A/N: Hello there! The name's Ozera. This is the first thing I'm posting on fanfiction, if you haven't noticed. This is just a little something I wrote in my free time, but I'm still kinda proud of it :) Anyways, I won't drone on and on, and I'll let you get to the story! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I, Ozzie, do not own The Legend of Zelda or its characters. Just fake nails on which I painted Link, Dark Link, and fairies :3 well, I own those and your souls.

Title: Free
by OzzieTheTwilightPrincess

The room, as always, was thick with mist. Mist that could play tricks on your mind, if you weren't careful. The dead, gnarled tree was hard against his back, the small island uncomfortable. He couldn't complain, though; this was home. Always had been, ever since his eyes had opened for the very first time.

Dark sat at the base of the tree as he always had, the mist slithering around him like snakes. Sometimes he got up to walk around, but not often. He preferred to sit by his tree, his sole companion in the dreary room.

He wondered if his light counterpart, the Hero of Time, would ever arrive. He'd been waiting for so long now that the days ran together. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had the company of someone else, and even then, it was only Ganondorf. The man who'd created him, the man who'd left him in this lonely, endless prison.

To say that Dark despised Ganondorf would be an understatement. He loathed the Gerudo with every fiber of his being. To him, Dark was disposable—a puppet created for the sole purpose of destroying the one who opposed him. If he failed, he had other means of destroying the hero.

So why create Dark in the first place? Because Dark would rather not exist at all than exist as someone else's pawn. If he didn't exist, then he wouldn't know the feeling of being completely alone, waiting for your death. Because he had no doubt in his mind that the hero would kill him. The Goddesses wouldn't have chosen him had they not been certain that he could carry his task through until the very end. Ganondorf was stupid if he thought he could overcome the Hero of Time. Which he did, therefore making him stupid.

Suddenly, Dark felt a ripple in the air around him. He stood, glancing around. That ripple could signify one thing, and one thing only: The hero had arrived.

"Hey! C'mon, Link! Get up! Only a little further!"

Link glared at the little blue fairy. He sat against a wall, nursing his wounded arm.

"Navi, can't you see that I'm tired? And hurt?" he asked, his voice a growl.

"No time to be tired and hurt. Drink a red potion so that we can get a move on!" the fairy replied, flying around Link's head and tugging on a pointed ear.

Link swatted her away, grudgingly digging through his pouch for a red potion. He was getting low on healing supplies; all he had left was a bottle of red potion, half a bottle of Lon Lon milk and a fairy. This worried him, so he drank what was left of the milk instead of drinking the potion. He didn't want to waste it.

He felt slightly better after drinking the milk, but it did nothing to chase away the fatigue or the cold that had settled deep in his bones. The temple was freezing, and it didn't help that he had to keep getting in and out of the water. He was going to be sick by the end of it, he knew it.

Sighing heavily, he rose to his feet. Navi smiled smugly at him before flying over to the door that they were beside, flying around it like crazy.

"C'mon! Let's go in!" she exclaimed.

Sighing again, Link unlocked the door in front of him, watching as the chains fell. With strength that he didn't really have at that moment, he lifted the door open and slipped inside.

When the door closed behind him, steel bars covered it. Fantastic, he thought dryly.

He then took the time to look around the room, his hand going up to grip the hilt of his sword in case he needed it.

A thick layer of mist hung close to the ground, which was covered in water an inch or two deep. The entire room was white, other than the dead tree that sat in the middle, looking lonely.

"I don't see anything," he whispered. "Do you?"

Navi glanced around before shrugging. "No, I don't. But why would the doors lock if there's nothing in here?"

"Do I qualify as nothing?" came a voice that sounded familiar, yet not familiar at the same time. But Link couldn't tell where it came from; the room made it echo.

Link drew his sword and raised his shield. "Who just spoke?" he demanded, his head whipping from side to side. "Answer me!"

"Jeez. Don't get your tights in a twist," said the voice. A dark shape rose from the base of the tree, one that looked human. One that looked a lot like . . .

"What is it?" Navi whispered. She'd hidden beneath his hat the second the thing spoke.

"It's . . . me," he replied, his voice unsure. The being that stood in front of the tree was almost an exact copy of himself, except for the fact that its hair was ebony instead of golden, its eyes were a deep ruby instead of sapphire and the tunic it wore was black, whereas Link's was blue. Its skin was also lighter than Link's own.

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!" the shape exclaimed, coming closer. "Well, sort of. See, I am you, but I'm also everything you're not."

"You aren't making any sense," Link said, his brow furrowed.

The thing sighed. "For all intents and purposes, I'm your shadow. The embodiment of your dark half. Dark Link, if you will. But feel free to call me Dark—I don't mind."

"So you're the dark version of me?"

Dark clapped. "Right again! You sure catch on fast!" He moved even closer. "Can you guess why I'm here? This is for the win."

"To kill me, I'm guessing," Link replied nonchalantly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" Dark exclaimed. "I was created by Ganondorf to kill you. Not a very pleasant reason for creation, but it's true."

"Then why haven't you tried to kill me yet?" Link questioned.

Dark's expression turned to one of mock tragedy. "Can't two people talk without trying to kill each other? Here I am, trying to be friendly, and all you want to do is fight."

Link rolled his eyes. "Listen. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm cold. I just want to leave this temple and change out of my wet clothes. So, if you don't mind, could we move this along?"

Dark sighed. "Fine. But you try sitting in the same damn room, in the same damn spot for Goddesses know how long and see if you don't want to talk to someone. I mean, the last person I talked to before you was Ganondorf, and he's an ass." He unsheathed his sword and raised his shield. "But, by all means, go for it. Death will be better than living this life anymore."

Surprisingly, Link felt pity for his shadow as he looked into those flaring red eyes and saw just how lonely he was. But he couldn't let pity distract him from his goal of saving Hyrule; not even pity for his other self.

"Are you even going to try and fight me?" Link asked.

"Of course. But I already know I'll lose. But, hey, might as well go down fighting," Dark replied. "Now, come on, Hero. Show me what you're made of."

Without another second's hesitation, Link lunged, slashing at Dark with the Master Sword. Dark predicted it, however, and parried the blow with his dark Master Sword.

"Remember, Hero: I'm you. I know your moves. So you gotta surprise me, or else we're gonna be here all day," Dark told him, grinning wickedly.

Surprise him? Link could think of nothing. If Dark knew all his moves, then wouldn't he also know what Link would do to surprise him?

Link had no more time to ponder this as Dark swung his sword. Link deflected it with his shield and countered with a slash of his own, with Dark dodged by back-flipping across the room.

"You're gonna have to do a little better than that, Hero," Dark called, red eyes alight with amusement. "You're starting to bore me."

With a roll of his eyes, Link charged across the room, swinging his sword the entire way.

And so the dance began.

They'd been fighting for what felt like hours. Dark was growing weary, and he could see in the ocean blue eyes of his opponent that he was as well. They were too perfectly matched—Dark anticipated all of Link's moves and vice versa. They'd each managed to land a few hits, but nothing life-threatening.

Dark wiped the blood from his cheek. The hero had managed to graze the skin there, and it was bleeding steadily.

"Nice one," Dark commented. He grinned. "But I can do better."

"Oh yeah?" Link asked, breathing heavily. He motioned toward himself with two fingers. "Bring it."

Dark smirked. He had no idea.

He heard Link's gasp of surprise when he melted into the water. Link didn't realize that he was behind him until it was too late.

Dark had grabbed him around his middle with one arm while the other arm held his sword against his neck.

"Told you I could do better," he whispered in the blonde's ear, grinning. He lowered his sword and let Link go, much to Link's confusion.

He rubbed at his neck, where there was a tiny cut. "Why did you let me go?"

Dark shrugged. "Just showing you that I can do better."

"But you had the chance to kill me!" Link exclaimed.

"Yes, your point?" Dark asked, eyebrow raised.

He watched as realization dawned on his light self. "You want me to win, don't you?" he questioned.

Dark feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Link dropped his sword. "I'm not stupid. And I'm not going to fight someone who isn't going to fight me back. It's not fair."

Dark groaned. "Why do you have to be so noble? Just kill me already. Don't you get it? I don't want to live anymore. I don't think that what I've been doing can even qualify as living. I've spent my entire existence waiting for you to kill me. Don't tell me I've wasted my time."

"I'm sorry, but I won't kill you because you want to escape from life. That's just not me. Either you fight me and I win fair and square, or we both stay here. Your choice."

Dark roared in frustration. Why did he have to be so difficult? All he had to do was kill him and Morpha and then he could leave. But no, he had to be all noble.

Fine, Dark thought. If it's a fight he wants, then a it's a fight he'll get.

Not bothering to wait for the hero to grab his sword once more, Dark lunged, a snarl escaping his lips. This surprised Link, because he barely had the time to roll out of the way. Even so, Dark's sword caught him in the arm.

Dark smirked. "I guess we'll have to do it your way, then. I don't want to be stuck here longer than necessary."

Rolling his eyes, Link grabbed his sword and faced Dark once more, swinging it around his hand. "You sound so hopeless," he commented as he charged, only to be deflected.

"Yeah, well, being in this place for an excessively long time can do that to you," he told him, slashing at Link, who blocked it.

Link grunted. "Have you ever been outside?" he asked.

"Never," the ebony-haired boy replied. "This is the only place I've ever known."

Their swords clashed once more, and Link's eyes filled with pity.

"Don't pity me—I hate pity," Dark grumbled, pushing against Link's sword with his own.

Link pushed back equally as hard. "Sorry. I just can't imagine being in the same place forever, never knowing what it's like to be out in the open."

Dark twisted his sword around his light counterpart's, and the two jumped back. "I can't be envious of something that I haven't experienced."

"Sure you can," Link said, edging closer. "Haven't you ever dreamed of what it's like?"

Dark sighed. "I don't sleep, therefore I don't dream." He shrugged and attempted another strike, which Link neatly dodged and countered with a strike of his own that slashed Dark's arm, drawing blood.

"Well, I still can't imagine not knowing what it's like," Link muttered.

Dark chuckled. "Does it really bother you that much, Hero?" he asked, raising his sword to deflect Link's sword.

"It does, actually." The hero pushed against Dark's sword, and Dark found his strength beginning to wane. It'll all be over soon, he thought to himself. Link's sword grew nearer and nearer, and Dark found himself thinking that soon would be sooner than he'd thought.

In a burst of strength that surprised Dark, the hero had pushed his sword out of the way. While Dark was trying to recover from it, the Master Sword was swung at him, burying itself within Dark's stomach.

The shadow felt his eyes widen as pain flared out from where the sword rested, deep within the softness of his stomach. He found that his legs could no longer support him, and crumpled. The hero caught him before he fell, laying him down more gently.

Dark coughed and felt something wet splatter his skin, something that was expelled from his own mouth. With a shaking hand, he wiped it away, and his fingers came back red.

"I'm sorry," Link whispered, pulling the sword out. Dark gasped as the pain intensified.

"Don't be," Dark rasped, breathing hard. "This is what I asked for, after all. I can finally be free." He coughed again, a terrible sound. Red eyes found blue ones as he stared up into his light counterpart's eyes. "Will you tell me what it's like out there?" he asked, his voice small.

The hero hesitated, but only for a second. He shifted into a more comfortable position before beginning. "Well, there's Kokiri Forest. That's where I grew up. You see, the Kokiri are children forever. They never grow. That forest is where I got my first sword, and where I learned of my destiny." He paused. "Then, there's Hyrule Field. It stretches on as far as the eye can see. It's best enjoyed on the back of a horse."

"What's a horse?" Dark interjected, sounding sluggish. He coughed up more blood and moaned in pain.

"Well, it's a large creature that walks on four legs. If tamed, you can ride them around. It's a fast way to travel."

"Do you have one?"

Link smiled softly. "I do. Her name is Epona. She's beautiful, with a reddish coat and a white mane. She's incredibly fast and very loyal. I don't know what I'd do without her."

Dark made a soft, contented sound. "Horses sound wonderful," he whispered, his eyes sliding closed. "Tell me more about the world."

Link chuckled softly before continuing. "Well, there's Kakariko Village, which leads to Death Mountain. The Gorons live there. Unlike this place, there isn't any water there. It's hot, unlike this cold place." Link shivered before continuing, as if to prove his point. "And there's Zora's Domain, where the Zora live. They're fish people. But there's nothing better out there than laying down and gazing up at the moon and the stars. And the sun, when it rises."

"Outside sounds nice," Dark murmured. He could feel himself slipping away. And he wasn't scared. Not one bit.

"It is nice," Link replied.

Dark sighed. "Hero, can you promise me one thing?"

"Depends on what it is."

Dark felt the corners of his lips turn up. "I want you to kill that stupid bastard for me. And experience everything that I've never been able to."

"That's two promises," Link pointed out. "But I promise. Both things."

Dark heard the grating sound of the bars on the doors rising, and he sighed. "Good." His grip on Link's sleeve was weakening, and he got the increasing feeling of floating. "Thank you, Link. The Goddesses chose well."

He didn't hear the hero's reply, if there even was one. He drifted away, his body going limp.

His last thoughts were I'm finally free.

So, what did you guys think? And before any of you comment on Dark's lack of evil-ness, I'm going to tell you why I portrayed him as I did. See, I know that he's supposed to be Link's evil half, but I just don't see him that way. I see him as someone who is very naive and almost child-like. I imagine him resenting Ganondorf for creating him, and him giving up on his life was his way of rebelling against him. I see him being more sarcastic than anything else, and desperately craving human contact. That's just how I see him - not that I don't like evil Dark, because I do. I just wanted to write him this way. Who knows, maybe I'll write something in the future where he's his sexy evil self ;)

Anyways, I really hope that you enjoyed this! You should definitely leave me a review! And if people want me to, then I can find a way to continue this, if lots of people ask me to! :)

Quick Announcement: I'm currently writing a three- or four-shot set in the world of Twilight Princess, after the events of the game. It's Link/Ilia, and focusing on Link's wolf form being discovered by those closest to him. The Link/Ilia doesn't really come in until the second chapter.

Well, I'll go now, but please don't forget to review and tell me if my first story was good or a piece of shit :)

~*Ozzie*~