To Be Real

Well finals are finished and so is this story. Or this part of the story, I should say. Yes, there is a lot more Dark Link goodness to come and it will come as quickly as I can pry myself away from Twilight Princess. Actually, the game is really inspiring for me. Hopefully I won’t get ahead of myself and I’ll be able to proceed as originally planned…

I got a lot of reviews very quickly on this last chapter. Thanks to those who did!

At Adultfanfiction:
OMG I just looked and saw that “To Be Real” just got its 3,300th hit on AFF!! MY BABY IS GETTING… so…old? No, used I guess. ICK.

Kate: At the risk of sounding like a total bitch, I sometimes wish that there was some sort of screening process for fiction posting. That’ll give jobs to some unemployed Americans, eh? I stopped sloughing through the muck of fanfiction ages ago. Thus, I write. Thanks for reviewing!

Avery-kun: XD I don’t need to reply to you here, we talk all the time now. HEARTS AND FUCKWIN.

Ithy: Thank you for the review! Maybe you’ll find something small and smolderingly hot at the end of this chapter. Hey, I never thought about it, but what if Dark went into his shadow mode and he and Link -- … Wow I just got chills.

Dragon: Thanks for the review! LoL I really loved the play-by-play of your reactions to the story. I love hearing things like that! If you have any strong reactions to this one, too, I’d love to hear them…

Rvbyaoifan: Thanks for the review! I’m glad you enjoy my writing style, I’m flattered actually!

Megan: Thanks for the review +1! And yes I am writing more.

Chibikitten: The beauty of writing without a plan is that handy things can just pop up every once in a while. Like, “Oh shit, Ganon is going to sick his army on poor injured Dark, but wait! Those desert bitches!!” Shit like that doesn’t get PLANNED. It just HAPPENS. I really loved your review, it was so kind and flattering, and I actually sat and read it a few times lol. People like you keep me writing; thank you for inspiring me further and making me feel like I’m actually DOING something GOOD, not wasting my time here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Blueeyes: As convincing as your yaoi argument is, well… Read this chapter and see if you like. *wink*

Kiyo-chan: Thanks for the review and for your compliments! I would love to turn this into a real book some day. I’ve been looking at how other authors have published their work and now the gears are turning….

Nuitari Aquarius: Thanks for the review and don’t worry, the sequel will start quickly since Christmas break is here!!

At Fanfiction.net:
Ahou incarnate: It feels great to hear that people who haven’t played the games are able to easily follow along with the fic. Feels even better to hear that Navi has become likeable! A lot of other people have said the same thing and while that wasn’t my intention, I’m glad it happened. Thanks for the review, I’m glad you enjoyed the descriptions, and I promise nothing will make you cringe in this one – lol.

Moonlit-leaf: Glad to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for reviewing me.

Topaze Fire: Well this particular fic is getting finished up, but I planned on doing a second part for this “series”. You’ll get a feel for what I mean by the end of this chapter. Thanks for the review!

Xena Minotaur Girl: If I could sit down and write fics like this EVERY DAY, believe me I would. But alas, school got all up in my way and I had to set my darling Dark aside for a while. But now it’s finished, and more is coming! Maybe not soon-soon, not like next week or anything, but as soon as I sort out a new storyline in my head. I do my best thinking in the shower, so I am going to be EXTRA CLEAN for the next several days, LoL. Thanks for all the reviews!

Rynada: Your little pun makes me giggle every time I read it. Thanks for the kind review, and here is the final chapter!

Okay now that all that is taken care of, here’s the last chapter of “To Be Real.” The second part of the story should start quickly, so keep an eye on my author profile. As always, kind and flattering reviews are always appreciated. The harder my ego gets stroked, the more likely my brain is to ejaculate good ideas!

… That was gross.

---

Now that Ganondorf was finally slain, all of Hyrule erupted in joyous celebration. The remaining inhabitants of the five Hylian tribes poured out onto Hyrule Plain, praising both the goddesses and their glorious heroes. They lit bonfires in which to toss the remaining relics of Ganondorf’s tyranny and they danced and sang around them. Families were reunited, old lovers were found, new friends were made, and everyone got together to rejoice and to feast with one another. Even as the moon began to rise over the healing country, their celebration didn’t cease. The bonfires remained lit well into the night.

Several hours into the festivities, Dark Link was exhausted from all the singing, the drinking, the storytelling, and the dancing. He broke away from the circle of dancers surrounding the bonfire, ducked beneath the crowd of onlookers, and quietly scampered away from it all. As the cacophony faded behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from his brow. Dark had never been to a party before and he reveled in all of its activity.

Dark rubbed at his eyes, attempting to adjust to the blackness of the night, and he eventually noticed Link lying in the grass several hundred yards away. At first Dark became worried, starting for him at a swift jog and calling his name. But, as he neared the Hero, Dark realized that Link was just relaxing, enjoying a rare quiet moment on his own.

“I’ve spent much of the last several months fighting alone,” he said as Dark approached, not taking his eyes off the stars. “ I’m not really used to being surrounded by tons of people like that. Besides, I’m not really in the mood to celebrate, are you?”

“Of course I am,” Dark replied, sitting down above Link’s head and sprawling out on the grass. Their heads were right next to each other’s so that they could have a private conversation, but their bodies were splayed out in opposite directions. “Ganondorf is gone and Hyrule is at peace again. Why wouldn’t you celebrate?”

“Do you know how old I am?” Link asked. His question seemed out of place, almost like a diversionary tactic.

Dark faltered for only a second. “Uh…Ganondorf made me to look eighteen. I assume you’re the same a--”

“I’m eleven,” Link interrupted, sounding suddenly angry. “I have the body of an adult but my mind feels empty in places, like so many memories are missing. Seven years of my life were robbed from me by that fucked-up monster,” he spat. His fists were clenched and his muscles were tense. Dark felt him tremble with anger. “I’ve been so lost and confused, so oblivious to some of the things that have gone on around me! There is a huge chunk of me missing—”

• Link cut himself off as his voice wavered and Dark respectfully kept his eyes skyward. A sharp pang of pity jabbed at his insides. He felt bad for the Hero, felt guilty almost, although none of this was his fault. The strong urge to sit up and take Link into his arms, to coddle and soothe and comfort him, came on without warning. The loving emotion welling inside was foreign to him; he couldn’t imagine where he’d gotten this strange notion! He shifted and fidgeted nervously, almost afraid that Link would be able to hear his flustered thoughts. As words rose into his throat he pursed his lips, forbidding himself from speaking. His emotions were too muddled right now and he feared he would say something he might regret.

“It’s true that I gained a lot more than I lost,” Link continued, oblivious to Dark’s discomfort. “I made a lot of new friendships, I’ve grown smarter and stronger, my skills with the sword have vastly improved… but still, I’m missing seven whole years.” He closed his eyes, not knowing what to expect out of his friend for what he was about to say.

“Dark,” he whispered, “I am returning to my time.”

“What?” the minion gasped, his eyes widening as his body tensed up.

“Zelda is going to send me home, to my own time. I have to make sure that the events of Ganon’s reign don’t repeat themselves. I’m not sure what will happen to you or to anyone here,” he said, now turning toward his stunned friend, “but I have to go back and stop Ganondorf. Again.”

“L-Link,” Dark stammered, faltering under the Hero’s steely gaze. The shadow pushed himself up on his elbows, looking down at his twin with disbelief and sadness in his eyes. The emotion rising in his stomach was intense, a cocktail of panic and lust and deep emotional attachment. When he realized how serious Link was, how steadfast and unwavering, he sat up and grabbed the Hero by his collar, lifting him and shaking him slightly.

“Link, you can’t go! You can’t!” he cried, losing his self-control for a terrifying moment. Link grabbed Dark by the shoulders, forcing the doppelganger to stop shaking him, and sadly gazed into his eyes.

“Dark,” he whispered, “I have no choice in the matter. I have to go--”

“You cannot leave me,” Dark sternly spoke. He pulled Link in so close that their noses were almost touching. Dark’s scent filled Link’s lungs and his hot breath rolled over the Hero’s skin. “You and I are the same person and you will always be a part of me. You are my reason for existing,” he breathed, glaring deep into Link’s bright eyes. “My every waking moment has been devoted to you. There are so many things we haven’t yet done…”

“L-Like what?” Link asked, gingerly prying his collar from Dark’s iron grasp. The unpredictable creature was becoming volatile and it didn’t help Link’s nerves that he was drenched in Ganon’s indelible aroma. “What do you still need from me?”

Dark Link paused, pensive for a moment, and then slowly stood. He backed away slightly, putting a respectable distance between them as he unfastened his belt and tossed it aside, then pulling his tunic up over his head. His muscular torso was exposed and Link marveled at just how alike they were, right down to the intricate musculature. Dark’s body was more heavily scarred than his, of course, but still the similarities were striking.

“Link, I want you to fight me,” he growled, low and threatening. “No weapons, no tricks, no fairies. Just you and I, hand-to-hand.” He brought his fists up and danced from foot to foot, keeping his eyes locked on the Hero. He was exuding machismo. “I need to find out which of us is stronger.”

“No, Dark,” Link said as he stood. He raised his hands passively as he approached his twin, shaking his head gently. “I can’t fight you. You’re my friend, my ally. I have no reason to st—”

Link was cut off when Dark’s fist slammed into his face. He stumbled back slightly, reaching up to hold his face, and when he withdrew his hand there was fresh blood on his fingertips. He lifted his gaze to meet Dark’s, a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes, but as he did a second fist landed in his stomach and sent him tumbling across the grass.

Dark Link raised his fists, staying in his spot and giving the Hero a moment to recover. Dark recalled seeing couples reunited at the bonfires. He had watched with interest at how they embraced when they came together again, how they sat so close and kissed, and how some disappeared into the night. He recognized this emotional display as love and recalled that whenever he felt this emotion for his father, as he was now feeling for Link, Ganondorf’s quick response had always been to fight. As his emotion was aroused so was his energy and anger and, just as Ganondorf had done to him, he was now violently taking his anger out on Link.

The Hero was groaning and cursing as he stood, wiping blood from his split lip and glaring at Dark Link. “You really want to do this now!?” he yelled, unbuckling his belt and shrugging off his own green tunic. He flexed his arms and shook out his shoulders, lifting his fists in defense and moving in. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, Dark.”

The pair then violently went at each other, throwing quick punches and blocking them with skillful timing and precision. It quickly became apparent just how evenly matched they were; after several minutes, neither of them had successfully landed a blow, although they were certainly working up a sweat. Link’s forearms were already bruising from the impact of Dark’s fists and although the doppelganger was strong, Link was cunning. Dark threw a hard punch at his head and Link dropped his guard, grabbing his twin by the wrist and using his momentum against him. He swung Dark around past him and sent him stumbling, then speared him from behind and landed atop him on the ground.

Dark skidded across the grass on his stomach, wincing as a rash of brush burn spread across his chest, but quickly he was flipped over and pinned beneath Link’s body. One, two, three swift punches were dealt directly into his face and he tasted fresh blood on his tongue. As the fourth fist threatened to rob him of consciousness, he reached up and grabbed Link by the throat, causing the Hero to give a choking cry and raise his hands to his neck. Dark unceremoniously tossed the Hero to the ground, mounting him in an instant and assuming the dominant position. He grabbed both of Link’s wrists, pinning them down on either side of his head to render him immobile. He rested atop the Hero for a moment, letting his head hang as he caught his breath. His blood dripped from parted lips and onto Link’s pristine skin, causing goose bumps to prickle the smooth surface.

“So, Hero,” he spoke between haggard breaths. “Which of us is stronger?”

Link gazed up into the ruby irises clouded by exhaustion, his eyes dancing among the raven tendrils that hung down into his face, roving over the moonlit skin, and stopping at the bloodstained lips. The Hero’s body acted without first consulting his brain. He heaved forward and his lips assaulted Dark’s, his hot mouth melting into the lips of his twin, and slowly he closed his eyes. He lost himself in the sweet taste and subtle texture of Dark’s mouth, probing its depths with a curious tongue and reveling in the sensations it aroused throughout his body. He lifted his torso more and more as he deepened the kiss, drawing his dark twin into a deep oral embrace.

Dark Link’s eyes widened as Link roughly kissed him and now he froze as the Hero molested his mouth. The sensations he was awakening within the doppelganger were foreign, strange, and Dark didn’t know how to react. His mind blanked for several minutes, his eyes on the verge of falling out of his head. Despite his internal panic, Dark continued holding Link down with all of his weight, perhaps subconsciously enjoying the onslaught. As a twinge of pleasure lit a fire in his groin, however, Dark snapped back to reality. He broke the kiss and released the Hero, falling backwards and swiftly crawling away, breathing heavily. He stared at Link as though he had just tried to end his life, inching further away as the Hero stood, brushing off his pants.

“You are the stronger one, Dark,” he spoke as he reached down to retrieve his tunic, pulling it over his head. He clasped his belt, reached up to wipe the blood from his lips, and started walking again toward the bonfires. “You were built much stronger than I; you didn’t need me to tell you that…

“But I was built smarter.”

Silent and incredulous, Dark watched his lighter twin leave, unable to get a word out of his tingling mouth.

---

As daylight broke over Hyrule, Dark Link stood apart from his two fellow heroes, the Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time. His eyes were fixed on the rising sun. He watched its slow progression up from beneath the horizon, marveling at the ease with which it burned away the shadows and the mist, entranced by the slowly growing light. Just as silent as her friend, Navi sat on his shoulder, pensively watching the growing light and enjoying their few private moments together.

“Dark,” she spoke, “I never got the chance to thank you—”

“There’s no need, Navi,” Dark spoke, his voice heavy with sadness. He didn’t bother hiding his emotions from his diminutive friend. “Thanks and congratulations are meaningless when you are about to lose two of the people you care for most.”

The fairy lost her voice and he could hear her softly sniffling just beneath his ear. There was nothing he could do to console her other than allowing her to nestle against his neck for comfort.

“So you understand what needs to be done,” Zelda spoke to Link, who gave her an affirmative nod.

“As soon as I get back I’ll go to the castle to speak with-- …with you,” he said, his voice low and sad. It was apparent that he did not want to leave. Link wanted with all of his heart to stay here and enjoy the Hyrule that he had liberated, not to return to a time of Ganondorf’s oppression. In his time, Ganon would still be alive and still be a threat even if Link didn’t open the Door of Time. His struggles would undoubtedly begin anew.

He turned now toward Dark Link. Dark was standing several feet beyond the pair, well out of earshot. “Zelda,” Link whispered, “I only wish I had more time.”

“If I could give you time, I would,” she whispered, looking at him longingly. “But you don’t belong here, Link. You need to go back, to take back your childhood.” Although she spoke tenderly, the Hero didn’t take his eyes off of his doppelganger. The princess sighed and turned toward the horizon, struggling to hide the disappointment in her voice. “I need to send you back now, Link. It’s time to say goodbye.”

Dark Link turned toward his lighter counterpart as he advanced, looking at him with an expressionless gaze. Link stopped at arm’s length, standing erect and looking him straight in the eye. His gaze was stern and determined with just a slight hint of sadness. Dark wore a mask of indiscernible emotion, hiding his sadness from the Hero so as not to add to his grief. They stood motionless for some time, eyes locked as the sun rose beyond them, until Link’s stance relaxed somewhat. He reached into his tunic and pulled out his chain of heart containers, those precious crystal charms that helped him stay strong. He grasped one in his fingers and, with a strong pull, separated it from the chain. He held it out to Dark in an open palm and the minion cautiously took it, looking it over with curiosity.

“I know you don’t need this,” Link spoke, his voice cutting through the silence like a warm knife. “You’re strong, much stronger than I am, but…I think you should have it. This was the heart container I got from the battle with Bongo-Bongo.” Dark Link lifted his eyes at this revelation. “I had been meaning to give it to you since that battle. It’s rightfully yours; you deserve it.”

Link extended a hand toward Dark Link, his stern gaze unwavering, not betraying the crumbling emotions within him. Dark reached forward and grasped his hand, shaking it strongly and pursing his lips. The two gazed at each other for several seconds before stepping toward each other. They met in the middle, each throwing their free arms around the other, stiffly and awkwardly embracing. Navi took to the air, allowing the two a private moment, retreating to Zelda’s side.

“I’ll never forget you,” Link whispered into Dark’s ear, closing his eyes tightly as he felt tears threatening. “I w-won’t forget you, Dark Link. You will be on my mind for the rest of my life.”

“Somehow,” Dark spoke, backing up slightly and holding Link by the shoulders. “Somehow I will find a way to reach you.” His arms were shaking slightly and Link could plainly see the emotion in his eyes. Dark didn’t need tears to betray his intense sadness. “You still have a long road ahead of you, Link. Somehow, I will be there to help you.”

He felt the Hero begin trembling under his grasp and he released him just as Link quickly turned away. He walked stiffly back to Zelda, standing before her with his chest puffed up and his shoulders pulled back. His mouth was dry and his voice was dead in his throat, but he communicated to her with a stern nod.

As the notes of the Song of Time echoed across the plain, Dark found that he was unable to watch. He felt a tightness in his chest, a heaviness in his dark heart, and as his vision blurred with tears he turned and began to walk away. Kakariko Village and Death Mountain towered above him on the horizon and he went toward their shadow, seeking comfort in their colossal presence. He knew that Uula was waiting for him in the village, her heart full of love and her pot full of stew. He could find comfort there and perhaps, for a short while, be able to forget about the friends he lost.

---

Anju stared listlessly out the window as the sun came up over a new and beautiful Hylian day. Despite the fact that Ganondorf was slain and Hyrule was in a state of bliss, she was still miserable and alone. Since she was unwed and pregnant, quite possibly with a terrible monster, no one wanted to be around her. She stayed inside during daylight hours, silently watching people bustle outside, wishing she could be normal again.

Her blank blue eyes watched as Dark Link, the pierced and ragged friend of the Hero of Time, walked slowly into Kakariko. Her gaze followed him across the village to Uula’s cottage where he softly knocked at the door. He waited patiently for Uula to open the door and when she did, she immediately ran out of her home and embraced him. She watched as he slowly lifted his arms and hugged her as well, burying his face in her hair, and she could have sworn that she saw tears rolling down his face. Anju’s heart ached to feel that kind of togetherness again.

As the emotion stirred within her, so did her unborn child. She cautiously put a hand on her distended stomach, a look of slight fear on her face. She was terrified of what was inside her and of what might come out…

…and only a few more months to go.


The End.