Title: Dark Link

Ch: 8

Written By: Emerald Padparadscha

He wasn't in any pain. That much was for certain. A bright white light engulfed his body and invaded his vision, allowing him to see nothing, but there was no pain. Before there had only been the brief instant of pain when the sunlight had moved over his body, but after that he found himself in what could only be called a vast white void. Whether the place be made of energy or some other power, he did not know. As far as he knew, maybe he was dead and this was his torture for eternity. Some torture.

Then again, maybe this was all normal.

Now he felt himself falling. Not a fast fall, but a slow and eventual one, as if someone was holding him and he was being set down lightly. His feet touched what felt like solid ground, and his vision was slowly coming back, shapes and forms appearing and taking shape all around him. There was a wave of dizziness that swept over him, pummeling his senses. It wasn't painful, but he didn't know how much more of it he could take. He fell to his knees in...water? There was water here where he was. Maybe he was dead. Maybe he was returning to the Water Temple to give back the magic that Ganondorf had stolen from it to create him.

He wouldn't be alive after that, would he?

Suddenly, the wave of dizziness was gone, and gravity felt like it was back to normal.

"Stand up, Dark Link." A gentle, yet strong voice commanded. Dark Link stood up slowly, focusing his vision on a robed man with a white beard and mustache. "You are not welcome here, servant of evil. Why have you come?"

"I have come for an answer." Dark Link said boldly. "I have to know, am I alive or am I..." His words failed him.

"Or are you dead?" Rauru finished the sentence for him. "Alive depends on the person. Somebody can be born, grow up, and live their life, yet have nothing to live for. Alive only depends on how they feel about it. With nothing to live for, are they dead?"

He narrowed his eyes. "And those who are created...?"

"Only you can say for certain."

Dark Link didn't say anything at that moment. If that was true, then was he really alive? He had always considered something living to have...feelings. To have skin, bone, flesh... To have a heart. If only...

Rauru began to speak again. "You risked much to come here. You are made of shadow, and it is well known that light can both create and kill shadows." He held out his hands in front of him, the Master Sword appearing in them. "You grasped the Master Sword, a weapon of light. During the transition to our dimension, you were engulfed by the light, yet not harmed by that. When you first came here you fell to your knees, and you would have died if not for the magic of the Water Temple inside of you. The light of the Spirit Temple cannot kill one of its own, and you carry with you one of its own."

"Was that why the Master Sword could not kill me?" Dark Link asked. "The Water Temple healed me, I know, because it felt some of itself inside of me."

Rauru nodded. "It is so."

"Then explain." He demanded. "Is it the Water Temple that makes me what I am? After the Water Temple healed me, I began to grow a mind of my own. Things that shouldn't have happened have happened. I have...feelings."

There. He finally brought himself around to admitting it. Strange. It wasn't as hard as he had always envisioned it being. Rauru's expression changed very little, though a small smile did appear on his thin lips, and a light seemed to illuminate his features.

"You have yet to tell the complete truth of why you are here, Dark Link." The Sage of Light said.

Dark Link hesitated for a few seconds, then clenched his fist, closing his eyes before opening them again. "I no longer want to be what I am. I want to be...alive."

"I cannot do that for you." Rauru said. "You are who you are."

"I am a monster!" Dark Link came close to shouting. "I know there is a way. If Ganondorf could create my shadow body, then there is a way to turn me..." He wasn't sure of his next words. "I don't want to be this anymore."

Rauru closed his eyes. There was a way, but it was a dangerous way. However, if Dark Link was to survive...

"There is a way." He said. "There is a risk, however. If you touch the Triforce, it will grant you that which you seek."

Dark Link listened. "What is the risk?"

Rauru nodded and continued. "If you touch it, you could possibly die. The Triforce holds the light of the three goddesses inside each of its three golden triangles. The power that it holds looks deep within the heart of whoever touches it."

"Since this body does not have a heart, then..." Dark Link understood. His shadowy body did not have a heart. The power would seek out his heart, yet not find anything. He looked up from the floor to the Sage of Light. "I'll take the risk."

Rauru nodded, then raised both of his hands toward the ceiling. Suddenly, in a golden flash, the Triforce was floating in front of him. Dark Link could not help but be captivated by the beauty of the three golden triangles. He mentally went through the names of each one. Courage. Wisdom. Power. He didn't know which one was which by looking at them now. They all appeared the same to him.

Rauru nodded for him to touch it. Dark Link lifted his hand, hesitating as it neared a few inches from the powerful relic. He closed his eyes. If he touched this, would he keep his memories? Would he know and understand what he does now? Opening his eyes, he thrust his hand forward, placing his palm on one of the triangles.

Link jumped up from his seat on the floor as he heard a familiar humming sound fill the air. His eyes locked onto the chamber where the Pedestal of Time resided, watching intently as a blue light filtered down from the ceiling and the Master Sword slowly materialized back in its rightful place, then as another figure began to materialize next to it.

It was a tall, dark haired young man with pale skin and red eyes, dressed strangely in a loose, cloth shirt tucked into a pair of black pants. He wore black boots as well, the boots resembling the travel boots that Link himself wore. He wore on his hands and arms black versions of the brown gauntlets that Link wore as well. There was an empty scabbard on his back, black the engraving of the Triforce on the upper part of it. His face was what caught Link's attention. It was a lot like his own, though with finer, more determined features.

"Dark Link...?" Link asked as he stepped forward a few steps into the chamber, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Dark Link looked at Link for a second, then held his hands out in front of him. Flesh? He was sure that was what he was looking at. Breath? He took a deep breath, feeling it as the cool air of the temple filled his lungs. Lungs? He was alive. The Triforce... The power hadn't killed him after all! He was alive! His gaze shifted and stopped when it met Link's own. The purpose that he had before...

It wasn't there. He had no urge whatsoever to... He could say that he didn't have the urge to kill Link. Had Ganondorf's rule over him been released?

"I'm alive." A smile crossed his lips.

"How...?" Link walked a little closer, wary of this newfound form of Dark Link's. Part of him wanted to reach out, to make sure this was real. He kept his hand by his side.

Dark Link met Link's gaze again, stopping the young man in his tracks. His voice came across near incredulous, as though he barely believed his own words. "The Triforce freed me."

He looked toward the Master Sword. It still had the glow that it had when he had merged his own Dark Master Sword with the sword of light. Reaching out, he placed his hand on the hilt, yet only light enough to graze against the glow of it. He lifted upward, his light touch lifting the Dark Master Sword from its double. The shadow of the sword was soon entirely separate, yet as soon as it was fully moved it began to harden, the shadow forging itself into a sword of its own. Soon, the sword appeared just as the Master Sword did, save for the hilt being the dark color black.

As he had become new, the sword had become new. Dark Link sheathed the sword in the scabbard on his back.

"The Spiritual Stones will have to be returned to their rightful holders." Link said. "The Ocarina of Time will have to be returned, too."

"Then return them." He said, as though speaking of cuccos that simply needed to be penned. "I have no need for them now."

Link nodded, then asked. "Is this what you wanted, a new body?"

Dark Link nodded.

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't have to kill you anymore. Ganondorf created me, but the Water Temple gave me other things." He replied. "There are other things in this world I would rather do than hunt after you. I couldn't do that as long as Ganondorf had any measure of hold on me."

Link watched as Dark Link started to walk away. Just as his darker half was able to go a few steps away, Link spoke up. "Where will you go now?"

"I go where I will." Was all that Dark Link said as he walked out of the Temple of Time, past the pedestal that contained the three Spiritual stones and out of the immense front entrance. "Because, now, I can."

The absence of light in the windows meant only that it was night. He noted this.

That night, Malon stood alone in the field, softly humming to herself the song that her mother had taught her many years ago. It made her feel better when she sang it, though this night felt different than any other night. Her problems any other night would have been easily sung away, and she would not have to worry much about them the morning after. She sometimes wondered why life had to be so complex. It would be much simpler if she would just close her eyes and not see anymore that had to happen.

She closed her eyes.

Yet the whinny of a familiar horse brought her to open them again.

Trotting into the pasture was none other than Epoch, saddless and bridleless, however. The great black stallion trotted over to her and lowered his head, pushing his muzzle into her hand. Malon smiled softly.

"At least you've returned to me, Epoch. How long will you stay this time?" She asked the horse as she gently patted his nose, then smoothed out his bangs to one side.

Her breath stilled in her throat and her eyes grew wide as a hand was placed on top of her own. Her eyes followed the hand upward the arm, past the shoulder... His face! She knew that face! It was the young man from her dream she had had many nights ago. She had never been able to touch him in her dream. Now, he was touching her. She knew, though, who he was. One look in those red eyes told her the truth, though there was not the evil glow in them now.

"It's you!" She said. "I know it is. But how...?"

"Only I know what I do." He replied, moving his hand off of hers and touching her cheek lightly.

He brought his lips down to hers, and she met him halfway. The kiss was just like it had been that night before, gentle with a tenderness that she never knew Dark Link possessed, even going as far as to leaving the tingling sensation that seemed to form every time she dared touch him. Everything seemed to come together for Dark Link in that sudden instant. The answers he had searched for this long time was right here, hidden in this simple action. He knew they were there. Yet, they were just beyond his reach, leaving even more questions.

He pulled away, his gaze firm with her own. He had seen her eyes many times before now, yet this time it was different. As if there was a light embedded inside. Malon placed her hand on his lightly, feeling his skin against her own. She could almost not believe that this was real. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if she was dreaming.

"You're Hylian now. What are you going to do?" She asked. "We can't keep you a secret for much longer."

"No, we can't. I'll have to find another place." He replied. "No use in waiting."

"You're not going anywhere tonight!" Malon exclaimed, her eyes widening.

He smiled. "I wasn't planning on leaving immediately."

She smiled. "Were you planning on staying in the stable as well? Now that you're Hylian, you won't find the stable as comfortable. It gets pretty cold in there, and there are these animals have to deal with sometimes. They're called fleas."

"Then what do you propose?" He asked. He had been planning on to stay in the stable as usual until later when he could search for a place of his own.

"You can stay in my room tonight. There's an extra cot in the closet you can sleep on. Dad never did like sleeping in a bed." She said.

"That's why he's downstairs?"

She nodded and smiled. She never knew what her dad had against beds, nor did she really care now. In the past she wasn't so sure, but only because she wanted her father to be comfortable. Talon was no doubt comfortable, for he slept usually nearly all day when he could. Lately since they had sent Ingo on a short, well deserved vacation he had been having to get up early to do the chores that Ingo usually did.

Dark Link looked at the cot. Sleeping wasn't usually something he did very often, not growing tired enough for sleep until at most a day or two had passed by. Even then, this was a unique change for him, his usual resting hours by day and not by night.

All the same, he knew this new body would not hold up the same as his other, more shadowy form. He had to undergo some habitual changes. Tomorrow would be a full day for him. Several things had to be learned, and several others, specifically one, had to be learned not to be feared.

The morning that followed was nothing less than a rude awakening. Dark Link's eyes flew open as the sound of a knock on the bedroom door echoed. In one swift motion he leapt from the cot, his gaze settling with a statue's cold stare on the door handle as it began to turn.

Malon yawned and stretched, sleep still daring to try and remain. She opened her eyes lazily and looked over to the cot resting beside her bed.

Empty.

She jerked around and watched as Talon opened the door and peeked into the room. She couldn't find her voice. Her dad was never awake this early! She hadn't seen Dark Link yet this morn, but that did not mean her father wouldn't! She grabbed a fistful of the blanket and gripped it hard.

"You awake, darlin'?" Talon asked, a sleepy gaze to his eyes. It was very obvious he had only awakened a small amount of time ago.

Only when she began to speak did she realize she had been holding her breath. "Y-Yes, Daddy."

"What's wrong, Malon?" He frowned. "You don't sound like yourself."

She made a fast recovery, thinking quickly as she could. "Just a little sleepy, that's all. Why are you up so early?"

"Huh?" He blinked, then remembered what he had come here for. "Oh yeah." He scratched his head. "Messenger came from the castle, said there's a bunch of cows running loose up there. I gotta go an' catch them all before they break anything. I'll probably be gone the rest of the day."

"Ok. I'll take care of things here. Be careful, Dad." She said, trying to stifle a yawn. This sort of thing seemed to happen a lot up there at the castle. There was a man in Hyrule Market that kept trying to keep cows in the back of his shop, which only caused trouble when they got out. Mostly because he couldn't handle them and someone from Lon Lon Ranch always had to be called in.

"See you tonight." He turned around and left. "Bye, honey."

As soon as Talon shut the door behind him she leapt out of bed and looked from wall to wall around the room, nothing escaping her eyes. Dark Link wasn't there! She knew he wasn't under the bed, and she definitely hadn't dreamed last night, so where was he...?

The closet door opened, and Dark Link looked out, his gaze settling on Malon. When Talon had been turning the doorknob he had reacted on his first choice, sidestepping into the nearby closet. It had worked well enough as a hiding place, even if it was almost too small for him. He had to press himself up against the wall hard just to make sure his entire body was out of view just in case the door had been opened.

Malon giggled. "I should have known not to worry." She walked up to him. "Dad's not going to be here all day. What are your plans for today?"

"Day?" He had caught onto that word well enough. "I've never been outside in the daylight."

Malon grinned. This would be like teaching a child. A very grown-up child, but a child all the same. "Then I'm going to show you what the life of a daytime person is like."