Holding Out For a Hero

Bring Me to Life

Dark Link.

He was Dark Link.

Link leaped away in shock.

Except...he couldn't.

No matter what he did, nothing changed.

Link, against his will, reached out an arm to remove a tear from the hand holding down the mummy. But his hand didn't make it there. Link turned around to find...himself.

He was being attacked by himself. Link grabbed his sword and slid it out of its sheath. 

Dark Link leapt into battle, his sword meeting the new Link's.

Link was thoroughly confused. Desperately trying to wrench himself out of this body, he continued to battle himself. 

Their blades met again and again. The clashes of steel rang out as Zelda screamed, heard by no one. 

The other Link jumped backwards for a single moment.

That was his fatal mistake.

Link watched on in horror, desperately trying to stop himself, as Dark Link thrusted the cold steel of the Master Sword into Link's gut with a sickening splurch. Dark red drops of liquid flew up into the air as if in slow-motion.

Link fell backwards and collapsed. gasping in shock. Dark Link's sword sat still, stuck through his stomach.

Dark Link walked away back towards the mummy, his duty fulfilled. Link was still in a state of shock. Everything was just a blur. He had killed himself. He was the problem. He was behind everything. And he was just about to awaken Ganondorf. 

His fault. It was all his fault. Why hadn't he stopped Ganondorf? Had everyone died? Because of him?

Wracked with guilt, Link finally bowed his head and gave in to Dark Link. Placing one foot after another, he slowly shambled over to the mummy. Stepping lightly up the steps, he reached Ganondorf. Dark Link reached out his hand, forcing Link to obey. He grabbed the secret stone off of the hand holding Ganondorf down and tossed it away.

That hand looked strangely familiar. Had he seen it before?

Link looked up as a crackling sound echoed throughout the cavern. Ganondorf was awaking. Link stepped back. The frail old body creaked as it slowly jerked upright.

Ganondorf looked directly at Link, his glowing eyes piercing into his soul. Thank you, my servant, A voice echoed inside his head. You have awakened me, and now, together, we shall rule the world. 

Link silently gasped in shock. What had he done? What had he done?  Everything was going up in flames and it was all his fault!

Link felt his knee start to bend. Fighting as hard as he could, Link knelt down and bowed to Ganondorf. He felt his mouth open, and rough grainy words that were not his fell out of his mouth. "You're welcome your majesty. With your loyal servant at your side we will conquer every nation."

That we will do. I know however, that you are still in there, Link, and your will watch as everything you know and love is destroyed.

Ganondorf reached up his withered hands to the ceiling, and sent a large burst of gloom straight up. The ground started to crumble as the castle above them rose into the sky. Link turned his head to the side to watch himself push Zelda out of the way, before the ground fully collapsed sending Ganondorf, and both Links, into the void.

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The next time Link awoke he was underground again. In some deep dark cavern pulsing with an ominous red glow. Looking around. Link took in everything in the room. And there he was. The man himself. Sitting on top of a weird glowy throne thing.