(A/N: This chapter is going to sound a bit Link/Ganondorf, but it's not intended that way, they're just very good friends, and both very concerned about matters at hand. Take it how you will, though, it wouldn't be the strangest possibility. Also, it's about a page's worth longer than the last few. I hope you like it.)

Koume and Kotake were there in a flash. Kotake checked on Doc, while her sister examined the kid.

"Just like Okareena. Unresponsive, but stable." Koume said finally. Kotake nodded in agreement.

Ganondorf had forgotten about his hand on Link's shoulder. He felt a sudden chill underneath his palm, and turned back to see what had happened. Link's face was bone white in bewildered fear, his gaze locked onto Doc's softly breathing, yet unmoving form.

"Link," Ganondorf said, then fell silent. He wanted to reassure his friend. He wanted to say it wouldn't happen to him. He wanted to make some joke out of it to shoo away some of the low-lying panic in Link's eyes, but this was too serious, too real. Nothing could make it better.

Link smiled weakly at his long-time best friend and put an ashen, clammy hand on top of his tan, warm one.

"Thanks a lot." He said.

"I wish there was something I could do to help." Ganondorf replied, taking his hand gently off Link's shoulder.

Link had a reluctant spark of calm amidst the panic he was emanating. "I appreciate you coming here. Hey, if I don't..."

Ganondorf shook his head firmly. "Not a chance, buddy, you're pulling out of this."

"Listen." Link insisted. "If I don't..." He paused, grimacing at the idea. "...make it, would you, tell Saria... for me?"

Ganondorf knew what he meant. He didn't shake or nod his head. "I refuse to believe that you won't be okay, but should the worst happen, yeah, I'll tell her."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, buddy."

A collective shiver ran through the observation room. The second file had just vanished, and Koume has just called from the Infirmary to report that Doc 1 and 2 had lost consciousness. Zelda, who stayed in the room for updates, dug through activity archives in search of a clue.

"Can't we do anything besides sit back and watch this happen?" The oldest brother asked in aggravation, thumping a fist on the desktop.

It felt like all hope was lost in that room. A low-level panic was surviving throughout the cartridge. The sages were trying to retain order, but some things just couldn't be doused with simple reason. One by one, they lost Okareena and Doc. Now, only Link remained. File number 1. He had some time. The scrambled data wasn't deteriorating right now. But the moment the player accessed the game, the data corruption would progress.

Zelda slumped backward in her seat with a hopeless sigh.

"There's nothing we don't already know in the archives. The Gameshark was active, somebody saved the data to the cartridge, and its taken effect. For each file that's gradually erased, that corresponding person goes into a sort of coma, indicative of a severe reaction to file deletion."

She slouched forward, and rested her head in her hands.

"I can't find any answers."

She eyed the Triforce of wisdom mark on her hand. It was all special effects for the game. "Man, sometimes I wish this thing was real."

Sheik was musing about the same thing at the time. They were, of course, suppose to be the same person in-game, but Zelda just couldn't manage the strength and agility required for Sheik's part. He had a similar mark on his hand, for the transformation scene and continuity.

The data looked mostly normal, but Sheik took it upon himself to do a more thorough check. Entering a security code, he unlocked the game door.

That particular door was the Temple of Time entry point. It was dark and silent inside. He proceeded out to the Castle town, which was still decayed-looking from the last active game, but silent, as well as empty. The ReDeads were conspiracy theorists, so it was likely they were stirring up trouble back outside.

As Sheik crossed the broken drawbridge into the field, he noted it was midnight, and since the game wasn't running, it stayed that way. The full moon hung in the sky, frozen at 0:00.

He pulled out a small, handy piece of equipment he received recently from a Skull Kid. Those little imps were technological geniuses to rival the Know-it-all Brothers. But while the Brothers specialized in data networking, the Skull Kids specialized in new hardware.

He thought it amusing that the forest folk of the game knew the most about technology.

This invention resembled the game controller, but it was wireless, tapping directly into the data itself, for specific manipulation. It made the deconstruction between time periods a breeze. (How else could they do seven years' worth of damage in a split second?)

He smiled as he activated the control. He was already breaking at least two regulations by being in here, and a few more for by what he was planning to do. But he was sure no one would care, due to circumstance.

He accessed recent data applications, and isolated a copy of the gameshark data. It couldn't fix what had been done, but it could replicate the incident.

Holding the L button, he lifted himself off the ground. He floated around a while, kind of enjoying the sensation, and wondering what Okareena might have done at the time.

Tentatively, he drifted toward the edge of the area. It was a sight few had the opportunity to see. A horizon beyond the horizon, a mirror image of the sky, and darkness below that.

With a certain, queasy feeling that Okareena had done this very act, Sheik held his breath, closed his eyes, and released the button.

After the sensation of falling, his feet touched solid ground again. Opening his eyes, he found himself standing at the broken drawbridge again, gripping the controller tightly. With a thrilled shudder and a small, smile, he continued his investigation.

Just as his preliminary investigation had shown, the game itself appeared fine. The inactivity was due to an authorized complete lockdown. But it was certainly the Gameshark data affecting the hero characters.

He was closer to Lake Hylia now, so he decided to leave the game area by that route. As he looked for the game door, movement caught the corner of his eye. No one was supposed to be here. The game area had been quarantined to everyone until further notice.

"Hey. Who's there?" Sheik called out, his voice echoing quietly against the silent area.

The response was a full quiet. It was different than the previous, empty silence.

Sheik walked around, looking carefully. He heard quietly shuffling footsteps over his own, soundless ones. Approaching the Lakeside lab, he used the controller to levitate to the roof. He landed silently, then peeked over the opposite edge to see Little Zelda, peeking around the corner for him.

Without a sound, he jumped down and landed behind her. He cleared his throat audibly. The child princess screamed and spun around, looking at him with wide eyes.

"H-how did you...?"

"What are you doing here, Zelda?" he asked firmly. "The game area is off-limits. You know that."

"Yeah? What about you?" she retorted, still sour over being startled.

"I'm doing an investigation. You have no reason to be in here."

"Yeah I do." She argued, crossing her arms and sticking out her lip defiantly. "My friend's sick, and I wanna find out why."

Sheik understood. She was breaking the rules for the same reason he was: answers. But he wasn't about to give her the upper hand of knowing that right now.

"Come on. We're leaving." Sheik said firmly.

Little Zelda's defiance faded into worry. "Are you gonna tell on me?"

"Not if you hurry up." he replied simply, and turned, striding for the game door. He smiled to himself in amusement as he heard her scurry after him.