A/N: The last chapter was blending together with this one, so I had to cut it short. Sorry if this took a little longer than usual, I've been a little swamped with school.

Revised as of 11/04/14

Chapter 22: An Eventful Day

"What took you so long? We've been waiting for hours!" Midna exclaimed. I'd managed to find my way back to the river, and hawk grass, and ridden the twilit kargorok back down to the lake.

"Had to make a detour. If I'd decided to walk, you'd have had to get the last tear by yourself." I said shortly.

There was an ominous feel about the once-peaceful lake, but I knew why that was. I started walking towards the entrance to the spring, stopping at the top of the stairs.

"There. The last bug is out there." I informed Link, pointing towards the wooden planks that were floating above the surface. He nodded.

'You should hang back, there's-'

"No. I've sat out more than enough." I said firmly. Link had gotten the majority of the tears on his own, there was no way I was sitting this one out, the hardest out of all of them.

Without further argument, I got into the water and began swimming out to where the last tear was. I heard Link sigh, before a splash, and then he was following me. Swimming out into the center of the lake wasn't easy, it was much bigger than it looked when it had been dried up. The gift of the light spirit, the ability to see the dark bugs, allowed me to see the creature long before we reached its place. I fought the urge to gag as I swam. It was fat, slimy, and generally looked like any other bug did; gross.

"Ew," the word slipped out. Link almost laughed beside me. He couldn't see it yet, he'd have to rely on his animal senses when we got closer. We finally reached the floating planks of wood, and a theory about why it was there popped into my head. I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before when playing the game.

The twilit guys could have been holding the giant bug inside a crate, and then just thrown it off the bridge or something. That would count for the floating wood.

I knew the exact moment Link used his senses and saw the bloated bug.

'Ew,' he echoed my earlier statement. I couldn't help a little laugh. The bug didn't seem to find it as funny. It chittered angrily, and its body seemed to pulse top-to-bottom. Gross. An errant thought crossed my mind, wondering how in the world the creature's tiny wings could hold up such a large body. Kind of like bees.

When the creature got near enough, and the electric crackling we'd seen the other dark insects do faded away, Link leaped at the creature, beginning to bite and claw at it. The strange tentacles seemed to shoot out as a strange white ooze came from the creature's wounds. Link was thrown off, and the giant bug dove into the water. It swam in a circle around the boards we were standing on before charging, the same electricity crackling over its body. I didn't have time to dodge, used Nayru's Love to block the attack.

The battle went on like this for several minutes, the insect swimming and charging, before we got another opportunity to attack. Link had missed his, now it was my turn. Remembering what the Shade had taught me, the next time it charged instead of forming a barrier, it was a wall of sharp crystals, angled just right.

The creature didn't stop in time, practically flew into the spikes head-on. It reared back with a shrill screech, landing belly-up in the water.

"Now's your chance, Link! You'll need Midna's help for this one!" I called to him. With a short nod he jumped onto the insect and began attacking the tentacle-like appendages. It was done quickly, and the creature curled in on itself, emitting the most unholy shrieks I'd ever heard a monster make, twitched a few times before falling back into the lake. A second later it dissolved, and the final tear of light floated up from the water.

Link swam towards it, and the second he was in proximity it flew into the vessel, and for the third and hopefully final time, I was blinded by white light.

Once again, we were in the spirits' spring when the light cleared away.

"Don't forget about that fused shadow, now!" was Midna's parting comment before disappearing. The water of the spring began to glow, and Lanayru's light - which seemed to be brighter than the other light spirits' - rose from the water. It hovered stationary for a moment before what appeared to be a large sea serpent came up from the water and grabbed the light in its mouth. Lanayru. The light spirit swam, circling a few times in the water before resurfacing facing us.

"My name is Lanayru. Your efforts have at last restored each of us light spirits in Hyrule. O hero chosen by the gods...The dark power that you seek...It waits in a temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia...But before seeking it, you must now bear witness to something...and never forget it. You must know that it was the will of the goddesses that we lock away the forbidden power..."

Link got a seemingly blank look on his face, and I waited for myself to be pulled into the same vision, but I wasn't. I looked to the light spirit, confused. Wait...He knew that I already knew all of this, I'd bet. But, I closed my eyes, and allowed myself to relive the scene from the game as Lanayru spoke. When I opened my eyes, however, I appeared to be floating. Link was beside me in his Ordon clothes, but I knew it wasn't my Link. Looked like Lanayru wanted to show me too.

"When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world." Three bright lights soared over my head like comets. Din, Farore, and Nayru. "They granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light, and then returned to the lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm." As the three 'comets' flew over a particular spot, a new element was added. With Din, it was land. Farore added life to the ground, and Nayru seemed to add a kind of shining aura to the air around it.

"For ages, the people lived at ease, content in mind and body..." 'Link' and I looked to each other, then back to the Sacred Realm, laughing happily. I felt I wasn't in control of my body anymore. The three goddesses converged together above the Sacred Realm, and in a burst of light, the Triforce was there. "But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued..." Suddenly there was a sword in Link's hand, a dagger in mine. Link's eyes had gone white. I raised the blade, about the send it into his throat, before it occurred to me what I'd been about to do. In a split second I fought for control, forced myself to drop the dagger.

Suddenly he was gone. I began running towards the Triforce. From seemingly nowhere, three shrouded beings rose from the ground, standing between me and it. They looked like... Link?

"Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled at magic appeared. Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm." What I knew was the completed Fused Shadow rose up, creating a wall around the Triforce. The three raised their hands, as though pointing towards me, and I raised my arms over my face. Then I was just... gone. The Dark Link in the middle suddenly regained colour, except for those damned white eyes. It was terrifying. The three Links looked proud of themselves, but then the light spirits descended, surrounding them and the Fused Shadow.

"It was then that the goddesses ordered us three light spirits to intervene." The Fused Shadow began sinking back into the ground. Two of the Dark Links disappeared, leaving the white-eyed one, who suddenly screamed, as though in pain. Seconds later, it was gone, as was the Triforce.

My eyes opened, and we were in Lanayru's Spring again. Putting a hand to my head, I shook it to clear away the frightening images. Looking to Link, I saw he still seemed to be in his trance, Lanayru was still showing him something.

"We sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered. You know this magic... It is the dark power you seek...the Fused Shadow. O hero chosen by the goddesses... Beware... Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it. Never forget that..."

Link suddenly gasped, his eyes snapping open. He looked terrified for a brief moment

"The dark power that you seek is sleeping within Lakebed Temple in Lake Hylia..." Lanayru whispered, and I was unable to react before Link fell to his knees. I rushed to his side, keeping him from keeling over completely when he began to slump forwards. I briefly noted that Lanayru had not yet disappeared, I wondered if he had something to tell me personally. However, that could wait.

"Link, snap out of it..." I waved a hand in front of Link's face, hoping to bring him back to reality. In my peripheral I saw Midna come up from the shadows.

"What's wrong with him?"

I shrugged at her, about to return my attention to Link when Lanayru spoke again.

"Young Rosalie, I carry a second image for you, and you alone." The light spirit said. With a tired sigh, I stood up and faced the light spirit. Holding my arms out to either side, I prepared for whatever the light spirit intended to show me.

"You know well now that the dark one laid waste to Hyrule those many years ago, in search of the power you were born to carry. It is now that you must know how he discovered you carry it."

My vision faded to black. When it cleared, I appeared to be in a throne room of some such. Much like my previous memories and flashbacks, I was invisible to everyone there. I instantly recognized Ardea from my brief glimpse into her mind the day before, from there seeing that her brother, Hael, was not here. I quickly labelled the other two as Cariel and Edriel. On the throne at the far end of the room sat Astaroth.

"My brother returns, master, with news." Ardea spoke with a bow, before looking to the door. Hael, a very non-corrupted-looking Hael, strode into the room. He knelt before Astaroth's throne.

"This had better be worthwhile, Hael."

"My lord, I have found the Spiritus and the one who carries it. My comrade Jethro has a child, Rosalie. I heard it from his own lips, she is the carrier.

I heard myself gasp, and my mind grinded to a stop at the realization of what I was seeing. Hael was selling me out to Astaroth! The demon considered this information for a moment, before speaking.

"Excellent work, Hael. Return to Castle Town, and report back to me if any new information arises. And remember the plan."

"Yes, my lord."

Hael left the throne room as quickly and confidently as he'd entered, and I felt my anger building until my hands shook. My father was Hael's friend, they were practically brothers at one point from what I remembered, so what the hell changed him enough to sell out his brother to a damn demon?!

"Progress, finally. I was smart to enlist his help." Astaroth mused, a smirk upon his face. "How quickly loyalty falters, it's quite amusing. ...Ardea, prepare to stage Hael's capture. Now that we know where the Spirit Power is, we've little need for a spy."

"Rose... Rose!" Link's voice was suddenly invading my ears. I ignored him, turning in the other direction and wanting to scream to the high heavens. I was angry, beyond angry. Furious, betrayed...sorrowful.

"That traitorous bastard!" I shouted, my voice reverberating and ringing in my ears. My free hand dragged itself through my messy hair, the pinpricks of pain making me wince, but I didn't care. "He sold me out to Astaroth! He told him that I carried the Spiritus! If he hadn't... if he hadn't..." My voice failed me, and I felt the anger melting away, leaving betrayal and sorrow. My shoulders slumped, and tears I hadn't realized were falling rolled uncomfortably down from my cheeks to my neck.

"My dad should still be alive. If Hael hadn't told Astaroth I had the power he was looking for, he would be." I released a shuddering breath, trying to calm down. I couldn't; my hands were trembling, my breaths becoming short. "I-I don't understand! Hael was like a brother to Jethro, so why... why would he do that?" I knew Link couldn't answer, he didn't know. My sword fell to the ground, me to the ground beside it. "I don't understand..." I repeated.

My father's best friend was the reason my father was dead, along with so many of the others who died the day Astaroth attacked.

I startled at the feeling of two arms wrapping around me - Link. I didn't pull away, instead burying my face into the dark green tunic, my own arms hugging Link closer.

"I'm- I'm sorry-"

"You don't have to apologize. It's okay." I felt Link's thumb moving on my back, back and forth. It was comforting.

I nodded, but otherwise didn't respond. We sat there for a long time, and he just... let me cry it out. The betrayal, the hurt, all of it washed away until I had no more tears left, and still we sat.

"I know you said I didn't have to, but... I'm sorry. I...completely broke down..." My voice held a rough edge, and I cleared my throat to get rid of it. I didn't like doing that in front of people, even my closest friends. I didn't want to look weak, have people pity me. But here I was, breaking down and crying into one of my formerly-fictional biggest heroes.

"I know, it's okay." Link repeated, helping me to stand. The smallest of sympathetic smiles was on my face as I wiped my face. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"...Yeah, I'm ready."

A/N: This chapter was such a pain to write. I'm not very good at writing emotional breakdowns of any kind without worrying that it sounds really stupid, so... I'd really like some feedback for this chapter? Reassurances, something I could have done better, anything?