ZUCWR III - Submissions!

This here be the Submission thread! I'll just copypasta the Topic etc, so you should all know what is expected of you!

Please keep this thread clear of anything other than submissions - questions and such should all go to the main ZUCWR thread.

Topic - Take a scene from a Zelda game - any Zelda game - and write it in your own words. It can be a boss fight, an encounter with one of the numerous NPCs dotted around Hyrule, or even just a walk in the park (assuming there are any parks in Zelda games...). It doesn't matter if you write the same scene as another person, because odds are fairly high that it'll come out completely different anyway...unless you're copying, in which case you get disqualified.

Format - The final piece can be anything up to and including 1,500 words. We don't mind if you go a little over that, but only a little. Every piece will need a title to go with it, and they should be put in quote boxes for ease of reference. You will also need to give an age rating, and tell us what scene from what game it has been taken from.

Spelling and Grammar - Microsoft Word usually gets all spelling mistakes, but make sure you read it through a few times and see that's nothing incorrectly spelled our there is lack of correct grammar in sentence parts. Do a spellcheck if you need. Any mistakes, whether minor or major, will decrease your point score for that category, and on an overall level lower your main score.

Dialogue - Hey, even if you just have Link in the scene, or a single character or whatever, you'll have to make them talk. Make sure what they say isn't exaggerated or sounds funny, make it clear whose talking, and of course have a variety of speaking description words *i.e, said, asked, inquired, replied* And remember - swearing is not allowed.

Originality - You're taking a scene that's already been made and putting it into writing yes, but if you just do that, then your score's gonna flop. Add little things we don't see, get into character's heads, have the narrator say things we didn't experience in the game. But remember, going overboard with new stuff will get you in trouble for this score as well, keep it in perfect moderation.

Description - Writing is painting a picture with words, but like real art, doing too much can make things bad, and doing too little is horrible. Just as originality, keep it in moderation. Add detail, but don't add too much, because then it'll sound funny, and your score won't be too good. Use just the right amount.

Have at it!

Wow, no one has submitted yet? Doesn't this thing close on Thursday? ^^; Anyway, I guess I'll be the first to post. I hope this is in keeping with all of the rules. If not, I may or may not get a chance to fix it before Thursday.

The Parting Gift
Taken from The Ocarina of Time (the scene where Link leaves the Forest just after receiving the Kokiri's Emerald from the Deku Tree)
Rating: E (for everyone, haha)

The Great Deku Tree was dead.

Link ran, chased by shouted accusations of murder. Logically—at least in the eyes of the arrogant Mido—the death of the Kokiri’s guardian spirit was the fault of the fairy-less boy who had been the last to visit the tree. Link was nothing short of a freak to the self-proclaimed Kokiri leader, and the ceaseless torment Mido inflicted upon him rose afresh in Link’s mind as he fled the only home he had ever known. Rather, he appeared to the rest of the Kokiri to be fleeing in guilt, when in fact he was set on a course to save Hyrule, according to the Deku Tree’s dying words.

Navi, his newly acquired fairy companion, brushed his ear and attempted an offer of comfort. “Don’t listen to Mido. He doesn’t know anything—none of them do. You and I both know the Deku Tree was already doomed before I brought you to him.”

Link kept his eyes focused ahead of him, locked on the rapidly approaching exit to the outside world. He muttered a soft, “I know.”

The weight of the Kokiri’s Emerald resting concealed within his clothing pressed against his chest. It felt like an entire moon, a burden much heavier than its physical size suggested. Thoughts of goddesses, unknown powers, and a man in black armor seeking to destroy swirled inside Link’s head and threatened to overwhelm him. He had been tossed into the swift current of destiny without much of a choice—either he did as the Deku Tree bid or Hyrule would be consumed by the dark desert man’s greed.

The castle. He had to get to the castle—more importantly, the princess. How exactly he was supposed to secure an audience with a member of the royal family, Link had no idea. He was running blind, stumbling along without a shred of a plan.

The forest’s exit loomed ahead, and without a second thought, Link hurtled through, glad to at last be rid of Mido’s incessant cries for justice. Link’s feet pounded against the wooden bridge connecting the Kokiri’s sanctuary to Hyrule Field, the echo masking the lilting animal calls. Focused as he was, he almost didn’t see her. He ran halfway across the bridge before her gentle yet clear voice stopped him.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

Skidding to a halt, Link whirled around to face Saria. Their eyes met in silence. The sight of her hair—its hue matching that of the forest leaves—and the way it framed her face, accenting her equally stunning eyes, momentarily robbed Link of the ability to respond to her question. Those same eyes that were always imbued with a playful light were now looking at him sadly. Or was there a hint of regret in them, too? Link mentally kicked himself. Wishful thinking.

Saria was staring at him expectantly now, waiting for any sort of answer. Link snapped out of his thoughts and dipped his head. “Yes, I am.”

She leaned against the ropes supporting the bridge, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Her eyes trailed away from him and down to the wooden planks at her feet. “I always knew you would leave the forest someday.” In a faint whisper, she added, “I just didn’t think this day would come so soon.”

Although hesitant, Link moved closer to her. “Saria…I have to go…”

She closed her eyes, refusing for the moment to look at him. “I know. That…doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Blinking in surprise, Link gazed at her. The tremor in her voice squelched any response he had prepared.

Saria slowly opened her eyes and turned toward him, her hands outstretched. Link thought at first that she was about to beg him to stay. And had she done just that, he was half-inclined to oblige her. What did it matter to him what happened to the rest of Hyrule? The Kokiri could shelter in the forest. The Deku Tree had been in the thralls of a diseased delirium—there was nothing a boy like Link could do to save the world.

“I want you to have this ocarina.”

Link once again pulled himself out of his reverie and looked down at her hands. They were not open and empty in preparation for pleading. Instead, they held a tiny ocarina, its surface a polished brown. There were no distinguishable markings, nothing to denote the sentiment in which Link was supposed to receive this gift. He briefly wished she had carved “Love, Saria” on the instrument’s back. But no, there was nothing.

She inched the gift closer to him. “I want you to have it so that when you play it, you’ll remember the forest. And me.”

Link’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted him to remember her specifically. That was something, at least. He gently took the ocarina from her and ran his fingers over the holes, familiarizing himself with their position. While he did have a little experience playing ocarinas, he did not by any stretch of the imagination consider himself particularly good. But that didn’t matter—it was enough that Saria wanted to present him with a parting memento.

“Thank you,” he said. “I’ll take very good care of it.” With a careful tenderness, he slipped the ocarina into his tunic. It softly clinked against the Spiritual Stone, reminding him of the Deku Tree’s directive. He knew he had to leave her. There was no escaping the fact.

“We’ll always be friends, won’t we?”

Link jerked his head up and met Saria’s eyes. The question was filled with…longing, perhaps? Why she was so concerned about staying friends with him in particular was beyond Link’s understanding. She certainly had many other friends among the Kokiri. But there was genuine care in her voice, and it made Link’s hopes soar. Yes! I’ll be your friend and more, if you want. Just tell me to stay, and I won’t go!

He wanted to shout the declaration at her, but instead, he could only bring himself to nod and say, “Of course, we’ll always be friends, Saria. I won’t ever forget you. I promise.”

A smile broke across her face for the first time during the conversation—a smile that further dispelled Link’s willpower. “I won’t ever forget you, either. I know we’ll see each other again someday.”

He wanted to run to her and wrap her in a hug. She reached her hands out and gently grasped his. The goddesses themselves were in her smile, her eyes, her hair, her touch. Thoughts of his mission plummeted from his mind. There was only her and no one else.

“Link,” she whispered, “I know you have to go. Just remember me. Hyrule is a big place, and it will probably be easy to forget the forest at times. But you can always come back here.”

Link stared at her in silence, struggling against his innate desire to remain in the forest with her. She was right. He could not disappoint the Deku Tree, nor could Link allow him to have died in vain. Without a word, he slipped his hands from hers and took a tentative step backward. Then another step. He tried to communicate to her through his eyes that he cared just as much, if not more, for her as she did for him. Gathering every ounce of his willpower, Link suddenly turned and fled to the outside world and didn’t look back. Despite the Emerald’s cold pressure against his chest, he did not care at the moment about the fate of Hyrule.

Saria alone dominated his thoughts.

This would've been up yesterday, but I hit a snag and took some time out...for revision. -_- *hates exams*

This is taken from Ocarina of Time. It's the first part of the final battle against Ganon.

Rating: T to be safe.

Word count: 1,181.

Evil's Bane

The ground rumbled beneath Link’s feet, mirroring the sudden roar of sound that came from the within the pile of rubble that had once been Ganondorf’s twisted castle. The Hero instinctively turned towards the sound and stepped in front of Hyrule’s princess, his left hand reaching back towards the hilt of the Master Sword.

Zelda swallowed. “What was –“

The Hero of Time shook his head and walked slowly towards the rubble, his fairy companion hovering above his shoulder. They both watched their surroundings carefully, searching for the source of the sound that had disturbed them, but the remains of the nightmare tower seemed to be still and silent. The stone and wood and metal seemed unnaturally dark, but after being under the King of Evil’s influence for such a long time –

The sound of flickering flames surrounded the Hero. He spun around, towards the wall of flames that separated him from the princess, only to have his attention dragged back towards the rubble as it began to shift and crack. The dark stone broke, blackened wood split, groaning metal snapped…and after what felt like an eternity, the entire pile erupted, debris fountaining into the air, freeing the dread figure that lay beneath.

For the second time that day, the Hero of Time faced the King of Evil…but this time, the Evil King’s eyes burned an unnatural, sickly green, and his face was contorted into an expression of utter hatred.

Insanity, the Hero decided, was far more terrifying than calculated cruelty or rationalised evil could ever be.

Ganondorf thrust his clenched fist towards the Hero. The glowing Triforce symbol half-hid the Evil King’s twisted leer, casting hellish shadows over the visible portion of his face. It gave him the visage of some immortal demon, destined to rise again and again to ravage the world, no matter how many times a hero stepped forward to send it back into the abyss.

Wishing for it to be over so that Hyrule could rebuild and he could finally rest, the Hero of Time drew Evil’s Bane and pulled the Mirror Shield from his back…and Ganondorf was engulfed in the light of his Triforce piece. It covered his chest and spread down his limbs, it bathed his head…and it changed him.

Ganondorf’s head warped, subsuming his human features. His limbs lengthened and thickened; his chest broadened and deepened; his feet grew wider and harder. Barely recognisable as the Gerudo he once was, the King of Evil slammed onto the ground in front of his nemesis and stood. More beast than man now, the Triforce of Power’s corrupting light finally faded as a gargantuan bronze-coloured blade grew in each of Ganon’s hands.

Insanity was definitely more terrifying.

But insane or not, this was still the King of Evil, and the Hero wielded Evil’s Bane, a weapon unlike any other in Hyrule or any other land. The Hero stepped forwards, determined to finally end this, deflected a wild blow with the Master Sword –

– and gasped in pain as the weapon was wrenched from his hand.

Link turned to stare as the ancient blade spun through the air. It buried itself in the ground beyond the edges of the fire, behind Zelda, lying beyond the Hylian warrior’s reach, and Link felt a twinge of despair tug at his soul. He would be facing the King of Evil…but without Evil’s Bane in his hand.

Could he do it?

Navi spun into Link’s field of vision, her voice determined. “There's no way he's going to hold me back again!” The fairy glowed bright for a moment. “This time, we fight together!”

Link took a deep breath. “Thanks, Navi.” He turned back to the King of Evil and drew his bow. “Let’s finish this.”

Ganon roared and brought one great foot crashing down near the Hylian. Link hurled himself to one side and rolled out of the path of the monster’s twin blades before notching an arrow and muttering a swift incantation to the Goddesses. Fire and ice would do little to faze the King of Evil, but divine light was another matter.

With Navi guiding his aim, Link barely had to look at the once-Gerudo before him before letting the magically charged arrow fly. The shaft buried itself in Ganon’s head and exploded into brilliant white light, making the creature of darkness roar in pain.

“Link!” Navi screeched. “His tail! Go for his tail!”

Grunting, Link vaulted over one of the beast’s twitching arms and yanked a bomb from the brace around his waist. The fuse caught fire as it came free, counting down the seconds to it’s detonation, and the Hylian hurled it at the tip of Ganon’s tail with the perfect timing born of long experience. The King of Evil screeched in pain and lurched back into motion, yanking his smoking tail out of Link’s reach and nearly decapitating the youth with a swing of his blades.

Link back-pedalled as fast as he could, trying to get out of range of those terrible bronze swords long enough to loose another light arrow. Ganon roared and lumbered after the Hylian, his feverish gaze dripping with malice, but he proved to be the slower of the two. Link leapt and rolled, knocking another arrow as he regained his feet, and loosed it at the Ganon’s grotesque head. The King of Evil flinched and raised a bronze blade to block the shaft, but he proved to be far too slow as the arrow thunked home. Again, Link took the opportunity to hurl a bomb at the monster’s tail, charring it again and angering it’s owner even more, but the Hylian barely escaped his foe’s counter-attack. The blow ripped Link’s green hat from his head and flung it somewhere among the remaining ruins of Ganon’s castle.

A voice of doubt whispered in Link’s mind. A close call, “Hero”. Will you be so lucky next time? Can you dodge these attacks forever?

The Hylian shook his head and knocked another arrow. Forever might be beyond him, but for now would be enough. Light arrow to Ganon’s head, a bomb at his tail, and enough speed – or luck – to keep those blades away from his head.

Then the King of Evil stumbled, falling to his misshapen knees and breathing heavily. Link froze for a moment, convinced there was some trick here, before a voice startled him into motion.

“Link!”

The Hylian spun round to face Zelda through the fires that separated them…except the fires were gone, and the ground was clear. And beyond Hyrule’s princess…

“The Master Sword is here! Hurry up!”

Link sprinted past the labouring form of Ganon and flashed Zelda a grin as he skidded to a stop before the Master Sword. Putting his bow away, the Hero grasped his weapon’s hilt and pulled it free of the ground, delighting anew at the perfect balance of the blade.

With Evil’s Bane in hand, the Hero of Time went to finish what had begun seven years ago and a world away, and to finally bring peace to the land of the Goddesses.

Oddly enough, I find myself having selected a Twilight Princess scene for this contest. This piece is an adaptation of the ending scene in which Link bids farewell to Ilia, and is hopefully appropriate for the purposes of this contest. (Forgive me for not giving Link any lines!)

Rated E for Ectoplasm!

Until We Meet Again
by Power Shot
The clearing just outside Ordon Village was always filled with lush trees at this time of year. The beauties of spring prevailed through the wildlife, be it the flowers which sprang from every spare inch of the ground, or even the weeds which constantly needed trimming, growing like…well, weeds. Animals crawled through the greenery, a cat who had apparently had her fill of fish and water for the day, a squirrel seeking early sanctuary for his winter nuts in the nooks of a nearby tree. Above, the sun loomed, though its light was beginning to fade, signaling to the village’s people that it would soon be time to herd the goats into the stables for their evening rest and return from the fields to dinner with their families.

He was always such a shy one, she thought with just a hint of stubborn annoyance. He still was, in a way, but now his shy demeanor seemed to have become something akin to quiet dignity, the same sense she got from her father’s strongest goat: powerful, yet reserved. Even now, in a lover’s embrace, he seemed hesitant to yield to the peculiar emotions that she felt in his racing heartbeat. She knew, her head was nestled against the organ, though it was covered by a rough shirt, his suit of mail, and the green tunic of his clothes. The ragged scrap ends of his hair, golden as wheat like hers, mixed so nicely with her elegant curls, she thought absent-mindedly. She breathed with him, and her nose took in the scents of his journeys. Gunpowder and ashes from the mines, pine from the forests, and…some which were too foreign for her to identify, like a particular smell that reeked of a nasty fish on his right gauntlet. But she forgave her lover’s odors, though if she had it her way he would have been bathed the instant they had returned to Ordon. But this was enough, she thought, and looked up into his face.

To Ilia, he had always been taller than she was, even in their youth. True, he was no giant, but the way in which his arms folded around her always seemed to both make her feel small and safer than at any other time. He smiled, and she noticed once again how perfect his teeth were and the fact that, though his outfit was smelly, his breath was fresh, a paradox that made Ilia giggle. His eyes, fierce azure in color, were locked on her own emerald gaze. Though he was gentle and loving now, they reminded her of what a powerful warrior he was. Not that she had just his eyes as proof of that; the muscles under his clothes were that of Hyrule’s hero, a champion. Her lover.

In the distance, the village’s bell rang, signaling the end of the day, disrupting the quiet that the lovers had been enjoying. It rang seven times before it died down, and again nothing but their heartbeats and the soft breeze that caressed them filled their ears. A few feet away, a powerful war horse neighed her desire to be off, and Ilia sighed with a hint of sadness. He broke their embrace, and glanced at the auburn mare with an expression of disappointment on his face.

“Must you go?” she asked suddenly, but a moment afterwards cursed herself for her selfishness. Of course he had to go, there was never a question of doubt about that. He nodded, a bit reluctantly, but took her hand into his and led her to the mare. He wanted to spend as long as he could with her, but unfortunately that time had run up. The horse, attuned with the senses of the beast, knew when he was stalling, and pawed at the ground to express her eagerness, her voice carrying softly through the clearing.

With their free hands, they brushed through the snowy mane of the mare, remembering a time not too long ago, but somehow impossibly distant. They laughed at how much of a boy he had once been, too thick-headed to even wrestle a goat, much less save the world. He chided her at how much a girl she had once been, too stubborn to clue him in on her affections for him. A trickle of tears fell from her eyes, caused by the reminiscing, and his sharpened in concern, wondering what was wrong. He was very thick, and didn’t understand the pangs of regret she felt aching in her heart.

She brushed her sobs off in a vain attempt to shield her dignity. Crying over a boy like some love-struck fool, she thought to herself. “It’s nothing,” she mumbled, and rubbed her cheeks red to get the moisturized evidence of her feelings off her face. “It’s just…” Her voice faltered, as if her voice box was somehow afraid of the question she so wished to get off her chest, and of the answer she might receive from him. Ilia took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and clasped her hands around his, refusing to break eye contact with her love.

“Is this goodbye?” Ilia sought to know. At first, his expression was that of disbelief, not understanding what could possibly possess her to think such a thing. But he smiled, and shook his head. Then, to the surprise of Ilia, he lowered his head and kissed her lips, her soft mouth. He would return, when Hyrule was restored to its former glory. He would most certainly return, for her.

Ilia was speechless, stunned by the commonly-shy man’s gesture of affection, and in such a public space too! But, before she could scold him for it, he was already on his horse, and riding off through the forest to the vast landscape of Hyrule Field. She watched him leave, arms clasped together against her chest. When she could no longer see him, she sighed, and lowered her arms to her sides. What a fool he was, she thought vaguely, and how clichéd his exit had been.

“Until we meet again,” she whispered to him, knowing they would. The air and thoughts of spring in her mind, she turned round and began her stroll back home to her father, Bo, hoping he had remembered it was his day to cook supper.

The infamous scene in OoT where Link encounters the Shadow Temple spirit is my choice. Rated E for everyone.

Ocarina of Time: The Color Out of Shadow

The Hero of Time. Courage Bearer. Noble titles. They do well to conceal this madness from the common folk, from the recollections of what exactly lives behind the imitations called nightmares. Those were only the children of abominations, imps. He had seen the murk from whence the bloodline ran. And his own heart ran cold to think of it.

Link ran a hand down an open slash in his right glove, the woven leather seemingly so tough from touch that the incision itself was surreal. His features played a grimace as he laid eyes on the black scar cocooned inside the auburn hide. He remembered the sword that had made that slash, but it made him sick to remember things which eyes are not meant to look upon…

He put his hand back to his side, to sway as he walked. The Water Temple, that place of the Deeps, was finished; he was dry at last. And so, what was he to make of his childhood moments at the azure lake? How could the beautiful fish with their cutting scales, delightful flickering auroras become so dim and black? They were soon to be pure again, now that the reflection with stars for eyes had bled out unto the pools, and Morpha was once again in slumber, but how could nature be so corrupted? He could not believe it was the same place at all. But he was lying to himself. He knew.

Ganondorf Dragmire. That name that was every bit as scorched as the desert sands. The legends of the Gerudo King, that dominance that rose from the depths of femininity! It was as if he were an equalizer, an overbeing that was the collective raw force of a thousand males that had never scratched through to the blessed womb. His face was a gaunt mask, a conspiracy of crimson hair and royal ego. And his magicks…He could strike down great wonders, and wither them into hollow scabs.

Deku, Godfather…Never in vain.

Link called for Navi, but she was nesting in a soft curl of his blonde hair, just around his ear. He knew and then was quiet. Quiet, that was, until he heard and felt the mixture of sensations that did not mix. He heard rain, and to his nostrils came the contradictory smell of...was it ash? His eyes grew wide, and his hands shook.

A conflagration fed on Kakariko Village. Ash sifted down from the once-somber House of Impa, the roaring orange and red filling the wet sky with smoke as it attempted to raze the structure to the ground. It was misery. When he reached the center of town, he was staring at a rare thing. A Sheikah’s back exposed was a symbol of utmost trust, but that was the last thing on the Courage Bearer’s mind. He could not make out the warrior’s words for the life of him, the flames were so deafening. What was he saying?! Did he speak of the vandal who did this?

Splinters spat forth as the framing of that accursed well took to the sky! The Hero remembered that orifice too well, and knew immediately the source of this chaos. Even as a boy, he knew that to be a Hell hidden in plain view. His stomach turned. He saw Sheik’s lithe form in a blur of unsightly movement now, like a dance of pain made of purple and white.

A small obstruction, as well as confusion, held the Hylian frozen in his tracks. He pulled a splinter from his brow, dribbling blood into his eye. He shrieked a curse at his luck as he tried to see what was happening. A thud revealed Link's ally lying upon the grass, limp, beneath the stair of the place where the Hero had walked as a boy, looking for trouble. Looking for Death Mountain with a letter, like a damned fool.

His teeth came together; his gums bled. He was sick and scared, and saw the thing now. A slithering movement, like a quivering vacuum of air was hungry for him. A long path of grass was being slicked over as if something was crossing it. A shadow with a rapid approach. He was blind to all but its traces. It was feet from him now, and he raised his blade. He shielded the fallen with the bird crested sigil of blue steel. Tightening his grip, made his muscles taut for a hard swing.

It was in the moment before he blacked out that he realized he had no chance.

Due to Shade's interesting post, I felt compelled to write this...the epic battle between Link and Dark Link. Rated T for Blood and Violence.

Word count: 1,434

The Shadow Battle

Mildew and the smell of rotten vegetation filled The Hero's nostrils as he strode towards the door. The dank, moist air was heavy and his breath was shallower than normal as a direct result. So much water...everything about this place screamed Zora to him. He thanked the Goddesses for the Zora's tunic, for it made breathing at least possible in this place.

He stood before the door, running his hands along the crafted design. In any other context, this place would be beautiful. It still was beautiful, but there was hardly time to admire it. No, there were far more important things on the young hero's mind.

The door slid open nearly noiselessly, demonstrating the excellent engineering that was used to build the Water Temple. Countless years underwater and the mysterious mechanics of the Temple worked perfectly.

Link stepped through, expecting a room much like the previous; full of water and some ridiculous puzzle. He chuckled softly to himself, thinking about how easily he would easily move on.

It was the slam of the door followed by the grinding sound of metal on stone that brought him back to reality. He glanced back at the door silently. Gated shut. Link sighed heavily, thinking Great...something that might actually challenge me.

He turned back to the room and choked on his own breath. The room was endless...not large, but endless. There was a tree not far away and a door beyond that, but the door seemed to be freestanding in the middle of nowhere. And it was also gated shut. He walked across to it and touched the bars. "No way out..." he mused. Navi flew out of his hat and fluttered around his head. "What do you think?" he asked her.

Navi fluttered around, inspecting the door. After a considerable amount of time, she replied, "I have no idea..." Something then caught her eye. A ripple in the air, back by the tree. "Look, what's that?" she queried.

Link saw it too. Something made him uneasy as he drew the Master Sword and walked cautiously over to it. Suddenly, a form leaped out at him...one that looked exactly like him.

Link, sensing danger, did a swift back-flip just in time to avoid the shadow's sword. Link swore an oath...that was too close for comfort. Navi flew instantly from his side and started to analyze the enemy in detail. Link jumped into action, slashing at the enemy's seemingly unguarded side. The shadow parried easily, coming back with the same move. Link took a hit to the ribs, blood seeping from the wound. He grabbed his side with his shield arm and backed off a couple of steps. Link had never really fought a skilled swordsman before and he felt a shiver of fear that his sub-par training wouldn't be enough to save him.

He shook his head in order to clear his thoughts. No, he couldn't think like that. There had to be a way to win. He jumped to the side and then dove forward with a swift stab that he hoped would catch his enemy off-guard. But, alas, the shadow simply jumped nimbly onto the outstretched blade. Link thought he could see the shadow's dark eyes smiling. How humiliating, he seethed to himself. He jumped back once more, wincing at the pain in his side. He then tried a sudden barrage of nearly random sword swings; high, low, middle, left, right, horizontal swipes and vertical swings were thrown, but each was blocked with skill. Not only were they blocked, they were...mirrored.

Link took another hit, this time to the sword arm. This made him nearly drop the Master Sword from pain. His blue tunic was now stained a shade of purple in many places. He tried to swing again, but his attack was slow, the shadow had ample time to dodge and strike back. This blow connected with Link's chest, cutting down his torso. Blood was now mixing with the ankle-deep water. Link staggered back once more, gasping for breath.

The pain was unbearable. Why couldn't he beat this phantom?

Navi flew to his ear with only words of near uselessness. "He is called Dark Link," she jingled. "Be careful...he will mirror your every move. His skill is your match in every way"

"Gee, thanks...I think I gathered that much..." he rasped, holding his most recent wound. How do I beat myself? he asked himself.

Link circled around clockwise, holding his sword out to his foe. Dark Link did the same, his black face and seemed to still be smiling. Link yelled as he leaped in the air, bringing his sword down in front of him in, what he hoped would be, a killing blow. Dark Link back-flipped out of the way and smacked Link in the face with his shield. Link was dazed, his guard dropped entirely. Dark Link drew back and thrust his sword forward, straight into Link's stomach. He leaned close to Link's face, staring him in the eyes as the light of life left them. The Hero let out a small yelp before falling silent and heavy upon the blade. Dark Link let out a raspy laugh, pulling his sword free and letting the body fall into the water with a thud. Link's blood flowed freely and mixed into the water, creating a large red cloud in the shallow pool.

It is done, Dark Link thought. He turned from the body and began walking back to the tree. He had served his purpose. He would now slip into uselessness, likely to be banished back into the abyss. A strange sound caught his attention. A light tinkling, like a small bell, and the flutter of wings. He turned and saw Link floating in the air, a small pink fairy floating around him. He watched as the blood on Link's tunic seemed to evaporate, as his wounds closed on their own accord.

Dark Link grunted, but grinned nonetheless. It looked like he'd remain in this realm for at least a little while longer...long enough to finish this fight properly.

Link felt himself lower onto the ground, life flowing back into his body. He took a deep breath. The dank air no longer bothered him. He had just seen infinity...breathing even this heavy air was a luxury and privilege. Link opened his eyes slowly, a new, cold determination set in them. It was suddenly clear to him...there was no more room for error. This phantom, this...doppelgänger was nothing more than a pawn. There was no reason for him to win. Ganondorf wanted that task for himself, that much was clear to the young Hero. Ganondorf would feel great pleasure to kill him, he knew. So there was no reason for this shadow to win.

The Hero picked up the Master Sword from where he had fallen. He did, however, leave his shield. No need for it now. He looked Dark Link in the eyes. Cold stare met cold stare. This was it. One of them would fall here and never rise again. Link dashed forward with a fearsome yell and swung his sword early. Dark Link, because of his mirror-esque nature, swung in the same fashion. His guard was down. Link had hoped for this. He rammed his blade into Dark Link's side with tremendous force. The shadow screamed in agony, leaping backwards and disappearing into the water.

Link hadn't anticipated this, but a sixth sense told him that he was in danger. He parried behind his back just in time to stop the mirror strike from Dark Link. Link smirked at his doppelgänger. "Can't think on your own, can you? Now that I know how to beat you, there is little need to continue with this battle. You will not win," he said in a sharp tone.

Dark Link looked at him and shook his head, as if to say, "There is no choice...one of us must die here today."

The Hero understood the gesture. It was all he needed. He dashed forward, again swinging far too early, causing Dark Link to do the same. This time, Link spun around and thrust his sword into Dark Link's chest, twisting the blade sharply and finally ripping it free. He turned and watched as the shadow fell to his knees. Dark Link looked up into the air, his corpse disintegrating before it touched the ground. There was no blood in his body. He was, after all, only a shadow.

Link looked around as the room gained definition. It was all a mirage...a shadow, just like his foe. He shook his head as he strode slowly to the exit. Never again would he take his shadow for granted...

So I, who has never wrote much fiction at all, am now competing against four of the foremost BAers of ZU?

Brilliant.

My entry is from Link's Awakening. Sorry folks, no inappropriate content in this tale (although I was hoping for something more pelvis-related from Power Snot, oh well).

Determined Dreamer
By Mr. Fish

Through the entrance of the shrine was an ominous staircase, descending into a cold stone chamber filled with cobwebs and the decay of centuries of abandonment that gave way to the goddesses only knew what types of secrets and horrors.

Basically, it was nothing new for our gallant hero, Link. This dark dungeon was the location of the next key, to the next dungeon, which led to the next instrument. With all the instruments, he could awaken the Wind Fish, and drive the evil away from Koholint. He was the Hero of Cataclysm's Eve. It was his destiny to face the odds, coming out with not only his life, but as a conqueror. The battles may be hard, but the victory was certain.

Link took out his sword and shield, and took a breath of the fresh air before his descent. It was a beautiful day on Koholint Island. Link could see the ocean lapping against the beaches of the island, by which he had arrived just weeks ago. He could almost hear the laughter from the Mabe and Animal villages, and feel the heat form the nearby desert. Off in the distance was the Tal Tal Mountain range, and atop sat the ever-vigilant egg of the Wind Fish, reminding Link of his mission. So, gripping his trusted weapons tightly, he charged down those stairs.

Or at least he would have been charging, but the darkness of the dungeon made it nigh impossible to see anything, much less run through it. As his eyes acclimated to the dark, Link checked his surroundings. All was still mostly pitch black, but he could faintly make out a doorway at the far end of the corridor. He listened carefully for so much as a scuffle as he approached, but only his soft footsteps broke the silence. He passed carefully into the next chamber, but there was nothing in there either, save for some type of huge structure in the center of the room. He walked slowly and cautiously toward this giant monument, squinting to try to identify it. It seemed like a huge, humanoid statue of some sort. Curious, Link reached out to touch its bulky frame; he had no idea what it was or what it was for - until it hit him. Much to Link's surprise, the statue suddenly animated, and with a swing of its great stone arm launched our hero back a good twenty feet. The last thing Link felt was the force of a hard stone wall, and then he blacked out.

________________________


Link sat on the beach. He could hear the gulls chattering overhead, and the tide coming in from a beautiful golden sunset spread out in front of him. By his side sat the beautiful maiden Marin, gazing off into the distance intently, as if she was looking for something.

"You know, Link..." Marin said, breaking the silence, "Sometimes...Sometimes I wish I could travel other lands, you know. Explore the world...."

She turned to Link and smiled. Link, entranced by her melodic voice, remained silent.

"See those seagulls up there?" Marin said, looking up. "Wouldn't it be great to be a seagull? To just fly away to wherever you want...If I were a seagull I would fly everywhere, singing and spreading my music to everyone...". Marin seemed to be fighting back tears, "But it seems fate has doomed me to this little island...but maybe...maybe, Link, after you awaken the Wind Fish, he can grant my wish and we both could travel the world together?"

Link had no idea how to respond. Nowhere he had traveled had ever been as perfect as Koholint island. Even his home of Hyrule was filled with people that, even after he had saved them and the wanted signs were uprooted, still treated him like a criminal. Corrupt politicians emerging from the formerly chaotic Hyrule were jealous of his position with the royal family, and the lingering minions of Ganon sought his blood every day. He sailed away from Hyrule to escape, to find a place like Koholint, a land that he would be happy to purge of evil, not just destined to.

"Link...where you came from....what was it like? How does it compare to things here in Koholint?" Marin interrupted his thoughts, her eyes searching for an answer.

Link decided he would stay quiet no more, he would tell Marin how he really felt, about her and about Koholint...

________________________


Link awakened. His head throbbed, his back ached, but all else seemed to be well as he struggled to his feet. He could see through the darkness much more clearly now. He now saw the Armos Knight that caused him his pain, once again still as a statue, standing in the corner just waiting for its destruction. Determined, Link ran into battle. Blades bled, shields were indeed broken, but the difficulty of the battle did not effect the inevitability of the outcome. With a little help from his bow and arrows, our hero triumphed over the beast, and victoriously pulled the key out of his strewn rubble.

Link turned to exit this wretched dungeon (so that he might go to yet another, ironically, Link thought), but the sound of stone grinding on stone caught his attention. A opening had sprung from what seemed to be solid wall, and silently beckoned Link to enter. Despite that he had already gotten what he had came for, Link's curiosity urged him through the opened door. Inside was yet another chamber, mostly empty and pitch dark. Link felt around the room and stumbled upon a set of torches, what luck! He quickly lit the torches, his eyes were drawn to a writing etched in stone on the wall. It read:

"TO THE FINDER: THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT, IS BUT AN ILLUSION. HUMAN, MONSTER, SEA, SKY, A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER'S EYE. AWAKE THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE. CAST- AWAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH!"

...It took a moment for Link to truly realize the meanings of the words in front of him, but when he did, no Armos Knight could strike him with such force. He dropped his sword and faltered as the weight of those fateful letters bore down on him. First came confusion, and then came denial, but in the end, he knew it to be true. What the owl had said, what the owl statues had said, what the nightmares had said...it all came together now. But what is reality? What is truth? How could something as perfect and beautiful as Koholint be a complete lie? Or was its perfection that made it a lie? And what about Marin? Did she really...?

The hours passed. Link sat with his back propped against that fateful stone tablet, his head tucked into his upright knees. As the murky waters of his mind cleared, he lifted his head, once again focused on the “real” world. He was unclear how long he had spent lingering in his mental anguish, but now was his time to stop. He spotted his sword on the ground, reminding him once again of his duty. For he was the hero, after all. He would proceed to the next dungeon, slay the next nightmare, get the next instrument, so that he could eventually awaken the Wind Fish. It was his destiny to face the odds, coming out with not only his life, but as a conqueror. The battles may be hard, but the victory was certain.

Link crawled out of the dungeon, his vision failing from the glaring sunlight. He could again hear the oceans, now his grim reminder of his imprisonment in this illusion. The heat of the desert stung him, and the villages to the south were dull and silent. The precipitous mountains stood erect in the distance with the egg perched upon them; the symbols of Link's difficult struggle towards his thankless goal.

So it seemed what he told Marin was right. Koholint truly was the island of his dreams.