I haven't written a story in, like, YEARS, but the other day I re-read my "-Less" series and was shocked at what I wrote. The thought of being able to do something like that again is irresistible.
So I've been playing the Zelda series games for months now. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Windwaker over and over again. It's started to get to me; the story is always the same! So I've decided to make my own. This is one of two story ideas that I've had, centered around Dark Link. I want to make him a deeper character than he was in OoT.
Characters are copyright Nintendo, durh. I hope you enjoy!
The workshop was a dismal chamber of horror, a cellar that reeked of rotting flesh and decayed bodies. From the rafters were draped cords of various thicknesses, frightening spidery nooses that were tethered to the wild creations housed in this repository. Failed experiments decorated the otherwise bare stone walls, hanging from wooden spikes driven through them out of violent frustration, for the puppeteer was a man of little patience. They hung like slaughtered soldiers, some missing limbs, others lacking heads, all of them hideous creations, half man and half metal. Works-in-progress were tied to wooden poles scattered throughout the room. Pieces of humanoid bodies were strung together with scrap-metal parts, carelessly sewn into sockets and attached with shiny new joints. An eye here, a shock of yellow hair there, pieces of hands and feet; all had been gathered for their perfection and their collector hurried to use them before they spoiled in this desert heat.
Like some sinister Gephetto, the creator stood huddled over his latest brainchild. Unlike the others in this place, this puppet was being carefully tended to and lovingly assembled. The puppet master carefully stretched the skin over his creation's delicate metal frame, the skin he had shorn from a Hylian peasant lying dead on the front lawn. A vile grin contorted his face as he watched the skin fit snugly to the perfectly crafted features, the thin but muscular shoulders, and the metal ribs all perfectly bent to form his chest. He pulled the skin taut and procured a needle and some wiry thread. The skin was sewn together at the ankles and up between the legs, much like one would sew a pair of pants. After fastening thick cables to the wrists, ankles, and the neck, the puppet master leaned in close to scrutinize his creation.
The eyes were just large enough, the nose long and perfectly pointed, the ears fanning out on either side of the face like strange banners. The lips, the lips he had labored over for hours to perfectly craft, were slightly parted over twenty-eight pearly teeth. Ten thick fingers, ten curled toes, he had counted them all. His hands ran over the torso to make sure that each muscle was in its place. Every inch of this sculpture was perfect. "Finally," the massive Gerudo sighed with relief, "finally my creature is finished."
He leaned down, closing his mouth over the lifeless lips and nose, and breathed life into the puppet. The body expanded and the chest lifted as air entered its cavity. The wizard drew back to murmur a quiet incantation as the body's weight forced the air out in a long, slow exhale. Once he was finished with the prayer, the puppet inhaled on its own. The wizard lifted the body up off the table by its cables and hung it from the ceiling in the center of the room. The creature's eyes tiredly opened and looked around at his mangled siblings, all strewn about the chamber and horrifically arranged. Slowly, a wiry smile spread across the thin, pale lips before the ruby eyes closed again. After much rest, the body would heal together and then be ready for use.
"AGAIN!" barked the Gerudo, shaking warm blood from the blade of his battle-ax. He stood at one end of a massive circular dungeon-room, wearing only light training armor and a scowl blacker than night. Blood was spattered about on the stone floor and the walls of the chamber and it slowly swirled down into the metal grate in the center of the room. The steady drip of the lifeblood into the sewer below counted off the seconds that went by.
On the other side of the room lay the fountain from which the blood spewed forth. He was crumpled in a heap, holding a terribly wounded stomach, his face twisted in agony - but he did not whimper, as others would. He slowly shifted onto his front side and knelt up, gradually pushing himself to his feet. His uniform consisted of a black tunic, the sleeves torn off to reveal strong arms that were lacerated and bruised from Ganon's rough training. Blood trickled down his arms to his hands, and he thoughtfully watched the blood drip off his fingertips. His hands were protected by black gauntlets with silver metal discs at the knuckles. The gauntlets were saturated with his blood and he shook off his hands before reaching up to smooth back his hair. His hair was a very dark gray, styled similarly to Link's with the long and pointed bangs. He didn't wear that silly hat, though, and some of his hair was drawn back into a short ponytail. He had accessorized with a multitude of piercings – several hoops, studs, and bars through his ears, a bar in his right brow, a hoop in his lower lip – and a tattoo on his right shoulder of the Triforce, albeit upside-down.
Once he had caught his breath, the hardened warrior lifted his black sword again and stood ready. He parted his lips to aid his labored breathing and blood trickled down his chin as he did so. Ganon had left a gaping wound in his abdomen and as the wizard watched, he could see his creature's gory innards pulsing with life inside, the muscles working to sustain the weakened body. Seeing the strain he was putting on his creation, he rethought his order. A rare smile crossed his lips and he lowered his weapon. "No, I think that is quite enough for today," he spoke. "You've proven yourself to me by now to be a formidable warrior."
The words of praise only served to irritate the trainee. "Proven myself? Already?" He sprang forward, apparently not the least bit affected by his aching wounds, and lashed out at his creator. "I have hardly begun to show you my true potential!" Their swords met between them and Ganon found that his puppet was still strong. In fact, he almost had trouble fending him off; he was so energetic! But a heavy boot to his stomach made the wounded shriek and he tumbled backwards, dropping his sword with a clatter and clutching his torso tightly. A satisfied sneer crossed the wizard's lips. "I said that is enough. Do not test my patience."
"C-Cheap shot," stammered the injured one, turning now to look up to his Master. His eyes were startlingly blank. He seemed to fall apart as his form slowly began melting, spattering onto the floor in chunks of black liquid. He formed a puddle on the stone, a little wiggling mass that kept the Gerudo wondrously captivated. Was this what they had been struggling to unleash for so long? Could this be a new, more powerful form? That small puddle grew and grew, assimilating Ganon's shadow and all the room's darkness within itself, and it stood like a menacing ocean wave before him now. Two red eyes burned from within the blackness. It towered even over the desert giant and, with a high screech, it soon overcame him and swallowed him up within itself.
Ganon stood perfectly still within the darkness. He could feel his creature moving all around him, warm and heavy but not suffocating. He remained calm. He trusted his puppet like an owner trusts their dog, when their hand is in its muzzle, not to bite them. He closed his eyes, and there in the darkness of his mind could he see his rebellious young creature.
"Master," the minion spoke, his words echoing off the walls in Ganon's mind, "We have been training for weeks now. You have abused and tormented me and I have fought back with all that I have. But still there are doors inside me unopened, power yet untouched. I have not revealed to you yet my true potential." His tone was pleading, imploring his Master for more attention. "Please, do not stop."
Ganondorf grinned, speaking to his creature with his mind. "I know you are eager to show me what you can do, but we do not have time for it. It is clear that you have a multitude of powers that you haven't even seen yet, but the time has come for you to serve me. Do not back down," threatened the king.
The two stood in silence, quite close to one another in that moment. Words tickled the tip of Ganon's tongue, but he refrained from speaking. The closeness of his minion was starting to bother him, not because of claustrophobia but because he felt like they were cultivating emotions he'd rather not share with a subordinate. The wizard unleashed a sudden burst of energy that took his cuddling creature by surprise. "Master!" he cried, but to no avail. Ganon's power spiked and the liquid shadow was blown apart. He splattered against the walls of the chamber, rendered unconscious from the startling blow. The spatters dripped down the walls and toward the center of the room where his pieces pooled to form his body again. He lay facedown on the floor, now bleeding even more profusely than before.
Brushing some of the black goo off of his shoulder, Ganon plodded over to his creature. Knowing that the puppet was unconscious, he spoke freely. "I have invested a great deal of time and material into you, my dog," he said, using his foot to roll his minion over onto its back. One broad paw was laid on his chest and the wizard awkwardly performed the unfamiliar art of healing upon him. "Though the Hero possesses both weapons and powers that you do not, your victory is ensured by your loyalty. However, let us not allow loyalties to change into emotions. I fear that you have formed an image of me unfit for an underling like yourself."
Once the abdominal cavity was closed, Ganondorf took his puppet by the chin and lifted him slightly, bringing his face close. The Gerudo, too, had begun to feel for his pet. This was the closest thing to a son that he could ever have… oh, but the thought angered him! He flushed the emotion from his mind with an angry growl as his grip on the puppet's cheeks tightened. "If you fail me..." he darkly threatened, his voice tremulous with passion,
"…I will destroy you."
Crap, this went onto a 4th page. It wasn't too long, was it? I hope you enjoyed. Read and review, my friends, because the more I get pestered the faster I write!