Chapter Six:
A Thoroughly late tale.

Malon stood up from watching over Link as the door was kicked open, only to see what seemed to Link's twin, identical save for his hair and his red eyes. But what was more surprising was that he seemed to be carrying Link on one shoulder as he walked in, followed by Sora.

Vincent laid Link down next to Hero, his swords disappearing from his hand as he turned to Sora.

"Things won't look very good, but if you interfere, they'll likely die all three of them and Malon if you start bothering me with semantics I'll have to render you unconscious," He said simply, not looking at the woman.

"Who are you?"

Vincent looked behind him at Malon, surprised to find that she wasn't even phased by him.

Vincent smiled, reaching his hand over to her, "I'm Vincent Valentine, pleased to make your acquaintance."

She shook his hand smiling, "If you can't tell me what exactly is going on after you save Link, I'll bash you over the head with a frying pan, 'kay?" She winked at him cheerfully, her smile never fading.

Vincent turned to face the two Links, only then noticing how they were different, and yet the same.

The Link from this time still had that youthful look about him, like a boy, a boy who didn't understand what it meant to have the title of "hero".

The Hero of Twilight on the other hand, had the look of an experienced warrior, a man who had been thrust into a cruel world, and had to cope by becoming stronger.

"Now to begin," Vincent spread his palms out to the two, as darkness covered his arms, "Iam, vox of obscurum! Aufero is animus ex vir somes , quod signum is in suus quondam umbra!"

As he spoke, dark waves began to emanate from his body, covering the two men as the other four people in the room backed away to the walls.

"!"

A sudden light burst out from the darkness, knocking everyone unconscious.

Sora fell over, watching Vincent fade away as darkness came over his eyes.

Ganondorf was pacing back and forth in his throne room, a bloody mass of twisted metal that used to be an Iron Knuckle was lying in one corner, as another faced the evil lord, it's shaking rattling the silver armor it wore.

"What do you mean they're gone?" He asked, rounding on his frightened servant.

"Lord Ganondorf sir, they vanished, no trace of any of them remains."

"So," The evil man said, grasping the Iron Knuckle by the neck, ignoring it's struggle for breath, "Dark Link, Volvagia, Morpha, Bongo Bongo, all of them just vanished?"

"Y... yes my lord."

"GAH!" Ganondorf screamed as his hand spead dark energy throughout his servants body, before throwing it into the wall, where it sunk to the floor, moaning in agony.

"I'll kill whoever took my minions from me!" Ganondorf screamed, stalking towards his throne, "I need time before that kid gets here, this power won't do any good if I can't control my own actions well."

"Then let me help, my lord."

Ganondorf turned to the voice, raising an eyebrow as the Iron Knuckle rose from a pool of darkness, and walked towards him slowly, allowing it's master to take in it's new appearance.

The bulky armor it wore had become sleek, and coloured black, with gold trim, it's red cape gently fluttered behind it as it walked, kneeling before Ganondorf, one hand resting on it's new longsword.

"I am at your dispense as always, Lord Ganondorf."

Ganondorf grinned, chuckling as he looked upon his new tool, "This is perfect."

"Sora, Sora wake up."

"Huh?" Sora slowly opened his eyes to see Link above him, looking somewhat agitated.

"Mind explaining what happened, and why there's another me here?"

"Another... you?" Sora asked confused.

"I can't remember what happened since we talked in the bar, so mind filling me in?"

"Oh, so you don't remember anything?"

"That's what I just said, so are you gonna explain it or what?"

"I think Vincent will be able to explain things better," Sora said, sitting up, and looking around, "Where is he anyway?"

"Where is who?" Link asked also looking around, and sure enough, Vincent was gone, while Malon, the other Link, Talon, and a skinny guy who's name hadn't been mentioned, were fainted on the floor.

"I think we should wake everyone else up, waiting for him is best, he probably knows the whole story."

"Right," Link sighed, looking up at the ceiling, "Damn Ganondorf, I just wanted to be a goatherd, maybe get married someday, and then all this happens."

"If you're done talking to yourself, then could you help me wake up your double?"

"Oh, right, I'll get right on that," Link said leaning against a wall.

"You aren't going to help?"

"I don't want to even get near myself okay? What if I end up disappearing forever, I don't want death knocking on my door, 'kay?"

"Death?" Sora looked at Link with a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"

Link shook his head, "Never mind, just wake him up so we can find that Vincent guy or whoever he is."

"Right," Sora walked over to the sleeping Link and began shaking him, "Link, hey Link wake up."

"Navi?" Link looked up groggily at Sora, "Who're you again?"

"I'm Sora, remember?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Where's Navi anyway?" Link asked, ignoring Sora, when a blue fairy suddenly flew out from uder Link's hat, "Navi, why didn't you help me with that Gohma thing?"

"Vincent called it Gomess Link," Navi corrected him, "And that weird barrier knocked me out, I just woke up myself."

"I see..." Link then looked over to around, before spotting the other people in the barn,

Link's eyes rested on Malon, widening at her unconscious form.

"Malon!" Link ran towards the girl, taking her in his arms, "Malon, are you okay?"

"L-Link?" Malon muttered as she awoke, looking up at his concerned face, "Hey there, fairy boy."

"You're okay?"

"I'm fine," Malon got up after that, "Are you okay, fighting that beast must have taken a lot out of you, huh?"

"Yeah, it did," Link said, standing up before smiling warmly at her, "Just a little."

"Hey, fairy guy," Link looked over at the other him, miffed, "You mind explaining what's going on?"

"All I know is that Vincent seemed to be too sure of himself, and he didn't explain anything to me either."

"I don't even know who this Vincent guy you're talking about is," the first Link (Future Link? F Link from now on.) said, getting up, "So anyone know anything about this guy, apart from his name?"

Link, Malon and Sora all looked down embarrassed.

F Link sighed, "Then does anyone know where he went?"

Sora looked up at this, "Well, I remember he chanted something, but I couldn't understand the language he was speaking in, then there was a bright flash and-" Sora gasped, eyes widening.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, worried, "What happened next?"

"He...his body..."

"You think he's dead, don't you?" F Link asked, voice heavy, "What you saw, that light, I felt it myself..."

Link closed his eyes, carefully measuring his breath, "That light might-"

"It felt disgusting," F Link said, closing his eyes.

Link's eyes widened at the other Link's statement, "W-wait, what?"

"Couldn't you feel it?" F Link said, opening his eyes, and finding six more staring at him like he was insane, "I know you all felt it, just like any day really," Link walked over to a shuttered window, opening it to let in the midday light, "It feels like death, only the pure of Twilight makes me feel alive, now, after..."

He then turned back to them, looking at their staring eyes, "Don't look at me like that, none of you could possibly understand what I went through."

"But..." Sora stepped forward, "Why are you acting like this now? You seemed fine before."

"It was a mask," At that he chuckled slightly, "A facade to hide what I felt, I just felt like showing my true colours is all."

"Just who and what are you?" Link suddenly asked, hand on the Master Sword's handle.

"Huh?" Sora turned to see Link drawing his blade slowly, as Malon backed away from him, "What are you doing?"

"Look at his left hand," He said pointing to the mentioned spot, where the Triforce of Courage shone brightly, while showing his own, blade in hand, where the same mark glowed, "Yesterday, after I left the Chamber of Sages, I found this mark on me, according to Sheik, it is part of the Triforce, representing courage, there's no way it could be on my hand and his."

"But I can-ahh!" Sora gasped in shock when F Link shoved him away, before kneeling in front of Link.

"Only Midna can..." He looked to his attacker, eyes filed with acceptance, "Just end it, she's dead, I failed, and unless whatever that guy did helped, and I doubt it, the Hero of Time will just take over my body again."

Link's eyes widened at this, "What did you say?"

"If you're going to kill me, then why ask, it doesn't matter anyway, not now, not ever."

"Dammit!" Link kicked F Link in the side of the head, sending him sprawling as Malon and Sora gasped, "About the hero of Time, what were you talking about just now?"

"That bastard took over my mind, and I don't even know how much time has passed, not that it matters, that so-called hero's dead anyway."

"W-What?"

"He's been dead for almost six hundred years if I remember right."

"S-six hundred?"

"Are you going to kill me," F Link began, getting up, "Or shall we keep talking about ancient history?"

"I..." Link dropped the Master Sword, backing away slowly, "H-how could I be dead?"

"What do you mean, how could..." F Link trailed off, eyes widening, "You're that bastard, aren't you?"

"I-I don't understand, what's going on?"

F LInk picked up the fallen Master Sword, "Because of you, I couldn't kill him, because of you, Midna's death has gone un-avenged!"

"No, what are you talking about?" Link looked up defiantly, "I didn't do anything to you, nothing you say is true is it?"

"You won't trick me, act innocent all you want, I will take your life, one way or another."

"Do you really think you have any chance of defeating the Hero of Time?"

"My skill is enough," F Link stated simply, throwing the Master Sword to Link's feet, "Maybe you'll last a little longer with that."

This is it, Link, he thought, picking up the Blade of Evil's bane, It's time to embrace my destiny, and prove that I am the Hero.

"You two aren't really going to do this are you?" Malon asked concerned, "What if you end up getting killed?"

"I'll be fine, Malon," Link said, readying his sword, "I'm not the same boy from the forest you met seven years ago."

She sighed, "Then could you at least take this outside, I don't want to wind up in a fool's conflict."

A tall figure, maybe ten feet tall, looked to another, facing away, perhaps about five-foot-five.

"So, you helped him out?" The first figure, a deep-voiced man asked.

"I had to, after all," The second stated simply, his voice was some-what higher than the first's.

"They will find out, you know."

"That's why I called you here."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I need your help, and you need mine, I think it's an even trade, don't you?"

"You will of course, need to pay somehow."

"I know where to find an equivalent to your payment," The last word was said in disgust.

"I still need a suitable body, if I'm going to be of any help."

"Just remember not to take anyone important, since only my kind can get what you crave."

"Then we have a deal, though I can take a vessel temporarily, and if we meet her, then I'll take the most powerful vessel there, even if for but a moment."

"We need to hurry, I can sense their approach."

"Then I will take us both from this place."

The two Links stood facing one another in the horse corral, the future Link holding the Ordon Sword he had stolen from Rusl, a fact that had plagued his conscious before.

And now here I stand, about to kill a man I barely know, the Hero of Twilight looked up towards the other Link, "As far as I'm concerned, it's already past time for you to fall."

"I don't know why you feel you have to fight me," The other Link replied coolly, "But I have things I must do, and you won't keep me from my duty."

"That's what you think!" F Link suddenly charged forwards, jumping towards his counterpart, his sword shining with a sacred light.

"Not so fast!" Link then swung his sword up to meet the other, the energy quickly dissipating into the air.

"What? How di-URGH!" F Link was interrupted by a sudden kick from Link, before being swiftly punched in the face, breaking his nose and sending him sprawling.

"It seems you don't know how to fight properly, under better circumstances I might've given you a few pointers."

"So fighting is about cheap tricks?" F Link asked, getting up, blood dripping down his face.

"In a battle for your life, there is no such thing as cheap tricks," He ran towards the other Link, "Maybe I'll show you now!"

"Fine!" F Link suddenly shot his clawshot towards Link, who stopped running and had his hookshot ready in a moments notice.

The two chain-bound weapons collided in midair, the Clawshot grabbing on to the Hookshot, before their holders threw them to the ground, F Link however, pulled out another Clawshot, quickly shooting it towards Link.

Link reacted quickly, throwing a small, wooden shield towards it, causing the Clawshot to grab hold of it, pulling it back to F Link, who didn't have enough time to think of anything before he saw Link swinging the Master sword wildly in his direction.

F Link ducked, side-stepped, parried, and rolled away from the flurry of strikes, but to no avail.

"It's time to end this!" Link swiftly kicked his opponent to the ground, brought his sword up, and plunged it towards the other Link's chest.

"Can't I leave you kids alone for five damn minutes?"

A sudden burst of shadow ripped through the air between the two men, sending both flying in opposite directions.

Standing where the two Link's were previously, Vincent looked coldly at the Twilight Hero.

"I really can't believe the idiocy that is supposed to be Hyrule's champion," suddenly, the shadow was beside the startled hero, "She didn't fall to that pig, you fool."

F Link's eyes widened, "W-what did you say?"

"The Princess is alive and well, and if you chose to think for a minute you might've figured that out before nearly getting yourself killed."

Link trotted up from behind, a sour expression on his face, "I thought you died, though maybe if you showed up sooner then-guh!"

Link found himself on his back, pinned to the ground under Vincent's foot.

"You disgust me, ready to kill a man who lost his path, you've got a long way to go before you can bear the moniker of 'Hero of Time'."

"Get off me, dammit!"

"Shut up and listen! Ganondorf has a much greater power than that toy of a sword you carry around can handle, and I definitely can't take him down, so that means we have to work together right? But no, it can't be that damn simple!"

Link shoved Vincent's foot off his chest, quickly getting up, "What the hell are you talking about? What's not so simple?"

Sora ran towards the group with Malon close in his heels, "What's going on? You haven't even explained everything that's come up so far!"

"What I am saying," Vincent began, visibly composing himself, "Is that even if all three of us took him on, we couldn't win, especially since the great hero has barely any experience under his belt."

"Then let me help."

Everyone turned to look at F Link, who looked at them with eyes of cerulean fire, "I've done a lot on my travels, I'm sure I could be of assistance."

"No way, you don't even have any magical knowledge, and I don't care how good a smith made that sword, it's just plain metal, Ganon would laugh if you took that to fight him."

"Then tell me where Midna is."

"I'm afraid she isn't anywhere near us."

"Then I'll buy a horse and travel, now where is she?"

"We've recently undergone time-travel."

Vincent earned a cold stare from F Link.

"You aren't lying are you?"

"Not at all, we are a long ways into the past, and Midna is still in present-day Hyrule, awaiting our return."

"Wait a minute," Link turned Vincent around roughly, facing him with cold eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

"Ganon created a time portal using the Master Sword, which he stole from our pal Link here, we followed but there's no way of telling how far behind we are, considering that we arrived later than him."

"Why can't anything ever be simple?"

"The Goddess Farore picked you, I guess you're unlucky, but we need to get a move on, Ganon is gaining power and we should do the same."

"Well then," Sora began, I guess we should-"

"Wait a minute!"

Everyone turned to look at a thoroughly flustered Malon, who was just barely following the conversation going on between the hero's.

"What in the name of Din's bloody Fire is going on here? You all have barely rested, and now your talking about time-travel, Ganon, and what else you haven't brought up yet, maybe you should recuperate here, stock up on supplies, and actually bother to make a PLAN before setting out!"

Malon took a deep breath while Vincent stretched his arms.

"The cutie's right, we should rest before charging blindly into the dragon's den."

Malon sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "Well, that's close enough at least."

"It's settled, then, I'll keep watch, since as you might have guessed, I do not require sleep, now everyone into the house, any talking and I'll knock you out cold. We make our plans tomorrow morning, I'll speak with Talon about supplies and horses, I don't need one, just so you know."

Heeding Vincent's warning, the four walked to the house and left him outside, brooding.

"And I will keep watch from the shadows."

Vincent slipped into the ground silently, completely unaware of the chaos that was preparing to unfold.

Later, that night.

Sora, Malon, and the two Links sat around the upstairs table, silence filled the air, alongside tension that could be cut with a dull knife.

Everyone's heads turned at the sound of the doorknob turning, the Hylian warriors reaching to their blades.

Vincent strode through the door, a serious look on his face.

"I've settled the bill for our supplies, and I took the liberty of purchasing a couple of horses, if it's not too much trouble, Malon, I'd like to take Epona as well, our Link is one of only two who'll be able to ride her anyway."

Malon stood up and walked over to Vincent, staring into the deep crimson of his eyes, her own growing sad as she looked upon him.

"It's fine, provided you answer me some questions later."

"Fine by me."

Vincent nodded to her, before walking past to F Link, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I need a word alone, if you'd please."

F Link shrugged, and the two walked outside, Link sighing as he left, leaning backwards in his chair.

"I swear, that guy is such a downer, why can't he just cheer up and stop being so moody."

Malon walked over to Link, knocking the hat off his head as she went by, ignoring Navi's startled scream, "You haven't changed at all, have you? Still just a kid."

Link leaned over to pick up his hat, mumbling too low for anyone to hear.

Vincent and the hero of Twilight walked into the horse corral, empty like it was during the attack.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Vincent paused before turning to face the green-clad warrior, "You agreed to help far too easily, going from trying to kill the other Link to joining his cause, why?"

"If you lied, I'll gut you right here."

"Rather brutal, aren't we? I don't have guts by the way, and what are you talking about?"

"You said she was alive."

"The Twilight Princess you mean?"

Link grabbed Vincent by the collar, drawing his face closer, "Make no mistake, under another circumstance, I'd have run you through by now, but you seem to be the only one who knows what's going on."

"But that's not quite right, and I'll forgive you for the threats if you start telling the whole truth."

"All you need to know, is that if there is even a grain of hope that Midna is alive, I will do whatever it takes to find her again."

"You know, I think we have something in common."

"All I know is that you are a wicked deceiver, and that you are hiding many things from the others and I."

"You're pretty observant, so how about we make a deal."

"What kind of 'deal' would I want to strike with one such as you?"

Vincent's face broke into a wicked grin, "Sora, as you might have guessed, is extremely naive, I could tell him I was a cruel torturer, and he'd still trust me, as for the other Link, I know him well, follow my advice, and we can gain both their trusts."

"To what end?"

"Without our combined strength, we cannot do much, unless all of us co-operate, Hyrule is forfeit, and that includes your Princess."

Link released Vincent's collar, staring at him flatly, "Fine by me, just tell me what's really going on, and none of the sugar-coating that you've been preparing so lavishly for the other two either."

"In that case, I had better start with what I know about you."

"About me?"

"You'd be surprised what you're Princess felt too scared to tell you, or maybe that curse prevented her from seeing, either way it's fallen to me to explain."

Dun-Dun-Dun! Cliffhanger! Please R&R, I would like to know how to improve the series, and I also apolagise for the long delay, I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.