Just a Dream

Fandom: Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (manga)

Characters/Pairings: Link/Shadow Link

Chapter 4: Light and Darkness

Rating: PG – slight swearing used

Warnings: Light swearing, shounen-ai

A/N: Set after the events of the Four Swords manga

Just like Vio, Red was also a copy of the main hero. He didn’t scream or feel pain for more than half a second, but his face was frozen in death. Red simply just disappeared from their sight and his rock-hard sword fell to the ground.

Green couldn’t believe what he just witnessed. Something inside him was emptying, “Shadow...Why?”

He looked back at him with a cold, dark face, “I suppose those others are like me. You can’t be friends with them.”

“Wh-what?!”

“They’re just copies of you! Clones to help you do four tasks at once! That’s all they are!”

Green rose to his feet, “No! You’re wrong!”

Shadow Link stood up too, “Oh? Do you feel any different from before you pulled out that Four Sword?”

His face flinched, Green didn’t want to admit ‘no’.

“The truth is harsh, isn’t it Link!?”

At that Shadow Link swung his sword round which Green barely missed. Refusing to fight back, he had to keep stepping back, as Shadow Link repeatedly swiped his sword to hit Green with. This backed him up to the stairs, leading to the top of the tower.

“Shadow! Please! I want to be your friend!”

He brought his sword back down to his side while forming dark power in the other hand, “You don’t get it, do you? You fool!”

The dark energy was thrown at Green, who was forced to turn around and run away the rest of the way up. The dark power hit the ground and faded as Shadow Link slowly walked his way up the stairs after Green, still thinking on what his choice should be.

Blue had been running so fast to find his remaining teammates that he fell down the stairs and onto his bum to the next room. He wasn’t entirely pleased as he found Red’s Four Sword now made of stone.

He gritted his teeth, “What the hell?! Link is losing for goodness sake!”

Blue then ran up the other set of stairs leading to the top so he would hopefully find his only companion left.

Now he was cornered. Green had made it to the top of the tower where the whole sky was dark and cloudy. Shadow also made it to the top after him, his face still calm but still with an angry glare at Green. Now they were standing face-to-face just a few metres apart.

Despite being attacked at before, Green was still determined, “Shadow! I don’t understand! Why can’t I be your friend?”

“Because I am your shadow! That is the reason!”

Before he could reply. Blue had arrived and looked at Green with a serious face, “Shadow Link makes perfect sense Green. Just think about it!”

“Ah, so everyone left is gathered here.” Vaati said as smoke rose from the ground and he stepped out from it, “Good work Shadow Link. We’re just half-way there.” And he opened his palm out at Blue’s direction.

Blue didn’t react at the threat at all, but just stood there ready to accept it, “Please, kill me now. I can’t take this crappy clone life.”

And straight away dark power was shot at him, going right through, tearing his body before it disappeared.

Something inside him emptied more as Link watched the stone sword fall to the ground, “No! Blue!” Then his attention was focused at Vaati as Link charged at him, “You!” Suddenly though his sprint was cut short as drawing his sword revealed it to be made completely of stone, and the weight caused Link to fall to the ground.

He lifted himself up with his arms and Link looked down at that stone sword, “The Four Sword...is gone.”

Vaati spread a grin across his face, “Ha, now you’re mine!” And he hurled more dark power at him.

Shadow Link watched in uncertainty, and Link braced himself until he heard his father’s voice echo from below, “Link!!” He stood up and saw his father’s sword had been thrown up, due to the shrine below now being broken, and Link caught it as he quickly moved the sword and deflected Vaati’s attack with a flash of light.

The shadow of a minish was completely shocked, “Wha-what was that?!”

All of Link’s fear was now gone as he ran his hand down the long blade, “My father is waiting for me down there. He’s the strongest knight in all of Hyrule, and this is his greatest sword!”

Vaati’s mind was now panicking, never having seen so much power before, so he diverted his attention, “Shadow Link! What are you doing?! Get him now!!”

He stuttered, “U-um, but..”

But it was too late for them to do anything as Link charged at Vaati and defeated him with one slice as light emitted the blade. The dead shadow changed into smoke which got obliterated by the light, so Vaati was no more.

Link felt confident now as he smiled and walked to Shadow Link, “He’s gone now Shadow. You’re free. You can come with me now, right?”

Shadow Link got frustrated, especially now he had lost a friend, “No! It wasn’t him! It’s you! Don’t you remember?! I said it right at the beginning when I attacked that castle!” Then he quoted, “I am you!”

Link knew he was right. Link understood what he meant. But he refused to accept it. So then he marched towards Shadow Link, grabbed his shoulder and kissed him.

Their lips were locked for only a couple of second, but Shadow Link’s expression didn’t change. He stepped back a couple of paces and prepared a dark power attack, “You can’t change the truth Link.”

Straight away he threw his attack at Link who quickly counter attacked light back at him with the sword. The lightning-fast attacks made it a short and sweet duel with one clear winner.

Link arrived back down on the ground where his father had been waiting. He dropped the sword and hugged the General tight as he looked down to his own shadow with tears in his eyes, “My shadow’s right here.”

“Light and darkness can’t live together, can they?”

Link just shook his head as he cried some more and his father took them home.

END