Apocalypse Here...

Link turned his tormented blue gaze on Tara

"What do you mean?!" he shouted, "What's going to become of Zelda!?"

His voice was commanding, and his eyes burned with sagacity.

Tara rushed past Link and Fell, leaving them behind as she dashed up the stairwell to the ground floor.

Fell was hot on her heels. "Tara, wait! Who are you talking about?"

Link was on their heels, "I'd like an explanation. Y'know, if it's not too much trouble or anything."

Tension was making Link sarcastic.

[It's a first xD]

{Kad would be proud. Y'know, if she wasn't busy...>.>}

Tara whipped around, her voice a deathly low whisper, dripping with hate. "I'm not going to stand and talk while Zelda is in danger. Every second she's with her, the princess is in mortal danger."

"Why?!?"

One word was her reply. "Iko." Tara sped silently away, leaving Fell bamboozled.

A look of innocent confusion crossed Link's features.

"Iko?" he said, catching up. "Hey, wait for me!" he hissed, going up the stairs two at a time.

Tara paused at the top floor, holding a finger to her lips. "No words now," she mouthed.

Link lapsed into a questioning silence. He wished he could communicate telepathically with Zelda, but she was the one that could pick brains, not him.

}lol{

Tara opened the door a crack, peering inside with one eye. She hissed in a breath, then shut the door as quietly as she could. "This way," she mouthed, trotting to a side room.

Link tried to walk softly, which was much easier said than done, even with sword and shield confiscated.

Once safely inside, Tara waved her hand around the room. Fell felt an odd pressure around her ears.

"Okay, we're sealed in here, so if you have any questions, ask them now," Tara said simply.

"Who--what--how--?" Fell blathered.

"What's an Iko? Is Zelda going to be okay? Will I see her again?"

He babbled on like Tara would under normal circumstances, "What's going on?!"

His voice, normally calm, bordering on bashful at times, had grown tense and urgent.

"Iko is a being called a Chibi," Tara explained, wasting no time. "She can take the appearence of anyone you think dear, or anyone you think she is. As for Zelda, she's fine at the moment, and you should see har again, provided all goes well."

A wave of relief washed over Link's entire being.

"Oh, things will go well." he assured Tara, "I can promise you that."

"Don't be cocky, Hero," she warned. "If one thread is cut, the entire weave might unravel."

"Then, we'll just have to sew it back together, hm?" he said, pushing past Tara

Tara cut him off, murder in her gaze. "Do not take the present lightly, my friend. I've seen it go horribly wrong, and once it happens, there's no changing it."

Fell had never seen Tara like this, and it worried her.

He took the 'subtle hint', and stopped, deciding it was best not to bring up that he had the Ocarina of Time on his person.

"...Then lead on, Tara. What do we do?"

{Oh, ya. Forgot about that.}

"At the moment, nothing. We wait, and if the Princess is in danger, we'll intervene. But remember this," she said. lowering her voice even more. "No matter what you see, she thinks Iko is her mother. Do not say otherwise, and do not lose your control."

Link's stomach was doing an impressive job of twisting itself into unnatural shapes.

He began to pace. "Fine..." he consented, 'But if that...'Iko' thing harms one strand on Zelda's head...one strand, I'll rip her to shreds myself. And I won't be needing the Master Sword."

His gaze was murder personified.

"I understand that. But once Zelda realizes that something isn't right, Iko will turn on other people. Like you. She'll twist you so that you won't be able to tell truth from lies. She'll..." Tara swallowed hard, tears forming in her eyes. "She might make you do things you'd never even think of doing..."

Link's heart stopped.

"Y-you mean..."

He couldn't finish the thought. Couldn't bear it.

Tara nodded gravely. "Yes, that's precisely what I mean. She's far more dangerous than you realize, and she won't hesitate to take the life of any of us, or anyone around her."

Fell shuddered, thinking of what Iko could have done to Tara to make her hate so.

Link lowered his head. "I understand..." he said, though he felt quite the situation was quite inconprehesible.

Iko kissed Zelda on the cheek, beaming. "Wonderful. Now why don't we take a tour of the Town? You and your father and I?"

"...Will Father allow it?" Zelda asked, retrieving a cloak for her mother.