Chapter Four: The Darkness

Burnt flesh. The smell was sickening, more so to Link because of what it meant - failure. His fingers dug at the dirt on the ground, gripping with an unspeakable agony. His muscles began to ache from how tightly he held to the silken brown earth. Moments later, he rose to his feet, tired fingers brushing the dirt from his knees out of responsive habit. Her body was nearly non-existent. Ashes littered the top of the slab, bone fragments poking out at different angles. It was a horrifying realization - never mind how her body ended up down here in the first place. Ashamed at himself and what happened, Link averted his eyes, focused on the millions of glittering orbs of light. He needed a drink, something strong, powerful, to numb the pain and slip away into the darkness once more.

He knew the body would need to be burned as the oracle said, but this... this. He was disgusted with the whole thing. Why did the goddess' ever put such a fate on his shoulders? Why would endure such hardships and torturous events just to have the darkness win in the end anyway? He refused to allow such a mockery of his honor to continue - he was done. Enough of this terrible story. Link's dirty blonde locks brushed light against his pale flesh as he rose to his feet - he didn't even bother to look around before turning on his heal and heading for the exit. What a retched turn of events...

Crackle Crack...

The tall form stopped atop the stairs wondering what would be making a rustling noise in such a place as this; there were no other creatures save for the light orbs that floated along side him. Link shook his head as if to mentally brush off the desire to turn back.

Hiss, crackle, pop!

He unsheathed his sword within moments as he spun around. The hardened expression quickly dropped from his face. Eyes wide, his mouth open, he was instantly horrified. The solace of the room was shattered as the master sword clattered to the dirt littered cobblestone walkway. Before him, hands panicking seized the high sides of the stone tables edge. At first there were only hands, then forearms, now shoulders, and then a head full of black hair. Link stood there dumbfounded. Powerless.

What exactly was he seeing rise up from the solid stone structure? Obviously, other forces were at work. Due to the way the figure struggled it was as if they were pulling themselves out of the structure – regardless of how impossible. As the body continued its vertical ascent it became very clear it was a nude female. She made no sounds, save for the horrible crunching and hissing noises that permeated throughout the room. She was of no threat to Link, perhaps he even felt relief – maybe the cloaked man had done him a favor after all?

Link knew he'd be truly foolish to think it had not been for his enemy's personal gain and not that he really wanted to help our dear hero. He would need to remember this, he'd forgotten everything the oracle had told him – and that information was paramount. By now the woman had placed her right knee on the side of the platform for leverage. With a final pull – she was free of whatever held her down. She was a lovely creature, her features were slender yet defined, her raven colored hair cascaded over her shoulders, across her chest, and pooled at her crouched knees.

Finally, she looked at him. With her eyes a shade of the deepest oceanic blue – she was truly captivating. His presence had seemingly startled her as she gauged his reaction. The woman looked weak from her labored climb from the underworld. "Your name…" the voice was frail and weak. Her thoughts veiled her true motive for asking this obvious question, she was in no shape to defend herself from an attacker and the strangers' reaction and thoughts would tell her all she needed to know of his true intentions for her.

Watching his tone, Link snapped back to the present. "My name is Link, my de-" The woman's head dropped as she gasped in apparent pain. This shocked the Hero of Time. She was collapsing. Her left hand gave under her own weight - her arm having been used to support herself. Wasting no time Link darted for the edge of the stone monument. As his fingers reached for her flesh it became immediately noticeable it was unearthly cold and clammy. The female fell perfectly into his arms, her silken smooth hair came to rest as it now lay across his forearms tangled in a hopeless mess. Link's boyish embarrassment almost got the better of him – the woman was after all naked. Resisting a full-on blush Link knelt toward the floor, his left arm supporting the woman as he gently rested her legs to the ground. Quickly his free hand reached for the pack at his side, he would have extra clothing there. He couldn't very well return to the palace with a naked woman in his arms – this was just not proper.

As Link went about dressing the woman in one of spare his tunics he couldn't help but notice the placid look painted across her features. He was relieved. He found his princess. Princess.. Link hadn't had the time to think of how he felt knowing Zelda's remains were gone. Perhaps there was something inside him that was glad for this as well – though he'd never admit to it. Once he managed to slip the woman's much smaller torso into the shirt, it was time to return to the surface. With a quick tune on the Ocarina – they disappeared in a brilliantly colored light.

--

The sun shone high in the sky as Link paced about the great library of Hyrule Castle. It had been two days now, two days the woman had not awakened. She lay motionless in a room prepared for her. He was becoming increasingly worried – she had not moved at all – not even for sustenance, she could die on him before even accepting the Hylian crown. Suddenly, one of her attendants passed the doorway. "Alyssa!" Link shouted toward the empty space.

Within moments, she was before him, "Yes my Lord?"

He scoffed. "My name has nothing to do with any status. My station is the same as yours. My name is Link." He emphasized on his own name – making it very clear it irritated him to be addressed so formally. "How is she?"

"No changes. She hasn't made a single attempt at waking up… I fear…" her voice trailed indicating the worst possible thing Link could imagine. Yes, lets plunge his world back into darkness. Link's alcoholism was no secret from the public – something he was very ashamed of now. The woman was very short even by elvan standards – her red hair tucked neatly away inside a white bonnet.

He signed dejectedly, his fingers absentmindedly caressing his own lips before dropping obediently at his side. 'What am I going to do now?'

--

"That damn fool." The voice was dark and angry. "What the hell is he doing just sitting around like this?" The room was nearly empty save for a great table and a single lonely chair. His left hand entertained his chin while he gazed deeply into a great magic flame. Pictures of Link and his attendant flashed across it. "Show me the girl." Commanded the harsh voice. The 'mirror' did as it was told. At once came the image of the pale woman, her hair loosely resting around her face, her body nestled between white sheets and pillows

"Eva." He whispered.

"Master, how is it you know her name?" Came a small and squeaky voice. It was the 'mirror' itself. Curious by nature, it always asked questions such as this.

The man ignored him. Reaching a finger across the blue licks of imagery, he caressed the jaw line of the sleeping woman. "Awaken.. Eva."

--

Lisa's fingers reached for the doorknob. She grumbed to herself the whole way here, the woman hadn't moved in days. The kingdom thought Link was on a crazed rampage. Disappearing for months on end, leaving no one to tend to royal business – and now he shows up with a naked woman in his arms recanting some ridiculous story of her being made from the ashes of Zelda's body? Pish posh. She amongst others grew tired of their rulers' insane requests. Securing her palm to the cool metal she pushed against the door willing it to open for her.

Awaken… Eva.

The raven-haired beauty shot strait up in the sheets, frightened. Lisa was truly startled and dropped the small stack of sheets she'd meant to bring to the closet. Eva panicked, her eyes darting about the room wildly. "LINK!" Screamed Lisa. The tone in Lisa's voice was all it took to push Eva over the edge – though she recognized the name, she wasn't about to wait around and find out what was going to happen next. Jumping from the bed, she was dressed in an elegant nightgown, made of a light silken material. "LINK!" the cry came again.

She was poised over the bed after she rose, her fingers clutching the sheet as if for dear life. That was when Link rushed past Lisa nearly knocking her off her feet as he did so. At once Eva recognized him. "Where am I?" Eva barked harshly at him.

Link held his hands up in defense as Lisa ran down the hall leaving the two of them alone. "You're in Hyrule Castle. I mean you no harm." Lowering his head, he nodded in her general direction as a gesture of good will.

Eva seemed skeptical. She had no farther questions for the man, and simply watched him intensely. It would be Link who'd ask the next. "What is your name?"

"Eva." She replied flatly.

Not discouraged by her answer, Link smiled genuinely. "It's beautiful." Puzzled as to why she was not asking anything else, why she was in the castle, or anything remotely to do with her present situation, Link pressed the matter. "Do you know how you got here?"

"No." She hadn't let her guard down at all – nervous she was being lured into a false sense of security.

"I rescued you from the Water Temple – the bottom of Lake Hylia." He offered the information willingly.

Over the next hour or more, Link coaxed conversation from the female, explaining to her where he was from, the general history of Hyrule, it's locations and anything he could possibly think of to gain trust within the woman. She'd finally settled back down to the bed as he'd talked with her, watching him earnestly.

Finally she smiled toward him. "Forgive my attitude before." She finally said.

"What is there to be forgiven?" Link asked confused, it wasn't everyday a women crawled out of the underworld, collapse, wakes up in a strange place and were completely fine with it – Link understood. "You didn't know where you where, it is completely natural to not trust a complete stranger."

As if she were inwardly agreeing with herself, Eva nodded. "I suppose." She offered little to no response to his voice. "However… I am a little hungry."

Link's smile broadened, "Yes, yes of course."

--

Eva hadn't changed from her nightgown as she ate within her room – alone, as was her request. She spent most of the rest of the day shut up inside – thinking, she said. Meanwhile, in the Library once more, Link paced the floors pulling book after book from the weathered shelving, researching as many legends and tales as he could find. He was trying to find information on Eva or her creation – this was obviously not the first time a person had been taken and changed such as Zelda and Eva where. You would think it had been written down somewhere…

Link's searching was fruitless. Any information he might have was through verbal folklore and passed down songs. Nothing within the royal family library was of any use. Whatever – Link could step down, he could do the things he had intended to do once Gannon had been defeated all those years ago… He simply waited for Eva's answer. There came a knock upon the hard oak doorframe. It was Eva. She looked at him, her eyes clouded in thought as she entered the room – with or without his permission.

"Eva? Are you alright?"

She hesitated, "Yes. I'm fine."

Link's insides selfishly quivered with anticipation. "Did you think about what we had talked about?"

"Of course I have. Obviously the goddesses have placed me here… for whatever reason. So here I shall remain. I will not take the position of Rule.. Yet under these conditions I will reconsider if the time comes for it.. My motives for such are simple – yet they are mine alone. I cannot be responsible for ruling a country as of yet… I barely know you." She never once looked him in the face; Eva stared off into the blackness of the room – the sun beginning to set just outside.

Link mentally sighed in anguish and said nothing.

Eva was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the silence between the two lone fingers. "I take my leave of you… I require rest. It is late. I am not ready for this conversation – where it leads. Perhaps we can talk more in the morning…" She turned quickly not waiting for Link's response.

Just like that. She left him. Once safely inside her room Eva locked the door, her hands fumbling for the lock as she leaned heavily against the wood. She felt so ignorant – obviously this was her purpose – so why decline the responsibility? She wasn't ready – simply put. Her fate would be intertwined with that of her Hero, and she knew this. She knew the whole legend by heart. She knew, yet she could not come to terms with her only reason for creation was this moment. The moon was out, full, looming in the distance as it topped the hills and filled the world with a ghostly pale light. Silhouettes danced in the room creating an illusion of company.

She ignored them.

Lightly walking toward the bed, she needed rest, to recover. A cold voice from the darkness startled her. "Good evening… princess." This was no illusion. Eva quickly backed against the wall farthest from the origin of the sound. She was not as frightened as she had been earlier – perhaps she event felt brave.

"Who's there?"

"No one you know. But perhaps we can get to know each other better?" the voice was cool and calculating, measuring her level of fear as he took one step from the haven of shadows.

Curiously, his features resembled those of someone she already knew. Link. "…. Link?" she asked out of fear rather then curiosity. If it was truly him… things just took a turn for the worst.

Instead the man chuckled. "No – not exactly. I am his Shadow. I am his equal though I am not the same person." He began, "I've been watching your ordeal. I freed you from your prison, and awoke you from your deepest slumber." He dared to take brave steps toward the defenseless woman, knowing at any moment she could have called the guard.

"Your.. Scaring me." She whispered as he stood only feet away while he spoke.

"And had I have truly frightened you, you could be calling for your dear Link or the guard and you have done neither. For now I mean you no harm."

"For now?" she snapped back.

"Yes. For now."