Sickening feelings

I woke up as if I'd just come out of a nightmare, sweating heavily, gasping for breath, and hurting all over. There were several bandages on my body, and the one that hurt most was the one that supported my back; it throbbed madly and it felt damp with warm blood, and I was sure my spine had some fractures in it. Once I noted them down and got rid of the dizziness in my head, I lifted myself up. I found myself being pushed down, and relief enveloped me. I only knew one person that would dare do that to a patient and that was . . .

"Wat, by the holy godissis, ar tha' doin'?"

… Definitely not Sheik. If that voice was Sheik, it would've still been in a nightmare, since the events last night just couldn't have happened. Stalfos coming onto someone's house? Taking hostage? It was near impossible! And since when did those damn skeletons use stealth!?

I opened my eyes to find myself in a dark room, with weird fires lit on the corners of the room. Now, why did I suddenly feel like a sacrifice for some horrid ritual? Where was I anyway? Why was I here? How was I brought here? And . . . Where was Sheik?

But I knew that was a question I wouldn't be able to answer on my own, so I went for the more close-at-hand question. "Who are you?" I asked the person that healed me, noting that the person was bringing over a stool to stand on. When the person did so, I just barely stopped myself from cringing. "Oh. Right. Potion lady. Hi."

She grunted and sniffed, handing me a pile of powdered medicine in a folded piece of paper. "Swallow." She croaked in a freaky voice, making me almost cringe again. I did as I was told and I gagged. "Yar house was attarcked last noight. The whole plarce was tarned upsoid down. You war hurt baddley, so tha' pepple brought ya hear."

"What . . . what about Sheik? The person that was staying with me?"

She shrugged. "Tarken."

I was out the door before she knew it.

But as soon as I was out and taken a couple of steps my back screamed hellishly and I was forced to stop running. I was glad now that I hadn't really bothered to get changed last night, since Sheik and I had been up so late, and we hadn't even go the chance to return to bed. So there was a positive light as I staggered on, covered in cuts, all of them staining my newly acquired bandages, one hand holding my head, other trailing walls of houses and fences so I don't lose my footing and trip.

I wasn't doing all that in a night outfit.

Alright, I'll admit it. The bodily situation I was in wasn't cool. But I didn't care. Saving Sheik was far more important than my injuries.

I leaned onto the wall that lead up to Impa's house's back wall, just beside the cucco pen. I heaved, once, twice, took a deep breath, and turned the corner.

I hit someone squarely in the chest, making my head ache, stomach sick, and legs shaky. I fell onto my butt and back, fresh burning pain striking my spine. The person I'd hit grunted disdainfully as I held my head, but when he jerked down his face to see mine, and it was too familiar for my liking. "Kid!"

"Uncle Rol . . . ? What're you doing here?"

He grunted disdainfully and crossed his arms while I helped myself up to my feet. Damn it, if only I could get rid of the swaying! "Came to fix up the rest of yer house. The buggers wouldn't come near ya because of the friend of yours! Bah!"

I felt sick, and sweat was covering my forehead. "Yeah, great. Whatever. Look I have to go. Sheik's been kidnapped, I have to get . . ."

"Oh I heard about him being napped! Yeah! You don't worry 'bout 'im ye hear!? He'll be able to save himself!"

"Not if he's been caught by Ganondorf's men, he can't." I growled, trying to step around him, but he had my shoulder, making me want to yell. There was a cut an inch deep there! Can't you see the blood!? He scowled down at me as I glared back, trying to convey the message that I was in a hurry, and I didn't have time for good talk. I had to save Sheik, damn it!

"I don't think he's much of a good influence on ya if you're going gay because of him. I won't be allowing that."

Alright, I'd officially decided, that he was wasting my time. I slapped his hand away and growled, looking at him dead in the eyes. "Sheik needs me! He may be able to fight, but he won't be doing well against the whole Dark army! And if you haven't noticed, I don't give a damn about your opinion!"

I left him angrily, stomping up the stairs that led to Impa's hut and slamming the door shut. The dizziness and pain took hold of me again, and I was forced to lean against the plank of wood I had just slammed shut, remembering the events of last night.

I sat there, mortified that I hadn't been able to help him.

"Sheik, you better be alive." I whispered, burying my head in my arms. I looked up at the cabinet that held the red potion, and I snarled. I couldn't get at Ganondorf at the stage I was in. Like Sheik told me to do, I had to finish the Spirit Temple before I could even think of getting into Ganondorf's castle. I went to the cabinet and drank the rest of the Red potion, gritting my teeth as my skin forcefully knitted together a bit. I checked myself in the mirror; not good enough.

I changed into a new tunic and grabbed my sword, shield, sheath, and the rest of my equipment, running out the door head long. I raced towards the graveyard, where I knew somewhere there would be a Fairy Fountain.

I'll grab the horse Sheik bought off Malon, then straight for the Canyon for me; I won't wait for breaks in the next temple; no way in hell.

"You had better be alive, Sheik."

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Hey! Old wrinkly! I'm talking to you!"

Koume and Kotake looked at the red ball of light, which whizzed around their sights insanely. "'Old wrinkly'!? Who're you calling 'Old Wrinkly'!?" Koume shrieked, indignant beyond measure.

The fairy bobbed in mid-air and said, "She did! I heard say so last Tuesday!"

"Kotake! Why you…!"

A blast of magic sent her sister flying, and the witches began a civil war with each other. Satisfied by the chaos, the fairy whizzed back down to where the Hero of Time (me) stood, gasping and leaning on his knees, looking utterly confused.

"Hey," the fairy said, bobbing, "You're doing things all wrong. You're not supposed to use your arrows."

My patience snapped. "'How do you expect me to shoot at those bloody hags without my arrows!? Their too far away to hack down, and if you haven't noticed, my right knee cap is frozen!"

She seemed to look at the frosted knee and didn't seem impressed. "You're overreacting. Now, see that?"

I looked up at the witches, and found them screeching at each other, blasting magic at one another randomly. "So?"

"Their magic hurts one another; you have to reflect their magic with the Mirror Shield to the other witch. You get what I'm saying?"

I nodded reluctantly. "But this room is dark; I don't think I'll be able to hit them…"

"Now that's where I come in. I'll go pretend to be on their side, now."

She flew up and stuck to the one flashing the ice, and soon enough the hag fired my way.

"Shit!" I didn't trust my new shield as much as my old one, but it was definitely effective. I watched the pink bob go somewhere else, where the other was circling me. Come on, come on, please… there.

It's amazing what just a small tilt of a mirror can do.

Soon enough, after a grotesque transformation and same serious slicing (I didn't know witches had green blood…) they had halos on top of their heads and they were ascending up to heaven, arguing about their age till they disappeared. Despite they had taken me the shortest time to get rid of, I still wasn't happy.

There was a silent pause which the fairy punctuated with a "… That's definitely unfair."

I nodded mutely, disbelieving. "I gotta agree with you, whoever you are." I gave the fairy a side-long glance, asking, "Why did they think you were on…?"

I didn't have to ask. The shade of the fairy was more of a darker pink, and its wings looked like a mockery of cobwebs, made by crystallized blood. Plainly, it looked a lot more evil than good.

It noticed my gaze and said, "Stop staring. My name's Ammy by the way."

"Why'd you help me?"

"I know Sheik. Now, let's see what goes from there," she continued, bobbing to the portal that led to the Chamber of Sages.

I was definitely not going to let that thing out of my sight. I pinched its wings ('Hey!') and stepped into the portal, swiftly sinking into blackness.

As I suspected, Nabooru saluted offhandedly to me, raising an eyebrow at the fairy. "Nice friend there kid."

"Can you please make him let go of me?"

Nabooru ignored it. "Thanks kid, you got me off those witches, woke me as a sage, saved my temple, and now you can go beat Ganondorf! If it weren't for the state I'm in, I'd fight with ya, but…" she shrugged disappointedly. "Shame, really."

"Yeah, yeah, can I go now?" I ask impatiently, "'Cause I want to go get my friend from the said Evil King."

Nabooru raised a cool eyebrow. "Touchy. And here I was, thinking I'd take you to the Temple of Time…"

"Nabooru please!"

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses; you'll be there in a second. Oh, and I think someone's waiting for you there."

I wasn't given the time to ask who; I was already tapping the symbol of Light with my boots, and in the Temple of Time. Ammy squirmed in my fingers restlessly.

I dropped her. The sword clattered from my hand. Relief and joy made my knees buckle.

Sheik.

He was standing there, putting his weight more on one leg, aloof and perfectly healthy. He was watching me from the altar, standing proudly with his arms crossed. He was alive. He was okay.

"Sheik!"

"Hello Link, I-"

I ambushed him into a hug, shutting him up. "Thank Furore, you're okay! You're okay… what happened? How'd you escape? You aren't hurt too bad are you? What… why…"

I was holding him at arms length, and checking him over, my joy, my relief, slowly dissipating. He seemed… wrong. It had to be my imagination, but he seemed a precious inch taller, his shoulders were narrower, and … there was no sign of fight. Why weren't his clothes even slightly muffed? Where was the blood, the bruises, the wincing from pain? Why did he seem so shocked about me hugging him?

I stepped back; I cursed at myself from leaving the Master Sword behind. "Who are you?"

He seemed lost; that gave me initiative. "Who are you?"

"Not Sheik," said Ammy, fluttering by my ear, "Just a certain someone in disguise. You know her. Well, you don't know her, I guess, but I think you've heard of her. Several times."

The contempt in her tone made me really wonder whether I should be trusting this fairy, but that was a big enough clue to get an idea on who was impersonating my friend.

The said person pulled down the mask, rubbing at whatever was smudged around the uncovered eye to give the tanned look, pulling the blankets free from the hair to let it tumble below her shoulder blades. A flash of light and the eye changed colour, from a blood-red to a piercing crystal blue.

"Hello Link."

I nodded back. "Zelda."

Ammy gave a frustrated shriek, her glow flashing a blood-thirsty red. "That's the answer you give her!? That's what you say!? Link, she was the one that could've prevented these months of fighting, and killing and dieing…! Ganondorf wouldn't be back and kicking if it weren't for her!" Ammy's wings bristled with bloody fangs and claws, and they ripped my hand as I held her back from attacking. "Let me at her! Lemme ater!"

Ammy's hysterical screams brought Zelda's chin touching her chest. A drop of water fell from her face and splashed the dusty stone floor. Her shoulders shook.

"I understand that seeing me was perhaps the last thing you ever wanted to do, but please…" she lifted her gaze to mine, her eyes wet, "There is much to explain, and so little time."

I nodded. "Bring it on."

"Vwat!?"

I caged the rabid fairy in my hands, and finally she stopped struggling.

Zelda took a deep breath. "First, you must take this." she touched my left hand, and for a second it glowed, a spell rushing through my head. "That is the spell needed to create a Light arrow. Ganondorf has immersed himself in so much evil and dark magic that the Master Sword may have a struggle in defeating him. The Light arrow will weaken him, and strengthen your blow."

I nodded again. I have to say, it'd be useful.

"And you must realise, Link," Zelda continued, offering me her right hand, "Ganondorf does not have the whole Triforce."

"…Huh?"

"There is a Sheikah legend, passed down to me from my nursemaid Impa, regarding the Triforce."

Something clicked in my head. Was this the story Sheik was going to tell me?

"'When one of pure heart, balanced in spirit touches the Triforce, the world will be at peace and prosperity. When one of tainted soul and unsteady heart touches the Triforce, the world will be at war and poverty, and the great power will rend in three'." Zelda recited, a far away look in her eyes, "It means that when Ganondorf touched the Triforce, the Sheikah legend came true. The Triforce ripped in three, leaving Ganon only with power. The Triforce of Courage, the gift of Furore, went with you, Link."

My left hand throbbed. I yelled as it hit me pain, making me release Ammy. I stared it the back of my hand in horror as well as awe, unable to believe it. A Triforce mark burned my gauntlet, as Ammy gave a whoop of delight.

I couldn't really say I felt the same, mind you.

"And Nayru's gift, the Triforce of Wisdom," Zelda flashed golden light. I jumped back and shielded my face, eyes watering. "Was handed to me."

I looked up. Zelda had transformed her clothing, and looked every bit a gorgeous Princess. Okay… please tell me if I'm going into shock. This is too much information all at once, people! And has anyone noticed that none of the information I'm getting is relatively important?

"Okay… okay. I get that now. But tell me one thing; if you're so wise, maybe you can tell me where the hell Sheik is."

She blinked and shook her head. "I cannot answer that; I don't know where Sheik is, because she left my side two, maybe even three years ago. There has been no contact between us for a long, long, time. I've been worried for you, Link. How did you manage without Sheik's help?"

I blinked. Blinked again. "You've had no contact with Sheik." She nodded. "For twothree years." she nodded again. "You don't know where he is." She blinked, looking dazed. Then I snapped. "You don't know where Sheik is!? Are you telling me I've been wasting my time talking to you when I could've gone to save him already!? That's… just… great."

I threw my arms up and turned. I stomped off to leave, "Wait!"

"What is it now, Princess!?" I snapped, whirling round to glare at her.

"Did you just call Sheik h-"

A blue crystal suddenly swallowed her, and she was hurled onto her back, wincing in pain. Laughter that sounded like thunder and lightening clashing rolled through the temple, making dust fly off the walls, some of the glass above shattered.

"If you wish to see the Princess and your beloved Sheikah, brat, come to my castle. I'll be delighted to see you bleeding on my floors!"

"Where's Sheik you bastard!" I screamed, as the crystal floated away, as the laughter grew louder and louder and crushed me to the temple floor.