Chapter 2 - Captive
Once again, the light power of the Sacred Realm was successful in healing Link's injuries.
After spending a few moments in the washroom removing his bandages and conjuring the power Myriad gifted him with, Link found that only one injury remained—the one on his leg. But instead of the deep puncture it once was, it now only looked as if he'd taken a fall and scraped the skin.
Such a superficial wound didn't require a bandage, though he wrapped it again just to keep it protected and joined Zelda once more to give her the news. She smiled brightly in response to it, elated to know he was nearly fully recovered, and gave him a heartfelt kiss just a few moments before Nabooru arrived with a satchel on her back containing several items she'd wanted to show him.
Apparently, some of the Gerudo had recently returned from visiting Nasinia—a town located on the border of the kingdom of Althor. Due to its location so close to the seafaring nation, several items could be found in local shops that weren't available anywhere else in Hyrule, and Nabooru had struck a deal for a variety of products.
Fabrics, dyes, soaps, and even a few snacks popular in Althor were all part of the package. Zelda was riveted by everything Nabooru showed them, though Link had to admit his favorite item was the miniature crossbow. Big enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it wasn't a devastating weapon, but the small bolts were fired with enough force to penetrate.
So the weapon would be good for an otherwise defenseless person to use in the effort of escaping an assailant without too much trouble.
While examining the items, they discussed numerous topics, from the happenings since Link's departure to the situation in Hyrule—and Nabooru related something unexpected. When they mentioned their intentions of visiting the Spirit Temple, the Gerudo told them it wouldn't be easy to get there because, for the past two weeks, a sandstorm had been raging in the area leading to the temple's entrance.
And the amount of time the storm had endured wasn't lost on either Link or Zelda. Ganondorf is protecting the last orb.
Still, sandstorms didn't bother Link. He'd endured a number of them during his time living with the Gerudo, and Zelda could probably erect a magical barrier to make things easier—not that he wanted her exhausting her magic before they even stepped foot inside.
Still, if push came to shove, they at least had the option, so he wasn't entirely concerned with the matter for now.
Instead, he related Masita's welcome to Nabooru, who let a hearty laugh with the words I told you she'd miss you. She also informed Zelda of how Masita was actually very sweet, but her assertiveness had gotten her into trouble too many times to count.
After what happened with Link, it wasn't hard for Zelda to imagine how true that was. Yet she was simply grateful the whole thing was nothing more than a misunderstanding, and didn't comment. Instead, their conversation turned to the fabrics Nabooru had purchased from Nasinia, and when Zelda mentioned how lovely they'd be to use for a new dress, Link suggested showing Nabooru the gown Bessa had made for her as if knowing the Gerudo would've liked to see it.
She certainly seemed curious enough, so Zelda asked, "Did you leave the hammer bag with Epona?"
They'd stored the dress and her circlet in the enchanted satchel due to its unlimited storage capacity, and Link had to consider it for a moment, but then nodded and stood, qualifying, "I'll go get it."
"No, let me," Zelda countered, thinking it would be a good idea to grab the item herself if only so Link could have a few moments alone with Nabooru after being away for so long. But he wouldn't relent, stubbornly heading for the door while holding up a hand to stop her.
"You don't have to go all the way down just to haul the bag up here."
"It's not as if it's heavy, Link."
Now at the door, he returned, "I know, but I'm—"
"Stubborn," Zelda interjected, and before he could react, she disappeared from sight in a blue green blur of magic.
Still standing at the entryway, it took Link a moment to realize she'd teleported, and he immediately turned to gaze over the edge of the small balcony outside.
On the street below, Zelda stood at the foot of the ladder, playfully sticking her tongue out at him before starting toward their horses with a grin.
She could only wonder in the meantime if Link would attempt to pay her back for the mischief, or simply chide her for expending magic unnecessarily. But it wasn't as if they were presently fighting their way through a dangerous situation, so she didn't feel too badly for pulling a fast one on him in such a manner—though she decided to use the ladder to go back up if only to placate him.
It would also give him more time to speak with Nabooru, and for that reason alone, she took her time admiring the scenery of the street while making her way to Epona's side to untie the hammer bag.
In the process, Frost reared back where he stood nearby, snorting as Epona sidestepped during her approach. The movements were strange, and as Zelda observed their behavior, she couldn't ignore a sense of foreboding overwhelming her.
Something was wrong.
"What is it?" she asked Epona just as the horse threw up her front legs in agitation.
At the same time, Zelda's blood froze in her veins when Link's voice hit her ears from behind with the question, "Did you miss me?"
Gasping, she instantly spun around, but never had the chance to respond. Instead, the first and last thing she saw was a pair of red eyes before blacking out.
I can't believe she did that.
Stunned by Zelda's sporadic teleportation down to the street, Link stared over the balcony railing as she walked on, wondering if he should chide her for expending magic needlessly, or just find a way to repay her trickery. He would've figured it out too if it weren't for Nabooru's laughter filling his loft.
"Oh, I like her," she remarked as soon as Link turned to step back inside, adding teasingly, "and she knows you so well."
"I'm not stubborn," he refuted, asserting with a smirk, "I'm just determined."
Chuckling, Nabooru qualified, "Either way, it's nice knowing she doesn't let your determination walk all over her. Then again, she is a princess, so I suppose it's not surprising, and speaks well of her ability to make the kingdom a better place once she takes the crown from Ganondorf."
Though Link couldn't agree more, her mention of Ganondorf put a somber look on his face. Despite having had ample time to decide how to tell Nabooru the truth of her son's identity, he'd yet to consider it in much depth, and only knew one thing for certain.
Whether he told her the son she bore no longer existed, or that he'd been twisted into the King of Evil now ruining the kingdom, it would break her heart.
Seeing the expression his thoughts evoked, Nabooru narrowed her brows in concern and asked, "What's wrong, Link? You look like something's bothering you."
Glancing over, Link regarded the woman who'd saved and cared for him, finding her face just as kind and full of life as it'd always been despite the worry in her gaze.
Unwilling to ruin that look with his news, he shook his head and stated, "It's nothing."
"Well it has to be something," she returned. "Is it me?"
"No, not at all," he quickly reassured, turning his attention to the door in the hopes that Zelda would return soon if only to distract Nabooru from the topic, at least until he could figure out what to say.
Still, considering Nabooru's talent for sussing out details with only a few questions, it was possible she'd glean something before he was ready to explain. So he admitted plainly, "I've just learned some things since I've been gone, things that aren't easy to say."
Still sitting on his bed, the Gerudo watched him considerately, observing, "Somehow, I'm not surprised."
Unsure he knew her meaning, he asked, "You're not?"
"No. I was actually just thinking about how different you seem now. It's only been a month or so, but you're much more … reserved than before. Or maybe that's just Zelda and I drowning you out with our excitement over fabric and dyes."
Chuckling, she stood and walked over to place a hand on his shoulder, relating, "Either way, if there's something troubling you that has anything to do with me or the Gerudo, don't worry about it for now. I know you, and I know you'll tell me in your own time, especially if it's important."
With a smile, Link nodded and parted his lips to say he'd definitely find a way to tell her what was bothering him soon. But just as the words were about to emerge, the sound of Epona whinnying rather loudly hit his ears.
The distressing sound drew Link's full attention, telling him instantly that something was wrong.
Moving to the door without hesitation and Nabooru right behind him, they arrived on the balcony to peer over the railing—and the sight awaiting them on the street below had Link freeing his blade.
His shadow had just backhanded Zelda so hard she spun around and collapsed onto the gravel path. In turn, the mimicry approached her unmoving form with a smirk on his lips, though he didn't get far before a shadow cast by the nearby streetlamps zipped across him from overhead.
Diving toward the fallen Princess as soon as he noticed, Dark Link only narrowly avoided impalement by the Master Sword as it stabbed into the gravel where he'd stood a split second before.
Realizing he'd missed, Link jerked his weapon back and stood in time to witness his mimicry hoisting Zelda up from the ground, and her lack of a fight proved she'd been knocked unconscious. The thought made it difficult to focus through his anger as Dark Link raised his version of the Master Sword to point in his enemy's direction.
As the shadow clutched Zelda's limp form to his side, Link desperately fought to stand his ground instead of charging ahead, knowing fully well any aggressive actions could cause her harm. She'd either be caught in the middle of their fight, or his evil mockery would hurt her in retaliation.
Making matters worse, Dark Link conjured a bit of magic to bind Zelda. As she hung against his side, dark magic began to pool in the palm of his free hand, tendrils of it winding around her body to secure her. Link could only wonder if it would prevent her from teleporting or just using magic in general, and decided to assume it would just to be on the safe side.
As he had the thought and kept his eyes focused on his enemy, the sound of rushed footfalls hit his ears—the Gerudo warriors had taken notice of an intruder in the valley.
Only a few moments passed before numerous fighters converged on the scene with weapons drawn. But Nabooru, still standing on the balcony above, called to them to stand their ground, realizing Zelda's life was in jeopardy.
Despite their apparent readiness to engage the intruder, the women instantly obeyed, coming to a stop in a wide arc around Link and his dark counterpart to watch the unfolding scene with caution in their eyes.
Yet Link ignored them, too busy glaring at his mimicry with lethal intent as he issued a warning.
"If you hurt her, I'll—"
"Believe it or not, I don't want to," Dark Link interjected. "Like you, I find her much too meaningful to use as a pawn. Still, I'd love nothing more than a chance to see you suffer, so don't think I won't."
Link sneered, knowing better than to test his shadow's claim. He also didn't question whether Zelda truly held any meaning for him after the way he'd treated her if only because the thought of it sparked his rage, and he needed to be careful if Zelda was to have a chance of coming away from this unharmed.
So he focused on the situation instead, pointing out, "Even if you did, you're surrounded. So how do you think you'll escape this time?"
As he spoke, Zelda grimaced and shook her head, lifting it to look around as if uncertain what had happened while her back remained firmly secured against Dark Link's side. But the precise moment she realized the gravity of her situation wasn't hard to miss—her pallor turned wan with a mixture of fear and indignation sparking in her violet blue eyes.
Immediately, she attempted to teleport away from the mimicry, an attempt that answered Link's unspoken question when the dark threads of magic winding around her torso prevented her from moving an inch. Taking notice, Dark Link gave a smug smirk, but didn't address the matter. Instead, he answered Link's inquiry regarding his escape.
"You should know better than anyone the types of tricks we have up our sleeves."
During his statement, Zelda tried to struggle away, though she couldn't do much more than squirm and push her legs. Still, the mimicry responded by giving a harsh jerk, his arm tightening its grip around her, telling her without words that misbehavior wouldn't be tolerated.
In the process, she noticed Link's face, his sapphire eyes filled with more rage than she could ever recall seeing. It was enough to make her tremble despite knowing his anger wasn't directed at herself, though Dark Link didn't seem to be one bit fazed by the sight of it.
Instead, he scoffed with a grin and asked against her ear, "Doesn't he look angry?"
Zelda scowled, regretting that she couldn't turn her head just a little further and spit in his face. So she did the next best thing by promising coldly, "I'm sure you'll learn just how angry soon."
"It's possible," Dark Link chuckled out. "But for now, we need to go."
Punctuating his claim was a swift, and somewhat loud whir of sound as three orbs of energy formed in the air above Dark Link's head. Grinning evilly at Link as they swiftly grew in strength, two of the orbs abruptly darted toward him at a swift pace, forcing him to duck out of the way.
Slamming into the gravel where he'd once stood, a cascade of rock sailed up into the air as Link rolled into a crouch and immediately glanced in his enemy's direction to find he'd used the distraction to his advantage. Having sheathed his sword, Dark Link reached up to place his hand to Zelda's head, effectively stopping her struggles when a burst of dark magic from his palm knocked her unconscious.
As a result, her entire body sagged as Dark Link hefted her up and over his shoulder before taking off at a sprint.
Thanks to the third of his magic orbs, a path was now open to him where the Gerudo had ducked out of the way, allowing him to move by unchallenged—and Link wasted no time following him.
Rounding the corner of a side street between buildings, he arrived just in time to see Dark Link using his copy of the silver gauntlets to slam his fist into the column of a porch roof in passing, shattering the support and causing the structure to topple over. As a result, the narrow street was momentarily blocked by the collapse—at least until Link busted a hole through the planks by slamming his own gauntlets into them.
But though he was quick to emerge on the other side, the act of punching a hole through the barrier slowed him down just long enough to give his enemy time to gain distance. Because of that, the shadow reached a building at the end of the path and accessed the roof using various items settled around the area.
Leaping first onto a stack of barrels and then a few crates sitting on a nearby wagon, their placement was too convenient to think his plan to abduct Zelda wasn't premeditated. But Link didn't consider it for long, and in an attempt to catch up, he tugged the hookshot from his belt and fired it off. Mere seconds later, the grapple latched onto a wooden beam protruding from an adjacent roof, pulling him through the air.
Reaching the top in quick time, he continued running before the chain of his hookshot had finished retracting. Sadly, his progress was further impeded when Dark Link sent more energy orbs sailing his way, forcing him to evade while jumping from one rooftop to the next in a bid to catch up.
Yet he only managed to keep an even pace before his shadow reached the last building on the outskirts of the valley and jumped down with Zelda in tow.
Rushing to the edge of the roof behind him several moments later, Link slid to a stop just in time to see his mimicry riding away on the back of a black stallion. It was likely he'd left the animal there purposefully and had jumped onto its back, but Link was more focused on his destination—the path he'd taken led to the northwest where a passage through a gorge of rocks and sand allowed quick access to a notable destination.
The Temple of Spirit.
Link's hands balled into tight fists as he watched the horse galloping away into the darkness. Breaking off pursuit felt like one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, but he'd never catch up on foot. That aside, the shadow had evidently learned some new tricks going by the energy orbs that slowed Link down, and he'd only continue to use them.
Still, he knew where they were going, and though Zelda was in danger, his dark half didn't seem intent on killing her. So he'd have to trust in her ability to keep herself safe until he could arrive and stop the mimicry.
This time for good.
"Link!"
Nabooru's shout came from the street below, and Link looked down to see her rushing in with a group of Gerudo warriors following her.
Coming to a stop below, she asked, "Did you lose him?"
"For now, but I know where he's going," Link called back, hopping down to a porch roof below before joining Nabooru and the others on the street without much trouble. There, he explained, "He's taking Zelda to the Spirit Temple, and I'm going to get Epona and follow him."
With concern evident in her eyes, Nabooru replied, "But there's a sandstorm around the temple, Link. If you–"
"I don't care about the storm," he interjected, adding, "I just need a mask to get through it. We also need to post people to watch the entrance into the canyon."
Nabooru didn't need to ask to know why he'd suggested the course of action—the small canyon led to a dead end. So anyone using it to access the temple could only return one way, making it imperative to post a watch.
Still, she sighed, disliking the thought of allowing Link to go alone. But there was no time to argue, and after spending so many years training him, she already knew how determined the Hylian could be once he set his mind to something. Sometimes his sapphire eyes lit with a fierce glint she knew meant he wasn't giving up until he'd accomplished whatever he'd set out to do.
And she'd never seen a more fierce look in them than she did now.
So she accompanied him to fetch Epona as well as gather the protective gear he needed to weather the storm.
Thankfully, it didn't take long, and once Link had donned a protective cloak made of a thick, brown material, he mounted Epona outside his loft and turned in the direction of the canyon.
As he double checked his supplies to find nothing was missing, Nabooru asked, "Since when do you have a twin, anyway? And what does he want with Zelda?"
Link shook his head, replying, "I don't have a twin, but it's a long story. So I'll have to tell you when I get back. Just make sure to keep guards posted while I'm gone."
With that said, he wasted no more time and goaded Epona off into a gallop, leaving Nabooru to watch with concern in her eyes. She hated being unable to do anything but hope Link and Zelda would be fine, but when she'd offered to go with him, Link pointed out that the safety of the valley was just as important as finding Zelda, and he was right.
So she had her own duty to attend, and it was a task she wouldn't fail to perform if only to ensure the Hylians had a safe place to return to once they'd completed their own.
Zelda's eyes cracked open, then shut again, her consciousness steadily returning though her vision was taking it's time coming into focus.
Not that it really mattered when a warbling of light came into view from above, providing no clues as to her current whereabouts. Still, she was more focused on the throb in her head, her temple aching down to her cheek thanks to Dark Link's earlier assault.
Dark Link? The thought of the mimicry had Zelda's eyes darting open wide as she sat forward and looked around to locate him. Yet she was alone at present, sitting on the sandy floor of a large chamber in … the Spirit Temple?
The source of the warbling light was coming from a dome of magic surrounding her—a prison?—and beyond it was a large sanctum with a vaulted roof and numerous alcoves along the walls in which various statues stood. Most depicted Sages of Hyrule's past, some old enough to be worn down so extensively they were unrecognizable.
Yet Zelda was too distracted by the sight awaiting her at the center of the chamber to try.
There, settled upon a pit of sand, was the last of Dragmire's dark orbs, the interior gleaming with a wispy golden light—the consumed Spirit Essence.
Its presence proved her location within the temple, though the orb was nearly twenty-five feet outside of the magical barrier containing her. Thankfully, the dome was tall enough to allow her to stand, and provided a space of about ten feet to walk around, but the real question was whether or not she could dispel the magic used to create it.
If so, she may be able to save Link the trouble of fighting his way through the temple, though she couldn't ignore the fact that some monster was likely to attack the moment she stepped foot near the orb. Still, she pushed herself up and approached the barrier with curiosity in her eyes, lifting a hand to inspect it.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you. It might hurt."
Pulling her hand back, Zelda spun around, so surprised to see Dark Link standing right behind her she stumbled backwards and nearly fell—right into the barrier. But at the last moment, he grasped her wrist and tugged her away from it, spinning her around to the inside of the dome.
The moment she came to a stop, Zelda jerked her wrist from his grasp as if scalded by fire and took several steps backwards to put space between them. She had no idea where he'd come from, but honestly didn't care, too distracted by the fear of realizing she was now trapped with the source of her trauma to ask questions.
Indeed, she was ready to put up the fight of her life if it meant staying as far away from the mimicry as possible. Yet, as she came to a stop near the center of the dome, Dark Link didn't move a muscle, either to follow her, or even speak.
He simply stood there watching her with a blank expression, making it impossible to read his intentions. Such a lack of visible emotion was incredibly nerve wracking—if he smiled, she'd at least know he was feeling smugly pleased with himself. If he frowned, she might assume he was angry.
Instead, she didn't know what to expect, and it did nothing to calm her fears.
The shadow's austere mien gave off the impression of being unfeeling, and considering the things he'd done, that assumption wasn't so hard to believe. Then again, he could've been attempting to unnerve her on purpose, and the moment she had the thought, she forced herself to hide her fears and asked sharply, "Why have you brought me here? I'd assume it's to lure Link to the temple so you can try to kill him, but after our last encounter, I'm not so sure."
Finally, the mimicry showed a sign of life by smiling in amusement and relating, "It's good to know you didn't forget our little tryst in Engleton."
Tryst? She nearly asked the question aloud, but stopped herself at the last moment. Their encounter in Engleton was one of the worst experiences of her life, and hearing him refer to it as a tryst was infuriating. But she certainly didn't need to hear his reasons for calling it that, and abruptly changed the subject.
"How did you get in here? You weren't here when I woke up."
He arched a single brow. "You really think I'd put you in a barrier I couldn't enter?"
Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "No, but one can dream."
The mimicry stared at her for a moment, then laughed, pushing his white hair from his face while regarding her intently with those red eyes, eyes she believed would haunt her for the rest of her life because of the things he'd done and was likely to do. Still, that wasn't the biggest reason for her hatred of the shadow. His crimes were atrocious, yet in her eyes, they were made all the worse because he looked exactly like Link.
Seeing such twisted emotion in the face of the man she loved was harrowing, and she had difficulty even holding his gaze—particularly after the intimate encounter she'd shared with Link the day before.
The thought had a shudder of repulsion washing over her, a sensation the shadow redoubled by relating in response to her comment, "You're simply too cute for words, Princess, did you know that?"
Had Link been the one to tell her that, depending on his inflection, she might've been charmed, or at least amused. But coming from his shadow, it was sickening, and she didn't bother to hide it, wearing her derision on her face.
At the sight of it, Dark Link's smirk faded to an expression she could only describe as annoyed—and he abruptly started toward her.
The sudden movement caused her to slip to the side, sending a glare in his direction warning him to stay back. But he ignored the look, asking during his approach, "What's so different about me from him?"
Still approaching her without using enough speed to actually catch up, she continually backed away while trying to avoid the walls of her magical prison while giving her response.
"What's the same? Link would never hurt me, but you've left a bruise on my face and locked me in the Spirit Temple, threatened my life just to see him hurt, and killed innocent people for the same reason!"
Still backing away, she stared at him incredulously and asked, "What's different? Can you seriously ask me that?"
"Of course I can," he countered. "We're both capable of the same things, and he'd do what I've done if he thought it would put me in jeopardy."
"Link would never kill someone innocent, even if it meant your demise!" Zelda retorted sharply.
Yet Dark Link ignored her claim, continuing on as though she hadn't spoken, "I look the same, if not better, I want what he wants, and you have no idea how much I regret having to hit and threaten you. Having to lie to you."
Finally, he stopped following her with a look on his face that gave Zelda pause. She continued to back away a few more steps, but couldn't help thinking she could actually see remorse in his eyes—along with a great deal of confusion.
Yet he asked before she could question it, "But would you really have cooperated otherwise?"
"Never," she spit out. "So I guess you take that as having no other choice, don't you?"
Dark Link's gaze narrowed at her question, the same remorse and confusion surfacing in his red eyes again. Perhaps something in him truly did regret what he'd done to her—she didn't question whether he actually loved her after all, and the reason was simple.
He was Link's mirror.
While it was true that this mimicry was a twisted version of the man she loved, the sole purpose of his creation was to copy the Hero of Legend in every way. So he did have love for her, but it was motivated by selfishness and, if his desire to convince her he was just like Link was any indication, probably envy.
Not that she'd ever say so and risk incurring his wrath. Instead, she waited for a response—and was none too thrilled when he gave it.
In the space of a moment, the remorse faded from his red eyes as his lips curved in a smirk. With the change in expression came his sudden movement toward her, and the shadow was much quicker this time.
It was so abrupt, Zelda gasped and jerked back to stay away from him, but was too late. He'd already grasped her wrist and pulled her in before she could react.
"Let go!" she demanded, turning around in an attempt to escape a split second before finding her back hitting his chest.
Once there, the shadow locked her in place by wrapping his arms around her, pinning her arms at her sides in a hold she couldn't break. The position left his mouth next to her pointed ear, and the response he gave against it sickened her with revulsion.
"That night in Engleton, you didn't know the difference. You were willing, and you clung to me. But you'd still kill me now if you had the opportunity, wouldn't you?"
He sounded annoyed by the thought, asking next, "So what do you think? Did I not have a choice, or did I do it because I really wanted to?"
"Because you wanted to," she hissed with a jerk that didn't help her cause of escaping his grasp. His grip was like granite, and her only recourse was keeping her head turned as far away as possible in unwillingness to have his voice so close to her ear.
The fact that he sounded just like Link made things so much worse. She certainly knew the difference between the two, and yet her inability to see the shadow when he was at her back was like a trick on the senses.
Still, there was one distinct variation that spoke volumes over who was at her back now, and it was in the fear she felt as he held her. She'd always found comfort and safety in Link's embrace, but now she only felt vulnerable uncertainty.
That didn't mean this evil mock up couldn't tarnish things. So she could only pray she'd never hear Link's voice and be reminded of … him—and she'd never wanted to see Link more in her entire life than she did in that moment.
Sadly, it didn't help matters when the mimicry replied against her ear, "You're right, I did want to, but only because I had no other choice if I wanted you with me, and I do. Sometimes I want you with me so badly I can barely think of anything else, and it nearly chokes me knowing you want him."
He spoke the word as if he didn't even care to say Link's name, and his tone was full of jealous anger. It was frightening, and Zelda clenched her hands and squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to calm her nerves.
Yet his next comment only made it worse, a dark suggestion uttered sickeningly against her ear.
"After all, if I truly wanted to hurt you, all it would take is forcing myself on you."
Her eyes flew open with a loud, terrified gasp. The mere notion of it had tears flooding her eyes to trail down her cheeks as she jerked harder than ever to get away from him.
Proving he'd caught sight of them, Dark Link lifted a hand to turn her face in his direction, and upon realizing she was crying, he frowned as if genuinely affronted by the sight of her pain and insisted more pointedly, "I don't want to hurt you."
Exhaling a breath as if trying to figure out what he could say that would possibly convince her, he finally asserted, "I want to do this the right way, and have you come with me because you want me back. So tell me, Zelda," he paused, amending more gently, "love, how could I convince you to do that? Because I don't understand."
Still rigid against him and taking a shaky breath as she trembled with revulsion, Zelda tried to hide the tremor in her voice while asking, "Understand what?"
She wasn't certain she wanted to know, particularly not when she risked a glance up at his face to realize he was regarding her as if admiring her beauty—and her skin crawled when his gaze seemed to linger on her breasts in the red dress she'd been wearing when he'd abducted her.
It reminded her of the way he'd groped her in the dark, and she thought she'd be sick, silently promising to direct any contents of her stomach that decided to make an appearance in his direction.
But more importantly, was he also remembering that night? Thinking of trying the same thing? She nearly teleported away from him at the thought despite how pointless it would be when she was already trapped.
Still, the shadow didn't seem intent on engaging in any vulgar activity, and instead, he met her gaze and answered, "I don't understand why I feel the way I do about you, or why you have feelings for him. I only have … experiences. I only know I love you, but not why."
For a brief moment, he'd almost managed to sound human, and his tone was … sad. Of course, if he didn't have any of Link's memories—and why would he?—she could only imagine his frustration at feeling a certain way without having any answers as to the source.
In a strange way, it almost made her pity him. Whoever cursed the mirror in the Temple of Time—likely Dragmire or Ganondorf—had no right to create such a half-formed life. Then again, Dark Link wasn't specifically a living being, but instead, a magical construct meant to cause trouble for the Hero of Legend.
Still, she decided to explain his feelings if only to calm the shadow and, hopefully, keep him from doing something she wouldn't appreciate.
"It's because we were childhood friends." Her voice was soft, and though she tried to keep her tone bereft of emotion, a bit of fondness came through when she qualified, "We've always been there for each other, and we know we can trust one another."
Risking another glance to the side and up at his face, she realized he was hanging on every word. Then he asked a strange question.
"We grew up together?"
Zelda couldn't help but find it curious that he'd spoken as if he was Link, or at least, a fragment of the man she loved possibly imprinted on the mirror when Link stepped through it—and maybe it was true. Yet she didn't dwell on the possibility upon realizing her decision to inform him of Link's past seemed to have calmed his jealous anger.
Instead, she continued to treat him along those lines, responding, "Yes, for the most part. That's why you feel the way you do, and if you'd like to do things the right way, you could start by releasing me from this prison so I can destroy Dragmire's orb."
As if he hadn't heard her, Dark Link surprisingly buried his face in the crook of her neck, tightening his hold on her in a manner befitting a hug. He then exhaled against her throat as if relieved, though she couldn't relax, as rigid as ever with no idea of what he'd do next.
Deny her? Threaten her? Take liberties?
Each possibility was worse than the last, fear suffusing her until her fists clenched as hard as her teeth in the effort of remaining as calm as possible until he finally made up his mind—and it wasn't as bad as she'd expected.
Lifting his head, the shadow pressed a kiss against her hair a few inches above her ear, then let her go.
Relief to have freedom weighed so heavily it all but dragged her down to the floor, causing her to stumble onto her knees after only a few steps away from him.
Exhaling a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd held, her gaze turned back when Link's mimicry admitted, "I can't allow anyone to destroy the orb, but I'll consider releasing you while I'm gone."
Turning to walk away, the barrier she was trapped within wavered around him as he stepped through it and added, "In the meantime, return the favor and think about giving me a chance, too."
Zelda watched as he departed, crossing the sand and passing the Dark Orb to the double doors on the opposing side of the sanctum which shut with a resounding thud.
Once he was gone, she squeezed her eyes shut and balled her fists. Think about it? What was there to think about? Even if he let her go, it wouldn't make up for everything else he'd done, and would continue to do if left unchecked.
Still, she was surprised he'd done her the courtesy of considering her own request at all—unless he was simply lying to get her hopes up, and she certainly wouldn't put it past the shadow.
Turning to sit upon the sandy mortar of the floor with the thoughts in mind, Zelda drew up her knees and rested her arms across the tops while pressing her forehead against them. A few tears trailed down her cheeks in the process, her desperation to escape the magical prison and see Link again clouding her thoughts.
Still, perhaps she would think about Dark Link's proposal—but she knew he wouldn't like the results.