It's been a looooong time. :D

So, I need to thank a lot of people..

Shout out to Palutena for the favorite and Nova Crimson and HeroofTwilight'sgf for the follow.

On Wattpad, I'd like to thank Rainbow_Pie, hemmings2016, LeAkwardProjects, GingerBreadHead99, NovaCrimson(which is I think the same person on fanfiction..?), youshallnotkno, and JuVi_LoCkS3r for liking it.

Anyway, this is the sequel to Burning. You can go back and read it, but I tried to write it so you don't really have to. (sorry if you find any inconsistencies..)

Thank you all for your patience, for reviewing, and for your wonderful comments. And I sincerely apologize for taking such a long time.. Guess I should've posted something about a long hiatus but now I'm back! :D

Oh, for the story, bold and italics are mini flashbacks. :)

The afternoon sun bathed the quiet town in which I was staying in. The only sound that could be heard was the few birds that sang from the trees and the fountain that I sat at. For the time being, I had stayed in an inn, keeping a low profile. After the fire that destroyed the barn, I had decided to stay until Ike's body was uncovered from the ashes. Eventually, the firemen stopped looking, saying they had searched day and night and had found nothing.

All I wanted was for my hero to have a proper funeral.

And for justice to be brought to those who caused this.

While I stayed in this town, I was hunting down the thieves. Those two will pay with their lives. I will make sure of it.

I got up from the fountain, sighing. If only I knew what they had properly looked like. So far, I had done a great job at scaring random locals who I thought were the thieves. Luckily, I wasn't reported to the police.

RUN!

I clenched my jaw, wrapping my arms around myself. Ike still could've escaped. There was a small chance of that happening. I wanted the hope of seeing him again. He's gone, Sheik. Accept it. I looked over the town, spotting the remains of the barn easily. Returning my gaze to the fountain, I peered at my reflection. Not yet. As long as they haven't found the body, I still had hope that he was alive. Leaving the fountain, I traveled through the town before arriving at what was left of the barn.

I'll find another way out!

IKE! The roaring of the flames seemed to be around me. Hurry!

My shoulders are too wide, they're not going to fit!

And all I could do was watch as he struggled to kick the wall down. His cry of pain as the building went down and I was blinded by embers and splinters. I cringed as it echoed in my mind, covering my face from the imaginary pain.

Leaving the ashes, I headed into the heart of the town. I had to find those two thieves. The town square was lively. People were talking and trading. Kids were running around either being chased by another kid or a puppy. Reminds me of Castle Town I sighed at the thought of home. Zelda's probably worried sick as to why I'm not home yet. I wasn't leaving until I got what I wanted.

I walked by a vender until movement caught my eye. I looked to an alley as two figures darted away. I knew my way around this town, having stayed in it for quite some time. Almost all the alleyways were connected to each in one way or another. I went ahead and turned left into a different alley. It was narrow and split in two at the end. I carefully peered around the corner, finding the two figures at the end, looking at the town square. For all I know, these could be kids playing hide and go seek. Their backs were towards me, so I began to silently walk towards them, carefully not to make a single sound.

"Do you think she saw us?" I smiled as I recognized the voice.

Bingo.

Before the other could respond, I dashed in. It was them. The shorter of the two made a break for it, leaving his confused friend in the dust. I didn't hesitate in capturing him. I grabbed him by the shoulder and flung him flat against the wall before pulling out my knife and placed it against his throat.

"Remember me?" I snarled into his face.

The man's eyes were wide with fear and nodded. "Y-yes."

"Which one of you started the fire?" I questioned.

"N-neither of us," he stammered.

"Oh? Then who did?"

"I-I don't know."

"If you can't tell me, then I'm going to kill you right here!"

"Okay! His name is William. He's that hobo you gave money to," he explained.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"I can take you to his hideout. You can see that he's a fire starter." It could be a trap.. But I'll have to take my chances.

I pushed him in front of me. "Lead the way." He nodded and began walking. I followed him as he led me through alleys before stopping in front of a small, worn down shack.

"Here it is," he said "Now can I go?"

"Not so fast." I opened the door to find it empty of human life. A quick sweep around showed that the shack contained many elements for starting fires. "How do I know that you aren't framing the hobo? For all I know, this could be your hideout."

"I can take you to my hideout! George will be there!" I gave him a confused look. Who the hell is George?

He seemed to hear my unspoken question. "He's my older brother. You know? The one that stabbed you." I felt anger flare inside me as I clutched my now healed wound but I said nothing. He began walking, leading me directly to his home. The entrance was in a narrow alley. He opened the front door, allowing me to go in first. Hesitantly, I stepped inside. What was I thinking? Who in their right mind would willingly set foot into a house that belonged to criminals? The door closed behind me. Too late to turn back now.

"Come on." The man walked in front of me and I followed. His house was small, but large enough for 2 people to live in. I was led into a living room, where his brother, George, sat on the sofa reading a book.

He looked up and fear instantly filled his eyes. "Kent! What the hell? Why did you bring her here?" He threw the book down will he stood up and drew his knife.

Kent put his hands up. "It's okay. She's not going to hurt us, I think."

"You never think," George retorted. He turned towards me, never lowering the knife. "What do you want? A matching scar on your other side?"

The wound I had received a week prior had healed. It wouldn't have been possible without the town's doctors and the small amount of Zelda's power that remained in me. All that was left was a scar on my left side.

"I didn't come here for a fight. I came here for answers. I need to know who started the fire," I replied.

"Well, it wasn't us so get out," George spat.

"Actually, I'm not going anywhere. Unless you can prove you two didn't do it, then I am going to kill you to avenge Ike," I said, glaring at him.

He shifted in his place before Kent spoke up. "I told you, it was William! It's his job!" I turned to him, confused.

"His job? Care to explain?" Kent nodded.

"William works for the corrupt firemen. They only get paid when they put out fires. So, they hired William to start fires around town. The police are too stupid to notice that he's always there before a fire starts. Once they seemed happy and content, Ike showed up like 3 weeks ago. He's stopped countless fires and even saved a few people by going into burning buildings."

"Guess the 'hero' met his demise," George muttered.

"I mean, you could tell that they wanted Ike dead because he was slowly linking the pieces together. But, the fire at the barn was started by William. I'm sure he already planned to burn it down. You were both just at the wrong place at the wrong time." Kent concluded, shrugging.

"These 'firemen'. Where do they live?" I asked.

"Well, they live all over town, but they have a headquarters that isn't very far from here," Kent replied.

"Take me there."

George looked startled. "Are you asking for death? You're clearly not from around here, but I'll fill you in on obvious detail: those men are murderers. Just because you're a girl, doesn't mean they'll spare your life."

"I'm not looking asking for death. I'm making sure Ike's death doesn't go unavenged."

"Crazy women! They'll feed your body to the dogs! Is that anyway to 'avenge' his death?"

I felt anger flare inside of my stomach. Rather than cause more problems, I turned to Kent. "Take me there."

"Kent, don't go with her! This could be a trap!" Kent gave me a wary look.

"Oh for the love of the goddesses. I don't work for them. All I asked is for you to take me there, not help me take them down," I stated.

"Alright, I'll take you there," Kent finally said. George growled. "Don't worry, I'll take her there and come back."

George gave Kent his knife. "If they come after you or if she lied, you know what to do."

Kent nodded before turning and leaving. I followed, feeling George's glare burn into my back.

"Here it is," Kent said, pointing to a large, yet secluded building. It looked like every other building, but inside, I knew there were criminals.

"Thank you," I said, walking past him. "You can return home."

Kent didn't move. "I want to help you."

Shocked, I turned to face him. "What? Why?"

"Well, you remember how I told you Ike went into some fires to save people? My old house was a target and Ike went in and saved me." Kent shifted in his spot. "I think I owe him something, even if he is dead."

I smiled, thankful at first and then sadly. "You don't have to. Ike wouldn't want something in return for saving you"

"Yeah, well, you're doing it. He saved you and you're trying to bring justice to them." He pointed to the building. "And besides, they were going to hire me before William so I do know my way around. I can help you."

I sighed "What about George? He's going to be angry if you don't return."

"He'll be fine. Now come on. Let's go bring those firemen down!" Kent beamed. He started walking towards the front door.

"Wait! We can't just stroll in through there!" Kent stopped midstep.

"Oh yeah, 'secret mission'. Forgot," He smiled sheepishly. We took an alley to our right and found ourselves behind the building.

"Kent, do they have by any chance have a place where they hold prisoners?" I asked as we looked for a way in.

"I don't know for sure. I know there's a wine cellar but I've never been down there. Why?" Kent said as he began picking the lock to the back door.

I went to a small unlit window and pulled out my knife to pry it open. "Well, I kind of think- I mean, it's a small chance, but I think it's possible that Ike could've survived and they're holding him here because they never found his body," I explained.

Black clouds of smoke emerged from the remains of the old barn, or rather, what was left of it. The police, firemen and doctors had arrived once the fire began to die down. A doctor wanted to check me over, but I dismissed him. The firemen and police were huddled near the ashes, talking.

One of them walked over to me. He was tall, had black hair with a mustache. His eyes were a fierce green. His voice was calm. "You said you were with someone, but we didn't find a body."

"What do you mean? How can you not find the body?" I growled.

"Miss, my crew and I have been working hard in search of him from the moment the flames died. We checked everywhere. No body. Nothing."

"Then I'll search for him myself!" I attempted to push past him.

He put his arm up to stop me. "For your safety, I cannot allow you to do so."

"Safety? You think I give a damn about safety?"

"I know you're feeling grief and want closure, but I can't let you. City laws forbid the tempering by civilians. We still need to figure out who did this so justice can be served," he said, determination in his eyes.

The window popped open. Justice is right outside I thought to myself.

"So, you think they have him?" Kent said, coming over to me.

"Yes and no. I'm not sure if he's alive, but I'm sure they have his body." I gracefully climbed into the window, careful not to land on anything that could cause noise. I had entered into the kitchen. I helped Kent in, who wasn't as graceful. He landed flat on his face.

We both froze, but no one seemed to hear it. I sighed in relief, helping Kent up. He dusted himself before looking around. With a flick of his hand, he gestured for me to follow him as he headed out of the kitchen and into a hallway. I followed him, keeping my guard up.

I heard muffled voices and laughter coming from behind a door we passed. I clenched my fists. What I wanted to do was bust in through that door, and take them all out at once. Then again, they did work with the police. I would have a large bounty on me if I was to do so.

Continuing into the building, we reached a small room that held the firemen's uniforms. Kent pointed to a door on the floor. It had to be the cellar. We both went to it and opened it slowly, causing the door to squeak with effort.

There was a small ray of sunlight coming from a small window. Large crates were stacked neatly, each probably brimming with alcohol. I carefully climbed down the few steps leading into the cellar, the wooden planks beneath my feet creaking. Beyond the barrels, there was a wooden door. I pointed at it, and Kent nodded. Weaving through the barrels, I pulled out my knife before reaching the handle. As soon as my hand touched the handle, I pulled the door open without hesitation. There was a broom, two buckets and a pile of old rags.

"Empty," I muttered to myself.

"There's still the rest of the place to look at," Kent said.

I returned my knife to its proper place. "Do you know where else we could look?"

"We could check the equipment room."

"Lead the way."

Kent nodded and we quickly got out of the cellar, carefully shutting the door behind us. The talking and laughter returned as we walked in the hallway before taking a right. It was an even smaller hallway with a door at the end.

Kent tried to turn the handle. "It's locked," he muttered.

"You're a thief. Pick the lock."

"I don't have the right tools to do that."

"Fine, I'll just kick it down."

"Wait!" He put his hands up to protect the door. "I'll just grab something from the kitchen," Kent suggested.

I studied him for a moment before nodding in agreement. I backed out of the hallway to let him pass since it was too small for him to walk by. He returned shortly and began picking the lock. The door opened and we were greeted by a dark room.

"Isn't there any light? No windows?" I whispered.

"There should be some torches on the wall," Kent answered. He began feeling along the walls, the darkness consuming him. He reappeared, carrying two unlit torches. Using a small Din's fire, I lit the torches. The torches brightened the room, revealing a lot of tools and equipment. There was also a considerate amount of matches and flint. I passed by a map pinned to one of the walls. It was a map of the town. What caught my attention was what was on it.

"What are you looking at?" Kent asked. He came to my side, his torch making the map brighter.

"This map. It has red and black dots on it," I murmured.

Kent took a closer look. "Yeah. There are the targets. The red dots are yet to be burned. The black dots are already burned," he explained.

There were many black dots and even more red dots. I noticed there was a red dot on the inn I was staying at. "Let's keep looking," I muttered.

The room was bigger than I had originally thought. Both Kent and I agreed to do another look around. But, it became clear to us that Ike's body was not here.

"Is there anywhere else we could look?" I asked.

Kent paused. "There's one more place. It's upstairs."

Putting out my torch, I threw it on to a nearby table. This had to be it. I felt a surge of hope as we made our way towards the stairs. Butterflies were dancing in my stomach as I imagined meeting Ike again. His voice echoed in my head as I remembered our first encounter.

"You have such beautiful red eyes. I have never seen anything like it.If I may ask, what is your name?"

"Sheik of the Sheikahs."

"I am Ike Greil. It is an honor to be in the presence of a Sheikah."

I closed my eyes, sighing. Our encounter only brought him pain and suffering.

"What's wrong?" Kent asked.

I quickly opened my eyes, forgetting that I wasn't alone. "It's nothing. Let's just go upstairs."

Kent nodded and went up ahead of me.

The top floor had another stairwell at the end and many doors, some of which were open. Most of the open doors were bedrooms, usually with unmade beds and clothing lying on the floor. There was even a small library and a lounge room.

"This feels more like a house than a station," I commented.

"That's because some of the firemen live here," Kent whispered. He ignored all the other rooms and headed for the stairs which lead to the third floor. "This is the only place they didn't show me."

We quickly ascended the stairs. Fortunately, this room had a window, giving us a view of the barely visible sunset. Even though it was practically dark, what little light the sun gave off was enough to see what was around us. There were a few chests and other objects covered in cloth. More importantly, there was a chair against the wall with someone sitting in it.

Without a second thought, I raced over to it, ignoring any spider webs that wrapped around my face. I slowed down and squinted in the darkness at the figure. It was a shirtless man who was bound with rope, blind folded and had a cloth wrapped around his mouth. His spiky hair was a dead giveaway.

"Ike," I whispered, feeling tears forming in the corners of my eyes. He wasn't dead all along.

"You found him!" Kent said, appearing at my side.

I removed his blind fold and the cloth around his mouth. His eyes were closed but they soon opened.

"Sheik," he whispered, a small smile on his lips.

"You're alive." I smiled.

"It's nice to hear your voice again," he murmured.

I pulled out my knife and cut the ropes, freeing Ike. Before doing anything, I pulled him into a hug. He put one of his hands weakly on my back.

And that's when I felt it.

A thick, warm liquid on my arms. It soaked through my bandages, staining my skin. My eyes widened with shock and I quickly pulled away.

"You're bleeding?" I whispered, staring at my hands. I also felt the warm liquid on my stomach and looked down. A stab wound!?

Ike gave me a weak smile. "I'm sorry."

I started trembling. "No." Clenching my fists, I turned to Kent. "We need to take him to a doctor right now!"

Kent nodded. "I'll go make sure the cost is clear." He quickly went down the stairs.

"Come on. We need to hurry," I urged Ike. I helped him to stand up, allowing him to place his whole body weight against me. After taking two steps, Ike collapsed.

I tried to help Ike up but he stopped me. "It's useless. My body is too weak."

"I'm not leaving you here. You need immediate medical attention. I'm not going to give up when I've finally found you. I-I can't let you die, Ike."

"Don't cry. You're eyes are too beautiful for tears," Ike said, placing a hand on my face. I hadn't realized I was crying. My cowl had slipped off, revealing my face to him. He wiped away a tear.

I clutched his hand. "I can't let you die! You saved me, and now it's my turn to save you."

He looked down at his wound. "I'm sorry. It's already too late."

"No! You're not dying! I won't let you!"

"You're so kind, Sheik. I know you'll be happy-"

"Stop saying things like that! You're not dying, you hear me?"

"I'm glad I got to see you one last time." He smiled faintly before his head slowly fell to the side.

"IKE!"

And it's done. :D

Next Theme(REQUESTED): Smile

Enjoy the rest of your day. :)