Here's a few words of long-overdue thanks to all of my terrific reviewers! Thank you thank you thank you! I'm sorry I didn't put a thing for reviews in the last chapter, and I'm extremely sorry I didn't update for a while. I'm going to be swamped with homework and life in general, so I don't know how long it'll be 'til I can update again. Well, anywho…

JairukazeShirokaze- Don't fret about the too many people thing. There'll be less soon. (no character death!)

Korrd- Thanks a heap!

enigma- Thank you for the compliments! Yes, I've played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I have its guide, too, and I have the guide to Soul Calibur II, as well. I also own a copy of the game. And I'd be glad to help you with the Zelda stuff. I've also played The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and LoZ: Link's Awakening and A Link to the Past: Four Swords. I haven't played any other SC games, though.

kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel- Thanks!

Xiao-Darkcloud- Link doesn't use the Zora Mask in this fic because I… uh, to tell the truth, I don't really like Majora's Mask enough to use any of its stuff in here. I personally like Ocarina of Time much better. No, Tatl's not gonna be in here, either, b/c Navi's in here, and I don't know what the Fierce Deity's Mask does, so I don't think it's going to be in here, either. Sorry! I hope that answers some of your questions, though. -

frozen-sword- Don't worry. Link won't die. He's one of my favorite characters, too. -

Disclaimer: I know I forgot to do this in the previous 3 chappies, but here goes. I do not own anything in this fic. The Legend of Zelda™ belongs to Nintendo and SCII™ belongs to Namco.

SOUL CALIBUR II FROM LINK'S POINT OF VIEW

Chapter 4

Though he would never admit it even under pain of death, Link was feeling quite miserable. He had a cough that wouldn't go away, and he had had quite the time trying to hide it while everyone was discussing information with Kilik in the cave. As soon as he a good ways away from the cave, a hundred paces at the least, he dissolved into a coughing fit, all the coughs he had tried to hide since he used the Zora Tunic coming out in one fell swoop. He inwardly cursed his lack of judgment for neglecting to bring his potions with him- he could really use the red one at the moment.

As the coughing fit subsided, he straightened up into a standing position from where he had doubled over, looking around. Soon he spotted what he was looking for, a little ways to his left. It was an herb that he had learned about early on in his life. It was called úgirithring, 'no cough'. Kneeling in the pouring rain, Link withdrew a small knife from inside his boot and swiftly cut a good number of leaves off of it. He put a piece of one into his mouth and put the rest in a pouch at his belt, and then he started searching again. The next plant that he was looking for was only a couple of meters from the first one. This one was called úengwa, 'not sickly'. He cut more of this plant than he had of the other, for this one would be used throughout the whole group. And then he went searching for one more thing. For this he had to search a little harder, searching more even after he found some of it.

When he finally returned to the cave about 20 minutes after he left, he had his cloak drawn fully closed with his arms inside, carrying a large item. As he walked back into the cave absolutely silently, Talim came up to him. He shook some of the water off of his head and shoulders, and moved towards the center of the area. He bent down in the midst of the group and set down some miraculously dry wood, and then he walked over to his pack. He rummaged through it for a few moments before withdrawing a tinderbox and returning to the wood.

"Is it ok if we start a fire? We're all soaked to the bone, including you, Kilik." he said, and the man in question nodded, as did the rest of the group. Link nodded in acknowledgement and, choosing a few logs and some twigs, set to creating a blazing fire. He had one going in less than 2 minutes, and everyone sighed with relief as the warmth of the flames washed over them. Link walked back to the entrance of the cave and looked out into the cascading rainwater, the sheer wall of wetness that he had just trumped through to get firewood and the herbs. Concerned, Talim arose and walked over to stand next to him.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, and he glanced over at her. After a second he shook his head.

"Nothing." he murmured, and her brow furrowed at the hoarseness in his voice.

"There is something wrong, I know it! I can hear it in your voice!" she exclaimed. Seung Mina, overhearing this conversation, came over, her staff's end clunking hollowly on the stone floor of the cave.

"Talim, why don't you go get warmed up a little?" she said, and Talim looked up at the older woman, confused and indignant, before she registered the hidden meaning behind Mina's words. Finally she nodded, and abandoned her post, Mina taking her place. They were silent for a moment before she spoke at last.

"If you die here, what will happen to Zelda and your baby?" she asked quietly. He didn't answer immediately, continuing to stare out into the pouring rain, and she had nearly given up on getting an answer when he replied.

"I… don't know." His face was grim, and he suddenly seemed much older than his mere 17 years. "I've often contemplated that general question, in Hyrule and here. I do not know what would happen."

"Well, we're going to find out quite soon if you don't warm yourself and dry off." she said, not looking at him, but away and to the ground.

"… I've already lost my mother and my brother to illness." she finally murmured, grief coloring her tone. "I do not want Zelda to face that same grief. I also do not want to lose one of my friends. Just… please stay healthy, for the rest of the group if not for Zelda." Link was silent for several long moments, as was she, and she turned around to go back to the fire.

"I'm sorry, Mina." he suddenly murmured, startling her.

"For what?"

"Your mother and brother."

"Why? You never even knew them." He looked at her solemnly, his blue eyes staring out at her from under his deep hood.

"I know what it is like… to lose a loved one." he whispered quietly, looking down. "7 years ago, my best friend, Arphenon, caught a strange, new disease." She looked up into his eyes as his hood slipped down slightly, and was surprised to see tears in his midnight-blue orbs. "It slowly destroyed him from the inside out. First it destroyed his body, crippling him, and then it destroyed his mind." He held out his right arm and pulled the sleeve up, revealing a long, jagged, pink scar that ran from his shoulder down to his wrist. It still wasn't healed fully- it never would be.

"This is what happened just before…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I'd just returned from gathering herbs one day, and I entered his house to administer to him. He was delusional, and didn't recognize me because of it. He took a whittling knife that I'd left there that morning…" Link shook his head again, the painful memory coming back vividly to him as he pulled his shirt sleeve back down, hiding the terrible scar. "I used to be able to wield swords in both hands at once. After that incident, I was never able to properly wield a sword with my right arm ever again. That is why I use a shield with my right arm." He sniffed once, blinking away tears, and turned around to face the firelight. "Arphenon died 2 days later in his sleep. His heart had failed his body, and I and my other closest friend, Saria, buried him in the Lost Woods. I've never gone back to that part of the woods again." Mina looked at him with something akin to pity as he slowly walked over and sat down next to the fire, keeping his sopping cloak drawn around him as he shivered slightly. Then she sighed and walked over, settling for a spot next to Kilik, as there were no other seats left. After a while the group started to thin out, gradually opting for sleep, and soon the only ones left awake were Kilik, Link, and Mina. Link leaned against the cave wall, his eyes closed as he lost himself in his thoughts of home and his Journey. Watching him for several moments, Mina barely registered the firelight dying before it began to come back to life and she realized that Kilik had put another log on the blaze. As he sat back down next to her she gave him a small smile and then looked back into the heart of the flames.

"How long has it been, Mina?" Kilik asked suddenly, his voice quiet in the dark of the cave. She looked over at him for a moment before again turning her gaze to the fire.

"…Four years, I guess." she softly replied at length. "After we parted ways, I went back to the dojo. I kept hoping and praying that you'd come for me, but it never happened. You just disappeared out of my life." She didn't meet Kilik's gaze, the both of them staring into the dancing flames as she spoke. "I truly did want to spend the rest of my life with you, Kilik." She finally looked up at him as he looked down at her.

"Mina…" he murmured, his brow creasing. She smiled a little.

"Kilik, we were both young." she whispered. "Neither of us were really ready to settle down and start a family. Besides, my father wants me to marry Hwang, still."

"Do you want to marry him?"

"…" Mina looked down at her hands in her lap. "…No, I really don't. I mean, he's a good friend, but… I don't want to spend my years with him." Kilik nodded, and the two of them went back to staring into the fire. A few meters away, two midnight-blue eyes watched the pair with weary interest as their owner smiled slyly. He was going to have fun playing matchmaker.

Whew… Took a long time to get that one up… Sorry about that, everyone. And I'm sorry it's such a short chappie. -' I had a bit of writer's block. But I think I'm over that now. Methinks I've got most of the big events in the plot figured out. I can't wait until I update next! You guys are all so nice!