Counting Stars

by Saus

Link finds himself caught in the middle of an elaborate gang war. Lucky for him, being a B-list superhero makes that predicament a tiny bit easier. / Modern AU ZeLink, inspired by Spider-Man. Complete!

32. Liberator

There will be some point-of-view shifts for the sake of action buildup in this chapter. Just a heads up if you're picky about things like that. Also: very long chapter.

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COUNTING STARS

Chapter 32: Liberator

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Friday, December 28th

Stormy clouds pervade the skies above as we travel down the abandoned road, trudging through slush and snow as a unit. It would surely be an odd sight to see, if at least out of context: eight teenagers walking down the middle of an empty street in a once-bustling city, wearing football pads and carrying baseball bats, golf clubs, kitchen knives, an instrument, and even a gun, all led by a kid in a green outfit carrying a shiny sword. As we walk, light snowflakes float down to the pavement, and winter's bite leaves our noses red.

Mido is the first to break the silence that has lasted since he and the others agreed to fight alongside me and Zelda.

"I hate you with every ounce of my being," he growls at me from behind the cover of Sheik and Mikau.

"Good to see you again, too, guys."

Mido folds his arms, grumbling to himself in an attempt to appear menacing. In reality, he only looks as if he's having an uncomfortable time at the restroom.

"I just can't believe you told Sheik and Pipit but not us," gripes Mikau.

Sheik gives a shrug. "In Link's defense, we kinda found out for ourselves."

The group grows quiet again, until Midna speaks up. "You know, Link, I really hated you."

I roll my eyes. "I'm really happy with the direction this conversation is taking."

"From my eyes, you were sitting on your ass, hiding, while the rest of us were fighting back. But I guess you were doing your part all along."

I share a dull look with Zelda, and she offers me a smile before taking my hand and squeezing it warmly.

"And Zelda seems to like you now, which is weird, but I can accept it," Midna concludes, slapping me on the back.

I grimace. "You know, maybe this was a bad idea."

Clearing his throat, Pipit chimes, "So, uh, where exactly is Yuga's base?"

"East Castle Town," I reply. "By all the factories. It's the biggest warehouse of them all."

The walk shouldn't take more than half an hour, but the dark clouds above portend a wet and arduous trek if we dawdle. Knowing this, I pick up the pace, and the others reluctantly do so as well.

"So." Zelda and I turn to give Karane an odd look as she maneuvers her way to the front, squeezing between the two of us, lugging her baseball bat behind her. "Um... is this, like, it?" she asks, keeping her voice low but failing to hide her nerves. "There's no going back—we either live or die… today?"

I skip my gaze over to Zelda, and for a second, she shows the same fear that's in Karane's eyes right now. But then, lifting her head high, Zelda looks back forward.

I clear my throat, unable to meet Karane's dependent gaze. "I don't know. If Impa's training has paid off, and if Zelda and I can lead you well, and if we have all the luck in the world, we might be able to stand a chance."

"A very, very slim chance," adds Mikau from a few paces behind, having been eavesdropping.

Karane presses her lips. "Comforting."

"It's not too late to turn back," I say. "And it's nothing against your character. We understand that this is life or death here."

"Also comforting." Karane shakes her head, pigtails bobbing. "I won't turn back, though. If we die, we die together. And gods, what a sick description in the obituary! 'Seventeen years old, enjoyed volleyball and dancing, got mauled by ten thousand pig demons.'"

"Oh, don't be so negative," says Sheik, stepping between Zelda and Karane and further separating me from Zelda. "These monsters will be nothing. We've killed hundreds already."

Mido then pushes his way through to the front, wedging his diminutive frame between Sheik and Karane. "Yeah," he scoffs, "easy for you to say! Especially when you're the one with the gun and we're left with sports equipment!" He flails the puny golf club out in front of him.

"I own this gun. It's not my fault Impa took all the other guns to Hyrule Castle. And look—Midna doesn't have sports equipment!"

Now, Midna steps in between Sheik and Mido, raising her collection of kitchen knives, and grins. "Actually, I consider stabbing a sport."

"It's true!" chimes Pipit, squeezing in between me and Karane. "She stabbed me with a crayon in seventh grade. A crayon!"

"Only because you were eating one."

"Its label said it was 'chocolate'—I thought that was its flavor, not color!"

Now, that leaves Mikau as the only one who hasn't broken any boundaries and invaded anyone's personal space. Seemingly thinking the same thing, everyone turns to look back at him, as he walks alone a few paces back.

He lifts his head. "Oh, don't worry, I'm good."

I look at the others, piqued. "Guys?"

They look over at me.

"Space?" I prompt.

With a chorus of "Oh," they return into formation, so to speak, as we continue along down the long eastbound road.

I find Zelda's hand in mine, searching her eyes. "How do you feel about this?"

She pauses, sending as furtive glance to the group behind her. "Scared," she answers quietly, honestly, looking up at me through long lashes. "But confident."

"I think they're ready." I nod at her reassuringly, rubbing my thumb against the soft skin of her hand. "They're scared too; they're just hiding it with banter."

"Can they really comprehend what's at stake?" asks Zelda, voice just above a whisper.

"They're gonna have to."

Ten minutes later, the skies begin to darken as thick gray clouds roll in, thunder booming overhead. From afar, over the tall buildings, purple lightning strikes the world below from a ring of smokey clouds. Zelda winces, and Karane emits a startled eep.

"He's summoning more and more monsters," Sheik narrates grimly, his jaw tightened.

"We're almost there," I say. "It's now or never."

If any of the crew wished to turn back, they did a great job of hiding it.

After another five or so minutes, the air starts to get colder, the skies get darker, and the ominous stronghold comes into view. When we lay our eyes on it, we can't help but gawk. Yuga's stronghold must have tripled in size since the time I escaped it, some few weeks ago. The factory to its left and the abandoned office building to its right have both been overtaken by this massive warehouse. Yuga must've enlisted the help of his dimwitted brutes to construct it, although it appears far too structurally sound to have been engineered by a lowly group of moblins.

We arrive at the sidewalk in front of the stronghold. I share one last meaningful look with my friends, silently conveying my focused determination to each of them, then take Zelda's hand and lead the rest of them into the enemy base.

Yellow light flickers from a single fixture in the ceiling as we step into the dim, wide room. It's shaped like a pentagon, with four doors on each of the walls ahead of us. Blood stains spatter the dusty floors, and claw marks riddle the walls. This place is home to all things feral and inhuman.

I turn to meet everyone's eyes.

"Well, this is it."

Friends share glances with friends. With allies. With lovers. With exes. With complicated family members.

With a roll of the eyes, Midna huffs impatiently, blurting out, "Can we skip the anticipation and get to the part where we slap the goofy outta these demons?"

"Agreed," says Pipit, while others nod. "This is getting a bit too mushy. If I'm gonna die today, let's get it over with."

"Don't worry, kiddo. That's on the agenda!" exclaims a foreign voice from above our heads.

We all jump, startled, then find the speakers in the ceiling that project the dark king's voice out into the room.

Pipit narrows his eyes and turns about, searching for any cameras or microphones. "Hey!" he grouches. "Don't use my fatalistic jokes against me!"

"Oh, but it is no joke. Your friend Hero never should've brought you civilians into my castle. Foolish! He wrote all your death sentences!" Yuga laughs sadistically. "Oh well. More food for the lynels."

While Yuga had been talking, Pipit had found the camera set up inside one of the bricks in the wall to our left, and pointed it out to us. Sheik, feeling emboldened, marches up to it and points his pistol, his voice low and venomous as he speaks.

"Let's see how your army of pigs and geckos will do against a nine millimeter."

Yuga only chuckles. "Mm, yes, all twenty of your future victims are quaking in fear. The remaining fifteen hundred are praying you grant them the mercy of running out of ammunition!" He laughs again, then lowers his voice. "But seriously, macho man, back away from the camera. Your stringy yellow hair is so distasteful."

"I'll save you a bullet. Count on it." Sheik spits at the camera.

Yuga huffs audibly. "The sun sets soon. Hours remain, Hero, before all of my servants have crossed the threshold into your precious little light realm. More and more are arriving as we speak."

We all share uneasy looks.

"Think you can survive my army? If so, you'd best be sure to make haste through my labyrinth."

With a quiet blip, the microphone cuts out, and only the faint noise of distant creatures can be heard in the room.

"Did he say… labyrinth?" chirps Mido, tugging at his shirt collar.

My eyes scan the pentagonal room once more, my lips pressed together. "I guess that would explain the four doors."

"Well shoot." Pipit shakes his head. "I can't even solve those mazes on kids menus."

Sheik separates from the rest of us, taking slow steps toward the right-middle door. Then, he turns. "We've gotta split up."

Seven different cries of "What?" are all he gets in response.

"You heard it. Yuga's summoning more monsters as we speak. If we all stick together, there's no telling that we'll ever get to him." He folds his arms over his chest. "If we split up into twos, our chances of getting to him quadruple. And whoever finds him first can distract him until the rest of us make it, and hopefully stall him from bringing in more monsters."

"I won't allow only two of us to face Yuga," I refute, stepping forward. "We go together. Or we don't go at all."

Zelda stiffens beside me; tensions are rising. The group grows quiet.

"Sorry, cap'n," says Mikau after a moment, "but I'm with Sheik on this one." He nods his head at the blonde as others hum in agreement.

"Same," says Karane.

"Me too," says Midna. "And so what if only the first two of us are there to fight him. We're prepared."

I look at them all evenly, then turn to Pipit, Mido, and Zelda, who haven't spoken. They nod in agreement.

I sigh, staring down at my feet. I hate to let them risk their lives like this. But they're being brave, and they sincerely want to help.

"Alright," I relent, nodding. "We'll split up."

"Dibs Link!" Pipit, Mikau, Mido, and Midna all shout immediately.

"I'm with Zelda."

"Damn."

"I'll take Middie," Sheik says.

"I'll take Mido," says Mikau.

"Then, uh—" Pipit fidgets with his hands, his gaze elsewhere. "I'll take Karane."

Karane looks down at her feet, forcing that polite half-smile we all do when we pass by someone we know, but don't want to expend the effort of saying hi to them. The group grows quiet, and we soon all remember the history the two share, and we all begin to regret putting them in this awkward situation.

"Uh, I mean—" Sheik pauses, swallowing. "I can be with Karane. Midna, you wanted to be with Pip, right?"

"Oh," Midna says, eyes wide. "Yeah, I—I did."

"Guys, come on," grumbles Pipit, attracting everyone's eyes, even Karane's. "This is just petty. We have bigger things to worry about than this, don't we? Karane and I will pair up. And we're perfectly capable of maturely murdering demons by ourselves."

The rest of us share one last look, some appearing impressed with Pipit's maturity, and shrug. Well that's settled.

Sharing one last look with one another before we go, we each partner up and take a different door.

After wishing each other luck, and promising we'll meet up at the end, we all break off for what might be the last time.

---

"I've never—ugh!—been so—ha!—excited!" cries Midna between swings of her kitchen knife, slicing the gaunt bodies of oncoming bokoblins.

Sheik kicks one in the stomach before spinning and landing an elbow to the side of another's head, sending it careening off to collide with the wall. "That'll change when we run into some of the big ones," he grunts, kicking at an aggressive foe. "You mind lending me a knife? They don't die easily from punches and kicks."

Midna only scoffs. "Don't you have a gun?"

"I'm saving my rounds." Sheik leaps out of the way of a creature's clawed swipe, then grabs its head and twists until it breaks with an audible crack. "I don't need to waste my ammo on grunts."

"How much you got?"

"Two mags of twelve."

"Ugh, fine."

As the last pair of bokoblins appears to funnel into the small room, Midna removes one of the knives from the strap across her torso and rushes forward, driving the blades into each of their chests. The creatures emit strangled wails before disappearing in plumes of colorful smoke. Midna rises back to her feet, then, and turns to Sheik.

"Show-off."

Midna only sends him a flippant smirk in response, handing him a knife. Sheik takes it; she holds his gaze.

Sheik raises a brow at her. "What?" he asks.

Midna closes her eyes, briefly, scrunching her nose. Then she turns away with abruptness, drawing another knife from her strap to again wield one in each hand. "Nothing," she says, leading him out of the small room and into a corridor. "I just—um, nothing."

Sheik squints, perplexed, but shakes it off and follows her into the dark hallway.

"Our path has been oddly straightforward," he comments after another moment, watching her lead the way down the long hall. Midna nods absently in reply, her bright hair swishing against her back. Sheik lowers his gaze to his feet and the dusty floor. "A little too easy for a labyrinth so far, you know?"

Midna stops, then, and Sheik nearly walks into her.

"What is it?"

"Get your gun out," she whispers. "Make sure it's loaded. Something doesn't feel right."

"Maybe it's because we're in an evil sorcerer's lair."

"I know. Just shut up."

They continue forward carefully, taking quiet steps out of the corridor and into an empty room with two dark archways leading left and right. Midna stops in the middle, looking between the two, a frown creasing her forehead.

Sheik shrugs and starts to head for the rightward path. "Not much thinking we need to do in a labyrinth. It's all luck."

As he passes her Midna snatches his arm and pulls him back. "Wait!" she hisses in a forceful whisper.

Sheik fixes her with a look of incredulity before freeing his arm from her grasp. "Relax," he says. "This whole place is dangerous. We have to move forward anyway."

Sheik turns on his heel and walks into the next room. Midna frowns and balls her fists, then hurries after him, still uneasy about what's to come.

They step into a spacious chamber. Unlike the rest of the labyrinth up to this point, this room isn't just an empty space. Instead, rows of shelving line either side of the room, creating a narrow aisle leading to another dark doorway. Canned, jarred, and packed foods are crammed onto the shelves, stockpiled with enough rations to feed a village for a week.

Sheik steps forward and grabs a can of Campbell's soup, glaring at it. "So this is why our people are running out of food. Yuga must've purged every store in the city."

"Sheik—"

"Seriously, what bokoblin is gonna take the time to cook some chicken noodle soup? Can they even read?"

"Can you read? That's tomato soup," says a male voice.

"Huh, I guess it—" Sheik stops, looking up from the label.

His eyes land on a diminutive man in all green at the end of the aisle, wearing a pair of green top hats on his head, and Sheik jumps. "Aah!"

The man furrows a set of bright orange eyebrows. "I expected to run into Hero and the blonde girl. Not some emo chick and surfer dude."

Midna shrugs. "We're sort of like the JV."

"I see."

"But more importantly…" says Sheik, pointing a finger, "How did you see the label from all the way over there?"

The man smiles, patting his belly. "It's the pantry. I know this room inside and out, my friend."

"Who are you?" chimes Midna, fidgeting with the knives behind her back.

"Malladus Cole," he says with a shady grin, removing one of his top hats and dipping into a bow. Once back upright, Cole straightens his bowtie and beams proudly, placing the hat back atop his orange hair. "Pleased to meet you—er, rather, eat you. I partake in the fine art of cannibalism, you see."

Midna and Sheik each raise an eyebrow, not believing their ears. "Huh?"

"You heard me. I feed on my enemies. You're trespassing our lair, so you're fair game." Cole begins to take slow steps forward, twirling his fingers in his mustache. "You both look quite appetizing, too. Especially you, girly. You've got a lot of meat on those hips."

Midna lowers her gaze to her backside, then looks back up at the small man. "I hope you're hitting on me."

"Ha! No. You see, Yuga is a powerful sorcerer. A god, even. With a single spell, he set me free." Cole smiles, his eyes suddenly flashing yellow. His voice deepens. "When I consume the essences of my foes… I glean their power. I grow stronger."

Sheik steps backward, staying in front of Midna. "…You're a maniac."

"A maniac…" He stops in the middle of the aisle, then opens his suit jacket to remove a chrome revolver. He slips a single bullet into the six-shooter, spins it, then points the gun at his head. "Maybe you're right," he says, pulling the trigger. Only a click is heard, at which Midna squirms in trepidation. Sheik tenses as Cole steps forward slowly, yellow eyes boring into theirs.

"Maybe I'm just a little…"

Click.

"…bit…"

Click.

"…crazy."

Click click.

Sheik feels his stomach drop. Five clicks. By some luck, this lunatic had done it. That lone bullet is next.

Cole smiles menacingly, lowering his arm to point the gun at Sheik's skull. "But sometimes crazy means you aren't afraid of death."

Sheik swallows hard, gripping the gun behind his back. If he tries anything too daring, they're both dead.

"Wait!" says Midna, and Cole takes his eyes off Sheik.

Just the distraction he needed. Quickly, he aims at Cole and fires, the bullet connecting with his strong arm.

Cole roars, dropping the gun and falling to his knees. Sheik grabs Midna by the arm and they leap over him and make a run for it. Cole grabs the gun with his other hand and fires, but the bullet soars harmlessly overhead. Sheik takes one last glance before darting into the next room, and he could've sworn he saw Cole's skin shifting into a strange shade of blue.

Ignoring it, Sheik and Midna sprint down halls and through chambers, deciding between multiple different paths, cutting down the few grunts that stand in their way. They don't stop until they reach a wide, circular chamber, where they're sure they've gone far enough to lose Cole for good.

They take a moment to catch their breath, chests heaving, hands on their knees. "Well," the boy says through ragged huffs, "that escalated quickly."

Suddenly Midna rushes into Sheik's arms, burying her head in his chest, and she starts to sob.

Sheik's eyes widen in confusion and uncertainty. Midna breaking down? Crying? Impossible!

"Hey, hey," he says, pulling away slightly to look at her. She wipes away the mascara streaks from her face, frowning ruefully. Sheik doesn't really know what to say. How do you comfort girls? Malon never cries, so he's never had experience in this area. "It's all gonna be fine. Alright?"

Midna only stares at him with an unreadable expression, holding his gaze. "…I hate crying."

"I know you do." Sheik offers her a half-smile. The contact had made him slightly uncomfortable, and at first he was hesitant to touch her back, but he knows Malon wouldn't think there's anything wrong with comforting a friend.

"Don't worry," he assures her. "We get a little bit further, and we're there. I can feel it. Maybe we'll meet up with Link and Zelda in time to help them. Or Pipit and Karane, or Mido and Mikau, or hopefully all of them."

Midna lowers her gaze, putting her hands to her face. Her voice just above a whisper, she tells him softly, "I don't want to lose you."

"We won't lose."

"No. I don't want to lose you."

Sheik frowns. "Me?" Now he's really confused. "Why me specifically?"

Peeling her hands off her face and dropping them lamely at her thighs, she just looks at him with a subtle pout to her lips that he can't decipher. She breathes, in and out, then opens her mouth to speak.

Just then, a flash of shadow darts between them, knocking them both back a few paces. They both yelp. Sheik's eyes widen, searching around frantically for what it was that just separated them.

The dim lights above flicker ominously, and Midna feels a shiver run down her spine. The stale air grows colder.

She stays rooted to her spot, arms rigid at her sides, heart hammering. In front of her, Sheik continues to look around, his gun held at the ready. And then, right when she's about to suggest they make a run for it, she sees them.

A pair of glowing red circles. Just floating there, right behind Sheik. Suspended in shadow.

A very… oddly-shaped shadow. A shadow that looks more three-dimensional than two, and taking a figure that almost looks…

Humanoid.

Midna's eyes widen. "Sheik, turn around."

He looks at her, notices the fear in her eyes, and whirls around to be face-to-face with the shadow. Instinctively, he aims his gun and—

"Wait!" cries Midna.

Sheik hesitates, blinking, staring into the set of red eyes. "…Dark," he breathes.

Dark doesn't move. Sheik takes that as a good sign; he honestly expected him to try to kill them.

"Dark, I know you're in there!" Midna says, her voice nearly failing. "You have to keep fighting him—we're coming to save you!"

Suddenly, like magic, Dark's face flashes to the real Dark, and Midna's breath hitches with hope.

They lock eyes; he looks straight past Sheik.

"Midna—"

Immediately, the shadow retakes its hold on his body, and he's sent crippled to the ground. Enveloped in blackness once again, Dark slowly rises back to his feet, but his red eyes are looking behind them.

A low rumbling shakes the ground they stand on, the heavy thudding of an oncoming beast. Sheik and Midna turn around just in time to see an enormous mutated lynel bust through the wall, sending brick flying in all directions. It rears back and emits an ear-splitting roar, its blue skin rippling with muscles, its devil horns pointing skyward, its huge set of teeth bared hungrily. A sharp orange mustache juts out from the mutant's face, matching its bright mane.

Though it's a monster, Sheik can't help but recognize it. This mutant lynel, he knows, is Malladus Cole.

This is what Yuga did to "set him free." Turned him into a demon.

Malladus returns to all fours, its golden eyes boring into them all, its lips curled in a feral, evil snarl. It paws at the ground, huffing, ready to charge.

In a blur of shadow, Dark rushes toward the demon, a pure-black copy of the Master Sword in hand. He leaps up and drives the blade into Malladus's skull, earning a bellowing cry of defeat. The demon collapses in a heap of blue muscle, and Dark hops back to the floor in front of Sheik and Midna.

Dark's red eyes linger on Midna for a considerable moment, and then he turns and darts off, disappearing back into the depths of the labyrinth.

Midna and Sheik share an awestruck glance. Not only were they spared, but they were also saved by this possessed Dark. Sheik couldn't believe his eyes.

"Come on," Midna says, a new motivation in her tone and overall demeanor. "We gotta keep moving."

Sheik smiles knowingly, following her lead. It's like that spell of hopelessness of hers had never happened.

And Dark is still in there.

---

Mikau and Mido creep carefully down the long corridor, taking cautionary glances behind their backs every few moments. The foul stench of demons seems to have ripened as they've continued into the bowels of Yuga's lair, badly enough for Mido to start breathing through his mouth. They haven't run into any monsters yet, but both fear that their luck will soon run out.

Mido kicks at a discarded two-by-four on the ground. "You know what I haven't stopped thinking about?" he asks.

"The fact that we might die today?"

"'Yuga' is an anagram for 'u gay.'"

"Deep."

Soon, the corridor forks into two separate rooms, both ominously dark beyond the archways. They stop, and Mikau taps his foot, pondering. "Left or right?"

"Left. One hundred percent."

"Why so confident?"

"It's a sign." Mido breaks eye contact. "Because my girlfriend left me."

Mikau raises an eyebrow. "Wasn't that in first grade? You can't still be hung up on that chick."

"It was a defining moment in my life, alright?" he counters, folding his arms and glaring up at the taller boy.

Out of nowhere, a high-pitched wail rings out and a blur of red flesh leaps from the shadows of the rightward archway, maniacally flailing its tree branch about and catching Mikau across the jaw.

"Ow!" he cries, leaping back and holding a hand to his forehead.

"Heh. Not the first time you've taken wood to the face."

"I'll knock you out and leave you here."

"Oh, quit your whining." Mido casually evades an uncoordinated swipe from the puny bokoblin's tree branch, twirling his golf club in his hand before nodding at Mikau. "Come on, I'll let you get him back. Batter up!"

Mikau glowers at his smaller friend, then shifts his gaze to the monster as it struggles to lift its makeshift weapon. He winds up his baseball bat, then swings forward until it connects with a loud crack! and the monster is sent careening off into the doorway it came from.

Mikau clears his throat. "Left it is."

"Sick."

They go. Several more paths come up as they continue through the labyrinth, each requiring nothing more than a judgment call and some luck, and all they can hope is that they're making some progress. Or that they run into Link and Zelda and have them do all the brave monster killing. Why did they get to have the cool weapons, anyway?

The rooms they pass through lack distinction and make the whole expedition feel monotonous and repetitive, like they're not getting anywhere at all. Sure, these rooms come with their fair share of monsters, but only a handful at most and nothing more powerful than a bokoblin. Not that either of them have any complaints about that, though. At this rate, it just feels pointless. Are they running out of time?

Mido decides to break the silence yet again with another poorly-timed question.

"Mikau, how can I get a girlfriend?"

The taller friend only chuckles. "I dunno. It really isn't that hard, though, dude."

"Well sure, when you're an up-and-coming celebrity," he fires back. "But what about the rest of us lowly peasants? What do we do?"

Mikau shrugs, sighing; he tends to be the one friend Mido has no trouble venting his relationship troubles—or lack thereof—to. Maybe it's because he's one of the least judgemental of the bunch. "I dunno. Maybe you need to lower your standards."

"I normally do when Pipit is single, because he'll end up taking any girl I consider talking to. But now that he's in a committed relationship, I can shoot for the moon again."

"Girlfriends can be overrated, dude. They tire you out. Like right now, I'm exhausted. Lulu was complaining for hours last night that I never listen to her. Or something like that."

"Sounds riveting."

"Uh-huh. Remember our breakup? When we got in that big fight because she didn't want me going out with the boys?"

"And then you got back together with her because you're whipped like a healthy portion of cream cheese on a whole-wheat raisin bagel?"

"I'm not whipped."

Right on cue, Mikau's phone rings.

"Oh, look who it is," Mido announces giddily, snooping over Mikau's shoulder and reading his phone screen. "'Lulu Bear'—with four heart emojis!"

"She put that in my phone, alright?"

Mikau lets it ring, as if only to prove a point, and eventually it stops.

Mido smirks. "Someone's in for a lecture tonight."

"I'll just tell her there was no cell service in the warehouse."

Then, Mido's phone rings. Both boys' eyes widen, one's in fear and the other's with mischief, and Mido takes it out and accepts the call.

"Hey Lulu Bear!" he exclaims giddily, while Mikau sends him death glares. "Oh, you want to talk to Mikau?"

He looks up, to where his taller friend is shaking his head emphatically.

"Okay, here he is!"

Mido tosses the phone to Mikau, who catches it with the dirtiest look on his face. Mido only smirks at him, making a whipping motion with his arm.

"I'm not whipped!" Mikau grumbles before putting the phone to his ear. "…Hey sugar bear."

Mido loses it.

They talk about nothing, with Mikau explaining over and over that everyone's safe, that his phone was on silent, and that they can't talk long because they have a mission to complete. After an eternity of painful conversation, Mikau hangs up and promptly tosses the phone behind him, where it clatters hard on the ground.

The boy gasps, rushing over to pick it up. "You dick—you cracked the screen!"

"Good," he grunts. "You deserved it. I don't know why you're so desperate for a relationship when you make fun of the people who are in one."

"A healthy relationship," Mido counters. "It doesn't sound like you're happy is all I'm trying to get you to understand."

"We've just hit another rough patch."

"Sounds like you need to have some good ol' fashioned communication."

"Whatever. Now's not the time to talk about this. We need to focus."

On cue, they turn right at a three-way fork in the path, and nearly get their heads chopped off by a moblin with a handsaw. They yelp and duck beneath the fat monster's careless swipes, then roll out of the way until they're standing on either side of it.

"Break his kneecaps!" Mido yells, harmlessly slapping his golf club against the blubbery flesh of the moblin's back.

"He'll chop me up before I can get close!" Mikau calls back, slowly retreating.

Mido is doing a poor job of distracting the thing, and even still, he needs to keep his distance or he'll risk a quick strike from the creature's saw. Mikau waits until the moblin winds its arm back, then he rolls forward, sliding between its stubby legs, and reuniting with Mido on the other side.

The moblin grunts, turning around to face the two boys.

"I'll block his saw," says Mido. "When I do, you charge!"

Mikau nods, and Mido inches forward to draw its attention. The moblin holds the handsaw over his head and swipes downward, aiming to slice Mido in half, but the boy holds up his golf club and blocks it, only to be sent to the floor from the force of the blow. Mikau takes the opportunity to rush toward the creature and aim where his instincts tell him to—in the middle of its loins, and all he can do is hope that these monsters have external genitalia.

The roar of pain and the bulging eyes confirm Mikau's hopes. The moblin then starts to lose balance, tipping forward.

Mido screams and rolls out of the way just in time. The fat monster flops onto its belly, groans, then explodes into plumes of smoke.

Rising to his feet, Mido dusts himself off and looks over at his friend. "How'd you know moblins have nards?"

"Took a lucky guess."

"I sure hope so."

Minutes later they enter a grim, gloomy chamber. Shackles decorate the walls and red tile floors and cobwebs string from corner to corner and from floor to ceiling.

"Can we stop for a sec?" Mikau asks, panting and squatting down.

"You want us to stop in the scariest room in the whole building?"

He shrugs. "I'm pretty worn out from that fight."

"It wasn't even that bad. You might wanna consider exercising, especially if you're planning on being a big-time rock star. Performing will tire you out."

"Well, the most exercise I get is from sex."

"But you're so out of shape."

Mikau narrows his eyes.

"…Poorly-timed observation," Mido backpedals carefully, a wry smile on his face.

"And I bet you just live at the gym."

Mido shakes his head. "I never said that. I'm just smaller, so it takes less energy to move my body. But I did work out for a while last year."

"Did you now?"

"Yup. I hated it. My routine was crazy. Extremely healthy diet, a whole lot of cardio, lifted weights for an hour every day. And after three months, I lost three months."

"Inspiring."

Right then, the room brightens as curls of flame spew in from the opposite archway. Mikau jumps to his feet and backs up, and Mido shrieks.

The flames retreat, then, revealing a taller figure standing across from them, carrying a heavy gun with a dragon-headed barrel. The man sneers, slowly stepping forward and into the light. Black war paint spreads across his eyelids and over the bridge of his nose, jutting down on each cheek in a fanged pattern. A silver helmet, also dragon-headed, crowns his head, and he wears a red leather jacket.

Mido raises a pacifying hand. "I think you might be mistaken. Comic-Con was last month."

The man says nothing, only staring at them from beneath the shadows of his helmet.

Mikau palms his face, silently cursing Mido for poking the bear. "Look," he begins carefully, "we don't want any trouble."

Finally, the man breaks his silence. "No more talking," he growls in a husky voice. "You trespass. I burn you."

He lifts his heavy weapon, and Mikau feels his stomach sink. Mido and Mikau share a look, and come to a silent agreement.

They charge.

The man pulls the trigger and unleashes another wave of flame, but not fast enough for the two boys, who dart around it and tackle him to the floor. Mido beats his golf club into the man's torso as Mikau wrestles with him for the flamethrower. With one blow to the head from Mido, the man loses his grip on the weapon, and Mikau yanks it away.

The man roars and kicks the boys off, staggering to his feet. Mikau stands up and lifts the flamethrower, and Mido helps him carry its weight.

"Don't come any closer!" Mido shouts in a shaky voice that fails to be intimidating. "The sooner I set you on fire, the sooner I get out of prison for it!"

The man must think they're bluffing. He growls, breaking into a sprint toward them.

Mikau staggers backward and pulls the trigger. The boys watch in horror as licks of flame spew out of the steel dragon's maw, catching on the man's attire and setting him ablaze. They both close their eyes as he bellows and thrashes about, but the flames keep pouring out, and soon Mikau has had enough and lets go of the trigger.

The flames die out, and Mikau and Mido open their eyes.

The man is kneeling in a circle of ash, a bare arm resting on a knee, heaving ragged breaths. His silver helm gleams in the torchlight, and his blonde goatee is singed off at the end of his chin. "You fools," he grumbles, standing to his full height before them. "I am Volga, the Dragon Knight, servant of King Yuga! His magic has set me free—I do not burn!"

The boys' eyes shift down to the naked man's more private sections, and soon, they both burst out in a fit of childish laughter.

Volga's lip twitches with building rage.

"So that's why you're so aggressive, huh?" asks Mido, snickering.

Volga growls and lunges at them.

Mikau sidesteps the swipe. "Whoa, easy there, Mr. Compensating!"

"Enough!" Volga roars, only inciting more immature laughter.

He lunges for the flamethrower again, but Mikau tosses it over his head and to Mido. Volga turns to the shorter boy, dashing his way. Mikau and Mido toss the flamethrower back and forth between them as the unequipped man—in more ways than one—tries in vain to intercept it.

Mikau catches the flamethrower for the umpteenth time, his smile starting to fade. "Alright, I've had enough." He takes the heavy weapon and whips the butt of it against Volga's temple, knocking him out cold.

The two boys look down at the unconscious naked man, feeling emboldened and proud of their work. When Mikau sets the flamethrower down to pick up his baseball bat, Mido takes the opportunity to swipe the weapon and make a run for it.

"Hey!" calls Mikau, chasing after his friend into the next room. "You don't get to have the flamethrower!"

"Well I need it more! Why would you get to?"

"Because I'm the one who knocked out Sir Two-Incher!"

"Oh, please—I could've done that! I just wanted to keep messing with him!"

The two continue through the labyrinth, bickering the whole way.

---

Pipit walks silently behind Karane, trying to keep his eyes away from where he once freely stared. Their path so far has been both arduous and confusing, with many different routes and even identical rooms that made them feel like they've been going in circles. Pipit can't complain, though, because outside of a colony of keese, he and Karane have had a relatively safe journey.

What he can complain about is his poor luck. Right when he's certain that he's gotten over Karane for good, fate sticks them side-by-side all over again, as if just to torture him, or to test his loyalty to Orielle. Sure, he'd made a big deal about how it would be immature to rearrange their partnerships just keep him separated from her, especially when there's way more important matters at stake. But he can't deny that he hates the awkwardness that pervades the air between them.

Even with his attempts at breaking the ice, Karane doesn't know how to keep the conversation moving. It seems like all they can think of is how things used to be.

"Are we getting close?" Karane asks, frustration in her tone.

This is the first time she's spoken to him first. Pipit takes that as a good sign.

"I dunno," he answers truthfully. "But hey, it's a good thing we haven't run into any monsters!"

Karane frowns. "Why would you say that?"

"Say what?"

"'We haven't run into any monsters.' You know what's gonna happen now? A whole gang of lynel-mounted lizalfos is gonna charge through that door and murder us."

"Way to stay positive."

"It's called a jinx, Pipit. These things are real."

"There's no such thing as a jinx."

Karane stamps her foot, emitting an exasperated growl toward the ceiling. "Ugh! Now it's definitely gonna happen!"

"Look, Karane, you gotta calm down. No monsters are anywhere near us—"

Suddenly, a blue gelatinous blob splats onto Pipit's head.

"Aah!" he cries, swinging his frying pan and smacking himself in the head. The chuchu splatters out, defeated, and Pipit staggers back. He blinks the stars out of his eyes, rubbing at the lump that's already forming at his head.

Karane can't help but laugh. "That's what you get, you idiot!"

"Ow," he comments dumbly. He clears his vision and walks in front of her, refusing to grant her the satisfaction of seeing his embarrassed face. "Well it wasn't a gang of lynel-mounted lizalfos."

"Then I stand corrected."

Pipit shakes his head ruefully. "To think I got caught slippin' by a chuchu. If I died, then man, what a lame way to go out."

"Can a chuchu even kill you?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to take that chance. I've got so much left to live for, so many goals…"

Karane raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Like what? You never seemed the type to think about your future."

"Y'know, just dumb stuff. Go skydiving. Throw Mido's voodoo doll into Death Mountain. Be someone's sugar daddy."

"Oh, shut up."

"Sorry. I'll keep it gender neutral. Someone's glucose guardian."

Karane rolls her eyes. "That sounds more like a bucket list than your goals. And an awful one at that."

They soon find themselves in what appears to be a low-budget art gallery. The eight walls of this octagonal chamber alternate between doorway and portrait—although, each gilded frame is completely devoid of any artwork. Pipit approaches one curiously, running a finger along its grooves, feeling the etchings of upside-down triangles. He looks behind him, where Karane is idly tapping at the blank picture with her baseball bat.

She turns around, facing him. "These are lame. Let's move on."

Pipit squints, looking at the artwork behind her. He could've sworn there wasn't a tiny painting of a bokoblin in the center of the frame just a few moments ago. And are his eyes deceiving him, or is the portrait getting brighter?

He raises a finger and points. "Uh, Karane—"

Instantly, the frame glows bright purple and the center shades to pitch black. The little painting of the bokoblin grows until it fits its frame, then suddenly leaps out of it and crashes into the real world.

Karane yelps and jumps out of the way, but not before the bokoblin slices its long piece of scrap metal across her side. Pipit charges forward, frying pan held high, and beats the puny monster across the face with it. A tooth flies out of its mouth as it's sent flying across the room, landing with a thud before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

Karane holds a hand to the side of her blouse, now stained red with her blood.

Pipit walks up to her and notices the wound. "You're bleeding," he comments. "You might wanna take off your shirt and use it as a tourniquet."

She rolls her eyes at him. "Or I could take off that hideous sweater of yours."

"You'd never!"

"Don't worry, I came prepared." Karane whips out a small bandage, applying it to the cut. "And was that suggestion of yours a subtle reference to your promiscuity?"

"It was subtle?"

"Ah. Here I thought you were a changed, committed man."

Pipit waves her off. "Oh, lighten up. It was only a joke about my past self. I am completely happily in love."

Karane says nothing.

Neither of them noticed the glow of the portrait behind Pipit. So when the lizalfos creeps up and raises its clawed hand, ready to rip out Pipit's throat, Karane lets out a terrified scream.

Pipit whirls around, his eyes widening, but Karane dives in front of him and blocks the monster's swipe with her baseball bat. The lizalfos barks, its arm recoiling long enough for Karane to wind up and swing. The bat connects with the beast's scaly neck, earning a devastating, audible crack, and the creature collapses to the floor.

Karane drops the bat, watching the monster disintegrate, and almost sobs. She turns to Pipit, shock in his eyes, anxiety in her own, and runs over to him.

The breath leaves Pipit's chest as Karane jumps on him, tackling him to the floor and enveloping him in an emotional kiss. His eyes widen, and he just lies there, dumbfounded. Karane's hands run through his hair and down his back, pulling him closer to her, as if afraid to lose him forever.

He hurriedly pulls away, his heart pounding in his chest with both guilt and… excitement.

"Karane," he breathes, swallowing hard, "you know I'm in a committed relationship already?"

Karane holds his gaze, achingly, and nods.

"This time I do know, and I don't care."

She dives back down and kisses him again.

He doesn't know what to do. He pushes her away again, shame possessing his emotions. "Karane, I love Orielle now."

Karane almost pouts, and Pipit curses himself for feeling bad for her.

"But Pipit," she says. "We're perfect for each other. Remember freshman year? We were so in love. And have you ever really stopped loving me?"

Pipit gulps, cornered. He tries to look away, but finds it utterly difficult when a girl is lying on top of him. Finally, he sighs, licks his lips, and decides to answer her with the truth. His eyes glaze over as he speaks in a voice just above a whisper: "…No."

Karane's lips break out into the prettiest smile, her lips crashing into his once more, and Pipit soon forgets about Orielle.

---

Zelda looses an arrow and watches as the beam of light strikes the marble eye on the wall ahead. In response, the steel bars blocking the doorway ahead slide up, opening up the path. She turns her head, sending me a positive smile, then grabs my hand and leads me forward.

The door leads to a rickety spiral staircase with creaky floorboards and cobwebs stuck in all corners. We climb it, unsure of what's ahead, but determined to find out.

Yuga must have known we were coming for him to develop such an intricate maze within his lair. He certainly wants to slow us down to buy enough time to summon his army. But, at the same time, it's almost like he wanted us to come, so we can bring the Triforce pieces right to him. If he truly did succeed in stealing Power from Ganondorf, then who knows what he wants from the completed Triforce.

We emerge a floor above, atop a scaffolding that serves as a bridge to the other doorway, but overlooks the bottom floor off one side. I continue forward casually when Zelda suddenly grabs my arm. I look at her, but all she does is put a finger to her lips and point down, toward the floor below. I look over the edge of the scaffolding, then see it.

Down below, a masked bokoblin uses heavy tongs to lift a white-hot blade from a forge, then places it on a conveyor belt where it slowly travels down past a line of lizalfos, each of them spurting out globs of water onto the weapon to get it to cool. At the end, the steaming weapon drops off into a cart of other makeshift blades, where a tubby moblin pushes it off into another room once filled.

I look back at Zelda. "What do we do?"

She shrugs, hoisting her longbow. "Destroy it."

"I like that idea."

"I thought you would."

As she draws the string back, I lift the Master Sword. Then, at once, she looses the arrow and I swing my sword to send a blue beam down their way. Our projectiles rain down upon the beasts; Zelda's arrows kill in one shot, whereas my beams take two or three hits to get the job done.

The monsters let out a chorus of cries, trying in vain to flee, until the last one's chest gets pierced with a light arrow. Triumphant, we sheathe our weapons, and turn to continue into the next room.

But we forgot about the moblin that pushes the cart. And by the time I realize it, I look down and it's already too late; the blubbery beast sees the scattered light arrows in piles of leftover ash from its fallen comrades. Then, looking up, the moblin catches sight of us.

It roars, unstrapping a blowhorn from its belt and blowing into it. A loud, deep noise echoes throughout the labyrinth, calling forth any nearby dark world forces.

Zelda hurriedly fells the moblin with another arrow, but it's too late. The scaffolding shakes beneath our feet as monsters stampede into the room below. Bokoblins, lizalfos, moblins, and even a pair of aeralfos pour in through the three entrances, locating the two of us and barking. The grounded ones start climbing the scaffolding, while the aeralfos screech and flap their wings in pursuit.

I grab Zelda and hurry forward, crossing the rickety scaffolding to the other side, throwing beams at the oncoming beasts, knocking some of them to the ground and taking the ones behind them along with. Zelda shoots an aeralfos down, but the other is closing in on us.

We finally cross into the next room when the scaffolding collapses with all the creatures' weight. Moonlight shines through the windows of the dark corridor as we sprint through, banking right down another hallway before we burst into a small dark room.

Two figures stand cloaked in shadow, guarding the only exit. We're cornered.

I raise the Master Sword and Zelda takes aim with her longbow, but not before one of the figures steps into the moonlight.

"Hold it!"

I freeze. It's Vaati.

Behind us, the aeralfos lets out a high-pitched shriek, crashing through the doorway. Zelda gasps; I dive toward her, shielding her with my body.

The second figure raises its arm, and a gunshot rings out.

My ears ring. I look behind me. There lies the aeralfos, a bullet hole in its scaly head, slowly disintegrating.

I rise to my feet, helping Zelda up.

Next to Vaati, the second figure steps forward, the scarlet skin of his face still invisible above his sharp-toothed smile, hidden in the shadows from his full-body purple cloak. "Fancy seeing you here!" he cackles.

I narrow my eyes at him. Out of all of Yuga's cronies, this dude was always my least favorite. Something about him always rubbed me the wrong way. "Wizzro," I grunt.

Vaati meets my eyes, saying nothing, long lavender hair covering half of his face. A long scar runs down his cheek.

It is then that I realize that we're standing in the same room I was held captive in, the night Cia betrayed me, the night Yuga emerged from the shadows, the night Ganondorf was killed. The stone seat with the binds I broke—the control panel I electrified—the shackles on the far wall where Ganondorf was bound. All here, and all reminiscent of a terrible memory: the night all my hard work to earn vengeance was erased, my hopes shattered. The night I couldn't bring justice to a murderer.

Wizzro claps a gnarled hand on the Vaati's shoulder, causing him to flinch. "You claim you're still loyal?" rasps the cloaked man. "Then prove it. Kill him."

Vaati looks at the hand on his shoulder, tugs himself free, then slowly nods. He steps forward, locking his gaze with mine again. He hesitates, and there's something in his eyes—something he's trying to silently communicate to me.

"You," barks Wizzro, pointing his gun at Zelda. "Don't even think about helping him. Or I'll shoot."

Zelda raises her bow, eyes narrowed. "Same to you."

"Fair enough." Wizzro steps back, allowing for more space. "Go on, then, Vaati."

Vaati looks my way and closes his eyes. Then, in a blur, he reaches behind him and pulls out a katana, dashing forward with his blade upraised.

I stumble as I block the first strike, taken aback by his aggression. He launches a flurry of swipes in all directions, not bothering to cover his moves or take on a defensive stance, opting instead for an all-out attack. Metal clangs against metal as I parry each swing, slowly starting to gain back ground.

The whole time, I wear a confused expression. Vaati swore he was still on my side. He knew he'd be forced to kill me at one point, so he told me he'd fake effort so long as I grant him mercy. Is he going back on his word, or is this all a show?

To test it, I throw a heavy strike, intentionally missing so he can leap to the side. When our eyes meet again, he flashes me something in his left hand; I squint, noticing a little red capsule. He sends me a wink, then lunges at me once more.

Well, he's still on my side. And it appears he has a plan.

I block his strike, then circle around so I'm between him and Wizzro. He nods at me, ever so subtly, then swings his katana downward. I block it, and his grip loosens; the katana is sent clattering to the floor.

Vaati makes sure I'm blocking Wizzro's view before he breaks the capsule over his chest, and fake blood oozes out, pooling at his heart. I wind up and drive my blade in between his side and his arm, avoiding all flesh, but making sure it looks believable before retracting the blade. Vaati even slicks the blade with more of the fake blood before he collapses to the floor.

I turn around, facing Wizzro.

"Bravo," he says, arms outstretched. "You defeated our weakest member. I suppose he wasn't a traitor, after all."

"How about you drop your gun," I begin, lifting my chin, "so we can settle this like men."

A twisted smile. "See, I would… if I cared about things like manliness. But I do not. You can call me feminine all you want, but you'll still have a bullet in your—"

A golden arrow sinks into his hand, quick as lightning, and he screams and drops the gun. I take the opportunity to rush forward and whip the pommel of the Master Sword against his temple, knocking him out. Wizzro cripples to the ground in a pile of purple robes.

I turn around and meet Zelda's eyes, nodding my thanks to her. She returns the gesture.

Between us, Vaati rises to his feet. "Did you kill him?"

I shake my head, bending down to take hold of Wizzro's arms. "No," I say, dragging him over to the far wall.

"We're not killers," says Zelda.

"Well then what did you come here for?" Vaati asks, frowning. "To politely ask Yuga to go away?"

"Believe me. We'll kill Yuga." I lift one of Wizzro's arms and lock it into a shackle, then do the same for his other arm and then his legs. "But no one else."

I stand back, staring at Wizzro's limp body, shackled exactly where Ganondorf had been.

Vaati runs a hand through his hair, then goes to pick up his katana. "I gotta go before he wakes. I need to disappear in case you guys don't… you know."

"I understand," I tell him.

"And, uh…" Vaati rubs at his neck, looking downward. "Thank you."

I nod at him.

After one last look, Vaati turns and disappears down the dark corridor.

---

Several rooms and many monster fights later, Zelda and I find ourselves in a creepy hallway with funhouse-style mirrors constituting each of the walls. I watch uneasily as my body stretches and squashes, contorting in ways I should never move. And all the while, I can't stop hearing this faint giggling noise.

"Is that you?" I ask Zelda for the second time.

"No, Link. I hear it too. And you should know what my laugh sounds like."

"I would if you ever laughed at my jokes, but instead you just call me stupid."

"Because your jokes are usually pretty stupid."

I look over at the mirror past Zelda, noting her abnormally massive head, and smirk to myself. No need for a comeback after seeing that image.

The laugh returns, louder this time as we near the end of the hallway, its tone feminine but deep and strangely familiar. Could it be…?

On a hunch, with a scowl set firmly at my brow, I hasten my strides.

"Whoa, there," says Zelda, speeding up to walk beside me again. "In a hurry?"

"I think I know who's laughing," I murmur, my eyes set determinedly forward.

"Uh, who?"

I don't answer. We reach the end of the hall of mirrors and enter a room with four different paths. I walk to the middle, waiting, listening for the laughter again. When it returns, it's coming from the right. I take Zelda's hand and lead her toward the sound, crossing into the next room.

It's pitch-black. I draw my sword and Zelda pulls back her bow, our footsteps echoing in the silent room.

Suddenly, the lights flick on, and at the other end stands a tall woman in an elegant, far-too-revealing dress, smirking a set of red lips. She flips her cropped white hair and slams her bejeweled staff to the floor, and with the action a set of metal bars slides down in front of the archways, blocking both exits.

"Hello again, darling," she cooes flippantly.

Zelda raises her eyebrows. "Darling?"

I grit my teeth, tightening my grip on my sword. "Cia."

The woman steps forward, spinning the staff in her hand. "I haven't seen you in so long. I truly missed you."

"You betrayed me."

Cia makes a condescending pouty face. "Oh, Hero. You trusted a gang. That's on you."

"Get out of my way."

She laughs, shaking her head. "You're cute. No."

Stepping forward, Zelda aims her bow at the woman threateningly. "Watch it, you witch."

Cia's red eyes shift from me to Zelda. "Oh, no need to be jealous, girly. Hero is the only man who's turned me down. Well, I never offered, but I make myself quite available."

"I can tell," she spits back.

Cia walks forward slowly, one leg in front of the other, and reaches out to run her fingers down my cheek. "You won't succeed. Why not just give in? I know you want to, darling. You're not a killer."

I glare up into her eyes. Then, in a flash, I shove her away with my free hand and point my blade to her throat. "Try me."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

She smiles a sad smile, then disappears in a puff of black smoke.

Zelda and I jump, startled, and frantically look around, waiting for her to come back.

Cia reappears in the corner, her staff glowing purple as she swings it down toward us, firing off a massive orb of dark energy. Zelda and I dive out of the way to either side as the projectile crashes into the wall behind us. Taking aim, Zelda lets an arrow fly, but Cia vanishes once more.

Reappearing behind me, Cia swings her staff at my feet and knocks me to the floor, aiming another ball of energy at me. I roll out of the way, extend out and swing my blade, barely missing her stomach. Leaping back, Cia's face contorts with anger. She growls and teleports behind Zelda.

Zelda whirls around but gets knocked aside by the swing of her staff, tumbling to the floor. Cia laughs and fires off another sphere of energy, and Zelda barely scrambles out of the way in time. I grit my teeth and swing my sword, sending beams of blue light at the evil woman, but she vanishes again.

Cia appears to my left, grunting as she swings her staff. I raise my sword and block it, then swipe back. She parries and feints; I take the bait and she follows up with a kick to the back of my knee. I stagger to the floor and Cia winds up her swing, aimed straight for my skull.

A golden arrow flies through the air and lodges in her shoulder, piercing through her back and burying into the stucco wall. Pinned, Cia releases a pained cry, then brings her opposite hand up to try ripping the arrow out. A sizzling noise occurs and she yelps, pulling away and shaking her hand out; it had burned her.

I look over to Zelda, who lowers her longbow, breathing heavily. Hurrying to her side, I help her up.

"You're getting really good at saving me," I tell her with a smile.

Rubbing at her arm that was struck by the staff, Zelda smiles back through her grimace. "You had nothing to do with it. I just really wanted to shoot her."

I chuckle and pull her in for a quick embrace.

"Hey!" calls out Cia. "So you're just gonna leave me here to bleed out? To die?"

Zelda and I share a look. Then, she walks over to the impaled woman. Zelda runs her fingers down the tan skin of Cia's cheek as the woman heaves pained breaths.

"If you took the time to notice," Zelda begins evenly, "you actually aren't bleeding. Light arrows are so hot that they singe off the ends of your veins and plug the wound. It appears you'll be here for a while."

Zelda smiles haughtily, then spins around to head back toward me.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she adds, turning around. Zelda winds back and slaps her in the face so hard that Cia stumbles against the wall, and would have fallen if she weren't held up by the arrow.

Satisfied, Zelda dusts herself off and returns to my side. I bend down to pick up Cia's staff, slamming its base to the floor. With that, the metal bars blocking the doorways slide up, and the path is opened back up.

---

Upon closing in on our second hour of navigating Yuga's lair, Zelda and I reach what appears to be the prison. We walk down the long hallway, passing empty cell after empty cell, ignoring the bloodstains that are periodically found within. Midway through, a sound catches our attention.

"Psst."

I turn my head toward the source of the noise, an occupied cell to our left. Inside, a set of yellow eyes stares into my own, the rest of his body invisible in the shadowy corner.

"I'm impressed you're still alive, Hero."

The man steps into the light, and I instantly recognize him. His red cloak masks every part of him but his eyes and the wrinkled skin around them. Agahnim, Ganondorf's old accomplice.

"You and I have a common enemy. Yuga killed my master." He grabs onto the bars with his gnarled hands, leaning closer. "I know what they did to you. I will help you kill him."

Zelda tenses beside me. I send her a glance, briefly, then turn back toward Agahnim. I step toward the bars and move my blade up to his throat, glaring at him in disdain.

"I'd much rather let you rot in here."

Agahnim only smirks. I spit in his face, then pull back my sword and continue down the hallway.

"You're gonna regret that, Link."

My name on his tongue sends a chill down my spine, but I ignore it.

"Who was that?" asks Zelda in a low voice once we're out of earshot.

I keep my eyes low. "One of Ganondorf's men."

"He knows who you are?"

I nod. "He does. But the M.O.D. are all taken care of, so no need to worry about that."

A pair of voices is suddenly heard just ahead, followed by the shuffling of feet.

"Is that who I think it is?" whispers one.

"Who?" the other says in a quiet voice.

"Look over there!"

"Where?"

"Where I'm pointing, you oaf!"

Sending each other curious glances, Zelda and I walk closer to the cell making all the noise. Who we see is the complete opposite of who we expected.

"Zelda?!" exclaim both Ralph and Groose, each of their faces pressed between the bars of their individual cells.

I raise my eyebrows at Zelda, and she gives me the same look.

"Zelda! It is you!" cries Ralph.

Groose bangs against the bars. "Please let us out—it's been two weeks! We were kidnapped!"

They haven't even acknowledged me yet. Are they both still so infatuated with Zelda that they can't look anywhere else? I can't say I blame them, though.

I sigh, then step forward and draw the Master Sword, swinging down on the lock on Ralph's cell before moving onto Groose's. The two redheads barrel out of their cells and blow right past me, running up to Zelda and groveling before her.

"Thank you! Thank you!" they say, and Zelda just stares down at them with an uneasy half-smile.

"Uh, no problem…?"

I move back to stand beside Zelda, staring down at them with confusion. "What are you two doing here?"

They slowly rise to their feet. Ralph frowns, asking, "Who are you?"

I blink. "You really don't know me?" A pause. "Green clothes? Weird shaped hat?"

Groose squints his eyes. "…Luigi?"

I roll my eyes. "No. I'm Hero."

"Oooh," they chorus.

Then, I peel off my mask and remove my cap. "I'm also Link."

Their eyes widen. "Link?!"

"Uh-huh. But listen. When this is all over, if we make it out alive, you won't say a word to the police about who I really am." I point the Master Sword at each of their stomachs, proving a point. "Understand?"

They both nod vigorously.

"Good." I sheathe my blade, folding my arms and looking between the two bedraggled boys. "Now as I was saying—what are you two doing here?"

"It's all his fault!" cries Ralph, jabbing a finger into Groose's side.

"My fault?"

"That cloaked creep kidnapped us because Groose's friends with some dude named Vaati. We were used as leverage so Vaati wouldn't betray the rest of the gang."

I frown. For once, I find myself sympathizing for these two chumps. They were completely innocent and were dragged into this mess against their will.

"That doesn't make it my fault," Groose counters.

"All I'm saying is that if I weren't hanging out with you, I wouldn't have been brought here."

"Whatever." Groose turns to me and Zelda, trying unsuccessfully to fix his droopy pompadour, and lifts his chin. "What about you two? Here to save the day? Are you a superhero too now, Zelda?"

"We're here to kill Yuga," I tell him, and Zelda nods.

"Do you guys know your way around this place?" she asks. "Could you help us find him?"

Groose and Ralph shrug.

"I mean," the shorter one starts, "ninety-nine percent of our time here was spent in a cell. But we were taken immediately to Yuga's chamber the day we were kidnapped, then brought here to the brig."

"We'll show you the way!" Groose says excitedly, more aimed for Zelda than for the both of us.

---

"I believe we're almost there," announces Ralph as we enter a large circular chamber.

At the other end of the room, a wide archway leads to an ascending spiral staircase, with a posh portrait adorning each side of the opening. Three more doors are on our side of the room, indicating that multiple paths of the labyrinth lead to this point. We must be getting very close.

Hand in hand, Zelda and I step slowly across the tile floor, our heads on a swivel, searching for any traps. Groose and Ralph follow close behind with their heads in the clouds. Sure, they were kidnapped, but there's no way they were tested in the ways we have been. That said, they can't really grasp what's at stake here.

I freeze, my ear twitching. Someone's near.

Pulling out the Master Sword, I stand back-to-back with Zelda as she draws her bow. We face the three other doors next to the one we came from, waiting.

The footsteps get louder. Voices get clearer.

"—and you've been pestering me about my relationship all day. That's why I deserve the flamethrower!"

"Oh, woe is you! Sorry for being such a good friend and helping you realize that you're too good for her. That's why I'm keeping the flamethrower!"

"You little—"

Two figures walk into the light, catch sight of the four of us, and freeze.

"Mikau, Mido!" I breathe, relieved.

"Link, Zelda!" cries Mikau, rushing up to us, scuffed-up baseball bat in hand.

"Groose?!" says Mido, frowning.

"And Ralph!" adds Ralph, raising a finger. "You, uh… you guys forgot about Ralph."

Mido walks toward the rest of us, lugging with him a golf club and also the coolest looking gun I've ever seen, which weighs probably about as much as he does.

Right then, two more emerge from a different doorway.

"Aah!" Pipit yelps, jumping and cowering behind Karane. "Oh, it's just you guys."

Karane squints. "Is that Groose?"

"And Ralph," adds Ralph, grinning a pained grin. "Ralph too."

When they join the circle, Sheik and Midna storm into the chamber, their hair stained to their foreheads with sweat, and they heave sighs of relief upon laying eyes on us.

"Thank gods," says Midna.

Sheik wipes his brow as he and his partner complete the circle. "Were you guys waiting for us?"

Mikau shakes his head. "We all just got here."

"Ugh, talk about a cliché," grunts Midna. Then, her eyes dart to the largest of the bunch. "Don't tell me that's Groose."

"And Ralph," Ralph comments quietly, his head down.

"Howdy," greets the oafish boy, raising a meaty paw.

"What are you doing here?"

"We were kidnapped by one of the goons, but then Zelda freed us. We're helping them find the way to Yuga. What are the rest of you doing here?"

"We're the resistance," Sheik says.

"Well," says Ralph, "consider us a part of the team."

"Oh, hey Ralph. Didn't see you there."

"For the love of—"

Pipit shakes his head, frowning. "Wait… you said you know the way to Yuga?"

"Uh-huh," says Groose. He points to the wide archway on the other side of the room. "Just up those stairs."

Everyone turns, and as if we're just now realizing the gravity of our situation, a sullen silence settles over us all. Right there, right up those steps. That's where the fate of the city will be determined.

"Don't look so down, guys," chirps Pipit. "I believe in us. We've got two Triforces on our side."

Groose squints. "Uh, for those of us who don't speak good guy, what's a Triforce?"

Behind us, one of the portraits on the far wall starts to glow bright purple. And where the art should be, a red blob starts to form, gradually growing and taking shape. Once big enough, the creature sticks out a single limb, before it crosses the threshold into the real world.

Karane notices it first. Her eyes grow wide as she yelps, "Look out!"

We whirl around and see it: a bokoblin wielding a knife. It wails, winds up, and throws it straight at Zelda.

My heart stops.

Bellowing, Groose leaps in front of Zelda and squints his eyes shut, awaiting his fate.

A second passes. He peeks an eye open.

We all stare in wonder at the blade, suspended in midair by some red-hued force. Our eyes shift over to Ralph, whose hands are glowing the same color. Everyone's jaw drops.

"Yeah, yeah," he says. "I can do magic. Now please kill that stupid pig thing."

Still in shock, Zelda shoots the monster with an arrow, and it poofs away lamely.

Ralph ends the spell, causing the dagger to promptly clatter onto the tile floor. He stands up straight, then turns to face the rest of us.

Zelda breathes in and out, her hand held to her chest, concern still on her face. "Groose, Ralph," she breathes, smiling at them. "Thank you."

Groose climbs to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, it was nothin'…"

"Honestly," agrees Ralph with a shrug.

"You're really a sorcerer?" I ask. "All this time?"

Groose folds his arm and shoots the other redhead an accusatory look. "How come you never broke the lock in our cells?"

Looking between us, Ralph only shrugs. "I mean, I've never tried stuff like that. All I can really do is make things stop for a little bit."

Pipit rolls his eyes. "Well that's convenient storytelling."

"You know what's even more convenient?" booms a cartoony voice overhead.

We jump, startled, some yelping in fear. We wait, listening for Yuga to finish.

"Being able to trap you all in here at once."

Metal bars slam down in the doorways, blocking the exits.

"But where would be the fun in killing you so easily?" He hums a laugh. "Instead, I've prepared a little… entertainment. An undercard, if you will."

The group shares a collection of muddled looks. Then, out of nowhere, a transparent red ring materializes around me—and me only.

I frown at it. "What the hell...?"

Then, the ring suddenly propels outward, growing and knocking everyone off their feet, pushing them along with it. Several cries and yelps of surprise ring out among them as the force field reaches its full circumference, stretching up to form tall, impenetrable walls. I look back frantically; my friends stagger to their feet on the other side. Zelda presses her hand to the force field, worried. Heart pounding, I tear my eyes away from her and draw my blade, waiting.

In front of me, across the arena, a shadow forms at the floor. Just a circle. I look up, but there's nothing there to cause it.

Oh no…

From the shadow, a figure slowly rises. The head and shoulders, the torso and waist, and finally the legs and boots. There stands Dark, red eyes locked with mine, his body encased in shadow, a black copy of the Master Sword in his hand.

My breath hitches. I take slow steps backward.

"Come on, Dark," I plead. "Don't let it end this way."

Silence. Dark doesn't move.

Yuga's voice returns, his clownish tone replaced by one that's more commanding, icy, and intimidating: "Kill him."

Dark immediately begins marching forward, blade held at the ready. I start to panic—I don't want to kill him. But there's no way Yuga lets us out of this force field without one of us killing the other. And unless Dark's body language is betraying him, it's looking like he's not going to hold back on me.

When I run out of room to retreat, Dark closes the distance on me, swiping his blade horizontally with monotonous poise. I block it and hop to the side to gather more foot space, backpedaling again as he launches an onslaught of attacks. I block them all, but his strength and agility matches my own; he is a copy of me, after all.

Some time ago when I encountered him in the streets, punching him in the face brought the real Dark back, if only briefly. If my hunch is correct, then the demon possessing his body may serve as a buffer—if I aim to kill, I could kill the demon within Dark and bring him back for good!

And If I'm wrong… Dark will die. But with the fate of the world on the line, and with the fact that we're trapped in here until one of us dies…

As much as I hate the idea of it, Dark may have to be the sacrifice Hyrule needs.

I double my efforts as Dark swings a heavy attack straight for my head, rolling out of the way and swiping at his side. I graze flesh and hop back to my feet as he closes the distance yet again, refusing to give me any time to think.

He unleashes a flurry of swipes, his blade a blur of darkness. Horizontal swipe, blocked. Diagonal, blocked. Back to back horizontals. Vertical. Two crossing diagonals.

I deflect the last swing with excessive force, causing him to recoil and flail his sword arm backward. I swipe at the opening and kick him in the chest, sending him back into the force field. Following up, I swing the Master Sword twice, sending a pair of blue beams his way. They connect with his body, shocking him; his limbs shake and convulse.

It's now or never.

I rush forward and drive the Master Sword through his stomach. He freezes, head lolling to the side. The red light in his eyes fades.

I pull out my sword, my heart hammering.

The darkness drains from his body from head to toe, his skin pale again, his clothes back to their normal gray and black. His eyes stay locked with mine, shifting between each one, until he collapses onto his back on the floor.

It is then that I notice he's clutching his bleeding stomach.

Horrified, I rush to his side and kneel down next to him. I was wrong. So very wrong.

The barrier collapses. Everyone rushes toward us, surrounding us, shocked, some sobbing.

Tears stream down my face as I lower my head to his chest.

"Hey," Dark sputters, patting my head with his bloody hand. "Don't cry, brother…. Everything… will be okay. Go save the world."

"N-no!" sobs Midna, kneeling down beside him. "This can't be real… This can't…"

Dark reaches a shaky hand up to her cheek. "Don't worry, beautiful…" His gaze lingers on her face before his hand falls back to his chest. "I'll be fine…"

He slowly turns his head back to me, and he smiles.

"I love you all."

Then, Dark's body slowly begins to melt into a strange black liquid, seeping into the tile, before it disappears for good.

I stare at the blood on my hands with a broken heart, the Master Sword on the floor to my side. I reach over and shove it away.

I bawl without making a sound. The tears flow from my squinted-shut eyes, my mouth open but not finding the voice to sob.

I was supposed to protect the people I love. And I failed.

---

Numbness is both a familiar and welcome feeling. I haven't felt it in quite some time, but it's a far better motivator than emotion. Emotion clouds your judgement and forces you to make rash decisions, something I'm prone to do.

Everyone mourned, but not for long. Sheik made sure we kept our sanity and advised we focused and kept pushing forward. Some may call it insensitive, but with the stakes being this high, it was a necessary reminder.

Zelda has an arm wrapped around my waist for support as we climb the spiral staircase. Her nose is red from her own spell of tears, but her eyes are still narrowed with determination.

The rest of the group travels in silence behind us. Midna cries quietly on Sheik's shoulder; Pipit and Karane hold each other with a surprising closeness; Mikau and Mido stare forward with pallid eyes and blank faces; Groose and Ralph trail everyone with frowns of empathetic shock. While not everyone had the chance to get to know Dark as well as some of us did, everyone was affected by what had happened to him.

Shortly thereafter, we reach the third floor. We step out of the stairwell into a small room with grand double doors just ahead, each having their own insignia of an upside-down triangle. This is it.

I lead the way forward, stopping just before the doors, and turn to face the rest of them. I clear my throat.

"Here's the plan."

My eyes flash to Zelda's, and she smiles a sad smile of encouragement. I shift my gaze, then; to Sheik, then Midna, Mido, Mikau, Ralph, Groose, Karane, and Pipit. This could be the last time I see them.

"Zelda and I will go in there," I begin quietly, slowly. "And we will fight Yuga. We'll destroy his portals, eliminate his forces, and we'll finally kill him." I take in a slow breath. "And you're going to stay here."

"So, in this plan," says Pipit, "you two do everything and we do nothing."

"Right."

Pipit narrows his eyes, his voice deepening to a serious tone: "Let's do this."

I nod at Zelda; she nods back. She steps toward me and pulls out her longbow; I draw the Master Sword. We lock eyes; I lean in and kiss her, praying it won't be the last time.

And we push in the double doors, stepping into the grand lair.

It's a circular chamber, dark and murky. We slowly walk further inside, our footsteps echoing in the spacious room. A huge purple frame stands tall in the back of the room, its interior dark and dormant, but other than that the chamber is empty.

We're surprised, then, when a group of footsteps is heard behind us. Zelda and I turn around, and our eyes connect with our friends'. Everyone has followed us inside.

I look between them and frown. "What did I just say?"

Sheik takes a confident step forward, a brave look in his eye. "Look, we've all made it this far. And you think we're going to stand idly by while our two friends risk their lives fighting a maniacal sorcerer? No way. We've got your back, one hundred percent."

Instantly, a magical force field slams in front of him, immediately separating the gang from me and Zelda.

Sheik blinks, wetting his lips, and pokes lamely at the barrier between us. He clears his throat. "Yeah, you're on your own."

Zelda and I turn back toward the center of the chamber, where a towering figure stands alone. His pale gray skin seems to glow in the murky light. Long red dreadlocks flow down to his back, his head crowned by a ruby circlet. He stands across the way, head angled down, eyes narrowed and locked with mine, red lips twisted up in an evil smirk.

Lifting his arm to the side, Yuga snaps his fingers, and a tall golden staff materializes out of thin air. He grabs it, twirling it, and the top of the staff ignites with black flames.

I grip the pommel of my blade tighter, but otherwise show no emotion.

Yuga smiles. "You made it."

Zelda stiffens beside me. I don't answer.

"Glad you could bring your friends, too." He sighs. "Too bad they can't help you. They're forced to watch you die."

Again, no response.

Yuga wets his lips. "How is it going to feel? After everything you went through to get here—fighting my forces, traveling across the kingdom, drawing that sacred blade…" He takes slow steps forward, the enormous portal behind him starting to glow. "Only to be forced to watch me slit the throat of that pretty thing beside you?"

I instinctively move closer to Zelda, my blood starting to boil. Don't let him get into your head, Link. That's what he wants.

"And to top it all off…" Yuga's lips splay out into a maniacal grin. "The rest of my army is already here, just beyond that gate. As soon as I'm through with you, the portal will be ready. Did you wonder why my lair seemed a bit understaffed? My forces have already been sent on their way to the castle to kill your puny king."

Is he bluffing? Impa's half of the resistance is still stationed there—will they be overpowered by Yuga's numbers?

"Tonight… I will kill you both. I'll wrest the Triforce from your dead bodies. And I'll be worshipped like a god in your pathetic light world." Yuga stops once he's at the center of the circular chamber. "To be honest, I respect you, Hero. You have commendable heart. You never stop fighting—even when it's your best friend in front of you."

I take in a deep breath, screaming internally. Just keep your cool. Don't rush straight at him. That's what he wants.

"The problem is—" Yuga sighs. "I don't have a heart. And I'm going to rip yours out."

He leaps backward and waves his staff, and a pair of floating portraits appear on either side of me and Zelda. Zelda yelps as we roll out of the way, right before a burst of black lightning shoots from one frame into the other.

"Uh, Ralph?" says Mido from behind the barrier, hoisting the flamethrower up over his shoulder. "Now might be a good time to try out some new magic."

"On it," Ralph answers, concentrating and moving his glowing hand in circles.

Zelda rises to her feet some three meters to my right, firing off a trio of light arrows that soar past Yuga's evasive movements. He waves his staff again, materializing three more portraits. In less than a second, a trio of cursed bokoblins pop out of the frames and lurch toward us.

Not these things…

"Zel!" I call; she looks over. "Aim for the eyes!"

She nods and takes aim while I chase down Yuga. I maneuver around the zombified pig demons as light arrows pierce their yellow eyes one by one. Down they fall, disappearing with a poof, and I'm closing in on Yuga.

He braces, and I leap toward him with an overhead slice, but my blade bounces off his staff. I stagger back, and he kicks at the opening, sending me to the floor. Rolling aside and dodging the followup swing of his staff, I jump up and swing my sword again, but he disappears, teleporting across the arena.

He dodges Zelda's flurry of arrows with ease, and I send some beams from the Master Sword that also miss. With another wave of his staff, a portrait appears, and he shoots it straight toward me, twirling like a disc. I leap over it and watch as one of Zelda's arrows grazes Yuga's side.

The king of the dark world grits his teeth, growling, then turns to face Zelda with fury in his eyes. Panicking, I shoot another beam in hopes to distract him, and it jolts into his back.

Yuga whirls around and points his staff at me, and curls of black electricity shoot out and zap me in the chest. I'm rocketed back into the force field, teeth chattering, my strength feeling drained. The stench of burnt flesh floods my nostrils. Recovering, I try to send more beams Yuga's way, but none come out of the Master Sword.

Yuga faces Zelda and fires off another bolt of black lightning, but she lunges out of the way just in time. Enraged, I charge.

I let out a furious cry as I swing straight for his neck. Yuga spins and blocks my blade with his staff, smiling. I swipe again; blocked. He feints, and I mistakenly move to parry. Quickly, Yuga smacks the end of his staff straight into my jaw. My body gets tossed aside, the foul taste of copper on my tongue, and I slap the tile floor with rage before staggering back to my feet.

Zelda dives out of the way of another projectile portrait, aiming and firing light arrows whenever an opportunity presents itself.

Two aeralfos fly out from a pair of summoned frames, barking and diving at me and Zelda. I reach up and deflect its oncoming talons; the scaly beast crashes to the floor, hissing.

Darting out of the way of the other one, Zelda emits a cry of pain as the aeralfos's front claw slices her across the shoulder. After kicking at it, she retreats to a safer distance for sniping. She pulls back the string, grimacing as blood leaks from her fresh wound, and sinks an arrow into the approaching aeralfos's skull.

Meanwhile, the first creature charges toward me, claws aimed at my throat. I duck below its swipe and swing my sword, raking the blade across its torso. It barks in pain and flaps its wings in attempts to fly over me, but I jump high into the air and plunge the Master Sword straight up into its chest. It falls to the floor behind me with a thud, poofing away.

I turn around just in time to get zapped by another bolt of black lightning. Yuga's laugh booms throughout the chamber as I crash face-first into the force field, locking eyes with my worried friends while my body convulses.

Zelda releases a distressed yell and shoots arrow after arrow at Yuga. He phases in and out of visibility, teleporting left and right, just in time for the arrows to miss, then reappears right in front of her. He swings his staff and it connects with her side—Zelda cries out in pain as she's knocked off her feet, skidding across the floor.

Yuga grins, aiming his staff at her crippled body. Quickly, Zelda lifts her bow and looses an arrow, wedging it into the tip of Yuga's staff, suffocating the black flame before he can fire off another bolt of dark energy. Yuga growls and grabs its shaft to rip it out, but hisses in pain when the light arrow burns his hand.

"Well played!" he exclaims, throwing the heavy staff to the ground.

"Hurry up, Ralph," urges Mido. "They need us!"

Ralph squints, still moving his hands in circular patterns, sweat dripping from his brow. "I just need… something… to weaken it!"

Back within, I summon all leftover strength I have to sprint torward the unarmed man, blade held high. Effortlessly, Yuga spins around and kicks at the face of my blade, knocking it out of my hand and sending it flying towards the force field. The Master Sword buries into the barrier, with cracks spreading down the translucent red walls like glass.

Unarmed, I backpedal away, but Yuga closes the distance and grabs at my neck, squeezing. I clutch at his arm and try to rip it away, but to no avail. He lifts me up off my feet, a wild, primal look in his eye. Vision darkening, I gag and kick at his body. He won't budge.

A light arrow suddenly pierces his shoulder, pointing straight at me. Snarling, Yuga stumbles slightly, looking over his shoulder to see Zelda back on her feet, the bowstring drawn back to fire again.

Yuga waits. Zelda looses the arrow. Things after that move in slow motion.

I watch helplessly as Yuga sidesteps, moving my body into the arrow's path. Zelda screams, realizing her mistake. The red walls around us suddenly shatter, collapsing, but I pay them no attention. My head turned to the side, I watch as the golden arrow flies through the air, headed straight for my forehead.

But then, somehow, red curls of light weave themselves over the golden arrow. I watch, entranced, as it stops, suspended in midair.

Yuga's eyes widen. "What?!"

He turns his head. And there, storming forward, is Hyrule Academy's very own resistance—with Ralph at the forefront, his hands glowing bright red.

Yuga bellows an enraged battle cry and slams me onto the floor. I wheeze, gasping for air and fighting back delirium as Yuga removes a dagger from his waist and raises it up high into the air.

"No!" Zelda screams desperately.

A gunshot rings out—the dagger clatters to the ground. Yuga looks down at his bleeding stomach, watching the red liquid pool and soak into his robes. Eyes wide, he shifts his gaze back up at the group before him.

I, too, turn my head. Pipit, Karane, Midna, Groose, Ralph, Mido, and Mikau all stand behind me, with Sheik in the front, the barrel of his pistol smoking. He twirls the gun in his fingers, lifting his chin as Yuga stares him directly in the eye.

"I saved you a bullet."

Yuga doesn't move. A moment of pure silence passes by, before the king of the dark world erupts into a fit of hacks and coughs, blood spattering the ground at his feet. He suddenly lurches forward, desperation in his bloodshot eyes. "No—!" he growls. "No!—I am—a god!"

We watch as a golden arrow pierces his heart from the back, the sharp head pointing straight at the resistance. Yuga freezes, his breath hitching. He slowly looks down, touches the arrow, and suddenly appears much more human. Genuine hopelessness presents itself on his face.

My eyes find Zelda's. She stands off behind the dark king, the Bow of Light still upraised, her Triforce glowing brightly. It's apparent, now, that Zelda was not the one who took the shot. It was Nayru.

"Link," says the goddess, her voice strong and commanding. "Finish the job."

I stagger to my feet and look over. The Master Sword lies on the floor at Mikau's feet; he nods at me, then kicks it over. The blade slides across the tile and it comes to a stop by my boot. I reach down, slowly lifting it, feeling its weight take its toll on my sore limbs. I drag my feet forward, exhausted and spent, until I stand face-to-face with the maniacal king of the dark world. I push the sweaty hair out of my eyes, su I'm able to see the despair in Yuga's own.

"You're not a god," I murmur to him. "You're no stronger than a bunch of kids."

His crazed eyes stay locked with mine. This, right here, is my vengeance. I set my jaw tightly before plunging my blade through his heart, up to the hilt. Yuga flinches, then sags to his knees, blood dripping from his lips.

I watch as the life fades from the twisted man's eyes, then rip the blade out from inside of him.

---

Orielle reloads her rifle as Fledge picks off three consecutive aeralfos in midair. Leaning over the railing of the guard tower, she watches the scaly creatures plummet to the ground below, where they all disappear in clouds of smoke. She turns back to Fledge, impressed.

"Nice shots."

The timid boy waves it off. "Thanks," he replies, replacing the clip of his sniper.

The weapons the knights of Hyrule Castle had given them (once they had proven their worth in battle) have been no less than state-of-the-art. The only complaint Orielle has had, though, is how much more painful the recoil is than that of the pellet guns she's used to training with.

Orielle waves to her friends in the distant tower. Malon and Lulu wave back, each flashing her a thumbs-up. Meanwhile, Darmani and Impa man the doors to each tower, guarding them from any monster grunts that succeed in scaling the walls.

Fledge fires another round at one of the lynels pounding on the enormous metal doors to the castle grounds. The bullet misses its head, lodging somewhere in its shoulder. The beast rears back and roars, presenting a much cleaner angle. Orielle fells the beast with one shot, smiling to herself.

"Bad news," says Fledge.

"What is it?"

"Look over there."

Orielle looks to where he's pointing. Off in the distance, an immense squadron of beasts marches toward the castle. Moblins, lizalfos, aeralfos, and lynels stand out most prominently against a sea of innumerable bokoblin foot soldiers.

Orielle gulps. "Well, shoot."

"We're running out of rounds."

"That's not what I meant by shoot."

"Oh."

The brunette palms her face and whispers a quick prayer. Their defensive stand suddenly seems all too bleak.

But then, something strange happens. She watches as a little bokoblin, some few hundred meters away, just disappears. Frowning, Orielle leans forward, her eyes set on the monsters below.

Next, much closer, a lizalfos poofs away in a cloud of smoke. Then a moblin. Then a lynel.

And then a whole unit of monsters, and then two units, and then three, until finally, by some miracle, every last creature disappears with a little puff of smoke. Aeralfos disappear from the sky like fireworks, while the advancing army vanishes and leaves behind only a nicotine addict's dream.

As the knights celebrate below after a long, grueling battle, Fledge turns to Orielle and shakes his head.

"This has got to be just killing our ozone layer right now."

Orielle only shakes her head and pulls him in for a celebratory hug.

They won. Against all odds, they actually won.