Sorceress of Shadows: Okay. Here we go. Awesome Fanfic.

Link: When you say awesome, I say crap.

Dark Link: Hey, I'm a main character! Don't knock this!

Sorceress: Be nice. At least I don't own Zelda.

Link: Well true, that is a comfort.

Termina Fever

Prologue

The three goddesses watched Hyrule through the Pool of Light, their faces masks of terror.

"Termina fever will take many lives soon," Nayru murmured, closing her eyes.

"But what can we do? We cannot send our Chosen Ones out to find the cure. They'd never survive," Farore asked, fear reflected in her great green eyes.

"But mine could…" Din's sentence was cut off by Farore and Nayru's fierce gazes.

"No! Ganondorf has already proved himself unworthy of such a task," Farore hissed.

The three goddesses fell to pondering possible solutions, often with suggestions like, "But Link could…" only to be shot down with something like, "You idiot! He's infected, remember?" "Infected" was often mouthed, as was "the fever." This went on for several minutes, long enough for the Goddess of Wisdom to create another plan.

Nayru closed her eyes again, and slowly, three images appeared in the Pool of Light; a shadow of a boy very much like Farore's Chosen One, one of a girl playing an ocarina in a forest, and one of a Zora holding a fish out to her patron deity.

"I see," Farore whispered smoothly. "But whose Chosen One is whose?"

"That is decided by the newly Chosen One's traits. I choose Saria, for her intelligence and judgment skills," Nayru explained.

"I choose Ruto for her strength and ambition." Din nodded firmly.

"I-I choose Dark Link," Farore's voice wavered; clearly she did not like the choice at all. "For his courage and determination."

"Our decisions have been cast," The three goddesses chanted as one. "May the goddesses be with them; may our judgment have been true; may they emerge victorious; and..." The goddesses paused to glance at each other nervously. "And may they all come back alive," they concluded.

"We disperse! Let us share our premonitions with our newly chosen saviors!" Nayru cried, and together, they disappeared.

Dark Link awoke in a state of panic and terror. There was light; he was in the Dark World; there wasn't supposed to be light…

But it didn't hurt. Strange. Unusual.

And potentially dangerous.

Dark Link walked cautiously towards the light. It was…beautiful. Light wasn't supposed to be beautiful; for true beauty lay in destruction and blood, at least to Dark Link's eye.

And also…there was a voice, calling him forth. Dark Link…come hither…you are safe here.

After a time, he reached the light's source, where he gave a gasp of surprise. Not too big, because he was the invincible, untouchable Dark Link, and seeing Farore wasn't going to change that.

But still…she was a goddess.

Farore smiled as Dark Link approached. It was a unique thing to have someone looking on him with anything but disgust.

"Dark Link," she whispered. "Thank you for listening. Now you must listen for a while longer.

"A great danger is coming. A plague from the land of Termina fast approaches. You and the other Chosen Ones must rise to face it." Farore's form grew blurry.

"Wait! I want-no, I need to know more!" Dark Link raised a hand ineffectively towards the fast disappearing form.

"All will be made clear to you if you stand in the middle of Hyrule Field tonight," Farore said as she vanished.

Dark Link cursed the world and set off for Hyrule Field.

Saria walked down the pathway leading towards her favorite spot-the Sacred Meadow. As she walked, she could hear a new voice chiming in with the normal forest spirits. As she approached the Sacred Grove, the gentle feminine voice grew louder and more intelligible. Saria, come forth! Your destiny awaits! These words were chanted over and over, a rhyme that kept perfect time with her near sprints.

She stopped and panted when the large Forest Temple loomed in front of her. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the gorgeous women standing just outside the entrance to Saria's temple. She has my eyes, thought Saria.

"Saria." The women smiled. "I am Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom. Hear my words and remember them well. A danger looms greater than any Hyrule has ever faced. Go to the center of Hyrule to claim your destiny."

o~o0o~o

She was detained at Kokiri Forest's exit, by none other than Mido

"But Saria, if you leave the forest, you'll die!" Mido tugged at the sleeve of the mysteriously older Kokiri girl.

"Then I must. Fate has seen fit to give me this destiny; I must take it," Saria murmured, stepping out into the unknown.

Ruto smirked confidently, then dived into the abyss that was Lord Jabu-Jabu's stomach soft spot. A strange thing began to happen midway down. She literally stopped mid-air. She looked around angrily for her offender, then realized that it was the Goddess of Power herself, Din. Typical. She goes in here looking for her engagement ring, which she dropped in here again, and ends up meeting a goddess. Why was she not surprised?

"Hi! I'm Din, but you knew that already, didn't you? Look hard times are coming, and you've got to go to the middle of Hyrule tonight and learn about your destiny, okay? See you!" Din disappeared, leaving Ruto to navigate her way out of Lord Jabu-Jabu's gullet. Zora's Sapphire would just have to wait.

Great.

"Ruto! I'm so glad to see you!" Saria called, simultaneously running and waving. "I'm alive! See? Oh Goddesses, everything is so beautiful!"

Ruto met Saria at the half-way point, and hugged her best friend. "But you're supposed to die out here! You're a Kokiri; I mean it's great and all, but…oh." Ruto's face fell as she noticed their companion.

"Dark Link. What a lovely surprise." Ruto said by way of a greeting. "I assume you recall me as the Sage of Water?"

"Look, I'm not too thrilled about this either, and the sooner we shut up, the sooner we can all go home," Dark Link replied, plopping down in the shadow of a nearby tree. "Hmph."

"You two should really stop arguing. We left you an important mission! How are you ever going to complete it? Really!" Din's form appeared, along with Nayru's and Farore's.

"Oh yeah? What's the mission, then? I want to know if it's worth my time." Saria nudged Dark Link. Surprisingly, he rubbed his arm and gave her a dirty look. Well. He was human.

Din sighed and Nayru began to explain.

"You are all familiar with Termina Fever, I presume?" Nayru asked. "Oh, no? Well, it originates in Termina…"

"No dip," muttered Dark Link, earning him another nudge from Saria.

"So, as I was saying, it originates in Termina, causing high fevers, vomiting, weakness, and eventual death. Any questions?" Nayru continued.

"This," Nayru said, face inches away from Dark Link's. "You or a loved one could be stricken at any time. It affects people of all races."

"We have had a few cases in Kokiri Forest. No deaths-yet." Saria whimpered meekly. "I thought they were just the normal run of summer fevers but…they've all been getting worse."

"Yes, my child. You, Ruto, and Dark Link must travel into the fever's source-that's Termina-to find a cure. I believe a potion maker by the name of Koume knows the secret, although she chooses not to divulge the information for personal reasons," Nayru continued, nodding.

Dark Link had, by this time, turned away from the small congregation.

"Well," he muttered darkly. "Why not have Link do it; he's so perfect. Or maybe you could-get this-have Zelda and Link do it."

"We-we can't," Farore murmured, hanging her head. "They-Link and Zelda-are among the infected. Link will know by tomorrow evening, and Zelda will know soon after. So it is very important that you leave immediately! Go!"

So it was that Dark Link, Saria and Ruto set off on a journey that would affect the farthest reaches of Hyrule: The Journey for the Cure.

Link: Wow.

Sorceress: I know.

Dark Link: Hey, you should focus on the victims of the fever next time.

Sorceress: That's a great idea! (Kisses Dark Link on cheek) Thank you! I'll go work on that right now!

Dark Link: (Blushing) Please review; I want more kisses!

Link: (Rolls eyes)