Chapter 20

Dark Confrontation

Izanagi flutters towards a branch to rest. The group has left Hana Valley a while back. They are on their way back to Agata Forest. They need to check Taka Pass for more missing gods. Wolf Link stops suddenly to the curiousness of the others. Midna looks down to see the grass is turning brown and prickly. Amaterasu starts to droop as she lets out a pitiful bark. It is Izanagi who speaks. "Kurigari is still sapping the gods of their power. Whatever strength Link has given Amaterasu is starting to dwindle. We must remove the gods from his massive hold if we wish to set things right."

Orochi kneels down next to Amaterasu and pets her. Issun also checks her. "This god is more active than any other god I know. You have to feel bad for her, and I can't help but admire her strength."

Sheik pulls everyone back to attention, "We must hurry if we want to stop him soon."

Nods all around are his reply. Xedro leans over to tap Link behind the ear to get his attention. "Are you going to be okay blind?"

Link nods. Xedro smirks before looking around as something finally gets his attention. "Where's Alas and Gohma? They were with us when we were heading to Hana Valley but I hadn't seen them since we left."

Everyone looks around to see that Xedro was indeed correct. The small poe and the spider were both gone again. Sheik looks around as Izanagi flutters down next to Navi. "They are close. They had yet to stray too far from Link, but something has attracted their attention and will be off for a while. When they return, they will have a nice surprise for us."

Waka and Captain exchange looks before looking to Sheik who simply shrugs. Ilia pets Link who is pawing the ground blindly. They head into the forest and keep their eyes peeled for anything that looks remotely threatening or out of place. Unfortunately they forgot Link is blind and didn't notice him walking off the ledge until it was too late. There is a scream as Link and Midna hit water. Navi flies down next to where they have landed and waits for Link to surface. "Are you two okay?"

Link surfaces and gives a small bark as Midna wrings water out of her hair. When she throws it back, she is about to answer until they hear a scream that is coming from farther in the lake, where the abyss is. Link swims and follows the noise until Midna gasps. A thin and frail women in a white kimono and short white hair is sitting in the middle of a group of Deku Babas and Baba Serpents. There is one particularly large Baba with strange markings on its head. Midna knocks Link's head and he pulls himself out of the water towards the noise. Using his teeth, he rips out the Babas one by one until the big one is left. Upon realization that its comrades were dead, the Giant Baba turns on Link. Midna shoots an orb of twili energy into its mouth, killing it and causing the body to wilt. The young woman shakes herself out of her fear and moves towards them.

She is silent and calculating as she pulls a giant jug of water with her. She tilts Link's head up and pours the water into his eyes. Wolf Link blinks once as blurry shapes appear. He blinks again and again until the world clears around him. He looks up at the woman in front of him before turning back to his true form followed by Midna. The woman smiles at him before kissing his cheek lightly and bows to them. "I am Nuregami. The God of Waterspout. Thank you young hero for saving me and my fellow gods."

Link blushes as she pecks him on the nose. Immediately calls fill their ears. Link looks over to see the rest of the crew coming, but then a heavy mist fills the air and covers everything from view.

He hears screams as the feeling of Midna leaves his side. He clenches his eyes tight in pain and then opens them to a different world. He is in a vast beautiful field that holds many flowers of different colors. A gentle breeze wafts over the land until he turns to see a small pond with a dead tree in its center. A song is gently falling from its branches. Link looks up to see Dark sitting on the top most branches, an ocarina to his lips playing a lullaby. Zelda's Lullaby. A song passed down by the royal family. The shadow continues playing as the grass and flowers sway gently to the music. Link blinks as his thoughts fill with peace, but how? This shadow is supposed to be his opposite and a monster to be destroyed. "Wrong hero." Huh?

The shadow puts the ocarina down and looks down at Link. "The soul is a beautiful thing. Filled with happiness and tragedy, it holds the light and dark of a human; the good and bad. One side cannot really live without the other so you can't really kill me, only defeat me. I am a creation of all the darkness of your past lives which you face in a test over and over again to see if you can face your twisted side and not fall to the darkness like so many others."

Link opens his mouth, but then closes it silently in realization. He smirks and opens it again to finally talk. "So you are a test set up to see if I am truly ready to face the darkness?"

Dark smirks and nods. "Correct. Whenever you reincarnate you are almost always the same. Not exactly though since you will always carry some little changes, so I am created to see that whatever changes you have will not hinder your own fighting capabilities. I was never truly your enemy to begin with. Merely a test. That is something that not many of your villains realize until it's too late."

Link nods as he draws his own sword. "Then let this test begin."

Dark charges Link with his own sword drawn and clanging from the swords fills the air. Link ducks a blow to the neck and swings at him as questions pour out. "Why...did you show me...my past? Why did you change me in front of everyone?"

Dark Link blocks the swing and counters. "This is a strange path for you. You are mostly tied to Hyrule, as am I. If you were to suddenly stop and choose a different path, then I am given a choice as well. The goddesses have now given me that choice to choose my own destiny as well as my own life, but I must put my own existence first. You can't make the right decision without knowing all you've been through. Most of your journeys circle around Zelda and Hyrule but there are times when your heart is for someone else. This is one time, but this is a journey of choice. This is your chance to change your path for eternity, and with it the end of you're fighting. Ganon will return, but you will no longer be tied to the legends unless it is your choice. This is what this adventure is for. It was planned by Amaterasu and the other gods as a chance to bring you rest. Falling in love though was not part of the plan, it just happened."

Link stops and so does Dark. "You mean to tell me that Amaterasu did not ask for this for help but to give me peace when it is over?"

Dark nods with a small smile before going back to battle stance. Link too smiles and follows. Their swords clash as sparks flew. The balance of their world has never been better then that moment as they fought the way they have for years.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx

As the mist clears finally, everyone waits anxiously for Link to come into view. Link steps out in his human form looking at everyone there. Xedro changes back to his normal form as he pulls the hylian into a tight, one-armed hug. "You're safe!"

Link coughs at first but then hugs back. He then smiles to Amaterasu. "Dark has left. He is now his own being and is taking advantage of this freedom. He went to join the demons on Oni Island."

There is silence at first, as everyone processes what he says. Nuregami laughs lightly from where she sits. "So it is true, many demons from both lands are finally being put to rest. They are now finding a life beyond the darkness and are enjoying it to their fullest."

Waka and Captain exchange looks one again as a familiar screech fills the air. Alas comes flying in with Gohma and taps Link on the shoulder. When Link looks at them, Alas points in a specific direction. Nuregami decides to elaborate. "They are speaking of Sasa Sanctuary. There the God of the Cherry Bombs is being held. They are also motioning to Taka Pass where the God of the Moon is being held. I think that the God of Mist on the other hand is being held by Rei. You will have to face her to free that drunken ram. You still have those few along with the Gods of Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard."

Link and the others look to each other before nodding. "I guess Taka Pass is our next stop."