The Love Bug
Shad studied his notes closely. He was having a difficult time understanding what made golden bugs glow. He also couldn't comprehend the difference between male and female bugs.
The researcher had become bored with his studies on the Oocca when he and Link solved all the mysteries. He had even gotten to meet the Oocca with Link's help. Shad knew that his father from beyond the grave was proud of him.
Since his studies had reached a finish, Shad decided to try something new. Hyrule's golden bugs. Link had shown him a few of them, such as the Pill Bugs in the Eldin Province and the ants that sparkled like a tiny star in Kakariko Village. Shad was really interested, and decided to make it his new topic of research.
And that's exactly why he was out in South Hyrule field now. He had found the female Ladybug near the trees on the path and was studying it. Unfortunately, the Ladybug got scared when he tried to reach out to it and flew away.
"Damnit!" Shad swore.
A light giggling got his attention. Shad turned around to see a strange girl dressed in...well, a dress. Oddly enough, she had a pair of butterfly wings on her back. Shad suspected she put there on purpose.
The Ladybug he had just scared was perched on the girl's finger. The girl was giggling and cooing at the bug, happily.
"Did the big man scare you, little ladybug? Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Butterfly girl said to the golden bug. As if comprehending her words, the ladybug flew off her finger and perched itself somewhere else.
On Shad's nose.
"Hey!" Shad was surprised at the sudden change of mind in the bug. His surprise made him fall backwards and land on his butt. The ladybug flew off in a different direction. Butterfly girl was laughing hard.
"How did you do that? It's like you communicated with that bug just now!" Shad said in amazement. He picked himself up and dusted his pants off. Butterfly girl walked closer.
"It's only natural for Agitha, princess of the insect kingdom, to be able to speak to the bugs. I've always been able to talk to them comfortably," she said, curtsying.
Shad was confused. Princess of the insect kingdom? As far as his notes showed, no such kingdom existed. He pointed this out and Agitha laughed merrily.
"Is this some sort of game for you?" Shad asked.
"You might say that. In all of Hyrule, there is no one who adores bugs more then me. My home is my castle, and I am its princess. Within the castle walls, twenty four golden bugs fly around and shine. All day and all night, I am surrounded by bugs. It makes me so happy!" Agitha giggled, spinning and bowing slightly.
"Twenty four bugs?" Shad raised his eyebrows in amazement.
"Yes, and all of them golden! The nice grasshopper man gave them all to me for the Insect Ball. Every bug has a partner. So that's one male and one female of every specie!"
"Amazing...perhaps you can tell me more about the golden bugs...Agitha," Shad said. "You see, I'm researching them. I'm very curious about their mysteries, such as what are the differences between male and female bugs. And also what makes them gold and what is that strange sound they make."
"So you're interested in bugs too!" Agitha squealed. "I would be honored to show you my castle, brave knight of bugs! All the people of my kingdom will be pleased to see you!" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Shad's hand and ran for the castle town.
"Oh dear...pardon me, coming through, sorry about the foot!" Shad called out to the people in the crowd Agitha was dragging him through.
"This way, Sir Knight!" Agitha shouted.
After much hassle, Shad found himself in front of a house just off the side of the road. A sign had marked it as Agitha's Castle. Agitha pulled out a key and opened it to a sight that amazed Shad. He walked in, staring at the ceiling. The bugs flying around was beautiful.
"This is my kingdom, the Insect Kingdom! Butterflies, ants, pill bugs, ladybugs, grasshoppers, dayflies, snails, dragonflies, stag beetles, phasmids and beetles. You name it, you'll probably find them here." Agitha smiled. She was obviously pleased with Shad's awe to the bugs.
"I'm...speechless...it's truly stunning..." Shad said. He took out his notebook. "Would you mind if I took some notes?"
"Of course not, Sir Knight! You are welcome here in the Insect Kingdom to do what you please!" Agitha said, sitting on a chair.
"Ah yes, I haven't introduced myself..." Shad said, slightly flustered. "My name is Shad. I'm a scholar."
"And I forgot to introduce myself properly! Oh where ARE my manners?" Agitha said, standing up and giving that same bow again. "My name is Agitha, the princess of all bugs. Now please...don't let me distract you from the bugs, Sir Shad!"
"She is a strange one..." Shad thought. No one had ever called him 'Sir' before.
Then again, he had never seen a girl who was this obsessed with bugs. Agitha was very strange.
For the next few hours, Shad focused on his notes. On occasion, Agitha would come up and read what he wrote. Sometimes she would correct a mistake or point out something new. She was becoming a big help to Shad's studies on the bugs.
Agitha had her mind on other things. She was interested in Shad's notes, but as the hours went by, she was becoming interested in Shad himself. When the evening began to settle in, she was one hundred percent confused by her feelings.
Shad closed his notebook. "You've been a wonderful help, Agitha. I don't want to intrude any longer, so I best be going."
"Oh! So soon, Sir Shad?" Agitha asked, looking up at him.
"Yes, I'm afraid. But I'd like to thank you for your help. I'm very close to finally understanding everything."
"I shall show you out the door then..." Agitha said, standing up and walking over to Shad. She couldn't deny feeling some sadness at him having to leave. His company was enjoyable, and she hadn't had a human's company in so long.
The pair walked towards the door. Shad was just about to open it when he heard a crunch sound. Agitha screamed.
"No! Oh no oh no! Oh sweet Mother Farore, noooooo!"
"What is it? What's wrong?" Shad said, panicking immediately.
"I stepped on one of the pill bugs! Oh noooooo!" Agitha wailed, tears streaming down her face. "Mother Farore, please forgive me! Oh I am so sorry, you poor little pill bug!" She bent down to pick it up, and began cradling it like a baby. "I didn't mean it! I was so careless! Oh why did I have to be so careless!"
"Agitha! Please calm down!" Shad said nervously. "It was an accident. The great goddess Farore knows this too."
"But now the female pill bug has no companion! Every bug has to have a companion! And I...I..." Agitha's eyes widened and she choked on a sob. "I murdered the male pill bug!"
"No, Agitha. It was an accident. You didn't see the pill bug," Shad said, trying to get her to calm down. His efforts were in vain; Agitha was so upset that she couldn't comprehend anything. He tried one last tack. "I know where to find the male pill bugs! I'll find another one for you!"
That got Agitha's attention. "You...you will?"
"Sure! Night is coming too, so it will be easier to find. And how about we go find one together?" Shad said, desperately trying to make her happy again. "They're in the Eldin Province, along the path. A fast walk, a small hunt and you'll have another golden pill bug in no time!"
Agitha sniffled. "Th-thank you so m-much," she stuttered. "You r-really are a noble knight of the Insect Kingdom."
"Nah, I just don't want to see you upset. How about this: we go to dinner at Telma's and then we go find a new pill bug. Sound good?" Shad said, being as friendly as possible.
"Y-yes. But what about this one...?" Agitha said, holding the flattened bug.
"We can leave him to rest in peace in the Eldin province. I'm sure Mother Farore will appreciate it," Shad said. "Or we can leave him to rest in peace in one of the potted plants. Legends of the goddess say that if we return a body to the soil from whence it came, new life will begin. It doesn't matter what kind of body it is."
"Yes...I shall leave him to rest in the plant outside my house..." Agitha said. She felt indifferent, but comforted at what Shad said. Obviously it meant a lot to her to make sure that a bug would rest in peace. Shad led her outside, where the evening sky began to set in. Agitha set the bug in the small potted plant and covered it with dirt.
"Thank you, Sir Shad..." she whispered.
"I guess you really take the welfare of the bugs seriously..." Shad said.
"Yes, I do...all the bugs are really important to me." Agitha bit her lower lip. She didn't want to cry again.
"Well, there's no reason to be so sad. The world has so many bugs to see. Each of them are born and die everyday. It's an endless cycle," Shad wanted to pull Agitha out of her childish shell and show her that one bug's death wasn't going to affect the world.
"I guess..."
A few minutes later, Agitha had completely forgotten about the bug squishing incident. She was laughing and joking happily with Shad and Telma at Telma's Bar. She had never felt happier.
Shad noted the change in her mood and smiled. Agitha was one of a kind. He was glad that he had met her.
Telma gave the bill to Shad and he paid it. He and Agitha stepped out into the cool air of the night.
"Thank you for this wonderful night, Sir Shad," Agitha said, not looking at him right away.
"It was no trouble at all," Shad said sincerely. "Ready to go to the Eldin province and find a new Pill bug?"
Agitha shook her head. "I decided that it's better that I don't keep the bugs in my room. Too many dangers…like me stepping on them, or someone else…first thing tomorrow, I'm going to release them back into the wild. I'm sure they will be happier and safer. I'd rather see them flying around flowers instead of my walls anyway."
Shad smiled. "That's good. I think it will be good for you too," he said. He looked up to the sky and realized how late it was. "Uh oh, it's way too late now. I better get home. Shall I walk you back?"
"Yes please," Agitha said. She knew the way home and everything, but she really wanted Shad's company. She extended her arm and Shad took it. They walked through the dark streets, linked.
A minute later, Agitha stood in front of her door. Instead of opening it right away, she paused and looked at Shad. "Thank you for everything. You really are a knight…I feel like you're my knight."
Shad blushed. "I'm not very strong in combat, Agitha. I'm really no knight."
"But you are to me," Agitha persisted. "You'll always be my knight." With that, she planted a kiss on Shad's bright red cheek, which caused him to turn redder. "Thank you for tonight," she said again and started to open her door.
"Wait…" Shad said. Agitha turned around to face him. "Would you…would you like to keep helping me with my studies? I'd…like to keep spending some time with you, Agitha."
Agitha smiled. "Certainly," she said politely. "I would be honored." She then turned around and opened the door. All the bugs that were living in Agitha's room suddenly flew out, causing the air around Shad and the bug princess to sparkle and shine.
"Beautiful…" Shad said, looking at the glittering bugs.
"Yes…" Agitha said. "Nature is a beautiful thing indeed."
The researcher had become bored with his studies on the Oocca when he and Link solved all the mysteries. He had even gotten to meet the Oocca with Link's help. Shad knew that his father from beyond the grave was proud of him.
Since his studies had reached a finish, Shad decided to try something new. Hyrule's golden bugs. Link had shown him a few of them, such as the Pill Bugs in the Eldin Province and the ants that sparkled like a tiny star in Kakariko Village. Shad was really interested, and decided to make it his new topic of research.
And that's exactly why he was out in South Hyrule field now. He had found the female Ladybug near the trees on the path and was studying it. Unfortunately, the Ladybug got scared when he tried to reach out to it and flew away.
"Damnit!" Shad swore.
A light giggling got his attention. Shad turned around to see a strange girl dressed in...well, a dress. Oddly enough, she had a pair of butterfly wings on her back. Shad suspected she put there on purpose.
The Ladybug he had just scared was perched on the girl's finger. The girl was giggling and cooing at the bug, happily.
"Did the big man scare you, little ladybug? Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Butterfly girl said to the golden bug. As if comprehending her words, the ladybug flew off her finger and perched itself somewhere else.
On Shad's nose.
"Hey!" Shad was surprised at the sudden change of mind in the bug. His surprise made him fall backwards and land on his butt. The ladybug flew off in a different direction. Butterfly girl was laughing hard.
"How did you do that? It's like you communicated with that bug just now!" Shad said in amazement. He picked himself up and dusted his pants off. Butterfly girl walked closer.
"It's only natural for Agitha, princess of the insect kingdom, to be able to speak to the bugs. I've always been able to talk to them comfortably," she said, curtsying.
Shad was confused. Princess of the insect kingdom? As far as his notes showed, no such kingdom existed. He pointed this out and Agitha laughed merrily.
"Is this some sort of game for you?" Shad asked.
"You might say that. In all of Hyrule, there is no one who adores bugs more then me. My home is my castle, and I am its princess. Within the castle walls, twenty four golden bugs fly around and shine. All day and all night, I am surrounded by bugs. It makes me so happy!" Agitha giggled, spinning and bowing slightly.
"Twenty four bugs?" Shad raised his eyebrows in amazement.
"Yes, and all of them golden! The nice grasshopper man gave them all to me for the Insect Ball. Every bug has a partner. So that's one male and one female of every specie!"
"Amazing...perhaps you can tell me more about the golden bugs...Agitha," Shad said. "You see, I'm researching them. I'm very curious about their mysteries, such as what are the differences between male and female bugs. And also what makes them gold and what is that strange sound they make."
"So you're interested in bugs too!" Agitha squealed. "I would be honored to show you my castle, brave knight of bugs! All the people of my kingdom will be pleased to see you!" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Shad's hand and ran for the castle town.
"Oh dear...pardon me, coming through, sorry about the foot!" Shad called out to the people in the crowd Agitha was dragging him through.
"This way, Sir Knight!" Agitha shouted.
After much hassle, Shad found himself in front of a house just off the side of the road. A sign had marked it as Agitha's Castle. Agitha pulled out a key and opened it to a sight that amazed Shad. He walked in, staring at the ceiling. The bugs flying around was beautiful.
"This is my kingdom, the Insect Kingdom! Butterflies, ants, pill bugs, ladybugs, grasshoppers, dayflies, snails, dragonflies, stag beetles, phasmids and beetles. You name it, you'll probably find them here." Agitha smiled. She was obviously pleased with Shad's awe to the bugs.
"I'm...speechless...it's truly stunning..." Shad said. He took out his notebook. "Would you mind if I took some notes?"
"Of course not, Sir Knight! You are welcome here in the Insect Kingdom to do what you please!" Agitha said, sitting on a chair.
"Ah yes, I haven't introduced myself..." Shad said, slightly flustered. "My name is Shad. I'm a scholar."
"And I forgot to introduce myself properly! Oh where ARE my manners?" Agitha said, standing up and giving that same bow again. "My name is Agitha, the princess of all bugs. Now please...don't let me distract you from the bugs, Sir Shad!"
"She is a strange one..." Shad thought. No one had ever called him 'Sir' before.
Then again, he had never seen a girl who was this obsessed with bugs. Agitha was very strange.
For the next few hours, Shad focused on his notes. On occasion, Agitha would come up and read what he wrote. Sometimes she would correct a mistake or point out something new. She was becoming a big help to Shad's studies on the bugs.
Agitha had her mind on other things. She was interested in Shad's notes, but as the hours went by, she was becoming interested in Shad himself. When the evening began to settle in, she was one hundred percent confused by her feelings.
Shad closed his notebook. "You've been a wonderful help, Agitha. I don't want to intrude any longer, so I best be going."
"Oh! So soon, Sir Shad?" Agitha asked, looking up at him.
"Yes, I'm afraid. But I'd like to thank you for your help. I'm very close to finally understanding everything."
"I shall show you out the door then..." Agitha said, standing up and walking over to Shad. She couldn't deny feeling some sadness at him having to leave. His company was enjoyable, and she hadn't had a human's company in so long.
The pair walked towards the door. Shad was just about to open it when he heard a crunch sound. Agitha screamed.
"No! Oh no oh no! Oh sweet Mother Farore, noooooo!"
"What is it? What's wrong?" Shad said, panicking immediately.
"I stepped on one of the pill bugs! Oh noooooo!" Agitha wailed, tears streaming down her face. "Mother Farore, please forgive me! Oh I am so sorry, you poor little pill bug!" She bent down to pick it up, and began cradling it like a baby. "I didn't mean it! I was so careless! Oh why did I have to be so careless!"
"Agitha! Please calm down!" Shad said nervously. "It was an accident. The great goddess Farore knows this too."
"But now the female pill bug has no companion! Every bug has to have a companion! And I...I..." Agitha's eyes widened and she choked on a sob. "I murdered the male pill bug!"
"No, Agitha. It was an accident. You didn't see the pill bug," Shad said, trying to get her to calm down. His efforts were in vain; Agitha was so upset that she couldn't comprehend anything. He tried one last tack. "I know where to find the male pill bugs! I'll find another one for you!"
That got Agitha's attention. "You...you will?"
"Sure! Night is coming too, so it will be easier to find. And how about we go find one together?" Shad said, desperately trying to make her happy again. "They're in the Eldin Province, along the path. A fast walk, a small hunt and you'll have another golden pill bug in no time!"
Agitha sniffled. "Th-thank you so m-much," she stuttered. "You r-really are a noble knight of the Insect Kingdom."
"Nah, I just don't want to see you upset. How about this: we go to dinner at Telma's and then we go find a new pill bug. Sound good?" Shad said, being as friendly as possible.
"Y-yes. But what about this one...?" Agitha said, holding the flattened bug.
"We can leave him to rest in peace in the Eldin province. I'm sure Mother Farore will appreciate it," Shad said. "Or we can leave him to rest in peace in one of the potted plants. Legends of the goddess say that if we return a body to the soil from whence it came, new life will begin. It doesn't matter what kind of body it is."
"Yes...I shall leave him to rest in the plant outside my house..." Agitha said. She felt indifferent, but comforted at what Shad said. Obviously it meant a lot to her to make sure that a bug would rest in peace. Shad led her outside, where the evening sky began to set in. Agitha set the bug in the small potted plant and covered it with dirt.
"Thank you, Sir Shad..." she whispered.
"I guess you really take the welfare of the bugs seriously..." Shad said.
"Yes, I do...all the bugs are really important to me." Agitha bit her lower lip. She didn't want to cry again.
"Well, there's no reason to be so sad. The world has so many bugs to see. Each of them are born and die everyday. It's an endless cycle," Shad wanted to pull Agitha out of her childish shell and show her that one bug's death wasn't going to affect the world.
"I guess..."
A few minutes later, Agitha had completely forgotten about the bug squishing incident. She was laughing and joking happily with Shad and Telma at Telma's Bar. She had never felt happier.
Shad noted the change in her mood and smiled. Agitha was one of a kind. He was glad that he had met her.
Telma gave the bill to Shad and he paid it. He and Agitha stepped out into the cool air of the night.
"Thank you for this wonderful night, Sir Shad," Agitha said, not looking at him right away.
"It was no trouble at all," Shad said sincerely. "Ready to go to the Eldin province and find a new Pill bug?"
Agitha shook her head. "I decided that it's better that I don't keep the bugs in my room. Too many dangers…like me stepping on them, or someone else…first thing tomorrow, I'm going to release them back into the wild. I'm sure they will be happier and safer. I'd rather see them flying around flowers instead of my walls anyway."
Shad smiled. "That's good. I think it will be good for you too," he said. He looked up to the sky and realized how late it was. "Uh oh, it's way too late now. I better get home. Shall I walk you back?"
"Yes please," Agitha said. She knew the way home and everything, but she really wanted Shad's company. She extended her arm and Shad took it. They walked through the dark streets, linked.
A minute later, Agitha stood in front of her door. Instead of opening it right away, she paused and looked at Shad. "Thank you for everything. You really are a knight…I feel like you're my knight."
Shad blushed. "I'm not very strong in combat, Agitha. I'm really no knight."
"But you are to me," Agitha persisted. "You'll always be my knight." With that, she planted a kiss on Shad's bright red cheek, which caused him to turn redder. "Thank you for tonight," she said again and started to open her door.
"Wait…" Shad said. Agitha turned around to face him. "Would you…would you like to keep helping me with my studies? I'd…like to keep spending some time with you, Agitha."
Agitha smiled. "Certainly," she said politely. "I would be honored." She then turned around and opened the door. All the bugs that were living in Agitha's room suddenly flew out, causing the air around Shad and the bug princess to sparkle and shine.
"Beautiful…" Shad said, looking at the glittering bugs.
"Yes…" Agitha said. "Nature is a beautiful thing indeed."
