I Do Believe

Looks like this is almost over. There will definitely be one more chapter for the final boss battle, and I'm not sure if I'm going to wrap it up with an epilogue. Oh, and you all voted for the warrior ending, so that's what you're getting. Just as well, really.

Just for lols, I started a left-handed playthrough. It's harder than it looks, believe me. I'm also choosing all the options so I can be the biggest ponce ever to be in a Zelda game. It's much more satisfying. You should try it sometime.

I don't own The Legend of Zelda, savvy? On with the story!


No costly sacrifice nor offerings given,
Can change the purpose of the powers of Heaven;
Whatever Fate ordains, danger or hurt,
Or death predestined, nothing can avert.

Well, this was it.

It had only taken them a few weeks, maybe – they were already at the border of darkness, waving a glowing sword around and yelling. Zelda could've sworn it was only yesterday she presented Link with his Engineer Certificate and an order to save the world. Good thing he hadn't hesitated: they only got here just in time without the delay that would've brought.

It was almost like fate had dictated them be here...

But Zelda didn't dwell on fate. It sat beside her at every meal and slept on a pillow at the end of her bed; calling her "Your Highness" and making everyone else do the same. Link wouldn't approve of that, she could tell. He'd say that we all make our own destinies, but she'd seen the portraits of the heroes of the past and it was hard to believe that fate wasn't having an inside joke bringing the same person back again and again for round three.

Zelda didn't know about anyone else, but she was pumped. A bit of action was a far cry from the mundanity of the palace walls. Sure, the carpets and the food and the utter adoration of her people were nice, but she was putting sparring into her daily routine if it killed her.

She couldn't read the look on Link's face. It was oddly blank, like whatever he was feeling was a secret he would take to his grave. Not that that was going to be any time soon, of course... He was either scared and was trying to seem brave, or was itching for a fight and was trying to seem like the gentle and righteous hero that he most definitely was. Anjean had the peace of understanding on her face, and Byrne was wearing a mask, so she didn't even try with him.

Anjean and Byrne started to argue back and forth about who was going to accompany Link and her in the final battle against Malladus. Normally she would've let them argue until the cuckoos crowed but she had the funny feeling that every second Malladus spent in her body ruined her complexion more and more.

She and Link exchanged confident glances. Neither were coming with them, and that was that. Anjean simply smiled to herself, like she knew it was coming. Perhaps she did. Her connection to the spirit world was so strong she almost glowed with ethereal light. Byrne too, but his hatred, though weaker now, was poisoning his aura with a dark purple. Lokomos made no sense sometimes.

Anjean, being the extremely insightful being that she was, summoned an empty Phantom suit. The normal kind. Zelda figured it was because she had faith that she wouldn't need any special powers against the Demon King. The bond between Link and her was unbreakable. Well, unless he died, but that wasn't going to happen!

It just wasn't...

That light wasn't going to be snuffed out by some overconfident, overbearing king of evil. His soul had lasted centuries under the care of the Goddesses, and by his own pure will to live every moment like the sun. Zelda understood now why she'd never had a friend before fate brought them together. She had no respect for anyone, perhaps not even for herself. But now she respected Link like the hero he was.

Still, there was something plaguing her...

When he made it out – because he would – that bond would never snap between them. She wanted to be by him forever, for his sake and for hers. After all, who was going to boss him around if they were apart? Niko? Fat chance.

So she asked him. She threw caution to the wind and asked what he would become once all the ugliness was behind them. He looked at her, and looked at his sword, and she knew without him telling her. She knew without asking. Some things didn't need to be spoken for them to be known.

She would walk to her destiny with a light heart.

The only creature in sight was Cole, standing at the edge of the train, his arms behind his back and his face to the void of darkness. She tried to tell him that it was over, hinting at him to flee. For all the trouble he'd caused the two, all the cuts and bruises he'd indirectly inflicted on Link, she was still prepared to be merciful and spare him.

He chose to laugh in her face, and her mercy ended.

The Demon Train, not quite dead yet, forced itself to start moving down the tracks again. She could feel the strain through the metal casing – they'd done more damage than it could cope with. Zelda doubted it could stop if it ran into something. They would just have to end this before that happened. Easier said than done, though she could say that about every aspect of her life with a straight face.

Cole was joined by Malladus, who had become fully accustomed to his new body. Her body. Well, not for long. She was gonna kick his butt so hard she'd knock his spirit out without the help of the Lokomo Sword! She could feel the waves of pure malevolence cascading down the train and over her armoured body. Guess he wasn't called the Demon King for nothing.

She moved in front of Link to protect him. She had steel to shield her from the monster's aura, but he didn't, and she wasn't going to risk him so early on in the fight. They moved as one, pushing forward towards the front of the train, and towards Malladus, who stood in stony silence waiting for them.

Of course, there was still the maggot that was Cole to worry about, especially when he warped right in front of her and created mice out of electricity. Mice on their own were bad enough, but now they were deadly! Link's sword took care of them, but in the time he took to deal with the threats Cole had managed to lasso her limbs and control her like a puppet.

Link hadn't noticed that she was being forced to advance on him, as he was still concerned with destroying the mice. Zelda shouted for him to get away before bringing her sword down into the place where he'd been a moment before. Resourceful as ever, he pulled out the boomerang and snapped the strings that Cole had bound her with, forcing him to retreat if he didn't want to be hit across the face.

Zelda barked her thanks at him before continuing to push forward. There was no time to check that he wasn't hurt when the situation commanded so much concentration, and she knew that Link couldn't concentrate long enough to make up his mind. She bit back the urge to flinch and curl up on herself when another round of mice were summoned, trusting Link to take care of them before they could get close to her lumbering form.

They were getting closer to Malladus, and he knew it. She locked eyes with the creature that was in her body for a moment before he attacked. Instinctively raising her shield against whatever ungodly force he had thrown at her, she almost stumbled as a highly concentrated laser tried to slice through the shield and through her.

She gritted her teeth and bore the weight of the laser while Link got as close to her back as possible, so Malladus wouldn't have the opportunity to shear his arm off instead. She dug her heels into the metal of the train and struggled forward at a fraction of her normal speed. She could hear the twang of Link's bow behind her as he took out the mice before they could stun either of them. She hoped he managed to put an arrow in Cole's forehead while he was at it.

Zelda winced as the train started to rumble beneath her feet. Not wanting to take any chances, she stopped and braced herself for whatever was coming. The resulting jolt almost knocked her over when the sections of the train split off in separate directions. It was hard to deflect the laser when she couldn't even stand up straight. She took her time getting to her feet. It was more important that they not get hurt than it was to attack Malladus. She cared about Link more than that.

Of course, she didn't want to take any hits herself, either.

The closer she got to Malladus the harder it was to make her legs move. She could see the Demon King struggling under the force of the laser too. The splash damage must have been burning his arms. She'd have to get a healer to look at them once they were her arms again. Eventually the strain must have become too much on Malladus, because he cancelled the laser and tried to step back so he could cast another spell.

Zelda didn't give him the chance. As soon as the opening was created she wrapped her arms around Malladus and clung on tightly. She hadn't noticed how frail her body was compared to the lumbering weight of the Phantom she was possessing. Malladus was stronger than his body let on, though, and he managed to pull both him and Zelda into the air, flailing around to try and shake her off.

She tried to use her weight to force him to face the train, where she knew Link's Bow of Light would be armed and waiting. She felt, more than saw, two arrows go sailing past them as they performed the deadly dance in the air together, and felt, more than saw, the third arrow hit its mark and embed itself in Malladus' chest.

The light from the arrow quickly engulfed the Demon King, and stung the edges of her soul too. She couldn't let go, unless she wanted to fall into a perpetual chasm of death, so tried to ignore the pain from the arrow until they were back over the train. Luckily for her, the light was already eating into Malladus' strength and he wasn't able to support them both in the air for any longer. He instead chose to land on the train, still trying to break free of Zelda's chokehold so he could pull the arrow out.

The light was unbearable, and Zelda had to close her eyes so she didn't go blind. She urged Link to get away before anything could happen to him, but he didn't listen; not that she expected him too. He ran up to the two of them and forced his own arms around Malladus' arms, pinning them to his sides so he couldn't move.

She felt the train quake beneath them and start sinking into the darkness. If she was going to die here, then she was taking Malladus with her in the name of New Hyrule. Except, they didn't plummet with the locomotive – Cole used a spell to transport the four of them away. She could only hope that Anjean and Byrne he managed to do the same. If they had perished in that fight, she would never forgive herself.

When the light faded she was pressed face first against the ground. She couldn't feel the wind or the earth, so she figured she'd lost the Phantom. Typical. The first thing that caught her eye when she looked up was Link, spread eagled a few yard away. He wasn't moving.

With a cry of terror she soared towards him, trying to shake him awake, but slipped through his shoulders. She started screaming at him to get up, feeling the evil that was Malladus still in existence. He couldn't die! He wasn't going to! She tried to slap him awake, but her hand glided straight through him and out the other side.

Never before had she felt so utterly helpless.

He stirred in his sleep. She almost didn't allow herself to dare that he was OK, but he defied all odds and woke up, trying to get to his feet. He crumpled back down, moaning in pain, clutching his ribs. They were broken... No, they weren't. He was fine. He was fine.

She tore her eyes away from the fallen hero beside her and looked towards the ball of red energy floating against the sun. Malladus was still alive, just very badly weakened. Anjean had said the Bow of Light would force the Demon King to leave her body so Link could slay him, but it hadn't. He was still hanging on by his fingertips.

But, slowly, his grip started to slip.

The specks of red energy began to grow and spread out, forming a silhouette behind her body, like a red mist. A blue soup seeped out of her back and condensed, revealing Malladus' true form: a giant blue skull. Zelda felt some of her confidence beginning to grow back. It was hard to be frightened of something that looked so... lame. And clichéd.

Before the skull had a chance to weave any more dark magic, she threw herself at her body, still suspended in the air like she was sleeping. Zelda could almost taste the fresh air again – could almost feel her dress against her skin. Oh, how it would feel to be alive!

She passed straight through.

Yes, there was a tug, like something had snagged, but it hadn't been strong enough to allow her to take her body back. In desperation she flung herself again, receiving the same result. The lump in her throat was growing quickly, and the fact that Malladus was trying to possess her again wasn't helping. She saw the Demon King rush at her and gave up all hope, but something was holding him back.

Something Byrne-y.

After all that had happened, he was holding Malladus back. Well, that would've been useful earlier, but she wasn't complaining now! Clasping her hands together, she felt for the power that rested inside of her. The power that her great-whatever-grandmother Tetra had given to her without her knowing it.

The Triforce of Wisdom?

Or just love?

An image appeared in her mind. A girl with a sword and wearing pants, of all things, and a piece of the Triforce around her neck. She smirked confidently and held the sword out to Zelda, offering her the handle. Offering her the chance to seize victory for herself.

She smiled and took it.

She was falling. Fast. The feel of the air swirling around her was almost enough to make her forget that the ground wouldn't soften her blow, but she fell into something a lot softer. Something that yelled. But forget about that! She could taste, and feel, and smell, and her heart was beating inside her chest, and each breath hurt but she was taking them all anyway!

She was alive.

'Bout time.

She threw her arms around the squirming cushion that was her best friend, laughing and burying her face into his shoulder, marvelling at the feeling. She never thought she would miss being in pain so much. Speaking of pain, a tormented cry of agony broke the slightly awkward air. Byrne was surrounded by an aura of black electricity. She didn't know if it was Cole who was doing it, or Malladus.

He turned to her, and his mask crinkled at the edges.

Was he... smiling?

Then she understood why. The force of the attack was too much for him to handle, and his body disintegrated under the pressure. He was gone.

And after all he'd been through... If fate did exist, then it wasn't fair.

On the other hand, if fate was the one making sure Cole didn't notice Malladus gliding towards him with a murderous look in his eye, then perhaps it was on their side after all.

In a blink of an eye, Malladus devoured the irritating demon before he could even cry for mercy. But it wasn't because all the butt-kicking he'd endured had made him peckish, oh no. It was because he couldn't carry out his evil plans if he was a floating skull. Maybe he also thought he looked lame.

...

No, wait, he still did.

Zelda could still see the resemblance on the face of the beast which was the combined forms of the two demons, and it made her sick. Just when she was hoping she'd seen the last of him. But she could feel what Malladus knew, but was trying to ignore. Cole's body wasn't strong enough to support his massive spirit. Only her own would allow him to be fully reborn. He was slipping.

But it was doubtful he was going to let that stop him from taking over.