A/N: *Sigh* and so we come one more chapter closer to the end. -_- How sad! Am I the only one who's going to be extremely sad when this is over? Meh, I love Linky and Darky… I wish I could make this story last forever but sadly I cannot. All good things must come to an end! DX Thank you anime-dark-fairy (You so nice :P), smileyface (you crack me up XD), ernoma (I sent you a pm :D), and gogo-power rangers (Thanks for your appreciation!) for your wonderful recent reviews! *tear* you guys make me so happy. ^_^ Also, I find it funny that as I my story progresses old reviewers disappear and new reviewers keep coming. Sometimes, I find it sad but it's the circle of life… erm stories. Wow I'm so nerdy compared to my writing.
To Reviewer Kitty-Cat: Well to be honest, that was one of the number one things that people had a problem with. Dark's too moody. He was strong in one chapter and now he's unbelievably weak. Well, the only explanation I can give is that Dark was always human… hence him being able to bleed out in the very first chapter and die like a normal human would. Um, as for the sudden changes in mood and demeanor the only reasonable justification I can give for this are his feelings for Link. Love will do crazy things to you. Also, Ganondorf said in one of the chapters, the two were beginning to rub off on each other. Link is becoming more of a risk taker… and is starting to show more resentment towards his role as the hero while Dark is becoming more kind-hearted and lovable. As for the eating thing… I said something in a chapter that after Dark was healed in the fairy fountain it gave him more human-like qualities. I suppose after he was released from the temple that sort of 'curse' Ganondorf used to control him was broken… but that's hard for people to assume if I never wrote about it. Um, I know this is probably not the best explanation for the sudden transition but I didn't know how else to explain how it happened besides simply saying I made mistakes in writing this. I wanted Dark to be more human and so he was. I understand why you are confused and that's one of the things I should have elaborated on; however, I'm too far along now to change it. I will just have to make sure to maintain consistency in future stories.
Chapter 25: Battling the Colossus Alone
Link sighed with frustration as he leaped off the pedestal, now in his child form. He thought about returning quickly to see what it was Dark wanted to tell him, but he knew he'd only be wasting more time. He then smiled to himself, wondering what it was and hoped it was what he secretly wanted to hear. Link decided he would restock on supplies in Hyrule Town before he headed out to the Spirit Temple. He would definitely need to fill all of his spare bottles with fairies. Link was going to do anything in his power to prevent possible death. He wanted nothing more than to return to his beloved Dark in one piece. As Link stepped out of the temple and into Hyrule Town he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia from the aroma of freshly baked goods, the smell of newly trimmed grass, and the bustling sensation from all of the busy merchants. It would be a miracle to return to this way of life after all that was happening in the future. He grinned when he saw a thin balding man creeping suspiciously along the booths, waiting for his chance to strike. Link would take a thief over a redead any day. After spending the last of his rupees on necessary equipment he pulled out his ocarina to teleport to the impending desert.
Dark was now aimlessly wandering Hyrule Field in an attempt to keep himself occupied until Link came back. He felt so disturbed by the breeze he could feel entering through the tear in his pants that he decided he would go rummage through Link's belongings later. He had totally forgotten to change earlier, since he was focused on saying goodbye to Link. Dark sighed with discontent as he tried to think of something to do. He felt so useless whenever Link returned to the past to ward off some beast while he moped around and did absolutely nothing. Dark considered heading towards the ranch, to perhaps get some food out of Malon but he just didn't feel up to it. He didn't want to deal with her interrogating father, although some Lon-Lon milk would be nice. Dark decided that he would wander off towards Lake Hylia for sentimental reasons. He wanted to bask in the soft grass and relax against the gentle breeze while recalling past memories between him and the hero. Hopefully, they would spend many more treasurable days together, frolicking amongst the beautiful Lake. Once he'd arrived, he took a seat at the edge of the shore and removed his boots to soak his feet in the chilly water. He pulled out the ocarina Link had given him and looked it over in his hands. Dark loved the gift, even if it represented the possibility that he would never see Link again. He furrowed his brow as he thought about how he hadn't given Link anything in return and began to think about something he could offer him when he got back.
Upon entering the temple, Link knew exactly where he would need to go first: the small hole located on the left side of the wall in the first room. He ran up the familiar stairs and to the left but stopped short when he saw a beautiful Gerudo woman on all fours glancing inside the small crevice where Link had intended to enter. Did she think that she would be able to fit through that hole?
"Um… excuse me…" Link muttered softly, careful not to startle the woman. She turned to look at him and then stood to her feet, giving Link a better look at her gorgeous self. She appeared different than the others back at the fortress. She had on a white outfit and many pieces of golden jewelry. She radiated confidence and strength and it made Link a bit nervous to approach her.
"I haven't seen you around kid…" The woman responded with a hand on her hip, "What do you want?"
"Uh… nothing really." Link answered stupidly. He didn't want her to know what he was up to since he was invading their temple without permission. It was seven years in the past and he'd yet to prove himself welcome to roam about. Instead of being angry, the woman lit up with joy.
"You have nothing to do? What good timing! Can you do me a favor kid?" She asked frantically, "Wait a second!" She said quickly narrowing her eyes in Link's direction. Link gulped down hard and took a step back, "I want to ask you first… you wouldn't happen to be one of Ganondorf's followers would you?"
Link almost fell over in shock. Him? One of Ganondorf's followers? How wrong could this lady be? He thought curiously about what the woman would do if he had answered yes. Did he really look that menacing? His mind came across Dark and his smart mouth and how he would have replied in this situation.
"What if I am?" Link squeaked in his childish voice, crossing his arms to try and look suspicious.
"Wha-ha-ha! Don't try and act cool, kid! I was just asking!" She responded through a fit of laughter. Link frowned and dropped his arms to his sides, "A kid like you could never be one of Ganondorf's followers!" Link sighed as the lady continued to injure his pride, "Let's cut to the chase… First of all let me introduce myself. I'm Nabooru of the Gerudo. I'm a lone wolf thief. Don't get me wrong! Though we're both thieves I'm completely different than Ganondorf… With his followers, he stole from women and children, and he 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 continued to listen intently until she asked him a personal question, "By the way, what is your name, kid?"
"Um… My name is Link." He replied modestly with a nod of his head, "Nice to meet you, Nabooru."
"Link? What kind of name is that?" She shrieked. Link scowled and she continued, "Well… anyway… I want to ask you a favor…"
"What is it?" Link grumbled at the rude woman.
"Will you go through this tiny hole and get a treasure that's inside?" She asked with pleading eyes. Link's ears perked up and he suddenly became interested, "The treasure is the Silver Gauntlets. If you equip them, you can easily push and pull very heavy things!" So this was how he'd need to push that large block on the opposite side of the room. She must have read Link's mind because she instantly scolded him, "No, no, no, kid! Don't even think about taking this treasure for yourself." Link blushed knowing the woman had figured him out, "The Silver Gauntlets won't fit a little kid like you if you try to equip them! I want you to be a good boy and give them to me!" She said with a smirk. Link was getting sick of this lady treating him like a child… oh wait. He was.
"Ganondorf and his minions are using the Spirit Temple as a hideout. Only the Silver Gauntlets will allow me to sneak deep into the temple. Once there, I'm going to steal all the treasure inside and mess up their plans!"
Link rolled his eyes at the thought of a thief stealing another thief's treasure.
"So how about it? Will you do it?" She begged.
"S-sure…" He grumbled crossing his arms and thinking about what he was going to say to Nabooru once he'd found the gauntlets.
"Thanks, kid! You and I, let's give Ganondorf and his followers a big surprise, shall we?" She suggested in triumph.
"Okay." Link groaned trying his best to act as if he were going along with the plan.
"If you can successfully get the Silver Gauntlets… I'll do something great for you!" She added smacking Link on his shoulder. He frowned, knowing he'd have to deceive this woman. She moved away from the small entrance allowing Link to crawl through. He got on his knees and began squeezing his way through the tight corridor. Once on the other side, he met a flight of stairs blocked off by sliding spikes that he easily maneuvered past. There were a few pesky keese flying around but he took care of them in an instant. The stairs led to an area with two locked doors and another hole in the wall. Who designed these temples, only children could get through? He proceeded to kill the Armos in the middle of the room which was the key to unlock both of the doors.
After entering the door on the left, he immediately came face to face with a large Stalfos. He jumped back in surprise and started to panic at the thought of having to fight one of these beasts as a mere child. He sighed as he positioned himself in a crouched stance to attack the monster with the disadvantage of his short size.
Dark sighed as he cast his line out once more after not having any luck with a catch. He was beginning to think catching Link a fish for a gift wasn't such a good idea. It would probably spoil before he returned anyway and he didn't want to lug around a rotting fish. He figured he would continue trying a little longer so he didn't feel like he wasted his rupees. An hour passed without any luck and he retreated hastily from the fishing pond and towards the forest.
Link managed to defeat the stalfos after a few minor injuries from the beast's massive sword. He had cuts on his arms and one across his chest but they weren't that deep, although they were bleeding a bit much at the moment. The Spirit Temple was filled with many tricky puzzles that Link had a bit of a hard time figuring out but besides that he was making good timing. After receiving a key from one of the rooms he re-entered the area with the Armos and the hole in the wall. He crawled through and used his key to unlock the door on the other side. The next room was very small, about 6 feet wide by 6 feet long; however, one of the walls looked jagged and rough enough to climb up and Link was sure he could make it if he was careful. After killing the pesky skulltulas that roamed on the wall he made his way to the top.
"I guess this temple isn't so bad. Huh, Navi?" Link said with a smile as he climbed the wall.
"Not yet, anyway. We'll see how tough it really is when you come back as an adult!" She replied. Link frowned and pulled himself over the ledge. There was a small statue-like structure in the shape of a sun jutting from the middle of the ground. Link scanned the area and saw nothing but a rock wall and a locked door. The room lacked any enemies or switches that might have unlocked the door. He walked over towards the sun on the floor and stared at it with curiosity. It was made of bronze and had a face with a pointy nose and closed eyes.
"What do you think, Navi?" Link asked while holding a hand to his chin, "Sun song?"
"Hm… it's worth a shot!" She replied enthusiastically. Link pulled out his ocarina and played the melody but nothing occurred except the sound of the echoing notes flowing across the room. He furrowed his brow and looked around the room again.
"I wish Dark was here. He'd know what to do…" He muttered under his breath. Navi frowned and began frantically searching the area for clues.
"Hey Link! Try bombing that rock wall! I see a crack at the top." She called to him while flying up to investigate the small fissure. Link did as he was told and tried holding the bomb long enough so when he threw it, it would explode in the air. But he grew nervous and always ended up throwing the bomb too early. He scolded himself for being afraid but he really didn't want to blow himself up. That's when Link got an idea and began digging inside of his pouch for another item. He pulled out another bomb that was blue and gold on the underside and strangely resembled a mouse. He lit the wick and set the bombchu on the ground in the direction of the crack. It scurried up the side of the wall and exploded just in time as it slid over the weak part of the rock. Link expected the entire wall to come barreling down; however, it only blew up a medium sized hole. The bright desert sun came shining through the gap and directly on top of the sun statue in the middle of the room and the eyes of the sun opened and the tails of the sun's flames coming off the sides started to rotate. Link grinned from ear to ear as he saw the door unlock.
"Good job Navi!" He congratulated her. She gave him a huge smile in return, proud of herself for helping the hero.
Dark smiled in triumph as he pulled out a pair of white pants from a pesky wooden dresser in Link's room. He had to kick, claw, and punch to get it to finally pop open. He assumed it was rusted at the hinges and age had locked it shut. After changing his bottoms he leaped from Link's balcony and ran to go explore the lost woods. He wasn't worried about getting lost because he now had an ocarina to teleport out of there. After an hour of meaningless searching, Dark grew quite frustrated.
"There is nothing special here…" Dark muttered as he roamed the forest freely looking for something unique he could give to Link. He found a few pretty and shiny stones; however, he would feel silly giving him a simple rock and flowers were out of the question. A bouquet would totally tarnish his masculine pride. He thought about giving him his hat since he disliked wearing it anyways but went he lifted his hand to his head he remembered he hadn't worn his hat in days. It was swept away in the river whenever he jumped from the canyon in Gerudo Valley. He leaned back to rest against a tree, contemplating if he should just go buy him a gift, "No I want it to mean something…" He muttered while pulling at his earlobe in deep thought, "That's it!" He shouted with joy.
Link continued on throughout the Spirit Temple at a constant pace. However, he did come to an area that gave him quite a bit of trouble cutting him back on time by about half an hour. The room was filled with many different puzzles, from lighting a sequence of torches to gathering silver rupees. There was also another sun statue that he needed to shine light upon as well as many annoying beamos that would try to laser him every time he crossed their path.
"This room sucked." Link groaned as he finally received the key, he had put in all that effort for. Navi nodded affirmatively and they made their way out the exit and up a flight of stairs to a locked door. Link used his newfound key to pop the door opened and entered the new room. It was probably the most beautiful room in the entire temple with gorgeous red carpet running across the granite floors as well as large golden pillars jutting from the ground and to the ceiling. Link would have spent more time to admire the amazing scenery had he not spotted a beast lying in wait, directly on the other side of the room. He sucked in his breath as he caught sight of the monster taking in all its details from its layered sheets of silver and bronze armor to the large steel axe held in its grip. It didn't seem to be moving but just kneeling in front of a gated door. Link assumed he was here to guard these prized gauntlets and he cautiously approached it with his small kokiri sword drawn.
Had he been an adult, this Iron Knuckle wouldn't have seemed so menacing but it towered over Link and his weapon alone was twice his size. Link was sure if he got hit with that axe it would be the death of him; however, he had purchased two fairies for just this sort of occasion and he was prepared. Link continued to walk nearer, seeing how close he'd have to be for the monster to notice him. He was about 5 feet away from the beast when it stood to its feet and started walking in his direction. Because of all that armor, it couldn't move any faster than a steady walk; however, Link still kept his eyes focused on that large axe.
Dark had since begun to untie his boot and pulled the excess of the leather laces away and cut them with his sword, making for two thin strips. He attempted to tie what was left of his laces but struggled with how short they now were. He eventually just tied them in a simple tight knot and then took his two precut strands in his hands and twisted them around each other, creating a spiraling effect. He then tied the ends to secure the design and took out the silvery-blue hoop from his ear and looped the leather bracelet through the hole. He checked to make sure that it fit around his wrist before tying the ends together. Dark smiled wide as he fumbled with his newly made creation, "He'll love it."
Dark then stood to his feet and pulled out his ocarina so he could warp to the Temple of Time, where he'd spend the rest of his day waiting for his hero.
Link had found a technique in defeating the monster, taking his weakness of being extremely slow to his advantage. He'd wait for the Iron knuckle to lunge at him and then Link would run quickly behind his back and attempt to stab in between the plates of his armor. He continued this process until the beast began to grow angry and his movements quickened. Link had become too confident in his technique and barely missed a downwards blow from the impending axe. He jumped at the last second to dodge the attack and gasped as he saw a wisp of his hair get cut from the heavy blade and float slowly to the ground. Link was growing nervous as he backed away quickly from the monster's faster speed. The Iron Knuckle also upgraded from a mere downwards swing to a side sweep attack. Link continued to try and keep running behind him, but with the new and improved swing to the side it was difficult to sneak up on him. He sighed when he realized his only choice was to attack the monster head on. He mustered his courage and all his strength and leapt into a jump attack and sliced down in the monsters shoulder between his armor; however, he didn't have time to retreat and the beast swung his axe swiftly to the side, hitting Link in the chest and sending him flying against the wall behind him.
"Oh no!" Navi shrieked with worry, "Link, you're hurt!"
Link gasped as he looked down to the large diagonal gash on his torso gushing a red river and his eyes grew wide as he watched the weak and injured Iron Knuckle continue to approach him. Link began to panic, coughing up spurts of blood, as he fumbled through his items, looking for a fairy. Finally, he came across the bottle just as the beast had approached him and he rolled away in an escape, leaving a crimson trail behind on the luxurious carpet. He bashed the bottle against the tile floor, breaking the glass and releasing the fairy to partake in her magic. Link forced himself to his feet as he could feel the fairy's energy run through him and he dove out of the way just as the axe slammed down beside him, breaking the lovely granite tiles into bits. He ran to the far side of the room and gazed at his opponent trying to figure out what to do next.
Show no mercy, hero…
Link grinned happily as he thought of Dark and then he remembered he always had one more fairy in case he should need it, so he was determined to give it everything he had. He charged towards the Iron Knuckle letting out a powerful battle cry and when the beast swept his axe towards him, Link jumped into the air over the weapon and plunged his kokiri sword in between the spaces of silver plates covering his neck. He pulled it away hastily as he watched the beast cry out in agony and fall to its knees, leaking out a suspicious green fluid from its jugular. Link continued to watch with wide eyes until he heard the gates on the exit door finally open. He eased his way past the slain monster, giving it one last glance before exiting the room.
Once on the other side, he could see a powerful light in the distance and once he walked closer he realized he was on a high ledge outside of the colossus. He saw the treasure chest he'd been working so hard for, for the past couple of hours and ran instantly to retrieve it. Upon walking closer he was startled when he heard a familiar voice call out to him from the side.
"Hey, Link! Surprised to see me?" the voice asked and Link turned his head to meet the gaze of his old friend Kaepora Gaebora. The mysterious figure who'd helped him on his journey when he was a child. He smiled as he looked at the massive owl and was about to speak before he was cut off, "A long time in this world is almost nothing to you, isn't it? How mysterious!"
"I guess you could say that…" Link muttered with a weak grin.
"Even I thought the tales of the boy who could travel back and forth through time was merely a legend. Link, you have fully matured as an adult." The owl replied wisely. For some reason, this statement instantly made him think of Dark and he tried hard to hide his blush, "From now on, the future of all the people of Hyrule is on your shoulders. Maybe it's not my time anymore… here is my last advice…" The owl continued sadly, "Two witches inhabit this temple, in order to destroy them turn their own magic against them! Hoot hoot!"
"You don't have to leave…" Link muttered sadly thinking about the mysterious reason as to why all of his friends ended up leaving him, or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe, he was the one leaving them behind.
"I will continue to watch you…" Kaepora Gaebora added then began to flap his large wings and start to fly away into the light blue sky. Link continued to stare at the departing owl until he disappeared into the distance, then he turned his attention to the chest and kicked it open with his boot. He let out a sigh of relief when he pulled out the silver gauntlets. Nabooru had been right; they would not fit him as he was now.
"You promised Nabooru… you should keep your word…" Navi hissed as she noticed the twinkle in Link's eyes as he admired the silver plating along the gloves. He looked up to her and frowned.
"How do you suppose I defeat the temple then?" Link retorted. Navi was about to respond but was quickly interrupted by a screeching woman below.
"HEY! Where are you taking me?" the voice shouted hastily. Link peered over the edge but couldn't see anybody. It sounded like Nabooru, "Let me go!" she shouted once more. Link began glancing frantically around, searching for where the voice was coming from. Finally, he peered down to the temples entrance to see two witches flying on their brooms in a circle surrounding a trapped Nabooru, who was slowly sinking into the sand due to the witch's black magic.
"You, you fiends! Ganondorf minions!" Nabooru cried as she tried to claw her way out of the quicksand. Link wanted to jump down to help but he was too high up in the colossus that the fall could possibly kill him. He glanced to Nabooru worriedly and she ended up spotting him high upon the ledge.
"Link! Get out of her now!" She shouted hysterically in Link's direction, "These witches! Their using black magic on me!" She cried out once more before the sand completely engulfed her body and she disappeared. Link watched in horror as he watched the witches laugh evilly before returning to the inside of the temple.
"Oh my goddesses!" Navi cried, "Hurry Link! We need to get back to the Temple of Time!" Link only nodded in return and pulled out his ocarina.
Dark stood angrily in front of the pedestal in the temple, awaiting Link's return. He was still looking at the gift he'd made and began to have second thoughts about giving it to him.
"Eh…" He grumbled, unable to speak words and fidgeting uncomfortably, "I'm so lame!" he finally shouted with frustration, "I'm giving him a bracelet made of my shoe laces and my earring… great every time he looks at it he'll think of my nasty feet and my big ears. Ugh…"
He frowned and continued scolding himself aloud while twirling the bracelet on his index finger, "Fuck this, this is stupid!" He shouted, not even noticing the blue portal that had begun to appear a few feet in front of him. Dark then chunked the bracelet harshly, gasping as he noticed a familiar figure emerging from the light, only to get hit instantly in the face by Dark's gift.
"My eye!"
A/N: Oh I thought of another reason why I think Dark's mood changed so fast… if he had been as cold-hearted and stuffy as he was the first two chapter… this story would have to be like a hundred chapters long before he even started to like Link. He was just a little butt hole at the beginning… I'm so defensive. Lol I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed chapter 25. Thanks for reading. Oh by the way, i drew a little sketch of Sheiky-poo without his cowl. It's my avatar is you wanna go looky. It's just a sketch so don't expect it to be a masterpiece. lol
