Link walked forward slowly, as a dark Bokoblin spotted him, screeching as the hundreds of others directed their attention to the noise maker, before spotting Link. Link gripped his sword tightly, breathing slowly as they began to rush towards him.
"Just breathe." Link said to himself. "Kill them. Find Zelda." They were getting closer to him, maybe 20 feet away.
"Kill them." 15 feet away.
"Find Zelda." 10 feet.
"One last time."
His blade moved, quickly, as it sliced with expert precision, cutting through beast after beast, as he maneuvered around them, sweat pouring down his head, focused solely on the fight in front of him. His sword constantly moved, as he summoned whatever magic was left in him to quicken his hand, blocking blades that slashed around him, and cutting into flesh at a speed he hadn't reached in his entire life. His head was pounding as he used all of his strength, repeating the mantra in his head.
"Kill them, find Zelda." He said, as the horde began to disband, the beasts realizing they were no match for him. He still moved, chasing down who he could, blood spraying across his face. He remained like this for a great length, as the bodies began to pile around him, leaving Link alone, covered in blood, breathing heavily.
"Now..find Zelda." He said, shaking his sword, the thick coat of blood dripping off of it. He stepped over the pile of bodies, and marched towards the door that led to the castle.
Dulcis stood over Zelda, staring at her, a triumphant smile on his face.
"He's taken the bait." He said, his ears perking up. He lit the candles that lined the walls of the dungeon calmly, as the sounds of guttural, animal-like screams filled the walls of the castle. Zelda's chest rose and fell, as she glared at Dulcis, hate behind her eyes.
"He won't fall for it. As soon as I tell him-"
"I'm planning on it." Dulcis said, smiling warmly at Zelda, as he turned, and left the room, leaving Zelda alone with her thoughts. The sounds of metal hitting metal grew closer, and then stopped, Zelda glancing over at Ganondorf.
"What happened? Did they stop him?" She said, barely above a whisper. Ganondorf shook his head.
"No...he succeeded."
The door crashed open, dust flying up in the air, as Zelda and Ganondorf's head spun to face the doorway, the poorly lit dungeon barely letting them see the dust. A figure stood at the doorway, shifting into the room. As the dust settled, Zelda's heart sank, as she saw Link, her friend, beaten and bloody, his beard stained red with blood, his cloak torn and red.
"It's a trap!" Zelda said, as Link walked forward, sword in hand.
"I know." He panted, as his eyes caught Ganondorf, chained in the corner behind the bars. His eyes lit with rage, as he rose his sword.
"No!" Zelda said, putting her hand up. "He's on our side!"
"How can you say that?" Link said in disbelief, his eyes staring at Ganondorf. He moved forward, ready to strike through the bars, but stopped suddenly, his eyes widening in shock. It took Zelda a moment to realize what happened, before her eyes shifted to Link's abdomen, where blood began to pool, as Link fell to his knees, Dulcis standing behind him, a bloody knife in his hand.
"Hello Link." He said, smiling. "I've been waiting for you." Link stared at him, his expression one filled with pain. Dulcis reached down, grabbing Link by his left hand, holding it in the air for the other two to see.
"Behold my victory." Link's hand glowed brightly, as he screamed in agony, the final piece of the Triforce leaving Link's hand, and entering Dulcis, as he began to breathe heavily, his face twitching and distorting, as if melting away. As his hand began to glow brightly, his body changed, morphing into a form that all 3 ex-Triforce wielders recognized and feared.
"Z-Zant.." Link said, just above a whisper. The man towering before him smirked, his dark colored face twisting into a chilling grin.
"Hello Link." He said, his voice resonant and powerful. He picked Link up by the throat, opening the cell that held Zelda and Ganondorf, roughly throwing him into it. He slammed the cell doors behind him, groaning in pain as he gripped his left hand.
"I was going to kill you." He said quietly. "But I think I'll allow you to stay and see the future of your kingdom." With not another word, he left the room, leaving the 3 legendary people, alone, powerless, and without hope.
Link sat on a bench in the courtyard, reading a book peacefully, the chirping of the birds and crickets a welcome sound, much preferred over the groans of monsters.
"Hello, hero." Zelda said from behind him. Link looked up at her, smiling .
"Just hero now?" He said sarcastically. She chuckled, smiling warmly at him.
"I had to hunt you down." She said. "I didn't expect you to be here, of all places." Link scoffed quietly.
"It's the most peaceful place I've ever been, even more so than the springs in Ordon." Link responded. "After being surrounded by war and fighting, it's a welcomed change of scenery." He said.
"I'm glad you can feel peace." Zelda said, sitting down next to him. Link shook his head.
"Not peace, actually." He said. "It worries me." Zelda cocked her brow, looking curiously at him.
"I've spent the last year or so of my life, fulling willing to die because of my cause. I would have gladly given my life for anyone to escape this malice. Now, I don't have to. It worries me. In peace, what need is there for a hero?"
Zelda cleared her throat. Holding Link's hand.
"Many heroes before you had the same problem. They didn't know what to do after they defeated the evil of the world, and felt as if they weren't needed. But while times of peace don't need a hero, the hero needs the time of peace." Link looked at the ground under him, the healthy grass blowing in the wind.
"I don't even know what to do, Zelda. I've seen things, done things, that normal people never even think of having to do. It's hard to sleep. It's hard to eat. Because every time I close my eyes, I see the world on fire, and I know I'm letting it burn. I know I need to help." Zelda squeezed his hand tighter.
"I won't let you be alone." She said. "I'll be here for you, I promise."
Link's eyes fluttered open, as he attempted to sit up, before the splitting pain in his stomach stopped him.
"Link!" Zelda said to him, straining against the chains that held her to the wall. Link glanced around the room, looking at both Zelda and Ganondorf.
"I..I have to go..." Link said, as he stood, slowly, his face twisted in pain, as he gripped his bloody abdomen. He crept towards the bars, staring angrily at Ganondorf.
"Link, you're bleeding out, you can-"
"We...don't have much time." He said. "Zant is going to...summon the Triforce... I have to be there to stop him. If I can touch it before he does.." He said, his voice trailing off. He fell to his knees, the blood pouring between his fingers as he held his wound. Zelda starred at Ganondorf.
"We have to heal him." She said. "Summon any magic you can, this is our final chance. "
Hello lovely readers, and thank you for reading this. This chapter took a while to write, and it's bittersweet. I've worked on this saga, and the pre-writing for this story, for more than a year, and it's sad to think that in a few days, it'll be over. The next chapter will be the last of the Civil War saga. I'm putting a lot into the next chapter, and promise something truly special. Please review and favorite, and stay tuned for the next and final chapter in The Legend of Zelda: The End of Legends!
-Darth Ganon
PS: For those of you reading New Legends, it's third chapter is coming along slowly, please have patience. I'm a student, and finals don't leave much room for writing.
