Disclaimer: Not mine!!

Yay!! I am so happy! I have found another site that hosts the Zelda Manga!! So now, this shall most assuredly get done-maybe by the New Year. It may not be posted by the New Year, but I will most likely finish writing up the manuscript by then. After two years, it shall finally be done… Yes, I started this at Christmas time of eighth grade and now it is Christmas time of sophomore year… Wow. OO

Also, this will be my last post for some time, as I have exams coming up. Yeah, my school is stupid and does them after the Christmas Break, the thickheads… So, I'll see ya later!!

Review Time!!!

Weeper: ::wipes tear away with hankie:: You-you really like me…? Wow. I feel… so loved! You really think that I should do a Majora's Mask manga adaptation? Yeah, a lot of people have said that to me… So, now that I have found an alternate site for the manga, that shall be possible and will, in most likelihood, happen. Oh, yeah about Zelda no Densetsu-it crashed, I heard, due to hackers… Yeah, that's how Sheik is portrayed in the manga. "He" is a lot more interesting than in the game… Thanks for your review!

Vladimir the hamster: Okay, since you don't have a profile, I don't know if you'll come back in read this, but I have faith in you, so here ya go. And, this is the first Zelda fic you've read? Well, I am honored that you have chosen my story to read! Thank you!

Dark Quiksilver: Hey, man, nice to see you again! Thank you, and here's the next little chappie!

PrinceofRivendell273: Well, seems you got a new account… And, I am most certainly not evil! You wanna see evil? "I have met beings worth fearing and you do not rank with them." (Legolas said that in… ::oh, God, what story was it…? Argh!:: OH! "Traitor", yes that's it!! He says that to Denethor.) What part freaked you out more, Sheik being revealed, or Zelda's kidnapping? Just curious…

Luthien: What's up, girl?! Long time, no see. So sorry I haven't emailed you anything of importance, but Yahoo's being real stupid about letting me send emails right now… ::sighs:: But, no, I do not have AIM or Yahoo IM… Sorry, I am not a big fan of that type of thing, a lot of my friends' fights start on AIM.

Grunt Hunter Dark Croix: Very interesting pen name… Wherever did you think of it? Um, you could read it at Zelda no Densetsu site, but it crashed. But now, go to and it should be on the main menu to the left, along with a whole bunch of other comics and mangas. Thanks for the review!

Okay, after a one-page header, let's start this bad boy! But, sadly, we don't get to kick some Gerudian butt till next time because this ended up as leading to another idea and then it just kinda kept on growing so I just decided to break it off. So this next chapter is my creation entirely. Let me know what you think of it in a review!

Chapter Eight

Requiem For A Dream

Link was stranded in the Desert Colossus until late dusk, when Nabooru was able to return with several of her followers. Epona was trailing behind them, rider-less for she would allow no one, save Link, to ride upon her back. When the Gerudo arrived, Nabooru gracefully climbed off her horse and looked about, expecting to find another person, aside from Link.

She looked down at her feet. Sitting on the hard stone of the Spirit Temple lobby was Link, his knees drawn close to his chest. His head was down on his arms, which were resting on top of his knees, hiding his face.

"Where is Sheik?" she asked, bewildered.

Before answering her, Link closed his tear-filled eyes tightly, his mind replaying what had transpired just over a couple hours ago. He sighed and then lifted his head.

Nabooru blinked in surprise and stepped slightly back. Link was weeping. His hair was disheveled, his face was scratched from, what looked like, another fierce confrontation other than Twinrova. His eyes looked far away and very hurt.

'Something pains him,' Nabooru reasoned to herself. 'And not just physically…'

"Where is Sheik?" she questioned again. She wasn't sure what to do; Nabooru had rarely had dealings with men and when she did, it was because they had trespassed in their lands and so they were sentenced to either life imprisonment or death, the former most of the time being the case. But Link was the first male she had ever really gotten to know as a friend. She wanted to comfort him, but didn't know if he considered her as she considered him. "Link…?"

"'Sheik' is no longer here…" he said thickly and sadly through salty tears.

Nabooru was confused. "What do mean?" He had strangely emphasized Sheik's name and she wondered why.

"'Sheik' was never a real person. 'Sheik' was-" He stopped suddenly. Regaining himself, he continued, "'Sheik' was really Princess Zelda. It was her disguise."

Nabooru's eyes went wide with shock. Sheik was the crown Princess of Hyrule? But… Sheik had teamed up with Ganondorf and even assisted the Gerudo to capture Link.

Seeing Nabooru's confusion, Link elaborated, "She hid her identity from Ganondorf by pretending to be one of his underlings."

"Oh…"

Link continued, "But Ganondorf somehow knew that she had revealed herself…"

Hesitantly, the Gerudo asked, "Where is she now?" She was quite afraid to ask; she knew that the Hylian would never abandon the Princess, not in a million years… So what had happened to her?

Link buried his face in his hands and burst out angrily through tears, "Ganondorf has her! …And it's all my fault…" he whispered the last part, advancing his own self-condemnation on the whole matter.

Nabooru gasped slightly and blinked. Seeing Link's body shaking from crying as he was, she said to her other riders, "Could you give us a minute?" When they had left, giving their mistress and her friend the room she desired, Nabooru slowly walked up to Link and kneeled in front of him. Gently taking his hands, she eased them away from his face, revealing his pale face and red cheeks. She said kindly, "Now, I highly doubt that it was your fault. Unless you are saying that you wanted Ganondorf to kidnap Zelda, which I don't think you did."

Link shot his head up. "No! I never wanted this! I didn't, I swear-!"

Nabooru held up her hand and laughed lightly. "Calm down, Link. It was a rhetorical question-I was in search of no reply." Lowering her hand, she continued, "I know that you care deeply for the Princess."

Link looked at her after drying his eyes and calming down a bit. Did she really know how he cared for her? Did he himself know…?

"So I ask you this, Link: What are you going to do now?" She stood up and, offering him her hand, proposed her sentiments, "Are you just going to sit here and let Ganondorf win? Or, are you going to go to his castle, save Zelda and defeat that Evil King?"

The Hylian in question looked up at the Gerudo woman before him. Like hell was he going to sit here, acting as if he had not a care in the world! He would fight! He would fight to save Hyrule; he would fight to protect the Triforce; he would fight… for Zelda.

He wiped his eyes and flashed them in a determined gaze as he accepted Nabooru's outstretched hand, "I will fight!" Proudly, he stood.

Nabooru smiled. "That's the Link I know and love! Now come on! We've got a menacing King to defeat and a Princess to rescue!"

"Right!" Link made to follow her, but no sooner had he started to do so, he collapsed in a cry of pain. He looked down at his right leg, where the agony had originated. His calf had a deep gash on it from what, he did not know. Blood from just below the back of his knee was slowly pouring down his leg, soaking his leggings and boot; there was not a lot of blood, but there was a fair amount. He assumed it was from Twinrova, but how could he have missed it? Maybe the fact that he had finally found Zelda had overcome his mind… and then Ganondorf had come… It must have just slipped his consciousness.

Nabooru looked back at his cry. "Link, are you all right?" she said, kneeling down next to him on the floor.

"It's-it's my leg," he said through gritted teeth. "I know not where it came from… but it hurts!"

"Ooh… I bet it does…" Nabooru winced in sympathy for Link as she took in his injured leg. As she looked at it closer, she saw that the edges of it were a greenish black colour… That was not good. "This wound is infected," she whispered.

"What?!"

"This is no a gash, it is a bite, and a poisonous one at that," she said grimly.

"Great," Link said to himself, "just what I need now: a poisoned wound."

A smile tugged at Nabooru's lips. "Not to worry. We have dealt with these types of poisons and wounds before. The creature that bit you was a Leever, probably a baby one, though. There's no telling how long ago that it bit you; baby Leevers' bites are undetectable when the victim is first bitten. Their pincers are so tiny, that it's virtually painless! It takes a good few hours for the bite to be noticed." She looked up at Link and said seriously, "You were lucky; if a fully grown Leever had sank its fangs into your leg, you would have been dead in a matter of minutes."

Giggling at Link's silent reaction, she assured him, "Don't worry, though; the most that'll happen in this case is that the venom will affect your autonomous system and gradually weaken you. And we have knowledge as to how to treat these types of toxins. Our most skilled healers will attend to you."

Her gaze did quite match with Link's. Was there something she was not telling him? But he had not energy to dwell on the matter.

"But we have to hurry back to the fortress-the poison will eventually render you unconscious. Let's go!"

Reaching under Link's arms, Nabooru helped the Hylian to stand and when he was balanced enough, she guided him over to Epona and helped him to mount her. As the Gerudos were preparing to leave, Link leaned close to Epona's ear and whispered, "Please be as gentle as you can. I am injured."

When they started, Epona kept her word and Link was rewarded with the smoothest ride imaginable back to the fortress. But as the journey grew on, Link's vision began to swim and he could hardly see the riders in front of him; in addition, he had started sweating fervently and it was nighttime in the desert-the air was quite cool. By the time the company arrived at the stronghold, the toxins were starting to really take their toll on Link's body. When Nabooru had dismounted her horse and walked over in order to assist Link, the Hylian simply fell off his saddle, into the Gerudo's arms.

Nabooru groaned slightly at Link's weight. "Ishtar!" she beckoned to one of her friends. "Ishtar, run ahead and tell Sima to prepare a bed. Tell her also to prepare a poultice to cure a Leever's bite! Go, hurry!"

"Yes, Nabooru," the woman replied with a nod as she turned and left, sprinting to the infirmary.

Looking down onto Link's face, she noticed that Link was indeed unconscious; she knew it had been only a matter of time. Adjusting Link's weight so that her left hand was supporting his back while her right was under his knees, she carried him up the sandy hill and into the shadows and coolness of the fortress. Winding her way quickly through the labyrinth-like halls, she walked to the healing wing. When at last she came upon it, Nabooru found Sima waiting for them; she had prepared a bed and was in the process of mixing the poultice that would purge the poison that was wrecking havoc on Link's body.

Nabooru walked over to the corner, where a bedroll was laid out. Easing herself and her charge down to the ground, she sat Link on top of the blankets. Before letting him lie down, she removed Link's Shield and undid the buckle holding the Master Sword's scabbard, laying both items against the wall next to the bed; with those two items also went Link's bow, quiver and Hookshot. Gently, she eased the Hylian onto the mat.

Knowing the effects of Leever poison, she placed two fingers on the side of Link's neck, checking his pulse. Link's heart was beating slowly-too slowly. If they did not act soon, Link would go into coronary failure. She had not told him this in order to not frighten him, but it was the reality of the situation.

Fixing her gaze on Sima, Nabooru said urgently, "Hurry, Sima! His heart is already slowing!"

"It is almost ready, Mistress," the physician replied as she continued stirring the contents of a small wooden dish. "I just need the last ingredient…"

Nabooru kept her hand on Link's neck; if his heart were to start slowing even more, she would need to know as soon as humanly possible. "How much longer, Sima?" she dared to ask.

The healer had stopped stirring the almost-ready medicine and had set it on the table in front of her. "Once I add the linnathon flower, it will have to sit for seven minutes. Then it will be ready."

Nabooru remained impassive. That was cutting it close; even as she spoke, Link's heart had slowed down even more.

In the meantime, Navi had flown in. Nervous about seeing Link in this state though she was, she wanted to see him. When her eyes fell on her friend's unmoving form lying in the bed, she gasped softly, "Link…!" Slowly, she flew over to Nabooru and landed on the Gerudo's shoulder. "Is he going to be all right?"

The woman in question turned her attention to the fairy resting on her shoulder. "I believe so; but the sooner we get the antidote in his system, the better off he'll be."

Suddenly she stood up. Crossing the small room to a water spigot, Nabooru grabbed a small wooden bowl and poured the cooling liquid in it. Reaching across where Sima was, she grabbed a soft rag and went back over to Link's side.

Navi was hovering over Link, a worried expression on her small face. When Nabooru sat back down, she asked, "Is everything all right with him?"

"A fever has set in. This is a side-effect of the poison, but it can sometimes rise far above what the normal body temperature should be." She wrung the cloth free of excess water and then placed it slowly on Link's forehead. He stirred slightly at her soft touch, but he did not wake.

"It is ready, Mistress!"

Nabooru shot her head around. Sima was swiftly crossing the room with the medicine in her hands, another rag in the cup. Kneeling next to Nabooru, the healer used the rag to rub the salve onto Link's leg. The Hylian reacted badly: his back arched in pain.

Navi started panicking slightly. "What's wrong with him? Why is he reacting so?"

"Don't worry, Navi," Nabooru hushed her, easing the fairy onto her shoulder once more. "The medicine stings when first applied. It should start taking affect in a matter of about ten minutes."

Sima stood up once she had pressed Link back on the mat on which he lay. "I am finished. He should be awake in about twelve minutes, with the poison being purged out of his system in about ten."

Navi sighed. "That's a relief, I must say."

"Yes, but until he awakens, Link will experience horrible nightmares. That is the one side effect of the antidote that we've never been able to work out. With his past and his future, there's no telling what trauma he's going through right now."

Darkness. That seemed to be all there was in this place, although he wished to goodness he knew where 'this place' was… It felt so dark and cold.

Link walked an endless hallway, it seemed, into encompassing darkness and oblivion. Along the way, on the 'walls' of the tunnel, were images of his childhood… Well, he guessed they weren't really images since they moved and talked: they were more like memories… his memories, plastered on the walls. None of the memories were very good; they all depicted times when the Kokiri he had lived with, namely Mido, had teased him about not having a fairy, when he was very young, no more than seven or eight years old. Sometimes, at the end, Saria's smiling face would appear to break up the fight but no sooner than she stepped in, the image would go dark.

So Link walked in this endless corridor, haunted by memories of his past. Eventually, he came to more recent events in his life. He saw, once again, the passing of the Great Deku Tree, his first meeting with Ganondorf, not to mention when he saw Zelda being spirited to safety by Impa with the Gerudo King pursuing them… He saw his entire journey as of late on the walls before him: the Phantom Ganon, his own Shadow, Morpha, his being captured by the Gerudo, Twinrova, the smiling and exceedingly fair face of Princess Zelda…

Link stopped. The image before him of Zelda had disappeared and in its place was… himself! That is, when he had slaughtered his own dragon in order to save the Goron people and all of Hyrule. The Hylian drew back and closed his eyes, not wishing to see what he did not want to see. When he looked up, the picture had changed. This time, it was of his mother and father; then that, too, faded, to be replaced by only his mother…

She was running… running with something in her arms, the bundle being hugged close to her breast. She ran into a dark tunnel leading into the woods: Link recognized it as the Lost Woods… Then, as she continued, she sprinted to the Deku Tree's meadow. Gasping, the woman fell to her knees before the tree, holding her bundle out before the ruler of the forest. Link could now see what the bundle was: it was a baby… him…!

He swallowed hard, his breathing becoming shallow. He was witnessing his mother's final moments.

She was talking with the Tree, but no words were to be heard. After some silent negotiations, the woman laid her child down on the grass softly. Reaching out a slender and graceful hand, she gently touched the child's hair and face. Link saw her say something to the baby. Her soft face suddenly became one of pain.

Link watched in horrified, tear-filled eyes as his mother fell sideways onto the grass, her beautiful and sad body empty of life.

The Hylian being forced to watch let out an anguished cry and ran; he wanted to put as much distance between him and this accursed place as quickly as possible. But that didn't seem to be in his power to do, for no sooner had he looked up, above him there appeared another image, this one of his father.

Link saw his father riding atop a horse, a Hyrulean stallion. He was leading a vast and powerful-looking militia into the west, by the look of the land. When that had faded, the next picture Link saw drew him back a little. It was still his father, but he and his army were in the midst of a battle and one they seemed to be losing as well. He watched in amazement and apprehension as his father fought most magnificently with a sword, parrying and blocking every blow that came his way. Link became nervous as he saw that the enemy was becoming more and more numerous, and he very nearly gasped when the man who was covering his father's back was killed. But the battle raged on… though not for very long.

What came next, Link could never prepare for. He saw an enemy fighter come running up from behind his father, the monster's scimitar raised high in the air. Turning around quickly, although Link saw as if in slow motion, the commander was caught with the blade gouging his stomach. Link clearly saw the surprised and shocked look that crossed his father's face before the enemy soldier thrust the body away from his sword, sending it to the ground, and then moving on to kill another.

Link backed away in horror. "No…" his dream state whispered, his face going pale. "No… Stop, please!" He turned and ran, but knowing deep down inside that fleeing was futile.

In his nightmare, Link tossed and turned. Nabooru, Navi and Sima all heard him whisper in terrified voices occasionally, "No, please, stop! Stop!"

At one point, Link's back arched in pain. Nabooru quickly tried to set him back down, but the Hylian was strong; and not only that, he was frightened.

The Gerudo mistress, as soon as she had somewhat calmed Link, pressed the damp cloth to his forehead again, wiping the sweat from his brow. "There's no telling what kind of nightmares he's experiencing…" she said wearily.

Navi was miserable; she had seen Link in pain before, but never in this much, and certainly not emotionally speaking. "When will he wake?"

Nabooru looked at the sundial outside the window, lit by the silvery moon from the cloudless sky above. "He's still must suffer through this for another five minutes or so."

Navi's eyes went huge in sorrow, pain and pity. Five more minutes of having to watch Link writhe and turn with pain and agony? How much more would the Hero of Time have to endure…? It always seemed that he was suffering, one way or another; when he was a child, the Kokiri ridiculed him and now he was the self-sacrificing person who was willing to risk his very life in order to save Hyrule. Navi wondered whether or not he truly ever had time to think of himself, of his own needs. But she supposed that was how Link was; she had come to this conclusion shortly after she had met Link, but had never really thought about it before now.

A cry suddenly split the calmness of the present time. Navi looked up and saw a sight she would never forget: Link's eyes were pressed very tightly shut, his fists were clenched tightly at his sides and she could see the sweat pouring down his face. Once again, his back was arched in pain; Nabooru and Sima was trying fruitlessly to get him back on the mat, but nothing was working.

Under his breath, Link muttered, "No, n-no…! Please, let-let her… go! No, let her go!"

Nabooru looked at his face when his words reached her ears. It didn't take a genius to guess what Link was being forced to witness now. "He's dreaming of the Princess," she whispered, horrified.

"Is there anything we can do to calm him?" Navi nearly shouted over Link's voice. As the time grew on, the Hylian's volume was steadily increasing.

"No," Nabooru replied. "There is nothing we can do, but wait. Wait… and pray. Link needs our prayers right now. He's going through hell as it is."

Link watched, horrified at what he was witnessing. What he saw was burned into his memory for all eternity:

Zelda was against a wall with her hands chained high above her head, barely letting her feet touch the floor, with several other chains wrapped around the rest of her body. She looked dreadful; her beautiful skin was now clammy, her elegant dress was now ripped, her golden hair was now dirty and free of the band that kept it tied back. Her head was hung low on her breast, but Link could clearly see the smudges on her cheeks and a cut above her right eye, close to her temple. And her eyes-her radiant, sapphire, full-of-life eyes-were closed.

"ZELDA!!!" Link screamed into the darkness.

Nabooru and Sima were trying their best to keep Link under control but it was worthless. Nabooru had no idea what Link was being forced to see, but it must have been awful, considering that he had just shouted out Zelda's name and sat bolt upright, his eyes snapping open with a glazed and uncomprehending look. But as soon as the moment wore off and the adrenaline died down just a bit, his eyes clamped tight shut again. And now he was tossing and turning, screaming and yelling; he kept on saying the Princess's name, over and over he said it, each time it became more and more desperate.

Ceasing her hold on Link for no more than five seconds, Nabooru brought her hands together in prayer and whispered reverently, "Sages, please help him through this. He alone can save Zelda. Please, Sages, help him…"

Link ran and ran; but this time, it was towards the image before him. He didn't know if it was reality or fiction, but he wouldn't just stand there and let Zelda die… But as he drew closer, she seemed to be moving farther back away from him. The sprinting was exhausting, but Link would not give up.

After a couple of minutes of jogging, the image began to fade. With what little breath he had in his lungs, Link gasped. No, she could not disappear, she couldn't! But she was; she was fading, fading… gone.

"Zelda, no!" he hollered breathlessly, reaching out his hand. "Let her go! Whoever you are, let her go!"

But screaming, it seemed, was doing nothing. Link dropped to his knees in defeat, sitting on the ground. Where was he, that he was being forced to witness the worst moments in his life? Where, that he would have to watch what he feared most in the world to pass? Where? Why…?

"Link…" a soft and gentle voice said.

The Hylian lifted his head, one last tear falling into his hands. "What…?" he whispered. "Who-who's there?"

"It is the Sage, Rauru…"

Link stood and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Rauru? That's really you? What-what is this place?"

"This is your stream of unconsciousness. The images you see before you are your worst times in life. …Not to mention the effects of the antidote to Leever's poison…" Rauru added with a slight smile as he stepped into focus. He looked as he always looked, with the same yellow robe and scarlet overcoat.

Link breathed a sigh of relief. "It is you… I thought I would be trapped here forever."

"Nay, that will not be so, Hero of Time," Rauru continued. "Like I said before, this 'hallway' is merely the cause of the medicine in your body. What you were just forced to watch-the vision of the Princess-was entirely fiction. That was your own stream of consciousness, displaying before you the thing you fear the most at this time: the Princess' death, and the fact that she now resides with Ganondorf against her will."

Link understood and nodded. "But how is it you came to be here and interrupt this? Should it not continue on?" he asked quietly, the dread that it would pursue carefully hidden out of his voice.

Rauru smiled knowingly. "I am here because of one person in particular."

"Who?" Link quirked an eyebrow.

"Nabooru. She went to great lengths to ensure your safety; she has never left your side throughout this whole ordeal, the same can be applied to Navi, your fairy. It has been several hours since you were poisoned and yet, since she found you in the desert, Nabooru never once abandoned you."

Link looked down at his feet, a new opinion of Nabooru forming in his mind. "Except for the time that she was brainwashed, Nabooru has always been kind to me. She helped Zelda and me out of a very difficult spot when I faced the Sorceress Sisters… I need to thank her. I never really thought about her as nothing more than a nice Gerudo- and she was the rare exception to her race. She actually trusted me, from the moment I freed her of Twinrova's control."

"That she did, Link," Rauru nodded wisely. "That she did."

Link smiled. "But I have to ask, what did Nabooru do in order to summon you?"

"She simply prayed for your life. She asked us Sages to come and aid you in this time of crisis. And we have granted her request," he said.

Suddenly, in the colors of green, red, blue, and violet, the other Sages appeared behind Rauru. Rauru smiled at Link and said with gentleness, "Now, Link, we five shall concentrate our power and revitalize you, purging the poison completely from your body! But before you depart, we Sages have four gifts to give you in order to aid you in your battle with the Evil King."

Darunia brusquely walked up to Link. He clasped the Hylian's forearm in friendship and said, "Brother, this is a spell that will summon a ring of fire around you, eliminating all foes. It was a gift from the goddess, Din and is called Din's Fire. Use it well." The Goron stepped back and placed his hands in the air at waist height and a great red orb with a white center started forming in the air. Then, in a blinding flash, a small diamond prism, not even the size of Link's hand, was in its place. In the center of the crystal was a red orb, similar to the one that had just disappeared. "Keep this with you, Brother, for as long as you have it in your possession, you shall be able to cast the spell."

Link accepted the treasure placed in his palm and slipped it in the inside-pocket of his tunic. "Thank you, Brother."

Darunia turned around and walked back, Ruto stepping up to the Hero next. "Hello, Link," she said, her hands on her hips.

"H-hello, Ruto," Link grinned weakly.

"Well, this is our third meeting since we pledged our love to each other and we still cannot be together!" she growled fiercely.

"What a shame," the Hylian said lightly, not meeting the Zora's eyes.

"Yes, I know," Ruto sighed, not catching the hint of sarcasm in his voice. "But we have not come here to talk of love. I am going to bestow upon you another magic spell. It is both an offensive and defensive incantation. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, gave it to me and she asked that I pass it to you. It is called Nayru's Love and will provide a protective, however temporary, barrier around you. Used offensively, the spell still forms the barrier, but then it turns into many shards, sending them everywhere and protecting you from harm."

Just as Darunia before her, Ruto held her arms out, bending them at the elbows. A blue light with a white nucleus formed and another diamond-shaped prism formed with a blue crystal in the center.

Ruto tossed it to Link, who caught it, slightly surprised, and said, placing her hands back on her hips once more, "The same applies to that spell as Din's Fire. Do not lose it."

"Thank you, Ruto," Link said as she turned away. Ruto blushed bright red as she stood next to Impa and Rauru.

The next person who would present Link with a spell was very short, considering that that person was Saria. The little Kokiri girl walked up to Link; she just barely reached Link's torso, she was so small.

Link looked down at her and smiled. Even though his childhood friend was a Sage and he was the Hero of Time, they would remain friends forever. She looked up at him and thought the same thing.

"Link, it is good to see you again," she said quietly. She was still not yet used to Link being a lot taller than she was.

"I have missed you," Link said, kneeling down in front of her so that they were now roughly the same height.

"This gift is very special and can help you out of a very tight situation if used properly. It is called Farore's Wind and is a teleportation spell; the goddess Farore gave it to me to pass to you. She also told me to tell you to 'use it well.'"

Again, Saria formed another power crystal with a green center and handed it to Link, saying, "I will always be… your friend."

Link clutched the gift to his chest and said, "I know; and I will always be yours."

Unable to stop herself, Saria flung herself into Link's arms, hugging him. They loved each other, certainly, but it was a brotherly-sisterly relationship-nothing more. Link accepted her and placed his hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair. She was so small, but the size of her heart made up for her lack of height.

After a few more moments, Saria disentangled herself from Link and said to him, while wiping her eyes, "Well, off you go again on another adventure. Take care of yourself, Link."

Link smiled knowingly. "So it seems, and I will. Thank you, Saria."

The Kokiri just smiled and fell back in place next to Darunia and Ruto.

"Now that you have the Spells of the Goddesses, given to no other mortal, save you," Rauru said, also walking towards the Hero, "it is time for me to give you a gift. This was given to me to pass on to you from Princess Zelda. It is the power given to the chosen ones, the sacred Arrow of Light!"

Link gasped as Rauru lifted his arms high in the air and a great golden light encompassed all, defeating the darkness and banishing it forever. Link closed his eyes and used his hand as a shield to protect them as well. When he unveiled them, the inky blackness in the area was gone and now everything was a pure white colour. A single arrow lay floating in the air in Rauru's possession. The tip, it seemed, was made of light itself, and the entire projectile was glowing as if the very radiance of the sun were trapped inside the awesome weapon.

The Hero of Time slowly walked up in front of the Sage of Light and raised his arms in turn, accepting this new arrow in his care.

"This type of power is given to only those who protect and bear a piece of the Triforce in their bodies." Rauru said. "Use it respectfully."

Link shook his head. "I don't understand something; how can I have a piece of the Triforce in me? Does it have the power to be broken into shards?"

"Yes… and no," the Sage replied cryptically. "If a person with an evil heart lays his hand on the Sacred Triangle, then it will split into three parts, with only one power remaining with the one who first touched it: the power that that one most believes in-in Ganondorf's case, it was Power. The remaining two will scatter into the bodies of those chosen by destiny. If the one who touched the Triforce desires the complete mastery of the Triforce, he must seek out those chosen by destiny. Those chosen will know that they were selected, for they will bear Triforce marks on the backs of their hands when another piece is close by."

"Who holds the pieces?" Link asked, holding out his hands in question. "Do we know?"

"Yes, and unfortunately, one of them is in jeopardy at this very moment," Rauru replied sadly. "It is Princess Zelda who protects the Triforce of Wisdom."

"No…" Link whispered in horror. "That would mean-!"

"Yes, Link," Impa said suddenly, "the Triforce of Wisdom is within the King of Evil's grasp… However, at the very moment, there is precious little we can do about that. Only you can rescue her."

Link nodded. "Who, may I ask, holds the third fragment?"

"The Triforce of Courage lies in you, Link," Rauru revealed.

Link drew his breath in sharply. "That means… that if I go to Ganondorf's castle, he'll… he'll have both Wisdom and Courage."

The room grew silent.

"It is a trap," Link whispered forcefully. "It is a trap to lure me into Ganondorf's hands." He looked up and met each one of the Sages' eyes squarely. "I swear to you all, I will not let that madman lay his hands on the Triforce. For him to get Courage, he would have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers," he said lethally. "The same is true of Zelda's life; I will die before I see anymore harm her. As long as I breathe, no one shall lay a finger on her or the Triforce!"

"Just the answer we expected from the Hero of Time," Impa said, folding her arms across her chest. "Now, go! And save the Princess!"

All of them raised their arms and started chanting; the litany grew louder and louder until it seemed to be coming from everywhere, echoing from all corners of the area. As it escaladed, Link was slowly lifted into the air. He looked down at the Sages.

"Link, Hero of Time," Impa said. "You alone can save the land of Hyrule, the Princess and the Triforce from Ganondorf. Go and become the Hero you were born to be!"

With those final words, the other Sages ceased their song all at once and all grew silent.

"I will," Link replied. And then he disappeared.

Link sat bolt upright in bed. He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, but he was fully awake and alert. He felt a strong set of hands start to ease him back into the bedroll. He blinked several times, summoning the world to come into focus, and looked up into Nabooru's smiling face. He brought a hand up to his forehead as he felt a cool, damp cloth being pressed against it.

"Welcome back, Link," Nabooru whispered with a small smile. "How do you feel?"

"Actually, I feel… fine," the Hylian admitted. "A little nervous, but I think that would be expected since I am mere hours away from facing off with Ganondorf."

Nabooru giggled. "I see you haven't lost your sense of humour. But you don't feel sick, or-or anything?"

"No, I can't say that I do…" Link said, leaning up on his elbows. Noticing that he was missing items, he said urgently, "The Master Sword! My Shield! My bow, my-!"

Nabooru held up her hand, her eyebrows raised. "Relax, my friend. They are right over there." She pointed down to the end of the bed, where the missing items were leaning against the wall. She continued when Link had calmed down, "That's amazing. That you don't feel ill, I mean. Most people, upon waking, find themselves feeling very sick and with fever." She placed her palm on Link's forehead after removing the cloth. "No, your fever broke… And you were not supposed to be waking for another-oh, my gosh! Another three minutes… This is very unorthodox." She scratched her chin thoughtfully.

Link sat all the way up and crossed his legs and placed his hands softly on his lap. "Well," he started, "it's really thanks to you that I am here right now."

Nabooru knitted her brow in confusion. "What did I do?"

"You prayed for me." Link said simply. "You prayers brought the Sages to my side and they helped me out of-well, wherever I was…"

The Gerudo before Link let out her breath slowly. She had summoned the Sages to help Link? How could that have been so? What power did she have? She had only wanted to assist her friend and she had done the only thing she had thought of at that moment. "Well, I don't know what the Wise Ones did to help you, and I honestly don't care, but right now you need to rest."

"But-!" Link started to protest as the Gerudo woman pressed him gently but firmly back into the blankets.

Nabooru placed a single finger over the Hylian's lips, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear it-any of it! Sleep, now. I will wake you at dawn; you kept us busy and worried all night, the sun has almost risen. For the remainder of the twilight, you will sleep and recover fully," she stressed the word, seeing Link's upcoming argument. "And tomorrow, you will prepare all day and then, that night, you will go to Ganondorf's castle, confront him and rescue Princess Zelda. But not until then; you will be of no help to anyone if you collapse from exhaustion and I really don't have the desire to haul your sorry carcass around any longer than I have to-you aren't exactly the lightest person in Hyrule, you know."

Every single one of those last words was meant as jest, to brighten up Link's mood, and he knew it. So, not knowing what else to do, Link said to her, "As you wish," and he lay back down and closed his eyes.

Nabooru stood and turned and saw Navi flying just in front of her face. "Come on, Navi," she whispered. "Link needs some genuine sleep so that he will be as well rested as possible for tomorrow."

She and the fairy walked out of the room. As she exited the door, though, Nabooru turned and looked at Link's sleeping form. "Sages," she prayed again, "guard him in his sleep. He needs good dreams this time."

As if in response to her litany, she saw Link smile softly before rolling over on his side.

'Yes,' she thought as she herself headed for her own sleeping chambers, 'Hyrule's fate is in good hands.'

Well, here it is, the New Year and I haven't finished the manuscript. God, why do I make these types of promises and then not keep them? Ah, well, I suppose it shall remain a question without an answer… You know, like the infamous, "Why do we torture the characters we love?" one. ::sigh:: Well, after that new little episode, we will return to our regularly scheduled program as soon as humanly possible. Please tell me what you thought of this in a review. This was my first real try to dive into angst with a Zelda story. I mostly read and write angst in LotR stuff… ::cough, cough!:: Legolas and Aragorn!! ::cough, wheeze!::

Okay, so two chapters left and so… I shall see all you beautiful people next post!! Love you!! ::hands out homemade Christmas cookies:: They're still fresh! My mum keeps them in those big Danish cookie bins, you know, the metal ones!

And in case you didn't catch on, the title of this chapter is a song, a remix, called "Requiem for a Dream." It has been used on at least two movie trailers, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and "King Arthur." I was listening to it one night before going to sleep and I was like, "Hey, this title is… perfect for this chapter!" So I used it. Pretty nifty title, eh? Another possibility was "The Darkness and the Light": also a remix, a Zelda one. You can find that on the site , along with a ton of other mixes. Have fun!!

Bye-bye!