The Hero of Shadows

Prolouge: Rebirth

Author's note: So I've been recently reading the Legend of Zelda Mangas and was quite taken with the way they are written. There is a lot that the mangas takes care to explain that aren't explained as fully in the games (Granted the mangas aren't cannon, but certain bridges need to be built in order to create a feasible narrative in book/comic format) I have never played the four swords game, but I was quite interested with Akira Himekawa's take on shadow link… the poor soul seems to have some kind of tragic past and in fact begrudges his ties to the darkness even as he fears the light. So I decided to write a story that happens with him immediately after the events of the four sword manga. Even though the say that he is "joining" the other links and becoming one with him, it certainly feels more like he's dying and ceasing to exist, so this version he will have a continued existence, hope you enjoy! (For anyone reading this and hoping for a Spirit of the king chapter, sorry, I've got it about half done, but I've hit a roadblock in trying to figure out what I want to happen with Eva and Amalia next, don't worry it will be up soon, hopefully Wednesday or Thursday).

Not again, was the only thought that crossed his mind as he was slowly forced out of the dark mirror and into the world of light once more.

"Forgive me Lord Gannon," he begged "I don't want to go in the light anymore!"

"You are not Forgiven!" A voice bellowed from the deep crags of the world of darkness "You still have a role to play! While the dark mirror exists, so do you. Now go and destroy the heroes of light!"

He was forced the rest of the way out of the mirror, he collapsed on the ground, the light searing his flesh and burning his skin, he twitched a little, breathing heavily as his body once again became numb to the torturous pain inflicted by the light around him. As the pain receded into numbness he lifted his head and saw the princess standing there she was looking at him with sadness in her eyes and… pity, how he hated pity.

"What are you looking at?" he demanded of the princess as he rose to a sitting position "Get away from me! I don't want your pity! Nothing hurt's more… than pity!" he stated sorrowfully as his heart ached within his own chest.

"Do you really believe that the light will hurt you?" the princess said softly "Don't you see, you are a link a too, deep down, you are a hero."

The words crashed into his soul like boulder thrown from a mountain and when they did something inside of his broke, for a moment he did more than hear the words she spoke, for a moment, he truly listened.

But the moment did not last long as a billowing cloud of darkness rose from the lower regions of the temple and caught the princess in it's grasp, covering her, smothering her.

"Link!" she called out, more out of instinct than any reason, and yet he felt the tug, the pull on his soul to answer.

"Stop!" He demanded "What are doing? Is she not important to the master's plans?"

"Once the heroes of light are vanquished," The cloud replied "This maiden is all the light that will remain, therefore the beginning of a true world of darkness is her demise, so says Lord Gannon."

"But," He faltered for a moment "Lord Gannon ordered me to hold her here, to ensure she did not leave this room!"

"Did he truly?" the cloud asked "Or do wish to keep her for yourself, you are deceptive shadow hero, but so easy to see through." The dark cloud parted allowing light concentrated light to shine directly on his skin, scalding him.

"No!" he screamed "The light burns!"

"Return to your work shadow hero!" the loud commanded, closing again and cutting off the light "And remember that it is lord Gannon who protects you from the light."

He watched helplessly as the cloud took the princess away, his soul ached and his heart burned, why? Why now? He had been so numb for so long, why did his soul cry out now? he knew not the answer, but he did know that he could not ignore it, it was impossible, he had to save her, even though he was just a shadow, even though he was a creature of darkness, he had too! But how? He lacked the power or the means, he was still weak from his entrance into the world of light.

Light? That was it! The heroes of light, the four links, they could save her! But he couldn't just walk up to them and ask, he couldn't just expect them to believe him or do what he wanted, they did not trust him. He would have to go in disguise, he looked within the mirror once more and saw them battling green had gotten separated from the rest, perfect, he would disguise himself as the purple one and lead the others to Zelda.

He donned his disguise and set out slowly towards the heroes.

"Aw man," Green uttered dejectedly "We're separated again."

There he was, the green link, the original link, the one he could count on now more than ever.

"G-Green!" he said hoping his disguise held.

"Vio?" green said rushing over to him, he was still weak, so weak, he could barely move while keeping up the disguise. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered "But Zelda isn't! the dark cloud took her, it will kill her, poison her, we don't have much time."

"How do you know-" Green started

"I just do okay!" the false violet replied.

At that moment Red and Blue found their way to them "Hey there they are!" red said "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"C'mon guys," Green said "Vio says Zelda is in trouble."

He led them to an orb and began to push it, trying to activate it, but he was so weak he couldn't even manage that.

"Here," Blue said pushing him aside "Vaati must've got you good." He said grabbing the orb and twisting it, the orb glowed green and the column of the temple turned revealing a staircase and connecting it to where they were.

"How did you know that was there?" Green asked.

"I learned a lot from my time with shadow link." The false Vio answered

"C'mon let's go" Red said grabbing Vio's arm and helping him up the stairs.

Vaati's arm reached into the sky his voice resonating "Where are you puny heroes" he bellowed.

"He can reach up here!" Blue said surprised.

"He doesn't have a normal body," false Vio answered "He's stretching himself, trying to reach you."

"You?" Green said curiously Why would he say that? Why wouldn't he just say "us".

"His weak spot is the top of his head, you have to strike him there!" False Vio claimed

"How do you know that?" Green said suspiciously.

"Who cares!" blue answered "As long as it works!" he lept off the edge sword firs and slammed into Vaati's head sinking his blade into the demon's flesh. Vaati screamed in pain and his body began to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller.

"We did it!" blue said

"No, not yet you didn't" false Vio said at that moment he saw the real Vio headed over and realized he needed to make an exit, I should have just enough power as soon as green turned away he disappeared into shadow and fled.

As he emerged from the shadows in the room he had kept Zelda he could hear Vaati's voice behind him where the heroes were.

"Do you think that is all it takes… to kill a demon!"

A smirk of sorts pulled at the side of his mouth as he leaned over the chair in which Zelda once sat.

"As long as this mirror remains," he said "I am bound to Vaati, Well… No more, with the mirror gone, I will die too, but maybe, maybe, it's time I let that happen."

With every ounce of strength left in him he lifted the chair and slammed in into the mirror breaking it's surface and cutting Vaati off from his pool of dark power. he could feel his own life force beginning to drain out of him, he would have to act fast to destroy the rest.

Only a moment later Vaati's demonic for flew in front of the tower

"Shadow Link!" he said in utter bewilderment "But why? If the dark mirror is destroyed you will end yourself as well!"

Shadow link scoffed and smirked "Who's in control now Vaati?" he said and he positioned the mirror and prepared to push it over and destoy it completely.

"No! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Actually" Shadow link said "For the first time in a long time… I think I do!" he shoved again with all his might and toppled the mirror, breaking it into a thousand pieces, marring it beyond repair. Vaati's form bulged and bubbled as it shrank and completely vanished

"I was sooo close!" he wailed in sorrow.

Shadow link felt his out body fail, he fell to the ground, first to his knees and then on his back, his breathing was labored as his life energy was burned from him by the very light he had just helped to protect.

The other links rushed into the room as Vaati's body became dust on the very winds he once controlled.

"Shadow!" Green said rushing over to Shadow link's slowly fading body. "Did you break the dark mirror?"

Shadow link took a deep breath "Is Vaati gone?" he asked slowly.

"Yes he's gone," green replied "Thanks to you."

Shadow link was confused "You're thanking me?" he asked his breathing becoming heavier.

"Of course we are!" red answered "you saved the day!"

"Oh," Shadow link breathed "You're welcome… y'know, a shadow usually follows it's body… it never gets to lead. But today I faced the enemy… on my own… It felt pretty good. But that still doesn't… doesn't make me… part of the body."

"Of course it does!" Green answered tears building in his eyes "You're one of us! You're our friend!"

Shadow link's eyes widened at that… how long had it been since there was someone he could truly call friend, how long since all that was good had been stripped from him.

"Thank… You." he uttered as he breathed a final breath, his eyes closing as the light burned him and he accepted this grim fate. Then suddenly the light was gone, drk energy breathed back into him and resurrected his dying form "What?" his eyes snapped open but could not see he was suddenly afraid, Gannon must have come. Then a portal opened below him, he saw the heroes there, mourning his loss as though he had just died.

"What's going on here?" he demanded of the darkness.

In response he felt pressure on his forehead, as though someone had placed their finger upon him.

"It is time you became, more that a shadow." A deep but gentle voice spoke and a new power rushed into his body swirling within him, reinforcing his being before settling. He felt, different, he could not see well in the dark but he saw a man before him, he appeared to be in a cloak, but he could not make out details. Suddenly and without warning the darkness was gone and he stood in a grassy field in the world of light, his eyes burned at first and he raised his arm to protect them. But then he noticed that, the light didn't hurt him, it did not scald his skin or burn his flesh.

He looked around, before him stood a man with blue eyes and golden hair, he wore a blue and gold cloak that covered iron and bronze armor.

"Who are you?" he demanded "What have you done to me?"

"My name is not important," the man answered slowly and softly "I am but a balancer, one who keeps the balance. And this world has fallen from balance."

"What are you talking about?" Shadow link asked.

"A world is a prism," the man answered "One light enters and many lights leave, this is but one light in a thousand, and it's light is dying."

"What?" Shadow link was still confused

"You will see little one." The man replied "You are more than mere shadow now, you should not live in his, you will have to find yourself before you can bring balance to a world on the brink of destruction."

"What?" Shadow link asked again.

"Is that the only question you know to ask?" the man replied in a flat tone "You will need to learn to ask others, both of those around you, and of yourself."

The man turned to leave and Shadow link reached out his hand "Wait!" he said still confused and unaware.

"I will leave you with one last thing." He said "You are no longer a shadow so you should not name yourself as one." With these last words the man disappeared as though he had never been there in the first place.

Shadow link's hand halted, he had noticed it before, but was to bewildered to really take it in. he wasn't a shadow anymore, in the truest sense it was as though he had been reborn as a creature of light. The light of the sun did not harm him, the very thing he had feared for so long moved all around him, and ignored him, as though he were no more than a plant or animal.

His appearance remained unchanged, his hair was still jet black and his eyes flaxen yellow, his body was still that of the hero link, and the clothes he wore were still a dark and tattered version of the hero's own. He still looked like a shadow, even if he was not one.

The first order of business would be to discover where he was, the man had taken him somewhere, of that he was sure, the way he had spoken he may have been transported to another world or dimension, something completely different from his own perhaps. He began to walk forward, there was a large hill in front of him and he choose to climb it, hoping to get a better view of the area. what he saw was not what he expected.

"Hyrule castle?" he uttered in surprise "But wasn't it in ruins before, I put it in ruins I know I did." The balancer had said that a world was like a prism, maybe he was in another time? He knew little of Hyrule's history, but he knew Gannon always complained that hero in the shape of Link appeared to defeat him every time he tried to conquer the ancient kingdom. Perhaps this was another time, maybe before his own, or maybe after… either way, he should probably avoid the town, it would not be wise to stir up commotion and he had the appearance of a demon in human skin still.

Before he could fully turn away he heard an entourage of horses approaching, he moved to get away from them, but was quickly surrounded by them and cut off. Great he thought I can start my new life in a dungeon A large man was on the lead horse he signaled for the others to stop and dismounted, at which point Shadow link became aware that the beastly person was in fact a woman, this set off unpleasant emotions inside him, primarily disgust.

"I apologize," the woman said "I am certain we have frightened you young man, but we are on an important outing, we are looking for a young noble girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, is there any chance you have seen her?"

These people did fear him? They didn't want to destroy him? Despite his appearance they did not judge him? He was so taken aback by these things that he stood still and silent for a long moment.

"Oh," the woman said "Where are my manners, I am Impa, a bodyguard in service of the king."

"Oh." Shadow link replied "I didn't know…"

"Oh you do speak," the woman said with a sigh of relief "I feared we had encountered a mute, a poor soul unable to help us even if had wanted to."

"I speak." Shadow link said quickly "But I have not seen you noble girl, I am sorry."

"It can't be helped," Impa replied sadly "It was unlikely she was out here anyway, we'll return to the castle town now and search the market. Thank you anyway."

The woman mounted her horse and motioned to the others to follw her lead, they left in a hurry. I see now what the man had meant Shadow link thought to himself If she had asked my name, I would not have had an answer, I cannot call myself 'shadow link' nor can I call myself 'link' I'll need to find a new name…

"Thanks for covering for me!" a small voice broke him from his reverie, he turned to see a girl in a white dress, well mostly white, some grass stains had gotten it green near the bottom, she curtseyed. Shadow link looked around and noticed a single tall apple tree a few paces from him, how had they not thought to look there for the girl.

Looking at the the girl again he came to a more shocking revelation This girl… she's…

"I am Zelda," she said pleased to meet you.

Zelda, He though to himself What rotten luck, why? why would I run into her already, even as a child her powers are substantial, she could see through me and know who I truly am!

"So what's your name mister?" the girl said with a sweet smile

Shit! Now what? He thought, his mind running a million miles a minute, trying to find a name that suited him, something that made sense something that was Hyrulean, something that wouldn't tip the girl off that he was lying…. not that, not that, maybe… there!

"Call me Fenrir." He answered

Author's note: So in case you are wondering, "Fenrir" is the name Dark Link is given in my favorite LoZ fanfic called "number 13" by ST1990 y'all should go check it out, it is really well written and combines my two favorite story types: Coming of age and what it means to be human, so I decided to pay it tribute as I have really enjoyed it thusfar. So as I said earlier I have been reading the manga and I was more or less unsatisfied with Shadow link's ending in Four Swords. He goes through this whole transformation learing who he is and that he doesn't have to depend upon Vaati or Gannon, he doesn't have to fear the light, then he essentially dies… the end. Bull, I think he deserved to be given a shot at life with this new revelation, being a hero instead of a being of darkness, doing what his heart tells him is right instead of listening to his fears. Thus this overly long prologue was born, hope you enjoyed! (yeah the first part is pretty much just an abridged version of a scene from the manga… but I felt it was necessary to set the stage).