Chapter Sixteen

As the fateful words bawled from my throat, I was immediately captured by a storm of golden light.

Its marvel echoed in the dark abyss, a power so strong that it blinded the beast, forcing him to shut his eyes and groan in agony as he looked away from the grand source. How loud and overpowering it was, that I cried while I held Link tightly, the fairy clinging to my pauldrons as I felt my body being lifted, taken away, transported.

In an instant we were in the Chamber of Sages, thrown onto the center Triforce platform, and immediately I started coughing, gasping for breath, so hysterical that I was crying, unable to breathe or speak, holding Link protectively against my chest.

The vicinity of the enchanted chamber was elegant, draped in a flowing calming blue, one that should have been peaceful and soothing, but soon because a place of mayhem. And they appeared, each sage one by one, on their respective platforms.

Saria, the Sage of Forest, arrived in a burst of green luminance, her body small and short, her hair a deep emerald. Then Darunia, the Sage of Fire, surfaced in a fierce ball of flame, his large Goron body a light taupe, white hair flowing and lips pressed in a firm line. The Sage of Water, Ruto, emerged, succumb by a navy blue aura, landing on her platform elegantly, her body a light shade of cerulean, her fins draped magnificently over her arms.

Impa, the Sage of Shadow, appeared in a rushed zap, her fists clenched and elbows bent as she watched the sight before her, at first absent of a proper reaction. In a deep orange glow, the Sage of Spirit-Nabooru-entered, her long flowing red hair wrapped in a high pony tail, her curves dramatic and seductive, while her skin was a beautiful tanned brown.

And finally Rauru, the ancient Sage of Light, shone in a golden splendor, similar to the power that had brought me there. As he landed on his terrace, the sages as a whole gathered and stared, some in confusion, some in horror, gawking with wide, terrified eyes, several gasps spewing and colliding.

Tears were falling down my cheeks relentlessly, my face scrunched in agony. I tried to speak but struggled, choking on tears, coughing on the mucus that clogged my throat. Desperately I held his body against me, a tremor taking me as I wept into his shoulder.

"Link! He- Ganondorf- He- He has the Triforce -He, he-" I spat words out between sobs, but failed to articulate the madness that had befallen.

Bravely, however, Navi rose, fluttering above me shakily as she stared directly at Rauru, a stern yet solemn gaze crossing her eyes.

"Ganondorf has taken the Triforce."

All of the sages then gasped, almost simultaneously, and when Saria noticed the blood leaking from Link's back and staining my dress, she screamed, her green eyes growing large and trembling as she covered her mouth with her small hand.

"Link!"

The others observed also, but I could not pay heed to all of their responses and reactions. In such an emotional distress I was, I could only groan in pain, in remorse, digging my fingers into the back of Link's tunic, my tears wetting the fabric of his sleeve.

"We failed! We failed!" I sobbed, shaking my head with squinted eyes. "He's succeeded! He has won!"

"How could this have happened?" spoke Nabooru, her fingers curling in apprehension.

"There...there must be something that can be done!" Ruto cried, gazing at Link's body with large, shimmering eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure at the sight.

And Darunia, arms crossed over his chest and leaning on his round belly for support, frowned, a thick sigh fleeing his nostrils. "Brother, my friend..."

Impa and Rauru had remained still, and I saw the glimmer in her eyes as she took a thick gulp, guarding her tears. And Rauru stood firmly, his posture pristine, expression rough yet neutral. At the commotion, he raised his arms, the sleeve of his robe hanging loosely over his wrists, and there a power emitted from his palms, the light so bright and illuminating, the force so thunderous, that it caused the entire platform to quake.

Everyone shushed immediately at his command, and when he captured my eyes with his, I bit down on my lip, so harshly that I felt a trickle of blood grace my tongue, and with all my strength I attempted to control my sobs.

"Ganondorf has taken the Triforce, yes," he confirmed, and here Impa extended her arms in confusion, tapping her foot impatiently.

"But Zelda is still alive, how has he taken her piece of the power?"

I felt my heart drop further at her query, yet Rauru gave no heed to it. "We mustn't concern ourselves with any questions now. We have little time. Ganondorf has obtained the Power in its entirety, yes. But he has not grasped its full capacity, utilized its full potential."

How intensely did his low, powerful voice bellow in the sacred chamber, his tone loud yet calm, laced with only a smidge of panic. And I listened with intent, cradling Link in my arms, while Navi hovered above my head diligently, paying close attention to the sage's direction.

"We must act quickly if we are to succeed, before he has obtained complete control of the Golden Power. Sages, I need you all to compose yourselves, control your emotions and gather your strength."

Then he glared at me, severely, an intimidating gleam glistening over his eyes, the white hair on his face stiff, unmoving as he spoke. I inhaled sharply as he pointed his finger directly at me, his large brows furrowing precariously.

"Zelda, the Seventh Sage, leader of Sages. Rise. We must seal Ganondorf and the Triforce within the Sacred Realm. It is our final resort. And you must lead us all."

The stillness that consumed was unsettling, and the sages stood with as much dignity as they could gather. Yet, I was reluctant to release Link, holding him with trembling arms, tears beginning to slip from my eyes once more. I knew I needed to be strong, to conduct the spell that would imprison Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm with the Triforce. It had to be done, or else he would employ its power and destroy the world completely.

As I struggled to find this strength within myself, the fairy had flow before me, floating carefully in front of my nose, and I could feel her blue luminosity warm my face, as if drying my tears. Here our gazes met, where I could see the sadness and dismay that consumed her, so sunken and broken she was. Yet she found the courage to stand, to fly, and softly she cried, nodding to me slowly.

"Get up, Zelda," she spoke, her eyes shifting in anguish to the body in my embrace. "I will take care of him."

Though meant with good intent, her reassurance stabbed at my chest, that a soft cry escaped my mouth. And I looked down at Link, his eyes closed peacefully, void of breath, of a beating heart, of any sort of life. Droplets of blood remained on his lip, dripping down his chin, and despite all the blood and cuts on his face, he still looked so brave, so gallant and handsome, that he seemed as if he could wake up any moment and be ready to save the world.

But this was only a fantasy. And I had to accept he was dead, that he had done all he could do. It was my turn to rise, to put an end to this chaos that I had caused.

Gently I placed him onto the ground, and Navi flew slowly onto his cheek, embracing him with a loving, tragic tenderness. For a moment I gazed at the heavy blood that stained the palm of my glove. It has darkened into a dark, brownish crimson, that it became different to move my fingers in the fabric. Yet, I forced them to curl close, shutting my eyes as I brought my fist to my chest and held it there, connecting his blood to my heart, my knees weak and wobbling.

"I...I am ready," I spoke softly, in almost a whisper. And there I opened my eyes, gazing at each sage one by one. I could see the tears gathering in their eyes, how some desperately tried to withhold their sorrow. The child, Saria, whimpered as she stood, tears soaking her cheeks, but she kept her mouth closed, her lips trembling as she forced herself to remain competent.

Rauru nodded then, lifting his arms over his head. "Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil Incarnation of Darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!"

A golden force collected in his palms then, and soon each sage followed in his direction, raising their arms, powers of various colors forming in their grasps. The luminosity heightened, engulfing their forms as it began to mix into one powerful entity, and there I took in a deep breath as I drew my hands close together, closing my eyes and allowing the magic within me to expel and flourish.

I winced when it withdrew from my body, feeling the powers of the remaining six sages meld with my own, and greater and more fierce it became, consuming us, until we became one massive entity of blinding white light.

It was so loud, so unrelenting, so physically painful. I felt a scream rumble through my throat as I fought against the strength, my eyes shut from the intensity of the light. And soon it grew, bigger and bigger, stronger and more powerful, filling the Chamber of Sages, radiating, capturing, while I fought to keep my stance, control the force we created.

I thought I would die, forcing myself to persist and hang on. Weak my body had become when the Triforce of Wisdom was taken from me, and I was using the last of my strength to capture and seal the evil one. We used our power to pull him into the realm, his shrieks of struggle and anger bellowing. He fought with peril to escape, to fight us, and how angrily he appeared, looming over our force, swinging his swords so violently to evade his capture.

I saw the fierce light in his eyes, how dangerously they shone, consumed by the Power, by his lust and hatred. And then the markings on his hand, blazing all three glorious pieces. It seemed it had a life of its own, shining down towards our barrier to fight against us, refusing by his will to be taken and imprisoned.

And it was the power of the sages against the Ultimate Power, controlled loosely by its holder, resisting to be taken, battling on behalf him.

"Sages...Braces yourselves!" roared the deep voice of Rauru. "Hold on! Do not retreat! Keep fighting!"

So weak and feeble I felt, so helpless. But I could not let him succeed. He would not win! There could not exist a life where Ganondorf ruled with the Triforce! This was not the reason I returned, why I abandoned my life, my family, my virtue...not to see him flourish, to watch the person I loved most perish in my arms, witness the life flee his body, how light he became in my embrace...

I came back to be with Link, to live the life with him I knew we deserved. And he took that from me! He took everything I loved and cared for! He would not win! I wouldn't allow it!

With a shrieking cry, I felt the remainder of my power release from me, gathering the strength from all the sages until I expelled a ferocious blast of light. So vigorous the attack was, that we were taken in by silence, a glaring white light, as if we ceased to exist, surrounded by a bright nothingness. I could see nothing, hear no sound, it was a moment of stillness yet simultaneous complete pandemonium. I tried to scream but no noise emerged, taken in by the intense force, the power emitted from us.

And soon, the light vanished, so abruptly that I gasped from the sensation, collapsing onto the ground.

Slowly I opened my eyes, greeted by a familiar flowing blue atmosphere. The sages graced their platforms, kneeling as they breathed heavily, exhausted from the fierce exertion. And here Rauru raised himself, his body composed while calculated breaths heaved his mouth.

"We...We have succeeded," he panted with grace. "Ganondorf and the Triforce have been sealed within the Sacred Realm."

Yet, no one rejoiced, nor clapped or showed any signs of joy or triumph. Instantly I had crawled towards Link, nestling him back into my arms, smearing the blood on his face as I embraced his cheek and pressed my face in his neck.

"Please! Please!" I exclaimed, holding him tighter against me. "We must do something! Resurrect him! Heal him! Please!"

"Zelda," spoke Impa carefully, and when I saw the dark tone of her red eyes, I shook my head at her, tears spraying from my face at the gesture.

"No...no!" My back hunched, Link's head lulled at my chest. "Save him! Do something!"

At my hysteria, Impa stomped her foot, her lips quivering as she pursed them together. "Zelda!" she interjected, pointing precisely at him with a shaky finger. "Stop! There is a hole through his abdomen!"

And I gazed at the wound, the deep gash through his back, still bleeding onto the terrace and on my dress. Biting down onto my lower lip I groaned, trembling and unwilling to let him go.

"There is nothing we can do..." I heard the crack in her voice, saw her retreat her harshness as she fell to her knees, tears slowly peeling down her face. The paint on her cheekbones began to slide and smear, while she held herself low and defeated. "I'm sorry, child. I'm sorry."

"Oh...oh no...oh goddesses..." Saria's voice was was soft, laced with unkempt tears as she collapsed onto the ground, burying her sobbing face into her palms. Watching her cry sent me further into a rage of tenacious tears as I fell into his chest, grasping his tunic while I wept loudly, erratically.

"Oh, Link," she sobbed, tears dripping down her chin, the droplets gathering into a tiny puddle on her platform. "Why...why did this happen...?"

And the other sages, stricken by grief, mourned him, kneeling in their sorrow, taken by their anguish and despair. Ruto wept into her knees, shaking her head in denial, while Darunia hung his head low, and Nabooru wiped her tears onto her rose glove, smudging the makeup that graced her eyes.

"The poor kid," whispered the Sage of Spirit, curling herself into her knees. "He really fought until the end..."

The only one standing remained Rauru, his gaze so low his eyes appeared black. I knew he was stricken by his death, but he withheld the emotion, staring at the fallen hero in silence, while we all grieved him, lamenting his loss.

"Sages," he had spoken, exhaling carefully as everyone slowly brought their attention to him. "This was not how we anticipated events to occur. Despite his strength, his bravery...the Hero of Time has met his demise. And instead of sealing Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm, we needed to seal away the Triforce with him."

He hesitated for a moment, the sounds of sniffling and murmurs echoing around us. "This...this is not a permanent solution. I cannot say when, but I am confident he will find a way to break through the barriers. One day, some day. So we must be prepared, in your own lives, through your descendants."

Pausing once more, the ancient sage's eyes found me, a mess of blood and tears, the one who held the fallen hero.

"Zelda," he spoke attentively, his thick brows slanted. "I know you are concerned, overwhelmed...But I can assure you that your child has survived the trauma."

The color drained from my face at his diction, and immediately muted gasps mingled around me. I felt so faint I could barely move, trepidation tickling at my chest.

"All, please leave me and Zelda. Impa, you may stay. I applaud you in your efforts on sealing this evil and protecting this world."

One by own he greeted each sage with a nod, his lips pressed into a sad, soft smile. "Thank you. Truly, I thank you all."

Despite his efforts, no one could muster a smile of gratitude. There was no joy, no happiness, nothing to celebrate. We had barely imprisoned Ganondorf, and Link was gone, dead by his bravery, killed by his love for me. And slowly did each of them rise, their legs shaking, bodies weak from the fight, lifting their arms as their power emitted colorfully from each of them, taking hold of their forms until they left in bright beams of light, bouncing throughout the scared chamber until they disappeared.

And alone I was left, with Rauru and Impa, and the fairy Navi, while Link remained in my embrace.

For a moment neither sage spoke to me, as I sat there grieving, crying softly into his body. I could feel the warmth leaving him, and desperately I clung onto him, inhaling his scent so hard that I would never forget it. And they granted me this position for a moment longer, out of respect, or perhaps pity, allowed my heart to bleed, my soul to ache and suffer.

Impa surprised me, however, when she walked off of her terrace and toward me, her steps steady as she kneeled beside me and caressed my head.

"Zelda," she said gently, her voice tickling my ear. "Zelda...We know."

And I froze then, my eyes opening broadly. I could feel the thumping of my heart, so quick and grim, banging against my chest, was aware of the sweat that dripped down my forehead, the dry lump that formed in my throat.

I said nothing, my unsteady breathing the only sound emitting from me.

"We know, but we have not told the other sages."

Navi lifted herself at this revelation, fluttering in front of us as she clasped her tiny hands together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"When we had last brought you here, we knew something was wrong, with your erratic behavior," Impa continued, glancing towards Rauru with unease. I found it odd she was running her fingers through my hair as if to calm me, rather than lash out and scold me as I had expected her to behave.

"Rauru could also feel it...The disturbance. That time itself was imbalanced. And the rage of the goddesses roared heavily upon him, that this disruption was made."

I refused to look at her, at any of them, focusing only on the beautiful face of the man in my arms, hoping to only fill my mind with thoughts and memories of him. But the more she spoke, the more I struggled to keep any form of composure, whimpering at her discourse, her carefully chosen words.

"And when he searched for their anger, he saw it, Zelda. And then I saw it too." She cupped my chin then, raising my face as she turned my head and forced me to look at her. Wincing from the cut she rubbed at, I stared into her eyes, entranced by the deep, haunting red, so intense it seemed two fires burned there, their flames flowing and brutal.

"Not one, not even two...but multiple splits in time. All created by you."

Her voice became soft, saddened, yet even fearful. She gazed at me as if I were a monster, only a figment of the woman she had known. And I felt myself break down, knowing I had been revealed and was the sole cause of this chaos.

"You are a different Zelda," she breathed, her tone unsteady. "The original Zelda."

Navi was taken aback by the revelation, bewildered as she flew several steps backwards. "I don't understand...multiple splits in time?"

"Zelda has lived through these events before."

When Rauru spoke, his voice was heavy as he bellowed. We all then gazed upon him, at his commanding tone.

"In another time, Link did triumph in his fight against Ganondorf. He was sealed in the Evil Realm and peace was restored. Zelda then chose to use her powers to send Link back to a former time, and upon doing so, she created a brand new reality.

"Years later, it seems she has used these powers again, choosing to rid of herself in her world by returning here, creating a third separate existence."

How severe his words were, lurking over me with disgrace and shame. And I heard the fairy gasp, unable to speak, to even react. I had anticipated her anger and hatred for me, thought this would occur from all three of them. To question me on why I would do such a thing, to return to such a dangerous time, what madness had possessed me to act so brazenly. But silence lingered between us, and the lecture or punishment I had been waiting for never occurred. Probably because it had already been completed, my discipline handed to me in the form of this despair.

"Now, this phenomenon is unnatural," continued Rauru, his voice steady. "It has indeed upset the goddesses, and I feel has affected the events of this world because of that. Eventually, but not for a very long time -perhaps thousands of years- time will find a way to restore itself and become linear once more. It cannot infinitely exist in this current manner. Yet, for the time being, there are three separate realties, and we must work on restoring this one."

I found the courage then to look at him, to observe his strength and diligence, how profoundly he stood there in his robe, surrounded by the turmoil and havoc I had created.

"There is nothing we can do now, what's done is done. We must place the Master Sword back into its pedestal, and then lay the Hero to rest."

As I felt Impa place her hand on my shoulder, Navi flew down onto Link's chest, nestling herself near his heart as she sobbed quietly. How serene he looked, as if he had died with grandeur, with great purpose. And to him, saving my life was his purpose, a cause worth sacrificing his life.