Chapter 28
Final Battle Part VI: Farore's Gift

"There are two of us yet only one of Farore…how is her magic keeping us here?" Din questioned; she had been pondering that thought for a while but had not spoken aloud about it until now.

"Everything will be fine. You just need to trust Farore with whatever she has in mind…" Nayru calmly berated her anxious sister. "She has enough to sense to know what to do to take care of the situation."

"What are you implying?" Din snapped.

"Before you get angry and begin considering senseless actions, please hear me out…I have something important to tell you," Nayru began.

"Go on, I'm listening…"

With a sigh, Nayru continued. "I have my own motives for helping out the Hero of Time. When Farore first cast her magic out to contain us in this place, I was angry as well…but I soon saw her reasoning. No matter what you say now, deep down Farore and I both know that you know you would never be able to kill Zen if it came down to it. If you were to interfere, it would probably just become a repeat of what happened the last time we let you deal with Zen, and we just can't have that. Zen needs to die for the sake of everyone and everything. I don't want to finish this and neither does Farore, she is trying to do what she can to leave things up to the Hero of Time. Selfish or not, that is the way things stand as of now. You could have left here at any point in time and so could I. Farore only cast a minor spell to manipulate our minds into thinking that we are trapped here. I saw right through this ploy when I realized what I did and now that I've told you, the spell will no longer have any effect on you. I hope after knowing this you don't intend on going down there…"

Din sat in a pensive silence as Nayru's words soaked in. Eventually she spoke, "You are right, I do not see myself able to kill my own son…but now that I know I can, I am going to venture once again into the mortal realm."

"W-what?" Nayru's normally calm demeanor instantly faded as she jumped up screaming this question at her sister.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything…I just want to talk to my son one last time." And with that, Din disappeared.

"I hope that is all…" Nayru muttered softly to herself. "Kaepora is already struggling enough as it is to keep the Hero alive…"

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Farore's eyes darted about in a frantic manner as she searched about for the amulet's remnants. She feared they might have been thrown out…especially when she couldn't find them as she strode across the large room where she had observed the party that night quite a while ago.

Time was ticking against her and such a setback would not be permitted if Link was to be the one to end things.

It seemed as though a miracle had befallen the goddess when she spotted the shattered remains, they had been left untouched as if seen as some sort of curse…In a way of course, they were.

She focused her magic into picking up the shattered fragments but her method didn't work…it was as though the amulet, broken or not, was protected from outside magic.

"Now what?" she growled aloud in an agitated manner when she realized she had no way to carry it. In order to compensate for this obstacle, she tore free cloth from the end of her lengthy dress, knelt down, and carefully scooped the pieces into her makeshift carrier. Once done with this task, she teleported out of the castle.

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Even though Farore hadn't arrived yet to see that Din had escaped from her 'prison,' Din's presence at the battle site was actually buying her time. Zen was too distracted with her to deal with the weakening Link.

"What are you doing here?" Zen snarled at his mother. "Do you plan on finishing what you couldn't those many years ago? Even without the currently missing Farore's consent?"

"I am here to do nothing of the sort," Din huffed as she leveled her matching golden eyes with those of Zen's, whose had returned to their normal color.

"Then what are you here for?" he snapped impatiently.

"I just wanted you to know that despite all you've done, I still love you…" she quietly replied.

Zen gave a scornful laugh. "Well I love me too, what a coincidence."

Link had managed to rise to his feet. Shakily he took the Golden Bow in his hands and notched an arrow to the taut string.

"How can you be so heartless?" Din cried, partly in an effort to keep Zen oblivious to what Link was up to. "I miss the boy you used to be…"

"Well that boy is gone so you're just going to have to get over it," he spat with great disdain.

Farore appeared in the exact moment Link chose to release the arrow. She smiled when she watched it strike a very surprised Zen. However, her smile soon faded when she saw Din. "What are you doing here?" Farore abruptly questioned her sister. "You haven't done anything stupid have you?"

Din calmly watched the golden sparks of light erupt on Zen as she replied, "I haven't done a thing…and just where have you been?"

Farore searched the darkening sky for the owl, but it was nowhere to be found. "I was sent to retrieve this," she stated, flashing the amulet fragments in Din's direction. "Do you know why these would be important?"

"If Zen's skin is cut by those shards, it will considerably weaken him."

"What!"

"As a back-up plan in case something were to happen, I strengthened the amulet with this ability when I first made it."

"Why didn't you mention this before!"

"I guess I just forgot…" Din replied sheepishly.

…

Zen did nothing to mask his anger as his eyes returned to that bright red color. The bow slid from Link's grasp as he fumbled to get his sword and shield in position. Zen barreled towards him at an alarming rate. Acting swiftly, Link threw down a spell of Nayru's Love and the familiar blue crystal formed around him as a protective shield. Zen just happened to strike right when the barrier came up…Link had his eyes closed tightly in anticipation of pain despite the magic protecting him.

The barrier took the full force of the blow and Link received no damage. However, the barrier collapsed. With its shattering came a deafening noise that sounded as if all the glass in that world was breaking around them, enhanced by an invisible megaphone.

Zen recoiled in evident pain and Link used a blast of Farore's Wind to knock him off his feet. It didn't matter that the spells drained him of energy, desperation had set in.

Summoning most of his strength, Link exerted his energy into another sword thrust, taking full advantage of the excess power the Power Gauntlets and Pegasus Boots provided him. His weapon tore right through Zen's chest, but this time it must have struck something vital as a greater quantity of blood gushed out. Roaring in anger, Zen leapt up and forcibly grabbed Link and flung him bodily through the air and then jerked the sword out, tossing it away as well. When Link hit the ground, he was somehow able to get back up once again...stubbornly refusing to give up. Maybe it was simply seeing his beloved's limp, but still breathing, body that kept him going as well as poor Vera, fueling his want for victory over Zen…

"Would you just die already?" Zen screamed. Each second that passed with the boy still alive, his anger only increased tenfold. He just couldn't understand what was going on. Had he underestimated him?

"Not until you die will I even consider the thought," Link retorted, coughing up a bit of blood and spitting it out on the ground.

Farore was mad. She stood there in a stunned silence as her anger bubbled beneath the surface of her skin. "You forgot something that important?" she fumed at Din.

"I'm sorry but it just slipped my mind. I've been a little stressed out here lately, ok?" Din growled. "So instead of getting angry with me, shouldn't you be putting what you now know into action?"

Farore bit her lip, she knew Din was right…but before she could even reply to this, her voice suddenly caught in her throat. Marching towards them was the people from the village; Impa was at the head of the procession alongside the King of Hyrule. An idea popped into the goddess' mind…Why couldn't these people have a chance to get at Zen? This was their world too after all…Problem was, Zen noticed these people too. Without giving the matter a second thought, he waved his hand and his formidable creatures appeared…long forgotten about as they hadn't made an appearance for some time now.

Link felt a horrible stab of guilt seeing as how he couldn't do much…after all, he had Zen to contend with. Impa kept a straight face while those accompanying her panicked, their eyes widened in shock at the sudden change in the situation. A dust cloud suddenly appeared coming from the opposite way the villagers had come, billowing up into the iridescent sky of the early evening.

Around their battlefield, Gerudo warriors came charging into the mass of Zen's creatures. Nabooru briefly nodded at Link as she too marched into the fray.

Link was relieved at the Gerudo's good timing…he didn't feel he had to worry about the creatures anymore, just Zen. He then braced himself, ready for Zen's anger to once again renew itself at this turn of events.

"This…is absolutely pathetic," Zen said with a small sigh that surprised Link.

Farore signaled for the king to come to her. He easily obliged, sensing she was someone of great importance. "Can you get your people to throw these at Zen?" she asked, indicating the amulet shards. "They need to have a good aim and a strong arm."

"I-I could do that," he stammered and then called several strong looking men to his side.

Zen lunged at Link, but he swiftly brought his sword up and tore through the skin on Zen's arms. Zen delivered a sharp kick that sent Link sprawling in retaliation…Link in turn, had just happened to land right next to Zelda.

Zen was about to continue his assault, but he was suddenly hit by something…something jagged, small, and red. Then another just like it hit him. Where he had been struck, small slits appeared…small slits that grew and grew until his blood began to pour freely from them. "What!" he yelled in astonishment, his eyes wide.

"When you die, remember that you brought this upon yourself!" Din called to him.

"Zel…da…?" Link whispered, nudging her.

She was barely recognizable, her skull had been partly smashed in and she was covered in her own blood. Link couldn't see her face because all of her blood-matted golden blonde hair covered it, but he did see bits and pieces of what he imagined to be part of her brain that had slipped out through the openings in her head. Instead of being repulsed, he started crying. She was still alive, he could see this because of the deep breaths she took, but he didn't know how. Her hand clawed the ground as her system was barraged with unbearable pain. It was almost like she was begging death to take her.

Link hadn't known she was this bad. He forced himself to sit up and placed a hand on her arm. Her body jerked away, her blood spreading even farther. How had he not noticed she was this bad before? He had seen her hurt, feared for her safety, and been infuriated with Zen…but he had never imagined…this.

"Zelda, can you hear me?" he tried, momentarily forgetting about what raged around him.

"I…hu…" was how she responded, unable to form words as she said this in her bout of unconsciousness. It was just astounding she was still alive…but it was clear she wouldn't be for much longer.

"Zelda, I'm sorry…I should have stopped you, I shouldn't have let this happen…" Link said softly. "I hope you can forgive me. I-I…I love you." Her body started shaking after these words; Link grabbed her…gently of course. "Zelda?"

Then she stopped shaking…she even stopped breathing…she was dead. And in that moment, Link wanted to lie there beside her and die more then anything else he had ever wanted…but Din had been watching this as well and now she stood beside him after having crossed the battlefield. "You need to get up and finish this," she calmly told him.

"But Zel---…"

"Grieve later, with battle comes death…you're just going to have to accept that, just as I'm going to have to accept the death of my son. Now go! Fight for the loved ones you have lost!" she commanded him.

Link stared at her with his tear-brimmed eyes, "…I…I will do that." He slowly rose to his feet and stumbled past her, towards Zen. Each step he took was laden with pain and anguish.

Zen didn't understand what was happening, so much so that he didn't even think to dodge the projectiles as they assaulted him. Behind him, his creatures were being slaughtered by the Gerudo as they defended Kakariko's people…but several of the Gerudo themselves were slain.

His blood rained down upon the ground. Each time he was struck, a cut the size of the end of a fingernail would appear, but then it would grow into a huge gash. With each drop of blood that spilled out, he felt as if his energy went with it. His mind wasn't willing to comprehend the fact that he was actually dying…and it was the thing that had once been his accursed prison that was the main factor behind this.

Link didn't quite understand what was happening to Zen either as multiple gashes spontaneously grew on his body. He was going to use this new twist to his advantage anyways, especially since Zen didn't notice him walking straight towards him with the Master Sword held tightly in his hands. Link was intent on becoming Zen's angel of death.

Zen didn't do anything when Link raised his sword; he didn't even do anything when the blade pierced right through him…over…and over…again. Link didn't stop with the stabbing, he just kept going and going, spitting out the words, "This is for everything you've done! Mortality may be a curse you can use against me…but it is also a curse I can use against you!"

It wasn't until his vision began to blur that Zen realized what was happening, even what Link was doing to him. As death swept over him, he lashed out and wrapped his large hand around Link's neck in a death grip. Then Zen fell to the ground…dead. He brought Link crashing down with him though, but Link was still living.

Even in death, Zen's grip never relinquished its hold though. Link's head swam as his oxygen supply was cut off. Darkness began to envelope his mind, but there were faint images within that darkness…Zelda…Vera…He didn't even try to resist. He felt as if it was ok for him to die now…as if his battered body was giving him permission to let go.

All of Zen's creatures had disappeared with Zen's death and the people could only watch in horror…as the hero met his death as well.

"Farore--…" Din began, but her sister cut in, speaking to all those gathered.

"Both my sisters, Nayru and Din, gave this boy a gift…while I did not. The havoc wreaked upon this world was not fair, and now it is my turn to reward the Hero for what he has done. I give the Hero, his loved ones, and all those who lost their lives because of Zen…life!"

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I had this all ready for updating on Sunday and guess what happened…the internet here screwed up! I'm really sorry, I woulda had this out over the weekend like I had said, but it's kinda not possible to update without internet…

o.o I can't believe this day has finally come. That…was the last chapter of Zen's Amulet. I really hope y'all liked it; I certainly worked hard to make it decent…

Reviewer replies for chapter 27 may be viewed on my homepage now and in two to three days, I will have the replies for this chapter posted on there as well, so make sure you look into that…especially if you have a question! To all y'all that have reviewed: THANK YOU! You guys rock so much and I'm startin' to tear up thinkin' about how happy receiving a review from each of you made me… ((Sniff)) lol.

With the finishing of this…I have posted a new Zelda fanfic. If you're interested, I'd really appreciate it if you would check it out. You don't have to if you don't want to though…I guess. It's called Guardians of Legend. I also posted a prequel thing for this fic as well…it's kind of an epilogue too since it mentions stuff about the outcome of this battle. Zen's Imprisonment (lame title, I know…) is what it's called so I definitely suggest checkin' that out.

-blondie91

Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. I do own the plot, Zen, all characters that I made up, places and objects I made up, and basically just everything and everyone I made up…