Chapter Three: The Smiling Moon

She was going to die.

She was going to die if she stopped running for her life for one bit. Princess Zelda of Hyrule panted in fear before a hanging thin branch slapped her in the cheek. "Ow—!" She placed a hand on her injury cheek but continue running. Straining her long pointed ear for him all she could hear was the crickets, owls' hooting and the wind rustling through the leaves above her. It didn't help her sanity a bit.

She stepped on a bug, ending its life, and no matter how disgusted she felt by it she ran on. A sharp pain from a fist size rock that pressed too hard on her skin was ignored. Her high heel shoes had been abandoned to help her get a higher chance to run away faster. They would have slow her down long time ago if she had kept them on. Every trip she made she scrambled to get back on her feet from the moisten grass.

She couldn't afford to slow down or even stop for a minute. Or else he'll catch up to her. Unless he was playing around with her— raising up her hopes of a chance of escaping him— just because he can. She hated that thought.

Without warning she tripped yet again; her legs tired from all the running she did. She bowed her head and started to pant for breath. She groaned and felt her heart sink on hearing a wolf's panting behind her back. She felt it stopped few feet away from her. It growled that sounded way too close for comfort. She flinched of the deep sound and wondered if it had fun of having a thrill of a chase.

Her fingers clawed at the spare dirt on the ground. Right in front of her violet eyes her right hand started to glow a warm golden color. When it faded it showed the symbol that she was all too familiar with: The Triforce with the Wisdom piece standing out the most than the other two. The symbol that only all Princesses Zeldas had carried through them all generations. In fact before the chase it had appeared on her hand for a brief moment until it disappeared. To see it again on her was a sight to see. A gift from the Goddess, Nayru.

It brought her strength to not give up and sharp wisdom. That's when she saw a sharp rock in front of her. She studied it if it could do serious damage if throw with enough force— with some help of Light Magic. She was glad that she was blessed with Light Magic when she was born. She even been training to learn how to use it all her years. She reached for the rock in her fist and summoned Magic in low words; knowing which spell to use.

Luck was on her side for the wolf didn't see the glow of her Triforce, which had been blocked by her body, and couldn't hear her using a spell. It stared deep into her skin on her back as it started to pace around her. She tried to ignore the feeling of being watched. To feel its eyes on her back.

"Giving up already, Princess Zelda? How boring— I expected more out of you the most." The voice of the creature was deep and similar to a male's voice, but too inhuman like with some rumbling sound in its voice.

She shuddered and took a daring peek over her shoulder to send a heated glare at the creature. A creature of a werewolf, however, its whole body seemed to be made out of shadows. Few shadows separated itself from the body to float up to the air before disappearing in the air. Its eyes socket colored in bright red that seemed glow. For few seconds it smiled at her and took a step forward while leaning its muzzle forward to bare its teeth at her— sending a low growl from its throat. Towering over a few feet away from her, a smiling moon shine over the werewolf's head. As if it was happy to see her die in the middle of a forest with no help to save her.

Enjoying a good show.

That gave her courage to throw the rock with full force that bathed in her golden magic. She wouldn't die. She'll save herself then, but she wouldn't die tonight. Her lips parted to release her sharp cry but when the rock hit its stomach the creature let out a howl of pain that overpowered her voice. The shadows broke apart and faded to the dark, and the red eyes burned out, and the echo of its cry stopped. The golden rock soon lost its magic and disappeared somewhere in the background. Zelda felt surprised. Did she kill it just like that?

Was it really dead?

Her answer came when shadows rose up from the ground to form a figure. A male figure. His pale hands stick out from his flowing dark cloak and his short hair was gray. His eyes were the same color that tossed glares straight at her soul. He snapped at her, "That wasn't nice, Princess." After his words he snarled at her.

She thought warily in return of how killing the princess— herself— wasn't nice either. She swallowed and glanced around. There went her plan of saving herself. Oh, how she wished someone could come save her. But how? She was a long way from the Castle and she hadn't screamed for help at all. No one was going to save her at this point.

The princess braced herself for death just as the man took a step forward with a black sword drawn out.

"Hyaah!"

The sound of the air being sliced ringed to her ears that Zelda opened her eyes of swords clashing at each other. A new figure stood in front of her, his upper body hunch, wearing a green tunic. The hat the same color with few strands of blonde hair sticking out to curl up around his neck area. He straighten up and Zelda took the time to look between his legs to see the shadow-like being nowhere in sight.

The newcomer turned around to face and pointed his weapon toward the ground where the tip touched the dirt. The badge of the Hyrule symbol caught her attention the most where it was display in a clear view in his left chest. The Hyrule symbol of the Triforce on top of a bird with its wings spread out wide. The badge that meant he was a Hyrule guard through she never seen him before inside the castle.

But then she must be close to the Hyrule castle either way, right?

Close to sweet and safe home?

She smiled in relief before she caught a glowing symbol on his left hand. Her eyes widen. It was a piece of the Triforce— where the Courage one glowed brighter than the other two. The Triforce of Courage. On instant she rub her hand. Before she could dwell any further on this she felt a dark presence forming behind her.

Her mouth formed a small 'o' before she scrambled up to her feet to get behind the Hyrule Guard. She looked over his arm to see the shadow person took on a different form to be similar built to the man in front of her. In fact, everything of his looks was similar to the Royal Guard. Only difference was the color tone for the skin, hair, and eyes. The shadow-like guard smirked and lifted his hand, palm facing upward toward them. "Won't you please let me do my job— by letting me kill the Princess of Hyrule?"

The Royal Guard replied, "No," with a hint of disgust in his word. The shadow-like guard pouted at his answered. Zelda saw when the blonde hair guard reached deep into his pouch and pulled out something in his fist.

"Why not— she's like fifteen? Sixteen years old? — She is old enough to be killed. Don't make my job harder!" The shadow cried out before smiling as a shadows formed in his left hand a black sword.

The man scoffed and pointed out, "You seem to want to fight me anyway."

"Maybe. I do like challenges at times." He winked at them. The princess stared at him in disbelieve. First, he seemed piss-off, but now he was all happy-like?

Zelda glanced down when she felt the man's rough hand putting something into her hand. She opened her curled fist to find a tiny brown bow and three arrows. He wanted her to fight? She let out a breath and allowed the bow and arrows to grow into normal size.

The shadow guard caught off guard rose an eyebrow at her when he saw the weapons in her hands. "Two against one?" He questioned when he collected himself. He slowly shrugged and smiled. "Fine, more fun for me then."

"You have an evil heart," the guard unexpectedly asked the shadow being.

The creature was caught off guard again by the man's sudden statement. He started to reply in a serious tone, "No... No, not just an evil heart. I'm an evil being."

"Than this shall be an easy battle." He showed his sword out. Caught by the moonlight the sword shined out to the shadow being's face.

The shadow guard eyes widen on the sight of that sword. "T-the Master Sword?!"

What? Zelda couldn't believe what she just heard. She looked at the man's weapon. On the blade it had the Triforce, the purple wings spread out, and how clean the blade was as it stretch toward the night sky... It was indeed the Master Sword. The weapon that can easily destroy evil. The said weapon that had been lost somewhere in the Lost Woods for a century or more.

The Holder of the Triforce of Courage and a wielder of the Master Sword. Was there anything else that this man had that she should know of? Anything else that should be rubbed it on her face that maybe this man was a destine Hero for Hyrule in this era?

The creature shifted, looking uncomfortable, and took a step back. The man saw this. "You don't want to fight me than?" He asked with a serious tone that Zelda could imagine him rising up an eyebrow.

The shadow-like guard froze on the spot before jumping high in the sky. Zelda gasp when it landed on a tree branch in a light feet. The tree branch that was over fourteen feet high. No living being could jump that high!

He snapped his fingers and pointed at the ground in front of them. He then laughed, "As if you can taunt me just because you have the Master Sword, Hero. No, I'm not stupid to fight you; I'm smart enough to let others do my bidding." At that a strange symbol in orange light appeared that blinded them for a moment. Both the Royal Guard and the Royal Princess covered their eyes until the strange light disappeared.

In place of the light where four wolfos. The guard rose the sword in front of his chest and Zelda rose the bow up in attack position, the arrows in her back. She placed one arrow and aimed for the wolfos that was second to the left side.

"Ready?" The Shadow-being mocking asked before snapping his fingers. "This should be a good show to watch."

The two middle ones dashed forward to attack and Zelda released the arrow along with her breath. The arrow sliced the air and plunged deep into the chest of the one that she had aimed for. It crashed on its behind, making a sound of surprise then pain. It kicked the air before it stopped. A black smoked engulfed it that when it cleared it revealed nothing in that spot.

The other wolfos jumped, readying its jaws at the guard who letting out a warrior's cry sliced it at its belly. Black smoke puffed out of it flowing from the air to the ground where the wolfos would have crashed.

The other two wolfos let out a howl and ran around them, looking for a weak spot. Zelda felt the man grabbing her arm and jerking her close to him. She didn't reject as she readied another arrow in place. She let it flow at the incoming wolfos that was going attack at the guard's blind side. It dodged to the side and again before the sword could kiss its forehead. The sword plunged deep into the ground and the guard muttered a curse.

Using both hands the guard try to pull it out only managing to loose it a bit by bit. Zelda did her best to help by keeping both the wolfos at bay. When she kept the other one at bay before it could attack her the other one took it chances again at the guard. The wolfos jumped when he finally pulled the sword out and jerked it forward at the wolfos' neck. Its eyes widen in shock before smoke covered it a second later.

Zelda seeing this focus back on the lone wolfos and aimed an arrow at its chest. Last one, she thought. She hoped that shadow person wasn't going to summon anymore after this. She was ready to pull the trigger as it dashed forward when she felt a pressure on her shoulder and saw pale hands resting on her tight fists.

Feeling uncomfortable, she started to blush and let go of the arrow. But because she had flinched also it landed on its left eye. The pressure was gone and she heard a chuckled behind her.

"A bull's eye, princess."

She turned around and was about to say something when the guard was in front of her. The weapon shrinking back to a small size in her hand. She made a fist around it.

The guard pointed his sword at him. "You're next if you come any closer to the princess again." Both the princess and the shadow-being heard the threat in his voice.

The guard snarled in reply, but took a step back. Zelda stopped him by asking him a question; she had to know why, "Who sent you and why did that person want me dead?" He had mention that he didn't want the guard to make his 'job any harder' so his job being killing her, someone wanted her dead. So who?

It work from stopping the creature from leaving. He shrugged, "As long as the person pays me upfront I don't care who the person is. But I can tell you why they want you dead. It's because they don't want you to become Queen tomorrow. It seems once you become Queen they won't be able to control the throne through you. And you probably won't marry their son since you will have a final saying in your future husband." He paused, putting a finger to his lips, looking upward at the dark blue sky. "If you like you can pay me more to silence their whining. I like you."

She ignored his last two statements. The Larune family? They were the only family that hated her with a passion. Plus they had a son. "They told you all this?" Zelda asked him.

He looked back at her, his red eyes studying her. "The woman sure loved to talk." She almost nodded, but stopped herself. The woman that loved to talk was the wife of Larune, the only noble woman that never learned to shut her big mouth. Princess Zelda knew if she was to survive this night then she have to order the Larune family killed for wanting the soon-to-be Queen assassinated.

It was the Law of the Royal Hyrule.

The guard shifted a bit, releasing an impatient sound. "Don't think you can put the blame on someone else. For the price of almost assassinate the soon-to-be Queen is death. You and the people that paid you will face it."

The shadow guard glared at him and looked at the princess in the eyes with a mischief look. "I promise to be a good little boy next time if you let me go," he taunted at her. She didn't need to figure out what he meant in his words of 'a good little boy next time.' The princess said nothing but sent a glare at him. She then realized that the guard was looking at her in the corner of his eye.

The guard opened his mouth to speak but the shadow smirked, let out a wave at them both, he faded into the shadows in the ground. The princess felt a perk on her right cheek, surprising her. She turned around to hear only, "Till next time princess."

The guard growled underneath his breath. He turned around to face his princess. "It's best if you return to your Castle, my princess. I wouldn't let the creature get away." She grab his left arm to stop him from walking—no, from running off.

"Wait! It's not wise to leave a defenseless princess in a forest just for her to simple walk home!" She knew she wasn't defenseless now with the bow and arrows, but still she didn't want to be alone for right now. Plus if she bump into the same shadow person again he might sweet-talk to her. And I didn't want to fall into his charms, she told herself with a determine spirit.

He said nothing for a while, just staring at her. "Alright," came his final reply. He sheathe his sword on his back and grab her hand in his own. She saw that he was holding onto her right hand with his left. They started to walk away from the area. Both of their Triforce glowed together in harmony, brightening the area around them. When he wasn't looking she touched her cheek where the shadow-being kissed at.

She almost trip from her own feet but his hand hold her upfront. Grabbing a handful of her pink dress, Zelda did her best to keep up with his speed. She just remember that she was still barefooted so she still felt rough surfaces and twigs underneath her aching feet. She looked underneath her bangs and wondered when she should give him his weapon back. When she was safe? Maybe so.

In fact, she wanted to know who he was. Like what his name was for example. "Who are you?" She voiced her question out loud to him.

He pushed aside a branch out of their way. "My name is Link, your Highness, I'm one of the many Royal Guards," He said nothing more than that. The young woman looked disappointed at his back, but in her best way since she was walking, shrugged it off. At least she learned his name: Link. A simple but a nice name she suppose.

Pushing herself she walked aside of him and saw that he was looking up over the crowding trees. She tilted her head back to see an outline of the Hyrule Castle over the towering and dark trees. She swiped away a bothersome mosquito from her right ear. The Castle was coming closer and closer to be hided in the trees the more they walked toward it.

"Did I really walk that far away from home?" She questioned out loud.

The guard, Link, stopped— causing Zelda to stop also. "Now did you mention that— why were you way out here for, in the forest at night? And how did you manage to walk past all your guards? If I haven't followed that voice—"

"You heard that voice also?" Princess Zelda cut him off. "That lullaby voice?" He nodded. "I followed that voice also, but it turned out to be that shadow person's voice, lunging me to him. I can't believe that I walk that far from home!"

They started to walk in a slow pace again. Zelda thought back to how sweet that creature's voice was— in a smoothing manner it seem, like a dream. It was just her and that voice, beckoning to come to its source.

To be killed.

She shivered and was glad that Link didn't notice.

The young woman looked at the man again and smiled. "Thank you— for saving me, Link."

"It is my job to protect you, your highness." Link stated honesty.

She rose an eyebrow on the title 'your highness' and what the man said to her. She also didn't miss the fact that his eyes turned warm at her.

~1~1~1~1~1~

There were no guards patrolling when they entered the Castle Grounds. It felt strange to the young woman. All her life she was used to seeing bunch of guards walking around the field and inside the castle. Where are all the guards? Zelda wondered.

"That's strange." Link murmured. She agreed with him. Too strange indeed.

A different yet familiar voice answered, "Oh, silly me! I forgot to mention—"

The both whipped around to see the dark reflection of Link again. In a breeze the Royal Guard slide out his Master Sword and pushed her behind him. She summoned one of the three arrows and readied it. The shadow being raised up his hands in mocking surrounded. "Don't hurt me," He requested with a smile. "I'm being a good boy for now." The princess almost rolled her eyes on his last sentence, but lowered down the bow and arrow.

"What do you want?" Link demanded.

The shadow creature answered, "I just forgot to mention that some of the guards are... taking a deep nap while other guards are fortunately enough to be in my spell trap. They'll be coming back shortly from their little adventure of the Dark World." He paused and vanished for a bit.

Zelda released a small gasp as she felt cold fingers tracing her own. On her left shoulder she felt someone's head resting on it. It was the shadow being. She heard Link almost growl to see it hugging the princess. Even touching her again. On the other hand, Zelda was fighting back the blushing.

"I killed the ones that hired me, Princess Zelda," He breathed into her ear in a seductive and a serious manner.

Her face turned shocked on his words. "Do you mean every Larune family or just...?" She didn't complete her question. He didn't answered, but rubbed his cold chin in her covered shoulder. She almost thought she heard him purred into her hair but ignored it. Every child of the Larune family slaughtered by one man— no, by one creature in not even an hour. Not even calling this creature a monster will help voice her angry and yet fear of him. Her eyes turned watery but Zelda didn't shed a tear.

"I had to kill them, princess. If I can't kill what I was hired for then I must kill the hirers and their family. It's part of our Law— you wouldn't understand it. Plus you wouldn't have to get your pretty hands bloody. You can keep them all clean and pretty."

Link glared at his dark reflection. "Let go of her," He demanded.

The shadow-being slowly did and walked away from her. He rose his hands up in surrender. "Jealous that I hug the princess?" He tilted his head to the side.

Just as the shadow creature asked that question, Zelda asked her own to him, "Why are you still in that form?" She turned around to face him, her cheeks light red.

He answered right away, "I like this form— might use this look for a while. In fact, you may call me Dark Link!" He grinned and mocking bow to them both.

Link snapped, "There is no way you're going to look like me for a while!" Zelda looked at Link who was frowning. Dark Link just waved and stepped back into the shadows casted by the trees. They could hear his words echo around them, "I'm glad that I didn't kill you now, princess. I'm starting to like you. So Link don't you dare steal her away from me." His last words sounded playful that made Zelda blush deeper.

"I hate him." Link said out loud, putting away once more his Master Sword. Zelda turned around and walked toward him, ignoring his statement. She took a breath to calm herself. There is no way I'm going to like him, Dark Link!

"Here," She started to say while holding up the bow and arrows. "I forgot to give you your items back."

He looked at the items in her hands then at her. "Keep it, your Highness. Considered them my gift to you." She looked at him feeling touched. "Thank you, Link," She breathed out. Feeling a bit disappointed that she didn't had any pouches in her dress Zelda continued holding onto the bow and arrows.

They continued their way again. Unlike in the forest, the owls hooted softly into the night's air, the wind gently touching everything in its way, and fireflies flickered their lights in the Hyrule Castle's Field. Above their heads the moon and the stars stood brighter in the open sky. She felt at peace then when she was at the forest feeling frighten for her life. The sound of grasses be stepped on by her feet reached her long pointing ears. Suddenly sharp pains attacked her feet, making the princess sharply breathe out. Once I get inside my room I'm going to apply Red Potion Cream on my feet before I go to sleep, Zelda noted to herself.

Once close to the Castle Walls she saw Link pulled out another item and looked at her. She knew what the item was: A hook shot. Being the Bearer of Wisdom, Zelda guess that Link wanted her quickly at her room which was above them. "If I may, princess." He hold his hand out. She didn't need to look at his hand. Instead she nodded and grab his warm hand with her free one.

The Royal Guard pulled her close to his body and aimed the hook shoot above their heads. With a soft cry escaping his lips the hook was shoot. They soon followed after it.

~1~1~1~1~1~

Zelda sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh. On her hands she hold the small Red Potion Cream bottle. Link stood— and looked— away from her near the window to the balcony. He was trying to hide it but the princess could see that he was uncomfortable being in her room. She couldn't help but let out a small smile. "Relax, Link, I don't think Dark Link will be coming back again tonight."

Link leaned against the glass doors and replied, "I wasn't worried about that. I was trained never to enter your room unless you were at danger or you allowed me in." He turned his face away, but she could still see his face expression in the glass. He appeared to be calm, but his eyes showed uneasy.

"Oh, really? At least I have some good guards here then. I had meet some that were cruel to others by abusing their powers, others that forget to knock before entering, and some that carry too much fear in their hearts."

"I'm nothing like them, your highness. Plus there are other good guards that you have."

She nodded at his words. "I know— you're different... Just like me," Zelda whispered. But he was more special. She stared at her surviving fire in her fireplace. Her muscles started to relax on the warm atmosphere. Silence began to fall upon them with only the sounds of the popping coming from the fireplace.

Link straighten up and opened the balcony doors. He broke the silent air, "I must return to my post before the other returning guards see that I'm missing, your highness."

Zelda jumped to her feet, putting the cream bottle on the bed, and rushed toward him. "Wait, from now on whenever we shall meet again, please call me Zelda. Not 'your highness,' okay Link? I have a feeling that we'll going to be good friends from here on out."

He stared at her for a few seconds before replying, "As you wish... Zelda."

She smiled, feeling pleased on him saying her name. It sounded nice of how he said her name. Her violet eyes zoned out for few seconds as she gave out a soft yawn, covering her mouth before doing so.

"Goodnight Zelda." He stepped into the balcony. Getting his hook shoot out again he went into the balcony and pointed at the nearest tree. He took off. Zelda saw him disappeared underneath the balcony but didn't take a step to see where Link will go. She closed the doors, cutting off the cool night breeze from entering her room, and went to change.

Grabbing the ruined dress she tossed it into the fireplace. The fire almost close to dying by the Once she finished putting on a simple lavender night dress, Zelda laid down the pink ruin dress on her bed. The edges torn and ripped, and dirt covered the front from when she had tripped. "I'll have to burn it," Zelda noted to herself. "Then I have to worry about the discoveries of the Larune's family death tomorrow. Also to see how many guards didn't survive last night." She sighed. "Tomorrow might be a longer day than usually."

She went toward the fireplace with the ruin dress in her hands. She stared at the fire and toss the dress into it. The flames attacked it, licking and wanting to absorb it. The princess watched her dress get destroyed for couple of minutes in silence before going to bed.

Without her knowing her Triforce on her hand slowly faded to a dim light.

She popped open the bottle while she looked through the glass doors at the moon. At the smiling moon that somewhere at the distance a wolf or maybe a werewolf howled to.

~64~64~64~64~64~

Yay, an improved version of The Smiling Moon ready for you guys (the original will be delete after today). : )

I'm thinking of doing another one-shot of continuing this one-shot. Making it a two-shot story. *It will be next night when Dark Link visits her for a 'chat' before that Zelda thinks of how her day had went and trying to see Link again. The story will end with Zelda telling Dark Link how the moon has its smile widen than last night. As if it was amuse by something.* But I'll probably write that in the future…

And now… time for youtube to study grammar again and anything that will improve my writing even further! Which I thank both 'Guest' and SweetestChick for pointing it out in a review in my other story for Dark Zelink. : D And maybe read City of Bones later.

Review, Favorite, Follow, and all that good stuff fellow followers and readers. : )

Until next time…

~GreenFantasy64

P.S.

I want to ask you guys a favor also and that is to read and to write a positive and/or a helpful review for darklinkhylian fanfic 'Even a demon wants love.' Please and thank you. Its because few reviewers were giving her/him a hard time by giving out negative reviews. I understand why since it wasn't the author's story to begin with. I told the person to put a disclaimer in her story to see if that will help even when the author got permission from the original author. In fact, I want the author to creative her/his own fanfic stories for Dark Zelink and improve their writing.

Also how about for every Dark Zelink author? : ) I'll try my best also to review most of the Dark Zelink stories there are.

"Thank you" for taking the time to read this and if you guys do it in the future. : )