Here it is! Chapter Twenty-One (buh...buh...buuuuh.) There are some more people I have to thank:

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Chapter Twenty-One: A Bug and A Book

LINK POV

Link reached Faron Woods in no time because, after all, he knew Hyrule so well. Even Epona was perfectly comfortable with the trails and seemed to know exactly where she was going, happy with her beloved master on her back. Link patted her neck, muttering grateful and encouraging words in her twitching ears. He pulled the reins and sat back in the saddle, bringing her to a walk as he entered the woods he recognized so well. But there was something he didn't recognize when he entered.

All of the grass around him was wilting, and Link drew in an anxious breath as Epona continued forward. Her steps became slightly hesitant as they both noticed the dying atmosphere. There was complete silence except for an eerie wind in the air, and Link could've sworn he saw black ashes blowing in the breeze. There was not a single speck of green in the once lush forest, and Link's stomach churned uncomfortably. Everything was brown and dying, and there was a haunting dryness in the air. He could hear whispers in the air, calling his name and beckoning him to the spring.

Link was horrified. Everything was completely changed; it was just proof that Faron was sick and not getting any better. He ran a hand over his face, wishing that he could hear something other than the terrifying whispers and his own heavy breathing. With a pounding heart, he dismounted his loyal horse, and as soon as his boots made contact with the dry earth, he felt the presence of the evil. His Triforce began glowing, and he stared at it blankly. Epona whinnied uncomfortably, and he stroked her face reassuringly.

Link tethered Epona on a wilting tree and continued on alone, trying to ignore the goose bumps appearing on his pale skin. When he looked up, he saw that even the sky was gray and the sun was nowhere to be seen. There was no sign of life; Link didn't see any bugs or animals. Not even the monsters were there.

His feet carried him to Faron's spring, and he automatically thought about the incomplete orb in his knapsack, accompanied by the perplexing riddle. The water in Faron's spring was dark and blurry with ashes and specks of black floating in the once clear, beautiful blue water. Link hesitated in stepping forward into the spring, and there was a terrible knot in the pit of his churning stomach. There was not a soul in the spring.

As soon as he stepped into the vicinity, a hot gust of wind blew, and his dirty blond hair billowed in the evil breeze. Though it was warm, he shivered involuntarily and immediately unsheathed his sword. Suddenly, he heard that sound… the ominous scuttling sound…

Link put up his sword protectively, glancing around the spring with anxious, narrowed eyes. Then the sound came from behind, and he whirled around. There was nothing there.

"O Hero of Twilight…" Faron's hoarse, raspy voice suddenly erupted into the haunting atmosphere. Link turned back around, still at the ready. The golden droplet appeared in the water, and the monkey-like spirit swung out from the water and hung onto the light orb. He was black and a sickening green, and Link could practically see the dark evil radiating off of the poor spirit. He bowed his head loyally, but he still kept listening intently for the scuttling sound.

"I am weak…" Faron continued, and then he coughed. Link saw his eyelids drooping and the strength seeping from his sacred body. "My time… is coming…"

Link, without hesitation, pulled out the pieces of the orb. He remembered what had happened to Eldin when Zelda showed him the first piece; the bugs had flown out of his body.

"It… can't be…" Faron gaped. "The Orb… of Darkness's Plague…"

"Please, tell me more about it," Link requested. Faron coughed once again, hanging on to his ball weakly. "Why was the orb created?"

"In ancient times… when Hyrule was first created…" he began. "A black source of evil escaped from the depths of the heavens… and descended upon the people…"

Link narrowed his eyes, nodding in understanding. Faron was evidently speaking of the source, the one guarded by the knight that had attacked Ilia. But what was it…?

"A terrible plague spread through the land… all people fell ill, and there was nobody immune to it but three people… the Chosen Ones."

Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf's ancestors were the ones immune to it.

"But… eventually, while trying to vanquish this evil… even these three fell to its great power…" Faron caught Link off guard with those words. "They were unable to defeat the source of the black bugs…"

Things once again became screwed up in Link's head, and he was confused again. If Zelda were here, she'd understand exactly what was going on. But, much to Link's dismay, she wasn't beside him. He wished with all of his heart that she were.

"The goddesses decided to take things into their own hands… Farore, Nayru, and Din created the Orb of Darkness's Plague to capture and hold the source of the evil… It is the only object powerful enough to hold the source…" Faron sighed with a cough. "And now… it has been shattered… The source has escaped… and is wreaking havoc through Hyrule…"

Link sucked in a breath nervously, habitually twirling his sword in his glowing hand.

"This is a story seldom told in Hyrule now… But it is true, nevertheless… The Orb… It must be reassembled… and the evil source must be defeated…"

Link was about to ask what the source was, but the shattered orb in his hand began burning with incessant heat. With a scream of pain, he dropped the burning object and looked at his hand. And orange mark glowed in his palm.

Suddenly, the process repeated itself. Faron shrieked menacingly, and bugs erupted from his body. Slowly, the light began returning. The orb glowed brightly in the spring, the silver designs lighting up and blinding him for a few moments. Faron returned to his normal gold and white state, but Link could see that he was weak. Ignoring the slight sting in his hand, he readied himself to attack the bugs falling into the black water.

"Wait, o brave youth…" Faron demanded. "Put your sword… the blade of evil's bane… put it in the water…"

With a nod, Link obeyed and dipped his sword in the spring. Then, the Master Sword's unique light spread throughout the spring, making it glow a beautiful golden color. However, the power of the light sent Link flying backwards, and he landed on the ground harshly. The Master Sword remained floating on the surface of the glowing spring, and Link vaguely heard the agonized screams of the dying bugs. He slowly sat up, putting a hand to his aching head. The bugs were beginning to shrivel up, and before long, they were all dead.

The light of the sword died down, and the spring was back to normal. Link sighed in relief and managed to stand up. All around him, things were beginning to return to their usual state and the darkness was disappearing. But there was still something missing.

The dead bugs, he thought, examining them as he picked up his sword. They're not morphing into the orb! That must mean not all of them are dead…

"Ah!" he shouted in pain as he felt a sting erupt through the back of his leg. It forced him to his knees with a strained grunt and dizzy eyesight. Link managed to look backward, and he saw a black bug attached to his calf. It had bitten him, and now he felt the blackness running through his body. The evil was overwhelming his body, and he began trembling horridly. His sword dropped into the water, creating an eerie splash. He let out another agonized scream, and then…

Link once again transformed into the wolf.

ZELDA POV

Zelda felt comfortable walking through the perplex corridors of her castle, Shad at her heels. He was gazing in amazement at the portraits on the walls and the amazing architecture of the building.

"So it's true! The castle really is as beautiful as I've heard," he observed. Zelda chuckled at his childish gawking, but she understood.

"The library is the best part of the entire castle," she interjected. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"I can't wait!" Shad squealed excitedly, adjusting his glasses. He then began flipping aimlessly through his notebook, licking his fingers as he turned the pages. Zelda watched him glance at it for a moment, taking note of his scholarly expression and narrowed eyes. He was looking at something very intently, and Zelda smiled to herself as she looked away. Still, she couldn't Link off of her racing mind. Her heart wouldn't stomp beating its desire for his return.

"This way," she turned a corner, and then led him up a twirling flight of stairs. Shad gaped at the mosaics on the windows, gasping at the art. The halls were practically deserted, which was unusual for Zelda. She furrowed her brow curiously, wondering where all of the servants were, but she tried to ignore the fact and went to the library.

Large wooden doors led into Zelda's safe haven, and she pushed them open before strolling gracefully into the large room.

"Oh, good gracious," Shad dropped his notebook, and his jaw dropped as the door closed behind him. Large, incredible shelves lined the room, each one filled with tens of thousands of books. It was one of the biggest rooms that Shad had ever laid eyes upon. Shelves went on as far as the eye could see, and pieces of furniture dotted the library here and there. The most amazing part was the ceiling; there was no ceiling.

There was just a large, clear glass dome staring up at the sky. It stretched across the entire library, letting in the sunlight and exposing the library. Shad needed to remind himself to breathe steadily so that he wouldn't faint again. Along the edges of the windows and the walls, traditional Hylian designs and portraits of the Royal Family stood. Tapestries hung majestically, and Zelda took a deep breath. She was home.

"You said you needed information about the Oocca?" Zelda asked. However, she knew that information about Oocca wouldn't help much. At the same time, she prayed that Shad might find something helpful while she examined Hyrule's history.

"Uh, y-yes," he stumbled. Zelda rolled her eyes humorously and gestured for him to follow her. She felt… comfortable around him, as if she had known him her entire life.

It was completely deserted, but she knew exactly where she was going as she weaved her way through the shelves and glanced at the books.

"It should be here," They arrived at a section near the back of the library, and Zelda stepped toward the shelves. She stood on her tiptoes, scanning the titles of the books.

"Let me help," Shad stepped up beside her and also began searching for the perfect book to help them. "Ah, this one might help!"

He grabbed one book called: History of the Heavens: How the Oocca and the Hylians Came to Be. Zelda nodded approvingly. It was a large, very thick book, and she supposed that it would be enough for now.

"Now what kind of book were you looking for?" he asked the princess.

"Oh, um…" Before she could answer his question, her eyes fell on a specific tome that could help her. "This one is perfect. Hylian Disasters: A History of Hyrule's Largest Catastrophes."

"Disasters? Why do you need to know about the catastrophes of Hyrule?" Shad furrowed his brow.

"Just a little project I'm looking into," she shrugged casually. "I'll take this one, too." She pulled out another book called: The History of Ancient Hyrule: A Detailed Summary of Hyrule's Beginnings.

Creatures of ancient, Zelda thought, her mind reverting back to the riddles on the orb pieces as she saw the title. Ancient history is exactly what I need if I want to find information about these 'ancient creatures.'

Each of the books they accumulated was extremely thick, and Zelda sighed as she led Shad back to a table surrounded by comfortable armchairs. They dropped their books heavily on the wooden surface, and then sunk into the armchairs. Shad ran a hand through his fiery hair, a flustered expression on his face.

"Is anything the matter?" Zelda asked him.

"No, nothing," he replied. "It's just, I'm praying that I find something helpful in these books. If not, Ooccoo will have no hope."

"Don't worry about it, Shad," she comforted. "I'm certain that you will figure everything out." He smiled at her, appreciative of her kind words. "Now, I suggest we get to work. These books are very large."

The two young people spent the next three hours reading through the books and conversing casually. Shad seemed determined to help these little creatures that he'd been waiting for, because he finally had his chance to prove himself. He had a chance to fulfill his dead father's dream.

"How's it coming, Princess?" Shad yawned after three hours, his head leaning on his hand.

"Not so good," Zelda replied. She had been reading The History of Ancient Hyrule page for page and word for word for the past three hours. She had been careful not to skip anything, but so far, she hadn't even gotten to the time when the goddesses created Hylians. Hyrule truly did have a long and grueling history. Zelda prayed that she would eventually find out what was going on.

"If that book isn't working for you, try the catastrophe one. Just alternate between the two, it might be more helpful." Shad suggested, still looking at the words on the page in front of him.

"That's good advice. Thank you, Shad," Zelda heeded his advice and switched to the other book. "How is your research coming?"

"Still nothing. I know all of this information already," Shad sighed. Zelda found herself impressed with his vast knowledge.

"You know," she began. "On rainy days, I like to come in here and read fairytales and stories of the ancient Hero. I love how the rain patters against the window ceiling, and I can see it all. It's almost as if the rain is falling on me, but I remain dry." Words were coming out of her mouth, and she didn't even realize what she was saying. Talking to Shad was like talking to her best friend. Still, the bond between them could never be as strong as the one she had with Link.

"That seems like a wonderful thing,"

"And when I was younger, my father used to bring me here. I would sit on his lap, and he would read me stories and teach me the history of Hyrule. He also taught me the language of Ancient Hylian in here, on this very table."

"I can imagine the happiness you felt," Shad smiled at her. Zelda simply sighed, returning to her book.

After another hour of looking through this one, she finally found something.

"Finally!" she gasped, sitting up and excitedly smacking the large book.

"W-what?" Shad blinked, staring at her. He was quite disoriented at the moment, having been reading the same book for over four hours.

"I found something!" she cried, a smile spreading across her tired face. The sun was beginning to set, letting a sliver of darkness come in through the glass dome. "Chapter Two: The Plague that Mercilessly Swept Through Ancient Hyrule."

Eagerly, she began flipping the pages of the long chapter and just skimming it. It was filled with tons of information on the plague and how it occurred. Each subtitle was packed with useful information. Excitement was rising inside of her, and butterflies began fluttering. This could be it. Then, her eyes fell on the last subtitle of the chapter, and she bit her lip happily. It read: "The Orb of Darkness's Plague."

She had found it.

Hope you liked it, more to be revealed in the next chapter, promise! ^.^ Chapter twenty-two coming up soon! And keep a lookout for my next fanfic, coming soon. It's Super Smash Bros. Anyway, love you guys! Thanks :DDD