Her eyes flew open and she shot up from her bed and out of her room. Tears still raced from her eyes as she made her way down to Link. He was sitting at the table. supporting his head with his hand, watching the candle flame burn. "Link, I'm so!" She caught her breath and climbed up into his arms," I'm so sorry! L-Link, I'm just so, so sorry!" She cried uncontrollably. She could barely see his face, though he wore a worried expression, her tears blinded her. Still crying, she lay in his arms and clutched his shirt in her small hand.
"Midna, what's wrong?" Link was extremely worried at the sight of Midna, he never saw even a tear escape her eye, let alone see her completely collapse in his arms and burst into tears. "Are you okay? Midna!"
"Nightmare! Shadoowww!" She cried the name "shadow" and sounded as if she were in pain. She gasped several times trying to control her crying but she couldn't and simply laid her head back on his drenched torso. She gasped again and pushed her lips together to stop crying. "I thought.. you died.. I died… So real." She couldn't make out the whole dream. Link, broken hearted at the sight of her, held her close to his chest to comfort her.
"I'm not dead, I'm here, Midna, calm down, I'm here." He stroked her hair and pressed his cheek against her head. After a while Midna finally calmed her crying.
"Link, the shadow, it, it was you, you died, but your shadow killed me. Your face, it was scary! The scariest thing! Just the thought of you… dead!" She sobbed lightly this time.
(Later)
"Thank you, Link" Midna muttered as she reached for a cookie and honey, wrapped in the warm blankets that Link put over her.
"Sure" Link straightened up when Midna finished grabbing her snack. "Midna, I don't want to do this but it's killing me." Midna partly sat up in Link's bed, the feathery pillow supported her as she listened to him curiously. He continued," What about the dream… Made you so scared? Everyone has awful nightmares, why was this one so terrifying?" She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Link, it wasn't just a nightmare, it was like I was really there. I felt your warm blood spill on me. That shadow was standing over me as I dreamt. I felt that cold blade pierce my skin, I felt my breath get short… I died… I felt it all. And his laughter, it was so deep; it sent a cold chill down my spine. It was just so scary because I was literally in that dream."
"What do you mean?" Link sat at the foot of his bed, confused "You couldn't actually be there if you were sleeping."
"I don't know! That's another reason it was scary, I don't understand it!" She stammered and shut her eyes tight.
"So, the thing that killed you… was me?" Link was still confused.
"You, as a shadow, you had black hair, black tunic, and your eyes were red. You had no lips, your skin… was pure black, no… There was no skin, just black, like it was empty."
"That's creepy." Link looked down. "How did I get so wounded?"
"I don't know, I think the shadow" she guessed. "Is there really a shadow of you? I mean, was this nightmare trying to warn me of something?"
"I dunno."
"Do you think your early bloodline faced the same thing?" Midna thought she was sounding stupid and quickly added," I mean, like, some stupid hero vs. evil thing? It can't be just you."
"I guess it's possible." Link knew the truth of his shadow, he had met it before, and he wasn't going to mention that to Midna, though, so he just kept asking questions like he had no idea about it. He thought it was maybe possible that his shadow was trying to connect to him through Midna. His ancestors all had a shadow; all fought them, some won, the others had to escape. Shadows had an advantage to defeating his light side. Link remembered when he met him. He never knew his shadow's name; it never told him; Link guessed it was Dark Link, Shadow Link, or something along those lines. He didn't even fight his shadow. He entered the lone room and his boots sunk in about an inch into the glassy water. He felt bad for his shadow; he remembered when he saw it too. It sat lonely near a tree, its ocarina left eerie echoes throughout the blank room. He didn't want to battle his shadow, it seemed so alone. He unsheathed his sword and put it to his shadow's neck, the shadow merely whispered," Link." and sunk into the shallow water with the use of his shadow powers.
"Link, are you listening?" Midna interrupted his flashback.
"Huh? Yeah Midna, I gotta go lie down, I have a major headache." He was overwhelmed with emotion, strange for a guy like him, he desperately wanted to reach his shadow, and talk to him, and he would take his chances... His shadow knew everything about him. His shadow was him, and Link knew that, but he had no one else, his father and mother dead, he had only Dark Link, whether it be a wicked version of himself, it was still someone. "Try to get some sleep, Midna," Link smiled at her to cover up his turmoil, it worked, she smiled back and nodded her head, he slowly closed the door and made his way down two ladders.
"If you wanted to reach me, why didn't you look for me?" asked a deep voice. Link swung around and saw nothing but a dark, empty corner
"W-what?" Link stammered and looked around.
"Why didn't you look for me?" A shadow slowly emerged from the dark corner, folding his arms across his chest.
"H-How did you know I was just-" Link began to ask with a shaky voice before the shadow cut him off.
"We are one, whether you accept it or deny it, our minds are one." The shadow grinned and tapped his head. He replied and continued," Calm down…Jeez…"
"B-but…" Link was still in awe and shaking.
"Yeah, yeah, our ancestor's shadows fought their light form, Link, we aren't our ancestors, and we don't have to fight." Dark Link shrugged.
"Why are you so… laid back?" Link cautiously sat down on a couch. Dark followed and sat next to him.
"Because I know I won't fight you, but you, you don't trust me."
"You said our minds are one. If they are, wouldn't I know that you aren't going to attack me?"
"Link, we still have our own thoughts and instincts, you're just not letting your guard down to realize that I don't want to fight you. Why are you so upset?" Dark asked as he tilted his head. Link hung his head slightly.
"I never knew you would come so easily, I never though you could just appear in my house if I wanted you to, nor did I know you weren't evil."
Dark laughed, his deep laugh startled Link," Heh, I am evil, at heart, I'm created to destroy and to hate, imagine that, living all alone with nothing but the company of water, a tree, your ocarina, and yourself and not being able to accomplish what you were created to do. For years I left with this killing instinct and no one to take it out on. There have been times where I was tempted to take it out on myself. You were the first person I ever met in that place."
"Sounds like hell… But if I was the first person you could kill why didn't you?"
"Over time, I learned what I was created for, and through that time I couldn't accept myself, my soul was created in the wrong body. Link, everyday is hell for me. My instincts pester me to murder but my heart refuses everyday. I live alone and have nothing to do but debate with myself if I should kill you or myself. I realized that living alone with myself was like being completely dead inside, I knew if I killed you, my instincts would be satisfied and I would crave more blood, but if I didn't my heart would feel pride, and joy, I never felt it before, though my head hurt and I had an even larger temptation to come back up and kill you, I felt… happy and proud that I hadn't killed you, and I loved that feeling more than I hated myself. I didn't kill you so I could continue to feel."
"So what are you trying to tell me?"
"You may not realize it, but most of the turmoil I had been dealing with dissolved, despite the whole killing thing. But you helped me, and for that, you're my friend." Dark smiled and Link backed up.
"What the hell? This isn't normal! How could you possibly see me as a friend?"
"Because your presence stopped me from killing you, you helped me feel joy, which all these times was all I really wanted." Dark blinked.
"This is a trick!" Link shot up and grabbed for his master sword, lying against a wall, and pointed it to Dark.
"What?" The shadow merely laughed casually and held up his hands. "Before you slice my throat, I'd like to know what I did." Dark stood up.
"S-sit back down" Link was awkwardly shaky. Dark put his hands up again, nodding his head once, and sat down. "Y-you went in Midna's dream, and killed me and her."
"Link, Link, Link, you're completely confused! I didn't kill her! The other interloper did. Do you remember seeing the gods creating the land, and three Dark Links? I was the one on the right… We were the Dark Interlopers. I left them, and look, I look better than before, so it's a win/win for me." Dark looked up and he did look different, Link was now just noticing this, he no longer had a black face, but a tanned one, he no longer had glowing red eyes, they were still red, but only the iris, he now had pupils and his whites. "But once I left them, I was sentenced to that hell, in the water temple."
"Sorry." Link dropped his master sword and sat back next to Dark, a good distance away, however. "But if you could go back and stay with them… would you?"
"Hell no! I may be upset but all they did was kill and murder. They were so power hungry. Yes, I got into it sometimes but after a while I just couldn't take it, I tried to leave and they sentenced me to the water temple to be killed by you, they thought it would be funny to see a shadow die by light, but I simply sunk."
"So, exactly why are you here?" Link scratched his head and stared at Dark.
"To kick some Interloper butt." Dark stood up and began to punch the air, pretending it was an interloper.
"Uh, what?" Link blinked.
"To kick some interloper butt." Dark repeated.
"What do you mean?"
"Uhh, what else could I mean? Link, you and me are gonna team up and destroy those creatures." Dark put his hand on Link's shoulder, his Triforce marking was glowing with rage.
"B-but" Link was still looking at Dark's hand until he heard an interrupting voice.
"Link, Link! How's your headache, do you need anything?"
"Dark, HIDE!" Link whispered a little too loud "NOW!"
"Heh, calm down, I'll go hide." Dark chuckled and blended in with the nearest shadow he could find, and Link plopped on the couch, acting as if he had a headache.
"Who were you talking to?" Midna burst through the door and cocked her head to the side.
"Uh, uh, no-no one!" Link stammered.
"You're a terrible liar, Link." Midna folded her arms across her chest.
"I'm not lying." Link cleared his throat and changed his expression from shock to a calmer feature. "Why are you here?"
"Well, first I wanted to know if you want me to make you some tea to help you feel better."
"Nah, I'm not a tea person." Link said in a polite voice.
"Okay, well, I think I figured out my dream!"
"Heh, did you?" Dark stepped out of his shadow and folded his arms across his chest. Link shot up from the couch and gave Dark a stern look. "Well… I'm listening."
"HOLY SHIT!" Midna raced behind Link's back and looked at him in the eyes. "Is that your shadow? IS IT!" She almost shrieked.
"Yes… duh." Dark shot back. Midna shook uncontrollably with fear and squeezed Link's waist.
"It's fine, Midna, he's not gonna hurt you." Link pried Midna's hands off and held them tightly in his hands. "Dark, you were supposed to stay in that shadow!"
"Whaaat? I didn't do nothin'" Dark shrugged like a little kid. "She was gonna have to find out sooner or later!"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Midna yelled over the two boys who were now arguing. They both stopped and looked at Midna in shock, it surprised them how loud such a little girl could be.
"Thanks, now my ears are bleeding." Dark mumbled under his breath.
"Shut up, you!" Midna came around and turned her back to Dark to face Link "What is going on?" She asked seriously. Dark slowly walked up to Midna's back.
"You're totally lost, chick." Dark blurted in her ear, scaring her. Midna yelled quickly and jabbed him in the chest before racing back behind Link.
"Do… not… do that!" She scowled at him
"Ow! Chill out! Jerk." Dark glared at her
"Would you SHUT UP!" Midna remained behind Link for protection.
"Man, this girl is catty." Dark chuckled.
"I really don't like this kid." Midna grumbled. Dark grumbled, too, and plopped on the couch, like a stubborn child. "Explain what's going on, now, Link."
"It's a long story." He looked at her; she continued giving him a tell-me-now kind of look. He sighed and drew in a deep breath and began to explain the situation.