Calista-Cousland: Please read and review. Now, R&R has a new meaning. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, obviously.
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"Get up," a curt voice stated.
Zelda tried to open her eyes, but she had no want to. She saw her father, Impa, her mother even, and Link... All the ones she cared for in a hazy dream, and opening her eyes would just let them disappear.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on her cheek, awakening her from the illusion she struggled to keep running.
Her eyes reacting to the pain, Zelda's blues opened to see Myrilla's golden hazels. The Gerudo woman had a smirk on her face as Zelda noticed her hand was lowered in a slant, and an astonishing realization came to Zelda.
"You... You slapped me!"
As royalty, Zelda had never been punished in such a way.
"Yes, I did, and next time you shall get up when I tell you to do so."
Zelda glared, but said nothing.
"Now, we have a rather troubling issue on our hands... The Gerudo women I sent got frustrated after your imbecile father went crazy when we told him about your capture. The dumb arse is a lunatic, I swear!"
Zelda could not stand up, but her face became twisted. "Don't you dare speak about Father that way!"
Myrilla paused, as if to contemplate whether or not to slap Zelda again. "In any case," she started, irritated. "The man got annoying and my women have a very low tolerance for annoyances. So... the put him into a state of deep sleep."
"You killed him!"
Zelda forgot of her chains and lunged angrily at Myrilla, her princess qualities left behind as rage consumed her. She had finally snapped with anger. "You... You awful, dirty woman! Your profanity insults the Goddesses!"
Myrilla's agile feet were too quick for Zelda's blind attempt.
"Ooh, what naughty, naughty language. 'Awful?' 'Dirty?' How daring of you to say such things! Are you sure you are a princess?" She said sarcastically and laughed at the amusement that was pitiful Zelda.
"Now, you misunderstand. He is not dead, you stupid girl. He was simply knocked out. And from the tone of the blow, he will be like that for some time."
Zelda desperately held back tears. "I hate you... I hate you... I hate you..."
"Aha! As if I think of you fondly? Your guards killed my three women! We did not kill your King, and yet you kill us?"
"You stole away the only two royals in Hyrule. Did you expect them to let that go?"
Myrilla's taunting smrik was replaced with a scowl that matched Zelda's.
"Now, you, my dear victim, need to shut that trap. There is no one to decide the price your life holds with him in the state that he is. And I cannot just leave you here. This cell was not meant for..." Myrilla gazed at what was left of the poor soul who was chained up before Zelda. "..long-term stays."
"Then what, hmm? What do you plan to do with me, you horrible person? You can't kill me, that would be a waste of your past efforts. So what? What!"
With each word that Zelda spoke, her anger raised and so did her voice. At the end of her sentence, she was near to yelling.
"Don't be so aggravating. Honestly."
"Why should I have to listen to you? What compels you to think so?"
Myrilla moved toward the small window slowly. "Well, I might be compelled to knock you out like that silly little father of yours."
Before Zelda could protest about Myrilla even using her father's name in a sentence or mocking her word, she was gone. Myrilla, being as agile as she was, did a quick front-flip to the window's edge, smirked back at Zelda, and jumped down below.
Zelda let out a sigh. "How could I have become so pathetic in less than two full days? One minute a strong princess and then a lowly prisoner the next..."
"You don't have to be a lowly prisoner, Princess."
Zelda's eyes widened. That was a male voice. There were no male Gerudos, and she certainly hadn't been in the cell long enough to go crazy. It almost reminded her of Link's voice, only a bit more...twisted.
In the poorly lit corner of the cell, which seemed to be empty, arose a dark figure. There, on the ground and moving towards her, was a completely black snake.
"Princess Zelda of Hyrule," it spoke, a slight hissing sound when it said a word containing the letter s, as if it had a lisp. "Do you wish to be freed?"
Zelda turned skeptical. A talking snake. Odd. And what sort of question was it asking? As if it needed to be put so bluntly...
"Yes, I do. Although I do not see why manners have been so reduced."
The snake grew bigger. "Manners? In a dirty, hot cell? My, my, you truly are a princess."
Was that an insult or a compliment? Zelda was unsure.
The snake grew bigger once more. "Very well then, I will indulge you." It coughed, clearing its throat.
Snakes can cough? I guess you learn something new everyday...
"A sunny day, heat radiating to your warm flesh. The opposite of this is me. The night, holding deep secrets, chills running down your spine as an unknown shadow lurks up to you. A cold reflection of one's past, gone for the present, the future untold. While he goes, I stay. Hidden in the dark. Is that enough of an introduction?"
Zelda scowled. "A person cannot be surmised with such sort sentences. I asked for a name, you gave me an explanation. And by that explanation, you seem too dark for me. Dark is something associated with evil, you know."
"But there is no light without darkness. And everyone has a shadow. Even you, Princess."
"Yes, that is normal. But you..." Zelda paused, noticing something. Her shadow lay there on the floor. But next to the snake, there was...nothing. "You do not."
The snake, as deep a black as it was, grew darker and larger, its shaped vaguely yet swiftly changing into the form of another.
Zelda's eyes widened. This... This...
She could barely form the word she so desperately wanted to say. "L-L..."
In front of her was a snake no longer, instead, a Hylian. He looked like a normal Hylian, the only differences being his red-tinted eyes and darker skin, yet he did not seem like a normal Hylian. His black hair, his smirk, his tunic and hat... All of them resembled the one Zelda wished for, dreamt for, lived for: Link.
They were the same yet so different... Who is this man?
"W-Who are you? I demand you tell me why you have dressed up as...the Hero of Time!"
His smirk grew larger, as he was clearly amused.
"Did you not listen to what I said? I am like a shadow! I take on other form's, yet always return to my own."
"And this... This is how you truly look?"
"Yes. I am the shadow of Link. I suspect that you know him."
Zelda blinked. This was Link's shadow? Then why wasn't it in Termina?
Zelda gaping mouth turned to a small scowl. "That can't be right. Link is in Termina, so you should be with him."
"I was ordered by Gannondorf to keep Link from getting near Morpha in the Water Temple. I failed when we fought, as he wore me down too much. But shadows cannot die. In any case, I was banished by Gannondorf to lurk as other's shadows. I am unable to keep my true form for too long."
"But Gannondorf is in the sacred realm. His hold on you should be gone."
"That's not necessarily true. He may be in the sacred realm, but he still has the Triforce of Power."
Zelda bit her bottom lip, worried. "Does... Does that mean that he could get out soon?"
The shadow man's eyes widened. "You...do not know? Gannondorf is already out."
"What! No, no, no! It's only been ten years! I need much more time than this!"
"Ugh, keep it together. He's planning something. Something with someone else. But that is too soon to be revealed. Just wait, okay? Anyways, I am Dark Link." He smiled charmingly. "Pleased to meet you, Princess."
"I am...still so confused. So you are just a shadow? Did Gannondorf give you magical powers that make you different from my shadow or another's?"
He continued on as he crossed his arms, as though explaining it was boring him. "I represent the dark side in a person. No one other than the holy Goddesses are completely pure."
"So... Do I have a Dark Zelda in me?"
"Duh. But it takes a lot of power for a dark side to be awakened in someone like you."
"Someone like me?"
Dark Link nodded. "Yes, someone like you. Someone strong-willed and powerful. It was hard enough for me to be awakened out of Link. That is why Gannondorf had stepped up the intensity with the Water Temple; for Link, he made it a bi-"
"That's enough," Zelda interupted, raising her hand in a 'stop' notion. "I need to think."
Dark Link chuckled. "Fine, fine. Think," he said, still laughing a bit, as he sat down across from her.
Zelda's was now deep in thought. "He worked for Gannondorf, so he must be evil, although he doesn't seem too evil, for he would have attacked me by now if he was. Maybe he holds a grudge against Gannondorf and no longer cares for him? But he is still dark, it is even in his name, and I don't think that people can be converted from evil to good so easily..."
Zelda decided to give him a chance with a small bit of her trust, but she had questions. Questions that needed answers.
She reached out and poked his arm. "If you are indeed a shadow, why do you have flesh like the living? And you shouldn't be a real formation, as a shadow, you would have to be implanted on a solid thing."
Dark Link sighed. "I told you, this is my true form. I am a shadow, but I am still a real being. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have structure. And real shadows don't talk, now do they? I am much darker and powerful than a mere simple shadow. And I also mentioned that I am more than just a shadow."
"Yes, yes, you are a dark side of Link. Well, Mr. Dark Link, I think I should address something huge; bigger than who and what you are. Why are you here?"
Dark Link unsheathed his dark replica of the Master Sword. Although it had none of the Master Sword's divine powers, it was still sturdy and strong. With one swipe for each binding, he cut all the metal shackles that held Zelda to the ground, and sheathed his sword again.
With a smile, Dark Link held out a hand to Zelda.
"I came to get you out."
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Calista-Cousland: That is the second chapter, as you know. Thank you for reading, and please review.