"Courage in danger is half the battle."

~Platus~

Ancient Roots

Chapter 18: Showdown

"The midday heat has passed, Your Grace, vrrm!" a chirpy voice draws me back into consciousness. As my awareness slowly returns, I mumble my thanks and slowly sit up. I rub my eyes and sigh, unsure whether or not I feel rested. I certainly feel better physically, but the weight of everything quickly returns and I already feel weary again. I catch the robot just as it rolls out of view and swing my legs over the edge of my bed so I can wake the others.

After I shake them awake and we reequip ourselves for the afternoon ahead, we meet in the middle of the chamber and silently start towards the steps back into the mining facility. We all seem to have slept which is a good sign, so all I can hope is that we reach the Temple of Time soon.

Once we reach the top of the stairs, there's a small group of robots waiting for us. One of them greets us with joyous bleeps, "We trust that you're all well rested, Your Grace, zrrt!"

I smile and nod, "Yes, thank you for your hospitality. May I ask for any directions or if there are any shortcuts to the Temple of Time from here?"

"Yes, yes, we can help, vrrt!" another replies, gesturing to a lone, empty minecart nearby. I can already tell that I'm not going to like this. "This minecart will take you close to the temple, Your Grace! It'll be a bumpy ride, zoop, but it's the best shortcut we have!" I glance at the others, though they don't feel very reassured either. Biting the inside of my cheek, I know that the robots wouldn't try and hurt us—we have to trust them.

I swallow thickly, then plaster a smile onto my face, "Thank you. We're incredibly grateful for your help." The robots chirp and help each of us into the cart, unaware of the growing anxiety in my gut. The four of us stand in the cramped cart and apprehensively look over the edge, the same edge I'd almost fallen into only hours ago. I'm really starting to doubt this now.

"Am I the only one worried about this?" Karane mutters under her breath.

"We'll be fine," I pretend. "We just need to have some faith."

If only I sounded believable.

I tense up as the cart jerks into movement. Looking skyward, I send a brief, silent prayer to the Goddess. I force myself to focus on my surroundings, watching individual pieces of ore as they're transported up and around the facility via minecarts and pipes. My heart skips a beat whenever I hear metal clanking and every time I pray it isn't our cart—each time, my prayers are heard.

As I turn my attention back towards our track, however, I gasp when I see nothing ahead of us. The others quickly follow my line of sight and we all grab onto each other and the minecart as we suddenly dive down deeper into the facility at a colossal speed. Blue lamps whizz by and I feel bile rising in my throat. I squeeze my eyes shut until it's all over.

Soon enough, I start to feel the track slowly even out again and I force my eyes back open. I quickly make sure that everyone's here and alright (which they are, thank the Goddess), though I can barely see them with only the illuminated track and a few torches to light the area. Our ragged breaths bounce between the walls as the minecart continues along its path and my heart pounds so loudly that I wouldn't be surprised if the others could hear it too.

That's when things finally change for the better.

Suddenly, the world around us begins to brighten drastically until it's almost too bright. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of lamps brighten and light up the gigantic chamber we find ourselves in. There's only one minecart track here—ours—and the rest of the chamber is lined with large statues of our robot friends. Light streams in from the glass ceiling above, so I can only assume that it's daylight or more of those lamps above us.

It's beautiful…

As the cart breaches the top of a short slope, I spot a doorway ahead with a set of metal stairs beyond and I don't think I've ever been happier to see a doorway before. The cart jolts into a halt a few metres before the doorway and we're finally free. We leap out more eagerly than ever before and it takes all I have in my not to kiss the ground in relief. Exchanging smiles, we all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that," Pipit remarks, glancing back at the chamber in awe.

"We made it and that's what matters," is all Link says in response and no one adds anything else because he perfectly sums up how we all feel. With one last lingering look back at the beauty behind us, we set our sights on the exit and brave the unknown once more.

We manage to cover a number of miles in the coming hours, traversing through tall sand dunes and rivers of sink sand. Our progress is only stopped during the middle of the afternoon when a sandstorm attacks the region, leaving us huddling behind broken walls of stone until it finally wanes an hour or so later. Hearing the roaring winds and desperately praying that the walls will hold out isn't how I wanted to spend my afternoon, yet that's how it was spent.

Please say we're close now…

After a harrowing afternoon in the sun, we travel for the next few hours until the sun starts to set before hunkering down in a rockier area a few hours away from the Temple of Time. As reds and purples start to streak across the skies above, we set up camp and allow ourselves a fire since we'll be taking watches throughout the night. Sleeping out in the open doesn't make me feel too comfortable, though we don't really have a choice (like with many things right now).

Once we've eaten and night descends upon the desert, so too does the temperature drop drastically. I'm not too tired so I offer to take first watch and Karane insists that she joins me too. She checks the perimeter we've set up whilst I stoke the fire and start warming my hands up. The cold was a blessing at first, but now it's a curse like the rest of this place.

When Karane returns from her patrol, she takes a seat next to me and pulls out her canteen to take a sip. Nodding to the sleeping forms opposite us, their faces illuminated by the firelight, she smiles and murmurs, "They must've been more tired than they made out, huh?"

I hum as I pull out my own canteen, "Some things never change." Swallowing a swig of water, I add, "I haven't checked in with you in a while. How are you doing?"

She shrugs, "As well as can be in a desert that can go back and forth in time." I laugh breathlessly and cradle my canteen as she prods the fire with a stick. She glances at Pipit before adding in a softer tone, "Things aren't as tense anymore, so that's making things easier at least."

"Have you talked to him yet?"

"Not yet," she confesses. "And I, uh, think I'll do it when we get back to Skyloft. After your little stunt at the Lumpy Pumpkin and having some space to think about what happened in the Earth Temple, I want to wait until we're back and safe… then I'll talk to him."

I nudge her boot with my shoe, "I think you're doing the right thing. Confessing your love to someone isn't the same when you're all sweaty and covered in sand."

"Compared to the way you stole the show with your confession, I'm thinking of keeping mine a little more low key," she jokes. I roll my eyes.

"It's not like I planned it that way. It just… happened."

Her smile softens then as she casts her gaze over to Link, "You've made him so happy, you know. I've been trying to hint for years that he should just tell you how he felt, but he never did. I think he's still on cloud nine." I follow her line of sight and smile too.

"Me too." But then I think about my conversation with him earlier in the day and I can't help but frown. Placing my canteen down on the ground, I wrap my arms around my middle and force myself to admit, "I'm worried about him, Karane."

"Hey," she soothes, instantly shuffling closer to me so she can place her arm around my shoulders. "We're all worried about him and all this going on, but we're going to be alright." I lower my head. "Has something happened?" A part of me doesn't want to disclose such things without his permission, but his feeling could be right and we need to be prepared.

I sigh, "He's got this feeling that something will go wrong at the temple. I thought he was just worried about the unknown, but the way he talked about it… Goddess above, Karane, I think he's right."

"I mean, it makes sense," she agrees. "Ghirahim and Impa know where we're going and they know the land much better than we do. I'm sure they'll be waiting for us to reach the Gate of Time and then swoop in to take us by surprise."

"But Link thinks that he won't be seeing us again anytime soon," I press and her eyes widen a little. "I don't… I can't lose him again. I told him that it'd be fine whatever happened, but I can't be so sure anymore." My breathing picks up as I start to consider everything that could possibly go wrong, "What if he's right? What if something terrible does happen and we can't do anything to stop it? What if, Goddess forbid, he's put in an impossible situation and tries to sacrifice himself again?"

"Hey, slow down," she says, bundling me up into an embrace. I cling to her and try to slow my breathing, but to no avail. "Whatever happens tomorrow, we won't let that happen again, that's for sure."

I sniff, "You don't know that for certain."

"True, I don't," she sighs. "But what I do know for certain is that with the four of us and what we know now… we do have a chance. Whatever happens, we'll be ready to face the dangers head on, and that's all we can hope for right now."

"You're right," I whisper, because she is. "Thank you, Karane. I don't know how I would've kept sane without you all here."

She chuckles and holds me at arm's length, "Well, I'm useful for something."

We lapse into a pregnant silence once we pull apart and watch the flames dance before us. I don't feel hugely better about tomorrow—if anything, I'm more worked up about it now—but I can't let the apprehension of tomorrow get to me. Whatever will be, will be and I have to accept that.

I just don't want to lose him again.

But that's not for certain, I try and remind myself. We might get there tomorrow and go through the Gate of Time without a problem.

Like that's going to happen, another part of me counters easily. I rest my chin in my hand and sigh wearily. Thinking about the negatives will only make me feel worse. What matters is the here and now where I have a safe place to rest and friends around me who I can rely on in case anything happens. Right now, I have this much at least.

As the moon climbs into the dark of night, I pass enough time watching the fire and taking patrols that I only start to feel my head droop when it's time to swap shifts. As I settle down on the desert floor with only a thin blanket to protect me, I'm glad that I'm far too exhausted to start thinking about everything that could happen tomorrow again and I fall asleep within minutes.

The next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake just as the sun's peeking over the horizon. It's already pretty warm for early morning, though it's not too bad yet. And besides, the skies above are adorned with light pinks and deep blues which make this moment feel oddly serene as I stretch my stiff joints and start preparing for today's trek.

We stamp out the fire and head out before the sun's fully breached the horizon, making sure that we leave our camp with as few traces of our stay as possible. With the Temple of Time in our sights, we make little conversation as we begin our journey. Link's words still linger at the back of my mind and, from how the others are trying not to seem too nervous, I can only assume that all the unknowns are weighing them down too.

We follow the dunes and my dowsing towards the large Hylian Crest monument in the distance, although our progress feels agonisingly slow throughout the morning. The temperature quickly rises and we're forced to take breaks when we can as more and more sweat starts clinging to our brows. But we remain steadfast despite the heat and as late morning arrives, so too do we reach the Temple of Time.

The cracked desert ground transitions into one of grey stone and a long, white wall stretches between the rocky desert walls around us. Two large doors are adorned with the Hylian Crest and are partially ajar to reveal the temple inside. The sun continues to rise behind the large monument in front of us and the Goddess Sword glows brilliantly from the dowsing reaction to something—hopefully the Gate of Time—nearby.

We exchange glances before heading inside with our weapons drawn. The temple itself is split up into two parts that's connected by a thick stone bridge which stretches over a gaping chasm below that I don't dare think about too much—not after yesterday. On the other side of the temple are bird statues just like the ones in Skyloft and stone pillars that encircle a set of steps leading up to a large, dark slab that shines in the morning light.

I take a hesitant step forward, "Is that…?"

"The Gate of Time," Link finishes for me, his eyes hazy and far away as he starts towards the gate in a sort of daze. I quickly follow after him, wary of our presence here and the distinct lack of activity here since our arrival. Who knows where Ghirahim or Impa are hiding in the shadows of this place?

I hear Karane and Pipit behind me as we make our way across the bridge and up to the slab before us. As Link's hands brush the surface of the object, Fi appears in a burst of light, "I can confirm that this is a deactivated Gate of Time. Dominae, I can predict with a 78% probability that your harp will be able to activate the gate."

I nod and dismiss her, and Pipit takes his opportunity to speak as I sheathe the Goddess Sword to take out my harp, "We need to be ready for anything."

"And we are," says Link before turning to me, "Just focus on activating the gate—we'll take care of everything else."

I swallow thickly, "I will… just be careful—all of you."

They smile and place themselves around the base of the steps just as I turn back to the dormant Gate of Time and rest my harp in the crook of my elbow. I'm too anxious to close my eyes and when I lift my hand to start playing, I notice just how much they're shaking.

Calm yourself, I scold. Nothing's happened yet and you're already—

An almighty crash erupts from behind and a cry escapes me before I can stop it. I spin around as large stone chunks that used to be the doors leading into the temple fly and tumble into the abyss below as a cloud of dust and debris billows up from the point of impact. I tighten my grip on my harp as the skies above us start to darken (even though it's only late morning) and the air thickens.

"Come on," I mutter through gritted teeth when no one appears. "Show yourself…"

And they soon do.

Just as we'd predicted, a familiar bout of laughter fills the air and the Demon Lord leaps through the thick cloud of dust as it slowly starts to settle. He lands in a crouch before rising to his feet and setting his sights on his prize, his mantle swaying with his movements as he calls out, "It seems as though I made it just in time."

Terrified of history repeating itself, I rush down the steps and stand in front of Link before he can come any closer, "How dare you defile this sacred place, Ghirahim," I counter as calmly as I can. I can feel my voice shaking already but I swallow thickly and add in a stronger tone, "Leave before we force you out ourselves."

"Oh no," he replies with a chuckle, "Destiny herself has brought me here and it would be far too impolite to deny her."

"Where is Impa?"

He waves me off, "There's no need to worry yourself over the Sheikah. She's right where she needs to be just like the rest of us. Now," he adds before I can respond. "I can safely assume that you won't kindly step aside for me to collect my prize, correct?" None of us move. He sighs and pulls his prized rapier out of thin air, caressing the blade's edge with a frown, "Such a shame…"

I blink when Pipit suddenly stands in front of me and raises his weapon towards the Demon Lord, "Why don't you stop using such big words from afar and actually fight us for a change?"

An exasperated sigh escapes me. Stop trying to be the hero…

"Pipit, don't—"

"Well, well, we have our first challenger," the Demon Lord coos with delight, raising his sword back towards Pipit. I reach out and grab the knight's arm, but he quickly tears himself free and I know that there's nothing else I can do. He's made his choice and all I can hope is that he can hold out while I activate the Gate of Time—hopefully it'll be our salvation.

Link and Karane, torn between wanting to help Pipit and needing to protect the gate, stand firm as I move back to the Gate of Time and quickly start playing the same song I did on the day of the Wing Ceremony. As the almost frantic notes bounce around the temple, my heart lodges itself in my throat every time I hear swords clashing or Ghirahim's laughter and it takes all I have not to drop the harp and leap into battle myself.

Once the final note fades out, the crest on the face of the gate glows and, in a burst of light, the slab shatters into hundreds of small pieces that spiral around me. Despite the clanging of blades behind me, I watch on in awe as the pieces slowly begin to reform. I silently beg for the process to speed up so we can use the cursed gate before the Demon Lord manages to cause any damage and—

Karane cries out and I suddenly realise that I can't hear fighting anymore. I spin around with a gasp and my harp slips from my grasp at the sight before me. The battle really is over and the two combatants stand on the bridge. But even with Pipit's back to us, the victor is clear to see.

After all, how could you miss the sword through Pipit's shoulder?

Karane barely restrains herself as Ghirahim tugs the blade free, spins the knight around and holds him close with the bloody rapier at his neck. Pipit struggles furiously, only to stop in his tracks when the Demon Lord leans in and says, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. We wouldn't want you losing blood too quickly now, would we?" Raising his head to Link, whose face I can't see from this angle but I can feel his pain from here, and accuses, "How many do you think will die for you before I kill you anyway?"

I can already feel what Link's about to do before he even says a word.

Not again, I think to myself as panic rises in my chest. I can't let this happen again!

"You always accused the Goddess of cowering behind human shields, but look at you now: a coward like the rest of your kind," he growls in a way that I've rarely heard before. It takes a lot to make someone as kind as Link angry, but the whole world regrets it when it happens. "If you're looking for a fight, then let him go safely and you can have it."

Ghirahim grins and purposely pushes Pipit to the ground behind him so we can't get to him, and the latter is quick to pull himself away from the fray and grips his shoulder in a white-knuckled grip. In a bid to unnerve us, the Demon Lord drags his tongue along the blood stained surface of his blade and lowers it in disappointment to remark, "Hm… not as sweet as I'd thought it would be."

Terror courses through me as the Demon Lord starts to move forward and no one tries to stop him. I can't stand here and do nothing. Darting forward, I grab Link's arm and toss my pride aside to plead in a hushed tone, "Please, Link, you don't have to do this…"

He looks down and meets my gaze evenly. There's a fire in his eyes I know all too well—I can't change his mind when he's like this—but it comforts me a little not to see any gold there. He's in control and he knows what he's doing; I have to trust him. He must see how terrified I am because he offers me a small smile that makes my heart ache and, as much as it pains me to do so, I nod and let him go.

I stand at Karane's side as Link meets his adversary at the edge of the bridge and I exchange a nervous glance with her as the Gate of Time continues to knit itself together behind us. The two stop and glare at each other, tension rising as Link remarks, "I know your kind well and you're all the same. After two lifetimes of fighting demons, you're all still so adamant to fight a battle you can't possibly win."

"At least we haven't been reincarnated purely to suit the Goddess's needs," is all the Demon Lord says in response, and then they're fighting.

My eyes drift back over to Karane, though her eyes are solely on the lone knight on the other side of the temple. I notice Link purposely trying to move the fight away from the bridge and I understand what he's trying to do for us, so I turn to Karane and pass her my bag, "When it's safe, run as fast as you can to him. Use however many potions you need."

She turns her attention to me and it pains me to see so much hurt in her eyes, "I can't leave you both," she insists. "But I can't leave him either…"

"We'll be fine," I assure then, then call for Fi, "I need you to help Karane and Pipit where I can't. Can you do that for me?"

The spirit nods firmly, "Of course, Dominae. Come with me, Karane."

The two patiently wait for Link to give them an opening before running forward. The Demon Lord, realising what's happening all too late, attempts to push the battle back towards the bridge so they can't get through, but Link holds his ground and creates enough of an opening for them to slip through. I notice Karane's lips moving and I can only assume she's whispering her thanks as she goes.

A flash of white light behind me turns my attention back to the Gate of Time and I blink at its transformation. No longer a storm of singular pieces, a large cog stands before me and glows with a lilac hue. Two smaller, darker cogs have slotted into place above it and designs begin to appear out of thin air. I recognise the triangle split into three because of the Hylian Crest, but I don't know the rest—even if my mind's screaming at me that I should know them.

The gate, now completely formed, starts to turn in a counter-clockwise fashion and something about the sight makes me feel oddly nostalgic. I unconsciously reach out for the gate's surface, only to jerk my hand away when a flash of golden light behind me snaps me back into reality. I whirl around to find a myriad of things happening all at once. My heart soars to find Karane tending to Pipit under Fi's watchful eye. I catch the spirit's gaze and she nods at me to confirm that everything's alright.

The same can't be said for the other battle raging on before me.

As the two fight on before me, I quickly realise how much the scales are tipping in the Demon Lord's favour. Link isn't even parrying as he defends against Ghirahim's strikes, and I can tell from the strain on his face that something isn't right. He's fought the Demon Lord before and has held his own, but something's different this time. Then I feel it in the air: an aura so strong and dark that it weighs down heavily on my shoulders.

Then there's another flash of golden light and I gasp when I discover it's source.

Wisps of golden light are radiating out from Link like stitching being pulled out from a cloth, twirling up into the sky before disappearing into the dark sky. He sways a little but continues to sidestep the Demon Lord's attacks as he grins and increases the frequency of his attacks, "I knew summoning the gate would cause the seal to react, but I never could've imagined that the reaction would be so strong. Tell me, how does it feel to have your spirit torn apart piece by piece? Don't waste a single detail!"

"Go to hell," is all Link mutters through gritted teeth as he continues to block rather than parry the strikes. Ghirahim laughs in his face with an expression akin to glee after the fiery response. My heart's screaming at me to go and help, but I need to bide my time.

"Now, why would I go home when we're having so much fun here, boy?" he retorts. Their blades meet and I stop breathing. "Just remember that this is only the beginning. If you think this is the worst pain you'll ever feel, then wait until you're at the mercy of the ritual that'll rip you apart from the inside out." Link slips back a pace. "Your resistance is almost adorable at this point! Do you honestly believe that you can defy your fate?"

Summoning all his strength, Link responds with a simple, "Yes," before shoving the Demon Lord's rapier away and knocks him back a few paces. With little time for him to recover from what's happening to him, I draw the Goddess Sword and jump between the two just as Ghirahim recovers and block the next strike.

"You seem to enjoy spoiling my fun, Your Grace," he seethes. I grit my teeth and push back against his blade with a strength that even surprises me.

Throwing his sword down, I hold out the Goddess Sword defensively and reply, "It brings me great pleasure."

He rolls his eyes but doesn't attack again as he remarks, "Well, I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, all it took was a kiss and a declaration of love to make you even more protective of him."

My heart stops and I forget how to breathe, "W-What?"

He chuckles and steps back to place a hand over his heart with mock emotion, "It was like the moment came straight out of a book you humans read! Everyone cheering and celebrating the two lovebirds finally having their moment… even your father was misty eyed at the display."

Sweet merciful Goddess, he was there that night.

He didn't strike, but he was there.

And if he can travel up to the sky, how long will it be before he brings up an entire army of monsters?

"Y-You…"

"Oh, Your Grace, it makes my heart burst to see you so tongue tied," he teases. Our eyes meet and it feels like everything around me is going wrong just like Link had thought it would. "And you don't even know the best part!" Ghirahim grins, "The more attached you get to him, the more agonising it'll be to watch him die right before your very eyes!"

"Why are you doing this?" I demand, though it sounds more like I'm begging for an answer and he loves it. "What's the ritual?"

He pinches the bridge of his nose, "I can't believe you haven't figured it out by now. Well, I suppose I've kept you in the dark for long enough, and you clearly can't put it together for yourself." He gestures to Link with his bloodied rapier and it takes all of my strength not to glance back. "In order for my Master to return to this world, he requires a sacrifice and I'm going to take great delight in tearing the boy apart to do just that. What's happening right now is only the beginning of the end."

"No," the word comes out in a breathless whisper. I feel all the colour drain from my face and my chest constricts so suddenly that I can't breathe. As panic and fear slam into me hard, so too does burning anger, "Why? Why him?!"

He chuckles, "Ah, ah, now I have to leave you in some suspense. Surely you can figure the rest out on your own, hm? Either way, it's time we parted ways. It's been fun toying with you, but now you're in my way and it's time I finally cast you aside."

I'm still reeling from his words too much to react as Ghirahim takes a flying leap at me. Time feels like it slows down as his rapier surges towards me and all I can do is raise the Goddess Sword in a blind hope that I can take the full brunt of his attack. There's a breath of wind and a flash of light behind my closed eyelids, but no attack reaches me. I open my eyes and find the back of someone's head rather than Ghirahim's face.

And I know exactly who it is.

"I-Impa?"

"So, the Sheikah lap dog scurries back to Her Grace's side after a single lie," the Demon Lord sneers on the other side of Impa's shield of blue light. She remains silent as she continues to hold her hands up and walks towards Ghirahim which effectively pushes him away from us as he continues, "It was always a matter of time before you went crawling back to her. After all, I'm sure your ancestors would strike you down for letting harm come to those you swore to protect."

My lips part as I think back to our exchange outside the Earth Spring. Back then, I thought she was trying to regain my trust so she could get into the spring and cause further damage, but Ghirahim's frustration doesn't seem like an act—he really did think that Impa would betray him at some point.

"It always has been and always will be my sworn duty to protect the newest Bearer," that's what she'd said to me, and now I'm starting to think she was telling the truth.

And yet, with enough distance between me and the battle at hand, Ghirahim's revelation returns to the forefront of my mind and I spin around to find Link struggling to stay standing. He clutches at his heart and I can see how tightly his jaw is clenched even from here. I dart forward to support him, only for his free arm to reach out and cling to me so desperately that I stumble back a pace.

"It hurts, Zelda," he whimpers. My heart breaks. "I…" Another flurry of golden wisps escape him and he can't hold himself up any longer. He collapses against me and the additional weight sends me onto my knees. I manage to pull him into my lap on adrenaline alone and I angrily wipe away any tears that threaten to surface.

"I'm here… I've got you," I whisper as I hold him closer. Even with Ghirahim telling me what's happening, it's not like I have any idea how I can stop it. All I can do is hold Link and show him that he's not alone. His breathing slows and I tilt his head up to catch his eyes.

They're gold.

"It's me," he murmurs, somehow knowing what I'm seeing. His eyes start to droop and my worry triples, "It's still me…"

"Don't close your eyes, alright?" I tell him as strongly as I can, and I pray that he can't hear me struggling to keep my voice level. "Just focus on my voice. I-I don't know how to fix this, but please… just stay awake…" I turn my head up to the dark clouds and fail to stem the tears threatening to fall.

A frustrated cry forces my attention back to the fight between Impa and Ghirahim, and the former has managed to place a shield down to momentarily trap her opponent. And with the Demon Lord taken care of for the moment, she runs towards us with fear shining in her crimson eyes—a fear that certainly doesn't look fake.

Still, I'm not letting her come near us.

"Stay back, Impa!" I command. Thankfully, the anger and panic at seeing her come so close is enough to ward off any shakiness in my tone and she stops dead in her tracks. "Whatever you're trying to pull here, you won't fool us so easily."

"I'm not trying to fool you, Zelda," she says. I blink—she called me Zelda, not Her Grace. Turning her attention down to the man in my arms, she tells me, "I know how to help him."

I narrow my eyes, "How?"

She kneels before us but doesn't move any closer, "The Demon Lord was correct in what he told you: in order to resurrect his Master, he must conduct a sacrificial ritual—a life for a life, so to speak. Summoning the Gate of Time must've created a reaction with his Master's seal in Faron Woods, and thus the creature had enough strength to try and whittle away at Link's spirit. The creature cannot do much from so far away, but it certainly hasn't stopped him from trying…"

My breath hitches and I glance down at Link, "So, because I activated the Gate of Time… I did this?"

"You mustn't place that burden on yourself," she soothes. "Anything could have caused the reaction. This isn't your fault." I'm not convinced, but Link bites back a cry of pain and I know this isn't the time for such details. Pushing my emotions aside, I focus on the present moment.

"How can we help him?"

"He must go through the Gate of Time," she tells me. "By travelling through, the distance will be far too great for the creature to continue causing harm."

I nod, "Then we'll take him through and you can stop Ghirahim in case he tries to come after us."

Yet Impa shakes her head, "No. This is where you must part ways with him. The Goddess has different plans for the both of you, and your duty must leave you on this side of the gate." I scoff.

"Now you really are getting desperate, aren't you?" I snap. "How dare you think that—"

"Please, Zelda, if we don't act now then Link will continue to suffer," she pleads with such emotion in her voice that I'm taken aback. Taking a deep breath, she continues, "I know you don't believe me, but it is my sworn duty to care for you both and it hurts me as much as it hurts you to see him like this. You must believe me when I say that it has always been my duty to protect you both and I want to atone for my mistakes in Eldin."

As much as I don't want it to, her impassioned speech does get through to me. I don't want to believe her, I don't want to trust her, but deep down I feel like she's on our side. There's too much at stake to just take her at her word, though I know I can't keep stalling with Link suffering like he is.

I don't want to do it.

I can't let him go, not when he needs me.

But—

"I trust her, Zelda…" My heart aches at his raspy tone and I look down at him tenderly. There's less pain shining in his eyes now and he seems to be regaining some strength. He gulps and meets my gaze with a tiny smile, "I have to go. We both know it… remember?"

And I do.

"I just have this horrible feeling in my heart that, once we reach the Gate of Time and go to that distant world Fi talked about, I won't be seeing any of you for a long time."

Goddess above, he really was right after all.

And if he trusts her like I want to, then I know what needs to be done.

Closing my eyes, I cast my pride aside and bite out, "Help me lift him."

I try to ignore Impa's visible relief when I open my eyes and we take each of his arms—one goes around my shoulders and the other around the Sheikah's waist since she's far taller—to help him onto his feet, glad that Link has enough strength to help us. The Demon Lord slashes wildly at the shield trapping him and it's starting to crack a little from the pressure. I pray it holds out long enough for them to escape.

Making our way back up the steps, Impa presses her hand to the surface of the gate and we watch on as the glossy surface disappears to reveal a twisting tunnel outlined by dark cogs. Noting that we're about to say goodbye, Impa lets Link go and takes a step back so we can speak in private. He can stand on his own now, though the slight strain on his face remains.

"You won't even have chance to miss me before we see each other again," I say, glad when it elicits a small smile from him. "Just focus on staying safe and, soon enough, we'll be back together to celebrate your birthday in peace, won't we?" He nods, but he doesn't seem too convinced. His eyes are a rush of emotion—pain, fear, love, desperation; it's all there to see.

"Stay safe," he murmurs as he pulls me into a hug. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I snort breathlessly, "I can't make any promises." But he's too worried to react to my humour. He holds me at arm's length and turns his attention to Karane, Pipit and Fi. "Hey," I cup his cheek. "They'll be alright." His expression falters and he hugs me one last time. Cradling his head, I murmur, "We'll be alright…"

We lean back until our foreheads are touching and he whispers, "I love you."

"I love you too," I murmur back with a smile and we kiss. For one moment, I'm back on the dancefloor on the Autumnal Equinox, and in the next moment I'm picking up my harp and walking back down the steps so Link and Impa can leave. "I trust you, Impa," I tell her firmly. "Don't ruin this second chance."

"I won't." I nod and they step into the gate, though the Sheikah keeps one leg outside so they don't disappear just yet. There's an orb of blue light in one hand and she holds out her other hand in front of Link protectively. "Return to the old priestess at the Sealed Grounds and tell her what happened here—she'll know where you must go."

"I will," I say, then a loud crack grabs my attention; the shield trapping the Demon Lord is almost broken. With only a few moments left before the shield breaks, I ready myself for the battle ahead and call out without looking back at them, "I'll see you again; this isn't goodbye, Link! I promise!"

The shield shatters and the Demon Lord rushes at me, his face full of determination to ensure that they can't escape.

An explosion sounds behind me and it doesn't take a genius to know what Impa's done. But I refuse to look back, only because I know it'll make everything feel more real and I'm not ready for that. Ghirahim skids into a stop a few metres away and his eyes, usually so devoid of emotion, are alight with anger.

"Now you've done it, Your Grace," he snarls. It's the angriest I've seen him and I can't help but feel a little triumph over that.

"You failed to do what you came here to, Ghirahim," I say sternly. He's searching for the pain and sadness in my face over my loss, but I refuse to give it to him. "Now leave before I make good on my promise to force you out of here."

He growls at my calmness and ignores my remark, "I blame myself. I should have reprimanded you before, but instead I was… soft. Well, I'd love to take pleasure in punishing you, but I have no time for recreation."

"You flatter yourself."

He points at me with his bloodied rapier, "Just know that this isn't the end, Your Grace. The next time we meet, I'll do more than just beat you senseless. I'll make the affair so excruciating, you'll deafen yourself with the shrill sound of your own screams!"

I roll my eyes and fake not being unnerved by his words, "Meaningless words for a meaningless servant."

"I doubt you'll be saying the same when it's your father screaming in sheer agony." I can't hide the shock from my face and he takes great delight in it. With a swing of his blade, the Demon Lord disappears in a burst of diamonds. I glance around in case he tries to reappear behind me, then sigh in relief as the skies start to brighten.

I turn to face the Gate of Time, finding nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Be safe, sleepyhead…

"Dominae," I turn back at the sound of Fi's voice, forcing a small smile as she glides towards me. Nodding to the ruins behind me, she states, "I can no longer detect the Spirited One's aura. The moment the gate was destroyed, his presence disappeared from my reading. You can no longer search for him with your dowsing ability."

I nod numbly and make my way over to Karane and Pipit. The latter is awake and sitting against the temple wall as Karane finishes tying off another roll of bandages around his shoulder while another bundle of bloodied bandages lie at their feet. They see me coming and while Karane offers me a sympathetic smile, Pipit narrows his eyes at me.

"What happened? Why did you let him go with Impa?"

I sigh and rub some feeling back into my face, "Everything's fine, trust me. We need to get you home first and then we can talk about it." He must see the exhaustion in my face or the tears welling up in my eyes because he lets it go. "How are you feeling?"

He shrugs, then cringes at the pain, "The potion's doing its job, put it that way." I glance at Karane for confirmation and she nods.

"It's bleeding badly, but he's right about the potion. We need to get him back as soon as possible to get him properly treated."

I nod and turn to Fi, "He won't be able to get back to the sky in the usual way. Is there another way back to the sky that's less… damaging?"

"I have a one-time use ability which will transport you and your companions back to the Sky Realm and to a location of your choosing," she explains. "Would you like me to utilise this ability?"

I look to the others and they nod, "Yes please. Thank you, Fi."

She waits patiently as we give Pipit another potion and ease him back onto his feet. I swallow thickly at the blood staining his tunic but I force my mind away from it. The tension of unanswered questions is thick in the air as we ready ourselves to be transported back home. Before we can, however, Karane gently touches my shoulder.

"Will you be alright?"

I look back at the ruins of the Gate of Time with a lump in my throat and I answer honestly, "I will be."