From the vast, empty hall of the Hyrulean palace, Tairyn looked restlessly down into the courtyard. The fleet of corpses had begun to gather there, awaiting their final orders to go forth and exterminate what was left of the resistance. As he watched them shamble across the broken brick down below, some of their faces still decipherable through the rot, he felt sickened to his innermost soul by them. He turned away from the window. The lifeless silence of the castle haunting the traitorous Sheikah with each echoing step he took. Everyone who had not fled for their lives was dead, the town overrun completely with demonic creatures that had turned the once bright and thriving city into a filthy wasteland. Tairyn had watched in subdued horror as the hordes of various monsters had come with carts stacked full of bodies from the villages that they had plundered and destroyed; tossing them into the underground pool from which they arose these repugnant, zombified warriors. Their numbers had become alarming, and Tairyn's conscience had begun to wear heavily on him in the passing days. He thought on this as he made his way through the dark hallways, to the northern tower. The demon had hardly moved in the past week. He had remained almost exclusively in the throne room. He never appeared to sleep, he only waited in black anticipation. Tairyn pushed the great door open and stepped warily across the marble tile. On the far end of the room perched as always upon the usurped throne sat the Theif King. He appeared to be meditating, something Tairyn had noticed that he had begun to do frequently as of late. As he felt the concealed sword he had been carrying for days beneath his robes Tairyn wondered for a moment that if he moved quickly enough, with the demon in this state, could he plunge the blade into his throat and end it? He resolved though, as he drew closer that he had come too far. The Triforce was nearly within his grasp. He could undo all the terror he had brought upon the land.
"My lord…" Said Tairyn, kneeling before the steps.
Quickly opening his eyes, Ganondorf turned to him.
"Sheikah."
Tairyn rose.
"The fleet is awaiting their order." He said.
Ganondorf stood, descending the steps and brushing past Tairyn as he went once again to the window.
"And I shall give it. Are you so eager to see the land flow red with the blood of your countrymen? " He said, staring out on the horizon.
Tairyn turned, something in the demon's voice unsettling him.
"…I am eager to see the war won… and your victory imminent…" He said.
Ganondorf let out a low chuckle.
"The true words of a spineless traitor. Would you hear the order I will give, Sheikah?" He asked.
Tairyn stood frozen as the beast turned toward him.
"I will send my legions to the fields this night, to crush what remains of those who would stand armed against me, and when the last of them fall, my army will go forth and level what remains. I would have the forests burned to ash, the meadows fouled and blighted, the rivers choked with the bloated bodies of any that yet live." He said.
Tairyn stepped backward, horror mounting as he found the hilt of his blade.
"If all are dead and Hyrule in rubble, what will you rule then?! Ash?!"
Ganondorf leered at the wide-eyed man, their gaze locking.
"I never intended to rule… no… This time I have come for vengeance, and once I have eradicated the Hylian people and reduced this land to little more than a burning waste… it shall be complete… They will suffer…" He said, turning back again to the window.
From behind him, he heard Tairyn draw his sword. Ganondorf turned, amused at this development.
"I… I cannot let you! I will not let you destroy Hyrule! This has gone much too far… I must right this terrible wrong I have committed!" Cried Tairyn.
The Thief King grinned balefully and unsheathed his sword
"At last some valor...You will fail, Sheikah."
The two rushed each other, Tairyn's knees nearly buckling under the sheer force of the demon's blows. The Sheikah mage swiped hysterically at the hulking figure. Despite his mass, Ganondorf was quick. Tairyn could only barely keep pace with him as he rained down strike after powerful strike and so he was all the more stunned when his sword dug itself into the beast's shoulder. Surprised and enraged, Ganondorf caught the side of Tairyn's head with his fist sending him spinning on his heels to the ground, his sword sliding across the marble floor. He got dizzily to his hands and knees, making a desperate gesture to retrieve his weapon. As the sword began to slide toward him, Tairyn felt the demon's blade rip through his back. It hit the tile below him with a light clink. Tairyn uttered a short cry, gasping painfully for breath as Ganondorf slowly leaned over him. He hovered beside his ear.
"Did you think it would be so easy to take the power that I hold? That is what you wanted, is it not? Such delusion... I had not intended to let you live even thus far, but you were so compliant that I let it slip… Though… you have sullied my blade." He said quietly.
Ganondorf twisted the hilt, eliciting a hoarse shriek of pain from the man below him.
"I meant for him to be the first to die on this sword." He said.
He stood then, ripping the blade from Tairyn's back and the Sheikah slipped to the ground. He felt Ganondorf wipe the blood off of his blade onto his robes. The demon sheathed his weapon and turned to depart the room as Tairyn lay face down in the quickly spreading scarlet.
...What have I done?
After a few more moments of agony, full of regret the rogue Sheikah died upon the marble floor.
By the afternoon, after nothing but urgent riding, Link and Zelda sped along the lower fields of Eldin; the great red mountains coming at last into view. They had not stopped once but to sleep a few hours and let the horses rest since the dragon had left them. The both of them ached with hunger and fatigue upon their saddles. As they rode, in the distance Link spied a convoy of heavily armored Gorons and a few Hyrulean soldiers on horseback beside. He pulled Epona to a stop for a moment, watching as they marched speedily over the field; hauling behind them three enormous wagons. Zelda came to a stop beside him, shielding her eyes from the sun as she watched them move.
"Do you suppose we should ask them where they are going?" She queried.
Link looked aside to her.
"Probably." He said.
The two of them kicked their horses forward again, tearing down over the field toward the army. As they drew near, the soldiers regarded them with friendly nods, waves and shouts. They slowed their horses to a trot as they passed the large fleet of Gorons. They came upon Darnuun, dressed in armor of pure iron as he led the small army forward. He turned dark violet eyes to the boy and the princess without slowing his pace as they bid him hello.
"Princess Zelda, you're back! I received word from Lady Impa to expect you, though I expected you sooner. But you're here now, and that's good." Said Darnuun.
"To where do you march Darnuun?" Asked Zelda as she trotted aside.
The Goron shifted his gaze to the bridge in the distance.
"Lady Impa and many of the humans went to the war camps in lower Lanayru near the castle gates. I and what's left of my people are going to the aid of Hyrule alongside them. We were told to stay put in Eldin until the two of you were seen, but we got the message this morning that the armies are moving and we couldn't wait any longer. We're supposed to destroy the bridge once we pass it." Said Darnuun.
Zelda nodded wearily.
"I see… It is most certainly a fortunate thing to have found you then." She said
The Goron looked to Zelda and then to Link.
"The two of you look tired, If you like, there's enough space on the last cart for the two of you to ride. You're more than welcome to tie your horses behind it and rest." He said.
Link nodded appreciatively, his back and legs stiff.
"Thank you sir, that sounds great actually." He said.
They found their way to the rear, the two Gorons hauling the cart graciously stopping for a moment to let them on. Zelda and Link climbed into the large covered wagon amongst what could have easily been a ton of explosives. They let Midge and Epona wander hitched behind. With nearly every muscle in his body sore and overwrought Link curled himself alongside the wooden wall of the cart, laying his head against a barrel full of volatile powder. Beside him, Zelda spread the three packets they had risked death at the hands of so many creatures and circumstances to find: one bound in dark leather, another in steel, and yet another in the familiar blue sleeve. Slowly she unpacked them, placing them in order as she sat back against the wall, staring down into her lap she began to read.
Upon these pages is the testament of the holy relic, recalled in the prophetic memories of the Goddess incarnate. Heed well these words…
Zelda read on as Link dozed at her side, her eyes widening as she scanned the ancient text. She finished them quickly; so much arduous searching for something that took her less than an hour to read. She set the pages in front of her with an enervated sigh as she tried to grasp the gravity of the information her earliest self had passed. Link opened his eyes and shifted lazily upright. He gently touched Zelda's shoulder as she sat slouched with her chin upon her folded hands.
"What does it say?" He asked
Zelda turned to him.
"Much… the history is fascinating."
She drew a breath.
"I'll try to explain it as briefly as I can… some of the characters are so old that, there really aren't expressions for them anymore. It begins by explaining the creation of the Sacred Realm. At first the Triforce lay out in the open and so, fearing that its presence would stir resentment among the people in nascent Hyrule, the previous incarnations of you and I decided that it must be laid to rest somewhere. So… you took the relic back into your body and I opened a portal into a place between worlds; a place neither of the physical realm, or the spiritual. You and I placed it there… and instantly the realm changed shape from a vast, silent and empty reflection of Hyrule to an alien and incredibly beautiful world… Then, the Sacred Realm was sealed with the Master Sword...because that way, only you could open it. I then named Groose the first Sage, and bid him to collect all the knowledge he could about the land, its beings and magic, for the future generations who would never see Skyloft… who would grow up there, on the surface… resulting in the Sky Book itself… The pages tell that the Triforce is capable of absolutely anything. It does not yield to either physics or logic… it is the pure, unadulterated form of magic that exists at once both physically and metaphysically and it is from the relic that all the magic in the world flows. The only way to destroy it is to wish for it to destroy itself, and then our world would crumble in its absence... It transcends reality. If one but wishes it, they could create or destroy an entire universe… It is capable of being duplicated by will and its power would not even be slightly diminished in its copy… it extends to all universes and dimensions. The only thing it cannot do is destroy a soul. That is its only boundry. It has a kind of consciousness but it is entirely neutral... just more or less a mirror that reflects the heart of the one who holds it…and… It was a great fear that if the the wrong person got a hold of the Triforce that they could possibly make themselves into a God with it. Because of this… there are steps and pages of an incantation to bind a God... or Goddess." She said
Link looked to the pages.
"I remember why I wanted to burn these now… " He said
Zelda sighed.
"It goes on to say…that because I possess the soul of Hylia, I have a natural disposition to the Triforce. It will always gravitate toward me and I toward it… I possess what would come to be known as the Light Force. It is why I can manipulate energies and move things with my mind. With it, doors to other worlds may be opened… my spirit can be transferred into beings and objects, giving or maintaining life… and judging from the history I now know, it can be harnessed… with or without my consent... It's the power that Vaati sought to take… and before him the Demon Lord, Ghirahim used it to resurrect Demise… the King of Demons and the source of all darkness in the world, who would one day become Ganondorf... It is why the cultists tried to nourish the demon using my soul... They likely used that binding spell... and if he would have managed to fully consume me... I would've ceased to exist and the balance would be broken forever." She said.
They sat in silence for a moment. Link sat up straight against the wall, staring meditatively down at the earth moving beneath the wooden planks. Zelda turned to him again, studying his downcast face.
"I have a feeling, Link... I must have wiped Hylia from the pages of history... I hid the book and split up the last chapter because I knew that...only you would be able to find them again...I wanted to let the knowledge of her fade from humanity…until we needed it again." She said delicately.
Link moved himself closer, laying his elbows against his thighs as he looked aside to her, his expression a mixture of disquiet and exhaustion. She laid a warm hand on his knee.
"At the very end, the pages explain the defense mechanism of the Triforce, and the bearers that it would choose in order to escape corruption…" She said.
Gingerly, she took the missing chapter from the wooden floor, pulling a single page from it and handing it to Link. It was different from the rest of the pages somehow; thicker and sturdier than its counterparts. Upon it was written a short incantation that seemed to have been stamped into the page. His eyes flitted to the lettering and then back to her.
"Will this draw it out of us?" He asked.
Zelda nodded.
"Yes, but there is one thing you must do." She said.
She reached down and pulled her dagger from its casing.
"Our blood must be on this parchment… all three of us." She said.
She pushed the very tip of the blade into her thumb, and pulled back; leaving a small red jewel which she touched to the paper. Link did the same, and he looked up at her as he pressed his blood into the page.
"Will you remember the spell, Zelda?" He asked.
She nodded again and so he slipped the page into the pocket of his undershirt.
The road became suddenly smoother under the wheels of the wagon as Link and the princess lay sleeping against its rough wooden wall. The two of them, utterly exhausted from the trek and silently yearning for the touch of the other, slept shoulder to shoulder; thier heads lightly touching. As the cart came to a halt, Zelda hazily opened her eyes and peered out from beneath the woolen covering. They had come to the bridge already. Sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes she turned to the boy asleep beside her. She shook him softly and he awoke, starting a slight as he sat up with a look of dreamy confusion in his eyes. Two Goron soldiers appeared at the back, tossing the wool covering off and regarding them amicably.
"Oh, hullo, didn't know there were kids sleeping back here with the bombs." The first one laughed.
"What a place to sleep! Hey, do you guys mind helping us rig the bridge?" Asked the second one.
Link nodded languidly.
"Sure." He said, his voice husky with sleep.
The second Goron engulfed his hand in his huge leathery fist and shook it genially, nearly pulling him over.
"Thanks a lot! Grab a barrel, there should be some long wick back there too." He said.
After the barrels had been placed, Zelda now found herself a few hundred yards away, her bow drawn with an oil soaked rag wound around the tip of the arrow. Link struck a match and lit it on fire for her as she looked aslant to him.
"It pains me greatly to do this… This bridge is thousands of years old… it will never be the same." She said, the fletching at her check.
Link shifted beside her.
"...It'll make it a lot harder for the armies to get down into Eldin." Said Link.
Zelda sighed and fired the arrow at the center barrel. Moments later, the sounds of timed explosions filled the rocky pass and the Bridge of Eldin crumbled into the canyon as the soldiers erupted into cheers. Zelda slipped her bow back over her chest with another remorseful sigh. After a brief pause the two grabbed the reins of their horses and the convoy was moving again. This time Link and Zelda chose to walk behind it, talking softly as they made their way through the rocky, vine covered pass.
"What's the first thing you'll do once this is over?" Asked Link.
"Take a bath… a very long, very hot bath. You?" She returned.
The boy smiled as he looked ahead.
"That...sounds amazing actually. That and eating something that isn't salted and dried." He said.
Zelda sighed.
"I think I would fight someone for a piece of cake at the moment." She laughed.
Link turned his head to look at the princess, their eyes met.
"I think you'd win. I fought you because you were bored, I would actually be terrified to fight you over food."
The two of them laughed easily for a moment as they turned their heads toward the trail, and quiet passed between them again. Zelda looked aside to the boy and then back to the army ahead.
"Link." She said, not taking her eyes from the path."
"Hmm?"
"I have had so much fun, in spite of everything. I cannot even tell you how glad I was to join you... I shall always remember this." She said.
Link glanced over at her.
"I'm glad too. You were a lot of help..." He paused, smiling to himself.
"... and I got to know you. That's the best part. You'er... one of my favorite people, I think..." He said.
She looked up, smiling sweetly.
"Perhaps, I was supposed to be with you this time." Said Zelda.
He met her gaze beside him.
"I don't doubt it…"
As the towers of the castle came into view across the field, a small city of canvas tents seemed to rise out of the rolling plain. There lay the ranks of soldiers. Among them peasants and nobles, merchants and farmers, a handful of knights and Goron soilders; any and all who were willing to fight for the life of the land. Link and Zelda mounted their horses again as they approached, riding alongside Darnuun as a figure on horseback drew near from the camp. It was Impa, unmistakably, and she solemnly greeted Darnuun and his fleet, offering Link and the princess a drained smile as she began to trot beside them.
"I was starting to become concerned…" She said to Link aside.
After the Gorons had dispersed into the camp, and the wagons had been uncovered to reveal the two mammoth trebuchets Impa has sent for, the Shiekah lady brought Link and the princess to the main pavilion. Seating them at a long table, she regarded the two with grave earnestness.
"Though I know my face does not announce it, I am very happy to see the both of you again. I trust that you have found what you were looking for." Said Impa.
Zelda nodded.
"We have… and a way to make the Triforce whole."
Impa closed her eyes, breathing a light sigh.
"That is good… that may be the only card we have to play." She said.
Link pulled his chair closer to the table.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
Impa turned her worn, ruby eyes to him.
"We are vastly outnumbed. The hordes have all but ravaged the land in the north. They have killed hundreds, destroyed crops and livestock… food and clean water is scarce here. Many have fled south, to Faron. From the corpses that have risen, to the other beasts that will be upon us… the chances of victory are nearly non-existent… our only hope lies with you, Link… if you can manage to defeat Ganondorf and pull the Triforce of Power from him, the dead will fall to bones. They are animated, I suspect, by the Triforce itself. The Stalfos spawning invocation can never produce more than a handful of undead soldiers. It was an ancient means of protecting small villages and temples… Tairyn must have used the relic through the demon somehow…" She said
Weighty silence passed between the three of them. Link's gaze fell from the lady Sheikah as he contemplated her words. Impa sat back in her chair.
"There will be a meeting shortly after sundown. Eolan, myself and a few others will form a strategy and try to figure a way to proceed with as few casualties as possible. You two should be there as well." She said.
A woman entered the pavilion behind them then, sweeping aside the canvas flap she came bearing a bucket of water and a listless expression upon her face.
"The water and the ladle you asked after lady…" She paused, uttering a small gasp as Link and Zelda turned to face her.
The boy quickly stood.
"Yolandae." He said softly, making his way to the smiling raven-haired lady.
She quickly pulled him into her arms, kissing his cheek and embracing him tightly. She stepped back, still holding the boy's shoulder in her palm as she brushed the hair from his face and looked him over.
"What a sight you are boy, how I've missed you. It's a great weight from my shoulders to see you safe. Rue and I have been so worried." She said.
"I've thought of you two every day." He returned.
Yolandae smiled warmly and laid a hand to the boy's face.
"Where's Rue?" Asked Link.
"She's here. Our tent is on the other side; I will take you to her. She has missed you terribly." She said.
Link felt his nerves bristle with this information. He looked to Zelda and Impa behind.
"Go on Link… I shall be here." Said Zelda, smiling.
Yolandae guided Link swiftly through the city of tents. They passed many soldiers, young and old, who regarded the slender, blue-eyed boy with interest as he and the dark-haired lady brushed by. With the scent of fire overwhelming they talked softly on the way, of how the two of them had been, of Ofaria and its people.
"It has been far too quiet there… far too quiet. Most have left for the deep woods with the other refugees from villages all over Hyrule. I sent Loron and Logon along with Ami to join them…" Said Yolandae.
Link sighed, noticing now that she was armed, and wore a shirt of mail beneath her dress.
"How did the two of you end up here? Why aren't you in the forest with everyone else?" He asked.
Yolandae smiled forlornly.
"To aid the army, we have been making weaponry. We've made over a thousand swords, axes and spears and then we brought them here when Khai sent word to us that the army was moving into Lanayru... I think that's what Roland would have had us do… and it has seemed to give Rueliana some peace; occupy her mind with something other than that day…She has not taken it well… I fear." She said.
Link looked to the ground as they walked on.
When they arrived in front of Rue's tent, Yolandae motioned for him to wait as she slipped into the flap. She and Rue talked quietly inside for a moment, Link instantly grinning at the sound of the girl's voice. Yolandae stepped out then, smiling as she held the tent open for the boy to pass through. Rue looked up as Link stepped in, a look of glee instantly breaking over her face.
"Link!" She cried, jumping up from her bed and flinging her arms around the boy.
"I missed you so bad, I'm so happy you're finally here." She said, clinging to him.
"I missed you too… I've missed everybody so much." He replied, holding her tighter.
Rue pulled away, grabbing both of his hands and pulling him toward the thin cot she had risen from. They sat down together, Rue's face beaming; her coal-black hair hanging loose over her shoulders.
"When Khai told me he'd seen you, I cried… I was so happy to know you were alive. I've heard so many stories, Link." She said.
'"Really?" He asked.
Rue giggled.
"Yeah, I've been getting first dibs on breakfast since I got here because I'm your sister." She said.
Link uttered a short laugh and looked on at her, feeling somehow angry at himself that she and her mother were here, in this war camp.
"How have you been, Rue?" He asked.
The smile faded a little from her face as she shrugged one shoulder.
"I've been fine… What about you, Link?" She asked.
"I'm alright. I've seen a lot of crazy things…" He said.
Rue bobbed her head.
"I bet you have… you look different." She said, her golden eyes searching his face.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You look older somehow." She replied.
He laughed, its sound betraying his exhaustion.
"I feel older." He sighed.
Rue flopped her head against his shoulder, and then a lull passed between them; an air of sorrow pervading each of their thoughts.
"Why are you here Rue? Why didn't you go to the woods with the twins?" Asked Link.
Rue straightened; smiling wryly she pulled a sheathed sword from beside her bed. She unsheathed it from the scabbard for the boy to see. The sword was simple but beautiful, the hilt wrapped in blue velvet with silver braiding.
"I made her myself... I'm fighting… so is my mom."
Link felt his heart drop.
"...You're not serious are you? Please tell me you're not serious." He said.
Rue turned resolute eyes to his.
"Why wouldn't I be? Half of Hyrule has been made into one of those Stalfos things, the other half are sitting under rocks screaming that the end of the world is coming and the rest of us are here… this army needs everyone who's able and willing to fight." She said.
Link took a breath; trying to calm himself, and not to yell at the girl.
"Rue… you need to get out of here… you're going to get yourself killed." He said gravely.
Rue scoffed and narrowed her eyes.
"You know how you don't like it when Khai scolds you and tells you how to do things because he's older than you?" She asked, her voice rising a slight in pitch.
Link shook his head.
"I'm not scolding you Rue, I love you. You have no idea what you're going up against." He said.
Rue's face became suddenly irate as she held his eyes.
"Oh I don't? I wasn't there the day our village got burned to the ground? Huh?!" She said, shoving him lightly.
Link only stared on at her as Rue turned from him.
"Maybe I would rather die fighting than cowering some place, begging The Three to save us..." She said, crossing her arms tightly.
Link laid his hands on her round shoulders, and slowly she brought her eyes back to his.
"Rue… listen to me. You and your mother are my family, you're all I have… I can't lose you too… getting yourself killed… for revenge…"
"It's not for revenge!" She cried, her eyes welling with tears. She closed them for a moment as she composed herself.
"It's not about revenge, Link… it's so our world can stay the same… so one day, kids like us can grow up in a place like Ofaria and never have to be afraid that what happened to us is going to happen to them or their children... Remember what you said to me before you left?"
The boy sighed loudly and pulled away, turning to stare at the canvas wall as his head grievously spun. Rue gently took his cheeks in her hands and turned his face to hers, looking him again in the eyes.
"You told me that if you died… to remember that is was for the greater good and be proud of you… now I'm telling you the same thing." She said
Link pulled away from her and leaned forward on his knees, frustrated tears stinging his eyes and at a loss for words. Heavy silence passed between them. Rue, suddenly sorry she had been cross with him, shuffled herself closer to the visibly distraught boy. She slowly slid her arms around his waist. He lifted his arm and set it around her shoulders. They sat this way for a while it seemed, at length Rue spoke again.
"…So how is Princess Zelda?" She asked.
"…She's doing fine." He replied.
Rue leaned away from him and turned to look at him again.
"Khai told me that you're in love with her." She said.
Link rolled his eyes with a groan of exasperation and Rue tilted her head; he was blushing.
"Well, are you?" She asked, stifling a giggle.
He stared down at the earthen floor for a moment.
"...Yes." He said finally.
Rue grinned.
"Hmm, I kind of thought you would end up falling in love with her. You always did look at her kind of funny… and she's really pretty. Have you told her?" She probed.
Link glanced aside to her.
"No, I haven't." He said.
Rue met his eyes.
"Why?"
The boy shrugged weakly.
"It's complicated Rue… She royalty… There's a lot of... history, I guess you could say, between us…we've been traveling together… the timing couldn't possibly be worse..." He said.
"Do think she would care about any of that? If she loved you back at least." Said Rue.
Link thought for a moment.
"No, probably not."
She smiled
"Then why don't you say something?" She said.
The boy sighed again.
"I don't know. I'm afraid to, I guess."
Rue laughed.
"Really, that's why? You're the bravest person I've ever known; fought tons of monsters, probably seen stuff most of us will never see in our worst nightmares, and you're afraid to tell the girl you love how you feel about her? That's just silly, Link." She said.
She gently scratched the nape of his neck.
"You need to tell her… you might not get another chance." Said Rue.
It was then that they heard Khai's voice from outside the tent.
"Link? You in there?" He asked.
The boy cleared his throat.
"Yeah…"
His voice sounded far more despondent than he had meant it too and Khai paused for a moment.
"… Is it okay if I come in?" He asked, softly.
Rue sat up a little straighter.
"It's fine Khai, come in here." She called.
A fully armored Khai stepped into the tent, looking pensively from Link to Rue.
"Hey kid, good to see you made it here. We were all starting to think something bad happened to you guys." He said, clasping his friend's hand and pulling him into his arms.
Link shook his head wearily as he pulled away.
"Nothing we couldn't deal with. How long have you and this army been camping here, Khai?" He queried.
"Eolan and I set it up. He and I left a few days after you did, along with most of the soldiers from the well. We sent word to towns in every province, what was left of them anyway. Everyone just kind of slowly gathered here from all over the place. Some people didn't even have actual weapons. They came here with garden tools and kitchen knives… It's been interesting, that's for sure." He said.
Link chuckled wistfully.
"I have some stories for you when this is all over." He said.
Khai nodded.
"I'll bet."
They stood together for a moment before Khai looked from Rue to Link.
"Well…I just wanted to come see you, I'd just heard that you were in the camp and I figured I would find you here. I've got someone else I have to go see so I'm going to go wander that way. Though, just to warn you, there's a bunch of Goron kids that really want to talk to you about some key or whatever. I tried to shake them on my way here but I know the little brats followed me. They're probably waiting outside the tent."
Link couldn't help but grin despite it all at the totally disinterested tone of his friend's voice.
"Thanks for the warning." He said.
Khai smirked and slapped his shoulder.
"No problem." He said, as he spun and exited the tent.
Link turned again to Rue. Standing on her tip-toes she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Go, I'll be around. A lot of people are really curious about you. Khai and that Eolan guy talk a lot."
He pulled her into one more tight hug, lifting her clear off the ground.
"I've always been proud of you Rue, I hope you know that" He said, setting her down.
She offered him a somber smile and then, after she softly ruffled his hair, he left the tent.
As Khai had warned him, a group of young Gorons in sparse iron armor hovered a few yard away from the tent. The shortest of them inched forward circumspectly.
"You're Link, right?" He asked, the others moving up behind him.
"I am." He replied.
The little mountain dwellers looked at each other.
"They say you and the princess woke up the fire shard. Is that true?" The short one asked.
Link nodded and each of their faces lit with interest.
"Everyone on our mountain has heard stories about it since forever. They say a demon lived inside of it… What was in there?" He asked.
Link grinned.
"It wasn't really a demon, more like a guardian." He said.
Quietly, as the four children leaned enthusiastically in to listen, Link described the morning he and Zelda had fought the ephemeral salamander.
On the other side of camp, Zelda sat alone beneath the pavilion studying a map of the castle interior. She knew a way into the palace, a way in and out she had managed to keep secret since she'd found it when she was ten years old. Long ago, along the walls of the garden she had discovered a couple of loose stones. After a few good kicks they had broken away and to her delight, she could slide herself under the wall. With the stones back into place, not a soul could tell the spot from any other. It had been her own private window to freedom since, and she found it a little ironic now that her well-kept secret could prove to be a way of infiltrating the fortified castle. As she sat there thinking on the task at hand, she noticed out of the corner of her eye a figure entering the tent. Half expecting Link she turned, shrinking a slight at who she saw. Khai stood there for a moment, meeting her eyes apprehensively.
"Princess Zelda." He said with a bow.
Slowly, she turned back to her maps.
"Hello, Khai." She said.
Without a word, he walked across the room and sat down in the chair across from her. Zelda stiffened at his presence.
"So you two finally got here… congratulations, I know it's been rough." Said Khai, dryly.
The princess lifted her eyes to his, sitting taller in her seat as she folded her hands on the table.
"So we have… what can I do for you Khai? Why have you sought me out?" She asked.
Khai pulled his flask from his belt, taking a long drink and absently wiping his lips. He held it before him in offering to Zelda, who looked hesitantly from it to Khai.
"Go on your highness, it's not poison. It's the last of the mead."
Reluctantly, Zelda gently took the flask from Khai's hand, politely obliging his offer. She handed it back to him and he looked on at the intricate carving in the steel for a moment before he placed it back on his belt. He turned black eyes back to Zelda's.
"Can I tell you something?" He asked.
Zelda tensed, her expression fixed in a mask of calm and serenity as her stomach churned in waiting for the venom she half expected was soon to come. But still, she held the young man's gaze.
"What is that?" She asked.
Khai searched her face for a moment before he spoke.
"I never really cared about anything going on outside of the forest. As far as I was concerned, if all of Lanayru was on fire, as long as it didn't touch the trees I would have been fine with it." Khai paused.
Zelda raised an eyebrow as Khai shifted in his seat.
"When you first showed up, I thought for sure you were trouble. I knew people would come looking for you; people from the city. You most likely had someone trying to kill you and take over or something... I didn't really care what happened to you or to the rest of the world. But then Link got involved... and he did. I thought you were dragging my brother off to some gruesome death someplace... " Said Khai.
He took another long drink from his flask. Capping it, he leaned forward, his elbows against the table.
"Then my village burned down, the only girl I've ever loved died and I found out that all of this crazy magic-triangle stuff is true... it definitely got me thinking. Mostly about killing Bublins... but also, about you... I was really surprised when you showed up with Link at the well. I figured you would have run off to hide with family somewhere... but you didn't, you rode with him. I realize...that this all must be pretty hard on you too. Link told me a little bit about it all. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I don't hate you and I'm sorry for what I said to you… back in Ofaria. That wasn't your fault any more than it was ours." He said, his eyes filling with echoing grief.
Zelda sat for a moment, surprised by his kind words. She breathed a soft sigh as her muscles relaxed.
"Thank you, Khai… you could not know how much this means to me." She said.
Khai shrugged, offering her a slanted smile.
"You're welcome, princess." He said, starting a bit when Zelda reached across the table and enfolded his hand in both of hers.
She brought her gaze to his.
"Link told me about what happened to your family… and his… I cannot tell you how sorry I was to learn that." She said.
Khai looked up at her.
"He did, huh?" He asked, and Zelda nodded as she pulled gently away.
"Don't worry about it, at least now you know why I love the little blonde scamp like I do… We were the town orphans… Sometimes I think that's why Roland and Yolandae never had any kids other than Rue, they already had their hands so full with us. I never would have guessed that… Link would play such a huge part in the fate of this land… I guess though, he's always been an overwhelmingly good human being; defiantly so, I've thought sometimes… for someone who's been through so much. Like it just came naturally to him. As much as I tease him, I've always really envied that about him… kid's got a lot of heart." He said.
Zelda smiled to herself.
"That he does." She said.
Khai sighed loudly, looking down at the table for a moment and then back to the princess.
"He likes you an awful lot…" He said, and he paused for moment before extending his hand across the table.
"...So can we just start over? Fight this battle as friends?" He said.
Zelda smiled warmly, and gripped his hand.
"Of course…"
At that moment, Eolan emerged from the now darkening field.
"Good evening highness, Khai. The meeting is about to begin." He said, with a slight bow.
Khai stood, looking down to Zelda.
"I'll go get Link. He probably needs saving from those kids anyway." He said.
As the evening drew on, after the lamp was lit within the pavilion and the chairs were moved against the fabric walls, various people began to gather around the table. The main commanders of each fleet all stood about a map of the country as a crowd gathered in the chairs beside. Eolan laid a handful of mismatched wooden markers out before his future queen and comrades.
"The troops will have three waves which we will move into position at the first sign of movement from the castle. We expect them to move southeast sometime after nightfall. The first will be the archers at the front lines that will fire during the first phase. The second will be the Gorons and the foot soldiers and the third, cavalry. At the very back of the ranks there will be two trebuchets which we will load with explosives. These will be fired only until the second phase begins, when their army comes close enough for ours to engage it. At that point, we will charge them. Thoughts?" Said Eolan, moving markers about on the map.
Sir Orlief, an ex-northern general, leaned over the map, scrutinizing his old enemy's strategy.
"What about the Bulblin? They will have mounts and archers and they will attack from all sides. The enemy will likely use the Moblins on their front lines, several looses of arrows would not fell them on their size and bulk alone." He said.
"Your observation is a good one, Sir Orlief. We should likely fortify the edges of the troops; they will be quite spread however, as it is…" Said Eolan.
Khai sighed impatiently and moved next to the captain.
"I think you guys are missing the most important part of the strategy here. All of the stuff you're planning with the army is still only going to hold these things off for so long. What we really need to figure out is how to get Link and Zelda into the castle; everything else is really just a distraction, and the longer it takes… the more of us are going to die." Said Khai.
The room grew silent at his words.
"I know a way in." Zelda said aside.
She pointed down to the castle map.
"There is a weak spot in the eastern wall of the palace gardens. Link and I could easily slip beneath it and get into the castle relatively unnoticed. It will likely not be guarded."
Eolan looked up to her from under his bushy eyebrows.
"Are you certain that this weak spot is still there, your highness?"
Zelda smiled coyly.
"Of course, Eolan. How do you think I got out the day that I left the palace?" She said
Impa looked to Zelda and then back to the map.
"To get behind the castle, you will need to cut through a pass in the hills that will most likely be thick with archers. To try and move through it would be suicide." She said, running her finger along the route.
Khai looked down to where the Sheikah held her finger.
"Well how about this: we'll take one of those carts that the trebuchets came on, rig it up to two heavily armored horses and then have at least eight people get on it standing in a tight circle while whoever has the thicket breast-plate steers. We'll just kill as many arches as we can till we get through to the other side of the pass. Once we're there, Zelda and Link can slip off into the field when we go to turn around, then the remaining six of us fight off what's left of the archers." He said.
The room went quiet again as those that gathered at the table considered the young man's words. Eolan nodded his head.
"I think that is a decent plan, what do you think, boy?" He said, looking to Link.
Aware that every face in the room was turned upon him, Link nervously pressed his palms down on to the table; leaning forward as he contemplated the idea.
"It's going to be extremely dangerous for anyone involved. I'm just going to say that now…" He said.
One of the dark-haired northern ladies, Mila, stood from the chairs alongside the wall.
"I would be honored to escort you, come what may." She said.
"As would I." Said a stocky young farmer called Oylic.
"I'm in too." Khai said.
Within moments, three more youths stepped up from the sides of the tent volunteering their swords; and so the small fellowship formed: Mila, Shetly, Oylic, Delph, and Coltin were their names. They all stood aside, in a half circle as Link, Zelda and Khai came to meet them. All five figures bent low at the presence of the fabled warrior and the princess. Zelda smiled warmly.
"Thank you… But I must reiterate, as Link said, this will be very dangerous… some of you may not return." She said
Shetly stepped forward.
"I think I speak for all when I say that we know that, your highness. All who stand before you would gladly give their lives for this land." He said.
The four others nodded at his words. Delph drew her chipped sword. She examined it contemplatively before she spoke.
"For Hyrule, it's worth it. We can die in the south or we can die here fighting."
The others voiced their agreement
Eolan lit his pipe, his eyes briefly scanning the faces of the eight youths before him.
"Well, it's settled then. Khai, ready two horses with full armor. Darnuun, have two of your soldiers haul the cart to the mouth of the pass. There are fir trees close by, it may be concealed with their bowers until we have need of it which may be at any moment between tonight and tomorrow morning" He said.
After briefly going over a gathering place for the band of eight, the meeting was called to a close and its occupants began to scatter as the night drew on. Impa had showed both the boy and the princess to their respective tents before she bid them good night and left to ride out on the first watch over the darkened field. Link and Zelda then walked alone together through the hushing camp. They wandered away from the tents to a hilly place with a small patch of trees where they sat together upon a grassy mound, looking up at the moon full in the sky. Zelda had noticed that her friend was especially tense this night, he had been very quiet since the meeting. In truth they both had. Mostly they had just wandered in silence side by side, each drawing comfort from the other's presence. But, as she watched him now she noticed that his eyes were cloudy; full of anxiety as the time drew nearer. She spoke softly to him.
"What are you thinking? I know that you are troubled. You have seemed lost in yourself tonight." She said.
Link continued to stare up at the sky, his features illuminated in blue by its dim radiance.
"… A lot, to be honest. I'm sorry, I haven't meant to seem distant." He said.
Zelda let her weight rest on her palm as she looked back into the sky.
"You do not… just fretful." She said.
She heard Link draw a long breath beside her.
"Rue's going out on the battlefield when the time comes, Yolandae too… She told me that when I talked to her earlier… I didn't even know how to react." He said.
Link rolled down onto his back in the grass, tensely staring up at the brilliant stars as he laced his fingers behind his head.
Zelda looked down at him.
"Oh..."
Her eyes went to the mossy hillside and then back to the boy sprawled beside her.
"I am sorry… though, I don't think there was much that you could have said… she seems to be a willful girl."
"She is… She's always been like that… since she was old enough to talk. Tonight though... she sounded so… grown up… It broke my heart, it really did. If anything happens to her... I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself." Said Link.
Zelda lay down beside him, curled on her side she looked on at the boy as he stared absently up.
"Their decisions are their own, Link. I don't doubt Yolandae for a second, and if Rue is anything like her mother… I'm sure that the both of them will be alright." She said.
Link's eyes searched the heavens, his expression pained.
"Her destiny is intertwined with mine… because I grew up with her… because Ofaria was my home too... This shouldn't be anybody's fight but mine… All these people... and everyone else who's died because I took too long figuring out who I was and finding everything we had to find to get to this point… I can't stop thinking about it… that and... other things Rue and I talked about tonight…" He said, his voice worn.
Zelda looked at him for a moment before she reached over, touching the boy's cheek and bringing his eyes to hers. The look on his face begged something from her in the dark.
"This is not your fault…and you are not alone, I will be with you." She said, her voice hushed.
"I know you will…" He returned.
She began to gently pull the very ends of his hair at the side of his head with her thumb and forefinger.
"So, what else did the two of you talk about?"
He lowered his eyes for a moment lost in her touch, his nerves burning with longing for her.
"Just some things..." He said softly, briefly glancing to her face and then turning his gaze back to the stars.
As he turned his head, she saw something in his eyes; something she had caught only glimpses of before. Zelda lay there for a moment beside him, her cheeks aflame. She let the sound of the light, cool wind through the leaves fill the space for a time as they each stared up into the sky.
"It is such a beautiful night…" She said, rolling her head back toward the boy.
Link turned to her again, their eyes finding one another's.
"It really is…" He replied.
He regarded her for a moment more before pulling himself upright as she lay watching him. He sat for a while, looking off into the shadow blanketed field before he got to his feet. The princess quickly followed.
"You and I should get some sleep, Zelda. Come on… I'll walk you back…" He said softly, as he waited with his back to her for the girl to step up beside him.
She laced her fingers into his, and the two of them headed wordlessly back into the camp.
After he had left the princess alone in her tent, Link retired to his own canvas walls. He realized, as he undressed and laid himself down upon the bedroll that in over a month, he had slept without Zelda within a few feet of him only twice. It felt peculiar to him to be alone, without her staring dreamily into a fire beside him. Though he thought that perhaps the solitary time to think on things was needed. He found himself profoundly sick at being conscious as fate, Rue, Zelda and the coming war all clashed through his mind at once while he lay there on his back. He managed to silence his thoughts long enough and he slept fitfully for a time. Though, Link woke later that night in the dead silence, suddenly wide awake. For a moment or two he lay with his eyes still closed, trying hard to fight his way back to sleep as thoughts flew caustically through his mind.
I'm never getting back to sleep... there's just no way... not tonight. So much is riding now on what I do and how fast I do it when the time comes. If I can't take him down quick enough, or he manages to kill me first…No… that's not an option. I have this horrible feeling that this isn't just a power struggle this time… it seems more about blood… more about killing than it has before… I think... Something feels different…I wonder if she feels it too… Zelda…
He took a breath as he turned onto his back, staring at the canvas ceiling.
Should I tell her? If I die tomorrow… would I regret it if I didn't? Would it matter? I've been in love with her so many times… So many centuries and it always comes back to her... I don't think these feeling are one-sided... Maybe that's what Hylia was talking about... I die, but then she stays here alone in the aftermath... it's all part of the same curse. I can't leave this life without telling her how I feel... she probably already knows...
He lay there for a moment longer in the dark, his thoughts and his pulse too loud and heavy for him to ignore. Slowly he sat up. With a long sigh, he came to a decision. He stood then, and made his way to Zelda. It took him only minutes to find her. A small light dimly illuminated the interior of her tent. He could make out her silhouette sitting upon her thin mattress. She was still awake, he could hear the soft sound of scratches on a page as he approached. Quietly, he sat down beside her tent, his back against the rough canvas. For a moment he really didn't know why he had come there. Weather to be comforted by her presence, to talk, to tell her how he felt, he wasn't sure which.
"Zelda." He called, his voice nearly a whisper.
The air went quiet. He heard movement inside, and a moment later he felt her sit down behind him, her back against his through the fabric wall.
"Link…What are you doing awake?" She murmured.
Link cleared his throat.
"I couldn't sleep." He said.
He heard Zelda exhale loudly.
"Nor could I…" She paused.
"… I'm so afraid, Link… I have never been so afraid in all my life." She said.
Link closed his eyes for a moment.
"I'm scared too…"
Stillness passed between them. At length, Zelda spoke, her voice tender in the dark.
"I'm happy you're here… sleeping away from you was strange."
Link couldn't help but smile at her words.
"Come outside, Zelda." He said.
"No… you come in." She replied.
Drawing a deep, anxious breath the boy stood. He entered her room and beheld her sitting on the bed, impossibly beautiful as ever. Her features were lit in soft yellow as she gently turned the pages she had written down and laid them on the small table next to the bed. She slid herself over and he sat beside her. Link gazed at her for a moment, seeming to lose the power of speech as they regarded one another. Her eyes flitted down and she took his hands in hers. She looked up at him again.
"You're trembling." She said, her voice thick with sleeplessness and concern.
Link uttered a soft, nervous laugh in spite of himself.
"So I am…"
She looped her arms around his waist, holding him to her as she tucked her head under his chin. She felt his frayed nerves burning in her own chest. He tensed involuntarily, his veins filled with lightning as he softly draped his arms around her shoulders. She smiled as his warmth spread over her. Zelda looked up at him, her beauty in the lamplight nearly heartbreaking. She affectionately pushed her fingers into his hair, the tips of her cracked nails grazing the supple flesh of his neck.
"Stay with me then… We shall wait out the night together. I know you are frightened… as am I." She said.
Link sighed, feeling the relentless pounding under his ribs which he was certain that she had noticed now. He swallowed hard.
"It's not that…" He said
"What is it then? What troubles you so?" She asked.
Very gently, he pulled back from her. He smoothed his hand over her hair, looking into her eyes as he felt her stiffen beside him.
"… I don't know of any graceful way of saying this…Zelda… I…"
She quickly brought her hand to his lips, her expression nearly tearful. She felt him breathe a short gasp of shock against her fingertips.
"Do not say it… not now… not with all this death looming." She said, her eyes wide and bright as she slowly pulled her hand away.
Link searched her face for a moment.
"… then you do already know what I was going to say." He said.
Zelda put her arms around him, laying her head to his chest as she bit her lip in thought.
"… I do… and I do not want it to sound like goodbye…" She said.
Link gently cradled her head against his palm.
"It's not though… I don't think there are ever really any goodbyes between us…"
Zelda ran her hand down his back and closed her eyes. She listened to his heart for a moment before she spoke again, still beating so loudly under the shell of her ear.
"...Yes there are… that is why you came to me now..." She said.
The boy said nothing, he only held her there, the crickets chirring around them in the night. She looked up at him.
"Please… say it after this battle is over… when I can let myself be happy… not now before all this bloodshed."
Link sighed, burying his face in her hair as she let her hands lightly wander along his back, feeling the soft notch of each rib under her fingertips. She sat solemnly, feeling the boy there, warm and alive in her arms and wishing in vain to stay forever with him in that moment. They looked at each other in silence for a time, the air around them suddenly heavy. They drew closer to one another then, each could feel the other's breath on their lips as time momentarily stood still. It was then that they heard the alarmed cries of the watcher from outside and they pulled away from each other with a start. They listened intently to the voice in the distance.
"To arms! To arms! The army of the dead approaches!"
Both the boy and the princess flew from the tent, pausing for half a second to see the droves of people scrambling with various weapons to the northern end of the camp. Link started in a sprint toward his own tent, skidding quickly to a stop and turning on his heels as he looked back to Zelda.
"Go, boy! I shall meet you at the front!" She called.
Swiftly, still fastening his sword belt over his chest, Link made his way to the very front of the camp through the scantily armed rabble of men and women. Already he could see Impa, Eolan and at least two other fleet commanders riding about the edges instructing the army into formation. On the western edge, Mila, clad in steel and leather waved him down as she stood with one of the armored stallions.
"Quickly now, put this on." She said, as she handed him a crude iron armor; attached at the shoulders and sides with straps of leather which she quickly tied for him after she had slid it uncomfortably beneath his sword belt against his back.
The smaller boy beside, Coltin cast a glance up at Link as he strapped his own plate into place. He couldn't have been more than fourteen and his eyes told of terror, but all the same he offered Link a smile.
"Twenty houses worth of pots and pans to make these things…" He said.
The larger boy, Oylic came up beside and slapped a helmet down onto Coltin's head.
"Yeah, yeah, twenty houses, twenty houses. Hopefully they work!" Said Oylic, quickly handing Link a worn bow and a small quiver of arrows.
Moments later, Zelda appeared atop Epona with Midge tied behind. She hopped down and Oylic instantaneously strapped a plate over her shoulders as she held her bow aside, her quiver stuffed and at her hip. Delph and Khai rode up beside, Khai's mare armored from snout to tail. An assortment of tarnished and mismatched helmets where divvied out amongst the band of eight and all quickly mounted their horses. Khai drew Dìoghaltas from her scabbard, pointing toward the hill hidden palace as he rode before his small command.
"The pass is a little way's north from here. We're going to follow the army with the cavalry until phase two starts and we start to engage the enemy. On my signal, once they charge, we'll split off and head toward the pass. Don't get separated, we're going to have these things coming at us from all sides. Link, Zelda, stay in the middle and pick off as many as you can. Shetly, Mila you two go ahead and ride on the outside because you guys have legitimate armor. I'm going to ride at the head. Does everyone got it?" Said Khai loudly.
A resounding "yes" spread through the group and Khai nodded; turning his horse toward the mobilizing army. He gestured with his sword toward the fleet.
"Let's go kill some monsters then!"
Link and Zelda looked across to one another from beneath ill-fitting helmets before each of them kicked their horses forward; riding numbly into the ranks of the cavalry, the creaking wheel of the trebuchets behind.
They rode nearly three miles up the field before the army halted upon a hill at Eolan's command. The boy and the princess side by side atop their armored mounts as they looked out into the distance. It was then that they saw them. Creeping silently across the field in an uncountable throng was the army of the dead; their eyes aglow with the power of the rampant Triforce as the stench of them filled the field. Before them marched the heavily armored Moblin foot soldiers with thick iron shields and flanking them on all sides, the Bulblin riders. Eolan, atop his great blonde stallion armored in steel, raised his sword above his head as he called loudly from the front.
"Trebuchets! Archers!" He cried.
In a wave, the front line sank behind their shields as they readied their bows. Already the whistling sound of falling arrows could be heard in the deathly stillness. From behind, Link, Zelda, Khai and the others heard the groan of the trebuchets as four Goron soldiers pulled the ropes quickly down and into place. Hurriedly, they loaded netted bundles of explosive barrels into the sling as others waited behind with lit torches for Eolan's signal. As the dark creatures moved slowly closer, Eolan thrust his blade forward.
"Loose!" He cried.
In one fluid motion, the archers launched their arrows while the Gorons lit the wick of the grouped powder kegs. The eight on horseback watched in horror struck awe as the counterweight creaked loudly down and the barrels were flung with amazing force into the hordes below. The explosion was immense, lighting the night in vermillion as holes opened immediately in the enemy ranks and a small pool of flame spread where the bombs had hit. Almost instantly, another rain of arrows fell on the front lines, and even from the back the sound of stunned screams could be heard as people began to fall. Eolan, shielding himself from the deadly rain motioned again with his sword. Another round of explosives were hurled into the field and the dark creatures began to quicken their pace. They were nearly upon the last defense of Hyrule. Eolan turned, upon his horse to his fleet.
"They come! Stand your ground and remember that it is Hyrule we fight for! If we must die, we die well in defense of the land that sired us! Forward!" He cried and with a roar, like a wave the army crashed toward the spears and swords of the dark army.
"Alright, that's us, let's go!" Khai hollered, and the eight charged on over the field toward the pass.
The onslaught was thick as the corpses slashed with inhuman strength at the eight riders bounding over the hills, struggling to stay close. Wounding the undead soldiers seemed to have little effect. To her horror, as Zelda threw them to the ground or smashed them into the rocks with her astral grasp, even after crushing their breastplates they did not drop; they only went on, mutilated and lopsided as they skewered the resistance from all directions, chasing them ceaselessly toward the pass. A small band of Bulblin riders gave chase as they veered away from the battlefield, flinging arrows at them from both sides. Quickly, Link turned in his saddle as he drew back his bow, taking out the boars which drug the creatures into the dirt behind them. As they neared the pass, they had managed to shake most of their assailants though a few flesh-less Stalfos still shambled behind as Coltin and Shelty quickly dispatched them. Swiftly, Khai and Mila dismounted as the others followed; scrambling to uncover the cart as Link and Oylic hurriedly lifted the chains for the horses to be tethered. Delph took the reins as she motioned for the rest to embark. Link turned to Epona and slapped her behind as hard as he could, sending her flying over the hill and away from battle. He watched her go, and then turned back to the cart.
"Is everyone ready?" Delph called.
The remaining seven circled up tightly, bows drawn; already they could see the eyes of the archers appearing on the cliff sides.
"Go Delph! Drive!" Yelled Khai, and the wagon jolted forward.
Before they disappeared around the bend, standing at the back Link and Zelda looked out across the flaming field at the pure carnage of the night, horrified by the sheer magnitude as time seemed to slow and the terrible scene disappeared behind the cliffs.
In the wash of melee, the clanging of swords and the screams of the dying, Rue made her way about the field. Clad in homemade armor, she dispatched Bulblin foot soldiers, evading the heavy swings of the Moblins that threatened to crush her with a single blow. She managed to fell one of them herself by running back and forth through its rotund legs as it raged and skewered the ground, erratically jabbing at her. It swung its jagged spear blindly, severing the heads of several walking corpses as Rue quickly stabbed at its exposed back and sides. As the creature fell, she sprinted on toward the front. The world had become little more than a nightmare; bodies littering the field as her mind seemed to close down at the violence of it all. Her senses were what still moved her, all else floated away with her urge scream at the foul blood that covered her. She was nearly at the front now, the field ablaze behind her and the city gates lit in its phantasmal glow in the distance. Standing on the hillside less that a mile from the drawbridge, far off from the gore there stood a figure. He was cloaked in black, a deep hood obscuring his face as he seemed to be watching the bloodshed from afar. Looking at him, something occurred to Rue.
That's him… that's the one controlling it all. The cause of everything… if he dies then the spell will break.
Without a thought, Rue started in a frantic run toward the figure, frantically skewering and decapitating the dead that pursued her. Finally she was close enough, and she held her guard high as she approached. The wraith-like creature atop an enormous black stallion seemed to regard her calmly as she moved toward him.
"You… You're him aren't you? You're the one behind all of this!" She said.
The figure turned to her.
"Go die with your family child. I have no time for you…" He said from beneath the cloak.
Rue planted her feet.
"No… get off your horse." She said.
The figured lowered the hood from his face, his amber eyes fixing upon the girl. He sneered.
"I will make your death exceptionally painful if you do not turn now… You are ruining my view."
Rue picked up a rock and tossed it as hard as she could at the demon as he leaned out of its trajectory and it landed with a dull thud behind him.
"The audacity you have, little girl…" He seethed, as he slowly slipped down from his horse and drew his sword with a malicious ring.
Rue waited, her blood throbbing in her ears at the figure drew near. She steadied herself, moving quickly out of the way as the first blow came; cleaving the ground. She tried to maneuver to his side but his sword missed her by only a hairs length as he slashed ruthlessly in her direction. She caught his blade on the back-swing and it nearly threw her to the ground with the sheer force of its motion. He was far too strong, and Rue began to panic as she waited for a moment to strike. She slashed fiercely at him, hitting only the sides of his blade. It was then that she remembered the bomb flower in the pouch at her side. Evading another powerful swing, the girl quickly ripped the stem from the flower. Turning so quickly she nearly fell, she took off and away from the hulking figure. Confused, Ganondorf lowered his blade as he watched her go. Skidding to a halt and turning back, Rue launched the reddening blossom toward the Thief King. It landed with a thud only a foot from him and he barely had time to register what it was before it exploded. Rue watched as as a ball of fire engulfed the towering man and chunks of earth and rock kicked high into the air.
"Yes, YES!" She breathed, as the debris began to fall back audibly back to the ground.
She watched as the smoke and dust dissipated into the night, inching closer to where she presumed the crater that had once been an eight-foot tall Gerudo man now lay. She paused , the sounds of battle once again filling her ears. To her horror, Ganondorf stepped swiftly out of the falling dust, enraged and wiping the soot from his face. He lunged at her, swinging furiously at Rue as she tried with all her strength to deflect his blows. He overtook her, knocking her sword from her hand as he tossed his own sword aside. He gripped her by the arm, snapping it in three places before he grabbed a handful of her hair and hoisted her to her feet. In a daze of agony she felt his hand close around her throat as he held her suspended above him. Just as Rue felt herself slipping into blackness, the being dropped her to the ground and she lay there for a second gasping for air and in splitting pain. Suddenly, she felt him rip her up by her hair again. He stared down into her face.
"You know the boy, don't you? I can sense his presence on you."
Her awareness wavy, she spit in his eye. Snarling, he smashed her in head with the back of his fist sending her sprawling to the ground. Picking up her weapon, he stood over her.
"I may have use for you..." He said, wiping his face.
With the unconscious Rue in tow, Ganondorf remounted his horse and tore off toward the palace.
Riding at hysterical speed through the pass, the small band of eight stood fending off a never ending rain of arrows. All the while, the cart threatened to splinter and fly apart as it jolted over the rocky ground. Already Coltin and Delph had multiple arrows in their legs, and Oylic's left arm was pierced straight through but still they stood; endlessly loosing arrows at the creatures in the dark as Zelda ripped a handful off of the cliffs in her spectral grasp. After what seemed like harrowing hours, finally the field came into view. Khai called to Link, neither pausing as the two of them fired on the creatures above them.
"Link, when we get into the field we're going to do a wide turn and bring the cart back around. You guys are going to have to jump!" He barked.
Link nodded as he felled another archer, though it felt as if an infinite number stood behind waiting the take the place of the other as the hiss of arrows filled his ears. The cart resembled something of a pin-cushion now. They dashed out through the pass and into the field, the arrows ceasing for a moment. Delph pivoted quickly back around as Link and Zelda prepared themselves for the jump.
"Go! Now!" Cried Khai.
Bracing for impact, the boy and the princess leapt from the cart. They each hit the ground with a painful thud as they rolled to a stop in the grass. Quickly, Zelda rose and pulled Link to his feet. She drew her dagger and hastily cut the leather at the shoulder of both she and Link's breastplates, letting the two heavy iron plates slide to the ground before they tore the helmets from their heads and took off together in a sprint toward the garden wall. She took his hand as they neared the stone façade and led him to the hole in the brick. They slipped easily beneath it, and they paused on the other side of the hedge that had concealed the opening as they caught their breath. Each of them drew their swords and Zelda motioned to Link to be silent as she walked vigilantly on ahead through the hundreds of roses, lilies and marble statues, ghostly in the moonlight. At last, they came upon a rusty iron door that led into the servant's passage to the main hall. Carefully, Link opened the door, peering cautiously into the shadows before the two of them stepped inside. The hallway was dark and narrow, the only light flickering ahead in the foyer of the castle. Aside from the sickening aura that pervaded the whole of the place, the castle seemed empty as they stepped across the tile floor. Zelda paused for a moment and looked about her, her nerves burning with some terrible evil lurking near. She paused, her stomach cramping. Link turned to her.
"Zelda, what's wrong?" Link asked, his voice hardly more than a whisper.
"There is something here… though I know not exactly where." She said anxiously, feeling the mark upon her hand begin to burn.
As she spoke, she lifted her eyes to the stairway that led to the throne room uttering a tiny gasp of terror as she beheld the figure that descended the steps. Link whirled around, his blade readied as he met the grinning face of his eternal foe. A final gear seemed to click into place within him as the two recognized each other with perfect clarity. Link realized with mounting horror that the demon held someone. With her hair wound around his fist and his sword resting at her throat, Ganondorf strode forward with Rue beneath his arm. The girl began to cry as she regarded the wide-eyed boy, and four undead guards shuffled into the room behind her and the towering figure in black and gold.
"Rue…" Said Link breathlessly, feeling as though he were frozen in place as he looked upon the battered face of his little sister.
"So you do know each other… Lay down your weapons or I'll kill the girl." Commanded the Thief King.
The boy looked on at her for a moment, time stopping as he undid his sword belt and laid it down. Zelda did the same and Rue began to sob hysterically.
"I'm so sorry... I... I didn't mean for this to happen." She said, hoarsely.
Link gazed sadly up at her.
"It's okay… I'll figure something out." He said, casting a black glance to the figure beside her.
Ganondorf nodded to the guards.
"Take them, cut his throat if she moves." He said, motioning to Zelda.
Within seconds, Link's hands were bound and felt the jagged steel pressing against his neck as the world swam dismally before him. To his relief, he watched as the demon tossed Rue onto the floor, throwing her sword down beside her.
"Go child, I am letting you live because I want you to deliver a message for me. Go and tell your people that their world is ending, and I have won." He said.
Rue got unsteadily to her feet, looking once more to Link. He swallowed, feeling the blade on the underside of his chin.
"Go Rue." He said, sternly.
Tearfully, Rue left the palace through its front doors, her shattered left arm swinging limply at her side. She gripped the hilt of her sword in mournful rage, silently promising that she would bring help as she passed into the courtyard. She began to run, despite the fire in her every muscle.
Ganondorf took a moment to quietly revel in the scene before he went to Zelda. She stared up at him, her eyes full of ire. He smiled as he took her chin roughly in his hand.
"I have something of interest planned for you, something that will make you far more cooperative in tonight's events." He said.
He laid two of his fingers against Zelda's forehead and summoned a small pulse of the dark magic that flowed through him. The princess fell limp as Link began to struggle desperately against the iron grip that held him. The demon grinned as he handed the anesthetized girl to the guard.
"Take their weapons to the armory and take the boy below. Drug the girl and then she may join him."
And with that, the three separated as the two remaining undead guards looked down at the belt and the sword he boy had left. Eager to obey, the larger of the two went to pick it up; recoiling numbly as smoke began to rise from the hand that gripped the hilt. The mere touch of it had left a welt across its decayed flesh as if red-hot iron had been pressed against it.