Hey y'all!

It's… it's done. Finally. Writing battle scenes is so difficult and takes so much time! I like writing descriptive setting scenes better. But a story must be more than that! And I have no excuse for being late, so we'll just skip that freak out, yes? Now, I'm gonna keep this short as to not drag this on any longer than needed. So please review, comment, favorite, follow, critique, and so on. It really helps with my writing y'all! Thanks and enjoy the story, folks!

I do not own, nor ever will own, the rights to the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, objects, creatures, etc. Nintendo owns all rights to this franchise.

Preliminary Edits: 04/02/2018

Chapter 9: Two Halves of the Same Whole Part 2

The battle continued to rage. Men fell to monster and vice versa as the blood of each decorated the plains of Hyrule in a sickly combination of colors. Some would call it artistic martial prowess, others would say it's a normal day. Most would say it was a gruesome display of the power of Hylians and the violence of Bulblins.

Body parts dotted the field of battle. The skirmish, though short, had taken a turn for the worse. Both sides lost numerous amounts of soldiers to arrows, magic, swords, and many other kinds of war machines. A massacre, that's what it was. That's all war can be described as, no matter which side wins and which side loses. It was only a massacre.

Miles away in Eldin Province, a horse drawn carriage quickly made its way down the worn dirt path leading to Kakariko Village. Four horses carrying Hylian guardsman rode next to the carriage. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on their trek: no enemies, no monsters, nothing. After the Bulblin agreed to leave Hyrule to focus on their own devices, there had been less and less attacks in Eldin. Thanks to the battle going on right now, however, every precaution to protect the carriage had to be taken.

Inside of the carriage was a medic. She tended to her patient, who laid on a small cot.

Though her wounds were not as threatening to her well-being any longer, Ilia was still in a terrible state. Every inch of her body was sweating, reacting to the unnatural fever and coma that she was in. Her cheeks were sullen and her hair was akin to limp pieces of hay instead of the brilliant blonde glow it usually had. She shook uncontrollably and breathed rapid, shallow breathes. Her condition was unstable, and if she was going to survive, she needed to be taken to Renado as soon as possible. Until then, the medic would have to try to stabilize her condition to the best of her ability.

The physical trauma wasn't nearly as horrid as the mental trauma. But the medic could do nothing about this, as only Ilia knew. What was happening in her mind was nothing but torturous experience after torturous experience.

Birds tweeted their merry songs as if nothing had changed. The waterfalls flowing over the edges of the cove surrounding Ordon Spring added to the sweet symphony of nature. Light, whispering winds played their own tune, joining in with the forest's musical medley. Insects chirped and small animals skittered along the sand separating the spring from the rest of the forest. The fairies flew quietly around the pool, skittering on top of the spring, just barely touching the water enough to create small ripples. And a lone girl stood watching the scenery, not paying attention to the figure standing behind her at the entrance to Ordon Spring.

Ilia watched all of the parts of nature working as a collective whole. They created a painting worth more than a thousand words. Memories danced in her head of days like these she used to spend with Link. Through the tears, she smiled. But why was she crying?

Before she could remember why, she heard a voice speak behind her. "Ilia…"

She perked her head up and turned slowly towards the all-too familiar voice. Her green eyes, those of a forest meadow, met Link's blue, those of calm water. Tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. It was the moment they had waited for, for so long. They rushed to each other. Ilia made to embrace Link and never let go. But when she came into contact with the hero, she simply passed through him.

Her momentum carried her forward, causing her to fall hard on the ground.

"What…?" she spoke to herself dumbfounded. She turned around, expecting to see Link extending a hand to help her up. Instead, a wolf with gray and green fur growled at her.

Ilia knew the beast well. Namely, the blue eyes. They reminded her of Link. But Link was just right there, what did the monster do with him? Unless… No. That beast. Could it be…?

"Link…?" Ilia ventured carefully.

Yes, a voice echoed throughout Ordon Spring.

Ilia looked around, trying to find a source of the voice. But no one was there. Was she just imagining things? Was it just the wind, or was it more? She couldn't tell.

"Hello? Who's there?" she spoke up. "Talo, Beth, if that's you two pulling a prank on me, it isn't funny!" Ilia tried reassuring herself that it was only a joke. But it didn't help, she knew better. Something evil was speaking to her now. Faint whispers, dark words.

The voice continued speaking as if it didn't hear Ilia. This is indeed the man you love, who you desire to be with more than anyone. This is the man who claimed to have saved you. A wolf disguised as a sheep. A monster disguised as a hero. Link.

There was no physical manifestation of the voice, it just echoed aimlessly in the spring. Like the wind, it swam in and out of the trees. It skittered over the water, causing the fairies to disappear. Whispers of the voice caused the grass to wave. That was the only physical aspect of the disconcerting words that now moved with the fluidity of water and the poison of a snake.

But Ilia didn't care about the danger behind the words, it's dripping venom. No, she cared only about the message they brought.

She couldn't believe that the beast in front of her was Link. Somewhere deep down inside, however, she felt the voice had spoken true. Something told her it was right, but now she had more questions that needed to be answered.

Where was the voice coming from? How did it know her? How did she know it was telling the truth?

The growling of the wolf brought her back to the present and away from the questions that now lay in the back of her mind. Saliva dripped from the beast's mouth. Its eyes showed rage, turning their calm water into an angering storm. It readied itself to pounce on Ilia, claws at the ready and legs prepared to jump.

A stampede of voices then began whispering in Ilia's mind. She grabbed her head in pain and fell to her knees, screaming in shear agony. Burning tears readily streamed down her face and she could feel bile rising in her throat.

He's a fake.

He isn't your hero. He doesn't love you.

He only wanted to save you so he could harm you himself.

A wolf in sheep's clothing. A liar!

Link… Monster… Remember…

Those three words forced her to remember. She had been here before. In this exact same situation. But why did everything seem all too familiar? How many times had she truly been here? Was this an illusion? A dream? She didn't know. The only thing she knew for certain was a basic truth she wished she had known all along.

She spoke that basic truth, hoping those words would break her away from her hell. "Link… Monster…"

The voice stopped. Memories halted. Pain had ceased. She felt normal again. She looked up from her position, tear stains leaving trails down her red cheeks. Though her inner turmoil had ended, she still had the wolf in front of her.

It stood there growling for a moment longer. Then, it jumped towards Ilia, intent on ending her life. Everything moved slowly, increasing the torment of Ilia's inevitable demise.

Ilia raised her arms up in defense, though she knew that would do nothing to help her. She closed her eyes, hoping she would reopen them to find herself in her bed in Ordon Village. Hoping to find Link holding her after she had awoken from a terrible bout of daydreaming.

Her body clenched, ready to defend itself as best as it could. Then, everything returned to normal speed as the wolf finally came down upon her.

For a few moments she only felt the teeth tearing at her, the claws ripping into her. Then, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes to see what had happened, expecting to see a light or the goddesses. After all, she had just died. But instead she saw something different. Something all too familiar. Something she had seen just minutes ago

Birds tweeted their merry songs as if nothing had change – the song brought her peace, she had heard it before. The waterfalls flowing over the edges of the cove surrounding Ordon Spring added to the sweet symphony of nature – the spray felt relaxing against her skin. Light, whispering winds played their own tune, joining in with the forest's musical medley – it held no dark promises or poisoning whispers. Insects chirped and small animals skittered along the sand separating the spring from the rest of the forest – it felt soft and warm between her toes. The fairies flew quietly around the pool, skittering on top of the spring, just barely touching the water enough to create small ripples – they were still there, not frightened away by the wolf or the voice.

Through the tears, she smiled. But why was she crying

Then, she heard the voice she had feared only moments ago. But now, after having forgotten everything that had transpired so recently, she wished to hear it more than anything. A soft whisper echoed throughout the spring.

"Ilia…"

Two blades clashed violently against each other. Sparks flew from their contact. Their owners pushed against them, trying to overpower the other. One of the fighters, a dark spirit made of shadows stared down his opponent with red eyes and a toothy grin, crazed and wishing to see blood. The other fighter, a man clad in a green tunic and chain mail matched the shadow's stare with his blue eyes, which could remind one of crashing waves. His face was one of controlled fury.

Link was the first to break away from the stalemate this time. As soon as he jumped back, he readied his sword above his head and leaped into the air. He came crashing down hard with a battle cry atop Shade.

The shadow raised his shield to block the incoming attack. Link's sword hit the dark steel of Shade's shield, causing the weapons to reverberate painfully. Link's arms did the same, violently shaken to the bone from hitting the solid steel. Wincing only slightly, the hero ignored most of the pain. Shade gave a soft, evil laugh and brought his sword forward to counter Link's attack with his own.

Shade thrust his sword towards Link. The hero was caught off-guard, but only for a moment as he rolled to the side to avoid the attack. He didn't move fast enough, as the dark blade made contact with Link's side. Link landed hard on his feet, almost stumbling, but managing to keep himself standing.

He glanced to where the weapon struck, expecting to see blood. But the blade didn't bite deep enough, only ripping through his tunic and a part of his chain mail. A few broken rings of steel fell from where the armor was impacted, landing on the soft, green grass of the forest floor. After quickly examining the sword's impact, Link's eyes shot up to find Shade.

But he had disappeared into the shadows.

Link brought his shield up and readied his sword, going on the defensive. His eyes swept from the tree line to the shadows of the forest and back again. No sign of his shadowy doppelganger. This strategy was repeated again and again by Shade as the battle drew on. Though a simple strategy, having the ability to disappear and reappear gave the shadow an advantage. Something that Link still hadn't figured out how to counter.

"So weak," Shade drawled on again. He would usually do this while in the shadows: taunt Link into a dangerous situation. "So weak and so pitiful. But you are fun to toy with, I'll give you that."

Link ignored the banter coming from the shadows of the forest, focusing on trying to find a chink in Shade's plan. "You can't even hit me, yet I've struck you. I guess that was the only good thing to have come from being trapped like a mad dog inside of you." The voice rang throughout the forest, as it always did. It could be echoing behind Link at one moment, then weaving its way through the trees at another. An almost maddening experience.

But Link calmed himself, relying on his training to get him through. "I know every move you'll make. I'm always a step ahead… oh, I'll give myself a pat on the back. I'm always two steps ahead. Give up, you can't win if I know what to expect.

"And more importantly, if you don't know what to expect!"

Shade immerged from the shadow of the boulder, which Link had his back turned to. Quickly, Link turned with his shield raised to block the incoming attack. Blade met the steel of his Hylian Shield, but it was a short lived victory as Shade kicked Link in the gut. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of the hero, causing him to fall back on one knee.

Link needed a moment to recover from the kick, but he didn't have the chance. Shade continued his assault, taking the offensive. His sword made to strike Link as he tried to breathe normally again. The hero ignored the break his body needed and shot back up to face his shadow again.

Strike after strike came from the dark shadow, leaving Link little time to block or parry his enemy's attacks. Steel clashed on steel echoing throughout the woods as the two swordsman continued to predict and counter the other's moves. Link had a harder time of it, but as the fight with Shade continued, he saw and predicted the moves he would use, causing the duel to drag on longer than either fighter intended.

Shade would jump in the air and strike downward. The hero would raise his shield in anticipation, or twirl out of the way. Link would then follow up by either lunging at the shadow or doing a spin attack. Shade anticipated both strikes and melded into the shadows to evade them.

They would repeat move after move, dodge the familiar techniques, and counter with a maneuver both predicted. It was like a dance, but in this case both partners wished to lead, resulting in a battle that would not end until one gave in or messed up. One move after another, a clash of steel blocking an oncoming attack, a curse emitting from the fighters' mouths when the other knew what was coming. It seemed like this battle would have no end to it.

Yet a body's limits are just that as the duel began to take its toll on Link. Exhaustion took over, both from his muscles screaming for a break and the handful of lucky strikes Shade landed against him. His side bled after receiving a nick from Shade's sword where the hero's chainmail had broken earlier. Link also had several shallow cuts along his arms and legs, stinging as sweat poured into them. But his injuries hardly impaired him as adrenaline coursed through his body, numbing the pain and propelling him to continue fighting. Even though he had received numerous small injuries, it wasn't for naught.

Shade had many wounds of his own, including a nasty gash in his foot. When Shade disappeared into the shadows and taunted Link, yet again, he focused on the noises of the forest. He listened, quietly and with eyes closed to the shifting motions of the trees, the animals, the stone… A soft whirling sound caught his attention. He spun around quickly and ducked under Shade's sword as he plunged his into the ground. Link's blade didn't hit the soft floor of the forest, instead it struck Shade's foot causing the shadow to scream in pain. He swung his sword angrily at Link, but he jumped back out of the way of the weapon, causing it to hit only air. Shade hadn't disappeared from Link's view since.

Even though Link had struck a painful blow to the shadow, it didn't seem to be having that much effect on him. In fact, he seemed to be growing stronger as the battle continued. His wounds began to heal themselves. Unnatural black magic had to have had its hand in it. What was worse was that Shade was showing no sign of fatigue. This worried Link. His athleticism was being put to the test in this fight, and if his opponent showed no sign of hindrance, then how long could Link keep this fight going?

He steeled himself, reassuming his battle stance from the lax one he took to examine the situation. His eyebrows furrowed furiously at his enemy.

Link's resolve caused Shade to crack a maddening smile. Glee could be seen in his eyes. This fight wasn't over, not just yet.

"So, you still wish to fight," he spoke in a sinister voice. "Tell me, how long can you keep this going? How long until you feel the cold steel of my blade twist inside of your gut?"

The hero met his foe's eyes with determination. Cold, steel blue met the ferocity and bloodlust of deep red. "I will fight until I send you back to the realm of shadows. Right where you belong." Link charged, his sword brought back behind him and shield faced forward.

His shield blocked his eyes and sword from Shade's point of view. But the shadow anticipated what was to come next.

He faced his own shield towards Link, anticipating a full-on charge from the hero. Shade's sword went to his side, expecting a strike from Link's sword if their shields didn't meet. He knew what to expect, he knew who he was facing, so he did not show caution against anything Link threw at him. A mistake on his part.

Just as Link was only a few feet away from the shadow being, he fell to the forest floor. His momentum carried him forward, causing him to slide right under his enemy's shield and sword. Shade saw the change in strategy. He made to move his sword down to strike Link and stop his attack, but Shade was too late. By the time he moved his sword, Link was past him, his own sword dragging behind him. He brought his sword up as he passed beside Shade's legs, making contact with Shade's sword arm, cutting clear through the dark flesh connecting his forearm to his elbow.

Shade cried out in agony as his sword and the lower part of his arm fell. They disappeared in wisps of smoke. Black, inky droplets dripped down Shade's arm and he fell to his knees in pain. His screaming had ended, replaced by shuddering, shallow breaths. His shield disappeared as his left hand went to cradle what was remaining of his right arm.

Link quickly jumped up onto his feet from where he laid, turning to the shadow. He saw the blow he struck to the monster. He didn't smile, he didn't let out a sigh of relief. He just stood there, watching to make sure Shade had truly been defeated. It seemed that way, but only for a moment.

A toothy grin crept to Shade's face, unseen by Link. Then, he began to cackle. In response, Link changed to a defensive stance. From his quest, the hero knew that cackle meant something. And usually it was bad.

Shade stood back up on his feet, still cackling like a maniac. "My master… was right," the shadow said in between his evil laughs. "You would be a challenge. I should have listened." He turned around, letting go of his arm as he did so. "But it is just an arm, a tool that will grow back sooner or later. Now," Shade snapped his fingers. Appearing on either side of the shadow were dark versions of Link's sword, floating next to Shade's shoulders. Both weapons pointed wickedly at Link, spinning horizontally in the air and quivering every so often.

The shadow continued his monologue as Link strengthened his footing, preparing for the fight to come. "Now, I think it's time to end this game." With that, Shade waved his remaining hand towards Link. At their master's bidding the two swords dashed towards Link, intent on ending the hero's life.

King Bulblin ran full force towards King Grask and his wolf mount. The wolf snarled with foam and saliva flowing from its jaws. It wished for the blood of the Bulblin in front of it. King Grask had an evil grin on his face, his staff pointing forward, and his eyes screamed to see the death of his cousin. The other Bulblin king continued to let out a furious battle cry as he charged forward. His axe was raised over his right shoulder, ready to come down on the wolf's head at the right moment.

They were only a few yards apart, ready to fight for control of the Bulblin tribes. Then, a high pitched squeal caught everyone's attention.

King Bulblin's Bullbo had risen. Its eyes were red with fury and it glared at King Grask. The beast charged at a near blinding speed. All of the Bulblin's and King Grask barely saw the beast rise again before it rushed past King Bulblin. King Bulblin didn't even get to turn to see what the squealing was about. Before he knew it, the enraged Bullbo had descended upon King Grask and his mount.

The invading king tried to move out of the way, but was far too slow. Once King Grask realized this, he jumped from his mount onto the ground and away from the bull-like animal's mad assault. The Bullbo hit the gigantic wolf at full speed. Its horns tore through the thick hide and fur of the animal, causing it to howl in pain. But the Bullbo wasn't finished with it.

Faster and faster it went, not slowing down and picking up speed as it carried the crying wolf on its ivory horns. Several of the Bulblins in front of the beast moved from its charging path, but many were too late. They were trampled by the Bullbo's heavy hoofs and knocked in the air by the dying body of the lupine creature it carried as a trophy.

King Bulblin watched in amusement. He and his man cheered at the sight. It wasn't until the two beasts had disappeared from the gathering that King Bulblin turned his gaze towards King Grask. His cousin lay on his back, watching the worrying spectacle as King Bulblin watched him, his axe held at his side now.

King Grask stood on his feet, using his staff to aid him. He met his cousin's stare and let a mischievous smile creep to his face. "Hmph. Useless animal, I will defeat you without it." As King Grask spoke, he raised his staff, aiming it at King Bulblin and shooting a lightning bolt at him.

His target jumped to the side, letting the lightning instead hit some of his men who had the unfortunate fate of standing behind him. King Bulblin paid no attention to them, instead focusing on the duel.

"Now it's a real battle!" he bellowed with fury.

He charged forward, axe raised over his head. A mighty roar emanated from his throat, causing King Grask and many other Bulblin's to flinch. King Grask shook it off fast and fired another bolt of lightning at his cousin. It struck his chest full force, leaving a black scorch mark and sending small ripples of electricity rippling across his body. But King Bulblin would not be stopped.

The monstrous Bulblin kept his course towards his cousin. King Grask took a step back, but shot another bolt at his foe. This time it hit King Bulblin square in the shoulder, causing him to stagger slightly but not halt his advance.

Now King Grask started to worry, his cousin was nearly upon him. As King Bulblin came within a few steps of his target, he began to swing his axe downward. His enemy saw this and quickly pulled a bottle of powder from one of his belts. He threw the glass container on the ground, causing the ground he stood upon to go up in blue flames.

Unfazed by the illusion, King Bulblin swung his axe down. It cut the flames in half, hitting nothing but air. King Grask had disappeared, reappearing a good distance behind his cousin.

"Magic," he spoke. "A gift to man and monster alike. But neither know how to use it like I do." King Grask charged another bolt of lightning in his staff, ready to fire when needed.

"Slag your damn magic! It cannot not beat brute force!" King Bulblin yelled as he charged at his opponent again.

He rushed as fast as his stumpy legs could carry him towards King Grask. As he did so, another bolt of lightning hit him in the chest. This time King Bulblin continued his charge, but at a much faster pace now. His adrenaline and rage fueled him, causing him to ignore most of the pain and paralyzing effects of King Grask's attacks.

Before King Grask could fire another bolt, his cousin was upon him again. He roared swinging his axe down just as his foe threw another bottle of powder. Again, he was engulfed in a blue flame; again, King Bulblin split the flames, hitting nothing.

King Bulblin roared angrily, feeling the rage course through his veins. He turned to see that King Grask had appeared behind him as before.

The corrupted Bulblin cackled loudly, amused by his cousin's attempts to attack him. "Give it up, cousin. You will never catch me. For brute force is only that: brutish! But magic is pure, powerful," he paused to let his staff glow, coursing with more electrical energy. "And most importantly it is mine. You have no chance-"

"Shut up!" King Bulblin had had enough, his fury reaching its peak. He rose his axe as high as he could like it was nothing but a twig. With all the force he could muster, he chucked his axe at King Grask. It spun dangerously through the air, heading quickly towards its target with the promise of death.

King Grask didn't make a move, nor show any sign of worry. Instead, he fired another spell at the axe, causing it to be thrown off of its trajectory and burying its sharp edge straight in the ground. The evil king stared at the axe, scoffing at his cousin's enraged attempt to kill him.

"What a pathetic fool," he spat. "He can't even lay a finger on me! How can he lead a-" King Grask's speech was ended abruptly as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. It only lasted for a fraction of a second before he was thrown back onto the ground.

While he had been talking, King Grask charged at his distracted enemy. He had enough time to lower his head and run his horns full force into the stomach of King Grask. The force allowed the horns to make two clear holes in him. But he did not stay there, as the force of the charge also sent him flying into the ground.

King Grask rose a shaky hand to the two identical wounds. Blood covered the entirety of his hands and flowed from his mouth, showing the extent of his injured. He stared on in disbelief, he couldn't believe he had lost to his brute of a cousin. He watched as King Bulblin echoed a deathly war cry and his men cheered in earnest. The king picked up his axe and walked over to King Grask, intent on finishing what he started.

"No…" King Grask whimpered pathetically "I… I will not… lose…!"

With the last of his energy, King Grask chanted an incantation – one he had chanted several times over the course of the battle. He knew, after casting this spell, there was no going back. But he needed to win. He needed to best his cousin. He needed to rule Hyrule.

The last word of the spell came.

Immediately, King Grask felt its effects. Power coursed through the entirety of his body. It went into a spasm as the energy took control and healed his wounds. Once finished, it seemed like there was nothing there, his skin perfectly sealed again.

His muscles enlarged themselves at a rapid pace. His whole body grew, almost turning King Grask into twice the size of King Bulblin. Clothing ripped at the seams, shedding like skin to the ground. Dark green fur grew around his head, hands, feet, and nether regions. The king's horns grew in size, matching his cousin's if not overshadowing them. His eye turned from a bright yellow into a blood red, filled with fury and power wishing to be released. He stood upon his newly brutish legs and let out a bellowing war cry that put King Bulblin's to shame. It was a blood curdling sound that caused many Bulblins to flee in terror or simply stand dumbfounded, staring at the evil beast King Grask had turned into.

King Bulblin, who could not believe what had happened, rose his axe in his battle stance again. Instead of feeling terrified he felt all the more energized. "Yes! Yes, there it is cousin! A fight worthy of our people! Come on!"

King Grask didn't need to be prodded. He charged on all fours at King Bulblin, eager to end his cousin's life. His foe rushed forward head first on his legs.

The two came into contact with a powerful thud, causing a small shockwave to ripple through the grass around them. Their horns were interlocked, the other trying to get the better of his opponent. King Bulblin, surprisingly, was able to put up a fight against his cousin. Albeit bigger, King Grask did not have the battle prowess or training in physical combat. Thus, King Bulblin was able to match his cousin as they tried twisting the other into a vulnerable position.

King Bulblin used his axe to try and gain the advantage. He attacked his cousin's right hand with quick swing of his blade. A crudely cut wound carved itself into the brutish King Grask's knuckles.

This only fueled his fury, causing the gigantic Bulblin to roar loudly and twist his head to throw King Bulblin to the side. He flew through the air and landed on the soft grass hard several feet away from King Grask. King Bulblin, with the aid of his axe, tried to stand on his feet.

Instead of charging King Bulblin, his cousin dug his hands into the ground. He pulled up a sizeable chunk of land, holding it above his head with evil intent. The brute threw the piece of earth with all of his might at his opponent.

Before King Bulblin could even fully stand, the projectile hit him full on. It threw him back even more and injured him severely. He swore he could have heard a crack or two. Now, he lay on the ground in a pained heap, trying desperately to stand back up. The first part of the battle had already weakened him; this portion of the battle brought King Bulblin pain, as most of his energy and adrenaline had been spent. He could feel blood pool in his mouth, showing he had at least one broken tooth.

To King Bulblin's surprise, he was able to stand up on his own two feet. He expected to either not be able to get up or be smashed to pieces by King Grask. But that wasn't the case, King Grask wished to toy with King Bulblin now. And he was just getting started.

Slowly, the evil Bulblin walked up to his foe. Once in front of the weakened king, King Grask picked King Bulblin up by the throat. Suffocating him, but only enough to hurt him and not kill him. The injured Bulblin dropped his axe unceremoniously to the ground.

King Bulblin's eyes met the one eye of King Grask. His cousin now smiled evilly as he drew back the fist of his other hand. With all of his might, King Grask struck his opponent. He repeated his action until his fist began to ache and was covered in some of King Bulblin's green blood. Then he released his foe, who was more like prey at this moment.

His quarry crumpled to the ground, his face now beaten to a nearly unrecognizable pulp. It was purple and blood streamed from several places on King Bulblin's face; from his beady eyes to his busted lips, none of King Bulblin's visage was unmarred by injury. He lifted his head to meet his doom and he smiled painfully, happy to know he met the end of a true Bulblin king.

The enormous Bulblin eyed him vengefully and wore the same sadistic smile he had been wearing since he had turned into this brutish form. He rose both of his fists up into the air, putting them together to mimic the form of a hammer. King Grask savored the moment and let himself relish in the victory.

"You…" instead of his normal voice, King Grask now spoke with a deep, echoing bass. "You… die… now!" As he said this, he brought his fists down.

Before they came into contact with King Bulblin's skull, they stopped in midair.

A look of disbelief replaced King Grask's previous fury. He glanced down towards his abdomen, right where his earlier wounds had been. They had returned, but they were not caused by King Bulblin this time. No, King Bulblin laid helplessly on the ground in front of him. So, who was it?

King Grask turned his head to see it wasn't a who, but a what. King Bulblin's Bullbo had returned from its rampage against his lupine enemy. The Bullbo's horns now impaled themselves through the core of King Grask. The Bullbo pulled back, allowing his horns to remove themselves from the shaman's now torn insides.

As it did so, King Grask crumpled to the ground, falling on all fours. A look of disbelief still etched itself on his face. He knew now, at that moment, that he had been defeated, left at the mercy of his cousin.

The lump of Bulblin flesh in front of King Grask moved. He came to his feet and walked with a limp to his axe. King Bulblin held one of his arms, showing it was injured in some manner. With all of his remaining might, the king picked up his axe with both hands. He found his way to his cousin's side. He readied his axe in front of the shaman's neck. Swiftly, he rose his weapon. In the blink of an eye, his axe found its mark. With a ragged, though straight-through cut, the axe severed King Grask's head from his body.

It hit the ground and rolled, a trail of green blood following behind it. The rest of King Grask's body fell into a heap of lifeless flesh. Before anyone could do anything, the body and head disintegrated into black flakes. Wind blew the remains away, causing them to fly to all corners of Hyrule, scattering anything remaining of King Grask.

King Bulblin's men, those who remained close to the dueling grounds, cheered in victory. The other Bulblin began to bow down, reluctantly, to their new leader. With one last burst of energy, King Bulblin let out an echoing cry that raced throughout the battlefield, catching everyone's attention.

Then the victorious king collapsed with a hard thud onto the ground.

Bulblins surrounded Zelda and her entourage of elite guardsmen. Tending to one of the wounded Royal Guard members took Zelda time, which she sorely needed. She would not see one of her personal guard die on this battlefield.

Ghislain and Rusl bought her this time. They and Ghislain's guardsmen crossed blades with the green creatures. Many Bulblin fell, but many of the Hylian soldiers took shallow wounds to make that happen.

Rusl, who had joined the company of guards shortly after fleeing from an encroaching group of Bulblins, had most of his armor torn to shreds. Without a second thought, he threw the dead weight to the ground preferring the speed over the armor's protection any day. Several shallow scratches covered his face, as well as a few yellowing and purple bruises.

Cojiro had disappeared after losing several golden feathers to the Bulblins.

The guard captain himself even had a few wounds and pieces of armor missing, including his helmet. A deep cut stretched down the side of his face. Surely it would scar over, but now blood dripped from the wound. White, long hair waved in all directions, tossed by both the wind and the heat of battle as he blocked incoming strikes and returned them in kind. All of the men stood strong, but could only hold for so long before they fell to the rampaging Bulblins.

"You missed that one there, Ghislain." Rusl, who was at Ghislain's side, jested with the captain, trying to keep the disheartening situation they were in lively. "Are you starting to lose your edge?"

Ghislain thrusted his sword forward. The captain caught sight of two Bulblins falling as he withdrew his sword, now dripping with a thick layer of green blood covering it. "What was that, Rusl? I couldn't hear you over my proving you wrong."

"Heh, well I guess you got me there. But can you stick three next time? I'm sure the rest of the men could use the help." Both of the men chuckled before resuming the fight. Behind them, the young princess still tried to save the man who was quickly losing all of his life blood.

Yellow lights glowed from Zelda's hands as she applied pressure and tried to close the injured man's wound at the same time. Blood poured forth from his stomach, which had three separate arrows sticking out of it not too long ago. These were pulled out swiftly by Zelda and thrown without care to the ground after he was originally shot. Now, she tried sealing the wounds of the man as well as stop the internal bleeding. But her powers could only do so much.

"Y-your Highness…" the injured soldier spoke with little strength. His voice was barely above a whisper. A hand found its way to his chest. "It… it has been… an honor…"

"No, you're not dying on me, guardsman!" she ordered him.

But it was too late. His body went limp, his head turning to the side, and his eyes becoming soulless. Violently, she pounded her fist on his chest, trying to hold back the sobs that tried to escape her mouth. Again, she pounded her fist on the dying man, not wishing to give up on him.

Battle had always been this way, taking men too soon or not soon enough. A tough lesson that needed to be learned by many. Zelda was no doubt one of them.

Holding back her tears she stood up, taking hold of her rapier that she threw to the ground haphazardly moments ago. Regaining her composure, the young princess joined her Royal Guard in holding the line.

She found her place next to Ghislain, blocking an incoming attack that would have grievously injured the captain. A graceful parry followed and she slayed the attacker where he stood. Finally, the fencing lessons Zelda's father wished her to learn had come in use. In her mind, she gave a short prayer and thank you to her deceased father.

Ghislain noticed Zelda next to him. "Your Highness! I recommend you get back behind us! It isn't safe on the front line." A spear jab at him, but he shoved it to the side with his shield and struck his sword blindly in the direction from where the weapon came from. Once it hit flesh, he withdrew his arm, satisfied with his strike.

"Not a chance, Ghislain," she retorted. "These are my people. As their princess, I will fight and die by their side, if it comes to it." Zelda extended her empty handed towards the horde of Bulblins, collecting energy in it as she did so. A red ball of fire came forth and struck an unfortunate Bulblin in the head. The rest of the Bulblin's body, and some of his comrades, was charred by the ensuing flames.

Ghislain grinned. He didn't necessarily agree with Zelda's decision, but he was proud to serve a woman who wished to protect her people, even in battle. Noble, daring, and brash, but the qualities of a true leader. "As you wish, Your Highness. It was an honor to-"

"No. It is still an honor. We will live to see another day, captain. We will."

With renewed vigor and hope, the group of fighters continued their resistance. Though it was not needed long, for shortly after Zelda rejoined the fight, a bellowing war cry was heard that rippled throughout the battlefield. Everything stopped then, all clashing of metal, every flying arrow, and every soldier halted as the sound garnered everyone's attention.

Dark swords darted towards Link. With a flick of his wrist, Shade now took the offensive as he controlled the two blades to seek out Link and bring him death. Slow, preferably, but any death would work.

One blade, which was more eager for blood and thus faster than its counterpart, came into contact with Link's shield. The blade flung back as the hero's shield reverberated violently. The second sword followed after its predecessor, but it was more careful in its attack. Instead of thrusting head on, it held itself in a way that showed it wished to duel Link.

It swung hard at its target, but met the steel of Link's own sword. There, the two weapons deflected blow after blow. The dark blade tried striking at Link, but would constantly come into contact with his own blade, barely touching Link if at all. But it still held an offensive position, as the one who controlled it was safely out of reach of Link's attack, giving the hero nothing to strike at. He could only defend, nothing more.

Shade could sense the battle would soon be over. Fatigue was causing his opponent's moves to become slower, sloppier. A block that could have easily deflected one of Shade's attacks still caused Link to take a painful strike to his sword arm. His defensive strikes contained less force. Soon, he would fall. Link knew it too, but there was nothing he could do.

While the duel continued, wearing Link down, the first sword recovered from its failed attack. Again, it prepared itself to dart at Link. This time, it came in sync with its partner, waiting for the right moment.

And there it was.

Link had unfortunately found his back pushed against the boulder in the center of the forest clearing. Shade took advantage of this, commanding his second sword to the strike Link's shield out of the way. With a powerful horizontal attack, the sword knocked Link's shield from his hand. Then, the first sword darted towards Link. Before he could even react, the sword impaled the hero's right shoulder. A sharp crunch was heard, indicating Link's collarbone had been broken by the impact. The attack pinned him against the boulder and caused him to drop his sword.

Link let loose a cry of enraged pain. Immediately the hero went to work to remove the blade from his shoulder. But it was no use, the weapon was buried deep and wouldn't budge. He was trapped and at the mercy of his shadow doppelganger.

Shade cackled victoriously. Slowly, he walked towards the hero.

The shadow snapped his fingers and the second sword disappeared in a wisp of dark smoke. It reappeared in Shade's remaining hand, obeying its master's commands without question. Once Shade came face to face with Link, the shadow raised his sword to the hero's throat. Link's hands fell away from the blade as he felt the light pressure of the weapon against his neck. A few trickles of blood dripped from a thin cut on his neck, forcing him to forget his struggle and focus on Shade.

"I will admit, this was a challenge. Though, not much of one." Shade chuckled humorlessly.

Link struggled against the pain. His teeth were grinding in frustration, while his brows furrowed in anger.

Eventually, his energy was finally wasted and his body failed him. He gave up. Nothing. There was nothing he could do. All he could do was bring his eyes to face Shade and stare defiantly in his last moments.

Several memories came to the forefront of Link's mind. Ordon Village, Rusl, Zelda, his adventure as the Hero of Twilight, Midna, and Ilia.

Ilia.

Link would never see her again.

This hurt him more than the coursing pain he felt in his shoulder. Link would never feel her lips against his again, never hold her again, never comfort her when she needed his caring touch.

Never would he live those precious moments he had with Ilia in Ordon Spring; just him and her. No sounds and no chores, just their lively talks, the cooling spring water, and the peaceful songs of nature. Never would he be able to do any of that ever again.

"Ilia…" he spoke softly. Link closed his eyes, allowing a single tear to stream down his face. The lone name caught Shade's attention. And his curiosity.

Link would never be able to live his life with her. That's all he ever wanted, that's what he fought for. Now, he was facing his death, leaving Ilia behind in whatever painful state she was. He wasn't strong enough, wasn't skilled enough. Events replayed through his mind as he tried to find something different he could have done. Something that could have happened or not happened that would have allowed him to live out his dreams with her. But he found nothing.

"Ilia," he repeated. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't enough."

Shade grinned evilly. "Of course, you weren't enough. Not for her. No, there's only one person good enough for her." The shadow leaned in towards Link, putting his mouth next to Link's ear. With a painful whisper, Shade said, "Only the real Link, the real Hero of Twilight is worthy of her. And that is me."

Shade moved away from Link to see his face, which pleased him to no end: a blank expression that turned into rage. The hero growled quietly, "You bastard. Don't you dare touch Ilia."

Shade applied more pressure to Link's neck with his blade, causing the hero to go quiet. "Well, you won't be able to do anything about it. Now, I think your time is up. Goodbye, Link."

An echoing war cry made its way through the forest, causing Shade to turn away from and pause in his execution. He knew what that meant. His time was up.

"Hmph, lasted longer than I thought, but shorter than I wished." With a final snap of his fingers, Shade commanded his two swords to disappear.

Link collapsed to the ground, not taking his eyes off of Shade the entire time and nursing his injured shoulder.

"Our time is up, it would seem. We'll finish this another time. So, rain check?" Shade turned his attention back to Link. The shadow's all too familiar grin highlighted his face again. "Until next time, weakling." With a lazy wave, Shade disappeared into the shadows of the forest, leaving Link alone in the clearing.

Taking his time while using the boulder as a support, Link got to his feet. His left hand still cared for his shoulder, holding it gingerly as to not cause himself any more pain than he already felt. Many questions came to mind, but through his anger and injuries he could not focus on answering them at the moment. Instead, he walked back to the forest, giving a solemn oath to the trees surrounding him:

"He will never touch Ilia. I'll make sure of it."

After voicing his promise, he made his way back through the forest. Back to the battle ground of Hyrule Field, and back to Ilia.