Legend of Zelda:
Ascendant Legacy
Chapter 13
Mandate of Defiance
[Disclaimer: This work is purely fan based. This story and its author are in no way affiliated with Nintendo or its trademarked franchise "The Legend of Zelda". Please review after reading, as I appreciate and respect my readers' feedback.]
Peace was a distant memory to the young man. Only the sounds of malice and rage filled his ears and the empty chamber. Rancid and rotting arms clawed through the empty shells of the church windows, inhuman screams and moans escaped their maws, and the crashing of metal against metal rang out. The air around him seemed to get colder, but he could not notice it; all his attention was spent trying to find an opportunity to strike and looking for a weakness. Each blow against him felt like an earthquake inside his body, but he didn't give an inch. Determination and fury coursed through him.
Link blocked another oncoming attack from his assailant with his shield and then lashed out in retaliation. Bringing his sword down hard, the Emperor Guiest turned his scythe to parry with the rod of his weapon. The slick, dark wood made contact with the glowing blade of the Master Sword and remained steadfast, but it was enough to cause the monster to hesitate for a second. Link took the initiative, drawing his right arm close to his shoulder and chest and thrust forward with all his weight behind his aegis. The contact shook him and the boy pushed with all his might, throwing his opponent back. Attempting to seize the moment and lead an offensive, Link quickly tried to thrust forward with his sword only to meet empty air causing him to stumble slightly. In that slight moment where he had taken his eyes off of his opponent, he had disappeared.
Link braced himself, poised for the attack that was sure to follow… but did not. Link looked around everywhere in the chapel, but did not see any sign of his attacker. Seconds passed and nothing stirred inside, but outside, the re-deads and the stalfos scrapped and grasped through the iron fixtures of the windows and pounded upon the damaged doors. Link kept low, waiting patiently and keeping his eyes and ears alert to any little change. Link's gripped tightened upon his weapon, centering his focus and charging energy from himself into his blade. Finally, a shriek erupted, but as quickly as it was heard, the ambush came and the sickle's blade began to sweep towards the hero's head. But it was the opportunity Link had waited for. He spun so quickly that it seemed as if he were a bladed top. The swift motion caused a whirling light to emit outwards. The scythe's blade was parried away and the attack struck the Poe lord head on. Black blood and bile spilled from the wound upon the things chest onto the floor. Stepping back in a defensive manner, the creature was stunned, though it did not show it through its stark skull face nor did is show any signs of pain.
But the affront had been made. Quickly, it launched another assault against Link, and the might at which it swung forced the hero to nimbly evade rather than block. But as soon as its first swipe missed, another was launched, leaving Link little time to block. As soon as contact was made, it again launched another and another, forcing the Hylian back. Another swipe, this time meet Link's shield with such vigor that he was nearly knocked off his feet, but left him with enough time to retaliate. Slashing upwards, his desperate attack was deftly blocked with the underside of the staff before the same rod of wood was checked with unholy strength towards his face. Link turned his weapon so that the flat of the sword rested against the scythe's shaft and held it back. Every fiber of the man's body strained to keep the ghost at bay and two stood clinched, unwavering and unmoving. Then the Emperor raised his twisted, claw like, hand and began to swipe at Link's throat which he promptly blocked with his shield, and the two slid back from the resulting force.
"He is unable to focus on my actions when he dissipates," Link thought. "He can shift from one point to another, but he can't track all my movements when he does." The realization was the key which he had hoped for, and his opponent's weakness had been revealed. Holding his blade and arm straight, pointing towards the abomination, he began to move slowly, trying to circle his enemy. The Ghost King returned the actions, moving only slightly and turning its morbid, skull like face to watch the young man. Link made an agile and small slash towards target, and was blocked staunchly. With keen precision, Link made only a slight gesture with his wrist and stuck again, only to be eluded. The apparition made a large arc, striking with his staff and then sweeping with its blade. Both actions were defended against, first with a parry, then a block. The monster's opening was great, and the Hero of Time slashed at its exposed flank, only to meet emptiness.
The time had come, and Link quickly poured all his focus and will into the Master Sword, causing the blade to pulse and shimmer vividly. Leaping backwards with his back against the massive white stone column, he closed his eyes and stood poised, prepared to strike at the right moment. Link's patience was tested again, for seconds that seemed like hours nothing stirred in the slightest. Then the sweeping sounds of fabric, the stench of death, and the shrill scream erupted all around him.
Link dropped to the floor, kneeling quickly, barely avoiding the attack and losing a few strands of hair in the process. But he had succeeded, and when the advance missed, the unholy scythe embedded itself in the stone pillar deeply, shaking dust from it and the ceiling. The screeching sound of metal and stone pierced his ears, but it was also a signal. He braced himself and swung with such power that even the sinews and muscles in his arm ached for a moment. And contact was made. The soft sound of flesh and then the hard crack of bone met with the Blade of Evil's Bane, followed by a massive explosion of sound and light erupting forth from the holy weapon.
Dust and smoke smothered his eyes and lungs. He was seemingly blind and suffocating, crushed under a blizzard of particulate and debris. Link exhaled heavily, coughing and covering his eyes with his forearm. His feet stumbled for a moment, only a moment, but then regained their bearings and led him from the cloud of destruction the he caused. His eyes watered, but slowly began to focus once more, and he prayed that his attack had landed true, otherwise he had given his evil opponent the opening he needed for a killing blow. When his vision and lungs had finally cleared and the dust began to settle, Link began to assess the situation.
At first, it seemed as though Emperor Gueist had evaporated from existence again, as not trace was seen, and so Link prepared to be assaulted again. However, he then spotted the tyrant of the undead opposite of him, crumpled in a heap upon the floor some thirty paces away. Apparently, the explosion had launched him into the wall with such force that the thing caused the stone to crack and split. The mass of grey, disgusting flesh and tattered cloth lay motionless, seemingly broken and dead. Suddenly though, the abomination rose through unseen powers and stood rigid and broken.
Its limbs twitched and snapped grotesquely like some puppet continuing on, despite its crippled frame. The same putrescent muck seeped out of the wounds the fiend sustained and a jagged crack now ran down the side of its skull, from its forehead to its chin, revealing the abysmal shadows that twisted and writhed inside. The damaged skull opened its jaws and let out a horrendous scream that echoed and shook everything around it, causing Link to hold his ears in a vain attempt to shut it out. For a moment afterwards, even then ravenous undead ceased their mad scrambling in the wake of their master's outcry.
Summoning its weapon from the ground to its hand, the monster stepped forward and began to shimmer out of existence once more. This time, however, it was unsuccessful, managing only to fade for a moment before returning to its original position, surprising both combatants. Link, standing ready to be attacked at any angle quickly saw that his attack had done more than merely wound the creature, and smirked a little. He had leveled the playing field and now was the time to turn the tide. Launching with all his speed and power, he continued the battle swiftly. The Poe King, at somewhat of a loss, could only defend as the grand skills which had been honed for almost ten years fell upon him, trying to counter and attack as best he could.
For several minutes, the two exchanged blows, Link's slowly gaining the upper hand, despite the slow fatigue beginning to build in his body. His attack had disabled the unpredictable powers that had once held him back and actually hurt the dead commander, leading its movements to be more sluggish and unrefined. Again and again, the two fought and struck at one another, but the both warriors were beginning to wear down, and even the unholy scythe was beginning to crack and splinter a little piece at a time. The zeal was enough to renew the young champion, leading each attack to strike harder than the last. Once, he even managed to knock back the villain's weapon and slashed it across the back, stunning it and causing it a moment of fleeting pain.
Even so, the masses outside continuously attempted to push and claw their way inwards; the doors shook and began to crack, the iron fixtures began to rattle and give way, and even the stones began to shift and scrape out of place. In the midst of the combat, a stalfos hand broke through a gash in the stone arch, which Link promptly cut off, but it gave the Guiest enough time to resume defending and ruining the opening the hero had created only a moment before. Time was growing short, and Link knew that if he did not defeat the morbid ringleader and escape soon, the masses would break in and overwhelm him.
He disengaged, stepping back cautiously and examining his target. The towering phantom stood unmoving, waiting to react to whatever he would attempt. Link began to prepare the final strike, hoping that the "coup de grace" would be enough to finish the fight and allow him to make his way to a safer place. Link exhaled strongly, calming himself as best he could. To his surprise, however, the Emperor stood still, letting his arms and weapon fall to his side. The Hero was unsure of the calm change, but he doubted that it was surrender. It was an opportunity, however, and one that he could not afford to pass up. He rushed forward, wind sweeping by him, and then he leapt as high as his legs would allow. Raising his holy weapon over his head, he prepared to bring it down with all the strength he possessed and all the energy he could focus into the blade. But it was a useless gesture, as Link soon found out.
The dead monarch's mouth opened wide as yellow eyes pulsed in the vacant sockets, and let out a scream so violent that a wave of force hit Link and sent him flying backwards through the air. The marble floor was unkind as he crashed down upon it and all his senses again spun madly. Quickly, Link leapt to his unsteady feet, but found the monster still standing, unmoved even with the opening it had created. Its eyes burned fiercely, like masses of sulfur and fire and its gaping, skull like maw closed again as it approached slowly, like a funeral procession. Link stood firm, despite his recent recovery, fighting the slight vertigo and taste of blood in his mouth.
"Desssspair!" The horror cried out in its raspy, deathly voice. Once more, a shock wave erupted from its mouth and hit the young man hard, sending him skittering to the ground until he collided with the altar. Whatever physical harm was caused, however, was meaningless as his head began to swim with thoughts once more. Dark, horrible images crossed into his mind, clouding his vision. People cried out for their hero to save them, but were obliterated by a horrible attack by a figure wrapped in darkness. Zelda lay in the embrace of another, cursing his name and laughing horribly. Six bodies lay massacred on the ground, horrible pictures of carnage that had once been living beings. It all overwhelmed him, causing him pain in such a manner that he felt as though his mind were being ripped apart.
The visions burst forth like fever dreams, and when they passed for a brief moment, Link could see the figure getting closer. Wildly swinging and stumbling around, Link hoped to keep his assailant at bay, but only succeeded in falling down and crashing down the steps. Reacting solely on instinct, Link rolled away, trying to buy some time for his perception to return to normal. When his vision finally did begin to normalize, he soon saw that the towering figure was now standing over him. Unsure of exactly what to do, he attempted to strike with his sword and return to his feet in one motion. He was quickly grabbed by the iron grip of the decaying hand and his throat instantly ceased to pass air to his lungs. His skin felt as if it was both freezing and on fire simultaneously, the smell of rotting flesh and death was so overwhelming that the sickness caught his nostrils and stomach and attempted to gag them, despite the chokehold. Facing the dominant phantasm, his eyes met with the yellow orbs of maliciousness and winced.
"Ssssorrow!" Another tremendous force collided with the body after being relinquished from the unwavering grip. Crashing into the wall with similar force as his attacker only a few moments ago, Link bounced and collapsed back on the floor as he convulsed into fits even more penetrating and disturbing than before. Again, between the momentary pauses in horrible thoughts, Link saw the demon stalk closer and closer. The pain and scenes came with such power that his entire body clenched and spasmed as his eyes rolled back in his head.
It was then that he realized something was happening to him. His breathing was slowing, his vision was darkening, and his heart was beating loudly but slowing down ever more. He began to feel cold and numb, and now it was all slowing softly. And then the shadow passed over him. The Emperor Guiest menaced over him, and a small gleam of light passed for only a moment and instantly, Link knew what was going on. It was raising its weapon for the killing blow, and he was powerless to stop it.
Then one final thought passed through his mind. All of Hryule burning, all its people obliterated or twisted, everything he held dear destroyed, and Zelda was gone. Just gone. And in that instant, that thought of loss sparked something in him. The Triforce insignia burned brightly on his hand, giving the Ghost Lord pause, before bringing down his weapon.
"Oblivion."
Link's mind was still. The pictures of immolation were still there, but they had stopped, but there was something else, something that had not been there before. A small glimmer of light shone and a figure stood obscured and then they spoke.
"You can't give up now Link. I'm counting on you. We're all counting on you."
His eyes snapped open and before he had time to think, he raised his right arm swiftly. The resulting shock of the curved blade deflecting off the shield caused him to sink a little into the stone from the blunt force. Then the imposing figure staggered back. The Master sword had swiftly cut through the rigid and bony ankle of the ghoulish fiend and sliced the other. Rising to his feet, Link brandished his weapon and swung.
The crack of the wood was enough to resonate against the ceiling. The two halves of the once imposing weapon fell to the ground and evaporated into eerie light and dust. The talon like hand tried to lash out, but was caught by the boy, grasping it in his hand before slicing it off and tossing it to the ground. The monster cried out in agony, sending another eruption of air and sound towards Link, but he raised his shield and braced himself against the force. He dug in with his feet as firmly as he could and then flung his shield and the force it absorbed to the ground causing dust and stone to fly into the air. Then all was silent.
For what seemed like hours, the air was littered with a haze that refused to settle. When it finally began to clear two figures stood against one another, one tall and hunched, the other average and straight backed, standing defiant. Neither of them moved nor spoke, they were still as statues, waiting for the other to make their move. Finally, the smaller person readied his weapon and began to walk forward. The abyssal maw opened again, seemingly retaliating in its deathly visage.
"Dessssstruc-"
"Enough!" The horizontal slash sent a golden light outwards, silencing the horrendous beast. Link left no time between the success and his next move. He was already upon his enemy as soon as the powerful strike landed, stabbing the Guiest in the chest and bringing him down. The wails and screams came from all around, both from the monstrosity now pinned to the floor of the church and those surrounding the outside. The anguish of evil and the new vigor of its wielder caused the divine sword to pulse, and Link, responding to its call for justice, struck the final blow, slicing almost effortlessly through the spiritual demon. And then it was over.
More vile fluids and shadowy substance erupted from the vertical gash that ran from the torso of the thing to the top of its skull. The nightmarish creature rose from the ground suddenly, sending the Hero of Time off his feet and back to the floor. Red and black light began bursting from the ghoulish corpse as it twisted and contorted in the air, writhing like a snake. Violently, it began breaking apart before his eyes, evaporating and tearing away from itself until in one last great death spasm, it broke apart and dispersed with an eruption of wind and darkness.
Then all was quiet.
The shambling bodies outside dissipated into dust, and those that had not been subjugated by the former terror, scattered through the streets, unsure of what to do without their leader or their once vast numbers. The victor of the struggle slowly pulled away the barricades he had placed to keep him safe and peered outside of the great stone archway. He saw that he had freed most of the tortured souls, giving him a small feeling of comfort, but a comfort that could not help to drown out the sorrow that the only peace he could give to the people who had once pursued him was that of death.
Then he saw the great obelisk in the sky, the citadel of evil, spinning in the sky, the one that housed the one responsible for all the madness and chaos in the world. His blood boiled and knew that soon, it would come to him to deliver justice to the Evil King. He then returned his glimpse to the city and what remained of it. Remembering how it was and the woman and her child, he felt his heart pound and his grip tighten.
"I'm… sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Forgive me. I wasn't strong enough to protect you. I should have been here to protect you." Tears began to well up in Link's eyes and his started to close, but he fought them back. "I promise you, I'll get him. I'll stop him. I swear it."
Stumbling back into the church, he sheathed his sword and began to stumble from his exhaustion. Beaten and scarred, his steps became erratic and unsteady against the stone cathedral floor. As his vision and strength began to waiver he fell to his knees and looked up to see the statues of the Three Goddesses looking down upon him. Finally he collapsed, the last thoughts passing through his mind were of Zelda and all the people he failed to save.
[Author's Note: Sorry about the roughness of this one guys. I realize this is full of comma splices and sentences ending in prepositions, and I'll fix it and the previous chapter very soon. I've found out that combat is very hard to write without being too short or repetitious. I hope you enjoyed it and would appreciate it if you would review and let me know what you though.]