Thirteen:
The Water Temple was cold, dank and eerily quiet. Around every corner there lurked some kind of water monster set on killing and or eating me, and I began to worry my sword would become blunt from striking all of their hard carapaces – which seemed to be an attribute developed by almost all the creatures lurking in the deep blue depths and murky corridors.
It was also horribly lonely, especially if you were as lost as I quickly became. One, twice, three times. I could regain my bearings by retreating into the temple's grand central hall, but there were so many corridors leading outwards from it, so many rooms and antechambers to explore that all sense of direction was quickly lost in a blur of grey stone and echoing footsteps. As I went I tried to step as lightly as possibly, for it felt as though the slightest noise that wasn't the call of some creature or the gentle drip of water on the smooth, glistening floors would bring some horrible demise down upon me. Though I felt this I wasn't, necessarily, scared. Apprehensive, perhaps, abandoned, yes, but not scared. I could fight the monsters I came across, and work my way back if I became lost, but the air had a certain oppressive feel to it that had me feeling jumpy and nervous. It was musty and heavy with moisture, and after a while walking around in it made the cold water almost inviting whenever I plunged back into it.
I had quickly given up all hope of finding Dark, and felt that even if our paths crossed he would avoid me or I him, hiding in shadows or beneath water and passing by unnoticed. In the beginning I had tried to call him back with the intention of confronting him or, perhaps, apologising for the harm I had apparently done, but my voice had echoed horribly and led a number of curious creatures straight to my location, so I had given up and instead decided to try and find his next counterpart alone. So far I had had no luck, though I was steadily narrowing down the number of places to look. There were a number of inaccessible alcoves and ledges that I had no hope of reaching, but inside the temple my spells held true and I could easily explore its watery depths.
It was as I resurfaced after another unsuccessful exploration of another newly discovered hallway that I was overcome with the distinct impression that I was being watched. Staying where I floated, legs kicking gently to keep myself afloat, I glanced about me, searching for the feeling's source. My eyes immediately jumped to the patches of shadow painting the walls and floors nearest to me, half expecting to catch a glimpse of red amongst the black. I shifted uncomfortably, tempted to simply renew my spells and sink back beneath the surface. Fighting instinct as I continued to see nothing I instead climbed out slowly, the water dragging as if to pull me back to where I knew there was relative safety, rising to my feet and once more casting my eyes about my surroundings. Still nothing, though the sensation wasn't fading in the slightest.
"Dark…?" I tried hesitantly, a half formed hope rising before I forcefully squashed it. I would not be glad to see him, I would not be happy to regain his presence at my side, and I most certainly would not be disappointed when he didn't respond. Sighing harshly at myself I walked on, hoping to escape the sensation, making my way around the thin walkway that surrounded the central structure. Since his reawakening my feelings towards Dark had been confused and inconsistent, and I tried to tell myself I was glad to be away from him. Even if it did render me completely alone in a temple full of monsters.
"Goddesses help me." I murmured, beseeching help for both myself and my situation. Moving on I rounded one of the structure's corners and paused, staring across the short distance of water towards a door I distinctly remembered being locked when I had passed it last. It stood alone in the room's most gloomy, tucked away corner and I had disregarded it upon seeing the heavy chains encompassing it, but now they were gone and I was free to explore. I knew what had happened to them, of course, and as I crossed the gap and stood before them saw exactly what I had expected; they had not been unlocked, but cut. Dark was beyond the door, and I suddenly found myself very unwilling to face him, in case I was shouted at again. I did not appreciate being shouted at.
"Pull yourself together Zelda." I told myself firmly, readjusting my scarf and pulling the door open. It went easily, quietly, and I stepped inside, closing it behind me with a soft click. The first impression I got was that it was just one long room but as I moved forward I saw that there was, in fact, a drop in the centre. I could not tell how far it went down, and didn't have time to try and process it as I quickly backed up a step. Great. Now what was I supposed to do? Across the room I could see a number of platforms moving down the opposite wall and I watched them go for a moment, judging they were too far apart to simply jump from one to the next.
Cold ghosted across the back of my head and a shiver shot down my spine as I turned with the distinct impression that someone had just exhaled against my hair. There was nothing there, just the door and the grey walls, and I rubbed my hands against my forearms to try and rid them of the goosebumps that had risen along my skin. Wary of the drop below me I moved a little closer to the door, tempted to pace as I considered my situation. I could attempt a teleportation but without anything to anchor myself to on the opposite side, as far as I could see, it seemed like a bigger risk than necessary. It suddenly occurred to me that I should really try and hone my skills, if I wanted to be of any use to anybody. However for all I knew Dark could have already been and searched over there and so there was no need whatsoever for me to cross the ravine. Crossing back to the ledge I peered down with a shudder, glad to find a platform not far below that could catch me if I fell. The thought of falling made my stomach clench painfully and I swallowed.
Soft breathing behind me alerted me to another presence and I, again, turned quickly. There was someone right there. Upside down, his black cloak brushing the floor, white hair dangling messily from his scalp, and his red eyes much much too close. Instinctively I stepped back, startled, and my foot hit the edge before plunging down onto the slanted wall below. I suddenly found myself falling down the steep slope, rolling as I distinctly heard a soft curse before me. My back hit solid, flat ground and the air was forced from my longs as pain splintered along my spine and my skull clackedsoundly against the surface. Lying quite still I gasped for air, suddenly rendered unable to breathe as I stared up at the ceiling, not really paying it any attention.
"Princess?" Dark appeared over the ledge I had fallen from, looking somewhat startled. I tried to reply but still couldn't breathe properly so I flailed my limbs slightly with as much of a groan as I could muster, hoping I portrayed my annoyance. This was the second time he'd made me fall from a ledge and I hoped to the goddesses it would be the last. My nerves couldn't handle repeated falls like this. There was a cruel laugh as he appeared beside me, leaning over and peering at me a little too closely.
"You look like a turtle." He said by way of explanation and I scowled at him around a few more feeble coughs. He offered a hand and I took it after a moment, letting him pull me to my feet. Grimacing as my head and back throbbed I rubbed the sore areas and peered at him somewhat apprehensively, wondering if he was going to shout at me again. He caught the look and shifted in a way that was obviously uncomfortable, not quite meeting my eye.
"I've been looking for you." I managed, shifting slightly in an attempt to alleviate a little of the pain. All I got for my troubles was more and I winced, focusing my attention instead on Dark. He wouldn't meet my eyes and looked almost embarrassed, and I couldn't help but smile a little.
"Have you been looking around too?" We were both uncomfortable and I saw no need to bring up our little, very one-sided 'argument', though I was willing to listen should he pursue the subject.
"Yeah." He still wouldn't meet my eyes and looked close to even shuffling his feet. "I haven't found anything yet."
"I see." We lapsed into silence, and it was the most awkward I had ever felt around him, and I felt the strangest desire to apologise for the actions he had condemned me for, even though I saw them as perfectly justified.
"Listen, Dark-" I broke off as he vanished, melting into the shadows in that unnerving way of his.
"Well, princess, what are you waiting for?" Turning to seek his voice I saw him peering down at me from the other side of the room, barely visible above the tall ledge. Apparently he had no desire to discuss his earlier outburst, even if it was me simply apologising, and I distinctly caught the flash of white teeth as he grinned down at me. Rolling my eyes I edged my way towards the end of the platform, casting a brief, nauseating glance at the abyss below me and then backing away again. Drawing a long, shaky breath I raised my eyes and fixed them on Dark's bright hair.
"Don't move." I called, my anxiety lending an imperious edge to my voice that wasn't supposed to be there. It helped mask my fear though, so I was glad of it. Taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly I concentrated, feeling a slight strain run through me as I realised I had used more magic than I had thought. It would still be enough though, surely? Casting my doubts aside I focused, trying to remain as calm as I could in the face of such risky magic. I had done this before, over a sea of lava in fact, so I could do it again. It would be easy, child's play really. Wasting no more time I threw myself into the spell, spinning into the crushing darkness. It passed in a moment and my feet hit solid ground as colour flooded my vision. My landing was more graceful this time and I steadied myself with no help from Dark, though he was close enough to do so. I stepped quickly forward, uncomfortably aware of the drop behind me, with its treacherous moving platforms and quiet waterfall.
"Very impressive." Dark said in a bland tone that made me feel like I was being mocked before he moved past me to the the door ahead, which like the one before was held shut by a crisscross of silver chains. Making short work of them Dark disappeared into the next room and as I watched his retreating form I wondered if, perhaps, it would be better if we simply explored on our own and then reunited at a further point. Following slowly I pondered how best to propose this idea to him.
"Come on, princess. Hurry up." He poked his head out around the door, apparently exasperated. "We haven't got all day, right?" Oh, so now I was the impatient one? He grinned at me when I scowled; apparently he was set on disregarding his 'lapse of character', enough that he could joke about it. Sighing I relented, deciding not to let it bother me; as long as things weren't awkward between us it would be fine.
The next room was a puzzling mix of platforms and strange technology, and by the time I reached the other side I was flustered and tired, my bruised back aching fiercely. I could have teleported, as Dark pointed out quite quickly, but I had felt the strain of my previous teleportation and wanted to conserve the magic I had left in case of emergency.
There was a line of spikes guarding the entrance to the next room, and as I picked my way through them with utmost care Dark dispatched a Like Like that was hovering before the door and I approached as its remains dissipated in a cloud of reddish smoke. The door it had been guarding was simple but apparently made of gold or some metal coloured to look like it, with a strange engraving on its front and two monstrous statues standing on either side of it. Dark joined me with quick, agitated movements and I cast him a glance from my peripheral vision.
"Are you alright?" I asked with a little trepidation and for a moment he simply stared at the door.
"Fine. It's through here."
"The piece of your soul?" He nodded firmly in answer to my question, though his expression said he was unsure. I stepped forward, meaning to try and open the door though it appeared to have no handle, and it slid upwards with a quiet hiss at my approach. Something like unease ran through me; there was something foreboding about the room beyond. All I could see was a pale silvery-white, like mist. No walls, no floor. Just billowing clouds of pale vapour. Steeling myself I passed into the room and Dark had barely followed me in when with a loud, ringing clatter, the door fell shut. The sound seemed strangely muffled, and I half expected some kind of barricade to appear across the metal, effectively blocking our exit. Turning away from it I stared out across the room. It was vast, or at least it seemed like it was. The floor was covered by a thin layer of water than splashed and rippled when I moved, but it reflected the white… sky above so completely that it seemed to stretch out forever beneath me. The walls, too, if there were any there, reflected the room's pallor, so that it looked as though it had no end whatsoever. Some three hundred paces ahead there was another door, barely visible through the fog, and there was something like an island in the middle, on which stood a single, dead tree, its bark black and rotten. Striking out for that island I listened to the quiet 'splishes' that followed me, somewhat unnerved by how it felt like I was standing on a thin pane of glass that could shatter at any moment and send me plummeting into the white nothingness.
Quickening my pace I reached the island in a matter of seconds and halted beside the tree, staring out at my surroundings. Shivering I hugged myself, the damp clinging to my clothes doing nothing to keep me warm.
"What the…?" Turning I found Dark a few metres away from the island, a frown on his face. "What's going on? It's supposed to be here!" He glanced around in short, frantic movements. "Where is it?" Spinning a full circle he came to a halt once he was facing me again, and I could clearly see the consternation in his expression despite the distance.
"Is everything alright?" Not that I hadn't gathered that it wasn't from his actions and almost nervous mutterings.
"No, princess, everything is not alright." His voice was sharp and cutting and I frowned, not appreciating the rebuttal. Then again I had probably deserved it for asking such a stupid question.
"What's wrong?" I tried again, though my voice was a little harder than it had been a moment ago.
"It's supposed to be here!" He said, voice rising slightly. "But it's not- where is it?" I was startled when he sudden ran his hands viciously through his hair, tugging harshly at the pale locks. I started forward, intending to stop him, when he suddenly wobbled and sat down with a soft splash. Putting his head in his hands as if tired he groaned softly, swaying slightly.
"Dark?" I took a step forward but something stopped me before I could leave the island. Somehow I really didn't want to step on the wide, flat floor that seemed to be made of nothing but vapour. Suddenly slumping sideways Dark let out a long sigh, curling up where he lay.
"What are you doing?" I forced myself to step from the island, moving to his side and standing over him. His eyelids fluttered gently.
"Lying down." He said in a sleepy murmur so very different to his borderline hysterical tone moments before. "You just go on ahead… I'm gonna stay here, okay princess?"
"No, that's not okay." I nudged him gently with a foot. "Get up." He barely reacted, just curled up a little tighter. Though sorely tempted to just kick him again, harder, I stooped down and grabbed one of his legs, dragging him by his foot to the island. Luckily it wasn't particularly far because Dark was heavy. He protested softly at my actions, which was worrying because normally he would probably have been reaching for his sword the moment I nudged him. Instead he let himself be dragged along limply, and worry twisted in my stomach. He had seemed so much better – was he weakening again? And if so, just how quickly would he deteriorate if it had only taken this long to get him unable to move? His protests became a little louder as his face and side scraped against the rougher surface of the island and he shifted enough so that he was propped up against the tree, head lolling limply.
"Seriously, Dark." I peered at him in concern. "What's going on?"
"I just… don't want to leave." He murmured, eyes roaming softly under their lids. "Something's calling me… want to… stay here…" He yawned and his head slumped further, until his chin was resting gently against his chest. Clicking my tongue softly I folded my arms and frowned at him. Apparently the temple was having some effect on him, specifically the wide, white room, and my best course of action would probably be to get him out of it. Still frowning I ventured back onto the floor, crossing to the door I had not come through. It was almost identical to the entrance and I surveyed it, wondering if it would open as smoothly as the other had when I approached. Glancing over my shoulder I, for one heart-stopping moment, thought I could no longer see Dark but then I made out his silhouette against the dead tree, although from where I stood it seemed to flicker and waver, as if not fully substantial. There was something very off about the room I currently stood in.
Crossing back to his side I knelt for a moment, surveying him, before I sighed harshly and hauled him upright, hooking one of his arms around my shoulders and dragging him in the direction of the door. He wouldn't cooperate, however, and at one point even started struggling as if to get away from me in order to remain under the tree, whiling away his oh-so precious time. I was struck with a vague sense of déjà vu, and briefly recalled supporting him like this in Hyrule field what felt like an age ago.
"Din, lend me strength." I muttered as I staggered under his weight, again, and managed a few more steps. The door seemed painfully far away and I was beginning to feel the first waves of irritation wash through me, gentle ripples at first that quickly grew larger at his continued uncooperativeness.
After what seemed like an age I finally got Dark to the door which, thankfully, opened without a protest once we were close enough. As soon as we were through I dumped him on the floor, breathing heavily and listening to ominous clatter of the door shutting. The room I found myself in was dark, gloomy in comparison to the bright room before, but it was so much warmer and so very not threatening that I couldn't find it in myself to mind the shadows.
Dark began to stir after a minute or so, pushing himself upright and gazing around him blearily.
"Feeling better?" I asked, my annoyance unintentionally creeping into my tone and he squinted up at me for a moment before rubbing his eyes slowly, blinking around at his surroundings for a moment longer.
"Where are we?"
"The Water Temple." I said, not particularly tempted to be helpful though I relented a moment later. "It's the room after that weird white one. It really affected you, didn't it?" There was next to no concern in my voice, which was still a little breathless, and I felt a little bad for his confused expression but, really, he had been acting terribly strange since we had entered the temple and it was grating on my nerves, making me uneasy.
"Uh…" He trailed off, apparently teetering on the verge of saying something before he thought better of it and instead clambered to his feet, dusting down his now somewhat damp clothes. It was the second time he wouldn't meet my eyes.
We didn't speak as we traipsed on, though I could feel his disappointment and annoyance at the distinct lack of Link pieces mirrored my own, and I considered asking him where he was being pulled before I remembered his sense of direction had been dulled since we had entered the temple. All the same, we ended up back in the central chamber after a journey through a particularly terrifying channel of water full of great, swirling whirlpools. I somehow made it through them, though I was considerably lower on magic and stamina by the time I escaped their dragging clutches. After catching my breath I headed deeper into the temple with Dark, for once, trailing at my heels.
An hour, maybe two, passed before we were stood before a tall, horribly steep corridor guarded by a series of strange, spikey, mechanical devices that slid back and forth with ominous metallic screeches and sharp clangs when they collided with the walls. The sight of them sent a shiver down my spine; there was something a lot more fearsome about a soulless, man-made device than a monster that could be killed with one or two strikes of a sword. It didn't help that there was something cloying and dark hanging in the air the closer the door at the end of that short, dim corridor became. It was, at this point, quite familiar. Ganondorf. Apparently he had been here, and apparently he had cursed the temple. How exactly he had enough power to alter such sacred places with such powerful spells was beyond me, as was the reason he had chosen to curse this temple, not any of the others. Perhaps he was just making rounds and would visit them all in the end. I absolutely could not allow him to continue desecrating such beautiful and sacred places. He was despicable.
"Well, princess?" Dark called down to me from the top of the slope and I rolled my eyes. It was like the stairs all over again. I ignored the fact that I was glad to see him at least somewhat recovered; his cold, level tone seemed to imply that he had decided to ignore the earlier lapses in character, or at least that he wasn't about to start shouting again.
Eyeing the mechanical creatures warily I stepped onto the slope, finding its surface glossy and slick with moisture so that my foot slipped back down to the base when it put pressure on it. This was not going to be simple. Keeping my eyes fixed on the devices I pressed myself to one of the walls and began edging up the slope, feeling my boots slip every now and then so that my heart would leap into my throat briefly and I would slide a little closer to the razor-sharp edges of the things' spikes. I passed the first, my calves burning from the slope's awkwardly steep angle, and then the second. I barely got out of the way of the third as one of my feet slipped and sent me teetering on the edge of skidding all the way back to the bottom, but I regained my balance and pressed on. It was as I crested the slope that the grip on my boots finally gave out and I went down hard on one knee, biting back a curse as pain jolted through the bone. Luckily my other foot had been on the flat surface at the top so I didn't slide, but it didn't stop it from hurting. Not at all. So now I had a bruised back and head and a potentially broken kneecap, if the pain was anything to go back.
"And you were doing so well." Dark's drawl made me forget about the pain for a moment, enough to shoot him a glare, and he replied with a sharp-toothed grin. Scowling and wincing I clambered to my feet, taking another moment to massage my knee as it began to throb. I had a feeling it would end up terribly swollen sometime in the future, though despite the pain it didn't seem to be anything permanent or serious.
I limped to the grand door at the end of the corridor, which was like a large, more intricately decorated version of all the other doors in the temple, and surveyed the heavy locks and bolts. As I stood perturbed Dark, ever the one for violence, stepped forward and drew his sword which had remained relatively out of sight during our exploration, surprisingly.
"Do you really think that will work?" I asked, before quickly clamping my mouth shut as a sudden wave of nausea washed over me. Such close proximity to Ganondorf's terrible magic was making me feel sick and I grimaced, pressing my lips together tightly in an attempt to dissuade the feeling. Dark shrugged, not looking round, readied his stance and said "Who knows?" in his most nonchalant tone. Almost rolling my eyes at him I hobbled back a few steps, mindful of the slope, so as not to be crushed by the giant chains or the padlock they were attached to. The following 'clang' bounced off the walls and reverberated back, so loud it made me jump despite having seen it coming, and the noise rose to deafening as three more followed in quick succession. For a moment everything was quite still, before with a great rattling and crashing the door's bindings collapsed to the floor, glancing off the stone tiles in a way I was sure would leave a dent, or at least a scratch.
Impressed as ever at Dark's apparently innate ability to destroy things I edged forward, stepping tentatively over one fat chain and wincing as my knee smarted at the movement. Sheathing his sword Dark glanced round at me, eyebrows raised in an expression that said he was pleased with himself and that he was glad he had proved me wrong, though I had never directly said he wouldn't be able to do it. When I didn't respond he dropped a slight bow and waved me towards the door.
"Ladies first, princess." He said and I eyed him suspiciously before moving past him. As appeared to be custom the door rose at my approach, making as little noise as the ones three times smaller than it, and a wave of dank, musty air blew into my face. My eyes began to water slightly and I fought the urge to retch as the heavy magic hanging about the place intensified tenfold, and pressing a hand to my mouth and nose I crept forward, advancing into the room slowly and gingerly. I got the vaguest impression of a relatively small room, its walls lined with spikes and its floor divided into four tall platforms before something slammed into the ground beside me. Startled I skittered away, finding a long, clear tentacle creeping towards me across the floor. It looked like some strangely gelatinous mass of water, though the way it moved clearly implied it had more sense than water, and there emanated from it a soft crackling that was highly unnerving. Something flickered across its surface, bright white, and I suddenly knew quite clearly that I should not let the creepy appendage touch me. I didn't want it anywhere near me anyway, but something about it suddenly struck me as much more dangerous than a bit of water with a mind of its own.
"Oh, my." Dark sounded vaguely startled, vaguely impressed, and glancing round I found him still stood well behind the threshold, an interested expression on his face. Following his gaze I was tempted to repeat his remark, preferably with a few more curses. In the centre of the room, where there was a deep gap in the floor, there swayed and wobbled a great mass of water, at its heart what looked like an eye glaring at me from a burning yellow iris. It was reminiscent to Ganondorf's own eyes, which made sense if it was, and I was quite sure it was, the product of whatever curse he had cast on the temple. My eyes slid away from the creature's own onto something I could just about make out through its weirdly translucent body. It was a dark shape that looked vaguely person-like, and with a jolt I realised it was just that. Glancing back to Dark I found him still staring with that oddly awed expression at the king of all water monsters and I sighed harshly. Since when, exactly, had he been so completely useless?
Fixing my eyes once more on the monster I began to creep around the edge of the room, mindful of the many sharp spikes protruding from the walls, and the eye-like structure in its centre swivelled to watch me go as its body quivered with something like suspicion. Heart beating loud in my ears I continued on, glad to find the divides in the floor didn't extend all the way to the walls. They were filled with water but I decided it was probably a bad idea to touch it, let alone swim in it. There was a soft crackle and I had to duck to avoid another tentacle, and it bounced harmlessly off the wall, curling around the spikes there before slipping away to attack me again. Quickening my pace I managed to reach what would have been behind it if it had had a head that was fixed in place, though that bright yellow iris was still trained on me. I was so very close, mere metres away from my target. Something changed about the creature's soft, constant hum and I ran. Crackling behind my head made me duck and I skidded and fell so I used my moment to carry me across the platform and I rolled to a halt mere inches from one of the spiked walls.
Sitting up gingerly I found the monster again watching me, though it seemed that it could not reach me, so tucked away in the corner as I was. Everything ached as I surveyed the horribly still form before me. Clad in dark blue his hair was a pale greyish blonde, and what I could see of his face was ashen and drawn. Under my gaze he stirred slightly, eyelids fluttering to reveal a flicker of dull brown before he winced, a tremor wracking his thin frame. He was a lot thinner than Dark, skin stretched taut over bones, and seemed horribly ill. Was this the kind of fate Dark faced or was it perhaps just a feature of whichever part of Link he represented?
"Who…?" His voice was a faded whisper, barely there at all, and he trailed off before he even finished the question.
"This isn't really the time." I said, climbing to my feet and hovering in my corner, wondering what to do. "Dark?" I called to him across the room, over the monster's persistent hum, and a moment later he was dangling from the ceiling in front of me, a question in his upside-down eyes.
"Yes?"
"Would you mind giving me a little help?" I gestured helplessly to the monster and to the prone form at my feet and Dark glanced between them lazily before shrugging.
"But you're doing such a magnificent job on your own, princess." He said, grinning cruelly at my expression. "I was just going to sit back and-" His voice halted abruptly as he vanished, just in time to avoid a jet of crackling water, and I watched sparks dance across its surface as I ducked instinctively, despite the fact that it couldn't reach me. I realised my mistake a moment later as I watched, with growing horror, as the tendril attached itself to the blue-clad Link's ankle and began dragging him back towards the main body. I immediately grabbed for him, latching onto a limp, clammy and cold hand. Even as I did, however, pain shot through my own hands along with a jolt so strong I immediately, instinctively and completely unintentionally released my grip on him. My arms tingled strangely, a sense of numbness spreading up them.
"No…!" I reached for him again but it was too late; a moment later he was up in the air, dangling just a little out of reach. As I watched he twitched, stiffening, and the tentacle holding him emitted a shower of bright sparks and a loud, sharp crackle. A loud, piercing scream rent the air and he writhed where he hung, seconds later going completely limp, arms dangling lifelessly and still just out of reach. I jumped once, twice, desperately trying to reach him, but each time he moved a little further from my grasp. It didn't appear to have a brain but the monster was mocking me.
"Goddesses help us…" I choked, wondering frantically what I was supposed to do. Acting on instinct I drew my bow from across my shoulders, almost dropping the arrow I tried to nock in my haste. It was as I focused briefly on this task that, from my peripheral vision, I saw a line of blue headed for me and it was too late to react when it slammed into my side, sending a jolt of numbing pain through my body as I was flung through the air. For a second I remembered the spikes before I hit the wall. Little points of icy cold erupted all over my back and a startled cry of pain was torn from my lips as warm hands found my shoulders and broke my 'fall'. Not quite enough, because I clearly felt the spikes pierce my skin slightly, but it was better, much better, than being impaled a hundred times over. A soft grunt of exertion sounded behind me before Dark had pushed me away from the wall.
"Dark?" I said his name in surprise, turning briefly, and he grinned at me with cold seriousness before fixing his eyes on the water monster.
"Get out of here, princess." He said, voice tight with something like excitement and I nearly rolled my eyes before I processed what he had said and whirled around again.
"What? No!"
"Princess," he fixed me with a baleful stare, "how exactly am I supposed to fight this thing when I have to keep an eye on you and Useless over there?"
"Who says you have to fight it at all?" I countered; I had managed to hang onto my bow during the collision.
"I do." He said it like it should have been obvious. "What exactly are you going to aim at with that?"
"It's eye." I said, mirroring his impertinent tone and he scowled. "Before you even consider killing it we have to rescue him." Turning back I gestured to his lifeless counterpart and heard Dark huff quietly. He appeared above the monster briefly, hanging from the ceiling and then vanishing again. I watched his red eyes appear first here, then there on the ceiling where faint shadows lingered, until he found the right angle and reached for his counterpart. There was a sharp 'snap' and he yanked his hand back, shaking it violently and cursing loudly. Pressing my lips in a flat line I raised my bow once more, hoping that Dark was distracting the monster enough to allow me to go unnoticed for at least a little while. Backing myself into the corner I readied my bow, placing an arrow on the string and drawing it back, fixing my eyes on the creature's own eyeball, which was shifting about restlessly from the tip of the gelatinous mass to the end of the tendril still holding the unconscious Link piece's ankle. My arm began to shake with the exertion and I forcefully stopped the quivering, narrowing my eyes at the monster. I saw my chance and loosed the arrow.
A terrible, unearthly roar shook the room and the monster recoiled, eye vanishing into the swaying depths as it dropped its victim heavily. I heard him groan softly where he lay, shifting slightly, before I had dashed to his side, almost slipping on the wet floor again as I went. As I crouched beside him I glanced nervously towards the monster, to find Dark goading it from the ceiling. Grasping the shoulders of the man before me I hauled him to his feet, tightening my grip until my knuckles turned white when he threatened to collapse again.
"Come on," I said in the best encouraging tone I could muster at that moment. "Let's go." He protested weakly, murmuring something about it being 'hopeless' but I ignored him, annoyed that of all the pieces of Link that could have been stuck with a monster it had to be the pessimistic one.
I don't know how I managed it but I somehow made it from that spiked, square room and found myself on my knees beside the door, gasping for breath as the door began to close. It quickly gained momentum and a jolt of cold hit me as it slammed home, cutting off the monster's screams with a resolute crash and leaving nothing but a ringing silence in its wake.
"Phew, that was intense." Dark's voice, tinny and strangely muted, rang out from beneath me before his body followed, materialising from my shadow in that unnerving manner of his. "Everyone alright?" Glancing at the prone figure clad in blue beside me, with his pallor and half dead appearance, as pain prickled across my back from where the spikes had dug into it I couldn't help but scoff.
Well, that was it! Chapters twelve and thirteen, what did you think? I realised as I was writing these chapters that the Dark of old has become lost to me - I can't write him the way I used to anymore... I wonder if it's because his character changed or because I spent so long procrastinating before chapter eleven? Anyhoo, tell me what you thought, even if you just want to complain about something, and I hope you enjoyed these chapters!