Vaati, North Castle, 42 minutes, 14 seconds remaining
The goddesses themselves have finally made a direct move against him. They haven't done such a thing since banishing the ancestors of the present-day Twili to the Twilight Realm. They never made an attempt against Ganon after each cataclysm, but in the moment of Vaati's triumph, here they come from the heavens. Link has fallen, the Sages are broken, and the Princess is the last line of defense between his domination and the light's fighting chance. Now they come to save the world they crafted, ordered, and breathed upon.
It makes Vaati's lips curve upwards. He's perceived by Din as a threat to her power, fire to the vast knowledge of Nayru, and a mask of fear that matches Farore's courage. It excites every fiber of his being that he wishes to present himself to them. He will do so, but not at this moment. He knows why they're here, where they have taken both Links, and if he doesn't make himself apparent now, it will cost him later on.
Agahnim says he has but two-thirds of an hour to make it to Darunia. He will make it to the city in the next ten minutes.
The doors of the throne room creak open, and the Imperial king turns to the old, green-cloaked man entering the chamber. In one hand he carries his walking stick, the other, a green stone. Hidden in the shadows due to the night, Vaati turns away, chuckling to himself. "Ezlo, my old friend."
"Your Majesty."
"For more than 20 years you've been in my service, but we both know our history goes farther back than that. Centuries upon centuries, to be said." Vaati turns to the dual thrones, by his the trapped Queen Zelda in stone. "I use to think she is the actual victim to this. Forced for nearly two decades to watch my rise to the ultimate power whilst being helpless to stop me, yet a new revelation leads me to be wrong." He faces Ezlo, slowly walking up to him. "It is you who must suffer the most." Ezlo says nothing, just dropping his head to avoid looking at the king. That doesn't stop Vaati from taunting the elder, marching around him like a snake coiling its prey.
"I wonder why you haven't run, why you never deserted. I'm not keeping you here, you know. I haven't turned you into that hat again. I am giving you the choice to live or die. For some reason, living is acceptable to you. Why is that, Master? Is it because you wish to see me fall once again? Or is it guilt, the rotting guilt in your heart because you, not I, is truly responsible for the fall of Hyrule?"
18 years ago, North Castle
"And wherever we walk, it follows." Vatis rubs his hands together and looks to the large brown doors to the chamber of their destiny. "Eight men and women are in there, and despite whoever they choose, mud cakes their hands and feet." Before Vatis could continue, hurried steps around the corner, and make way for the two seated men. The owner of the steps belongs to a man in a green suit, who pauses in front of the nobleman, his breath racing in and out of his white-bearded mouth.
"Sir, terrible news. The Death Mountain crew… they were…"
Vatis stands up and helps the man stand as well. "Ezlo, my friend, speak once your breath is yours."
Ezlo shakes his white-haired head in distress. "I cannot do such a thing, especially when...monsters killed innocent men and women."
Vatis, in shock, looks to Link, who now had his full attention on Ezlo. "Impossible. I sent well over 100 people over there, about half were from my personal workforce! No way even a small band of monsters could have done such a thing."
"One of your men did come back… This attack was not made by a small band of those devils." With that proclamation, Link stands up, and begins walking down the hallway, gripping the hilt of his sword. Vatis strolls down to the hero's side, effectively stopping him.
"Link, what are you doing?"
"You are right about you not having some qualities like me. You should be happy to not have the one I do possess." Turning to Ezlo, he bends his brow. "Where on Death Mountain?"
"The southern side, in close proximity to...the Lair."
Link nods, and turns back to Vatis. "You asked why love didn't prevail. Truth be told, Zelda wasn't the one to make this decision. I did because I know you need a chance to win. I don't have the luxury of knowing how to rule a country, only how to save it. A king must be willing to sacrifice his life, and that I am willing. But a king must also be able to give himself wholly to his country, and I will be a hypocrite if I said I could do that for Hyrule when I am from Calatia. But the reason why I know you will win, and the reason you should win, is simply because you won't do what I'm about to do. You are wiser than I could ever be, and ever aim to be." Link looks to his left hand, where the mark of the Triforce progressively begins to shine brighter and brighter. Zelda is coming, which means the decision is made. "Whatever decision is made, I don't care. All that matters is that the right man for the job sits on that throne."
Vatis nods. "Then may Farore favor her champion once more." He reaches his hand to Link, and Hyrule's great warrior joins his calloused hands in Vatis' slightly smoother hands.
"Thank you… Your Majesty."
Vaati takes the stone from Ezlo and walks away laughing. "Just think, had you never told Link to about Death Mountain, you could have saved the world. I would have killed you for disobeying, but you Master Ezlo would have saved Hyrule. Once you joined a hero to stop me, yet you did the opposite. Now you willingly and knowingly give me the Wind Stone. You know that without it, the Picori Blade cannot become the Four Sword, but by giving it to me, you hand me the key to my victory. So I must ask, Master, why do you side with me?"
"...Because I created you. You are a monster, but you are my monster."
"Agreed… Had you not created me, we Minish would be at the feet of the world, appearing only for the amusement of the Hylians. Now you and I, the last of our kind, will put the world beneath our heels." Vaati reaches to his pocket, removing the cap that used to top his head and throws it to Ezlo's feet. "I have no need of it anymore. I am no longer a Minish pretending to be a Hylian. I am no longer a reborn human who regained his memories. I have no use for the body that once was Vatis Inish. I am Vaati the Wind Mage, and I am reborn." Stepping into the sliver of moonlight that enters his windows, Vaati finally reveals himself. The Wind Mage bears a new form, one that grants him a horned golden cap with a ruby inset, a long purple, black, and red robe covering the dark clothing underneath. His face is fully revealed, hair pushed back by the helmet. But what draws Ezlo's eyes is the ominous red eye orientated vertically on Vaati's chest. The pupil has plagued his past once, Hyrule's past twice, and for the third time, it sees destruction. The heroes don't know what is in store if Vaati's body is destroyed.
Vaati relishes the fear on his former master's face. Eyes flashing, lips curling wickedly as he begins to teleport to his next destination. "Brew that fear, Ezlo. When I return, the world will change for the better. Know that whatever form it takes, you could have prevented it by telling Link the truth."
Elemental Sanctuary, 36 minutes, 32 seconds remaining.
Vaati reappears at the spring's entrance. It is empty, which means the ritual to reforge the Picori Blade is beginning. How disappointing it must be to know that whatever the goddesses told Link is a lie. The Wind Stone glows brilliantly, meaning that at least two of the four Elements are here. How they were gathered in the first place he cares not for.
He walks through the water, absent of its winged guardians. With its sacredness gone, Vaati crosses without harm. He steps out to the passage within the rocks, coming to a corridor of magnificent beauty. Large jade pillars line both sides of the pathway, plus with its crystalline structure and the bouncing of light particles from the moon, it gives off an ethereal glow to the entrance of the Sanctuary. Vaati gives it the attention it rightfully deserves for a short moment before teleporting to the other end of the corridor. In front of him lies a huge double door; on the other side, the Elemental Sanctuary.
He steps back and stretches out his hand. Black energy assembles in his palm and zips towards the doors. An explosion is created on impact, smoke billowing through the rooms. Vaati hears the curses of a female (Din most likely) and the withdrawal of a sword. He steps through the smoke, chuckling as he gazes upon the surprised looks of the five beings that inhabit the sanctuary with him. He faces the Golden Goddesses, their expressions ranging from anger to confusion. "Ha ha ha ha! You believed I wouldn't see what's happening here?"
The woman in red, Din, growls. "Vaati. How dare you present yourself before us as if you're a god."
Vaati scoffs. "I have no desire to be a god. They rise and fall, like the religions that worship them. Why are you here, sisters? To grant the world a messiah? To send a messenger to tell me to let your people go? To birth the hero of an epic? To rid us of earthly desires and show the path to enlightenment? Or is it, after multiple calamities, that the two you have chosen are insufficient to perform their destiny that divine intervention is required? Does that hurt you Din that I am a literal threat to you? I have defeated your chosen twice now, and that embarrasses you. As for Nayru and Farore, is it embarrassing that not once, but twice your Link and Zelda is no match for Vaati? Heh heh heh...and you, Link of Calatia, you are dead."
"Shade!"
Vaati raises his arm, immobilizing the spirit of the Hero of Hyrule. Turning his head to the still Hero of the Resistance, Vaati pulls out the Wind Stone with his other hand. "You want this, Link? I'm so sorry, but today is not your day. Today is mine, and it will be the day I finish you once and for all. But you are in no condition to fight me." With a flick of his fingers, the younger Hero is thrown off his feet by a gust of wind, dropping on the stairs that lead up to the vacant sword pedestal and the four pedestals the Elements rest upon. Fire, Earth, and Water are already in their places.
"Link!"
"Oh Link, don't call for your protege. Instead, if you haven't already, tell him the truth I told you back in Rauru before I let you die." Shade turns to Vaati, frowning in pain. The Wind Mage turns to Link, the young man rising up and turning to his mentor.
"He knows about my family and your promise."
"One I plan to keep, but no, the other one. Should I tell him, should the lying trio tell him, or will you tell him? Because if I do, I'll tell Zelda too, and that doesn't fit well with my plans." Shade grits his teeth but sighs in anger as he turns away from Vaati and Link.
Link, confused, stands up, holding his chest that was recently healed. "Shade, what is he talking about?"
Vaati enjoys the pain and agony that rips the spirit of the Hero of Hyrule. From the corner of his eye, he glares at Vaati, the Wind Mage swearing that if the dead could cry, he would be. "You son of a bitch."
Vaati chuckles. "Tell him the truth. Tell him your greatest failure. And then," Vaati levitates the Wind Stone, pushing it between himself and Link, "the Four Sword may be forged."
Shade turns away again, but his voice is audible to hero, goddesses, and villain. "Her Majesty...Queen Zelda Harkinian...Princess Zelda's mother...she lives. My greatest failure...is that I never knew it, so I let the woman I love suffer."
Link's face drops. "What?"
Vaati smiles as he twists his hands. As promised, the Wind Stone hovers to its placement on the last empty corner pedestal. With the hand that keeps Shade from moving, Vaati closes it, vanquishing the spirit. "See you soon, old friend."
"Shade!' The spirit of the Hero of Hyrule disappears, stunning the Hero of the Resistance. Vaati, however, ignores the boy in favor of the goddesses. Angry, Link stands up, picks up his sword, turns to them as well, feeling underpowered alone. "Din, Farore, Nayru, do something. You are the Golden Goddesses that created this world. You three stood back once as Demise wrecked the world, but Hylia, Mors, and Veratis didn't. What would they think if you do so now? Din, do not let him insult you. You are the Goddess of Power, and if me defeating Ganondorf angered you, then him challenging you is a greater offense. Nayru and Farore, I know Hyrule is beloved by you two, that's why Zelda and I are your chosen to protect it. Now aid me to protect it from him!"
"Heh heh heh." Vaati watches as Din turns to Link, and the Hero sees exactly what he sees. Tears, from the eyes of the most powerful goddess, falling down her face. Farore only bows her head in shame, but Nayru keeps her eyes on Vaati.
"Din? Why are you crying?"
"They are for you, Link. For you and Hyrule." Vaati raises his right hand, and the Triforce appears radiant as ever. The positions of Courage and Power shines while Wisdom is dark. "I bear Power and Courage, the Triforces that represent Din and Farore. To go against me goes against what the Triforce represents; their blessing." Vaati steps toward Link slowly and confidently, enjoying the Hero's realization that he is indeed alone in this fight. "As for Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom would be a fool to fight someone who is nearly more powerful than her. With the Triforce of Power, my attacks are more devastating. With the Triforce of Courage, I am the greatest combatant. There's no fight I can lose."
Link turns to the goddesses one last time. "Please...don't abandon Hyrule."
Din closes her eyes, unable to face the mortal. "Link...I'm so sorry. But the Triforce was made to give mortals the chance of divinity, and each piece is indeed our individual blessing. Vaati does have mine and Farore's, though it is unwillingly."
"Even I am powerless to fight Vaati," says Nayru. She glances to Link with determination in her eyes. "Yet the most powerful weapon is the truth, and the truth is that you are not alone in this fight."
Farore lifts her head, smiling weakly at her chosen. "So fight on, Link. Be brave. Have my courage. Do not give up."
"This is your fourth and final trial, Hero. Save Hyrule from him." Din looks to Link as she and her sisters begin to fade. "I still don't like you...but I believe in you. I always have."
Link
Link stands in silence as Din, Nayru, and Farore vanishes from sight and returns to the heavens. Their final words were uplifting to him, but he has no clue as to what Nayru means he isn't alone. With two of the three Triforces, Vaati outmatches Link by a longshot. Being back in his natural body is no help either.
However, he has faced many challenges before. He will not stand aside and let Vaati win. Holding up the White Sword and the Hylian Shield, Link get in battle position in order to fight the Wind Mage. Vaati looks back, his expression in comical disbelief. "Really? Did you hear a word I said? You cannot beat me!"
"That may be true, but...now I know why Shade let me witness his past. When he set foot in Ordon, he was planning on running, not fighting. He thought it was the best way to protect his family after his father died in an attack in Calatia. He thought himself capable of fending off Ganon alone, while he succeeded, he fought without courage. It took me six hours today to learn that lesson. If he knew Her Majesty was alive, he would have stormed North Castle himself. So I will do what he couldn't. With courage, I will stand before you. I will not run to protect others, I will fight you. If it is worthless, that is how it is, but I am done being saved. It is time I do the saving. Vaati, Wind Mage, King of the Imperials, you are met with me, Link Koroks of Ordon VIllage, son of Rusl and Uli Koroks, protector of Princess of Zelda Harkinian VIII, the true ruler of Hyrule, and the Hero of the Resistance."
Vaati's eyes glow. "And once more, you think you can beat me by yourself? You fool!" Beams fly out of Vaati's pupils, heading for Link. He holds his shield up to block, but the beams never make it to him. They reflect off a large, curved metal surface in front of Link, which he realizes it a sword. HIs eyes travel down the blade to the hilt, to the hand that holds the hilt, to the arm that connects to the hand, and to the frame of the body that the arm belongs to the one warrior Link fears more than anyone.
The one being who'll protect Zelda at any cost.
The one person who has a score to settle with Vaati personally.
As that person plants her sword in the ground, she turns to Link, her red eyes filled with curiosity. "How you got out of the Shrine of Resurrection to here is beyond me. You nearly gave Sheik a heart attack. Be lucky I can teleport this far and directly to you."
"Impa. Thank you."
Impa nods, then faces their enemy. She frowns as she straightens her body. "You've changed, Vaati."
Vaati smiles. "Hello, Impa. Last we met, you ran with these kids and left your best friend's boyfriend behind. Are you here to do the same?"
"No. I am here to fight you and defend the boy and girl who are practically my own. I am here to avenge my best friend and my queen. I am here to avenge my own mother."
Vaati smugly chuckles. "Very well. I'll grant you the death I gave Link."
"Impa," Link calls, taking his place beside Impa, "Zelda's mother, the queen, is alive, a prisoner of Vaati." Impa turns, ready to scold him for such lies. Link, however, steadies his face, hoping that the seriousness that marks it is readable by her. Her eyes narrow, then she blinks and faces Vaati. The smile on his face is the final confirmation.
"Aqua!" Impa swings her blade multiple times, sending several waves of water at Vaati. He shields himself for the most part against it, but it proves just to be a distraction. Impa jumps in the air and kicks, forming a foot made of water that mimics her actions. Vaati is struck in the face hard and kicked out the Elemental Sanctuary. Back on the ground, Impa turns to Link, gesturing with her head to the pedestal within the sanctuary. "Whatever you are here to do, do it now. You must protect Zelda."
Link nods but worries for Impa. "What about you?" Impa's silent stare is enough to answer Link's question, which he doesn't like one bit. "No! I will not run from Vaati! He's here, let me fight him!"
"Link, you are Hyrule's hope. Until Zelda wakes, she's in grave danger. The Sheikah have provided assistance, the Sages are back together, Ganondorf is alive and fighting, but they cannot do what you do best. Your fight with Vaati will come." She turns around, facing the entrance of the Elemental Sanctuary. "Considering that I couldn't save my own Zelda, I have no right to ask this of you, Link. But this is your destiny. You must save her...my daughter, and do whatever it takes to annihilate Vaati and the Imperials. Promise me...promise me that you will be better than I. And...when you see her...tell her I love her."
Link, against his feelings, nods and turns away to the pedestal in the middle of the Elemental Sanctuary. He takes the White Sword, points it downward, and inserts it into the pedestal. It glows, and four beams of light from each Element burns through the top of the White Sword. The hilt turns gold with two jewels insets, a ruby at the crossguard and a emerald at the top of the hilt, complete with a design of the Triforce.
When the transformation is complete, Link turns to Impa. She looks back at him with the same emotionless face he grew up with. While it seems to be empty, Link knows that Impa is feeling a myriad of things. "Impa, I promise you that we will return. I will protect Zelda."
"Then get going, Hero of the Resistance. You're already late." Link faces the newly formed Four Sword. Bending a bit, he wraps his hands around the hilt, and pulls up. The blade accepts Link as its master and slides out, and the Hero raises it triumphantly in the air.
Darunia
The Resistance forces continue to fight the Imperials, yet as time passes on, the ground they have is slowly slipping. With the monsters halfway to Zelda's location, it is only a matter of time before the Imperials get what they came for. As the fairy Spryte and the sages of Forest, Water, Shadow, and Fire join the fight, the situation was alleviated for a moment, but even the powerful sages, Ravio especially, had their limits. Only Hilda, her power rising under the veil of night, manages to do anything substantial to slow the Imperial march.
"Ralph, if we don't cede this ground, we're going to be overrun. There's too many of them, and not enough of us."
Ralph grimaces. Oren is right and he hates it. "Hilda, hold them off a little longer. Everyone, fall back!"
Hilda works a spell, casting a dark barrier that separates the approaching Imperials from the retreating rebels. For the most part, it is impenetrable from the Imperial side, leaving them open to free attacks from rebel archers and the Sage's magic while the infantry falls back. It is a sound move for a few moments until something powerful strikes the barrier. Hilda winces as the shock temporarily surprises her, then she searches for the culprit behind the barrier. She gasps as she spots the culprit hit the barrier a second time, much stronger than the first. "Ravio, I can't hold it much longer. Look."
Spryte sees exactly whom the princess refers to. "Horsehead. Oren, you sure you can't do anything."
She shakes her head. "Not without taking casualties on our end." Hilda cries out again as the barrier is hit a third time. Cracks are visible right where Horsehead stands, and the Imperial glances up to the four Sages as he raises his mace for the fourth and final hit.
Ralph pulls Oren, Hilda, and Ravio away, yelling at the ranged fighters who are sticking around. "We must go now!" They run just as the barrier bursts, allowing the camped Imperials to swarm through and chase the rebels. They leap from building to building, rushing away from aerial monsters such as Keese and Kargoracs and from the more agile Lizalfos and Dinolfos. The more ground they receded from, the more ground they gave up.
"What are we going to do?" Hilda asks.
"Pray," Ralph says. "Pray to the goddesses for a miracle."
A boom akin to thunder echoes across the sky, and a pillar of light slams down from the heavens to the street. Any Imperials directly hit by the light were immediately vaporized, while the others unaffected begin to back away from it. Yet they weren't even safe, as a barrage of beams shoot out from the pillar, taking out a vast majority of the monster in around it, whether they be on the street, on the buildings, or in the air.
"A miracle?"
"Wow!"
"What the hell?"
"Just what happened?"
"Look!" Ravio points at the bottom of the pillar as it fades away. Four men stand in a circle, facing the Imperial soldiers that now back away in fear. As the Sages look at the men, they see, amidst the variability of the colors of their tunics, than only one man rocks a green one so heroically. They all have his face, his hair, his equipment, and his voice.
"Rebels! We will not give them anymore ground. We must protect Zelda at all costs. So fight on, because the Hero of the Resistance is at your side."
The rebels return, joining the Hero behind him. Ralph, Ravio, Oren, Spryte and Hilda join him on the ground. The fairy, more excited to see her master than anyone else, zips to his shoulder. Link turns to her with a short smile. "Oh, you."
Spryte, disgusted by Link's nonchalant greeting, kicks him in the shoulder. "Hey! I was worried about you! You overslept and is late as always."
Link now gives her a real smile. "Missed you two, Spryte, all of you. I know what happened as of this morning, so someone is going to have to catch me up to speed."
Ralph points to Link's doppelgangers, who are now silent when the original speaks. "Can you explain this?"
"Later. Just call it divine intervention. Now we must win this battle. Zelda will face Vaati once she wakes, so until then, we must give her time...and Impa time as she confronts the Wind Mage too. Are you with me."
Ravio nods. "Do you even have to ask?"
"Right. Then give them hell."
The light in the room slowly loses its brilliance until it creates a small aura. Awareness slowly kicks in afterward, but not just an awareness of self. There's an awareness of what happens outside as the battle between light and dark reaches a new height. There's an awareness of the one who watches above the town, waiting for time to run. There's an awareness of a battle down south, where an opposing yet righteous power stands before s a more diabolical darkness. Yet it is the one more southern that gains the most awareness. A giant pool of dark power stands before a practitioner of the shadows. It is that event that causes the first voluntary breath in two days, the first tightening of fists, the first words to come from the mouth.
"Impa… I'm coming."
28 minutes, 23 seconds remaining.
