AUTHOR'S NOTE

Welcome back, readers! A long time ago, I promised you a continuation to my first Link x Dark story. I'm sure that many of you assumed I had forgotten, or that perhaps I had abandoned writing altogether. But truthfully, I knew that the first installment of this series needed a lot of rework, and I still had a great many things I needed to figure out about this story specifically. I come back a better writer, I hope, and one more suited to sharing my work with you.

For new readers, this book is part of a series! If you have not read The Edge of Darkness, I strongly recommend starting with that as this is a direct continuation. Seriously. I mean it. There's spoilers down there.

Read it here: /s/11857870/1/The-Edge-of-Darkness

This link will need to be copy/pasted at the end of the homepage URL. You can also reach it from my profile.

DISCLAIMER

I do not own The Legend of Zelda, nor do I own any of its characters, settings, items, or storylines. Neither I nor this story is associated with Nintendo or any other official creators and distributors of The Legend of Zelda.

Though I will only be stating this disclaimer once, please know it applies to this story as a whole, and not just this chapter.

CHAPTER 1

Twist Of Fate

"Link." The whisper came from his right, and he turned his head, peering through the moonlit-streaked shadows into the ruby red eyes of his partner, Ravio - or Dark, as he preferred to be called. "Are you asleep?"

Sleep had been evading him lately, and he took a shaky breath, giving the same answer that he felt he did every night now. "No."

"Me neither." This much was obvious, but Link appreciated the words anyway, and he extended his hand, feeling Dark's fingers wrap around his own. "Do you want to talk about it?" The words were spoken with fragility, almost as if he was afraid the weight of his partner's burdens would crush him by the mere act of inquiring about them.

"No," he replied again, punctuating his response by squeezing Dark's hand. He knew what it was. The path not taken. Didn't everyone have one of those? He had lost track long ago of how many worlds they had visited and how many alternate versions of Hyrule existed, yet he could not remove the thought of their most recent journey from his mind.

"You can't keep tormenting yourself like this." The words were accompanied with a weary sigh as Dark swung his legs off the bale of hay he had been resting on, moving over to take a seat next to Link on his own makeshift bed. "It's not your fault."

"Isn't it, though?" Guilt and sorrow were beginning to creep their way into his voice despite the soothing feel of his partner's presence. "If I had gone back in time..."

"Then we never would have met," Dark told him firmly. "And the doorway between worlds would never have been opened in the first place. Some things..." His voice trailed off, heavy with the weight of unspoken doubts, and he drew a deep breath. "Some things just aren't meant to be."

Over the year and a half they had been traveling to other worlds together, Dark had become somewhat fixated on the concept of destiny and the events that were fated to unfold, and Link knew that his thoughts even now were revolving around finding his long-lost brother, Shadir. Initially full of determination when they had stepped through that first doorway together, his spirit had begun to waver with every unsuccessful path they had gone down, and Link could almost sense the growing hopelessness within him.

"We won't give up," Link told him encouragingly. "I know we'll find -"

"Stop that!" Dark snapped at him, the words filled with compassion despite the sharpness of his tone. "It's my turn to comfort you, okay?" Still, he inched closer to Link, finally resting his head on his shoulder. "It's not really Termina you're worried about, is it?"

Termina - the world they had just returned from - floated through his mind as a vision of what it could have been. It was a land that could have been as vibrant as Hyrule was now, had their future not been ripped away from them by a cruel twist of fate. He knew somewhere deep down that he could have saved them if he had been there. But such a task was not within the realm of possibility, and though he would be lying if he said that was not weighing on his heart, he knew Dark was right. It was not the destruction of a foreign land he was so upset over, but the potential for the same fate to befall his own home.

"What if Hyrule ends up the same way?" He spoke in a hushed tone, fearing that even saying those words would be enough to bring about the events he had been worrying about. "Termina is just a reminder of what happens to worlds without heroes."

Dark looked at him, a genuine flicker of worry piercing through his usual reserve. "It's not like Hyrule is going to crumble to dust without you," he pointed out. "Do you really think you're the only person who can protect it? You've inspired people in every corner of the kingdom - and you've seen how powerful they are, when they work together. Everything will be fine."

But this did nothing to ease the panic he felt rising up within him; the knot in his chest becoming even tighter as the weight of his responsibilities pushed his mind to conjure worst-case scenarios. "There were powerful people protecting Termina, too - and disaster struck them one by one, disabling them when their efforts were needed the most. It could happen here, too."

"But it's not going to," Dark replied, trying to infuse his voice with a softness and reassurance he was not entirely sure he really possessed. "You've already done a lot, you know - you rescued Hyrule from Ganon and helped restore the Temple of Light. Even if something did happen, no one is going to expect another miracle from you."

"I just can't stand the thought of letting everyone down." His words were tumbling out in a rush now, an avalanche of doubt cascading upon him as he imagined Hyrule being struck by impending doom. "What if you're wrong? What if Hyrule needs me? What if I'm not there to save them? What if -"

But his words were cut off with a gentle kiss as Dark began stroking his hair, the tender touch seeming somehow to quell his fears. "Sleep, my hero," he whispered, and Link could feel a surge of warmth spreading over him even as the shadows leapt from the walls, their movements lulling him into a state of tranquility. It seemed almost as if Dark's words were echoing in his mind, wrapping his thoughts in a soft embrace, and his eyes grew heavy as he felt himself be overcome by exhaustion.

Dark surveyed him to make sure the spell was working, watching Link's chest rise and fall as the enchanted sleep took hold. It had always been him who had the breakdowns in the past; had always been Link who was forced to do the comforting, and he felt ill-equipped to handle this reversal of roles. He had always felt at ease in his presence, even just the feeling of his partner's hand holding his own enough to calm him, and yet he was not sure the same held true for Link. He wished he could ask him, to find out if he was doing enough, and yet he would be unlikely to get a truthful answer if he did.

With a sigh, he exited the barn, making his way towards the corral and flopping down on the cool grass. It was rare for them to be staying at Lon Lon Ranch; often they sought refuge within Castle Town or sometimes among the Kokiri. Dark had always found these mostly solitary breaks in between adventures to be recharging, yet the familiarity of the ranch's steady schedule seemed to be resonating with Link more this time - something he felt was more important than his own well-being for the moment.

"Hey, you." Malon - one of Link's childhood friends - was peering over him, clutching her bathrobe around her. "I could see you from my bedroom window," she explained, pointing up towards the western wall of the house which granted a clear vantage point of the enclosed pasture. "Is he doing any better?"

"I finally found out what's really bothering him," Dark replied shortly. "But I don't think I would call that 'better'."

She took a seat next to him, and he frowned slightly at the sudden intrusion into his personal space, but found himself without the energy to tell her to go away. For several days now he had been deliberately sacrificing his own ability to rest in order to bestow it upon Link; the slow and steady draining of his magic worth it to ensure his recovery. And so he simply stared up at the night sky, remaining fixated on the vast expanse of stars surrounding them, hoping that his silence would persuade her to leave.

Unfortunately he had overestimated her ability to pick up on the subtle hint that he would rather be alone, and she shifted restlessly next to him, turning towards him every so often with an apprehensive expression. "If you want to ask me something," Dark told her, his tone reflecting the mild irritation he felt, "just ask."

She glanced at him somewhat fearfully. "Was...was Termina really so bad?" she questioned, her voice trembling slightly.

It was something they had been avoiding talking about with her; Link out of compassion and Dark out of the selfishness of not wanting to relive it. He clenched his jaw together tightly as he let out a slow breath. Despite his feelings on the matter, she had a right to know what happened if they would be continuing to take advantage of her hospitality. "It was terrible," he said at last. "We walked through the portal into some kind of basement. It seemed abandoned, and there was this musty smell in the air, but we just thought it was because we were underground. So we found a staircase and followed it up to the surface, and then..."

He paused as his mind flashed back to that moment they exited the building and the haunting scene of desolation that greeted them; the skeleton of the door frame they stood underneath the sole survivor of a dreadful calamity, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to push aside the unease that was rising up in him at the thought.

"Then?" Malon prompted, her eyes wide.

"Then Link did what he always does," Dark said grimly. "He tried to help."

Dark looked around in horror as they cautiously ventured into what seemed like the remains of some tragic war. All around them were the ruins of what looked to have been a city at one point, its structures reduced to crumbling remnants. Charred timbers jutted out at odd angles from the few buildings that were left standing, their marred surfaces mixing with the shards of broken glass and shattered pottery that lay among the street.

"We should go back," he whispered urgently. "Something's not right."

But Link, never one to be deterred from a challenge, took several steps forward, his footsteps kicking up what must have been years of dust which immediately clung uncomfortably to their clothing. "What do you think could have happened here?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out," Dark responded sharply. Even just standing there he could smell the lingering scent of decay, and he hardly wanted to explore what he had a sinking feeling would end up being nothing more than a giant, unmarked graveyard.

"You can head back if you want," Link murmured to him, making his way through the abandoned streets. Whatever had caused such destruction must have happened some time ago; nature had begun to reclaim the land, weeds sprouting through cracked cobblestones and spilling out in all directions. "I want to look around a bit first."

"I am not leaving you here!" he replied hotly. "We go together or not at all." But he had become aware of a low sound mingling with his own voice; an eerie echo that sounded almost like faint wailing. It seemed almost to rise up from the land itself, drifting their way from all four corners of the world, and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he tried to trace the true source of the noise. "Do you hear that?"

"Yes, but I don't know what it is," Link admitted. He had started searching through the remnants of what must have been homes; the torn fabric of what could have been furniture covers and curtains laid among pieces of the wreckage, and Dark turned away from him and crossed his arms, wondering if it was really wise to be sorting through the discarded belongings of people who were likely long gone.

"Dark." Never before had he heard his name uttered in such an ominous tone, and he turned to see Link holding what looked like a scrap of parchment. "Come look at this."

His words were laden with a dread that seemed even more unsettling than their surroundings, and despite his better judgment Dark picked his own way through the wreckage, holding out his hand. Wordlessly, Link handed over what turned out to be a photograph, seemingly taken on someone's wedding day. He stared down at the celebration depicted, his eyes roving over the happy couple, and for a fleeting moment felt almost as if his heart had stopped.

"Is it..?" Link's words hung heavy in the atmosphere, the uncompleted question lingering between them as Dark gazed unblinkingly down at the image.

"No," he said at last, though he could not stop looking down at the man in the photo; his dark hair and red eyes a stark reminder of what they were doing so far from home in the first place. "It's not him."

"Oh, Dark..." Malon's hand stretched towards him in sympathy, and he tensed at the unwanted touch. "That must have been awful for you. I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "It wasn't Shadir. That's the important thing."

"But...aren't you looking for your people too?" She tilted her head, seemingly perplexed. "He could have been Sheikah..."

"But he wasn't," Dark said sharply. "I would know, okay?" The uncertain fate of his people weighed on him almost as heavily as the search for his brother did, and yet somehow he felt they would have all stayed together; would not have scattered among different worlds should they have even journeyed to a new one to begin with.

"Okay." With a touch of meekness, she withdrew her hand at last, her voice barely carrying above a whisper. "But...why did it upset Link so much? It sounds terrible...but he's seen worse, I know he has."

"Because it wasn't what we saw that bothered him," he informed her, reluctance weighing down every word. "It's what we heard."

Just as they decided they had learned all they could from the desolation around them, a frantic voice cut through the air. "What are you doing?" They jumped back, surprised, and looked around to see someone in a traditional guard's uniform standing in a crumbling stone doorway. "Get away from there!"

Link and Dark exchanged a bewildered glance, surprised to see another person so close to an area they had assumed was abandoned. Finally, Link stepped forward, speaking in a measured tone. "We didn't mean to cause you any distress," he offered. "We were traveling, and became lost." It was an excuse they had used time and time again on their journey, offering a plausible explanation for their lack of knowledge about their surroundings. "Could you tell us where we are?"

The guard looked at them suspiciously, but his eyes no longer held the alarm he had initially presented, and he settled into a less aggressive stance. "You're in Termina," he told them. "And right now you stand in what remains of Clock Town. I thought you might have been some of those treasure hunters," he muttered. "I think I spend half my life now just chasing them off."

"Treasure hunters?"

"Thieves, looting through the wreckage hoping to find items of value. Despicable." The guard shook his head. "We let it go at first, but not anymore. We have no idea what we did to make our gods so angry, so we all decided it would be best to preserve Clock Town in its tragic state, as a memorial - and a reminder of what happened here, a warning for us all."

Dark turned his head slowly at the mention of the word 'memorial', his gaze sweeping across the crumbling structures and shattered streets. It all fell into place now, the unusual stillness and untouched remnants that seemed almost to whisper of a place frozen in time. But Link had focused on a different part of the guard's explanation. "Your gods?" he questioned.

"Yes - the celestial beings that watch over us from above. There was a time we looked up to them in turn, knowing they cared for us and would keep us safe. But something changed - Termina started spiraling into chaos. It was almost like the world was out of balance somehow, and we, perhaps foolishly, blamed the gods. The entire land was struck with raging storms, and Clock Town bore the brunt of it, time and time again until it was finally destroyed. That was so long ago," the guard said with a deep sigh. "It must have been seven or eight years ago, now."

"Seven or eight years ago?" Link echoed, his tone carrying a hint of unease. Dark cast a searching glance at him, noticing a flicker of distress on his face.

"That sounds right to me. I used to live here, you know. I was at Romani Ranch with a few others when the worst of the storms came through, and I remember thinking I could just wait it out and then go home. But these storms...they were unlike any others we had experienced. They hit us hard, torrents of rain coming down as lightning flashed endlessly. By the time things had finally died down and we thought it safe to come back to town, we found it like this."

"But wasn't...wasn't there anything that could have been done?"

"Maybe," the guard replied thoughtfully. "There were legends that told of a hero who could save Termina from the pull of time itself - but I never bought into it, to be honest. I felt like we should have tried to contact the agents of the gods - the giants. But by the time enough people agreed, it was too late. They didn't arrive in time - they were powerless to stop or reverse the tragedy. That's the sound you hear now," he informed them, and they all stood in silence for a minute listening to the ghostly wails. "The giants are still mourning for Clock Town and its residents, even after all this time."

As he spoke, Link's expression had been growing more and more distant, and Dark's concern deepened as he watched his partner sink into introspection. There was some kind of inner struggle going on, he was sure of it - he could almost see the cloud of uncertainty that had been cast over him. But there was nothing he would be able to do for him now, not here, when he was not even entirely sure what words had triggered such turmoil.

"You should leave," the guard interjected, drawing Dark's attention back towards him. "Termina is beyond saving now - and if you are truly travelers as you say, you have no obligation to it. I recommend you both go back to where you came from - and pray that nothing similar ever happens to your world."

"So now you know. And he's been like that ever since," Dark said, jerking his head in the direction of the barn. After a brief pause, he turned to Malon, concern etched in his features. "I wish I knew how to help him," he admitted. "I think going to other worlds...being away from Hyrule...it's really starting to take a toll on him."

"You're doing more than you realize," she assured him. "Even you making the attempt to understand what he's going through helps, I know it does." He frowned at her slightly, and she must have seen the doubt in his eyes, for she smiled gently at him, her expression full of warmth and compassion. "He'll recover eventually," she promised. "Just give him time."

IN CLOSING

To all my new and returning readers - thank you. It's been much too long, and it feels so good to be publishing again! Currently, I am projecting my publishing scheduling to be once every two weeks, most likely on Friday mornings, though depending on reader engagement I may have to change days.

I also know better than to make promises about when you'll see new chapters, and those of you who stuck it out with me the last time probably know why. But for now...

Don't forget to check back for Chapter 2: Into The Unknown. Thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!