Chapter 5

In which Blue has to trust Shadow and where Shadow meets with the King of Darkness.

Shadow didn't really know how long he had been sleeping (he certainly hadn't meant to doze off) before he heard a voice calling his name through the black fog that accompanied a dreamless sleep.

"Shadow! Hey, Shadow wake up!"

The voice was soon coupled with shaking and the dark Link jolted awake, his hand fumbling for the hilt of the Four Sword. He had to blink a few times before two figures came into focus. Hazy colors registered in Shadow's min: blue and red.

Where is Green? The shadow thought curiously, rubbing his eyes to rid them of sleep. His head turned to the side, trying to locate the missing hero, but was unable to find him.

"Took you long enough!" Blue growled, placing a hand on his hip in an almost feminine way. "Red and I n-" he halted, looking to be having an internal struggle. Blue heaved a sigh and turned to face Red, tapping his food impatiently.

The innocent blonde blinked a few times and cocked his head twice before finally realizing what Blue wanted. "Oh!" He grinned at Shadow who was still slumped against the wall. "Right! We can't find Green!"

Shadow stood up slowly, using the wall as support and hoping that neither Red nor Blue noticed his weakness.

"Did you, by any chance, look down the path that he took?"

Blue turned icy blue eyes to Shadow and grunted irritably. "What do you think, you moron?"

Shadow's eyes narrowed dangerously at the insult. "Well I apologize that I can't see what's goin' on in my sleep, sparky."

Red swallowed inaudibly, looking back and forth between Shadow and Blue. This was what he'd been afraid of: Shadow and Blue fighting over nothing, wanting to settle a score that existed between them and them alone, though Red had no idea what the score could be. He was frightened even though he smiled, and knew he had to try and be a peacemaker between the two aggressive Links.

"Hey, come on you two!" he tried, his voice higher and a bit shakier than he'd have liked. "We need to find Green . . . a-and we c-can't do that if we j-just stand here fighting!"

Blue closed his mouth on the insult he had been about to let fly but still glowered at Shadow. Said Link turned away from Blue all together and instead looked at the giant tapestry.

His strength was nearly gone by this point and that was probably the reason why he had fallen asleep in the first place. His short nap had done little to restore his energy and even less to alleviate the dull throb behind his eyes. But he would notBlue of all people, so Shadow just gritted his teeth and started walking towards the large piece of art. He moved slowly, lest his fatigue show.

"So he wasn't down any of the passages, right?" Shadow asked, trying to keep his voice as cold and uncaring as possible.

"That's what I told you, you mor--"

Red covered Blue's mouth with his hand, head turned in Shadow's direction, completely missing the blush that covered Blue's face.

"Yeah. We checked all the passages and he wasn't in any of them."

Momentary panic overrode Shadow's fatigue. They had inspected all the secret passages? What if the monsters that had been down his path had still been there? Blue at the very least would be suspicious about it. When Red didn't say anything else about the passages however, Shadow relaxed.

"We don't know what to do!" Red said, tears already shimmering in his eyes.

"Okay, okay, calm down and we'll find him. I might have an idea as to where our esteemed leader is, but I'm afraid that I shall require some assistance. You and blue will have to do the work while I tell you where to go. That sound good?"

"It does not sound good!" Blue's yell was muffled due to Red's hand still covering his mouth.

Shadow looked at the blue-clad Link calmly, not wanting to waste what remained of his precious energy. A few more minutes now, and he'd have to concentrate just on holding this form.

"I have my reasons," he stated, speaking evenly, "My power is almost gone due to it bein' sunrise by now most likely. I'll have to work on simply holdin' this form in a few minutes and any strain on this body at this point will merely cause it to deteriorate faster. I can make a very educated guess as to where Green is, so if you want to find him I'd shut the hell up, listen to me, and do as I say!" He hadn't meant to lose his temper, but talking to Blue usually resulted in a loss of cool. Shadow rubbed his temples and looked back at the tapestry before speaking again.

"I'm guessin' that Green is behind this tapestry. I don't really know how he got behind it but I can feel the presence of some monsters back there. I don't know how I didn't notice it before but it's certainly there now. However, since I'm so weak at the moment, you and blue will have to either pull the tapestry back or destroy it."

The dark Link turned back to Red and Blue upon hearing a gasp of mixed horror and disbelief. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"We-we can't just tear the tapestry down!" Red stammered, red eyes frantic as they darted from Blue, to the tapestry, to Shadow, then back to Blue. "I-I mean it's probably an important-"

"Look if you don't want to find Green then I'm okay with that!" Shadow snapped. He'd been holding Red in somewhat higher regard for the past day or so but his already shortened patience was gone. "I'd rather be in the Dark World regainin' my powers. Goddesses! I'd rather not be on this little suicide trip at all! So if you want to leave Green in there because of some stupid tapestry, be my guest and if that is the case, then I am outta here and you can figure out how to rescue him on your own! Got it?"

Shadow's voice had risen during his little tirade and now that it was over he felt even more exhausted. Red's hand fell from Blue's mouth finally and Shadow could not stop the near inaudible snort that came from him.

Goddess, but doesn't he look flustered. Shadow mused with amusement.

The blue-clad Link appeared to Shadow like he was thinking.

Well this day is just chock full of novelties, isn't it?

"C'mon, Red." Blue said, beginning to walk past Shadow. "Let's go see if Green really is down there. If there's a passage that is."

"B-But. . . ."

"Besides, he's weak right now so if he turns out to be lying-"

"Ya don't have to sound so hopeful 'bout it," Shadow groused under his breath.

"-then we'll just take him as a hostage and force him to tell us where Green is!"

Shadow heaved a sigh, knowing that he probably wouldn't get anything better than that from Blue.

"You do know that the longer we stand here doin' nothin', the more danger Green might be put in." he moved pointedly over to stand in front of the tapestry and cocked an eyebrow at the other two. "It's somethin' that hasn't been discovered. Ever. So destroyin' it wouldn't mean a huge loss in anythin'. Now let's go."

Red and Blue looked at each other before finally moving to stand on either side of the tapestry.

"Ready, Red?"

The innocent Link looked quite the opposite but nodded his ascent anyway. The two Links reached out to grab the tapestry but pulled back as their hands met with solid stone. They looked at Shadow and saw the surprise they felt reflected on his face.

Without speaking a word, the dark Link walked forward and braced himself for the impact of running into the wall.

Said impact never came. He merely walked right through the wall. Shadow could not hide his smirk upon hearing Red and Blue's surprise, and called for them.

"In here! The wall is fake!"

He stepped back to lean against the wall so he wouldn't be run into when Red and Blue came into the secret passage.

"The monsters are all the way at the end of the tunnel. I'll walk behind you so you can have the element of surprise."

Shadow left no room for argument. Blue grumbled under his breath and took the front position down the passage with Red close behind him. Shadow took up the rear, trying his hardest not to fall flat on his face. The strain on his body was getting stronger and he fought the urge to kneel and regain his breath which was coming out in gasps now. The longer the three of them walked, the more Shadow used the wall as support.

This . . . is-isn't goin' too well. . . . He thought wearily.

They walked on in almost complete silence which made it all the more difficult for Shadow to conceal his trouble breathing.

"Heeeeey!" Red groaned, causing the other two to jump slightly. "How long is this tunnel anyway? Blue?"

"How the hell should I know?" Blue snapped. He obviously did not really like this mini-detour they had embarked on. "Ask Shadow, not me! I'll bet he's hiding something!"

Ah, damn it. Shadow thought wearily. I don't need him lookin' back here and seein' how weak I am!

"Fine! Maybe he does know!" The red Link looked back at Shadow and frowned slightly.

Why is he moving so slowly? Red wondered, forgetting his question for a second.

Shadow glared back at him and that caused Red to clam up completely. "I shouldn't think this is much longer. Just shut up and keep walkin'. I'd draw your blades, though. Never know what's ahead."

Red and Blue both drew their swords without saying a word and Shadow nodded, not commenting on Blue's lack of talking. The only thing Shadow was concerned over was keeping his small pants and gasps for breath inaudible.

It hurt.

There, he admitted it. It hurt! When he blinked he just wanted to keep his eyes shut. He wanted to find Green and verbally abuse him; this whole little escapade was all his fault anyway!

The trio continued walking for only two more minutes, though to Shadow it felt like two hours. His energy had never been depleted this much before, and his thoughts turned anxiously to his real body and to Vio. Was Vio watching his body as it physically showed the pain he was feeling? Was Vio looking down at him with that goddamned pity? The thought of that pitying gaze being pinned on him caused Shadow to clench his hands in anger. The emotion strengthened him.

the room where Shadow, Red, and Blue emerged into was packed. And not just with ancient artifacts and works of art, but also with monsters. The room was large, about three-fourths the size of the main room, and was dotted with hanging lanterns. Shadows danced along the walls, flickering and swaying along with the lanterns. The lighting was dim but it was still possible to see dark red splattered on the rocky walls. On the opposite side of the room, Green was against the wall, arms spread out to the side and his feet not even touching the ground. His head was bowed, leading the rescue team to believe that he was unconscious. Near his hands were two large, ugly, Skulltulas, their bodies turning in continuous circles.

Standing in front of Green were two Stalfos, their bodies swaying slightly as if listening to a tune only they could hear. They were already gazing in the direction of Shadow, Red, and Blue. At the Stalfos' feet lay two more enemies. Two enemies that, Shadow thought, gave the enemy a huge advantage. A couple of snow white Wolfos were at the feet of the bony warriors. The left one's nose twitched and it sat quickly, the other following suit.

Red took a slow step backwards and Blue even followed suit.

"This sucks." Blue hissed his body visibly tense.

"Well, sparky, things are 'bout to get worse. Look to your left . . . slowly."

The blue-clad Link did just that and Red mimicked him.

Both groaned softly.

To the far left of the room stood two Darknuts, ready and waiting for battle.

Red whimpered and tried to slink back against Shadow, but the dark Link wouldn't let himself be touched. An idea struck Shadow and he spoke quietly yet quickly.

"Blue, Red. Do either of you have any weapons other than the Four Sword?"

Blue remained motionless for a few seconds and then he spoke in the same tone of voice that Shadow had.

"Yeah. I got a hammer, and Red has the Flame Rod."

Damn, Shadow thought, vaguely disappointed, Though I'm not that surprised. I know that Vio has the bow cause I saw it on him while he was unconscious. The Darknuts're gonna be a problem. . . . They'll spot us if we try to go for any of the others and vice-versa. He registered distantly that Red was watching him intently and Blue was fidgeting anxiously. And I'm pretty much spe--

His train of thought halted as black suddenly descended upon him, causing him to stumble back against the stony wall. Shadow felt a hand on his shoulder and knew that it had to be Red. No way in hell Blue would voluntarily help him.

Damn, damn, damn! Goddesses, no! I'm not finished here!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Vio did not like watching Shadow struggle and he attempted to reason that no one

And that scared him more.

If it wasn't because of the approaching daylight, then could Shadow be injured?

Vio really didn't want to think about it like that. Of course Shadow would be fine. He had said that he couldn't really die unless the Dark Mirror was destroyed.

Either way he didn't want to continue watching Shadow's struggle. Vio was fairly certain that if Shadow had really needed him, he'd have conjured the mirror.

Right?

"Damn, damn, damn! Goddesses, no! I'm not finished here!"

Vio's purple eyes gravitated to Shadow's shaking body and he acted without thinking. The purple Link rested his hands on Shadow's chest and closed his eyes.

What in the name of Hyrule are you doing? What are you expecting to happen?

But something was happening. Vio didn't exactly know what it was but he felt himself growing weaker and weaker. His eyes opened and he looked down at the shadow's body in confused shock. Well this wasn't cliché or corny at all, was it?

"I guess some things in stories are real after all, aren't they? I'm not complaining, though. If this does help him, then that's goo-"

That was as far as Vio got before he felt his arms turn to jelly and he collapsed unceremoniously over Shadow's body, his consciousness fleeing him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shadow! Shadow! Wake up! Are you alright?"

Awareness, along with Red's urgent voice, flooded back to Shadow gradually. Black eyes opened to the sight of Red hovering over him anxiously. Blue was behind the innocent Link keeping a look-out in case any of the monsters suddenly noticed them. Shadow didn't know exactly what had happened, but he felt strength surging into his body and mind, refreshing him. A few reasons flashed through his mind and he dismissed almost all of them in turn. It hadn't been a miracle; he didn't believe in miracles, he never had. It couldn't be nightfall either. One could easily lose track of time in a place like this, but Shadow could roughly tell when twelve hours had passed, so that thought was out as well.

Well . . . what about Vio?

Just where had that thought come from?

Nah. No way it coulda been Vio. For one thing, how could he do anythin'? And why would he?

"Hey, hey, Shadow? Are you gonna die? Please don't die!"

Shadow was brought back out of his reverie when he heard Red give a sharp gasp of pain which was probably the result of Blue cuffing him upside the head.

"'M fine, 'm fine." Shadow didn't really like the fact that his voice sounded breathy and a bit weak. "Jus' a momentary lapse." His voice was already regaining its strength.

The dark Link noticed that he was slumped against the wall and he quickly stood up, hoping that his face wasn't flushed.

Well, I don't know why I'm still here, but I should come up with somethin' before this energy wears off as well.

"Red, I have an idea. . . ." Shadow spoke slowly, hoping that this would not come out as bad as he thought.

Blue moved a bit closer and Shadow wanted to laugh at the look of worry on the blue-clad Link's face, but that would just be stupid, wouldn't it? Because Shadow was sure that he was wearing the exact same look on his face.

"Red, I'll need to use that Flame Rod you have. I have some strength left but not nearly enough to take on a Darknut. Let alone two." Shadow was looking at where Green was suspended by the sticky webs as he spoke. "I'll use that and my Four Sword if I have to, to fend off those monsters while you and Blue take out those Darknuts."

He finally turned his dark gaze to Red and Blue, keeping his face emotionless. Shadow saw the hesitation on Red's face immediately and spoke quickly, forcefully.

"If we don't do somethin' now, then I won't have enough energy for anythin'! Green could very well be dyin' over there and you aren't willin' to put your life on the line to protect your friend?"

Shadow looked at Blue who had an undisguised look of shock in his eyes. Blue recovered and the shock was replaced by determination in an instant.

"Give him the Flame Rod, Red. We gotta do this." he did not even give Red a chance of giving Shadow the weapon, and instead snatched it from him. "Under no circumstances does this mean that I like you!" Blue hissed.

Shadow smirked, the feeling of normality returning to the trio. Red was scared, and Blue and Shadow were fighting again. All's perfect.

Shadow gripped the Flame Rod tightly, his heart deciding that now was a good time to betray him. He could feel it rising in his throat, threatening to choke him and he swallowed hard while taking a deep breath.

"Ready?" Shadow was greatly relieved that his voice was steady and commanding.

"Let's get Green outta here!" Blue said, his Four Sword drawn.

The countdown was silent but all three knew exactly when to charge. The two Darknuts grunted and moved to draw their massive swords. This cost them as both Red and Blue slashed at the monsters. Blue's strike was lucky and nicked one of the clasps that held the Darknut's body armor together. The creature grunted and staggered back slightly, but did not fall. Blue wondered absently if they would be easier to kill if the Four Sword was at full power. Blue chanced a look at Red and felt his heart sink slightly.

Red's strike had most likely been aimed at the weak point in the Darknut's armor, but the creature had been faster than the one Blue was fighting, and had managed to block Red's blow.

Bright red fire and heat struck Red and Blue and they both chanced a look at Shadow who was alternating between fireballs and shooting long jets of fire. It was the two Wolfos who had approached the shadow and while the fierce beasts were fast, Shadow seemed to be holding his own. He didn't seem to be harming the white Wolfos, but he was holding them off.

Blue turned his attention back to his own opponent and had to quickly duck as the large sword swung at his head. The blue-clad Link rolled to the side and kept the Four Sword at an angle, going for the clasp at the monsters' back. The strike was fast and the Darknut was slow. The clasp snapped and the body armor clattered to the floor. The Darknut grunted and Blue's little mental victory was interrupted when the monster swung its arms at him, knocking Blue to the floor. He grunted and grimaced, his arm wrapped around his aching stomach.

Well that had hurt.

But at least that annoying armor is gone! Now I can freely go slash-happy on this thing! The blue-clad Link would have spared a glance at Red and Shadow, but the Darknut's massive weapon had come flying at him again, forcing him to dodge to the side.

Despite his early blunder, Red was holding his own very nicely. He was terrified of the monster in front of him, but he knew that if he couldn't face this, then he couldn't face Vaati let alone Ganon.

The Darknut's massive weapon whistled by, so close to Red that he let out an involuntary squeak of pure fear.

I was just about sliced in half! he yelped to himself.

His body reacted. Red went on autopilot. He would later tell Blue that it had been adrenaline, but all he could think right now was that he was going to die. Red kicked up from the ground, not aiming for the clasps on the body armor. The blade of Red's Four Sword caught under the Darknut's horned helmet and pulled it up. The armor flew off the creature's head and collided with the wall behind it. The black monster staggered and its beady eyes held a look of surprise.

They were big, scary, and strong, but they weren't the brightest.

Red regained his footing and his boyish face split into a triumphant grin. Unlike Blue, his joy was not interrupted with a hilt to the gut. The red Link back stepped a few paces and eyed the Darknut warily. An unfamiliar courage welled up inside him and a new confidence was right on its heels. The enemy was more vulnerable and Red was certain that he could finish the job this time.

Without help.

With a cry that was purely spur of the moment, Red darted forward, aiming now for the Darknut's unprotected head.

The cry startled Shadow and his grip faltered on the Flame Rod slightly. The closer of the two Wolfos growled low in its throat and lunged at the shadow. It got a face full of fire.

"Sorry, b******s," Shadow snarled. "It's not easy to get the drop on me as it is for the two jokers back there."

The sound of steel clashing against heavy armor made Shadow yearn to use his own blade.

But I can't, Shadow thought dryly, 'Cause we're made from the Dark Mirror and I can't use darkness to destroy darkness.

The Wolfos he had burned in the face was whimpering and nuzzling the cold stone floor to try and ease the burning. Shadow wondered absently if Red was alright and he shook his head, telling himself that it didn't matter to him if Red fell.

Those two better hurry the hell up, Shadow thought, beginning to feel irritated. I can't hold these Wolfos forever. Not to mention I'm startin' to feel a bit weak again. . . .

The dark Link shook his head again and took a chance to blink rapidly a few times to try and organize his thoughts. The pause cost him.

Pain flared in his right thigh and he couldn't stop the sharp yell that passed his lips at the sudden feeling. Shadow could feel his leg shaking and much like Red, he found his body acting of its own accord. A sickening crack erupted as the business end of the Flame Rod descended upon the top of the Wolfos' head. It yowled in pain and dropped in front of Shadow, its crazed yellow eyes open but glazed over in death. His right leg felt wet and he shifted the Flame Rod to his left hand and felt his thigh with his right. Pain flared up his leg and his hand came away slick and red with blood.

Shadow looked at the remaining Wolfos and noticed that it was eyeing the fresh wound hungrily. The shadow could feel himself growing weaker and he took a deep breath, concentrating on shifting the wound to his real body. His real body would be of no use here. Best to try and keep this one in good shape.

Or in the best shape that he could manage.

Shadow watched as the crazed yellow eyes finally moved to meet his own.

"See, you stupid mutt?" Shadow growled. His patience, which had constantly been decreasing, had finally depleted. "No more blood. So now pay attention to me so that you can see who kills you." He paused. "then again, Lord Ganon probably didn't even give you the capacity to think. Pity."

The Wolfos snarled at Shadow, its hackles raised and its sharp teeth bared. Shadow pinned it with a black stare and both fell silent.

Only a few seconds passed before the white monster lunged at Shadow, and that was when he acted. Shadow thought that this Wolfos was the one who had gotten a face full of fire because the fur on its face had turned brown-black and patches were actually burned away.

Shadow swung the Flame Rod in front of him, sneering as the wolf lunged straight at the fire. The monster howled and Shadow thought for a split second that he had failed and the Wolfos was going to claw his face off. The Flame Rod was lowered and revealed the charred body of the Wolfos. The adrenaline slowly seeped out of his body and Shadow could feel his legs trembling. He touched his thigh again, feeling the now-sticky blood and wondered briefly if the wound was still there.

When he looked down he found that the wound was indeed gone. the feeling was faint, but he wondered it Red and Blue had defeated their respective opponents. Shadow ignored the trembling in his legs and approached Green who was stirring faintly. The two spiders on either side of Green began to spin frantically and the shadow raised the Flame Rod again. Just before he shot a ball of fire at the two ugly creatures, he remembered something important.

Webs.

Green was held to the wall by the same webs that the two spiders were spinning on.

"Just great." Shadow groused, "I burn the spiders, I burn the webs, which'll burn Green. If I get too close, they'll just plain bite him."

"Burn 'em. . . ."

The voice was quiet but Shadow heard it nonetheless. His black eyes focused on Green's hanging body and, sure enough, he was met with clear light blue eyes. Shadow swallowed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling before aiming carefully at the left spider and blasting it. Seconds later and the other fell to the ground, legs still twitching.

Shadow would have gone up to help Green (probably, anyway) but he could feel the room starting to spin around him. He felt lightheaded and he heard something clatter to the ground in the distance.

Weapon. . . . he thought weakly as his eyes started to flicker shut.

Time stopped for Shadow then, and he felt like he was floating through the air. It was peaceful and Shadow found himself calming and enjoying himself.

He was violently jarred back to reality, back to that large dim room with its stony and blood covered walls. His black eyes opened and fixed on the slightly hazy form of Green. Green's hands were clasped on Shadow's shoulders and he was shaking him.

"Shadow! Wake up!"

He saw fuzzy red and blue outlines and surmised that Red and Blue had indeed been successful in their fights.

Stalfos . . . must've . . . after Blue and . . . Red. . . .

He felt Green carefully lower him to the stony floor and he brought up a hand to get Green's attention.

"Can' stay. Go back t'main room 'nd wait til night." His black eyes narrowed on Green's face. "Stay together."

Those last two words were mostly clear and that was all Shadow was able to stay before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body went limp. Just like last time, Shadow's body began to grow transparent and within a minute his body had completely vanished, leaving the three Links to just look at each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Vio sighed and leaned back against the wall, looking over at the prone form of Shadow who was still unconscious and laying on a small bed. The strategist could still hardly believe that he had actually managed to drag Shadow into the small cottage, let alone get him on the bed. He closed his purple eyes and took a deep breath, opening his eyes as he exhaled. He didn't think that he should be this tired, but he assumed that it was due to giving the shadow some of his energy. that had been something he had never done before so the experience had been exhausting. Although it seemed to be a mental fatigue rather than a physical one.

He is far too reckless! One of these days he is going to push himself too far and I won't be able to help him! If he-

A loud 'thunk!' broke Vio away from his rambling thoughts and his eyes drifted over to Shadow who had flung his right arm over the side of the bed. His hand was open and when Vio looked at the floor he spotted a faint glimmer. The purple Link pushed himself up, walking over to Shadow's side and kneeling, picking the glimmering object up.

Said object was small, smooth, and triangular.

"Purple?" Vio tilted his head to the side slightly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would Shadow have something like this on him?" As Vio stared at it, things slowly slipped into place. "I'm pretty sure that Shadow didn't have this with him earlier so he must have picked it up in that cave. The fact that it looks like a part of the triforce can't just be a coincidence so it's very likely that it's important. As for the color . . . the fact that it is purple is telling enough. This is supposed to be mine. So that means that he was watching this for me." A slow smile stole over Vio's face, glad that Shadow had acted for someone else rather than just himself. As the seconds passed, however, his grin and pleased feelings started to fade. The purple triangle in his hand slowly started to darken in color and it took the strategist just a few stunned seconds to realize that the triforce piece had turned completely black.

And it burned his hand.

Vio quickly dropped the triforce piece, oblivious to the loud 'thunk' it made when it collided with the wooden floor. He didn't stoop to pick it up either, but just stared at his burned hand. The pain was not horrendous, but it throbbed and he wished that he at least had some water so he could lessen the pain. No such luck in that area. He could, however, see what the extent of the damage was, and the results were . . . odd. The longer Vio stared at his hand, the clearer it became.

In the center of his palm was a black mark about an inch and a half big. The mark changed over seconds to form a triforce (a complete triforce) of pure black. His mouth opened but no words came out. In the back of his mind he vaguely wondered if it was shock over seeing the symbol of the Goddesses tainted with darkness. With a small jolt he realized that even the throbbing had ceased only to be replaced with an itching feeling.

"What the-"

"D'you always talk to y'self when you think no one's listenin'?"

Vio fell back onto his rear with a small yelp of surprise and looked up from the floor to see a smirking Shadow.

"Y-You're awake!"

"Obviously. You were starin' at your hand like it turned into a Floormaster."

Vio extended his hand out to Shadow who blinked at it for a few seconds before his eyes widened ever so slightly. Purple eyes narrowed in response to black and he knelt, picking the triforce piece up and showing it to Shadow.

"You know what happened to my hand, don't you?"

Shadow took a deep breath and forced his eyes to meet Vio's.

"I really wish you hadn't found that, Vio."

Vio's heart sank. "What is it, Shadow?"

He was silent for so long that Vio thought that he wouldn't answer at all, so he was startled for the fourth time that night when Shadow leaped out of the bed and grasped Vio's shoulders. He spoke then in a frantic voice that Vio had never heard him use before.

"Listen to me, Vio. I have to go." His eyes then narrowed dangerously when he resumed speaking, "I know you don' like takin' orders but I highly recommend you heed me. Do not leave this cottage! No matter what."

"Shadow what the hell is going-"

The dark Link vanished. The weight on Vio's shoulders vanished as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shadow Link!" The voice ran through the hall and Shadow appeared before the large throne, already on one knee.

A large figure leaned forward slightly and the shadow's eyes immediately shot to the floor respectfully.

"Shadow Link! Why did it take you so long to return?"

"I was leadin' the four heroes astray." Any taunting note he had had in his voice was gone, leaving it flat and filled with respect.

"Yes. The Stalfos returned with a message of that sort after you obtained the fourth triforce piece. It said that you had turned the stone black but did not know your reasoning." Shadow wanted to open his mouth to speak but waited instead; he would be told when he would be allowed to speak. The voice continued on. "Of course the Stalfos doesn't have any brains to speak of and they do not need them. There are only two who have been given the privilege to be allowed to reason."

There was an expectant pause and Shadow knew his cue.

"And what a great power it is. I give you my greatest thanks." He spoke with respect although he knew he'd just be shot down.

"I do not care about your feelings on this. I want you to repay me by telling me what the Stalfos could not. Why did you turn that piece black?"

The answer came without hesitation.

"I turned it black with the power of a curse. If any of the heroes happen to touch it now, they would bear a burn in the triforce's shape. While the mark remains on the hand, I can draw power from them anytime I wish."

Shadow kept his gaze fixed upon the ground, not taking a chance in raising them.

"That is, I admit, a very clever trick. Your return was a little delayed so I guess that you were just in the Light World. Your posture is a bit slacking and that makes me think so even more." The voice paused. "Rest up, Shadow Link, and then continue to lead the heroes to the Sky Palace where Vaati will take care of the rest."

The dark Link stood then, raising his eyes to the massive shape in the chair and bowing.

"As you wish, Lord Ganon."

Shadow's form vanished from the hall, leaving the evil king alone once more in silence. It was a silence that was broken by a deep and wicked laugh that seemed to ring throughout the empty hall. appear weak in front of would want to watch someone struggle like this. The purple Link guessed that the sun must be close to rising, but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure.

Author's Note

This is all I have of this story for right now. I'm trying to keep Shadow's intentions secret. And this was also a second attempt at a fight scene, which I really do need to work on. I corrected a few minor errors in this but I'm sure I didn't get all of them. Critique much appreciated!