Opia: Oooookaaayyy... It's finally up. Sorry about the wait, reeeeal trouble typing up this one. I practically rewrote some of the stuff later in this chapter and it still doesn't sound all that great... but maybe you won't notice... -shifty eyes-
Cari: I told you not to rush and force chapters, but noooooo you wouldn't listen!
Opia: TT.TT Sorry...
Cari: At least you got it done finally...
The Legend of Zelda: The Orb of Bannon Ch. 9
Crisp wind whipped at the flags and spires of the skyscraper tops. The air was fresh and only once in a while did a gust of wind bring up the foul air of the busy city below.
Dark Link clung to the sharp spire of the tallest building in the city. His dark clothes ruffled in the wind. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.
"Damn it… How could have I been so stupid… 800 years is not enough to break it," He smiled, "Heh… 800 years ago… When I thought I could finally be in a Hero's life without hurting him… That was wishful thinking."
Tilting his head up, he glared at the star-filled heavens above him.
"Why! Why must it continue to haunt me! Don't you stupid goddesses think I've suffered enough!"
Silence greeted his yearning ears.
"No wonder everyone's stopped believing in you! You haven't done a damn thing since you left the Triforce! If you truly are there then answer me!"
Dark slumped where he perched, throat sore from his bellows. The wind died down, causing the air around him to grow warm. In the silence that ensued he recalled an ancient memory, one he had buried long, long ago. A voice, long forgotten, echoed in his head as the shadow's vision was engulfed in darkness.
"Failure…"xxxxxxx
Dark Link screamed as he was flung into a far dungeon wall.
"You failed… The first assignment I give you and you failed it!"
He got up shakily, "I-I'm sorry master, he was too strong—"
"Silence!"
A tall, looming figure held out a pitch-black gem, it glowed malevolently. Dark cried out and fell to his knees, pain coursing through his body.
"B-but," He coughed, "G-Ganondorf, sire…."
"I said be quiet!"
The gem glowed again and Dark collapsed. Ganondorf strode over to the fallen shadow and kicked him in the stomach.
"You are perfect in almost every way, I consider you one of my best creations. You will battle Link again. And if you fail to kill him you will fight him again. I gave you immortality, you will chase him and his descendants for eternity if you have to."
The Gerudo picked him up by his collar and looked him in the eye. Dark Link flinched, expecting more pain, but Ganondorf just laughed.
"I gave you a soul with good reason. A mindless doll can't adapt to its opponent's moves, think up strategies, or learn as it goes. A mindless doll can't understand why it was beaten or recognize its weaknesses. But to gain these strengths I had to weaken one important power, the power to control. I cannot control the growth of a soul; it is too unstable a thing. You will change over time, of that I am certain. That change is exactly why I gave you a soul. Unfortunately, these changes may eventually provoke a 'change of heart', quite an undesirable effect. But I made sure… even if this does occur your being will not forget the purpose you were made for. You won't be able to deviate from the path I set for you for long, that will never change."
Dark Link was silent, contemplating what his master just said. After a moment, the shadow nodded.
"Thank you, Milord… I will kill him next time."
"Good."
xxxxxxx
Dark Link blinked as the bright lights of the city burned his eyes. The wind had picked up again, chilling the night air. He shook his head to bring him back to reality. Shifting positions, he realized his body was stiff. How long had he been out? Dark smiled and gazed back up at the stars above.
"Bless my artificial soul ladies, you do listen."
Suddenly, a cold shiver ran up the shadow's spine. He turned around, searching the roofs below him for the source of his newfound alertness. Red eyes that weren't his own pierced the darkness on the one just below him. The eyes' owner stood on the railing at the end of the roof, trench coat billowing in the wind. Dark Link recognized the figure from Link's description, but the fierce hunger and savageness emanating from its body caught him off-guard. Without warning, the figure leapt off the railing and dropped all the way down into the alleyway far below. The bloodcurdling scream that came afterwards was barely audible by the time it reached Dark's ears.
His eyes widened, "Adlez!"
Letting go of the spire, Dark Link plummeted into the ally, hoping that he wasn't too late.
"Get away from me! Help, somebody help!"
The man had trapped Adlez in a corner. She shrank back, trying to stay as far away as she could from the man's reach. Dark Link landed lightly on the pavement a few feet away. At this range the shadow recognized the beast-like aura coming from the man. He had only felt it in one other person, and that person was a…
"Vampire!"
Dark Link leapt at the man and hard on the side of the head with his foot, causing the man to topple to the side. The shadow grabbed Adlez and bolted down the alley/
"D-Dark! How did you—?"
"I was in the neighborhood."
Suddenly a wave of sharp pain flew through his body. With a yell he collapsed onto the hard cement. Adlez stopped in her tracks and tried to help him up.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Run, just run! I'll be fine!"
The girl continued on. Dark Link got up shakily and faced his attacker. In the man's hand was a pitch-black gem.
Dark Link growled, "That was supposed to have been destroyed."
The man walked up; his eyes glaring hungrily like a starved wolf. Effortlessly he backhanded the shadow into the nearest wall. The gem glowed once more and the all too familiar crippling pain swept through every inch of Dark's body. His legs gave out from under him and he crashed to the ground.
"Stop it! Leave him alone!"
Dark Link looked up in time to see Adlez grab the man's threnchcoat. She pulled with all her might, only causing it to rip a bit around the collar. It fell from his face as the man threw Adlez off of him. Dark inhaled sharply in surprise.
"No," He breathed, "Dammit!"
Dark Link tackled the man despite his sore body. He tried to pin him down as best he could.
"Adlez!" He snapped, "Help me hold him down!"
After a moment of startled confusion she obeyed. Dark Link gazed intently into the man's eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"Snap out of it, do not let the hunger control you. I know you're in there Ranik."
Adlez's head jerked up at the mention of the name. Dark transferred one of his hands onto Ranik's forehead and began to mutter something under his breath. Ranik let out an inhuman shriek and tried to throw them off. Amazingly both of them kept their hold.
"Ranik…" Dark Link hissed.
The man's breathing quickened and he snarled, but his efforts to be released were lessened. Adlez watched in awe as Dark Link's hand glowed, causing Ranik to cry out and close his eyes tightly. Then it was quiet; the only sound coming from Ranik's breathing and the cars in the street speeding passed the alley. Soon Ranik's breathing became normal once more and dark Link crawled off of him, motioning Adlez to do the same. Ranik groaned and sat up, holding his head in one hand. He looked sidelong at the shadow grinning smugly beside him.
"I'm glad to see your will is as strong as I though," Dark said.
"What…" Ranik scanned the alley around him, "Where am I?"
"You were struck by what I like to call 'first feeding frenzy'," Dark said with a smile, "And decided to have poor Adlez here for a snack. Heh, I was wondering when Marinal was going to convert you. She was always going on about how perfect you are…."
"Are… Are you okay?" Adlez asked Ranik nervously.
"Depends on what you mean by okay," He grumbled and stood up, towering over both of them by at least a foot. He turned to the shadow, "Why?"
"Why what?" Dark Link smirked.
"Why did you help me? You and the girl could have just—"
"I repay my debts Ranik. Besides, if Adlez hadn't ripped off your collar we probably would have just knocked you out and ran away."
"But… how…."
Dark link held his hand up for silence, "Look, the shorter we make this meeting the better. If you want answers you need to listen and not interrupt. The ward I put on you should keep your rational thought intact and seal most of these memories of me from Marinal's reach. Normally this wouldn't last more than a few hours, but Shiekah are stubborn and I believe you can hold it for longer," He chuckled as Ranik looked surprised, "I've been on this world long enough to tell a Shiekah no matter what the disguise. Now Ranik, this is the most important thing I'm going to tell you tonight: tomorrow the whole lot of us will be at the museum. You can tell Miss Marinal that, she'll send you after us."
Ranik's eyes narrowed, "Why should I tell her that?"
Dark Link motioned for Adlez to follow him as he turned to leave, "Trust me Ranik, if you wish to know the truth about your history you'll tell her. Oh, and," He looked back and smirked, "If you don't wish to hurt anyone I'd suggest finding a farm to eat, a dead cow in the field causes a lot less commotion than a dead girl in an alley."
They disappeared around the corner, leaving a slightly confused and disturbed Ranik alone in the dark, deserted alleyway.
"Hey!" Adlez had to jog to keep up with Dark Link's quick pace, "That was a little abrupt back there."
"The longer we talk to him the sooner Marinal will realize her new puppet isn't obeying orders."
"But… but that was Ranik, second in command to Marinal!"
"I know this."
"You seemed to know each other."
"We do."
"And-and that stone… i-it hurt you…."
"You're rambling…" The shadow said in annoyance.
"Oh! Just tell me what it is, I know you recognized it!"
"Ganondorf created the stone to keep me in line, but I was so loyal to him he usually just used it to punishing me for failing a mission."
"That's horrible!" Adlez shouted, "You're friend's being controlled–"
"Now I never said he was my friend…."
"–and he has a stone that hurts you whenever you're near! It's terrible, just terrible!"
"On the contrary…" Dark interrupted, turning his head to the girl with a smile on his face that hadn't crossed his lips in hundreds of years. It sent a shiver up Adlez's spine, "It's perfect!"
xxxxxxx
Saria looked up from a book she was reading, startled as Dark Link slammed open the doors.
"Adlez? Dark Link? You… you're back!"
Adlez took off her coat and threw it onto a chair.
"Yeah," She said, "How's Link?"
Saria pointed to the bed next to her. Link was lying on his back, one hand behind his head. His rhythmic breathing revealed he was fast asleep.
"Try to be quiet, though it seems like he sleeps like a log. So Adlez," She turned to her, "I wasn't expecting you back so soon… What's up?"
"Ask the maniacal shadow," The girl jabbed her thumb in Dark's direction.
He was sitting on another chair gazing out the only window thoughtfully, the smile still plastered on his face. Saria raised a brow.
"My, my… now there's a look I haven't seen in a long time… What are you scheming?" She asked.
Dark Link leered at her, "What would you say to a little trip to the museum tomorrow?"
"I'd say 'Why?'"
The shadow's grin grew wider; "I need to pick something up."
Opia: Yep... a little forced there in the end but BY GOD I GOT IT DONE!
Cari: Yay for you...
Opia: ;D Review time!
Lobo-Chan - O.o; Wow, I hope you can love other things too... and sorry for
taking so long.
MageWriter14 - Strangely enough I don't like RutoLink... but it seems to come up in my more recent stories and I don't know why!
Ra Ra - Thanks for the thought! Yeah, compared to Transformation the
number of reviews for this one is really dwarfed, but I don't mind! I
think you're review jumpstarted my brain. XD
matt and Demon Darkchild - Thanks for reviewing, I really appreciate it!
Cari: Review please.