Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters featured; they belong to their respective franchises of Nintendo and Shouzou Kaga, Namco Bandai and Arc System Works. GrimGrave does not make money for writing fiction.

I would like to take this moment and again address an issue.

Fooler/Deflow/Two-Face, whatever you want to call yourself, I would appreciate if you could get a life. It's been over a year now, and you're still mad that I didn't like your ideas – get over it already.

First of all, I don't appreciate being called a "sick fuck", especially not someone who wanted me to write about Dark Link raping Zelda and have her torture Link, or whatever. And the only Two-Faced around here is you. Why? Because you posted your ideas first as Fooler, and then Deflow, right after one another. (Even stating "not done," as Deflow.) Those reviews are still around, so anyone can see. Am I to believe that you and another person sat right next to each other, reading and reviewing simultaneously? Give me a break.

You also referred yourself as Reflow and Cooler – I have not heard those before, so I'm guessing it-s 4-Face now (Deflow, Fooler, Reflow, and Cooler). You also claim that they are not the same person (even though, while posting your ideas as Fooler, Deflow follow up with "not done" and continued.) But, curiously enough, you then proceed to tell me that I copied YOUR ideas – the ones Fooler/Deflow wrote. But you're not the same person, huh?

First of all: I'm not "nerfing" anyone, I'm just not making them into Mary Sue's. Nor am I reducing women to anything, unlike you who wanted me to have Dark Link rape Zelda, as I recall.

Second of all: Someone like you who: A) wanted me to write a story about Dark Link raping Zelda "constantly" as you put it and have her torture the real Link, B) Make Link a Mary Sue who suddenly possess the whole Triforce or whatever, C) Have Ganondorf raise him while he's somehow a Hylian/Gerudo/Zora hybrid, should NOT talk to me about "being ignorant of Zelda."

Third of all: The only one who is "Two-Faced" here would be you. It's been over a year already, and you still post multiple "reviews" at the same time in the hope of achieving something. It's not working.

Besides, only you would try and defend yourself by stating specifically that "those two" aren't the same. So if you're someone else, why would you try and convince me that those two other strangers aren't the same?

Though, honestly? The way you write is a dead giveaway. You're not fooling anyone.

Lastly: Yes, you did threaten me. Multiple times. AND the reason I remove your obnoxious "reviews" is because they are as welcome as a pile of dog-shit by the sidewalk. Now, stop abusing the review-system to vent out your childish tantrum and do something with your life. I don't know what you're hoping to achieve by doing this for a full year, but it ain't working. Tough luck.

I'd also appreciate if you could stop writing several reviews in a row on different stories. Oh, and to answer on of your more recent reviews: I find it hilarious that you're telling me to get a life, when you're the one obsessed with being obnoxious and spam for over a year.

But I'm not going to acknowledge your spamming from this point on.

I'm sorry for the long rant. This is the last time I'll post anything about this issue. This chapter's length and content will make up for the rant, I promise. Enjoy.

To Hunt Down a Hylian

Chapter 13

Journeys

/Rikku screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't see where she was going thanks to the thick foliage, but with her monstrous pursuers not far behind, her legs wouldn't stop running.

"HELP ME!" she yelled. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest and blood pumped in her ears. Branches lashed against Rikku's face as she ran, but she didn't – couldn't – slow down.

The monsters – hideous wolf-like creatures – howled and snarled, baring their yellowed fangs. There were at least three of them, the thief had counted, but she dared not look back to confirm the actual number.

´I don't want to die! Yuna, Paine… anyone! Please, help! ´

"Get down, girl!"

"W-wha –!"

Something flew by the blonde with a sharp sound and a painful howl was shortly followed. Then another. And a third. Then it went quiet. Rikku's heart was beating hard against her ribs and blood pumped loudly in her ears.

"You can open your eyes now, girl," a calm but strict voice stated and the bubbly blonde looked up – when had she closed her eyes? – to see the raven-haired kunoichi stand next to the bodies of the monsters; it looked like their jugulars had been sliced open before their bodies began to burn away.

The younger girl's eyes widened and she beamed. "I-it's you! The ninja-girl! Taku-"

"Taki."

"Taki, I knew that!" Rikku joked as she attempted to slow her heartbeat down. "You have no idea how happy I am to see a friendl-"She quickly paused and studied the raven-haired woman's expression-less face. "…Familiar face! Are the others here? Wait, where are we?"

"No, and I do not know," Taki replied. "When I woke up, there were no-one else around. I've been scouting these woods since." She managed a curt smile. "Don't lose heart; we will manage to find them."

The blonde would have laughed and nodded – she knew they would find the others – was it not for the shrieking howl that pierced the silence as a grey-furred monster leapt at her from the shadows. It happened to fast, the thief screamed at the top of her lungs, and held her short-swords protectively in front of her as the beast crashed right into her.

A painful yelp echoed in the woods. Blood sprayed upon the ground where the monster landed, Rikku's blades firmly imbedded in its chest./

x.X.x.X.x

"What is it with these woods?" Taki exclaimed as she pulled out her kodachi from the now burning body of a wolf-monster. It had been hours now since she had regained consciousness – and she estimated that a lot more time had passed between their encounter with the warlock and ending up here, wherever she was – and as of yet had found no indication of a way out of the forest. "No matter how far we go, it looks the same."

"There's no end to these monsters, either…" the blonde, bubbly thief lamented. "I just want to go home…"

"We all want to, girl, and we will, but complaining won't be of any help," Taki replied and scoured her surroundings; trees, trees, and even more trees as far as she could see. "We need to find out where we are and how we get out of here. Then we need to locate the others."

"I know!" Rikku retorted. She pouted and kicked the dirt absentmindedly. "It's just… it's just one thing after another. At this rate we won't be able to return home at all!"

´This girl…´ the brunette thought scornfully. She understood the blonde's feelings, but… "Like I said, complaining about this won't do us any good. I am not fond of our situation either, but that's all the more reason to not give up."

"Hmph."

Taki rolled her eyes. "Very well, girl, stay moody. I'm going to scout ahead; don't get killed by the monsters."

Green, swirly eyes widened and the thief paled. "W-what? Don't leave me –!"

The ninja had already vanished. Rikku glanced nervously around, watching the shadows cast by the tall trees, listening for any suspicious sounds. It was eerily quiet; not even the wind made a sound.

It was too quiet for her liking. Slowly, the blonde took a step forward. Then another. And another one. So far so good. She took yet another one –

An audible crack had the girl's heart nearly jumped out of her chest and she yelped as she swung her short-swords around for a good minute before she calmed down. She was alone, for better or worse.

Rikku released a breath she didn't know was holding and slumped down on the ground and hugged her knees. "…Yuna…Paine…"

What were her cousin and friend doing right now? Were they searching for her around the mountain? They must be worried to death by now Rikku pondered, and embraced her legs even tighter. Her eyes welled up.

"…I want to go home…"

They would search in vain. They wouldn't even have a body for the funeral, once they had given up hope, if they hadn't already. Hopefully, Yuna and Paine would continue with their quest, and from the bottom of her heart, Rikku wished her cousin and friend the best of luck in life, because right now, the thief was having the worst of luck.

"What's the matter?" Taki queried, and though Rikku was happy that she had returned, she did not dare look up. "I managed to find some edible fruit. You're hungry, right?"

The blonde clutched at her stomach; she was indeed feeling hungry. She gave the older girl a shaky nod and humbly accepted the fruit.

"If you have the energy to be moody, you should use that to keep fighting," Taki stated. "We all want to return to our worlds, but nothing worth having comes for free."

Rikku still refused to meet the ninja's gaze. "…I know…"

"Then cease this behaviour! What would your friends say if they saw you like this?"

The thief looked up, green eyes wide. "H-How do you know –?"

Taki firmly crossed her arms over her chest. "I overheard you just now. I'm guessing that you were separated from them when you arrived here in the first place." Her stern expression softened greatly. It was brief, but Rikku swore that the kunoichi looked concerned. "I was lucky, you know. Cassandra is very dear to me and, while I wish she hadn't been brought into this, I'm glad she's here."

Rikku didn't respond. Taki had paused; as if expecting her to, but the blonde merely nibbled on the fruit she had been given. It was sweet.

"If Cassandra hadn't been here, I probably would've felt like you're currently doing. But I would've fought on, because my only chance to see her again would be lost if I only sulked. Do you understand, girl?"

Rikku lowered her gaze. She didn't reply. What was she supposed to say to that? She had shut herself off and refused to come to terms with the situation.

At least, that's what the ninja thought. But then the younger girl looked back up, a small smile curving her lips.

"Yuna… She's my cousin, you know?" the blonde said. "And Paine is a close friend… odd, but a friend nonetheless. We were in the mountains when I… well…"

"When you were summoned here," Taki finished. "I see. Away from both family and friends is never easy, but that's all the more reason to not give up. If we can locate the others we can strike back at the warlock and force him to return us back home. Nothing will happen if you stay here kicking the mud."

"…Can I talk with you some more? I just don't know what to do…" Perhaps it was a silly thing to ask. The ninja surely wouldn't be interested in hearing of the thief's plight, regardless of how dire their situation was… right?

"Come," Taki said as she turned on her heel. "We'll talk along the way."

Rikku beamed. "Thank you…!"

x.X.x.X.x

"We're lost, aren't we?!"

Sheik glanced back at her companion disapprovingly. The two had sought shelter in some ruins – an ancient outpost of sorts, from the look of it – to protect themselves from the raging sandstorm outside.

It had been a stroke of sheer luck that the two had found each other; had the sandstorm kicked up a few moments sooner, who could tell what would've happened to either of them?

Sheik crossed her arms and stared absentmindedly around as she ignored the other girl. The situation was dire and there were too few answers to the abundance of questions.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Please be quiet," Sheik responded. "I'm trying to think."

Lili groaned and huffed with a pout. "Yes, well, think faster! I want to get out of here! It's too hot, there's sand in my boots and my hair, and –"

"Please be silent so I can think," the Sheikah princess retorted. Truthfully, she understood the other girl's frustration, but her whining didn't help, nor was it easy on the ears. Ignoring her for now, Sheik pondered; there was only one place in Hyrule that had a habitat such as this, but… It didn't make any sense.

"It can't be…"

"Huh? What are you talking about?!"

"I believe I know where we are. But it makes little sense." The red-eyed blonde glanced at Lili. "However, it might work in our favour."

Lili seemed to beam. Her expression softened and she even smiled. "You do?!"

"The only problem with that, however, is that we won't be able to get out of here easily." Sheik sighed. "…No one wanders out into the Haunted Wasteland unprepared. And I'd say we are anything but prepared."

The blonde didn't say anything at first. Her smile became a scowl, and with her hands on her hip, she spat; "´Haunted Wasteland´? I don't like the sound of that at all! And how's that going to work in our favour?"

"Two reasons," Sheik replied. "One: it means we're still in Hyrule, and in an area I am somewhat familiar with. Two: if the warlock's intent was to scatter us, then his powers might be dwindling if he only managed to send us around Hyrule. We still have a chance to reach the others."

The younger girl's smile came back. "So, we can get out of here?!"

The Sheikah sighed. "There's that chance, but the problem remains that I don't know where in these wastelands we are. If I can only find a certain landmark, I'll know the way out. And it's not like the sandstorm is helping either."

With another groan, Lili decided to sit down, hands borrowed in her long flaxen tresses.

"So, not only are we stuck here until the sandstorm calms down, we don't even know which way to go and cling on to luck?"

"You are right about the sandstorm. Once it's over, I am free to scout the area. We will just have to take one step at a time with this," Sheik stated. "Just have patience. We will get out of here."

"You'll forgive me if I'm not exactly filled with hope, ´princess´," Lili replied.

Sheik sighed and stared out of the small gap in the wall; the sandstorm still showed no sign of subsiding.

x.X.x.X.x

The caverns echoed with ragged, wheezing groans as the warlock forced himself into a sitting position on his throne of stone. His recent spell had drained him, mentally and physically, and he scrambled for a pitch of water to slake his sore old throat.

Mau glanced down at his shaky hands: withered and bony were they, as if his flesh has been thinned out. No, that was exactly what had happened; he had grown thinner, his limbs resembling old branches. His heart still pounded fiercely inside his ribcage from the adrenaline of the battle earlier. At last, though, he had done it. Not quite according to plan, but at least he had rid himself of his greatest obstacle.

"There is nothing left standing before me," the warlock said to himself. "My goal is within reach." He cackled, his laughter echoing throughout the caverns. "Yes... The accursed Hero is gone! My King will return and seize control of this wretched world!"

"Is that right?" the voice from the shadows startled the warlock.

He cast his glare towards the source of the voice, snarling and scowling. "That is right, little slave. And you better behave, or else!"

A chuckle greeted him. "Is that a threat, old man? I don't respond well to those."

"And I don't respond well to disobedient little whelps. And if you wish to return to your own world, then it's in your best interest to remain loyal, dog!" Mau barked back, and the other person slinked away into the shadows. He glared at the darkness before he rested his head in his hands and groaned.

´To think that I wasted energy to summon this…´ He paused. His wrinkled lips curled upwards into a sleazy grin. ´Oh well. It's good to always have an ace or two up the sleeve, should things go not according to plan…´

He laughed darkly. Despite being drained of strength, Mau had time on his side. With the greatest threat out of the way, he could bide his time and recover enough to further advance with his plans. Soon, Hyrule would once again belong to the Demon Thief – the King of Darkness – and establish a world of shadows. And this time, Hyrule wouldn't be the only part of the world blotted out.

x.X.x.X.x

"S-so…Where are we?" Noel asked as she still touched her lips. She observed the man before her, his gaze directed to the woods around them. He looked so dashing, so kind and gentle standing there, Noel's heart wouldn't cease racing inside her chest.

"We are in the border to another world," he replied. "It sounds odd, I know, but there's no mistaking it; I've been here before."

Memories came flooding back to Link's mind; being dragged through the ground by his trusted steed, Epona, as he clung onto Skull Kid's leg in a desperate attempt to not let the forest child get away. Unfortunately, he had lost his grip and had to follow the thief through that very tunnel.

"We should get going," Link added. "I think I know the way out from here." He turned towards the other blonde, his expression amiable and warm. "Can you stand?"

The gunslinger stifled a gasp as Link's hand reached out for her. She wanted to touch it, to hold it with her own and never let go. This hand had held her closely and tenderly. This hand had brought her to this man's lips and their warmth still lingered on her own.

Before she knew it, Noel quickly got up on her feet on her own, refusing to meet Link's eyes. "I-I-I'm f-fine!"

"Oh, good," the Hylian replied. "We should head that way, through the clearing. It'll be a long walk, but at least we have a way back."

"H-how do you know…?" Noel queried.

Link sighed. "I've been here before. Although last time, I had a horse, so the journey didn't take long… But we should be out of the forest soon enough. Are you tired? We could rest a bit longer if you need to."

The gunslinger shook her head. Truthfully, she did want to rest a little longer – her head was spinning from this man standing so close to her – but knowing that an evildoer was still free and him being the only way home, the blonde decided against it. "N-no… It's f-fine! P-please, lead the way…"

Reluctant, Link nodded.

The forest was quiet; neither birds nor the wind made a sound. Link and Noel traversed the woods, but everything looked the same to the outlandish girl: to her, they may as well just be walking in circles.

Link glanced down at his pouches. He had the Ocarina with him. Had it only been him, he could've tried to teleport back to the Temple of Time.

He looked over at the girl. Teleporting didn't work with two people – Navi had only managed by hiding underneath his cap. It wasn't like he could leave her either.

Sighing, Link lead on.

Judging by the light, it was late afternoon and it wouldn't be too long before the duo would have to camp for the night. There was only one problem…

´What if there's more of those wolfos'?´ Link thought. And not just them; there were bound to be Stalfos' and other creatures lurking unseen. A campfire could help with the wolves, but the other monsters would be troublesome.

"Once we've set up a camp for the night, we need to take turns standing guard," he said. The girl looked at him and nodded. "I doubt we've seen the last of the monsters…"

The blonde girl didn't say anything, and Link didn't pry. They left the glade in silence, but Noel, unknowingly to the Hylian, kept looking in his direction.

And unknown to the girl, Link's mind frequently wandered back to their "kiss".

x.X.x.X.x

The sun finally peeked through the clouds over the snowy mountains. The snowstorm had subsided for now and the wind was calm, though the chill of the north still lingered in the air.

The ground was treacherous: thick snow covered the ground and hid the loose rocks and steep edges of the mountain paths. And unaware of when a second snowstorm could brew up, Lucina and Cassandra travelled with caution, but not too slow. It had been at least an hour, possibly more, since they had started descending the mountains, and so far it seemed alright.

But how long would this last?

´Link… Taki… I pray that both of you are safe…´ Cassandra hoped. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about them ever since waking up. She was worried, and with each passing moment her anxiety became worse; what if they were hurt and needed help? Or what if they were stranded somewhere and couldn't escape? Or…

What if they were already dead?

No! Cassandra shook her head and rid herself from such horrible thoughts. They wouldn't die – not from this. They were strong. They would find each other and this time they would end the warlock's reign!

The blonde smiled. ´If I make it out of here… I will tell Link how I feel as soon as I see him.´

"I hope we'll find another cave before another storm," the Grecian said in an attempt to distract herself. "I'm already freezing…"

Lucina nodded. "We should have ample enough time at our side, but I share your thoughts. At least we're steadily making our way down the mountains."

"That's what also worries me…" Cassandra admitted. "Look: we can't even see the ground from here."

And she wasn't exaggerating. Looking down, the bluette could only see the snowy mists. "I did feel that the air was somewhat thinner, but this is…" She paused and shook her head. "No, we will make it down there sooner or later."

"Hopefully in one piece…"

Lucina gulped. The blonde was right; one wrong step and they could end up falling down the mountain.

"As long as we are taking this slowly, we will make it." The swordswoman suddenly beamed. "Look ahead, milady! There's already a clearing down there!"

The mists had cleared enough to reveal solid ground – while still riddled with rocks – and while overjoyed, the girls didn't rush it. They carefully descended the mountain path, swords in hands.

"We should scout the area – see if we can find a cave," Cassandra stated. "If things take a turn for the worst, we should at least know the location of a safe zone."

"I fully agree," Lucina replied. She was about to look around then a sudden chill ran down her spine. She gasped; her breath a mere mist that slowly vanished in the air before her. "…Say, milady, is it just me or is it getting colder…?"

The blonde released a sharply drawn breath. "I-it is! The winds are kicking up, too!"

´Don't tell me a second storm is coming!´ Lucina thought bitterly. "Let's hurry and find someplace to hide for now, milady!"

They spread out in a rush, searching desperately for a cave or similar as the winds grew harsher as they cut to the bone. The girls searched frantically through the whirling snow that grew wilder and wilder as it blinded them.

"T-This isn't looking good, Lucina!" Cassandra yelled. This was bad; her voice was actually on the verge of being drowned out by the gales. "I can't find a cave!"

The bluette gritted her teeth. "I will try the western cliff-wall! Stay near me!"

A frigid gale blew past them. They screamed, but they couldn't even hear themselves over the howling of the squall. Their limbs were already numb from the rapidly drop in temperature.

The winds were merciless. The snow made searching difficult, but that was the least of their worries.

´There has to be shelter…somewhere…´ Lucina thought – no, hoped – as she strode with heavy legs against the winds and snow. "Milady, can you see anything?"

No response. Azure eyes went wide and the swordswoman spun around, her voice rich with fright. "Milady?!"

Snow and rock greeted her.

"Oh no…!"

The storm was upon Lucina. She hurried to the wall as fast as her could, but the snow slowed her down. Besides, what was the use – the cold would kill her either way.

Hugging the wall, Lucina desperately gave it one last chance and searched for a cave. Nothing. She was defenceless against the elements.

Just as the bluette was ready to give up and everything seemed bleak, something pulled her by the arm.

x.X.x.X.x

"It looks like the sandstorm has calmed down a bit," Sheik said as she looked out of the small hole in the wall. "We might have a chance."

Lili scoffed. "We might have?! Why not wait until we actually have a chance!"

"Sandstorms can last long," the princess in disguise replied. "We're more likely to die of hunger if we decided to wait." She undid some of her wrappings. "Here, hold this."

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Just hold on to it. It's still tied to my arm, so we don't get separated. Last thing you would want is to end up lost out here."

Lili glanced down at the wrapping and grimaced, but held on to it despite herself. This was ridiculous, why was she even in this situation?! She was supposed to be home, enjoying a cup of tea with Sebastian while relishing in her victory over Asuka Kazama! And instead Lili found herself with sand in her clothes and boots, sand in her hair, and forced to follow a weird crossdresser while hoping that someone would save her!

Someone like…

/ "Hey, are you alright, milady?" Link said with a charming smile. "I hope you aren't hurt."

Lili laughed. "I'm more than alright now, my saviour," she replied. "Carry me home, pet. I wish to rest."

Link chuckled. "Would my lady prefer piggy-back, or bridal style?"

Oh, this was just too good! The manservant was completely obedient, and more!

Lili smirked victoriously. "…Bridal."

The blond e young man walked over to her without pause, swiftly and flawlessly lifting her off her feet and carried her without effort. He smiled at her still, and Lili sighed blissfully in his arms – /

"…li. Hello, Lili? Are you listening?"

The blonde snapped out of her daydream. Sheik was standing in front of her with a scowl and Lili, flushed red, cleared her throat. "Yes, w-what is it?"

"I've been asking you for a while now if you are ready. For someone like you to have her head in the clouds is both amusing and a bit frustrating." Sheik sighed. "Are you ready? Once we've headed out, we won't rest until we find the path out."

"Yes, fine, I get it!" Lili retorted. "Let's just hurry!"

"Very well."

The sandstorm was more violent than they thought; it was impossible to see anything beyond a few arm's length in front of you, and this was after it had calmed down. With the Sheikah leading them, they held onto the wrapping as they left the ruins and headed into the unknown.

´She's right, though…´ Lili admitted. ` It's unlike me to day dream like that… Tch! What gives with that?! Why am I even thinking about him anyway?´

Finding no satisfactory answer, Lili remained quiet as she shielded herself from the whirling sand.

To be continued!