"How many days has it been, Link? I'm tired of this...I can't stand this. You say it's only been three days? Of course, it always will be...
...I'm sick of it, and I know you are, too. We know what happens while we try to help someone. We know what happens while we're within yet another dungeon.
...The old lady is getting mugged.
...Kafei dies.
...The ranch is pillaged.
...But we both know we can't be in two places at once. We help them, only to set back the clock once more and become yet another uncaring passerby. It's hard."
(Tatl)
Chapter 4
"A Reunion"
Link's eyes slowly opened, his head was beating like a drum. He held his head and groaned, "Ow...what hit me?"
Link's eyes adjusted and he saw someone before him, Link squinted, and as his vision cleared, Link jumped back with shock.
The person in front of him walked up to him, it leaned in to reveal Saria's face. A much more adult looking Saria, she no longer had the body of a 10 year old, but a young teenage girl. Saria spoke, her voice more mature, "Link..."
Her eyes watered as she cried, she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank Nayru you're still alive! I've brought you back just in time!"
Link didn't know what to think, "...what...what happened to you?"
Saria held Link close, "So, you've noticed? I...I left the Kokiri Forest so I could...so I could..." Saria let go of Link, she shook her head, "No, don't worry...it's nothing."
Link shook his head, "What do you mean, 'it's nothing'? You left the forest!"
Saria cried, "It was for you, Link. You've been gone for six years. Six long years..."
"Six years...?" Link repeated this to himself, "Where's Zelda!"
Saria looked extremely hurt,
Even after all I've sacrificed, he still loves her?
"Zelda...she..." Saria couldn't get the words out. Link grabbed Saria, shaking her, "What happened to her?" Saria sobbed quietly, "She...Zelda went insane. She's killed a lot of people, Link. She's torn Hyrule apart, looking for your killer ever since everyone thought we'd lost you forever."
Link couldn't believe what he was hearing, "The sages...what about the others?"
Saria looked down, "They were all killed. Zelda did it."
Link was speechless. He couldn't believe any of this. How could this happen? This must be a dream.
He glanced at his hands, he finally noticed that his sling was gone, his arm had healed. He didn't have the bandage wrapped around his head anymore. But he didn't think about this for long. "I'm going after her!" Link said, getting up and running for the exit. "...Link! Don't! Please!"
Link disappeared through the broken doors leading to the outside world. Saria collapsed to her knees, "...I love you..." Saria whispered, even though Link wasn't there to hear it.
The Hyrule before him was in even worse shape than the Hyrule of Ganon's reign. Everything was in shambles. The sky was dark. There were no stars, no sun, no moon. You couldn't tell what time of day it was.
Link looked around, he saw a small sword impaled into a skeleton. The skeleton was hanging on the side of the building. The bottom portion of the skeleton was either severed off or had fallen off during its rotting period. Link grabbed the hilt of the sword and yanked it free, the sword was rusty, but it was still in one piece. The skeleton, with nothing holding it up, fell and crumpled at Link's feet.
Link quickly picked a random direction and ran. He didn't know what he would do if he found her, he wasn't even sure if he would, he just ran.
He passed house after house, and each told the same story, Death.
Finally, as he reached a part of town he'd never seen before, the killings looked more recent. The smell was so strong, Link gagged on it. The ground was soaked with blood. Link tried not to think about it too much.
As he passed yet another bloodied house, he heard something. Link readied himself and entered the tattered ruin that used to be a home.
Inside he saw signs of a fresh kill, there were two bodies before him with severed heads. The saddest part was, they were only infants. Across the room was the parent, Link couldn't tell for sure, because all he saw were shreds of flesh and bone, along with clothing.
Link backed away from the sickening sight. That was when he heard that noise again. It was like a brushing of cloth, followed by a soft creak.
Link slowly turned and he stumbled back in shock, he backed up into a wall. There, before him was the mother of the house, she was hanging on the wall, pinned to it by a knife through her head. Blood dripped from the open wound. The body was swinging lightly in the awful death filled breeze. The knife creaked softly as the body swung, the blade holding fast to the wall. The cloth of the victim's tattered clothes brushed against the wall. The victim's mouth was hanging open, her eyes open as well. She died screaming.
Link fell on his knees and threw up.
This was something that would even make Ganondorf sick to his stomach.
Link stumbled out of the house, taking heavy breaths. Was Zelda really capable of doing something like this?
There was a clatter of footsteps coming from an alley across from him. There, he saw one small figure running past, along with another figure slowly stalking it.
Link, grasped his sword tightly and ran towards the scene, as he neared, however, Link slowed down.
Link listened. The steps were frantic. Then as soon as Link built up his courage, he rushed in.
"No...Please!" a young boy's frantic cry echoes down the alley. The boy was running from something. There was fear in his eyes. He was covered with blood. His eyes were wet from crying the entire time. Behind him, a figure in a cloak walked lazily after him, a dark silhouette of his death.
The boy ran into a dead end. He clawed the wall frantically, crying and sobbing. The figure behind him stopped. The boy turned around his eyes widened, "Please...Princess Zelda, don't!" The figure removed its hood to reveal Zelda's face. There was nothing but insanity in her eyes. She spoke, "Don't beg. I know you did it. You killed him. You killed LINK!"
The boy curled up into a ball, sobbing "No, please! I didn't!"
Zelda grinned evilly, "And now...you shall die along with everyone else who took my future away from me."
Another dark shadow appeared behind her, the shadowy figure's eyes glowed with a fierce red. It wasn't Hylian. It was some sort of monster. Its wings spread as it growled menacingly. The boy whimpered again. Zelda said slowly, coldly, "You shall die for you crimes against Hyrule."
She glanced back at the monster behind her and said in a cutting tone, "Volvagia, Kill!"
The boy screamed. Volvagia lunged.
Blood...
Darkness...
The blood dripped slowly, splattering onto the cobblestone-lined ground. There was a slow gurgle that broke the silence. The boy looked up slowly. There, in front of him was Link. Link had his blade jammed through Volvagia's throat. Link planted his boot on the dragon's belly and booted the dragon loose from his sword.
Volvagia fell before Zelda with a loud thud, dead.
Zelda looked down at her fallen companion, and then her eyes slowly took in an image she thought she had lost forever.
Zelda spoke softly, "...Link?"
Link looked at her, he took in what Zelda had become, a murderer. Had she kept this killing up for six straight years?
Zelda dropped a knife she was carrying, "You came back to me..."
Link pointed his weapon at Zelda, "Stay back." Link said with the same spiteful look he gave Ganondorf.
Zelda gave him a absolutely confused look, "What? Why? Do you have to go away again! Is that boy making you go away again! I'll kill him, Link! I'll save you, Link!"
The boy held on to Link, hiding behind him, trembling in fear.
Link held the kid close with his free hand, "No...I-"
Link was interrupted as a gust of wind blew in from nowhere. Leaves were suddenly abundant, blowing every which way.
And there, in the middle of all the commotion, Saria appeared. She extended her palm at Zelda and yelled, "Get Away!" Blowing Zelda back with a quick gust of wind, followed by a flurry of forest leaves. Saria ran towards Link, "C'mon! We have to go now! Take my hand!"
Saria extended her hand, running towards Link as Zelda stood back up, fury in her eyes. The boy held on to Link tightly, closing his eyes as the leaves blinded him. Zelda crossed her arms and a small, but intensified ball of fire formed in front of her, "No one will take Link away from me again! NO ONE!"
Saria and Link touched hands, just as Zelda unleashed her spell, Din's Fire.
A split second before Din's Fire hit, Link, Saria and the boy disappeared in a bright green flash followed by a quick flurry of leaves.
As the leaves slowly fluttered to the ground, Zelda, with pure fiery hatred in her eyes, stood alone.
