The Overclocked remix of Wind Waker- Pirates of Dragon Roost Isle was a great help to this chapter. Very motivating!
I don't own Super Smash Bros, LoZ the Wind Waker, or How the Grinch Stole Christmas. No sue.
End of an Era
Chapter Nine
The air is oddly cool in the darkness, a short tunnel after the steps leading down on a gentle slope through what I would assume to be a secret passage built when the castle was constructed. It's not very long though; enough for me to stumble blindly for a few feet, before I make out a somewhat lighter patch ahead of me. Only just ducking into the passage, I already heard the sound of grinding stone, the statue returning to it's place over the entrance.
Stepping out of the tunnel, it's not much brighter at first. I can see towering statues of knights out in front of me. Myself up a few feet; with a grand stair-case stretching down on both sides to reach into the fairly large pool of water below, which the statues are all sitting in. Each knight set up around a small stone island, the single source of light in the entire chamber one dusty shaft of gold shinning down from the ceiling, and onto a small pedestal in the very center.
I easily spot His Majesty kneeling off to the side of the pedestal, the Master Sword's newest resting place. His large form bent in prayer, and although I can see neither his hands nor his face, the dull aura of his Sage blood wafts around him noticeably.
"Ganondorf knows not of this chamber..." The King murmurs as I walk quietly down the steps to the right. He doesn't stir in the least as I come to the water's edge. Everything silent as I cannot tell whether the light is coming from above or below the pedestal.
"Place the Master Sword's scabbard in the light..." he directs softly, still remaining bent as the light seems to fade and strengthen without any type of pattern. I nod to His Majesty and unbuckle the leather harness across my chest, holding the sheathed sword in front of me as I step into the waters.
It's not that deep, and in a few strides I'm standing on the island. Stepping up to the pedestal, I pull the Master Sword out, and in my left hand, hold out the lighter casing into the light. I feel the weight vanish, and let go of it, watching the gold and blue scabbard hang in the light momentarily, before it begins to glow, and falls into small, glittering pieces. The golden shards float down before the pedestal, just before my feet, where they leave the light, and form the emblem of the Triforce on the stone floor.
"Now, offer the Blade itself to the light, allow the gods to see it." The elderly man commands, raising his head a fraction of an inch in order to see me. Nodding slowly, I present the Master Sword in both hands, palms up, with one under the flat-side of the blade, and the other beneath the hilt. Taking a small step forwards, I lower myself down onto one knee, bowing my head and pushing the heavy weapon up, and into the light.
But, my left hand enters the light as well. This shouldn't matter at all, but I feel my eyes widen, a strange sensation prickling the skin before--
"Wheee!" Kirby squeals, laughing over the sound of groaning metal and loud bangs from within the craft. The entire vessel being jerked around violently as it's near impossible to see out the front window. My nails are dug into the seat and my spine pressed against the back. The additional buckles criss-crossing over my chest not making me feel any safer as I clutch the golden-faced harp to my chest.
"Redirect power from the weapons and send it to reverse and auxiliary engines." Samus orders from where she and Falcon appear to be at the top of their game. "Where the hell did that light go, Falcon?"
"Approximately six hundred miles due north of our current position." The other pilot replies, the hatch suddenly keeling backwards and the sound of water crashing swamps us for a moment. Falcon never falters though as he speaks, and his humour still makes an appearance. "This thing had better swim, Samus; there are no substantial land-masses for another four to five thousand in any direction."
"She'll swim just fine," Samus calls back, another thundering charge sending tremors through the ship. "Damn it! Falcon, I need lights on outside; radar is useless for whatever we're hitting."
"Why are we-a flying so low?" Dr. Mario moans, sounding as though he's enjoying himself just as little as I am. "Can't we-a see the light from above the storm?" A good question, but I can't bring myself to agree or to say anything at the moment, petrified by what's happening.
"Here we go!" Falcon's voice is all but lost as a loud humming kicks up, and white-light floods the space in front of us. Pure brilliance quickly fading into a raging torrent of water and rain.
"Oh, shit!" Samus shouts, a frothing, monstrous wave rearing up in front of us. Black as the sky I can barely make out; and visible only by the white foam across it's forming crown, and the specks of rain sheeting the air. "Hang on!" I see one gloved hand appear from behind Samus's chair, slamming down hard on one of the buttons in front of her. A deafening roar comes from behind us as I feel myself being pressed more so into my seat than before.
"Are you crazy?" Falcon hollers, "We hit a wall like that at high speed and this thing'll sha-" Even the captain is forced to cut himself off as the wave suddenly falls out of sight. The entire vessel is suddenly pointing up, buzzes and tones going off all around as there's yet another crash, this time from behind us. Kirby squeals yet again in excitement as we are jerked back upright, Dr. Mario sounding sick as we continue along, only now with Samus able to avoid some of our watery obstacles.
"Hahaha!" Falcon laughs, getting caught up in his own excitement, the vessel still reeling from side to side violently with the maneuvers. "Would ya look at that! Samus 'Never have any fun, don't mess with me' Aran, pulling a stunt like that! Halleluiah!" he cheers.
"Shaddup, you old fart!" Samus snaps, although she sounds like she's enjoying herself as well.
They're crazy. Both completely and utterly insane. Nayru, I've placed my life in the hands of two unstable adrenalin junkies...
A new sound adds itself to the constant jumble of crashes and noise around us, the scream of the engines the most terrifying. But now, a dull, piercing alarm starts sounding, and I see a large light near the front of the hatch begin flashing red, painting the small chamber crimson. Other alarms, just as distracting also begin sounding as another wav rams into us hard, this time coming from the sides.
"Samus!" Doctor Mario yells as the ship flips upside-down momentarily. Re-righting itself with a lurch just before yet another wave strikes us. "Damn it, fly-a higher! We're going to go under any minute now!"
"Shut up, Doc!" Samus exclaims; her voice all but drowned out by the crashes. "I tried that already and it didn't work!" Any rush she was feeling seems to have vanished; and I can almost sense her sudden frustration.
"Hey! Our altitude's dropping!" Falcon shouts, both of them scrambling at the controls. "The engines are at maximum, but something's weighing us down!"
"Something's pulling us," Marth says hoarsely, speaking as if to himself, the only reason I can hear him being that he is sitting right next to me. "I can feel it; something has been watching us this whole time..." I just look at him for a moment, not sure if I have anything to say; as yet another alarm begins to sound. I fight to keep down a scream as a suddenly much louder series of crashes begins, shaking the ship violently up and down.
"We're on the water!" Falcon hollers, I can barely hear him, in fact, everything is suddenly muffled. Outside there is nothing but darkness; the lights Falcon turned on not picking anything out by for the thousands of confusing droplets of rain, every single one stark against the consuming, watery background.
I'm cold, my vision becoming tunneled as sounds merge into one useless sensation. I suddenly feel as though I'm falling, the sensation dizzying as the chaos continues around me. My skin feels clammy, and I could swear my lips are going blue. I can't explain the sensation now, unable to breathe as my chest feels crushed, as if I am being drawn out into the storm, the water...
Voices sound so far away, merely a part of the mindless babble around me, and not something I can focus on. Just like physical touch, I should be feeling one hand holding mine, but I cannot tell for sure if that's the case. I'm falling, that's all I know. So suddenly, I feel as though I've been standing somewhere high for a very long time, and that I've been pushed off. Or dropped...
Yes, dropped, that's what it feels like. As if someone above me pulled me up, and has held me for so long, and now they've let me go. I can't explain it any better then that, something akin to betrayal, and which reminds me of; how I felt... before leaving Hyrule, and when I would think... about what Link had done to us... Yes, it's almost exactly like that.
'Child...' I'm still falling, faster and faster, but when I'll hit bottom is something that's hidden from me. Even though reality is clawing at me to return, trying to bring an end to the drop, I simply continue on. There's a... light... far, far above me, it almost seems like it's where I fell from. So wide the distance I feel I can never close, I feel so hopeless, and used. I had a purpose, and I either outlived, or failed to fulfill it, regardless, that purpose is no longer there for me, and whoever chose me now chooses to abandon me. They chose to take away that light...
'No... Zelda... It is circumstance, not choice.' The words come without a voice, and without direction or source. As I fall they don't fade, but echo endlessly in my mind without end. But they mean nothing to me anymore. Once I would have listened, and would have believed with all my heart. But now that light I was given is leaving me, and nothing those words say will change that. It all feels so unjust, and so wrong. And as I continue falling, farther and farther away, even though I don't want to hear the answer, I can only ask that one haunting question...
Why?
That's what I asked of Link as well, why... Why did he leave, what kept him, I demanded answers to so many questions, even when it pained him, I continued to pry. All of those questions were really just one though, why? One word with so many answers. I asked them of Link and now I do of the Gods. Why, Nayru?
I begin to slow as I fall, no, not really. I'm still plummeting down, but reality is finally coming back to me, locking away the sensations I've come to realize, and pulling me back into the physical world.
Hums, sirens, shouts, screams, the groaning of metals and the beeps and tones of machines. The stale smell of the air, and the taste of metal, the feeling of someone awkwardly trying to hold me. The sensation of being tossed around in my seat despite the odd embrace, and pressed into my seat by strange forces of movement. Pain, racing across the back of my left hand, bringing me fully back into the place where I was before.
"Zelda!" Marth sounds panicked as I find he's the one trying to hold onto me. My skin still feeling icy as my vision clears slightly, the light above fading as I see his dark blue eyes. For some reason, I'm suddenly so disappointed to see him. I may value the concern, but now Marth is to close. I'm so cold; confused and hurt beyond anything else, and being held is what I want, but not like this.
It was so obvious, not to me before, but in a future which never came to pass it was, in a life I once lived I knew. But it was always impossible before, and now there is a chance. Now I know before it is too late, now we've been hurt the same way and can't cope.
"Marth... let me go..." I say softly, everything just as loud and noisy as it was before, nothing having changed as I can still hear Samus and Falcon struggling with the controls. Marth just blinks at me for a moment, apparently surprised with the request. I feel so tired and drained, but the other emotions tearing through me must be evident in my eyes, as his arms loosen, and I pull away from him. I realize I am still holding Nayru's Harp, and looking back at Marth, I see blood staining his clothing in a patch near where I was against him. I don't jump, or scream, or do anything at all as the ship continues along its teeth-rattling course, holding the Prince's eyes with mine before his fall to where my left hand is still curled around the harp. Cobalt orbs widening in surprise to see the blood I can feel staining my white-glove, just as it did his clothing.
"Zelda, you--"
"There is nothing you can do about it." I say calmly, cutting him off as my face feels almost like a mask, blank, and unchanging as I sit straight in my seat again. "Nayru told me to return swiftly; apparently even this is not quick enough for a goddess." Closing my eyes, I can no longer bring myself to worry about the jerks and lurches the vessel takes, Nayru's gift, the one I could not touch before, now making itself known. An explanation...
When the three goddesses left the world they had created to return to the heaven, at the point they made the transition, the Triforce was left behind. The Golden Power with which any mortal could make a wish upon, and have their greatest desires granted. Be their intentions pure, the Golden Land where the power was kept would prosper into a land of beauty and majesty. Be their wishes cruel and of evil intent, the Golden Land would wither into a region of hellions and death.
But, only one whom possessed equal amounts of all Power, Courage, and Wisdom, could find a true paradise, any whom touched the power and lacked this balance, would still have their wishes granted, but would also split the power into it's three separate parts. Whichever was stronger within the wisher's heart would remain with him, and the other two would seek out those whom held the most of their traits within them.
Once in the past, Ganondorf took hold of the Golden Power, lacking balance, he was given the Triforce of Power, Courage went to Link, and Wisdom to me. He used the power of the Triforce to plunge Hyrule into chaos, and Link was forced through time to defeat the King of Darkness not once, but twice, in the past and present. A new future has come about because of this, but history repeated itself with Link's disappearance. Once more Ganondorf attacked my kingdom with the Triforce which was never taken from him when he was sealed. Only the gods may remove such power.
All of this I know; my father having passed on generations' worth of knowledge to me all my life as Princess. But Nayru's gift allows me to see that which the Goddesses kept hidden from the people of Hyrule.
Twice the same being has managed to take hold of the Triforce, and extort it for his own evil designs. No Hand has the power to deny a goddess if she was truly intent on returning the Chosen of Courage to hyrule. Farore and her sisters could have brought Link back, but they realized the trouble was Hyrule itself, not Ganondorf.
The Golden Land has been destroyed by the Goddesses to end the suffering. At the cost of lives today, they seek to secure the future. To protect that future peace, they took back Link's Triforce of Courage, but clearly; they would have taken it from him anyways. I needn't look at my own hand to know that the same fate has befallen me. Farore, Din, and Nayru wish the Triforce back to seal it with Hyrule, they will shatter Courage, Wisdom, and Power to prolong their peace.
But, Din is upset. The Goddess of Fire and Power disagrees with the methods; Hyrule shall be lost eternally to the waters of an ocean, and the Golden Power shall be scattered along the four winds, fire has no role to play in what it was once a vital part of. The Goddess grows angry, and now refuses to bring an end to Ganondorf's reign; she would rather--
"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Kirby screams, terrified as my train of thought grinds to a sudden halt, opening my eyes, I see a pillar of golden light in the distance, rain and dark waters obscuring it slightly.
"Zelda!" Marth says hurriedly, getting my attention as the constant shaking of the ship never lessens, the hull skirting across the surface of the smaller waves rattling everything in sight. "We're almost there!"
"The engines are over heating from trying to get us up!" Falcon shouts, not panicking, but close to it as he starts banging the controls, "Samus, we're either going under, or blowing the generators!" I look around and see no light that isn't red in alarm.
"If you don't pray, now would be a good time to start!" Samus calls, I watch her press a few more switches before pushing whatever she's been using to steer up, the nose of the vessel instantly beginning to lower. Kirby screams in fear as I see nothing but frothing black waters, aloud explosion as we slam into the bulk of an on-coming wave, this time, not re-surfacing. Lights start shutting off as diagrams of what I would suppose are the ships engines flicker across the screen built into the window, and despite my calm I'm once again gripping the edge of my seat.
"Hang on folks! We're goin' down!"
"What sort of abomination is this?" The King hollers in a rage, his face red as he barrels down on me. I don't have anything to say as I remain where I am, on my knees in front of the light. The Master Sword is lying where it fell, as I hold my left hand tightly all but shaking at what I felt.
The light shines onto the blade, but instead of appearing as it always does, sleek and powerful, in the light it looks beaten and old. The edges are chipped and scratched, dull from constant use. Only half of it looks like that though, the half within the golden pillar.
"What have you done to the Sword of Evil's Bane? You idiot!" He roars, "How dare you call yourself a Hero, when you insult the Gods so that they damn us like this!"
"I am no Hero!" I shout back, forgetting myself, and to whom I'm speaking for the moment. "I never said I was, not once! You were the one who knighted me! Your people were the ones who named me Hero! I did nothing! I tried to complete the tasks set before me, nothing more nothing less!"
Tried and then stopped trying, became so scared of my own shadow that I can't even touch the light of the Triforce. That's what is shining down from the ceiling, my portion of the Golden Power; Farore took it from me and brought it here. She made it so that touching that horrid light sends my senses reeling; forcing me to re-live the confusion and betrayal I felt when she took that power away from me. The sensation of being caught in a whirl-wind stealing me away, tossing me in the air before I fall for what seems like forever.
I'm sick of falling, I've done too much of that in my life. Not in the mental sense like Farore what forces me to feel; falling for real. Lying in bed one moment, or in the middle of a meal; the next falling from the sky to land in the middle of a forest, or some traveling camp of gypsies.
But it was worse when I lost the Triforce, a never ending drop, with no pain and bone-crushing finish to the free-fall. Just going on forever, lost in my own mind watching that light she blessed me with being taken away without a word of explanation. Allowing me to plummet into endless darkness, and what I would suppose to be oblivion.
Leaving me to fall; with a scarred hand and useless arm. A wretched past filled with haunting triumphs, endless failures, and no hope of a sensible future, all the Gods have given me. Damn you, Farore, damn you and all you've cursed me with! I fought for what I believed was right, never once did I lose sight of that!
But what do I get in return? I fight for you, I do what you tell me, I never before failed you! It wasn't even my choice what Master Hand took from me, yet the one time I drop the ball and you drop me just as hard! I fight my whole life, and it's not enough! You ungrateful bitch, Farore that's all you are! You bring life to the world, and then when you chose one being to take interest in, you grow bored and cast them aside! You curse me, you forsake me! All these years I've fought and bled you've been sitting there waiting for me to die so you can find someone else! Just kill me and be done it!
"Speak, boy!" The King shouts, balling his fists in anger at my silence. "What have you done to the Master Sword?"
"Ask Farore." I spit, harnessing my new-found anger and pushing myself to my feet. I lock eyes with the man I should show the most respect, whom before I should be most humble. "I drew that blade from the Temple of Time, and have fought with it ever since. Farore only brought me back to return it, I know nothing more than that."
"Liar!" He hollers, his skin red beneath his beard as he shakes, I've finally stopped doing that myself. At long last reclaiming that backbone of mine, and keeping the rage running through me in check. "There is no one else who could have—"
"Do not pit your failure on me, old man!" I snap; he blinks once at me, his anger interrupted by the bold statement. "I am sick of people blaming me for things I had no part in!" The other man's eyes go somewhat wide, and then his sight moves past me. Regardless, I don't care if he's listening or not.
"Zelda, Farore, Master Hand, you're all different; yet still the same." I state, moving one foot towards the hilt of the Master Sword, working my toe under it slightly. "If something doesn't go the way you planned, or you just don't know what the hell is happening or what to do about it, you find someone to put the blame on. Someone to carry the burden."
His eyes go back and forth, flickering to mine, and then behind me. He's trying to tell me something, but I already know what it is. I ignore the fact that I shouldn't over-exert my arm, bringing my foot up quickly to kick the Sword hilt towards me; my fingers close around the familiar grip as I turn swiftly, the blade up in front of me, and held up with both hands.
The chime of clashing steel fills the air for a moment, and I look into the blank face inches from my own. Blonde hair matted and framing his face, hanging just as mine does in two long parts on each side of his head. His long Hylian ears pierced where mine are, and every pane and angle of his face is an exact replica of my own. If not for those black, sightless eyes, and the washed-out look of his skin, I would think I was looking in a mirror.
"How original." I comment darkly, watching the Double's mouth quirk up slightly, almost in amusement. The black fabric of his cap sways slightly as it takes a quick step backwards, his charcoal blade sliding against mine with the scream of metal on metal. His tunic is coloured as dark as midnight, consuming the light immediately around him to give him a black aura.
"Hero…" The King whispers from where he stands behind me.
"Shut up." I blink slightly and look curiously at the Double. I can feel those sightless eyes watching me closely, but his attention was momentarily divided.
"So…" I murmur, taking a careful step to the right; and watching as, just as I expected, the Double mirrors the stance; moving to the left. "You can speak now…" The smirk on the Puppet's face grows into more of a smile; Ganondorf even gave this one a sense of humour?
"So…" I stand firm as my own voice comes back at me, "You can hate now…" It sounds so hollow when the copy speaks, my voice to be sure, but sounding as if I'm speaking through a tube, or from a great distance. I glare darkly at Ganondorf's creation, watching his thin, pale lips pull up into a full smile, sightless black eyes almost looking excited. An emotion I never saw on the first Double's face.
Tired of waiting, I want to use this anger before it fades, a habit most of my stronger emotions seem to be developing. Apparently sensing my willingness to begin, the Double quickly jumps back. Not waiting for him to attack first, I quickly lunge, sword extended while the double recovers from his own landing.
I didn't expect the strike to hit, and not surprised when I find that dark version of the Master Sword changing the path of my own blade. He tries sliding his sword along mine and slashes at my stomach, but I have more control than he thinks, and turn away to avoid the edge. Finding myself open though, I jump back slightly, readying myself for his attack. I don't wait long; the Double moving quickly in the shadows, attempting to confuse me before rushing in from the left, trying to stab my side.
Turning directly to face him, I angle the Master Sword so as to bring the tip of his up, forcing him to abandon the rush, and ending up with us in a power struggle. The two swords clash against one another, and I feel a slight twinge in my left arm, unbidden, and distracting.
Another thing which is beginning to trouble me, despite where my focus needs to be, is the swords themselves. This is the same blade the First puppet Ganondorf made of me had, but when I fought that one sparks flew when the two weapons collided. Now, there's nothing.
"Pathetic," my own voice says to me, the Double's brows drawing down in a snarl as we each jump back in unison. I hear water splashing and find that I'm no longer standing on the small island; I pay it no mind as the double comes at me, still sneering at me. I feel my anger boiling up, and decide to show this puppet what I've been doing for seven years.
The Double brings his sword up to slash down at me, my blade there to parry as I gain momentum, ducking down and ramming my shoulder into his chest, its hardly anything, but throws him off for the moment, allowing me the chance to attack. My grip goes slightly lax without thinking, and I give a well practiced spin, the blade slicing through the air menacingly as I try to either wound my opponent, or send him back a few more steps.
It's pure luck, but the attack causes him to slip, falling backwards in the shallow waters and giving me an ample opportunity to attack. I don't get cocky, seeing the opening and thrusting the Master Sword straight down, aiming for his stomach.
I almost frighten myself, having to fight the urge to smirk down as the pale, shadowed version of myself suddenly screams. Crimson- no, black blood soaks the blade of the Master Sword, staining his charcoal tunic and spilling into the waters as he claws at the blade pinning him. I gawk in disgust as this, Puppet, begins slicing his own palms open on the sword's edges.
I do so, until I realize it's fake.
"Get up, you twisted beast." I snap, gripping the Master Sword's hilt tightly in both hands, and yanking it from the Double's body.
"You, can't defeat me," He breathes black blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he snickers up at me. The Double then does something different; vanishing from where he was just lying in the now bloody water. I feel my mouth open slightly, before closing it, and instantly looking around to see where he could have gone.
"With a Sword," My own voice suddenly coming from all around, and this time, I can't sense him. I feel a prickling sensation along the back of my neck turning, yet seeing nothing but shadows, and the dark outline of the steps and tunnel I entered from.
"That doesn't sparkle." I feel blood rush up my throat and my lips part slightly, my vision fades and re-adjusts suddenly, as my limbs feel numb. My stomach and the area around it suddenly afire as I hear the King give a startled cry, the Master Sword clattering loudly against the stones beneath the shallow waters. Looking down, I'm honestly not shocked to find a length of pitch black steel, coated in rivulet's of my own blood, protruding from my stomach.
It's a mystery, but I find myself facing that washed out copy, skin ghostly pale and thin shriveled lips, eyes black as coal and just as dead. He isn't smiling, face completely blank as he closes his eyes, holding both hands out to the side slightly, and gently tipping backwards.
His body dissipates just a breath from the water's surface; a cloud of black and violet clouds all that remains, and even those fading swiftly into the shadows.
My vision continues fading and returning, the latter not as clear nor as swift though. The King, as he comes towards me, is difficult to make out, only the Golden Pillar of light remotely clear to me. I try to swallow the blood that's chocking my lungs, but can't manage it.
Last words; the sword given to that dark version of me is to evil what the Master Sword has always been too good. I'm as dead as this land, or will be in a few moments. But I don't know what I can even try to say. My mind completely blank as… I…
"I never stop… falling…"
Dark Link! Dark Link! I used Dark Link!
