Author's Note~! If you haven't realized by now, I have no idea how the dimensions of a boat work. :/ I have to get it out of my mind that the S.S. Linebeck isn't a house! Its a boat! So, please, forgive me and my really bad and inaccurate descriptions of what the lower deck of a boat is. Lol!

Liney-kun, CHWM, thanks for reviewing! :D I do apologize for the craptastic summary, I'm really no good at them and I was afraid if I said anything more it'd give something away. :B

Step Into Hell

Chapter Four

Link stumbled sleepily out of her bedroom and was greeted by the smell of what she could only think was bacon. Rubbing her eye, she sat at the tiny table and turned towards the stove.

"Linebeck, why're you cooking so early?"

"Gotta cook and preserve the meat," he sighed, waving a bloodied knife at her. "Now c'mon, help me chop this up so I can cook it."

Link sighed and obediently went up to the counter, grabbing a knife. When she saw what the meat was, she screamed, and dropped the knife, throwing herself back away from the counter.

"What's wrong, Cupcake?" Linebeck had a maniacal smile plastered on her face, showing perfectly sharpened teeth. "Don't like the meat I picked out?"

Link gasped, she was in the second bedroom tangled in the mass of blankets. Her breathing was erratic, and she was sure she was going to throw up. What kind of dream was that? Where the hell did that come from? she thought, pulling herself out of bed and out of the blankets. Did that monster give her that dream, or was she still rattled from yesterday?

"Ow..." her train of thought was cut short by a nagging pain in her chest. Her bandage was spotted red and she had a sinking feeling that she would have to put more of that Chu Guts lotion on it. Pretending that she did not see the state the bandage was in, she got dressed and snuck off the boat, but not before braving a look towards the counter, just to make sure that really was just a dream.

The breeze off the sea was cooling and comforting to Link's flushed cheeks. She meandered through town making her way to the path that would take her to the top of the hill, towards the cave that the villagers would sometimes have to use. The birdsong and general peacefulness of Mercay helped to settle Link's rattled nerves. She was debating on whether or not she should tell Damien about it. Well, he doesn't have to know everything, right? she tried reasoning with herself. She did not want to look like she was becoming completely dependent on him, it was bad enough that she could not do this on her own to begin with!

Link sighed and wandered to the cliff side where she found Damien last night. The view was amazing in the daylight. As far as she could see there was nothing but blue, the line between the water and the sky looked like it blurred all the way off in the distance. This may be my favorite spot on this entire island. she smiled.

After relaxing for a bit and enjoying the view, Link returned to the task at hand: finding a faerie. She could have sworn that she had seen a faerie grotto on this island before. If not a grotto, she knew some faeries at the very least made this island their home. Why were they being so damn elusive now? Did that monster scare them all away? He better not have...

As if responding to her question, a pink light flew past her back towards the brush. Link cried out in surprise and gave chase. She jumped through the bushes, trying to keep up with the tiny faerie. It had stopped and seemed to be waiting for her to catch up. As soon as Link was near enough to grab it, it would flit away further into the brush.

Link's chest was burning, her legs were sore and the faerie was no where in sight. It had toyed with her and she fell for it. Link plopped down onto a rock, trying not to wheeze. Another fine mess she had gotten herself into. Chasing a random faerie out of desperation had gotten her lost, amazingly. She did not think Mercay's forest was this large or dense. Had she crossed over into the Sacred Realm somehow?Well, the sky isn't golden, she reasoned. So maybe not. After she had caught her breath she turned back the way she came from.

Minutes later Link passed a boulder that she was sure she had passed before. This... This isn't good, she was trying not to panic. If she really was walking in circles how was that happening? Had the faerie put a hex on her when it flew by? Link smacked her head against a tree and groaned. Not only was she sure her wound had reopened, she was cursed and doomed to wander the same patch of forest for the rest of her life! Where was the Goddesses' protection? That should keep her immune to pranks like these, right?

"Apparently not," she growled.

"Getting tired?" a voice chimed. Link whirled around, looking for the owner of the voice. Her eyes rested on the soft pink glow of a faerie sitting on a branch a few feet from her.

"You! What did you do to me? Why can't I leave?" she had to keep herself from grabbing the faerie and shaking it.

"The Goddesses have a message for you," the faerie sighed, ignoring Link's questions.

The rage seeped out of Link and curiosity took over. "The Goddesses? What's the message?"

"They want you to give up this quest," the faerie said plainly. "They say that it is foolish and will cause needless bloodshed and strife."

"Give up? Give up? That monster threatened the Goddesses' Chosen! I can't sit by and not do anything!" Link was incredulous. Why would the Goddesses tell her not to do what she has been doing all along?

"That isn't what They mean by giving up," the faerie gave Link a flat stare. "They mean Linebeck. Give up on him."

"You've got to be kidding me," Link returned the faerie's gaze. "There's no way I'm giving up on him."

"Then you give up the Goddesses' Blessing. They will not give you extra strength or protection if you go beyond checking on the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Why?" Link was losing her patience. "What has Them scared so badly that They won't condone me going after an obvious threat to Hyrule?"

The faerie was silent, chewing on its thumb, obviously mulling over the information the Goddesses had given it. Was it deciding what it could tell and not tell? Link rolled her eyes and sat down on the ground, utterly exhausted and tired of her situation in the forest.

"Well?" she was losing her patience again.

"I'm not allowed to say," the faerie finally answered. "They told me to only tell you what I did. As much as you don't agree with what They have said, I think it would be for the best if you listened. What's this Linebeck to you anyway? What kind of spell does he have on you to make you ignore the Goddesses' warnings?"

Link threw her hands in the air, finally fed up. "Does it really matter? It won't change the Goddesses' decision."

"Such a stubborn..." the faerie trailed off. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving," Link called behind her, disappearing from sight only to come back out by the tree the faerie was sitting in. She had to suppress a growl. "Would you let me out?"

"Don't you want to be healed?"

"Not anymore, I don't. I've wasted enough time here, I've got to get back and get ready to leave."

"Let me at least do that for you, I've caused you this much distress."

Link sighed and consented. The faerie flew around her, spreading faerie dust on her, refreshing her and healing her wound. Loathe to admit it, Link's temperament improved as well. As the faerie led her out she got to thinking. She was going to do this without the Goddesses' help. Did this mean that the Master Sword was barred from her? Should she even try to obtain it? Would there be any repercussions or would it be like any other sword? I'll wait until I talk with Tetra on that.

Finally out, Link was surprised to find that night had all ready fallen. "Time passes differently in the Sacred Realm," the faerie shrugged and flitted away. Link decided to not let that little detail bother her. She was sure her blood pressure was through the roof as it is. She slowly walked down the path leading into town, mulling over the conversation with the faerie. What reason did the Goddesses want her to give up on Linebeck? Weren't all creatures precious to Them?

Was that reluctance because of that monster? Did this monster have some hold, something over the Goddesses that They had to forsake Linebeck? But what creature could force any of the Goddesses into submission? She felt like she was stumbling into something more dark and sinister than Ganondorf trying to take over the world.

Now that she had had a moment to think, she wished the faerie was still with her. She had more questions. It completely skipped her mind to mention the nightmares, not that it would matter to the faerie, or the Goddesses. Would the thing have told Them if she had said anything? Link shuddered, remembering those nightmares. She was afraid that if she did not try to stop this monster she would never have a nights sleep. Would she have a nightmare tonight? The thought of having a memory of Linebeck ruined by that monster's perversion made her sick.

Well, she just would not sleep then. She will try and stay awake as long as humanly possible that way when she did actually fall asleep she would be too exhausted to dream. Brilliant! she thought. Now she can spend more time trying to figure out what that monster is and how to defeat it.