Evil's Bane
Book's End *revised*
By (o'.')o ( pc_prettycool@email.com )
Disclaimer:
It's been a fun ride. Link, Zelda, Malon, Saria, Ruto, Nabooru, Epona, Talon, Ingo, Ganon, The villages of Kakkariko and Hyrule, Kaepora Gaebora, Lord Deku, Lord Jabu-Jabu, King Hyrule, Impa, King Zora, King Goron, The Zora, The Gorons, Mido, Impa, King Hyrule, The Kokiri, Kokiri Fairies, Skull Kids, Dodongos, The Master Sword, The Oath to Order, Din, Nayru, Farore, the Triforce and a whole bunch of cool and neat stuff were created by the geniuses at Nintendo and are owned by them. Kudos.
Warning:
This is long. 18 pages in word. If you think I should split in in half, please tell me…either in a review or in the forum or in email. Thanks.
Note from the Author:
I've been spelling Farore wrong. Geesh! I may go back and re-edit all of my fics…some day. Gar Gar Gar. (Gregarious laughter ) Well, this is the final chapter, but depending on what is thought of the ending, I may add a little epilogue (Kinda strange, since there's no prologue. I guess I'm an idiot. ). Actually I probably will, but this still is the final chapter.
So here it ends. A Kid Named Link to Trial of Keys to Evil's Bane. It was real fun. Wow, I changed the plot a few times along the way, and I hope it worked out at the end. This will be my first finished fic anywhere, so I'm pretty happy. I hope you all enjoyed it.
Thanks so much for all your reviews. People who pointed out my mistakes, my spelling my grammar my plot-holes, I can't thank you enough. 199 reviews is a LOT…and I'm really happy, but that doesn't mean I don't want any more. ;) ;). Actually, it's about…. 10 reviews per chapter. So, that was great, and I'd still like more. I hope I'm not sounding greedy. :/.
Even now my tiny little brain is churning up the next cool story. Unfortunately I'm drawing blanks, but I wanna write again.
Again, this was wild. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy the ending, even though I might just have a bit more for this story if necessary. Thanks again and God Bless! :D
Last Chapter:
Link, defeated, returned to Hirocco and coldly gave the news of Nabooru's death to the others. While Knata and his army slowly made their way towards they Kingdom of Hyrule, Link created his resolve, with the help of Zelda and the others. There would be an end, and this time, the Master Sword would have a part. Freeing the mighty blade from its bind, Link joined Zelda, Malon, Saria, Ruto and Evit in their chase of the Ghanims….and the final confrontation.
The time for the final strike is now…
*************
The sky filled with a brilliant red haze, as the sun slowly made its way to the edge of the earth, finishing another celestial rotation. The city of Hyrule glistened marvelously in the light, but there was a noticeable difference between this sunset and sunsets of recent past. Nobody was left in the city to enjoy this sunset.
The shelters and armaments were full of civilians, while soldiers and Knights of the Guard stood restlessly near the city's gates. They were waiting anxiously for the call to attack.
However, they couldn't see an enemy. The fields beyond the gates were free from intrusion. It was eerily empty, not even Poe's floated around in the twilight. Where was the enemy?
One soldier pointed to the sky, and everyone followed with their gaze. A bulbous black dot shone in the sky, several hundreds of yards away, and it grew quickly. It was the creature that they were told of in the messages of seers and spies throughout the land.
There was the enemy…
****************
On the top of the battlements of Hyrule Castle, the King of Hyrule put the small glass viewer down and sighed heavily. It was just like he had been told by the messengers. A giant creature was indeed headed straight for the Kingdom.
It had been an few hours since the evacuation notice was issued, and the people moved to safety. Still, he wondered if it would matter. He could not recall the Kingdom facing this type of threat at any time, even after scouring the Chronicles of Time.
The King wondered about his daughter, about Zelda. "Where are you….", he thought inwardly.
Beside him, a plump ( it's big-boned! ) dark-skinned woman with silvery hair was barking orders to those below the battlements. She moved her gratuitous girth towards the King, light-purple robes swaying in the light wind. She looked to him now and patted him on the back.
"You're thinking about her, aren't you?", she asked.
The King wondered how she could be so calm? Zelda had been her charge. When the woman came to him with news of what Zelda had done, he was enraged. However, the King's Advisor; and his daughter's mentor, was not one you can get angry at very easily. Not if you wanted to live anyway.
"Impa….", the King started, "I don't know how I can lead at this time. I need my daughter with me. I need her…", the King couldn't finish.
Impa smiled. "Her Wisdom." She finished. The princess's gift from the Goddesses would've been a great help right about now. The woman wondered if Zelda had succeeded in her task. Was that boy that she ran off with really the Hero of Time?
She crossed her arms across her large breasts, and scowled at the King. He cringed involuntarily. Damn that woman could be scary sometimes. "There's no point in worrying about it now. The princess will be back soon, I know it.". She patted the King on the back again. "At least, she'd better be back, and on time, or I'll make sure that girl won't like sitting down for the next while.". It wasn't a bluff. When Impa slapped you, it hurt, be you Royalty or not.
Taking up the viewer in hand, the advisor to the King of Hyrule looked through, in the direction of the monster in the sky. It was already moving over Lon-Lon Ranch. It wouldn't be long until it reached the Castle.
Impa blinked. Even though it had to be impossible, she swore she could make out a boat flying beside the beast.
**************
Talon looked up into the dark sky nervously and began to scratch his backside. The ground was shaking, and he found it a bit difficult to stand, but he hardly noticed. He shut the windows and walked to the center of the warm room. He missed his daughter.
He had been OK with her leaving with Link, but with news of this creature coming from the West, from where Malon had headed. Maybe the beast got her before heading towards Central Hyrule. The thought made him queasy. "Malon…I hope that boy's protecting you….". He thought solemnly.
Ingo wasn't having an easy a time being calm. In fact, he was drunk off his ass. The skinny farmer had gone through 5 bottles of Lon-Lon Ranch's potent "Magic Milk". (10% alcohol. You have to be 14 years and older to drink. Available at bars everywhere. "Mmm-Mmm. Gotta have that wonderful MMilk" ä . ). He still wasn't finished drinking.
He stumbled over to the fatter farmer and put an arm around his shoulder. Bubbles were coming out of his facial orifices (figurative bubbles of course) and he hiccuped. ( Classic drunk behavior). "YoU knOw wHaT, yoU fAT piEcE oF cRaP….", He started as Talon struggled to get him off, "… I alWayS wAntEd tO teLl yOO oFf…and nOw tHAt I'm DEAD…I hAVe tHe….chAnCe.". He slipped, and Talon helped the plastered man get back to his feet.
Ingo wasn't finished. "YoU….YOU…..aRE a faT…..GOD." he spat. He lurched over to Talon again and hugged him. "I lOVe yoU mAn. You're THe beST gUy……MAlOn."
"I'm Talon."
"TaLOn Is a GOd tOO." Ingo hiccuped. "I LOve yOu aLl SO mUCh! A TOAst!". He flung his mug of MMilk into the air. " A toASt to hOw I'M goNNa gET dEaD!". With that, the man fell into a fit of sobs.
Talon shook his head and sat the man down in a nice comfy chair. He took the mug away from him as the house trembled once more. "We're not going to die my friend, not if my daughter has anything to say about it. She's got Link with her you know.".
Ingo burped. "LiNK! THaT liTtLe BITCH. HE's a gOod gUy. YeAH I lOVe HIm tOo. ", he struggled to say, before falling into sobs again.
After patting the drunk on the shoulder, Talon whisked to the kitchen and produced a tall cool glass of Lon-Lon's famous kid-friendly fantastical moo-juice. He ran over and gave some to Ingo.
"ThANks…yOu ….Fat…baSTaRd!" Ingo hiccuped, and he took a swig. Talon sighed and hoped this would get him out of his stupor, or at least knock him out.
Ingo quieted down, and sure enough, began to mumble in a slurred sleep. Talon looked to the window again, not opening it because he was afraid of what he was going to see. The house rumbled again, a bit fiercer this time.
"Malon", he thought. "I'm counting on you. I always have."
**************
The soldiers rustled anxiously as the creature came across Lon-Lon Ranch, and ever closer to the gates. Suddenly a yell rose from the crowd, as people noticed tiny green lights appearing on the bottom of the beast.
Below the creature, several green lights twinkled and winked into existence. In their places were Ghanim --warriors. Mostly young men and mercenaries who had no business wielding the large, sharp or blunt weapons that they were carrying. Each was covered head to toe in black cloth, and they stood in the middle of the field silently.
The Hylian soldiers and Guards were disturbed. Why were they not attacking? Were they afraid of them? The Ghanim 's number was small, around a 100 or so. The Guards could take them easily. Still, something was giving the Ghanims an air of confidence. It was terribly wrong.
Another green light appeared, right at the base of the flying creature's bottom lip. The soldiers and Guards eyes widened, and the hair stood on the back of their necks.
Magically, a proclamation burst from the top of the battlements. King Hyrule and Impa spoke in unison, and their words reached the minds of all the soldiers gathered around the gates.
"RUN!"
The Hylian warriors jumped and ran into the moat or further back into the City. At the same time, a light exploded from the flying creature. Raging green energy screamed from it's maw, burning and atomizing the air as it careened towards the gates.
The explosion was massive, and the sound was overwhelming to anyone within ear-shot. Blasts of mortar, bricks, dirt and other debris sprayed the air in a fountain of destruction.
The Ghanim 's cheered, delighted at their first display of power. As the dust settled, Hylian soldiers floating in the moat could only gape in dismay. The Gates to Hyrule were destroyed, and the Ghanim 's began their march into war.
*************
Zelda was mortified at the amount of destruction the creature had already caused. They were cruising along now, at a slower speed than they were at before. It didn't take them long to reach the slow moving base, but now they seemed a little too close for comfort.
Link was flying along beside them on the metal Dragon, and he surveyed the damage from afar. "Damn it.", he thought roughly. "I have to get inside…I've got to end this."
Evit, who had been flying the small ship evenly until now, was wiping his brow. "I-uh…", he gulped, "I think we have a situation."
They looked to him in wonder. Evit was looking at no one in particular. "There's something about this base, it's effecting our field o' gravity.". He looked to the others, and when he saw that they didn't get it, he moved on. "It's drawing us in. I think it's trying to crash us!"
Zelda huffed, her golden locks billowing in the harsh wind. "Right, then take us away from it!", she hollered above the gale.
Evit rolled his eyes. "Ye don't think I've been trying?". He glanced to the large base, which was looming closer and closer in their view. They could see the large black pores that opened and shut on the surface of the creature. They almost looked like portholes. "Besides, this thing is much bigger than we are, it has a bigger pull on us."
Saria was holding on desperately to Esea, who was tucked inside the girls tunic. She looked to Evit now, but he didn't return her gaze. "So, what are you saying?" Their small ship moved closer to the Base, rocking heavily in the turbulence.
Evit glanced at her quickly without making eye contact. Link looked at him in amazement. "Just what's going on with him?" the Hylian teen thought to himself, "Why's he acting so weird?".
"It means….we'll have to bail!", the scientist gasped. He gestured to Link and Dragon, who inched closer to the ship. Both of them reduced speed so that the maneuver would not result in bodies being tossed in the air.
Link stretched out his arms, and first Zelda, then Ruto and Malon and Saria came aboard Dragon. The beast seemed to wheeze, and steam poured out from the gaps between its metal plates. Link struggled to keep it in the air.
"Come on, Evit.", he gasped. "I don't think ol' Dragon's gonna be waiting up here forever."
Evit shook his head, not looking at anyone. "I-I've got to pilot the ship!", he shouted. "There's still a lot of fuel in the tanks…and if they fall on one of those houses or farms below, it'll make a mighty pop, and a bit o' a mess." He glanced to the others, his gaze resting on Saria. "I'll be fine, take 'em down."
The girl blinked and leaned forward in Link's arms. "You can't be serious!" she shouted. "Evit, get over here-"
Before she had a chance to shout further, Evit's ship suddenly lurched towards the creature. There was a small explosion as one of the tanks ruptured, spilling smoke and molten metal in the air. The ship tumbled to the ground and crashed cleanly without an explosion. There was no sign of it's inventor.
Saria gaped, so stunned she could hardly speak. Zelda took her shoulder and held her close, as Link eased Dragon quickly towards Hyrule City.
"Well…that was sudden.", he thought. He wondered what exactly Evit had been thinking. Whatever it was, he'd have to deal with it.
The elf's heart sank as he glanced over to Saria. Her green eyes were shimmering, and she had a look of utter loss. Link ventured to think that they'd all have to deal, and fast.
*************
Impa loved it when she was right. As soon as the white dragon had descended into the battlements of the Castle, she knew it had to be Zelda and the boy. With great joy, she bounded down the steps and to the main level.
The dragon beat it's metal wings once, and again, and slowly leveled to the ground. Steam was pouring heavily from it's plate, and it's metal skin glistened. Quickly, the girls jumped off, leaving Link alone on the beast.
As soon as Zelda saw her mentor, she let out a small cry and fell into the woman's ample arms. "Oh Impa!", she cried, and hugged her even closer.
Impa didn't have time for this. She pulled the Princess away roughly and looked to her eyes. "There's no time. We have to form a Ring."
Zelda was shocked for a second by her mentors lack of kindness, but nodded determinedly. She looked to the other girls. "We'll need to go to the top of the castle for it to work. We have to hurry, we don't know when they'll blast us again!"
Malon nodded and ushered Ruto and Saria towards the others. As they ran to the castle, she turned, wanting to give Link one final blessing of good luck.
Her heart sank and she sighed. Link was long gone. Typical.
***************
Dragon beat it's wings furiously in an attempt to get to the flying Base before it leveled another attack. Already, Link could see the coalescing of green energy on the near the bottom of it's lip.
The elf lurched Dragon to the side, out of range of the blast, and veered upwards. The green light grew brighter and brighter.
Link whipped Dragon to the side and held on for dear life. A deafening roar assailed his ears, as a gigantic blast of green energy raged by his head, and towards the Castle.
****************
"It's going to fire!" The King shouted. He looked to the women. They stood there with him, at the very top of the Castle, a perch with a view of the entire Hylian Kingdom.
They all stood, eyes closed, hand in hand: The wise and serious Hylian Princess, the boisterous heir to the Zoran throne, the gentle child of the forest and the strong and kind milkmaid. Impa was the force that held them together, these girls who only a week or so ago, might not have known the other existed.
Now they shared in each other's strength, their will, their determination. The spirit flowed through each other in a dance of power and magic that even the Goddesses would have to marvel at. The connection was made, and the Ring was completed.
A blaze of green energy emanated from the creature and careened towards the castle. "NOW!", The King roared.
Zelda eyes flashed open, and her power exploded.
**************
Link watched as the blast veered towards the Castle, towards an inevitable collision. At the last second, a blue sphere expanded from the top of the Castle, quickly encasing the entire City of Hyrule.
The green energy smashed against it, roaring, pounding away at the bubble furiously in a futile attempt. It couldn't pass. The bubble remained strong, and the green wave dissipated harmlessly into the air.
Link grinned. "Yes! They did it! Unbelievable!". It was Zelda's magic, but he knew it would take all of them to be able to expand her magic to protect the entire city. Still, they did it, the people below would be protected.
Which left him able to do his work. Link aimed Dragon towards the open mouth of the base, and got to his feet, crouching against the wind. He waited and waited, letting the mouth get closer and closer to him….
At last, he jumped, leaving Dragon to flap it's wings once to stop in mid-air, and veer to the ground. Link tumbled several times, narrowly missing sharp twisted teeth and material. Finally he came to a stop.
He didn't move yet. The air was stale and musty, and it was dark. Slowly he got to his feet. Link concentrated, and he could vaguely hear the sound of the wind slowing, as the Base came to a stop a few yards from Hyrule Castle, at several hundred feet in the air.
Straightening his tunic, and the Master Sword that was strapped to his back, Link moved forward. He knew instinctively where to go. "Knata," he thought angrily, " I trust you'll wait for me. I know you wouldn't want to miss this for the world."
*****************
The women on the top of the settlement held their breath in unison, as the green energy finally dissipated into the air. One by one they all let out a sigh of relief. Impa looked at them carefully.
"Don't relax yet.", she whispered. "I'm sure they're planning another one, and another one after that. We have to remain vigilant." She looked to Zelda, who was standing calmly and demurely. "I hope that boy of yours can finish the job.".
Zelda smiled. "I'm hoping too. Actually, I'm pretty sure he can. He's not completely incompetent.". She sighed inwardly, thinking of her last exchange with Link. "Nabooru, I hope you're here with us. We could use your strength.".
"Hey, Malon, you OK?" Ruto said suddenly. Zelda opened her eyes and looked over to the farmer. She was breathing heavily, and sweat was pouring down her face. Her knees were trembling a bit, and it looked like she was holding herself up only with willpower.
Malon wearily glanced at the Zoran girl, her damp red hair falling around her face. "I-I'll live. I just hope Link hurries it up." She gasped.
No one else was having the same problems Malon was. Zelda realized that Malon doesn't know magic. It's not in her blood, like it is in Ruto, like it was in Saria ( even after becoming mortal ). Even Impa had magic within her, but Malon didn't have any. She was using her own personal strength to help keep the Ring and the bubble alive.
Zelda took in a breath and increased her output a bit, to take a load off of the poor girl. Ruto and Saria nodded and did the same. Impa smiled, and followed suit.
Malon immediately felt the strain lift from her, and she looked to the others angrily. "You don't have to do that!", she huffed. "I can do my part.".
"Of course.", Zelda agreed. "But only a fool would refuse any help, wouldn't you agree?"
The other smiled wryly. High in the sky near the Castle Gates, the base coalesced green energy again, preparing for another strike.
Zelda and the others boosted their power and waited.
****************
Link felt the floor shudder as the creature leveled another blast at the city. Regaining his balance, he sprinted to the edge of the room and squeezed himself through a slightly opened pore.
This room had the same dark pulsating walls the other rooms had, except that there seemed to be windows in this space. Light from the setting sun poured in, making the room devilishly red in appearance. This room also had one more noticeable difference than the others. This room was occupied.
Someone was sitting at the far end of the room, someone tall and white. Link could only see one good eye reflect light from the person. The Hylian spread his feet slightly and prepared himself.
The man got up, and stepped into the red light. He was a Zoran, or at least, he had been a Zoran. Large chunks of his body was now occupied with strange black fleshy material, almost like the same material from the ship. The Zora stood proud and unclothed before Link, his hand crackling with a certain power.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, you little bastard!", the Zora blasted. Link blinked, vaguely remembering the voice. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me, you dirty elf?".
Link smiled slightly and nodded. "I remember you. Korda right? Or was it Kardo….I just can't seem to recall." His hand fluttered to his back, near the handle of the Master Sword. "Funny, I thought Jabu-Jabu had eaten you. I mean, you did fall into His stomach."
The Zora scowled. "Yes, well…as you can see, he almost did." The black fleshy blob that consisted of half of his face quivered sickly. "But now I'm better, and I've gained the ability to use Zoran Magic outside of the water.". He crossed his arms and smirked. "The Zoran people won't have to follow that fat tub of blubber once I'm in power, and I will be. Once Hyrule falls, the rest will follow. Ghanims will take their places as monarchs of the Races."
"Is that what I should call you then, Ghanim ?", Link said sarcastically. "The Zoran already have their monarchy all lined up for at least 2 generations, and Ruto's still young you know."
The Ghanim shook his head and laughed. "Ruto? Oh I've got plans for her, trust me. She'll be sticking around."
Link heard enough, and he pulled the Master Sword from it's sheath. The blade sang a sharp song as it was freed, and it wavered slightly in the red light.
"I should be scared now, right?", the Ghanim sneered. Link planted his feet and prepared to rush the Zoran, but the other raised his hand in a gesture. Blue electricity surged and accumulated down the length of the white arm, surging from the black flesh of his body, and blasted towards the Hylian.
The boy flung himself to the side, and was blown back again by the impact of the surge nailing the floor. Bits of black debris and flesh rained down him, and he flew to his feet quickly and faced the Zoran again.
He attacked again with surge after surge of blue power. Link raced across the wall of the room, dodging blasts of electricity and sharp debris that pelted him during the explosions. Another blast came from the Ghanim , and Link brought the Master Sword up, blade facing the earth, in an attempt to block.
The blade did more than block. It acted like a mirror, and sent the blast careening away from Link and to the Ghanim that had leveled it. The blast missed his head by a mile, and crashed against the ceiling of the room.
Link blinked and looked down the blade of the Master Sword. It crackled with the blue energy. Apparently it also absorbed some of it too. Finally, a plan began to form.
Undisturbed, the Zoran attacked again and again. Link braced his feet into the ground and reflected the first blast, and then the other, trying to send them back at the attacker. The counters were terribly off mark, and the Ghanim could only laugh at the futility.
Link was panting and holding the Master Sword tightly in his grip. "The attack is too wide.", he lamented. "I can't reflect it properly. Now what?". He watched as the Ghanim prepared another strike, the electricity surging and accumulating on his arm.
"Well…the best defense…" The Hylian thought, and with that, he propelled himself forward with such force and speed, the Ghanim could hardly see it. He fired straight at Link, but the teen didn't dodge. Instead, he sprinted towards the attack, and whipped the Master Sword across the horizon of the beam.
The blast broke on the edge of Evil's Bane, and scattered around Link, blasting the floor, the walls, the ceiling around him. Debris rained, but Link didn't slow. He bared down on the Ghanim, as the attacker raised his arm again.
Link roared as he jutted his knee forward, and brought the Master Sword down in a mighty arc. It crunched through the Ghanim 's shoulder and downward, through flesh and bone, down to his heart.
Quickly, he removed the blade and sidestepped the Ghanim . Without a word, the life drained from the Zoran's eyes, and as blood sprayed from the gaping wound, he fell to the ground face first.
The blood pooled on the ground next to him while Link considered the attack. It was just like the one used to kill Nabooru.
"You and I, are we that different from each other, Knata?", he wondered. He panted heavily, looking down the Sword's blade. It still crackled with blue energy, and it was clear of blood. However, the blade did become a shade darker. Link smiled grimly, and ventured ahead.
Without stopping for a rest, he entered the next room. It was like the last room, dark and red with twilight. And like the last room, it was occupied.
Link brought the blade up to his shoulder, parallel to the ground, and growled. "However it is, come out so I can kill you.", he said angrily.
The figure got up like told, and stepped into the light. He was dressed in the same baggy, oil-stained pants and shirt that he had worn back in Hirocco. The light reflected from his glasses, and he leveled a sad smile at Link.
"Evit…", Link spoke slowly. "…I'd knew you'd be alive.". He stepped forward.
Evit whipped up his handgun and fired. Link was barely able to move his face to the side as the blast veered by, blasting the wall behind him. Link's cheek parted, and blood began to trickle down.
He looked to his face, shocked frozen for a moment, and then leveled a deadly gaze at the scientist. Link's eyes were cold and gray.
"I made a promise.", Evit said, leveling his pistol towards the elf. "It's as simple as that. I can't let you pass. That was a warning shot. The next one won't be so gracious."
"We'll see.", Link whispered. He stood straight and held the sword limply in his hand, as if all the weariness of the last battle had disappeared. Evit had grown quickly into a friend, and he knew that the boy was a close friend of Saria too. At that moment however, Link was fully prepared to cut him down.
**************
Malon gasped in relief as the last blast of green energy dispersed into the air. She felt so weak, it was even getting hard to breathe.
The other girls were taking up the slack, expanding their own power to help. Malon wondered what the hell she thought she was doing in this Ring anyway. She had no power, no magic. Surely she wasn't contributing at all to this, in fact, she was probably weighing them down.
Impa looked to her, angrily. "You're not thinking of quitting are you?", she hissed to the girl. Malon looked at her sheepishly.
"Yes, that wouldn't be wise, not with Impa around.", Zelda laughed. "Hang in there, Malon. You're only helping the Ring. It'll only be for a few moments longer….".
The King stood beside them, wishing he could lend his own strength. He gripped the sword that was strapped to his side. If there was a ground battle, he would be of great help, but the Ring was solely a female invention. Only the women could operate it. It made him feel little.
That being said, he looked to the girls now and roared. "Stay strong! Only a few moments longer!". The King glared at the black monstrosity in the sky. With all of his strength, he urged the Hero of Time to his goal.
***************
"Just what the hell are you thinking?", Link blasted. "You'd have the Ghanims run around and rule Hyrule? Hirocco? What's wrong with you?"
Evit sighed, and aimed his weapon carefully. "I admit, I was once turned on to the Ghanim philosophy. They admired strength n' all forms, 'specially intellectual power…but t' tell ye the truth, it wasn't for me.". He saw Link shift his feet and he compensated his aim. "I'm not here fer them. I'm here because o' a promise.".
"A promise?"
"I told you the story, how Knata and his brother became like me own brothers? I told you how he left, and he came back for a spell.", Evit held the gun steady. "What I didn't tell you is how he talked about the Ghanims, about what he was planning."
Link's eyes widened in rage. "You knew!?"
"Hey listen, I'm sorry about what happened to Nabooru, really sorry, but Knata's a lost soul. I knew him…and I knew he needed help. I promised that I'd stand by him if he needed my aid.". Link shifted again, and Evit moved his aim. "I never did help him, I even sent ye to his direction. I told ye, I don' agree with the Ghanim philosophy, but yure planning to kill him."
Link nodded. "Yes. Yes I am. It's gone to far now for anything else."
Evit smiled grimly. "And I can't let you do it. I can't let ye kill him. He's a lost soul, and he's me brother. I'm sure someday he'll straighten out, but ye're not planning to give him the chance."
Link tightened his loose grip on the Sword. He was now only a few meters from the boy. He wondered if he could cover that distance before he was shot at. "Evit, he calls himself Knataghanim for a reason. He is lost, completely. Now it's gone too far. He'll level the world if we let him live."
Evit stood, unwavering. Link relaxed a bit and continued.
"He's planning on freeing Ganon from the Golden Realm. If he does, this world will be sent into total darkness. Knata himself won't even survive." He looked to the boys eyes, to see if he could find a crack. Link found none. "Knata's gone! You have to think of those that are still savable! Your mother! Saria!"
At the name, Evit blinked. He'd protect Saria from whatever Knata did, wouldn't he? Ganon is just a fairy-tale. He can't possibly be that strong, he's just a man.
"We both have to make a choice now Evit.", Link said quietly. " You have to choose on who to save, on who you have the best chance of rescuing. Knata, or Saria? I'm sorry, but you can only choose one."
Evit scoffed. "And yur choice?"
Bringing the Master Sword down to point a the floor, Link stared at the other evenly. "I have to choose on whether or not I think I can strike you down before you can pull that trigger."
Two young men stared each other down, tensing up and ready to strike at any moment. The energy between them was almost palpable. The standoff lasted for another minute….
…and then Evit sighed and dropped the gun to his pants pocket. Link let out a relieved sigh and relaxed visibly. The other smiled sheepishly. "He…he's like my brother, ye know.".
Evit pointed to a tiny pore off in the corner of the room. "It'll take you to the engine room. That's where he is.". He blinked angrily. "Forgive me brother, but I can't save ye. I can only hope you can find peace in the Final Realm."
Link sheathed the blade, and walked to the scientist. He patted Evit on the shoulder, talking quietly. "Get out of here, quickly.". With that, he rushed through the pore and through the tunnels that followed.
Evit watched him go, and sighed in defeat. "Bloody hell Knata, I wish you'd just give in.", he thought sadly. "Yer strength will be the end of ye."
************
When Link entered the large heart chamber, Knataghanim was in plain sight. He was leaning against a console and was whistling a strange tune. It rose in a crescendo, and repeated itself, over and over in a slow moving melody. Link thought it sounded awfully familiar*.
*It's the same tune that Ganondorf played on the organ at the end of OOT.
"What is that?", Link asked him. Knata stopped and brushed his black tuke away from his face. He smiled at the other elf and rubbed his chin absently.
"It something the Master thought up.", he said wearily, gazing at the mound of flesh that was pulsating in the center of the room. Except for that constant beating, the room was dead quiet. Knata had sent everyone off the Base. Once the Master returned, there'd be no more need of them. And besides, he wanted Link to have plenty of room.
Link put a hand on his hip and relaxed a bit. "So he controls you completely, even down to your musical tastes. Are you that enamored with him?"
Knata chuckled softly. "What's not to be enamored with. He is Power. A mere glimpse of his strength would shatter you to pieces.". He glanced over to Link, who was staring down at him. "Aww…Hero. I know why you're angry. It's because I dissected your woman, isn't it?"
The young hero remained quiet, and Knata thought he was showing remarkable restraint. "I did you a favor. That bitch wouldn't have stayed with you anyway. They're dogs, all of them.". He shrugged and added, "and she was weak, useless. You're better off now. You should thank me."
Link was smoldering, but he channeled his rage appropriately. "I can understand how having your mother leave you and your father like strays after the fact would bring women out of your favor, Knataghanim."
Knata's black eyes blinked, his red pupils widening slightly. A moment later he relaxed and smirked again. "Evit.", he growled. "I thought he was stronger than that. I suppose he's lost too."
"No Knata, he's not lost. It's just us now.", Link said sadly. He regarded him closely, as if for the first time. A boy, barely a man, just like Link. He saw his hard muscles from beneath his black robes, and the way he carried himself, bristling with power, just like Link. His face was simple and young looking, with a small nose and a wide mouth, and strange black eyes. Tufts of dirt blonde hair peaked out of his black tuke, not that much unlike Link's.
It was strange. Malon Talon and Ingo had described him as a sort of Demon Pig, much like Ganon himself. So had others. Link didn't see any demon, any force of nature. All he saw was a man. The man that had attacked Malon back at the Ranch, the man that had nearly beat him to death, the man that had cut down Nabooru.
Wordlessly, Link's hand went to the handle of the Master Sword, and he pulled it out of it's scabbard. Knata waited a moment, and then stepped down from the console. Flaring his black robes, he removed the two bladed Swallow that had been hidden underneath, and faced Link.
The heart in the center of the room beat a little louder and faster. Link held the Master Sword, his eyes steel gray, and circled the Ghanim . Knata twirled the Swallow once, and stepped forward. Link stepped forward, and at awesome speed, bounded towards him.
The clash shook the base to the core.
**************
The bubble that shielded the City began to dim lightly. Malon sank to the ground, gasping for air, holding on to her chest in pain. The only good thought in her head was that it might finally be over.
Zelda, Ruto, Saria, Impa and Malon were still hand in hand, but they had let up on their power. The Base had not attacked for the last ten minutes, and the worse seemed to be over. Still, they didn't let up completely.
The farmer girl was breathing a bit easier now, and she felt that she might still be able to help if the enemy attacked again. Those thoughts vanished, when she was all of a sudden besieged with a strange feeling. It was Link.
The others felt it too. "Finally.", Zelda muttered. "Fight hard, Link.".
Everyone agreed with that sentiment, and the waited.
*****************
Blow after blow clashed against each other. Stinging sparks razed the air as the Master Sword clanged against Knata's Swallow. Link skidded backwards from the point, and flew forward again.
Knata parried the push and whipped his blades around expertly. Link ducked his head back, narrowly missing being decapitated. The Ghanim followed with a shot to his midsection with his knee.
Air blasted out of his lungs, and Link was suspended in the air. Knata twirled the Swallow again and bore it down on him, but Link was long gone, having skirted quickly along the floor. He bounded back to his feet, and then he brought the Master Sword point forward, and propelled himself towards the Ghanim .
Again, Knata whipped the Swallow around to take off Link's head, but Link stopped inches before the follow-through. Planting his feet firmly into the ground, he stabbed twice at Knataghanim's head. Knata dodged once and parried the second strike, and then whipped the weapon at Link in a deadly arc. Link met the arc with his own, and the weapons clashed.
They were both blown back by the force, and skidded to a halt several feet from each other. Dust and debris filled the air as the combatants eyed each other. Link wished he could have used his magic…but all of his spells, including Nayru's Love, took strength from him. Any iota of strength lost against Knataghanim meant certain death.
Suddenly, Knata disappeared, re-appearing quickly on the actual wall of the room before racing towards Link in a blur. Link brought the blade up to protect his face, and Knata's attack ripped down the length of his right arm. Pain flashed only briefly, while Knata skidded on the ground and turned, preparing for another strike.
Link razed the Sword down in an arc again, smashing it hard against Knata's Swallow. Another shockwave rocked the room, but instead of being blown back, Link held his position by digging his hand into the ground. He leapt to his feet and leveled a stab at the stunned Ghanim . Knata parried, but the strike rent a deep gash in his side.
The Ghanim rolled to the side and rose to his feet, flaring with strength. The force nearly sent Link to his knees, but he withstood it and attacked with a roar. Knata whipped the Swallow sideways, clashing hard against the Master Sword. The other elf could feel the shock travel up his arms and through every bone in his body. Link stood his ground and struck another terrific blow against Knata's blade.
The wall began to chip and crack under the force of the battle, bits and pieces of mortar and flesh littered the air. Link backpedaled quickly, and found his back to the black heart that was pulsing rapidly. Knata fired another vicious swipe with his blade, and Link dodged.
The Swallow stopped an inch before the beating heart, and whipped to the side, slashing at Link's cheek. Link brought himself back in a rush, and turned around in a flash, slashing Knataghanim's torso.
They split from each other and halted, eyeing each other and panting heavily. Link could feel the pulse of the heart resonating through the room. He could also feel the Master Sword pulsing, as if in concert with the heart. The rhythm flowed through his body and began to match his own heartbeat.
Whatever Link was feeling, Knata felt it too. He pointed to the heart eagerly. "He comes!", he shouted with a twisted glee. He twirled the Swallow around and brought it above his head and roared. "IT'S TIME TO GIVE WAY TO THE STRONG, HERO!!!"
Knata exploded with power. Link couldn't believe the power that was raging from him. The Master Sword became limp in his hands. Link knew he couldn't survive in the face of such raw power.
As Knata flew forward for the final strike, Link felt a hand creep up behind him. He spared a glance, and saw the image of a young boy. He wore green Kokiri clothing, complete with a long green tuke. He smiled at him with his clear blue eyes, and took hold of the Master Sword.
Link felt a surge of memory assail him, memories of past battles and techniques Link had never experienced previously. Before he could catch his breath from the experience, another image creeped behind him. This one was taller, but he was dressed the same way as the boy. He also held the Master Sword. Link realized they were Link's of the Past.
One after another, they came and held on to Evil's Bane. Slowly, Link put the sword to his left side, tip towards the ground, and gripped it with white knuckles. Knata roared in a blaze of energy towards him. Time slowed to a standstill, while Link released his power. He put his right foot forward, and gritted his teeth.
The Master Sword began to glow a soft blue color. It intensified, and deepened, changing it's shade from blue to red. The blade drew in the light of the room to itself, and brought the chamber into complete darkness. A buzzing sound roared in the air.
Knata came at him with blazing energy. Link felt and heard the roar of the power against his ears, through his bones, his being. The Master Sword blazed a murderous red, and the power continued to expand.
When Knata was only inches away, Link stuck with the technique that was the heritage of the Link's of the past, present and future. The Spin Attack first crashed into Knatahanim's Swallow, and completely obliterated it. The pieces of the weapons flared in the air, and disintegrated in the force of the blow. Knataghanim still moved slowly through the air, his face in complete shock.
Link spun a full 360 degrees.
Evil's Bane crashed against the Ghanim's face. Blood exploded through his nose, mouth and ears, as the bones in his cheeks were completely demolished. His head was knocked to the side, and his eyes bulged in horror and pain. The blade passed him.
Link spun a full 360 degrees.
The final blow landed on Knata's ribcage. The Master Sword smashed against his side, and the resulting shock shattered every bone in his body. Shards and fragments, whipped inside the Ghanim, and tore his internal organs into ribbons.
Link finished his final rotation, and came to a stop, the whirlwind of power slowly dissipating into the nothingness. Beneath him a perfectly shaped crater smoldered quietly.
Knataghanim hung in the air, while the force of the attack completed the damage, before flinging him to the nearby wall. He bounced off it with a crash and crumpled to the floor, next to the pulsating heart.
Link fell to his knees, completely drained. The Spin Attack, with the power of Evil's Bane, was more powerful than all of the Goddess spells put together, and just as draining. Link remembered using it seriously only once before….way back in the Lost Woods, against the towering Armor Knight. It wasn't as powerful, but then he had not fed it's strength through the Master Sword.
His eyes returned to it's natural brown shade, and the Sword fell out of his limp hands. Link had never felt so tired. He felt strange….like he was dying ... Link noticed an eerie quiet in the chamber. The heart had stopped beating.
A thin slit of light cut through the mound of flesh, and a golden radiance poured out of it. Link heard a gurgling sound, and looked to his side. Knata was still alive, fitfully reaching for the light.
"M-Master…..I was not…s…ttrong…..ee..nnnou…."… Knata was never able to finish. His eyes fixed in their sockets, and he went limp.
Link looked to him sadly, and back towards the light. A figure was emerging from it. "No..", Link thought in horror. "Oh come on….not after everything….it's not….".
The ephemeral image of the 10 foot tall Demon-Pig towered in front of him. His snout was wet and his small eyes were red and blazing. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, and his torso was as large as a wagon. His feet were large armored hooves, and large razor sharp tusks jutted from the sides of his mouth.
Wordlessly, Ganon reached out to Link's weakened body, and punched through. A blazing pain wracked his body, so much so that Link could only see a bright light.
With a yank, Link was pulled out of his body, and it went limp and lifeless. Link watched from above as Ganon put a hand inside of his body's chest. The Demon-Pig roared in triumph.
The last thing Link saw was his own eyes flare open, blazing a terrible red color. His body's mouth was frozen in a twisted grin.
*********************
The base suddenly came ablaze in the darkened sky. Zelda and the others intensified their magical ward. The stress was too much for the girl from the farm. She fell out of the Ring in a heap, breathing with much exertion. She felt so ashamed, she couldn't look up at Impa when the big woman glanced towards her.
"Malon, get back inside. You're still a part of the Ring.", she ordered. Malon looked up at her wearily. She was in despair.
"I can't do it. I'm not like you guys.", she lamented. She could still feel bits of their magic flowing through her, since she was still part of the Ring. She was about to ask to be disconnected, when the feeling overtook her.
"Link!", she gasped. "Link's leaving us, oh no!". She looked to the object in the sky. Something had gone terribly wrong. It couldn't end like this.
"No.", she thought. "I'm not going to lose you.". With that, using the will and power of the bits of magic that still funneled through, she reached out with her mind and soul.
Impa watched the girl strangely, and then gasped as the farmhand fell limp to the ground.
**************
"Now this is pleasant.", Link thought. He was standing in the middle of a vast field of the greenest grass ever conceived. The plain was completely empty.
Link rubbed the back of his head, and checked his arm. He was completely free of injury, but he felt this strange tugging sensation on his elbow. Link dismissed it and took a look around. "A whole lot of nothing", he ventured.
He turned around in a full circle, and when he stopped, a boy was sitting in the grass in front of him. Link blinked, that guy wasn't there before. He didn't look older than Link, but his face had an air of youthfulness, as if the guy had never had stopped growing emotionally at some young age. He had large red-brown eyes, like a Gerudo's, and they were as sad as they were angry.
The kid was looking at Link with a sour gaze, and Link didn't like it. "Hey kid, what's your beef?".
"I'm not mad.", the guy said. "I was weak, you were strong, and now I'm here.". He looked at Link carefully. "But then again, you're here, so maybe you're not that strong after all."
Link smiled. "Strength isn't everything you know.". The other scoffed.
"Bah! What else is there? Strength is all I had…it's all I ever had.", he said, trailing off sadly.
Link shrugged. "Go find your brother. Go find Dain.", he suggested. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere."
The boy's eyes widened, and he looked at Link carefully. "D-Dain? You think he's here?", he asked. When Link nodded, the boy looked at the ground for a few moments, and then got to his feet.
"I'll look for him then.", Knata said sheepishly. He turned around and ran off through the grassy field.
Link smiled. He hoped Knata would find him. When he crossed his arms, a voice spoke from behind him. "Aw, that was awfully nice of you. But then, you always were too nice for your own good."
Tentatively, Link turned around. A Gerudo girl was sitting on the ground in front of her, her hand fiddling around with her long red ponytail. She gave him a smile and crossed her legs at the knees. "You're not going to say 'hi' even? That's rude of you."
"Nabooru.", Link breathed. He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders. She was warm to the touch, and as real as anything. "I-I can't believe it. Nabooru!", he reached for an embrace.
The girl shied away and put a hand on his chest. "No, I wouldn't want you to get too used to this place. You're not even supposed to be here."
"I'm not?", Link thought. Come to think of it, he did find it rather strange that both Knata and Nabooru were here. He had seen both of them die. "Wait a minute….was this place…..".
Nabooru nodded. "That's right. The Final Realm. You wouldn't believe how many Sisters I've met here. I met the first Nabooru too!". She pursed her lips and thought carefully. "She beat me up pretty bad, but I'll get her next time. I'm still getting stronger."
Link felt the pull on his arm again, and his eyes flew to his side. Stil, nothing there. He didn't understand. "Why am I here? Why did Ganon come back? I mean, I stopped Knata from using the Keepsake to call him right?"
"No, not really.", yet another voice answered. Link glanced behind, and he saw the same young boy as he saw while fighting Knata. He was with scores of others dressed just like him. Link's of the Past, except this time, they were as real as he was.
The boy looked at him with a face of purity , his shining blue eyes young with energy, and old with wisdom. "You're here because you're dead. Ganon's going to be using your body now, and since you have no place to go, you came here. Everyone does."
Link was confused. The feeling of a tugging on his arm grew more intense. "W..why does Ganon need my body. How did he even return in the first place? I thought I stopped Knata from calling him!"
"Knata called him a long time before you even met him.", said another voice. Link was getting tired of this. He turned behind him and looked at a young man, quite a few years older than him. He had slanted eyes, tanned skin, and an exotic look to him. He wore a simple black shirt and gray pants. Knata stood next to him nervously.
Link smiled. "Dain right?". He glanced over to Knata, who was staring at the ground. "What do you mean, 'he called him before I even met him.'?"
Dain shrugged. "The Gerudo Keepsake was his to hold too, you know. After I died, he was filled with so much anger, hatred, fear, despair. He wanted strength more than anything in the world, so that nothing could ever hurt him again."
"That was when he called Ganondorf. Knata and Dain's mother was the daughter of a line of cousins and sisters that stemmed from Ganondorf's line, so he was able to answer the call easily.", the Link-boy, the first Link said.
Link scratched his head. "Wait a minute, how can he even call Ganon. I mean, he wasn't dead, he was just locked away in the Golden Realm. Doesn't the Keepsake have to work on spirits?"
Smiling, the boy waved a finger in the air. "Uh, technically, the Keepsake works on people from other Realms. Spirits from the Final Realm usually, but obviously also living beings from the Golden Realm too.".
He paused briefly. "However, he couldn't use the Keepsake as a way of bringing his body to your Realm. The fact that he was still alive complicated things. But ah, that Ganondorf's an ingenious fellow. He found a way to keep his dominion over the Golden Realm, and at the same time, there in Hyrule."
"Ganondorf was with Knata, but Knata wasn't what he needed. He needed the holder of the Triforce of Courage. He needed you to kill Knata, so that he could be released, but he made Knata too strong.", explained Nabooru. "Then he created the Base from the Golden Realm, with a heart that would use the energy of violence as a gateway. Once Knata was dead, the Gateway would open, and he'd use your body. That is why you're here.".
Link sighed. "So it's over.", he thought to himself. Then aloud, he said, "I wish you guys could have told me before, like when you first came over to me. It could have helped a bit in my training."
The boy shook his head and laughed. "Come on Link, you still don't understand?". He strode to the current Link and sighed. "The Gerudo Keepsake doesn't send us to you. You had to call us, and you did. You've called us since you were old enough to think."
Link blinked as the boy continued. "We tried to answer, but the magic of the Kokiri Woods kept us away. However, you stilled called us, constantly, even while in the Woods. As soon as you left those Woods, we were finally able to answer."
The current Hero nodded. "So, I guess I knew from birth that something like this would happen…and since I happened to be Half-Gerudo, I used it as an extra edge this Time around….", he mused.
"There was a problem though, one we didn't anticipate. The Master Sword is a living blade, constantly seeking out Evil and destroying it, while still being a center of calmness and purity.", the boy explained. "But in the hands of so many "Link's", it got confused…disoriented. It reverted to it's primal nature, seeking to only carry out it's main purpose, to purge evil."
Nabooru nodded. "That led to you becoming disoriented yourself, confused, depressed. It wasn't supposed to be that way I guess…but it happened, and it led to my death."
"I'm sorry." Knata grumbled. Dain rustled up his younger brother's bushy hair.
Nabooru shrugged. "I can't possibly miss living. It's so….alien to what I am now. I don't harbor any bad feelings."
Link felt the tug on his arm again, and scratched it absently. "I know I asked…but why are you telling me this anyway? Why does it matter now that I'm dead, and Ganon's in Hyrule?"
The boy motioned him forward, and when Link bent down, the boy put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you telling me you can't feel it? You can't feel her pulling you back?"
Link blinked. "Wha?"
***************
Ganon roared in rage. Two spirits couldn't occupy the same body, and Link was still in his, if just barely.
It shouldn't be possible, except for the wench that was somehow keeping the boy from heading to the Final Realm.
Ganon watched her now, his red eyes blazing. She was grunting heavily, holding on to Link's Spirit's arm with two hands, desperately fighting Ganon as he pulled the spirit the other way.
"Not when I'm so close. I won't be held back by a feeble Hylain girl!". With that thought, Ganon heaved the Spirit forward.
****************
Link could feel her freely now, and he glanced down to his arm. The image of Malon holding his hand was wavering and thin. "She must really be killing herself doing this? Why don't they ever stay out of it…why'd they always have to risk their lives?"
The boy shook his head. "Link, you have to learn to trust in the living.", he said quietly. "I know you were trained and taught by the dead…and you trust in them. You fear that the living are too weak and frail, and you don't want to involve them. But you know what? The living are stronger than you think, they're stronger than anything."
Link looked at the people gathered around him. "Trust in the living? As that what I've been failing to do?". He gazed over to Nabooru.
She looked at him warmly. "The living are trying to help you now, Link. Trust her, she can help you."
"Go on.", the boy said. "The next time you'll see us, we'll be happy to add you to our ranks. But now is no the time. Go on, she's calling you."
Link nodded. He could hear her call, feel her pull him back. He pushed fears of her death out of his mind, and held the hand back.
As the light consumed his vision, saw Nabooru and Dain wave, and the older boy say something. He wasn't sure exactly what it was. Maybe….'thanks'.
****************
Malon did not have the strength to pull any more. Ganon was just too strong. If she held on any more, she'd be lost too. She knew all of this and continued to pull anyway. She wasn't going to lose him like this, not to him.
As Ganon roared, the spirit of Link returned to life. He propelled himself forward into Malon's arms, and back into his own flesh.
Ganon was kicked out of Link's body, but only barely, the demon maintained his strong grip. Link could hardly move, but he had enough strength to reach for the Master Sword.
Again, Ganon roared, his power erupting in waves and torrents at the elf. Link gasped in pain and gripped the Sword tightly. With one final heave, he brought Evil's Bane forward. It ripped through the air, cutting through atoms of energy and strength and will, fighting through the torrent of Ganon's evil.
Link cried out and drove the Sword through.
************
On the battlements, Malon slowly came back into consciousness. The other girls were holding her, as the castle trembled. They looked towards the Base.
It was crumbling and warping in the sky. Chunks of debris fell to the land, crashing hard in the grass and waters of Hyrule.
The King, Impa, Zelda, Ruto, Saria and Malon watched as the Base slowly descended to the earth.
*************
Link was sweating and panting heavily. The room around him crumbled around his ears, but he didn't pay attention. He only paid attention to the man in front of him.
Ganondorf was a strong Gerudo warrior, clothed in black leather armor. His blazing red hair and cropped beard gave him a look of complete authority and power. His arms were thick and gloved, and his torso was twice as wide's as Link's. He stood tall and proud, even in the face of defeat. Golden light enveloped him, and he slowly sank back into the Golden Realm.
He looked at Link now like he was looking like a stray dog. "I will succeed, Courage.", he said smiling. "If not now, then at another time. I am immortal."
Link met his gaze evenly. "And you'll be stopped, Power. If not by me, then by another.", Link said calmly. "We will always be here.".
The King of Evil's face shone with a Golden Brilliance as he as taken back to his eternal prison. "Hero….", he echoed through the room, and with a final flash, he was gone from this world.
*************
The Knights of Hyrule gathered the last of the Ghanim warriors, who had lost their will to fight once the Base had crashed. The women from the top of the Castle hurried into the field.
Evit was found next to his battered ship, surveying the damage. Saria ran up to him and grabbed him by the arm. "I can't believe….I thought you were dead!"
The scientist blinked. "Uh…of course not. I just wanted t'check if my ship were salvageable." He put a hand to her cheek, brushing away strands of green hair. "You did good, Green. All of ye did.".
"But where's Link?", Zelda demanded. Before he had a chance to answer, a cry came up from somewhere in the crash field.
A Guard called them over, and the hurried to the scene. Once there, Zelda put a hand to her heart in relief, and Ruto cried out with joy. Malon just smiled , tiredly , with Saria, Evit and Esea.
In the rubble of the ship, Link lay spread out. Cuts and bruises lined his body, but he was panting heavily, and laughing all the while.