Chapter V:  The Elder

           The sunrays beamed down warmly on me, and I suppose I have them to thank that I woke up.  I cautiously opened one eyelid, somewhat worried about where exactly I was.  I was still alive...right?

            I sat straight up, the throbbing headache I was experiencing telling me I obviously was still alive.  I was still alive...but was Reona?

"Reona?" I called, slowly standing up.  We were supposed to have landed at Yoll Graveyard...but we obviously weren't there.  Where else had she said we might end up?  The South Shore?  Was that anywhere near people, even?  Where had that map gone?

            I started walking around.  I'd blown pretty far up on shore, and that was lucky.  But where could Reona have gone?  I ran towards the ocean, realizing I was actually starting to panic.  Calm down, Link...Reona's lived here longer than you have, she can take care of herself.  Yet part of me was still afraid that she was maybe out in the ocean still, frantically trying to swim until a current brought her to shore.

            I heard a weak cry, and ran towards the direction of it.

"Reona?" I yelled, looking around for the girl.

"Over here," came her weak voice, and I spotted her in the water.

"I'm coming!" I ran over to her, pulling her out of the water.  She cried out in pain, and I winced.

"If you're gonna be like that then just don't move me," she said, but I wasn't really offended.  She was just stating a fact, not exactly yelling at me.

"I'm sorry, I'll be careful this time," I apologized, gently moving her this time.  I knelt down next to her once I'd gotten her out of the water.  Her normally thick, pretty black and violet hair now clung to her face in strings and there was a huge gash on the right side of her face that seemed to continue into her hair, although I wasn't sure.

"What did you cut yourself on?" I frowned, concerned.  I had no idea how long we'd been unconscious and it wasn't good for a cut that large to bleed for long.

"The reefs, probably," Reona said faintly, still sprawled out on the sand, eyes closed.  "There's a lot of them around here.  Stupid Reona.  Stupid, stupid Reona.  Why'd I jump off that raft anyway?  I could have killed you."

"But you didn't, and we're both alive, so let's not worry about that anymore."

            She opened her eyes, the determined grey eyes I'd come to expect from her having lost their sparkle.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly.

"I just..." she reached up and gently traced the cut on her face, looking at the fingertips that came back bloody.  "It's nothing," she said quickly, jumping up and then stumbling from trying to move too fast after being unconscious for too long.  I laid my hand on her shoulder, trying to steady her.  "Let's go," she shrugged, walking slightly ahead of me.  "Lynna is just ahead, which means so is the Black Tower.  Let's hurry."

            I followed her silently, wondering what exactly was bothering her that she seemed to refuse to tell me.

                                                                                    ~//~

"Here's the Black Tower," she announced.

"What exactly is it there for?" I finally asked, seeing no use in having a huge black tower right here in Lynna City.

"Long ago, Queen Ambi built it to watch for her lover, who was supposed to return from the sea but never did.  They're renovating the tower now in honor of her," Reona said simply.  That was another thing I'd noticed about her.  She was incredibly short on anything that involved a long explanation.  It had been the same way when she explained about the Shadow.  What was that supposed to mean?

"Hmm," I said as I followed her in the tower.

"Ree-ski!"  a couple of guys waved, looking up from what they were doing.  I noticed their eyes instantly stopped on Reona's cut, but neither made any comment.

"Curtis, Willis," Reona smiled slightly, nodding at each of them in turn.  "How's it going?"

"I hate this job," the first one, Curtis, scowled.  "When's Michi coming in?  She makes it much more fun!"

            Reona smacked her head.

"Do I wish to know how?"

"She tells funny stories and jokes," the second, Willis, grinned happily.  "How come you can't work here too, Ree-ski?  Betcha it'd make it more fun!"

"I'll pass, Willis," Reona shrugged.  "My job pays more and I'm not too good with heavy construction."

"Are any of us?" Curtis sighed. 

"The elder's on the fifth floor," Willis said, and the two went back to their work.

"Thanks, Curtis, Willis," Reona nodded, walking over to Curtis first.  I watched as she took her hands in his, and they started glowing with a cool, blue light.  She did the same for Willis.

"Thanks, Reona," they commented in unison, and I followed Reona up the stairs.

"What was up with that?" I finally asked after a moment's silence.

"Your hands get sore after all the construction,"  Reona explained.  "Michi's come home with horrid blistered hands...that's a spell of healing and comfort."

            I'd never quite seen anyone use magic like Reona.  I'd used magic sword techniques, paired elements with my crystals, and learned three spells of my own, but Reona used magic like it was a natural skill she possessed.  I hadn't seen many people with that talent, ever.

"This is the room of the elder," Reona turned to me and explained.  "Be very respectful, okay?"

"I'm not stupid," I frowned.  Did she honestly think I knew nothing?

            She frowned back at me, then knocked on the Elder's door before letting herself in.

"I greet you, Elder," she clasped her hands together and nodded her head.   I repeated what she did, just to be on the safe side.

"Aye, Reona," Elder smiled, waving her on further inside the door.  "And your friend as well!  Please, do come in.  And what happened to your face?"

"The Sea of Storms being relentless, as always," Reona said vaguely.

"Your friend, is he alright?" Elder looked to me.

"Yes, sir, I'm fine," I nodded for good measure.

"Come here, Reona," the elder called her over, and she slowly walked over to him.  He pulled two pouches out of seemingly nowhere, but if I had to guess I'd say they were probably shoved up the wide sleeves of his robe.  "You know the drill."

"Do I ever," she mumbled, and he smacked the back of her head.  She winced--this obviously hurt the cut, and I frowned as well.  "My apologies, Elder."

"Accepted," he nodded, and started mixing the two powders together in his hands.  Then he spread them across the cut.

            I noticed Reona had tensed up, her eyes squinted shut.  I expected her to cry out in pain, but I had a feeling that wouldn't happen in front of the elder.

"Time will heal it," the elder smiled.  "Now, tell me who this boy is, and why you're late."

"I seem to remember you had business in Symmetry Village you were speaking of, Elder, and I was wondering if you still do."

"Actually, you are correct.  Why does this matter?"

"Yesterday, the Shadow appeared on Crescent Island," Reona said gravely.  "Ochi had run off into the forest, looking for Michi, because Michi was working on the other side of the island that day.  The Shadow attacked her, or so it tried, but Ochi was saved by that boy over there.  I saved the both of them, and when the boy awoke he told me who he was, but seemed to have no idea where he was at.  He's seeking the way to Symmetry Village, and to repay him for saving Ochi, I said I'd show him the way.  However, I still have to work, so I was wondering if you needed me in Symmetry Village for any reason."

"Come here, boy," the Elder waved me over, and I reluctantly walked closer to him.  He reached out and traced the emblem of the Triforce along the back of my hand. I shivered.  Despite the fact the old man looked frail; he had a lot of power.  Perhaps that was why Reona was warning me to be very polite, and I regretted my angry comment.  "She sought out you, and now you're seeking her," the elder frowned, his colorless eyes locking into mine.  I had no idea there was such thing as complete and total absence of color, and I had a feeling my life wouldn't have been any worse had I not known.  "Surely you will come to the end of the Quest you think of, but will the end be as you wish?"

            I looked to Reona, who was looking at me.  I looked back at the Elder, but couldn't look into his eyes.

"Answer me, boy!"

"I don't know," I answered honestly.  How was I supposed to know the end of my Quest? I wasn't gifted with prophecy, and I never had been.  That was Zelda's job.

            He smiled, pleased.

"There is no ending in which everything works out," he told me.  "You'd do best to remember that, Link."

            He turned to Reona.

"I suggest you two get moving.  Take these," he said, pressing the two pouches of powder he'd used to stop Reona from bleeding into her hands, and putting a necklace with a crystal around her neck.  "The powder will prove useful in your quest, and the crystal is to be left with the Messenger at Symmetry Village.  You're dismissed."

            We walked down the stairs and it wasn't until we'd walked out the main door of the Black Tower that the thing that was nagging at the back of my mind hit me.

            Reona had never introduced him to me.  How did he know my name?

                                                ~//~

A/N: The queen of typing errors strikes again…I can hardly believe I typed out the word 'squenched' and didn't even noticed that it's not even a word.  Not at all.  Seriously, squenched?  I'm feeling kind of dumb right now…

Thankies to…

Nancy Sinatra, but only if she actually wrote 'You Only Live Twice'

James Bond, for letting everyone else hear this song but not me

Nintendo, for making Zelda

And…

IJustKeptOnSmiling- I'm glad you like it!  I was afraid no one would!

Sefie Lynne-It's not my fault you didn't see the ending coming of Believing coming… 

Nureg of the Elves- Thanks for the comment!  I've never watched James Bond, so…yeah…

Berlin Brown Eyes- I don't really like Link/Malon-s either ^^;  I mean I'll read 'em, but yeah… 

Setsuna- You're not the only girl who plays Zelda! =D  Sefie Lynne does too and I know another girl who does too!  Hehe, thanks for the comment!

   And anyone else who's read this!

   So um…yeah…review if you hate it or like it or whatever and I'll be writing the next chapter =)