Fan Fiction ❯ Hymn to the Night-Mare ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Author’s Note: Sorry this took so long. I’ve had no less than five exams, two papers, and a project in the last two weeks. And… well… the driving need to get my subjob in FFXI completely overwhelmed me. Well, this was pulled directly from my ass so enjoy! Also… I can’t find any screenshots for the Lost Woods or the area outside the Forest Temple… bear with me plz!

Disclaimer: Up yours, lawyers!

Additional Note: Beeetaaaaaa…. :CRY:

Editing Note:  GOD that first dream sequence was forced and annoying.  Well, to be fair only one word of it was.  What the hell was I thinking?!  So changing that.  ….though that sets my happy yaoi goodness (…the good kind, not the clone kind.  …though clone kind could be good too) back a bit.

- 0 -

Chapter 5-

They’d gone to sleep shortly after, both feeling awkward about the confrontation. Link had tried to get Sheik to tell him more, but when he couldn’t get any answers he just settled back in his pillows in a huff and fell into a pained doze.

Sheik had stared at the ceiling for many hours not knowing what to think of the revelation the Wind had brought him before he too fell into an uneasy sleep.

Both were troubled by their dreams.

Sheik stood on a beach. It was not like those of his home on Keena; no fine, warm white sand, no luxurious tropical forests coming to just the edges of the cliffs that lined the beaches.

This beach was cold and dead, and the harsh wind cut into him deeply. The ground was rocky and barren and the cloud-covered sky bathed everything in a harsh grey light, deepening the shadows around him. The water looked like foamy steel coming to lap at his feet.

This was the first time he had been set directly into one of his dreams. Usually he just saw flashes of things, single images and sparks of insight.

He looked around and, not finding anything otherwise interesting, began walking along the coastline, his arms wrapped around himself for warmth. Far ahead, just enough so that he couldn’t see it clearly, a vague greenish shape was forming. He at first took it to be some plant in the distance, but as he got closer he realized it couldn’t be; the green was too uniform. It was another couple of minutes before his mind registered that it was a body. Sheik’s pace sped up to a run.

He arrived at Link’s crumpled form at a dead run and almost fell over trying to stop in time. Link cracked open one of his depthless blue eyes and parted his blood-stained lips in a welcoming smile. “Sheik…you came back.â€

Sheik fell to his knees and suddenly his body was not his own. Words fell out of his mouth that he didn’t tell it to say. “Shhh…of course I came back. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.†His hand reached out and brushed dirty blond hair away from Link’s face. “I should never have left you. I didn’t mean it… I didn’t… I didn’t know...please forgive me… I swear I didn’t...†There was a begging tone to his voice that he’d never heard before.

Link reached up, trembling, and placed his hand behind Sheik’s neck. “I know. I knew it wasn’t really-“ He turned his head and wracking coughs took him and flecks of blood appeared on the ground.

“Link-!â€

A thunderous neigh echoed around them. In the flash of the brightest flame a giant horse, a mare, stood quivering with tension in the shallows of the sea that still lapped at them. The water steamed and hissed around the mare’s twelve hooves. Astride the horse was Din, resplendent in dripping crimson armor (“There’s only one reason anyone wears red to fight, my son: to hide the blood.â€), claymore poised and ready in her gloved hand, her hair blowing back in the wind like a banner.

“My own flesh and blood…how dare you defy me!â€

The Wind screamed around him, drowning out the thunderous surf and his mother’s furious cries as she kneed the mare to charge.

=-=-=-=

Sheik sat up in the dark, panting and covered with sweat. He groped around on the bed for Keaton, needing that small amount of comfort. If he’d had any doubts about Din before, seeing her like that…

And Link…

What had happened to Link?

Sheik glanced over to where Link was sleeping, his face showing signs of pain that he wouldn’t let show while he was awake, and thought about what was said and what had happened in his dream.

Maybe the dream had been more of a warning than a prophecy? A warning not to leave Link. And maybe a warning not to trust his mother.

But what was it that he had said…? What hadn’t he known…what was it that he had really done that he had almost been in tears over?

A wave of confusion bordering on pain caused him to clutch Keaton tightly to his chest. “What I am a meant to do…?†he whispered into the dark, not expecting an answer even from the Wind.

Sheik didn’t get one.

=-=-=-=

Link was at the rock again, his other self playing a soft tune that sounded almost romantic. As he listened, the tune was subtly changed to a bright waltz. A shift in key and tone, a beautiful work of transition, and it was now fit for a funeral.

“Where am I?†he asked, interrupting the other Links song. It was the first question he’d asked last time; none of his questions had been answered.

His other self chuckled as he lowered the ocarina from his mouth. “You still don’t know?†He brought the ocarina back to his mouth and played a couple of bars from the waltz. In a flash of green the area around them became a desolate clearing lined with crumbling walls. He slid off the rock and walked past Link towards a dilapidated staircase.

“Damn it, why won’t you tell me?†Link asked, frustrated. He followed at the other Link’s heels down the weed-ridden stairs.

Other-Link ran his fingers through his bangs and sighed, obviously amused. “I’ve gotten so rude!†He turned to face Link, smiling. “Where else would you be but in your soul?†He reached over and grabbed one Link’s bare hands in a gloved one of his. “I think it’s still too soon for this, but there’s not enough time to wait. I’m going to take you on a journey of your soul.†Other-Link’s eyes glinted with good humor. “Coincidentally, it looks exactly like Old Hyrule. This is the Lost Woods. Where we just were was the entrance to the Forest Temple and where I’ll take you now is the Kokiri Village.â€

“Forest Temple…â€

“Youâ̈́ 4;™ve only been to the Earth and the Wind Temples, right? Once there were six others: Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit, and Time.â€Â  He paused.  “Do you find it strange that the only two temples you went to were Farore’s?â€

Link blinked and shook his head. “Isn’t Earth Din’s domain?â€

Other-Link turned to him and squeezed his hand. “It depends what definition of Earth you use. The Earth that makes up the structure of the world is Din’s.†He knelt down and pulled up a weed. “But this Earth,†he motioned to the dirt clinging to the roots of the weed, “this living Earth is Farore’s.â€

“Why would that make a difference?â€

“It takes courage to live, Hero of Winds.â€

“Oh.â€

†œLet’s get moving.†Other-Link stood back up and led Link through a labyrinth of crumbling walls and then through the biggest logs he’d ever seen. Wisps of yellow light few around them and danced in the air with the floating pollen and dandelion seeds. “Welcome to the Kokiri Village,†he said as they walked out of the last log. “It’s empty now…someday you’ll see how it was.â€

Link looked down at the hand that was gripping his. It was slender and elegant, but the calluses that brushed his palm spoke of training and battles. That more than anything, though he couldn’t put his finger on the reason why, made all that Other-Link had said more truthful, gave it more meaning. Those calluses sparked his first feelings of respect towards this stranger who had his body.

Other-Link pointed off in the distance. “That tree over there is where I used to live. And over there, next to it, was Saria’s until she awoke as Sage of the Forest.â€

Something about that sparked a memory in Link’s mind…a part of an old legend. “Sages…six Sages? For the six Temples?†Other-Link nodded. “Then...†Things clicked in Link’s mind. The Sages, the origins of the clothes his grandmother had given him. The Hero in the legends. “You’re the Hero of Time, aren’t you?â€

A voice came from behind. “He does have a brain! Bra-vo!†Clapping echoed around them. Other-Link’s shoulders slumped a fraction as he turned almost hesitantly to face their new companion. He was a twin of Other-Link, but darker.  Dressed in the deepest of blacks, skin a darkened shade of caramel, and hair just a few shades darker he was the earthen shadow of Other-Link.

“What are you doing here…? You’re not supposed to be here yet.â€

“Link, babe, you know I do what I want.†He leaned over and patted Other-Link’s cheek condescendingly.

Link glanced between the two of them. “Who are you?†he asked the Link-in-Black.

“I,†he bowed, “am one of our dear friend’s ‘demons’. You can just call me Dark-Link to make things easier.â€

Other-Link looked at Link resignedly. “Ganon created him to fight me in the Water Temple from the darkness in my heart.â€

“And after he beat me, I just went back to where I came from. But the Dark Lord had given me the gift of self awareness. I thought it would be more fun to remain separated and tease our little Hero instead of merging completely back with him.†Dark-Link leaned against the cliff wall that the entrance to the Lost Woods was set into and crossed his arms nonchalantly. “I guess in the end it was a ‘good’ thing.†He said the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. “It’s easier to ignore your… baser impulses if they actually speak to you.†He grinned and winked at Other-Link. “I guess you should thank me, babe!â€

Other-Link calmly reached out with the hand that did not now have a death-grip on Link’s and calmly flipped Dark-Link off.

Dark-Link smirked. “Later, babe. When the kid’s gone.â€

Other-Link ran his fingers through his bangs and looked away, flustered. “I can’t do this. Why have I never been able to get used to you?†he shook his head and looked to Link. “You should leave now. I’ll be more ready for him next time.†The world began to shift around Link, the colors began to melt together. “Oh, Link, I left you a couple gifts!†The world dissolved into a nothing more than shades of green.

=-=-=-=

Link woke to a soft, thrumming melody. He was immediately relaxed by its familiarity. It was like what Other-Link was playing at the beginning of his dream, only more rolling. A wave of melodious chords instead of a single sweet refrain.

His eyes snapped open.

The same…?

Why did it seem that everything in this last day gone back to his dreams?

He looked around the room and saw Sheik sitting on the windowsill gazing through the glass, his fingers running over the strings of a harp without thought; he certainly wasn’t looking at what strings he was playing.

Link raised a hand to wipe the grit from his eyes and got a second shock.

Other-Link’s gloves were now on his hands.

That was it…oh, that was it.

“Why?â€

The harp’s music cane to a stuttering halt.

“Why do you know that song? Why are these gloves here? What the hell is going on! Haven’t I been through enough?!†Sheik was at his side a bare instant later, his hand cool on his forehead as he checked his temperature. “I don’t have a damn temperature! You see the gloves!†He raised his hands up, displaying the brown, leather fingerless gloves. “They weren’t here last night. And the song… he was playing it too! In the dream…†Link was well aware he was rambling and cracking up, but he didn’t care. Somehow this was far stranger than what he had gone through before, talking boat notwithstanding.

Sheik moved his hand ‘til his fingers were resting in Link’s hair. “Dreams. Who are in your dreams?†Link glared at him. “I’ll answer you if you answer me.â€

Link sighed. “There’s someone who looks like me. He’s older, but his name is the same as mine. I’ve only seen him twice, the first time was yesterday, and each time he was playing a blue thing he called an ‘ocarina’. Today there was another guy who looked like me and he called himself ‘Dark-Link’.†Link paused. “I think the first me was the Hero of Time.†He felt stupid saying that. How could the Hero of Time possibly be in his dreams. And look like him too? That was certainly egotistical. “He didn’t deny it, anyways. And ‘Dark-Link’ said I was right.â€

Sheik shifted nervously and looked off to the side, away from Link’s eyes. “That probably was the Hero of Time.â€

Link stared at him. “How could you possibly know?†There was something odd about this boy, something he couldn’t put his finger on. More than seeming “old for his age†as Lady Ira had put it, though he had to admit that she was more than right about that.

“Reincarnation,†he said simply, and Link accepted it. Tetra was proof it could exist. He couldn’t wait to see her again. “I have a long memory, and I suppose you could say I knew Link. It’s very obvious you share the same soul.†Sheik smiled. “There can only be one Hero.†He turned his eyes back towards Link. “But…who is Dark Link? I don’t know of him.â€

Link stretched a little and hissed as his stitched pulled. He blinked back the spots from his eyes as he spoke. “I think he said that Ganon created him from the Hero of Time’s darkness, or something like that. And when his body was defeated, he went back to where he’d come from.â€

Sheik frowned. “He never said anything about this. But then, it wasn’t my place to talk with him.â€

“How did you know him?â€

“I was his guide to the Temples. He doesn’t really know I existed, though.â€

It was Link’s turn to frown. “How could he not know you existed?â€

Sheik shifted his weight from foot to foot awkwardly. “He kind of thought I was Zelda in disguise,†he said sheepishly.

Link blinked at him. “I have to hear about this.â€

Sheik laughed. “If you think I went around in a dress, you’re very wrong. It was more like a poof of smoke and then Zelda was there instead of me. But after that I was gone, so I don’t know if he ever found out. We planned it so he never would. But…if he’s awake in there,†he poked Link’s forehead, “he knows now.â€

“I don’t know if he sees through my eyes or not.â€

“Tell him, then. It’s time there were no secrets between any of us. I don’t think we’ll be able to afford them soon.

Link looked down and caught sight of the gloves. It was uncanny how natural they felt on his hands. “But what about the gloves? Why are they here?â€

Sheik sat on the edge of Link’s bed and his eyes narrowed in thought. “Maybe…you’re merging?â€

Link frowned and turned his head on his pillow. Wait…was there something under there? He reached his hand under and drew out a potion. “…what…?â€

Sheik looked at the potion incredulously. “Where did that come from? There aren’t any of the right ingredients to make those on any of the islands…â€

“TheâS 64;¦ Other-Link said he left a couple of gifts…,†Link said shakily. “This… this is getting to be too much.â€

Sheik took the potion out of Link’s unsteady hand and opened it, smelling it for potency. “Well,†he said practically, “now you won’t be bedridden for a couple of weeks.â€

AN: Yes… dreams are used as whores for plot progression. And yes… everyone seems far too giving of information. And yes, Dark Link is a man-ho. And yes, heavy revision is needed. I swear no one is staying in character. Link’s supposed to be more spunky. ….well, I guess if you’re bedridden from impalement and are having freaky dreams where you’re being molested by one clone of you and another clone of you is molesting the first clone you’d be a little less spunky too.