As per usual, the first order of business is reviewer replies!

Dragon-Charmer16: Oo; Well… (gives sugar) Enjoy!

Mxedcherub: Actually, I have no idea what the tongue thing was about. I guess it's Lilith's way of saying, "Keep out."

Zeldafreak123: To tell the truth, I can't stand her either. Don't worry, you won't see much of her in this story, even after she comes back.

JMG: Wow, that has to be the shortest review from you ever. No corrections, no questions, no drawing requests, nothing. But hey, a review's a review!

Then I got two reviews for my poem, "A Doll Upon Evil's Shelf."

ShadowZero00: Everyone loves Zelda! Well, everyone who's ever played it. I'm glad you like the poem. Personally, I hated it. But that's me. Critical, hateful me. Sad to say my other stories are much, much longer. "For the Sake of the World" is finished if you wanna check that out. Thanks for reviewing! It's always great to see a new name pop up!

Gina wooo: It only scares you because you've never played Ocarina of Time and you have no idea who Dark Link is, right? Well, it's not too hard to figure out. I mean, you know about Link so just, like, make him all dark and shadowy and whatnot and there's Dark Link. Oh yeah, and with the red eyes. Can't forget the red eyes!

Whoo! Six honest reviews! And when I say 'honest' I mean no doubles! YAY! Okay, thank you! But now it's time for the next chapter. Let's go! (Warning: this chapter contains character death. Don't worry though, she won't be dead forever. She'll come back. I promise!)

Chapter 7: Lilith

"Well?"

Malon and James turned around slowly only to meet the cold crimson gaze of the woman from before. "I asked you a question!" she boomed, her face a mask of ferocity.

"W-we… We went into the wrong room," James offered. "I'm sorry. You see, our room is right next door and we're very tired, so we…"

"Get out!" the woman demanded. James and Malon ran out of the room and into their own. Malon sat down on her bed, trying to catch her breath. James lay down on his own with a sigh of relief. "Too close," he muttered, his arm across his face. Malon nodded. "Way too close," she added.

There was a knock on the door and the two jumped up for fear the woman had discovered what they had been doing in her room. "Who is it?" James asked, masking the anxiety from his voice. "It's Link and Kaze," came the muffled response. The ex-Bomber pulled the door open and hastily dragged his companions into the room, then slammed the door.

"Hey!" shouted a high-pitched voice from the other side of the closed door. Link opened it, letting Navi inside. "We got Navi back!" he announced, gesturing to the little fairy. "Navi, you know Malon. And this is James; I met him in Termina."

Navi floated between the two, looking from one to the other. "Nice seeing you again, Miss Malon. It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr. James," she said with a smile. Link rolled his eyes. "You're so full of yourself, Navi," he grinned. She huffed, but returned the smile nonetheless.

"So, we just killed a couple Dark Moblins, saved a few dozen fairies, and brought Navi back. How've you guys been?" Kaze asked boastfully. "There's an evil woman in the next room!" Malon blurted. James motioned for her to calm herself.

"Wait, wait. Did you say 'Dark Moblins'?" James asked, remembering the text from the book her read. Kaze and Link nodded simultaneously. Link cracked the door and looked down the hall. There was a black light shining from beneath the door of the neighboring room. The light subsided and he could hear a muffled growling. The door swung open and Link slunk back.

Out of the room came a head of black hair and crimson eyes. She surveyed the hallway, then gestured for someone or something to follow her. Out of the room marched five Dark Moblins, but these had gold markings instead of scarlet ones. Link gasped and silently shut the door, his face pale. "Whoever that woman is, she's making more of those monsters!" he whispered.

Kaze slashed at the empty air with his sword. "Those two were hard enough to defeat! Now we have to take down five more!" he spat. "At least you know their weak spot now," Navi reminded. James, desperate to take some kind of action, ran to the door and whipped it open. He hurried down the hall, calling for the woman to stop.

Link and Kaze ran after him. Fool! Link thought. He thinks he can stop five Dark Moblins!

Malon cautiously followed after her friends. There was a strong presence of evil in that room and she no longer wanted to stay there. By the time she caught up, Link, Kaze, and James were standing face to face with the five Dark Moblins and their creator.

"Give us your name!" Link demanded. The woman chuckled. "You demand my name?" she asked, her eyes narrow slits of fire. "Very well. I am known by many names: the Maker of Monsters, the Bearer of Beasts, the Conjurer of Creatures. I am Lilith, faithful servant to Lord Kuro."

"You made those Dark Moblins?" Kaze assumed, gesturing to the five monsters that were standing very obediently around Lilith. "Dark Moblins?" Lilith laughed. "Those are a thing of the past! Children, meet my newest beasts: the Grand Moblins!" The gold-marked beats growled, shaking their poisoned spears at Link and his group.

"The poison upon their lances is far more deadly that that of the Dark Moblins'. Boy, with the herbs bound about your arm, if that wound had been inflicted by one of my Grand Moblins, you would be dead," she explained, looking at Kaze. She turned to Link. "And you," she began, gesturing to his arm. "If that was the wound of a Grand Moblin, you would probably still be alive, but that arm would have fallen off long ago!"

Malon closed her eyes tightly in disgust at the thought. Lilith laughed again. "If you need us, we'll be finding food for my dear pets! Since you released all my captive fairies, I created these with a taste for the blood of the Kokiri people!" she said as they all disappeared in a mist of purple smoke.

Link sighed and looked over the faces of his companions. Killing was not Lilith's intent. If she wanted to, she could have ordered her Grand Moblins to slay everyone there. And they probably would have succeeded. So why didn't she?

"It's almost like she wants us to follow her," James commented. He was right… She had almost just come out and told them that she was going to the Kokiri Forest. She was either incredibly tactful or incredibly moronic. Link, the undying optimist, went with the latter. "Then let's oblige her!" he said, whisking out his ocarina and playing the Minuet of the Forest.

In seconds they were standing in front of the entrance to the Forest Temple. "Let's hurry!" Link said, taking off through the Sacred Forest Meadow with his companions following closely behind. Link was the first to see the smoke. He growled, scolding his speed, and urged himself to hurry.

When they reached the forest, they found it ablaze. Grand Moblins were spearing the Kokiri and devouring them like chicken nuggets. Link cried out in horror as he ran to Saria's house. She was the Sage of the Forest; surely she would have made it…!

"Link, wait!" Kaze called. Malon huddled against a tree, overwhelmed in the company of such a malignant evil. James crouched beside her, telling her that they had to follow Link. "He's a warrior," the ex-Bomber reminded. "I'm sure it's perfectly safe." Eventually James convinced Malon to rise and they hurried after Link and Kaze.

Link ran inside Saria's house and found it occupied by a Grand Moblin. It had his dear friend cornered, its spear pointed to her throat and her slender body hewed in several places. "Saria!" Link shouted, taking his sword and slashed repeatedly at the monster. "Don't touch her, you… you…!" Kaze noted the tears in Link's eyes and drew his own blade.

"Ya gotta be refined, Link!" the thief said. "Hacking away aimlessly won't do a thing!" He made several well-placed cuts on the Grand Moblin. The beast turned to them, Saria's neck clenched in its fist. She uttered a stifled groan as the Moblin's grip tightened.

"Don't you hurt her!" Link screamed as he thrust his sword into his enemy's head. Screeching with pain, the Moblin released the limp Kokiri girl and clutched at the wound on its face. "Saria!" Link cried and ran to the girl's side. Unable to speak, Saria mouthed a few words to him, then the most unthinkable thing occurred…

"Saria, please…" Link closed his eyes and held Saria in his arms. "I don't want to lose you too… I still haven't recovered from Hieke's sacrifice; if you die…!" Saria gave a weak smile and her half-lidded eyes glimmered with trust. 'I'm sorry,' her paling lips formed. Link held the lifeless body of his friend for some time, his shoulders shuddering.

"Yo, Link! I know you're having a sentimental moment there but… help me!" Kaze shouted. It was all he could manage to block the unrelenting blows delivered to him by the enraged Grand Moblin. Link set Saria down gently, grabbed the Moblin's spear hand before it moved to attack again. He dug his fingers into its dark flesh, then started hitting the hand against it's owner's head. "Stop…! Hitting…! Yourself…!" Link screamed, pausing between the words to strike the Grand Moblin with its own hand. When the monster was well beyond dazed, Link took his sword and impaled it upon his opponent's back.

The Moblin let out a long, low bellow, then collapsed. Link fell to his knees, his head bowed. Kaze put a hand on his friend's back, offering what little comfort he could. The Kokiri were all being slaughtered. Now Saria, Link's closest friend, had fallen victim to the evils of Lilith… No. She wasn't thinking of her own power. "Kuro." Link spat the name like it was some kind of venom.

"Link! We have to help the other Kokiri!" Kaze reminded as he headed for the door. Link came out of his contemplative trance and followed his friend outside. The remaining four Grand Moblins were standing in an orderly group, watching something above the house. Link ran forward and turned back, then spotted what it was the beasts were staring at.

"Well, well. It looks as though my Grand Moblin wasn't even a challenge to you in your fit of rage," Lilith smiled. Link barred his teeth, but said nothing. The woman sighed and leaped down to the head of her remaining Grand Moblins. "The Kokiri were no more than a mere appetizer," she smirked. "Next we're headed to that Lon Lon Ranch place. You see, my dear little pets have developed a taste for cuccos, horses, and grown men. Where else can you find all three in the same place?"

Malon gave a cry of dismay. "You wouldn't dare!" she shouted, tears in her eyes. Lilith laughed. "Oh, but I would! My Grand Moblins are starving themselves, so we'll be off!" she announced. Lilith and her remaining four creations vanished in a black fog as they did before.

"We have to hurry and go stop them!" Malon said, turning to Link. The young hero shook his head. "Saria told me… Before she died, she said that Lilith was just leading us on. And we were following her plans exactly. Every time we go after her, we walk into a trap that emotionally weakens us. We have to… Let's go see Zelda," he suggested.

James shook his head. "I don't know what the queen will do for us," he muttered. He stood close to the others as Link played the Prelude of Light and they all vanished…

"Wh-where are we?" Link asked, startled. The Prelude of Light was supposed to take them to the Temple of Time in Hyrule Castle Town, now the Sacred Ground. But where they were…

Bones littered the area. Fires still smoldered here and there. The ground was barren and hard. There was no life anywhere… "The Guardian Tree!" Kaze and Link both blurted at the same time, running out of the half-demolished building.

Link stopped, his eyes wide with horror. Kaze uttered a small cry of shock. The Guardian Tree, Hieke, was…

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W00t! How's that for a cliffhanger? If you want to find out what's going on with the Tree, I want… TEN REVIEWS! I'm not kidding! Ten or no update! Next time: Chapter 8: Deception. The mystery of Kuro's evil revealed. An offer is made! And what happened to the Guardian Tree? Ten reviews if you wanna know! Oh, and I want to introduce you to someone!

Little Link: Hello. I'm Link from the Majora's Mask manga. Uber Spoonz has lots of summer reading to take care of before school starts, so starting next chapter, you'll have me as your review replier and chapter previewer.

Me: Okay, so I bit you farewell! Gotta go read that awesome book about Greek gods, heros, and myths! Ten reviews, everyone! You heard me right! Ten!