Eh, I'm cruel to little Link again in this chapter, feel free to yell me for it.
Chapter Three
When Sheik finally removed the spell from Dark, he snapped. Forgoing his sword he leaped at the Sheikah, who twisted neatly out of the way, one of his needles whistling by where Dark's ear had been a moment before.
Giving a cry of rage Dark drew his sword and swung, only to find it countered by the Sheikah's dagger. "If I can't kill him, you'll have to do!" Dark roared, lashing out with his black-booted foot. He met only air, Sheik using the momentum to throw him to the ground.
Any normal opponent would have at least been momentarily winded; but he was Dark, and he was anything but normal. On his feet in a flash, he swung, ducked, blocked, and parried, still unable to lay a single blow on the infuriating Sheikah.
"Hold still and die already!" Dark snarled, rolling around for a back slice. Again, the Sheikah blocked.
"Stop this Dark Link, you've no reason to fight me." Sheik's voice was frustratingly calm, and it only made Dark want to kill him even more, see his red blood stain the Dark World's soil.
"Do! Not! Call! Me! Link!" Dark punctuated each word with jab, screaming at his own lingering weakness. The Hero was dead. Dark could not be Link without the Hero, the Hero only HE was supposed to kill!
Sheik withdrew a Deku nut from a pouch at his side, but Dark knocked it away with a vicious swing. If he pretended hard enough, he could will himself to believe the Sheikah was the Hero, and by killing him he would be released from the terrible mists he could still feel clinging to his very soul. "Die!"
Then it happened.
Sheik faltered, and Dark's blow drew a long, shallow cut across his torso, knocking him to the ground. Dark was grinning madly, triumphant, his red eyes burning for the Sheikah's blood as he moved in for the killing blow.
And Sheik screamed.
He dropped his blade and fell to his knees, the sound tearing from the very center of his being as though some part of him were dying, ripped from his body and flung to the winds to scatter across the land and be lost in the sea.
In a way, it was.
Dark's sword lowered, the fog clearing from his mind as he took a careful step towards the fallen Sheikah. "There is only one thing that can draw such a scream from a shadow warrior, and my blade is not it. Your Light is dead." It was not a question.
For an instant their eyes met, blood and ruby, and Dark could see that Sheik did not know this pain, and yet he did, had felt it countless times already. Skeik's shadow flickered, darkening as he heaved for breath that would not easily come. He remained laying in the dirt, defenseless, unable to find the strength of will to stand again. Fighting him now would be pointless, Dark could see.
Dark sheathed his black blade, walking away from the Sheikah. He would not return for nearly one hundred years.
When Sheik started swearing in multiple languages, that was your cue to run. Fast. Usually, however, even that wouldn't save you from the Sheikah's wrath.
Dark Link's personal record was three languages (He'd once told Sheik that the Princess was absolutely useless, and couldn't Sheik possess her and make her help Link, as had been the original purpose for the Sheikah's creation? Sheik had very nearly skewed him for that. Funny. Now that he thought about it, he'd only heard two after the Dark Mirror incident. Had Sheik taken out his anger elsewhere?). Ganon had once reached eight (Dark Link suspected that it had something to do with locking Zelda in the rat-infested dungeons that one time. That Zelda had hated rats), though he usually hovered in the six to seven range.
Dark Link checked little Link over for the fourth time in ten minutes, reassuring himself that his Light was still breathing. Two deaths and three rebirths in the span of less than four years took its toll on them both, and he couldn't help but worry. The Hero's spirit wasn't meant to be recycled so often.
Assuring himself that the boy was comfortable by their fire (neither Dark Link nor Sheik had ever bothered building a house, though if little Link were going to stay Dark Link thought they might have to) Dark Link made his way to Sheik's side, peering over his shoulder. One benefit to being bound to Princess Zelda so tightly was that Sheik was capable of viewing the past as clearly as she saw the future. All he needed was something to track, and with little Link lying so close, he could clearly see everything that had transpired in the past seven years. He'd already started swearing.
On the eve of Link's birth such a mighty blizzard raged that the good Lady's mother was unable to leave the house to fetch help. Instead, the old woman delivered her grandson herself. In the end, when her eyes locked on the babe's left hand, she was glad that she did (not that it delayed their fate at all).
She had known the last Zelda well, even known the knight named Link, a distant cousin, the one who might have been a hero had the need ever arisen. The King's proclamation concerning the Triforce children was sheer foolishness, and she knew it. To kill one blessed- yes, blessed, not cursed- by the goddesses was idiocy at its peak.
"Do you love your son, daughter?" The old woman asked as she cleaned the boy and wrapped him in a knitted blanket.
"With all of my heart." Answered his mother as she accepted the babe. "Why would you ask such a thing, mother?"
Gently, his grandmother turned his hand palm down, letting his mother see the mark of the goddesses upon his skin. "He cannot remain in Castle Town. He won't be safe here."
The Lady didn't get a chance to answer as she heard a sharp gasp from the door. Turning her head, she saw her husband there, his expression positively murderous. He stalked to the bed and seized the child's hand, making the infant cry out. His cold, dark eyes bore into his wife's gentle blue.
"I will not have a cursed child known to be mine, nor will I keep a woman who birthed one. I care not what you do with him, but I want you gone by morning." With those words, he left.
Two languages.
Although the Lady was weak still, by morning the roads were cleared and the Lady, her mother, and the babe were forced from their home out into the snow without even the aid of a pack-mule. The Lady's sister lived with her husband in a little village nestled at the base of Snowpeak, and that was where they were headed. It was a long journey, and the Lady was afraid to stop for fear that someone would see her boy's marking and try to harm him. The weather was cold, however, and the roads beyond the town barely passable. They spent their first night in a cave close to the town, with only the feeble light of a small fire to warm them.
"We cannot avoid all towns on the way, my daughter." Said the grandmother softly. "You are in no condition for this sort of traveling; I don't think any of us are."
"What else can we do, mother?" Asked the Lady sadly, her blue eyes staring down at her sleeping son. "They would hurt him."
For a time the grandmother was silent, then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a violet silk handkerchief. This she cut and sewed deftly, producing a pair of small violet mittens, which she slipped onto the child's hands. Link promptly stuck his left fist in his mouth, sucking on it.
His mother laughed. "I think he likes that color, mother, violet. My little Vio." And though they were cold, they smiled.
Late on the third day of their travels they reached Lake Hylia, and the grandmother, seeing how weary her daughter was, decided they should camp there. They found a rock outcropping that was relatively free of snow, and the grandmother bid her daughter to sit while she looked for wood to make a fire. Exhausted, the Lady- well, Ex-Lady, she supposed- leaned back against the rock to rest.
She woke after what seemed like only moments, a man's putrid breath in her face. "My my my," said he, "what have we got here? A pretty little lady and her brat, eh? How's about a kiss before I take your rupees, lady?" He was skin and bones, his tunic filthy and coated with dirt despite their proximity to the lake. He leaned in close to her, his teeth yellow and rotten.
She drew back from him, clutching her baby close. "I have nothing to give you, leave us alone!"
His smirk made her stomach twist. "Oh I doubt that, a pretty thing like you. And look at this, such fine gloves for the little one." He snatched Link from his mother's arms, and ignoring the woman's cries as she reached for her baby he pulled off Link's little left mitten. The man gasped as his beady eyes locked on the child's hand.
"A cursed little bastard you have here then, eh? Well, why don't I take care of him for you!" The bandit turned, hurling the baby, blanket and all, into the icy waters of the lake whilst his mother screamed in terror.
Dark Link barely heard Sheik start in on the third language as he began swearing himself, promising a long and painful death to this sick bastard. It was too much like the last time! Too much!
But this time was different.
The shaft of a spear caught the man over the head, dropping him to the ground before the Zora guard who had felled him. The woman didn't even seem to see, breaking in a mad dash for the water. "Link!" She cried as she shed her cloak, intending to dive after the infant herself.
A second Zora surfaced, cradling a bundle in her arms. Swimming to the shore, she passed the baby to the first Zora, who laid him face down across his knees and firmly slapped his back until he began to cough, a thin wail reaching their ears. His relieved mother dropped to her knees beside him, and the Zora started to hand the baby over, only to pull him back when the overwhelmed Hylian woman slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Though the Lady saw none of it, Dark Link and Sheik watched as the Zora guards located the grandmother and borrowed a boat, towing their three Hylian passengers up the river to Zora's Domain.
"So Hylian babies can't swim?" Asked the female Zora who had first rescued the child from the water.
"They cannot." Answered the grandmother, who shivered, chilled, as she had wrapped little Link in her own cloak, since his blanket was now sopping wet.
"How curious." Murmured the Zora. "Hatchlings can swim as soon as they leave their shells."
A wave of Sheik's hand and the Hylian women stood before the Zora's throne.
". . .and so, we wish to pass through to reach my daughter's village at the base of Snowpeak." The grandmother seemed to be finishing explaining the purpose of their trip, for the Queen looked as angry as Sheik at that moment. Her eyes were closed, but they could see the crease of her brows, and her knuckles were white as she gripped the arms of her throne.
"The Hylians may have forgotten what the Hero has done for them in the past, but we Zora have not." She stood, descended the steps of the throne, and reached out to gently take Link's left hand in her own. His fingers curled around hers instinctively, his blue eyes regarding her as she turned his hand to see the Triforce symbol on the back. "We will do all we can to protect this child until he is ready for his destiny."
"Thank you," breathed the Lady, bowing as best she could with her son in her arms. The Queen smiled.
"You poor dears. You look exhausted, and here I am, making you stand here. Captain," she motioned to a helmeted Zora, who saluted sharply, "see to it that they are escorted to the guest quarters, and get them some dry clothes and warm food."
"Yes, my Queen." The Captain bowed, leading them down another path.
Sheik had stopped cursing for the moment, and a small smile even broke over his face when the young prince of the Zoras entered the guest quarters some time later.
The boy gave a short, respectful bow, offering a bundle of blue cloth to Lady.
"My mother asked me to bring this to you. It might be a bit big on him yet, but the material of the blue tunic will allow the baby to breathe underwater." The prince said, offering a small blue tunic with a smile.
The Lady let out a small gasp as she accepted the fabric, unwrapping the baby from a borrowed blanket to pull the tunic over his head. His blue eyes blinked up at them, watching the prince with apparent curiosity. "Thank you, Prince?..."
"Ralis, ma'am." Said Prince Ralis politely. "May I hold him?" He asked, suddenly uncertain as he motioned to the baby.
The Lady smiled. "Of course. Here." She showed him how to support Link's head while he held him, cradled gently against his chest. The baby yawned, sucking on his bare fist as he stared up at Prince Ralis.
"So much like the other one," murmured Ralis. At the Lady's questioning glance, he explained. "A year or two ago a Hylian baby drowned in the lake. He too bore the mark of the Triforce on his hand. I. . .I found him, just. . .floating there." He broke off as tears gathered in his eyes, and he held Link's warm body close, trying to banish the memory of that other limp, icy cold infant.
Sheik's swearing started up again at the mention of their failure, and he banished the scene as the Lady wrapped the prince in a hug.
When the waters cleared some time had passed. It was spring in Hyrule. A laughing Ralis held the infant Link in his arms as he swam through the waters of his domain, the months-old baby gurgling happily. He surfaced near the exit to the Snowpeak path, giving the blue-garbed child one last hug before handing him off to his Lady mother. He watched sadly as they prepared to leave.
The Queen smiled at them, though she clearly wished they would stay. "If ever you need us, our domain will be open to you. Have a safe journey."
"Thank you, thank you so much for your kindness. Don't worry Prince Ralis, we will bring Link back to visit you." The Lady and her mother bowed to the Queen and the prince, who perked up considerably at the prospect of future visits.
A pair of the Queen's guards escorted them the day's journey along the path, leaving them just before nightfall when they reached their destination. The travelers descended into the valley that held the little cluster of huts that made up the village, stopping only for a moment to remove the baby's magical tunic and replace it with a pretty violet one his grandmother made for him to match his gloves, which they slipped on his hands.
The valley itself was beautiful, surrounded on all sides by mountains with a stream running through the middle, glowing orange in the sunset. The fields were plowed but not yet planted, the damp earth glistening wetly from a brief rainstorm a few hours prior. Inside the village, tendrils of smoke curled up from a dozen or so chimneys, the smell of dinner pervading the air.
The door to one of the huts opened and what must have been Link's aunt ran out to greet them. She had a kind face; blue eyes very much like Link's and his mother's. Her husband, however, regarded them from the doorway with a scowl, muscular arms crossed over his stocky frame.
Sheik's hand moved again and the scene shifted once more. There was fire and smoke, the village ablaze. Women screamed and men shouted, the villagers desperately fighting the roaming bandits who sought to destroy their peaceful little village. Four languages now, Sheik's hands moving helplessly to his hidden daggers.
A young boy in a violet tunic gave a shout, charging one of the hulking bandits with little more than a shovel to defend the mayor's shrieking daughter. Link struck the man hard across the back, the bandit giving a shout of pain as he fell forward.
"You little runt!" He made a grab for the boy, but Link was faster, smacking him hard upside the head. The man slumped to the ground as a scream rang out. Link turned towards the sound, his eyes wide and horrified as he saw one of the bandits scoop up his mother and ride towards the hills surrounding their home.
"Mom!" Link dropped his shovel and took off at a run, darting around buildings and over hedges in an attempt to head them off. He leaped from the top of a neighbor's shed towards the horse, grasping for his terrified mother's hand.
"Brat!" spat the hairy-faced bandit, striking Link across the back of his head with the butt of his sword. Link fell from the horse, dragged along for several feet by his grip on his mother's hand. His head spun as he fought to hold on, dimly aware that his hand was slipping out of his glove. His dangling foot caught on a rock and the jerk was enough to wrench his hand free of the fabric. His head struck the ground as he landed harshly, his mother's screams echoing around him as she clutched his glove in her now otherwise empty hand. The last thing he saw was the bandit's grinning face, a grotesque scar running along his right cheek.
The mayor's son found Link some hours later, unconscious still in the dead grass. The older boy nudged the child with his foot to turn him over. "Link? You still alive? Hey- DAD!" The boy jumped away as though burnt, horrified eyes locked on Link's pale left hand, usually concealed. He ran, shouting, returning only once he'd gathered the men of the village together.
"It's his fault!" The boy cried. "Link is the reason we were attacked! He's cursed, and now he's doomed us all!" He was hysterical, waving and pointing at the still boy. The noise began to rouse him, and Link lifted a hand to his aching head.
"Mom?. . ." He whispered hoarsely. He started to sit up, only to be roughly shoved back by a boot to the chest. Link grunted under the pressure, shoving weakly at the offending leg. "Hey. . . ."
Five languages.
The mayor cleared his throat importantly. "My son is right. Ever since that boy arrived he's been nothing but trouble." He eyed Link's uncle, beckoning him forward. "He's part of your house, brother. It's your job to take care of him. This abomination must be dealt with."
The villagers all cheered this announcement, clamoring for the boy's death. The attack had been sudden and brutal, wiping out what little food stores they had left after a failed harvest. Even the mayor's daughter, who Link had rescued only hours earlier, screamed with the rest.
The men set upon the child, kicking him violently. They tore at his violet tunic, the last made for him by his grandmother before she passed, leaving only his undershirt barely intact. The women fetched lengths of rope and brought them forth, binding the boy like they would a pig, hands and feet together, the rope run up around his neck and down again to choke him if he struggled. Link cried out in confusion and fear, but his pleas went unheeded. The villagers wanted vengeance, and in one marked boy they found an easy target.
Six languages. Dark Link swore to himself that if these villagers weren't dead already they would be soon. Absolutely nobody was going to treat his light like that and go unpunished!
"Take him up the mountain!" The mayor's daughter shouted. "Let him rot!"
The people took up the sickening mantra. "Let him freeze! Let him rot!" Two men, Link's uncle and another who was a distant cousin of some sort, lifted the limp and bloodied boy between them, setting off up the mountain path. The higher they went the colder it became, though the villagers didn't seem to mind the chill nipping at their bodies. They took Link to an exposed peak where the wind howled fiercely, and under the prompting of the screaming people, the men hurled the again-unconscious boy off the cliff, watching him bounce the entire way down before landing in a snowdrift.
When he didn't rise again the people let out a roar, spitting down towards where he lay before they turned and headed back to their ruined homes. For a mere moment Link's eyes opened, blue tinted with a violet hue.
"Please, Shadow. . ." was all he whispered before the eyes closed and his battered body went slack once more.
Seven. Eight. Nine. Dark Link was on his feet, trembling with rage. "I want to kill them." He growled.
Sheik was already standing, prepared to teleport. His shadow seemed to be darkening and solidifying, its shape almost humanoid. "Death is too good for them." He hissed. He seized Dark Link's wrist with an impulsiveness that was quite unlike him, preparing the leave for the Overworld.
A quiet groan stopped them, two sets of red eyes drawn to the stirring lump by the fire. Link was waking up.
Right, so, there's the story of why Dark Link and Sheik found little Link in the snow.
Thank you to my two wonderful reviewers UltraVioletDragon (yep, you're first! Thank you!), and darkwolflink1 (hehe I hope you still think it's good after that mess). Now if only more of you would review. Come on guys, I know more than two people have read this. Please feed the author? She likes reviews!
It's also about four in the morning, but I wanted to finish editing this and get it posted since this plot bunny insists on sqashing any ideas for my other fic. OY!