Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any of the concepts from Inuyasha that I have put in this ficcie!

Ocarina of Time: The Three Goddesses Reincarnated

Chapter Forty-One: Zelda

Link left Lon Lon Ranch the next day, almost without word. He had briefly told Malon of his experience with Tessa, got out the Ocarina of Time, and played the song that would warp him to the Temple of Time, since it was closest to Ganondorf's Castle. He couldn't bear to deal with Tessa not knowing who he was. She didn't even know who she was, who Malon was, or even where she had come from or was now.

It distressed him greatly, but he would never admit that to Malon. That was why he left her in the first place.

At first, it hardly registered that he had appeared in the Temple of Time at all, but he just stood there, staring blankly at the ground. Then, a slight murmuring from Navi brought him out of his daze. He looked up at the fairy, and then in the direction that she had been looking at.

The three Sacred Stones stood where he had left them seven years ago. At first, he wondered why Navi was staring at them like she was, but then it dawned on him that the stones had changed somehow. The sharp edges had begun to round out, but very slowly. They also seemed brighter, and shined with an awakened power that he had never seen before. The Kokiri Emerald and the Zora's Sapphire were both brighter than the Goron's Ruby though, and Link walked up to them. Since he knew better than to pick the stones up, he observed them with curiosity.

A slight memory ran through his mind at that moment.

"Link! In the water…" Navi screeched, but her tone died down. Link picked himself up, and jumped onto a platform, frantically dodging the water as it attempted to grab at him again. He searched the water for what Navi was talking about, until he saw a glowing orb. He decided to take a chance, and dove for the glow. It didn't take long for him to draw up to it, and when he did, he almost gasped.

Inside the glowing ball was Tessa, but it seemed to be a protective barrier more than a cage. He touched it briefly only to get shocked violently. Then, he felt pressure around his chest again, and he was thrown out of the water.

That memory brought up another one.

"Tessa?" Link asked. The girl inside, who was curled into a fetal position mid-barrier, didn't even stir. "Are you all right?"

"I think the barrier may need to be broken." Navi sighed. "But I don't know how." Link looked at the barrier that surrounded her. Something about the barrier seemed powerful beyond all reason, but not evil at all. In fact…it almost seemed…

Link shook his head. He wasn't sure where his head was going with that thought process. In any case, he had to try and break down the barrier. He reached out to touch it again, but slower, when his hand felt warm. He touched it, and it began to disintegrate from the center of his palm and outward. The protective barrier went all of the way to her skin, and took a while to fully melt away. The first thing uncovered was Tessa's torso, than it spread out towards both the top and bottom, until she was free.

Then she dropped to the ground, still unconscious. Her breathing was ragged, and her brow was covered in sweat. Link frowned, and picked her up, one hand under her back and one under her knees. "What was she doing in here?" Link asked. Navi flew around Tessa frantically.

"I don't know."

Another memory followed.

"Tessa…how did you light the torches?" Link asked, as he grabbed a firm hold of her shoulders to stop her from rolling around. Tessa looked up at his amazed face, and started to laugh even harder. "Tessa! Stop laughing! You're driving me insane!" Link shouted. Tessa stopped momentarily.

"Magical mind power things!" Tessa laughed again. Navi giggled at Tessa's happy mood, and Link simply sighed.

"How did it really happen, Tessa?"

"I honestly don't know." Tessa stopped laughing suddenly. "But I wish I had seen it…it must have been cool…" A sad look appeared on Tessa's face, but then she began to laugh hysterically again.

"I give up on her." Link grumbled, and walked into the temple.

And another memory…

"What happened to this one?" Link asked, and picked the arrow up. Throughout the burning, the arrow had been left unscathed, and so Link returned it to Tessa. Tessa thanked him with a blush, but then stared at it.

"I really don't know…" Tessa murmured. "It was…just…weird…"

And another memory…

Then, a fire arrow slammed into it at full force in the back. Link looked astonished at Tessa, who was grinning triumphantly. The armor seemed to let out a high-pitched scream before the links to the chain mail fell, and the figure underneath the armor was revealed.

And another memory…

"You impudent little brat!" Koume screeched. "We'll teach you a lesson for this!" With that, she swung her fire staff towards him, and it shot out a blast of fire. Tessa jumped in front of Link and absorbed the fire into her hands, and shot it back at Koume. Koume simply caught it, and hurled it at Tessa. Once again, Tessa caught it, but this time whirled on Kotake and blasted the fire towards her. Kotake shrieked in pain and went tumbling down to the ground, where Link jumped on her and slashed at her multiple times with the Master Sword. Kotake pushed him away from her with a blast of wind and zoomed back into the air.

And another memory…

"Sorry, ice isn't my element." Tessa sighed. "That would be Korinu." Tessa grumbled, and Link looked even more confused.

And finally the last memory…

Then, Korinu broke through the crowd with three glass discs in her hand. Rhea jumped forwards as the green one was tossed to her. Then, Korinu hurled the red disc at Tessa. Tessa caught it without flinching, and then an electric jolt ran throughout her entire body. Once again she felt like she was on fire.

Link ran to her as she collapsed on the ground, it was weird not to hear her scream under so much pain. Rhea hesitated a moment, and ran for Tessa as well. Shadow Link stayed where he was, not really concerned with what was happening. Korinu and Rhea watched as Link hugged Tessa's writhing form, and for a moment they let it happen. Then, they forced Tessa away from him and laid their own discs on the sides of her head, and press their hands against her forehead.

Soon, Tessa's twitching stopped, and she looked up with a blank expression on her face, before her eyes closed. Her breathing now was simply ragged, and her cuts had healed themselves, although the scars remained.

Link watched this interaction with confusion and worry at the same time. Rhea and Korinu looked at each other, and after a moment released Tessa from their power.

"Well…now all we have to do is wait I suppose." Rhea grumbled. Korinu nodded. "Din isn't going to happy when she finds out about this…"

"She already knows." Korinu pointed out. "She knew the moment Tessa caught the disc."


Rhea looked at Tessa. "I suppose your right."

These memories hit him like the speed of light. Tessa had seemed able to use fire ever since the Shadow Temple, and before that she had been found at the Water Temple in that protective barrier. Rhea had been at that temple too…

"Navi…I found out why Tessa was brought to our world…although it's still a bit hazy…" Link's words came out in a small whoosh of breath, and Navi waited for him to explain it to her. "She, Rhea, and Korinu all have some sort of link to the Goddesses, although what kind of link I'll never know." Link sighed. "Tessa must have been linked to the goddess of fire, Din. Korinu, if I understand right, was linked to the goddess of water, Nayru. So…Rhea must be linked to Farore, the goddess of earth."

"That sounds like it makes sense." Another voice was heard from behind Link and Navi. They whirled around to see Sheik, looking at them with his blood-red eyes. He seemed a bit more distraught than usual, but Link chose to ignore that for now. "Although, I figured that out a short while ago…when I witnessed the battle between you and Tessa."

Link's face tightened up at the mention of that incident. "You were there?"

Sheik nodded. "I was…and I was going to talk to you but you were such a hurry to get Tessa help that I chose not too. So I waited here for you." Sheik sighed. "I don't know what happened to Tessa…but I hope everything is all right."

"She doesn't recollect any of her memory, for now the Tessa we know is gone…" Link sighed, the words sounded tight in his throat.

"I'm sorry…but I'm just glad that you are okay. You have all of the power of the sages, and now it is time to take down the King of Evil, Ganondorf." Sheik looked pointedly at Link. "But first…I have something I need to tell you, and show you."

Sheik walked forward, and grabbed Link's hand. On that hand, the symbol of the Triforce of Courage glowed, and Link looked confused. "This symbol, the triforce, was split when you were in sleep for seven years. The Triforce of Courage went to you, the Triforce of Power went to Ganondorf, and the Triforce of Wisdom went to a third person. In that way you are linked to the Goddesses as well…but not as deeply as Tessa, Rhea, or Korinu. They are, as you said, linked, but in the way in that they are the goddesses themselves. Reincarnations. We can't dwell on that, they can't help you right now, in this battle." Sheik explained. Navi gasped at this knowledge, and Link looked on with slightly wider eyes.

"The third person, with the Triforce of Wisdom, is also known as the eighth sage. She has been hidden for the past seven years, when she had to flee Hyrule Castle Town for her own safety, and the safety of others. Only one person knows where she is now, and she is a sage."

Link waited for the rest of it. Then, Sheik's hand began to glow with the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link began to be confused. Sheik had said that the bearer was a she…

So was Sheik…

A cross dresser…?

Then Tessa's comments about Sheik being effeminate ran through Link's ears, and he realized with confusion that she was…right…

Then, a bright white light surrounded Sheik. Link winced from the intensity of the light, which he had not expected at all. He brought his hand up to shade his eyes, but a moment later Sheik was gone, with Zelda in his place.

"Hello, Hero of Time." Zelda's musical voice ran through Link's ears, but it was only half-registered. It was clear that he was still in shock from what he saw before him. "I'm guessing that my disguise worked against you…although I honestly doubt Tessa was fooled as much."

Link shook his head. "Oh…she had a suspicion you weren't a guy…" His voice seemed dazed as he stared at the princess before him. "So…you've been Sheik all of this time?" Link asked.

"Yes, Impa put a spell on my being to make it appear as if I were a Sheikah, like her. This was to hide me until you were awakened again, and found the seven sages that would help you in your quest to destroy the King of Evil." Zelda explained softly. "I must admit, you are more than capable of being the Hero of Time, but when it comes to battling Ganondorf…" Zelda's eyes shifted, partly from worry, and partly from regret. For some reason, she was easy to read now that she was in her princess state.

"It is going to be a hard battle, I understand." Link swallowed thickly, and his throat suddenly ran dry. Ever since he had advanced seven years, he had had Tessa's help in everything from gaining Epona to start of the adventure, and battling against Twinrova at the end. Fighting a battle without her help would be something that would be different, but at least Navi was still there to help guide him, like she was ever since he started the adventure seven years ago.

"Yes…and I want to help you, in place of Tessa." Zelda looked into Link's blue eyes with her own sapphire eyes. "I know it won't be the same, but this is my kingdom, and mostly my responsibility."

Link hesitated for a moment. The last thing he wanted to do was endanger the life of the Hyrulian Princess, but he knew that she would not listen to the word 'no', and it would honestly help if he had one more person there to help.

"Of course you can help, why would I turn you down?" Link stated. Zelda smiled weakly, and was about to reach out to Link to thank him when suddenly the Temple of Time began to rumble, with the sound of dark laughter vibrating through the air.

"It's been seven long years, Princess Zelda." The dark, evil voice was familiar to both Zelda and Link, and they quickly recognized it as King Ganondorf. Link snarled and drew out his sword.

"I knew you've been hiding around, but I couldn't find you. Now you're out here in the open, it's such a pleasure to know that I'm going to take the Triforce of Wisdom easily from your grasp."

"He's not here!" Link growled, and went to try and find a way to protect Zelda when suddenly she screamed, as a translucent pink stone of raw power surrounded her. Somehow, she could still move around slightly, probably from the power of the Triforce of Wisdom she carried inside of her, but they couldn't really be sure. "Zelda!"

Then, she disappeared in a burst of light. "If you want to save the Princess, Hero of Time, then you will have to confront me, and give up your Triforce of Courage with your life!" Then, the Temple of Time stopped it's violent shaking. After a moment, Link slowly drew his sword back into its sheath, and clenched his hands into fists.

End of Chappie

Yay! I'M ALMOST SOMEWHAT KINDA DONE! WOOHOOOOOO! I'm excited! I'm estimating that I have four or five chapters left! Squee! I'm excited!