Ack! Please forgive me for this long gap between the updates! AP exams and end of the year stuff really snuck up on me since I was in 12th grade and there was a lot of "never going back to grade school again" stuff I had to take care of. And to make matters worse, this chapter just did not want to finish! It's longer than all the others! Anyway, let me go ahead and let you read.
Chapter 25: Divided
"Let go of her this instant!" Link growled. He braced his front paws against the stones and bared his teeth at his two adversaries.
"So threatening…" Dark taunted. He extended his arms out to draw attention to his apparel. "Your body suits me very well, I should think. What is your opinion?"
Link's only response was to snap his teeth at the shadow. Dark laughed darkly, raising his eyebrow at the self-proclaimed king beside him.
"Do you desire to partake in this idle conversation as well, Ganondorf, or should I finish him off?" Dark asked casually, drawing a small blade from within his royal tunic. However, Ganondorf stopped his motion with a quick brush of his hand to the hem of Dark's sleeve.
"I have other plans," he said. A few paces away, Link narrowed his cobalt eyes but made no comment. Ganondorf smirked down at the wolf before glancing at the body he held in his arms.
"You are after this, are you not?" he asked, holding out Zelda's body a little closer to the cursed wolf-man. Link did not stir, but his eyes shifted with the movement. Ganondorf observed his concentration in amused silence. When even after several minutes no words were exchanged, the evil king let out a heavy sigh and offered Zelda to his assistant.
"Dark, if you will, please? Apparently our guest prefers to be old-fashioned." Ganondorf passed Zelda's limp body to Dark, who cradled her within his arms and gave his king a curious raise of his brow. Ganondorf flapped his hand at him. "Hurry off. Take her to the throne room and keep her ready."
"You will not move her," Link declared at last, stepping forward towards Dark. Ganondorf slipped in front of his assistant, drawing the Master Sword from its sheath as he shifted position. Link angled his head so that he could keep an eye on Dark, though he was most wary of the long blade opposing him.
"You speak as if your words hold power to sway us," Ganondorf said. He turned his head and briefly muttered something to Dark. The assistant frowned in annoyance but obeyed what Link implied to be a command to leave the castle rooftop. Link growled and advanced in Dark's direction, but Ganondorf held out his sword with a threatening glare.
"Ganondorf, step away!" Link snarled. Ganondorf pursed his lips. The king and the wolf continued to hold their stare until Ganondorf finally erupted into a roar of laughter. This only intensified Link's anger.
Ganondorf sighed for the second time that night, a condescending gesture. He slowly slipped the sword back into the sheath and held his hands on his hips. The exaggerated leisure with which he moved irked Link, who only waited patiently because he knew from experience that haste could bring him unintended consequences. Ganondorf was not a man who entertained any argument unless it was perceived to be in his favor. Though, even now, he was beginning to feel uneasy about Link's unusually cautious behavior.
"Your silence bores me," Ganondorf complained. "Tell me, what have you come to do? Stare at me with your disapproving gaze? Hardly worth the effort."
"What have you done with Zelda?" Link demanded. He held his voice even despite his anger and his concern. Ganondorf bit his bottom lip and looked up.
"Very little thus far. My, I did not have knowledge that you were acquainted with her. This is very interesting indeed." The evil king chuckled.
Link, however, was not at all amused. "Then what do you intend to do with her?"
"Nothing that warrants your approval, so there is little need to ask. Have you not learned by now to stay clear of my business? Or should I lock you away into a form much less inclined to be governed by your heroism? A Deku flower, perhaps? Stationary and far less troublesome." Ganondorf slowly nodded his head as if he indeed considered the idea. Link growled.
"My ears are keen, Ganondorf, and my memory sharp. You do not possess the same magnitude of power as you did several years ago in the fresh years of your command. You have declared this fact yourself. The power of the Triforce has weakened your hold on Hyrule. Zelda's power is great, and you fear her ability to overcome you." Ganondorf pursed his lips again.
"Yes," he said slowly, before grinning. "However, as she is now dead, I have less to worry about."
Link gasped sharply. Ganondorf raised his eyebrows at the wolf's reaction. "What, do not tell me you did not know of the curse I placed on her? Whatever happened to your keen ears? Her days were numbered long before you met her."
"No!" Link's reserve drained away and he bounded forward. His only thought was to tear Ganondorf's throat even as he stood. However, the evil king reacted quickly and reached for his sword. Link sidestepped at the last moment to avoid the lethal blow.
"Killing me will not bring her back."
"A life for a life, then." Link stared intently at the blade in Ganondorf's hand. He himself had no weapon to challenge the evil king. And Ganondorf noticed this.
"You are foolish in your attempt to threaten me," the king warned. "This is the Master Sword, enhanced by the power of the Triforce lent by Zelda's last actions. You dare test its might?" Ganondorf performed a broad stroke with the blade, slicing the air horizontally above his waist. The wind whistled and swirled around the motion, sweeping through Link's fur.
"You killed Zelda," Link whispered with more anger than he had dared to show previously. "I will destroy you, sword or no sword." He pounced forward, ducking underneath Ganondorf's low swipe. The evil king brought the sword back and over his head for another attack, but Link dove between his legs and grabbed his cape in his teeth. Ganondorf was yanked backwards, and Link stole the opportunity to bite the man's leg.
Ganondorf roared in pain and tightened his hold on his weapon. However, his counterattack was hindered by a quick shove as Link brushed past Ganondorf's head. The king snatched at Link's fur coat, dragging him down to the stones. With a yelp, Link threw out his foreleg and punched Ganondorf against his cheek. The two of them fell in a tangled heap on the stone surface.
"How dare you!" Ganondorf bellowed as he struggled to regain his balance. He momentarily released his sword and instead focused on restraining Link. He gripped either side of the wolf's back with his strong arms and pinned him to the ground. Link growled and clawed the stones in a struggle to free himself. However, Ganondorf gained the upper hand and pulled him down, turning him so that his vulnerable underside was exposed.
Link's head hit the stones harshly. He moaned and closed his eyes from the impact. Ganondorf grunted and reached across for his sword. Link sensed his movement and twisted to move out of the way. Unfortunately, the evil king recovered his sword and brought the blade down across Link's back with a swing of his arm as the wolf turned.
The blade sliced through Link's fur, cutting deep through layers of skin and muscle. He howled in pain, crumbling onto the ground as blood poured out of the wound and down the side of his neck. Ganondorf took a deep breath and dragged himself into a crouch.
"The heavy price for the confrontation," Ganondorf taunted. He slid the point of the blade behind wolf's shoulder blade and twisted.
Link's scream rang out across the castle.
………
Dark did not enjoy retreating from what appeared to be an easy battle. He loathed Ganondorf's decision to send him away though he could clearly see the reason for it. Carrying Zelda in his arms as if she were his newly wed bride rather than a victim for sacrifice, the creature in human guise sprinted across the castle top. The building had a broad area for its roof, but Dark took no more than a few minutes to cross its entirety. He turned around to see if he could still keep track of Ganondorf and his affairs, but Dark had left the king and the wolf behind a curved boundary wall that blocked his view.
"I suppose I will not be witness to my counterpart's demise after all. I wonder what will become of me, if Link is dead?" Dark paused and cast a glance upwards at the moonlight. The beams fell in broad patches across the stones, disrupted only by the occasional night cloud.
"I must not be foolish," Dark replied to his own words. He shook his head, his blonde hair sweeping across his face. "Ganondorf requires my assistance in this last plot of his. He would have assured that I remain here, at least for that amount of time."
Dark would have resumed his purposeful sprint towards the throne room after he had counseled himself, but a desperate scream caught his attention. With a low gasp, he turned and directed his gaze towards the side of the roof from where he had run. Dark, as a magical shell, possessed little curiosity. He therefore attributed the burning desire to return to Ganondorf as Link's emotions and not his own. Though, it did not matter whom the feeling belonged to. Dark soon found he had other matters to deal with.
"Link…"
Dark nearly dropped the body in his arms from surprise. In his hold, Zelda shifted and lifted a hand to her eyes. She rubbed her brow as if awaking from a deep sleep. Her eyelids opened slowly, and she turned her head to look at the man who held her.
"Link! Link?" Zelda attempted to straighten her posture, and Dark, still in shock, dropped to his knees. Zelda gripped both of his upper arms and watched him confusion.
"This is impossible," Dark breathed, returning her expression. "The curse…how is it that…Ganondorf was clear on what the curse dictated. You were to die upon touching the Master Sword!"
Comprehension struck Zelda. "You are not Link!" she declared, pushing the false counterpart away. Dark fell back onto his arms. Zelda stood up but did not move to escape.
"How did you wake?" Dark continued. Zelda did not know what compelled her to answer, but the words left her lips almost involuntarily.
"I heard…a scream," she whispered. She narrowed her eyes, staring straight ahead. "Link is in pain."
"Ganondorf will be in a sour mood if he learns his plan has gone awry," Dark remarked with a scowl. "I must do what I can to remedy this situation." Dark rocked forward into a crouch and reached for the small blade at his waist. Zelda gasped sharply, frowning as she stepped backward.
"You mean to kill me?" she cried. Dark simply chuckled.
"If you had remained dead, this would be unnecessary." Dark propped a hand against the stone by his ankle and used it to push off and lunge forward. His other hand flipped the blade and angled it in a position that would allow him to strike Zelda's neck. The swiftness of the attack caught her by surprise. With a strangled scream, she raised up her hands in defense. In the split second before the blade contacted her skin, the Triforce mark on her hand activated. Bright yellow light filled both their visions, and the weapon struck harmlessly against the shield-like symbol that appeared in front of Zelda's hands.
Dark growled and drew back his arm to strike again. His next attack shattered Zelda's temporary defense. The shock sent her tumbling to the ground. She rolled over and locked her fingers behind her head, squeezing her eyes shut. The Triforce mark on the back of her hand pulsed against her hair.
"I must express my gratitude for this easy battle," Dark taunted as he walked over to her. He nudged Zelda's elbow with his boot. "Any last words, princess? I recall you did not receive this opportunity the last time."
Zelda did not acknowledge him. She took a deep breath, concentrating on the feel of the cold stone against her forehead. Even though Dark did not at the moment hold her life in his hands, she could not face him. His countenance was too much like Link. She could not bring herself to harm his body, even if it was Dark who resided in it.
Zelda sensed Dark moving away from her, and she flinched, expecting an attack. However, she heard him cry out in surprise just as a light wind chilled the back of her neck. Zelda lifted her head and watched as the spelled creature before her was enveloped in a light blue glow. The glow gathered near the core of his body and then shot off as a globe of light. Dark was left standing in his true form, with dark hair and ruby red eyes.
"Strange," he remarked. "Ganondorf must have sudden use for my body. Or not mine. Nothing is mine." He swallowed and looked down at Zelda. She scrambled to her feet.
"So this is your true form?" Zelda asked. Dark shrugged.
"What does it matter, that the true form of light is darkness?" he replied. Zelda raised an eyebrow.
"Pardon?"
"There is not one when there is not the other. How foolish, those who think they keep only the light."
Zelda stared at Dark curiously. He licked his lips, staring at the dagger in his hand. He raised his eyes to meet Zelda's. "Will you give in now?" She met his gaze and shook her head.
"You are a perversion," she said. As she spoke, she lifted her hand and the Triforce mark flashed. She pointed directly at Dark. "You no longer have Link's form to protect you. I do not know where he is, but I intend to find him. And if you stand in my way…" she trailed off as Dark brandished his blade. Zelda smirked.
"Then I simply have no choice but to defeat you!"
………
Defeat. The word pounded between Link's ears, throbbing painfully. He opened his eyes and saw a pool of blood grow beneath his jaw. His blood. The fur on his back was caked with it. The pain of the wound had subsided to a dull burn as Link drew his concentration away. He focused on Ganondorf, the evil king, the man who would kill Zelda – had killed Zelda, as far as he knew – and would continue to rule with much greater power. No.
"What are you staring for?" the aforementioned king murmured. He stood directly in front of the wounded wolf, holding the Master Sword above the creature's neck. One strike would forever seal Link away in death. However, looking down upon his second cousin brought a desire to prolong the misery of pain. Besides, the battle had been far too short.
"Was I unfair, Link?" Ganondorf asked. He received no reply, so he continued. "A powerful sorcerer with an equally potent sword against a lone wolf. Hardly fair. No, I should like to see real talent from you if I am about to erase you from existence."
Link growled. Ganondorf dropped the sword he was holding and turned, walking exactly ten paces away. He spun to face Link again.
"Wield the sword." Ganondorf crossed his arms and smiled lazily. Link did not move. The evil king rolled his eyes at the wolf's stubbornness.
"By refusing the sword, you are accepting Zelda's death," Ganondorf reminded. Those words had their desired effect. Link automatically grabbed the sword with his left paw. A new, raw pain seared through his back, causing him to cry out. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes and smirked. However, his satisfaction was short-lived.
The sword brightened at Link's touch. A bright blue light originating at the tip of the blade bathed the entire sword in a soft glow. The brightness intensified until the weapon shook from the effort of containing so much power. The light spread to Link's body as Ganondorf watched with raised eyebrows.
As if the strange glow wasn't curious enough, the magical display was joined by an unexpected gust of wind that swirled around the wolf and the king. Another bright orb of magic suddenly appeared above Link's wolf form, melting into the existing glow. His whole body was enveloped in blue and shifted until it resembled his true appearance. His true, human appearance.
"Impossible!" Ganondorf breathed, keeping his eye on the healed young man as he stood on two feet for the first time that night. Link looked up at him.
"Did you not intend for this? I recall you wanted to witness my 'real talent'."
"I knew that the Master Sword would heal you and perhaps give you the ability to behave more like a man in your wolf form. I had no knowledge that it would transform you into your true self. It must be the remains of the Triforce magic left on the blade…in which case it is only temporary-,"
"Only temporary?" Link interrupted, holding the blade ready in front of him. "In that case, I better take advantage of this precious time!" Without warning, he advanced upon Ganondorf, who had time enough only to conjure a weak shield in defense. The magic screen did nothing to protect the evil king, for the Master Sword ripped through it with the first strike. Ganondorf roared as the blade cut cleanly through his armor on his left shoulder, leaving a thin line of blood boiling on his skin.
With a new burst of energy that came with his successful attack, Link ducked low and thrust the sword forward. Ganondorf shot a low energy blast of power that deflected the blade. Link growled and tried again. This time, he managed to tear off a piece of armor on Ganondorf's side. With anger, the evil king counterattacked with another blast of magic. Link swung the sword forward and the magic bounced off and vanished into the sky.
The battle continued in this fashion for several minutes. Link managed to cut through more armor with most of his attacks, and Ganondorf's blasts of magic rarely hit their marks. Ganondorf regretted his decision to hand the sword over to Link for the young man was truly an expert swordsman. The evil king had to spend every bit of his power to prevent serious damage.
Link could see that Ganondorf was tiring, both physically and magically. The Master Sword granted Link the necessary strength to carry on the intense battle, but the evil king had no such advantage. A particularly well-placed strike sent Ganondorf sprawling to the floor with a painful grunt. Link saw his chance and moved to attack again. The king looked up and saw the young man run forward, sword raised, ready to make the final blow. Ganondorf was not yet prepared to die. As Link brought down his blade, Ganondorf kicked upwards with his right leg. The movement twisted Link's sword wrist sideways, knocking the blade out of his hand.
For a moment, both he and Ganondorf stood still, waiting for the consequence. The Master Sword lay unguarded on the stones. Suddenly, it started to pulse blue. Link staggered to his knees and bent forward with his palms pressed to the castle top surface. The energy he had unknowingly borrowed from the sword vanished and was replaced by exhaustion. The blue light surrounded him once more, stealing away the temporary human form and returning Link to a wolfish guise.
"Now we are back to where we started," Ganondorf declared, rolling to his side. Link snapped his teeth at him as he stood.
"I am healed," the wolf said. "But you have lost most your armor. It is not quite the beginning."
Ganondorf looked down and examined the tattered remains of his garments. The Master Sword had taken a heavy toll on his now nonexistent armor. Bits and pieces of metal and cloth were scattered around him, evidence of the damage.
"Well then," Ganondorf said as he returned his gaze to Link. "I believe I will have to rely on my other strengths instead."
"Other strengths?" Link asked. Ganondorf nodded and closed his eyes. Link watched as the evil king muttered an incantation that was unfamiliar to his ears. The words were sharp as they drifted across the battleground, twisting and deforming until they surrounded Ganondorf in power. The evil king's skin turned dark and leathery. His body grew until he hunched over, covering more of his weight with his muscular forelimbs. His hair rippled down his broad back and down his shoulders, completing his transformation into a hideous creature.
"You are not the only beast here, Link," Ganondorf rasped. "We stand here equally matched, wolf-man against wolf-man. Now, let us reveal who is the more powerful between us."
………
"Why the sudden courage, princess?" Dark asked solemnly as Zelda stood across from him, her Triforce mark blazing before her.
"I could not fight you before," Zelda explained. "Not as you stood in the likeness of Link. But now, though you are still very similar in appearance, there is a greater wrongness I sense in you. And to know that you are staining Link's image with your own twisted existence is enough to give me courage to face you. I will not let you tarnish the name of the man…that I love." She blushed at the end of her speech, and Dark shook his head slowly.
"Love. The sun loves, so we have the stars and the moon."
Zelda raised an eyebrow. "There you go again, with your curious speech."
"Everyone in love had once awoken and will once again sleep. I do not love, so I simply fade."
"Fade?" Zelda asked. Dark nodded once, and suddenly, he disappeared. Zelda gasped. Her Triforce mark flashed once and tugged her sideways. She turned just in time to see Dark rush at her with his blade drawn.
How did he…With little time to react, Zelda activated one of her simplest spells. A small blast of magic issued from her right hand and distracted Dark. He missed his mark, but quickly turned around and struck again. This time, Zelda used another spell to counter. Dark was unfazed. He simply avoided the magic and returned with a counterattack of his own.
In this manner, the duel continued for several minutes, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Dark's expression was uniformly blank as he stabbed and cornered from every side. Zelda did not give up despite his relentless attacks. At first, she had little time for more than simple spells, but she eventually learned to follow the complex pattern of Dark's movement. Just as he turned and Zelda could sense his return, she called upon a more intricate spell of entrapment. Twin chains of fire encircled Dark, halting him in mid-strike. He did not cry out or look surprised. His apathetic glance chilled Zelda, and she paused before her next attack.
"What is the matter with you?" she cried. Dark shrugged again, though the motion was hindered slightly by his bonds.
"There is nothing to matter, for there is no purpose. Only darkness, in the absence of light." Zelda frowned and moved closer so she could stand directly in front of Dark. He looked up to see her face filling his vision.
"You do not believe in anything?" she asked.
"There is no belief when there is no reality. Only darkness, but here comes some light."
"What?" Zelda looked upwards to see a ball of shimmering blue light, the same as had left Dark before his transformation into the sulky creature that stood before her. The light descended onto the spelled man and merged with his body. Zelda gasped, watching as Dark once again transformed into Link's likeness.
"I believe I missed this personality," Dark said once the spell was complete. "Though I could hardly put that into words in my other form." He smirked down at Zelda's shocked expression. "Now…where were we?"
The magical chains around Dark slackened as Zelda hesitated to attack him. He took the opportunity to grab her arm, twisting her so that she ended with her back pressed against his chest. Her heartbeat quickened as she felt the familiar sensation drown her in a wave of déjà vu. But the elation was brief, for Dark pressed a knife to her throat and, unlike Link, was very prepared to use it.
"Say goodbye, princess. Unlike my true self, I do have a belief. And that belief is that Ganondorf and I will be much more advantaged if you are dead."
Of course, cliffhanger…what else would you expect from me? Thank you very much for all the reviews and favorites! I can't believe I hit 500! OMG! Thank you very much, I owe it all to you! Anyway, my next update will be soon, I hope, since I am on summer break! I shall try my best to finish this story up as soon as possible. There are only two more chapters left! Thank you so much for reading!