A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

A Pair of Time

Chapter 63- Nocturne of Shadow, Part 2

Graveyard; Night

Mom… Watch over me… Malon asks, kneeling down to the muddy ground in front of her mother's grave. Guide me… Guide me through the world of hell…

A hand on her shoulder sets her mind back into the drenched world of the dead around her. Nowhere is a speck of warmth or life is found, except for the hand. "Do you feel better now?" Link said, his body shielding some part of her from the doleful but strenuous downpour.

"Yeah…" She stands up, then glances down at the tombstone again. "Let's go."

"Everything's ready, right?"

"Yep." Malon brandishes her pitchfork in front of her friend. "As ready as it ever will be."

Link gazes at her choice of weapon. "I think the Heroine of Time is meant to become a legend in style. Tell me now, do you really expect the evil inside the Shadow Temple to be intimidated by that?"

"Uh, hello! Shooting arrows is sometimes boring and gets repetitive, and which looks better: a Deku Stick, or a pitchfork?"

"I still think that spade would have served you well…" he said as he pulls out the Ocarina of Time.

"Tell that to all the spearmen, Link. Tell that to all the spearmen…"

The Nocturne of Shadow does little to lighten the Graveyard's dreary, if not dreadful mood. The Heroes of Time whisk away in a flash of purple illumination, then disembark at the platform of the Shadow symbol, which, to their amazement, is just several paces away from where they just warped. Behind them, stairs separate living, trampled grass from dead ground in an antechamber. Even though moonlight is beaming through and lightning brightens up the place, the level below is incredibly dark to where only outlines of objects and people can be seen. The sole thing that makes sure that not all falls into darkness is a glowing crest on the ground, illuminating a dais and a circular formation of crude, dry torches. In the far end of the room, a stone structure is erected, along with a wall that is carved in an image vaguely familiar.

Ah, this entrance is created by the Sheikahs, Dark Link rattles in his light side's mind. I recognize that eye anywhere…

"What's with all these torches?" the redhead questions, her voice echoing with a strange vibration.

"Uh…"

Light them all up, you doofus.

Problem here, can't light all of them fast enough with just Fire Arrows.

Oh, my goddess, my light counterpart doesn't know what to do with the first puzzle.

Well, it's better if you just tell me as we go along rather than bicker about everything. You don't want that eternity of torture, do you…?

Wow, you actually suggested a good point for once. Well, okay then, dumbass, just use Din's Fire while standing on that platform.

… I knew that.

Really? I wonder how long it actually took you to figure out that it was the only thing you could use. And it's really obvious to see that you didn't take note of the symbol on that dais. Fire, Din, maybe?

Just shut… up.

Shadow Temple

"The Shadow will yield only to those with the eye of truth, handed down in Kakariko Village," the panel dead ahead said in a deep voice beyond abnormality.

Oh, one key thing about this place, Dark Link adds. This place is a big, big temple filled with every illusion imaginable. Some that'll take a fool to realize when he's walking through one. Then there are some where you gotta use your wits. And then there are some that aren't as harmless as the ones you found before coming here.

"Fairy boy?" Malon snaps him back with her call. "You okay? Ya seem to be thinking harder than usual."

"Well…" Link forces back a chuckle from coming, "I have to be, since I am the guider around this temple, right?"

"Oh…" The redhead buys this. "Then you should know you can walk through that wall, right?"

"Of course! Don't need the Lens of Truth to see that!"

However, they become almost enthralled by the first major puzzle of the temple. A gap spans their side from advancing, and they have nothing except a very curious pair of boots to reach the platform jutting from the other end. Their end holds a statue of a wicked deformation of a bird with a panel to the side. Around it are a set of circular poles with skulls on top.

"What do you think… is down there, Link?" Malon carefully peers over the gap.

"I don't really want to know."

She shudders as she retracts back to safe ground. "To think, all this… This temple… It bears the role of keeping Hyrule's history of darkness… The darkness in the hearts of Hylians…"

"Yeah…" he replies through his teeth.

"Those walls… and all those… ReDeads… They were… unreal…"

"Yet, I admire how cleanly the walls were built with the bones of corpses."

"… That better be to lighten up the mood, fairy boy," Malon sucks in a deep breath, "because this place is freaking me out already. 'Tricks full of ill will… hidden in the darkness… can't see the way forward…'" She quivers again.

"We can see our way forward. See? Nothing too bad has happened to us yet."

"But…" She faces him, "ya can feel it, can you? Even if ya just ignore those damn spirits talking around us, bad things are gonna happen, right?"

Link sighs. "… I'm not going to lie to you. But Mal, we've been through these kinds of things, right?"

"I know, but… Death isn't someone I would like to deal with, especially if he starts calling up legions of the people he ended."

"Hey…" He consoles with a hand on her shoulder, "you got me, right?"

Malon slightly shows a smile. "Yeah… I gotta hand it to ya, you sure know when to look up when I look down."

"Especially if it means…" Link looks over to the abyss ahead, "crossing that."

"Hover Boots… Do ya think they'll work?"

"That's… very frightening to think about if they don't hover."

"Well, even if they do work… how are we supposed to open that grate over there?" She points at the blockade barring their way forward if they could make it.

"Hold on…"

See how that beak of the statue is in line with the panel? Simply turn that panel to the correct pole, and that's solves the problem, Dark Link explains. Of course, get the wrong one, and say good-bye to the ground your feet so loved right now.

Well, that's the reason why you're going to choose.

Too much of a hassle. Use the Lens of Truth and find the pole that still has its head on. That's the skull of truth you need the panel to face.

Gazing through the purple glass, one pole does happen to stand out from the rest, for its skull is not an illusion. You sure about this?

Look, if I'm not sure, I would just keep my mouth shut.

Link relaxes with a breather, then takes hold of the panel.

"Link…" Malon perambulates to him, "ya better guarantee ya know what you're doing."

"If I'm not… I wouldn't be doing this." Worried, he looks over to her. "Say… stand outside the ring, Mal."

"Why?"

"In case something happens."

"… Okay, you're scaring me."

"Don't worry, I'm mostly sure nothing wrong will happen."

"Uh-huh, mostly," Malon emphasizes as she steps outside. "That means there's a small chance."

"It's… It is a small chance."

"That still means something bad could happen."

"Key word: could." Link then presses against the panel.

"Wait!" The redhead rushes up to him.

"What?"

She shoves the Hover Boots over to him. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"I… I don't need this."

"Trust me, you need all you can get if things go wrong."

Link sighs. "Okay…" In a moment, he slips his feet into the winged boots, feeling a rather tingling sensation trickling through his legs. "Better now?"

"Yeah…" Malon returns to her spot.

The hero blows into his hands, then grasps the panel and begins pushing it. Short it seems to him as he moves it to his choice, but woefully long to his companion standing outside the circular disk underneath. When he is done, he lets go, relieved nothing occurred. "See? I knew what I was doing." He takes a few steps before the disk underneath gives away. Inside is nothing but deep, black darkness, same just as the gap.

WHOA. Link gazes for a sec while faintly hearing Malon gasps.

Run, you asshole! Dark Link squeezes into his head at rapid pace. Those boots only hold ya for a few seconds!

Wasting no time, Link bolts for the solid ground ahead, reaching the edge before he could feel the magic in the boots disappear. He heaves himself up onto safety, panting heavily, even though all he did was run a few steps. Yet the thought of plunging into eternal darkness below is enough to send his blood racing.

"Link!" Malon runs up to him, a terrified expression showing her current thought. "Goddess! The ground…!"

"… Yeah…"

Allaying down, she gives a wary glance at him. "Knew what you were doing, were ya?"

"I… I…" What did I do wrong?

You miss the skull of truth. It was next to the wrong one you've chosen.

"I made a mistake," Link finishes.

"Mistake? Fairy boy, I dunno about you, but I'm very sure mistakes are costly in this place!"

"I just made a mistake, okay? As long as I'm alive, I can fix it." He treads over to the puzzle, the ground now quickly patched up to look like what it was before.

"C… Be careful!"

All right… Link glances through the Lens of Truth again. I did miss the skull. A mistake… A horrible one if I didn't escape in time. Taking deep breathes, he grabs the panel once again and directs the beak to the skull he has chosen. Making sure of his action, Link checks with the lens again. When everything seems reasonably correct, he sprints for the disk's circumference, in case the ground has a second chance to swallow him up. It doesn't, for the skull of truth allows him to walk free, and the grate on the opening ahead slowly creaks upward.

"There." Link tries a smile at the farm girl. "I got it."

"Whew… This is gonna be the worst place I'll be in…" she mutters.

"Okay, part two." He looks beyond the gap. "Getting over that."

"Shoulda brought something to walk over with, like a sturdy piece of wood. Or at least shoulda found another pair of Hover Boots."

"I'll go first." He almost plods to the edge. "Then I'll throw the boots back to you."

Malon suddenly goes pale. "But… what if… ya don't throw them far enough?"

He turns to her. "Well, there's nothing to fall into over here, so I'll throw very hard."

"But… But… uh…"

"What's wrong, Mal?"

She stutters for some words, then looks down at herself. A moment later, she nearly throws herself at Link. "Take me with you."

"What?"

"Just… carry me over."

"Mal, that's kind of…"

"Please?" Her face softens considerably.

"… Why?"

"It's just… It's…" She gazes down. "If… If… If you fall… I… I…" Her eyes slowly return to meeting Link's. "I wanna be with you when you fall."

His mind works immediately to process through this. "… No… I don't want you to… go down with me if… that happens."

"I can't… Link, I can't go on if… if you're gone."

Like so many times before, he can't bear to leave her worried and afraid like this. "Okay… If… If I go down… we'll go down together… okay, Malon?"

She leans her head against him. "… Thanks, Link…" She nearly shrieks as he picks her up and has her lying on his arms.

"Might as well… get this over with," he remarks.

"I… I love you… Link…" she suddenly said, her heart beating to support this and to match the fear of dropping into the gap.

Link's face goes blank, then he nearly simpers. "You know, just for that, I'm going to make sure the next few seconds isn't our last."

"Link… you love me too, now?"

"No, I'm going to do it because it means I'll have more of my free life to live if we survive."

SLAP!

Burden with carrying Malon and having the pain of her smack on his cheek, Link readies his feet. One second belongs to him supplying himself with needed air. The next is the Hover Boots traversing the wall of onyx below, transporting its two passengers towards the platform. Depleted of its energy, the boots surrender to the air, causing Link to gasp and throw Malon to the platform.

"Link!" She cries as she lands on the protrusion. Her dread turns to welfare as she spots his hands gripping the margin. "Oh, thank goddess!" She hastily pulls him onto the surface, then seizes him around her arms. "Oh, Din! We… We made it!"

"Yeah…" He rubs her back, "but it's not over yet. No time for hugging until we get through this place."

"Oh, ya stupid hero!" Malon annoyingly lets go. "Can't I at least feel glad that we're still alive and that we're still together?"

"Well, it's not wrong, but… Oh, fine. Hug me all you want."

"Ya ruined the moment, fairy boy," she scowls. "Let's just go on."

If they thought the Well was bad enough, then the Shadow Temple is crowned the king of the hill. One event enough to daze anybody for times ahead is a room where there lies rotating statues of the grim reaper in the middle. A little nerving, but the part nauseating and menacing enough to freak even the bravest of problem solvers is that the two sculpture carry huge scythes. So, it was a revolving object that slices any slow daredevils who are trying to retrieve the Silver Rupees of the room. If that can't be proven, then noticing fresh blood on some parts of the scythes is persuading enough.

"I as heck hope that Impa wasn't one of the unlucky ones," Malon comments as they carefully edge their way out of the room. They barely make it with nothing more than a piece of Malon's hair missing.

A large section of the temple seems to be dedicated to a 'ferry to the other world.' A strange ship of some sort is hovering over a hazy gap that symbolizes a river. Instead of masts or oars, the corvette seems capable of being driven by the giant wheels on each side of the hull. Bells decorate the front case, an eerie sight to the rotting atmosphere. All in all, the ferry is not hesitant to display its theme, one exactly like that of the temple that houses it.

Next up to the list of the horror house that the Shadow Temple so warmly provides are…

"Falling blades?" Link gazes at the first of the many in the series. These brothers of the guillotines seem willing to chop off more than heads.

"Mommy," the frozen redhead peeps.

"Well…" Link couldn't suppress a chuckle, one of apprehensiveness, "we got this far…" He gulps when the blade in front of him cleaves into the ground. "Can't… turn back, can we?"

Abruptly, Malon blurts, "I WANNA GO BACK! I WANNA GO HOME! MOMMY, I DON'T WANNA STAY HERE!"

The swordsman in green shakes his head and sighs. "Behold, the Heroine of Time…" He starts for her shoulder. "Malon, I think it's better if you just cal-"

"AAAH!" She jumps away from his hand. "A HAND! IT'S ON ME! IT'S ON ME!" She runs frenetically around.

"Mal! Don't run around!"

"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET THE HAND OFF!" She blazes through the first blade right before it comes down its path. Malon's lungs refrain their duty as the redhead becomes aware of what happened. She rotates around to catch the sight of the amazed Link on the other side of the obstacle.

"Well… at least you got through the first one… Now I have to endure four more screams from you…"

The time it takes for the two to travel through each blade is enough to milk all the cows in Lon Lon Ranch. After fighting against a stubborn Stalfos to dominate a platform to hold on, the heroes easily agree on a reprieve.

"Never wanna see… any more blades… like that in my life…" Malon pants, laying down and allowing her eyes to seek darkness.

Goddesses, the three of you create things unfathomable to the imagination.

Mwha ha ha! You're fortunate the three can let you get away with saying that, else they'll curse upon you some bad luck.

I know, I know, without us it's all Hyrule falling into darkness. So, dark side, I checked the Map and found that most of the areas here in this room is unreachable.

Illusions, light side. Plain illusions. Come on, you've gotten this far and you still don't think everything is hidden behind some trick of the eye.

So, this temple is truly full of illusions only decipherable by the Lens of Truth?

If there's one thing you should know, it's that the shadows will play with the truth. No light… No light can shine forth truth here, except you two and that lens that can survive through darkness. Just keep that Lens of Truth handy, be alert and open, and you'll make it through. Though, in one piece, I'll have a hard time seeing that.

Crude humor by the darkness. Now I've seen everything.

Oh, trust me, light head, you ain't seen nothing yet. Especially with your destiny.

Link shakes his head as he continues with his dark side's advice. Whether or not he should enjoy such a company in his mind, it's difficult with his ridiculing and his obnoxious posture. Trusting him is still as if skimming on water. After all, who would entrust someone that nearly killed that person?

Still don't like talking to me, right? Dark Link interrupts him during one of the moments.

This really isn't a good time, Link answers while nearly shrinking at the 'rain of blades.' The chain above gives a groans as it pulls back up the tenderizing hurdle, blocked from reaching the floor and him by the 'stone umbrella.'

Ha, what do you mean? This IS a good time! Haven't you heard? People tell the truth much easier under pressure.

"Not… right… now!"

"What's not right now!" Malon, a tense figure sticking to her protection behind her, howls into his ear.

"Nothing!"

"If it's nothing, don't talk! Don't freak me out like that!"

"Malon, I hate to tell you this, but everything in here is as terrifying as it can be here!"

Another time pertains to the dark side as Link and Malon trudge through tunnels where fans blast incredibly vigorous gusts at them. So… I never really asked you this, but tell me, oh holy counterpart… who would you want to be under the sheets with?

What?

… Do you know what I'm talking about?

Not really…

Hmm… how shall I make this quick and simple… Who would you rather have sex with?

"Ah!" The hero almost trips from this mental disturbance, which would have earned him a journey down to the gaps on either side of the path he and Malon are walking on.

"Whoa, you okay?"

He nods to her in acknowledgement before going back to his mind. Are you crazy! I nearly fell down to the darkness!

As long as you're alive, I don't care. So, just to entice the curiosity, answer my question.

Why in the world do you want to ask now? In fact, why do you even want to ask me first of all?

Bored.

So?

C'mon, I thought you pitied me. That means you should at least humor me.

I'm NOT going to tell you!

Well, then, I could dig into your thoughts and desires, but what's the fun in that?

WHAT?

Ha ha, that's right. Your little fairy friend's not the only one who can look through your mind.

WHY IS MY PRIVACY NOT PROTECTED?

Calm down, big time hero! To tell you the truth, not a lot of entities like me care about your privacy. The goddesses, however, have pretty much the best inquisitiveness I've seen so far…

Leave me be. I only need to talk to you when there's something I don't know.

Ah, but you're gonna have to converse with me. A mind's very predictable when engaging mental conversations.

Go away.

I can't, remember dumbass?

So, what? You want to pester me throughout the whole temple?

Nothing better to do!

Then what? What do you want to talk about, then?

Who would you have coitus with?

Euu… shut up!

Your, uh, 'friend' there? I bet she can get rowdy when you want her to be. Well, never mind, I think she seems more on the gentle side, 'specially around you… Hah, how about a reward from the Princess? She's way out of your league, but I think we can arrange something. Ruto? Zora and Hylian? Maybe that suits you? Or how about that bartender, Julie? She's a new one… but then again, we have yet to know her… Ah, I know! Nabooru… Yeah… Oh, yeah, I think she could rock your world the most out of all these choices…

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Surprised by his physical voice, Link slowly turns to Malon, who has a brow lifted.

"And you say I'm weird…" A headshake backs up her sentence. "Link, if all earth is to you already, then put on your Hover Boots."

"Why?"

"The Lens of Truth showed me this door over there. I think we can reach it if you put on your Hover Boots and let one of the fans blow us there."

"Right, right…"

After working out a few complications, the heroes literally glide over to the hidden pathway. As Malon sets foot on the ground, Link could not dismiss himself from suspiring again.

Maybe you should stick to Malon, Dark Link suggests. She's the most willing out of all the girls we know, you being so close to her delicate heart.

Maybe you should stick a foot in your mouth and shut up for the rest of the way.