Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda and its characters are the property of Nintendo. The thirty themes are from the Livejournal community 30 kisses.
Author's Notes: The following fics are all for the 30 Kisses challenge at Livejournal. Therefore, there's a kiss of some kind in every one of these fics, and there are thirty in all. Or there will be once I finish, anyway.
These star Link and Dark Link, who gets called Dark most of the time in the fics. The actual rating varies from one fic to the next, but I'm going with M for the whole thing to be on the safe side. Some of these fics include harsh language, innuendo, and violence, but really, that's to be expected with these two.
With the exception of the first fic, these all take place after Ocarina of Time ends, except Link isn't sent back in time. That said, on to the fics.
"Meeting Eternity"
Theme #15 - perfect blue
Rating: K+
Summary: Trapped in the Room of Illusions, the Shadow finds his freedom.
Ever wonder what Eternity looks like?
Eternity is perfect blue. Blue water stretching on forever, blue sky even though I know I'm indoors, somehow, blue marble forming the two doors.
I get glimpses sometimes, of other things, of other places, places where not everything is water and blue. One day I will get out of here and explore them. One day I'll find a tree that actually lives. I'll find a dry place to sleep. I'll find someone who can answer back when I speak. The tree doesn't talk. Nor does the little island, nor the water.
But I can't leave. I can't leave until I defeat the Hero. I don't know why I want to do that. It seems a stupid goal; aren't the Heroes supposed to win? Only the evil madmen want to stop the Hero, and I just can't see myself as an evil madman.
Somedays I have to wonder about the madman part. Somedays I try to leave, only to find the doors will not open and that the walls are illusions. I can feel them even as my eyes take in endless blue.
Then one day, it all changes. The door opens, and a young man walks in. He walks into the room, a magical blade of gleaming, otherworldy blue held ready in one hand, a shield in the other. He looks just like the fleeting reflections I can see in the water on lucky days, only his hair is shorter and a rich, golden blonde, whereas mine is long and black.
And the eyes, the eyes! His are blue, a perfect blue that it doesn't seem possible for the bearer of such eyes to be mortal. I have to wonder if I'm having another dream, and I lean towards my tree, hiding. Watching.
He walks across the room and tries vainly to open the door.
"There has to be a way to open the door, Link!" a ball of light that seems to follow him speaks.
Link? What a strange name. A beautiful name. I try it out, softly. "Link."
"Link! Something's wrong! Your shadow's gone!"
He whirls around and starts searching the room with those beautiful eyes of his. I stop leaning on my dead little tree. He is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. He just stands there, looking back and forth with his brillant eyes wide. He is obviously a warrior, and yet he has an innocent to him that I've never seen before...
He looks as I, or perhaps I look as he. We must be connected, somehow. Why else would we resemble each other so strongly?
"Link!" I am snapped back to reality when the little ball of light flies over to just above my head. "Watch out! It's Dark Link!"
Dark Link? Is that my name? I can't help but chuckle. Apparently he is the first and I am the second.
The tip of that brillant blade hovers before my throat. I just hold up my hands and smirk. "All right, Hero, what will you do now?"
His eyes widen. What, was he not expecting me to talk? I lunge at him, shoving him to the ground and landing atop him. That magical sword of his skitters away.
"Link!" The glowing ball yells, diving for my head.
I swat it away. "Silence, bug. Your master and I need to talk."
He's staring at me, now. His eyes... I could stare into those for the rest of eternity. He's tense, I realize. Is he expecting me to kill him?
True, I am supposed to be guarding that thing, the Longshot. But why? So the fool who claims he made me can do as he pleases? I scowl as I remember the King of Thieves. He stinks. His eyes are dead.
Are my eyes dead? I've never seen what my eyes look like; my reflections never last long enough for that.
"Who are you?" the ball of light asks. Odd, why doesn't he speak?
"You just said I am Dark Link, didn't you?" I lean back and release Link's arms, even though I'm still sitting on his legs. He rubs his wrists and then props himself up on his elbows. He looks... curious.
Hmm. If the King of Thieves wants me to kill him, then there are probably others trying to do the same. I must be the first being in days that hasn't gone for his throat.
"Well, yes," the ball says, "but... You don't act evil."
"No, I guess I don't. Who are you, little thing?"
"I am Navi, Link's guardian fairy!"
Fairy? I raise an eyebrow and look down at him. Link, amazingly enough, meets my gaze and just shrugs slightly. "Yeah."
His voice sounds like mine, though his is slightly higher. It utterly amazes me how strong the resemblance is.
I'm supposed to kill him? How? I have never felt so alive. He must feel something similar; even though I've disarmed him, he's just sitting beneath me propped up by his elbows like he's just lazing around the field or something.
Wait. Field? Why would I think a thing like that? I've never been on the field; 'tis merely something I dream about on the rare occasions I can actually sleep.
Beneath me, Link meets my gaze and then looks over at the barred door. Somehow, I know. He doesn't talk much. He also wants to know if I can open the door.
I look down at him. "I can open that door, but... I'm supposed to defeat the Hero before he can walk through it."
His eyes narrow, and one of his hands shifts down towards his leg.
"But... I don't know... I don't really like the idea of killing someone I have so much in common with..."
He looks puzzled, one eyebrow raised. "Truly?"
"Well, yes. I mean, if we look so much alike physical, how alike are we mentally?" I already know one difference. I talk; he doesn't. Is it merely because I have no one to talk to that I insist on talking so much? Perhaps he just prefers to let the 'fairy' do all his talking for him.
Something down inside tells me that I'm his dark side. Is dark evil? Or... is dark merely what is kept from the light of the scutiny of others? I smirk.
"...not certain," Link says, then.
I climb to my feet and retrieve his sword, handing it reverently to him. I can feel the power in the blade pulsing like a heartbeat. Is that Link's heartbeat? I reach up and put a hand on my chest. Perhaps it is mine.
And perhaps, perhaps it is both of ours. Interesting thought, that.
He seems surprised, but takes the sword, sliding it back into its sheath.
"That's the blade of evil's bane... How did you touch it?" Navi shrieks. Her voice is annoying; how does Link put up with her?
Actually, judging by the look on his face, I'm not even sure he knows.
"Did I ever imply I was evil? No. I do believe that disarming an opponent is good enough to count as a defeat, right?"
Link nods and stands, still a bit confused.
"Then I do believe I've defeated you, haven't I?" I look over at him and he's looking back at me, something I don't recognize burning in those eyes of his. And in that instant I realize that I want him. I want to follow him to the ends of the earth, fight back-to-back with him. I want to be there when he drives that sacred blade through the King of Thieves' ugly, stinking, dead-eyed face.
I've defeated the Hero, so now I can leave. Do as I wish. And this is what I wish.
"Um, hello? You can open the door now!" Navi says somewhere above us. Truth be told, I can't see her. All I see is two perfect blue eyes, reflecting a future I just now realize I have.
"One last thing before you leave, Hero," and with that I cross the distance between us and pull him into a kiss. I mean for it to be a simple little kiss, but as soon as our liips meet I realize I want more.
Navi cries out in alarm, but I ignore her, as does Link. We're both too wrapped up in the heaven that is the other to care. He pulls my hat off and grabs a handful of my hair, his other hand tightening in the fabric along my back. I return the favor, grabbing one side of his tunic with one hand and the back of his head with the other.
It is a violent kiss, but I care not for tenderness. He tells me exactly what I've needed to hear for so long. I suck on his lip for a moment, and in return, he gives mine a gentle nip. And then, after what feels like eternity, he shoves me away. I almost feel angry, but then I realize he's gasping for air, smiling.
The Hero has an innocence about him, and I have to admit that I never imagined he could kiss like that. It seems I underestimate him. That should lead to many more interesting discoveries in the future. I smile back, licking my lips. The bars slide away, opening the door.
"One last request before you leave, Hero."
"He's already given you too much, monster!" Navi snaps.
Link holds up a hand. "Navi," he says, his voice a gentle warning. "Yes?"
"Take me with you."
His eyes widen, and I see a flash of something that is most decidedly not meant to be shown in public in them.
"I assure you that I am just as skilled with the blade as you are, if not more so." I walk over to the tree and retrieve mygear from where I left it hanging in the branches. "One way or the other, I'm leaving now. If you'd permit, I want to go with you."
"Link!"
"Shut up, you stupid little bug!" I snap. I turn back to him, and he's smiling at me.
And then Link nods. "All right. Let's go."
I smile back, and then we walk through the now-open door to the room holding the Longshot, leaving the Room of Illusions behind us.