Moments before the fight with Phantom Ganon
"Hyah! Eyah!" Link cuts the training dummy's head off the body, watching it roll to his feet. Angrily, he kicks the wooden head away, thrusting the Master Sword into the dummy's body, visualizing it as Vaati's chest, the area which Vaati said he should've attacked instead of the king's throat. How obvious that spot was. Any Hero worth their merit would know that a giant eye is a vulnerable spot, but this Hero-this Link-went for the head.
It cost him his dearest friend.
Not hearing her small, melodic, condescending voice, not seeing the pink glow around his head and shoulder, not feeling her body rest on his head...Spryte is truly gone. The little fairy he found in the woods outside Ordon as a kid, the one constant companion he has had besides Zelda, the literal little voice in his head, it is gone. Just like his father, just like Impa, just like Sheik, just like Shade, just like the Resistance. They are all gone...and it is because he is an incompetent Hero. It is his fault.
The Hero of Time failed to defeat Ganon, but even he had a contingency plan with the Seven Sages. But Link, he had no contingency. He lost the Four Sword in the fight with Horsehead after being injured in the left eye. Fi warned him to be careful, but his pride got in the way of it. Where is Fi now? Probably hiding in his sword, a sword he doesn't deserve to wield.
Dropping the Master Sword, Link falls on his butt and adjusts his eyepatch. The gods, they've made a mistake. Farore chose the wrong boy. Link always knew he wasn't enough to be the Hero. He has done nothing deserving of it. He didn't stop Vaati at Darunia or Rauru. Half the fights he's been in, he had to be saved from in the end. The other Heroes were one-man armies.
"Spryte… I cannot do this alone. What I would give to hear your sarcasm again, I would…" Link stops himself from completing that sentence. There's no way he would do such a thing, to sacrifice the world for one little fairy. Besides… Zelda is still alive, he is not alone. To become the very thing he fights against, to vanquish the world for a wish for happiness, that makes him no better than Vaati.
Or so Link tells himself. The very thing they are fighting for is the same goal, is it not? They went to Rauru with the hope of making the wish to change the world, they fought in Darunia to prevent another, and in a few days, the battle for the Triforce resumes. What makes Link different from Vaati? Absolutely nothing, for they all are sacrificing the world for their desires. Link desires his life back at Ordon and the only way he'll get it is to be like Zelda, Ganondorf, and Vaati.
Ruthless.
Powerful.
Godlike.
"To beat Vaati… To become a god..." Link is nowhere close to godlike. Zelda and Ganondorf have that power in their veins. Vaati has the Triforce. To fight Vaati and to change the world, there's no way Link can ever hope to do so. Sure, the Hero of Legend beat a god-like Ganon, but that was no easy feat. To truly beat a god, one must become one-much like the Hero of Sky when he faced Demise. But what's another way can he become one?
The beeping of the Master Sword catches Link's attention, and out flies Fi. She disregards his moodiness with her message. "Master, I sense a powerful dark force to the south of here. It is not Vaati or any of the Imperials."
Link sighs. "Ganondorf, probably."
"Not Ganondorf either, but something similar. It is a similar signature." Riju shouldn't have such a signature, so who or what could be similar to Ganondorf...besides… Link stands up just as light flashes behind him. Picking up the Master Sword, Link faces Zelda, the princess-in-exile in a hurry.
"Link… I see you are already made aware."
"Yes. Fi says it is a similar presence to Ganondorf. I can only think of one."
She frowns, then holds her hand out. "Then we must hurry. Grab on."
Present
"Fi, where am I?" Link gazes at the cloudy grey skies around the floating, grassy platform. Four large columns surround him, rising probably around a hundred feet above. He rises to his feet as the sword spirit shows herself. One moment, he was with Zelda and Ganondorf in the square of the Twilight Realm, then a portal formed behind them and apparently separated them. Zant has more in store for them, but to put them apart means that he is going for the kill.
"Seems we're in a pocket dimension of Zant's creation. I believe Her Grace and Ganondorf are separated from each other as well."
"Any signs of danger?"
"Of course. Just one huge one. Nothing you couldn't handle."
Link scoffs but smiles at Fi. "Thanks " Equipping sword and shield, Link scans the skies for the danger Fi presents to him. He sees nothing, he hears nothing but strong atmospheric winds and the slight sounds of thunder...no, those are flapping wings. He looks above just in time to see a black shadow soar right above him before ascending again. It turns to face Link, roaring threateningly at the Hero. Link simply bites his lips. "A dragon, huh? Zant run out of ideas?"
"General analysis shows that the dragon is armored. You'll need to find a way to break it."
Link's sight hones in on a particular spot on the flying dragon's tail. It looks like a perfect place to latch on to the beast. Taking the hook shot out, Link aims it at the nearest pillar, latching himself nearly halfway up. Once there, he takes another hook shot out (he'll have to give thanks to Ravio later) and aims it at the closest pillar, about three-fourths up the way. As he settles there, Argorok descends, hovering a few meters above Link. Link quickly fires the free hook shot at the tail, watching the chain somehow wrap around the target and pull Link in. Now dangling in the air, Link paces his mind for a way to bring Argorok down. "If only… Oh!" Clicking his heels three times, Link's leather boots turn to iron, and the weight pulls both man and beast to the ground.
Link lands safely, but Argorok crashes and breaks some of his armor.
"Thank you Ravio, again." Link turns to the dragon, raising his arms up as it rises back in the air and tries blowing Link away. With the distraction, Argorok roars and is able to flee back to skies high above his opponent. Link clicks his tongue in agitation as he aims a hook shot at a pillar again and fires. "Fine, have it your way." He scales the pillar until he's high enough for the beast to take notice. The dragon flies over to Link, its mouth flickering with flames. Link latches on to the tail just as Argorok unleashes his attack. Barely escaping, Link quickly clicks his heels for a second time, bringing him and Argorok back to the ground.
With more of its armor broken, Argorok lies in place, its thin, purple, forked tongue hanging out. As it lies there, Link takes notice of a glowing spot on Argorok's back. "There you are." As Link kicks his leather boots back, Argorok rises up, giving Link short, angry cries as it begins to hover. Flicking its wings, it sheds the rest of its armor, then roars fiercely at the Hero as it ascends.
Link chuckles as he points one of the hook shots to the nearest pillar. "That weak point, I'll have to get on it, right Fi?"
Fi's voice blasts telepathically in his head. "Master, watch out!"
"Wha-" As he soars, he only manages to catch a glimpse of what's ahead before he knocked out the air. Landing on his back, Link groans as he looks for what hit him. Turning to the pillar that he was aiming for, he spots the suspect on top of the pillar...and coming in from all directions. Eight Shadow Beasts, four on a pillar each, four on the ground at each cardinal direction. Link grits his teeth at the increasing trouble. The dragon is one thing, but with the Shadow Beasts and no Zelda, this battle's difficulty increases. Zant wants them dead to rights. He looks at Argorok, the dragon flying cautiously in the wind. It must have summoned the beasts itself, which means that it can possibly revive them. "Fi."
"Mhm?"
"If Spryte was here, she would say that I'm in a world of trouble. Would you agree?"
"Yes."
"How are my chances? And before you bring that up, I know what I said about telling me the odds, look where that got me."
"...I won't give you an exact number, but there's no way you'll be able to take on the Shadow Beasts and Argorok simultaneously. There's no way you'll be able to eliminate all the beasts before revival either. Your best chance is to focus on Argorok only...or the option Her Grace doesn't want you to consider."
Link's right hand caresses the magic pouch on his waist where all of his special equipment, including what Fi refers to, is within. His promise to Zelda, to use it only as a last resort, has been challenged by Ganondorf and Fi to use it as a measure of force. Link gazes at the four slowly pacing Shadow Beasts circling around him, waiting for him to make a move. "You… You analyzed it?"
"Yes. I decided to take the initiative once we left Midoro, per Her Grace's initial comment on it. I detect great power within the mask, a power that scales to that of Ganondorf and Zelda. There's still much to know about it, but...the true test is what happens when you put it on."
"Power as great as Zelda and Ganondorf?" Link pulls out the mask, looking down at it with intrigue and fear. Something that great...will help him fight Vaati and Ganon. "Are you… Are you sure?"
"Highly. This is your best option." With a sigh, Link raises the mask up to his face. Halfway up, pain shoots in his head and a flash of light emits.
"Oh look, the one who wishes to wear the mask has come."
Link's sight returns suddenly as voices whisper around him. Link finds himself in a grassy plain underneath a large tree. Above him, four beings, each wearing a different type of mask, hover over Link in a sociable rude manner. As they step back and allow him to stand, Link sees that they're just children. "Who… Who are you? Where am I?"
The one to the far left points at himself. "Odowala, Goht, Gyorg, Twinmold. As for where you are...that doesn't matter."
Goht speaks next. "What does matter is who you are. Your name is Link, is it not?"
"But a name is but a title," Gyorg says. "An indicator of a person...but not who you are."
"And who you are, it is decided by others, but who you truly are, that lies inside." Twinmold turns around and jogs away from Link around the three, followed by the others. Link watches as they disappear to his right and come back around from his left, giggling like children. It is quite...unnerving.
"What is it that you want?"
"What is it that you want?" Odowala mocks. "You picked up the mask, did you not?"
"Yes, but-"
"Power, you sought?" Goht stops moving then looks up to the tree. "Why would you need power? To save a dear one...or yourself? To subdue an enemy...or a friend?"
"Maybe he wants to save the world, like a hero?" Gyorg tells Twinmold before facing Link. "Are you a hero? Or are you just playing hero?"
"If it is the power of the mask you seek, we are willing to give. But, Link, you must answer our questions about yourself."
Link sighs. "If there is no other way...ask me your questions."
Goht, Gyorg, and Twinmold steps back, practically leaping away as Odowala centers Link. The humanoid mask stares intensely at the Hero. "The power… This power you seek… I wonder... Who is it truly for? The world...or for you?"
Link bits his lip. Right now, it is for him. As far as he knows it, Zelda, Ganondorf, Midna, they are handling their fights well. He needs this power to win...but is it right to answer selfishly? "The world. It needs this power."
"Hmm." Odowala steps back, allowing Goht to step forward.
"This power...and what it is for...will it lead to make you happy? I wonder...what would make you happy...does it make...others happy, too?"
"Yes, it would. Saving my world with this power means others can live. With it, I can beat Vaati and Ganon, to avenge those who had fallen, and to protect those still alive."
"Hmm."
In Goht's place stand Gyorg, the familiar monster's face presenting quite vivid memories to Link's mind. "A hero...that is what you're called… But if you're no better...than the villains… I wonder...what does that make you?"
"What do you mean?" Link says in annoyance. "I am nothing like Vaati or Ganon! I just want to save my world!"
"Your true face," Three-eyed Twinmold interrupts. "What kind of... face is it? I wonder... The face under the mask that you call a hero... Is that... your true face?"
Link grits his teeth. These mind-hammering questions, he doesn't have time to answer them. He has to beat those monsters and get back to Zelda. "Look here, I don't know what answers you want, but-"
"This Zelda," a mysterious voice from above speaks. Link turns around to see a fifth boy sitting on the tree, its mask similar to that eerie heart-shaped mask they left at Midoro. "Is she the one you love? She is. She doesn't want you to use the mask, huh? I wonder… Would you defy her wish...to get your own? Her wish for a better Hyrule, there's no guarantee it will be better than this world, is it? But your wish…is it better than hers?"
Link drops his head. "I… I don't…"
"When you can answer all five questions from the heart, the power is yours. But for now…we deny you."
"Master?"
Link drops the mask, shaken by the sudden voice of Fi. "Huh?"
"You spaced out for a few seconds."
Only a few seconds? Felt like minutes. Everything must have been played out in his subconscious. Quickly Link picks up the mask and stuffs it back in his pouch. So the beings inside want answers to their questions, Link will give them one. He doesn't need their power, he'll win all on his own. "Fi. Assume attack formation." Fi turns around, her back to her master's. "What are the chances of success we both ascend and take out the Shadow Beasts one at a time simultaneously?"
"Assuming the dragon doesn't revive them? I say the chances are the same even if you scaled alone."
Link smirks. "Good enough. Go!" Link darts off to his right, Fi to his left. Two of the Shadow Beasts on the ground come for him, forcing him to slice one's face and shield bash and stab the other, then scales the first pillar with the hook shot. Immediately as he ascends, the Shadow Beast upon it sprints down. Settled on the pillar, Link takes the Master Sword and impales the beast's shield-like face. He ascends the adjacent pillar, immediately engaging the last Shadow Beast on his side of the battle. He kicks it off while placing a bomb on its chest, letting it descend to the ground before the bomb explodes.
He looks to Fi, seeing her side clear of Shadow Beasts. Now it's just them and Argorok, who settle in the space between them. If it is capable of revival, Argorok decides against it, instead facing Fi and blasting fire at her. "Master, now!" Link nods and fires the hook shot towards Argorok's back. The sword spirit gracefully leaps over the flames and Argorok to hover in the space between them, meeting Link halfway and turning into a sword herself. Link grabs her and lands upon Argorok's back. With both the Master Sword and Fi, Link proceeds to beat the hell out of Argorok's weak spot even while it tries to wrangle him off. All his rage at Vaati, the Imperials, Ganon, those damn children, it just came out as once.
"Hiyah!" With both swords, he impales Argorok. Argorok painfully cries out as it releases a stream of fire. Link jumps off as Argorok ascends, exploding into black matter to signal its defeat. Link chuckles as the world around him fizzle out. Instead of landing on coarse grass, he lands on something softer.
"Ah… Link?" Link turns around to see he landed on Zelda's back on top of her. She, like him, looks battle-weary. "Hey, welcome to the palace."
"Hey." Link rolls off, too tired to get off the cool floor of the interior of the palace. He looks at her, the beautiful love of his life, the woman he is giving his life for. Smiling, he grips her hand. "Where's Ganondorf?"
She points somewhere ahead of their feet. "Over there seething in silence. He faced some ice monster. I had Manhandla's parasitic cousin. You?"
"A dragon. A few Shadow Beasts. I had Fi help out."
Zelda scoffs. "At least you had help. I don't think I can manage another fight. Using so much time magic is a huge drain on mana."
"Yeah. Well, I think we can rest-"
A loud voice not in Hylian echoes down the hallway. Several armored footsteps come from both sides of the hallway. Too tired to fight, Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf immediately are surrounded by Twili knights. However, that's all they do, just stand in place around the trio. Link and Ganondorf cautiously hold their weapons, waiting for the attack that never comes.
"Settle yourself, lightworlders." From the mass of soldiers comes King Crepusculum, the king holding a hand to his lower abdomen. "For now, we're on the same side. Zant believes me to be dying and fights his sister for the throne. Pity, it is, but she is capable of winning." He reaches his hand out to Zelda, helping her to her feet. Two other guards assist in getting Link and Ganondorf up, though the boys are less receptive of it than their female companion.
Zelda sighs as the Twilight King releases her. "Why not attack us? We were-and still are-helpless to fight you."
Crepusculum bites his lip. "You are Princess Zelda, are you not? I've seen what the power you and Midna hold, that power of light, can do if you so wanted to. We Twili are susceptible to it, even I. But you three, you fought my people, and not a single one died. I bet you may have planned to do so, to kill even as long as you get to Midna. But you didn't...and that impressed me." He steps aside, looking to the boys. "Ganondorf and Link, I presume? I've heard much about you, especially you, Ganondorf. Seems the world of light has its power right in front of me...and if Midna is any indicator, the world her mother escaped to might be worth saving."
Ganondorf frowns. "You mean...you'll help us?"
Crepusculum nods. "I loved Zant and Midna's mother with my heart. Even though she left me with Midna's father, I cannot hate her as I hate Auru. Plus, whoever these Imperials are, I will not have my realm threatened. If preserving my world means siding with you, I'll do it."
Zelda smiles. "Very well. Now we head on the battle between brother and sister. Your Majesty, do you know where they are?"
Crepusculum nods. "Yes. Follow me."
