MY BEAST

Chapter 8 Wolf/Link

"Please find him for me."

The wolf looked at Ike petrified in terror. What Ike had asked of it - a simple task of finding someone - had brought its world to a grinding halt. Never in its wildest dreams had it dared to envision a scenario in which Ike would want to find Link, much less ask his wolf to track him down. It had simply assumed that Link had no chance. What kind of a mad inexplicable dream Ike had had that had changed so completely his conception of Link? The wolf's world was turning upside down. It had accepted its fate at Ike's side as his most trusted friend and was at a complete loss with what to do. It couldn't give Ike both the wolf and Link. It stared at its master, unable to do anything at all.

"Please, wolf, I think I finally understand…" Ike said pleadingly as he climbed off the bed and settled on his knees in front of the wolf on the floor. His arms wrapped around the soft mane of the canine as he pulled it into a hug. His voice sounded desperate. "Link is different. He's not a human. Maybe he… maybe he really is someone I can trust…"

The wolf jerked away from its master. Every hair on its body stood on end. It couldn't believe its ears. Ike had never spoken in such manner about anyone. He despised everyone. In his world humans were nothing but back-stabbers and liars and the only one he allowed close to himself was his sister. He had been swindled, beat down, hurt and betrayed so many times that he had enclosed himself in a protective shell of hatred and contempt. For him to say that he wanted to trust someone was the equal of a love confession to anyone else. The wolf was paralyzed with the realization.

Ike lay his hands in his lap, defeated. "Please, wolf… I need to see him, just for a moment. I need to apologize for the things I've done." His fingers curled up into fists as his face distorted into a grimace. A tear of regret rolled out of the corner of his eye. He had been so mean to Link when the Hylian had been nothing but friendly towards him. He had been the grand idiot, he understood that now. With his disdain and abuse he had driven Link away. He had thought of him strange with his claim of having followed his scent and hadn't even asked how or why. He had never even given Link a chance.

The wolf understood Ike's pain. It had felt the same kind of longing, so strong that it felt like its heart was being torn from its chest. It had felt the same kind of sadness, the kind that felt suffocating like sinking into the bottom of the ocean. It had felt the same kind of affection, the kind that was bittersweet in its hopelessness. Whatever it chose to do it would still break Ike's heart. Grant him the Hylian and he would search for the wolf until his dying day. Deny him the Hylian and guilt would break him each day a little more until he couldn't go on anymore.

There was only one solution. Link would talk to Ike one last time. He would forgive him for everything, even if there was nothing to forgive. He would allow himself perhaps one more kiss before explaining that they could never see each other again. He would break Ike's heart, but the wolf would be there to gather the pieces. It was the wolf that mattered more to Ike than the Hylian ever could.

Having arrived to a bittersweet solution the wolf finally managed to move. The resolution of giving up human life altogether made it feel anxious and mournful but it was certain that it was the right choice. It tugged on Ike's sleeve, signaling him that it was time to go. He wiped his tears and nodded, cracking a small smile.

"Yes, let's go", he said as he got up. The giant beast was so infinitely kind he sometimes wondered how he had ever deserved such a companion. He decided to make it proud. If it could track down Link he would change. He would learn to trust others. Link would guide him through it and he would do everything to redeem himself in his eyes. He would become a good friend - no, that wasn't enough - he would become the best friend anyone could ever have.

The wolf murmured excitedly as it hurried to the door, cramping the small space with its large body. Ike shuffled past it sharing its excitement and opened the latch with trembling hands. He was just as excited as the wolf, although for an entirely different reason. As soon as the door was unlatched the large animal jumped against it, throwing it open. It dashed into the hallway, its paws sliding against the wooden floor as it gathered momentum. Before Ike could follow it to the end of the corridor it had already disappeared leaving behind crumpled carpets. He called out for it as he ran after it so fast he kept fumbling but hallways and staircases remained empty. He passed a few smashers, but they hadn't seen it either. He ascended staircases and descended them, traversed halls and examined every corner but with no luck. The wolf had disappeared into thin air as soon as he had opened the door for it and no matter how much he called out for it, it didn't return.

Link sat on the white iron bench in the grove where he had met Ike for the very first time. He had taken his human form as soon as he had reached the secret spot but having been in wolf form so long made him feel confused and disoriented. His body was no longer familiar. His limbs felt strange being so long and nimble. He looked at his fingers, he had forgotten how long they were. He curled them up into fists and opened them again while getting used to his new form. Even his back felt odd and out-of-place, sitting upright just didn't feel right. Link shrugged. Oh well, it was time to find Ike and break his heart. He stood up, but his feet didn't hold his weight and he sat back down. After a few failed attempts he eventually remembered how walking was done and left with wobbly steps.

He took long strides in the maze of rose bushes as he sought for Ike. He had prepared every word he would say to him carefully in his mind. His time as a wolf had taught him that Ike was afraid of love and closeness and he would use that against him. Even if Ike was willing to trust him - as he had told his wolf - didn't mean he was ready to take on a relationship and everything that came with it. He was still an introvert, terrified of opening himself up to anyone and if Link demanded more of him than he was ready to give… he would lash out to drive him away. Link bit his lower lip. It wasn't going to be easy, but he would do it for Ike.

He turned a corner and ran into Zelda. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't heard her and obviously, so had she. Before he could say anything, she screamed. Her face distorted with fear and before recognizing her oldest friend she had already taken a few hasty steps back in an attempt to flee. "L-Link!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth immediately after.

"Zelda, what's wrong?" Link asked, the state of her horror was so deep that he grew alarmed as well. It wasn't like Zelda to lose her calm composure. In the face of danger she always remained calm and collected, to upset her there had to be something gravely wrong with him.

Zelda still held her hands on her mouth as if to keep another scream in. She stared at him with diminished pupils, her eyes watering. Her face turned white as if it was a ghost she was looking at and not her oldest friend. Upon hearing footsteps she suddenly snapped out of her shock and grabbed Link's hand, swiftly pulling him behind her into a hiding spot behind one of the bigger bushes. Link followed her obediently, his mind racing to find a reason why she was so horrified. He had known her his whole life and not once had he seen such fear on her features.

Zelda took a small mirror from her pocket but her hands were trembling and she dropped it. She picked it up and dropped it again before she managed to hand it to Link. "L-Look", she managed to say, her voice nothing but a hoarse whisper.

Link turned the mirror so that he could see his face. What he saw made him gasp and the mirror fell from his hands. He couldn't believe his eyes. It had to be a trick of some sort. He picked up the mirror again, his hands shaking frantically. He didn't recognize the person in the mirror. It frightened him. He touched his face in disbelief. He had once before experienced the curse of Twilight but what he witnessed now was far worse.

His face reminded his mirror image, but it was a mixture between his features and the wolf's snout. Instead of a nose he had a small black rhinarium. Dark grey fur covered the area around his nose and eyes like a bad carnival mask. His turquoise eyes were piercing and their gaze feral, filled with terror and disbelief. His long pointy ears were replaced by large wolf ears. He touched them and they felt soft and sensitive in his fingers. How could he not have noticed? He even had a tail!

"It's… it's not that bad," Zelda spoke having collected herself.

"It's not!?" Link asked, his voice almost screeching. Zelda shushed him by placing a finger on his lips.

"It'll be all right", she continued hastily. "Wait here, I'll be back in an instant."

"Wait, Zelda-" Link began but she had already exited the bush and her steps receded fast.

As his initial panic settled, Link looked at his reflection again. He wasn't ugly or horrifying, just a mix of his two forms. Neither a man nor a wolf. The crystal punished him for wanting to give Ike both the wolf and himself. His both forms loved the swordsman equally and surely it wasn't strange of him to want Ike's happiness? In his current state he couldn't give him neither. It was too cruel to be true. He scrutinized the face he no longer recognized and cursed himself for being so indecisive. In his search for reciprocality he had become someone who wasn't worthy of anyone's affection.

Zelda returned after what seemed like an eternity. She had a large black cloak in her hands that she threw on Link as fast as she could. It was long and thick and the hood was so deep it concealed his face completely from curious glances. Link recognized the cloak, Zelda wore it whenever she wanted to remain incognito outside of her castle. It was shapeless, black and unnoticeable; it was the perfect disguise.

"There's only one person who can help you", Zelda said, holding onto his hood as she tucked his ears back underneath it. "You must hurry to the Mirror of Twilight and speak with Midna. She is the only one who knows how to revert Twilight Magic."

Link nodded. The Mirror of Twilight was hidden in the tallest tower of Hyrule Castle. It wasn't so much a portal anymore but a looking glass into the Twilight Realm that Zelda used sometimes when she needed Midna's help. Remnants of the darkness still lingered in some parts of Hyrule and she was the only one who knew how to remove them. Could she cure something caused by a Twilight Gem? Would she even want to? It was the least of Link's problems, he was far more worried how he would get to the busiest city in Hyrule and make his way into the castle without being seen.

"I asked for my carriage, it should be waiting by the front door." Zelda interrupted his thinking as she pulled him behind her out of the bushes and towards the mansion. "Hurry."

"Can't I take a horse?" Link argued. "It would be a lot faster."

Zelda turned to look at him as they entered the mansion via double doors in the dining hall and hurried towards the front entrance. "You can't risk being seen. What if someone saw you?" She asked in a low voice.

Link had to agree with her on that. It was of utmost importance that no one saw his face in its current form. The people of Hyrule wouldn't recognize him, much less understand that their savior had turned into a wolf-boy. He would keep the cloak on at all times until the curse was lifted and he was returned to his usual form… if that could be done. If not, he would find a cozy cave somewhere on top of Snowpeak to hide for the rest of his life.

Link had his hand on the handle of the front door when it suddenly opened. A gush of fresh air preceded Ike stepping in. He had been wandering all over the premises in search for his wolf and the missing Hylian. He didn't recognize the cloaked figure attempting to squeeze past him but he had been calling out his name so many times during his expedition that it slipped off his lips out of habit.

"Ike!" Link whimpered. Immediately after exclaiming his name he realized that the cape would've concealed his identity from the swordsman in front of him but it was already too late. Ike had found him. He froze in panic. Ike was so close that he could smell cologne on him, it was the first time he was wearing a scent and Link's heart palpitated with the wish that maybe he had put it on for him. He bit his lower lip while hanging his head even lower. It was getting difficult to concentrate. One wrong word and Ike could pull down his hood to witness all the lies and deceit he had used to get closer to him.

"I've been looking for you all over", Ike began, his voice soft and tender. It was like honey in Link's ears. When Ike put his hands on his shoulders and squeezed a little, shyly as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to do that Link's eyes fluttered shut as he drowned in the bliss of being so close to the one he loved. What made it so special was that Ike had never willingly touched anyone else. Those dark blue, soulful eyes peered into the hood looking for eye contact. "Listen, Link, I need to apolog-"

"Not now!" Zelda hurried to interpose, pushing the swordsman away from her friend. Ike had touched Link and it was too much for the Hylian to handle in his lovesick state. She positioned herself between them, knowing that Link wouldn't leave until he had to, not when Ike was using such tactics on him.

"Link is very sick! There's a carriage outside waiting to take him to a doctor!" She almost shouted, a little surprised that her tone sounded so shrill.

Ike let go of the Hylian, surprised but at the same time his curiosity peaked. "Oh, I had no idea…" He breathed quietly while attempting to peek inside the hood, but the harder he tried to see something the lower Link hung his head to keep him from seeing it.

"He must leave now. We can't risk this sickness getting any worse than it already is", Zelda said, almost shoving Link out of the door.

Ike crossed his arms at his chest as he scrutinized the carriage waiting outside and the young boy sitting at the helm. "The driver of that carriage isn't a soldier", he ascertained solemnly. "Link will susceptible to robbers without protection. I am a mercenary, I will keep him safe on his journey."

"No, no, it's really not necessary", Link hurried to say. "I feel better alre-"

"It's the least I can do", Ike interposed, his tone of voice suggesting that his decision wasn't negotiable. Having decided that the conversation was over he marched to the carriage and exchanged a few words with the driver. Link glanced at Zelda in a state of shock that only seemed to get worse by the minute, she looked just as helpless as he did. Neither of them had assumed that had they run into Ike he would want to tag along. Briefly Link wondered that maybe something grand had really happened to the mercenary in his dream that had truly changed him. Standing stoically by the carriage holding the door open for his friend he didn't look different from usual, but the fact that he was there made all the difference.

"Are you coming?" Ike asked, sounding a little irritated when the cloaked Hylian made no effort to approach the carriage. "I thought we were in a hurry."

Sorry it took so long to update! Please review if you'd like to see more!