Chapter 27
Final Battle Part V: Continuing Cycle

"Link, are you ok?" Vera whispered softly. Despite the softness of her voice, it pierced right through the overwhelming silence that had followed the explosion.

Even though Link's sight was rendered senseless with all the smoke, he felt ok and unharmed from such an incredible blast of energy. Slowly rising to his feet, he crept forward through the tendrils of smoke that curled around him. What better time than now to go in for a sneak attack? He didn't need to see, last time he had checked, Zen had been right in front of him.

Suddenly sensing danger coming his way, Link brought up the shield he now thought quite highly of and heard a loud clang as a sword struck it. Apparently Zen had had the same idea. The smoke seemed to vanish almost instantly in this moment and sure enough, Zen stood there before him with his sword held in striking range.

"Yes, good boy!" Vera exclaimed, happy to see that Link had put his shield into further use.

"Ha! She belittles you and speaks as if you were a dog," Zen replied with a broad smirk.

"Hey, that's not what I--…" Vera protested.

Link had cut in however, "You know what Zen, just shut up."

Both contenders began circling around each other, waiting for their opponent to strike. "Here you are, continuing to try my patience…why won't you get it through your thick head that you can't win?" Zen sneered, ignoring Link's words. "Why don't you just give up and die?"

"Because it has been left up to me to bring you down and that's exactly what I intend to do. No matter what you say, you can't stop me from trying my hardest."

"Oh really now? Well, we'll just see how far that train of thought gets you."

"I'm thinkin' that it's already gotten me pretty far. I mean I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"I can easily change that," Zen confidently exclaimed. Accordingly, he broke out into a charge. His speed matched that of lightning, it was certainly a major shock to him when he suddenly found Link's sword stuck once again through his well-muscled chest. How such a devastating blow did not result in the damage it should have remained a mystery. More blood merely seeped from the wound as Zen just stood there stupidly staring at it.

"How many times do I have to do this before you'll die?" Link spat as he jerked his sword free. Astonishment and even fear flickered across his eyes as he spoke. It just wasn't natural how he could take a blow like that…

Zen slammed his fist into Link's body and sent him stumbling backwards. "Time for a new strategy!" Vera urged.

"Got any ideas?" Link huffed as he struggled to his feet, backing away with each heavy step Zen took towards him. Zen was angry, so angry that he was apparently not going to waste his energy on words…only actions.

"I'm thinking…" Vera muttered in reply as she frantically racked her brain for an idea. "See if you can come up with anything."

"Gee, thanks…"Link was forced to bring his shield up in order to block a downward cut from Zen. Thinking quickly, he slashed out in the space beneath the shield. His sword struck something solid, but it wasn't Zen…it was a barrier he had magically summoned around himself.

Great… just what I need.

Jumping up into the air, Link tried an aerial attack. Once again, he was met by the barrier. Zen struck him down and then did what to Link what had done to him, plunging his sword right through Link's chest. "Just think of it as me returning the favor," Zen said with a sadistic smirk as he proceeded to yank his weapon right back out.

Unable to sustain through the pain of the stabbing, Link fell to his knees. Had the blade pierced him right through his heart, he would have been dead right then and there. The blow was a devastating one nonetheless and it looked as though he wasn't necessarily going to last all that much longer.

"You monster!" Zelda screamed.

"Don't do anything stupid," Farore warned, but her words fell on deaf ears. Zelda was already running all out into the midst of the battlefield.

"Bad, bad plan!" Vera berated Link, but not with as much vitality as she would have before. In an attempt to encourage him to keep going, she added, "Now get moving and make up for it."

"I'm s-sorry Vera…I-I…can't…" Link stammered, placing a coarse hand over the new hole in his chest.

"Ya know, I did warn you. You should have backed out when you had the chance," Zen pointed out, breaking his short-lived silence and taking several steps backs so he could take in the full view of his handiwork.

"I'm not…a quitter…" Link mumbled.

Before Zen could respond to this, Zelda was suddenly beside him. She began to mindlessly beat him with her fists with tears streaming down her face in thin rivulets. Zen swatted her away as if she were naught but an annoying mosquito. However, the blow did enough to knock her back and deliver a crushing blow to her skull.

"Zelda…" Link breathed painfully, tears of his own began forming and falling down his dirtied cheeks.

Thinking that Farore was going to interfere due to the most recent events, Zen sent a beam in her direction. Farore reacted quickly and held her arms up like a shield in front of her. This 'shield' of hers just happened to come with a powerful gust of wind that sent the beam right back to its creator.

"I'd call that interference…" Zen growled as the beam struck him.

"No, I will not interfere yet, the Hero is still alive. I was merely acting in self-defense," she simply replied.

"So Link has to die before you'll do anything and stop this blood bath?" Vera cried. She was all out of ideas as to what needed to be done about the current situation.

"I'm sorry, but yes," Farore kept whatever emotion she was feeling about the circumstances well hidden behind a mask of calmness.

"Looks like I get to have a bit more fun then," Zen said with the addition of his infamous maniacal laugh.

"No, I won't let you come near him!" Vera shrieked, boldly placing herself between the two opponents.

"Are you really willing to throw your life away…again?"

"I should be dead now anyways so my life is worthless. I never should have done what I did to cheat death and get it back."

"Vera, no…" Link whispered softly. "Your life is not worthless…Where would a stupid fool like me be without you?"

But Link's words went unheeded and unheard; he could only watch what Zen did next in pure horror.

"Have it your way then," Zen sneered He snatched her from the air and crushed her fragile body before flinging her lifeless form to the ground. Farore shook her head sadly, still she refused to interfere.

Tears flowed unchecked down Link's cheeks for his losses; he didn't care that Zen would mock him.

"Looks like you're the last pathetic mortal I get to finish off before taking care of your 'wonderful' goddess," Zen said full of confident arrogance.

"And it looks as though you forgot that I'm not the only mortal out here right now," Link replied. "The battle isn't over yet."

Link forced himself to rise to his feet…other than feeling lightheaded and weak, he felt hatred. Bitter and pure as he had never felt it before. He would make Zen pay, even if it took his life in the process…even if he were to survive the duration of the battle, there was a slim chance of him surviving from his newest wound.

Zen smiled at Link's determination, he had already seen himself the victor of this battle…if he had to kill the boy to prove it then he had no problem with that. Heck, he didn't even think that Link could raise his sword, let alone attack.

With nothing to lose, Link struck…forgetting his pain, forgetting all past happiness, and focusing all of his pent up rage and sorrow on Zen. Zen was certainly surprised by Link's move, but easily deflected the blow.

Link's mind was in full battle mode; he went over strategy after strategy and executed an idea as Zen brought his own sword up as a defense. While he was preoccupied with that, Link nailed a hard blow with the top end of his shield. It struck so hard that it pierced right through the skin, leaving a large gash in its wake.

This action infuriated Zen…that wasn't supposed to have happened! The boy he saw to be so stupid should have just fallen down from the effort…but he hadn't. Why wouldn't he just fall down and die? He had killed many a man with little to no effort on his part…what made this boy so special?

Night shadows were beginning to creep over the land, both combatants were caught off guard by this…time had flown by just like the owl that flew at amazing speeds overhead.

Filled with astonishment, Zen could only question Link's ability. "H-how are you lasting this long, why won't you just save us both the trouble and die!"

"Unlike you, I am fighting for the people I care about…I refuse to give up, even if it takes the last of me to finish this…I will do it!"

"What makes you think I'm not fighting for the people I care about? The only person I care about is myself after all."

"Exactly, you fight for selfish reasons and because of this, you will, and can not win!"

"I've had enough of your pathetic talk, let's finish this now!" Zen growled with his eyes suddenly lighting up to a ferocious red, their glow surpassing even those of Link's deceased evil counterpart, Dark Link.

Link was taken by complete surprise, especially when Zen's fist was lit up by that same red light and it nailed him right in his stomach. He let out a disgruntled moan before falling backwards with a dull thud on the packed earth; his weapons fell from his hands and landed next to him.

The blow had certainly done a huge number on Link; he didn't even think he'd be able to stand no matter how hard he tried. Then again, maybe he didn't have to.

"How'd you like that?" Zen said with a smirk, seemingly oblivious to the change his eyes had undergone.

Link didn't respond and instead, set to digging through his pocket in search of something. Zen stepped closer to him and raised his sword, ready to plunge it downwards and end Link's life right there. As Zen's sword descended though, Link found what he was looking for and threw that small something right in Zen's face.

Flames erupted in a great sphere encircling Zen in their fiery rage, stopping his attack midway. He reared back and in a pathetic attempt to put it out, he swatted at it. It didn't take long before it disappeared; the fire vanished just as quickly as it had come. It had given Zen a few burns on his skin that looked pretty bad, but that was the highest extent of the damage. The tips of his vibrant red hair had been singed off as well as small bits of his clothes. The owl passed overhead once again, Farore noticed it this time.

"The amulet…get the amulet…" a male voice whispered across her mind.

"But what good would that do?" she asked, shooting this thought up to the mind of that owl.

"Just trust me…"

Farore nodded and disappeared, leaving one last parting thought, Let's hope the Hero can last long enough…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

o.O I'm kinda iffy with this chapter, I just have this weird feeling that I could have done better if it weren't for the fact that I have just recently been sucked dry of any inspiration. In other words, I know exactly what I want to do but I don't have the will to write it, let alone force myself to do so.

Unless somethin' comes up and I get more ideas that I really wanna expand this with, the next chapter will definitely be the last chapter. AND it shouldn't take quite as long to get updated since I already have quite a bit written for it. I'm thinkin' this weekend…as long as stuff doesn't come up.

Thank you reviewers for the wonderful support you've given me, replies have been posted so don't forget about those.

-blondie91

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda…you know the rest.