Chapter 10 Reflection

Two small drops chased each other along the smooth surface of the white fabric and landed without a single sound in the crystal clear water that covered the ground of the cloudy and sparse landscape. Solely a single tree stood in the middle of what seemed to be a vast scenery with no borders. As soon as Link had pushed open the door to the next room, he had stepped into another world. It puzzled him as he had expected another room of the temple but this was something his mind could not quite grip. He could not even tell how large it was since heavy fog made his vision become blurry. When he turned around, he could not even see the door he had come through. He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him or if this was another kind of magic. Navi popped out her head under Link's tunic and shook off some water. She hated this temple even more than the previous one. More than once she had felt like drowning. Her lungs were simply not big enough for these huge amounts of water that flooded the temple.

Link's gaze wandered off into the distance but there was nothing he could see. He felt completely unprotected and it sent shivers down his spine.

"Can you see or feel anything, Navi?" he asked his fairy but she shook her head.

"No, I can't feel any aura but, Link, this room is creepy. Please be careful."

He nodded and started walking around the room with the sword in his hand, ready to fight if necessary. More than once he imagined to have seen shadows shooing through the room but every time he took a close look, they had gone.

After having walked around for several minutes, he finally turned to the tree and sat down next to it. There was nothing he could do, this room was a real trap. He could neither see nor feel anything. What if he never made it out of here again? What if he was stuck here forever? And what if he was no longer inside the temple but caught somewhere in a strange world? He would probably starve to death if he wasn't killed by anything that approached him in his sleep. Once again he doubted Zelda's decision to involve him in things he had not fully understood back then. Why was he the Chosen One? Why not someone else; someone like the Sheikah whose wisdom and knowledge out-ranged his by far. He would've known what to do but Link was alone. There was no one else, no one except his fairy who didn't have the solution of the problem either.

Link shut his eyes tight. The absolute silence of the room was only disturbed by his breathing and the seldom flapping of Navi's wings. She was sitting on his shoulder and rested her head against his warm neck. The silence that lingered in this room made her feel uncomfortable and even slightly depressed. Or was it Link's depressing aura that took her in completely? She put her palm flat against his cheek and called his name but he showed no reaction. It was as if he was caught in his own thoughts.

He suddenly got up and stared at the water beneath him. This time he was absolutely sure that he had seen a face. The shadow appeared again under the water surface and fled, came back and went off again. Link followed it before Navi could protest and then we was out of sight. Soon he could not even see the tree anymore. He was completely alone and not even his fairy was anywhere close. Despair struck him as he realised that he was doomed. He let himself fall down on his knees and touched the water with both hands. It felt cool and slightly odd as well, as if there was something underneath the surface he could not see, only touch. And suddenly, the silence got interrupted. Voices seemed to close in on him from everywhere; voices he knew from his past. They became louder and louder until he couldn't bear it any longer and pressed both hands flat against his ears. He heard Saria calling his name, Zelda telling him that he could never meet her expectations, Ganondorf laughing at him for being a fool and in the end there was only one voice left. It was his own. He slowly removed his hands from his ears and stared at the water, so clear that he could see his own reflection. And even though he knew this face staring back at him, there was something so strange about it that he found it hard to believe that this was him. He put one hand on the water and his reflection did the same. And then he sank in.

When he opened his eyes again, the fog was gone. He was lying on the ground with all limbs spread from his body and with his face in the water. Slowly he rose to his feet and looked around. The room had changed and he could finally see walls and a door. When he approached the tree calling for Navi he felt a strange sensation, like he was no longer alone. As he did not receive an answer from his fairy, he tried calling her again.

"Navi? Where are you?"

"Are you looking for this?"

Startled, he turned around and gasped for air.

Yes, it had been his own voice he had heard. The person he was facing was himself. For a moment he did nothing but stare; stare at himself and being stared at from himself.

Until he realised that his other self was holding a tiny fairy in his hand, ready to crush her every moment.

"Let her go," he growled angrily and grabbed his sword.

His other self laughed and opened his hand. The fairy fell down and remained motionless on the ground.

"You bastard, who are you?" Link rushed forward and swung his sword but his opponent blocked the attack with his own sword. There was no doubt, even his sword looked exactly like the master sword. He was a perfect copy.

"I am you. The dark side of your mind. I was born out of your despair and frustration."

Link attacked once more but again his sword was being warded off. The moves of his copy were the same as his own, it was as if he could read Link's mind. Or maybe he just knew.

"What do you want?"

He laughed again. "The same as you I guess. Or rather the things your evil mind wants. Those things you would never admit to be longing for."

"What are you talking about?"

With one swift move he raised his arm and swung his sword. The blade cut through Link's shirt and left a bloody gash on his skin.

"You talk too much and let your guard down. This is not the time for discussions. I'm sure we will meet again."

With a grin he piled the handle of his sword into Link's stomach and then he was gone.

Coughing, the hero steadied himself on the tree and panted for air. When his vision had become clear again, he hastily bent down and picked up the small fairy. She was still unconscious but at least she was breathing.

Boiling with anger, he punched the tree with his fist. "That bastard!"

After a moment he finally picked up his sword and shield and aimed for the door.

The bastard was going to pay for this.