A Painful Resolution
Link shook his head vehemently. This could not be the end. There had to be something… Link turned to his father desperately, knowing that the Evil had already done its evil deed. Knowing it was already free into the depths of Hyrule.
"Is that it? This is a prophecy, it can't be changed. But is there no way to fix this mess? No way to stop the evil after it has escaped? Tell me, Father, please! After all the hell I've been through to protect Zelda and Hyrule, tell me this is not the end! Tell me that my fight has not been in vain!"
Korin could say nothing. He turned his face away as tears streamed down his cheeks. He knew that the Prophecy had been fulfilled. But to his knowledge there was no way to defeat the Evil once it had escaped. He turned back to his son and whispered, "I am sorry, Link. But I have never been able to find anything else inscribed but this wall with the Legend of Zelda on it. I know of no way to stop this evil prophecy and the doom it brings."
Link grasped the hilt of the Master Sword, tears of frustration seeping out of his clenched eyes. "This…cannot…be. I will not let it end this way!" With all of his strength he sliced the huge basalt wall. Little did they know that the wall was loose. It slid forth and Link shoved his father out of the way before it could collapse on them both. It slammed onto the floor with a crash. But it did not shatter.
Rhaea's voice trembled from the darkness. "Link?"
Link turned and saw her staring down at the fallen piece of the huge black basalt wall. He went toward her and his heart clenched. There were inscriptions on it in the same language. There was more? But why was it hidden away like that? It had been written behind the wall? Why? How?
Link motioned to his father. He pointed at the inscriptions. "What do those say?"
Korin stared down, motioning the magical firelight to approach the stone closer so he could see the words. He began to read the words engraved.
"The Prophecy of the Legend of Zelda has been fulfilled and chaos will overwhelm the land… But there are two crossroads that can be taken after the Prophecy has been fulfilled. One is to stifle and destroy the Evil once it has escaped. The Eighth Sage must transfer his own power and the power of the other Sages into a Being of Light. The Soul of the Hero. The Blood of the Eighth Sage. When the power has been crystallized inside the body of this Being of Light, it will burst forth and drive the Evil from the Seventh Sage. It is then, with the power of the Sages and his own righteous agony that the Hero will destroy the Evil with the power of the Master Sword. This is the only path toward Salvation from the Evil.
"The other path is to let Evil reign its terror upon the land and allow the devastation to follow in its wake.
"The choice is yours."
Link shook his head in confusion. "'Being of Light'? 'Soul of the Hero', 'Blood of the Eighth Sage'? What in the world does that mean? Who is this?"
Rhaea paled, her heart thumping wildly. To think that after she had finally found happiness that she was to loose it all for the sake of the world. Not everyone could make sacrifices like that, she should be grateful for the chance. Then why did her soul ache?
"It is I."
Link turned to Rhaea with a question on his face. Rhaea turned her face away from his. She could not bare to look at him. "I am the Blood of the Eighth Sage. Dalan and I are brother and sister. We share the same blood. Since I was a child I was called 'Enlightened One', or 'Full of Light'. That is what Rhaea means in my language." She turned to Link and gazed into his eyes, her golden ones full of glistening tears. "I am the Soul of the Hero. The Hero of Hyrule. Am I not, Link?"
Link swallowed and nodded slowly. He clenched his eyes shut and turned his face away. "So in order to save Hyrule and the world from certain destruction and chaos, I must give up the love of my life." Rhaea touched him and he lifted his face to look into hers. She threw herself into his arms. Link embraced her as if he would never let her go. He inhaled her scent, her essence, knowing that in the end he would only lose. He lifted his head and stared down into the beautiful shimmering eyes. "That is why the Legend says 'righteous agony'. Agony because my soul, my life and my love are to be taken from me in order to save the world and the Seventh Sage."
Tears streamed unheeded down Rhaea's face. "We must do it, Link. For Zelda, for Hyrule, for the world. We must destroy this Evil."
Link nodded, shook his head and then gave a low cry of anguish. He clasped her to his body and held her close. Wanting to have as many memories of her as possible to comfort him in the loneliness of his future.
Korin only watched in sadness. He had finally regained his family and now his child was suffering once more. But it was unavoidable. Just as the Legend of Zelda had been.
* * *
Dalan looked up from the floor as the Sages suddenly ceased their endless array of worried words and terror. He saw Link approaching and saw the anguish in the Hyrulian warrior's eyes… and in his sister's. He was certain they could see his own agony just as clearly. He had betrayed the world, betrayed his love. He had been the evil that had come to the shores, and now there was nothing anyone could do.
Rhaea knelt down before her brother and took his hands in hers. She stared at him in the eyes, knowing the guilt on his shoulders. Knowing the suffering he was enduring. Before the day was out, he would know more. But she and Link had already decided not to tell him about her part in the salvation of the world. It was the only way to get his complete cooperation. If he knew he was going to get Zelda back only to lose her, he may not agree. So as she stared into her brother's eyes she made the conviction that he would not know until it was too late.
"Dalan."
The Pryderi snapped from the trance of his sister's eyes and the glistened with suffering and tears. Dalan only groaned and turned his face away. Rhaea lifted his face and made him stare back into her eyes. Her voice was kind.
"It was not your fault."
Dalan shook his head, but Rhaea would not let him blame himself. "Do you not realize that when you claim it is your fault and do nothing the Evil only wins? Listen to me, Dalan. It was a prophecy. The Legend of Zelda. It could not be stopped. You did not know you were the Eighth Sage, you did not know the Legend. How could you have prevented it? You and Zelda are the same soul. Nothing could have stopped you from joining with her. The Evil took advantage of your love for each other, but it was not your love for her that did this. No love could bring forth evil." She smiled into his eyes, though hers were also still of pain. "Link and I know how to free Zelda and destroy the Evil. But we need you. Zelda's power as the Seventh Sage was to harness the powers of the Sages. But the Evil cannot use that power. For you see, you have that power also. While you live, it cannot use the powers of the Sages for evil. You must gather their power and send it out to free Zelda. Only your love for her and the power of the Sages can free Zelda from the Evil's hold on her. You must pull yourself together."
Dalan stared at her and his head dropped.
"How can I lead the Sages with a power I did not even know I had and that caused this terrible thing to begin with? How could I?"
Ruto stepped forth. "The female Pryderi is right! You are the only one who can help us. Who can do something. You are the Eighth Sage; Princess Zelda's counter part! Only you can gather our powers and use them to defeat the Evil! Come on, male Pryderi! Zelda, Hyrule and the world need you."
The Sages nodded in agreement. Rauru placed a hand on Dalan's shoulder. "We are behind you. You and Zelda are our leaders. When one is gone, the other must take his or her place. Only you can save your love now."
Dalan turned to his sister and saw her faith in him. He lifted his head to the Hyrulian warrior, but Link's eyes held only anguish. Dalan shook his head and stood. He struggled to smile at his sister. "I will do as you say. I will gather their powers. Speak to me in my mind when the warrior is ready to receive the power."
Link's eyes winced. Dalan turned, the Sages following him back into the Temple. Perhaps the warrior did not believe he could do it? Dalan clenched his fist and an aura of power swept over him. Rhaea was right. He had to take command and call the power within himself and the power of his love forth to save Zelda.
She was the most important thing in his world.
* * *
Link stared at the Evil being inside of Zelda's body as it gathered and cast its evil power over Hyrule from the skies. Epona stirred, unsettled in the presence of the Evil. Link's fist grasped onto the hilt of the Master Sword tightly. Yes. When he killed the Evil it would be with righteous agony. He could almost feel the pain already. His heart clenched in his chest as he stared up at the possessed Zelda. The evil laughter that erupted from her beautiful voice made chills travel up his spine. The ghosts and demons were emerging with the call of the Evil being. They would have to destroy it soon and send back all of the evil minions it had called forth.
Link clenched his fist around the hilt of the sword and his eyes squeezed shut. How could he even survive this, knowing what was to happen to the woman he loved as the Eighth Sage gathered the energy to crystallize through her. Link turned his gaze to Rhaea who stood a few feet ahead of him, staring up at the laughing Evil, watching the demons come from the Darkness to this realm. Link leapt off Epona and holding onto her reins, walked toward Rhaea. He would carry the memory of her to his grave where he could join her once more.
Rhaea turned and stared into Link's tortured blue-gray eyes. She gave him a smile and he devoured her appearance. His eyes outlined every piece of her until it was firmly etched into his mind. He reached for her and she went willingly into his arms. He held her close to his body, memorizing the feel of her, inhaling her scent, willing himself never to forget the elusive seductive musk that made her his. Link buried his face in her dark hair and took a deep breath. His silent tears slowly slid onto her scalp.
Rhaea buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him desperately, willing the moment to be suspended in time. Her own tears began to fall as she felt the warm wetness in her hair. How she loved the man holding her…if only she did not have to die… She shook off the thoughts that would only torture her more. She lifted her face and her eyes met his suffering stormy ones.
Link stared into the anguished golden eyes and knew that there would never be another woman for him. He had never loved another like he did her…if only he could be with her for a moment longer. Long enough to mark her body with his, to feel the ecstasy of being one with her before they were forever separated. He lowered his head and took her mouth in desperation. He could taste her tears and his own; he could taste her anguish and his agony. He kissed her with all the need and desperation in him. He kissed her like he would never kiss her again.
Rhaea was lost to the power of the storm of the kiss. She let the whirlwind that was the man holding her, sweep her up into ecstasy. If only she could have lived long enough to be with him for the rest of their lives. If only their time hadn't been so short… If only…if only… Tears slid from her eyes as she arched even more into the kiss. She did not want to leave him behind… She did not want to die…
Link released Epona's reins and grasped onto the woman in his arms, devouring her with his kisses. He overwhelmed her with his need for her, with his ardor, with his passion and with his love. His mind ceased to function. All he could do was feel the emotion twisting inside him and the knowledge that this would be the last time he held her thus. The tears fell like a torrent of watered agony as he kissed her, willing the pain to leave.
Rhaea kissed him just as fiercely; loosing herself in the ecstasy that was loving him. She grasped onto him like he was life itself and their souls merged with that one kiss. Each one of them hoping that this kiss and their memories would be enough to last them an eternity.
Suddenly she sensed Dalan's presence in her mind, letting her know he was ready to free his love and destroy the Evil that possessed her. Rhaea pulled away from the powerful kiss and stared into the eyes of the man she loved. The time had come. At least they would always have their dreams.
They pulled away and Link silenced the scream of his heart as he turned to the Evil in possession of Zelda's body. That would be the last time he would feel her in his arms.
He leapt onto Epona and drew the Master Sword as he gazed up at the Evil. He would love no other but the other half of his soul. And this Evil would pay for taking her from him; from denying him the chance to live happily and in peace. For all he had done for Hyrule, this was to be his reward. To lose the only person he had ever loved this way. The Master Sword blazed with his flashing eyes, matching his fury and his anguish. With a cry of anguish he kicked Epona and the two of them galloped forward.
Rhaea flew upward and faced the Evil before her. The possessed Zelda only smirked at the Pryderi before her and blasted her with the Evil Power. Rhaea glowed with Holy Light and cast the Evil Power aside. She called to her brother.
Dalan. We are ready. Send the power of the Sages and your love to destroy the Evil One. Quickly!
Dalan's golden eyes shot open and he blasted—with all of his strength—the power of the Sages, his own power, and his love for Zelda into the skylight above the Temple. The power screamed with holy fury and the intensity of his love for her. It scored the heavens, destroying any evil that lay in its path. Rhaea opened her arms, her own power glowing brightly as the power of love approached.
Dalan's blast shot Rhaea from behind, the explosion of light brightening the world for a brief second as Rhaea took in the entire blast and purified it with her soul and her body. With another explosion that rocked the earth and sea, the power exploded from her, shattering her body. The brilliant glowing light blasted into Zelda and the Evil could only scream in defeat.
Link heard nothing and saw nothing. He could only hear the screaming of his own heart and the cry of agony from his soul. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he leapt off Epona's galloping back into the air. His eyes blazed with the magic of the Master Sword as the Evil was expelled from Zelda's body. The Evil Spirit did not even see the flashing blade until it was too late. Link cleaved it down the center, the magic of the blade splitting the Evil asunder. Its scream of defeat shattered all the glass in Hyrule, showering the Sages with shards of glass and shimmering light. The brilliant lights that spread across the land destroyed every evil being that the Evil One had called to command. The dying screams of evil were the victory music to the people living in the land and in the world.
Link landed on the floor with a thud, heaving from exhaustion of the power of the Master Sword. His body trembled and tears slid unheedingly down his cheeks in an unending torrent of pain. He slowly stood and spread his arms wide, tossing his head back to the heavens. The heavens complied with his unspoken wish. Thunder crashed and the rain came pouring down, cleansing the land and washing the salty, burning tears from his face.
But the cleansing rain could not heal his tortured soul this time.