Here's my little Christmas present to you: the last chapter of "The Final Adventure", at double the normal length!
If you like the romance scene, be sure to drop Angel of Atonement a compliment or two! Without him, you'da gotten my crappy little effort at fluff. Angel of Atonement BETAed the romance scene and made it better by tenfold! Or more! So thank him, 'cause if not for him and his effort (on Christmas Eve, nonetheless), there would be no fluff in the final chapter!
Merry Christmas, everyone. Hope ya have a good one!
Chapter 24: In Accordance to Fate
Link nimbly dodged the barrage of arrows that was launched at him from above. Persephone was relentless, and her blows were full of anger. There had to be some reason for that. If Link could pinpoint it and manipulate it, perhaps he could even the odds a little.
"Persephone! Why do you attack with such hate?" the hero inquired as he set his shield to arm and blocked several of the arrows. Hermes fluttered nearby and watched the scene, judging whether or not to intervene. He held his sword gingerly at the hilt and rested the long blade in his opposite hand.
"My hate is justified," Persephone spat. "Hermes has embraced his destiny, but I never asked to become one of the guardians to Purgatory. You cannot honestly presume that I had no other plans for my life than to sit within the walls of this abyss and watch as souls slowly decay."
Link winced. Destiny? He knew all too well how cruel fate could be. To its clutches he had lost his dearest friend twice, and nearly two more times. "You were chosen for your skills, weren't you?" he assumed. Persephone tightened her grip on her bow and set another arrow. "You distract me, villain!" she cried. "Fight, lest cowardice lie across your frail heart!"
Hermes plunged from the sky and struck repeatedly at Link. The boy parried every slash while holding his shield up in defense of Persephone's arrows. The time between Hermes' attacks lessened until the strikes blended together. Link pushed against his foe's sword and leapt backwards. A shower of arrows rained down where he stood moments ago. Hermes took to the skies again.
As long as they can fly like that, there's no beating them. Every time I attack, they can get out of reach easily, Link thought. How could he win against such a tactic? He smirked. I'll just have to fight on, he decided. He pulled Din's Fire from his pocket and struck it against the ground. A sphere of flame stretched outward and enveloped the two airborne fighters. However, they seemed unfazed.
"We live here in the perpetual fires of this land," Persephone reminded, "so you can't harm us with such magic."
"Why is it that you stay here?" Link questioned, returning to his first idea. "Why can't you just go through the gate and live in Skybound like everyone else?"
"Destiny decreed that our ancestors and descendants will forever keep watch over Purgatory. I doubt the people of Skybound even remember us," Hermes explained before Persephone became too riled. Melancholy drifted upon his voice. It was obvious that he too had wishes to return to the city in which he was born and live the life he dreamed of in younger days.
On the sidelines, Kaze and Lor watched and listened intently. "Destiny's called to them as well," Lor murmured sorrowfully. He never wanted to leave his home, a place that had always provided him with perfect comfort and happiness. However, the harsh hand of fate had thrown him into Hyrule to fulfill an adventure. Not once had he desired to travel or fight, but here he was now…
Steel clashed on steel as Hermes resumed the battle. Persephone floated to the ground and pulled out a thin rapier. Link cringed. Great, he mused. At least with the arrows I could just hold up my shield and concentrate on Hermes… He suppressed a cry of pain as Persephone's rapier struck his flesh. Crimson was already staining the emerald fabric. Quickly he located Nayru's Love and made himself a protective barrier. He then pulled out his bow and a quiver of arrows. Link concentrated on ice arrows and fired the freezing projectile at Persephone.
The chilling ice crawled up her legs and arms and wings, forbidding her from running, attacking, or flying away. With Persephone taken care of, Link turned his full attention to Hermes and pulled out the Megaton Hammer. He pounded at his opponent as swiftly as he was able with such a weighty weapon. As Hermes prepared to soar upwards, Link's hammer caught his sword and broke it in two.
The ice binding Persephone shattered and she stepped forward to stand beside Hermes. "You fought well," she complimented, "far better than I expected of you. I would say that he has earned his passage into Purgatory. Would you not agree, Hermes?"
"Agree I would, my friend," Hermes nodded. They stepped aside and allowed Link to proceed but came together again when Kaze and Lor attempted to follow. "Only he has proved himself of pure and noble heart and mind," Persephone said. "Worry not, though. No harm can come to anyone within this dismal place, lest it be our cause."
Link gazed ahead. There was a steep mountain before him. A warm wind stirred his saffron bangs from the infinite oceans of his eyes. Faceless marionettes wandered around him, sometimes even through him. Here or there was someone he actually knew from one point in time or another. Mikau drifted past, as well as Darmani and Kinan and even Ganondorf. Those that he knew cast Link a wistful glare as he ascended.
These people were not his reason for the long and arduous journey he had pursued, though. He did his best to ignore them and concentrated on the path ahead. The mountain seemed to continue upwards for an eternity. The trail became impossibly steep, so the hero dug in his heels and hauled himself towards his goal. The rocks creaked and crumbled, threatening to give out any moment. Still Link pressed on. He had spent so long in her company that he just couldn't bear the thought of giving up and suffering a life without her at his side.
To strengthen himself, Link imagined her voice ringing in his ears like a bell of the finest crystal. He imagined her eyes, shining like the brightest stars man could ever turn his eyes upon. He tried to feel her warmth and the comfort of her presence within himself. Such thoughts only drove him to climb faster and with more determination. Link's boot slipped against a rock, and he clung to the surface for fear of the fall. He had come too far to turn back. Even if he fell, he would set out anew to reach the height of the mountain.
Finally his hands grasped the ledge. As Link was hauling himself into an upright position, he felt a weight shift in his pocket. With a gasp he flung his hand into the depths of his tunic and dug around for the small black orb that was so vital to his success. He breathed a sigh of relief when his fingers found the Dark Crystal, but his stomach gave a sickening lurch as the sphere slipped from between his fingers and plummeted to the base of the mountain.
With a shout of shock and terror, Link propelled backwards and extended a hand in hopes of catching the item. His fingers—oh, curse those clumsy fingers—curled around his prize. Link turned around as quickly as he could manage and grasped at the rock with all her was worth. His descent slowed and he stabilized himself.
"Way too close," Link muttered, gasping for breath.
It seemed like a lifetime before Link once again found his destination. He scrambled onto the ledge cautiously. He gazed upon the surface of the plateau in awe. In the center was an altar, and before the altar was a pedestal. The altar was constructed with stone pillars that supported marble beams. In the middle was what appeared to be a sacrificial table. Above was a swirling red cloud like that of Death Mountain during a time of eruption. Link shuddered and approached the pedestal. Upon it he placed the Dark Crystal.
"Fires of Purgatory, take this soul and return to me that of Hieke," he whispered as he closed his eyes. The ferocious winds died down and the air stilled. The souls below ceased their murmuring and watched with cold eyes. Link held his breath and dared not look. The tiring climb had made him somewhat cynical about the prospects of this working. A deeper part of his mind, however, begged to the Goddesses that his desire be fulfilled.
A light filled the altar, unbeknownst to Link. The light began to take form as the Dark Crystal glowed with fiery radiance. The glass fractured and split in half, and Dameus' soul drifted down to join the ranks of the others. The form lying upon the altar solidified and took a strangled gasp of air as a golden light joined the soft white brilliance. The glow faded away and left the body of a certain Hylian girl.
Link opened one eye curiously and cried out joyously at what he saw. There she was.
Hieke.
She was sitting upon the altar, staring at her hands. She was clothed in a white gown and her flaxen locks framed her slender face without the hindrance of her normal braid. She turned her gaze to Link with, strangely enough, sky blue eyes that shone like the sunlight.
The green-clad hero was currently far too jubilant to be concerned with something as petty as the color of her eyes, however. He collapsed to his knees upon the altar and took Hieke into his arms. Link stroked back her golden hair and rested his chin upon her shoulder. The girl, cradled in his embrace, buried her face into Link's tunic and cried for both delight and dread. She had no doubt that the horrors of Purgatory would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"Link…" Hieke whispered.
Link's heart leapt at the sound of her voice. It was far more beautiful than he could have ever imagined in his mind.
"Hieke… I missed you," he smiled as he pulled away from the girl's body to behold her face. His gaze was drawn to her eyes, which had once been the brightest amber, but were now a closer reflection of his own. He caressed her cheek with his hand as he studied the light blue crystals that shimmered in her orbs. They almost seemed to glow. It was truly entrancing, only adding to the beauty that he had grown so fond of, though a part of him still worried about the cause of this sudden change.
"I…" Link began. He was struggling to say what his heart screamed at him to reveal. "…missed you," he repeated, his eyes suddenly locked to the stone table.
Hieke had a brief look of disappointment on her face, but it was quickly replaced by a smirk that went unseen by the boy, who could suddenly no longer look straight at her. She leaned forward and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Really?" she murmured. "I didn't miss you at all."
Link snapped backwards with an expression of shock, leaving Hieke's grasp for the first time since his love's revival. The blonde girl laughed and rested her weight on her hands. Link frowned, but an understanding and joyful smile soon surfaced from beyond his bitter disposition. He titled his head forward with a confidence he hadn't before known he would have. Hieke's motions mimicked his own and their long awaiting lips met for the very first time. They both shared a beautiful feeling of joy and contentment, even though it only lasted for an instant.
Link drew back and stood, sliding off the table and offering a hand to Hieke. She accepted his aid, her face a light crimson.
The girl stumbled forward into Link's arms but he caught her and held her close. Their heartbeats still raced from the feeling they had expressed just moments before. Hieke was still a bit unsteady from having to start using her body all over again.
Link gazed down the mountain with a sigh. He lifted Hieke from the ground gently and tapped the blue crystal in his pocket that was Nayru's Love. An azure prism of light slowly formed around the two. Link approached the ledge and crouched momentarily, then leaped forward and began plummeting towards the ground. It seemed that they were going to hit the ground full force, but the protective barrier did its job. Their descent rapidly slowed until Link's feet touched the earth. The barrier then dissolved.
Carefully Link set Hieke down, despite the fact that all he really wanted was to continue holding her. She continued to cling on to his arm with her eyes still closed. Link softly kissed her forehead and she opened her eyes to look up at him.
"I'm sorry I let this happen," Link apologized, averting his gaze. Hieke arched her neck to try to meet his eyes.
"Let what happen?" she implored.
"Everything!" the hero cried. "This is my fault! If I had been stronger… If I had just fought harder…"
Link was pouring out all his feelings of regret and uncertainty to the woman he had, in his mind, let down. He could no longer bear the grief that racked his soul and was silently pleading for this girl's forgiveness. He couldn't stop the tears from beginning to well in the corner of his eye, but he refused to let them fall just yet.
He shook his head slowly with his eyes closed as he tried to speak his greatest failure. "You wouldn't have… I… You'd be…"
Hieke took Link's hands in one of her own and lifted his chin with the other so that his eyes once again fell upon her.
"Please don't be sad," she begged, her own tears threatening to cascade from her new shining eyes. "I was the one who failed you, Link."
Link shook his head in rejection of this idea, but Hieke was now revealing her own guilt, just as he had done, and she would not be silenced until her burden had been passed. Her voice grew as heavy as his own had been as she pleaded for the hero's understanding.
"I should have been more careful," she continued with a heavy heart. "I should have been strong enough to fight by your side. If anyone is to blame, it's me."
She spoke the last words quietly. In her heart she felt this to be the real truth and was deeply ashamed of it.
"Now, please…" she pleaded for the final time. "Don't be sad anymore…"
Link removed his hands from her grasp and placed them on her shoulders. The look in his eyes was resolute and Hieke's own feelings of grief seemed to be shattered by their piercing stare.
No more words would be said upon the matter by either of the two. They now understood how the other felt, but they also understood how stubborn they could be. Neither one was going to win this argument, but they could both forgive the other
Link and Hieke returned to a loving embrace as they kissed once more. This time not out of joy or even just love, but out of thanks and passion. The bliss seemed to last for an eternity upon an eternity, but in truth their kiss ended after only a few moments.
Link reluctantly pulled back and smiled a content smile. "Kaze and Lor are waiting," he proclaimed as he took the girl's hand and started towards the gate. She returned the happy look she gave him and quickly joined his advance towards their friends.
---
"Hey!" Kaze shouted as he began waving his arms around frantically. "They're back! They're back!" Hermes and Persephone gasped as their head snapped up.
"What are you doing!" the black-winged woman demanded as she swooped down and stood before Link with furious eyes. "Don't tell me… You had the Dark Crystal, didn't you? It is expressly forbidden to leave Purgatory! If you enter with the intent on reviving a soul, you must leave behind your own!"
"Please! I didn't know! What about Dameus? He used the Dark Crystal as well!" Link reminded.
"Have you so soon forgotten the transgressions of that man?" Hermes said, his voice dangerously low. "Do you find that just because an evil man like Dameus got away with it, so should you? Are you so blind! This world has order! You must follow that order! You have done a terrible wrong, sir!"
Hieke watched the expressions of the two guardians with fear. "You must permit him to leave," she pleaded. "He has done the world no wrong! Don't punish him merely for trying to be with his friend!"
"We are destined to guard this land for all our lives," Persephone growled. "You can't just blatantly ignore the rules that our ancestors upheld for centuries. It is our duty to make sure these laws are adhered to."
"Wait," Lor said. His voice was excruciatingly calm for the situation at hand. "You have desires to return to Skybound, don't you?" he asked. "…My soul is tainted. I'll never be able to live with myself after this adventure, after doing all the things I did and learning all the things I learned. So… I will bind my soul to the gate, and I will watch over this land forever."
"Lor!" Kaze exclaimed. "You can't mean that! You'll be here for all of time!"
"I know that," Lor smiled, "and it'll make me happy to know that I'm doing a good thing, finally. Every time I see this place, I'll think about how I released generations from having to remain within. And I'll be happy… finally. You have to understand that."
Hieke's head was bowed, Link's eyes downcast. Kaze sighed and turned around. Hermes bit his lip. "What you're doing is an act of great loyalty to Skybound. We shall forever remember you," he murmured.
"So you'll let us go back?" Link inquired hopefully. Persephone nodded. "Lor will seal away the fires of Purgatory forever. Never again shall an incident involving a revived soul occur," she said.
"You'd all better go now," Lor grinned. "I'm going to seal myself in soon." The others nodded and filed out through the gate despondently. Lor sighed. "Here I am," he said to himself. "All alone in Purgatory. About to take the most important action of my life. …Well, at least Kuro won't be so lonely anymore…"
The boy turned around and faced the gate. He took a deep breath and raised his arms, his eyes closed. He concentrated his energy on that arch of stone and the spinning fires within. His mind's eyes saw massive doors close upon the portal, and then darkness enclosed his mind.
---
Link stopped and whipped around at the flash of light. His mouth hung agape as the light cleared and revealed a pair of stone doors. Lor's image was split between the two doors. On one side he bore a white wing on his back, his hair was white, and he crouched before a meadow with his hand resting on the hilt of a white sword. On the other door was the same image with certain differences. His wing, hair, and sword were black, and he was in front of the cracked and burned plains of Purgatory. At the peak of the door was an orb. One side showed the sun eclipsed, while the other showed it in its full glory.
"Purgatory is sealed," Persephone commented. Hermes gave his silent assent, his hand on the woman's shoulder. "We are free of our fate. Come, Persephone. Let us tell our beloved city of the news."
The two warriors proceeded into Skybound, leaving Link, Hieke, and Kaze alone. "I kept this for you," Kaze said as he presented Hieke with her Moon Pendant. She smiled and donned the necklace. "Thank you," she whispered. Her gaze turned towards Link, who stood in front of the newly-sealed portal.
The hero bent down and picked something up. He turned the item over in his hand. It was Lor's Fairy Charm. With a sigh he slipped the trinket into his pocket. Lor had been an invaluable ally. He would be missed. Link approached Hieke and took her hand, motioning the trio follow Hermes and Persephone.
Within the limits of the gorgeous city, a celebration was already being prepared in honor of the four heroes, especially Lor. "Your highness!" Link called as he waved to King Ralean. The man acknowledged Link with a questioning expression. The boy gestured to Hieke.
"You're wisdom in regards to Purgatory far exceeds my own. Tell me, sir. Why did Hieke's eyes change?"
The king smiled benevolently. "When someone brings a soul back from Purgatory, the revived person's eyes changed to the color of the one who brought them back. The Sky Clan believes this is so the resurrected can remember the person who gave up their soul for them. I see her eyes shine; that is very rare. Only people with a completely pure soul have glowing eyes when they return from Purgatory. Have I answered you queries, young hero?"
Link nodded in thanks and turned to Hieke and Kaze. "Where to now?" he asked. Kaze yawned. "I think I'm gonna hang around here for a while," he announced as his amethyst eyes scanned the crowds, locating Aiko. "It's a great city."
The green-clad boy nodded with a grin. "Don't push her, Kaze," he warned. "She's a princess, after all." Kaze stuck out his tongue and ran to Aiko's side to help her with the decorations she was hanging. Link looked at Hieke. "What do you want to do?" he questioned.
Hieke gave a Link a quick peck. "Whatever will keep me at your side," she said with a compassionate smile. The hero laughed. Never again… He would never endanger her again. They had fulfilled their fate.
Far, far above Hyrule, the Goddesses looked down and smiled. Now was a time for rest and celebration… for Link and his friends would never have to save the world again. Din, Nayru, and Farore would make sure of it.
And thus the adventures of Link, Hieke, and Kaze were brought to a close.
And that's it. This series has come to a close. …Crap. Now I have to rewrite the darned thing for "Tomes of Hyrule". Well, I can get around to that later. For now, I wanna chill with my new Zelda replica ocarina (maybe learn how to play the darned thing), write new chapters for "Age of Queens", and eat chocolate coins.
Aah, chocolate coins. I do love thee so.
Oh yeah, and everyone who liked this should check out "Age of Queens" next. It's sort of a continuation of "Tomes of Hyrule", but it takes place some decades in the future. I know most of ya have already read it, right? Anyway, I'll probably be doing quite a bit of updating on that one next.
The contest ends on January 3! Remember that if you plan on entering! But since there aren't really any major holidays in January, you can give me that time to just make up the awards, right? Just for you people reading this now, I'm going to give you another theme you can write/draw about!
The new theme is… New Year's Eve/Day! You can't just write a bit of romance and have the clock strike twelve somewhere in there and call it following the theme, okay? You can put them at a New Year's Eve party, or whatever celebration they have in Hyrule for the turning of the year. Just make sure I know what yer talkin' about!
It is with great pride, accomplishment, and gratitude that I close this, the fourth and final book of the "Tomes of Hyrule". Thank you all for staying with me all this way. It is you, the reviewers, that really matter to me. I write to please others, not just to satisfy myself, and I'd like to give my sincere thanks to everyone who's been reviewing since the very first chapter of "For the Sake of the World". Once again, thank you all. You deserve far more praise than I do.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and Happy Holidays, too!