Woot! I finally have chapter 2 up! I worked really hard on this, so I hope you guys like it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter, Ang, Greki, and an anonymous author, you all were very polite and encouraging, thank you!

clears throat Ok, onto the story. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Dark Link's Awakening

Dark opened his eyes. I'm alive…was his first thought. I'm underwater… was his second. He reached out with his hands, and his fingers hit solid tile. Panicking slightly, he punched the tile, hard. He felt it give a little under the blow, and punched it again. It cracked, and he punched it a third time with all his might. His fist broke through, and shards of tile drifted passed him, sinking to the bottom of the underwater cavity. Dark proceeded to widen the hole, and soon it was big enough for him to get through. He pulled himself up into the chamber and shook his head to get the water out of his hair. He looked around and saw that he was in a room that looked different from the room he had fought Link in, but he knew it was the same room. It felt the same, and there were the same two doors at either end of the room. The doors… they were unlocked! He could leave!

He heard a noise like the squeak of a frighten mouse and turned around. He saw three Zora priests staring at him with wide eyes, their faces a mixture of shock and terror. He gave them a hard look, and then said, 'Which door leads out of the Temple?' It was more of a command than a question.

Unsure of who he was addressing, all three of the priests pointed towards the door on Dark's right. He walked over to the door and exited the room without a single word of thanks, leaving the priests frightened and confused.

Dark did not have much trouble finding his way through the Temple, since he remembered how Link had navigated the numerous rooms and passageways, and if he was unsure about something, there always seemed to be a Zora around that was more than happy to point him towards the exit. He would have explored the Temple, to see what had been denied him all these years, but he was much more eager to leave the place behind him. He reached the entrance and exited without even a second glance back at the only world he had ever known, or the bewildered Zoras he'd passed without a word of explanation.

Upon exiting the Temple, Dark resurfaced in Lake Hylia, rumored to be one of the most beautiful places in Hyrule. He quickly clambered onto the island in the middle of the Lake and spat in the clean water. He would never go in water again if he could help it. It was a good thing that shadows did not have to bathe. He went and sat against the lone dead tree on the island, more out of habit than anything, and heard a "clang" as his shield hit the wood. In a fit of rage, he unbuckled his scabbard from around his torso and tossed both his shield and his sword into the water. He no longer needed them, and they were painful reminders that he was simply a copy of another's life. He took off his tunic and hat as well, leaving just his undershirt on and allowing his long black bangs and short black ponytail to blow in the wind. He decided to keep his hat, just in case, as well as his belt, gloves, and boots. He glared at his tights, hating them, but there was nothing he could do about them at the moment. He stretched out on the grass, feeling for the first time its prickly touch and the caress of the sun on his face. He dozed off listening to the birds singing above his head, and breathing sweet breaths of free air.

When Dark next woke up, the sun was sinking below the western horizon, and the sky was filled with brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows. He watched the sun set for the first time in his life, marveling in the beauty of it all. He wondered why he had never been outside before, and then the answer came to him in one word; Ganondorf. It had been Ganondorf that had kept him locked up in that Temple. It had been Ganondorf that had kept all this beauty from him for so long. A sudden fire flared up in Dark, and he cursed Ganondorf's name. He had just been an ignorant puppet of the evil man's schemes, and had meant nothing to his creator at all. All he had been was a nameless minion among a million others. Dark felt betrayed and lonely, and suddenly angry. He would get Ganondorf back for this, sooner or later. He would have his revenge.

Dark stood. Restlessness had settled upon him, and he couldn't sit still. In doing so, he became more aware of his surroundings. To be more specific; he remembered that he was surrounded by water. He realized then that he could not stay where he was, could not stand the sight of the water. He didn't realize it, but in the few hours he had been sleeping, he had developed a sort of hydrophobia. He looked around, and saw a bridge leading to a smaller island, and one leading from the smaller island to the shore. He set off towards the first bridge, but when he put a foot on it, it wobbled slightly beneath his weight. He hesitated, unsure of its stability, then mustered up the last of his courage and started across. He hurried across the first bridge and onto the next, trying not to look down or make the bridge sway overly much. When he got to the shoreline, he let out his breath, suddenly aware that he had been holding it.

There was a building right next to the end of the bridge, and Dark walked around it, examining it. It was the first Hylian dwelling he had ever seen up close, and he was intrigued with it. He saw a door on the other side and looked in, not bothering to knock. He was amazed by what he saw; one large table sat near the front of the room, and it was covered in glass piping. Various colored liquids coursed through the piping, dripping out into glass beakers or mixing together in large vats. In the back of the room was a large pool of water, and there were shelves lining the walls that held strange specimens. No one seemed to be inside, so he went in, his curiosity getting the best of him.

He was examining the tubing more closely when he heard a voice behind him. "Don't touch anything, please. They're all very fragile." Dark spun around to see an old man standing right behind him. The old man could barely see Dark at all in the dim light, but he could see his glowing red eyes fairly well. He cried out in surprise, then stumbled back and grabbed a frying pan and a small pot of salt from his cupboard. "Stay back!" the old man cried, hefting the frying pan over his shoulder. He shook the pot at Dark, spilling a bit of its contents on him and saying, "Demon begone!"

Dark drew away from the salt, yelling, "I'm nota demon, you stupid old man!" He shook his hair and brushed himself off to get the salt off that had been successful in landing on him.

"What are ya then?" said the old man snappishly.

"I am Dark…" He couldn't finish. He despised that title. "I am a shadow," he said instead, "and I go where I please."

"Dark, eh?" said the man, putting the salt back but not lowering his frying pan. "A shadow, eh? Highly irregular, I must say, very strange. But who casts the shadow Dark, I wonder?"

"That's not important at the moment," said Dark with a wave of his hand. Then he got an idea. "Wait. Tell me something, old man: Where is Ganondorf?"

"The Gerudo King?" asked the old man. "I haven't a clue. One minute he's buttering up the King of Hyrule, the next minute, poof! Gone."

"He just… disappeared? Into thin air?"

"Aye, well…" the old man said, lowering his frying pan and leaning in. He whispered secretly, "There's a rumor going around, something about him getting in trouble with the Royal Family and getting sealed up in a Secret Helm or something of that sort. But I don't trust that theory. Why do you want to know?"

"I have my reasons," said Dark, "but they do not concern you, so I see know reason to reveal them to you."

"Very well, have it your way." He yawned and stretched. "It's late. Out of my house. Go on, move!" He shoved Dark out the door and slammed it behind him. Dark spat on the door spitefully, and then turned to leave, when he noticed something hanging on the old man's clothesline. Upon further investigation, he found that it was a pair of black pants. He put them on and tied a rock to his tights, slinging them out into the middle of the Lake. The pants were a bit big, so he took his belt out of his pack and used it to keep them up. He strolled off towards Hyrule Field, feeling more like his own person, and less like a shadow of someone else.

Not long after he entered the Field, Dark spotted a campfire a little ways away. He crept towards it, and slowly the men sitting around it came into view. There weren't many of them, five at the most, and they were dirty and unshaven, robbers probably. As Dark got closer, he could hear them talking in rough voices.

"So then, I took 'im by the throat and said, How would ya' like ta make me? And he started snivelin' like a brat. Don't hurt us! he said, just like that. So I said, Just gimme yer rupees, and none of you'll be hurt. He started forkin' over the loot like he was diggin' in the dirt! I took the lot and ran off with his horses, and there they are." He pointed to a couple of beasts grazing near the fire. "Yes-sirs," he said, stretching and leaning against a tree, "the life of a crook is a grand one."

"Yer the best, boss," said a robber close to him.

"Aye. And that's barely the half of it. I could tell you tales 'bout myself all night if I had a mind."

"Uh, boss?" said another robber. "Ya know, I coulda swore…"

"You swore all the time, mate," said another robber.

"Shuddup and lemme finish!" said the first. He turned back to his boss, saying, "I coulda swore I left me cloak hangin' on that branch there, but it ain't there anymore. You seen it?"

"Nah, I ain't seen it," said their boss, unconcerned. Then they heard a crash nearby, and all of them moved over near the tree to look around, knives drawn. As they peered into the darkness, Dark, who'd thrown the stick to distract them, strolled over to the horses in the firelight behind them, drawing the cloak about his slender frame. He untied the horses and mounted one just as the first robber looked back around. Before the robber could alert his friends, Dark was off, holding the reins of one horse in one hand and the reins of the other horse in his other hand. He jumped the campfire and galloped off into Hyrule Field, and the thieves' yells of anger and surprise slowly faded into the distance. He smiled scornfully at the thought of thieves who had been robbed by an unarmed shadow. Stupid fools, he thought.

He rode on until morning, when he saw the sun rise over Hyrule Field. The plains were washed in golden light, which made every dewdrop sparkle so that every blade of grass seemed sewn in stars. Dark marveled at the site. How beautiful and vibrant this world is, he thought to himself. He suddenly was jealous of Link. Link had always lived in this world of life and magic, but until recently, Dark had only known the drabness of his room in the Water Temple. Well, this is my world now, thought Dark. And anyone who tries to shut me back up in that Goddess-forsaken Temple is going to suffer.

Presently, there appeared on the horizon a silhouette of a structure, and he knew it at once to be Lon Lon Ranch. He continued toward it, figuring that he could sell the horses for a few rupees. The entrance wasn't far, and he rode through, strait into the Ranch. Already the place was awake and bustling, with the cries of cuccos, the lowing of cows, and the stamping of restless horses waiting to be let out for their morning run. The strong smell of animals and hay assaulted Dark's senses as he dismounted and walked towards the farmhouse, leading the horses along by their reins. He opened the door to the house and peeked in, looking around to see if anyone was there. He saw nobody, and was about to close the door when he heard a voice behind him. "Hello. May I help you?" Dark turned, and saw that it was a red-haired girl in her late teens. Link had known her as Malon, the daughter of the owner of Lon Lon Ranch.

Malon's eyes widened in shock and horror. She gaped at him, unable to speak. He looks so much like Link…she thought. She remembered a story Link had told her once, about his trials in the Water Temple. The tale of his battle with Dark Link had haunted her in her dreams, and now here he stood before her, and those cold, blood-red eyes seamed to pierce her very soul.

Dark ignored her reaction, and gestured to the two nervous beasts behind him. "How much can I get for these horses?" he asked. "I won't be needing them any longer." Malon continued to stare at him, and he cleared his throat. "Are you ill?" he asked, rather impertinently.

Malon's father Talon came out of the stables at that moment, wiping his forehead.

"I've finished mucking the stables, Malon," he said. As he looked up, he saw the shadowy youth, and thinking quickly, he jumped in between Dark and Malon, brandishing his shovel menacingly. "Back off!" he cried, pointing the blade of the shovel at Dark's middle. "Stay behind me, Malon!" he said to his daughter. "I'll protect you!"

Dark gave Talon a hot glare that wilted the man's newly-found courage in an instant. "You needn't protect her from me," he said, feeling a little irritated. "I'm unarmed, and besides, you two aren't worth my time. I'll ask you again, though I dislike being ignored: How much will you pay for the horses? Including the tack, of course."

Talon didn't lower his shovel, but he allowed Malon to walk out from behind him and examine the horses, watching Dark the whole time. "500 rupees for the stallion, and 300 for the mare," said Malon, I little nervously. "These horses are in good condition. Where did you get them?" she added suspiciously.

"I stole them," said Dark, and her suspicions were confirmed. "They were being held by a group of thieves. I figured that those rowdy simpletons didn't deserve such fine steeds, so I relieved the horses of their unshaven owners." He smiled smugly to himself. "I'll sell. These horses won't be any use to me."

"Alright," said Malon slowly, unsure if she should be doing business with Dark. "If you'll just wait here, I'll be right back..." She went past Dark and into the house, and returned a moment later with a large bag of rupees. "Here," she said, and Dark accepted it readily, handing her the reins in his other hand.

All of a sudden, there was a crash from the stables. They all looked over as a frenzied whinny erupted from within the wooden structure, and the timbers shook under the hammering of hooves. "Darn that horse!" said Talon angrily, as he and Malon hurried into the stables. Dark followed behind, more out of curiosity than anything. The last stall in the stable was shaking violently, and as Talon unlatched the door, its occupant burst out of it and charged, nearly running the two ranch-keepers over. It headed strait for Dark, who didn't flinch.

As it reached him, it crashed to a halt, whinnying and snorting, pacing in front of Dark to find a way past him. Still, Dark didn't move. The black horse made eye contact with Dark, and froze. Dark could see that in its eyes, past the burning anger and fear, lay a deep suffering. Someone in the past had treated this horse with much abuse, and it showed. They stood there, staring into each other's souls, and then Dark slowly stretched out his hand and placed it on the horse's muzzle. In that moment, something happened. Through some unexplainable phenomenon, they at once understood each other's pain. Dark's long days in isolation and the horse's abuse gave them a bond. The horse calmed, and Dark gently stroked its neck, feeling the need to comfort it.

"Wow," breathed Malon, who was standing near the entrance to the stables, still holding the reins of the other two horses. Talon stared openly.

Dark looked around at the ranchers and saw them staring. He patted the horses muzzle and walked over to Talon, who flinched, expecting him to pull some hocus-pocus on him, too. But he simply said, "Where did that horse come from? He looks a bit familiar."

"We just found him wandering the Field one night," said Malon, and Dark looked around at her. "He was thin and sickly, so we took him in. He's never been very well behaved, but he's strong. He must have been bred a charger for someone powerful."

"I'll buy him, then," said Dark. "Just name your price."

"Take him for free," said Talon, eager to have them both gone. "Take him and go."

"Daddy!" said Malon to her father. She dropped the reins of the horses, who were too nervous to move, and walked over to her father. She pulled him aside and whispered intently, "Didn't you see what just happened? He couldn't have calmed that horse with an evil heart. Something has connected them, in some strange way. All beasts have pure hearts, and if he can win that horse's trust so easily, I think we can trust him as well." She moved towards the back of the stables and took a saddle and bridle down from a shelf nearby. "He was wearing these when we found him," she explained, crossing back over to Dark and holding them out. He accepted them and examined them closely. They were made of black leather, and traced with gold thread. Strange designs covered the surface of the saddle.

Dark looked back at the horse, who had made an odd noise, like a frightened wicker. Its ears were back, and its eyes were wide with fear as it backed away from the offensive objects. Dark turned back to Malon, who was observing the horse's reaction with a look of confusion, and said, "May I have a different saddle and bridle? Say, the one the other stallion was wearing? He seems to have some bad memories connected to these."

"Of course," said Malon. He took the tack off of the stallion Dark had just sold her and exchanged it for the tack that Dark held in his hands, then she showed him how to put it on. Dark nodded his thanks to Malon, and then lead his horse out of the stables, mounting it and riding away into Hyrule Field. Malon and her father watched him disappear over a small hill, and then Talon walked away, shaking his head and mumbling something about "Good riddance". Malon gazed out over the grassy expanse a while longer, a little sorry that Dark had to go, but unable to tell why.

Dark rode out over the Field on his new steed, who was just as happy to be out in the wild as he was. The horse galloped over the plains in powerful strides, and it was plain to see that this was indeed a horse breed for war; strong, fast, and fierce, with good endurance. They went along at their own pace, not fleeing robbers or captivity, just running for the sake of feeling the breeze in their faces.

They soon came upon a watering hole, and though Dark did not care for the sight of water, he stopped and dismounted, knowing a little couldn't kill him if he just sat near the edge while his horse had a drink. As he watched his horse splash in the shallows, a thought occurred to him. "I ought to name you, I suppose," he said, more to himself than the powerful beast in front of him. But what kind of name would you give a horse? he thought. I guess it should describe him in some way…As he watched the horse, it occurred to him that its mane seemed to float on the air as it was tossed about, like a wisp of shadow. "Shadowmane…" he said to himself, to see if he liked the sound of it. "That sounds like a decent name." He fell back onto the grass, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face, and felt a sense of peace and satisfaction grow inside him. He sighed. It was good to be free.

And then a face entered his mind. It belonged to the only man who could take his new-found freedom away: Ganondorf. It interrupted his blissful state of happiness with a single ominous thought: Ganondorf was gone, but he may come back one day, even stronger than before, and make Dark return to being his minion once again. Dark could never go back to being Ganondorf's mindless slave, he knew that. He had a new start now, and he'd be damned if Ganondorf was going to take that away from him. Then and there, he resolved to find and kill Ganondorf, whatever it took.

To Be Continued

Thus ends chapter 2. Hope you liked it! Sorry it took me so long to get the second chapter up. I had issues with homework, among other things. Please review, I love hearing from the people who read my fics! And once again, thank you to all who have already reviewed my first chapter, you guys are so nice! I'm going to start chapter 3 first thing tomorrow, because I'm a little busy tonight. Thanks!