WOOOOOOO! New chapter! Finally. Sorry I took so long. School makes updating hard...

Anywho...

Enjoy! ^^

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Would if I could, but I can't, so I won't.

"Dark…"

Risa looked down, her hair draping over her face. Dark, still holding her wrist, knelt down in front of her. "Risa." He said softly.

She looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Dark held her hand next to his face. Hesitantly, she brushed the backs of her fingers against his cheek. He released her wrist and she cupped his face. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around him. She began to cry silently into his shoulder. After a moment, Dark placed one hand on her back while the other stroked her hair. She stiffened for a moment and then relaxed into his hold. She tightened her grip on him, her hands clutching the back of his tunic. Slowly, Risa calmed down.

"You okay?" Dark asked. She nodded. He was rubbing small circles on her back, calming her. Risa, exhausted from her fight, just lay in his arms letting him sooth her.

"You're here because of him, aren't you?" she asked. Dark closed his eyes and nodded reluctantly. "Which means I just killed your troops." He smirked and looked down at her. "Some of them." Risa raised an eyebrow. Dark stood and helped her up. She looked around the clearing. The moblin's bodies had already dissolved into nothingness. Risa sighed and picked up her swords, wiping them clean on the grass before sheathing them.

"Risa?" Dark and Risa turned toward the small voice. Theo, Adin, and Aaron were peeking around a tree. Dark looked at Risa questioningly. Risa smiled at her boys.

"It's okay, you can come out now." She said.

The trio rushed forward and tackled her in a hug. She fell back, laughing. "You're amazing, Risa!" Aaron cried. She chuckled. "Thanks," she said, "If you guys want to play more why don't you go to the Lost Woods? Or back to the fort? No one will find you there."

"Okay, Risa!" cried Adin. Risa sat up, gently pushing the trio off of her. Theo tugged on her tunic.

"Risa?" Theo asked, "Who him? He looks like Link, but…different." Risa saw Dark stiffen slightly out of the corner of her eye. She smiled at Theo. "He's a very special person to me. His name is Dark. You could say he…knows Link."

Theo bounced over to Dark and gripped his tunic. He looked up at him and smiled. "Hello, Dark!" Dark cocked his head to the side before giving him a small, barely-there smile. Theo turned back to Risa. "Risa, Dark is gonna be my new friend!"

Aaron and Adin jumped up. "Our's too!" they cried. The trio giggled as they ran around the clearing. "We gonna go play now!" Risa waved to them as they ran off into the trees. She smiled.

"They're so innocent."

"You know them?"

"I grew up with them." Dark turned to her. "They are some of my closest friends. Human children weren't an overly available luxury for me when I was little." The statement made Dark wonder what exactly Risa's childhood was like. She stood and began walking out of the clearing. She turned back to Dark with a raised eyebrow. Dark sighed, then followed her out of the clearing.

~*x*~

Dark and Risa walked through the forest talking. Risa was happy. Dark was with her again, and even though he was being a little distant, he stayed with her. For that, she was grateful.

"So why exactly are you here?" she asked.

Dark shot her a sidelong glance. "Patrol." He stated simply after a moment of silence. "Looking for you-know-who."

Risa frowned slightly. She didn't like this. Link was here. And she knew it was only a matter of time before the two ran into each other. If they got into a fight, she knew she would have to take Link's side. They walked in silence until they heard a loud crash. Risa turned and saw Link through the trees. He was locked in combat with a group of moblins. Risa grimaced. She was still tired from her own battle.

"You're going to help him, aren't you?" Dark's quiet voice cut through her thoughts. She turned back to him.

"Yes." She answered.

"I'm not going--"

"I know." She cut him off. "I'm not going to ask you to." She knew Dark wouldn't help Link. She cupped his cheek and smiled at him. "Only when you're ready." Her comment confused him. But he didn't have time to ask her what she meant because she turned and ran into the trees, drawing her swords.

Risa charged in, bringing one of her blades down on a moblin's head. Link turned to her as the body fell.

"Didn't think you were coming." He said to her.

She twirled one of her swords casually. "What and miss the party?"

Link smirked. "First time for everything." Risa rolled her eyes. The pair battled the moblins. Dark watched through the tree, not making a move to help either side. When all the moblins were defeated, Risa cleaned her swords and put them away.

"Well that was fun." She said, panting heavily. She was tired before but she was exhausted now. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and take a nap. Link sheathed his own blade. "Define fun." He said. When he didn't receive a sarcastic comeback, he looked over at her.

Risa was bent over, hands braced on her knees, panting. "You okay?" he asked worriedly. She looked up and smiled. "Yeah. Just a little tired. That's the second time today I've had to deal with them." She replied, referring to the moblins. She straightened, but when she looked back at Link, her eyes widened and she pushed him to the side.

"Move!"

Link fell to the ground only to looked up to see Risa's thigh, side, and shoulder pierced by arrows. She fell back, releasing a weak cry.

"Risa!" He rushed forward to catch her.

But someone beat him to it.

Risa became dimly aware of someone's arms around her. She looked up to see who was holding her, only to be met with Dark's crimson gaze. His face was expressionless, but she could see the worry in his eyes. She smiled weakly.

"You!" Dark shot him a cold glance before returning his gaze to Risa. "Don't you ignore me! Why are you still alive? What--"

He stopped when he saw Risa's hand make its way to Dark's cheek.

"I thought you weren't going to help." She whispered. Link's eyes widened. They knew each other?

"Technically, you cut me off before I could finish telling you I wouldn't help." Dark said, earning a small chuckle from Risa. "Besides, helping you is different…"

Risa shook her head. "No it's not. It's the--"

She was cut off when another arrow pierced her arm. She grunted in pain and her arm fell. The pain plus the exhaustion was too much; she passed out. Dark looked up and saw a cluster of archers in the trees. His eyes glowed as he glared at them. The archers froze and dropped their weapons. Link saw this and shot them down with his own bow.

Link turned back to Dark. He was surprised when he saw Dark brush his fingers across Risa's cheek. He walked over and tried to pick her up. Dark tightened his grip on her and pulled away. Link glared at him. "Look. Obviously I'm out of the loop. But she needs help. If you really care even a little about her, you'll give her to me."

Reluctantly, Dark let Link pick her up. He started to walking away, but stopped when he noticed that Dark wasn't following. "Not coming?" he asked.

"I though you hated me."

"I never said I didn't." Link replied. "But I have more important things to worry about right now." He turned and started walking again. "She'll try to find you if you aren't there when she wakes up."

Silently, Dark followed Link back to the fort. The three skull kids stopped playing when they saw Risa unconscious and full of arrows. They squealed and started to panic. Link calmed them and sent them on various errands to get things for Risa. He then took her inside and began to remove the arrows from her body. Dark sat a little ways away, silently watching Link work.

~*x*~

"So feel like talking?" Link asked, putting away the bandages.

Dark shot him a look before letting his eyes settle on Risa's sleeping form. "About?"

"Why you're still alive."

After some hesitation, Dark recounted the events that occurred in the Water Temple. When he finished, Link shot Risa a sour look. "That little…" Link sighed. "Then again, I should have seen this coming." He stood. "Come on. Let's let her get some rest." He walked out of the fort, Dark following.

"Anything else I should know?" Link asked. For some reason, Dark felt compelled to tell him about that night on the hill. He left out certain details, of course.

"You were using her?" Link's eyes narrowed when Dark stayed silent. "Why are you still playing with her? For you master?" He spat out the last word, as if it were poison.

"She loved you, ya know." Link's eyes widened. "That's why it happened. He wanted to use you to manipulate her." Dark said tonelessly. He smirked and closed his eyes. "She saw right through me though. She knew it was me."

Link watched him silently for a moment. "So why are you hers now?" he asked.

Dark glanced at him. "Orders." He stated simply.

"For whom?"

Dark remain silent. Link was growing frustrated. He drew his sword and pointed it at Dark's throat. Dark didn't move, but his eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously. Link returned his glare.

"If you're here to hurt her," he said, "I'll kill you right now. And this time, she won't save you."

Dun dun duuuuunnnnnnnnnn....

So that's the end! Good? Bad? Did I make stupide spelling errors? Is Link being a jerk?

I must know! TELL ME!!!!!!! ....Please?