A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: A single singer is demarked in italics "like this", while a crowd singing is demarked "like this."
He had died in the first major battle of Hyrule Castle in this war. Link had held him in his arms at the steps of the Great Fairy Fountain of the Hyrulian Fields, and had promised him that he would do everything in his power to defend the princess from any and all attempts on her life. It was at that moment that Justinian had expired from his injuries. Yet as the Goddesses were his witness, Link was staring at the shadowy figure of the former Hyrulian Lord of War, Justinian Tiberius, all over again.
"This place is a hallowed ground." The ghostly form of Justinian said again. "What business do you mortals have here?"
"J-Justinian." Zelda had recovered enough from the initial shock, and was slowly stepping forward. "It is me, Princess Zelda. I am the ruler of Hyrule, and those that are with me are allies. Allies to me. Allies to you."
"The dead have no allies." Justinian's spirit said. His face was blank, as if he had never seen any of them before. "What business do you mortals have here?"
"We have to seek the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword." Zelda said again. She was starting to get impatient. "Justinian, it's us. Let us through!"
"The dead have no allies. The dead have no friend. There is only the void. We are the gateway to the end."
"When did Justinian get so poetic?" Impa muttered to herself.
There was a sharpening noise, and they saw that Justinian had drawn a sword. It was fading away, much like his own personage, but there was no one in the ranks that was about to test whether or not it was real.
"This is a hallowed ground. You walk upon the stones of the ancients. You tread in the presence of those that have fallen before you, those that have died to protect this most sacred place. It is not a place for the mortal to tread. You commit a grave offense against the Goddesses in befouling this place with your presence."
"Figures…" Itami said. Lana stepped forward next to Zelda.
"Um, Zelda? I don't think that he's about to let us through any time soon." She said. Zelda looked frustrated.
"I don't understand. The presence of the Triforce should be enough for him and the rest of the souls that guard this place. Something is seriously wrong." She said. Darunia drew his Megaton Hammer.
"Uh, Princess? There's more of him…"
They saw that, materializing behind the soul of the Lord of War, there were more ghosts emerging. All with their weapons drawn, their faces obscured by closed helmets and guards. Ghost-Justinian spoke again.
"The way is shut. It was made by those of the dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut." He was slowly advancing towards Zelda. "You have committed a grave offense. You do not belong here. You have sealed your fate in besmirching the memories of those past with your presence."
As he walked towards them, Zelda glanced over to her right and saw that Lana's eyes were closed, and she seemed to be furiously muttering something under her breath. There was sweat forming on the sorceress' brow, and her voice was slowly getting louder and faster.
Ghost-Justinian was mere feet away.
"You should not have come here. You should not have come here. And now you will die here."
He raised his sword upwards, and swung it down towards Zelda. Right at the exact same moment as Lana's eyes snapped open, and she flung her arms outward. A wave of light burst from her spellbook, like a pulse of pure white magic. It glittered in the air, some of the glitter fading into the very essence of the living. Zelda, instinctively, drew her rapier and thrust it upwards in defense.
CLANG.
The ghostly sword was met and blocked by the royal rapier, which was now gently glowing with a white light. Justinian's eyes widened, and Zelda ran her blade down the edge of Justinian's, to the point where only his pommel guard was holding back her blade from cutting into his faded hand.
"H-how?" Midna asked. Lana spoke swiftly.
"I cast the great spell of Holy*!" She said. "It will allow us to do battle with these spirits!"
Without breaking the hold or her icy gaze towards this ghoul, Zelda spoke.
"Darunia. You will take your Honor Guard and Ruto and make your way to the western keep, where the Totem of Wave and Flame lies. Lana? Escort Midna and Agitha to the Totem of Twilight to the eastern keep. Link, Ishaka? You will take what remains of our forces and return to the southern entrance, where the Totem of Servitude is. The Royal Guard stays by my side, and no one else."
"Z-Zelda!" Impa said. "What are you going to do?"
Zelda met eyes with her ghostly foe.
"I am going to put Justinian to rest."
.
Ishaka swiftly gave a sharp whistle, and the Ravagers that had accompanied him gave a unified howl and raced towards the south. Link, Impa, and Itami stayed right in the center of the pack. Darunia gave an exuberant roar, and charged headlong into the mass of ghostly soldiers to the west. He and his Honor Guard proceeded to start throwing the ghosts left and right. Midna, Lana, and Meathook (with Agitha safely perched on his shoulder) began their trek to the east. That left the dozen men that formed the Royal Honor Guard, who formed a circle around their regent and her ghostly foe.
"When the dead fight, mortals die." Justinian said. He broke away his weapon, and adopted a ready stance. Zelda rolled her eyes.
"I'm not quite sure, but it would appear you've become even more insufferable in death than in life, Justinian."
They met in the center of this circle, trading swipes and parries and blocks and counters.
.
"'Member when we met?" Ishaka said, as he thrust his new knife into the chest cavity of one of the ghosts. The being gave a soft roar, and disappeared into a misty haze. "We was jus' tradin' riddles, is all! Did ya ev'r thin' tha' it would come ta this, Sheikah?"
"Less. Talking. More. FIGHTING!" Impa shouted, as she sliced through two of the ghostly soldiers. Link ducked under a swing of a ghostly battleax, and countered another sword strike.
"They're everywhere, Link!" Proxi said. "Oh, please be careful!"
The little fairy wasn't too far from the truth. It seemed that for every ghostly foe dropped, another two took its place. Link lunged his sword forward, spearing a ghost in the chest and saving a fallen Ravager, but there were still a few of their force that were getting overwhelmed. Whatever these totems were that Zelda had spoken of, he hoped that they were important.
.
"HYAAHH-HAH-HA!" Darunia roared. He emerged from his curled-up position, having crashed into a squad of these ghostly soldiers and scattered them like a collection of tenpins. Ducking and darting in between the Goron Honor Guard that was clearly enjoying itself in this crazed combat zone, Ruto scampered around potential enemies. She squealed in fright as one ghost attempted to cut her head off with a swing of its sword, and on instinct she swung her sharpened Zora Scale. It effortlessly cut off the head of that apparition, and it disappeared into a mist. She wailed some more, reacting like she'd just had to step on a spider.
"Ew-ew-ew-ew-ew! I don't want ghost mist on me!"
"Just keep fighting, sister Ruto!" Darunia shouted. A swing of his hammer caused several ghosts to be knocked off of their tenuous balance on the mortal coil. He slammed the ground again, and beat his chest with pride. "HEY YOOOOO! You don't scare me, warriors of old! Rise up, and I shall bury you! Again and again, if I must!" He punctuated every one of his sentences with a harsh slam of the Megaton Hammer in his hands. The Goron Honor Guard all roared in unison, and continued to advance. In hindsight, Ruto thought as they continued to push aside these ghosts like nothing, perhaps it was good that she was with the stoutest of the fighters.
.
Midna snarled, and snapped her head forward. Her hair sprang outwards like an extended fist, smacking two ghosts in the chest and causing them to disappear.
"Why don't they just stay down?" She asked. Beside her, Lana was pirouetting on the battlefield, snapping her fingers and sending forth streams of white lightning.
"They're already down to begin with, Midna." Lana couldn't resist pointing out.
"GRAH! If I wanted your sass I'll beat it out of you, witch!" Midna said. Beside them, Meathook was roaring and swinging his massive club-like arms back and forth like deadly pendulums, crashing into the ghosts left and right. Hanging on for dear life on his shoulders, Agitha giggled with delight.
"Good work, mister Meathook! You fight like two mighty Rhinoceros beetles at once!" She said. She clapped her hands in delight as Meathook swatted two ghostly figures away. Midna took a moment to stare at the little girl in disbelief.
"Where do we find these people?"
.
"There it is!" Impa pointed ahead of them. It was a small totem-like tower, maybe seven feet in height. Ancient markings covered it from top to bottom, and there was a crest in the very center of the totem that was clear and present to all.
"Tha' be th'-" Ishaka was cut off.
"The symbol of my people!" Impa said. "I know what I must do. Just…I will need some time for this to work." She stood in front of the totem, and placed her hands on the crest. The ancient rock, recognizing that one with the blood of the royal family's Lord Protector was in its presence, slowly began to glow. "I cannot defend myself." She managed to say, though the effort to start opening the totem was becoming all-encompassing. "Please…watch me!"
"Heart-prom'se, Sheikah!" Ishaka replied. He whistled, and the Ravagers began to form a protective half-circle shielding Impa from the spears and axes and swords of the undead. Ishaka stood in the middle, with Itami to his right and Link to his left. The Ravager captain stamped the ground hard and howled in the air. "NONE GIT THROUGH US, BOYS!"
Even Link found himself barking the cry of the Ravagers.
"OO RAH! OO RAH! OOOO RAAAAHHH!"
.
"Found it!" Darunia said. He had burst through the gate of a keep, and stumbled forward so far that he tripped over his heels and landed facefirst right in front of the Totem. It was covered in ancient markings, as well as two crests: One clearly of fire, and one clearly of water. "Sister Ruto! I need your help!" He said. Ruto ducked through the Goron Honor Guard that was forming a defensive wall, and leaned against the Totem with an annoyed expression.
"Ugh, what for?" She asked. Darunia had already placed his hand on the Totem, and was feeling it demand all of his strength and attention.
"Place…your hand…on the…drop!" He grunted, gesturing with his shoulder to the water-drop symbol next to his massive palm. Ruto saw the effect of this strange statue on her friend, and for a moment hesitated in fear. But as her friend gave a roar of pain and stress, she realized that she'd be damned if one of her dearest friends would be hurt because she did nothing. And a future queen always does what she must.
She placed her hand on the crest.
.
"Seriously? We have to power up this little thing?" Midna said, staring at the crest. It was shaped and carved to look like the dark side of the moon. "Who of us is supposed to power it?"
"Ooh, is this a game? I want to play, I want to play!" Agitha sadi, waving her hand through the air as she swung from Meathook's shoulder. Midna turned to her and shook her head.
"No…no, it's best that I do it." She said. "Hey, witch!" She turned to Lana. "Do you have any idea how to protect us from these ghosts?"
"…I don't." Lana admitted. But then she looked like she'd had an epiphany. "…I do! Look, these ghosts claim that their only goal is to defend the Blade of Evil's Bane. And we explicitly stated that we were of the light, only to have them reject us. That means…"
…That someone is pulling the strings!" Midna said. "But where would such a dark magic be coming from?" She asked. Lana looked unsure.
"I don't know. I'll have to cast a pulse of scrying magic to find it. But it's up to me to hunt the source down. Everyone else is occupied. Midna, whatever you do, don't let go. Understood?" The Twilight Princess nodded resolutely, and placed her hand on the crest. Lana turned towards the sauntering Goron beside her. "Meathook? Agitha? Don't let them hurt the kitty." She sprinted off. Midna was already locked in, so she couldn't turn around. But it was hard to tell if her snarl was that of pain, or of indignation.
.
She didn't really have that much experience, compared to her archery skills, with her rapier. Yet Zelda prided herself on being able to hold true to her word. She had spent many hours practicing with Impa when they were growing up, and countless more in the privacy of her chambers, thrusting and parrying against imaginary foes that threatened her dignity and her life. And now all of those hours and times of practice were being put to practice here.
She deflected another thrust by her ghostly foe. Ghost-Justinian was clearly getting annoyed.
"You only delay the inevitable. The Goddesses do not allow the unworthy to enter these hallowed grounds. You blaspheme them with your presence."
"I take it back: you are absolutely more insufferable in death than in life!" Zelda said. In the meantime, as she did battle with this singular foe, the rest of her Royal Guard was holding their own against the ghostly foes on the fringes of this duel for the ages.
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. You are a mere mortal. Only the Goddesses may end that which cannot be ended."
"So were you. Once upon a time." Zelda said. She deked to her right, and then slipped her blade up and under Ghost-Justinian's wrist. She flicked her wrist, and watched with satisfaction as she cut off Ghost-Justinian's wrist and sword with it. The apparition stared in confusion at its missing limb, and then from the mist regenerated both hand and blade. Zelda just rolled her eyes.
"Figures."
.
She raced through the streets, effortlessly avoiding the vast amount of ghost soldiers that choked the roads and howled at her in wailing, haunting voices. She closed her eyes, and became one with the magic within her. When she opened them again, her eyes were glowing and completely white. She could see the very essence of everything in the area, from the bright and vibrant light of the souls of the living fighting to stay that way, to the faint wisps of the fallen that were now sworn to defend these sacred grounds. But these were not the essences that she was looking for. In fact, she was looking for one that had no essence at all. For deep within her she had a nagging suspicion as to who it was that was behind all of this.
She found the moving form that gave off no light, and closed her eyes again and began to see with the eyes of a mortal. The sight in front of her was enough to give her pause. It was…her. Or, rather, it looked like her. Shaded much darker. She was sure that her hair was lighter than that. And that she carried her spellbook in the crook of her right arm, and not her left. And she certainly didn't sneer like that. She frowned.
"You have a really bad habit of copying people and doing it poorly." She said. She pointed her finger towards her doppelganger, the lightning crackling from her fingertip. Her doppelganger spoke in a raspy and very familiar voice.
"Hiyah ha ha! What's wrong, little girl? You don't like your reflection in the mirror, do you?" Wizzro-Lana snapped her finger, and a beam of condensed black magic burst from her palm towards Lana. The white sorceress rolled out of the way, and then cast a barrier of defense when she saw the beam curve around in the air and come back towards her. It struck her shield of floating runes and splashed off of the surface like water from a pressurized hose, and Lana rolled again. Wizzro cackled, and suddenly was standing on a large square made of runes and dark magic. Wizzro started running along the top of it, causing the square to move towards Lana by turning on its sides. Lana leapt out of the way, each time dangerously close to getting squashed. She cast a spell of forced wind, and Wizzro was thrown from the square with a squawk.
Wizzro landed on its feet, and snarled at Lana. The white sorceress remained cool-headed.
"You really are a pest, girl!" Wizzro hissed. Lana hoped she never got this angry. The sight of "her" spitting like an enraged cat was…troubling. "Mistress Cia was right to get rid of you. But obviously she should have snuffed you out as well!"
"Cia would never bring harm upon me." Lana said. She fired a jet of blue flame from her fingers. Wizzro blocked it, but only just barely, with a dark shield of its own. "If she truly wished for me to die, she'd have done it herself."
"Hiya ha ha!" Wizzro cackled. It smiled, revealing a Lana with far too many teeth that were far too large and pointed for a girl as pretty as that. Lana tried not to be weirded out. "You really are naïve, aren't you girl? Mistress Cia does not care about you. She never has! Given a choice between you and her beloved hero, she'd break your neck like a CUCKOO'S!" Wizzro-Lana opened its mouth, and a jet of black fire came streaming forth like nightmarish vomit. Lana side-stepped the move. Wizzro was unperturbed. "You. Will. DIE!" It punctuated each word with a blast of black fire. Lana side-stepped. She pirouetted. She pivoted, and raised a deflective shield. "Why won't you die?" Wizzro shrieked. It threw bolts of black lightning towards Lana. The white sorceress rolled around past them, and then thrust her arm forward. A massive tome, composed of white light and ancient runes, materialized from nowhere and slammed into Wizzro-Lana. It rushed across the ground, pinning Wizzro-Lana against it and then slamming the doppelganger hard against the wall of an ancient building.
"You seem to have forgotten something in your hubris." Lana said. A pure and white aura was surrounding her. She smiled, letting the light of the Goddesses fill her with serenity and peace. "When Cia rejected me, one being became two. But though I may not be a part of Cia anymore, you forget that I am still her equal." She closed her eyes, clasping her hands together. "Now let these souls REST!" She opened her eyes, and thrust her arms forward. A shining wave of pure white light emanated from her, completely blanketing her doppelganger. Wizzro screeched as its disguise literally melted away, revealing its bulbous and dark self. In its last moments before instant death, Wizzro teleported away. Lana was breathing heavily, and wiped the slight bit of sweat from her brow. It was gone. She closed her eyes. She could feel the darkness leaving the souls of the departed. Perhaps now peace could be attained.
.
Ghost-Justinian's eyes suddenly went dark. It placed a hand against its head, groaning in what appeared to be pain. Zelda lowered her rapier, as Ghost-Justinian dropped his glittering sword to the ground. The other ghosts began to moan as well, clutching their heads or chests. Zelda smiled.
"Lord Justinian?" She spoke. She smiled softly. The ghostly apparition blinked once. His soulless eyes had disappeared, and now in their place was the faded visage of his once-blue eyes. He stared at her, as if in disbelief.
"Your highness?" He asked. "But…" He looked at himself. "Ah. That's right."
"If I may, I cannot think of a better role for you than to serve with the countless brave souls that laid their lives in the name of peace and light here in the land of the Goddesses." She said. Ghost-Justinian smirked slightly.
"I always did say that I was married to the defense of Hyrule and her people." He looked around. "Still…It is strange to be conversing with you on two different planes of existence. One of the living, and one of the…well, you can see for yourself."
"I agree. Now, would you mind calling off your forces?" Zelda asked. Ghost-Justinian nodded.
"Done."
.
Ishaka, Link and Itami were halfway through another scream of defiance to rally the Ravagers, tired as they were, from another ghostly charge when their enemies mysteriously vanished.
"Wha'…wha' in th' 'ell?" Ishaka asked. Itami looked around.
"If I had to take a guess…I'd say that we no longer have to worry about the dead making us join them."
"Good…" Link managed to mutter. "I…I don't know how many more of those waves I could have fought off." Proxi floated around his head.
"Thank goodness! I was getting scared!" Ishaka glanced back towards Impa. A bright aura was cocooning her, and her eyes were closed in concentration. A pillar of light shot into the sky from her totem. He glanced over and saw that to the east and to the west the same light was emanating into the sky.
"Th' oth'r pill'rs musta be op'nin'." He said. He turned to Link. "Go to th' temple! We'll cov'r yeh." He said. Link nodded, and began jogging towards the Temple of the Sacred Sword. A moan of exhaustion could be heard. Ishaka turned around and saw that Impa had collapsed, sitting on the ground and groaning.
"She's fine." Itami said, noticing the panicked look in his leader's eyes. "Just exhausted. I imagine that that takes a lot out of you." Ishaka nodded.
"Righ'…leave Sheikah ta me. I betcha th' oth'rs be tuck'red out now, yeah?" He pointed to one half of the Ravagers, lead by Ryu. "Go to th' west, an' 'elp miss Midna." He turned to Itami. "You go an' 'elp Darunia an' miss Ruto, 'kay?" Itami rolled his eyes, but did not question his orders. He whistled, and a portion of the Ravagers split away from the totem and began running in the direction they were ordered. Ryu whistled, and carried her forces away from the area. That left Ishaka and Impa.
The Sheikah groaned a little bit, and opened her eyes. She looked around.
"Where…where is everyone?"
"Sent 'em off." Ishaka said. "Th' ghosts done dis'ppeared. Figgered they'd be need'd elsewher', yeh know?"
"Yeah…I know." Impa said. Then her eyes snapped open. "You left the two of us alone? With no backup?" Ishaka chuckled.
"Yeh di'n't think I be leavin' yeh 'ere, did yeh?" He asked. Impa was about to ask what he meant, but before she knew it the Ravager commander had moved forward and picked her up in his arms. He gently held her on his shoulders in a fireman's carry, all before she'd opened a word of protest.
"Whuh-what are you-" Impa was cut off.
"Gettin' yeh outta 'ere. Ta th' Princess!" Ishaka said. "Yer in no cond'tion ta fight, Impa." He started walking towards the temple.
"One condition." Impa said.
"Wha' tha' be?" Ishaka asked. Impa frowned.
"You let me go before anyone sees us, because if Zelda sees me like this…I will never hear the end of it."
.
Hissing, he had faded to the shadows, wiping at his eye in an effort to remove the searing effects of that accursed light. Snarling, he watched those accursed humans and their filthy companions regroup in the temple square, just outside of the temple itself. He also saw that the doors to the temple had been opened. Despite the pain, he smiled. Perhaps there was still a way to salvage this…
"Move." He commanded in a soft voice.
.
"Do not shed a tear for me." Justinian said, as some of the Hyrulian forces stared in awe and wonder at the sight of their beloved commander's spirit. "I died for a reason, and the sight of the princess in front of me is all that I need to know that I did not die for nothing. No soldier can ask for a better fate in death than this." He closed his eyes and smiled peacefully. "The way is open. You and your allies are open to enter the sacred temple, and retrieve the Blade of Evil's Bane. May the Hero wield it with might and power. But most importantly, may he wield it with courage." He smiled again, and then to the awe of everyone he slowly faded away. The rest of the ghostly soldiers faded away as well, back to sleep until the next time mortals set foot on these sacred stones.
Zelda turned around to see that the Ravagers and Goron Honor Guard were making their way to the temple square. She saw that Darunia was being carried along with the help of several of his Honor Guardsmen, while a sleepy-looking (but very satisfied-looking) Ruto was carried in the arms of a very annoyed-looking Itami. She glanced in the other direction, and saw that Meathook the Ravager Goron was carrying little Agitha in one shoulder and an exhausted Midna in the other. Zelda nodded.
"I cannot thank you enough for this, friends. The pain and sacrifice will be worth it. And your strength will return. But…" she frowned. "Where is Impa?"
As if on cue, slowly around the bend walked Impa and Ishaka. The Sheikah and Ravager were walking, with Impa's arm wrapped around Ishaka's shoulder. Unlike the others that had given some of their energy to open the gate, Impa's eyes were open and she had a look of pained yet fierce determination in her eyes. Zelda had rather sharp hearing, sharper than most, and could faintly hear the words that were exchanged between the two.
"Yeh don' 'ave ta be a 'ero, Impa. Ain't no shame in restin'."
"…It's not for me. My men don't need to see me tired."
Zelda tried not to smile.
"Is that everyone?" Lana asked, having walked around the bend. Zelda shook her head.
"We're missing…" She turned around to see that Link was standing right next to her. "…Link."
"Am I late?" The Hero asked, a sly grin forming on his face. Zelda shook her head.
"No. You're right on time." She gestured to the temple gate. "I…I think that you have the honor of wlaking through those hallways yourself. We will wait here. You…you have earned that right, Link."
Link looked around at everyone standing in front of him, and saw their expectant and hopeful looks. In that moment, he felt a massive wave of responsibility weigh him down. But, as he stared into the soft and understanding eyes of the princess, he felt that indescribable light within him.
Courage.
He nodded, and turned around and raced into the temple.
.
They watched him go, and then turned around.
Zelda sighed. Perhaps now there would be a moment of rest.
At that moment, an arrow whistled through the air and struck a Ravager in the neck. War horns cut through the silence.
"Bokoblins!" Zelda shouted. Immediately, the task force formed a defensive semi-circle, keeping the exhausted hidden in the center. But they were daunted by the sheer number of enemies in front of them.
"Hiyah ha ha!" Wizzro cackled, racing through the air. It ducked around the shots of archers and swings of swords and other blades, and slipped past the defense force and into the temple.
"NO!" Zelda cried out. She was about to turn around and race in, but a platoon of Bokoblins and a few Moblins had circled around and were blocking her entrance. There was nothing she could do for him. She drew her rapier, facing the enemies in front of her, and prayed for the Goddesses to let their will be done.
.
He hadn't expected a sight like this. The temple itself was ancient and beautiful, and Link felt his breath taken away by the sight of the stained glass windows and ancient stone that made up this place. But he figured that the Master Sword would be placed in the depths of the temple, in an inner sanctum of sorts. A throne room. That was what he always imagined the Master Sword to be like. A brilliant and gleaming blade that was clearly and most assuredly the sword of the Goddesses. He had the sight in his head. Solid silver blade. A glowing gold hilt and pommel guards. And it was rested in a throne that only the greatest of heroes were worthy to sit on. He followed the haunting feeling of mystery and greatness that seemed to draw him deeper into the temple, and turned the corner to face his destiny.
He did not expect this. It was a little clearing within a forest that no indication of existence had been given. The trees swayed, though there was no wind. And a soft and glittering sunbeam came through the trees, though he knew that the sun was starting to set outside of this little utopia. But there, sitting on a simple stone with the Triforce emblazoned upon it, was the Master Sword.
It wasn't as beautiful as his imagination. It was even more than he ever could have dreamed of. The handle was an elegant and simple violet, with V-shaped pommel guards. The blade itself was the purest of steel he had ever seen, and even then he felt it was made of a metal that only the Goddesses themselves could forge. It seemed to be gently glowing in the light. And it was calling to him.
"Link…" Proxi said. "Do it."
Slowly, he walked forward. His heart was beating in his chest, rapidly and more frantically with every step. He couldn't believe that this moment was at hand. He didn't deserve this. He was just a regular boy, who'd lucked into being the bearer of the Trifore. But that didn't make him worthy of this most beautiful and wonderous heirloom. He kept walking forward, his palms sweating. Knees weak. Arms were heavy. Shakily, he placed his hands around the hilt. No. No, he couldn't be worthy. Not of this. He was just a poor boy. He had no family. He was not worthy. He readied his knees. He was not worthy. He took a deep breath. He was not worthy.
.
He had followed the little brat deep into this temple. It made his very being crawl, knowing that a light of this magnitude was around. The fact that they were even trying to accomplish such an insane task could not be allowed. It could never be allowed. And so, grinning like a wolf, it stalked after the boy. The boy was too busy being overcome with self-confliction and worry and self-introspection as he grabbed around that pathetic blade to notice the dark wizard behind him. Wizzro grinned. What a silly trinket that was! For a "Master" Sword, it looked anything but.
Grinning even more, he lunged.
.
There was a terrific flash. Everyone turned around towards the entrance of the temple. But then they had to shield their eyes from the brilliant and dazzling light. It lit up the temple, and it lit up the sky so that it looked bright as midday in the gloam. There was a horrible and raspy shriek of pain and agony and disbelief from somewhere within the temple. The light faded, but only slightly. The inside of the temple was still glowing with awesome power as they all saw a dark lump rocket out of the temple's depth and crash in front of them. It was Wizzro. The dark wizard was breathing with haggard and ragged breaths, and it was bleeding profusely. It began to crawl slowly and desperately towards the coalition and its own dark forces. But what had done this to it? What was it running from? Zelda was the first to see.
It was a young man. Who it was she could not tell. It looked somewhat like Link, but it could not be. For this man was glowing, his entire body wreathed in white light and shining a brilliant gold. He stood at the doorway of the temple, staring at them. But he was not alone.
Stepping out from behind this golden boy, though there was no indication of their presence before, were others that looked so much like him. All wreathed in the same light, and all glowing a brilliant golden hue. Zelda could, if she squinted, see that they were all the same person, and yet they were different.
One of them carried himself with the grace of a wolf.
Another with the air of an exploring sailor and master of the rail.
A quartet, each giving off a separate color in addition to gold, stood at each others' shoulders.
Others too, each with their own stories to tell and legends to have lived.
And in the very middle of it all stood the glowing man. The way he carried himself, his air and presence, was truly timeless.
They all carried, without question, the same sword. The brilliant Blade of Evil's Bane: The Master Sword.
In silent unison, they all held their sword in front of their heads, the blade turned so as to split their face into two halves. They all began to glow with brilliance like that of the Goddesses. The Blade of Evil's Bane glowed so bright and white that Zelda looked away, as did others, for fear that it would blind her. The glowing men all seemingly began to converge on one another, forming a glowing hue surrounding the man in the center. The aura around him was truly breathtaking.
Wizzro had seemingly recovered, and slowly floated back upright to stare at this monstrocity in its eyes with fear and hate and contempt. Clutching at its chest, the dark wizard gave a shriek and flew right towards the glowing being in front of it.
Zelda might've missed it because she blinked. But either way, Wizzro had been stopped cold. That was because the Blade of Evil's Bane was currently embedded right its forehead would normally be. Wizzro did not even give off a scream of pain or dying agony. Instead, beams of light began to burst out from the dark entity in every direction. Then, there was a catastrophic bang as Wizzro exploded into nothingness. All that remained was a small ring with a red jewel in it that clattered to the feet of the glowing being. The glowing man casually swung the sword down, connecting with the ring and shattering it into nothingness.
There was a pause. And then a series of clattering noises. Zelda and the coalition looked around to see that the Moblins, Bokoblins, and even the few Bulblins that were among them all drop their weapons and shields to the ground in fright. Some of them had wet themselves. Then, without a care for the Hyrulians, Gorons, Ravagers or Zora around them, they all ran screaming in terror for the entrance of the grounds, or anywhere that was away from that holy nightmare.
Silence reigned, except for a soft humming sound that seemed to come from the glowing man. The glowing man looked around slowly, as if sizing up those that were in front of him. And then, the glowing aura began to fade away. The man shrank slightly, and the the gold gave way to the natural colors of the one they knew. Link's eyes were closed, as if he'd been sleepwalking the entire time. But then he slowly opened them, and looked around. He seemed unsure as to what had happened.
Ishaka stepped forward, in front of the coalition and even in front of the princess. There was a metallic singing sound as he drew his black knives from their sheathes. He twirled them once, and then planted them in the ground in front of him. He went down to one knee, and stared at Link with honor and respect.
And Link watched as before him everyone, even the princess, all knelt before the truly reawakened Hero of Courage. And as he took this incredible sight in, one thought managed to make its way through his mind.
He was worthy.
A/N: Whew! Had a lot of fun with the reveal of the Master Sword, and obviously some liberties have been taken. Nothing serious though, I promise.
According to the Hyrule Warriors background info, Wizzro isn't actually a wizard: he's a construct that comes from that ring of his. So in shattering the ring, Link didn't just kill Wizzro: He killed him dead. Which, I suppose, is a fancy way to say that he erased Wizzro from existence.
Nice little easter egg for you as the Hero awakens: For a brief moment, all of the Heroes of time past (and future, perhaps?) converged into one to give Link that burst of bright energy in order to overcome Wizzro for good. See how many of them you recognized!
If you're like me, you're probably wondering how I'm gonna handle the inevitable interaction with Link and Cia. Because it will happen. And I promise you: if you think Cia is creepy and haunting now…just wait.
Till next time!
HYRULIAN CODEX
The Great Spell "Holy" – There is no higher form of white ("light") magic than this. The spellcaster creates a zone where any one who is in it is given the power to do battle with those in the ephemeral plane, and can save themselves from the seemingly unending onslaught of ghosts.