A/N: I listened to "Gone Away" by SafetySuit while writing a portion of this chapter. That part is indicated by four asterisks. Feel free to pull up the song on YouTube and listen as you read along when you see "****"
Link shielded his eyes from the midday desert sun as it reflected off of the bright gray stone on the ground. The sky was blue and the wind was pleasant, albeit warm. As his eyes adjusted, he could begin to see the outline of the large triangular sculpture, which looked even more massive up close. Standing before it were Zelda and the woman who had rescued her at the Earth Temple. Link's ears were graced by the sound of Zelda singing and strumming a harp, exactly as she had on the day of the Wing Ceremony. Every impulse in him wanted to call out to her, but Link kept himself subdued, standing silently until she had finished her song. Zelda lowered the harp and looked toward the woman, who gave her a nod of both pride and approval. Link especially noticed how beautifully the sunlight created a halo on her platinum-blonde hair.
By some divine magic, a large circular structure appeared before them. It appeared hollow, and if Link looked closely enough, he could almost see it rotating like a gear in a clock. It was a portal unlike any he had seen before. He could only assume that Zelda intended to go through it. His heart dropped as he questioned whether or not to make his presence known. He couldn't stand to witness her as troubled and burdened as she had been at the Earth Temple when she had been forced to choose to leave him behind. Perhaps he could spare her from that pain this time if she never even knew he was there.
Just as Link was quietly resolving himself to draw back into the mines, Zelda turned and met his gaze, her piercing blue eyes connecting with his forest greens at once. Their hearts swelled with gladness. The woman, to their surprise, gave Zelda a gentle nod, and with that they made their way to each other. In their excitement, neither of them noticed a sudden front of storm clouds rolling over the sun. Impa, however, was keenly aware, and she sensed trouble.
"Your Grace!" she called out.
Link and Zelda both stopped in their tracks, sensing the urgency in Impa's voice.
"Master," Fi called out from the sword (though Zelda now heard her as well), "Ghirahim is approaching the area."
Fi's voice had all but faded when suddenly, a ground-shaking explosion tore through the wall that was previously thought to be impenetrable. Dust, rock, and sand flew through the air, causing everyone to instinctively duck and cover their heads. Then, from the debris, the gangly lord of demons came running with his weapon at the ready and his dark eyes set on Zelda. Without even looking away from his prize, Ghirahim raised a hand, and before Link rose a barrier of orange light and dark malice. It looked like smoke, but it was solid like glass. Link tried to break his way through and was met with complete resistance. Impa ran to meet Ghirahim head-on, and the two began battling at once. While Ghirahim was distracted, Zelda cried out to Link.
"Link!" she shouted, raising the harp over her head. "You're going to need this!"
The harp began glowing with a bright, overwhelming light. Then the light traveled with great speed until it was caught in Link's arms. For a moment, he felt he was not capable of wielding such immense power. Soon, the light dissipated, and the harp was his, though he did not yet know why. He set it aside for the time being and returned his attention to the fight happening between Ghirahim and Impa, also noting the barrier before him was waning.
Impa fought valiantly, but it was clear Ghirahim was gaining the upper hand. Impa had been shielding herself with a force field as best as she could, yet with a mighty swing of Ghirahim's blade and an explosion of malice, she was sent flying through the air, crashing to the ground with a pained yelp. Ghirahim charged with an evil grin, ready to turn the Sheikah warrior into nothing more than a memory. Impa instinctively raised her hands to protect herself from the incoming deadly blow. Eyes closed, she accepted her fate and drew in a deep, mournful breath. But then, the air was filled with the ringing of metal clashing with metal. The Goddess Sword met Ghirahim's blade with such impassioned force that the demon lord was thrown back and stunned. Link turned to Impa. She appeared shaken, though unhurt.
"Am I late?" he asked, brushing a lock of his honey-blonde hair from his eyes.
Impa's breath caught in her throat. She knew Link had every right and reason to harbor resentment towards her after her scathing rebuke at the Earth Temple. At first, she took his question as nothing more than bitter sarcasm, however, she then saw his gentle, affirmative smile followed by a small wink. Impa sighed and allowed herself to smile in kind.
"No, you are right where you're supposed to be," she said.
With that, they knew they were reconciled.
"Get Zelda out of here," he ordered, flicking his head toward the portal.
Knowing how hard it must have been for Link to speak those words, Impa nodded and rose to her feet, sprinting back to meet Zelda at the portal they had opened. Before she could reach her, Ghirahim attacked once more. At first, Link thought that perhaps heat and exhaustion had gotten the best of him as he saw Ghirahim triplicate. Yet this was no mirage. Now there were three menacing, pale frames, each with an evil smile and an intent to kill. One immediately clashed with Link, one intercepted Impa, and the third made its way to Zelda, with no one to get in his way.
"Link!" Impa called out, straining against her adversary. "The real Ghirahim is sure to go after Zelda."
Despite being clones, the added Ghirahims were savage fighters and kept Link and Impa at bay with masterful skill and unrelenting cruelty. As predicted, the real Ghirahim went to Zelda, uninterrupted. He casually walked towards her with a cunning grin. Zelda backed up, trying not to show the alarm on her face.
"We meet again, Your Majesty," he said with a sarcastic bow. "You have my word that I will not hurt you. You're of no use to my master if you're spoiled in any way." He glanced back at the other two battles that were raging on. "Your friends, on the contrary... they don't get that privilege."
He vanished, reappearing behind Zelda and taking her shoulders tightly in his stringy hands. He then grabbed her by the chin and forcefully turned her head toward Link and Impa, though she tried desperately to look away.
"I want you to see them meet their ends," he said, his voice dripping with delight. "Take in every juicy, or dare I say - bloody, moment."
Both Link and Impa were growing wearied by battle and were soon overpowered by the Ghirahim clones. Impa was blocking against a barrage of sword slashes. She managed to fling his sword away from him, but then, suddenly, the clone countered by sprinting forward with terrifying speed. He took her neck in his hand and drove her into a wall. The force of hitting it dizzied her at once and caused her to drop her sword. She desperately clawed at his hand, kicking and flailing with as much strength as she could muster, weakening with every passing moment.
Link swung his blade this way and that, though every swing was blocked by an equally powerful parry. Then, the clone managed to sink his blade past the Goddess Sword. Link was cut from his forearm to the palm of his hand. Naturally, the boy recoiled and was then taken to the ground. With one hand on the hilt and the other reinforcing the blade of the Goddess Sword, Link pushed with all of his might against the enemy's sword. Zelda could see his arms trembling as his strength waned.
The closer Impa and Link came to death, the more Zelda felt her fright and despair turn to pure rage. She jerked her head this way and that in an attempt to shake off her captor.
"What's this?" he asked aloud. "She fights back?"
Suddenly, with an impassioned scream, a burst of golden light came forth from Zelda's body. It knocked Ghirahim back several steps, freeing her from his grip. His clones were also affected, as they momentarily turned away from their intended victims, giving Link and Impa just enough time to recover and battle on. Zelda could feel the Goddess' furious power rampaging through her veins with every beat of her heart. She moved her arms in beautiful patterns and formations, and with each movement, there came a circular burst of golden light, or a beam of radiance that streaked through the air. Ghirahim deflected the light with his blade. He found it fun at first but quickly grew agitated, realizing that Zelda was far more powerful than he thought. Zelda channeled this newfound power and, with one long, graceful movement, sent a large ray of light barreling towards Ghirahim. He flew backward and fell to the ground while the light continued to cover him. Zelda spun around and ran to meet Link and Impa as quickly as her legs could carry her. They stood back-to-back with the three Ghirahims closing in.
"Any ideas?" Impa inquired.
Link stretched his arm out and carefully ushered Zelda behind himself, keeping his gaze squarely on the enemies before him. It was then that Zelda noticed how battle-worn Link truly was. His hand that had been cut by the clone was dripping with blood, and the honey-blonde locks on the back of his head were stained red from an earlier injury. Though he locked onto their foes with amazing bravery and determination, Zelda could see the exhaustion on his face. With each heaving breath, his shoulders fell lower and lower, as if he was slowly crumbling under the weight of it all.
"Link," she said rather quietly.
Her blue eyes were fixed on the Goddess Sword. Having shared their own wordless language since childhood, Link knew what she intended for him to do. He raised the sword to the sky, yet before he sensed the typical static-like charge of a skyward strike, he felt Zelda's soft yet strong hand grip his. Together, they held the sword skyward. Zelda bowed her head, brow furrowed. Her other hand was balled into such a tight fist that it began to shake. A bright, golden light traced the outline of her hand as she held firmly to the sword. Then, Link began to feel the skyward strike charging, though this time it was vastly different. Instead of its usual blue glow, the sword was utterly consumed in overwhelming golden radiance. Link felt his arm would give in under the weight of this immense power, but Zelda's hand kept it held high. All three Ghirahims drew back at the sight of this. Then, as if guided by some other force, Link stepped forward, pivoted, and then twisted his body with as much strength as he could muster with the sword outstretched before him. A large beam of radiance was shed from the sword. It obliterated the two clones and sent the real Ghirahim flying backward through the very hole he had torn through the wall.
"Get out of here, quickly," Link ordered, turning to Impa and Zelda.
"Link," Impa said, sadly, "you must destroy the Gate of Time behind us. It's the only way. Use the power of the sword."
Link nodded, holding back the painful knot forming in his throat. Zelda's eyes welled with bitter tears as she was once again being forced to abandon her dearest friend. Gently, carefully, she cupped her hand over his cheek. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head down and forward, pulling his face down towards hers. Their foreheads touched. She felt the warmth of his breath flowing over her and knew that he too was holding back a cry of pain. A series of hot tears trickled down her cheek as she drew in a quivering breath.
"This isn't the end," she said shakily. "We will see each other again."
Link's breath stopped short in his throat as he felt the gentle touch of her hand on his face, her forehead against his. He tried to respond, but his voice, choked with emotion, failed him. He simply nodded and slowly drew back. Impa took Zelda by the arm and ran with all of her might to the portal. Before entering the portal, Impa turned one last time.
"Speak to the woman in the Sealed Temple," she said. "She will guide you from this point forth."
Zelda and Impa raced through the portal and vanished. Link approached the portal once they were through. The sword was still glowing with the beautiful, golden light. He raised the sword with both hands and plunged it into the side of the portal. Several large cracks ripped through its structure before it came crashing down in a heap of absolute ruin. With that, he knew that Zelda was truly gone. It was simultaneously the easiest and hardest decision Link had ever faced. The area fell silent for a brief period, but the silence was soon interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from Ghirahim. The demon lord had risen to his feet just in time to witness the last few pieces of the portal turn to rubble.
"YOU!" he screamed, his voice quaking. "Have you any idea what you've just done?!"
He took a threatening step towards Link, his sword raised. However, he limped and struggled to stay upright, clearly severely hurt by the skyward strike. Fi emerged from the Goddess Sword and hovered beside Link.
"Stand down, Ghirahim," she said.
"SILENCE!" he screamed, stumbling once more.
"My master has the upper hand against you," she said in her melodic yet unchanging tone. "Stand down."
"Don't patronize me with your mercy!"
The three stood silently for a time. Link's sword still harnessed the power Zelda had bestowed upon it. Link knew deep down that he could end Ghirahim at that very moment, and yet something stopped him. Fi seemed to be against the idea. And, though he had wounded him quite terribly, Link couldn't help but recall that Ghirahim had, for some reason, spared his life in their battle at Skyview. With a reluctant sigh, he lowered the sword.
"End me now or forever wish that you had," Ghirahim growled. "I should have squashed you like the feckless worm you are when I had the chance."
Link shook his head, saying nothing.
"Next time we meet, Link," Ghirahim spat, disgusted by his own utterance of the name, "you will curse the day you were born and pray to every god and goddess for death. But I won't grant you that wish. No, I will beat you until you are clinging to your worthless life by a single thread, and then..."
Suddenly, Ghirahim gazed off and laughed maniacally.
"... I will make you watch as your precious Zelda is sacrificed for the revival of my master. I will ask him to utterly destroy her, slowly, and in every way she fears, and then leave you to die of heartbreak and misery."
Link took a step forward and flourished the golden sword. This was enough to shut Ghirahim up. He fought through his pain to give Link one final, evil grin before vanishing. In his absence, the clouds dissipated, and the sun emerged once more. All became quiet and peaceful again. Even Link had a surprising sense of peace, knowing Zelda was under Impa's protective care, and it seemed they were now far out of Ghirahim's reach. Though he missed her terribly and longed to be with her, Link couldn't help but to feel somewhat relieved. It was over... for now. He turned and looked at Fi, who appeared to be inspecting him rather closely.
"Excuse you?" he asked, feeling a bit unnerved.
"Master, I have confirmed that your body has been fully restored."
"What?" he asked, unsure of what she meant.
Then the realization struck him. He put his hand to his head and felt no wound, just hair and dried blood. He then looked at his hand, which had been cut rather gruesomely by the Ghirahim clone. The tear had been fully mended, and the pain left over from his battles in the mines had also disappeared.
"How?" he asked in quiet awe.
"It is my understanding that the spirit maiden, Zelda, used the Goddess' power to heal you."
(( **** Start soundtrack "Gone Away" by SafetySuit here **** ))
Link thought back to when Zelda's hand touched his face and their foreheads met. Looking back, he remembered something about that moment, as brief as it was, had felt particularly... good... despite their pending separation. He concluded she had likely used her power to restore him then, without him realizing. Link was normally very put-off by anyone touching him. Since the death of his mother, he had been closed off to any form of physical affection, save for Zelda. She was the only one with whom he could find peace and comfort in an embrace. He looked toward the Gate of Time, in ruins, and thought of her. She was safe now. That's all that mattered. Reaching back to feel his head once more, Link reflected on a painful yet fond memory as he slowly walked through the ruins of the wall and into the desert.
Zelda had been enjoying her first year as an official student of the Knight Academy. She was getting to know Fledge, who was also new. Some of the students in Link's class, however, treated him brutally, always calling him names and intimidating him. Link was also having trouble getting along with his classmates. None took too kindly to his quietness and found it offensive, never taking the time to truly know and understand him. Groose, in particular, took every chance he could to try to make Link feel inferior. She admired Link for always maintaining his composure. He seemed to be able to let Groose's behavior roll off his shoulders almost effortlessly, and it bothered his tall-haired adversary to no end. Ironically, Groose was incredibly nice to Zelda, suspiciously so.
One afternoon, Zelda was carrying some packages back from the Bazaar when all of a sudden, the doors to the Knight Academy burst open with a loud bang as they smacked against the outer walls. It was Link, fists clenched and cheeks flushed with anger. She watched helplessly as he stormed past her. Fledge tried to follow behind and was stopped by Zelda.
"Let him go," she instructed graciously. "He likes to be alone for a while when he's upset."
"Oh Zelda, it was terrible!" Fledge exclaimed.
"What happened?"
"Groose, Stricth, and Cawlin were pestering me something awful. Then they started shoving me around like it was some kind of game. It wasn't until Link showed up that they finally stopped. Link told them to pick on someone their own size. After that, they exchanged some words. I really thought they were about to get physical."
"And then?"
"Then... Groose called Link... an orphan."
(Considering the longevity of life and the lack of wars on Skyloft and the surrounding villages, it was extremely rare for a child to grow up without both parents.)
Zelda's face became red with fury.
"... Is that true about him?" Fledge asked in a hushed tone.
"That's something you're going to have to ask him yourself someday," she said pointedly, though she knew the truth.
Zelda went inside in search of Groose and his friends. When she found them, she threw down the packages and stormed right up to Groose.
"You are the worst!" she shouted, fighting back her own tears. "I hope you feel proud of yourself. Just know that until you learn how to be at least somewhat decent to Link and Fledge, you have no hope of ever being in my good graces! None! Never!"
Zelda turned and marched out, though not before shouting, "Now take those packages to my father!"
She looked everywhere for Link on Skyloft, to no avail. She then mounted her Loftwing and searched the nearby plateaus. At last, she found him on a small island. Without uttering a word, she approached him slowly. She noticed a nearby tree had some odd markings in its bark, and then she saw Link's fists. They were bloodied. Face red and eyes welled with tears, Link heaved as he tried to master his own breath.
"Link," she whispered.
Carefully, she placed a hand on his arm, stroking it gently with the side of her thumb. She tried to catch his gaze, yet he averted her each time. Gathering that her efforts were providing little comfort, she drew back. That was when Link lowered his head and gave in, breaking down into an audible yet quiet cry. Zelda embraced him and the two remained there for some time. The warmth of his tears fell on her shoulders as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. She held him until his tears were spent. Afterwards, they sat on the edge of the island, letting their feet dangle in the mercies of the wind. Zelda had carefully wrapped a bandage around each of Link's hands. Neither of them had spoken a word, and to Zelda's surprise, it was Link who broke the silence.
"What happened to your mother?" he asked weakly.
Zelda was taken aback by the question at first, though it made sense why he would ask. She drew in a deep breath.
"She died shortly after giving birth to me," she replied softly. "Father assured me she didn't suffer."
Link sat quietly for a moment before offering a heartfelt apology.
"What of yours?" she entreated cautiously.
Link sighed. "Do you remember the night we first saw each other?"
Zelda could still envision it clearly. She remembered how sad and terrified he looked as a little boy. He looked like that same frightened little boy now. Zelda nodded her head gently.
"She had just died that night."
"I'm very sorry," she said, delicately placing her hand on his.
She decided to ask a daring question to draw more out of him.
"Can you tell me about her?"
Link swallowed heavily. Zelda worried this meant he was withdrawing, though to her surprise, he responded.
"She worked herself to death," he began quietly. "We barely had enough to survive on, and she worked for every bit of it until she got sick. Despite all that, she was always caring, always kind, and always patient. She never looked at me without a smile on her face."
"She must have been very proud of you," Zelda said. "I can tell you loved her dearly."
Link nodded. A gentle smile crossed his lips as the wind tussled his honey-blonde hair.
"The last thing she ever told me... was to be brave."
Zelda's brow raised in wonder as he recited her final words with great care.
"Be brave, Link. Have courage. You have to have courage."
The two friends met each other's gazes and smiled fondly, reflecting on her memory together. The pair then sat in silence until the sun began to set. Only when they decided to leave did Link draw back his hand from hers.
