Hi! I have returned with another chapter. I am so sorry they take so long to write and upload, life keeps you busy and distracted. But I've started the next chapter, so hopefully the wait won't be so gruelling. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Bravery in the Face of Fear

"You truly are beautiful," a grim voice speaks quietly, "if only you weren't trying to stop me…"

A forest, once so lovely and full of vibrant greens and orange leaves, was now tainted and being stripped of its beauty by the goop of Malice. Chunks of wood from trees were decaying, withering away from the mere stench of evil that brewed. Animals were making their escape away from it, abandoning their beloved homes and the nature they've long adapted to. In the center of it all, taking the true loss, was the lovely fairy that resides in a massive, blooming flower.

"I didn't think you were capable of seeing beauty," Mija spat weakly. Her lavender hair fell down, making a mess in her face and losing its usual flare and color. Her pool of water has been contaminated with Malice, with Malice ornate all over her body except for the neck up. Her makeup was ruined, but her eyes were fierce as she looked at what appeared to be a ghost of Ganon. "You've spent the entirety of what you are destroying villages, and taking lives. What would something like you know about beauty when all you've probably seen are the final moments of innocent lives."

Ganon smiles cynically at her, making her uneasy. "Who's to say there isn't beauty in death? The Hylians tend to purchase flowers for their loved ones, and some keep them until they're withered. Does it make the flowers any less lovely compared to what they used to be?"

"Comparing flowers to murder is a bit of a stretch, wouldn't you agree?" Mija spews angrily, too disgusted to be afraid of the biggest threat of Hyrule. Her earrings slip off from her ears as she struggles in the web of Malice.

"Like all creatures, we're different," Ganon says forwardly. He looks around to see Malice consuming the flowers and grass around. "Perhaps what you find horrid, I find exquisite. But I am not here to discuss our opposing definitions of beauty with you. I'm here for information."

Mija squints her eyes a bit before smirking, "did you know that you're a parasite to this world?"

"I did know, but thank you for the reminder," Ganon replies with a smirk as well. "However, that is not what I wanted to hear… perhaps a little motivation will motivate you?"

In an instant, a sharp pain entered the entirety of Mija's body. Malice was entering her pores, forming into small spikes up and down her body. She cries out loudly, knowing that no one was near to help her. Her heart begins to race, but she forces herself to appear calm. She didn't want Ganon to enjoy her suffering too much.

"What information is it that you seek?" Mija asks weakly. Her words left through gritted teeth, wanting nothing more than to shove his face into the ground. But the transparent illusion walks towards her, the tip of his nose just about to touch hers.

"I'm not quite sure what it is, but it is something that brings people back from the brink of death," Ganon explains carefully. He walks around the rotting nature, wagging around his index finger in thought. "It's something powerful, you'd probably know it just by being near it. But it could be anything- a fairy like yourself, or a machine."

Mija closes her eyes in thought. "Mm… us Fairies are only familiar with Hylia, and her creatio-"

"Don't mention her before me!" Ganon hisses, glaring back at the Great Fairy. "How dare you speak of that wench to me… the Goddess that all these mortals pray to… don't they realize that she does absolutely nothing for you all? You're just praying to a piece of stone!"

"You can ruin my forest," Mija begins quietly, "you can destroy my flower, and me in it, but don't you dare speak badly about Lady Hylia in front of me!"

This piques Ganon's interest. He raises his eyebrow at her, curious about her words, "you're quite defensive over her, aren't you? I'm sure you pray to her constantly… praying to be blessed, for constant safety and soothed worries." Ganon then looks around, to see nothing alive besides him and the Great Fairy. "Where is she now? Isn't she supposed to be protecting you?"

"Have you ever considered that I am not praying to her for myself?" Mija hums quietly. "My prayers go for others who I feel deserve it the most. Sometimes I consider dedicating my prayers to you, you poor soul."

Ganon smiles viciously at her words, "and whom would you say deserves prayers?"

"Master Link, of course," Mija replies confidently.

Ganon's smile fell, his expression going completely dim. For his entire lifetime, the only thing that has ever stood in his way is that damn Hero and their sword that seals the darkness. The Chosen Hero is the only thing that keeps Ganon from being the dictator of the entirety of Hyrule.

"That toothpick-worth of a Hero?" Ganon says with a hardy laugh. "I first saw that boy, just over 100 years ago… Link, was it?" Mija stays silent. "Then about a year or so later, he came back around and destroyed me. It's why I wonder what exactly happened for that child to have remained a child after a century."

Mija says nothing. It is a wonder how Link was able to retain his youth and defeat Ganon when he could. Meji knows very little regarding the Hero, besides knowing that he is the hope of Hyrule. He's always been good, and made sure to defeat the darkness no matter what it took.

"He's really good, that boy," Meji says quietly. "He visits me every so often, making sure that my sisters and I are safe and well. Of course every ounce of my prayers go to him. I believe in him."

"Putting your trust in a child," Ganon growls, "it's obscene… he's nothing but a follower; a ball of clay that you can simply make whatever you want out of. He's a slave to this world, like you and every other peasant living in it."

Mija eyes him up and down before looking away, "whatever information you seek, I do not have. I know nothing of such a thing that can bring those back to life from being seconds away to death."

Unhappy with her words, Ganon clenches his fist tightly, commanding the Malice to go deeper into the Great Fairy's flesh. Mija grits her teeth in pain, but doesn't dare cry or wail out. The only thing to leave her mouth was a sort of hiss, the painful kind when your body feels like it's on fire. She begins to grow pale, giving Ganon reason to pause her torture.

"I hear you Great Fairies cannot die," Ganon hums, "not unless you are giving your life to save another." Mija looks up at him dreadfully. "However, I can bestow onto you eternal torture with my power… a life full of pain to no end." Mija can only stay quiet, trying to accept what her life will be moving forward until Link sends Ganon back to where he came from. "So tell me honestly… are you sure you don't know anything about this thing that can preserve and heal a mortal for over a century?"

Mija looks down at her flower, seeing the holes Ganon has created in the petals. "Even if I did, why would I tell you? I'd rather give up my life in vain before giving you the slightest bit of help."

"If I could, I'd tear your body apart and feed you to my minions," Ganon hisses at the Great Fairy. "But I need your roots to remain intact… perhaps your other sisters will give me what I want."

Mija then retaliates, and begins to struggle in the hold of Malice. "Leave my sisters alone!"

"You're not giving me what I want," Ganon says simply, "so why should I give you what you want? That's a bit of an unfair deal, wouldn't you agree?" Frustration overcame the Great Fairy, but she knew her anger was futile. However, there was one thing she could do, but she's never done it before. She has to entertain Ganon to stall, though.

"So then," Mija emits weakly, "what's your plan with me?"

Ganon looks with a smile, "I've decided to offer you a fair deal, if that's alright with you." Mija keeps her mouth shut, a pain much worse than Malice attempting to destroy her body. "Since you love your precious nature, I figured I would give you a choice. I'll take away all my Malice from the forest surrounding you, but you'll have to suffer the Malice I've put on you. Or…" He eyes around her withering flower. "I can take away your suffering, but resume destroying this forest and whatever creatures are still residing in it."

Her body feels like it's being peeled off, strand by strand. Sweat drops roll down Mija's forehead, but she manages to bring a smile to her lips. "These creatures… they welcomed me here, in their home," Mija whispers. "It's only fair… that I should give it back to them… please stop destroying their home."

Ganon loses his smile, and all the amusement in his face. "Why are you all so… so weak?" Ganon hisses. "Your selflessness won't be worth it after I conquer this world, and destroy everything in it. Don't you see I'm simply delaying their end?"

"Delaying… or not…" Mija says, practically breathless, "life should be lived as long as one can live it."

A grim laugh dances in the air. Mija closes her eyes, letting out a deep breath. She listens as the purple and black ooze begin to fly away from the bark of the trees, and the grass and petals of the flowers. The goop flies around Ganon as he instructs it to, allowing it to revolve slowly around him as if he were a planet, and it was its ring. As Ganon silently allows the Malice to slowly make its way to Mija, he notices something peculiar. Mija's face is full of tears.

"Did I make you cry?" Ganon mocks with a wicked smirk. Her teardrops fall from her face, only to disappear as a mist before reaching ground. "Your sister is much stronger than you are. She didn't dare shed a tear."

Mija's head snaps up, eyes now wide and full of anger, "what did you do to my sister?"

"Ah, what was her name?" Ganon asks himself quietly, his face full of ponder. "Was it Coral? Cora?"

"Cotera," Mija lets out through gritted teeth.

Ganon snaps his fingers, "Cotera, that's right! Like you, I made a… similar deal with her. See, her flower is currently unbloomed, so I told her to keep it unbloomed, or else I'd destroy the forest surrounding her, and whatever other life my piece of soul could find."

That was the light… Mija thinks to herself. The yellow light that shot into the sky just a bit ago… was Cotera! "So that's how it is…" she whispers to herself. She closes her eyes and mumbles apologies, to which Ganon simply ignores as he installs more Malice onto her body. She feels it enter deeper through her pores, sending sharp pokes into her bones.

"I'm sorry you chose the wrong side, dear Great Fairy," Ganon says airily. His phantom slowly begins to disappear, his eyes still looking at Mija, her tears still leaving her cheeks. "Maybe your next sister will give me what I want, and no harm will have to be done to her." His body dissolves into the ground, where that patch of grass instantly turns black, and dies.

Mija could only laugh. Snapping sounds follow her laughter, as Mija's skin turns pale, and her hair becomes completely gray, and lifeless. "If… you can… find her…" Mija whispers her final words before one more snap is heard, and she completely becomes frozen. Her tears turned into stone, and her body went cold. Her heart, however, is still beating while she willingly suffers the consequences of snapping her roots.

"Link, you can't just keep me all the way back here!"

"You can get hurt," Link calls back at her, "I don't want to risk it."

"It's not even alive, Link," Zelda yells, "look at it!"

The dynamic duo found themselves at a beautiful, grassy clearing, with families of little flowers, and home to the smallest of bugs. The orange warmth from the sun-setting sky kisses their skin, and everything around them. Hylian guards stood around the area as Zelda was pouting behind a tree with Piccolo. Link is out in the field, just a few feet from them, with a clearly lifeless Guardian.

Link eyes the Guardian up and down, acknowledging very much the fact that it is no longer a danger. "It doesn't matter to me," Link says quietly, "just tell me what Purah wants to show us again."

Zelda, with her shoulders hung, reluctantly checks the Sheikah Slate once more before looking up at the Guardian, "she says to hug it."

The Hero glances back at her, putting down his sword and shield in disappointment. "...Is that it?"

"What? Did you expect to attack it?" Zelda asks with a laugh. "I was surprised when I read it last night, but alas that's what Purah says works." Link blinks a few more times before turning back around to face the unawakened Guardian once more. Putting his sword and shield away. Link slowly approaches it, weary of it turning back on at any moment. Piccolo shut its eyes nervously as Zelda grew more and more impatient with Link's cautiousness.

"What am I…" Link begins hesitantly, "what will I see?"

Zelda says gently, "a soul of sorts… Purah says it's nothing more than a mere blue spirit orb."

Gulping, Link was finally just centimeters from the Guardian. He slowly brought his arms up before going in to wrap his arms as much around it as he could. His heart pounds intensely against his touch, looking up curiously to see the blue orb that Zelda mentioned. A warmth soon follows his act, forcing him to pull away and watch as a blue light swirls around the Guardian. But, the blue orb Zelda said he would see, was not quite just an orb.

In his eyes, a figure was being created with the blue light that emitted from the Guardian. It was the figure of a woman, a Hylian woman. But she didn't dress as Hylians do in the current time. Rather, she reminds him of what some women wore when Ganon first awoke and brought destruction and woe to the land. But that wasn't what surprised Link. His eyes widened when he noticed the spirited woman held what appeared to be a baby. An infant not even a few weeks old yet.

"You… you had a baby…" Link let out weakly.

The woman says nothing but nods. She holds the baby close, hearing just shy of a cry. 'I lived in the village… just outside the castle town…' Link feels himself tremble as the woman looks down at him and frowns. 'I was crossing the path to get to my home… when monsters on their horses came… I was too scared to move, and only stood and watched them run towards me…'

Link's throat felt tight, "they trampled you…"

The woman nods, 'my legs… I couldn't feel them… I could only hold him, just a little tighter…' The baby squirms, a louder cry leaving its mouth. 'I thought that we would just be dead, and all would be done but… then that monster… the one with the horns, and those demonic, yellow eyes… it put us here, in this machine…' She cradles her baby, trying to calm him down. 'Every day since then, we've been waiting… waiting for you to free us…' Link's throat felt itchy, like words were scratching to get out, but struggled.

Burning tears slid down Link's hot cheeks as he fell to his knees. He drops his shoulders, fingers being tickled lightly by the grass. "I'm sorry I let you down…"

The woman shakes her head and smiles down at the Hero, 'thank you… for finally coming. I knew, one day, you would…' The baby goes quiet, lightly snoring. 'This thing… it is not evil… now that I can go, it will listen to you… if you allow it…'

Link nods, bringing his hands up to wipe his face, "I will… I'm sorry I couldn't get to your village on time… you wrongly put your faith in me."

'Do not apologize to me, Chosen Hero,' the woman insists, 'for there is nothing to forgive… the faith and trust I have in you is because the faith and trust of Goddess Hylia lives inside of you… it may have been much too late, but you have come and saved me…

The Hero felt heavy. He didn't know what to think. There was no amount of apologies he could spew to ever fix the damage he allowed to happen. Hyrule had to suffer 100 years of darkness and torture, and that never truly dawned upon him the full extent of terror Ganon had caused. He was on his knees before a spirit, a mother and her child, an infant, who watched their lives blink right before their very eyes. And he wasn't there to stop it.

"I… I…"

'Shhh…' the woman hushes him. 'You needn't feel bad… it didn't hurt. Please, focus on taking back our land once more… bring peace back to Hyrule…' She floats down to stand right before him. He looks up at her attentively as she brings herself down to his level. She holds out the spirited infant. 'Perhaps we were not meant to be saved… but there are others just like him that you can save."

Link brings his hand up, lightly dangling it above the infant. It's eyes were open, and its small arms reached up to try and grab his hand. The Triforce engraved in Link's hand began to shine, a blinding light that forces Link to look away from the woman and child. But when the light died down, he looked to find that the two were gone. He looks around, up down, left right, only to see no trace of the woman and her child. As he begins to panic, hands quickly latch themselves onto his shoulder. He jumps, turning around to find Zelda, flinching from his sudden shock.

"Link?" Her voice says worriedly, "are you alright?"

Link looks around again, "did you see them leave?"

"Who?"

"The woman… she was Hylian… with a baby in her arms," Link explains shakily, "the baby… it wasn't even big yet…"

Zelda joins him in the grass, putting her hands on her knees, "Link, there was no woman or child here… just us, the guards, and the spirit you just set free from the Guardian."

"That is who I'm talking about," Link clarifies, "the spirit… it was two, actually…a woman, and a child…"

Piccolo looks around curiously, attempting to search for the people Link was talking about. But Zelda could only look at him worriedly. "Link… there was no woman with a child… it might have all been in your head."

"N-no!" He disagrees aggressively, "I was speaking to her… she was just in front of me." Zelda brings her hands to Link's face as he nervously spews words. He was panicking, she could see it in his face, in his eyes. "She… she died, with the child in her arms… she was murdered while on her way home…"

"Wh-who are you talking about?" Zelda sputters, "when was this?"

"100 years ago, when the Calamity started," Link cries out quietly, "the baby was not alive for long… and Ganon, he… he…!" Zelda feels Link's tears trail down her hands, seeing as they are glistening against her skin. She feels his face melt against her palms, slowly and slowly bringing him down to a low point. "All those lives could have been saved if I was stronger…"

Link isn't one to be so expressive. She always saw him as the silent hero, the man who was prepared to give up his life if it meant saving many more. It even shocks the Hylian Guards, who promptly look away to allow the Hero to be completely vulnerable. She could see the guilt destroy the light in his eyes, and the fullness of his skin. "Link, that isn't your fault! Ganon, he came when we didn't expect him to!"

"I trained every day, Zelda," Link mutters, "every single day…"

"We thought we were ready!" Zelda persists, "we had it planned out and everything, but it wasn't enough!"

"But I was supposed to be ready!" Link growls, "I was supposed to be ready to face whatever came our way!"

"We were bested!"

"I was chosen!" Everything fell silent upon Link's loud scream. Only the sounds of birds flying out of trees could be heard, but even that couldn't beat the sound of the pain-filled shout. He pushes Zelda's hands from his face, looking down at his knees. "Goddess Hylia chose me, of all the stronger, smarter, faster people worthy of such a priceless honor. She chose me to save Hyrule, and look what happened…"

Zelda quickly snatches his hands and squeezes them, "Link, Goddess Hylia may have created this prophecy, but she did not choose you. The Hero's soul, passed along through time, chose you. The decision was never up to her."

"Then why doesn't the previous Hero guide me?" Link argues. "The only guidance I've ever had was from you, and the Gods."

Zelda lets out a small laugh, "like you, all the Heroes before you aren't very chatty."

Link looks distantly, struggling to accept her point. "But then how… how did they know it was me? That I was… worthy of being the Hero of Hyrule. I was a child."

"Honest souls attract other honest souls," Zelda hums, "they knew you'd be the strongest, smartest, fastest person in all of Hyrule. Being chosen comes with such power. But your power doesn't come with honesty. You were born with that."

"But how would they have known that? I was a baby…"

"Think of it this way," Zelda begins. She points towards the horizon, pointing at the faraway towns and villages as the sun begins to descend. "If they were wrong before, there would be no us, or Hyrule. Also-" Zelda quickly yanks Link's ear.

"Ahgh!"

"Do you forget that you've already saved Hyrule once?" Zelda scolds. "It took a hundred years or so, but you still did it!"

"You know that hurts!" Link rubs his ear harshly. Zelda laughs, but then smiles when she notices that he has stopped crying. But his face is once again distraught as his hand falls to his lap once again. "But what if I can't this time? What if I truly fail?"

Zelda has always considered this. But her emerald eyes glow and she gives Link a warm smile, "as long as you try your best, it doesn't matter. All of Hyrule knows that everything you do, is for us. You can never go wrong if you try."

Link slouches, still fairly stressed and distraught from being to the spirited woman and her child. "It feels heavy in my chest knowing people died while I was asleep during the last 100 years… it feels like, knowing that even having this much power, you can't prevent everything."

"How do you think I feel?" Zelda chimes. Link looks up at her, her emerald eyes suddenly going dull. "Everyone was looking up to me, knowing that I'd be the one with the light to keep away the darkness. And that power woke up long after Ganon took his first many victims."

The Hero mopes, his blue eyes drowning in apologies. "I didn't mean to…" Link starts, but Zelda quickly brings her hand to his head. She weaves her fingers through his soft locks of hair, and ruffles it slightly.

"I know you didn't," she replies warmly, "you've faced hardships that I can't even begin to imagine. You were able to push ahead when I wasn't able to. I reached back to save my father, and you didn't even think twice to go looking for your family… all I remember was my hand getting clammy in yours, and never seeing you look back."

The young man could only shrug, looking down at the grass, "I've sworn to protect you. It became more important to me the more we spent time together… I thought about you the most when the attack first started." He looks away as soon as he feels his upper cheeks grow a little warmer. "I couldn't think about anyone else…"

Zelda couldn't help but feel her own cheeks heat up. She slides her hand down his hair, and holds her hand at the back of his neck. She suddenly yanks him close, forcing his arms to quickly move and grab the ground at her sides. Ending up in the crevice of her neck, Link remains still as Zelda wraps her arms around his neck. He could feel her heartbeat quicken, matching his own hearts pace. She smells of flowers, and her skin is as soft as silk. His eyes flutter shut, taking in this moment as Piccolo looks up at them between their legs, staring curiously.

"Link, you're everything I have left in this world," Zelda whispers against his head, "did you know that? I may be the Queen of Hyrule, but being protected and cared for by you is, I think, the biggest honor I've ever been given." She plants a gentle kiss by the top of his ear. "You could have been another's personal knight, but instead I was so fortunate to have you in this lifetime as my own."

Link gulps painfully, "the honor is all mine…" The embrace proceeds a little longer until the Hylian guards behind them begin to gasp in shock. The Hero pulls away, and the two look back at the guards, who were ogling and pointing up at the sky. "What's the matter?"

"M-Master Link, Your Highness, look at the sky!"

The two turn and see a bright yellow beam blasting into the blue sky. Link's eyes widen, immediately standing up to offer his hands to Zelda. Getting back on her feet, Zelda stares curiously at the yellow beam. It was bright and luminous, a light that would make you ignore the beautiful, orange sunset.

"Link, isn't that the same light Cotera let out?" The Queen says hushly.

Link nods, "we need to leave, now." Piccolo jumps on Link's back as the Hero adjusts his shield and sword. Zelda doesn't bother to dust away the grass that stuck on her legs as she worriedly places her hand on her chest.

"Which Great Fairy is it, would you say?" Zelda asks softly.

Blue eyes squint, looking at the distant trees and terrain change. Link quickly fishes out his compass from his pocket and puts it flat on his palm. "That way is towards Tarrey Town…" Link begins quietly, "it's Mija… Mija is the source of the light."

Zelda's eyes go wide, and her emerald eyes drown in fear, "it's Ganon… he's already found another Great Fairy to terrorize."

Link lets out a furious sigh before looking back at the Hylian guards. He nods at them, "stay close to Zelda, don't lose your guard for a single moment." The Hylian guards nod at his instructions as they rush to close in around the Queen.

"Let us make haste!" Zelda, too, instructs. "We should savor the daylight as much as we can since we'll be travelling at night." And with that, the dynamic duo and their posey rush through the field, the sun's final moments of light gracing them with its warmth.