Chapter 9: Link's choice

Link prepared for the worst that could be delivered by this man. Even so the man appeared to do nothing but stand there. Link didn't understand why the man didn't attack. Suddenly a cut about two inches in width and five centimeters in depth appeared on his arm.

"What devilry is this?" Link cried aloud.

"You are a fool, surprising you killed one of my best men. I am using no spell on you Hero, I don't need to. Even without the power to blast you my speed could destroy you." Another cut appeared in his right leg. He's doing it. He's fast too fast to see even. I'm going to have to watch for his moves closely and try to see if he hesitates anywhere. The Master moved again. This time ready for it Link saw the shift in the man's weight but no more before a slash grew across his chest.

Link swung as the man paused between blows again. But the Master sword seemed to cut nothing but air and go straight through the man. Link righted himself as blows landed on his back. Link performed a spin attack unleashing temporary, small ring of blue fire from the tip of his blade. As Link charged the assault, a blow landed on his face, then he attacked and actually hit the man. The Master was knocked clean off his feet, Link didn't pause he ran up and flipped to sword plant the man in the face. But the attack missed by feet as the man moved to his old spot. Link backflipped as far as he could twice. He watched the man for the shift in the weight again, the man only moved an inch but when he did Link swung as fast as he could and the blow landed on the man's upper arm, not, however without the prick of the golden blade having stabbed his shoulder. The man looked at the two marks Link had left with anger.

"It seems I underestimated you Hero of Time. However you've never faced a wizard with my magic abilities before. Now you will die." The man twitched his hand a Link's clothes caught fire and burned him. Link threw off his tunic and put the fire on his pants out. The man twitched his right hand again and lighting came down and struck Link several times. Link didn't know how he was still alive but he was. The man moved an inch and suddenly his sword was at Link's neck.

"Goodbye Hero!" Link rolled to his right while the golden blade left a trail of blood on his neck Link managed to pick his (still burning) tunic up and throw it on the man's face. Link used the distraction to run full sprint out of the castle and used Faeroe's wind to go to the Hylian rider's cave. Link stared at the many swords in the ground and sat down weeping from failure and for the end.

A light started to glow around a Triforce symbol on a shield. Link didn't hesitate and placed his hand upon it. Link felt the same swipe of wind and opened his eyes to find himself back in the room with strange symbols. Link looked around, what else did he have to do? He walked around touching several interesting symbols, but nothing happened. He walked around the cavern again trying to see a way out. He saw that a tile on the floor bore a strange tint. Link pressed his hand on it and nothing happened. He stood on it and nothing happened. He got angry and kicked the tile, and it shifted a little bit. Link placed his hands in the grove in the floor that separated every tile, and pulled it up. He saw that it was a hole that he could fit into with an amount of diffuculty.

He didn't start floating as normal but he fell straight to the hard soil and saw that he was again on the battlefield that he had been on when he'd fought with Grehadel. Link tried to move forward to make his vision a little clearer but he couldn't, he tried to move his leg but it was stuck as though it were frozen. Link looked ahead and saw the battle as it had been just before he had left. He was not transparent anymore though. He saw the Master walk unto the field and saw several people fall. Zelda was trapped behind no less than fifty Re-deads and four trolls. He looked over and saw Xilic, not yet Grehadel kneeling in front of the Master, looking as though he was trying to escape a great pain. Link saw himself run up and kill several of the Re-deads around Zelda and three of the trolls. Zelda broke through the lines and used magic to escape. Link then saw himself rise and run fast towards Xilic.

But then Link heard, "Rise Grehadel, do what you must!" And Link saw himself shouting something, and then Xilic turned around and stabbed the other Link. Link felt the rush of wind again and flew back to the strange symbol room. If I'd saved Xilic, Zelda would've died, so I couldn't save both of them. That means when it comes down to it who do I prefer to keep alive Xilic or Zelda? Link thought. He wondered around the room for a little while and ran back to the entrance and ran as fast as he could back towards Hyrule field.

It came into sight in about five minuets but Link wouldn't reach it for hours. He tried to use Faeroe's wind but his magic was far too low. Link played a tune on his ocarina and was warped to the Temple of Time. It was farther then he would've liked but it was close enough. He leapt across the drawbridge towards the battle that was almost the same as when he'd left it. He killed five Re-deads and was trying to reach Xilic quickly. Xilic was on top of a troll and shooting down several Re-deads. Link leapt up on the troll too and told Xilic to be careful and that he needed to remember what he was fighting for.

Link sword planted through a skull of a Re-dead. Then he went to find Zelda. He saw her in the mass of several foes. Link slashed through two of the trolls that were nearby and pain entered his hip he looked down and saw it bleeding. Link was suddenly blasted far out towards the borders of the battle he saw the figure at the gate fighting with Xilic. Link started fighting his way towards Xilic but then saw that Zelda was being over-run with far far too many Re-deads. It was time to choose. Link ran towards his friend and threw the Master Sword as hard as he could right at the Master who was trying to take over Xilic.

The blade entered his chest point first. Link then sprinted faster then he'd ever done before in his life towards Zelda's location. He reached her and held up his hands pulling on his essence to use what power of magic protection he could still make and used it to shield himself and Zelda. The creatures were hammering on Link's last defense. Link could feel his magic draining his body as he tried to keep the shield up, but the pressure was too overwhelming for him to keep it up. Link's magic was fully depleted, as he fell to the ground. And as Link struggled to stay conscious, a blurred vision of his brother striking down two re-deads and defending Zelda and the nearly unconscious Link.

Link awoke to the sound of a crackling fire and voices in the background. Zelda leapt on to Link with joy.

"We won Link!"

"It was incredible! As soon as their commander that Master fell and fled. The clans turned on each other and started fighting. Zelda wasn't hurt much, well at least she wasn't injured after you showed up. But not everything I have to say is good news. The Master still lives and even though he is wounded, he is a very big threat. And along with that the battle included far too many casualties. But we will still follow your command here."

"Saddle up!" Link called.