"Link? LINK!"
Link awoke with a start. He rubbed his face with a hand, "Was all that..." He grumbled, "A dream?"
"LINK!"
It wasn't.
Link was laid on his back in a burning courtyard, Harry shaking his shoulder.
"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU ALIVE?!" Harry bellowed.
"I- What?" Link blubbered. He had no idea what had just happened, "Zelda... ZELDA!" He tried to get up, but his muscles wouldn't work. They just quivered and gave up on him every time he tried to move a limb.
"They took her! The Deatheaters took the Princess! Ron and the others are keeping the entrance guarded. Look, we've got to get out of here, pronto!"
Link bit his lip. He had failed to save her.
"Mate," He addressed Harry, "Can you ride a horse?"
"I might." Harry shrugged.
"Great, well let's get out of here. As long as you're holding on tight, Epona will find us a way out."
"Right!" Harry hitched Link's arm over his own shoulder and lifted him up, onto his feet and dragged him over to the flighty horse.
Harry pushed Link up, onto the saddle as he muttered soothing words to his horse and mounted himself behind Link so the the hero wouldn't slip off.
"Get us out of here, Epona!" Harry kicked her flanks and she set off at a steady pace, galloping out of the castle just as the first floor collapsed.
To his dismay, the path ahead was blocked by a wall of fire. He rose his wand,
"Aquamenti!" The fire held back just long enough for the escort to get through.
Hermione could see everything from the other side of the courtyard. She ran to join them, but a flaming beam fell before her.
She gasped, but Naia found her and calmed her.
"I used to live in Nayru's spring. Watch this!" she spun and water seemed to gush out of the tiny fairy. It cascaded down and put out the fire in a five meter radius.
Hermione watched, but grabbed Naia and pelted after Epona.
Link's heart beats sped up as more of the castle started to fall around them. He spotted Naia and Hermione and called,
"It's no use! The Princess has been taken! Let's just get out of here!" and with that, they broke into a full out gallop and shot through the castle town, making a bee line to Lon Lon Ranch as the darkness of night started to settle on the fields.
"Well at least THEY have bloody horses!" Naia snapped. Hermione looked very worried. Naia thought fast and then sighed deeply.
"Hermione, prepare yourself, don't ask and keep hold of me." Naia began to glow. Her fae senses took over and her appearance warped.
Hermione really wanted to scream, but her being had turned to water. Her eyes glossed over and her vision blurred. She heard as if she was submerged in the ocean, but freshwater. She looked at Naia in disbelief as they walked through the flames.
This illusion drained Naia's energy unlike anything she had ever experienced. After five full minutes, they emerged in the town, which was not on fire and they could drop the illusion.
Naia fell to the ground, her breathing rough and she shook. Exhausted, mentally, physically and magically.
Hermione had so many questions, but picked up Naia and looked around desperately for transport. She spied a farmer piling his goods onto a cart. She ran over and begged him to give them a ride.
"Sir! We are in desperate need of escape, please!" Hermione gushed, "My friend… She…" She held out Naia, who was still panting.
The farmer looked pitifully at them, but then desperately back at his load.
"I... I need to pack. I'm not sure there is time! The fire could spread!" He sounded as scared as he looked. Hermione lifted her wand and hissed an incantation and the cargo hauled itself onto the cart.
"We can pay. Please." She turned to see Link and Epona as a smudge in the distance.
The man looked at them and agreed. They fled.
Hooves thundered across the firm grass and the palomino slowed to a canter as she entered the ranch, snorting and tossing her head about in anxiety. Harry patted her neck as she came to a halt outside the farmhouse, still quite frisky.
Link had lapsed into silence half way across the field and his unsteady breathing was the only thing keeping Harry from freaking out.
Harry dismounted and helped Link down as the door behind him opened, light spilling onto the grass and creating a wide golden stripe on Epona's flank.
"Oh my-" Harry looked around to see Malon stood in the door way, hands over her mouth and eyes wide, "Bring him inside! Quickly!"
The Gryffindor hitched Link over his shoulder and helped him walk into the farmhouse, hearing Epona trotting into the paddock as the door snapped shut.
As Link collapsed onto the sofa, Harry hurried back to the door.
"What are you doing?" Malon asked him fearfully.
"I'm going back to get the others." Harry took out his wand and went to open the door.
"You can't." Malon said in a small voice, "It's too dangerous!"
"They're my best friends!" Harry suddenly snapped, irritated that she would think of him as such a disloyal person.
"You're being reckless!" She squeaked, her voice high in shock.
"I can't just leave them!"
"Harry..." Link rasped, "They'll find their way back."
"I CAN'T LET THEM DIE! I DRAGGED THEM INTO THIS!" And with that, Harry stormed out.
"No, HARRY!" Link jumped to his feet and staggered to the door, bellowing after the silhouette running away from the ranch, "HARRY, IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO OUT AT NIGHT! HARRY, GET BACK HERE!" He started to run after him, but his legs gave way and he fell to his knees, his shoulders sagging and vision blurring, "Harry..." He rose a shaking hand, but fell, face first into the grass.