Alright my lovely readers. Before I say anything else, allow me to apologize for how terrible writer's block was for this chapter... I mean, seriously, it sucked. But anyway, here we have a HUGE angsty chapter, following in the aftermath of the last chapter as our first resolution chapter (1 of 3, not counting the epilogue). Also, you might notice the pre-chapter quote that I placed preceding this chapter (from Les Mis) and I am happy to say that I have placed relevent quotes from the sources that inspired me as I wrote this story (books, Tv shows, movies, songs, ect) before EACH previous chapter, and so if you'd like to go read them, please feel free to! And there's one more thing I'd like to say before we begin: as you read this chapter, I wanna see if you guys are able to pick up on a special thematic thing I did throughout it, one that I will reveal at the end of this chapter. And so, I'd like to thank Specslash, missladyjune, Coola13, Legionary Prime, and Edwina Elric for following/favoring. Now onto the reviews!
LooneyCat55: Sorry! I know that Sheik was totally awesome and killing her off hurt me just a much as it hurt all of you readers! :( Anyway, as for Ordona, I suppose he/she/it? comes around some time before TP. I've heard that Ordona is effectively just half of Farore's name (Faron being the first part and Ordona being the other half), but as far as me explaining it here... well, I guess I can't explain everything about the lore ;P And yes of course I saw all the Zelda stuff at e3! :D But I'll talk more about that at the ending section of this chapter so... ;)
Guest: No! I'm sorry! Please don't! DX ;P
YueMelHamachi: I'm sorry! I really am! I didn't want to kill Sheik off, but I had to (if that makes any sense)! And yeah, I can hardly bevieve we're almost done here either... :O I've been working on this story forever it seems...
Guest: Why thank you! And yes, I do intend to go into writing as a side thing in the future (I'm minoring in English at college and majoring in Mass Communications) So hopefully, one day, my books will appear upon the shelves someday!
Vivi-Ntvg: NO! DX I'm sorry! (i feel like a broken record saying that). Aside from Link, Sheik was my favorite character to write too, so killing her off kinda threw me into a depression if it helps... And yes, even in the midst of her insanity, Veress still has a few shreds of conscious left... And hopefully, this chapter will explain a little of my madness!
Coola13: Tormenting the feels is so much fun! Mwahahahaha! But seriously, killing Sheik off hurt my feels badly as well so... :P
Legionary Prime: Aw! Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy Wisdom and Courage just as much as Blood and Spirit! :D
Nikrael: Thank you so much for your encouragement! :D
anon: Sorry! Believe me, that last chapter got me all emotional too!
Lovely girl 10: Yeah, I knew it was time to kill Sheik off, as much as everyone was loving her, for reasons that I hope this chapter will explain. Thanks for not biting my head off like some of the other reviewers... jk ;D
Kai2: Ordona comes along somewhere before TP, I'm sure, but since I've already explained so much lore in this story, I think I'll leave that little mystery open ended (read: I actually have no idea myself) :P
Pandora151: Yeah, it was suspenseful and sad, which was what I was aiming for with it. And as for whether or not Link will keep his promise to Sheik about Veress... We'll have to wait and see!
CupcakePride101: Glad you liked the multiple layers of that chapter! And yes! I did use quotes from TP! Glad to see you caught them! :D And Veress's plot was pretty dastardly if I do say so myself, but of course, it backfired on everyone. And yes, Sheik was one of my favorite characters too... and I'd be lying if I said that writing this chapter and the last one didn't depress me because of it. But are the goddesses gonna revive Sheik? ...We'll have to wait and see...
Specslash: Glad to see you liked it! Thanks for following and favoriting! (and yeah, I feel sorry for Sheik too... :(
GO ZeldaXLink: I tried to foreshadow it a little, so I'm glad it showed. And yeah, her death was really sad for me too...
Jarvis R. Yeriel: Yeah, I know it was a little rushed, mostly cause I was running a bit dry for ideas and I hadn't updated in so long, but hopefully this chapter will be better! And I suppose you're welcome, even though I personally didn't want to kill Sheik off, but I knew it would be what was best for the rest of the story and the remaining character development, as I hope this chapter shows.
TheJediAvenger: Yep Fi is back, though if only for a little while longer... :O And yes, Sheik's death is sad and we all feel bad for Veress and there are referecnes to TP and blah blah blah... I'm growing weary of answering reviews... :(
ShadowNinja1011: I'm really gonna miss Sheik too... :(
RandomButLoved: Yeah... I had to foreshadow it a little... And of course I had to do it in the rain! All the best death scenes happen in the rain! But as for Sheik being remembered, this chapter deals a lot with that, so I hope you'll enjoy it!
Nintendoman01: Poor Sheik indeed... :( And yes, Veress is quite complex indeed, as this chapter will once again reinforce, though I am trying to improve Veran in W&C's edits... :D
Alright, so one last thing before we being (I promise!) I know that a lot of guys were upset with me for killing Sheik off in the last chapter, but I hope that this chapter will explain a little of why I did that, and if not, feel feel free to ask me and I'll explain it at another time. And with that said, here we go!
Chapter 37: Curse of the Interlopers
"Oh my friends, my friends, forgive me,
That I live and you are gone,
There's a grief that can't be spoken,
There's a pain goes on and on."
-Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Les Miserables
It was amazing how so much could happen over the course of one day.
This unspoken mantra was something that both Link and Zelda had realized as the sun began to set over the land in the wake of their battle against both Veress and Majora. Over the course of one day alone, so much had happened and so much had changed. When this fated day had begun, the couple had awakened with the notion that the hero would not survive it, instead forever entangled by corruption, every part of his former self lost, never to return. And indeed, that had happened, and in the midst of it, all hope had seemed dim for the surface. But in the same day, the girl had used her sacred arrows to free her husband, but at the great cost of both of their lives. And yet, in what could be considered nothing less than a miracle, they had both been reborn on the very same day as their shared deaths. But even when it seemed as though victory against the Interloper leader was theirs to grasp, that victory had been hard won, marred by the noble sacrifice of the Sheikah leader, who had given everything that she had to give, and now, she had nothing left.
In light of all that had occurred over the course of the past several hours, the small procession consisting of Link, Zelda, Terminus and Fi was solemnly silent as they personally escorted Veress, who was now securely bound by heavy chains, to the desert, where she was to be banished to the darkened realm along with the rest of her followers. Even the Interloper leader herself was noticeably quiet and remorseful as they traveled across the fields, the burnt orange sun filling the plains as it began to set over them, replacing the dark clouds that had formerly filled the skies before the Fused Shadow had been split apart. The dragons, who had now taken on new forms as spirits of the light, had taken it upon themselves to hide each of the four pieces of the dark relic away, each in a different corner of the land, out of the reach of anyone who might try to use their evil power for wicked purposes. And so it seemed as though the Interloper War had finally come to an end, and yet everyone was still feeling the aftershocks of its final battle in full force.
Out of all of those involved in the conflict, Link was most likely the one who was affected by the events of the past day. Since Sheik's death several hours ago, the hero had hardly spoken a single word, much to the girl's concern and worry. But Zelda knew that his silence and distant behavior did make sense; after all, he was most likely still grieving over the loss of the Sheikah leader, one of his closest friends. But what no one knew was that there was so much more bothering him than just that, even though that was certainly part of it.
Of course, Link was still feeling the guilt and sorrow of Sheik's death, but even so, there had not really been enough time for those things to sink in yet. What was starting to finally sink in for the hero however was the realization that he was truly free from corruption once and for all. Never again would he have to live wondering if the next day would be his last and never again would he have to fear unintentionally hurting those he cared about. Even though Link knew the demon's presence was finally gone from his mind, he kept waiting to hear its cruel voice to return to taunt him again, but thankfully, it never did. He had gone on for so long living with the grim reality that he was doomed to spend eternity lost as Majora's mindless servant, but now, thanks to Zelda, he had the rest of his life ahead of him once more. He was free, free to live in peace and free to spend all of his days with his wife, never having to worry about his mind, soul, and spirit being overtaken ever again.
And yet, even this revelation was made bittersweet when Link thought about how Sheik had selflessly sacrificed her life just to save his. Word had already been sent to the Sheikah elders hours ago that their leader had not survived the battle and her body had carefully transported back to Kakariko so it could be prepared for burial. But even so, her passing did not seem real to the hero, and he kept hoping that she would come hurrying after the group as they traveled to Lanayru Desert, her eyes still bright and fiery red as she directed her playful, sarcastic teasing towards him, just like she always used to. But Link knew that she never would again; Sheik was gone, and he knew that even if it had been Veress's knives that had ended her life, he was still partially to blame. The hero had never been responsible for the death of another human being before, especially the death of someone who had come to be so close to him, which only made him feel worse. The Sheikah leader had always supported him and helped him from the moment they met and in the end, he had been unable to repay the debt he owed to her by protecting her. And now, because of that, he would never get the chance to repay the debt he owed her for all she had done for him.
As the group of five rode in through the entrance to the desert that lay in the westernmost portion of the field, a structure came into view, rising above the burning sands as the blood-red sun bore down on them. The structure was one that neither Link nor Zelda had ever seen before, apparently newly built telling from the pristine white stones it was composed of. Its walls rose high and intricate, giving the place a coliseum look and rising high above it were six equidistant spires, each one bearing a different symbol. As the group neared it, the light sprits soared high overhead and came to rest upon its walls, awaiting the banishment of the Interloper leader to the darkened realm that they had created with Terminus's help, for it was within this chamber that the gateway to the Interloper's final prison was located.
All five of them were still silent as they approached the chamber, but it was only as they made it to the chamber and Zelda and Terminus headed inside first to converse with the light spirits that Veress, who was still outside along with Link and Fi, smirked darkly to herself, ready to put one of her final plans into action. "Oh, hero…" the Interloper leader called out mysteriously to Link once she was sure Zelda was out of earshot, her wrists still tightly bound as she walked behind Epona, Fi trailing closely behind her to ensure she would not try to escape. "Might I have a word with you… alone?"
The hero glanced back to the Interloper leader with distrust for a moment, before exchanging a look with the sword spirit, who shook her head in disapproval. And yet, even though he knew that whatever Veress wanted to say to him would probably just wear him down even more, for some reason, Link found himself compelled to listen to her, even if it was a bad idea. And so, with a sigh, he nodded at Fi, giving her the confirmation to leave them be and head on into the chamber with the girl and the goddess of Termina.
"Master, are you sure about this?" the sword spirit asked warily as she came to stand beside the hero.
Still not breaking the steady silence he had kept up since Sheik's death, Link merely nodded once more and Fi dutifully listened, leaving her master behind with the weakened Interloper leader, but not before giving him one last, worried glance. Once they were finally alone, the hero turned to Veress and gave her an expectant look, one that she returned with an icy, bitter stare.
"I hope you realize," she began, her voice accusing and full of hatred. "That everything that happened today was all your fault, hero…"
Upon hearing this, Link still said nothing but rather looked away from Veress, casting his gaze upon the ground in a glare, though there was no hiding the guilt in his blue eyes from the Interloper leader.
"You and I both know that if she hadn't jumped in the way of my blades, you would be dead now instead of her, which had been my true intention," Veress continued, grief and remorse entering her tone as her voice began to rise and tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I never wanted to kill her! But I always wanted to kill you! And it's because of you that she's dead! She was the only person left in this world who hasn't betrayed me, who hasn't turned their back on me! She gave her life to save you and for what?! She loved you, but you didn't even love her in return! Her sacrifice to save you was completely worthless! YOU should be dead! Not her!"
Unable to listen to the Interloper leader's cold accusations any longer, the hero simply closed his eyes and turned away from her, using every fiber of his will to keep himself from letting his pressing tears fall. He knew that everything she was saying was absolutely correct; if Sheik had not thrown herself in the path of Veress's knives, then he would be dead, but at least the Sheikah leader would still be alive. But she had, and there was no way to undo what had already happened now. And at that moment, Link felt even more responsible for Sheik's tragic death than Veress, the one who had actually murdered her, was.
"Some hero you are…" the Interloper leader scoffed darkly, tears still staining her face. "You couldn't even protect her when she needed you most!"
As these words left Veress's mouth, Link found that he was no longer able to contain both his rage and grief. Without another moment's hesitation, he drew his sword in one swift movement and lunged towards the Interloper leader, gripping her tightly by the shoulder as he pressed the edge of his blade against her neck, his light blue eyes dangerously livid when he thought about all she had done to him, Zelda and most of all, Sheik. "Let me make one thing very clear," he said in a quiet, yet firm and rigid voice, finally breaking his longstanding silence. "I'm not the one who killed her; you are. And I'm not the only one at fault here. If you weren't so blinded by greed and hatred, if you hadn't tried to kill me in the first place, then Sheik would still be alive. So, don't you dare accuse me of being responsible for this when your hands were the ones that really killed her in the first place!"
"Well, look who the blind one is now!" the Interloper leader exclaimed hotly, giving the hero a burning red glare. "In all your anger and rage towards me, you fail to see that the reason why any of this, this entire war, happened was because of you and your precious little goddess! If the two of you hadn't stolen away the glory and honor that rightfully belonged to me and my people, then everyone who had died in this war, including Sheik, would still be here! So much destruction… So much pain… And for what? For you to banish me and my followers to the darkness simply because it's 'above you' to put us all out of our misery. But if you'd like to, go ahead and just kill me now! Spare me the misery of sending me to that goddess-forsaken prison that you have prepared for us! I've already lost everything I ever had! The only thing that I have left to lose is my life, so why not?! Go ahead and show the world just how great and noble the 'goddess's chosen hero' really is!" As she spoke, her voice rose to an unhinged, wild shout, tears prompted by her own insanity and grief streaming down her cheeks.
The hero hesitated in moving his sword when he realized just what he was about to do. He had been in this exact same position when he had been imprisoned by Veress weeks ago, holding her by the throat and preparing to end her life just as he was now. It was certainly a position that Link hated being in; after all, having the power to take someone's life was something that the corruption had forced him to become quite familiar with and it was a terrifying feeling. But at that moment, the Interloper leader's fire-fueled words were burning him so deeply that he almost let his sword cut into her neck. Almost.
"Link…?" Zelda's worried voice coming from several feet behind him was what ultimately stopped the hero from becoming a murderer. "You promised…" Immediately upon hearing this, Link turned around to face the girl, removing his sword from against Veress's neck as the Interloper leader looked to ground, tears of shame and sorrow still falling from her eyes. Indeed, the hero did remember the promise he made to the dying Sheikah leader that he would not kill Veress, no matter how much his hatred for her prompted him to. And even if Sheik was dead and she wouldn't know if he did it or not, Link found that he still couldn't do it. Even if he had been unable to protect her in the end, he owed her this much in return at the very least.
Zelda frowned at her husband with concern, seeing the lingering anger and outrage in his blue eyes, making them look strangely dark and cloudy like a coming storm. But the girl saw something else in them that she had never seen before: vengeance and bloodlust. She had never known Link to have a violent temper before, but considering the circumstances, his rage towards the Interloper leader was understandable. But to see her usually kind and gentle husband filled with such fury certainly frightened Zelda, who soon found that she could no longer look him in the eyes as she simply motioned for him to join her in the chamber, hoping that his wrath would calm itself once Veress was finally gone.
There were only two central features to the inside of the large open-aired chamber. The first was a raised platform upon which a large, round, smooth, mirror sat. Unlike most mirrors, this one was not reflective, but rather it was black and bore a series of white, intricate, circular patterns upon it, all of which rotated constantly. Several feet away from this platform was a large, thick slab of stone, and it was clear to see that the mirror was projecting some sort of gateway upon it as it was decorated in the same sort of colors and markings as the mirror was. The gateway itself was also round and wide, and in the very center of it, was the image of the Triforce, almost as if it was to serve as a reminder of what the Dark Interlopers' failed goal once was.
Link and Zelda stood by the platform as Terminus stood upon it, near the mirror, as Fi firmly grasped Veress by the arm and led her towards it. The Interloper leader's tears had faded into an a dark, angry expression as she slowly stepped up onto the platform, knowing that she was the last one of her legion to be banished from the surface and cast out into the darkness awaiting her. As she came to stand before the mirror, the sword spirit stepped away from Veress, who simply gazed up at the gateway for a long moment, before turning towards the hero and the girl one last time.
"Well, it looks as though this is finally it…" the Interloper leader said coldly, sending the couple a hateful glare. "Once I go through this gate, your precious surface will finally be safe from me and my followers once and for all…" But as she said this, she realized that it was time to implement her final plan, one that she hoped would cause further misery for not just Link and Zelda, but for generations to come. "Or so you'd like to think…"
A malicious smirk appeared on Veress's face as she continued, already sensing the confusion and worry that the hero and the girl were showing. "Though you banish the last of us on this day," she began her curse, using the very last bit of magic she had left to ensure that it would come true. "We will return. Our descendants will besiege this land again someday, I promise you that. Centuries from now, we shall rise again and we will not be defeated so easily a second time! Our kind will ever follow after yours, all of those born of both the breed of the goddess and the hero, bound to them for as long as time remains. We will haunt you and your descendants in every age and, in time, we shall wipe both the sacred blood of the goddess and the unbreakable spirit of the hero from the face of the earth and forever claim this land as our own!" As she spoke her final curse, the Interloper leader's voice rose into a triumphant shout as she spiraled off into a fit of insane laughter as she looked to Link and Zelda once more, both of whom were exchanging concerned, fretful glances in light of this prophecy. Both of them hoped that this curse would never come to pass, for they knew that if it did, it would the lives of their children and all of their future descendants in great danger.
As Veress continued to revel in the dark curse she had placed upon the girl and the hero, the light spirits all nodded to one another, knowing that it was time to send the Interloper leader to her final prison once and for all. Their forms lit up brightly as the mirror and the gateway also took on a white glow, symbolizing that it was preparing to send the last Dark Interloper to the darkened world that lay beyond it. This white light began to surround Veress as well as it began transporting her to the place where the rest of her followers were imprisoned. And yet, even as she was banished from the world of light forever, the Interloper leader continued to laugh wickedly as she vanished away once and for all. And even after she was gone, her treacherous laughter continued to echo throughout the chamber, just as the evil curse she had placed upon the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero would echo throughout the ages.
It had been a few days since the Interloper War ended, and yet the surface was still healing from it. Even though the rebels had all been banished, the destruction they had wrought upon many parts of the surface had not been magically along with them. It would take time for the scars left upon the land to heal, but of course, some scars were harder to heal than others.
The late afternoon's summer sun hung warm and lazy in the clear blue skies over Kakariko Village, the residents of which had all been wearing black as a sign of mourning over their lost leader. There was no question that the Sheikah people had loved and respected Sheik greatly and the moment they were told about her death, most of them were inconsolable. Even still, a few days later, many of the people were still shedding tears over her, especially since her funeral was supposed to be held the next day. For many of the Sheikah, Sheik had been just as kind and benevolent of a matriarch as Impa had been before her and losing her so soon after she had been appointed to her position was considered to be one of the greatest travesties to ever befall the Sheikah tribe. And yet, the members of the guardian tribe weren't the only ones who had been heavily affected by the tragic death of the Sheikah leader.
"YOU should be dead! Not her!" Veress's harsh words replayed themselves over and over again in Link's mind as he sat alone on the back porch of the house, silently reflecting on all that had happened day ago. Over the past several days, he found that everything in Kakariko served as a constant, often painful reminder of Sheik, and that he was still just as much to blame for her death as the Interloper leader had been. As much as the hero didn't want to believe it, he knew that it had been the Sheikah leader's unrequited love for him that had prompted her to leap in the way of those knives. And it was because of that fact that the full pain and sorrow of losing her had finally hit him full-force. However, he had refused to shed any tears over her death, mostly so he could be strong for the girl's sake, as she too had been struggling to cope with everything that had happened on that fateful day, just as he was.
But as much as Zelda was trying to piece together everything that had occurred, including effectively almost ending her hero's life with her own two hands, she was also concerned for Link and how he was faring in the aftermath of it all. It was for that reason that she had been quietly standing in the doorframe for the past several minutes, watching him intently with a frown. Ever since the battle, the hero had been acting strangely aloof and distant, hardly even saying a word to anyone, including his own wife. Often times, he would go off somewhere alone, leaving the girl even more perplexed over how he was recovering, not from any physical wounds, but from the emotional scars that he was no doubt suffering from. And as she stood by, watching him as he looked off into the distant hills absently, she had decided that she had let him get by with his passivity long enough. Even though Zelda knew that Link was most likely still grieving over Sheik, she knew that eventually, he had to come to terms with the fact that she was gone and so she slowly and quietly moved to sit down beside him. At first, the hero did not so much as even acknowledge her presence, and so, after clearing her throat, the girl spoke first, a hint of nervousness in her tone.
"Listen…" she began, trying her best to be as sensitive as she could. "I know that a lot has happened… And… I understand if you're still not ready to talk about it all just yet… But I wish you would talk to me about some of it at least… Who knows? It might even make you feel better…"
She gave him a reassuring smile, one that he didn't even glance over at as he continued to look off into the distance, his sky blue gaze hardened and sad all at once. For what seemed like ages, he said nothing, and she could tell that, most likely, he was thinking about whether or not he should say anything at all. But then, he simply sighed and closed his eyes as he lowered his head, trying his best to remain as stoic and unemotional as possible. "No," was all he said, but she refused to leave the matter at that.
"But, Link-" Zelda began to protest, but he was quick to cut her off.
"I said no," Link he said in firm aggravation, rising to stand and head back into the house. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Zelda, but I just don't feel like talking about it right now, ok?"
"No, it's not ok, Link…" the girl said with a frown as she rose to her feet as well. "I know that you're hurting and I know that it's hard, but like I told you before: you don't have to go through this alone. I'm here for you and I always will be… No matter what…"
The hero sighed and shook his head, turning his back to her. "You don't understand…" he said anxiously, really not wanting to discuss such a touchy subject with her.
"What do I not understand?"Zelda asked, starting to grow impatient with him. "I understand that you miss her and that you're grieving, but you can't shut me out like you did before. It's all over; we're both safe now."
"And that's exactly the problem…" Link muttered with a frown, still not turning to face her as he crossed his arms.
"What's the problem?" the girl continued to press, refusing to let up until she got answers. "That you won't talk to anyone, not even me?" She glanced down for a moment before moving to stand closer behind him as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Link, but I… I just hate seeing you like this. All I want to do is help you, but I can't do that unless you let me…"
The hero said nothing for the longest time as he tried to collect his thoughts, realizing that holding it all in just wasn't going to work anymore. For the past several days, he had done everything he could to keep his building emotions to come pouring fourth, but he could already feel them flowing towards the surface as his wife tried to coax him into letting it all go anyway. "I… I couldn't protect her…" he finally said after several minutes of stiff silence, his voice soft and filled with regret.
"I don't think there was very much you could have done to protect her, Link," Zelda said carefully, yet with honesty. "She died an honorable death, the way she wanted to go out. And most importantly, she saved your life."
"You just don't get it, Zelda!" Link exclaimed harshly as he finally turned around to face her, his fists clenched at his sides. The girl stepped back in surprise and worry when she noticed the tears of grief starting to fill his eyes, making them shine even more than they normally did. "I should be dead right now, not Sheik!"
"Link!" Zelda exclaimed in both anger and disagreement, but the hero simply ignored her.
"I should be dead, and it's not just because of Veress," he continued, unable to stop himself as shame filling his voice. "We all went into that battle knowing that one of us wasn't going to make it out alive and that was supposed to be me. Sheik wasn't supposed to die, but I was! I should have been corrupted and maybe if I had been, then Sheik would still be here!"
"And I would be left here all alone, forced to raise our child without you!" the girl said bitterly, but she quickly stopped herself when she realized just how insensitive and selfish she had sounded. "Link…" she started over with a repentant sigh. "I know that Sheik's death has been hard on you, but you can't let your grief destroy you. It's not what she would have wanted. She… she loved you… Just like I do. And that's why its hurts me so much to see you so sad and heartbroken."
Link did not meet her gaze as he remained silent, and so Zelda went on gently, taking his hands in hers and moving closer to him. "There's something I think you need to hear…" she said quietly as Hylia's ancient memories filled her mind. "Long ago, when Hylia decided that she needed a champion to help her win the war against Demise, she had considered recruiting one of the other gods who served under Din, Nayru and Farore. Her plan made sense; after all, it would have been smarter to pick an immortal being to fight against the demon king, one who have had enough power to match his. And yet… she didn't. Instead, she chose a mere mortal to be her hero and she had very specific reasons for doing so. Hylia knew that a god would not sympathize with the people of the land as much as one of them would. She chose a human hero because she knew that he would give his all for this land and everyone in it. She needed for him to be able to feel pain and suffering because she knew that would make him and his spirit strong. She had once told her first hero that true strength is born of the greatest adversity. But because of that, he had suffered so much in his life… Which is why after he died and Hylia needed another chosen hero to finish the job he had started, she vowed that her next hero would not have to suffer as much as he did… And yet, even she couldn't have foreseen how much pain and anguish you have had to go through, Link… And I am so sorry for all of it, but somehow, through it all, you survived… But I know that all of this, the war, the corruption, everything, has changed both of us so much. We've gotten stronger, but we've also been left with many scars, some that may never heal. But holding all of the pain and the grief in like you're doing doesn't help. I know from all of the tears I had shed when I thought that I was going to lose you. Trust me, allowing yourself to feel the pain sometimes makes things better, even it its only a little bit. After all, pain demands to be felt…"
Upon hearing all of this, the hero closed his eyes and let out an uneven breath as a single tear managed to slip down his cheek. All of the grief that he had been suppressing for the past several days was quickly becoming harder and harder to hold back with each passing moment and ultimately, he knew the girl was right: bottling it all up inside of him wasn't healthy and ultimately, it only was making him feel even worse. But all the same, he still wasn't willing to face one of his greatest fears in order to do so. "I… I don't want to look weak in front of you…" he said anxiously, his voice barely audible as he looked away from her pleading, dark blue gaze.
The girl was silent for a moment upon hearing this. All this time, Link had been keeping all of his pain and heartache to himself just to be strong for her sake. But now, Zelda realized that it was time for her to be strong for him. "I will never see you as weak, because you're not weak," she said earnestly, opening her arms up for him. "You are the strongest person I know…"
Overwhelmed by the rush emotions filling him, the hero drew himself in close to his wife and held onto her tightly. She returned his embrace and softly hummed the sweet lullaby that she had created when he was being held captive by the Interlopers, hoping to console him as he finally began to let his grief go through tears. Zelda had never seen Link openly cry like this before, but even so, she did not cast his sadness off as weakness. She knew that after everything he had been through, the hero deserved the right to cry; he was still only human after all. She knew that he was not only shedding tears over Sheik's death, but over everything else that had happened as well: the corruption and how it had left its scars on him even though it was now over, how the two of them had divided and torn apart so many times along the way, and how even now, when they both should have been happy and safe, the pain of it all was still there to haunt them, just as it most likely always would be for the rest of their lives.
"Link…" a familiar voice called out to the hero as he opened his eyes to find that he was standing high above the clouds, in Skyloft, before it had been destroyed by the Interlopers. Immediately, he knew that he was dreaming, since the town was still standing as if it had never been burned to the ground, and yet no one was there at all. No Loftwings flew overhead in the clear blue skies, nor did any headwinds blow as they usually did. The entire isle in the sky seemed to be bathed in a soft golden glow and the entire place was as eerily silent; that is, until the voice called to him once more, but when Link turned to face its source in curiosity, he couldn't believe who he saw standing before him.
"Sheik!" the hero exclaimed in both joy and awe as he immediately began to race towards her to embrace her, but the Sheikah leader stopped him by raising a hand and shaking her head. She looked quite similar to how she had the night when she had tried to convince him against surrendering to the Interlopers; her long blonde hair hung loose from its usual braid while her bangs still hung down in front of one eye as it shined golden in the afternoon sun. She wore the same dark blue top and long skirt she had on that night, only this time, her arm was not hanging from a sling as it had been then and she didn't so much as show any signs of injury whatsoever as she stood strong and tall and admittedly beautiful. Her one visible eye was still as bright scarlet as it always had been and it seemed to grow even brighter as she smiled warmly at Link, though there was a hint of sadness in her smile as well.
"Hello, Link…" Sheik said in a tone that was more formal than he was used to hearing her use. "How are you?"
Unlike his earlier conversation with Zelda, the hero didn't hesitate to be completely honest with the Sheikah leader about his grief, since her untimely death had been the source of it all. "Terrible," he said with a sad frown. "I miss you so much, Sheik…"
Sheik glanced away from him for a moment, her expression also morose and sorrowful. "I miss you too, Link…" she said, looking to him once more. "Which is why I came to talk to you… There were a lot of things that I think we both needed to say to each other before I… died… And so, here I am."
"Sheik," Link interrupted the Sheikah leader before she could say anything else, a hint of desperation in his tone. "I need to tell you that I am so sorry. I should have been the one who died and you should have lived. Maybe if I had been paying more attention, I could have-"
"Link, stop," Sheik said firmly and the hero did as she said. "You know as well as I do that no one should have died, especially not you. It was an accident. Veress… she made a mistake. All of it was a mistake. You can't blame yourself for what happened. I leapt in front of those knives because I loved you and I couldn't imagine living in a world without you. And now, because of that, the world gets to have both you and her grace." She smiled softly to herself before she went on. "For so long, I used to wonder what my purpose in life would be. I thought I would never do anything great with my life, even after I became leader of the Sheikah tribe. But you know what? I think that even if I had accomplished nothing else in my life, I think that the greatest thing I could have ever done was protect you, Link. Saving you was the greatest honor and privilege I could have ever had and I cannot thank you enough for making me want to in the first place."
The hero was silent as he looked at the Sheikah leader in surprise, amazed that she was so at peace with her fateful passing. Noticing his wondering, Sheik went on, her smile fading into worry as she continued. "Link, I know you've been taking my death really hard, but I wish you wouldn't… I know how hard it is to lose someone you're close to, believe me. I felt the same kind of pain you're going through when Impa died. She was the closest thing I ever had to a mother, and when she died, I thought that I would never be happy again. But through all of the pain and grieving, I learned something important about death: when someone dies, you lose them, as does the rest of the world, but you can't lose yourself along with them. I couldn't lose myself when I lost Impa because I had a duty to my tribe and you can't lose yourself because you still have a duty to this land. The pain may seem unbearable, like a crippling weight placed upon your shoulders, dragging you down into the depths of sorrow, but it is something you can overcome. I know, because about a month after Impa died, the hole that both her and Veress had left in my heart was filled with something else: you." Sheik smiled once more, for once not even hesitating to speak of her love for Link.
"I never knew I could love someone so much until I met you, Link…" she said, her voice light and blissful. "You may think that I have done you some great debt by giving my life for yours, but in reality, you did me the greatest debt, one that I still don't think I have repaid and I don't think I ever really will. You made me feel alive again; you gave me a reason to live, to fight. And even if you didn't love me back in quite the same way, I knew that you cared about me, more than anyone had ever cared about me in my entire life. Back when you were still being corrupted, I used to wish that you would get to have a little more time almost every day. I know it sounds selfish, but it wasn't just for my sake. It was because I knew that you would be leaving the world too early. Clearly, you still have so much left to do in the world: raise this land up and protect it, build a family of your own. And that's exactly why I sacrificed my life for you. I don't care about being remembered now that I'm gone, but as long as you will be remembered for all that you've done, then I will be happy. After all, people as kind, as courageous and as amazing as you only come into this world every once in a great while, hero-boy. The world needs to enjoy having you there for as long as possible…"
Simply hearing the Sheikah leader's sincere, heartfelt, honest words made the hero feel so much better. He could not remember the last time he had been so content and at ease, but he certainly was now that he knew Sheik did not view her own death to be something that had happened in vain. Indeed, she had given her life for him, but it had been on her own terms and by her own choice. Her sacrifice had extended beyond her love for him; it had also encompassed her love for the surface, a love that he shared along with her. Link couldn't help but smile as he realized that his guilt and anger over his inability to save her had been foolish. Sheik had never wanted him to save her; she had been willing to do anything it took to keep him alive and safe and in the end, she had gotten her wish. The wise words of both the Sheikah leader and the girl mixed together in the hero's mind, of how it was alright to feel the pain of loss, but how it was something that could be overcome, how there was something beyond it, just as there was always a bright sunrise after a dark night. And it was at that moment that Link realized that he was finally starting to reach that sunrise. Even though he knew that he would most likely always miss Sheik greatly, at the very least, all of his former regret over her death began to fade away, giving way to peace and acceptance, knowing that even if she was physically gone, she would live on in the hearts of all those who cared about her, especially the hero.
"Thank you, Sheik," Link said with gratitude as he truly smiled for the first time in days. "I think that was just what I needed."
"I know it was," Sheik said, her warm grin widening. "Now, I hate to say it, but I think it's time for us to part ways, don't you? After all, it's like I said: you still have so much left to do in the world. But don't forget what I said before, Link. Life damages us all in one way or another, but we all can be mended. And I think you know better than anyone else who can help mend you…" she said, referring to Zelda. "I'm really gonna miss you, hero-boy, but I'm sure we'll meet again somehow, someday…"
This time, the Sheikah leader was the one to open her arms up to the hero for an embrace and he did not hesitate to go into it. "Goodbye, Sheik," he said with a small somewhat sad smile. "And thank you… so much."
Sheik closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, finally at peace in the arms of the hero she loved so much. "Goodbye, Link…" she whispered softly as a heavenly light began to surround them both and the world around them began to disappear. "And thank you…"
The skies above Kakariko were cloudy and grey the next day as the entirety of the village gathered together in the graveyard that lied on the outskirts of town, all of them clad in black as they bowed their heads in a solemn and respectful prayer in honor of their fallen leader. Even though she had died several days ago, Sheik's body had been well preserved and she looked as though she were merely peacefully sleeping as she lay upon her open coffin. The bandages that she usually kept wrapped around the top of her head were gone, but her golden hair was still tied up into a neat, long braid. She wore a set of ceremonial Sheikah burial armor: a golden top adorned with the crimson Sheikah eye symbol and a long black skirt that flowed all the way down to her feet. Draped upon her like a blanket was a black and gold cloak that she had inherited from Impa upon her death and surrounding her on all sides were roses, which had always been the Sheikah leader's favorite flowers as they had reminded her of the proud red of the eyes of her beloved people. Her eyes were shut and her expression was content and peaceful, even if death had paled her tanned skin a bit. More than a few quiet comments had gone around the Sheikah about how beautiful their leader looked, even in death, and as her funeral proceeded, there was hardly a dry eye in the vicinity.
Link and Zelda stood together towards the front of the vast crowd of funeral-goers as the Sheikah elders rotated and spoke of Sheik's life and death, of how her early death at such a young age was nothing less than a tragedy, about how she had given her life for the hero, the goddess and her people, about how she had fought bravely until the end. The hero was doing his best to try and listen to their droning speeches, but he found that he could not take his eyes off of the dead Sheikah leader as she lay only a few feet away from him. The kind words that she had said to him in his dream the previous night in his dream kept filling his mind, reminding him of the true reason that Sheik had really died, and it suddenly made everything that the elders were saying sound empty and hollow. And as he stared at the Sheikah leader's lifeless body, Link could almost feel her prompting him to say something more, something truly honest about her, something that would make everyone present remember her long after she was gone. And so, when the elders let out the call for anyone who wanted to to come and give a eulogy for the fallen Sheikah leader, the hero found that he did not hesitate to volunteer.
The girl watched her husband in surprise as he moved to stand beside Sheik's coffin, knowing that he had always hated public speaking, but understanding exactly why he needed to do this. Relief filled her as she realized that this was part of his healing process, one that would hopefully lift the lingering pain off his shoulders so he could move on with his life.
Link took in a deep breath as he scanned the crowd of hundred before him, already becoming anxious. Even if he had slain hundreds of monsters and faced both the demon king and the demon of Termina themselves, he still got nervous in front of large groups of people, just as he always had since he was little. And yet, he knew that this was not about him; this was about Sheik, and he had no intentions of letting her down now. And so, after letting go of the breath he had been holding onto, the hero closed his eyes for a moment and then begun.
"I don't think I've ever known anyone more courageous and more selfless than Sheik," he started, albeit a bit shakily. To alleviate his anxiousness over the crowd, Link paused for a moment and shook his head to clear it, before diverting his attention to Sheik and keeping it there, as if he were speaking to her instead of hundreds of other people. "I didn't know her for long, but I think I got to know her well enough to understand the kind of person she was. She was brave but kind, strong but compassionate, stubborn but smart. She was the kind of person you'd want with you in a fight because you knew she wouldn't stop fighting until she went down and even then, she'd try to get back up and keep fighting because she never gave up. She was so clever, and even when she teased you or picked fun at you, you could always tell that she meant well. She saved my life more times than I can probably count, not because she had to, but because she wanted to. In fact, that was how she-"
The hero stopped himself as he felt a sob about to come on, but he quickly suppressed it and moved on to another subject. "Sheik cared so much about people, not just her own, but for everyone, even her enemies. When she was dying, she made me promise to spare the life of the person who killed her and I did, because I knew just how she was when she was angry." Link smiled softly as he went on, becoming more at ease as he kept his eyes on Sheik and nothing else as he let fond memories of their short time together fill his thoughts. "And, goddesses, Sheik was smart. She was probably one of the wisest people I've ever met too. You see, she understood a lot of things that other people didn't. Most people go through their lives wanting to be recognized and remembered when their gone. We all want our legacies to go on when we die, and for our memories to survive in the words of legends or stories. We spend our lives searching for glory and honor, and some people do find it, but most people don't.
"But Sheik was different. She never wanted to be remembered; instead, she dedicated her life to making sure others would be remembered. When Zelda and I die, we'll most likely be remembered and go down into the history books and legends because she's the goddess and I'm her chosen hero. But will Sheik be remembered? Who knows? When all of us here are dead and gone, the memory of her and her sacrifice may die with us. Some people may say that it's sad that she didn't leave such a huge impact on the world, that she didn't get to do as much as some others and that she was loved deeply, but not widely. But I think that's heroic. Sheik gave her life to make sure that I would be remembered, that Zelda would be remembered. But if I could have just one wish, it would be for Sheik to be remembered along with us. A while ago, I got a taste of what it was like to be immortal and I hated it. But that's not the kind of immortality that Sheik deserves. She deserves to become immortal in those legends and stories, to live on even after all of us are dead. But even if the day comes when we're all gone and this land doesn't remember a single one of us, I know that Sheik would still be happy knowing that she had sacrificed her life to ensure that I would be remembered for something other than dying and I hope that she will be remembered for something other than dying too. She shouldn't be remembered for her death, even if it was graceful and selfless. She should be remembered for her life, for her kindness, her bravery, her intelligence, and so much more.
"Sheik was one of the two greatest friends I've ever had," the hero stopped briefly for a moment as he glanced towards Zelda, who smiled warmly at him, tears in of pride and love streaming down her cheeks as she was taken in by the beauty and sincerity of his words as he concluded. "Even though she wasn't the chosen hero like I am, I've never met someone who understood what it is like to be a hero like she did. And she was a hero in her own right, the kind of hero who was willing to fight for everything she believed in and lay her life own for those she cared about. And even if no one else in this world remembers her, I always will. I'll always remember her clever smile and her quick wit. I'll remember her determination and courage even in the face of certain death. I'll remember her patience and wisdom. Even if she didn't seek to be remembered, I will remember her. I could never forget Sheik, even if I tried. And after all she has done for me and what an incredible friend she had been to me, I would never want to in a million years."
As Link finished his eulogy, the crowd couldn't help but burst into a booming, yet respectful round of applause, everyone knowing that every word he had said about the Sheikah leader was absolutely correct. But the hero simply ignored it all as he gave one last smile to Sheik, hoping that he had made her proud as she watched him from the Golden Realm on high. And, as Link returned to his place beside Zelda, the cloudy skies parted a little as a stream of warm sunlight shone upon the funeral, almost as if the Sheikah leader herself was giving the hero one last sign of approval and gratitude, and one last smile in return.
Ok... Try not to cry... Try not to cry... CRY A LOT! So, what did you all think of this chapter? I hope that I was able to explain a little of why I killed Sheik off, and if not, please feel free to let me know! But either way, the angst in this chapter was for real, wasn't it!? That was probably why I had such a great time writing it as I got further along into it. But before I say anything else (and I have a LOT to talk about here) I'd like to say that a large majority of this chapter (especially the eulogy part) was inspired by The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, by far one of my favorite novels. Its take on death and dying is masterful, and I wrote a lot of this chapter as a tribute to the movie based on the book that recently came out (that made me cry like a little baby!)
So, anyway, did you guys catch the hidden theme in this chapter? That's right (or wrong if you weren't able to guess it): I hid all five of the five stages of grief in this chapter (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) If you look closely throughout this chapter, Link goes through all five of these, and when I first started this chapter, it had not been my intent to do this, but that's just kinda how it all worked out, so I hope you liked it! :D
Alright, so onto another topic, let's talk E3! Nintendo totally blew me away this year, with all their talk of Smash Bros, but mostly I want to discuss Zelda Wii U and Hyrule Warriors. Let's start with the easier of the two: Hyrule Warriors. I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR IT! I mean, we get to play as MIDNA! FREAKING MIDNA! and Zelda! She looks so freaking CUTE! XD Not to mention that Link looks so freaking SEXY LIKE OMG YES! But all in all, the game looks fantastic (did I mention Impa, cause she is such a BOSS!) and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Now, about Zelda Wii U... Well, let's just say that my initial reaction to it was... less than excited... Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the huge overworld and I can't wait to explore every inch of it, but Link's design had me like... D: I really wanted an adult Link, and a much darker artstyle, but that's just my opinion. I do feel a bit more excited about it now that Anouma has declared that it really WAS Link in that trailer (cause I would NOT play a Zelda game if Link was not in it! JUST NO!) and I am curious to hear more about it (like the story, the timeline placement, A FREAKING SUBTITLE?) Sigh... Anyway, I'm curious to know what you guys think about both Hyrule Warriors and Zelda Wii U, so please feel free to tell me in your reviews! :D
Now, for the next chapter, I plan on spending a lot of time dealing with less angst and more lore, wrapping up a few loose ends, stuff like that. I doubt it will be anything long or impressive, but the chapter AFTER that will be great, I can promise you that! And so, as yet another reminder...
Chapter 38: Song of Time
Chapter 39: A New Era
Epilogue: Blood and Spirit
So, yeah, it looks as though we're just about done with Blood and Spirit, huh? I can't believe that its been almost a year ago that I started working on this and now its almost done... I can't thank you all enough for you loving support for me over these past several months, and I promise not to let you guys down as I wrap it all up! Now, as usual, don't forget to REVIEW, but I'd like to extend an invitation to you all. If you have any questions about this story, or the other stories in the trilogy that you'd like to ask, put them in your reviews and I'll try to answer them the best that I can! And with that said, until next time!