A/N: Thanks for waiting guys! I've been naughty long enough. c: (see, first I had to recover from vacation, then I wasn't up to it, then I wrote it, but now I have to check it to make sure it sounds good)

I don't know if I like this one as much. NaNo kinda wrecked me. Hopefully the next few ones will be better.

oooOOOooo

"Shadow Link!"

I had learned from the first time I chose to ignore the master's calling. I was only just a young boy at that time, not even a teenager, and I didn't know better. I had been brutally whipped for it, however helpless I was. So I sat up sleepily and mumbled a loud reply. "Yes, Lord Vaati?"

The wind mage appeared in the doorway, looking angry and deeply disappointed in me like always. "What are you doing sleeping, you worthless blockhead?!" He marched over to me, as I was trying to get myself out of bed. Well, sort of. I slept on the floor with a rug. That was all the accommodation Lord Vaati allowed for me.

Vaati looked down at me and kicked me as I was trying to stand up; I still managed, but with a painful groan as I took ahold of the curtains next to me and pulled myself up. "What do you desire, O Master Wind Mage?" I hated calling Vaati that. It was the bane of my existence. But if I didn't call him something of that nature, consequences would follow. It was honestly ridiculous.

"I want you to go check on something for me." I dusted myself off and then gave him a polite look that I hoped would come across as 'please continue'.

He did. "There is, I hear, movement of the four Links across Death Mountain. Go over to them and destroy them without relent. Don't stop to talk to them, or who knows how attached you might get to that purple boy again. When you report back to me, I shall visit their bodies myself to make sure they are properly dead." He gave me a wicked smile and then glanced down at his long fingernails like what he just requested was perfectly casual. "If you fail your job, you shall suffer the same fate."

I nodded slowly, terrified by his threat, but I couldn't afford to show it. He gestured me to follow him and brought me to a room where we keep our maps. On the table he showed me where on Death Mountain they should exactly be and then prepared to teleport me. "Understand, slave?"

"Yes, master." I gritted my teeth.

"Step away from the table," he commanded. I obeyed him immediately and he lifted a finger to the sky, summoning teleportation magic, and pointed the blast at me.

As I travelled through the timespace, I heard his voice echoing behind me. "You will have your powers back, Shadow. But if you disappoint me you will lose your life again- and this time I'll make sure Ganon doesn't revive you."

oooOOOooo

I landed hard on rocky mountain ground with a thud and then opened my eyes. I was at the beginning of Death Mountain Trail, and there were familiar voices just ahead.

"I don't want to go up Death Mountain!"

"Stop whining about it, you little brat! Does it look like we have much of a choice?!" I couldn't help but chuckle under my breath. It was always fun to hear Blue poke fun at Red.

"Blue!" I heard Green chide next. That was literally how all their conversations went. It was pathetic. "Leave the poor boy alone!"

"We need to focus on the path ahead."

My ears perked up slightly at the sound of Vio's voice- so calm, so intelligent, always the voice of reason. I could hear the condescending tone in it just now, warning the others to quit bickering and get on the job.

Blue sighed heavily. "Fine." Somebody dropped to the ground and Red cried out a little bit. Blue must've been holding him by the collar and just let him go.

"Now, it says that there should be a fairy at the top…"

I shook my head as Vio began to talk, remembering Lord Vaati's command. Go over to them and destroy them without relent. Don't stop to talk to them. But if you disappoint me you will lose your life again- and this time I'll make sure Ganon doesn't revive you. Vaati never was a force to be reckoned with- he had all the power he wanted from Ganon, as long as he agreed to be his pawn, and abused me in the process.

Picking myself up, I realized the Links' voices were getting more distant. Crud, they're moving. I had to catch up to them and destroy them.

Snapping my fingers, I lifted myself a little above the ground, using a small burst of magic. It worked! Vaati really had given me back my powers! With a wicked grin I lifted myself even higher until I could see and follow the Links, careful not to give myself away. This would be fun.

I hovered above them for about ten minutes, looking for an opening where they would be vulnerable. I couldn't get to them when there were Gorons around- the ugly beasts would just call for reinforcements. No, I would have to wait for them to scale the mountain until they almost reached the Great Fairy's cave. They would be isolated and would also have to run through a patch of volcanic rock-falling activity on their way up. That would be the ideal spot to ambush them.

I could swoop in on them when they were just recovering, avoiding the rocks for myself, and slash them to bits. Or, if I was quick and strong, I could carry them off one by one and drop them off the side of the mountain. Gosh, I missed having my powers.

As I pondered this, they had still been fighting. Of course, what else would you expect?

"Blue! I thought I told you to leave him alone!" Green shouted at the stubborn sapphire hero. Blue crossed his arms with a huff. "What did he ever do to you?"

"Nothing!" Red piped up. "All I did was walk a little close to him!"

"Really?" Vio said, his voice dripped with sarcasm. I missed his sarcasm. "Really, Blue? Who knew you were so territorial."

"Shut up!"

They were almost to the rocks. If I swooped in, I could easily pick up Red. So I moved in closer, careful not to be seen, and prepared to make my leap.

But wait!

Vio's eyes happened to glance up at me and he couldn't help the shock that came next. But he didn't say a thing. None of the other Links seemed to notice, either. All he did was stare at me widely.

His cool blue eyes so similar to mine stopped me in my tracks. Was I really this pathetic? Just an alarmed look from Vio to make me stop my plans of destruction?

It hurt to see the anger in his gaze. He betrayed me. We were never friends, at least not to him. He was only there for the information. But me…I was so lonely, he was there, we hung out. I should be the one that's angry, but instead I'm just wistful. And why is he angry? Probably because I'm evil.

I let out a sigh as he looked down and kept walking. Vio… It broke my heart. My friend Vio walked away, the one I was supposed to destroy…

I realized how much I missed Vio. How much our friendship meant to me, as one-sided as it might've been. For all knew I was just another monster to him. But I also realized that I didn't want to be a monster. Could I really prove myself to him, that I wasn't just another villain; that I wanted to be with him and the others and be good for once? Could I show him that I didn't want to live a life of evil, misery and abuse?

I knew what I had to do.

I came down from my perch in the sky and silently materialized behind Vio, putting my hand on his shoulder.

He jumped a little bit and turned around. "What are you doing here?" He hissed, obviously caught off guard.

The others noticed and immediately turned on me. "Shadow!" Green yelled, pulling out his sword. The other three did the same, all facing me. They were going to kill me right then and there.

I put up my hands in self-defense. "I don't want to hurt you guys, okay? I don't want this anymore."

Vio shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "Don't believe him, guys. It's a ploy."

"No!" I protested. "I really do want to let go of my evil! I'm sorry for what I did!" I hung my head, slowing my words down. "I realized something. Vio, when you left me, Ganon pulled me back out of the mirror and Vaati was crueler than ever. I've been abused so badly."

"You don't look like it!" Blue scoffed. I ignored him and continued.

"To be honest, I was on my way to destroy you- after all, I had to follow Master Vaati's orders. But in the back of my brain, I realized all I really wanted was to be with you guys. To not just be your shadow, but a part of your team. That's why I didn't harm you like he wanted and came down instead."

Green narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "After all the times you and your master tried to kill us?! After Vio betrayed you?! After you kidnapping Princess Zelda and destroyed Hyrule?!"

"He is no longer my master," I spit out. "I'm sorry I did all those things. Yes, I was evil before. But when Vio joined my side, when he became my friend-" We exchanged glances-"I realized that I liked the good side. And after he was ripped away from me, I realized how much I missed his company."

"You can't be serious…" Blue mumbled. "I think you're lying." He poked me with the edge of his sword, just a little bit. I rubbed my arm with indignance. Ouch.

"You can't just expect us to believe you that easily!" Vio added with a frown. "What about you, Red? None of us believe him, what about you?"

I bit my lip as the poor boy looked down at the ground nervously; all the Links stared at him. "I…I-I don't know."

"Whaddya mean you don't know?!" Blue yelled. "Shadow is evil! Don't you agree?"

"I don't know that I do, Blue."

Everyone groaned. I knew what they were all thinking. Oh dear gosh, Red. Are you really that naïve?

There was a silence before he spoke again. "I think we should give him a chance."

Green sighed heavily. He didn't want to do this. But I knew it was in his nature to be fair. He turned to me with a grave look. "Fine. But if you screw up one time, then you're out. And we will do what we have to."

I was almost shocked to hear the last bit, but I also knew it was coming. Of course. They still think I'm a monster, they're just flattering Red. "Thank you."

"Well, we have a mission to continue," Vio said icily, heading back up the trail. This was not going to be easy.

oooOOOooo

A/N: So, here's the story, how it corresponds to the manga + and the last chapter, Dark.

When Vio got rescued, Shadow got killed and then revived by Ganon, I made it so that Vaati became abusive, blaming him for losing Vio and falling for his trust and Shadow realizes that he misses Vio's company and wants to be good. This is where the last chapter, Dark, comes in.

Then there's what I have written above. The Links don't believe him right away, of course, but he wants to do better and tries to reform. Eventually they DO accept him.

Hope that all makes sense. Until next time!

(and I really am sorry to make you guys wait this long)