Hi! So, last chapter pulled on your heartstrings, right? RIGHT? Probably not. Anyway, let us continue with this chapter, no? I think we should.

Let us begin!

Chapter 36: The Trials (Part 3)

Samantha's Trial

A black room.

She hated the darkness, yet she was standing on a platform of pure light.

"What the..." Samantha muttered, completely confused. Is this what the girls had to go through?

"Princess Crystal. You have done well. This is your last task." A heavenly voice called out. Nayru? No. Din? No way. Farore? Nuh uh. Hylia? Not a chance.

"It is I, Dialia. The goddess of Light." Samantha's ears perked up. Dialia, she knew that name. No one but her knew. Not even Victoria or Vio knew.

Only her. Of course, since she we was her.

"This is your trial. You have no seal to the element you gain, since you are the element." Dialia continued. Her voice was like a mother's; soft, caring, and heavenly.

"I know that, Dialia." Samantha responded, snapping out her trance. She stood, looking ahead.

"The others failed because Zelda forced them to. They originally passed, but she intervened with their deaths. Especially Aria's." Dialia explained. Samantha sighed.

"I won't let that happen. I will work on making sure Zelda doesn't intervene whilst you find a way out." Dialia finished, her presence no longer evident.

Samantha felt alone. Never was she alone... Always someone to oppose or support her. She had nothing to do here. So, she walked, seeing her light circle below her follow her. She never felt so happy in light, especially since it hurt to stand in it, let alone touch it directly.

"...Are you out to get me, too?" A small, innocent voice asked. Samantha instantly knew the owner of the voice, and what she looked like.

Of course, it was herself before she was a shadow.

"...A-A shadow! P-Please, don't h-hurt me!" Crystal cried, tears falling down her white cheeks. Her hair was disheveled, her dress torn and cut in many areas. Her silver eyes pouring those same salty tears that Samantha knew so well.

Slowly, Samantha approached the small girl. She yelped in fright, closing her eyes and putting up her small hands in defense. However, she heard something rip. Then, she felt her hands being gently grabbed and wrapped in a white cloth; Samantha's tights.

"That should work." Samantha said, her red eyed gaze not leaving the small girl. Crystal sniffed, wiping her eyes with her injured hands, wincing at the pain.

"Don't use them." Samantha's voice caused Crystal to jump slightly. Samantha smiled at the young girl, knowing that she used to be exactly like this.

"...Are you me?" Crystal asked, fright evident in her voice. Samantha nodded, her smile wiped off of her face.

"...Yeah. From the future." Samantha responded bitterly. She helped up Crystal, dusting off her dress and fixing her hair. It seemed like she had a little sister rather than her past self.

"... You're nice." Crystal smiled at her, her eyes no longer holding tears. She held Samantha's hand, making Samantha wince. She was made of pure light, but that wasn't going to stop her from protecting her.

"...I thought that all shadows are evil, that's why I was scared. Apparently, not all light is good either." Crystal mused, squeezing Samantha's hand.

"..." Samantha thought for a moment. "Yeah. I guess so." She squeezed back, earning a giggle from her younger and light self.

"I could help you in the battle." Crystal said. "I'll lend you my form."

"W-What? But..." Samantha protested. However, she was silenced by a small finger on her lips. Crystal smiled.

"I helped a shadow once, and I ended up regretting it. I decided I can't trust anyone but myself." Crystal's smiled widened as she shone brightly. "I'll get you out, just play along and defeat that shadow. I trust me."

Suddenly, the room disappeared.

She had "passed" the trial.

Silence. Once again. The last girl was down. Their best fighter was unconscious. They were finished for sure.

"Heh. That was easier than I thought. Much easier than Victoria's intervening." Zelda commented. She brought down Samantha, preparing to retrieve the last element; Light.

"Such a genius, aren't you?" Samantha commented. Everyone's eyes went wide, even Zelda's.

Suddenly, in a burst of pure light, both shadows changed form.

They were now light dwellers.

Shadow's hair and Samantha's hair were changed, no longer purple but silver. Their eyes were changed silver, and their tunics were now a white. Their hats were lined with a gold crown in the front, containing pure light connected to two long stems on each side.

It was them before they became shadows.

"S-Shadow? S-Samantha?-!" Red gasped in disbelief. He never knew that they could be so... different in their light form.

"Holy crap..." Blue stared shocked. He was impressed and astounded by what he saw in front of him.

"What?-!" Green gasped. He was in complete awe.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?-!" Zelda shouted, looking as though she was on the verge of insanity.

"Give us the elements." Samantha and Shadow said in unison, opening their palms and sticking them out.

Suddenly, in a burst of shrieks and curses, Zelda's form lifted. She felt pure light burst within her, and then the stones were seen. They returned to their original owners.

Gasps were heard.

"What the... Girls?-!" Grace gasped, not believing what happened. "I... Failed..." However, she trailed off when she saw Samantha and Shadow. Her jaw hit the ground.

"Wha... What the hell happened... WHAT THE?-!" Brittany yelled out, her eyes and jaw opened as she stared at the two light dwellers. "What happened to you?-!"

"S-Samantha?" Rosie exclaimed, shocked. She never knew... That this would happen.

"..." Victoria remained silent, but then smirked. "Crystal."

Samantha looked back to her, slightly surprised. However, it was expected of Victoria to know who she was in the past, so she smirked back.

"GRACE!" Green called out, waving his arms. Grace turned her head, and instantly her eyes brimmed with tears of happiness that the boys were still alive.

"GREEN!" Grace shouted, using her own element to pry the vines off of her and her friends. The others landed on the ground, running to their partners as well.

"BLUE! OH MY GODDESSES BLUE!" Brittany yelled, practically tackling the boy. He yelped, but hugged her tightly.

"ROSIE!" Red called out as they ran towards each other. Eventually, they bumped heads and hit the ground. However, the laughed as they hugged each other afterwards.

"...Vio?" Victoria shook Vio's unconscious form gently, wishing he would wake up. However, she didn't have to shake too hard.

"Ugh... That really hurt..." Vio muttered under his breath. He sat up, his eyes clenched. His lavender eyes opened, then became wide as he saw who was in front of him.

"V-Victoria!" He exclaimed. However, he could not say anything more since Victoria had pulled him into a tearful kiss. His eyes were wide, but then he closed them as he kissed back.

"Ahem." The small sound made the two in violet break apart abruptly. Their faces were the color of Red's tunic, not changing and not making eye contact. Blue and Brittany were trying their hardest to contain a laugh, Green and Grace felt awkward, and Rosie and Red were just going "aww" at the situation. As always.

"Ugh. Love. Disgusting." Zelda muttered, getting back up on her feet slowly. Her glare fell on the two in white. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"

"Of course we did. We knew the truth, and we should say..." Samantha and Shadow said in unison, joining hands gently. "Not all light is pure and good. Just like all darkness has some good."

"Yes. That is true." Victoria said, helping up Vio. "Darkness has light, like Light has darkness."

"And we're here to vanquish evil!" Red exclaimed, helping Rosie up. She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, meaning kicking your ass!" Brittany commented, holding her triton proudly in her hand.

"So? Ready to die?" Grace asked, her eyes blazing. Green nodded, agreeing with her.

"So, what do you say, Zelda?" Samantha asked, walking up to her. "I never knew you for backing down from any challenge."

Zelda glared at the white garbed children. That's what they all were. Children. Everyone, even her. None of them are even old enough to face her... Yet, they do.

"Fine..." Zelda commented. Her face went through a horrific and hideous change. Skin was peeling as she pulled on her face, screaming bloody murder. When the skin came off, she threw it to the side. When she looked upwards, everyone paled.

Her face contained red eyes with blackened outsides. Her smile reached her ears, literally. Her fangs were bloodied, and her eyes were just circles of what looked like emptiness. Her hair was darkened and controlled themselves. Her hands became claws, no longer having nails, but talon like things. Her voice was just as menacing as her appearance.

"Let us begin."

... I went overboard with the creepiness. Hey! I read way too many creepypastas today, so this is the outcome of me pissing myself practically every time I see a picture of a dog with human teeth or BEN. A horrible Zelda with no eyes.

I literally got the idea because of Hatsune Miku's song "In a rainy town, Balloons dance with the devil" and... yeah. Only without that much blood. At least the eyes don't have blood. Ehh.

Anyway, I shall bid you a fast adieu, since I know you guys will want my head for making Zelda into this DEMONIC THING. I ruined your childhoods as well as my own. Oopsie. *Runs away from hate mail*

~V-fanfics