MLERF. A warning: this might be a slightly disturbing chaper. As in, it causes both Link and Reena mental scaring. But it shouldn't be that bad, afterall I'm introducing a BRAND NEW SUPER AMAZING MINOR CARACTER! (DUN DUH DUN!) Yay! Sooo, enjoy!
Chapter Eleven: The Days Are Getting Darker
"Athen," Reena grumbled as the mushrooms next to her slowly began to disappear. She looked at the mare who was lying next to her. Athen gave her an innocent look and Reena rolled her eyes. She moved the mushrooms to her lap where the horse couldn't reach them. "I need these, thank you very much."
Reena took the tops of the mushrooms off and grinded the stems with her thumb. She put the mush on the tip of her finger and she stuck it in the fire. She waited until the grounded up stems were nearly black until pulling her hand out of the fire. She forced the bubbling liquid into a vial and pulled a vial out of her pouch that held a green liquid. She poured a few drops into the vial with the burned stems until it turned purple.
"Alright now you get to explain," Link said who was sitting across the way.
"Explain what?" Reena asked innocently.
"Don't pull that," Link said, eyeing her. "Somehow I doubt that putting your hand in a fire without getting burned is not normal."
"Maybe it is and you're just abnormal," Rena said, putting the new concoction away. She put the vial with the green in Athen's saddle bag. She gazed at him thoughtfully. "You already are abnormal."
Link glared, "Reena, come on. You know what I mean."
Reena gave him a smirk. "I've always had powers for as long as I can remember."
"How powerful?" Link asked.
"Pretty powerful," Reena answered. "They were what kept me alive in Zora's Domain when you went on your suicidal mission and I went with you so you didn't die. The gate mystery when Kakariko Village had been taken was my powers and of course your arrow catching fire was me. I also use them to help me with my disguises."
"Are you telling me you could have set the leader of the skeletons on fire with no problem?" Link asked.
Reena nodded, "Yeah… but… I didn't want you knowing, alright?"
"Why not?" Link asked, curious.
"I…don't know," Reena admitted, leaning against Athen. "I guess it's something I don't want others to know. It could be used against me. I mean, you tell everyone everything about me."
Link rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have revealed something like that. Revealing something like that could jeopardize your life more so than it is now."
"Wow, that's pretty amazing," Reena said, looking up at the sky. Silence passed between them as they watched the flames flicker.
"Aside from using your hand as a skillet, do you use them for your potions?" Link asked.
Reena shook her head, "No, not often. The cures work because of their ingredients, not because I enhance them in anyway."
"So you don't give them that awful taste on purpose?" Link wondered, eyeing her.
"Only for you," Reena answered pleasantly. She saw Link's glower and rolled her eyes. "No, it's from the ingredients."
Link eyed her. Suddenly, the fire turned green and he nearly fell over. He looked across the way at Reena to see her trying hard not to laugh. Link glared venomously at her and let his nerves settle.
"You are way too jumpy," Reena smirked.
"Oh, yeah, because I'm just so used to fires turning green," Link muttered. Reena laughed.
"You should be, after all you've seen," Reena said, grinning. "Like you haven't seen stranger things."
Link grumbled something under his breath that Reena didn't catch. She only laughed because she knew it was an insult of some sort. She flicked her wrist and Link's hat flew towards her. She jammed it on her head as Link glared daggers at her.
"You are going to be the death of me," Link muttered. "I'm never, ever going to get that thing back! Just what is so interesting about it?"
"Nothing, only that it irritates you when I take it," Reena answered. Link looked ready to kill her. "I'm really glad for these powers."
"I get one curse after another," Link murmured. "When will it end?"
"Never," Reena answered. "So, a distress cry from Termina? I wonder if it's another storm demon. They like to attract those a lot."
"Ugh, I hope not," Link muttered. "I have handled enough tornados, thunderstorms, and earthquakes."
"Don't forget hail," Reena said.
Link winced, "How could I?"
Reena smirked. She laid down, throwing Link's hat back to him. The flames of the fire danced before her, changing color with each time she blinked. Across the way she saw Link smiling as he lay on his back, looking up the stars.
"You are having way too much fun," he said.
"Nabooru always told me that," Reena said quietly. A small smile came to her face. "She always said that I misused them. That I should use them for bigger and better things. I pointed out that I could become the next sorceress. She decided she liked my small uses better."
"Yeah, I agree," Link answered. "Just don't tire yourself out."
"They don't tire me when I'm doing such small things," Reena assured. "Even with the big magic I hardly notice."
"Still, I don't want to have even more trouble getting you up tomorrow," Link muttered. "We already know that waking you is a near fatal move."
"A fact I'm quite proud of," Reena said.
Link smirked and stared up at the stars shining down on them. He heard Reena yawn and roll onto her stomach. Guilt washed over him as he cast his eyes over at her. She deserved to know. But he had never told anyone and he could hardly think about it. Every time he did, he regretted letting Reena accompany him on his journeys. Link sighed and closed his eyes as the fire turned from purple to its normal color. She didn't need to know. It wasn't necessary and he didn't want her pity. She had enough things to worry about.
*astrix astrix astrix*
"Link, I don't like the look of this," Reena said.
Before them, the once green lands surrounding Termina were barren and withered. No vegetation was visible. An eerie sensation surrounded them and they quickened their pace. They ran into Termina and they froze when they entered.
It was a ghost town. Not a soul was in sight. Link and Reena looked at each other and slowly made their way to through the town. They came to West Clock town and the two froze.
People littered the streets. Black web stretched over their skin and some moaned and sobbed. Others had blank looks on their face as if they were in a trance. Some lay on the ground, not moving.
With trembling fingers, Reena pulled away a cloak covering a motionless person. She nearly screamed out by what she saw. Link came over to her, staring at what he saw.
The woman was dead. Black liquid oozed from her skin where the web was. Her skin was white and her eyes held the same blank look. Reena quickly covered her, feeling her stomach turn inside her.
"Link…what is this?" Reena whispered, looking up at him.
"I… I… I don't know," Link stammered. "Come on."
They picked their way among the people going to the East and South areas of Clock Town. Reena and Link saw the same scene in both places. They hurried to Stock Pot Inn and found a woman at the desk. They could see signs of the sickness that was sweeping the town.
"You two need to leave before it takes you also," was the first thing she said, her bottom lip quivering.
"What's your name?" Link asked gently.
"An- Anju," she answered, trembling.
"Anju, when did this start?" Link asked.
"Two weeks ago," she answered. "Many have already…died."
Reena froze. "T-two weeks ago?"
Anju nodded. Large tears rolled down her face and splashed into the book that was in front of her.
"Anju, we're going to help you," Link told her.
"There's no way you can help us," she whimpered. "No one knows what this is. There's no hope."
"Reena…," Link said, turning to her.
"Anju, what are the symptoms?" Reena asked. She was shown the web crawling up the young woman's arms.
"Then, it begins to ooze…through…through the skin," Anju trembled. "They forget everything then."
"Forget what?" Reena asked.
Anju looked at Reena for a long moment. "Everything and everyone. Then…they fall asleep…and don't wake up…"
Reena nodded. "Anju, can we stay here?"
"You need to get out of here!" Anju sobbed.
"We're going to help," Reena said firmly.
"Take any room you want," Anju answered, still sobbing beyond control.
Reena looked to her left and saw the stairs. She nodded at Link and hurried up them. They found many of the rooms occupied, families with their loved ones that were dying. Reena found it hard to walk past them, receiving the looks they were given. She found an empty room and she and Link hurried inside. Reena closed the door and withdrew from her shirt the liquid she had made only a few nights before. Out of her belt pouch she drew two other vials. She sat on one of the beds, staring at them as Link waited. She finally looked up.
"I have no idea how to treat this," she sighed. "This sickness has never occurred. Ganondorf sent it. You can feel his presence."
"Then… what do we do?" Link asked, sitting down.
"Find a cure, like I said I would," Reena answered simply. "The only question is… how?"
"You're the potions mastermind," Link sighed, sitting down across from her. "This thing works fast. Too fast."
Reena nodded. She looked at Link. "One thing is for sure. We can't leave, Link. We're…already infected."
Link met her gaze and nodded. "So…where do we start?"
"Memory loss and oozing through the skin…," Reena murmured to herself, running her hands absentmindedly over the vials. "Well, Deku Tree leaves helps with amnesia. Fairy blood is used to stop profuse bleeding, and to wake those in a coma I have to mix burned mushroom stems and the blood of a Deku Baba."
"Weren't you making that the other night?" Link asked. Reena nodded, showing him the purple liquid.
"I need Athen," Reena said, getting up. She and Link hurried down the stairs and Reena's whistled cut through the eerie silence. The beautiful white mare appeared minutes later and Reena stroked her muzzle. She took off the small saddle bag and sent Athen immediately off. Once back in the room, Reena dumped the vials out on the bed, sifting through them. "Where is it? Ah, here we are."
Reena picked up a fairly large vial that held shredded leaves inside it. Link assumed Deku leaves. She put it and the vial with the coma cure on the desk next to the bed. Link eyed the purple liquid, curiosity coming forth.
"Why did you make a potion for bringing someone out of a coma?" Link asked.
"Well, we have been knocked out before," Reena said, looking through her vials once again. "So I decided to make some of the cure just in case we needed to be roused quickly. It's very powerful."
"When did you discover that potion?" Link asked.
"When I was ten," Reena answered, her face falling. "Damn, I don't have it."
"When you were ten?" Link asked, amazed. Reena gave him a half smile.
"Most of my cures I found when I was younger," Reena explained. "The simple ones at least. The harder ones I found out later. However, I'm not too worried about that right now. At the moment, I'm trying to find out how to cure this thing."
"What don't you have?" Link asked, seeing her look through her colorful vials once again.
"Fairy's blood," Reena answered. "It's silver and I don't see it here."
"Here," Link said, picking up a silver liquid. Reena took it and after examining it, shook her head.
"No, that's a cure for a cold," she said. "Fairy's blood has swirls in it. It almost looks like liquid metal."
Link frowned. That's what the vial she had just put down looked like. Reena let out a quiet laugh at his expression.
"When I show you fairy's blood, you'll see," Reena said. She straightened. "However, I don't know where a fairy's fountain is."
"I do," Link said, standing. "There's one right in Clock Town. I'll show you."
"A Great Fairy Fountain or just a regular fairy fountain?" Reena asked, following him.
"Great Fairy," Link answered.
"…I doubt she'll give me a drop of her blood," Reena said. "I take blood from the smaller fairies. Ones like Navi."
"She may help us out. And it may work better," Link said. "It's worth a shot."
Reena agreed to that and hurried after Link. They came to North Clock Town and they climbed a short ledge. Link pushed back tall grass and a hole appeared in the ground. Reena quickly lowered herself in, Link following her. Reena felt herself freeze in awe. The fountain was beautiful. Beside her Link gave her a small smile. He stepped forward and played a song before a shallow pool.
Once again familiarity rushed through Reena with the song. Laughing brought her mind away from the melody and Reena looked upon a very strange being. She felt somewhat odd asking for the beings blood. However, she needed to do it.
Reena stepped forward as Link and the fairy conversed. The fairy's eyes fell on Reena and the same look Impa had given her the first time she met her came over her. Rena shook the look off and gazed back at the fairy. A small flash went off and the fairy suddenly presented Reena with a vial. A vial with the silvery liquid that Reena had been looking for. She took it.
"Thanks," Reena said, shocked. She hadn't expected to get what she needed so easily. The fairy gave her a small smile and disappeared. Reena eyed Link. "That was really easy."
"The fairies know of our doings," Link explained. "She figured that with all the trials we had yet to face, she'd help us out somewhat."
Reena nodded. "It sounds like I won't be finding this cure so easily. Come on, let's get out of here."
*astrix astrix astrix*
Reena felt her eyes water with exhaustion. However, she pushed it away and scribbled notes furiously down on her parchment. She walked over to the butterflies in the cage infected with the sickness and looked for results. Reena sighed as she saw another drop to the bottom of its cage, dead.
"Back to the parchment," she muttered. Reena sat down at the desk again, sighing. She pulled the quill from the oil well and used different amounts of the ingredients. An hour later, she wrote the final measurements down and poured some of the liquid in a shallow dish and slid it into the cage. She sat back down on the chair, looking over the notes that littered the small desk.
Frustration welled up inside her. She had been at this for nearly four days. In fact, with how late it was, it was probably the forth day. Nothing had happened yet and she was becoming worried. They had yet to show signs of the sickness, but Reena knew it was only a matter of time. She cast her eyes over to Link and a moment of calmness washed over her as she watched him sleep.
A small smile came to her face as she thought of their fight. He had refused to sleep if she was up, but sleep had taken him finally. He lay on one of the beds, still fully clad with weapons and everything.
Reena shook her head and went over to him, unbuckling his sword, bow, and quiver. She laid them against the wall before returning to her seat. She ran a hand over her face, trying hard to stay awake. However, having only nine hours of sleep over the past three days was beginning to have its toll. Reena still refused to sleep though. She wanted to be up so that she knew the moment she had found the cure. Something told her that her ingredients were correct. Now she just needed the right measurements.
Making sure Link was asleep, Reena went to her saddle bag. A small book met her finger tips and she pulled it out. An embarrassed smile crossed her face as she ran a hand over the smooth cover of her fairytales book. Sitting back down at the desk, Reena opened it. She laid it on the desk, using the small light coming from the candle. The book fell open and she ran her fingers along the words, forcing her eyes to reveal the story to her. Her eyes began to slowly close, but Reena shook herself awake. She had to stay up. In an hour she would see if the butterflies were doing better or worse. Just a little longer…
*astrix astrix astrix*
Link slowly opened his eyes, sitting up. His hands flew to his back, feeling his weapons gone. He looked widely around, wishing his eyes would adjust faster to the dark. His sudden panic left him when he spotted his things leaning against the wall next to his bed. A quiet laugh came from Link when his eyes fell on Reena. Her head rested on her arms, fast asleep on the desk. Link slowly got up and went over to her. Link was about to wake her up when flashbacks of previous attempts came to mind. Instead, Link gently picked her up, laying her down on the second bed.
"Are the Kokiri okay?" she murmured. Link jumped, startled by her sudden talking. He looked at her, eyebrow raised to find that she had been talking in her sleep.
"Uh…yeah," he answered, stepping back.
"Good," she said, rolling over on her stomach. "I hate Stalfos."
Link went back to his bed, laughing quietly. Even in a million years Reena would never believe that she talked in her sleep. He went to the desk, moving the parchment around as he read her measurements. The numbers at the top right of the parchment numbered each different experiment. He hadn't realized how many different measurements she had come up with in the past three days. Guilt took him as he came to see that he hadn't helped at all. However, he had tried, only to be shooed away by Reena.
Link shook his head as his eyes rested on the book that Reena had fallen asleep on. How had he known it would be her fairytale book? What interested her so much? He sat on the edge of his bed, relighting the candle that had gone out. He took the book off of the desk and opened it. Notes were scribbled beside the story words, changing parts of the stories. Obviously Reena didn't appreciate the damsel in distress. She was very critical on the subject and Link smiled. However, the last story had no comments. Link figured that it might be worth reading if Reena hadn't criticized it in anyway.
As Link read, he realized slowly that the stories were…about him and Reena! It began from the first day they had met and continued from there!
Link felt shock run through him. Reena had written these stories. These fairytales had come from her head. He closed the book, placing it back where he had found it. After blowing the candle out, Link laid back down. That was one thing Link never thought he would learn about Reena. She wrote fairytales which were the opposite of her nature.
And… why was she writing about the adventures they had together?
*astrix astrix astrix*
"Link, wake up!" someone cried.
Link bolted upright, reaching for the sword that wasn't there. He collided with Reena who tumbled to the floor. She sat there, a look of total shock on her face. She suddenly jumped to her feet, laughing. Link knew she had lost her mind.
"What?" Link demanded. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"I found it!" Reena exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.
"Found what?" Link asked, making her stop.
"The cure!" Reena answered. Link sat there for a moment, staring at her. She looked as if she were about to jump off the walls.
"Y-you found the cure?" Link stammered.
"Yes!" Reena said. She went to the butterfly cage and sure enough, the remaining butterflies fluttered their wings and some flew around the room. Reena let out a laugh of triumph. However, the next moment, she was back to her normal self. "Alright, now to see if it'll kill us."
Reena grabbed one of the vials and Link felt uncertainty trickle into his veins. She drank it and stood frozen for a moment, feeling for side affects. Link laughed at the face she was making.
"That…is the oddest taste I've ever had in my mouth," she admitted. "Okay, if I die within the hour, we know it's not safe."
Link eyed her, "I'm…not sure if that makes me feel… comfortable."
"Why? Because you'd miss me?" Reena asked, sitting down on her bed.
"No, I'd have to explain it to over a hundred angry Gerudo, not to mention Lera," Link said, sitting down across from her. He smirked at the look he was receiving from Reena. "You should have let me take that."
"Are you being all noble again?" Reena asked, sitting cross legged.
"Yes, because then I can take all the credit for your work," Link said. "No, I should have taken it because if I die, you can still try. I am not good with making potions."
Reena gave him a half smile, "You'd manage to blow up the entire town."
"My point exactly," Link said. "But, nice job. It's too late now. You're probably going to drop dead and I'll have to figure this out for myself."
"You know, I'm so glad we have such a loyal friendship," Reena muttered, crossing her arms. She eyed Link and was shocked that he did indeed look worried. "What, you don't trust my potions? I was only joking about the dying part. If butterflies, probably one of the most delicate creatures in all of Hyrule, can take it, I'm sure I'll be okay."
A small smile came to Link. He looked down at his hands as a silence passed between them. Suddenly, Reena jumped to her feet. Link's head shot up and he laughed as Reena quickly collected her book on the desk. In an instant was safely in her saddle bag under her pillow.
"Don't trust me?" he asked.
"No," Reena answered honestly.
Good answer, he thought with guilt, thinking of how he had read it already. She lay down on her stomach, closing her eyes for a moment. Dark circles were still under her eyes unsurprisingly.
"You should get some more sleep," Link said. Reena looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm fine," she answered. "I'm just waiting to die, that's all."
Link rolled his eyes, "Reena, you're on what, four hours of sleep?"
Reena shrugged, "Give or take an hour. I've had less."
"I don't really care," Link told her.
A smirk crossed his face as he watched Reena try to suppress a yawn. She buried her face in her arms to do so. Link shook his head, standing. He looked at his hands and bit his lip. The web was appearing over him. Link looked over at Reena and saw the same begin to happen to her. Link quietly prayed that she had found the cure.
*astrix astrix astrix*
"Come on, you've got to drink it," Link said gently, handing a small cup to a girl no older than four. "You'll feel better once you drink that."
She wrinkled her nose at it. "It looks funny."
Despite all that he had seen the past few days, Link couldn't help but smile. He laid a hand on top of her head, smoothing her dark hair.
"I know," he admitted. "I had to take it too. You need to take it if you want to get better."
The little girl giggled as she looked at her arms, not knowing the danger of the web. "It looks like a spider web! I like spiders!"
"Eh…I can't say the same," Link said. He cast a quick eye over the rest of the room, seeing all the others in the cots he had to administer the cure to. Reena was next to him, trying to coax a man who was losing his memory to take the potion. Those who were strong enough were in the other Stock Pot Inn rooms, giving out the cure. He returned his gaze to the small girl. "Can you keep a secret?"
She nodded intently. Link gave her a small smile.
"Well, you have to drink that if you want me to tell you," Link answered.
The girl drank it enthusiastically, making a face at the taste. Link let out a quiet laugh, taking the cup from her.
"Now you gotta tell the secret!" she whispered excitedly.
"I'm scared spiders," Link told her. The girl giggled uncontrollably.
"No!" she said unbelievably. "You're Link! You're the Hero of Time! You're not scared of anything!"
"Spiders scare me to death," Link told her. "One time, I had to go against one that was bigger than me!"
"Wow," she breathed.
Link smiled at her awe and stood as her eyes began to droop close. In a moment she was fast asleep. Screaming made Link give a start. He whipped around to see Reena struggling to keep the man losing his memory in the bed. Link was at her side in a moment, helping her.
"What happened?" Link demanded over the screams.
"I don't know!" Reena answered, giving him a frantic look. "He just started screaming bloody murder, as you can see!"
"She's trying to poison me!" the man screamed, trying to hit Reena.
"Sir, we're trying to help you," Link told him, trying to remain calm. "You need to take the potion, sir. If you don't, you'll die."
"Run for you're lives!" the man cried.
Reena looked desperately at Link, wondering what in Hyrule they could do. Those helping administer the cure to others came running in. They didn't need telling that their help was needed and ran to their aid.
"Sir, you need to calm down," Link said again, as other hands help restrain him. He looked at Reena and she nodded. As the man opened his mouth to scream again, Reena poured the liquid down his throat. He gagged and began to cough. He went still for a moment, his eyes twitching back and forth. No one expected it when he suddenly lashed out, hitting Reena's cheek with his fist. She stumbled back, surprised. However, she quickly composed herself.
"Are you okay?" Link demanded, not daring to take his hands off the man. She nodded, feeling a bruise begin to form.
"Ow," was all she said, shaking her head slightly. She looked at the man. "Alright, you can let him go. He's asleep."
Link waited another moment before listening. He went over to Reena, making her gently turn her head. He looked at her cheek and saw purple, blue, and black already forming.
"He hit you hard," Link muttered.
"I've had worse," Reena said, looking at him. "You can vouch for me on that one."
"Yes," Link agreed. "Are you okay to continue?"
"Link…it's a bruise!" Reena said incredulously. "I'll be okay!"
"Alright, alright," Link said. "Come on. Let's get this over with. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of that."
And Link's words ran true. Throughout that day and into the early hours of the next morning, the cure was given out to all. However, some still died for they had been too late. Those who had lost their memory died with only a few surviving.
Everyone held their breaths as Clock Town slowly began to recover. Funerals occupied many of the days along with mourning. However, happiness began to creep back into the city.
Two months to the date Link and Reena had arrived, a grand celebration was commencing. No one would have even thought for a moment that something so horrible had happened to the town. Not a sign of the sickness was anywhere to be seen.
Reena smiled as she watched the fireworks soar into the sky and burst into enchanting colors. The people around her 'oohed' and 'ahhed' while children shrieked and laughed in delight. A blur suddenly blocked her vision and ran behind her. Reena looked behind to see her and Link's new friend they had made during their stay in Clock Town.
"What are you up to, Ella?" Reena asked as the four year old hid. Ella had long brown hair tied in two braids and had big, brown, curious eyes. She was tall for her age and adorable to a fault.
"Shhh! I'm hiding from Link!" she whispered.
"Why?" Reena whispered back.
Ella giggled and took something from behind her back. She showed it to Reena who grinned.
"Beautiful, Ella," Reena said. Ella beamed proudly, holding Link's hat as if it were a golden trophy. Reena caught Link scanning the crowd. "Here, give it to me! I'll hide it!"
"Okay!" Ella said, giving the hat to Reena who quickly hid it down her shirt.
"Run!" Reena told Ella. She nodded and wasted no time in disappearing. She ran off not a moment too soon for Link came over to Reena, running his hand over his hair. Reena eyed him. "Where have you been?"
"Have you seen Ella?" Link demanded.
"No, why?" Reena asked, watching as another firework exploded. She looked at him. "Where's your hat?"
"That's the reason I'm asking if you've seen Ella," Link muttered. "She took it. I swear I am going to burn that thing!"
"I laugh in your face," Reena said. "Have fun trying to find her in this."
"Yeah, really," Link said. Reena smirked as he hurried off. Behind the annoyance was unspeakable affection. Link, and herself for that matter, had grown very attached to Ella over the months. However, Link had regretted telling her that he was afraid of spiders. She and Reena never left him alone about it.
It wasn't long before Reena heard squealing and giggling. She turned around to see Link, caring Ella over his shoulder towards her. He sat down, laying Ella on the ground and began to tickle her. She laughed and squiggled all around.
"Alright, where is it?" Link asked, stopping. She was still laughing, holding her stomach.
"I don't know!" she said innocently once her laughter had died down. Link gave her an unbelievingly look.
"Why don't I believe you, you little thief?" Link asked, drawing a knee under his chin. She only giggled and shrugged. Her eyes flickered to Reena who gave her a wink. Link however, was still focused on getting his hat back. "Ella, where is it?"
"I told you I don't know!" she said, throwing her hands dramatically in the air.
"Did you hide it?" Reena asked. Ella tried hard not to laugh and nodded. Link let out a sigh, hitting his head against his drawn up knee.
"Where did you hide it?" Link asked.
"I didn't hide it," Ella told him.
"Ella, you just told me you did," Link said, eyeing her.
"Nope!" Ella answered, her eyes landing on Reena again. Link looked over at her and everything sunk in.
"Alright, give it back!" Link cried, jumping to his feet.
"Run!" Reena cried. She picked Ella up and they two dashed through the people who were now dancing to the music that had begun. They hid behind a house, laughing hysterically.
"He's really mad at us!" Ella whispered and giggled at the same time.
"Oh, he'll get over it," Reena said, waving her hand dismissively.
"I hope," Ella said, giggling.
"You, my little thief, are a giggle monster!" Reena exclaimed.
"Reena! Ella! Come back here!" they heard Link shout.
"Uh-oh! I think we'd better split up!" Ella said, looking up at Reena.
"I think you're right. Okay, on the count of three, we're going to run!" Reena said. "One! Two! Threaaah!"
Link's arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Ella screamed and ran off, leaving Reena to fend for herself.
"You're sidekick isn't too reliable," Link said, holding onto her tightly. Reena tried desperately to break free, but wasn't able too. "Give it back, and I'll let go."
"No," Reena said. She felt Link's fingertips brush her side and she shrieked as a chill ran down her spine.
"Did I just make you shriek?" Link asked, stunned.
"I hate you!" Reena cried, trying even harder to break away. However, Link's hold only tightened. She gave up and crossed her arms.
"Where is it?" Link demanded.
"Why don't you come and get it?" Reena said, an evil grin coming across her face.
"Fine, where is it?" Link asked again.
"Do you really want to know?" Reena asked. Silence answered her.
"Reena!" Link cried, realizing where she had put it. She laughed harder than ever, nearly falling over.
"Still want to come and get it?" Reena asked.
"No!" Link shouted.
"Oh, yes you do," Reena said, happy to hear the embarrassment in his voice.
"Reena, I'm going to give you to the count of three," Link growled.
"It's not too far down my shirt," Reena said, nearly dying from laughter.
"One!"
"You're really attached to that hat, aren't you?"
"Two!"
"I mean, you practically have a heart attack each time it's taken."
"Three!"
"You are such a child," Reena said, pulling his hat out and jamming it on his head which was right next to hers.
"Thank you," Link said, letting his arms fall from around her. "I hate you."
Reena turned around, giving him an evil smile. "Ah, life is good."
"Are you okay?" Ella's voice came. Reena and Link looked down to see her standing next to them.
"Some help you were!" Reena exclaimed. "You left me!"
"What could I do?" Ella asked. "I didn't want to get captured!"
"Too late for that, miss," Link said, picking Ella up and putting her on his shoulders. Once again Link's hat left his head and was upon Ella's. Link rolled his eyes and Reena laughed.
"Smart," Reena said, patting him on the back. She looked up at Ella whose hands were now over Link's eyes.
"Uh, Ella, I can't see," Link said, stopping. "That could be a problem."
Ella giggled and took her hands away. The three continued and joined the celebration. Reena spotted Ella's parents amongst the crowd and pointed them out to Link.
"There you are, Ella!" her mother exclaimed once the three had reached them. Ella's mother, Anita, was no older than twenty-six and had the belly of pregnancy. Ella had many of her mother's features including her soft brown hair. "I knew she must be with you two!"
"She and Reena teamed up against me…again," Link muttered, eyeing Ella who hid behind her father. "Ella, give it back."
Ella poked her head out from behind her father, Link's hat still on her head. She took it off and put it in his outstretched hand with a sigh.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," she muttered as Link placed it back on his head once more.
"Don't worry," Reena said, crouching down to Ella's level. "Next time, we'll take his shield!"
Link rolled his eyes, "You see what I mean, Tarin?"
Ella's father laughed, picking her up. He was tall in stature with short, sandy colored hair. Ella had her father's eyes and his height. "You don't stand much of a chance, do you?"
"None at all," Link said. "Sorry, Anita, for worrying you."
"Oh, don't worry about it, Link!" Anita assured with a kind smile. "I just hope she didn't give you too much trouble."
"Don't worry, he'll have a lot more to worry about next time," Reena assured.
"I had better not," Link murmured to her. She only smiled sweetly at him. Tarin and Anita laughed. Link looked at Ella to see her fast asleep. "Well, you don't have to worry about her going to bed tonight."
"Oh, yes we do," Anita assured. "She'll wake up just as we're leaving her room and say she's not tired as she's yawning."
"Hmm, that sounds familiar," Link said, casting an eye over Reena who became interested with the stars.
"What? Did you say something?" she asked, looking at him innocently.
Link rolled his eyes. He turned to Tarin and Anita who seemed to enjoy their bickering. "With everything back to normal, we'll be leaving soon."
Anita's and Tarin's faces fell instantly. Guilt instantly took Reena and Link. But they had to go. They were sure mass hysteria was in Hyrule. They wouldn't be able to sleep for the next four years.
Well? What do you think of my dark and creepy chapter. Please rate and review to tell me about it :D Nah, I'm just a self-concious needy loner that's paranoid that nobody likes my story. Seriously. Eh, speaking of reviewing, you can tell me all about Ella and how much you like her (or not like her) and how amazing you think she is (or not)
ALSO! Get ready for my next chapter! IT'S GONNA BE GREAT! No, really. I am disturbing the balence of Link and Reena's friendship. I am so pumped to start writting it. Because I like messing with Link. I want to have it done soon for you guys, but I also don't want to rush it. Hm such a dilema. Maybe if you REVIEWED more I'd have it done soon and have it be well written.
Anycows, see ya soon kiddos!