Generations

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Chapter 12: Shadows from the Past
(Warning: possible Wind Waker spoilers)

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The door was almost knocked off its hinges from Oni's pounding. It wasn't going to be easy to tell Link's family what had happened. Fortunately for him, in the end, it was Zelda who opened the door. On first seeing her unexpected guest, her first impulse was a smile of surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you around here..." she said, laughing. "What is it this time? And Link did go to meet you, didn't he?"
Oni paused before replying. "That's what I've got to talk to you about."
Zelda's face fell. She closed her eyes, fearing the worst. She could tell from his tone of voice that this wasn't going to be good news. "Go - go on, then. He's not - he's not hurt, is he?"
"Not as far as I know. But he is in danger." Quickly, he recapped the events leading up to Link's disappearance. He didn't need to be able to read minds to see the fear running through that of the Hero's sister.

White faced, Zelda turned away. Calming down slowly, she beckoned Oni inside. "Look. Why couldn't you just go after Link, then? He told me... you're supposed to be able to jump between parallel worlds, or something. And from what you said, it sounds like he was sucked into one. Am I right?"
Oni nodded slowly. "You are."
"Then why couldn't you help him? You said you'd be there! And you just let him vanish! Please. Just tell me why..."

There was a sigh before he replied. "I could have followed your brother just about anywhere through time and space - but there is a world that I can never visit. Once, it was known as the Sacred Realm. But for two thousand years, it has been the Dark World. An intended prison for the most evil entity to ever exist." For a moment, Oni's eyes slipped shut. There was an anguished expression on his face. Zelda was quick to pick it up.
"'Intended'. He got out, then," she stated flatly.
"Yes. He's escaped too often. Either physically or in spirit form."
Zelda could see it would not be a good idea to push that line of questioning any further. "Okay. So, Link's stuck in this - prison world? And you can't go in there - why? You don't want to let this evil whoever out again?"
"I had believed him to be dead these past eight hundred years. But - death's never stopped him before..." Oni paused for a second. He didn't like where his thoughts were taking him. But at the same time, it was the only logical conclusion. Why was I so blind as not to realise it before...
Have you escaped yet, dark king? Or are you still just trying to find your way out?

-

Link's tentative exploration of his new surroundings was having little success. There seemed to be no real roads as such, no houses anywhere - no signs of anything he could call civilization. Wherever he had been dropped was far beyond the city limits. For the past couple of hours, he had been following a rough dirt trail - though to where, he had no clue. By this world's standards, it looked like a major highway. He had seen signposts pointing down it, but the writing on them was of a strange rectangular style that he could not decipher.
Well, I'm going somewhere at least. Here's hoping I'm going in the right direction, if there is such a thing any more, he thought. But how did I get so far from the city, anyway? Can those things drive?
Link paused. Not only had he not seen any signs of civilization, he had seen nothing that he would be willing to call technology. It was eerily quiet, with only the sounds of the wind in the trees and of his own footsteps to disturb him. In some ways, it was almost relaxing - but letting his guard down would probably be a very bad idea, Link mused. He had seen a number of strange creatures in the distance, though none had yet bothered him. He didn't want that state of affairs to change any time soon.

A strange noise disturbed Link's thoughts. In his current frame of mind it took him a little time to realise that it was actually his stomach. He checked his watch. Seven thirty already? Aw, nuts... Well, what's the chance that five minutes break is going to hurt? he thought. Think I must have something in here somewhere. Sitting down by the side of the path, he began to check through the contents of his backpack. The search only managed to reveal a packet of potato chips and a half-drunk bottle of lemonade. At least it was better than nothing.

Temporarily distracted, Link didn't notice the squeaking sounds in the long grass around him. A group of imp-like creatures leapt out at him before he realised what was happening. "Hey!" he yelled. "Get off me, you little - hang on, put that down! That's mine!" Link managed to smack one of the Miniblin pack over the head with his scabbard as the little creature tried to escape with his sword. Retrieving his weapon from the stunned imp, he wildly attacked the rest. They exploded in a puff of indigo smoke as he hit them.

Soon, his attackers were gone. His heart racing, Link picked up his drinks bottle and took a long gulp. I keep this up, I'm going to get fit in no time. Hell, it always looks so easy in video games...

Slowly, he became aware that someone was watching him.

"Are you trying to tell me that those little things scared you?" a familiar voice asked. "Hunter, you are just such a wimp..."

-

Link span round on the defensive. The last time he had heard that voice was only that morning in school - and he had no interest in hearing it again now. Of all the unwelcome visitors... "I was not scared. There's a bigger monster than those little creeps here." He paused. "But, anyway. What are you doing here?"
"Watching you panic like a little girl," Cal said, grinning. "Especially when the bit where that one nicked your stuff."
Link gave a snort of laughter. "You don't change, do you? We might be the only people in this world - I won't say 'humans', because that probably only applies to one of us - and you're still the biggest loser around."
"Takes one to know one," Cal remarked in reply. In the strangeness of their new surroundings, however, the boys' usual inventory of mutual insults ran down early. Link regarded Cal with quiet contempt in his eyes. Despite what he had said earlier, though, his rival had changed. Physically, if not mentally. Everyone had noticed the faintly shadowy colour in Cal's face in recent days. In this strange world, it somehow looked even more obvious than before. This rate, he's starting to look like that...
Like Dark Link...

Link swore as he spotted the sword handle above Cal's shoulder. "You!" he yelled, suddenly enraged, pushing him to the floor. "How could you... I thought you were low, but trying to kill me? It was you, wasn't it? Back at the warehouse?"
"What the...?" Cal spluttered, shoving Link away. "Tried to kill you? You've just lost whatever mind you had!"
"Yeah? Okay, then! What were you doing the day before the north of town got wasted? The way I remember it, someone with red eyes and a big black sword was trying to make mincemeat of me. And - oh, look who we have here..."
Cal backed away. "Look, you moron, it wasn't me. Just try to believe me for once. Your story sounds absolutely crazy. Mine's gonna, too. But, the few days before - you know - I can't remember a thing about them. I've got total amnesia. I just remember waking up - " In a warehouse. He just said that whoever tried to kill him there... This is crazy... "And this sword's lying around. Finders keepers."
"Sure - whatever," Link replied sarcastically. "How am I supposed to believe that?"
"Fine. Be a pighead if you want. " Cal sighed. "I'm just telling the truth. And, while you're at it, where did you get that sword, then? Can't say I did something I didn't just 'cause I picked one up, when you're waving that around..."
"Simple. Found it in the attic. At least I didn't 'have amnesia' leading up to it."

Link silently turned away. Arguing any further would accomplish nothing. Reorganising his backpack and scabbard, he began to walk on. He hadn't gone more than a few steps before he noticed that Cal was following from a distance. "Get lost," he snapped.
"Already am."
"Har, har." But... for once - I guess he's right. We're both lost. With a shake of his head, Link kept walking. He could only hope that was the city's towers he could see in the distance. At least, now they had a destination of sorts.

-

"I can't afford to try to cross the barrier into that world. It is corrupted beyond hope by darkness - it's dead. In effect, it was destroyed a long time ago. If things are so fragile that there are already entrances forming into it, my presence could be too much. The boundaries of the worlds could collapse from trying to hold back both my powers and that of the Dark King." Oni sighed. "That's probably just what he wants."
Zelda closed her eyes. "I understand. At least, I think I do." For a second, she stopped and thought. "Um - please don't think I'm sounding pushy, but..."
"What is it?"
"Uh - have you got anywhere to stay tonight? No. Stupid question. You must have."
There was a pause before Oni replied. "That's a generous offer, but I don't know if I can..."

No.
Wait.
If he's back... if he's returning...
I made one of your predecessors a promise a long time ago.

"I swear that if there is any way I can make up any tiny fraction of the damage I have done, to you and your country... I will serve you as long as I am able, if you will accept me into your service again..."

When I made that promise, I had no idea of what I was. Though I had endangered the Hyrule of old with my reckless actions... it was nothing yet.
Then... Back then... I did not know what I would be forced to do to that beautiful realm.
Maybe - one day, when this is all over, I'll have to take a trip out to Outset Island.
I hear they run archaeological cruises from there now. The Hero of Winds would be proud.
"See the remains of an ancient civilization..."

"I owe you this..." he whispered. "I owe it to you - to all of you. To the Zelda I knew, and to the pirate princess, and to the eternal sleeper, and to the maiden imprisoned in Turtle Rock..."
"Huh?" a surprised Zelda started.
"It's the least I can do. At least until your brother is safely back in this world, and I've got an idea about that. You want me to stay? I'll stay for now. Because if the Dark King is on his way back - you, princess, are going to need all the help you can get."
Zelda gave him a strange look. "Princess? What do you mean? You were around during the Revolution. There's no such thing as royalty in Hyrule any more..." She shrugged. "Unless you're counting that 'Dark King' of yours. Whatever his name is."
Oni grimaced. "I know."
And there's no way I'm letting Ganon take the throne.

-

By what seemed to pass for nightfall, they were little closer. Link couldn't escape the fact that he was still hungry, and by this point, feeling fatigued. He sighed and sat down on a fallen log.
"Just like you to give up."
"Yeah? Like you're not tired," Link replied sarcastically to Cal's comment. "Oh, wait. That would only apply to humans."
Cal scowled angrily. Link's remark had hurt more than he was in any mood to admit. "Oh, shut up. Yeah, I'm tired. Only I'm not wimping out like some people here. I thought it might just be a good idea to make some progress before we stopped..."

"What's it going to matter?" Link snapped. "We're going to have to stop sometime. And we're not going to get back to the city any time soon. Even if we did make it, I don't really fancy the idea of hanging around there in the dark. Have you even been there?"
Slowly, Cal nodded. "Yeah... but I don't know how I got there. I... passed out at dinner time. Next thing I know, I'm hanging around outside the gates of what looks like a castle, and somehow I've gotten hold of this thing again."
"Sure you did," Link remarked slyly.
Cal glared before continuing. "So. I started to try and find where I was, look for landmarks and stuff, you know..."
"You were lost."
He pretended to ignore Link. "Couple of freakshow types jump on me, rob me blind, dump me in the countryside - "
"Where you oh so kindly watch those little imp creeps jump on me. Okay." One thing was running through Link's mind. Says he 'passed out' today. Says he can't remember the night Dark Link roughed me up. There is something fishy going on. I could never trust him, but now's worse than ever. But he's the only familiar face around. "Same with me," Link admitted. "Except I didn't pass out. I was - just walking along, things go weird, I wind up in that city. And you guess the rest."

There was a long moment of silence before either spoke.
"Okay. We go on a bit further. But first suitable place we find, first place there's a bit of shelter, we stop for today. Sound alright?" Link asked, only half bothered about a reply.
"Whatever," Cal replied with a shrug. He'd been thinking the same thing, but was in no mood to admit it. "Think we'd better take turns asleep, though. Keeping lookout, you know? That is, assuming you can actually stay alert for five seconds."
"You didn't care when I was attacked before..."
"Yeah - but those things were even wimpier than you. I get the feeling there's bigger stuff out here. And I've got no interest in becoming monster food."
Link sighed. "Same here, I guess."
I can't trust him, he thought again. But - do I have any choice?

-

Another half-hour's walk brought the boys to a rough patch of wooded land that hardly merited the name 'woods'. A clear looking stream flowed through it. Best of all, from their perspective, there were no other signs of life. It had taken no time whatsoever for each to decide this was the best place to stop without asking the other.

Somehow, Link didn't quite know how, but he'd found himself the first to go to sleep. He could only hope that, with other business to attend to, Cal wouldn't be interested in doing something like draw on his face. This was far from the most comfortable situation he'd ever been in, both figuratively and literally. Neither of them had any way of starting a fire, and the ground was cold and hard. Link could only curl up tightly, his head pillowed on his backpack and holding his sword close to his chest like a talisman.

In this unfamiliar world, the sight of the dream-temple is almost comforting in its familiarity. It is a positive sign in another way.
"Where are you?" Link yells. "I know you're here somewhere, Oni!"
"As always," the immortal's voice replies from behind him. "I just wish I knew where you were."
Link turns round. "I guess you mean when I'm awake. And the answer to that is, you probably know as well as I do."
"The Dark World. I know."
"Apart from that, not a clue. Some godforsaken - sorry!" Link goes red. "I mean, some useless bit of wasteland outside what would be Kakariko. I can't really tell how far away we are."
"Do you think you'll make it to the city by tomorrow?"
"Possibly to the outskirts. Any luck, anyway. We should make it."
Oni pauses before responding. "You've said 'we' twice. You have a companion?"
"Yeah." Link's not in the mood to discuss it, however. "Anyway, what are you thinking?"
"Once you get into the city, I should be able to get you out of that world. It's going to be a risk, but - " Oni gestures loosely as he speaks - "I don't think we have much of a choice. The closer you are, the easier it'll be to find your physical location. Once I know where you are, I'll open a portal there - you get through it as fast as you can. Understand?"
Link nods, but to his ears, there's a flaw in the plan. "Can't you come here, instead? Sounds like a lot of work. I mean, wouldn't it be easier to find us from in this world?"
Oni doesn't have an immediate reply for Link. He turns away briefly. "I'm trusting you to do this," he says, before walking away.

-

Slowly, Oni'kara pulled out of his telepathic trance, and shook his head. It took him some time to reaccustom himself to his real surroundings - the dated decor of the old Hunter house. Everything was quiet - the home's owners were asleep. It had been as hard as he'd imagined it would be to explain to Link's mother and grandmother just where he had gone.
I wish I could explain this to you, Link... he thought. If I could just grab you out of that world, and whoever you're with too, I would have done so already...
Godforsaken, you said? No. I just can't. It's the one world I can never set foot in.
Not if I want this world to survive.

-

As Link slept, Cal sat on a rock and watched the stars through a gap in the clouds. There seemed to be little else to do. Things were just too quiet. How did I end up here? he thought. Stuck in another world with - well, with him. Why me?

Because it has to be you, a voice replied from inside his mind.
You again... he thought. The voice had become all too familiar over recent weeks. It seemed too vivid, too real, to be put down to hallucinations. The last time he had heard it was earlier that day. Just before he had passed out, he remembered.
You brought me here, didn't you?

The voice ignored his last remark. You know what you have to do, shadow-hero. He's so vulnerable now. Just do it - five seconds, and your work is done.
Shadow-hero? What are you talking about?
Your true nature, the voice continued. Your reason to exist - to destroy him.
Cal got to his feet and started pacing. Hold up here! Look, I don't like the guy. But I'm not a murderer. I...
"I am going to kill you, Link Hunter! One day, soon, you are dead meat!" Did you not say those words?
Yeah. I did. But there's a difference between "wanting to kill someone" and, well - really wanting to take their life. "Even if he is a loser..." he whispered, "I couldn't do that."
Stop trying to deny your purpose. You coward.

"Get out of my head!" Cal yelled, waking up the dozing Link. "Just get the hell out of there, whoever you are..."
"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Link asked, surprised. "Would you mind keeping it down?" Cal paid him no attention, however, continuing his argument with an unseen opponent.

"Leave... me... alone."
How can I? I'm you...
"I'm me. Shut up... shut up..."
Link shook his head. "Talking to yourself - you really are crazy, you know that?"
"You can shut up, too, Hunter... augh!" He stumbled, holding his hands to his head. With a yell, Cal lost consciousness. He started to fall forwards, patterns of shadow snaking across his body, but came round just in time to get his balance back.

Link could only watch in shock. Slowly, things started to make sense. As he thought, he idly ran a finger along the small scar by his eyebrow that Dark Link's sword had left during their battle.
He was telling the truth, after all... Link mused. Cal never tried to kill me. At least, he never knew he was doing so. Dark Link's - inside him? Is that it? And he's trying to get back out at me...
This is going to be fun...

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