Chapter 7
The serpent hissed as it reared back, Link back-flipped as it struck. And flinched when it came within inches of him. He hated serpents of all variety. Link was plenty grateful of his Pegasus Boots as the snake removed its head from the shattered section of the floor. He jumped onto a statue, the movement catching the creature's attention. It whipped its head around and struck. Link jumped, flipping over the serpent. The statue he'd just been on shattered as he landed, crouching behind another. His fingertips brushed the heated floor.
The serpent violently shook its head, as if attempting to clear its senses when Link saw a stone fang jutting out of the serpent's mangled eye. Dark liquid dribbled out of the socket. With one eye blinded it gave him a slight advantage. He moved to the serpent's dulled side, boots echoing on the floor. It swung around to face him – and dove. Link jumped, meeting the serpent in midair, plunging his sword through the roof of its open mouth. Its fangs were still dripping with venom as it collapsed on him, several entering his arm. Warm, almost broiling blood slowly dripped from it's open mouth. The creature's giant head was draped across his chest.
He winced as the flow crept through his mail, burning him. Link's consciousness dimmed as the serpent crumbled into ash, the black poison slowly seeping from his mangled arm.
* * * * *
Zelda rolled the Light Scepter in her hands, observing the details.
It was a two foot platinum rod with a sphere atop it. The bottom half was shimmering moonstone, whereas the top half was star sapphire. On the front side of the sphere was a Triforce connecting the sapphire and moonstone. The final piece was curious; atop the sapphire, in dead center of it, was a golden trio, of shaped crescent moons.
Although Zelda did not know its qualities, she knew it could not be reversed a third time. Originally it had been Light, she knew that much. The crescent moons on the Scepter suddenly began to glow with a soft blue aura.
* * * * *
A soft golden light was what awoke Link. He glanced at his arm, focus sharpening. His gauntlet wasn't even scratched. He slowly got to his feet, seeing the coiled pattern in the ashes as he pulled out the wooden ocarina.
He began Din's Song, the Song of Fire and Power. "You're a bit on the slow side, it appears," came Shadow's disembodied voice. Link glanced around him, the presence was powerful, yet he could not locate it. "I beat you to the Flare hours ago," Shadow added lazily, arrogance coating his tone. The presence vanished.
* * * * *
"Hello, Princess," Shadow said softly, stepping into a slanting ray of light. Zelda pivoted, startled, as she grabbed her slender rapier. His crimson gaze was roughish. The accidentally dropped Scepter rolled across the floor and vanished of its own accord.
Shadow smiled as the Princess leveled her rapier threateningly, warningly. He drew his sword as well. Metal scraped against metal, raising the hair on the back of her neck. "You wish to finish our spar, Shadow?" she inquired coolly, hardly astonished. He nodded.
"You catch on quickly - Faster than your 'Hero of Twilight,'" he said, suppressing a smirk at Zelda's now concerned expression. Oddly enough, he felt no inclination to harm her farther than necessary.
Zelda started too quick-change to Shiek, Shadow's black aura suddenly filled the room, suppressing her transformation. It stopped, half-complete, and began changing more so. Zelda focused, Spirit Light drove away the darkness in one blinding flash. She stood before Shadow, a second alter-ego revealed.
Her blonde hair was pulled up into a loose bun atop her head, with longish bangs hanging more towards her right eye. She wore cropped tan trousers that reached just above her knees. The sleeveless lavender shirt was tight-fitting, a violently red sash connecting the upper and lower garments. Her rapier had changed to a wide-bladed scimitar, a sword just light enough for a woman to wield without trouble, although there was still a Sheikah dagger in the sash.
"I presume you've a name for this alter-ego as well?" Shadow said dryly, somewhat less than amused.
"… Tetra," she replied after a moment, thoughtful. "Now, we may finish our spar."
Shadow suddenly charged her, Tetra sidestepped, feeling the breeze from Shadow's sword. As he turned Tetra stuck; met with a wave of Fire from his blade. She back-flipped as he came at her. Their swords met in a feat of strength. Shadow pressed for ground, Tetra took a step back – and suddenly ducked away from his blade, bringing her sword across his side. Blood wet Shadow's tunic, Fire exploded from his blade. Tetra held up her arm, shielding her eyes from the sparks while stepping away from the heat. He smirked.
Her calm shattered. Her newest form suddenly reverted back to Sheik; she delivered a rain of attacks, which Shadow met with pleasure. Shadow swung his sword in an arc as Shiek flipped over him. Her blood spattered on both Shadow and the floor. Shiek barely landed on her feet, one hand brushing the floor. Red was flourishing on the stomach of her Sheikah garb. From several feet away, she glared at him, pressing an arm against the wound. She stood, not about to give in so easily.
"Still fighting, are you?" Shadow inquired sarcastically, some of her blood tricking down his face. "I suppose I must give you credit for bravery," he drawled, and lunged at her. Shiek jumped, and delivered a kick to the side of Shadow's head. He landed several feet back and jumped to his feet.
"Perhaps you are finished now?" Shiek inquired softly, quick-changing back to Zelda.
"Hardly." He slashed the air, aimlessly, or so it seemed. Something seemed to collide with her very spirit. Zelda crumpled, unconscious.
* * * * *
Link had made out of the dungeon and to the Faron Province when Shadow appeared. Carrying Zelda. "If you wish to see your dear Princess alive again … I suggest you come to our world. The Mirror of Shadows shall serve as your portal, you've until dawn tomorrow," Shadow warned and vanished through a gaping black void.
Link felt and icy chill steal over him. "Zelda …" he whispered. What had refreshing breeze cut through him like a knife. He mounted Epona, returning to the shrine-like structure in southern Faron Province.
Upon entering Link saw the Mirror had been moved. It stood front of the door, behind which Link had first encountered Shadow. He paused before entering, staring into its depths. His reflection was no longer staring back at him.
Instead there were starry depths, presenting the moon and earth … their world. Behind the Light Moon, there was a slightly smaller blackish purple sphere, pitted and scarred. Shadow's world. Still, where do the Light Moons come in? He wondered, stepping through the Mirror.
* * * * *
Zelda had begun to stir, Zalcite nodded towards Shadow, who took a step forward. When she was fully awake he spoke. "Evening, Princess," Zalcite said, curling the last word into a horrible sneer.
She glared at him, not in the least intimidated, as she stood. "Whom, might I ask, are you?" Zelda inquired, ignoring Shadow entirely.
"You are not in the position to be asking questions. Your status as 'Princess of Hyrule' means naught to me. What I do wish to know, however, I feel you might – As you have revealing dreams. Where is Nayru's Guardian?"
Although she knew naught of what he desired, it was clear he only intended death for this person. "I do not know," she said flatly.
"A pity, as you are related to the girl," he countered. Zelda stiffened. Her father had once said she had younger sister who mysteriously vanished. "And when the girl is found, she shall join Link in the ground," Zalcite said mirthlessly, chuckling slightly. Shadow tensed at mention of Link's name, glaring at his Master.
* * * * *
Link looked at his surroundings. He wasn't merely at their world; he was at a Palace of sorts. The floor was a midnight-blue marble with black snaking through it, occasionally purple. Same went for the walls. There were no torches, lanterns, or even candles, yet everything was well lit. The Palace, so it seemed, provided its own light. The room was somewhat large, his boots echoed faintly as he walked across the floor.
As he pushed open the door Link saw a being of some kind. It appeared humanoid, but was completely gray with pupiless lavender eyes.
Link drew his sword; although he normally couldn't feel changes in the surrounding area aside from temperature, he was feeling dark vibrations from the creature. Having no idea what it was, however, he didn't know its weakness.
The creature turned as he stepped out of the threshold. It suddenly threw a magical sphere, Link jumped.
* * * * *
Zalcite heard a crash on the floor below. He signaled Gannon and Shadow. "I believe we've a visitor," he said while gazing at Zelda, sending an icy chill down her spine. "What say the two of you find out whom …?"
"Yes, Master," Gannon said with a brief bow and turned on his heel, Shadow strode out behind him.
'Link … You needn't of come …' Zelda thought as Zalcite turned his back to her. Placing a hand behind her back, she began forming a knife out of Spirit Light. As it finished taking shape she hurled her glowing weapon at him.
He turned, easily catching the spinning blade. It clattered across the floor as Zalcite tossed it away from him. "Very foolish of you, I must say," he said menacingly. Zelda stood her ground, not about to give the satisfaction of fearing him. "Perhaps you shall know your place when I am through …" Zalcite drawled.
* * * * *
Link stood as the dust cleared, coughing. He pulled his sword out from underneath a piece of statue as he spotted his foe. It attacked. Link gasped in pain as a shrunken was buried in his ribcage. He jumped to elude a rain of them, performing the Jump Strike. When he landed his foe, oddly enough, crumbled to ash as the blade sliced through it.
He stood, and had to go fishing in his wound for the small weapon. Eventually, he found it. Link tucked the now red shrunken in his belt, as he may need another weapon. He continued out into the corridor while healing the wound, and saw he had two options. There was a regular path, and one with a track that steadily went up the wall, nearly to the high ceiling. The track would be much faster. As he rode towards the ceiling Link had to volley between the two tracks in order to avoid the smaller spiked spinners.
When he reached the next floor something knocked him off his Spinner, which skidded across the stone floor as he barely caught the ledge. Link flipped back up, and immediately converted to offensive stance at the sight of Gannon and Shadow.
"I do not require your assistance," Shadow said icily, placing his already drawn blade to the Gerudo's wrist. Gannon begrudgingly removed his hand from the hilt of his golden sword. Link quickly moved away from the ledge as his counterpart advanced, sword aloft. He sidestepped to avoid the vertical slash of Shadow's blade. He countered, wincing as his foe's blade bit into his shoulder. Shadow had warped behind him. He wrenched away from it, blood was already seeping from the wound.
Link pivoted, finally catching Shadow off guard. His counterpart held up his arm, Link's sword slashed through Shadow's gauntlet. Link struck again. Shadow met his attack. Link pushed for ground, attempting to steer Shadow towards the ledge. A red flare suddenly raced up Shadow's blade. Link took a step back in surprise. Shadow was now in control of the exchange.
In answer to Shadow's unspoken challenge, a green and blue aura wrapped around his sword. A smile played about Shadow's lips. Both a weakness and strength.
They were both blasted into the wall by a wave of Dark Energy. Gannon strode forward as they got to their feet. "I tired of waiting Shadow," Gannon said, his tone dripping with venom. "Wolf-boy shall die at my hands alone." Shadow was glaring at Gannon with contempt and disgust.
"Can you not accept that he defeated you?" Shadow sneered. Gannon stopped, his amber eyes narrowed.
"He prevailed only because of his impish friend," Gannon snarled, unsheathing his sword. Despite the circumstances, Link smiled. Gannon neglected to mention the other young woman that assisted in his previous defeat.
Link and Shadow preformed the Jump Strike as Gannon charged a tainted gold attack. Gannon released when they were in midair. The attack knocked them to the ground, leaving their left and right wrists bound together with two golden shackles, a short chain connecting them. Amusement was written across Gannon's expression at Shadow's disdain of being bound to Link.
"Those who feud together fail together," Gannon taunted. An attack of crackling black energy charged around his sword.
End Chapter 7