*Dedication* I have to dedicate this to Jelly Bean...You're such a loyal FAN of SSBM, and the stories we make about them. I just thought you should have some repect for that loyalty. Thanks...

Disclaimer: I do not own SSBM or any of the characters. Any of the characters, if by resembling anyone, is just a coinsidence.

*Note from Author*: I waited for a few days before working on this, I wanted to think of what Sheik may be doing here in this chapter, but as you usually here me say, these fics have a mind of their own...so I can't really say what 'is' going to happen. I'm listening to System of A Down right now, which may explain my good mood right now....I feel this chapter may be a good one. (~_^)

P.S. I guess I did wait more then two months to finish this. I had started, but for some reason stopped. Please forgive me, I'll try not to do it anymore.

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~Through the glowing darkness, and the occasional flicking of the flames above, Sheik's glowing white eyes stared at the picture, long and hard, as if she were looking through another person's body. Her heart slowed back down, and she felt no longer angry at Link. Slowly, she stood up, and wiped her face with her hands.~

Sheik: Wake up, Sheik, wake up. ~she murmured to herself lightly. Walking over to Samus' bedside. A dark stain slowly spread about from beneath her body, and Sheik couldn't help but feel she needed to stop it. Quietly scrambling through dressers and drawers, she found some sort of ointment, and a spare peice of cloth.~

~Walking back over to Samus, she stared at her arm, wondering how she may take it off, without hurting her friend even more. She set the cloth and ointment beside the picture of herself and Samus, and fumbled around the blaster, trying to grab it so she could wedge it off. Tugging on it lightly, she found it hopeless, as she heard a slight scraping of the metal on the faint one's bone.

Sheik: [ It's so deep....what am I going to do?..] ~placing Samus' arm down, she heard a hissing sound, and smoke steamed from various spots in the blaster, and it opened to reveal Samus' bloody arm, and the bent peice of metal still sticking in it.~

~She could only stare a moment at the blood trickling down her arm, before she shook her head and took action. Grabbing the ointment and cloth, she grabbed hold of the peice of metal, and pulled, being careful not to damage the arm even more. The blood began to pour at this moment, and Samus opened her eyes, and they went wide, and a scream bounced through the room and on down the halls.~

Samus: ~she turned to grab her arm, and ended up grabbing Shiek's hand instead. Slowly she looked up, panting in her burning pain. She flopped back onto the bed, cursing to herself.~

Sheik: ~in her shock, she stared at the Samus, who continued to mutter to herself, looking at the ceiling. She grabbed the cloth, and placed it on the wound, applying direct pressure~

Samus: Mother Fucker!~she yelled aloud at the ceiling, not daring to look at her arm, nor Sheik

~Quickly Sheik acted, grabbing a shirt to hold on the wound. She kept hearing Samus' deep pants, and her pauses to wince as she applied the ointment on the less bleeding cut.~

Sheik: [ This isn't enough....she needs a hospital...]~glancing up at Samus, she drew in her breath quickly as she found that the energy shooting female was staring directly at her.~

Samus: ~she made a few croaking sounds, as her mouth formed to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say.~

Sheik: You need a hospital..you might bleed to death. ~as if on cue, the three swordsmen burst in through the door, staring wild-eyed at Samus.~

Marth: Oh, my God! You did bring her here!

Samus: ~still lying in the bed, she looked helplessly up at the three men, and saw pity flash in their eyes instantly~

Sheik: ~without looking at the wild swordsmen, she looked down and murmured~ She needs a hospital.

~A short silence followed, and Samus' head leaned back against the pillow as her breathing became slightly labored. Sheik could hear footsteps behind her, as the three gathered around.~

Link: Sheik. I'm sorry about earlier.

Sheik: Why are you here?

Roy: Link told us. We came to see if it was true.

Sheik: ~ finally she did turn, and left Roy startled in her wake~ So you think Samus is a lie?

Roy: No, I. Not at all. I didn't mean it like that.

Sheik: ~she stood up slowly, talking to him as she went.~ Be careful what you say Roy. Someday, your words might cost you your life.

Marth: ~he had been looking at Samus' arm the whole time, when Samus looked at him through small slits.~

Sheik: ~she stood before Link, and stared straight at him, leaving him breathless.~ Are you going to help me?

Marth: I will. ~he switched his glance from Samus to Sheik.~ I mean. Both of you were Smashers, and you helped us as well sometime in the past. Perhaps it is time we repay you. Besides. Why leave a person to die? Everything can be forgiven, right?

Sheik: Those are the wisest words I've ever heard from you Marth. Probably even when I knew you in another life.

~Marth looked down in embarassment, and he felt Roy pat him on the back and start to walk out the door.~

Roy: Do we take her there, or do we bring the doc in here?

Sheik: I don't know. ~she glanced at Samus, and she felt they were both strong enough to walk, even if it was through the rain. They did it before, there was no reason she couldn't do it again.~

Link: Well, we're waisting time. Doctor Mario left earlier this morning, so he's not in the basement with the others.

Sheik: ~another moment of silenced passed as Roy started down the hallway with Marth, leaving Link, Samus, and herself in the midst of a fire cackling room.~ Thank you, Link.

Link: I said I would help you. I said I would finish what Zelda couldn't. And I mean to. ~He turned and walked out, as Samus gently lifted her friend from the bed. Samus seemed much lighter without the weight of the blaster holding onto her arm. Even then, the blood had already grown through the small cloth that Sheik had wrapped on the wound.~

~ Once the five reached the kitchen door, Samus had begun to shiver, and the colour from her body was fading fast.~

Link: Maybe it's more than just the cut on the arm. Maybe she hasn't eaten in a long time, or maybe the rain did something to her.

Sheik: She'll be fine. ~ They turned out the door to find themselves in the middle of a slowly growing storm, which was threatening to tear apart the leaves from the trees, and sweep them onto buildings like twigs.~

~Through a howling wind, they huddled together and ran through the pounding rain. The hospital was rarely used in certain cases, unless a broken bone had occured through daily rituals of practice for the tournaments. So the group had no worry of waiting when they bursted through the entranceway, soaked.~

Dr. Mario: Whata think you'rea doin!? Runnina through a storm like thata! Let me see that girla!

~Peach, Dr. Mario, and a few more unfimiliar faces handled Samus onto a bed and rolled her off, screaming orders to each other.~

Sheik: They just take her. Just like that?~she turned to the three, her face clearly showing the shock on her face.~

Roy: Dr. Mario is very serious with his work. Or else we wouldn't call him doctor all the time. She'll be fine.

Marth: Come sit Sheik. I have a feeling the day is going to be long, even though it feels like night.

~They sat randomly in the small waiting area, listening to the rain, and feeling a strange worry settle over them like a blanket.~

Roy: Sheik. Could I ask you a personal question, but at no offense?

Sheik: ~she stared long and hard at Roy, wondering to herself what kind of question he would ask that would be peronal. Only a few came to mind.~ Go ahead.

Roy: You promise not to kill me, or yell?

Sheik:.....I promise.

Roy: Do you really love Samus?

~ Sheik sat there, looking down. The others would have thought that she had been stunned, or she died, she was so still, but this shortly ended when she looked up at Roy with a small smile. She shook her head and giggled in a small way.~

Sheik: Probably not in the way that you think.~another giggle.~ But inside, I know that Link was right. I love her like a spirit sister. I mean, you have to think about this. I found that we both loved Panther, with all our hearts, and ultimatly with our lives. But since Panther is gone, and I would know, I feel like Samus is all I have left to answer my questions. And finally I may rediscover who I used to be.

Link: I'm sorry to say Sheik, and I don't want to hurt you, but you will never be who you used to.

Sheik: ~she nodded her head in understanding, but continued to speak.~ You aren't listening to what I am saying. I said I wanted to 'rediscover' who I used to be. I know I won't be that Sheik you all knew, but I want to find out what she was like. I suppose I was brought back for more than my own reasons though.

~ Everybody fell silent, letting the conversation soak in, and they could all feel one another thinking about this. Thinking about the past, what they are doing now, and what life may become. Finally, Dr. Mario came through the metal doors.~

Dr. Mario: The womana. What isa her name?

Sheik: Samus. ~she spoke before any of the others had a chance to lift their heads.~

Dr. Mario: Eyd eh. Samusa. ~he said this in confusion, and the swordsmen understood. If they had been in Dr. Mario's place, they would have reacted the same way. Nobody knew what Samus looked like under that suit of orange armor, so they couldn't blame him for questioning her name.~

Sheik: Is she ok?

Dr. Mario: Oh! Yesa, she's absolutetly fina. She's just recovering. She wasa justa slightly malnourished. She'lla be fine and backa to normal ina few days.

~Everybody there knew Samus would never be....normal....and like Sheik, she would never be the same Samus everybody knew. As Dr. Mario dissapeared behind the metal doors once again, they listened to the rain and watched the lightning flash in the writhing clouds through the glass windows. Nobody was worried whether or not Samus would make it alive. They all were, though, thinking what would happen when Samus could finally sit down and talk.~

Marth: ~after a low rumble of thunder, he murmured to himself, but also as if he wanted everyone else to hear. He murmured the question everybody was thinking.~ Where has Samus been all these years?....

*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^*^X^* I wouldn't exactly call this story "mushy", but probably more on the terms of "heartfelt". So do you think this chapter was worth the two month wait? Please review, for all the goodness and sanity that I have left (which is little) please tell me how you ...truly...feel about this story. Whether it be your first time, your last, or your in between, tell me what you thought of it. And please, skip a line and right only one word in your review to answer my question. Do you truly believe, know, and think I should continue this story?.....