I decided that my "break story" will be the self-insert. I feel awful about leaving Shadows of the Hero on hiatus, but I'm still trying to get the events and the plot to stick together in a way that makes sense...


I grinned as I set up the tent. It was my first time camping on my own, granted I was less than half a mile into the woods behind our house and could probably run the distance in a few minutes (alright, maybe a bit more. I'm not exactly a prime physical specimen) if I had to, but still…! It was an adventure. I'd packed a bag full of everything I could possibly want, and had printed out three of my favorite fanfictions to fill the hours 'til I got tired. I'd wanted to bring my DS, but it had died just before my mom told me to "Get out now or not at all!" so I'd had to leave it behind to charge. Maybe it was for the best; I hadn't been able to work on my own writing in a while, and the forest never failed to inspire me. After starting a fire and knawing through half a sandwich (my parents continue to feed me twice as much as I ever have the appetite for), I settled down with my journal and pencil.

Let's see… I thought, chewing the eraser, How can Aria play her Viola with only one hand? She'll never let the boys leave her behind, so I can't just have her camp with the Happy Mask Salesman until they get back the Ocarina and Harp… This part had me stumped for months. My OC had merged her arm with Epona's shadow, to keep her from running off, but when Skull Kid rode the horse through the portal to Termina, Aria's arm was shredded up to the elbow. It was my way of making sure they made getting Epona and her saddlebags back top priority, but it didn't work since Aria needed both hands to play her instrument. Maybe I could change it so that Skull Kid only cursed Link and/or Sheik? But that doesn't make any sense, either, if he was trying to take any threats out of the picture! I groaned, flopping back onto my sleeping bag. Maybe this story won't work… But I want it to so bad! After a few more hours of arguing with myself, I turned in for the night, thinking that maybe my dreams would help; they had in the past.


I could hear people talking, and realized I was sitting behind a wall. They were on the other side. Looking up, I saw that my wall was really just a ruin of a wall, barely large enough to hide me. "It's just a dream," I muttered, standing up and peeking over the edge of the wall.

I suppose I should have been shocked to see the four Links, standing around the Four Sword pedestal and chatting, but I wasn't. It wasn't the first time someone from LoZ had appeared in my dreams, though normally I don't see their face a clearly a I could see the boys'. In fact, a small part of me was going: Ha! I knew it! Their eyes are different colors! Take that, Link fangirls! I was about to take advantage of apparently being in control of a dream (for once) and go over and say "Hi!" when someone grabbed me from behind and pinned me to the ground.

"Who are you?" a hoarse voice whispered in my ear, "What are you doing here?" A commotion was starting up nearby, suggesting that Vaati had escaped. I mumbled into my captor's hand that I wanted to see what was happening, but I guess he didn't understand me.

So I bit his thumb.

With a howl, he yanked his hand away from my mouth, and flipped me onto my back. "What the hell was that for?"

"How was I supposed to say anything with you gagging me?" I shot back, taking a good look at him. Well, a good look wasn't actually needed to identify him; he was as recognizable as Link, with his shaggy black hair, grey-ish skin, and blood-red eyes. Plus the black tunic, and trademark swirly/smoky hat. I'd have had to be an idiot not to recognize him; had I not fangirled over his in-game giggle and cried at his death in the manga? Shadow Link had to be one of my favorite characters... and here he was, in my dream, glaring at me like he'd like to rip my throat out. Then again, it was Shadow. He probably did.

"Fine. Are you gonna answer my questions?"

"Are you gonna let me up?" He still had me pinned. Not for the first time, I was wishing I was thin because I worked out, and not because nothing stuck to my ribs. Weren't dreams where you could control yourself supposed to go your way? We glared at each other for a few more seconds. Then the sound of Vaati throwing the Links to Hyrule Field filled the air, and I swear Shadow flinched. Did that mean he could feel their pain…?

There was a soft 'whoosh,' and footsteps echoed towards us. A new voice called "Who weakened my seal?"

My inner fangirl squealed at the sound of Vaati's voice. Shadow looked up and responded, "I'm just dealing with some unwanted company before we move on, Mage." He reached for his sword.

"Unwanted company? Is she cute?" The familiar face of the Wind Mage appeared at the top of the wall, and he peered down at us. He was everything fanfictions and fanart made him out to be, some wonderful place between gorgeous and adorable. His eyes were like two huge rubies, a far brighter color than Shadow's, and his hair was a soft lavender. His skin was a much paler shade of purple, and I could just make out his caped shoulders (which suggested he was short, too.) We stared at each other for a moment, while I tried to figure out whether to scream in terror or squee in delight.

Finally, I closed my eyes. "This is just a dream… I'm just dreaming… I'm going to wake up any moment and this will all be gone…" Vaati snorted, and I heard the sound of Shadow drawing his sword. "Just a dream… just a dream…" Something cold pressed against my neck. Painfully.


My eyes flew open. Sunlight was filtering through the yellow plastic of my tent. I could hear birds chirping outside. I was warm and safe, curled up inside my sleeping bag. I hugged my stuffed cat closer to my chest. "Was that a dream or a nightmare, Mr. Friskers? I mean, nothing bad happened, but it sure was scary… I can't believe I saw Vaati and Shadow and the Links, though! And they all seemed so real, even though I knew I was dreaming, can you believe it?" Yes, I talk to my stuffed cat. I've had Mr. Friskers for as long as I can remember, and he's soaked up enough of my tears over the years that I have the right to pretend he can hear me. He's a black cat with white paws, ears, nose and tail tip. His fur's been wire-rough since Mom accidentally put him through the drier when I was five, and all of his whiskers have been "loved off," as she puts it. And after all, it's fine to talk to things so long as they don't talk back, right?

I lay there, whishing I'd brought my pens instead of my note book, so I could at least try to draw what I'd seen, when I realized I'd forgotten to put my hair up last night. Which meant it was probably a solid mat this morning. With a groan, I reached over for my hairties. They weren't there. I felt the back of my neck, and found my hair to be in it's normal, segmented ponytail. That was odd; I never suffered from early-morning amnesia.

Deciding it didn't matter, I unzipped the tent mouth, and received quite the shock. Where last night had stood pines, and dark-barked oaks, now I was surrounded by tall, beautiful silver birches. I giggled nervously as I realized how much they looked like the trees from the Sacred Grove in Twilight Princess. Crawling out, I went in search of a stream where I could get a drink.

I eventually found a pool of water that looked still, but had a stream running through it and was crystal clear. I took a quick drink, and waited for the ripples to clear. When they settled, I received the shock of my life.

A stranger stared back a me from the water's surface. She was stark-naked, but didn't seem that way due to the way her shadow markings curled over everything "inappropriate." Her eyes had two irises, the inner one hazel like mine, the outer one a rich golden. She pulled her hair back the same way I did, but hers was a fiery red. I tugged my ponytail over my shoulder, and watched as she did the same with her pale blue hand. Her hair faded away from red, through bright orange and yellow, down to neon green and finally blue at the three-branched tip. I glanced down at my shoulder, and saw the same green and blue tip from the reflection. I looked back, and this time noticed how her shadow markings looked just like a one-sleeved shirt and a pair of hot shorts. I grimaced, and she pulled her lips away from a set of straight, white teeth with a set of tiny fangs where her canines should be. She had very wide, pointed black ears that twitched when I touched the base of mine. And I felt my ear flick up and down when I saw her ear do the same.

I slowly backed away from the pool, one thought circling through my head. "I can't really be a Twili! …Can I?"


Shadow hit the ground hard when his prisoner vanished. He picked himself up with a grunt, and looked around. "What happened?"

Vaati looked at him, thoughtfully. "I guess she woke up." The Wind Mage murmurred.


Here's the picture of my Twili form: http:/msfcatlover(DOT)deviantart(DOT)com/#/d3a0qjo

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