Forevermore: Link X Reader X Dark Link P9

When Dark Link set foot in the castle, the first thing you noticed was the eerie emptiness that occupied the main room.

There was not a single servant to be seen- which could only mean one thing.

Dark Link clicked his tongue and attained a look of mild annoyance.

“They’re all in the kitchen.”

You nodded in agreement. It wasn't too hard to hear the clamor of pots, pans and pointless arguments reverberating from the bustling kitchen- if you had learned anything during your stay here, it was the fact that the Stalfos were never very quiet.

You eyed the hall that led to the kitchen cautiously, keeping an eye out for any stray Stalfos that could prove to be a threat.

“That means it’s almost time for supper, right?” You inquired lowly, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention.

The shadow responded with a grunt, obviously not too pleased about that.

“Let’s get this over quickly.” He mumbled, carefully adjusting his hold on your side.

He strolled over to the stairs and went up two at a time, his lean, muscular legs moving quickly and carefully.
The click of shields and swords rubbing against each other echoed dully through the stairwell. The further the both of you ascended, the farther and the sounds of kitchen utensils became.
Soon, a spell of silence engulfed both you and the dark warrior.

You strangely found the silence to be stifling, yet relaxing.
Perhaps it was due to your extreme fatigue from your earlier brawls with Dark Link, but you oddly felt at ease. In fact, the only thing keeping you from drifting off into the blissful arms of sleep was the ever-so-evident, throbbing pain in your side.

You had let most of your body go limp in Dark Link's grasp, since your muscles ached from the strain of remaining tense.

You peeked at him warily, attempting to read his face for any signs of danger.
His face was smooth, and his eyes were focused only on the path ahead.
Heaving a small sigh, you allowed your eyelids to flutter shut for a few moments of desperately-needed rest.

Although you craved for sleep, you didn't dare to fall unconscious anywhere near the shadow entity. Instead, you kept yourself awake by listening to your surroundings.

Your ears picked up the thumping of leather boots on expensive carpeting, and the subtle clinking of battle gear on top of you.

The small silver buckles on the sides of his maroon boots clicked faintly with each step he took, and in addition to that, you also heard the light scraping of metal-on-metal with each step Dark Link took.
Although he had placed the sparring sword in the pile on your chest, he still kept his own personal sword at his side- always sheathed and always accessible.

However, as you became accustomed to these rhythmic sounds, you uncovered something which triggered a small pang of emotion within you.

Among these mundane noises, you heard something common, yet so strange coming from the cold-blooded, psycho-maniac who had been at the core of all your suffering since you've arrived.

You could hear the steady beating of a living heart, pulsating at regular intervals- just like you, Saria, Mido, and Link.
You could feel his strong, vigorous heartbeat from your position in his arms, which, for some reason, tugged at your own heart strings.
You could hear and you could feel every exhale and every inhale Dark link took.
And for every breath that made his chest rise and fall so naturally, for each beat of his thumping heart that reminded you of his existence, you found yourself instinctively leaning a bit closer to him.

You peered at the shadow through one, half-open eye, as if you couldn't believe that someone like him was capable of holding life without seeing him one more time.

The dim, flickering flames from the candles on the wall cast a soft glow on his pale skin, and placed a sparkle in his dark scarlet eyes that you had never cared to search for before.
His silver hair glowed almost as if it were emitting it's own light, and his thin lips were parted slightly to take in air.

He was just another living thing.

Dark Link was created for sole reason to destroy and kill anything that Ganondorf had commanded, and he was trained day after day- year after year to become the cold monster he was today.

But somewhere under all that intimidating armor, heavy leather and condescending attitude, he was still a living, breathing, feeling thing.

Just as you were thinking this, a completely and utterly ridiculous idea popped into your mind; one that almost guaranteed a couple of broken bones served with humiliation as a result.

Ignoring the sane part of your brain and simply following your instincts, you blurted a question

"Do you ever feel lonely?"

Silence answered your question.

Your eyes never left Dark Link's face. You searched his face for a reaction or a response, but huffed quietly when he didn't show any.
In fact, your question only seemed to make him a tad irate.
Feeling brave, you decided to ask another question.

"Does anyone ever ask you about your day?"

Although you asked, you already knew the answer. Of course no one asked about Dark Link's day. The only other people in the castle were the brainless, cowardly Stalfos, and the Dark Lord himself; who didn't seem like the type of person to sit down to talk about feelings over a cup of tea.
You highly doubted that Dark Link even wanted to speak to either of these beings anyways.

Surprisingly, a response came.

Dark Link clicked his tongue in disdain and hissed lowly like a feral cat, shooting you a look that teetered between aggravation and incredulity.
"You're an imbecile."

He confirmed your assumptions. No one had ever asked about his day.

No one had ever really cared enough.

After a few more moments of silence and pondering on your part, you dared yourself to push at the shadow entity's borders one more time.

"How was your day?"

Your question hung in the air for a suspended period of time, and you began to wonder if you had made a mistake of giving him so much credit in the first place.
Perhaps it was already too late. Who would be able to sustain any form of emotion in a place like this, anyways? He probably wouldn't even care if Ganondorf, his own master, was struck dead tomorrow morning.

It was an attempt to figure him out. A failed attempt, but you had tried nonetheless.

"...It was boring."

You immediately snapped back to reality.

You felt his eyes scan your face briefly, as if he was searching a trace of surprise. It was written all over your face.

Did he really answer your question?

Clearing your thoughts, you readied yourself with a response.
"Boring? How so?"

Dark Link shut his eyes for a moment, as if it was the most difficult thing in the world to find an answer to such a normal question. His difficulty with communicating didn't surprise you in the least; besides, who could he ever talk to?

"I was training with an incredibly weak partner today." He replied at last, his tone haughty.  "I was almost put to sleep."

You bit your tongue to prevent a sharp retort.
"That sounds great."

He responded with a grunt, and finally stopped walking.
Curious, you turned your head and found a door- not too different from yours.
Dark Link balanced your weight on one of his arms as the other reached to open the door.
When the rickety old door finally bounced open, your eyebrows furrowed.

That was it?

The bedroom of the great shadow warrior was almost as plain as your own, save for a few more tables and chairs. He also had a rack for numerous shields and swords, but that was only natural. He was a swordsman, after all.

You weren't exactly sure what you had expected, but it definitely wasn't  this.
You were prepared to find a room covered with high-quality wallpaper, the room filled with gold and silver goods and a luxurious bed with silk sheets and satin covers- but this?
What was this?

The walls were not quite as dirty and moldy as yours, but they were still the same stale white color. The floors were not carpeted, and the oak boards threatened to give painful splinters if one was not careful.
The bed was not as old as yours, but looked like it would creak loudly if anyone sat on it.

In all, it wasn't very impressive.

As you pondered on this issue, Dark Link carried you to a chair and placed you down in it, causing the weapons that were previously resting on your body to clank onto the floor.

You winced at the loud noise, and hoped that no one downstairs would come to investigate.

Shouldn't Dark Link be treated with more respect than this? At least a decent room should have been offered to the powerful being whom was assisting the Dark Lord? Why was his room so... Plain?

You were snapped out of your trance by the sound of drawers opening and closing repeatedly, the items within them echoing with a dull metallic 'clang.' You suppressed the urge to ask about the things inside the drawer, but shivered after trying to imagine them.

After a few more moments of searching, the shadow pulled out a moderately-sized silver box, holding it up to catch the retreating rays of the sunlight coming in through the window.
You craned your neck and eyed the box curiously, finding the beautiful silver-hue odd against the dull off-white colors of the wall, which was specked with bits of dirt and grime.

"What is it?" You asked.

Dark Link didn't answer. Instead, he pulled over a chair and settled it across from you, taking a seat while holding the box in between his slim fingers.

Seeing it up close now, you realized how smooth the cover of the box actually was- you could practically use it as a mirror.

He opened the box, and you couldn't help sneaking a look. Light radiated from within the box, causing you to let out a breath that you didn't know you were holding before. Within the simple silver box there were three jars, each held a glowing liquid that seemed to be mixed with fairy powder.

Not wasting any time, the shadow uncapped a bottle and handed it to you, who took it with clumsy hands.

"Drink it." He commanded.

You barely hesitated since you were familiar with the healing properties of fairy dust. Placing the glass container on your lips, you tipped your head back and graciously swallowed the drink.

Within seconds, you felt the fire in your side and ribs die down into a small sting- then nothing at all.
You gave a sigh of relief and slumped into the chair behind you, closing your eyes in near-ecstasy.

You would have stayed like that for a while if it wasn't for Dark Link, who shoved the box in your direction, digging the hard corner of the box into your stomach.
Your eyes snapped open and you gasped, moving away from the offending object.

"What-" You began, but you paused as you saw him hold out the box at you. Your eyes trailed up his arm and onto his face, his eyes were hard like rubies.
you stared at him, your emotions first conveying shock, then suspicion.

"Are you..." You trailed off, peering at the man in front of you with increasing disbelief, "...Giving this to me?"

The shadow attained a look of annoyance and turned his head away from you slightly, as if daring you to refuse.

You gulped, diverting your attention from the hostile male. You turned back to the box, gingerly taking the gleaming box from his lean fingers.

"Shouldn't you keep this? You're always fighting, aren't you?" You asked.

Dark Link smiled mockingly at you, his eyes narrowing with amusement. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Oh, trust me, you'll need it much more than I ever will."

You weren't sure if you should be grateful, offended or scared.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Before either of you could say anything, there were two loud knocks on the door.

Immediately, all the emotions on male in front of you were wiped clean off his face. He sat up, eyes colder and harsher than you have ever seen before, though for the first time, his gaze was not directed at you. It was as if he was looking right past you, trying hard to hide something... Something...

Thump.

The door burst open, revealing three Stalfos holding pots and pans. Two of them had aprons, which you would have found comedic if not for the circumstances.
"See! I told ya he brought the girlie into 'is room!" One of them screeched, pointing an accusing, bony finger in your direction.
The other two Stalfos screamed something incomprehensible and began clicking and hissing, making goosebumps rise on your skin.

Thump.

Alarmed, you shifted your gaze between the group of Stalfos and the shadow warrior, who's gaze still bore into the wall behind you. Why wasn't he doing anything? Was there something that was holding him back?

Thump.

"Well, well." A voice full of malice cut through your thoughts like knife through butter, sending the icy hand of fear crawling down your back.
"I didn't expect to find you here, little woman."

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Dark Link tense up considerably.
The Stalfos suddenly stepped aside and fell silent, dropping to their knees and bowing their heads. "Lord Ganondorf." They greeted, and you felt your breath hitch in your throat. As the burly man stepped into view, you ignored the urge to clutch your side in memory of your last encounter with him.

His frame nearly filled the whole doorway, and suddenly you realized why Dark Link was so quiet. The Lord of Darkness was carrying a sword with him, and for whatever reason, it was coated with a thick layer of dripping blood.

"Are we having fun, my greatest creation?" Ganondorf asked, his mouth curling into a grotesque smile. "My, if you just told me you needed a woman, I would have gotten you one!"
His tone drooped in false sincerity, "You didn't have to settle for a servant."

You could feel anger curdling in the deepest pits of your stomach, and likewise, you saw how Dark Link clenched his fists, either from fear or disgust- you couldn't figure out which.

You noticed his eyes, which were strangely hollow and expectant- yet accepting of pain. Almost like a clap of thunder, the image of a young, blond-haired boy sitting, drenched in Kokiri forest flashed before your eyes.

So helpless...

You took note of the slightly irregular intakes of air he was breathing in, and you were immediately reminded of Saria's uneven breathing, her quaking palms and trembling knees before she was stolen away into dust.

So human...

"It's not like that."

The words left your mouth before you even fully developed the thought.
You could almost hear the distinct 'pop' of the Stalfos' mouths dropping open in shock, probably surprised that you had dared to speak back to their master in such a way. You felt bloody-red irises pierce into your back as you placed the silver box on the chair and got up, urging yourself to pick up a sheathed sword from the bed.

Like a moth is drawn to light...
Those words from what felt like hundreds of years ago echoed in your mind.

Ganondorf's nausea-inducing grin never left his face. He simply raised a thick eyebrow at your words.

The sword felt heavy, cold and foreign in your hand. It never allowed you to find a comfortable grip on it's handle, but that didn't stop you from advancing toward the Dark Lord.

I must protect those who are incapable of fighting back.

You stood a few feet in front of Dark Link, as if your body could shield him from Ganondorf's biting remarks. You weren't quite sure why, but you felt something pulling at you- something powerful and almost otherworldly in strength, as if it was your job to protect him.

Maybe it was because of that life-giving fairy dust he had handed over to you, which he knew he would need more than you.
Could be because of your epiphany from earlier, the realization that Dark Link, however insane he seemed, was also a human with weaknesses?

Perhaps... He just reminded you of a certain blond-haired, cerulean-eyed hero in the past.

You narrowed your eyes and placed your unoccupied hand on the sword's sheath, slowly sliding the sword out of the sheath with your dominant hand, creating the ear-grating sound of metal-on-metal.

Yes, you remembered it clearly.

With a loud 'THUNK' the heavy metal sheath fell onto the floor. And although you paid it no mind, the stalfos bowing behind Ganondorf flinched visibly.
Ganondorf didn't even bat an eyelash.

Just like Link needed a savior back then, Dark Link needed a savior now.

"You see," You said, your voice surprisingly powerful and bold, "There's been a very large misunderstanding."

You raised your sword brazenly, desperately attempting to remember the pose that Dark Link had taught you earlier.

"I was merely training with Dark Link." You nearly spat, the volume of your voice surprising even yourself.
"-And I can't help but mention... A powerful swordsman such as he would have no problem getting women, if he needed. Unlike some people," Your face twisted into a nasty sneer and you looked right at Ganondorf, whose smirk was beginning to fade. "He doesn't need assistance. Although, I doubt he ever has such vulgar thoughts. It's a shame that some people do, though."

All of your hollow threats seemed to take a life of their own and ignite a fire within the deepest part of your mind, which then commanded your hand to change it's grip on the sword.
Suddenly, the blade seemed to pulse in your hand- as if it was part of you. Keeping that in mind, you held the sword in an offensive position you learned earlier,

though it had never felt so perfect. The fire in the core of your soul reached your eyes, which never left Ganondorf's.

"If you'd like, I could show you what I learned."

A deathly silence draped over the room, so thick that you almost couldn't breathe.

You could feel wine-colored eyes burning a hole into your back, which, nostalgically, made you feel a bit self-conscious.

You knew that your bluff was easy to see through, no matter how confident you seemed. Just a few days ago, Ganondorf had beaten you to a bloody pulp, and here you were offering to return the favor- it was ridiculous.
But you knew something was up.
He couldn't kill you. If he really wanted to, he would've killed you after your attempts to poison him in the dining hall; it was no secret that he was holding back.

What for? You weren't sure, but you had some ideas.
Besides, you had more of that fairy dust.

You almost jumped when Ganondorf took a step toward you, then another, then another. The bloodied sword he held in his hand dragged against the floor heavily, leaving a trail of deep crimson on the floor.
You readied yourself, lowering your head in concentration.

Another step closer.

You prepared yourself to swing your sword, trying to figure out where he was going to aim. Most likely the vital areas, or your head. You shifted your arm so that it was easier to defend your center.

Another step.

Wait-

Another step.

He wasn't aiming for you.
Ganondorf raised his tainted sword, and with an ear-shattering, anger-filled scream, he brought it down toward Dark Link, who was still frozen.
Eyes wide and mouth agape, you thrust your sword out to block Ganondorf's heavier, sturdier one. With a stroke of miraculous luck, you managed to successfully deflect the sword, leaving Dark Link unscathed. Ganondorf's sword crashed into the floor, leaving a hefty hole just inches away from the shadow's chair.

That bastard! He aimed for Dark Link because it was obvious he was unable to fight back, but- why? Weren't they on the same team?

The clash of the swords snapped yours in half like a toothpick effortlessly, sending waves of shock up your arm and into the rest of your body, effectively reminding you of Ganondorf's scarily abundant strength.

Ganondorf cackled and leaned in close to your face, smiling deviously. His breath washed over your face as he spoke, each word bringing a wave of putrid scent "Do I want to see your skills?" He smirked, "What will the sheep gain by asking the wolf to dinner, little woman?"

You gulped in fear, never forgetting the large, gaping hole in the floor, but never once thinking about leaving Dark Link.
You opened your mouth to reply, but your throat was dry and constricted, so you shut it again.

Ganondorf seemed pleased with this reaction.
With a mighty heave, he pulled his sword (which actually seemed more like an axe) out of the floor and took a step back.
Shooting a sneer at you, the Dark Lord turned and went out the door, striding past the quivering Stalfos.

You all remained motionless for a few seconds, listening to the heavy footsteps descend down the hall.