Hero and Shadow / Sleep
This one's kinda short... at least by my standards. And, yeah, the title's kinda silly, but it works.
Title: Sleep
Fandom: Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Characters: Link, Dark Link
Prompt: 077 - what?
Word Count: 1082 words
Rating: PG
Summary: Link needs a safe place to rest before he passes out where he is.
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo.
Table Link
He staggered out of the dungeon and collapsed against a nearby tree, gasping for breath. I crept closer. Poor fool looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.
I'd been following him for days, mostly just to make sure he didn't get himself killed. There wasn't any point in talking to him; the one time I tried, he seemed convinced I was the Dark World playing tricks on him.
He closed his eyes, muttering something.
"Wake up," I snapped. He couldn't sleep here; it was too dangerous.
"I'm tired..." was his only reply, leaning back against the trunk.
I stalked over and knelt over him. "Link, wake up before I start dragging you. It's dangerous out here."
He blinked sleepily up at me, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "What do you care, monster?"
"All right, fine. The hero can die and Hyrule can forever be covered in darkness. That better? In fact, if you're so eager to die, I can always just do it right now."
That got his attention, his eyes snapping open as he reached for the Master Sword. "I will destroy you if you try."
"Oh, good, you aren't dead to the world yet." I held out a hand. "Come on; at least find somewhere safe before you pass out."
He gave me a questioning look but took my hand. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because right now, Link, I'm the only friend you've got." I helped him up and let him lean against me. "Quit pushing yourself so hard. You're getting careless."
"I have to finish... I have to stop Ganon."
I sighed. "And you will, but not if you get too careless and die first."
"What are you?"
"I'll explain later." I started digging around in his pack. I'd seen him use what looked like a mirror to warp between the worlds, and the other world had to be safer than here. "Ah, here we go."
He blinked at the mirror. "Wait, why do you have that?"
I tightened my arm around his shoulders. "I'm taking you somewhere safe."
And then the world spun violently around us and everything went white. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes as tightly as I could, but the white was blinding...
We hit our knees on the grass. Real grass, not the sickly or dying grass I was used to seeing, but real, living grass. I set the mirror down and felt the ground in front of me. I had missed this. But as much as I liked the feel of the grass beneath my hands, it didn't help with the fact that I felt sick, and I couldn't see very well. Everything seemed dark and hazy, and wasn't the Light World supposed to be... light?
"Are you okay?" I heard him ask.
"Just let me blink away this haze, and I'll be fine."
"It's always hazy here."
I looked around, finally noticing all the trees. Fitting, from one forest to another. "So I see. All right, how safe is it here?"
"There are guards roaming around, and they think I'm responsible for kidnapping the princess," he said slowly, taking the mirror and putting it back in his pack. "There's somewhere nearby that is safe, but..."
I grinned. "I'll help you get there."
He sighed and nodded. "It's that way."
We wove our way through the maze of trees; it didn't take long before I was completely lost. Link seemed to know where he was pointing me. Aside from his directions, we traveled in silence.
Finally, we reached a clearing. The haze disappeared, and the air felt peaceful. I stopped at the entrance to the clearing and took a deep breath. Magic, stillness, timelessness... this place reminded me of the Temple of Time.
"This is where you found the Master Sword," I said, my voice soft.
He didn't answer. He didn't need to. I helped him stagger over to the dais, and he eased himself down to lay on the cool stone. Link looked considerably more at ease here than he had in the Dark World.
I sat down near him, leaning against the pedestal. "Are you going to be all right?"
"I..." He wrapped his arms around himself. "No, I'm not."
"What's wrong?"
"Everything."
I sighed. "And what's everything?"
Link didn't answer. I waited for a moment, to see if he was going to answer at all, but he didn't. Instead, he fell asleep.
Ah, well. He needed the sleep anyway, and now I didn't have to worry about him getting killed. Considering where we were, I doubted anything could get in here that might hurt either of us. Which meant I had no reason to stay awake. I stretched and then lay down beside him.
"I'm sorry I called you... all those names," Link said softly. Apparently he wasn't asleep, not yet. "And thanks."
I grinned. "You're forgiven. Now get some rest."
He shifted position, moving closer to me. I wrapped my arm around his waist, expecting him to pull away. He didn't.
---
Link was already awake when I woke up, standing out in the middle of the clearing practicing with his sword. I sat up and watched him; he knew how to handle the weapon, that much was clear.
"I see you're awake."
He turned to me. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. So, heading back to the Dark World today?"
"I should. Ganon must be stopped, and I have to do it."
I stood up. "All right, then. Let's go."
"I... I don't understand."
Lost as always. I grinned. "I'll explain as we go. Come on."
Link stared at me, confused.
"I'm not going to steal your glory, Hero."
"I don't care about glory, you! My uncle is dead because of all of this! I just want things to go back to the way they were! And the only way to do that is to make sure Ganon can't threaten Hyrule anymore..." He looked away, and I could tell he was fighting back tears.
"You don't have to do this alone, Link. At the very least, I can watch your back for you."
He seemed to consider that, and then he nodded. "Do you know where we should go next?"
I shrugged. "We'll just have to ask around. And if that doesn't work, I'll eavesdrop. Someone somewhere knows what's going on. Then I guess it's time to find a portal back to the Dark World, huh?"
Link nodded. "I suppose it is."
Title: Sleep
Fandom: Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Characters: Link, Dark Link
Prompt: 077 - what?
Word Count: 1082 words
Rating: PG
Summary: Link needs a safe place to rest before he passes out where he is.
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is the property of Nintendo.
Table Link
He staggered out of the dungeon and collapsed against a nearby tree, gasping for breath. I crept closer. Poor fool looked ready to pass out from exhaustion.
I'd been following him for days, mostly just to make sure he didn't get himself killed. There wasn't any point in talking to him; the one time I tried, he seemed convinced I was the Dark World playing tricks on him.
He closed his eyes, muttering something.
"Wake up," I snapped. He couldn't sleep here; it was too dangerous.
"I'm tired..." was his only reply, leaning back against the trunk.
I stalked over and knelt over him. "Link, wake up before I start dragging you. It's dangerous out here."
He blinked sleepily up at me, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "What do you care, monster?"
"All right, fine. The hero can die and Hyrule can forever be covered in darkness. That better? In fact, if you're so eager to die, I can always just do it right now."
That got his attention, his eyes snapping open as he reached for the Master Sword. "I will destroy you if you try."
"Oh, good, you aren't dead to the world yet." I held out a hand. "Come on; at least find somewhere safe before you pass out."
He gave me a questioning look but took my hand. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because right now, Link, I'm the only friend you've got." I helped him up and let him lean against me. "Quit pushing yourself so hard. You're getting careless."
"I have to finish... I have to stop Ganon."
I sighed. "And you will, but not if you get too careless and die first."
"What are you?"
"I'll explain later." I started digging around in his pack. I'd seen him use what looked like a mirror to warp between the worlds, and the other world had to be safer than here. "Ah, here we go."
He blinked at the mirror. "Wait, why do you have that?"
I tightened my arm around his shoulders. "I'm taking you somewhere safe."
And then the world spun violently around us and everything went white. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes as tightly as I could, but the white was blinding...
We hit our knees on the grass. Real grass, not the sickly or dying grass I was used to seeing, but real, living grass. I set the mirror down and felt the ground in front of me. I had missed this. But as much as I liked the feel of the grass beneath my hands, it didn't help with the fact that I felt sick, and I couldn't see very well. Everything seemed dark and hazy, and wasn't the Light World supposed to be... light?
"Are you okay?" I heard him ask.
"Just let me blink away this haze, and I'll be fine."
"It's always hazy here."
I looked around, finally noticing all the trees. Fitting, from one forest to another. "So I see. All right, how safe is it here?"
"There are guards roaming around, and they think I'm responsible for kidnapping the princess," he said slowly, taking the mirror and putting it back in his pack. "There's somewhere nearby that is safe, but..."
I grinned. "I'll help you get there."
He sighed and nodded. "It's that way."
We wove our way through the maze of trees; it didn't take long before I was completely lost. Link seemed to know where he was pointing me. Aside from his directions, we traveled in silence.
Finally, we reached a clearing. The haze disappeared, and the air felt peaceful. I stopped at the entrance to the clearing and took a deep breath. Magic, stillness, timelessness... this place reminded me of the Temple of Time.
"This is where you found the Master Sword," I said, my voice soft.
He didn't answer. He didn't need to. I helped him stagger over to the dais, and he eased himself down to lay on the cool stone. Link looked considerably more at ease here than he had in the Dark World.
I sat down near him, leaning against the pedestal. "Are you going to be all right?"
"I..." He wrapped his arms around himself. "No, I'm not."
"What's wrong?"
"Everything."
I sighed. "And what's everything?"
Link didn't answer. I waited for a moment, to see if he was going to answer at all, but he didn't. Instead, he fell asleep.
Ah, well. He needed the sleep anyway, and now I didn't have to worry about him getting killed. Considering where we were, I doubted anything could get in here that might hurt either of us. Which meant I had no reason to stay awake. I stretched and then lay down beside him.
"I'm sorry I called you... all those names," Link said softly. Apparently he wasn't asleep, not yet. "And thanks."
I grinned. "You're forgiven. Now get some rest."
He shifted position, moving closer to me. I wrapped my arm around his waist, expecting him to pull away. He didn't.
---
Link was already awake when I woke up, standing out in the middle of the clearing practicing with his sword. I sat up and watched him; he knew how to handle the weapon, that much was clear.
"I see you're awake."
He turned to me. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. So, heading back to the Dark World today?"
"I should. Ganon must be stopped, and I have to do it."
I stood up. "All right, then. Let's go."
"I... I don't understand."
Lost as always. I grinned. "I'll explain as we go. Come on."
Link stared at me, confused.
"I'm not going to steal your glory, Hero."
"I don't care about glory, you! My uncle is dead because of all of this! I just want things to go back to the way they were! And the only way to do that is to make sure Ganon can't threaten Hyrule anymore..." He looked away, and I could tell he was fighting back tears.
"You don't have to do this alone, Link. At the very least, I can watch your back for you."
He seemed to consider that, and then he nodded. "Do you know where we should go next?"
I shrugged. "We'll just have to ask around. And if that doesn't work, I'll eavesdrop. Someone somewhere knows what's going on. Then I guess it's time to find a portal back to the Dark World, huh?"
Link nodded. "I suppose it is."