Title: Game Over
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Hurt/Comfort... Minus the "Comfort."
Summary: The hero has fallen.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my quest for the Triforce has been unsuccessful thus far. As such, my wish to own this series has not been granted.
It all happened in a second. The battle, which had been slowed to a standstill for hours, had been decided in a mere instant. One second, one moment... And it was done.
He was done.
Time became to a complete halt. Everyone—everything—stopped. The only thing, the only sound, immune to this stutter in time was the steady drip drip of the blood that rapidly pooled beneath his feet.
Then, just as quickly as it had stopped, time resumed with a gory schlick as the sword was pulled out of his chest. Without the support of the sword that had impaled him, Link crumbled to the ground.
It couldn't be. He wasn't… This wasn't…
This wasn't supposed to happen.
He was the hero. He wouldn't fail. He couldn't fail.
And yet… the blood filled his lungs, his body wracked with painful heaves as he tried to breathe…
Blearily, Link looked up to the sky above him. An overwhelming shadow blocked out the twilit sky, the figure's blade glinting in the sunlight. A couple drops of his own blood fell off the blade and hit his face, mingling with the dried and fresh blood already collected there. The hero struggled to get up again, to persevere past this pain just like every time prior, but… His hand refused to even grip his sword. His body wouldn't listen to him. He couldn't… He couldn't move, couldn't fight… Couldn't breathe…!
His opponent loomed above him, sword at the ready to end it all. And Link could do nothing to prevent this, despite his best efforts.
It was over.
He was over.
Hyrule was over.
He… failed.
A sudden wave of calmness washed over him. With some struggle, the blond turned his head to look over at her. The one he needed to save—the one he failed to save. The boy rasped through red-painted lips, "I'm sorry… Princess…" His once vivid blue eyes dimmed as he continued to stare at her, his vision narrowing until it only saw her. Again, he breathed, his voice catching as the blood welled up in the back of his mouth, "I'm so sorry…" He inhaled raggedly, offering an apologetic smile to his Princess, his best friend, his love… his Zelda.
He had to leave her behind. And he regretted every second of it.
A sharp, searing pain suddenly pierced deep into his throat. Link, from somewhere far off, could barely hear a low voice grumble, "Enough talking. It's time for you to die." A wicked grin twisted Ghirahim's face. "Finally—finally—I will gain the power I have been destined for since birth. Looks like you failed, hero." And with those last, harsh words, and a malicious cackle of triumph, the sword that had pierced him finished its descent into his neck. Link continued to look upon his Princess—his last sight was at least a beautiful one.
The world around him fell to the encroaching darkness consuming him. Soon, not even Zelda's radiance was immune—all too soon the pitch black held her in its clutches. His thoughts muddled, his vision failed him, even the pain dulled. Nothing was left to him, but for the small pinpoint of light before him. But even that, like everything else, left him. Nothing remained. He failed.
The hero had fallen.