Author's Note: Well this certainly took a long time to do. I have been writing this chapter for a long time but since I have vigorously planned this out as well as college starting back up again, it has been very hard to get this chapter sorted in a quick enough time. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, though do read the Author's Note that I will have posted after this, since it contains some important stuff.

"Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy."

~F. Scott Fitzgerald~

24

Ten: Alone

"I don't sense anyone or anything in the immediate vicinity," Zelda says hesitantly, concentrating deeply. "However I may be feeling a presence from back the way we came." In my mind's eye, she glances in my direction subtly so that her "allies" don't see her. I refortify my Mind's Eye, refusing to let it falter again in anyone else's presence. The Gerudo begin searching around the vicinity, thankfully moving away from me, blades and weapons poised for attack.

I push myself further against the tree, holding my head up and praying that I don't give myself up.

Questions flow through my mind like an uncontrollable river, and I try to figure out how Zelda has managed to get into this situation. Sheikah and Gerudo as races have always been tense according to the history books that we had before they were all destroyed, and just because these books have gone doesn't mean that the tensions have too. And yet, they have accepted her without question. The idea likes me to think that they have changed now, but anyone and everyone is a threat; and I refuse to believe this.

She had managed to talk with the group during the training, and that alone had made me question her, but this doesn't feel right at all.

"You may not, but I still do," one of the Gerudo closest to me hisses in retort. She flicks her weapon around in a circle in her hand, flaunting her skill to her peers and anyone else to dares to look on. I flex my fingers and take a hold of my own weapon, Mark humming in unison with my heart beat as I think over the idea of either using my Element to distract them (which could end up coming back on me), or attacking Gerudo (which has a higher chance of me ending up dead), but I suppose either way it is dangerous.

"What are you doing, Exile?" I snap back to attention when I hear the other Gerudo speak up, and I catch Zelda shaking her head in my Mind's Eye.

I turn my head towards my shoulder instinctively, however I close my eyes and rely only on my Mind's Eye, realising that she is facing directly at me as if not wanting me to do something. "I... I believe that I saw movement back the way we came with the same aura. I can't sense them, but it may have been them." And yet, she is still watching the tree in the corner of her eye that I stand behind, trying not to direct their attention to it.

I don't know what she can feel, maybe it is a connection between the Marks, but she knows that I here and that am going to do something. I don't want her to be caught up in the mess of alliances unless I am there to protect her, but I am determined to do anything that I can to help the both of us until the very end; then I know what I have to do. As long as she lives to finish this and bring this country back to the land of prosperity that it once was, then no one has the remember the sacrifices made.

And besides, I always knew that I was a pawn. We are all in this society.

"There they are." My stomach twists as the first Gerudo speaks, however I sag against the tree a little when they all turn away from me. In the distance, someone seems to have lit a fire, the plume of smoke streaming into the air like a beacon for the other Traitors to gravitate towards it. The group of Gerudo begin to murmur as they notice the stem of smoke, raising their weapons. Sensing that I may have a way out, I force myself to stay vigilant. "Someone this stupid doesn't deserve to live."

"I will stay here and make sure that no one tries to follow us," Zelda says without warning, so suddenly in fact that the Gerudo don't complain.

As soon as the Gerudo are a certain distance away from the both of us, Zelda snaps her head in my direction. I still refuse to move, however I can feel my Mark pulsating towards her presence, illuminating the ground beneath me softly. "I know you're there," she whispers into the darkness, taking a hesitant step forwards. Even if I can see the Gerudo far away from here, I can't trust myself to make any mistakes again. "You're high up on their hit list, Link. You need to run before they come back without a kill to show for it."

I try to carry on my vigil, but I fail.

I lean my head into the bark. "Sheik—"

"Don't worry, I'll see you soon. Now go before they come back, and stay safe." She pauses for a long time as I let the mind's eye drop. "I love you." I stare back out at the dark forest that opens out before me, knowing that she is right. And while I don't want to leave her like this, it's not like I can kill our way out of this.
I will follow that damn rule as much as I can.

"Sheik?" I ask, continuing on when she says nothing. "Get away from them as soon as possible. They will start turning on everyone soon, and they will go to you first. Don't do anything stupid please." I suddenly realise that she will be lagging behind. "Go on, before they ask where you are?"

And, as if on cue, one of the heavily accented Gerudo calls out, "Sheikah, come on!"

"Go," we both whisper at the same time, causing me to smile for a fraction of a second. "I'll come for you... Sheik." Before I can jeopardise her safety more than our situation already has, I push myself away from the tree and run, catching one last glimpse of her fleeting form before the trees take us both into their embraces.

Less than ten minutes later, there's a scream as the Gerudo claim their victim.

The next three days are uneventful, spent crossing between terrain and surviving. Despite the context of us being here, the ability to find edible food isn't hard at all; probably just to keep us alive longer to play with. Traps that I learnt mere days ago are the most effective without a ranged weapon, and general knowledge of plant life is even better. There has been no sight of the Gerudo or Zelda either, leaving these few days in solitude filled with scenarios of what could be going on her side of the game.

I don't come into contact with any other Traitors in the first day, keeping close to the trees and hunting what small animals and other sources of food that I can. Despite everything happening, the close shave with the Gerudo has been the only contact that I have had. In the early hours of the second day, the forest line finally appears. Not that it has been the forest that we usually imagine - red earth replacing the grass and the leaves stripped from the branches - but from the edge of the forest the starting clearing is easy to see, and the large mountain immediately ahead of me.

That's where I am going next.

Water isn't my strong suit, especially compared to Zoras, and while Gorons have brute strength, I only need the mountain to hide out on for a few days, and then I can figure how else to find Zelda without catching Gerudo eyes. And after how the forest terrain was different, I will fit in better to the mountain environment. Resting for a few hours after dawn, I start towards the mountain, not knowing what I may find but going anyway.

I have enough supplies to barely last me two days, but the prospect doesn't faze me; I've lived on little food for long enough before. It looms in the distance, smoke billowing up from the summit and hanging there. Even though the sky is already red, the portion surrounding the mountain is stained with a darker colour, like the sky itself has been wounded. The sun is snuffed out from this angle, but its rays still heat up the ground and keep me warm with however many layers I have on.

I tug up my rucksack and carry on, the gritty ground shifting beneath my feet. With the constant threat of attack and low supplies, the days are left in silence and clouded with dark thoughts that never cease in leaving me. And yet, I see no one else throughout the days, no one sneaking about or readily demanding a fight. For those days, it is long and tiring, and many times more effort than it is actually worth.

The sun begins to set on the third day, and I start searching around for signs of cave systems that I can hide in for the night that are deep enough to ward away creatures of the night; both animals and Traitors. The sun caresses the sky with an array of colours, dotting the horizon with bright oranges and darkening the world the further away from the horizon you can get, deep purples and blues mixing in with the lighter colours. If I had the time, I would sit and admire it, but I admit I keep my head down until long after the sun has set.

But, only a moment after the sun has dipped beneath the horizon, I hear it.

"A storm is loosed upon the sea, whose eye is stained with tears. A wretch Hell-bound and bent on blood, the makings of the fearful's fears."

And while it isn't her voice, I am still captivated by the words for a moment so much that I momentarily forget where I am. I blink a few times, voice echoing towards me once the wind suddenly changes direction. I straighten and draw the only physical weapon that I have, igniting the Light within me and slowing my pace. At first, I know that I am losing it and grasping onto any "hope" of seeing her again.

But when the song continues even stronger, I doubt myself more and more. Especially when I turn a sharp corner up the mountain trail and watch as a figure meets their burning gaze with mine before disappearing completely in a burst of darkness.

My eyes widen in alarm, and I become more aware of the world rapidly darkening and also the temperature dropping to the point that my breath fogs around my face and the light of the dim stars and my Element are my only source of light to guide me up the path. I can feel the Mark humming to my heart beat, preparing me for the road ahead. It keeps me calm, but also alert, and I refuse to let whatever is going on get the better of me.

As the path starts to grow narrower with every step, the voice carries on.

"Vengeance is her only ward, beware the blood red rose's thorn..."

"Where are you?" I finally call out, hoping that there is not more than one person around. A large gust of wind slams into my side without warning, sending my body on edge as I hold my ground. "None of you are those to hide in the shadows and play coy." I slow into a stop, breath clouding around my face. The night has settled, giving me less of an advantage over whoever is following me, so I ignite my Element as there is no point in trying to hide when they know where I am. I clench my free hand, hoping that I know who I am against before determining whether to run or not.

And, after a pregnant silence, I meet my opponent.

She leaps down, bringing the reign of shadows with her as she lands softly against the mountain trail. As soon as she raises her head, I receive full confirmation. Her piercing lavender eyes fall upon me and sparkle with a deep sense of recognition, and I force myself to hold her gaze and not let my eyes wander to her revealing garments. I draw the only weapon that I have, igniting the Light within and further increasing the strength of the Master Sword. In response, she smirks greatly, lips curving up into a sly smile.

Cia.

True to her powers, her pink jewel encrusted staff glimmers in the moonlight, and she rests her hip against it as she speaks. "So," she purrs. "Destiny has finally strung us together, hmm?" I don't dare speak, merely flex my fingers around the hilt. She raises a brow, then smirks. "Prepared to fight destiny, are you?"

I think on what to say, recalling past encounters with her, then, "I am in charge of my own destiny. You, however, are not in charge of me."

She leans further against her staff, stepping ever so slightly forwards. And yet, something about her aura sets my hairs on edge and my Mark to hum with alarm. I refuse to take a step back. "I'm sure you realise now that your hand plays no part in the path of your fats."

"Whether it does or it doesn't changes nothing," I reply. "When you die isn't important. What does matter is who you have protected and helped before your time."
Cia moves closer, and I still don't move. "Your perception of death is a mature one, but none of that matters now. One of us is going to die tonight, and it is not going to be you."

"You're lying."

"You would not believe me either way. Now," she adds before I can retaliate. "I did not come here for idle conversation. I came for my duty." I raise a suspicious brow, narrowing my eyes slightly. "I have a destiny, and I have no choice but to fulfill it."

I move to say that you do have a choice, only to remember my own fate. "What is your destiny then?" I ask skeptically.

She brings herself within inches of my face. "I have been sent by the Golden Goddesses to assure them that your fate is sealed." I move to say something, then she adds, "It is my duty as the Guardian of Time to set the gears of fate into working order. We cannot have spanners in the works of destiny." I roll my shoulders, standing my ground and holding her gaze, however choose to say nothing. "If this is what you have decided, then I have no choice but to force any mishaps back into shape." Her eye glitter with magic, and I know exactly what is coming.

I immediately leap out of the way, narrowly dodging a ball of Shadow energy that she sends in my direction.

"Stop!" Her sudden cry is enough to make me become more conscious of what is behind me, although it isn't what she says but how she says it. The near beg is filled with command but also a hint of desperation, and that alone stuns me entirely; she takes advantage if this.

With a burst of magic, I am thrown bodily backwards, the force of the collision along with rocks digging into my back send me down to the ground in seconds.
The world is black for a moment, lingering Shadow magic from Cia's Element clutching onto me hard. As the haze begins to clear, I can feel her tugging at my clothes as if trying to find something. I try my hardest to use my own Element to clear the fog, but her presence and Element combined keeps me still and almost literally left in the dark.

'Don't think of me as a madwoman,' her voice whispers into my mind, and I can feel something sharp dig into my exposed skin. 'I don't wish to put the Goddesses Chosen One in such pain after all you have endured, but I promise on the will of the Three that this will protect you.'

I try and struggle, but my clouded mind is filled with various images. Three looming figures surround one tiny figure, the world awash with white around them. As the central figure begins to grow, an orb of light shines in their hands where other images begin to flicker between different events that I don't recognise, however feel somewhat familiar. Their head is lowered, so I cannot see anything, though I can feel otherworldly auras from the other three figures; as if they are God-like. But before I can see anything else, the middle figure finally raises their head.

And that figure is Cia.

In response, the Mark burns furiously as if trying to tell me that what I am seeing is actually real and not just an illusion of her magic. It all looks real, and her Element doesn't feel like it is pushing on my conscious thought; just affecting my sight and movement; so I start to believe. "You are the Guardian of Time," the three figures says, their voices sounding more like twinkles and bursts of sound rather than physical voices. "Warden of the Ages and tasked with presiding over the Triforce and protecting it from evil that will attempt to take it for their own."

Then I feel pain.

It starts just underneath the base of my neck, travelling down my chest and across my abdomen. My awareness is dimmed, of course, but I am capable of feeling whatever it is slide over the skin. As the weapon returns to its original spot, her voice soothes again, 'This is all to save you.' And yet I don't understand.

Save me? I want to ask, knowing fully well that I can't actually do so. I'm not the one who needs saving. Too many people have been doing it, but you don't need me! The one you need is surrounded by Gerudo!

'She will be fine,' the voice replies, startling me. 'You have Courage and she has Wisdom, however to protect each other you must be protected yourself.' Something tugs against my skin, gathering the pain I feel for a while until I can barely take it; only then does it decease. The Mark tingles with further anticipation. She then pushes something into the palm of my hand, a small, cold item that I can't understand. 'Never let this leave your sight,' she whispers. 'It is the only thing that can protect you from the harsh waters of natural fate. Trust in fate to guide your feet. Your mission depends on it, as does the fate of—'

Cia's voice is suddenly cut off as she releases a ragged grunt, causing her Element to momentarily slip. My vision clears a little, meaning that the pain increases, however I manage to overcome it as shock flows through me. A small figure leaps into the fray, directing themselves towards me. Before Cia can do anything, the figure knocks her numerous feet away so they can get to me easier. Cia is quick to get up, I think, however she is still too far away to be much of a concern at the moment.

And when the light of the moon shines onto the figure, I realise who it is.

Saria.

She crouches down in front of me, holding my cheek in her hand. "It's alright," she assures. "I won't let her hurt you again; or any of us." She twists her body around and raises her arm, creating a thick shield of vines that Cia's power can't reach through, grunting against the force of Shadow magic hitting her shield. As soon as she can hold its weight, she goes to help me further, but I push her hand away. She frowns down at me. "You're too heavily influenced by her Element to do it yourself, Link. I have to do it for you."

"No," I whisper in reply, knowing fully well what Cia was doing. "She wasn't trying to hurt me. There is—"

But Saria shakes her head and goes to say something, however the world slows down and Cia finally makes her reappearance.

The wall of vines that Saria created shifts as Cia's staff begins to break through, the creator of the shield reacting but not quickly enough. My whole body runs on instinct suddenly, stretching over and grabbing the Master Sword from where it lays on the ground. I bring myself onto my feet as Cia's weapon breaks through the shield and towards the two of us, yet my body doesn't act with my heart but with the Mark, driving the blade forwards and Cia does with her staff. Two people react from two strikes, and my mind is too loud for me to know who it is for a moment.

And then, without any warning, I return to reality as the Master Sword is pulled from Cia's body and she tumbles to the ground. I drop the blade suddenly, disgusted at myself for losing myself for the one moment that I shouldn't have. And despite the fact that Cia is smiling with half content and half acceptance, I still wish that I had at least figured out what Cia was trying to do and killed her while she was attacking me instead of both Saria and I. It may have been in defence, however my Mark had awoken too many different images to simply be defence.

I try my hardest to catch my breath as I stare down at Cia's lifeless form, the vial that she pushed into my hand still there. Part of me wants to crush it in two and discard it for all that it's worth, but a larger part of me is screaming back, making sure that I keep it safe right until the very end; whenever that is. The latter part of my being wins over in the end, and I shove the vial into my pocket before I can think further into it. My Element, no longer susceptible to Cia's own Element, sparks back into life.

And yet, I snap back to full attention when I hear a weak cough in the near distance. My heart clenches at the sound, and I race to where it originated from, falling to my knees and scooping Saria up into my arms. Her eyes, barely slivers of green, are still as alive as the forests always will be, but her body feels too weak to keep going for much longer. The deep cut stretching across her small chest doesn't look like it can be fixed, but I am still more than willing to try. I won't let her die, not now, not here, not like this.

She doesn't notice me channeling my power into her form even when it starts to take effect on her. Her breathing hitches as she tries to fight it, though after a while, as her senses return to her a little, she musters enough energy to grab my wrist and stun me enough to cut off the Elemental energy. "Don't..." she whispers, fighting through the pain even after I try and stop her from speaking. "It's no use... I won't... I won't let you... die with me." She smiles a little too, as if she feels no pain, but I can tell that she is going through too much to bear.

"No," I swear. "I can heal you. Please Saria, I-I can't let you go like this."

With her fading strength, she releases my wrist and I follow my hand down, holding hers tightly to make sure that she knows that I am here. I try and use my Element again, but it falters every time, rendering me unable to help her. Saria smiles weakly. "You have to go... they'll come soon."

I shake my head furiously, refusing to leave her. I can feel the back of my eyes warming up. "I... I have to save you..."

She sinks further into my arms, life slipping away and I can't do anything about it. "It's too late for me now... but I get to finally see Mido again." My stomach twists, and I finally let the built up tears fall. She never deserved this; I did but she never did. Her heart, so much like Aryll's, sees the beauty in life, but also sees what is right and wrong. She stood up for her own beliefs, and now she is paying the ultimate price for it because I couldn't protect her and neither could the nature that she adores so much. "You have... a longer path... to follow."

"But so can you!" I cry, then let my shoulders slump. "I will give you a chance." She can't stop me when I force my Element energy into her fatal wound, although I can only use such a powerful surge of Light for a second before I am rendered too weak to carry on. Tears form at the edges of her eyes too, using some more of her draining strength to rest a hand on my arm.

"I-It doesn't hurt... anymore," she mumbles, and I realise what is happening. I shake her lightly, whispering her name as she watches the night sky above her. "Look up... it's beautiful..." As much as I don't want to, I do as she says and look at the world above instead of at her. From our position close to the edge of the mountain trail, the wide land dotted with trees and red soil. Through the cloak of night, stardust shines on like a gift from the Old Gods, but even that can't help us now. "I think they... chose right..."

My gut twists when I feel her weight falls further against me, and I return my gaze to her, her eyes glazed and in awe over the beautiful sky above us. I add Saria to the list of those whose eyes I have closed after death.

I force myself to wipe away the few stray tears and refuse to cry. I don't cry for Saria, but for the life that she had. She lost her family and everything that she loved, and died not from old age surrounded by new friends, but from a fatal wound in an artificial world with only me to be a witness of it. I can imagine her racing through the forests with her younger brother, yet the thought fades just as quickly. I can feel my Element flaring more than I realise, and I open my eyes when a bright light illuminates.

For a moment, everything that has happened is forgotten.

Both the Mark and Element both react to one another, sending out a column of spiraling golden light. It rises up high into the air, creating Farore's mark in the sky before morphing into the Kokiri Emerald moments later. I stare in shock, captured by the sight as I hug Saria closer to me, tiny body frail and limp. The symbol scatters, leaving behind a sea of spotted light. The night returns, cold echo of the dying wind reflecting across the land, and I stare at the part of the sky where the symbol once stood until I can't any longer.

The reaction that I stirred suddenly takes it toll on me, and a wave of nausea hits me hard. In the far distance, the lights of an air craft illuminate the horizon, and I know that I have to leave; they'll kill me otherwise.. Squeezing Saria in my arms, I force myself to rest her body against the side of the mountain, strange glowing flowers sprouting from small nooks in the path naturally leaning towards her body with the wind. And, despite everything that she had been a part of, I add Cia's name to the list of whose eyes i have closed in death.

I stroke the young girl's face, staying by her side until the air craft gets too close. Pressing my lips to the top of her head, I make sure that I don't cry as I stagger away from the once chaotic scene and back down the mountain trail, begging to the Three that the reaction between the Mark and my Element did not attract anyone to the area. My feet move quicker and quicker as I make my way down the mountain trail, Mark burning and searing my mind with thousands of images that I don't understand; places, people, and events that I haven't experienced but feel like I have in more ways than one.

And in almost every one, I see Zelda's face.

I keep running until my feet catch the wrong surface and I tumble down an incline, tumbling into a halt as my eyes find the sky. An aircraft flies overhead, two green lights sparking out and removing Cia and Saria's bodies from the arena. I watch at it leaves after a few moments, my body still reeling from the shock of the fall. I swallow thickly as the images begin to fade, the pain returning too. I push my fingers against my chest, finding blood still staining them when I see them again. Using the draining supplies of my Element, I heal what I can before I waste any more time.

And as I fall into a fitful slumber, I vaguely feel the vial in my hand; the vial of my own blood. 'It is the only thing that can protect you from the harsh waters of natural fate. Trust in fate to guide your feet.

Author's Note: So there we go, another chapter down. I will stress that if I carry on this story to the end, then the Insidiae will not be the rest of the story. It will only be a few more chapters and then the remaining chapters will be the aftermath and the final battle that we all expect in stories like these. Anyway, please drop a rate and review if you haven't already, and hopefully I shall see you in the next one.

*Please read the Author's Note in the next chapter, only because it, as I said before, contains important information for you all!

~RandomButLoved~