The Edge Of Darkness (Link x Dark)

Chapter 1: Wake-Up Call

Link struggled against ropes that bound his hands. "Let me go!" he yelled, though he didn't know who or what was responsible for his situation. He could feel the material bite into him as he rubbed his wrists against the rough strands, and a deep chuckle echoed from somewhere behind him.

"You cannot escape," a high-pitched chorus whispered around him. "Accept your fate, hero." Yellow smoke had begun drifting towards him, and he blew at it as hard as he could as if somehow his breath could dissipate the tendrils that were already snaking up towards him.

"Accept your fate," the voices echoed again as he jerked his head up and his wrists apart. The smoke had almost reached his nose. He gagged at the scent. His lungs felt like they were on fire. With the last of his strength, he twisted sharply away - and suddenly the ropes were gone. He stumbled forward onto the ground, his vision swirling. So this was how the great Hero of Time finally met his end.

But there was no smoke, no laughter, no voices. The ropes he had felt binding him had been no more than the blanket twisting in his hands, and he let go of it with a sigh, allowing himself to feel the chill of the night air against his sweat-covered body. It was just a nightmare, he told himself sternly, though there still seemed to be an acrid smell in the air. Nightmares had plagued him since his defeat of Ganon a little over a year ago; each one threatening him in a new and horrible way. You're fine, he thought. But he did not feel fine; far from it.

Every time he had one of these nightmares, he wished Navi was still with him. Despite all her faults, the fairy had provided him with constant companionship, something which Link had come to rely on during their long journey together. On nights like tonight, he often had trouble falling back asleep; something the comfort of another's presence could help him with. However, though Navi wasn't there, Link reminded himself that he did still have one friend he could turn to in a time of need.

Shivering, he grabbed his blanket from the floor where it had fallen. He didn't care that it was late at night, and that he should probably be using more than just his blanket to shield himself from the cold. He had faced worse drops in temperature before, and likely would face worse again. Walking out the door, he leaned over the balcony and stared down at his friend. Epona. She was a fine horse, a gift from Malon at Lon Lon Ranch. After his adventure was over, he had thought it only right to return her to the family who had raised her, but her previous owner had felt differently. "She's bonded to you now, Link," Malon had told him earnestly, refusing to take the reins from him. "To take her away would be cruel. Nothing hurts people more than being separated from the ones they love."

And now, Link found that he was very grateful to have her. Slowly climbing down the ladder, he placed a hand on her neck. "Hi girl. Mind if I stay with you tonight?" He got no response; her slow and steady breathing told him Epona was asleep. He smiled and hummed the first few notes of Epona's Song quietly. He did not know if horses could dream, but if they did, he hoped that she was not also haunted by the nightmares of a world torn apart by evil. Looking to her as if silently asking her permission, he laid out his blanket on the ground next to her. She might have been a horse, and she might have been asleep, but at least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of the night alone.

*****

The next morning, he awoke to a shrill tone, repeated in a distinctive pattern. He stretched his hand out to the side, reaching for his weapons before remembering that he had fallen asleep outside, and his weapons were still inside the small house the Kokiri had permitted him to stay in. Thankfully, he had a good idea of where the noise came from and what it was, and he highly doubted he would need to defend himself from it.

"Hero of Time." The voice came from several feet in front of him, and Link stretched briefly before picking himself up off the ground. The voice belonged to one of the members of the Royal Guard, and the noise he had heard was a trumpet being played by his partner. He saluted them both, standing at attention until they reached him. He realized too late that he was dressed only in his undershirt and a pair of breeches that did not quite reach all the way to his ankles – certainly not appropriate attire to greet messengers of the princess in. Thankfully, he was quite well-known around Hyrule, and the members of the Royal Guard were no more likely to laugh at him than they were to make fun of Zelda herself.