By midday, they had made it the the edge of the Gerudo desert.
Hermione approached Link at around that time and asked,
"These... Gerudos... are they... friendly?" She wasn't sure what to expect. This world was so wildly contrasting her own.
"Eh..." Link shrugged, "To an extent."
A wide rope bridge was suspended over a massive, deep valley.
"Um..." Ron asked, "Is that bridge safe?"
"I dunno. Let's find out, shall we?" Link had become very careless ever since they had left the ranch and was maybe a little too laid back about some stuff which he should be paying attention to.
"...to an extent?" Hermione winced, "what's that supposed to mean?"
She wanted to tell Link to be more careful, she hoped he knew what he was doing.
Link walked casually across it, stopping at the other side and looking back, "Well? What're you waiting for? Get a move on!"
Harry looked at Ron and Ron looked at Harry.
"You first, mate." Ron nodded.
"Thanks, Ron." Harry said sarcastically and started to make his way across, flinching every time one of the planks creaked. He finally made it to the other side and sighed heavily, "Come on then Ron, you next!" He called back over his shoulder.
Soon Ron had made it over and Hermione was the last to cross.
Hermione turned very pale and took several deep breaths to steady herself. She held her head high and desperately tried not to look down.
'It's ok, I can do this...', she stepped onto the first creaky plank,
'I can do this..' then the next.
'I can...' She screamed as the bridge gave way beneath her, wood snapping and wind rushing past her ears.
Down and down she fell, helpless to gravity which pulled her mercilessly into the cavern below.
"NO!"
"HERMIONE!"
Ron and Harry both ran to the side of the sheer drop, watching their best friend fall helplessly down with aghast looks.
Link was in a trance of some kind. He was rooted to the spot, his face pale and eyes wide. What had he been doing? He was meant to be the one looking after them here and he'd been acting like a jerk just to put emphasis on his bad mood. Now, because of his useless behaviour, Hermione was undoubtedly doomed.
Hermione was tumbling into the blackness for what seemed like an eternity.
She braced for death and was hit by a cold wall of sheer ice.
This is it, she thought, now I die.
She dared to open her eyes, preparing for the worst, but all she saw was blue.
She was drifting slowly to a ledge, engulfed in a blue haze.
When she laid on solid ground again, a small face protruded.
"NAIA!" Hermione shouted. Naia smiled.
"I leave you for how long?" She sniped.
Link ran over at the yell and looked over the edge to see Hermione stood, safe on a ledge. He sighed in relief,
"Oi, Naia!" He called then smirked, "Try to make a more dramatic exit next time, huh?" He laughed, Harry and Ron joining in.
Hermione looked around and Naia had gone. Literally disappeared into thin air... She twisted frantically for a smudge of blue light, but none could be found. All she cold hear was a faint sob and a rhythmic clinking noise.
"Hey, Naia!" Link called, "Come up here!"
Hermione mumbled to herself, then shouted, "SHE'S GONE!" She caught her breath and said, "I can't see her anywhere!"
Harry and Ron looked up at Link, whose face was blank.
After a moment, he said, "Right, well, swish your wands and get Hermione up here, then." His shoulders dropped and he turned around, sighing through his nose.
Hermione was scraping at the rock. She turned and wondered if she was going mad. Had she seen Naia at all?
Harry and Ron worked on a few spells to get her up, but couldn't really think of an appropriate one.
"Hey, Hermione!?" Harry yelled, "Have you read about a spell which can get you up here?"
Hermione placed a hand on the wall and heard whisperings..
A few strands of her hair glowed. Not gold as in a human sense, but htun. This is a colour known only to very few, mostly dwarves and other creatures, but humans cannot see this colour. It is a mixture between gold and the colour of the sky on the most beautiful day.
However, Hermione's hair glowed this colour. Her hand seeped through the rock, and she was pulled in with it.
"HERMIONE?!"
Link snapped, "Oh dear Nayru, any more happens and I'm leaving her behind!" He was joking of course, but in a bitter way.
Hermione turned to Naia, who had formed a tiny alcove in the rock.
Naia looked fit to burst with rage, but Hermione tried to comfort her.
"Link hasn't been the same since you left.." Naia turned up her nose, "None of us have..." Hermione looked out at the boys.
"Look," Link called, "If we wait any longer, we won't get there in the light! Come on!"
"You have to come!" Hermione urged, "I would have died without you today!"
Naia still looked unsure. She opened her bag and turned to the little blue fairy.
"Please?"
"COME ON I'M GETTING IMPATIENT!" Came another yell with a few others aiding his point.
Naia rubbed her tiny hand against her arm. Link didn't sound as though he had changed. She closed her eyes and remembered all the times she had missed him too.
Hermione whipped out her wand and levitated herself and Naia out of the gorge.
Naia flew over to Link.
"I'm sorry for what I said... and... I ...missed you..." She looked up at him, hoping he would recognise she was being genuine.
"And you are gonna have to try harder than that to kill these guys.." She joked and allowed herself to smile.
"Uh..." His face became radish red and he struggled to find something to say. He wanted to say something, but it would have been way too much. In stead, he sighed, shaking his head and turning around,
"Yeah." He said simply, then started to walk off on the pathway to the Gerudo Fortress, "Come on, guys." He said timidly.
Naia decided to fully break the ice.
"BEAR HUG!"
It should be noted that a bear hug from a fairy was about as effective as putting in a hair slide, but brighter blue and louder. However Naia didn't care. She had missed him so much.
After another minute or so she was back to her old self, sitting on Link's hat.