Chapter twelve has arrived! It's a bit boring, but don't worry. Chapter thirteen is coming up soon, and thing might just heat up ;)

Chapter Twelve: Zelda's Theories

All of Link's energy was completely gone when we walked back out to where the rest of the Gorons were lying. He had never experienced it before: sitting at somebody's deathbed and watching the light leave their eyes, sensing their last breath leave their lungs. It made him want to curl up in a corner and just cry, which wasn't too farfetched at the moment. As he absentmindedly took one step after another, he wiped his teary eyes with the back of his gloved hand, trying to shake the image of Gor Coron's death out of his brain. And so many other Gorons were suffering the same pain that the elder had been through. Link suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

Darbus was still in the room of Gor Coron, praying for him. Link just hadn't been able to handle it, and left before breaking into hysterical sobs right there. And the most frightening part was that he had a feeling that this wasn't the last encounter he was going to have with death. No, not with this plague…

Instinctively, Link's legs took him someplace he hadn't even been thinking about until the moment he arrived there. He blinked, and saw that he was standing at the mat where he had defeated Gor Coron in sumo wrestling with his iron boots. His blue eyes stared at it blankly while his mind replayed that memory, and he somehow found himself smiling. Time didn't matter, and Link couldn't even keep track of it as he gazed aimlessly at the mat. He remembered all of the other Gorons surrounding them, and he remembered how nervous he had been. Then came the memories of his victory, and the triumph he had relished.

A light touch on his shoulder brought him back to reality, and he whirled around defensively. But he let his guard down when he saw Zelda staring at him with solemn eyes. Her touch comforted him, and he smiled appreciatively. Suddenly, his eyes fell on her other hand. It was clenched in a tight fist, and he saw the tip of a crumpled, yellow piece of paper. He furrowed his brow curiously, but Zelda hastily squeezed her fist and then hid it inside of her cloak. In a split second, the paper was gone, and Zelda's sad composure returned.

"I just heard about Gor Coron." She said quietly. "I'm so sorry." He looked away, afraid of the return of more tears. Zelda sighed, trying to read his expression. He was almost as good at hiding his emotions as she was.

Zelda opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could, they felt the rumble of Darbus's footsteps. He entered the sumo room, putting his hands on his hips and looking around. He took a deep, cleansing breath through his nose and then exhaled out of his mouth.

"Gor Coron is dead." He said. His voice was completely monotonous. Link and Zelda both looked down. "Many Gorons are sick."

"We wish there was more we could do." Zelda said. Darbus nodded, but wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I know. But there is nothing you can do now. It is better if you leave." His words caught both of them off guard.

"But, you need our help." Zelda argued gently.

"You have no help to give us. You have been here long enough, trying to help save the Gorons. Nothing has worked… it is better that you just go home." Darbus swallowed and ran his hand over his head. "There's nothing more you can do."

"We'll find the cure." Link suddenly intervened. Darbus and Zelda both stared at him with perplexed expressions. "We promise."

"Uh… yes," Zelda agreed uncertainly.

"But for now, you must leave. I am sorry, but I thank you for your time and efforts. Do you need escorts down Death Mountain?" Darbus stepped aside, leaving the exit open.

"No, no, we can go alone." Zelda smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. And, again, we're terribly sorry for your losses. We'll do as much as we can to help you." Darbus simply nodded, and then returned to looking at the room where Gor Coron had spent so much time.

Link and Zelda were both silent as they walked out, starting their journey back to Kakariko Village. Without saying a word, they grabbed each other's hands and stayed close. Link led her down, and the journey back was much easier than the journey up. It was mostly downhill, and they steered clear of most of the geysers. Kakariko Village was beginning to stir again when they reached it, and Link had mixed feelings about that. He felt happy that the village wasn't deserted, but he also felt guilty about leaving the Gorons so high and dry, even though Darbus had insisted that they leave. He just couldn't shake off the terrible feeling he had, and his eyes constantly looked to Zelda's cloak, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious paper she had.

"We need to go back to Castle Town before we do anything else." She stated as they neared the spring, and Link nodded. Habitually, he pulled Epona's Horse Call from his pack and blew into it. The sound of Epona's song greatly comforted him, and he eagerly awaited her arrival. Zelda was just as entranced as before, listening to the music with intent ears and closed eyes. Link was happy that she liked it.

It always took a few minutes for Epona to arrive, but this time, it was taking longer than usual. Link looked around anxiously, expecting her to come galloping through the entrance at any moment. She never came, and Zelda was just as perplexed as he was.

"Is Epona okay?" She asked, touching Link's arm.

Out of pure frustration, Link threw the Horse Call on the ground angrily and screamed in aggravation and disbelief. Now was not a good time for this to happen. Fury and rage were written on his face as he took deep, steady breaths. Zelda simply gazed at him worriedly. His hands clenched into fists, and he kicked dirt on the Horse Call in irritation. He couldn't hold in his uncommon temper anymore, especially after what he'd just been through.

There was only one place Epona could be if she wasn't answering her horse call… and there was only one person she could be with.

ILIA POV

The tears were finally starting to disappear as Ilia rode on aimlessly through Hyrule. She didn't even know what province she was in or how far she was from Castle Town or Ordon. She didn't care. All she did know was that riding on Epona through the majestic fields was one of the only things that could comfort her in this hour. Link definitely couldn't, not after what Ilia had just witnessed. Link was a wolf… a frightening, feral, defensive wolf. He was a savage creature that would kill at the sight of anything, always baring its sharp teeth and piercing claws.

There was one thing Ilia had noticed hadn't changed about Link in his wolf form: his eyes. They remained just as blue, just as fierce, and just as beautiful. Through those eyes, she had seen the soul of the boy she loved. She saw her best friend. But when the wolf started growling, that boy was gone. It broke Ilia's heart. What broke her heart even more was the fact that Zelda was there for him and she wasn't.

"How are you doing, Epona?" Ilia sniffled and sat back in the saddle as she pulled on the reins and patted Epona's neck. The horse slowed to a walk, bobbing her head and whinnying. Ilia chuckled, knowing that only Epona had the power to make her do so at a time like this. There was nobody else to comfort her but the loyal, sweet-tempered horse that belonged to Link.

"I wonder if you know where we are." She sighed uneasily. Of course, she received no response. Epona simply continued walking. The sun was beginning to go down, and Ilia was starting to feel worried and a bit frightened about her circumstances. It was at that moment that she realized how stupid she was to run away like that, stealing Link's horse and going out into a world she barely knew of. The tears reappeared, and out of the corner her eye she saw a small statue of a creepy, wooden owl. She flinched, suppressing her yelps. She couldn't help but stare at the haunting little bird, and it stared right back at her. The fear she felt only augmented.

"L-let's go. It's getting dark… maybe there's a town nearby." She suggested, and nudged Epona forward. They kept moving. For a moment, Epona paused and perked up her head, ears twitching. She was completely still, as if listening to something that Ilia couldn't hear. Then, they were back on the road. Ilia, though she always tried to be brave, was hopelessly lost in Hyrule with nobody but a horse to help her.

LINK POV

For the first part of their journey through Hyrule Field, Zelda and Link were both silent. His thoughts were consumed with Gor Coron, the plague, the spirits, and most of all, Zelda. He examined her intently as they walked. He noticed all of her perfection, and admired every single part of her in his mind. Those blue eyes: so soft and full of kindness. That brown, silky hair: thick and perfectly groomed. Her lips: a lovely shade of pink, thin, always wearing a sweet smile. Her nose: wonderfully sculpted and fitted right onto her beautiful face. The complexion: pale, yet rosy. The pink dress: adorned with traditional Hylian designs and so unbelievably flattering on her slender silhouette. He could spot no imperfections. But he was sure that as the two of them grew closer, those imperfections would become apparent. Link was looking forward to that, because he knew Zelda wasn't perfect, and he didn't want her to act like it.

"Link, I think we need to talk more about this evil." Her smooth voice suddenly broke the silence, and Link looked straight into her eyes. He wanted her to know that she had his full attention. And he nodded, agreeing with her suggestion.

Link was just ready to listen, so, Zelda started talking.

"Obviously, according to the riddles and to the states of the Gorons and the spirits, this evil is a virus. Which means it will spread like one. And I have a theory about the Orb of Darkness's Plague, but I can't be sure of it until I take a better look into the history of Hyrule. Perhaps the virus was held inside of the orb at one point, and somehow escaped and is now wreaking havoc across Hyrule. Again, I'm not sure about that…" She paused, gathering her thoughts and taking a deep breath. "This virus is, of course, fatal. Gor Coron has proven that."

Link cringed at the memory.

"This orb is very important, especially if the light spirits know about it. Also, I'm sure you noticed what happened to Eldin when I revealed the first piece of the shattered orb to him. The small bugs flowed from his body like rivers of blackness. That means that somehow, the orb controls the bugs."

"Like a source of power." Link observed.

"Exactly like a source of power." Zelda nodded, a small smile on her serene face. Link thought he saw her cheeks get redder, but maybe it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. "But Lanayru also said that though it was the source of the evil, it was also the way evil would be stopped. So the only explanation is that this orb has the power to contain this evil. What we need to figure out is how to do that. But I'm certain that first, we need to find the other two pieces."

Link opened his mouth to ask a question, but Zelda answered it before he even had a chance to say a word.

"As for the cure, we need more information before we can know for sure. Perhaps the orb itself is the cure… but if the virus spreads like it's spreading now, the orb won't be enough to save everybody. There must be some kind of antidote, or some way to cure the people who are sick without the orb. There just has to be." She sighed. "But like I said before, we need more information."

Link's eyes instinctively moved to the spot where the crinkled piece of paper, acquired form the library of the Gorons, was hidden inside her cloak. She hastily looked away, obviously hiding something. But Link knew that Zelda always had good reasons for her actions, so he didn't question them.

"There's still one more thing we need to address." Zelda continued. Link furrowed his brow, apparently missing something. "Your transformation."

"Oh." Now he remembered, as much as he wanted to forget.

"The riddle explained part of it. It said talked about 'Chosen Ones' and mentioned one turning into a feral beast. Of course, it was referring to you. That means that there really is something about this virus that's even more than just a plague. It's true evil if it has the power to transform you into your wolf form. That means that the Triforce of Courage inside of you reacted to the virus spreading through your body by turning you into a wolf. Link," She sighed, shaking her head slightly. "This is not a good thing. This means that this evil is one battling against the goddesses. The darkness is one of great power, though it may not seem like it right now.

"For this, we also need more information. I need to be able to predict what would happen to me if I were to be plagued by this virus. In the Twilight, I simply maintained my true form. But I fear that this is even more powerful than the Twilight. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?" Zelda raised her eyebrows.

"Mm," Link nodded. He understood perfectly. Now, all of a sudden, he found himself concerned for Zelda's safety. If he turned into a wolf, there was no telling what would happen to her, and he was determined to protect her.

"What we need to do now is gather more information. But the light spirits, as I'm sure you know, don't have much time." Zelda stopped walking, and touched his arm. Her expression was blank, but he saw a twinkle of desperation in her eyes. "That's where my plan comes in."

Link noticed the sun setting, and he knew darkness would be falling soon.

"While I search the library, gathering information, you go to the light spirits and try to help them. Maybe you'll get some more explanations on the way." She said. Then, her face softened and she looked down. This time, Link was certain that she was blushing. "I wish I could go with you. I truly don't want to be separated… But I feel that it's the only way."

Link sighed, but nodded in understanding. Zelda's plans almost always worked, and this one was hopefully no different. However, he was also reluctant to leave her side. He just wanted to stay there forever. As those thoughts entered his mind, his face felt suddenly hot.

"For now, though, let's just get to Castle Town. I think we've had a rough few days, have we not?" A shaky smile appeared, and Link felt his crooked grin beginning. "We could use some rest."

It took them another hour to reach Castle Town, and both of them were nearly drained of all energy by the time they got there. But Link didn't want to sleep, because he knew that when he woke up, he would have to leave Zelda. He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, and the fun of Castle Town was just getting started as they walked into Central Plaza. Zelda, of course, had put up her hood by this time and was in complete disguise. Link resented that fact. Lights were bright everywhere, kiosks of the night were opening up, and the most delicious Hylian delicacies were being sold all around. They stood by the fountain for a few minutes, taking in their surroundings. Then, they looked at each other with sly expressions.

"I suppose Telma's Bar can wait…" Zelda began. "Let's just have some fun tonight. My treat."

Hopefully, that helped explained some stuff to you. And also, I hope that it wasn't too boring. If it is, tell me in your reviews and I can make some revisions! Thanks! :DDD Be ready for chapter thirteen, coming soon :)