The horrible scream even resonated in Link's cell dimly, but he still bolted awake. Immediately he looked at his surroundings. He was in a cramped, dark cell of decaying stones and fresh smell of death. He was bound by chains, his back against a cold wall, arms extended upward in an annoying position. He then finally looked next to him; Zelda was there, unconscious, captive in the same way he was. Link's courage faded as he gasped in pure horror and called her name over and over again.
"Please, princess, wake up...! Sheik! Do you hear me? Come on, please..." But it was in vain. The wound on her head proved the fact that she wouldn't wake up just yet.
How long have we been here?
He struggled hard to get near her even if his chains wouldn't allow much of it. The closer he could get to her, he rested his forehead on her's gently, whispering pleas for her to be okay.
Slowly the lock of their cell screeched and the door opened, revealing just what Link had been fearing for. He pressed his forehead a little more against Zelda's, as if trying desperately to protect her.
"Greetings, old brother." The dark one said, smirking and crossing his arms on his chest in amusement. Link started to panic as he noticed the wicked man before him was clutching a spiked whip in his left hand.
"I've been wanting to hear you scream and beg for my mercy on your knees for far too long, 'hero'! You shall pay for what you did to me ages ago! You just can't even start to realize how much I've been waiting for this ecstatic moment to arrive..." The whip snapped on the ground beside him, making Link cringe into the wall in surprise. The Hero of Time glared at him the same way he had done back at the castle's assault. The whip cracked another time in emptiness, but Link wasn't afraid. He wouldn't let himself fall for this evil creature's machinations, and even less beg for his mercy. Courage shone in him like a sun piercing the clouds and the Triforce mark on the back of his left hand glowed fiercely.
"Very good...!" Laughed Dark Link, actually content that his eternal rival was showing some opposition to him. He relished all the thoughts and possibilities he had plotted for this very man to lose every inch of courage, hope and love whatsoever, and finally his work could be accomplished, his mind set at ease.
The three were reunited at last, like it happened so many years ago, in that alternate timeline, only now… it was slightly different. Dark Link had voluntarily not spoken to Ganondorf what he was about to do now with the Hero of Time. But, remembering that his master ordered to have them 3 alive so the seal could vanish, the hero's counterpart saw no objections to have a bit of fun with them, as long as they were staying alive, before the ceremony. Content that such a chance had been given to him, Dark Link chuckled under his breath.
"Courage is the one thing I'll never toss aside!" Link muttered with a blast of determination, as if he could read the evil minion's thoughts. He was going to face this as a man, no, as the Hero of Time, as he always promised he would. He hung his head high and spat at the feet of his evil twin in disrespect. Dark Link's chuckles stopped and he punched the hero in the ribs for such a foolish action. Link gasped and coughed but still an undying, greenish flame of pure courage shone on the back of his hand.
Dark Link grunted happily and suddenly, all the locks from Link's chains fell open, and the warrior was released from his binds. He tripped on his steps for a moment, his legs feeling weak and numb, but quickly regained his balance and stood ready to fight.
"I want to hear you scream!" Dark Link said madly. His whip cracked in the air again, aiming for Link's face, but he had just enough time to put his arms up for protection. A second after he was hit, a thick line of bright-red blood began trickling down to his elbows. It stung like hell, but now was definitely not the time for pain, for again the whip snapped and cut through the air, hitting swiftly at his throat and chest. Link let out and short scream, and instantly regretted it.
"Oh, yes...!" Yelled Dark Link with mad enjoyment.
He is insane, Goddesses he is completely insane!
In a sudden, renewed burst of adrenaline, Link lunged forward as the whip slashed for him yet again, and he grabbed its end with his right hand, the whip twisting and clinging around his wrist. Pulling it hard towards him, the startled Dark Link lost his balance and this was the perfect time for the hero to punch him with all his might. As Ganondorf's son fell backwards from such an unexpected move, the whip slipped from Link's grip, aggravating even more the deep cut in his hand.
"Insolent scum!!" Dark Link screamed, furious. Link was weaker, and the punch hadn't delivered the damage it would have normally did. As he was about to leap on his twin on the ground and beat him to death, the dark one kicked Link's stomach so hard he lost his breath for several seconds, and he fell shamefully on the ground. As he was trying to catch his breath again, Dark Link got up and walked towards the lifeless form of Zelda.
"I am not finished with you brother, and I have just the right thing to make you stand again!" He gazed lustfully at the princess before snapping his whip nearer to her weak body.
"Don't you dare... touch her..." Link muttered between ragged breathings. He stood uneasily and hurried between Zelda and his dark brother, embracing her tightly, letting his back face him in dangerously. Dark Link smirked as a new idea occurred to him.
"How much can you take for the one you love before finally surrendering to your pain? For finally you will realize that in the end your love for her was not as strong as you would like to imagine." He laughed evilly like an amused, sick little child, and strangely, it reminded Link of Ganondorf. His embrace on the princess grew stronger as he anticipated the pain to come.
The first cracking sound echoed and the pain was awesome, but the blond warrior bit his tongue hard and did not scream. He didn't want for her to wake up in such an horrible way, he wouldn't let Dark Link get what he wanted. Fresh blood soon started flowing off his body as he was trying to breathe the most calming way he could, but each strike he received seemed worse than the previous.
Sensing a presence very close to her, and the heat emanating from another person's body, Zelda's eyes painfully opened to discover a crying Link above her. A humongous wave of dark emptiness struck her, and the undeniable feeling of being all alone, torn in half, invaded her mind like a devastating flood, and her eyes watered instantly. She tried the best she could to ignore the horrid, bizarre new feeling.
"L-Link!" She gasped, and his eyes opened to look down at her with such worry and pain, tears began flowing down Zelda's cheeks. She felt Link's body jerk stiff after a loud cracking sound. Quickly gazing past his shoulder she saw and understood everything with much terror. The whip came again, and this time its spikes struck true into Link's wounded, bloodied back, forcing a long and horrible scream from him as Dark Link pulled it out hard. An ugly sound of ripping skin was heard, followed by the dark one's sick moans and laughter. Link wouldn't stand this much longer; a lot of his blood was already spilled on the ground below him, his face was ghostly pale and his whole body shook with exhaustion. His vision blurred and doubled dangerously, making it hard for him to clearly identify the floor from the ceiling, and causing him immense waves of nausea. He still managed to smile weakly at her.
"Stop trying to protect her, 'hero', and I'll stop whipping you!"
But Link heard nothing of his twin's evil temptations, he instead tried to forget the unending sting in his back and focused on her. Nothing in the whole world would be making him surrender to his duty; his destiny. He had promised himself he would forever be her faithful knight, protecting her until the very end of him.
"I'm... s-so glad you're o-okay..." He muttered, stuttering from the ever-growing weakness making its way through his crushed body. Zelda cried more as she tried to heal him, but she was far too weak. She wanted to say something but no sound would just come out between her trembling lips. Link lowered his forehead onto her's again, his feet involuntarily giving way under him.
"Please... d-don't cry..." He whispered, but just because he said it, it made her cry even more. She felt so helpless and weak, dizzy from all that was so suddenly happening, and this horrifying feeling of something missing inside her didn't stop from growing wider.
"I would d-die before... he gets t-through to you..." He whispered again, and even the simplest of words took him a whole load of energy only to mutter. Slowly he was slipping from her, his grip loosening dangerously...
And he crashed down, hitting his head hard on the ground; beaten, fallen, dying. Zelda's vision became blurred with new tears as Dark Link approached her, smiling ever so evilly. That was it. She was alone now, on her own. She called for Sheik but nothing happened; she was so completely alone. The dark twin's fingers brushed against her cheek, tracing down to her neck, alongside her breast until he stopped at the delicate curve of her hips. A low, primal moan escaped his throat.
"No... Please don't..." She begged as more tears cascaded down her reddened cheeks. As he was about to grip the back of her head fiercely and taste her sweet-looking lips, A Gerudo guard stopped by the entrance of cell, panting.
"Master, he is awake. And you must report to Master Ganondorf, for the ceremony preparations have started." She said, avoiding to have to look in the cell.
"Ah, so that traitor is awake," Dark Link muttered with annoyance. "This shall have to wait."
Angrily he left, locking the door behind him, and Zelda fell into the heavy darkness again. A faint glimmer of light from a torch outside the cell allowed her to look down on Link's unconscious body.
Even in this state, he still looked so peaceful... like it was the only time he could really be. No battles to fight, no enemies to face, no heroic destiny whom is not to deceive... Seen this way, death seemed rather tempting. But the princess quickly shut these thoughts as soon as they appeared, for she feared it would be true. Impa's words of wisdom came to her, words that had shocked her in the past, but now, she was scared of understanding its meaning.
"Freedom is for the dead."
Still, she refused to believe such a thing.
"Link! Please wake up!" She pleaded, and relieved to hear him groan painfully, coming back to the solid world. He tried several times to get up, always slipping on his own blood or lacking power in his arms to support his own weight. He finally managed to stand, using the wall for balance, his footsteps unsure and his body trembling. His head came resting on Zelda's shoulder and he groaned to her again; his voice filled with pain and sadness. She wanted so much to surround him with her embrace, to be able to move, to touch him, to find a way out with him, to be brave... but she was still chained to the wall, helpless, unable to do anything, crying.
"You shouldn't stand up, Link..." She whispered in his ear calmly. She heard him give a silent, halfway-spoken chuckle.
"I'll... be fine... I'm so sorry I've f-failed you..."
Her heart shattered when these words escaped his mouth. Several tears cascaded down her cheeks again, and she wasn't controlling her emotions very well. After he got almost killed protecting her, he was still sorry he couldn't do better? She didn't know what to think, what to reply... he never hesitated, never thought twice about risking his life for her, no enemies were too powerful, no odds were too great, as long as he knew he had her friendship. In these weakly-pronounced, but still powerful-meaning words, she realized once again in a flash just how much of a true, dashing hero he was. No other would have been more suited to be given the title of Hero of Time; Link's heart was pure and true, and it kept fighting with awesome tenacity for what it was believing in.
"Oh, Link... Please don't say that... Nothing happened, don't worry. Nayru was on our side, he left-" Their conversation was cut short by the loud, creaking sound of the cell's door opening. Link turned around and stood on his own, facing the entrance. Dark Link seemed surprised for a second, but soon gave a wicked grin.
"Already up I see, how convenient, I must say. I've brought a friend for you two." Saying this he reached for something outside the cell, and violently shoved someone in. Link quickly glanced at the man who tripped and fell down beside him, groaning painfully. He didn't know him, and in fact he was sure he didn't even see him once before. He looked confusedly at Dark Link.
"Oh, Goddesses..." Zelda gasped in utter shock of what was alive before her very own eyes. "Sheik!!"
Before Link could turn around and question Zelda's strange behavior, Dark Link gripped his forehead with one of his hand so strongly that Link couldn't muster enough power to pull away.
"Link! My master has something to show you!"
Against his own will, Link closed his eyes as thousands of images began flowing one after the other in his mind. He felt the presence of the Great Evil yet couldn't seem to know of its location, and it terrorized him. The feeling of forced thoughts and unknown memories was bringing him a terrible headache, but he could still see the strapping silhouette of a Sheikah warrior, laughing, plunging a short sword into a tall man's throat. It was almost is if he felt he was that man, as he felt like it was he who was choking in his own blood, making awful gurgling sounds in feeble attempts to reach for air and breathe.
Then he saw a woman with exceeding beauty and remarkably long hair running to the forest, killing herself from exhaustion to try and save her child. As her legs wouldn't support her anymore, she tripped and fell down in the forest's entrance, clutching her crying baby boy close to her and she cried one last time. For an instant the baby was alone, frantically tugging at her mother's clothes in fear and insecurity, not understanding what was happening around him. Then a great owl appeared from the sky above, gripping the baby in his talons gently, and flew like the wind into the deep, secretive woods...
Link screamed and coughed as Dark Link's hand left his head, he jerked up and turned around towards the silver-haired man standing behind him, several inches taller than him. Dark Link left once more, but Link took no notice, his eyes full of hatred like Zelda had never seen were focused on Sheik's.
Sheik who had been separated from Zelda in a way that they had both yet to discover.
"Sheik...!?" Link's eyes widened as he walked uneasily to him, shocked to discover Sheik's true self apart from Zelda and also by Dark Link's revelations. He couldn't actually be believing this, it couldn't be true, couldn't be him... so far back... and still he was there, unchanged except for these long, plaguing scars across his body. He gazed at him up and down; noticing he was but wearing only the lower half of what was once his Sheikanh suit; it had clearly been ripped and even burnt at some places. In his deep, crimson-red eyes he could recognize that cold, almost uncaring stare. But right now they were... different.
"I... I want to hear it from yourself... Sheik..." Link said. "Is it... true? Please tell me it's not..." He had grown fond of the man, appreciating him in his ways even though he was often unpredictable and quick to upset. He had been saving his life several times when he was traveling from one temple to the other, and helped him in times of great need or lack of courage. They shared a rather friendly rival-like bond. The kind of bond warriors hold with each other silently, without ever speaking of it, but still knowing and cherishing its meaning all too well.
Sheik looked at him with sad eyes, filled with a piercing sorrow and guilt. He got down on his knees before Link, exposing all of himself to him. Zelda was quietly sobbing, Link was gritting his teeth in disbelief and shock, Sheik closed his eyes slowly.
"It is the truth." Was all that needed to be said. What more could he had possibly said? Certainly not that it was his own father's fault, or that it was because of his hard past, no. He was the only one responsible for what happened, he was still completely awake and aware when he did it. Then, he would certainly not be begging him to forgive him, this was far beyond rational thoughts. He killed Link's father, and his mother, in a way. Sheik was very aware that Link trusted him, and when he was sure it had really been his parents he killed back then... He said nothing. Of course he couldn't be a hundred percent sure of it, but as he watched Link grow there seemed to be a striking resemblance to that man he had carelessly killed that night. During some of his short sleep hours he refused to see Zelda, and the haunting memories came back to him, telling him how much of a bastard he was. But he had to help him defeat Ganondorf at this time, and did not need to make Link's mind wander on some other things than that, for a single moment of distraction could have ended the Hero of Time's life fast. There was no more needed to be said, and both knew it. Sheik thought about the unspoken bond, and imagined it stretching and ripping in two violently.
Link's disbelief and shock turned to powerful anger, as he threw himself on the awaiting Sheik and punched him so hard he fell on his back with a loud thud. Link pinned his arms down using his knees and weight and punched him and again, with such a force that outstanded his body's condition.
Never did Sheik protest, struggle nor fight back.
"Link! I beg of you! Please stop this! Link!!" Zelda sobbed, knowing there was nothing to do at that time, when Link met the very man that had robbed him of his whole life without a care.
"You bastard! You killed my father!! Sick bastard full of shit!!" Link screamed and cried at the same time, his punches becoming weaker with each movements, as the anger and adrenaline slowly faded and left him. He was panting, shaking -out of pure rage or exhaustion he did not know-, and felt a violent urge to vomit. His upper body tottered for a second, and Sheik had just enough time to bring himself up and catch him as he collapsed, blacked out. Despite Sheik's horrible physical state, he was still able to support Link's weight in his arms. The red-eyed warrior was bleeding from mostly everywhere on his face, just when the burning eye on his back had begun to stop aching so excruciatingly. But he reminded himself once again that he did deserve this. Of all things, he wished he could die by Link's hands.
He was in his own body, by some miracle or curse he could not tell, but that meant that now he could die and it wouldn't be harming Zelda. But... no, now wasn't yet time, she still needed him, and he already understood his role perfectly. He cradled Link in his arms, careful not to hurt him in any way. Through her tears, Zelda could see in Sheik's eyes such an immense sorrow and infinite sadness it instantly reminded her of the first time she had met him, in that cavern so long ago. Sheik closed his teary eyes, backing himself against the nearby wall, carefully dragging the limp Link with him.
"I deserved so much more than only this..." He whispered, still loud enough for Zelda to hear. He gave a long, heavy sigh and his breathings seemed to tremble; like he was on the verge of crying.