Ok, sorry (again) for the delay. Packing for uni and I ended up rewriting this like ten times. It's just…urgh. I know what I want to happen but dammit it my ideas won't co-operate. It's like herding bokoblins.

Phew, calm.

Alright, you guys can decide whether this version is any better because I think I might have cucoos if I stare at it any longer (plus…I still need to sort other stuff)

Chapter 41

Touch the Light

When Silver awoke, the first thing she felt was warmth.

Then her senses slowly began to catch up.

"Maybe we should talk to the Shadow Spirits. They'll probably know what to do?" That was Epona.

"They have to know what's stopping me from healing you." Zelda seemed frustrated, although she'd been like that ever since Link…

"Zelda, it's not your fault." Midna was using her nice voice, guess she was in a good mood for once.

Link whined his agreement, and the warmth shifted beside her.

Wait.

"LINK!"

Silver bolted upright, barely missing Link's chin as he lay curled beside her.

And he was there. Really there. Alive. Not an oni. Her Link.

The wolfos leapt to her paws and tackled Link, burying her face in his thick neck fur, half whimpering half yipping with excitement. Tears fell unbidden from her eyes, as weeks of fear and lonliness were washed away.

The wolf smiled and whined a reassurance, placing his head atop hers in a canine hug.

"I was so scared." She whimpered quietly. "I thought you weren't going to come back. I…"

Link cut her off, nudging her gently with his muzzle.

"I missed you so much."

As Silver pulled back, looking him over, assuring herself he was really there, she could see the toll his capture and his fights as an oni. His fur was patchy along his back and sides. His skin was pulled taut over his bones, leaving his hips jutting and his ribs on show. His eyes were small and sunken, the pupils reduced to pinpricks after his long confinement in darkness.

The wolf merely smiled, showing his sharp teeth, and nudged her playfully.

"How are you feeling?" Zelda asked.

She was sat on a chair by Epona's large bed, looking worn and haggard but relieved.

"A bit iffy, but better than before."

They knew what she meant by before. Just the sight of Link was better than any medicine or blue potion.

Now Silver turned to her other companions. Epona lay behind her and Link, awake, yet there was weakness in her stature. Her heart was still shaky and unbalanced from her flight across Hyrule.

Zant was sat in the corner of the room…playing rock, paper, scissors with himself? Silver decided not to ask.

But it was Midna that worried Silver most of all. Her dark skin was slowly paling, so that now it appeared a grey to match her own fur. She looked weak, slumped as she was by Link's paws. Without her fused shadow, she looked a little odd, but her eyes still glinted with that impish mischief.

"What happened while I was out?" Silver asked.

She remembered, just before she fell unconscious, was waves of light pulsating from the direction Zelda and Midna had gone. Like ripples spreading out over a pond. Then, she remembered Link's howl, that angry move-one-step-and-you-die roar that could send an enemy scurrying for cover. That was all…

"Do you remember, the spell you told me one of the Zeldas in Fi's mind used?" Zelda asked.

"Yeh, she fired all these arrows and they shattered the weird web thing and turned the puppets back."

She moved closer to Link, subconsciously assuring herself he was fine. The battle of flames still gave her nightmares, of the sword and Link and…

No, those memories could wait until she was warm and safe and no-one was out to kill them all.

"Well, I performed a similar spell. But…" Zelda trailed off, looking for the right words.

"Link's mist couldn't shield me completely, so I got zapped." Midna finished in her usual blunt manner.

"And I still can't turn her back to her normal form, something is still blocking me. So we have no way to dilute the magic in her."

"And I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself again." Midna snapped, giving the princess a hard stare.

Link whined, and Silver had a feeling this argument had been going on long before she woke up.

"No." Midna said, floating up a little and settling herself in Link's thick mane. "While we think of something, there's a much more pressing matter. Link?"

Her face softened, and she stroked his head.

"Could I ask one more favour of you?"

The wolf looked back at her, and Silver too turned to face the imp.

"My people, some of them are still trapped as monsters. Our animals too."

Link dipped his head.

"Can I help?" Silver asked, this was the reason Link had disappeared for so long before.

She didn't remember much about that time, Zelda said she had been sick and bedridden for weeks. But she was curious as to how Link did it. It involved the mist, that was for sure.

The wolf whined and shook his head. Her mist wasn't strong enough yet. He could handle this one.

"They're in the castle dungeons, we won't be far." Midna assured her.

"Then we'll stay here and discuss our next move." Epona said, looking at Silver pointedly.

"Yes, we need to find the Shadow Sage here somewhere, and find a way to treat your condition."

Oh, Silver had almost forgotten about the sages. They still had two more to find.

Getting to his feet, Link padded out of the room. Silver watched him go.

"Ok, stay hidden if you can." Midna told him.

Link obliged, sticking to the shadows. The castle was still bustling with the panic his oni form had wrought. Link could remember little about that time, but he knew his oni had caused quite the stir.

The corridors were made from black stone, carved into large bricks and built to form a square corridor. A far cry from the curves and cobbles of Hyrule Castle. Midna's palace was all sleek edges and sharp corners.

"What do you think of it? Its rather beautiful when it's not full of monsters."

Maybe in its own way, but Link preferred Hryules castle. But maybe that was because he'd had a hand in designing it.

"Ok, take a right here."

Turning right, he entered a narrow stairway. Footsteps echoed up from the bottom.

"Hide."

Link didn't need telling twice, and with a leap he managed to scrabble up onto one of the narrow windows.

Below, a twili guard passed. His silver armour was light, much different to the heavy chainmail and plates Hylian soldiers wore.

"I prefer my soldiers to be fast and not get hit at all." Midna explained as the guard moved out of earshot. "I picked it up from you actually. You have barely any armour, but provided you don't get hit, you can do a lot more damage compared to great big brutes like Dark Nuts."

The wolf wagged his tail at the praise.

"Oh shut up." She muttered. "Its not a compliment. You get hit all the time."

There was no way to defend against that.

The dungeons weren't dank like those he had been imprisoned in back at the start of his adventure. Glowing orange bars separated the square cells from the corridor. There were rings to attach chains to in the centre of the cell, and it brought back painful memories.

Link found his gaze drawn to his own manacle. Something that come to symbolise his weakness, now a memento of his time with Midna. He had never had the heart to ask Aaru to remove it. Though it had brought countless questions from the children and adults alike, he would probably never remove it.

"Brings you back huh? Feels like forever since I found you in that cell."

Link nodded. Forever and a day.

"Ok, we got work to do. Giddy up."

She tapped his shoulder lightly, and the wolf obligingly moved on.

The first cell he came to was a shadow beast. Their masks just as Link remembered them hiding their true features to give them a robotic and emotionless face. Manacles on their wrists were attached to the ring in the centre of the cell. At the sight of Link, It leapt forward, crying its keening banshee shriek.

"We tried to round up as many as we could, and put them here. In the hope we could them back."

The creature strained at its bonds, trying to attack Link as though the glowing bars were nothing to it. Its crest of black tendrils flailed frantically in its agitation and the red lights on its chest were flashing.

Link dipped his head. He doubted he could reason with the monster, allow it to help him change it back. He looked at Midna.

"Alright. I'll keep watch."

Floating off his back, she plonked down on one of the tables the guards often used to gamble around. Link noticed the fatigue in her limbs, and it took all his self-control not to get lost in the fear and memories of that horrible night.

No. To the task at hand.

Turning back, he faced the shadow beast who had now charging at him over and over, regardless of the wounds the manacles ripped into its skin.

The mist rolled up around him, eager to please lest it be sent back to the wolfos and her icy mind. Flowing forward, it engulfed the shadow beast, filling the cell and corridor. Monsters began to screech, as they sensed the mist and its owner. Zant's final orders still burning in their minds.

Slowly, Link began to change back into a hylian. As he turned, he dragged the shadow beast with him. It thrashed and shrieked. Gods it hurt. His spine popped and cracked as he changed, his face contorting and contracting. His teeth shrank, and his gums bled with the change. Blood roared in his ears, and the world seemed to shake and tilt violently so that he was forced to close his eyes.

Reaching forward, his paw brushed the mask of the monster. It screamed.

Memories, disjointed and wild ran down the connection. The mist pushed it out, but Link felt the pulse of the oni beneath his skin.

Not today.

His paw flared with burning pain, as his bones lengthened into fingers and his claws shrank back to fingernails. It was long. Longer than before. After 15 min of white hot pain, it was done. Link, on all fours, stay there panting. Sweat dripped from his hair and the tip of his nose. His tongue was dry and heavy, and his breath came in starved gasps.

"Link"

Midna flew over, hovering beside him, the concern painted on her greying face.

He looked up and smiled. Chest still heaving with the effort.

"No more for today alright."

Link shook his head, gesturing to the cell.

Midna gasped in awe, for there sitting in the cell was one of her people. Their glowing hair was messy and wild, and their eyes were open in shock. They were sat, half sprawled on the stone floor. Panting hard, and eyes wide with shock. The manacles, now too big for their slender hands lay on the floor.

"You did it." Midna couldn't hide the exuberant squeal in her voice.

Link grinned back, swallowing back the blood and bile.

Shakily he got to his feet, the twilis eyes still following him.

"Who-Who are you?"

Link just waved, opening the cell at Midna's instruction. The bars flickered and blinked out, leaving the way clear.

"I-I don't understand. I-It was dark. And there was a wolf. And-"

Link looked at Midna. She merely hid behind him.

"Calm yourself."

Oh thank Nayru for Zelda's quick thinking.

"You? You're-You're the princess of the light world."

Gone was the worn haggard look on her face, her shoulders no longer slumped. This wasn't Zelda, the girl who'd nearly lost her best friend. This was the princess.

"I am Princess Zelda. Midna is indisposed at this point in time, but I assure you that when her business is done she will come and explain what has happened. Until then, I am sure you are hurt and confused, I advise you head to the medical wing and get some sleep."

The tone of her voice left no room for argument.

Link sent her a silent thanks.

"But-but who is-"

"There will be time for answers later. But the Hero of Twilight has his own business to attend to at the request of your princess."

Zelda's subtle name drop was like a kick to the face for the twili, who turned to look at Link with shock and awe.

"Guard." Zelda called.

A prison guard descended the step on his rounds quickly snapped to attention.

"Princess Zelda. I was not informed of your arrival." He said.

"Could you please take this poor woman to the medical wing. Under Midna's orders."

"Of course your Highness. This way ma'am."

The guard brushed past Link, taking the woman's arm and helping her to her feet. As soon as they had gone, Zelda gave Link an incredulous look.

"That was foolish Link."

He quailed under her piercing gaze.

"You were lucky you didn't wake the entire royal guard with all the racket you made." She turned to Midna, who had snuck out from behind Link to hover shakily beside him. "I'm sorry Midna, but Link's going to need to get his strength back before he can attempt to change back any more twili."

Midna nodded.

"I know. I had no idea it would be so hard on him."

"Well, he should know better by now."

But he couldn't just leave them like this. For those few moments he had felt the twili's memories, her fear and her despair. He couldn't leave them in that state.

"I know you want to help Link. But-"

He turned on his heel and headed down the corridor.

"Link! Don't walk away from me!" He could hear the high-pitched edge to her voice, and she sounded like she did in his new memories.

"Link. She's gonna be mad at you." Midna warned.

"Link of Ordon get back here." Yep, just like the little girl from his childhood.

He shifted into his wolf form and approached the next cell. This one held a twilit bird, its trumpet shaped head flared at the sight of the familiar enemy.

The mist rolled out.

Angry footsteps followed him, and a hand dropped on his head.

"Fine. But at least let me help guide you."

Link tried to hide the smile of triumph on his face.

"I'm worried." Silver growled, pacing.

"Zelda went to go sort it out. Just let Link do this. We need to be thinking as to who this sage might be." Epona told her.

"What's a sage?"

Zant appeared beside Silver, uncomfortably close.

Yelping, the wolfos leapt back to Epona, a string of curses behind her.

"Can he understand us?" Epona asked.

"Hello pony. Midna says I have to be very careful." He sounded like a small child.

"Why aren't you dead?" Silver growled.

She had seen him explode. Midna had leapt at him, her hair shooting forward to impale him.

"I…" Zant looked down, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Midna said the bad-dark is gone now."

"So…you aren't going to kill us?"

"Midna said I have to look after you. You're good doggie. She said good doggie is her friend. Big doggie is her friend too. But she said if I too noisy he try to eat me. So I sit in corner, very quiet. Midna said she's find me later. I just have to be quiet so big doggie no eat me."

He was a child, spouting half-formed sentences in a quickly panicking voice.

"Big doggie isn't going to eat you. He's away for now." Epona assured him, reaching forward. "Is that what you've been doing Zant? Have you been looking after us?"

He nodded enthusiastically, sidling away from Silver's growls.

"Midna said I have to make sure no-one come in. Have to look after Midna's friends. Then she like me again. She not leave me alone anymore."

"Alright, shhh" Epona cooed as the former evil king began to cry. "Can you do us a favour Zant? Can you help Midna's friends?"

"Zant wants to help."

"Could you go and look for the tiger? Bring him here for us?"

Zant smiled and clapped his hands.

"Zant can do that. Zant can help."

And true to his word, within the hour he was back. The tiger, Tenebam he had called himself, padded behind him. He was a proud creature, holding his head high, the geometric stripes across his body glowing turquoise in the half-light.

"Ah, so you were the ones who sent this little creature to me."

He said it disdainfully, as though Zant's presence offended him.

"Yes. We weren't sure where you had dispersed to."

"I see Link is back to normal, and no doubt causing chaos. No change there."

The wistful look on his face, remembering an incarnation long long ago. It amazed Silver, that this…grey, had lived to see Hyrule first built. Seen her ancestors, seen the first Link. It was awe-inspiring, and that was high praise from the wolfos.

"Ah, so you're Selene's descendent. Quite the scrapper I'm told."

Silver made a strange yelping noise in her throat. She didn't know what it was, but a part of her wanted to cuddle up in the tiger's fur like a newborn cub. Maybe it was Selene's spirit.

"Hello." She replied simply.

"And Epon, though I suppose Epona would be your name now. Ever the voice of reason."

Epona chuckled.

"Someone has to be. But, we called you to ask some questions."

"About the twili's condition?"

How did he know? Eldin…?

"Us generals are a tight-knit lot. What one knows, you can be sure they tell the others. We won't be making that mistake again." Again, was that regret in his eyes, Silver couldn't know.

"Can it be treated?"

"Well, I'm told that Zelda found the source of darkness easy to remove. If not for something blocking her. I believe…and it's only a theory mind…but I reckon that both sages of Light and Shadow are in this realm and under attack. They can't find balance, and its blocking Zelda's magic."

He curled his tail over his paws, leaning back a little as he lay on the floor. Zant had wisely retreated to a corner, eyeing the tiger warily.

"Both of them?" Silver echoed.

"Aye." Tenebam flexed the claws on one paw, examining them nonchalantly. "Now me and Reta now this place pretty well. We reckon little Midna," he made her sound like a child, and Silver couldn't help but bristle at the comment, "knows where the Light Sage is, as for the Shadow Sage. I remembers Impa's daughter, fierce little wild cat that one. When she was exiled here, she huffed and puffed but couldn't blow down even a straw house. Always ambitious. I ignored the little cactus for the most part. Haven't a clue what happened to her line."

Silver was starting to dislike Tenebam. He may have been nice to Selene, but he was callous and uncaring. Or seemed to give that impression.

"Reta might know. She's the brains of this magic act." He stopped for a moment, ear flicking towards the door. "Ah ye little blighter."

Before either Silver or Epona could make a comment, the door swung open to reveal a thunderous looking Zelda. Behind her slunk Link, even hylian he looked like a kicked puppy and slowly crept towards Epona. Midna floated close to the ground, out of fatigue or stealth it was hard to tell.

Her eyes widened for a moment as she noticed the enormour tiger in the room, before narrowing back to their look of silent murder. Storming to her chair, she sat down and flicked her plait over her shoulder. Her torn clothes had been replaced with a twili gown, that glowed faintly blue in the dim lighting. She looked, in a word, terrifying.

Link however, seemed more exhausted that anything, and he flopped down behind Epona, leaning back against the mare and avoiding Zelda's eye.

The tension was so heavy, it could have frozen over Death Mountain.

"Did we miss something?"

"Link is a fool." Was all Zelda offered. "Hello by the way."

Her voice was clipped and sharp.

"Ok, what's new?" Silver continued.

"You got all Hylia's spark." Tenebam remarked. "And none of her forgiveness it seems."

Zelda turned her gaze on him, and Silver could see that only reverence and politeness stopped her from snapping at him too.

"Please, do not defend him Tenebam. He should know better."

Silver couldn't work out what was going on, and when she turned to Link, hidden behind the mare's bulk, she saw him sound asleep. Midna had curled up on the mare's back, using his shoulder for a pillow.

"Aye, but he got the alpha's spirit. He ain't gonna leave anyone in pain. He's been like that for millennia."

And again, Silver could see that regret in his eyes. As if, as if he had sinned terribly and was living with that guilt even now, millennia later.

"I suppose that the changing back didn't go smoothly then." Epona asked, as if oblivious to the pregnant atmosphere.

Zelda shot the mare a sharp pointed look.

"It tires him out, I know. That was one of our smaller jobs as greys. Finding monsters and changing them back. The Time War left a lot of them scattered around." Epona continued. "And from the bloody murder on your face, I guess the monsters weren't co-operative but Link went for it anyway. How many?"

Silver wasn't following. So, it was a grey thing after all. What did she mean by how many?

"Five. He would've done more and collapsed for it, if I hadn't dragged him back here." As she spoke, the fight left her.

Tenebam moved in the corner of her eye, and she turned to him. He was looking at Link with the same tenderness a father would look at his cub. There was regret too. Always that regret.

"I'll go and have a look at these monsters of yours. Give them a little talking. Ye never know, Reta tells me I'm quite persuasive when I want to be. I'll be seein ya."

Getting to his feet, the tiger padded out the door as was gone.

That reminded Silver, they knew where the Light Sage might be. Or rather Midna did.

"Get some rest Silver." Epona said. "There's not much we can do until the others wake up. You too Zelda. You look dead on your feet."

The princess held the mare's gaze for a moment, not enjoying being ordered around.

"You're just as tired as Link is, don't try and hide it princess. There's an empty bed next door, get in it."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Zelda relented and stood to leave.

"Is aunty Zelda ok?"

Zant looked out from under the table he had scurried under, watching her leave. In his simple tunic and shorts, he really did look like a small child.

"She's stressed."

"Midna is too. Is that what princesses are?" he asked innocently.

"No, not always." Epona assured him, a smile on her long face. "They can be happy, sad too. But they have to look after everyone, and that's a big job."

"Can I help?"

"No, give them both some space. They'll come round in the end."

That was how Silver fell asleep, listening to her 'Auntie Poni' assure the king of shadows that the princesses would be ok in the end.

That was going to be quite the story to tell.

Ok, Tenebam is now an irish farmer but I don't care anymore. This chapter is just so….urgh. I hate it, but this is as best I can make it.

But, see if you can guess the other two sages. I had a lot of trouble deciding who the Light Sage should be. Ok, back to packing. So Clarky out!