Identity Crisis

[replicatedcourage]

Who: Dark Link and anyone who comes across him
Where: The park
When: January 5th, dusk
Status: Open

It hurts...

Not the park bench to the face, though that had dislocated his nose and given him two black eyes, causing him to look like a raccoon until he discovered Vatheon's version of a fairy's fountain, the coral.

No, he was fine now, physically, and he was safe here, camped out under the trees, even if his sword and shield had gone missing. What hurt was something else.

She knows everything. She knows about Hyrule, and magic, and everything I don't.

He fought to put the breaks on that train of thought, terrified of what lay around the next cognitive bend. But, as trains do, his thoughts rolled irrepressibly onward.

What if she's right? What if I'm not Link?

A long pause as his whole being fought tooth and nail to keep away from the looming question.

...if she's right, then what's the point of me?

Comments

[fonmaster]

Ion usually tried to not be out after dark, but Vatheon's park was just so pretty, he couldn't help himself. Besides that, he felt good, better than he'd ever expected to feel again. That was how the evening found him still wandering the park with a silly smile on his face.

He paused when he saw the man brooding quietly underneath the trees. He couldn't put a finger on it, but somehow he was reminded of Luke. The thought made his goofy grin soften as he approached.

"Hello, sir."

[replicatedcourage]

A small voice snapped Dark Link out of his reverie, a fact which he was glad of even if it was jarring. Those thoughts... nothing good could come of them. All of this introspection was making his head hurt, in any case. It was simply easier to believe that he's Link and that's that.

Only that means Zelda is wrong. That just doesn't happen, does it?

Or it does. Because she has to be. Because if she's not, then he doesn't have an identity and might as well not exist at all.

The thought was terrifying.

...oh, wait, someone was talking to him.

"What?" He spit the word, too confused and conflicted to realize the forcefulness with which he expelled the question.

[fonmaster]

Ion looked a little surprised, but he didn't seem particularly offended.

"Nothing in particular, you just looked a little lost," he replied. Brightening, he checked his pockets until he managed to find the bag of candy he had been snacking on earlier. "Are you hungry? I don't think I can finish all of these."

[replicatedcourage]

As soon as the bag is produced, Dark Link's eyes fix on it and follow its slight swing in Ion's hand. It hadn't occurred to him until this moment, but he hadn't had anything to eat since his arrival in this wretched place and as if on cue his stomach made a loud and insistent rumble.

In a quick motion, Dark Link snatched the bag and immediately stuffed a handful in his mouth, not even bothering (or knowing to) unwrap the contents first.

[fonmaster]

Ion gaped. "Careful! You have to unwrap those first!" He tried to get one of the candies out of the bag and unwrap it for him, but Ion was slow and the way Dark Link was hovering over the bag made him nervous. He shifted around awkwardly, expecting the man to spit the wax wrappers out at any moment.

"If you're that hungry, why don't we go get something proper to eat?"

[replicatedcourage]

In fact, Dark Link had swallowed the candies, wax wrappers and all.

"I haven't found any rats or tektites and the shell blades here are way too small to eat." He looked supremely frustrated. "I can't get them open without my sword anyway."

Oh Link you poor thing, don't you know what a cafe is?

[fonmaster]

Ion stared at him for a moment, then set his jaw. Had he been alone his whole life? Did he really have no idea what cooked food was?!

"I'll be right back You stay here!"

The fon master jogged off to find a vendor in the park. All it took was a quick flash of the mark on his wrist and the food was given to him for free. He returned to Dark Link after a few minutes, out of breath but with a hot dog.

"H... here. Eat this!"

[replicatedcourage]

Dark Link stared at the offered food and then leaned in and sniffed. It didn't seem poisonous, not like when he'd attempted to sample some of the green stuff that grew on the underside of the branches of his tree. The resulting mess was not something he cared to think on too much but it had at least taught him not to stick everything in his mouth.

This, though, this smelled downright pleasing. Much better than the rubbery center of a shell blade or a crunchy, cold tektite leg. He looked up at Ion, then took the hot dog and downed it in three bites.

[fonmaster]

Ion tried his best to not look amused. He was going to choke if he ate too much like that! At least Ion had thought to bring a drink. He held a bottle of soda down to Dark Link, smiling.

"They taste pretty good, don't they? I thought they were kind of strange at first, but now I like them! Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, by the way. My name is Ion. What's your name?"

[replicatedcourage]

Feeling the mass of meat and bread in his chest, Dark Link took the soda before answering and downed a large gulp. And then sputtered, ears straight back in surprise.

"It's fizzy!" He choked out, coughing. That was not something he was expecting.

[fonmaster]

"Oh, I'm sorry! I meant to tell you but you just drank it so quickly that I didn't have a chance. It's really good though, so try to drink the rest a little more slowly, okay?"

Ion plopped down next to Dark Link to catch his breath, laying back on the grass.

[replicatedcourage]

Gasping a little less, Dark Link finally caught his own breath and warily took a second attempt at the soda. It wasn't unpleasant, when you're expecting it.

He smacked his lips a bit and then answered Ion's previous question. "I'm Link."

[fonmaster]

Ion smiled kindly. It was impossible, but somehow this man seemed even younger than he truly was. "It's good to meet you, Link."

He fidgeted, then leaned forward curiously. "Can I ask you about your ears? We have legends on my world about elves with ears just like yours!"

[fonmaster]

"You're a replica," Ion said dumbly. He had no idea that there were replicas on other worlds. The thought made his stomach knot up. This time he grabbed Dark Link's arms, looking sincere.

"It's alright. I'm a replica, too. There was an Ion before me, the original one."

[replicatedcourage]

"A what? I-is that what it's called when you're the same as someone else but not?" Dark Link was equally dumbfounded. Someone like him? As far as he knew, Ganondorf was the only one powerful enough to do that, and even he had to have help from those ugly old Gerudo witches.

"Did my master make you too? Is he on your world?!"

[fonmaster]

"I don't think so," Ion answered worriedly. "Not unless your master looks like me. The original Ion is the one that ordered my creation."

He paused. "Who made you? Do you know where your original is?"

[replicatedcourage]

"Ganondorf, my master, made me to kill my original and take his place, but, as for that... I... I failed." He hung his head, ashamed and unable to look Ion in the eye. "I failed and he killed me... but my master revived me here, so I can get better and go back and win next time!"

[fonmaster]

Ion couldn't help it. He just couldn't. He drew himself up on his knees and hugged Dark Link gently. "You didn't fail. We aren't meant to kill our originals, they make us complete. Surely you felt that way when you were near your original?"

He thought back to the one time that he had met the original Ion. He didn't understand why, but he had been desperate to be accepted by him, he needed to be in his presence. He had never felt that complete again.

[replicatedcourage]

"No!" He yelled loudly, shoving Ion away and rising to his feet. "I was made to take his place, that's what I have to do! I am Link, but there can't be two of us, there can't!"

His voice reached a panicked crescendo and he found he was shaking. "No, you're wrong! I only feel like that because he has the Triforce of Courage! When I win, I'll take it, and everything will be fine! You're wrong!"

Ion has to be wrong. Need Link? He needed to kill Link! Every fiber of his being struck that same cord. Kill Link. Kill Link and you can be Link, not just a shadow.

[fonmaster]

Ion swallowed hard. He wanted to calm him down, he wanted to explain to him that they weren't just replacements - but he understood. It wasn't something that was easily accepted. He hadn't even fully accepted it himself, yet.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I'm wrong. I didn't mean to make you angry... I-it's just, killing is something that you can't take back, so I just want you to be sure... okay?"

He had a sinking feeling that he was beyond his level, here.

[replicatedcourage]

Dark Link stood over Ion, breathing hard as if he'd just run a great distance. What scared him, what really scared him, was that Ion was right. For the few long minutes he'd spent fighting Link he'd felt more complete then any of the time he'd spent alone in the Water Temple or here in Vatheon. He'd been told it was the Triforce, that he would take it from Link and present it to his master and everything would be great and glorious under Ganondorf's rule and...

He knew his master was evil. He knew that. He had planned to keep the section of the Triforce and rise up and kill his own master instead, after he took it from Link. And he would be hailed a hero and Zelda would love him and they'd be together, then, in peaceful Hyrule with its green fields and clear rivers. But he couldn't do that if Link still lived.

The only thing he was certain of, really certain of was that he had to kill Link. There were a myriad of reasons, but he had to do it. Had to.

But a small voice deep inside himself, one he'd attempted time and again to squelch because it made things hard, asked if he really had to. He didn't like fighting or killing. He felt bad every time he'd slain a shell blade or a tektite so he wouldn't starve. Was he really sure? Was he really certain Link had to die? He's the original, he's already killed me once. He's better than me...

Head in his hands, Dark Link sunk to his knees in the grass and tried to block out the warring between his mission and his conscience.

[fonmaster]

Ion had to struggle to not cry. The whole thing was just so painfully familiar. He would wonder what sort of monster would make creatures like replicas, but he knew that Jade wasn't a monster. Originals couldn't understand. They couldn't possibly understand that awful feeling of being incomplete, the need to make your mark on the world some way, any way.

He didn't hug Dark Link again, but he sat down next to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

[replicatedcourage]

"It's not supposed to be hard!" His voice was watery, choked out between sobs. "I was just supposed to do my job, but I failed, and now-! And now I don't know what to do! Zelda hates me because I'm not him..."

Gloved hands curled tighter in his own hair as another sob wracked him and he simply curled up on the grass, unable to muster the strength to do anything else.

[fonmaster]

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you," he murmured. "She's probably just afraid..." he trailed off. There was no use in trying to convince him to not try to kill the original Link right now. Ion rested a hand on Dark Link's shoulder quietly. What else was there to say? There wasn't anything. He hoped at least he could make him feel a little less alone.

[replicatedcourage]

Misery dripped off his words like rain down a windowsill. "She does, she hates me..."

Ion's hand on his shoulder was comforting, knowing that someone understood, that someone was at least trying to understand, it was his lighthouse in the darkness and he set his heading for it. Dark Link found himself resting his head in Ion's lap, still crying bitter tears but the sobbing slowly began to subside.