The Links have found the entrance to the Fire Temple, and so begins their search for the Fire Element.

But what awaits them in the depths of the fiery... active volcano?

You'll just have to keep reading to find out! ;)


Chapter Twelve: Dissension


The smoldering heat of the lava which poured in and all around the four boys in the depths of the temple continued to eat away at all four of them as they continued their trek through the dangerous depths of the deepest caverns of Death Mountain. The rock beneath their boots was rough and hard, and it was all they could do to keep from losing their grip on the ground and tumbling off to the side, where pools of bubbling magma awaited them at the bottom. Trapped in the sweltering inferno of the mountain, the heat continued to build around them, putting all of them on edge and slowly but surely wearing them down.

"Damnit, I'm telling you, we've already taken this path!" Blue shouted in fury, sweating and panting from the walk and the heat which ate at them from every angle, having no mercy on the four children. Finally having come to a stop, the four Links found themselves looking at another split in the road- one path leading into a dark tunnel, the other, downwards deeper into the caverns. Lines of magma were scored across each rock around them and glowed in intense temperature.

"We're going in circles," Green admitted with a sigh, shaking his head as he lifted a hand, wiping away a thin layer of perspiration which had been forming across his forehead. They were all beat and tired- even though they had only been walking deeper through the temple (which, each of them noticed with irritation, was hardly any different than the rough, natural state of the volcano's inside), with every step the waves of heat barreled over them, from over and above them, and cooking them from below.

"But this doesn't make any sense," Vio hissed through gritted teeth, taking a step forward and blinking past the beads of sweat which were also beginning to drip down his forehead. Like the others, his bangs were also slightly damp in his own sweat, and he furiously studied both entrances. Pointing at the one leading to the cave, he said sharply, "We tried that tunnel before, and it led us straight back to the beginning." He then pointed at the other and cursed, lowering his hand as he grumbled, "And this path leads to a dead end. Remember?"

"Maybe there's another tunnel we missed somewhere behind us?" Red offered with a sullen whine, taking his hat off his hair to briefly wipe away the sweat beading above his eyes.

"Impossible," Vio snapped irritably, looking back and crossing his arms nonchalantly, "I would have noticed it."

"Then what do you suggest?" sneered Blue in response, rounding furiously on the other Link. He was exhausted, and all his energy had been wasted as he had tried to patiently follow the others through the temple. But now, he'd had enough. "You're the smart one, know-it-all, so why don't you lead us through?" he mocked.

"Hey, there's no call for words like that," Green shouted, coming to Vio's defense and standing by his side as he continued, "We're all trying our best! Leave Vio alone."

However, turning towards the Link who had stuck up for him, Vio crossed his arms and huffed, "I don't need your 'backup', Green. I'm not afraid of Blue." Feeling his own sense of worth diminished by Green's well-intended support, he darted his eyes angrily over to Blue, snapping, "I'm doing what I can, here. What do you expect? This whole damn temple is a labyrinth!"

"What the hell?-!" Blue shouted, surprised and infuriated, balling his hands into fists. "Jeez, even Green's trying to be nice to you and you shove him away," he snarled, advancing upon the other, raising a finger which he jabbed in Vio's chest. "Stop making excuses! You act like you're so high-and-mighty and important, now face the music!"

"How dare you!" Enraged, Vio quickly shoved Blue's accusatory finger aside. His own hands also curled into fists as he leaned forward, shouting, "I'm doing the best I can!"

"Obviously, it's not good enough!" Blue roared back, also infuriated by being shoved aside. He brought his hands up, and the two boys took another step closer, hands balled up into fists and ready to fight.

Gritting his teeth past his anger, Green shook his head. "This isn't getting us anywhere!" he shouted, trying to keep the peace, yet losing his own temper as well. Who was Vio to get angry at him for trying to help? And what right did Blue have to be angry at Vio? As far as he was concerned, they were both being immature, and he was getting sick of it.

"Why, you-!"

"Come on!"

And as the two grew closer to one another and closer to a fight, their eyes burning in fury, Green's eyes narrowed as he approached the two once more, firmly breaking up their fight by standing in between them and forcing his arms out, forcefully separating the both of them. "Hey! Stop acting like children! If anyone has anything actually helpful to say, say it. Otherwise," he snarled, glaring at one and then the other, "shut up."

There was a tense silence between the Links as Vio and Blue continued to glare daggers at one another, their arms still poised for a fight, with Green firmly looking from one of them to the other as he stood in between them, keeping them from all but tearing each other apart. Finally, the silence was broken by a timid, quiet voice.

"Um... this path doesn't work, so..." Red sighed as he tried his best to speak up, wringing the hat in his hands anxiously. The other three turned to look at him, and he continued, offering a small smile, "Let's just try walking back and double-checking to see if there's anything we missed. Okay?"

Another tense pause stretched on between the four heroes, but finally, sighing and breaking up from their fight, the others separated and turned towards Red, their arms crossed in reluctance but offering a simple nod.

"Great!" Red said, instantly cheering up. With a grin, he shoved his hat back on his head. If he could just keep them from fighting, hopefully they'd make it out of there. He gave a smile and a nod, saying as he turned around to start walking back, "Come on, let's go back and try again. I'm sure we'll find the right path, this time!"

Smiling to himself, Red continued walking back up the path they'd came. Though thoughts of doubt were eating at his mind, and the heat continued to blow at him in its harsh waves from all around him, wearing away at his energy and drive... He had to keep going. And above all, he had to keep the others together. Why was this so important...? He frowned as he continued to think about that, the question which he'd wondered at the start of the mountain. Something in him told him, that it was his duty- his responsibility, even- to keep them together as a team, to keep their spirits up and encourage them on, when the times were tough.

And that's just what he'd do! With a brightened smile, Red nodded firmly to himself to ascertain this fact.

"Alright, guys, we-" Red started to say, turning around with a grin to look at the others behind him- and yet, he instantly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes wide.

No one was behind him.

"G...Guys?-!" Shouting in worry, instantly turning around to run, Red found himself sprinting back down the trail, the drops of sweat racing across his face as the wind blew over him, hoping the others were not far behind.

And yet, when he came into the earlier room with the split choices, he froze in his steps, and his heart sank at what he saw.

In the center of the narrow, precarious path, tossing and rolling around and throwing punches every which way, the three Links were engaged in a fight against one another, shouting and cursing as they fought. Blue's face was red and he swore loudly in anger as he threw punches Vio's way, while the other boy, equally infuriated, dodged the other's careless attacks and swung back with fists of his own, also shouting out biting insults. And in the center, bellowing angrily at them both, was Green, desperately trying to keep them separate- but getting hit himself, and, once or twice, punching back in frustration.

What... what had happened? Somehow, after Red had left, something must have been said... by who, or what exactly was said, it obviously no longer mattered at this point... and, without his calming words of reassurance and encouragement, the three had flown into a fight. Red's sunken heart tugged and ate at him as he looked on in horror, that familiar question eating him away- why? Why were they all split so differently? If only they were the same, none of this would happen...

Shaking his head as he snapped to his senses, Red cried out in protest as he ran forward onto the narrow bridge on which the three were fighting.

"H-Hey! Guys! Stop, please!" Red pleaded as he grabbed someone's arm, trying to pull them off of each other, but also dodging their stray punches and hits. His grip slipped, and, crying out, he found himself falling back. With a grunt, he fell backwards on the ground, catching himself with his hands, yet groaning as he pushed himself back to his feet. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the boy gritted his teeth in determination.

They never listen to me, Red thought, anger rising in him as he looked up at the still-fighting boys. No matter what I say! Well, dangit, they're GOING to, this time! No matter what I gotta do! Angrily, Red rolled up his sleeves as he once more jumped into the fray, shouting as he tried to pull apart the three fighting boys-

And all at once, the wind was knocked out of him, and he gasped, eyes wide, as he was slugged in the stomach, forcing himself to fall back once again- though this time, too surprised and pain-ridden from the punch to catch himself as he fell. Instead, he cried out as he hit the ground, grunting as he shook his head, teeth gritted and eyes clenched against the pain. His arm was wrapped tightly around his stomach, and he was nearly doubled over in agony.

The fight had suddenly turned stopped and turned silent as all three sets of wide eyes looked over at Red, then back at each other, each wondering, with a wave of shock and guilt stunning them speechless, just which one of them had accidentally hit their small friend.

And yet... There was hardly a second longer for the three to ponder this, or for Red to recover from the breath shoved out of his chest... For in that split-second after Red had fallen, a sickening sound had rattled throughout the caves, rumbling the very ground beneath them. The sound was continuing... a terrible, cracking sound beneath their feet. Looking down in creeping horror, the boys could only watch as a large gash in the rock beneath them began to grow and spread, slicing away and creating a horrible sound as it spread further and further across the narrow rock bridge they stood on...

Eyes wide, the four heroes looked at one another in shock and silence.

And as the bridge beneath them finally shattered, all four of them found themselves screaming as they plunged down, falling through the hole they'd created in the bridge, spiraling downwards, down towards the terrible lava below...

However, once again the familiar, dreaded yet also welcoming feeling of harsh ground met each of the heroes as the four slammed against the ground beneath them, groaning in pain as they rolled over on their side, clutching their arms or sides as the pain from the fall shot through their bodies.

Blinking past the pain, it was Blue who finally first opened his eyes, clutching his side and staggering to his feet as he looked around him, trying to figure out where they had fallen. Slowly, one by one, the other Links were also beginning to stumble and stagger back to their feet, each weary and aching from the fall, looking to see just where they had fallen.

A large, round platform of rock had saved the four from the perils of the lava surrounding them, situated just beneath the bridge from which they had fallen. However, there was nothing else in sight around them- as far as they were concerned, they were now trapped- surrounded by lava in every direction, without a bridge or so much as a rock poking out of the lava to help them escape.

"Where... where are we?" Green found himself asking dully, groaning and wincing in the pain as he clutched his arm, upon which he'd fallen on top of after the bridge broke. He idly massaged it, wincing again at the pain in his elbow simply from touching it. This cannot be good, he thought with an inward groan.

"Stuck again, it looks like," Vio grunted, grimacing himself as he also struggled to stand, limping lightly for a moment before shaking his head and forcing himself into balance once more. He wondered idly if he'd twisted his ankle upon the fall, but... looking around them, he realized dully, that it wouldn't matter either way.

"Perfect," Blue spat, shaking his head and letting his arm fall to the side. His side ached and throbbed with pain, but he bluntly ignored it, instead stepping forward and looking around him once again. "Just perfect. What the hell do we do now?"

The three boys looked at one another, their eyes still narrowed and their bruises aching at them and reminding them of the earlier fight... But all at once, their eyes snapped open, and they looked to the side.

"Red!"

Instantly, running up to the last Link to get up, the other three swarmed around Red, who still lay collapsed on the ground. Though each tried to help him to his feet, it each became apparent to them, as they looked at their friend's closed eyes, that he was not going to stand up on his own willpower. Instead, the boy slumped backwards once again- the shock of the fall having rendered the smaller Link unconscious.

"D-Damnit! Vio, you ass, this is all your fault!" Blue roared in fury as he stood up, turning around and facing the other, his hands once more balled into tight fists.

"MY fault?-!" Vio cried back in surprise, though also standing up and facing the other in anger. "This never would have happened if-"

"BOTH of you, be quiet!" Green shouted, his face also twisted in fury, as he got up, rounding on both of them. "Don't you see what's going on?-! We're-"

With a terrifying, thundering sound, and a horrendous jolt, the three Links suddenly found themselves shouting and flung to the ground as the ground beneath them heaved and tilted backwards, the magma around them splashing upwards in the great vibration. And yet, these splashes seemed minimal to the great explosion in the lava on the other side of the rock platform- like a waterspout from hell, a sudden blast of the fire had shot out from the lava in front of them, rocking the boat-like rock platform and sending the three Links falling down with a start.

Eyes wide, the three Links looked up, as the platform began to stabilize once more, at what was slowly emerging from the wall of flame surrounding the circular platform.

A massive, scaly leg, shrouded in terrible, clanking armor, thundered on the rock platform, shaking the ground once more, and another soon followed after it as a pair of legs, bearing scales and hooked claws, slammed down on the ground. Swishing violently behind it was a long, scaly tail, also clad in armor which rattled and shrieked as each plate slid over the other with the tail's movement.

And lastly, towering above the legs and lizard-like tail, with a tall upper body and scaly hands to match its feet, the head of a gargantuan, reptilian monster looked down at the children, its crocodile-like teeth opened wide and jaws flashing in a terrifying, screeching roar. Its entire body was loosely clad in the horrible, twisted armor- but even worse than the armor were the flames that danced around it, surrounding the monster in the fire of the lava around them.

Seemingly unharmed by the flames, instead commanding them as a powerful and effective shield, the Fire Dinolfos roared as it took another massive step forward, the rock once more shaking with its movement, raising over its head a massive, arced blade and cackling in fierce delight.

Swearing violently, Green shook his head, teeth grit, as he struggled once more to his feet, standing over Red. "Blue, Vio! Distract it! I'll protect Red!" he shouted, barking orders instantly as he glared up with grim determination at the new enemy, nearly twice their size, which had jumped out of the flames at them.

"Like hell you will!" Blue instead shouted back, eyes blazing in fury at the audacity of the other. "Move aside! I've got this!" he snapped, shoving Green harshly aside as he stood in front of Red, bringing up his sword and looking up with enraged eyes at the Dinolfos as it continued to cackle, slowly stomping across the ground as it began to close the distance between them.

"Blue, why don't you listen to someone else, for a change?-!" Vio snapped back in fury as he shook his head, regaining his senses and drawing his sword as well. Slowly, he was beginning to back off to the side, keeping a careful eye on the Dinolfos, hoping to lure it away from the still-unconscious Red.

"Thanks, Vio, but I don't need your 'backup'," Green snapped back coldly, and Vio, blinking in surprise, grit his teeth and looked away in quiet anger.

"HEY! Heads up!" Blue shouted, looking up in fury as the Dinolfos, cackling, suddenly jumped forward with a screech, slicing downwards with its blade at its intended target: the lone boy standing over Red. Grunting in fury, Blue raised his sword horizontally, bearing the full brunt of the sword attack on his own sword, only to shove his blade forward, sending the Dinolfos toppling backwards. Using this opportunity to strike, Blue jumped forward, lashing his blade out- but his blade met only empty air as the flames swirled around him, causing him to jump back in order to avoid the onslaught of fire.

Using the fire as his shield, screeching and chattering once more, the Fire Dinolfos slowly backed away, sneering with its twisted grin and setting its sights on the other boys.

"I thought you said you'd distract it?-!" Blue snapped at Green, panting from the blow.

"I said YOU would, idiot!" Green shouted backwards, infuriated at Blue- not having the time nor patience to deal with him, as the Dinolfos had suddenly advanced on him, swinging its blade. Green had raised his shield in defense and was doing his best to parry the blows- but every time he struck back with his own, like before, the flames rose up around it and defended the lizard creature from any attacks. He frantically thought of his boomerang, but, remembering its wooden surface, quickly decided against it. His eyes darted over to Vio, "Hey! Help me out, here!"

Gritting his teeth past his anger at the others, sheathing his sword and instead whipping out his bow, the Link instantly fitted an arrow to the string, aiming right in between the armor of the Dinolfos. However, he noticed with an angry start, the arrow was incinerated by the surrounding fire before it had a chance to even reach its target. Replacing the bow back behind him, Vio instead raced forward, his blade trailing artfully behind him, as he tried to rush the Dinolfos on his own from behind, swinging his sword expertly in a rounded back-slice. Vio's sword grazed against the metal of the armor plating, his eyes narrowing as he hoped to wound the animal beneath- but as soon as the silver of his sword screeched against the metal of his armor, he found himself shouting as he flew back, landing harshly against the stone, thrown back by the force of the fire around the Dinolfos.

With a cackling laugh, the Fire Dinolfos, dancing in its protective armor of fire, whirled around as it once more advanced upon Green. And though he tried as he could, the boy's face was slowly but surely being lined with sweat- from the heat, and from his own exhaustion- as he fought against the Dinolfos, though being pushed further and further against the edge of the rock. In a desperate bid as he tried to avoid falling in the magma, Green tried rolling to the side-

And yet, crying out in pain and anger, suddenly felt himself hit heads with another, and stumbled back, wrapping a hand over his forehead and looking up furiously at who he'd run into. Blue, swearing loudly and holding his head, was flinging a string of all sorts of curse words at Green for running into him, and after he was trying to help and do what Green had said, too.

Cackling, seeing both wounded kids at his feet, the Dinolfos raised its saber and swung at the two incapacitated children. Though the two tried to scramble to their feet and get away, even though the blade missed them, the monster's second attack blew them backwards towards the center of the floor, the fire blasting against them and burning around them in fervor. Once more, the two shouted in pain as they both bumped up against something else. And, rubbing his head, Vio groaned as he tried to stand up after being hit by the other two, who had been thrown to the side by the Dinolfos' powerful fire attack.

Weakly opening his eyes, Green grit his teeth as his thoughts raced through his mind. They were getting their asses handed to them by this lizard, and it was because they weren't working as a team. Weary and exhausted from their fight against one another, they hardly had the strength left to stand up against the Dinolfos- the real enemy. It was pitiful... What would Red say?

... Red!

With a start, Green gasped as he looked past the approaching Dinolfos to where Red had fallen. The others, seeing his gaze, also looked, wide-eyed, past the approaching enemy to their friend.

Groaning, and weakly pushing his arms beneath him, Red's arms trembled as they tried to support the weight of his weakened body and push himself back up on his feet. Getting to his knees, Red shook his head and put a hand to his aching, throbbing temple, trying to open his eyes as he stumbled out of unconsciousness. Lifting his gaze, he suddenly blinked and gasped, freezing at what he saw.

The Fire Dinolfos, still cackling in its mad screeching sounds, had slowly begun to descend upon the three fallen heroes, raising its sword high as it prepared to deliver the final strike. The children were finished, broken and defeated- there would be nothing left to stop him from killing them once and for all. And yet, a sudden cry alerted the lizard, and, screaming in hate, the Dinolfos whirled around, its wide eyes looking around for the source of the shout.

Still unable to get to his feet, Red grunted as he used his sword to support the upper half of his body, his arms still shaking as he looked up at the Dinolfos, his eyes narrowed in determination. He'd shouted at the enemy, gotten its attention away from the others... And though the others, struggling to their feet, were trying to protest against it, Red gave a grim smile as he watched the Dinolfos began to approach upon the new, even weaker enemy...

And yet, as it approached, Red's eyes narrowed, his hand wrapping tightly around the hilt of his sword. His gaze, though focused intently on the approaching monster, slowly began to drift downwards to the rock platform upon which they were fighting... Once more, his hands re-gripped the golden handle of his blade.

And as the Dinolfos screeched in rage, taking another step forward and raising its saber high, the other Links shouting out in protest, and the wall of flames roaring around the monster, Red's voice was suddenly the loudest of them all as he yelled loudly, jumping up as best he could and raising his sword high- only to plunge it sharply downwards, deep into the rock, where it sunk half-way into a magma-lined crack in the surface.

In that instant, everything paused- as instead, a familiar sound began to shatter through the silence of the fight. Its eyes wide, one leg still raised, the Dinolfos looked down in surprise at the source of the sound- a wide crack, splitting from where Red's blade had been stabbed into the rock, was slowly, but surely, splitting a wide chasm in the surface of the rock.

There was another instant of silence, when the Dinolfos looked up at Red with wide eyes, suddenly realizing what he had done.

But that silence was shattered in the next instant, when the cracks in the surface finally gave way, as had the bridge above them, and the ground beneath the great beast suddenly opened up, the hot magma from beneath roaring up angrily and devouring the Dinolfos which, screeching, had fallen right through the hole and into the searing lava.

Struggling to their feet, the three Links, shocked into silence, stood and slowly walked over to the hole in the platform, through which the enemy had fallen and become immersed in the deadly lava.

"Is... is it gone?" Green asked, shaking his head incredulously.

And yet, the one who answered gave them all a surprise, and the three heroes looked up in shock to see Red standing next to them, giving a weak smile and a nod.

"Y-yeah, I think so..." Though his voice was a bit shaky, he swallowed past his fears, and even allowed a short laugh to escape his lips. Grinning again, he looked back up at the others, his sword held in his limp, yet still unwavering, grasp. "Heh... that was a close one... wasn't it?"

Laughing and cheering in excitement, the three Links suddenly swarmed their friend, nearly lifting him off the ground as they hugged him, patted him on the back, and talked eagerly about him, glad he was alright and impressed that he had defeated the Dinolfos.

"Guys..."

Faltering, and quieting down, the three Links took a step back and looked strangely back at Red, whose voice was fading once again.

Looking down sadly at the crack in the ground, Red sighed and shook his head, looking back up at the others with pleading eyes. "Can't we just... get along?" he asked sadly, imploring at them with his words. "...Please? I know we'd be a much better team if we didn't all fight..."

Nervously, and a bit sadly, the three Links looked at one another. Their previous fight on top of the bridge hadn't yet been forgotten- or hardly even forgiven, for that matter, but...

All at once, the silence was broken by a deep, unsettling rumbling sound, and the Links staggered around, eyes wide, as the ground beneath them began to shake. Slowly, the four heroes looked at one another, a sinking feeling eating at them as the rumbling continued, growing by every second...

And in the next instant, the rumbling was shattered by a sudden explosion behind them, and the four heroes shouted out as the jumped aside, looking back in fear at what had caused the explosion. The ground beneath them was shaking and swerving violently, and pieces of rock along their platform were being blasted away, incinerated instantly into bits as blasts of fire shot out from underneath them, eating away at the platform, and even shooting up all around the platform itself.

The sickening cracking sound had also returned, and, as the Links noticed with wide eyes, the cracks were beginning to spread quicker and quicker amongst the holes blown in the platform by the raging lava beneath them.

"The... the volcano... it's going to erupt!" Vio shouted suddenly, looking around frantically. And though the heroes, looking around in wide-eyed fear, began to gather close to one another... none of them were prepared for what happened next.

With a horrible shattering sound, and another loud explosion, the surface beneath the Links suddenly split open, shattering into pieces and spreading out into the lava. Shouting out, the boys each desperately clung to the rock they stood underneath, and, with wide eyes, stared ahead in panic as the lava around them, shaken by the eruptions of Death Mountain, began to move rapidly beneath them...

And, helpless to change the flow of the fire's tide, the four heroes instead shouted in alarm as they began to barrel down the lava river, clinging to the small pieces of rock left from the platform, the fires all around them blazing up and blasting the entire mountain into the furious, deadly dance of the flames.


Starting off their adventure, and already the Links can't seem to get along.

And yet, that seems to be the LEAST of their worries right now...

Instead, the Links are now stranded on scattered rocks, flowing down the deadly magma river as the volcano erupts around them.

Find out what happens to them in tomorrow's chapter, Chapter Thirteen: Flame!