For the major Zelda fans out there, well I'm basing most of the temples off of Master Quest so they will seem a little different.
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Link walked cautiously through the lobby, always looking up for some reason. Abby giggled as she held onto the back of Link's long green cap and swayed with his movements.
Ever since I walked through the front door…I keep having this feeling that something's going to pop out of the shadows of the ceiling and grab me…
"Wait," said Sheik sharply to his left. Link stopped mid step, looking curiously at his guide. Before Link could even ask, Sheik suddenly hurled a dagger toward the ceiling. The sound of a sinister laugh filled the air until Joelle hovered down from the ceiling only to suddenly disappear again.
"Well, that was weird…" muttered Link as he walked forward again. He opened a door and walked through but he paused when he heard a startled gasp from behind him as soon as the door slammed shut. He was roughly grabbed from behind and teleported away.
They reappeared in front of the door they just went through. Link jumped back when he heard something crash into the door from the other side.
"What the hell was that?" muttered Link as he cautiously approached the door. He swung around when he heard Sheik suddenly start yelling. He jogged up to where the Sheikah was having a one sided shouting contest with the now visible Joelle. The red poe was just laughing as Sheik continued to yell at her.
"What were you thinking?! That could have killed us! Stop laughing! This isn't funny!" exclaimed Sheik angrily. Joelle snickered, and then pointed to the ceiling before disappearing again. Link looked up toward where she had pointed while Sheik cursed at the spot Joelle at last been at before walking up to the hero.
"As absurd as that ghost may be, I doubt Saria would have them help us if they didn't know what they were doing. So, I will investigate. You should stay here and take a look at this," said Sheik as he pulled out a map, "I don't know how much of the area it covers but it might be useful,"
"Why can't I go investigate?" asked Link. Sheik sighed, and then crossed his arms.
"Because it would be in our best interest to cleanse this temple as quickly as possible but since you have an injured arm, it will make it hard for you to climb. It would also be pointless if I were to teleport you up there because I would be doing most of the work anyway. So, I might as well just investigate myself," said Sheik as he held out the map. Link grumbled but snatched the map from his hand then stomped over toward the entrance.
"Linky! Don't be mad at Sheiky. He's just making things a little easier for you. Now let's see that map. I bet we will find lots of cool stuff on it! Come on, open it!" exclaimed the red fairy as she bobbed up and down next to his head. Link couldn't help the small smile that came from the nicknames the fairy had for them. So he unrolled the map and looked down at it.
"Alright then. This map doesn't show much past Ordon. I even know all the places its showing. What a waste of-" but Link paused when the ink suddenly vanished, making the map blank. Then ink started to flow around the parchment in elegant swirls and lines as the surrounding area of the Forest Temple began to appear. He grinned as he watched the lobby of the temple show up on the map but then it stopped.
Oh my goddess…It can update itself! I guess I have to be in the room before it will though. That is still pretty cool.
Link tilted his head curiously when he noticed that the area that reached into the Lost Woods would continuously vanish and remake itself.
No wonder people get lost in that leafy funhouse…Its always changing.
Link looked up sharply when he suddenly heard cursing from high above him. Then Sheik teleported right in front of him with his whole top half covered in what looked like white powder.
"Can they really be this immature? Good Goddess, why not a simple 'hey, you forgot a key'?" grumbled the Sheikah as he attempted to dust himself off. Link walked up to him, and then couldn't help but laugh when he realized Sheik's whole top half was covered in flour. Sheik glared at him, and then used the newly found key to point at him.
"It isn't funny, Link," said Sheik, but then huffed when Abby joined in the laughter, "Alright, are you both quite done yet? We do have a time limit here,"
Link grinned at the frustrated Sheikah, and then waved toward someone behind him. Sheik swung around to see Beth waving back before she pointed at Sheik and disappeared with a sinister laugh.
"So, she's the one that rigged that chest..." muttered Sheik. Link gave him a curious look.
"There was a chest on top of a tree above us so I went to investigate it. Once I opened it, I saw nothing but flour. I figured there had to be something worthwhile up here because Joelle was kind enough to give us a hint. Of course, when I reached inside the chest I found this key but it seems lifting it triggered a trap which caused the flour to shoot in my face," muttered Sheik. He rolled his eyes at the laughing pair, and then turned to head toward the door they had previously tried going through.
Link snickered as he followed but then looked confused when Sheik began struggling to open the door.
Link's eyes widened when Sheik finally yanked it open to reveal a spiked log blocking a good portion of the entryway. He looked to the door and saw that one of the spikes had almost pierced it clean through.
"That's what almost hit us?!" exclaimed Link. Abby flew close to his face.
"Joelle has always been the one that would often go overboard with the pranks. Beth is the one that likes to be crafty, as you've seen Sheiky. Amy isn't as much of a prankster but she does love puzzles. Meg is the one you better be careful around. She likes to mess with people's heads. Don't get me wrong though. They aren't bad gals. They just don't know when to stop sometimes," said Abby.
They opened the door at the other end and walked into a bigger room. Link noticed four unlit torches at the center but then cringed as another memory flashed within his mind. It was surprising to see his ancestor's memories but this was the first time that it was uncomfortable to view them.
There were four different colored flames burning in those torches…and the Poe Sisters took them? Why?
"Abby…were the Poe Sisters always good gals?" asked Link. Sheik turned toward him, curious at the sudden question. Abby's wings drooped as she hovered a bit higher to get a better view of the torches.
"Of course they were! This is their home so they would obviously protect it. Well, as long as nothing is corrupting them…" muttered Abby.
"What do you mean?" asked Link.
"Well…poe's are already pretty close to the darkness of the world so…it's easy to twist those who don't want to purposely hurt others. The Evil King of Darkness had come here long ago and corrupted the Poe Sisters and got them to hinder the Hero of Time when he was cleansing the Forest Temple. Saria eventually got a hold of them and fixed them right up. I heard that when the Hero of Time came back to the forest to visit they went up to him and apologized and they were friends ever since," said Abby. She suddenly giggled when she remembered something else.
"Oh, and they were rather fond of his buddy too! They showed that in their own…unique way," said Abby with a giggle. Sheik rolled his eyes, and then walked down the stairs and approached the unlit torches. Link followed him, but looked up at Abby with confused look.
"Buddy? Who are you talking about?" asked Link.
"Well, his friend of course. He guided the ancient hero all through his journey and ended up leaving with him once it was over," said Abby. She then zoomed over to where Sheik was investigating the area where the torches laid. She bobbed up and down near the Sheikah's head and giggled.
"He was a lot like your friend Sheiky here! Exactly like him actually. I wonder…are you related to the ancient hero's friend Sheiky?" asked Abby. Sheik paused to glance up at the red fairy hovering near his face, but then went back to investigating.
"You could say that," muttered Sheik. Link sighed as he glanced around the room until he spotted a door that was locked.
"Hey Sheik. I think we need to go up that way," said Link as he pointed to the locked door. Sheik frowned as he looked up.
"There is a dais here, but it seems something has to trigger it to rise. I suppose the means for that will be somewhere else in the temple. I'll lead the way or do you want to be hit with another spiked log before I have a chance to get us away?" asked Sheik sharply before Link had a chance to protest. Link huffed, but waited for Sheik to walk ahead of him before following.
Abby peered out from on top of Link's head as he cautiously followed Sheik into the narrow hallway. Sheik gestured that it was safe to come closer, and then walked up to a large blue block at the other end. Link walked up and ran his hand over the smooth surface, noting how familiar the Triforce design carved into it looked. Another memory suddenly flashed before his eyes. It felt like a sharp pinprick to his head.
A song gets rid of this thing?
"I think this is a Time Block. They were mentioned in the history my mother had taught me about the journey of the Hero of Time. I'm afraid she said nothing about how to remove them though," muttered Sheik as he peered closer at the blue block.
"I've gotta play a song…but I have no idea which one or where to even start looking for it," said Link as he pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He just looked hopelessly down at it.
"Perhaps my scroll will provide some use here," muttered Sheik as he pulled his scroll from the folds of his suit. He unrolled the scroll and glanced over the songs as Link raised the Ocarina of Time to his lips and posed his fingers over the holes on the instrument. He hoped it would help him try to remember and to his amazement, the notes of a particular song just seemed to flow through him.
He played this song perfectly, but then jumped back startled when the block suddenly was covered in blue light and disappeared.
"Well, that worked out," muttered Link.
"The Song of Time. Initiates time travel and…removes time blocks. Yes, I do believe the Song of Time was what you just played then," said Sheik as he glanced farther down the parchment, "I hadn't noticed there were this many songs on here,"
"Fascinating. Let's move on," said Link dully. He turned and opened the door and walked inside the room the time block had hid from view.
"Maybe there will be a song to speed up time in there because that would obviously be-"
"Link watch out!" yelled Sheik as he bolted toward him. The Sheikah then hurled a dagger that flew right past Link's left eye. The hero heard a pained howl from behind him, and swung around just in time to see a Wolfos jump over the one that had just hit the ground and come charging at him.
Link instinctively threw his right hand up to shield his face from the Wolfos's snapping jaws just before it rammed into him, causing the hero to scream in pain as to much pressure was put on his wounded arm.
Stupid move on my part…
Link was smashed against the wall with the snarling Wolfos's sharp claws cutting into his already injured arm. He started to tremble when his body started to weaken. This confused the hero immensely. He used to handle creatures like this easily. What was happening to him?
He desperately tried to shove the Wolfos away but his struggling wasn't doing much except excite it more. He started to panic when the wolf within him started to stir at the deadly threat. He couldn't afford to lose control now.
A dagger suddenly pieced the Wolfos's eye just before it had a chance to sink its teeth into Link's shoulder. It jerked back with a pained howl, and then Sheik shoved Link to the side just when the other Wolfos came charging at him. This caused the Wolfos to ram head first into the wall.
"Linky! Watch out the other one is coming!" shouted Abby as she tried to stay close to Link but high enough to have a good view of the fight. Link scrambled up from the floor and quickly threw himself to the right to avoid the now one eyed charging Wolfos. He unsheathed his sword and held it ready but suddenly his vision blurred as the wolf within began to growl. Sheik then teleported in front of him and with a powerful kick, he sent the Wolfos tumbling to the floor and quickly decapitated it.
Link slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself but the wolf within prowled around his cage thinking that they were still in danger.
Sheik used the fur of the beheaded Wolfos to wipe the blood off his short sword then sheathed it. The Sheikah then swung to face him, his piercing red eyes narrowed in anger.
"This is why I asked you to stay behind me! Do you even realize that you would be dead right now if I hadn't noticed the Wolfos that was ready to rip your head off? Are you even listening to me?" said Sheik angrily. He glared as the hero continued to sit on the ground with his eyes closed. He stormed over and grabbed a hold of his uninjured arm, intending to make him listen.
The Sheikah stiffened when Link's hand shot out with inhuman speed and gripped the white material of his body suit and pulled him until he was inches from the hero's face. Sheik couldn't hear anything but his own breathing until a low growl came from the hero. He wasn't snarling this time but he regarded Sheik like has wasn't sure what he was. He tilted his head and leaned his head forward and sniffed.
The Sheikah stayed perfectly still, especially since Link was using his injured arm but was still able to keep an iron grip around him. Was the hero like this before the curse? Was there another enemy living within the hero?
Sheik swallowed when Link narrowed his eyes and a predatory gleam shone in them. It was unnerving mostly because it didn't seem like the wolf within him meant him any harm now. What did it want from him then if it didn't mean to kill him?
Suddenly Link blinked and he was himself again.
"Ow," muttered Link as he released Sheik and rubbed his injured arm. He paused when he noticed how close Sheik was to him. The Sheikah quickly stood and took a deep breath. He peered down at Link's confused face.
"I don't remember you ever being like this. Have you always had this problem with the wolf within you?" asked Sheik. Link's eyes widened.
"It came out again? Its always been there, under the surface ever since I was trapped in Twilight for the first time but it's never taken control before. I don't know if the curse is making it stronger or if I'm getting weaker. My emotions seem to bounce around my head at the slightest urge too. It wasn't the same after the Twilight twisted me but it wasn't this bad," said Link worriedly as he peered up at Sheik.
"Then we need to settle something before it escalates. You are being incredibility stubborn. You won't listen to me when I'm just trying to help you. Do you not trust me? Is that the problem? I don't expect you to treat me like a commander that has some kind of authority over you. I do expect just a bit of respect after everything I've done for you though. So, what is it?" asked Sheik. Link sighed and then stood to his feet as Abby fussed over the deep scratch marks running down his arm.
"Look, I don't have anything against you alright? I'm…I'm just used to being in charge. I'm used to being the hero. Even Midna wouldn't really interact with me that much when we were going through a temple or dungeon. I wasn't cursed then though. I also didn't have anyone that was coming after me personally. This feeling of helplessness…it just really gets to me. There's no one else around so I just end up taking it out on you. I'm sorry, ok? I trust you more then you realize. Way more then I trust myself right now. I'll try not to be such an ass anymore," said Link as he lowered his eyes to the ground.
I can't tell him that I feel more comfortable around him then I ever did with Ilia. Or that I like to sleep next to him because his mere presence seems to protect me from those accursed nightmares. I wonder if he knew that he went to sleep before I had…?
Sheik frowned as he thought about what he said, but his shawl hid everything but the fierce look within the Sheikah's eyes.
"Aww, come on Sheik. Don't be mad-"
"Don't be mad! What should I be then Link? Happy that you weren't torn to pieces? Sad that I have to have this same conversation with you every time this sort of situation seems to happen? Confused why you won't rely on me when you say you trust me? What Link? What should I feel then!" exclaimed Sheik. The Sheikah wasn't even sure why he suddenly got angry. It seemed like the mere fact that Link almost died from his own carelessness just made him lose it.
Link was cowering. There were plenty of things he could think of saying but every thought just seemed to die in his mouth before it was said.
Midna has nothing over Sheik! I barely know this guy and yet he can make me feel like a fool without even trying…!
"Guys come on! You're on the same team here! Just kiss, make up and move on!" shouted Abby as she flew in between their faces. They both suddenly stared in disbelief at her.
"What?" asked Abby as they both stood there staring at her.
Once they looked back at each other, Sheik gasped and jumped away as if a poisonous snake was just dropped in between them.
"Just…just forget it and be careful next time then," said Sheik hurriedly as he rushed toward the doorway. If he had looked back, he would have seen that Link's face was just as red as his.
What the hell…? I feel like a blushing school girl! Wait…is this why I'm acting so weird around him? But I don't like guys, or do I? I guess I never really thought about it before. I'll never say it to his face but Sheik does have a rather…feminine appearance. He sure as hell doesn't act like it though. He'll totally kill me for saying that too but why does it even matter? He's not interested in me like that. The mere mention of it sent him rushing away…
"What did I say?" asked Abby as she settled on Link's left shoulder. He sighed, but then was startled when he heard a sinister laugh from behind him. He swung around and saw Meg hovering a few feet away from him. She gently swung her lantern back and forth playfully. Link smiled nervously.
"Ah, you're…Meg right?" asked Link hesitantly. Sheik put away the dagger he had been ready to throw just as Meg nodded. She was a bit smaller than the two other poes he had seen close up. She then swayed along with her lantern. Link laughed at the childlike innocence this Poe Sister had.
Maybe she'll actually help us through this Goddess forsaken place instead of messing with us.
"It's about time you showed yourself Meg. You could have helped Linky out instead of just sitting there in the air," muttered Abby. Link gave her a confused look as Sheik walked up behind Link.
"Oh, she does that a lot. Just floats in the air and watchs all the action. She's the one that doesn't like to get her hands dirty. Oh, don't even Meg," said Abby as Meg started to wave a finger at her, "You know it's true! Now, what's up?"
Meg hovered over toward the door and jerked her finger toward it.
"What! Hey! We are the ones doing all the work here! Don't be all telling us to hurry up! Shesh," said Abby. Link grinned as the Purple Poe put her hands on her hips…or where her hips would have been.
They seem to know each other pretty well.
"Let's move on then," said Sheik from behind him. Link turned to see the Sheikah walking back to the door.
"You're actually going to hang with us?" asked Abby as Meg swayed along beside Link. Meg lifted her hand and gave a 'maybe' gesture. She then disappeared with a spin.
"Guess that's a no…" muttered Link. He looked up sharply when he heard a yelp. He chuckled as Sheik quickly straightened and composed himself, trying to pretend he didn't just run head long into the door because of the Purple Poe that suddenly appeared right next to him.
"Aww, look at that. I think she likes you Sheik," snickered Link as he walked up to the grumbling Sheikah. He then threw his left arm over Sheik's shoulder's and pulled him closer, "Me and my partner here need to get through this place real quick like. You think you could help us out?"
Meg nodded, but then looked down curiously at the Sheikah that had his head bowed. She floated lower to the ground and looked up onto Sheik's flustered red eyes. She tilted her head as Sheik's eyes widened once he noticed her staring at him. He quickly twisted out from under Link's arm and strode through the narrow hallway and back into the torch room.
"Hey, wait up!" exclaimed Link as he ran after Sheik. Abby paused and she narrowed her eyes as Meg seemed to look at Sheik as if he was a fascinating new toy she just found. Then the Purple Poe disappeared with a sinister laugh.
Sheik emerged into the torch room and after a quick scan around the room, he descended the stairs right when Link caught up with him.
Sheik stopped at the bottom of the stairs and finally faced Link. Link opened his mouth to speak but it turned into a wide eyed stare once Meg appeared and sharply slapped Sheik upside his head. Link snickered as Sheik gave the Purple Poe a look of utter disbelief. His red eyes narrowed but before he could say a word, Meg thrust a key into his face.
She made an impatient growl and jabbed the key toward the room they just left then tossed it at the Sheikah. Sheik snatched it out of the air, and then turned to give the door of the previous room a hard look.
"Oh. Apparently you guys totally bypassed a key in there. Thanks Meg! What a pain it would have been to have to back track once we ran into a locked door when we have no more keys!" exclaimed the red fairy as she zoomed around Link's head.
"This should not have happened. I let my personal feelings get in the way of my judgment. I apologize Link. I will pay more attention in the future and thank you Meg for giving it to me...though I have to admit the slap was a bit unnecessary," said Sheik.
"Why do you keep saying stuff like that? I was in the room too you know and I missed the key as well," said Link irritatingly.
"It is my job to make sure this sort of situation doesn't happen. I'm supposed to be your guide for Goddess's sake-!" Link quickly stepped closer to him, startling the Sheikah with a glare.
"You know what? Enough of that. I don't see you as my guide. I see you as my partner. You're just as prune to mistakes as everyone else. Trust me, missing a key every once and awhile is not the end of the world. I've lost count of how many times I've proven that," said Link. Sheik stepped back but Link just stepped closer.
"You don't understand! That is my purpose! My destiny-!" Sheik stopped once he realized Link had backed him up against the low wall that one of the torches sat on. The Sheikah immediately put up his hands to rest against Link's chest, firmly making sure he couldn't come any closer.
"Well, now it's time to make your own destiny!" exclaimed Link. He quickly placed a hand on either side of the Sheikah once he tried side stepping around Link.
"Like you said, we need to settle this before it escalates into something much worse," said Link. Sheik cursed. He didn't think that issue would turn around and involve him.
"It won't escalate because this topic is pointless! You can't just change your destiny! That's why it's called destiny because you are born with the duty it calls for! Just as you were born to be the Hero of Twilight, I was born to be your guide because the Goddess's didn't wish for you to do this journey alone!" exclaimed Sheik. His heart was racing but he kept himself under control but the fact that Link was now leaning half his body weight against him in attempts to keep him in place wasn't helping that cause.
"Bullshit. You've strayed from your supposed path already," said Link. Sheik's eyes widened.
"What are you talking about? I've never strayed from my path!" exclaimed Sheik.
"Oh really? Then that grand rescue plan back in Ordon didn't happen?" asked Link. He winced slightly when Sheik's fingers suddenly dug into his chest like claws.
"You-how dare you! That was for you-!"
"I never said I didn't appreciate it! For both the fact that you saved what was left of my family and my life! But wasn't that a bit of a stretch there? Risking this destiny of yours for what? Personal feelings?" said Link frustratingly. He almost lost his balance when Sheik suddenly threw his full body weight against him. Link wouldn't have any of that though. So, with a growl, he gripped the Sheikah's wrist and yanked him down with him. He twisted in the air so Sheik landed on the bottom.
"Hey cool it. I didn't mean that in an offensive way but still it's something that goes against the whole 'keep the hero safe at all times' theory," said Link. He tightened his grip when Sheik narrowed his eyes.
"Hey, if you stop and think about it for a moment, then maybe you can realize that we still got to where we were supposed to go even though you didn't really follow the exact directions. I can promise you though, if you had not helped back in Ordon then we wouldn't be here right now. You would still be trying to drag me out of the forest and possibly all the way to the Sacred Grove and even then, there's no way you would have gotten me to cooperate so we'd be standing there having the same fight over and over until maybe the Skull Kid comes to get involved. The point is that you don't always have to follow the rules. Changing your destiny doesn't always mean you choose not to follow the path it sets for you. Sometimes, it just means you chose the way you walk it," said Link. He was tense throughout his little speech, mainly because Sheik remained silent and refused to keep eye contact. Now the Sheikah turned slowly toward him and stared at him intensely for a few moments until finally relaxing with a sigh.
"I…guess you have a point. I don't agree that you can just disregard your destiny like it's a change of clothing, but I suppose taking a different path in order to make it run smoother is not a bad thing. Especially if it leads you to the same goal…now will you get off me? It's rather uncomfortable down here on the dirty floor," muttered Sheik.
Link hurriedly got to his feet then offered his left hand to the Sheikah and pulled him to his feet.
"You always seem to resort to crashing me to the floor…" muttered the Sheikah. Link laughed nervously.
"Well, it's seemed like the most effective thing to do when I needed to have a talk without having you run away or kick my ass," said Link as he scratched the back of his head. Sheik rolled his eyes, but then was startled when he heard laughter from behind him.
Meg swayed with her lantern, grinning at the Sheikah while Abby was bobbing near her head. The red fairy quickly zoomed over to where Sheik was standing and stressed how 'cuuttteeeee' that was. Sheik didn't understand how a fight between Link and himself would be cute but he decided that they had wasted enough time already to ask about it.
"Ok, so where to now oh wise guide of mine?" asked Link, grinning at the Sheikah when he threw a glare at him.
"I would think searching for the next locked door would the best way to proceed oh brave hero," said Sheik. He had to stop himself from saying the exact line Link had, because the hero definitely wasn't his.
Link grinned, and then turned to walk toward the right where a door stood over a ledge and up a flight of stairs. Sheik sighed, and then glanced upward when Meg hovered right over him.
She just continued to sway with her lantern, but that grin combined with the mischief shining within her glowing eyes definitely didn't seem one bit childlike. He didn't like that look she was giving him at all.
She suddenly started to make smooching gestures at him, making the Sheikah gawk in disbelief. She then disappeared and reappeared next to Link and started spinning around him. The hero laughed at her playful nature. Sheik stormed over to where the Purple Poe was still spinning innocently around Link but as soon as the hero turned to examine the door he had approached she stopped right behind the hero and smooched at Sheik again. The Sheikah cursed at her but froze mid step on the stairs when she turned to look at Link then back him, wearing that same grin on her face. She knows, but how!
She smooched at him again but now Sheik knew what she was teasing him about. He lunged at her, but she quickly disappeared with a sinister laugh, making the Sheikah ram right into Link's back.