Living With Myself

Chapter 11

Link woke up again, and found himself being carried on his shadow's back. They walked in silence out of the gerudo fortress, and he could hear the rushing sound of the waterfalls close by.

"W-what happened?" he mumbled, but still had no strength to move.

"He's awake" said a deep voice behind them, and Link's heart skipped a beat.

The person walked up next to him, and Link had to look up at the tall, cloaked figure that stared down at him with completely white eyes.

"The Fierce Deity?" wondered Link.

"Not anymore. Or maybe...something like it," said Link, with a smile to his voice. "His name's Oni Link which I believe qualifies him as a demon. Pretty neat, eh. You just got a demonic older brother, Blondie."

Link groaned. "How long have I been asleep? Can someone tell me what happened?" he asked.

"I can carry him now," said Sheik

"No, you're too tiny, love," said Dark, making kissy faces at Sheik.

"If only I could tear you apart," said Sheik with a growl.

"If only. It's Oni's turn, he's been tagging along for free all this time," said Dark, jogging up to the taller Link.

Oni stepped away. "I don't want to carry him."

"Neither do I. Oh, the irony," said Dark, taking Link off his back and up in his arms. "Catch!"

Link's stomach did a backwards flip when he felt himself being thrown from one man to the other, and he blacked out. When he regained his conciousness, he felt a pair of hands at his throat, despite the fact that there were none.

"You're going to kill him with your stupidity!" yelled Sheik.

"S-sheik, you're hurting him," gasped Dark, and Link could see that Sheik had tackled him to the ground and tried to strangle him.

"It's for a good cause," said Sheik.

"I agree," said Oni, and Link realized he was on the deity's back. His own body still felt like a heavy, numb thing over him and he couldn't even lift his head.

Link coughed when the pain at his throat became too much. "What happened?" he asked again, and Sheik let go of the shadow.

"When I finished the song you transformed into the deity."

"I'm here, you know," said Oni, voice devoid of any emotion.

Sheik rolled his eyes. "Goddesses, they're the same," he muttered, passing a hand through some of the golden bangs that had escaped his bandages. "I'm not sure what happened. You and Dark just fainted one moment. You...turned white. Completely white, even your clothes and your skin. Then that- I mean... He stood up, as if a ghost had lifted from your body, to wear the mask."

"I am the mask," said Oni Link. "It was merely my energy concentrated into a physical form to contain it. This," he placed a hand on his chest. "is merely a different container. A mobile one."

"Nice," said Dark, lifting an eyebrow. "So we're like walking jars to you."

"That would be an adequate example," said Oni.

"I was being sarcastic," growled Dark.

"I know. It was still an adequate example."

Link sighed. "That's enough. We get the idea. How long was I asleep for?"

Sheik walked up to him and tucked some of Link's hair behind his ear. "You have been asleep for half a day," he said.

Link nodded with a tired smile. "Shortest magical nap I've had."

Sheik laughed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was ran over by Ganon. I want to move," said Link, trying to lift his hands, and failing. "But I don't have enough strength. Sorry, uh, Oni. Is it alright if I call you Oni?"

"It's fine," said the Deity, and kept walking.

"You need rest," said Sheik, putting his mask back on. "There is a small village nearby, and we can spend the night there. It would have been better for you to wait until tomorrow at the temple. But I thought you would prefer for us to keep moving, considering what you said about the Spirit Sage."

"Yes, that's... much better. But, you don't have to stay with me. If you want to hurry and go straight to the castle, you could be there by first hour tomorrow. Zelda will see you right away, and I... I would just prefer it if you didn't tell her about us."

Sheik shook his face, but said no more, and Link noticed how the mask changed his appearance completely. It made him look more dangerous, and even his red eyes seemed darker. Sheik, for all the worry and politeness he showed towards him, could easily kill any man faster than the blink of an eye. And even more, he would not think twice about doing it. Link wondered if he would also not think twice about betraying someone. After all, that seemed simpler than stabbing.

"I won't leave you alone," said Sheik after a moment of consideration, patting Link's back.

"He's not alone." Said Dark, carrying a tiny bunny by the ears. "I brought him dinner."

"Being with yourself is not considered company," said Sheik. "And leave that alone, we'll eat at the village."

"It looked tasty."

Link smiled. "Nothing's tasty after you cook it."

Dark rolled his eyes at him. "If you weren't so picky with the food and ate it raw like me..."

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