There was not even a zephyr in the world Link had just stepped into. The floor was of shallow water that appeared as glass, its surface reflecting the thick fog that lingered all around. In the very middle of the surrounding mist there was a tree, it stood tall and its bark was a dark, pale brown. It had a few branches that aciculate to the sky which was a sickly shade of sage and blue, those were the only colours that could escape the grasping grey of the fog. The tree's roots were rather awry and twisted as they stuck pathetically out of the ground, which was nothing but a mound of peat, hardly being able to consider it an island in the water-floor. After reassuring himself to continue forward, Link stepped into the water. It rippled around his boot and strangely the liquid did not soak through the Kokiri boots as would normal water. It seemed to not even have any weight; it simply rippled against his movement. The liquid didn't even splash up as he picked up his pace, his heels lifting to kick back but no fluid would follow. He felt a disturbing essence flowing from the tree; it distilled him enough to pause by it. He stared at it with determined blue eyes and reached out to touch it. His finger-tips met the bark and the rough surface of the dead tree felt not just against his skin, but like each groove cut into and imprinted against his very soul. Taking his hand away from it and getting his head straight again he continued towards the other side of the 'room' to which there was another building. A door was in view, but he could see clearly that it was barred. Upon reaching the door he wrapped his hands around the bars and gave it a little tug but to no avail. He turned around to look at the tree again thinking perhaps he would have to chop it down…but no. No there was something…was that something? Link hadn't even bothered to look down at the liquid which he was staring at now, he didn't have a reflection. It was gone, his eyes caught movement and he saw his reflection but it was running towards the tree. He stared with wide cerulean eyes through his fiery blonde bangs that hung over his face, his head raising as the reflection soon took on a three dimensional form. It just faded into existence right before his eyes, and it appeared to be a shadow. An exact replica of Link himself, and his shadow now stood before him against reality. It was entirely a pitch black, though faded and real…living. It didn't take long for Link to figure out that it was this he had to defeat, though he was surprised Navi was staying so quiet. She was clueless and of all confused. The brave hero of time shrugged it off as he took the first swing at the shadowy figure. His sword clashed with the shadows' sounding a huge clang that rang in his ears. This came as to surprise for Link, even more so when the silhouette suddenly formed these unnatural-looking eyes. They glowed red against the faded black complexion and Link stared in disbelief leaving an opening to which the dark Link swung out his shield, hooking Link across the face. Link fell to his side with a thud against the ground, half of his face fell below the surface and he saw nothing but darkness beneath the liquid. The vision was disorienting and he felt a dizzying effect as if he was falling inside of himself. It wasn't until he heard the shadow's battle cry as he came down upon Link with his dark master sword. He was able to lift his shield in time, shoving back against the blow to get himself some distance between him and his opponent and to get to his feet. His moment to breathe was cut short as the entity immediately took another swing at Link. He lifted his shield again and held firm against the shadow, strafing to the side, at the same time swinging away dark Link's sword; he then held up the shield again to resist another swing that the shadow took at him. Link jumped back failing to keep the dark Link at bay which now caught his counterpart off guard. He felt his heel hit the mound of peat that lifted up where the door was. The soil slipped out from under him and he feel on his rear, at the same time the shadow managed to lacerate a deep cut into Link's shoulder. He let out a grunt as pain seared the wound, grasping it with his other hand he was also able to hold his shield against the constant slashing pattern that the figure kept without letting up. The after-shock quaked Link but he eventually got to his feet and finally got his balance, backed against the wall. He stared in bewilderment as the figure seemed to be even more solid than before, during this time he lifted his shield in defence late and the tip of the dark master sword cut his cheek. The Hylian was not fazed by the stinging scratch, rather he now had an opportunity and he struck the dark twin under its arm. It gasped and dissipated back into the water. Link sighed in relief and waited to hear the bars behind him fall, though no such thing happened, rather instead he was now stricken. The reflection came up right in front of his face, the shadowy sword cut into and through the glove that protected the area beneath his wrist on the hand that held his own sword. His gasp caught in his throat and he dropped his sword, his hand stretched wide and he raised his arm above his head. The shadow dropped its own sword as well, then proceeded to hook Link's shield with his own, grabbing the straps with his dark hands and ripped it right off Link's arm. Link staggered a few steps upon being disarmed and looked up to see the figure too was disarmed. It charged forwards to Link who had backed up against the wall next to the door, Link hunched over and had his opposite hand clenching his bleeding wrist. The fiend grabbed Link's available wrist, stretched it out to his side against the wall and did the same with the bleeding wrist. Upon this action Link's agonized and muffled groan grew louder, he lifted a leg and brought his knee hard into the figure's stomach. It hunched over but did not let up its grip, Link lost his balance carrying the weight of himself with no support. He slipped beneath the dark figure which too fell to its knees. Link struggled and writhed with his arms held out and his legs kicking, but it was useless. The dark Link was straddled over him, a sinister eminence flowed from the glowing red eyes that watched its counterpart suffer, a malicious intent was evident, but it hadn't a clue what to do with the body of flesh in this position. Link managed to arch his back and used a sudden rush of adrenaline to throw his reflection off. Though his attempt was in vain, for when he got to his feet the darkness was on him again. Link was shoved against the wall and his wrists were gripped again. The shadow then proceeded in adjusting itself to Link so that it was a perfect reflection, a mirror image of the Hylian. It slid its own hands up into Links' so that its fingers could fit in the gaps between his. Link struggled and his knees were buckling against the stress, though it was actually as weightless as the material of the water, Link had seen the darkness that filled its depths. It weighed down on him. It was becoming more and more stressful to hold against, the shadow was crushing him. No, not him; his soul. The places in which his skin was broken seem to be washing out the skin surrounding them, whereas the rest of Link was turning pale out of choking fear. His eyes were rolling back inside his head by now and his wailing sounded muffled in his ears. His fiery blonde hair was fading into a platinum blonde to bleach white, and the clothes he wore were turning an obsidian shade of black. It was too late by the time Link was realizing that the shadow was not just after the removal of his soul, but his very desires and ambitions. He could feel his desire to save and serve princess Zelda was being taken away from him, it was fading, and ambitions were being ripped from his aura. With the very last will to resist, Link struggled beneath all the depression of his miserable shadow. He could not hold against any longer and thus fell submission to it. His corpse all pale and white, clothed in dark black, lifeless eyes, it fell to its hands and knees. He stared at nothing until all hopes were abolished. His eyes eased and closed for a moment, a few beats of a depressed heart, and re-opened revealing the unnatural red reflection of the eyes that now clouded his vision.