fleets: O.o holy molies. This is the longest I've ever written for any single chapter, and also I updated in less than a month. That never happens anymore... I'm guessing the reason for my writing drive for this is because this chapter is one of the most important chapters so far. A lot of crap happens here - don't get lost. :)
Chapter 17: Trapped by Fate – The Real Link Petrov
Some time later, Link, Gale, and Zelda were still walking on the narrow road that wound around the lake and towards the mountain. There was no way they could reach it in a day, but at the same time they had had no luck in catching a taxi. Gale, who had been reluctant to ask for help, had insisted they would be able to find a cab sooner or later earlier during their trek. Now, however, he was grudgingly admitting that it would be a good idea to ask for the best place to catch a cab with the next person they ran into. Unfortunately for them, they hadn't run into a single soul for some time.
"Aaagh, and here I thought Japan had people swarming everywhere," Gale grumbled.
They continued to walk at a steady pace. They stopped to catch a break right by an empty construction site where they were building a new house. The trio sat by some metal rods that were stacked in a pile to take a rest. Zelda rested her chin on her hands.
"We should have thought this through a little better before we walked off the main road."
"Yeah," Link agreed, taking a not-so subtle glance at Gale.
The red-eyed teen glowered in return. "Look, we'll ask the next person we meet about finding a taxi, ok? It can't be that hard." He huffed and settled down in his seat on top of a concrete block. His pointed ears pricked at the sound of someone approaching. "Someone's coming."
Link stood up. "Here, I'll try asking." The teen brushed himself off and waited for the approaching person to appear around the corner of the street.
When he walked into view, all three of them stopped breathing in shock. Link had to take a startled step back when he saw who the stranger was.
He looked exactly like Link, with the exception of his jet-black hair and small silver piercing on his left eyebrow. Even the clothes he wore were the darker version of Link's outfit, down to the fingerless gloves. The other boy, who had his shoulders hunched, straightened up and stopped in his tracks abruptly upon seeing Link. His icy gaze narrowed and there was a sharp intake of breath. The stranger muttered under his breath. "Koitsu ka…" (So it's this guy…)
"Two Links?" Gale exclaimed.
"They could be twins," Zelda agreed, open mouthed in surprise.
The black haired Link shook the hair out of his face and crouched. "Kakugoshiroyo, konoyaro." (Prepare yourself, punk).
Link, not understanding what his doppelganger was saying in Japanese, stuttered, "Who are you?" He didn't have time to stand and wait for an answer, however, because his darker twin lunged at him with an explosively quick strike.
"Nani?!" (What?!) Link's attacker lost his balance when the blond managed to dodge the fist. Link brought his knee up to hit his gut, but his opponent had skidded out of the way before he could do anything. Both of them paused, trying to analyze each other. The darker Link clenched his fists.
"Omae…" (You…) He got a better look at Link's expression, and then shook his head. "You don't understand Japanese?" He switched over to a language all three of them knew. Link perked up and nodded. The darker Link smirked a little. "Hmf. I don't know who you are, but you have to be the first person who's ever managed to dodge my fist like that." He dug his heel into the ground a little more. "Even so, you're still a fake of the real gold wolf. I'll show you what happens to those who think pretending to be the gold wolf is fun and games."
"Wait! Let me explain – " Link began, but was cut off short by a fist that was aimed towards his face. He managed to tilt his head towards the right at the last minute, and his body unconsciously mirrored his opponent's.
Wham!
The combined force of the two momentums knocked both of them back. Neither of them had taken a direct hit, but even the slight graze had disoriented them. They steadied themselves on their hands and knees, and slowly stood up again shakily. The darker Link groaned. "That's impossible."
Mirroring each other to the point it was almost comical, the two Links wiped the blood off their mouth in the same fashion.
"That's it, now you're really starting to piss me off," the darker Link snarled.
Likewise, Link looked just as angry. "Would you just calm down and listen to me?!" He watched the black-haired teen jump towards the metal rods and pick one up. "I suppose that's a 'no.'"
"You'd better apologize now before you get hurt," the darker Link said with a nasty sneer.
Gale took the moment to hop towards the pile of metal rods used for construction. He picked one up and weighed it in his hands, and then tossed one over to Link. "Hey, catch." Link caught it, and faced his opponent who was now scowling. They both braced themselves, each holding the metal rods like swords.
Zelda shook Gale by the shoulders. "What are you thinking? Someone might die!"
"Well then, there will just be one less Link in the world," Gale said with a self-satisfied grin.
In one swift movement, both of them swung their rods towards each other. The metal clanged when the rods collided, and they each noted in surprise that they were both left handed; that meant neither of them had the left-handed advantage.
The darker Link became increasingly frustrated as time passed with no hits on his opponent. Both of them could read each other's movements, and every single attack was blocked. Their styles were uncannily similar as well, and he could swear that if he didn't know any better he was fighting himself. An uneasy feeling began to creep through his head – was it true that somehow, the gold wolf, the name he had abandoned some years ago, had reappeared? That's ridiculous! I was the gold wolf! Who the frick is this guy? Gritting his teeth, he shifted the rod behind him to ready another swing. All right, let's see how you handle this. His eyes locked onto the imposter wolf's, and he smirked.
"Spin attack!"
He was not prepared for what happened next. He hadn't noticed the blond had been in the same exact stance as well, and the two rapidly spinning figures collided and bounced harmlessly off of each other. They skidded a few feet away, and they shook their hands from the vibrating rods. The darker Link was beginning to look nervous, and his previously confident sneer cracked.
"That's not… that's not possible."
Link lowered his weapon. "Can you listen to us for a moment?"
The darker Link snarled, his ears deaf to all the words Link was saying because of his frustration. "I'll teach you a lesson!"
Wham!
The black haired boy faltered, and then collapsed to the ground. Gale was standing right behind him, frowning flatly. "All right, that's enough." The albino was rubbing his fists together where the punch had connected. He laughed. "Ha! Finally I get to beat Link down!"
Link walked over and crouched next to his dazed twin. "That's not really me though."
"Quiet. I can pretend."
"That's not fair," the dark haired teen garbled, struggling to focus. He glared at Gale. "You weren't supposed to butt in, jerk face. This was between me and him."
"I suppose so. Unfortunately, we need Link here and you were wasting my time." Gale shrugged. "Now tell us who you are and what you want."
"Yes. What do you have against him?" Zelda asked.
The darker Link seethed and moved to go after the other Link again, but he was held down by Gale. The darker teen was furious. "Your name is Link?! What the hell, man, do you think playing the gold wolf is all fun and games? Who do you think you are, a hero?!"
"…What is he yammering about?" Gale wondered aloud. The darker Link continued, looking at them condescendingly.
"Yes, I was the gold wolf you idiots, and it was my decision to retire from playing the village hero a while ago. You're disrespecting my decision to kill off the gold wolf's name by parading around looking like how the gold wolf used to look!" He stopped a moment to catch his breath, and then stared coolly at the blond Link. "My name is Link Petrov. Now tell me who the fuck you are and what you're doing in Fujikawaguchiko."
All this time, Link didn't seem too surprised that the other teen's name was the same as his own. Ever since he had come to this time period he had been wondering what had happened to the Link of this age since Zelda and Ganondorf were also here. Upon seeing this darker Link, Farore's comment made more sense now: in this world, the hero is no longer here.
He looked at the other sympathetically. "My name is also Link Petrov. These are my friends, Zelda Sterling and Gale Engst. We're just passing through."
The darker Link's eyes widened, and then spoke with disbelief. "You're not lying?" His blue eyes wandered, and then he answered his own question with some shock. "You're not lying…"
"Strange coincidences happen sometimes," Link tried to be reassuring. However, he knew that this was not just coincidence. From personal experience with the divine and magical, he had a hunch that this was Fate had a hand in this.
Gale made an impatient face. "Now that we've answered your questions, don't bother us again."
"That's right, we don't want to stay put for too long or Avilux I might appear again," Zelda nodded.
Suddenly, the darker Link perked up, and his hand shot out and grabbed Zelda's. "What did you just say?"
"I… what? Avilux I?"
The three watched in surprise when the darker Link whirled around and stormed off to kick an empty can that had been lying around. He raged for a while before he calmed down and walked back to where they were all standing with a puzzled look. The darker Link gazed down his nose at them. "Avilux I ruined my life." The three exchanged glances while he continued. "Follow me. I think we should talk."
"Didn't I just say we didn't have time to waste?" Gale rolled his eyes.
"Hold on, Gale. I think we should follow him." Link took a step towards his twin.
Seeing Zelda go with the two Links as well Gale sighed and hung his head. "Fine. Ugh, nothing good will come of this…"
XXXXXXX
They followed the darker Link to a small, two-story house that was squished by the side of a secluded road. Upon entering, they took off their shoes after the darker Link's example and moved off to a square room with several cushions. There were no sofas or couches in this house, so they made themselves comfortable on the flat cushions in the tatami room.
"Hey, Link?" Zelda began, and then stopped when two heads turned instead of just one. "Um, before that, can we decide a way to distinguish the two of you from each other?"
Gale tapped his chin. "That would reduce confusion." He scrutinized the darker Link. "Hmm… Ah! I know, how about we call you Black Link?"
Zelda made a face. "That's a little politically incorrect, don't you think?"
"Oh come on." Gale sighed, and then shrugged. "Whatever."
"…Just call me Dark. That's what some of the locals refer to me these days anyways," Dark said, throwing his jacket over to the corner. He took a sidelong glance at the mirror hanging on the wall, facing his reflection. He spoke to Zelda through the mirror. "So, were you talking to me or to him?"
"Uh," Zelda didn't like his slightly hostile and defensive attitude which was almost the opposite of Link's quirky light-hearted one. "Well, Dark, I was just wondering if you lived here by yourself." She felt a little silly for asking after the non-friendly atmosphere Dark had created. He leaned against the wall and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets.
"I used to live here with my dad."
Gale frowned. "Used to?"
Dark smiled bitterly. "He's dead."
There was an awkward silence. Gale managed to speak first. "Dude, I'm sorry."
"Forget it." Dark sighed heavily. He reached over next to where he was sitting on the floor and lifted up one of the tatami mats. He pulled out a photograph that was ripped in half; there was a blond haired teen that was smiling broadly with a thumbs-up towards the camera. It was apparent he had his other arm around someone else, but the person had been cut off the picture by a larger tear through the middle of the photo. The teen looked exactly like Link, and he was even wearing the same exact clothes. Dark passed the picture towards Link, and Gale and Zelda crowded behind him to take a look.
"No way…" Zelda breathed. Gale didn't say anything, but he had deep creases in his forehead. Only Link didn't seem too surprised by seeing himself in the picture. He passed it back to Dark.
"That's you, isn't it?"
Dark shook his head. "No. That's who I was. I'm a different person now." He placed the photo on the floor in front of him and turned it around with his hands. "My dad and I moved to Japan when I was ten because of his work. It was just him and me, and it always has been since all of his relatives disowned him after he ran away with mom. It was the classic Romeo and Juliet story except Romeo survived and Juliet stayed dead. Mom died from a disease," he said it like he was talking about the weather. He noticed their weird looks, and then shrugged. "I was too young to remember mom. I had dad, and he was all I needed."
"I was initially from New York, and since my north Russian heritage gave me this bright blond hair my dad figured he'd put me in an international school around here so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable sticking out like a sore thumb."
Zelda snapped her fingers. "International school! So that's why there were English speakers around here."
Dark nodded. "Yeah. The Rikkoki International School. Since its location isn't popular for international students, though, it's more like an English Learning School for Japanese natives. I ended up sticking out like a sore thumb anyway."
"Why isn't this place more popular with international students?" Link asked. Dark waved his arms around.
"This place? If it was a little closer to the city it would be better since most internationals live there but this is the rural suburbs." He went back to playing with the torn photograph again.
"Anyways, every little thing I did would become the target of the latest gossip just because I stood out so much. It was always 'the blond kid this,' and 'the blond kid that.' So when I got into a fistfight during middle school with a few jokers who were picking on the elementary school kids, I had instantly become a hero. It was so weird – I hadn't done anything huge, but because I was that blond gaijin, people wanted to paste a hero label on me. This village is small; I suppose people wanted the excitement of something new."
Zelda looked at the photograph of the beaming teen to the one who was staring at it cynically. Then, she noticed Link who had unconsciously sat mirroring the other Link, with the only difference being his sympathetic look. He turned from that, she thought, to this. She also glanced at Gale when another thought struck her. There's something similar with this boy to Vaati… seeing Link and Gale makes me think they weren't so bitter to begin with.
Dark let out a sour laugh, remembering something from the past. "Ha. I guess I got carried away with the hero label after a while. It's not like it's my fault, since I was only in middle school and I didn't know any better. I actually started running around looking for troublemakers to beat down, because I thought that would make everyone happy. Taking care of bullies turned to taking care of pickpockets, which led to going after vandals, then burglars, then actual gangs. I became lost in the glorified life of chasing after bad guys, because I had taken the title of hero too literally. My name spread like wildfire and to everyone I became the 'gold wolf.'"
"Just curious, but why 'gold wolf'?" Gale asked. "I can guess 'gold' is because you were blond, but wolf? Did you only appear on a full moon or something?"
Dark gave a patient smirk at Gale's purposely tactless comment. "I didn't come up with it, but it's because I always worked alone." His eyes challenged Gale. "I could immobilize entire gangs by myself."
Gale took up the staring challenge. Then, he chuckled. "I believe I'm supposed to act impressed? Hmph, you're going to have to immobilize entire armies if you want to impress me."
Upon noticing Dark's puzzled look at Gale's comment, Link intervened while keeping an eye on Gale. "Was that serious or sarcastic?"
Gale became annoyed of having to explain his comment. "Seriously sarcastic. For the love of Nayru you're such a social failure if you have to ask me that."
So he's still Gale, but at the same time… Darn it, I have to stop being so jumpy about this guy.
"So," Zelda tried to change the subject, "what happened afterwards? Why aren't you the gold wolf anymore?"
Dark remained quiet for a while, and then he averted their gaze. "I took on more than I could handle. I'd began to feel how people were relying on me to keep the peace since I was doing a better job than the police, and before I knew it I had taken up an enormous responsibility I should have stayed away from. After every success I lost the reality that something could go wrong at any moment. I mean, how can the hero lose, right?"
"Three years ago I had heard rumors about a small gang that had appeared and was harassing the locals. By that time I didn't even hesitate to hunt them down. I still remember vividly the time when I finally found them, because it was after that moment when my life changed completely…
XXXXXXXXXXX
Flashback – 2 years ago
"This is the gold wolf everyone's been talking about? Ha! He's only a kid!"
A blond haired boy who was around thirteen stood defiantly in front of a group of six grown men who were smoking in an empty lot. A streetlamp illuminated the area where they were lounging, and the blond stood in the edge of where the light reached. He had his hands in the pockets of his long green jacket.
One of the men, Smoker, straightened up and flicked his cigarette. "Hey kid, I know you think you're going to be the hand of justice by taking care of us, but let's get one thing straight," he walked over to the young teen and put a slightly threatening hand on his shoulder. "This is the adult world, boy. You think you've played with the big dogs when you went after those petty little gangs but those were puppies compared to us. You've always been playing in the playground, and that's where you should stay if you don't want to get hurt."
Link Petrov took a step back, shaking the hand off his shoulder. "I don't want to hurt you," he said, unshaken, "but if that's what it's going to come down to for you to leave innocent people alone, then that's what I'll have to do."
Smoker rolled his eyes. "Look, kid, you have to realize that while you might be the wolf, you're trying to go up against dragons." He cracked his knuckles. "But since I'm sick of talking to you and having someone teach you a lesson will do you some good, I'm going to have to beat you up."
The boy tensed, his expression fierce. Then, before the man could do anything, Link's hand shot out of his pockets and a rock whistled through the air, connecting sharply with the man's head. The rest of the gang watched in shock when he blacked out and crumpled next to the teenager. Link pulled back the rubber band on his slingshot again and took aim at the group. "I warned you."
"He thinks he can beat us with a toy?!" Another member cried out indignantly. They all charged forward to attack Link.
Link took careful aim and shot the next rock in the middle of the gang running up to him. They dodged, and some of them laughed at what they thought was poor aim.
They stopped laughing when two of them fell down from two swift punches to the gut. Another followed suit after his knee was smashed in with a wooden pole Link had pulled out from a fence. Link twirled his pole while the remaining two watched it worriedly, realizing how far they had underestimated this boy. "That first shot… you aimed it to split us up, didn't you?"
Link smiled. "Uh huh."
"Kuh! Don't get so cocky! We'll get –"
"Stop… pull back…" a voice wheezed. The last two standing hesitated when they heard Smoker speak. He was holding his face where blood trickled down where the rock had hit, and he steadied himself on his feet. "All right. So the rumors weren't all made up after all," he spat. Smoker wobbled and held up his hands. "We admit defeat."
Link watched him carefully for some time. Then, he allowed himself to relax ever so slightly. "Okay. But I'm going to have to tie you up."
"I don't think we have much choice in the matter considering you'll probably beat us down if we disagree."
"That's right."
Smoker laughed, and sat back down obediently to be tied up in defeat.
It took only a couple of minutes for all six members to be immobilized in a tightly wrapped bundle. Link made a call to the police to explain to them what had happened, and to tell them where they could find the gang. Once he was done, he was about to leave when the wheezy voice of Smoker stopped him again.
"You know, do you ever think about what happens after you turn in the bad guys to the police?"
Link didn't turn around, but he stopped walking. Smoker continued.
"Most of your petty criminals leave Fujikawaguchiko after being beaten by you because they don't want to deal with you anymore. Yes, they're probably walking around and going about their lives instead of being locked up somewhere. What, did you actually think that by handing us over to the police they'd put us away? It's not that easy."
Link paused. "I know. But like you said they know not to screw around as long as I'm here." The thirteen year old appeared older than his age as he said it.
Smoker laughed again. "Right, right. This is why I'm saying you've never really played with the big, fierce dogs before. Because we're not going to leave you alone." He said the last part nastily.
"It's your choice if you want to keep getting concussions from me."
"You be careful, gold wolf. You'd better watch your back, because when Harrier finds out it'll be the end of you."
Link tilted his head at the comment, but ignored Smoker and walked away. He didn't place any importance in the name Harrier at the time, because he had figured he would be just like any other thug he had encountered before…
Fast-forward a few weeks
Link stood in the shade of a tree, hidden from sight. It was late at night, and his heart was still pounding from carefully sneaking out of his house without the notice of his dad. His dad hated how he went outside to take care of criminals, and he knew he would be grounded if he knew what he was going to do tonight. Link took out a piece of paper that had become crumpled in his jacket pocket, and read the note for the hundredth time. It read:
Gold wolf –
I hear you have given my boys quite a beating. My name is Harrier. Would you care to have a chat with me? Go to the sporting fields in Narusawa. Once there, head to the main office, you can't miss it. You may choose to be escorted or enter on your own – either way I will be waiting inside. I will be expecting you at 11:30pm. Should you not arrive, I will make a personal visit at a different date.
Harrier
Considering the last line, Link knew that if he didn't go to meet Harrier himself, Harrier just might decide to show up at his own house. That would spell trouble, and his dad would become seriously upset with him. That gave him no choice but to handle things himself.
Link glanced at the brown-roofed building that had to be the one Harrier had been talking about. It was right next to the parking lot, and there were several guys who looked like ones from Smoker's crew patrolling the area. He took a breath. By escort, Harrier must've meant, "take captive" from the looks of things. Why else would the man have dared him to enter on his own?
"Here goes," Link said quietly, and then made a quick dash around the edge of the line of trees to further conceal himself. He winced when he heard a shout. He'd been noticed.
Link thought quickly, and he got an idea when he noticed the edge of a large trashcan sitting against the building's wall around the corner. He looked back and saw a few men following him at a distance, and then he ran around the corner and jumped into the trashcan. It wasn't pleasant, but he hoped he'd be able to hide just long enough to come up with another idea.
"Hm? I swear I thought I saw something."
Link heard a voice outside.
"Ha. Maybe you imagined it. Do you really think the kid's going to show up?"
"I don't know. I just want to go home. This is boring."
"Yeah no kidding."
The voices trailed off. Link was pleased by how surprisingly well he had evaded them with such a simple trick. Grabbing a penknife out of his pocket, he poked a small hole in the side of the plastic trashcan and took a peek outside. The coast was clear, and he could see a side door that led inside. Link jumped out of the trashcan, swiping away some wrappers and avoiding a piece of gum, and then snuck towards the door used by employees. Grinning, he took out his trusty bobby pins and a screwdriver and began to fiddle around with the keyhole. He swore when he broke the bobby pin, but then smiled satisfactorily when the lock clicked open with his second attempt. One day he needed to figure out how to open locks without breaking pins, but until then, this would suffice.
He opened the door and walked into a corridor leading into a large room with counters and a cash register. There were a few computers and posters of sporting events on the walls. In the flat benches on the other side of the wall was a silhouette of a man. Link jumped back.
"Bravo. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you based on the rumors I've heard."
The man stood up, and from the faint light from moon coming outside the window, Link could make out the lines of a sharp suit and a blue tie. The man was in his late twenties or early thirties, and his dark hair was tied back in a small ponytail. His smile was nothing short of vicious.
"I usually don't care much about the affairs of stupid gangs ever since I've left them in my past a long time ago. However, as a former member of a few, when I'm asked for help I can't help but answer. You were unlucky, boy, when I just so happened to be around when you beat up Kokuhai's gang. They want me to make sure you never poke around in other people's business again."
"Kokuhai… you mean the walking ashtray?"
Harrier laughed. "Yes, him. Anyways, we can do this in two ways – the diplomatic way or the threatening way."
Link gripped his penknife in his pocket tighter. "I'm going to ask you to leave this village alone."
"Hold on, kid. Usually the one who holds more power over the other person is the one who gets to make the deals. In this situation, you are powerless over me so I get to let you know your options."
"Don't underestimate… me…" When Link had finished his sentence, he felt the cold blade of a dagger pressed against his throat. He suddenly felt his knees become shaky – Harrier was fast!
"And I say the same to you." Harrier tapped Link's left wrist with the edge of his dagger while keeping a firm grip around the teen's neck. "Drop the knife. I doubt you have the balls to actually kill someone, and you'd never rest in peace if you end up with your first murder."
Link dropped the knife. Harrier was right, and the more the man talked, the more he began to realize how outmatched he was both physically and psychologically.
"Now here are your two choices. The first is very easy and even I think I'm being too nice: you must erase everything about being the gold wolf. That means no crime fighting and getting rid of the image that is associated with the name. I will also ask you to break into your father's safe and bring me all of his valuables using your lock picking skills – I deserve something from this after all."
Link squirmed a little, only to find with disappointment that Harrier was knowledgeable in submission. "What if I refuse?"
"Then I will have to hurt you until you learn your lesson. If that doesn't work, then someone close to you will pay."
Link sat quietly for some time. This hadn't gone the way he'd wanted to at all. He felt foolish for thinking Harrier was going to be just like the other thugs, and that he'd be able to handle things. He had grossly underestimated Harrier.
A small beep sounded from somewhere around Harrier's ear. The man scowled, and then slowly loosened his grip on Link much to the teen's surprise. Harrier stood up and walked to the edge of the room with one hand on his right ear. "Sir."
Link rubbed his neck where Harrier had been choking him earlier. Meanwhile, Harrier seemed to be talking to a superior.
"Yes sir. I had some business to attend to. Local, sir."
Link felt a piece of rope that was in his pockets. He always carried it around since he'd found it useful on more than one occasion.
"I… Oh come on Dugal, some old friends needed my help." There was a pause with Harrier flinching. "Sir, I'm sorry about speaking to you like that, sir. I forget I'm not in a position to speak like that sometimes."
Link quickly attached a hook he had devised to the end of the rope.
"I won't disappear like that again. Sir."
CLANG!
"Aargh!"
Link was pinned to the floor, and he felt a sharp pain where Harrier had his knee digging into his back. The claw shot was spread on the floor, a knife stuck on the rope preventing it from flying around its target like Link had intended.
"Don't try," Harrier growled, his attention back towards Link. He slowly let him go. "I'm going to let you leave this place now. Go home, and think carefully about what I told you. I'll give you a week to make a decision."
Link nodded, and then ran out the door. For the first time in his life, he was shaken by his opponent.
XXXXXXXXX
Gale crossed his arms over his chest. "So from looking at you now, I'm guessing you picked the first option?"
Dark hung his head. "That's what I should have done, but I didn't pick either. I couldn't think of stealing from dad at that point, and I couldn't comprehend just how far Harrier would go." He looked sadly at the photograph of the smiling teen. "They were right; all along I never knew what it was like to go tooth and claw with the big dogs."
"Then what happened?" Link asked.
"My dad found out what had happened. When I got home that night, I'd been so shaken that I'd been more careless in sneaking back in. Dad woke up and caught me in the middle of going to my room. I could never lie to my dad, and he always knew when something was wrong. Eventually he managed to get out of me everything that Harrier had said to me."
"It turned out that dad knew who Harrier was. Dad was working for Avilux I at the time, and he'd heard his name mentioned before as someone in the upper divisions."
"Goddesses." Gale sat back. "Why was your dad working for Avilux I?"
"Look, no one really knows how horrible a company, or should I say organization, Avilux I is even today. They're good at covering up incriminating evidence so no major investigations can uncover them to be the filth they are, and most of the people working for them think they're working for a benevolent company. It was only after he heard about what Harrier had done that my dad became suspicious about what the organization was really like."
"After my dad found out, he did some investigations on his own and snooped around the executive files. He risked his job gathering information, and after he slipped a note to the police about Harrier he started finding hidden surveillance cameras around his workspace. Harrier had even sent him a note saying "hello," but it was anything other than friendly."
"The police managed to bother him, did they?" Gale asked smugly.
Dark nodded. "Yes, but at the same time they let him go since there was nothing to catch him on." His voice wavered a little, and he took a few seconds to make the pain in his voice disappear. "Dad was sometimes just as stupid as me. He believed in justice. Even though he was angry that I'd become the village hero since he thought I was endangering myself, in his heart he was proud. Like me, he played the hero too and ended up paying for it."
"Dad wasn't fazed by Harrier's, and later the boss's, various threats. Instead, he was fueled by it, becoming more convinced that something villainous was going on. He could have left the company, but dad stayed, thinking he would have an easier time gathering enough evidence to uncover the dirt of Avilux I. His work paid off, and I learned later that he had managed to find out the organization's connection to the underground. It was one of the greatest king pins in criminal gangs, and could be considered the most powerful with all the money, connections, and resources. He was about to turn them in right then and there, but Harrier, who had been keeping an eye on dad, had caught wind of him before he could do anything. The next day my dad was… my dad…"
Zelda gently put an arm around Dark whose hand was trembling. He clenched his fist, and then relaxed them.
"My dad never came back home. He'd completely disappeared without a trace, and the police eventually gave up. They claimed he must've committed suicide in Aokigahara." Dark slammed his fist on the floor, his voice cracking. "It wasn't suicide! My dad was never the kind of man to kill himself! I don't know how they did it, but Avilux I was responsible for his death!"
At this point, Link, Zelda, and Gale were all sitting in utter shock. Dark continued softly.
"I realized then that heroes aren't worth it when the villain is so powerful. It wasn't like the stories you hear as a kid, where the heroes always win. I mean, how can someone with morals win against someone who is so heartless to be able to play without rules? You can't. I had been naïve, and I got a taste of reality when I was pitted against a real criminal organization. I died my hair black and I threw away the title of gold wolf, vowing that the gold wolf would never return. I let the gangs go, and decided to mind my own business. Since then, Avilux I pulled out of Fujikawaguchiko for some reason and I never heard from Harrier ever again."
"Well… about that," Link said, a little worried. "We actually ran into a gang who thought I was you. They threatened to tell Harrier…"
Dark's reaction was unexpected. He didn't seem to care too much. "Whatever. I don't think Harrier will be able to do much anymore."
"Why's that?" Gale asked, confused.
"Well, apparently he was once a part of a freelancing group called Talon Three that was working for Avilux I."
"TALON THREE?!"
Dark blinked, and then looked from one shocked face to another as Link, Gale, and Zelda shouted in unison. "Uh, yeah."
"Holy Farore… okay, continue. We'll tell you our experiences with Talon Three later," Link said, holding his head.
"Wait, you know Talon Three?!" Now Dark was surprised.
"Yes. Yes, we'll tell you about it later but just tell us what happened to Harrier," Link urged. Dark Link shook his head, and then he went on.
"Wow, weird. Anyway, I hear Talon Three was really upset about what Harrier had done. I don't know much since that group is really secretive about their activities, but I gathered they were mad because Harrier had a tendency to expose things to the general public. Like my dad for instance: if Harrier had been more discreet, dad wouldn't have started to dig up information about Avilux I."
"Some months after Avilux I left Fujikawaguchiko, I heard some gang members mentioning how he was a paraplegic now. From the brutality Harrier was willing to go through, I assumed Talon Three would be just as brutal to snap his spine and paralyze him so he wouldn't be able to do much anymore."
Gale whistled. "I knew Dugal wasn't someone you'd want to piss off. That's horrid."
"I feel no pity for him." A hard glint was in Dark's eyes. "Harrier is an evil man. He got only a portion of what he deserved." He watched the other three carefully. "Now I've told you my story. Let's hear yours."
They exchanged glances, and then Link spoke, volunteering to be storyteller. "All right. It's going to be a little long though."
XXXXXXX
"…and that's why we're going to Aokigahara," Link concluded after a long time of explaining everything that had happened. Gale was surprised that Link had left nothing out, but at the same time he didn't know how else he could have explained their situation to Dark. Dark had been a good listener, rarely interrupting even though most of the time his face was in a conflict on whether or not to stay serious.
Dark mulled over what Link had told him. "So basically what you're telling me," he said slowly, "is that you came from the past with a kid who can summon the apocalypse, this pompous guy is the reincarnation of an evil wind mage – "
"Presumably," Gale interjected.
" – Avilux I is going for world domination and its leader is also a reincarnation of an evil warlock, and to save the world you guys are going to try to find a palace floating in the air, but before that you have to get the sorcerer to remember how to take you there by finding an ageless temple in Aokigahara? Did I miss anything?"
"Only the polka-dotted unicorns."
"Ah. I can only imagine how those fit into all this."
Link threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. "Gale, you're not helping."
"You have to admit this is all hard to believe," Dark pointed out.
Gale shook his head. "That's what we've all been telling him, but he won't shut up about it if we don't pretend we believe him."
"Hey! You started believing things too, Gale. Don't pretend like you don't."
The pale one huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
This time, Zelda said tiredly, "Then how do you explain what you did at the staircase at the Avilux I facility?"
"I… well… hmf!"
While the three were discussing their own opinions on whether or not the whole thing was believable or not, Dark seemed to be ruminating on everything that had been said. In the background, Gale was in a losing argument against Link and Zelda on why he thought he wasn't a reincarnation of some wind sorcerer. Dark swiveled around so that he was facing the mirror on the wall, and compared himself to the other Link that was sitting away from him. If Link's crazy story had been true, then that would make Dark the supposed hero and would explain why they looked so similar and shared the same skills. But…
"Whatever the case may be, I'm not going to have anything to do with you guys." Dark's voice put an end to the middle of their debate.
"Oh," Zelda looked disappointed.
"Good for you," Gale looked jealous.
"Why not?" Link wanted to know.
Dark laughed. "Because it's got nothing to do with me, that's why." He stood up and stretched. "I'll let you use my place to crash until you find what you're looking for in Aokigahara, but I've already told you I've retired from all this 'playing hero' business."
"But don't you want to stop Avilux I?"
Dark waved his counterpart off. "Don't get me wrong, I would want nothing more than to crush them to pieces. At the same time, I just don't want to have anything to do with them anymore."
"But – "
"Look. I said no," Dark cut him off with a harsh tone. Then, he said a little more gently to the three disappointed faces, "I'm sure you'll have no problems finding that temple of yours. I've actually been to some ruins in Aokigahara and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what you're talking about."
Link tried one last time. "Care to show us where those ruins were?"
Dark shook his head. "Persistent, aren't you? This time, it's not that I won't but it's that I can't. I don't remember how I got there. Still, it didn't take me too long to find so you'll probably get there easily, too." He walked out of the room. "If you wait until tomorrow I'll help you get a cab there. Otherwise, feel free to walk for several hours to get to the forest, because it's a long walk. And if you want food you can buy stuff at the shops around here or find whatever looks edible in the fridge. Just don't gluttonize yourselves or I'll make you pay rent."
"Thanks Dark," Zelda called after him for everyone.
All three of them, including the antisocial Gale, looked sufficiently disappointed that Dark didn't want to join them.
"He would've been a great help," Link muttered.
"Yeah. We could've replaced you with him and everything would have been great," Gale agreed.
"Or we could have had you replaced instead, Gale," Zelda quipped.
"Would you really take quantity over quality?"
"Yes."
"Aren't we the material girl."
"Is that jealousy I hear?"
Gale was thrown for a loop. "I… what?! You're hearing things!"
This time, Zelda was the one with the evil little smirk. "I know. I was joking."
"Then don't say things like that. I feel nothing but revulsion right now."
"Just trying to prove a point, Gale. You play head-games with me, I play head-games with you. If you don't like it, then leave me alone."
Gale considered her statement, and then a wicked grin crept across his face. "I'll steal your heart and crush it."
"I'll show you the will of woman."
"A will as frail as a flower, but not as pretty."
"Roses fall, but the thorns remain. If you are wise you'll leave me be."
"A man once said: wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences."
"Uh… guys?"
Link felt incredibly out of place interrupting. "Teamwork, right?" Now he felt slightly worse and incredibly stupid for suggesting such a thing, especially from the looks he was getting. He was relieved when Dark strolled back with extra blankets. Link walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Dark, I'll go buy all of us food tonight."
Dark stopped. "That's awfully nice of you."
Link smiled. "No problem. So uh, I'll just go out now. Make sure these two don't rip each other's heads off, okay?"
"Huh?"
Link ran out, and Dark was left standing in the room with two very annoyed looking people. He gulped. "Hi?"
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Sir. This is Hawk sir."
Dugal stopped wiping the windshield of his small airplane. He was currently at a tiny airport near the Mt. Fuji area; enjoying flying while the rest of his team had been sent to observe what the three teens were doing. "Yes? Did anything interesting happen?"
"I just wanted to say I spotted Harrier, sir."
The line went silent, and Hawk waited patiently on the other end listening to the static. Dugal slowly began to wipe his parked plane again. "How is he doing?"
"He's not very interesting sir. I was wondering if I should watch him instead since Condor and Kestrel are both tailing the targets."
"Hmm. That might not be a bad idea. I'm curious to see how well he's kept his promise to retire from… strenuous activities."
"Yes sir."
Dugal put the cloth away and stepped inside the plane to lounge in the pilot seat. He put both his feet onto the front panel. "Punish him as you see fit if he breaks his promise. Even though he's no longer part of Talon Three, he might be tempted to work under its name and that would twist our reputation a little."
"Yes sir."
They disconnected, and Dugal yawned. He thought about the man who had caused so much trouble a few years ago. Covering up his messy trail had been such a chore. He had a weird feeling Harrier would come up again before this business with the teens were over. What a sick-minded fellow he'd been. Dugal had never really liked Harrier too much. Therefore, he hadn't been too upset at having to make him lose the ability to walk freely. It had been a loss to the team's abilities, but overall it hadn't hurt them too much in the long run.
In Talon Three, everyone had their specialties.
Hawk was the best at information gathering. His droopy eyes were deceptively sharp and he knew where to keep his ears alert. He also had a boyish look that came in handy for getting people to trust him.
Kestrel was the tech expert. Dugal could rely on him to handle anything that involved computer codes and hacking, as well as programming and disarming explosives.
Condor wasn't an expert on anything, but the most well rounded of his subordinates. He could have been Dugal's perfect right hand man if it weren't for his occasionally annoying habit of wanting to know too many details of Dugal's plans.
And then there'd been Harrier. Oh Harrier. Dugal supposed his personality had been perfect for his job and that in that aspect he had picked the best person he could. Harrier had been Talon Three's slash man. That meant he would handle many of the disappearing acts of certain targets and deal with the cruelest of interrogation methods. Dugal often wondered if the man had a heart at all. His knife throwing was incredibly accurate, and in countries where guns were illegal such as Japan, his frightening skill had been useful when needed.
The only thing that allowed Dugal to have any control over Harrier was something so stupid that he could've laughed. Dugal beat Harrier in charisma. If he got in a fight with Harrier with only fighting prowess in consideration, Dugal wasn't sure if his shooting skills would outmatch Harrier's knife abilities. It was the fact that Dugal could convince more people to be on his side than Harrier's that had won the psychotic man over. After all, Harrier wasn't so stupid to realize he wouldn't win if it were him against twenty.
To be honest, Dugal had been relieved when he'd kicked Harrier out. He'd been too… unstable.
XXXXXXXXX
It was late night, yet Gale had trouble sleeping. It wasn't jetlag that was the culprit, but because of their encounter with Dark. He shifted around, throwing his blanket over his shoulder and trying to make himself comfortable on the floor where they were sleeping. He was trying his best not to wake Link up who he had grudgingly been made to share a room with, and he carefully attempted to avoid making any sudden movements. After some time, suspicions began to gnaw on him and he finally thumped his fist onto the floor.
"You're awake," he accused the blanket pile next to him. A slight shift in position from the pile confirmed suspicions.
"Yeah." Link sounded wide-awake, suggesting he hadn't been able to go to sleep either. "What gave me away?"
"Your breathing. It was too quiet."
"Oh."
They lay silent in the dark for some time. The only noise at night was the creaking of the house from the light wind outside.
"I couldn't sleep," Link admitted.
Gale mumbled something in agreement, but it was inaudible under the covers.
"I was thinking about Dark." Link raised his arms so his head rested against them. "Why weren't you asleep Gale?"
He heard a puff of air, and he could imagine Gale with his usual bitter smirk. "Heh. Same thing."
There was another lapse of silence. And then,
"He was supposed to be you, right?"
Link brought his left hand close to his face, looking at the faint outline of the gold triangle on his hand. "That's what I'm thinking. I don't know… it's just hearing what had happened to him made me think about just how stupid fate is. Like, does anyone have free will at all?"
"What do you mean? Why are you thinking of that all of a sudden?"
Link sighed. "I don't know if this is true or not, but I've put together a theory on how this whole Triforce, Hero, Destiny crap all fits together."
"Hmf. It's late enough for foolishly insane theories. Let's hear it."
"Looking at patterns of how the Triforce holders appear and then disappear and then appear again in history, I'm guessing they're reincarnated again and again, right?"
"Sure."
"But then there are years in between where nothing happens, and everything is more or less peaceful. When one appears, they all appear. When none appear, then none appear. This era with Dark was one where they weren't supposed to appear."
Gale caught on. "And you're thinking that since you appeared with the Triforce…"
"That I caused the other holders to start moving towards each other. I mean, ever since I came here, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Dark are beginning to converge to the same spot. We even moved across the ocean to come this close."
"But where does that leave Dark?"
"I… I don't know." Link shifted a little. "But I was thinking… you know how Dark tried to be a hero?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, it's almost like when he tried to be one, he was broken down so that he wouldn't be one. Because he wasn't supposed to be one in this era."
There was a lapse before Gale spoke again with scorn. "You speak as though there are higher powers controlling what we do."
"I believe there is such a thing as destiny. It's frightening, isn't it? I've always believed in the goddesses and the influence of the Triforce, but just how much never really hit me until I heard Dark's story. He never had a choice, just like I had never had a choice to not be a hero." Link shook his head. "I just… I just feel sick."
"Then how do you think I feel?"
Link's eyes widened, surprised by how Gale's voice had suddenly become thick with fury. He turned his head slowly towards the teen lying next to him.
"I had been living my life without a care in the world. It had been so uncomplicated with a nice touch of boredom. Then you come along," he shook in anger, "to tell me that I'm the reincarnation of a wind mage." Gale sat up and glared in Link's direction. "Since then, I've been spending every minute hanging on to who I think I am, only to find that the harder I try, the less confident I feel that Gale Engst is real. I don't have a choice in what's going to happen to me, do I?" he spat the last part.
Link didn't know what to say. So that's why he wanted to deny everything about Vaati…
"I know. Goddesses damn I know it's true I'm Vaati, okay? Just don't make it any harder for me by reminding me all the time."
"You could have told me earlier," Link said quietly. He felt guilty. He'd always been too concerned about stopping Skull Kid to think about how this was going to affect people like Gale. It reminded him of how angry he had felt at first, when he found out he had endured so much crap just because he had been destined to be a hero. Link had wished he had been born a normal Kokiri, but had eventually resigned himself to his fate when he realized wishing for something wasn't going to change anything. "When did you find out?"
"Since I saw you at Burger King."
"Huh…"
Gale sneered. "You know what I'm talking about. You felt it too, right, that instant recognition? That's why you followed me and that's why I hated you; because we both recognized, whether we consciously knew it or not, that you and I had fought before."
What Gale had said was true. Link hung his head. He had never fought Vaati before, but whenever he'd heard that name he had a feeling that the sorcerer wasn't an entirely foreign name. And just like Gale, he had taken an instant distrust towards him – the only difference between Link and Gale was that the blond had been used to accepting predestined things.
Gale continued. "It got worse after the staircase incident. I don't really remember what had transpired, but ever since then there's someone else thinking my thoughts. It's like there's someone in the background who's yelling angrily at you to turn around to face him, but when you try, you find that your neck is stuck and you can't turn around. Well, actually, it's always been like that but since then it's become more obvious." Gale laughed bitterly. "And do you know what's worse? I actually like the name Vaati. It's strangely comforting." He plopped back down again. "Don't get me wrong, though. That's not a permission to let you call me Vaati, because I'm Gale. I'm going to fight for that no matter how hard it is."
"…I'm sorry." That was all Link could offer. He was aware that Gale knew there was a possibility that by the end of this ordeal, Gale was going to disappear with the return of Vaati. Even though they were the same person, no one could know how their philosophies they picked up through life experiences would differ. "Thank you for helping us."
"It's not like I have a choice," Gale growled. Another sour smile twitched on the corner of his face just under his crescent scar, and his ruby eyes glinted. "And it's not like you have a choice either, for that matter. We are all victims of destiny."
Link closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. It wasn't too difficult any more since all of this talk had tired him. He figured Gale felt the same when his breathing slowed and he remained quiet for some time, just after he mumbled something under his breath. It had been a Gale-esque thing to do since the pale teen liked to mumble to himself a lot, but the words that Link caught left him wondering if he had imagined it later:
"If I had realized that sooner, I would never have been envious of your kind's immortality."
It had been a totally Vaati thing to say; so who had he actually been talking to?
Travel Log: No new locations, so no travel logs for you.
fleets: Ayhup, this is another one of my "let's think of a scenario that would allow things to make enough sense to keep the plot from imploding." Coming up with Dark's past was a monster to wrestle with, but I think (I hope) I managed to tame it. Just in case people are confused by the long explanation above, here's the short summary: Dark was supposed to be the 'present Link' but because a conflict involving the Triforce wasn't destined to happen in this era, his attempt at being a hero was shot down by devine powers so he wouldn't be a hero.
Having no hero in this era wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for Link, because now the world needs one (apocalypse, anyone?) but there's no hero.
Don't worry, there are still gaps in the theory with Dark, so if you like complications there are more heading your way. ;)
Also, random quip but the school's name Rikkoki School is an anagram of "Kokiri" ;)
Midna Hytwilian: Unfortunately, this time around it's Dark because of the reasons you described (except blue eyes). I couldn't find a reasonable reason for him to have red eyes, so it's a blue-eyed Dark. He's not so mischievous as Shadow Link, and is pretty brooding. As if we don't have enough angsty characters already (coughGalecough).
Astral S. Kepeire: Caffeine is great. The gold wolf was my attempt to reference a hero-esque image (Hero's Shade), but the gold wolf from TP is not the direct analog of the gold wolf in this story (just an easter egg). Hope this chapter cleared up most questions from before :) Ask away if you're still confused, and hope you didn't wait too long for this!
SubZeroChimera: Yeah, the difference between Gale and Vaati is becoming blurred. Even I become confused sometimes. You're welcome :)
Darkwind: I tend to lead on the side of villains, but not those extreme crazy guys who seem to have no motive besides bloodlust. Pockey is love.
LinkxDarkLink: np, don't worry :) And you're exactly right, it was Dark Link!
marium: The children are random, but they were written with the Kokiri in mind. Haha it took a lot of text for the four of them to get on listening terms.
Ephriokko: No, I make sure the characters don't have an easy way out of things :P
henslight: Mmm, I don't see Sheik as a bloody mess though... And yes, it's Dark Link! I was so excited when I finally got to this part. Ummm, I guess I imagine the characters in the way I usually draw them on devart, but if I had to pick a game, this particular story would have me imagining Ocarina of Time/Twilight Princess realism. It depends on the story (like in Beyond Centuries I imagined them to be WW style for the WW half and TP style for the TP half).
Reily96: I knowww, that last chapter was pretty vague for most of it XP
i-wish-a7x: Yup! It's Dark Link! And from this chapter, you can start to see he's mostly on his own side, and no one else's.
xBlackDragoonx: Oh wow thank you! I'm happy you like it so far! :D
Temyx Mew Mew Haerts: I wonder if this chapter explained your question a little? The reason why I picked the name gold wolf is explained in the reply to Astral: "The gold wolf was my attempt to reference a hero-esque image (Hero's Shade), but the gold wolf from TP is not the direct analog of the gold wolf in this story (just an easter egg)."