Updated Feb 1st 2011

The Legend of Zelda
The Winged Ones
Chapter 5: Wings vs. Shadows

Dark disappeared, Chirin's scream hung heavy in the air. The elevator hit rock bottom and Link stumbled out now almost fully recovered from the drain of the Deity form. He was rather depressed, he had succeeded only to fail a second later because of foolish mistake.

     Link figured that since Dark had twice taken his son and has seen him so weak that his dark nemesis must think he has already won.

Link stood on the steps of the sun scorched temple and looked onwards towards home. The only way out of the mountains where he stood, was by air. He had to transform again.

     Link called forth the wings as his green tunic and blonde hair melted into the form of the Tenshioni. As before his shield and sword vanished in this form leaving him with the single huge double helix blade. But this time his Hylian form left behind the belt he wore with his gear still in his side bags and the ocarina still strapped to his belt. And this time his quiver was still at his back along with his bow. He looked around not seeing Kaepora, but he knew the sage had somehow altered the state of his transformation so that Link would keep the items he needed in the battle ahead, light arrows are the only thing that seems to give Link an advantage against Ganon. As Link reached into the satchel on his belt he found a red potion, just what was needed to counteract the results of so much missed sleep. "Thank you, Kaepora." Link said as his feathers unfurled. With his strength restored by the potion Link set off his grand wings towards the Temple of Time.

    Link decided not to dispel the wings until after Gannon was defeated. His second recovery was swifter than when he dispelled the wings in the desert but the initial blow was just as intense. Link did not even want to think about the consequences of staying in the Tenshioni form so long, but he could not afford the time to recover from the draining effects of the transformation until all was said and done. He could not afford to be out of commission whilst within Ganon's reach.




    Link arrived far more swiftly by air than he had before by horseback, it was just barely still daylight when the castle came into view.

The sun was low on the horizon as Link landed outside the Temple of Time, red clouds hung I the air as if stained with the blood of the setting sun. He folded his wings behind him the tips of the longest feathers brushing the steps as she approached the doors of the temple.

   Link walked inside the already open door and stood at the end of the room. The peace and beauty of the temple was broken by what laid within.
Gannon stood beside the alter where the 3 Spiritual Stones still rested for the time line was brought back to the moment just before the doors opened, the stones remained in place when Link replaced the Master Sword and sealed the Doors of Time.
Gannon's dark face was smug and his flame colored eyes sharp and cruel. He had not changed since Link last saw him, his tall and burly body still cloaked in his red king's robe and elaborate Gerudo clothing, his skin the color of the desert people and his hair the color of blood and flames.
Chirin was gagged and bound to a pillar trying to wriggle free his eyes wild with fear. Dark stood propped against the same pillar in his flesh form, with his tan skin, black hair and red eyes, a dark mirror of Link, arms folded with a devious grin upon his face.

    Ganon spoke first "My comrade here told me of this new form you have taken…I have never seen the likes of a creature such as you …impressive." He grinned darkly "But not as impressive as the power I uphold."
The Dark King sneered "Open the doors and remove the sword. If you fail to do so the punishment will be the loss of your son's life." Link spoke not a word as he lifted his sword and stared at Gannon with sharp cold eyes, Gannon smirked "So you want to play then do you? Fine, watching you beat into submission will be grand amusement." Gannon turned to the shadow of Link "Just don't kill him." "Right" Dark said slyly as he went on the attack.

  Dark's face with lit with a devious grin, the doppelganger's entire meaning for existence was a fight such as this and he relished in every moment with sinister desire. Link was taken aback by the fierce energy of Dark, he was barely able to defend against each blow of the blackened version of the Master Sword let alone retaliate an attack.

During the deadly dance of blades Link's sword only tasted flesh once, leaving a slice in Dark's cheek, deep enough that blood trickled into the shadow's mouth

    "Nice move." Dark said with a cruel grin, wiping the blood from his face and staring at the blood that now coated his hand, relishing in the color "And now..." said the dark incarnation "Now it is my turn." The shadow's moves were driven by the pleasure of battle and he attacked with a new intensity, Link barely able to keep up with the savage energy of his opponent.  

Link wings were getting in the way as he fought, he was not used to this new body and the feather's weight and bulk were making the hero's moves cumbersome. And though Link retained most of his items in the form of the Tenshioni Link was shieldless, relying on the huge double helix blade for both attack and defense.
Dark saw that Link was faltering and grew ever more confident in his attack.

"What's the matter little birdy?" Dark taunted "Shall I clip those wings for you?" He said diving at a wing as Link recoiled it in response "At least I am not Ganon's lap dog." Link retorted lunging and missing "Oh I may be a stray mutt who stays at Ganon's side" Dark said gracefully dodging "but only because he lets me do whatever I want when… it comes…to….you!" the last of his sentence came with pause as he took a huge swing with each word.

Dark feeling overconfident and not wanting the fight to end too soon began to toy with Link, landing small and shallow cuts grinning with each grimace of pain from the hero. Dark glanced over to Ganon and saw he was getting irritated, it was time for Dark to speed things up but he was also not going to compromise his fun.

The shadow jumped and landed ever so daintily on the edge of Link's raised blade, defying logic and gravity as he did so, causing the hero to pause in shock. Dark suddenly cast his shield aside and leapt down from the sword his blade biting into Link's cheek as he reached out with the other hand, forcing Link to the tile below, tackling the winged hero and pinning him to the ground in a flurry of feathers.

Link hit the tile hard under the weight of himself and his shadowy double, the sword was knocked from his hand as he landed with a sharp clank as his armor hit the polished stone.

    Dark was crouched down over Link who lay flat on his back on the floor with his hip to the side as one leg was caught under the other. Dark stood with one boot atop the hero's pure white feathers, his hand at the center of the hero's chest. The blade still caught in the flesh of Link's face making the red marks of the Oni appear to bleed under his right eye, the sword's stance threatening to cut in closer as if to take the hero's eye.
Link's wings laid spread out upon the ground on either side of him their grace reflected in the blood spattered tile floor.

   Dark had his head held high, glancing down at the fallen hero with a victorious grin.
Link looked up a the figure in shock, that attack was pure play, the shadow being is merely toying with him, Dark could have easily finished his task just then. The Shadow sneered at Link relishing the anguish on the hero's face.

As Link met his snaky gaze anger welled up within him, Link reached up and grabbed Dark who was taken aback by the sudden embrace, Link heaved heavily with his wings pushing his form off the ground and up to the ceiling. Dark lashed out cutting at one of Link's wings and Link promptly dropped the dark incarnation who hit the ground flat on his back with a sharp thud and a heavy umpf.

    "Well played." said the shadowy being as he picked his crumpled form off the ground wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Link hovered above him, sick with rage. As he prepared for an attack blinded by hate a voice suddenly reached him snapping him out of his fit of growing rage.

"Link, with this form comes the gift of wings but also the gift of the magic my people are masters of. Light is the enemy of darkness, the blade you hold can win if it tastes the blood of a Tenshioni. Look deep within yourself, the soul of the mask knows what to do." the words faded, Link quietly landed on the tile floor next to his fallen sword which laid amidst the bloodied feathers that fell from Dark's attack. Blood dripping from the cut to his face and wing, Dark circling him like a cat with a wounded bird.

Link narrowed his eyes as he reached up with one hand, Dark stopped and watched puzzled at Links odd body language. Link brought the tip of the sword to the palm of his outstretched hand. With a sudden and sharp motion Link thrust the sword up past his hand, the full length of the blade cutting into his palm, the blood coating the edge of the blade from tip to hilt. Link never flinched and his sharp gaze never faltered as he did so.

  Dark stared in awe of the fierce form before him, those eyes struck fear even into a creature as foul as him. As link grasped the hilt with his bloodied hand the blood pact was complete and the blade began to glow with an intense and pure light, the light of the Goddesses.

Dark found himself unable to move and he began to scream in pain and horror his sly grin gone on his now twisted face as his flesh turned to shadow. Link charged with a fierce cry as he struck the now solid black shadow figure slicing him in two from head to toe. The shadow form of Link began to shatter and break and with the trailing sound of his scream became nothing more than dust in the wind.

   With his victory Link acted quickly, taking flight and diving to the pillar his son was bound to cutting him free with a swift and precise strike "Run!" was all he said to the boy who swiftly fled the Temple his eyes full of tears.

  Gannon was taken aback by how quickly things had unfolded, within moments he had lost his captive and his cruelest minion.
  
With a growl a huge sword appeared in the Dark King's hand and the finial battle began.