Inspirations: Irony in its most relative form... if you don't understand now, you will later. The calm always comes before the storm.

Original Shout Outs: Pip-Indigo and The Pilot for their editing prowess. Thank you very much! Paul (I don't skype, but I'm flattered lol!) HungDeadScreaming, modern hero of time, Hunter113: I put a special something in here just for you. You'll know when you read (I told you I wasn't, but I did).

Shout Out: X (I'm sorry for taking so long, but I promise I won't abandon this story), Curiosity, SunFlowerIce, thank you all for reading.

Check Out: MsBBSue's "Ocarina of Time: The Way it Should Have Went Down" it is hilarious!

Author Note: Reedited 4/9/2012, ADDENDUM 1/21/2013- I was going to add two scenes in this chapter, but I'll just add them to the next chapter. Thanks. ~ZR~.

Chapter 10

A strange visceral light suddenly casted over the forest.

What is that? I thought.

Everything looked like dusk. A strange luminescence of golden brown iridescence showered over the portion of the forest where Zant and his henchmen were standing, and was slowly expanding outward. All the Kokiri were indoors, obviously taking refuge from their precious forest was being invaded. I raised my sword, and prepared to meet Zant and the shadow beasts head on.

I have to fight them all at once, I thought, this is going to be a massacre...and I'm not talking about for them.

I had no other options. If I didn't stop them, then Zant would kill the Kokiri, and make his way to Hyrule and storm the castle. I had to stay focused and take out as many of them out as possible. I ran into a charge and initiated my jump attack. When I passed the ethereal light demarcation something strange happened. As soon as I landed in the luminescence my whole body transformed.

Literally.

I wish I were kidding.

What the hell...? I pondered, but let it trail.

The encapsulation felt like a momentary torture when my body fixated itself in positions it was not anatomically designed to do.

"Ah!" I cried out in pain.

When I looked up, I realized my entire center of gravity was low. My neck was angled horizontally straight, as opposed to vertically straight with an odd abduction of my foramen magnum.

I can't move my head like I used to, I thought, feeling a sudden onset of panic.

I was hunched over on all fours, and I realized I had longer sharp canines curling down my chin with a feral growl.

What the hell? I thought bewildered, as I tried to stand. Did I turn into a dog?

I tried to force myself to stand, but it was no use. There was no way my body was going to position itself other than what it was doing.

This cannot be happening right now! I thought angrily.

As I was dealing with my new anatomical dilemma, Zant's small army was advancing closer.

Damn it! I thought, then made a hurried decision.

I turned around and headed for the line of demarcation between the regular light and apparently this... twilight. When I crossed back over to the light of Hyrule, I immediately transformed back to my normal human self. The process was painful just as the first, but I was grateful to be in a form that I was familiar with. I stood there in a temporary shock, trying to understand what was happening. What was going on? Why was this twilight causing me to transform?

How in the hell am I supposed to defeat these monsters if I transform into something else and can't fight? I thought, feeling a rare sensation of panic run through my body.

I drew back having to reformulate another action of attack.

What the hell am I going to do? I thought.

Zant saw my apprehension and was going to take advantage of it. He knew that I was at a loss because of my unfamiliarity with his battle tactics. Twilight logistics and Twili informatics was not something I was advanced in. Even still, I had to do something, but what, was the question.

How in the world do you defeat a foe when you don't know anything about them? I wondered, having to think fast.

My first thought would be to stay back and study them, however, I wasn't afforded that luxury. They were charging fast, and I had to think of something quick.

Come Link, I told myself, think!

Zant laughed when he saw the expression on my face. "Is this the reckoning you were promising First Knight?" he taunted. "Or should I say, former First Knight?"

I narrowed my eyes angrily and had a thought just then. I pulled out my bow and readied an arrow, realizing a long distance assault was my only option.

I hope this works, I thought.

I fired a shot, but the arrow went right through one of the shadow beast's visages as if it were nothing. My eyes widened in astonishment, realizing I had no more options.

What the hell...am I going to do? I thought again. Seriously.

The horde was getting closer, and I still had no idea into how I was going to defeat them.

Hyrule will be lost if I don't do something soon, I thought.

Not one to go down easily, I got into a melee position and readied to fight that way. Bare knuckled, or with a sword, I was going to defend my country. However, I realized my grandstanding wasn't necessary, because out of nowhere a whiz of light flashed through the air from behind me. I watched as the flash of light broke through the golden twilight barrier, and pierced into one of the faces of the shadow beasts. The beast shrieked in pain and then suddenly disappeared.

Who in the...? I thought.

Apparently, Zant had the same thought process, because suddenly he halted his advance and looked beyond me. I turned to see what caused the abatement as well. The light, which I then realized came from an arrow, was fired from a young female dressed in hunting gear with blonde hair. It was Zelda. My eyes widened with surprise.

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't help but ask her.

"Worry about that later!" she said to me, which was an appropriate rebuttal. "Turn around and fight!"

Zelda then threw to me the power of the sacred light arrow.

Of course! I thought, catching the crystal and infusing it into the arrows in my quiver. Light arrows are the perfect neutralizer for the shadow beasts dark energy.

Zelda stopped short of me and kneeled taking another shot. She blasted another beast, then took another shot. Her accuracy was far greater than from the hunt.

Someone's been practicing, I thought impressed, then kneeled and took a shot of my own.

The shadow beasts were falling quickly as both Zelda and I were stationary and shooting with pinpoint accuracy. With their weakness found, Zant's small army didn't seem so intimidating. In fact, Zant even seemed a little wary of what happening himself, so much so, he sounded for a retreat, but only for himself.

"Keep them occupied!" Zant commanded the shadow beasts, then headed back into the Lost Woods.

Damn it! I thought angrily, as I had no choice but to watch as he got away. That savage coward!

I noticed that as the shadow beasts fell, the light of the twilight began to diffract. The diffraction flickered sporadically like an electrical current. I didn't see it before, but as more shadow beasts fell, a portal showed itself in the back of the woodlands.

That's how they're getting in here, I thought, then an idea quickly crossed my mind.

Instead of aiming for the monsters, I aimed for the portal and fired two arrows. Zelda saw what I was doing, and immediately added two more to the cluster. A moment later, the light around the forest changed colors dramatically. It went from its normal display, to twilight like a pulsation. The shadow beasts stopped immediately as if having no choice. They all screeched a high pitch scream, and their bodies convulsed violently as they fell to the ground in pain. The portal deatomized a few moments later. When the portal disappeared, the shadow beasts went right along with it. Once the creatures were gone, the forest became eerily quiet and still, as if the whole occurrence never happened. Even still, I was hesitant to put my bow down. I scanned the area again.

Where the hell is Zant? I thought angrily.

I still didn't break my stance when Zelda stood up and walked over to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder trying to ease my disposition.

"It's okay," she said to me, "they've gone Link."

I sighed as my heart was pounding incessantly. I finally lowered my bow and stood up. I ran a hand through my hair trying to understand what was going on.

What exactly is the mechanism of the twilight? I thought. Why did I transform? More importantly why is Zant able to intercept both worlds without the same transformation process as I?

I stood there contemplating this while Zelda stared at me thoughtfully. Her expression was almost mixed with a look of admiration.

What's this? I wondered.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Zelda nodded, and smiled a sad kind of smile. I knew it was because she was feeling a measure of guilt because of what happened, but I wasn't holding anything against her, not after that killer's threat.

"...And alas, now your princess is in the mix..." the assassin's word's echoed through my mind.

I looked away from her thinking about the gravity of the situation. I was in a terrible position, because I couldn't warn her of anything. If I did, who knew what would happen.

I hate this lack of control, I thought, this only makes things more complicated.

"There was no way those creatures could stand against the fusion of courage and wisdom," she said to me all of a sudden. "I took a chance using the light arrows, and it worked."

I didn't reply immediately. I was grateful for her assistance and that she was there, but I was puzzled by her sudden presence, and given the clear and present danger regarding Zelda's situation, I didn't approve of her traveling alone.

"You understand that I'm considered a fugitive now, right?" I asked her, changing the subject from her philosophical rhetoric. "Meaning if your father finds me I'm going back to jail."

Zelda didn't answer that question she just looked away from me.

"I don't consider you a fugitive," she said to me softly.

I felt an uneasy feeling pit in my stomach. It wasn't regarding her answer, it was regarding the earlier incident. I was concerned and worried for her, but I also had to think of what she might have seen before she intervened. Whatever it was that I turned into when I crossed the twilight was not natural. I had to think it was some dangerous kind of mechanism used as a military offensive attack. I had never witnessed anything like that; light that could shift and change the structure of the atoms not native to its realm.

I need to study that further to understand it, I thought, in the mean time I glanced over at Zelda.

I tried to appear stoic, but I knew my unease was creeping in.

"Did you... see?" I asked her, hoping she didn't know what I meant.

However, Zelda nodded understanding exactly what I was conveying.

"You're speaking of your transformation in the twilight," she divulged.

I nodded confused.

"How?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

Zelda was silent for a moment and sighed. I could tell by the expression on her face she had an answer for me.

"The Twilight Realm shows the nature of one's true spirit," she revealed, "you have a feral, unrelenting spirit."

I looked at her surprised.

So, I really am a dog? I thought in disbelief.

"I turned into a dog Zelda!" I said upset. "I can hardly call that relentless."

Zelda shook her head.

"You weren't a dog," she corrected, "you were a wolf, a golden wolf with red eyes."

My eyes widened slightly.

"A wolf?" I repeated.

Zelda merely nodded in reply.

I raised my eyebrows, still feeling mixed up about all of this.

I turn into a wolf in the twilight? I thought. Everything unfolding about this situation is becoming more and more surreal.

There was an assassin with an agenda to kill the princess. Zelda was to remain in the dark about the attempt on her life for her own safety. Daphnes was hiding who knows what. Saria's true identity has been revealed, but the circumstances surrounding her Hylian transformation are muddled. Zant has a vendetta against the royal family over the death of his father, and there was no telling what else was going to happen. When everything was comped together it was incredulous. However, in this present moment I needed to focus on the most pressing issue, Zelda's safety.

Why is she out here by herself? I wondered.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked, changing the subject.

Zelda looked at me for a long time before answering.

"I didn't," she said honestly, "all I knew was there was a disturbance, and I had to do something about it."

I narrowed my eyes at her perplexed.

"Why are you in the woods by yourself?" I segued flummoxed.

Zelda stared into my eyes again.

"I was hunting royal elk," she replied.

I gave her an offhanded stare.

Wait a minute, what? I wondered. Hunting royal elk? I thought, not understanding the rationale.

"Without an escort?" I asked.

Zelda came up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist just then. She rested her head on my chest.

"I can do a lot of things without an escort," she replied to me with simple conjecture, then added, "it's the only thing that takes my mind off of you. I was so worried about you, especially with you being branded something you aren't."

What she was telling me wasn't making any sense, and if something didn't make sense, then there was some bit of truth missing.

The times we're living in are way too dangerous to worry about hunting for emotional therapy, I thought, finding her rationale slightly suspect and was about to call her out on it.

"Zelda-" I started, but she interrupted me.

"How did you get out of the prison?" she asked.

I was caught off guard with the inquiry.

I can't talk about that, I thought.

"Zelda," I segued, not answering her question, and taking her arms from around my waist so I could look into her face, "I don't want you going anywhere without a escort," I said, having to change my sequence of dialogue, knowing she might deflect.

She looked at me surprised just then.

"Why?" she asked.

I can't tell you, I thought.

"Please," I said to her, "just trust me."

Out of nowhere, her eyes filled with tears when I said that. I think I made her hopeful again. She wrapped her arms back around me and wept softly into my tunic. I hated to see her like this. She was such a strong willed woman, and I knew her vulnerability was only because she cared, so I knew her hurt was deep. Zelda was generally a very no nonsense, but gentle woman. She didn't like showing weakness for the sake of her people. However, I knew she wasn't weak. She was one of the strongest women I knew. She was self sacrificing, and wanted what was best for her people. I knew her behavior recently, and the falling out with her father, had to do more with my being non attentive to her and her needs. Now, with a killer after her, it made me think about much I took her for granted.

She doesn't deserve this, I thought, she doesn't deserve to be the target of something she has nothing to do with.

"I do trust you Link," she whispered.

Seeing her like that made me regret the way I spoke to her the other night.

"I'm sorry I was so cold to you the other night in the prison," I said to her abruptly, "you were just trying to comfort me."

Zelda wiped her eyes.

"You don't have to apologize," she said to me, "I understood why you were angry."

We were silent for a minute.

"I want you to go back to the castle and report what you saw to your father," I said to her, breaking the quiet, "tell him everything, except that you came in contact with me."

Zelda stared into my eyes and nodded.

"What are you going to do?" she asked me.

"I have to lay low for awhile," I replied, "I'm a fugitive. The guard has doubled in their search for me. I have no choice."

It was almost as if Zelda cringed every time the word 'fugitive' came out of my mouth.

"You're no fugitive," she said to me again, and added, "where will you go?"

I stared into her eyes for a moment.

There's not a chance in hell I can tell her where I'm staying, I thought.

"I'm resourceful," I replied to her honestly, "I know this country backwards."

Well... almost backwards, I thought, having to backtrack that premise, considering my lack of knowledge about Ordon.

Zelda bit her lower lip at my words and looked up to me. She reached up and kissed me. I let her, I knew it was comforting to her. When she pulled away, she stared into my face for a long time. It was almost as if she was burning my face in her memory.

"I-I still haven't called off the wedding," she said all of a sudden, trying to be jovial.

I grinned at her, and caressed her cheek softly.

"No?" I inquired.

She swallowed hard and involuntarily tears refilled her eyes.

"No," she replied.

I sighed, wishing I knew what to tell her about that.

"If that... gives you comfort then don't cancel it," I said to her, trying to be as careful as possible.

I didn't want to hurt her, she was still a good person, but I wasn't sure we were going to have a future together any longer. The whirlwind of the last week put a real strain on our relationship. I was thinking about what Saria had said to me about not letting eight years go. She was right. Eight years was a great deal of time invested into someone, but I always had my doubts regarding Zelda's and my relationship. We were so different on so many levels, that I didn't see how we could ever work. However, I knew part of my new premise was because I knew the truth about Saria. Maybe I was wrong in that, but I never got over Sar. That Kokiri, who was now a Hylian, was special, and she held a large place in my heart. I knew it was premature to think like this, especially when I didn't know how Saria was going to reciprocate. However, there was no denying I felt something real for her.

Don't jump the arrow Link, I told myself, Sar just got reacquainted with you.

Even still, I couldn't forget about the woman in front of me. Zelda had been a rock and shield for me for a long time. I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. I wasn't going to let a killer's threat deter me from protecting Hyrule's greatest treasure, and a woman very dear to me. She smiled at me through her tears and reached up to caress my cheek.

"Don't worry, I won't," she replied finally.

I held her tight after her saying that, and realized she shouldn't be out in the open any longer. It was simply too dangerous.

"I need for you to get back to the castle immediately," I directed seriously, "I worry about you too much already."

Zelda's smile widened at my words, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Okay," she replied, then pecked me on my nose.

Zelda let me go, and stared at me as she walked backwards towards the entrance of the forest. She kept her gaze fixed on me as she took several hesitant steps back. She finally turned around and ran out of the forest. I sighed when I watched her leave, but then felt an abrupt sense of alarm.

Wait a minute, I thought.

"The Deku Tree!" I exclaimed under my breath and headed back to the alcove.

When I returned to the great tree's presence the Deku Tree immediately sensed me.

"You have thwarted the threat upon me and my predecessor's children," the Deku Tree said to me.

"I didn't do it on my own," I replied honestly, "the princess helped me. No, she saved my life and Hyrule."

The Deku Tree fell silent for a moment.

"The princess loves you a great deal," the Deku Tree said to me. "The princess has shared her concerns and feelings for you and Hyrule."

I looked at the tree puzzled.

"The princess came to talk to you?" I asked.

The Deku tree fell silent again.

I sensed it felt it told me too much.

"Deku Tree?" I pressed, wanting to know the truth.

"The princess has shared a few minor concerns with me," the Deku Tree said carefully, "she is very busy with her task of protecting Hyrule."

Minor things huh? I thought with cynicism.

"Right," I replied, deciding to let the matter go. I didn't think the Deku Tree wanted to share anymore secrets with me anyway. "Well I must go, there is no telling when the royal guard will come looking for me."

The tree shook its leaves.

"I understand great hero," the Deku Tree replied, "you have a heavy burden on thy shoulders. You will make the right decision in the end, for life is not always about what you want, but what is required of thee. Farewell Hero of Legend. We shall speak again at the crossroads of life."

"Wait a minute, what?" I demanded, not understanding what it meant. "Deku Tree?"

A green pulsar of energy iridized across the sky.

"Wait!" I called out.

It was no use the Deku Tree was gone.

~SSS~

I got back to Lake Hylia at dusk. I went inside the house carefully. I had no idea if the old man had returned or not. When I saw no one was there I let out a sigh of relief, but then felt a little bit of apprehension.

Where's Saria? I thought.

I went upstairs to her room and saw no one there. I hurried back downstairs to check the kitchen again. No one was there. I quickly went back outside and scanned the coastal region. Nothing. No one was there. I began to dread the worst.

Had the guards came by and taken her? I thought, feeling my heart accelerate.

I power walked down to the shore, and started down the shoreline, thinking perhaps she was at the fisherman's wharf. I was halfway to the entrance, when all of a sudden the surface of Lake Hylia broke. I turned to see what it was, and Saria splashed to the surface and whipped her hair in an arc behind her head. She swam to the coastline with a bottle in her hand containing a fish. When she saw me she smiled and waved.

Thank Farore, I thought with a sigh of relief, smiling and waving back at her.

My heart went back to its normal rhythm when I saw she was okay, at least momentarily. It sped up again when I saw her get out the water in a two piece... a teeny, tiny, green two piece. Her curvaceous, sunkissed, slender body glistened with water in the light of the setting sun. She looked incredibly beautiful, and the innocent smile on her face made her all the more alluring.

This has got to be payback for some unknown evil I've done, I thought sarcastically.

Saria quickly saw I was about to have a heart attack at the sight of her, and paused coming towards me to put on a robe she had resting next to the old scarecrow by the pumpkin patch before she approached. She rung out her hair, then came to greet me.

"Hey stranger," she said to me, and pointed to the jar in her hand, "I caught a fish."

I nodded.

"I see," I replied.

"I'm going to make Hylian bass hot pot tonight," she said to me with a huge smile.

Her smile was infectious, it made me smile back at her.

"I haven't had a hot pot since I lived in the forest," I replied.

Saria looked at me thoughtfully.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," I replied.

Saria grinned and looked down.

"Your Saria used to make that for you, didn't she?" she asked me.

I liked her use of that expression.

My Saria, I thought with a grin, then felt it fade slowly.

I looked at her seriously for a moment. My expression perplexed her. She took a step back and stroked a hand over her damp hair.

"What?" she asked nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I stared into her eyes and shook my head.

"Nothing," I replied.

You are my Saria, I thought, still not being able to believe it, you're really back in my life.

"She didn't make you hot pot?" Saria asked, thinking my facial expression had something to do with that.

I grinned at her inquiry.

"Yes," I replied, "she did."

Saria continued to look at me puzzled.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked me. "You're acting strange."

I smirked at her question and shook my head.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," I replied.

I didn't want to tell her yet. I wanted this whole mess to be cleared up with the assassin and the threat to the princess. I had to make sure everything was the way it should be, before I thought about anything that was going to affect me. Saria took what I said and interpreted it as something else; she frowned a little bit.

"Are you sure there's nothing the matter?" she asked me.

"No, nothing," I said quickly shaking the expression off my face, "nothing is wrong."

Well, that's not true, I thought.

"Did the Deku Tree tell you something upsetting?" she asked me.

I raised my eyebrows at her question.

The Deku Tree told me a lot, I thought, but there is plenty I need to figure out on my own.

"Let's talk about that later," I replied.

Saria looked at me odd just then.

"Why?" she asked.

Why? I thought. Because it's too much to absorb at once.

"Because I'm tired right now," I replied simply.

I guess I had a serious glint in my voice, because she completely dropped the matter.

"Okay," she replied, trying to be casual.

She then walked past me and headed for the house.

"I'm going to get this fish cleaned and scaled," Saria said to me.

I nodded.

"Okay," I replied.

I smiled at her again, and suddenly started thinking about all the things I wanted. I didn't know why it came up suddenly, it just did. Maybe it was because I hadn't thought about something for myself in awhile. I wanted Hyrule to be protected from her enemies. I would always fight for Hyrule no matter what my station was in life. I wanted Zelda to be happy. I knew that if Hyrule was protected, then the princess would be happy.

The pulse of Zelda's heart is Hyrule, I thought, as long as it is okay she will be okay. Lastly, I want happiness for myself. My thought of a simple life was starting to return, and if the first two problems stay solved I could have it. I could really have it, and perhaps... someone else would like to share that simple life with me too, I thought.

I watched as Saria went into the house.

Maybe a simple peasant girl with emerald green hair, I thought.

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