Greetings from the tenth installment! I have decided to extend the story to (at least) twelve chapters because of the direction I took in recent chapters. Thank you again to all my reviewers.

Reminder: After temporarily being in each other's bodies, Zelda and Link are now back in their own bodies.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Legend of Zelda series.

Zelda regained consciousness on a pile of straw covering the floor of her cell. She looked around, bewildered, not remembering where she was or how she got there. As her gaze traveled the room, she recognized it as the Great Palace, a place she knew only from rumors. Until now.

As she realized where she was, her memory began to return to her, and she recalled being pulled by an invisible force from her place behind her beloved, crying out and trying to resist, before everything went black. Then she remembered that Dark Link had done this to her. She wanted to cry, but refused to show any sign of weakness. Instead, she wanted to make him pay for taking her away from Link and threatening the kingdom.

Zelda racked her brain, attempting to determine a plan of action. She had no doubt Link was on his way to rescue her, but that didn't mean she had to sit back and wait for him. Besides, she had every intention of showing Dark Link that his kind were not welcome in Hyrule.

Before she could settle on how to escape, Zelda went about exploring every nook and cranny of the cell to determine its weaknesses. Zelda began to panic as she realized that it seemed solid. But then, upon closer examination, she noticed that one of the stones looked slightly discolored compared with the others. She rapped on it, and it sounded hollow. She gently pushed against it with her shoulder, fearing that too much force would collapse the wall and draw attention.

Zelda managed to push the block through without disturbing the layout of the wall, making her wonder if it was some sort of trap. She carefully squeezed through the hole, trying to make as little noise as possible. When she got to the other side, she pushed the block back in place, then turned around to take in her surroundings.

The princess found herself in a large room with a high ceiling, clearly designed for those practicing the dark arts. Large cauldrons spanned the entire South wall, and shelves stocked with jars and bottles lined the other walls. In the center of the room was a large fire pit, with four smaller ones also in the room, one in each corner. There was also a door just opposite Zelda, in the West wall, and another door in the North wall.

Quietly getting to her feet and brushing dirt off her dress, Zelda took a careful look in every little corner of the room, making sure no one was hiding in the shadows, watching her. She walked across to the West door and put her ear to it. Hearing nothing, she pushed against it, surprised to notice that it was unlocked. To her chagrin, it creaked slightly, and she drew in a deep breath and peered through the opening.

Zelda discovered that the room was actually quite small. There was not even a window present, nor could she locate any candles. She pushed the door open all the way, and the little bit of sunlight coming in from the other room was just enough for her to see shelves full of books.

Zelda could not distinguish the book titles, so she simply pulled out one within easy reach. Upon closer examination, she noticed that it seemed quite clean, showing that either it was new or had been used recently. She tilted it more towards the light and read the title: Assorted Spells of Ancient Hyrule.

Zelda flipped through the book and noticed that there was a loose piece of paper folded in half and stuffed haphazardly into the middle of the book. Removing it, she unfolded it and walked back into the other room. It was written in one of the oldest Hylian dialects, but, fortunately, she had had much tutelage from Impa in that area and managed to read it quite easily. She could see that it was an elaborate spell, involving several ingredients and steps and a lengthy incantation. But it was a passage at the end that really caught Zelda's eye:

Switch of bodies this magic make

But true love it cannot break.

Should true love find those it befell,

It will forever end this spell.

The lovers shall then find new strength

That will indeed aid them at length,

For with passage of time will they find

They are now connected through the mind.

"That's it!" Zelda proclaimed, nearly shouting. "I know not how long the 'passage of time' must be, but it's worth a try."

Zelda sat on the cold, hard floor and took several deep breaths, then squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to channel her energy. She could feel a surge of power through her brain that seemed to burst and flow in all sorts of directions. She sensed a void for a moment after the explosion of energy, before a new set of thoughts entered her mind. Link's thoughts.

Link, my love, can you hear me? she screamed in her head in response. Please tell me you can hear me.

Link had decided that his best chance of finding Zelda lied in going to the Great Palace. As he made his way through West Hyrule, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a massive headache. Not wanting to stop, he tried to ignore it, but was eventually forced to take a respite in Mido, a coastal town, where he needed to obtain supplies anyway.

Despite his mix of emotions, Link realized he was very hungry, so he felt it best to go to a tavern for a quick meal to replace some of his expended energy. As he took his seat, his thoughts were permeated with Zelda's voice.

Link, can you hear me? Please answer!

Zelda, is that you? What's happening?

I can talk to you telepathically. It's because we reversed the spell. Now listen carefully, Link. I am at the Great Palace. Dark Link imprisoned me, but I found a way out of my cell and came upon a room filled with items for casting spells. I even found a written copy of the spell used on us. I'm going to keep investigating and see what I can do to stop Dark Link from bringing harm to the kingdom.

Okay, Zelda, but please, be careful. I know you want to help your people, but you cannot risk discovery. Promise me you will not put yourself in danger unnecessarily, for avoiding it at all costs is the best thing you can do for Hyrule right now. Under the best conditions, I am still a day's journey away, so, please, do not put yourself at further risk.

But, Link...

Please, do not argue. I love you and am doing this for the protection of both you and the kingdom. You must promise me to do whatever you can to stay safe.

I promise, Link. And I love you, too, Zelda told him, figuring she had better return to her cell. She knew that the more time she spent in this room, the more chance she had of being discovered, should someone-or something-decide to drop in unexpectedly on either the room or her cell.She said good-bye to Link and cut off their line of communication. She then replaced the paper in the spell book and slid it back onto the shelf, hoping that it wouldn't display any signs of being disturbed.

Zelda left the small room and made her way back to her cell, removing the block and once again squeezing through the small space, then pushing the block back into its place. Just as she got settled in, she heard footsteps in the hallway.

Just in time, she thought, breathing a sigh of relief.

Please review! Thanks so much in advance!