And he stepped into the room
Then it wasn't a room, it was nowhere at all
The room wasn't a room
It was another world within itself
Fog, mist, swirling tendrils of it snaked out from the mass, twisting itself lazily around his ankle
Link looked ahead, into the swirling, churning cloud of vapor
Then he took a step
The water didn't part around his foot
He stood just above it, above the icy liquid
Or maybe he simply stood above it all
Link too another step, and another
As he progressed, the mist parted around him
Giving way to the hero
He couldn't have taken more than a dozen steps before he heard the voice
"Are you who you think?"
Link turned, and there he saw it
He saw not a man, but a creature of darkness
Shaggy grey hair escaped from beneath a tattered shadowy hat
Red eyes burned from the ashen face, a face that seemed demented
Behind the eyes, there slept a conscience, worn down by thousands of acts of merciless violence
As the creature took a step forward, the mist parted not around it, but into it
Something deep within the monster burned, melting away the wispy fog
Something burned, something killed, neither had a heart, both stood before Link
"Do you think of yourself, as two?"
The voice spoke with the effect of shattering glass and screaming children
It stole Link's attention, mystifying and tantalizing him
The shadow spoke so softly that only a single man could hear him
Something burnt in the hand of the creature
The black fire spread and became a sword, the blade as black as Link's was white
The mist that was burnt away by the very skin of the monster
The fog that was destroyed by this shadow
It was pulled together until it seemed to block out all light
A dull black shield formed in the second hand of the monster
"You are a man such as I, and you become more like me with every lie you tell yourself"
The words didn't even affect Link, they had come from the mouth of evil
They must be lies themselves
"How can you call yourself a man?" Link scoffed
The shadow laughed
The sound of it echoed throughout this mist filled world
Deep, dark, and evil
"I call myself a man just as you call yourself a hero"
Determined to end this before the spectral creature could speak again, Link jumped forward
He brandished the master sword
The sword of evil's bane
A blade that was filled with the pure power of light and goodness
The shadow pulled its own sword up, easily fending off Link's attack
The shadow brandished a sword made of night
The sword of Light's bane
A blade that was filled with the pure power of darkness and corruption
The shadow's mouth was pulled into an evil looking grin
Twisted teeth showed through
Suddenly the shadow struck back
Link was barely able to stop the attack
This shadow seemed strong, but could it be stronger than he himself?
The shadow struck again, a horizontal strike that was meant for Link's legs
Link jumped back, out of the reach of the shadow's blade
"What kind of hero are you? Running from yourself."
Link jumped forward, scalded by the words
He mirrored the shadow, attacking the legs of his adversary
The shadow jumped high into the air, easily avoiding Link's attack
"How can you defeat yourself? If you plan to follow in your own footsteps?"
The shadow laughed, his voice ringing In Link's ears
Enraged, Link leapt forward, sword first
The tip of the master sword was plunged straight into the chest of the still laughing shadow
They collapsed together
Link was left kneeling over the body of the shadow, staring into its eyes
Black liquid began to trickle out of the corner of the shadow's grey lips
Slowly, the bloodstained lips began to move once more
"A coin of value…" The shadow began
Link watched horrified, as the shadow leaned forward, impaling himself on the master sword
"Two sides…" The lips said
Those red eyes slowly moved closer to Link's not even flinching as the brilliant white blade cut through his chest
"Worthless…" The shadow said
Now the eyes were just an inch away from Link's own
"…is a single side." Dark Link finished
The dying man continued to lean forward until his nose touched Link's own
Link felt something burn through him, starting from the point of contact
He watched as the man slowly faded away
In just a moment, Link was staring at the water
His sword was pressing against nothing but the floor
Link was looking at his reflection
He was the same, except for his eyes
Before, they had been a shade of blue
They had always been a shade of blue
Link's eyes were purple
He stood, slowly
He kept his sword and shield out
Fear was coursing through him
The water parted around his foot
He was standing down in it, submerged in the icy liquid
Link too another step, and another
As he progressed, the mist was burn away, slowly becoming nothing
It didn't simply give way to him as it once had
Maybe it would have given away for a hero
Maybe it would have parted for an average man
The mist would never part for the shadow