Saria: I'm not a bad influence on Dark Link! And where is Sorceress?
Dark Link: Something about "samples," I think.
Link: That's not a good thing is it?
Saria: Knowing Sorceress, it isn't. But hey! She doesn't own Zelda.
Dark Link and Link: Yeah, but still… (Run off)
o~o0o~o
Termina Fever
Ch 6: Unnecessary Prayer
"Please, pray to the Goddess of Time for my little daughter's sake. She got Termina Fever!" A short, somewhat batty-looking man looked up at Dark Link pleadingly.
Dark Link muttered something about the Termina population's stupidity, then crossed his arms. "Fine."
As he walked off with the man (and apparently father) across the dry plains of Ikaya Canyon Ruto and Saria discussed what had just taken place.
"I never expected him to do it!" Ruto hissed.
Saria shifted her feet on the hard-baked ground. "I know, but…" She kicked up a cloud of dirt. "People can do things completely out of their character."
Ruto rolled her eyes. "You're so sentimental, Saria. Besides, Dark Link will probably walk out on the guy anyway."
"Maybe not," Saria replied as Dark Link's form faded into the horizon.
o~o0o~o
My Goddesses, it's creepy in here, Dark Link thought as he walked down the long corridor towards a doorway out of which light emanated faintly. Voices, long since detached from their owners, caressed his ears softly. Dark Link allowed himself a small grin. It's the perfect place for Poes.
"There she lies." The man broke into Dark Link's train of thoughts. "I'd pray myself, but…we live so far out; I don't know any."
Dark Link shrugged and entered the room.
The little girl, Paula, her name was, writhed on the bed, in obvious discomfort; from where he was standing, Dark Link could feel the fever rolling off her in waves. Reluctantly, he knelt beside her and clasped his hands together, wrinkling his nose at the stench of sickness reverberating around the room.
"Dear Goddesses, you who reign above mortals and immortals alike, I ask you to preserve this being as you would your own." Dark Link put as much emotion into the prayer as he could. "May she live to see the light of tomorrow and the light of many tomorrows hereafter. Relieve her of the burden of this dread malady, and let her be well for long afterwards." Dark Link continued, bringing in different wordings to recycle most of his already-used phrases. "Amen."
The man who had led him to this place beamed at Dark Link, face wet with tears; Dark Link merely stretched.
"Well, that's done. Now, can I ask you something?" Dark Link kneeled beside the old man.
"Anything, anything at all!" The man tittered. "You have done me such a service today!"
Dark link lowered his voice. "I need a Poe. Do you happen to have one?"
The man nodded hurriedly. "Of course, of course! Stay here; I will find you one immediately!" Jogging off, he disappeared down the hallway. Dark Link was left to himself.
He was tired. Why was he so tired? It had only been half a day; he'd gone whole days without exhaustion, but now…
He just wanted to curl up in a room at the Stockpot Inn and sleep.
o~o0o~o
"Here you go!" Paula's father smiled, handing Dark Link a bottle, which vibrated slightly as Dark Link took the bottle.
"Thanks," Dark Link replied, walking down the hall. "I think I can find my way from here."
However, Paula's father insisted on guiding Dark Link the whole way out, dragging Dark Link by the arm and breathing praise into his face.
"Thank you, good sir!" Paula's father waved at Dark Link.
Dark Link flicked his hand at Paula's father as he set off across the hard baked ground.
o~o0o~o
"I think we could get a couple more miles in." Saria surveyed the setting sun. "If we hurried."
Dark Link groaned quietly. At the moment he did not feel like doing so much as get up, let alone walking anywhere. His head hurt; he vaguely wondered if he was coming down with something.
"Dark Link? You okay?" Saria asked, concerned.
"I'll be fine," Dark Link assured her before standing up slowly. "Let's go, while it's still light out."
Saria stared at Dark Link nodded, before walking away from Ikaya Canyon and towards Termina Field, Ruto in tow. Dark Link followed behind, feet dragging.
It seemed incongruous that he should be thinking of Hyrule and the people they left behind, but he was. How was Link? Zelda? Were they even alive? Were they choking down useless medicine and wishing that Termina Fever was something you could combat with a sword and a shield? Did they even care, or was the fever racking their bodies too hard for them to focus on anything but surviving one more second, one more day?
"We'll stop here," Saria stated, dropping her pack and shaking Dark Link out of his train of thoughts. "It's too dark to go any further. I can't see a thing."
Dark Link nodded subconsciously, and unrolled his blanket. Goddesses, but his head was pounding. He wished that everyone would go away and let him sleep, but of course, Fate would never permit him to do that.
"Come help me with this, will you, Dark Link?" Ruto asked, beckoning.
"Fine…" Dark Link dragged the word out and began the long journey (or so it seemed) towards Ruto.
No rest for the wicked, it appeared.
o~o0o~o
Dark Link groaned and rolled over again. He had been beat the night before; the sun was peaking up over the horizon and he still hadn't gotten to close his eyes for more than a few minutes. At this point, he would kill for just an hour of deep, rejuvenating sleep.
"Argh…why do I feel so cold…" Dark Link threw the blanket over his shoulder, only to kick it off again as it grew too hot for comfort. "…When I'm so warm?"
Realization slowly began to dawn. "No, I can't…the quest…oh my Goddesses…"
Dark Link glanced over at Ruto and Saria's sleeping forms. "I'll make sure they never know."
o~o0o~o
Dark Link: Show of hands, how many of you saw that coming?
Sorceress: One, two, three…
Link: msfcatlover, two cookies…and…TRANSIENTFREEDOM, you…get…
Sorceress: Oh, take him already! (Picks up Dark Link and puts him in front of TRANSIENTFREEDOM) But take him somewhere else! I don't wanna watch!
Link: In fact, keep him 'till the end of the next chapter. Oh, and you get the cookie free.
Sorceress: Link! Prepare to act as a substitute for Dark Link!
Link: Aw, man…