-To Fight The One You Love-

Rusl and Zeruda looked at the horror that was clear on Link's face, who kept staring at Rinku. He unsheathed his blade and removed his shield, knowing this fight was inevitable. Rinku smirked and gave a dark chuckle.

"Are you ready to face me, hero?" Rinku taunted him. Link's jaw clenched more, as he narrowed his eyes only offering a minor nod that made Rinku smirk more. With a hearty yell, their blades collided. Unlike Rinku, Link didn't have as much time with the blade as the latter did. Rinku also knew skills that Link was starting to develop, meaning he knew about those as well. To see him before him as he appeared now, Link grew even angrier with Ganondorf. The things he must have done; said, or tried; it was enough to make Link's blood boil.

Everything about him reminded Link of himself. But the worst of all to see what happened and then there was the smirk Rinku wore. It sent chills up and down Link's spine.

As Link stared at him, Rinku swiped at him with a horizontal slice. Link snapped out of his shock and stepped backward narrowly missing a fateful slash to the neck. Link thought of the consequences if he didn't snap out of the shock so quickly sent, even more, chills: the thought of drowning in his own blood was not appealing.

Link held his sword and shield in response to the attack.

Rinku launched a vertical slice, but Link blocked it with his shield. "Why are you doing this?" Link demanded. Rinku didn't answer; just stayed with the creepy smirk and pushed Link back with his shield, and launched another horizontal slice.

"Apparently, he doesn't want to talk," Navi stated. Link shrugged off Navi's comment. Link decided to launch his own attack; a horizontal slice like Rinku. Then as Rinku knew that it was coming: defended against it with a vertical, leaving the two in a sword lock.

Link was about to disengage the lock when he heard the voice similar to his own, but deeper speak: "You… You will join the dark side." Link was confused at first but caught on at the Rinku's statement.

It was, in fact, an answer to his earlier question he asked. "You… what?" Link responded. Link was now back in the shocked state he was earlier. Rinku took the moment to his advantage and knocked Link in the face with his shield. Blood poured out of Link's nose. Luckily it wasn't broken. But that knock in the face again knocked him out of a distraction. Rinku tried stabbing Link but his quick feet allowed him to step aside fast enough to only take a small gash in the side. "Shit!" Link swore. "That was a cheap shot!" He yelled at Rinku, but apparently he didn't care. Rinku was going in to try a stab again, but Link saw it coming, he moved out of the way again and did the same trick Rinku pulled on him: Link butted his shield into the side of Rinku's head. Then Rinku vanished, he heard the faint sound of a footstep wading through the shallow water – Rinku was going in from the right side! Link turned to face a vertical slice but narrowly missed it. Apparently the turn helped Link avoid it.

Link was tired of the tricks this "dark side" was pulling. So he decided to pull his own: Link backed off and sheathed his sword. Link kneeled and clasped his hands together and launched a punch into the ground. Rinku thought this was a good time as ever to try to pull a finishing blow. But a ball of fire formed around Link and launched outward. Rinku didn't see it coming: He was launched back into the tree. When Rinku collided with the tree he dropped his sword and shield: Link ran forward and grabbed the weapon and drew it up to Rinku's neck. He looked at Link with something other than fierce determination to kill: anger, but also fear. Link could see the fear in his eyes. This could have been another trick, but Link's gut said it wasn't.

Link didn't know why, but he lowered the weapon slightly, but still held on to it firmly. "What are you doing? Kill me!" Rinku demanded. The tides have changed: now Rinku was looking for answers and explanations.

"Why should I?" Link responded. "You're important to me, damn it!"

Rinku gave a dark laugh, which sent shivers down Link's spine. "Wrong answer!" He pulled a dagger from his side and shoved it with strength and speed into Link's stomach, completely catching him off guard. The sword and shield clattered to the ground, as Link fell to his knees. He gasped in sudden pain, as Rinku reached down for the sword, holding it over Link.

"Rinku, stop!" Zeruda shouted, causing the young man to look at her. Tears fell, knowing if Rinku killed Link he would kill himself in the process.

Rinku paused for a moment, as he clutching his head with his free hand and grunted in pain. "No...Rinku...stay back..." he struggled to get the words out. Everyone gasped, as Link looked up. It wasn't really Rinku in control, it was someone else. That cleared up a lot of things for them, knowing Ganondorf couldn't change him, so someone else had too. Rinku fought for control, even though he had no memories. He coughed slightly, before he blinked, looking utterly confused. He raised his eyes to Zeruda, as the barrier broke. Sheik and Impa were at Link's side within seconds, tending to his wounds.

Zeruda and Rusl took a few steps towards Rinku, who only stared at them. "Rinku?" The puzzlement that appeared on his face caught them off guard. Realization crossed all of their minds, he didn't know who he was. Ganondorf brainwashed him and he lost his memories. This might a bit harder than they had originally anticipated. "Do you know who you are?" Zeruda asked in a soft tone. He shook his head and she bit her lower lip. "Your name is Rinku and we are your family."

Rinku looked at them and then finally at the one he just attacked. "I...I don't remember anything. How do I know you're telling me the truth?" She walked up to him, as he took a step back.

"Hold out your hand," Zeruda whispered. She had to refrain from calling him Hero, as she was accustomed to doing. He did as she asked, and she placed her hand over his. Their triforce pieces reacted to one another, as his eyes grew wide. "Only the spirit of the hero and blood of the goddess are bond together through fate. You are that very hero, Rinku and I am one of the descendants of the goddess, Hylia." She placed a hand on his cheek, as his face grew warm. Her touch was familiar to Rinku, but he was so confused.

"I believe you," he whispered, as Dark Rinku tried to control him. Zeruda saw this and did the thing she could think of. She kissed Rinku in front of everyone. Everyone watched, as she continued to kiss him, and Dark Rinku was forced out of his body. It was a split second, but Rinku kissed her back very softly. Then Rinku groaned softly, as he collapsed in her arms. Rusl stood in front of them, glaring at Dark Rinku.

"Well, it seems as though his princess broke my hold on him," he growled in a low tone. Voice was so similar to both Rinku and Link, it made Rusl shudder.

"He isn't your puppet anymore," Rusl narrowed his eyes. Dark Rinku knew he was outnumbered.

"There will a time and place we can continue this, until then," Dark Rinku laughed evilly and vanished into thin air.

Zeruda cradled Rinku's head, as he laid there unconscious. "He is too weak to be moved, but I am also afraid that his memories might be gone for good."

Impa inspected Rinku, as soon as Link was laying down, his eyes watching them. He feared what happened to Rinku but he trusted Impa to give them an answer. "He is indeed very weak, which could have been whatever Ganondorf put him through." Link felt his blood boil with rage, as Sheik placed a hand on him. "As for his memories, I think he might have those. He kissed you back, don't you recall?" Zeruda blushed softly, as she realized that he did. It happened so fast, she didn't even think about it. "We will rest because Link isn't fit to continue at the moment and we need to wait for Rinku to wake up."

A few hours passed, as Link groaned trying to get into a comfortable position. Sheik was checking on his wound and nodded softly. "You'll be okay, thankfully it wasn't too deep and nothing was punctured." He only nodded, as he turned his head towards Rinku, who was still resting. He was cleaned up by Rusl, Zeruda, and Impa, before they got a fresh tunic for him that was also green in color.

A moan gained their attention as everyone turned to Rinku. His eyes were scrunched up a bit before he blinked a few times. His blue eyes were a little blurry, as he took in a deep breath and coughed a bit. Rinku's eyes landed on Zeruda, who was gazing down at him. "Zeruda?" His voice was weak, but everyone still heard.

"So you remember me?" She asked. He nodded, as she leaned down, her lips on his again. He placed a hand on the side of her face. "I...I thought for a minute that we were going to lose you. If anything happens to Link, it will affect you. If he dies, so do you." Rinku took in another deep breath, not knowing what the evil in him did. "I know you didn't have any control and we don't blame for that. When that evil side took over, he almost killed Link." Rinku shot up and she pushed him back down gently. "He is okay and he is alive."

Author's Note: N/A

Yami no Nokutan
07/25/2020
06:40pm xD