"Is this it?" Lana asked, taking the mask from Impa.

The Sheikah nodded. "I saw the youngest Link loose it when the dragon knight threw him off. He was lying on the ground when I grabbed it."

"Is he dead?" the sorceress gasped.

Impa shook her head. "I don't think so. He was breathing, but his breaths were very labored. I couldn't afford taking him with me. It would've slowed me down."

Lana frowned, though she understood Impa's actions. Even if the child was likely no more than a clone, he must've been suffering. She had no doubt Cia created him with a personality and feelings identical to the original Hero of Time. Cia was selfish that way. She put her fantasies over logic.

"I'll take my leave," Impa said. "I must check on the princess."

"Of course," Lana smiled. "I'll see if I can use this mask for anything."

Impa nodded and left Lana's room. The sorceress made her way to her desk, a large map spread across it. She held the mask in both hands and stared into its blank eyes.

"What's this?" a voice asked amusingly. "A new vessel for my power? Pathetic. How dare you think you are worth my might? You have no darkness in your heart. No hatred. Not even a shed of revenge crosses your mind. Put me down. I'm disgusted to have your hands on me."

Lana recoiled at the voice. It sounded like both a young boy and an adult speaking an once. In fact...was that Young Link?

"You've realized it?" the mask laughed softly. "Yes, I've begun to make him mine. He hasn't even realized it yet. I'm sure once he wakes up he'll slip into deep insanity without me."

"If he does Cia will simply make another copy," Lana said confidently. "And you'll go back to being an accessory."

The mask emitted a chuckle. "What a foolish girl. All the incarnations of Link the Black Sorceress keeps are pulled from their time periods to serve her like dogs. She has tricked them very easily. How could the Goddess of the world choose him to be the hero? He is but a child."

Lana narrowed her gaze. "So you're telling me they're the real thing? Why should I believe you?"

"You really are a fool. If the Hero of Time with Cia is a clone, how could I be on his person? It would be impossible."

Her eyes grew wide as she realized what the mask was saying was true. "Oh, no…"

"Oh, yes. That witch has the various lives of Link thinking they are doing something just. And, as you may know, she holds affection for him. But she only needs one, doesn't she?"

"What?! She's going to kill them?"

"Not kill, necessarily. A more correct term is 'throw away.' The Hero of Twilight is safe, but the other two are not. The Hero of Sky has been sold to the Demon Lord in exchange for power. The Hero of Time… Well, I'm sure your little accomplice saw the Dragon Knight sending him to his death. Don't worry, he's still alive. I had to sacrifice a bit of my power to create a shield to save him. Now that strength and might is stored in his body for safe keeping."

Lana was silent as she processed this information. "Okay… I'm guessing you want something in return for that info."

"Right you are. I want you to send me back to my host. If you do I'll give you something greater than a few petty words."

"Really?" the sorceress asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. She could almost feel the entity's sly grin.

"A god."

"Perhaps I should put you in a more suitable outfit for a slave."

"Shut up."

"Honestly, you have no sense of fashion."

"SHUT IT!"

Sky Link grimaced and quickened his pace to get away from Ghirahim. The two were sent out to see how Volga and Young Link were doing with recon. They were supposed to be back by now. But Sky Link didn't worry. His childish counterpart was probably annoying Volga to the greatest degree possible.

"I don't understand why I have to be with you all the time," the hero frowned.

"How adorable," Ghirahim sighed, putting a hand to his cheek. "You actually think I trust you."

Sky Link's irritated expression was replaced with a disgusted one. He somehow managed to keep his mouth shut and picked up his pace. He was quickly getting tired of his constant companion. He could barely remember the simple times on Skyloft, but battling Demise a second time would be better than this. How could Demise even think about making Ghirahim?! What kind of thoughts were going through his mind at the time? What could have possessed him to give his creation the look and personality he decided on?

"Sky Child."

Ugh, why couldn't Ghirahim just use Link's real name? Was one syllable not fabulous enough?

"Hey! Look over here when I'm talking to you!"

Sky Link finally slumped his shoulders in defeat and turned around. "Yes, Master?"

"Firstly, get rid of that attitude," Ghirahim frowned. "Second, I think I found Young Link." He jabbed a finger at the space behind a rose bush. "I suggest you check on him."

Sky Link knit his eyebrows and approached the area the Demon Lord was pointing to. His eyes widened in fear when he saw his younger counterpart lying on the ground, blood pouring from his head and his chest heaving.

"H-Hey!" Sky Link stuttered, quickly falling to his knees. He placed his hand on Young Link's chest, feeling a faint heartbeat. "Crap, what do I do?!" His face lit up hopefully as a thought crossed his mind. "We have Cia. She can help, right?"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "Well, if she can, you'd better get to her quickly. I don't think your little friend will last long."

Sky Link immediately picked up the child and held him gently in his arms. He then sprinted towards the temple, calling desperately for Cia.

Link wasn't sure how long he was out. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten in this situation in the first place, nor could he recall the past few weeks. All he knew was that he was standing in a pitch dark place, void of any signs of life. But he didn't really care. This place seemed oddly familiar, that much he knew. If it wasn't completely alien to him, he would be fine.

What did genuinely confuse him was why he was an adult again. He hadn't been in this form for a long time, but he was used to it by this point. He used to spend so much time like this. How long did his quest take him as an adult? It must've been at least a year. Traveling took so long and it was always so difficult to find information…

And, of course, he spent plenty of time in the dungeons. Many times they would be so large he would have to sleep in a room he cleared of enemies. The Water Temple was most certainly the worst of the lot. He'd gotten lost so many times. It felt like he spent two weeks in there, though he probably had. When he was transported outside from the Sacred Realm he almost cried at the sight of the sky.

He had also been a bit thrown off in there as well. He wasn't quite the same once he left. During the course of his journey, there were many factors that contributed to his loss of sanity, but it all began with him.

Link shook the thought out of his head. No, he shouldn't think about those things. For now, the only thing that mattered was escaping. He took a small step forward and heard a small splash.

He froze at the sound, his gaze fixated in front of him. He expected his eyes to involuntarily widen out of fear, but instead he simply smiled solemnly.

"I can tell you're there," he said, his tone unreadable. "Don't think I can't see you."

The room brightened slightly as he said this, prompting a figure to begin walking towards him. If not for its pitch black color, Link would've thought he was looking into a mirror. The figure was also dripping wet from head to toe, no doubt having risen out of the water somehow.

"Well," he said in a deeper version of Link's own voice. "I see you've come back. Did my words from last time wake you up a bit?"

Link pushed away the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he defiantly crossed his arms. "Actually, no. I have no idea how I got here. You can assure yourself that I wouldn't seek your company on purpose."

"Oh, my," the silhouette chuckled. "Look who's all grown up. The time you spent away from those brats must have caused you to come to your senses."

"Shut up," Link snapped. "Tell me what's going on. If you don't, you're wasting my time. Step aside."

The darker version of Link – or "Dark Link," as the hero dubbed him – placed a hand on his chest dramatically. "How cold. I am you, you know. And that's no way to talk to yourself."

Link instinctively reached for his sword, but quickly realized it wasn't there. He cursed under his breath at the realization.

"That's not very appropriate for a child," Dark Link smirked. "Use cleaner language. What would your mother say?"

Link didn't react to the insult. He never knew his mother, and as wrong as it felt, he couldn't feel any anger boil up inside of him. Despite the lack of fury, Dark Link continued.

"What's the matter? Am I bothering you? I can tell I am. After all, I know everything you're thinking." He sunk into the floor, his body dripping like ink and absorbed by the water. His dissolved body bolted across the shallow pool and popped up behind Link. "Doesn't it make you uncomfortable? Not being able to outwit your enemy must be awful. But I'm not your enemy. In fact, I'm the only one in this world who cares about you."

Link didn't even turn around. "Yes, trying to kill me on sight is 'caring.'"

"Oh, no. I was just trying to put you out of your misery." Dark Link reached out and played with his counterpart's bangs lazily. Link couldn't help but feel his cheeks turn hot. "Don't make that face! It'll make it harder to do away with you!"

"If you think I'll fall for that, you're even stupider than I thought," Link huffed. "There are a lot of people who care about me. Like Zelda." He allowed a slight smile to appear on his face.

"Zelda, eh?" Dark Link grimaced at her name. "You're so naïve. It's adorable, but it certainly can be a nuisance. Do you honestly think a princess with wealth, power, and beauty beyond compare can truly care for a lowly peasant boy like yourself?"

He slowly traced his finger along Link's jawline. The hero winced a bit at his freezing touch, but still refused to move.

"Your face is getting red," Dark Link grinned, his red eyes glowing with excitement. "Are you taking a liking to me?"

"You wish," Link scoffed.

"Hmm… You're more stubborn than I remember. I recall that when we first met you were shaking so much. And your eyes were wide with fright…" Dark Link smiled at the memory. "It was very cute. I miss those days."

Link grit his teeth at the recollection. He hated being reminded of showings of weakness. "Change the subject."

"Ah, that's right, I was talking about Zelda," Dark Link said, as if just remembering something. A smirk slowly crept onto his face. "You really love her, don't you?"

"Perhaps," Link said confidently. He wasn't one to hide his feelings. There was no point in being ashamed about them, right? It was a natural emotion that everyone feels.

"Well, let me ask you this," Dark Link said. "If you were not a hero, would Zelda still pay attention to you?"

Link knit his eyebrows. "I'm sure she'd-"

"Don't try to convince yourself. You would be like any other boy. She'd have no need for you. If you snuck into her castle without a cause she would kick you out immediately."

"Um…" Link tried to find an argument, but was beginning to panic when he realized he didn't have one. "Bad example. There's the Great Deku Tree. He took me in when my mother died-"

"…Because he sensed your destiny," Dark Link sighed in a bored tone. "If you were any normal child, he'd let you die along with your parents. What need would he have for a child that would grow up? How would he explain your true heritage to you? Seems like a big hassle for someone who would simply die not even one hundred years later."

Link bit his lip, struggling to debate with his counterpart. His dismay only heightened when Dark Link snaked his arms around his waist. "Wh-What about Saria?"

"She was a sage. She could sense how important you were, even if she didn't understand it. That drew her in. But mostly…" Dark Link leaned in close to Link's ear. "She just pitied you. You had no friends. If you were popular, she'd probably avoid you like that plague."

"R-Ruto?" Link stuttered.

"You saved her. Had you been normal… You get the idea."

"Malon...?"

"Didn't recognize you after those seven years."

"M-Mido…?"

"He didn't recognize you either."

"…" Link fell silent, unable to come up with a good person to bring up. However, once it all seemed hopeless, his eyes lit up. "Navi! Navi was with me through everything!"

Dark Link sighed again and started playing with Link's belt with one hand. "Really? Her? She was literally ordered to be with you. Honestly, it's hopeless. Give it up. No one really likes you for you. They like you either because you saved them or because you're important."

Link slumped his shoulders, finally realizing that his dark counterpart was right. There wasn't anyone in the world who truly cared for him.

"You know what's worse?" Dark Link asked.

"Oh, no, Dark, tell me," Link groaned.

"You already have a pet name for me!" Dark Link mused. "It's nice to see that you're getting used to me." One glare from Link prompted him to continue with what he was originally talking about. "Nobody got that you were still just a kid. You aged physically, but not mentally. When you first walked outside the Temple of Time, you were so amazed at how far away the ground was, how short all the people were…" A sly grin formed as he said, "How pretty the girls were."

Link looked away in both embarrassment and anger. "So? What's that have to do with anything?"

"A lot of things. You were going through things that would be traumatic even for an adult. And what did you do to deserve it? Nothing. Nothing except be born. Everyone must hate you to put you through that. Especially the Goddesses."

"Th-That's stupid," Link spat, though it did make a little sense. Why would the Goddesses choose a little kid to do their dirty work instead of an adult?

"But I understood," Dark Link said, his tone taking a much more soothing form. "Even from the moment I first saw you. Your body was that of an adult, yet your eyes reflected the innocence of a child. I took your form, absorbed your memories, and was created from the darkness in your heart."

Link blinked stupidly. "Darkness?"

"Yes. How do you think I know so much about your negative thoughts?" Dark Link tossed his lookalike's hat off his head and gingerly ran a hand through his blond hair. "I was created long ago. I know about your hatred for having forgotten everything. Zelda loved you so much back then… It's painful to see her memory erased. To have her love for you thrown away like trash. To have her essentially replaced with someone new."

"W-What are you talking about?" Link stuttered.

Dark Link frowned at his words. "Nothing you would know. But, you know, you're supposed to be in a vision. Someone is healing you right now, and this is all fake. Except for me. That stupid witch is probably expecting me to be a mirage the spell made up to scare you, but I saw this as a perfect opportunity to have a little talk with you." Upon seeing Link's confused and frightened face, he added, "You're still a child, wearing such an expression. You aren't mature enough to go through this…"

"What do you know?" Link scoffed, failing to find a better insult.

Dark Link smirked again. "More than you. You don't seem to know how much I care for you. I care for you so much perhaps it's even turned into more." Link winced as his counterpart hugged him a bit tighter. "I must be too scary for you, huh? But just trust in me, and I'll make all the bad people go away." He comfortingly stroked Link's hair repeatedly, his eyes blazing with his next words. "Let me take over for a while. I'll make all those bad people go away…"

Link tried to find his voice, but this new gentle part of his lookalike was becoming creepier with every passing second. Dark Link ignored the obvious disgust he was given, instead resting his head on Link's shoulder.

"…ke…p…"

"Who's that?" the hero asked shakily.

"No, no, don't be frightened," Dark Link assured him. "That's one of the two people in the world who love you unconditionally like I do."

"Wake up!"

The voice became clearer, and suddenly Link's memories rushed back into him. The pain hit him like a brick. "Sky…?"

"Yes. And I'm sure your descendant is there too," Dark Link explained. "Go to them. And remember: I'm always with you."

Dark Link began to fade to white, as did the world around him, and Sky's voice became clearer. Just as everything was gone for good, Link's dark side smiled and said one final word:

"Always."

*I hope you all didn't mind the bit of yaoi I threw in. I actually didn't do it for fanservice or anything, I just thought it would be creepyish. And did I write that? *buries face in hands* 0/0

TP Zelda: Don't worry, Shadow, you've done an excellent job. *downloads chapter*

Cia: Time to draw fanart!

Dark Link: Ah, darling~. It seems everyone ships us.

Young Link: No way! There's no way I'm being with you! I'm choosing Zelda.

Dark: Hell no!

Young Link: Hell yes!

Dark: You're MINE!

Young Link: Sorry, dude, but I don't swing that way. Plus, didn't I kick your ass last time I saw you? I could never date someone so weak.

Dark: YOU WANNA GO, TINKERBELL?!

Things are getting pretty heated up… Er, review and you'll get your own Dark x Link doujinshi! N-Not that I have one or anything…

TP Zelda: *writes review* Gimmie.

K bye.*