Another Evil (Four Swords Fanfiction)

The Truth--And Vio--Comes Out

Zelda's Point of View:

      "Do you regret it?" I asked.

     He frowned, his brow furrowed and you could see him wracking his brain as if he thought he should know what I was talking about. "Regret what?" He asked at last.

     "I don't know...I had a dream...some sort of nightmare. The skies were black but the clouds were white and the grass was grey and...I heard screaming and everything looked like Hyrule...and then...I saw the Dark Mirror."

     His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised into an expression of astonishment and a bit of horror, but the expression vanished and his face returned to his usual deadpan.

     "You know what that is...don't you?"

     His voice was still full of emotion, no matter how much he tried to block them out. "I-I do...but he broke it. Shadow Link, I mean! It was the source of Vaati's power and I think a chunk of Ganon's, we beat him too easily...but it was also connected to Shadow...Shadow Link's source of life. It's destruction meant his death, though..." He swallowed. "I also read a couple books talking about the people of the Gerudo desert; I know it's meant to be in a pyramid near a village in the middle of the desert, and it's supposed to be sacred, so it was supposed to protect the Dark Mirror by being careful of who enters...it was odd that it showed up in the fire temple...and then the palace of winds...I read about rumors that the mirror itself has a spirit that decides where the mirror goes, to the point where the mirror is a living entity in a way."

    I couldn't help it; I'm afraid I snorted. "Inanimate objects do not live...those rumors couldn't possibly be true. What next, is a hat gonna start talking? Maybe a tree? Or a sword?"

     He shrugged. "A shadow stood up on it's own legs and was nearly this kingdom's downfall this year."

     "Fair enough."

    "Anyway, you said you saw the Dark Mirror...is that all?" He looked like he wanted me to say 'yes.'

     "No...Are you aware that the shards of the mirror were claimed by the Gerudo and returned to the pyramid...one was missing. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you, Vio?"

     He locked eyes with me and pulled out a black-purple shard that he placed on the table, in between the two of us.

     "I knew it..."

     "We were close," Vio said quietly. "At a time. As I'm sure you've figured out. But the time was short and it ended too quickly. I'm certain he died angry at me. This shard was something that...reminded me of him. Of what he'd done. Of how he could have been good had I only helped him find hat chance to be good. It's a reminder of my failure, but it's also a reminder of my...friend..."

     I tried to make my voice gentle. "I think the two of you were more than friends, Vio. It's okay to admit it."

     "I was irrevocably in love with him," he said. "I am so gay, it's unbelievable."

     "The Gerudo people know. They're okay with a shard being in your hands, so long as you vow to protect it. You will protect it, won't you?"

     "With my life," he stated, pocketing it once more.

     "In my dream, I saw him...Shadow Link..."

     Vio's eyes widened. "Really?"

     "Truly." I swallowed. What if it was just a dream? Would this mess with Vio? "We talked...He can't remember anything after his disappearance. He asked abut you. He said that something was after Hyrule--whether they want to rule it or destroy it, I do not know. But he said it was either a new evil, or one that hadn't been seen for a long time. This one is new, apparently. I..." I trailed off. Vio still wore his deadpan, but there was an eagerness in his eyes. He wanted to know more about his love. "I asked him if he regretted the destruction of the mirror."

     "What did he say?" His voice was barely a whisper.

     "He wanted me to ask you if you regretted 'it,' but did not specify what he meant by 'it.' He did say that you would understand and added that he'd only regret it if it was for nothing."

     "What does that mean?" He murmured. "Go on, please."

     I kept going. "He said I was a good person, that I didn't deserve what was going to happen and that I'd make a flawless ruler eventually. And then...his eyes went red and he said...he told me to get Link to draw the Four Sword and 'stop them.' I asked who he meant but it went unanswered and I woke up."

     "His eyes only went red when he was angry, or...lustful...and once when he was badly hurt...I think they turn red when he feels strong emotions that he doesn't understand fully. I told him that too. He didn't know his eyes turned red until I told him."

     "What did he mean?" I asked, knowing it would be a soft spot but my curiosity getting the better of me. "By 'it.'"

    "...I betrayed him," he said, quietly. "Well, my loyalty was never with him, and you have to had been loyal at a point to be a traitor...and I was not loyal to him...but I still loved him and I hated the fact that I had to hurt him. I tried to break the Dark Mirror, to get rid of Vaati. I did not know doing so would kill him. But...he caught me. And tried to have me killed. I nearly died too. But I think he had to do that. He hadn't ever felt that way for anyone...We could have had something and I messed it up, I could have done so many other things, but I didn't think the situation through, and I thought I had all the information...but I didn't, evidently. Could you imagine falling for someone--the only person whoever showed you a speck of kindness and then discovering that they did that to get you to lower your guard so they could do something that will make you suffer?"

     I paused. "No, I couldn't. That must have been difficult."

    He nodded.

     "So do you regret it?" I asked.

     He looked up at me. "I think I kinda do. I could have handled it better, at least. I hurt him, Zelda. There could have been another way and I didn't find it. But when it comes to a kingdom and the boy I love? My kingdom. Always. This my home, and all the lives aren't worth his."

     "I am so sorry."

     He shrugged and offered a shaky smile. "You have nothing to be sorry about, your highness. I'm the one who's sorry."