Chapter 8

Nerves racked at Link as he kept picking up a hoof and setting it down on the polished floor. It hadn't been long enough to trust a fire from burning itself out but yet the room he saw through the window was completely blocked from view by the green smoke. All he wanted to do was jump inside and pull Zelda out, the only sound Link could hear was the ticking of Hera's time piece and the machines pimping in the green smoke.

The ringing of bells ripped Link's attention to the old man at the controls. The man smacked a fist down on the time piece beside the switches, turning the sound off, before flicking a number of switches. Link watched as some went down and others went up, unsure what each controlled. The machinery sound changed, turning Link's attention back to the chamber. He knew where he had last seen her, his eyes struggling to look through the smoke to find her still inside.

"Scitta," Hera mumbled under his breath.

Panic filled Link at the expletive. He looked over at the man as Hera flicked switches, throwing glances up through the window. Turning back to the room through the window, he could just make out Zelda in her armor lying face down through the smoke. He looked over at the man and asked, "Why? What's wrong?"

"She got turned into a darknut," Hera said, keeping his eyes to the panel of switches as he worked through an order. "I'll have to clear the air and give her a moment before I could try again."

"No, she's supposed to look like that," Link said, his panic slowly dissipating as he turned back to the window. As more of the smoke was sucked out of the room with a whirl, Link was able to make out the bow still on her back. "We were still dressed for battle when we came through the portal," Link explained as he fought the urge to break the door down and be at her side.

"Look's just like the darknut's uniforms," Hera commented.

Link watched, feeling like that was all he could do, as the smoke cleared from the adjacent room. Movement caught his eyes as Zelda's hand above her head gripped into a fist.

Lifting her hand up, as if to look at it, she gripped it into a fist once more.

Hera knocked on the window, getting the girl to look up at him. "Don't stand up too fast!" he warned through the wall.

Zelda gave him a nod of her head, slowly lowering it back so she looked at the metal floor beneath her.

Link took notice of the lack of green smoke, turning a look towards Hera. Without opening his mouth the man seemed to sense what he had wanted to ask.

Keeping his eyes on the girl in the next room, his hands hovering over switches, Hera said, "She has to get up on her own. You shouldn't help her right now."

"Doesn't stop me from wanting to," Link said, turning his eyes back to the girl.

Zelda had sat up, her quiver still attached at her hip, with her hands on her helmet to remove it. She sat the helmet beside her and untied the undercap, removing it to show her blonde bun as her bangs fell forward. She ran a hand through her bangs, trying to get them to lay how she liked them to, her eyes trying to look up at them as she did so. Her eyes caught Link's, stopping as she took him in through the window.

Link put his nose to the window, wishing he could get closer only for his breath to fog up his view.

Zelda picked up both the helmet and undercap, shoving the cloth into the metal headgear, before slowly rising to her feet. A hand gripped around her stomach, worrying Link.

Hera turned off the last of the machinery before stepping over to pull open the door. Link stepped over, leaning his head over so he could look through the opening at her.

"How are you feeling?" Hera asked as the girl made her way forward on unsteady legs, an arm still holding her stomach. He stepped back to the table full of switches and pulled out the chair, motioning for her to take a seat once she had stepped out of the chamber.

"I feel like I'm about to throw up," Zelda admitted, taking her hand from around her stomach to pull off her bow. She sat the bow leaning against the table before gripping hold of the table to hold onto as she lowered herself down into the chair. She put her helmet in her lap and leaned back in the chair as she added, "Other than that, just the pain you warned me about." She turned her eyes to Link and smiled as she looked up to him.

Unable to read the thoughts hidden behind that smile, Link shifted on his hooves and asked, "What?"

"Just taking you in as Horse Link," Zelda said, the smile clear on her face.

Link let out a snort, raising his head to look at Hera. "Can I go ahead and get back to normal, please?" he asked.

"Give me a moment to check everything over," Hera said, already walking into the chamber.

Link looked at the man as he walked over to a wall and pulled down a ladder suspended from the ceiling above the pipe work. Link turned back to Zelda and started to move his hooves so he could lay down on the polished floor only to have his back left hoof slide away from him. Catching himself on three legs, he carefully repositioned the one before giving up on laying down. He looked back at Zelda to notice she had closed her eyes, leaning her head back a bit. "It's good to see you human again," Link offered.

"Once my stomach settles down, I'll be able to agree with you," Zelda offered, not moving more than she had to.

"Is there anything I could do?"

Zelda opened her eyes just enough to look at him, smiling. "No, it's just gotta figure out everything's where it's supposed to be again. It's already calming down."

The clanging of metal turned Link's attention to the chamber. The source of the sound was uncertain as Link did his best to look around the room from where he stood in front of the door. Stepping over to stand in the doorway he looked up towards the metal works hanging above and called out, "Hera? Everything alright?"

"Just making sure a pipe was still connected," Hera's voice said, coming from somewhere above.

Link looked up, trying to see him in the eerie green light but couldn't make him out of the shadows. Link backed up and turned back to face Zelda, glad to see her sitting up with her eyes open.

Zelda was reaching for her bow, picking it up so she could check the string. He watched her in silence as she made sure her weapon was in proper order, almost getting startled as footsteps sounded from the chamber.

Hera wiped his hands on a rag before putting the cloth in his pants pocket. "Okay," he said more to himself. Stopping in the doorway so he could look up at Link he asked, "You ready?"

Link gave a sharp nod of his head, taking a step back so the man could leave the chamber. "Yeah." He watched Hera walked back to the panel of switches as Zelda rose to her feet. She stepped aside so Hera could push in the chair.

Hera gave the switches one last look before turning to Link. "Ready when you are."

"Remember, I was dressed in the same armor she is," Link said, hoping to prevent being mixed up with being a darknut.

Hera gave him a partial smile before looking down at the buttons before him. He flicked a couple, getting the machinery to start back up.

Link felt a hand rest on his neck, turning him to take notice of Zelda standing beside him. He gave her a smile before walking into the room, feeling her hand travel down his back until he had walked out of her grasp. He found the mark on the floor and turned around so he faced the door and two windows.

Hera appeared in the doorway and said, "Last chance to change your mind."

"I'm ready," Link said, trying to seal himself away for the pain he knew he was about to receive.

Hera pushed close the door, disappearing behind the metal. Link turned his eyes to the window he had stood at and saw Zelda looking through the glass. She had a hand pressed against the glass as his eyes caught hers.

A knock ripped his attention to the other window to see Hera standing there. "Starting it up," he said, his voice muffled by the wall.

Link looked up as another machine sounded, alerting him as the green gasses fell from the pipes in the ceiling. Instantly the smell of bananas appeared in his nose, the smell rancidly sweet to him. Quicker than he thought it had blocked Zelda from his view he found all he could see was the thick green smoke.

His muscles spasmed first, causing Link to let out a startled sound as he was forced to the ground. Pain entered his chest, each breath becoming painful as the pain spread like a wild fire, burning the very inside of him out to his skin. A scream forced itself from him as all feeling left him to pain. Darkness over took his vison and the machine's nose vanished from his ears, his own scream gone to the void he felt himself falling into.

Just as the thought occurred to him the man was going to kill him, the pain started to subside. A cold floor appeared under his side as he laid on his right with his legs sprawled out in front of him. Slowly he opened his eyes, glad to see hands where hooves had once been. Pain like being sliced by the sword over every part of him ravaged his body but he still ordered his hands into fists. Glad he could still control the digits he saw, he slowly pulled his left arm closer to push himself up. The sword on his back pushed upwards, bringing the baldric up on his chest as he struggled to sit up. A swirling in his stomach froze him, making him feel like he was about to throw up on the floor in front of him. A spasm of pain in the swirling forced him to grab at his stomach, wishing he could go ahead and force it calm. He reached up and pulled his helmet off, it taking the undercap with it as the tie at his chin was already undone, letting it fall to the floor in a loud crash. Hoping that would help him get fresh air as he looked up to see the green smoke leaving the room through some machinery in the ceiling.

The sound of the door screeching open pulled his eyes down to see Zelda standing in the doorway, worry on her face. He tried to give her a smile, it dampened by a reflex deep inside him. He held a hand up to his mouth, worried his dinner might actually make a resurface as he looked down at the floor before him.

"Give him this," Hera said.

Link looked up, seeing Zelda walk in with a bin in her hands. She placed it in front of Link just in time for the reflex to repeat itself. He took hold of the bin as his dinner came back with the taste of stomach acid. Coughing followed the liquid chunks as he noticed Zelda rubbing his back through the armor. Embarrassment flooded him at her seeing him in this state. He sat the bin on the floor in front of him, not sure if he was done with it but nothing more felt like it was coming up.

"Here," Zelda offered, turning Link to his left as he felt her right hand still on his back.

Link saw she held out a rag and took it to wipe his mouth and chin. Folding the rag so the pink bits were inside he said, "Thanks."

"Hey, I may not've taken the vows yet, but I'll promise them now," Zelda said, getting Link to look over as she held her head hanging to his left. She reached over and fixed his bangs before saying, "In sickness or health, I'll be at your side." She leaned down and placed a kiss on the crown of his head, as if sealing her words.

"You feeling better now?" Hera asked, poking his head into the room.