Chapter 6: The Awakening Part Two

Link strode forward, as did the Black Knight. Zelda and The Master circled each other, before disappearing into the battle. "I'm gonna ask you one more time, who the hell are you?" Link asked, spinning his sword. The Black Knight said nothing. "Fine." Link leaped towards him, their swords meeting with a loud clang. Link quickly took another heavy strike, knocking the Black Knight off balance, but only for a moment, where Link stepped forward, and the Knight swung at his chest, where Link dodged, spinning around and kicking him in the head. "Who are you?! I know you, I recognize you!" The Black Knight grunted. "No you don't!" He leaped up, slashing his sword at Link's, where Link stumbled. The Knight kicked forward, knocking Link back, but Link instantly reacted, slashing at the knight, cutting through his tunic, drawing blood. He looked at his blade, where a small amount of black blood sat. "Who...are you?!" The Black Knight slammed into him, and they fell to the ground, where the knight punched him repeatedly. Link punched back, knocking the knight off of him, where Link grabbed him by his mask, and kicked him, the mask coming off in his hand. "Who are you! Tell me no-" He stopped. The battle slowed around him, as all sound left his ears. Arrows whizzed by, but he didn't see them, focusing on the face he saw. Link's jaw opened. His face stared in confusion, shock, and horror. "Stark?" He said, looking at the knight. His face was gaunt, unlike the Stark he knew, but it was undoubtedly his friend. His eyes were sunken and had a tint of yellow, which stared almost evily at Link. "STARK?!" He screamed, as the knight stood slowly. "Yes." Came a voice from behind him. The Master stod, holding Zelda, unconcious, by her neck. "I brought him back, Link. For the simple reason of torturing you. Of course, he failed to kill you the first time, because he couldn't shake his care for you. But that matters not."

He tossed Zelda's limp body aside, and pulled out the sword hilt. Link stared angrily, gripping his sword. "Why do you hate me?! What did I ever do to you?!" The Master smiled. "It doesn't matter. It's time to die, hero. Finally." He pressed a switch, and the hilt exploded in a line of fire, which formed into a crackling black and red blade, made of fire. In inhuman speed, he ran at Link, slamming his powerful magic weapon into the Master Sword, sending Link falling backwards. Link was unable to speak, barely defending himself from the bombardment of attacks from the Master, as The Knight watched, unmoving. Link rolled out of the way, the fiery blade hissing as it cut through the ground. It began to rain, and Link noticed his army was actually winning. "S-stark!" He said, deflecting another hit. "My friend is still in there! You have to-" He grunted, The Master pressing his attack. "-see that this isn't right!" The Master yelled, knocking Link down with a strike. "Your friend is gone! He was weak, and foolish, like his captain, so I remade him!" Link shook his head. "Stark had unbreakable morals!" The Master punched him, sending Link falling back. Stark looked between Link, and The Master, who rose his sword, Link below him, defenseless. Something in him snapped, and he stepped forward. "Wait!" He said, and the Master glared at him. "Nothing will take this moment from me! You are useless now!" He outstretched his hand, using his mind as he pulled Stark towards him, stabbing his sword deep into his chest, it sizzling as a guttural grunt came from Stark's mouth. "You are a disappointment!" He again rose Stark up, throwing him far into the air, as Link watched in horror, unable to move as Stark's body landed in Hyrule castle. The Master turned back to Link, before screaming "Launch the bombs!" Two Gerudo ran to one of the catapults, and launched it, a large bomb soaring through the air, and into Hyrule Castle, it exploding and sending debris everywhere.

Zelda woke up, surrounded by bodies and bones. She leaped up, and Skeletons noticed, charging at her. Just then, Darbus landed in front of her, slamming the attackers away. "Highness." He said, turning around, and bowing. "We need to leave. We may be winning, but the castle is being assaulted. We need to get you to a safe location." Zelda shook her head. "No, Link has to-" "Link can handle himself, with all due respect. Hyrule has survived without a hero, but they adore their princess. You must get to safety." Zelda hesitated, but agreed, letting Darbus charge through the hordes and grabbed Zelda, leaping across Hyrule field, where he put Zelda in a cave, telling her to wait for his return. Of course, she didn't and snuck out of the cave, running as fast as she could, back to the battle.

Link rushed The Master, striking with anger as he pressed the attack, sparks of fire flying with each landing blow. "What-" CLASH "did-" CLASH "I-" CLASH "Do to you?!" He said, knocking the man down, his sword's blade disappearing He pointed his sword at him, huffing with anger. "Tell me...why the hell you're after me...!" Link said angrily. The man was breathing heavily. "You..have done nothing to me." The man said. "Your ancestors, however...are a different story. They would pay for all eternity for what they have done. You are no exception." He raised his hand, and Link flew back, dropping his sword. The man got up, his sword hilt flying into his hand as he ignited it, raising it up. A sudden shout made him turn, to see Zelda's fireball heading straight toward him. He extended his hand, and the air became thick as the fireball suddenly stopped, being held in place by his mind. Link and Zelda stared in awe as he closed his fist, and the fireball dissipated. For a moment, he bent over, exhausted, and Link leaped up, grabbing his sword, and running, not even looking as his blade sliced completely through his foe. Link stopped, and turned. The man didn't move. "If you think this is over..." He said, grunting. "You are very wrong." He turned to Link. "I will find you, in your darkest place, and I will rip your heart out and suck the meat from your bones. I am the great Hero Killer, and you have sealed your own fate. I am Caesus. I am the God of Darkness. I am alive once more." His clothes fell in a heap, leaving no body behind. "What?" Link said in complete confusion. Where the man who had done all of this had been, was just a pile of clothes. "He teleported?" Link said, approaching the robes carefully. Zelda shook her head. "Nobody is powerful enough to teleport while possessing someone. But..nobody is powerful enough to stop a fireball mid air, either..." Link carefully rose his foot, before stepping on the clothes. Suddenly, a large black apparition shot from the pile, knocking Link back and into the air. It floated through the air, two glowing eyes appearing in them. It, for a moment, took a form of a warrior clothed in black, a silver mask over his face, before exploding in fire, consuming Link and Zelda, as well as any unfortunate soldiers in the area. Link had his shield over his eyes, but as the smoke settled, he realized he and Zelda were in a shield of hers, safe. "Did we just win? Was it that easy?" Zelda said. Link said nothing, looking ahead to the second catapult. "Zelda, listen to me. We've won. Don't look for me. The people will believe in you. I have to go." He ran back, straight for the castle. "And I'm sorry." He called back. Zelda was shocked and confused, until she saw the black mist, consuming a skeleton, it's eyes becoming a deep red. The Gerudo and Skeletons fell in hundreds and the others began to retreat, accepting their loss, but the skeleton stood still, as it looked straight at Zelda, about to pull the lever of the catapult.

Link ran into the debris ridden castle, scanning the area. "Stark! Stark, I'm here!" He called out, searching for his friend. His eye flashed over something, running straight to it, a pile of debris with a gloved hand. Link ran to it, climbing the pile of broken stones, and his eyes became sad as he saw the body. "Buddy..." He said, kneeling down to the unmoving body. "You in there at all...?" A small cough came from the body, as it's eyes opened. They were less yellow, and slightly wet. "My captain...oh, captain..." He said. "Are you...?" "I...I broke..from his spell..." Stark said, wheezing. "I...only have...a few minutes...the..undead spell is...fading.." Link held his body. "I'm not leaving you. Not this time. We will share this fate." Stark sighed. "I'm sorry...for my failure at..the mansion.." Link shook his head. "The greatest hero sacrifices things for the greater good, and you did that." "Does...it matter now...?" He said, looking up. "T-the master...his name..is Caesus..he..is a..." He coughed, clenching his hand over the gaping hole in his chest. "A god...you can't...hope to stop him..." Link looked at Stark. "Why does he hunt me?" Stark coughed harder now. "He..." His eyes began to grey over. "S-stark! Soldier, stay with me!" Stark's mouth curved to a slight smile. "Goodbye for good...my captain...my king." His eyes grayed completely, a small breath escaping his mouth as his body went limp. Link sat for a moment, his heart falling as he let loose, tears falling from his face as he sobbed. "NO!" He screamed. "I HAD HIM BACK!" He punched a large stone, shattering it and blooding his fist. "And you..took him from me..." He scooped up Stark's body, and stood up, carrying him slowly through the castle. He heard screaming coming from outside, and he recognized it. "Zelda?" "LINK!" She screamed. "The bomb, it's coming! Get out!" Link looked at Stark, and then to the end of the long walkway that lead to the field. Zelda was far away, but they both could see each other. He looked at her, and back to Stark. "Goodbye, princess."

Zelda ran as fast as she could, seeing Link standing still in the walkway. "Link! What are you doing?!" She saw the catapult launch, and the bomb soar through the air. Time stopped as she saw Link mouth to her, standing still. The bomb hit the walls with a thunderous noise, shaking the very ground as it exploded, consuming the walls and stones and towers in a fiery explosion. The archway above Link collapsed, and fell, Link looking directly at Zelda as a kind smile spread on his face. "I forgive y-" The fiery rocks slammed on him, a heap of dust covering the air as the ground shook from the fire and the landing boulders. Zelda's voice couldn't be heard as her senses dulled, her left hand burning as she collapsed to her knees. She could hear her name being called, and she fell into someone's arms as her mind blacked.

"The death toll was more than half of your army, and the castle is in ruins." Mordu said to Zelda, laying in bed with a bandage on her head. They were in her half collapsed room, where Mordu carried her. "But...we won. The Gorons, it turned out, did come, and collected the runaway enemies, but no...glowing skeleton was reported." Zelda had tears on her face. "Mordu..." "I know, princess. I know. I was wrong about him. Link...was the hero everyone thought he was." Zelda looked down, on the edge of bawling. "But...good news..the council room was destroyed, and...let's just say you're the only surviving member." Zelda laughed, something she desperately needed. "But what I wonder, princess...who was the masked man? He had this." He pulled out the sword hilt, and Zelda lost her composure, tears flowing freely from her eyes as she saw it. "H-he was a wizard..." She said through tears. "He is some sort of God...named Caesus?" Mordu's eyes twitched. "Caesus?" "Y-yes..." He stood up. "I'll be right back. Please, try to calm down. Link's survived worse odds, he might have this time." He left Zelda alone with her tears, crying heavily, until Mordu returned, where she stopped crying for a moment, as he handed her an open book. "I found this while looking at info about the Gerudo. Look." She wiped her eyes, and looked at the page. In ancient Gerudo, a language few Hylians could read, was a single sentence. "The fallen son, the first new god, the death. Caesus." She read aloud. "What does that mean?" Mordu sat down. "I have no idea. But clearly he's part of history, somewhat. At least Gerudo history. We just don't know how much, we have little information about Gerudo history, so we can't even make a guess. He's only mentioned at that one point. He's not in Hylian history." Zelda sighed, wiping her tear covered face. "So...what?" Mordu thought. "Well, we HAD a historian, but...turns out Bowid wasn't on our side." "We have to find him..." Zelda said, sniffling. "One, he needs to pay for his crimes against Hyrule, and two, perhaps he could give us some insight on who our mysterious villain is."

Caesus sat, his dark robed body blending in with the blood stained grass, at Link's home. Ilia sat next to him, her neck snapped, propped up against the tree. The entire village was not far off, all dead and left in gruesome poses. He smiled under his silver mask. "My reign." He said to no one in particular, until he looked at Ilia's face, a face of horror captured. "Is only now starting."

Alright! So, all of that happened! So sorry for the confusion for people who have read this already, I wasn't happy with it, and so I changed it. There will be at least one chapter after this! I hope you all like it! There was lots of juicy info in this chapter, after so much build up. Shout out to RaidenFarore for guessing the Stark twist, gave me a heart attack when you did XD You weren't supposed to guess that! xD

Stay tuned for chapter 7!

~Darth Ganon