Okay. Here's chapter ten, finally. I wrote this through a writer's block, so it might not be that good. But it does answer some questions (or at least I think it does.) I apologize for waiting so long between chapters. But anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.

I feel I must express again my reason for keeping Sheik Zelda. I thought it best, especially in this sort of story, to keep as true to the game as I could. So don't yell at me, k?

I don't know what kind of fics everybody likes, but if you have some time, it would be nice if you would read "Defiance," by Whyette_h. I'm editing it for him, and someone just dissed me and him, so we need all the positive support we can get.

Okay, one more thing.

IF YOU DON'T REVIEW, I SWEAR I WILL DISCONTINUE THIS STORY!!!!!!!!!!!

-Nagem

I don't look at the creature Skye has become as the tears streak down my face. If the real Skye could see me now, she'd scold me for being a baby. She'd tell me to get up and kick the imposter's ass.

But what would she say if I told her I couldn't?

I don't know.

I've never said something like that to her.

And I'm not about to start now, I think. I get to my feet. The Skye-thing looks up at me as I grab the Master Sword. I can't kill her, but I can-

WHAM

"She's gonna feel that one in the morning," I hear Navi says behind me. Skye's body falls limp on the ground in front of me, unmoving. I feel sick, and I don't want to check for a pulse. I just have to tell myself that I just knocked her out, nothing more. "Great job! Not exactly what I was hoping for, but great job!" I feel Navi's tiny hand on my shoulder through the fabric of my tunic. I am only dimly aware that Zelda has not moved from her spot in the doorway.

"What were you hoping for?" I mumble, finally understanding Navi's words.

"Well, I was hoping that you would kill the enemy," Navi says. "But she's out of the way long enough for us to get out of here." I nod as Navi frowns. "I'm expecting that you'll have to fight her again."

"No," I say. "I fought her once, and I'm not doing it again. Not when it can kill her."

"It can always kill her," Zelda says, finally stepping forward. "Every time you fight, be it wooden or metal weapons, there's always a danger." I blink. She's right. She's been right all along. I am a hero. I can save Hyrule from this half-dead, crazed madman that calls himself Ganondorf.

And I've been just too stupid to know it.

"Let's go," I say, gripping the hilt of the Master Sword tightly. I meet Zelda's eyes, and she smiles.

"Thank you, so much," she whispers, wrapping me in a quick hug. "Come, I believe that your parents in Kakariko must be worried about you." I nod, and follow her out of the room where Skye's body still is.

Something in the air seems lighter as we step outside. I wonder if "defeating" the evil Skye made the air clear up, or if I just feel better about this whole thing. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. I am aware that I still grip the hilt of the Master Sword tightly as we step into the ruins of the market. I stare at it for a moment before setting it back in its makeshift scabbard.

"Well," I say, not looking forward to the trip back to Kakariko. "I guess we'd better get going then." I start toward the Temple of Time, but stop as Zelda grabs my shoulder. "What?"

"I know a better way," she says. "Kakariko isn't too far from Hyrule Castle Town, and if it's grown as much as Navi informs me it has, then it should be an even shorter walk." When I stare at her blankly, she explains. "That tunnel, as I remember now, was an old Sheikah passage. It takes the long way around." I nod, understanding.

"There might be monsters," Navi says. "There were before. Stalchildren in the nights and Peahats in during the day."

"I can handle them," I say, unsure of where this burst of confidence came from. I motion to the sword on my back. "As long as I've got a real blade, then it'll be fine." Zelda opens her mouth slightly, but closes it, smiling. "Lead the way." She turns away from me and begins to lead us away from Ganon's castle, away from Skye.

I wonder if I'll ever see her again.

*****************Skye's Adventure***************

Skye was aware of a soft voice calling to her. She got to her feet and touched the brick walls of her prison lightly, wondering. The voice called again, and Skye could make out the words. It was her own name. She wanted to shout, but her mouth was dry and parched. She pounded on the walls. Bricks ground against each other, but didn't give way. Skye mentally cursed herself and began to beat harder. If this was her own mind, if what Dark Link said was true, then she should have control here. She had control of her own thoughts, right?

"Skye, wake up! Please, wake up!"

I am awake, Skye thought, pounding harder on the brick walls. I am awake! See here! She bit her lip in frustration. She had only a few moments before a sudden, invisible blow to the head left her in the dark.

***

She came to slowly, groaning and holding her pounding head. As she blinked to clear away the pain, she realized something-she wasn't in her brick prison anymore. Skye's mouth opened slightly in amazement as she stood.

But how-? she wondered.

"Mistress?" A familiar voice asked. Skye whirled around to face Dark Link, who was bowing to her. "I have been looking for the Hero of Time, but I have not had any luck. Do you wish me to try and talk to your lighter side?"

Lighter side? Skye wondered, trying not to let herself frown. Oh! He must mean me! She shook her head. "No, I think she needs more time to reconsider her previous lies."

Dark Link looked confused, but nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Leave me," Skye told him, wanting time to be herself and try to figure the whole situation out.

"Yes, ma'am," Dark Link said. He left, and Skye collapsed onto the throne-like thing in the room.

Who the goddesses is the Hero of Time? She wondered. And why would they want to look for him? Why did they trap me within my own mind? And-what in Nayru's name am I wearing? She looked down at her current attire, appalled at the black and red fabric of the dress. Skye noticed it was rather tight, hugging her body uncomfortably. She frowned at it, tugging gently on one sleeve as she thought. Well, one thing's clear: I gotta get outta here. To do that, I gotta get out of this dress. She felt along her back for the zipper, and tugged on the tab.

"Mistress?" a creature peered his head in. He saw what she was doing. "Why are you taking that off?"

"I was thinking that I could trick the Hero of Time to think I am an innocent girl," Skye said, mouth dry, hoping that this creature would believe her. "And to do that, I need to get out of this dress."

"Yes, yes, those things are tricky," the creature said. He came over an unzipped the back. Skye felt a wave of panic wash over-was she wearing something underneath the dress?-but the creature hissed. "I am sorry, Mistress. We left the clothes your lighter side wore on when we put the dress on. We didn't want you to think we had violated you."

"That is fine," Skye said, relieved to stand up and watch the dress fall about her ankles and not be naked in front of this creature. She resisted the urge to run her hand along the fabric of her ninja outfit from Halloween-however long ago that was. "Now, go. I need to execute the first step of my plan. And tell . . . Dark Link of this." If the creature noticed her hesitation before she said "Dark Link," he said nothing of it.

Instead, "Will Mistress be keeping the Triforce stone?"

Tri-what stone? Skye thought. But if she was to keep up the act, she'd have to act like she knew what she was talking about. "Yes, yes, I will." She noticed a thin chain in the folds of the dress she had taken off. She bent down and picked it up. It was beautiful, a clear crystal with blue veins running through it. Skye resisted the urge to gasp at its beauty-she had to have seen it before if she was this darker half of her that these creatures served.

"Jeak! Mistress!" Dark Link came sprinting into the room, and the creature, dubbed Jeak, turned to look at him. Dark Link took in Skye's clothing, but chose not to comment on it. "The Hero of Time has Princess Zelda and the fairy at his side, a Triforce stone in his pocket, and is heading back to Kakariko to search for the others!"

"T-that's impossible!" Jeak stuttered, looking from Dark Link to Skye. "The Princess. . . . "

"I know!" Dark Link whirled in circles, an exact impression of the real Link when he was nervous, Skye noted. She began to wonder just how much of a connection this Dark Link had with the Link she knew. "Mistress? Why are you back in those clothes?"

"I am planning to convince the Hero of Time that I am an innocent little girl, and steal the Triforce stones from him," Skye said.

"There's only one more Triforce stone," Jeak said. "Master Ganon holds that one. The rest are sage stones."

"Oh, I forgot!" Skye said, giggling girlishly. "How silly of me! I should get going then, find all the stones for Master Ganon!!" As she said the words, she felt an inexplicable hatred for this man, Ganon, wash over her. She shook her head, wondering why she felt this way-she had never even met this "Master Ganon" before. She smiled at Jeak and Dark Link and skipped out of the room, feeling faint.

"Is she all right?" Jeak asked Dark Link.

"I don't know," Dark Link said, staring at where Skye had skipped out of the room.

**********************End Skye's Adventure***********************

The thing dies, vanishing into blue flames.

"Hah!" I say, turning and holding the Master Sword proudly in my hands. "I can do it!" Zelda smiles and nods, while Navi shakes her head as I start to do a victory dance. "Hey hey I can do it! Hey hey I can do it! La ti da ti da!" Navi can't help it-she bursts out laughing, and Zelda continues to smile and nod. "La ti daaaaaaaaa!!!" I sing proudly, then flop down on the grass. "Whee. I'm tired now."

"You are so stupid sometimes," Navi gasps between peals of laughter. "Goddesses, I haven't laughed like this in ages."

Zelda smiles one more time before turning to Navi. "Hey, Navi, can I talk to you?" The fairy nods and heads over.

I hear their voices, dim muffled sounds in my brain, but I don't want to hear the words.

I've been fighting for hours, acting hyper even when I defeat a monster that I'd killed five times before.

I just want to get my mind off Skye.

I don't know why she suddenly turned on me. It makes no sense, really. I did nothing to her before the Halloween party that would have made her have this much of a grudge against me. It depresses me to think about it. I wonder where Skye is right now, safe, floating somewhere nice. . . . Without any monsters that hold you up for hours on end.

As if on cue, I hear a scream, followed by a familiar shriek of, "Get away from me!" I sit up, looking for the source of the noise. I've heard that shriek before, when some bastard was feeling up Skye in the dojo once. She kicked him hard in a place I would not want any guy to be kicked.

"What the-?" Navi yelps, and Zelda follows her lead, but I don't care. I'm already running in the direction I heard the scream come from. It doesn't take me long to come upon Skye, who's being attacked by Stalchildren. I notice that she no longer wears the dress, but her ninja outfit from Halloween as she kicks one of the monsters surrounding her. As I get closer, I draw my Master Sword, not because I'm going to fight Skye-if she were still Ganondorf's minions, I don't think those things would be attacking her-but because I want to chase of the things. With a few well-placed slashes of my sword, the Stalchildren die, enveloped by blue flames. I sheath the Master Sword and turn to Skye as she falls into me.

"Link!" she cries. "Oh, goddesses, oh goddesses, it was so strange! What happened to you? Where were you?"

"That's what I was about to ask you," I say. "Last time I saw you, you were trying to kill me."

"Oh, goddesses," she whispers. "Why?"

"Long story," I say.

"Tell me," she says.

"I will, then you have to tell me what happened to you," I say, still unaware that I am holding her close, arms wrapped around her as if I'm protecting her from the world around us. She squirms, uncomfortable, and I blush, letting go of her. "Sorry," I say. "Anyway, from when I last saw you, this is what happened. . . . "

I tell her everything, excluding the part about Navi being a fairy, the disembodied Princess Zelda, and how I cried for her. I don't think she'd believe me if I did. When I finish, she gapes at me, and I shrug.

"You're telling me that you just wandered out here just happening to have a sword that I've never seen before in your hands," she says. I gulp, thinking that making her believe what I told her might be harder than I originally thought.

"Your turn," I say, changing the subject. "Let me see if your story's anymore believable than mine."

"You're the only one who I think would believe it, anyway," she says, laughing a laugh that's only really half laughter. I wonder about that for a moment until she launches into the story.

By the time she's done, I'm sure she's left some things out, but my mouth is still hanging open from just what she told me. "You're kidding!" I cry. When she shakes her head, I begin pacing. "There's some weird shadow guy who calls himself Dark Link and serves Ganondorf?"

"They called him 'Master Ganon,'" Skye says. "And they trapped me within my own mind, and let that girl who tried to kill you out."

"It's all crazy!" I say. "The stories in general are all crazy! And what's more crazy is how they fit perfectly!" I'm referring to, of course, the fact that she heard me screaming "wake up". Skye's eyes go wide. "What?"

"Who's that?" Skye asks, pointing up the hill to where Zelda is standing with Navi, looking down on us.

Oh, dear.