A/N:
Ignitious: Thanks friend! Ganondorf is literally one of my favorite characters in this story xD I don't know as I could ever duplicate this version of him in any other Zelda story I write.
Link grabbed another handful of popcorn and stuffed it in his mouth. He got mostly kernels.
"Awww, man!"
Nabooru giggled. "I guess I should make some more?" She was rewarded with puppy dog eyes. "HAHA! Don't worry, I don't mind." She took the bowl from the ecstatic Link and carried it to the kitchen, where Granny was making soup.
There was the sound of a diesel truck cutting its engine outside the house, and Malon looked out the window to find Blue, Red, and Green piling out of it.
Link went to let them in. Green immediately took to Aryll, and the two ran into the backyard. Aryll called the seagulls, and Green pretended to conduct their chaotic symphony of squawks.
Red, uncharacteristically worried, sat in Granny's rocker, knees together, fists crumpling his shirt as he stared at Vio on the TV.
Blue sat on the coffee table and started undoing his steel-toed work boots. He didn't take them completely off, just unlaced them so they weren't so tight.
The second Nabooru got back with more popcorn, the TV showed Ganondorf turning on the machine.
When Krad appeared on the screen, everyone but Link leaned away, feeling sick. Link leaned forward, eyebrows knitting fiercely. I don't like this. He instincts were shrieking at him. I shouldn't be here. I should be there! He didn't know why.
Then, off camera, Sheik started to yell, and then Shadow, and suddenly the sound cut out, Krad was in the air, there was an explosion, interference—
The video cut out.
Everyone leapt to their feet.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Red yelled.
"WHAT WAS THAT THING?!" Nabooru shouted.
Granny came running. "What happened?"
Blue laced up his boots.
"Blue, what are you doing?" Red asked.
Blue ran to the door.
The others were too shocked at what just happened to follow.
Except for Link. His Triforce glowed silver on the back of his hand. He burst through the front door after Blue before it could slam on him. "I'm coming with you!" he yelled.
"Like hell you are!" Blue argued. He climbed into the truck and slammed the door in Link's face, locking the cabin and starting the engine.
Link jumped onto the step under the cabin door and wrapped his arm around the mirror as Blue drove off. Blue slammed on the brakes and screamed through the window, "YOU'RE A FUCKING KID!" he shouted.
Link only glared back. "MY BROTHER'S OUT THERE!"
Blue blanched. Then he deflated and unlocked the doors.
Link didn't risk letting him drive off the second he let go just to try to get into the other cabin door. No. He heaved himself over and into the truck bed, slapping the rear window to tell Blue to go.
All this transpired before anybody was able to get out of the door and tell them to stop.
As they drove off, Link saw Nabooru run across the lawn and into the street after them, her face covered with worry.
Link waved at her.
Vio was on the ground, the edge of Krad's cage trapping his leg. There was blood leaking through his jeans under the cage's edge. He shook with the pain of it. He couldn't tell what was going on around him through the fog.
Shadow.
I have to find Shadow!
He grabbed the cage, trying to move it. It didn't budge. He saw magic up ahead. He glanced around. He was all the way on the endzone. Had he been flung that far? He grabbed the cage again. It wouldn't frikkin BUDGE!
I can't be down like this.
He heard an unearthly scream. Somehow, he knew it was Shadow.
He grabbed the cage again, and this time, the Triforce on his hand glowed, and the cage moved. He lifted it like it was a dictionary. He rolled out from under it, and it fell down again. He stood up shakily, testing his leg.
He looked in the direction of Shadow's screams, every atom in his body aching to rush to his side.
I'm an idiot! I should have gone home to get the Master Sword, BUT NO, I had to stay WITH SHADOW.
How was I supposed to know this would happen?!
After he'd said goodbye to Shadow earlier that day, he'd made it all of ten feet before running after him.
I'm such an idiot!
He limped around the metal debris toward Shadow's voice. His leg wasn't that bad, mostly just asleep.
Yeah, that was it.
It was just asleep.
He cursed everything.
It wasn't just because he wanted to go to the stadium WITH Shadow instead of just meeting him there. He couldn't just carry a sword onto the stadium. It was lucky enough he'd been allowed to be here at all. Even though he had the Triforce of Courage, and any idiot could recognize the Master Sword, enough people no longer believed the old tales that he'd probably be seen as some weird cosplayer—and everyone knew swords weren't allowed at cons.
This wasn't a con.
He'd put it a nondescript, long-ass metal case that used to hold Blue's paint ball rifle.
Vio, having had one too many painful hits from the rifle during one of their many escapades, had gleefully hidden the paint ball gun in the flower beds at home. The Master Sword was sitting in that case, on the top shelf of Blue's closet.
Useless.
Shadow's screams ceased, and Vio found the strength to hurry.
Ganondorf was running out of energy. He was kneeling on the ground, one fist holding him up as he heaved breath after breath, unable to get enough air. His collared shirt was ripped open and drenched in sweat and blood, slacks faring no better, dress shoes beyond recognition. He wasn't dressed for the part, but who had known this would happen? He was a business mogul, not a warrior . . .
He had to fight. He had to keep fighting!
"You used to serve me," noted Demise, in no hurry as he stepped slowly toward the fallen Gerudo king.
Ganondorf spat blood, and smirked. "In a previous life, maybe." His smirk turned to a scowl. "You shouldn't have tried to kill my son!" His voice turned into a guttural growl as he raised his fist and launched from the ground.
Midna stood rooted to the spot.
I can't believe this! I can't move!
She knew it was Demise. The Twili were descended from Gerudo castaways, criminals Hyrule forgot. The Gerudo had inherited their magic from leftover Blight, from ages and ages ago.
Even so, she struggled. She'd never gotten around to returning her Triforce piece to Vio. It hadn't been a priority.
Now it was the only thing that could save her.
She dragged her hand, millimeter by painful millimeter, through the air, fighting the freezing hold of Demise. Her fingers touched the lip of her denim jacket, then stopped as she took in a deep breath, then pushed on. She reached her inner pocket, and her hand closed around the magic, glass vial.
As she wondered how on earth she was going to go about opening the thing, she watched Ganondorf slam into the turf, ripping it to the dirt underneath.
Oh crap!
She felt a sharp pain in her hand, and realized she'd cracked the vial with her hand, the glass shards cutting into her palm. Silver light emanated from her jacket and enveloped her, and suddenly she was able to move, able to breathe, able to—
Her hair flowed like mercury around her body as she pulled from the Lorulean Triforce of Power. She sprinted to Ganondorf and stood over him, showering her own volley of silver energy at Demise. It flowed out of her like liquid lightning.
The entrance to the stadium was barricaded, and people were gathered outside, in varying states of shock, some crying, others giving reports and orders to police. There were seemingly hundreds of flashing red and blue lights, police cars, ambulances, even a few fire trucks. Nobody was doing anything except yelling at one another, in fear, anger, in confusion.
Link pointed at someone with a messed up red pompadour. He was running supplies from emergency vehicles, helping everyone who was either in shock or injured.
Blue stopped the truck near him and rolled his window down. "Hey! Groose! What happened? Where's Vio?"
"Everyone's inside!" Groose yelled back. "Sheik, Shadow, Vio, Mrs. Harkinian, Midna, and Ganondorf!"
Blue cursed, staring at the stadium, the roiling fog and clouds above it. "Jeez. What the fuck happened, Groose?"
"Demise."
"What?"
"Demise."
"That fucking fairytale? What's that got to do with anything?!"
Groose sighed.
Link leaned over the side of the truck. "Groose, we need to get inside."
"There's a truck entrance over there." Groose pointed. "It's how they got the equipment in."
"Really?"
"Duh! How do you think they get trucks onto the field during games?"
"I don't watch football."
A traffic guard came over. "Sir, we need you to turn around, it isn't safe here. We've got everything under control."
Groose backed away from the truck as Blue put it in gear. Hang on, Link. He slammed on the gas and burst past the traffic guard, blaring his horn until the people got out of the way, breaking through the wooden barricade thanks to his metal deer guard, and swerving into the truck entrance of the stadium. They drove through a long, deafeningly echoey hallway.
Within seconds, they were on the fog-covered field, and Blue had to slam on the brakes to avoid ramming into the debris that suddenly appeared through the black fog. His gaze swept over the remains of the metal machine he'd seen in the TV, and his stomach plummeted. "Holy shit, what happened?" He gaped at the swirling vortex of clouds above. "What the hell . . ."
He got out of the truck and found Link already out of the truck bed. Blue nodded at him. "You survived, I take it." He pushed the driver seat forward and reached into the back, pulling out a long, metal case.
Link was staring at the field, watching the silver and red lights swirl about each other in the distance.
"Stay here!" Blue yelled at Link, who disobeyed.
Blue didn't have time to stop him.
"What's that?" Link asked, gesturing with his head at the metal case.
"Nothing," Blue grumbled. "I hope."
They ran ahead, jumping over the debris, until Blue spotted a figure up ahead wearing jeans and a purple lab coat. "Vio!"
Vio turned in alarm, but it turned to surprise when he recognized them. "Blue?"
"Jesus Christ!" Blue dropped the case and grabbed Vio's shoulders, staring at the long line of blood on his jeans. "What happened?"
"Demise," Vio said. "He has Shadow."
Link gasped and ran toward the fight.
Vio was eying the case. "Blue—"
"We need to get you to a hospital!" Blue was saying.
"Blue, you brought my case?!"
"It's MY case, and I regret it, now COME ON!" He tried to manhandle Vio, but somehow ended up in the air, landing harshly on his back.
Had Vio . . . thrown . . . him?
"What the frick?" He pushed himself up.
Vio had already opened the case, and Blue could see the Triforce on his hand, glowing brightly.
His stomach plummeted even more. No, no, this can't be it, this can't be!
Vio pulled the sword out with his left hand and stood, holding the blade aloft. His goggles stood atop his head, keeping his hair back. The Master Sword glowed blue as energy burst outward from Vio, his coat flaring in the wind.
For a second, to Blue, he really did look like the Hero.
He clambered to his feet and stumbled over, grabbing Vio's shoulder. "V-Vio," he struggled, his voice shaking more than he'd like to admit.
Vio glanced at him. "Why did you bring it here?"
"Red's always right, you know? I couldn't stop Green from climbing that stupid cliff, and I can't stop you, either. I figured you might need it, so I stuck it in my truck just in case."
"I didn't think you knew where I'd hid it."
"Yeah, well, you're not the only one who gets to have smart moments!"
The blade fell, its point lowering to the earth. "I—I don't feel like a hero," Vio admitted.
Blue pulled on his shoulder. "Then come away. Let's just . . . Let's go."
"But Shadow . . ."
Blue thought guiltily of everyone else who was out there, including Link. Would they die? If this really was Demise, then everyone who had a piece of not one, but TWO Triforces was out on that field.
"Blue . . ." Vio wrestled his arm from Blue's grip. "Stay out of this. You don't have a Triforce piece. You'll get killed."
Blue suddenly smiled, but it was humorless. He knew there was no way to get Vio to leave, now. Not if he didn't want to. Not with his super strength. "When did you start caring whether I live or die?" Blue asked.
Vio was fiddling with his watch, pushing buttons on it between glances at the sword. His leg was feeling fine. Something about the sword made his injury seem inconsequential.
Blue interrupted him to pull him into a hug. "Don't die out there," he said. "Whatever happens after this, we'll be here for you. Okay?"
"Okay."
There was an explosion ahead, and the light show ceased. Insane laughter reached their ears from the center of the field.
"It's time to go," Vio said. He stepped away from Blue and ran off, leaving Blue holding a hand after him.
Shadow was staring at Ganondorf's body, willing him to get up.
Please, Dad, please.
Midna was fighting Demise now. Mrs. Harkinian was using her Hylian magic to uphold the shield, standing in front of them with her arms outstretched.
He felt so useless. All he and Sheik could do was defend themselves, hiding in their stupid little bubble.
"Shadow!" Sheik grabbed him.
Shadow turned to him, not quite able to hear him. He was sobbing.
"Shadow, come on!"
Shadow wiped his eyes and forced himself to concentrate. "What?!"
"We've got to shut that portal!"
"What?"
"If we do that, then someone can defeat him and trap him back in there!
"How?"
Sheik clasped their Triforce hands together and looked him right in the eye. "Repeat after me."
Shadow's anguish cleared, and he nodded.
Midna barreled through the air, dodging another one of Demise's attacks. He was throwing fireballs at her, but it wasn't normal fire. It was the kind of fire that dissolved everything it touched like acid. The field was riddled with holes, and her body was covered in chemical burns. Her limbs trembled. I can't take much more of this!
She glanced at the protective bubble, saw Sheik and Shadow praying inside.
Just a little longer. I can do this . . . A little . . . Longer!
She was a bit too slow on the next attack, and it slammed into her, enveloping her body and sending her careening into the ground. She extinguished the flames with her own magic as she screamed from pain, and then she hit the ground.
She heard Mrs. Harkinian talking to her. Somehow she'd landed near the bubble. She was vaguely aware, through her tunnel vision, that she was being dragged, then held in somebody's lap.
Demise laughed above them. He plucked Shadow from the others and lifted him into the air by his throat. Black veins appeared all over Shadow's skin as the essence of Demise's heart was slowly extracted from him. He screamed in unimaginable pain—his burned hands, his heart attack, nothing had hurt more than this!
"SHADOW!"
A flash of silver light washed over him, and Demise let him go with a yell. He crumbled to the ground, and a green blur rushed over him and ran at Demise.
"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"
Link pulled a silvery fist back and aimed at Demise's face. It landed on his cheek, sending the behemoth back two paces. Link stepped forward and punched with his other arm, this time connecting with Demise's jaw and sending him backwards.
Futher Muckin Lorulean Triforce of Courage! Shadow thought, his own jaw dropping in amazement as Link pushed Demise back.
Demise finally began blocking Link's jabs, and managed to get his own in, sending Link flying across the turf. He got right back up, a trail of blood making its way down his face.
Shadow got to his elbows. Shit, what were the words, what were the words! He glanced frantically at Sheik, who was yards away, next to his mother and Midna.
"Uh—uh—O Hylia, uh—" Something constricted his throat. He couldn't continue.
"Stop that blasted praying!"
Shadow smirked. If Demise wanted him to stop, he must be scared.
Link charged at Demise again, and suddenly Shadow could speak again. "Ha!" he laughed, "You can't fight both of us at the same time!" He began praying again.
"O Hylia, Goddess of Light, the universes that be, to all who hear me, bend to my hand, bend to my will, I beseech thee—"
Demise kicked Link in the chest with a yell. "YOU DON'T HAVE THE LEGENDARY BLADE, FOOL!"
Link lay on his back, finding it hard to breathe. He was pretty sure his ribs were broken. He tried to get up, and smiled brightly. "Don't seem to be having any trouble!" Sharp pains dragged him back down. Yep. Definitely broken.
Demise growled angrily, raising his hands.
Link prepared to receive an energy blast like Midna, wondering how the heck he was supposed to dodge that, when suddenly Demise turned and instead shot a blast at Shadow.
"NO!" Link screamed.
Shadow braced himself.
The blast never came. He opened his eyes to find Vio standing in front of him, a sword held in his hands. Its light grew until suddenly it blasted back out, taking Demise's magic with it, and slamming into Demise, who momentarily disintegrated with a shriek.
"V-Vio?"
Vio turned, chest heaving. "Sorry. Took so long. Kinda. Injured." He gestured vaguely at his leg.
Shadow jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around him. "VIO! You're safe!"
Vio grabbed his hands with one of his own, glancing around, looking for where Demise would show up.
Instead, thunder cracked, and a disembodied voice said, "So the Hero has arrived. My old nemesis."
"Show yourself!" Vio yelled, sounding bolder than he felt.
"O Hylia, Goddess of Light—"
"What are you doing?"
"Closing the portal!" Shadow let him go and clapped his hands together.
"But what a weak rendition. You don't even know how to hold that sword."
The voice was circling above them, and Vio turned with it, keeping Shadow behind him. A blast of light came from nowhere, and Vio barely parried it in time. It flew off harmlessly into the stands.
"At least the Lorulean brat put up a fight. You won't even be fun to toy with."
"Shut UP!" Vio thrust the Master Sword into the air, and its song rose into the heavens, piercing the clouds. The fog lifted, the clouds hurtling away from the light until they dissipated completely. Sun shone down on the stadium again. Demise was floating over the VIP seats to the left.
Vio smirked. "Found you."
"Yes. Now what, little fly?"
"Underestimating me will be your last mistake." He pressed the buttons on his watch, and it glowed blue like the Master Sword, which he held aloft.
The sword turned into a mass of molten blue metal, twirling and shifting in shape, until Vio held in his hand, not a sword, but a silver and blue double barrel shotgun. He grinned, setting the butt against his shoulder and aimed at Demise. He pulled the trigger.
A blast of holy blue light burned a hole through the air toward Demise, who teleported away only a second too late. When he reappeared, his hand was over a bleeding wound in his shoulder.
He actually looked surprised.
Vio grinned and aimed again. "Welcome to the modern era, Demi!" He pulled the trigger again.
This time Demise rematerialized behind Vio, and he jammed the butt of the gun back.
Demise cried out and backed off enough for Vio to flip around and shoot him point blank. Demise flew back, carving a trail of dirt, turf, and debris half the field long. Vio stepped lightly back over to Shadow. "Might want to hurry up," he said. "Surprise is wearing off."
"Dude, you are literally the coolest thing I have ever seen!"
"Stop dawdling!" he yelled, but he blushed.
Shadow finished the prayer again, somehow knowing that this time, it would be the last time. He knew that off to the side, Sheik was praying with him:
"I beseech thee, O powers that be, grant my wish, let evil be contained therein!"
There was a cracking sound like the earth splitting apart, but it wasn't the earth, it was the air. The portal began to shrink.
The entire stadium shook as Demise uttered an angry yell.
There was a rush behind Vio, and he turned to find Shadow gone.
No!
He looked ahead, and Demise floated before the collapsing portal, Shadow dangling by the throat, his fingers scrabbling at Demise's hand. Demise was using him as a shield.
"I have no wish to see this through," Demise admitted. "I will retreat, for now. But I WILL TAKE WHAT IS MINE!" He and Shadow were both floating back into the collapsing portal.
"NO!" Vio ran forward, forgetting his leg, forgetting everything. "SHADOW!" He leapt into the air, somehow achieving dozens of feet. "IS!" He lifted the gun over his head, and it slowly morphed back into the Master Sword. "MINE!" As he came down, Demise lifted his free hand, its fingers changing to long claws, and he brought it back, ready to slash at Vio.
If he deflected it, he wouldn't get another chance to save Shadow. Vio couldn't stop the attack and save Shadow.
He angled the sword down, over Demise's slashing claws, and drove it through his chest as searing pain ripped through his right side.
Demise's screams mixed with his own. Vio saw Demise disintegrating as he felt himself fall. He spotted a dark figure falling next to him.
Shadow.
Shadow was safe.
Shadow . . .
Shadow landed roughly on the ground. He hadn't seen everything that had happened, but enough. He struggled to his elbows. His chest hurt so badly, his left arm didn't want to work. "Vio? VIO!" He found Vio laying on his back a few feet away, one trembling hand slightly raised. He stared up at the sky, gasping for breath. Shadow crawled to him and looked down at him in horror.
Five large gashes, each a few inches apart, trailed across Vio's right side, from the base of his hip to his chest. There was more bloody clothing on that side than not.
"Oh my God, oh my god, Vio!" Shadow leaned over him, taking his face in his right hand. The pain in his left arm was creeping to his neck. "Vio, Vio speak to me! You've gotta stay awake!" He sobbed.
Vio's wild eyes finally turned on him. His hand came and gripped Shadow's shirt, pulling him down slightly. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"
"Stop, just stop, just rest—"
"WHY DID I DO THIS FOR YOU?"
The accusatory look in his eyes sent guilt through Shadow. He clutched at the hand gripping his shirt. "I'm sorry!" He sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm sorry!"
Suddenly Vio's grip loosened, and he laid his head back against the turf, the anger leaving his face entirely. He still looked at Shadow. "Who am I kidding?"
"What?"
"I love you."
Shadow was gasping for breath, his chest so tight. "What?" He leaned closer. "Vio, what?" He patted Vio's face. "Vio? VIO?!" Shadow screamed his name, over and over, his pats turning to slaps, trying make his eyes stay open, but they didn't. Panic filled him, and he screamed, he screamed!
Until suddenly, he couldn't anymore.
The pain in his chest reached a peak.
He seized.
When the portal closed, a giant blast wave bowled Sheik over, taking his mother and Midna with it.
When he came to himself, he rolled over and got to his hands and knees. The sun was shining again, but it was cold out, an early spring day.
He searched the field for anyone.
Midna and his mother were nearby, his mother giving him a relieved smile when she saw he was ok. He couldn't manage a smile back. He got to his feet and ran across the field. "LIIIIINK! SHADOOOW! VIOOOO!"
He found Link first. He fell to the ground at Link's side. "Link! Are you ok?"
Link nodded. "Can't get up," he struggled to say. "Broken ribs."
"Here, let me—"
"Find Shadow!"
Feeling sick, Sheik got up and began searching again. He passed Ganondorf, and couldn't tell if he was alive or not.
Another voice joined his. "Viooooo!"
Finally, he spotted something up ahead, and he ran. "Over here!" he called to the other searcher.
As he got closer, he saw it was Shadow, laying limply across Vio's mangled body.
Niether moved.
Sheik sprinted. "SHADOW!" He skidded to his knees, not caring that they hit blood. He grabbed Shadow's shoulders, touching his neck. He pushed him over, off of Vio, exposing the bleeding wounds.
Oh God!
He scrambled around to Shadow and put a finger to his neck, ear to his mouth.
Blue arrived, hands flying to his mouth. "FRRK!" He stumbled to Vio's side, his body trembling like an autumn leaf. He fell to his knees at Vio's head, hands hovering over him. "Oh, god . . . Oh god." His hands tried fruitlessly to cover the wounds, but they were too long, too many for just two arms. His damned mind drew a blank. "What do I—How do I—there's so much blood—there's so much blood!"
"Blue!" Sheik screamed over the din of arriving first responders. "Shadow's not breathing! I can't hear his heartbeat and HE'S NOT BREATHING!"
