Chapter 31
With a shriek that trilled deep within the hearts of anyone that heard it, the Moblins surged forward, jostling with one another and snorting frantically. Their yellow eyes gleamed, narrowed slits of glowing energy. The Ganon possessed Zelda stayed behind, mouth open wide, liquid darkness pooling therein, as the King of Thieves howled with laughter.
"This truly is the end, isn't it? Darkness takes its rightful place, the filth and stench of light finally smothered." A lazy smile crept across Zelda's face. "Ah...do you hear? Do you feel? So sweet. Life crumbles and it tastes so sweet." Now she took on a pensive expression. "Why hadn't this occurred to me before, I wonder? A simple slave was that all I needed. Worry not...though it's hard for me to split my consciousness between my two puppets, I can feel my power returning; it's reached its zenith in Hyrule City, and soon it will follow suit here. Then...ah ha...then will you know pain...but first..." Zelda's head turned to the Hylian Chief. "Servion...hurt him...cut him...but leave him alive...I'll finish him off."
Link stood his ground, his fists clenched, his face set, the veins in his arms bulging. "Servion!" he cried over the din. "What is that thing?"
A flicker of doubt flashed over the Chief's face as he slowly backed away. "The Holy," he whispered, as though he were dazed. A gale of black energy whipped at their hair and clothes. "Come to smite the sinners...come to smite you, Demon."
"Obey me, slave," Ganon bellowed, his voice drenched with menace. "Engage the Demon."
The Moblins grew larger and larger in Link's eyes, their path slowed as they constantly toppled over one another, but still the former assassin stood firm, unperturbed. The Nonag...the Thief married to the original Zelda...the great evil every one hundred summers. Everything clicked. He jerked his head back towards the Hylian Chief, ignoring Ganon's words and the magic that tortured the air, crackling and popping. "You said you could draw it out?" he shouted. "How?"
Servion, his eyes blank, just simply shook his head, his fingers stroking the two pendants around his neck. "Smite the sinners...then, he'll reward me...yes, he will."
Anger erupted in Link's heart. "Tell me how!" he screamed. "Or the only reward you'll be getting is my sword in your throat." Even as the words left his mouth, the former assassin could feel his bond to the One dim. Deep inside he knew that he'd forgotten something, overlooked something terribly important. He ignored it.
Blinking, the light returned to Servion's face. "The Triforce of Power," he said, his hand curling around the said item, "With your mind and the Triforce you draw him out."
At last! Hope surged through Link's soul, filling him with a comforting light. He knew it! He knew the One would provide him with an answer! Hope lived! Grinning, his lips moving in hushed thanks, he turned to face the oncoming horde.
The Moblins were almost upon him now; somehow whatever dark magic that had brought them life also providing them with bows. Arrows, their lethal steel tips spinning, tore through the air, screaming like deadly curses.
Like a crack of lightening bridging heaven and earth, Link connected to the One, feeling the elements at his fingertips. He moved, his body like the wind itself, jerking this way and that, faster than an eye could follow, dodging the incoming storm. Time froze. The Moblins gaped, their bows empty.
Dropping the Black Sword with a clang, Link flipped his crossbow into one hand, the other pulling a scoop of arrows from his quiver and jamming them into his weapon. The world turned white, the twisted faces of the Moblins shrinking into pinpoint black dots.
"Now die," Link breathed. His arrows flew, pushed along with unnatural speed, jet black and burning, blurred scarlet light blossoming and collapsing with every press of the trigger. Razor sharp steel tore through one Moblin's head, green blood bursting free, another took one in the eye and screamed; yet another found his throat ripped apart, and one of his fellows staggered, then fell, skewered by two more arrows.
Hooking the crossbow back on his belt, and quickly picking up the Black Blade, Link shoved Servion through one of the exits into the passageway beyond and relative safety. Leaning close, he could feel his own eyes burn with fury. "Give me the Triforce of Power." He glanced down at the Chief's neck, saw the two ornaments swinging gently. "What's the other one?"
"The Triforce of Courage." Suddenly Servion pushed away, eyes flashing dangerously, and seemingly growing larger as some sort of resolve returned to his body. "You can't have either of them." Dark light glowed from the chains around his neck, the light in the passageway dimming, the temperature dropping. "They're mine. They'll help me. The Triforce of Power is my power...it saved my life, it brought me here safely, and it fills me with the strength to slay anyone in my path. All the sinners will be punished...I was meant to have them."
"Servion!" Ganon screamed from inside the chamber. A few of the remaining Moblins, now cowed from Link's display of power, peered into the corridor, engrossed with what was unfolding before them. "Attack him now! Then give me the pieces of the Triforce!"
Doubt crossed the Chief's expression once more, but only for a heartbeat before hate and determination took their rightful place. Steel sliced the air as Servion drew his Hylian sword, whispering, "You can't have the Triforce of Power."
His heart tight, Link felt molten rage flow through his veins. This selfish pig was stopping him from saving Zelda. Zelda. A vice like grip squeezed his chest harder than ever before, a taste of hot metal dropping on to his tongue. Zelda was all that mattered. Link swung the Black Sword into position, whipping the air like rhythmic heartbeats, and drew the Master Sword with his other hand. He knew two things: Ganon had yet to reach his full strength, and that the power of the Triforce prevented Link from attacking Servion with his crossbow.
Neither concerned him. He was a Boneyard Warrior. They didn't stand a chance. "Then," Link said, coiling energy into his body, "I'll just have to pry it from your lifeless fingers."
Guttural yells, born deep within each man's soul, flew free, the two fighters throwing themselves at the other, Servion driven on by the power of the Triforce, Link letting the One guide his movements. Blades danced, lightening quick movements weaving in and out as each man tried to gain an advantage, the shimmering clash of steel against steel ringing out in the narrow passageway, the flash of sparks dazzling.
Link closed his eyes, trying to reach out with his heart and pull the Triforce pieces towards him, rip them from Servion's neck and somehow use the wind to bring them to safety. His heart and soul pulsed as the focused all his energy in that direction, letting the rest of the world fade away.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, Link realised that there seemed to be some sort unseen barrier around the two pendants. Not having the time to dwell on why this would be so, the young Hylian continued his attack.
Servion split the air with his sword, the steel flashing orange, catching the light from the burning torches. Link dodged easily, and the Chief's blade cracked into a wall, bringing spinning sparks to life. The former assassin spun once, twice, his body a blur, the wind tugging at his cloak, the first arc a slice with the Black Blade, the second flashing silver as the Master Sword ripped the air.
Servion dodged the first, blocked the second, then pushed away, skidding as he tried to maintain balance. Steel careened against steel, bodies twirling, souls caught between fear and hope. Link's movements were precise, smooth, but his heart was desperate. Over and over his eyes would fly back to the Triforce of Power now swinging wildly from Servion's neck. He had to get it. He had to. Ganon's deep laughter from the chamber only reinforced his conviction, reminding him what had befallen Zelda. Zelda. An icy spike of fear pierced his soul.
Link flinched, momentarily lost in his thoughts, as the Chief cut downwards in a diagonal arc. The sword's glinted edge tore down towards the young Hylian until, with his shocked senses returning, he scrambled backwards, almost slipping. Once more, Servion's sword struck rock, and once more the blow gave birth to a hail of sparks, crimson starlight brought down to earth.
Undeterred, the Hylian Chief rode with the momentum, bringing the sword whirling around for another strike. Link, Black Blade crossed over the Master Sword, met the attack, feeling glowing embers of shorn metal singe his forehead. They stumbled, held in that position, each jostling for a way through. Link, sweat drenching his body as his heard pounded painfully against ribcage, realised that the Triforce of Power was not only protecting Servion, but also augmenting the Chief's skills. He'd just have to take a more direct route.
Link's knee plunged into Servion's stomach, winding him , their swords disengaging. Metal slashed, a cut aimed for the Chief's face, but Servion moved in a flash and, flipping his blade upside down, drove the hilt into Link's jaw. The young Hylian reeled, stunned.
Pouncing on the opening, Servion curved his sword in towards Link's head in a precise arc, the metal gleaming once again. Heart spiking, frozen, the young Hylian ducked at the very last moment, his hair catching the slice, then, with one foot in front of the other for momentum, thrust with his double blades, the Black Blade casting a dark shadow over the silver Master Sword.
Servion spun away deftly, then swung his sword up over his own head and then brought it screaming down towards Link. Like liquid lightening, the former assassin flung the Black Sword up, blocking the blow. They stood there, their arms trembling, their swords locked once more. Link felt the blood pump in his ears, felt the heat in his face. Teeth clenched so hard that his injured jaw ached, his eyes met Servion's, sky blue reflecting in chestnut brown. The stench of burnt metal hung in the air. A drop of sweat rolled over the Chief's eyelid, then dropped to the ground.
Zelda.
Link growled, his face twisting. He pushed with his sword, throwing Servion's arm in the air, and sending shooting pains into his own wrist. The Chief staggered back, shocked. In that briefest of moments, Link twirled, the air whipping around his face, and brought his other sword - the Master Sword - around, its sharp edge hurtling towards Servion's torso. Realisation blossomed in the Chief's eyes and he stepped back -
- too late. The Master Sword cut through his chest, a thin slice that brought blood to the skin.
Grinning, Link wanted to yell in triumph, his head spinning from the small victory. His connection to the One dropped instantly, like a stone hurled into a deep well, and he stumbled, disorientated. Seeing this, Servion wasted no time. The Chief, mouth splitting open in a victorious snarl, plunged his sword into Link's flank.
Spikes of pain hooked into his body as Link tore himself away, screaming. He stumbled away, more surprised than hurt. Biting down hard, he tried to stop the world from spinning, tried to stop his vision from flashing scarlet. What had gone wrong? Why wasn't the One helping him?
Servion stepped forward, pressing home his advantage, and swung yet again for the youngster's head. Black dots popping in his sight, Link still managed to have enough sense to duck, the motion sending more pain through his side.
Snarling, the Chief dropped to the floor, and brought his blade around towards Links legs. A split-second passed, and Link pushed with his soul. Finding the One in an instant, Link somersaulted backwards, flipping in the air, then landing with a slight stumble. He felt something warm and wet trickle down his stomach towards his hips.
There was no time to ponder that, though. Servion, his face creased with fury, leapt at him, sword at the ready. Letting go of his own swords, Link let himself fall onto the floor and, digging his elbow into the ground, swung around, his leg colliding into the Chief's shins, bringing him down in a heap.
Instantly Link's eyes funnelled in on the Triforce of Power dangling around Servion's neck, rising and falling in time with the man's breathing. Link lunged, re-energised by hope, the triangular ornament looming large in his eyes. Time contracted, the air shimmering like a smudged painting. His heart seemed to slow to a crawl, his mouth watering, as his fingers brushed against the Triforce and -
- the world flashed red, Servion's elbow smashing into his cheek. Link rolled away, tasting the sharp tang of blood in his mouth. He stood, heaving. Eyes narrowed, the young Hylian felt his muscles tremble. This was a man he'd once looked up to, obeyed, respected, even feared. A sour taste bubbled inside of him. Link was sick of him. He was sick of the pain this man had brought to him. Images burned across his mind - the day at the Meeting House, the hot feeling of being shamed, the Chief's gloating face the night he was betrayed, Mystral hanging lifeless, struck by one of Link's arrows. Mystral, Mystral, Mystral.
Something burst free deep within Link's soul, something hot, seething and wild. Link leapt, then rolled, then jumped, scooping his swords up from the ground.
Screaming, hate pumping the blood in his arms, Link swung, both swords curving towards his nemesis. Swords clashed, and Servion was thrown back by the sheer force of the ferocious attack. Still Link kept going, the heavy fatigue in his arms dissipating, the wound in his side just a dull throb. Metal chased metal, buzzing. On and on he pushed, the skin on his hands splitting, his lungs afire, his throat burning. Faces burst into his mind with every strike - Zelda, Mystral, Zelda. Come on, come on, come on! Blades blurred, sparks danced, steel sang; swing, parry, thrust following one after the other without a pause, a fluid symphony, a dance of death.
Link sliced downwards in a curve with both blades. Servion parried, whirled, and thrust at the youngster's head. Jerking his head back violently, Link saw the sword glimmer momentarily in front of his eyes, then kicked, his boot cracking the Chief's injured chest. Flipping forward, his arms like steel, he brought both swords speeding down towards Servion. A flash of the Chief's wide, fear stained eyes reflected in the polished metal for an instant, then Servion moved, the dark light of the Triforce giving him extra strength.
The twins swords split the ground, sending tiny shards of rock into the air. Link twirled them back up in a heartbeat. Digging his heels in, he spun once more, the blades flying in a sharp arc. Again Servion blocked, sparks spinning like molten drops of sweat. Hate still driving him on, Link continued to swing, one attack after another, but every single time he was blocked, the Chief being just a little too quick for him. Link pushed Servion through the entrance back into the chamber, bodies still swivelling, swords still swinging.
Heat made the air shimmer, black energy filling the chamber slowly, Ganon's perpetual laugh the only sound. With a roar, Servion drove his shoulder into Link's chest, shoving him back violently. The Chief backed off in an instant, leaving a good gap between himself and the younger man. Link sucked in a breath, his assassin eyes quickly evaluating the situation, his Boneyard heart soothing the rest of his overworked body.
Swinging his arms forward, Link let both swords fly free, twirling, sparkling steel tip over hilt. In a liquid-quick blur, the young Hylian leapt, somersaulting over Servion's head, then landing behind him, plucking both the blades from the air as they tore past either side of the Chief.
Whirling on his heels, Link slashed once with the Black Blade, cutting Servion's shoulder and spinning him around, then again with the Master Sword, sending a rain of blood flying from his nemesis' chest once more. A scream of pain burst free from the Chief as he fell back, his hand going straight to his wounds and coating his fingers with dark thick liquid.
"Oh...please do continue," Ganon snorted. A halo of dark magic billowed around Zelda's head. "So much entertainment. There's more to come when I finally make the world mine. Ah...I tremble to think...so much luxury...so much torture and delicious pain...so many men to be enslaved, so many sweet women and innocent children to be blighted." Sulphur mixed with the odour of long-dead flesh, left too long and rotten to the bone. " And to think...the one thing that kept me back from the world was a dust mote like you. You. You. YOU."
Out of the corner of his eye Link noted the remaining Moblins, still hesitant from their earlier defeat, watching with faint interest as Ganon swaggered wildly in the background. A flicker of black light made his heart jump -
- then Link ducked, as Ganon's dark magic, flying from Zelda's fingers in forked tendrils of energy, careened into the wall, obliterating it into dust and leaving the area beyond scorched. Panic made his mind freeze. The young Hylian ran, back bent, as Ganon trailed him with his magic, the walls bursting above his head, covering his neck with hot ash.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped, the air crackling from the aftershock. Link glanced up, saw Zelda panting, Ganon's energy spent. He wasn't limitless in his power, then. Seeing Zelda made Link's heart clench, as though it would burst. It hurt to see her like this. Hurt more than any strike from a sword. "Hold on, Zelda," he whispered. "Just hold on."
Finding Servion again, Link ran towards him, pausing only to drive the Black Sword into the ground. Now with only the Master Sword at his disposal, Link pushed himself on, spinning the blade, chopping the air above his head. Reaching the Chief, he whirled in for the attack.
Swords crossed, the metal clanging against metal. They held that position, their bodies shuddering, their knuckles turning white. Link took a step forward. Then another. Slowly, slowly, he raised his free hand, inching ever so closely towards the Triforce of Power. Servion, his eyes scrunched, was oblivious. Link's heart trembled in anticipation, his hand edging closer, closer, closer...the tips of his fingers reached for the carved wood. His soul leapt. His fingers touched the Triforce, then slipped because the surface was slick with blood, and then curled around -
"NO!" Servion snarled, shoving Link away. Before he could even react, Link was struck by a bolt of pure, dark energy, flying straight out of the Triforce of Power. A sharp jolt of pain vibrated through his body, his veins feeling as though they held iced needles instead of blood. Slowly, his body dangling, he was lifted from the ground, then hung suspended in the air.
Ganon's laugh boomed in his ears. Another blast of magic, this time from the King of Thieves himself, crashed into Link, throwing him against the wall with a wet crack. Fading fast and pinned against the hard surface, the young Hylian's head snapped back and forth violently as the black lightening crawled all over him, eating into his flesh and drilling into his bones.
"Such simple joy," Ganon crowed. "I'm amazed that you still have the fight in you. Your kind always had that extra spark that kept you all going, didn't you? Well, I had it, too...but this time, it's a blaze, and you are the firewood. You won't win. Give it up." Another laugh rang out as the dark magic began to fade.
Feeling all the air leave his lungs, his head spinning wildly, Link slid to the ground, every nerve in his body feeling as though it had been bathed in acid, then dragged in salt.
The very core of his brain pounded. Bile mixed with blood in his mouth. Wisps of smoke trailed off his tattered tunic. Again, no second assault came. Neither Servion nor Ganon, he realised, had complete control over the power they possessed. Link crawled, losing all sense of what he was doing and why as fatigue weighed down on his eyes, begging him to sleep, curl into the darkness and sleep.
Zelda.
Dragging himself painfully to his feet, Link tried to find Servion. Ganon was still laughing maniacally, though Link noticed a black whirlpool, small at first but steadily increasing, swirling around Zelda's hands. Clearly the monster was preparing for another attack - and a big one at that.
Sweeping the chamber with his eyes, Link finally found the Chief. He frowned. Somehow, Servion had made it to the other side of the chamber, Ganon and the now useless Moblins between himself and Link. No doubt whatever power the Hylian Chief had tapped from the Triforce of Power had enabled him to make such a quick escape.
Not that it would do him any good.
Link focused his heart on the One. A twinge bit his heart and he frowned. For some reason, his bond felt smudged, as though weakened. Shaking the thought away, he hissed as pain shook his body, then sheathed the Master Sword. He tugged the Black Sword free from where he had left it, then pulled his crossbrow, still loaded, free from his belt. He took one step, then another, then leapt, the wind making him soar. The Moblins squealed in panic, their bows at the ready. Link swooped over them, arms outstretched, then twirled around to face them, twisting left and right as the arrows spat from the ground. Flicking the switch on his crossbow, the familiar hum making his heart tingle, the former assassin fired, over and over. The wind coiled around him like a thick cloak, assisting him to glide smoothly, curving over his enemies. Each of his arrows hit home, and the Moblins fell one by one, gurgling with pain.
Link landed, his back to Servion, then swung his arm around, aimed, and fired, his very last arrow ejecting in a ball of glowing flame. His soul flew along with the arrow, curling around the wood, guiding the steel tip exactly where he wanted. He hoped, begged, that the Chief would be too surprised to use the Triforce to deflect the attack. Servion expanded in his mind's eyes, the Chief's throat getting closer and closer and...
With a ringing snap, the arrow broke the chain around Servion's neck, sending the two Triforce pieces flying. Puzzled, Link knew that he had directed the shaft to go through the man's throat, but somehow, yet again, he'd failed. There was little time to dwell on why that was so. Eyes flashed, and his heart skipped as he saw the Triforce of Power laying peacefully on the ground. His limbs shrieking in pain, Link threw himself forward, his hands grasping desperately -
- then screamed as Servion's sword, sent flying by its owner, sliced through his ankle. Link felt the blood, felt the sharp pain like jagged glass thrust into his leg, but ignored it, biting down, his eyes fixed on the Triforce of Power. Behind him he heard energy crackle, and knew that time was running out. Why was this happening? Where was the One?
The sacred artifact caught his attention once more. His breath now ragged gasps, he forced his muscles to move, move, move! Letting the Black Sword go, Link slid across the ground, dirt flying into his mouth, his hand closing around the Triforce of Power and -
- a boot appeared in his vision, kicking the Triforce piece away. Both Servion and Link whirled around, watching as it skidded around the floor, then spun to a stop. They threw the briefest of glances at one another, then leapt, fingers touching -
- and sent the Triforce of Power pirouetting out of their grasp once more.
Ignoring the pain in his ankle, Link jumped up, his fingers curling. There was no way he would get the Triforce of Power so long as Servion lived. The muscles in his arm tensing, Link swung with his fist. Servion dodged, but then connected with a punch of his own. Link felt a tooth fly loose in his mouth, blood following it in hot, metallic spurts, and he hesitated, dazed. Another punch came crashing into his face, splitting the skin above his left eye.
Acting completely on instinct, crimson liquid flowing into his eye, Link feinted left, making the Chief flinch, then drove his right elbow into Servion's face. As the elder Hylian tumbled backwards, Link struck with a kick, then flew with a flurry of punches, each crack satisfying the raw emotion in his heart. Finally Link shoved, pushing Servion away from him. He heard energy buzz behind him, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood. He took a step forward, then curled his hands around Chief's tunic, bringing his face in closer.
"Don't you know," Servion snarled. His fear-struck eyes glanced down, searching, as his boots scrambled to regain some footing. Link remained firm, his fingers burning from how tightly he was holding on. "You belong to me. Your life is mine to do with as I please. The One has decreed it."
A shadow fell across the both of them, its form swirling. Link swallowed, knowing that he needed to be razor-sharp in his timing. He could feel the Chief's heart pound under his fingers, could hear his breaths escape, raspy and shallow. Another sound came to him, too, detected only by his heightened senses; faint, a soft whine that was growing steadily. "You know nothing about the One," he said, his voice low. The air behind them stunk with the stain of sulphur. "You're nothing in His sight."
Servion's face twisted with fury. "How dare you!" he bellowed. "He loves me and I love Him. I am His Chosen One; His instrument to wipe out sinners such as yourself and restore glory to the Hylians." He cocked his head to one side, grinning. "Do you know what one of His rewards his? I get to pick who I can punish and who I can enjoy as my slave. Well...as for punishment...I've been watching you for a long time, Link, and you certainly are drowning in the misery of your sins. You should thank me that I exiled you from the people - now you pay for your sins in this life and not the next. Thank me, boy...kiss my feet and beg me for forgiveness." He jerked his face forward. "As for a slave...welll...I've also been watching your sister for a long time." He licked his lips, leering. "A very very long time."
Link felt his hands and face tremble. He so dearly wanted to tear the smile from the Chief's face. But...no...he had to just hold on for a few seconds more. The whine had increased now, ringing in his head and making the very air shake. "You're a slave to your worthless ego, Servion. A child that needs toys just to make himself happy." He felt his neck tingle as energy tickled his skin. "I'd leave you to that fate if I could, because you'll have an empty life, always unsatisfied, always trying to lose yourself in childish delights. But, I can't...only because you'd use others to satisfy your sick desires. And for that." Link''s eyes blazed. "You should just simply die."
"Stupid boy," the Chief spat. "Stupid boy with a stupid sister. She didn't know what was good for her, she didn't know what she was giving up when she turned me down."
A muscle in Link's cheek twitched. This wretch had tried to marry Mystral? "She knew," he said, his teeth clenched. The air was now sizzling. Link's heart skipped a beat. "She knew she'd rather live alone for the rest of her life than marry dung like you."
Servion's hands curled around Link's wrists as he struggled to free himself. His eyes glanced to the Triforce of Power lying forgotten by their feet. "Say what you like, sinner. Do you know the difference between the righteous and wrongdoers? The righteous, like myself, always manage to stay two moves ahead of wrongdoers like you."
Link's grip tightened. Dark shapes flashed on the wall ahead of him, dancing, increasing in their frantic pace. The noise had become a roar, vibrating in his teeth and bones, and pounding at his head. "Well, do you know what this is?" he said, grinning. "This is the endgame."
Link dropped to the floor, letting go quickly, as Ganon's magic shot through the air. It hit Servion with full force, flinging him against the wall. The Chief's head flew back, an animal like scream tearing from his mouth. The young Hylian watched, his mouth agape, his heart recoiling in horror. Servion's skin peeled away from him, his flesh roasting and falling away. His skeleton then turned white before turning black and dissolved into ash, leaving only the burnt outline of a man against the wall. A few remaining embers of magical energy, floating aimlessly, sputtered for a moment, then dissolved into the air.
Letting out a laboured breath, joy and relief flooding his soul, Link picked up the Black Sword and the Triforce of Courage with one hand, and then scooped up the Triforce of Power with his other. He curled his hand around the latter, ignoring the bite of its sharp edges, and taking comfort in its solid reality. Slowly, pushing away the aches of his protesting body, Link turned to face Ganon.
Zelda's coal-black eyes were wide with shock. "No," Ganon gasped, stepping back. "No, not this time. I cannot fail this time."
Link stumbled onwards, dragging his damaged foot behind him, his eye swollen and throbbing. A line of blood followed him, his cloak trailing in the dark liquid. He pierced the Ganon-possessed Zelda with an icy stare. He held the Triforce of Power ahead of him so that, in his eyes' line of sight, he could see both the sacred artifact and Zelda.
"NO!" Ganon screamed, black bolts flinging from his fingers. One caught Link on the shoulder, tugging him to the side and making him stumble. Another blast came. And another. But Ganon's power was spent now, and though each blast burned into his skin, forcing him to take a unsteady step backwards every time, Link kept on coming. "So close," Ganon cried. "This time I was so close."
Link felt blood seep in between his teeth. "It's over." He pushed with soul, using the Triforce of Power as a focal point, as a myriad faces danced in his eyes - Kisho, Fran, Harlequin, the Teacher, Sheik, Mystral, Zelda. Forcing his heart, his entire being, his love into the sacred artifact, Link harnessed the energy that it contained. Luminous blue light burst out of the Triforce of Power, bathing the whole chamber in an azure glow. "Over."
The City of Gold shook, cracks appearing in the ceiling, clouds of rubble tumbling down as a result. A wave of incandescent energy poured out of the Triforce of Power. The King of Thieves roared as it surged towards him. Ganon's face raged, black magic billowing, but then the bright light engulfed him, leaving him submerged, his howling protests dying away into an anguished gurgle.
Link closed his eyes. Zelda.
Pure happiness washed through Link's soul, his skin tingling, warmth coiling around his heart as the heavy burden finally lifted from his back. He heard soft sighs echoing around the chamber, the wave of light doing its work in a gentle, soothing manner. Over. Truly over. A tear rolled down his cheek. Zelda.
His eyes flung open - and a jolt pierced his heart, bringing cold sweat to the skin. Twin beams of crimson energy shone out from within the churning melee. Before Link could even realise what was happening, crackling magical bolts slit through the shimmering, blue wave, hissing as they cleaved the glowing barrier, and struck his hand. He screamed, seeing his fingers glow scarlet, the bones beneath visible for just a heartbeat.
A white flash flooded the chamber, stinging his eyes. When his vision returned, he saw a smoking pile of ash sitting on the palm of his hand.
One scream of joy, bloodcurdling in its horror, burst forth from the King of Thieves. "At long last...darkness triumphs!"
Despair prodded at the corner of Link's soul, threatening to grasp his heart, dig its claws in, and drag it screaming into the depths. His entire body felt numb. Some of his muscles spasmed. His fingers twitched, once, then again, then found something solid, angular and sharp. His stunned mind went blank until, after a moment's thought where scattered memories rearranged themselves, Link realised exactly what it was. His other hand still held the Triforce of Courage.
As though a bolt of lightening had seared through his heart, Link found himself cleared of every hint of his own self. All his frustrations, all his fears, all his doubts and desires melted away, leaving only crystal clarity in their place.
Ganon, cackling loudly with near hysterical laughter, walked forward, black light pooling around his head. He swayed from side to side, as though drunk on his victory. "It's over, boy," he taunted, Zelda's lips curled into a twisted grin. "Do you accept the truth now? Do you see? Do you see who was right along? Do you accept?" His voice grew and grew, building to a frenzy. "Bow before me!"
Link hung his head, his fingers tensing, ready. "I accept," he whispered.
Flinging his arms out, Ganon threw back his head and laughed, a shrieking howl that vibrated through Link's head. Dark energy crackled around around Zelda's body; Link flinching from the sparks, knowing it would be impossible to get close.
And then the creature froze. The muscles in Zelda's face tensed, pushing against her skin, as though a struggle was taking place. "You..." The voice changed, dropping to a softer tone. Link's heart lurched, recognising his friend. "...don't deserve...your life...at the cost of so many..." Despair returned as the demon took over. "...die, you wench...die, die, die!"
Link saw it then, the chance he'd been praying for. Ganon had slipped, Zelda's act of defiance distracting him enough that he'd dropped his guard and left himself open. Hope lived! Pressing the Triforce of Courage against his palm, Link pushed with his soul, connecting to everything around him, his bond with the One renewed, stronger than ever before. Drawing all the energy of life, his body a pulsing conduit of light, he then sprang into the air, twirled, bringing the Black Blade swinging around -
- and drove the sword straight through Zelda's body.
Shock exploded on her face. She gagged once, twice, the dark light in her eyes fading. Her mouth opened, as though Ganon wanted to speak, but the shadow that had twisted her features shimmered, then cracked, then sloughed off her body.
Zelda sagged, knees buckling, then slowly slid down the length of the trembling blade, coming face to face with Link. He stared at her, forcing his jaw to stay still, pushing his tears away. She looked up, the black sheen in her eyes dissipating completely, replaced by a glittering blue. Link thought, at that frozen moment in time, that she was the most beautiful person in the world.
Zelda coughed. "Link," she whispered, her voice scratchy.
They sank to the ground in a heap, their eyes still locked, Link still clinging onto the ebony sword. "I'm sorry," he gasped, desperately trying to keep his voice from cracking. "I broke my promise. I'm so sorry."
"Did we...did we win?"
Link's voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. "You won. You stopped him long enough so that I could..." The words died in his throat as tears took over.
Her eyelids fluttering as her soul fled from her broken body, Zelda caught him with one last intense gaze. "Smile for me, Link."
Finally her eyes closed, her head dropping to one side. Link, letting go of the blade at last, curled his fingers around hers, bringing his head to rest on her lap. They remained there, entwined in destiny's embrace, no flash of lightening signifying the end of the battle, no profound change in their surroundings indicating that anything momentous had just occurred. Resting in a pool of blood, all was silent, an eerie emptiness in the air. All was silent...save for the soft weeping of a heartbroken young man.
A/N: No spoilers in reviews, please. Thank you. Final chapter next!