Author's Note(s): Okay, seriously, this chapter, though I love it, it also worries me about how it will be received. The first time this certain thing happened in SoD it was very short-term and seemed to be enjoyed well. That was more of a mini-experiment. This one experiments on trying this portrayal on a much larger scale, and also fits into the overall plot. Last time it happened for no real reason; this time, there is a direct reason for it happening, and I've thrown plenty of hints in at it already.

I am surprised I haven't had any reviews the past few weeks, even from the people I normally see. Finals, perhaps? I know that helped in my delay, even though I officially have at least a two week buffer at this point, and that includes catching up on the two weeks that I missed (posting two chapters on Wednesday and two today). Yes, I'm that awesome.

On another note, this chapter officially marks the approximate halfway point of this fanfiction. 50 Chapters isn't set in stone, considering the fact that there's a lot I have left to cover and I may have to spread out some events into more chapters to get into as much detail as I want. However, that's what I currently have planned.

Regardless, enjoy.

Random Trivia: Relm is essentially the "female lead" of this fanfiction. Although Zelda does have a huge focus, and Navi plays a major role and is co-credited, the female lead is really Relm, as most of the events in Hyrule right now revolve around Relm, leading up to huge development for her as the story progresses. For some reason, she keeps on reminding me of UndyingNephalim's Liyer, even though she was created long before I ever even heard of "The Fallen Sage." In fact, the reason I found out about it was because I was trying to find the picture of Saria that had inspired me to write Scepter of Darkness in the first place. (Basically, it was a picture of a "Dark Saria" in a dark green cloak and holding a dark green staff. Due to certain future plot points, the "true form" of the scepter is actually small and purple, but the form Saria formed it into was long, dark green. Yeah.)

In any case, Relm is truly the secondary star. She started off rather stern and two-the-point, more of an "action girl," which she still is, but I'm trying to include some development in her as well, showing that she's not invincible (SoD 36), and she's truly capable of fear (TDW 10). I've also been adding in a new development, which is officially revealed at the end of 24 in which Relm has grown a huge hatred of Saria. This happens to be another attribute shared with the aforementioned Liyer... This development for Relm was concepted after I learned of The Fallen Sage, but was also an unintentional reference as I had not realized Liyer also grew to gain a similar hatred of Saria until playing an early Time's Menagerie demo.

Really, Relm's just that awesome. But she's not awesome enough to become the Shadow Sage. Yet. I dunno. It seems like I've got some deep fascination with this character that I've created which isn't going to end with her as a mere Zelda fan-character, I don't think. Actually, once my gf finishes Relm's new battle pose for the SoD game I want to put it up as the background on my Backflip. Currently my background is a just-as-epically-awesome picture of Tifa Lockheart (which I'll probably switch between). No, my gf's not pissed at me. In fact, she's the one who found and suggested it for me because I like Tifa so much. (Not in that kind of way, though... Hannah's the only girl for me. Seriously. :D) Oh, don't count Saria out, though. I still prefer her over Relm, and she's my favorite Zelda character, but Relm's just as epic, and she's my character (not that red-clothed ninja-like characters are all that unique...). ^^

The Legend of Zelda: The Demon Within

Chapter 25: River's Edge

Shadows lurked along the ground; eerie twilight billowing through the trees. I looked, stunned, staring into the deep green eyes, malice and hatred glaring down upon me, such haunting beauty. I stood back, gripping my sword in hand, unwavering…

"You… no… it… it can't be!"

I heard the words escape my lips, but I barely paid any notice to them. My only thoughts were on the girl that stood, the dark cloak wrapped tightly around herself, her wide sneer frightening…

"Link… How could I ever forget you…? Hehehe… I thought we were best friends… Why… why don't you come with me? Let us teach this world a lesson!"

She held out her hand, her wrist twisted slightly to her right, my left, still snickering wildly.

I gritted my teeth, shaking my head, my hair flowing far down behind me. "No… Saria, I… I can't! I have to stop this! Please, stop this… I don't want to have to hurt you…"

Saria stepped forward, eyes still glowing bright, the smile still sealed on her face. "But why not…? You were always so bright, intelligent, and strong… We're the perfect match; perfect to rule! I take the helm, and you stand by my side, my knight!"

Tears began to escape my eyes, but I tried my best to hold it back. I looked down to my left, clenching my lids tightly. I wanted to yell; I wanted to scream. How could she do this to me, to us…? I didn't want to ruin our friendship, but this… this was going too far!

Finally, I turned back to her, a stern look on my face. "No-no! I won't!"

Saria sighed, turning to the ground. "Then… you will die."

I raced forward, as did Saria. I threw out my weapon, as did Saria. I crossed my blade, and Saria her scepter. Our powers reflected back upon each other, but I came out on top. I knocked away the scepter, that demonic weapon, and put my blade up to her neck.

"Its over…" I whispered.

Saria gasped, frightened. She was a child again, curling back. She stiffened, crawling on all fours, away from the blade, away from me. I move with her, staring her down. For her crimes… I knew she had to die… but I didn't want to; couldn't finish it…

"Please, Link… I… I'm sorry, I beg you, please…"

Fighting back the tears, I finally raised the weapon, holding my breath. I lowered it again, and she screamed. Finally, I could not hold my sadness back any longer.

Link screamed out loud, swiping out the Kokiri sword up into the air. The young hero gasped for breath, looking around. Navi laid on the grass a few feet away, sleeping peacefully.

Not wishing to disturb her friend, she stood up and walked over to the nearby stream. She knelt down and and dipped her hands in the water, washing her face with the clean, cool water. As the ripples died away, she stared into its depths, seeing her face look back up at her.

She knew it was her, she remembered it clearly. Somehow, though, it didn't seem right. Something was amiss. The girl looked over herself, staring into her own deep, blue eyes. She reached up and touched her long flowing hair. It felt right, but it didn't ease the tingling sensation coursing through her body.

The words of that bewildering mask salesman slowly began to voice their reason in her head once more. "Now, though... can you find it...? Can you see the truth beneath the web of lies that the dark one is trying to weave?"

Link stared into the water, focusing her mind. She reached out her hand and dipped it down into the stream, removing it shortly afterwards. Her reflection came back into her mind, clearly, but something was wrong. Instead of the young woman she saw before, instead she saw a young man, whom could almost be her twin brother. He had the same eyes, the same hair, and the same basic facial structure. The hair was shorter, and the face appeared more masculine, but despite that, she knew it was one and the same.

"By Din... how in the world...?"

"Link?" Navi called out, walking towards him.

The hero of time turned back and saw her cap lying on the ground. She picked it up and pulled it over her head, then turned back to face her friend. "Navi, look at me. Do you see anything wrong?"

Navi eyed Link up and down, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know what you're getting at... You're looking as beautiful as ever. Did you do something with your hair?"

Link lowered his head. "No... don't you see? That's what I'm trying to get at! My hair wasn't this long a week ago. And as far as I can remember I was most certainly male a week ago, too."

The pink-haired girl backed up slightly, shaking her head. "Um... are you sure you're feeling okay...?"

"Oh, she's more than okay, Navi. In fact, Link is only just beginning to realize the truth," a voice called out.

Link narrowed his eyes and the dark figured stepped forth. "You... so you did follow us."

"Ah, and not just this guy, too, Link," Baask called out, riding up on his horse. "Navi, I'm just as confused as you are. I don't know exactly what he's trying to say, either, but it seems that Shadow knows more about the Scepter of Darkness than anyone else does."

Link stared down the dark figure, shaking her head intently. "Okay, so... are you going to finally talk? You haven't told us anything yet, and it would be greatly appreciated to know what we're getting into."

Shadow nodded. "Yes, I suppose I must. You see, the truth is, I'm not from this place. I came here to find a way to stop this demon from destroying my life. I have studied much of this creature... Mephiles. Or, perhaps his real name is Mephistopheles. I have only recently learned of his origins, but I do know much about his powers of shapeshifting."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Shapeshifting...?"

The dark one nodded again. "Yes... Mephistopheles is formless. He is merely a spirit, but he has great control over the environment around him. As you also know, he is harvesting numerous souls to increase his power."

"Yes, that's true," Navi remarked. "Your point...?"

"I was getting to that," Shadow interjected. "You see, he is able to absorb their spiritual essence and take it for his own. Based on what I have read and heard, he seems to have gained his powers, and his deepest desires, from Majora. Mephistopheles may have started as a piece of Majora's essence sealed inside that scepter, but he has grown far more from it. Now he is his own entity, and wishes to further break his ties from Majora, whom he considers his 'father.'"

"You had some experience with Majora before, right, Link?" Shadow asked.

Link nodded. "Y-yes... a Skull Kid of the Lost Woods wound up in a land called Termina, where he stole Majora's Mask. In Termina he..." the girl paused for a moment, before continuing, "altered the forms of people around him... he turned Kafei, a young man engaged to be married, into a boy... he turned me into a Deku Scrub... he turned the moon into a monster... he wreaked havoc across the land..."

"Precisely," Shadow remarked. "He's been working with you already. Navi, have you been feeling different lately? I know I've noticed Link here feeling strange around you... perhaps she has noticed something off?"

Navi lowered her head. "Actually, you're right... I have felt strange lately, but for some reason, I haven't felt like it was unusual..."

Shadow nodded, then turned to Link. "You, too... Link, I have been watching you for a while. People kept on remarking on how surprisingly young you looked. Think that's strange?"

She sighed. "I was wondering about that... I just assumed it was because people expected me to be fifteen years older than I actually am..."

Baask scratched his forehead. "This is all so confusing... are you getting to a point here or what?"

"Of course I am," the black-haired man replied. "The demon is trying to confuse you. He is altering your forms and your memories along with it. He cannot change your memory specifically, but what he can do is use his powers to alter your forms at a different time, as if you've always been that way. Link, you love Saria. But in this form, you don't, do you?"

Link shook her head, gasping. "W-wait... I feel... a strong bond with her... almost like... sisters... but..."

"You still love her, but not in the same way," Shadow noted. "If he can confuse you, he can delay your progress long enough to escape from his prison and set his powers upon the world. Currently, he can only affect those close to him. If I stick around with you two, I could surely suffer the same fate. Because of my connection to Mephistopheles, I have yet been unaffected by his powers, but as his powers grow, even I may become subject to them."

"In other words," Baask remarked, "he will change us in any way he can to try and stop us from fulfilling this mission?"

Shadow nodded. "That is correct. He's already had his way partly. You have to focus on this mission, and you have to realize the signs that are before you. So far, you have been more resilient. Is it because you're supposed to be this... Hero of Time? Is that it? Whatever the case may be, you have noticed when people make odd statements. I overheard you talking with Edgar Landon, when he mentioned that he thought he saw a young woman when you walked in that room."

She nodded. "Yes, he did say that... but I wasn't, wasn't I? Mephiles had already started his work on me again... He decided a more suitable form would be more likely to keep me from achieving my goal... turning me into a boy didn't work, so now... this... and he started early. It was a gradual transition every time."

"Yes," Shadow remarked, "because that would've been too obvious."

Navi raised an eyebrow. "L-link... I... I know what you're saying, now... everything's... starting to come back to me... its fuzzy, but I remember... I remember being summoned by the Great Deku Tree to find you... not living life as Kokiri, as one of your childhood friends... we really didn't meet until that time..."

Link nodded. "Yes... that is correct... I didn't understand before. I had heard you talking about it, and Daphnes introduced you as my childhood friend... but you weren't a Kokiri, you were a Fairy..."

She laughed. "Well, I am now. I'm a normal girl... I still remember some of my healing powers, but this is now my real form... at least at the moment. I can't turn into a fairy because I'm not one anymore."

Link turned back to face Shadow once more. "Alright, so... one more question I have. Will defeating him revert these changes?"

Shadow shrugged his shoulders. "Did the people in Termina get turned back to normal?"

The girl sighed, staring at the ground. "So its permanent...?"

He shook his head. "Not necessarily. However, he will have to change you back, or someone else will have to."

"I wonder if I stick around with you guys, will he make me into a true Gerudo? That would really cause a mess..." Baask contemplated.

Link raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'true Gerudo'?"

Baask laughed. "Oh, I didn't tell you, did I? I met my birth mother recently. Very fine lady. I think her name was... ah... Nabooru, yes."

The blonde girl's mouth dropped open. "Nabooru?"

Baask nodded. "Yes... she wanted to get closer to me... now I realize why. She knew the truth."

Link shook her head. "No, that's just not possible... The Gerudo only birth a son every 1,000 years..."

"Oh, its more than possible," Shadow noted.

Navi gasped. "You're saying that Ganondorf is more than 1,000 years old? He'd have to be... immortal..."

Shadow shrugged his shoulders. "Not necessarily immortal... he just plain doesn't age. He's not the only person you know who has that attribute, either."

"I suppose," Link proclaimed. "In any case, this has been a very informative discussion... Now I think we'd best get to the Tower of Hera. The only way we can get into Aslark is with that Moon Pearl."

"I don't care what happens to me, Link," Baask proclaimed. "I'm going with you. I've been to Landon before and I know Turtle Rock well. I've never been to the tower, but I know where it is. I for one would love to see this mystical Moon Pearl I have heard so much about."

"Very well, then," the girl commented. "Ready, Navi?"

Navi nodded. "Yes. I don't want to stay here any longer. I don't care what this... Mephistopheles thinks. I'm going to save my friend, Saria."

Shadow nodded. "Catch me if you can," he called out, before racing off towards the mountains.

Link raised an eyebrow, before climbing onto Epona's back, Navi behind him. "How can he move so fast?"

Baask shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just follow him. Come on, Daigo! Hyah!"

"Ride on, girl," Link called out, clashing her feet together. Epona dashed on ahead, racing into the morning sun, riding towards their next destination.