Chapter 17

Meanwhile, Shadow stood outside the palace, waiting impatiently for the other three. What is taking them so long? They said one hour after sunrise and it's been three!

Shadow was many things but he wasn't stupid. Nor was he blind. In fact, he was quite a perceptive individual and took pride in that fact. It had failed to escape his attention and perception that Midna was jealous of Samus, and he was beyond less than pleased by this fact. It's a problem, plain and simple, and one that needs to be sorted out NOW before it ruins everything. We're running out of time fast. Every minute we're not searching for the Emeralds is a minute wasted and they all know it. We need to get moving NOW.

Shadow hated to admit it, even to himself, but he found the Twilight Queen very attractive, and her jealousy of Samus alone told him a lot. She was obviously not one to accept defeat, and it was clear that she despised competition. She was, more obviously, quite vain, as anyone with one eye and half a brain could see in her appearance. Her face had no flaws, her body was obviously well taken-care-of, and she seemed to take a lot of pride in her curves. Shadow, whatever he said to the contrary, found Midna very alluring, and it frustrated him. He knew that to develop feelings for her would created a flaw in his character that Black Doom could exploit in a heart beat. It frustrated him that, of all times, he had chosen now to start lusting, for that's all it really was, lust. So Shadow told himself. I'm impressed by her figure, that's all it is. She's nothing like me and I have no time to develop feelings for someone else now. Maria was my love, and she died. I will love no one else.

Just as he thought this, the gates flew open and Link, Samus, and Midna exited the palace, Link in full garb, Samus in her Fusion Suit, and Midna in leather pants, a black traveling coat, and a plain shirt underneath. Shadow stood as he watched them approach.

"About time you three showed up," Shadow growled, "You're two hours late. What kept you?"

Link and Samus exchanged glances before Link replied, "We had a bit of a problem, it was nothing we couldn't handle."

"What sort of problem?"

"Midna."

That was all Shadow needed. Fan-fucking-tastic, so Midna lost her temper and we've lost two hours. Fuck! Could we get any less mature?!

Samus broke his thoughts. "It's settled now, let's just get moving." And with that, she and Link set off. "Shadow, you're the one the connection to the Emeralds, we need you up front!"

Shadow shook himself and took the lead while Link and Samus trekked close behind with Midna at the rear. Midna was deep in thought, trying to formulate a plan.

Even as she began thinking of something, a gut impulse overtook her, a deep primeval impulse to attack Samus then and there. Even as she tried to resist it, a low growling voice echoed in her mind.

Attack her, now. you know you want to just do it.

Midna, whatever she wanted, knew that now was not the right time. No, I can't, it's too soon, I can't attack now...

Attack her. Do it.

No! It's not the right time, not the opportune moment...

Attack! NOW!

Midna screamed in agony aloud as a mental attack started. The other three whirled around, startled as Midna fell to her knees, grasping her head in her hands and yelling out in pain.

Link was the most alarmed. "Midna, what..."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU ARE, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!"

This outburst told Link enough to deduce who it was that was mentally attacking Midna. Link drew the Master Sword and pointed it at Midna's head, the tip flaring with energy. Link inhaled and bellowed, "OUT OF HER NOW!"

A dark shadow immediately burst from Midna's head, and took form. Link knew who it was instantly.

It was Dark Link.

"YOU!"

This was all Link could say before Dark Link attacked. Link, thankful to the Goddesses that his reflexes had been fully honed and refined, blocked the blow effortlessly and took out his shield. Dark Link attacked again and again, trying to gain an advantage as he rained blow after blow after blow on Link. Link was too quick on blocked every attack. But he wasn't quick enough to attack.

Even as he realized this, Shadow came behind and hit Dark Link in the back with a homing attack. Hard. As Dark Link turned on him, a missile came from his left and struck him, detonating on impact and sending him several meters away. Link seized this opportunity and flared the Master Sword with energy, running at lightning speed to Dark Link and trapping him in a vortex of triangle-shaped energy, and began raining a barrage of blows on Dark Link, each blow giving off a loud, sickening thud as it collided with Dark Link. Link drew back one more time and delivered one last blow more powerful than the others all combined, sending Dark Link face first onto the ground, paralyzed completely. Link had hit all his pressure points.

Dark Link struggled to speak. "You...how could you tell..."

Link forced the Master Sword into the ground centimeters from Dark Link's left temple. "You weren't exactly low-profiled, Dark," Link replied. "You always were irrational when it came to timing. That's how I beat you in Hyrule's Water Temple. And I've beaten you again."

Samus walked up. "If you were trying to delay us from reaching the Emerald, you attacked the wrong person."

Shadow joined them, enraged. He gave Link a questioning look.

Link nodded. "Give it to him, Shadow."

Shadow flared, drawing on what powers he had conserved from the Chaos Emeralds and flared with red aura. Link and Samus took cover, pointedly dragging Midna with them.

"Chaoooooooooos...BLAST!" Focusing his energy to his fist, Shadow punched Dark Link full in the face, incinerating him instantly.

Link and Samus came out as Shadow calmed down.

"Well," Shadow said, "That felt good."

Link was not smiling. "Don't get confident yet. We're still trapped in the woods."

Shadow eyed him. "Why do you say that?"

"Because now Black Doom knows exactly where we are."

Silence fell on the group as the implications of this sunk in.

WHOOHOOHOO! IT'S ME!

lol'in. Sorry guys, had to do that, heard it in a video.

Anywho...

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

Chapter 17 is up!

Read and review, please?! Thank you!