Navi flew as fast as she could, a cluster of pink faeries barely able to keep up behind her. She cursed their slowness, knowing that they didn't have time for them to lag behind. Her wings ached against the strain it took to keep propelling herself forward, but she couldn't afford to even slow down.
The dull flitter of Ivan's light come into view, amongst the trees. The pink faeries instantly set to joining in trying to heal Link.
"How's he doing?" Navi cried, settling in next to her. Ivan didn't respond. Her head was hung down, allowing her hair to hide her face. "Ivan?" Navi's shoulders drooped, but soon felt her silence was agitating. Navi clasped Ivan's shoulder, and forced her to look up at her. "Look at me. What's the matter with you?" The glowing around her hands faded, but she still found she couldn't look up at Navi.
The blue faeries eyes started to sting. "Ivan?"
Ivan sighed, brushing her face. "I don't really know."
The cluster of pink faeries seemed to start whimpering. Navi spun around to realize they weren't trying to heal her partner. "What do you think you're doing?" She darted over, snatching one of them by the shoulders. "Do something!"
The faerie she was holding hung her head. "We managed to finish healing the wound... but. There's nothing else we can do." Her eyes started to tear, and the others were already crying.
"What are you saying?" When she didn't answer, Navi shook her harder. "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING! Don't tell me he's..."
The faerie sniffed, starting to cry harder. "I'm sorry."
"No." Navi felt herself deflate. "No, he can't be." She glanced back at Link. The faerie light glinted in his glassy eyes, giving him the only hint of life. Everything else was far too still. She flew up next to Link's face, touching his cheek. "Link? No... no." Angrily, she turned back to the pink faeries, tears burning in her eyes. "Bring him back!"
The fountain faeries started, clumping in together. "We-we can't."
"Why not! You've done it before! It's why we usually take one of you along with us."
"That's different. We can usually get to him, before he dies. We can bring him back as soon as he collapses, but this..." They faded off, glancing back down at Link. "He's too far gone. We can't cure this."
Navi slid onto the ground, her head falling down on his shoulder. "You can't be dead." She sat there for a while, hoping Link would respond. He always tried to comfort her, when she was upset, but he wasn't this time. He... couldn't.
The cluster of faeries sat in silence around the still form of their hero. The only sound were the growing elevation of their sobs.
Guilt came over Ivan in waves. She knew she should have been able to do more. There had to be something she could do. Knil was counting on her to help him... but she failed. She fell short, and because of her incompetence, Link was dead. Her head hung low, staring at her insufficient fingers. She had started to grow fond of him. Long before even her master seemed to. It just wasn't fair. Knil was going to be so sad when he found out.
An odd ping, in her head, caused Ivan's eyes to gently wander towards the cave entrance. It took her eyes some time to adjust, but once they had, a dim light was pushing out from behind the waterfall.
A pair of hands shoved at her shoulders, until she finally drifted up to investigate. The other faeries seemed unaware of her departure. Fluttering behind the waterfall, Ivan followed the path of the light. Her arms were secured around herself, trying to stave off the growing chill that was enveloping her as she grew nearer to the source of the light.
As she reached her destination, the light started to flood her vision, and she had to shield her eyes from the intensity. Peering through her fingers, a shadow started to come into focus. A shadow of something, that seemed far too dark for the bright light to envelope. When she drew closer, her entire body numbed in horror. "Master!" She cried, zooming down next to Knil, who was laying face down on the tunnel floor.
Ivan started to shove on his shoulder, her little wings going a mile a minute, and with a great effort, she managed to roll him onto his back. Her head immediately fell onto his chest, and her body felt cold.
It was so strange.
He was breathing... barely, but there was definite breath pushing in and out of his lungs, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not find a heartbeat. There was no way for this to be possible. Was he dead or not?
She knew that Knil was feeling exhaustion and hurt whenever Link had become badly injured, but would he actually die with him? Is that what this was? "Master?" She crooned, walking along his chest, and touched his cheek. "Master, can you hear me?"
… "Knil?" Her eyes flooded with tears, dropping to her knees. Why wasn't he waking up?
A short while later the sound of footsteps caught her attention. When she looked up, she saw a figure making his way into the dome of light. His features thrown into deep shadow, she was barely able to make out Luith's face. He knelt down, sliding a finger onto Knil's pulse point, and made a thoughtful hum. "Interesting."
Not really knowing who this guy was, Ivan rushed over and smacked his hand away. "Don't touch him." She scowled, raising up to eye level. "I don't know who you think you are but-"
"I take it, Link's not doing much better."
Ivan was caught off guard by the question. "Um, well, he's not." She tried to speak, stumbling over any coherent thought. "How... did... you?"
"Cole, put the stone back in place."
"Sure thing, dad." A small boy ran out behind him, and seized the large glowing gem. Without another word, Cole rushed back through the maze.
Ignoring the small faerie's protest, Luith grasped Knil's arms, and pulled him onto his back.
"What are you doing!" Ivan rushed up to grasp Knil's arm, as best she could, and started to pull. "Put him down! I won't let you take him from me."
Shifting Knil more securely, Luith swatted her away. "Quiet, little faerie." He started off, down the tunnel, towards the entrance
Stunned, Ivan drifted lazily downwards. Once the shock subsided into rage, the scoffed, and took off after him.
Luith squeezed from behind the waterfall, slowly making his way in the direction of the sobbing faeries. Hearing footsteps, Navi turned her cloudy eyes up towards the approaching figure. It took a moment for her eyes to fully focus. "L-Luith?"
Ivan huffed, fluttering down towards Navi. "You know this guy?"
Navi brushed her face, and nodded.
Luith knelt down, depositing Knil on the ground, and looked over Link's body. "Such a shame, to see someone like him go."
Upon seeing Knil, in this state, Navi felt her heart sink lower. "No." She gasped, flying over to check on him. "Not Knil too. How?" She looked imploringly to Ivan, who just hung her head.
"Everything will be fine." Luith stated, as he grasped one of Link's arms, pulling him up into a sitting position. He threw the arm around his neck, slinging the limp form over his shoulder.
"What are you going to do?" Ivan inquired, settling on Knil's chest.
Whether he would have answered or not, he didn't get a chance to because Navi gasped, in dawned understanding. "You're not?"
"He's not what?"
Luith proceeded to lift Knil onto his other shoulder, mirroring his light counterpart. "If I can get them there in time."
"Hold on." Ivan protested. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see." Navi stated simply, taking off after Luith.
##
AN: GAH writers funk, must. break. before. ending.
