Hello everybody! So the thing about this chapter is that it is certainly subject to change. If I get a lot of negative feedback on it, whether it be about grammar, plot, or confusion, I will change it. If I get decent reviews, then I'll keep it the way it is, maybe with a few minor changes! So don't be surprised if it sucks. Haha it's more of a trial chapter. Just to see what kind of feedback I get :) ANYWAY, ENJOY :D

Chapter Fifty-Two: Into the Well

Beside him, Zelda bent down and grabbed a small pebble from the ground. Calmly, she tossed it into the dark mouth of the well. They stood, waiting patiently for the sound of the pebble making contact with the bottom of the chamber. To Link, it felt like an eternity before the sound echoed upwards towards them, resonating hauntingly in their ears. The princess's eyelids fluttered as she stared straight ahead, unwilling to look down into the well. He comfortingly grabbed her hand and squeezed. Then, he moved forward.

Link swung his leg over the stone edge of the well, and rested his foot on the dusty rung. As he pulled himself completely over and began his descent into darkness, he sensed the forces of shadow below, as if they had grabbed his ankles and were desperately trying to pull him down. His grip on the wobbly rung tightened. Zelda's eyes peered down at him. Her teary eyes seemed to ask him if he was all right. He only smiled reassuringly and gave a small, slightly uncertain nod. She smiled twitchingly. Link squirmed down a few more rungs to give his princess room. He felt her reluctance as she awkwardly stepped over the edge, and a tiny yelp escaped her lips as she struggled to find her balance.

Link kept his eyes securely fastened to her movements, making sure she didn't tumble down.

"Ready?" he said quietly. She only nodded, and then, Link started moving down. Zelda slowly followed his movements, and he could see her elbows shaking each time she changed rungs. Something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what it was. He'd never seen her look so...traumatized. There was something of which she was afraid that she wasn't telling him about. It made him nervous, but he ignored the butterflies and tried to put his mind at ease for the upcoming battle. He knew it was going to be a big one.

Link's stomach lurched as his foot suddenly touched a solid surface, and he caught his breath in surprise. But a sigh of relief replaced it as he confidently hopped onto the ground, and then grabbed Zelda's slim waist to help her do the same. He couldn't help but notice how perfect she felt in his arms. Both of them habitually glanced upwards, and were shocked to see the distance they had climbed. They could barely make out the light at the top of the well, which indubitably made them nervous.

After regaining his composure and focusing once more, Link hastily pulled out his lantern and lit it. The path before them was suddenly illuminated, and when he looked at Zelda's face, he could make out the nervous wrinkles in her forehead and the beads of sweat soiling her temples.

"Everything will be fine," he assured her once more, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She nodded, though the gesture wasn't very convincing to either of them. Then, side-by-side, they continued onto the dirty path. On either side of them were dirt walls, covered in muck and spiders. Beneath them was cobblestone, and Link tried to distract himself by concentrating on the sound of his boots against the rugged path. Zelda clung desperately to his arm as he led the way, holding up the lantern apprehensively.

"Link, wait," Zelda finally broke the silence, halting abruptly. Link was just able to make out a small speck of light in the distance, and looked at Zelda curiously. There was a pained expression on her face.

"Don't be scared," he moved closer to her. "I'm right here."

"It's not that," she sighed, and then stared straight into his eyes. "I..."

She paused for what seemed like a century.

"I think I should transform into Sheik."

"What? Why?" Link was taken aback, and frankly, quite opposed to the idea. If there was any chance of danger posed to her, he wanted to avoid it.

"I think it will help," she continued. "I think that Sheik will help you more than Zelda will. Zelda can't defeat Guardians...Sheik can."

"Which means Sheik can get hurt by Guardians," Link replied harshly. "No."

"Link, listen to me!" She was getting desperate, which only increased Link steadfastness against the idea. "The more ways we can increase our chances of winning, the better! I will be helpless to you! You can't even defeat a Guardian yourself! Sheik is the only one who can. And there are bound to be Guardians there."

"Please don't do this to me." He put a hand to his forehead in frustration. "I...I can't put you in more danger than you already are."

"Link," she said his name shakily, and then brushed away the tears flowing down his cheeks. He hadn't even noticed them. He hadn't even noticed the fact the stress of this endeavor was starting to get to him. "I'll be fine. Please..." She hesitated. "Trust me."

"No."

"Sheik is called the protector for a reason. He's meant to protect. He can be useful."

"No."

"...You know I need to do this," she whispered, and her voice softened. Link turned away, avoiding her fierce eyes. He didn't want to face the determination sparkling inside of them. "This isn't about us anymore. It's about Hyrule."

Link couldn't respond.

Instead of waiting for him to answer, Zelda took a step back. Link couldn't bear to watch as she lifted the Orb...and her Triforce began to glow.

ZELDA POV

Zelda didn't know how she knew, but she did. It seemed to be instinct. She just...knew. She knew how to go through the transformation. The mixture of power and wisdom rushed through her as she lifted the Orb, and its smooth black surface turned to a creamy white color. At that moment, she braced herself for the few moments of agonizing pain...but they never came, to her indescribable relief. Yet as she stood like a statue, closing her eyes and holding the Orb dramatically, she felt her body become encased in a cocoon of pink light.

In a few swift moments, she sensed the feathery feel of Sheik's body inside of her. When she opened her eyes, her vision was clearer, and the Orb suddenly felt lighter in her clothed hands. There was deathly silence as the light of the Orb died down, and everything returned to normal. Link was turning away, but he lifted his face to look at her with an agonized expression. Her heart pounded. Stepping forward, she stroked his wet cheek, staring deeply into his blue eyes with her red ones.

"I'm still here," she said softly, with an unusually gruff voice. He didn't move a muscle. Finally...he nodded, and began moving forward once again. Sheik followed, back erect with long and graceful strides.

Though Sheik could feel Link's pain—she would feel the same in his shoes—she was confident in her decision. Her power had increased considerably, as had her flexibility and agility. It seemed to her that Link didn't truly realize the magnitude of the change, or how it could help them. To him, the transformation was just another way of putting her in danger, and she saw that in his wild eyes. But inside, Sheik knew that this change could be the deciding factor. And though Link didn't know it, Sheik was already aware of her fate. However, she wasn't about to let him know about it any time soon.

They were completely silent as they made their way to the small light in the distance, and it continued coming closer. Sheik's entire body tingled, and her heart pounded like the sound of drums. Glancing at Link through the corner of her glistening eyes, she noticed the blank expression on his face; it was a face of fear. Simply the fact that he was so calm at a time like this alerted her of how scared he was. She wished she could stop him right there, and wrap him in her arms. Then they would stand there, intertwined...forever.

There was still another advantage to being Sheik.

Sheik never cried. And it seemed that the closer Zelda got to Link, the more she cried. Sheik had more composure than even the Princess of Hyrule herself.

Finally, they reached the light, which had now dimmed significantly with their arrival. Entering the small dark entrance, Sheik kept her senses alert, and Link narrowed his eyes. The lantern was beginning to die, and they were losing the illumination they had been enjoying. Sheik suppressed a sigh of irritation at the lack of light. Yet she could see Link's knuckles turning white from clenching the handle of the lantern so hard.

Suddenly, as they crept forward, Link let out a startled scream. Sheik halted abruptly, and watched in horror. The ground took a steep, downwards turn, and unaware of this, Link had stepped into thin air. The lantern flew out of his hand as he fell onto the ground, and as he did...there was a splash. Still screaming in surprise, Link slid down the slippery slope helplessly. Without hesitating for another moment, Sheik hopped lightly into the air and landed gracefully on the slope, keeping her feet steadily plastered to the ground. She had no idea from where the water was coming, but she simply let the fluid carry her down, though she stayed crouched and on her feet. Link's screams echoed through the corridor and became quieter as he slid down at a breakneck pace. Sheik was following swiftly behind.

Sheik's keen eyesight was soon able to make out the small crease at which the slope met a horizontal surface, and leaped into the air with great agility just before. She landed beside Link with barely a sound. He, however, was lying on his back, groaning and rubbing his head in pain. With butterflies spreading from her stomach to her chest, Sheik knelt down and grabbed his hand, pulling him up to his feet. Water still ran shallowly, licking at their ankles as it rushed past.

"Are you okay?" Sheik asked him. He nodded, glancing up the slope with disdain. "Let's just be more careful from now on." Their eyes locked. Sheik couldn't bring herself to look away for what seemed like ages.

They continued, more slowly, and Sheik always stayed a little bit ahead. She didn't want anything else happening to Link. Even so, there was an eerie chill in the air, as if there was a constant, invisible pair of eyes watching them restlessly. She couldn't shake the feeling of ominous stress hanging in the air.

Then, as if by magic, they were out. They emerged from the narrow, dark corridor into a larger room. But Sheik stopped in her tracks, catching her breath anxiously. Link quietly stepped up beside her, look around him with a fierce glint of focus in his eyes. His hand moved instinctively to the blue hilt of his sword, and she didn't think he noticed, but his Triforce glowed green with a tint of red. There, rising up in front them, was a great brick wall. They both stared at it for a moment before coming to the same conclusion.

"It's a maze." They looked at each other blankly. The floor was still covered with a shallow blanket of water, not even up to their ankles.

"Ah..." A heavy sigh reached Sheik's keen ears, and her head whirled instantly to the left. In a few moments, somebody came running around the corner of the wall, panting and out of breath. Link growled at the sight of him. Caine stopped when he saw them, startled at the sight of arrivals. The only thing he could say was:

"I'm back at the start?"

Sheik had never seen a face look more frightened, or more frazzled. His blond curls were completely awry on his head, and his green eyes had lost their hungry luster. His regal clothing was ripped and tattered, and scratches covered his face and dirty hands. For a minute or two, Caine simply stared at them wildly, and Link glared back with narrowed eyes. Before either of them had a chance to speak, Sheik was sprinting across the corridor towards Caine, and in the blink of an eye, she had him pinned against the wall. He gasped in fright and widened his eyes.

"Who are you?" she demanded menacingly, keeping her voice low. She knew perfectly who he was...but he didn't know that.

"Please, don't hurt me..." His voice was unbelievably desperate. Sheik held tightly onto his collar and pushed him harder against the wall. Her anger was becoming hard to suppress, especially in this new and different body.

"Why are you here?" she said through gritted teeth. Beneath her clasped hands, she felt his body shaking.

"I'm just trying to stay alive!"

"Answer me!"

"I had no choice!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. Frankly, Sheik was a bit taken aback at this side of Caine she'd never seen before. Her grip loosened...but only minimally.

"What are you talking about?"

"They were going to kill me," he shuddered. "They threatened to kill me if I didn't do what they asked."

"They...?"

"The monsters," he managed through choking sobs. She furrowed her brow. "They had me cornered! I had to do what they asked."

"Who are they?" Sheik was getting impatient with Caine's vague, traumatized answers. The sympathy had yet to set in. "What did they ask you to do?"

"Don't hurt me..."

"CAINE!" Sheik shook his collar desperately, as if to shake the answers out of him. The blood drained from his face, and his eyes widened even more. The pools of green were dull and full of death.

"H-how do you know my name?"

Sheik's face softened as she realized the mistake she had made. But in an instant, her ferocity returned and she pushed him harder against the wall with her lean, muscular arm against his neck. He let out a gag.

"It doesn't matter," she replied dangerously. "Right now, I'm the one asking questions. Who are you?"

"You...already...seem...to...know..." he rasped. Sheik cursed him in her mind. Even in dire circumstances and shaking in trauma, he had his snappy retorts.

"Just tell me," she continued. Then, she lifted a hand, and six sharp needles appeared in between each finger. She felt the muscles of his neck moving as he swallowed at the sight of them, glistening in what little light there was in the area. Then, his sobbing continued, though it was hoarse and intermittent from the close in his airways caused by Sheik's forearm.

"They're going to find us," he warned. "The Guardians. They always find us."

"The Guardians? What do you have to do with the Guardians?"

His sobbing stopped, but the tears kept flowing.

"They tracked me down. I didn't even know what was happening. One second, I was trying to get Hyrule back on track...and the next moment, I was cornered by three large armored creatures in the middle of Hyrule Field."

They were both silent, staring at each other. His eyes were wide and scared, while Sheik's were narrowed and sparkling with determination. Instead of blood running through her veins, it was anger.

"What did they want from you? What did you do for them?"

"I..."

"You treacherous little vermin! You betrayed your princess, your entire kingdom to save your own skin! Coward!"

"Please, don't hurt me!" he repeated. He continued repeating that, quietly, and he closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"The entire time the Council was in session, you were working with them."

"Don't hurt me..."

"Do you even know anything about this? Do you know what you're dealing with?"

"The Source," he breathed. "It visited my dreams. I was almost...controlled by it."

"Where is it?" Sheik murmured, her face inches from his. "Where is the Source?"

"Don't look for it," he warned. "It will kill you. There's no way to fight it."

"Answer me!"

"I don't know!" he shrieked. "I don't know where it is! I've been searching...running...screaming..." He shivered. As he became less tense against the wall, Sheik grunted in frustration and pushed him mercilessly to the ground with an eerie splash against the water. Caine began coughing as he lay on the ground, helpless as a bunny.

"I will look for it," Sheik towered over him. "And I will kill it."

"Don't hurt me..."

"I wouldn't waste my energy."

With a flick of her wrist, the needles disappeared, and Caine winced.

"I'll find the Source myself...and then I'll deal with you later," she growled.

She turned her back to him, facing the other end of the hall where Link was standing. But she was hit with a burst of shock when she found herself staring down an empty corridor.

"...Link?" She ran to the other end of the hall, and found another turn. The journey through the maze to find the Source had finally begun.

Immediately, Sheik became frantic with worry. She didn't know what had happened to him, but she wasn't willing to wait long before finding out. Crouching, her long, slender legs began moving at a breakneck pace and carrying her down the next corridor, and brick walls rose up on either side of her. With each step, water splashed around her feet and ripples erupted through the shallow, glassy surface. She ran on without hesitation, letting herself go. Her flight came to an immediate stop when she turned another corner and saw a Guardian, who had his back to her. His sword was slung over his shoulder as he patrolled, still not noticing the Sheikah warrior. Sneakily, she crept towards him, the padding on her feet making any sound impossible to hear.

As soon as he turned around, his red eyes narrowed. He brought his sword down and rushed toward her, his monstrous figure towering over her significantly. Yet as he brought up the sword, Sheik did a swift somersault in between his legs, her braid whipping the ground as she did, and popped up behind him. He was left in a daze. Before he had a chance to turn around, Sheik twisted and let the sole of her foot collide with his back. Sheik had not been expecting this, but she felt a sudden rush of power flow from her head, to her chest, and finally down to her foot as she hit him, and the contact sent him stumbling forward onto his face. He was completely unconscious with one kick.

"Wha...?" Sheik stood erectly, staring at her hands in wonder. Then she noticed the Triforce glowing, except there was no blue in sight. The only part glowing was the top part, and it was glowing red.

The Triforce of Power, she thought in amazement. It's actually working. My power has increased tenfold!

Another Guardian turned the corner without warning, drawn in by the sound of his fallen comrade. Sheik faced him with ferocity glistening in her eyes.

"The Source must not be threatened!" he shrieked. Sheik narrowed her eyes, waiting at him to run at her again. But he knew better. He kept his sword at the ready, and Sheik took on a prepared fighting stance. For a few moments, they simply stared at each other intently, waiting anxiously for the other to make the first move.

Making the decision, Sheik decided to act. The only motivation was Link's absence, and her inner drive to find him. And now, she could feel pure red power coursing through her. The red Triforce continued glowing.

Suddenly, before she could do so much as take a single step forward, the entire ground below her rumbled. It was momentary, lasting only a few moments, but she stood completely still in the deafening silence afterwards. The Guardian seemed unfazed. After a few completely quiet moments, another ominous rumble came, causing a tremor to run throughout Sheik's entire body. Then, the Guardian snickered and straightened up with a satisfied comportment.

"The Source has awakened."

Silence...

Another rumble.

Just then, Sheik turned on her heels and ran straight past the startled Guardian, continuing down the path. She knew that there was no way he could possibly keep up with her.

I'm not a coward, she thought hastily.

"Link!" she called his name frantically. Another rumble shook the ground, causing a small interference with her sprinting, and she found herself off-balance for a couple of moments. Fear spread through her like a wildfire, and the suspense increased as the silence became more deafening and the rumbling more thunderous. Her mind became blurred, and she completely lost track of all the twists and turns she was making... until she came to a dead end.

Another rumble.

"Link!" she screamed his name again, desperately, as she panted and stared at the wall helplessly.

When she turned around, it was déjà vu. Three Guardians stood in front of her. Sheik knew she could fight them...but she wasn't prepared. She moved to pull her whip out from her sleeve, but they pounced on her without a moment's hesitation, and the dead end didn't make things any easier. In a matter of minutes, they had her hands and legs tied, and had grabbed the back of her neck. Cackling to themselves, they began dragging her away, regardless of her newfound power. The Guardians had also grown in strength, she observed.

It was only then that Sheik remembered the Orb tucked in her suit. She cursed herself for being so unbelievably stupid.

And there you have it. I don't really know what to think about it myself, to be honest! BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT!

Just remember I'm not afraid to change stuff! Be honest, you won't hurt my feelings :) I love you all, thank you for staying with me throughout this whole endeavor! =3