Zelda's chest rose and fell rapidly with fear. Never before in her life had she been so frightened. Even the time Ganondorf had kidnapped her she had been more in awe of his wicked beauty than afraid of what he might do to her. But with Dark Link his malevolence was immediate and inescapable. More than anything, the young queen just wanted to break down and cry but she couldn't. She couldn't show any sign of weakness. She had to have a will of iron. Zelda clawed hopelessly at Dark Link's arms.
"Let me go, bastard!" Zelda cried her icy blue eyes full of fury.
"No, I don't think so," Dark Link hissed.
Zelda's head slumped forward. Everything was pitch-black. This was the world of shadows. Where the fell creatures of night laid in wait for easy prey. Like a clueless maiden with no way to protect herself. Like young Queen Zelda. Dark Link dropped her down, down, down until her fragile body came in contact with stone, cold ground. Tears fought their way out of the young woman's eyes and cut tracks down her cheeks.
"Here we are little girl," Dark Link said.
Zelda looked up at her captor. Her heart beat fast. She felt so helpless. Dark Link picked Zelda up by her collar and stared her in the eye. Fire met ice. Zelda didn't back down. She held his stare. Somewhere in those eyes of blood she saw something. The shape blurred and cleared. Zelda's eyes narrowed. What was it? The shape cleared for a final time again. It was Ganondorf.
"What? Why is-" Zelda asked.
"He is what you want most so to make you mine I must withhold him from you,"
Make you mine? Zelda's eyes widened.
"No. Never."
"I still don't see why we had to bring along that goddessdamned fairy," Ganondorf growled.
"I need Navi!" Link cried.
Ganondorf rolled his eyes.
After Zelda's kidnapping, Ganondorf, Link, and Navi had set out for the Shadow World. The Shadow World was somewhere beyond Hyrule, somewhere beyond all sanity and reason, somewhere where safety was nonexistent.
"Hey! Listen!" Navi called out.
"What is it this time?" Ganondorf said seething.
"Nothing, I just felt like saying that," Navi said.
The threesome continued their trek across Hyrule Field in silence except for the occasional "Hey! Listen!" from Navi to the great annoyance of Ganondorf.
"Do you even know where the hell we're going fairy boy?" Ganondorf asked.
"No. You're the evil one." Link said.
"Yes, but I'm not the one who apparently traveled all of Hyrule to find a certain Princess. So this is your turf blondie,"
"Well, I would think the Shadow Temple might have something to do with it…"
"We're looking for the Shadow World not the Underworld,"
"I thought we were trusting me with this call!"
"Fine. But if this is a dead end, consider your life over,"
Link nodded. Where was Zelda? The Hylian beauty he longed for in every waking moment. How was she faring? There would be no inadvertent love this time. Or would there? Zelda wasn't the type to fall in love with every man who kidnapped her. Link twiddled his thumbs as the Kakariko Graveyard rose into view.
"Din, I hate ghosts," Ganondorf grumbled as Poe Spirits drifted around the adventurers.
"Who are you strangers?" croaked a voice from the darkness.
Ganondorf spun around pointing his sword at the stranger.
"We are the King of Hyrule Ganondorf Dragmire, Link the Hylian, and Navi the fairy," Link said.
"I am the old wanderer, I listen to things, I hear things. The one you search for is the Queen Zelda. She is in the Shadow World as you suspected but the entrance is not exactly here."
"And whose idea was it to come here? Oh right, the blonde who apparently doesn't have the mental capability to read a map,"
"Stop this feud strangers, go to the bottom of the well and follow the shadows. Don't waste time, Queen Zelda is in great danger,"
And with that the old crone disappeared.
Ganondorf, Link, and Navi set out into Kakariko Village looking for the well the strange old woman had mentioned. The people of Kakariko Village shied back into their homes when they saw Ganondorf striding into their village. Besides being King of Hyrule, he was still the King of Evil as well.
"Doesn't it bother you just a little bit that everyone's afraid of you?" Link asked.
"No. Not everyone. You aren't unfortunately, Zelda isn't," Ganondorf said casually. "Here's our well,"
Both men and the fairy stared down into the darkness. The well had been completely drained of it's water. The Hylian and the Gerudo climbed down the iron rungs to the bottom of the well. It led somewhere all right. Somewhere that smelled of dead ones, somewhere that made your soul freeze and fall apart as your worst nightmare took control of your brain. Ganondorf shook the images from his head and strode right into the foul mess. If the goddesses were pushing him to see how far he would really go for Zelda than they better be ready for a show. Link followed suit, much less confident than the man who preceded him.
"If you are searching for the place where the pure maiden rests in fright then follow us creatures of the night," hissed a group of shadows.
"Din, do they have to rhyme at us?" Ganondorf asked irritably.
"The Gerudo searching for his love is annoyed with us," said the shadows leading them on.
"I think it's kind of cute," Link said smiling affectionately at one of the shadows.
"No wonder you don't have a girlfriend," Ganondorf said rolling his eyes.
"I HEARD THAT!"
"What? I'm trying to help you out here kid, girls aren't going to fall for you if you think the rhymes of pointless shadows are cute."
"Then what am I supposed to do?!"
"Don't be a a pathetic Hylian who saves girls with his fairy because he has nothing better to do,"
"You're just saying that because you want me to stop messing in your relationship,"
"Yes blondie, I would like that very much."
"These strangers fight why they quest together into the night?"
Ganondorf rolled his eyes. Why did Zelda have to be kidnapped in the first place? If this was going to become a habit, Ganondorf made a mental note to tell Zelda how to use a sword. Zelda. Where was she? What kind of danger was she in? This, this was the only thing that could scare him.
"Princess," Ganondorf whispered looking into the darkness.
"Did you say something o irritable one?"
"That didn't rhyme and no,"
"Oh sorry,"
Fear. It was a monster that consumed the weak of heart, dragging them down into the false reality that was their worst nightmare. And it was trying to consume her. Zelda sat against the cold, stone wall, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. The young queen wiped away her weakness and stood up. She held out her left arm. It still dripped with blood from the wound Dark Link had left on her. Breaking her with pain wouldn't work. Zelda knew pain. Zelda knew death. Those things no longer scared her. So as Dark Link relinquished his fell puppets of the night to crack the soul of the queen, Zelda would stand and stare. Dark Link could not see into her mind. Or could he? The thing that was beginning to rip her apart from the inside was the fear that Ganondorf… wouldn't come. That he didn't care. And she would be left here with the cobwebs and morbid fantasies of normality as company.
The blood from her arm joined the grime on the maiden's white dress. Zelda watched the steady flow without any attempt to staunch it. Zelda put her hand to her forehead, she was losing too much blood. The young woman ripped out a handful of dress and tied it around her arm. Even with the pathetic bandage, the queen found herself falling unconscious.
"Princess, Princess wake up," Ganondorf whispered.
Zelda looked up into the face of Ganondorf, except he wasn't right. Zelda just couldn't place it but something was wrong. It was his eyes. They carried the same glint that Dark Link's did. The one that frightened her so, the one that signified torture, the one that signified the disgusting hate for everything pure and good. Zelda sat up and pressed her back against the wall.
"NO! IT'S NOT YOU!" Zelda screamed.
Her eyes flew open and she realized that it was a dream. Zelda closed her eyes and gripped her arm.
The door creaked open. Dark Link looked down at the Hylian maiden curled on the floor in fear.
"I still haven't broken you have I? Well, why don't you try coping with this, girl!" Dark Link shouted.
He sent a beam of darkness Zelda's way. She screamed as the shadow engulfed her.
The young queen opened her eyes. She was standing in Hyrule Field. The sun was shining. Birds were chirping. Everything was so sappy sweet that even Zelda knew it couldn't be real. That's when the fire came. The flames rose up in a ring around her. It danced about, taunting the clueless woman in the center. Smoke rolled in clogging Zelda's eyes and throat. She doubled over coughing. Then the screaming came. The screams of Hylians, Kokiris, Gorons, Zoras, and Gerudos blended together in one painful medley. Zelda fell to the ground her head throbbing and her eyes burning. As her vision swam the laughter started. Malevolent laughter, whoever this was, was pleased with his work.
Pain. Pain was the first thing Zelda registered. She dared opened her eyes but once she did she wished she hadn't. A silver dagger was pressed to her throat and the blood dripped down her neck and fell on the floor staining the clear, white marble.
"Do you think I ever cared about you? Princess?" came a cunning voice.
"Ganondorf? What…What are you doing?"
"You were just a toy my dear, my gateway to power. As attractive as you are I don't need you anymore,"
"No! Ganondorf! Please! I thought you loved me!"
He brought the knife across her throat quickly and precisely. Ganondorf released her. Zelda fell to the ground and looked up to see his cold golden eyes and a satisfied smirk on his face. Dark Link had done it. He had broken her.
"I love you too, Princess Zelda,"
"Whatever it is, I will stand by your side. Always."
"Anything for you, my dear Princess,"
Ganondorf did love her! And he was out there trying to get to her. Save her from this world of shadows! Zelda's eyes flew open for real this time.
"SCREW YOU DARK LINK! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST ENTER MY MIND AND MANIPULATE MY IMAGINATION LIKE THAT? WELL, WAKE UP CAUSE YOU CAN'T!" Zelda screamed.
Dark Link growled and stepped forward. He slapped her across the face leaving a crimson mark.
"Don't you dare hurt me!"
"Really, Zelda? We're going to go there?"
Zelda's face lost all color.
"Okay, where the hell is my wife?" Ganondorf asked the shadows who had guided them there.
"The one you seek is upon that dark peak," said one of the shadows and pointed up to a large mountain.
"Now we have to climb a freaking mountain too?" Ganondorf growled.
"Wait…wait we got it wrong! Your wife is probably in Dark Link's castle," said another shadow.
"That didn't rhyme," Link said with disappointment.
Ganondorf looked up at the dark castle. The points were completely jagged and rough. Crumbling mortar rained down onto the Shadow World like the tears of it's prisoners.
"Pretty good for an evil version of you, fairy boy," Ganondorf remarked.
"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Link asked.
"To your dark side not you!"
"Oh."
Link tried the large double doors. They wouldn't budge.
"Are these like pull doors and I'm pushing?" Link asked.
"No, I'm pretty sure they're locked you idiot,"
"But they could be pull doors…"
Ganondorf sighed. He summoned a ball of flame and sent it into the doors. They burst into flames.
"There. Now we don't need to know if they were push or pull doors,"
The two men and the fairy traveled into the dark fortress.
"Ganondorf?"
"What?"
"You kidnapped Zelda once, where did you keep her?"
"In a small room in the West Wing because the Gerudo Fortress dungeon was still being renovated,"
"Where are dungeons usually in castles?"
"Below ground level,"
"Then let's find some stairs,"
The passages were dark and smelled of decaying flesh. The eyes of the barely visible paintings seemed to follow them. Silent whispers danced in the halls.
"Over here! Some stairs!" Navi called from the darkness.
Sure enough a flight of stairs covered in moth eaten red velvet awaited them leading down, down deep into the darkness. Ganondorf stepped down on to the first stair. Somewhere, down there was his queen. Link followed suit with Navi fluttering behind. The dungeon of the Shadow Fortress was completely silent and dark. For a long while Ganondorf, Link, and Navi stood there in the shadows waiting for something. Then a scream broke the silence. A feminine scream. Zelda's scream.
Ganondorf immediately took off in the direction of his queen's cry. The King threw open the door to see Zelda chained up to the wall. The young queen was in a flowing, black gown that looked like it was made from shadow themselves. Her nails painted black. Everything about the maiden said shadow. Except her crystal clear, frightened blue eyes.
"One kiss and you become my bride," Dark Link hissed advancing on the girl.
"Don't. You. Dare." Ganondorf growled from behind him.
Dark Link spun around.
"What are you going to do to stop me Ginger?" he sneered.
"Not me." Ganondorf said.
"DIE YOU EVIL, DESPICABLE VERSION OF ME!" Link screamed.
Ganondorf rushed to Zelda's side.
"You came," she breathed.
"Why wouldn't I? You're the one and only woman I love," Ganondorf whispered.
Unsheathing his broadsword, the Dark Lord severed the young queen's chains. Zelda found herself with her face buried in Ganondorf's chest. Tears fought their way out of her eyes and down her cheeks. All the pent-up fear rushed out of her now that she could finally take a free breath. He did love her and he came for her. Ganondorf Dragmire.
"I'm here now, you're safe, I've got you," Ganondorf whispered.
"A little help here!" Link yelled as he did his best to fend Dark Link off from the two lovers.
"It's not your wife who got kidnapped and was almost made the shadow bride of some creep with a black pointy hat," Ganondorf grumbled.
He stood up one arm still around Zelda, sheltering her. Link joined them his Master Sword unsheathed and ready to go. Dark Link stabbed Ganondorf in the arm causing blood to flow.
"It'll take more than that you disgusting shadow," Ganondorf sneered.
Zelda stepped forward.
"Let me handle this,"
The maiden summoned a ball of blue light and sent it straight into Dark Link's heart. His crimson eyes widened and closed as the magic began to manipulate his imagination.
"Your Shadow Bride huh?"
Dark Link opened his eyes. Zelda was standing before him in his dream.
"Yes. No matter what you do, some inevitable day, you will be mine," Dark Link hissed.
Zelda blinked.
"I don't think so. This isn't the kind of magic you used on me Dark Link, this magic gives you a fleeting moment with the last person you laid eyes on then well, it's off to the Underworld for you. Forever,"
Dark Link began to turn to black dust.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME YOU FILTHY GIRL! I WILL COME BACK FOR YOU! I WILL!" he screamed.
And then he was gone. Forever.
Ganondorf's protective, muscular arms closed around his queen.
"Good job Princess," he whispered.
Zelda smiled.
"Maybe life will return to normal after this," she said softly.
"No. I'm going to get Link a girlfriend so he can stop bothering you," Ganondorf said.
"Well, that's going to be hard y'know,"
"I HEARD THAT!"
THE END