A New Link in the Chain

By: Scothanial Karrasch

A Fan Fiction Based off of Akira Himekawa's "Four Swords" Manga

Shadow argued at the black mirror from wince he came.

"No! Master! Don't send me back out into the light! I can't stand it anymore!"

A dark and sinister voice replied back through the mirror. "Your assistance is still required. Now stop those meddlesome Links!"

Shadow gave the mirror a loathsome look, but knew there was nothing he could do about it. He was a slave of shadow. Whatever the dark master required he must do. The captured Princess looked with pity onto her suffering captor. While the Links saw nothing but a creature of evil and darkness, Zelda saw a much deeper side of him. She witnessed a hint of light in his interactions with Vio. All of that disappeared when Vio betrayed him though. But Zelda still believed that there was light inside; a light that was writhing, busting to get out of this shadowy shell.

"I don't need your pity," growled Shadow. "I have one job to do and that's it." He struggled to get on to his feet. His legs were jello, his physical being was dying; he could barely hold together.

"What is happening to me?" He looked scared.

"You know you have light in you," She looked upon the helpless Link, "And it is fighting to get out. But, as long as you serve your so called master, this war inside you rages on slowly killing you."

Shadow's face showed obvious signs of pain and torture. Something was bubbling up inside of him.

"Don't fight it Shadow. Let the light out." Zelda's voice remained calm. Shadow's however was yelling and grunting from the pain, the inner war was putting up a good fight.

Vio knew the castle up down backward and forward. Within the time he stayed as a false ally to Shadow, he had learned the entire layout of the castle.

"This way!" He cried out to the other Links. Vaati was not far behind. The wind mage took a pretty big hit from the four Links combined, but it wasn't enough. While regaining his strength, the boys climbed the staircase to the Mirror room.

Shadow lay on the ground hunched over. His insides were burning, Light and Dark fought mercilessly within.

"Let it go Shadow. You must."

Through gritted teeth, he groaned, "No, I AM shadow. There is no light inside. I have no friends, no joy, no love. I am miserable." The light hit him again. Just as he felt like he was about to die of agony, the door burst open to reveal Vio standing there.

"Shadow?"

"Vio?" Shadow tried to hold out a beckoning hand.

"Shadow!" Vio sprinted across the room to aid his dying ally. Vio hated having to betray Shadow. Zelda wasn't the only one that saw light in Shadow, he saw it to. A smile came across Shadow's face. The friend he has been waiting for was coming to his aid.

Just then, a bolt of electricity shot Vio in the back, causing him to collapse mere feet away from shadow. Through the smoke coming off of Vio's searing tunic, the silhouette of Vaati appeared. Shadow glared at him. He had resurrected this mage from the seal of Four Sword and this is how Vaatie repays him? By stabbing his only friend in the back? Shadow had hate inside him, but not for the light. He hated the darkness. All resentment for any shadow or dark caused the dark side within him to surrender the fight. The light had won and took over.

As Shadow stood up, the darkness melted off of him, slowly revealing a pure white figure. His clothes white and his pale skin turned baige. His Black hair was replaced by long strands of silver. When he opened his white eyes, his light body radiated, giving off pure rays of beautiful light that showed off an array of colors. He looked down at his brilliant shining hand. Caught by his own beauty, he collapsed in tears. Zelda knelt down next to him, placing a consoling arm on his shoulder.

"I was a fool," he said, "Consumed by my own shadow and hate."

"It wasn't your fault," Zelda reassured him. "You were brought up by shadow, but you learned to see the light." The new Link looked up at the Princess.

"I have to save my friend." He got up and walked over to the unconscious Vio. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. "I think," He said slowly, "I know what I have to do."

He placed his hand over top of Vio's heart. With a pulse that waved from Link's chest to Vio's, the purple Link awoke without any feeling of pain. His back was completely healed.

"Shadow?" Vio asked.

He shook his head. "Not anymore. That part of me is dead, but a new part has been born. My name is Light now."

Vio smiled. "I knew you had good in you." White smiled back at him.

Vaati coughed from behind them."Ehem! Are we done with the hugging and learning? I thought we had a fight going on!" (A.N. Sorry for the Scott Pilgrim reference. I couldn't help it.)

Shadow- er- I mean Light stood up and strode over to his opponent. "Yeah. We got a fight." he unsheathed his brilliant glowing sword. "You are your own downfall. If you hadn't created me from the shadows, I wouldn't have come back to kick your butt!" he smiled and snickered to himself. The irony enlightened him.

Vio gripped his own sword's handle, ready to unleash it. Light placed a restraining hand across Vio's chest. "There will be no need for that. I got him." Vio backed away with the other three Links.

Vaati charged after Light and he charged back. Light swung his sword down, but it passed right through Vaati's body. Vaati turned into dark mist and reassembled behind Light. He spun around to face Vaati once again. 'How can I cut something I can't touch?' he thought.

From Vaati's horn, he charged an electric bolt and sent it flying towards Light; he dodged it, missing it by a few feet. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Vaati sent more bolts in Light's direction. He missed them all. One hit a collapsed column that Light hid behind it.

"You can't run forever!" Vaati jeered, "Shadow!"

He was right. Light was done running. He had a plan to defeat his old master. With sword in hand, he revealed himself from behind the column.

"Nice of you to show your face," Said Vaati.

Light gave a fake smile. Vaati charged his next bolt; Light stayed still. He had no intension of dodging this one. As it shot, Light held the blade up to the attack. The shining blade absorbed the shock. Light swung it and sent the shock right back to his attacker. It hit the wind mage at its core, paralyzing him.

"Now!" Vio shouted from the sidelines.

Light saw his window of opportunity and jumped up into the air. He came down with the blade heading straight for Vaati. Unable to escape, Vaati was crushed under the blow. Exploding like a bomb that sent a gust of wind that nearly blew the team off of the tower, Vaati had died.

Light fell to the ground from exhaustion, the fight and his transformation took a lot out of him. The Links, along with Vio, ran over to help him out. Vio supported Light's head up under his arm. He opened his eyes slightly

"I-is it over?" he breathed out. Vio smiled and nodded. "Good." Light shut his eyes and blacked out. Vio carried him back to Hyrule on his back.

When Light woke up the next day, he looked around to see that he was in a newly refurbished bedroom with surprisingly comfortable bed sheets and slightly transparent curtains to allow a little light in but not too much. He's never been inside the castle when it wasn't completely destroyed by, well, him. Oh, how he regretted those days.

He looked down at himself to realize that he was no longer radiant and glowing. He was, however still in his white clothes and felt as though he had a warmth in his chest.

A knock came from the door and Light called to allow the knocker in. The doorknob turned and Zelda emerged with a tray of cut toast and steaming tea. Light sat up in his bed as Zelda unfolded the legs of the tray and set it on either side of the bed. She placed a palm to his forehead like a mother would to a sick child.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with a soft sweet voice.

"I'm feeling a lot better." He pushed himself to an upright position and grunted in pain, clutching his arm. "I could be better though," he said with a smile that had clear pain in it.

Zelda skooched the tray up a little further. "Take your time to rest and restore. I'll be around if you need me." Light grabbed a piece of toast. Zelda left at Light's smile of understanding.

She met Vio outside and nodded to him. Vio nodded back, took a deep breath and entered the room next.

"Hey, Light," he said. "How are you?" Light must have been tired of this question. The old shadow would have snapped, getting sick of everyone caring for him. But the new white appreciated everyone's affection.

"I'm doing good thanks. How are you? Vaati got a nasty zap at ya." Vio's hand instinctively reached for the small of his back, where the bolt hit him.

"It's perfect, thanks to you." Vio had something on his mind. Light saw this and called him out on it.

"What is it Vio? You look like you have something to say."

Vio's mind returned to the day where Shadow saw Vio's reflection in the black mirror. "I'm sorry that I had to betray you like that. I wasn't totally tricking you. We did have some things in common but..."

Light cut him off with a hand on Vio's shoulder. "Hey. What's past is past. You had to do what was right."

Vio smiled at Light. "Thanks for understanding." He chuckled at a thought. "You know, Shadow and I could've been friends," Light looked up at Vio. "But I think we can be even better friends." Vio gave a beaming smiled and Light returned right back.

"I think so too," Light said.