A/N: Alrighty, peeps! It's all planned out, so it should be finished up w/in a few weeks, unless I get delayed. Afterwards, I'll revise the whole thing, and then I'll be working on my OLS fic so the continuation may take a bit. Pleez r&r- suggestions are welcome. They'll help when I fix it up.

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For Link, it seemed to move in slow motion. He had just opened his mouth, lips already forming the word 'what.' Then the arrow came. He saw the shaft pass only inches before his eyes, saw the head bury itself in Kyrie's masked face, in her forehead, saw her fall backward. He jumped to break her fall, but his insides clenched, for he knew…

Carefully, but quickly, he reached behind her head, into the mess of deep brown hair and undid the tie that kept the mask on. Holding his breath, he removed it, afraid of what he might see.

Blood dripped down her face, around her nose and curving on her cheeks. Like tears… He pulled off his cap and used it to mop up the blood. Slowly, very slowly, he uncovered her forehead and almost cried in relief. The arrow hadn't penetrated even a millimeter, had only tapped the bone, then stopped. But how..?

The mask. The newer Keaton models were made only of thin wood, and were not covered with metal. The mask really was lucky, for it had saved her life.

Link stood up, and sprinted toward the castle with her, ignoring the curious stray dogs.

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Blurry shapes swam about in the darkness, forming out of the splotches that come from rubbing the eyes too hard. One almost looked like a young man with blonde hair, another like something blue ... maybe a flute, but it was too roundish. It changed shape and color, so it was chestnut brown and smaller. Last, two long shapes... they looked metal, almost like... The thought was almost formed before blackness overtook her again. Later -maybe minutes, maybe seconds, maybe days later- Kyrie groaned as consciousness bloomed. With it came a dull ache in her forehead. Weakly, she reached up and felt on gauze. She tried to sit up, but fell again. The pain was sharper now, more piercing.

"Ow..." She said weakly. She opened her eyes slightly, but clamped them shut again when the bright light seeped in. She heard a voice from somewhere, male.

"What?!? What do you mean she can't-"

"She can't! She won't wake up! We've tried everything." This voice was also male, but much older and deeper. There was a commanding tone about it. Kyrie began to pass out again, but gave herself a mental slap in the face (she was too weak to do it physically) and stayed awake. Too late. The voices must have belonged to people passing by... by wherever she was. She once again tried to open her eyes, and groaned again without meaning to. She heard a swish of fabric and a door creaked open.

"Ah, you're awake! How are you feeling?" It was a kind, motherly voice of a woman.

"Uh... Dead..." Kyrie tried to say. Her throat was clenched and dry, so she swallowed and said, "Fine."

"Good. Drink this." Kyrie felt a glass near her lips and a warm, good-smelling liquid. She swallowed.

"I have a headache." She heard laughter, not harsh, more of a soft chuckle.

"You're lucky that's all. You had the Hero of Time very frightened there, for a moment. I'll go tell him you're alright." Another swish and creak of the door, then silence. Kyrie suddenly remembered where she was and sat up, with some effort. The grogginess began to fade as she slowly recalled what had happened. She opened her eyes a slit once more, and kept them open despite the painful brightness. She knew it would pass, as would the dizziness. She -was- lucky that that was the only side effect of being shot in the head with an arrow. She opened her eyes a little more and turned, pulling the clean cotton sheets back and hanging her legs over the side of the bed. She looked up as the door opened and Link burst in.

"Kyrie! Are you all right? Does your head still hurt? I brought some red potion, it should help." Kyrie squinted at him and wiggled her pinky in her ear.

"Owch!" she croaked. "Yea, I'm all right, just don't talk so loud, please." Link looked sheepish as the owner of the kind voice came in. "Oh, Mistress Aliren," he said. She looked about thirty, with bright red hair kept in a bun. She wore a sky blue dress with a white scarf and apron.

"She's right, but she'll be back to normal in a bit. You can save the potion." Link sighed and obeyed. He looked at the woman immense gratitude apparent. She smiled and said, "I'll leave you two alone for now, just ring me if you need anything." She gestured to a small brass bell near Kyrie's bed. "I have some things to take care of." With that, she left.

"You're really alright?" Link asked. He waited for her to nod before speaking again. "I have some bad news..."

"What? What happened?" Kyrie asked.

"It's Zelda- she won't wake up. Everyone's tried everything, from smelling salts and herbs, to spells of wakefulness. I'm sure if I had the ocarina I could play the Sonata of Awakening for her, but we need her to tell us how to find it..."

"And we're back where we started," Kyrie finished for him. "Well crap, that's really not good." She chewed on her lip. "Man, I really don't know what to do. Could we speak to the Sages, maybe?"

"Zelda already tried, before we came to the castle. They're visions are clouded somehow." Link rested his head in his hand, and Kyrie looked on helplessly, not knowing how to fix things. This was getting too serious for jokes.

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"URSA." The voice was not yelling, but it was magnified and carried a tone of restrained anger. "You have failed. HOW WILL YOU CORRECT THIS SITUATION?" The Farin kneeled and lowered her head deeply. She had seen that she had failed soon after the shot had been fired. She hadn't been able to fire another in time.

"My Lady, my most humble apologies. I am not worthy to stand in thine prescence, and I thank thee for thy-"

"Quiet." Ursa shut up at once. "There is a way to redeem yourself. Here is what you must do." Ursa listened and suppressed a wicked grin. There was no way she could fail this time.

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Aliren opened the door to the infirmary where Link and Kyrie were. Link's head shot up as he heard her come in. She no longer looked so happy, but was still calm.

"Link, you're needed, in Kakariko. Something's happening. We just got a messenger. As soon as he catches his breath, he's going to explain everything." Link got up.

"I'll be right there."

"I'll let His Majesty know." She hurried off again, and Link started to go, to.

"Link! Wait! Can't I help?" Kyrie called after him.

"No! You're not even well enough to ride." The human girl looked offended. And got up. She swayed for a moment, dizzy, then stood straight.

"I am too," she said firmly. She walked towards him, shaking only slightly. "And anyways, it's my ticket home if whatever it is can lead us to the ocarina." Link shook his head and walked over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and steered her back to the bed, where she flopped down.

"You can't. I'll be fine on my own, I've done this a hundred times before! It's not a game."

"I know that!" Kyrie yelled. "I've done this a hundred times in the game too- I could help!"

"Kyrie..." Link pleaded. She got up again. "No. No, you aren't coming. Guards!" He slipped out of the door and closed it behind him, as two guards arrived.

"Yes?"

"Please see that Kyrie, she's the one inside, doesn't leave the room." Kyrie gasped in anger as she heard him.

"Ooh! You! Let me out!" She stomped toward the locked door and pounded on it.

"I'm sorry, Kyrie."

"Hey! Let me out! HEY!!!!" It was too late. He had already gone.

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Ursa frowned. This simply wouldn't do. The rival was meant to come with Link. She drew a dark rune over the picture with her hand and the view switched to that of one looking up at the window of the room where Kyrie was. Ursa traced down the wall, from the window to the ground and up again. A shimmering green settled there, then formed itself into vines. The assassin smiled.

"Much better."

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Kyrie stomped around the room, searching for some method of escape.

I knew I should have checked out that stupid Houdini book... Man! She thought. Her gaze fell upon the window. No way. No way that they would really be stupid enough to lock the door and put guards there, whilst the window remains unbarred and unlocked and- can it be?- even opened ahead of time? And could there actually be... She looked down at the wall below the sill.

"Vines! VINES!!!!"

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One of the guards outside the door looked up from his poker hand.

"Did you hear something?"

"Nah. Hit me."

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Kyrie scrabbled down the vines and landed catlike on the ground. She surveyed the guardless area. Security around here -still- hasn't improved, she thought.

"Peeeeeeeeachy..." She skittered away, staying low to the ground.

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A/N: I think that chapter was better than the others, ne? Drop me a line, I'll love ya 4 it!

Next chapter: The Dungeon Beneath the Hill