Legend of Zelda: The Black Rose
By: Zack Most
Chapter 1: The fall of Hyrule
It was a dark day in Hyrule; Link had just recently left after defeating Ganon. Another evil began emerged after his disappearance, Zelda's knowledge of it was limited, but she knew it was strong. She had also received reports of people dying and Hyrule falling with them. One day the while it was storming, Zelda was informed that the Forest Temple had been destroyed, and the Temple of Light was the only one left. She knew her time had come, with the tri-force at her side; she stepped forward into the cathedral. The only thing she knew about how the Temples had been destroyed, is that they had burst into darkness. Late on the third day after she had arrived, at twilight, a gust blew through the temple; a chill entered the room where she was staying.
"Who's there?" she asked to no one.
The only thing that responded was the shrill whistle of the wind; however a long shadow appeared in the corner of the room. A rattling voice that was very faint no more than whispered "You didn't think you could get rid of me, did you? Well I am virtually impossible to kill."
Zelda let out a shrill cry and used Farore's Wind to get out of the Temple. She fled as the temple burst and became wrapped in darkness.
Chapter 2: Reunion of Deception
Link had been traveling the world outside of Hyrule, learning more about where he originally came from, only joined by the company of Epona. One day while in a small town in the land of Termina, he overheard two men talking about the destruction in Hyrule. Only catching a small amount of this conversation, he sat off immediately towards his childhood home.
After a two month trek across the treacherous lands of Termina, Holodrum, and Larynna, he finally reached his destination. Upon stepping on Hylian soil, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, like how darkness weighs on light. He wondered what the shadow that had fallen was. As he traveled farther into the land he started to witness the destruction that had taken place. After passing the remains Kakariko village he laid eyes on heavily robed figure mourning over the wreckage. As he approached the figure, the leaves under his feet ruffled with his steps. At the sign of another presence, the figure turned to run; when the shadowed stranger looked back at Link, he caught a glimpse of long blonde hair.
Link followed the figure to ask of the devastation that had taken place, and the stranger's name. As the figure reached the edge of the graveyard the person stopped and turned to Link. "What a fitting place for you to die." it stated in a very familiar voice.
The wind rustled the leaves in a nearby tree. As this happened, what appeared to be a woman started to removed her long dark black cloak, she was dressed in all pink. She had a long menacing sword, made of the same materiel as the master sword, it seemed. "What a fitting place for a traitor to die." she said quietly.
Chapter 3: The Return
A small sound of surprise left Link's lips as, with tears in her eyes, she charged. He dodged the attack as he yelled "Zelda, what are you doing?"
"You betrayed us, you left in our time of need, so called hero!" Zelda yelled in a sobbing voice.
"What trouble, what has happened here?" he asked the furious princess.
As she launched two more attacks, and missing both times, she fell to the ground sobbing softly. As Link moved forward to comfort her, she started to explain every thing in a reluctant tone of voice. As it poured out she became more comfortable telling it. At the end of her story Link whispered his thanks and started towards the entrance to the graveyard.
"Where are you going?" Zelda inquired.
"To see if the threat really is Ganon returned." Link replied sternly.
"I'll go with you, then." Zelda said, standing up strongly, throwing off the tears.
After a disagreement with Zelda he decided to let her go with him. As he galloped along on Epona, she would stay with him using the teleportation powers of Farore's wind. As they drew nearer to Hyrule's castle, the destruction became more and more severe; Zelda observed it with a knowing look. However this was all new for Link, they passed Lon-Lon Ranch which was torn to the ground. The grass was all brown, not green and lush as before. There where constant lighting storms but no rain to feed the parched land.
They entered the square, which had been so crowded and full of life, was now burnt and smoldered. Their steps echoed across the deserted marketplace. While walking Link started to vent his surprise and anger, "What happened to the people that stayed in these homes and villages, where did they go and what happened to Malon. Saria, Ruto and the other sages, did they disappear too? What about the Zoras and the Gorons. The Gerudos and every one, they are all gone." he said bringing the truth out into the open.
Zelda looked at the ground with a sad expression on her face. "As far as I know, everyone but my self has died or fled to another land. The people caught wind of trouble after the first Temple fell. Saria, I'm sorry to say, is dead. When a temple is destroyed, the sage dies, too." she said in a small voice filled with sadness.
Link, with tears welling in his eyes, yelled to no one. His anger was reflected in his voice. After finishing he collapsed to the ground, heavy sobs leaving him. He rose from the ground wiping tears from his eyes, a new fire burning there. In a quiet whisper, he said "This is for you Saria." After saying this, he rushed for the castle with Zelda calling after him.
Chapter 4: The Field of Black Roses
When Link reached the castle entrance he drew his sword and mounted his shield. Shoving the door open violently, he was on guard. He started to walk cautiously through the hallways. He turned around at hearing light, fast footsteps. He lowered his guard at seeing it was Zelda heading towards him as quickly as she could. She had a frightened look on her face, as she got closer he heard another thing too. A high, shrill laugh was emitting from down the hall along with heavy slow footsteps, past where Zelda was. Link drew his bow and arrow, and then knocked the arrow into place.
"Zelda, move!" he yelled, as he did this he summoned a magic light around his arrow and fired.
As he had had predicted, Zelda had been being chased, and his arrow hit its mark. A large black monster with yellow eyes that glowed in the glum darkness had been following her. The arrow he had fired hit the monster in the chest, and it was writhing on the ground with golden flames emerging from its body. Link shot another arrow strait down at the monsters chest, and it let out a cry of pain. Zelda ran into his arms, and together they looked at the fallen behemoth. After turning away from the dying beast, they reached the end of the hallway. She confirmed this room with a nod. Zelda breathed in and prepared herself for the worst. The room they where entering had been the one she had met the spirit of what she believed to be their dead enemy. She readied the three spells of the goddesses.
When Link flung open the door, Zelda gasped. They entered a cloudy field of black roses, which swayed in the cool breeze. As they walked in awe struck, the door eased shut behind them. The same high laugh they had heard in the hallway started to echo across the field. Then the same voice that had spoken to Zelda said, stronger this time, said "Welcome to my play ground dear Princess and powerful Hero of Time!"
"Show yourself cowered! Are you Ganon or a new threat? Whatever you are, I will defeat you!" Link yelled to the new presence.
The voice replied almost playfully, "I was once Ganon, but am no longer; however I am still your enemy and threat to Hyrule. However I have no desire to take it over but to crush and destroy it. I, who not only challenge your power, but the power of the goddesses, am ready to face you both."
The same laugh rang across the field again. Link and Zelda prepared for battle, yet the threat had not yet taken a form. They did not know what they were up against. Link yelled to the sky, "Show your self Ganon!"
"I am no longer Ganon, as I said, but a more powerful entity, I am now Flagg of the Black Rose!" the newly named foe acclaimed.
A dark mist was forming in front of them among the roses. It started to take form of a tall and slender man with a light shade of blue in his skin. He had silver, emotionless eyes that's stare would pierce you. He had dark-blue hair that was tied back in a braid with a silver brooch. He looked like he was still in his teens. He was wearing a finely embroidered black robe and a blood red cape with gold trim that flowed behind him. He also had stout boots that where steel toed. When fully formed he plucked a single rose from the ground, it changed into a tall staff, it had a purple shaft and silver encrusted patterns over the ends. It looked to be made of heavy wood and whistled when swung through the air. He walked forward and Link held up his mirror shield and Zelda prepared Naru's Love for casting.
The man laughed a laugh that did not fit him, "Do you like the form I have chosen. I got the idea from a young man I killed in Kakariko not to long ago, he was one of the few that still lingered in this land, but and he is long dead." once again he laughed.
After he said that, Link let his rage go. He let out a yell and leapt at Flagg. The enemy dodged this and Link recovered from it and leapt at him again. Missing again, the swift Flagg let loose dense blast of energy only the size of a small marble from his fore finger. Link brought forth his mirror shield to guard. As soon as the energy contacted with the shield, a large blast filled the immediate area. The shield had not been enough; Link had been thrown back by the blast. He was injured and bleeding, Zelda ran to him, but he passed out in her arms. She cried, but knew that he was still alive. As she stood and turned to Flagg, the triforce started to grow brightly with her anger towards him and her fear for Link.
"We'll finish this. He has endured enough. I am the protector of Hyrule; it is my duty to destroy all people who threaten it." She said her voice cracking a little. She brought up her right hand and prepared for battle against the one who would do his best to destroy the land she called home.
Chapter 5: Zelda's Gifts and Grievances
As they started to do battle Zelda summoned the power of the goddesses to her side, but it was different this time. There was more fluency with the spells than before. The tri-force was whole again and glowing. As they had started he had brought his hand up in a forward arch. A wave of pure maniacal energy that was purple in color launched itself at her, Zelda put up Naru's Love and braced for the impact that would shatter the shield. It never came; his blast hadn't even reached the shield before it had dissipated. Zelda noticed that the shield had grown three fold its old power. Taken aback, she had let her guard down. Flagg took this opportunity to fire a more powerful wave of his hate. Zelda panicked and set Din's Fire outward; the blasts collided making a cracking sound and scorched the land with the explosion that ensued.
The spell crystals started to glow more powerfully than ever; she noticed this as she used Farore's Wind to leave the grasp of Flagg's ever more powerful attacks. The crystals moved from floating around her hand and started to form around her. At this, Flagg stopped his assault in wonder of the event. They had begun to give off a warm light, and then an ever stranger event took place. Zelda was floating through a rainbow of green, blue, and red.
The goddesses came to her then. They said in conjunction, "Zelda you are battling what we fear to be the biggest threat to Hyrule we have seen through its history."
"But what am I to do, he far surpasses me in power. I need more strength or help with this fight, he has me outmatched," she looked down into the abyss and sighed, knowing that she was going to lose this battle and the goddesses had come to say goodbye to their most faithful follower.
They said together again, "We know you are outmatched and have come to gift you with our powers, you have been faithful to us, and now we must be faithful to you, we trust you with Hyrule."
Zelda looked up in surprise, knowing that the goddesses had only endowed one other with the entirety of their power. Her mother had been the only other and it had over whelmed her. She had died because of the impact on her body and collapsed to the infinite well of death. "I am not worthy my goddesses," she fell to the ground crying, understanding that she was going to become more powerful than the goddesses themselves, Flagg's dream was being realized against him.
The goddesses held out their hands and from them she was gifted: from Farore she received a silver tiara studded with a beautiful dark green emeralds, she felt light as air and as though she had energy to run to the end of the world. From Naru she was gifted a blue-silver sash that floated lightly about her shoulders yet it seemed made of the hardest materiel you could imagine. Finally from Din she received a sword, it was light weighted and emitted flames when swung in an arch, it shone of hard silver and had black designs near where the blade and the hilt met.
Astonished by the gifts she turned to thank her goddesses, but found only a cloudy expanse and a field of black roses. She turned again to find those emotionless gray eyes staring into her own. She screamed in terror and took a step back and found that her step had been a strong leap that launched her high into the air. She realized that the gifts had stayed with her. As she landed lightly, she then launched herself forward and arched the sword and let a furiously hot blast scorch the land in front of her and continue at Flagg at a greater speed than she was flying. He dodged then launched his own blast, Zelda dodged that easily and they both halted their fight. "This is going to be fun," Flagg stated in a mocking sort of voice.
"I agree," Zelda consented, and beckoned him forward to continue the fight.
Chapter 6: The End of It All
The cold air whistled past Zelda as she stood battle ready in front of the black monster that was evil itself. She made her move first; she leaped then used the green Farore's Wind to teleport behind Flagg. Still in the air, she used the fires of Din to rain her wrath upon him. He slipped away from the attack like a shadow; he laughed and fired another blast at her. The sash that had been floating around her shoulders like liquid steel fired out and expanded out into a shield that protected her. The blast hit the shield with a violent rumble that seemed to shake the foundation of the earth.
She pulled her sword out and the shield receded, Flagg drew his staff. She shot forward at a blurring pace and their weapons clashed. The impact caused sparks to fly off, then they lost contact and the blows became a flurry of attacks that made the howling sounds through the air. Zelda leaped back and again flung a blaze of white flame at the monster. He dodged and pulled his spear back and pointed it towards the sky and yelled, a ball of dark energy with its own immense gravity appeared in a slow and yet fast pace that seemed to effect time itself.
His staff was changing as well, a wicked blade was growing and the shaft grew black, a red sash grew like ivy from the bottom of the blade. It was turning a very dark red and seemed to drip blood.
"You are only making me stronger as you resist, your energies feed me," laughter left him as he stated this.
A war cry left her and she leapt forward and swung her sword, she missed again, then she moved herself with powerful agility. She turned and blocked the monster's blow. His appearance was changing and he was becoming more animal like. He was licking the edges of his mouth and his pupils where retracting, getting smaller. His smile broadened, and then the entire world came crashing down.
The ball of power was still above them and it was still growing, until it eclipsed the sun with its size and darkness. It had, what appeared to be purple lightning, shooting through it and a force or pulse that was weak and yet strong in its own way. Flagg was still standing there looking at her with that primal look of a caged animal being let out and he had immense amounts power, this together scared her. He lifted his weapon and laughed not as he did before, not as a human, but as a beast. He showed his teeth that had now turned into fangs and he looked hungry. Zelda knew that her new powers would not save her, and that she was going to die.
Her instinct told her to run but all she could do was fall to her knees and scream a scream of a truly frighten woman. She had tears in her eyes as the beast in front of her laughed.
"Stop, just stop!" she cried, she was sobbing heavily now.
"Why!" Flagg shouted in a hoarse voice, "So you can live, there is no point to life but to die!"
She kept crying and he thought better than to crush her with the power of his energy. Why not tear her apart with his jaws. He could already taste the moist flesh on his lips. Without thinking he cast his staff to the ground, letting the energy he pulled together fall apart in a shimmering cloud. He had made the decision to let go of his elegant powers for a more primal state of them. He ran, throwing his inertia in front of him using his arms. His steps, which where heavy, echoed across the plane of chaos the battle ground had become. His mouth grew longer and his teeth stretched into fangs. He let out mad laughter and continued to fly forward at inhuman speed. His muscles grew and his hair grew as well, becoming ragged and thick, like a mane. He his figure became shorter and stronger and his clothes changed to silver buckled black leather. His cape turned a deeper red and grew torn at the end, growing longer and more flowing.
He was about to reach his prey when, with a cry of effort, Link leaped in his path and shoved his sword in-between the beast's jaws, tearing the cheeks and muscles beneath, causing blood to fall on the ground. Link dislodged his sword by kicking with his foot and shoving the beast back. Flagg roared fiercely and clutched his jaws, blood covering his fingers and staining his gloves. He turned his sights towards Link and bellowed. Link dared a glance at Zelda to see relief flood her eyes, and then it was quickly replaced with fear as she covered her head and screamed. He turned in time to raise his shield and protect himself from the attack; he pushed the shield outward and knocked Flagg back. Aware of one another they where battle ready, and prepared to guard and strike.
Flagg made the first move and leaped forward with both of his hands behind his head. He brought them down in with smashing force and Link barely dodged, where he had stood was a large crater. Link was not as prepared as before, without recovery time, Flagg turned and ran at Link. He hit him in the chest with his forearm and knocked him back. While Link was still in the air, flying horizontal to the ground, Flagg sent a powerful, yet unorganized blast of power at him.
The blast missed by bare and scorched the ground around Link as he came to a skidding stop on the soft surface of the beautiful black roses. He was groggy as he rose, his sword hanging limply from his left hand. Flagg roared with rage and launched forward as fast as he could. This roar brought Link back to his senses and he held up his shield and waited for impact, but it never came. He lowered his shield and looked forward. A gust of wind blew backward as the forces of Zelda and Flagg clashed. A blue shield was separating the two. Purple energy blasted back from Flagg's hands as he moved forward, clawing his way through the barrier. Zelda was struggling to keep the flow of power up, but could not. With a cry of effort, summoning the last of her strength, she pushed. Her powers weakened to nothing but a waning blue circle about three feet around. But her push had been worth the effort. Flagg was blasted back about fifty feet and was knocked to his back. Link took the chance and got in front of Zelda and brandished his sword. Beside where Flagg landed his staff laid, he picked it up and leaped. This time however he did not land. His cape let go of his back and became like Zelda's sash, but his was like cloth fire, not liquid. It engulfed him and he disappeared, only to reappear behind Link and knock him out. After Link hit the ground, Flagg turned his staff blade down and stabbed, again and again into Link, causing his blade to be dyed a deep crimson. He stopped after the blood began to seep into the soil. Then he stooped down and feasted on his flesh and blood. Zelda looked up from her daze and her eyes grew wide with fear.
She cried for Link to come back time and time again while Flagg ate. After finishing, he looked to Zelda with his eyes, which where no longer gray but red, and blood dribbling from his mouth. He said to her "He was tasty; it just makes me want to eat more."
Summing all of her strength, her soul included, and the power of all things around her and made power leap out of her like white solar flares and she held her head and cried with wracking sobs. She looked to the sky and screamed Links name in a hoarse, tired voice. Then with no hope left, she rose and stood in front of Flagg. She then whispered "You have taken my land, people, friends' and my father. But now you have taken my love. There is none left for me here. There is also nothing left for you. I will make this your grave. If it is the last thing I do, I swear I will kill you," her voice rose as she spoke, and she took one burning step forward, leaving behind a white burning mark on the ground. Flagg turned, knowing that she was willing to kill both of them. He ran for the closed door that Link and Zelda had entered. Just moving her hand upward, she erased the door. He turned to her, a beast backed into a corner, he would fight. He sent the most powerful wave he could muster at her. It disintegrated in her aura. He backed away a few steps.
Zelda crouched down and leaned forward, she disappeared and landed behind Flagg standing upright, as though she had never moved. She grabbed him by the back of his neck and lifted him from the ground, then turned him so that he was facing her. She whispered "Goodbye, now die!"
She screamed the last word then with all of the strength she could muster, threw him into the ground, rocks and gravel tossing into the air as he sank into the earth. She then fell to her knees and prayed. She prayed to the goddesses to kill both her and Flagg. Her prayers where answered, and Flagg began to cough and blood gushed from his mouth. Zelda fell as her soul left her in an un-painful manor; her last words were "Soon I will be with those that I love."
Then she died, Flagg however suffered for a long time before suffocating on his own blood. The battle field was quiet, as the three dead laid among the roses. Flagg's body fell to the wind, in a dark miasma. Not long after that, a figure of a young man could be seen wandering among the roses, his laughter sighing across the plain.