Link: Whatever you say.
Dark Link: Yeah, we don't own Zelda or that fanfiction!
Sorceress: Whoo…oh yeah, check out my poll. It's on my profile.
Dark Link: It determines the romantic fate of Termina Fever…the story that is. Not the disease.
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Termina Fever
Ch. 4: A Shadow's Longing
"Look kid, we're on a tight schedule." Dark Link glared at the young Goron in annoyance.
"You gotta ask a riddle. If you don't I'll scream!" The little Goron threatened.
Dark Link puffed his bangs out of his face. It was becoming a habit. "Fine. I race ahead when the sun is behind you; I shy to your back when the sun's at your head. What am I?"
The Goron boy stuck out his lip and pouted. "That's a hard one! No fair!"
"Hint: you're staring at one." Dark Link crossed his arms and shivered. "And make it quick! It's cold." Under his breath he added, "Winter. What a wonderful season for a pandemic."
Saria glared at him. "He's just a kid," she reprimanded.
Dark Link shrugged. "So are we," he replied.
A chill wind passed through the mountain; Saria and Ruto pressed together for warmth. Dark Link remained apart obstinately.
"Second hint. It is not the sky, ground, or otherwise. Now hurry up!" Dark Link groaned, vaguely wondering why nobody thought to make tunics layered.
The Goron, in the meantime, had been carefully contemplating the riddle. Suddenly, his features lit up. "You're a shadow!" He exclaimed.
Dark Link rolled his eyes. "Took you long enough. Can we please pass?"
The Goron nodded. Ruto, Saria and Dark Link hurried past him, Dark Link muttering, "Idiot!" on the way.
o~o0o~o
"Stupid kid jeopardized the whole day." Dark Link unrolled the blankets. "We probably could've gone farther if it hadn't been for him."
Saria sighed. Dark Link had been in a bad mood ever since the riddle incident. And she knew for a fact that he'd eaten within two hours of the experience.
"Things will look better in the morning," she soothed, in an attempt to keep the party from coming to blows. "Have some chocolate." They'd been advised to bring some; it prevented hypothermia.
Dark Link grabbed his piece and stalked off. Ruto and Saria shrugged and shook their heads at each other.
Realization came to Dark Link, curled up in a blanket later that night. They didn't understand. They'd never understand.
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"You want, boy!" Ganondorf roars, striking the Hero's shadow across the face, sending him sprawling. "You don't have an identity-and you never will!"
"You don't understand!" The shadow cowers in a corner as Ganondorf advances on him menacingly. "No…no, please! PLEASE!"
"NO!" Dark Link woke up screaming. Beside him, Saria bolted awake as well; Ruto slept on.
"What happened?" Saria asked.
Dark Link lay back down, taking deep calming breaths. "Nothing," he replied. "Just a nightmare."
"Oh." Saria scooted closer to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Dark Link looked away. "No."
"It's good to talk about these sorts of things. Are you sure?" Saria cocked her head.
"Positive," Dark Link murmured sleepily, already exhausted from the nightmare.
"Well, if you do, I'm always here." Saria rolled over. Dark Link imitated her.
"You are a shadow, boy. I expect you to kill the Hero of Time, nothing else." Ganondorf stares at the shadow coldly.
The shadow hangs his head in shame. "I…I am not capable of doing so, Lord Ganondorf."
"Fool!" Ganondorf thunders. "You are a coward. I created you to be exactly like the Hero of Time; I have failed. Can you tell me why? Hmm, Dark Link?" Ganondorf is enraged, using the silky purr he reserves for only for his most dysfunctional servants.
The shadow raises his head. He is battered and bruised from the times when Ganondorf has used him as a toy to take his anger out on. "I…I…"
"ANSWER ME, BOY!" Ganondorf is quivering with rage.
"Perhaps…there are some things you cannot change, my Lord. A human conscious, for example. Love." The shadow backs away in a futile attempt to escape.
Ganondorf's voice has returned to silk. "I expected an answer, Dark Link." He raises his hand to summon a sphere of magic to hurl at the shadow…
"Dark Link…wake up." Saria shook Dark Link's shoulder. Dark Link opened his eyes, trembling from head to toe.
"Dark Link…We need to talk. And get you a sleeping potion or something." Saria scooted closer to him again.
Dark Link turned to face Saria. "Must we?"
"Of course! You can't just expect these things to go away by themselves!" Saria draped her blanket over the two of them before looking over at the sleeping Ruto. "I can't believe that she slept through that."
Dark Link shrugged. "Some people can do anything."
"I know…now tell me. What was your dream like?" Saria searched Dark Link's face intently.
Dark Link pulled his knees to his chest and looked into them as if in a trance. "Okay…in my dream, Ganondorf kept asking me why I didn't have the courage to kill Link. And when I couldn't say he…he…struck me, I guess. I never got to the end. You woke me up."
Saria nodded. "You looked like you were in pain." She scrutinized him. "You had two dreams. I'm assuming the one we just discussed was the second one?"
"Yeah," Dark Link confirmed. He looked uncomfortable, playing with his hands. "Do we have to go on? I'm getting really…really…nervous," he choked out.
Saria frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but we have to."
Dark Link sighed, not an annoyed sigh like Saria was used to, more a sad, remorseful sigh. "Way back when I was first created, I had ambitions. Hopes. Dreams. I was a lot more human than I am now; Ganondorf hated me for voicing them. He couldn't figure out why so…" Dark Link gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like a strangled sob. "He took it out on me." He stared off into the distance, talking more to what he was looking at than to Saria. "Ganondorf…you're a fool…there are many things you never bothered to understand…" Dark Link smirked ironically and gave a bitter laugh. "You succeeded really…you made me exactly like Link…conscience and all."
Saria watched him, concerned. "And these events really happened to you?"
Dark Link nodded. "Yeah."
"Okay…so I have to ask…why were you so upset over the riddle you made up?" Saria's deep blue eyes burned into him.
Dark Link rounded on her. He was reaching the breaking point. "Because," he snapped. "People call me a shadow but…" Tears, hot and fast, were pouring down his face. "I have my own thoughts and my own feelings. I hate it when they call me that." Saria wondered who "they" were, but it didn't matter, because the most unexpected thing Saria had ever seen happened then.
Dark Link broke down and cried, big gasping sobs. Saria stared at him. Dark Link did not cry; he was supposed to be the stoic one. So Saria did the only thing she could think of.
She reached out and pulled Dark Link's head onto her lap. "Shh…" she murmured… "Hush. I've got you; it'll be okay." She ran her fingers through his black locks.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Navi asked, settling into the gap between Saria and Dark Link.
Saria smiled at the fairy, and listened as Dark Link's tear jerking sobs turned to small little gasps.
Eventually, the three of them passed out in this position.
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"And that's another ingredient down!" Ruto cheered as Dark Link bottled the spring water.
Dark Link offered her a rare smile. "Yeah," he agreed.
As they trekked down the mountain, Dark Link pulled Saria aside.
"You won't tell anyone about this?" Dark Link urged.
"Of course." Saria gave him a quick hug. "You have my word."
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Link: So…um…
Sorceress: I guess I should pack up the poll. We all know how this will turn out.
Dark Link: Even so, all readers should review.
Link: Like RawkHawk2.0, who gets a cookie, and TUV Angel, who also gets a cookie.
Sorceress: You guys all rock this authoress.
Dark Link: Not as much as me, but…
Link: Oh, shut it.