Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or any of these characters.
Author's Note: Hi, my name is Kurai Hitokiri, writer of fanfictions and original stories. Anyway, this story is not a ZeldaxLink story, so any of my usual readers that read my Zelinks, if you're not in the mood to read about slaughter, death, and blood, then I suggest you go back to reading some happier ones. Anyway, please read on, and I'll see you at the end.
Bloodstained Heart
By Kurai Hitokiri
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The sounds that echoed through the still of the ominously cool night could be heard throughout the land. Footsteps of gravel against boot, the sound of rusty armor clanking together, a horse whinnying, and inhuman cries of loved ones as they were sent into the abyss… these were the sounds that echoed in the seemingly endless darkness.
A swordsman looked up at his pursuers, the salty sweat and iron smelling blood mixing together, forming a mixture of pungent scent. The sword in his hand lit up the chasm about him, a tool of destruction and life rolled into one. Its light was not held back by the crimson, putrid smelling liquid that rested on its magnificent edge, as those that had fallen tried their best to keep the light in the blade alive. For it was their only hope of helping the one holding the magnificent, pure sword that had long ago been created by the hands of the Gods.
Their hopes were in vain, though, since the one holding the sword had long ago been lost to darkness and sold his soul to that which he had sworn to defeat. The darkness pooled within his eyes and smoldered out the little light that was still left, enveloping the swordsman's good.
He had sold his light to Satan to see her again, if only for a few moments. If he could caress her flaming red hair in his hands, kiss her irresistible lips, and stare into the fire of her eyes for only a single moment before she was cruelly snatched away again, then he would rid himself of his soul and leave his body to be a puppet to evil.
He turned a corner, desperately looking for some way to escape his fate so that he might return this last object to his Master and see his Goddess again. As he stumbled on loose rock and fell to the rough ground, he thought for a moment of what she would say of what had become of him… She would scold him for his actions and hate him. But still, if it meant seeing her again, then he would bear any punishment that she passed unto him.
Blood from his wounds dripped onto the rough sand, and for the first time he noticed how injured he was. Truly he was a walking corpse holding a magnificent blade in his hand, the thought of a loved one keeping him from dying.
The swordsman again stumbled like a drunk to his feet, and ran with all his heart, ignoring the pierce of arrows that stung him and the rapidly enclosing retinue. The only thing on his mind was her face as he willed himself to keep on trudging through the inky blackness of the unknown.
It was by his horrible misfortune that the area ahead was a dead end. As he saw this, the man cried out curses in many tongues, no words could express the depth of the fury that he felt coursing through his blood like venom.
After his rant was complete, he turned upon those staring at him and held his sword aloft, ready for any of them to fling themselves to their death. However, those in light simply stared back at him, sadly observing the one that had once saved them from innumerable danger.
The crowd spilt and heads were solemnly bowed in loyalty as one came forth from the crowd that would finish their Hero.
It was a woman that he knew quite well. Her braided golden hair sparkled in the torchlight, her violet eyes sparkled with fury and sadness. On her seemingly frail body she wore a ragged green tunic on top of shining silver chain mail, almost as though paying a homage to his former self. In her delicate right hand the marking of the Triforce gleamed with light and traveled down the length of the pure rapier that she held grasped in the same hand.
The woman's fury increased as she saw the blood that drenched his figure and that whetted the edge of his blade. It was the blood of countless comrades and loved ones, the very ones that had cried out only moments ago as their lifeblood was spilled in rivers.
For a moment, the man's eyes flickered with their former light, begging him not to kill the woman who stood, ready for battle. But his desperation to live caused the shadows to once again posses him, and so his light was once again lost to the never ending darkness.
With a great battle cry, he lunged forth, the Master Sword shining with dark aura. He was sure that his blade would cleave her delicate flesh from bone as soon as his blade came upon her.
His confidence was only matched by his surprise as the woman's rapier, lit with the antithesis of the Master Sword's dark aura, met his in a clash of destiny.
For a moment, it seemed that darkness would triumph over light as the woman's feet gave a bit under the enormous strength that she faced. But that moment passed as she received more light from the Goddesses, and from those that gave their love from the world beyond this one.
The Master Sword, the supposed 'holy blade' slowly cracked under the force. Darkness spewed forth as the Master Sword broke into shards, spreading across the deep canyon and embedding themselves in hidden locations.
However, the rapier didn't halt on its journey. It traveled all the way through the air, cleaving the young man in half. Blood spewed everywhere as the young man fell to the ground, a smile on his face, the evil seemingly gone from his soul.
He expected himself to fall to the harsh ground while the ones watching his death cheered for the end of the one that they so feverishly hunted. Instead, a pair of soft and warm arms grabbed him as he fell and slowly lowered his damaged body to the ground, his head resting on their lap.
His eyes met those of the one who destroyed him, crystalline tears falling down upon his blood stained face.
He smiled and looked into her eyes, the light beginning to show through the darkness again. "You did well, Zelda. Thank you for stopping me… I knew you would. Now I can finally rest in peace. Congratulations… Your light has triumphed over my darkness."
"I am so sorry that it had to end this way… but why would you do this… Seek to destroy our beautiful land by serving the one you so vanished…?" The Princess's violet orbs leaked more tears onto his face as his eyes began to flutter.
"It was all for her, Zelda… All for her…" Link whispered hoarsely, blood coming up from within him and spewing onto her face. "I would do anything for her… defy death, and even kill those whom I loved, all for her…"
Again he smiled at her, then brought a hand up to her delicate face and wiped away a few tears.
"Do not cry for me, Zelda. I do not deserve such. Please, let me die without any worries," Link murmured, "Let me die knowing that everyone else is happy while my soul torments forever in the evil realm, as it so deserves."
Slowly the sobs lessened, causing Link's smile to widen a bit more.
"That's my girl," he croaked. "Goodbye, Zelda."
Slowly his eyes glazed over and he smiled a radiant smile, holding his hand out to a figure that could only be seen by him.
"Ah, she has come! S-see how beautiful she is?" he gasped. His chest stopped heaving violently, and his eyes closed and breathing stilled as he spoke his last words. "I'm coming... Midna."
With that, his hand fell onto the cold ground, his head fell back into Zelda's lap, and his breathing halted. Even as he lay dead, the smile never faded from Link's face, for he had gotten his last wish: to see Midna one last time.
And so, every year on the same night, it is said that one can still hear the sounds of footsteps echoing through the canyon as Link searches the face of Hyrule for the one he so loved, unaware that his life ended long ago.
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Author's Note: Okay, for those of you who are still here, yes, I killed Link, okay? I apologize profusely, but it's my fanfiction, and I wanted to do it. Anyway, pretty please review, I need to know what I need to work onfor stories.