Part 9 Loss of One Gained

The Daiu-Cogein spell. It is known among wizards as the "Coward's way out." But in truth, those who used it were always in one of two situations, either they were in severe danger, or they truly were a coward and they did not feel courageous enough to use their own strength in battle.

The Daiu-Cogein was an awakening enchantment that could only be used under certain circumstances. For example, what had happened to Link in Hyrule Castle.

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"When you had subtly placed your curse in Link's body and caused him to be confused and turn against me, you left your essence within his life energy. Of course you knew this, you would have to, because that is the way curses work. I must say that either you became foolishly bold or so overconfident that your own reason was clouded and your judgments murky." Light Tomi stated confidently to his darkness. He crossed his arms, showing that he wasn't feeling concerned with the situations surrounding them. He was so surprisingly calm that Dark Tomi's eyebrow twitched with confusion slightly. But Link was confused. How had this happened? He knew that he had killed Light Tomi; he witnessed it, not even an hour ago. Yet he was standing right beside him, without a scratch on him. Link dared to ask a question while this lull in battle still remained.

"How did this happen? I don't understand." Link turned to his friend and asked. The White Wizard didn't look back at him, but he answered all the same.

"The Daiu-Cogein is a spell that's in a magic class all its own. It can only be used once in a magic-user's life. When it has been cast, the spell revives an essence within the caster's body to such a degree that it takes a living, human form." Light Tomi nodded his head in the direction of his darkness. "When you and I were fighting in the castle I had sensed his mark within you. With that spell you had awoken it."

"But then why are you standing here and not your darkness? If it was his mark why have you, the light, appeared?" Link asked, he was still keeping an eye on Dark Tomi just in case he took this chance to strike. But he did no such thing; maybe we wanted to hear this too.

Light Tomi continued with a smile. "Because of you. When I looked in you life force to search for the curse he had placed on you I noticed how much light was present in your energy. I knew that much light would be able to cure the darkness in that mark and thus create…me." Light Tomi looked down at the young swordsman. "You may have killed me, but you also saved me. You brought me back, and I promise that I will make it up to you." Light Tomi looked back to his darkness. "Well, enough of this then." He quickly drew his sword, spun it in his hand once, and stood in his normal defensive stance. Dark Tomi did the same, seeming to have gotten the satisfaction he needed from listening to his light's explanation.

Link watched them, not knowing what else to do since he no longer held his sword. Luckily Light Tomi took care of it for him, by leaping into battle. He swung with a light strike, in order to easily move to a heavy strike in another area. His darkness blocked both strikes and added of few of his own. Light Tomi parried and struck when he found chances, usually being blocked by his opponent.

Link didn't pay attention though; he took his opportunity and ran towards his dropped weapon. He swiftly grasped the hilt and looked back. What he saw astounded him.

Light Tomi was a blur. He was moving so swiftly and fluidly with his blade that he made everything seem as if it was moving much slower than it had before. Link had never seen Tomi move that quickly before. How had he gotten that skill in such a small amount of time? His darkness was having difficulty keeping up with his adversary's barrage of attacks. Link thought it impossible, he remembered Light Tomi telling him that he was not strong enough to fight his darkness on his own, but there he stood single-handedly slashing away with many of his techniques successfully creating new wounds upon his black robed double.

It wasn't long before he pushed Dark Tomi back to the ledge over the lake. But before Light Tomi could drive him farther his darkness cast one of his wordless spells that pushed him back a few feet. Even before Light Tomi got his footing back Link saw him thrust his left arm with his palm forward. Link didn't know what he was doing until he saw Dark Tomi flying over the edge and down toward the water. Link realized that Tomi had just cast a spell in his mind, just like his dark side could. It was yet another ability that he had not had before.

Light Tomi managed to get his two feet balanced again before looking back at Link. He smirked and said, "You awoke his mark,thus I was granted his power that he has been besting me with for so long." His smirk changed to a full smile and he nodded towards the edge where Dark Tomi had just fallen. "Shall we go?" Link nodded once and ran towards the ledge with Tomi at his side. But a thought came to him, how were they going to fight his darkness in water?

Before Link could think to hard on the matter he saw something that knocked the thought out of his head. When they reached the edge overlooking the lake they looked down and saw Dark Tomi…standing on the water. The first thought that crossed Link's mind was, "How are supposed to fight him like that?" until he remembered, "Oh yeah, magic."

Without a word Tomi waved his hand over the area between Link and him. In an instant their legs were illuminating with a strange rippling energy. Tomi quickly jumped over the ledge, but instead of dropping into the lake he was able to place his feet on water's surface. Link got the idea and followed suit. He leapt off and landed, not as gracefully as Tomi, on the liquid surface. They both looked up at the Black Wizard and stood with their swords at the ready. It was not two on one, Link knew without a doubt that they would defeat him, but something still disturbed him. It was the blank look that still remained on Dark Tomi's face. It worried him, vaguely. However he couldn't help but wonder if the man standing in front of them knew something they didn't. "If he's planning anything now we'll be able to stop it before it begins." Link thought surely.

At once the two light bearers leapt for their foe. Link struck first, then Tomi, then Link again, each of them continuously pummeling there swords forward, sideways, and back. They refused to give him a chance. This would be the final battle, this would be the day that Dark Tomi would die and Light Tomi would be able to live free of worry.

Dark Tomi was having more difficulty flourishing his sword fast enough to keep up with his opponents, but he never gave in. Without warning he jumped back, sheathed his sword, and lifted his right hand over the water in front of him. A sphere of Hylian water rose up from the lake and fired towards the two crusaders. The ball was as large as a globe and Light Tomi had barely enough time to jump to the side, out of the way. But Link got the full force and was blasted back a few feet, soaking wet. The sudden pressure of the water on Link's chest stung and he tried to stand up but stumbled a bit before getting steady.

Dark Tomi summoned another sphere and fired it this time at his light. Light Tomi was prepared this time and instead of dodging he produced lightning from his finger tips and shot the voltage straight at the projectile. Luckily, the water ball had not gotten far enough from Dark Tomi and when the lightning came in contact with the water the bolts also connected with his black robes, electrocuting him. It was the first time Light Tomi had heard his darkness scream in agony. But it didn't last long before he cast another spell that pushed himself so far back that he landed on the island with the Triforce symbol platform. He had gotten out of range from the lightning, but he was still feeling the after shocks.

Light Tomi looked back at Link and saw him running towards the island, he did the same, but in place of running there he used another enchantment on his legs to make him jump all the way there. Before he got out of range of Link he did the same for him too. The duo landed on the stone platform, whirled around, and looked at there pained enemy with swords, yet again, at the ready.

Dark Tomi snarled with hatred at the two light followers. He was losing, and he knew it. He had to do something, and something came to mind. The Black Wizard looked at the Chosen of Courage and gave a small smirk. "It's too bad that ever strike you harm me with you're also harming Zelda." Link's reaction was just what he wanted, his eyes widened and his sword hand weakened a bit.

"What did you say?" Link said, not as confidently as he would have liked. Dark Tomi looked at him more intently, standing up straighter.

"Tell me, can you feel her anymore?" Dark Tomi asked smirking even broader.

"No! Don't listen to him; he's trying to shake you down!" Light Tomi warned. But Link ignored him; he immediately opened his senses and searched for Zelda's energy. It didn't take him long to find her, but where he felt her made not sense to him, and yet he understood it to such a point that it made his heart stop with horror. His bond connection to Zelda told him that he was looking at her, right now. But standing in front of him was Dark Tomi.

The Black Wizard saw the change of emotion on the boy's face and he knew that Link knew. "While you were dilly-dallying at the castle fighting him," He turned his head sharply towards his light. "I absorbed her energy. Her body, power, and soul are mine now. Look." Dark Tomi raised the back of his right hand so that Link could see and the look of fear on his face made him smile. On the back of Dark Tomi's right hand shown the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda's Triforce of Wisdom.

Link was at a loss of words. His entire body was numb and he could hold his sword any longer. It dropped to the platform below him with a clang. He could feel Light Tomi grow tense but he didn't care. The one he loved was gone. The one girl he had ever had such care and desire for was lost in the oblivion of this dark believer's soul. Zelda was lost, and thus, he was lost.

"No." Link whispered. "Show her to me." He said it quietly but all three of them could hear it. When Dark Tomi didn't move Link said it louder, but still with the lack of force. "Show her to me."

Dark Tomi smiled wider and said, "Of course." His black robe began to give off a dark aura. It engulfed him; he became so dark that not even the glows of his eyes were seen. But after a few moments the aura lifted off of the wizard and formed itself into a tight sphere. The sphere grew slowly and continued to enlarge until it was the shape of a body. Finally the cloud of black faded away and standing behind it was Zelda. She no longer had her nightgown on, she wore a white dress with elegant streaks of red here and there. Her hair was let down to its full length and it reached down to the small of her back, glistening in the new day sun.

Link, at first, had trouble getting the words out of his mouth. But when he got them out he said, "Zelda…are you alright? Come here. Please." Zelda looked at him and narrowed her eyes. She then looked up at Dark Tomi.

"Who is he?" Zelda asked. Link felt his heart break. She had been put under his control and now she couldn't remember him.

"The enemy I told you about. Will you help me with this?" Dark Tomi asked in a voice that was disgustingly sweet.

"Of course." Zelda said with such desire that it seemed like it was her dream to do so. What she did next broke Link's heart even more, if it were at all possible. Zelda reached up behind Dark Tomi's head and brought his lips crashing on her's. He was kissing the lips that Link had kissed not two hours ago. Link's mind when blank, his body not longer could keep itself up and he collapsed onto his knees.

Dark Tomi broke the kiss and looked at Link, then to his light who was still staring at him with a furious glare. "One down, one to go." He then turned to Zelda and asked, "Which one do you want?"

Zelda looked at Link who was barely able to hear the conversation going on in front of him. She pointed at him and declared, "This one, the one in green."

Dark Link smiled and lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, "Then do me a favor, and kill him."

End of Part 9