The walls shuddered as cracks erupted through the stone, while the floor groaned beneath her boots as fissures rent the earth. Her feet thundered as she sprinted, and she desperately scanned her surroundings for any means of escape. There were none. Their only option was to force their way forward.
The cowl of her cloak slipped as she turned to call her companion, revealing chopped blonde hair framing brighter green eyes. The rest was hidden by a mask of shadow and the three golden triangles which adorned her forehead.
"Ganon!" she cried, swerving around fallen rocks. "How is he?"
"Not in good shape!" Ganon shouted back. "He's barely conscious. We need to get him out, and soon!"
The bundle groaned from where it lay in Ganon's arms, fitfully tossing to and fro, like a raging storm. Even from where she was, she could see that his breathing was coming in ragged gasps, and his eyes were clenched tight with pain. She spurred herself to move faster.
The pair continued to flee, narrowly dodging the boulders raining from the ceiling. Parts of the wall had been devastated completely, Even as they ran, more rocks plummeted into the voids of emptiness left by the destruction.
She took the left corridor. From the right, the sounds of low screeching were too prominent to be missed.
There was no time to rest. The walls were close to caving in completely, and they could not afford to perish here. She'd be damned if she let her friends die. Especially not here - not when she had led them here herself.
"There!" she gasped.
Finally, after what had seemed like eons, they reached the end of the labyrinth. The marble archway was not even a few strides away. A wave of relief washed over her as she made a frantic rush for the gate; Ganon mirroring her movements from behind. It was possible, they were so close, if they got out of here now maybe they could reach the castle before nightfall-
THUD.
She stumbled to a halt. Her heart hammered in her chest, and threatened to burst.
THUD.
"Zelda," Ganon whispered, laying the other man gently behind a pillar, "it's coming from the entrance."
THUD.
She would not allow them to die here.
Zelda knelt before the bundled figure and smoothed his hair back from his face, as he moaned pitifully under her touch.
THUD.
"Hold on just a little longer, Link. We'll get you out of here." she promised. Link blindly reached out for her as she straightened, and turned to face the beast.
Zelda joined Ganon, reaching for her daggers as he grimly unsheathed his greatsword and settled into a defensive stance. She lifted her chin to stare determinedly into the shadows darkening around the door.
SLAM!
The gate was flung apart from the impact of the force, taking a huge slab of the wall with it as it hurtled through the air. A gargantuan, fleshy appendage obscured the hole, bulging and convulsing, like a beating heart outside of its cage. A layer of scale slid upwards, baring one blazing eye; the inferno of Hell itself.
It scanned the hall, swivelling in its socket, before finally settling on her.