As we reach chapter 10, it comes to my realization that I have no idea what chapter count this will end on. I know how it ends, and what happens between now and then, but the exact count? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ All I can say is that it will have at least 20 chapters, so around halfway point, yay!

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, that right belongs to Nintendo.

Things were… tense.

Sheik was wanting to go out and track, but Shadow had 'been called' by Ganondorf, leaving the two awkwardly in the cave. "Shadow's going to be tortured," she finally said, throat unsticking enough to speak. She wasn't naive to think the dungeons in Ganondorf's castle were empty; she was in a raid beforehand, after all. "And it's going to be my fault."

"Shadow made his choice long before you entered the picture," Sheik murmured, face hidden by the shadows of his blond fringe. "He told you about his brother, correct?" She carefully nodded, removing her gauntlets and gorget, hesitating at her knee guards. "Then he must've also told you how he took the Master Sword - a sword only three can truly wield - and marched on Ganon's Towers. He made it all the way to the room before Demon King himself. Zelda, by then, was already dead, and I wounded, unable to do anything but watch from the sidelines on a balcony within the room." the man paused, head tilting up slightly to look out the cave mouth. "Ganondorf had done evil experiments, and dabbled in necromancy. The Hero and I had buried… buried AJ's body in the garden outside of the Temple of Time, but we had no time to place wards. I wish we had."

"He took her body, didn't he?" She asked, voice nothing more than a whisper.

The lone Sheikah nodded slowly, as if it pained him to remember. "AJ was more than a guide. She was a friend, a shield-sister. To the Hero, she was someone of home, and security - he loved her, and she loved him back, though she would never admit it. Shadow, being the Hero's Shade, felt everything his brother felt, but doubled. Every emotion was echoed back, and when he was forced to kill, the emotional rebound nearly killed him as well." There was a pause as his cherry eyes landed on her. "Who do you love the most?"

Who does she love the most? What type of question was that? "My mother," she answered hesitantly.

"Imagine you're suddenly years older, and you've found the perfect one and you're about to settle down. Your mother is in an accident and killed and the man leaves you," something stabbed her heart and she frowned. "Months pass, and on the trial of the one who caused the accident, your mother is revived from the dead to aid the one who killed her." Horror filled the spaces where confusion had yet to fill. She still had no idea what he was talking about, but if anyone did that-! "The Hero loved AJ, so by ruling, Shadow loved her as well. Ganondorf took her body and reanimated it, making it the last opponent for those wishing to face him in trial by combat. When she wasn't facing the door, it would be easy to believe she was still alive. Shadow…

"Shadow had been fooled, lulled into a sense of security. He dropped the Master Sword and rushed to her. None of us expected a ReDead's scream to come out of her." he shuddered, grabbing at something hidden in his cowl. "ReDeads are… the extreme versions of Gibdos. They cannot die, only becomed stunned. You become a ReDead if you're bitten by one, and from what we saw with the last war, many suffered that fate in Castle Town."

"He said you don't get stunned if you get used to it," she questioned.

"A ReDead's scream doesn't quite have the same reach a Gibdo's does. When going to the Towers, he was able to stay away from the creatures who roamed the streat. He only heard them thrice before, each when he was still a part of the Hero." The blonde explained, voice ever gentle, though she thought she heard a quiver. "After she screamed, she turned, and I could tell not even Ganondorf had been expecting what she looked like. AJ was a mix of two species. Her mother, Hylian, like you, and her father, a Twilit, what Shadow is, in a sense. She… was already different in Hyrule. Hair like yours; it's simply not normally found. Her Twilit genes, I assume." Shaking his head, he continued on. "Twilit Magic dictates that for a life one must be taken. Zelda had been killed long before AJ was resurrected, so she was nothing but a Husk. Husks… they're made for two things and two things only. To eat… and to create more Husks."

"Did she… bite him?"

"Husk's don't create more Husks with bites. That's zombies." he chuckled, though it sat heavily between them. "But she did try to bite, yes. Shadow, thankfully, was snapped by then, and he had to choose. Desecrate the corpse of the woman he loved, or let his shield-brother die."

"I would never be able to do that i it was my mother…" glancing at him she realized how insulting that was. "I'm sorry."

"I do not blame you. If my mother was still here, I would do the same." There was a small pause and they both gained their bearings. "Ganondorf wasn't expecting Shadow to pick up the Master Sword and cut down AJ. It's what allowed him to stitch me up before he was caught in the trap." the male let out a long sigh. "If I had stayed at the camp, he would've, could've been able to avoid it."

"There's no way of knowing," Allie finally said as a cold wind entered the cave, making her shiver. Armor was good for fighting living beings, but the elements? Not so much, especially the chainmail. The sheikah spared a glance outside the cave.

"Wait here."

Sheik never came back.

It was possibly mid-day and she was sitting near the mouth of the cave, keeping a look out for the warrior. What had caused him to go out? Logically, she would say to gather fire supplies, but she had dug deep into his past; she'd leave him too if he did that to her.

She did her best to not remember the last time someone left her and didn't come back. A nicer, gentler breeze lifted the curls that refused to go into the ponytail, and she rested her head on the cave wall, staring blankly ahead. Something moved behind her, and she was quick to raise the dagger in defense, pushing back her disgust at raising a weapon at someone… wait…

"Papa?!" She gasped out, about to rush forward and hug him before Sheik's story came to mind, causing her to stop from where she had taken a first step. Her body ached and wanted nothing more than to pass out, but she forced herself to stay attentive as the hand raised is empty hands and took a step forward, brown eyes filled with worry.

"Songlet, it's me," he said. "I swear… I'm myself."

"So you know," she gritted, suddenly seething. "You know what that… that pig… does to people?!"

His face pinched in confusion. "What?"

"Don't play that with me! You're that monster's left hand! He reanimates corpses and forces families to fight their loved ones! He's the reason why Shadow and Sheik are even here!" She ended up screaming, even through her throat was dried out and hands shaking, not yet lowering the dagger.

"Allie…" She jumped at Sheik's voice, sparing only a glance at the spooked man. "Who is this?"

'The Demon Lord Ghirahim," she spat out.

"Songlet, please," her father took a careful step forward, sparing a pleading glance towards the Sheikah. "You're dehydrating faster than I want to think and most likely haven't eaten in a day or so. Please. I'm your father, I'm supposed to be taking care of you."

"Wait, you're Corgatish?!" Sheik suddenly yelped, and she was being pulled behind him. "Why are you even in this area?"

"I won't lie: Ganondorf has me looking for my daughter. That being said, he never said what to do should I find her. I just want to make sure she's safe."

"She's as safe as can be," Sheik snapped. "Now, I'd suggest leaving before Ganon's troops finds us. Come on Allie, we have to move."

She kept her hand on her dagger as she grabbed her gorget and gauntlets, rushing towards Sheik, a bad feeling filling her as they went deeper into the woods. "This doesn't feel right," she whispered, starting to glance back.

"Don't look back," Sheik's voice had her snapping her head forward, a frown on her face. "The pain will sting, and you will regret it, but don't think about what could've been. It rests heavy on the heart."

"Experience?"

"No… AJ… she once told me that. It seems almost everything she said was true, and yet, we were too blind to do anything but watch in horror as she was forced to face and fight all our demons for us."

Regret filled her. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Whatever for?"

"I keep making you bring her up."

"It's best if you do," another voice said, making the two whirl around. A girl, looking to be around fifteen or so years old, was leaning on a tree, burgundy eyes twinkling sadly as her thick black hair fell in half curls. "Name's Hope. I come from the happier timeline of AJ."

"How do you know her?" Sheik said warily, causing the teen to snort.

"Because, Oji," she smirked, making them stiffen. "I'm her firstborn."

"Does she know you're here?" She saw the teen's eyes go to her and widen slightly. "'Cause she sounds like the type to be really angry if she's left in the dark. I know I would be."

"How old are you?" The teen wondered aloud, moving forward to look at her. "Four? Five?"

"I'm almost eight!" Allisima snapped. "Why should my age matter anyways? You don't know me!"

And that is when the world around them exploded.

Translations: Oji - Japanese for Uncle

And thus yet another OC is tossed into the mix, though this is the only time in this story she will be seen.

Please, let me know how I'm doing! I'd love to hear what you guys think, whether it be generic key smashing to tips and tricks that could improve my writing.