Archive of Our Own ^beta

He vividly remembered it shatter. He remembered the glint of broken glass, the sound of metal hitting the floor, the screams of friends Allies Heroes onlookers.

He'd floated for a while, in nothing but darkness.

Recently, it became brighter, he was able to see more and more glimpses of an actual world. 

Now, he could see again. He was back in Link's shadow, slowly gaining power. Link was older. Travelling with a strange group. All named Link. They called themselves the Chain, which, in Shadow's opinion, was actually somewhat funny.

Link was called Four now, but the Chain didn't seem to know why.

Shadow spent his time watching. There wasn't much else he could do while waiting to gather enough power to be tangible again.

He was happy to be there though. With Link again. He'd make himself known when he could.

Being tethered to Link Four's shadow again was nice enough. Shadow would take it over the Void or the Dark realm any day.

It was early in the morning, if Shadow had to guess, possibly 2 in the morning but it was still dark, due to being Winter. Four had had the last watch of the night, albeit he started earlier than usual because Twilight went to look after Wild after he had a nightmare. The two were now sound asleep, leaving Four alone with his thoughts.

Shadow watched as Four quietly stood up to patrol the camp. Four ventured out into the treeline, doing multiple laps, each getting a little further from camp.

Something whistled through the air.

Shadow reacted too slowly.

A noise of surprise slipped from Four's lips as his hand shot to his neck.

Four stumbled back as the dart begun to take effect.

"I said it'd work better on him. He's the smallest of the lot." A voice came from the trees.

"Wh-who's there!" Four slurred.

"Don't worry your little head about it kid." One of two muscular men smiled sinisterly as they strolled out of the treeline.

Four slumped down against a tree before he could question them further.

"See? Easy and with little resistance. He was supposed to be on watch so none of the others will be awake. Which leaves him free for us to take!" The second man, Shadow recognised his voice as the one who spoke first. The two men begun to approach. Realistically, Shadow knew he didn't have much power. But he had to protect his Link.

Shadow reached an arm out of Four's shadow, slamming it onto the grass and burying his fingers in the mud. He repeated the action with his other hand before slowly dragging himself out of the ground. He snapped his head up, his red eyes glaring through the darkness at the two men.

"What the fuck is that!" The first man practically screeched. The two sprinted back into the woods as Shadow snickered. He crouched down and carefully scooped Four up. The small hero was uninjured, thankfully. He walked slowly back to the camp, stalling as he heard noises commotion drift from the camp. Shadow sighed as he accepted the fact he was about to be threatened.

"--- Four we're talking about! He wouldn't just leave! Not without telling one of us!"

"I know that! But he's gone!"

"What if he got kidnapped?"

Shadow broke through the treeline, stepping into camp.

"Four! Where the hell did yo-" Legend, as Shadow had learnt during his time observing, started. Moments after he stopped talking multiple weapons were drawn.

"Waaaaait!" Shadow stepped back, pulling Four to his chest protectively, despite knowing the Chain wouldn't hurt him.

"And why should we, Dark?" Warriors spat the last word.

"Ok, first of all, rude. I'm not a dark. See, no grey skin or red sclerae. Second, I mean no harm, I was just trying to get Link back safe." Shadow felt his magic wane and his legs flicker out of existence briefly. "Shit!" He stumbled forward, deciding Time to be his best option. He shoved Four into Time's arms before collapsing to the ground. He groaned and rolled onto his back before sinking into the shadows.

"Huh." One of them muttered.

The Chain stilled, a few of them going back to back. Shadow waited a moment before floating up out of the ground to sit where he entered the camp.

"Sorry about that. I don't have much magic in the reserves so holding a solid form is hard. Look, you've got Rai- Li- Four. I've not tried to stab you. Or drawn a weapon for that matter. Can we just call a truce until my only defence recovers from a drugged dart? That is very much still in his neck." A few of the Chain looked over and sure enough, the dart Shadow had failed to block was still there, lodged in Four's neck.

Time, Warriors and Twilight looked at each other before huddling together to discuss.

Shadow watched, squeaking in surprise when the youngest of the Chain, Wind, appeared beside him.

"Don't worry, they... Did you just squeak?" Wind looked away from the huddle and up at Shadow.

"No?" Wind giggled as Shadow attempted to lie through his teeth.

"Mhm. Sure. Anyway. Don't worry, they huddle a lot. I think it's an old person thing. Tetra would just fire me out of a cannon with no warning." Shadow laughed at that.

"Yeah, I had a friend who betrayed his friends for me without telling them. And then he double crossed me for those same friends. You know what he told them?" Wind shook his head. "He said, and I quote, 'You had better reactions if I don't tell you.' And yet I still ended up sacrificing myself for them." Shadow laughed again.

"You sacrificed yourself for them? That sounds awfully heroic for a dark. Also, how are you alive?" Wind had sat down next to him now.

"Still not a dark. I'm a shadow with sentience, not a clone made of dark magic. And, in all honesty, I have no clue how I'm alive. I've been stuck in Four's shadow for weeks. I was only able to get myself out tonight by sheer spite of the guys who tried to kidnap Link. Four." Shadow corrected himself at the end.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't fret Wind." Shadow slowly patted his shoulder gently.

"What's your name? We can't really keep calling you Dark or Four's Shadow."

"I- Hm. I've always gone by Shadow, ironically, but considering you're all called Link and you nicknamed one of you _Legend_, I'll probably stick with Shadow." Twilight was walking over now, Time on his tail. Time was still holding the unconscious Four, although the dart had been removed by now.

"You can stay, but you're being supervised." Twilight crossed his arms.

"Okay! I can stay with Wind an-"

"No." Time interrupted, "Legend is taking last watch, in Four's place.."

"Fineee" Shadow whined as Wind moved to return to bed. As the remaining members of the Chain went to bed, Shadow and Legend settled by the fire.

"You're not going to bed?" Legend sat where he could easily see Shadow.

"I don't need sleep. I can, but I'm choosing not to.

"Oh." Legend left it at that. The rest of the night was quiet. Legend and Shadow sat in silence. Wars was the first to wake, Time and Wild got up soon after. By around 10 minutes later, everyone but Four and Sky were up.  Wind announced Shadow's name as Shadow huddled under a tree by Four, attempting to escape from the sun.

"You alright over there Shadow?" Wild asked from the cooking pot. Shadow did a so-so sign with his hand.

"Meh. The sun hates me." Twilight gave Shadow a confused look. "I'm a shadow. The sun burns, and I don't currently have enough magic to hold this form while trying not to burst into flames. And some of your more suspicious members probably don't want me dipping back into the shadows."

Wild nodded along as Shadow spoke. 

"Mmh. Shut up. I got a headache." Shadow flinched at the sudden sound of a voice so close to him and instinctually shrank into the shadows in his panic. 

"Four! You're up!" Hyrule hurried to Four's side. "How are you feeling?"

"Achy, but alright." Four shrugged a little.

"What do you remember?" Hyrule had finished checking the small mark on Four's neck, left from the dart.

"Uh, I went to quickly patrol the perimeter then some guys appeared in the treeline. Then nothing." Four hesitated. "How did you find me before they took me?"

The shadows behind Four shifted.

"I lived bitch!" Shadow's head popped out of the tree trunk, his body following moments after.

"Sha- SHADOW?" Four cried, moving to stand, but his tired limbs wouldn't let him. Shadow dropped to his knees next to Four, pulling his counterpart into a hug.

"Heya Rainbow." He smiled, pulling back to let Four see his face. Shadow's form was still that of Four's younger self, leading them to have similar faces yet very different styles.

"How in Ezlo's name are you alive?" Four rested his arms on Shadow's shoulders, holding his own hand behind Shadow's head, not letting go, in case Shadow inexplicably managed to disappear from his arms.

"I don't really know. I shattered the mirror, was trapped in the void for a while, and then slowly began to be able to see stuff from your shadow. I don't have much magic reserved right now, barely enough to hold this form but basically I dragged myself out of your shadow like an eldritch horror and scared the shit out of those guys." Four smiled as shadow flailed his re-enactment. "Oh" Can you tell these guys that I'm not a dark or gonna kill anyone."

"I think they'd have worked it out by now 'Dow." Four gestured to the fact that he and Shadow were still clinging onto each other and the Chain, including Sky, who had woken in the commotion, watching the pair cautiously.

"Guys. This is Shadow. We tried to kill each other a few times, but we're friends now." Four grinned. "I missed you Shadow." Four leaned more on Shadow.

"I missed you too, Rainbow." Four soon fell back asleep, trapping Shadow by the tree.

The other members of the Chain looked at each other, and talked in hushed tones before Time stood and got a blanket from his bag. He laid the blanket over Shadow and Four. Shadow nodded as he adjusted the blanket to primarily cover Four.

"Welcome to the Chain, Shadow."

Fin.