Hey! I just wanna thank the following people:
blondie91
someone100001
Sheik's twin (NO! Really? I never would have guessed!)
Justin Time
lisilgirl
Linkofazeroth (Thanks for your comments... I appreciate your honesty. It was also one of the hardest to write.)
Squirt Saphire (REVIEWER 150! YAY!)
anime/videogame freak
NOTE: I have recieved a review about Zelda's ability to use magic... and I think I should explain. The magic in this story is INCREDIBLY easy to use. Impa was just going about teaching Zelda the wrong way. She was aiming for the more refined approach, whereas Zel taught Zelda the raw approach. It is very volatile and draining. You will notice that Zelda switches to and from Sheik in this chapter. It drains her magic, and she wont be able to do it very often. I will add complications later in the next few chapters. And all of you who were asking about a second Dark Link... I bring you... DARK LINN!
To Find The Future, Find The Past
Chapter Thirty Two
Dark Linn
Link and Linn crept up behind the large monster, careful not to alert it to their presence. They got withing two metres, before it turned around to complete its patrol. It spotted them.
"Oh, shit." Link cursed under his breath. He grabbed Linn's arm, and they took off back the way they came. The monster followed them, it's heavy steel armour and sheer size not weighing it down at all.
Link looked over his shoulder back at the monster. It's fiery red eyes were fixed on the back of Linn's neck, as it caught up to him. He pulled it's long spear back over it's head, and threw it at Linn's neck.
"Watch out!" Link shouted, and pushed Linn out of the way. As a result, the spear embedded itself in Link's left arm. Link stumbelled, and collapsed on the wall, yanking the weapon out of him. He almost passed out from the loss of blood, leaving Linn to deal with the monster alone.
Linn looked frantically at Link, and saw that he was on his own for this one. He focused his attention on the monster, and tried to anticipate it's moves. The first thing it did was lunge at Linn, who leapt out of it's way to the right. What he did not expect, though, was the shockwave that literally caught him off guard, and threw him to the ground.
He looked up and gulped, as the beast drew it's sharp, pointy weapon, and plunged it down towards his heart. It stopped about half a cemtimetre from it's mark, as the beast's eyes became large with surprise and pain. Linn scrambled out of the way as the monster fell to it's knees, then keeled over to the side.
Looking up, he saw Link, breathing heavily, aiming the bow at where the monster was. Link just sat there, hair falling across his eyes, fixed on where his target was. Linn looked at the monster, and saw an arrow burried in it's neck. Link had saved his life. For a second time.
It seemed that Linn had sprained his ankle when he fell. He limped over to Link, and they slumped on the wall together. Once they caught their breath, and Linn had made a sloppy bandage for Link's arm, they noticed the door that had appeared out of nowhere when they had defeated the monster. They knew that it was the end of the maze.
They somewhat slowly stood up, supporting each other, and walked slowly to the door. Linn pulled it open, and they found themselves in a room with an altar. They slowly made their way towards it, and they looked at the strange object sitting there in awe.
It was a key. But it wasn't just any key. It's head was etched in the form of a leaf, and it had an ancient text carved onto the stem of the key. It also had a powerful magical aura about it, that gave off a green glow. Link slowly, but cautiously, reached out for it. When his fingers wrapped around it, they were spitired away from the altar.
They next thing they knew, they were in the main room of the Forest Temple, where they had left the Kokiri with the other Sages. They both collapsed, breathing heavily, in the centre of the room.
OTHER HYRULE
Sheik eyed the ruins with interest. They seemed to house an old secret. Her curiosity was at it's peak. She cautiously climbed the crumbling steps, and emerged in some form of an Enterance Hall. She decided to stay and investigate this place for a little bit longer.
She heard a door creak open. She spun around to see what it was that still lived here. What she saw irked her to no end.
"Who are you?" Dark Linn shouted, drawing his sword. Sheik failed to answer him. He looked so much like Linn. He was different to the Dark Link that she had met before, in the way that he was not just a shadow. She could see that he was a being in his own right, free of any magical bond to Linn. They looked almost exactly the same, except that Dark Linn's skin was slightly darker than Linn's.
"I said, who are you?" He shouted louder. Sheik quickly pulled her thoughts together, and answered him.
"I am Sheik, of the Sheikah." She said, trying her best to look unintimidated. It was proving to be exceedingly difficult. Dark Linn just looked her up and down.
"The Sheikah are nothing but a myth." He spat, "Who are you really?"
"I am the survivor of the Sheikah." Sheik said. It could be true. If Dark Linn believed that the Sheikah were only a myth, then he was in for a rude awakening. They might have been rare in this Hyrule, but they were one of the few surviving races in the other one.
"I do not believe you." Dark Linn said, after a few minutes of contemplation, "But, if you are really a Sheikah, then you will not object to a... sparring match?" Sheik's eyes widened. How was she going to get out of this one? Before she knew what she was doing, she nodded, and dropped into a fighting stance that she did not even recognise.
Dark Linn came at her, sword drawn. She flipped over him, and kicked him in the back of the head. She was starting to get scared. It was like she was on autopilot. She sure as hell had never done any of this in her current life. She began to suspect that it came from the days of the Hero of Time.
Dark Linn came at her again. This time, he anticipated a backflip, but it did not happen. Sheik followed her instincts, and stood right where she was. When Dark Linn turned around, expecting her to be behind him, she did a backflip as he sliced down with his sword.
Sheik's warrior instincts told her that she had to disarm him. He charged at her, again, and she threw a carefully hidden Deku Nut down at her feet. Dark Linn was blinded for a few seconds, but it was enough. She quickly cracked her hand over his wrist, and he dropped his blade. She picked it up, and backed him into a wall. She put the blade to his throat, indicating to him that he had lost.
"You truly are a great warrior." Dark Linn conceded. Sheik dropped the sword at his feet, and backed away. She expected him to pick it up again, and attack her, but he didn't. Instead, he fell to his knees.
"I serve you, my Master." Dark Linn shocked Sheik. She did not expect, in a million years, that Dark Linn, heck anything evil, to call her 'Master'.
"That's all very well and good," Sheik said, transforming back into Zelda, "But I'm afraid that my purpose is out of your reach." Dark Linn looked at Zelda in shock.
"I was defeated by a woman?" He choked out, and Zelda nodded, "Then I am a disgrace! I must end my life, for I am shamed!"
"Hold on!" Zelda thought, "Can you tell me anything about the wizard, Angahim?"
"Ah..." Dark Linn looked thoughtful, "Yes... Angahim. I'm afraid that those who serve him do so out of fear. If anyone with stronger powers were able to overthrow him was to come along, then they would grovel to them at once. Angahim has no loyal servants. We are all happy now that he has disappeared. Why do you wish to know?"
"Because he has begun to harass me and my friends, in another dimension. I fear that I may have a use for you after all..." She trailed off, and Dark Linn looked angry.
"I shall serve no woman!" He declared, and waved his sword for effect. Zelda transformed back into Sheik.
"Would you like another bout?" Sheik asked threateningly, and Dark Linn backed down.
"Forgive me, Mistress." He bowed. Sheik's face contorted in disgust. Her mind told her that he was pure evil, but her heart told her otherwise. To her, he seemed to be purely a lost soul. One that was not to be judged on the things he's done, but to be judged on what drove him to make those decisions.
"Come with me." Sheik walked calmly out of the ruins, listening for Dark Linn if he chose to attack her from behind. He simply did as she bid him.
PALACE, SOMETIME LATER
Zel was bombarded with her subject's voices. There were just too many, and Zel was overwhelmed. She tried to silence them, but she never could make herself heard.
"Quiet!" She roared at the top of her lungs. One of the soldiers heard her, and decided to get everyone's attention for her. He took his sword, and cut one of the tapestries from the wall, causing it to fall onto the floor, creating a loud thud. The crowd immeadiately fell silent.
"Thank you, Darren." Zelda sighed, "Now, as I was saying, Nayru has-" the doors flew open, and in walked Zelda, and... Dark Linn! What the hell was she doing, bringing him here?
"Just returned." Zelda shouted out, and the crowd turned to look at her. For many of them, it was the first time that they had ever seen her.
They made sounds of surprise and fear at the sight of Dark Linn, but they bowed to Zelda none-the-less. She was, as far as they thought, their Mother and Goddess. They all began to sing Nayru's hymn, and Zelda smiled at them all.
"I am thankful for your warm welcome back, but I'm afraid that Dark Link and I must have a word with Princess Zelda. Princess," She turned to Zel, "If you would please take us to a private area."
Zel huffed, and walked off to the corridor adjacent to the entrance. Zelda and Dark Linn followed at a hurried pace, in order to catch up to her. When Zel, Zelda and Drak Linn were all in a small, soundproof room, Zel locked the door,eyeing Dark Linn distrustfully.
"I'm glad your back, Zelda," She said , never taking her eyes off Dark Linn, "But kindly explain what Dark Linn is doing here?"
"He's going to help us get back to the guys." Zelda said simply, slinging her arm around Dark Linn in a friendly way. Zel noticed that she was restraining him, though. She didn't actually trust him not to attack Zel.
"Well, I doubt they'd appreciate seeing us with Linn's evil counterpart." Zel reasoned.
"Yes, I know." Zelda reassurred her, "But it is necessary. He, too, wants to kill Angahim. So therefore, in this battle at least, he is our ally. Temporarily."
"I shall do whatever Mistress bids me." dark Linn said, kneeling before Zelda's feet. Zel looked stunned and disgusted at the display.
"Well, we'd better get to work!" Zelda said happily, taking Dark Linn out of the room with her. Zel stood there, rooted to the spot. Surely, the woman had gone mad?
What did you think? Please review... Please? I accept questions, comments, and CONSTRUCTIVE critisism.