him outside where the man took
one look up at the giant Anju.
"*whistles* I must say you'd make a fine fourth Goddess of Hyrule, young lady!"
the old man said.
"Please, can you help me!? I just want to shrink back to normal." Anju said.
"She got this way through Big Poe magic, she said." Link said.
"Hmmmm… I see. That's some tough stuff. Take it from me, there was this one time
15 years ago when I caught a Big Poe sprinkling its dust into Lake Hylia. Boy,
did it make those fish mad. I'll never forget this one particular guppy. He had
teeth the size of…" the old man said.
"Uh… excuse me, but now's not the time! We really should find a cure for her
before she grows any bigger." Link said.
"Sigh… alright, alright. Man, kids have no patience these days! Alright, maybe I
can whip some kind of shrink potion up. Just give me a handful of minutes." the
old man said as he turned around and went back into his lab.
Link, meanwhile, was now resting in Anju's lap as the two waited out the old
scientist. Anju sighed, watching as she slowly grew to over 120 feet tall. She
was getting worried watching Link get smaller and smaller in her eyes, it almost
sickened her thinking he'd soon be too small to see, with the same fate
befalling everyone else in Hyrule. Link tried to lighten the mood.
"Hey, Cucco Lady! Look on the bright side… at least Lake Hylia is the perfect
size for you." Link said.
"To do what?" Anju said.
"Um… to sit in like a bathtub?" Link said awkwardly. But he was relieved to see
Anju break into a brief chuckle.
"Yeah, I suppose that'd be nice. But I don't want to get my clothes wet…
especially my shoes! I love these things to death!" Anju said.
"I understand. I was only trying to lighten things up." Link said. He soon
received a pat on the head by one of the giantess's fingers.
"Link, thank you so much for not abandoning me. I'd be running scared if you
were the giant one." Anju said. Link smiled.
"Just being a good friend. I… didn't have many of those growing up." Link said.
"That's such a shame. Who would ever turn their backs on such a sweet heroic boy
like you?" Anju said. Link said to himself, you have no idea, lady.
Finally, the scientist came out holding a pink colored potion.
"Here we are!" the scientist said.
"Oh! That's great, old scientist! Will that drink really shrink Cucco Lady back
to normal?" Link asked.
"Well… that's the thing. I haven't had a chance to test this potion on a living
subject yet. This thing might not shrink the person. It might make things worse,
like… I don't know, make them combust." the old man said, causing Link and Anju
to both cringe.
"Wait, couldn't you use one of the fish in your aquarium as your test…" Link
started to say, only for the old scientist to suddenly burst into anger.
"WHAT KIND OF SAVAGE ANIMAL DO YOU THINK I AM, YOUNG BOY!? Not one of my
precious babies!" the old man said.
"There's gotta be someone or something we can test the potion on!" Link said
with a hint of despair in his voice, especially as he looked up at the now
150-foot-tall Anju.
Anju looked worried at first, but then she snapped her fingers.
"I have an idea." Anju said. The giantess then turned around, and she put two
fingers into her mouth and let out the loudest whistle Hyrule would ever hear.
"Oy… I'll be hearing that for weeks!" the old man said.
He and Link then looked up with their jaws wide open, watching as a gaggle of
Cuccos came flying in from the distance. Link backed away nervously.
"What are you nervous about, Link?" Navi said.
"Oh, nothing. Except this one nightmare where a whole flock of Cuccos came
flying at me." Link said.
"Why?" Navi asked.
"Um… maybe because I accidentally stabbed one with my sword?" Link asked.
"Ugh… what a horrible thing to dream about! Both ways!" Navi said. The Cuccos
all gathered around Anju's shoes, which briefly brought a smile to her face, but
she had to hold still to keep from accidentally crushing them. Then again, as
she was about to learn, at least one would have to go in the name of science.
"My Cucco friends can perhaps volunteer!" Anju said from above.
"Hmmm… yes, they're living beings, although…" the old man said.
"Although what?" Anju asked.
"You do realize we will have to sacrifice at least one of these darling birds. I
don't know if I can reverse the effects of this potion… whatever it may do." the
old man said. Anju nodded a couple times.
"It's okay, sir. I understand." Anju said. The old man nodded as well.
Then he got down on his knees and poured a few drops on one of the Cuccos.
He, Link, Navi, and the giant Anju all waited with bated breath to see what
would happen to the Cucco. They all smiled when they watched the Cucco shrink
smaller and smaller.
"Yes! You still got it, you old coot! Ow…" the old man said as he thrusted an
arm up in victory, only to pull it back down after he lightly strained himself.
Link watched the Cucco shrink all the way down to a couple inches tall. He tried
picking it up… only for it to flap its wings and fly away.
"Well, I guess all we need to do is give the potion to Cucco Lady." Link said.
"Actually, I'm going to give it to you and let you administer it." the old man
said.
"Okay then." Link said.
"Ah, but before you do! You should probably head back to Kakariko Village. It's
a loooooong way back there if you shrink here." the old man said.
"Good point. Cucco Lady! Let's go back to Kakariko!" Link shouted.
"Okay, but first…" Anju said. She then gently bent down and scooped up every
last Cucco around her shoes. After admiring the many Cuccos in the palms of both
hands, she then thrust her hands upward, allowing the Cuccos to take flight.
"Fly away! Be free!" Anju shouted. Link and the old scientist watched the
spectacle play out.
"That's amazing." the old man said.
"Yeah, though that’s actually nothing. I know a farm girl who calms horses down
by humming a tune." Link said.
"Come on, Link, act impressed for once in your life!" Navi shouted.
"Sorry…" Link said.
Anju soon scooped Link up. As she did so, the old scientist offered one last bit
of advice.
"Remember! Everything she is both wearing and touching shrinks with her as soon
as she drinks that potion, so be wary of where you are!" the old man said.
"Got it! Let's go, Cucco Lady." Link said.
"*gulp* Are you sure? Look how much smaller the world is now. I'm afraid of
taking even the smallest step…" Anju said.
"I know it's scary, Cucco Lady, but you have to do it. Be courageous, show
wisdom, and control the power!" Link shouted.
"Okay! Deep breaths…" Anju said as she placed Link on her shoulder and the
giantess got walking out of Lake Hylia.
"You know, that sounds like something Impa or Princess Zelda would say." Navi
said.
"I guess their words rubbed off on me." Link said with a smile.
Despite all the rumblings and feeling the ground shake beneath her shoes,
with a dozen random traveling citizens of Hyrule looking up in awe of the
titantic woman, Anju was finally able to make it to the entrance of Kakariko
Village.
"Okay, we're here. So how are we going to do this?" Anju asked.
"Just set me on the ground and then get down on your knees and open wide. I'll
take care of the rest." Link said. Anju did all that, with Link looking up while
pulling his slingshot out. Even though the bottle of potion was quite big for
the slingshot, he still pulled it back ready to fire.
"Hurry, Link! I can clearly see Anju's growth speeding up!" Navi said. Anju was
getting close to 200 feet tall now. Navi did her best to help Link out by
becoming a blue light and flying as close to Anju's giant face as she could.
"I get one shot…" Link said as he fired away, watching the bottle of potion go
flying upward at high speed.
Anju could just see the bottle approaching her tongue, and when she felt the
slightest tickle from it, she closed her mouth and immediately gulped down. All
Link and Navi could do was wait and see. Anju then felt her skin tingle.
"Oh! This feels… different!" Anju said.
"Hey! It's working!" Navi shouted. Anju was now shrinking, and shrinking quite
fast too. Smaller and smaller the woman got until about a minute later when she
was back to her normal size. Link ran up to Anju and smiled.
"Cucco Lady… are you alright?" Link said.
"Whew… yes! Yes, Link, I am! I feel… I feel kinda puny all of a sudden." Anju
said. Link and Navi couldn't help but giggle.
"Um… sorry…" Link said.
"It's okay, I understand. Still, I don't think I ever want to experience that
kind of growth spurt again! Thank you for helping me out again." Anju said.
"Happy to be of service." Link said with a smile.
"Would you care for a drink? You're probably exhausted after all this. I think I
have some Lon Lon Milk…" Anju said.
"Oh! I love Lon Lon Milk!" Link said as he and Anju went up the steps and
re-entered Kakariko Village to a light applause, as the other people of the
village were happy to see Anju back to normal size as well. And with that,
everything was back to normal.
Well… almost everything. ^_____^
Anju took one look inside her Cucco pen beside her house and…
"Oh no! My Cuccos are missing again!!!" Anju screamed. A lone feather came
blowing by thanks to the wind, and Anju took a sniff of it.
"Ahhhhhhh… CHOOOO! And my allergies are back too!" Anju shouted.
"Uggggggggggh…" Link and Navi both grunted. The two spotted one Cucco near the
steps to the windmill and went chasing after it.
END