Chapter Fifteen
The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the underground cave they had taken shelter in for the day. Dark Link's head snapped to the side, but he didn't raise his hand to sooth his stinging cheek. Dark Zelda was furious.
"What do you mean, you couldn't find him?" She hissed.
"Exactly what I said." He replied, his voice icy, dead. "After we left them Link must have passed out. The Hero went back to sleep, and hasn't woken since. I can't track him when the Hero sleeps. I don't know where he is." A sadistic smirk tugged at his lips as memories floated to the surface. "I checked his hometown already. He isn't there. . .although, neither is anyone else, by now." Oh yes, he'd taken out his revenge on that pathetic little village, now that. . .he. . . wasn't there to stop him. No one harmed his light; no, revenge belonged to him and him alone.
Another blow, this one harder, knocked him to the floor of the cave. He landed on his side in a small puddle of water, but he didn't move to stand from it, bowing his head instead to hide his face.
"Don't toy with me, you ungrateful little urchin!" She spat, grabbing his chin in a bruising grip and forcing him to look at her. "Tell me, Darkling, who was it that pulled you from the lesser shadows? Who taught you to think?"
"You." The amusement was gone, now.
"Who brought you to the Lord Ganondorf? Who made you strong?" Her nails dug into his flesh, drawing wisps of shadows forth, but he didn't flinch.
"You."
"And who loves you?" She asked. The words rolled from her tongue like poison, honey-sweet but with an undertone of malice that didn't belong. He must have hesitated too long, because her face twisted into an ugly scowl and she shoved him back into the pond. She planted her high-heeled boot on his chest to hold him there, though he did not try to fight her. He wouldn't dare.
"I will tell you who, Darkling. It is I who loves you. It is I who takes care of you, useless shadow that you are. Who else would keep the likes of you?" She crooned, pressing the heel of her dainty-looking boot harder into his flesh.
A whisper passed his lips, quiet, but she heard him still. "Sheik. . ."
She screamed her fury at the response, removing her foot only to throw her right arm out to send dark bolts of electricity coursing through his body. His muscles spasmed, and her left hand joined her right, finally drawing a pained scream, though he cut it off quickly, clamping his mouth shut.
His body lay twitching in the water as she reached out to seize the front of his tunic, pulling his face close to hers. "Sheik does not exist." She growled. "Sheik never existed. It was the result of a spell cast upon me a thousand years ago, nothing more." She threw him back into the water, and in an instant a dirk was at his throat. His heart twisted; it belonged to Sheik. "Say it."
What else could he do? "Sheik does not exist."
A thousand years meant nothing to a shadow.
Link's eyes opened to a beautiful, brilliant sunset. The air around him smelled woody and sweet, as he imagined a forest might. Running his hands over the soft, green grass that cushioned him comfortably, the ever logical little Vio wondered where he could possibly be. Had the arrow struck true?
"Blue! Blue, look, he's awake!" A child-like voice called from somewhere nearby. Link sat up to look for the source of the voice, only to be tackled back down by a red blur. "We were worried about you, Vio!" The muffled voice spoke from where it was buried in his chest, its owner thrown across his body.
Vio's first instinct was to tense and shove the boy off, but something told him he was in no danger here. He patted the boy's back soothingly, feeling a small smile tug at his lips. "I'm all right. . . Red."
An irritated growl sounded behind them and Red yelped as he was jerked away from Vio by the scruff of his neck. "Bluuuue!" He whined as the scowling blue-clad doppelganger set him back on his feet. Red and Blue looked so much like himself, Vio thought, though older, in their teens perhaps, and still somehow different from each other and from him. Red was smiling, small and slight while Blue was scowling, taller, and stronger.
"Well, don't maul him then!" Blue snapped, smacking Red upside the head. Red's red-flecked blue eyes welled with tears, and Vio heaved a sigh as though he dealt with this every day.
"Blue, knock it off. We don't have time for this." Came a fourth voice.
"Oh?" Sneered Blue, hands on his hips in his cocky way, "The Hero of Time doesn't have time? Who'd have guessed!"
The fourth Link stepped from behind a tree. He was garbed in Kokiri green, and wore the Master Sword and Hylian shield strapped to his back. He looked older than the others, and yet timeless, somehow. Green frowned at Blue, but chose not to rise to his bait. Instead, he sat down across from Vio, regarding him carefully.
"I'm sorry." He said finally. "This is difficult to explain, but you've always been the smartest, so I'll come right out and tell you." His eyes were kind and warm, and yet they carried a heavy sadness.
"Sheik told you the stories, and you've read the legends. Before the Hero of Time there were other villains, other Heroes, other tales. But with me. . . everything changed. No demon or dark wizard had ever managed to reach Triforce, not before Ganondorf, and not before I let him. We were only children then, the Princess and I. We thought we knew what was best, and look what happened." Red stepped up behind Green, wrapping his arms around him comfortingly. Green laid a hand over Red's, smiling his thanks.
"I was sent back in time to right the mistake, but it couldn't be fixed entirely. Ganondorf was sealed for a time, but he took his piece of the Triforce with him, as I kept mine, and Princess Zelda kept hers. Not long afterward, I left Hyrule. I told everyone I sought Navi, my fairy companion, but that was only half the truth. I didn't believe that Sheik was only a lie. I. . ." His eyes moved to the horizon, to the sunset they'd chosen for this meeting place.
"I loved him dearly, and I could not accept that he didn't exist. I looked everywhere for him; Termina, Holodrum, Calatia. But all these places were reached by the Lost Woods. The woods. . . are treacherous for those who cannot See, for those without a fairy to guide them." Green had a faraway look in his eyes, a reflection of this centuries-old pain of one who could not accept. He'd seen it in Shadow's eyes the moment reality hit him, when he realized his precious Sheikah was gone.
"The woods take their toll for your passage. They took Red from me first, and Blue followed. They took you from me too, so that by the time I arrived in the human village of Ordon, I had little left to give." As he spoke, the scenes around them changed, placing the four Links for a moment in a world long past. People, places appeared and vanished, their details still sharp despite the years. "I sang my house from the forest in the Kokiri way, and there I lived the rest of my mortal life as simply Link, husband to the ranch-hand's daughter. I contacted Hyrule only once."
The forested meadow returned, and Green stood to pace, Red releasing his comforting hold. "When I first passed into the Sacred Realm, the Goddesses spoke to me. Ganondorf was sealed but not dead, so long as he held the Triforce of Power he could never die. Blessed Nayru and Sacred Farore thus granted their chosen immortality of a different kind. There would always be a Link, always a Zelda ready to fight him again."
"But our soul was already split." Chimed in Red.
"Yes." Green said, looking between the other three. "Our soul was already split by the Lost Woods' toll. It was decided that we should remain this way, because our different personalities could be useful in different situations. Blue's wildness and Red's innocence together, for example, were best equipped to handle the Twilight Princess, Midna. You and I, Vio, best handled the label of traitor, the Dark World time needed to complete our particular quest, and later, deciphering the ancient texts we needed to escape from a Dream Island."
A thoughtful look crossed Vio's face. "That's why Shadow said he couldn't find me, isn't it? Why he couldn't find me. . .before. . .because I'm only a fourth of his light. I'm not strong enough alone." Oh yes, he remembered the night Dark Link and Sheik found him in the snow. He didn't remember much else, but bits of his life had slowly been returning to him ever since he met Ralis.
Green's eyes filled with sorrow, and he pulled Vio to him in a gentle embrace. "I am sorry about what happened to you. Truly I am. But yes, we woke that night to allow you to call out to him. He would not have found you, otherwise."
"Thank you, for that. You gave me something very dear when you placed me in their care." Vio said, returning the embrace before releasing Green.
"But that brings me to the reason I brought you here, Vio." Green said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Ordinarily, when a Link must become a Hero, we all awaken, that his soul might become balanced enough wield the sacred blade, the Master Sword. But. . ."
"You're a pipsqueak." Cackled Blue.
"Blue!" Red protested, attempting to glare at him and failing miserably at it.
"Well, yes. You are too young, and our souls are tired. Sheik told you about the Links just before you, I trust? Red and I went first, then Blue and I before you, all in the span of about three years. Our soul exists in pieces, and thus it is sensitive to these things; we cannot be reborn so close together." Green's determined gaze met Vio's, but through it Vio could see that Green was concerned for him.
"We've tried to help you before, and we nearly killed you. We cannot help you again. Especially not now, with most of Sheik's protections destroyed. You cannot become the Hero in time to fight. You will have to find another way. Do you understand?" Green's voice implored him. This was killing the other Link, Vio could see it. He wanted nothing more than to take control, to fight Dark Link and defeat him as he had all those years ago in the Time That Never Was. But he knew he could not. This was not the Hero's time.
Red began to fidget. "We're running out of time, Green!"
"I understand." Said Vio.
"Good. There's a reason, Vio, that I chose to send you alone this time, once I realized what would be." His smile was strange, as though he was recalling something he wasn't quite sure he liked, but he knew could not be helped. "None of us could get so close to the shadows, to our own shadow, without being destroyed. Only you can do it, Vio."
Green saw that Vio's eyelids were growing heavy. Green gently pushed the boy to lay down, reaching into the pouch at his side to withdraw a blue ocarina. He lifted it to his lips, letting the haunting Nocturne of Shadow ring through the air. Red withdrew the Fairy Ocarina, the high notes blending in a perfect harmony.
Green paused as Red played on. "One more thing. If you get a chance, tell Dark Link that if he doesn't learn to care for his lover properly soon, I'll take care of him next time we meet."
Vio's brows drew together in confusion, and he tried to force himself awake again. "But, Shadow. . His lover. . . where do I find him?"
Red lowered his ocarina from his lips with a giggle. "Silly Vio. Where else do shadows lie in the land of the light?"
As Vio lost his battle and faded back to the world of the waking, Red and Green began to play again. He gave Blue a pleading look, but Blue stubbornly crossed his arms and looked away.
"Blu~ue!"
"No, dammit!"
Scaly webbed fingers ran gently through soft, blond hair. Green eyes looked fondly on a child's sleeping face. "It's hard, you know." Despite meeting Vaati only days prior, Ralis found him easy to converse with. He had a quiet air about him, the aura of one with far too much time to think upon his past.
"What is?" Asked the wind mage softly.
Ralis sighed, laying the back of his hand upon Link's head for a moment before withdrawing it and turning to face him. "Letting him go. I berate myself for it every time something happens, but I know I can't stop him. I couldn't stop him from leaving here with that shadow creature, even though every instinct in me was screaming to keep him here, keep him safe."
Vaati smiled a gentle smile. "Link was raised by the last of the Sheikah. The Sheikah put the safety of the Hylian royal family, especially the princess, above all else. Nothing could have stopped him from seeking her out."
Ralis' eyes dropped back to Link. Three days, and still the child had not awoken. "Knowing it doesn't stop the guilt."
"You're right." Said Vaati, lifting one of his now ever-present bottles of blue potion. "It doesn't."
"It wasn't your fault Vaati." Ralis jumped, quickly withdrawing his hand from Link's head. Link lay back in the bed, regarding them quietly for a few moments. He looked so small and pale, but it was his eyes that struck them the most. The intelligent blues were shadowed now, jaded in a way that only Vio's could be.
The Healer appeared at the doorway (Vaati swore that Zora had a magical sensor on the room) and bid the prince to stand aside while he examined his youngest patient. A look of consternation crossed his face, but as to what caused it he wouldn't say. He produced a bottle of red potion, urging Vio to drink and then to rest. Vio laid back on the pillow obediently, and the Healer left with the promise to return to check on him soon. Vio was silent through most of the visit, a faraway, thoughtful look on his face. Neither Vaati nor Ralis spoke.
"Where do shadows lie in the land of the light?"
Ralis blinked. "Pardon?"
Vio turned on his side to face them. "I had a. . . conversation with the other spirits of the Hero. They told me I would find. . .something, I can't recall what. . . in the place where shadows lie in the land of the light." Slowly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, brushing his blond bangs from his face. "Something that would help Shadow, I think."
"A conversation with the? . . Link, little Vio, do you really think that's wise? Look at you, look at what that creature did!" Ralis protested, imploring him to reconsider. Vio shook his head.
"It wasn't his fault. There was a spell on him to cleanse the negativity that channeled to him from the Hero. I recognized it. Dark Zelda broke it, and that's what unhinged him." Vaati shifted to better look at Vio, taking another sip of his potion with a wince.
"How do you know that's what it did?" Ralis asked.
Vaati gave a strange little smile, but answered the question with one of his own. "Link, you never asked why you found me where you did, sealed in that ball of light."
"I recognized the similarities between your spell and Shadow's. I didn't have to ask. Your spell was less well-formed, more primitive, but the goal was the same. Purifying evil from you." Vio said. He did not admit that he had, at first, hoped he had found Sheik. No, that was far too painful. Sheik was gone. "In answer to your question, Ralis, it's difficult to explain. The details are fuzzy already. But I know what he told me. I need to find the place where shadows lie in the land of the light."
"Was he referring to your shadow, perhaps?" Ralis suggested after a moment.
Vio shook his head. "No. I don't cast a shadow. Look." So saying, he stood from the bed unsteadily. Ralis rushed to aid him, but when he looked, he saw that Vio was right. Ralis could clearly see his own shadow outlined by the torchlight, but Link's was gone, doubtless out causing chaos in the countryside. "It has to mean something more than that. Where do shadows lie in the land of the light?"
Ralis laid him gently back down on the bed. If he noticed Vaati flinch, he didn't mention it. "Somewhere there is plenty of light? Shadows appear where light casts them. . ."
"No." Vio answered immediately. "Shadows hate the light. It burns them; it can kill them. Shadows lie, shadows lie. It could have so many meanings. Where shadows sleep, where they wait for light to pass. Somewhere underground, maybe?"
"Well, there are many old underground caves in Hyrule. . ." Ralis began uncertainly.
Vio's eyes widened and he nearly shot up in his bed again. "Underground! What's the largest underground cavern? The Shadow Temple underneath Old Kakariko, of course!" Vio fell back, smiling to himself. "It was meant to have many meanings, because all of them are true. 'The infinite darkness that swallows even time.' That places contains many illusions created from shadows, but it is also the final resting place for the Sheikah, Shadows of the Royal Family! Where shadows lie!"
"Shadow Temple?" Neither Ralis nor Vaati seemed familiar with it.
"Yes. It's one of the secrets of the Sheikah. One of Sheik's books described it to me, and Sheik taught me a bit about it too. The key to helping Shadow is there, I'm sure of it." There was excitement, life in his eyes. They could almost see the gears in his head whirling, as he planned a way to reach the ancient temple.
Ralis looked like he was debating something, but finally he moved to take Vio's left hand in his, covering the scarred skin with both of his webbed hands. "Then as soon as you are better, and not a moment sooner, we will go to the Shadow Temple."
Vio looked up at him in surprise. "Ralis. . ." The Prince smiled at him.
"Little brother, I cannot stop you from going, but you didn't honestly think I would let you go alone again, did you?" Vio blushed and looked away.
"I'm coming too. Shadow is my friend as well. I will do what I can to save him." Vaati set his empty bottle aside, ignoring the laughter ringing in his mind.
"Then it is decided. As soon as the Healer gives you clearance, we will go. Rest now, Vio. I will prepare for our departure." Ralis bent to press his lips to Vio's forehead in a gentle kiss, then hurried from the room to do as he'd said.
Vio lifted the ocarina to his lips. He didn't want to risk the others. Green had said he would find a way, not that others needed to help him. He positioned his fingers-
-and a gust of wind ripped the ocarina from his hands, carrying it to the Wind Mage, who promptly pocketed it. Vio frowned at him, displeased. "Give it back."
"I will." Vaati assured him with a knowing smirk. "As soon as your health is cleared. Once he comes back to his senses, Shadow would have my head if I let you run off as you are."
"That was underhanded."
"So was that. Go to sleep, Link."
"Vio. Call me Vio."
A spark of understanding lit Vaati's eyes. Vio, the most precious Link to Shadow. "As you wish, Vio. Now, go to sleep."
Seeing nothing else for it, Vio obediently lay back. It didn't take him long to return to sleep.
"Smart little thing, isn't he? Promising magic. Looks like an excellent new host. . ."
A snarl left Vaati's lips. "I'll not let you touch him!"
"Heh heh heh. You won't have a choice once I kill you, boy. You won't have a choice."
At least 50 of you read the last chapter, and only two of you left reviews? I feel so unloved. D: Please feed the author? I especially like your theories because they let me know if I'm leading you where I want to lead you or completely screwing it up.
But at least two of you still love me! (Although I have a feeling you both want to kill me now *hides*).
So, thank you to the two reviewers from last chapter
Darkwolflink1: Ralis has said something ot that effect before. I've been trying to make it clear that Vio and Ralis were very close before Vio lost his memories, but I guess I'm not doing a very good job. I can't just up and tell you what I'm doing with Sheik. The ambiguity and driving everyone nuts with it is half my fun. I did as you suggested with Requiem for a dream by the way and OMG it did fit! O.O Seriously, keep telling me when you find songs that fit. They inspire me.
Claradwor: I think Vaati needs lots of hugs right now. And thank you for the hilarious mental image of Gufuu mobbed by angry fangirls. They're rabid and scary. I try not to cross them. . . *Totally just did and is hiding now*