Chapter Text
“Oh, child of darkness and shadow of the hero, I command thee to awaken..” A man coos at the Dark Mirror.
Upon these words ancient magic works and then Shadow Link’s image ripples into view and they gasp awake. “W-What!? Who are you!?” They cannot see, the dark stained glass obscuring their view to the outside world, leaving them helpless to whatever the man might have planned.
The man grins a grin full of sharp, almost shark like teeth - those of a predator to the unknowing shade who still couldn't see their capturer. “I am a friend..” he whispers, voice unknown and unfamiliar to the shade...but not unfriendly.
“I have no friends.” They growl at him.
And truly, they feel like they don't…not after V-... No! Don't think of him. Don't reopen old scars that are still not healed. Their heart won't be able to take it.
The man shrugs, nonchalant by their words. “Very well then, if you say so...I can get you what your heart desires most... For a price, of course.” His horrible grin returns.
Shadow scowls and scoffs. “So, a deal? What is it you want?” They huff out.
The man grins once more. “I want what you want, what everyone wants and deserves, a life of my own and to be loved.”
Shadow doesn’t trust him. How does he know them so truly, so deeply? It's highly concerning to them. Unnerving. Unwanted. “Who are you..?”
The man waves his hand over the mirror and Shadow gasps, now able to see him.
“We are one and the same, two shades of the hero. You may call me, Dark Link.” He bows as an overly polite greeting.
Shadow looks at him, taking every inch in, now truly scared and helpless. The way he looks unnerves them highly as much as it's comforting to see one of their own kind. They try not to let it show. “...Dark Link, huh?”
Dark nods and walks around the mirror, like a predator circling his prey. “The one and only.” He grins at them.
They really don’t like that grin. They know that behind that grin is a greater lie. A lie that if trusted could destroy more truths. “... what do you want from me?”
Dark stops circling and lightly chuckles. It's a sound that makes nails on a chalk board seem like lovely music. They would almost wish to rather hear his laughter again even if it would dig the wound of betrayal deeper into their heart with every flutter the traitorous organ takes. They hate how attached it still is despite everything.
“Oh, you see dear Shadow, the Triforce is what I'm after. I need it in order to end you know who.”
Shadow shifts a little. “...I...I do not know who...” They hope he doesn’t mean Link...even after everything that happened the thought of seeing Link dead is too much…
Dark tsks and shakes his head, still having that grin of too many too sharp teeth. “Why, Ganon of course! I know how much pain and suffering he’s caused for you.. He has done the very same to me... Time and time again, he calls forth the hero’s darkness and abuses them, bends them to his will… makes them nothing but a killing machine...”
…..he does have a point, the much smaller shade thinks to themselves as Dark starts to circle the mirror once more. “...so... You want to get the triforce and wish to end him once and for all?” they summarize much more timidly than they'd like.
Dark whips around to them. “Exactly! My, my, you catch on quick. Yes, I want to make a wish to break this filthy curse once and for all, to end this foolish cycle of destruction! If you can get it for me, I shall reunite you with the one your heart desires most...” Dark pulls out an orb from seemingly thin air. Under Shadow's shocked gaze it’s surface ripples to show Vio, hunched over many books on dark magic and scribbling something down on paper. He looks a bit older now, his hair is longer and deep circles under his eyes speak of countless sleepless nights. A perfect illusion of that wonderful and yet so cursed man.
Shadow lunges at the surface of the mirror, banging on it, desperately trying to get to the violet Link shown to them. Desperately trying to rid that orb of him.
Dark pulls the orb back. “Ah ah ah~ now now Shadow, don’t be too hasty. Do we have a deal?”
Shadow takes a few empty breaths trying desperately to calm themselves only to fail before they then quickly nod. “Yes..I-I’ll help you..” Dark doesn’t sound all that shifty after all. Except for the part where he used their emotions against them, but… ‘I mean, we’re both shadows of the same soul, abused by power’s holder time and time again... He couldn’t be trying to pull anything too bad...right?’ Shadow thinks to themselves.
Dark Link grins that unnerving grin. “Good…very good.. Now don’t forget, bring me the Triforce and DON’T tell anyone your goal..” The demon narrows it's fully red eyes at them, a threat unspoken for both them and their secret treasure.
They gulp, then nod. “..o-ok..I won’t.”
Dark’s earlier expression returns to that freakish smile of his. “Excellent! Now ta taa~” He waves, and the image of Shadow ripples away and disappears...