Disclaimer: All things holy in my sock drawer, we've been through this eleven times! I don't own Zelda…even in my dreams…I swear, I have dreams where I beg to own Zelda! Actually…I don't. But…yeah. Just read.

*

The darkness doesn't bother me, and I don't feel the pain. I am at ease with my forgotten evil, and I am unreal only because reality has abandoned me. There are choices we all make. Mine was to forsake the light and embrace my pain. Mine were to forget and to exist on a higher plane than your reality. So make your choices, whatever they may be. Make your choices, even if you will be hated for them. Whatever you do…

Don't regret them.

--Ymota U

*

The seven companions stood at the edge of the Kokiri forest. They were so close to the Proper that the ones actually from the Proper could smell it, but it was already night. "Do we want to go on?" Link said.

            "If we don't go tonight, we'll have to wait for all of tomorrow," Shiek said. "We can't just waltz into the city in broad daylight. I mean, all of Hyrule Proper seemed out for my blood, and they'll know that Lindsay and Rhia were with me, too."

            "You think too hard," Rowrun said. "Link was sent to capture you three. He did—along with three of your accomplices. Broad daylight? All the better to parade your catch around the Proper."

            Lindsay grinned. "He's right. Then, when Link brings us into the castle, we kick some serious magician ass."

            Shiek looked uneasy, but in the end, agreed to the plan. It wasn't really a plan: all the plan was, was what Rowrun and Lindsay had said. It would work itself out in the end.

*

Fate often moves its hands through shadow before ending up where it meant to go in the first place. Shiek thought about that as she sat on watch with Zyuiu. Had Damion never come, she never would've had to leave Hyrule Proper. The first few nights after Damion's attempted murder had been the worst pain Zelda had ever felt. And continued to be, with the exception of being stabbed through the back, watching Rhia sacrifice herself for Shiek/Zelda, etcetera…Had Damion never come, she never would have known any of that pain. She would still be the happy princess, not-so-secretly courting Link. But she never would have met Lindsay, Rhia, André, Rowrun, or Zyuiu. Lindsay and Rowrun would never have met each other. They had fallen so deeply in love through the scrublands that Shiek felt awful as she wished Damion could never have entered her life.

            Zyuiu looked over at Shiek, who stared into the trees, deep in thought. "Rupee for your thoughts, Shiek."

            Shiek sat up straight, a bit startled. "I was just thinking how much I've been through since Damion came to the castle. And how I would be down five friends if he hadn't come."

            Zyuiu smiled. "I don't want to sound mean, Shiek, but your pain was a doorway for all—well, most—of us," she said. The moonlight came down on her blonde hair and made her spiky mane look silver. She glanced at her sleeping comrades. "Just think about Lindsay and Rowrun."

            "I did…"

            Zyuiu laughed quietly. "Rowrun hadn't kept a girl since he'd come to the Tourney the first time," Zyuiu said. "And from Lindsay told me about herself, she didn't have…anyone. And for some reason, through your pain, that changed. Rowrun saw someone so enigmatic and ever-changing that he not only knew he wouldn't be bored with her, he wanted to be with her. Lindsay saw someone whose energy and charisma would fill the void in her own life." Zyuiu, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, poked the dirt beneath the grass with a small twig. "And me…" Zyuiu fell silent. Shiek was not about to say anything for fear of offending or pushing Zyuiu too hard, but Zyuiu continued on her own.

            "I never would have been forced to see Ymota U," Zyuiu said. "She would've grown more and more evil—and I never would have known. And in the end, when she came out, I would have stood with her, if only because she was my sister…and secretly, she would have clawed me down to where she was anyway." Zyuiu poked at her grass again. Then she said, "And I don't know how much Rhia really gained. I do think she's getting better at her magic."

            "How can you tell?"

            "She didn't turn you into a chicken when she healed you," Zyuiu said.

            "Natch," Shiek sighed and looked at the stars. "How will I ever convince my parents that I'm really Zelda? It took my death to convince Link—and I'm not so sure I want to go through that again!"

            Zyuiu grinned. "We'll figure it out, Shiek," she said. "No worries."

*

That night, one other contender in the Tourney arrived in Hyrule Proper. She wore a slightly rumpled green tunic over her chain mail armor. Her brown hair streamed out behind her as she ran through the dark streets toward the castle; the starlight and a malicious hate glinting in her blue eyes. Ymota U was in Hyrule Proper. She had taken a different path than Shiek and her friends; she did not know Zelda had survived the stab.

            Ymota U slipped into invisibility, not wanting to bother with the guards. She loved the feeling of waltzing right past people and they could not see her, no matter how hard they looked. She had forgotten, by the stream, that she still made footprints, and so Link and the others had seen her. But it had been too late anyway…

            Ymota U wandered through the halls of the castle, seeking Damion. She came to the throne room, where Damion was just making his goodnights to the king and queen of Hyrule. They did not see the dagger he fingered as he stalked out. Ymota U follow him through the halls and up a long, winding staircase. She ducked ahead of him and tossed off the invisibility.

            "Yaah!" Damion nearly fell down the stairs in surprise. "What in hell?"

            "My name is Ymota U," Ymota U said. She paused as Damion tried to remember where he had heard the name. His eyes widened a bit. "Yes, we both once followed the same man. I…took matters into my own hands for quite some time."

            "Why are you here?" Damion hissed.

            Ymota U smiled. "I killed Zelda."

            Damion stared at her in disbelief. "You did what??"

            "And when Link comes back to the Proper," Ymota U earnestly. "I have several spells I'd like to use before you…get at him. Spells that can transfer even the Triforce from person to person. And when I've given it to that goddam bitch Rhia D'nalz, kill her. But may I have Link?"

            Damion grinned. He was going to like Ymota U just fine.

*

Link and his band of 'prisoners' made a most interesting sight that morning as he marched them into Hyrule Proper. They had emptied out all their bags, and stuffed all but their hidden weapons into them. Link staggered under the weight of the weapons, but refused to complain. This was the best—possible the only—option for entering the castle. With belts and various bits of rope, Link had tied together the hands of the other six companions with such loose knots that a little shaking would undo them.

            People stopped what they were doing and stared as Link marched behind the prisoners, holding Shiek at swordpoint. They were walking two-by-two in this order: Lindsay and Rhia (the two best known of the accomplices), André and Rowrun, and Zyuiu and Shiek. Lindsay was scowling with a light in her fierce green eyes that many people recognized; Rhia looked entirely ready to turn every single resident of the Proper into a chicken, except her hands were tied behind her back; André carried his head tall, though he knew no one there—they should not have the privilege of looking down on him. Rowrun was acting exceedingly flirtatious, causing many young women—and some older ones as well—to flush deep crimson. Zyuiu walked along with her face little more than a stone mask; if she caught someone looking at her, though, she would stare at them so hard that they wilted. And even though the only visible part of Shiek's face were her eyes, everyone could tell that she was scowling. Her red eyes burned, every so often, she would seem to jerk away from Link, only for him to jerk her back.

            The guards, seeing that Link was finally back, moved respectfully aside as he walked up the path. One guard saw them coming, whispered something to his companion, and left. "Shit," Link whispered. "I don't want him to tell anybody…"

            "Don't worry about it," Shiek said through gritted teeth. "What you really should worry about it me if you keep prodding that great frogsticker in my back!" Link loosened up a bit with keeping the Master Sword at Shiek's back.

            The companions managed to get to the throne room without much incident. The king and queen were on their respective thrones; Damion stood respectfully to the side. And next to Damion was Ymota U. Zyuiu could not hide her shock—and anger. "Ymota U," she breathed.

            Ymota U looked at Zyuiu and grinned. Then she saw Shiek and the grin fell through. "How did…how is Shiek still alive?" Silence. "Go ahead. Tell me. You won't spoil my fun."

            "I healed her," Rhia D'nalz said. She looked over at Damion, her eyes saying, 'C'mon, I can take him…Hylian fried chicken tonight, guys!'

            "You?" Ymota U said. "I left you with so little magic you couldn't even turn a chick into a chicken!" Rhia D'nalz the archseer stuck her tongue out at Ymota U and crossed her eyes.

            "Link," Shiek whispered urgently. "Now would be a nice time for weapons…"

            "Oh. Right." Link dropped the lead that tethered his companions and opened the sacks of weapons wide. He then picked up the leash and pulled on it. The ropes dropped to the floor. Before Damion or Ymota U could react, Shiek and Link were tossing out weapons. Then Damion reacted. His face turning red, Damion hollered at the top of his lungs, "GUARDS! GUARDS!"

            "I've got dibs on Ymota U," Rhia said quietly. Zyuiu looked at her. The blonde-haired fighter said, "Only if you can share her with me."

            "Lindsay," Shiek said. "Can you take care of my parents? Hold them back with your sword…maybe cut 'em back, a little, if you have to? Just heal them afterwards." Lindsay grinned and saluted with her sword.

            André and Rowrun looked at the guards, who were pouring in. Link said, "We'll need a regiment of our own to take care of these!"

            André grinned and gestured to himself and Rowrun. "We've got it covered."

            Shiek and Link looked at each other. "Damion's ours," Link said. "But you get first dibs." The two moved towards Damion.

            Lindsay was patiently trying to explain to the king and queen what was going on. Rowrun and André were knocking out soldiers left and right—the Sword of Power kept fluxing into better and better (or stranger and stranger) weapons. Zyuiu sort of stood to the side as Rhia and Ymota U exchanged barbed spell words.

            It continued on like that, the fates of the fights waning and waxing in people's favors, when Impa came in. The Sheikah woman looked around for a moment and spotted Shiek. She had no idea what Link was doing fighting Damion, but she saw Shiek. Ever since Zelda's death, Impa had felt entirely responsible and angrier than Link at Shiek. Impa weaved through the fights and grabbed Shiek by the shoulder, jerking her around. Lindsay, watching, politely told the king and queen to stay put, then ran over to help Link, because alone, he stood no chance against Damion.

            Impa punched Shiek in the face. Shiek stumbled back, blood spilling from her lip. "Impa, wait, no!" Impa hit Shiek again and Shiek stumbled back more. "Impa, please!" Impa raised her hand to strike Shiek again, but this time, Shiek managed to backflip out of the way. "Impa, you don't understand!" Impa kicked out at Shiek, catching her in the stomach. All the breath was knocked out of Shiek and she was tossed to the floor. "Impa…forgive me." Shiek lashed out with her whip at Impa's head. The shocks were too much even for Impa, and she fell to the ground, unconscious. Shiek jerked back her whip, about to go and help Lindsay and Link against Damion.

            She took a single step forward when the noises in the room began to fade. Shiek looked around. Everyone was still fighting; people yelled and screamed and shrieked in pain. But Shiek could hardly hear it. She watched the battles rage around her, worried. Then she heard it.

            I'm baaack…

            "No," Shiek whispered. "I don't even know what you are…Leave me alone!"

            Can you really not know who I am, Princess? Can I really be so close to you and so far away?

            "What are you talking about?" Shiek said, a bit louder this time. Link turned his head to look at her, concerned, but he had his own problems to worry about.

            I'm you, Zelda. I'm your fears and your nightmares and your evil…corporated into insanity. The Triforce can get to be a bit much for mortals to hold. The voice was almost condescending. Just ask Ganondorf.

            Shiek fell to her knees with her hands over her ears like she was trying to block out the sound. "Go away! Leave me be!"

            I've waited a very long time to watch you suffer this way. Ganondorf suffers this way when he's not ordering Damion to have you and young Master Link killed.

            "STOP!"

            All the fighting stopped as everyone turned to look at Shiek. They heard no voice—Shiek was talking to nothing. On her knees, hands over her ears, tears streaming down her face. "Stop," Shiek said again. "You can't do this to me—I won't let you! I won't!"

            You can't stop me. I am you and I am more than you. I am the darker side of this golden Triforce of yours. I think I'm going to let you sit here, watching your own death play out in the future…which isn't too far away. I think as you're sitting there, watching your death, Damion—after killing the rest of your friends—will come over and kill you too. Darkness and chaos because you failed…ah, the irony…

            The fighting had to begin again as Shiek, compelled by some unseen force, sat against the wall and stared out into the room with dead eyes. André and Rowrun had finished with the guards and made their way over to help Lindsay and Link. Except for Rowrun and André, though, the fates waxed in favor of Damion and Ymota U. For a while, André and his Sword of Power made a valuable contribution against Damion. The sword, having to best magic, turned into a three-bladed flaming sword that nearly killed Damion every time it touched him. While André was literally smoking out Damion, Rowrun would slice at the mage with his own sword. For a while, the Order of the Crimson Hawk seemed to be winning.

            With a mixture of physical force and magical force, Damion sent Lindsay and Link flying in opposite directions. André's sword was in the midst of changing when Damion flung him as well.

            Ymota U actually stabbed Zyuiu in the shoulder, then hit her so hard that Zyuiu staggered back and fell. Then, Ymota U pointed a finger at Rhia and blasted her backwards. And somehow, through it all, Rowrun was the only one left standing. Rhia, prone on the floor, lifted her arms and made a 'boom' gesture, intending to kill Ymota U in whatever way possible. Nothing happened to Ymota U, and she began to laugh. Rhia looked around, then shrugged. You win some, you lose some.

            Rowrun was a big chicken. With fangs.

            The chicken bent down in its chicken way and snatched Ymota U. As Ymota U shrieked, something fell from her pocket. Then Ymota U was gone. The chicken burped and was suddenly Rowrun again. He looked around, squinting. "Hey, I'm not naked!" Then he looked over at Zyuiu, fearful and apologetic at the same time. He raced over to her.

            Shiek had apparently seen none of it. She still sat by the wall, watching dully as her death played out before her. Disconcerting, isn't it?

            Something snapped inside of Shiek. She stood up and said either to the voice or to herself, "If I'm going down, he's going down with me." Shiek began running, snatching the Master Sword from Link as she went. "It's time to end this, Damion."

            Damion smirked. "Try your hardest, it won't help you." A large sword materialized in his hands. He swung it at Shiek, who countered and moved back.

            The king and queen, Impa, Link, Lindsay, Rowrun, André, Rhia, and Zyuiu watched as Damion and Shiek danced around. No one got up to help, no one moved to intervene. This was her fight now. There was no noise in the throne room but the metallic clash of swords, Shiek and Damion grunting, and the harsh breathing of those who watched.

            Damion jumped back and dropped his sword with one hand. With the free hand, he bgean sending out a powerful death magic spell at Shiek. Shiek also freed one of her hands and held it out. Damion and Shiek stood, pushing against each other with magic. Shiek was actually being moved backwards, though she was pushing as hard as she could against the death spell.

            Shiek suddenly stopped pushing against the death spell and actually seemed to jump into it. "RAAAH!" The battlecry echoed eerily around the near-silent throne room. The Master Sword sliced through Damion. Shiek cried out in pain, dropped the Master Sword, and fell again.

            I told you Damion would kill. I told you.

            Not yet…

            I told you. You were just too stubborn to listen. Had you sat at your wall, you wouldn't be dying right now. At least, you'd be dying in a more natural way. Ooh…death magic. Shivers up my spine. We can't all be as lucky as Damion, dying only through steel, huh?

            At least you'll die too…

            Nuh-uh. There are still two survivors of the Triforce. I've got a while yet.

            There was suddenly a stampeded as the king and queen, Impa, Link, Lindsay, Rowrun, André, Rhia, and Zyuiu all rushed around Shiek. "Stand back!" Rhia yelled. Zyuiu, André, Rowrun, Lindsay, and Link all obeyed and took several steps back as Rhia did the same. Rhia glowered at the royal couple and Impa. "I said, stand back!" There was a ferocity in the young archseer's eyes that advised Impa and the king and queen not to argue. "Lindsay."

            Lindsay stepped forward as Rhia stepped back. She knelt down and held her sword to Shiek. Please heal her, please…Nothing happened. There were no white lights, no healing. "It's not working," Lindsay whispered. Rhia's eyes flicked from the Sword of Healing to the Sword of Power. Her eyes then flicked to André. He stared past Rhia a moment, then met her eyes and nodded.

            André gently pushed past the people in front of him and took Lindsay's sword. "I'll give it back," he promised. Lindsay looked back to Rhia, then nodded and stood back. André held both the Sword of Healing and the Sword of Power so that the blades were crossed like a coat of arms. There was a noise like glass hitting stone, then the white lights Lindsay recognized as from the Sword of Healing surrounded Shiek; went inside her.

            Several minutes later, Shiek, pale and sweating, opened her eyes. "Shit," she whispered. "What happened?"

            "Before or after I saved your life?" André wanted to know.

            "Um…during."

            "I healed you," André said.

            "But how did you know that would work?" Lindsay wanted to know.

            "He guessed," Rhia said. "We guessed."

            "The Sword of Healing heals, obviously, but Shiek's death this time was too great for it to handle," André said. "Death is an obstacle—an opponent. And the Sword of Power has to be able to overcome any opponent. Combined with the Sword of Healing, I guessed Rhia and I thought it might work."

            "Thank the goddesses it did," Shiek said. She looked at Impa and her parents, who were still eyeing her strangely. Different white lights surrounded her, and she became Zelda. "It took my death for Link to see that I never died, that Shiek is me. Now that I've nearly died again, I hope that you can see that too."

            Suddenly Zelda was englufed in a great hug from Impa. "Oh, child, you have no idea how glad I am you're alive!" She looked at Damion's dead body. "I knew you were Shiek. Why couldn't I see?"

            "Damion fooled us all," Link said. "With magic. I mean, I knew about Shiek as well."

            "Who are all these people?" the queen suddenly wanted to know.

            André bowed low. "Your Majesties, I am Prince André of Odnetnin."

            Rowrun bowed as well. "Lord Rowrun of Odnetnin, your Highnesses."

            Lindsay just looked at the king and queen. "I'm Lindsay Vinsick," she said. "You may have heard of me…I'm the one of the ones who escaped the Proper with Shiek."

            "I'm the other!" Rhia said. "Rhia D'nalz, archseer. I have a chicken problem." As if that were something to be proud of.

            "My name is Zyuiu Dbyu," Zyuiu said quietly. "My sister was the evil mage who was…ah…eaten by the chicken."

            "We're all from the Tourney," Zelda said.

            The king looked at her questioningly. "'We?'"

            Zelda nodded. "We."

            "Excuse us all a moment," Impa said. The king, queen, Impa, and Zelda moved off to a corner to talk for a moment.

            Rhia looked over at Zyuiu. Zyuiu was looked at the piece of paper Ymota U had dropped. "What does it say?"

            "It's from Ymota U," Zyuiu said. Her voice was distant, but still sad. "She's apologizing." Zyuiu's voice caught, but she still went on. "For being evil…for not being a good enough sister." Zyuiu read the letter once through again. "She says she's not sorry for what she's done…" Tears coursed down Zyuiu's face. "She says she understands if I hate her…" Zyuiu looked at her companions. "She may have been evil, but…but…she was still my sister."

            Rhia hugged Zyuiu. "I know, I know." Zyuiu, the proud and noble fighter, really began to cry. Lindsay came over and let Zyuiu rest her head on Lindsay's shoulder.

*

Some time later, when the royal family palaver had been completed, Zelda said, "You're all invited to stay for as long as you wish."

            Lindsay raised a finger. "Uh…I'm going home."

            "Can I come too?" Rowrun asked.

            A grin spread across Lindsay's face. "Coming voluntarily is probably better than me clubbing you over the head and dragging you home, huh?" Lindsay said. Rowrun flushed and the rest laughed.

            "I'll stay for a few days," André said.

            "Um…I'm actually going home too, but I'll visit," Rhia said. "I live three minutes away."

            "I need to stay a few days," Zyuiu said. She looked at Shiek with a weak smile. "I have to go back to my foster family—and Ymota U's foster family—and talk to them for a while. But I don't want to stay with them."

            "Will you all at least stay for the banquet tonight?" Zelda asked pleadingly.

            "We're all going and changing," Lindsay said. "But we wouldn't miss it for the world."

            Zelda smiled and laughed as all six of her companions tried to embrace her at once. Through pain and through darkness—through a mirror in a dead Hyrule and a voice that might still lurk—Zelda's life was finally (more or less) back to normal.

*
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a/n: it's not done yet. Two more chapters, people! Okay, so one just wraps things up and the other is the outtakes, but that's still two chappys!

Lil' Blue Muse: *munching nacho chips and playing Super Smash Brothers with Dark Link (a friends muse)* I can't believe it's almost over!

Dark Link: finally. Crappy mushy story.

Me: hey!! *smacks Dark Link* *gets beaned by a game controller* Ow! No fair! Two muses against one! Arrgh!
*Warsotck-Leonhart appears and grabs Dark Link* Get over here, you freaking little—ow—hey—stop that! *beans dark link* Haha. I win.

Hehe…I have too much fun.

Ummers. Urgh. I know that Ymota U's death was not the most graceful thing I've ever managed, and death by chicken ain't too hot either…

Zappermon—Um.

OmniGG—Hehe. Chicken.

André—Sorry, I meant for the prince to play a bigger role in this chappy…

Winkybunnion—Hehe. Chicken.

More coming soon!!

~winged one~