Ah yes Malon has now entered the threshold… More action will ensue this scene. I hope y'all enjoy this next chapter! Keep feeding me with reviews. Makes me very happy. I'm glad Dark Link is to your liking. He is a favorite of mine and I hope I do him justice.

--

Twisted this feeling

Flesh…blood…bone…love

Twisted…

And I know

Yes I know

But is this real?

And I know

Yes I know

Flesh to blood to bone to love

But is this real?

-Is This Real? Lisa Hall

Malon stared at the curtains in surprise. What was this? It looked like a secret passage to some kind of netherworld. She quickly put that assumption from her mind. Hyrule Castle was the stronghold for good. They could never have any connection with the Dark World…could they?

She looked behind her back at the illuminated doorway she'd entered from. Nobody was there. As she turned her head back…

The curtains were parting! All by themselves as though opening from some dark act to come.

Inside she could see a long hall lined with bright torches against gray stone. At the other end was another door. It was light purple with a gold insignia in the middle where gold rays were surrounding it like a weird sun.

Malon was undecided of whether or not she was frightened or curious. Her stomach was bubbling with apprehension. All she think of was that there was this self opening set of drapes INVITING her in.

Her thoughts surged. Fright and curiosity entwined themselves around each other, mating to create confusion.

Go see what it is.

Oh yes go. No one could hear you scream, no one will hear you die.

It's Hyrule castle, who's going to hurt you here?

No thanks I choose to live, Regardless of whether she was in Hyrule Castle or at the gates of hell themselves there was no way she was taking that chance. She turned toward the exit.

Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild…

Malon froze. What was that?

She slowly allowed her head to turn in the direction of the hoarse whisper coming from the hallway. Was somebody…calling her?

Malon cautiously willed her feet to move forward. Her pulse throbbed angrily in her throat.

Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiild….

At the sound of the voice, her insides began to turn to jelly. But yet she couldn't stop her feet from moving toward the curtains.

The torches swirled and flickered as Malon came close. Dark foreboding enveloped her as the visible shadows had. They tickled her skin as though they were somehow corporal. They felt like caresses almost. Oddly enough, they were comforting. Like she could walk right into a blazing battle with just this shadow shield around her and not be touched.

The torch lights cast patches of heat onto her skin as she passed each one. Her vision was hazy. Maybe from the firelight but for some reason a voice in the back of her mind was telling her it wasn't so.

She was walking… (Felt more like floating) unsure of whether it was of her own accord or if something possessed her. Either way she was calmly striding until she stood right in front of that door.

Immediately, it dwarfed her. She was mildly surprised by its height but even more so with its decoration. It was so royal. So ornate. She hesitantly reached a hand to that odd lock symbol in the center.

It moved.

Malon snatched her hand back.

The massive door began to noisily draw up, gradually allowing her peeks of what was beyond.

There was another room. The first thing she was quick to see was the amount of maroon there was in the room. Second was the circular structure of it. Perhaps it was a forgotten ballroom. Maroon flags draped on the walls, maroon on the floor beneath, candles flickering serenely in their places as though someone had been just there. Golden globes and wine red battle tapestries hung suspended from the ceiling. The Imperial Seal was posted on the right and crossed with two swords.

But what was even more unreal was the enormous mirror that covered an entire wall, floor to ceiling.

Malon stepped inside, her slippers making soft noises in the vacant air. The bottom hems of the tapestries brushed the top of her head as she moved.

The aura of the room was for lack of a better term almost seductive. The Master of Evil could take his female victim in this room for a slow salacious dance to tempt her, draw her into the dark pleasures of the flesh and then take her life.

Why would such a room exist here? Malon thought as that familiar fear clutched her heart in a vice like claw.

Murderous seduction.

Fatal allure.

Terminal temptation.

At this Malon had begun to shiver.

But that's when the image in the mirror stopped her.

Malon was far from narcissistic but the image she saw in the mirror was absolutely beautiful.

For the first time ever, Malon didn't cringe when she looked at her reflection. Her eyes seemed almost day-glow in the dewy light. The black kohl which surrounded them was like the dark abyss that lured a man to the treasured iris it guarded and then lost him. Her hair was finally whisper soft and vibrant. The effect she had on herself was irresistible. From all the male attention she had gotten tonight, how long would it take before she became a slave to them? To constantly need and want their affection after being granted this new power. How long would it take before she had erased Link from her heart and turned this goddess in the mirror into a whore?

Completely wrapped up in her musings Malon didn't notice that the candles behind her were going out one by one like some invisible angel of death was killing them in its path.

And the door was finally going down silently.

It was dark now.

Malon's heart proceeded to race against her chest as her eyes darted around for the source of this sudden blackness.

No… no one was there.

--

Link had continued to search for Malon, purposely avoiding any sign of Talon or Ingo. But he never saw where she had run off to.

"Karik?" He hailed over a serving man. "Have you seen Malon?"

Karik raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Link sighed. "Malon. She was a masked unicorn. Red hair, blue dress-"

"Oh heck yes I saw her," said Karik. "How could I forget that one?"

Link was too worried to be disheartened. "Did you see where she went?"

Karik thought a moment. "She seemed upset. She ran off but I didn't see where she'd gone."

Link groaned. "Thanks Karik."

"It's too bad she left like that," slurred Karik. "She certainly was worth coming to the party for."

Link made his way through the throng of guests. There was this ominous lurk in the air that was unnerving him. Call it a newly acquired sixth sense but it was all around him. He asked people here and there for her whereabouts. He received a few lewd comments and looks of ignorance. Nothing useful at all.

He found himself looking up at Zelda. Her eyes clearly telling him she agreed that something was wrong.

All of a sudden, every candle in the grand ballroom went out…

The entire celebration was shrouded in darkness.

There were some confused murmurs and a few short shrieks in the crowd. The band had stopped playing.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" a male voice shouted

There were metallic rings sounding off as the guards were unsheathing their swords ready for battle which caused even more chaos.

"Men!" Link cried out, his familiar battle persona returning. "Subdue the crowds. Make haste! Keep them in the Courtyard!"

"Hurry!" came a harsh guard's call as the crowd stampeded in a panic for the doors. Link dodged fleeing civilians to get to Zelda.

"Link!" she cried in fear. "It couldn't be."

Link was about to answer when he heard the yells of Talon. "Malon! Malon!"

"Fuck," Link swore. He stumbled his way through the blackness toward where he had heard Talon's frightened call.

"Talon!" Link called back as he outmaneuvered the fleeing remains of crowd spiraling past him.

He couldn't see the older man's eyes but he knew they were panicked. "Link I-I can't find my daughter…"

Link gulped. Determined not to show his mounting fear, he put his hands on Talon's shoulders and said, "Go to the courtyard. She might have gone there. I'll look for her in here all right?"

He pushed Talon in the direction of the doors.

"Link!"

Link turned, hearing Zelda's call. Blindly, he made his way toward the sound, careful to successfully clear his obstacles.

He grabbed for the figure in front feeling the familiar gauzy cool sleeves under his fingers. "Zelda, I need to find Malon."

He could feel the force of her nodding. "I know. I fear she might have gone further into the castle."

Link groaned. That was exactly what he was dreading.

He turned his attention back on Zelda. "Listen. Get outside to the courtyard with the others. I'll find Malon."

"No," Zelda declared with a fierceness Link had maybe seen once or twice in his knowing her. "I'm going with you."

"You can't," Link argued. "You don't know what this could be. I can't risk losing you."

"I can very well hold my own Link," Zelda said back into her even tone. "Whatever this is you won't be facing it alone. If you don't like it, too damn bad."

Link recoiled at the force of Zelda's words and the mild mannered way in which she spoke them.

"All right," Link said, knowing for Malon's sake precious time couldn't be wasted arguing. "Just stay close to me."

--

All that could be heard in that red room was the frantic pounds of a daunted girl.

"Help me! Hello? Please hello!" Malon felt her throat rub raw.

She didn't see behind her that a figure was coming together in the mirror. The swirling black mist was creeping from the ground into the cool reflective glass, forming the obscure figure of the man in the mirror.

Malon spun around…

...and stared right into the lazy red eyes glowing out of the shadow face in the mirror.

Before she had the chance to scream, there was a loud crash of organ notes. It was like a mad man slammed his hands over the keys.

Malon's hands flew over her ears, breaking her contact with the eyes in the mirror.

The sound that came from the organ could only be described as poisonous. Though it was addictive at the same time. A deliciously wicked venom seeped into her body spreading its beautiful virus through her. An ugly euphoria was sprouting its fruitful vine in her belly, bringing her to her knees.

Every time Malon tried to gasp for air, the perverse giddiness made her giggle. Above the befouled aria, she could hear the sweet driving force of a soprano.

The Shadow Man emerged from the glass with the grace of a nymph stepping through the curtains of a waterfall.

Malon couldn't stay focused. Her body felt offline

Inside her mind, she was screaming at herself not to give in. Not to give in. But in her heart she knew this gorgeous feeling inside her would successfully bring her to her end.

--

Link rushed up the stairs. He had heard that all too familiar organ music. Dread was humming in his body both heating and freezing him. He held his sword in his hand ready to shed some blood at first glance of anything.

Zelda was no stranger to the battlefield but still she worried. How was it possible that Ganondorf had managed to escape the Dark Realm? Your power was immediately zapped once you were in the Dark Realm. But then again he had been able to retain the Triforce of Power…

"Link, please be careful," Zelda warned as this new information spread a new worry within her.

"I AM being careful." The steel in his voice was so razor sharp, Zelda had to feel her cheek to make sure he didn't draw blood.

He turned into the hallway where the door at the end stood. Where the music was the strongest…

He fought the element of surprise that there was such a door in the Castle. He drove on. To his chagrin, the door was locked.

"I'll handle this," Zelda said, pushing her way in front. She swung her arms out in front of her and the door blasted open.

Once they entered the room, the candles in the room ignited and flared up like live organ pipes. Link charged forward.

The wine red curtains grabbed at both of them, preventing their entry. Link mindlessly hacked his sword at them. He thrust, stabbed and slashed. The shredded cloth wept a black alien fluid as they fell at his feet.

Once they were disposed of, Link and Zelda moved on down the corridor, straight toward the purple-gold door.

--

His eyes shone dully in the dark at her as he approached without trace or step. Malon could only look up at him through shrouded eyes. Unable to fight, unwilling to resist.

It appeared as though he was extending his hand out to her. Offering her an out even if it would be her demise. The thought of it being comforting was twisted. The Shadow Man had a familiar shape that was oddly…attractive. For a moment all Malon could do was stare.

Link had gotten too close.

Once his hand reached for the door, there was a wave. A tremoring shock that raced up Link's arm, frying all the nerves it passed.

"Hyuh! Ack! Uhh!" Link grunted as forces knocked him to the floor. He was clutching, writhing as the invisible enemy attacked.

Sparing no lost time, Zelda sprang forward to disbar the spell.

For the first time, her powers failed.

"No!" Zelda cried. She threw her hands out again, but her blue energy blast only fizzled against the barrier knocking her off balance.

"Malon!" The princess screamed.

The banshee shrieks of the princess were lost on Malon. She could hear them but it was far too hazy to make out whom it was or what it was she screamed. Instead she willingly reached out for the hand of the only one who could offer her more of this unholy solace she was craving right now.

She could feel the whisper of matter that rubbed its thumb across her skin. All the more strange that she could actually feel herself being pulled to her feet. Without breaking any eye contact with this apparition, Malon allowed her dazed body to move with him.

The reflective glass of the mirror shivered, rippled as though it were made of only water.

Malon didn't fight as he led her through, into the gloom that had swallowed them both whole.

………………………………………………….

Malon is now in Dark Link's clutches… Link is passed out outside the door with a frantic Zelda screaming her name…until next time.