Inexcusably Indisposed
The sun was beginning its great descent towards Hyrule's western borders and city lights were being preemptively lit for the coming night. Having just finished giving Lana the grand tour of Kakariko Village again, Link was thinking he'd given the other two enough time to reconcile. He suggested turning in for the night to Lana.
"What? Already?" She made a pouting face at him and he shook his head, chuckling to himself.
"You should take it easy. You're still recovering, remember?" He gestured at her splinted arm. Lana's smile returned as she turned her head back to him.
"You're right," Link grinned triumphantly. "And since I'm still recovering, I guess you'll have to carry me back." She added cheekily.
"Hah, that is not happening." He said as he put his hands on her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the house. Sometimes, it was difficult for him to imagine that this woman was once one of their toughest enemies. She was just another one of Ganondorf's many victims in his rise to power. He had to admit, he was glad to have her on their side in the fight against the King of Evil. Between the four of them, Ganondorf without his army was going to be almost easy. He just hoped that his plan had worked and that the other two had settled whatever was going on between them. He missed having them banter back and forth, despite his previous discontent. It was just too quiet without them.
It happened then, as the lingering thoughts of how things used to be drifted away from him. He felt that familiar tingling on the back of his left hand. With it came a golden glow from the Triforce piece of Courage he held.
He stopped and stared at the back of his left hand as it shined brightly for a moment, then returned to its resting state. What had that been about? The only other time it had done that was when it was reacting to another piece...
He felt an uncomfortable emptiness in the pit of his stomach. Without saying a word to Lana, he rushed past her to the top of the stairs and over to their front door. He flung it open and took a sweeping look.
"Marickiya?" He called up to her loft, in case she was lying down. He did not receive an answer.
"She isn't here." He heard Lana say. He turned to her, his eyes demanding she explain. "She was at the stables earlier." He moved around her again. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find-" Before he could answer completely, he heard her cry out. He whipped around to see her on her knees and holding her head. He put his desire to search for his sister aside and walked back to her.
"What's wrong?" He asked, urgency in all his movements. She looked up at him with fear etched into her face. He felt he already knew what had ailed her.
"It's him," she said through her teeth. "He's coming."
A terrible wave of nausea washed over Link and his face lost all color.
0000
Vaati was seated behind Marickiya as she pushed her horse as fast as he could go. Trysting seemed to sense the gravity of the situation and was pulling out all the stops. In no time at all, the entrance to Kakariko was within their sight.
'Almost there,' she said to herself. She couldn't breathe easy knowing she had put them all in danger yet again. As hard as she tried to remain fixated on simply getting back to Link, the shame she was feeling was strong within her. If anyone was hurt because of her… She scowled as the wind whipped past her face.
Something in the distance caught her eye; a red horse with two riders exiting the path beside the village entrance. Link's green cap was as recognizable as ever. She grinned.
"Look," she pointed them out to Vaati who was keeping a look out in all other directions. "We made it."
Link seemed to have noticed them as well. He was waving his arm in great arcs as he pulled the reigns of his steed toward them. She almost started crying again, so happy was she to see him. The joy she felt right then made her feel truly ridiculous for the way she'd been acting lately. She wanted more than anything to simply have these friends in her life and she already had that. Long awaited relief filled her and she returned the wave.
A loud clap of thunder exploded above them and she felt Vaati tighten his grip about her waist. Looking skyward, she saw a front of clouds heavy with rain coming from the west.
"It's just rain," she breathed. But then her heart began to sink when she noticed just how dark those clouds were and how fast they were moving. Please no...
"Faster Trysting!" She bellowed to her horse. It wasn't any good. He was already going as fast as he could, but the ominous looking clouds were catching them. Link was steering his own horse towards the bridge that she was trying so hard to get to. It was almost within reach.
A part of the clouds broke away from the main thunderhead and started descending rapidly towards the ground. She watched it for a moment, terror filling her. It was another second before she realized what it was aiming for. She pulled hard on Trysting's reigns to slow him.
With an earsplitting crash, the thing collided with the bridge they were trying to get over. Dirt and debris flew everywhere. Trysting dug his hooves into the ground, bringing them to an abrupt stop, and bucked violently. Neighing loudly in distress, neither of the two atop him could hold on to the kicking mare and were thrown from the saddle. Marickiya was disoriented from an intense ringing in her ears and she watched helplessly from the ground as her horse galloped away from the scene fervently. She reached out her hand.
"Trysting!" She tried to call, but he was too far for her voice to reach him.
As the ringing was fading, she became vaguely aware of someone shouting at her. Too many things were happening simultaneously, she couldn't focus on anything. It wasn't until something grabbed and jerked her upwards did she start to comprehend the position they were all in...
"Mari, get up!" Vaati yelled. Just by looking at her, he could tell she was too dazed from their fall to hear him just then. He had already picked himself up and placed himself between her and the danger. His eyes darted between every ominous shadow within the cloud of debris. He could feel the mounting power that was Ganondorf approaching, but there was so much of it that he couldn't pinpoint it and he still couldn't see anything. Would he go after him and Marickiya, or Link and Lana?
Something glinted at him from within the dust and he zeroed in on it, his eyes squinting from the intense glare. He nearly swallowed his tongue. Ganondorf, a lethally large blade in hand, was rushing toward them at an impossible speed. The image would become the basis of many nightmares.
He would be upon them in a second and a half. It was all the time he had to react. There was no planning in a situation such as this. Vaati reached down to where Marickiya was still picking herself up and grabbed her arm tightly, jerking her up and around so that she was behind him. He only spared a glance at her surprised look before he let go of her and summoned a gust of wind, kicking her back and out of the way. In the next half of a second, he summoned his thin sword and prepared for the attack.
The sound of metal grinding on metal rent through the air, followed by a torrent of crimson sparks erupting from the contact. Though Vaati had previously strengthened his blade to withstand such attacks, he didn't want to test just how durable it was. He tilted the hilt in his hand and angled the sword towards the ground so that Ganondorf's large weapon slid down its length and stuck into the dirt. He jumped back and readied himself for the fight.
This wasn't the best situation to be in, but it also wasn't the worst. He could feel it in the way Ganondorf attacked. He was still weak after Marickiya's outburst from the few weeks before. His magical aura wasn't as grand as it used to be, though it was still very powerful. It was evident to him that it had taken a lot of of the Evil King just to warp himself to this spot to cut them off. Ganondorf was preserving his magic and was relying on his physical abilities for this fight which gave Vaati the advantage. He could take this battle on his own, and then once Link joined him, this fight would be there's. He grinned to himself. The man thought he would catch them off guard, but he'd made a mistake.
"Brimming with confidence so early into the game?" Ganondorf taunted at him while he pulled the tip of his blade out of the grass.
"Heh, I might be." Vaati taunted back, earning him a malicious grin from the Evil King. The sorcerer knew he had an advantage, but he still reminded himself not to underestimate any situation. That was how Lana had gotten the better of him on multiple occasions. He would not lose concentration now.
Done with trading words, Ganondorf rushed toward his opponent to trade sword blows instead. Vaati deftly avoided every surprisingly quick swing and knocked the rest away with his own blade. This exchange didn't last very long as Ganondorf backed off and tried to find a different angle of attack. The mage simply spun in place to keep Ganondorf within his sight. He was already growing annoyed. What was going on? It felt to him like Ganondorf wasn't even trying. If this was truly how he fought his battles, choosing rather to toy with his prey, it was no wonder Link was able to defeat him on his own in the past.
Speaking of the hero, Vaati could feel him approaching. Good, he wouldn't have to endure this play-fight for much longer. Time to step it up a bit.
Calling on his blood, Vaati vanished from the spot that Ganondorf was circling, making him stop and shift his eyes around him warily.
It was a good while after the mage's disappearing act, Ganondorf was beginning to think he actually might have run off. He shook himself of the thought. He knew the mage wouldn't leave the other magic girl alone. In fact, he was counting on that. His grin returned when the pressure in the air dropped and the hair on the back of his neck prickled.
He suddenly whipped around, bringing his gigantic sword with him to meet the smaller blade that was flying towards him from his blind spot. Vaati choked in surprise at how quickly the man reacted to what was supposed to be a sneak attack. He had thrown his whole weight into his attack along with a bit of lightning magic, but Ganondorf had seen through it. The sound of grinding metal filled the air between them again.
As if the fact that the Evil King somehow detected him while he was concealed with magic wasn't shocking enough, something else was happening where their swords met that made Vaati gawk in confusion. Quick as he had appeared, he retreated back several feet. Just as his feet touched back to the ground, he felt a wave of nausea come over him and he fought himself just to remain standing. He was looking rather winded while the King of Evil was leering triumphantly from where he had left him.
He stood rooted to the spot, catching his breath but still holding an offensive stance while he tried to piece together what exactly had just happened. When their swords met, his magic he had released hadn't affected the Gerudo man at all. Rather, it was like his attack was absorbed. Glaring menacingly at his opponent, Vaati then noticed that Ganondorf's sword was glowing with power. It wasn't the King's own magic, he was beginning to realize. He recognized that brand of magic as his blood magic. How?
There was a glint in the dark man's eyes. He knew the mage was working out what he had done. That sword. It had the ability to steal power. He could think of only one reason why Ganondorf would bring such a weapon to this fight. Just as he thought it, he felt another surge of magical energy from where he had thrown Marickiya. His stomach flipped.
'Marickiya! Don't!' He screamed in his mind to her. He felt the magic fade a little at his warning.
This was bad. Ganondorf had an ace up his sleeve he hadn't accounted for. The confidence he felt at the start of the fight had all but drained from him. Link still wasn't close enough to lend him the aid he now desperately needed. He had to rethink his strategy.
Ganondorf wasn't giving him the chance, however, as he leapt toward him again in the blink of an eye. Vaati evaded his first attack with ease, but then the Gerudo King let fly the magic he had stolen as the mage tried to regain his footing. He knew it was coming and could only brace himself.
He let out a strangled yelp as the lightning seared into his shoulder. Not a fatal hit. Vaati was able to jump back again without losing his balance. He refaced the King who was going in for another blow.
Ganondorf wasn't using his magic to attack and was making it to where Vaati couldn't either. The power had already faded from the large blade as it had only taken one attack, so as long as Vaati refrained from using his magic, Ganondorf couldn't redirect it back to him. He would have to win this with just his sword skills.
He breathed out slowly as the shadow of the taller man loomed over him with a raised sword. Then he vanished from where he had been standing again and the blade went sailing back into the ground. There was a flash of silver from behind him and he didn't have time to turn. Vaati had reappeared and took two swipes with his thin sword to Ganondorf's back. He sliced straight through the armor and blood sprayed from the wounds, then Vaati was gone again in another instant. Ganondorf was too slow for him.
It was another few more blows before the King got a rhythm of Vaati's swift attack pattern and was able to block some of the swings, albeit haphazardly. Ganondorf's only reason for needing that sword was its special ability and didn't seem to have any actual practice with a blade. The battle was back in the mage's favor and Link was nearly upon them. He noticed another presence along with the hero and he briefly questioned why Link had brought Lana to the battle. Wasn't she supposed to be in hiding from her former master? What help would she be with her injuries? These thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind for the moment as he continued his onslaught. He could see that he was wearing down the Gerudo.
He caught sight of the green tunic of the hero and he shot a glance in his direction. Link's sword was drawn and he was ready to jump into the fray. His vision flicked back to his foe when he noticed he was trying to retreat back. He was fleeing? There was another eerie grin on the man's face. He didn't know what he planned to do, but he wasn't going to allow him to endanger the others. He lunged forward and Ganondorf's grin widened. He stopped moving back and looked like he was holding out his palm to face him. A ball of dark red energy swirled in his palm for a second. He finally decided to use his magic after all. His spell complete, he lobbed the orb at Vaati who used his sword to slice the magic apart. It exploded on contact and he continued his advance on the man. Just as he brought his sword to plunge into Ganondorf's neck, the man copied his little vanishing act and his blade sailed through the air. He skidded to a stop, the image of Ganondorf's maddening smile burned into his eyes. He could no longer sense any trace of the King of Evil. He saw Link stop a ways away from him, also taking a sweeping look of his surroundings for the enemy.
"Vaati!" Came a distant shout from Marickiya. His heart skipped a beat as he turned towards her voice. The fight had put quite a lot of distance between her and him and he feared Ganondorf would use that to get to her. But as he turned he realized her shout hadn't been a cry for help. It had been a warning.
Too late he noticed that red ball of magic he had sliced into several small fragments hadn't been destroyed like he thought. The shards had changed direction and continued to follow him, and they were approaching him at an unavoidable speed.
He heard a few more shouts of his name as the red magic plunged into the center of his chest. His breathed was knocked from him and he felt himself plummeting to the ground. Each tiny beam of magic pierced his entire body and he couldn't even scream in pain from the force of the blow. He numbly recognized his body hitting the dirt hard, but he could not comprehend much more after that as his vision began to blur red and then he knew nothing more...
Marickiya was just picking herself up from where Vaati had ungracefully thrown her. If she wasn't so anxious from the sudden appearance of Ganondorf and then Vaati jumping in to fight him on his own, she might have been annoyed with him for it. As it were, her eyes were locked onto the intense fight happening between the leader of the Gerudo and the wind sorcerer. At first, it appeared Vaati had the upper hand, but then when their swords met, something had happened that clearly rattled the mage. She couldn't tell what was going on from the distance she was at. What if he needed help? She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he were hurt because of her ineptitude, even if he had pushed her away for her own safety. How she hated being so damned useless! The only thing she had to lend any hand at all was the sealed magic within her. She hesitated slightly as Eyela's words washed over her, warning her not to use the Dark One's magic against him. Vaati was still standing gripping his sword tightly as he teetered for a second. Everything was happening too fast.
"To hell with it," she seethed and tried calling upon the dormant magic. Surprisingly, the power came to her call quickly. It was the first time she was still in her right mind while using this magic and she was shocked by how potent she knew it was. It flowed through her like the blood in her veins. She could do this. She would be able to fight.
'Marickiya! Don't!' Vaati's voice filled her thoughts and it startled her quite badly. She lost concentration and the power faded from her fingertips. Had that truly been his voice? She directed her attention back to the fight that was beginning again. Ganondorf was rushing toward the sorcerer and feared gripped her when he did not move. Then, as the large blade descended to cut him down, Vaati disappeared. Blood suddenly erupted behind the King and he whipped around to meet his attacker. She caught a glimpse of silvery hair whipping out of sight again, and then reappearing at the Gerudo man's right. He got in another few swipes, then he was gone. He kept this up for a bit longer, then he seemed to be distracted by something. Looking beyond the battle, she spotted Link charging in with his sword drawn. Her heart lifted at the sight of him. There was no way a clearly weakened Ganondorf could take on two adept swordsmen. Then her eyes fell on Lana lagging behind him and her eyes flashed with annoyance. What was she doing here? She was revealing that she wasn't dead and there was nothing she could do to help in her current state. Those thoughts fled from her as she saw Vaati rushing a fleeing Ganondorf. He threw some kind of magic at the mage who batted it away with ease. Then the King was gone. Had he made his escape when he became outnumbered? She held her breath as she scanned the area.
That was when she saw the red magic that she thought Vaati had gotten rid of change direction and was flying at him again. Her thoughts froze but her lips moved without the need of a command.
"Vaati!" She cried. Her loud voice roused her and her feet were moving swiftly to her friends. She watched him turn around just in time to take the magic straight to his chest. Terrified, she saw him sailing to the ground, and she put on a burst of speed.
This couldn't be happening! She couldn't care less that Ganondorf hadn't reappeared yet and could be baring down on her that very second. As she got closer however, there was no sign of their enemy. Everything was eerily quiet. Only her heart beat thudded in her ears as she feared the worst for the sorcerer. She saw Link glancing worriedly between her, Vaati, and the surrounding area.
To her delight, Vaati was stirring before she had reached him and was picking himself up off the ground, perfectly unharmed. She stopped a few feet from him, breathing hard.
"Thank goodness, you're alright."
"Get back! It's dangerous!" She heard the shout from Lana and it didn't even register that she was yelling at her. She turned her head to see what Lana was worried about, but as she looked away, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
Sound seemed to fall away from the world as she felt the pain stinging in her chest. All she saw after that was a sheet of thick, red blood. Her blood. She tumbled backwards and her eyes caught sight of a large gash inflicted upon her chest. Before she hit the ground, she gazed up at the mage. All that could be seen in his eyes was hatred, and he stood over her with his bloodied sword, staring down at her unseeingly. The pain made tears well up in her eyes.
"What…?" It was the last word she uttered before her mind went blank…
Link heard Lana's warning and he turned to Vaati and Marickiya in time to see the mage swing his sword at the girl. His mind seized momentarily at the amount of blood pouring from her wound. Then as Vaati began to approach her, Link's muscles tightened as he sprinted towards them without another thought. He let out a guttural yell, getting the mage's attention and brought his sword in front of Marickiya as Vaati brought down his blade and he held him at bay. He had prevented a second attack on his half-sister, who was laying on her back with a glazed look on her face. The mage turned to face him and he looked into his eyes to find them glowing violently red.
"What are you doing?!" He screamed at him. Vaati made no response. He simply flicked his wrist and the two swords were no longer locked. Vaati's sword was a blur as he struck three times and Link barely managed to block them as he stumbled backwards. He sensed the sorcerer moving around him to attack and Link deftly reached behind him, bringing out his shield just as Vaati's sword grazed its surface. He moved back to get a better defensive stance. Vaati was approaching him once more at a slow baleful walk, loathing lining his features. He remembered he had once said to the mage that he pitied anyone who challenged him to real fight. And this was very much a real match. What had Ganondorf done to him to make him attack his comrades?
…
The King of Evil was beside himself with glee. In his position above the unraveling scene, he had a perfect view of the show. His thrown together plan was unfolding better than even he could have anticipated. He had had those few weeks of recovery to put it together, but there was still some amount of unpredictability that he couldn't completely eradicate. That was why he mapped out several outcomes in his favor if the situation turned bad for him.
One thing he hadn't counted on was Lana. He assumed she'd bit the dust along with the remainder of his underlings in the raid on his underground tower. Though she was a surprise, he wasn't displeased to see her here, or that she had apparently betrayed him and joined forces with the team of maggots. She was making her way around the two sword wielding combatants to his ex-Gerudo below. It was evident she was still weak from the beating he'd given her all that time ago. It would be trifle to dispatch her for good.
He watched the new battle rage on. The Hylian was taking more damage than the mage. Everything was going smoothly in his opinion. That little spell he had created for this very occasion to turn the sorcerer into an enraged brawler was working like a charm. Even he could not beat the mage in this state. Maybe if he got lucky, he could mortally wound the hero. The magic wouldn't last long, only enough for him to move on to the next step in his plot.
He was not yet powerful enough to deal a fatal blow to any of them with his power alone, nor could he best either of the two below with a sword. If everything played out like he wanted, he would acquire more power from at least one of the three magic wielders on the Hero of Time's side.
He could feel the magic within the pale skinned man waning. It was time.
…
She didn't know how long she laid there, unaware of anything going on around her. If she had to guess, she'd say it had been a few minutes at least. She hadn't passed out, she just felt numb and could no longer comprehend anything after Vaati's sword slashed her. She didn't want to think so she just dissociated from everything. That was until a few gentle slaps to her face jolted her back into reality.
She blinked a few times, willing what she was seeing above her to make sense. Lana was kneeling beside her, pushing heavily onto her chest, making it a bit difficult to take in a breath. She tried to move to push away the other woman's hands, but an excruciating burning sensation flared up all over her body. She gasped sharply and tears sprung to her eyes from the blinding pain. The memory of how she acquired this injury finally came back, bringing with it a harsh clarity.
She could hear Lana speaking softly to her with a hint of worry in her voice, but she wasn't paying any attention to what was being said. She turned her head to the other prevalent sounds of clashing metal somewhere off to her left. Her heart raced at the sight of Link and Vaati fighting each fiercely, both inflicting real wounds on the other.
"Calm down! You're losing more blood," Lana said gruffly. "I have to clean it before I can close it." Marickiya looked up at her annoyed expression as she continued to press harder on top of her. She realized that the woman had ripped off a piece of her own tunic and was attempting to stem the flow of blood from her wound.
"What's going on?" Her tongue felt like it was glued to the top of her mouth.
"Ganondorf did something to Vaati. That's why he attacked you." They watched the fight rage on for a second.
"Why are you helping me?" Marickiya asked dazedly. Lana pursed her lips and remained quiet. She touched two of her fingers to the edge of the gash and slowly moved them across her chest. It felt like her skin was being zipped back together.
"The cut wasn't deep, so there wasn't any real damage done." She tried to sit and Lana helped to pull her up into a sitting position. Marickiya gave her a wary glance.
Before she could say anything in gratitude, the yells of battle happening not too far from them grabbed their attention. Link was trying to mop up a bloodied arm unsuccessfully. Vaati didn't even seem to care about any wounds he had received, though they were few and far between.
"He'll kill him," Lana whispered with despair. Marickiya at first thought she meant Vaati would kill Link, but then Link flung himself back at the sorcerer with vigor, putting Vaati on the defensive. She heard Link screaming at him to snap out of it. She got the feeling that Vaati wasn't taking as much damage because Link was trying to avoid it.
"Can we get him back?" Marickiya asked desperately. She knew she sounded desperate at least.
"I don't know-" Lana said. She sounded funny near the end of her sentence, like she was choked up on something. Marickiya looked up at her to see what she had made the noise for and a lump formed in her throat at what she saw.
Ganondorf had a hold of Lana by her throat. It was all too easy for him to sneak up on them with Vaati and Link preoccupied with their struggle. Lana fought him weakly but there was nothing she could do.
"Well, well, well. What have we here," the man sneered down at the two of them. Marickiya tried standing up but was overcome by dizziness and fell back to her knees. Ganondorf laughed heartlessly at her. "Wait your turn, I'll only be a moment."
He leered at the helpless girl who was turning purple in the face under his grip.
"You know, I am deeply hurt that you left me for these worms after everything I gave to you." He brought her close to his face and he whispered his next statement. "I'll be taking back what's mine."
Her whole frame became encompassed in a shadowy substance and Lana suddenly had the energy to kick and scream in agony. The shadows snaked out of her body, looking like thick sludge that wound its way to the hand that held her. Her screams lasted an eternity until there was no more for him to take from her. She slumped and Ganondorf tossed her limp body aside. His attention was solely on Marickiya now.
"It seemed my little experiment actually produced some results." He said as he brandished that large sword he had used in his fight with Vaati. "I never expected you to have this much power. With it and your Triforce piece in my possession," he paused to lick at his lips, "This world will know true darkness."
He advanced towards her, everything in her body telling her to get up and run. She was frozen with fear and the dizziness of blood loss. Her limbs disobeyed her commands to move. All her hopes were crashing down around her. There was no escape. Ganondorf would take his powers back and there would be no stopping him. Before she could think of any way out of her predicament, Ganondorf raised his sword.
Wait, what? Why?! Why would he try to kill her now when he believed she still held the Triforce piece of Wisdom? Did he know the piece would return to the Sacred Realm if its holder perished? Or had they been mistaken when they believed he knew he couldn't hold two pieces at once? What was he doing?
He stood there, his sword arm reared back, preparing for a stab that would end her life. She couldn't tear her eyes away. She held her breath.
As much as her death frightened her, she could only think of the few friends she had in this world. Vaati and Link were practically her family despite the circumstances that brought them together. To her, their lives were more important. If she gave up now, they would both die, and that terrified her infinitely more. Her heartbeat sped up.
"No!" She cried and gathered all the strength she could to attempt to stand up. She had to get away! It wasn't just her life that depended on it. She was too late to react. Ganondorf gave a mighty thrust of his sword just as she managed to scramble to her feet…
Link was starting to tire out. This was one of the toughest battles he had ever fought. Vaati was ruthless. That, coupled with the fact that he was trying hard not seriously injure the crazed sorcerer meant he was in serious trouble and it would only get worse. If he allowed anything more than a few stinging cuts through his defenses, it would be appendages next. Lucky for him, Vaati also seemed to be holding back as he hadn't used his magic against him, though that was only a small comfort. He was making it abundantly clear that he was more than capable of beating him with just his small sword.
"Vaati!" Link yelled to him after pushing away a thrust meant to pierce one of his thighs. "Why are you doing this?" It wasn't the first time he'd asked this question and he received the same answer. A look of hatred and another attempted stab. Whatever magic Ganondorf had used, he had never seen it before. He didn't know what he could do to reverse its effects. Would he be forced to kill the sorcerer. He hated the idea but the more wounds Vaati inflicted on him, the more he was beginning to think it was the only solution. Could he do it, though? Aside from the notion that Marickiya would probably hate him forever and then he'd have to live with the guilt of taking the life of a comrade, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to overpower the mage. This was a death battle that Ganondorf orchestrated which meant everyone would lose. His indecision earned him even more forceful attacks from Vaati who saw the openings. What could he do?
It was then that Link, having been forced back yet again, got a full view of Ganondorf bearing down on the two women who were too far away to get to. He was distracted enough that Vaati landed another cheap blow on the back of his sword hand. He forced the pain down to keep his hold on the Master Sword's hilt. He heard Lana screaming and spared another glance as Vaati evaded a careless swipe from the Hylian. Lana was down and now the King was towering over Marickiya.
"Marickiya!" He yelled, but Vaati cut him off from going to help. He rounded angrily on the mage. "Would you snap out of it already?!" He still had a look of contempt on his face, but he suddenly stopped attacking. This caused Link to stop as well. Did he finally get through to him? His shoulders relaxed a little at the almost confused look on Vaati's face. His mistake.
Vaati pushed forward with a flurry of blows and Link lost his footing, falling hard on his back. He had dropped his shield and the Master Sword was limp in his injured hand. He tried getting up quickly, but only managed to prop himself on his elbows before a blade was pressed to his neck. He swallowed and felt the blade's tip move with the lump in this throat. He glared at Vaati.
"Fine. Kill me then." He said in a low growl, staring daggers at the mage. "But you had better save her once you're done."
They stared each other down, but Link could sense Vaati's hesitation despite the clear look of disgust on his face. The mage couldn't finish it. He was fighting within himself to break free of the magic that had a hold on him. All Link could do was wait at his mercy until he decided what he would do.
Vaati's grip tightened and he shook slightly with the effort to regain control. Back and forth, the urge to off Link strengthened and then waned again. The shaking caused his blade to dig into the Hylian's skin and a droplet of blood seeped into the open air. Link squeezed his eyes closed and gasped lightly with the fear of his failure.
A shout of terror tore through them both. They ignored the other and looked to the disturbance that was Marickiya struggling to stand up while Ganondorf was pointing his lethal blade at her chest.
Link could only react at that point. He needed to go to her aid. With a mighty shout, he turned back to the preoccupied mage and swung his sword with as much force as he could muster. It struck the small blade that Vaati held limply in his hand and cleanly broke it in two. The hilt was torn from his grasp and the two halves sailed through the air away from them. Link hurried to get back on his feet to make a mad dash to his half-sister and the evil king. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vaati vanish from existence. He no longer cared. He had to be fast or it would be too late…
Marickiya watched as the tip of Ganondorf's blade was a mere second away from piercing her abdomen. There were no thoughts beside the one that screamed at her to use Ganondorf's sealed magic against him. It was already flaring up inside of her to counter his attack. Ganondorf appeared to have sensed it as well, a wide grin spreading maliciously on his desert chapped lips. Did he already know that this power originally belonged to him? That would still not explain why he suddenly decided to kill her. Perhaps he thought he would take it back once she was dead. That pushed her resolve further to fight back. She would not lose to him now.
'Don't!'
Vaati's shout again. She was so surprised by the ferocity behind his demand that she lost all concentration and the magic faded.
Why?! Why would Vaati tell her to stop now?! It was the only thing that could save her! Despair quickly overtook her. Vaati had lied to her. His mission was more important than her life after all. Ganondorf's sword wouldn't be stopped.
She breathed out a quiet sigh… Fine.
She was finished. She was done worrying about anything. Vaati was allowing her to die, but she trusted that he wouldn't allow Ganondorf to take her power even after her death. She trusted him implicitly. She closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable, content with the fact that she was doing this for him.
I am going to die because it is the only way to save them. Vaati will finish what I can't…
She could no longer see any light beyond her closed eyes. She felt contact on her chest and her heart fluttered with the anticipation of how much pain she was about to be in. What she didn't expect was how big the point of contact was, and that there was no pain. It was not what she imagined a stab wound to feel like. Though she feared watching it happen, she decided to open her eyes anyway.
When the world came back into view, she was forced back to the ground by a pale hand and she stared at the back of someone who had suddenly appeared in between her and her demise.
The only sound she heard was a faint grunt of pain and not the sword that plunged straight through Vaati's stomach. His hand was still outstretched toward her but he faced the Evil King resiliently. Her heart stopped in her chest.
'I won't let you die.'
You told me that. This is so much worse.
She suddenly became hyper-aware of all sounds, the whipping wind through the grass, Vaati's labored breathing, the beginning of a low chuckling from the King of All Evil, and her own pounding heartbeat. She didn't need to strain her ears to hear Vaati's words, gurgled by blood in his throat, to the man towering over them.
"It is not so easy to control me." He managed to say through his teeth.
"You think so?" Ganondorf said quietly so that only Vaati and Marickiya could hear him. "I think all the pieces in my little game," he leaned in and if Vaati wasn't concentrating on the pain in his stomach, he might have been sick from the odor of his breath, "Have fallen into place quite nicely."
Marickiya heard his words and understood their meaning.
Of course he hadn't intended to kill Marickiya. He still thought she had the Triforce piece. Vaati had been the target. Ganondorf knew he wouldn't be able to kill him in his weakened state, so he resorted to this little trick. And he fell for it.
Her heart was trying to tear itself from her body. No. No! NO! She didn't want this. This was too much. A roar from several feet away couldn't even startle her from her paralysis.
"Get the hell away from them!" Link screamed. He had nocked three arrows in his long bow and he let them fly, his bow and body both lit with a flaming golden power. Each projectile hit their mark.
The smirk dropped from Ganondorf completely and he bellowed in agony. He retracted his sword with a sickening squelch and the clouds which he had appeared with suddenly enveloped his form in a swirling gust. The Evil King retreated to the sky once more, disappearing towards the west.
She wasn't looking skyward. She saw Vaati sink to the ground, pleading with any god who would listen to please let her take his place. He wasn't supposed to have died. It was supposed to be her! Even as she repeatedly pleaded in her head, the Wind Sorcerer had fallen in a way that allowed her to glimpse his face and lifeless eyes...
The Hero of Time sprinted over to his comrades with their enemy out of the picture for the moment. He got a full view of the damage as he neared. He paused a few steps between the two.
There was no hope for Vaati and he could tell he was about to lose Marickiya. He ran over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, trying to look her in the eyes. Her eyes were focused not on him, but on their friend behind him.
"Marickiya?" His voice shook as the gravity of the situation was messing with his emotions. She was also beginning to shake beneath his hands.
He got a tingling on the back of his neck and he turned to see what had alerted him. The ground was shining with a bright light in a circle around Vaati. He had no idea what would cause this. He felt Marickiya's shoulders shift.
"No," she said feebly. "Don't take him..." She was trying to move toward Vaati but Link held her in place. He didn't know what was happening, or who she was talking to, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to go near the sorcerer.
The two siblings watched Vaati lift into the air, blood still pouring out of his open wound. Marickiya tried to get around Link, she had regained some of her strength and it was a struggle to keep her back.
"NO! NO!" She was in hysterics. Link could see the half-lidded eyes of the mage and saw no life in them. He held Marickiya closer to him as she screamed. He shut his eyes tight as he held on as if trying to shut out the horrifying scene. Then, just like that, the light blinked out of existence along with Vaati. Marickiya was deathly quiet for a moment. Then...
"Why did you stop me?!" She screamed at him, completely taking him by surprise. He sputtered when he realized he didn't have an answer for her. "What if Ganondorf took him? We have to get him back!"
"Mari," he hesitated with what he was about to say. He knew she wasn't going to take it well. "I don't think we can get him back."
"How can you be sure? We have to do something," her voice faded to barely a whisper and her shoulders sagged. She finally understood. Something broke within her then, he could see it in her face.
Link's chest felt tight. The adrenaline and rage that had filled him before was draining and he was overcome with exhaustion.
They needed to get back to the house to regroup and Link needed to keep himself moving. He couldn't focus on what had happened. He needed to be strong for the others. Speaking of which, he heard a groan of pain and remembered Lana had been thrown by Ganondorf earlier in the battle. She was beginning to sit up several feet from them. He looked into Marickiya's face and knew she wouldn't move if he left her there. He stood up and made his way over to the other girl with the intent to see if she was alright, but he stopped just shy of touching her shoulder. She noticed his hesitation and looked up at him. Confusion was plastered all over his face.
"Lana?" He asked with uncertainty. Her eyes watered and she looked down at her hands that were covered with wrinkles. She had taken on the appearance of an elderly lady but he could still see a resemblance to the young woman he had taken in the few weeks before. He remembered she had said that Ganondorf had lent her some of his power. When he saw that she had betrayed him, he must have taken it back. She no longer had the power to change her appearance at will. The shuddering of her frail shoulders, Marickiya's state of shock, and the broken thin sword laying in a pool of blood were all the signs of the worst kind of defeat. He could barely take in enough air with how tight his chest was. He grit his teeth.
"Can you stand?" He asked softly of Lana. She seemed unable to hear him. Between Lana and Marickiya's prone forms, it was going to be a challenge getting them all back to the house. He first went to Marickiya. She was better off than Lana and he thought he might be able to coax her into walking easier than the other. As he approached, he saw her expression had changed. She looked as if she was trying not to be sick. Following her line of sight, he knew she was looking at the stained grass where Vaati had been. He could imagine what was going on in her head. He knelt down beside her.
"Come on Mari," he tried gently, his voice breaking. She also appeared as if she hadn't heard him. He stood again and tried lifting her up by her arm but she just hung there limply, still staring at the bloody mess in front of her, so he let her back down. The dullness in her eyes told him he would be unable to convince her to do anything. It was too late. She was lost to him. He furrowed his brow.
"Mari, you can't stay here." She ignored him once again. He sighed in frustration, then turned back to Lana. She didn't protest when he pulled her up to her feet, but like he thought, she wasn't able to walk on her own very well. He carefully pulled her arm over his shoulders and walked back to Marickiya. He called to her one more time, but he only received more silence as an answer. His stomach churned.
"I'll come right back for you, okay?" She blinked once and he took that as acknowledgment. He didn't really have much of a choice but to leave her there. If she were attacked while he wasn't there, she would probably end up using that magic she had. It was the only thing that made him feel slightly less guilty about what he was doing.
'I'll be right back. I promise.'
…