Mindtrap

Chapter 2: Once More Unto The Breach

Link snapped his head round to look where the voice had come from. A woman's voice, he recognised, and a familiar one at that. Who's... He was quick to identify who had yelled at him, once he had looked around the throng in the market square.
And it was one of the last people he had expected it to be. A parallel to an old friend, and in his home timelines the mother of his dearest companion. Someone whom he would never have thought would be so vehement in her hatred.
He looked over towards her. "Impa?!"
She pushed through the crowds. "Oh, do you remember my name, then? How about the names of the rest of my family? The ones you destroyed, thirty years ago? My brother? My sisters? My father?"
His mouth flickered open, then closed again. It would be futile to try to explain that in himself, he was barely twenty-four. Oni'kara had been the one to commit whatever terrible act it had been, unable to feel any love or anything but rage - but Oni Link was the one getting the blame. And not for the first time. In many of the worlds he had seen, memories of his previous life were - less than positive. Quickly, he thought. It was worth a try. "What about Alena?"
Mixed, confused emotions flickered across Impa's features, and Link caught the resonance of the feelings in her mind. "What do you know of my daughter? Are you so determined to destroy us all?" she answered in bitter tones.
"No! I don't... as far as I know, she's fine!"
That's only because you haven't got to her yet. The verbal thought was so strong Link couldn't help hearing it, and internally winced.
I'd never hurt her! "That wasn't me..." he whispered to himself. "I'm not what you think..."

But, deep in his heart, he knew it was a lie. Impa had called him a murderer - and he knew that was what he was. So many had fallen to the infinity-bladed sword he proudly carried - and even before his transformation, he could hardly have claimed his innocence. The price of his immortality was to always remember just who it was paying it.
The Fierce Deity. A killer. A destroyer.
Even as he thought it, a second impulse came hot on its heels. You can claim you want peace - but inside, isn't war what you crave? "Shut up," he muttered inaudibly, and in a hurry walked away through the crowds. Most people shuffled away, nervously. Not that he blamed them. It wasn't as if he blended into the crowds now. Almost not looking where he was going, trusting his instincts rather than his sight and hearing, he headed east out of the square.

It was quieter out here. Most of Clock Town's people had been in the market that day, giving Link a chance to recover from the fear he had felt slamming into him. Not here. Not now. They have no reason to be scared, any more. But... can I help what I am? Silently, he shook his head, brushed the silver hair out of his eyes, and walked towards the old eastern gate.
As he reached it, one sound caught his ear. A pleasant one, this time - laughter. Quickly, he glanced back the way he had come to see who it was - but as soon as he had heard it, he had recognised it exactly.
This was another timeline, he told himself. There's no reason for things to be quite how you remember. Don't get angry, jealous - fierce. It was bound to happen. But... why? And... how come... him? I didn't think he even existed! Not really... So... what does that mean?...
He paused for a moment, looking at the scene, an unwanted intruder.
Unregarded, on the veranda rooftop of the Stock Pot Inn, Alena continued to laugh along with her companion. Placing an arm around his shoulder, she leant in to place a kiss on his cheek. His red, sparkling eyes lit up, and he returned the embrace.
Despite himself, despite all he knew he had done in his home timeline, Link caught a faint smile creeping onto his lips. Well, she's happy. That's the main thing. Only... does her father know... her boyfriend here is... Sheik? When I remember he had such a grudge against the shadow-folk... He blinked. Or maybe, this timeline, she's living with her mother.
It's probably the best thing for her.

Still, it was best not to dwell on the past, he decided. Although it hurt him inside - she was gone from his life, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Not that it made the separation any easier. I had to leave. It was destiny. I couldn't change it, he told himself over again. With one last regretful backwards glance, he continued on his way.

-

Meanwhile, Saria wandered through the back streets of Clock Town, in awe. She couldn't believe it. Who would have thought so many people existed in the whole world? The forest... well, there had been only about fifty Kokiri in the village she had known all her life. She'd met one or two more during her time at her own Link's side. But she'd met that many people in just her first few seconds. And all the adults... she felt about as big as a fairy.
"Some place, huh, Riva?" she whispered to her flying guardian. The fairy gave a tinkling, nervous reply. "Oh, come on. You don't believe that. Do you? I mean, if something was going to happen to me, it would've already, right? Right?"

Suddenly, she paused, hearing something. She looked around. "Did you catch that?"
"Catch what?" Riva whispered, in a thin musical voice.
"I could hear someone talking. I think... I think it was an old lady... no, two..." Saria's voice was full of surprise. To her, old people were strange, foreign creatures, coming from a forest where none ever grew beyond their early years. Kokiri could live for centuries, barring misfortune - but never aging.
Yet - all around her - people changed with every passing day. And perhaps - she would have to change with it too. Outside the forest's confines, would she age... just as they did?
One day... become like one of the old women she could hear? "They were there! Again!"
"I didn't hear anything... hang on! Hey, Saria! I'm picking them up... Sounds like the voices are coming from - inside you! But that's... stupid..."
They concentrated, trying to hear more closely what the voices said. None of which made much sense.
"How much longer have we got to stay in this kid's..."
"Until we can once again see the dark..."
"But the - " the next word was one Saria understood even less than the rest - "has already cleared off! We've missed our chance!"
"Hoo, hoo. Hardly... He'll come back, the darkness fresh within him. Then we'll have our chance."

The voices left them. Saria shook her head. "That was... weird..."
"You're telling me. But... do you think they were talking about... him?"
"What... you mean... the... er, Link? I don't know. Don't have a clue."

-

He reached out over the canyon's rocky face, and pulled himself up. Technically, Link guessed it would be easier to levitate up to the cliff top, one of the few powers he had been able to master - but it wouldn't be as much fun. Besides, he wasn't quite sure he trusted himself to use his dark powers correctly. The climb up Ikana Canyon was a simple enough one for him, although more than once he ran out of handholds and was forced to shove his dagger into the rocks. This was one of those times where his trademark sword would be no use, he mused.
Probably, as the Guardian of Time, he shouldn't have been bothering with such frivolous pursuits as a spot of rock climbing. But after all, he had forever to kill. Shoot. Bad choice of words there... he thought, and paused a minute, regaining his composure. He sighed, and continued on his path upwards, following a silent compass in his mind.

The top of the canyon was not how he remembered it. When he had been here last, it had been dead and empty, a waste filled with mummies and crows, circling for any meagre scraps of food - which would have included the boy he had been if he had not kept his eyes open. But now - he saw more proof of just how far he was from home.
Ikana was green again. The thriving civilisation that had long ago existed here in his own timeline - still did. A lump formed in Link's throat as he looked around the vista, shining diamond eyes committing every detail to memory.
Strange - for some reason, this felt like home. He'd been here before - this thriving valley, not the barren Ikana he knew. Déja vu battered his senses for a moment, but he recovered quickly. No. You haven't been here before, Link. Have you, Oni? For a split second, he flinched at the unconscious use of his other name, before shaking the feeling off. But that was it, he was sure. The part of him that was more than a human had seen this...
Can't spend too long down memory lane. I've got something to do here.

It was easy enough to see where trouble lay. In this Ikana valley, a village clustered on the mountainside beyond the castle. Usually, it would have been a peaceful enough scene. But not today.
It was under attack. The shadow of a monster, winged and taloned, fell across the slope. As Link watched, a burst of flame shot from its mouth and struck one of the wooden houses. Its inhabitants rushed out to safety - or what they thought would be safe. Instead, the flying serpent dived down towards its prey, snatching the running figures from the ground.
You have to stop this! Who knows what havoc this could cause... It's not exactly the Evil King, but this is such a peaceful country - they're not going to stand a chance! he thought. But deep inside something else whispered, It's a battle. It's why you're here. Don't rationalise it.

Each pace Link took towards the battle, each beat of his heart, brought an extra surge of power into his mind and body.
This is why you were born, reborn, recreated... You're a warrior, Link, Oni'kara - and your chance is coming...
As he held onto his sword, flashes of blue light began to flicker along the blades, man and weapon becoming one - as indeed, they always were. Link felt the dark currents beginning to flow, the charges of energy coursing through every vein.
It's time.

The Fierce Deity began to run onwards, helix blades carving the air into slivers of light. Fighting on instinct, he leapt towards his adversary and smashed his sword down towards the creature's back. Writhing around, it threw him to the floor - but a lightning disc flew straight for its eyes as Link backflipped away from its lashing claws and the plumes of fire it spat wildly.
"You'll have to do better than that, if you think you're going to get away with this..." he whispered. Picking up on shards of intention, he vaulted away from the dragon's charges and slashed deep into its underbelly. In agony, it threw its head back.
One final blow, one last stroke of the sword, and the dragon collapsed to the floor, crumbling into dust that would blow away across the valley floor. The Ikana river would be the last step in quenching its fire.
But as for Link - it would take more than that to calm the fire that now raged within him. The battle had barely been a warmup. He shoved his sword roughly into the ground, and closed his blazing eyes as he hung onto its handle. The deep, ragged breaths he drew were not a sign of any physical exhaustion - but of a deeper mental conflict. It would be so easy, so easy, he thought, to just let his dark side take over again - but he knew he could not afford to. Eventually, he sighed and looked around. Two of the villagers were coming nervously towards him. It was probably best he left. Before they became his next victims.
He shook his head and walked away, yanking his sword out of the floor and slinging it away over his shoulder as he went. At least, away from the battlefield the recent memory of what he had done would not be around him to hint at the darkness. Fate held no silent call in his mind any longer, now his battle was done. For the moment, his time was his own - though he had nothing to do with it.

One thing, he knew for sure.
I'm not needed here. He began to head back to Clock Town on foot, but paused.
It's worth a try. Will this work?... How do I... Silently, he closed his eyes and focused. The clock tower... it's there in my mind... All I have to do... Concentrate...
He looked around again. It looked like he would have to do this the old way. Link picked his silver ocarina out and played the same song of soaring he had used as a child. This time, it worked, and an ethereal wind whipped him away.

The scenery fixed and formed once more. He'd arrived behind the tower - and fortunately, no-one had seen him.
I shouldn't have to hide! he thought, angrily. I'm what I am - and if anyone else has a problem with it, well, it's their problem...
He walked away northwards into the park, and unconsciously towards his old home while he had lived in Termina.

-

At the foot of the slide, Saria clasped her head in shock. "Who's that?" she whispered to Riva.
"It's me. You know? Same fairy you've known all your life?"
"No... it's not you, Ri! Those voices... they're back... yeaarh!" she yelled, catching the attention of more than one passer-by. She collapsed to her knees, in a halo of violet light. "I don't know who you are... just... leave me alone!"
"No worries, kid... he's back..."
"We don't need to hitch a lift in here any more..."

The violet halo exploded away from Saria, forming into two figures.
Figures on broomsticks.

Link watched on. Those two... he'd had more than enough trouble off them...
Narrowing his eyes, he began to focus. The blue energy that usually cascaded from his sword began to form a brilliant sphere between his hands. "What are you... witches... doing with Saria? Get away from her... she's none of your concern!"
One of the pair flew over. "Ohoh, lalandin - " Link didn't recognise what he presumed was a Gerudo word, but his subconscious kicked in with a translation, night warrior - "it's not her we're after. It's you."
He readied himself to throw the fireball in the witch's face. "You should know better than that..."
"No, lalandin." The second broomstick flew over.

"We're here to help you," Kotake smiled.

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