"Can a Villain Become a Hero?"
Chapter 1
Link threw a couple bombs over the array of spikes that stood between him and a hungry Like Like. The first bomb exploded and the enemy moaned in pain, the second soon exploded and killed it. Link then targeted the wooden target that was before above the Like Like. Link fired his trusted hookshot and flew over the spikes and then softly landed on the other side. He gleefully smashed the pots next to the door in front of him and gathered supplies, when satisfied he walked through the door and stopped dead in his tracks to the scene before him. The new room couldn't even be described as a room. It was a vast expanse of nothingness, all there was shin-deep water and fog that went on for miles only broken by a small island with a small dead tree in the center of that island. There were two structures with doors; one that Link had entered through and one directly across him. He slowly walked across the "room" in silence, observing the strange room that contrasted with the rest of the temple. Within a few seconds he passed the lone island and felt a cold chill go down his spine but paid it no mind as he approached the opposite door to find it locked. Link grabbed at the bars trying to get them to move but to no avail, he turned to see if there was any chests or switches to remove the bars from the door but instead what he met was a pair of cold red eyes staring back at him from the lone tree, but it wasn't the eyes that struck a shiver down Link's spine it was whom the eyes belonged to: a complete and identical duplicate to himself. The clone however was a solid black from head to toe the only difference being the red round eyes. He wielded a dark duplicate to his Master Sword and Hylian shield. Link gulped as he approached.
"Who are you?" he asked the stranger. However the stranger said nothing as he walked towards Link with an identical pattern but with sword and shield drawn. "Not much of a talker?" Link asked as the dark reflection of himself stared back with deep blood-red eyes. "That's fine then." Link stated as he unsheathed his Master Sword and Hylian shield. Link began to slowly circle the clone and as he did the clone did so as well, the two keeping their eyes trained on each other, not flinching. Link decided to make the first move as he swung at the Master Sword in a horizontal slice, but to his surprise the clone did so as well in the exact same motion as Link did. The swords clashed as they withdrew, Link swung again and the move was deflected with an identical move. The two clashed at each other, Link trying various forms of swings however when he performed a stab the Dark figure dodged it with inhuman speed and jumped up on top of the blade of evil's bane. The clone then slashed at the original nearly taking off Link's head. Link withdrew his sword and backed off, completely shocked as to the speed and unreal movements of his opponent. Okay, no stabs then. Link thought as he then went back to clashing swords with his counterpart, however Link in time was able to make blows as did the clone the two trading blows and feeling cold metal dig into their flesh.
As the battle raged and they moved around the eerie room the body of the clone began to change from a solid black form to more of real person. The red orbs that stood for eyes actually became eyes if however with the same blood-red color. The skin became a ghostly pale, as brown boots showed themselves. The hair slowly turned to a light grey. The undergarments turned to a white much like Link's, however the tunic and hat remained a jet black. The blows Link had made to the clone showed as well revealing red blood oozing from the gashes.
The two's blows eventually put them into a sword lock, pushing on each other leaving the two identical faces of Link staring at each other. Link smiled however. "You're good. This without a doubt the hardest fight I've ever had thus far. But you never answered me: Who are you? You owe me that since you appear to be human." For a long moment Link suspected the clone was unable to speak however a familiar but deeper-toned voice came from the clone's mouth.
"I am you. I am Dark Link. I know all your moves and all your memories. I know your feelings. If you are to proceed to the next room you are to defeat me, other-wise you will never be deemed worthy enough as a hero." The dark counter-part said in a mono and unfeeling tone as the two then broke off from their lock.
"You are me, and you know everything there is to know about me, eh?" Link echoed. "If that is true then you should know how pointless I find this fight. If you know how I feel then you know how much I want to get out of this temple and save the sages, Zelda and stop Ganondorf. Why don't you let me pass?"
Dark Link said nothing as he came back at Link – no longer just duplicating Link's actions like a mirror but attacking with his own will if however with the same identical movement as the original. Link parried the attacks, as Dark Link continued without end, trying not to give Link room in edge-wise. Link blocked the moves and fought back with equal if not more viciousness. Blows were made and new wounds made until the two had stopped attacking one another but instead faced each other, grimacing from the pain they felt in their bodies, both also trying to catch their breath.
"You know; 'Dark Link' isn't a very creative name." Link said with a smile and a tired chuckle however the clone merely raised an eyebrow to the original's statement. "I mean… I know you are supposed to be me but shouldn't you get your own name or something? I think 'Kuro' would be a great name for you provided you got out of this dreary temple and saw the outside world. The word 'kuro' means 'black' or 'dark' so why not?" Link continued trying to make conversation as the two caught their breath.
"Why do you insist on this talking? This is a battle. One that you must win if you are in order to complete your destiny." Dark Link asked as he began to recompose himself.
"Oh believe me; I'm not much of a talker. You know that since you are me after all. But I decided that maybe talking would be nice once in a while. I've been fighting nothing but monsters for weeks now and I don't have a lot of chances to talk to someone, and sometimes I can't help but wonder why all those monsters serve Ganondorf."
"I do not serve Ganondorf." Dark Link stated bluntly. "I serve the Goddesses. I am here to test your abilities as a hero—"
"I get your purpose but that doesn't mean I like it!" Link yelled cutting into Dark Link's statement. "If you serve the Goddesses and not Ganondorf then why don't they have you join me instead of fight me and try to kill me? Wouldn't it be better if we worked together? And even then; you seem to have your own will and opinions even if they are a copy of my own. Why not use that sentience for something good? Or are you evil?" Link asked in an angry tone. Dark Link did not answer for a long moment but instead looked down into the water at his feet. For a moment; he did indeed ponder it. Why was it that he had to fight? He wasn't evil deep down. He knew how important it was to the original to save Hyrule and both of them knew that he already had what it takes to save this land.
"Look; if you really want to keep fighting till one of us falls then so be it. But I see potential in you. I don't see a monster behind those scary red eyes. I see another human being. I'd rather not kill another human being but if I must I will." Link stated as he finished recomposing himself and armed himself, however Dark Link said nothing but looked back at the original, however his eyes weren't full of the same determination that flared in them before. He had doubts now but Link was right; even if he couldn't make a decision now this fight had to end in order for Link to continue his journey so the dark counterpart armed himself and came rushing back at Link with a horizontal swing, but Link dodged it and slashed at Dark Link's chest causing more blood to ooze out, however the clone did not faultier from the wound as he spun on his heels and swung again at Link who actually didn't see it coming and got slashed in the side. The two traded more slashes and blows however Dark Link was faltering and Link was scoring more and more blows to the counterpart. In time Dark Link collapsed to one knee using his dark Master Sword as leverage so he need not collapse into sand of the lone island where he originally stood when this battle began. Link raised his blade to Dark Link's face as the clone then shifted his weight and fell back into the tree leaning against it supporting him instead of his sword. He only now noticed that the original held his Master Sword to the clone's face.
"It… is over. I can fight no longer. You…. may pass." Dark Link said weakly as the bars of the doors retracted. Link paid no heed to the now unlocked door that prevented him from moving forward, he did however lower his Master Sword. "What are you doing?" Dark Link asked in surprise to the lowered mystical weapon.
"You said I need only defeat you and you just told me I can pass."
"Yes I did indeed say that but why aren't you running me through? You said you would kill me."
"I lied." Link said with a smile. "I honestly can't kill you. You are not evil. I don't feel that you are evil now that I look at you more seriously. I'm sparing you."
"You are a fool. Look at me; even though you have yet to finish me off I will die."
"No you won't. I'm not letting you." Link said with a stern voice as he put away his sword and shield and instead took Dark Link's sword and threw it across the room along with his Hylian shield, as he then pulled out a small bottle holding a healing fairy. Link knelt down near his counterpart and uncorked the bottle but aiming the opening at Dark Link. The small pink fairy escaped from his prison and began to heal Dark Link and then Link himself making all their wounds vanish and heal. Link stood back up, put the cork back onto his bottle and walked away towards the door saying nothing more. He did look back at his counterpart who still lay next to the tree and smiled. "I hope you leave this temple one day. Hyrule is a beautiful country and even if you know it all through my memories I still think you should go see it for yourself with your own eyes… Kuro." Link said finally and with a chuckle as he opened the door and exited through leaving the Dark Link alone with new ideas and a new name for himself.
"Kuro…" Dark Link muttered to himself as he looked down at the water which slowly began to fade away also had briefly shown his own reflection. He looked at himself after the room turned back to a plain room that was identical to the rest of the dungeon. He too had not faded away as he imagined he would. "Kuro…" he muttered again. "So… that is my name now…?"