Okay, I know It's been a while. Some shit happened and I'll explain later.
Anyway, like I said, this is the FINAL CHAPTER but there will be an interlude afterward to tie everything off with a bow. It's really rushed and fast paced. I'm sorry, but I needed this out.
^^^^^(Chapter 11: The Legend Ends)^^^^^
Zelda stirred and finally woke to the warmth of the sun. She sat up and let the sun cascaded over her body. A blush painted her face as she remembered the events of the previous night. A warm glow, more pleasing than the sun, washed through her as she remembered what he said and did to her. It was so impulsive of her. Perhaps the only time she acted before thinking. …did she regret any of it? No. Immediately the thought came to her that she'd make the same choice given the chance.
Speaking of her guardian, where was he? Hearing some noises from the courtyard, the princess materialized a simple dress on herself, and went to the balcony. Gareth was in the courtyard (shirtless for some reason) with an armored training dummy. He was practicing, getting in some 11th hour practice before the battle. Smiling at his display, she grew concerned after he stopped and looked at the sword in his hand. "Good morning, Gareth."
Gareth looked up to greet her. "Oh. Good morning, Zelda."
"How long have you been awake?"
"Uh, 'bout less than an hour I think."
"Training?"
"Trying, at least." Gareth said, looking back at his sword. Zelda surrounded herself in green energy and wind and teleported herself close to her guardian.
"What is troubling you, my guardian?"
After initial shock of her teleportation magic, he sighed and stabbed his sword into the ground. "You know, if I failed a job or contract, I just wouldn't get paid and have to hunt for food for a while. I fuck up now and it's the end of the world. Just…" Zelda put her hand on his shoulder. "I think the weight of what's at stake just hit me…"
The princess smiled. "Remember what you said to me? I think the same, that you too will walk away from this victorious." Her hands trailed down his arms. "You're so powerful, and combat minded." She reached his hand. "All four of us will be triumphant, and the world will enter a new age of peace."
"Thanks, Zee." He smirked, picked up his sword and walked back to the training dummy. "Though it probably helps having the Triangle of Destiny on your hand."
Zelda looked at her hand with a contemplative look on her face. A few seconds later, it started fiercely glowing. Her gasp brought Gareth to her side. She turned her gaze to Hyrule Field, and saw the dark clouds growing and a black shadow on the ground spreading out.
"Gareth?"
"Yeah?"
"Get dressed." The princess ordered, mystically changing into her official princess attire.
He cracked his neck. "Yes ma'am."
^^^^^(Link's House)^^^^^
Link had been awake for several minutes. He wanted to get up and use the restroom, but was currently immobilized in a cocoon of Midna's arms and legs. He sighed and just relaxed back into her embrace.
Until his hand started feeling warmer than normal. He shuffled his hand towards his face and saw his Triforce glowing strongly.
"Midna? Midna we have to get up." He squirmed a bit to no avail. "Midna!" He whined a bit louder.
"No mister postman… that package goes heeeere…" The Twili Monarch moaned in her sleep. Not wanting to know what was going on in her brain, he decided the best course of action was to blow sharply into her ear. "AAAA! ASS SQUIDDILY FUCK!" Midna screamed while flailing then falling on the floor. "What is your gods damned damage, green man?" Midna angrily asked, glaring at her lover. Link simply pointed to the glowing mark on his hand. Midna sighed. "Ugh. Fine. Suppose the end of the world is as good a reason as any…"
^^^^^(Hours Later, Edge of Hyrule Field)^^^^^
Gareth and Zelda stood outside the Castle Town Gates. Hooves clopped down the path. Link and Midna arrived upon Epona. Link was clad in his new black tunic, twili runes glowing fiercely. When the horse came to a stop, Link leapt off while Midna gently floated down.
"Okay, is everybody ready?" Link asked.
Zelda nodded while Gareth cracked his knuckles. "Hell yeah. Let's kill this thing then eat a whole cow."
Midna was about to chime in as well, but noticed some rather peculiar pink marks around Zelda's neck and collarbone. Zelda noticed that Midna was uncharacteristically quiet, and saw a sassy grin spread wide on her face. The Hylian Princess' face turned beet red and she began to shake her head and mouthed "No no no don't you dare."
But before Midna could relentlessly tease her friends, a massive tremor shook the earth. Black magic lightning burst from the dark cloud in the middle of the field. It began to descend from the sky. The party turned to face it.
"Link, may I see your medallion?" Link shot Zelda a look. "Please, I have a plan." Link thought for a second and tossed her the medallion.
"Okay. We'll head in first."
"Yep, lead the way wolf-boy." Midna said before giving Link an encouraging a smack on the behind. With Zelda and her guardian behind, the princess grabbed Gareth's hand and placed both medallions in them.
"Woah-what?! Zelda, what are you-?"
"Listen." She looked him dead in the eyes. "I will undoubtedly be the first target. You with your magic weapon have the best chance of fatally striking the demon king."
Gareth still looked shocked and confused. "And I trust you." She closed the gap between their faces with a quick kiss. When they separated, Zelda smiled, blushed slightly and turned to the field. "Now let us join our friends." The monarch levitated slightly, and rushed off to the battlefield. Gareth stood still for several seconds, jaw agape, before snapping himself free from his conflicting emotions. He ran to catch up to Zelda. She with Link and Midna were waiting as close as they could to the dark cloud.
"What? Done playing hide the tongue?" Midna teased before a massive burst of dark air washed over the four. The demonic breeze lashed at their skin like a swarm of wasps.
"Gods damn it all! How the fuck are we supposed to fight a fucking cloud?" Gareth yelled.
"1200 years…" a deep, rumbling voice came as if from everywhere. "1200 years I've seen my curse take shape, and I've waited for all my cogs to come together. Hero…" Link reached back to grip his sword. "… I shall rip the flesh from the bones of your woman." Link's bared his fangs and ripped the master sword from its holster. Immediately it began to glow. Black particles shot out of blade. The master sword made a sound similar to a feminine voice screaming as the scale like things formed inside the cloud. A giant humanoid figure was beginning to take shape, with red glowing spots where the eyes would be.
"Now… all I need is my sword." The demonic force turned its gaze towards Gareth.
"Why are you looking at me?" Gareth asked, fear beginning to form on his face.
"Oh Goddess… how you've fallen." Zelda glared at the force. "Able to fall for a pretty face and a sad story. Silly and malleable feminine whims." The darkness raised an arm and flung black magic energy towards Gareth. Black lightning surrounded and constricted the bounty hunter.
"AAGH! No! Help, Zelda! Please!" He reached out for the princess. She tried to grab his hand but was blasted away by evil magic energy. Gareth was brought in front of the massive demonic spirit.
"Did you really believe I would let that red haired IDIOT be part of my grand curse?!" The demon sent dark magic energy into Gareth through his eyes and mouth as he screamed in burning agony. His skin and hair began to turn white, and his eyes began to black over. Link, Midna, and Zelda could only watch in horror as their friend was being transformed. His mind began to distort. Memories were being rewritten as he felt his soul change.
"There was no 'Gareth.' There is only Ghirahim!" His skin was now metallic black, hair and eyes turned white, and both medallions were embedded into the palms of his hands. He opened his mouth revealing demonic fangs and a long serpentine tongue. "Now be a good servant and return me to physical form."
The reborn Ghirahim, still in midair, spun around and rose his right hand towards the cloud. The hand with the Medallion of Life embedded in it. A bright white light shone all over the massive cloud as it began to compress and fully descend to the earth. When it finally dissipated, Demise, The Demon King, stood once again after centuries. Centuries of being trapped as a reincarnated thought in the minds of evil with his body trapped in the Master Sword, he now stood glaring at the reincarnations of those that thwarted him all those years ago. They could only look upon him and his sword in fear and pain. He delighted in the anguish in the Goddess' face as he played her perfectly with his patsy. They weren't even fit for him to dirty his claws with. "Now my sword… strike them down. So that my rule can never be challenged ever again."
Still in the air, the reborn Sword of Darkness faced the trio and raised his left hand towards them. Hate, betrayal, and grief painted the faces of Link and Midna as they stared at someone they thought was their friend. But then he looked right at Zelda, who for a moment shared their pain. Yet when their eyes locked, she smiled at him through her tears. And his face softened. Although demonic viciousness coursed through his brain with pictures of events long long ago, memories of Gareth began to replay…
"Stand up, Gareth. There's no need for formalities. After all, we just got to really know each other."
"Well… I have to say… this is a first for me. The best way to get to know someone is through the clashing of blades or beer mugs. It's just I never thought either of those would be with someone of royalty."
"Royalty doesn't tend to respect bounty hunters…"
"Well, I hope I can change that preconception of royalty you have."
"Oh, and I'm sorry for what I said back there…"
"Of all the kings, queens, and other rulers I've met in my time, there are none like you, Zee. They actually really like you."
"Thank you, Gareth."
"For what?"
"For calling me Zee."
"There has never been anyone like you in my life, Zee. I am… very happy to know you."
Nothing happened. They were all still alive. "What are you waiting for?!" Demise roared. "Be my sword and strike them down!"
"…no." The sword replied.
"What?!"
"I said… NO!" The floating demon turned around, and blasted the Demon King with as much force that the Medallion of Death could give him. Pure black and red magic energy weathered away at the Demon King. Scales were sheared off as the massive body of Demise began to shrink. His burning hair shrank as well. "Ghirahim…stop!"
"MY… NAME… IS… GARETH!" His skin and eyes returned to normal as the last of malicious magical energy was extracted from the medallion. Demise was reduced to the less imposing stature of Ganondorf and looked near total exhaustion. A semi-transparent shadow looking similar in shape to Zant flew up from the suffering demon. It twisted in the air and evaporated into nothingness. Gareth's eyes rolled back as he fell to the earth below, landing hard on his back. The medallions clanking on the ground detaching from his hands
"Gareth!" Zelda screamed before rushing to his side, sitting down, and cradling his unconscious head.
"Let's end this!" Midna yelled before she and Link charged the reeling demon. The weakened Demise had his head in his hands, and didn't notice Link's charge until the last second when an upward slash across his chest sent him backwards. Having his faced forced up, he saw a massive orange fist come bearing down on him. It smashed his skull, slamming him sprawling on the floor. Demise, though pushed himself up, raised his right hand, and a stream of black fire towards the Twilight Princess.
Levitating, Midna stayed ahead of the burning stream while circling the fallen demon king, though it was starting to get closer and closer. An arrow pierced the flame-spewing hand. Demise furiously turned to the calm and determined visage of Link. Demises undamaged hand clenched so tight that black blood poured from the palm. The fist solidified together into a ball, then bone-like spikes burst from the sphere. The Demon King charged the hero.
Zelda only watched the battle through tear stained eyes, caressing Gareth's head as he breathed raggedly; a soft golden glow emanating from her hands.
Demise smashed madly at the hero, his spiked hand colliding the Hylian Shield creating a shower of sparks. In one strong swipe, a spike pierced the shield. It was tossed aside as Demise readied a killing blow. His wrist was however wrapped in Twili energy. Midna grit her teeth and channeled whatever power from the Fused Shadow was still within her to hold the Demon King. Link let loose with a relentless flurry of swipes and slashes. Ten to twenty swipes and black energy radiated from Demise.
"ENOUGH!" He roared sending the Twili royalty falling to the earth. "You mortals have been standing in my way for centuries too long! This is my world! Through demonic birthright I was given power. And through divine providence my avatar was given the right to rule. Only through those can I be defeated! And only-" Demise was cut off, as Gareth's sword burst through the demon's chest. Surprising everyone, a burst of blood accompanying it. Shocked grunts and gurgles came from the mortal Demise as he fell to his knees. He looked over to the form of Gareth now standing over him.
"My… my sword…" he coughed out.
"Never again." Gareth growled with two voices; his now white hair blowing in a spectral breeze. "The cycle ends here, master." He spat the last word, placed the Mage channel against Demise's head, and a powerful blast eradicated the Demon King's skull. Left only was the lower jaw and a gruesome sight. After the death of the demon, Gareth's hair returned to his normal black color, save for a white strip down some of the strands. He exhaled and stared at his hands, as if he was unsure about what exactly just happened.
Link ran over to Midna. "Oh… I'm fine." He helped her stand up. "Going to be tired tomorrow… not in the fun way." They looked over to Gareth as Zelda caught up to them.
"So," Link asked aloud. "Is it over?"
"Yeah…" Gareth said, with a blank look on his face. "Just one loose end." He placed the tip of the mage channel to the side of his head.
"No! Gareth, Stop!" Midna shrieked.
"Think about what you're doing!" Link shouted.
"I have!" Gareth shouted back, not turning around to face them. "No more demons, no more suffering." He closed his eyes and held the magical weapon to his temple. He knew he had to do it. For his friends. For the people in this world. …For Zelda. He had to die, and the cycle would truly be over. He summoned all the courage he could to end his life.
Warmth. He felt warmth. As a familiar scent of lavender filled his nose. Zelda held him in an embrace. Her head was next to his. If he shot the Mage Channel, she'd die too.
"Zel-" Gareth began to speak.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She cried, openly weeping. "How dare you think of leaving us, leaving me in such a terrible way!"
"Zelda, it's the only way. I'm evil. I'm a threat." Gareth said, starting to cry himself.
"The man that ended a millennium of violence and hatred is no being of evil!"
"I'm a demon!" He yelled.
"I care not!" She yelled back. Tears now staining her face. "I care not if you're demon or human! I love you, Gareth!" The bounty hunter's eyes shot open at her confession. "I love you… and if you died, I would surely follow… so please… please don't…" She was crying, unable to make words anymore.
Gareth dropped his weapon. He embraced his princess as close as he could. They were both sobbing and desperately holding onto each other. Link and Midna both leaned against each other and sank sitting on the ground. They were exhausted from the battle, and the emotional sight unfolding before them.
After half a minute of crying, Gareth noticed a strange warmth coming from his left hand. Through his tears stained eyes, he saw a mark of three triangles glowing on his left hand. The top triangle was glowing the brightest.
^^^^^(End Chapter 11)^^^^^
Check the thing down there. Epilogue should be up!
