A.N.: Fifth one rewritten, one left. And by the way this one sucks.

As you know, italics are thinking or spirit's talking.

I always forgot the disclaimer, but, as you may know, I own only my OC's and ideas, everything else belongs to Nintendo.

Chapter 5

"They are here, ma'am." the voice echoed in the room he had left few hours ago.

"I know."

Her gaze didn't lift from the map, pitch black eyes once again hidden under the hood. The corner of her mouth jerked upwards as she noticed that one of the columns of light were way further north than the others. It moved in a steady pace, heading directly towards the centre of the map.

The man cleared his throat.

"Is something wrong, ma'am?"

Without giving him a proper answer, she stood up as walked over to one of the many shelves.

"Ma'am, I – "

"Quiet!" she hissed between her teeth, placing two rusty metal cages on the table. "Get your horse and ride to Faron Province through the fields." she commanded, shoving the cages into his arms.

"May I ask you, why is that?"

"The boy and the horse will soon be past the spring. Get their souls before those monsters get to capture them."

"What about the other two?"

"The other of them has been taken out of our reach, and the other is currently too powerful. Now, hurry and go. And be sure to bring those cages back filled."

Though he couldn't see her eyes, he could have sworn she stared daggers into his back as he left with a small nod.

Link had just woken up in a cold, stinky and wet cell. She had an odd feeling, that something was terribly wrong. She felt warmer than usually. She tried to stand up, but ended up falling back on all fours.

Wow, that was odd. Where am I? And what-, she thought, but then was cut off when she saw two white paws right under her nose. She jumped backwards and opened her mouth to scream, but only sound that came out was a loud, scared bark. She backed even more, trying to lift up her hands up to shut her mouth, but hit her nose, and fell on the floor.

What? When my nose had grown that big? she thought, but then saw a dark-grey muzzle.

I have a muzzle? What this is? What is this place? And who... What am I?

Thousands of thoughts were spinning in her head. She, slowly, stood up, but only to recognize that she couldn't stand like a human. So, she wasn't human. Well that was clear from the start.

She gave a hesitant look on herself, trying to figure out what she exactly was. As she looked down into a pool of dirty water, back at her stared two blue eyes – her eyes – but in a face of a beast.

Shocked, she pulled her head up to avoid the sight in front of her eyes, glancing around to make sure she was alone.

Carefully, she peeked into the pool again, the same face still being there. Now, as she was sure she was alone, she took a moment to examine her new form.

This have to be a dream...

Her face was mostly black and off-white, but she captured also shades of green on her forehead. She still had those blue earrings of hers, and eyes, but it was still hard for her to recognise herself.
In her mouth was a clean row of sharp, white teeth and from the back of her neck rose a thick, greenish mane. She also had white markings on her sides and.. a chain around her right paw. Her eyes followed the chain to reveal that it was attached to the floor. Great. Now she was in a stinky cell and also chained to the floor, so she couldn't even think about somehow escaping.

But who had brought her there?

After couple of minutes lying bored on the floor, Link could suddenly sense someone's presence. She lifted her head from the floor, then stood up. Her tail was up, she was curious and reserved at the same time. She wanted to know who was out there, but was scared that it would be one of those shadowy beast she had met after had been pulled through the black wall by one.

Then, when she detected a figure hiding in the shadows, she automatically dropped to the fighting stance she had last used as a human. Soon after, the figure heaved in sight. It was little, imp-like creature, something like four feet tall with a strange helmet. It had orange, thick hair that looked like it was pulsating, black and white designed skin and turquoise, a bit swirly patterns on its legs, arms and pointy ears. The patterns reminded Link of those orange ones she had seen on the black wall.

"I found you!" the imp suddenly yelled. Link growled as she, deducing by the imp's voice and body that it was girl, jumped through the iron bars into the cell.

How did she do that? She growled even more, and tried to reach at her, but the chain precluded the wolf.

"Ooh! Aren't you scary, eehee!" the imp said sarcastically. Link didn't stop growling.

"But are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me?" she grinned.

Well, why won't I? Link thought, firmly glaring the creature.

"Because I was planning on helping you, if you were nice." Immediately Link stopped growling and stood up from her fighting stance, now more curiously, but still ready to fight.

"Eeeheehee! That's much better! You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you?" she giggled.

She's really driving me crazy with that stupid laugh..!

"Oops, but you aren't a human any more, are you? You're a beast! Eeeheehee!" Link got bored of the imp's annoying laugh, leaping forward to bite her, but of course the imp was faster and jumped aside.

"Wow, wow. Now you'll be a good girl and calm down. No need to bite!" she reproached.

She then moved her hands in front of her chest, seeming to be highly focused on what she was doing. Then, a black and red coloured orb appeared between her hands. The imp did a quick hand-move, and shot the orb to the chain. There was a loud snap, and the chain was cut. Link backed away couple of steps, looked down at her paw. There was still the brace of the chain around her leg, and a few links, but it was still cut.

Remembering the strange orb, she glanced the imp. She hasn't told me why she is helping me... Her mind was suddenly filled with possibilities of what she was up to. I bet she could kill me with that magic...

"You look kind of surprised, eeheehee!" the imp said, and floated out of the cell.

"So, I bet you're wondering where exactly are we?" she asked, like she wouldn't knew it.

That was good one... Link thought. She had no idea where they were. Well, actually, judging by the horrible smell that floated in the air, they were in a some kind of sewer.

"Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you! Eeheehee!" the imp yawned, crossing her arms behind her head, still floating in the air. A challenging grin played on her lips.

Well, better tell then.

With a frustrated growl she started to walk around the cell, trying to figure where she could escape. There were one wooden box in the corner, and couple of hay piles randomly thrown into the cell. No dirt, no holes, no secret passages or hidden tunnels, Link started to get concerned. She decided to rummage the hay piles, but found only the floor under them. Then she charged the wooden box, broke it, and found what she was looking for; a small hole, and a few broken iron bars. I can maybe squeeze myself through those broken bars, I guess I'm not that big.

And with that, she did as thought, succeeding, and escaping from the cell. She shook off the dirt that had stuck to her fur, and looked around. No imp anywhere near. Suddenly she heard that annoying laugh again, and then something landed on her back. Link, spinning around and jumping wildly, tried to shook that thing off.

"Hmph! I guess you're not completely stupid after all!"

She halted as she heard the familiar voice, gnarling in her head. Why is she sitting on me, I'm not a horse!

"Listen, doggy. I like you, so I think I'll get you out of here." She pulled Link's ear to get her listening, whispering into her ear.

"But in exchange for my help, you have to do exactlyas I say! Got it?" she quietly giggled.

Link only snorted, but it was obviously enough for the imp.

"Good. Now come on, get moving!" she commanded, and Link grunted. The wolf thought for a while, in which direction she should go. To the wooden door, or forwards, where were more cells. Curious, she picked the cells, just to see what would be in them, though she quickly noticed they were the only prisoners put here.

Or well, the imp maybe wasn't a prisoner.

In one of the cells, was some kind of circular, metal ring hanging in the end of a chain that was attached to the ceiling, and the cell's door had been left ajar. Link squeezed her self to the cell through the small gap, and explored the cell. Although there were nothing to really explore, except a dark tunnel behind a row of iron bars. Link thought a while how to open it, and then remembered the metal ring attached to the ceiling. She walked below it, focused for a while, and jumped. She got the ring between her sharp teeth, and her own weight pulled it down with a click. The wolf ran into the tunnel, and just before she got in, the imp disappeared somewhere. Link stopped, but when the imp wasn't in the cell, she decided to go on.

And just in time, when a dark figure came in the prison, to give some water to the prisoner.

After some time of running in the tunnel, Link finally dropped out of it, and the imp landed on her back again.

Does that little thing really think she can ride me all day long? Link snorted, and then noticed she was in a bigger room, or a sewer actually. Immediately Link saw a green orb floating in front of her. It looked like it was on green fire. Wow, what is that? Link asked in her mind, and walked towards it.

"Eeeheehee! Want to see something interesting?" the imp asked. Link cocked her head to the side, a bit confused.

"You're a beast! You should know what do to! Use your senses and poke around, eehee!" the imp said, and Link was even more confused. Still she walked to the orb, sniffed and focused on it. In a second, a picture appeared in her mind. What she saw now, was a greenish soldier, slouching in fear, and trembling.

"Huff... Huff... Can't run... away...any farther... That's far enough, right? I'll be safe here... I think..." the soldier mumbled, gasping for air.

"What was that noise? Don't anything come near me!" the soldier continued.

Cool, I can hear his speaking... Or thinking? Link turned around and started to walk down a small walkway, shaking senses off.

"That was a soldier's spirit. Maybe it's someone from the other world! Eeheehee! There are lot of other spirits roaming around here, you know." the imp explained.

From the other world? Where are we? Link thought, confused. She headed down the corridor and took right, where she found another metal ring hanging on the ceiling. She jumped, pulling it down and noticing that she had opened another small tunnel a bit higher in the wall. She climbed in, and found some rupees there. Where am I supposed to put these? she thought, and suddenly the imp grabbed them with her... hair... and put them away.

"I will take care of them until you are a human again." she said, grinning. Link snorted, but nodded in agreement, and dropped out of the tunnel. When heading back to the left, she saw another small tunnel in the wall, but it was already open. She leapt to the other side, and climbed in. The tunnel was dark, but there were no rupees. Only a small, black creature with feet like tentacles. Link growled as it started to come closer her. How can I fight now? Oh yeah, I have my teeth. Eww, am I supposed to bite that... creature? She thought, disgusted, but had no other choice when the creature threw itself towards the wolf. Not wasting any time, Link grabbed it in her mouth from the mid-air, shook it a bit in her mouth and threw to the wall. It tasted absolutely horrible, and Link turned around and ran out of the tunnel and dropped down from the walkway, to find herself standing in water that reached to her ankles. She caught water in her mouth, and immediately spit it out. She did that a few more times until the creature's taste had almost disappeared.

"Hey, hey, doggy-girl! That was a Shadow Vermin, like a twilight-version of a rat! Eeehee! I hope you will get used to the taste of it, there are more of them roaming around the area, Eeeheehee!" the imp laughed. What, more of them? And what is that twilight you are talking about? Link asked the imp in her mind, knowing she wouldn't get the answer.

Link continued her little trip through the sewers, killing some more shadow vermin out of her way. Now she was standing in the water – again – and thinking how to get to the other side of the spike-carpet.

"Hey c'mon, the levers! You big idiot!" the imp moaned on her back after five minutes of thinking. Levers? Oh, those metal ring things, yeah? Why didn't you say immediately? Argh I am going to be stuck here with her to the end!

Link had got enough of the cold, wet and stinky sewers she was stuck in. However, she made her way to the nearest lever, as the imp had told her to, and pulled it down, opening the gate that let more water in. Now the water reached to her ankles, when she was on the walkway. Returning to the spikes, she safely swam over them. Then she took left, just to notice that the imp left her and floated through the iron bar-wall. Behind them seemingly was a bigger room.

"Hey, you are on your own now! Make your way here, so we can continue! Eeeheehee!" the imp commanded, and Link started exploring near the iron bars. No holes she would squeeze herself through, but then she saw it; under the water, on the level of the floor, was a small hole in the wall. I can maybe crawl through it... But need to lower the water level first.
So again she was swimming back to the walkway, and heading towards the corridor where she hadn't visited yet. There she found another lever, and pulled it down. The gate opened, sucking the most of the water through it. Now Link travelled back to the iron bars, and crawled through the small hole, finding herself in a bigger cave-like room. There were an another spirit, and a shadow vermin. She killed the monster, didn't listen to the spirit, and went to the imp, who fell into her back. Ouch, I've started to doubt, do you really want to break my spine or something? Link thought, growling.

"Eeehee! You did well with your little brains, little doggy! But aww, did the detour tire you out, poor wolfy? Eeehee!" the imp laughed again.

"By the way, are you using your senses like I said? Have you noticed that all the spirits in here... They are soldiers. Where in the world could we be? Eehee!" she teased, Link growled again.

"Hey hey, wolfy, I told you not growl, you naughty doggy! But now I guess you want out of here, right?" the imp reminded, and Link lifted her head a little, stopping the growling.

"Yeah that's right! Now off we go, doggy! Eeehee!" The imp kicked Link's sides, and the wolf trotted to the bigger room, that turned out to be a huge staircase. Wow. Link thought looking up. I can't even see the end of it. And of course besides it that the staircase looked endless, there were many missing parts to it. She could see some tight ropes going from lower part to upper ones. She gulped as she saw them. How am I supposed to survive this? She thought, and turned her head, looking at the imp.

"Why are you still standing down here, doggy? Get going!" the imp commanded. Sighing, Link carefully walked up the first part of the stairs, now standing inches away from the gap between two parts. Well, this one doesn't look too big to jump over... Let's try! Being sure she could jump over the gap, she leapt, but the opposite part of the stairs gave up and crumbled down to the water underneath, Link with it.

"I told you to be careful, stupid doggy! Now go back there where you fell from!" the imp said as Link got herself back to dry land. Well, it wasn't very dry, but at least out of water. No you didn't. You didn't told me to be careful, you brainless imp. And call me 'doggy' one more, and I don't take responsibilities of my own actions, you helpless, stupid, worthless, lazy creature... Link snorted in her thoughts, but went back to the stairs. And what do you recommend to do now, hm? Link rolled her eyes, looking down at the expanded gap.

"Eeehee! I think I can help you over that gap, doggy!"

What? Why couldn't you do it a minute ago?

She glared the imp, not believing what she was saying. Was she just playing around or? With every minute Link's feeling of this being just a game to the imp strengthened.

The imp rolled her bright orange eye. "I'll only help you out if you were nice, remember? Now, jump to me!"

Link viewed the gap again. Jump?! You must be crazy! She thought, shaking her head, but still did as the imp had said. In a second she found herself standing on a safe ground, the imp on her back. What? Was the only thought Link could think at the moment.

"See? Eeehee! But I'm here just to help you, not to do everything for you, idiot! Get moving!"

Link sighed, but walked forwards. This is going to be a long trip...

"W-where are we?" the boy asked, voice trembling, as his whole body was tensed. It was cold. The mare underneath him snorted, threw her head.
The boy got a tighter grab from her white mane that was now almost glowing. The forest around them was black, the sky was a strange mixture of yellow and orange. Black clouds glided through the sky. The boy couldn't see the sun anywhere. Where were they?

"This is Faron Woods, isn't it?" he asked, like waiting for the answer from Epona. The horse whined, like saying 'yes'. They were by the spring, when he could suddenly hear something. He turned in the saddle to face the spring. There were something glowing floating just above the waterfall, and Colin could hear quiet sighing.

"The secret power... has... come close... my presence... The boy... and the horse. A dark power... has settled over this forest..." a voice spoke, quietly, and it felt like the speaking was only the wind humming around the two. Colin gasped a bit. Epona had noticed the voice too, and was paying attention.

"What? Who spoke?", the boy asked quietly.

"Listen... The boy and... the horse... I am the light spirit of Faron... One of the four light spirits of Hyrule... The dark power... is stronger than... my light... You are in a huge danger... if you stay here... Go... to the Kakariko Village... You are safe... there... Don't waste... any time..." the spirit's voice faded into the wind, and left Colin and Epona both confused.

"What? What do you mean? Hey!" Colin tried, but didn't get an answer.

"Okay, Epona... I guess we are going to Kakariko..." the boy said quietly, kicking the mare's sides softly, and cantering to the north.

But they didn't know they were going straight towards a danger.