"I totally get it about the whole review thing. Whenever I get a review for one of my stories I'm very happy! So, I understand where you are coming from with that."
I told ya'll. lol. Thank you, ValkyrieDefender.
"De alguna forma quiero aue vaya a su aldea en Ordon y queme a los habitantes en vengaza"- kimonokokoro
Um... No creo que... que... hmm... En la mano otro, que esta un idea buena. Gracias por la idea, yo voy a tomar un apunte de eso!
I'd also like to say that this story has 7,000 views! I don't know what to do to celebrate, so if you have any ideas, then let me know! Well, this chapter IS a bit longer than the other ones...Alright, here's chapter 8.
(12) When they finally reached the tower, Link and Dark exchanged nervous glances. With all euphemisms and flowery language aside, the tower was just absolutely... Big. Too big. Link looked down at the sleeping child in his arms and then back up at the tower; there had to be at least 500 steps, and there was no chance he was going to make it up there carrying a 15 kg kid with him. He looked back at his doppleganger, who scratched his chin and sized the colossal structure with his keen red eyes. If he had more of his power back, this wouldn't have been an issue at all, ,but now he was picking off scraps. There was no way.
"Um..." Link began. "Any ideas?"
IDark's cheeks burned a little as he turned away. If he just had a little more... But no, he stood there in the middle of Lake Hylia after dragging a wounded man and a toddler across Hyrule only to have nowhere to go. He sighed and ran his fingers over his face in frustration. Link put his hand on his back in sympathy, rubbing the area softly before moving his hand to his hair. Despite the encouragement, however, he was not at ease. If they didn't get to the desert tonight...
"Having problems, gentlemen?" A voice asked from behind. When they turned around to face the voice, Dark immediately stiffened in horror and disgust. It was the most vile of all creatures, the epitome of all that is evil- the one thing in the world to rule all malice. It was a clown.
As soon as Link saw the man, he smiled and waved at the familiar face. It was Fyer, one of the two clowns residing in Lake Hylia who had helped him on his journey by sending him by complementary cannon both into the sky and over to the desert. He hadn't changed much in the few years since he had seen him. He still had long, pouty painted lips and sagging eyes, and his stomach was still round and bulging; his hunch was still a great arch, but most of all he still wore his vibrant, albeit flamboyant, clown outfit.
"Hey, Fyer!" Link greeted him. As Dark's brow twitched, Fyer perked up a bit and gave a small smile.
"Oh, h-hey! You're the guy what done got me my famous cannon! Howdy! So what're you three doin' out here?" Fyer asked.
"Well, we're trying to get to the desert, but we're having a bit of trouble. See, I have my son with me, and he's too heavy to climb the tower with, and he can't go through your cannon," Link explained. Dark shot him an annoyed glare for divulging their activities to such a scum.
"That's quite a tough dilemma you've got there. Hmm..." The clown replied. He tapped his shoes as he thought for a little while. Then, with a pout, he nodded and crossed his arms. "Well, it's still just a prototype right now, but... You can try my new attraction." Link cocked his head to the side. Fyer furrowed his brows and gave a feral grin. He lifted out his arms, outstretching them as far as they could go, and yelled aloud, "FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLE BIRD!" Dark grumbled obscenities at him.
There was a long silence as the clown stood there with his arms out. Link arched a brow and looked around for something to happen, but nothing followed. Fyer cleared his throat and mumbled something before digging through his large pockets. When he finally found the object he was looking for, he yanked it out and presented it to the audience like a coveted treasure. Very anticlimactically, however, it was just a piece of grass similar to the one Link had used to call his hawk friends.
With a wink, the man put the reed to his mouth and whistled a short tune. Everything went quiet again, but this time it was brief, for suddenly the ground began to shake, and the wind picked up. Link and his doppelganger looked around worriedly, balancing on the unstable ground. Then, a sudden screech rang out in the air as a flock of hawks pierced the horizon and soared towards them. The couple gasped and took a step back, but the element of surprise refused to release them. Before they could get away, the hawks grabbed on to them and lifted them into the air.
"Remember, they're not quite ready, but you shouldn't have any problems! But, eh, if you do, I ain't liable. Tell me how it goes!" Fyer chirped, sending them off. Link tried to yell something back, when he was abruptly carried off towards the desert, gasping and holding on to Nani with all his might.
In the sky, Link glanced over at Dark through his trembling eyes and arched a brow. The man was unphased, aside from the annoyed pout glossed over his countenance. He looked like a stubborn child. Link chuckled at this and shook his head, looking down. His stomach immediately turned. Oh right, he had forgotten... The great, powerful, never-fearing, tenacious, god-chosen hero of light and all that is holy... Was terrified of heights. He shut his eyes and turned his head away. He'd never felt so nauseous in all his life; at least in the cannons it was short and quick, and he never even had the chance to look down, but here in this slow and tentative transportation hundreds of meters above the land where at any moment they could fall to their dea-
He held back vomit.
Dark didn't mind the height at all, in fact he actually enjoyed the clearer air and flowing breeze it carried. No, it wasn't heights that scared him... The ultimate, darkest, most terrifyingly malicious general of the King of Evil's army was terrified of... ugh... Those things. Clowns, did they call it? He shivered and crossed his arms. As the birds squaked and struggled to carry him across the desert border, he pouted about having to suffer a visit from such a horrible creature. Why did they even exist? If he were in his realm, that clown would have been burned with the hottest flame.
After what seemed like hours, though the moon remained in the middle of the sky, the birds conveniently dropped them off at the doorstep of Arbiter's Grounds. As soon as Link found himself there, however, he was instantly hit with a numbing feeling that swallowed his entire body. Dark looked over when he gasped and froze, knowing instantly what was wrong with him. He hurried over to him, putting his arms around him, but Link remained in his petrified state.
Thinking about it from far away, it seemed like a more or less easy thing to do. Ganondorf was dead, and he couldn't hurt him anymore. This place, this monument to the torture and hardships he endured could no longer oppress him, and yet... Standing in its shadow, he was overcome with all the memories he fought so hard to suppress.
"Look at you..." His dark voice rumbled into my ear. It was like lava, savagely piercing my skin and tearing out my organs. Without even touching me, he was killing me. "I wonder what the gods must be thinking, seeing you like this. If they even care. You look like like a frightened, caged animal."
He lifted me up from the cobblestone ground, drenched in my own blood and tears, until we were face to face, his violent yellow eyes slicing me apart. I tried to look away, but his tight grip kept my head in place, and his eyes suffocated my own in their web. I felt so helpless, dangling there in more pain than I had ever experienced in my entire life. It was like I had been trampled and tossed underwater. I couldn't breathe. My sight was blurring. I thought that this time I really would die. And I really hope that this time I would.
He smirked, beast-like teeth gleaming in the glow from the torches in the jailcell. I shivered. Those eyes... goddesses those eyes. I hated them. I hated them so fucking much. I wanted to tear them from his skull. Instead, however, I did nothing, with no energy, as he tossed me across the room. I slammed against the wall and shattered like an egg. I could feel my blood spill like yolk around me, and I cursed my body for being strong enough to survive the blow. Still, I lived, and I watched his dark form disappear in the shadows once more.
"Link?" A fragile voice called. Dark appeared from the corner of the room, trembling almost as much as I was. I couldn't even raise my head to address him, and all I could do was follow him with my eyes as he gently made his way towards me, crouching down beside my broken body. He made to touch me, but he quickly abandoned the action when he caught sight of my injuries. "I..." He tried to speak. He hadn't any idea of what to say. Neither did I. "Link..." He whispered. "Link," he called. "Link!" He shouted.
"LINK!" Dark screamed for him. Link snapped out of his daze, eyes wide and body quivering. He was met by his companions deep red eyes, tender and worried. At this, he blinked and looked around him, trying to recall where it was that he stood in. "Link, are you okay?" Dark asked, cupping his cheek with his free hand as the other held sleeping Nani. Link was silent for a while before he nodded, though his face was blanketed by shade. "I know this is the last place you want to be... Trust me, I don't want to be here any more than you, but you have to be strong. Otherwise, Nani..."
"I know," Link replied, pulling away from him coldly.
Dark pulled his hand back to his chest, brow arched in confusion and eyes trembling with hurt. What had he done to evoke such an icy response from the man- one that left hypothermia behind even as he continued towards the colossus entrance. The shadow stood in shock for a while as he watched the other man disappear behind the doors. He sighed. He knew Link wasn't angry with him in particular, but the coldness that the blonde filled him with was paralyzing. It just didn't suit him, that kind of unfeeling.
After a few moments, Dark shook his head of his hurt and headed after his companion, still carrying the child whom he had taken from the man when he was caught in a daze. Inside, it was as dark as it had always been, with only small glows from the lanterns and torches placed here and there. It seemed like the fire never went out, just like the memories of this place never went out. Link had stopped just ahead of them at the end of the tiles where the path was swallowed by a patch of quicksand. On the other side of the room, where Link had his eyes fixed upon, was a man.
The man looked similar to dark, with skin like the deepest shadows and shining red eyes; however, this man's eyes were much brighter and sharper, like those of a venomous snake. He looked poised to strike, too, even without holding a weapon. An unusual attire fell over him, some sort of mix between tribal and modern armor. On his back, he had an axe nearly the size of his own body that was just as sharp as his eyes. A shaky black aura surrounded his body, though he was not radiating his power onto the space around him, but his losing of said power. He held on to the walls for support. He was weakened. Dark knew instantly who this man was. He gulped.
Moon. It was his brother, Moon. Dark grinned and handed the sleeping child to his mother before he bound over the quicksand and made his way towards the man. Moon gasped when he caught Dark heading towards him like a charging bull, muscles clenching as he braced himself. Dark immediately shoved himself onto the man and tackled him to the ground, pinning him own.
"BROTHER!" Dark squealed happily. Moon let out a choke as he struggled underneath the man's weight. "Brother, hangya kiliy iiyau lamaaye!"
"T-t-tiimyul jauga k-kiliy iiyau Lanaku... Ki-iisa mienula!" Moon gasped. Dark laughed and ruffled his hair. The man pushed him off of him and stumbled onto his feet.
Dark turned back to look at Link, who stood with a big question mark over his head. He chuckled and put his arm around his brothers neck, dragging him closer. "This is my brother, Moon. Moon, sanadail kiim lanaty Link." He introduced them. Moon bowed.
"N-Nice... to... meet you... um... Mister Link," the shadow greeted the blonde. Link waved with a small smile.
"He doesn't really know your language, but he's learning," Dark explained. "Anyway, shilli hajji uuymh hangya lamaaye?" He asked his brother. The younger man nodded and opened his palm to reveal a ball of dark energy. Dark blushed and scratched the back of his head. The two of them went back and forth for a while, until Dark nodded and patted him on the back. He turned to Link again, who had finally made his way across the quicksand. "Moon said he's going to take us back."
"What is he doing here in the first place?" Link asked.
"He said my sisters are concerned about my absence." Dark mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, come on, he's going to open a portal for us to the mirror. That should help with the... Memories... It should be easier on you..."
Moon turned around and released the ball of dark energy from his palm. As he worked on it, still adjusting to the intensity of the light realm, Link stood beside Dark, but he did not look at him. He seemed a bit distant, even though he stood so close. Dark gulped and looked down at his shoes. He couldn't think of anything that he had done wrong, and yet he felt like the most terrible piece of trash in the entire expanse of Hyrule. A pain nipped at his heart, tearing it apart with its razor teeth and dragging it to the soles of his shoes.
"I'm sorry," Link whispered. Dark perked up and looked over at the blonde. "I didn't mean to snap like that... I know you've had bad experiences here, too. I just..." Before the tears in his eyes could fall, Dark pulled him to his chest and embraced him. Link blushed.
"It's okay."
With a grunt, and perhaps a few curses, Moon finished his portal. Dark grinned and patted his brother on the back. Moon blushed and looked over at Link, his blush deepening as he quickly turned around and held his hand out for them to enter. Dark started to walk towards it, until Link pulled him back.
"Is it... Is it safe?" He asked. Dark nodded. Link looked down at his son, who blinked sleepily as he looked up at his mother. "We're almost there, Nani."
Once they passed through the portal, they found themselves at the top of Arbiter's grounds. Moon seemed exhausted as he stepped out, holding his arm and panting while Dark and Link strolled out calmly. The blonde looked around as the desert air blew through his hair and filled his nose with the scent of faded death. This place was a hotspot for emotion. Here, he said goodbye to a dear friend. Here, he saved the world. Here, he killed Ganondorf for the last time and set himself and his lover free. He shuddered as all the memories wiped him with their spiked vines.
Link sat beneath one of the sage's pillars as watched Dark fight off the Evil King helplessly. With every blow that the shadow received from the desert man, he flinched and cringed. Suddenly, Ganondorf let out a vile cackle and grabbed the raven by his throat, tossing him across the tower. Dark smashed into the pillar beside the blonde, letting out a pained cry. He was covered in blood, the red falling from his mouth to join its brethren that was spilt all across the grounds. Link crawled over to him and grabbed his hand, of which refused to relinquish hold of his sword. The shadow gave everything he had to stand up again, but his body was at its end.
"Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic," Ganondorf spat. Somewhere along the fight, he had grown from lenient and humored to outraged. "To think my general would be this weak. You... Worthless slut... I'm sick of you wrecking everything... I'm sick of you taking EVERYTHING I have!"
He stood before Link, casting a boiling shadow over him. Link gulped and held tighter onto the hand that held his sword. Then, it hit him straight through his heart. Somewhere down the line, he had learned to fear this man. Their first battle he did not, and he annihilated him, but now he coward into himself. But Dark. Dark sacrificed everything to do the impossible and bear arms against the man who owned his very soul. Link's brows furrowed as he looked down. He held his stomach; inside was a new life, one that he was responsible for. If not for himself, he had to brave for this innocent. With one defiant glance into the culminating hatred of the yellow eyes glaring down at him, Link snatched the sword from Dark and slammed it down on Ganondorf.
Link snapped out of the memory and grabbed Dark's hand, interlocking their fingers together. Dark blushed and looked over at the blonde, who looked down at his now standing son. He was never really quite sure what was going on behind those often so silent lips, but the gentle touches he gave him always reassured him that things would be alright. Even now.
The four of them headed for the center of the tower, where the remnants of the Mirror Of Twilight lay. Moon immediately began working on the device, forming his fading shadow magic around it and constructing some sort of second portal.
"What is he doing?" Link asked.
"He's making a portal to the Twilight Realm. The holder the mirror used to sit on acts as an amplifier for our magic, which is useful since the light drains almost all of our powers," Dark explained. Link nodded.
Suddenly, he recalled the word echoing in his head: Twilight Realm. Link gasped. He had long ago denied any possibility of seeing that realm again and especially of seeing... Her... His heart fluttered as sweat began to accumulate on his skin. He gulped. Dark gave him a suspicious glare, trying to read his actions. He knew the man had been to the Twilight Realm before, and he had fallen for its princess long ago or something, but he had never told him anything more than that. What had happened there? Did some Twili hurt him? If they did, why he'd-!
"S-So..." Link stammered, trembling ever so slightly. He gulped. "What... What are we going to d-do there? Are we going to see... Are we going to see, umm..."
"What?" Dark asked. Link looked away as his cheeks darkened.
"Midna?"
Dark felt like his heart had been snapped in two.
His whole world melted into nothing.
He wanted to drown.
"Midna?!" Dark retorted more viciously than he had intended, allowing his hurt to overcome him. Moon stopped working on the device to see what the commotion was. As soon as he caught his brother's fiery eyes, however, he shivered and continued his task. "Why would you want to see her?! Why does the thought make you act all funny?! Huh?!"
Link backed away from him, his cheeks still flushed from the image of Midna's majestic form in his mind, but his eyes contradicted him as they shook with hurt. Dark was trembling. "Dark, I... It's not that. Please don't overreact," Link pleaded.
"Overreact?" Dark grumbled, backing down a bit after realizing he had frightened the blonde's child with his harsh tone. "I barely mention her realm and you get like a little blushing schoolgirl. Plus, didn't the two of you have history?" Link opened his mouth to speak, but he quickly closed it again. He couldn't object to that. "If you-! ... If you still love her... I get it. But you said... You said you wanted to be..." Dark bit his bottom lip. Shadows couldn't feel emotions, not naturally anyway. But the emotions Link had given him were scorching him in agonizing pain.
"No, I... I meant it, I do want to be with you, Dark, and I do want you to be Nani's dad!" Link replied, drawing closer again. Dark gulped and took a step back.
"Then... Before we go..." He began, still trembling. "Tell me she doesn't mean anything. Tell me that you don't love her or have any feelings for her at all!"
Link tried. He really, earnestly tried. But when he opened his moth to speak, the only words that would come out were vowels. Nothing more. His heart had tied itself around his tongue and held it hostage. On one hand, he really, truly loved Dark; the man had been with him through the most terrible phase of his life, had been there every step even though he barely knew him and everyone he had lived simply abandoned him. On the other hand, Midna had grown on him, and her abrupt and unexpected absence had left a hole in his chest that he had never quite filled: the first time he had ever been tossed aside and ringed out like a cleaning rag no longer needed. He felt there was so much more to know about the Twilight Princess, unrequited live that had never been fulfilled. Perhaps it was that teenhood feeling he had developed and repressed that was the mastermind behind his speechlessness. In any case, Link said nothing, and Dark's face twisted.
He had sacrificed everything for this man. This was the person who had given him feelings and emotions, things that his kind were stripped of long ago. This was the person that saved him from the slavery and tyranny of a man more evil than the devil ever could be. This was the person that he loved more than his own life and freedom, and yet he could not even say the same. He felt like he could rip out his own heart and stop the bleeding.
At that moment, moon completed the portal and turned to face the couple, clearing his throat to break up the intense and awkward moment. Dark clenched his teeth and turned away, heading for the gateway. Suddenly, a hand erupted from the portal and wrapped itself around Moon, dragging him inside. Dark gasped and snapped out of his outrage. He ran for the device, but before he managed to get through, he was stabbed with a long, thin blade. His eyes widened from the sudden impact, his bones crunching as it pierced his chest. He was was stopped dead in his tracks, unable to move even as the attacker emerged from the portal.
"Dark!" Link yelled, grabbing Nani and shielding his eyes. The attacker cracked his neck and turned his eyes to the blonde, a blood curdling grin slicing through his mouth. Link gulped. He knew this man.
It was the last person he had ever expected to see.