Chapter 17

Two Can Play

Link painfully stood, shaking the dizziness away, blood trickled lightly down his forehead.

Not giving him any more time to recover, Dark Link honed in on Link, swinging his lethal blade.

Link ducked in the nick of time and avoided having his head decapitated. He retaliated with a few strikes of his own, but his attempts were made feeble and worthless by Dark Link's quick movements as he blocked each one.

As Link grew weaker and slower, it seemed as if Dark Link only grew stronger and faster. Link pondered this, but was always jerked from his thoughts each time metal sliced through his flesh.

Alexis stood out of the way, not wanting Dark Link to use her again. Besides there was nothing she could do, she wasn't a fighter. She was still the same ditzy teenage girl…with the addition of the love for Link she held in her heart. Her possession of a sword couldn't change that. But that didn't mean she was entirely helpless, she stealthily crept along the back wall, ever so much closer to the two combatants.

Link struck out, but yet again it was blocked. That's when Dark Link saw an opportunity to put an end to the battle once and for all. He thrust his blade forward, but then sensed someone behind him and swung his sword backwards to block the sword he undeniably knew was coming at him.

There was a metallic clang. Dark Link swiftly swung to face his attacker, none other than a very stunned Alexis, and grabbed her arm tightly causing her to drop the blade. To her surprise, he picked her up and then flung her bodily at Link before he had a chance to hit Dark Link's momentarily exposed back.

Link saw it coming a split second too late, he could only drop his sword to prevent cutting her in any way.

Alexis hit him, bowling him over and the two hit the floor painfully. At that moment, something besides Alexis hit him. Dark Link had to be tapping into the power of the triforce piece he possessed. Link felt idiotic for not realizing it before…but at least he had…figured it out? Dark Link wasn't the only one with a piece of the triforce, two could play at this game…

Link concentrated deeply and was rewarded immediately by energy shooting through him and his wounds healing up. With that, he rolled to the side to avoid Dark Link's blade and then hopped up with his sword in hand andinto a ready stance.

"'Bout time you figured somethin' out." Dark Link smirked.

Alexis could only sit there confused and in a daze from being thrown through the air.

Link didn't reply to Dark link, but lunged in and began hacking away with his sword. At first his attacks were blocked, but Dark Link was so surprised by the fury behind the attack, he missed blocking and was finally hit by Link.

Link knew he would tap into the triforce to heal himself, so without giving him that opportunity, he didn't stop his attacks. Sparks scattered everywhere each time the two locked swords. Dark Link remembered a trick he had done in the Water Temple…one that had completely messed with Link's mind and he was going to try it again…when the time was right.

Link struck out with his sword, just as Dark Link anticipated. With a leap, Dark Link was up in the air, and then landed on the flat side of Link's blade. Link's eyes widened in annoyance and recognition of this move. Dark Link back flipped off the blade, and then once on the ground, charged into Link and hit him with an unstoppable onslaught of attacks.

Link grunted in pain as each sword stroke struck his body, flying past his pathetic attempt to block the assault.

"LINK!" Alexis cried.

"Link! Oh Link!" Dark Link rolled his eyes as he mocked her, continuing his vicious offense. "This time you have no over-sized hammer, no Din's Fire. This time, you won't win."

"What you did was an old trick…apparently you have no new tricks, but I do." Link replied coldly.

Link suddenly dropped to the floor and did a spin move, kicking Dark Link's legs out from under him. Dark Link gasped in surprise as he hit the floor, but quickly leapt up at the same time Link did.

Link swung his sword, Dark Link thought he was aiming to finish him, but that wasn't what Link had in mind. He swung his sword in a downward stroke and next thing Dark Link knew…He was missing a hand.

He could do nothing but stare in shock at his now severed hand which lay in a bloody mass on the floor. Where it had been severed from his arm, blood pumped out heavily. He wanted to scream…His left hand had held the triforce piece...his sword…his left hand was no longer attached to his body.

Link had intentionally severed Dark Link's hand from his body…now he wouldn't be able to revive himself with the power of the triforce. While Dark Link wassitting there in shock, Link made his move. With a quick thrust of his sword through Dark Link's chest, he collapsed to the ground…dead. Hopefully, for all time.

A light then lit up on Link's hand as the triforce of power joined the triforce piece of courage.

Alexis shuddered as she stared at Dark Link's sword, but then found her voice, "Is it time to go find Chunk?"

"Yes."

With hurried footsteps they left the room filled with carnage, following Link's knowledge of the layout of the castle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

How is that possible? It just can't be… But Chunk knew it was true…The woman in the portrait was none other than his mother, same dirty blonde hair…same deep blue eyes…the exact way he remembered her…but why would she be in a portrait with the king and queen? Was there something important he had missed when she was still alive, before he had been forced into living on the streets?

He contemplated this but then knew he should get moving, before it was found he was no longer in the dungeons and before Alexis ended up falling into a trap. He pulled a sword from the wall and set off in the shadows…there was no point in going unarmed after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Don't forget to review once you've read! Surely you wouldn't have read this far if you didn't like it.

Sorry if the whole hand thing was disgusting, but heh I kinda needed that to happen...lol. Just remember the scene back at the Temple of Time and tell me how disgusting the hand thing was compared to that lol...now that I have you all thinking about that...I am so evil...lol.

A BIG thank you to those of you who actually take the time to review : ) Your reviews are so encouraging and I just love readin 'em : )

Jupiter-Lightning(aka one of me bestest of best friends): lol...I do say lol a lot...but da marshmallow already pointed that out...in her futile attempt to stop me she gave up mwahahahahahaha lol j/k...saying lol in typing is just a habit of mine lol...and there I go again lol. Ya know after we watched Boogeyman? Well after you left and I was on the compy I realized the closet was right next to my computer! It didn't scare me as much as 'Saw' did but it sure as heck made me more paranoid afterward lol. I wanna see Fantastic Four soooooooo BAD! Although I would easily pass on the new Willy Wonka movie ((shudders)) lol. TTYL : ) Golly that was long.

AnimeDemonNayorin: Wow...I really am? So happy! Thank ya for the super nice review: )

Emeralddestiny: lol I've done that before lol. So on your review for chapter 15 you said your chapter was pissin you off...Does that mean you're tryin to get to the point of updatin your super AWESOME fic? ((eyes shine hopefully)) lol.

SageOfTheMinish: Is that a good thing? lol.

FallenFenix: Coolie, lol the humor just kinda slipped in there lol I have trouble being serious all the time, glad ya think so: ) I was checkin out yer profile and couldn't help but notice my fic was the only one on your favorites list, I feel so special : ) : ) : ) ((can't stop smiling)) lol...heh heh...((eyes dart to closet as is suddenly reminded of the movie Boogeyman)) LOL LOL.

harrypotterfan: Thank you for reviewin : )

ken nuhfer: yup yup, that's exactly what I plan to do : ) glad ya thought it was good : )

Vladimir the Hamster: You got that right lol. ...Well I kinda killed Dark Link off so that's kinda down the drain now...sorry...lol ((keeps typing ... just cuz I feel like it lol)) ...

da marshmallow: Even though technically I forced you to review when I first started this thing ((lol)) I guess...Thank ya for reviewin even though I could just tell you that since I live with ya...but heh lol.

And thank you to everyone else who has reviewed thus far! I hope you liked this chapter : ) Please review!

blondie91