Monstrous Might

The Usurper

Premise: In which Dark Link kills Link and takes over his role in the plot, except that he's even more evil than Ganondorf.

Also, it looks like I've done another Legend of Zelda fic, and like Radiant Sacrifice, am exploring the first person perspective. Also, just for the record, I do not advise, condone, or otherwise endorse anything Dark Link says or does in this story.

Villain Protagonist

As the Hero of Time drew near the centre of the Water Temple, a black mist rose from the ground, causing him to halt.

Over the next minute or so, the mist coalesced into a single being.

And so I was born – the opposite of the being that stood before me, and the mortal enemy of all he stood for.

And as I cast my gaze upon him, my expression grew into the smile of a madman.

Cautious, he draws the Master Sword, even as I respond in kind. A black blade of despair and sorcerous might. I think I shall call it Dominion. Yes, Dominion – the power that will force ALL sentient life to submit to MY WHIM!

Ah, my antithesis. Link. The most courageous and noble man to have ever been born. And also, consequently, the most naïve.

"So tell me something, hero. Just what gives you the notion that these idiot, monstrous people deserve to be saved?"

Narrowing his eyes at me, he calmly replies, "What makes you think that they don't?"

Hahahaha, he actually thinks he can play this game with me? I mockingly demand, "Do you even know why you're fighting? Do you have even the slightest idea of what you're fighting for?"

As we circle each other, he quietly answers, "People who are suffering under Ganondorf's rule."

Heheheh…. I can't help it, I break out in laughter, and though Link tries to hide it and very nearly succeeds, I can still see that it chills my opposite to the bone.

"Have you even seen Kakariko Village? Have you seen the horrors beneath the well? Spoilers for you if you haven't: it's a massive series of torture chambers. The guardians of Hyrule's royal family are born and raised from a fountain of BLOOD AND CORPSES! THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF SO-CALLED INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE BUT FUEL FOR THE BURNING ARROGANCE OF THE HYLIAN ROYAL FAMILY! … And yet you carelessly shed your BLOOD and risk your LIFE for so DECADENT a line as THEIRS?"

He doesn't react visibly to what I'm telling him… at least, not on the outside. But in his eyes, I can see the flames of a tightly controlled fury beginning to rise. "Hehehe, I've gotten under your skin, haven't I? You can act all cool and stoic on the outside as you like, but on the inside, you're as hot-blooded as that idiot Goron whatshisname, Darunia, I think it was?"

Oh my, looks like insulting his sworn brother wasn't too bad of an idea, since he's getting angrier still. Hahahaha, this is so damn fun, and we haven't even crossed swords yet! But I'm not quite ready, not quite yet. Yes, once I get him angry enough that he can't think straight, that's when I'll strike. Honestly, he should know better than to let me talk so much. But that's what comes of him being an idiot doormat and me, consequently, being a grandstanding mastermind.

"Tell me, Link. Supposing that you make it to the end of your little adventure, just what the hell do you plan on doing with yourself? You exist only to fulfill the wishes of others. To Princess Zelda and the Great Deku Tree, you are merely a weapon with which to vanquish Ganondorf. To the Zora Princess and to that ranch wench, you're essentially a trophy husband-to-be. They care not a whit for your own desires, only for your status, power, and the reputation you're in the process of forging. So tell me, HERO, just what the hell do you believe? You think you're just going to defeat me and awaken the other Sages like it's no issue, defeat Ganondorf in a fancy climactic battle… and then what? Are you actually naïve enough to think that the world – that the Goddesses will let you rest, even for a second? That you can just go back to your old life in the woods like none of this bullshit ever happened? Get a clue, moron.

"Hell, it's probably safe to say that that never even happened in the first place. You don't even have your own motive for fighting against Ganondorf. Not 'Because he killed my parents', not 'Because I'll get free sex for life without having to commit for it', not 'Because I think he's an asshole', not even 'For Great Justice'! You merely repeated the obvious fact that Ganondorf's rule is hurting people. You didn't even think to try and justify yourself by saying that 'innocent people are hurting under his rule'. You failed to point out that he's batshit insane – like I am, except that he has a God complex and I don't. I don't think you're even a real person, Link. You just blandly accept whatever role is given to you and respond the way you're expected to. It's all very childish, really. You are nothing but a TOY, Link. Just a little doll for the silly, childish Goddesses to play with.

"…You think you remember playing, right? How every story needs a hero and a villain? Well, you're one of the blandest heroes who could ever have been imagined. Honestly, for as long as I've been running my mouth, you haven't done a damn thing but sit there and listen. Well, for some reason, the Goddesses wanted their favorite toy to fight another toy who would be his equal and opposite. And so they created me. But like the silly, naïve children that they are, they went and literally did just that. To battle their empty shell of a hero, they created me. I, your twisted reflection. A Dark Link to the twisted heart of all sentient life. This story can't end until Ganondorf is defeated, and your part in the story is to fight and, presumably, defeat him. Rather stupid, these Goddesses are, since they just take for granted that 'good' often beats 'evil' and accept it as universal fact. Haha, that look in your eyes – it looks like you're FINALLY catching on!

"Just as your role is simply to 'fight', mine also is simply to 'fight' you. And once that's done, my destiny is mine ALONE! It's at times like this that the chains of fate can be undone, Link! So many possible outcomes! Will you fight me here, until you draw your last breath in inevitable defeat? Or will you recognize that you were always fated to be inferior to me, and simply run back home to the past? The choice is yours, Link. This time, and this time only, YOU have the power to decide your future! TAKE THE POWER OF DESTINY AND SAVOR IT!"

Oh yes, oh yes oh yes oh yes, I daresay I've done it. I've been talking nonstop for at least ten minutes now, and the dolt never once thought to try and stab me in the interim. While on the outside he's as stoic as ever, I can see on the inside that he's confused as hell, trying to make sense of the crap I just fed him. So naïve, so gullible…

Walking up to him, I offer, "Tell you what, Link. We're a lot alike, you and I. Oh, sure, we have completely different characters, but we still have some common traits. For instance, once we decide on a goal, we don't stop until that goal is achieved, right? Right. Of course, while we DO have to fight at some point in time, there's no reason that we have to fight here and now. Tell you what, why don't we both go through here, kill the shit out of Ganondorf, and then we can fight our hearts out after that. Sound like a plan to you? Great! Lead the way, O Fearless One."

Ah, Link. So completely trusting. I provoke you in every way I can imagine short of calling your mother a whore, and then you actually trust me enough to not only let me team up with you, but LET ME FOLLOW BEHIND YOU? What an idiot.

Too late, his little fairy companion cries, "Look out!"

Not three steps past me and I've stabbed him in the back. To be more precise, through the back of his neck. Hahaha, let's see a damn pink fairy heal THAT! And then, since it's nearly unattached anyway, I go ahead and finish lopping it off before he even realizes what's happened.

As Link's body falls to its knees and then to the ground, I pick up his head. "Alas, poor Link. You had such a promising career ahead of you, but you were simply too dumb to live."

As I casually toss Link's head off to the side, I notice my own body changing. My skin becomes a normal pallor, my eyes become a perfect mirror of the late Hero of Time's, and even my attire changes completely until I am literally the spitting image of the man I just killed, just with black hair, hat, and tunic, crimson eyes, and an evil version of the Master Sword.

Showing my reflection in the ice a slasher's smile, I brush some imaginary dust off of my shirt before going over to Link's corpse and start looking for whatever nifty little trinkets I can find.

"Let's see here… 230 rupees? That'll get me a good few whores, even the good ones are cheap nowadays… three bottles of Lon Lon Milk? Sure, what the hey. Tastes great, less filling, and it has magic healing properties to boot. Fairy Bow? I've got my own Ebon Bow, but I'll steal your arrows anyway, I'll probably need to shoot somebody before the day's over. Longshot? Nice, very nice indeed, that'll definitely come in handy. Ooh, your Iron Boots might come in handy too. …. What's this? Oh man, that's some really soft lining there, pal. Man, even your normal boots – Link, these are some really nice boots. Hell, I would've killed you for these boots alone! Oh yeah, I feel like I could walk ten thousand miles nonstop without the least bit of discomfort… which is probably the point. I've got already got a shield… ooh, your gloves are almost as comfy as your boots, I'll go ahead and take them too… And I guess I'll just go ahead and take everything else here and sort through it as needed."

Turning my attention to the little blue fairy, who at present is on the ground in a state of shellshock, I ask, "Now then, just what precisely am I going to do with you?"

Villain Protagonist

Everyone, this is the main character speaking, and this chapter should show you why I never had any lines of my own in Ocarina of Time. Given that my good counterpart Link is a Heroic Mime, it's somewhat obvious that I, Dark Link, as his equal and opposite, would be a hammy motor-mouth. And given that Link is widely considered to be a Knight In Shining Armor who adheres to Honor Before Reason (doesn't even interrupt the damn owl for crying out loud!), it logically follows that I, therefore, would be a back-stabbing Combat Pragmatist who won't do a damn thing for anyone but myself… unless helping someone else ends up benefitting me as well, and even then I'll might decide to double-cross the other guy just for the hell of it.

Now then, everyone remember to review, because each story must come to an end, and I don't like having my story begin so late in the game. And in order to end this farce and let me start a new story of my own, the lazy-ass author needs reviews to motivate himself.