"Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I've been completely put off writing for the past two weeks, and I know you've been waiting about two, three months. I wouldn't be quite as audacious to say it was worth the wait, but I at least hope you can forgive me with promises to write the next chapter soon. I also apologise for the horizontal lines that appear halfway through- asterix' wouldn't work, nor any other indicator, so I was forced to use an alternative. Nevertheless,I must admit, this chapter was rather hard for me to write- never did like writing things that weren't action packed, or at least packed with intense symbolism. Ladies and gentlemen, Chapter 2."
Who else to consult in time of need, other than the Sage of Sages, Hylian Seer, and Princess of the whole kingdom? Good old Zelda.
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there. You said… Dark Link? You're sure?"
"Sure? Well… I have to admit, I didn't get to see his face all that well. I mean, it could have been anyone with demonic eyes and robed entirely in shadows, right?"
"Link," she said reprovingly. "Well then… this is… disturbing."
"Tell me about it," Link sighed, running a hand through his hair, breathing deeply. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"
The sage hesitated for a moment, her eyes contemplating deeply on what, or how much she should tell him. The Sheikan secrets were not easily betrayed…
"Princess…" he tried. "Zelda, please. I need to know why I was just attacked by something I've already killed." She bit her lip for a moment then turned to look at him, speaking slowly.
"What if I told you, Link, that the Mask of Truth was not the only mask the Sheikah gave power to?"
"Wait- there are other masks like mine?"
Impa, the loyal bodyguard and nanny (so to speak) of the Princess cut in.
"Not like yours, no. Now that I think about it, it's not actually yours anyway. You're 'borrowing' it, remember?" The Sheikah spoke with the barest hint of what could be amusement.
"Oh come on, you know as well as I do that guy doesn't exactly 'borrow' masks himself, does he?"
"Link, you know what that mask can do, don't you?" interrupted Zelda before they had another one of their fights. They could last for days…
"What has the Mask of Truth got to do with this?" cut in Navi, perched on Link's shoulder and tilting her head slightly.
"Everything," replied Zelda. "Tell me what you know about it Link."
"Well, it makes my head look like a battering ram, and whoever painted it was colourblind. Aside from that, all I know is that it lets you talk to the gossip stones that are scattered around Hyrule. And you can read people's minds, to a limited extent"
"Good." Though she hadn't moved a muscle, Impa's expression softened slightly. "Time for a history lesson."
"Swell," he murmured under his breath.
"Back in the days of the Great War, the Sheikah were… secretive."
"No surprises there…" he thought to himself, but thought it wise to keep silent. As if reading his thoughts, which she probably was by the way, Zelda frowned at him and folded her arms.
"Link, if you wish to survive your next encounter with Dark Link, I suggest you pay attention to this. You need to know what you're up against." Something in her voice seemed to kill the moment, and it scared him. He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it and nodded. Impa continued.
"Now, back in the days of the Great War, the Sheikah were seriously outnumbered. Of all the races in Hyrule, we were the most exclusive, for our arts were of the highest degree. Since the beginning of our race, we have served the royal family, and in the service of the King in the war, our main job was to protect the king, and to go on missions against those who opposed his highness. Spying, assassination, sabotage. That sort of thing. With me so far?" Link nodded, imagining all the Gorons, Zorans and Gerudo that died at the hands of a Sheikan blade. The Great War had almost halved Hyrule's population…
"As Sheik would have taught you, our tribe has had some interesting skills. Vanishing in a flash of light is probably our most famous. We enchanted the Lens of Truth, banished undead spirits, (or the Poes as you know them), and could create objects that, to the naked eye appeared to be solid, but were in actual fact illusions. In the same respect, we could limit visibility until an object appeared invisible altogether. The Shadow Temple would be our finest example, though of course not all that many people have lived to appreciate it."
"No one other than me, in other words," said Link.
"Bingo," smiled the Sheikah.
"So we used these skills, and a few others here and there, to complete our missions," continued Zelda. "After a few weeks of the war, things started going wrong. People went missing on duty. Missions failed. A team of Gerudos managed to get all the way into the throne room before they were intercepted. There was only one possible answer: there was a traitor amongst the Sheikah."
Link nodded slowly, seeing where this was going.
"Our council spent days pondering how to catch him, until they finally came up with a magical solution."
Slowly, Link reached into the pouch at his hip and pulled it out, setting it on the table before them.
"The Mask of Truth," Impa said. "I was the first to try it on," she said, her voice icy.
"What?" exclaimed Zelda, Navi and Link simultaneously.
"You… You fought in the Great War?" asked Zelda slowly.
"Yes child. I did," she said indifferently. "The lives of those I'd taken haunted me at night, until I learned to conquer the Shadows."
"Impa, what do you mean you were the first to try it on?" pressed Link.
"It was a prototype, obviously. Objects with such a high concentration of magic could be dangerous, and I was chosen to be its first guinea pig. Fortunately, it didn't suck my soul out or anything. It just knocked me unconscious for three days."
Zelda gaped, but Link was curious.
"So what exactly did the mask do to you before they managed to perfect it?"
"Well, as it was designed to sense dark intentions, that's all it showed me. I saw the black hearts and darkest desires of all my friends, and every sin they had ever committed. I was still a child at the time, and it scared me to the point I thought I had crossed over to the plains of hell." The words hung in the air as a shadow seemed to cross over Impa's eyes. "Part of that magic remains with me, and I do not need the Mask to know if I can trust someone. Zelda, why don't you explain to Link about the other Masks?"
"Oh… Yes, ah…" she paused, recovering from the initial impact of the information Impa had revealed. It seemed the Sheikah kept secrets, even from each other.
"Right, erm… The… Sheikah realised the potential of storing so much magic in a mask. They made a few more prototypes, even when the war was over. These weren't entirely passive masks either. The Zoran's Mask, the Goron's, those masks that you know to exist in the Happy Mask Shop. They're cheap imitations of the real things, which could actually transform your physical state to match the mask itself. There was even one for Deku scrubs."
"Okay, fair enough. So we had magical transforming masks. What was so evil about that?"
"Link, I'm not done yet!" scowled Zelda. "Besides. No power is evil, until it is used for evil. There were some… some powerful masks that were created without the Sheikah's consent. The Mask of Deception was made so that whoever was speaking would seem to be telling the truth, no matter what they said. The Bunny Hood that improved agility a thousand fold. The Giant's Mask was self explanatory. There was the Stone Mask which could camouflage you- perfect for espionage. There was even one known as the Fierce Diety Mask, that could turn the wearer into a demi-god for a short while. One mask was so evil, Majora's Mask, that the creator became so scared he sealed it away forever. Unfortunately, that was in the previous age ago, and there are no records of where it was buried or what it is capable of. While we are still searching for it, there is still a chance that someone who doesn't know what it's capable of could find it first."
"Link, what I'm trying to say is, these masks were dangerous. All kinds of hell broke loose, and when the sources were used discovered, they were hidden by magic. They've been scattered all over the world. Given to people the Sheikah can trust. However, Dark Link's reappearance has… unsettled us."
"Yeah, me too," said Link, almost absent-mindedly rubbing the bruises on his neck. "What are you getting at though? I know what these masks can do, but what are you saying?"
"Link," said Impa slowly. "We believe that the Mask of Darkness has been found. It turns a person's soul so black that it consumes them, and they become a shade in this realm, and a demon in the next. It gives them a sick craving for power until they know nothing other than death, and how to deliver it. A shade… cannot die. It can be defeated in battle, and it will burn in the flames it was born from, but nothing short of a Light Arrow to the heart will smite one. It is our belief that Dark Link has returned to finish what he started." His mind was reeling.
Dark Link had returned? A shade? Virtually invincible and out to kill him?
"Ung…" he groaned. "Why me?"
"Because, Link," answered Zelda, looking into his eyes. "You are the hero of time. If it were not you, it would be many other innocents." He lowered his head as her words swam about his head, stubbornly refusing to leave. He couldn't let go of the idea that it was his destiny to suffer so much for everyone else's sake, but the words seemed to fit together like pieces of a puzzle, and he could not deny their validity.
"So remind me. Why is Dark Link trying to kill me now? And how did he materialise in the water?"
"Haven't a clue," said Impa, folding her arms and staring intently at the wall.
"To answer your second question, I need to know something first. When you first saw and fought Dark Link, what was your initial impression? Did you look into his eyes? Did he hurt you?"
He blinked as he thought back to the Water Temple, trying intently to remember what had happened that night.
"I…"
"Hm…White," thought Link, surveying the silvery mist that shrouded the room.
"Acute observation," replied Navi from his shoulder.
"Hey, stop reading my thoughts. They're none of your business, anyway."
"Just like it wasn't any of your business to go through Mido's underwear and use it as a flag for the Kokiri."
"Hey! How did you know about that?"
"I know all," she replied in a mysterious voice. He scowled and just tried to stop thinking entirely.
"Like that's hard," Navi murmured, flying above ahead of him to try and spread some light through the mist.
"Huh? Hey, Link! Er… Check this out!"
"What?" he said, drawing his sword nervously and stepping through the ankle-deep water. As he approached, a wall loomed out from the mist, and a barred door was in the middle of it. Bars. Swell. The room was entirely puzzle-less and enemy-less, and he was locked in.
"Link, it's cold in here…" said Navi, shivering a little.
"Yeah, and it's not cold in water a hundred feet below the surface?" he answered sardonically, but despite himself, he shivered too. There were some bad vibes about this place.
"Anyway, if you're scared, we'd better get going so you don't freak out on me or anything…" said Link, backing away. "Just because you're such a wimp and all…" he said, then spun on his heel and collided headfirst with a tree.
"Whoa…" said Link, swallowing, backing up. "Navi… er… did we happen to pass a tree and an island on our way in?"
"I er… don't think so…" she said, kicking it with one foot nervously.
"Oh," said Link.
An ebony blur lunged towards him, and he had just enough time to swear before leaping backwards, his legs swinging over his head as he back-flipped as a reflex. Not a moment too soon either, as a sword made of black steel sliced through the air at such a speed is momentarily parted the water below. Pulling the shield off his back, he raised his sword to block another lunge that caused his arm to tremble with the force. Link threw his assailant off and slashed, but a black sword was already in place for a parry.
"Goddess this guy is fast," he swore, ramming the… thing with his shield. Now that he thought about it, it looked familiar. Then again, he didn't have much time to think.
Link could hear a little voice inside his head screaming at him to not be so predictable. He then registered it was Navi.
"Idiot, don't just stand there, move your feet!" she screamed.
"You have to learn to conquer yourself!" What? What was she on about?
Block, parry, swing, duck, counter… Link shut out the rest of the world as he dueled furiously. "That thing is definitely familiar…" The thought nagged at him. There was something about the technique. Though he had yet to see his opponent's face, that hat was definitely familiar…It looked silly. Then it struck.
"Hey. You're me!" said Link brightly, beaming at his brilliance. Then he scowled, realising he had insulted his own fashion sense. The thing hissed in reply, grinning back and made a lunge which was a little-too-close for comfort. True enough, he was fighting a solid black version of himself with scarlet eyes.
"So... I'm fighting myself. At least I know what I'm up against," he thought as he knocked aside Dark Link's sword, only to be rammed by his shield. The blow stunned him a little, and he stumbled backwards into the tree. This was going to be a tough battle. They were dead even, and neither combatant was giving way.
"What are my weaknesses?" thought Link, rolling out of the way as the shade's sword impaled the bark. Link took advantage of the opening and jumped behind him, bringing his sword down as he went. The blade slit open his enemy's back from shoulder to hip, but wrenching the sword out of the tree, Dark Link spun around and continued his relentless assault, hissing with each breath.
"Damn!" thought Link, gritting his teeth as the black sword slit his arm. "New plan."
In one fluid movement, he sheathed his sword and returned his shield, cupping his hands at his waist.
"LINK!" screamed Navi, sparking red for a moment in fear, but Link's concentration was on the spell.
"Come on…" he thought, searching for the faint traces that ran through his veins. Closing his eyes, he found a tendril of magic at the back of his mind, and instantly unlocked it.
"Din's Fire!" he screamed, plunging the newly formed fireball into the ground. Instantly, he was surrounded by a ball of flame that was rapidly increasing in diameter. Dark Link had no time to escape and howled in pain, vanishing in a wisp of black smoke.
Link panted, the steam making it hard to breathe. He closed his eyes and groaned, doubling over.
"I hate myself," he moaned, gingerly touching his blood-soaked sleeve.
"Link, look out!" Navi cried before he had time to react. As a reflex, he pulled the shield off his back and ducked down to cover his head. A clang of metal on metal told him that he hated himself as much as he hated himself. If that made sense. It probably didn't, but right now, he had more to worry about than grammar.
Drawing his sword, he made a few slashes, and Dark Link bobbed away from him.
"Come and get me," he said, vanishing again. Link ground his teeth, backing away to the island in the middle of the room. Navi circled nervously, flitting here and there and chittering about satanic water demons gone wrong. Link just growled and raised his sword. Navi burst into yellow flame and shot behind him, making Link spin around and parry in the same move. He grunted as their swords crossed in an X, and they tried their hardest to force through each other's weakness and gain the advantage. Unfortunately, they were both equally determined to make sure that was the other.
Link's arm trembled as he strained to move it away from him. He looked into the eyes of his enemy's. Dark Link grinned suddenly, leaning closer until the Hero could feel his chilly breath. Link tried to break eye contact, but he was being held in place by the gaze, and for a moment he was lost in the crimson. He saw flashes of fire, burning fiercely… Raging. Something's not right… Link felt a flash of pain and screamed as Dark Link brought the swords closer to him. There was... there was Darkness… Link's sword was coming closer, and he was quickly enervating. Every second that passed, his own trembling sword was moving closer. He felt hatred… Confusion. There were voices…
"Link!" screamed Navi, flinging herself at Dark Link's face. He snarled as she blinded him with sparks, and with that one moment of distraction, Link threw him off and raised his sword above his head. With a battle cry, he brought the blade down on Dark Link's neck, cutting diagonally down and slicing his torso in two. The halves both fell into the water, and for a moment, Dark Link stared up in disbelief. Link stood, panting over his fallen opponent. It hissed suddenly, screaming as it dissipated. Green flames leapt over its body until all that left was the water, stained black with ash. Link collapsed against the tree.
"Goddess damn!"
"Link?" asked Zelda, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Huh?" said Link, looking up at her.
"We need to know what happened when you fought Dark Link."
"I… I don't know exactly. There was a moment when… when we looked at each other… I saw fire. I felt pain that wasn't mine. I heard voices that weren't there. Worst of all, I felt… malice…"
Zelda turned around and looked at her guardian. Impa was deep in thought, her eyes narrowed in concern. She looked up at them.
"We're going to need to see some friends of mine. Come on, both of you. Sheik-," she called, but Zelda had already transformed in a burst of light. Before them, sitting pertly on her chair, was the Sheikah adolescent with ruby eyes. Sweeping to his feet, he held the door open.
"What are you waiting for?" came his sly voice. Link smiled, punching his arm as he passed.
"Boys," muttered Impa, giving Sheik a shove in the back and closing the door behind her. She hoped her friends would be happy to see her. She sure as hell wouldn't be.