Okay, I'm tired, but I managed to get this baby ready for posting. Now that I'm getting into the wolf chapters, which I am loving to death, the story will begin to move along nicely. On another note, a friend of mine said I shouldn't have had Link say "Shut up" in the last chapter since this is a medival world. Well Link did say shut up in the Oot manga, so he's going to say shut up in my story......so shut up!

Bren: .....er, yeah, what she said. Meh. Storm does not own The Legend of Zelda series(she wishes). She only owns Adri.

Chapter 6: Land of Shadows

The sound of dripping water echoed in her mind. It was getting really annoying really fast. Adri groaned and grumbled, "Cut it out Tim. I wanna sleep."

Since the water wasn't stopping, Adri's eyes flickered open, moaning as a head ache hit her. At first everything was blurry, but her vision gradually cleared as the pain lessened a bit. She wasn't in her room or the forest for that matter. Instead she found herself in a small cell surrounded by four walls, three being brick and the other a wall of bars. It looked to her like one of the jail cells in a prison, except these were different. And not in a good way. Everything was cast in the same golden glow as Faron Woods, only there weren't as many black squares in the air here. On the back wall there were shackles for prisoners with some of the old occupants still hanging from them. There were a couple piles of hay in the corners and an ever present sound of dripping water, the source of her wake up call.

Adri's eyes were wide as she absorbed everything. Slowly she tried to get up, only to collapse on her stomach. She groaned again and tried to rub her head with her hand, but stopped short. Five inches away from her face was a paw covered in black Adri just stared at it. Her mind went blank as she forced herself to stand up, on all fours, and looked herself over. She was standing on four paws, was covered in night black fur, and had a tail. Adri drew in a shaky breath trying to ignore the muzzle that was constantly in her vision like some freakish mask.

Okay Adri, calm down. It's all just a dream.

Next to her, the drip of water fell from the ceiling and came together to form a small puddle of water. Adri peered into it. A wolf with night black fur stared back at her. Now she screamed, except instead of hearing her voice it came out as a haunting howl. Adri clamped her muzzle shut in shock. I can't talk!?

There was a slamming sound as a door opened spreading dim light on the floor. Two shadows, one taller than the other, loomed in the light, followed by heavy footsteps. Out of instinct Adri started growling as the shadows came closer. From around the corner another of those octopus-head monsters appeared. And behind it was another person, one who made Adri's growl intensify.

A tall man stood outside the cell with the monster. He wore a robe of a mix of green and black with long flowing sleeves. A shoulder guard adorned his upper body. But the most disturbing part of his outfit was the helmet that was on his head. It was huge, resembling something like a fish head with sharp teeth and large, soulless eyes. All around Adri the air seemed to have grown cold, a lot colder than before.

He looked straight at her, then said, "Is this the second beast?" His voice was deep, yet at the same time high pitched and raspy. It made the fur on Adri's neck stand on end.

To her surprise a hissing voice came from beneath the iron plate on the monster's face, "Yes my lord. A fine beast, no?"

"And why is this one not chained?"

"None can touch it, my lord." Adri quickly registered that she was the 'it' they were talking about. "There is a light around it burns all who touch it." Then the monster chuckled, "Perhaps its hide would make a handsome rug if you wish to do away with it."

Adri bared her teeth and snarled, only to be laughed at by the masked man. Finally he looked away from her and to his partner. "Perhaps it will make a fine pet instead. Still, watch this one carefully. Now come, I wish to discuss how I want the search for that whelp carried out."

"As you wish, my lord."

They left. Not until she heard the slam of the door did Adri stop growling and lower her lips. Glad they're gone. That guy even thinks about making me into a rug I'll..ugh, I don't even know the first thing about being violent.

Adri took a step towards the bars, but ended up tumbling head-over-heels onto the damp floor. Adri groaned and got to her feet, trying to balance herself. She growled in frustration. "Come on, this can't be that hard," she growled, literally. Adri closed her eyes sorting through her memories. One of them seemed to be the most helpful. It was back when she was six, when she used to pretend she was a horse all the time. She took a few hesitant steps forward and upon no incident trotted around the cell in triumph.

As for the puddle, Adri used it as a mirror to get a better look at her face. She was a wolf for sure, with black fur. However unlike a normal wolf her eyes were the same bright emerald green as they had always been plus had a spark of intelligence in them that a normal wolf would not have. On her forehead was a strange symbol etched in white, the only marking on her body. It looked exactly like the mark that had appeared on her palm.

Adri rubbed the spot with her paw. Why I'm like this? How did this even happen? And where am I anyway?

The sound of the opening door came again. Immediately Adri started growling. In the light she could see a shadow looming towards her. It bore the distinct figure of horns. As it cam closer childlike laughter filled the air.

"Teehee, sounds like they've got your friend in here too."

From around the corner appeared a floating imp. She looked almost pixie-like with her tiny legs and thorny arms. Her skin was a swirling mix of white and black. On her arms and pointy ears were glowing green lines tattooed in the same patterns as the monsters that had attacked Adri. On the imp's head was a huge helmet that covered her left eye and bore large horns, which explained the shadow from before. Her hair was a bright orange, like flames, and pulled back in a small ponytail.

The imp's red and yellow eyes were focused on Adri. She grinned, a single fang present in her jaw. Quickly she turned around and called, "Hurry up you lazy beast!"

Adri hadn't once stopped growling after the imp showed up, but stopped when the aforementioned "beast" appeared. It was another wolf, much bigger than she was and obviously a male. His fur was different too, being a dark gray that looked like it faded to a green color in the light. The fur around his neck was long and fluffed up a bit like a mane. On his forehead was a white symbol too, but what startled her were his eyes. They were a bright blue, not gold, and very familiar.

The wolf stared at Adri, shock showing on his face. It was a few more seconds before he opened his muzzle. Instead of barks a familiar voice came out, "Adri, is that you?"

"L-Link?" asked Adri nervously nearly jumping when she heard her normal voice answer him. She walked closer to the bars and peered into the wolf eyes. They had that same gleam as Link's did. She gasped, backing up a bit before breathing, "It is you!"

Link looked down sheepishly. "Yeah. Looks like the same thing happened to you."

Before Adri could respond the imp interrupted with a laugh, "How sweet. The two beasts are reunited once more." In a blur of bubbles she phased through the bars. She floated over to Adri and started looking her over, circling around her and prodding her a bit with her tiny fingers. Adri had to restrain herself from snapping. Finally she stopped, placing a hand under her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm....seems you turned out fine...."

"Fine!" Adri roared, "I'm stuck in this stupid cell and I'm a wolf! You call this fine!"

"Easy girl," laughed the imp, "You want out of here, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright then! I suggest you start sniffing around. There's probably a hole somewhere in here that you can squeeze through." She added with an evil grin, "Gotta find your own way out." She began to phase back through the bars.

"Why you little...."

"Adri calm down," Link said, "She did the same thing to me, so just listen to her."

She wasn't happy, but if it meant getting out the cell, then she'd take it. Even worse was that she was going to have to smell her way out! As if sensing her distress the distinct smell of wet earth wafted into her nose. She hadn't smelled it before, at least until she had moved near the bars. Adri lowered her nose to the ground and sniffed. The scent was coming from one of the larger tiles in the corner. It was loose. She quickly slipped her head under one of the corners and flipped it over with a bit of effort, exposing the moist soil underneath it. A way out.

Link's tail started wagging like crazy. "There! Perfect exit!"

Adri nodded. She flexed her paws for a minute, than started digging. The dirt flew easily from her claws. Adri gradually slipped under the bars and was soon on the other side and out. She shook the dirt from her fur laughing, "Piece of cake."

"Yeah, I oof!"

Before he could finish his sentence the imp had landed on Link's back as if from nowhere. She patted his head despite his growls. "No, no, you calm down. Remember, I did something for you, so now you've got to do something for me."

"Fine." Link turned to Adri with a defeated look on his face and shuffled his paws. As he did a 'clink' sound came from his left forepaw. Adri looked down and saw a manacle with a broken chain clamped around his leg.

"What happened?"

"You can save this teary reunion for later," snapped the imp, "Get going!"

Link growled, but obeyed. He started running down the passage. Not wanting to lose him Adri chased after him. But she hadn't quite mastered walking yet and running was even worse. Her back legs kept tripping over her front ones and her body was constantly threatening to pitch forward onto the floor. Still she somehow managed to keep from falling, giving most of the credit to her tail, and finally caught up with Link. By that time he had stopped. They were now in a wide chamber with a ceiling that stretched far above them. Obviously they were in a tower of some sort. A metal grid made up most of the floor with tiny holes for drainage purposes.

As Link looked around, Adri spotted a door. She walked over and tried to reach up with her paws to open it, but to no avail. She pushed against it hoping it would open and ended up with the same result. She looked at Link saying, "Now what? We get out of the cells and we're still trapped in here."

"Look up there." Link pointed with his nose to the area above the door. Adri looked up and saw an open window. "We can get out through there."

"Yeah, but how exactly are we supposed to get up there?"

"Oh come on," laughed the imp. She pointed at a pile of rocks. "You two just need to jump from there." She moved her hand to the stones jutting out of the wall above the door. "To there. You humans can be so stupid sometimes."

"Just do that and I'll help you get an idea on where to go."

"We don't need your help," growled Adri. The stupid comment had stung.

Link looked at her pleadingly as the imp giggled. "Alright, if that's how you feel. Then let's see you do it on your own."

Adri growled and the imp just waved her hand in a dismissive sort of way. She snorted and climbed onto the pile of rocks. Okay, just think of this as like the long jump....a very high, long jump. She tensed up like a spring, feeling muscles she hadn't had before start working, then launched herself at the first stone. Her four paws touched down lightly onto the hard surface. Seeing no harm done Adri leaped at the other three stones until she had reached the top. She looked down at Link and the imp head and tail held high.

"How's that for skill?" she gloated.

All she got was a shrug. "You're smaller and likely lighter than this one, so you wouldn't need any help."

Adri glared at her, but didn't comment. She sat down and watch as Link copied her movements. He didn't look like he was leaping as lightly as she had, but he was getting help from the imp. The imp's hair suddenly slithered up into the form of a huge hand that swayed above her head. This hand seemed to pull Link a bit towards the ledges and helped balance him out as he landed. When they finally made it to the top Adri chose not to say anything. Instead they walked out of the tower. Link and Adri gasped.

They definitely were no longer in Faron Woods. They were standing in the window of a tower, which in turn was part of a wide stretch of tiled rooftop. Here, just like in the woods and within the dungeon (there was nothing else to call the passages and cells), everything was cast in a golden glow. Dark clouds drifted in the golden sky as black pixels rose into the air. Spiraling towers pierced the sky in the distance and even more stretches of roof could be seen. Again, the orange glow, although it looked like sunset, held no comfort for Adri.

A sigh of content escaped the imp. "Ah, isn't the black cloud of Twilight lovely today?"

Adri snorted. "Yeah, if you like dreary things." Once again though, her words were ignored by the imp.

Link looked back at the imp. "Where are we?" he questioned.

His response was a giggle. "You STILL don't know? I'd expect you to recognize your own kingdom."

"Huh...wait, this is-"

"No, no, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise," the imp laughed. She was seriously starting to get on Adri's nerves. "Anyway, look, there's someone I want to introduce you to...but I need you two to get to that tower over there." She pointed at the said tower.

Despite Adri's desire to snap at the imp, the two wolves raced across the rooftops. All the while they had to worry about the tiles sliding out from under their paws. Adri was worried about Link who, with that imp on his back, could be easily thrown off balance and be sent careening to his death. But they were able to make it to the tower without incidents. And once again, conveniently, a window had been left open by an idiotic monster. They leaped from the sill and into the tower. Inside was a spiraling staircase, leading up to a metal door that was partially open. Adri couldn't believe their luck as Link pushed it open a bit more and slipped inside.

They were in a spacious room. In one corner a fire burned inside a small fireplace, in another was a small four-poster bed with a night stand next to it. And on one side was a huge window of impressive metalwork. Standing before it with their back turned to them was a person in a black cloak. The hood was pulled up, so they couldn't see their face.

Link stared growling right away. Adri touched his shoulder to try to get him to calm down, but that growl caused the person to face them. Their face was shadowed by the hood, but Adri could barely make out bright blue eyes filled with fear behind it. There was a gasp and Link stopped, suddenly curious. He walked over with Adri following in his wake. She could see the imp rolling her eyes and grinning as if this was some great joke. It bothered her to the extreme.

"...Midna!?" The voice was light and musical, obviously feminine.

The imp, now known to them as Midna, giggled, "You remembered my name? What an honor for me..."

Adri shot a look at her and was about to say something when the robed woman approached the three of them. Her blue eyes were focused on them as she said, "So, one of them is the one you've been searching for."

"He's not exactly what I had in mind," said Midna, patting Link's head (not at all to his liking), "but.....I guess he'll do."

"And the other? Where did the she-wolf come from?"

"No clue. She's just extra weight I guess." Midna giggled a bit at her statement, earning a snarl from Adri. "Feisty one too."

The woman looked once more at Link, her eyes falling to the manacle around his leg. Her eyes widened as she breathed, "You were imprisoned." Link nodded, a funny gesture coming from a wolf. She bowed her head adding, "I am sorry."

"Poor things, they have no idea where they are or what's happened to them," said Midna, "So, don't you think you should explain to them what you've managed to do? You owe them that much.....Twilight Princess! Eeehee!" That little laugh of hers was starting to get on Adri's nerves.

Her head remained bowed, but Adri could see that she was in thought now. It didn't take long for her to raise her head and face both Adri and Link. There was a serious glow in her eyes. "Listen to me carefully," she said, "This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule." Link perked up at this. So this was the land that they were meant to have traveled to. Adri sat down, knowing that an important story was about to be told.

"But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the Twilight.....it has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light."

"The day that he attacked, all had been calm. This was five days ago and I had been hoping to receive the audience of a peaceful fellow ruler. But it was a lie. Hyrule Castle was attacked by his army of shadow beasts before we could even muster an offensive attack. He barged into the throne room, the beasts easily taking out my men. He gave me only two choices: 'Life or death.' I couldn't let anything happen to my people, so I had no choice. We surrendered."

"Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms...."

The woman bowed her head once more as her voice dropped almost to a whisper, "All the people know now is fear....Fear of a nameless evil...." She then stood up and reached for her hood. Her hands were covered by white gloves with embroidered gold thread that reached her elbows. She threw back the hood, revealing her face as her hair flopped onto the back of the cloak. Her hair was long and brownish-gold in the twilight with two pieces in the front that hung in braids by her face. Her ears were long and pointed like Link's too. As for her face, Adri took in a sharp breath at the sight. She was beautiful, even though the twilight distorted her face color a bit. On her head rested a small tiara of gold. Her blue eyes were even brighter now, but at the same time Adri could see more sadness in her eyes.

"The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess....I am Zelda."

Adri heard a snort from Midna. "You don't have to look so sad!" She lazily floated into the air adding, "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"Says the weird imp," growled Adri, "I don't see you stuck in some shape you don't belong in." For a second she thought she saw a flash in Midna's eyes, as if her words meant more than she thought, but only for a second. They returned to their original state.

Zelda did not seem to notice the change. "Midna this is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?" she demanded.

Link shot a look at Midna. "What do they want you for?" he growled. Adri didn't say anything, out loud at least. She must be the one that guy was talking about. Why would he want her though?

Midna shrugged, answering, "Why indeed? You tell me!" she laughed.

Even if Zelda couldn't understand them, she turned to Link. "There is no need to worry. Midna may seem a bit....blunt....but she means well. I can feel it." Link nodded, wagging his tail a bit to get his point across. Adri rolled her eyes. This was going to be hard if they were ever going to communicate with people. The princess then turned to Adri. "Watch over them both. There is something about you that I cannot place, but there is power within your eyes."

Before Adri could try to say anything, Zelda looked up at the door, fear in her eyes. "You must leave, now. The guard will soon make his rounds." As Midna once again landed on Link's back hard Zelda began pushing them towards the door. "Quickly, before they capture you again."

"We don't need to be told twice!" laughed Midna, tapping Link's head, "Alright boy, let's go."

Link gave another futile growl, but complied. He turned around quickly and gave a small bow to the princess, then turned tail out the door. Adri copied his movements then followed after him. She bumped into Link the minute she got out of the room. She let out a grunt as a beam of light splashed across the stone steps. "The guard!" she yelped only to have Midna's hands shut her muzzle roughly.

"Shh!" hissed Midna. She looked up, then pointed at the window above them, the same window they had used to get into the tower in the first place. It wasn't too hard to make it out before the guard made it up the staircase. Of course Adri still felt it was too close of a call for comfort. Midna floated off of Link's back and out onto the roof skipping. Adri growled a bit, not at all liking her casual attitude. What does she think this is, a game? For all we knew we could've been killed back there.

Link was hardly phased. He just walked out towards Midna, leaving Adri to contemplate the situation. Okay, calm down Adri. Maybe this is getting a little too serious for you. It's all got to be a dream, yeah, that's it! A really cool dream. Any minute now I'll be waking up in my bed as my normal self and-

"Hey furball! You asleep back there or what!" Midna's voice broke her thoughts. Growling, Adri approached the imp who was now floating in front of Link. Midna grinned, showing that creepy fang of her's.

"So, as I was explaining to my other furry friend here, do you understand where we are? Yes? Good, then that's settled."

To Link she said, "I guess a promise is a promise, so I'll let you go back to where you first tumbled into Twilight. Both of you," she added as she looked at Adri, "But....are you really sure you should be going back?"

"Of course I want to go back!" Link barked, "Anything to get out of this body."

"Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything important though," Midna giggled stroking her chin, "hmm....let me think....oh yes!" Before their eyes she transformed into exact images of Colin and Illia, both screaming. Both wolves gasped.

"Illia!"

"Colin!"

"Tee hee, do you want to save them?" she asked, speaking out of Ilia's image, "In that case little Midna would be happy to help you!"

Link eyes filled with hope, but Adri touched his leg with a paw. She fixed Midna with a trade mark glare. "What's the catch? There's always something."

The imp giggled as the illusion faded. "Guess you're not a dumb beast after all!" She ignored the snarl Adri gave her and continued, "Yes, you two would have to be my servants....and like servants you'd have to do exactly as I say."

"Fat chance!" Adri snapped, "I'm no one's servant, and there's no way I'm taking orders from you!"

"Adri she's our only chance," Link said softly, "If we don't, Illia and Colin could be...." His ears drooped at the thought. At that moment Adri remembered what she had seen.

"Link-"

"Why don't you go back, take a little time, give it some thought." Before either one of them could give her a response the world was enveloped in black.

So didja like it!? Hope you did! Reviews are much appreciated, I need some opinions or construcive criticism. Flames.....I'll put them out with my fire extinguisher of DOOM!!