Link x Dark Link - Oneshots

Unlikely Savior

A/N -
This takes place in the Ocarina of Time era.
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Link's PoV -

I had just defeated Morpha. However, I was down to one heart. The fight had cost me and I felt exhausted but I knew I couldn't stop. Surely another enemy would find me during my rest. I just had to keep going. Then I could exit the water temple and properly heal myself before continuing on my adventure.

I take a moment to catch my breath, just for a minute, before opening the rusty metal door of the next room. Inside is the sprawling room with a thin layer of water coating the entirety of the floor. On the way to Morpha I narrowly escaped Dark Link in this room. Surely if he were still alive he would claim my last heart container but I ended him, right? Suddenly, I'm not as sure as I was before about my shadow's defeat. After all, he had a tendency to sink into my reflection and disappear. What if he had just been hiding? Regardless, I have to cross this room.

After my moments pause, I continue trudging through the ankle deep waters. Suddenly, my legs feel weak and I fall to the ground. My current state is taking its tole on me. I'm almost there, I just need to descend one more story and then I can escape this dreaded place. I try to stand but my body won't let me, forcing me to rest. I notice blood dripping from a wound on my left leg. I'm losing too much blood, is that why I can't stand? "Link, get up, we need to go!" Navi notifies me.

I groan in response to exhausted to form coherent words. Then I feel my arms give out, I'm helplessly laying in the shallow water. My eyes close. Maybe some rest will do me good. "Link!?" Navi seems worried but I'm too tired, I can't respond to her.

     However, part of me knows what will happen if I fall asleep now. I'll bleed out and die. Then who will save Hyrule?! I try to get up again... It's helpless. "Link!" I hear a voice call, it's worried. Is it Navi again? No, the voice is too deep to be the tiny fairy. Then I place the voice as I feel strong arms lift me out of the shallow water. Dark!

     I manage to open my eyes in fear, only to see the glowing red eyes of my shadow. I thought I killed him. I try to threaten him, I try to tell him to put me down but no words form. I can only think one thing, I'm done for. With that terrifying thought I drift off into a deep sleep.

     Hours later I regain consciousness. My eyes are still closed and for some reason I can't will them to open. I'm laying on dry land now but I still have no idea where. Am I dead? I feel a warm liquid being pressed to my lips. "Drink, it's okay," a voice encourages and I comply.

     Instantly, I feel better. I'm strong enough to open my eyes. My dark shadow stares down at me, though his red eyes don't seem so menacing. He caps a bottle of red potion and smiles down at me, "Feeling better, hero?"

     I manage to sit up and I nod in response to his questions. "Why did you help me?" I question the demon.

     He shrugs, "I couldn't let Morpha have the honor of doing you in."

     "Link, you're safe!" Navi flys out from under my hat.

    "I guess so..." I look around the room, Dark and I lean against the single tree on a tiny island in the middle of the large room.

     "Now what, Dark?" I continue, "Do you plan to battle me?"

     "Not unless you would like to, hero," Dark chuckles.

     This guy is hard to understand. He tried killing me only hours before. Now why is he helping me? I try to stand, barely managing to do so. "Thanks for saving me, Dark, but I really need to get going," I struggle to stand, using the tree as support.

Dark stands next to me, "Let me help you, you can scarcely stand."

"I'm fine," I try to take a step forward and trip. Dark catches me.

"Please, I would love to see the outside world," Dark persists.

"Fine," with that I use Dark as support as we exit the water temple.

To exit we'll have to swim out into the now normal Lake Hylia. I'm fine since I'm wearing my blue tunic but Dark doesn't have one. "Dark, how long can you hold you breath for, we need to swim underwater to exit the temple?" I ask.

     "Maybe 3 minutes, I've been locked in that room all my life so I've never had a reason to try holding my breath..." Dark states.

     "Okay, follow me and swim quickly," I say before diving into the dark cold water.

     I hear a splash not long after I jumped in. I know it's Dark. I can feel his presence following me. We make it to the long tunnel at the entrance of the water temple before I suddenly feel cold. I can't feel my shadow's presence anymore. I glance back to see Dark several yards behind me. He's passed out. Dark!

     I swim over to his motionless body. I drag him behind me but I can't swim near as fast carrying Dark with me. I know what I have to do if I want him to live. I draw Dark closer to me and awkwardly place my lips to his and blow oxygen into his lungs. His eyelids flicker but he's still in danger. I continue pulling him behind me. Dragging him to safety. I have to hurry!

     We break the surface of the now back to normal Lake Hylia. Thankfully I hear Dark take a deep breath. He then starts coughing and I drag him to the large island in the middle of the lake. Once Dark's coughing dies down, I watch as Dark looks around amazed. "Thank you..." Dark utters quietly as if in utter amazement.

     "For what?" I ask.

     "One, for saving me. Two, for showing me this." He gestures to the world around us.

     The setting sun reflects beautiful reds and blues on the clear water. Dark looks around in amazement. His eyes absorbing every detail. A terrifying thought occurs to me: Dark looks beautiful.

     "You know, I've never seen anything outside of that prison," Dark watches me, judging my reaction, "Ganon, created me in that place seven years ago, I've never been anywhere else."

     My heart breaks for Dark. He's lived his whole life in a prison, never seeing daylight. "Wow, I never knew that..." I can't think of anything else to say.

     "I'm sorry for hurting you earlier in our battle, I really didn't want to." Dark continues, "My only purpose in life was to kill the hero, I thought that would allow me to escape from the prison but you're just too perfect. I couldn't kill you..."

     "Well, now you don't have to worry about that Dark, you're free," I smile.

     The sun has set now and Dark's bright red eyes are all I can see of my shadow. "Thank you, hero," I can hear Dark's smile in his voice.

     "Um, Dark, would you like to join me in my travels?" I ask, "You'll be able to see the rest of Hyrule."

     "Link, I'd love that!" Dark hugs me in excitement.

     I hesitantly wrap my arms around him only for Dark to pull away. "Link, I'm sorry," Dark's moods has change, he seems so depressed, "Ganon, will look for me after he finds that I've escaped and haven't killed you, I don't want Ganon to hurt you."

     "Dark, I don't think you should be worried, two hero's could definitely take Ganon," I smile.

     Dark seems to be deep in thought, "Hero... you called me a hero?"

     "Yes, your my shadow, of course you are," I reply.

     Dark hugs me again but this time he doesn't pull away when I wrap my arms around him, "Thank you, Link."