Disclaimer: I own nothing Legend of Zelda related.

Claimer: I own everything not Zelda related.

Chapter released June 14 2010 4:29 a.m

Chapter 24 Pieces Come Together, Pieces Break

It hurt, it hurt so badly, but I managed to do it. If we chose to ride Azure and Epona to the Temple of Time it probably would have been a very awkward trip. However, it wasn't. The first thing Link did after I initially denied him was bring out the Ocarina. I didn't say anything for fear that the true answer I had to his feelings would surface and I wouldn't be able to go through with what I now knew was about as inevitable as the rain that wanted to fall from the sky, correction was falling from the sky.

As I stood outside the Temple, (having sensed Zelda's presence the minute we arrived) leaning against its walls I raised my head to the sky, closed my eyes, and let the rainfall trickle down my face. I was different, I could feel it. I felt like something was taken from me and now I was nothing. Was this a side effect of being an item? I thought bitterly, but where emotion should have been there was emptiness. It left me in my pondering for what felt like an eternity. My fingers were digging into the brick walls of the Temple, as if I might plunge into the dark depths of my mind if I let go of it. Ironically, I was tied to the Temple I was clinging to; tied by the stone on my forehead and the instrument that Link carried. I turned to face the wall, crying now, beating it with closed fists, blaming it, wanting to blame someone, and having no one to blame. My hands stopped their beating, and I slunk to the floor, hair in my face, knuckles bleeding, sobbing.

Link had arrived at the Temple with Kairen and Navi. The minute they arrived, Kairen had excused herself, against Link's unspoken wishes, outside. Link stood on the platform of the Triforce. He was impatient to see who it was that was waiting for him, but at the same time he was anxious for Kairen because of the state she was in. It was scaring him to point where he wanted to demand her to tell him what she was hiding, but he knew that wouldn't do anything. If anything it would probably cause her to close up even more to him than she already had. The only semi-reassuring thing was that, she loved him. He knew this, even though she denied it. The very evidence was in how she tried to redirect his feelings back to Zelda, as if telling him (really herself) that he loved Zelda would make her, denying her own feelings hurt less. Link didn't want to deal with this, the feeling that she was keeping something from him, not because she feared him knowing, but that he was better off not knowing. In other words, she was protecting him. She knew, he knew, knew very well that he was being sincere about his feelings toward her. He had shown her in the depths of his kiss just how much she meant to him, and that was where she let her guard down. As he let his feelings for her show through that display, she had unconsciously done the same. Link had felt the feelings, her feelings seeping through it as she responded to him. Those feelings were as deep as his were, and he'd have to be blind not to realize that.

"I have been waiting for you, Link" Sheik? Link spun around, back to the entrance. Sure, enough there was Sheik. Link could have said he was expecting this, but he really wasn't, for once. Navi rested on his shoulder. He had to commend his fairy friend. She had put up with a lot from him. Including his anger and confusion over his own emotions, it was a wonder how the fairy had done managed to stick by his side for so long. "Link, the Hero of Time" Sheik continued, standing in the door way. "You have overcome many hardships and awakened six sages." Why does everyone keep repeating the same thing? I know I saved them what else? Link thought, though he kept his face in front of the wise Sheikah. "And now you have a final challenge, a showdown with Ganondorf, the King of Evil…" That's right, Link smirked, thinking about how he would love to get back at the "Evil King" for all kinds of things. "Before that I have things I want to tell only to you. Please listen." Link saw a gleam in the Sheikah's scarlet eyes, as if he was confessing something. Link hated to admit it, but he was curious.

In the fields of Hyrule

"Why didn't you say anything to her!" Fiona asked, freeing her hand from Jake's grip and stopping to look at him. They had travelled at least a mile in silence and Fiona's hand was starting to feel clammy from his grip. The drizzling had turned to rain only moments ago and already Fiona could feel the water weighing down her hair. "We're not- I'm not supposed to be here, any contact with people he's met from me can result in severe consequences…" He looked away, "I really don't want to find out what those might be either." He looked back at her, searching her face for understanding. Fiona gazed back at him, unsure. She sighed, "Jake, I'm not sure about this, what if we're too late? The time is different here anyway. We're probably going to-"His eyebrows scrunched in frustration, "Don't say that, please..." His face gave away worry and desperation, "Not you..." He took her hands in his and made her look into his eyes. "She's already breaking Fion', someone needs to have faith in her, and we're the only people who can do that." He replied his eyes pleading for her to understand, Fiona sighed, and pulled her hands away from him. "We're not the only ones. She has-""He doesn't know," Jake replied, already knowing who she was talking about. "What?""He doesn't know. He has an idea that something is up with her, but he doesn't know. She hasn't told him and I don't think she's going to tell him either. She plans to keep it from him until it's all over" They were walking again, Jake scanning their surroundings silently so he didn't alarm Fiona. It was dangerous out in the field. Fiona noticed his unease. "Hey, switching into my fairy form and letting me ride on your shoulder might help with the fatigue" she suggested playfully, though in truth she really was getting tired. Jake sighed, "You could tell that easily huh?" Fiona said nothing, just shook her head and let herself change forms. "Happy?" she resisted the want to gag at her own, yet again squeaky voice. Jake smirked "Very" Fiona rolled her eyes, not that Jake could see and sat on his shoulder. Jake turned away from her, faced the field. From where they were it would take the entire night, and up until midday…He only hoped it would be enough.

In the Temple of Time

"Another unknown legend of the Triforce passed down by the Sheikahs…" Sheik went on to explain the story of the Triforce and those seeking it. He explained how if one with an evil heart tried to obtain the Triforce the realm would be pulled into chaos and if the person was of pure heart, an era of peace; because the Triforce mirrors the hearts of the ones who obtain it. However, there had to be a balance between the three bestowed traits of the Goddesses, Power, Wisdom and Courage in the person who obtained the Triforce in order to enter the Sacred Realm. That individual needed all three traits with equal value for if they were not of equal value the Triforce would split and the trait the individual both desired and had the most of would obtain the piece with that trait. The other pieces would be given to those chosen by destiny. Link stepped forward as soon as the Sheikah finished, there was more to the story, he could tell by the look on the red-eyed man's face.

"Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm." Link guessed this already, remembering all the things Rauru had told him when he first woke up, how else was the evil king able to gain the upper hand so easily? He thought bitterly, trying to hide it the best he could in front of the unsuspecting Sheikah. "But when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true. The Triforce separated into three parts. Only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hands." Link rolled his eyes in the back of his mind, the man was bent on gaining power it's not exactly all that surprising he thought finding himself getting annoyed with continuing to be told things he already thought of.

It was as if the Sages and the Sheikah before him thought him incapable of thinking on his own. "The strength of the Triforce of Power enabled him to become a mighty, evil King, but his dark ambitions were not satisfied. To gain complete mastery of the world, Ganondorf started looking for those Chosen by destiny to hold the other two parts." He paused, biting his lip, but his eyes were unflinching as the Sheikah looked on at Link. Link was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "The one who holds the Triforce of Courage is…You Link!" Did he see this coming? As strange as it sounded, he did the minute the Sheikah started talking about the second legend of the Triforce Link had felt that the power of Triforce was somehow within him. "And the other one who holds the Triforce of Wisdom…is the Seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all…"

Link watched the Sheikah as he raised his arm over his head. A bright yellow light engulfed and Link was torn between running toward the Sheikah to see if he was okay and standing where he was and watching whatever would happen unfold. He chose the latter. When the yellow light faded, it was not Sheik standing before him anymore. In fact this person was…But…no… Zelda?

It was indeed Zelda in all of her splendor. She, like he, Kairen, and Malon had grown considerably. She was taller, thinner, and prettier than she was as a child the chubbiness in her face had slimmed down while her golden hair reached down to her waist in ringlets. Her figure had curved more in the places that girl figures did. Her original purple and blue dress had been switched out for a bright pink gown with golden shoulder plating. The dress itself faded into soft, pale pink as it worked its way down. Her arms were covered in soft pink gloves that looked to be made of the finest silk, just like her dress. On her ears Link could see golden Triforce earrings that matched the sash tied around Zelda's waist similar to Rova's only it had the Hyrule Crest on it. However, what drew Link in the most from her appearance were her eyes, the brightest shade of cerulean that Link remembered from his childhood, and a golden circlet adorned in jewels that reminded him of Kairen's. Zelda was watching him inspect her with a serene expression.

"I apologize for meeting you in disguise, but it was necessary to hide from the King of Evil. Please forgive me." She said, Link was speechless, shocked unable to think for about a minute as his mind started piecing everything together. He brought himself back from his ponderings and smiled at her as reassurance that was she was forgiven. She started to walk toward him, "On that day seven years ago Ganondorf attacked the castle. I saw you as I was escaping Hyrule Castle with Impa. I then entrusted the Ocarina to you. As long as you had the Ocarina in you possession, I thought that Ganondorf could never enter the Sacred Realm but…He had already obtained two pieces of the Ocarina." This intrigued Link, so he listened more intently. "You know them as Linae and Daimen. As I am sure you know they too have a stone similar to Kairen's held within a jewelry type container. Linae's was a bracelet and Daimen's, a ring" Link had noticed this. It was one of the first things he had noticed on that day seven years ago. All three of them had a piece of jewelry that almost seemed to match them and whenever any of them used their abilities it would glow. "The stones in these pieces are of the same material of the Ocarina of Time, but it's a lot more complicated than that..." Link didn't like where this was going.

Zelda was looking at him in all seriousness, but instead of continuing she changed the subject as if thinking it better not to tell him. "Something I could never expect happened…After you opened the door of time the Master Sword sealed you away in the Sacred Realm..." She stopped in front of him, and he could see her features clearer now that they were but an arm's width apart. Link eyed her steadily seeing that he was half a head taller than her now instead of the few inches he had over her before. She was looking up at him in silence. He wanted to know what it was she was going to tell him, what she felt would be too much for him since he had a sneaky suspicion it had a lot to do with Kairen- whatever this something was and the fact both Kairen and Zelda seemed to know what it was and wouldn't tell him…Irked Link to no end. Why won't they tell me? He thought trying to decipher the cryptic look on the Princess' face before him.

She turned away from him with her next words, eyes shut in pain and her hand on her cheek, "...Your spirit remained in the Sacred Realm…" Again with obvious things, Link complained inwardly. ""And then the Triforce fell into Ganondorf's hands. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm by heightening his powers and becoming the Evil King. When he reached the Sacred Realm it became a world of evil. Evil, that I had prophesied as child would take over the kingdom, but by sheer coincidence these things happened" Link blinked, not understanding how prophesy could be considered a coincidence if it was always meant to happen, but he didn't question the Princess, guessing she worded it that way for some other reason. "I passed myself off as a Sheikah and hoped that you would return, I waited for seven years." When Zelda turned to face him again she had opened her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. Her face was brightened by a sincere smile. "And now…you are back. The dark age ruled by Ganondorf the Evil King will end!" Link smirked, but said nothing as she continued. "The six sages will open the sealed door and lure Ganondorf back into the Sacred Realm. I will then seal the door to the Sacred Realm from this world thus Ganondorf the Evil King will vanish from Hyrule" She said. Link believed it, he always had that feeling from her, a born leader and not just because she was the Princess of his homeland either, it was in her eyes even knowing that she carried the so-called Triforce of Wisdom was no surprise to him. "Link... in order to do this I need your courage again. Please protect me while I do my part." She requested. The smirk on Link's face widened, "Of course" he replied feeling jittery at just standing around in temple when he could be on his way to the "Evil King" as they wasted time here, but then again…How would I even go about it? Zelda answered his unspoken question, "And here is a weapon that can penetrate the Evil King's defenses…the power given to the chosen ones…" Link felt himself leaning closer to her, eager to see what the power was."The sacred piercing of Light!" Then she started to summon said arrows and bright yellow light enveloped her.

Magic

My head jerked up, seeing a mixture of emerald and ice blue rays emanating from the stone on my circlet, or the entire thing really. Inwardly I groaned, what was Zelda thinking, using magic so close to his lair? I knew they were coming for me, not her, me. They wanted it to be over as much as the stone was beckoning for them to come. Come hither to their deaths not that I planned to carry out with its wishes. I would rather die by their hands than raise even finger to them, but I didn't have that choice anymore. I knew this. I could sense Zelda using very powerful magic and I knew that if I could sense it there was no doubt that Ganondorf himself and both Daimen and Linae sensed it as well. Which meant, the reason why I was sensing them…was because they were on their way. More than anything at the moment I feared for Zelda's safety and immediately scrambled to my feet and dashed into the temple, hoping to warn she and Link if they did not already know that they would be having company very soon…

Zelda had just given Link the arrows when a rumbling sounded through the temple. Zelda was surprised. Link became alarmed; knowing only one way rumbling could be taking place…Linae. It was silent now there was no rumbling if, but for a moment before it started up again. Zelda met his eyes, "That rumbling…It can't be?"

"Link! Zelda!" Kairen burst through the front doors of the Temple just as Princess Zelda became encased in a giant pink crystal. Kairen froze, eyes wide in horror, and Link's suspicions were confirmed by the look on the other girl's face. She was too late, a voice rang out. "Princess Zelda…You foolish traitor!" the voice alone sent ripples of anger through Link's being, but instead shouting back at the voice. He moved toward the crystal encasing Zelda, banging on it, trying to break it with his fists. He knew it was in vain, but it made him feel better knowing he was at least trying to do something about it then just standing there and listening to the Warlock taunt him with his incessant gloating. "I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years." Zelda, though frozen in her crystal prison widened her eyes in shock. Link continued to bang on the crystal prison and Kairen's attention was on the doors for some reason. "But you let your guard down…I knew you would appear if I let this kid wander around!" Link's pounding fists started to get heavier as he tried to drown out the hideous laughter of the man he hated more than anyone, though Daimen came pretty close after him. Link wondered where the psycho brother of Kairen was, he knew that Linae was nearby and honestly he wondered how she was because the last time he saw her she seemed to still have that piece of her old self that made her a being with compassion, although he doubted any of that was even left for Kairen seeing how much the younger girl wanted to kill her elder sister the last time they met.

A shock of energy zapped Zelda within the crystal and she cried out as her head snapped back. Link, worried started to call out to her "Zelda! Zelda! Zelda!" It was no use, her eyes had slid shut in pain at first and then in sleep. She was unconscious. Kairen had turned away from the door to glance back at Zelda and looked up at the ceiling where the voice was coming from, glaring. "My only mistake was to slightly underestimate the power of this kid…" Kid? It was getting to him, Link gritted his teeth and tried once again to break the crystal prison, it didn't budge and then it started to lift up into the air. "No…it was not the kid's power I misjudged it was the power of the Triforce of Courage!" Link was glaring up at the ceiling now as if that would somehow make his anger known to the egocentric king that Link wanted to by now bash his skull in with his bare hands if he was allowed close enough. The Warlock was severely underestimating him, that was what Link thought and when the time came, that would be the man's downfall. "But, with the Triforce of Wisdom that Zelda has…When I obtain these two Triforces…then I will be the true ruler of the world!" Kairen was silent, it was unnerving to Link because she had been since they left the desert, and right now she was glaring, glaring so fiercely up at the ceiling if Link didn't know better he would have thought Kairen wanted to take the privilege of being able to set the king straight, from him. There was that fire he knew, burning in her eyes. Only it seemed to be fueled by something unattainable by normal circumstances, loss.

"If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle!" His voice rang out once more before his laughter cackled and the crystal with Zelda's unconscious form inside disappeared from sight. Link turned back to Kairen, but saw her gaze directed at the doorway and it was as if it slowly clicked in his head why she was acting so strangely. "You know, I've always hated how he's just so sure of himself" Linae was leaning up against the wall, arms folded across her as she looked down from the ceiling. Link made to talk to her, but Kairen cut him off before he could even try. "Link, go save Zelda" she said, the first thing she had said to him directly in a long time. "Yeah, let us have a nice sisterly chat" Linae sneered, glaring at her sister, but there was something different about Kairen. Her gaze was cold, almost empty, Link didn't like it especially the finality in her voice. "Link, you heard her let's go!" Navi was already heading toward the door, the only way in and out that Linae was barring with her body. Navi hesitated. Linae scoffed, "Please, I'm not here for either you. Anything I tried against the Hero of Time would be in vain anyway." Link looked to Kairen one last time; "Go" she replied to his questioning gaze. Link closed his eyes sealing his decision to do as she asked. He opened his eyes again, feeling his head clear of all the doubt he had of her, at least for that moment. He nodded and ran past Linae. As promised, the younger girl did nothing, even stepped away from the doors to let him pass.

When he got out of the temple he sped toward the once beautiful Hyrule Castle, knowing to expect the worst. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind was telling him to go back to Kairen and make sure she was alright, but he'd already decided what he would do. There was no turning back, besides. Wouldn't want to keep the host waiting, Link thought.

That was nice of you to let him pass. I thought, feeling nothing in even the thoughts. "Well, it was better than facing the disappointment that I can't even rip his face off!" Linae replied bitterly, obviously reading my mind. She was back to being twisted, whatever her Mentor Iane had done had obviously worked. She looked me in the eye, I looked to her. "You know now don't you?" she asked. It was a question, but I knew she already knew the answer if she was prodding my mind already. I still don't want to, we're not…We're family! "You see, this is what I have always hated about you and Daimen." She started to walk towards me and I saw her bracelet was glowing. She was getting ready to attack. "You both act like family is the most important, but whenever I needed you neither of you were there!" She struck, pulling the floor of the Temple up and sending a chunk flying towards me. I had a split second to react and summoned a barrier of my own energy that had become more powerful after the last medallion was added, though I knew it was from my own doing. The earth, metal and all dissolved into molted dust at my feet. I'm not going to fight you. 'You better if you have any hope at all in actually surviving this!' Her thoughts sent my own scattering as I felt myself lifted off the ground, thrown into the wall to my left by her overwhelming power fueled by her anger. It didn't hurt, like it should have, but I cried out anyway. She was on me in a second, lifting me up with the air around her. I knew now I could control this space as much as she could if I would actually fight her, but I didn't want to. She slammed me into the other wall and now I could feel my lip bleeding as I looked up at her from the ground. 'Fight, this is nowhere near as fun as it should be'. She kicked me in the stomach, and still I felt nothing. 'Take the pain I've had to deal with my entire life, pain of knowing no one is ever going to there for you and people are not meant to be trusted with even the smallest thing!' She thought as she yanked me by the hair and smashed my face into the granite floor under me and instead of defending myself, I let her.

The sages were kind enough to combine their powers and let Link up to the now floating fortress of despair. It was large and stuck out as the source of all the evil in the land as easily as Ganondorf himself stuck out a person with evil intentions all those years ago. On the way there Link was greeted with the skeletons of creatures that had gotten too close to the fortress and were a testimony on that fact. The site around the castle was depressing, the rich soil was now clustered with dried up ash and made the dirt appear rigid and rougher than it once was, the clouds black as could be with a halo of purple energy circling the top peak of the castle. Every turret was sharpened to the point. If he was any other hylian he might have either lost that batch of bread he ate earlier or turned and ran in the other direction, but he had no desire to do so. Instead he stepped forward after his shock and on to the bridge of light created by the sages.

When he stepped into the fortress, he was surprised, pleasantly to his shock, but surprised all the same. Inside the fortress…It was normal. The regular Hyrule castle insides greeted him. Link had never been in the castle himself, but what he saw he knew must have been the same dwelling place that Princess Zelda grew up in. He found himself in the foyer. Although, it was a bit worse for wear. Dark Marble floors, like the temple under his feet and tall stone walls that had cracks in them. Despite this, Link could tell it was once a very beautiful place.

Even though the room was deserted and the air around him was deathly quiet (save for the quiet sound of an organ playing in the background) he could feel the warmth that once filled the room when it was in the hands of the true ruler of Hyrule. The echoes of laughter and merriment and even the imagined giggles of the younger princess danced through Link's mind as he pictured what it must have been like then as he heard the doors shut behind him. He stepped forward, feeling the vision in his mind fade to reality which left a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach with each step he took. It was not empty, no far from that, but the sight he saw was wretched. Creatures, minions of Ganondorf were hanging off of the chandelier, swinging from it and laughing at him. Or seemed to be, Link wasn't sure they actually were capable of thought, but they were there watching him with their beady eyes.

"Link, stay alert, they may try to attack you." Navi said, fluttering around. Link laughed, "I don't care if they plan to or not I'm going to get rid of them" he pulled out his bow and loaded an arrow. "Every. Last one of them." He fired, and the bloody journey to the top of the castle began.

"You're really just going to lie there and take it aren't you?" She said as she bashed my head on the floor again. Normally, I would feel pain, something anything, but it seemed that the process of becoming a vessel was taking place even over my ability to feel pain. The only thing I felt was a small pinch of what I remembered as pain. I merely grunted in response. This seemed to anger her more. She stepped away from me. "You're pathetic why won't you fight back!" I stood up, noticing how I had no wounds even though she'd managed many blows.

I was lost behind the facade that I didn't care, didn't care that it was my sister, younger sister beating me up like a punching bag or that I was supposed to be trying to bring her back from her insanity. I didn't want to fight her because I knew the minute I did…There would be no turning back, and the words Nabooru had said continued to haunt me even now as I stood before Linae "You will kill the remainder of your family". I wouldn't allow that, even if it pained me. I wouldn't allow her to be right, I would fight it. Fight this, so called destiny by being the one to die first.

There were many things my brother and sister had done that were wrong, but I refused to be the cause of their deaths. Maybe if I wait it out she'll get bored. "Not a chance, besides who else is going to keep you from running off to help the Hero" she scoffed. I glared at her, what is it with you and that title? I dared to ask, although silently. She observed me for a moment, blinked and then laughed.

I eyed her curiously wondering how what I said could even be considered funny, but that curiosity melted away when the merriment on her face changed to cruel malicious intent. "He is the Hero of Time" one of the three people in this wonderful kingdom that we, and I do mean you as well can, not harm." It was my turn to blink. She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, her hair whipping back as she snapped her head to the side in a defiant manner, "The Triforce Trio, the ones protected by the Goddesses, remember?" I got that much, but-

"If you really need to ask questions than the imbecile brother of ours was right, you really have been kept in the dark all this time" I glared at her, but didn't say anything. "We're a cursed family, all thanks to some woman we never even had the honor to meet." You mean our grandmother. "No, I'm positive grandmothers do not cause the entire annihilation of their future descendants." She crossed her arms in front of her, "So are you going to fight now?" I shook my head, she rolled her eyes.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you're completely confident that he will win the fight, Though, I suppose that is his destiny being the one prophesied to end the sorry excuse for a ruler's reign." She looked up at the ceiling, "Destiny…" She looked back at me. "Is that why you won't fight? You're afraid that no matter what happens I'll be the one to die?" I said nothing, thought nothing, but she scoffed anyway. "You would think that, that's so very like you." She sneered, then she sighed, "It's not going to end until you fight…"

The smirk in her face was gone for a moment, a flicker of emotion darted through her eyes before fading back into their depths of confusion and hatred. I'd rather die by your hand. "Nice to see we agree on something, I too would love to see you die at my hand, but as you can see you've already begun the process of being the vessel." You know about that? "Again, you've been kept in the dark for so long. Of course I know about that. It's why I tried to kill you beforehand while I still had a chance to do it." I was silent in thought and voice. "The minute that last medallion was added to your power the process started to affect all of us, you, the Fool, and I. The three of us are our own little trio of destruction. Now, the only way we can die is at each other's hands, but according to the prophecy" she spat the word out in contempt. "You're the one who is going to kill us. So, all of that I just did to you…was for fun." I glared at her. ""Not that you made it all that much fun being nothing, but a doll, and it's too late to think about switching sides" You could, you and Daimen. "Never…going to happen, you chose your path…He and I chose ours, and look where we are."

I stayed silent. I was running out of reasons to prolong what Linae was saying was the inevitable. I wanted to be the one to die, not her, not Daimen, and yet she stood there in front of me in our prison- the Temple of Time telling me that…It wasn't going to happen. That I was going to kill them no matter what I said, believed, wanted, I was only going to end up doing exactly what was planned for me to do to begin with. "Fine, if you won't fight me maybe I'll just go watch the actual action, maybe take part in it." What do you mean? She smirked. "Just because we can't harm the hero, doesn't mean we can't send others who can or help them out" I felt my insides grow cold. "Aww, where did that confidence go?" I glared at her, you wouldn't dare. "What? Send something he can't handle? Please, as much I dislike his too perfect ways. That's exactly what he is. There isn't much that he can't handle." Had I known I had sighed in relief at that her next sentence might've made sense as to why she even brought it up at all, but it was an unconscious move so I was completely caught off guard. "Though..." She put her hand up in a pondering gesture. "He is worried about you. Which they say has a hand in distracting someone and bringing down their usual amount of focus." She smirked. "Who knows, he might actually mess up for onc-"It was strange how I wasn't even aware I had attacked her. That I had reacted entirely on my own without even realizing it, the only proof that I had done so at all was the burning water-fire at her feet.

I stared, wide-eyed. She glared, "Why you-"It was like a switch had turned on in my mind. Linae was glaring and my mind was working fiercely trying to cover up its thoughts as it came up with another attack. In her anger she started to make the Temple shake and vines started sprouting at my feet, but now I was on the defense and I burned the vines as they reached my knees. Concentrating on my will to bring her down, but it wasn't my will. I wouldn't know this until it was too late.

She laughed, "Glad to see you're in the mood finally." I didn't answer her instead pulling at the air around me to send her to the floor, but she saw it coming and fought it back sending that same current of wind energy crashing us into the walls opposite each other. She was bleeding, I was bleeding. "Now that is what I've been waiting for!" she laughed, more manically wiping the blood off her lip as I scrambled out of the way of her picking up the stone underneath me and trying to crush me with it. She was just standing there, confident and yet wild. Her eyes clouded over in twisted merriment at seeing me at her mercy if not for a moment as she cornered me with her ability to send me to floor on my knees. This time it hurt, I could feel my bones breaking under the weight of her power. I cried out and pushed the power away from me, reflecting it back at her. She didn't buckle under its hold though instead she harnessed it and I saw her bracelet glowing, not that it wasn't glowing this entire time, but it was glowing brighter, something I remembered from the last time we fought.

Sure enough, it was that same green energy forming in her hand. She's going to use the same attack? "Why not? It works wonders" She sent it. I dodged it I was just dodging her blows. I knew this. Occasionally trying to attack her, but not really getting anywhere because she knew it was coming. No matter how much I screened my thoughts she read them like a book left open on the dining room table. "They're not exactly quiet" she commented lazily as she toyed with her bracelet. Spinning it around her wrist with her free hand, at the same time I was being cornered by more of her vines only these ones seemed darker, if not more dangerous than the ones she had previously summoned. I felt that if I even touched one of them. I would be at a huge disadvantage. More so than I already was, with this in mind I pulled away from them backing up into the wall behind me.

The prison was a bit worse for wear now that Linae had hurled chunks of it at me. The windows were already shattered from her entrance and Ganondorf's power taking hold of Zelda, but somehow the building was still standing. As if it was trying to lock in the destruction Linae was causing not only to me, but the world around us. My bones still hurt from the power she used earlier and they were not happy that I was moving at such a quick pace, running on the adrenaline rush that fueled me the minute my life became in danger. Backed up into the wall now she laughed, "You have horrible defense and offense skills. I thought at least the Hero of Time would've of taught you something useful. You've gotten sloppier than the last time I saw you!" I didn't think, just did what came to mind. I wasn't even aware I could do it. I focused my energy into creating a boomerang of fire and sent it flying across the vines, watching as it soared through them cutting them swiftly with one clean cut.

Linae watched the smirk on her face from earlier slipping off so fast that for a minute I felt she actually felt some sort of fear when she met my eyes, but it was gone as soon I blinked and the Temple was shaking again from her hidden anger. Instead of it being another long distance attack she moved, a strange dagger like thing in her clutches. I had never seen it before and was nearly winded as struck a blow to my unguarded side. She missed me, I thought, but she managed to get slightly graze my cheek with the dagger. It bled, I was shocked. She laughed again, "Did you seriously think you and Him were so special to be the only ones blessed with a weapon designed for you?"

I dodged another swipe by swerving and dodge rolling backwards. I realized we were in the middle of the once beautiful Temple. It was in disarray and it was starting to get to me because I felt it was reflecting what I felt at the moment- broken, destroyed, shattered. It was in pieces, like I was or at least mentally because my emotions, the meter for actually feeling something was gone. All I felt was a memory of what I once felt before the process began. Linae was still moving, driven no doubt by her hatred. I ran from her blind attempts at harming me. Noticing the blade she owned was like mine, although it was half the size, hence it being a dagger. As it swiped air I caught the glint of the same words written on the blade in what I now knew to be the Gerudo language.

I surprised her, surprising as that was by sending a wall of fire towards her, she skidded to a halt and blocked it with wind sending the attack scattering on either side of her, I thought I was safe, but then I felt vines wrap around my legs. I was wide eyed for a second realizing my carelessness. She smirked as she came towards me. I was trying to concentrate on burning the vines on my legs, but for some reason I was starting to feel pain again and I could feel them digging deeply into my boots and climbing their way up my legs to my waist, puncturing my skin through my pant legs as they made their ascent. I couldn't concentrate, knowing she was headed straight for me and could either stab me where it counted or pull me down by the vines that were restricting my movement. The ground crackled beneath me and I felt myself sink into its depths as she regained control of the fight. I panicked and tried to pull myself up, but the crushing of my bones was taking place again. I slipped into a hazy state, not knowing that I had done it before and that it was the stone controlling me.

"You just could not leave her alone could you?"

Link was on the floor above the foyer, there was no one there, but he knew that voice. It was echoing through the halls and had Link lost his control he might have gone looking for the owner of that voice, but he didn't. Instead he continued forward, trying not to let his thoughts stray to the whereabouts of Kairen. She could take care of herself. Link knew this, but at the same time that was when she was emotionally stable, unlike how she was after their trip to the Sand Temple. The batch of monsters had been almost too easy that it was an insult to him. He opened the doors to the west wing, knowing from what Navi told him and the Sages that continued to communicate to him through the medallions that this was the quickest way to the throne room where Ganondorf and the Seventh Sage Princess Zelda was being held.

"You're going to ignore me? Well I never thought I'd see the day when the Boy hero actually grew up and realized that there are just some things he will never be able to do."

Link gritted his teeth and snarled, "If you mean going off and looking for you just to end up at a stalemate because Kairen is supposed to be the one to end you, then yeah… I guess I have." He smirked to himself proud he was able to come up with a comeback so easily.

"Awe, so you admit it. You are weaker than me and if we were able to fight each other this story would be that of a Tragic Hero's failure to save the world."

Link stopped, now standing in a deserted corridor and scanned the halls. Nothing was moving except for the curtains that blew open from the hot air outside. He wasn't going to let the man get to him, not this time. He had a mission and that came before any personal feelings of hatred he might have had, okay had toward the eldest sibling. The man grew silent. Link thought it was probably from boredom of not being able to get a rise out of Link or from something that had to do with Kairen. Either way he was glad for the silence and continued down the hall. Then dread over took him and he stopped again this time feeling to his core the icy frost of that dread overtaking his entire body. If it has something to do with Kairen…It's probably her on her way to him, or worse her actually in danger.

"Link?" He was torn between running back down the halls he came through to find her and heading straight for the tower to save Zelda. Save Zelda his conscience told him, no! Go back and find Kairen she could be hurt! He shook his head. "Link, Zelda is this way," Navi told him. He knew that. He knew Zelda was somewhere ahead of him. Unconscious in a giant pink crystal with Ganondorf playing the organ that Link was beginning to hate because his playing echoed throughout the castle and Link felt it was just another way of taunting him. Kairen would have to wait, she had to wait. Link couldn't go to her. He opened his eyes, not even aware that they were closed during his confliction, and continued up the hall to Zelda. Stalfos appeared; he unsheathed the Master Sword and got ready to cut through them.

My vision cleared, and I saw red, it was splattered on my boots, tunic, hands, and face. Some was in my hair and the scary part was, my thoughts, at that moment…

Where did it come from?

I couldn't remember. Linae was still there, but she wasn't…

She was dead.

Soundtrack for the Chapter:

Bumblebee Captured- Transformers [2009]

Silence

Hollow Bastion- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories