Well... usually I don't update twice in one day, but I figured, "Why not?" So anyway, get ready for the extreme amount of angst. I think this is one of the most angst-filled chapters... So, here it is!
Disclaimer: Luckily for you, I don't own Legend of Zelda.
Chapter Seven
I leapt into the dead tree at Lake Hylia, and came out of the other side of a dead tree - but this one was in the illusionary room. The room was called that because of the mist in it. The mist made it look like there were no walls, and that it just went on forever. However, the walls were still there - invisible, but still there.
I clutched my stomach. It was healing pretty slow. However, just because it can't kill me doesn't mean it doesn't hurt the same. I took a deep breath, slowly, wincing as the movement made my midsection move.
I bit my bottom lip, hard, as I took another breath. Then another. Gradually, the pain decreased. "Whew," I whispered, "Sheik sure knows how to put up a good fight."
"He must have," said Ivan, poking her head out of my hat, glancing around, then flying out and hovering in front of my face. "I mean… you're pretty fast."
I blinked once. Then twice.
Ivan… just complimented me?
"Come on, idiot," she said, giving my nose a shove. "Ivan to Dark Link. Wake up!"
I blinked again. "Wow… that just happened."
"Yes. But it won't happen again if you get yourself killed."
"Is he almost here?" I asked excitedly.
"Yep."
I spun around to face the door he was going to be coming through.
It opened. Out of pure excitement, I hid myself inside the tree's shadow, watching him through eyes that couldn't be seen.
He stepped through the doorway. It closed behind him, and the click of the lock turning echoed around the room.
He pivoted on his right heel, trying the doorknob. Then, realizing it was locked, spun back around. He drew his sword, glaring warily at his surroundings. He took in the ankle-deep water on the floor, the little island with a dead tree in the center, the seemingly endless mist instead of walls, and the other door on the opposite side of the room.
He inched forward.
The he started walking as he realized nothing was going to happen. His guard was still up, I noted, but he was relaxing. He walked up to the tree. He touched it, hesitantly.
"Huh." I flinched as I heard his voice. It was… exactly like mine. He frowned at the dead tree, then kept walking. He walked up to the door. "That was too easy," he said. His voice echoed around the room. He suddenly spun around - and found himself looking into my red eyes.
"Hello, Hero." I said. His eyes widened.
"What the…" He unslung his shield from his back - at the exact same moment that I drew my sword and shield.
He took a step forward. I stood rock steady. He took another step. Slowly, he came closer and closer. Suddenly, I leapt forward and swung the anti-Master Sword at him - but wait - he leapt forward at the exact same moment.
Our blades clashed in midair. We both fell back, startled. The Hero recovered first. "Navi!" He shouted at his blue fairy. "How do I beat it?"
"Conquer yourself!" Navi told him - right as Ivan started hauling on my ear, trying to get my to stand up like the Hero. "Conquer yourself!" Ivan shouted at me, right as Navi said it.
"Interesting choice of words," I muttered, but quickly stood up.
We battled on for minutes - although it seemed like hours. Every time one of us - or, I guess, both of us - tried to attack, it ended up in a painful jolt up my sword arm. However, one of us could sometimes get away with our own little pattern, cause a minor cut, or, as it happened a couple of times, a mediocre hit.
"Farore," he muttered angrily at one point. "Who the heck are you?"
A few jolts later, I reached into my pouch to pull a Sheik and throw some Deku Nuts. However, as soon as my sword arm dipped, the Hero lunged at me, and I had to throw myself sideways in order to save myself from being skewered again.
But he followed me, and, leaping forward quickly, he slashed at my legs and fell face first into the water - but jumped back away as soon as he got up.
I wasn't so lucky.
He managed to get the back of my right ankle - my thick boot helped retaliate a little bit, but the Master Sword sliced through it and hit the bone right above my ankle. Luckily, he'd been a little off balance when he made the swing, so it didn't cleave through entirely. I gasped and stumbled.
"Farore!" I shouted, nearly dropping my sword. I stumbled forward, away from him, and reached into my pouch. I pulled out some Deku Nuts, and instead of using them right then, I decided to wait and use them when I needed a diversion the most.
I went back to battling with the Hero. He was taking the moment to catch his breath and yell at Navi, which doesn't make sense. "Farore, Navi! Can't you give me any helpful advice?" he said, slashing his sword across empty air to accentuate the point.
"Hey!" I yelled at him. "Farore is my goddess. No one invoke's Farore's name but me."
"Oh yeah?" He challenged. "Well, Farore just happens to be goddess of courage. I'm courage boy." He held up his left hand, still clenched around his sword hilt, angrily. The Triforce mark on his hand glowed golden.
"Courage boy, eh?" I threw up my hand, too. "You got nothing on me. I'm the courage boy's shadow… which means I'm essentially the sa-" I never got to finish.
At that exact moment, he jumped at me and yelled, "DIN'S FIRE!" at the top of his lungs. I didn't have time to shout "woah!" much less to raise my shield, and even less time to back away. Because, right at that moment, a dome of fire exploded from him and expanded outwards, causing me to be blasted backwards and slam into the tree. For a moment, my eyesight was fuzzy.
Din's Fire. Oh, Farore. And, just to make sure Nayru didn't feel left out, I even muttered, "For the love of Nayru, when did he learn that?" And then, just as I had resolved to get up from the tree, I felt something slam painfully into the brace on my left arm.
I had just enough time to think "hookshot"when I was yanked ungracefully forward. The Hero, once I arrived, hauled me up so that we were face to face. His eyes smoldered with anger. "We are not the same," he spat. "You're a lying, thieving coward, and I'm the Hero of Time. Never say that again."
And then he hit my head as hard as he could with the pummel of his sword.
Everything turned black. I felt like I was hanging upside down - the blood was draining into my head. And then… nothing. When I woke up, it must have been a few seconds later, because he was walking away, towards the door that led to the next room. My ears were ringing, stars were dancing in front of my eyes - which wouldn't focus - and it all sounded underwater. Then I realized my one of my ears was underwater.
Slowly, I stood up. He obviously heard the water dripping off me and hitting the ground. I staggered a half-pace towards him.
He glared at me. "Look, open the door! There's no need to keep me here. I won, fair and square. You just can't die."
My throat was dry, so that when I talked it was kind of like how a frog would talk - if frogs could talk, of course. "Say that again," I told him, cackling with maniacal laughter. "Come and say that to my face." I swayed.
Everything was deathly quiet. I remembered the words of the little Kokiri girl in the Lost Woods. Everybody will become a Stalfos. And thats how I felt - like I was slowly dying, and becoming a Stalfos.
He walked up to me, sword unsheathed. I was not about to let him get out of here, unscathed, while I was still breathing - even if I was breathing my last. He looked at me, straight in the eye, and said, "You're crazy."
I stumbled to the right as the world listed sideways. He aimed a kick at me to knock him over, but I took a step forward and he, not anticipating that I was going to pitch forward out of the way, fell forward, off balance a little bit. I took the opening to grab his shield, yank him around so that we were shoulder-to-shoulder, and then I attacked.
Off balance and shocked by the sheer force of my blows - which weren't as controlled as they usually were, thanks to my wounds - we fought each other. I grimaced every time our blades clanged together as we both tried a thrust or an overhand sweep.
So did he, which only served to make us both more angry.
I realized that I wasn't gripping my shield like I normally was - my fist was clenched around something else. My eyes opened a little wider as I realized that I was holding Deku Nuts. I glanced around for a spot where I could throw them on dry land; and saw none except for the two doors in my peripheral vision - which meant… the tree was right behind me. I gradually let him push me back, giving him ground little by little at first, then pretended to tire and gave him ground faster.
He probably got excited, and starting raining blows on me faster. I desperately tried to keep up to his speed.
I gave him more ground.
And just when I thought I was done for, my right foot crunched on the sand by the tree. I backed up more.
One more step. He pushed me forward a bit.
Wait for it…
NOW! I threw the Deku Nuts - three of them at the same time, which was definitely going to be louder and brighter - and made sure to turn away, close my eyes, and raise my shield so that I wasn't blinded, too.
"FARORE!" I heard the Hero bellow. I lowered my shield and saw him doing the exact same thing I did when Sheik threw them at me - wipe the back of his sword hand across his eyes.
I kicked his sword arm so that he stumbled back, and thrust. He cried out and fell to his knees as I pulled my sword back.
I staggered away from him, completely exhausted. I groaned and fell into the tree, transporting myself to the Shadow Temple - my favorite temple other than the Water Temple.
He was dead - and I felt horrible. I'd just basically killed myself. Aside from the fact that he'd beaten me up pretty bad first, the fact he'd died hung like storm cloud over my head, and weighed me down.
I felt like puking.
I crawled into a corner, waiting to die. Each breath rattled in my lungs. Every time I breathed out a painful breath, I knew the next I drew in could very well be my last. I closed my eyes, trying to blot out the pain. My gut felt all twisted.
Something was different. Something was missing; something was wrong. I racked my brain, trying to figure it out. I had to know. Before I died, I had to figure it out.
Then it suddenly struck me.
He was gone. Master wasn't there, in my head, giving me orders.
Because he expected me to die. A wicked grin came over my face. If I didn't die, that'd mean I would be freed… And then I blacked out.
I awoke to an ocarina playing. B, A, A, D, B, A, F. Someone walked into the room, and up to the door to the Shadow Temple, which was sealed. The green-clad figure had a shield on his back, a sword drawn, and a pointy green hat.
I almost passed out. He was good as new! How did the Hero survive? I shook my head angrily - well, tried to, anyway. It came out as more of a flip-flop of my head. He went to the center of the room, and stood on the raised platform. He looked around at the torches all around the room, his gaze mercifully missing me.
"How in Hyrule…" he muttered to himself, looking at the array of torches. I looked at him, and a little bit of my gut untwisted - but it still hurt.
I blinked a couple times as he sorted through his pouch, finally trying to start a fire with his Deku Sticks. Finally, when I couldn't stand it any longer, and I realized that Master - no, Ganondorf I thought with some conviction - would never know, I quietly said, "Din's Fire."
He looked up, sharply, at the sound of his own voice. Then his expression hardened as he realized that, since it was me, I was still alive and had survived our previous encounter.
"You," he said darkly.
"Me," I agreed meekly.
"What do you want?" he demanded roughly. "And why are you here?"
"I came here after I thought I killed you. This place… my second favorite temple, and the Water Temple was just plain irritating, reminding me of you."
His gaze softened ever so slightly as he noticed my wounds.
"And I already told you what I want" -I coughed weakly- "Din's Fire."
"You want Din's Fire?" Now he just looked angry as well as confused.
"No," I rolled my eyes, "I want you to use Din's Fire to light all the torches at once."
"Why are you helping me?" He inquired.
Truth be told, I wasn't all to sure myself. I told him just that. He laughed a little bit and came over to me. His presence was distracting, I realized. With him being my counterpart - or my being his, I thought wryly - it was hard to focus on anything but him.
"I had a fairy spirit," he told me. "Now I feel like I was cheating."
"Like a true Gerudo."
"Except I'm their number-one enemy."
Oh. "Good point," I muttered.
There was a silence, which he ended when he said, "I think I have a couple fairy spirits left," he reached into his pouch, pulling out a bottle with a trapped fairy in it.
But I declined the offer by saying, "Nah, you'll probably need it to save yourself, you-"
"-big, lazy, idiot." He finished my sentence perfectly. My lips twitched into a smile.
"Anyway," he said, "here." And he unstoppered the lid to the bottle, not giving me time to reject it again.
The fairy zipped out of the bottle as fast as possible, and looked around for someone or something to heal. The Hero pointed at me. "He needs saving," he told her severely. She looked at me incredulously, up and down, and then flew out the door into the Kakariko Graveyard.
"Hey, wait!" He called, and ran towards the door, waving the bottle. "Come back!" After standing there uncertainly for a few seconds, he came back over to me and said, "So… you can die?"
I looked away from him. "Your sword, the Master Sword, is the only weapon that can actually kill me or give me a lasting wound. However, when we were fighting, anything you did, I had to counter as if it would hurt me - because it would. I think that was just because it was… you know, you."
He suddenly found the hem of his tunic extremely interesting.
"Not…" I tried unsuccessfully to clear my throat. "...your fault. I attacked first."
"But," he gestured helplessly at my wounds, "how is this not my fault?"
I stared up and the ceiling, until I broke out in a fit of coughing. He moved as if to help me, but I waved him off.
The coughing didn't stop. I doubled over. Finally, when it did, I reached up and wiped a hand across my face. It came back wet and red. I straightened. Then I put out my right arm, felt a crack in the wall, and started using that to haul myself upright.
The Hero reached out, grabbing my elbow to steady my arm.
Scorching, searing pain coursed through my body. I cried out and fell to the ground in agony. Everything around me tilted sideways, flashed red, then black, and then it all disappeared.
I regained consciousness. I was dimly aware of a presence to my left. I groaned and lifted my heavy eyelids. "You're awake!" he - the Hero - cried. I noticed he looked a bit tired.
"Maybe…" I glanced around and also realized that he'd managed to light all the torches. Now the Temple door would be opened… Must be why he was tired...
Suddenly my eyes flew open all the way, and I gasped. "The Temple!" I told him urgently. "In the Temple, you'll have to fight Bongo Bongo!"
"So?" His eyebrows narrowed. He probably knew that I was on my deathbed, and that what I was saying was key information.
"To… to beat Bongo Bongo, you can stun him with your arrows by shooting his hands. And… like a lot of enemies, his eye is his weak spot. Hit him there."
He nodded. "Go!" I commanded weakly. "Only two temples left… And there's nothing you can do for me." He nodded again. Then Navi came out from underneath his hat and said, "Come on, Link, we really do have to go."
He moistened his lips as he looked at me one last time. "Well… okay. I'll see you, Dark Link."
"Yeah." I swallowed. "See you 'round."
Then the Hero, looking determined, stepped into the Shadow Temple.
And the world spun out.
Pain.
That was the first thing I became aware of.
Music was next.
Music was countering the pain. It was filling up my consciousness, softly stroking my cheek with it's tiny hand… wait. I cracked an eye open.
Nope. That was Ivan, perched on my shoulder like she owned it. But the music was still there...and slowly, the pain started dissipating. Slowly, but surely.
"He's awake," Ivan whispered to… herself?
The music stopped. Pain flared from my ankle all the way to my head. My eyes fluttered open and I heard a familiar voice say, "How are you feeling?"
"Uh… like my foot's been cut off. How about you?"
"Like I just played music for you."' said Sheik.
"Wow, what…" I paused to catch my breath. "What a surprise."
He peered at me, clearly concerned. "Out of breath already?" He asked me.
I gave a feeble laugh. "Only because your attitude is so… breathtakingly irritating."
"Irritating?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yep," I told him.
He helped me sit up, careful not to touch my skin.
Suddenly I heard a sinister, high-pitched evil laugh.
"It's a poe!" I shouted at Sheik as I threw my hand behind my back, yanked out my shield, and set it up in front of us. I heard the clank! as it's lantern struck the metal surface.
Sheik lept up and pulled out his katana. "There's three of them," he told me grimly. "You stay here." Once again, I noticed how his voice was high-pitched.
"I want to help!" I told him, clawing at the wall for a handhold so I could stand up.
"No!" He shouted, thrusting at a poe - and hit it - but after he hit it, it disappeared and reappeared behind him.
Only one thing to do - I couldn't draw my sword, much less use it - so I threw my shield desperately at it.
It struck home - but, when the poe disappeared and died after the hit, the shield kept going just a little bit and hit Sheik in back, knocking him off balance. The poes laughed again and flew towards him.
So I jumped in the way.
It felt like I was being ground into itty bitty pieces. I never knew those lanterns could hurt so much. I heard Sheik play the Serenade of Water, felt him grab my hand (how could I not), and then we disappeared.
And reappeared. At Lake Hylia. I tore myself out of his grip, scrambled away from him, and propped myself up, back to the old gravestone - which was on the opposite side of the mini-island with the dead tree.
I took in a shuddering breath, and blew out unsteadily.
The day was so bright…Until Sheik got up. Then everything seemed to darken as he glared at me. Suddenly, I felt about as big as my pinky finger.
"What were you doing back there?" He demanded. "Do you have a death wish?"
"I was saving your sorry hide," I shot back.
"Why," he said slowly, "did you even try? I had it under control!"
"You had it handled? If that was 'under control' then I'd like to see it when you don't have it under control." I paused, rubbing my aching head, then started again. "Actually, I wouldn't like to see that."
"So? I trying to save your life!"
"And I was trying to return the favor!"
"Oh yeah?" He challenged. "You have a funny way of returning favors, I must say. I'd never have thought that repaying the person taking care of you would include - hmm, let's see - jumping on top of them to make their job harder, disobeying them, and we can't forget talking back!"
"You make it sound as if you're my mother."
His stance became more erect at that. "Excuse me?"
I rolled my eyes. "It's not like you have to help me, you know. You can stop mother-henning me and go… be a Sheikah. Which," I added as the thought struck me, "probably means you'll try to kill me again, since I'm interfering with the Hero. Now's the best chance - I'm weakened, half dead anyway, and don't have a shield." I cocked my head to one side expectantly and had a sarcastic, pained smile on my face.
He sighed with frustration. "I'd love to kill you, seriously. You deserve to die. But Link made me promise-"
"Woah, hold up!" Ivan popped out from under my hat. "Link made you promise? But he's in the Shadow Temple!"
"Well, he came out," Sheik said, glaring at her. She just glared right back, hands on her little hips, red eyes glaring. "And he pretty much ordered me to come right over to the Shadow Temple and look after you. He told me that if I didn't, he would, and that Bongo Bongo would probably escape again." He shook his head angrily and muttered, "Stubborn, pigheaded idiot."
"Sounds like you," I cleared my throat, which was dry again.
Ivan snorted, crossed her arms and said, "Hah. Yeah right. Sounds more like you."
"Ouch," I told her, "except he is me."
"Technically," Sheik said, "you're him." I frowned.
"Well… I'd better be going." I turned so that my back was facing Sheik and I could grab the edge of the grave with my hands and push. As I did, I heard Sheik inhale rather sharply.
I winced loudly as I straightened my back, reaching a hand behind to… I don't know, placate it? It was more instinctive than anything else. But that just made it worse.
I stumbled to my left as the world tipped. Everything blurred - Sheik just a blue and white blob, and Ivan just a floating, blurry red circle hovering nearby. Someone tried to say something, but it sounded underwater.
It's not that anything hurt, it just… didn't feel right. I stumbled into Sheik. He caught me, naturally. That snapped me out of it. Every inch of me seared with pain. I leaned heavily on him - he stepped back and helped me step forward so that I was leaning against the tree. I'd never realized how delicate his frame was. I shifted uncomfortably.
"Ivan!" He said, once again in that high voice. "Stay here and make sure he doesn't wander off."
"Yes, sir!"
He leaned in and said to me, "I'll be right back. Just hang in there."
And then sprinted off. I hung there for what seemed like an eternity before he came sprinting back.
"Eat this," he said, shoving something into my mouth. it was disgusting, and hard to chew, and there was no way I was going swallow that. I checked to make sure Sheik wasn't looking, then spit it into the lake quietly.
"That was nasty," I told Sheik. "Can I have some water to wash it down with?"
"No," he said shortly.
"What was it?" I peered into the lake it the floating thing. It looked like something… moving... wrapped in a leaf or something.
"It was a leaf - I forget what the leaf's called - with some worms wrapped in it."
I blinked.
"They're quite hard to come by. I had to, ah, convince the Lake Scientist to let me use it. Anyway, I'm going to have to inject a sleeping potion into your veins." He held up a needle. "It works in conjunction with the worm guts."
"Ah." My mouth was suddenly very dry. "That… makes sense. What happens if the worms aren't eaten first?"
"Not sure." That was comforting. But I guess he didn't know…"Why?" He looked up briefly from what he was doing.
"Nothing," I replied quickly. Too quickly.
"You spit it out, didn't you?"
"Nope!"
"I thought as much. Good thing I got two." He reached behind me, pulled out another one, and shoved it in my mouth, and clamped it shut this time. I shoved him off, ignoring the flaring pain as my hand slipped down his arm and collided with his exposed fingers.
Then swallowed.
"Open your mouth." He said sternly. I rolled my eyes but obliged. I felt like a small child.
"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath, "this is going to hurt."
"I'm used to it."
He raised an eyebrow, but plunged the needle into my arm, released the potion, and pulled it out again.
"I don't think I missed," he said doubtfully.
"Have you ever dealt with needles before?"
"I did have a couple of embroidery lesso-" Suddenly he stopped. His face burned red.
"Embroidery lessons?" I exploded.
"No! I meant my little sister's embroidery lessons," he said. But I could tell he was lying.
"Uh-huh. Suuure you were." I went to cross my arms, but that pulled at my back muscles and hurt like crazy. I winced and stopped.
"Let me work on that." He wouldn't meet my gaze.
He started maneuvering around me. "Woah, wait a second," I said, grabbing his arm. "You owe me an explanation for lying to me, okay?"
He was still looking away. "I already gave an explanation. And… I wasn't lying."
"Look at me and say that," I challenged him. I knew he couldn't do it, and was surprised when he looked up.
"I already told you."
I let go. "Just tell me the truth," I begged. "Ganondorf can't hear anymore. He thinks I'm dead. So I'm free. Please," I looked at him. "Please just give me a straight answer for once."
He bit the bottom of his lip. "...Okay. I've never told anyone before..."
"I grew up in Hyrule Castle," he said. "I… I'm actually a good friend of Princess Zelda's."
"You?" I asked incredulously. "No way."
"Yes way!" He shot back. "Just because I'm a Sheikah…Well.. I'll start there I guess. I'm not really a Sheikah, either."
"You're... not?" I asked uncertainly.
"Nope." He finished dressing my ankle wound - he was a lot faster than Kelly, I noted - and got to work on the scrape on my side. "I'm actually a noble girl, which is where the embroidery comes in."
"Oh," I paused for a moment, and then the full meaning of what he - er, she, I guess - just said hit me. "WAIT. WHAT?"
She wrung her hands. "I… I'm a girl. A noble girl, and I was taught embroidery."
"How…?" I was so startled that I could barely speak.
She cleared her throat. "Uh… I went into hiding, and decided that it'd be best if I wasn't a girl, in case Ganondorf… you know, wanted to capture me."
My mouth hung open.
And then I collapsed.
