Chapter 39: Is this Fate?

"Do you think…" started Zelda as she and Link stood on the edge of the floating island in the center of the huge crater of where Hyrule Castle used to be seven years ago, "…. That Maiku got out okay?"

Link shook his head slowly, "No." he replied, "I don't think so."

"He's better off dead anyway!" Navi said, "He seemed like he wanted to die anyway."

"That's cold, Navi."

"I don't care. He was the enemy."

"Can't you see?" Zelda said, sympathetic for Maiku, "He really wasn't evil. He was just the vessel for the mask's will."

"What a load of…"

"Shut up Navi!" Link yelled, taking off his cap and swiping her into it, "You've become bitter over this whole ordeal. Can't you just have some remorse for Maiku?!"

"I understand that you want to think of Maiku as the enemy but he could've killed you both so many times. Can't you at least be thankful for that?" Zelda replied to Navi's comment, "He spared you both so that you can help him with his revenge on Ganondorf."

"What?"

"Well…" she was interrupted as an agonized cry filled her ears, Link heard it too. "What was that?"

"It came from the ruins of the tower."

"Do you think it could be…?"

"No…. he should be dead." He started to run towards the ruins, "But I'll check it out anyway."

"Be careful."

"Yeah, stay here, though." He continued to run towards the ruins, approaching a pile of rubble in the center of the ruins. The sound of pain filled groaning came from out of the pile. "Maiku?" The sound of harsh but steady breathing emerged from the rubble, answering his call. "Maiku, are you alright? Do you need any help? Answer me." A hand emerged from the pile, then an arm, reaching for the sides of the rubble to unbury its owner; then another arm, grabbing Link's throat and pulling his face towards the rubble. He pulled away and jumped back, "Zelda!!! Get to somewhere safe now!!!"

The pile of rubble exploded sending pieces of debris flying in different directions. "Hero…. Of Time….." he heard a familiar but now pained voice say through the dust, ".... Come…." The dust cleared, enabling him to see Maiku clearly. His tunic was ripped off, exposing his tightly muscled upper body. His skin was colored night black, but not the charred kind of black, and was bleeding a dark red with portions of black in it. His pants were ripped below the knees, showing the same pitch black skin underneath. It appeared that Maiku had become a walking shadow but still maintained a physical body.

"Maiku, you're alright?"

"Yes…. But you will no longer be soon enough…." He tightened his left hand and gathered energy into it. The energy extended and became a five foot long blade colored black and red. "What's the matter? Afraid to face destiny…?"

"It's always fighting…. nothing else. Why can't you stop this, Maiku?"

"Maiku exists no longer, Hero of Time."

"Then tell me, who are you?"

"I am the Shadow of Enmity, the incarnation of all negative power and emotions in Hyrule."

"…The spirit that was inside the Mask of Shadow? That's you?"

"Hmph, that prison? I was freed as soon as this vessel placed the mask on his face years ago."

"Is that what Maiku was for you? Just a vessel for you to control?!"

"The Vessel's hatred towards the man named Ganondorf was that thing that made him free me into him; it's his own doing…. I am the consequence. And now…. The person known as Maiku is still in this body, just aside from control."

"He welcomed you?"

"Yes, he was not as innocent as he appeared to be. He had a deep level of darkness in his heart before he came across me."

"Well, let Maiku go! Give him back his body!"

"But first you must give me the Triforce that's inside you. Free it and give it to me!"

"The Triforce inside me…? Is this what this is all about?"

"Now give it me, give me the second piece to the Triforce so then I can envelope this pitiful country into everlasting darkness and despair!!!!"

"No!" Link drew his sword, "I can't allow you to do that."

"So be it…." He growled, "…..  I'll just force it out of you then…." He bent his back bent forward as a pair of demon wings outspread to a length of 10 feet on each side. He shifted the position of his hand on the hilt of his sword and just glared at Link as he began to walk towards him slowly, almost menacingly.

"Maiku!" Zelda screamed, "Don't give in to the darkness! Fight it! I know you don't want to do this, fight the darkness… never let it control you!"

"Zelda!" Link yelled back at her, "What are you still doing here? Get out of here!"

"I can't leave! There's no way to!"

"Just stay back, alright!?"

"Link! Watch out!"

"Huh?" Link glanced back toward the demon that was Maiku and barely managed to dodge as the red and black blade was thrusted towards his body. He threw himself to the ground and watched as the blade rushed over him; the demon's red eyes were now flaring like the very fires of Hell. He widened his eyes as it (the demon) brought its hand down and grabbed the front of his tunic and lifted him above its head, its eyes still flaring and burning into his very soul.  He struggled to get himself free and out of the demon's grasp, "Let me go dammit!" He reared back his leg and kicked his captor hard in the chest.

He heard what seemed like a choked but echoed gasp from the demon and felt the firm grasp release from his tunic and he fell hard onto his back. He took the chance he was given and thrust the Master Sword into the body of the demon, it cried out in pain as the cold steel sliced into its heart and out of its back and surprisingly, it seemed weakened by the stab. It fell deeper into the blade, coming closer to Link even more than he'd want.

Its body became limp as it came to rest on top of him, "Too easy…" he said quietly, "It can't be dead… not yet… It wouldn't give up on life after this…" He rolled it off of him onto its side and withdrew the sword from the demon's body. Just as he expected, its body began to convulse violently as its body muscles began to expand. "No!"

Its claws became longer, and it seemed that its head was getting a mouth again… all at once its body began to glow in a dark red aura and then seemed to explode in a flash of light, causing him to shield his eyes. The light faded, and he found himself staring at the lower body of a monstrous beast. It seemed to be a mixture of a demon, and both Maiku's Zora and Hylian forms. Its massive legs appeared to be so powerful yet so graceful at the same time, its long and muscular arms had the same graceful appearance that its legs did. Even though its limbs were graceful, they were dangerous nonetheless…  

"I know that you're feeling tremendous pain, Maiku!" Link yelled, "I intend to help you with that, time to repay the debt!" He ran up to it, but it casually smacked him away. He landed on his side and rolled for about ten feet but he would not give in to die from such a simple attack. "Maiku!!"

He ran faster, the demon appeared to be ready but before it could react, he slashed into its chest. Surprisingly enough, it did fall, but it didn't die, it just… fell to its knees. A large beam formed from where Zelda was, he glanced over to her. "Link! I'm using my power to hold him! Please, save him!" she screamed at him, "He really doesn't want this evil in him, purify his soul!" She fell to her knees as she stopped the beam.

"Zelda! Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Smite his evil, for him and our futures! Seal his fate!"

"All right…" he walked up to the demon, "Well, I hope this really doesn't kill you, Maiku. You don't deserve death…" He raised the Master Sword above his head and hacked away at the demon, finally stabbing it through the chest. It let out a roar of agony and flailed around, when it finally stopped it fell to the ground and seemed to dissolve until the normal, bloody, Hylian form of Maiku replaced it, lying in a puddle of his own blood.

"L-Link…" Maiku groaned as he began to cough up blood, "Is that… you?"

"Yes…" Link grabbed his hand tightly, as if assuring the black haired young man that he was really there, "It is me."

He smiled, "I never thought I'd see you or Zelda again, being trapped in that evil body. It's good to see I didn't kill you."

"Maiku…" Zelda said as she approached them both, "You had no fault in it, it was the mask's doing."

"No, Zelda… It was my fault since the very beginning. I took the mask seven years ago, I killed the Happy Mask Shop owner, I killed all those people in Hyrule Town Market…. All because of my lust for power. I just wish that…"

"Yes?"

"I just wish that I can start all over again… with a clean slate, a new body…. If I can… I would like to be… With my Ruto again…."

"Stop talking like you are going to die, Maiku!"

"C'mon, Zelda… I really had no purpose here. You and Link are going to be fine without me… I was better off as a Zora, with Ruto, before Ganondorf killed her…" he opened his eyes wide, "…. I'd want everything to be reversed, but with me in a different place… a different life. I'd like to not be a cursed Hylian but rather I'd like to be a Zora…. again….." As he said his last word, he began to violently cough up blood. After it was over, he left his physical body as it was reduced to ether.