Here's chapter ten! It's a bit short, and I know that the story isn't exactly matching up with the summary yet, but don't worry! I'm getting there ;) Link will get his reward. Heheheh enjoy!

Chapter Ten: The Transformation

ZELDA POV

Her fingers tingled as she connected the two pieces, sending a spark of silver light through the air. Then there was silence. Her heart skipped a beat, and Zelda looked down at the disappointed wolf in sympathy. She was about to comfort him when the two connected pieces began glowing white, and then Link's Triforce started shimmering. His eyes grew wide and the black pupils became large, and all the fur on his body stood up. She saw his legs shaking, and the queasy feeling in her stomach returned. That's when Link let out a frightening howl and dropped into the water, writhing in agony.

"Link!" Zelda shrieked worriedly, dropping the orb. He was beginning to glow white, and the howling continued. All she could think about was stopping the suffering he was going through, and she reached out to him. But just as her fingers neared his fur, a burning sensation ran up her arm, and she drew it back instinctively with clenched teeth. Then, the howling suddenly stopped, and the white glow emanating from him intensified. For a moment, all Zelda could see was white. She shielded her eyes from the bright light as a strong wind blew around them.

Finally, when the light died down, Zelda's vision cleared up. Relief washed over her, and her heart began pounding when she saw that Link had returned to his human form. His back was to her, and she could see that his legs were wobbling and threatening to give out. She took a step forward, but without warning, he moaned quietly and tumbled backwards. She caught him, and his unexpected weight forced her to her knees in the shallow water. His eyes were closed, and he was completely unconscious. Zelda was frightened, but at the same time, she was overwhelmed with joy at the fact that he was back to normal and in her arms. Her breathing was heavy while his was steady and even. There was no doubt that he was perfectly healthy and back to normal.

"Thank the goddesses," She sighed with a smile, glancing up at the sky habitually. Link was still leaning against her, his legs stretched out in the water and his chest in her lap. Zelda gazed at his gorgeous face with longing eyes, and the pace of her heart quickened. He seemed so serene, so beautiful.

Before she realized what she was doing, she had taken off his green hat and was running her fingers through his tangled, sandy hair caringly. The princess couldn't help but caress his flustered cheek, a smile playing on her lips softly. She placed a kiss on top of his head, and leaned her cheek against him.

"I love you," She whispered quietly to herself, closing her eyes with a dreamy sigh. She hoped– no, she prayed that he felt the same way.

ILIA POV

Ilia was beginning to get tired of the crowded streets and different people of Castle Town. It was so different from Ordon and Kakariko Village, and she felt like a fish out of water. All she wanted to do was find Link and go back home. She found herself angry at him for agreeing to come see Princess Zelda on such short notice anyway, especially after he'd just returned home after such a long journey. At the same time, she was worried sick and needed to find him as soon as possible. He was the only thing on her mind… well, plus the jealousy she was feeling towards Zelda…

"Excuse me, have you seen a boy wearing a green tunic?" Ilia had been asking that question for most of the morning, with no luck. "He has blond hair and blue eyes." Nobody saw him, much to her dismay.

Okay, that's it! She thought angrily. He's not in Castle Town! I've looked in every door, asked every person, and still nothing! He must be out somewhere… but where? Ilia's frustration was increasing with each step she took, until she convinced herself to leave Castle Town. Ilia walked across the bridge completely ignorant and oblivious to all of Hyrule. The danger she was putting herself into didn't even matter, because it was for Link's sake. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't have the slightest idea where he was, but she had to find him. She needed to find him.

"Link!" She called into Hyrule Field, cupping her hands around her mouth. "LINK!" There was no answer to her call. The tears were appearing in her eyes when she thought of him abandoning her for Zelda. It broke her heart.

Suddenly, a whinny caught her attention, and her eyes moved to Epona. The beautiful mare was still tethered outside Castle Town, and she bobbed her head at the sight of Ilia.

"Epona! You're still here!" Ilia gushed, rushing over to the horse and petting her caringly. "That means Link can't be far." She bit her lip anxiously as an idea popped into her head, and her fingers instinctively wrapped around Epona's reins.

This would be wrong, and unfair… She thought to herself. But there's no other way to find him. With that thought in mind, Ilia hopped onto Epona's back and turned her around to face Hyrule Field.

"Where should we start first? Where do you think he could be?" Ilia leaned forward and said those words into Epona's twitchy ears. Of course, she received no reply beside a cheerful whinny. Ilia chuckled to herself, and then her eyes fell onto the path to Kakariko Village. It was a good place to start, she thought, because Link was so used to atmosphere and he must feel at home in Kakariko Village.

"Kakariko Village it is." Ilia patted Epona's neck and nudged her stomach with her heel, urging forward toward the small town.

In a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance to Kakariko Village. Ilia felt her heart racing when she heard voices coming from inside. Her instincts told her to be inconspicuous, so she softly dismounted Epona and began slowly leading her into the village. As soon as she was close to the spring, she saw a blinding white light and drew back a bit. But the voices continued, and she heard screaming, so she continued walking. She was almost certain that she heard Princess Zelda's voice. She gasped quietly, and then subconsciously let go of Epona's reins and moved on alone.

Ilia kept close to the wall so that if anyone were there, they wouldn't be able to see her. The white light was beginning to die down, and Ilia caught sight of the spring. And there, standing in the water, was Princess Zelda. At her feet was a wolf, and they were both staring blankly ahead. Ilia followed their gaze, but could see nothing. They were staring into thin air, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.

What is catching their attention? And what is that wolf? Her eyes widened as she examined the frightening creature, and she drew in a breath when she saw his piercing blue eyes. They brought back memories, and she somehow recognized them.

Zelda began speaking, but she wasn't speaking to anything. Then, everything was white again. Ilia held in a scream as she turned away, shielding her face from the overwhelming light. It went on for a few minutes, and she thought that she might go blind if it went on any longer. Finally, it stopped. Her vision was full of colorful spots from her recent blindness, but besides that, her eyesight was back to normal. Zelda and the wolf were still standing there, and Ilia found it absolutely remarkable that the wolf was so… tame. It simply stood there at Zelda's heels, looking at her every once in a while.

Suddenly, Ilia lost her balance for a moment and let out a small yelp. The wolf began growling, and its ears twitched. Then, it whirled around and faced the spot where Ilia was standing. Shivers ran up her spine as she pressed against the wall, her heart racing and her breathing heavy. She heard its menacing growling, and her green eyes widened in fear.

What if the wolf comes over here? I'm done for… She closed her eyes as tightly as she could, whimpering slightly. Wolfs were not something she wanted to come in contact with.

The growling stopped, but Ilia didn't dare come out of her hiding spot. If the wolf heard her again, it would surely attack. All Ilia needed to do was–

"Link!" She heard the familiar voice of Princess Zelda call her best friend's name, and without hesitation, Ilia stepped forward so that the spring was in her view. The wolf was writhing around in the spring, obviously in pain. Because of her love of animals, Ilia felt a pang of sympathy run through her veins, and she held back the urge to go help the poor creature. It simply sat there howling and writhing, and its eyes were wide in pain and confusion. The suffering it was going through wrenched Ilia's heart.

But why is Zelda calling Link's name? Then, it all made sense to Ilia, because right before her eyes, the wolf turned into Link. The shock that Ilia felt was indescribable; she felt betrayal, hurt, surprise, shock, but also, things started making sense.

Why didn't he tell me? I've been his best friend since we were children! Her eyes started filling with tears as she watched Link fall, unconscious, into Zelda's arms. He would tell Zelda but not me, his best friend! How is it even possible? How can Link, the boy I love, be a wolf?

Ilia needed time to think. She needed time to just be alone and mull over the recent events in her mind. The perfect way to do it was go on a nice, relaxing horseback ride through Hyrule Field. Monsters or not, she just needed to get away. Link betrayed her. It wasn't fair.

I hate him! I hate him, and I hate Princess Zelda! Why does he like her? She has no emotions! As those thoughts ran through her mind, Ilia mounted Epona and wiped the flowing tears off of her cheeks. A sob escaped her lips as she galloped away.

Why doesn't he love me?

ZELDA POV

Link didn't stir for a while. He remained in his slumber, leaning against Zelda in the spring. She didn't move a single inch. She was perfectly content caring for him until he awoke, because after all, he'd been through a rough day. But something was gnawing at Zelda. It was the fact that there was nobody else around. Kakariko Village was completely deserted. There weren't even any Gorons anywhere. The voice inside her head was screaming again. She had the sudden urge to go inside, somewhere safe. Her eyes immediately moved to Renado's house, and she remembered how much Link trusted the shaman.

"Link," She called his name softly, leaning down towards him. "Wake up, Link. Wake up." His eyelids fluttered, and he stirred slightly in the water. "Come on, Link, we need to go inside."

Link's eyes finally opened droopily, and he shifted his position. He instinctively put his hand to his head, and moaned quietly. Zelda smiled, and he glanced at her face dazedly. Then, he glanced at his gloved hands in surprise, and then a large smile spread across his face. He was just realizing that he was human again, and Zelda's heart felt warm from seeing Link so happy.

The hero was still weak, and Zelda helped him stand up. He was almost completely leaned against her, and he could barely stand.

"Come on, we'll get you inside to rest." She comforted as she began leading him out of the spring and towards Renado's house.

The fire was still burning in the fireplace when they entered, but there was nobody inside. It gave Zelda chills. Link, however faint he was, seemed surprised as well. Nevertheless, there was a bed waiting for him and the fire ready to keep him warm. The princess helped him into the bed, and then covered his body with the blanket. He smiled appreciatively, still somewhat disoriented.

"Do you need anything? A glass of water, another blanket, anything?" Zelda asked softly, eagerly ready to help. Link shook his head as he sat up, leaning his back against the bedpost. A sweet smile lit up his face as they gazed into each other's eyes, and Zelda felt her cheeks grow hot.

Then there was silence for a little while.

"Just rest for a little bit. Wait until your energy returns. Then, we can go back to Hyrule Castle Town. I still have some things I want to discuss with you… things I only trust you with." She continued. Link nodded, putting his hand on top of hers and silencing her.

"Thank you." He said genuinely, his silky voice echoing in Zelda's ears.

"You're welcome." She replied. For a moment, everything was perfect. For a moment, Zelda forgot that Hyrule, her precious kingdom, was in danger. For a moment, Link was the only thing she saw… and she never wanted that moment to end.

The door being thrown open interrupted that one beautiful second, and Zelda and Link both jumped. Standing in the doorway was Renado, and he was panting heavily and in a rush.

"Renado!" Zelda stood, letting her fingers slip from Link's. "I'm sorry, it's just—"

"Princess," He gasped, leaning down for a breath. Zelda furrowed her brow and threw Link a worried glance. He had an intense expression on his face, and Zelda was used to that expression. It meant that he was ready to jump into action.

"The Gorons… Death Mountain… There's a terrible plague! All of the Gorons are dying!"

Coincidence? I... think... NOT! Haha I'll update soon, hope you liked it! :D