Disclaimer: I own jack-diddly squat.

Chapter 12: Motives

Hours earlier…

"Who will you have me kill?"

The shadow smiled, revealing his sharp teeth.

"Oh this is going to be delightful."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"Oh right," Dark Link clapped his hands. "I have a few things I'd like for you to do for me." The merc nodded their head in approval. "I'd like for you to go to the castle that's made of sweets and cause some mischief."

"If you've hired me to make mischief in the Candy Kingdom then you've got the wrong person. I'm a hitman, nothing more, nothing less. I'm obligated to kill my assigned targets not destroy property."

"Then let me add some incentive to that mischief. In that 'Candy Kingdom,'" He emphasized using finger quotations. "there are several targets I'd like for you to impose your will on."

"Do you not want me to kill them?" The merc held the glass in hand stirring the drink.

"Not necessarily. Kill them if you'd like or don't. I've already paid you so I don't really care. Anyway the people I want you to look out for are as follows:" He lifted his index finger. "One, a boy who dresses in blue and where's a white hat." He lifted his middle finger next. "Two, an orange dog who has the ability to shapeshift." He lifted his ring finger. "Three, the princess of said place." He then lifted his thumb. "Four, a boy that looks similar to me that is clad in green, if you're lucky enough to find him there that is. So there you go four targets that you can kill at your discretion like I said I don't care if they are dead or not so long a you make a mess of things will be good enough for me."

The merc nodded. "Very well. These terms seem very doable."

"Great!" Dark Link slapped the table. "Get to it whenever you're ready. I'll be at the kingdom to witness the chaos first hand.

...

Back to the now

Link made a turn at the corner of the hall now entering the throne room. Upon entering he saw the entrance being engulfed in smoke. Banana Guards littered the floor moaning and groaning, that at least reassured Link that they were alive. He sighed in relief.

"I'm letting them live out of sheer pity." Link snapped his head forward, Dark Link was slowly approaching him. "It'd be a waste of energy to kill idiots like these. I bet whoever made these guys wanted to get a good laugh for when stuff like this happens."

"Dark Link…" Link gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed.

"The one and only." Dark Link gave a quick bow his arm crossing his chest as he did so.

"You did this didn't you?!" Link's hands balled into fist.

"Well I didn't directly do this, the explosion that is. The laying out of the banana guards however," He rose his hand. "guilty as charged." He said with a smile. "I'm kinda wondering wondering if this is all-"

BABOOOOOSH!

Link turned behind him practically feeling the pulsations of the explosion far behind him.

"Nevermind. Guess I hired the right merc."

...

"What the flip is going on?!" Finn felt as if the entire room was moving as cabinets would having bottles and items fall out of them. Finn was doing his best to keep his balance but ultimately ended up fall on his bottom.

"Hey surfing bird," Tobi called out from the window. "If you're done dancing you might want to check this out."

Finn got up from the floor scrambling towards Tobi the see the smoke rising outside of the window.

"What the biz is goin on here?"

"That's what you should go figure out." Tobi opened the window. "I'd go with you but someone's gotta make sure the princess doesn't fall off and give herself an unintended concussion."

"Couldn't we just wake her up?"

"Nope. Princess needs her beauty sleep. Now off you go."

With a bop to the forehead Finn lost his balance and fell out of the window shouting Tobi's names as he fell.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." He landed up a thud and an audible groan. "Just fine."

Meanwhile Finn was picking himself up from the ground.

"Dumb fairy."

Finn looked around the destruction caused by the explosion wasn't all too bad. There wasn't any fire and there weren't any citizens around so that was another plus.

"Boy clad in blue? Check. White hat? Check." Spoke a robotic voice.

Finn turned to his left and saw a figure approaching him. The person was wearing a black cloak which covered their entire body and wore a metal mask that was shaped like a skull. Strapped to their side was black sword handle tucked in a black sheath.

"Target one of four…" The person unsheathed the blade revealing it to be a katana whose blade shone a bright crimson. "Acquired."

"Oh this is not good."

The figure leaped at Finn swinging slices and jabs Finn was barely able to avoid.

Oh this is bad! I left my sword back up there! Guess I only have one option.

"Hey, guy trying to kill me…" The assailant momentarily stopped. "Look behind you! It's something to distract you with!" The assailant took a crouching stance, bent their arms and raised the sword above their head pointing the blade at Finn.

"Do you take me for some sort of idiot?"

Finn laughed nervously.

That fairy just had to toss me out the window.

"Oof!" Link was unceremoniously kicked out of the castle has he began tumbling down the stairs. His Great Fairy Sword leaving his gasp as he rolled onto the floor, the sword laid beside him.

"Is this all you got?" Dark Link emerged from the top of the stairs, the Bunny Hood on his head and a monotone version of Link's Kokiri Sword in his left hand. He looked down at Link with a bored expression. "'Cause if it really is that's really sad for the Hero of Time."

Link gritted his teeth, he grasped the handle of his sword with his left his gaze never leaving Dark Link as he stood up on one knee.

Even though we're both wearing the Bunny Hood he's still able to outspeed me. Not only that but he's able to defend against the Great Fairy Sword just with his version of the Kokiri Sword.

"You want to keep going?" Dark Link tilted his head, a mischievous grin adorned his face. "My, what a glutton for punishment you are."

Dark Link leaped down the stairs his sword raised high over his head as he got closer to Link he brought the sword down looking to hit Link with a vertical slice which he was able to defend.

"Good." Using the momentum from the leap Dark Link curved his legs upward and vaulted over Link landing behind him and dealt a solid kick to Link's spine causing him to grunt and pain and knocking him a few inches forward. "But not good enough."

Link was now having to take deep breaths, a sign of his fatigue, while Dark Link seemed as if he wasn't even phased from this fight. Dark Link smiled, he placed a hand on his hip. "Out of breath already?" He nonchalantly waved his sword at Link to make pointing gestures. "Were you really trying against me? 'Cause I sure as hell am not!" He snickered, earning a low growl from Link.

"If you think you're so much stronger than me why do you bother toying with me?!"

"And there's the million dollar word right there, 'why'." He chuckled to himself. "Why do I do any of the things I do? Destroy people's homes and lives? Lay mayhem to kingdoms? Do as I please without a care for anyone else? I'll tell you 'why' I do it. But before I do…" Dark Link puts away his sword and pulls out his ocarina. "Allow me to play a quick song."

He then plays the Song of Inverted Time, Link, readying to sprint at Dark Link stops as he doesn't feel the wave of time slowing but rather he feels it slightly increasing.

"I restored the flow of time back to normal. Kinda getting sick of these long days."

"When did you slow it down to begin with?!"

"Oh, you weren't there when I did it. Hence why you didn't feel any faster than the rest of the people in this dimension."

"So that's how you were able to outspeed me."

Dark Link chuckles. "Ha, no. I outspeed you because I'm better than you."

Link grits his teeth as he puts away his sword and pulls out his Zora Mask.

"I'm gonna make you regret ever saying those words."

He puts on the mask, with a quick scream and a flash of white light, he transforms into Zora Warrior Link.

"How cute, you have a Zora Mask too. But it's really sad though. Even though it's supposed to be a warrior that's all it will ever be, cute." Dark Link pulls out a mask similar to Link's only the color is more of an alluring dark blue and the markings on it a glowing crimson red. The eyes instead of being a deep blue were a deep red resembling that of blood with a glossy black in the middle acting as the pupil. "Let me show you MY Zora transformation." Be began to snicker, revealing that familiar toothy grin, as his right hand slow slid the mask over his face.

Link watched as the mask covered Dark Link's face. His low snickers becoming howls of laughter as his head shot up as his laughter like screams continued revealing his sharp teeth and now vampiric set of fangs. A blinding white light emanated from him causing Link to momentarily look away until it subsided.

In the place of Dark Link now stood a taller, slender, figure in the form of a Zora, eyes closed. The once light blue Zora scale color was that of a dark midnight blue giving off an alluring sheen accented by the body's muscular physique. The shape of Dark Link's hat seemed to infuse with the Zora head, much like Link's, difference being that Dark Link's curved back allowing the tip of the head fin to touch his back. Much like Link's, part way through the head the scale color turned from midnight blue to a shadow black. The same coloring is seen on the arm fins but the shape is more sharper, similar to that of a thick cutlass. On his body hung ivory chains that wrapped around his torso in the shape of an 'X'. The right side of his torso being adorned with Zora tribal markings that glowed crimson. Around his waist was a thin, black, spiked belt which held up what would appear to the lower half of Dark Link's tunic which only covered up to the middle of his thighs. He wore black, steel-toed, boots that left a few inches between them and the bottom of his knees. His gauntlets reached up to the base of his elbows and appeared to be made of a rusted bronze. The finger tips being sharpened to a fine point appearing as if they were diamond tipped. He tilted his head slightly to the right, an audible crack was heard. He opened his eyes slightly, revealing his blood red irises and black pupils.

"So," His voice sounded like he was communicating through a water filter. "you still think your Zora form stands a chance against mine?" He gave a sly smile revealing the miniature dagger like teeth but more importantly the now vampiristic fangs that left Link unnerved to no end. "What's the matter Linky?" He stuck his hip out the the side and placed a hand on it. "Are you getting flustered by my boyish cute smile?" Link shook his head, regaining his focus, he fixed his gaze at Dark Link, positioning himself into a fighting stance. "Oh, what's this now?" Dark Link put a hand on his chin looking intrigued. "Lil' Zora Link's barring his fangs. Isn't that just precious."

Link stomped his foot forward, summoning the electric field around him. He stayed in this position allowing the electricity to grow in intensity.

"So your Zora has the power to create electricity. I'm assuming this as something to do with your affinity to magic. So what do you plan to do with all that electricity?"

"I'll show you."

Link used the electricity to push himself forward. He brought arms to his side, cupping his right hand into a fist and placing his left hand over his right, the electricity beginning to flow into his right hand and travel into his arm and fin. Dark Link smiled as he brought his hand up and taunted Link to come at him. Link shot his arm forward shooting out a lightning bolt in the mold of his fist.

"Alright… My turn." He turned his hand so his palm was facing Link. He bent his fingers to have his hand mold into a claw. He smiled before his hand shot out being followed by a chain. Link gasped, he dug his heels into the ground in an attempt to stop his momentum but was unable to and the claw dig itself onto his chest. The chain reeled in Dark Link, lifting him off the ground allowing him to avoid Link's lighting fist.

As Dark Link closed in on Link the claw released itself from Link, reeling back to Dark Link's wrist and reattaching itself. He reeled his fist back and unleashed a devastating uppercut to Link's stomach once he got close enough. The impact lifted Link off his feet leaving him stunned. Dark Link now had one foot forward and the other back, using his back leg he turned a quarter counterclockwise from his position enabling himself to move to Link's side. He bared his fangs, in a quick movement, he dug them into Link's neck causing Link to jerk his head up wanting to release a scream of pain but unable to. Dark Link retracted himself, the trails of blood seeping from his fangs. Link fell with a thud, his teeth gritted, his eyes were wide open, his pupils were constricted and his body trembled.

What's going on?! I can't move!

"That numbing, paralyzing, sensation you're feeling right now is a specialty of the Zora of my world." Dark Link proceeded to remove his mask, reverting back to his original form. "Years of war taught them to either adapt or die, can you guess which they chose?" He looked at Link expectantly only to watch him continue suffering on the ground. "Here let me help you." Dark Link reached down, placing his hand on Link's face, he removed the mask off of Link, reverting him back to normal but he was still suffering. "They began drinking small amounts of paralysis poison and soon developed an immunity to it and later on were able to secrete said poison from their fangs. Be lucky that it's temporary otherwise I'd have to bury you alive."

Link attempted to form some kind of words but only let out strained grunt.

"Trying to speak are we? My, you are incredibly strong willed." He began to walk before he twirled and turned to look at Link. "So I'll tell ya what, I won't tell ya the meaning behind the mask forged by a goddess but I'll tell ya more about the Triforce of Chaos." He shows the back of his left hand to Link, the dark glow returning to his hand. "I have no doubt that you've encountered shards similar to mine. That's because there is a total seven Shards of Chaos spread across this land. Each shard has a certain aspect of chaos and those who interact with it have that aspect amplified until one of two things happen. Either the user resonates with the shard and the affinity syncs or the shard overloads the affinity and all life force of the user is drained into the shard. The affinity is based on the shard's aspect of chaos which can range from many things, not that I'd tell you them. One other thing, when these affinities sync the shard amplifies that aspect even to the point where it will consume the user if they aren't careful."

Dark Link began to walk away, he waved his hand back at Link without turning back.

"Have fun figuring out those aspects. I know what they are but I sure as hell won't tell you. Oh and to answer your question from before…" He stopped, turned his head back, looking over his shoulder. "I do it because I can." He turned his head back and continued walking.

No get back here!

It wouldn't be long before Dark Link was out of sight.

"Running, running, running!"

Behind Finn a vast array of explosions went off. Finn was still being chased by his assailant as he was running around the castle in hopes of finding any entrance.

"Quit running you coward!"

"Somebody help me!"

The wall next to Finn burst open, now separating Finn and his assailant. Out from the wall came Jake.

"Finn you here?! After the explosion I cleared out the candy folk from the castle then I went to check up on you but the fairy said you were running around the castle!" Jake shouted this while turning his head looking for Finn.

"Jake you're here!" Finn ran up to Jake.

"Oh so you are here. That fairy told me you jumped out of the window when that explosion went off. That wasn't very smart Finn."

Finn could feel his vein popping out of his forehead. "Oh, that's what he told you?" Finn spoke through a very annoyed smile. "That I 'jumped' out of the window?"

"So who's this robo dude?"

"Orange dog? Check." The assailant held the sword in front of them horizontally.

"That's the guy blowing up the Candy Kingdom." Finn readied himself for a fight.

"Alright then," Jake cracked his knuckles before growing his fists to large proportions. "Let's teach this bozo robo a lesson."

"Ability to shapeshift? Check." The blade began to vibrate intensely, turning from bright crimson to a dark blood red.

"Time to go Jake!" Finn quickly grabbed Jake and began running.

The assailant swung its blade in doing so this triggered multiple explosions to go off in front of them.

"What the heck was that?" Jake stretched his neck back seeing the explosion behind them.

"Its that dude's sword. Whenever it turns dark red like that every swing he makes causes an explosion."

"Wow that's nuts!"

"Yeah and I don't have my sword so the best thing to do was run. But now that you're here that gives me an idea."

"What do you mean- Oh! Oh that's your idea." He said annoyingly.

"Come on Jake, it's our best bet for beating this guy."

Jake sighed in defeat. "Alright fine." He then began to stretch himself over Finn. Finn lept forward, rolling into a ball before springing up and turned to face the assailant as he continued to skid forward from the momentum previously, he was now wearing Jake, a very muscular Jake.

"Jake Suit time!"

The assailant stopped in their. "What turn of events…" The assailant held the blade vertically in front of them. "This changes the mission not. Eliminate the boy dressed in the magic dog."

The assailant stabbed the blade into the ground causing three separate fissures to protrude from the impact and rush towards Finn and Jake.

"That ain't nothing!" Finn grabbed hold of the ground, lifting out a large portion of it to use as a wall. The fissures reached the wall and exploded on impact, sending Finn a few feet away and damaging Jake in the process.

"Mua! Minn mose exmosions murt."

"Sorry Jake. Just had to test the limits. Now let's go to town on this guy."

Finn lept forward, soaring across the sky now standing before his assailant. It wasn't able to react fast enough as Finn morphed his hand into a mallet and hammered the assailant into the ground. He then morphed his other hand into a mallet and began wailing on the initial spot.

"Not so tough now are ya?"

"Minn! Mpahp! Maph meel maph hanns mehting mup."

"What do you mean by that?" Just then another explosion went off in the hole Finn was attacking knocking him onto his back, steam emanating from him.

"Consider yourselves lucky." The assailant sheathed its blade. "I was not expecting my targets to make such a fierce combo. But make no mistake, though I've been paid I will have my mettle tested against you."

The assailant jumped back, falling into the crater below disappearing into a puff of smoke.

"You're just lucky I didn't have my sword…" Finn grumbled under his breath.

Dusk began to fall on the kingdom as it had been hours later since the minor assault, minor in comparison to Dark Link's first assault. Link, Finn, and Jake were recuperating in the Nursing Ward of the castle. Finn and Jake received bandages and wraps meanwhile Link was laying in bed still unable to move. He could speak however.

"So you were attacked by an assassin?"

"Yeah and he had this crazy sword that blew stuff up." Jake explained. "So I had to do all the fighting while Finn jumped inside me and turned me into a suit."

Finn shot up up from his bed. "I wouldn't have had to do that if someone didn't push me out the window!"

"Could you guys keep it down." Tobi said. "Your Flame Princess needs her beauty sleep."

"Flame Princess is still sleeping?" Link asked.

"Ya but this is sleep, sleep, and not recovery sleep."

"Any idea when she's gonna wake up?" Finn asked.

"Don't know, I'll ask her. Hey Flame Princess when you gonna wake up?" All that came from Flame Princess were the quite roaring of her flames and light snoring. "Well there you go Finn. There's your answer."

"Real swell Tobi." Finn rolled his eyes.

"So Link," Tobi started. "you got your ass handed to you by a self professed king of thieves, got neck bit by your shadow doppelganger, and now you're a vegetable laying in bed. Where do you plan on going from here?"

"Just as supportive as ever Tobi." Link let out with a sigh. "Dark Link said that there are seven shards. We have two and he has one. If we can find the other four and get his we can destroy the shards before they become a problem."

"Oooor," Tobi offered. "instead of collecting them we hunt them down and destroy them one by one."

"How about we noooot…?"

"And why not? Seems like the most sensible thing to do."

"Also the most foolish thing to do." Everyone one, except for Link, turned towards the doorway and saw Princess Bubblegum. "These shards are extremely volatile. Trying to destroy one of those is like throwing gasoline can into a burning oven, it won't end well."

"Well so much for search and destroy. So Bubblegum, how are things with you?"

Bubblegum rubbed the back of her neck. "The minor damages have been fixed and I've managed to calm all the citizens before things got too out of hand. How are things with you guys."

"I'm great." Finn raised his hand.

"I could be a little better." Jake added.

"You got any snacks?"

"I still can't move."

*snore*

Bubblegum felt a sweatdrop. "Well that's… something. Anyway I came up here to talk to Link. I never showed you the radar did I?"

Link blinked. "Oh yeah. So can you show us it."

"Of course." Bubblegum reached into her pocket and pulled out a thick, rectangular device and held it high. The device showed a black screen in the middle of it and to the sides were buttons. To the left was a button in the shape of a 't' and to the right of that were two unmarked circle buttons. Next to the lower left screen corner were two small, rubber, circles, one placed above the other. The upper right and left corners of the device had unmarked bumper buttons. "Behold!"

"So that's it huh?" He couldn't quite put his finger on it but to Link in seemed so familiar.

"Yup. I call it the Global Bedlam Acquisition Radar."

"I'm gonna call it GBA for short. Rolls off the tongue better." Tobi turns to Link. "Wouldn't you agree, Link?"

"Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Well call it by which ever suits you. Be sure to stop by the lab in the morning so I can debrief you on the intricate aspects of the Global Bedlam Acquisition Radar."

"You mean GBA." Tobi interjected.

"Sure Tobi, the GBA… Actually now that I think about it that does roll off the tongue quite well."

"Wait, in the morning?" Link asked.

"I've already made accommodations for you and Flame Princess to stay the night here." Bubblegum stepped aside, allowing two Banana Guards to enter the room. One carried ordinary blankets and pillows while the other carried tinfoil in the shape of sheets and a pillow. "You can stay here too if you'd like Finn and Jake."

"Woohoo! Sleepover!"

Dusk turned to night, the full moon hung high in the heavens radiating its lunar light upon the sleeping denizens of the Candy Kingdom. However, not everyone was able to share in the same blissful slumber. A lone boy sat up in his make-shift hospital bed. He looked out at the window watching the lunar orb with an empty gaze, it was Link. He regained movement of his body sometime ago and now just felt stiff. As of recently, his body had demanded that he rest whenever he could as compensation for all the sleepless nights from his last adventure. It was however on nights like these he would find himself staying awake through the whole night, unable to sleep. He would lose himself to the lunar glare.

Lose himself to the memories of a destroyer overlooking the world of Termina.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"..."

"Do you remember the power we had?"

He turned from the moon, in his lap was the Fierce Deity Mask.

"Do you remember how we easily overpowered Majora?"

Link felt his hand clutch into fists, his arms trembling.

"Don me so that we may lay waste to that shadow."

"NO!" His forceful shout was enough to cause a stir in the beds around Link. He looked at Jake's bed. He was still asleep. The turned to look at Finn's bed. He was still asleep. He sighed in relief, he was glad everyone was still sleeping.

"L-Link?"

Almost everyone.

Link quickly threw the mask under his sheets and looked to his left. A few beds from him was Flame Princess sitting up in her tinfoil bed rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Did I wake you up, Flame Princess? I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." She yawned while stretching her arms. "I shouldn't be sleeping for too long anyway. What time is it anyway?"

"Three o'clock at night, around that time."

"Three at night?! Have you been awake this whole time?" Link said nothing. He only nodded his head answering her question. "Is something bothering you?" He didn't respond. "You can tell me. If it'll make you feel better."

"...You wouldn't believe me anyway."

"And why's that?" LInk looked at the bed in front of him and saw that Finn was sitting up, awake. "Me and Flame Princess have been through a few things some people might not believe themselves. So if you think what's bothering you is really that hard to believe why not tell us about it."

He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Have you ever… wanted to help everyone you could?"

He began telling the two of his 'three day' adventure in Termina. Telling of his force transformation into a Deku to retrieving the tormented souls of Darmani and Mikau. He went to explain the anguish and at times depression the world's denizens faced with the looming threat of death floating above them in the form of the moon. But he had specifically gone into detail of his ability of traveling back in time and repeating the three day cycle. How at times no matter what he did, what he accomplished, who he helped had all surmised to nothing as once he reset time everyone forgot all about him, as if he was never there. No matter how much he explained to them about what he did and what they were going to do, no one would ever believe him and the events would continue going on an endless loop waiting for him to act or not act.

Finn was at a loss for words. Despite all the known heros throughout Ooo's history none have ever faced situations like these, let alone himself. He was always one to follow his heroic instincts and heart but at times that only lead to ruin. Those instances always left him feeling confused and conflicted but never on such a scale like this. Having to literally repeat history without anyone saying anything about it was sheer lunacy not to mention the sheer amount of events that would transpire within those three days would be too much even for him. He could even handle an entire day of adventure let alone three.

As for Flame Princess she didn't really know what to make of the whole thing. Until recently, she spent her entire life trapped in a lamp so the outside world was still new to her. But this seemed like way too much even for her. Even though she has no experience whatsoever in situations like this she could at the very least be a metaphorical shoulder for him to lean on.

"But you helped a lot of people, right? They must be better off now than they were before if you chose not to help them, right?"

At least that's what she wanted to offer but her lack of experience with situations like this proved she hadn't really helped too much.

Finn, however, couldn't help but feel there was something else bothering Link. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Like there was something Link was repressing something having to do with these events, much like how Finn once repressed his anger and confusion with the relationship between him and Bubblegum.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you want to talk about? Did something else happen?"

Link froze up. His hands now gripping the mask that was underneath the sheets.

"Will you tell them about me?"

That eventful fourth day where he was eaten by the moon.

The day that he confronted and ended Majora.

The day where he encountered the Fierce Deity Mask.

"I-I gotta go…" Link shifted out of the bed, pressing the mask against him as so they couldn't see it. "But thank you. It helps just to have someone listen."

He left the room as he walked aimlessly down the dark hallway his eyes now fixated on the mask in his hands.

"Why do you shun me? I can give you the power you desire…"

"Yeah I know you can… But that kind of power isn't something I should freely use. I know what you're capable of. I won't let you overtake someone like you nearly did me."