Chapter Text
Shadow felt Vio's warmth slip away from his back. He groggily and slowly opened his eyes, shifting to look back at where Vio had been asleep, back to his. The space was empty and cold. He caught a glance of his silhouette slipping out the door silently.
Shadow Link tilted his head, and sighed, sitting up. He floated behind, leaning out the doorway to watch Vio turn down another corner… That wasn't the way to the bathroom or kitchens. Where was he going?
Shadow flitted from shadow to shadow to follow Vio’s quiet footsteps. Shadow watched curiously as Vio stepped up to the Dark Mirror. He materialized into the gentle morning sunlight behind him, softly landing against the floor.
Vio looked at it carefully for a moment. His reflection in the mirror held a dull, tired gaze. He took up a hammer out of his magical pouch. Slowly, he raised the hammer to the Dark Mirror.
His shadowed heart clenched in his chest, a dark buzzing energy squeezing his throat and pricking his eyes. “YOU TRAITOR!” Shadow screeched, rushing to stop the hammer. His sword materialized in his hand without a single thought.
Violet Link's eyes widened, dropping the hammer like it had stung him. “Shadow!” he gasped. “I- you don't understand-”
“He aimed to kill you,” a dark whisper echoed from the mirror into Shadow's mind. “Execute the traitor.”
“I think it's pretty clear!” Shadow screamed and rushed him. Vio scrambled to grab his sword. Too slow. Shadow managed a slice into his arm. He growled and struck again. Dark metal hit light with a loud clang.
Vio braced against the impact with trembling arms. He shifted to turn away from the mirror, taking a step back toward the wall. “Shadow please, I heard they were moving the mirror, there wasn't any more time, I-” he pleaded.
“Kill the traitor.” The voice demanded- insisted again.
Shadow snarled, raising his sword against the Hero. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I hate you! You liar!” He crashed down with each exclamation. Vio blocked the first one, two… Three, dark red stained the violet tunic, pooling on his side. Four, a line dribbled down Vio's eyebrow and over his sharp blue eye. Vio backed himself into a corner, defending another blow sloppily, eyes wide and panicked.
Vio ducked and struck at Shadow's knee, rolling away from him toward the center of the room. The cut across his knee knit itself back together. It still stung. Shadow hadn’t told them that when they realized their singular swords alone couldn't destroy him. It still hurt. Shadow lunged at him, sword poised to slash across his chest. Vio spun to avoid it, and stabbed into Shadow's shoulder. Shadow hissed loudly. It only fueled his burning rage.
He threw him down to the ground with another furious slice. The back of Vio’s head collided with the ground with a loud thud. He let out a winded grunt, grimacing. Shadow followed him to the ground. Knees digging into Vio's stomach, trapping him against the unforgiving stone.
His dark mirror of the Four Sword left a sharp shadow across Vio's face as he raised it. Vio flinched, waiting for a final blow. Shadow panted his breaths. Rage and fear made him tremble. Vio’s gaze grew firm, curious and thoughtful. Analyzing the hesitancy to strike. Shadow felt thoroughly disarmed at the focused look. How? How did he do this to him?
“Finish it.”
“You don't have to listen to him…” Vio whispered. An inky droplet splashed on Vio's cheek. He smiled sadly.
Shadow closed his leaking eyes. “I can't-” he whispered. Unsure exactly which voice he was responding to.
Vio's hand was gentle on his chest, “You're the Hero, right?”
Shadow felt something sharp clench around his heart. Tight. Like a threat to break it. The voice growled, leaving no room for argument, “Now.”
Vio gasped, eyes widening in shock. The dark blade sunk into his chest. Vio's hand seemed to fall in slow motion. A series of short choked breaths. Shadow felt something horrid swirl in his throat and twitch at his lips. His grip on the blade tightened. A final breath escaped Vio’s pale lips at a rasp.
Shadow froze, staring down at him. The traitor hero's body fell unnaturally lax. Shadow could feel no pulse. The air settled strangely without another breath. Silent.
Another dark teardrop fell onto Vio's still cheek. A wail echoed through the halls. The shadows of the room shivered and shook, harsh against the thin golden light pouring in from outside. Shadow heaved for breath. He curled toward the still warm body. Screaming and sobbing.
Light stung at his skin. Shadow scrambled backward, eyes wide as the Violet hero became illuminated with light. He shielded his eyes when it grew too bright to handle, tears clouding his vision. When the light faded, all that remained was the Violet Four Sword clattering on the stone. A pool of blood stained on the cold empty ground.
The Four Sword’s glow dimmed. He felt like something within him vanished with Vio. He wasn't sure what. Tears rolled down his cheeks freely. He fell to his knees again, glancing at his shadowed sword. Red stained the dark blade. Shadow dropped it and it vanished into the shadows.
“Congratulations,” the gravelly voice cackled from somewhere beyond him, “I knew you would be victorious.”
At least Ganon seemed finally satisfied with him. Finally. Shadow closed his eyes and stifled the grief filled whimper that nearly escaped his lips. His voice wavered regardless when he responded, “He was my friend.” Shadow had killed him. He'd killed his friend- His only real friend- He’d finally had a friend-
“He betrayed you,” Ganon growled, “He was to kill you. This is what we do with traitors,” Traitors such as Shadow when he discussed the possibility of releasing Zelda to defeat Ganon and Vaati with Vio. Shadow's breath hitched. The voice softened, barely, “You have done well.”
Normally, he would jump at indulging such praise. Dig for more. Especially from Ganon. But it felt wrong. It was all wrong. Shadow stared at the Four Sword. Could Link even return to himself now? What would actually happen to a Shadow of Nobody?
“Thank you, Master.” Shadow whispered instead.
“Now go. Destroy those swords.” Ganon demanded. His presence vanished from Shadow's mind. Shadow sagged toward the ground, scrubbing uselessly at inky tears. He squeezed his eyes shut tight.
For a moment, he imagined a gentle hand on his shoulder, and a quiet voice offering comforting sounds. That side of Vio was never real, though. Was it? Vio was a traitor. Deceiver. Though. Shadow was now a killer. His mind swirled with that thought. It did not feel satisfying, or fun, or even simply successful. It felt like a loss.
Shadow grabbed the Four Sword off the floor. It felt warm in his hands, more inviting and accepting than he assumed a blade of Light would be to a creature of darkness. He lifted the pommel to his gaze. Violet swirled in the gemstone. Shadow closed his eyes.
Destroy the blade. Shadow took in a shaky breath. Destroy the blade. He wrapped the Violet blade carefully in his darkness, and sheathed it among his things. Destroy the blade…
Green, Blue, and Red felt it before they saw it. A sharp stabbing pain in their chests. A wash of panic that wasn't theirs, then nothing. Red turned sharply from their march toward Death Mountain and looked back at Blue and Green, eyes wide and frightened. “What was that?”
Before either could respond, their swords hummed and glowed in tandem, bright enough to make them shield their eyes. As the glow vanished, the three of them stared at each other, silence threatening to overwhelm them.
“Vio's in danger,” Green determined. “We have to hurry.” He pushed ahead of Red and broke into a run.
“Green!” Red called, rushing to chase after him.
Blue lingered a moment, stuck where he was, eyes flickering to his sword. That didn't feel like a warning. It felt- He scrunched his face up tight, shaking his head, “Please be wrong, please be wrong-” he whispered to himself, rushing to catch up.
The trio rushed to the center of Death Mountain, bubbling lava searing their skin with heat. Every shadow was cast in a red haze. The air was suffocating with ash and heat.
A familiar silhouette held two swords. Standing alone on a stone platform. One blade glinted in the fire light, the red stone warm against the dark hand that held it. The other blade was cast in shadow in his left hand.
“Shadow Link!” Green accused. “Where is Vio!?”
The figure flinched, clutching the swords. He looked down, staring at the magma. He raised the shadowed sword, and it brightened in the light, pommel golden like the other. A violet stone in its center.
“Gone.” Shadow whispered, twisting the violet sword in his hand, hovering it over the magma.
“Gone where?!” Red asked, looking around frantically.
“What-” Green looked down at the lava. “No-”
“I didn't have a choice,” Shadow said, finally looking at them. Black streaks fell from his reddened eyes across his cheeks. He released his grip and dropped the violet sword in the magma.
“NO!” Green shouted, nearly looking ready to leap onto the lava after it. Red grabbed the back of his tunic with wide eyes.
The golden blade turned black as it melted, the earth reclaiming it once more.
“You bastard!” Blue shouted and rushed to leap at Shadow, sword raised. He slashed hard across his arm. Shadow couldn't help a pained cry, dropping the other sword onto the stone. Stumbling back. The Red Four Sword glinted against the light of the lava. Shadow's eyes flickered to his arm, darkness stitching it back together, then to Blue. Blue’s eyes were sharp and enraged.
Shadow shifted to a fighting stance, hand posed to reach at the sword on his belt. “Don’t make me do it again,” he whispered like a plea.
“I'll kill you!” Blue exclaimed, kicking Shadow toward the lava. He flailed and froze his fall back, eyes wide. He hovered over the magma, taking sharp breaths as he clung to the sword handle on his belt. Tight.
“That was… so stupid!” Shadow screeched, floating up out of their reach. He laughed a cackle, near manic energy overflowing. “Can ya'll imagine if I just grabbed you and just dragged you down with me?” He raised a hand to his hair, pulling at it, “I can't believe ya’ll’ve survived this long honestly! Was Vio's existence in this plane the only thing keeping ya'll sane?”
An arrow sailed through his chest. Shadow turned his head to Green, his eyes focused as he grabbed another to knock on his bow. Red rushed behind Blue to grab his sword. Sword secure, he raised the ice rod at him. His hand trembled, but his eyes were cold and sure.
Shadow's manic grin dropped immediately. All their eyes were the same. The constriction in his heart squeezed again. Vio stared at him from the place behind his eyelids. His sharp blue eyes focused on him like a puzzle. The blood dripped across his brow and down to his eye slowly, clumping in his eyelashes. All four copies of their eyes were the same.
Blue was shouting at him. A sound that seemed like distant buzz more than a voice. A challenge, a demand. Shadow couldn’t quite catch the words, all of them dissolving like streams of water through his fingers.
He ducked away into the Dark World. Darkness enveloped him like a soft embrace. The trio shouted as he vanished. All he could see was three silhouettes that looked just like him. One of them fell to their knees against the stone. He almost wanted to follow the action, it felt like the right pose to be in. Instead, Shadow took a step back. His heart pounded against his chest. He turned and raced away, fleeing through the dark realm. He refused to look back.