"Because that's what you and I do: protect each other."

~Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games~

Ancient Roots

Chapter 26: Protector

I quickly follow Faron as she glides on ahead of me, her gigantic silhouette blocking out the dazzling sunlight as we exit her shrine and step out into a secluded area surrounded by high walls. Lush trees protrude from the craggy walls and cast long shadows across the water before me. There's only a slightly submerged path leading deeper into the pool, but what grabs my attention is the large waterfall that's bigger than any Zelda's seen in her life (and it's deafening).

Once I'd explained everything to the Water Dragon, she took her time to digest it all before guiding me outside. Something at the back of my mind remembers this place, though I can't seem to pick it out from my memory fast enough before that feeling disappears. Shaking my head, I step into the water and stand at the edge of the submerged path as she focuses her attention on the waterfall.

Faron raises her hands and focuses so deeply that her hands start to shake violently, and I know that this spell will be far stronger than any I've cast. With a yell, my eyes widen in awe as the bottom of the waterfall begins to rise and, with it, forces the falling water skyward until it disappears over the overhand, a few streams of water trickling over the edge before everything falls silent.

With nothing in my way, I study the large fish carving that acts as the entryway into the unknown. Faron extends a hand towards the entrance and says, "The Sacred Flame you seek lies within this place. While the waterfall has barred entrance to this place for many years, monsters have still found a way in… and inside they flourish." I nod.

"Thank you, Faron." But she seems to notice the hesitation I desperately try to conceal because she chuckles.

"Ah, you are the Goddess Reborn. Swatting a few monsters will be no trouble for you." I force a smile and nod, but it's not the monsters that I'm necessarily worried about—it's everything else. "I imagine you and I will cross paths again. Until then, do not lower your guard."

When I don't respond, she bids me farewell and returns to her halls, leaving me alone to face whatever's coming my way. If monsters have flourished inside for years, then they might be a lot stronger than the other's I've faced so far. Even worse, I have no idea where Ghirahim will be going next and I dread to think what'll happen if I run into him again anytime soon.

"The next time we meet, I'll do more than beat you senseless," his words echo in my mind, and I dare not think about the rest of his promise to me.

Suddenly feeling a little breathless, I fight to catch my breath and wipe the sweat from my brow. I can't let him get under my skin. After all, I've made it this far and have the Water Dragon on my side. And, even if there's been so many things that have gone wrong along the way, it's not like I can (or want to) give up now. I have a job to do here, and I won't let fear or any creeping doubts stop me.

Closing my eyes, I force myself to think about one thing at a time. But that first step isn't getting the first Sacred Flame, because that in itself is a tall order. No, the first thing I need to do is get inside this temple, and then I can focus on my next step after I've done that. Thinking too far into the future will just leave me overwhelmed and too scared to move forward—and I can't do that to Link.

I can't let him down.

Descending the stairway before me, I'm surprised that the torches have stayed lit all this time, although I suppose Faron used all tactics possible to impede the creatures inside from spilling out into Faron Woods. The walls are painted with petals, but the paint seems to have faded over time. Praying that I can overcome this temple, I brace myself for the darkness inside as I reach the bottom of the stairway.

Though what I find is the exact opposite of my fears.

The cavernous room is filled with warm light and white stone. Waterfalls feed into the large pool before me (with some greenery floating on the surface with pretty white flowers) and around a giant statue bigger than two Statues of the Goddess (at least). Ornate pillars outline the room and add to the flower motifs spread around the temple, and I can't help but feel oddly peaceful as I take everything in.

Then I spot the monsters.

As well as the beautiful plantlife, the deep pool is littered with monsters that patrol the area. Even worse, my eyes quickly spot birds flying around (they look like Loftwings, but their fierce eyes say otherwise) with red and gold feathers and an extra long, curved tail. My eyes widen when one of them spot some movement on some vines and breathes fire at its target until whatever was there is nothing but ashes.

Oh sweet merciful Hylia…

I jump when Fi appears at my side, "Dominae, this structure is known as the Ancient Cistern. Upon further analysis, I detect the presence of the first Sacred Flame here, specifically within this large statue ahead." I nod, but my eyes are still on those fire-breathing birds. "Those spirit birds are said to survive by eating flames." I rub some feeling back into my face.

"I figured." Shaking my head, I force myself to breathe. "Thank you, Fi. I… guess I'll get started."

As soon as Fi disappears, I turn my attention to the statue ahead and the large space of water between it and me. I really don't want to swim in that water if I can help it, but it's not like those plants sitting on top of the water will be able to hold my weight. But the longer I stare at the plant, the more my anxiety grows and I can't get the sight of that fire-breathing bird out of my head.

Smacking my forehead, I whisper, "Goddess dammit, Zelda. Get it together."

I swallow thickly and decide to at least try to put my weight on these plants, since they're big enough. Testing my foot on it, I blink when I feel how supportive it is. Taking a deep breath, I hop onto the plant and across to the other side before the plant can react to my weight, though I didn't need to worry. Collapsing to the floor on the other side, I'm quick to push myself back on my feet before anything (namely those birds) spot me.

I push open the door before me and step inside the statue, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end immediately when the door slams shut behind me. Glancing around, I notice that the statue's actually a large tower that I'm right in the middle of. There's steps going up to the top and down to the bottom as well, so it's up to me to decide where I want to start.

"Bottom to top, I guess," I mutter as I take out my sailcloth. Leaping into the abyss, my stomach drops when my hand starts twitching without warning. I do my best to ignore it but, not too far from the bottom of my descent, my hand twitches so violently that my grip slips from my sailcloth. A cry escapes me as I plummet the last few feet and hit the ground harshly.

Well… I didn't expect that.

Squinting down at my hand, I watch as it spasms for a few more moments before it finally calms down, but I have no idea what that was all about. It was only my left hand, so I can still fight, but I've never experienced anything like that before. All I can do is hope that if, Goddess forbid, my hand acts up again, then I'll be able to carry on fighting without anything going wrong.

Glancing around the cramped space, the low torchlight illuminates discarded skulls littered around me, as well as a familiar pile of bones that immediately transports me back to the depths of Skyview Temple. As if somehow alerted to my presence, the bones levitate and form a far more armoured Stalfos with burning eyes leering straight into my soul.

Here we go…

"Target locked: Stalmaster," Fi clarifies from within the Goddess Sword as I draw it and raise it defensively. "When provoked, it has the ability to strike with all four of its sword-wielding arms. I recommend inflicting damage when the slight gap presents itself as it readies its swords to attack."

I swallow thickly as I barely manage to dodge its immediate attack and quickly dodge another of its angry swings, adrenaline instantly flooding into my system as I ready myself for the fight ahead. I'm so close to the first Sacred Flame that I can't back down now, and if this creature is the only thing standing in my way, then it will fall like all the other monsters I've faced before.

Of that I'm certain.

~Interlude~

Groose raced through the forest as fast as he could, caring little for how loud he was and any of the attention that he was attracting. The map that the priestess had given him was crumpled up in his tight fist, but he needn't have bothered taking it—he'd already memorised the route and could picture it clearly in his mind. No, he brought it purely to shut the priestess up.

The fact was that the Surface truly was stunning—maybe not as pretty as Zelda, but he had to give this new world some credit—but it was just as dangerous. That's why, when the priestess had given him his mission, he set off immediately with nothing more than the map and his bare fists to tear his way to his Zelda. He had no access to a sword and didn't need one.

As the world passed him by, Groose couldn't help but praise himself for having the strength and endurance for the task at hand, unable to wonder how Link had managed to survive all the way down here on his own. Though he supposed that after how injured Pipit had come back the other day, he assumed Link wasn't in much better shape. But that was why Groose was here to do what that shrimp couldn't.

He knew that the Goddess had chosen him for this task and had cast Link aside in order to do so. That didn't bother Groose one bit. If anything, it only bolstered his courage. He raced down a dusty path, nearly immediately grabbing the attention of what the priestess had called Bokoblins—strange red creatures with more fashion sense than brains. The Skyloftian picked up his pace, managing to outrun them in less than a minute flat.

Every time he encountered a horde of those monsters, his mind always went back to the person he was searching for: his Zelda. How she had managed to fight off all those monsters on her own was something else, but he knew that she had a fire in her (especially after facing her wrath in the past). Not that she didn't have any skill, but she spent more time studying and reading rather than practising her swordplay like Groose did. He didn't get along with books, but she did, so he always assumed that their opposite natures were what attracted them to one another.

The priestess had given him a mission of the "utmost importance." His task was to go to a temple nearby and find Zelda. The old lady at the Sealed Temple feared for his Zelda and her wellbeing, sensing something that he couldn't. But no matter what she supposedly sensed, this was the perfect way for the boy to prove himself and his worth to his love.

I'm coming for you, Zelda...

Just her name made his head spin with overwhelming joy, so much so that he almost ran into a tree in the process. Thinking of her reminded him of the kiss they'd shared, and how he was going to change what she thought of him no matter what he had to do. He would fight horde after horde of monsters and run across the entire Surface to get her heart. After all, Link was finally out of the picture long enough for him to make his move.

Ever since Link had disappeared—by losing control of his bird on a windy day no less—Zelda had been flying in and out of town in such a hurry and every time she came back, she was injured in some way. His heart bled at the sight of her injuries, and he thanked the Goddess that she had made him smart enough to follow her down onto the Surface.

He would be the hero of this story, no matter what.

Groose shook his head as he carried on further, dodging another mass of trees with ease—he wasn't quite used to all of the trees everywhere yet. Recognising the area from his map, his heart jumped when he realised that he was getting closer to her. And once he got out of this maze of a forest, he would carry his Zelda back to Skyloft and show her his love for him. His smile grew.

He couldn't wait to see her again.

His mind constantly buzzed with thoughts of Zelda as he continued on, scared of the danger that she may have been in whilst he was running. He just hoped that the Goddess would let him swoop in at the last moment to save her in the most heroic way possible. Clutching the pouch of potions that the priestess had given him, he hoped that he wouldn't have to use them.

Hang on, Zelda. I'm going to save you…

~Zelda~

I grunt as I hit the wall behind me, flinching as the Stalmaster pushes its two remaining blades against mine and sneers in my face. My harp lies a few feet away, working well for me until my hand started twitching again and I dropped it. Swallowing thickly, I summon what strength I can and shove the creature away with my foot, taking my chance to slice through its spine.

With a shrill cry, it staggers around for a few moments before slumping to the floor and its glowing eyes fade away. I breathe heavy as its lingering bones disappear in a plume of smoke, and I don't realise that I've dropped the Goddess Sword before it clatters against the floor only a few seconds before I follow suit.

My world jars as I hit the floor hard and rub the fatigue from my eyes. Goddess above, I'm tired. I haven't really stopped since I woke up after finishing the trial, so I can only assume that I've pushed myself too hard after everything that's happened. And that Stalmaster was no pushover, plus it's only me fighting now—I don't have Karane, I don't have Pipit, and I don't have Link.

But it's done… for now…

"—ominae…? Dominae?" I blink and turn my attention to the source of the voice, surprised to find Fi floating before me and regarding me with concern. I didn't even realise she'd appeared.

"Is everything okay, Fi?" I ask as I pick up my sword and harp and dig through my bag for a potion—I wasn't too injured during the fight, but I might as well take care of the scrapes while I have the chance.

"During your battle, I took the opportunity to scan your vitals," she explains. "And, although I have detected a rise in body temperature and fatigue, I cannot source a direct cause of these anomalies." I shake my head.

"I haven't really stopped since this all started—even when we were all back in Skyloft, it's not like we could properly rest." I shrug, "I think I've burnt myself out. Once I find the Sacred Flame, then I'll take a day to rest." It's a lie and we both know it, but she doesn't object.

Instead, she asks, "May I perform a more in-depth scan of your vitals, Dominae?" I nod and let her get on with it, taking my time to hydrate and rest up despite the lingering fatigue in my joints. It's only when Fi's face changes that I realise something's not quite right with her. "Something is tampering with my abilities," she confesses without looking at me. "I am uncertain of who or what could be causing this, however I hypothesise—"

"It's him," I cut in, referring to the Demon Lord. My heart starts to beat faster and I hate how it feels. "There's no one else I know who has the power to do that and would purposely block with your abilities."

"I concur, Dominae." Rubbing some feeling back into my face, I force myself onto my feet (albeit unsteadily) and let out a heavy sigh.

"We need to find him," I resolve. "Whatever he's up to, we need to stop it." She nods silently and returns to the Goddess Sword, leaving me alone as I cast my gaze up towards the very top of the tower.

With another twitch in my left hand (though I can feel it starting to go up my arm now), I survey the room one final time before slowly making my way back up the tower with my sword drawn. I don't even want to think about how long he's been waiting in the shadows for me, but my disobedient mind gleefully considers all the options. After he retreated from his fight against the Water Dragon, it was only a matter of time before he came crawling back in search of answers.

Either way, there's no way I'm telling him a thing.

It's hard to keep my breathing in check as I pass the midpoint of the tower and continue on. He could attack me anytime he wanted, and I have absolutely no idea when he'll take his chance. Our last conversation plays in my mind, and all I can think about is how much he's going to add to the guilt that I already feel.

"How sweet! Still pining for your love even though you're the one who ruined his life."

My arm twitches so harshly that it drags me from my thoughts just as I reach the top of the tower and come to a large door with a carving on the front of those plants with the white flowers that bobbed on top of the water before. There's a gap in the door where a key (like the one we found in Skyview Temple) would go, but there's a stone sculpture on the floor that looks like the statue sitting on that plant, and it's so suspiciously placed that it puts me on edge.

Sweet Hylia, if he really wanted to draw me to him, then he could've at least opened the door.

With a huff, I pick up the sculpture and push it into the keyhole, unsurprised when it fits perfectly and the ceiling above groans as it opens and reveals even more steps. My hand twitches as I reclaim my sword and look up into the darkness ahead, only one torch hanging in the distance to illuminate my path. I feel my way along the wall and up the steps, only stopping when I feel a little lightheaded.

Come on, I scold myself. Now's not the time for this…

I carry on upward until I pass the torch and enter a large chamber that's filled with an eerie light, a stark comparison to the main room of the Ancient Cistern that was so full of light. Nonetheless, the room still follows the flowery motif with large petals adorning the walls and grandiose pillars dotted around the edge.

But what's more important is the large, golden structure in the centre of the room. I can't make out much, but it seems to have a face and something else lounging on top of it.

Wait—

"You certainly are rather persistent, Your Grace."

"As are you," I bite back. "Why are you here, Ghirahim?" The man in question frowns, as if I've somehow offended him.

"Now, now, there's no need to be so rude. You know exactly why I'm here: I'm terribly busy trying to find clues that will help me revive the Demon King. And your incessant buzzing around my head like some irksome gadfly when I'm this busy is... well, it's making me very disagreeable."

I roll my eyes, "What do you want?" The Demon Lord merely smiles, and I quickly decide that I hate that smile.

"Ah," he begins, raising a gloved finger. "Well, I suppose my own curiosity got the better of me. After all, watching you flounder around this drab place for so long and waiting to see how long it would take for your body to finally turn against you has—oh!" He audibly gasps and places a heart to his chest. "Did I say too much?"

"What are you saying?" I ask as calmly as I can, but I can feel my body desperately wanting to spasm and I'm starting to think that something really is wrong after all.

He smirks, "I knew you wouldn't give up any information regarding the boy so quickly, so I thought I'd give you a little push in the right direction." With a wave of his hand, he produces a small vial from out of thin air and holds it out to me. Squinting, I study the dark red substance inside before raising a brow at him. "Care to know what this is?"

"Just cut the dramatics and explain yourself," I can't help but snap, feeling his voice grating on every nerve I have. It's starting to get warmer in here too and it's getting to me. I just need to get what I need from him and get out before I melt.

"You've felt it, haven't you?" he continues, ignoring my demand. "The way your heart beats a little faster inside your chest. The way your breath rattles in your chest as you struggle to breathe normally. The beads of sweat dripping down your back despite the goosebumps on your skin. You've been adorably indefatigable in trying to ignore it, but now it's too late to continue such a feat."

"What have you done?"

Leaping from his stop atop the golden structure, the Demon Lord practically saunters towards me and looks me up and down, practically grinning with glee as he gestures to the wound he inflicted on my shoulder when he was battling Faron. I glance down at it for only a second, but the simple action makes the pain flare up there all over again and my chest constricts.

As I return my gaze to his, he holds out the vial and says, "There's nothing better than the green venom of a Deku Baba to grind you humans into the dirt. Venom-dipped arrows did such a wonderful job of destroying humans in the war and, after years away from the Surface, it's not like you would've built up any immunity—Goddess or not." I blink.

"You… poisoned me?"

"Well, as I've said, you've been persistent in your attempts to get in my way, so I thought I would finally take matters into my own hands. So," he adds before I can say anything in response. "This is your one and only chance to tell me where the boy is so you can have this little antidote and be on your merry way. You're no use to the boy if you're dead, after all."

Through the growing brain fog, I can feel his words whispering and twisting around my head. There's no way that I can tell him a damn thing about where Link is, but he's right: I'm no use to him if I'm dead. A part of me would love to challenge him and declare that he's lying, but I can feel my veins burning inside me and I know that he's telling the truth. He probably interfered with Fi's abilities so he could tell me about the poisoning himself.

That still doesn't change my current position.

"And… if I don't?"

He reaches forward and snatches my chin in between his fingers, "Then I'll make good on my promise to you at the Temple of Time and do far more than beat you senseless. No, if you refuse my very generous offer then I'll have no choice but to force you into submission before I start rooting around in that divine head of yours until I finally find the answers I need. Whether I tear you apart from the inside out or manage to keep you alive for the moment my Master returns, you will tell me where the boy is—of your own volition, or not."

After all this time of fighting to breathe, I finally lose my battle and feel my face pale as I stop breathing. Not only is Ghirahim a skilled fighter in the physical sense, but he's always been terrifyingly graphic in his details. Whether it was about how violently Link will suffer if he's caught or about the torture I'm willing to endure to protect him, the Demon Lord certainly knows how to rock me to my very core.

But I know my answer, even if I'm not ready to face the consequences of it. All I can do is pray that I can give Link and Impa enough time to prepare before the Demon Lord learns of the second Gate of Time and how to open it.

Hylia preserve me…

And he must see that resolve on my face because he steps away and sighs, "I suppose I should've known it would come to this. Then again, it's not like I can complain about the opportunity to take part in the spectacle of Her Grace's suffering."

"Of course you would stoop so low as to weaken your opponent and fight them without even a shred of honour," I spit, to which he laughs and clasps his hands together.

"So fiery! It'll be a spectacle to crush such fire."

A loud thumping sound begins to vibrate through the ground beneath us. As I tighten my grip on the Goddess Sword, my lips part as Ghirahim's magic infects the golden structure with a strange aura. Scattered pieces of gold rise into the air to form numerous arms, all held together by a dark substance. The statue, I now realise, rears up and produces dual cutlasses, glaring menacingly at me.

"Sweet Koloktos," Ghirahim muses. "How sad that it used to sit around listlessly as a supposed guard of this place… but, with some help, it now has power far beyond its conventional limits! And what will it be doing today, I hear you ask…" I swallow thickly. All I can hear is the creature's fake heart pounding over and over again, almost bursting out from its golden armour. Ghirahim and I lock gazes as he gestures towards me and declares, "It shall be your opponent!"

Without pausing for another breath, the Demon Lord jumps high into the air and into the shadows, obscuring himself from view. I have little time to react before Koloktos angrily takes a swing at me. It's rooted to the ground, which gives me a chance to keep away from it as I work out my options. But, with Ghirahim watching on, I doubt I'll have much time before he takes matters into his own hands.

"This ancient automaton defends the Ancient Cistern and eliminates intruders," Fi says from within my sword. "Its heavily armoured body is impossible to penetrate and, thus, you will need to focus your attacks on the Demon Lord's magic which holds it together in order to successfully win this fight."

But that's easier said than done.

With a deep breath, I shake my fears aside as best I can and rush into the fray, eyes locked on its thumping heart and dark magic surrounding it. The heart is protected by a golden grate, but I know I can cut in between the bars if I time my attacks right. It doesn't help that my body is turning against itself and I can feel the edges of my vision being gnawed at by dark spots, though I refuse to stop until I've given it my all.

And yet, just as I'm within striking range of its heart, one of Koloktos's arms appears out of nowhere and slams straight into me. From the size and weight of its swing, I'm suddenly sailing across the room until I collide with a pillar and yelp as my world goes dark and my body slumps to the ground.

The next thing I'm aware of is blinding pain in my back, and I desperately fight to see through my haze and find the Goddess Sword on the other side of the room. I bite back the nausea that rises in my throat and try my best to get back onto my feet, although I'm soon back on the ground where I started like a pathetic mess.

"Do give me a better show than this one, Your Grace!" Ghirahim heckles from above. "Surely the Goddess is better than this?"

I grit my teeth, anger surging through me. I'm struggling to breathe now, and I can feel the poison's effects worsening as it travels throughout my body. But there's no time to think about it, and so I stay towards the edges of the room so that Koloktos can't attack me as I stumble over to reclaim my weapon. Yet, to make matters worse, my blade lies on the ground right beneath one of its arms, so I have no choice but to run towards it and hope for the best.

Running as fast as I can, which I recognise really isn't that fast in reality, I dive towards the Goddess Sword with all my might. Koloktos immediately spots me and plunges one of its large swords down to me. My hand finally wraps around the hilt of my beloved blade yet, with Koloktos's speed, I have no chance at defending against it. I twist onto my back and pray for the best, holding my sword up helplessly.

"Well this won't do, will it?" The Demon Lord's voice echoes around the chamber, and Koloktos stops short before it can impale me. It retreats, giving me a brief moment to shakily stand, only for my stomach to drop when I realise what's happening.

Infused with the Demon Lord's magic, Koloktos pushes down on the ground and generates two golden legs, not only gaining more height over me but giving me no chance to hide on the outskirts of the room now. A familiar chuckle rains down on me as I swallow thickly, begging for any help whatsoever.

But there's no one here to help me now; it's just me.

I dodge the first of its swings, but I'm getting slower with every dodge and less than a minute passes before it comes back to bite me. I gasp as the back of one of Koloktos's gilded gloves appears from the corner of my eyes and slams into me. And yet, before I can go flying, another one of its hands grabs me and pins me to the ground, one hand enough to cover my entire body and prevent me from struggling free.

My head lolls back against the ground listlessly, my vision blurring for a moment as I try my best to recover, but to no avail. A familiar figure drops onto Koloktos's arm and leans in close, his dark pupils sparkling with excitement as he raises his arm. In response, Koloktos mimics his movements and holds one of its cutlasses above me.

"I do wish you'd given us a better show, Your Grace," Ghirahim, or the blurry sight of him, muses. I ignore him and attempt to break free again, but that only makes him cluck his tongue. "Now, now," he continues, taking my face into his hand and effectively stopping me. "I finally have your attention."

Koloktos's cutlass lowers until the tip of it is pushing into my shoulder and a cry escapes me before I can stop it. The laughter emitted from the Demon Lord is shrill in my pounding ears and I start to think about my imminent defeat. His gleeful words of my incoming torture rattle around my head and my chest contricts as I fight back the urge to cry.

I don't want to die… please…

"Come now," he purrs, brushing away one of the tears that manages to break free. "There's no need to cry. I suppose I can offer you one extra chance to tell me everything I need, and then all of this can end. He's disposable, Your Grace… nothing more than a fake—a copy—of the man you chose to fight all those years ago. Don't allow yourself to lose your life for the sake of a meaningless boy."

With Hylia and Zelda so disconnected from the moment through the fog of poison, I allow myself to consider his offer. No matter how hard I try to deny it, Link (and me as well) is nothing more than a reincarnated copy of someone who died long ago, and he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for a Goddess's selfish wish.

But he is here, and he's a human being. He might not have been destined to live this life, but he's alive and in this time and deserving of all the love and peace that he deserves. No matter why he came to be here, he deserves to go home and be at peace and surrounded by his loved ones.

And whatever my future will be, the thought of his shining face and joyous laughter is enough to bring Zelda and Hylia back to this moment and tear apart any doubts that I could've had.

With all of my draining strength, I knock Ghirahim's hands away from my face and scream, "Go to hell!"

It's at that moment that everything changes.

Both Zelda's and Hylia's overwhelming desire to protect the ones we love bursts forth and Zelda recedes to the lowest parts of my consciousness. With only Hylia left and her determination to protect her chosen one, Zelda's scream transforms into a snarl and Ghirahim's eyes widen at the sound of it. With a blast of magic, he and Koloktos are thrown back so I can get to my feet.

Despite the poison coursing through my veins, I can't feel it anymore. It's almost like I can feel Hylia's protective arms around me as I stare the flabbergasted Demon Lord down. He glares back at me from his position on the floor, but I can feel something else bubbling beneath the surface that's almost akin to fear. From the gold mist on and around the edges of my vision, he's also come to the conclusion that Hylia has taken over.

"Your Grace…" he seethes.

"Demon Lord Ghirahim," I respond and, in the reflection of the Goddess Sword, I spot my golden eyes. If Zelda was present, she'd be thinking about how many times she'd been in Ghirahim's place when the same thing happened to Link, but it was far different.

"I should've known that you would meddle in my affairs," he snaps, leaping to his feet and drawing his signature rapier. "Divine you may be, but even you don't have the power to rid that body of the poison I have inflicted. Why appear in such a way when you are powerless?"

"I may not have the strength to eradicate the poison, but I can sustain her body long enough to be aided by others," Hylia says through me. "Alone Zelda may be, but she has allies in more places than you perceive."

"Even if she's saved this time, she can't run for long," he assures me. "And besides, a weak being such as you will only be able to intervene like this once, maybe twice."

I say nothing, but her voice echoes in my mind, I can only intervene like this once, but he need not be privy to that.

Raising my hand, I demand, "Begone from this place, Demon Lord. You will not find answers to your questions here, nor will you harm my chosen." He simply smirks at me.

"Perhaps not today, but tomorrow is another day."

With that, the Demon Lord disappears in a flurry of diamonds—both him and the antidote.

Hylia is still in control as Fi appears at my side, but I can already feel her power waning. Fi nods her head in greeting, "Dominae."

"Fi," I murmur. "There is little time before I lose my grip on Zelda's consciousness. We must find the Sacred Flame and swiftly."

With a nod, Fi leads the way and I follow suit across the room as the last of Ghirahim's magic leaves Koloktos's body and renders it as nothing more than pieces of glittering metal. Now that the Demon Lord has gone, the room brightens dramatically and I follow the sword spirit across the chamber and towards a door on the other side that I'd never noticed before (one that looks like those going into Skyview and the Earth Spring).

Running after Fi, I only stumble once or twice as I raise my hand to the door. The room I fumble my way into is incredibly dark, though I flick my wrist and the once dormant torches lining the walls are ignited once more. It's a large, open room with a few steps leading up to a pedestal with a dormant crest like the one in the Chamber of the Sword. On the wall is one of the symbols from the Gate of Time, and I recognise it as the crest of Farore.

I raise the Goddess Sword skyward and activate the crest before me, watching as the emblem on the wall glows a vibrant green and a flame appears atop the pedestal, spiralling high into the air before settling back down. I stare at the bright green flame in awe and feel my eyes grow warm.

The first Sacred Flame…

It's here.

It's really here.

I did it.

"Raise your sword, Dominae," is all Fi says, and I do as instructed. Within moments, Fi embraces the flames and directs them straight at my sword. I flinch at the strength of it, but endure as the Goddess Sword is engulfed with green flames.

Yet my vision is getting worse by the second and I can't hold the sword up for much longer. As I fight the heat coming from the flames and the worsening effects of the poison, I feel my eyes roll back and the Goddess Sword slips from my grasp just as the flames recede. Fi's voice sounds far away as I blink and suddenly find myself on the ground. Despite the spirit's best efforts, there's nothing she can do to bring me back around.

Despite Hylia being in control, the hue of the flames reminds me of Link and I lose consciousness with a smile on my face.

My world goes white, then black, and then I fall into nothingness.

~Interlude~

Groose stood in a place of tranquillity, but he didn't care. He hadn't seen any sign of Zelda and was growing more and more terrified for her safety. He needed to be the hero of this story, but first he needed to find his Zelda. He glanced around, and it wasn't long before his eyes found the large statue in the middle with a door ahead.

He never liked swimming, although now wasn't the time to think about that. Diving straight into the water, he shivered at its temperature before clambering back onto dry land, irritated at his wet clothes. As much as he couldn't waste time, he also didn't want to look soaked when he saw Zelda again.

Quickly squeezing his clothes dry, the Skyloftian headed inside. The structure seemed to be a strange tower, to which he had entered the halfway point between the top and the bottom. Start from the top and work your way down, he concluded, although his decision was more so based on the darkness at the bottom of the tower and how much he didn't want to go down there.

His mind kept going back to Zelda. He was worried about her now. It hadn't been long since she set out again to help Link, but with the priestess's vision he couldn't help himself. Despite his good looks and façade of not caring about anything, when it came to Zelda—and especially her wellbeing—he legitimately worried for her. He raced up the steps of the tower, never faltering for a moment as he shoved open a large green door and headed further up the stairway. All he could think about was her, and how he wasn't going to give up on her or let her suffer whilst he was around.

Groose had to find her.

And then, after so much searching, he finally found a trace of her.

He entered a dark cavernous room which was covered in pieces of golden armour. No human would ever have armour of such a size, and he prayed that whatever the armour belonged to had gone away for good. Of course, he wanted to give Zelda a good show when he fought for her, but the sight of such armour sent shivers down his spine.

That's when he saw it.

Spots of blood were spattered over the ground and, from experience back on Skyloft, he knew that these spots were new—maybe having been split within the last few minutes, even.

No…

His body was frozen in shock for too long and, when Groose realised that he was simply standing there and doing nothing, he lurched forwards. Following the spots of blood towards a door on the other side of the chamber. Rushing inside, it took him a few moments to adjust to the darkness. He could barely see a thing, other than a large green flame dancing in the shadows.

His eyes drifted down what lay beneath the flame, and his heart dropped.

"Zelda!"

His shout came out as more of a shriek as he dashed towards her, sliding into a stop above her. She'd passed out at some point, a sword a few paces away and different to the one she'd been using before. Her beautiful white dress was dotted with her own blood, one in particular weeping from a wound on her shoulder. Groose reached into his pouch to wrap the wound, only to jump back in alarm when she began to shake.

No, shake wasn't the right word. She started to convulse, her breathing growing shallower and quicker with every inhale, as if she was struggling to breathe.

W-What happened to her?

He was panicking now and, with it, his hands were shaking violently.

"What do I do?" Groose kept muttering over and over out loud to himself. "What do I do?!"

That's when a burst of blinding light came from Zelda herself. He scrambled away with a shriek and tumbled down the steps behind him. He shielded his eyes from the immense light but, if he squinted, he was almost certain that he could pick out the outline of a person—a woman, he thought. With wisps of golden hair, the hazy figure (or the light, and Groose had really lost his mind) somehow managed to take Zelda into its arms and soothe her enough until the convulsions stopped.

Then they looked up at Groose.

He screamed. He wouldn't admit that at a later date, but he did scream a lot when he was scared.

"You… are known by Zelda…" The sound of his Zelda's name jolted him back to reality and, even though he was absolutely sure that he'd sniffed one too many mushrooms on the way to this temple, he nodded woodenly at the voice emanating from the light.

He swallowed thickly and forced his voice to work, "Y-Yeah…"

"Then you must return her to the Sealed Temple this instant and tell the priestess of what has come to pass here," the voice continued. "I shall do all I can. The rest, however, is up to you… you are Zelda's final hope."

Zelda's final hope…

Despite the terror flooding through his veins, Groose found his courage and nodded—he was destined to be Zelda's last hope, and he wasn't going to give up on her now. The figure leaned down and whispered something in Zelda's ear that Groose couldn't catch, but he didn't have time to think about it before the light (and the figure) returned to Zelda and surrounded her in a golden glow that made her look truly divine.

The Skyloftian crawled back over to Zelda, who had managed to stop convulsing but was still far from well. Scooping her up into his arms, Groose slipped her blade into his belt and ran, careful not to harm her any further. He wasn't sure if what had happened was true or not, but he couldn't let that consume him now—all that mattered was the safety of his Zelda, which was currently hanging in the balance.

"Hang on, Zelda," Groose whispered to the unresponsive form in his arms. "Just hang on a little longer. I've got you…"

And all the way back to the Sealed Temple, the voice coming from that light still echoed around his head and fueled his flight, "I shall do all I can. The rest, however, is up to you… you are Zelda's final hope."