Ezoren Forest

Cold woke Link. Inside the cramped cave, he sat up as best he could. To his surprise, it was dark outside.

The reason why became evident when he felt a drop of chilly water fall onto his cheek. Brushing it away with his fingers, he peered outside in time to see the heavens open and rain spill out onto the earth. The ailing trees didn't offer much protection from the elements, and the cave was damp and cold.

Link shivered. Reaching for his cloak, he was careful not to disturb Navi, who was curled into a ball inside his hat. Fairies hated the cold. To ensure she stayed warm, he used his pack to block an opening in the back of the cave.

The fire had obviously gone out, but he managed to start a new one just inside the entrance with some spare, dry kindling. Link pulled up his hood and left a few glass bottles lying in the rain to collect the fresh water.

Staring up at the sky, Link felt the gods must have heard some of his plight. Rain hadn't fallen in weeks, but now it fell in increasingly heavy curtains. Tightening the cloak around his shoulders, Link hurried up the slope of dirt nearby and walked back through the forest. He intended to go back to Ezoren and see what else he could find. Just as he reached the outskirts of the village, however, he heard others approaching.

He ducked behind a tree, his dark cloak concealing his tell-tale green clothing amongst the dead leaves and bracken. It still saddened him—this time of year it should be green and bright in the forest.

He managed to pick out several people's voices. It wasn't moblins that approached him now. All the voices were human and female. Watching from his hiding place, Link saw a large group of Gerudo coming up the road.

"Search the houses." A woman wearing a thick, crimson cloak ordered the others. Her dress was more formal, and her armor was intricately detailed. She must be the leader.

He scanned the group, mentally tallying the number of guards, horses, and attendants. It was probably one of the guard patrols he'd heard of in Kakariko. The citizens of the village were constantly wary of them.

The woman in red turned to her subordinates, the only ones who weren't searching the village. She gave them an order he didn't hear, as the rain was coming down harder than ever, and thunder had begun to rumble in the distance. Deciding that there would be nothing left in Ezoren for him, Link moved to sneak back to the cave and rouse Navi. Better they be gone lest the Gerudo searched the woods next.

"Ahh!"

A cry caught his attention and he looked up. His eyes widened in shock when he realized the Gerudo had two prisoners with them. The one who had cried out, a young woman, had been struck as punishment, apparently for speaking to her fellow prisoner. In her defence, the other prisoner, a young man, swung for the guard despite his shackles. She easily defended herself, laughing at his efforts.

Link weighed his options. Navi would surely caution him against such a tactic, but he couldn't leave the two captives to fend for themselves. He wasn't sure where they were being taken, but it couldn't be good.

Ignoring the inner voice of Navi, Link moved away from the trees, darting stealthily to the nearest house. The prisoners were resting just outside the village, their guards standing nearby. Link was concocting a plan of attack in his head when it happened.

"It's freezing," Sienna murmured, her small frame shaking as lightning struck overhead.

"I'm sorry," Dark replied, wishing his hands weren't bound so he could hold her and keep her warm.

She glanced at him, hot tears streaming down her face. Her expression was earnest, pleading. "Dark, I'm so sorry…" she began.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Quiet!"

The guard who had slapped Sienna rounded on her again, causing her to cry out in pain. Anger seethed in him at seeing what would soon be a bruise mark her cheek.

"Don't touch her!" he shouted at the Gerudo, who gave him a nasty grin before punching him square in the jaw.

Knocked back into a tree, he heard a crack. Whether it was the trunk or his skull, he wasn't sure. Her mocking laughter stung his ears, and he felt something inside him change.

It wasn't imagined, but a physical force that released itself. He sensed it all throughout his body, something foreign yet instinctual molded itself to his skeleton like a contamination. Power surged through his bones, giving him free rein.

He lunged at the woman, his hands outstretched. Shock painted itself onto her face and he felt a grim satisfaction as he disarmed her. Screaming and scratching, his helpless prey fell, his new friend searching out all the vulnerable points on her body. They glowed like bull's-eyes. She struggled to get away, hands clawing at the mud uselessly. He straddled her, trapping her, one hand raised above her face as if to strike.

"Dark!"

A woman's shriek, full of terror. The haze cleared when he pinpointed the voice as Sienna's. The unrelenting force he felt dimmed. The electricity he knew to be magic was still there, though he'd never felt anything quite like it. There was the second force there, too. The corruption. Panicked, his eyes locked onto hers.

He now recognized the look on her face as fear, and he paused to wonder how he had unbound his wrists and managed to disarm a highly skilled warrior with his bare hands.

"What?" His voice was shaky, rough.

In his palm was an orb of magical energy, one he'd been prepared to launch straight into the woman's skull. The strange thing was the energy itself—he'd never seen anything like it before.

It was inky black, the wispy and semi-transparent consistency of smoke. Inside the ball of magic was a secondary source of energy, one that resembled orange lightning. It moved incessantly inside the smoke, sparking then changing direction. He felt as if he held a miniature storm between his fingers. The inner energy crackled and danced, eager to be let out of its prison.

Dark broke out of his trance as hands pulled him off the terrified woman. The rest of the Gerudo surrounded him. His would-be victim rose to her feet, eyeing him with pure shock. Imara's was the first face he saw.

Her hazel eyes glittered as she stood nose to nose with him.

"How in the name of Din did you do that?" she whispered, very softly through clenched teeth.

Dark stared back at her, as confused and surprised as the rest of them. "I—"

Interrupted, a whistling arrow almost speared straight through Imara's nose. She leaped back, spinning to face the attacker. Dark took advantage of her distraction.

He ducked, executing a spin kick that knocked Imara off balance. Fingers closing around the hilt of her curved blade, he pulled it from its sheath and brandished it at those still standing. It was chaos—he was attacked from every angle at every possible opening.

He quickly found himself circled, but he wasn't giving up. A body collided with his back, not hard enough to knock him prone, but enough to surprise him. He realized this wasn't a Gerudo but the mysterious archer. Back to back, the pair held off the Gerudo's attacks.

"Who are you!?" Dark asked over the commotion, the thunder roaring on in the distance.

"Think of me as a friend!" the newcomer replied.

Dark spun, parrying a blow that would have struck the stranger's blind spot. The other man shouted his thanks as he readjusted his position. From his new vantage point, Dark could see the man wore a dark cloak that concealed all of his features. He handled himself well; he wasn't as experienced with a blade as Dark, but he couldn't help but admire the other man's techniques. With some curiosity, Dark noted that the stranger was, like him, left-handed.

Despite this, the pair was quickly losing the battle. Coming to the same conclusion, the other man asked him, "Can't you do that little trick you did before?"

"I can try," Dark muttered, raising a fist and willing the black orb to appear again. Nothing happened. He shook his fist vigorously, hissing curses under his breath. "It's not working!"

The stranger sheathed his weapon in one fluid movement. "Cover me!" he demanded, moving his own hands in a distinct pattern.

Dark didn't have time to ask what he was doing before he crouched, pounding a fist into the soggy earth. To Dark's amazement, a dome of fire bloomed from the point of impact and stretched outwards. Even with the storm above, the magic didn't waver.

Shrieking, the Gerudo were forced to flee or be burned to ashes by the spell. He could hear Imara screeching over the storm, ordering the others to head for Castle Town.

At a safe distance from the fire, she glanced back at Dark. He shot her a devilish smile, giving her a cheerful wave as she mounted her horse. She grinned back, her eyes narrowing as if to say, this isn't over.

Link watched with slight amusement as the Gerudos fled. Navi would have his head for being so reckless.

He straightened from his crouched position, the spell having faded away. The man and woman stood nearby. His fighting partner unbound the girl, pulling her into his arms. She reached her hands up to touch his face, pulling him down for a kiss. Feeling uncomfortable, Link averted his gaze.

He had to admit, they were a strange couple. Not so much her; she had curly brown hair and sweet green eyes, which weren't uncommon features. But he was somewhat strange-looking. He had jet black hair and darker skin, which was a rarity, and intense blue eyes. He looked to be a few years older than Link, perhaps in his twenties.

He was also clearly accustomed to battle. The man moved with the sinuous grace of a predator, and his physique was evidence of long hours of practice. A light came on in Link's brain, and he remembered his earlier conversation with Navi.

The stranger interrupted his thoughts, moving to stand in front of him. He adopted a rigid posture, arms crossed over his chest. He was clearly wary of Link. He was glad for the hood that obscured his face as the stranger's eyes pierced him.

"You can cast Din's Fire," the dark-haired man remarked, as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Link laughed nervously. "Yes, I can."

"Who are you?" he asked warily. "Why did you help us?"

Link was surprised by the question. "You're Hylians, and they'd captured you. I fight against Ganondorf," he explained, not certain it was wise to reveal his identity.

The man raised his eyebrows. "By yourself?" he asked skeptically.

"I've been doing all right so far," Link replied, trying to be funny.

The man gave him a calculating stare. Link felt awkward being appraised. The stranger was distrustful of him; it was only logical. It seemed that trust was hard to come by these days. Link frowned. He'd missed a lot of Hyrule's transformation.

"My name is Link," he offered, hoping to create some goodwill.

The dark-haired stranger regarded him with a hint of surprise. He at last uncrossed his arms, his stance relaxing. "I'm Dark."

"Sienna," the young woman offered. "Thank you for helping us." She shot a meaningful look at her companion, as if reproaching him for being rude.

Link smiled with relief. He nodded in acquiescence of her thanks. "Where are you headed?" he inquired. They exchanged a glance, neither one offering an answer. Link tried again, "Kakariko village isn't far from here. It's where I'm headed. I could take you there."

Dark clicked his tongue. "Not Kakariko, there's probably Gerudo swarming the place. We can't afford to be captured again."

"I know of someplace safe," Link assured him. "I'm trying to avoid them as well."

Dark gave him a curious glance. "What do they want you for?"

"Like I said, I'm fighting against Ganondorf," Link said, dodging an outright answer.

The stranger narrowed his eyes, but his attention was diverted when his companion shivered in the cold. Stooping low, he gathered the girl to his chest, lifting her off the ground and carrying her towards the village. Link followed silently.

A small, one-room building was the closest. It was neglected, but at least the roof wasn't leaking. Once inside, Link hunted for firewood. All three of them were soaked and freezing, and Link had spotted a small wood-burning stove in the corner.

He pulled out a dusty box of chopped logs and started rearranging them in the belly of the stove. Before he could, Dark knelt next to him and started the fire, snapping his fingers together to produce a flame. It quickly caught and soon the fire was roaring, heating up the small space. Link looked over at him.

"You can use magic?" he asked.

Magic-users weren't uncommon, but it wasn't a simple task to create fire from nothing. Din's Fire was a powerful spell; it was probably why the stranger had been so shocked that Link could produce it.

Dark's eyes flitted to Link's face. His deep blue irises seemed almost indigo in the fire's brightness. "Fire is my element."

Without further comment, Dark rose and ushered the girl, Sienna, onto the nearby bed. It was a small cot, and the only other furniture in the room aside from a lopsided wooden chair. She protested, but he insisted, urging her to lie down and get some rest. Link watched them with curiosity as Dark retrieved an old blanket and threw it around Sienna's shoulders.

Striding across the small room, Link retrieved the chair and offered it to the stranger. Dark eyed it, his features betraying his exhaustion. He collapsed into the chair, lying next to Sienna, who had rapidly given in to her own weariness.

Standing near the stove, Link studied the man, unable to brush off the lingering feelings of curiosity he felt.

"You clearly know how to handle a blade well," Link commented. He hoped to steer the conversation toward fighting. The earlier tussle with the Gerudo had reminded Link of his need to find a teacher.

The stranger chuckled. "I've practiced for many years. Sadly, my blade was left in Termina when they took us."

"Termina?" Link said, confused.

The stranger gave him a surprised look. "A country east of Hyrule. Sienna and I lived there for many years. We left Hyrule before the war started."

Link nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Where are you from, then?" he asked.

"Tellura," he responded dully. "North of Kakariko."

Dark's eyes were fixed on the flames. His black hair was plastered across his face, and his cloak hung limp and soaking around his shoulders. His posture betrayed his fatigue, and his eyes seemed distant and empty.

Shivering in his own clothes, Link stood to remove his cloak, hanging it over the fire where it would dry. When he turned to suggest that Dark do the same, his head lifted and their eyes met. Dark's eyes widened.

It took all of his willpower not to audibly gasp. He'd seen those exact same eyes before. Sure his features held unmasked shock, Dark composed himself as if nothing was amiss.

The memory of a blonde-haired woman had slammed into his mind, her smiling face distorted by the bright glare of the sun. His mother's features were cloudy in his memory, but her eyes were crystal clear. They had been a bright, ocean blue. The same as his new friend's.

Dark had known it the second he'd had a good look at Link's face.

Link was his brother.

His stare unnerved Link. Though he tried to hide it, Dark's expression had visibly changed, betraying his shock. Link crouched slowly, sitting next to the fire where he could keep it burning. Dark continued to watch him, his expression cycling through untold emotions.

"You remind me of someone."

Link blinked, surprised at what he had just said. It had spilled out in a rush; he hadn't even thought about it.

Dark gazed silently at him, not commenting. Above them, angry raindrops assaulted the roof of their tiny shelter, millions of water warriors charging down from the heavens. Their battle cry went unanswered in the tiny house, quiet enough now to pass for a tomb.

Dark sat slouched in his chair, his damp clothes making him shiver occasionally. His cloak was covered in mud from the road, and the circles under his eyes were a testament to his lack of sleep.

Link had steered his gaze to the closed window, miraculously intact. Studying the rivulets of water chasing each other across the panes, he waited out the storm, ignoring the persisting sense of familiarity he felt about Dark.

"Who?"

Dark's voice was hoarse, but soft. Link turned to him, hearing the bone-deep enervation in his tone. His eyes were full of some unnamed emotion, words he wanted to say but didn't. Or couldn't.

"I don't know," Link answered honestly, unsure why Dark's following silence made him feel so grieved, like he had lost something.

Once again, the dark-haired man was staring into the fire, so Link asked a question that had been burning in the back of his mind.

"How did you do that? Before, with the strange magic in your hands."

Dark's eyes returned to Link's, his tortured expression making Link feel—absurdly—sorrow. Dark opened his mouth to reply, no longer caring that his weariness, confusion, anger, fear and grief lay plainly on his face.

"I don't know."

~oOo~

Hyrule Field

"Remind me again why I shouldn't be furious with you?" Navi demanded, her wings fluttering with barely subdued rage.

Link stood near the bank of Zora's river, somewhat replenished from the earlier rainfall. Navi sat upon his shoulder, regarding their new traveling companions with distrust. She hadn't been pleased when Link had returned to the forest cave with two strangers and the admission that he had encountered a band of Gerudo warriors.

"I did something useful, Navi," Link defended himself. "Doesn't that count for something after being able to do nothing at all to help the Zoras?"

Navi sighed. "You're not a failure just because there was nothing you can do. You're compensating for it by risking your life to save two strangers."

"I thought I was supposed to protect people?" Link countered. "Besides, he could teach me. Think of this as a fortunate turn of events."

Navi huffed. "If he's really as good as you say he is. I don't know, he gives me the chills."

Link glanced over at Dark and Sienna. They were filling canteens full of water, talking in whispers to each other. "He's a little strange," Link conceded.

Navi nodded in agreement. "He kind of looks like you," she noted, arching a brow.

Link whipped his head around. "He does?"

"I'm telling you," Dark insisted, twisting the lid on his canteen. "There's no mistaking it."

"I suppose there is a resemblance…" Sienna remarked, peering over her shoulder at the blonde teenager. "He'd be the right age, from the looks of him."

"It's him, just like Fierce said." Dark strapped the canteen to his belt, walking back up the river's bank.

Sienna laid a hand on his arm. "Dark, be sure. If you're going to say anything to him…"

Dark paused. Weeks ago, he'd decided against seeking out the brother Fierce had revealed was still alive. But now fate had crossed their paths. They'd met, and the decision rested with him.

Dark was certain that Link had no idea who he was—how could he? Watching Link, he could see eerie similarities between the two of them, though they had grown up worlds apart.

Now that he was here, in the flesh, Dark's optimistic side wanted to reveal the truth to Link. The young man mere feet away was quite possibly his only family; Dark's flesh and blood right in front him.

But he also knew that Link's destiny veered from his own. If what Fierce had said was true, his brother's shoulders were already burdened with impossible tasks. Could Dark really add to it? There was no telling how Link would react to the news.

Sienna's eyes were full of concern for him. She could see the struggle going on inside without asking. Her hand reached for his.

"It's all right," she murmured.

Dark sighed, angling his body towards hers and resting his forehead against her hair. She continued to reassure him, but it didn't relieve the guilt he felt, keeping the truth from Link. Nor did it ease the hurt of being denied a sibling his whole life, only to have to hold himself back.

They rejoined Link and his—rather irritating, in Dark's opinion—fairy companion. Navi clearly didn't like him, though he couldn't understand fairy language as Link could.

They began their journey towards Kakariko, Dark walking beside Link and forcing himself not to say anything. From the corner of his eyes, he stole glances at his brother, knowing that it puzzled and most likely unnerved him.

I'll tell you, Dark thought, studying Link's profile. When the time is right.