AN: Not much to say here today. I realize the previous chapter wasn't the best. The way my plot points go, eh... I should have put more work into it. This one should be much better so enjoy. There are only three chapters left and dont' forget to give me a request if you haven't already ~ Thanks ~
The Desert Colossus
On the edge of the Gerudo's Desert Link and Dark ran through the desert sands, hoping to get away in case any Gerudo guards were in pursuit, with Link still carrying a black tunic under his arm and Dark running shirtless. They ran for almost ten minutes until Dark collapsed, still exhausted from the backbreaking exercise of shoving a sixty-four block stone slab. The immense weight had taken a strenuous toll not just on his arms but on Dark's entire body and it finally gave out beneath him.
"Damn it all Dark, I told you to get some rest. Why must you be so stubborn?" Link growled, frustrated by his partner's lack of common sense.
Dark just chuckled breathlessly, pushed himself to his feet and started walking again. " I dunno… I guess, even though I'm always yelling at you about it, I kind of admire how you always give everything you've got. It's like you're completely committed so you don't hold anything back," Dark breathed, his voice seemed oddly distant as he spoke, lost in his own memories. He was busy thinking hard back over everything that had happened.
From the beginning in the Water Temple when they'd first fought, Link battled with everything he had, even though Dark was clearly the superior fighter. He'd come out on top that time for several reasons; Dark had gotten cocky, didn't know his opponents other weapons, never wanted to hurt the boy in the first place. After that, he'd seen the wounds his former master inflicted but Link didn't like talking about it so he could only imagine what had gone on.
Several steps behind, Link had to strain to catch his words. It made him walk a little faster to close the gap and as he did, he couldn't help but stare…
In Kakariko, Link refused to harm any villagers, even though they tried to kill him several times and turn innocent kids into human sacrifices. That of course had lead to the creepiest things Dark had ever seen in his life, but Link tackled an entire temple full of undead zombies with a smile of all things. Not to mention how just minutes after getting part of his soul sucked out of his body Link was on his feet and ready to keep going through the temple.
He'd already told Dark he wasn't interested, so why couldn't he keep his eyes off him?
Next, the Stalchildren. Even when faced with an enemy he didn't have the strength to defeat, Link calmly assessed the situation and tried plan after plan until he found one that worked. He didn't flinch from the possibility of being molested by a group of Gerudo guards, although thinking back on it, Dark couldn't imagine that Link didn't have a plan even then. The blond had some kind of spell that allowed him to instantly warp to a certain room, even from being handcuffed to the wall; he'd been able to vanish at Dark's instruction…so why had he never said anything about it?
The cold glint of the moonlight made Dark's pale skin seem to sparkle luminously. It gave the boy a much softer look; more fragile, almost ethereal…
The most obvious answer was to avoid a confrontation. But…it was also the biggest piece of proof Dark had that Link needed him around. Without that, did he really have any ground to stand on? So that was it, then. Link was holding back to avoid having to admit to being wrong? Or was he embarrassed to admit that he actually wanted Dark around?
Without thinking, Link grabbed Dark's shoulder and pulled, spinning him around and leaning in to press their lips together. Dark's eyes popped open in shock. Link was…kissing him? That thought registered and all other thoughts fled his mind as he focused on keeping his knees from folding under him. Tentatively he pulled closer, wanting nothing more then to keep this going. Those lips, so soft and warm and hesitant against him had Dark practically melting. The gesture was just too cute for him to handle and his knees caved.
"Nngh…damn. Where did that come from?" Dark asked hazily as he took Link's hand and pulled himself to his feet. Had he not been dizzy from the fall and, admittedly the kiss, he would have sworn that Link was blushing.
"I-I…I guess it is the moon." Dark looked skeptical, making Link blush even more. "I was just…the moon shining off you looks…beautiful," was his abashed mumble. He honestly couldn't think of anything else to say. Something must be wrong with him; Link never took the initiative, especially not towards a relationship. He just acted…and he had no explanation for why.
Thoroughly embarrassed, Link started walking out in front with a thoroughly confused Dark behind him, trying to figure out what was going on. For Link, it was even worse. He'd never been so confused in all his life, not even when he'd first gotten suddenly dropped into the body of an adult and told he had a duty to go off and save the world from evil. At least with that, he knew what the right thing to do was. With this, he had no clue.
Trying to get his thoughts under control, Link stayed in front, staring rigidly ahead to avoid even having to look at Dark.
I kissed him. I… kissed him. It was not the other way around. I did it…but I am not like that…am I? What if I am?
Link took a deep breath, trying to calm his roiling emotions. At least out here in the desert there wasn't anything dangerous that demanded his attention.
It does not matter either way what happens to me. I have one purpose in this life. Once that purpose is fulfilled, what will I do? The Ranch is a possibility but I would not be happy with that. Dark was right, the thrill of the adventure is too much a part of me to give up. I am… not meant to stay in one place.
Walking out in the desert was the first time Link had ever considered his future. Up until now, he'd stayed completely focused on his mission and nothing else. Nothing else mattered. Now he had Dark to deal with and trying to rationalize what was going on now might not get the answer he wanted to hear.
It is worth considering at least. He is right, no one else has fought for me. No one else but him. After this is all over, I wonder what will happen to him…I don't…damn it all.
Link sighed, defeated by his very own logic. Still, much as he hesitated to do so, he was an honest man. He'd always prided himself on that. Several steps behind, Dark kept his eyes on his partner, trying to read what was going through his head from the changes in his body language. A tightening in his shoulders or a dip of his head could be irritation and depression, but Dark couldn't actually be sure and that was all the more frustrating because he couldn't tell if he was on to something or if it was just wishful thinking.
"Dark?" Link asked hesitantly, turning around to face his partner. "Listen, I…have been thinking about everything you have told me and this is what I have come up with. Working with you is definitely preferable to working alone. I like having someone to watch my back, someone I can depend on. Sometimes I get frustrated with how you don't take anything seriously but…you also make me smile and I…realized back at the ranch that trying to sleep without your heart beating next to mine…it just didn't feel right." Link sighed, looking down as blood suffused his face, leaving a heated blush on his cheeks. "But…I do not know what any of this means and I am not in a position to find out…"
Through this whole thing, Dark held his breath as he listened, a small bubble of hope forming in his chest, only to pop at the end, but Link wasn't done yet. "…I am not in a position to find out but I do need to know what this means…so, I believe we can compromise. If you can wait until after our quest is finished, then I will give you the chance you desire. Is that acceptable?"
Finally after so long, everything Dark wanted was suddenly being offered to him on a silver platter, but he couldn't even find the words to answer, so he just nodded dumbly and fought back the urge to pounce on the blond and kiss him again. That might not be a good idea though, he knew how hard it must have been to explain his feelings for a solitary introverted person like Link. Dark understood the mindset and had to respect that effort.
I mean, we're both guys, of course it was gonna be awkward! At least…we're getting somewhere. I just have to wait until its all over.
One last temple…then he's mine, Dark thought to himself as they started walking along again. At least now he had a solid goal in mind, not to mention another reason to see this journey through to the end. Maybe the end would be visible at the top of the next sand dune. It looked like there was a half buried wooden box up there
The continued on for several more minutes in an awkward silence, neither willing to bring up what was just said to the other until Dark stuck his arm out. "Link stop. I…"
"Dark, please. I do not want to talk about it. At least let me get my thoughts in order fi-"
"No." Dark cut him off with a note of panic. "My foot is stuck." They both looked down and sure enough the sand was sliding downwards, flowing around Dark's leg like water. No matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. Instead, struggling only seemed to suck him down faster.
"Quicksand." Link cursed under his breath and without a second thought stepped in, getting down to hook an arm around Dark's chest, trying not to blush and failing miserably. This was a serious situation, but he still couldn't focus! Holding Dark with one arm and the Hookshot with the other he took careful aim at the box sitting up at the top of the sand dune and released. The blades shot out and latched onto the box, ripping them out of the sand's grip and hauling them to the top of the hill where they lay, panting lightly. "Th-thanks…" Dark mumbled, all too aware of Link's arm pinned tightly across his chest. It made his skin feel unusually warm, almost tingling, and he didn't want it to end. And so he lay still, enjoying every moment that Link didn't pull back. The seconds turned into minutes when he realized that his partner had fallen asleep and Dark was more then happy to follow suit.
The next morning, the sun rose bright and early, its harsh glare ripping Dark from his pleasant slumber. As usual, Link was already awake and waiting for him turning to look back down the hill. "Dark. I was just about to wake you. Look…we have company." Link pointed out back towards the fortress and Dark yawned and crawled up over the ledge of the hill to look. From up there, it was much easier to see that the entire hill was actually surrounded by a moat of quicksand, and the moat was surrounded by a battalion of thirty purple-veiled Gerudo guards. They seemed to know about the quicksand and were reluctant to approach.
Of course Dark still harbored a grudge against the Gerudo and couldn't resist the urge to taunt them and the wonderfully nasty idea of just how to do that grew in his mind along with an evil smirk. "Link. Do you know how to work those new arrows?" Link nodded slowly, not at all liking that look on Dark's face. He was so obviously up to something "Good. Make me an Ice Arrow and then take your shirt off." he whispered, making Link roll his eyes and blush slightly as he listened to Dark's plan.
"Good morning ladies!" Dark called jovially, popping up to stroll along the top of the sandy ridge, paying no mind to the sun beating down and shining off his sweat coated body and pulling all eyes on him. "Y'know ladies, I heard that your fortress got attacked. Real shame about your gate, I gotta say. Not to mention how someone made off with the sacred treasure or something like that? Its really gotta hurt, getting made fools of like that…"
Dark turned to admire his handwork, peering down at the Gerudo with his most arrogant smirk, seeing them stare back, seething in fury because they had no way to get to him, but Dark wasn't done there. Holding a hand behind his back, he gestured for Link to join him, taking a casual seat up on the wooden box with bow in hand. And to add insult to injury both of them had their shirts off, shamelessly flaunting their hard toned muscle. "Now…I remember hearing a rumor somewhere that your tribe sometimes goes to hunt boyfriends or something like that?" Dark continued with a casual air, pausing to chuckle. He knew full well that they all knew exactly who he and Link were and he remembered how they drooled over Link but never got to have even a taste, making him a forbidden fruit just outside their reach. "Well y'know, it's a real shame that you had to get robbed. See, my partner and I were thinking we might see if any of you ladies were interested but…" He sighed, holding out his hands like he couldn't help. "Sadly, since you got burned so bad, I don't think we can. It'd be terrible for our reputations, I'm sure you understand."
Smirking, Dark snapped his fingers as though just remembering something as Link knocked an arrow, charging it with magic to contain an icy charge. "That's right! We just happened to find this. Maybe it'll help find the culprit." And with that, Link released the arrow right on the edge of the quicksand pit where it exploded in burst of frigid air that left a small glacier sitting on the quicksand's edge.
"Well, I think that's it. Oh, don't bother looking for us if you find the thief. I think that boyfriend deal is no longer available. You see, I found myself someone better." For the ultimate slap in the face, he dropped to his knees and pulled Link in, kissing him rough and hard enough that he cut his lip. Down below, the Gerudo were screaming bloody murder, having to suffer the insult of the two shirtless swordsman making out just out of reach right after gloating about stealing their sacred treasure; it was driving them insane, partly because watching Link and Dark thrashing around in the throes of violent passion was just too sexy for the female thieves to handle.
Finally Dark pulled back and turned to face his audience again, panting and licking the blood off his lip. "Ooh, damn if that wasn't the sexiest thing ever, huh?"
That was when Link jumped in, though whether his face was so flushed from the kiss or from the desert heat wasn't clear. "Dark! Don't listen to him, that wasn't what it looked like!" he shouted, not wanting to let Dark get the wrong idea for it would surely come back to bite him
Dark, however, just shrugged it off and sat down in the blond's lap. "Oh, it was too, Link. You were trying to swallow my tongue; that's exactly what it looked like," he teased, more than loud enough for the women below to hear before turning to address them one last time. "Don't mind him, he's terribly shy. Well, no hard feelings, right ladies? I think it's time we were off for now. Ciao."
With a wink, a casual salute and a half-taunting, half-flirtatious smile, he slipped his fingers into Link's and they disappeared behind the hill. Without a way to cross the quicksand, the Gerudo could do little more then roll on the ground, foaming at the mouth. To make matters even worse, they had to listen to the taunting echoes of Dark's raucous laughter fading into the distance.
Several minutes later when Dark had finally calmed down, Link had to ask. "Dark, what was the purpose of that? I realize that they are enemies but that was uncalled for."
Dark threw back his head and laughed, earning him an elbow in the stomach. "C'mon huh, I want those bitches to rot. Since I can't kill anyone without pissing you off, I'm going to get in as many hits as I can. Didn't you teach me that there's no such thing as a fair fight when ya speared me through with the Hookshot? Besides, it's fun. Sometimes, you just gotta let loose and enjoy yourself, y'know? In fact, when we finish the Spirit Temple, that's exactly what we're doing. I'm taking you out to have fun my way."
Having fun Dark's way? The thought of that made Link more then a little apprehensive but at the same time, oddly curious to try it. He'd realized that many times whenever Dark suggested something, his first thought was 'no.' That wasn't really fair at all so he'd been wanting to try and change that. "Alright. After we finish." The idea was, if he started showing more lenience, then his partner wouldn't need to do such outrageous things to get attention. At least he'd accomplished one good thing. Dark was smiling.
His smile didn't last for long through, mercilessly killed by the vicious heat as the sun climbed higher into the sky. "Liiiink, it's way too hot. Are we there yet?" Dark whined, walking slumped forward after Link who was simply following a path of flags. Even when the wind picked up and made it difficult to see, he could always see a tall wooden poll with a triangular strip of red cloth telling them which way to go.
Link sighed. Dark was right, it was way too hot, and this wasn't the sort of heat his Goron Tunic could help against. He was actually glad he'd shed his tunic back at the beginning. The sun beat down, sucking the sweat out of his body and making his vision hazy to where even the flags were wavering in and out of existence. Behind him, Link heard the exhausted panting of his partner. He actually felt sorry for the boy. The desert was brutal enough for the Hero of Time who'd already conquered the Fire Temple. How bad must it be for Dark?
The real problem for Dark was that, all human appearances aside, he was a creature of the Water Temple. Aquatic creatures, even amphibians were not meant to be in such dry, arid conditions. Sighing, Link stopped in his tracks, setting an arrow to his bow string when Dark walked into him a moment later. He hadn't been paying the least bit of attention; just putting one foot in front of the other. "Link, are we almost there?" Dark groaned miserably. Link shook his head, still carving this ice enchantment into the arrow and when it was finished, he fired it into the ground a few feet away. The sudden wave of cool air rushing across their sunburned skin felt amazing, and though it started melting almost immediately, the miniature glacier summoned by the arrow was still imbued with the wonderful chill of ice.
As soon as it finished forming Dark jumped on the ice, hugging it against his bare skin and letting the melt water rejuvenate him. Meanwhile, Link was breaking off chunks of ice and dropping them inside his spare bottles to melt from the sun and get them fresh, reasonably cold water to drink. Dark however didn't see the need to use a bottle, turning his head to the side to gnaw on the ice. Normally, he would be scolded for such uncouth behavior, but Link was also exhausted and beyond the point of caring.
That system worked for a while, Link would make a glacier and they'd stock up on water and use it to keep moving and stay hydrated. They'd been walking for several minutes after restocking for the third time when Link had a sudden thought. "Dark? I know this climate must be difficult for you. Would you prefer to wait in the medallion?"
He was trying to be considerate of difficulties that must be plaguing his partner but Dark wearily declined to opportunity. "No…no, gotta stay with you. You might need me…for…something." His determination was admirable and so Link let him stay, and just as well since at the top of the next ridge, they looked down on a small building. It wasn't even so much a building as a circular pillar rising out of the sand. A ramp wound around the outside to the top and an opening in the bottom lead down to an interior area. Seeing the building, Dark's eyes widened and he ran down towards it, desperate to get out of the sun and of course, Link had no choice but to run after him to keep his colleague from hurting himself.
"Thank you! Whoever built this place thank you!" Dark cried as he dropped to the floor inside the shelter. There was a ladder to climb down, but it was completely ignored as Dark threw himself in and dropped to the floor. "Ohhhh, it feels so good in here!" Dark yelled hoarsely as Link climbed down the ladder to join him.
"Yes, it certainly is preferable to being outside," Link agreed, panting himself as he stepped over Dark who was laying in the middle of the floor, soaking the chill out of the cool stone. For the Hero, the first order of business was a fair bit different from his partner's. Before relaxing, he always made sure the area was secure and this desert shelter was not. However, the only threat was a single Skulltula; a large spider whose back resembled a skull. He'd been dealing with them since childhood and had long since ceased to consider them any kind of threat
All he had to do was pull out his Hookshot and shoot the thing and it'd fall to the ground in a burst of emerald flames. "You really should not be so careless when enemies are about," Link chided his lazing partner as a familiar skull token fell to the floor.
"Pff. Enemy. And you took care of it so what's the big…no! Don't even think about it, it is way too hot for that!" Dark cried, seeing Link looking speculatively at a pair of torches that were the only real fixtures in the room. Aside from the two torches and a few clay pots in a corner, the room was completely devoid of anything..
Sighing at the horrible deprivation that he had to put up with, Link flopped down on the cool stone floor and Dark immediately moved over to lay next to him. "So what's our plan Cap'n?"
"We will leave again tonight. That way, we will not have to deal with this heat. We can certainly use the rest," Link mused and Dark yawned, resting his head on the blond's chest.
"Mmkay. Wake me up when we leave."
That night, the moon rose over the desert sands that whipped around by a violent wind that kicked up eddies of sand into a raging storm. Link and his partner Dark sat at the top of the pillar and looked out into the storm sweeping through the next patch of desert that they had to cross. "Dark, you should probably put this back on," Link said, handing the boy's tunic back. In truth, he was hesitant to do so; something about the way the moonlight dyed Dark's pale skin to an almost silver tone captivated him, but he knew what needed to take priority.
Dark took his garment with a frown. "Yeah but… we're going into that?" He asked, gesturing at the sand storm and Link nodded.
"Yes. But do not worry. We will have a guide. Oh, and not to scare you, but there is probably a ghost above your head," Link answered after reading the stone plaque that was the only thing that marked the top of the desert shelter. "Just follow me and we will arrive safely." He assured his dubious looking partner. After all, the plaque said so. That was one thing a Hero just had to accept on a journey like this. Do NOT argue with signs.
Dark rolled his eyes and nodded but was a little caught off guard when Link suddenly stood and took a running leap off the top of the shelter. It wasn't a very high drop to the sandy desert floor but the suddenness was unexpected. Still, Dark was the faster runner and soon caught up as Link ran headlong towards the sand storm.
For Link, it was a little more difficult. The Poe that appeared when he activated the Lens of Truth started floating off immediately with only one warning.
"I'll only show you the way there once. Coming back, you're on your own."
So, he ran after the ghost as quickly as he could, which wasn't easy since the Poe made sudden turns, would stop and spin in circles and randomly change directions for no apparent reason. Link also had to deal with the buffeting winds and flying sand everywhere. He soon just kept the Lens pressed right up against his left eye and left the right one closed.
To make things even more difficult, after several minutes of this wild ghost chase, spined green monsters started to rise out of the sand to spin at the intruders. Link had a hard enough time dodging the desert creatures that Dark ended up kicking out of the way anyways.
Deep in the sandstorm, with the wind constantly shifting directions it was impossible to tell where they'd come from but with the Lens protecting his eye, Link saw a pair of red flags flying in the distance and they seemed to be making their way towards those flags. The howling wind grew only fiercer til Link felt like he was running in place, but slowly the flags grew closer and closer. Then suddenly, the wind died as Link and a moment later a very sandy Dark stumbled through the two flags
Turning around, the Sandstorm was still raging behind them and it stopped right before the flags, as though they marked an new area that the weather could not cross. They seemed to be in a low wide canyon and in the very back was the steps of the temple. "Link look! There it is!" Dark crowed happily and they both started running towards the temple just so they could get in. The last temple, and therefore the end of the quest and his date with Link were in reach!
It was a fair distance to run, showing just how large the temple was and carved into the mountainside was the giant image of a woman; possibly depicting the Spirit Sage. Several large rocks and a stone archway marked the way there and just as they were getting close to the steps of the temple, a blue-clothed figure dropped out of the sky. Sheik.
"I see you are still keeping him around. I am not comfortable keeping one of Ganondorf's minions so close," Sheik murmured, his one red eye gazing suspiciously at Dark, who bristled at what the Sheikah was implying of him.
"Yeah! Well I wouldn't have to be here protecting him if you got off your lazy ass and did some work yourself for once!" Dark growled and Sheik's eye narrowed dangerously.
"This mission is far more important than any single person. If you are a threat, against Link's wishes or not, I will kill you if that is what I believe to be the best course of action. The fact is, you are a liability," Sheik stated coldly.
"Yeah, And I'm still here regardless. I see you're angry and what are you gonna do about it, huh? If you think you can beat me then go ahead and try! But even if you manage to win, I wonder how you'll justify beating the Hero of Time's partner when you're not willing to take his place!" Dark yelled but Sheik turned his attention to Link and paid no further attention to the black one the rest of the time he was there.
"Past, present, future...the Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time's river...the port for that ship is in the Temple of Time. To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple, you must travel back through time's flow. Listen to this Requiem of Spirit...this melody will lead a child back to the desert."
"Bastard, don't ignore me!" Dark snarled. He was cut off by a flow of musical notes from Sheik's harp and his only choice was to sit down and keep quiet.
Link really was quite the talented musician, only needed to hear the song once before he started playing it on his own. The songs were never long but he played it over and over, carving the song into his memory by repetition. He held up his Ocarina as it sparkled with the light a new song.
Sheik put his harp away, but instead of backing away he stepped forward, hand flashing out and before anyone knew what happened, he was Lifting Dark off the ground by his shirt. "Now listen here. I know you think you 're so important running around and playing Hero. Believe me, If I had the choice to help Link in that way, I would, but I have other duties to see to that are just as important. If everyone doesn't do their part, we will all fail. Your purpose was to protect the Water Temple from the Hero of Time. You are an enemy, plain and simple. I have spent the last seven years seeing first hand the kind of deplorable tactics that Ganondorf uses. I believe that you think you're helping. Maybe you have an honest intent to help but in the end, you are his creature and you will answer his call in the end whether you want to or not."
Finally Link tucked his instrument away and intervened. "Sheik, that is enough. Dark has been unquestionably loyal to me and has earned my trust. He will continue to travel with me unless he proves otherwise. Need I remind you that it is not your decision to make?" Link asked sternly, his blue eyes staring down Sheik's red until the Sheik turned and walked away without another word, disappearing in a sudden gust of wind that blew a wave a sand at the Hero, forcing him to turn away. As usual, when his vision cleared, Sheik was gone.
Dark waited, sitting on the steps as he fought a losing battle against a torrent of tears. Could the Sheikah be right? Could it be that he'd betray the one person who meant anything to him? Still, he knew Link believed in him. Hearing the boy stand up for him like that, it made him happy. And then he felt an arm around his shoulders even now trying to comfort him. Damn it, why did he have to be so emotional!
"Link, I… I'm not all that bad." he whispered, wide eyed and afraid. "What if…what if he's right and I…" He couldn't even finish the sentence but Link knew what he was trying to say and for that question, he had no answer.
Once Dark finally pulled himself together, then walked up the stairs and into the Temple. The sudden change in atmosphere was almost palpable; even though it was the middle of the night, none of the cooler temperature made it inside. Instead, the air was dry and dusty and warm, as though nothing in the temple ever moved. Though stagnant, the Temple was also majestic, with two grand snake statues on either side of a larger staircase that led up to two more statues. To the right, another of the giant blocks from the Fortress prevented movement forward and on the other side of the room was a small hole in the wall.
"Hmm. Well Dark, I believe we will need to split up again. It looks like what Sheik said is correct. I must come back here as a child first or we will be going nowhere fast."
Dark sat on the stairs and pouted. "You want me to just sit here and wait for you? I don't wanna wait in here!" he whined, tugging on Link's sleeves.
Link only shrugged. "I will be back soon. However, I never said you had to stay here. If you would prefer to wait outside, feel free." And with that Link was gone, walking back out the door in the fading echoes of the song that would warp him to the Temple of Time.
-D-A-R-K-
For several minutes Dark stood there, staring out the door with his mouth hanging open. "I can't believe he just ditched me like! What an ass!" He paced around in circles for several minutes, complaining about how he'd been unfairly treated when a sudden idea come to him. "What if…Link ran off like that cause he knows the sooner we finish here, the sooner he gets the immense honor of being the Amazing Dark's boyfriend!"
He chuckled, knowing that was complete bullshit but he didn't mind. It kept him entertained and that was worth something. "Alright, so what else can I do while I wait? I know what would be great! I should take a bath! Out here…in the…middle of the desert. Right." Dark sighed and checked his pockets, making sure his two backup Heart Pieces were okay. They were fine, after a quick brushing off. Not only was Dark covered in sand, but most of the contents of his pockets as well.
"Stupid desert. Stupid sand. Stupid heat. " he muttered, walking back outside to try something out. At least in the middle of the night he didn't need to worry about that last one. Still, sand was irritating enough to more then make up for it.
Outside the temple Dark sat on the stairs and tugged his boots off, flipped them upside down and smacked the soles to knock a small mound of excess sand from each of them. "That is so gross," Dark mumbled to himself as he set his boots aside and dropped his belt to get his tunic off. Without the leather belt pulled tightly around his waist, several more streams of sand poured out of the confines of the boy's shirt as he ripped it off and threw it on the ground.
"It's official! I hate the desert!" he yelled. It wasn't just that the stuff invaded his clothes and soiled his belongings but it stuck to him in the most inconvenient places. He'd been walking through the desert for quite some time and by now the sand was everywhere and it was starting to chafe some uncomfortable spots. Not willing to put up with the irritation any longer, Dark untied his breeches and kicked them off to stand naked in the setting moonlight.
"I'm gonna look insane for doing this," Dark sighed, resigned to the fact that this might not work. He picked up his Ocarina and played this notes for the Song of Storms. Once through, nothing happened and so he played it again. Maybe it wouldn't work. Maybe it just couldn't rain in the desert. If that was the case, at least the night breeze felt good. It wasn't the case however, after the fifth play through of the song he felt the air start to thicken and grow heavy with the promise of rain. Twice more and raindrops started to fall but Dark kept playing until he had a respectable downpour before setting his instrument down in a safe spot where it wouldn't get wet.
Dark sighed, content in his triumph over the desert… or so he though. What he didn't know was that wet, the sand would just stick to him more. Still, using a kind of shower effect Dark made a valiant attempt to get it off his body, though getting the mass of sand out of his hair would be another matter. That was when he noticed a short distance away that a deep indent in the floor was filling with the rain water. It almost looked like…
"A bath tub!" Dark screamed and jumped in without a second though. The water was deep enough for him to stand up straight in and the water would be up to his shoulders. Grinning blissfully, he sand beneath the surface of the water to scrub the sand out of his hair.
The next morning, when the sun rose over the horizon, Dark was still in his pool soaking as much moisture as he could. The whole arrangement worked perfectly for him. He was an aquatic creature so he loved swimming. He had a choice of withering in the sun or staying underwater constantly until Link came back. The decision was pretty obvious.
-L-I-N-K-
Link appeared in the Temple of Time, the high cold stone archways and stained glass windows allowed it to double as a church but Link had other uses for the Temple. Back in the back was a pedestal that sat in the middle of a carving of the Triforce on the floor, ringed by the Sages Crests. The whole thing was symbolic how the balance had to be and the Master Sword was in the center of it all. Link stabbed his sacred blade into the stone in the middle of the room, feeling the familiar rush of energy surround. He always zoned out, slipping into a state of semi-consciousness while the transformation occurred, and when he opened his eyes, he was back to being his normal eleven year old self.
The first thing he did was to run back outside and take a moment to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Hyrule Castle Town Market. It had been one of his more favorite places to just sit back and watch the world go by. Now that he was back to being a kid again, that sense of urgency he normally felt was gone. He had seven years to work after all. Still though, he couldn't afford to waste time so after a short walk around the town to satisfy his nostalgia, Link returned to the Temple of Time to play the Requiem of Spirit.
The sudden burst of sunlight as he appeared in the desert a little ways off to the side of the Desert Colossus had the boy wincing and covering his eyes with his arm as he trudged through the sand, eager to get inside and out of the heat.
Both inside and out, the Spirit Temple looked exactly as it would seven years in the future. He almost expected to see Dark lounging indolently against a wall waiting for him. Link trotted up the stairs, wondering idly how Dark would react to seeing him as a child. That could be interesting to see if ever he could manage it.
His musings were cut short when he reached the top of the stairs to see that the hole he'd intended to crawl through was already occupied. The woman's long red hair and dark complexion marked her out as one of the Gerudo. Link had more then enough experience to know to be wary of them, but on the other hand, no one ever took him seriously as a kid so he strolled up and leaned against the wall, watching her peering through the hole and muttering under her breath.
At the sound of Link's footsteps, she looked up to see who it was. "Hmm? Hey kid, I haven't seen you around here before. What are you doing in a place like this?"
Link just shrugged, trying to act casual. "Just sightseeing. I was hoping to see some more of the Temple and maybe find a Sage."
The Gerudo leaned back against the wall, resting a hand on her hip. "A Sage, huh? I don't know anyone like that but this temple is no place for kids."
Growling as though his dignity had been affronted, Link pulled his sword. "I can take care of myself. What about you? Is there something I can help with? I don't really have anything to do," he muttered, crossing his arms in the image of a bored kid.
The Gerudo smirked, "Alright, I might just let you help me out, but first, would you happen to be one of Ganondorf's followers?" she asked offhand as though it wasn't really important. Link knew better. Even though he could have lied and said yes, he wasn't going to sacrifice his dignity by doing that. Not for anything.
"No. I hate Ganondorf and I will be the one to kill him," Link growled, narrowing his eyes as he waited for her to move, watching for the possibility of an attack.
She just smiled and stepped aside. "Well now, those are some lofty goals you've got set. Alright, you're in.
"First of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Nabooru of the Gerudo. I'm a lone wolf thief. But don't get me wrong! Though we're both thieves, I'm completely different from Ganondorf. With his followers, he stole from women and children, and even killed people! A kid like you may not know this, but the Gerudo race consists only of women. Only one man is born every hundred years... Even though our laws say that lone male Gerudo must become King of the Gerudo, I'll never bow to such an evil man!"
Link nodded, realizing he'd been wrong to jump to conclusions. True, he'd had bad experiences with the Gerudo race but that was no reason to stereotype. "That is good to hear. So what do you want me to do?"
"Through this tiny hole is the Silver Gauntlets. They let you push and pull very heavy things. But don't even think about trying to take them for yourself!" she cut in quickly. "They won't fit a little kid like you. Ganondorf and his henchmen are using this temple as a hideout and I need those gauntlets to get deeper into the temple."
Nodding, Link got down on his hands and knees when she stopped him. "Wait. One last thing. What's your name, kid?"
It kind of irritated him how every single person called him 'kid' like they were making fun of him. "It's Link."
"Pff, what kind of name is that? Well, good luck Link."
Now he was more then slightly irritated and he crawled into the hole to prevent getting interrupted again. What was wrong with his name? As much as he preferred being a child, at least as an adult no one was so openly disrespectful.
He crawled through the tunnel, now understanding why he had to return to childhood for this. As an adult he was six feet tall; no way would he be able to fit through such a small hole. Aside from being able to fit through the hole in the first place, he encountered very few problems. It was a typical run of the mill Temple. Personally, he felt that the Shadow Temple and Water Temple had both been more difficult as he traversed the rooms.
The air was dry and uncomfortable to breath. Thick with dust that swirled beneath his boots it made for a hot, stuffy environment but it was still nothing compared to being out in the desert or even the Fire Temple for that matter. When the first Stalfos dropped from the ceiling, he remembered Dark's comment. Ganondorf, for some reason, did seem to have some strange liking for skeletons.
The Hero's sapphire eyes stared unblinkingly as the skeletal warrior approached. He was at somewhat of a disadvantage now since putting back the Master Sword left him with a shorter reach and his Kokiri sword was not as strong. Also, the Stalfos had the advantage of a shield that Link did not. He'd had one at one time but it had been damaged and he hadn't had the money to replace it.
Still, he wasn't worried. Stalfos were easy to read, not to mention that in a smaller body he was quicker on his feet and faster to strike. Of course, that was only if he was planning on playing fair. Rather then duel with an unimportant creature like a Stalfos and risk getting injured, he simply tossed a Deku Nut. The blinding flash of light stunned even the undead monster. Link knew well how durable they were so he left a lit bomb at its feet and continued on.
"Three…two…one…" Right on cue the sound of a loud explosion shook the room and Link allowed himself a satisfied smile as he walked out the door. That was how he did things; quick and methodical to keep problems from arising and a few minutes later, after shooting down some spiders clinging to a wall, he was in the main room of the temple.
All the Temples had one central room around which everything revolved, whether it was the elevator in the Forest Temple or the central tower in the Water Temple. These central rooms tended to make themselves self-apparent.
Here, Link entered out on the side of a large three floor rectangular room with a giant statue of the Spirit Sage sitting crosslegged in a meditative pose in the middle of the room. His side and across the room on the other side, staircases wound up the sides to second doors, making the room perfectly symmetrical. That was always an indication of importance. They even had matching statues at the base of each of the stairs. Link jogged up his stairs to the top door only to find that the door was barred.
"Of course. It never fails," he muttered irritably and trotted back down the stairs. The switch to open the door wasn't all that hard to find; it was sitting at the bottom of the stairs and a short drop off a ledge. In fact, the conveniently placed statue worked perfectly to push off the edge to depress the button and open the bars. For some reason, walking up the stairs a second time wasn't quite as exciting…
At the top of the stairs and through the door was some more stairs that lead to a room with a red carpeted pathway with a row of pillars on each side. They lead up to a man wearing full body armor with a gigantic ax sitting in his lap, seated on what looked like a kind of throne to block the door. It was strange though, as Link walked down the pathway the man on the throne never moved, not even when Link was standing right in front of him. The door in the back was barred shut so it was pretty obvious that this iron warrior had to be defeated.
That armor did look pretty durable upon inspection and Link eyed his short sword dubiously. He wondered if it would even be able to penetrate the armor. If his Kokiri Sword wouldn't work, did he have any more powerful weapons?
Seconds later, Link was scurrying away from the lit bomb that he'd gently placed in the armor's lap. It exploded a moment after, sounding along with a cry of anger, then Link heard it.
Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank.
Step by step the armor slowly moved towards him, hefting its mighty ax to strike down the intruder. Not one prone to panic, Link did the first thing that came to mind. He lit another bomb and chucked it but even with a bomb exploding in its face, the armored warrior never faltered. How many bombs would it take to hurt the thing? Running to the side he noticed a shoulder pad laying on the floor. So he was making progress slowly but making it nonetheless.
The next bomb blew off more chunks of metal but Link also couldn't help but notice that his opponent was now walking faster. How long do I need to keep this up? he wondered, lobbing a forth bomb. This time, the explosion as the bomb had a noticeable effect. It staggered back, most all of the iron armor falling off to disappear; consumed by magical blue flames. From behind that helmet, Link could tell that the monster was glaring at him. Then another problem came up.
No longer weighed down by heavy armor, the Iron Knuckle no longer felt the need to proceed at a stately pace. No, it decided to run and Link, Triforce of Courage or not, did what he felt was the smart thing to do in that situation.
He screamed and ran for dear life from the axe wielding psychopath behind him.
It wasn't that he was giving up, he just needed time to formulate a strategy. The screaming just felt like it fit the mood. Link ran towards the pillars and ran all the way around it to slash the axe warrior right as he was entering them. It roared in pain and with just two swings of its mighty axe sent the pillar crumbling to the ground in a shower of bricks. Under the circumstances, Link felt it was appropriate to scream again.
Alright, this guy is strong, but he's also very slow. I should be able to outmaneuver him as long as I stay careful.
Nodding, Link ran out into the middle of the room where there was more space to move around. It was a dangerous plan but Link was confident of his abilities. Besides, as heavy as that axe had to be it could only be swung sideways or vertically. As expected, the axe came at him swinging back and forth. Link back flipped out of the way of the first two but on the third one he suddenly dove forward, rolling under the axe blade and coming up right next to his opponent. With shorter arms and a shorter weapon, Link could stab as much as he wanted while immune to retaliation; he was too close to hit with a large weapon like an axe. That was what he though until a hand closed around his neck to lift him off the ground and throw him across the room.
Link's body crashed into one of the pillars with the sickening crunch of breaking bone. He dropped, panting and sweating to the ground to clutch his right arm to his chest. This wasn't the first time he'd broken a bone but it still wasn't a pleasant ordeal to go through. It hurt like crazy but he knew he couldn't afford to lay around on the job. Link rolled to the side at just the right moment as an axe crashed into the ground where his head had been a second before.
He scrambled backwards but not even the solid stone pillars could protect him from the destructive axe strikes. The bricks from the crumbling pillar fell on Link's body, leaving bruises across his shins, chest and arms as he pulled himself out of the way. Hauling himself out of the bricks, Link ran towards the entrance of the room and didn't look back. He didn't need to; the clanking of metal footsteps more then told of the danger behind.
Though his arm was broken, at least Link could still fight, being left-handed. Still, this was not a battle to keep going. He ran straight at the chair at the other end of the room, listening to the footsteps closing in behind him. When he got close, Link jumped at the chair, using it as a spring board to launch himself at the top heavy axe, knocking the warrior to the ground. From there he grabbed his sword and stabbed over and over into the warrior's surcoat until he stopped twitching to be consumed in a magical pyre of blue flames.
Wavering on his feet from the injuries, Link trudged out the now open door and out into sunlight. There sat a large treasure box in the palm of the Desert Colossus. As expected, the Silver Gauntlets rested in the box, just as Nabooru had told him. Speaking of Nabooru….
Down in the desert sands the Gerudo woman's screams rose like prayers from far below. Link peered over the edge to watch as she ran to the side toward the desert only to trip as a vortex of black energy appeared beneath her feet, sucking her down in to Nayru only knew where while two witches on broomsticks circled above, cackling madly.
Link tightened his grip on his sword but there was nothing to be done. A jump from that height would undoubtedly kill him. And so, Link walked back inside and played his song to warp back to the Temple of Time.
-H-E-R-O-
Back in the future, Link materialized on the platform back in front of the Desert Colossus. Walking towards the entrance, it was hard to tell that seven years had passed. That was when he saw all of Dark's clothes laid out in the sun. As for Dark himself, he was lounging contently in a pool of water that had formed in the exact spot where the dark vortex swallowed up Nabooru seven years before.
"Link!" Dark yelled, climbing out of the water, forgetting his complete lack of clothing to pounce and hug his partner. Suddenly remembering his nudity, he expected to be scolded, not the scream of pain that echoed from the Hero's mouth.
"M…my arm…I broke it as a child; why is it not healed?" he asked through gritted teeth. Without asking, Dark grabbed his arm, pressing along it and mumbling worriedly.
"This is bad. It looks like your arm healed crooked. I could fix it but…do you trust me?" he asked, a pained look in his eye as Link nodded, panting and sweating. Taking a deep breath, Dark took a hold of either side of the break…and snapped it.
Link squeezed his eyes shut, roaring in agony as Dark broke his arm for a second time then twisted, setting the bone back in position. When he opened his eyes again, Dark was holding out a Heart Piece to heal the break and in spite of the pain, Link started laughing. "Dark…what would I do without you?" Smirking, Dark shrugged and sat down on the steps.
"I'unno. Feel free to have a bath before we get started if you like. Don't worry, I won't watch. Promise," he said with wide-eyed saintly innocence.
"I am not sure I believe that…"
"Oh, it's just the sand in your breeches talking, Go on, get in."
"You are not conversing with anything in my breeches any time soon."
"Awww."