The Corrupted Hero

by Great Faith

In all her life, Katie, a perfectionist fairy, never thought she would have to aid a sadistic boy named Link who would rather waste his days chasing women and drinking sake than be a hero. This is a story about a fairy who must accept his flaws and about a young man who must learn on what it takes to be the hero promised.

112. Chapter CXII

And I'm back!

Thank you all for the concern. I'm doing much better now. Updates will still be a little slow with finals coming up.

Also my computer is still buggy so you'll likely find some typos that I missed on editing.

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PART FIFTY-TWO - THE SHADOW OF MY KIN

"You look a lot smaller than I thought," Link commented, grinning at the king's discomfiture. Look at him, practically pissing himself. "I have to say, I had lots of fun running around your creepy playground."

"You should be buried alive!" Louis complained. "How did you survive?"

Link's grin went savage. "Yeah, you're not the first to tell me that. If you're going to try and bury me, then you better make sure I stay down." He gave the king a scowl. "Man, I need to know: what the hell is your obsession with mazes? You can't think of something original?"

"How could you change a sept into a catacomb?" Katie snapped. "You disgusting monster!"

Link frowned. "You know he almost killed us, right?"

"Yeah!" Katie fluttered up and down, beaming red. "You'll pay for that too!"

Link sighed, his blade glowing resplendently in the night. He could feel its restlessness, the urge to move. "Anyways, how'd you like to go down? Should I peel off your skin?" His eyes glinted. "You look like you could use a nice makeover."

A dark look crossed over Louis. His shadows from earlier had vanished, reappearing near the crowd. Silas stood away from Link, holding the dirty tunic. Link didn't like what he saw on the guy; he looked as if someone had just sucked all the blood out of him. Link didn't want to think about it but it felt like Silas was walking on very thin line here…

"I find your threats unappealing," Louis said flatly, regaining his aplomb. It was hard to make out an expression from his face, as it was completely black, all save for those eyes. "If you truly wish to face me, then by all means!" He raised his hand up and mist spread out from all sides like a shockwave. Link held out his sword and shield, but the creature wasn't attacking him. "Let these people see your fall!"

A black transparent wall shoved Silas back, growing around all sides. Soon, Link, Katie and Louis had the entire vicinity of the town square to themselves, trapped beneath another dome. The villagers rimmed around it, watching and whispering. Link could barely make out their features but he could tell Silas was panicking.

Link smirked, turning back to the king. "That how you want to play? All right." He rolled back his shoulders. "Say, you're not Hylian anymore, right? I could do whatever I want with you. Which finger seems more important to you?"

Louis scowled, mists warping around his large figure. "You think you can frighten me, boy?"

Link simply lifted his sword. Despite being far from within striking distance, the king flinched, even whimpered.

"Ha!" Katie shot out. "Face the mighty power of the holy blade! Think you can still stand a chance?"

Link chuckled, resting the flat side of the sword against his shoulder. "Alright, but serious talk thought. If I beat you, will all this shit go away? It's starting to annoy me."

To Link's surprise, Louis actually answered with a nod. "That, and more," the king said, his crimson eyes burning like fresh coal. "If you do defeat me—in a very unlikely event that you do—you would free more than the living, but of those at death's doorstep."

Link frowned. "Meaning?"

"Observe, boy, the sacrifices done in my name!" Louis spread his arms, bringing forth a thick wall of pure darkness that stretched at either of his side like great wings. It stretched and stretched till each end met the corner of the square.

At first, Link didn't see anything on the black wall. Then he saw lumps moving, bobbing on the surface. Katie gasped, so horrified that she went numb with white. He winced at her flash, and nearly asked until he saw the faces, one of them looking eerily familiar.

All those who had been sacrificed.

Hero, will you free us?

He felt so sick to his stomach. "You sick son of a bitch."

"Sick?" Louis sounded amused. "Now who was it that wanted to tear off my fingers?"

Hero, will you doom us?

"Oh, I'll be doing a lot more than that now. You just earned yourself the fastest way to hell." Link smiled tightly. "So those are the hunters Tristan's been feeding you?"

"That they are."

"He's been a busy man."

"Oh, very busy." Louis chuckled, as if he found Link's reaction enduring. "Should you defeat me, their souls will be free and be brought back among the living."

Katie's light went blinding. "So your powers…your true powers are coming from them," she concluded, orb devoid of color. "How…how could you do something like this?" Her voice was a bare whisper. "How-how could you?"

Louis had the nerve to smile, bright white teeth against the black complexion. "A futile question, fairy of the Goddess, for I am no Hylian. I do not uphold morals. I do not carry any beliefs. These souls have served a great purpose in my advent."

"And you're using their powers, their very life core…" Katie trailed off, heavy flakes dusting onto Link's shoulder.

Link didn't understand it all, but even he could tell how seriously messed up this all was. "So they'll be free when I kick your ass?"

"If you succeed," Louis pressed, lifting a large finger. "But if you lose, I will take the Master Sword, and your soul with it. All of these people will belong to me."

Link could still hear those incessant voices in his head growing louder. They've made themselves known ever since he stepped foot into the town.

Hero, will you save us?

Dammit, I'm no hero! Link turned to see Silas and the others.

Hero, will you doom us?

"Fine," Link said, glaring at Louis. "First, tell your boys to back off the villagers."

Louis snapped his fingers and the shadows disappeared, or at least Link couldn't see them. He did see the crowd turning their heads, startled movements from beyond the shield. The shadows must be behind them, preventing anyone from running away. Louis wanted them all to see the show.

"A soul's power is infinite," Katie continued. There were some colors swirling in there. "But…but these can't be souls. The shadows—what are they?"

Louis hummed, the question obviously pleasing him. "You might want to try defeating me before dawn, boy," he said, smiling towards Katie. "I've been fed sacrifices for some time, stretching back a few months or so. They grow dim and weak by the hour. Soon they will be reduced to nothing…nothing but that."

Link nearly choked. "So those shadows are Hylians?"

"They are not Hylains," Louis hissed, annoyed as if he'd been repeating it several times. "They are the empty husks of souls. Every single being in this world has them. These shadows are what's left when you strip all the power of a soul."

"You're just torturing them," Katie said lowly. "That's all you're doing. That's all you've ever done. You're still hurting them even after death."

"That's the way of life, little fairy, or haven't you been paying attention?" Louis grinned, red eyes burning bright. "I find your altercations so entertaining! A callous boy with such little redeeming qualities, and a little fairy who goes about with glitters and sprinkles. You two are a comedic duo!"

Katie burned in the darkest shade of red Link had ever seen in her. "Link, hurt him. Hurt him so bad that he can't even think anymore."

So much as Link shared this animosity, he knew where it was coming from. "Stay focused," he urged. "Don't let him get to you."

"You have to beat him," she insisted, flakes rained beneath her.

"I will." He brandished his sword, loving that flicker of doubt that crossed Louis. For all his strength and muscles, for all the command and control he had over these people and over his shadows, it seemed that his spine was made up of jelly.

Katie fluttered higher, color replaced with a firm yellow. "Then let's do this!"

The first thing Louis shot at him were arrows. Their tails left straight lines of mists behind. Link easily dodged this, slashing them down. When the last arrow dropped, Link snorted. "That all you got, freak?"

"Not even close." Louis reached to his belt and pulled out a mighty blade hanging there, one that Link didn't notice with all that mist snaking around the king. The mighty blade was enough to make a Lynel jealous.

Link paused, and couldn't help but admire the finery of the sword. The color of the blade was so dark, it barely reflected light at all, as if it sucked it in instead. Better not get cut with that. Though Louis's blade was a great sword, he only used one hand for it, while the other was shrouded in bright flames.

"That's not regular fire," Katie said to Link. "His power is dark magic. It's hard to recover from it so don't let him hit you!"

A wave of fire came for Link and he rolled away from it. Louis rushed at him in a near blink of an eye, his legs turned immaterial for a moment, making him move across the ground. The legs solidified before he swung.

Link ducked underneath it. The attack left an opening but the king blenched back, teleporting further than he had to be. That moment of fright made Link chuckle. Here was the man—or creature, whatever he was—who spent his time harassing and terrorizing people, here was the Shadow King that had haunted everyone's dream.

"Aw, come on, your highness. You need to stay still for me," Link said archly.

More flames came at him in the form of balls. Link lifted his shield against them, and they banged over it, each making him step back. He thought of what Simon had told him about his master—that one sore spot.

"So how was life trapped in a tunic?" Link asked.

"Be silent!" Louis swung down, shattering the cobbles on the spot Link had just rolled off from

Link danced away lithely, chuckling. "Who put you there again? Oh right! It was—"

"Don't say his name!"

Link was almost killed. Louis moved much faster than he anticipated. Hard training instilled in him was what saved Link's side. His body moved before his mind could, lifting up his sword to fully block the attack. A stupid move.

Can't fully block a heavy attack, you dumbass! He snapped at himself.

The force threw him back and it took seconds for him to get on his feet. Still, the shock ran up his arm, traveling up his shoulder, reaching to his neck and made his teeth chatter. He acted quick by throwing a bomb, which he collected on his way here. It exploded right on Louis's face, making him curse out loud.

Link got away with his hookshot, Katie trailing after him.

"Don't aggravate him like that," she chided in a whisper, flushing in an anxious color. "He isn't like Banard, Link."

And not to mention Link was a bit wounded himself. He already took two red potions prior to the battle, and while he hasn't done a full count to see how many he had left, his medical bag was alarmingly light. Above all, he was out of blessing. He didn't like how he came to rely on its power, since he stayed alive all these years without it, but now he wished he spared at least one.

Louis's eyes matched the darkness around them, red light cutting through it like a dagger. He stared at Link with deep ire that was too ineffable for him to speak.

He really hates this guy, Link thought, amused.

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot?" Link grinned. "What's wrong? Wasn't he your big boss before?"

Louis yelled angrily, his sword moving like lightening. Link stopped laughing, leaping back when the large blade threw up bits of stone and dirt as it smashed the ground. Link held up his shield to block away the debris.

"I am the true God of Misery!" Louis bellowed. Faintly, Link could hear panicked cries coming from outside, which made Louis smile maliciously. The king raised his free hand which glowed brightly red, and he threw out more projectiles. Link raised his shield, jaw clenched as his feet slid back with every powerful thud.

"Link, what are you doing?" Katie hissed in his ear.

"Trying to piss him off," he grunted. "Let him see how it feels like to act up."

"This is different than Banard! Link, you need to listen to me!"

Link swung his sword at the incoming arrows and continued on with his levity. "You want to be a king that bad, huh? You must be pretty desperate. That's a cute crown you have there, but I hear Charles has a bigger one."

Louis made a low, rippling growl, mists boiling at his feet. Link would be lying if he said it didn't disturb him, as it sounded nothing like any creatures he had ever faced.

Louis vanished into thin mist.

Link tensed, tossing his head left and right with his breath stuck in throat. Shit, this wasn't good.

Katie started to scream and she never had the time to say his name. Link turned and barely managed to block the black sword that came for him from behind. The blow shoved him back, making him tumble over the ground, his shield falling after him.

He groaned, then went alert, rolling back when Louis came from above, his sword like an executioner's axe. The vibration zapped through Link, making his teeth clench. He managed to divert Louis's attention once more with more bombs to the face.

Louis shouted angrily and vanished into mists when Link tried tot cut him.

Teeming with frustration, Link snapped a look around. "Where the hell are you?"

The square stretched before him, mists streaming from the ground like weeds, flowing in the air like rivers. The bastard was playing him, making suggestive shapes in the mists.

"Bet you can't stand next to Charles! You think you're any better?" Link felt movement, a slight change of the wind, a whiff of a sharp scent. "He made you," Link said softly, jumping forward, out of the way.

Broken pieces of cobbles sprayed behind him when Louis's sword missed him. Link could feel the king's powers pressing him down, a strong urge to give up, to give into despair.

He turned to find Louis's gnarly face, wrinkled with brightening rage. Those red eyes glowed so bright they left trails behind them whenever he moved.

Link whistled. "You really don't like him, do you? Sheesh, what did the guy do to you?" He smirked. "Besides putting you in a fancy tunic, literally?"

Louis fired more projectiles with frightening accuracy. Link—without his shield—used his sword, swinging it back and forth. The arrows hissed as it made contact with the holy blade. Link ran along the side as he blocked in order to better his chances. Arrows sailed past his head, long and dark with fading smoke at their tails.

When Louis paused, obviously to charge up a concentrated attack, Link rolled forward, grabbing his shield and raising it just in time to block the attack.

Damn, this shield is good, Link thought. Kidon, the chief of Ordon, had given it to him in gratitude for saving his son Risel.

"You will die here today," Louis growled. "You will scream tonight. All of Hyrule will hear you."

"Does that include Charles?"

Louis moved like the wind, but he didn't use his sword this time. His hand blazed with fire, reaching to grab a surprised Link. Quickly, Link scrambled back, tripping on something that had him land flat on his back, which saved his life since Louis unleashed a blast of fire. The heat of it blew at Link's face.

When the attack ended, Link changed his grip on his sword and charged upward, only to meet empty space. He cursed angrily.

"Knock this shit off!" he shouted, turning to find no hint of Louis anywhere. "Where are you?"

"Here."

Link didn't block fully, but instead he skillfully used the side of his blade, skidding it against his opponent's weapon and guiding the larger sword away. It was similar to Sophia's block, when she uses her forearm to push away a fist from her face.

Link tried kicking Louis back, but his leg passed through the king, as if through smoke. Louis chuckled when Link lost his balance but regained it fast enough to twist away from the large hand blazing with fire.

Louis growled, losing his patience as Link dodged him a second time, then a third, and finally he used his hookshot to give them some time apart.

"Wonder what Charles will say about all of this? Think he'll be impressed?"

Louis's hand shook, glowing so bright with reddened flames that it shined over his dark face. Before Louis could even charge an attack, Link did him a favor of cooling his hands by firing an ice arrow. The king stumbled, hissing through his teeth as his hand steamed. His red eyes looked like they were about to burst.

"How does that feel?" Link asked, grinning. "Feel tough now?"

Link never thought of how severely he underestimated this thing.

When Louis teleported at him, Link dodged one attack from the blade, but Louis's free hand—now cold—backhanded him.

This was no simple blow. Not the kind a woman uses against an unfaithful man, or against a stranger who was becoming too friendly. It certainly wasn't one used in drama for effect. This could hardly be called a slap at all, for it was so much more. A slap was given by the palm, all fingers splayed out. Louis's hand was very large, very solid.

The only reason he hadn't been able to dislocate Link's jaw, the only reason why the force of the attack didn't turn Link's head all the way around—thus breaking his neck—was because of that ice arrow earlier. It weakened Louis's blow by a degree.

Link was not just thrown. He flew. A good five feet in the air, the wind rushing into his ears, the world blending to a blur around him. He slammed into a wall, then crumpled to the ground like a broken puppet. A thousand bells rang through his head, drowning out Katie and the crowd and the world.

The pain was magnificent. It was an icicle stabbing itself into his skull. His mind shut down, fixated only on that pain. He couldn't even feel his sword, clenched in his hand.

Louis stood before him, grinning wide enough to show full set of teeth. His dark blade rose up, mists steaming from the top of it. Link, in his addlepated state, only stared up.

Then he heard Katie shout something, the sound of her voice cutting through this monstrous pain consuming him. It didn't make any sense to Link, but he caught a shine of something that came out from him. A sense of serenity washed over him, a beautiful yellowish light that eased his heart. It had the opposite effect on Louis since the king vanished from sight and reappeared much farther.

"Link…Link!" Katie was in his ear, cutting through the ringing. "Link, you have to drink a potion. You have to drink one now!"

Link didn't understand what was going on. He could barely think through this. It was easier to listen to listen to her though and he moved as quickly as he could, feeling as if he was trudging through mud. The mysterious light died as he drank down a whole red potion.

Immediately, his vision sharpened as he came out wide awake and became all too aware of the incredible pain on his cheek. He grit his teeth, trying not to scream at it. His head spun and his chest wheezed in every effort to draw breath. The red potion will fix both of that in a minute, but right now he was just amazed he could survive such a blow.

Link got up, staggering badly and had to lean on his sword. He'll have to hope the potion will also kill off this headache.

Louis smiled broadly. "Do you think you feel my power now, boy? You think I will fall to you?"

Then why keep disappearing? Link thought, his mind stirring up like old gears. He could see that only one more potion was left among the empty ones, clinkering with each other.

Dammit, Silas, how much did you drink?

"And here I thought you'd be a challenge!" Louis bellowed, laughing. "I could kill you so easily without a blink! But that would be boring, wouldn't it? What was it you said? How many fingers are important?" The king stopped, his eyes narrowed when Link started to laugh. "You find it humorous, boy?"

"Humorous?" Link chortled and pointed a thumb at himself. "I made it out your catacomb in one piece, didn't I? Kill me without blinking, huh? How long have you been trying, freak?"

Louis bristled.

"You're gonna need a lot more than that to take me down." Link can't show how much this hurts. He could see it now in the way Louis smiled whenever he heard the crowd crying out.

The foundation of his powers rests solely on the fears that Hylains release. No wonder he was so damn powerful. He's been making a feast out of this town ever since he got his hands on Tristan.

So if Link faltered, if he allowed himself to be weak, he couldn't fathom how powerful Louis will become, since the king had herded the whole town to watch.

Link laughed. "That all you got for me, big guy? This is the Shadow King? What a joke!"

Louis glowered.

Good. Be mad. Link pointed his holy blade and to Louis's credit, he didn't flinch back, but he did look at it with discomfort. "Let's see how tough you really are. Who knows? Maybe you'll be tough enough to face him."

Mists steamed out from Louis's feet like angry fingers. "I am the true king!" he shouted. "He will not beat me, never! I will tear through this town and rise from its ashes as the King of Shadows!"

"You'll need to get passed me first," Link said, the red potion fixing up the rest of his pain, leaving behind a throb at his chest that he can work with.

A hard, cold smile crept to Louis's squared face. "With pleasure."

"And maybe good ol' Charles will come to visit."

Louis fell for it. He lunged out and at the same time, Link snapped his hand out, hookshot ready. Louis missed him as Link fired and moved, his sword out and moved like a blue ribbon, catching Louis by the arm.

The attack itself was almost pitiful. Really, a paper cut had more to show, but this simple cut—this touch of the sword—had Louis crying out.

Link grinned at that panicked sound, watching the king—for all his imposing figure—shrink back a little. His eyes even dimmed as they stared fearfully at the glowing sword that hissed with his blood on it.

"Oh, we're gonna have lots of fun," Link said with a wicked grin.

---

Silas held in his breath as he saw Grey set Sophia's dislocated shoulder. Her ankle was also swollen. From what Silas gathered, Louis had grabbed her and flung her away before she could even react.

It was good she had this chance to relax, as she was still in pain. Silas looked beyond the town square and saw the shadows were spread out, standing like statues. Some of them had vanished one by one, but there was still a fair amount to prevent a revolt.

He wants us to watch Link fall, Silas thought. To create an inextinguishable fear.

Link stood as their last and final hope against this evil.

"How do you feel?" Silas asked his sister, knowing how stupid it sounded. She looked just as if she'd crawled out a battlefield, blood dry on her face, attire stained in mud.

"Shit," she said plainly, wincing as she sat up. "But nothing I can't live with."

Someone had given her a potion earlier, and offered Silas one, but Silas couldn't bring himself to take it. He had no right to take it. He couldn't even look at his people.

"Is what he say true, lad?" Grey asked. He stood near the dome, obviously frustrated at his impotence. There hadn't been anything he couldn't defeat, and now he was forced to lay down his sword and watch the show.

He looked over at the twins, blood over his armor, his cloak torn off and one gauntlet gone. The arm had stopped bleeding and he saw it tended to.

"We…we didn't know until Tristan nearly burned the manor down," Silas said, swallowing. "Sally…Sally confessed to everything."

"She really killed Lawrence?" Grey said softly. "That part was true?"

"She claimed it was an accident." Silas couldn't bear to hold his gaze and looked away. Grey cursed and people began to whisper

"I'm sorry," Silas said softly. "I…"

"It's not our fault," Sophia said, looking at them all as if daring them to contradict her. None of them did. No one would dare.

"No, it isn't," Grey said and he seemed sorrowful. Silas knew exactly as he felt. Everyone else did.

Many here had loved Irela, worshipped her, and now that they knew the truth, they didn't know what to do or what to say. Even after Sophia was vindicated, no one gave her an apology or even meet her gaze.

"Are…are we going to be okay?" a timid woman asked.

After Link was nearly taken in that terrifying blow, their rising hope has been brought under the boot. Even when Link stood up from that blow with his same, unwavering fortitude, people began to have their doubts. And when there was doubt, there was bound to be panic.

And it was already starting.

Someone cried. "We're going to die. It's over!"

"My daughter is out there somewhere!"

"What will we do?"

Bit by bit, people began to voice out their terror, which encouraged others do the same. All of this bore down on Silas. Parents, lovers, neighbors, parents, children—they were out there still while the rest of them were forced to watch some show that could very well destroy whatever hope they had left.

"My Lord, what should we do?"

Silas was surprised to find an old man ask him that. Everyone else turned to him.

"I…I am no Lord," Silas said gently, looking at his sister who only shrugged helplessly before he turned to the crowd. "You needn't call me a Lord anymore."

"Then what the hell were doing out there then?" Grey demanded, startling Silas. "Going up there to him? He could've killed you!"

"I just—I had to do something!" Silas argued. "I couldn't let him get away with this! You know that, Grey! Besides, I meant what I said. I plan to do everything I could to stop him, even if it means my death."

"Me too." Sophia stood up, leaning against the side of the building, a hand to her shoulder. "That thing isn't going to stroll here and leave ashes behind him."

Grey looked furious enough that it made Silas wince. "If he kills you two, then what the hell do you think would've happened to the rest of us? If you aren't nobles, then you shouldn't act like one!"

Silas felt as if the captain had smacked him. "But I just…"

"We are nobles," Sophia snapped, glaring at the crowd. "You think we need titles for it? We don't even need true blood! I said I'll protect you and I said it as a Lady! I'm not going to wait around, let someone else do it because my mother happened to be a…she was…"

"A commoner," Silas said helpfully, nodding to her. "We may not be of noble blood, but we won't leave you alone." He addressed the crowd with a severe expression. "We cannot give into despair. That's how he wins. That's how he always wins. Whenever we feel vulnerable and fear, he will add our weakness to his strength."

Silas snapped a look at his captain who had his arms crossed. "So what if I'm not a noble? I was still born here! I'm not going to let a madman ravage my home!"

"But…what if Link loses?" someone asked meekly.

"Even if Link loses, we still fight," Silas said. "Even when we lose our loved ones, even when we know that we will be next, we must keep fighting. We mustn't give up hope. We have to believe that Link will win."

He regarded the dome. The black wall was transparent enough to let them see through it clearly. Louis staggered from Link, his arm bleeding. The king's posture lacked confidence and strength despite his towering figure.

"Link will win," Silas said, knowing this is true, "because he is the Chosen One. He is risking his life to free us!"

"Our town is not dead," Sophia insisted. "We are still alive."

"The moment we give up hope," Silas said, "is the moment this town is finished. Have faith in our Goddess's champion. He won't lose to that monster. He will save us."

"And even if he doesn't, then I will. To my last breath, I will fight against that monster."

Silas took a deep breath, thinking of the days when he had lost his father, the sudden weight of duty that nearly crushed him. His sister had been there, holding up most of the weight behind him. And he never even knew.

"I may not be your rightful Lord," Silas said, "but I will be for this night. This night alone." He turned and found his captain smiling slightly. The nerve of the man! He riled him up on purpose!

"What is your command?" Grey asked. "My Lord?"

It felt good. It felt good to be put back in charge, to make something happen. "Attend to the injured, see to it that no one gets desperate enough to try and escape passed those shadows."

"The shadows have us surrounded."

"They're spread thin though," Silas noted, frowning slightly as he saw some of the shadows disappearing.

There had been a lot more before, much more. The shadows stood there as sentries, standing a few meters away from each other. It wouldn't be possible to run passed them and escape, unless your feet can turn to mist that glide across the ground.

Sophia gasped sharply. "Simon!" she shrieked. "Simon! Where is he?"

Silas couldn't face her. The king had thrown Simon so far from the square that the landing couldn't have been clean. "Sophia…"

"He is alive," she insisted. "I know he is."

"What is he?" Grey asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"He could talk!" someone cried.

"He must have magic."

"Sorcery!"

"A demon!"

"He is no demon," Sophia seethed and people went silent. "He was a Hylian, like he rest of us."

"Louis had him turned into a cat, as a curse," Silas said. "For some reason, Sophia had been the only one to hear him."

Maybe it wasn't so random, now that he thought about it. No darkness could touch her, so that might include curses too.

"I have to find him." Sophia pushed herself off the wall, cringing at her ankle.

Grey caught her before she could trip. "You can't think of going out there! The shadows—"

"I will kill those things," she said through clenched teeth. "Right down to the last one."

"She could make them disappear," a woman said softly.

"The Lady of Shadows."

"She saved my life."

People gazed upon her, with none of the animosity from before. If Link was somehow defeated, then Sophia could take his place as a beacon of hope.

Though, Silas knew his sister was Hylain first. "Sophia," he said softly, "you can't go out there by yourself. We can't leave our people behind."

Her face fell and she turned to look at the nearby shops that surround them. Standing in the roads were more shadows. "But…Simon…he has to be out there…"

"I'll go."

The crowd parted to let a guard through. Grey sounded as if he had something stuck in his throat. "Alex! You're still kicking?"

The man nodded. Grey's right hand man seemed to be doing a little better, though he had blood running down from a gasp on his cheek. He was one of those who'd been fostered by Sheikahs, thus making him skillful even more than Sophia.

"I will find your pet, my Lady."

"He is no pet," Sophia said firmly. "He is my friend and he was once Hylain." She paused, turning to Silas. "If Louis dies, do you think Simon's curse would be lifted?"

"I should think so," Silas said.

"Find him," Sophia told Alex. "Please."

"You're fine with that?" Grey asked him. "Getting past our security over there won't be easy."

Alex nodded. "His Lordship is not wrong. The shadows are spreading thinly. Just moments ago, I've seen a large group of them disappear at the same time."

Silas perked up. "When was this?"

"Some twenty minutes ago."

Silas hummed, rubbing his chin. "Interesting. Grey, I need you to do something for me."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I need someone to keep track of how many shadows are appearing and disappearing. Make note of their action. I need another scout to keep a critical eye on the battle between Link and Louis. I want to know if and when the Shadow King uses any special attack."

Grey paused. "You think he's using the shadows to give him a boost?"

"It's plausible," Silas said. "Link did point it out, and Louis didn't deny it either. His main source of power comes from fear. Those shadows are fear, misery and pain at its purest form, stripped from everything they'd once been."

And what a horrifying discovery to know that those shadows had been people once. Now they lost their souls, reduced into nothing but empty husks, and still Louis was not done with them.

"How many shadows have you all seen?" Silas asked, looking around. "Do you know the total?"

Some said tens, others dozens, someone even said thousands, but Silas figured that he couldn't rely on their answers. These people were frightened out of their wits, so their mind was likely to exaggerate the danger. He took in the deviation that there were dozens of shadows.

None of them were the missing hunters, not yet. There was still a chance to save them, but Link had to beat Louis before dawn, otherwise the souls who have been the first to be sacrificed would turn into shadows.

Sally…Sally could still be saved.

No, stay focused.

If there were, let's say, a hundred shadows, then that crossed out the option to run. As of right now—as twisted as it sounds—they wee all safe as a group. If this group turned into splinters, then it would be chaos all over again.

"This could be a trick though," Silas warned, all too aware of what some folks might be thinking. They could use this low security as a chance to escape.

Louis could be doing all this on purpose, lowering the defense of his shadows, daring anyone to use this chance. If there were really hundreds of shadows and they weren't being used to replenish Louis's energy, then they could be hiding all over town, waiting to spring on anyone. That sounded possible, knowing Louis's sadistic taste.

It did assure Silas a little. If his corroboration about Louis using his shadows for strength is true, then that could mean trouble for Link.

"You will have a hard time looking for Simon," Silas said, knowing it would be pointless. Andrew could very well be dead. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Do what?" Sophia asked, confused.

"I will bring the cat back," Alex said. "Or move him to someplace safer."

"Do that then." Silas faced the others. "I want guards tending to people as soon as possible. We need to pool in our resources. No matter what, no one break off the group. If you do, you die."

There were a few who didn't seem to listen, sitting there and staring above his head. But Silas was surprised to find that there were others willing to take his orders. They wanted to do something, fight back in any way they can.

For those who couldn't do anything, he told them to pray. Pray and remove the fear from their hearts.

"If that don't make you a Lord, then I don't know what does," Grey said to him quietly, as they watched apothecaries tending to those too weak or too shocked to move. "I couldn't get them to listen to me for two seconds."

"Why didn't you leave town?" Silas asked. "Didn't Sally warn you?"

"We never caught sight of her at all when the manor was nearly burned to the ground," Grey said and gave him a brief summary of how the last few hours before the reckoning happened. There were people who hadn't wanted to leave, and so they stayed. "It ain't your fault, lad. They weren't listening anyways. I bet they wouldn't even move if you told them."

Silas closed his eyes. He couldn't describe what he felt for Louis. Even now, just standing nearly a quarter of a mile from the creature, Silas could still see his sinister grin.

"No," Silas said, opening his eyes. "He wouldn't have let us leave anyways."

"There are still people out there." Grey gestured to the buildings that seemed so distant, as if the town square was an island of its own. "Trapped."

"Then they will stay trapped till Link finishes this fight."

"I thought the boy wasn't a hero."

Silas sighed. "Well, he loves to surprise us."

Sophia groaned softly, sliding down from the wall. Grey went to over to her quickly. "You need to relax."

"But Simon…" She cringed, hissing through her teeth. "Simon. I need to get to him. He can talk. Really."

"I know," he said gently. "I know, Sophia. I…" He stopped, choking off.

"What? What's wrong?"

It showed in his eyes. There was so much he wanted to say to her, a whole book of it. Instead he took her hand, patting it. "You were always…the best out of all of us," he whispered. "Always the best. None of us deserve you, Goddess knows we don't."

Silas averted his eyes.

Sophia didn't seem like she understood. "What are you talking about? Of course you do."

"We don't. We never did."

She paused. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because…I'm starting to think we deserve this."

"Deserve…" Sophia gasped and then grabbed his arm. "What is wrong with you? Don't you ever say this to me! Whatever you did, I don't care so don't say you deserve to die!"

Grey stared at her, remorseful.

"Don't…don't die, please," Sophia said softly, looking smaller than before. "Don't die, okay? You…you made a promise. You're not looking for an early grave—"

"—but an early retirement." Grey smiled and kissed her hand. "I'm not leaving you, never again."

Sophia smiled. It was a smile that broke out from the darkest cloud, daring to shine in the face of despondency.

They did have hope. It was what Louis sought out for. He would only take it away if they let him.

With that in mind, Silas gave out new orders, telling them to brew potions with the equipment they have. Fortunately, they stood at the perimeters of the town square, meaning that they were at the heart of the marketplace. There were stores nearby, away from the shadow territory, so he sent out the runners to retrieve anything they could find.

With nervous hope, rest of the villagers sat by the dome, watching. The air started to change scent from putrid retch to medicine as potions bubbled in small pots. Silas glanced up at the dark sky, wondering if he would ever see the sun.

Because even if his people lived through this night, he would not be among them.

Silas sat next to his sister, changing the dressing over her ankle. The potion was doing its job. Even with knowing that his fate was set, even with Link fighting for them, Silas fought through this unshakable fear building in him. He kept against a cough, as it would make a show of his illness.

It just saddened him that he may never see his sister again. He had to tell her how much she meant to him, how much he loved her, but he can't say any of it without it sounding like a goodbye.

"Did you drink a potion?" Sophia asked.

There was no point. None of the potions they had would be enough to save him. Why would he waste them on himself? Just to satisfy her, he nodded.

It's always about someone else for her…never about herself…

He wanted to tell her how happy, how blessed he was, to have a sister like her. He never ever should've taken her for granted. He could've cried since he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to make up for five years lost. Even worse, he was going to leave her alone, again, in this terrible world.

"S-Sophia—" He stopped when she stiffed. A guard was making his way to them, taking urgent steps but Silas could guess his message.

"I think Link is in trouble," Sophia said lowly, looking at the wall that separated them from the fight. Silas couldn't see anything as he was sitting down. A part of him was afraid to see. It didn't matter though since the scout confirmed Silas's fear.

Link had lost.

---

Link was winning.

At first.

After that quick recovery following that terrifying blow, Katie saw Link was careful with his advancements. However, that didn't mean he was going to stop with his wit.

Louis's rage released waves of raw energy into the air, some of which affected Katie. To her, it felt like trying to swim through thick mud. The influence did cease slightly when she muttered some verses of the holy book. They really did underestimate Louis's powers. If Link falls to this thing…

He won't lose. She was confident in him. He faced monsters before, he faced a commander.

But this is different, Katie though. He had Ruto's help in that. Now he's alone.

She wished Sophia were here. This darkness wouldn't be enough to slow her down, and she'd be able to knock Link's head if he started acting up.

"Cute crown," Link quipped. "Make it yourself?"

Louis's hand blackened with dark flames. Link danced away from the vicious attacks, bringing his sword at Louis and the king acted likewise. Obviously, this wasn't Link's first time battling someone bigger than him. He could handle it…right?

Katie winced at the violent thrash of the two metals. The Master Sword steamed when it met the black steel, as if…as if Louis's sword wasn't steel at all, but made from pure magic.

"You will choke on that tongue!" Louis spat.

Link crackled. "Aw, am I hitting a sore spot?"

He's really pushing it, Katie thought uneasily, watching those orange flames boiling to red.

Link jerked back from another blow, his smile broadening. "Being in a tunic the whole time must've sucked, huh? Look at you, fighting like an old man! Shouldn't you—"

"SILENCE!" Louis swung his sword, his reach far greater than Link's. Link wouldn't have moved in time, but instead used his hookshot to get away from the range. A powerful gust of wind drew up from Louis's great sword, throwing back dirt. It nearly knocked Katie out from the air.

Link landed smoothly on his feet. "You know something. I really hope my tunic doesn't end up smelling like you."

"I could've given you that tunic," Louis sneered, lifting up his blade and pointing it at him. Mists steamed in long fingers off the sword's length. "I could've given you that and more, much more."

Even Katie scoffed. "Yeah, right! You just wanted to use him!"

Link snorted. "You can't even fight Charles by yourself. You need my help to do it," he said flatly. "Trying to pin me and him up, then you'll come by and take the winner. Some King of Shadows you turned out to be."

The air grew thicker; dark mists rose, dancing a few inches from the ground like hands. The king stood, staring at Link and practically seething through his teeth. It must've been a while since someone got under his skin.

"What's the matter? Don't like the truth?" Link sighed. "Seriously, what isyour obsession with the guy? Pretty sure being trapped in a tunic is better than dying."

"Be silent," Louis snarled. "You cannot imagine a life in that prison. An ultimate offence that I will never forgive!"

"You did kind of betray him," Katie pointed out uneasy. Louis's plan had been simple. He made Simon—Andrew—steal the tunic from the Haidrunds nearly two decades ago, thinking he could use it to get the hero up against Charles. It wouldn't matter who would win since Louis will later kill the victor.

Louis's teeming red eyes nearly froze her into place. "Only because I realized my true potential, one that he refuses to acknowledge! I am no longer a man, nor am I a shadow!" He glared at Link who snorted loudly. "I could have made use of you, hero. I could have made you a commander or—"

"I'm no hero," Link cut him off, his eyes narrowed.

The king paused abruptly, staring at him. Then he laughed.

The chilling laughter distorted the mists. They'd been flowing mellifluously from the ground and then jittered, wavelength uneven as if someone swept a hand through them. Katie glinted a bit white while Link went red.

"What's so funny?" Link demanded.

Louis threw his head back, his laughter doubling.

Link grounded his teeth, and ran over to the king, swinging his sword that cut through dark mists where Louis vanished seconds early. When the king spoke, his voice resonated from the entire vicinity, not giving a clear indication on where he might be.

"You're afraid."

"What?" Link kept looking around and so did Katie, but they found nothing. Something was so wrong with this. She felt cold all over.

"Afraid." Louis's voice deepened with pleasure as he crackled.

"Shut your mouth! I'm not afraid!" Link snapped.

"Link, don't let him get to you," Katie quivered, a chilling breeze stroking her orb.

"He-ro," Louis sang, his voice echoing into the empty space.

"I'm not a hero! Shut up!" Link shouted, ignoring Katie's attempts to calm him down. "Where the hell are you, bastard? You can't fight me like a man?"

Katie turned white when she saw one stream of mist, one that was coming from the ground, suddenly going distorted as if something was passing through it. "Link, watch out!"

It came with an alarming speed, whistling in the air. Link surprised her by how fast he reacted, jumping over to the side where the arrow sped inches from flesh. Link staggered back.

"Fear." Louis appeared before Link, grinning. The king towered before him like a mountain.

Link bristled. "I'm not afraid!"

Louis parried another of Link's attacks easily. Whirling, Link held his sword in two hands, shield strapped at his back as he missed Louis. He must've forgotten that he couldn't touch Louis since he tried shoving him by the shoulder. Louis's form flickered, as if he were a reflection on water's surface. His form then solidified once Link passed through him.

Louis chuckled, then vanished by the time Link scrambled to his feet. "You're afraid of being a hero."

This was a trap. Katie could feel it. "Link, you have to stop!" she screamed. "Something's not right! He's trying to get at you!"

Link stopped. He breathed in heavily, his hands gripping the sword hard enough to make the knuckles go white. Still, even in his angered state, he nodded to her, assuring her that he wasn't far gone.

They searched around for the king, demanding him to come out and fight. From outside the dome, Katie could make out the outlines of the survivors, all of them watching. She could feel their anxiety.

"The boy is afraid of being a hero," Louis said delightfully, again his voice echoed out everywhere around them. "And here I thought nothing could faze you. Color me surprised!"

"I'm not afraid," Link said slowly, through clenched teeth.

Louis finally showed himself, appearing a good distance away from Link. The large man held out an open hand and began firing something longer than arrows. Spears. And they looked much stronger now.

He's feeding off Link's fear!

As if reading her mind, Louis chuckled. "Fear is a Hylian's weakness, little fairy! Let's see what makes your hero tick!"

Link brought this sword down at the first spear. Another zipped past his head, one went at his side, ripping out the clothing and missing his skin. Link stumbled then righted himself. All the while, Katie watched the battle with great apprehension, trying to think of Louis's weakness, trying to see any blind spots.

But how could you beat someone like Louis?

How could you stop someone who uses the fear of people as strength?

Louis stopped his advancements and tried something else. This time, rather than attacking outright, he raised up a small group of shadows. They formed from the mists that were streaming off the ground, melding to make half a dozen. Their forms were solid and fixed, unlike that when they first appeared in Desmera. Not a flicker of mist steamed from their form. Their sickly red eyes fixated on Link, mouth opening in a snarl.

Link narrowed his eyes. "Need someone to do our bidding for you, eh? Can't face me head on? King of Shadows my ass!"

Louis ignored that. He watched with keen interest as Link fought against his shadows that were far more aggressive and truculent than before. Blood gleaned over Link's forearm when a claw scratched from elbow down to his wrist.

More and more shadows emerged. It was incredible how Link kept fighting them without looking overwhelmed. His feet were swift and quick, his body flexible. The holy blade beamed.

"Yes, I can smell it," Louis uttered, sounding astonished. "Regret…nothing but regret."

Link growled, cutting through a shadow.

"I can't access your mind like in the catacomb but I still feel it. So much regret in you. How is it that you still want to live? What's driving you this far?"

Link couldn't answer. With every shadow he slain, two more showed up. Soon, the shadows were surrounding him, and Katie had to take to the upper ground, fighting against the hidden force that tried to push her down.

"L-Link," Katie croaked.

"Go and defeat them, hero! Shouldn't you be the strongest of them all?" Louis laughed. "Guilt, fear, regret, doubt—"

"SHUT UP!"

Link extended his sword out and spun, his sword forming a blue ring around him. The shadows cried as the blade tore through their ranks. The magnificent blow forced the rest of the shadows back.

It left Link with enough space and time to take out his hookshot and throw himself to Louis. He wasn't even thinking anymore. None of her words could ever reach him now.

"Poor Agnes," Louis said softly. "She's dead, boy. She's dead and it's all your fault."

Link shouted angrily, lifting his sword while the hookshot continued to drag him over at the king. His tunic was shredded in some places, darkening with blood.

Louis smiled.

"Link, it's a trap!" Katie tried to run for him but there was no way she could outmatch his speed.

Louis dissipated, the holy blade stabbed through a dark cloud he left behind. Link pulled back his hookshot, but he didn't need to keep looking around for long. Louis appeared behind him and fired a single arrow.

And the arrow went into Link's chest.

"NO!" Katie screamed.

Link stumbled. No blood spilled from the wound. Actually, there was no wound at all. Almost like the arrow just went through his skin. It didn't go out the other way like it did with Sophia.

The Master Sword clattered on the ground. Link's mouth was open, frozen in a silent scream. His hand slowly reached up to touch his chest.

"I wonder about your soul," Louis said, as Link collapsed to his knees soundlessly. "This hatred and anger within you, it's incredible. How could the Goddess pick you?"

Katie went by Link's side. "Link, snap out of it!"

Link wouldn't listen. She doubted that he could even see her. As if the pain was unbelievable, he lowered his head, gasping.

"Aren't you curious to know, little fairy?" Louis asked, smiling at her. "Don't you remember how he treated you? Don't you want to get him back, just a little bit?"

"Oh, no you don't!" Katie reddened. "You're not fooling me this time, you monster! I won't let you manipulate me!"

"And I won't let you lie to me," he said, his smile melting as his eyes narrowed. "Despite being born of pure light, there is darkness sleeping inside of you."

That can't be. She is the fairy of the Goddess! No darkness should exist in her.

Then she remembered how she would act up in the catacomb, all of those horrid and toxic thoughts parading in her mind as if they belonged there…

"Your Goddesses have forsaken you, child."

Her color dimmed. "No, they haven't! Link will beat you!"

Katie froze when she saw Link clenching the front of his shirt. He kept taking these choking gasps as if someone was strangling him. Saliva dripped down his mouth.

"Link, what's wrong?" Katie trembled. Never had she been more aware of her uselessness.

"Do you feel it, hero?" Louis grinned. "All you hopelessness, all of that self-hatred, do you feel all of it coming back?"

Katie went in front of Link, glowing white. "You-you leave him alone!"

"I don't know what your past hides," Louis continues, "but I know your pain stems from your childhood. Tell me, what brought forth such exquisite pain? You're practically a powerhouse!"

"Stop it!" Katie shouted. "Leave him alone!"

Link croaked out a cry, gasping.

"I couldn't help but wonder why you take such pleasure when you bring pain to others." Louis rubbed his chin, pretending to think. "Ah, could it be because you're suffering? Could it be that you just can't stand to see joy and happiness, emotions that you could never have? After all, misery does love company. When you have too much of it, you need to let it out before it could destroy you."

"Agnes…" Link pleaded in a weak voice, curled up on the ground still on his knees.

"Link, you have to get up!" Katie went down to his level, sparkles flaking out from her. "You can't lose to him!"

"Agnes…"

"Your dog isn't here," Louis said. "She's dead."

Link froze. His hands dropped to his side and he seemed as if he lost all senses in him. He stared up, blue eyes dull.

"And now everyone will die because of you, hero." Louis raised his hand and Katie heard screams.

Behind the veil of the dome, she saw startled movements and those that were closest to watch the fight were struck down by another faster, darker figure.

"No, no!" Katie screamed as she heard cries and panic coming from the other side. "You can't do that! The deal—"

"You think darkness makes deals?" Louis asked, amused. "You think darkness is fair?"

Link glanced up, face paled even further when he saw what was happening. "No," he uttered breathlessly.

"The worst pain of a hero—"

"Stop it!" Some life sparked into Link as he stared at the chaos. "Stop it!"

"—is not being strong enough, not being able to protect anyone." Louis looked down at him, eyes aglow. "These people will die because of you, hero. Why didn't you save them? Do you know the extent of the trust they've put into you?"

"Stop it, you shit!" Link tried getting up but pain tightened on his face and he ended up falling.

Suddenly, strands of mists grew from the ground around him, shy at first but then grew bold. They wrapped around his fingers, going up his arms like vines. Link stared at Louis, terrified and angry. There was some fight in him, but the mists grew tighter and that spark slowly shrunk.

"You don't refuse your destiny," Louis said. "You're just afraid to accept it."

Link weltered and the mists eagerly grew over him like chains. He didn't even fight back, only staring at the people he couldn't save. Soon, he was swallowed, buried in duress underneath a small, black dome with mists curling from the top before dropping back down to keep its shape.

"No," Katie uttered weakly, slowly descending from the air. "No, Link…"

The cries from outside grew faint as the world grew dark.

"Such a delicate fairy," the king noted with a sad tone. "Have you never witnessed such horrors in your life? This is the true colors of the world! All of this could've been obviated if only your princess had done her duty!"

Katie was on the ground. The mists from Link crept to her like snakes.

"Well, it could've gone much different if you haven't failed to bring her a hero! Now she's dead. The world will follow her because of you! You have failed your country!"

They…they lost…

Hyrule was finished….

Oh, it hurts. Katie never thought it could be possible to feel this much agony. The world around her began to blur. It hurts. It hurts. Oh Goddess, make it stop.

She saw the shape of Louis's grand blade turning for Link. He raised it up, his smile so wide she saw glints of his white teeth. And then…it stopped.

Someone entered into Katie's field of vision. Someone faster, someone unexpected who jumped at the king, whirled around to deliver an incredible roundhouse kick. Link couldn't manage to physically touch the king, but this person did. Despite the king's solid built, he was shoved back, nearly losing his balance.

Katie's vision sharpened and the mists around her cleared. Even the screams lessened with the king being hurt and shocked.

Sophia stood, face blackened with fury. Her knuckles dripped with blood, her hair flowed at her back. In each hand, her daggers glinted in the night.

---

The first shadow tackled a small man next to her. Razor claws ran through him, silencing his screams in seconds. Any order Sophia's brother maintained was smashed to splinters. People screamed, breaking out of the group.

"What's happening?" Silas demanded, looking to see shadows attacking from afar. "Louis is attacking us now?"

"Link had lost," the scout repeated, hesitating. His eyes grew with fear.

Sophia narrowed her eyes and it took a lot not to shake the messenger. "What do you mean he's lost? What's that ass up to now?"

Silas weltered, his face growing very pale. "Link…Link is dead?"

"He can't be dead! This is Link!"

Sophia spun at a shadow who tried to get behind her. Screams were raised to a pitch as more of the creatures showed up. Pots of potions spilled out, steaming liquid ran down the cobbles.

The sheer number of shadows surprised her, but it didn't stop her from cutting them down. One loomed over Grey who had fallen back, his sword uselessly going through the shadow. Sophia ran over to him, tearing through the creature and helped the stunned captain to his feet.

"You really could…" Grey trailed off, staring at her as if her head had grown bigger. "How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

Sophia stopped and saw what had become of their group. There were fresh corpses of those who'd been alive minutes ago. Supplies were strewed over the ground, trampled over.

Her face fell. "This can't be…"

"Link had fallen," Silas uttered.

"Link fell?" Sophia couldn't believe that. "He let himself get defeated?"

"I-I don't know."

How then? Was it because he didn't ask her for help? She remembered puzzles in the catacomb, Link being too stubborn and too thick in the head to cooperate. Was all of this happening, were people dying, because Link got himself killed?

No. No, there's no way.

She fought by his side after all. Anyone who fought like that wouldn't get killed this easily.

Only a small fraction of the crowd behind that stayed with the captain and the twins. Sophia didn't mind them. She didn't comfort them, as she turned sharply to the dome.

"Sophia, what are you—" Silas yelped when she threw a fist at the dome.

It was like punching through a brick wall. Pain shot through her knuckles, stinging her hands. She barely stopped to register it, the feeling numb.

"Sophia!" Grey grabbed her wrist before she could go at it again. "Are you mad?"

"This is cheating!" she snapped, staring at the shadows who had chased down her people. Thin trails of red streamed behind as they lashed ahead. "If he's going to cheat, then so am I!" She turned to the dome, her anger taking over her mind. "I'm going to kill him for this! Him and Link!"

"Sophia—"

"I won't let him get away with this!"

She trusted Link with this battle, so how dare of him to lose? How dare of him to put her people through this?

Her knuckles glistened with red at the forth blow, splattering over the cold wall. She could it hear it now: a clinkering sound like glass. She punched again, and cracks began to spread.

"You're doing it!" Silas exclaimed.

"We ought to get you someplace safe, lad," Grey said.

"I'm not going anywhere without her! Sophia, please don't do anything rash!"

She could barely hear them. "Damn you," she growled. The raucous sounds of the invasion only raised that fury. "I'm coming for you, you son of a bitch!"

Her fist finally made it through and she now began to claw at the gap, widening it enough to fit through. She barely noticed her torn fingernails, or the scratches made from squeezing her way in.

The town square seemed broader without the bustling activity of people. The inner markets and stalls were eerily empty, display windows shattered, and the customers lay on the ground, cold.

She found who she was looking for. Louis had his sword raised but she didn't notice for what. By the time he saw her, it was too late for him to react. She leaped up and kicked him. With a size as his, he should be as firm as a rock, but Sophia had lots of practice on trees and boulders.

She didn't stop there. Jumping, one leg hooked on his torso and one hand on his hair, she brought up her dagger down to his chest, over and over. Black blood smeared across her face, as the steel tore through the jerkin.

The king managed to throw her off, and she twisted in the air, landing on her feet. Dirt churned up.

No hint of pain crossed the king, but that shock was enough. "H-how did you get in?"

"I will kill you," she uttered, voice gone hoarse and rough. "Stop the shadow attacks right fucking now."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you will suffer. I will make you suffer so bad that even the Goddesses will want to save you from me."

Louis hesitated before scoffing. "Silly girl, you can stab me all you want with that little stick, but only the holy power could taint me."

Holy power? Wait, who had holy power again?

Then she remembered. "Where's Link?"

Louis stepped aside to reveal a thick cloud of mist. They were coiling, flowing around this little dome. It looked familiar; for some reason, she had a sudden, irrational fear that her brother may be inside there.

"What...what is that?" Sophia asked, anger drained.

"Your hero."

"Who?"

He frowned. "Link."

"Oh." She paused, looking at the ball of mist and cocked her head to the side. "Wait, where is he?"

"He's inside!" Louis snapped. "Goodness, you really aren't bright, are you?"

"Shut up. What's he doing in there? What did you do to him?"

Louis fired an arrow. It came zipping at Sophia and her hand rose instinctively to cut it with her dagger. She lunged at him, but he disappeared in a cloud of mist. His voice spoke from all around. "You're too late to save him now! Watch as I bring your town to its knees!"

She nearly replied when a small voice uttered out her name, "S-Sophia…"

Sophia turned and saw something glittering on the ground. The color grew faint, a mixture of pink and white. "Katie," Sophia uttered.

The fairy seemed tiny on the ground, mists streaming past and her glow barely made it through. "Link…Link is…" Katie cried out in pain. "I'm sorry."

The mists danced almost tauntingly, never straying far from its dome. Sophia faced it and tried to get inside, but a force so strong and sudden shoved her back. She was in the air, her reflexes kicking in and she landed on her feet several feet back.

Louis chuckled. "What are you going to—"

"Shut. Up. I'll deal with your ass in a second." Sophia forgot about her first attempt and then remembered it when she was shoved back much harder than before. "What is this?"

"He won't let anyone in." Louis looked so very pleased with himself, his grin twisting his dark face and brightening those crimson eyes. "Nothing can save him because he has no desire to be saved. Do you understand?"

Sophia gritted her teeth and picked up Katie once more before she forgot the little thing. "Katie, I need you to help me."

So cold. It was like holding a piece of ice. "I can't do anything…I'm so…useless…"

"You're not useless! You're just as smart as Silas!"

"There's no hope." Katie's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "We're all going to die."

"We're not going to die!" Sophia snapped, shaking the fairy. "I've had enough of people saying that!" Her fist left behind trails of white sparkles. Soon, colors began to mix in, like adding paint to a puddle, and eventually Katie grew sickly green, uncertain yellow and anxious pink.

"Ow! That hurts! Stop doing that!"

"I will only when you snap out of it!"

"Sophia, I am! I'm getting dizzy!"

"Good. We need to help Link!" Sophia held the addlepated fairy in front of her. "He needs our help so I need you think of something quick."

A dark voice rumbled behind them. "Do you think I'll let you?" Louis asked coldly.

Sophia leaped to the side. A broad sword, like an axe, came swinging down, cracking the earth. Irritated, she kicked him back, pushing herself away from him. She ran over to the small dome where Link was held.

"We need to get through that," Sophia said, tossing a look to see Louis growling at them. "Any ideas?"

Katie hesitated. "I-I don't—"

"Katie, I need you to work with me! Do you have an idea or not?"

"The Triforce," Katie said, glowing yellow. "I used it before and Louis backed off, but I-I don't remember the words for some reason…"

"You do remember. You're just scared. It's okay to be scared but you have to be brave." Sophia turned sharply to Louis. "Stay here and work on it. I'll keep him busy."

Louis grounded his teeth, his great sword steaming of black mist. "You are interfering," he growled. "Why are you doing this?"

"A stupid question." Sophia swiped out her daggers and pointed one at him. "I should ask you the same thing but I have a feeling I won't like the answer."

"Your efforts are lauded," he admitted, "but you can't see how pointless it is? You don't see my servants ridding your subjects?"

Sophia nearly spat at him. "Desmera will never fall to a disgusting thing like you. Really, who the fuck do you think you are? A king? Only because you have that fancy jewel on your head?"

It was a small, ivory thing with its points jutting up on all sides. She went at him, and side stepped so his sword could sail past. The king made himself vanish whenever she got too close for comfort, though she got ready at one point.

When he appeared again, he brought his sword to a horizontal attack. She leaped up from it, the blade continuing its course beneath. She pulled herself up in the air and planted both feet in his face. Before pushing herself off, she grabbed hold of his crown.

Louis's eyes brightened like furnaces when he saw it in her hand. She smiled at him. The metal was good material, though it bended in her fist.

"Hand it over," the king said, trying to sound steady but his words rumbled in his throat, hissing out his clenched teeth.

Sophia dropped it and smashed it under her foot. "You're no king," she mocked. "You're only a scared little man who hides behind power. That's what you are." Sophia gave him a smile then giggled behind her hand. "It's not even funny but I just have to laugh, only because I think you're pathetic."

Louis disappeared and reappeared in a blink of an eye. Before she could react, he grabbed her neck and raised her up, her feet kicking when it left the ground. She squirmed around, gasping.

"I don't know how you could hide your darkness," Louis growled. "But I will make sure you drown in it before this night—" He screamed, more in surprise than in measurable pain when she socked her dagger right in his eye.

His hand loosened and she brought her foot to his face, making him stumble back, the hole in his eye reforming to normal while Sophia rubbed her red neck, taking in slow and deep breaths.

Louis seemed as if he might attack her but he blenched back, true fear in his eyes. "No!"

Light, coming from behind her.

She turned and faced it entirely, gasping. This…this light…

This light was something she couldn't describe. It gentle light, filling her with warmth that she forgot all about the horrors from this night. It glowed out from Link's hand, beaming like a lone ray of light breaking through a tempestuous storm. Hope. The mists repelled from him, leaving him out in the open. They never returned, not even when he light vanished.

Louis didn't move, deeply disturbed by what he saw.

Sophia got to her feet and ran over to Link, along with Katie who fluttered nearby with a glow of yellow that was similar to the one they witnessed. Link was down on his knees, hugging himself. His face sheer white, eyes wide with horror. He muttered something that none of them could hear.

"Link." Sophia grabbed his shoulders. "Link, snap out of it!"

"Leave me," he whispered so low she strained to hear him. "Leave me."

This couldn't be really him. The same prick that never cared about anyone?

Sophia tried not to let his despair assault her as well. He never knew how much his strength helped her, when he came here to save them all. And now…now to see him like this?

"Pull yourself together, you idiot!"

"Link, we need you," Katie whispered, voice cracking, color faltering. "Please, come back!"

"That boy is no hero," Louis said delightfully. "He is no—"

"Can you shut up for five fucking minutes?" Sophia shouted over her shoulder. Louis jumped, and his eyes narrowed. "He doesn't have to be a hero to do the right thing. Do you understand that, Link?" She glared at Link when he said nothing, sitting there as if in a daze.

"Why don't you leave me alone?" he whispered, lowering his head. His bangs covering his eyes. "Agnes…where is she? I…I need her…"

"Whoever that is, she isn't here," Sophia said. "You have us now—your friends."

Link gave his blond head a shake. "N-no, I don't have any—"

Sophia slapped him as hard as she could, sending his face the other way. "You do have friends! Now are you going to listen to us or keep being a little bitch?"

When he turned, she found herself relieved to see anger smoldering in his eyes. "Listen, you little—"

"No, you listen! I didn't almost break my hands to save your dumbass just to have you sit here all night! You insist to do the work on your own, and how is that working out for you? You don't see how pathetic you look right now?"

She caught Louis's movement just in time. Grabbing Link's shirt and snatching Katie from the air, she dragged them and herself out from the way. Seeing Link still impotent frustrated her. "If you aren't going to fight, then I will."

Sophia let go of Katie in order to whip out her twin daggers. Louis slowed her down with his arrows, but it didn't do much to stop her. Thinking of the shadows, she thought he'd react the same by disappearing at her daggers. Contrails of mists followed her small blades when she pulled them out from his dark skin.

There was a wound, and mist steamed from it, quickly retreating back and knitting over the gap, which healed it up nicely.

Louis smirked at that, grabbing her hair and keeping her away from his face. Sophia screamed, thrashing around, her daggers stabbing at the arm holding her. The wounds healed as soon as they were made.

"You cannot defeat me," Louis said over her profanity. "You think I'm anything like those shadows? You insult me."

His fist was hard, gripping the roots of her hair. She felt like he would rip it off her scalp. No matter how many times she brought her blade at him, he didn't move or even blink. Black blood dripped down the arm, splattered across her cheek.

The king smiled, and that smile then cracked as his eyes grew very wide. Sophia fell to the ground, the hand still clutching her hair but disembodied. A spray of dark blood splattered over the ground, at the end of Louis's right arm. The man stared at it, as if amazed it was his, and then he started screaming.

Faintly, Sophia heard similar cries happening all around her. Nearby, she spotted a shadow from beyond the dome. Its figure was easily distinguishable by how tall and narrow it was. The shadow bended over, crying out as if in unspeakable pain.

The Master Sword glowed powerfully. "That's a nice scream." Link smiled tightly. "Your scream sounds awful nice."

Louis kept screaming, clutching the stump that didn't grow back. His fallen hand had dissipated into black flakes.

"I'll make sure all of Hyrule hear that scream." Link giggled. "Ah shit, that was your sword arm, now wasn't it? My bad, man. Maybe if you weren't such a scared little bitch and fight me like a man, then maybe you could've still had that hand." Link crackled, grinning widely. "I did give you a choice to choose one finger but you didn't take it! How do you like it now, you son of a bitch?"

"Link, you have to listen to me," Katie said urgently. "You can't be like this. You're not thinking."

"He-hero," Louis croaked, managing a sick smile. He was slightly hunched, cradling his wounded arm. The blood still gushed from it like an endless fountain, and the mist from Louis rose up to try and patch it. "All…all these people will fall because of you."

"I will kill you," Link said, smile gone. "I will kill you."

Louis smiled. He seemed awfully pleased for someone who lost their dominant hand.

"Don't fall for this!" Katie snapped.

Sophia took it upon herself to slap the idiot upside the head. "Are a child suddenly, responding to a schoolyard taunt? You can't see he's trying to get the best out of you? How can you not see that?"

"What do you know then?" Link said hotly, his eyes dangerously dark, and it made her pause.

She was very aware that this was not the first time she saw that look. A part of her even cautioned patience and firmness. "You have to listen to Katie," she said as calmly as she could.

"Shut up and let me handle this!"

"How many times are we going to repeat this?" she snapped, wishing she could slap him. "This is not a battle you fight on your own. You must listen to Katie."

"Agnes is dead," Louis said sadly. "Poor girl. She's been waiting so long for you, boy."

Sophia grasped Link's shoulder when he tried to turn to Louis. "Don't fall for it, you shit head!"

Link had his teeth grinded, his free hand balled to a fist while the other trembled with his sword.

Katie went at his face abruptly, her sharp color made him wince. "You dummy, he's doing that on purpose!"

"Get out of my face," he sneered.

"Agnes isn't dead! She's not weak!" Katie fluttered up and down, a fierce red along with a bright yellow shining through her orb. "She's a strong dog, strong enough to deal with you!"

Link stopped resisting against Sophia. He stared at Katie, then swept over at Louis who was grinning through his pain.

"Aw, does the hero want his puppy back? How long has it been, boy? She's dead in a ditch somewhere, maggots feasting at her flesh."

"Link, we need to change strategies," Katie said quickly, moving in front of him so that he wouldn't face Louis. "I know you don't like depending on people, but you need to listen to every word from me. I know you defeated Mathilda, but this monster is going to be much stronger than her."

"Weak," Louis retorted. "Such a weak boy. You were trembling at my feet not a moment ago."

"We can beat him," Katie said, ignoring Louis. "He's no match for the Master Sword."

"I will kill you all," Louis promised, rising to his feet and his arm, as Sophia saw it, had finally stopped bleeding. His reflection gleaned from the small, dark puddle at his feet. "I will let you watch them, hero."

"It's going to be a difficult fight." Sophia turned at Link firmly. "And you're going to lose if you don't get your head out of your ass. As much as I despise saying it, I will admit that this is not my fight. This is yours." She nodded at the beautiful blade, glowing white at the center and light blue around the outline. Goodness, but how had she never took the time to truly admire it? From the way it glowed, you'd think it was alive. "You must rely on Katie to bring you back, Link."

Link was silent.

"Hero," Louis sang, but it sounded hasty. "You can't seem to do anything by yourself, can you? How did you survive this long, I wonder?"

"We can win this," Katie insisted.

"Go ahead, hero. Finish me off if you could," Louis encouraged, his grin twisting on his face. "Aren't you the strongest on the land? Was that why it took you so long to finish my catacomb and the trails? Oh, might I ask, just how much did you enjoy my electric chair?"

"Okay," Link said, turning to Katie at once. "He's pissing me off so bad, I want to rip out his spine."

Louis reacted quick to that, targeting Link with another arrow. No, not arrow but a shadowed spear. Sophia grabbed with both hands, surprising them both. Though it was made of pure shadow, it was sold in her hand, so cold that it burned like fire. She didn't let it go, bringing up her knee and snapping it in half, all while keeping her eyes on Louis.

"You will pay for every life you took, you fuck," she spat.

Louis wavered slightly. "You cannot defeat me."

"No, I can't." It was a hard thing to admit all right, especially when this was her home. For so long, she had been its' hidden hero, its shadow. But this was not her fight. She stepped to the side, letting Link walk up ahead.

"Yeah, you won't be taking this town," Link said, his smile hard. "I won't let you."

Louis scoffed. "And you claim you're no hero?"

"I'm not doing this for glory or for destiny." Link pointed the Master Sword and Louis flinched. "I'm doing this because you are pissing me off. I'll show you what happens to people who do that to me."

Louis's eyes darkened and the air around them thickened with trepidation. Sophia couldn't feel it, but saw the affects through Link and Katie. Link staggered slightly, as if the floor had suddenly swayed under him. Katie wobbled, brushed by some unfelt wind. Before Sophia could support either of them, they recovered, or at least stayed up on their own.

She was proud to see them fight against it. Their time in the catacomb, while horrific and traumatic, had made them stronger and resistant towards this power.

Then a voice shouted behind them, an eager and laughing one. "Sophia! Link!"

Sophia felt her blood go cold when she saw her brother, her foolish twin, standing inside the dome. He had squeezed through the hole Sophia made, and looked chipper to see them, his smile glowing on his face.

The air felt much colder around her and she turned, startled and frightened to see a smile from Louis that came from a nightmare. A grin so very wide that it looked as if the skin on his face would tear off. It stretched from one ear to the other, each teeth sharp and narrow.

Silas was far away. No one could reach him.

All the blood drained from Link's face and he even dropped his sword. "Silas, get out of here!" he screamed.

"Silas!" Sophia cried along with Katie who had went white.

Silas stopped, confused. Behind him, a long shadow appeared, towering. Its spear was quick, ruthless.

And it stabbed her brother right through the throat.

---

Silas couldn't find Grey anywhere. The captain had wanted to help the injured and so did Silas. He'd already transported a few elderly to the side where soldiers would then escort them to someplace safe. However, when Silas turned, he found his captain was nowhere to be found.

"Grey?"

Silas did his best not to let his fear show. The rabble ran away from the square, leaving the area rutted with maddening prints of boots and the still-warm corpses. He saw people squeezing through the alleyway, looking like ants from where he stood. Those who were too enervated or too wounded were cut down first.

Again. It's happening again. Oh Goddess!

He wanted to plug his ears and close his eyes. He didn't want to think about it, didn't want to give Louis that leisure. But that single voice kept shouting over and over at the back of his mind.

Link was dead. The shadows were multiplying in greater numbers, fueled with newfound grief and despair.

NONONONONONO!

Any order he constructed crashed into itself. People were so driven with fear that they couldn't see what was in front of them. They ran and ran into any direction that could take them away from the shadows. But there was nowhere to go. The dome, the outer one surrounding Desmera, had gotten smaller again, taking up the west and the east.

The shadows moved in hurried motion, blurry figures in the background. They slashed and cut down.

And then they stopped.

Silas raised up his head, staring at the shadows who seemed just as they were when they first arrived to Desmera. Solid still. Immobile. A few people stopped when the shadows began to cry as if from extreme pain. Strangely, they all clutched at their right, speared hand, even though there was nothing wrong with it.

What…what in the world…

Silas turned to the dome, to the hole his sister made. He had promised Grey up and down that he will not even entertain the idea…

"Dammit," Silas muttered. He needed to find out what was going on. Was Link dead? Did Sophia really hurt him? Only the Master Sword could do that.

Silas tried peeking in but couldn't see anything. With a deep breath, he squeezed right in, cringing when the jagged ends of the hole tore at his sleeve, making thin trails of red across his skin. Though it was made from dark magic, it looked and felt like glass.

On the other side, the air here chilled, making him wrap his arms around himself. From the cracks on the ground, he saw fingers of mists waving like seaweed.

At the very center, he gasped when he saw someone green in tattered tunic, standing tall with a sword by his side.

Silas grinned. "Nothing could kill him, huh?

Silas stepped forward into the square, his head much clearer without the panic. Even with the air pressing down at him, he could feel himself breathing a little easier. He saw his sister and Link standing shoulder to shoulder, staring down at the king who had been brought down to one knee.

Louis was without his crown, looking to be in serious pain as he gripped his right arm, in the same manner as his shadows.

Silas widened his eyes when he saw the stump, then the holy sword that always cleansed itself whenever it touched evil.

I…I worried over nothing, he thought, smiling a little. His shoulders slumped. They were okay. More than okay. They pegged down the king a little. Not so strong now, are we?

He had thought of the Shadow King almost the same as divinity. He just had this incredible and indestructible aura about him. So insuperable with powers beyond their imagination…

Yet Sophia grabbed his spear, breaking it like a stich. The two warriors stood with unwavering strength and courage.

If only I had their strength…

"Sophia! Link!" he called out, a smile drawing to his face.

Mistake.

Louis saw him and Silas stopped when those crimson eyes burned with such hatred. Link and Sophia were screaming at Silas, but he didn't understand what the problem was. The king was hurt, brought down to his knee, one hand gone and that crown gone. Silas found himself much content with the later. Neither Link nor Sophia showed even a hint of fear.

It made Silas wonder. If his sister wasn't afraid, then why must he? Why should he fear a man that fed on people's fear? He had no strength in his own right. It was given to him by Charles. He had to manipulate Irela, and then Tristan in order to be free. Literally, the very basis of his power relies on his ability to convince people. He can't even stand up against Charles; he planned to use Link for that.

Silas felt a slight chill coming from his neck. He turned to find the shadow standing behind him, its speared hand poking straight through his neck. But that wasn't the strangest thing.

"I am afraid of you…but not so much," he said slowly, and it dawned to him now. The spear was at his throat, making the skin there numb from the cold, but that was about it. No blood spilled. No wound made. Nothing.

The shadow had its narrowed eyes pointed down in anger, but now…now they flatted and he read profound confusion in its empty face.

Silas remembered how his sister cut through them like butter, with no sacred power of her own. Everyone wondered at awe over that, wondering what manner of power did she possess but the answer to it was stupidly simple.

Silas brought out his dagger, shouting as he brought it down. There was no pressure needed. He didn't have to up muscles into it. It was like cutting the air itself. The dagger sliced through the shadow, creating a large gap before it vanished, uttering out a high-pitched cry.

Silas stared, stupefied, at the empty space, feeling a new surge of power going through him. He stared at his dagger, a lame piece of steel. It was no Master Sword. It wasn't well crafted like any of his sister's steels. It was just an impromptu weapon his captain had given him at the last second.

"It's okay to feel fear," he said, looking up. "It's a normal and reasonable thing to feel, so long as you don't let it rule you."

Link and Sophia were staring at him. Then Link grinned, turning to Louis who was at loss for words.

"And that's your weakness, isn't it?" Silas said sharply, pointing at Louis. Louis, the King of Shadows, the monster from centuries ago, winced at him. "You have no power of your own. You yielded none. All of your strength comes from us!"

And how infuriating was that, to know that they kept giving him what he wanted. It was just as bad as giving a robber all your fortune. Silas knew what he needed to do next.

"We will take it from you," he promised, gesturing for his sister to come.

She stared at him, as if seeing him for the first time. Then she smiled, showing teeth in it, and nodded.

"Better not die on us," Sophia said to Link, running up to her brother. "Good luck!"

"You too!" Katie chirped, glowing with a powerful yellow and orange.

Link nodded, his grin only broadening. It wasn't a taunting grin, or one that held too much confidence. It was a proud one. Silas couldn't help but feel his chest puff up a little.

"Come on," he said to his twin, taking her hand. "Let's save our town."