Hi! Sixth chapter! YAAY! I just want to thank everybody who has believed in me and is reading my story. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. That means you: adrenalinerush97, Link Zelda lover, LoneMouse444, Pegasus6644, , Forever-Gamer321, Hopefaith2, Zelda link lover, sprinkleglitz, Varun51194, ... I think that's it. Sorry for anybody I missed! THANK YOU! :DDDDD

Chapter Six: The Next Destination

Link jolted up in bead, covered in sweat. His breathing was unnaturally heavy, and he couldn't keep his eyesight clear for more than a few seconds. The past few hours were all a blur; he only remembered losing his senses in the central plaza and then waking up here, in what he thought to be Telma's Bar. A bowl of empty soup sat on the nightstand beside the bed, where his crumpled green hat also lay. His blurry eyes scanned the room, and that's when he saw Zelda curled up in an armchair in the corner, fast asleep. Her hood was lowered, and her face was serene and gorgeous as she slept. At the sight of her, the memories of the recent ordeal flooded back to him in a flurry of pain. Suddenly, Ordona's repulsive figure and warning words entered his mind:

I have been plagued with a terrible illness… I am dying. He shuddered. Hyrule has never seen any evil such as the one that cursed me. Link had a strange, instinctive feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he put his hand to his burning forehead and brushed the bangs away. Everything on his mind was spinning and mixing: Ilia, Zelda, Midna, the light spirits and his sickness… Zelda…

Link stood up, putting his hat back on and leaning his hand against the wall for support.

"Gah!" The pain in his stomach returned without warning, and he let out a loud shriek. But this time, it wasn't just pain. He felt a dark presence flowing through his veins, something more powerful than he'd ever experienced.

"Wha…?" His loud cry had woken Zelda up, and she stirred in her chair as her eyes blinked open droopily. "Link! You're okay!" She beamed once she saw him. But her smile soon turned to a frightened frown when she realized that he was not in good shape. Link groaned, feeling as if something black and full of hatred was intruding the purity of his body, and he was unable to fight it off. But, somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt as if he'd experienced this feeling before; only this time, it was a hundred times worse. He just couldn't remember where this had happened to him before.

"Stop!" He screamed at the anonymous intruders who were taking over his body.

"Link, what—" Zelda stood up, and there was extreme fear in her voice.

Link fell to the ground, on all fours, his body trembling horridly. His stomach churned, and the poison of the black hatred continued spreading through his body. Zelda's screams were no longer coherent in his ears; all he could think about was escaping this horrible pain. It was horrible, yet familiar. So familiar…

He glanced down at his hands, and saw that the Triforce was glowing fiercely. His whole body was shaking tremendously, and his groaning and screams were becoming louder and more urgent.

"AHH!" He threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs.

Right before Zelda's eyes, he transformed into the blue-eyed beast: the Wolf.

ZELDA POV

Zelda stood above Link, stunned. He was now unconscious; he was also a big furry wolf with blue earrings. The chain from so long ago was still clasped around his paw, and she touched it with a hint of nostalgia. She remembered when he'd first come to her room with Midna, after he'd first transformed. It seemed like so long ago, and now he was going through the same terrible experience. Zelda didn't know how, and she didn't know why. But the princess realized that if Link was transforming into this beast, unable to maintain his true form, there was something evil present; there was something extremely, fantastically evil. This evil matched, even bested the evil of the Twilight. That fact scared Zelda beyond belief, and she found herself shivering and covered in goose bumps as she knelt beside the unconscious beast. But inside, he wasn't a beast. Inside, he was the brave hero that Zelda loved.

The Triforce on his paw was still glowing, and she placed a hand on his side. His breathing was becoming easy and more steady, and he no longer had a fever. For that, she was grateful. Zelda simply sat, petting him, unsure of what else she could do. The feel of his warm fur felt comforting beneath her ice cold skin, and she was amazed at how even as a beast Link could make her feel better.

Suddenly, after a few meager minutes, Link's pointed wolf ears began twitching, and his blue eyes burst open. He jumped up with a defensive snarl, whirling around and crouching low as if to pounce. Zelda inched backward, startled by his sudden awakening, and all the blood drained from her shocked face. Sharp teeth bared and claws at the ready, the wolf narrowed its eyes and glared at Zelda menacingly, sending shivers up and down her spine. The chain clanked against the wooden floor, and she simply stared at him, wide-eyed and frightened.

As the beast examined Zelda, it caught a glimpse of its paw. Link saw the chain, and straightened up. He lifted the paw up to his face, looking at it closer. Another snarl escaped his curled lips, and his large eyes widened for a moment. As he did, Zelda used the bed to help her stand, keeping her eyes firmly on the wolf. Then, without warning, Link thrust his paw to the ground and barked in frustration and exasperation. The wolf ran in a circle, sniffing and scanning itself to make sure it wasn't just dreaming: to make sure that Link wasn't just dreaming. His snout crinkled up angrily, and she could tell that he was not happy about his change; she knew that he was frustrated and confused and hurt.

"Link," Zelda called shakily. The wolf stopped abruptly, facing the princess. Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of him like this, and she beckoned for him to come toward her as she knelt. All of her fear was gone because she realized that Link was only suffering in his own changed state.

The wolf walked slowly up to her, its eyes on the ground. Its defensive instincts had died down, and it was beginning to accept the fact that it was changed once again from a handsome hero to a majestic, dangerous wolf. Link laid his head in her open hands, and she pet the fur on his face and around his eyes reassuringly. His ears perked forward, and his wet nose began twitching involuntarily as she sat. A single tear rolled down her cheek as he put his head in her lap and dropped into a lying down position. She stroked his back and the top of his head, muttering words of comfort and wisdom.

"I am so sorry." She whispered shakily. "The Triforce of Wisdom bestowed in me isn't enough to decipher this evil magic that has transformed you once again into a wolf." The animal whined quietly, and when Zelda mentioned the Triforce, her hand glowed faintly. "I wish I could stop this. I wish I could do for you what you did for me."

"Zelda, hon?" Telma's drowsy voice called from the hall. Link and Zelda both lifted their heads.

While Link had been asleep, Telma and Zelda had gone over introductions and explanations. They had cared for him with Ilia aiding them, and they had forced him to drink the soup that eventually sent him into a calm slumber. Zelda found Telma to be a kind, caring, honest woman; more importantly, she was someone that Zelda could trust. She sensed good and purity in her heart.

In another second, there was a soft rapping on the door.

"One moment, please!" Zelda called, beginning to panic on the inside. "Um," She looked at Link, who had stood and was now alert. "Hide under the armchair! I'll get her out of here," Zelda ushered the wolf beneath the red piece of furniture so that he was unnoticeable, and then began urgently stuffing pillows under the blankets of the bed where Link was supposed to be sleeping. Then, she sat on the edge of the bed and pretended to be tending to the sick boy.

"Come in." She said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Is everything okay in here, Princess?" Telma stuck her head in, looking around the room. Her red hair was ruffled and unkempt from sleep, and her eyes were droopy and shadowed with dark bags.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine." Zelda smiled and patted the hidden pillows gently. "Link is still asleep."

"Is that so? I thought I heard screaming and footsteps in here." Telma raised an eyebrow, seeing straight through Zelda's façade. "I thought I even heard a bark."

"Sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about." Zelda chuckled anxiously. "Maybe it was a dream."

"Hm." Telma narrowed her eyes slightly. "Maybe. How's he doing?"

"Fine, much better. The fever is going down." She said.

"Mind if I take a look?" Telma opened the door wider and stepped inside, the floor creaking under her bare feet.

"Uh," Zelda stood up instinctively as Telma took a step forward. "That's very kind of you, but I don't think it's necessary. He's really very tired, and I don't—"

"Oh, come now!" Telma flicked her wrist carelessly. "Tired or not, I need to see how he's doing. He deserves it."

"Telma, wait!" Zelda continued as Telma brushed her aside and stepped towards the bed. Her heart fluttered as Telma moved toward the blanket.

"WOOF!" A bark erupted from the hall, startling the two women. Zelda's eyes discreetly turned to the armchair. There was nothing underneath it.

"MEOW!" Louise's frightened screech followed moments after, and then came the pattering of footsteps past the bedroom.

"What in the name of Farore…?" Telma scratched her head and moved back toward the door. Zelda let out a sigh of relief and followed behind her. "Louise? What's going on?" Zelda tried to suppress her smile as they walked into the hallway.

Louise, the beautiful white Persian cat, was running around with a startled look on her face.

"Aw, Louise, come here baby." At the sound of her owner's voice, Louise turned toward them and ran into Telma's outstretched arms. Her small body was trembling, and she purred as Telma stroked her silky smooth fur.

"…What do you think happened?" Zelda asked, petting the cat's head. Louise stuck her tongue out and began licking Zelda's slim fingers. Though she was asking the question, Zelda already knew the answer.

"Dang dog must've gotten in the house." Telma growled, protective about her cat. "I better go find it."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll go find it. You take care of your cat." Zelda touched the bar owner's shoulder with a kind smile, though she had other motives for finding the 'dog.'

"Are you sure little lady? I don't want you to take responsibility for my bar."

"I'm sure. It won't take long, I'll be back soon." Zelda nodded and started toward the stairs.

"Telma?" Ilia's voice echoed down the hall. The sound of the girl's voice only made Zelda go faster down the stairs, pulling her hood up as she walked out the door. Zelda didn't want to have to deal with Ilia any longer. Though she admired her for her concern and love for Link, she was essentially a very ignorant and conceited girl. At least, that's how she came off for Zelda. For everything the princess said, Ilia had a scornful retort to it. It was beginning to get on her nerves, which wasn't a very easy thing to do. She felt as if Ilia were hiding something, as if she had a strange and unknown grudge against Zelda.

"Link?" Zelda called quietly as she walked into the alcove outside Telma's Bar. It was drizzling slightly, and ominous clouds hid the stars in the dark night sky. The only sound was the rain pattering against the cobblestone ground and against the windowpanes. "Link, where are you?"

A small whimper brought Zelda's attention to a pile of crates on her left, and in the shadows she saw a large pair of narrowed, blue eyes.

"It's only me, Zelda." She reassured, inching closer to the feral pair of eyes. As she said those words, the eyes widened and Link walked out into the moonlight in his beast form. Zelda knelt, and he sat before her. "Thanks for scaring the cat. It was a clever distraction." She said as she ran her hand along his snout.

He nuzzled her palm and growled in a low, content way. She smiled to herself; happy to be making him feel better even it was a little bit. But she doubted that anything she did could truly help.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, and Link blinked his piercing blue eyes. His large, black and gray tail began wagging against the uneven floor. "Come." Zelda stood, keeping her hand gently on top of his head. He moved onto all fours, ready to loyally follow the princess wherever she would take him.

"I know the perfect place where we can go to think in privacy. Follow me." Zelda began walking up the stairs, the wolf trotting beside her. When she looked back down, she half-expected Midna to be mounted on top in her impish form… no such luck. By the glint in Link's eyes, she could tell that he was thinking the same thing.

She led him out into Castle Town, where it was night and most people were asleep in their homes. Zelda looked at the ground anxiously, paranoid about showing her identity to anybody. She knew that by this time, the Royal Council would be worrying about her whereabouts.

They can wait. She told herself, stealing another glance at the magnificent creature that was actually her savior. Zelda continued walking through southern Castle Town, towards the gate leading out to the garden. Link was silent and obedient at her side.

"Go." She ordered as she quietly opened the wooden door. Link obeyed, trotting through the opening. The princess followed, making sure to securely shut the door behind them. "Nobody will be out here… except for maybe Agitha, but I doubt she'll care." Zelda whispered. The wolf stuck its tongue out, panting in agreement as its ears twitched.

They strolled along the edges of the area, and Zelda took the risk of lowering her hood. Her hair was now let down, and it became matted against her cheeks and neck from the soft rain. Link's fur was also wet and pressed against his muscular, lean body.

"Do you have any idea how to make yourself human again?" She ventured to ask, hoping that it wouldn't make Link uncomfortable. He simply bowed his large head, whimpering softly. She put her hand on his back and ran it down his tail comfortingly.

Suddenly, he straightened up and let out an intimidating bark. Link whirled around, facing back towards the southern gate leading back into Castle Town.

"What is it? Do you have an idea?" Zelda crouched, speaking clearly into his ear and keeping her hand on his back.

"WOOF!" He barked again, and before Zelda could blink, he ran back toward Castle Town.

"Wait! Link!" Zelda shouted as she rushed back behind him. He let out yet another excited bark, and she had trouble keeping up with his long, graceful bounds. Eventually, he stopped in front of Telma's Bar, staring at it intently. When Zelda finally reached him, she was out of breath and panting heavily. He took no notice, but kept staring stubbornly at the door. She pushed the door open with a sigh, and he rushed through it without hesitation. He growled as he ran towards the table at the other end of the room, Zelda walking slowly behind him.

The wolf hopped and placed its front paws on the table, wagging his tail and panting excitedly.

"It's a map," She marveled when she stared at the table. Then she saw where Link had placed his paw. She glanced at him with a surprised expression, her brow furrowed curiously. "You want to go to Lanayru's spring?"

What do you think is going to happen at the spring? ;) You'll find out in the next chapter, hopefully to be updated either tomorrow or the day after. Keep on reading and keep on reviewing, I love you guys! you're probably sick of hearing that, but it's true. Hehehehehehehehehe