DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER CLAIMED TO, OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, MUCH TO MY DISMAY.

Link

"I'll do what?"

"You'll take Midna," Zelda said. "Or rather, she'll take you." Looking to Midna, she asked, "Did you bring it?"

"Of course I brought it," Midna said.

"Brought what?" Link asked.

Midna giggled. "Brought this."

She reached into her cloak and pulled something out of an inside pocket. Before Link could see what it was, she flung it towards him, aiming high. He had no chance to react before he felt a sharp pain in his forehead, followed by an excruciating feeling throughout his whole body - one he hadn't felt in years.

His limbs shortened. His face elongated. He dropped onto all fours in pain, but found that his feet stayed on the ground the whole time. Opening his eyes, he noticed his eyesight sharpening and his sense of smell increasing tenfold. His nails grew into claws, and his teeth grew and sharpened into fangs. Finally, the pain ceased, leaving Link in his not-so-new form as a wolf.

"There we go," Midna said cheerfully. "Shadow crystal. The same one Zant used on you at Lake Hylia. I figured it could come in handy one day. And it has. Although you do seem to be getting a little gray around the muzzle."

Link snarled, ready to pounce onto the Twilight Princess and tear her throat out. Midna's eyes flashed, telling him that her rough and playful nature was still there, buried under a regal air. If he charged, she'd give him quite a run for his money.

"Link!" Zelda yelled. "That's enough!"

Link stopped his verbal onslaught, but continued to glare at Midna.

"Don't look at me like that," she said. "It was all Zelda's idea."

Flicking his glare to his wife, Link received a glare in turn.

"Now is not the time to be assigning blame," Zelda said. "We must be getting to Kakariko as fast and soon as possible."

Link whimpered, protesting his forced role in this whole affair.

Midna laughed and grabbed the barrette holding her hair together, pulling it from her hair. As her hair sprang free, it began to shorten. Link watched in wonder as the strands grouped together into finger-like collections.

Meanwhile, her body had begun to shrink; her arms and legs growing smaller and more petite. Her ears grew larger, revealing an injury Link hadn't noticed earlier. Before long, she had reverted back to the imp form Link had gotten to know her by, albeit still severely injured. She jumped onto his back.

"Shall we be off?" she asked, her voice higher and more childlike.

Zelda smiled. "We shall."

Some hours later

Link was glad to see Zelda remembered her riding lessons. Upon Epona's back, she had perfect form and showed great restraint concerning speed. Epona was, by far, the fastest horse in Hyrule. But galloping too fast could possibly cause her to injure herself and her rider. Link was more than able to match Epona's speed as it was now.

Midna had opted to travel in Link's shadow until they were out of Castle Town, for fear of causing a panic. It would be hard enough explaining why Her Highness Princess Zelda burst through the gates of Hyrule Castle on the back of her husband's prize horse, she reasoned. It would be harder still to explain a wolf and a Twili imp following close on her tail.

What they finally agreed on was to have Zelda escorted by Link and the Royal Guard to the front gate. She and Link would then set off together towards Kakariko Village, she riding Epona, he sprinting on all fours.

Their plan was executed flawlessly, although Link was certain that rumors of his newfound transformative ability would soon spread like wildfire. They were currently well on their way to the graveyard, sure to make it before nightfall. Link's heightened senses told him that another few hours would see them to their destination.

Link still felt quite resentful about his role. It took him many months to break the habits he had formed during his time with Midna: licking his chops, sniffing his food before eating it, even throwing himself at sparring partners in the arena. He just knew that those old habits would return with the return of his bestial form.

He felt a sharp pain in his leg. Damn, he thought. The fleas are back, too. He ignored the pain for now, focusing instead on the landscape rushing by and on his beautiful wife riding Epona. He slowed his step ever so slightly so as to ride beside her.

They ran like this for many hours, only stopping once so Epona could rest, and reached Kakariko just after the sun set.

Kakariko Village was always a small town. Despite its perpetual fame, no one had ever really vouched to move to Kakariko. Because of this, its citizens led very happy, peaceful lives.

Behind Kakariko Village proper was Kakariko Graveyard. Although few voiced belief, rumors of hauntings and disturbances often deterred potential residence from settling down in this quiet town. The graveyard's tales, however, were, more often than not, quite true.

Riding into the village, Zelda halted Epona and dismounted, motioning for Midna to do the same. After climbing from his back, Midna reached towards Link's forehead and removed the accursed shadow crystal. Immediately, Link felt a sense of pain as he returned to his natural bodily state.

He glared at his wife. "Why?" he questioned. He was not questioning the means, but rather the motive. And he knew she knew that.

"Because it was the most efficient way," she replied. "Much quicker than organizing a royal party."

Link knew she was right. Even by skipping most of the formalities, getting together a party for this journey would have taken days. The journey would've taken just as long. This was more efficient. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

As if reading his thoughts, Zelda smiled. She turned to the graveyard.

"Which one is Sharp's?" she asked.

Midna glanced over at her. "Didn't they work for your family? Isn't the body of your most hated foe buried out here? Shouldn't you know this?"

It was Link's turn to smile. "It's in the back corner," he said. "Close to the Royal Tomb. This way."

"Seriously, Zelda," Midna chided, "how do you not know your way around?"

"Because," Link answered, "she's grown up in Hyrule Castle. As Princess, she's not allowed to come out here unescorted." He put enough venom in his voice to tell Midna not to question it any more. She took the hint.

The Composer Brothers' graves laid side-by-side, with Sharp the Elder on the left and Flat the Younger on the right. Years of abandon and wear showed on both graves, but the names were still readable. Link looked to Zelda.

"You're sure of this?"

She nodded, clearly nervous. "Summon them."

Link sighed and stepped forward between the two graves. He cried out in a loud voice, "I call upon the Brothers of Song! I call upon the Composers of the Royal Family of Hyrule! Sharp! Flat! Come now!"

For some time, nothing happened. Link took a breath to call again, but stilled when he felt a presence at his side. Instinctively, he grabbed the sword from his back and swung. He only just halted the blade before slashing the face of a portly man who had appeared next to him.

The man did not even flinch. Rather, he looked at the blade and chuckled.

"Is that to be our fate, then, Hero?" he asked. "Death beyond death for those who have born no ill will to you?"

"Obviously," said a voice behind Link, "we had to have done something to anger the legendary 'Hero of Twilight.'"

Link spun around to find another man, slightly taller and much thinner, sitting upon a gravestone. Flat's gravestone, to be exact. Taking this into consideration, along with the dialogue of the two men, Link figured that these were the famed Composer Brothers. He turned back to the portly man before him.

"Sharp the Elder, I presume?" Sharp laughed and bowed low.

"In the flesh. Or rather the spirit, if you will."

Zelda approached the shade upon the grave. "And you are Flat the Younger?" she asked.

"That I am," Flat replied. "And you are Princess Zelda of Hyrule, lest my undead eyes deceive me?"

"I am she," Zelda replied in kind.

"Well," Midna interjected, "now that introductions are complete, we have business to attend to."

Both shades turned to her.

"Flat," said Sharp, "we have more company than we thought."

"Indeed we do, Sharp," Flat replied. "And we're not even decent enough for three."

"Shall we alleviate that situation?"

"We shall."

Both spirits vanished in a cloud of smoke, only to reappear some seconds later above their graves. Sharp's form was similar to the one he had cast off in that it was short and portly, as was Flat's tall and slim. Both spirits, however, now looked nothing like Hylians. Both of their faces were pitch black, and they were clothed in ceremonial garb that bespoke of their past lives. They each also held a lantern in one hand and a conductor's baton in the other.

"Behold us," Sharp cried, "one of shadows and Twilight."

"Behold us," followed Flat, "you of dark and powerful magic."

"Behold-"

Link stepped in. He couldn't risk them going on any more, if he didn't stop them now, they'd go on all night. "Guys, we're a little rushed. Will you allow us into the tomb of Ganondorf?"

The spirits ceased their boasts, albeit grudgingly. If they were surprised as to the reasoning behind this visit, they did not show it.

Finally, Sharp spoke. "According to your own word," he said, "we are to let none pass into that room." He lowered his voice. "Even you."

Flat spoke next. "Brother," he began, "perhaps we should allow them through."

Sharp turned to his brother quickly. Smoke drifted from his body because of the movement. "And why ever should we do that, Brother?"

"Because," Flat chimed, "if they die, we will be freed from this accursed tomb."

Sharp stopped and seemed to consider this. Sensing an opportunity, Link piped up again.

"He's right, Sharp," he said. "I know not all the traps and defenses placed on the body. There is a chance of our deaths."

Midna shot Link a look, but he waved her away. Zelda picked up on what he was doing, though, and also spoke.

"All is true," she said. "I know many of the traps, but all are difficult to avoid or disengage."

Sharp turned between them. He seemed as if he could not decide. Finally, he lowered his head. "You may enter," he said.

Link grinned slightly. He had expected more of a fight. For once, he was glad to be disappointed. Both spirits vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Suddenly, Link could feel the ground shifting and shuddering under them. A large hole opened in the ground between the headstones, sloping down into the earth. Stale air and the smell of corpses rose from the crevice. An unearthly light emanated forth. Link started forward, ready to get this over with, before Zelda grabbed him by the arm.

Her gaze was steady, but he could see the fear in her eyes plain. "I did not lie, Link," she said. "I know many of the enchantments and traps guarding this tomb. This is one of them." She looked to the star-filled sky. "The tomb becomes inaccessible at sunrise. The entrance will close, and the tomb will fill itself with earth. We must be quick."

Link nodded, showing his understanding. Glancing at Midna, who also nodded, he turned back toward the tomb. Together, the three of them strode into the crevice, and to what lay beyond.

Guys, I am SO SORRY for the delay in publishing. Life has not been easy for the last few months, and I made y'all suffer for it. I am SO SORRY. I will try my hardest to update more often, and will definitely keep this going.