Twilight's POV

I wake up slowly, my memory fuzzy for a few long seconds. The first thing I register is an overwhelming smell of darkness. I scrunch my nose in response to the horrible stench, coughing as it continues to offend my nose. My clouded vision clears and I behold my unexpected surroundings. I'm in some kind of cell, chained to the stone wall behind me by iron restraints. Pulling against my chains for a moment, I can feel that they won't yield to me, and I hang my head in frustration. Across the room is an iron door that I could never hope to break down unarmed.

How did I end up down here? I have to think for a moment. Oh, right. That giant lion and its shadows. But if that animal took me away, and now I'm in a locked cage inside a stone building, that thing must belong to someone. That wasn't just some kind of rogue beast that belongs in those woods. Something told it to capture one of us heroes, and I just got unlucky. Who or what could own a beast like that? And what do they want with us?

I won't have to wait much longer to find out. I hear the lock on my door coming undone. It takes a moment, and I hear a heavy lock fall to the ground. Then the great iron door swings open, revealing the black Lizalfos we've all been chasing for so long. My eyes widen, and I pull against my chains as much as I can. I pull and thrash and the iron bonds clank against the wall, but they easily hold strong. The lizard stands and watches me with its arms over its chest and amusement glittering in its red eyes.

I run out of breath and am forced to stop, my wrists aching now and sweat dripping down my face. My shoulders feel like they might fall out of their sockets. I can't touch the floor, so my arms are supporting all my weight, and it feels like they could give out at any moment.

Despite my pain, I glare at our nemesis. This monster that we've been chasing desperately for so long but have never been able to catch is right in front of me and I can't do anything about it.

"Are you done?" it asks, almost sounding bored.

I spit at its feet. It doesn't look impressed.

"I do have more important things to be doing," the lizard says.

"Like what?" I demand. Of course it can talk.

"Ordering another attack on your friends," the Lizalfos answers. "Last I checked, they were trekking through the forest on their way towards this place. Their intent is to rescue you, of course, but they can't hope to succeed in that venture."

"How are you watching them?" I question.

"There are lots of things in those woods that they can't see," the black Lizalfos says easily. "Things that only monsters like us could sense."

"Monsters like us?" I cry, pulling myself as far forward as I can. "Monsters like you!"

The black Lizalfos shrugs. "Sure. You'll understand eventually."

"So, what do you want from me?" I question. "If you're so busy, what is it you need from me?"

The Lizalfos grins, its long tongue slithering across is horribly sharp teeth. "Now we're asking the important questions." It snaps its fingers, and a vial of swirling purple liquid appears in its hands. The liquid sloshes in its container violently, and I catch flashes of black and pink within the overwhelming purple.

A familiar smell meets my nostrils and I bare my teeth. "Malice."

The Lizalfos nods. "That's right. Malice." It holds the vial in front of my face. "For you."

I pull away, pressing my head back against the stone wall. For me?

"It's not enough to kill you," the Lizalfos promises. "Just enough to infect you. Just enough to make you more...controllable."

I snap my mouth shut and clench my jaw. I won't drink it. I won't, that beast can't make me.

"Either open your mouth or I'll pry it open with these claws," the Lizalfos threatens. "You have no choice in the matter, Hero of Twilight."

I keep my mouth closed.

The Lizalfos shakes its head, some kind of sick smile playing at its lips. "You heroes. Too proud for your own good. Strength doesn't necessarily come from courage, you know."

"Yet a sword wields no strength unless that hand that holds it has courage," I say hurriedly before clamping my mouth shut.

The Lizalfos laughs. "Courage begets nothing, and certainly not the strength to wield a blade."

"What do you believe in?" I challenge. "Power?"

The Lizalfos shakes its head, its red eyes glittering with amusement. "Something much simpler than the regions dictated by the Triforce. I believe in the very thing that brought me into this world. Darkness. Consuming darkness that swallows light and gives way to despair and hopelessness. That is what triumphs over everything in this world." It pushes its vial of Malice under my nose and I gag from the smell. "And soon, you'll know what I mean."

I just glare now, my jaw still clenched, and my lips sealed again.

The Lizalfos retracts the vial and sighs. "Unfortunately, I fear I've wasted too much time here. Next time, Twilight. Next time, you will fall to the darkness you already meddle with far too much for a hero." It approaches the iron door, pushing it open. It pauses, looking back at me. "I believe your only companion down here should finish recovering soon, and he'll be sent back to his home, this cell. I'm sure it'll do you some good to have another hero to speak to for a while. If only so you can see the true might of darkness and Malice." It steps through the door and closes it, redoing the single lock.

I stare at the floor, my heart beating faster. Another hero to speak to? Did the Lizalfos manage to capture another one of us? Who? And how? Are they alright? I pull against my chains in anger, uselessly tearing up the skin on my wrists and wasting what remains of the strength in my arms. My shoulders burn and tears blur my vision from the pain. How could this happen? How could I let myself be taken like this?

I sigh heavily, my arms falling limp, yet still holding me off the ground. Who else was taken? I shiver. Who else will be forced to drink Malice? Or have they already? Not like I can do anything about it, stuck like this against the wall. I clench my fists, my fingers shaking from the effort. At least I'll have someone to talk to, I guess.

Eventually, the door begins to click open again. I hear the padlock being undone, and smell Malice from behind the door. The door swings open, and I stare intensely at my new cellmate. A Bokoblin shoves the man onto the ground inside the room before closing the door and redoing the locks.

This supposed hero is nobody I've ever met. He's not one of the other eight I've been traveling with for months. Yet he sure does look like a Link. He's got blonde hair and he's wearing what must've once been a green tunic, though it's now riddled with loose threads and dark stains. A red scarf adorned with dirt, holes, and flecks of Malice is strung carefully around his neck. His left shoulder is protected by a golden shoulder pauldron that's laced with cracks. But worst of all is the Malice that clings to his skin, an obvious parasite preying on this fallen hero's life force. While his left eye is a brilliant blue, his right eye burns gold and pink, like the ones Wild taught us to attack in his world when presented with a wall of the evil goop. Malice occupies almost entirely the right half of this man's face and trails down parts of his neck and torso. His right arm has no human skin at all; it's entirely made of Malice, his hand decorated with terrible claws that drip with pink and black ooze. Most of his right leg has the disgusting substance attached to it as well.

I have no idea what to say to this poor man. He slowly picks himself up off the ground, pushing himself to all fours and then standing shakily. He just stares at me, bound to the wall and staring back at him in shock, without a word. The Malice stuck to his body pulses like a heart. We just stare at each other for a long time. My arms are shaking and my thoughts are whirling. Who is this? We've never met this hero. Has he been here all this time?

"Do you want down from there?" he asks finally, his voice scratchy and defeated.

I nod. Though how will he break through solid iron chains like this?

He approaches me, and I force myself to not pull away, the disgusting scent of Malice becoming almost overwhelming with him this close. He raises his right arm, the horribly mutated one, and drags his claws through one of my chains. The metal hisses in protest as Malice cleaves it in two, smoke rising from the metal as the evil substance reacts with it. A drop lands on my arm and I grit my teeth in pain, the pink ooze burrowing into my skin and causing my arm to throb in pain.

"Sorry," the man says simply, moving onto the next chain. He repeats the process, slicing through the metal with ease, yet it's obvious that the usage of his Malice disgusts him. He has his jaw clenched and his blue eye radiates frustration. No doubt he wishes he could do this without the aid of something so malevolent.

For a few more minutes, this new hero works in silence to unbind me. More Malice lands on my skin, and this time he brushes it aside with his left hand. It seems the substance causes him no pain. Or at least, he's used to the pain it causes. The goop wriggles into his finger and his expression remains stagnant. How often has he endured that feeling? Far too many times, I'm sure.

Finally, I'm free. He releases my ankle and I step forward from the wall, rolling my shoulders and awkwardly shaking out my stiff legs. "Thank you," I say, glancing at my wrists rubbed nearly to the bone and my ankles burning red from the weight of their chains.

He just shrugs, stepping away from me now that I'm rid of my bondage.

Again, we just stare at each other.

"How long have you been here?" I ask. I'd guess quite a while. Malice has had a long time to infect him, it looks like. Unless the infection is immediate. I wouldn't know. But I will soon, I remember, and shudder.

"Long enough," he answers, sitting on the ground and resting both of his hands in his lap comfortably. The Malice on his right one squirms, racing across the skin on his left hand and the bare skin on his legs, but he doesn't seem to care.

I sit across from him, leaning back against the stone wall I was previously bound to, unsure what else to say.

After another stretch of silence, he speaks up. "You're...a hero? That's what I was told."

I nod. "Yeah. I'm the Hero of Twilight."

He nods slowly, his gaze lowering to his lap. "I think...I believe you." He sighs heavily, and looks up at me again. "Another hero. I thought I was alone."

I smile wistfully. "There are lots of us, you know. Besides you and I, I know eight more."

His gaze rests on me intensely now, his Malice eye blazing with evil but his blue one glittering with intrigue.

"There's the Hero of Time, and the Hero of the Wild and the Hero of Warriors," I begin. "And Wind, and Legend, and Hyrule, and the Sky, and the Four Sword. I met them all a while ago now. We've been traveling together, trying to defeat that stupid black Lizalfos."

"Black Lizalfos?" the other hero repeats.

"...Yeah?" I reply. How could he possibly not know the Black Lizalfos? Wouldn't it have been the one to force him to drink Malice? "You know, the commander of all the monsters?"

The hero nods now. "Oh. So he hasn't shown you yet."

"Shown me what?" I demand.

He shakes his head. "You'll know whenever he wants you to."

"Just tell me now."

He sighs. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm not allowed to."

"...Nobody's here."

He glares at me. "Watch. And get used to it." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "The truth is that your black Lizalfos is really-" Before he can finish that sentence, a string of Malice from around his arm bolts up his torso and strings itself around his neck, choking him. He coughs and hacks for a moment, raising both his hands to pull at the liquidy noose, and I just sit and watch in horror. After a minute or so, the Malice relents, returning to his arm and allowing him to breathe.

I have no idea what to say. His words censored even without any sentient being here to monitor him. What else is he prevented from doing? And this is all going to happen to me too, I remember, pulling my knees against my chest. What am I going to do?

He coughs for several minutes, and I just sit there. I don't dare try to help him, too afraid of making contact with his Malice. I've already got a drop or two in my system, but that shouldn't be enough to hurt me. An entire glass of it will, though.

He finishes coughing and sighs heavily. "I'm sorry you're here. I...I'm happy to not be alone, I think. It's been so long since I've seen anyone besides beasts and darkness. But I don't want you to end up like…" he trails off, flexing the claws on his Malice-arm in anger.

"You won't have to be alone for much longer," I promise. "The others I mentioned, I'm sure they're on their way right now. I'm sure they're trying to get back to me, and they'll rescue you too."

He shakes his head slowly. "How could heroes accept something like me?"

"You're a hero too," I reply. "You're one of us. You belong with us, Malice or not. And I'm sure we can find some way to cure that infection. You won't be like that forever."

He blinks slowly, as though he'd never considered the idea that he could one day be healed. I suppose after enduring such a deep-rooted infection for however long he has, any hope to one day be rid of it would seem pointless. But I know that between all of us heroes, we've just got to have enough light to cure this man's dark sickness. Sky's Master Sword, Legend's silver arrows, Wind's Phantom Sword, surely we have enough holy weapons to tear apart the Malice.

I sigh heavily. First, I suppose I should hope that we can get out of here at all. Hopefully the others can get here soon. I'm sure they're on their way. I'm sure they're fighting to get me back. I just hope they'll be on time. I don't want to drink Malice. Though I'll never verbally admit it, I really do not want to end up like the cursed hero sitting across from me with the light of hope burned out from his one blue eye.

Wild's POV

"Do you have any idea how much further we have to walk, Time?" I call to our leader up ahead. He's still a wolf, using Twilight's crystal, and we're still desperately following after him. He just shakes his head in response to my question, continuing onward in one direction with his nose to the ground.

"How could that lion have run so far so fast?" Warriors questions.

"I just hope we're not going too slow," Wind mumbles.

"We're doing everything we can," Sky assures him, though his fingers are curled in the Sailcloth anxiously.

Wind nods numbly. I agree with him. Yes, we're doing all we can, but is it enough? Or has Twilight already met his fate? I don't even want to think about what may have happened to him. What did that giant lion do with him? I can't even imagine. I shudder, walking faster. We just need to keep moving. We'll reach Twilight eventually. He just needs to hold on until then.

Ahead of me and the others, Time stops walking. He glances back at Sky, gesturing for the Chosen Hero to approach him.

Sky cocks his head, confused for a moment. Then he draws his sword and runs to Time's side. "Oh! You want a break?"

Time nods. Sky presses the flat of the Master Sword's white blade against the eldest's head and then black squares roll off Time's skin for several long moments. He howls in pain for most of it. Again, I shiver. I have decided that I most definitely do not want to use that crystal. I admire Time for putting up with it, and should the need ever arise of course I'll do whatever it takes to save Twilight, but I will definitely not be volunteering myself.

The squares evaporate, leaving our leader in Hylian form, standing on his hands and knees with the crystal strung around his neck. He's breathing hard, his good eye looks pained, and instead of standing he sits on the ground and runs his hands through his hair.

"Everything alright?" Warriors asks.

"We should keep moving if you can," Legend adds.

"Don't hurt yourself," Sky says quickly, resting a hand on Time's back.

Time nods, heaving a great breath and putting his hands on the ground. "I just...I need a minute. That thing...I…"

"It's dark," Hyrule says quietly. "Really dark."

"How does Twi put up with it all the time?" Wind asks.

"He's used to it," Time answers. "It's a different kind of darkness than I'm familiar with. Mine is more...consuming and black...His is like...shadowy and...almost freeing."

"It's not entirely evil magic," Legend says critically. "There's something else there too, right, Hyrule?"

Hyrule nods. "It's mostly black magic, the kind Ganon uses. But, yeah, some of it feels like magic I've never seen before." He reaches a hand towards the crystal, closing his eyes and leaving his fingers hovering just above its sparking surface. "It's...not light magic. Nor is it dark. It's something in between...like shadows...or maybe twilight…" His eyes snap open. "Twilight magic. That's what it feels like. I don't know how else to describe it."

Legend nods. "And as for the freeing part, Old Man, of course it feels like that. Though this crystal confines you to a body that's not yours, it also confines you to your true form. That crystal reflects who you are on the inside."

"A golden wolf," Time says quietly.

"A holy form," Warriors says. "A pack leader, a strong fighter, and a brutal warrior. It's not surprising."

"Then Twilight is all of those things too," Wind says.

"Of course he is," I agree. "Haven't you watched him fight?"

"His form isn't golden," Four says thoughtfully. "It's mostly grey and black."

"He's used to darkness," Legend shrugs. "More so than we thought, it seems."

"So?" Sky questions. We all look at him curiously. "He's still Twilight. Even if his true form is a black wolf, even if he uses that dark crystal all the time, he's still Twilight."

"That's right," I jump in. "Twilight...the darkness you feel around him has nothing to do with who he really is. He's nice and strong and a good leader and only uses that crystal to help others."

Time nods, pushing himself to his feet with an obvious amount of effort. "I agree, Wild. Twilight is used to this darkness because it was his primary tool during his adventure. For months on end, he used this thing to help save Hyrule. From what he's told me, I know he used it to get to the Master Sword."

"I say we worry about this once we get him back," Wind says. "And until then, it looks like we're stuck using that thing anyway, so we might as well stop bashing on it."

"Well put, sailor," Warriors agrees. He holds his hand out to Time. "Give it here. Let somebody else try for a while."

Time waves him off. "I'm just fine, Captain."

"Don't you go-"

The bushes around us start shaking. Leaves shudder and branches creak as they're rapidly pushed aside. The sound encompasses our entire clearing. We're being surrounded. All conversation falls away and we simultaneously draw our blades. We form a haphazard circle, all angles being watched by at least one of us, and then we wait for the ambush to begin.

Waves of Lizalfos break through the line of bushes, their swords raised and their claws ready. They screech as they run towards us from all sides, followed by a horde of Bokoblins and several Moblins. This won't be an easy fight.

"Stick together!" Warriors commands. "Don't get separated from each other!"

We all nod, pressing against each other with our backs protected by someone else. Standing next to Warriors and Wind, I focus my attention on the monsters directly in front of me. A green Lizalfos charges, and I quickly thrust my sword through its chest.

"Cover me for a moment," Wind says to me, and I nod. He plunges his hand into his bag and pulls out a bomb. I grin as he ignites the fuse. The monsters cry out in worry, those in the front clawing for the sailor's throat, but I step in front of him and bat them all aside. Wind launches the bomb over my head and right into the mass of advancing beasts. It explodes, sending monster corpses flying.

"Nice one," I say as I duck under a Bokoblin's rushed swing and then slice it's torso in half.

"Thanks."

"Do it again," Warriors encourages. "I'll help cover him, Wild."

So Wind grabs another bomb. Warriors and I are able to hold off the monsters together. The Captain is such a strong and fluid fighter. Beside me, he leans out of the reach of a Bokoblin's hurried swing, then retaliates with a forward thrust. I hurry to block a Lizalfos's blade aimed at my heart, and return the strike with a vertical slice. I wonder what Warriors's true form would be.

Unfortunately, Wind can't throw any more bombs after the second one. We've drawn far too much attention to our little corner, and it's now taking all three of us to hold off the intense attacks on Wind. He steps up beside us, no longer standing behind us, putting his beautiful Phantom Sword to use. We all battle for a while longer, dodging and blocking and then returning with our own blows. We never get the first strike. We simply haven't got the space around us to risk exposing ourselves. We have to play patient, waiting until our immediate enemy either gets knocked off balance or blatantly exposes a weak spot. But we can't play defense forever. Warriors suffers a blow to his thigh, and I can tell putting weight on it now hurts. He keeps fighting without a word, naturally. Same as any of us when we're injured, I guess.

Behind us, thunder cracks as Hyrule calls on the strength of his magic. "We'll take the pressure off you, Captain!" Legend calls.

More lightning flashes and the monsters reevaluate their priority. The thick swathes before us thin, earning us a break.

"Thanks, veteran!" Warriors yells.

"How are we holding up?" Sky questions.

"Been better!" Wind replies.

"Time's exhausted!" Four answers.

"I am not!"

"We need to finish this fight," Warriors mutters. "The smith's right, Time was fatigued before this even got started."

"Any suggestions?" I question.

"I'm out of bombs," Wind replies.

"Mine don't do enough damage," I add.

Warriors bats aside another Bokoblin and blocks a Lizalfos's incoming blow, then quickly finishes them both off. Sweat laces his brow, his breathing is heavy, and he's standing more so on his right leg than his wounded left. He's tired too. We all are. We've been worrying too much to have energy for anything else.

"The crystal," Wind firmly. "Wars', you use it."

Warriors grits his teeth.

"Your true form just has to be something powerful," I agree.

"Don't be an idiot, Captain!" Legend calls to us hurriedly "Just because we're all heroes doesn't mean we're all predators."

"He's right, Wars'!" Sky agrees. "We can finish this fight on our-"

Time screams. Our circle breaks as we all move to protect our unofficial leader. He has a gash down his face that's bleeding onto the red marks on his cheeks. It's bleeding a lot. Too much. The monsters don't give us any reprieve. They press in harder as we circle our injured fighter.

"I'm out of magic," Hyrule admits.

I dig in my quiver for ancient arrows, but I can feel that I've only got three. Killing three monsters won't do us any good.

"We need to finish this," Warriors mutters again. He stares at the crystal strung around Time's neck, resting against his armor, then turns his back on it and keeps fighting. "We can't risk it. Just keep fighting, we'll be alright."

So we just keep fighting. I fight alongside Sky and Four now, the three of us working together and beating back the horde of monsters. I strike down more than I could ever hope to count, but they just keep on coming. Four's eyes swivel between blue and red and green and violet, and his jaw clenches in frustration. Sky keeps almost glancing over his shoulder in worry. Time keeps a hand over his face, the blood running in his good eye and blinding him for now. He remains kneeled behind us, trying to wipe the blood away, but it won't stop running down his cheek. He needs medical attention, but we can't give that to him until we're done fighting.

A Moblin presents itself now, a giant hulking beast from Time's era that wields a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. I remember how much trouble we had with just one of these things and shiver. Now's a good time for one of my ancient arrows.

"Cover me," I say, reaching over my shoulder and feeling around for one of the special arrows.

Sky and Four both nod, stepping in front of me and glaring up at the moblin.

"Do not try to fight that thing alone!" Legend yells.

"They won't have to!" I promise, finding what I'm looking for.

The Moblin swings its spear horizontally, forcing Sky to roll under it. He's separated himself from the rest of us. Four runs to him, and they press their backs together, quickly warding off the beasts that had hoped to jump on Sky's mistake. The Moblin focuses on me. I hurry to nock my arrow in my bow. The Moblin draws its spear back.

"Wild, get out of there!" Wind screams.

He's right. I won't have enough time. But if the Moblin thrusts its spear forward too far, it'll be right in Time's head. I've got no choice but to try and block it. So I pull my shield out and plant my feet.

"Wild, don't!" Sky cries, but he can't even watch, so surrounded by other monsters.

I grit my teeth and ready myself. I have no choice. I won't let Time get impaled. He wipes the blood from his eye behind me, and sees the situation at hand. But it's far too late for him to move. Far too late for me to move. The Moblin thrusts. And its spearhead meets my shield. I hear bones cracking as the force of the heavy blow breaks my wrist. I scream in pain and my arm falls to my side. The spear's momentum was mostly halted. Just not enough. With my shield down, the spear continues moving. Straight into my stomach. The Moblin squeals in delight as I scream in pain, falling to my knees and jolting onto the ground when the beast rips the spear from my abdomen. I register the color red, and all I feel is pain. Flashbacks of the burns against my torso in almost this exact place flicker in my mind's eye. I lay on my stomach, blood pooling underneath me, my breaths rapidly becoming haggard.