The Infinity Room

(A LoZ: OoT- Link Vs Dark Link Fanfiction One-Shot by DarkestSaRawr)

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda series. Nintendo does.

There was a sinking sense of dread as soon as he entered the room. That is if the murky premises could be called a room. All rooms had doors, correct? Even if the door he had just walked through was now barred with thin steel pillars, rendering it unusable. As the door had shut, he turned swiftly to recheck his imprisonment, as he always did. The idea of being trapped should have been the source of dread… But it wasn't. There was something else, something deadly lurking about in the secrets to this mid-boss room that chilled him gradually, but surely, to the bone.

Slowly, his cerulean-blue eyes gazed around the set area of infinite mist, trailing over the stray ruin-like rocks on either side, before fixing themselves upon the dead tree centred in the middle of the scene. The gnarled figure cast a mirror-like reflection upon the ground, and in his perception, it certainly couldn't have once been a symbol of nature's beauty and Farore's lively creation. No, in the cautious hero's eyes, it was an artificial thing, of pitiful use, made to either kill or confuse him. Was that meant to be his foe? If so, it disgusted him. Having once been of the forest children, a tree was a majestic thing to look up to. And yet here he was, to slash it down.

A glowing blue orb hung above his shoulder, showing no aversion to the obvious figure that had caught his attention. Maybe he was misjudging the situation, since his fairy seemed truly at peace with the distorted form paces in front of him. It was somewhat relieving to know that perhaps the King of Evil wasn't out to hurt his pride just yet, by forcing him to kill something that, even as it were so off-putting and dead, he had a twisted sort of respect for.

Gathering all his courage, he stepped lightly in the tree's direction. The sound of disturbed liquid echoed from below, and he focused his attention downwards. The floor was a wide expanse of shallow waves, sliding themselves no further above the ankles of his tough leather boots. It seemed like an illusion, as he could sight no ground although his stood upon it. Instead, observations showed that the liquid was of no depth, fathomless, descending into nothing. The water mirrored the mysterious blue fog that hung suspended above it, giving the atmosphere a pearly, unclear look, as well as reflecting his well-built, green-clad figure. Tearing his attention away from his image, his eyes skimmed the cloudy surface. In the absence of sun the water remained dull, and the fog created a blurry environment, intent on leaving the Hylian present lost and troubled.

However, he, bearer of the Triforce of Courage, was not fazed. Indeed, this particular scenario was greatly different to all his other experiences, but he was assured that the Water Temple wasn't the worst thing he had been through. He hadn't sighted the real danger yet, after all. He continued to trudge through the thin liquid, before stopping to study the tree. Navi, his fairy, batted her wings slowly, not in the least worried. There was no attack of any sort from the lifeless trunk and spreading ebony black branches. He reached out, running his fingers slowly over the smooth, grainy surface, crouching as his tips traced the wood down to the starts of the roots, hidden in the small island of white sand. He stood again, flicking his lustrous blond hair off his forehead as he scanned the ever-stretching grey-blue horizon.

Removing his hand from the trunk, he looked over to the last place that demanded his attention; the small building-like infrastructure and door he was supposed to leave through. It, too, was blocked by the same metal rods, an inaccessible passage. He found himself wandering over to it anyway. As he reached the small, antique-looking building, he grasped the bars in his rough hands, and pressed his forehead against the cold element.

Maybe the boss had forgotten to come for him. The idea was humorous, and it calmed him to know that it had bought a gentle smile upon his lips. At least he hadn't gone insane yet. He fingered a nick in one of the bars he held, running his thumb over the alternate texture. He must have missed something, he decided, as Navi hovered over his head patiently. He must have.

This really was becoming a waste of time, time needed to awaken another sage. He had to keep looking, or else he was doomed in this isle of illusions for all eternity. There was a heart-stopping moment when he considered a fleeting thought. What if this room was set to be locked so he may never leave? An apocalypse destined and designed so he'd die shamed; of starvation, of fatigue, or if he could not take that sort of demise, then at his very own sword?

But no. How could he lose faith so soon? The goddesses had never let him down in the past. The fact he lived proved that. He could not give up now. His firm hands unclenched themselves from the metal shafts, and once more he retraced his footsteps with fluctuating hope, slowly circling the tree several times before approaching the door he originally had entered. Not one thing threatened, attacked or even neared him. He gyrated around for minutes, loathing the silence, trying to decode the infinity room before it sent him mad. In the absence of enlightenment, he grabbed the bars of the entering door roughly, squeezing his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth in aggravation.

'Dammit…!' He vented the frustration of discovering nothing in a loud word, listening closely to the echo of his stressed tone. He might have then accepted that there was no hope for him. That he really was going to face an undesirable apocalypse, pathetically wasting away within the misty chamber, if it weren't for the outburst that had then began. And this time, it wasn't his own.

His deep blue eyes snapped open as an evil and husky laugh sounded out from all points around him. He turned with haste, reaching over his back and unsheathing his purple-hilted sword automatically with ease. However, he faced nothing but fog, and still the reverberating laugh continued on, seemingly from a distance. He noticed the mad chuckles were interlaced with a sort of cruel tone; without that unnerving pitch, they could have been his own. He sprinted towards the tree, Navi flitting anxiously around him. His eyes darted about; where was the laughter coming from?

In all his confusion, there was the singing of a blade being unsheathed; a bloodcurdling metallic sliding that set him on edge. And this time, he knew exactly from where it had come. Before he had time to turn around and react, he could only watch as the metal length of a sword slid up in front of his neck, making him crane his head back until it was pressed against someone's broad shoulder, pinned. A hand snapped over his wrist, expertly hitting a pressure point under his leather glove that made his sword hand spasm, causing him a gasp of pain and the dropping of his sword. The hand left his affected wrist and positioned itself at his waist, keeping him on spot. The assaulter gave a chilling, dark chuckle.

'Hello… Link.' he crooned in a shadowy voice. He spoke with a tone that had the power to drive icicles of deep fear into any mortal heart, and it was not unlike his laugh, filled with malice. Link felt a bead of cold sweat run down the side of his face as he looked from the sword glinting malevolently in front of his neck to his own, submerged at his feet. He was confused in the very least; this man had his own version of the hero's sacred sword, the legendary Master Sword. Indeed, Link had found the danger he was to kill, but it was no familiar monster. What was it… who was it? Unable to turn his head to see his attacker without slicing his own throat open, he settled for choking up a question.

'Who… are you?' He glared down at his assailant's fingerless gloves as the same cruel laugh resumed, the attacker obviously humoured at his viable question. Again, it could be noticed that his clothing was much like Link's… however, black. The Hero of Time shut his eyes for a moment, wishing away the possible explanation that had attacked him. That couldn't be.

Link couldn't say he were relieved when the laughter terminated with muffled sighs, for the aggressor continued to mock him with words. 'Who am I, you ask?' Link stared at Navi in surprise; the fairy was to the side, trying desperately to get to him, but she herself was being confronted by another. He observed the hostile fairy in slight disbelief, the evil sprite illuminated by the glow of ruby; until his enemy drew Link's head back roughly, demanding his attention. Link took the sudden opportunity to side-glance at his attacker's face, his deep azure eyes widening then conversely narrowing as what he had thought was confirmed.

His assaulter shared Link's face, but his sharp features were framed by ebony black hair and were brought out by his glowing red irises. From one perspective, they could be sighted as twins. But the look on this clone's face smothered any hopes of that. The malicious expression, mockingly cruel and dead with dangerous humour, was an expression the Hero of Time could and would never use. Just by that face, a thousand contrasts could be made between them.

Link looked away, trapped under an uncomfortable gaze. The assaulter chuckled, desiring to tease him some more. "Guess my name, Hero. It's not that hard. Tell you what; I'll give you a hint." Link could hear the clone's fingers rapping against the hilt of his wicked sword in time with his words. "It starts with 'D'… and it ends with Link. I can't make it any easier." He started to laugh again, mostly because the idea of this pathetic game was amusing to him. Hesitating, Link closed his eyes. It was obvious. Every feature about him spelt it; his shadowy character gave it away. He didn't even need Navi to tell him who this guy was. Link had done many puzzles over his quest, but this riddle was far too easy to be considered one. This clone was just toying with him. In fact, all of this useless talk and mockery was intended to stall time. To make Link believe he had lost already; that any effort he made in the future was futile. This mid-boss wasn't concerned, he knew Link would die. And all that was left was to convince the Hero of his demise just as well.

"Well?" His lips parted, and he gave the smallest sigh, perhaps of resignation. "… Dark Link." There was a short moment of considerate and calm silence, but the whisper that followed it was only one that sent sickening shivers down Link's spine. "Louder." With that short yet firm command, Dark Link slipped the sword even closer, until it rested right at the base of Link's throat. This time, there was no procrastination. "Dark Link!" His voice, strident and clear, echoed around the infinity room, and Link's foe softly chuckled again, freezing up the Hero's neck where his breath gushed. "Very good. I would think you know well who I am now. You are, after all, the easiest to manipulate… I'd have you shout my name a hundred times if I had the chance. But I've been ordered to finish you off quickly..."

Dark Link's words were blatant; the Hero noted with strong distaste that the other had seemed to declare victory already. After some time, Link wasn't even listening in the slightest to his evil clone's useless talk. Instead, his eyes wandered back to his Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane. He had an idea, but was it enough to hope that he was skilled enough to carry it out?

He rolled his sword hand at the wrist, glad to feel no lasting damage. Pressed against him from behind, Dark Link was starting to get impatient. "You, Hero, are too quiet for my liking. Heh, maybe when I'm cutting you up…" He teasingly ran the sharp edge of his blade ever-so-gently over Link's neck, stimulating a sharp intake of breath. "…you'll speak a little more." Even with the pressure so light against his throat, Link felt a sharp sting and warm liquid slid slowly down his skin, tingling the areas it touched. Dark Link's snigger was barely audible, a hauntingly soft noise. "Your blood is a nice colour too… I must admit that I'm especially excited." Icy blue eyes snapping wide open in surprise, Link innerly recoiled in disgust as his twisted opponent ran his cold tongue over the minor wound. Shoving away how disturbing that felt from his mind, the Hero knew that this unsettling moment was a perfect opportunity.

Flipping the toe of his boot under the metal length of his fallen sword, he braced himself, before kicking his foot upwards. He felt Dark Link abruptly pull away from his neck at the rapid movement. "What-" With the greatest accuracy, Link caught it at the amethyst hilt and the fantastic feeling of being safe and strong flooded him to the soul. As soon as he had a good grip on his weapon, however, he was shoved away, the sword that trapped him disappearing from view. He was kicked hard in the back, the edge of the hard sole of a leather boot digging into him. As he stumbled forward, he ducked and rolled through the shallow water, turning affectively to look his black clothed enemy in the wicked eye.

Dark Link swung his sword lightly, just as much an expert at combat as his twin was, and he approached the other with deadly confidence. "You want to play? We can play." Link stood in a fluid motion, Navi finally finding her way back over Link's shoulder, as Dark Navi did with Dark Link. The Hero flicked back his golden locks, dripping from the forward roll, and clutched his sword tight as his foe leapt nimbly upon him.

Clang! Their weapons met with brutal force, their fairies switching sides to find unprotected targets for their masters to slash at. The crimson-eyed villain grinned with sick humour, and Link grimaced, releasing himself from the sword-lock and raising his blade to strike again. Clang! Clang! Clang! His powerful downward cuts were met by the same blow over and over again, his foe mimicking him perfectly. It was as if the two shared the same mind, in terms of warfare. They both yelled out as they swung their weapons with equal force at the same time, Dark Link's battle cry a tad huskier than his clone's, in the same direction. For the Hero, it was infuriating. For his foe, it was simply amusing.

Dark Link laughed in a warped kind of pleasure; in the next encounter he pressed his sword hard against Link's, leaning forward with all force as the metal blades sparked and scathed against one another. The red-eyed villain tilted his mouth up towards Link's ear, taking the struggle lightly, murmuring spiteful words to shatter his motivation. "It's useless, Link. You'll never leave here. Not now, not ever."

Link narrowed his skewed eyes, trying to focus more on the battle at hand rather than his clone's meaningless words. "Oh, I'm going to kill you, Hero of Time. You aren't needed in a world which evil will most definitely reign. You're a useless entity, destined to die with the rest who oppose the King of Evil!" With a throaty growl, Link summoned more power and shoved himself forward, so he were glaring at Dark Link's smirking face rather than being a subject of the ear.

"If the hero is useless, his shadow can only be pathetic!" He spat the words with loathsome indignation, his limbs straining as they remained locked in the tense spar. Dark Link laughed like his words were some kind of light, amusing joke. As his laughter ebbed away, his grinning face, complemented by his deadly crimson eyes, remained, although his defined Elven features did not show kind humour in the least. "That's not very nice." Suddenly his sneer contorted, and he spat in Link's face, the unexpected distraction making the Hero waver and losing him the concentration he was focusing into his muscles. "Eh, but I don't suppose that was either."

The villain leapt back, taking advantage, and with a high jump he raised his wicked sword above his head, rapidly bringing it down to deliver a heavy blow. Link barely had time to react, his tilted face shaded by his shadow's silhouette and his cerulean eyes taking in the incoming attack, but he only just managed to swing hastily out of the blade's path. The pointy tip met soundlessly with the invisible ground, hidden under the murky pool. Link saw his chance and picked up pace, dealing a few slick slashes to his look-alike's exposed right shoulder, which Navi zipped around expectantly.

Dark Link roared like a wounded predator, eyes ablaze with the fire of fury, as he yanked himself out of the Hero's target range. He clutched his bleeding arm with his free hand, glaring at Link, dangerous detestation detailing his irritated appearance. Somehow, as if to smother any hope sparking in Link at his foe's disgrace, a mocking grin found its way back on his face again. "Big mistake." The scarlet-eyed figure faded away, like shadows under sun and smoke rolling off into the distance.

Link stiffened and clutched his sword tightly, constantly turning, learning from his first fault. He edged over and against the small entrance-building from which he had come, hoping it would serve to protect his back from the shadier version of himself. Dark Link was so far no where in sight, and all that could be heard was the Hero's controlled panting. Eventually, he came to relax somewhat, wiping away the small amount of his enemy's spittle that continued to drip down his cheek, catching his breath and fingering the thin slit at his throat. That pain was nothing to him now and he did not need to waste any precious potion on it.

He glanced at the metal doors to the side and far in front of him, still hopelessly locked, and gave the quietest sigh. Abruptly, amusement-rich laughter echoed out, seizing up every muscle in his body. "Getting comfortable, Link? Wishing, perhaps, that you may soon leave?" The Hero didn't move for a while, glaring at the location of his enemy. Although his back was turned, Link could see from the angle he was at the dark broad-shouldered form leaning against the too-narrow tree.

Link didn't approach, mostly from caution, but also because neither did his evil clone. Eventually, after long, inactive moments of silence, his everlasting sense of courage and major lack in risk assessment took over, and he continued towards the tree as silently as he could. The shallow pool swallowed the feet of his boots as he circled the lifeless flora slowly from a safe distance, brandishing his sword as his enemy came into a frontal perspective.

Dark Link was poised carelessly against the tree, one arm over his forehead while the gashed one hung limp by his side, seemingly fit enough to continue carrying the weight of his weapon. He opened a blood-red eye lazily, taking Link in, before he turned, leaning sideways with his damaged limb pressed against the charcoal trunk so he could face the Hero. Link watched blood trickle from the wound, tracing down the shady bark, before the thick trail absorbed into the pure-white sand as a spreading, dim-red patch. His foe didn't seem to care in the least for the gory mess he were leaving behind.

"Not too sorry to say it but…" The darker man gave a soft sigh, one of unknown emotion or intent. "You won't be leaving here with that wonderful body of yours intact." He started to laugh in a low-pitched but sinister manner, and Link's eyebrows slanted towards each other. Abruptly, the other shoved himself up into an offensive pose, his blade raised threateningly. With an evil smirk, he raised his free hand, twitching two fingers and willing the other to come to him.

Link did not hesitate; he rushed forward and released a combination of quick strokes. Every time, however, he were blocked easily, each blow as meaningless as the last. Dark Link weaved himself in and out of the way, his gash had stopped bleeding and he did not seem to be weakened by it, the grin on his face never faltering once. Even with Navi trying to help, it was simply helpless to land a strike on his agile shadow. And that revolting leer of his… it infuriated him! Still, he pressed on, hoping to land at least one more effective attack upon flesh, but soon his stamina ran dry, and the Hero became worn, muscles sore. He was no perfect being nor an immortal deity, and so ultimately his attacks terminated, his sword arm hanging heavily by his side.

Saline sweat ran down the sides of his face as he glared at the misty water beneath him, his azure gaze failing to finding enough energy to raise itself to Dark Link's level. He tried desperately to regain the composure he had roughly lost, but he did not have sufficient time as Dark Link walked briskly forward, placing a gloved palm against his green-clad chest and shoving him forcefully backwards. Link lost his balance without difficulty, a coarsely audible groan escaping his lips as his back hit the ground hard. As several muscles in his face shuddered in slight pain, the water seeped through his tunic and blonde locks, the cool feel keeping him from lunging back up again, the touch of the cold fluid bidding him to relax, to unclench his fists…

Link, who had almost given up despite Navi's mad protests to 'Watch out!', let his eyelids flutter to the triumphant laughter that sounded from above. That laugh… really, it was like his. A chuckle of confidence and courage… but it was interlaced with… with what…? Cruelty, yes… but underneath the base of all that… was it power? Was that Ganondorf's cursed gift upon his shadow? Power. Something Link had to an extent, but another had more of. Did that mean… that his shadow was indeed stronger than him?

The Hero felt weight being applied to his abdomen, and found himself having to open his eyes and frown at the sword pressed over his shoulders and chest, keeping him down in the shallows. Link stared past the blade at Dark Link, who smirked as he comfortably sat upon the pinned elf, knees in the water on his either side, along with his free hand which he used to lean on whilst he hovered his face over Link's.

'Must be a pity, huh? To see yourself, the grand and glorious Hero of Time, in this current situation, at the greater enemy's mercy. Do you understand, Link? You will not leave here, not whilst my blood runs black with your shadow, not while my master's intent has not been fulfilled. Now is the best time to give yourself up to me, don't you think? I promised to make it quick… but as long as you die in the end, it should be fine. It should be quite alright for me to have some fun…' He leaned back a little and emitted a small, throaty laugh. "How 'bout we start with revenge, huh? How about we make you scream… I bet it sounds good."

He lifted his free hand, placing it on Link's chest to hold him down whilst he removed his sword from over Link's shoulder blades. With a cruel laugh and an evil glint in his scarlet eye, he raised his arm, pointing the weapon vertically downwards over Link's shoulder. Oh, Farore. With his silent prayer, Link tilted his head to the side, bracing himself for horrendous pain. Sneering, the heartless clone used sheer force to drive his weapon down into Link's upper torso. His tunic and undershirt tore effortlessly under the sword's razor-sharp edge, and the iniquitous blade bit into skin, and slid into flesh and through bone and marrow cleanly. Blood spilt like magma from under hot rocks, and the agony came instantaneously.

The Hero's terribly pained cry echoed across the infinity room. He huffed breathlessly, eyes shut tight and teeth gritted as his torso spasmed with the horrific pain that burned through his whole chest and limb. He made a tortured noise that racked through his throat, his normally calm characteristics distorted as he tried to control another scream. The corners of Dark Link's lips twitched up even more as the green tunic grew dark around the stab that his sword remained fixed in, and spread across his chest, staining the tips of the villain's fingers. After licking them clean, something Link thankfully didn't notice in all his torment, Dark Link leaned down, obsidian hair brushing the side of his victim's face as he murmured in his ear. "I liked that. Do it again." He twisted the sword with a ruthless grin.

Another mangled shriek left the Hero's mouth, and shortly after, he coughed up a substantial amount of rich blood. Dark Link leaned back with a satisfied smirk, gently tracing his finger-tips over the side of his plaything's face while it contorted with hurt and discomfort. "Poor you… You really do have a healthy body… Yes, quite nice, in fact. Sorry for hurting it so much." Link looked up at the figure that showed no remorse, rather amused pleasure, with difficulty. His shoulder was on fire; flames raged up and down his nerves, making him moan with each torturous surge.

The water that flooded around his head was becoming a murky red, which the mid-boss observed pleasingly. "I didn't think I'd have so much fun… Let's continue." He tore the sword out of the tense shoulder it was lodged in, splattering bright blood across their faces and tunics. Link let out a sharp groan, screwing his eyes shut against the horrible aching as blood began to pulse out of his deep wound in ample amounts. He could feel the sticky substance, overly warm against his feverish skin. It caused a splotchy, dark mess over the front of his tunic, but he couldn't care less about his damaged clothing. He was, however, wondering if it were possible to even move his shoulder…

With a light chuckle, Dark Link studied the warm, fresh blood that covered his sword. In a swift movement, the Hero watched disgustedly as the insane villain ran his tongue over the flat of the blade, collecting the blood that dripped thickly off it, and swallowing without a hint of repulsion, rather delight. He did the same with the other side, taking his time to lick his weapon clean.

As if seeking an aversion, Link's deep blue eyes slid sideways as he rested his gaze upon Navi. Although the blue fairy desperately wanted to help Link, even if were to distract his enemy, he knew her efforts would not daunt Link's dangerous foe. Instead, her companion sent her a silently reassuring, however blood-tainted, half-smile. Although the expression calmed her a bit, it was Navi's every right to remain feeling anxious.

When every fragment of his sword was free of crimson smears, Dark Link refocused his attention on his victim. "Ok, let's see… what's next to slash? …Oh, I just had a wonderful idea." A sick smirk took over his facial features. "I wanna try embellishing your face with cuts. I think it'd look good." He grabbed Link's chin roughly, tilting his face to the side. Link looked away, not wanting to imagine what sort of thing his enemy was thinking of doing.

His attention dropped to Dark Link's sword, held off to the side with his less-busy hand. At the moment, it had no purpose under water but to be leaned on. His glance sharpened as he once more started to plan to get himself out of this difficult situation. It had indeed seemed that this shadow imposter had let his guard down, believing Link was too weak to do anything. True, his shoulder was in the worst of conditions, but the other was not rendered useless.

Dark Link's nails bit into his cheek as the shadow clone decided which part of Link's face to incise first, but the Hero would take no more of this torture. Just before the blade was raised to stimulate more screams, Link's right fist snapped closed, and he swung his good arm over, smashing his opponent to the side with all the force he posed. Dark Link was shoved off of him at the impact and Link sat up, grabbing his fallen master sword. He groaned in pain, resisting the urge to clutch his throbbing shoulder as he made his way to his feet.

By the time he stood, unsteady, clutching his weapon tightly, his shoulder constantly reminding him of its misfortune in teeth-gritting tremors, Dark Link was on his submerged hands and knees, face hidden from view. He were so still, radiating rage from every inch of his body, but so still, that one could believe that he were frozen in that stationary state. However, before such a conclusion could be made, his head snapped into a side tilt, his cheek cut and bruised, glowering at Link with hellish eyes from behind his onyx bangs. There was a scowl detailing his lips that replaced the usual grin he often wore. "You… you're gonna pay in blood!"

He snarled in a deathly tone, leaping up with his sword clutched by the previously mauled limb, although it hardly seemed that he suffered from the wound's negative effects at all. He raged forth, slashing at Link who dodged more than he defended. He managed to edge just out of the sword's way every time it flashed past, the red fairy guiding the stabs.

The evil soul was motivated by such fury… and by Din, his shoulder hurt. He growled in pain as Dark Link swung his sword rapidly, slicing through part of his thigh. His whole mindset was based on dodging the razor-sharp edge of his opponent's sword, while the sting and burning of his wounds seared the ends of his thoughts. But why couldn't he just stop? Take the sword to his heart, it wouldn't matter. The next swing nicked his ear, and sent him recoiling back. Why couldn't Dark Link just- Link gasped in surprise as his back hit bark.

Dark Link grinned in ultimate triumph, his hand shooting forward to grip the green-clad warrior's throat. With inhumane strength, he grinded him up the centred tree single-handedly by the neck, Link dropping his sword and clawing at the glove that suffocated him. The villain brandished his dark blade gravely, holding Link's tormented gaze showing no regret in his actions.

"It's been a nice meeting, hasn't it? Though you did spoil it all in the end... A true pity; your insignificant life could have lasted for longer, to quench my pleasures. But now, Hero of Time, it is unavoidably time for you to die." He drew his sword back, while Link choked and thrashed under his clone's vice-like grip, and when he felt it were the most climatic moment yet, Dark Link's threw his powered blade forward in an immediate stabbing motion, dark eyes set as he delivered his final blow.

For all of Nayru's love, the weapon speared itself into Link's gut with ease. The furious attempts at removing the strangling hand stopped as his enemy jerked the sword in quick thrusts, slicing up his entrails, cracking ribs where he ventured too far upwards and damaging internal organs when the blade recoiled down. Dark Link watched his own sickening movements with pure emotionlessness as he made killing the Hero painful, fatal and yet entertaining all at once. Link did not say anything, did not even utter an audible sound, as he retched up blood, again and again in increasing amounts, as Dark Link did what he did best.

All was silent the moment the mid-boss stopped wrenching the sword around; Link skewered against the tree which was now stained with running blood, Dark Link breathing heavily, holding the dying Elven legend against the trunk by hand and sword, the sand absorbing the crimson substance that trailed densely from the insides that threatened to pour out of the gaping wound the evil clone had inflicted upon the Hero, the bloody pool that had collected upon the ground under his hanging feet, the fairy who hopelessly hovered at his boots, silent.

Link's breath was long gone by the time the sword departed from his body, and as the gloved hand let go he slumped lifeless to the ground at his enemy's leather boots. Dark Link stared down at him in slight wonder, his rage had long subsided. After it were clear that there were no indications of life -Dark link made sure by kicking the body disrespectfully with his shoe-, the heartless villain gave a cold sneer. "It's all over. Hah. All over..." He turned with an ascending laugh, proclaiming victory. "He's dead, Master Ganondorf! The Hero is dead! Evil will reign!" "No, you fool."

Two dissimilar voices sounded in sync; one was clearly his master's voice, echoing in his head alone, and the other could only be… Dark Link's skewed eyes narrowed further, overcome with renewed resentment, as he spun around to growl at this new scene. "How dare you."

Link was in the process of standing up, grabbing his sword with a light hand, his movements from aches and exhaustion, body clear of all wounds and blood. He looked up to meet his shadow clone's angered gaze with a smirk, a brilliant pink fairy circling him, healing him, until it disappeared into the misty, blue-steel oblivion above. "I'd never run about such a temple without a spare fairy or potion. I was expecting it to come to this, anyway. Looks like…" He gave a knowledgeable grin as he swung his sword up over his intact shoulder, resting the flat of it against the broad limb. His sharp, and clearly amused, stare met Dark Link's. "…you underestimated me in all your fun."

Dark Link gripped his sword tight, his teeth gritting in absolute fury, all his unresolved hatred hanging around him in a dangerous aura. "You… don't mock me!" He lurched forward, hacking wildly with the same speed and strength as of before. But this time, favour had sought the victim; every slash was blocked and failed, the defender remained calm and in full health, this time remembering to steer clear from the doom-imposing tree.

Suddenly, right before what might have been a brutal blow to the head, Link ducked and pivoted, using momentum to deliver a kick to Dark Link's injured shoulder. The villain staggered back in soreness and surprise at the newfound strength the other posed against him. The Hero wasted no time; another kick, this one cocked high and strong, landing squarely onto his clone's chest.

The shadow villain flew the distance, handing hard into the invisible ground and skimming across the water. He laid on his damaged side, tense, anger-contorted features dripping with water. He couldn't accept such a lowly and repulsive fate at the expense of the Hero. No! "Why you-" Just as he managed to flip himself over onto his back, Link had advanced, kicked the evil Master Sword from hand and drove his boot down over the clone's chest, keeping him immobilized. "The tables have turned, Dark Link. I am strong and you…" His Elven characteristics tightened. "…are weak."

Dark Link grabbed at the Hero's foot under the consequent pressure, but was unable to remove it. They glared back and forth for a while; one gaze crimson and ill-wishing, the other azure and intense. "I'm sorry; I've no time to play with you." Link vertically switched his sword in his grasp, raising it high and preparing for a quick, life-ending stab. The pinned villain's eyes widened as he registered what was to come and struggled, but to no avail. "No! Stop! I will not die! I cannot die!" The already harsh gaze strengthened. "I assure you; your truly pathetic life ends here!" And he shoved the blade of evil's bane into the wicked heart amidst screams of brutality. The artificial being hacked up his fair share of blood, muttering a final curse, before the villain and his damned fairy erupted into shadowy shards.

Link lifted and sheathed his sword as the wisps of evil dispersed, and along with him the mist. His gaze drifted up in awe as the infinity room became finite; walls now surrounded him on every side, including above, the room not unlike the rest of the Water Temple. The ruins disappeared; the floor became a solid, golden-brown ground. It all faded away, as if the evil entity that enforced such conditions never really roamed the area. The Hero stood in a cleansed room, the bars flitting from the doors that were now set in genuine walls, setting him free.

The change caused him a small smile, his fairy coming to over his shoulder contently. "Nice to see you're alright, Navi." The blue orb swayed as she beat her wings gently, glad to have her companion at her side, safe and sound. The Hero stretched his muscles, greatly enjoying the now brighter region. His eyes strayed to an actual ceiling, treasuring the moments after a battle he survived and before he set into another one. He glanced toward where the tree had once been; he could almost picture it there, amongst the fog, caked thickly in blood-red violence, his shadow leaning against it, a mocking smirk clear upon his features…

But no. Now all traces of such a history were gone. Link did not have the luxury to linger on recent reminiscences he'd rather not recollect anyway. It was time to focus on his future, what the Goddess' had in store for him next. Yes, he was only halfway to finding the Water Sage and he did not need any more to ponder on but what foolish and sadistic creature awaited him next. His feet started to carry him off towards the exiting door as he spoke absently to his fairy follower. "Let's go, Navi. I want to see what valuable item cost me a fairy. I needed that one for the dungeon boss, dammit."

And so the Hero left the transformed room with his trusted sprite at his side, the door slamming shut behind him for all eternity, but this time… This time a warm, reverent and proud silence upheld itself within the once labelled infinity room… and it had every right to emit such an atmosphere… for, after all, the best and last part of its history had only just occurred.

-The End-

Author's Notes:

There are a few obvious changes I have made to the video game plot. Anyone who has played Ocarina of Time can tell that neither Dark Link nor Link attack, say or act like anything I have portrayed in this fanfiction. This is simply how I imagined them to be and how they would fight if the game wasn't as mechanical as it is. Everyone has differing opinions of our Hero's character. I also found inspiration for this story in two images that you may relate to this fanfiction. I own neither of them. I also drew my own image, but I don't want to ruin your imagination. I have also written a corresponding poem, but it's quite long, and could be a fanfiction of its own.

I want to conclude by saying that this is my first PROPER LoZ fanfiction. And the first I am posting on . I deeply appreciate reviews. Criticism is OK IF you know what you're talking about and IF you're being polite with it. Flamers can make home in my fireplace. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this fanfiction as much as I did writing it. I have plans to post up Link Vs Bongo Bongo, Link Vs Dead Hand, and Young Link meets Adult Link fanfictions , as well as two humorous LoZ fanfictions with a third shortly following. If you like this one, you might want to stay tuned for the others.

Regards, DarkestSaRawr.