Man, I really want to write a sci fi fic.

Someday…. *jots notes*

Beautiful Blades

Chapter 26: The Last Dance of the Graceful Mask

Link jumped off the raised arena into the dirt below as he avoided the heavy swing from the mysterious, death-like man. He quickly turned on his heel and raised his sword above his face to block another attack that quickly followed the previous one. Having not fully regained his footing, Link stumbled back as his arm trembled at the strength of this man's blow.

His feet finally found where they needed to be to stabilize him as he held out his sword in front of him, panting. His left arm had not yet fully healed enough to wield his sword properly yet, so he was still stuck using his weaker, less practiced arm.

Why did this man want to kill him? Link took a step back as the man joined him in the dirt, whipping his sword around in a taunting manner and wearing a nasty, bloodthirsty grin on his face. Link took another step back, his heels bumping into the cold stone of the seating ring. Crap, Link thought, debating on his next move.

In his condition, he wasn't ready to be fighting someone who actually had skill with a blade. He was injured and wielded a dull, poorly cared-for sword. Link did not have the access to the tools required to keep it in good shape. It never bothered Link before since he never expected to actually be using it in a fight where his life literally depended on it.

More importantly, though…. How did this man know who he truly was? Almost everyone in the kingdom either believed Link died in that fire ten years ago, or never even heard of his name. He was a living mask for the king to use as he pleases, nothing more. Link hasn't even seen this man before in his life.

Something didn't add up here. Perhaps… it was Dark?

Link's grip on his sword tightened as he glanced both ways without moving his head. The one nice thing about this mask was that it allowed him to make a plan without giving any indication to his opponent any clue on his next move. He could try to roll away. If he rolled to towards the exit, he could escape into the street. He would have a better chance than standing here fighting with his weak arm.

However, this man knew him. Dark clearly had not found him and cleared up a 'misunderstanding.' Dark had lied, but why? Whatever his reason was, it now left Link in a predicament. This man could do some serious dangerous to Link's safety, with or without actually fighting him. This was a chance for Link to take him out and prevent him from betraying Link's secret to the world.

But… Dark lied. Why?

Over the years, Link has developed the habit to run. To run away and never look back, and hide behind the walls of the castle and lean on the shoulder of Princess Zelda. And only a few moments ago, Link vowed to never run again.

Of course, he hadn't expected to have to suddenly face up to that vow so soon. His body ached to run, right down to his very bones. It was like an addiction; his body begged him to flee now, before he gets injured. This wasn't a duel in front of the crowds. This wasn't friendly competition. Somehow, it had been arranged into a trap for Link and if what the man said was true, Dark was at the center of it.

Dark… why? Why did he lie?

"You are distracted," the man suddenly said, swinging his sword. "I don't need to see your face to see that!"

Link had just enough time to react. By habit, he jumped backwards, but that mistake costed him. With his heels already blocked off by a stand, his reaction caused him to fall backwards. His arms hit the cold stone of the step-like stands behind him as he tried to catch himself before hitting his head. His sword slipped out of his hand and clattered next to him. Before he could grab it, the skeleton-man knocked it away with his own blade, before pointing the tip right at Link's chest.

The fallen boy stared up at his attacker in shock at what has happened. Link was a progeny at the sword. Graceful, skillful, precise. But now, so many years of lack of training and a tendency to run has caught up with him.

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance at his fallen prey. "That was too easy… and I'm not even rewarded the terrified look on your face with that stupid Keaton mask in the way." He lifted his sword from Link's chest and placed the tip underneath the exposed underside of the mask. Link was frozen, unable to react.

"And such an ugly mask, too. Too worn, too old." The man grinned viciously. "I think I will relieve you of it, before I run my lovely sword through your skinny, flat chest, 'Princess.'" He eyes were wild. "That way, I can see the pain and fear I so long to see in your dying expression."

As Link felt the mask suddenly start to lift off his face, Link suddenly felt himself have control over his body again. He realized that near his hand was a piece of stone that had broken off from the arena, and his fingers quickly gripped around it. With a swing of his arm, he turned his face to free his mask from being lifted while using the stone to knock the blade away from his body. He continued to use the momentum he had started to roll onto his stomach and jump up. He snapped his head around to find his sword. But before he could run to retrieve it, the man had already regained his stance and took a stab at Link.

Link only had one choice now-Run. He dodged the attack and with long strides raced up the stands as fast as he could, taking care as to not trip and fall.

"Running now, are we?" the man's voice called out after him. The man picked up Link's sword, wielding two blades now. Link turned around enough to notice that, cursing under his breath. Getting his sword back now was going to be a lot harder.

"You cannot get away from me. You will eventually corner yourself," the man called after him as he decided to take the stairs to follow Link. He made the conscious choice to climb between Link and the exit out of here.

Seeing his escape route blocked off, Link turned away from the man and began to run the other way, looking left and right for a new option to take. He heard the taunts behind him. "Run run run, little fox. Let us see how far you can run before I catch you!"

As Link ran around, his mind was zipping through hundreds of thoughts. Many consisted of what he needed to do to get out of here alive, but he couldn't push that sickly feeling in his chest. That feeling of being heartbroken.

It hurt.

Was it true? Did Dark really have a hand in this situation? Link thought about Dark's behavior today. He did go out of character by deciding to not come to the duel… was it because he knew of this plan? Has he been playing Link this whole time, or was this a recent change of events?

Dark was a selfish boy, driven by what interests him only. His interests took him far enough for him to entertain the idea of partaking in illegal activities, just so he could prove that the Graceful Mask was Princess Zelda. Link already knew this, but perhaps not in the way he should have. Perhaps he should have realized the danger Dark may have been to him, instead of trusting him.

These thoughts distracted him. His foot slipped against the ledge, and Link fell on his side and he slid down the stands painfully. "AH!" he cried out, gripping his left elbow. That had irritated his bruise, and pain shot through his arm, temporarily paralyzing him. He sucked in his breath to help the pain pass.

Blood pounded through his ears as he heard the man laugh at Link's feeble excuse at fleeing. "You have ran your whole life, but it seems it hasn't paid off, young man!"

Luckily for Link, the man didn't seem to be in a rush to kill him. It was most likely because the man was cherishing this moment, and wanted to make every second count. He still wasn't sure why this man was hell-bent on killing him, but right now Link supposed the reason didn't matter.

As Link managed to stand back up, still gripping his elbow, he realized the man was right; he cannot run forever. Not in this situation. Without a sword and trapped in this death pit, it was going to be tricky, but it was time to make good on that vow Link had made about twenty minutes ago.

How, though?

As if suddenly having a moment of clarity, Link noticed the doorway to the back room. That could work, Link thought to himself. He quickly judged to see if he could make it without falling or if he could outrun the man. Seeing that he could, Link took a deep breath…

And ran.

He sprinted down the stands, his natural athleticism allowing him to make the strides he needed and the balance required to land each step, despite the steepness. He needed to get down to the bottom and run across the fighting arena to make it to the door.

"Where are you doing, 'princess'?" the man called after him, jumping down after him. "Still trying to escape? Where can you go going that way?"

Link made it to the bottom without tripping. He bolted across the arena and to the doorway, pulling back the curtain that hung there and running in.

Seeing Link vanish through there made the man chuckle. "Foolish boy. Now he truly has cornered himself."

Link ran to the secret entrance he had used to escape from Dark a while ago and pushed on it. He was glad that whoever built this place had the foresight for an alternate route, in case of an emergency such as this.

However, it didn't budge. Frowning, Link tried again, putting more muscle into it. As before, it didn't budge.

Link stood there for a moment as it sank in that he had just gotten himself cornered, and that man was going to catch up in a moment. As that reality sank it, Link slammed him fist into the wall. It hurt. After another pause, Link slammed his fist again and again, cursing to himself at the situation.

He pulled his hand back and gripped it with the other, managing to stop himself from injuring it. If he was to get out of this alive, he didn't want Zelda to have to injure herself the same way just so they could match. Link leaned his forehead against what should have been a door, feeling defeated. Someone knew about the door and decided to make sure it couldn't open.

Many knew about it… including Dark. Did… did he really have something to do with this? Link didn't want to believe it. It all just seemed so… impossible. Dark, who promised to help him and made him feel so safe and secure….

The signs pointed to it, though. What the man said, the way Dark had acted earlier, even this escape route being blocked off. As much as Link wanted to deny it, the seed of doubt had been planted and now festered in Link's darkest thoughts.

It was over. Dark betrayed him, and now he was going to die in here without anyone knowing. Zelda wouldn't have a clue on where to look for him, neither would Pipit or anyone else in the castle. He was alone.

…No.

Link pulled his head back as he looked around the room. No, he wasn't going to die here. He didn't want to die here. Whatever feelings he had, whatever crushed spirit now lived within him, he had to put those aside. His father was a knight, a brave one, and that blood ran through Link's veins. Link squeezed his hand into a fist as he turned around to face the room.

He had no choice but to live up to that vow. Time to properly fight. This room wasn't the answer to his escape, but there was stuff here that could be the answer to the fight. Link looked about and quickly hatched a plan, rushing to gather what he needed before the man reached the doorway.

Regardless of whether he was successful or not, though, Link knew in his heart that this was his last time here.

His last dance as the Graceful Mask.

The man pulled back the curtain and stepped into the dark room. Only a small lantern lit it up, the same lantern he had lit when he had arrived here before the Mask. After all, he had used this room to wait for the boy to arrive, lurking in the darkness for his prey to put himself out for the taking. So far, it has been too easy, too predictable.

He looked about, seeing no one. He knew the boy couldn't have escaped, since he ensured that the one exit in this room had been sealed. So he was hiding in here somewhere. Silly boy, he was only prolonging this. Well, if the child wanted to play longer, it didn't bother him too much to oblige.

The 'little princess' didn't have much chance on getting away. He was injured and panicked. And why shouldn't he be? It would be hard for anyone to not get distracted by the bombshell he had dropped on the lad. He hadn't been kidding when he said Dark had played his part well. Dark had made this set up too easy to work with. Really, he should thank the foreign boy later. Of course, there were… other reasons why the red-eyed kid was a nuisance, but luckily the man was resourceful enough to turn it around in his favor.

"Where are you, frightened fox?" the man cooed as he looked around the room. He couldn't see him. There were too many shadows and not enough light, so the pretend princess had many places to hide. Once he started to investigate, the kid may take a chance and bolt out behind him.

Hmph, not going to happen on his watch.

Being careful to keep an eye on the door, the man grabbed the edge of a table and dragged it in front of the door. It wasn't a perfect block, but it would slow the boy down enough for him to catch up. Once it was in place, the man took the chance to investigate. He checked shadow after shadow, humming as he went.

That song would haunt Link for a long, long time.

With his back pressed against a different table, Link waited for his attacker to get closer. His mind was going to so many directions, but strangely his heart was calm. He should be terrified, because if this failed it could be the end. Despite this plan, his chances were still low. His elbow still throbbed, he had no real weapon, and this man was skillful. He must have had proper training somewhere.

And yet, internally he was at peace. Maybe it was because he knew that while he didn't want to die, dying would be a strange release in a way. His life has been hell for ten years, and will continue to most likely be hell for a while longer. He had nothing to look forward to, not even the possible chance with being with someone he thought he loved.

So, regardless of this outcome, Link would win either way. Or at least, that was how he saw it for now.

He didn't get to dwell on that much longer as the man got closer. Hold it, Link told himself as he prepared for his counter-strike. Hold it, not yet…

Step, step, step. The man paused to check under a table, but he was getting closer. Link sucked in his breath as he heard the rustling of clothes as the man straightened up after finding nothing. Just a bit more….

Step.

Now.

Link, remaining low, jumped out from his hiding spot and tackled the man's legs. Not having expecting the surprise attack, the men let out a cry as he fell hard. He didn't have enough time to prevent his head from cracking against the hard floor. He moaned in agony as Link reached for his sword, trying to pry it from the man's iron grasp.

How was this man so strong? He looked so… sickly up close, as if he was on the verge of death. Seeing the man's ill appearance made Link stop for a moment, giving the man a chance to get his bearings again. Growling, swung at Link. Link had one of his arms pinned down, but the other was free and still wielding a sword.

The hilt of the blade smacked into Link's head, knocking him to the side. His ears rang as he tried to get himself back up. The man rolled over and dropped his sword to reach for Link, grabbing his hair to yank him back down.

Ow! Link's wig was still attached to his real hair to prevent it from falling off. He hated to do this, but he had no choice… He reached up and unclipped his wig. Feeling some relief on his sore roots, he had successfully managed to get a part of it undone.

Seeing what he was doing, the man let of Link's wig and changed targets, now grabbing at Link's arm. Link felt his bony fingers start to tighten their grip, but Link managed to jerk his arm out and roll fully away.

He had only a few moments before the man regained his bearings and attacked again. Link finished unclipping his wig before using a table nearby to help him back up. His head still throbbed, but at least the pain was starting to fade. His focus was returning.

That was when he noticed that a piece of the table Link had used as a brace had a loose board. Link checked quickly to be sure he had felt that right. The board rocked under his palm. He quickly wrapped his fingers around the wooden edges and pulled. It came up easily.

The man was already on one knee, still crouched down, when Link stepped forward and, with all his strength, swung the board across the man's face. A loud thunk rang out in the room as wood hit skull, as the man went limp. His other sword clattered next to him as he fell back down.

Link panted, hair wild about him, still standing in his attack position. He remained there for a moment, making sure that he had taken the man out. Once he saw that the man was no longer moving, Link lowered his weapon.

Setting the board down, Link fell to his knees, feeling the adrenaline rush out his bloodstream. Pain returned to his arm and panic set in as he realized that he could have died…. In his head, he was suddenly imagining all the other outcomes that could have occurred…

Needless to say, Link lifted his mask and threw up.

Once his stomach settle, Link wiped his mouth and glanced back at his unconscious attacker. He wasn't sure how much time he had before the man would start waking up, but it probably wasn't long.

What should he do? This man knew who he was, and made an effort to take him out. Link crawled over to get a better look. Who was he? He looked so sick and weak, yet he wielded his swords like an expert and had the strength of a healthy man.

Link picked up his sword, feeling the cold, metallic weight in his hands. He needed to figure out what to do with him… He couldn't just leave the man here, where he could possibly cause more harm to Link. Besides, he had many questions… Questions that needed to be answered, such as about Dark.

Link gripped his sword tighter as his heart ached at the thought. How could this have happened? Why did Link let this happen? He had let one person close to him, and that one person turned out to be a cruel person. No, it had been more... Link had actually developed feelings for him. He, dare he think it now... loved him.

Damn it all.

Still, now wasn't quite the time to be thinking about such things. He better tie up this guy and wait for him to wake up. Maybe things will become clearer after getting some answers.

As Link looked around for anything to use, the situation took a more unfortunate turn. Link was debating on using the curtain as restraints when he heard two voices. Link froze, his hand still on the curtain.

He listened carefully as the voices got closer. "I can't believe this is has been here the whole time," a male voice said, over the clanking sound of armor.

Shit, guards! But, how… Link thought in horror as the other one spoke. "No kidding. An entire underground arena! This must be from the Old City," the other guard said.

"And from the looks of these lanterns, it must be in use still." The man sounded really happy. "This is great! Whoever tipped us off deserves a reward! Can you imagine the promotion we will get after uncovering illegal activity of this magnitude?!"

What?! Link thought in horror. Someone revealed this place to the authorities?! But who?!

Link glanced at the man who was unconscious. It most likely wasn't him, since that would put him at risk of being thrown in jail too.

… Did Dark plan this part too?

"Let's give this place a proper look around first before we go get reinforcements first, before we start thinking about our careers," one of the guards said.

When the other guard agreed, Link cursed and stepped back from the curtain. Damn it all, just perfect! If Link is caught here, there was going to be serious consequences! Link's hand gripped into a fist as he took one more look at the man. He wanted answers… he wanted them now, but…. Those guards were going to find this room soon, and Link couldn't escape trying to take this guy with him.

Unfortunately, Link was just going to have to give up talking with the guy.

Biting his lip, Link grabbed his sword and wig, before diving for cover behind a table near the doorway, waiting. He could hear the guards get closer and closer as they explored the arena. It wasn't long, as Link suspected, when they found the room. "Over here!" one of them called. Pulling back the curtain, he quickly spotted the man on the ground.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, before yelling for the other to hurry. "Someone is here!" The guard rushed forward and took a knee next to the man, checking to see if he was breathing. When he saw that he was, then checked his injury.

"What happened to you…" Link heard him say at the other guard entered the room.

"Damn, what the hell happened to him?" he asked as he joined his comrade next to the man. The first guard shook his head. "Don't know, but it looks like he was attacked."

The second guard didn't look so sure. He noticed the sword lying next to him and picked it up, inspecting it. "Take a look at this. This is from the castle. I had heard of a report of someone breaking into the armory."

"And you think it was him? Look at him, he looks like he's on the verge of death," the first one said, sounding doubtful.

Seeing that their attentions were fully on the man, Link knew that this was his chance. It was now or never. Link took a deep, quiet breath… Then quickly dashed while their backs were turned and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

The second guard heard the sound of the curtain move and quickly stood, drawing his weapon from its sheath. "Crap, the attacker must still be here!"

"Shit. You go, I'll keep an eye on this one!"

Link could hear the footsteps of one of the guards behind him, but he had an advantage: a head start, no armor weighing him down, and a better understanding of this place. So within moments, Link managed to get to the exit and slid through into the street.

By the time the guard had gotten outside, Link had vanished into the shadows.

Never to return to the one place that he could be himself.

I think I cried a little at the lovely reviews I got from last chapter. *wipes tears* Thank you for your support! It always warms my heart to hear from my readers. And thank you to everyone else who follow or favorited!

Yeah, this chapter came out pretty fast. That's because I have decided an update schedule that I will attempt to keep. My biggest problem is that I have a hard time writing when I am seriously unmotivated, which is triggered by many things. Writing isn't easy, and it doesn't take much to make it even more difficult. Regardless, hopefully I can work on keeping this schedule. I have posted it on my profile, but it should be every week Friday at 5:00 pm, EST. This is likely to change since I am getting ready to move, but I will announce it when that occurs.

Here is how it will work: If the chapter is posted late or early for whatever reason that week, I will still try to keep with the schedule for next week. So, because I posted this chapter on Thursday, it's unlikely a chapter will be released tomorrow.

For fun and giggles, below are more profiles of some characters that have been introduced. There are a lot of characters, so hopefully I will get to them all (if I remember.)

One more thing… I HAVE REACHED 20,000 VIEWS. *confetti* THANK YOU.

Next Chapter- Chapter 27: Where Ancient Things Dwell

Sheik (mid-teens? [a Sheikah is too mysterious to fully know])- a highly trained warrior sworn to protect Hyrule and its royal family. Mysterious, quiet, and serious, not very many know about him or his true purpose. He was once a brother-like figure to Princess Zelda, and the son of her previous nursemaid, Impa. As a Sheikah, he is both skillful and knowledgeable and remains in the shadows. He went missing 10 years ago, along with his entire tribe, after the command of the king to find the prince's murderer. It is unclear yet as to why he has returned, and even more unclear as to why he has distain for Dark.

Shad (29)- A nervous yet kind scholar who is fascinated with anthropology and Hyrule's history. He dedicates his life to understanding Hyrule's past, believing that understanding your origins is important. He tends to let others push him around, although many don't have the heart to actually do so. He has his own reasons for being a member of the Resistance group. His nervous tick is to mess with his glasses.

Telma (36)- a fiery, strong woman who owns and runs a bar within Hyrule. She is strong-willed and doesn't let anyone push her around, and while seemingly seems oblivious to the fact that her breasts are rather exposed, she is actually a lot more aware of it than most realize. Despite her motherly behavior, she is actually rather private, and skillfully so. Without so much as other people noticing, she can turn a conversation around to avoid talking about her, while still satisfying the other person's curiosity without revealing too much. She has a romantic interest, but unfortunately he's not so keen on returning the favor.

Alfonzo (35)- a man of brawn and skill, he is a member of the Resistance group, determined to protect his country. He seems to have a tendency to enjoy pastimes that include swordplay. Despite his scary look, he seems to have a tendency to cry manly tears at emotional situations, and those who know him claim it's a family trait.

Other Resistance Members (?)- as mentioned before, there are other members in the group that are currently busy protecting Hyrule elsewhere. Two of these said members are currently near the desert, negotiating peaceful terms with the Gerudo behind the army's back. Because it's a long journey between the desert and the city, it is unclear even to the Resistance members based in Telma's bar how successful they have been. So far, they must be doing ok, since there hasn't been word of a true battle as of yet.