Repaying a debt

This one is for Kads - I decided I had to get this done before mocks. And Snowsilver, wherever you may be, one day, I shall get around to reading the destiny stone [hangs head in shame that she hasn't done so already]. I realised I hadn't thanked my reviewers so far! [Thwack!] So, thanks to Oracle, Miow, Saturn, Donovan and Fortuna too - you guys make it all worthwhile [wipes away the tears].

Eurgh - I'm so *sappy* recently - it's disgusting. Also, this was a hard chapter for me to write - a friend and I had a row, and we haven't made up yet - and being in Paris didn't help much. I came home early, so I thought I'd give this a bash.

Disclaimer: Too lazy to go into detail - basic gist, don't belong to little old me.

In the last chapter - I meant to do action, but then had to cut it off and leave a cliff hanger [bounce] so that the chapter wouldn't end up twenty or so pages long.

The stats still remain with Alexis under the alias of Blaise, Sheik seems to have gained some kind of male version of PMS, and they're still killing dark monster things to save the world. And I'm still confusing y'all.

It's not like you can do much about it really - I'm just writing it for the hell of it...

[] = Alexis' thoughts

{} = Navi's thoughts

~/*\~/*\~/*\~

I gritted my teeth as I came closer to the ledge, hoping that my forward momentum was enough to reach it. Navi was speeding forwards, Sheik following close behind, looking bemused. Link was leaning out as far as he could without falling over.

And all of a sudden, I felt the solid feel of the ledge beneath my fingers. I grasped onto it with relief, and Link, Sheik and Navi pulled me up in a joint effort. I sprawled full length on the ground, and let out a huge breath that I realised I had been holding. "You're lucky I pushed you up," I said. "There's no way you could have made that jump with all the junk you carry."

"Yes, I'm glad you're OK too," Link snapped, looking shaken. I stood up and dusted myself off.

"Where's this Goron then Navi?" I asked, and after a few awkward seconds with everyone looking at me, Navi flew back down the corridor. I knew then that this was going to be a long haul. Sighing, I dusted myself off some more, and followed as always. The cell at the end contained three Gorons this time - two disappeared into portals as soon as the door was opened, and one remained to give us a clue. Again, Navi whipped out a scrap of parchment to write it down.

We returned to the bridge room, and chose to go around the edge of the room this time, where the blocks were less likely to sink into the magma, or fall away beneath us. On the other side, we came upon a blue block, which Navi flew around, lighting up in a forest green shade. "It's the symbol from the Temple of Time," she said, and Link withdrew the Ocarina of Time. He played a slow and mournful tune, tapping his foot to the steady beat, and the block materialised so that we could gain access to the door above.

"Come on, up we go," Link said, stretching up and grabbing the edge of the block with his hands. He hoisted himself up, quickly followed by Sheik. "Come on Blaise!" he urged. I just looked at the block, down at my arms, and back at the block. "Ah - right," he managed a small smile, and extended an arm towards me.

"Thanks. Maybe next time, I should wear some heels or something, huh?" I said, accepting the arm, and the reaching out with my free hand to the block. I scrambled up, and we set off through the door. The room was poorly lit, with only one stuttering torch halfway down, and with my tinted glasses, I could only make out the vaguest shadows. However, when Navi noticed our difficulties, she flapped her wings faster, creating a larger glow, and threw the whole room into relief with the soft light.

We walked forwards, still not really seeing much within the room. Only two steps in, and already Navi had spotted something we had not. "Stop!" Navi called out, and we all looked in amazement at the flying floor tiles. My eyes shifted past them to a shapeless creature at the fare end of the room. My attention had to shift again quickly back to those miraculous flying tiles, which were now hurling themselves at us. I raised my shield and stood firm as the strange tiles bombarded it.

When it seemed the onslaught was over, I asked, "What in all demons is that?" gesturing to the - well, whatever it was - at the end of the room. I began to walk towards it, since it seemed that I was not going to get an answer. Link's outstretched arm barred my path and I turned to look at him. "Well, what is it?" I asked more forcefully, letting my sword arm fall to give it a rest.

"That's a Like-Like; it'll eat you whole if you get too close. I think I'd better deal with this." Quickly, he notched an arrow in his fairy bow and fired at the creature, which had begun to move towards us. It wobbled and made a squelching sound like jelly. Again, he fired, and it made the same sound. However, on the third arrow, the - thing that I had forgotten the name of - deflated, and turned to dust like all the other monsters seemed to do in this world.

*

We had somehow managed to figure out the route to get to the second floor - we just didn't know how to actually reach the hole in the ceiling of the first floor that led to it. I walked forwards towards the fenced in area, and felt a deep rumbling far below. The other three evidently felt it as well, and we all looked around to see what could be causing it.

A huge wave of heat slammed into us, and a great force of air pushed us backwards. Now I understood what the rumbling had been, as I looked up to see a huge tongue of flame reaching up out of the floor of the chamber. Behind the chain link fence, we were safe from the full effect of the column of fire, which, just as suddenly as it had begun, died back into nothingness. A few slabs of the ceiling fell down to land across the hole from which the fire had come.

Sheik had hit the wall pretty hard, and I admit that I felt worried about him. After all, he just wasn't the kind of guy you'd expect to see blinking in pain, and looking so cute whilst doing it. [I cannot believe I just thought that...]

{Neither can I. Blaise loves Sheik, Blaise loves Sheik.} Navi giggled, and I had to resist the urge to pluck her from the air and shake her like a rattle; I shut the link angrily. Instead, I moved over to where Link and Sheik had been thrown by the blast; Link was already standing back up again, shaking his head and wavering a bit, but otherwise fine. Sheik still hadn't moved, and swallowing my pride, I opened the channel to Navi again.

[Think you can do something? We need him in top shape.]

{Sure. Hang on.} She flitted over, and landed in her nimble fairy way on his shoulder. He blinked again, and I found this vulnerable side of him ever more appealing. I shook my head vigorously - love will get you nowhere. I had learnt that all too well. Navi placed her small palms on his temple, and a pulse of blue spread over his skin. His eyes came back into focus, and his face took on the sharp look of contempt I had come to know so well when he looked at me.

"Are you all right?" I ventured; he just grunted and stood up.

"How do we get up there?" Link still sounded a little groggy. I could feel the rumble again under my feet, and grabbed him by his shirt.

"Firstly, we get out of the way whilst the blast comes." Looking around, however, I could not see anything that could be described as cover. "Shields," I yelled over the din, and we all crouched down as low to the floor as we could, and held our shields out before us. The shockwave buffeted us a few feet backwards, but didn't manage to throw us from the floor as it had the first time. As soon as the whoosh of air had passed, we lowered our shields, and again saw the tongue of flame.

I noticed that the fallen ceiling tiles had ridden up on the flame, and though scorched black on their underside, were otherwise unharmed. It gave me an idea. [Navi, you see that block up there?]

{Yes?}

[Good, I'm not imagining it then. Think this chain link fence will hold us?]

{I should think so. Why?}

[You'll see.] "Guys?" they turned around. "I have an idea." Sheik looked as though he couldn't have cared less if I was on fire - Link however listened attentively. "You see that block up there," I pointed, and even Sheik looked. "And you know those fallen ceiling tiles - they rode up on the flame, but the top side didn't get burnt..." Something seemed to click, and Link nodded,

"If we push it onto the flame, then we can ride it up!"

"Exactly," I said. "Now, we just need to climb this," I looked over at the chain link fence with doubt. The other two were already making their way towards it. [Demons, I hope I'm strong enough for that] I thought, and Navi made an unsure sound. I walked over as well, hooked my fingers as high as I could reach in the large links, and lifted my feet into the holes as well. It actually felt better now that I was begging to climb - I remembered many a time when I'd had to scramble over fences like these to get away from a particularly vicious enemy.

Only one blast came whilst we were climbing, and by clutching ourselves close to the fence, we manage to prevent ourselves from falling off - which was a bonus, because I didn't fancy taking a dive into some red hot lava. Anyway, eventually we reached the top, and made our way over to the ledge on which the block was balanced precariously half over the edge. Hopping down onto the ledge, we all leant our shoulders against it, and heaved it over the side.

As the rumble started up again, Sheik advised, "Get ready to jump." He bent his knees, and crept closer to the edge; Link and I followed suit. Again, there was the whooshing sound - we waited for less than a second, and then jumped, landing on the block with small thuds, and being blasted upwards onto the second floor. From watching the flame, I knew that it only stayed at this full height for a few seconds, and rolled off quickly.

"That was fun," Navi said, her small figure pulsing a nauseous green.

*

Having rescued most of the Gorons, we were feeling very smug - then we entered a room in which bars fell over the door as soon as we closed it. "Crap," Link muttered, and unsheathed his sword with a soft hiss. I whipped two daggers out of my belt, and Sheik, who was already holding his long scimitar, readied for battle. There was a cackle, and the pillar in the centre of the room erupted into flame, out of which stepped the strangest creature I had ever seen. [Navi - what is THAT?] I asked incredulously. For a split second, she was silent, and I wondered whether she had taken out that notebook again.

{A Flare Dancer} she said, and I thought I could detect a hint of relief in her voice. {Very stupid, and very easy to kill.} "Link, fire your hook shot at it when it stops spinning, and then attack the head with your swords. I think I'm going to sit this one out." With that, she flew underneath Link's hat, and I saw two small hands grab the edges and pull them back down after she entered. {I think I used up too much magic recently} she said, and I could hear easily the weariness in her voice.

"I guess we're on our own then." I observed, and Link nodded. He pulled out his hook shot and transferred his sword into his left hand.

When the Flare Dancer stopped it's little dance around the room, he fired, and with a squeak, the head came away from the body, and began to run around on small legs of its own. It was comical to say the least, and I felt a little giggle bubble in my throat as all three of us ran after the tiny creature. Within a few seconds, we had completely decimated it. The fire in the centre of the room went out, and from experience, we guessed it was some kind of elevator. Climbing onto it, we discovered we were correct, and rode upwards on the small block of stone.

A few minutes later, we reached a round room filled with a long staircase, at the end of which was a large chest. There was a huge hourglass on the wall, which turned as soon as we took our first step through the door. No prizes for guessing what we had to do here. I didn't even bother - they could do the sprinting, I'd stay here and pick off the Keese that were flapping around with Link's bow.

The timer reached halfway, and they still had a fair way of the stairs to go. I picked off another Keese as it dived towards them, and glanced back at the hourglass; only a few more seconds. Three yards left to go. [You can do it!] Two yards. One. The last trickle of sand fell into the bottom half, and I heard a small click. A couple of wisps of smoke came out around the chest, but apart from that, nothing extraordinarily bad occurred.

"Wow," I could hear Link's awed whisper even from so far away. I began to make my way up, even as they made their way down. I could see that Link was carrying some kind of weapon, which glinted as he swung it on its long shaft.

"What have you found?" I asked as I drew closer - they stepped beneath the orb of light thrown out by one of the torches on the wall, and I saw exactly what they had found. The legendary hammer of legend. "The Megaton Hammer," my voice sounded just as awed as Link's had a few moments before. He nodded, holding it out to me to hold. I took it reverently, the solid weight of it too much for me to wield properly in battle, but a most beautiful weapon. "It's amazing," I commented, handing it back to him.

"And the only weapon that will slay the Dragon," Sheik added, and I could see that he too had a dazed smile on his face when he looked at the legendary weapon. Link managed to somehow place it on his back with all his other weapons, and seemed not to notice the extra weight.

[I just pray we don't go near a magnet anytime soon. Link would be a goner,] I thought, as I fell into line behind him.

{I know - how does he carry that much and still fight so well?}

[Maybe it's the help of his fairy.] I outstretched my hand for her to land on it, and patted her gently on the head with my little finger.

{Hey!} she said, ducking out of the way. {Don't touch the hair!} I laughed, and Link looked around at me with a strange look. I quietened quickly, and Navi flew back into the dark air. We were now walking back up to the top of the staircase, as Navi had seen a suspicious looking statue. As soon as we reached it, we leant against it and tried to push it out of the way - that didn't work.

Link had a sudden flash of inspiration, and took the hammer from his overused back. "Let's see what this thing can do," he grunted, hefting it in his hands. Obviously feeling it slip a little, he leant it against the wall, spat onto his palms and rubbed them together. Then, he raised it again, and Sheik and I backed away as he swung it back, and down upon the statue. It seemed to gain more power than the swing that Link had given with it should have done. The statue exploded into minute fragments, exposing a door.

We walked through it, and again heard the sound of flapping Keese - I was very proud when I managed to down one of the little beasts with a dagger from my belt. Hurrying over, I picked it back up from a small pile of dust which had so recently been a creature bent on biting a huge chunk out of me. There was another of the strange looking statues, and now he knew what to do, Link was swift in destroying it. The floor collapsed into a giant stairway, and we followed it down to a switch at the other end.

It needed pressure to always be applied to it to keep it down. This was easy enough - Link stood on the switch, and Sheik and I went to the door - when he stepped off, we held it open, allowing him to get through as well. There was yet another piece of stone which just begged to be smashed with the hammer. When it was, it collapsed completely, sending us crashing into the room below. Stepping forwards, I was almost set alight as a curtain of fire appeared from the floor before me.

"Oh Goddesses, not these things again!" Sheik moaned. He had almost set himself on fire the first time we had met these, which must have been over twenty four hours before by now. I was beginning to feel pangs of hunger, and at a rumble from Link's stomach, so was he. "Take it we're going to stop and eat then?" he said, with a hopeful look on his face. "At least that'll give us some time before we have to go through - THOSE things again."

[Hey - he seems to have chilled out a little.]

{I know - it must be the whole temple thing. Maybe he just feels pent up when he isn't killing things?}

[Maybe - heh, you make him sound like some kind of loonie.]

{Well; from what he was like to you that night...maybe he is,} there wasn't a trace of joking in her voice. I just shrugged and sat down, pretending that I didn't get what she meant. She obviously understood that I didn't want to take the topic further, and instead flew back over to her partner, and asked loudly, "Can I have some? I'm starving!" Link just laughed, and opened his food package.

"Help yourself Navi." He picked up his bread, and began to eat. Sheik sat down, surprisingly facing me. He touched my arm and looked at me sidelong, before nodding his head over to the other side of the fallen floor. Curious and also filled with trepidation that this might be some plan to try and kill me, I followed him. I allowed my hands to rest lightly on the belt at my waist, but did not draw my daggers, deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he was right in his suspicions of me.

Link looked up, but sensed he was not wanted, and carried on with his meal. Sheik sat down again, and signalled that I should do the same, patting the ground next to him. He took a deep sigh, and opened his mouth to begin talking - he seemed unable to find the words. Again, he tried, and again words failed him. I could feel an overwhelming sense of uncomfortableness (I'm not sure if that is even a word, but that is surely what I felt.) So, I cut through the silence, running up my courage to touch him on the shoulder as I said in a low voice, "I'm sorry Sheik. About the thing with Ganondorf, I was being foolish. I shouldn't have allowed myself to flare up like th-" He cut across me quickly, and Link looked up at his raised voice.

"No!" He too noticed Link's look, and glared over at him, so that Link looked back down at his food. He lowered his voice. "It's - it's me that should be sorry. I've been a fool, and unkind to you. It's just - I cannot ignore my senses, and there is something about you that you haven't told us. If you would just tell me, then maybe I could-"

This time it was I with the harsh voice. "I CAN'T!" I said, stressing the word desperately. "Please, just try to understand - there are things about me you cannot comprehend - that you MUST never know. If you did, you could die, for demons sakes!" Link wasn't making any pretence of eating now, and was staring at me intently. I breathed deeply, and managed to level my voice. "Just - trust me." Sheik's shoulders were hunched, and he wouldn't look into my eyes.

Feeling emboldened, I reached out, and grabbed his chin, lifting his face to look at me. "Trust me," I repeated, every ounce of dignity and strength flowing out of me with those words. "I'm begging you here - you as well Link, since you're listening - and Navi. I promise I will tell you - when it is over. Not before!" Sheik's eyes were unsure - I could see the struggle as he wished to believe me, but his senses demanded answers. He took my forearm, and gently placed it back within my lap.

"I cannot trust you - my senses will not allow me to. Come," he stood up, "finish your meal, and we shall carry on." His voice was deadpan now, even worse than the contemptuous one he had used before. I turned my back on all three of them, and shut out Navi's worried inquiries. I could feel a trance drawing me in - I even allowed the tears of the past to wash rivers down my face again.

~ I was crying again - David's fair face was clean now from blood, his wings pristine once more. He looked at pace, his eyes closed and gentle face in repose. One could almost imagine that he was sleeping. But every mourner in the place knew otherwise, and they knew who had caused his death. The blood still soaked my bandages, and the pain every time I moved was almost unbearable.

I looked at his face - I deserved every damned signal from nerve to brain. Every damned one.

They gathered around me, swept me away from where I sat, where I had mourned as the others of respectable nature said their goodbyes. They did not care if they hurt me or not - I agreed whole-heartedly with their feelings. I was swept away from all that I had ever known - Loki's face was harsh now, drawn and pale, tracks of tears shining in the candlelight.

My left hand was pulled out, and I did not struggle as the knife slashed quickly across my palm. [I deserve this. I'm nothing but a monster]. One slightest squeak escaped my lips, not from the knife, but from the broken sounds that Loki made each time it came down upon me. He was sobbing now, great shuddering breaths racking his broken form. [Nothing but a monster.] The hot metal plate was bought forwards, and I held my hand out willingly for it.

However, he would not do it. "You're but a child. Enough is enough - take her to the gates."

[No, kill me, kill the monster!] I was taken away, head bowed, tears creating a pathway behind me. One phrase did I utter, and one alone, before I was thrown upon the mercy of the warriors for training. "I am sorry." Another sob rent the air into a thousand shattered pieces.

[I am a monster - only a monster.] ~

"I am a monster, only a monster," I found myself whispering when I awakened again from the trance. I lifted my head from my knees, and glanced around to see whether they had heard me. They looked up from their meals, and I realised I had lost my appetite. "Let's go," I said, conveniently covering my face in case I had left any traces of tears. I hadn't even taken out my food - oh well.

*

After defeating another Flare Dancer, which wasn't so amusing the second time round, we made our way forwards. From Navi's calculations, only two Gorons were left within the temple - one of them being Darunia. I felt miserable - never before in my life had the trances come upon me in such quick succession as they had on this world. And my thoughts were so dark now - Navi kept pestering me as to what was wrong, but I just waved her away. She could not hear me now; I was too far drawn into myself.

After Link had smashed the rusty switch into the last but one Goron's cell, we came upon a yellow and blue chest. I knew that inside it was the key to the bosses chamber. [The boss...oh demons, Lucifer...] My thoughts were indeed dark if I was thinking of him. I had to break this cycle and fast. I spoke, breaking the silence that had been there since we ate. "I guess we just have to go back to where we saw Darunia then?"

Link seemed both startled and pleased that the silence was broken. "Navi?"

She popped her head out from under his hat, "What?" she rubbed her eyes with small fists. "Oh, yes, back to the first room." Back she went under the hat. She seemed to sense that I might want to talk again, and just thought one word {Dandruff!}

[Hey - It's good to talk to you again,] I had managed to put a smile on my face. [I hate myself when I do this - but, there's just stuff, that I...can't tell yet. Do you understand?]

Navi's telepathic voice was sympathetic. {Yeah - I understand - if you don't want me to hear something, then just shut the link, OK? I don't want to pry.}

[Thanks Navi - you're a pal.] "Hey, you two," Sheik and Link turned around. "If I promise to tell you what's different about me when this is over, will you talk to me?" They looked at each other warily, and I realised that they must have talked about this when they let me lead the way. It was unanimous,

"All right - but you have to swear to tell us," Sheik was obviously the instigator of the plan, and held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?" I took it, and shook it so firmly that his arm pumped up and down.

"You got yourself a deal Sheik. Now - slashing, killing and maiming to do to some dragon creature - let's get going!"

Sheik shook his head, "You Hylians, all crazy!" His eyes crinkled in a way that told me he was smiling. "Right, let's go."

"Yay!" I turned around to raise my eyebrow at Link, who looked embarrassed. "Uh, I mean, yeah, killing - and stuff," he finished lamely.

[Wow - these guys have more mood swings than I do.]

{True. Well, I suppose weird mortals have to stick together...}

[Hey!]

{Stop stealing my lines!} Again, I laughed. Navi was excellent at cheering me up. {We're off to slay this big bad dragon with a hammer - because legends say we have to...I hate legends.}

[You shouldn't, you'll probably be one when this is over.] We were hurrying to the room in which we had seen Darunia turn away to bravely fend off the dragon until we had freed his people. Amiable banter had returned, and it was a contentment that Sheik was now being a little friendlier in general.

When we entered the lava filled room, with the pillars that we had so easily leapt across those many days ago, we spied the pillar that we had knocked down from floors above. It made a direct pathway to the large door that led to the guardian of the temple. "Well, that's handy," Link said, before hopping over to the other side, closely followed by Sheik. I hung back for a little while to ensure that my hair was going to stay out of the way in the pending battle.

That done, I followed, and Sheik took the boss key from his belt. "Ready?" he asked, and Link and I nodded. Navi was still dozing in his hat, so drained of magic that she could do little more than speak and fly for a short distance. Sheik fitted the ornate key into the equally decorative door, and turned it. With an ominous click, it swung open, leading into a cavernous room - which was completely and utterly empty.

"Huh? Where's the dragon?" Link asked, looking around, the hammer dangling limply in his hand.

"I don't know," Sheik said suspiciously, stepping forwards into the room. He stooped down, and began to call out jokingly, "Here dragon, here big bad dragon, where are yo-" 'CRACK'.

"That doesn't sound good," I said in the silence that followed.

"What in all demons was thaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!" Sheik managed to say, as the floor collapsed beneath him, and he went flying down towards a sea of lava. After a swift nod, Link and I followed him down.

*

The fall seemed like an eternity, but could not have been much more than ten seconds. Just as I feared I was going to be turned into a bloody pulp on the quickly ascending island amidst the lava, I felt myself begin to slow down. By the time I reached the bottom, I was going slowly enough that I barely noticed it when I touched down. "Nifty entrance," I observed, and then looked around, "Where's Darunia?"

"I don't know," Link's face held that worried look again.

[Poor Link] I thought, but received no answer from Navi - I think she was still asleep or something. "OK, another question - where's the dragon?"

Again Link answered, "I don't know."

However, a loud roar doused any suspicion that the dragon wasn't there. With a gargantuan explosion, it erupted from one of the lava filled holes in the island, and rose into the air. The creature was at least twenty feet long, covered in red and gold scales. It let out another roar, undulating through the air like some sort of giant snake. The spines down it's back flickered with untamed flame, and Sheik's vermilion eyes were wide as he stared up at it in - I could barely believe it - fear. I understood exactly how he felt.

The dragon all of a sudden dived back into another hole in the island, and in the silence that followed, I could hear the other two gulp nervously. [Navi? Navi, please, we need your help again.] I ventured, and her groggy sounding voice resounded in my head.

{I'm coming.} She clambered out from Link's hat, which was lop sided from the fall, and even though her glow was very dim as she hovered before us, her voice was strong as ever. "Volvagia, the dragon that you are about to face, will come up through those holes you can see. When she puts her head above the lava, Link, you must hit her with the hammer - then you two," she looked at Sheik and me, "you must hit the dragon with your swords." She paused, and spiralled downwards towards the floor; Link reached out and hand and she fell gently onto it.

"Navi?" again that look of concern.

"I'll be all right. Now, if you miss her head, then she will launch into the air - stay out of her way until she comes back down. Could you put me back under your hat please?" she asked Link, and he smiled softly.

"Of course - rest, and I'll go see the great fairy to restore your magic."

"Thanks," came Navi's muffled voice through the material. There came again the roar, and knowing what had to be done, Link hefted the hammer. In the heat-haze and flickering light of the battle arena, he looked every inch the brave hero. I withdrew my sword, surprised to see that it was still shining brightly even after all the enemies I had killed with it. Even so, I would have to clean it when we got out of there. {Concentrate on the battle Blaise!} Navi's small voice was sharp, and I jumped to attention.

Up came the plumed head in the hole right next to Sheik, and Link hurried from the centre to whack it one. It writhed to try and escape, but he managed to hit it squarely on its armoured brow. Whilst it was stunned, Sheik and I moved in with our swords.

The teeth of it were almost as long as my forearm, and jet black in colour. The eyes, slitted, but not quite closed, were a jewel green. The scales, when I saw them up close, also held hints of silver and bronze about them. I didn't have long to admire the feral beauty of my enemy, as it dived once again below the red-hot molten rock.

We carried on this little dance of hammer and sword - Link however was becoming tired hefting the heavy weapon. He ran to where Volvagia was emerging, but didn't manage to catch her in time. She rose into the air with a shudder of the rock, and molten droplets flew down as she shook herself free. Slowly, she curled her long body around the arena, and after a deep breath, she let out a tongue of flame. At the same time, her flicking tail dislodged large chunks of the ceiling.

One came down over Sheik, and though he managed to get out of the full impact area, it still clipped his shoulder. I heard something crack, and knew there was no hope of Navi being able to help - she was completely drained. Link wasn't looking much better, and the hammer was obviously beginning to affect him. I was torn between Link, the beast, and Sheik in obvious pain. I stood there for a while, as the dragon wormed her way back into the rock via one of the holes.

Eventually, I managed to combine all three worries. I relieved Link of the hammer, and hefted the too-heavy weapon with both hands. One rested at the bottom of the shaft, and another I put halfway up - as she reached her head out, I hit it, and then quickly dropped the hammer, withdrew my sword, and slashed. Knowing that she would now be incapacitated for about twenty seconds or so, I lumbered over to Sheik, and grabbed the red potion that he kept in his belt.

There was no time to worry about sensibility, and I tore off a strip of material from the bottom of my red tunic, doused the cloth in red potion, and took it to the shoulder. Sheik cringed, but didn't yell out - very brave when you're having bones knitted together. With his healthy arm, he grabbed the bottle, and then waved me off. "I'll be fine - help Link." Easier said than done - Link wasn't really doing much for me to help with - he was exhausted from the hammer.

I knew that the Volvagia would rear her dangerous head again soon, and hurried over to Link. Above the noise of the cavern as it echoed the rumbling of the dragon below, I yelled to him, "I'll hit her with the hammer, and you slash. There's not much life left in her."

"But it's too heavy for you!" he said stubbornly.

"You can't carry on hefting it, you'll get exhausted - and anyway, as I said, there is not long until she falls. Come on, she's returning!" he didn't get the chance to argue about it any more, as Volvagia exploded from the hole right before us.

Link kept her occupied for the few seconds that I needed to grab the hammer - 'thwack!' over her head, then 'swish' as Link brought the master sword down.

With an ear-splitting shriek, even worse than the ones of the Poes in the Forest Temple, she cannoned into the air. The flames that had licked down the spines on her back grew to consume her entirely. Her body fell almost gracefully, the charred bones smoking slightly upon the island - the lava holes closed up, hissing with steam as they cooled quickly. A blue portal appeared, and I dropped the hammer, falling to the floor and breathing heavily.

Rolling over, I spied Sheik, who was gingerly getting to his feet, and rolling his shoulder testingly. Obviously, it was fine again, as he ambled over, and picked up the hammer I had dropped. "He was right you know - you could have hurt yourself with this, it's far too heavy for you." He swung it around, before giving it back to Link, who seemed to have regained sufficient strength to carry it on his back. "However - that was a brave thing you did." This surprised me into speechlessness.

"Come on - I have a medallion to collect. Whilst I'm in the chamber, you won't kill each other, will you?" Link didn't seem to ask this - rather, his voice said that if we did, he would do something decidedly nasty. We both shook our heads, and he smiled "Good." He turned his back, and made to the portal - I caught Sheik's eyes, and grinned. We walked to the portal, and felt the blue light whisk us away.

*

Sheik and I were deposited on the mountainside - it was dusk, and the whole of Hyrule stretched away from us, looking for the entire world like a highly detailed map. Sheik did exactly the same as he had after the Forest Temple, sitting on the cool rock, laying his scimitar across his knees, and closing his eyes. I sat on a large pile of fallen rocks, so to see the view better, and listened to the tune that he hummed. An old tune came back to me from my childhood, and I sang it softly.

"When we're awake, we don't listen

To what our hearts say

When we're awake, we don't care

That our hearts cry

When we're awake, it's funny

That hearts don't die

Driven by dreams, the only way

We keep them alive."

I paused to try and remember the next line, lifting my head and opening my eyes. To my shock, Sheik was sitting on the rocks across from me, listening intently. My cheeks surely went as scarlet as the tunic I wore. He seemed to realise that I had noticed him. "Goddesses, I'm sorry - I just heard you singing and had to see what it was. I've never heard it heard it before."

"It's just something from when I was growing up," I stuttered, my cheeks burning even darker if it were possible. "It's all right, I'll stop so you don't have to hear me butcher it."

"Hey, no - it was good! Could you - would you - finish it? I'd like to try and pick up the tune at least - I always like to add to my repertoire." I looked at him as though he was crazy, shrugged, and tried to remember where I had gotten. After a few seconds, the words came flooding back, and I carried on. Sheik sat on the rocks with his lyre, and plucked out a few notes as I carried on.

"And, driven by dreams

Led by the heart

We'll always finish

What we start

With or without

Them, we go on

Hoping that finishing

Don't take to long.

Driven by dreams

The heart knows

Driven by dreams

And it shows

Driven by dreams

We've been slow

Finding out

That we're driven by dreams." I stopped, and Sheik clapped his hands softly.

"Beautiful," he looked around as some stones clattered down from above us. "And I think that's passed the time enough that Link is back as well." He got up from the rock he sat on, and I followed him over to where the cascade of stones had come from. Sure enough, there Link stood, looking around him to try and get his bearings. He spotted us, and waved, overbalanced, and tumbled down the small slope.

"Whoops - ouch. Hi you two. We've got to go to the great fairy fountain here, Navi really needs a booster."

"You don't say," a testy voice came from under his hat.

"Yeah - and can we hurry, because she's pulling my hair out under there." He winced, as she no doubt tugged even harder on the corn coloured mess. "There's one just outside the entrance to the crater - come on." We followed him down to a non descript patch of wall, which held a few fractures in it - it was more than a little obvious what was going to happen, so I stood well back. Link bent down and lit a bomb, placed it before the wall, and then ran backwards. 'Boom', and the whole wall collapsed, showing a long corridor, at the end of which pulsated a blue light.

I was very curious to see this 'great fairy' - so far, I had only ever seen Navi. {She's pretty damned scary, I can tell you - if you're easily embarrassed, I'd avert your eyes,} Navi whispered to me shrewdly. Link led us through the passage, and into a room whose walls seemed to shine with sapphire light - on closer inspection however, it was water, slowly turning to steam as it ran down the walls.

There was a Tri-Force symbol before a small pool at the end of the mysterious and beautiful chamber. Link got out his Ocarina, and played a short, soothing tune on it. There was a girlish giggle, a flash of bright light, and then a woman with fluttering wings appeared. I could see what Navi meant - she was clad in a costume most unbefitting a grown woman. However, her voice was as girlish as her giggle. "Oh, Link, it's great to see you!" she clapped her hands and giggled again.

"Er, I'm the one that's here to see you actually, your highness," Navi said, rushing forwards, and the pink haired fairy looked surprised.

"Oh dear, you have been using a lot of your magic, haven't you?"

"When you have to work with these hero types ma'am, it's a necessity."

"Yes - very well - come here Navi, and I shall restore your magic to you." Navi fluttered forwards, and as she did so, her whole body grew. Obviously, Link hadn't seen this occur before either. Soon, Navi was the same size as the great fairy, her long dress swishing around her legs, dainty feet pointing out of the bottom. Her whole skin seemed duller than normal, but as the great fairy placed her hands on Navi's forehead, sparks jumped across the flawless skin.

Within seconds, Navi was even more beautiful than before, the magic buzzing through her, around her even. The great fairy gave another childish laugh, and disappeared in a pink flash. As we watched, Navi shrank back down to her original size. Noticing our amazed faces, she grinned, "And that is why you should *never* mess with a fairy. We can take on whatever size we want - I just thought that this would be more convenient, and it conserves magic." Still, she received no answer, and sighed in annoyance. {Hello, wakey, wakey!}

"Oh - right," I said out loud. "Well, are we going to get off of this mountain or what?" The other two seemed to snap out of their shock.

"Yeah - down the mountain. Of course. Well, actually, it would probably be best if we went back into the crater, and then used that secret tunnel behind Darunia's throne. It'll be quicker that way," Link said.

"And, we can assure ourselves that Goron city is back to normal," Sheik added. I noticed that he still held his lyre. Listening closely, I could hear the soft notes of the song I had sung earlier. It was eerie - and gratifying to say the least - that he could actually remember what I had sung. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here and back to Kakariko for a good meal!"

[A good meal - I could really do with one of those right now.]

{Me too. Geez, having the magic pumped back into you really gives you an appetite.}

[I wouldn't know...But, food! I'm going whether you guys are coming or not!] Of course, they were coming. Once you've tasted Eloise' cooking, you can't easily pass it up. So back we went into the crater, across a broken bridge, up a slope, and then through the dark passageway into the still empty throne room.

Carrying on into the city, we could hear the voices of Gorons, and I smiled to myself; this was the best part of the job. Knowing that you were making a difference.

*

Many hours later, we trudged into Kakariko - the stars were twinkling down upon us, and it was quite chilly. As we walked through the central field, I peeled off and headed towards the tree in the centre. "'Night," I called over my shoulder.

"Where're you going?" Sheik asked - yes, *Sheik* asked. He had changed his tune a lot in the past half a day or so.

"To sleep."

"No - come into the house, you'll freeze out here," he urged, and I turned around and complied - I didn't fancy eating the old food in the pack that Eloise had given me much.

The door was flung wide open after the first knock, and she beamed out at as. "Good to see you again. I was beginning to get worried, but when that cloud over Death Mountain disappeared, I knew you dears were all right." She began to fuss around us, especially over Sheik's shoulder, and the cuts and bruises which covered all of us. "Now, I have some clean bandages and the like in the other room that you can help yourself to. After that, some supper, and then sleep."

She pushed us into the same front room that Navi had exited screaming in terror after being locked in with the boys many days ago now. Navi swished out from under Link's hat. "I'm not going through all that again, I'm getting out of here!" I laughed, as did Link and Sheik, and Eloise tittered before closing the door.

"Hey, is your shoulder feeling better than earlier?" I asked Sheik - it had been playing up on the climb down.

"A little," he said, rolling it, and then gritting his teeth. "Maybe not." He removed his two over shirts, leaving a short-sleeved black one, which showed the damage that had been done.

"Youch," Link winced, and I agreed. The bruise ran from the socket all the way down the bicep to the inside crook of his elbow, and the puncture mark where the bone had gone through showed clearly against his pale skin. The red potion had healed it quickly, but it hadn't taken away the evidence of the wound, nor the pain.

"Here," I stepped up next to Sheik, holding out a roll of bandages, "I'll bandage it up." He shifted so that I could better reach his arm, and held it out as well as he could, considering. Link wandered off to gather his own roll of bandages, and began applying them to his wrists, where the hammer had strained the muscles there. I was pretty much the best one for wear, apart from Navi, but she had just had one hell of a booster.

Sheik tensed his arm as my hand brushed against the puncture mark, "Sorry," I muttered, being more careful as I wound the bright white bandages around the wounded area. His arm was sinewy and the skin soft, even with the wound that ran across it. I blinked, and forced myself to speak so as not to pay so much attention to the details of him. "I'm not winding this too tight am I?" I asked, passing the roll over, around, and under his arm, and then repeating the process, moving it down his arm slightly. He shook his head,

"Nope, it's fine." I carried on until the whole of the bruise was hidden, and ripped the wrappings I had used from the roll away. Then, I wove the little amount of extra around and tied it into place. Sheik flexed his arm, and grinned, "Hey, not bad."

I shrugged, "I got used to it when I was training to fight - I was always getting the crap beaten out of me." He laughed, and carefully put his two shirts back on.

"Hey, don't you have anything that needs looking at?" Link asked, and I shook my head.

"Nope, I did pretty well; only a few scrapes, nothing bandage worthy. Shall we go back into the other room?" They nodded, and we trundled into the room, where Eloise had already placed out steaming bowls of soup and pitchers of water for all of us. She had even thought to supply Navi with an eggcup and a thimble.

"The other advantage to being small," Navi said as we entered, and she lifted the thimble to her lips, "Food bills are very low." She sipped the water, and then put the thimble back down. "Eat, it's delicious!" We didn't need telling twice. Within literally seconds, half of the food that had been placed out was gone, and a minute later, shining bowls sat on the table, cleaned of every last drop of soup. Eloise refilled them, and we ate more slowly this time, beginning to feel full.

It's surprising, but the longer you go without food, the less you actually need to eat. The stomach shrinks or some such, so it takes less food to satisfy hunger.

When we were done, the enormity of the creature that we had just fought hit us - along with a tide of exhaustion. I didn't even have the strength left to make my way up the stairs - I fell asleep right there at the table.

~/*\~/*\~/*\~

And with the pretty little revelation (aka, Sheik's PMS randomly disappeared, and the whole group became a little closer [hurl]), I'm going to cut it off. One, because it's a good place to end the chapter, and two, I'm dead tired. I also realise that since it's been so long since the last chapter, and I can't be bothered to read through what I've already written, I may have some discrepancies over things like Navi's colour, or what weapons which people have. I'm only human! It was bound to happen, and I am in the middle of editing this very important story that I've been working on for - well, forever. So, I apologise, but you'll just have to deal with it! However, I just thought the singing scene was so cute - mind you, it did have Sheik in it [grin].

Sheik: I'm adorable ^_^

Soda: Now, now, don't let it go to your head!

Sheik: My pretty little head ^_^

Soda: I shouldn't have published his story...

Sheik: But-but-but - it was about *me*, and I'm GREAT!

Soda: That you are - you're also hopeless when you're drunk my dear.

Sheik: I'm not dru-

Soda: Shh, just agree, or you're going to feel like an idiot when you read this back dear.

Sheik: O.o Oh - you're writing it down? O.O [Faints]

Soda: [Goes all mushy] Aww, isn't he just the cutest?

Sheik: Yes, yes I am [goes back to being all fainted]

Soda: [Shakes head] Our conversations do get rather odd late into the night. I think I'll go - until I next update.

Ciao from Soda [AND SHEIK!] Calm down dear, you'll mess up your hair [My...hair...OK, I'll be calm!] Heh, works every time...

GO - REVIEW - NOW - HINT - HINT

-_- The great fairies are all prostitutes and whores...pass it on -_- most unsuitably dressed -_-

O.o Will run now - have fairies glaring at me...