Preface
It is five years since the Dark Lord Ganondorf was defeated by the Hero of Hyrule: Link. Hyrule has, more or less, returned to normal with only the occasional whisper to remind citizens of the past tragedy. Princess Zelda continues to rebuild her kingdom and has set up a new military defense system that put Link in charge of all protection around the kingdom. Because of his new position, Link has new residence in Hyrule's castle town, right in the middle of the town square. He shares his abode with his childhood friend and newly engaged girlfriend, Ilia.
For the past five years, both have worked vigorously to rebuild broken buildings, restore lost loved ones, and re-tell the story of the war for surrounding villages for documentation's and reassurances sake. Through their journey, they became even closer than before and have finally started to make future plans, much to the excitement of Hyrule's new found fan club for their hero. For the past five years, all has been, more or less, well.
But there is another side. During the dark lord Ganondorf's rise to power, he studied Hyrule's great hero thought his journey and became jealous of his seemingly in-bred abilities. Ganondorf was greatly unsatisfied with his associate, King Zant, and secretly fashioned himself a new follower to do his bidding. He shaped his new comrade in the image of his enemy; he made a Dark Link.
However, this Link was different from his original in every way. He was stronger, he was darker, he was faster, and he was made with a passion to kill. It was the hopes of Ganondorf to use this new being to defeat the true link, his only obstacle in ruling Hyrule, once and for all. Little did Ganondorf expect, however, that by creating a super powered being meant he had the ability to think and act on his own free will. Dark Link quickly learned he was being used as a slave and ran away in the dead of night from the reigns of his lord Ganondorf.
This dark being has lived in the shadows all this time. Waiting. Strategizing. Anticipating the day he and the true Link meet so he can do what he was made to do: Kill the weak Link. And take the power that belongs to him. Take control of Hyrule castle.
~.~.~.
Whoosh!
Link dodged the swipe of his doppelgangers sword for what felt like the umpteenth time, missing the deadly weapon by less than an inch. The only problem with this maneuver was the awkward way his body had to spin to avoid it. It ended with the side of his face resting awkwardly on the grassy field of northern Hyrule, his ankle burning white hot from the sudden pain of it being forced out of its socket. Link tried unsuccessfully to suppress the soft grunt of pain at his newest addition to his list of injuries.
Somewhere beyond the ringing in his ears he dimly heard the sound of methodical laughter. "Look at you. You're so pathetic" the figure next to him taunted. Link looked up at him defiantly meeting his gaze. Yet once again he was taken aback at how much his opponent looked like him.
They both had the same hair, the same body, and the same weapons… the same skills albeit Link's doppelganger's features were much darker, black some might say and his eyes were the most brilliant red, staring Link down with no hint on mercy. But the most obvious difference was Dark Link's way of execution. Link was a fantastic swordsman but he followed the rules of swordplay almost too well, never trying to take advantage of the obvious weak spots of an opponent and unfairly denying them a chance of winning. Dark Link was the exact opposite, he knew of his enemy's weak spots and targeted them, used them to his advantage, and didn't hesitate to made cheap tricks on the battlefield. He knew all of Link's weaknesses: they were his own.
Dark Link stared at the fallen hero with a look of taunting satisfaction, twirling his sword lightly at his side. "funny how this so called 'Hero of Hyrule' can down fierce beasts three times his size and yet, he cannot defeat little ol' me."
He purposefully nudged Link's broken ankle, making the man hiss in pain, and placed his muddy boot on the hero's chest. "What's the matter? Growing weak in your old age? Out of practice? Surely your dear princess Zelda keeps you busy in the guard! Doesn't she give her soldiers training? Or maybe duties? Some purpose? Or do you just spend your days guarding a castle that never sees action? Funny how only a few short years weakens you so much. What a pity." He smiled, satisfied at the irritated look on Link's face, "It's too bad your princess isn't here to see you now. She might have offered an apology for her stupidity." He continued to taunt.
Through the still stinging sensation in his ankle and the suffocating pressure on his chest, Link stared back at his dark clone, "Are you finished?" He sneered.
Dark Link smiled at his opponent's attitude, taking it as the call for the battle to continue. "Ready when you are" He teased.
Link didn't want to justify his childlike banter with a response so instead, with the remaining strength left in his left arm, he swung his master sword and gripped it hard as it hit his enemy's, vibrating hard on impact.
The battle continued, filling Link with another kick of adrenaline and newfound strength to block and attack his enemy, despite his ankle's painful protest every time it hit the ground. The only problem was, Link realized, his enemy didn't need another boost of energy; he was still going nearly as strong as when they had first begun, nearly an hour ago, according to the sun and his fatigue level. As Link dodged a well-placed ground slice from Dark Link and countered with a powerful helm-splitter that did little damage, he remembered exactly where his dark enemy received his great power. Ganondorf. The wielder of the triforce of power, coincidently enough.
His power was one of the first things Dark Link boasted about at the beginning of their fray that Ganondorf held the honor of creating him. After seeing what Link was capable of he wanted the same swordsmen with the same abilities, only enhanced, as his right hand man. Little did he know the consequences of his actions…
Link was pulled from his reminiscing by the none-too-gentle swipe of Dark Link's blade to his right shoulder. Down he fell once more onto his knees in the cool grass, his blood dripping down his forearm and painting the green a sparkling crimson. Link was given a few seconds to recover before the black blade entered his vision once more. Link quickly rolled over, careful not to let go of his only useful weapon and, with the first good bit of luck, swiped his blade hard and pierced Dark Link's lower thigh, making him crumble to the ground crying out at the pain. Link's heart leaped at the sight of the man's sword drop from his grasp. Grabbing his enemy's fallen sword out of the grass, Link dove over Dark Link's sprawled limbs, until he found the man's front and threateningly placed his swords just inches from his dark double's dirty face.
The two men froze. Link could not move because, for what felt like the first time this evening, he had the upper hand and he held onto it like a mother to her child, not daring to risk losing it. Dark Link could not move because as soon as he did he would have to face Link's sword, and the consequences that would occur because of it.
Then, when neither moved, Dark Link's face merged into a horrible, sly grin and his body shook with a condescending laughter, "You really can't do it can you?" his words dripping with sick elation "You can't kill me. Even when you have every reason too. Even when I am defenseless. Even when your common sense is screaming to convince yourself that this is the right thing to do" He paused, the blood-curdling smile still plastered on his handsome face. And the worst parts of his words were they were all one hundred percent true. Link could not kill this man in front of him. A defenseless warrior with no way to gain the upper hand. A fallen man on death's door just because of where Link was holding his sword.
He could not do it. He could not swing his weapon. All he could do was stand there, crouched in attack position; swords still placed, and try not to show how much Dark Link's words were cutting him.
"You are weak!" Dark Link screamed, sounding angry for the first time. "And for that you will suffer, dearest hero"
Quicker than Link would ever remember, Dark Link took the uninjured leg that was closest to Link and kicked it high, slamming the heel of his boot in the hero's lower jaw. Link stumbled backwards, dropping both his swords out of surprise, and brought his hands up to his searing jaw. With the opportunity now open, Dark Link grabbed his black blade and, showing nothing but enraged excitement in his eyes, aimed the blade directly for the hero's heart.
"Silly Link," He said just loud enough for his enemy to hear him, "always following the rules"
With a yell fueled with rage and excitement, the dark doppelganger plunged his blade directly into the hero of Hyrule's chest. The sword poking out the back end of Link's body just underneath the ribcage below his beating heart. "That's why I'm here. Someone's got to play the rebel" Dark Link whispered in the hero's ear.
Link gasped.
His hands gripped for the sword in his chest.
Then he felt it. Pain exploded in his mind, making it unable to think. His body sent waves and waves of jolting white-hot razors from his abdomen, freezing his body where it was. The hero crumbled to his knees, his mouth open in a silent scream. Dark Link had followed to knee-height, his hand never leaving the hilt of the sword and the triumphant smile never leaving his face. Drinking in the surprised, pained look on the hero's face, Dark Link got a wave of euphoria that caused him to squeeze the hilt of the sword and twist the impaled blade one hundred and eighty degrees in Link's body.
At this sudden change of events, Link's brain finally got a message to his vocal chords and from his body came a blood-curdling scream of such suffering that the triumphant expression on Dark link's face faltered ever so slightly. He had never heard such a cry of desperation uttered from any of his victims before. But then again, he had never drawn out the kill this long before, and nor had he ever enjoyed the thrill of the hunt as much as now.
Link's ear-shattering cries rang in the night as Dark Link forcibly removed his blood-stained blade from the hero's chest. The hero grabbed blindly at his bleeding wound and crumbled to the ground.
Dark Link took a deep breath and stood tall before the bleeding man, looking down at him condescendingly, "And so the hero has fallen. Oh, and look. It's even started to drizzle for you, how poetic."
Sure enough just as he said it Link felt the droplets of water sprinkle lightly on his face. Dark Link laughed at the hero's science and dropped down to his eye level, "And so a new era for Hyrule begins. The Triforce of power is mine; you and Ganondorf are out of the way; and Hyrule castle is ripe for the picking. It's almost too easy." He paused letting his successes sink in, "but don't worry, I'll make sure all of Hyrule knows what happened here tonight and how I came to power. I'll take good care of them. I'll even make a special trip to Ordon village just for you, Link. Oh! And what about that girl that's always on your mind? What did you say her name was? Ilia? I'll make sure to give her your regards as well. Who knows, I might even go so far as to make her my queen. We'll see how things pan out." He snickered.
Link listened to his speech in utter horror, trying to block out his speech, yet unable to concentrate hard enough. But at the last promise, Link gathered a few remaining fractions of his energy and managed to successfully spit his blood and saliva in his enemy's face, his face as hard as stone and as angry as a caged lion.
Dark Link's anger flared up as he whipped the bloody liquid from his face. He used his soiled hand to punch Link hard in the face, forcing his head to the side and another scream of pain from his mouth. "Good riddance hero, enjoy burning in hell!"
"I'll… c-count the day's t-till you join m-me, you bastard!" Link managed through clenched teeth and rapidly dwindling strength.
Dark Link huffed at his words and made his way across the field towards Hyrule, where Princess Zelda and her people could be found, leaving the bleeding hero alone to die.
Thoughts?
First time here posting something for LoZ. I wrote this a while ago too so hopefully I didn't screw Link or Dark Link up too badly.
Thank you for reading! The next chapt should be posted within the week.