Memories and Moments:LoZ:Ch.15

Chapter 15: Conflicts

"Are you sure you sense something, Vaati?" Link asked.

"Yes… I'm very sure of it!" Vaati said with certainty.

This time, Vaati was in the lead. Like the wind he commanded, he walked briskly yet still gracefully as he followed his senses. He felt that something was not right… that there was something he just needed to attend to.

'What is it with him? I wonder what's up…?' Link thought. He never saw Vaati so serious.

He tried to keep up his pace with Vaati, never expecting the sorcerer to be this swift in his movements. He then realized that he bumped onto Vaati's back.

He never realized that the sorcerer stopped walking a few seconds ago.

"Link…" Vaati said, in a low tone.

"Yes?"

Vaati shakily raised a finger and pointed somewhere in front of them. Link followed with a gaze to see what the sorcerer was looking at…

He then rushed to where Vaati was pointing at, but the sorcerer stayed where he was. He can't move from where he was staying.

No.

Not when he was horribly stunned.

"Are you alright?!" Link said, panicking.

The hero knelt down before his friend, the shadow hero. The poor boy was helpless…

Earlier, Dark seemed to be so full of vigor and life; but now, he is but a limp creature. His fierce eyes of crimson were closed and now looked tame. From his pale lips came out scarlet liquid, trickling down to his chin. His body looked even paler, even without much of the moon's aid. His clothes were torn and blood splattered all over him. He rested in a small pool of blood, his white undershirt and leggings dark scarlet in hue.

"Dark… DARK!!! Please… say something, anything…" Link cried, unable to bear sight of his friend like this.

"Nnnnghhhh… Fuu… chan…"

Dark slowly opened his eyes to find a blurry vision of his light self looking down at him. The hero was crying, his tears falling on his shadow's face.

"Boys don't cry… the heck are you crying about…?" Dark smiled, though pain could still be seen behind it all.

Link looked at him and smiled a little, though he still cried. "But real men are not ashamed to show their true emotions…"

Dark just chuckled and put his hand over his bleeding abdomen. He groaned a bit, but he still tried to smile and look at Vaati who finally walked just behind Link. He then looked at the hero again.

"Hey, crybaby… you still haven't answered my question." he shakily raised his hand to settle it on Link's shoulder. "What are you crying about?"

Link just shook his head and tried to hold his sobs in. His tears still flowed, but his sobs grew weaker and weaker. He couldn't handle staring at his friend like this…

"D-Dark… how could you speak like that…? You know perfectly well why I'm crying!!!" Link whimpered. "I… Dark…"

Dark smiled through the blood that gushed from his mouth.

"Is it going to change anything?" he said, his voice weakening by the second.

"Dark… humans have feelings to let go…"

"Tch." Dark said, tilting his head sideward. "You know what… shadows never care if anyone dies… so why cry over me? I know I will never cry over any of you two when you…" he groaned.

Link shook his head. He doesn't want to believe what Dark just said… not because of his own good, but because the shadow sounded like he wanted to act tough despite his pitiful appearance.

"But Dark… didn't you say that you depended on us…? So that means we get to die together… right…?"

"You're… pretty smart… aren't you…?" Dark chuckled. "But of course… if we shadows die on our own…"

Dark coughed out more blood, staining Link's garb. Link didn't mind… in fact, he didn't care if his clothes got stained of Dark's blood. He could get more new tunics for himself, but never a new Dark.

"… You guys will be hardly affected…" Dark tried his best to speak. "…So don't make such a big fuss over me… after all…"

"Not another word. Dark, save your strength." Link said, trying his best to be firm.

"Tch. As you wish…"

Vaati then came to Dark's side opposite to where Link was staying and put his hand over the shadow's chest. He uttered some kind of a familiar incantation and soon, his hand glowed. His flowing hair began to be slowly drifted by the wind as he closed his eyes to concentrate.

"Nnnngh… w-what…" Dark moaned as he closed his eyes tightly in pain.

After a few seconds, Vaati stopped. He opened his eyes once more and looked at the sight before him. He saw that the hero stared at Dark… whose eyes were closed, not tightly, but as if he was sleeping. Link gently slapped Dark to wake him up…

…but he didn't. Dark remained still in his position.

"Dark?" Link asked softly, but no response was heard nor sensed.

Vaati just remained quiet and kept his head bowed down, looking straight at Dark's face.

"Vaati… what… what did you do…? What have you done?" Link said, his voice trembling. "What's happened to him? Vaati?"

Vaati did not reply. He just lowered his face to take a closer look at Dark. It was then that he saw Dark fall from Link's arms and have those hands from the same person who held the shadow tightly grasping his collar.

He looked up with wide opened eyes and saw that Link was indeed collaring him, those eyes of blue once more looking like disturbed of the once calm oceans.

"What did you do with him?!" Link shook Vaati very hardly. "What have you done with Dark?! What have you done with him?!"

"Link… calm down… please…" Vaati said softly, trying not to cry.

"Calm down…? CALM DOWN?!  I would if I could only understand what's going on!!!"

The hero's hands shook, followed by his eventual meltdown. He let go of Vaati and screamed at the top of his lungs, expressing his deep sorrow and confusion. He then covered his face with both of his hands and cried with his all.

After a while, he looked up at Vaati and finally found the courage to speak.

"Did you kill him out of mercy then…?" Link asked, not raising his head up.

Vaati gasped and stared at Link, his mouth left agape.

"You… you honestly think that I would do such a thing…?"

Link looked up at him with eyes so puffed because of crying. He nodded.

"Yes… what else could have happened that he wouldn't wake up…?"

"…" Vaati turned his back. "…So now you suspect me of killing your friend… Link…"

He turned to Link, tears welling up in his eyes. "Who was I to believe in you in the first place? And who was I to think that I could come parading in someone else's lives to think that I have finally found someone who cares…?"

Link did not reply; instead, he picked up his limp shadow from the ground and stood up. He assisted Dark's body and groggily walked towards another direction away from where Vaati stood.

"You're welcome, Link… and goodbye…" Vaati said, his tears flowing as he looked at the hero moving further away with his shadow.

"It's better this way… trust me." Link finally spoke. "I'm sure Ezlo will understand…"

"I hope so…"

Link turned his head towards the direction he was walking with Dark's body and moved further away… until he was gone from the lone Minish's sight.

Vaati just followed him with a sad gaze as the winds lamented with him. He then knelt down on the ground and screamed his loudest, bringing the winds to frenzy. He could feel that the winds moved about everywhere; and he assumed that everything, including his former friend, felt the harsh winds upon him.

Once again, he felt all alone… the winds all at the same time lamented for him and comforted him. Now that poor boy was back to square one, being all alone and accused of acts of hatred. It was not long before everything was the way it was years ago…

"Why doesn't anyone just kill me now?! KILL ME NOW, PLEASE!!!" Vaati cried in sheer pain. "I couldn't take this anymore… please… just kill me now… so I could see my parents again… and no one will hate me anymore…"

He embraced himself as he shivered throughout the cold night of which the winds tried to comfort him from.

***

Link laid Dark on his sleeping bag, still in his blood-drenched clothes, and touched his face.

"Dark…" he said, tears welling up in his eyes. "…I'm sorry I couldn't save you…"

He looked away, trying his best to heed Dark's last words for him not to make such a big fuss about his death… but how could he? All he could think of now was how to tell everyone else back home, how he will be able to look at life the same way ever again seeing that someone he treated as a friend was killed by another whom he considered his friend as well.

It was all too much… he couldn't stand the pressure. He had broken the promise he had with Ezlo, and just had lost the person he began to love as his own shadow.

Looking away, he caught a glimpse of Vaati's neatly tucked sleeping bag, as well as his personal belongings. This was the only time he noticed that Vaati left most of his belongings. He saw that most of his rations were there, as well as his clothes, and his things for personal care and hygiene…

But there was something that made him feel extremely hurt inside and out.

He saw that the plush cucco that he gave Vaati was still there… and it seemed to look at him with sad eyes. It looked as if it was asking him innocently where his master was, and when he will be getting back.

"You… you shouldn't be here…" Link frowned, his eyes once again resembling disturbed oceans.

He picked up the plush cucco harshly and stomped his way out of the tent. Shortly after, he went back in without Robin in his hands. His eyes looked fierce as he settled beside Dark again, looking down on him.

"If… if only I had listened to you earlier… not to make friends with that… that monster…" Link whispered as he made a scowl, as if he was angry with the world.

Link closed his eyes and sobbed. He decided to lie down in his own sleeping bag and try to get himself some rest. He was exhausted, physically, mentally, and most especially, emotionally. He found a hard time getting himself to sleep, but soon after, he found that he dozed off…

***

'Wh…where am I…? Dark…? Are you there…?'

Everything was black… none could be heard. It felt most like the void.

'Nnngh… Dark…? Dark… where are you…? I… I can't move… what happened to me…? Dark…? Robin…? Link…? ….. Vaati…?'

He tried to open his eyes, but still saw nothing. He was in deep confusion, not knowing where he was, what happened to everything. His mind was blank.

"Dark…? Dark, are you there? …Can you hear me…?" cried out a tone.

It was the tone of the shadow sorcerer. It was unusually weak at this time…

"So you speak."

Gufuu gasped as he heard a tone. "Dark…? Dark!" his heart began to race in excitement.

"Hahaha… hello there, Gufuu."

"Gufuu…? Are not we so formal now?" he giggled. He still couldn't move nor see anything, but just hearing his friend's voice made him feel at ease. "Dark… where are we…?"

He waited, but he heard no response. He thought that maybe his friend was still thinking of what to say, but it took so much time… he began to feel irritated.

"I asked you… where are we?!" Gufuu demanded. "Say something, at the very least!"

There was still no response. Instead, he heard a door slam. After that, he could not hear anything anymore but his own breath.

"Dark…? Dark, where are you? This is not funny anymore… DARK!!!" he began to feel nervous both for himself and Dark.

***

Link found himself in front of the spring near their campsite early the next morning. He stood, looking at its calming waters which showed a rippled reflection of himself. He looked up and saw a lot of birds flying in the sky… there showed a variety of them, but his eye was particularly hooked on a particular specie…

… the robins.

The robins flew in the sky, singing their morning song and minding their own lives. He stared at them blankly, instantly remembering his own "robins" in his life.

'Alright… now I have everything packed up… including that guy's belongings… I just need to prepare myself for mental torture…' he thought to himself as he began to think how he could ever explain himself to the others, with Dark dead and with him leaving Vaati behind, not caring what had happened to him.

'I wonder what happened to that other guy, Robin… and Gufuu… but what does it matter now…? I don't think I can do anything about it, anyway…'

He shook his head in dismay and let out a sigh from his lips. He closed his eyes to try and relax; trying to recollect everything and trying to arrange an explanation for later.

It was then that he felt that something fell on his lap as he sat on the ground. He opened his eyes out of curiosity and let out a scream…

There before him was the plush cucco on his lap, dirtied with soil, staring at him with its beady eyes! It sat still on his lap, but with himself panicking, he brushed it off him and backed away while still in a sitting position.

The cucco fell in the spring, floating along the rippling waters. It stayed in there, unable neither to get out, nor to be flowed away to nowhere like what a river usually does.

He backed away in fear and guilt, until he felt something against his back which made him scream once more.

He looked behind him and shook in fear…

…he saw a bloody figure of his dead friend standing there of which his back touched. It was looking down on him directly with fiery crimson eyes, filled with hatred. His clothes were torn and drenched with blood. He stood still as he had the hero paralyzed in fear.

"D-Dark… no…" whimpered Link.

Link tried to gather enough courage and ran away from the figure. As soon as he did that, he found that the shadow was once more in front of him, staring him in the eye even more furiously.

"AAAAAHHH!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" he put his hands on both of his temples, trying not to lose his mind.

He knelt down in front of the figure and cried in guilt and fear. The shadow lowered its face and looked at him face to face. He saw that its bloodied hand was reaching out for him… he wanted to scream and run away, but he can't. He was paralyzed much…

"THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! SNAP OUT OF IT!!!" he heard someone say as the figure shook him.

He finally regained his senses and saw that Dark was there, holding him by the shoulders and shaking him. Dark shouted in his face, still frowning.

"D-Dark…?" Link said in a whisper, his eyes widened.

"Who else could it be, you idiot?" Dark said exasperatedly. He let go of the hero and stood up.

"B-but… but how can this be…? You…" Link stuttered while still kneeling down. "You're dead…"

"FFFFFFFF………. WHAT?!" Dark shouted and turned to him. He touched his body to feel if he was still intact.

"You are… I should know… Vaati…"

Dark looked down on Link and once more, his eyes were filled with fury.

"What are you SAYING?!" he swooped down and shook Link. "What do you mean, 'Vaati'?"

"He… he…" Link gulped and tried to continue. "He killed you…"

Dark could not believe what he just heard and backed away from Link slowly. He was in shock hearing these words and walked to the spring, looking down on it.

Link just followed him with a gaze. After a while, he gathered enough strength to stand up and follow Dark. He walked slowly with uncertainty… he wanted to hesitate and leave him be, but his body kept on moving forward.

"D-Dark…?" Link said, laying his hand on Dark's shoulder.

"So that's why… that's why he was here…" Dark said.

"What are you talking about?"

Dark turned to him and held the soaked plush toy. It looked pitiful, drenched and soiled… it was nothing like how their former friend treated it before. It was treated as if it really lived its own life, ironically though, treated higher than that of real cuccos. It was hugged by its master many times to sleep before… but now it was treated even lowlier than an insect.

"It has a name, Link. It has a name." he told the hero, looking him straight in the eye. "It was given a name, don't you get how special this meant?"

"Dark… don't you get it…? I can't believe I gave that as a gift to that… that animal!"

"Huh? I'm sorry, did I hear that correctly?"

"Yes… Vaati killed you, Dark… he did, and I was just there, kneeling, doing nothing. He killed you out of mercy… but I believed that you still had strength to live…"

"That animal…" Dark frowned, looking down at the plush toy.

What the hero felt afterwards was pure pain… on his face. He felt the shadow's fist harshly landing on his face, causing him to fall back on the ground. He looked up at the shadow in shock, touching his bleeding lip.

Link was left speechless as he saw the shadow looking down on him with those fierce eyes of his. He never saw Dark look so angry… and for that matter, he never saw that coming; that Dark would underhandedly hit him like that!

"If you call him an animal, then that makes you a monster!" Dark scowled and shouted at him. His tone was horrifying.

"B-but Dark…" Link stuttered, trying to stand up.

"And you once said you were a real man… how pathetic! Real men never back down on their word!"

"You… if you're really alive… then don't strain yourself." Link commanded, looking firm.

"Me… if I'm really alive… then you had no right to even do that to Vaati in the first place!"

Link stopped and looked at him. To his surprise, he couldn't find anything to counter Dark's statement… it was flawless!

"I… what…" Link stuttered, looking at the far distance, utterly confused.

"Yes, Link… I'm alive… so what does that mean?"

"I…I…"

Link fell down on his knees and covered his face with his hands. Not long after, Dark could hear sobs from him.

"Link… I want you to feel something for me…" Dark said, holding Link's hand.

He put Link's hand inside his shirt and let him feel his body. Link's eyes widened as he came to a realization…

"D-Dark… your wounds…" Link said, nervously.

"That's what he did, Link… that's what he did…"