All right, kinda a little tragic, kinda a little horrific. I just can't bear to put this in the general category. XD; We've got a splash of poetry in there too. The purpose of this is, like my last Dark Link fic, to unclog my head and get rid of this blasted writers' block! -hits head- Well, enjoy the semi-crappy one-shot...

The Shadows Within Me

I slumber in these mirrored walls

where ground is sky and one is all

My life was made to wait for him:

The Destined One, the Seraphim

When he comes, I'll have my prey

It's my duty, I've no more to say

The Shadows burn within me

like a leaping flame, like a raging sea

I stare at my hands, crimson with blood

I stare at the ground, unfathomable as mud

The door slides open and he steps forth;

it's time for me to prove my worth…

Dark Link's mind snapped to attention as his lighter incarnation approached the gnarled tree looming in the center of the mist. The blonde man pulled out a cerulean blade that glowed with the light of goodness. It made Dark sick to be in the presence of such purity. He knew that this was his test, his one chance to show Ganondorf that he was deserving of more than to be locked up in that blasted chamber day in and day out. He didn't even know what the rest of the Temple looked like!

"Strange," Dark muttered under his breath as he observed the blue cloth adorning Link. He had been told that the legendary hero was raised as a Kokiri. While he may have been confined to the company of the mist and the tree, he was gifted with enough knowledge to know that all Kokiri wear green clothes. Then he spotted her, like a star on a foggy night. It was Navi, the fairy.

If this man had a fairy, he was most certainly the one Dark was meant to fight. He watched through the waters as Link inspected the tree, then turned to try to open one of the barred doors. This was it; his back was turned. Dark crawled out of the waters and moved to stand behind Link, his footsteps making nary a sound against the crystalline waters. "Boo," his whispered in a ghostlike voice.

Dark could see the shock ripple through his light half's body as the hero readied his sword and shield. Dark smirked. "So that's how you want to play, eh?" he grinned, releasing his replica Master Sword from his ebony scabbard and taking his onyx shield to arm. Every time Link struck a blow, Dark parried perfectly, and vice versa. It seemed as though the fight would go on for hours if one of them didn't strike the other in due time.

It was Dark that was successful. His blackened blade sliced cleanly through Link's flesh. The blue-clad man screamed in agony as a pink light fluttered around him, restoring him to full health. Quickly the man thrust his blade at Dark, who leapt gracefully into the air and landed on the flat of Link's sword. He chuckled in triumph and stabbed his opponent clean through his torso.

Link fell into the mist with a grunt. Yet another healing fairy emerged from his pocket and remedied his wounds. "How many of those have you got left? I need to know how many more times I need to kill you before I can really start having fun," Dark inquired cockily as he raised his blade to his lips and licked the crimson blood from its edge. Link moved into a crouching position, shield raised. He was obviously plotting something. It mattered not, though. Dark was completely confident in his skills.

However, he wasn't expecting his foe to use the tactic he did. Link revealed a huge steel hammer and pounded it heavily against Dark. He could feel his leg snap and the bones crumble to pieces upon impact. "Damn you," he cursed as he sank into the waters only to reappear completely unscathed behind Link. He sliced the man's back, shredding the sapphire tunic he was equipped with. Blood cascaded from the gash, pooling beneath him and staining the water. It mingled with Dark's own blood, turning the room an eerie black-red. The mist, being spawned from the water on the floor, grew heavy with the scent of blood.

Yet another fairy performed its arts upon Link's injuries. "Damn," the blonde man panted, "there goes my last one…"

Dark perked his ears at this. "You don't say..?" he said with a malicious grin. "Let the games begin!" His malevolent laughter resonated through the chamber, followed by the sound of steel on steel. Occasionally there come a deafening thump as Link's Megaton Hammer collided with the floor instead of Dark. The evil shadow was dancing from side to side, nimbly avoiding every blow dealt to him and getting in his own attacks at the same time. Blood was spilled mercilessly. It continued for hours upon bleeding hours.

Finally, Link collapsed to one knee. Dark was in a similar condition, but he had just enough of an advantage over his enemy that he could deliver the finishing blow. He performed a devastating spin attack, a move he picked up by watching Link during battle. His sword slashed clean across Link's throat, and he had no fairies left…

Navi bobbed about in panicked 'v' shapes over Link's corpse. Dark chuckled contentedly and turned back to his tree. His feet sloshed the reeking water ever which way. He heard a slight sound behind him and about-faced to meet Link's blade impaled upon his stomach. "You…" Dark murmured, blood trailing from his mouth. The hero smiled and pulled out an empty bottle.

"I lied," he said. "I had one left."

I gave all I had until I could give no more

It wasn't enough; now I'll sleep forevermore…

Vaguely I hear him leaving, my former foe

He won and I failed, so it is my time to go

Perhaps if these Shadows weren't so strong…

perhaps things wouldn't have gone so… very… wrong…

So that's that... Another shorty all wrapped up. Welcome to my happy world, now get your SH-- and leave!

Wanna understand the above saying? Go to youtube(dot)com and type into the search bar: Sasuke Happy Song. :9 Be warned: It's crazeh. Like me! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Now let's see if I can update my REAL stories... O-o I doubt it...