"Why so surprised? I'm not surprised at all to see you. In fact, I've been anticipating your arrival."
Link was still trying to wrap his head around the doppelgänger. While Dark Link possessed all the same features as himself, something in his eyes burned. A pure and blind hatred. A ruthless soul who enjoyed killing. He had seen such eyes once before...
"So you do remember me? I had you at edge way back at the water temple, but alas, I was a mere shadow of my true form. But now, you can see for yourself that I am whole! Every time you act on your hatred, I grow in power. You have been quite the sinful little boy, haven't you?"
"You're not real. You're but an illusion."
Link paced back and forth, his eyes trained on Dark Link. When the moment came to silence this interloper, Link would seize it.
"Yet, you treat me as a carnal threat. Everything the Poes have shown you thus far has originated from your own conscious. I'm just as real as you are. After all, I am you."
No response. Link continued marching to and fro before the other boy.
"I can tell you're casing me for the kill. Don't deny it. Such a swift strategy, beating my head in with a shield. Effective, but very messy. If you're going to try to kill me, the least you could do is finish me with a blade."
From his coat, Dark Link chucked a sheathed sword across the burnt grass. It skidded to a halt at Link's own feet, where the boy identified it by its blue winged hilt. The Master Sword? How had Dark Link gotten a hold of the sacred blade? Was this some sort of trick? Link did not much care at this point. His shadow had him preoccupied.
"If that really is the blade of evil's bane, then destroying me with it should be a cinch. Lift it in your hand, and you will gain the power to slice through me like butter."
As if he had won an argument, Dark Link smirked. Still, Link said not one word. The clone was starting to make his blood boil. If he wanted so much to be smitten by the Master Sword, then Link would give him exactly what he wanted. Kneeling down, Link lifted the Master Sword, before dropping it with a cry. The hilt was boiling hot! Link doubled back, clutching his seared palm.
"Hahaha! You fool! Blinded by your own rage! Only a hero pure of heart can wield the master sword!"
Pure of heart? The words struck Link like an arrow to the stomach. But he was supposed to be Hyrule's blameless hero. How had he become so corrupted that even the Master Sword had rejected him? How?
"You tried to dispose of me with your hatred. You cannot defeat me with hatred, for I am your hatred! And that is why I am here. You act on your feelings. Poor poor Farrokh is a perfect testament to that."
It pained the boy to admit it, but Dark Link was right. Time and time again, he had let his feelings take over, and lead him to bad decisions. His own morals had been almost completely forgotten long ago. Even with Farrokh, he had killed him almost without a thought. Had he even enjoyed it a bit? How had he let himself get so out of control?
"Now you see why I have attained my true form! Each passing day, you and I become more one and the same. I make you stronger. I give you willpower to push through even the most barbaric and relentless tasks! Where would you be today without me? Well, I can guarantee one thing... our friend Saria wouldn't be with us on this quest anymore."
Dark Link was right, Saria would have still been detained by the Zora, or worse, if weren't for his dark side. A looming defeat crawled into Link's soul as he realized just how close Dark Link was to him. With a careful hand, Link slid the scabbard off the Master Sword. The blade glowed a dangerous blue as he brought his hand towards it, and dimmed as he pulled it away. The Hero of Time was no more... he was but a cursed swordsman, roaming the land to accomplish his will. And if someone clashed with his will? He dealt with them swiftly... What had he become? Link realized just how afraid he was of himself.
"Together, our power shall be unstoppable! Even the goddesses themselves will not be able to oppose us! No one shall stand in our way!"
But... what if Saria got in his way? Then Link remembered, she had before, when he had mistaken her for an illusion. He had almost killed her! The horrified look on her face as he raised his sword toward her was burned into the back of his head, possibly forever. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was the death of his own best friend... his dark side had become far too dangerous. Was he cursed to slay anything in his path? No... he refused to believe that, to let it happen. For as long as he could remember, he had been taught by the Kokiri that all life held value. Who was he to decide who got to live and who got to die? No more... he would push away his morals no more. Dark Link's time of reckoning had come. Link's feelings weren't going to make the decisions anymore. Even if he was beyond saving from the dark, he wouldn't stop fighting it until every last shred of good in him died. He was going to finish this, the way it needed to be. So no one else would get hurt. Abruptly, the Master Sword ceased glowing, causing Dark Link to look on it with slight shock, and Link with his own smirk. Using one hand, he hoisted it high in the air.
"What? How?! The Master Sword rejected you! How have you brandished it once more? Don't you know you are powerless without me! I am your power!"
"That's where you're wrong. My power comes from courage. A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."
Seemingly flabbergasted, Dark Link growled, before throwing off his coat.
"Fine, if you want it to be this way, then it will be this way. I will show you no mercy! I will beat every last pulp of light out of you!"
Drawing his own Sword and shield, Dark Link prepared his battle stance, Link mirrored his position.
"So be it."
Without further conflict with the perplexed Mido, Saria exited the Lost Woods into the main portion of Kokiri Forest. She grinned a nostalgic smile as she looked over her old home. However, her smile flipped when she realized that her house itself wasn't present. Where the old tree carved home had stood, a massive old oak stood now.
"What in- what's going on?!"
Everything else about the village was just as she remembered it, but that one tree spooked her simply by existing.
"Hey! How did you get here?! Before me, at that! Leave us alone, you outsider witch!"
Startled, Saria nearly tripped over the fence and into the village below.
"Goodness Mido! You scared me!"
"That's the Great Mido to you! I don't know who you are, but I want you out of here, you hear me?"
"What's the commotion, Mido?"
A Kokiri boy climbed up the vines to the ledge where the other two children stood.
"You mean, the Great Mido! Ah, whatever, perfect timing. I want you to get this outsider out! Out out out!"
"Are you sure? They don't look that bad."
Saria's face turned again, now disappointed.
"You mean you don't recognize me either?"
"Heck no. I'd 've remembered if I met somebody with green hair."
"Does it matter? This witch attacked me in the Lost Woods! She attacked me with her magic!"
"Muh-magic?! Gyah!"
"I did not! I don't even know any magic!"
"She's lying! She nearly fried my hat off with her powers!"
"Yikes! I better go get the others!"
The distressed Kokiri scurried back down the ledge. With a selfish grin, Mido turned back to the strange girl.
"Heheh, now you'll get it! You dirty outsiders never know what's good for you!"
"What did I do to you, though? I thought I was your friend, Mido!"
"Stop it! Stop acting like you know me! I've never seen you before in my life!"
Mido's words pierced right through Saria. Someone she had known her entire life, while not always as a friend, didn't know her anymore. Neither had that other boy. Did anyone remember her? Behind, Saria turned back towards the tree where her house should have been. It was as if she had been wiped from the world. A clamor of voices arose as the entire village climbed up the ledge.
"A witch? I've never seen a witch before. I wanna see!"
"Look at her green hair! Gross!"
"Can she really do magic?"
Quickly, Saria had become encircled by all whom she knew as friends. They jeered at her, and looked upon her with either contempt or curiosity.
"Quiet! QUIET! The Great Mido is talking!"
The circle of children hushed, and listened to the redhead.
"Is everybody listening? Good. This outsider attacked me earlier! If we don't get rid of her right now, who knows what she'll do to us! She's a danger of our way of life!"
"Yikes! That's awful!"
"She doesn't look like a witch..."
"I wanna see some magic! Show me some magic!"
"Shaddup shaddup! I'm not finished talking! One of us has to volunteer to take her to the edge of the forest, and make sure she leaves. So who volunteers? Anyone? Aaaaanyone?"
"Why don't you do it yourself?"
"Pipe down Gemmi! Nobody asked your opinion! Hmm, if no one will volunteer... I guess I'll just have to pick."
All the children hushed and tried their best to hide from Mido's gaze. Mido browsed the silent crowd in search of the right candidate. Yes, he knew just the right person for the job. He pointed to a boy with shaggy blonde hair, and smirked.
"Link! Get over here and take care of the witch!"
The crowd spread apart, and the boy stepped forward. Only one child raised a hand in protest.
"Uh, Mido-"
"You mean the Great Mido!"
"Uh, yeah. Are you sure Link can handle her by himself? If she's got magic, I don't think any of us should handle her alone.."
"I'm sure he can handle it. And if he doesn't, he isn't getting dinner tonight! Go on, get her out of here, boy!"
At Mido's exclamation, Link grabbed Saria by the wrist, and pulled her down the hill. A part of Saria was scared that Link was being driven by threats from Mido, but another part of her was afraid he did not recognize her either. As he raced toward the exit of the village, Saria desperately tried to talk to him.
"Link? Don't you recognize me? It's me, Saria!"
Without even stopping, the boy looked right at her face. They shared eye contact for but a moment, but Saria only saw fear in his eyes. Even her own best friend was not immune to whatever foul spell had befallen the Kokiri. Saria began welling up in tears from her friend's indifference.
"Please Link... I'm your best friend. We used to do everything together!"
Link almost looked like he was ignoring her. He probably was... if Link, the boy she had know since he was an infant, couldn't even recognize her, then nobody had a reason to know who she was. When the pair reached the bridge connecting Kokiri Forest to the rest of Hyrule, Link stopped, and prodded her forward.
"*sniff* Do I... do I mean nothing to you? N-nothing at all?"
The clueless boy only shoed the heartbroken girl off again. Saria burst into a fit of tears, and ran out the boundaries of the forest. Satisfied with his job, Link turned around, and started back for the village.
Author's Note
Am I overusing the Master Sword? It likely won't be reappearing for the rest of the story anyway.
