Wild's POV
"Wild!" the others all cry at once, I think, my hearing suddenly fuzzy, pain blossoming across my entire abdomen. That spear really dug deep.
Someone pulls me into their arms against their chest.
"Time, the crystal!" someone else screams. "Don't let it touch his-"
Too late. I feel something sharp and almost electric make contact with my skin, and then black overwhelms my vision. My brain is too fogged with agony to really even register the transformation. My bones feel weird, and my insides feel liquidy. I think it hurts, but I was far too pained to begin with, and this crystal's magic can't possibly make it worse. I shudder and feel tears leaking from my eyes. Everything feels wrong and somehow my blurry vision clears and I register the color orange. My brain is spinning and I can't feel my own limbs and the pain is easing up.
Beyond the shell of black squares consuming me, I hear the others all screaming and crying and worrying. Calm floods my senses. What are they so worried about? The pain leaves my body and energy floods my veins. I feel renewed, revived, better than ever. Heat burns against my skin, yet the feeling reassures me. Flames flicker in my vision, the fire's power sealing over the gash in my stomach. No longer do I feel like blood is running from my stomach. The black squares begin to thin out. I test the motion of my body. My arms now feel like feathered wings, and my legs are much shorter and less designed for walking or running. My wings are massive, I think. I must be some kind of bird. The black squares clear all the way.
The other heroes are standing with their backs circling me. Monsters claw at their protective wall. Warriors is bleeding. Time is still bleeding, though he is desperately trying to stand and fight. Several others are bleeding. Hyrule is kneeled beside me, safe within the circle of heroes, likely having been told to heal me once the transformation was over. I'm not any smaller than normal. Standing upright now, I'm still about as tall as the Hero of Hyrule. What kind of massive bird is this? I glance over myself as Hyrule just stares at me in shock. Feathers of orange and yellow meet my gaze. A long and elegant trail of tail feathers extends from my tailbone. I don't recognize this bird.
"I don't believe it…" Hyrule mumbles, pushing my feathers aside and feeling for the wound that had been there mere moments ago.
"Is he alright, 'Rule?" Wind demands.
"Better than alright," Hyrule replied. He runs a hand across my head affectionately. "He's...a phoenix!"
A phoenix? It takes a moment for my brain to remember what that is. Fragmented memories of Zelda reading to me stories of Hyrule's folklore swirl in my mind. Among them, tales of the three dragons I know now are real. And stories of a great fiery bird that could be reborn amongst its own ashes, whose tears are strong enough to heal any wound and cure any ailment. That is my true form. A bird who is known for dying and living again. A bird that means rebirth, new life, and healing. That...is me?
I shake myself off, not bothering to question it for now. With a form so sacred, surely I can assist my brothers in their battle. Fire flickers underneath my feathers. Ah, yes. And that's the other thing the phoenix is associated with. Fire. One of my favorite tools. I spread my wings out as best I can within this tight circle, watching smoke curl away from the plumage underneath. Hyrule backs up, giving me more space. He pushes past Legend and turns to continue fighting.
"A phoenix?" Legend questions, risking a glance backwards at me.
I hop awkwardly into the air, flapping my glorious wings and pushing myself up more. I've never flown like this before. But I've watched the Rito plenty of times. And instinct now guides me. I flap one, two, three times, until I'm securely in the air, then I tilt my body forward and flap once more, propelling myself forward. I fly over Time's head, and he smiles at me in wonder. "We truly shouldn't be surprised," he admits. The monsters still surrounding us stare up at me in awe as well. Then they redouble their attack efforts on the others. I fly up into the sky, twisting my body rapidly, spinning in the air with my wings curled against my body. Gravity takes hold, and I flare my wings out, flames igniting along my entire body. The heat comforts me, and despite the smoke rising from my form I can still see clearly.
I dive down into the masses of beasts, flying with my wings spread out wide, rolling in the air over or under their rushed attempts to knock me out of the sky. My glorious fire spreads to their skin, and my precious heat burns them alive. Even the Moblin that so brutally wounded me is left screeching in pain when my flames and I race past, setting the monster ablaze. Within minutes, every monster we'd yet to kill is on fire, and my flames don't want to go out. The beasts all burn alive. Every single one of them. They scream and thrash and panic, but it doesn't do any good. Fire clings to their bodies, their skin melts underneath the heat, even hard Lizalfos scales, and it only goes out once they're dead. The other heroes are left to stand and watch as the entire monster force is scorched to death. It's extremely satisfying. When the last one dies, I land before the other and shake out my feathers, extinguishing the fire that clings to my body. The burning mass of monsters too extinguishes, and this forest is spared the power of my fire.
"That was awesome!" Wind declares, running to me. He slowly puts his hand out, feeling for any remaining heat, then throws himself into my body when he decides that I am now safe to touch. I warble in annoyance, pulling away from his abrasive hug. He backs off, still grinning widely.
"That was impressive," Warriors admits.
"A phoenix," Time muses, his hand over his eye still. "Fitting for the hero who died in the princess's arms, revived 100 years later to fight once again."
"A hero who loves to explore given the power of flight," Four adds.
"And a hero who likes to burn things given all this firepower," Legend says, smirking.
The others laugh.
"Let me heal you, Time," Hyrule says.
I shake my head and push him aside, approaching our eldest myself. Time kneels before me, putting a hand on my head and stroking the feathers curiously. "I think Wild wants to do it."
"How?" Wind questions.
"Did you never learn about the phoenix, sailor?" Warriors questions.
Wind shakes his head.
"Maybe those stories were destroyed by the flood," Sky says.
"A phoenix is a legendary bird known for the ability to die and be born again," Time explains. "At the end of its life, it builds a nest of ashes, and then sets it all ablaze. And from its own fire, it's born again. Additionally, their tears are capable of healing any wound or curing any sickness."
"...So, we're going to make Wild cry," Wind concludes.
"...Yes," Time admits. "I suppose we are."
"Weird ability, but alright," Wind decides. He strokes my head again. "So soft," he mumbles.
Time puts a hand under my eye. "Whenever you're ready, Champion."
I close my eyes. Okay. I do actually have to cry if this is going to work. Well, I have plenty to be upset about. Twilight's gone, taken away by some stupid, cursed lion. All we have left is his crystal. What if he's dead by now? What if we track him all the way to the monster's lair only to find his corpse laying at the entrance? That thought makes me shudder. I feel tears wetting the edges of my eyes. Twilight...we're trying to get to you...Time brushes his finger against my eyelid, and I open my eyes. He raises his finger to his own eye and presses it against the horrible gash in his forehead. The others too stare with bated breath. As soon as my tear makes contact with the injury, flames ignite and race alongside the entire cut. The others gasp in fear, but Time doesn't cry out in pain. The flames rapidly burn across the injury, and within seconds put themselves out. Time is healed. The smoke curls away from his forehead revealing a complete lack of any kind of wound or scar at all.
"Woah," Hyrule breathes.
I puff out my chest proudly. Then I push my face against Warriors's bleeding thigh, and it too is healed, the tear that Time hadn't used quickly repairing his leg. I look around at the others for anyone else who needs healing.
"Anyone else?" Four asks for me.
Sky steps forward, a cut running along his right forearm and leaking blood. Wind rubs the back of his head, and his hand comes out red. I heal them both too, after forcing myself to cry again.
"Amazing," Legend admits. "Just amazing."
"We ought to keep moving," Warriors says. "Twilight is waiting."
"We need to make camp," Time corrects. "We're all exhausted. It won't do us any good to reach Twilight if we're all tired. There's a fight waiting too, and we'll need to be ready for it."
"Here, Wild," Sky says, approaching me with the Master Sword. I lower my head and let him press the powerful blade against my skull. Black squares rise from my feathers, covering me quickly. This time, it hurts. Going back to a Hylian, a being with no innate healing capabilities, hurts. It feels like my body is being ripped apart, all my bones crack and crunch and my organs slosh around without solid support as my skeleton is hurriedly rebuilt. My skin stretches across this new framework and my feathers dissolve one by one. I can't help but scream this time. Oh, man, it hurts. Time wasn't kidding.
After what feels like an eternity of stabbing pain from every inch of my body, the black squares clear. I'm lying on the ground on my side. I must've fallen over during all that screaming. I pick myself up and shake out my stiff muscles, unused to being torn apart and rebuilt like that. I glance over myself and note that I'm totally back to normal. The crystal is even patiently strung around my neck, despite the fact that I basically fell into it originally. The others are of course watching me worriedly.
"I'm fine," I say, the pain fading from my senses.
They nod, and we wordlessly begin going about making camp. I get a fire set up, and then start cooking dinner. Sorry, Twilight. We've got to take a break or we'll be of no use to you. But we're coming, I promise. Just stay strong.
Twilight's POV
"No," I say firmly to the stupid Lizalfos standing before me, pulling my head away from him.
The other hero stands behind me, the Malice around his arm ensuring his obedience. It's only been a few hours since we met, but he showed me just how controlling that Malice is. Anything the black Lizalfos-or whatever the lizard is truly that he can't tell me-wants him to do, he has to do it, or he earns himself punishment from his own Malice. So now, as the Lizalfos attempts to pry my mouth open and pour a dosage of the stuff down my throat, the hero can only stand behind his master patiently and watch silently.
"Stop fighting," the Lizalfos says sternly. "It won't do any good."
"I'm not going to just give up," I spit, ducking under his claws and running to the other side of the room.
"Enough of this," the Lizalfos spits. He turns to the other hero. "First, go and subdue him."
First? Is that his title? First turns to me, his gaze melancholic and angry at the same time. "I'm sorry," he says simply, holding his cursed arm outward. I ready myself, prepared to run around him too. I can't fight back against either of them, not without a blade, but the longer I drag this out, the better. Maybe the Lizalfos will run out of time again and spare me this treatment a second time. First shakes his head, then clenches his hand into a fist. A tendril of Malice springs from his cursed arm and almost instantaneously closes the distance between himself and me. Taken by surprise, I don't even move as the tendril bears down on me. The inky appendage slams into my chest, pinning me to the wall. It spreads across me like a spider web, clinging to the wall and binding me in my position. First walks toward me now, the Malice receding into the rest of his body as he walks into it. He gets a normal arm's distance away from me, and the web of Malice shifts into his claws. He keeps pressure against my chest, ensuring I can't move, and stares at the floor, his jaw clenched, his order completed.
"Good boy," the Lizalfos praises. He walks to me now too. "Don't bother resisting anymore. You can't. Give it up. You're not a hero anymore. Not in this place."
I spit in his face.
Wiping the saliva away, the lizard just keeps talking. "Such a feisty one. You'll be of much use to me." He holds up a vial of Malice. "Now. Drink."
I keep my mouth shut.
"Choke him," the monster commands First.
First moves his hand to my neck and begins squeezing. The Malice burns against my skin and I have to fight to keep from screaming. Then I run out of air and breathing through my nose isn't enough. First presses harder and harder and I bite my tongue as hard as I can, giving myself a target to focus on. Just keep biting, just keep biting, just keep-
The lizalfos rips my mouth open. I scream and gasp for air, kicking aimlessly and trying to get my oppressors off me. My efforts are in vain. I feel glass pressed against my lips, and then gag as Malice is dumped into my mouth. I try to cough it up, try to spit it out, but the substance clings to my tongue and advances down my throat. It burns and I scream and scream and scream. First lets go of me and I fall to the ground, hacking and screaming. It tastes like rot and evil and fury. It scrapes down my throat and just continues to press pain into my senses. I keep coughing, trying to force it out of my system, but it is stubborn, and I feel it clinging to my tongue and esophagus, ensuring that it remains with me. I can feel it shuddering every time I forcefully exhale, as though it is excited to infect me.
Flecks of Malice fall from my lips, but most of it I ultimately swallow. My stomach now feels like it's burning up, and I clutch my abdomen tightly, but somehow I don't feel nauseated. The Malice is preventing me from throwing up. It's almost a pity. At least then I could be rid of some of it.
The Lizalfos watches with ecstasy radiating from his red eyes. First stares at me placidly, the Malice on his arm pulsing as always, his orange eye blazing with unwanted hatred. His blue one is blank and unfeeling. He's felt this before, and he knows how pointless it is to fight, I'm sure.
I push myself to my feet, anger flooding my system, likely borne of the Malice I just swallowed. I can feel it burrowing into my insides, I can feel it rushing my bloodstream, all hot and evil and burning. Even so, I stand shakily, my entire body overwhelmed by pain and hatred. The Black Lizalfos just watches me. I run at him and throw my entire body into his, sending us both tumbling down to the floor. He laughs as he falls, even though I've pinned his shoulders into the ground. He sneers at me as I raise my knee over his stomach.
"Stop," he says calmly. "Cut it out, Twilight."
The Malice within me obeys. The stuff has already spread throughout my entire body. I can feel it in every single one of my limbs, infecting all my nerves and my bones and my muscles. My skin is bare, but I imagine at least one of my eyes now blazes orange. And all that evil, all that sickly ooze, forces me to collapse. Now it forces itself from my skin, rising from both my forearms and a lot from my back and wrapping tendrils around my neck. I choke, pulling against the thick noose with hands now covered by Malice, but it does no good. The Lizalfos gets out from under me and stands over me for a moment. Then he turns away from me and the Malice retreats. But it stays on my skin. My hands shake as I behold them now. Both of them covered in Malice that extends all the way up to my elbows and my fingertips adorned with horrible claws. I can feel a mass of it on my back and some on my face, mostly on my forehead. The rest of it is still within me, resting just underneath my skin across my entire body. I don't even know what to think or feel.
I fall to my knees and hang my head, shivering. I feel furious, but that anger isn't mine, I don't think. My own body isn't mine anymore. At least when I used the Twilight crystal, that dark wolf was my true form, my inner being manifested into a new body. But this...this is just horrid and disgusting. How can I even possibly call myself a person anymore like this? The Malice on my arms pulses the way First's does. I shiver, tears leaking from my eyes.
The Lizalfos laughs at me. First watches silently, sorrow radiating from his blue eye.
"I'll leave you alone now, Twilight," the Lizalfos says coldly. "I'll leave you to figure out your new power. And First, come with me. You've got another mission."
First numbly leaves the room with the Lizalfos. I sit on the ground and lean against my cell, shaking. I feel furious and cold and afraid. The only feeling that's mine is afraid. How can the others save me now? I'm...I'm sure...at least I hope...they'll take me back...but how can they save me? Nothing I've ever heard of can heal a sickness like this. I shiver. Despite my words to First originally, I'm now terrified. Will I be like this for the rest of my life? What kind of a life do I have left to live like this? I bury my face in my cursed hands, the Malice rushing across my skin, and I close my eyes. It doesn't hurt any longer. It feels nice, and I start shaking again. It feels nice. That damn ooze is part of me now. Please, hurry, I beg to no one in particular. Get me out of here. Please. Get me out.
