Shinumadetatakau

            Zelda knelt next to a pond, staring at her reflection.  Looking at the scars on her body, she knew that there was no way she was going to take on Oni all by herself.  She carefully handled the porcelain mask that was given to her.  She read the markings inside the mask and translated it.  "The truth will be unleashed in death."  She sighed as she put it on.  A flash of light surrounded her as the mask disappeared.  However, when she looked into the pond, she looked exactly the same.  "I don't get it.  What happened?"

"Zelda," Link called.  Zelda got up as she tied her veil to her face.  "There's the lair.  What should we do now?"

"Leave everything to me.  The minions there don't know what happened, so they'll assume I'm still Mitsukai."  Zelda walked up to the entrance in a hard, swift fashion.  "In a sense, I will always be Mitsukai.  Nothing can change that."

~*~

A soldier was keeping watch over the entrance rather lazily.  It had been hours, and there was no activity.  Right now, a nap seemed like such a good idea.  However, an unexpected person walked by.  "YOU!  What do you think you're doing?!"

The soldier sprang up, absolutely startled by the shout.  When he saw who yelled at him, he was even more scared.  "M…Mitsukai!  What are you doing here?"

"That is of no importance!  The question is what do YOU think you are doing.  Sleeping on the night watch, how disgraceful!"  She pulled out her katana and brought the point to his neck.  "You're lucky I'm feeling merciful today.  There has been some disturbance around the far region.    Look into it.  Now."  Immediately, the guard ran in the direction Mitsukai pointed.  She then signaled to Link to enter the mouth of the cavern.

Link was surprised at the sudden change in personality.  "You sure you have that dark side of yours under control?"

"Of course," she replied.  She changed the subject quickly, "There's a room at the end of these tunnels.  That's the place where Oni goes to collect lost souls."  The two started walking deeper into the darkness.  The ever present sense of danger was looming sickeningly close.

Time passed slowly, and now the two couldn't see a thing.  Eventually, they came to a place that was definitely more open then the stuffy tunnels.  "Hikari deru!" Link chanted, causing the light medallion to flash and act as a torch.  When Link shined his light, he saw the source of the funny smell around the caves.  "Incense.  But there seems to be a lot of it for just a prayer site."  He then shined it upward, leaving him in shock.  "What the…"

The walls of the room were decorated with bodies hanging by chains.  Blood trickled down, coloring the walls red.  The slashes on their bodies showed that they were obviously sacrifices to Oni, those whose souls would increase the dark creature's power to no end.  Link was shocked, but Zelda seemed to relapse from the sight.  "I…I…I…"  To her, the carcasses were the innocents that she had slaughtered.  Even now, she could not believe the cruelty that she once had.  In shock, she collapsed in tears.  "Gomen nasai…" she muttered, "Forgive me…I couldn't control it…"

As she wept, Link heard the sounds of shuffling feet surrounding them.  Zelda propped her head up to see many soldiers and ninja surround them.  "Zelda, please tell me you have a plan."

Zelda calmly stood up and faced the warriors with a cold stare.  "What do you all think you are doing?  You should be guarding the caverns!  Anyone could enter this place at any time!"  Unfortunately, her harsh tone did not seem to shake her followers the way it usually had.  "What's the matter with you?  Stop standing around!  Obey your master!"

"Precisely," an echoing voice said.  A large pit of fire was in the center of a dark shrine.  The fire turned black and flared, revealing the eyes of Oni Ryuujin.  "I'm so glad you've come back to me Mitsukai, or should I say Princess Zelda?"

Zelda narrowed her eyes and gripped the hilt of her katana.  "How long?"

Oni laughed at his former servant.  "Ever since you were defeated by that boy.  I know Mitsukai, and she would never take prisoners unless she was to sacrifice them here."

Link glared at the dark flame, "Come out of your shell, it's no use hiding from us anymore."

"Me?  Hide?  You never cease to humor me foreigner.  I could destroy you now, but that would be far too easy.  I'll let my minions play with you, and then I'll kill you all."  With a sinister cackle, the fire dissipated, and the dark warriors advanced.

By now, Link started to handle another one of the medallions.  "Zelda, you keep them busy.  I'll help you out soon."  Zelda nodded as they both charged with their blades flailing.  Zelda held her own, using the back of her katana and her limbs to hold them off, careful not to kill any of them.  " Tsutakazura Karamu!"  Link threw down the glowing forest medallion, causing thousands of vines and roots to ensnare a good amount of the ninjas.  He then pulled out the spirit medallion and chanted another spell, "Youma…Kodate…"  A mass of ghostly mist surrounded the two, protecting them by disintegrating any warrior that got in too close.  "Zelda," Link said trying to concentrate, "you're holding back, I can feel it.  What's wrong with you?"

Zelda did not take her eyes away from her opponents.  "It's nothing."

Link knew better than to believe that.  But he let it be as the ghost shield was slowly weakening.  "You know what to do?"

"Of course."  Zelda shook away any inhibitions left in her as she readied herself for the onslaught.  When the ninjas attacked, she swung her katana in full force, slicing several warriors in half.  More came, falling victim to many of her powerful kicks.  Link was amazed at the sheer speed and agility she managed to retain despite being freed from the demon's spell.  It seemed that the role of warrior and magic wielder had switched dramatically.  Mitsukai had returned.

For every swing of the sword, Mitsukai swore that she would make up for the mindless slaughter she did in the past.  "Take this!  This is for the innocent lives I destroyed!"

Her leg connected with a ninja's gut, sending him into the shrine's fire.

"This is for those I have widowed!"

Her katana sliced the weapons of at least four more warriors as she swung again to end their existence.

"This is for whom I have orphaned!"

She threw her fist with such a force it crushed the skull of her opponent.

"And this is for my redemption!"

Her eyes now had a fury only a cold fire could compare to.  With a scream, she targeted the final warrior in her way.  The ninja threw several shruikens, but she effortlessly sliced them in shards as she charged at him with all her power.

Link had little to no trouble taking care of the soldiers facing him.  Throughout the ordeal, all his training had been put to the test.  Thanks old man.  I owe you.  In a manner of moments, Link and Zelda were the only ones standing.  However, Link was surprised seeing Zelda continually slash at an already fallen warrior, weeping.

"Redeem me…" she muttered, obviously disturbed, "Take away my guilt…RELEASE ME!"  When Link finally came to calm her, she broke down in tears.  Seeing the destruction that she was capable of, she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Zelda…" Link started.  Zelda dropped her sword and slowly grasped Link's tunic.  Her tears soaked it as she tried to recollect herself.

"Why won't it go away?" she muttered, "Why…"  Link would've comforted her, but there was nothing he could do.

Link looked closely at the shrine.  The flame in the middle of the pit flared up in a soft light.  "He's this way, isn't he?"  Zelda didn't look up, but her head nodded slightly to confirm it.  With that, Link donned the mask of the Fierce Deity and prepared to walk into the fire.  "Are you coming?"

"…"

Oni Link shook his head.  "You have to face this sooner or later.  You can't run from death forever."

A cold silence encompassed the room.  Zelda uttered nothing but sobs.

"Fine.  Be that way.  I'll be on the other side."  Link said one last thing before he disappeared, "You said it yourself.  You'll always be Mitsukai.  Nothing can change that.  Goodbye shinobi."

Now she was alone.  The dismal fire was the only light in this accursed shrine.  Zelda could only bend down in shame as she prayed for the mercy of the souls that she annihilated not to long ago.