Chapter 17

Pages flipped as Dark Link's mind felt like it was dripping into what seemed like an eternity of words. How did Shad, no, anyone, find this fun?! It was boring as hell and he wished he could be doing something productive… not stuck in this stupid room with a leash on. His thoughts only made him traverse the page he was reading and the next thing he knew, he made it to the bottom of the page and he didn't remember reading any of it. They had been at this for hours, and as far as he was concerned it was time for a break. He turned to Ryou who was looking through a book. He needed something to distract him before his head caught up with his inactivity.

Perhaps it was time for a story, like the miracle that Roo, Yugi and Nile stayed alive in the middle of Hyrule before, Regan the Shrimp, found them.

"So, how did you end up in that field with the snake?" Dark Link started loud enough to grab the pacifist's attention. Roo barely made a notation that he had heard him, except for his breathing that went out of beat for a moment. Was it weird that he caught small details? He left the question behind to continue his conversation. "I would think you guys would have been killed if you were all day and some of the night before Shrimp found you."

"We originally weren't in the north field, we actually landed in a very silent, and for the most part, empty village." Roo told him without looking away from his book.

He frowned, this wasn't what he had in mind of a story, he wanted feeling placed into the teller's words, not a half-hearted answer that you would tell to some kid that was getting on your nerves. He wasn't a kid and as far as he was concerned, he hadn't got on anyone's nerves yet. "Empty village?"

"You mean the Hidden Village, right?" Regan suggested from her seat on the couch. Roo nodded. "Lucky you…"

Dark looked at her in disbelief, "How in the gods above do you keep answered all these questions correctly?!" Her only response was a smirk and he sighed. "Nerd…"

"She has always been a walking encyclopedia about useless stuff." Electra stated and to Dark Link's amusement, the brunette frowned.

"That was my feelings you just squished."

"Would have thought for sure that your brother would have drained those all away."

He brother did seem to be the unlively type, it was interesting to think the two were even related. But he guessed the same thing could be said about him and the person he shadowed. They were similar, which he hated to admit, but he was the one who stuck around when Link was too concerned about facing the music. Moving forward was more important than looking back at all the mistakes, he had too many to even bother looking back on.

"Well," Roo started. "He gets some points for trying. But atlas, he failed."

"Pfft, I can sit here all day listening to this." Regan scoffed. "Not the first time."

Dark Link gave her a confused look as Roo asked the question that crossed his mind. "When have you sat through several people making fun of you?"

"Grade seven was the first time, worse school year ever. Then Lilith's stupid insult game... After that, a few times when people have walked into Seto's office ridiculing me about the company. I usually wait until they finish before I say something which makes them leave without having my brother to intervene."

"I didn't realize business was that cruel." Electra huffed. "Must meet a few assholes."

"Just... Most of them." Regan sighed. "But as far as their intelligence goes, it's one category and then they are the dumbest things on Earth. Seriously, if there weren't labels on things, they would have probably died."

Roo laughed slightly as he turned back to his book. Dark Link frowned, he wasn't ready to go back to reading, his head couldn't handle the black text on white paper. "So... How many books are there that we have to go through before we have to run around?"

"More than I care to stick around for." He growled as he slammed his book making them all jump except for Electra. If he wasn't going to get someone to tell a story or have the brilliant idea of ditching the tree graveyard, he wasn't going to stay. He had better things to do with his talents besides reading. "I'm going."

"No, you aren't." Electra replied calmly as she turned another page. He hated where this was going. "You are stuck down here with me in case Regan decides to take off."

"I'm quite content in this fancy, little couch surrounded by books." Regan replied finishing her book and set it on top of a growing pile of finished books. How she read so quickly was impressive, but he could do it if he tried. "I'm so content I could sleep."

"Liar..."

"How is it that I haven't seen you in almost a year and yet you still know the little things about me?"

"Because they are actually important to keeping you from killing yourself," His partner answered and Dark Link shook his head. Why did she need him if she knew the ins and outs of the girl they were babysitting? Couldn't someone else be on duty? He started for the door ignoring the threatening thoughts that came from the blonde. "Dark, if you don't sit back down I will attach you to a wall."

He stopped in his trek and turned to her. Like she could stop him, she knew he hated being here so why force him? "And how are you going to do that exactly?"

"I could give her ideas..." Regan started beside him. "But I don't need to, besides, if I leave, I'll let you in on it."

Dark Link thought on it before sighing heavily. That was an arrangement he could work with. He wouldn't get in trouble for ditching since his excuse would be babysitting the shrimp that apparently liked to be more trouble than he did. He sat down back in his chair. "Fine, but I'm not reading another one of these stupid trees."

"You'll be bored." Electra huffed.

"No, I won't, Roo is going to tell me about his time in the Hidden Village."

Roo stopped reading the page and looked up at him. "I am?"

"You are." The subject was not up to debate.

"I think going through these books would be more productive. Gets us out of this stuffy room faster, no?"

"Leave the kid alone..." Electra ordered and he crossed his arms, he was getting real annoyed with her demands.

"I'm not listening to another order from you, Goddess Girl." Electra glared and Dark Link smirked, good, at least she knew that he wasn't amused by her tactics. "We've been at this for hours while everyone else gets to enjoy the outdoors and playing with sharp objects. I think we deserve a break by hearing a story from our little white-haired friend."

Roo just shook his head and made the right decision. "Alright, I'll tell the story about my adventure from being tossed in the dirt to that Biblical serpent that Kaiba killed."

He grinned happily, the hero wasn't Link for once. It might have been Stuffy McGrouchpooper that did the deed, but it wasn't that insufferable hero in green. "It's already amazing because Link wasn't the one who killed it."

"You're such a child." Electra rolled her eyes setting her book down. "What is up with you anyway? I thought for sure you would have said something on why you've been acting weird since yesterday."

"This isn't normal for him?" Roo asked and she shook her heard.

"Usually he is a bit... Distant and moody not irrationally attacking, caring and surprisingly less moody. Hmm, maybe you're growing up."

"I'm not caring, just..." Dark Link started to spill his troubles on what was up with himself. Everything around him just wasn't the same as it was before, when he was a drone. Now he had strange feelings and questions that made his head hurt constantly. A good example of the feelings was not wanting to be a total shit disturber or, in some sick sense of irony, wanting to make sure that his acquaintances were going to make it out alive. More so Electra and the new girl, Regan… for whatever reason. He just hoped the feelings didn't spread farther than that. The feelings were agonizing and the pain only went away when he was killing something, but that seemed like its effects were dying out as each day passed. The void in… was it his heart? Whatever it was, it only grew and it compromised with his ability to function, to be as he thought he was. But his life didn't seem to have the same meaning as it did before. Before he had two purposes: protecting Electra from herself and enemies, and killing the fuckers that made him the way he was. But now, those two goals seemed small and other thoughts about what he was going to do when he completed his goal started to form. He certainly wasn't going to be welcomed into the kingdom the way he was, he loathed Link too much to even think about staying in the same realm as the bastard that thought he knew everything about him. He could have gone to Electra's world when she went back… but he doubted she would accept his wish and reject the proposition. He could travel, but the feeling of traveling the world, alone, was too much. He had been alone for so long, and perhaps what he was looking for now was someone to be with when the everything was said and done. Saw him for who he was, whatever that was going to be at the end of the journey, and not some copy or demon that he most likely was. A pissed off feeling over came him at his inner reflection as his head pounded. Now wasn't the time, he wasn't allowed to go for a walk to cool his head off. He turned to the only person who could help him end his thoughts. "Roo has a story so shut up and listen or read."

Dark Link caught Regan looked up from her book with a strange expression on her face, looking at him. He shivered as he felt like she was probing his soul. He left the thought behind of such an obscure thing.

"Are you okay Regan?" Roo asked, also noticing the look. At least he wasn't hallucinating, yet.

She smiled like she wasn't looking at him with a weird face. "Of course, who doesn't love a story when kittens are involved."

"Well, it's really short I'm afraid..."

"A short break then," Dark Link insisted wanting something to distract him from the millions of questions that would make a philosopher faint.

Roo sighed. "Alright, well after a blinding light…"