Opia: Woot! Another chapter! I just typed this all up a few minutes ago:B

Cari: Opia owns The Windwaker, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask games, but nothing else about it... Marinal and Ranik are copyright Opia though.

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The Legend of Zelda: The Orb of Bannon Ch. 5

Saria moaned in her sleep. Her eyes shot open in alarm. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She was curled up in an overstuffed chair with a ragged blanket draped over her. Her face was wet with tears; she dried them off with the blanket.

"Why must I relive it in my dreams?"

"Saria…" A rough voice called from the shadows of the room.

She crawled off the chair. Staring at a dark corner she said, "Is it really you?"

The door opened and Link stepped in.

"Oh, Saria! You're awake! I thought I heard voices."

"You did…"

Turning to the shadows once more, Saria reached out her hand.

"It's been a long time… Dark Link…"

The shadow stepped out of his hiding place.

"Yes it has." He kneeled down and kissed Saria's hand, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit. I got… tangled up"

Link stared at what seemed to be his twin before him. The only difference was the shadow's dark appearance and his red eyes.

"U-uh…"

Saria ignored the confused boy and stared straight into Dark Link's eyes. He matched her stare. Suddenly, Saria slapped him so hard he toppled over.

"Enough pleasantries…" She glared, "I know it was you. Who else would know at the first signs if there was a hero or not."

Dark Link avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry isn't good enough. It's your fault Marinal was able to take control. You're the one who sold out your good friend. I don't know what she paid you… but I hope it was worth giving Link and his family their death sentences."

"Saria." Dark Link said quietly. "I have suffered for my actions. I regret everything. I have come to redeem myself…"

The Sage of the Forest smiled. "Good… Link." She turned to the boy. "Come here."

He obeyed. Taking his left hand, she placed it on Dark Link's forehead.

"We must get rid of any tracking devices that might be on you."

The triforce glowed and electricity crackled around the shadow's body. When it was over Dark Link stood up.

"Thank you. I know Marinal had put one on me. Unfortunately, she probably already knows I'm here. We won't be able to stay here for much longer."

Link stared at the shadow, not understanding a single thing that was going on. He tugged on Saria's sleeve.

"Um… who is this? I feel link I'm looking into a mirror."

"Oh! Pardon me for being so rude! Link, this is Dark Link. Dark Link, the current Link."

Dark Link smirked, "I figured."

"Dark… Link?" Link was still confused.

"I am a shadow created to mimic any Link that is alive at any time. That is why I look like you."

"Oh… ooookaaay…" Link left the room, mildly weirded out.

Adlez looked up from the newspaper she was reading.

"We have another guest." Link called back to her as he opened the front door and walked into the dark square.

He sat on the remains of an ancient fountain. From there he could almost see stars in the small square of sky high above him. The triforce in his hand seemed to glitter in the dim light.

"I've found you." Said a voice behind him.

Link jumped up and turned to see a man perched on the tallest part of the fountain. The man wore a long, black trench coat, its tall collar hid the bottom half of his face. A wind blew through the abandoned square, tossing the mysterious man's dark blue hair. His hair was chin-length and the bangs were brushed to one side, hiding one of the man's piercing red eyes. Link put up his fists, ready for a fight.

"Who the hell are you?"

"You do not need to know my name." The man's voice was calm and cool. "Marinal's henchman are at this moment closing in on this location, there isn't much time."

He took something out of his pocket and tossed it to Link.

"This may come in handy."

Link held two cloth gloves in his hands.

"How will these come in handy?"

He looked up and, to his surprise, the man was gone. Absentmindedly, Link put on the gloves. The triforce shone through the material. A closer look revealed strange symbols woven into the cloth.

"At least my hands are warm…"

Picking up a rock, the hero aimed and threw the piece of stone at an old crate. The rock shot forward and smashed the crate into splinters.

"Holy shit!"

He looked down at his hands; the symbols were shimmering. Link turned to the old fountain.

"I wonder…"

Smirking, he grabbed the centerpiece of the stone fountain and pulled with all his might. It lifted into the air as easily as if it were made of Styrofoam. In fact, that was how heavy it felt in Link's arms. He tossed the stones away.

"These gloves give me super strength… cool!"

A scream came from the former Happy Mask Shop.

"Adlez!"

Link threw open the shop door, accidentally ripping it from its hinges. Inside, Adlez was still sitting on her chair, breathing hard. Dark Link stood acting slightly embarrassed by where just a moment ago there was a door.

"I'm sorry for scaring you." Dark Link apologized.

Adlez stood up, rolled up her newspaper, and smacked him with it.

"Don't ever sneak up on me again!"

Link chuckled, "Not a good day for you is it?"

Dark Link rubbed the abused cheek, "Barely more than an hour free and I've already been smacked twice… a new record for me." Link's new hand gear caught the shadow's eye, "Where did you get those?"

"Huh?" Link lifted his gloved hand, "You mean these? Oh, some guy just gave them to me!"

"What!" Dark Link swiped a glove from the boy's hand and examined it. "These markings… they bestow the power of the golden gauntlets onto this cloth…"

Saria snatched one as well, "How do you know that?"

"When you're held in Marinal's treasure chamber for a few hundred years you learn to read ancient writing and magical symbols."

"So they multiply the wearer's strength huh?" Saria's eyes zipped up to Link's face, "Who gave you these?"

Link rubbed the back of his head in thought.

"Well, I couldn't see much of his face… but he had straight dark blue hair to his chin and his eyes were red and looked like they glowed…"

Dark Link raised an eyebrow and laughed, "I see."

"What's so funny?" Saria asked the shadow suspiciously.

"Nothing… But…" He looked at the beaten up clock hanging on the wall, "We must leave, now, before Marinal's forces reach us."

Everyone nodded and scrambled around to gather necessary supplies. It took all of them to convince Adlez to leave her extra sets of clothing. Finally ready, they quickly slipped out the back door and down a dark alley.

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Marinal swore to every god and goddess she could think of as the small red blip vanished from her locator.

"They deactivated it… hmm… They are smarter than I thought."

Ranik leapt down gracefully from a nearby stairwell. "Shall I give the orders to close in?"

"Yes." Marinal pocketed the locator, "Tell them to hurry. That shadow will probably be moving soon…"

"Ma'am, what if they don't find him?"

The woman smirked, "Then… Oh, well… It's not a huge loss, I had no more use for his services anyway." She turned on her heels, "When you're done giving orders meet me at the mansion."

Flipping her hair over her shoulders, Marinal walked away.

Ranik bowed slightly, "Yes ma'am."

His eyes flashed red.

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Opia: It's the Golden Golves!

Cari: That doesn't sound as good as gauntlets...

Opia: Whatever! Please read and review!