AUTHOR'S NOTE
Sorry for disappearing again for a while. I kept meaning to publish this, and then other things would get in the way. I'm back now though, and I'm finally getting back to a bit of the theorizing that led to me write this story in the first place, which always feels good!
CHAPTER 32
For Your Eyes Only
There were definitely a lot of negatives about this new mode of travel Dark had learned. For one, he could not easily see anything happening in the outside world, or tell where he was going. He compared it almost to being squashed into a two-dimensional plane, where his line of sight was limited to a narrow corridor on either side of him. His time spent there also made him rather sick; becoming more nauseous each minute he was part of the shadows. This, though, he figured could also be attributed to nerves. To walk among the shadows was to walk a thin line between good and evil, and he had never imagined the lure of the dark side could be so strong. Fall to the wrong side, and he could be lost forever, both mentally and physically. After his long bout with his own negative emotions, ones that made him feel he would not be that great of a loss, he was surprised to find that this now scared him more than anything else - but the fear only made him stronger, and he felt proud to be mastering such a talent.
He had stayed up the entire night, stalking back and forth on Link's walls as he learned how to see just enough to know where he was going. He learned what stairs looked like on the shadow plane, and how to tell when he had run into a dead end. He found the trick to turning corners, and discovered that rifts appeared not just when entering or exiting a residence, but also led to other rooms behind closed doors. But most importantly, he now knew how to free himself from that awful prison; how to let go of the magic that turned him into a shadow at will. This, though, resulted in what he defined as a rough landing, especially when he was not quite sure what waited for him on the other side.
It would have been smarter, he realized on his short drop into the moat outside of Castle Town, to walk until he could go no further. This, he thought, might have had a chance of depositing him on the other side of the river. But it was too late to change his mind, not without the ground beneath him, and with a splash he hit the water, cursing as he flailed helplessly.
Link had not actually gotten around to giving him swimming lessons, and the water still frightened him more than he cared to admit. He did not think there would be some miraculous rescue this time around; either he would have to get himself out of this or he would drown right here outside of Castle Town, before he even got the chance to look at Link again, or tell him how he really felt.
Of course his thoughts would have to drift to Link as he was hovering between life and death; air and water. First his mouth went under the water; then his nose, and he kicked out beneath him in order to lift his face up to the surface before he went under once more. Gasping for breath as he bobbed to the surface again, he swung his arm forward, his hand grabbing onto dry land and holding him afloat. He pulled himself towards the edge, noticing his body felt lighter than normal as he hauled himself out from the water, and he laid on the ground, inhaling gulps of air as his clothes soaked the ground around him.
It was rare for him to not have thoughts racing through his mind; he had never truly been able to quiet the inner voice that whispered to him of failure and loss, and yet as he shivered under the weight of wet and cold fabric he could hear nothing but silence. A sense of peace came over him and he rolled over, looking up at the stars. In the past, he might have been blaming himself for his blunder, and wondering how he had possibly saved himself, but now as he stared up into the twinkling night sky he realized he had something to live for, perhaps multiple somethings, and as thoughts begin to float in his head once more of duty and responsibility, he pushed himself into a sitting position.
The walk to Kakariko Village would not have been so unpleasant had his clothes not been wet, but as it was he could feel the water and his sopping boots and clothes weighing him down with every step he took. There was part of him that wanted desperately to go home; to forget tonight had ever happened and go lay down inside, in a dry set of clothing, where he would not be so harshly reminded of his mistake at every second. But he had to do this; for Link, for his brother, for himself.
It was not difficult to get to the graveyard; the residents of Kakariko were seemingly asleep in their beds as he crept silently through town; their windows dark and their doors presumably locked. He liked this look better for the town, where he had the freedom to stop in the middle of town and stare up at the windmill without drawing the attention of passersby. But he could not stay there all night, as much as he wanted to, because he had an appointment and he did not want to be late.
The graveyard was as still and silent as the town had been, and he stood there as the gentle breeze ruffled his hair and dried his clothing, waiting for Shikashi to appear. He heard him before he saw him however, a voice rolling across in the shadows. "So you decided to come after all."
"Like I would miss this," Dark muttered. "Show yourself, old man!"
"I am not hiding," Shikashi said plainly. "Look and see for yourself."
It was then that he saw him; a lone figure standing on the ridge in front of the entrance to the Shadow Temple. He was the perfect image of peace; his hands set together in front of him, and he bent over the fence, looking down at Dark with a serene expression.
"I almost thought you would stand me up," the old man admitted. "I am glad you did not." With unexpected agility, he swung himself over the fence, and landed cat-like on his feet in the main area of the graveyard. Dark gaped at him. He was not even sure he himself could have made that jump. "I may be old, but I am far from decrepit," the man told him in answer to his questioning gaze.
"Get on with it," Dark growled, recovering from his shock. "What was so damn important that I had to meet you here in the middle of the night?"
"All in good time," the old man told him mysteriously, and Dark scowled. "I take it you were able to put your powers to good use, to get past the Castle Town gate?" An amused smile came over him as he took in Dark's appearance, but he said nothing about the water droplets still forming on him.
"Yeah, sure," Dark said sarcastically. "Not being able to see where I'm going, creeping along the sides of walls and buildings, it's just great."
"In time, it will get easier," the man told him gently. "You will become accustomed to the shadow dimension, and in turn, it will bend to your every will."
"And how does that help me now?" Dark demanded, shaking his fist at Shikashi.
"It doesn't." Shikashi smiled widely at him, and Dark resisted the urge to throttle him. So far, he had learned nothing useful, except that perhaps the old man didn't come here to torture him with anything more substantial than words.
"I don't see why I had to come all the way here for some stupid -"
"Patience!" the old man barked, and Dark froze. There was a familiar bite to that tone, one that drove an old childhood fear to his heart. "You are too insolent for one so young."
"I guess anyone looks young when you're that old," Dark muttered under his breath, but he stopped talking when he noticed Shikashi glaring at him, and though his emotions toiled within him he decided he would attempt to be quiet. Perhaps, with a bit less goading, he would actually get to the bottom of this mystery faster.
There was a nearly instant change to Shikashi's demeanor once he made the conscious effort to not cross his arms or roll his eyes, and the old man looked at him almost with affection. "I am so glad to see you alive and well, young Sheikah," he said, but Dark remained impassive. "The sight of you brings hope to this old fool. Oh yes," he said, lifting his finger, though Dark had not responded. "I have certainly been foolish."
He crossed the space between them, reaching out and placing a firm hand on Dark's shoulder, but he dipped down and twisted out of the way, ignoring the hurt that momentarily crossed Shikashi's face. "Will you listen to an old man's mistakes?" he pleaded, and after a moment, Dark nodded. It wasn't like he really had anything else to do, and he did want to find out why he was here in the first place.
"When I was a young man, perhaps a little younger than you even, I struck out on my own, away from my family, and moved into the center of a quaint little town. I was quite a fetching young lad," he told Dark, who had difficulty believing this, "and I became very popular in town. Everyone wanted to be me, or at least be my friend. It made me feel powerful. I was very powerful," he admitted. "A word or even a glance from me could make or break a person. All the fame and attention went to my head, and I became a monster; a monster disguised as a man. Can you forgive me, for such a thing?"
"My forgiveness shouldn't matter," Dark said after a moment, realizing he was expecting an answer.
"But it does, young Sheikah. It matters quite a bit. For it was your people who I lived among; your people who I acted so grievously towards. In time, they came to resent me; fear me even. Fear, as you may know, can drive a man to do awful things. When they became a threat I fled; I joined up with a different group of people, people who were as powerful as I was, and using that power to do more good in the world than I ever could. Those people changed my life, and when our goal was complete and we all parted ways, I knew I could never allow myself to become the person I was again. I faked my death," he admitted in a soft voice. "Everyone assumed I was lost to the fiery blaze that consumed my house."
Dark pulled back slightly, looking at him in surprise. This was starting to sound like a familiar tale, something he had been told from a different viewpoint, and suddenly he knew who he must be looking at; which town he had moved to and the lore that surrounded the foundation of his old home.
"Turn the eye of truth on me," the man begged, gesturing to the Lens of Truth Dark had brought with him and was already pulling out in fascination. "It is time for you to see me for who I really am."
With a slightly trembling hand, Dark lifted up the lens, and gazed through it. The man he saw through the glass indeed was old, but not so shriveled and hunched as the one he had become accustomed to seeing. Instead he stood tall and proud; his robe draped over him like some sort of imperial garb with the markings of the royal family on the plain outfit beneath. But what struck Dark to his core; what made him gasp and almost drop the lens, was the man's eyes. They were the pure, blood red of the Sheikah.
"It is possible you already guessed this," the man - the Sheikah - told him, and Dark put the lens down to see that the illusion was completely gone now. "But it is my old house that the well in Kakariko has been built over. I am the one who much of the lore in this town has been built over. I am also Kenzo, keeper of the magic of illusion. And I believe I have something you are looking for."
He produced a small piece of parchment, and Dark stared at it in awe. He lifted up the lens of truth and looked through it. He could not detect any magic being used on the parchment itself, but he had to be sure it was not a trick.
"I created the object you hold in your hand," he said, and Dark's eyes widened as he stared not through the lens, but at it. "I dedicated my life to illusion and the power that came with it. Then, later on, I dedicated my life to teaching others, to guide them away from the mistakes I made. Please take this map," he pleaded, and at last Dark reached out his hand, grabbing onto the piece of paper that he and Link had so desperately been searching for. "And do not be too mad. After all, you now have someone to share your burden with. You no longer need to think of yourself as the last of the Sheikah. As long as I am alive, you never will be."
Dark emerged from the shadows once more when he was safely home, gasping for breath as he fell to his knees. No matter what he tried, his exits were less than graceful. He could not prepare himself for being thrown from the world of shadows and tossed out into his own, not when he could hardly see what was in front of him. At least, he thought, staring down at the grey stone covered by a thin carpet, Link isn't here to see this.
A cough from the top of the stairs told him he had spoken too soon, and he looked up to see Link standing there, staring down at him disapprovingly. "Dark." Even his voice was ridden with disappointment, and Dark picked himself up off the ground, already dreading the lecture that he was sure laid ahead.
"You're up late," he commented, crossing his arms. If Link was going to accuse him of reckless behavior, then he hoped he was ready for a fight. Just because the risks he took were different than the ones Link would take did not mean that they were wrong, or not worth the reward they could reap.
"Funny," Link said, though his tone told him he thought otherwise. "I was going to say the same thing to you."
"Yeah, well, it's been a long night," Dark said, faking a yawn. "Time for bed."
"Not so fast." He did not know how Link had gotten down the stairs so fast, grabbing his upper arm firmly as he attempted to pass by. "I thought I told you not to go out at night."
"You said shouldn't," Dark reminded him. "Not can't." He attempted to break free of Link's hold, but his grip was tighter than he thought.
"Nothing good happens after midnight," Link insisted. "I don't understand why you would risk -"
"Oh, so you're just going to accuse me of doing something dangerous?" Dark asked him angrily. "What happened to believing in me, huh? And trusting me? Maybe instead of assuming I'm up to no good, you can give me the benefit of the doubt and ask me why I was out before you lecture me about it!"
He had a point, and Link glared at him. "Fine," he said, after a short pause. "Why did you go out?"
"Maybe," Dark growled, finally yanking himself free. "I would tell you, if it wasn't so obvious you were going to be disappointed in me no matter what the answer was."
"I'm not…" Link started to say, but then looked down at his hand, shaking it out a little bit. "Are your clothes wet?"
"Only slightly," Dark responded. He had gotten used to feeling chilled on the walk to Kakariko, his damp clothes providing nothing in the way of warmth. Even though they had begun to dry out on his way back, his outfit still proved to be uncomfortable in it's half-wet state, and he really would have preferred that Link let him go upstairs so he could change into something dry.
"Why?" Link asked, this time deciding that questions first might be the better approach.
"Not that it's any of your business," Dark said, inhaling sharply. "But I fell in the moat."
"The...the one outside Castle Town?" Link asked, stunned.
"I don't know of any other moats around here, do you?" He sneered, then turned away.
"Dark, wait."
"No," he said, though he did pause mid-step. "I'm tired of waiting for you, Link. I did what you wanted; I went out there and did something by myself. I proved that I don't need you." He turned to face him triumphantly, not sure if he felt more pleased or guilty at the somewhat sad look Link was giving him. But there was something that caught his eye more than his expression: an unusual glint coming from the front of Link's tunic.
"When did you start wearing that again?" Dark asked, staring at the Gossip Stone. It was the one thing that could tell him all of Link's thoughts and feelings; that could confirm his suspicions. It was going to be his next task, he had decided, to wrest it from whatever hiding place Link had found for it, secretly placing it on him. Now, it seemed as if Link had done most of the work for him already.
"Tonight," he replied seriously. "When I got home...and you were gone..." He closed his eyes, trying not to let the emotion overwhelm him.
"It's not my fault you got home late," Dark told him flatly. "I hung around here as long as I could. Notice how I'm not freaking out because you were a bit off schedule."
"Being out all night is more than a bit off schedule," Link said forcefully. "I told you it's dangerous out there after dark!"
"Why do you care so much?" Dark asked with a snort.
"Because I would never forgive myself if something happened to you!" Link snapped at him, and Dark blinked in surprise. He had not expected such a quick - and honest - answer.
"You're not mad at me," he said slowly, suddenly realizing what was going on. "You're mad at yourself!"
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Link told him. "I'm certainly not -"
"You're mad because you love me," Dark accused him.
Link froze mid-sentence, his arms raising up and his fingers reaching woodenly for the stone around his neck. "You...you couldn't have… How did you…" and his fingers brushed over the stone, and while Dark had only been guessing, that one touch confirmed it: his love and the suffering he had gone through in trying to hide it.
"I didn't know because of that," Dark said, sidling up to him coyly. "I knew because I know you." He smiled, and drew Link's hand away from the stone, pulling it close to his chest. "Link," he said seriously, and Link marveled at how wonderful his name sounded on Dark's lips, for it was the first time he had said it since they met. "I didn't go out tonight because I was looking for danger. I went out because I found a lead in Kakariko Village. One that had to be followed up on at night. Don't you want to see what I found?" His hand reached for a pouch on his belt, and Link's gaze followed it, his eyes widening as Dark pulled out the map piece he had recovered. "This was pretty tough to get," Dark boasted, holding it up.
"I can only imagine," Link murmured, reaching for it.
"Oh, no," Dark said, quickly putting it away. "If you want to see it, you'll have to make a little more effort than that." Grinning, he leaned in, hovering expectantly in front of his face as he waited to see what Link would do next.
"Dark…" Link warned him, and though he did not get any closer he also did not pull back as he had in the past. For Dark to have guessed, to have known, he loved him and still behave in such a manner spoke volumes to him.
"Let me guess," Dark said, looking anything but discouraged. "We shouldn't be doing this, right? But maybe I don't care," he said. "Maybe I've decided that even though I don't need you, I want you." He spoke with scarcely veiled desire, and Link felt his will crumbling. "Maybe I've decided that I love you, too." He hadn't been completely sure until he said it, and yet the moment he did he knew it was true.
Link was not sure at exactly which moment after that statement he had leaned into the kiss that Dark so obviously had wanted; he was only aware of his hands slowly working themselves into a tangled mess of hair, pulling him in closer and their shared thrill of excitement. "Dark," he murmured as he pulled back in order to breathe, a haze beginning to form over his mind from their prolonged contact.
"This...'spending time apart'...has been a fun experiment," Dark drawled, watching Link closely. "But I think we can stop it now. Don't you?"
"I...I agree," Link said finally. "I'm not sure I ever want to be apart from you."
IN CLOSING
My original goal was to complete this story before the end of this year. With only one week left to go, can I make it? To be honest, I'm not sure. But we are getting rather close to the end, and the last chapter has already been written (though the ones leading up to it haven't been). So you never know!
Don't forget to check back for Chapter 33. Thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!
