Chapter 4

"I just don't understand..." Marin whispered for the hundredth time, her pale cheeks streaked with dirt and hot tears.

"I wish I could tell you I did..." Link held her close to him. He knew little would console her now, but she needed to know that he was there for her, that she wouldn't be going through this alone.

"We're only people. We can't save Koholint," she sobbed, her entire body trembling, even under his reassuring embrace.

"Marin," he started, tilting her face up to him, "I have faith that we can. We've got to try at least." Link gently caressed her cheek, wiping away her tears with the softest of touches.

"It's no use. No matter how hard we try we'll still..." fresh tears streamed from her eyes, more urgent then before, "We'll still be terminated," she finished harshly.

"We won't be," Link ran a hand through his thick blonde hair, feeling how warm he was, feeling the grime and sweat on his skin, "I'll promise you one thing, Marin. And that's that if we are killed...then it will be together, battling with all our strength."

"Can you promise me something else?"

"What is it?" he stroked the side of her face gingerly.

"That you'll never leave me."

"Marin...I never want to leave you...but..." he broke off, unable to speak the last words, "We have to save Koholint. We have to decide upon a plan."

"Yes, yes we do..that is, must..." she fumbled her words, her thoughts obviously not with the current situation.

"We'll do this logically. Okay, what's our goal?" Link asked in a sedate manner.

"Not to sink?" Marin gulped.

"Well that helps," Link muttered sardonically, "Listen Marin, do you want to save Koholint or not? Because sitting there, feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to accomplish a hell of a lot, believe me," he glared at her, absolutely vexed.

"No Link, you listen to me. You don't live here. You don't know this island like I do. Therefore you can't possibly know what it's like to be in this position," Marin said sharply.

"My land was also in danger! Did you forget that? I missed out on seven years of my life to save it! Do you know how much that infuriates me, even to this day?" he spat.

"I never even heard about this quest of yours! What? Do you think Koholint gets news of the outside world via whale or something?"

"The bottom line is, that if you don't want to drown along with this entire island, we'd better get a move on. Sitting around crying won't do anything!"

"Well I guess heroes never cry, huh Link? You've never been hurt before? You've never lost someone dear to you?" Marin's words were caustic to him.

"That's where you're wrong, Marin. Everyone I've ever known has left me. My mother, my father, even the Deku Tree who raised me passed. Saria, my best friend, I'll never see her again. Sure, it's great that Darunia is my sworn brother, but I'll never see him again either! Do you think that a mere peasant like myself is allowed to even lay eyes on the royal princess? That's not to mention the other sages, and all the Kokiri who don't remember me! And what about.."

"What are you talking about?" Marin enquired, completely lost in Link's babbles, to which she'd heard nothing of.

"I've suffered, Marin. More then you can imagine."

"As have I, Link," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "We both have."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled under his breath, feeling slight remorse for having spoken to her in such a way.

"Don't be. You're right, we need to take action immediately. Time is of essence. We must hurry," her voice took on a solicitous tone, anxious. "How does one go about...well, stopping an island from sinking?"

"If I knew that I'd be the one with the wisdom piece of the triforce. But there has to be a way. If there's one thing I've learned since becoming a hero, it's that nothing is impossible."

"Why don't we go take a look at the island, maybe we'll find a clue," Marin stood up.

"Good idea, but take this first," he handed her his heavy crossbow and a set of arrows, "You never know what sort of creatures might be lurking about."

"How do you use this?" Marin aimed the bow in a clumsy manner, rotating it awkwardly. Link suppressed a laugh as he demonstrated the proper technique.

"Got it?" he asked, handing back the weapon.

"Yeah...sure..."she muttered, rolling her eyes.

The beach was deserted, save a few crabs scuttling about. There was no sign that soon, those soothing waves would become unstoppable, and would swallow an entire land. Marin sat down, letting the water swirl about her feet.

"Could we dam it?" Marin asked, burying her toes into the moist sands.

"You can't dam the ocean, it's too big," Link paused, "too strong."

"We could erect a tower, so high that the waters would never reach us," she offered.

"We don't have enough time, and the island would continue to sink anyway. We'd be drowned sooner or later."

Marin heaved a sigh, her eyes darting about, desperately searching for an idea.

"Marin, there's no way we can stop the island from sinking. But maybe, we can still save our lives."

Marin turned to him, her eyes moist, "I want to save my island," she murmured flatly. "Along with my life."

"It's impossible!"

"If there's one thing I've learned from being with you, Link, it's that nothing is impossible. And I know that we can do this, you said so moments ago."

"I was wrong," he grumbled.

"No, I have faith that we can do this. And you know what they say: Faith can move mountains."

"Yeah, but can it stop the sea?" he raised his eyebrows expectantly. "If you ask me, there's only one thing we can do if we want to live. And we have to work fast."

"What?" Marin asked hurriedly.

"Build a boat, one that can take us away from here," he murmured, making a vague wave at their surroundings.

"That's...so obvious," she finished, her tone a mixture of confusion and relief. "And yet, I feel....it won't work."

"You never know until you try, I think we have to do this. It's our final hope," Link said solidly.

"Link, how can I leave Koholint? I've never ventured past its borders..." Marin sighed, "Where will I go?"

"You can come back with me," Link said flatly.

"To...your world?" Marin breathed, her eyes shimmering in the heat of the sun.

"Sure."

"Alright, we begin first thing tomorrow. We can save Koholint," she stuck out her hand, the current situation inducing them to think as one.

"Together, we can't fail," Link grinned.

* * * *

"I'm telling you it's true!" Marin insisted, her face pink with fury, "Why would I just make something like this up?"

"She's telling the truth! You're whole island will be gone in a matter of days!" Link said, his voice hoarse and irritated. And yet the people of Koholint did not know the meaning of disaster, and of fear. They refused to listen, so Link and Marin's words fell on deaf ears. All they ever heard in response to their pleas seemed to be 'preposterous,' or 'ridiculous.'

Every waking hour was spent plotting, every second counted, every minute wasted was fatal.

"We can't do this alone!" Marin muttered, as she gathered twigs and building materials.

"Well we have to try," Link retorted, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I'm so tired of trying. We can't do this, Link. Face facts for once."

"Stop it. I don't feel like taking this right now," Link squinted into the sun. In his world, in Hyrule, the same sun was beating down, casting light. His mind drifted...

"Don't you ignore me!" Marin snapped, pulling back into reality. "This will never work. We'll all drown. That's it!" She dropped her pile of wood, letting the branches scatter across the carpet of moss beneath her.

"Right Marin! That will solve everything!"

"It's all so completely hopeless..." she whispered, her emotional outburst fading as quickly as it came.

Link pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms about her shoulders. "We'll get through this. Trust me...I promise."

"I trust you Link...I trust you," she whimpered, moving closer to him.

"Marin, somewhere through all of this I..." Link bit his lip, tightening his grip on her. "You see..."he broke off abruptly.

"What is it?" Marin sat upright.

Link's eyes became glazed, his body restive, tensed. His face held an expression that Marin had never before seen in him. Strange...but she couldn't place it...

Fear?

That was inconceivable, it was impossible, unimaginable...

And yet she could tell Link was afraid.

"What is it?" she asked again, her voice ariose, childlike. She gently shook his arm.

"Hold on," Link mumbled under his breath, as he stood up. He would not get her worked up over nothing, she was distraught enough as it was. But in the thicket of woods he could swear he'd seen something. A subtle movement perchance...No, it was more then that. It was a glow, like a pair of eyes were boring into his very soul, seeing straight through him.

He unsheathed his sword, venturing towards the undergrowth, his voice caught in his throat. It wasn't some horrid monster, nor some beast of unseen grotesqueness...it was worse, far worse, and it was somehow...Familiar.

He'd seen those eyes before. So burning, so piercing, and yellow like that of a snake's. He'd felt the same deep feeling in his gut as he was feeling right at that moment. Not that long ago...

Back in Hyrule.

Something inside of him clicked.

He gasped, stumbling backwards. He would not go through it again. He could not go through it again.

He breathed heavily. "Ganondorf..."



Okay, there it is ^_^ Sorry it took so long. Anyway, please tell me what you think, suggestions, comments, whatever. If you like it I'll finish it, I sort of have writers block at the moment. Well, that's it for now! Thanks!



Zellie *_^