A/N: This chapter was revised as of 12/6/14 – Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.


What Makes a Hero

By: Selphie Kinneas 175

Chapter 56: Acquiescence

.:.

"Link!" a bitter female voice suddenly hollered as he entered the bar, "About Goddess-damned time you got here!"

He headed to the back of the bar with a huff, having just pushed his way through the thick, panicked crowds of Castle Town. It was dusk and the sun was just setting behind the tall buildings of the bustling town, the people all in a flurry. Ashei, Shad, and Auru were all seated at the familiar table while Rusl stood beside it, seemingly a bit flustered himself as sweat dripped down his temple.

"What's going on out there?" Link asked worriedly, having quickly bypassed Telma and the anonymous patrons of the bar in his haste without realizing, "The townsfolk are acting frantic."

"They're overreacting," Ashei answered with a scoff when Link noticed that she was cleaning her weapon.

"A few Bokoblins came into the town from the castle, and everyone's in a panic trying to collect their loved ones and get into their homes for safety," Auru explained.

"Ashei and I took care of the fiends, but I'm worried if more will come," Rusl added.

Shad cleared his throat, "I do believe it is more a matter of when, as opposed to if."

"Makes me wonder where the princess is during these times, yeah? I hope she feels real good about herself, just sitting up in her castle on her posh throne while the common folk get nearly killed down here," she gave a dark, sarcastic chuckle, "What a worthless bi-"

"She did everything she could!" Link snapped, pounding his fist on the table, "Don't talk about her like she's some do-nothing royalty. You have no idea what she had to go through just to make sure the entire kingdom hasn't been destroyed yet!"

Everyone was silent, his outburst having rendered each Resistance member completely still. They each stopped whatever it was they were doing and stared at the heavily breathing hero in utter shock. None of them had ever seen him explode like that, with the exception of Rusl, but even he had only seen such a level of anger in his son on possibly one other occasion. Even then it wasn't as unexpected or so filled with ire.

"Uh, whoa," Ashei broke the awkward silence as she resumed the cleaning of her blade, "Wasn't expecting that. Didn't mean to piss you off or whatever."

"I do say that was quite out of character, old chap. Are you feeling alright?" Shad inquired.

Link sighed and hung his head, putting his other fist down on the table as well, but he didn't say anything.

Rusl placed a hand on his shoulder, "What's troubling you?"

His father's words were like a light bulb being clicked on in his brain, triggering something that he hadn't consciously realized was bothering him until that moment. Without a word, Link stood up straight, unsheathed the Master Sword, and laid it on the table in a single, fluid motion.

"What are you-"

"Lift it," he demanded bluntly, everyone examining his face confusedly in search of an expression that would show them he was joking or teasing. His face was straight, blank, and devoid of any such emotion.

"Link, you know we can't. Shad and Ashei have tried," Rusl said with a bit of a nervous laugh, hoping that he was simply keeping a bad joke going, honestly having begun to worry about his son's unusual behavior.

"Try again."

"Link, you're acting very strange. Just sit down and we can talk whatever this is out-"

"I said lift it!" he yelled impatiently.

Rusl furrowed his brow, avoiding the bewildered glares from the other Resistance members as they looked to him to set his son straight. When he said nothing, Auru went ahead and tried to pick up the Blade of Evil's Bane just to appease the livid hero, but he could not.

Shad tried with a newfound and misplaced hope, but it still would not budge.

Ashei gave a cynical snicker as she leaned forward and gave a meager attempt. After having failed, she scoffed, "Trying to rub it in our faces that you can lift it and we can't? Real humble of you."

He paid her words no mind. He turned and stared at Rusl, awaiting him to give his try. When he did nothing but return his gaze, Link was beginning to get frustrated.

"Lift it," he commanded in a low, intimidating voice that was unlike any tone he had ever heard from this young man's lips.

Rusl sighed but did not argue; he didn't want to make any more of a scene or cause any more problems. He reached over, laced his fingers around the hilt… but it did not give in.

He turned back to Link after his attempt, hoping now to get an answer for why he was acting so bizarrely. When he said nothing, Rusl took the initiative.

"What in Din's name is this about, Link?"

Link released a long exhale that it seemed he had been holding in since he entered before effortlessly lifting the blade into his gloved hands. He stared long and hard at the shining steel, almost believing for a moment that the answer he was looking for would be written in it. He almost thought it would tell him, speak with a voice of its own, and explain why his little brother had been able to do what no one else could.

When no such thing occurred, he spun the hilt once in his hand and responded simply, his vision remaining locked on that of his weapon, "Colin lifted it."

Rusl's eyes went a bit wide in momentary disbelief as he parroted, "Colin lifted it?"

Link nodded as he spun the blade one more time before returning it to its scabbard and explaining, "Colin lifted it when Kakariko was being attacked a few days ago. I was hurt, I dropped it… He picked it up and killed a Bulblin with it."

"Sounds like a brave kid, yeah?" Ashei pointed out, forcing Rusl to smile without even being aware he had done so.

"Why could he lift it?" Link asked, looking between each of them in turn, knowing that one of them just had to have an answer.

In the back of his mind he was thinking that the Goddesses were toying with him, dangling his loved ones in front of him and making everything that much harder for him. He was filled with such fury over the thought that the Goddesses might have their divine hands in what was not theirs to play with – Colin. By Farore's wind… if they were planning on doing even half of what they had done to him to his little brother, then he would curse the pathetic gods with his last dying breath, and leave the whole of Hyrule to burn at their wretched hands.

No one spoke a word, so he said it again in a more demanding voice, "Why could he lift it!"

Shad flinched when he realized Link was staring daggers at him, expecting him of all people to have an explanation.

"I-I," he stuttered, Link's uncharacteristically angry tone having nearly paralyzed him, "Um, well… perhaps the Goddesses favor him? Perhaps he has some part yet to play? P-Perhaps-"

That suggestion only seemed to make Link all the more livid as he was beginning to think his initial reaction was correct, "Haven't the Goddesses done enough as it is? They can take me and play their centuries' old little game with my life for as long as they please, but Colin?" he shook his head, "No… They can't use him like they've used me! Damn the Goddesses!"

Shad was yet again taken aback, "I apologize… I-It was only an assumption. An estimation. An educated guess. A-A-"

Ashei noticed him struggling and gave him a boost, having not been intimidated by the hero's rage in the least, "I don't think it has anything to do with the Goddesses. Maybe the sword gives way when it wants to," she shrugged, "I don't know, it sounds dumb, but maybe it kind of knew you needed help, so it let Colin lift it."

"Actually, Ashei, I do believe you're onto something," Shad perked up, her comment having sparked an idea in his brilliant mind and made him forget about Link's currently frightening temper altogether, "I remember reading a very old tale about one of Hyrule's first heroes and how the creation of the Master Sword happened during his time. It is said that the legendary blade once housed a living, speaking spirit, and this spirit aided the hero on his quest. Many scholars also believe that that spirit lives within the blade even today, and that it is simply dormant. So, it is very feasible that the spirit of the sword - even though it is sleeping - could make the conscious decision to let Colin lift it in order to protect its chosen master, Link."

He stopped and glanced between the others, awaiting a response. Link seemed to be contemplating the idea the most, his eyes darting around the room as his brain clearly processed the young scholar's words. The hero knew Shad's knowledge was bountiful, and his predictions were often sound, not to mention he had felt an inexplicable presence when he first awoke the mystical blade of heroes from its slumber half a year ago. Then, of course, there was the simple reason that he much preferred the second explanation to the former.

"Maybe you're right," Link said almost inaudibly, having calmed down considerably. Maybe it wasn't the Goddesses' fault.

Shad sighed inwardly, glad to have said the right words and made the downright petrifying side of the hero docile, even if only for now.

The young Ordonian sat down at the table with a sigh, removing his cap and running his fingers through his hair as he did so. He hadn't realized he had started sweating, his thick, sandy-blond locks feeling damp at the roots. He rested with his fingers in his hair for a moment, his hands being the only thing keeping his head up as he stared down at his lap and wondered if he was going crazy. He never overreacted like this – especially at friends and family. He had snapped at Midna, at Ilia, and now at the only group of people that were actually physically working toward the same goal as he was, not just talking about it.

The pressure of everything was finally getting to him. Perhaps, all this time he'd spent so far being the hero, it never really seemed like reaching the end and actually defeating the evil plaguing the world was possible. The end never seemed like it was something that could ever be reached in a lifetime, maybe even ten lifetimes. So… now that he had actually made it to said end, the weight of what that meant was crushing him. Everything finally felt real, finally felt… heavy.

Sure, it had been a heavy weight to carry for the past year, and the deeds he had done up until this point were anything but easy, but he had been able to be lighthearted about the situation because – as morbid as it was – he always kind of thought in the back of his mind that he would never live to see the conclusion. It wasn't a conscious decision, actually quite the opposite. It was something his subconscious had accepted all those months ago when Faron first declared him the hero chosen by the gods. Now that the conclusion was upon him, his subconscious was proven wrong, and he was barely able to keep himself from falling apart.

Knowing what the end meant, realizing just how important it was that he finish this, and understanding that the fate of an entire kingdom as well as all the lives within it depended upon him and him alone… It was too much. He knew if he went down, he would take all of Hyrule with him. He knew he had to win – there was simply no other way. But… could he?

He let out another long puff of air as he placed his signature green cap back on his head and was snapped from his thoughts by a firm hand on his shoulder.

He turned to glance over said shoulder, seeing Rusl standing tall behind him as he asked genuinely, "What's troubling you, Link?"

Link took in a deep breath and released it slowly as a means to still his rapidly beating heart and his racing mind. He was struggling in forming his rampaging thoughts into terms, but he was desperately trying to get the words out. Rusl noticed this and pulled up a chair to sit beside him, everyone else at the table leaning in to listen as well.

"I'm…" he stopped, already feeling uncomfortable with explaining this to all of them. When Rusl nodded to signify that it was alright, Link went on, "I have to defeat him. You all know who I mean. Everything I've been doing for the past year has led up to this… Every hardship I've overcome and every battle I've won has led up to this. This… This is it," he paused to give a dry chuckle, "I've heard so many stories of his immeasurable power, his insatiable lust for more, and his unmerciful acts in doing so. I've heard so many stories of his unwavering strength and his unforgiving blade… How he set Hyrule ablaze and struck down the hero-"

"But the hero overcame him," Shad interjected, immediately grabbing Link's attention as well as everyone else's as they all turned to him, "These qualities you speak of… I have read about them as well, but I have also read about how the hero's infinite courage never let up, and how he faced down the beast that was Ganon. He was triumphant!" he exclaimed with a smile, acting as if he had just heard the good news, "He was victorious, Link, and I know that you will be, too."

"Do you know what he had to go through to be victorious, though?" he questioned honestly, glancing between each of the Resistance members in turn.

"Well, no, I'm afraid I don't, but-"

"Do any of your books actually state if the hero lived after the battle?"

Shad furrowed his brow, obviously never having contemplated the thought, "I-"

"I mean, sure, everyone knows that he defeated Ganon and peace was restored to Hyrule. But does anyone actually ever speak of what he did after that? If he even lived to see the outcome of his efforts?" Link proposed bitterly.

Shad frowned, "I suppose not."

"No one ever bothered to find out," Ashei spoke up with a sneer, "No one cared about what happened to the hero as long as his deed was done, yeah? Hyrule's always been filled with selfish people."

"Link, you have to know we wouldn't let that happen were such a horrible fate to befall you," Auru said.

"I appreciate the thought, Auru, truly. But could you honestly control what an entire populace thought?" he shook his head, "No, you couldn't, but it's alright; I would never ask the impossible of you. I didn't start talking about this because I want you to pity me or whatever nonsense like that. I just wanted to explain my outburst and apologize for it."

"I get it," Ashei began, "If I were you I would've been screaming and yelling at people this whole time, yeah? I think you're incredible for holding yourself together as long as you have."

They all turned to her at once, shocked at her unusual praise.

Shad reached over and placed the backside of his hand to her forehead, "No fever… Are you feeling ill?"

She smacked his hand away, "Shut up, Shad! For Din's sake! Why can't I just pay someone a compliment!"

"Well, Ashei… because you just are not that nice," he replied with a cheeky grin.

"I'll show you what 'not that nice' really looks like-"

"Sweet Nayru, can you two stop flirting for ten whole minutes?" Auru pleaded.

"Ugh!" Ashei whined in embarrassment, but before she could get another word out, Rusl reverted the topic of conversation to what it had been originally.

"We all agree with what Ashei said, Link. We understand that it's become too much to bear and your emotions boiled over. You yelled at us - so what?" he laughed, "It's nothing we haven't done to one another before. What's important is that you collect your thoughts, compose yourself, and prepare for what you have to do."

Link nodded, realizing that simply discussing it had already calmed him significantly, "I'm not bitter about what I have to do. I think I used to be, even if I didn't realize it back then. I think I was mad at the Goddesses for making me give up my life to be their pawn… But I don't feel that way anymore," he stated, almost explaining his feelings aloud to himself more than he was to them, "I think I feel… ready. As ready as I can be, I guess."

Shad smiled, "It's good to hear you sound optimistic, old boy! I do say, I much prefer this side of you as opposed to what you showed us just earlier. You are quite terrifying when you're angry."

"You know what they say," Ashei chimed in, "'The nicest people are the scariest jerks when they've had enough.'"

Link laughed, realizing the wisdom that was held in that statement; he could relate to it. Being considered a 'nice' person by many, he held in his emotions and rarely ever expressed feelings of anger or sadness, so when it finally – and inevitably – boiled over, it was always much worse than that of what was considered an 'average' person, someone that expressed all emotions equally.

"Link…" Rusl began, facing his son straight on and grabbing his attention as he spoke in a deep, serious tone, "I need you to know how proud I am of you, and-"

The hero cut him off, raising his hand to silence him as he said, "I know what you're going to say, and even though it means the world to me, you don't need to say it. I don't want you all to treat me like I'm walking into my grave," he paused, giving them a moment to process his words before finishing as he got to his feet, "I'm going to head to bed."

"Promise me you won't leave without letting us know," Rusl said.

"Yeah," Ashei cut in, "We're going to help you, you know. So don't do something stupid like take off in the middle of the night or whatever."

Link looked surprised as he stood at the base of the stairs, "You're going to help me?"

"Tch," Ashei scoffed, "Of course! What, did you think we were just going to sit here and get drunk while you ran off to the castle to do all the dirty work? Yeah, right!"

Shad cleared his throat, "I am still quite, well… unrefined in my fighting abilities, I'm afraid, but I will do my best! I've gotten a bit of practice here and there, so I should be able to defeat a few of those absurd creatures… right?"

"You'll be fine, Shad," Auru comforted, "We'll all have each other's backs."

Link still seemed a bit puzzled, "You all do know that only I can fi-"

"Fight Ganondorf, yeah, yeah, yeah," Ashei interrupted, "We know. There's still the problem with all those stupid, mindless fiends that keep coming out of the castle, though. Din knows they're just waiting for the perfect moment to strike, yeah? Well, I say we strike them first."

"What do you propose?" Auru inquired.

"First thing in the morning?" Rusl offered.

"First thing in the morning," Ashei agreed with a nod.

"F-First thing in the morning?" Shad stammered, "I was under the assumption that I would have a bit more time to practice, seeing as I'm the only one that hasn't really fought-"

"Oh, Shad! You'll be fine!" Ashei exclaimed, clapping him harshly on the back, "Besides, there's no better practice than real, live, dangerous, life-threatening battles!"

The scholar's face seemed to lose all its color as sheer panic struck him to the bone. Link couldn't help but chuckle at his innocence as he remembered being scared of fighting at one point just as badly as he was. It was a bittersweet realization that few things frightened him now; sweet in the sense that he was living up to his title as the bearer of courage, bitter in the sense that it was like he was losing his humanity.

There was still one thing that struck fear in his valiant heart, though…

When Rusl noticed Link heading up the stairs for the night, he called out, "Make sure you get a good night's sleep. You're going to need all the rest you can get."

Link turned back to him and nodded; there was so much truth in that single phrase that it was ridiculous.

He dragged his tired body up the stairs and plopped on the bed of the first empty room he came across. He let out a long, heavy exhale before hearing a familiar and much-welcomed sound.

"You sure you're okay?" his shadow asked as she sat down on the bed beside him.

He nodded, "I'm as okay as I can be."

"Link, you blew up at Ilia yesterday," she said, emphasizing the reason for her question.

He sighed, "I know, and I blew up at them downstairs."

"Yeah, you did. So, I'll ask again: you sure you're okay?"

"I honestly don't know, okay? This has all gotten so intense and I really don't know what's going to happen. I've never been so unsure of my future, of what lied ahead. I was always able to picture where I'd be in a year, in two years, even in ten. Most people can picture that stuff, can't they? I can't anymore. I find myself wondering on such a smaller scale now… like, where will I be in a month? A week? Even a day? Will I be alive tomorrow? Will I see another sunrise? Is this the last time I'm going to see the kids? Ilia? Rusl? You?"

Midna stared dejectedly into his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling, his hands behind his head as he lay on his back still in his full garb atop the warm, ivory cot. She could hear his woes, could understand them, but could not relate to them. She still had an image in her mind when she pictured her future, even many, many years ahead. It broke her heart to know that, in his mind, there was never a guarantee of tomorrow, and each goodbye had the very strong possibility of being the last.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to give him words of comfort, a loud, ear-piercing scream came from downstairs. Link practically leapt off the bed, glad in that instant that he hadn't yet removed any of his gear or effects. He darted out of the room and bounded down the staircase as Midna retreated into his shadow. The first thing he saw was Shad greeting him at the bottom of the stairs, seemingly having been making his way up.

"Link!" Shad exclaimed when he looked up and noticed the hero racing towards him, "I was just coming to get y-"

He stopped abruptly when Link pushed past him to get to the main level of the bar. He noticed Telma and Auru rushing screaming and terrified guests out of a rarely-used back exit, while Ashei and Rusl swiftly ended two Bulblins near the front entrance and allowed them to pile on top of the three that were already exterminated on the floor.

The young woman gave a frustrated groan as she wiped her blade and turned toward the back of the bar to face the others, "Well there goes getting the first strike!"

Rusl did the same, "It seems they may be more intelligent than we anticipated. Attacking in the middle of the night when we would all be asleep? That requires planning that we didn't think they were capable of doing before now."

"No," Link replied surely with a shake of his head, gaining everyone's attention as Telma and Auru rejoined them, "They're just following a leader. Someone is controlling them and sending them into the town to slowly overpower us so they can then come in for the final takeover. We can't sit around and wait; I'm sure there are more in the town right now as we speak."

"Oh, dear… So much for a good night's rest," Shad muttered.

"How do you know all this?" Ashei questioned.

Link's face went stone cold, knowing exactly what foul creature led the Bulblins and realizing that it was time to put the disgusting monster down – for good, "I just know. I'll deal with it."

He drew the Master Sword and headed for the door with haste, casting a glance over his shoulder when he didn't immediately hear movement behind him, "Are you guys coming or not?"

Ashei gave an excited laugh as she, Rusl, Auru, and Shad quickly followed, "Hell yeah! Let's go kick some ass, hero!"

"Telma," Link called just before grabbing the doorknob, turning to face her as she stood at the base of the stairs, "Bar up all the doors and windows and don't open them for anyone, understand?"

"You got it sweet pea. I can take care of myself!" she said with a wink, "It's you four that need to be careful! You hear me?"

"Yes ma'am!" Shad bellowed both eagerly and nervously, waving to her as he took the initiative of opening the door and heading out first, trying to put on a brave front.

Having not been facing forward as he crossed the threshold, Link placed a strong hand on Shad's chest to hold him back before thrusting his blade directly in front of the young academic, piercing a Bulblin with its club raised and ready to strike right before him. Shad's eyes went wide at the near-death experience, Link's next words finally snapping him out of it.

"Never back out of a door or a corner; always keep your eyes front," he said encouragingly with a reassuring smile and a clap on the shoulder as he then took point.

They all glanced between one another in a bit of shock as he took the lead and Rusl followed quickly at his heels – none of them had seen the attack coming, and they wouldn't have been able to respond until it was too late.

"Kid knows his stuff," Ashei said with a smirk as she hurried after the two Ordonians, Auru chasing closely behind and Shad bringing up the rear as he finally snapped out of his stupor.

The streets of Castle Town were dark as thick, gray storm clouds blotted out any light that the stars and the moon were trying to give off. Most of the torches were still burning bright, but it did little to help illuminate the stone pathways. Almost all of the townsfolk had made it safely into their homes, but there were still a few here and there that hung about, stubbornly thinking that nothing bad was going to happen and that everyone else was simply overreacting. They, of course, retreated like cowards when they spotted anything that even slightly resembled a monster. Link couldn't spot a single Hylian guard anywhere, and it made him sick to realize just how ill defended this majestic city had been for Din knows how long.

The Resistance members made their way through the streets, easily dispatching of the foes that tried to come at them. They were sparse in the narrow alleyways, but once they made their way to the town square their numbers intensified. There was a mass gathering of Bulblins and Bokoblins around the central fountain. They seemed to be simply meandering about senselessly, awaiting anything that would cross their path.

Link outstretched his arm and crouched down low behind a stone planter, halting those following behind him and gesturing for them to do as he had so as to remain unseen.

"Let's take all these guys out quick as we can before they can spread to other parts of the town and-"

"No," Rusl interjected, "We'll handle them. You get a head start toward the castle."

Link turned to him with a furrowed brow, but before he could get a word out, Ashei spoke up.

"He's right. We can take care of them just fine. You said you know who's leading this vermin, yeah? Well, go on ahead and get a head start on taking that bastard out!"

Auru nodded, "We'll be right behind you as soon as we can."

Link glanced between each of them in turn before saying with a smirk, "You said you'd have my back, so I expect you to hold to that."

"We will be there when you need us, old chap! We promise you that!" Shad proclaimed.

Rusl placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder, "We will meet you in the castle courtyard at sunrise. We'll distract them while you figure out how to get that barrier down!"

Link nodded, realizing at that moment that the mysterious blockade surrounding the castle had almost entirely slipped his mind – how was he going to get through it?

Rusl dove out from behind the barricade first, instantly grabbing the attention of the mindless rabble and drawing them to him like moths to a flame. Auru followed quickly behind and when Ashei leapt up to do the same, she noticed Shad grab fearfully at her wrist.

She turned to him, "Don't be such a baby! I'll be right by you the whole time, yeah? I've got your back – do you have mine?" she asked as she extended her hand to him.

He looked down at her hand, then up at her, seemingly contemplating the question for a good minute before he grasped her hand in his and got to his feet, "I have your back."

She smiled at him, giving him the extra boost he needed before the two entered the skirmish alongside their friends.

With all of the monsters preoccupied, Link snuck behind them along the stone wall of the courtyard and through the northern archway that led to the castle. He had made it successfully without any of the beasts spotting him, and he closed the heavy, wooden doors behind him, giving him and Midna the space to figure out what they were going to do.

"Well, Midna," Link called, bringing his partner into the world of light, "Got any ideas?"

"Just one," she answered with a mischievous grin.

Link instantaneously knew what she meant, and he didn't like it, "Wait, Midna, you don't know how to control that yet! Don't-"

Before he could stop her, the parts of the Fused Shadow that they had gathered so long ago hovered around her. She looked at them confusedly, not exactly sure what they would do. In an instant, the three missing pieces clicked together with the fourth that was the imp's helm like a puzzle, engulfing her small frame within it.

"Midna!" Link cried fearfully, dashing towards her and reaching out to her.

Before he could grab her, her petite body was flung against the stone wall to his left, and then it was harshly thrown to the one to his right, then back to the left, and back to the right before she was tossed like a rag doll clear over the left wall. For those brief seconds in which Link could not see her, his heart almost stopped beating. When she arose looking not at all like herself, however, his breath stilled entirely within his lungs.

Had he not seen her just flung in that direction, or if he hadn't seen her wearing the Fused Shadow as a whole, this being would have been completely unrecognizable, and he most likely would have taken it for a vicious monster that needed to be destroyed. However, he knew this was Midna, and that frightened him more than if it had been some worthless demon. She was enormous, and she took the form of a terrifying seven-legged beast. He stared up at her, his eyes wide as saucers, his heart now beating a million times per second. Could she control what she was doing? Or was she going to be accidentally destructive, being unable to keep her power in check? He honestly had no idea; all he could do was watch on in sheer wonderment.

She seemed to peer over the wall at him momentarily before pouncing onto the diamond shaped barrier that enclosed Hyrule Castle within its confines. She raised her front right arm, and out of thin air appeared a javelin. With a loud roar, she plunged the spear into the golden obstacle, and a blinding light emanated from the insertion point.

Down below, Link shielded his eyes from the overwhelming power with his forearm. He could hear a crumbling sound, and when he reopened his eyes he did not see a giant monster, but he saw the very small and very fragile body of his companion falling from much too high up. He gasped, his line of sight following a straight line down from her current position in order to discern her landing point.

He ran at a breakneck pace through the first set of massive double doors before him, and just before the second set he could see that she would be reaching him any moment. Keeping his eyes glued on her rapidly approaching form, he took a few steps to the side, a few steps back, and then a few steps to the other side as he tried to make sure he was perfectly lined up. He noticed then that she had gained an incredible amount of speed. He braced himself for the impact as he held his arms out, his muscles tense as he awaited the drop.

She suddenly fell into his arms with much more force than he had anticipated. He let out an involuntary 'oomph' as he fell onto his back, but the catch was successful. He sat up and looked at her apprehensively; she was unharmed, but she was unconscious. He let out a relieved sigh as he realized she was alright, but he had no idea how long she would be out for, and he wouldn't dare go on without her.

Staying seated on the cool stone ground, he scooted himself over to lean against the nearby wall. He kept Midna in his lap and supported her head in his arm as he watched over her anxiously. Her breathing was perfectly even, her heart rate was perfectly timed – all in all she was completely well. He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly as he lifted his face toward the heavens. The rain clouds were becoming even thicker and darker, indicating that a storm was coming.

He closed his eyes as he sent a silent prayer to the Goddesses, laughing inwardly at himself as he realized that he had just been cursing them only hours earlier. Even though he found his faith in them waning more often than he would like, it was always there, underneath all his anger he harbored towards them. He needed them to watch over him and his loved ones right now – honestly, he needed them to look over all of Hyrule right now, but he knew they were doing at least that much. He prayed for them to - for once - keep their hero in mind as well, not just their beloved kingdom.

For without their hero, there would be no kingdom.

He reopened his eyes as he began to feel droplets splattering on his face; it was raining. He looked down at Midna who was beginning to stir. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and Link leaned forward a bit so as to shield her from getting wet as the slow trickle turned into an even pour.

He looked down at her with a smile when he realized she was awake now, "You did it."

She seemed confused for a moment before the realization of what she had done set in, "It… worked?"

He nodded, "It worked."

She swallowed hard, seemingly trying to come to terms with what had happened.

Link noticed this and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she stammered, "Just, like… whoa. What did I look like?"

Link laughed, "Really? You just turn into a massive creature and break through an evil, magical barrier, and your only question on the matter is what you looked like?"

"I guess your lighthearted approach to the not-so-bright subjects has rubbed off on me," she said with a smile.

"Maybe I've simply given you that quality altogether. I haven't felt very lighthearted at all these past few days," he admitted morosely.

Midna looked up at him sadly, "I won't lie and say I don't miss it, but I understand that feeling not being there anymore. We're at the end, Link. We've made it. Do you remember how we started? How different we both were?"

"How could I forget?" he chuckled, "We're almost… entirely different people now, aren't we?"

She nodded, "At the beginning… it seemed like something that would never get finished, kind of like we bit off more than we could chew, you know? But we've actually made it, Link. We're right at Ganon's doorstep."

Link hung his head, "We've made it here, but can I make it the rest of the way? This is the hardest part. This is the part that actually matters. This is the part that decides everything. I don't know, Midna… I think I'm spent. I think I've given my all too many times; I don't think I've got anything left to give."

Midna sat up on her hero's lap and placed a delicate finger beneath his chin, lifting his gaze to meet hers, "Listen to me, Link. You're stubborn, you know that? You're hard-headed and you do what you think is right no matter what might happen to you. Yeah, sure, you've heard just about everyone tell you that it's all up to you, and that if you fail everything is doomed and all that nonsense. Even though that might be true… it's not news. You've known this since day one, and you've continuously persevered. You've driven back every single evil that's come your way. You said this was the part that actually mattered, and that didn't make sense to me. Everything you've done has mattered. You gathered all three pieces of the Fused Shadow for me; if you hadn't done that I wouldn't have been able to pierce the barrier just now. You gathered all four pieces of the Mirror of Twilight; if you hadn't done that we wouldn't have been able to defeat Zant and retake my throne, and Ganon would likely continue to wreak havoc through him as a puppet. Every single thing you've done has mattered so immensely… I know you know that, and you've known the whole time that if you failed it would mean the end. Every single obstacle you've faced has had the same two options: succeed, or die. It's grim, but it's true, and you've never let it get to you."

She paused before placing a dainty hand on his cheek and staring directly into his beautiful cobalt eyes before finishing, "You've always been so strong, you've always been able to keep a clear head even under the worst circumstances. Don't let the pressure get to you now. Don't trip at the finish line, Link. I know you've got more in you to give. For Din's sake, you're the hero! And I've never heard a more fitting title for anyone. You are the hero, Link. You are the hero that can and will defeat Ganondorf and return your world of light to its former glory. You can do this, and you will, so don't let that stupid little voice in the back of your mind saying 'what if' get to you. I want the lighthearted Link back; I know he's in there somewhere."

Link smiled an unreserved smile that touched the imp's heart, "Something that's changed about you: you weren't this eloquent in the beginning."

She giggled, dropping her hands to her lap, "Actually, I was, I just much preferred being mean."

They were silent for a moment before Link let out a sigh and asked, "You think I've got this?"

She scoffed, "You've so got this. Ganon doesn't even stand a chance."

Link couldn't help but chuckle as he slowly got to his feet, Midna moving to hover beside him as he said, "You've always known just what to say to get me to respond, though, that much hasn't changed. Whether it was for good or bad."

She gave him a heartwarming smile and a peck on the cheek before returning to his shadow, giving him space to be alone with his thoughts before opening the final set of massive doors that led into the castle courtyard.

Just like that, there was a change in him. He no longer felt angry, on edge, or 'spent,' as he had referred to it. He didn't expect it… but he felt calm, at peace, and at last one with his fate. He no longer felt fearful or anxious like he had been feeling and like he had expected himself to. He felt ready, now more than ever, to bring down the evil king.

He had accepted his destiny, and now he would live up to it.


To come to terms with and accept your fate, even if that fate is uncertain.