All right, looks like I have some things to clear up for those people criticizing my Sheik part of the story. Don't get me wrong... I appreciate all of your reviews and the fact that you guys are trying to help me improve this story. So here it goes.

I realize that the whole thing with Sheik being Zelda's cursed form and all that is sort of messed up, and it's not completely true to the games, but keep in mind that this if FanFiction. It's based off of my imagination, and I gotta put my own twist on it somehow! Hahaha now for some private shout-outs.

FierceD: You're probably not reading this anymore, but I'm gonna do this anyway. As a matter of fact, I did know that little piece of information that you provided for me. Thanks again for that :) But you know... I guess the goddesses just wanted Sheik to return :P Again, I gotta put my own twist on this story!

TwiliReader: I'm sorry the story got ruined for you, and maybe you could've kept reading and allowed your imagination to take over! But oh well. Glad you liked the beginning.

madchickenlover: Don't fret. Ilia will return ;)

And to everybody who has read and reviewed: I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! THANKS FOR MAKING THIS MEANINGFUL FOR ME! :D Enjoy chapter twenty-six of my slightly inaccurate story haha!

Chapter Twenty-Six: Return of a Princess

LINK POV

Link stared up blankly at this stranger who claimed to be Zelda. She had the symbol of the Sheikah on her chest, yet she had the Triforce on the back of her hand. And her fingers were soft and comforting in his fur. But Link didn't know what to believe; all he wanted was to sleep and let this pain end.

His eyes moved to the orb piece that this person brought him, and with much difficulty, he managed to stand up.

"No, you're too weak," the warrior warned, but Link ignored her. He scrutinized the orb piece. Curiously, he honed in his senses. The same riddle was there, and he picked it up with his teeth, examining it closer.

Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation in his mouth.

"Aoo!" he howled in unexpected pain, and the orb dropped from his stinging teeth. The young warrior gasped and stood up swiftly. The piece was glowing and trembling slightly, as was Link's Triforce. But his eyes widened when he saw what was happening with the shaking piece. Silver words started appearing, as if being written, on the black surface. Link got shivers, and all of his fur stood on end. It was as if a quill, dipped in beautiful silver ink, was scribbling words. The warrior narrowed her strange red eyes, and Link was surprised to find that she could see it, too.

To experiment, Link honed in his senses. But as he stared at the orb, he saw no words. When he returned to normal, there they were once again. He narrowed his eyes, lowering his head to stare at the phrase. Each letter shimmered hauntingly, the cursive words making Link's stomach churn and his heart pound. He could hear a scratching noise against the orb. Link was, frankly, frightened.

Then, it stopped. He stared at the words, deciphering them in his head.

A wolf once again, plagued by the virus of darkness

Only one way out, though it will put you to the test

A drop of sacrifice, a cut to the flesh

The blood of the beast, no more no less

You must yourself inflict it

Only then can the path become lit

Link didn't need to go through the riddle in his head to figure this one out. It was clear: he would have to give up a drop of his blood, and do it himself. Though the way was clear, Link still wondered at why the words had appeared in the first place. Was it something he did? Or was it simply a part of the giant scheme of this puzzle? Either way, Link would find out eventually. He always did.

"Cut yourself," the warrior stated blankly. Link sighed, nodded slightly. With a bit of reluctance, he gripped the orb in his teeth once more. With the warrior watching him intently, he put the jagged edge of the shattered piece to his shoulder. "Hurry!"

At the urging of the demanding young warrior, Link let the sharp edge cut through his flesh. With a loud yelp, he dropped the orb piece and felt the warm blood seeping through his fur. The warrior touched him comfortingly, watching the thick red liquid spread.

Then, it finally happened. He was blinded for a moment by a bright white light, and he closed his eyes instinctively. But when he opened them, his view had changed. He felt that his limbs were longer, and he found himself lying on his side as a human on the cold cellar floor.

A smile spread across his face as he looked at his human fingers, and the Triforce glowed faintly before dying down once more.

"Thank the goddesses," the warrior cried, and without warning, wrapped her muscular arms around Link's neck. He was taken aback, and he barely understood what was happening. But after that moment of relief, the pain was back.

"Ah," he breathed, grabbing his aching side. Cuts and bruises covered his pale skin, and when he lifted his hand from his side, his palm was red.

"You're terribly wounded," the warrior sighed worriedly, standing up. Link took that moment to truly examine her. Her body was lean and muscular, and she was clad in a flexible blue suit. The undeniable eye, the sign of the Sheikah, was on her chest, and cloth covered her nose and mouth. All he could see of her face were those beautiful, penetrating red eyes. Blonde hair fell across her forehead, and a long braid fell against her back. Honestly, Link didn't know what to think of her. How she'd found him was mystery, and who she was as well. He wanted to know her motives, and wanted to know why she was here.

"Link, it's me," she repeated. "Zelda! I'm the princess," she suddenly said, grabbing his arm to help him stand. He stared at her with an expression of utter confusion. The first time she'd said that, he thought he was dreaming. This person looked nothing like Zelda, and acted nothing like her. She had single-handedly defeated the guardian, and who knows what else she did to even reach the cellar.

"The bugs," she whispered, wrapping his arm around her shoulder to help steady him. He groaned as he leaned against her, feeling his knees buckling. "One of them bit me, and I turned into this." She took a deep breath. "I'm Sheik, Link."

His blue eyes widened in surprise, and he looked over her one more time.

"The Sheik that aided the Hero of Time so many centuries ago," she continued. "Part of the Sheikah, the ancient protectors of the royal family,"

With that phrase, everything clicked in his head. The riddle, Zelda's cursed form, everything: Zelda's cursed form was Sheik, the protector with red eyes. This nimble, agile warrior was Princess Zelda.

"Now come on," she tilted her head. That's when he noticed the new gruffness of her voice, and her new manner of speaking. She was much... tougher.

Link sighed, grabbing his side. Sheik made sure he didn't fall, and she was much stronger than Link expected.

"Hurry, before the guardians wake up." Sheik looked around anxiously as she helped Link out of the cellar, and soon, they were in the same sewer that Link and Midna had maneuvered so long ago.

Wake up...? Link wondered silently as they continued. Sheik seemed to know exactly where they were going. They limped onwards, and with each turn, Link gasped. There, lying in the shallow water, were the bodies of unconscious guardians.

"Uh..." he stared, dumbfounded. Sheik chuckled quietly.

Z-Zelda did that? He asked himself, looking at her in disbelief. She knocked out all these guardians, and I couldn't even defeat one? But he reminded himself that Zelda didn't do that: Sheik did.

"You doing okay?" she asked as she supported him, and he nodded uncertainly. "Just a little further..."

As they moved forward, past the guards' quarter and toward the exit, Sheik halted abruptly. Her face was completely blank, and her back became unnaturally erect. Then, she looked around with narrowed eyes. Link gazed at her in perplexity.

"I hear something," she said. Link struggled to make out any noises, but in vain. Finally, Sheik's gaze moved toward the door leading to the guards' quarters. "Shh!"

Before Link could do or say anything, Sheik put her hand on his mouth and pulled him back against the wall on the same side as the door. He furrowed his brow in confusion, completely lost. Sheik squatted down, dragging him down with her, and finally lifted her hand from his lips.

"Guardians are in there," she muttered. Just as Link opened his mouth, the door creaked open. Butterflies exploded in his stomach, and he sucked in an anxious breath. Sheik, on the other hand, wasn't fazed at all.

In the next few moments, Link and Sheik heard the voices of two guardians speaking to each other in the unknown language.

"How did you—" Link began in astonishment, but Sheik held up her hand to silence him. Then, the ominous clank of armor erupted, and the two guards stepped outside. In the blink of an eye, Sheik leaped gracefully into the air and jabbed the nearest one right in his vulnerable neck. Before he could so much as take a surprised breath, Sheik jumped again and elbowed him in the back of the head, kneeing him in the stomach as she did.

Link was in shock; the force of her knee actually created a dent in the armor. As the first guardian fell at her feet, the other one had already sheathed his sword and jabbed at her. With the weight of a feather, Sheik rolled to the side and suddenly pulled a long chain from her sleeve.

Oh, my goddesses! Link thought as he jaw dropped. Sheik flung the chain out, and it became wrapped around the guardian's wrist. A current of electricity erupted from the whip, and with a cry, the guardian dropped his sword and flexed his fingers. Sheik, without any mercy, pulled on the chain. The guardian was forced toward her, and she did a swift twist before kicking the side of his head with the ball of her foot.

How her leg could even reach that height was a mystery to Link, and he gawked at her agility and incredible flexibility. In less than five minutes, both guardians were on the ground, completely knocked out. Link was left in a state of astonishment and confusion.

"Come on," Sheik straightened up, allowing the chain to take its rightful place in her sleeve. "Let's get you someplace safe."

The rest of the trek was a blur to Link. One second, he was having difficulty getting up a long flight of stairs; in the next, he was lying in a large, comfortable bed in the middle of Zelda's room, covered with a blanket and being warmed by a fire. Sheik stood above him the entire time, watching over him and keeping him safe. He saw Zelda somewhere in those red eyes...

"Now, I need to tend to your wounds," Sheik said with a decisive nod, turning around to get on the task. Link watched her intently, scanning her every move as she moved through the room, looking through drawers and grabbing things. Though this warrior was incredible and very helpful, he longed to see Zelda's face again. He longed to hear her sweet voice and feel her warm caress.

"Can you sit up?" Sheik asked, her gruff tone becoming a bit softer. He nodded, sitting up with a tad of difficulty. With each move he made, the gash in his side from the wall stung horribly. Sheik sighed sadly, fidgeting with the bandages in her hands.

"You're so injured," she said. Her tone was almost angry. "Take off your shirt so I can bandage you up."

With a bit of difficulty, Link took off his green tunic and put his green hat on the nightstand beside him. What he saw on his bare torso caused him to gasp and moan quietly. Just looking at the cuts, bruises, and blood made him hurt.

"Stay still," Sheik squinted as she unraveled the bandaging, and then went to work patching Link up. Each time she wrapped the bandaging around his torso, he sucked in an agonized breath and tried to hide the pain. She completely ignored him, kneeling as she tended to him. In ten minutes time, Link was bandaged all over the place, and the pain was beginning to subside.

He smiled at her appreciatively, and she blinked. For the first time, Link found himself frustrated that he couldn't see her whole face. He wanted to see her smiling back at him.

"Better?" she asked, standing up. He sighed, and Sheik nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly, an idea popped into Link's head just as Sheik was turning around to tend to the fireplace. He grabbed her gloved hand, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. She turned to face him curiously, and with a bright smile on his face, he bent down and began eagerly searching through his things.

Finally, he pulled out the two pieces of the orb that he'd been keeping. Sheik accordingly took out the piece that she'd apparently swiped from one of the guardians. He managed to stand up, handing the pieces to Sheik. There was silence as she took them, scrutinizing them. Once again, Link wished he could see her expression and guess what she was thinking.

With slightly shaking hands, she connected the three pieces. They curved, leaving one more spot missing to complete the sphere. But as the pieces connected, there was a silver spark and a clear ringing sound. Then, silence...

"No!" Sheik suddenly shrieked, dropping the incomplete orb. "Make it stop!" The Triforce was now glowing blue and gold, and Link stepped forward worriedly. Her body twisted, and her eyes became wide and bloodshot. He could tell that she was going through agonizing, intolerable pain, and he wanted to make it stop for her sake.

"AH!" Her body became white, surrounded by a slight pink shimmer. When she screamed, her voice was still low and gruff. But as the agonized shriek continued, the startled Link noticed her pitch getting higher. He moved towards her, trying to reach out. But a shock was sent through his fingertips when he neared her shining body.

Though he could only make out the silhouette of her body, he could see it morphing. Then, the light became too bright, and he shielded his eyes habitually.

"Zelda!" he shouted her name, but her screams never ceased. Soon, though, her voice had returned. He could see the lean muscles disappearing, being replaced by her slender, elegant limbs.

After what seemed like centuries, the light died down. To Link's relief, Zelda stood in its place. Immediately, she tumbled, and Link reached out his arms to catch her. When her frail body collided with his strong arms, he scooped her up and easily placed her on the bed. As soon as she was comfortable, her blue eyes blinked open.

ZELDA POV

"...Link?" The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Link's shining, worried face above her. She reached her hand out, instinctively touching his cheek. With a relieved sigh and a smile, he nodded and let her stoke his cheek. "What's going on?"

Link was silent, but grabbed her hand and sat at the bedside. Suddenly, Zelda realized that her entire shape felt heavier. Blinking in confusion, she looked down and saw that she was wearing her pink dress, and she noticed brown strands of hair matted against her flustered cheeks. She had returned to normal, and Sheik was gone. Zelda felt relief and disappointment at the same time.

"The Orb," Her eyes suddenly moved to the floor of her room, and she saw it lying there. With what strength she had, Zelda sat up in bed. It was more difficult than she expected; she still wasn't used to her old body, which was much less nimble and agile than Sheik's. Then she remembered Link's existence.

"Thank you," she sighed, smiling at him. Her hand was still in his, and that was just the way she wanted it. He gave her his signature crooked smile and nodded humbly. Zelda grinned back, leaning forward slightly. That's when she realized that his chest was bare except for the bandaging, and she sucked in an anxious breath.

Trying to ignore the voice screaming in her head, she leaned in closer. Link did the same, and in a few moments, they were sharing another magical kiss. It was, however, swift yet again. She was blushing madly when she pulled away, and he was smiling happily.

"I..." she stopped herself midsentence, biting her lip. Link comfortingly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I... need to put fire in the fireplace."

Link exhaled heavily, moving aside as she stood up and moved to the burning fire. With flustered cheeks and a racing heart, she tossed a few pieces of wood into the fire and stood, watching the beautiful flames licking the mantel. The crackle of the fire was comforting.

When she turned around, Link was still sitting on the bed, staring at her with a soft expression. Her eyes hastily moved away, turning back to the fire. But she could still feel his eyes boring into her back, piercing into her soul.

"W-we need to find all the residents of the castle, and pray that the guardians don't return," she said, though her heart wasn't in the same place as her words. Her intentions weren't to be mistaken; of course she wanted to find everyone and make sure her castle was secure. But perhaps they could wait...

"Zelda," Link's silky name said her name, and she faced him anxiously. She'd never felt this nervous before, even around Link. Something about him was setting her off; it was by no means a bad thing.

"Come on, Link. We need to go," Changing the subject, Zelda moved to the door. She walked past him, and she heard him take a deep breath as she did.

Just as she reached the door, she felt his fingers grab hers. The princess offered little resistance as he pulled her towards him, and as soon as she faced him, he was kissing her passionately and letting his fingers become entangled in her brown hair. Zelda, though caught off-guard, put her arms around his neck and only pulled him closer. His warmth spread through her like a disease, and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. It was as loud as drums.

"Link," she whispered, as they pulled apart for a moment, pressing their foreheads against each other.

"Shh," he shushed, and his hands moved down her spine. Zelda breathed in deeply, feeling the chills as his lips lingered on her neck. She obediently became silent, and just let herself go. Zelda melted into him as they became intertwined, and she never wanted to stop. She never wanted to leave the safety and security of his arms...

Things are heating up! It's getting intense! Hahaha you'll just have to find out what happens in the next chapter! Will Link ever get his reward? Will Zelda tell him how she feels? How will Ilia react to all this? WILL THE CURE BE FOUND? That's for me to know... and you to find out... ;)