Chuck, Visitor, BlazeStarre - Thanks so much for the kind words! I really appreciate it!

Thank you for your comments, P.N. Blackford. I do admit that the fight was over rather quickly, but I'm not going to admit whether he did or did not purge every piece of darkness from himself. That premise could probably lead into its own fic, if I wanted to follow it up.

:: Gasp :: What's this? Another chapter so soon? Yes, yes indeed.

Legend of Zelda and all official characters are licensed by Nintendo. They are not mine, I take no credit for them, and I make no profit off of them. All extra characters are mine, as well as the overall plot of the story.

It takes a while to finish a chapter, so expect sporadic updates. I'll try to post every time I finish a chapter. Finally, I hope you all will enjoy the fic.

The Legend of Zelda: Quietus

XXXVI

The remnants of the allied army had gathered in the central square of the marketplace. They were all exhausted and though no one wanted to admit, the edge of hopelessness had sunk in.

The initial charge had been a stunning success. The charging cavalry had shattered the front ranks of Ganon's army, trampling the monsters into the dirt and staining their horses' hooves' with black blood. As the Hylians and Arcadians spread out like a fan, the Gorons charged through the gaps between soldiers and barreled into whatever creature they came across with zest. Gorons were naturally strong creatures, but in battles, the strength of a Goron Beserker seemed to explode. Each swing of their heavy fists carved a swathe through their enemies. With the lances of the Arcadians spearing any creature that broke through while the Hylians mingled with the Beserkers, they felt they had a chance at beating back the horde.

It was then that Ganon committed his more powerful creatures. The moblins, lizalfos and wolfos were suddenly joined by stalfos knights, mingled with a few mountain trolls. Those that had pushed deep into enemy territory had stumbled upon several darknuts – those unlucky allied souls found themselves suddenly cut off and were not able to rejoin their comrades.

The battle had dissolved into a standoff of sorts. The Horde pressed in from three sides, but the allied army held the line and refused to be beaten back. The tide had finally shifted into Ganon's favor when the Gerudo and Hadar, whom Ganon had been keeping in reserve, joined the battle.

Most of the Hylians were suddenly confronted with foes that would not disappear after they were beaten. These enemies would leave corpses behind, and many Hylian Knights felt their nerves nearly desert them. But they fought on, spurred by the grim-faced Arcadians. The allied army began to be pushed back, exhausted by the battle and the seemingly endless ocean of enemies. They simply could not fight against an army this enormous.

The call for retreat had been sounded. The Arcadians and the Hylians began to fall back. It took time for the Goron Beserkers to realize the benefit in strategic retreat, but then they joined their comrades. Bodies littered the field, but due to the queer nature of monsters to dissolve when they died, the visible dead were mostly Arcadian, Hyrulean, or Goron, with a few Gerudo and Hadar strewn about. The fallen allies couldn't be recovered – the living were too weary or too exhausted to claim their comrades. Several Hylian Knights had to be dragged away from the dead.

The gates were shut and barred behind the allied army as they retreated into the city. Brand kept watch over the ramparts, having divided his archers into two contingents – one to rest while the other returned volleys of arrows found scattered among the walls and streets.

Link and Eriol were among the last stragglers to enter the city, fighting back Ganon's minions as they stumbled across the drawbridge. With Brand's men covering them from above, they were able to lift the bridge and seal the city. The two brothers then accompanied the rest of the allied soldiers to the marketplace.

It was a far cry from the bustling center of commerce it had been before the war had started. Instead of vendor's carts and booths, the circle was now filled with the wounded and exhausted. The horses that had survived were corralled in an alleyway, and Link felt a tinge of regret for leaving Epona behind. He wondered if she had made it back to the allied lines. She was a smart steed, after all.

Those with the most serious wounds were carefully loaded onto loaded onto carts and drawn up to Hyrule Castle by volunteers from among the Hylian commoners and Arcadian refugees. Several of the able-bodied Gorons also lent their aid to the transport of the wounded. For a moment, Link was amazed at how in these dark times, cultures who previously had little interaction with each other had come together.

Thunder rumbled above, accompanied by a brief flash of lightning. Link and Eriol stopped at the fountain, where several other soldiers had washed themselves of the blood, sweat and dirt gleaned from the battlefield. The water was filthy, but it was something. Wordlessly, they both collapsed on the fountain's lip and began to wash their faces. Link felt momentarily refreshed afterwards, though his muscles ached and his body cried for rest. Eriol noticed how pale and haggard his brother looked, but knew he did not look any better.

"I need to find the generals," Link said at length. "I need to know if they made it out of the battle safely."

Eriol nodded and stood. "…I'll go with you."

"They'll remember you from your last visit to the castle… I don't think they'll be too happy to see you."

"I know," Eriol said, "but I'm not staying behind. Besides… I can apologize to them. There's nothing I can do to make up for what I've done… but I can try."

Link smiled faintly. His brother was pale and gaunt, his hair hanging in dark clumps around his face. His eyes were haunted, but determined. Eriol barely resembled the brother Link had once known, but there were traces of him shining through – and the more Link looked, the more of those traces he could see. His heart ached at the sight of the scar, however, and his smile faded. "Eriol, I–"

"No," Eriol interrupted, shaking his head. "Just… don't. I've more to apologize for than you do. If it wasn't for me running off… if it wasn't for me, Uncle Darius would still be alive, wouldn't he?"

Link lowered his eyes. He felt guilty for not thinking about their uncle in weeks. Memories of the fire leapt to his mind, and all at once he could feel the sizzling heat and dancing flames around him. A part of him did blame Eriol… but that part had died on the battlefield. Link had killed it himself. "No," he said at least. "There was nothing we could do to save him. Besides, you weren't yourself. Ganon was influencing you, wasn't he?"

"I don't know," Eriol said, staring into the dark fountain water. "I…I've been jealous of you for a long time, brother. It's hard to tell when it stopped being my feelings and started being Ganon's… what if… what if that was just me, standing in our house, letting our uncle die?"

Link placed a gloved hand on Eriol's shoulder. "Look at me, brother… that wasn't you. We've always had our own way of dealing with our feelings. You were angry with me, but I know you wouldn't take it out on Uncle Darius. If you were not being influenced, you would have saved him. That's the kind of person you are – for a while, I was afraid that that person had been lost beneath Ganon's false promises and corruptive influence… but in Kakariko Graveyard, you proved that you wouldn't let him control you. It may have been your stubborn refusal to take orders, but that stubbornness brought back my brother. If you really want to make amends for what you've done, then let's put an end to Ganon's siege, alright?"

Eriol smiled, and for a moment, Link could see the child within him, beaming with praise. That light could only reach the eyes if this haunted young man, though, and it pained Link to know that his brother would probably never free himself of the guilt he felt over the things he had done. Ganon's influence was not easy to shake off.

"Alright," Eriol said at last. "The next time I see that bastard, I'll make him pay for everything that he's done to me… and to all of Hyrule." He stood up and looked around the marketplace. "Now, we've got some generals to find, right?"

A ghost of a smile again touched Link's lips. He stood over, but grunted and clenched his eyes in pain. The world seemed to stagger around him.

What was that?

"Are you alright?" Eriol asked, his voice almost drowned out by a deafening clap of thunder. He stepped forward to help, concerned.

It must have gone deeper than I thought… Link waved his offer of help aside and stood straighter. His side throbbed painfully, but he ignored it. "I'm fine. Come on, let's go."

Eriol did not look convinced, but followed his brother anyway.

They questioned several soldiers and was eventually led to a two-story building overlooking the marketplace where the generals had commandeered as a make-shift headquarters. Link and Eriol climbed the outdoor stairway and Link knocked on the door. An Arcadian guard opened it and stepped aside to let them enter.

The gathered generals looked horrible, and Link noticed that someone was missing. King Arkaid sat at the central table, his left arm in a sling. Orca the Zora King sat beside Arkaid, looking weary but in one piece. Caleb paced the room with a noticeable limp, a bloody bandage wrapped around his forehead and left eye. Bason sat nearby, one arm splinted and resting in a sling. Link briefly flinched at the kind of creature that could break a Goron's arm.

"Link!" Caleb exclaimed, limping over. "Thank the Goddesses you're alright! I was worried you…" His voice died and a slow growl rumbled in his throat. "What in blazes is he doing here?"

Link went to defend his brother but Eriol stepped forward. "I came to join my brother against Ganon. I know I met all of you under Ganon's banner, but that was a mistake. I belong with Hyrule."

"You betrayed your country once," Orca murmured, "who is to say you will not do so again?"

"I'm not going to try and defend my actions. I was wrong, and I joined him for all the wrong reasons. I… I want to make up for my mistakes."

Link moved his eyes from one general to the next. Eriol had much to say, and he didn't want to interrupt, but he knew a few of the men gathered here might decide that his brother was still a threat to Hyrule. And even though he refused to believe things would come down to it, he wouldn't let them hurt his brother.

"You're sir Link's brother, are you not?" King Arkaid spoke suddenly.

"I-I am, Your Majesty," Eriol stammered, lowering his head respectfully. Link remembered the ruler's oath when he had first met Eriol and he felt a cold knife twist in his gut.

The Arcadian gazed stonily at Eriol. "I swore I would have your blood on my blade the last time I saw you. Even with such an extraordinary brother, who may vouch for you, I may still fulfill that promise. But first, you must answer me this. Were you the one who commanded the horde to destroy my kingdom?"

To Eriol's credit, he did not shake as the king hinted at renewing his pledge. "I wasn't the one who ordered them, but I was there during the final days. I could've stopped them… but I didn't. I'll take responsibility for them and submit myself to your justice." To Link's surprise and chagrin, Eriol approached the monarch and knelt in front of him.

"Eriol," Link protested.

King Arkaid lifted a hand to silence him. He drew his sword from its sheath and placed it on the table. For a long moment his hand rested on the hilt, but then he moved it away and placed it in his lap. "The responsibility for that is not yours to take, then. This horde is Ganon's curse, and if he can rally so many to his banner, then surely he can harden a Hylian boy's heart. You are a foolish child, to be sure… but you are willing to bare the burden of your mistakes. It seems I misjudged you, boy. Now get up. We could use every soldier we can muster."

Link breathed a sigh of relief as Eriol got to his feet. He could see his brother's own relief as he turned away from the king. Eriol gave him a brief reassuring look. Link arched a brow and then turned to King Arkaid. "What happened to General Vladic, Your Majesty? I'm afraid I lost sight of him during the battle."

King Arkaid raised his hand and massaged his temples. "Vladic died valiantly in combat. If not for him, I might not have made it back to the city."

"We didn't expect such ferocity," Bason rumbled, speaking for the first time. "We lost many soldiers… I lost many kin. I thought this war wouldn't involve us, but the Dodongos proved that no place was safe from Ganon."

Caleb limped over to where a fire burned in a hearth, his good eye watching Eriol suspiciously. "We did our best, but we can do little else with the forces we have left than prepare for a siege."

Link leaned against a wall and rubbed his head. Things were grimmer than he anticipated. "…Out on the field, I was able to confront Ganon… he's more powerful than I had thought, and was stronger than any monster on the field. And he still has the core of his army untouched. I did not catch sight of his generals, though."

"Groblek, the Moblin chief, is dead," Eriol said quietly. "And so is Medara, Ganon's second in command."

King Orca looked unconvinced. "You saw them die?"

Eriol met the Zora's black-eyed stare. "I… I killed them myself."

"Good," Caleb interjected. "That might buy some time for us, then."

Eriol shook his head. "Ganon doesn't care about them. All he cares about is winning, and he's willing to sacrifice all the monsters on the field to do so. Their lives mean nothing to him. If anything, the death of his commanders might just make him angry enough to make a fresh attack against the castle."

King Arkaid thought about what Eriol said. "It seems you may be of use to us after all… how many monsters is Ganon fielding?"

"More than I could count, Your Majesty. I'd say he was preparing to invade long before he started his attacks. Even with the losses he took, he could still overrun the city if he breaks through the gate."

"It's worse than we thought, then," Link said. "King Hyrule should know how our assault fared… has a messenger been sent up to the castle yet?"

"Not as of yet," Caleb admitted. "We've been so busy loading up the wounded and taking care of ourselves that we haven't gotten around to it. I'll send for a messenger."

Link shook his head. "There's no need. I'll head up to the castle myself. I'll arrange to have a messenger bring up a count of the able-bodied soldiers as well." He bowed to the monarchs and excused himself, Eriol falling into step behind him.

"I know you meant well," Link said as they descended the stairs, "but I'm not sure taking responsibility for the fall of Arcadia was wise."

"But it was the truth, brother. I stood by and watched… I deserved whatever punishment he had in mind for me."

"Even a beheading?"

"…Well, I wouldn't go that far…"

"Maybe not, but King Arkaid might."

After they reached the cobblestones of the market place, Link led the way to the alley where the horses were corralled. Again his heart ached with remorse at having abandoned Epona. The horses from Lon Lon Ranch were the best of breed, but even among the best, a mare like her came around only once in a lifetime.

A group of soldiers, along with one Hylian Knight, were guarding the horses. The animals moved about nervously as the lightning flashed across the sky and thunder shook the ground. They could sense how unnatural this rain-less storm was, it seemed to make them nervous. As Link approached, one of the soldiers left the group and vanished into the herd. "I need a horse," Link said while he walked over. "A fast one. I'm to go report to King Hyrule immediately. I'll also need one for my brother."

The Knight look surprised. "Your brother, sir Link? I didn't know he was serving with us."

"It's a long story," Eriol muttered.

The Knight motioned to a grey mare and one of the soldiers quickly brought it over. "This is a fine horse for your brother, sir Link. His owner died in battle… I believe you knew sir Kirothius?"

"We've met. He was a brave warrior."

"Indeed he was." The Knight sighed and shook his head. "Poor Kirothius… I promised him a decent burial, but I couldn't… couldn't get him…"

"I'm sure he understands," Link said quietly. "There are many brave souls who we were unable to recover. I'm sure they know that if we could have brought them away from the battle, we would have."

"Indeed." The Knight glanced over the horses and then looked back at Link. "I'm sorry for the delay. I was given orders by sir Caleb to present you with a certain horse if you were to come by. Ah, here she comes now."

Link's heart skipped a beat as the soldier who had vanished moments ago reappeared, leading Epona by the reins. The crimson-colored mare whinnied delightedly at the sight of her master and threw her head excitedly. Link smiled fondly and walked over to her, lifting a hand to stroke her neck.

"Hey there, girl. I'm sorry I left you on the field… I'm glad you were able to keep safe, though. You alright, girl?" Epona nuzzled him reassuringly, drawing a chuckle from Link's lips. "Alright, alright. Come on, I need you to carry me up to the castle, okay?" Link lifted a foot into the stirrup and hoisted himself onto her back.

A fresh blossom of pain from his side made him double over in pain. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. He straightened up and did his best to regain his composure, but from his brother's worried look and the concern on the faces of the horse keepers, he was sure they noticed his odd behavior.

There isn't time to take care of it just yet… first I have to speak with the king.

Link snapped his reins and Epona leapt forward. He directed her towards Hyrule Castle with Eriol beside him.