Dark's POV
The days following our triumph at the Fire Temple are strained. There's no kissing by the fire or holding hands as we walk, the tension is thick in the air and we both avoid speaking to each other unless necessary.
As we draw closer to the castle, the landscape grows more barren and desolate, a clear sign of Ganondorf's influence. My mood has continued to grow increasingly volatile, my temper flaring at the slightest provocation. Link's constant worry and hovering only fueled the darkness within me.
We stopped for the night and set up camp, not far from where we had slept that first night after fleeing Castle Town. I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. The sky above swirls with a mass of dark clouds, and the oppressive atmosphere mirrors the heaviness in my heart.
As Link tends to the fire, my mind races with images from my past, torturous memories that I can't seem to escape.
I grab my head as an onslaught of memories hits me - I remember being assigned to guard a treasure in a temple room. The room itself was serene, with open water and a single tree in the center, but that tranquility was shattered when the hero entered. I tried to reason with him, to explain that I wasn't his enemy, but he didn't listen. He attacked me without hesitation. I can still feel the cold steel of his blade as it pierced my chest, the pain echoing through me as my vision faded to black.
Another memory resurfaced, this one even more painful. I'm in the Wind Palace, standing before a young blonde hero in a purple tunic. He was someone I had trusted, someone I had loved. He stands before me confessing that he had never loved me, that he had always planned to betray me. Those words were worse than any physical wound, a scar that burned with every breath I took.
More images flash before my eyes - villagers hiding their children as I walk by, their fear and hatred palpable. I see myself wielding dark magic, burning down homes, leaving nothing but ashes in my wake. And then, the most painful image of all: Link, my Link, looking at me with hate in his eyes. The one person I had come to care for, despising me for what I had become.
"Dark," Link's voice breaks through my tortured thoughts, pulling me back to the present. "Is everything okay?" I hear him stand from his place beside the fire and start walking towards me.
I glare up at him, my red eyes flickering with an intensity that I knew would unsettle him. "It's nothing, Link."
He frowns, clearly not convinced. "I know we're both under a lot of stress, but this feels different. I'm worried about you."
His words grate on me. I stand abruptly, and walk past him to start pacing around the fire. "Worried? About me? Or worried that I'll turn into something you can't control?"
Link's concern deepens, his blue eyes shadowed with worry. "Dark, you know that's not what I mean. I'm worried because I love you."
"Love me?" I scoff, my voice tinged with bitterness. "Do you think I don't remember? You heroes are all the same," I spit. "Full of nothing but selfishness and empty promises. I doubt you will be any different."
He reaches out, but I pull away, the darkness inside me roiling. "Don't. Touch. Me."
Link's expression hardens, and he steps in front of me, blocking my path. "Dark, this isn't you. You can't let these memories control you."
His words only fuel my anger, and I draw my sword, pointing it at him. "You don't know anything about me, Link. You think you can save me, but you're just like the rest of them."
Link's hand moves to his own sword, his eyes never leaving mine. "I don't want to fight you, Dark. But I will if I have to."
The tension between us snaps, and before I can stop myself, I lunge at him.
—
Link's POV
Without warning, he lunges at me, his sword drawn. I barely have time to react, my own blade meeting him in a clash of steel. The force of his attack drives me back, and I struggle to hold my ground. It was eerily similar to our playful sparring match, but this time, there was no laughter, only a desperate, dangerous intensity.
"Dark, stop!" I shout, parrying another vicious strike. "This isn't you!"
His eyes are wild, filled with a mix of fury and despair. "Maybe it is, Link. Maybe this is who I really am."
—
Dark's POV
Link's words cut through my rage, but only for a moment. Our swords continued to clash in a brutal dance, the firelight casting eerie shadows on the ground around us. Each strike, each parry, from Link felt desperate, like this fool thought his words would be enough to stop our fight.
"Dark, please," Link pleads, his voice strained with effort. "You're stronger than this. Fight it."
But the rage only grew, and I knew that I was trying to kill him. The horror of my own actions barely registered as I continued to fight, driven by a force I couldn't control.
My movements became more erratic and dangerous. In a wild swing, I manage to cut Link's arm, drawing blood. He winces in pain but continues to fight, his determination unwavering.
The sight of his blood on my blade jolts something inside me, but the darkness is too strong. I press my attack, driving him to the edge of our camp.
—
Links POV
Fear and sorrow mingle in my heart as I fight back with everything I have. I need to end this, one way or another.
At that moment, I stumble. He swings, aiming for my throat. Time seems to stop as I realize with horror that I made a mistake, I'll be too slow to stop it. But as Dark swung - something flickered in his eyes, hesitation.
With a fierce cry, he narrowly misses my throat. The blade instead grazes my cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
Having just escaped death, adrenaline fuels me and I go on the offense.
Our blades meet, but this time I'm stronger than he expects. I twist my wrist, leveraging the power of the Master Sword, and disarm him, knocking him and his sword to the ground.
He looks up at me panting, blood dripping from a shallow cut above his eye. I need to make a decision. Could I really kill him? The man I love, who has stood by my side through so much?
I raise my sword, poised to deliver a killing blow. Dark continues to look up at me, his expression unreadable. My heart is pounding in my chest, because I know that he will not yield, killing him is the only way to save myself.
—
Dark's POV
Link is standing over me, his sword raised. I see the conflict in his eyes, the pain. He could end it all right now and there is a part of me that hopes he does. The Master Sword arcs towards me, but at the last second he flips the sword, striking my temple with the flat of the blade. Pain explodes in the side of my head, and I feel unconsciousness start to claim me.
As I slip away, I hear his voice, filled with anguish. "Dark, I'm sorry."
The last thing I see is his tear-streaked face as he kneels beside me. The darkness within me had won, and I was lost.
—
Link's POV
Leaving Dark alone and unconscious in the clearing is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I knew it was the only way forward. My heart is heavy with sorrow as I start to walk back toward the path that will lead me into Castle Town. I spare one final glance back towards our campsite and silently vow to return and find Dark once Ganondorf has been defeated.
With the Master Sword glowing brightly at my side, I acknowledge that I will now have to face Ganondorf alone. It's a scary thought but for Hyrule, for Dark, and for the future we dreamed of together, I must.
I press on. The final battle awaits, and with every step, I carry the weight of my love for Dark, knowing that only by defeating Ganondorf could we truly be free.