1I don't own Zelda, or the song.

Chapter 10

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Blankly, I looked down at my furry white paws with the sharp, ripping claws. The ornate iron cuff hung heavily from my ankle, revealing the shorter, chafed fur beneath.

From a faint corner of my mind I felt myself scream in hopeless rage, but I could only stare blankly at my lupine paws. Boots clumped their way over to me, and I glanced ahead to find my eyes level with Link's belt. They slowly traveled upward, past his green tunic, over the sword strap, to rest on his face.

He looked at me with a mix of shock and pity, a slight frown on his face. Slowly, he knelt to look me in the eyes. I saw some slight caution with his slow movements.

"Are you... afraid of me?" I asked incredulously, shaking off the wave of shocked numbness. Link blinked and backed away, holding up his hands in a placating motion. I raised a wolf eyebrow.

"Beast of Twilight..." I looked away from Link and turned my gaze on Faron. I had to squint a bit, though. The light emanating from his monkey-like body was really, really bright. A small frown was on his face.

"The Twilight has been cleared, but only one of you have returned to your true forms. Only Midna and I can understand your speech."

"No shit!" I screamed, suddenly furious. "What the hell is going on? I don't want to go around as a wolf! Everyone's scared shitless of me enough as it is! Not that I don't mind scaring people, but all the time is frickin' annoying! What's the fucking deal?!" My tail lashed and I bared my teeth, snarling.

Link backed even farther away, until Midna popped up behind him in shadow form. She pushed the back of his head roughly, whispering something into his ear with a smirk. Faron gave me a sad, thoughtful look.

"Nevertheless, you must remain a wolf until you have been cured of your disability."

Whaaat?!

"What disability?" Midna asked, a hint of disappointed anger and disbelief in her tone. "She isn't injured!"

"Her injury cannot be seen, nor is it of the body." Faron replied benevolently, turning his gaze on Midna. "She is injured within her mind, and it will hinder her, perhaps fatally."

I flinched.

I knew my problem would be a pain in the ass here, but it never occurred to me that it could get me killed. Now I knew it actually would.

Link's eyes were solemn and thoughtful as he looked at Faron, but not really seeing the Light Spirit. He was obviously thinking as he tipped his head down to look at his gauntleted hands. After a second he brightened and lifted his head.

"Does it have something to do with her fear?" Link glanced at me, sympathy in his eyes as I shivered, remembering the taste of blood on my tongue, the crack of bones...

"What?!" Midna snapped incredulously. "A bit of fear is going to get her killed? Sure, she freaked out when she killed the bulblin, but-"

"No."

Midna, Faron, and Link all turned to me. I regally arched my neck so my chin was resting on my chest fur and stared Midna straight in the eye. My voice was solemn and held a hint of fear.

"Midna, the fear is horrible. That panic attack was mild. In the worst-case scenario, I'd kill someone. Anyone. Link, you, Rusl, Colin... myself... anyone." I turned my burning gaze at Faron. "Is there anything you can do?"

Faron was quiet, the light pulsing gently, his tail curling tighter in thought. Finally, the spirit spoke.

"Yes. There is a way to tame your fear. By way of a test. But it is... difficult." Faron hesitated before finishing. "It is your choice."

Duh. No doubt it's painful too, but...

"I have been held back by my fear for too long, Faron. I want to take the test."

"Very well."

I'd finally be rid of those horrible visions. After seventeen years, I'd be free. I felt my slanted eyes start to water as I realized just how haunted my heart and mind had become.

Gently, I sat down into the water and tucked my chin into my neck before lifting my head and letting my emotions free in a wave of sound.

My gentle howling slowly flowed into a soothing melody that I'd heard before, but never noticed it's meaning. Now I did.

"I don't want to be the one,

The battles always choose.

'Cause inside I realize,

That I'm the one confused.

I don't know what's worth fighting for,

Or why I have to scream.

I don't know why I instigate,

And say what I don't mean.

I don't know how I got this way,

I know it's not alright.

So I'm breaking the habit,

I'm breaking the habit...

Tonight..."

From the startled, sad look on Link's face, I guess he could understand the words.

-.-.-.-.-.-.Author's POV-.-.-.-.-.-.

Link could feel Melissa's relief, sadness, and fear. Every note of the song was spoken in a way that everyone who heard it could understand. It was pure emotion, a language spoke by all.

The fire-furred she-wolf, shadowed against the Light Spirit's glow, looked almost celestial as she sung her feelings into the noonday sky, her voice blending smoothly over Faron's constant echos. Somehow, Link could hear the actual words, echoing in his mind and heart.

Faron was quiet all through the melody, but he glowed brighter than ever before, like the melody was giving him strength. The annoying little imp-Midna, Melissa called her- also was quiet, her ruby-and-topaz eye fixed on the singing wolf. Link noticed that Midna was flickering from shadow to solid, ever so briefly, but she didn't notice.

Link closed his eyes and let the notes wash over him, but as soon as he did, the song fell silent and his pointed ears pricked as he heard a splash. The Light Spirit's glow faded considerably, even through Link's closed eyelids, but he still kept up his own song. Startled, Link opened his eyes.

Melissa's unconscious form sprawled over the water of the Spirit Spring, her rather long legs crumpled under her and her tail spread out behind her. Her nostrils were under the water, making bubbles as she breathed in the faintly glowing water.

Panicked, he splashed across the water over to the motionless wolf, Midna melting into his shadow with a huff, apparently unconcerned. Gently, Link bent down and lifted Melissa's snout clear of the water.

She snorted out some spring water, but seemed fine, her lungs clear. He couldn't help but notice how small she was as he checked her pulse. Her legs were longer than Link's while in wolf form, although her body was much smaller and more delicate. Her fur was soft and silky beneath his touch.

Shaking his head, Link gently picked her up and carried her to shore. Faron watched him, and he turned, aware of the Light Spirit's gaze on his back, the she-wolf still in his arms.

"Chosen One, Melissa must undergo her test, as she chose. Since her injury is of the mind, she must be in her mind to cure it." Faron hesitated, his glow dimming. "Whether or not she succeeds is up to her. If she does not wake before twilight sets in, she is gone."

Link was shocked, and opened his mouth to speak, but Faron cut him off.

"She will undergo mental battles that will appear with physical scars, to which you must tend. But do not lose hope, no matter how grievous the injury. You musn't."

Link nodded, accepting. Faron faded away in a flash of gold, little sparkles of light flying in all directions. He looked down at the unresponsive wolf in his arms, and he could see that her battles must have already started. Her eyelids were quivering wildly, like she was having a nightmare, but she did not wake.

Carefully, he set her down on the warm sand of the shore and opened the pack that had appeared on his waist. He couldn't see anything in it, so he put his hand in to search for his rupees. As soon as he thought it, there was rupees in the pouch.

He blinked in confusion, then thought of the blanket that he had packed as a just-in-case. Immediately, he felt soft cloth beneath his touch, even though it was way too big for the tiny pouch.

He heard a whimper and he turned around. Melissa twitched on the sand, growling between clenched teeth. Then she gave a yelp of pain and a small cut opened along her side.

Link reached into the odd pouch again and pulled out a Red Potion he had bought, then uncorked it. Carefully, he poured a bit onto his hand and rubbed it on the slight wound. Melissa flinched, but continued fighting... whatever she was fighting.

Midna popped out of his shadow and hovered above Melissa's head, her arms crossed. Uninterestedly, she watched as a couple more cuts opened on Melissa's face and legs. Link sent her a glare and continued rubbing potion onto the wounds that appeared, some more drastic than others. After a while, she spoke.

"Is there any way to speed this up? We've got to get going."

Link shook his head, his eyes not leaving Melissa's body. Midna huffed and crossed her legs midair, drumming her fingers on her knee. Link gave her an annoyed look, but his gaze went back to Melissa as another wound appeared.

This went on for around two hours, and the wounds that were appearing got steadily worse until a gash slashed open her cheek. He was running out of Red Potion after treating it, and he wasn't sure if milk would heal when applied directly to an open wound.

Melissa was panting now, and she began having fits of movement, where her legs lashed on their own. As Link watched worriedly, she gave a short cry of pain and a deep cut opened under her eye.

He applied the last of the red potion, but it only healed halfway, leaving a scabbed over scar that formed a tick under her right eye. The wolf whimpered from the pain, but her face eased and she relaxed.

Melissa stopped whimpering, stopped moving, and her eyelids stopped quivering. Her ears pricked up, as if she was listening to something. Link uncorked the milk and waved it under her nose. Her nose wrinkled.

Link looked down at her in amusement as her brow wrinkled, but looked up quickly as Faron materialized into view. Midna gave a surprised yelp and dived unto Link's shadow. The Light Spirit's glow was very bright, and he had a slight smile upon his face.

"Chosen One, the Beast of Twilight has tamed her fear." Came Faron's voice. He sounded very pleased, the whole spring shimmering. "Come tomorrow morning, she will change to her true form."

Link hesitated, and opened his mouth. "Faron, why were we turned into beasts?" The question had been gnawing at him ever since he had met Princess Zelda.

Faron became more solemn, but his voice still had a joyful ring to it.

"That was a sign... It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you...and that they are awakening." Link stared at Faron, a bit shocked.

"The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the goddesses... His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you. Your name is Link. You two are heroes chosen by the goddesses."

Link nodded in acceptance, but jumped when a slightly hoarse voice spoke up.

"Well, that's all very fine and dandy, but what do we do now?"

Link's gaze shot to Melissa, who was swaying unsteadily on her paws and looking fine except for the half-healed cut under her eye. Faron smiled, glowing brightly, and continued with his narrative.

"Brave youths... A dark power rests in the temple deep within these woods. It is a forbidden power. Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away. Because of its nature, it is a power that should never be touched by any who dwell in the light. But this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, and so there is no choice... You must match the power of the king of shadows. If you would seek this forbidden power, then proceed to the temple in the forest depths."

Faron faded away, exploding into light particles, leaving the spring bathed in the late-afternoon light. Link and Melissa glanced at each other and blinked. The she-wolf looked down at her paws.

"I never wanna do that again." Melissa murmured, shuddering and hunching her shoulders.

-.-.-.-.-.-.Melissa's POV-.-.-.-.-.-.

That was the single most horrible thing I've ever been through. Let me just say this; it involved ReDeads. Lots and lots of ReDeads. ReDeads with swords. Hundreds of them. Oh... my... god. It was profoundly wrong.

But... I'm free. Sure, it was mentally and, judging from the way that the cut under my eye was stinging, physically scarring. That was an unwanted side effect. But I'm free.

"Don't want to do what again?"

"Huh?" I lifted my head and glanced up at Link, who was staring at me. "Oh, that test thing. It involved ReDeads."

I saw Link shudder. I swear, I think I saw a chill run down his spine.

"That's... not good."

"Nope."

"..."

"..."

"So..."

"..."

"... Can we go to the Forest Temple now?"

"... I guess..."

"About time, you lazy bums!"