Alright folks, here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! I knew I had to get this one out to you all quickly (mostly because I was so motivated to write it myself). So let me say that this SUPER long chapter makes up for the shortness of the past two chapters hopefully and its filled with a TON of stuff so yay! Let's get to the reviews!
Zelinkwolf: Glad you caught the reference! But yes... the time has certainly come... and it will be an emotional roller coaster! And don't worry. Its time for all secrets to be revealed! :D
TheJediAvenger: Doesn't it though? Haha :) And yeah, the feels are some intense stuff, but they will only get worse in this chapter!
ShadowNinja1011: I know! Isn't it just so sad?
RandomButLoved: I can almost guarantee that this chapter is a tearjerker. After all, it made me cry as I was writing it! And as far as getting chapters out of the way quickly, let's just say I've been on a roll lately! And I'm glad you're enjoying Wisdom and Courage! New chapters are on the way for that soon too!
erico637: I plan on making Zelda just like she is in TP for L&S: seemingly stoic, very reserved and very much to herself. She will be very queenly and stately, a complete contrast to how I'm writing Zelda here. Of course, she will come out of her shell a little as she interacts with Link, but she will, for the duration of the story, be very cold and collected. I hope you'll enjoy it!
YueMelHamchi: I guess we'll just have to find out if Zelda uses the light arrows... won't we? ;)
silverhawk88: We most certainly are on our way now! Haha!
Nintendoman01: Its certainly hard to believe that, after all Link has been through, it seems as though this is finally the end for him. But you are right! Its not over yet!
And that's pretty much it. I dont want to leave you all in suspense for too long so let's get started!
Chapter 33: Corrupted Hero
"You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful for our little infinity."
-Hazel, The Fault in Our Stars
Sheik found warm tears streaming down her own cheeks as she eavesdropped in on the couple's bittersweet conversation from the rooftop of their house. She had been sitting there for quite some time, dutifully watching over both the goddess and the hero from the shadows as she often did, but she had not expected to hear as much as she had. While she hadn't heard their earlier conversation inside, she had been able to surmise from how they were acting and speaking that, as much as it pained her to think so, perhaps this was Link's final day before he would be lost to corruption forever, never to return to himself again. The despair between the couple seemed to be too deep and heavy for there to be any other explanation and it did make sense. After all, the hero had been fighting against the wicked force stirring inside of him for several weeks now; it was bound to claim him sooner or later, since it had been made clear so many times that there was no escape for him from it. And yet, it brought the Sheikah leader's heart great grief to think that the hero whom she privately pined for would be gone within only a few short hours. Sheik knew that she owed Link much; he had saved her life on numerous occasions, but even more than that, he had given her joy, however brief, at a time that she thought that she would never know happiness again. He had shown her that she didn't always have to rely on herself, that trust was just as strong as hatred, if not more so, and through that trust, she never had to walk alone.
But even so, it broke the Sheikah leader's heart to know that, despite all he had done for the land and those upon it, all he had done for the goddess, it would all be for naught in the end. Even if the Interlopers were finally defeated, Link would not get to live to see the peaceful world that his hardship and struggles would win. Sheik let even more tears fall as she wished for a way she could do something, anything about the situation. She felt so useless and helpless, much like Zelda did, about the whole situation. She knew that if it would save the hero, or even just buy him a little more time, she would gladly give up anything to see it happen, even her own life. But as far as she knew, she could not, for, as much as many wanted to save him, absolutely nothing could fix what fate had ultimately and cruelly decided for him.
The couple continued to weep softly in each other's arms for quite some time, refusing to let go of each other, lest their love die prematurely. However, they soon forgot about their sorrow and their tight embrace when the ground under them began to tremble softly. Even Sheik, from her spot on the rooftop, could feel the earth quaking, gently at first, until it turned violent. Hardly able to keep her balance anymore, the Sheikah leader quickly slipped away to the front of the house, so the hero and the girl would not discover that she had been spying on them. At the same time, Link and Zelda looked to each other in confusion and concern, having no idea what was causing the sudden earthquake. However, they soon found out when a deafening explosion rang out across the entire land, its source coming from the south, the Sealed Grounds to be exact. As the crash reverberated throughout the hills, the shifting ground suddenly went still and the sounds of nature went silent, the bright morning skies suddenly turning dark with grey, stormy, ominous clouds.
"What was that?" Zelda asked worriedly, wiping her tears as she turned her gaze towards the southern woods.
"I don't-" Link started to say, but he was cut off by the sudden flash coming from the back of his hand. The girl frowned when she saw the golden mark of the Triforce appear clearly upon his hand, remembering well what it could mean at a time like this. "The Triforce?" the hero questioned in clear confusion. "But why is it-"
"The Fused Shadow," Zelda said gravely, already turning to head into the house. "Just look over there," she motioned to the forest, where the golden light put off by the Triforce could be seen rising over the treetops even from miles away. "The same thing happened the last time Veress put the Fused Shadow to use. And I bet the mark of the Triforce showed up on your hand then too, didn't it?"
"Well, yeah," Link said, though he wasn't sure where she was going with this. "But what does it mean?"
"It means that the Triforce is reacting to the dark power of the Interlopers," the girl said tensely, her words sounding more and more like Hylia's than her own. "A power that was created specifically to steal the Triforce in the first place. Veress must be using it to try and go after the Triforce, which is why we should go see what's happening. We may not have much time left…" Her words trailed off softly as she placed her hand against her head, trying to force away the headache that the Fused Shadow's evil power had brought on. The hero also groaned in quiet pain as his own head began to pound, also negatively affected by the prevailing energy of the Interlopers' relic.
"Actually, I'm afraid we don't have any time left at all," Sheik said as she came to stand in the back doorway of the house, her arms crossed and her expression serious. Behind her came both Fi and Terminus, both of them showing clear dread and worry for the unfolding situation.
"What's going on?" Link asked warily through his pain, feeling as though, out of everyone, he was the only one out of the loop of things.
"The Fused Shadow is indeed active at the moment," Fi said articulately. "In fact, I can clearly estimate that, based on previous scans done on it, that almost 90% of its immense dark power is being put to use at the moment, though for what purpose, I cannot say. However, I can determine that the center of its activity is located within the Sealed Grounds, dangerously close to the Triforce."
"Certainly, in their desperation to win this war, the Dark Interlopers must finally be making a final, direct strike in the hopes of claiming the Triforce for their own," Terminus said anxiously. "And what's worse is that, upon recently traveling to the Sealed Grounds to check on the integrity of the seal, I found that it is quickly wearing thin. In its weak state, the Interlopers could certainly use their dark power to obliterate it once and for all and conquer the Triforce."
"Well, if the Interlopers want to act so desperately, then I think we need to act desperately as well," Sheik said with determination and a resolve to end the destruction that Veress and her followers could cause if left unchecked. "After all, desperate times call for desperate measures. And so we need to go to the Sealed Grounds as quickly as possible and put a stop to this before it even begins."
"You're right, Sheik," Zelda said firmly. "Right now, we're the only five who could possibly hope to stand up against the Interlopers' power and survive. Which is why I don't want any of your people or ours getting involved in this. No more games. We end this today." As she said this, she couldn't help but glance over at Link, her gaze softening slightly as she realized that this long conflict wouldn't be the only thing that would end today, but as he looked over at her, he showed nothing less than determination and drive in his expression, rather than the former grief he had been encompassed in. The hero knew that in his final day, if the last thing he would ever do of his own free will was deliver the surface and the goddess from the threat of the Interlopers, then at least one of this regrets would be put to rest.
The group of five all nodded in agreement, wasting no more time to discuss the matter further, for they all knew that this final battle was their responsibility and no one else's. They all were quick to realize that in this fight, they would face off against Veress herself for the last time, and if fate was in their favor, they would finally take the powerful Interloper leader down once and for all. If not, then the surface and all its inhabitants would be forced to pay the eternal price.
As they all started to head back into the house so they could prepare to leave the village, Sheik lingered back for a moment, watching as Link began to follow everyone else inside and knowing that she wouldn't have many more chances to tell him what she needed to, if any at all. And so, hesitantly, she gently grasped his arm right before he could go in, making sure that Zelda, Fi and Terminus were already gone so that the two of them could speak privately. The hero raised a curious eyebrow at the Sheikah leader, wondering why she was holding him back at a moment like this, but she before he could question her, she began to speak.
"Link… I… I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now…" she began nervously, avoiding eye contact with him as she tried to put everything into words. "I know that you don't have that much time left, which is why I need to tell you…" she paused for a moment and finally met his expectant gaze, her resolve to finally tell him the truth faltering all at once. "Thank you," she said with sincerity, deciding to go off on a different tangent entirely. "Thank you for everything that you've done for this land, for my people, for the goddess and… and for me… I know that words could never express how grateful I am to you, but I am, from the bottom of my heart. You gave me something that I thought I already had, something I didn't even know I needed any more of: strength. You made me believe in myself again at a time that I wasn't sure of anything. And now, I need you, we all need you, to believe in yourself again. I know it's hard for you, but you're strong, stronger than anyone I've ever met before. No one deserves to go through what you've been forced to suffer, but you deserve it the least out of anyone in the world. Fate is hardly ever fair, but this time, it's more wrong than it ever has been before to end you like this. Which is why you need to make fate pay for what it's doing to you. You've been dealt with unfairly, but I know you can and will stand strong to defy fate one last time. Show them all, Veress, the demon, even fate itself that you are more than just a pawn for them to destroy. You're not defined by what destiny says you need to be. You're defined by your loyalty, your choices, your spirit. No one else can tell who you are; only you can do that."
Link listened to the Sheikah leader's solemn, heartfelt words and found truth in them. He realized that, upon discovering that his doom was almost upon him, that he had lost faith in his ability to keep on fighting, even against what would certainly destroy him. And yet, upon hearing her sincere, comforting speech, he found that, just as he had given her the strength that she needed, she had restored the confidence that he needed. He didn't have to let his fate define who he was, especially in these final hours of his life. Even though he knew that his last day was upon him, the hero resolved to fight with everything he had in order to bright light to the land once more, and protect those who relied on him until his dying breath.
"Thank you," Link said with sincere gratitude to Sheik, who merely smiled softly at him and shook her head.
"What did I tell you?" she asked, with a hint of bitter levity in her tone. "Don't thank me until all of this is over. Now, let's go end it. Once and for all."
Knowing that time was of the essence, everyone agreed that it would be faster to travel to the Sealed Grounds from above on Loftwings, rather than go on the ground using horses. The journey from Kakariko to the forest was rather short with Link and Sheik flying on the hero's bird and Zelda and Terminus going on the girl's, and in almost no time at all, they had made it to the Faron province. However, as they flew, they all were quick to notice that the sky was growing ever darker, the clouds taking on a treacherous hue of violet and red, and the winds picking up as they approached the Sealed Grounds. And, as they flew over the Sealed Temple, they were all shocked by what they saw below them.
The Statue of the Goddess, which normally towered so stately and protectively over the surrounding area, the Triforce positioned securely above Hylia's palms, had fallen, it stone body lying in scattered, ruined pieces about the courtyard in front of the temple. Obviously, the incredible explosion from earlier had been the result of the Interlopers destroying the well-known symbol of Hylia, showing their complete disrespect and hatred for the goddess once more. However, much to everyone's relief as they descended down into the ruin-filled courtyard, the Triforce, which was now on ground level because of the explosion, had fortunately remained untouched. They had made it just in time.
They all approached the golden relic with caution, carefully looking around to see if Veress or any of her followers were lying in wait, but there was no sign of any of them, save for the destruction wrought upon the courtyard. Zelda and Terminus frowned to each other upon both of them noticing the same exact thing, which they were quick to relay to the rest of the group. "Terminus was right," the girl said anxiously. "The seal on the Triforce is pretty much gone and I don't know if we have enough time to create a new one. The Interlopers could come out of hiding and strike at any moment."
"That is why I will use whatever power I have left to ensure that the Triforce is kept safe from them," the goddess of Termina said with determination. "I shall create a new seal upon the golden relic, but it is one that I must pour my power into to maintain. It can only be temporary, for when my powers are exhausted, so too shall the shield be. Which is why the Interlopers must be dealt with as quickly as possible. You all must protect me and the Triforce while I do my part, lest they use their dark magic to subdue me and conquer both the golden relic and the surface. Will you do this for the sake of this land and everyone in it?"
Link, Zelda and Sheik all nodded in agreement without a moment's hesitation, knowing that protecting the surface was their duty in this dark hour. The only thing that worried them was that the Dark Interlopers were nowhere to be seen, but they all knew that certainly, Veress and her followers must have been nearby, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. But even so, the hero, the girl and the Sheikah leader protectively surrounded the goddess of Terminus as she held out her hands and began to conjure up a new seal upon the Triforce, one that would hopefully last long enough for them to take down the last of the rebels once and for all and restore peace to the surface.
Glancing around suspiciously, Sheik drew out her staff in anticipation of the oncoming battle, and Zelda also readied the Bow of Light, already knocking a golden arrow upon it. However, no more than a moment after Link drew the Master Sword, his hands began to inexplicably feel as though they burning up from a hot fire. The hero cried out in pain as he dropped the blade and glanced down at his still-aching hands, which appeared to be just fine, before looking at the sword lying on the ground. Both the girl and the Sheikah leader turned their attention to him in confusion, neither of them understanding what had just happened just as he didn't.
"Fi," Link called out to the sword spirit to get an explanation, for certainly his stinging flesh had something to do with the Master Sword. However, for the first time ever, Fi did not respond to her master's call. In unlettered confusion, the hero attempted to coax her out of the sword once more, but it was to no avail. She would not answer him, though for what reason, he had no idea.
Upon seeing that Link was having no luck with the sword spirit, Zelda decided to attempt reaching Fi herself. "Fi?" she said, hoping that the spirit of the blade would respond to the goddess's voice if not the hero's.
Upon hearing the girl call out to her, Fi emerged from the sword immediately and came to stand beside her, quickly lowering herself to one knee before her creator. "Yes, your grace? How may I serve you?" she asked with compliance.
"Fi, why did the Master Sword burn Link's hands just now?" Zelda asked worriedly, glancing over at her husband, who was staring at the sword spirit expectantly, waiting for an answer as to why she had not answered him earlier.
"Link?" Fi questioned in apparent confusion, strangely not addressing the hero as "master" first as she usually did. However, as she turned her gaze upon him, her confused expression quickly turned to one of ire, much to Link and Zelda's wondering. "I am sorry, your grace," she said to the girl, though she did not take her glaring sights off of the hero. "But I do not recognize the being that stands before me. I have no previous memory of him in my data banks. But I can tell you, upon an initial scan, to take exercise immediate caution. My scans have revealed that he is a servant of the evil demon of Termina, Majora and that he should be considered extremely dangerous. I recommend attacking immediately in order to-"
"No, Fi!" Zelda exclaimed in sudden fury with the sword spirit for not even recognizing Link, even though she had still been able to just a few hours before. As she glanced over at the hero, she could tell that he was stunned speechless by hearing his normally-loyal companion say such things about him, and so she knew that it was her job to convince Fi otherwise. "He is not a servant of the demon! He's Link, my chosen hero and your master! Remember?"
"Your grace, clearly you must be confused," Fi said as she made her duel rapiers appear and took up an offensive stance against Link, refusing to believe that she was wrong. "You do not have a 'chosen hero' and, since you are my creator, I answer only to you. Which is why I will do everything in my power to defend you from this servant of evil!"
Without another word, the sword spirit raised her duel blades to attack the shocked, unarmed hero, but before she could, Sheik was quick to barrel into her, knocking her to the ground as she held her staff in place to keep Fi restrained so she could not harm Link. "What is wrong with you?!" the Sheikah leader hissed in anger at the struggling spirit of the blade. "You claim to be so loyal to him and yet you're attacking him?!"
"Fi!" Zelda called out with authority before the rouge sword spirit could even respond to Sheik's accusation. "I order you to return to the Master Sword at once!"
Upon hearing the goddess's firm command, Fi hesitantly stopped struggling against the Sheikah leader, who let her up so she could return to her vessel. But before she did so, she silently cast one final glare of hatred upon her former master as she entered the blade in a flourish of light. Once Fi was gone, both Zelda and Sheik turned to Link with worried gazes, as the hero simply stared at the ground despondently. Certainly, the sword spirit's inability to recognize him as her master and her subsequent turning against him was yet another sign that he was nearly corrupted completely. If even Fi could not see any remaining signs of who he used to be within him, instead believing that he was nothing more than Majora's servant already, then how much of his true, uncorrupted self was really left?
Not knowing what to say at a moment like this, in which the strong connection that had once existed between the hero and the sword spirit was now severed, the girl simply wrapped her arms around her husband in a tight, comforting embrace, grieved by the fact that she also knew that this was a sign that his time was almost up. No words were exchanged between the two of them as they simply remained in each other's arms for quite some time, simply waiting for something, anything to happen.
However, all too quickly, their last few moments of peace were shattered as the ground began to tremor once more. Link, Zelda and Sheik all prepared themselves once more as they realized that this was sign that the Interlopers were about to attack. However, as Terminus, still focused on her work of protecting the Triforce, turned her head and saw that the hero no longer had access to his sword, she was filled with both guilt and pity for him once more.
"Link, wait!" the goddess of Termina called out to him as the girl and the Sheikah leader readied their own weapons. "You cannot go into this battle without a blade. It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!" Holding out one of her hands, Terminus allowed a burst of light to form over her palm, one that quickly turned into the shape of a sword, the Great Fairy's Sword to be exact. Using her magic, she commanded the blade to glide over to the hero, who was quick to take it into his own hands. He nodded gratefully to the goddess of Termina as she returned to her respective task, glad to have a sword to take into this fight, even though he wished it was the Master Sword instead.
No more than a moment after the trio finished readying themselves for the no-doubt violent battle that was about to ensue, they heard an all-too familiar laugh ring out through the courtyard, one laced with both malice and a hint of insanity. Link, Zelda and Sheik all anxiously looked around the area for Veress, knowing that she was on her way, but not finding her anywhere. However, less than a moment later, the rebel leader herself appeared only a few feet away from the trio in a burst of dark flame. The hero, the girl and the Sheikah leader were all shocked upon seeing Veress's changed appearance, the three of them clearly able to tell that based on that and the pure evil energy flowing from her very presence, that she was planning on using her dark power to the fullest in this battle. However, they were also quick to realize that the Interloper leader had arrived completely alone and none of her few remaining followers were anywhere in sight. They all assumed that this was some sort of ruse she was putting up to trick them, for certainly she would not go into battle against the three of them all alone, would she?
"Well, look who we have here…" Veress cooed with wicked delight, her red and yellow eyes alight with both hatred and anticipation. "You all have no idea how long I have been waiting for this moment… When I would finally destroy all of you and claim the Triforce as my own! The only question now is who should I start with?"
Link, Zelda and Sheik all remained silent as they sized up their foe, taking in the obvious fact that there was something unusual about the rebel leader this time. "Both of you," the Sheikah leader whispered warningly to the hero and the girl. "Be careful. I don't know what it is, but there's something off about her. She's slipping, I can see it. But that doesn't mean she's not still a threat. Her dark power is immense, and as far as I can tell, she doesn't have any more intentions of showing any restraint in using it."
"You're quite right, Sheik!" Veress called out, having somehow overheard the Sheikah leader's cautionary words. "My power is immense. But I'm certainly not slipping. I've never felt so strong before! And do you all know why? Because of this!" With a dramatic wave of her hands, the Interloper leader lifted her crazed sights towards the sky above her, where the Fused Shadow suddenly appeared, surrounded by a dark, malevolent glow. The trio exchanged a confused glance as they wondered why Veress had brought her precious dark relic into the open, for certainly that was just an invitation for her the source of her power to be destroyed.
"The Fused Shadow contains more power than any of you could hope to stand against!" the rebel leader proclaimed with a demented grin, her unmatching eyes wide and wild. "And by its incredible strength, you will all meet your deaths at my hands…" She paused for a moment as she cast a wickedly triumphant gaze upon Link, who she could tell was trying his best to remain calm amidst the curse that she had placed on him. "Except for you, hero…" she said darkly as she began to saunter towards him, bereft of any sort of weapons. "As much as I wish I could finish what I started on the field all those weeks ago, what I continued within the depths of my fortress, I'm afraid your ultimate demise will not be at my hands like you little goddess's will… But even so, I'm sure your doom will be just as agonizing…"
As she heard her hero's short, panicked breathing and watched his sword tremble in his hand from the newest panic attack he was suffering from, Zelda was filled with unbridled rage towards the Interloper leader. Without a second thought, she aimed her bow right for Veress, crafting a light arrow and preparing to let it fly before the rebel leader stopped in her tracks only a few feet away from her and simply grinned mockingly. "Do you really think that your pathetic little arrows are going to do anything to stop my great power?" she asked rhetorically. "Do you honestly believe that I can be stopped now? That, since I'm all alone, I am therefore weak and you all can just defeat me, save your surface and be on your merry way? You're all fools! You may have captured most of my followers, but that is exactly why I no longer need any of them! They were weak! I finally realized that I can rise up against all of you on my own! I will claim the Triforce! I will destroy all of you! I will cover this land in shadows! And I will do it all on my own!"
Veress let out an insane, wicked laugh upon this proclamation, one that told the trio everything they needed to know about their enemy's current mental state. It was clear to see that the rebel leader had succumbed to the darkness of her own heart, and because of that, she had lost all sense of sanity, causing her to act recklessly and even more violently.
Without sparing another word to her opposition, Veress conjured up a ball of flame and sent it flying towards the dark skies above. The dark magic immediately caused a heavy downpour of rain to begin, drenching everyone as thunder and lightning resounded across the heavens. It was at this moment that Zelda finally let her first arrow fly towards the rebel leader, who was quick to deflect it using a barrier of darkness. Sheik was next to try and strike Veress, racing towards her with her staff, but the Interloper leader quickly stopped her by sending a burst of flame her way, one that she was fortunately able to defend against. Both the girl and the Sheikah leader continued to try and get a hit on the rebel leader, who was easily able to fend off all of their attacks without even breaking a sweat. Her already maniacal smile deepened when she noticed that the hero was the only one not trying to oppose her as he desperately continued to try and break through the terror filling his own mind as he was forced to relieve all of the pain he had endured at Veress's hands. As much as Link wanted to join in the battle and fight alongside Zelda and Sheik, he found that he was unable to, especially as his chest began to pound with an all-too familiar pain once again. The telltale sensations of bitter cold and burning heat filled his entire body and he cried out in both suffering and despair, knowing that he was not ready for this yet and he never would be.
"There's no more running, slave…" Majora cooed in excited delight inside the hero's mind. "Your fate is finally upon you… I have been waiting far too long for this moment. You are so close… so close to being broken, to being mine for eternity! Take comfort in the fact that your old life of suffering is about to end… And that a new one devoted entirely to service to me is about to begin!"
The demon let out a wild laugh as it sent wave after wave of intense, destructive power throughout the hero's body, each one more unbearable than the last. Veress watched with insane triumph as Link collapsed to the ground weakly, unable to remain standing amidst the terrible agony he was going through. At the same time, Zelda and Sheik both paused and watched as the hero fell, both of them wanting to race to his side and comfort him in his final moments. However, before they could, Veress was quick to erect a barrier in their way, keeping them from reaching him as she stood in their way, smirking at both of them cruelly.
"Looks like you little hero has finally reached the end of the line…" she taunted coldly. "What a shame… I really had hoped that I would get to make him suffer a little more before his inevitable doom…"
"Let us go!" Zelda shouted in both fury and desperation, wanting to get to Link above all else before she lost him forever.
"Why?" Veress asked darkly, her eyes almost glowing with bloodlust. "It's not like you can do anything to save him now, Hylia. He's had to go through so much pain and agony and for what? For you? For your surface? Don't you see, Zelda? You've made your beloved Link go through all of this suffering because you 'chose' him to be your honorable little hero. You carved his destiny out in stone for him and you never gave him a chance to be anything more than what you desired of him. I've always known you were cruel and uncaring for what you've done to my people, your 'grace', but I think what you did to him might be just as bad…"
"No!" the girl cried in protest, already feeling tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at her hero, who was clearly losing his struggle as he lay on the ground, writing in absolute agony. "This wasn't anyone's fault! It was… It…"
"So, what you're saying is that you weren't the one who forced him to do battle with the demon king to save this land?" the Interloper leader continued to pry, enjoying how much she was unlettering the girl. "And that it was not through your design that he came to this land below, from where both of you would eventually come across the land where the demon who is now corrupting him resides? And was it not for your sake that he's been fighting against it for so long, even though he knows it's a battle he cannot win? Can you honestly stand there and tell me that you are not responsible for any of the hardships he's had to endure?"
Unable to find any words to say in her defense, Zelda simply shook her head, knowing that for once, Veress was absolutely correct. If she had used Link and his feelings for her like she had, then perhaps he would not be on the verge of losing himself for eternity. Perhaps if their love had not been predetermined centuries ago, then their destinies would not have been bound in a way that would ultimately bring about his downfall. In the end, when it was all said and done, Zelda knew that she could only blame herself for what was happening for Link, and the guilt of being the one responsible for the demise of the only man she had ever loved was overwhelming.
Upon seeing that the Interloper leader had succeeded in shaking the girl up, Sheik glared at Veress hotly, determined not to let her own feelings get in the way of what had to be done. Acting quickly, the Sheikah leader raced towards the Interloper leader once more, only to have her staff stopped by Veress's duel golden knives. Sheik leaped back gracefully as the rebel leader turned to face her in battle, her malicious grin ever-present.
"Oh, Sheik… I'm so sorry that things have to end like this," she said mockingly, though there was a hint of bitterness in her tone upon remembering the vision of the Sheikah leader that she had seen in the mirror.
"No you're not," Sheik said calmly with a resolved glare. Without another word, the two former friends met in a clash of blades, both of them already moving skillfully and quickly. Once more, Veress tried to trip Sheik up with her dark magic and illusions, but with her eyes of truth, the Sheikah leader was able to see through all of them with ease. But all the same, both of them managed to land a few minor blows upon each other, though nothing serious. For quite some time, the two continued to duel, showing no mercy whatsoever for each other as they both struggled to gain the upper hand. However, with each and every strike, it was clear that Veress was starting to use more and more of her dark, destructive power and as diligently as Sheik tried to defend against them, she was unable to do much of anything when the Interloper leader fired several blasts of dark fire at her at once. Upon being struck by Veress's magic, the Sheikah leader was knocked back several feet, roughly colliding with one of the stone pieces of the statue of the goddess, sending her into semi-consciousness.
Satisfied that Sheik was disposed of for the moment, Veress turned to the distraught Zelda behind her, who had still not taken her tearful gaze away from Link as she helplessly watched him try to break through what could perhaps be his final spell of corruption. Her heart broke as she realized that she was going to lose him without ever having a chance to even speak to him again, much less embrace and comfort him. Guilt filled her even more upon realizing that she alone had the power to put an end to the pain that he was enduring, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't raise her bow to fire a light arrow at him, even though she knew it would save him from more agony. However, as she was caught up in watching her hero, she failed to notice the Interloper leader's golden blade come down upon her until it was almost too late. The sharp tip of the knife caught her shoulder, narrowly missing her chest as she tried to evade it, and elicited a deep, painful cut. Zelda barely had time to recover though, as Veress quickly sent a harsh kick towards her midsection, knocking her to the ground roughly. However, what neither the Interloper leader or the girl knew was that the hero, even in the midst of his great agony, had seen his wife go down and, upon realizing that she needed him to defend her once more, he gained just the resolve he needed to push both the anxiety and the corruption back one last time.
"How tragic…" the rebel leader said mockingly as she held her knife above the girl, prepared to send it down for the death blow. "That the goddess and her hero will both meet their inevitable doom at the same time. I doubt that there have ever been any lovers who were more star-crossed than the two of you. Fate was never in your favor from the start, but at least its merciful. The two of you will be long past gone when I tear this pathetic land of yours to shreds, blanketing it in the darkest shadows for all time!"
Veress let out a deranged, evil laugh as she raised her knife even higher, but as she threw it down, its path was abruptly halted by another blade. As Zelda looked towards Link and saw that he had broken through both the barrier that Veress had put in place to separate them, as well as corruption once again to defend her, she was stunned speechless. Certainly, both the Interloper leader and the demon could have never anticipated his will to survive and keep fighting for what he cared about.
Veress simply grinned and backed off upon having her strike deflected by the hero, who stood before the girl protectively, still breathing heavily as he recovered from both his anxiety and his most recent spell of corruption. "Run!" he urgently commanded to Zelda, who was still sitting on the ground behind him, her eyes wide with amazement at his incredible strength of spirit. She broke out of it however as she quickly got to her feet and went to go help Sheik, who was still trying to gather her bearings once more.
Tension mounted between the Interloper leader and the hero as they circled each other from a distance, their blades drawn and ready to attack. Veress continued to smirk with superiority, crazed excitement in her eyes at the chance to go one-on-one against the hero she hated so much. "I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this moment," she said darkly. "Even though I know I can't kill you, as much as I want to, I will take every pleasure in watching you suffer until your last breath. Your allies, your people, your surface, your goddess… All of them will fall one by one and you will watch every second of it as you are dragged down into a darkness consuming you. There is no hope left for you. It all died long ago and nothing can bring it back!"
"No," Link said firmly, showing no signs of panic or fear in standing against the rebel leader this time. "You're wrong. The only one who is going to fall is you."
"And yourself of course," Veress teased sadistically. "Certainly you haven't forgotten about your own fate… have you?"
"No…" the hero said rigidly with both bitterness and resolve in his tone. "But before I'm corrupted, I will do everything in my power to stop you. I told the demon that I would never stop fighting it and the same goes for you too. The surface will never be yours and you will never, ever, hurt her again."
The Interloper leader's insane grin only deepened upon hearing his heroic resolve. "We'll just see about that…" she hissed malevolently, raising both of her golden knives into the air. Not wasting any more time to exchange words or threats, both of them raced towards each other, their blades colliding roughly, but neither one of them relenting as they pushed them together. Veress tried to use some of her magic to drive Link away, but he was quick to use some of the skillful moves that Sheik had taught him to both dodge and repel the strike. Once their blades were finally separated, they continued to exchange swings for quite some time, both of them ignoring any pain they felt upon having a blow landed upon them, for Link knew that no matter how badly Veress injured him, he could not die and Veress had simply fallen too deep into the depths of insanity to even care. As the duel between the hero and the Interloper leader raged on for what seemed like ages, Zelda and Sheik both watched anxiously, both of them wanting to rush forward and aid Link, but they refrained as they saw that he was holding his own against Veress just fine.
As the hero landed yet another heavy blow upon the Interloper leader, she stumbled back, recoiling more in aggravation at his persistence than actual pain. Deciding that this aimless struggle had gone on long enough, Veress lit up a burst of dark, destructive flame above her palm and aimed it towards Link at first, but when she spotted Zelda standing several feet behind him, another, much more treacherous idea came to her.
Time seemed to freeze as Veress let her dark magic fly towards the girl, who simply stood watching it with surprised, frightened eyes, knowing that she would not be fast enough to deflect it with a light arrow. However, as Link saw the Interloper leader send her flame towards his wife, he didn't hesitate for a single moment. Knowing that, above all else, Zelda had to survive this violent battle, the hero moved quickly and threw himself in the path of the destructive fire, which struck him squarely in the chest, scorching all the way through his clothes and leaving a terrible, painful burn on his flesh. The girl and the Sheikah leader both gasped in fear and shock upon seeing Link collapse on the ground, moaning in agony as he gingerly wrapped his arms around his chest, which was stinging intensely from the flame.
Unable to watch her husband suffer any longer, Zelda began to hurry towards him, with Sheik following close behind, but Veress was quick to erect a strong, dark barrier, one that even the girl's light arrows could not piece through. And so, all they could do was watch with horror as the Interloper leader approached the hero slowly, enveloping her hand up in a soft, dark glow, one that soon began to surround Link as well. With a bloodthirsty, triumphant smirk, Veress slowly lifted her hand up into the air, which caused the listless hero to rise as well, freezing any movements he could have made and leaving him completely vulnerable to any attacks she planned on subjecting him to.
"I was so hoping that it wouldn't come down to this, hero," Veress said, her finally fading as she gave him a hateful glare. "Coming into this battle, I thought, 'well, I don't need to worry much about him; he'll just end up destroying himself.' But for once I was wrong. That spirit of yours is just too annoyingly persistent, which is why it must be destroyed. You've been standing in my way far too long now, hero. I've done everything I can; I've tortured you, scarred you, I even killed you, but you just won't give up! But no longer. I'm through playing games with you. I will not let you impede my way to the golden relic anymore. Your downfall is imminent! Your destruction is upon you! For I am ending this right now!"
Without another word, Veress raised one of her golden knives aloft, pointing its tip towards the direction of where the Fused Shadow floated above her head. Upon seeing this, Zelda tried to fire a light arrow at the dark relic, hoping to stop the Interloper leader before she could do anything else to hurt Link. However, her arrow was dispelled by the heavy barrier that was erected around the Fused Shadow, one that would remain so long as Veress stood strong and in control of it. At the same time, the dark relic poured a wicked, immense power into the rebel leader's knife and as she lowered it, she simply stared at Link with a dark, wild grin for a while, as he was still trying to cope with the incredible pain in his chest from the burn. in vain And then, without another word, the Interloper leader raised the blade high into the air and, with a great force of the hand, she plunged it into the hero's heart, burying it all the way to its hilt.
The world slowed to a crawl as a burst of bright lightning lit up the world, the clanging thunder drowning out Link's sharp cry of incredibly agony, but Zelda heard it nonetheless. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the Interloper leader piece the hero's heart with her cursed blade, knowing that instead of the purifying light of one of her arrows, the darkness magic of the Fused Shadow had done what she should have. Sheik's jaw dropped as she saw the knife go into Link's already scorched chest, unable to process what had just happened and even Terminus, who was still dutifully upholding her seal upon the Triforce, turned her head and gasped in shock upon seeing what had occurred. For the longest time, Veress simply kept her hand on the handle of her knife, grinning with absolute triumph at the hero, her wild eyes filled with deranged glee. Eventually, she finally relinquished her grip on him, knowing that she had done everything that she needed to; the rest would take care of itself.
Upon being freed from the Interloper leader's magical grasp, Link was sent flying back several feet, far away from where the girl and the Sheikah leader were standing. Even though Veress had succeeded in what she wanted to do, Zelda and Sheik found that the barrier separating them and the hero was still in place, and they both desperately pounded against it in an attempt to get to him when they saw that he was not even moving. Little did either of them know that the already immense pain in chest from both the burn and the knife still stabbed in it was steadily being intensified a hundred fold as his longstanding wound began to reopen once more. Link cried out in absolute misery, knowing that he had never felt such an incredible pain before in his entire life. The sensations of hot and cold, as well as the softly whispering voices were hardly noticeable when compared to the unbearable feeling of his very spirit being crushed and constricted by corruption. The hero wasn't one to cry over his own pain often, but he was unable to stop the tears from coming as he lay in the torrential rain, completely encompassed in nothing less than the most unendurable anguish possible.
"Poor slave…" the demon said with mock pity, knowing that it was only moments away from claiming the hero forever. "You are in so much pain… so much agony… But there is no need to cry… Your suffering is almost over… Once you are under my control, you will never know pain or sorrow or joy or anger or any other human emotion any more… You will know absolutely nothing at all…"
"N-no…" Link muttered in misery as he found what little strength he had left to turn his gaze towards Zelda, who was focusing all of her energies into creating a strong light arrow that could hopefully break through the barrier between them. "I… I…"
"Your time is up, child…" Majora said with an almost gentle, coaxing voice. "Your fight is finished. Now rest… Be at peace… Fall into my control forevermore… Come to me… And serve me for the rest of time…"
"No… Please…" the hero whispered weakly, letting out a small, choked sob of both pain and sorrow. "N-not… not yet… Give me… j-just a… a few more… m-minutes… p-please…"
"And why should I give you any more time, slave?" the demon asked, not in anger, but in curiosity. "For so long, you have stubbornly fought against me, even though you knew it was futile. Why do you wish to prolong your pain any further? Do you not want your suffering to end?"
Link closed his eyes and let out a small, shaky sigh. "I-if you just… give me... a f-few… more minutes… with h-her…then I… I'll s-stop… f-fighting… once… and for all…" he bargained tiredly, desperate for just one more goodbye to the woman her loved, one more moment, one more glance, one more embrace, one more kiss, one more. "I… I promise…"
Majora was silent for a moment as it mulled over his proposal. At the same time, Zelda let her light arrow loose at the barrier, the purity of the sacred arrows shattering the darkness and allowing the girl and the Sheikah leader to hurry through it. Knowing that Zelda would want one final moment with her hero, Sheik decided to take Veress on by herself so the couple would not be interrupted in their last moments together. "I suppose I could allow you a few final moments of freedom…" the demon said to the hero with slight compliance. "After all, you will very soon by mine for eternity… The end of your foolish resistance is a reasonable price to buy you a little more time… And, so I will grant them to you, but just this once. When they are over, then, as I'm sure you realized, so are you…"
As the demon's cold voice faded from his mind for the moment, the hero let out a quiet sigh of relief, somehow feeling grateful to the evil that was overtaking him for this small sign of rare mercy. "T-thank you…" he whispered softly as he opened his eyes to see the girl rushing towards him as fast as her legs could carry her, wanting to be by his side for however long he had left.
Zelda had to stop a few feet away from Link when she saw his horrible condition up close. Her heart broke in immense grief upon seeing the large burn on his chest, as well as the white blood coming out of both the cut tearing across it as well as the knife still buried deep into his heart, which would not stop beating despite even that. But all the same, the moment their tearful eyes met, the girl realized that she could not stand to be apart from him for another moment. Not knowing how much time they had left together, she quickly went to his side and, as gently as possible, she helped pull him to the nearest piece of large rubble, propping him against it and hoping that she wasn't agitating his multiple wounds as she knelt down at his side.
As Sheik and Veress continued to duel, Link and Zelda found themselves away from the tumult of battle, despite the heavy rain pouring down upon both of them, which they ignored completely. For these last few fleeting moments, they wanted to focus completely on each other and nothing more.
"Oh, Link…" Zelda whispered in absolute grief as she took both of his hands in hers, noticing that they were deathly cold. She could tell that he was trembling slightly, though whether it was because of the rainwater water soaking them both or the corruption, she couldn't tell. She was silent for a moment as she leaned her head against his shoulder, letting her soft, mournful sobs come without even trying to stop them. The hero himself began to weep silently from both the pain he was enduring and the simple knowledge that what remained of both his life and his time left with the girl could be measured in mere moments now.
"Zelda…" Link eventually groaned softly as he laboriously turned his head to look at her. "I… I'm so sorry…"
"No…" Zelda said between broken sobs. "Please, don't be sorry. This isn't your fault… Its mine. If I have never used you like I had, then you'd still have your whole life ahead of you…." She trailed off into more inconsolable tears as the hero struggled to wrap his arms around her, wanting to hold on for as long as possible.
"I-its ok…" he said in soft comfort. "I… I'll be fine… just knowing that… y-you'll be ok…"
"But I won't be…" the girl said morosely. "I never will be again once you're gone. I won't be able to go on without you. Every day for the rest of my life, I'll always be lost in thoughts of you, of us, of what we had…I'll always be thinking back to the way we were when we were young… And always I'll be wishing for a future that we could never have together… Because… Because I love you… I need you…" She paused for a moment as she cast a saddened glance down at her stomach and debated on whether or not she should tell him the truth. But she knew, after all she had put him through for her sake, he at least deserved to know this before he slipped away into corruption forever. "Link…" she said tearfully, her voice little more than a whisper. "Our… our child needs you…"
"W-what?" the hero asked in sudden shock upon hearing this, his fading crimson eyes growing wide in wonder and confusion.
"Link… I… I'm sorry for not telling you this before, but… I... I'm pregnant…" she said solemnly, avoiding his stunned gaze. "We… We are… or… we were going to have a baby…"
"A… a baby?" Link repeated in disbelief, ignoring his severe pain for a moment to devote his fading focus on this revelation.
"That's right…" Zelda said with a small, sad smile, squeezing his hands ever so softly. "A baby… And… it needs its father… But… I guess it will never get to have him… I… I always dreamed that we would have a family together someday… I guess it just wasn't meant to be…"
The girl wiped away her sorrowful tears as the hero closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, simply taking in the bitter fact that, if not for the corruption, then he could have been a father, he could have had a family with the girl he loved, he could have had so much more. But now he would never get to know such happiness, as all he knew of the rest of his life were contained within these all-too brief moments, moments that were fading away all too quickly. But all the same, Link managed a small smile as he reached a shaking hand down to gently touch Zelda's stomach, where an unborn life, life that the two of them had created together through their love, rested safe from the pressing dangers of the outside world. And even in this devastating moment, as he felt his own life slip away from him, the hero found hope in that small life, hope for a future for their little family, even if it was a future he wouldn't get to see for himself.
"Z-Zelda…" Link struggled to say as he felt corruption begin to tug on him once more. "I… I know you don't want to hear this… but you… you can do this without me… You can keep the surface safe… from her… and… and from me…"
"Link, no-" Zelda began to say, refusing to believe that he would put the land or her own life in danger, even though she knew he would be forced to.
"P-please…" the hero said softly, giving her a small, reassuring smile. "I… I know you can do this… You can build a world where… where our child can live in peace… Where they won't have to suffer… like we did…"
"Oh… But Link…" the girl said with a heavy sob. "It won't be worth it if I don't have you with me…"
"It will be worth it…" he said as he gently stroked her womb, giving his still-developing son or daughter all of the love he wasn't currently devoting to his wife. "For them…"
With warm tears of heartache still streaming down her cheeks, Zelda gave Link a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I love you…" she said with deep sorrow. "So much…"
"I… I love you too…" Link said softly, feeling his pain start to fade away as his entire body grew numb, signifying that his time was almost up. "Zelda… I… I'm so glad… that I… I got to marry my… my best friend… You… you made my numbered days… feel like an eternity… and I… I am so grateful…"
Zelda smiled softly as she let out a tight, choked sob. "I… I'm so glad that I got to marry my best friend too…" she said mournfully as she wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly. "Link… No matter what happens, I need you to know that I love you, that I've always loved you and that I always will… I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me and more than anything else, I wish that I wasn't loosing you like… like this… If I could do anything to save you from this and keep you with me… then believe me… I would…"
"We…we both know… that nothing… could have… ever stopped… this…" the hero said somewhat incoherently as he felt his senses begin to dim into oblivion. The whispering voices of corruption began to beckon to him once more, but he wasn't ready to submit to them just yet. "Zel… I… I love you… Don't forget that…" he said tiredly as he used the last of his strength to place his hand against her cheek and hold it here as she placed her hands over it, savoring his last touch.
"I love you too…" the girl said with a sob as she leaned in closer to him, watching as the color faded from his eyes for the last time. "Goodbye… Link…"
"G-goodbye… Zelda…" Link whispered, his voice barely audible as it faded away, along with the last bit of color in his eyes. He thought he heard Zelda say something else to him as his last few senses faded away, but if she did, it was soon drowned out by the sound of the demon's voice ringing out in his mind once more.
"Your time is up... Rest now, child…" Majora cooed softly, its voice little more than a falsely comforting whisper as it dragged the hero into its corruption once and for all. "Submit to the darkness... Let go of your pain, your thoughts, your memories and let your mind finally be at ease… Sleep, Link… Sleep forevermore…" These were the last words the goddess's chosen hero ever heard as he let his eyes shut and his breathing cease. His mind went completely blank as he felt one final burst of tight pain as his spirit was finally broken beyond repair by the demon, and after that, he knew absolutely nothing at all.
The girl let her tears harder than ever before as she realized that her hero was finally gone, but she refused to break her strong embrace with him. In immense heartbreak, she gave him one final kiss as a white light began to surround him, a sign that the demon was claiming him completely, but she ignored it as she held onto him for as long as she was able to, wishing that she would never have to let go.
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I AM LITERALLY CRYING SO HARD! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO CAN! oh my freaking gosh this chapter. THIS CHAPTER. I have been waiting to write this chapter for so long and let me just say I went into total depression while writing it! And, considering what's about to happen in the next chapter, I will mostly likely cry as I write that too! Gosh darn it! And so, as a reminder...
Chapter 34: Mortal Goddess
Chapter 35: The Flow of Time
Chapter 36: Lights in the Shadows
Chapter 37: Curse of the Interlopers
Chapter 38: Song of Time
Chapter 39: A New Era
Epilogue: Blood and Spirit
And that's pretty much it folks! Hard to believe that I wrote pretty much all of this chapter in a day (while being sick) but I did and I really hoped you enjoyed it! Please dont forget to leave me a REVIEW cause I adore them! Until next time!