Oh my gosh, look at what I found in one of my files! I couldn't believe it, how could I forget it? I know, I'm such a genius, haha xD anyway, the next chapter of this little buddy here after all this time - I know. Horrible. Gah...oh well xD

To the reviews!

ShadowRiderOmega - Yeah I always imagined the most Link's in the series if not every single one of them to be a people person. All those side-quests like you mentioned and the whole 'Save the whole kingdom? Sure!' thing xDD and yes Fi! I actually really liked her, I was just disappointed that Nintendo did nearly nothing with her :/ I would've loved more interaction with her so that the heartbreaking farewell scene in the end would've been reaallly heartbreaking xD
Pattrany - Exactly xD I never really got that part as well with Fi, I mean she was/is the damn spirit of the master sword! The same damn sword you always use! If that isn't something awesome than I don't know what is.
Jake-Everfree - Thanks :DD and yeah sorry for the long wait and stuff, haha. Yeah Saria will be useful - I'm gonna split all the items up. Because I really can't see Link running around with everything xD and yes, SariaxLink will always be special. Got to love these two.


Chapter Seven
The Fire and Chains

Never again. Link wanted to never return to Eldin ever again. He grabbed his hat and pulled it off his head. The sun was shining down without mercy, the burning lava around him was boiling and he believed his scalp was suffocating beneath that piece of cloth -and even though it didn't get any better he held onto his hat rather than putting it back on.

If only he could wear his thin cotton-lined shirt from home instead...

...and he didn't know either if Saria had gathered already her share of pieces like he did...

Splitting up had never been a great idea, he believed. Back in Faron Woods it worked but...his eyes glanced at the scenery around him. This place here felt anything but safe to him.

"Jeez...why does it have to be so hot..." The blond groaned. It felt like thinking alone hurt his head.

The feeling in his feet had already left him half an hour ago. He only noticed numbly how his boots sunk into the sand and how he pulled them out once more in order to move. Slowly, over and over again. Could this get any worse than this?

"Master." Oh no. "The temperature obviously is the cause of the form of nature and atmosphere which is present in Eldin. 68%-"

"Fi?"

"Yes, master?"

"No."

"'No' what, master?"

Link felt his head throb as he groaned in slight annoyance. "It was a rhetorical question. I honestly don't want to know why exactly it's so hot. That would only make it worse, I believe..."

"I see." The soft blue colored spirit replied slowly.

The Skyloftian glanced at his rather uncommon companion, actually a bit worried that he hurt her feelings but her calm and stoic expression never faltered. Not even in the slightest. He gulped nervously. From his experience such a reaction always meant something bad.

"Everything alright, Fi?"

The messenger of the goddess turned towards the young man whilst her thin body flew a bit higher than before. Her empty eyes focused his' for a second, making him stop his movement out of reflex altogether. Did he ask now the wrong thing?

"What should be not, master? Is your mental health in any danger?"

"What? Well...no...I think...I just thought that maybe..." Link stumbled upon his words before he stopped himself from saying anything more which could embarrass him further. Just where was Saria to save him from this situation...she always knew the right way to help him escape from such awkward conversations he always found himself in.

"Hey!"

The blonds' head snapped towards the temple. He didn't even notice that he was already that far until his friend's voice reminded him and thankfully awoke him from his helpless train of thoughts. His face lit up immediately as the younger one waved at him from afar. The pieces Fi told her about cradled in her other arm.

Link's pace quickened as his grin became wider. "You found everything without a problem?"

The greenhead laughed lightly. "Of course! You left me the closest ones anyway..." She offered the strange shaped pieces to him which the senior knight gladly accepted. It were merely a few moments he needed before every item they found was placed in its right spot. It formed a strange star-like object which had been crafted with care and details. The senior knight observed it thoughtfully before he played it into the dent in the door.

Click.

As if on cue the tall doors rumbled and screeched as they started to move on their own. They opened slowly and sent in process a harsh hot breeze towards the youngsters who covered their faces quickly. The staircase lead down towards a room they couldn't see yet and honestly the heat they could already feel from here made them wonder if they actually wanted to go down there at all...

"The presence of Zelda comes from deep within this place, master." Fi's voice echoed in their pointy ears before her form suddenly vanished in a few pale sparkles.

"Well...that changes everything..." Link murmured silently as he furrowed his brow.

"Soon." The girl next to him suddenly whispered.

And with that their silhouettes disappeared in the ancient temple.


"Damn...it never looked so big from the outside..." Link said as he gaped at the tall and spacious room in front of them.

A path, made out of different colored stones led forward towards the edge of a river or better said pool of lava which nearly covered the whole room. Saria could feel the sweat on her forehead sweat at that sight...this horrible heat would chase after them no matter what.

"Let's hurry and find Zelda." Her blue eyes glanced at her companion whilst he was still baffled at the new scene.

"Yeah." His answer was weak but his nod was firm as he walked towards the edge. "It's the same pattern as outside, right? We only need to look for rocks which are swimming on the surface."

The girl nodded determined. "Yeah, let's do that."

Both of them walked along the edge until they found something they could call a 'swimming path'. Of course it was anything but safe and stabile-looking but it was not like they had a choice. It took them many jumps and careful steps. A few twists and turns until finally they found a drawbridge at the end.

"It never ends, does it?" Link said whilst he pushed the first switch he found.

Saria on the other side threw him a confused look as she pushed the switch on her side as well.

"What do you mean?"

"The riddles." His clear blue eyes stared thoughtfully at the bridge in front of them which didn't move that much, even though they pushed and pulled every switch in their sight.

The green haired girl blinked at his answer before her gaze landed at the tall stone which still blocked their way stubbornly. For a second she narrowed her eyes before they quickly widened as she found something interesting.

"You can't honestly mean that this here is a riddle." Saria walked towards her friend as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Of course it is...we pulled the switches but that thing is not moving at all." Link grumbled.

"Geesh." A small smile reached her lips as she pointed towards another one of those switches which was waiting right there next to the drawbridge where it clung to the wall.

"There is your switch, and this is not a riddle, Link."

The face of the young man grimaced before he flushed in embarrassment. "I-I knew that."

"Oh, of course you did." Saria started to laugh.

"I really did." The senior knight tried to defend himself weakly whilst his hands were busy pulling out the golden bug out of his bag.

"Uh-huh."

"...you're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

He aimed at the switch carefully.

"No."

And shot.


The temple was a place filled with monsters and dangerous pits of lava. Lizards, as tall a Hylians attacked them - strange creatures that hid in the sea of flames. It was no place for beings like them, Link noted fast. It was overrun by dangerous things. The temperature was barely bearable. The air was dry.

They had only met a few Mogmas up until now as well.

However, even if the youngsters couldn't believe it themselves, they found objects which hinted at humans. Ladders, constructions built with metal and stone. Decorated paths and golden doors. That was nothing what a Mogma could have done. But who had lived here? It was a question Saria asked herself over and over again as they moved deeper and deeper into the temple.

Who had lived here?

Hylians? Like them? But was that possible?

"Look what I found." Link turned to her with a big grin, a threaded satchel in his hands.

"What is that?" The green haired girl furrowed her brow, walking around the dead Lizards carefully.

"It's a bomb bag; Fi said that it was possible that one of the Mogmas left it behind - think I can keep it?"

Saria frowned. "You? And a bag filled with bomb flowers? I don't think that's a good idea."

The blonds' grin faltered. "Come on, it could be useful."

The Skyloftian stared intently at her friend, certain that if one of those Lizards - or how Fi called them, Lizafols - was not going to be her death than it would be probably Link and his new little hobby. In the end she sighed, shaking her head lightly.

"Fine, but I swear by her Grace, they are not toys-"

"Sure." He interrupted her fast, fastening the satchel at his belt. "No toys, dangerous - I know."

The senior knight was already ready to move on, leading the way further into the depths of this dungeon. His mood had brightened my miles thanks to his new discovery, and it was a first time that Saria wasn't sure if she could share his contagious goofy grin with much enthusiasm like she would any other time.

Link and flowers which were able to explode...oh, what would Zelda say if she saw that...?

The young man twisted his head around to her as he found another door, gesturing her to follow him which she willingly did. Another room, another pair of horrible monsters and another slope they had to claim even though their limbs slowly started to ache. Saria held onto Link's arm as they reached the end of the sharp ascent. Trying to catch her ragged breath as best as she could, the burning air was anything but refreshing, it tasted like heavy hot metal.

"You alright?" The sandy blond asked exhausted while the girl shook her head.

"Who builds such temples...?"

"A diabolic mind...?"

His answer made her laugh and her sides hurt in process, she pushed him lightly to hush him but that only made his grin grew. His twinkling blue eyes slowly left her as Link chose to take their surroundings in instead - and they widened as he saw the next amazing construction which definitely was created by many pairs of hands.

"Wow..."

Saria was about to ask him what he was talking about but as she lifted her head she was able to see it herself. Her mouth opened in awe, taking in the two huge dragons which had been carved into the stone walls left and right. They were staring blankly into each other's eyes. Their mouths wide agape, sharp teeth grazing the edges.

Out of one of the dragons fell a stream of burning lava, hiding something beneath the wall of glowing mass which made the girl jump in surprise. She pointed at the door.

"Look! The door got a similar lock like the one at the previous temple."

Link strained his neck to see what his friend saw until finally he nodded at her discovery. It really was...but where was the key for it? They hadn't found anything in this huge dungeon which was close to the strange form of the lock. The senior knight stared thoughtfully at the dragon before he slowly moved his gaze to the other.

"Maybe we find something up there?"

Saria followed his look and frowned at the steep path which led to the other dragons head. She groaned and bent forward, supporting herself with her hands on her knees. Another one of those? Why couldn't they build everything on the same floor? Her feet were killing her.

"Let me check it out." Link chuckled at her misery and patted her shoulder.

"Really?" The greenhead twisted her head slightly to him and watched how the young man grinned childishly at her. "Yeah, I'll be back really quick."

A sigh of pure relieve left her lips and she nodded deeply. That was an offer she wouldn't decline. Slowly she straightened her back and watched how the sandy blond left her with a single wave for a pair of stairs which leaded upwards to the steep pathway. While she was still trying to catch her breath, she observed how his green clothed form disappeared somewhere beneath the great dragon statue. Like always he was quick on his feet - although she couldn't understand where he still pulled all this strength from.

Hopefully there was not another room, she wouldn't want him to go on his own and neither did she really want to explore more of this maze-like place. She just wanted to find Zelda and go back home. However what happened next was neither of those things.

There was a loud noise which filled the room.

A loud crack, which made her stare after her friend in concern.

And then, to her horror, she saw how the dragon stature opened its mouth, spitting out a huge round rock. Saria's eyes widened as she heard the familiar voice of Link, shouting something loud in surprise. A colorful curse, she imagined. And as the rock fell onto the pathway she knew that this nothing but a horrible trap they run into without even knowing it.

"Link!"

In the distance she could see how the blond run down the path in panic, chased by the murderous rock which rolled mercilessly after him with the intent to kill. Why had neither of them seen that coming!

Saria started to wildly gesture with her hands. "The staircase! Run into the-"

It was a close call but the senior knight literally jumped into the staircase to his left. Not caring about any scratch or bruise he could receive. The huge round rock continued to roll down the path until it left it to fly straight over the girl's head. As if it would help she crouched down with a yelp and covered her head with her arms. She closed her eyes shut to not see how close it rushed over her, landing in the other dragon's mouth with a loud thud.

The stone statue crackled beneath the pressure, the lava flow stopped as its way was stuffed by the evil rock and both Skyloftians took their merry time before they dared to open their eyes once more.

It was silence which met their pointy ears. Except for the sound of the bubbling lava, that is.

"...Saria?"

Link called out first whilst he slowly stood up. His shoulder hurt from the impact as he fell onto the stairs, but damn, that was still a lot better than being squished by a huge rolling rock. He grimaced as no reply came and he started to stumble down the stairs in panic.

Only as he reached the bottom he started to relax. The girl sat on the ground, staring at him with wide eyes - speechless.

"That just..." Her voice cracked dryly in disbelief. "...the rock...you..."

"A diabolic mind...huh?"

"And what for one!" Saria stood up and walked up to side, grabbing his face with both of her hands. "Are you fine? That scared me!"

He tried to smile although he had a feeling that it looked more like a poor grimace. "I'm alright, I guess." A shaky laugh followed suit. "Although I must say, I could live without repeating that again."

Saria's frown deepened, her thumbs brushing the dirt and sweat from his cheeks. How could Zelda run through all this without getting killed? It was a miracle; this place was a lot more dangerous than the Skyview Temple back in Faron Woods. And to think of what could have happened if Link hadn't jumped into the safety of the stupid staircase.

"By her Grace..." She sighed deeply, letting her head fall onto his chest. "That was something..."

Link calmed slowly down from his adrenaline rush and smiled against the soft green hair of the young girl. He was actually only relieved that she chose to wait here instead of coming with him. The senior knight lifted his right hand and presented her the object he had risked his life for.

Saria noticed this movement and leaned back. "Another key."

"Yeah." He answered, handing her the golden key whose form was just as abstract as the other one.

His friend took it carefully into her hands, a small smile attached to her lips. "You don't want to try?"

His playful scowl made her laugh as he brushed past her, walking towards the golden door on the other side of the room. He waved his hand a few times, shaking his head. "Nah, I won't give you another opportunity to make of me."

She quickly followed him, innocently blinking at his face. "I would never do that, Link. I mean, the bridge back there was really-"

The sandy blond threw his hands into the air. "The door, you genius! Mind the door and not me."

The mood became lighter as Saria started to laugh, turning away from her friend to give the lock her whole attention. It would be useless to dwell on the horrible moment before because both of them were fine and they still had a higher priority than to panic and think about the consequences which didn't occur.

"I'm not a genius." The Skyloftian said quietly as she turned and twisted the object in her hands. "I just like riddles."

And with these words she pushed the key into its rightful place, a loud clicking noise signaling her that it worked and the door slowly started to move on its own. Link on the other hand pursed his lips, giving his dear friend a deadly serious look.

"That's the same in moments like these."

Saria smiled at him brightly. "You think?"

"Oh, come on." The taller one started to push her into the other room. "You know what I think."


The two of them walked the way up which had spread in front of them, another paved route which actually had remained intact unlike the others. The walls were graced by decorative carvings, blue and red. And the ground beneath them was firm and not in the slightest broken or deformed.

The youngsters followed the only way they were offered until no one else but Fi suddenly appeared next to them.

"Master, I detect Zelda's aura in the surrounding area." Her pale blue head turned to a rusty chain on the ground. "I detect an especially strong reaction from this chain. I calculate the probability Zelda was bound by it recently at 94%"

"Bound by it?" Saria's eyes widened as she stared at the heavy chain.

She wouldn't have spared that thing a single look if Fi hadn't pointed it out. She never thought that...who would do this? Who would dare to do this to her precious friend?

"I surmise Zelda was somehow able to escape and proceed along this path. I suggest we continue with all possible speed." The sword spirit explained calmly whilst Saria and Link were already ready to run all the way up.

The pain in their aching legs was nothing next to the fear of what had happened and what could still happen to Zelda whilst they were lingering around like this. Both of them followed the way, jumped down a little hurdle only to find themselves in front of another steep slope again.

There was no end to ups and downs, although this time there was no time to complain about it.

Link and Saria had already reached the middle of their hindrance as a terrible laugh echoed through-out the room. The sandy blond came to a bold halt, already reaching for his sword as his friend stopped a few meters ahead of him.

Girahim. Of course he would be here...

"Oh it's you two!" His voice laughed from the top of the descent. Loud and shrill.

Saria took immediately a few steps back until she felt the presence of the other close to her own one. That guy was the last one she wanted to see. She had actually hoped to never see him again in her life, but that was obviously too much to ask for.

The tall stranger on the other hand, stared at them from afar, his snow-white hair falling to the side as he tilted his head lightly. The sinister smile on his lips couldn't mean any good.

"Aah, I'm afraid to be at a loss for your names..." Girahim said softly, eying the youngsters with care. "...not that it matters. But I am frustrated and in no mood to play with you."

Link stepped forward to shield his friend with his back; he wouldn't be stupid enough to let his guard down this time.

"I heard my underlings had finally captured the spirit maiden, so of course I rushed over here." As if he hadn't noted the hostile gaze of the sandy blond he continued to speak. He laid one of his pale white hands onto his chest in a dramatic way. "What can I say? I was excited. Flustered, even...but what did I find when I arrived...?"

Girahim's dark eyes suddenly narrowed at them and he threw his hands angrily in front of him. "That goddess-serving dog escaped with the girl!" He hollered in sudden rage.

His words echoed from every corner of the room, emphasizing the fuming madness which brooded in his guts as his grimace became a terrible scowl. "I MUST have her! In order to resurrect my master! I MUST HAVE HER!"

Saria jumped at his sudden change. The playful tune from before was quickly lost as it was replaced by a darker, furious one. And as if the pale man noticed her misery he started to laugh, easing the wrinkles on his forehead as he straightened his back in a calm manner.

"I got a little carried away there, didn't I?" Girahim mused softly. "I don't deal well with...complications. It's truly a terrible flaw of mine." A fake smile graced his white lips. "Ah, but now I've got you. There's someone special I'd like you to meet. Ooh~ don't be shy! I'm sure you'll like him! And if you two haven't become a pile of ashes...I'd be delighted to see you again."

A chuckle left the grown-up before he snapped with his fingers. His body vanished into thin air which left both Skyloftians all alone...at least until a loud, terrible crack behind them caught their attention. Unbearable slow the two of them twisted their head around; glancing at the path they had come from fearfully as a familiar massive stone crashed into the ground. The rough surface caught fire out of nowhere, glowing as bright as the red lava around them.

And maybe if the two of them hadn't already discovered that the surface really existed, that rumors and legends could be true. Then Saria was sure they wouldn't be able to believe how a lonesome big eye was suddenly blinking at them.

An eye which belonged to the so called rock...which suddenly was alive.