The sun was beginning to rise as Link and Navi raced into the woods. In spite of the inherent danger of moving so quickly between the dense collection of wood, it was amazing how skilled Epona was at streaking through the trees of the forest. She dodged them expertly, barely brushing their branches as she tore through the shadowed woodlands.

"What makes you think you can find him in here?" Navi said, speaking loudly over the roar of Epona's hooves.

"I know the paths he'll take," Link responded grimly. "I know how he thinks. We've just got to catch him before he gets back to the fortress."

A hollow log loomed ahead, inviting Link deeper into the forest. He ducked low as he prepared to enter… when suddenly, a dark rider atop a white steed zoomed out of the log, racing past Link in a blur. Epona skidded to a halt, her hooves tearing the grass and sod up from the forest floor as she stopped just in front of the log opening.

"Hey! Was that him?!" Navi asked, her eyes darting around. Link gave a quick nod as he leapt from Epona and drew his Great Fairy's Sword.

"You stay here," he told his small companion, and she nodded once, her eyes still playing over the trees for a sign of the enemy.

There was no sound of receding hooves echoing through the woodlands. Only the noises of the insects swirled through the air. Wherever the horse and its rider had gone, they had not gone far.

"You might as well come out," Link called out. The fireflies of the forest swirled around him. "I know everything now."

The forest offered no reply. Link crept farther away from Epona, lowering his sword slightly, stepping through the narrow beams of sunlight that broke through the thick forest canopy.

"Do you?" a voice sarcastically called back, echoing through the trees.

Link stopped and stood his ground, nodding. "You followed me back through time," he said. "Attached your presence to my own."

Suddenly, a huge sword lashed out from the trees! Link flipped backwards, the massive blade slicing off a bit of his hair as he barely dodged the swipe and landed back on his feet.

Dark Link stood up, raising Biggeron's Sword in both hands. His tunic was a deep black, and his features seemed to be constantly hidden in the shadows. Something about his face was wrong. Even at rest, it felt angry and spiteful. But in spite of it all, he was still the twisted mirror image of Link himself.

"It wasn't hard. I am you," the shadow finally replied.

Link jumped back into his battle stance and held the Great Fairy Sword firm.

"And then you broke off and joined up with the Gerudo," Link ventured.

"I was already a member, just as you are," Dark Link countered. "I carry everything that you carry."

Dark Link stepped forward, forcing the original to back up a bit, keeping his sword at the ready.

"With the fall of Ganondorf, the Gerudo were hungry for new leadership," he continued. "And my… your… our adventures had given me a thorough knowledge of the land. Coupled with my 'strange ability' to predict future events — because, after all, I had already lived them — they eagerly appointed me as their king."

Link shook his head. "How long has this been going on? When did you break off from me?"

Dark Link smiled back. "I separated and started to build power immediately upon our return."

Link smirked. "In that case," he retorted, "you've never been to Termina. Which means," he continued, raising the Great Fairy's Sword over his head, "that you've never seen this before."

And he jumped, swiping the green-and-purple blade down on his dark reflection, who raised Biggeron's Sword to counter. The weapons clashed together and Link immediately dropped low, swinging sideways. But Dark Link was ready for him and kicked outwards, shoving his boot into Link's face, knocking him back so that his swing went wildly off target.

As Link landed on his back, Dark Link raised his weapon with the point aimed towards the ground and lunged at his opponent's gut. Dropping his sword on the ground, Link pushed back, off the earth, and split his legs to both sides as he fumbled backwards. His shadow's weapon drove harmlessly into the dirt between his legs, and Link used his enemy's moment of shock to somersault backwards, flipping up and over his head, landing back on his feet. As soon as he landed, he ripped his bow out of his satchel with incredible speed and immediately nocked an arrow back, firing at Dark Link's head. But Dark Link saw it coming and dropped his sword as well, rolling to one side and dodging the shaft as it flew by.

As he came out of his roll, he hopped to his feet. Both he and Link instantly realized that their swords were both now lying in the dirt and immediately dove into simultaneous rolls, each snatching up their blades and hopping back into a battle stance, pivoting to face each other once more.

After a small moment of silence, Link spoke again. "I know how you robbed Lon Lon Ranch."

Dark Link smirked. "Do tell."

"You trained with the Gerudo," Link began, "and learned how to crack safes. Then you used your hover boots to float over sections of the ground and your iron boots to sink your feet deep into the mud between those sections. The Gerudo's huge treasure allowed you to change out the rupees into a different amount in different colors, adding up to the same total. Then you gave Ingo the cash he needed to buy out the ranch from the suddenly destitute Talon." Link shook his head. "A creature with the weight of a Goron, but with a huge stride in its step… you baffled everybody. Almost everybody."

Dark Link began to circle, with Link moving in tandem. "Very clever," the dark one retorted.

"The only part I can't figure out," Link continued, his eyes locked with his opposite's, "is why you'd go after Lon Lon Ranch in the first place."

Dark Link chuckled. "Their materials are all over this kingdom!" he said, spreading one arm wide. "The milk is shipped everywhere, including to the royal castle. Even their cows are sought after. You know the kind of profits they generate. In exchange for Ingo being given the power and recognition of running the ranch, the Gerudo get all of the profits."

Link scowled. "Not exactly taking a page from the Gerudo code of honor."

His sinister reflection shrugged. "As far as they're concerned, I'm a master treasure hunter. They don't need to know that not all of the money I bring them is what I find strewn throughout the land. I take thousands of rupees from Ingo, and then use that money to hire mercenary enforcers. They pressure shopkeepers all over Hyrule into giving me free supplies and a cut of their profits. More money. More power. And the Gerudo remain none the wiser."

Link gritted his teeth. "You're disgusting."

"You would know," Dark Link smirked.

As he spoke, Dark Link drew his bow from his own satchel and pulled back one of the arrows of light. But Link was already whipping his mirror shield around, and the arrow bounced harmlessly off of its reflective surface, with the light from the arrow's magic shining brightly into Dark Link's eyes.

With his enemy momentarily blinded, Link charged, quickly sheathing his shield and sword on his back and whipping out his megaton hammer. He swiftly swung the hammer sideways, into the dark one's massive sword. Dark Link staggered under the impact of the weapon but held his ground.

Link raised his hammer for another blow, but Dark Link snatched up his boomerang and flung it before Link could strike. The boomerang flew up and knocked the hammer off of its mark, leaving Link open, and Dark Link exploited his enemy's vulnerability by swinging outward with his blade. Link turned his back into the swing, the blade clanging against the mirror shield now resting on his back.

Taking a few steps away, Link deftly slid the hammer back into his magic satchel and drew his sword off of his back once more. Dark Link climbed back onto his feet.

"I've had just about enough of this," Link spat. "Let's do this the old-fashioned way."

And he charged at Dark Link, thrusting his weapon at his enemy's head. Dark Link parried and spun, attempting to swing his blade into Link's side, but Link jumped over the swipe and whipped his blade over his head and downward again. Dark Link quickly whipped his sword back up and caught the blow, glancing it to the side, and then rammed the hilt into the side of Link's head, sending him staggering back. Link was quickly back at attention, ready as Dark Link lunged into the air, and the hero thrust his right foot outwards, catching the dark one's midsection in mid-flight, sending him stumbling back onto the ground.

Landing as smoothly as he could, Dark Link quickly raised his sword back to the ready.

"We could do this all day," he noted. "Don't you see why you'll never beat me?"

"Please, enlighten me," Link growled.

"Because I know all of your moves," Dark Link said with a smile. "I'm as smart as you are."

Dark Link's words struck a chord in the Hero of Time's mind. His face dawning with realization, he hopped into the air and kicked off his boots. Keeping his sword at the ready, he reached into his satchel with one hand and drew out his iron boots, dropping them onto the ground. Dark Link watched with curiosity as Link jumped straight up into the air once more, sliding his feet into the boots easily on his way down.

And with the iron boots now weighing him down, Link took his sword and shield and dropped them onto the ground.

Dark Link eyed his opponent with confusion. Off to the sidelines, a baffled Navi yelled "Link, what are you doing?!"

Link just smirked at his opponent. "Being stupid."

Dark Link chuckled. "You've just signed your own death warrant."

"Maybe," Link said, the smirk still glued to his face. "Let's go."

Sure enough, Dark Link charged, his weapon drawn at the ready, pointed straight at Link's head. Within two seconds, he was upon the hero, but just as he was about to strike, Link jumped, flipping backwards, his feet kicking heavy iron into his enemy's face even as his flip dodged the swing of Dark Link's sword. The force of the blow staggered Dark Link, and he was sent stumbling, falling onto his back.

As soon as his weighted feet struck the earth again, Link jumped and flipped forward, his iron boots slamming down upon Dark Link's sword and shield.

Dark Link struggled, but it was no use. He was trapped, pinned beneath the weight of Link's feet.

Link smiled. "I never really understood why these slowed me down so much when I tried to walk or run, but whenever I would focus on jumping, I didn't have any trouble. Maybe it's the magic that they were created with… but I'm guessing that if I don't know the answer, neither do you."

Dark Link growled incoherently as Link reached for the ground behind him and picked up his Great Fairy's Sword, holding it to Dark Link's throat.

"You can't," Dark Link spat out, the blade scraping against his jugular. "You can't kill me."

For a moment, Link stood there, hovering over his opposite, holding the green-and-purple blade at Dark Link's throat, not moving. "Don't feed me clichés," he muttered.

Dark Link laughed roughly. "I know you can't. Because I'm you. You can't destroy a part of yourself. Every dark secret, every filthy desire, every dirty wish you've ever carried with you over the course of your young life is carried in my body. I'm every part of you that you hate when you look in the mirror. When you stepped into the room of the reflecting pool in the Water Temple, I was born from within you. And secretly, no matter how hard you try to fight it, you want to keep me close. You want to carry your dark side with you. Maybe to remind you of why you fight, or maybe to enjoy your most secret dreams where no one else can see. That's why you can't kill me." He smiled. "I know you too well."

Link stared silently for a moment, thinking. Finally, he spoke.

"No," he said flatly. "You don't know me at all."

And he drove the sword down, into Dark Link's throat. It passed into his body as though it were jelly, and suddenly the body glowed with light, a black light, spewing out from within him, until finally it exploded into dark rays, fading at last into the air of the forest that surrounded them.

Link slumped to the ground, spent. Navi flew over and landed on his shoulder, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Hey. How do you feel?" she asked.

"Amputated," he sighed. Navi stroked his cheek sympathetically.

Finally, he stood, lifting his sword and shield from the ground, and returning them to their place on his back.

"C'mon," he told Navi. "We've got a friend to pick up."

Navi fluttered alongside of him as they headed back for Epona.

"At least now we won't have to go racing through all of these trees," Link said, striving to make casual conversation as he looked over the dense forest surrounding them.

"Hey," Navi said, flying playfully up to Link's ear. Grinning, she inquired, "What exactly are those dirty wishes he was talking about?"

Link tossed her a lopsided smile. "Shut up and get in the hat."