Hey guys! I'm back, and updating! Tennis camp was awesome, just so you all know. But I didn't forget about you, so here's chapter nine! It's a bit long, but I really hope you guys like it! Enjoy!

Chapter Nine: The Second Piece

By the time they reached Hyrule Field, Link was already sick of his wolf body. He thought that he'd be used to it by now, but he longed for his human form. He wanted to be able to jump normally, swing a sword, shoot an arrow, speak; instead, he could only bark, jump around, and bite things. Zelda seemed just as frustrated as he was, because she couldn't even understand anything he was thinking or wanted to say. Not even the Triforce of Wisdom could help her with that. She wasn't used to not understanding things, and Link could tell that she was not happy about it. If he were human, he'd be suppressing laughter.

"I guess our next stop is Kakariko Village." She interrupted the silence, and Link bobbed his head in agreement. Kakariko Village was the location of the spring of Eldin, the light spirit in the form of an eagle– the golden bird. All Link wanted to do was get to Eldin and have him explain everything. Hopefully, he wasn't plagued by the small black bugs as Ordona was.

Ordona, Link thought to himself worriedly. She probably doesn't have much time before–

"Link. Wait." Zelda paused, laying her hand on his furry back momentarily. He obediently halted, gazing up at her expectantly. "What about Ilia and Telma? Won't they be worrying? Telma was expecting me a while ago…" Her voice trailed off.

Link didn't do anything.

"They've probably realized that you're no longer in bed. And Ilia," Zelda sighed.

Is most likely in frenzy, Link finished her sentence in his thoughts. He couldn't even imagine the mayhem she was causing in search of him. But at that moment, he didn't even care. Ilia and Telma could do what they wanted, but until Link was back to his normal self, there was nothing he could do about their panicky states.

With a roll of his eyes, Link tilted his head towards the path to Kakariko Village and slowly continued walking. Zelda took a deep, anxious breath and followed somewhat hesitantly.

ZELDA POV

She didn't have a good feeling about this, though Link seemed confident about what they were doing. Zelda wanted to at least go back and let the others know that they were safe, but at the same time, she didn't know how she was going to do that. Link was a wolf, and Zelda didn't have an excuse for him. She was frustrated about it herself. Usually, Zelda could understand and figure out almost everything because of her Triforce, but this was different. Her pride was beginning to get in the way of her rationality. And just yesterday, he had been so sick that he could barely stand. What was she supposed to say to Telma and Ilia on his behalf?

"Um, well, Link just turned into a wolf and walked out. I had to go find him."

The princess held in a soft giggle at the thought of Telma and Ilia's faces if she told them that.

The worry inside Zelda's stomach was becoming overwhelming, but she didn't stop. The wolf leading her through Hyrule Field just seemed too excited, and too eager for her to stand in his way. She wanted him to be happy, even if it caused sacrifice on her part. Link had already sacrificed enough for the rest of Hyrule; now it was her turn.

There was a certain hop in Link's step, and she smiled to herself as they strolled. Hopefully, Eldin would know what to do to complete the orb and heal Link. Yet she had a feeling deep inside, a small voice in her head telling her that it wasn't going to be easy. And the little voice in Zelda's head was always right… always.

The pair stopped in front of the entrance to Kakariko Village, and Zelda knew that they couldn't just waltz in there and call on Eldin. And it was only morning, so there were bound to be people out and about, and if there weren't people, there would be Gorons. They were backed against a wall.

"Maybe we should go back to Castle Town and return after nightfall," Zelda suggested, kneeling beside the majestic wolf. He merely stared straight ahead, not moving an inch. The voice inside Zelda's head let out a warning scream as Link's ears began twitching suspiciously. Just as her eyes widened, Link bolted through the entrance as fast as he could.

"Link! Stop!" She screamed. All she heard was a single bark, and the pattering of his paws against the dirt. With an irritated groan, Zelda pulled her hood up and rushed after him, anger and annoyance taking over her thoughts.

Stupid idiot! Her temper was now in control, though she kept her composure on the outside. Can't he just listen to me for once and be rational? I know he wants to be human, but going in there without a plan is not the way to do it!

She halted when she saw Renado's house, and sulked up against the wall so nobody could see her. It was quiet for a moment, until she heard another bark. Cautiously, she stepped out into the open and saw that it was completely deserted. There were no people around, no Gorons, no light in the windows, and even the torches outside Renado's house were put out. Zelda got a queasy feeling in her stomach, and Link seemed just as confused as he looked around. There was no way that this could be a good thing, and Zelda was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Chosen Ones…" The haunting voice rang loud and clear from the air, and Zelda and Link both whirled around to face the spring. In a few moments, everything was golden, the crown appeared in the water, and Eldin soared up from the water while flapping his large, majestic wings and perching on the golden sphere.

Zelda gasped and put her hand to her chest, and Link growled and pinned his ears back. Eldin was black and green.

"O Eldin, light spirit of Kakariko spring," Zelda immediately knelt and bowed her head, the tears now reappearing. It killed her to see the sacred guardians of the goddesses suffering like this, and knowing that her kingdom was no longer safe. The water of the hot spring splashed beneath her knee. Link stepped up beside her, closing his eyes and bowing his own head.

Zelda tried to blink away the tears, but she couldn't help that single droplet of water that ran down her cheek and dropped down to the spring, creating a small ripple in the gold liquid.

"Rise, O wise Princess of Hyrule." Eldin's hoarse voice ordered. Zelda stood, staring downward and fighting back the tears that were still coming. "Look up at me… Do not cry, brave youth… You are wise to come here, as are you, sacred beast…" Eldin turned to Link.

The wolf looked straight at the spirit, barely flinching at the horrible sight. Zelda winced slightly as shivers ran down her spine.

"You see my current state… I have been plagued by a dark evil…" The great bird's wings were drooping slightly, and their flaps were not as graceful as they once were. "I have no knowledge of it…"

Link whimpered, but Zelda had an idea.

"Eldin," She began, and then reached into her cloak. As she pulled out the small black piece of the shattered orb, Eldin let out a hoarse yet high-pitched shriek. "Lanayru was attacked by the same dark virus that has infested your sacred body, but we stopped the horrid creatures. This object was the result." She stepped forward, holding it out with both hands. The silver lines began glowing, and Zelda squinted from the sudden burst of light.

"Lanayru spoke of an orb, the source of this evil." Zelda continued, trying to recall Lanayru's exact words. The brightness of the orb was only increasing, and it was beginning to spread through all of Kakariko Village. "It is the source of the evil, but it will also be the end of this evil. She said that the orb was shattered by the evil that escaped from it."

"…The Orb of Darkness's Plague…" Eldin rasped. Link's ears perked up, and Zelda sucked in a discreet breath. "It has been shattered… This has never been done before…"

"The Orb of Darkness's Plague?" Zelda repeated, taking another step forward. "Please, Light Spirit, can you tell us more about this orb?"

"It was created by the goddesses." The bird croaked. "When Hyrule was first created… they were forced to create the sacred orb…"

"What forced them to do so?"

"WOOF!" Link suddenly barked, and then shrunk back as if in pain.

"Link, what—" Zelda was interrupted by an excruciating burning in her hands, where the orb was sitting. A gasp escaped her lips, and she dropped the shattered piece as the incessant burning continued in her palms. As the piece fell into the water, it floated up to the surface and began trembling heavily. Ripples appeared in the golden spring, and Eldin let out another shriek. The gold was replaced with black, and for a moment, Zelda's sight became complete darkness.

When her vision had returned, the pain in her hands was gone. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zelda turned to Link, who was also free of the pain he was in. Then, they both looked at Eldin. What they saw was something they had not been expecting.

Eldin's wings were fully stretched out, and he was looking up at the cloudy sky. He was shaking slightly, and the spring was still black. Zelda felt the evil presence. Then, from all over the bird's body, black bugs fell into the spring, their green light shimmering. Slowly, ever so slowly, the gold and white was returning to Eldin's body, and the virus was leaving him. Zelda found herself smiling, but Link was crouching and baring his teeth, ready to pounce.

Soon, Eldin was completely free of the black evil. But the bugs were still crawling around on the surface of the black water. However, they wouldn't get near the light spirit. Then, Zelda's mind developed a brilliant theory.

There are four light spirits… She thought. …Four targets for the bugs. The group of bugs that attacked Lanayru was defeated, and they created the piece of the shattered orb… There could be four pieces of the orb… so each group of bugs creates a piece of the orb! If we destroy this group, we'll get another piece of the orb! Though she was jumping for joy inside for this discovery, she kept a straight face. Link was still oblivious, and moving slowly towards the bugs.

Just as the two advanced forward, ready to attack, Eldin's majestic caw shattered the air and caused them both to flinch. The bugs scattered, their small legs moving frantically. Zelda stopped, sensing that Eldin wasn't cawing for his own enjoyment. Link growled and took another step, but Zelda put an arm in front to stop him. He looked up at her curiously, but she kept her eyes ahead.

Eldin lowered himself toward the water, and with another cry, the surface of the light sphere dipped into the black spring, and golden ripples ran through the water with incredible speed. Zelda was nearly knocked off of her feet, and her hair blew back. Link turned his head sideways, letting the gust of wind hit the side of his face. Before the princess could even blink, the water was pure golden again, and the bugs were shriveling up. A broad smile spread across her face, and joy flowed through her faster than the bugs were dying. The light was killing them… just as it did for most evil.

"…The Orb of Darkness's Plague…" Eldin repeated eerily. And then, just like before, the bodies of the bugs began to morph together into the orb piece. That's when Zelda knew that her theory was right. Zelda was almost always right anyways.

The second piece of the orb dropped in front of Link, floating in the water. Both Link and Zelda were panting and staring in amazement and Eldin and the spring. The light spirit was completely back to normal, and Zelda almost fainted in happiness.

"…You have done well…" Eldin spoke. "…But there is still much to be done… Faron and Ordona will not have the ability to defeat the evil as I just did… They have been plagued for a while now, and lack the energy to do so… That job will be up to you…" Zelda nodded, straightening her back and gazing at Eldin proudly.

"…Please do not underestimate this evil… Though it seems weak, it is far from that… It has abilities different than you would imagine…"

"What abilities, sacred Light Spirit?" The princess asked respectfully. Eldin simply shook his head.

"…You will find out soon enough, unless Faron and Ordona are freed as soon as possible… Then maybe you will be able to stop this before it starts…"

Eldin's words were haunting, and Zelda saw the goose bumps appear on her skin. Link's throat rumbled.

"…As you may have noticed, light is the key to defeating these creatures of darkness, just as it was with shadow beings of twilight… but these are creatures of a different darkness, one less powerful but more strategic… Be wary, brave youths."

"If light has the power to defeat this evil, will the Master Sword be enough?" The question just popped into Zelda's head.

"…The blade of evil's bane will be enough to kill the creatures themselves… But you will need more than that to defeat the source…"

"What is the source?" Zelda inquired, but she saw what was coming.

"Find the other spirits…" And then the bird was gone. She cursed on the inside, but simply sighed deeply.

LINK POV

Link stared at the second piece as anger, frustration, and pain took over his body.

It's not fair, he thought. Suddenly, he remembered the riddle and honed his senses on the second piece. To his delight, more silver words were written on the second piece.

The second piece of the orb in your grasp

The hands of two brothers may now clasp

Pieces are brothers shattered by darkness

Two more pieces, no more no less

Chosen One takes on the form of a feral beast

Connect the brothers and enjoy your feast

Of victory, though long it will not last

For a third brother awaits, though you must be fast

Link began to decipher the riddle in his mind, line by line. Zelda was still staring at the spot where Eldin had been floating, and she seemed mesmerized. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, Link saw a shadow move at the entrance of Kakariko Village. He whirled around, baring his sharp teeth and growling. There was nothing, but he refused to let his guard down either way. Trying to shake it off, he continued with the riddle.

Hands of two brothers may now clasp… The word 'brothers' must be a metaphor for the pieces.

Two more pieces, no more no less… They had two more pieces to find, one from Faron and one from Ordona.

Chosen One takes on the form of a feral beast… There was no need for Link to think about that line.

Connect the brothers… That was all Link needed to know. Without another moment's hesitation, Link grabbed the second piece in his mouth and tapped Zelda's leg with his paw. With a blink, she snapped out of her trance and looked down at him. He held up the piece, eagerly urging her to take it. She took it with a sweet smile, and then picked up the first piece from the water. Link sat in front of her, his heart pounding and his thoughts racing. He was almost one hundred percent sure that this would do the trick.

"They look as if they'd fit perfectly." Zelda said as she examined the two pieces, more to herself than to Link. Then, with Link splashing the water with his tail and staring up at her, she connected the two pieces. A small, silver sparkle erupted from the contact, and then everything was still. For a moment, Link's heart dropped. But then, the Triforce on his paw began glowing. Then the pain came. It was blinding, agonizing, almost unbearable…

Everything became white, and he heard Zelda's voice screaming his name. Then, he felt his limbs growing and his fur disappearing. He could sense the instincts fading away, but the pain wouldn't stop. This was what he'd been waiting for, and now he wanted it to stop. It was unlike any other pain he'd ever experience, and he'd experienced a lot of pain.

In the next few moments, Link found himself standing on two wobbly legs. The burning was gone. But before he could even feel a single second of relief, everything was black.

Well, you know what to do at this point. REVIEW! (please) Hahahahaha constructive criticism is still welcome, and I hope you guys liked it. Chapter ten will be up soon. Thanks again!