Bring me to Light

This chapter contains mild references/ allusions to rape and a bit of unwanted heavy petting...you've been warned. I have a feeling you're going to read regardless lol.

Enjoy!
*****************************************************************
Reflect upon your Darkness

It was cold. Colder than any other part of the temple and it immediately put Link on edge, the chill seeming unnatural in the midst of a temple that was otherwise bearable.

Standing by the door that he could’ve sworn he had heard click, he scanned the room. It was empty, vast and eerie. Fog laced the air, oppressive and thick, blocking the sight of where the room actually ended.

Water rippled around the few sandy banks dotted around the room, one at the far end where he could just make out another door…one creating an island around a single, dead tree.

Confused, he stepped into the silvered water, noting that it didn’t seem entirely liquid…it was more like melted steel, rippling thickly, clinging to his boots as he walked to the tree.

It was black and broken, sat on its own like a child that was too shy to make friends. Link reached out, running his fingers along the trunk, his fingers coming away oily and he rubbed them, looking back to the door, wondering where Sheik was. He could’ve done with his advice right about now.

The room’s lack of enemy was disconcerting too and Link eventually edged around the tree, walking to the door on the other side of the room.

Barred.

The Hylian frowned. Large, empty rooms usually meant some kind large enemy dwelt inside but there was no sign of any life other than his own. He breathed out nervously, his breath condensing into a cloud of mist that swirled in front of him, seeming to loiter before it finally dispersed into the rest of the haze.

The tree. That was the only thing in the room that seemed to have any relevance and he walked back to it, running his hand over it again, reaching up to uppermost branch.

Pain shot through his finger and he yanked his hand away, finding that he had slit his finger open on a hidden black thorn. Blood collected on the tip of it now and Link backed away into the shallow water, squeezing blood from the wound, sure the tree would have some kind of poison in it.

Crimson fell from his finger, dropping to the water, disturbing its smooth silver surface.

Link stuck his finger in his mouth, sucking and spitting out blood into water.

And then pain shot across his shoulders in a wide sweep, breaking the skin on the back of his neck. He cried out in alarm and pain, spinning, his finger still clutched in his hand.

Terror and confusion. It flared in his heart and mind at the sight of the man before him. It was him.

Pounding on the door he had entered through registered distantly in his mind, but it took a back seat to the …creature…in front of him.

It was silver, veined with black. Silver-white hair that shimmered and reflected a none existent black hung into bloody, pupil-less eyes. Sightless and yet somehow it knew his every movement.

Link took a step back, watching as it copied him, one leg stretched behind but it…his… sword was still in its hand.

The blade was black, the hilt white, and the gem that warned off evil from the Master Sword was red and glowing.

Link wondered if it was the exact opposite…if it warned off the good and pure of heart.

Drawing his own sword and shield Link sank back into a more battle ready stance. Blood dripped from his shoulders, soaking the blue material of his clothing and he panted, expecting an attack any second.

Nothing.

“What the…?”

“Are you confused, my light? Does your own reflection scare you?” Its voice trickled from its open mouth like water, smooth and strong. It was unnerving.

“What are you?”

“I am you. Or rather, I am your dark side…the side of your soul that yearns to see pain and fear and death. The part of you that has grown stronger every day since you were captured by my master…”

“Ganon.”

The figure nodded “His lordship realises that there is nothing more disturbing than the truth…you would have yourself believe that you are in control of your emotions, but you’ve felt me before now, haven’t you? It was us who threatened the cheating ranch hand; it was usthat defeated the phantom of the Master…”

Link shook his head. “That was me…that was my strength…”

The shadow laughed. “Same thing, my brother. I am you, you are me. We are shadow and we are light, two sides of the same coin…”

“I don’t…”

“Ah but of course….you don’t need me to be your shadow, do you?...You have your shadow warrior for that…your little Sheikah sweetheart…”

Link scowled at the mention of Sheik.

“Don’t you even…”

“What? Mention him?…but Link…he’s my boyfriend too. It’s me who flirts with him, it’s me who lusts for him…you just think it’s you.”

Link growled. “Even if you are my dark side, it’s not you he wants…”

“Are you sure about that? Are you sure he’s not attracted to the darkness in you because it’s in him too? Are you sure it’s not me he wants?”

The blade of the Master Sword was swiped towards the mirror image in seconds, only to be parried and flung back.

“So impatient aren’t you, brother?”

“I won’t let you defile Sheik’s name…he’s nothing like what you think…”

“Whatwe thinkThey’re your thoughts too..”

“No..”

“Denial does not make it any less real, Link. He is the shadow of the Hylians and the Sheikah do the work that the pure and good can’t…”

“For the greater good…”

Dark Link laughed. “He’s warped your mind. The Sheikah are good at deception and tricks, they’re a cunning race…they do not wear their hearts on their sleeves as you do Link.”

“Shut up,” Link growled, fist closing around his sword, anger rising in his chest “’Shadow’ is just a name. A label given to things because people need to categorize and fit everything into neat little boxes. Not everything can be clearly classified…and people, including the Sheikah, are no exception. The name given to his race in general doesn’t make it true of him.”

The words were coming thick and fast through anger now, and Link could feel the blackness rising with every heartbeat. Except it wasn’t making him stronger and lending him its strength. It was weakening him.

“You understand now don’t you Link?”

The hero trembled, staggering a little.

“Your anger is your darkness. Your anger is me and the angrier you get, the stronger I become. You’re a sucker for words and taunts.”

Link panted, feeling his muscles growing tired already.

“If you’re my dark side…then why are you harming me? You’re only half without me.”

“Ah not so, my brother. This temple, this room, acts as a stabilizer. It is in this room only that we can kill one another and survive. If you die in this room, I will live and ‘you’ in spirit become darkness incarnate.”

“And if I kill you…”

The shadow laughed. “You’re hopeful.”

He walked towards his light, swiping at Link who countered, bringing his blade up to lock with his other half’s. The darkness smiled at him, their faces mere centimetres apart.

“Tell me Link…can you conquer yourself?”

And then he was pushing Link away, sending him stumbling backwards. The shadow pressed his foot into the ‘water’ gaining his footing before lunging for his opposite, sword whipping in an upwards arc in an attempt to cleave him in two.

Link brought up his shield, feeling metal scrape against it leaving a scar in the patterned front. The pressure eased and he pulled the shield aside, running for his twin and stabbing at him.

It parried, lunged. Link countered, swiped. It blocked then stabbed. He guarded and leapt.

Link jumped for it, sending the Master Sword in a downwards arc to slam into his shadow’s blade. The swords locked and the men pushed against one another.

They should have been equal in speed, stamina, strength, agility.

Should.

They didn’t. Dark Link was stronger, powered by Link’s own darkness, his anger at the taunts about Sheik.

And boy, didn’t he know it.

A flash of silver teeth under black lips was all Link managed to see before the tackle caught him in the chest, shield slamming into ribs sending him sprawling back into that sliver of silvered water. He gasped, coughed, trying desperately to bring air into his body when his lungs didn’t seem to want to. His chest heaved as Dark Link approached, stepping carefully over the dropped Master Sword to stand over Link.

His foot slammed down on a shoulder, pinning his light counterpart to the floor, grinning as he ground his boot into the shoulder, watching his prey with a perverse sense of satisfaction at his grimace of pain.

Link gagged, still trying to bring air into his lungs as a black bladed sword rested at his collar, toying with the skin underneath.

The shadow drew blood as he drew images, slamming his other foot onto Link’s right hand as the Hylian lifted it, his blade skating across the skin as it sliced, creating whirlpools of crimson on white skin. The images spilt up his neck, his jaw and Link yelped as the sword reached the base of his ear and slipped, leaving a gash that split his cheek, nearly meeting the corner of his lips.

“Oops,” Dark Link sniggered, the tip of his sword tracing the line from top to bottom. In a flash of what seemed to be inspiration he brought the blade to the base of the gash, carving a tear drop at the base of the wound, followed by a series of smaller droplets.

The hero clenched his teeth as Dark Link added lines above a below, curving gently.

Link didn’t know what the hell he had drawn, but he was damned if he was going to let him continue. Anger rose, swelled and he clenched his fists, watching as Dark Link shifted slightly.

He bucked, his shadow falling him from atop him and he rolled to the side grabbing the sword and discarding the shield. There was no way he was playing the defensive. Not now. Not to this guy.

Snarling he, sank back, his left leg planted behind him, sword clenched in both hands as he held it over his left shoulder, pointing straight for the darker twin.

It charged as expected and Link tensed, waiting for the attack. It slammed into the sword trying to knock it aside and it took all of his strength to resist as he shifted his weight and kicked out, his foot sinking into the shadow’s stomach. He gasped, reeling backwards, hunching in pain and growling.

The shade charged at him with a new vigour, his blows raining fast and heavy, beating down his already weaker, slower opponent.

Despair. It flashed in Link’s eyes and through it, Dark Link grew, sneering and taunting as he beat Link back, whispering words of hate and anger that sliced through a fragile mind.

His back hit the wall. There was a sword arcing towards his head. He ducked, bolted forwards, tackling his enemy’s stomach, sword swinging up wildly.

It hit, caught, tore a gash in the shadow’s right cheek, the same wound on the opposite side. The reflection gasped, staggering backwards.

“What?…you couldn’t possibly…” He lifted his fingers to his cheek, feeling the wound and pulling them away, finding them coated in blood.

It was red. Human.

His brow lowered into a frown at the liquid and he lifted his head to look at Link.

“What the hell have you done to me?”

Link stepped back, readying his sword as he anticipated an attack. “What have you done to me?!”

“I…don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“This,” Dark Link swiped his hand through the air, droplets of blood whistling from his fingers into the silver water. “I can’t bleed…I’m shadow. I can’t be harmed…I exist in the hearts of all people.”

“People can cleanse their hearts, my brother,” Link snarled.

“…If they can cleanse themselves of darkness…” red eyes hardened, locking onto the hero “They I can cleanse myself of light!”

He ran at him again, sword crashing against Link’s, knocking the blade out of his hand. It crashed to the floor, showering the combatants with silver droplets forcing Link to jump back to avoid the swipe of Dark Link’s blade.

Dark Link grinned, knowing he had got him on the run, following him closely. Link panted, skidding in the water, trying to make his way back to where the Master Sword lay, aware that if he didn’t get it back soon he was going to suffer an extremely unpleasant death.

And suddenly there was a heavy blow to his side, metal crashing into his hip. He fell, landing heavily on the floor as Dark Link circled to his left side whilst he tried to roll upright. A boot collided with his stomach and he gasped, air being driven from his lungs for the second time that day. Except that before, he had been able to regain his breath. Now, Dark Link thrust his foot into his lighter half’s stomach, again and again and again, bringing tears to the crippled Hylian’s eyes.

The blade was raised, high above the shadow’s head and then it was plunging, straight towards his stomach.

Link flailed, kicking up, managing to knock the edge away from his torso, sending it skimming towards his thigh. It landed heavily, drawing itself through thick flesh and muscle.

He screamed, exhaling all the air he had only just managed to collect it one long gasp. And Dark Link was still standing over him.

“So this is how the hero...”

“Link!”

The cry was accompanied by desperate pounding on the door, the Sheikah who was locked out trying desperately to get in and aid his lover.

“You look out for one another,” the shade’s voice drowned out the Sheikah’s hammering of the door. “How cute…”

He could no longer hear Sheik as he called to him, his voice lost under the sound of Dark Link’s and the thudding of his heart in his ears. But it was enough.

Link couldn’t defeat shadow with darkness…so the only way to beat him was with light and love. Everything that Sheik gave his life.

Powered by heart he kicked out, grabbing the black blade as it whistled towards him again, feeling it bite into his right palm. He clung onto it, using his shadow’s weight to pull himself up, releasing the sword as he used his momentum to deliver a roundhouse kick.

The heel of his boot caught Dark Link in the jaw, knocking him back, the kick so high that Sheik would’ve been proud if he had seen it.

He clenched his jaw. Turning, he ran for the dropped sword, snatching it from the silver water’s grasp and spinning to face his enemy as he ran towards him.

Warmth and love coursed through his veins, as important now as the adrenaline and blood that was fuelling his body, driving him to victory.

He sprinted to meet the reflection, lifting his sword as it aimed for his head. A calculated blow deflected it harmlessly, shockwaves rippling up his arm.

The black blade was snapped to the left, targeting his shoulder and Link’s own blade was already ahead of it, driving it back towards him.

Dark Link was almost flailing now, reigning blow after blow that weakened each time onto his enemy and each one was neatly deflected and blocked. He gasped as silver clashed with black, white blade knocking the weapon out of his hand.

His body shuddered. He gasped, choked, stained fingers reaching up the metal that had plunged through his neck, slicking it with blood.

Link watched, numb, as his twin slid from the blade, collapsing into the water. He staggered back, eyes locked with dimming red gaze until there was no life in that face. Just a corpse.

He had conquered himself.

--

Sheik heard the screams, the crash of blades, metal striking metal, stepping away from the door. His hands were sore, red from pounding the door, bandages offering no protection for a change.

Silence.

He felt nauseous with worry at the lack of battle cries, hearing only a steady ‘drip, drip, drip’ that reminded him of his solitude at that moment.

At any other time, it wouldn’t have bothered him but since meeting Link…

Shakily he reached for the door, placing a hand on it and pushing gently. Something clicked and the door swung open.

Sheik stepped in hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to see the outcome of the battle between Link and…whatever it was he had fought.

Water rippled beneath his feet as he walked, heading for the figure that lay crouched in front of a dead tree.

Blonde hair, darkened by water, curled over a dark blue collar and Sheik sprinted, his heart lightening at the knowledge that his Link was safe and well. He skidded, splitting the water as he headed for his partner, stopping himself on the sandy bank of the island.

Link was hunched, shaking, the Master Sword lying by his side and when Sheik laid his hand gently on the Hylian’s shoulder, he jumped, whipping around to face him.

He relaxed upon recognising the other man, shoulders lowering, allowing the other blonde to take his face in his hands, bandaged fingers running gently over wound-patterned flesh.

“Link? What was…”

His right hand, stained with blood from his cleaved palm, was already pointing at a fallen figure. Sheik stood, hand trailing across Link’s shoulders as he moved to examine the corpse.

It was...humanoid, the same height as Link, the same build, same clothes, same sword. Realisation dawning on him, he hesitantly crouched down to examine the corpse’s face. Link…in silver with black lips and white hair…

He pulled away quickly, understanding what the shadow before him was, disturbed by the idea that half of Link was now dead. True it was a dark side of him but…Link was still suffering from it and surely some darkness was beneficial to the human condition?

Link needed a hatred of Ganondorf to win.

Sheik returned to his companion’s side, settling on his left and pulling him into an embrace. Link was stiff in his arms and Sheik leant forwards brushing hair back from the blonde’s face to examine his cheek and neck more fully.

Swirling patterns danced up the pale flesh of his neck, darkening crimson contrasting in high ridges scrawled up his jaw. The design wasn’t unlike the wrought iron design of his bedroom window.

On his cheek, the circular patterns continued, framing an image of a weeping eye like ivy surrounding an idyllic cottage door.

Eventually the Hylian sighed, relaxing into the Sheikah’s touch.

“Are you OK?”

Sheik started at the question, eyeing Link surreptitiously.

“Surely it should be me asking you that?”

“Probably. But you didn’t.”

“Because you’re obviously not.”

Link waved a hand. “I’m fine.” but the lack of conviction in his voice was obvious and he sighed again, curling against Sheik fully.

Sheik welcomed the now familiar feeling of Link in his arms, feeling comforted by the Hylian’s solid form against his. He just hoped it was working the other way around too.

“We should move on,” Link murmured after a moment, stirring in Sheik’s arms.

“You need to rest. You’re in shock.”

The hero shook his head. “I will do but…not in here. I…I don’t want to be near…it…him…me…’ The last word was quiet and pained.

“Link…he is not all of you, he is only part of you. A part that existed in you, and still exists in me and Ruto, Princess Zelda, Malon, Saria…everyone has a dark side. Everyone has sin. Do not be so ashamed of the fact that you have beaten yours.”

“…If I’ve beaten it, why don’t I feel clean and pure?”

“…Perhaps purity is not something one can easily feel. Do not trouble yourself over it for the moment…we have other things to dwell on.”

Link nodded. “Yeah…we have to thaw out Zora’s domain.”

Sheik nuzzled his ear in agreement and a weak smile flittered across Link’s lips.

The elder blonde stood suddenly, grabbing the Master Sword and sheathing it, offering a hand to Sheik. “Shall we go?”

The Sheikah nodded, taking Link’s hand but pulling himself to his feet, not wanting to harm the already injured warrior further. He noted the limp he was sporting and was immediately at his side, his arm around his waist, supporting him as he walked.

Link stared down at his reflection in the water, watching it fragment and disperse when ripple’s from Sheik’s feet disturbed it.

They stopped on the sandy bank by the exit and Link let his head droop whilst Sheik opened the door.

A thud resounded in the room a second later.

“It’s locked…”

“What? But I’ve just…”

Their eyes met, ideas forming at he same time and they spun around quickly, eyes locking onto the sight of dark Link’s body as it melted into water, staining it black.

And the darkness was moving in ropy tendrils, slithering through water in oily whips, gliding eel like towards them.

It was at their feet within seconds, rearing from the water like a snake.

Sheik stepped in front of Link without hesitation.

“Sheik! Don’t even…”

“I’m already shadow!” the warrior snapped, cutting his partner’s argument off, spreading his arms, eyes locked on the blackness as it raised above their heads.

“It can’t harm me.”

It plunged at him and Sheik felt the substance slam into him, a sensation of cold, wet flesh slapping his skin, travelling throughhim.

He had never experienced a sense of violation before now…the feeling of solid darkness twisting through his gut, strangling his own weak light.

But this was only a fragment of darkness, an iota of its power and he spun, ignoring the wrenching in his stomach…only to have it replaced a second later by worry at the sight of his mate.

He was standing stiffly, head knocked back, reams of blackness feeding into his flesh like water. It was threading through his body, twining through organs and mind, replacing blood with oil.

Link was gagging against the invasion, the infection and Sheik found himself unable to do anything but stare in silent horror as the hero was consumed by darkness.

--

He had fallen to the floor sometime ago, and Sheik was still sat by his side, water rippling around his body.

The infected Hylian’s hand lay awkwardly in the water, causing it to flow outwards from his hand as his pulse beat through his skin, powering miniature waves.

Sheik had no idea what to do, feeling helpless and scared at the predicament, his partner’s state. He had called out to him, touched his hand, talked to him, kissed his forehead as he lay on the floor in the vain hope that it would awaken him from this catatonic state. It hadn’t obviously and the Sheikah was at his wits end.

This was why his people forbade him from forming attachments. If he hasn’t been concerned about Link’s wellbeing he would have left in the first few minutes following the attack to go and discover what needed to be done to revive him. But he had fallen for the hero and so he couldn’t.

A finger, threaded with black, twitched beneath his hand that clasped the Hylian’s and Sheik started, pulling away, unsure what to expect from him.

He was infected after all.

Crouching, Sheik backed off, giving the hero room, watching anxiously as he stirred, eyelashes fluttering, head rising slowly.

He yawned, long and strong, as if he had taken a comfortable nap for the last few years and then shakily climbed to his feet. His eyes alighted on Sheik and a look of surprise flashed across his face. He looked down quickly, staring at his hands, examining his body.

And he grinned.

“Now…this is interesting…” the voice was Link’s…the words were not and Sheik tensed every muscle at those few words, senses going into over mode, inundating with feelings of danger and fear, instinct telling him to run.

The head tilted, bird-like, as Dark Link eyed him. “So you’re Sheik,” he laughed “I’d not seen you before now. Link,” he spat the name out “was always in control of this body…and when he’s in control, I cannot see.”

“So he can’t see me as we speak?”

“No…but he knows you’re here. He’s calling for you…and he can hear your words. It’s interesting that he is able to connect to this world through one sense at not the others, don’t you think?”

Sheik growled. “I don’t really care what the recessive side can and can’t do as long as you give me the hero back.”

“The hero? Did you hear that Link? A bit cold, don’t you think?”

“Give me my hero back.”

“Aww, how sweet. ..but I think not. It’s fun, you know, actually being able to see and hear,” he brought a bloody palm up to his face, licking the blood away slowly “and taste.”

His eyes flicked up, darkest blue, the shade that Sheik saw whenever Link was angry. “I wonder…will you be so good as to give me a chance to touch and feel?”

He stepped forwards, slow and powerful, an attempt to intimidate. Sheik stood firm, his heart screaming to run, battering itself against his ribs in its panic. He wouldn’t run though. He had to get Link back.

“No.”

“Why not? All I’m asking is to be allowed to feel another person, to feel skin against skin…to feel what it is to kiss…is that so wrong?”

“It is coming from you.”

“Why?! Why is it any different coming from me than it is coming from Link?!”

“…You don’t wish to touch and feel and kiss to connect with another living creature…you want it to feel alive and in control.”

“So? Link wants to touch you…you want to touch Link…this is his body.”

“But it’s your mind. I don’t want the body without the soul.”

“But you’d take the soul without the body?”

“If it were possible and if I had to choose…”

“For a shadow warrior, you’re pathetically sappy and cute. I heard the Sheikah were tough, resilient, cold…emotionally dead and stunted. Call it what you want, the Sheikah have always been a puppet on a string…and the Hylian’s are your puppeteers.”

“It is the way of the world. It is my lot in life and I accepted it…”

“Until you met Link…”

“Quiet! You have no place in this world, demon. It is not your world to live in…it is the world you sleep in.”

“The Great Ganondorf is changing that.”

“Ganondorf is a fool who will be unsuccessful.”

“How so?”

“Because Link is stronger and he can conquer him.”

The shadow laughed, tainting Link’s rich voice as he did. “He can’t even conquer me.”

“He can and he will.”

It snorted.

“I believe in him.”

“You have a surprising amount of belief in people’s hearts considering you haven’t got one.”

“The fact that the Sheikah are supposedly heartless does not mean we don’t see the strength that others contain within theirs.”

“You’re pathetic.”

“You’re annoying.” Sheik countered, stepping back as Dark Link drew the Master Sword. He dropped it a second later, yelping as sparks shot from the yellow gem, shocking his hand.

Dark Link stared down at the sword, disgusted, before swapping his glare back to Sheik.

“I was going to try and kill you but now…”

He stepped forwards again, watching Sheik’s lack of reaction with amusement, walking until he was face to face with the Sheikah.

“Cute. You stand up to evil.”

“And then I cut it down.”

“Hmm…we’ll see about that.”

He was fast. Faster than Sheik could ever have expected and he found himself knocked to the floor Dark Link sitting atop him.

“You’re supposed to be fast.” he stated, pinning the struggling blonde’s hands to the ground on either side of his head.

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Indeed. Things change,” the shade leaned forwards, his torso pressing against Sheik’s “…I wonder what you look like without that mask on…”

Grinning, he closed his teeth around the hem of the white fabric, tugging down as Sheik bucked beneath him, trying to throw him off.

Inside, Link screamed at his darker self, thoughts of anger and panic mingling together in the shadow’s conscious mind.

Pink lips that were darkening to black brushed over Sheik’s and he squirmed, feeling the shade’s body pressing against his firmly.

“Wow…” Dark Link murmured “I can see why you like to do this.” His breath was cold against Sheik’s cheek.

“…L…”

“What was that?”

“..L…Link,” Sheik repeated breathlessly, his chest being crushed under the weight of Dark Link pressing against him so heavily.

“Aww…he’s calling for you too…”

“Return him to me…”

Dark Link barked a laugh. “How about?...No.”

Blackened lips moved to jaw, to ear and down again, moving down Sheik’s neck, nipping at his jugular and Sheik turned his head away, closing his eyes and arching his back in an attempt to trick the shadow.

“…Like that do…”

His voice was cut off as Sheik kicked off the floor, flipping them over completely. Dark Link hit the floor, gasping and the Sheik was on top of him, the roles reversed in a split second. Bandages were tied quickly and firmly around wrists, legs pinning legs to the floor.

“Now listen to me, demon. My feelings of lust are for Link and Link only. The hero who has shown me what it means to live, not the darkness that holds people back.

You will never triumph in this world, you nor your master because we have the hero chosen by divine right and you cannot oppose fate. Fate dictates that we shall win. Because of Link. Because we believe in him…in his heart, his strength and his courage.”

“You can’t possibly…”

A palm struck the demon across the cheek sharply.

“Link…you’re in this mind, this body somewhere and I know you can hear me so listen to me.

“This creature is merely a shadow…a shadow of what you are. There is no way it can defeat you. You are above it and Iabove all others believe in the power you possess.

Just a month or so ago, I never knew that I could enjoy life…never thought that I would connect with another person or feel emotions like I do now…”

Sheik stared into the dark blue pools of his hero’s eyes, seeing past the thin demon that lay on top and staring into the soul beneath.

“You told me once that you’d only known me for a short time but that I had taught you so much…and that holds true for me as well.

You’ve taught me that I’m more than the name that I’ve been given, and the job that I’ve been entrusted with. You’ve taught me that there is an exception to every rule. You’ve taught me to laugh. You’ve taught me to live…and you’ve taught me to love.

I couldn’t have learnt to do any of those things without you Link. I couldn’t have learnt to love someone without you…because it’s only you that I love. It could only ever be you that I could fall in love with…”

His voice had faded to a whisper, but the words and feelings had grown stronger with every word of his monologue and Sheik found himself blinking back tears of joy and sorrow and love and a million other things that he hadn’t yet learnt the names of. But he could do…as long as Link was with him.

The body below him gasped and stiffened, eyes brightening and lightening to the deep blue that Sheik was accustomed to.

“S…Sheik…quickly…bleed me…”

“What?”

“Bleed him out of me…cut the wound on my cheek open again.”

Sheik fumbled for a blade that was hidden beneath his clothing, wrenching it free. Hesitantly, he leaned forwards.

“Do it, quickly, or he’ll gain enough strength to exist outside me again…”

He slashed the cut open again, biting his lip in guilt as fresh, hot blood ran from the wound…and then blood gave way to darkness, sliding out of the gash like ink. It hit the water below, spreading out and …dispersing.

It was drying up the silvered water, the substance that had given Dark Link flesh and blood in the first place and Sheik pressed his lips to Link’s freeing his lover’s hands. They wrapped around him, holding them together as lips parted and Sheik’s hand tangled into his partner’s hair.

As the darkness bled out of the restored hero, Sheik felt a sigh of relief slip past his lips, his lover in his arms once more.
******************************************************************************
A sighing Sheikah, a host of metaphors and similes, description, action, emotion, darkness and tender kissing. What more could you ask for? Apart from the obvious...it'll turn up eventually. I've decided concretely on what chapter that's going to occur in. It's a little way off, but hopefully you can wait a bit longer lol.
As always please review!!