Chapter V: The Warrior Contest

Link arrived in Hyrule Castle Town that night. The guard looked at him funny, but let him by.

"Going to the swordsman contest?" the guard asked.

"Yes," Link answered. He grinned pleasantly, but the grin unsettled the guard.

"It's up at the castle. Don't cause trouble."

Link continued forwards. People either gave him frightened or interested faces. Link enjoyed being OniLink. It gave strength to do what he couldn't before, such as walk past the market without anyone recognizing him.

When he reached the castle, Link drew surprised looks from the soldier. After all, no one had seen a white skinned, 7 foot Hylian with paint on his face, a tunic and cone-shaped hat with a great curved sword strapped in a sheath to his back. But they let him though nonetheless.

Now let's go see this Princess Zelda. She's always in your thoughts.

Not yet, Link told the mask. We've got to win the contest first.

Oh, terrifying, really. I thought we were supposed to see Zelda, not win a contest.

The winner gets to meet Zelda personally, Link thought. The mask didn't answer. Link continued on. He entered the courtyard and found the contest. He entered himself as OniLink. The guard working the sign-up counter didn't notice how close the name was to Link. The guard looked up at him trying to recognize him. Link still had familiar features, even as the Fierce Deity.

"You're number 32," the guard said. "You start over there."

"Alright," Link answered, and went to a ring, where 31 was waiting.

The crowd watching the 32 fighters was huge. Zelda was on the other side, watching from a window with some of the council. Link caught her trying to recognize him. Link smiled to himself. It was funny to watch people try to recognize him and stare when they thought he wasn't looking.

Can we start now?

Shut up, Link told the mask. It obeyed for once.

An honor guard stood ready to begin the contest. He read off the names of the contestants, and then raised a decorated spear into the air. No one had noticed how close OniLink was to Link, except perhaps Zelda.

The guard dropped the spear. Link's opponent, a Hylian equipped with a sword and shield with a spear on his back, charged and swung the sword at Link's head.

Have you seen Predator the movie, where Swartzeneggar tries to beat a Predator over the head with a metal pipe? If you didn't, then continue reading. This fight is somewhat like a Predator against a Human.

The sword clanged harmlessly off Link's head. The Hylian swung again. The sword shattered. Somewhat frightened of Link, the Hylian took his spear out and waited.

Link moved forward and swiftly grabbed the Hylian by the arm. He picked him up and tossed him into a wall. There were no out of bounds rules, so you had to knock your opponent out. Link ran forward and punched the Hylian. Instant knockout.

Link looked out at the other fighters. Their matches were ending. Soon the next match would begin. Link's next opponent was a Goron. A Goron was about as strong as Link, so he would have to careful.

The guard dropped the spear. The Goron moved forward and punched Link in the face. This time it hurt. Link backed up a bit and took out his sword. He jammed it into the ground, and threw himself at the Goron. The Goron fell onto his back, and Link landed on him. He punched the Goron. The Goron punched Link back and rolled over, so that the Goron was on top of Link. Link kicked him ten feet back. The Goron rolled itself into a ball and rolled along the walls until spikes came out, and after that it charged Link.

Link picked up his sword. Right as the Goron approached him, Link swung the great curved sword. It sent the Goron flying back like a baseball. The Goron landed painfully on its head and drifted out of consciousness.

Link's next opponent was another Hylian, who wielded two curved blades. Link drew his sword.

"You're not as fast as me," the Hylian warned.

Prepare to lose like fish out of water, you big-eared piece of…junk!

The guard dropped the spear. The Hylian made a speedy charge and brought his swords in arcs. Clang! Link's sword caught both. He was much faster. Link swung his sword in a circle, and flipped the Hylian's swords out of his hands and into the ground. Link punched him and knocked him out.

That was too easy. Where's a real fight?

Link got a bye the next round, and watched. Then it was his turn to fight the other finalist.

The two stepped up to the ring. Link grinned devilishly at his opponent, who grinned evilly back.

"Our last contestants are OniLink versus Dark Link!" the guard announced. Then he dropped the spear.

Neither moved. Then they both charged, and met sword with sword. Link swung in an arc at Dark Link. Dark Link jumped to the side and brought his sword upwards. Link grabbed Dark Link's arm, twisted it behind his back, and broke it, flipping Dark Link onto his face. Dark Link got up and ran up Link, then jumped and brought his sword down on Link, smashing him down. Link jumped to his feet and took two vertical swings at him. Dark Link moved to the side and hit Link in the face with his hilt.

Dark Link was about to stab Link in the face when Link rolled to the side and thrust his sword upwards at Dark Link, sending him spiraling into the air. Link jumped up twice and kept Dark Link afloat with thrusts, then let him fall to the dirt. Dark Link leaped up into the air performing a spin. It caught Link and brought him up into the air, hitting him repeatedly. Dark Link dropped to the ground and Link came crashing down on him, thrusting his sword in his chest. It knocked Dark Link a few feet back.

Both stood watching each other. Then Dark Link pointed his sword at Link's face. Link grinned, and brought his hand to his face.

Wait, you're gonna take me off? No! NO! I FORBI-

Link removed the mask and put it away. The crowd gasped, and Zelda was half-way through a heart attack. But Link didn't see any of this. He and Dark Link only saw each other, and a battlefield.

They charged again. Dark Link tried to swing his sword at Link like a bat, but Link somersaulted forward. While he was on his back, Link leaped out of the somersault and kicked Dark Link in the face. Dark Link's hand went up to his face. Link jumped at Dark Link and forced him into two somersaults, then stopped, Link kneeling above Dark Link. Link brought his sword high above his head, then sent it flying down. Dark Link brought his shield up and blocked it. He kicked Link off of him, and jumped to his feet. Link twirled and brought his hilt into Dark Link's face.

While Dark Link was distracted, Link charged his sword quick, and then thrust it through Dark Link's head. It sent Dark Link flying back. Link quickly nocked an arrow and shot Dark Link in the stomach with a Light Arrow. Injured, but not down, Dark Link jumped his feet. He charged Link, but then stopped and tossed a bomb at Link. It blew up and knocked Link onto his back.

Link jumped to his feet, only to realize that the explosion had knocked his sword and shield into the window Zelda was watching from. He looked at Dark Link angrily.

But Link and Dark Link have something of an honor code. So Dark Link tossed his sword and shield aside. They both charged each other. Link grabbed Dark Link by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall. Dark Link did a Shadow Technique and reversed himself, so that his back was against the wall instead of his front. Dark Link grabbed Link by the neck and delivered and uppercut in Link's stomach. Link leaned forward and brought his fist right under Dark Link's chin, knocking him back.

Dark Link grabbed Link by his feet and swung him into a wall. Link landed on his feet and jumped at Dark Link. He delivered a jump kick to Dark Link. Dark Link flinched, and Link got up and grabbed Dark Link by the shoulder with his left hand. He then jabbed Dark Link in the stomach a few times, afterwards he smashed Dark Link's head into the wall.

Dark Link turned around. He looked around, and grabbed a metal stick. He swung at Link and hit him squarely in the jaw. It knocked Link back. Link got on his feet. Dark Link swung again. Link rolled underneath it and jumped up. In midair he grabbed Dark Link by the head. Link flipped in midair, leading Dark Link by the head. Link landed on his feet and slammed Dark Link into the ground using the momentum from the flip.

Link backed away and took out his bow, equipping a Light Arrow. Dark Link got up and took out a shadow bow, equipping a Shadow Arrow. Both stood fifty paces away from each other, waiting for the other to make a mistake.

It was dead silent. Ganondorf could have appeared just then and no one would have cared. Link watched his opponent carefully. Then he looked away.

Dark Link shot. Instinctively, Link rolled to the side, stood up and shot. He hit Dark Link right between the eyes. The Light Arrow burst its aura out.

Dark Link dropped to his knees, looked angrily at Link, and then vanished into the shadows.

Link lowered his bow and sighed. He was exhausted. He was cut all over, and would have liked to fall asleep right there. But then the crowd roared, and Link remembered that he had just won a contest.

The honor guard, joined by two others, walked forward. They escorted an exhausted, hurt, but nonetheless grinning Link to Zelda. Once Link was inside the castle, he couldn't hear the crowd anymore, but knew that he was going to be the main topic for gossip for a long time.

They arrived in Princess Zelda's lookout. Link walked forward and took a knee. Zelda signaled for the guards to leave. They left and Zelda looked down at Link.

"You can get up, you know," she teased slightly. Link stood up and looked her in the eye.

To Link's great surprise, Zelda brought her lips to his. Link stood in the embrace a moment, before he kissed her back and put her arms around him.

Zelda hesitantly pulled herself away. They stood looking each in the eye for a long time. Link felt in heaven. There was no possible way that this wasn't happening. It was real. Zelda cared for him. He cared for her. He loved her.

"Link," Zelda asked, "Will you stay this time?" Her voice sounded full of hope, hope and joy.

"Yes, I will," Link answered, and kissed her.

A/N: It's not done yet! Link still has to finish accepting his role as the Hero of Time! Besides, I haven't made the main enemy in my story come yet. But that fight will be even better.