Wow. Sorry that it took so long for me to update. How long has it been...? Oh well. I'm back now, and I hope you guys didn't forget about me :( Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and reviews are greatly appreciated! Love you all :)

P.S: There are probably more typos in this one. Don't be afraid to point them out. I just didn't take as much time to edit because i just wanted to update :D

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Ray of Light

LINK POV

Link was wandering aimlessly through the streets of Castle Town, while his mind was off in another place. Every few moments, he would find himself glancing back to sneak a peek at the castle where the princess was... where his princess was. Each moment going on without her felt like a thousand years, and all Link could do was meander through the town and wait for word from her.

However, there was something else on his mind. The mystery of the cure was still quite problematic, and at that thought, Link began to notice the population of the town dwindling slightly. There were less people in the streets, the crowds were smaller, and the overall atmosphere was significantly darker. He felt it deep inside that, as he walked past the dimly lit houses, there was despair. He could practically see death hanging in the air, and he occasionally heard the cries of a stricken citizen. Everything that happened at that moment made him shudder. Zelda was gone for an unknown period of time, people all over Hyrule were dying, and Link was dumbfounded; there was nothing, absolutely nothing that could comfort him at that moment.

Nervously, Link took the hat off of his head and ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair, letting out a heavy sigh. How was he supposed to do this without the brains of this operation? He had no idea where he should even start looking. Link had always had someone there to help guide him: Rusl, Midna, Zelda. But he had nobody at that moment; well, nobody who could even begin to understand his dilemma with the cure. The Hylians were still trying to figure out the nature of this sickness itself.

Before he'd even noticed, Link found himself standing in front of Telma's Bar. His feet had led him there, and he sighed heavily as he replaced the hat onto its rightful place, and then entered hesitantly.

"Link! Back so quickly, hon?" Telma winked as soon as he walked in. She was tending to some customers, but of course had time to give the hero a proper greeting. He nodded, giving her a crooked smile and a wave. After she handed the customers a few large mugs, she took on a serious expression. Link took his usual place at the counter.

"So..." With a sigh, Telma reached into her bosom and pulled out a letter. The piece of paper gave Link shivers. "I'm guessing the princess went back to the castle?"

Link struggled to hide his disappointment as he nodded.

"Eh," Telma shrugged nonchalantly with a smirk. "She'll be back."

He couldn't help but sigh again, but tried as hard as he could to conceal his emotions. He thought about Zelda's skill to do so no matter what the circumstances, and admiration swelled inside of his chest.

"Come on now, sweet pea!" Telma reassured, trying to cheer him up. Clicking her tongue, she filled up another glass with a questionable liquid, and placed it in front of Link. "She's a big girl! She can take care of herself..." Telma bit her lower lips. "At least for a little while."

Link blinked, and Telma only guffawed at her own silliness. Link didn't seem to be catching on to her little hints. Then she pushed the mug closer to the distraught young hero.

"This one's on the house. Enjoy it and try to relax a little bit, hon! You've been going through a lot, I can tell." She gave him one last smile before returning to her work, cleaning the countertops expertly with a small rag. As Louise brushed up against his leg beneath the chair, Link just rolled his eyes and took a long, thirsty sip of the mug. He didn't know what was in it, but it comforted him. After his first sip, he stared blankly at the mug for a few seconds...

And then he chugged it all without a second thought, finally realizing how parched his throat was. He lowered the mug to the table with a large clank, and then let out a deep, refreshed breath. Telma burst into laughter while Link wiped his lips on the back of his sleeve.

"Do you want anymore?" she raised her eyebrows. Link, who couldn't help chuckling, shook his head earnestly. "Good! I can tell you don't hold liquor well."

Link was taken by surprise at this comment. Nervously, he glanced at the mug again. Then, with a look of slight disgust, pushed it away at the expense of Telma's composure. She didn't hold back, and fell into a fit of hysterical laughter while Link smiled uneasily.

Alcohol? I just drank alcohol? He thought to himself, appalled. I'm never doing that again.

Suddenly, Link missed the sound of Midna's voice in his ear, guiding him to the next step and leaving discreet hints. He missed her nagging and whining, urging him to continue on and proceed with his quest. He missed her constantly lurking in his shadow, and constantly feeling that extra life force attached to his own. He missed that elfish smile, and the way she winked and crossed her arms across her chest. Overtaken with grief and a sense of loss and confusion, Link buried his face in his hands and put his elbows on the table, shaking his head.

How could he be feeling so lost? Was he really this incapable? Did he really need someone else to tell him what to do? He could feel the pressure beginning to weigh heavier on his shoulders, pushing him down further with each move he made. Link felt pathetic, having to need somebody there to lead him. So, he reverted back to what Zelda had said to him before she'd left:

But please, Link, promise me that you will continue searching for the cure. Please, we need to solve this puzzle.

Instinctively, he reached into his tunic. Before arriving, Zelda had given him the two pieces of paper from the Zoras and the Gorons. Determination written on his features, he laid the pages out on the counter and connected them. But even combined, there was nothing. He could deduce no sense from the jumbling of words and letters, and it made his head throb painfully. Suppressing his groans so as not to attract attention, Link just stared at the pages. He could practically imagine his eyes burning holes in the paper from him staring so hard. There wasn't even the most discreet hint that could help him.

As if on cue, the sound of the door closing interrupted Link's thoughts, and he whirled around in his seat to glance at the entrance. The Resistance entered, as dramatic as ever, catching the attention of all the customers. Link sighed, swallowing as he gazed at the strong foursome. While Auru led the pack to the back of the room, Shad seemed lost in his own thoughts, flipping through his book uncontrollably. Ashei was giving the other customers dirty looks.

"What are you looking at, ugly?" she snapped, frightening a few of the men at a table who were gawking at her.

Rusl remained quiet, but upon passing Link, nodded and gave him a quick smile. Link grinned, but there was tension in the air. Even in Ashei, there was another level of hostility. Shad was so out of it that it was hard to tell how he was truly feeling, and Auru and Rusl kept mostly to themselves, though they seemed to be deep in thought (not as deep as Shad). Frankly, it made Link quite uncomfortable. Then again, this was usually how the Resistance acted anyways.

"There goes Shad again, immersed in that little book of his. And I was just starting to think that maybe he was done with those dreams," Telma clicked her tongue and shook her head. Link sighed, narrowing his eyes.

As if knowing that they were talking about him, Shad glanced up from his book and straight into Link's eyes. Then, his face lit up and he quickly scurried over while the other three took their normal spots at the table in the back.

"Link!" Shad greeted enthusiastically, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. "Hello again, ol' chap! Glad to see you're doing well. I didn't think that I would be seeing you for a while, to be honest!"

Link chuckled, giving Shad an acknowledging nod as he took a seat beside him on the counter. He smiled brightly, but Link saw something hidden behind the enthusiasm. He could sense that something was bothering the ardent scholar. Link was curious, but at the same time, he just wanted to worry about his own problems. Then again, Shad had helped Link so many times before...

"Oh, Link, my friend!" Shad burst before Link could open his mouth. He buried his face in his hands, letting his notebook fall to the countertop with his complete change of character. "I'm at such a loss! I know every single thing there is to know about the Sky Beings, but when my knowledge is actually needed, it's not enough!" he wailed.

Link sighed as sympathy gripped his heart. Then, attempting to act as a reassuring friend, he gently patted Shad's hunched back. He groaned as he shook his head, and Link saw that he truly was lost.

"I'm praising the goddesses that Ooccoo hasn't contracted this mysterious illness," he continued. "But who knows how long it will be before she does? And she's counting on me to help her people, but I don't know how! I don't want to let her down."

"Come now, Shad!" Telma barged in, slightly startling the distraught young man. "You're doing the best you can, sweet pea."

"My best won't save the Sky Beings from extinction," he replied dismally. Link could see that his passion for this subject was evident.

Link turned away, his eyes moving to the pieces of paper laid out before them. While Telma shrugged and moved away, viewing Shad as a lost cause, the scholar instinctively followed Link's gaze. As soon as he saw the paper, his eyes became wide and he sucked in an anxious breath.

"Do you recognize these pages?" Link whispered eagerly as he whirled around, glancing around in a manner of paranoia. A spark of hope flashed in his heart; maybe he could still figure out this puzzle.

"No..." Shad answered, slowly and in a distant manner as he narrowed his eyes.

Link sighed heavily, disappointment obvious in his comportment. But Shad still had a pensive expression on his flustered face.

"But wait," he put up a finger. Link raised his eyebrows, listening intently. Shad seemed as if he were trying to remember something, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He continued to stare at the paper, light reflecting off of his round spectacles.

"Ah! I got it!" he suddenly bounced in his seat, snapping his fingers. Link felt his face beam as Shad had his little epiphany. "Princess Zelda!"

Link cocked his head. Though he tried to hide it, just the mention of her name made him anxious.

"That day, in the library! I remember the princess had found something," he paused again, waiting for the remainder of the story to come to him. "And she was upset because an important page was ripped out!"

Link became tense.

"What book?" he whispered urgently.

"I-I'm not sure," Shad admitted, looking down at his fidgeting fingers. "She refused to tell me anything."

Link rubbed his temples, thinking determinedly about the current circumstances. He had no idea what was occurring with this book; he knew that there was a missing page, and that he and Zelda had acquired two of the pieces of the page from the Gorons and the Zoras. Then he remembered what Prince Ralis had told him, about the Royal Family ordering the page to be ripped out because of top secret information.

As if on cue, Ashei approached from behind and sneakily peeked over Link's shoulder, a mischievous look on her face.

"What do you have there?" she asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. Link was silent as he stared up at the intimidating girl, and Ashei had a slightly arrogant look on her smug face. But Link saw a glint of knowledge in her eyes, and now he was the suspicious one.

"Ashei," he began, his voice shrinking to a whisper.

"Mm?"

"What do you know about…?" Link paused, swallowing hesitantly. "What do you know about the Orb of Darkness?"

"It's about time somebody asked me that question," she winked, taking the seat on Link's other side. While she was treating this lightly and with a smile on her face, Link's face was shadowed and his brow was furrowed in determination and concentration. It was mostly because he was trying to hide shock he was feeling at Ashei's secret knowledge.

"Please, tell me," he pleaded.

"My father was a knight, yeah?" she began, licking her lips. "Being such, he had some, well, inside information. You get what I'm saying?" she raised her eyebrows with a devilish smile.

Link nodded slowly, urging her to continue.

"I don't know much, but I do know about one thing," she leaned in closer, and her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. "He told me about a book, and the book had top secret information about the Orb, yeah?"

Link nodded as his stomach did an excited somersault.

"Well, Father told me that a few years ago, before Princess Zelda was in power, they decided to rip out the page about the Orb and disperse it through Hyrule."

So far, Ashei was telling Link things that he already knew, and he wasn't getting anywhere.

"Specifically, they ripped the paper into three separate pieces."

That information was new, and Link brightened up significantly.

"And I take it that those are two of the pieces, yeah?" she said, gesturing to the pages before them on the counter. Link swallowed, but eventually, confirmed her suspicions.

"I can't find the last piece..." he admitted.

"Well Father also said that the pages were trusted within each of the different races. So there are the Zoras, the Gorons, and us. Two of them are eliminated, so that leaves..."

"Us," Link finished her sentence.

"Wait," Ashei was caught-off guard. "Us? You got the Goron and the Zora piece? How?"

Link ignored the astounded girl's question, and continued staring at the pages as if that would help.

"Where could I possibly find the last piece?" he murmured, more to himself than to Ashei.

"W-well," Shad piped in. He had been listening the entire time. "I suppose you could start by looking in the safest, most secure place in the kingdom."

"And that would be..." Ashei rolled her eyes, staring at Shad expectantly. As if by magic...it came to him. So as Shad opened his mouth to respond, Link interrupted.

With a gasp, he straightened up, and a broad smile spread across his face. Shad jumped in his seat, startled by the excited outburst, and Ashei widened her eyes. Ideas and plans of operation were already running through Link's mind as he crouched back down over the papers.

"W-what? What did you figure out, ol' chap?" Shad asked eagerly.

"The last piece of the paper," Link was beaming. "It's in Hyrule Castle."

Ashei and Shad both gasped, realizing what Link was saying. And they evidently agreed with him, because they, too, started smiling.

"You do know that getting into the castle is impossible?" Ashei suddenly said, her face turning to disbelief and almost amusement. "It's guarded on every side, ever since it was invaded."

"Not to mention unbelievably dangerous! Guards won't hesitate in injuring you," Shad added while he nodded frantically. Link shrugged off their apprehensions; he wasn't afraid of injuring the guards, either. Without replying, he stood up as the chair squeaked on the floor, and swiftly tucked the pieces of paper into his tunic. Then, looking from Shad, to Ashei, and back to Shad, he said:

"Nothing's impossible."

He walked to the door, and just before closing it, he turned back towards them. Their faces carried expression of bewilderment.

"And nothing's too dangerous."

Link felt sneaky and mischievous as he approached the central plaza of Castle Town, avoiding eye contact with the decreased amount of citizens. It had been less than three hours, and already, Link was planning to break through into Hyrule Castle. He could see the sun slowly beginning to sink below the horizon, and the silhouettes of the stars were shadows in the sky. He ignored the uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach, and kept in mind the fact that he was doing this for the sick and dying people of Hyrule. Treason or not…this needed to be done.

As he neared the fountain, Link halted beside it, discreetly eyeing the guards standing before the entrance. If there was ever a time when Link wanted to be a wolf, it was now. Though the guards wouldn't let people through, they were much too cowardly to fend off a wolf. He sighed heavily.

If only Midna were here…

"He was at a loss about how to get past the guards. And even if he did, there'd be more waiting for him at every turn. And he couldn't get into a battle with all of these innocent civilians around to witness it or even get hurt. Link didn't want to risk that happening. So instead, he just stood there near the fountain, letting the sound of trickling water fill his mind. Closing his eyes, he subconsciously reached into his tunic and pulled out the crumpled, precariously folded parchments.

It was suddenly as if an inner source one with which Link wasn't familiar, was taking over. It spread through his body with a rush of exhilaration, and it began controlling his movements. An unknown source was moving his limbs for him, forcing his fingers to unfold the parchment yet keep his eyes closed. Everything around him disappeared as strange emotions stirred inside of him, and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was that he felt. It was as if a deep, hidden part of him had suddenly been awakened.

His eyes shot open as his stomach did a somersault, and he glanced down at the paper. He was expecting to see the words glowing, or a strange message...but there was nothing. Furrowing his brown, Link's shoulders slumped a little in disappointment. Those few moments of revelation had been for nothing, because nothing had even happened. Now Link was left standing there, a blank expression on his face...

That's when he felt a jolt of quick, electrifying pain run through his body, and he cringed with a quiet yelp. As he did, the green Triforce on his hand began glowing ferociously. His eyes became wide and bloodshot, and he felt as if something was squeezing his stomach tightly. Then, the invisible force appeared inside him once again. With gasp, he whirled around.

There, in the distance, he saw a light. It was the same color as the flashing Triforce on his hand.

Link was taken aback at this sight, and he stumbled backwards a bit. He closed his eyes, rubbing them for a moment to make sure he wasn't dreaming. When he opened them, he knew that he wasn't. The light was still there, bright and green in the distance. It seemed to descend directly from the heavens, and came down upon an unknown location. Link felt an invisible source pulling him toward the light, calling out to him. Anxiously, Link glanced around him with narrowed eyes.

Nobody else seemed to notice this bright, obvious light. It was clearly visible from the center plaza, yet nobody even gave it a second glance. He swore that he saw people looking directly at it, yet they made no reactions. Link was confused for a few moments, until he once again felt the force of the Triforce of Courage rushing through his veins. He knew now that the light had something to do with his Triforce, but he didn't know what.

Either way, he was going to go to that light and see what was going on. If he truly was the only one that could see it, it was necessary that he follow its lead.

Yay! The end of another chapter! Hopefully I'll be updating faster from now on, though I doubt it... I hope you guys bear with me and stay with the story! Oh and by the way, I put up a poll on my profile page, and if you're interested, just visit my page and vote away! It would be greatly appreciated! Once again, much love :) THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! :D