Title: Dark Link

Ch: 11

Written By: Emerald Padparadscha

The next morning, Dark Link saw the Water Temple fit enough to leave it alone. For a while, at least. Epoch's slow, steady walk relaxed him greatly. The road was long still, and the morning was swiftly turning into afternoon. The sun bore down upon him none too heavily, the day neither cold or hot. Only warmth could be felt. He almost felt sleepy as he rode. He shook his head and straightened up his seating position, rubbing his eyes once with his right hand. Falling asleep didn't seem like a good idea at the moment to him.

His attention was caught on an object just down the road from him, heading his way. No, it was more than an object. It was a horse, a brown and white mare, and it's rider was one that Dark Link could recognize more easily than he could his own boots. Link.

The two pulled up their mounts beside on another on the road, their gazes locked intently into each other's own. The silence was broken only by Epona's impatient pawing of the ground. After what seemed like nearly five minutes of silence on the part of both, Link was the first to speak.

"Everything going well?" He asked.

Dark Link nodded. "Well enough." He narrowed his eyes. "What are you, my babysitter?"

"I see you've gotten the hang of sarcasm." Link said to him. "I wouldn't be talking to you if it weren't for Talon. He's gone missing this morning."

"He's not missing." Dark Link replied. "He had a delivery to make early this morning to Gerudo Valley."

Link looked at his counterpart questionably. "He would have returned by now, don't you think?"

Then, Dark Link understood what Link was getting at. Link suspected him of having a part to do in Talon's disappearance. Dark Link narrowed his eyes at the green dressed Hylian. "I had no part in it."

"Then why isn't he back yet?" Link asked.

"Why haven't you checked the Gerudos?" Dark Link asked. "They would have more knowledge of it than I."

Link didn't reply back to Dark Link's answer for almost a full minute. "Then I will check them. You could come along if you want."

"You know more about Gerudo Valley than I do."

"Precisely, which means that I know how dangerous it can be. I might need help."

"You? The one who saved the world from Ganondorf, the one who defeated countless monsters, the Hero Of Time, needs help from me?" Dark Link narrowed his eyes. "Highly doubtful."

Dark Link squeezed Epoch's sides lightly with his legs, the horse stepping forward once again in a slow walk. Dark Link adverted his gaze to the direction in which he had been heading earlier.

"How do you think Malon will feel when she finds out you did nothing to help find her father?" Link said in a calm voice.

Dark Link pulled up Epoch to a halt and looked over his shoulder at the one just a few feet behind him on the road. It was strange, having such a thing held over his head like that. Malon wouldn't be thrilled with the fact that he had turned his back on helping Link, he knew. Especially helping find Talon. He pulled on the reins and turned Epoch around, bringing the black stallion up beside Epona.

He narrowed his eyes at Link. "What you have just done, I believe, is called blackmail."

Link smiled. "I think it was, and I'm surprised it worked."

It wasn't long before the two of them were riding through the small canyon toward the Gerudo Fortress. As they crossed the bridge that hung over the huge river that had always flown through the canyon, Dark Link looked down at it. The cliff walls that held in the river were nearly fifty feet down before they finally touched the water below. He then turned his vision from the water below to his left, where the rushing water flowed over in the form of a waterfall. He casually wondered about what was up on the land where the water first flowed over.

"I've never been up there personally," Link said, catching Dark Link's attention. "but the Gerudos told me that the land up there is almost like a meadow. Lush and green."

"In this place, lush and green does not belong in the same sentence." Dark Link replied. "Why haven't you seen it?"

"Was too busy before, and haven't been interested enough now." Link said.

The two of them continued on toward the beginning of the canyon leading to the fortress, the fortress itself built and hidden on the sides of the carved out cliff side. Whoever had built it had been a genius, an architect whose skill could not be easily matched, or so Dark Link thought. It was not an easy task to design something out of solid rock, which is what the buildings were.

To his left, Dark Link noticed something. Something strange. Hidden, or partially hidden, behind a rock outcropping to his left was what appeared to be a wagon of sorts, a wagon of familiarity that he hadn't hoped on. Talon's unpainted, brown wooden wagon. It was still perfectly intact, or so it appeared. Dark Link pulled the reins, moving Epoch around so that the horse would walk toward his find. The horse that Talon used was missing, as was the rigging. Just the wagon…nothing besides left. No scratches, no arrows…

"Here's the wagon." Link said as he rode up, having noticed Dark Link had found it. "The question is, where is Talon? It doesn't look like he was attacked. He could be sleeping somewhere."

"Highly doubtful." Dark Link replied. "You could hear him if he was nearby." He looked into the cargo area back of the wagon. "He had already made his delivery, or the milk containers were taken."

"Let's ask the Gerudos. They should know something." Link said as he pulled Epona around. "I hope."

"Oh, this is great. You sound so confident."

"The moment I lead us astray, you can lead."

"Sounds good to me." Dark Link replied. "Before I dare to take charge, I wish to examine the wagon first."

Dismounting, he walked around the side of the wagon. Link did not contradict his decision to study it more thoroughly. Instead, he stayed mounted atop Epona as his double looked the wagon over. Dark Link ran his hand over the underneath of the wagon as he circled it, his attention caught by the sudden smoothness that he came across. Removing his hand, he found a dark black smudge across his fingertips, they obviously having run across…

"Here. Burn marks." Dark Link knelt down, placing his right hand on the wagon by a section of wood signed black. By the skin of his fingers, he could still feel a goodly amount of warmth emanating from the marked wood.

"Burns?" Link dismounted, striding over to him to kneel down, examining the marks as well, and was prompted to check the rest of the wagon's underside by the find. "There's a couple of other marks, but they're all underneath. It's as if he drove over a campfire."

"Not a campfire." Dark Link said firmly. He knew now what had become of Talon. At least, part of it he was more than certain of. He rose to his feet, watching off down in the general direction of the entrance to the vast desert.

"If we're going to work together, you'll have to speak up a little more." Link turned his gaze to his darker half.

It would take quite some time, learning to work alongside Link. Still, although Dark Link always preferred to work alone, his first choice for an ally would, without doubt, be the Hero Of Time. Of course, if only Link had as little of need for words as he deemed for himself to need. In times like this, he could only remind himself it was all for Malon. Malon was worth every second of aggravation and annoyance he had to undergo on this trip.

"The scorch marks are very distinguished. They're from the lantern of a Poe." Dark Link stated clearly, calm of tone. "It looks to me like Talon was captured by a Poe."

Link stood, leaning on the wooden wagon, frowning, although sadness didn't describe him. He was more angry than saddened. "When will those Poe learn to leave Hylians alone?" He hit the seat of the wagon with his fist. "I'm tired of always dealing with them!"

Dark Link understood. He could call upon many memories of Link's that he could find Link hating the Poes, always dealing with them in one way or another he did not find all too favorable. Dark Link himself had never had any problems with the troublesome apparitions, and none could be found around the Water Temple as well. Not even during the nighttime hours. To be sure, if they came across a Poe, this would be considered the first time Dark Link himself had seen a Poe of any sort.

"Tired or not, I think you know of a way to contact the Poe."

Link turned his gaze once more to that of his coutnerpart's. "You mean what when you say that?"

"I have no memories myself of your exploits that took place after the Water Temple." Dark Link matched his gaze with due sincerity. "Yet, of what importance have you at the Shadow Temple, or more importantly, the Spirit Temple?"

"You're…right." Link pulled from a pouch on his belt what appeared to be a large purple and blue magnifying glass. "The Eye Of Truth would let me see them, and if they are still here in this desert, I know who to ask to find them."

Dark Link realized that ultimately he would prefer to die on Link's sword than by the heat of this accursed desert! It was most likely by far less painful. He detested more than anything to seem weaker than Link, and yet while he had already drained half of the water in his canteen, Link had only played with a few sips. If Link had changed his tunic to the bright red Goron's Tunic, he could understand the ease. However, that was not the case. Link still wore his usual green Kokiri Tunic. Link had developed a bit of redness to his face. Dark Link could only suppose that his lighter, pale complexion looked quite like that of an overripe apple.

He was growing more irritable by the seconds that passed. "I'm boiling. When will we reach our destination?"

"Ease up and go with it, Dark Link. The heat isn't going to change just because you say so." Link replied. "We're almost there."

The sand was beating against every exposed part of his body, and at least he was thankful that Link had to hold up his arm to block the sand from getting to his face as well. Dark Link knew he could hold more than his fair share of loathing for the young man. While he struggled along with the sinking and shifting sand around his ankles, Link wore the Hover Boots. He knew as well the color of his attire played against him. Black boasted the abilities of attracting heat and holding it in, even if his shirt wasn't quite as heavy as the Kokiri Tunic.

Maybe…he was not weaker than Link, but the opposite. Link was, perhaps, taking the easier route…

"I realize you enjoy torturing me, Link, but even I don't deserve cooking to death."

"You're right. Even you don't deserve that." Link smiled as he pointed into the distance. "There. Our destination."

Raising his free hand to his brow, squinting against the brilliant sun, Dark Link could see a pedestal of gray stone rising above the sand. The sandstorm subsided as the two grew closer to their target. It had already been explained to him, the one they were to meet. A Poe of sorts, one that would know where the others would be located. Or, would hopefully have the knowledge of. Through the Eye Of Truth, Link could both see and speak with the spector.

The Hero Of Time lead the procession up through the short building by way of the stone stairway. When they arrived upon the top, Link pulled the Eye Of Truth to his eyes to see through. The spector appeared before him, as solid as it could ever be. It was slowly swinging its lantern with a slow, rhythmic beat that couldn't be heard. Link had always wondered why all Poes seemed to carry lanterns. Even the very strong ones he had fought inside the Forest Temple had been carrying lanterns, the Poe Sisters…

For Dark Link, however…

A translucent sight, near illusionary in form, was captured in his gaze. No Eye Of Truth was held in his grasp, or in front of his vision. He narrowed his eyes as his gaze did not advert from the strange apparition. So this was indeed a Poe. Strange. He knew how one appeared, and yet he had been expecting more from this specific one. The Poe began to speak. "Why are you here yet again, Hero Of Time? Didn't I lead you to the Spirit Temple once already?"

"A Poe kidnapped a friend of mine's father." Link replied, disregarding the Poe's earlier question. "You keep track of all the Poes in this area. I believe you know where they are."

"I know where the others reside. I also know where your Talon is." The Poe replied, it's voice almost hollow and echoing. "They spoke to me much earlier. First, you will have to give up something in the form of payment for the information. Even a trade will do."

A hand grasped the Poe tightly on the fabric of the collar, Dark Link the owner of the grip. Link's eyes became wide, his mouth agape in surprise. Whether or not he wanted to understand he didn't know. The Poe seemed just as surprised, although had an instant action to use. It swirled about it's lantern, attempting to set whatever part of Dark Link it could touch aflame. With amazing ease, Dark Link grabbed the torch arm, and as well clutched onto the ghoul's throat with his remaining free hand. No words were asked by either the Poe or Link of how Dark Link was able to see, not only touch, the specter.

"I do not take kindly to your threats." Dark Link frowned upon it. "Then, we will make an exchange. The information…for your life on his plane… I'm extremely aggravated, which means you need to reply soon."

The Poe gulped in the only way a Poe could…

"It lied three times, and you still got the answer from him." Link shook his head, a faint smile appearing from sheer amusement. "I don't really agree with your methods."

"I never asked you to agree." Dark Link replied with a cold harshness. "I told you before. I was boiling, and intimidation is the quickest means to obtain an answer."

"I've tried it." Link looked toward him. "Why hasn't it worked for me?"

"I have had much more experience with being so."

The two were once again mounted on their steeds, Link atop Epona and Dark Link astride Epoch, continuing onward. The Poe had revealed to them Talon's location, a room inside the Shadow Temple. Deep inside. With only a few hours passing, the duo managed good time, traveling through much of the night and resting the remaining few hours before the sun rose. A few hours sleep passed, and morning finally came.

With the morning came as well the arrival at the gates of Kakariko Village. Link lead the way to the graveyard entrance, Dark Link watching closely and keenly every step they made. Information obtained now would no doubt come in useful later, he knew. Somehow. Yet, strange was the layout of the entrance. Torches, unlit, in a circle around them. Dark Link realized that all would need to be lit. There were no lit torches already for them to feed from the flames. He looked over his shoulder, gazing at Link, who seemed to know the method that needed to be done.

"You have the fire arrows." He stated. "Or, do you have something else that will work just as well?"

Links hook his head. "No, they have to be lit at the same time. Move back out of the circle, and watch this."

Dark Link obeyed, stepping out and watching Link move to the exact center, the torches evenly spaced all around him. With a yell, Link reached upward, as if going to grab something, flames beginning to form and lick at his fingertips. Forming a tight fist, he sank into a kneeling position, hitting the ground hard with his fist. Intense heat surrounded Link, forming into a shield for just a second before spreading outwards onto the unlit torches, the tops instantly bursting into flames. Link returned to standing, looking around at the torches with personal approval. Dark Link had seen this attack before. Link had used it on him several times in succession while having fought him the first time in the Water Temple. He much more enjoyed just feeling the heat than feeling both the heat and the pain.

There was a short chiming tone, and part of the stone wall ahead of them disappeared, revealing a dark tunnel beyond.

"That's where we're going." Link turned around, looking at Dark Link, then turning once again to advert his gaze back to the dark tunnel. "There are a few hidden traps, even hidden rooms. The Eye Of Truth will have to be used a lot, but if you can see them as easily as you had that Poe then it won't be a problem for you."

"I don't even know myself why I was able to see it, so don't assume anything." Dark Link replied. "I would much more prefer it if you still told me before I am to step off into some bottomless pit."

"Don't worry. I will." Link smirked. "Besides, there aren't any bottomless pits. They all eventually end."

Sometimes Dark Link felt like hitting Link. Really hard. He may not feel the urge to kill him any longer, but the urge to maim him had taken its place.

Dark Link saw many traps, secret openings, and other such things as Link led him deeper into the Shadow Temple. There were few keeses, which all met their end with arrows piercing them. Dark Link, at one point, surprised himself when a keese flew towards Link's back… He sliced it in half with the Dark Master Sword, and the slain creature fell to the ground. Link only smiled and motioned for them to go on. Dark Link, however, felt strange. It was indeed a surprise to find oneself saving someone that had been considered an enemy for so long.

When they arrived at the entrance platform of the Death Barge, the one Link had taken long ago to reach the other half of the Shadow Temple, Dark Link stopped short of stepping onto the platform. Through his own sight, he saw nothing there but a vast deepness. Link, who was wearing the Eye Of Truth, saw the barge, and yet Dark Link did not. He did not trust anything that he could not see…

"Last time I had to fight two Stalfos for passage." Link said as he looked at the barge, stopping in his steps on the platform. He looked over his shoulder at Dark Link, then turned around upon seeing that he seemed hesitant. "What's wrong?"

"I don't see the Death Barge." Dark Link admitted. "There is nothing there."

"Even wearing the Eye Of Truth I can see it." Link said, looking once again toward the barge. He removed the Eye Of Truth from in front of him, peering into the gloomy darkness at the immense wooden ship. It was still there, not having changed shape nor size, and was still there despite the lack of magic sight. "Maybe something is wrong with your eyes."

"Or, maybe…" Dark Link said, picking up a nearby rock in one hand. He gripped the rock firmly, feeling the hard, solid substance of it, before throwing it hard at where the wooden vessel should have been located. "…something with my sight is right."

Link could not help but become wide-eyed as his counterpart had proven the sudden nonexistence of the Death Barge. The rock, which Link had seen thrown, had passed directly through the wood, not stopping in its momentum any as it traveled into the underworld vastness below. Link attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. He once again turned to look at Dark Link.

"This time, I stopped you from stepping off into a bottomless pit." Dark Link smirked.

"I suppose…" Link said, pushing away his surprise. "…we should find another way of crossing."

The other way of crossing was found nearly an hour later, with the route concerning traversing the grating along the roof, which Link had no idea existed. Dark Link had been the one to find it, but Link had been the one to suggest that they could travel across it. The going was slow. Exceptionally slow… The movements the two of them were making resembled a lot like crawling across the ceiling, and by the end both were resting on the ground, sitting in a slouched position, letting their arm and leg muscles relax.

"I hope that we don't have to go back that way." Dark Link said as he rose to a standing position. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his glove.

"It was a lot farther than I had thought." Link said, standing himself up as well. "You have to remember, it only took a minute or so to cross when I took the barge, and even then I was fighting!"

"Don't judge anything by how long it takes to fight!" Dark Link frowned. "Time always seems shorter."

"At least we're here." Link ignored his darker half's frown, pointing toward the door with the large Boss Key symbol across the front.

It took the two of them together to push one of the doors of the double-door entrance open. Because of the power that the Master Sword had given him, Link had been much stronger than he was at the moment, and could easily move the door by himself back when he had last come here. Beyond the door was a chamber larger than any Dark Link could have remembered. Or, at least, it seemed larger, the pitch black darkness surrounding the place where they stood so vast that neither could even comprehend what the depth of the room really was. Dark Link looked down at the surface below their boots. Experimentally, he hit the strange, cloth-like surface with the toe of his boot.

Bum…

"A drum." Dark Link said, looking at Link. "What sort of enemy did you fight here?"

"A very large one." Link replied. "Big hands. Ugly mug. Invisible. I had to use the Eye Of Truth to find him just to hit him, and only arrows could hurt him! Had to use the Hover Boots as well. Every time he hit the drum, I bounced up in the air otherwise."

Bongo Bongo… Dark Link knew that name. He had learned it from the small knowledge that the Water Temple had given him when its magic had saved his life. Bongo Bongo was the more eccentric of the guardians, but instead of regenerating as Morpha had, Bongo Bongo had become the very darkness itself that surrounded him and Link now. At least, Dark Link was glad for, Bongo Bongo was no longer dangerous to them.

Near the center of the drum, Dark Link spied a Poe. Just a normal looking Poe, not anything special. Link seemed to have spied him at about the same time as well, and began walking toward him. Link drew the Gilded Sword, carrying it by his side as he approached the apparition cautiously. Dark Link approached as well, though stayed a couple of steps behind Link, placing himself as backup if he was needed.

"Where's Talon?" Link asked the Poe forcefully.

The Poe didn't seem to have heard him. It was still looking the other way, waving its lantern as it gave its annoying Poe laugh. Finally, it turned around, looking at Link, showing the Hylian that it had indeed heard what had been said.

"I'm asking you, where is Talon?" Link asked again, this time not as forcefully, but hard enough. "There's someone back at his home who is worried about him."

"What are you doing, Link?" Dark Link asked, looking at his counterpart. "I've never known a Poe to care about worry. It's a bad subject to bring up."

Suddenly, the Poe seemed so frightened, as if the cold, clammy hand of death beyond death had reached out to touch its shoulder. The Poe was shivering, holding its lantern close to its body, its Poe eyes wide with fear.

"Was that you, Lord Bongo Bongo?" The Poe asked, looking out at the darkness.

Dark Link narrowed his eyes, frowning. "It was me, you insignificant cretin."

The Poe turned, now looking directly in Dark Link's direction, but the stare the frightened creature was giving was staring directly past Dark Link. It was then the black clad Hylian realized something, something of great importance and value. The Poe could not see him. Although he didn't understand why, he didn't ask, either.

Link watched as Dark Link smiled a half smile, coming out more as of a smirk. "What are you up to?"

Dark Link looked at Link as if saying 'Just watch' without words. He purposefully growled as he spoke. "Answer the Hylian, Poe."

Dark Link nodded to Link, and Link asked his question once more. "Where is Talon?"

"Talon is safe. Safe and sound. We Poe just wanted the Lon Lon milk because it has the ability to increase life." The Poe said to Link, willingly giving the answer. "Even the dead like to feel life through our being, even if it lasts only for a little while."

"But why kidnap Talon?" Link asked then. "Why didn't you just take the milk?"

"…oh…"

The Poe went blank eyed, obviously not having thought of such a thing earlier. Dark Link started to speak again.

"Take Talon back to Lon Lon Ranch, then leave." He said, ordering. "Disappear back into your temple. Leave the Hylians alone."

"I will!" The Poe said, shuddering once again as it heard what he thought to be Bongo Bongo's immense words. The Poe looked at Link, and although it was still shuddering, it said, "We didn't want him anyway!"

With that, the Poe disappeared. Dark Link looked at Link, who was staring questionably at him. A blue transport beam appeared nearby, and Dark Link started to walk towards it. Link began to walk as well, but more slowly. The transport beam would not work until both of them were safely inside.

"What gave you the idea to do that?" Link asked him.

"The Poe couldn't see me. It seemed like a pretty good plan at the time." Dark Link said, then smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Link. "Besides, you said to take control when I thought you were messing things up. Yelling at the Poe obviously wasn't helping."

When the two arrived outside, Dark Link said nothing as he strode toward the exit of Kakariko and began walking down the stone steps to the field below. Epoch was awaiting him there, and he was already longing once again for the peace and solitude of Lon Lon Ranch. Link followed him down, mounting Epona while he mounted Epoch. Link rode beside him across the bridge and partway up the road, stopping when they came to the fork. Three roads. One road let to Lon Lon Ranch. One in the direction of Lake Hylia. The other, to the castle. Link pulled Epona up to a stop, and amazingly enough, Dark Link halted Epoch as well. He knew Link had something to say.

"I'm going to the castle. Business there, you know." Link said. He looked at the ground, then back up at Dark Link, who wasn't bothering to return the glance. "I just want to wish you…good luck. I don't know how much longer I'll be around here."

"Don't think I'll be taking up your duties when you're gone, Hero Of Time." Dark Link told him flatly.

Link chuckled. "I don't expect that much from you. Don't worry."

"But," Dark Link added, then. "Good luck going back to your time. I might find a way of seeing it someday. It would be interesting, seeing what this world was like before Ganondorf ever came."

Link smiled, then squeezed Epona's sides to make her start into a gallop down the dusty road. It would be interesting, indeed! If Link turned back into a kid ever time he ventured into the past, then what would Dark Link turn into? Kid Dark Link? That would probably just help to infuriate Dark Link even more than anything else already managed to do. Link liked that idea.

He liked that idea a lot.