We're almost there! I really appreciate everyone who's stuck through until the end with me.

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Knight of Shadow

part 6

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Link discovered a slight problem when he crossed the threshold and saw a misty lake as far as his vision stretched. He peered over his shoulder, only to see that the door he had come by was gone. He was ankle-deep in the silvery water, and the whole situation was very familiar. Link wondered how he had not guessed earlier. Ahead of him was a row of five mirrors, each taller than himself and edged with elaborate swirls of gold. They all reflected his body as it moved closer quickly, all but one. The mirror in the middle held Malon.

Before he could get close enough to see her expression a raucous laughter filled his head. Link paused and looked around quickly, unsurprised to see a shadowy form walking toward him from behind the wall of mirrors, but something was wrong; it wasn't his own shadow. It was Malon's. Link experienced a sinking sensation in his stomach.

Let's make a deal, boy. I'll give you back your fairy, and you can take her with you. I'll keep the real one; I quite like her.

Though his face was blank, Link felt something unpleasant growing inside of him.

"No. Give Navi and Malon both to me."

His enemy finally came out in the open, though he stood back near the mirrors. The shadow Malon approached him slowly, and Link couldn't help but step back from her.

---

Malon could see him, she could see Link. Her spirits lifted; if anyone could get them out of their predicament it was Link. She was a bit ashamed at being caught, and watching her own shadow approach the hero made her nervous. She thought back to something the shadow had told her earlier.

We are formed from all the dark wishes of a person's heart.

---

Shadow Link pulled out a glass bottle that contained a fairy. He tossed the bottle in the air and caught it several times, causing the poor being inside to hit the sides.

"Navi!" Link drew his sword and tried to charge his counterpart. He was stopped by a shadowy body clinging to his. He looked up at the creature still in possession of his fairy.

"I thought I destroyed you in the water temple," he stated.

You should know better than anyone else that killing something only makes it stronger.

The shadow uncorked the bottle that held Navi and shook her out of its containment. The weary fairy fell to the water below. Link tried to lunge forward, fearful she'd drown, but was still held back by the girl gripping his tunic. He exhaled in relief when Navi pulled herself out of the pool and slowly drifted over to him. She collapsed on his shoulder, a wet and tired glowing ball.

"Navi, are you all right?"

She shook herself off and replied, "Yes, but I think I need to rest before I can help you again."

Link felt marginally better at having his companion back, though he was still concerned for her. He felt her crawl up into his hat, a relatively safe place.

Now you have your fairy and your girl. Leave.

Link looked down at the girl pressed against his front then he stared at Malon still trapped. She looked pained, watching everything from behind glass. He gently pushed the shadow's shoulders back, making her release him, and moved her to the side. The hero of time started walking steadily to his shadow, reaching back to draw his sword as he closed in. His copy did the same, waiting and bracing himself for the first strike.

You know you can't beat me that way, with just your sword.

Link didn't bother to comment.

---

Malon bit the inside of her mouth when she saw Link advance on his enemy. A small part of her was thrilled at the opportunity to see him doing what was considered his destiny. However, she feared for his safety. He had never been hurt beyond repair before, but that wasn't enough to make Malon sure it wouldn't happen this time. She wanted to have completely blind confidence in him, as most of Hyrule did. Knowing him made it different somehow; she couldn't see him simply as a never-tiring savior of their land.

She could tell he was tired, passing out earlier was pretty indicative of that. For the first time it was a personal battle. The shadow of herself was following behind him; watching her hang on to Link earlier had been painful in its own way. Shadow Link had told her, and Malon knew she had to accept that she thought of Link in… that… way… A light blush rose to her cheeks just at the thought of it. The vision she'd had of Zelda came back, mocking her. She may think of Link in that manner, but the Queen also did. Even though Malon knew she wasn't the most learned girl in Hyrule, she knew enough to understand what would happen in the end. Seeing through Link's eyes had been enough to convince her of that.

Link raised his sword and moved into his first attack. From behind the mirror it all seemed to move slowly, as if time had been stretched. Malon wished that she possessed any sort of magic to help him.

---

Their swords connected and rang off of each other. Link leapt back and quickly jumped forward again, bringing the sharp edge of the Master Sword against the mirror enemy. He moved furiously, not pausing between swings. Their first battle had gone this way as well, and Link couldn't see any opening to attack with the sword. He took several steps back, circling around the shadow, until he was grasped from behind.

Link whirled around, and Shadow Malon's arms wrapped around his chest. He looked down in shock, disabled by the clinging girl. Shadow Link stood off to the side, laughing in Link's head.

Just take her and go like I told you. She seems to like you well enough.

Link tried unsuccessfully to pry the leech off, but she simply held on tighter. "Why are you doing this? Why are you bringing Malon into it?" he cried out.

Why must you be the only one to have a fairy and a girl? That's why I took your stupid fairy, but I've decided that I like the girl better. I'm better than you, more powerful thanks to Ganondorf and your efforts. Why shouldn't I get to have the girl?

Link imagined a look of twisted fury on the featureless face by the tone of his words.

I'm tired of being alone!

---

Malon tried to think frantically. Link was being hindered by her imitation. She saw how his shadow fought, seeming to react exactly as Link did, as if knowing in advance what his attack would be. At least Navi is safe now, she thought.

---

"I will not leave without Malon." Link watched his opponent move around him and adjusted to keep his back protected.

A battle cry sounded in his head, and Shadow Link lunged at him, something he had never been able to do before. Link was surprised and barely caught the blow with his sword. He needed to remove the clingy shadow, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt the girl, even if she wasn't really Malon. He almost missed a second strike, and the force of it sent him back several steps. The girl gripped him even tighter, almost cutting off his ability to draw more than a shallow breath.

His shadow vanished, dropping off into the water in a way that had annoyed Link quite a bit in the Water Temple. He knew he had a few precious moments to free himself before his enemy would appear again. The girl dragging on him stopped trying to hold herself up, becoming deadweight when he tried to move. Link turned just in time to meet his enemy again, scarcely protecting himself from his shadow with his shield.

The dark blade swung in short arcs, falling faster than the hero could block. Shadow Link plummeted away into the mist again. Link gripped the wrists at his chest and pulled. The creature held tighter, effectively hampering and distracting him. He dropped his shield and pushed at her shoulders.

The cold, wicked feel of a sharp blade slid across his back. Link cried out and stumbled forward. He tripped over Malon's shadow, and they both fell into the shallow water with a large splash.

---

Malon struggled to free herself from the clutching darkness and started hitting the surface in front of her. She had seen the shadow preparing to hurt Link and been unable to warn him, and the water around the fallen hero was tinged pink with his blood. The trapped girl cried out, beating futilely against the glass.

Tears welled up in Malon's eyes and spilled down her cheeks, cutting paths in the grime from her journey. The edges of her hands were bruised from trying to escape, but she would not give up. The girl paused for a moment and breathed deeply, trying to clear her mind. She stopped focusing on her view of the battle and directed all of her attention to her problem. Her hand drifted down her side to grasp the hilt of the Kokiri sword. The blade slid easily from its sheath and gleamed even in the darkness.

Malon gripped the sword with both hands and raised it over her head. Goddesses, please help me! she thought and brought the point down against the barrier.

At first Malon felt disappointment when nothing happened, then a small break appeared around the point of contact. The cracks spread out like a web, and the whole mirror shattered outward. Malon quickly jumped out of her prison and ran to Link.

---

The pain in his back was throbbing, but Link had experienced far worse. He struggled to rise from the water, encumbered by the girl slumped across him. Link turned to put the shadow under him and tried to pull her arms away from around his body. She struggled fiercely, but his strength finally obeyed him, freeing him from the girl. The Master Sword rested in the water several paces away, and Link quickly snatched it up to attack his shadow. They both paused when a cracking sound came from the mirrors. A shocked cry came from Shadow Link as they watched Malon break through the glass grasping the Kokiri sword. Link grinned and took advantage of the surprise, getting a good slash at his opponent.

Shadow Link leapt back and sank into the ground again.

Link wasted no time in running to Malon. He grasped her shoulders and eyed her quickly, searching for any harm that may have come to her. "Are you well?" he asked.

Malon grinned and patted his arm. "I'm fine. I'm so sorry he caught me. I never should have let myself fall behind!"

Link shook his head and gave her a gentle smile. "It's not your fault. I think he was just waiting for a moment like that."

They stood in the same spot for a moment, forgetting briefly about the battle. Malon was about to ask Link about Navi when she saw a dark head near Link's shoulder.

"Oh, no you don't. Not again!" Malon grated out and marched out of Link's grasp and up to the being that resembled her so closely. She took a firm hold of her shadow's shoulders and found herself being gripped the same way. The shadow didn't fight her though, and Malon decided it was enough to keep her clear of Link while he fought.

Link cast a quick glance to the mirrored image of Malon holding onto herself to be sure that she was safe. He crouched in a ready stance as his shadow appeared again.

We will end this now, and I shall see your blood run past my feet.

Link calmly grasped under his shield to produce a flaming orb. Malon's vision was drawn to the fiery center that reflected back into the hero's eyes. There was a hard edge to his voice that Malon had never heard before as he addressed his enemy.

"Yes, we will end this now."

The farm girl flinched and shut her eyes at the blinding flash of Link's sword. The clang echoed in the large space. As she watched the flurry of swords Malon found herself clinging to her shadow in fear of Link's safety. He was tiring rapidly from exhaustion and his injuries, despite the apparent strength in his eyes. He still held the spell in his left hand, clenching it tightly to avoid dropping it, and Malon wondered what he was waiting for.

Shadow Link knew all of Link's weaknesses at the moment. He waited for a slight falter in the hero's attack and took advantage, lunging with the tip of his blade aimed at Link's stomach. Time seemed to slow down as the sharp edge of the shadow blade neared Link's unprotected mid-section.

Malon's mouth opened to cry out as she hugged her shadow closer.

Link's mind went still. His body reacted on its own and spun around the sword charging him. He raised Din's Fire above his head and brought it down upon the back of his shadow, desperately calling all of his energy and earlier rage into it. The shadow's screams of agony started before the fireball even spread, turning the darkness and the water around them into steam.

It was brutal. Malon could only stare in shock as Shadow Link was dispelled before her eyes. The girl in her arms vanished as well, and the chamber they were in turned back into a much smaller dark room with a pit in the center. It took her several moments to realize that the fight was over, and she recovered quickly enough to notice Link staggering toward the large hole in the floor. She ran to catch him and dragged him from danger. He was barely awake and quickly losing what consciousness he had. He peered up at her with his clear blue eyes, unable to formulate any speech.

It was calm around them to Malon, no evil creatures lurking to drain their life. She watched Link fumble under his back and pull out what was left of a jar of Lon Lon milk. He gave her a faint smile and drank slowly. Malon helped him steady the bottle and watched anxiously as his scratches and bruises seemed to improve just from the milk. A bit of energy returned to him, and Link rose to his feet with her help.

"How do you feel?" Malon asked as she held him up.

He smiled slightly. "Better than I did before the milk."

The blue ocarina appeared from his belt. Malon braced herself as Link started to play a song…

tbc

Next chapter is an epilogue that will explain a few bits of the story and give some hints of what's to come. I'm glad this is over, as I've had the next one in wraps for quite some time. I look forward to writing it. Thank-you to all my faithful readers, especially the ones that let me know they were still interested in this story! -