I wrote this one-shot back in November 2017, but somehow I never managed to upload it.
I wanted to upload it last year on Halloween, but I had missed to do this and this year
I have decided to upload another Halloween story (from another fandom) instead of this one.

But I don't want to keep this story on my laptop any longer and since I like it myself a lot,
I want to share it with the community now.
Even if I know that hardly anyone will read it,
for there has never been much interest in my Zelda stories.

Unfortunately, that was something I had to complain about Twilight Princess:
I was just missing this one character a lot;
Especially since this dark game has practically screamed for such a part!
But the more happy I am to see that we get this character now in the Manga series :).

I hope you like my own version of this encounter too, should anyone be reading this.
Just a little warning here, for this one-shot gets pretty brutal in the end.

Again I am sorry for grammer/spelling mistakes.
I translated this from german into english and this was a pain in the butt to do.
German version can be found on my german FF acount.

To answer the comments I got for the last chapter:

PokemonTrainer12
Oh yes, Telma is indeed a pretty cool character. I like her a lot myself :)
As for those bugs: Trust me, as someone who loves insects and spiders, I can assure you this:
It can tickle as hell when a few of those animals crawl over your skin, so I really don't blame Link here XD
And besides: Midna always needs new fuel to keep teasing Link a little on their journey ;)

Guest
Thank you. I am happy to see that you like my Zelda stories.

Madetara
Dir hatte ich ja bereits auf FFde geantwortet.
Aber ich möchte dir hier auch noch einmal ein ganz großes Dankeschön aussprechen und
das du dir die Zeit genommen hast, mir so eine ausführliche Review zu schreiben *knuddel*
Das macht heutzutage kaum noch einer. Da kann man froh sein wenn sie sich überhaupt mal wer zu Wort meldet.
PS: Vielleicht uploade ich doch noch den dritten Part. Wäre einfach zu schade ihn hier verstauben zu lassen ;)

Don't even trust your own Shadow...

Link was feeling bad.

This was the first thing that went through Midnas head that day, when she looked at the boy. He tried to hide it from her, but he really didn't need to try hiding his feelings from her, because Midna could see clearly that he was not doing well and that something was bothering him.

What it was, she still didn't know, but she would find out about it as soon as possible for sure.

Since Link had returned from the Shadow Realm, he behaved strangely.

Especially at night, when the sun had long since disappeared and when the world was shrouded in darkness. It almost seemed as if Link was afraid of the dark. If that really was the case, then Midna couldn't blame him for that, because Link had already experienced terrible things and he would experience even more terrible things in the future.

But when she asked him directly if he was scared of the dark or not, he'd just shook his head and assured her several times that everything was fine with him and that the darkness didn't bother him.

Nevertheless, she clearly felt that something was wrong with him.

Sometimes she saw how he was looking at his own shadow or mirror image skeptically, as if it would attack him and tear him into a thousand pieces. And on other days he wasn't concentrated and Midna saw how he watched the area carefully, as if someone was following him.

He played this game for a few more days and today was the day where it became too much for the shadow princess and she had appeared right in front of him, which startled him so much that he was taking a few steps back from her and he was staring at her with big eyes, but Midna didn't care. She was interested in something quite different and she asked him directly what was wrong with him and why he had been acting so strange for days.

"It's nothing, Midna. Really. Don't worry about me."

How often she had heard these words from his mouth she couldn't tell, but she was tired of hearing them!

Link wasn't doing well at all!

Everyone could see this and he couldn't fool someone like her at all!

"Stop it, Link and finally tell me what's wrong with you. You've been acting strange for days!"

Her voice was firm, her look stern and Link noticed that he shouldn't lie to her any longer, because Midna's patience seemed to be about to tear and he would rather not find out what would happen if she lost her patience with him completely.

A sigh left his throat and he stopped in all his movements.

"Okay, fine. Let's put up our camp here. Then I'll tell you what's wrong with me..."

Only half an hour later, he and Midna were sitting in the grass of Hyrule Field and they both watched the sunset.

Something that was still unfamiliar to Midna, for she hadn't been able to stay in the light world for a long time or watching the sunset together with Link without getting burned by the sunlight. But she slowly got used to this situation, but that wasn't what she wanted to think about that evening. She had more interest in Link's story and she burnt to know why he had behaved so strangely since days.

"Well, here we are. Tell me what's wrong with you."

Again the young hero sighed and he ran his hands through his face, before he looked at Midna.

"Don't you also have this weird feeling, as if we are being watched?"

His companion tilted her head questioningly as she returned his gaze.

"Being watched? How do you mean that?"

"I can't describe it. It's just that I've had such a weird feeling in my stomach since we've been out of the Shadow Realm."

"But you've been in the Shadow Realm several times now. You never felt like that before."

"I know, Midna. But this time it's different. It feels like we haven't come back alone. As if something had come with us and this something is following us now."

"You know that this is impossible, right? It's not possible for a shadow creature to enter the world of light. As soon as it comes into contact with the sunlight, it would burn and die."

"You're a shadow creature too and look at you: You're sitting next to me, watching the sunset together with me."

"That's something completely else, Link."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Nothing has followed us, so don't you worry about that. That's probably just your mind, playing a trick on you. You've been through a lot and something like this can happen then. So please don't worry. Everything is going to be alright."

But the boy didn't look as if he would believe her words, but he didn't say anything anymore and it seems as if the conversation seemed to be finished for both of them now...

He came when the night had long since passed over the kingdom of Hyrule.

Hidden in the shadows, he slowly approached the sleeping hero.

Slowly and careful not to wake him, a shadowy figure approached Link. Red glowing eyes rose from the darkness of the night, looking at the hero and the dark glances seemed to impale him.

His feet moved slowly and carefully over the ground and where his foot touched the ground, the grass dried up and everything got wrapped in shadows.

When he was standing behind Link, who was lying with his back to him and still sleeping peacefully, the shadowy figure paused briefly and it let its gaze wander over the body of the sleeping hero, before a dark grin appeared on the face of the creature. His hand went to the sword, which hung on his back and he slowly pulled it out of the sword scabbard, not turning his eyes away from the young hero for a single second, who was still lying there, sleeping peacefully and who didn't even know that death was standing right behind him.

But before the Shadow could seal the fate of the hero, a mighty hand hit at him and with an angry cry, the figure dissolved into dark shadows.

Link, awakened by the noise, jumped up, turned around and his eyes widened with fear, as he watched Midna and how she hit her giant hand at something that disappeared into shadowy smoke in front of his eyes and screamed horribly.

"M-Midna? What the hell was that?" Link wanted to know and his voice trembled, just as the rest of his body did and he had the feeling his heart would jump out of his chest; so strongly it hammered against his ribs.

"I don't know, but it would have killed you if I hadn't seen it in time!"

A shudder went through the body of the young man, as these dark words left his companion's lips and he rose to his feet, reached for his sword and shield and shouldered both. He let his eyes wander through the area, but he saw nothing but darkness surrounding him and Midna. No noise was heard, not even a cricket and that scared him almost more than the attack, which had just come from an enemy he hadn't even been able to see.

He heard a snort behind him and when he turned around he saw his horse Epona.

The mare had laid her ears against her head, her nostrils were widened and she snorted and stomped her hooves nervously onto the ground.

At that moment, Link knew that they were no longer alone and that this monster was still there and watching them out of the shadows.

"Be careful, Link," Midna whispered, who also seemed to feel that they were no longer alone, because she also looked around nervously. Her body was tense and her orange hair was still turned into a huge hand, as she wandered around the area to look for the attacker, but she couldn't see anything.

Back to back, the two were standing there, looking around, but they could still see nothing but darkness.

Then a dark laugh rose from the shadows, which made both of them shudder heavily.

Link felt how goosebumps was rising all over his body and he drew his sword and held it in front of him. He grabbed the sword handle so tightly that his knuckles turned white and his eyes widened, as he saw something flashing in the darkness. There was a pair of red glowing eyes that watched him and they glowed even more when they could see the fear in him and the dark laughter repeated. Then a foot slowly stepped out of the shadows, which soon followed another.

"M-Midna? Can you see that?"

The little shadow princess slowly turned around and froze almost, as she saw what was coming out of the darkness and approaching them now.

The creature looked like Link, but it was made of darkness.

A shadow on two legs, who glared at them out of those red, glittering eyes; on the face a wide grin, as he seemed to feel the fear in Link.

"What is that, Midna?"

The fear was clearly audible in the boy's voice and Midna couldn't even blame him for that, because what was standing there before them now...she had never seen anything like this before.

"I don't know."

The figure came closer and Link and Midna stepped backwards.

In the background, Epona whinnied and from the corner of his eyes, Link could see how scared she was and as the shadow came closer, she rose on her hind legs, before she ran away in panic.

Link had to take care of that later, because his whole attention was now on this...this thing that was standing there before him and which looked just like him and which was still grinning darkly at him.

"Surprised to see me, great hero?"

This voice!

It sounded so dark, so menacing that Link trembled and yet the sound of this voice was almost similar to his own.

But Link tried to keep his calm, tried to be brave.

"What in the name of the gods of Hyrule are you?"

He could see how the grin on the face of his opponent widened and how his red eyes sparkled even more than before.

"I am you, of course. Isn't that obvious?"

"Don't tell me such a nonsense and tell me the truth! Who or rather what are you?"

"I just told you. I am you. At least I am a part of you."

"A part of me? What does that mean?"

"Have you really believed that there would be no consequences when a pure soul like yours enters the Shadow Realm and then goes back to the world of light?"

Link didn't answer. He turned his head to Midna and looked at her questioningly.

"What does he mean with that?"

"I don't know, Link. No one has ever gone into the Shadow Realm and came back to the world of light before."

"For a good reason, my dear. Once you enter the Shadow Realm, you can never leave it again. But you, Link, are different from all the others who have entered the Shadow Realm before. But even the purest heart carries a little bit of darkness within itself and that is what I am. When you entered the Shadow Realm, a piece of this darkness came to life and so I was born. I am the darkness that lives deep within your heart. The dark side of yourself that you would never show to anyone in this world..."

The young Hylian growled and pointed his sword at his dark counterpart.

"There is no darkness in my heart. Everything I see here is a shadow and nothing more. Why don't you go back to where all the shadows belong to? Behind my back!"

The malicious grin disappeared from the face of the Shadow and made room for anger and he also drew his sword and aimed the dark blade at the young man.

"You will bitterly pay for those words! Count on it! Then, when you beg me not to kill you!"

And then he ran towards him; exactly over to Link, who was so surprised by the sudden attack that he couldn't react in time, but fortunately he still had Midna at his side, who reacted quickly enough and gave Dark Link a hefty blow, so that he fell to the side, but he quickly got back on his feet and hit his sword at Link, as he was right in front of him now, but Link parried the attack skillfully and launched a counter-attack, but his opponent skillfully dodged it by simply copying the attack.

"It's really pathetic that this little Imp must help you, so that you won't die by my sword! What's wrong with you? Where is the hero who you believe to be? I can't see him!"

The words provoked him, stoked the fire of anger in his belly and with a fight scream, Link attacked the Shadow, who only laughed and also parried the next attack and immediately countered it with a counter-attack on his part. The dark blade cut a wound into Link's right upper arm, causing him to drop his Hylian Shield. Dark Link kicked the Shield quickly away with his foot, so that Link couldn't pick it up again and he attacked him again and this time he caught the boy on his thigh, cutting a deep wound into his leg.

Midna was about to intervene, but Link stopped her with a hand movement, as he had brought enough space between himself and his Shadow.

"Stay out of this, Midna. This is my fight!"

"He will kill you if I won't help you!"

"He will not. I won't let that happen!"

"Don't be so stubborn and let me help you, you fool!"

"No, Midna!"

Link's voice was serious and the Shadow Princess stopped in her movement, for she had wanted to intervene in the fight, but Link's voice had kept her from doing that.

Helplessly, she could only watch, as the shadowy Link hit the young hero with his sword once again, but Link managed to dodge the attacks, but she could see that the two wounds on his body made it difficult for him to fight back. They were bleeding and he suffered from a lot of pain, which made it easier for his opponent to attack him and here and there Dark Link landed a few more hits that made Link scream out in pain. But the boy didn't give up, for if he did, it would be his death and he had to prevent that at all costs. He had already gone through so much, so he wouldn't let himself be defeated by his own shadow!

He parried another attack and jumped a few feet back and waited for the perfect opportunity. He had to wait, had to hope that his opponent would let his guard down, which he could use to his advantage and it didn't take long before such a chance opened up for him and without any hesitation, he dropped the sword and hit Dark Link with his fist; right into his face, which caused him to stagger backwards. Blood leaked from the side of his mouth, as he threw Link hateful glances and an angry growl rose from his throat and his eyes began to glow like fire.

"So, you want to fight like this, huh? Fine! As you wish, Hero..." he growled and he dropped his shield and sword to the ground.

What was happening afterwards, Link hardly believed, for he watched helplessly how his dark counterpart sank to his knees and he saw how his body began to change. His black tunic tore, but underneath there was no human skin anymore, but only pitch black fur...

Just seconds later, a black wolf stood in front of Link, who looked at him from red glowing eyes and with bared fangs, as he threatened him. Hot drool ran over the huge fangs, mixed with the blood, which still dripped from the side of his mouth and he looked at Link with so much hatred in his eyes, that the boy almost lost his courage at this sight, but he quickly pulled himself together, held the sword in front of him and went back into a fighting position, ignoring the pain that shot through his body.

"Growl as much as you want to! I am not scared of you!"

The black wolf growled again, louder this time and with a huge leap and with a loud roar, he jumped at Link, who raised his sword. Mighty jaws closed around the blade, when the wolf snapped at him and bit into his sword and shook it, until he managed to pull it out of his hands. He hurled the sword to the side, where it dropped carelessly into the grass and then the wolf jumped onto the boy again and this time he bit into his arm, as Link tried to protect his face from the mighty jaws of the wolf.

"Midna! Turn me into a wolf!" he shouted and a cry of pain left his throat, as the fangs of the beast sank deeper into his flesh.

Midna didn't react.

She hovered in the air, not far away from Link and she was watching the fight with shock in her visible eye.

"DO IT, MIDNA! NOW!" Link yelled and that pulled her back into reality and she quickly flew over to him and touched him with the crystal, she still had from Zant when he had laid this curse upon Link, that would have turned him forever into a wolf if the master sword hadn't helped the boy to break the curse.

When the crystal touched him, Link immediately felt the pain, as the transformation began almost immediately. He felt how his body changed, felt the power of the Shadow Realm in his body, saw how his hands turn into paws with razor sharp claws and soon he was once again the sacred beast that walked through the shadows.

He rammed his hind legs painfully into the belly to the dark wolf, which made the beast howl in pain, as sharp claws tore at his skin and he pushed him down from him. As soon as Dark Link hit the ground, Link jumped at him and he buried his fangs into the neck of the black wolf, who roared with rage and pain alike. Link tore at his coat, growled and hit his claws at the Shadow Wolf, but Dark Link fought bitterly against him and he managed to shake him off.

Wildly growling, both of them bared their fangs and laid their ears against their heads, as they slowly circled each other and didn't let themselves out of their eyes for a moment. The fur on their backs rose, the muscles tightened under their skin and shortly thereafter they attacked each other once again.

They clashed like two forces of nature, growled and roared as they attacked each other with their fangs and claws and soon their blood covered the ground beneath their paws. They both rose onto their hind legs, tried to attack each other with their front paws and snapped at each other with their powerful jaws, trying to bite into the throat of the other. Fur flew through the air, blood splashed on the plants around them and the roars and growling of the two wolves cut the air, as they fought mercilessly against one another.

Midna could only watch the fight from a safe distance and the shock was written on her face, as she saw how brutally Link attacked the Shadow Wolf. She had often seen him fight in his wolf form, but he had never been as brutal as he was right now. It was as if the dark side in him had won the upper hand and the human in him had moved into the background. Link had become a wild beast and this wild beast had licked blood and wanted only one thing: to kill!

She saw how he grabbed the Shadow Wolf again on the neck and forced him to the ground. The other wolf whimpered, as Link's sharp fangs dug deeper into his fur and the flesh beneath. He tried to free himself, snapped at Link's legs, but he missed them. He slammed his paw at him and Link let him go briefly, but when the Shadow Wolf rolled himself onto his back and wanted to snap at him, Link bit him into his throat.

"No, Link! STOP IT!" Midna shouted, as she saw how Link's jaws closed even more around the other wolf's throat. He stopped briefly, as he heard Midna's voice, but it wasn't long before the wild beast in him took the upper hand again and with a deep sounding growl, he began to shake the shadow wolf and tore at his flesh until the blood already wetted his own face.

Midna tried desperately to go between them.

She teleported herself quickly next to Link's side and her fingers closed around the grey wolf's blood-stained fur and she tried to pull him away from the Shadow Wolf and Link actually let him go, as he felt how someone was pulling painfully on his coat. But against Midna's expectation, the grey wolf whirled around and snapped at her. Midna managed to get some distance between herself and Link and she looked at him with fear in her visible eye. He stood in front of her, the fur on his back rose, his claws scraped across the ground and he tore the grass out of the ground. He bared his fangs and he growled at her and there was something in his blue eyes that frightened her, for she had never seen so much darkness in his eyes before.

This was no longer the Link she knew!

What was standing here before her was a monster!

"Please, Link. Stop it..." she repeated her words once again, this time with pleading in her voice, but the wolf only responded with another growl.

"If you kill him, you're not better than him. I know you very well now and I know that you are stronger than the darkness in you. Much stronger, so please. Fight against it! I know you can!"

He stopped growling and his ears turned into her direction, as he listened to her words and the vicious twinkle slowly disappeared from his eyes.

When he heard a whimper behind him, Link turned his head around and he saw the Shadow Wolf, who was still lying in the grass. He tried to get up, breathing heavily and whimpered, but he always fell back on his side. His legs were too weak to carry his body and the numerous wounds on his body, especially the great wound near his throat, also robbed him of the last bit of strength. In this state, he was easy prey and Link would only have to bite his throat once again to end the fight, but he remembered Midna's words and there was something inside him that kept him from doing so. Midna was right, for he wouldn't be any better than his dark clone if he would now bite into his throat again and thus kill him.

So he did the right thing: he turned around, stood next to the black Wolf, pressed his head to the ground with one paw and forced him to look up at him. Then he bent his head down and looked deeply into his red glowing eyes.

"Run! And never come back again!" he growled into his ear, which caused a renewed whimpering and as Link took his paw off his head, the black wolf took all his remaining strength together, got up and ran, with drawn-in tail and loud whimpering, away from him and Midna and a little later, he had disappeared in the dark night, when he had once again become one with the shadows that lay over Hyrule.

Only now did Link notice how exhausting the fight had really been and how weakened he was. The wounds on his body were numerous and some of them went deep and they burned like pure fire, now that he concentrated on the pain. He turned around again, looked at Midna, but he couldn't even take a step toward her, as he fell to the ground. Midna was by his side immediately and stroked her fingers softly through the fur on his head and a soft growl rose from Link's throat, as he opened his blue eyes slightly and looked up at her.

"Midna..." he began, but the little Shadow Princess silenced him.

"Shhh, don't talk. Save your strength and rest. I'll take care of you," she whispered and she still stroked her fingers gently through his fur.

If he had been able to do so, he would have given her an equally gentle smile, but instead he put his head back into the grass, closed his eyes and focused only on Midna's fingers, which were so tenderly stroking his head and soothe him.

"That was stupid, Link. Very, very stupid! Next time you won't be able to stop me from helping you, is that clear?"

His mouth twitched into a small smile now and he just nodded his head.

What would he be without Midna?

She had become a good friend for him in the past months and she helped him wherever she could.

So even today.

Today, she had even helped him to overcome the darkness in his heart and for this he was infinitely grateful to her.

He was sure that he would never have done it without her help...