Thanks very kindly for those of you who reviewed!

Anyway, for those of you wondering, I am writing this story as realistically as I can while trying to adhere to specific elements of the game as best as I can. For that reason, Link is only using a few, select weapons. It's easier to write not having to wonder about what item he should be using in that situation. I mean, you wouldn't carry pounds of items around if you didn't have to use them. In my story, along with the shield and sword, all he has is the bow and arrow since I deemed them to be the most useful in his situations. Of course he has magical spells, I figured he would evoke them without any special items (like the magic arrows, Din's fire, etc.). It also makes the story much more interesting, fighting with limited items. Yes? Yes?

Originally, I had included the concept of hearts and HP, but after a few years of experience, I figured that to be absolutely absurd. And so I wrote that out. Link is now like any regular Hyrulian who, after suffering from a crushing swipe from a massive sword, will be dead. Possibly cleaved in two.

Also, I just now realized that Sheik is spelled with the 'e' before the 'i'. Now I have to go and fix all my chapters.

Anyway, without further ado, I bring you...

...

Chapter 11

A mighty scream shook the room as the shining blade bit into Shadow's chest plate, sinking deep until it lodged itself inside of him. His entire image splintered, my face flaking off in pieces to reveal blackened bones underneath and piercing red eyes. Those red eyes did not roll back into their skull as I had thought. Instead, they fixed themselves with mine, his pain contorted face twisting into a feral snarl.

"Y-You!!" Shadow roared.

I felt the distinct twinge of alarm streak through my system, tensing my muscles. But, before I could move, he swept one gauntlet-shedding hand at my chest, sending out a wave of sparking energy. It passed straight through me, electricity running up and down my arms and rattling my teeth. My vision flashed red for a split second as I was carried, screaming, a few feet from Shadow and thrown against the ground.

"You scum! Insignificant Hylian wretch! Aag--" Shadow was staggering to his feet, only managing to stand before collapsing back onto one knee, a bony hand clutching his chest where the Master Sword glowed. I couldn't believe it. How can he still be standing?! The smoldering orbs sunken inside of a skull locked with mine. What was left of Shadow's face snarled at me as he struggled to rise to his feet. "You would harm me with this--! You— you worthless mortal--" Another agonized growl.

A hissing sound seemed to radiate from Shadow as his hand gripped the blade of my sword, his mouth open but his voice stifling a cry of pain. He pulled the glowing blade from his chest, slowly, and thrust it from him, his chest and hands smoking. The sword clattered against the floor, too far away from me, and the glow from the blade dimmed. All I could do was to switch my attention back to Shadow, breathing heavily. A strike through the chest hadn't killed him. He was injured, but I had no other opportunity now.

I pushed myself up, only to fall back down onto one knee. Both my arms and legs felt as if filled with lead and my ears felt as if they too were ringing. Shadow stood across from me, his crooked spine hunched over with his arms hanging limp at his sides. He staggered, barely maintaining his balance, and those red orbs darted from one corner of the room to the next.

When his eyes finally landed on me, I almost saw a grin spreading across his fleshless face. "H-Heh, look at you! You can hardly stand up now," He snickered between gasps of air. "I admit, Link. You make a formidable opponent. But you can never hope to kill me." He began to stagger toward me. "I'm immortal Link! I can't die. You can't kill me, because I can't die!" He began to laugh, his bones shaking with the movement. "What's with that look? H-hah. Don't believe me?" A cough sputtered from between his teeth. "I'll bet you can die, eh Link? Just like every other mortal..."

A roar suddenly exploded from within the confined space, metal boots thumping rapidly across stone. I turned my head in time to see Arran charging across the stone floor, what looked like a massive pole-axe hovering inches over the stone floor clutched in his hands. I had no time to shout for him to stop, I was mixed somewhere between the surprise and relief of seeing him recovered. But Arran closed the gap between him and Shadow in a second, taking one halting step to swing the weighty pole-axe around his body and up toward Shadow's neck.

The weapon's bladed end slammed into Shadow's rib-cage, sliding through the bones and lodging into the front of his spine, the sheer force of the entire attack throwing him to the ground. He landed with a cry of surprise. The handle of the pole-axe slipped from Arran's hands, the entire weight of the weapon falling on top of Shadow with a heavy thud.

"A-Arran?!"

The soldier huffed, taking several steps back as Shadow began to scream in fury. "You!! I should have killed you when I first saw you!!" His limbs flailed from underneath the weapon—even he didn't have enough strength to crawl out from underneath it. Even so, his screams transformed into a caustic laugh. "I told you, fool! I can't be killed! I can't die!! You think this is going to kill me?!"

Arran stepped back, falling down to one knee. He didn't look at me, nor was he looking at Shadow. His head was arched upward, one arm bent at the elbow with the hand pressed against his chest. "P-Princess!"

I followed his eye-line, my breath stopping in my throat. The enormous black sphere had begun to deteriorate, the black threads sagging and drooping down as the Sheikah was lowered. Sheik had both of her arms raised, a glimmer of white light flickering over her fingers and her long golden hair tumbled down around her shoulders. She dipped down, the strands of the black thread gently lowering her. She was merely a few feet over our heads when her eyes opened, eyes locking with Shadow's fallen form. Her lips moved, "Thank you, Arran."

The light hovering at her fingertips began to collect and materialize, forming into a long bow complete with golden trims and designs. A golden arrow shimmered into her other hands. She notched the arrow, and drew it, lowering the bow until the arrow pointed directly at Shadow's face.

Shadow's jaw lay open in shock, his fingers unconsciously gripping the axe embedded in his rib cage. He tried to edge away from the weapon in Sheik's hands, but even his strength had left him. "H-How?"

"The Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword. Did you think it was called that for no reason? It is the sword of heroes, the sword that destroys all evil." A smile graced her lips, a look of terror spreading across Shadow's face. "Like light to shadows, your power was negated when Link struck your core with the blade."

Shadow's eyes widened, his teeth gritting against each other. "No... No!" He shook his head, his eyes darting from me, to Arran and back to the arrowhead shining in Sheik's hands. "I am immortal, I am still immortal." He laughed, his voice trembling. His fingers scraped at the axe head, his legs thrashing against the ground. "I cannot die!"

Sheik drew the arrow further back, her red eyes narrowing. "You shall be banished from this realm, your powers shall be sealed, you a prisoner like all those who have come before you."

"You have not won! You will never win!" Shadow screamed through Sheik's words, his claw-like hands stretching out to grab her bow arm but was just out of reach. "Damn you! You and your hero both!"

"Begone from here, shadow of evil," Sheik whispered.

Her fingers loosed the arrow, the head sliding effortlessly through Shadow's skull. The skeleton's head jerked back, his jaw hinged wide open, a scream echoing into the cavern. A wind kicked up, howling all around us, and yet I could still hear Shadow's screams. I felt something stir inside of my pockets, bulge and then spring out in a spurt of light. All six of the medallions I had collected before I had fought and defeated Ganon gathered over Shadow, forming a circle. I could see flashes of each of the sages, turning down to see Shadow, their hands extending out as if to embrace him. Shadow's screams shifted into shouts of terror.

"Ancient Creators of Hyrule!" Sheik's voice raised above the howling wind and Shadow's screams. Her hair whipped at her face, but her voice was firm, her eyes glowing with determination. "Open the gate, send this demon to the void of the Realm of Evil!"

There was a deafening pulse that ripped through the room, effectively silencing everything. It almost felt like I had gone deaf, the wind still lashing at my face, but no sound met my ears. The light in the room dimmed, flickered and blasted brighter than before, masking all of the familiar terrain around. Beyond the veil of light, I almost felt like I saw a swirl of darkness, churning and stirring. I heard the faint grumble of grating metal as enormous chains extended out, wrapping around all of Shadow's limbs. They pulled him to his feet, binding his arms and legs together as the poleaxe that once weighed him down clattered to the floor.

Shadow had ceased struggling, the pit of his red eyes smoldering with anger. As the chains bound him up, I could see flickers of faces lie across the skull, images of people I had never seen. But I saw my own face too, tainted black, lips pulled into a scowl. His eyes were locked with mine, burning with ferocity. The image flickered, switching between a black silhouette and my own face.

"So... You finally show your face?" Sheik's voice came clear despite the deafening silence. She stood next to me, staring defiantly into Shadow's eyes. Her mask had come completely off, revealing her entire face.

"My kind have no face, Princess." Shadow laughed, his voice coarse. He spat the last word as if it were venom in his mouth. But his lips began to curl into a grin. "My identity is like your Hero of Time. It can even be like yours."

"There will be no use for your power in the Evil Realm, Shadow. There shall be nothing but suffering."

The veil of light had begun to engulf Shadow. He bent forward, leaning closer toward Sheik. The chains grated against each other, holding him in check. "Hah hah... But I wonder. Is this Evil Realm as easy to conquer as yours?" His laugh was faint, growing fainter as the veil enveloped him whole until everything returned to silence.