The Legend of Zelda: The Return
Hey all!
Sorry this is late! I know went back up on the 21st, but my computer decided it wanted to crash on the 20th, and was only just fixed last night around 1 a.m. give or take, (many apologies to those who e-mailed me. Give me a day or two and I should get back to you within that). Anyway, without further adieu, here's chapter 23! A warning beforehand, however, one part of this is a little darker and more violent than usual. I hope this doesn't offend anyone.
Enjoy!
Lady Rose
The portrait of a killer is like none other painting.
First, you begin with a canvas as dark as his heart.
Then, without rhyme or reason, you draw a man,
Any man will do.
How does this man look? Simple? Ugly? Charming?
Does his eye gleam with feral prowess?
Does his mouth curl like Achilles' lipless smile?
Do you have a clue?
Strange, my friend, is what the painting says.
How alone this bringer of death, to share this perch with none.
Stranger still, my friend, is how much this man
Resembles you.
-Unknown
A Brief Interlude
"Neesha!" Hunter hissed, his eyes darting back and forth from one end of the hallway to the other. "What the Hell are you doing? Let's go! Link's in trouble!"
"Look, would you trust me for once?" She demanded, hurriedly trying to pick the lock on the door. "This is going to help Link."
"How is you breaking into Nabooru's room going to help Link?" The Sheikah demanded in turn. "We're going to get caught!"
"Give me a bit of credit," Neesha muttered as the door sprung open finally. "I am a thief, you know."
"You and everyone else here," Hunter responded caustically. "I'm amazed you people even have your own stuff."
"Well it's not like we steal from each other," she snapped, dragging him into the room. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not stealing anything!" She cried. "I'm returning something to its rightful owner!"
"What are you talking about?" Hunter demanded. "What does Nabooru have that belongs to someone else?" He looked around the room, taking in the multitude of items that were definitely not of desert origins. "Besides everything she owns. What, in specific are you looking for?"
"A shield," Neesha answered. "Help me find it." Hunter frowned and jogged over to a cabinet in the corner of the room.
"This is nuts," he muttered to himself. "Insane! I'm a Sheikah . . . staying at the Fortress of my people's ancient enemy . . . breaking into the goddess damned Gerudo Queen's room!"
"She's not our Queen, just our leader," Neesha said irritably. "We don't have queens. And we're not enemies anymore."
"Right," Hunter said dryly, pulling open the cabinet. "Which explains why Detsu had you locked up with Link at my home, and why I've received no less than five death threats in the three days I've been at your home." He frowned. "Neesha, there's a half dozen shields in here. Which one is it?"
"It's not going to be in there," Neesha snapped, rushing past him and rifling through more chests. "This shield is special to her. And would you mind not leaving so many hints that we've been here? Geez. Amateurs . . ."
"Well excuse me if my profession of choice does not involve anything illegal," he hissed at her.
"What's with you today?" She demanded, dropping to her stomach and crawling under Nabooru's bed. "It's like someone's got their finger on your freak out button and they forgot to take it off."
"What's with me?" Hunter cried, then abruptly lowered his voice. "What's with me is that there used to be four of us, Neesha. Four. Now there are two. Zelda's already beyond my reach, I don't want to lose Link too!"
"We're not going to lose him," Neesha replied, squirming out from under the bed, dragging something heavy with her. "Especially not to the Witches."
"Is that it?" Hunter demanded, jogging over to her and pulling out the shield and admiring it for a moment. It was remarkably crafted, with a crimson border along the outside of it and a silver surface that reflected Hunter's face like a mirror. The Gerudo symbol was carved on it in relief. "Wow," he said. "I can see why this would be special too her . . ."
"No you can't," Neesha said, taking it from him and fastening it quickly to his back – it was too big for her to carry. "It's not because of the shield, but who used to own it."
"Who'd she steal it from then?" Hunter asked as Neesha shoved him towards the door.
"She didn't steal it," Neesha said. "It was given to her."
"By . . ."
"Link's mother."
"Oh," Hunter said. "I think I'm starting to get it."
"About freaking time," Neesha muttered, shutting the door softly behind them and locking it. "It belongs to Link now, and I have a feeling he might need it. Now let's go. Rue's not exactly patient."
"What are you two doing here?" Snapped a voice from behind them. Neesha squeaked and Hunter jumped and they turned to look at Jinni.
"You're supposed to be at the Gates!" Hunter and Jinni said at the same time. "I'm on my way." They answered at the same time. "Good. See you there." They said again. Neesha stared from one to the other then shook her head and grabbed Hunter's arm, dragging him along behind her before Jinni could put two and two together.
"Hey, how did you know Nabooru had this?" Hunter asked as they ran.
"Everyone knows she had it," Neesha answered. "She brought it back with her after she supposedly killed Natalia and her Sheikah."
"Brayden," Hunter said.
"What?" Neesha asked.
"His name was Brayden."
xxx
Chapter 22
Something's wrong . . .
I mean . . . besides the fact that my vision is all blurry and I'm seeing double and it's hard to breathe and my head is aching and my skin is burning and I'm shaking and too weak to stand let alone look around and find out what's happening . . .
But something else is wrong . . .
Where's Navi?
Why isn't Navi here?
I can't heard Hunter, or Neesha or anyone else anymore . . .
I can't hear the Gerudo . . .
I can't hear anything . . .
It's silent as a tomb in here . . .
Just before I can wonder if I haven't gone deaf as well I hear something.
An ear-splitting, head-aching, shriek of a laugh . . .
And unless I'm hearing double too, there's two of them . . .
I know that laugh . . .
For love of the three goddesses . . .
Not those two . . .
Anyone but those two . . .
"Koume," I cough raggedly, trying to push myself into anything other than a lying down position. "Kotake . . . you . . . old hags . . ."
"Oh goodie!" One of them cries delightedly. "He remembers! Our job just got easier sister."
"It did indeed," agrees the second. Just before I can collapse back onto the ground the air seems to solidify around me and lifts me into the air.
Oh my Goddess, I'm dizzy . . .
My hand is throbbing . . .
Why'd they have to attack me now?
Knowing that it will do me no good I move for my sword anyway.
Like I've got the strength to hold it, let alone draw it.
But my arm suddenly stops moving anyway.
"Settle down, you impertinent little boy," snaps one of them as they fly in a circle around me. Koume I think . . . hard to tell . . . my vision's swimming . . .
Why haven't I passed out yet?
They must be keeping me awake somehow . . .
I don't know if that's good or bad.
"He always has been rude," huffed Kotake. "No respect for his elders. No respect for his betters."
"We'll have to teach him better," Koume says.
"Yes, definitely," agrees Kotake. "But not right now. Now his little Gerudo friends are probably looking for him . . . we'd best get on with it before they arrive. It'll have to be temporary though. Can't do anything more until we chase them off."
"It will be difficult," Koume says. "A challenge. He's very old."
"Yes," Kotake agrees. "Ganondorf was only a child when we stole him away . . ."
"Don't . . . don't touch me," I hiss weakly, wishing I could put more power behind my words.
What are they planning?
What do they want?
I'm so helpless . . .
They burst into laughter simultaneously and my head throbs in protest.
"Silly boy," Koume laughs. "We don't have to touch you."
"We just want to talk to you," Kotake says.
"What . . . what about?" I demand, trying to make my foggy mind work. There's got to be a way out of this. I suddenly lurch into motion, soaring across the room and slamming hard into something on the wall. I squint at the ground and recognize a pair of stone legs crossed over each other.
I'm inside the Spirit Temple . . .
At that statue . . .
An unseen force suddenly straightens my arms out to my sides and the stone underneath them softens. Something pushes my arms in up to my elbows and the stone once again hardens. The force holding me up dissipates and I hang limply from my arms, now embedded in the statue.
I haven't got the strength to lift my head, but I can still hear the witches talking.
"Now, let's talk," one of them says. "About the people you think are your friends." I grit my teeth – partly against the pain in my head and partly against the irritation that's seeping through the fog and registering in my brain.
Of all the things I killed during my quest to free the sages . . .
No, of all the things I've killed, ever . . .
These two, of all of them, always had this ability to get on my nerves . . .
I'm poisoned, hanging from a statue by my arms, and too weak to do anything . . .
And nothing would make me happier than if they'd just shut up . . .
"Let's start with Zelda," one of them says. I can't tell if it's Koume or Kotake . . . they both sound the same . . . Or maybe I'm just too out of it . . . I don't even know anymore . . .
"You're angry with her, aren't you?"
"Yes," I say, then shake my head. "No. I'm . . ." The fog in my head grows thicker.
"Yes you are," they say. "You're very angry . . . you're hurt, aren't you?" I shake my head and swallow. "Aren't you?" They repeat. I close my eyes and nod.
The pain in my head disappears . . .
The dizziness, the fever, the throbbing in my hand . . . all of it disappears.
All I'm aware of is their voice.
"She hurt you badly didn't she."
"Yes," I whisper.
"Poor boy," the voice whispers. "Poor foolish boy. Did you actually think it could be?"
"Yes . . ." I whisper.
"She doesn't care about you. She can't. To her, you're just some poor boy. No family, no friends, no anything. Just a commoner. She thinks she's too good for you."
"No!" I gasp. "No! I'm . . . I'm not a commoner . . ."
"No," the voice agrees. "You're a King. But she doesn't know that does she?"
"I . . ."
"No, she doesn't," the voice says, almost soothingly. "You didn't tell her. She's had so many secrets . . . so many . . . it's only fair that you should have some too, right?"
"I . . . right," I agree. "Right. It's only fair."
"You didn't tell her because you were angry with her," the voice continues. "You didn't tell her because you gave her to Dark Link instead." I shake my head.
"N–No," I say. "I . . . I didn't mean it . . ."
"Yes you did," the voice says. "You did. You hate her, Link. You hate her . . ."
"N . . . No . . . I . . . I don't," I say, struggling to understand why I don't hate her.
I know there's a reason . . .
There used to be a reason . . .
I just can't seem to recall . . .
"Yes you do," the voice says consolingly. "She lied to you Link. She used you. She betrayed you. Her and her petty little Sages. All of them, pretending to be your friends. All of them pretending they liked you. Pretending they cared about you." I shake my head.
"They . . . they do care," I insist. "They do!"
"Are you sure?" Asks the voice pityingly.
"Don't they?" I ask in a small voice.
"I'm sorry, Link," the voice says. "I'm very sorry, but you've been deceived."
"My friends . . ." I whisper.
"They're not your friends," the voice replies softly. I feel a hand stroking my cheek comfortingly. "They're not your friends Link. They don't care about you. You hate them. Don't you?"
"No," I whisper. "No . . . I . . . I don't . . . I can't . . ."
"Can't you?" The voice asks in a sibilant whisper. "Don't you remember everything they've done to you? All the things they hid from you . . . the things they lied to you about . . ."
"Yes . . ." I whisper. "Yes . . . I remember . . ."
"And after everything you've done for them too," the voice says sadly. "Some people are better off dead, Link. The people you hate are better off dead, aren't they?"
"Dead . . ." I say slowly. I frown in concentration, something tickling the back of my memory. "D–Dad's dead . . .?" I shake my head. "No . . . Dad's not dead . . . he's . . ."
"Betrayed you too," the voice answers quickly. "He's joined forces with your enemies, Link. With Ganondorf."
"Ganondorf," I hiss.
"Yes, you hate him don't you?" Asks the voice.
"Yes," I hiss again.
"Good," the voice says. "Focus on that for me Link . . . just for a moment . . . focus on your hate . . ."
I focus . . .
"Do you feel it?" The voice asks. "Do you feel how powerful that makes you?"
"Yes," I hiss.
"You could be even more powerful, you know," the voice says again. "We can make you more powerful . . ."
"I . . ."
"You could get revenge, Link," the voice suggests. "Revenge on everyone who's lied to you. Revenge on everyone who's hurt you."
"Hurt me . . ." I whisper. "Zelda . . . the Sages . . ."
"Yes," the voice says, pleased. "Yes, Zelda and the Sages. You hate them don't you Link?"
Zelda . . .
Sages . . .
Hate . . .
"Yes," I whisper.
"You want revenge, don't you Link?" The voice asks.
"Yes," I whisper.
"Would you like us to show you you're revenge?" The voice asks.
"Yes," I whisper.
There's a flash of light in front of my eyes and when it fades I can see the Golden Palace . . . only it's not so golden anymore. It looks like the way Ganondorf had made it . . . only . . . darker somehow . . .
The dark tower shifts and I can see inside it now. We're in a large dungeon. Chained by their hands and feet to the wall are eight people. Just to their right a huge owl is locked in a cage entirely too small for it. I know that owl . . . that's . . . Kaepora?
And those people . . .
I know them too . . .
Saria . . . Malon . . . Impa . . . Darunia . . . Ruto . . . Nabooru . . . Zelda . . . Hunter . . .
My friends, I think to myself.
Not your friends, the voice whispers. Watch . . .
The door the dungeon suddenly flies open, banging loudly against the wall. The prisoners all jump and stare up. I blink at the man who enters.
He's dressed all in black – leathers and fur. Knives are visible all over his body, two scimitars are strapped at his waist, and on his back is sheathed the Master Sword. Blonde bangs stick out from underneath his ebon hat and fall into cold blue eyes that burn like sapphire embers . . . HHer
That's . . . me! I gasp in surprise.
That's who you could be, the voice corrects me.
Three steps behind the Other Me comes a young Gerudo woman, dressed in white. It takes me a moment to recognize her . . . she looks so . . . so . . . broken . . .
N . . . Neesha . . . I whisper.
What happened to her?
Where's her defiant streak? Where's that spark in her eyes? Where's her spirit?
"Well, well, well," Other Me says with a cruel, twisted, grin. "Looks like the gang's all here." The prisoners stare at him, their eyes burning with hate.
I continue to stare at Neesha.
Something . . . something's wrong . . .
This isn't right . . .
See? The voice whispers, distracting me from Neesha. See how they hate you? See how they despise you? How could they be your friends? I look.
The voice is right . . .
They do hate me . . .
"Oh I just love reunions, don't you Neesha?" Other Me asks, putting a hand over his heart. "I just get all choked up." He walks over to Saria and leers down at her. "Oh no, wait," he says. "That would be you." His hand snakes down and wraps around her throat, lifting her into the air as far as her chains allow, and slamming her back against the wall.
"Saria!"
"No!" The prisoners pull at their chains but can't go far enough to get to her. Other Me keeps his hand around her neck as she struggles to breathe and her face grows tinted with blue.
"You know," he says, looking straight in her eyes as he strangles her. "I never did like the Kokiri. Ever. You were all so full of yourselves . . . so sure in your belief that the Great Deku Tree would protect you . . ." His lips twist into a sneer as she finally goes limp in his grip and he drops her unceremoniously to the ground. Her chest doesn't move. "Apparently he's not everything you thought he was . . ."
"You son of a bitch," Hunter hisses. "How could you –"
"Shut up, Hunter," Other Me snaps. "I'll get to you."
I can't take my eyes off Saria.
She's dead . . .
What's . . . what's going on?
This is wrong . . .
She used to be my friend . . .
She was never your friend, the voice says. The fog in my head swirls and grows thicker. I nod slowly.
It's right of course.
She was never my friend.
"See, here's the thing," Other Me says, pacing back and forth in front of the line of prisoners. Some of them are crying, some of them are glaring, some of them have sunk to the ground in shock, or fear, or defeat. "You tried to kill me."
"She was just a kid," Zelda whispers.
"Brilliant observation, Princess," Other Me says caustically. "What with her being a Kokiri and all, I never would have guessed. Now, as I was saying, the lot of you, tried to kill me. But, and here's the important part," he turns around to grin maliciously at them. "You failed. Miserably. Which means, I get to point at you," he does so, "and say: You are hereby accused of High Treason against the King of all Hyrule and beyond. You are sentenced to death by his hand and his choosing." He smirks at them suddenly. "You know what? That was fun! I think I'm gonna say it again."
"Oh for love of . . . if you're going to kill us then kill us and get it over with!" Malon explodes. He pauses, his smirk never fading, and walks over to her.
"Malon, sweet," he says, "you would think by now you'd know not to interrupt me. It tends to make me angry." And with no hint of what he's about to do he slams his fist into her stomach. She doubles over with a gasp and he grabs her neck and twists it until it breaks. She falls limply to the ground.
Malon . . . I whisper.
What . . .
This isn't . . .
She was never your friend, the voice says. I nod slowly.
It's right of course.
She was never my friend.
"Honestly!" Other Me cries, stepping over and away from her as though he hadn't just killed her. "Did you people really think that you're petty little rebellion could possibly make some kind of a difference?" His smirk twists into a scowl and his eyes burn. "Did you really think you could defeat me? Admit it! You people are useless without one, key member." His smirk returns. "Me. What was your analogy, Impa? With the arrow? Without me – your point – you're nothing but a stick with a rock tied to it.
"Ah, Impa," he says, stepping up to the Sheikah, who stares back impassively despite the fact she's starting to tremble. "You've always had a simple life, haven't you? Protect the Princess. That was your job. That was your calling. That was all you wanted. And you know what? You did it. And you did it well. You protected her from everything. Almost. But there was always one thing you couldn't protect her from, wasn't there?" Other me grins at her. "What was it, Impa? What couldn't you . . . what can't you protect her from?"
"You . . ." He whips out one of his scimitars and slashes it across her stomach. Zelda gives a cry of despair as the Sheikah topples over and breathes her last. Other Me wipes her blood off on Darunia's arm. He sheathes his scimitar and draws the Master Sword.
Impa . . .
She was never your friend, the voice says. I nod slowly.
It's right of course.
She was never my friend.
"Let me explain this for you," he says, bouncing the blade on his hand as he turns his gaze from one to the other of the ones who are left. "I. Am. Invincible."
"Pride comes before the fall," Nabooru hisses.
"Oh this isn't pride, Nabooru, darling," Other Me hisses. "It's a simple statement of fact." He pulls off his gloves, one by one, and tosses them to the side. Glittering on the back of both of his hands is the golden Triforce Mark. "I already possess the Triforce of Courage, and the Triforce of Power." He lunges forward suddenly and the Master Sword slides easily through Darunia's chest. The huge Goron topples over with a gasp then lies still. Other Me takes a step down the line. "This entire world is mine, and soon other worlds will belong to me as well." He whirls around and brings the Master Sword across Ruto's head. She falls in a burst of blood and doesn't move. "And as if all that wasn't enough," he says, stepping up to Nabooru who glares at him defiantly. "I have this nifty little ability of controlling Time . . . " The blade slides through her gut and he twists it once, twice, three times before he lets her fall.
Darunia . . . Ruto . . . Nabooru . . .
They were never your friends, the voice says. I nod slowly.
It's right of course.
They were never my friends.
Link . . . a new voice whispers. I blink. Link! Don't listen! I'm about to reply when Other Me steps back and sits down on the floor, setting his elbow on his knee and staring up at Hunter and Zelda. Hunter turns his eyes from Other Me to Neesha.
"How can you just stand there and let him do this?" He cries angrily, tears in his eyes. "How can you stand there and watch?" Neesha chokes back a sob and turns her face. "What happened to you?"
"I came along and taught her her place," Other Me snaps. "That's what."
"You son of a bitch," Hunter hisses. Other Me smirks at him.
"What's the matter Hunter?" He asks. "No insouciant optimism? No simple advice? You're not even going to tell me to take deep breaths?"
"I'd prefer it if you'd stop breathing entirely," he hisses. "These people were your friends, Link!" He shouts. "Your friends!"
Stop it! The voice shouts suddenly. Get away from him!
Link! The other voice calls. Link! Come back to me, Link! Don't listen!
I try and block out both voices . . . something's about to happen . . .
"They were never my friends!" Other Me shouts suddenly, leaping to his feet, fists clenched at his side. "They never cared about me! They never cared! They weren't my friends!"
"They cared about you more than they cared about themselves half the time," Hunter hisses. "Those people gave up so much for you, and you've . . ."
"Shut UP!" Other Me shouts. His fists strikes Hunter in the face. "They weren't!" He shouts. "They lied to me! They hid things from me! They looked down on me!"
"They loved you!" Hunter shouts back, drawing himself up to his full height and glaring into Other Me's face with his fists clenched. "They still loved you! Even now! Even as you were killing them! That's how much they cared about you, Link! That's how much they –" He never gets to finish. Other Me drives his sword into his stomach and rips it upwards then out.
"Hunter! NO!" Neesha shouts suddenly, horrified. "LINK! PLEASE! NO MORE!" Other Me whirls around, his face furious, his eyes burning.
"You too, Neesha?" He demands. "You'd betray me too?"
"N–No!" Neesha cries. "Never! Never! But . . . Link . . . Please . . . stop . . . I can't . . . I can't take it anymore . . ."
"You still care about them?" Other Me demands, his voice low and ragged with his fury. "Is that it? You still consider them friends?"
"Y–No!" Neesha cries.
"FINE!" Other Me shouts, lunging at her. "Then you can join them!"
Get away from there, you filthy creature!
LINK!
His sword tears across Neesha's throat and the Gerudo goes down with a crash. Other Me storms across the room and grabs Kaepora's cage.
"I wonder what will happen to your spirit in the Sacred Realm if your body in this one dies," he hisses, then throws the whole cage out the window. He whirls around and glares furiously at Zelda who's shrunk back against the wall, tears streaming down her face and sobs wracking her body.
Hunter . . . Neesha . . . I whisper. I look down at Zelda's shaking body and something tears inside me. The fog in my head clears. Zelda . . . I whisper. I look around at the Sage's bodies.
The bodies of my friends . . .
The bodies of the people I care about . . .
What have I done?
No! Shouts the voice. No! They're not your –
LINK! Shouts the other voice. LINK! COME BACK! DON'T LISTEN!
"Well," Other Me says, advancing on Zelda. "Looks like it's just you and me, Love," he says, still clutching his sword in a white-knuckled grip. "Alone at last. And what fun we're going to have." He dives for her, sword extended. She screams.
ZELDA! I cry. My head clears.
"NO!" I shout. The dungeon disappears and is replaced with the Spirit Temple.
The symptoms of the poison slam back into my head.
"What have I done . . .?" I moan. I close my eyes and I can feel tears running down my face.
Saria . . . Malon . . . Impa . . . Darunia . . . Ruto . . . Nabooru . . . Zelda . . . Hunter . . . Neesha . . . Kaepora . . .
All of them . . . I killed all of them . . . I didn't even care . . .
I hated them so much . . .
How . . . how could I have . . .
The hate in their eyes tears me up inside . . .
How could I have done that?
They were my friends . . .
They were my family . . .
I killed them . . .
I crushed them . . .
So . . . so coldly . . . not even a flicker of emotion . . .
A single sob escapes me.
I was like Ganondorf . . .
I was worse than Ganondorf . . .
I want to curl up into a tight ball and die right now . . .
How could I have done that?
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" I blink and struggle to raise my head. There's a shimmering blue light around me. Looks like . . . Nayru's Love . . . Koume and Kotake are flying back and forth in front of me – pacing in mid-air. Their faces are furious.
"What's wrong with you? You foolish Shade!" One of them shouts.
"What . . ." I struggle to turn my head and focus. An ebony figure is hanging precariously from the statue I'm embedded in, bashing his fist against the stone – every time he strikes it chips fall away. My eyes widen once my mind works enough to realize who it is. "D . . . Dark Link!" I gasp.
What's he doing?
I can see half my arm from underneath the stone . . . my right arm is almost free . . .
Is . . . is he trying to save me?
"Dark Link?" I ask again. "Psycho Me?" He ignores me and continues beating away at the stone while Koume and Kotake freak out outside the shield. "What . . . why . . . ?" He glances at me out of the corner of his eye . . .
There's something different about him . . .
His eyes . . .
They . . . they're green . . .
Reminds me of the secret places in the Lost Woods . . .
"Dad . . .?" I whisper. Dark Link doesn't reply but continues attacking the stone until my right arm is free. I gasp as I start to fall further down, unable to muster the strength to catch myself.
Dark Link does it for me.
He catches my hand in his.
I look up at him but he's scowling at something I can't see. He shakes his head and his eyes flash from green to red and back again. He shakes his head again, grinding his teeth.
"Dad?" I ask again. He maneuvers himself so that he's pinned me to the statue with his body, then releases my arm and holds out his free hand at my imprisoned arm. Black lightning swirls around it then leaps from it, ripping through the stone like it was glass. My arm comes free and Dark Link wraps his arm around me and lets go of the statue, pushing himself away from it. We land on a platform below between two torches, Nayru's Love still pulsating around us. The Witches scream furiously and swirl down towards us.
Dark Link drops to his knees and sets me gently on the ground. I stare up at him in confusion, trying to make my mind work. It's so hard . . . I can't focus . . .
The witches are no longer trying to keep me awake . . .
I can feel my grip on consciousness slipping . . .
"I don't understand . . ." I whisper. Dark Link's eyes continue to flicker between red and green. He looks down at me.
"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I can't hold it off any longer . . ."
"Can't hold off what?" I whisper weakly. "I don't understand . . . please! Dad! Don't . . . don't . . ." I can't even finish my sentence.
My strength fades.
I black out.
xxx
An Interlude
A yellow flash streaked past the party of twenty Gerudo plus Hunter and Neesha, immediately followed by a cloud of black birds.
"DO SOMETHING!" Navi shrieked as she sped just ahead of the birds.
"We're trying!" Hunter shouted at her as he nocked another arrow and let fly, the others with him following suit. Birds began to fall from the cloud. "Slow down! We can't hit them when you keep taking them away!"
"WHAT?" Navi shrieked as she buzzed by again. "Are you NUTS?"
"Navi! Trust us!" Neesha shouted.
"FINE!" Navi shouted. "You want me to slow down? I'll slow down!" She switched direction abruptly and sped back at them, slamming into Hunter's chest and forcing him to stumble back a step. His eyes widened as the cloud of birds dove at him, screeching and flapping.
"Crap!" He threw himself onto the ground, holding Navi underneath him. The birds spun out of the sky, but just before they reached him a ball of fire exploded in the middle of the whole flock. The birds screamed in pain and the ones left that could hurriedly turned tail and fled. Navi and Hunter both looked up at Rue, who's hands were smoking slightly.
"What took you?" They both demanded simultaneously. Rue frowned.
"It takes time to form a spell," she said. "And it's harder with a moving target. I had to wait 'till the fairy stopped moving."
"Oh sure, make this all my fault," Navi muttered, fluttering up and out of Hunter's grip as the Sheikah straightened himself.
"Why are you out here?" Neesha asked. "Where's Link?"
"In there," Navi said, pointing at the doors to the Temple. "Those old hags took him in there and locked me out then siced those psychotic freaks with feathers on me! I couldn't get in! I've flown all around this damn temple and there isn't a single way in! They're all blocked off!" Her lower lip began to tremble. "They're going to turn him into another Ganondorf!" Rue tightened her ponytail with a frown.
"Nabooru hasn't even been gone a week and they've already moved themselves back in," she muttered. "They must be pretty confident." She frowned up at the Temple. "What bothers me is how they found out about the King when we didn't even know about him . . ." She frowned over at Hunter and Neesha. "Did you two . . ."
"Don't even think it," Hunter said with a frown. "Link didn't even tell us about it until a few days ago, and even if he had we'd never betray him."
"It wasn't us, Rue," Neesha said. "I swear it." Jinni cleared her throat and everyone looked at her in surprise. Her face was twisted with chagrin.
"I . . . Rue . . . can I . . . speak to you . . . privately?" She asked. Rue studied her for a moment then her face abruptly darkened.
"If it's important enough to interrupt us on this mission," she says darkly, "you should share it with everyone." Jinni cast a nervous glance around at the circle of faces, no signs of her previous confidence in evidence. For a moment she said nothing, but she couldn't stand up to Rue's steel gaze. She hung her head and clenched her fists.
"I . . . I told the Witches about the King," she whispered. All eyes but Rue's widened. "I . . . I've been having this dream . . . that . . . that a boy would come, with a Sheikah. I . . . I dreamt that he would bring about the ruin of our race . . .. In the dream he claimed to be our King, and when . . . when Link made the same claim . . ."
"You panicked," Rue hisses, her eyes flashing furiously. "And instead of coming to me as you should have you ran straight to the Witches! You IDIOT!" All of the Gerudo flinched at her tone.
"I . . . I thought it was the only way! They . . . they said that he had bewitched you! They . . . they said . . ." Rue opened her mouth to interrupt but Neesha got there first.
"They fooled you!" She cried. "And now thanks to you, Link's being held prisoner in there," she gestured angrily at the Spirit Temple, "and having the Goddesses know what done to him! Thanks to you –"
"Neesha! Hold your tongue!" Rue snapped. "A fool she may be, but she is still your superior. For now."
"Then let me speak for her," Hunter said, stepping forward, his face as furious as Rue's. Jinni glared at him suddenly.
"You? A Sheikah? Reprimand me?" She demanded.
"Jinni!" Rue snapped. "A Sheikah he may be, but so far he has proven far more loyal to our King than you have."
"I have only one thing to say to you," Hunter said slowly, his voice calm and even despite his angry visage. "If anything happens to Link, I am going to hold you personally responsible, and will take action accordingly." He turned on his heel. "I'm going to go rescue my friend now. If any of you are going to follow, then let's go." Jinni took a step forward and Hunter glared at her over his shoulder. "I think you've done quite enough."
She looked like she didn't know whether to glare at him and follow anyway or quail under his glare and stay where she was.
xxx
Neesha cast a glance at Hunter.
"You're awfully quiet," she commented in a hushed voice as the group moved through the Spirit Temple, following Rue. "I had expected you to make some kind of stupid comment about the creepiness of this place." He shot her a crooked grin.
"Remind me to take you to the Shadow Temple sometime," he said. "Then you'll see creepy." Silence descended again.
"I don't like your hair," Navi snapped crankily, breaking the silence. She fluttered up off of Hunter's head and landed on his shoulder, crossing her arms sullenly. "It's not the same. It's all dark, and it feels different, and it has too much sand in it." Hunter rolled his eyes.
"We'll get Link's hair back for you in one piece, all right?" He asked. "Don't worry."
"Do you think Link's all right?" Neesha asked. "He wouldn't do anything stupid would he?"
"Under normal circumstances, I'd say he'd definitely do something stupid," Hunter answered, running his hand along the smooth stone wall as they walked. "But that poison . . . it hit him really fast. If he's anything at this point I'd say he's too helpless to do anything stupid." Neesha jammed her hands into her pockets.
"I can't tell if that's comforting or not," she muttered. Hunter grinned at her again.
"What?" He asked. "You're actually worried about him? Does this mean you actually care about him?" His eyes widened in mock surprise. "Could this possibly mean you care about the rest of us too? Neesha! I'm shocked!" Neesha scowled at him and gave him a rough shove. He laughed and braced himself against the wall . . .
. . . but the wall gave way . . .
"Hunter!" Neesha gasped, grabbing his arm in an attempt to catch him. Unfortunately he was already falling too fast and he pulled her with him through the hole in the wall – which closed up right after them.
Hunter gasped in pain when he hit the ground, and then again when Neesha landed on him.
"Ow," he groaned, shoving her off and pushing himself to his feet. "Oh man . . ."
"Hmm," Neesha said, brushing herself off. "You're going to feel that in the morning."
"I'm feeling it right now," Hunter muttered hoarsely. "Glad to see you're just peachy though." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I had something soft and flabby to land on," she answered. He shoved her.
"Hardy, har, har," he said. "You're just a barrel of laughs aren't you?" She tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder.
"Sometimes," she answered. "Now let's go. We have to find Link." Hunter raised an eyebrow at her.
"Neesha, maybe you didn't notice, but we've been separated from the group," He pointed out.
"So?" Neesha asked, putting her hand on her hip and glaring at him.
"So we don't have a clue where we're going," he reminded her. "Neither of us have ever been in here before. Rue was the one who knew her way!"
"So?" Neesha asked again. "We know she was heading in this general direction. We'll just keep heading that way. We'll find either Link or the group again sooner or later." She turned and started walking, Hunter right on her heels. "I mean, who's to say we're not going to open this door and find Link in the next room, right?" He raised and eyebrow at her and she glared at him. "What?" She demanded. "Look, you're not being your usual optimistic self right now so I'm trying to make up for it, all right?" He rolled his eyes at her.
"Neesha, the odds of us opening this door and finding Link," he said as he opened the door, "are about a million to –"
"LINK!" Navi shrieked, zipping off his shoulder.
" . . . one," Hunter finished, blinking at the scene unfolding before him.
The Witches were spiraling in the air like vultures around a blue glowing shield set against the legs of the statue in the middle of the room. In the shield were two identical figures, save for their colors – one green figure lying on the ground, and one black figure standing over him, struggling to draw it's sword.
"Dark Link!" Hunter and Neesha gasped at the same time, bolting forward together. Dark Link saw them coming from the corner of its crimson eye and it suddenly whirled around and away from Link, ripping its sword out of its sheath. It lunged at Hunter who pulled out his own sword and took the shield off his back, raising it just in time to block the Shade's attack. He expected Dark Link to continue the attack, but for some reason it had stopped. He risked a glance around his shield and blinked in surprise.
Dark Link was staring at the Shield with something akin to grief on his face.
His eyes flickered with color.
Red to green to red to green . . .
"Well," said a harsh voice on his right, "that certainly explains a lot." Hunter and Dark Link gasped and whirled to face Koume as Kotake answered her from their left.
"It does indeed, sister," she answered. "I don't know how he managed to awaken this far, but we'll have to do something about that."
"Yes," agreed Koume, as the two whirled to face Kotake. "Let's." They raised their hands and black energy began to swirl around them. Dark Link's green eyes widened. He threw his shoulder into Hunter and sent the Sheikah flying backwards just as the black magic leapt from the witches hands and struck Dark Link, standing where Hunter used to be.
Hunter stared up at him in shock.
Did he just . . . save me? He wondered. Maybe . . . maybe he really is Uncle Brayden . . .
"HUNTER!" Neesha shouted. "Forget that son of a bitch and get over here!" Hunter pushed himself to his feet and cast one last glance at the silently screaming Dark Link. There was no hint of green in his eyes anymore, just a solid, hungry scarlet.
Maybe I imagined it, he thought to himself as he ran past the Witches to where Neesha and Navi were crouched over Link. The shield had faded. But Link wouldn't have had the strength to cast Nayru's Love himself, he thought in confusion, dropping to his knees beside them. And the Witches couldn't have cast it . . . it's not black magic . . . the only other person in here was Dark Link . . .
"He's burning up," Neesha said, reaching into her pocket and fishing around. "But he's alive at least." Her eyes brightened when she found what she was looking for and pulled it out – a bottle containing a shimmering red liquid. Hunter frowned at it.
"Where'd you get that?" He asked.
"Nowhere," she said evasively, slipping her hand under Link's neck and tipping his head back. Hunter's frown darkened.
"You stole it from Nabooru when we were in there, didn't you?" He accused her. She frowned back at him.
"I really don't think Nabooru's going to complain," she said as she tipped the bottle over and slipped the liquid down Link's throat. "It's not like I took it for myself. It might not heal him but it'll give him a little bit of strength." Hunter muttered something to himself. "You're such a goody-goody," Neesha cried. "Lighten up!" Hunter opened his mouth to respond but Link suddenly coughed and groaned, forcing his eyes open.
"H–Hunter . . . Neesha," he whispered. His eyes widened suddenly and he tried to back away from them. Hunter caught his arm and wouldn't let him move. Link looked straight at him, blue eyes wide with an odd mix of grief and fear and horror. "I'm sorry!" He gasped. "I didn't . . . I didn't mean it! I don't . . . I don't know what . . . I didn't . . ."
"Link! Calm down!" Hunter said, surprised at the Hero of Time's reaction. "It's all right!"
"No!" Link cried. "It's not all right! It's not! I . . . I . . ."
"Dammit," Neesha swore. "What did they do to him? What's wrong with him?" Navi fluttered up in front of her partner's face.
"Link?" She asked softly. "Are you all right? Did the Witches do anything to you?"
"They . . . they showed me," he whispered, shaking his head as though haunted by something. "They showed me my revenge." He gripped Hunter's arm suddenly. "But I don't want it!" He cried desperately. "I don't want revenge! Hunter, I don't hate you! I don't! I don't hate any of you! You're my friends! I don't want to hurt you!"
"He's snapped!" Neesha cried. Hunter's face darkened furiously.
"Remind me to hurt Jinni for getting him into this," he said.
"Get in line," Navi and Neesha said at the same time.
"Come on Link," Hunter said, getting to his feet. "We're getting you out of here. Can you stand." Link was still shaking his head, as though trying to clear it.
"I'm sorry, Hunter," He whispered. "Neesha . . . I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean . . ." Hunter reached down, grabbed him by the front of his tunic and hauled him into the air, putting his face right up to his.
"Link," he said slowly, "snap out of it. We need you at least semi-coherent. Whatever they showed you, whatever it is you think you did, you didn't, all right? Neesha is fine, she's right there. I'm fine. Everybody, except you, is fine. You can explain everything to us later and do your freaking out then, but right now, we have to get out of here. All right?" He held his gaze calmly until the panic faded from Link's eyes and he shook his head one last time.
"H–Hunter?" He whispered. He blinked. "All right," he said. "Let's go . . ."
"Good," Hunter said, shifting Link's wait over to Neesha, who struggled to hold him up due to the difference in height. Hunter pulled the shield off his arm and set it on Link's back over the Master Sword, then slipped one of Link's arms around his shoulder. "Can you walk at all?"
"A bit," Link said. "I think . . ."
"Good," Hunter said. "No offence, Neesha, but I think you're just a bit too short for this." Neesha growled at him. He grinned at her. "Don't worry. You're young. You'll grow." She stuck her nose in the air.
"I don't need to grow," she said. "I can kick your ass the way I am." Hunter grinned at her.
"We'll see about –"
"Watch out!" Navi suddenly gasped. Hunter turned his head just in time to see a ball of molten fire flying at them.
Apparently the Witches had finished with Dark Link.
"Oh crap!" Hunter gasped. They didn't have time to dodge it.
Link reacted instantly, pulling the shield off his back and spinning around, albeit unsteadily, and stepping in front of Hunter and Neesha. The fireball struck the shield and sent him stumbling backwards into Hunter and Neesha, all three fell to the floor.
"Is it just me," Hunter breathed, "or are we not dead?"
"Told you the shield would come in handy!" Neesha said brightly.
"Link, you all right?" Hunter asked, disentangling himself from the others.
"Help me up," Link said. Hunter hauled him to his feet, but the Hero started to fall over again. "Damn . . . " He swore as Hunter caught him and steadied him. "I'm all right . . . I'm all right . . . If their magic hits us we're dead . . ." Hunter stepped back and got ready to catch him again if need be. Kotake raised her hands and a glowing ball of blue fire formed in her hands. Koume raised her hands a second later and formed a red ball of fire.
"Kotake first, then Koume," Navi advised. "You'll only have a second . . ."
"I can handle it," Link said, spinning around as Kotake launched her fireball, followed almost immediately by Koume's. The blue fire struck the shield and was absorbed by it and Link spun around again and raised the shield at the second fireball. The shield glowed red. The witches raised their hands again.
"Not so fast!" Shouted a new voice, punctuated by a stream of arrows flying at the witches. Kotake let the fireball dissipate and she and her sister began flying frantically to avoid the Gerudo's arrows.
"Just in time," Link whispered, his knees buckling again.
"Link!" Hunter gasped, setting him back on the ground.
"Sorry," Link whispered. "Too weak . . ."
"Blocking the Witches magic must have used up his strength," Neesha said, following her observation up with a few expletives.
"It's all right," Hunter said as several Gerudo ran over to them, their weapons out. "I think we'll be all right. There's no way the witches can fight all of them, even with their magic."
As though his words were a cue the witches suddenly screamed in frustration.
"Fine!" Koume shouted. "You rude little Gerudos! You can have him!"
"He was a sorry plaything anyway," Kotake sniffed. "No fun at all."
"Well, I don't know," Koume said. "I kind of enjoyed it." Kotake glared at her.
"Why do you always have to do that?" She demanded as they flew up into the air. "Why do you always contradict me in front of people like that?"
"What are you talking about?" Koume demanded huffily. "I never do that!"
"Yes you do! You're doing it now!"
"I do not!"
"Do so!"
"Do not!"
"Do so!"
"You're so heartless!"
"Somebody shut them up," Link moaned.
They vanished in a puff of smoke.
Hunter looked up as Rue jogged towards them.
"Link," he said softly. "Dark Link was here. Did . . . did he . . ."
"He saved me," Link said softly, his voice confused. "I think . . ."
"Yeah," Hunter said quietly as Rue dropped to her knees beside them. "Me too."