Chapter ten: Without Hope
Link held Zelda tightly in his arms, not wanting to let her go. She was similarly holding him tightly. The waves of evil that had eminated with Majora's return had been too much for her. And for Malon, Link realized as he looked over and saw her shaking also, sending small ripples across the lake.. Saja waded over to her and hugged her tightly. She put her face into his chest and sobbed, her body convulsing.
Darunia, who had sat down on the shore, still dripping wet, had huddled into a ball, and was not speaking. Only now had it occurred to him that Majora had the power to destroy all. And he would, for never before had he felt such waves of pure hate run over him. Even Ganondorf, or Volvagia did not even come close to the Lord of Terror.
Saja, still holding Malon to him, waded over to Link and Zelda. Very quietly, his voice cracking, he asked, "do you have any idea of where He is headed?"
Link wordlessly nodded. He knew exactly where Majora was going, and why. He had gone to finish the work that his mask could not. But now, with him fully regenerated, it would be simple.
"And if I am right in assuming so, we have to go," whispered Link. "We have to follow him, even if we cannot stop him. There may be no more hope for Hyrule, but we have to try. In being here, and within this group, our fate is tied to Majora. It can no longer be undone."
At this Malon sobbed harder. She would never go back to her normal life on the ranch. Not even if, by some miracle, they did manage to defeat Majora, which she knew would not happen. She had stepped into the world that she had feared for years, yet wanted to go into. Link's world. And now that she was inside it, and was tied to it's fate, she was not so sure if she wanted to be inside anymore. She wanted out, she wanted to go back to Talon, to just work for the rest of her days. But she would never see Saja again...
i But if I am so worried about not seeing him ever again, then is there something else that I see in him, other than just a mysterious man? /I
Her dwellings were interrupted when Link said "we must leave."
"Should we not warn–?" began Darunia, but Link interrupted him impatiently, turning his head toward Darunia. His eyes flashed as he spoke.
"Who?! Who do you want to warn? If we try to warn the King, we will have to travel all the way across Hyrule to tell him, and by that time Majora will have already begun his reign. If we try to warn Talon, the Zora's or the Goron's, we will have the same problem. We don't have a choice. We go alone."
Darunia was slightly taken aback by Link's outburst. Perhaps the realization that they were doomed was getting to him at last, if it had not been already. But if they were to take on Majora at all, should they not go and get someone other than just them? He was still for it, but knew better than to challenge his brothers will. When his mind was set, he knew what he was doing. Even in the face of mortal peril.
Link kept one of his arms around Zelda, helping support her out of the water. Malon let go of Saja with reluctance, and got out after them. Saja hesitated, unsure if they were making the right choice in going after Majora, then wordlessly started after them too. They had nothing left, but it was the only option they had.
After saddling the horses as best as they could while they were still in panic mode from Majora's resurrection, they led them across the small strip of land around the large lake. It was grueling work, painted with the worry of what was going to happen to them. Link especially knew of the intense power that Majora now wielded, after going head on with his wrath in Termina. These troubling thoughts, coupled with trying to lead two hundred pound horses across a shelf of land not two feet wide made it the most difficulty Link had experience since his duel with Majora back at Gerudo Fortress.
When they finally did manage to get the horses all the way to the opposite shoreline, they rode them out of Hylia Lake with haste. Out on Hyrule Field, they fell into tranquil silence. Somehow, words just could not explain what was happening. The poison of evil hung over them, and it was not comforting. Link stayed quiet. He did not know exactly why he wasn't telling the group that Majora was headed for Termina. All he knew was that certain information after what they had just witnessed might be too much to handle. He had to give it time.
Two long hours crept by in this manner, in which time they crossed Hyrule Field and reached the forest again. Dawn was creeping into the sky now, dim rays of light were shining onto the grass, as if they were tentatively coming out, making sure that the tyrant was gone. Link led the rest of the group in a wide detour around the woods, searching for the landmark tree on the edge of the forest that led to the path to Termina's gate. It was the tree he had followed years ago. The tree in question had grey bark rather than brown, most of the branches were bare, even in spring, and it was shorter than the rest. It stood out so much than the others that it was almost as if it was there on purpose, to lure weary travelers onto the path...
It didn't take long to find. Link spotted it first when they were a league from the Kokiri Village entrance. The tree had not changed since he had last laid eyes on it, though perhaps it was a bit taller now. He pointed to the tree, speaking for the first time since they had left Lake Hylia. "That tree leads to a path. That will lead us to Majora."
"If you don't mind me asking, where are we going?" asked Malon curiously.
"Yes, I'd actually like to know where Majora went as well," added Darunia, turning his monstrous horse to face Link. Link shifted uncomfortably. Everyone watched him silently, waiting for him to answer. After ten seconds of silence, he sighed, realizing they would not back down, and said "he went to Termina to destroy it."
Silence.
And then Saja exclaimed loudly, "why!?"
"Because," answered Link tiredly, "it is the land he was born in, and therefore, the one he hates the most. No doubt, his first failure enraged him so much that he wants to get the job done once and for all. I'm almost certain that he will achieve it. But we must see his tactics, and at least try to delay it."
Zelda stayed quiet. In her mind, this following Majora seemed suicidal, though she dared not say it aloud, or Link might get angry with her, which was the last thing she wanted. What the princess really wanted to do was go to Hylia City, warn her father, and get the royal guard assembled for the best possible defense against Majora's legion.
But then, she remembered, that Majora would simply wipe the royal guard away with a single spell. No ordinary warrior could stop him. She held her confidence in Link, herself, Malon, and perhaps Saja too. Darunia was a sage, so she confided in him, too. i So, /I she thought to herself, i we really are the last defense for Hyrule...and the entire world /I .
"So, we're going to Termina," stated Saja.
"Indeed," answered Link, guiding Epona toward the tree, and onto the dusty path.
The sun had risen by the time the gate to Termina had come into view. Link had led them on the same path that he had traversed so many years ago. He could remember every detail of the path, and had found no trouble. As they traveled deeper into the forest, it became increasingly quieter, and the pressure seemed to increase as they came closer to the parallel world.
When they finally reached the row of stumps that progressively rose higher and higher off the ground to the dark portal that led to the long drop into Termina, Link stopped the horses from their brisk trot, and stared up at the foreboding place.
He leapt off of Epona, and quickly tethered her to a nearby tree. "The horses can go no further," he informed them. "They must stay here until we...return."
He could tell that they were all thinking the same thing–that they might not be coming back from Termina at all. This weighed down heavily on all of them, as they gravely followed suit and tethered the horses. Malon took a few minutes to walk away from her horse, for it had been the one she had owned since she was ten years old. She was worried about leaving him here all alone in a part of the woods she had never been in. But she trusted Link's word, and eventually left the horses reluctantly.
They hopped the unnaturally huge stumps up to the doorway. Darunia had some difficulty here, but they managed to heave him all the way up, despite his bulk. They went through the black doorway.
When they had walked about ten feet inside, Link said "stop," very quietly. He turned to the others dark faces.
"This is where we are going to drop into Termina," he informed them. "It is not a very long drop, so just jump, and don't be afraid. If all goes to plan, we should land on a Deku Scrub plant. So, everyone, on my lead..."
They saw him stride forward purposefully, bend his knees, and jump. Zelda clapped a hand over her mouth as she saw him disappear from sight.
The familiar swooping sensation returned to Link's body as he hurtled downward, toward the dim light of the unknown place between the lands. He clutched his hat tightly so it didn't fall off. The ground rushed up quickly, and he landed down on the Deku plant. He bent his knees on impact so as to absorb the shock. He stood there for a few seconds, hunched over, making sure he didn't cramp anything by standing up too quickly, then looked up.
An entire row of black moblin's stood silently, their spears drawn out, watching the Hero of Time hungrily. They did not move to attack, nor move back to run. Link kept his eyes fixed upon them, his teeth gritted. If the others came down, they might be able to help him kill the moblin's, but he could not wait for them. At any moment, he could be rushed by them.
So, without shouting for help, he rolled to the left, drawing out his bow in mid roll. The black moblin's eyes stayed on him. Link jumped to his feet, getting out of his crouched position. His bow sprang up, and he released three arrows at once. They hit two targets, two of the arrows nailing one black moblin in the chest and leg, the other hitting another in the right eye. Roars echoed across the clearing, and the beasts charged the hero. Link put away his bow and wrenched his blade savagely from it's sheath.
"HYRULE!" he bellowed, diving forward into the solid wall of enemies.
All of them heard Link's yell come from down there. Saja glanced worriedly down at the dim light, but was unable to make out anything. It was simply too dank. He leapt off the ledge, sailing down toward Link's aid. As soon as he did this, Zelda readied her magic blasts. She was not going to fight as Sheik this time. Darunia rolled forward and sailed off the ledge. Zelda and Malon both looked at each other.
"Ready?" said Malon, her voice quivering as she drew out her dagger.
"No," was the princess's answer, "but let's go before I talk myself out of it. Let us hope that the skills I taught you come to use now."
Both women charged forward, and leapt off the edge, flying downward, screaming.
Link's blade flashed in the dim light cutting straight through a moblin chest. Blood sprayed from the flopping corpse, but he took no notice of this. Five moblins surrounded him, striking at his mid section. Ducking down low, he spun his leg around once, tripping them all. With some difficulty, he blasting a beam of magic from his palm, dragging it around the circle of tripped up moblins. The drain on his strength came suddenly from the magic, but he didn't care. He drove his sword forward, catching a moblin in the leg before it could bring its spear down on his head. The moblin to his right jabbed at Link's chest. He parried the huge wooden spear, and cut off the arm holding it. As the huge wounded beast fell before him, he leap frogged over it and landed down to face...
"Saja?"
Indeed, the guardian of the sapphires was there, both swords drawn, lethally sawing through multiple enemies faster than Link had thought possible. Insides flew everywhere, but he took no heed. Half disgusted and half fascinated by his skill, he ran forward, assisting in the relentless onslaught. Darunia soon appeared too, hacking through the enemies. By the time Malon and Zelda had landed down, all the moblins were dead, the quiet corpses leaking blood, limbs laying feet away, insides splattered everywhere.
Link, Saja and Darunia wiped their bloody blades clean on the ripped rags of the dead moblins. They were all slightly splattered in the sticky dark liquid.
"I suppose that was a barricade that Majora left," said Zelda. Link nodded. "Yes," he replied, "I expected as much. Like he would let us follow him without at least a few traps? Not him. He probably just created them out of thin air, too."
"Alright, lets move," interrupted Malon, repulsed by the smell developing over the bodies around them. They agreed, walking through the bodies, to the door that Link had gone through long ago. The door opened of it's own accord, and they walked inside.
They were in the room that had formerly been a bottomless pit, which Link had gone across by going from ledge to ledge as a Deku Scrub. Now, however, Majora had created a huge, magical bridge across it. The ledges were totally gone.
"He didn't destroy the bridge," said Link. He swallowed, and turned back to the others. "He's daring us."
"Nevertheless," added Saja, to remind Link of his duty. For a moment, it had dwindled slightly, after seeing that Majora did not care if they came after him or not. "We must continue on. Come."
Link just nodded, and he and Saja led the group all the way across the sparkling bridge, to the opposite end. Walking through the doorway, they entered the Clock Tower.
It was completely silent. The clock was no longer ticking. The many gears that made it up were shredded, and the water that had previously run through it was dried out...empty completely. Link sighed. "Up we go."
The group followed Link, knowing he was the only one who knew where to go. They ascended the ramp, all the way up to the huge door that led out to Clock Town. Link stopped in front of the door. His mouth was dry.
"Are we ready?" he asked reluctantly, wanting more than anything to turn back and flee to Hyrule, dreading what was beyond the door.
"Yes," they all murmured. Link ground his teeth together. He took his sword out, holding his shield in front of him. The others quietly slid their weapons out as well. With sweaty palms, Link pushed his shield against the door, and it swung open...
And they walked into hell.
Fire. Everywhere. Bodies, lying strewn across a completely desolate area. Clock Town was virtually gone. Majora had left the Clock Tower up. Link looked around. All that remained of the huge town was a big black crater, at which they were at the center. Boarding and shredded metal lay smoking in piles of ash, wood still burned freshly. And there were so many dead...lifeless eyes staring up at the heavens, as though hoping to be brought back. Link saw Anju, lying on her back, her hand clutching a bloody hole in her chest as big as a hubcap. Kafei was next to her, his arms around her neck. His legs were missing, and he had two holes in his head. Only a few feet away from them was the carpenter leader, who had previously refused to leave the carnival on the night the moon nearly destroyed Termina. There were hundred others, various people...even the little boys from the bombers gang, their pale, bloodless faces drained of all emotion and life.
Link seized his hair, and strode out of the doorway, biting back a yell of sorrow that was threatening to burst forward. He fell to his knees, punched the ground as hard as he could, bruising his knuckles, and yelled mournfully to the sky, which was now blood red. He lowered his head, his long blond hair falling over his blue eyes, brimming with tears. Everyone he had come to know...dead. Never to return to life. Malon bit her lip, feeling his pain. Zelda was getting tearful too, but held it back.
Saja ran out to Link, and grabbed him around the mid section.
"Link–"
" b i MAJORAAA!! /I /B " shrieked Link, screaming so loud he felt his voice might tear. " b i COME OUT! SHOW YOURSELF TO ME!! /I /B "
And there he was...floating high above the gigantic crater of death. He was smiling sinisterly, as though quite enjoying seeing Link's unbearable pain. His long white hair blew about in the wind.
"Oh, such a piteous form you are, Hero," he said, his high voice echoing in the desolate place. The red sky above him, where the clouds had just been unmoving, suddenly began to seethe violently. "I have torn this land apart. Did you have friends here that you would have liked to say goodbye to? Pity..."
Hatred welled inside Link like he had never felt before. A roaring fire erupted in his chest.
"And what a shame...such a land could have been useful in my rise to power," the terrible demon continued, heedless and uncaring of the raging man underneath him. He looked up at the sky. "But I felt as though this could severely injure your sanity. I suppose I was right." He laughed wickedly. "I have also destroyed the rest of Termina. Every part of it. Does that make you angry, Hero? Hope so..."
And now, along with the horrible hatred, the anguish of sorrow enveloped him at his words. i They died...because of me! /I he felt horribly responsible for everyone. Had he not moved quicker...he should have done something...
And then the hatred came back, overcoming the sadness. His eyes blazed so fiery green that everyone except he and Majora were blinded. Letting out a wild roar of rage, he released five magic arrows faster than he thought possible. They flew straight and true, but the arrows simply went straight through Majora. He laughed terribly at his pathetic attempts to hurt him.
The light faded from the Hero's eyes. He sank to the ground, his hands shaking. His bow dropped from his fingers, and he vomited onto the ground beside him. Saja tried to steady him, but the shock was too much for him. Link sank to the ground, utterly weary.
The last thing he saw before everything went black, was Majora flying to the ground, pushing everyone aside, and walking back inside the Clock Tower...heading back for Hyrule to do the final works.
