Author's Note: I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I can't edit this any longer. Anyway, I finally have this chapter ready to go, and I have very little to say other than one main thing. One Christmas Day, I woke up to exactly 300 reviews and we passed 25,000+ views on the same day! You don't know how amazing you all are because of it. What once started out as an interest has grown into my biggest story, and one of the top five Skyward Sword based stories around; and you cannot understand how much that amazes me.

I never cared for my writing, but you guys have proved me wrong. Some would call this milestone as just that, but it's an honour that I really don't deserve in my opinion. I will take it with pride, though I want you to all know that it is you who make this story, not me; whether it be that you read this for a minute, or have been reading since the very beginning. Ancient Roots is one years old, and we have hit so many targets in one year. You've made this story. Remember that.

Don't forget it, okay?

Favourites & Follows: Thank-you very much to "Oyayasensei" and "Kebgirl17" four favouriting this story. Getting support this far in is amazing!

"Time is very slow for those who wait.
Very fast for those who are scared.
Very long for those who lament.
Very short for those who celebrate.
But for those who love, time is eternal."

~William Shakespeare~

Ancient Roots

A Skyward Sword FanFiction

Chapter 48: Eternal

Impa snaps her head up from the top of the steps when the Gate of Time closes behind us all. Her eyes widen in surprise at our return, crimson eyes gleaming with relief. She bolts to her feet, a small smile creasing her face that soon disappears when she sees what I carry in my hand; especially at how tiny it is. She instantly straightens and falls into step with us all as we run.

There's no time to waste.

Between our footfalls, the Temple of Hylia is deathly cold and silent, but all I can think about is the panic flooding through my body and terror at the thought of losing Link after going through so much to save him.

I can't lose him.

Not now, not ever.

I skid into a stop before the gloomy altar, breath shallow as I grip the stone with my free hand and look down at Link fearfully; his skin deathly pale. Holding his Soul above his body—one no larger than my palm now—I ask Fi without looking at her, "W-What do I do?"

She glides closer, holding her hand over mine to keep mine from shaking so much. "Use the "Reditum" spell, Dominae, and we shall see if his spirit is accepted."

My gut twists.

Accepted?

There may be a chance that, after all our efforts, the spell won't even work?

But I grit my teeth—now's not the time for that.

Curling my fingers around the orb of light before me, I close my eyes and push the Soul down towards his chest and whisper, "Reditum…"

The magic radiates from my body and into my hands, wrapping around Link's spirit and guides it into his body. The light from the spell envelopes Link, smothering him in so much light that the others take a step back; but I can't move away from him. Groose and Impa stand together while Karane and Pipit draw close to each other, leaving me alone as the light ever so slowly begins to die down.

My breath hitches in my throat as the spell is finally complete, and I hold my breath.

Everything falls still.

"Did it... did it work?" Pipit asks from behind.

I don't reply, too scared to check.

I keep my eyes on Link, waiting for him to move in any way.

Steeling myself, I pry my hand away from the altar and reach out for his neck; praying that I feel a pulse.

There's a beat of silence.

Then nothing.

My lip quivers as I feel nothing but the same emptiness as before, my face draining of all colour as I check again and again just to be sure—finding the same nothingness every time.

No… this can't be happening!

I bury my face into his cold chest, bursting into tears.

I may have destroyed the Demon King, but it all feels meaningless if he's not here to celebrate it.

The others are silent behind me.

'I'll protect you, Zelda,' that's what he'd promised me, and he did like he's always done, but I couldn't do the same for him when he needed me the most.

Straightening, I take his face into both of my hands, knowing that nothing I can say will bring him back to us. We've been through everything together since the end of the Wing Ceremony, only for everything that we did to be in vain. Once I parted with the Guardian of Time, I was so sure that I'd be able to fix the mess that I made, but that too was all in vain.

With tears streaming silently down my face, I lean in to kiss him one final time.

As our lips meet, someone cries out.

I pull away quickly to find the mark of the Triforce on my hand glowing brilliantly, the light intensifying before something is torn free from my body, making me stagger back in surprise. Forcing myself to look up, my lips part in awe as I recognise the sight instantly, it's aura so familiar as I subconsciously reach out for Link's hand.

The Triforce of Courage…

We all watch on as the Triforce piece sparkles and twirls in place, taking the time to hover above Link's body before diving into his chest—knocking us all away from the altar by the explosion of light that it creates. I hold my ground, watching as the shadow of Link's form is lifted into the air, wind twisting and spiralling around his body in wisps of golden light.

And as fast as it all started, it's soon over.

We all gasp when he falls back against the altar, eyes shut with parted lips from my kiss. A cool echo of the dying wind bounces around the Temple of Hylia as we all circle around the altar in a desperate hope that everything is alright. Nothing happens for a while, and for a moment I'm terrified that not even the Triforce of Courage can bring Link back from the depths of death.

Then he intakes a sharp breath and his heart stutters back into life.

We all break into breathless smiles, Karane and Pipit embracing whilst Groose and Impa watching with broad grins. I can barely take any more and push my head against the base of the altar, sobbing loudly as I grip the stone tightly. Relief washes away the adrenaline that once coursed through my veins, and I'm soon pulled onto my feet by everyone. We all hug each other, the feeling of peace and denouement finally delivered to us after all of this.

This War between the Gods and Demons is over, and we didn't lose Link after all.

He's alive, I'm alive, we're all alive.

By the time that we all break apart, I've never seen so many smiles at once in what seems like forever. I wipe away the tears of sheer joy away from my face, noticing something on Link's right hand that is now strewn across his stomach. I tilt my head as I take his hand into mine, tracing the sudden burn marks with my hand as the Mark of the Triforce glitters a little on his skin. I turn my head up to Impa, who notes it as well.

"What… what is this?"

"I believe that it is a lingering effect of the Minuere spell. I assume it didn't appear immediately after the spell due to the Inanis period, but it doesn't seem to be harmful," she explains to me, lips twisting into a slight frown before she shakes her head. "Now, it will be a while before he wakes. We should all rest for the night." I nod and squeeze Link's hand once before beginning to heal the wound on my chest and helping others with their injuries, only for Impa to stop me when I go to place a shield around the Temple. "Allow me. You have done more than enough on this day."

Within the next few minutes, Impa has located some bedrolls from a hidden alcove towards the front of the Temple and hands them to each of us, extinguishing the torches with a flick of her wrist. Before I settle down, I lean over Link one last; brushing the dirt clots out from his hair, something that was far too constant during our days in Skyloft, and plant a single kiss on his cheek.

"Rest up, sleepyhead," I murmur. "We'll be waiting for you."

Exhaustion begins to gnaw at my vision as I settle down onto the futon, glancing over to my companions as they do the same. We all pass one another simple smiles, glad that we're all here and the worst is finally over. As I drift off, I thank each of the Goddesses for getting me through this day and for protecting my loved ones when I'd given up.

But what they can't seem to protect me from is the nightmares that soon arrive.

~*O*~

I stand in a land that stretches far on beyond the horizon, a thin sheen of water blanketing the ground as if I'm standing on a mirror. The water, cold against my bare skin, laps over my toes before I shake it off. I stand here with no weapons, rendering me completely vulnerable to the elements as the skies shift around me—grey clouds beginning to bubble across the charcoal coloured skies surrounding me which quickly starts to unnerve me.

Turning my gaze to the mass of darkness that sprouts up from the water, I drop into a defensive stance as if that'll help me in any way.

Demise's smoky aura swirls around the world, uncaring for the disease that it spreads across this most likely once pure place. His aura soon condenses into a dark, ominous shell of his former self; shadows clawing across the water and disturbing the peace. His golden eyes shine through the shadowy figure, locking onto my own and boring into my spirit so intensely that I falter for a moment.

"Holy Hylia," he rasps. "Oh holy Hylia…"

"I'm dreaming," I murmur to myself as I take a hesitant step backwards. "I must be dreaming…"

He chuckles deeply, "You may believe that you are free of me, but you shall be forever haunted by my shadow!"

"Your obsession with vengeance has left you deluded," I retort. "This is nothing but a manifestation of my fears."

His laugh grows louder. "My hate… never perishes. No matter what you seek to believe, I will rise again!"

"Lies!"

His smile twists upwards into a sly grin, a hand reaching out towards me as he speaks. "Those like you—those who share the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the Hero—they shall be cursed with eternal life at my hand! You shall never rest, doomed to be reborn over and over to battle with an incarnation of my hatred. They may not bare the same name or blood of a Demon, but they shall forever loom over your kind!"

"Lies!" I cry again. "The Goddesses—"

"The Goddesses can do nothing to end this curse," the Demon King cuts in with a manic laugh, losing himself in a bout of cackles. "Wherever the light shines on this land, so too shall darkness soon follow it! Fear me, Hylia, for you and your kind will be doomed to wander in a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"

His laughter grows so loud that I have to cover my ears in pain. Before I can react, his body has reverted back to its original form of smoke before soaring towards me, sinking into the stab wound that still remains from out battle.

My screams of agony echo around this domain of darkness, my garments—now dripping with blood—cling to my body as I tumble into the water beneath me. Demise's aura continues to spiral around my form, infecting my blood and spirit with fierce intent. My vision darkens as it consumes me, screaming until my throat is raw.

No one can save me now…

~*O*~

I bolt upright, crying out when I almost collide with someone before me. I clutch my head, disorientated by the world spinning as I try my best to pant the air back into my lungs. The person I almost hit wraps their arms around me and holds me close, soothing me with calming sounds until I finally stop shaking. Wiping away my tears, I turn to whoever holds me tightly, hoping that it's who I think it is.

"L—"

I stop short when I meet Impa's eyes.

"He has not woken yet," she tells me, much to my dismay, then spots something and stammers, "Z-Zelda, you're…"

I follow her gaze down, "I—"

My dress is stained with blood.

I tug down the neckline of my dress to reveal part of the slash across my chest that Demise gave me, supposedly healed from yesterday, is still bleeding and is laced with darkness.

"You may believe that you are free of me, but you shall be forever haunted by my shadow!"

It was just a dream… wasn't it?

"I've seen this before," Impa muses. "After every battle with the Demon Army, many of injuries sustained by my comrades who had been harmed by the Demon King or his commanders became deeply infected. The infection would lead to heavy fevers and insomnia for even the heaviest of sleepers. Once we found the cure it was simple enough to heal, but before we found the cure…"

I'm glad she doesn't finish.

Sitting up against the altar, I shake my head. "What's the cure?"

"The healing tears of a Great Fairy," she replies after a moment, then, "I recall one in the nearby area. I cannot, in good conscience, leave this wound to fester more than it already has. I must set off immediately."

I blink in shock and reach out to snag her arm, "I-Impa, it's dangerous out there! At least let me come with you!"

Her lips curve up into a smile that I rarely see from the loyal Sheikah, and she pushes my hand away her arm. "I will be faster alone, and the Demon King's subjects are no longer plaguing the forest. If I don't leave now, you may not see the next day. I will be fine," she adds when I go to protest again. "I place the Temple of Hylia under your protection."

She gives me one last smile of assurance before leaving me side to collect whatever provisions she can. I follow her and call for her again, to which she turns to me with a raised brow. "At least wait until we've eaten. Travelling across Faron and back will be bad enough in this cold weather. Please Impa… an extra hour won't do that much harm, will it?"

The Sheikah's eyes soften, and for a moment I'm positive she's about to decline the offer. But then she sighs and places her Naginata on the ground, resting a gentle hand on my shoulder, "As you wish, Zelda."

We fall into step as we make our way to the front of the Temple of Hylia, Impa offering me some bandages to help protect the cut. I smile in acknowledgement, the Temple feeling a lot lighter than yesterday—whether that be because of Demise's complete destruction or simply the early morning light, I'm not entirely sure.

I was apparently the last to wake, for everyone is gathered around a small fire when we step outside. The three of them are all smiling when they bid me a good morning, only for their expressions to shift into that of concern when they spot the blood on my clothes. I try my best to reassure them, but the explanation as to why I'm still bleeding so profusely does nothing to calm them down.

They try their best to keep their emotions in check as they serve up breakfast, joking about how the simple meal isn't much of a victory feast, but it's good enough. I smile down at my food, thinking on my first meal after the death of Demise and how I wished Link could be with us to share it with us. But he'll be awake soon, and then we really can celebrate our victory over the darkness.

But as we eat, my nightmare and my injury still linger on my mind. The Demon King is determined to stay in my life long after he was dead, and every now and again I wonder if I'll ever be free of him. Once Skyloft is rebuilt and our scars begin to heal, will that truly be the end of our suffering?

If it wasn't for my hunger, I would be too ill from the thought of it to eat.

Please, I pray fervently. Please let this be the end of it…

~Interlude~

Impa pushed through the canopy of thick trees, the sunlight illumining her features as she stepped out into the open once more. She had travelled across Faron Woods at a slightly more relaxed pace than she usually would. After all, Demise's followers died with their Master, so the forest was easier to trek through, and she had no one to look after so she could move at her own pace.

Though it felt strange to be travelling alone once again, it was also nice to return to her roots.

She was still processing all that had happened, but most of all the fact that Her Grace and the newest Bearer had managed to survive the darkness.

The Sheikah and the newest Bearer had grown particularly close after they passed through the Gate of Time together and began training for the Discidium. In a sense, Impa had begun to understand more what Link was like as a person rather than the Bearer that it was her duty to protect. When they first started travelling to Eldin Volcano, it was Link's naivety that shocked her—the newest Bearer of this world was so overwhelmed by everything that his judgement was sometimes clouded by his emotions, something which she found when he gave himself up outside the Earth Temple.

That had also shown when he confronted the Demon Lord in the Temple of Time, though after all that he had been though so far, he knew that his emotions could no longer fuel all his actions. He acted hastily, yes, but he also fought hard and strong; she saw much potential in him that day and slowly began to understand why he was chosen as the newest Bearer.

Once Impa had led him through the Gate of Time, she began to change because of him too; something else which surprised her. Her rather stony expressions didn't completely fade, though they softened considerably when she came to realise much of how the boy was changing of his own accord. He knew that he was walking into the slaughter because of the Gods, though he accepted it to the largest extent that he could and asked for Impa's help in it.

After her initial shock of his naivety, her own emotions began to fuel her actions, which is why her heart was so crushed when the Discidium was completed.

Impa shook her head, tightening her grasp around her Naginata as she neared her destination just to the north-east of Lake Floria. The mountain range, once used as a source of precious metals and minerals, held a secret that only the Sheikah knew about—the presence of a Great Fairy, more precisely the Great Fairy of Power. While many of the Great Faeries had hidden themselves away from harm's way after the end of the Great War, Impa was certain that this Great Fairy lingered for a while yet before retreating with her brethren.

The Sheikah made her way into the small spring outside the cave entrance, some old idols from previous travellers to the area sitting in the dirt nearby. Impa stepped into the spring water, uncaring for her clothes as she sensed no danger surrounding her within a few miles or so, pressing her Naginata against her back and pushing the willow branches away from her as she shifted around the edge of the spring.

The flowers still blossomed here, the trees scared but still growing tall, giving Impa an unnatural sense of peace and tranquillity even after the blood that was shed even in that part of the Faron Province. Just through the clear waterfall, the loyal Sheikah spotted the rubble-filled entrance to the Great Fairy's Fountain in which she required. It was covered when people began overusing the Fountain's magic and the Faerie's power. However, the barrier placed around the Fountain was easy to dispel of for a Sheikah.

She held out her hands, resting her weapon again the wall for a moment and remaining her hands towards the cave entrance and called out, "Aufero."

Her hands glowed a deep blue colour, the hue intensifying for a moment before it and the barrier around the cave faded away with a flutter of the wind. Impa lowered her hands, thanking the Goddesses that the barrier was easy enough to dispose of reclaiming her weapon and stepping inside.

All was dark inside, even with the midday light filtering in from outside. The white cobbles beneath Impa's feet seemed familiar, a small pathway leading towards the large fountain ahead of her. Usually, water would trail down the walls and into the main fountain, however everything in here must have dried up since the Demon invasion. Nonetheless, Impa knew how to reach the Great Fairy and stood on the Triforce carved into the ground and lit the torches with a whisk of her hand.

Bowing her head, she raised her hands again and said, "Unda…"

Water immediately bubbled from her fingers, and the Sheikah guided it into the fountain itself. It landed elegantly and filled the slightly dirty surface in moments, so the Sheikah washed away the impurities before proceeding. As the fountain began to fill up, so too did water began to cry from the ceiling once again and travel down the walls—reverting this sacred place back to its former glory.

Impa smiled as the water began to ripple violently once the spell was complete. In a burst of light, the Great Fairy of Power appeared. She seemed no different than when Impa had last seen her aiding what injured soldiers came this way, deep green hair cascaded down her back with two parts covering her breasts whilst loose garments covering the rest of her body. As she rose to her full height, a pair of magnificent wings sprouted from her back and stretched out in another burst of light.

The Fairy's viridian eyes shone in recognition as they fell onto Impa, the latter bowing deeply. "Welcome Sheikah," she greeted warmly. "Thou hast not returned for many moons since thou asked me to search for thy betrothed. Verily, I shall soon return to my sisters, but I shall aid you in your plight before I do so. What do you need of me, Sheikah?"

Impa rose from her deep bow, setting her Naginata on the ground before sitting down and crossing her legs. "Potentia, Great Fairy of Power, I am deep need of your healing tears to aid the Goddess Reborn. Her wound is much like those who also suffered the wrath of the Demon King, and we must not lose her."

Potentia smiled as she knelt down into the water, gathering the water from her fountain and silently asked for Impa to pull out the empty vial attached to her belt. "You restored my Fountain, and I thank thee. I am always honoured to aid a Sheikah."

Holding the glass vial out in front of her, the Great Fairy released one of her final tears that she would shed upon the land of the Surface into the tube, her magic drawing it from her cheek and holding the glittering tear in the air for a moment. Potentia filled the vial with the Fountain's renewed water, her magic flowing through it, and allowed her tear to slip into it. With a smile, she returned it to Impa's hand, a cork pushed into it once again.

The Sheikah bowed her head, "I thank you for allowing me your power in Her Grace's time of need."

With a nod from the Great Fairy, Impa rose back onto her feet and turned away from her, taking her Naginata making her way out of the Fountain.

However, she was stopped when Potentia raised her hand and called out, "Halt, Sheikah. I have one final gift to you." Impa pivoted around and returned to her previous spot, listening intently as the Great Fairy rested a pale hand against her cheek. "I never did tell thou of my findings upon thy betrothed. He arrived at my Fountain not too long before the outset of the Great War, begging that I kept this until thy arrival."

Impa's eyes softened a little as the Great Fairy placed something small and cool into her hand, covering it with her own. "Thank you. You have done more than enough for a mere Sheikah."

Potentia smiled even more, stroking Impa's face with her thumb. "Thou hast fought valiantly. The Three shall take thou into their arms joyfully, and thou shall join thy betrothed once more."

On that, the Great Fairy of Power disappeared from sight, allowing Impa to look at her final gift as the tears faded from the walls, the Fountain's magic dying away permanently. In Impa's hand lay a small, silver wedding ring. Impa recognised it as the ring that Sheik had kept from when he was young, once belonging to his forgotten mother. On the inside, Ancient Sheikah words spelt out: "Forever awaiting your hand," one of the last things that she had heard Sheik ever say to her.

Shedding a single tear herself, Impa slipped the ring onto her finger and exited the Great Fairy Fountain, sadness clawing at her heart as she recalled the words Hylia told her so long ago.

"Once the downfall of the Demon King comes to pass, your immortality spell will cease to exist, and you shall pass on without word," she had told her. "You shall return to Sheik, Impa, and he will be awaiting you…"

The Sheikah passed one final glance towards the Great Fairy's Fountain before beginning her journey back towards the Temple of Hylia.

Sheik was calling to her from the heavens above, and Impa was finally allowed to answer.

~Zelda~

My first true day of freedom from the Demon King couldn't have been tenser.

True to her word, Impa left soon after breakfast and began her search for the cure to my wound. Throughout the day, we take it in turns to scavenge food, check over each other's wounds, and checking over Link too in case he shows any signs of waking—but he remains the same as ever. We all stay together, never leaving one another out of sight for too long as we go about our business, still on edge even after everything is finally over.

I pray when I can, desperately hoping that Impa will return with the cure and I can finally rest easy and wait for Link to fully recover.

Impa's shadow stretches into the Temple of Hylia moments before she appears in the doorway, the sun just about to set. Her light hair clings to her sweaty forehead, though the triumphant glitter in her eyes is enough to calm me. We all shoot onto our feet and greet her with everything we hunted and scavenged from nearby before we settle down to eat.

The Sheikah hands me a small vial just as we take our seats, the contents inside clear but glows in the dying sunlight. Without hesitation, I drink it in one gulp and hope that it will be enough. Whilst we eat, the Sheikah tells us of her expedition to the Great Fairy and what folklore she knows about them, though as she does I can't help but constantly glance down to my chest wound.

The further we go into our meal, the darkness around my injury slowly begins to fade away, and with it the lingering nightmare that Demise delivered.

Soon after we have eaten, we all settle back down in the back room of the Temple of Hylia. Impa presses that she wishes to take a breather outside whilst Karane and Pipit stay close together against the wall, talking in low, yet comforting, voices. Groose sits on the opposite side of them, his yellow eyes flicking between Link and the rest of the Temple after long intervals.

I find myself pacing, my worry for Link rising when Impa explains that his little change could be worrying, attempting without avail to calm my nerves.

"You're gonna wear down the stone," Groose remarks, trying his best to lighten the mood. I sigh and nod, taking a seat next to him. "How's the cut?"

"Better," I tell him honestly, noting a sad glint in his eye; something haunting him. "I'm sorry about what you had to see yesterday."

He rests his head against the wall with a shrug. "Wasn't your fault. I just hope I never see it again."

I can only imagine what they all had to go through when the Demon King marched through here and into the present with my body in his grasp. Less than a day ago, I lay on those steps lifelessly whilst my friends had no choice but to come to terms with the fact that I was dead, and they soon would be too. Without that Fairy, none of us would be where we are today.

I hug my knees chose to my chest. "Yesterday was a day that none of us will forget. But he's gone now—they both are—and they aren't coming back." I place my chin on my knees. "I hope…"

He places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it comfortingly, though says nothing as his attention is suddenly taken somewhere else. I ask what's wrong, only to feel it myself—something stirring in my heart as if a power nearby is growing stronger. Climbing onto our feet, Karane and Pipit join us just as Impa enters the Temple of Hylia herself. She moves towards us faster than usual, spurred on by something.

Once she reaches us, she wastes no time before finally telling us, "He will wake soon."

My heart skips a beat.

We all gather around the altar, the Triforce of Courage glowing softly on the back of his hand. It flashes before falling dim, and we all fall silent as he finally stirs.

I hold my breath as his eyes flutter open, momentarily disorientated from being asleep for so long. His eyes glance around him in confusion, finding each of us individually before landing on me. My heart stops as I meet his eyes tearfully, remembering the last time I saw his eyes and how full they were—now they're full of life, just as they should be.

Gulping, I force my voice to work. "Link?"

There's a beat of silence, then he rasps, "Z-Zelda?"

His voice, no louder than a whisper and slightly deep from disuse, is enough to restart my heart.

I smile at him. "It's me…"

"Am I…?"

I take his face into my hands. "E-Everything's alright now… I…" I break out a breathless laugh before I can finish, tears of joy streaming down my cheeks as he returns it with a small smile of his own. We lean in and kiss once, tenderly, but our emotions soon get the better of us and we can't hold back—running our hands through one another's hair and hold each other close as we deepen the kiss.

I melt into it, pulling myself up into the altar and leaving my tears to do everything as they please. I feel his hands snake around my waist, my wet eyes falling shut—allowing more tears to fall as a massive weight is finally lifted from my shoulders. Ever since Lanayru, I hadn't felt his touch, and when I finally did, he was soon ripped away from me in the most brutal way.

Now I can hold him without any more fear in my heart.

Once we finally pull apart, everyone else joins in for a large embrace, everyone laughing and enjoying the moment now that it feels like we can all breathe easy again. Smiling at one another, I finally whisper, "It's over… finally it's all over…"

"That it is," Impa says, resting a hand on my shoulder. "And now we can all rest easy and peacefully. I'm glad that everything turned out as it should have."

"I'm sure Grannie will be over the moon to know that everything worked out too," says Groose. "We'll have to pay her a visit soon."

We nod, still too overjoyed that everything is over. After all, with all the hardships we've faced, nothing can ruin this moment.

Only for something to do just that.

Somewhere far in the distance, an ominous sound erupts. At first all of us try our best to ignore it, assuming that it's something natural, yet when it sounds again we can no longer push it to the backs of our minds. We all break away and tense up, and I can't help but subconsciously hold Link close for protection.

"It must be the wind or something." I say quietly, turning away from Link to meet their gazes. "It'll be—"

The room darkens, and I pull Link closer to me; forcing the tears away from my face. He stills holds his arms around me, and the ice in his eyes is enough to worry me too."My hate… never perishes. No matter what you seek to believe, I will rise again!" I can't stifle a gasp before it is ripped from my lungs. Those are the words of Demise from my dream, and the pale faces of my friends signals that I am not the only person who heard it either. "Those like you—those who share the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the Hero—they shall be cursed with eternal life at my hand!

The Master Sword glows, struggling against the darkness within it.

I scream when blood begins to trail down the walls.

The red, sticky substance that I am far too familiar with seeing oozes from the gaps in the walls, sizzling down the walls like Demons dragging fingers down it. My grip on Link tightens, the stench of blood filling my nostrils so harshly that I can barely hold back my gag reflex as a metallic taste fills my mouth. As we ready ourselves for some sort of attack, hundreds of voices whisper out to us all.

"Peace never lasts in the mortal world," they sneer. "Dark interlopers will forever rise up and hunger for the pure glory of the Ultimate Power. They will thirst for bloodshed and revenge over the death of the Demon King. With every age, they will rise up and never hesitate to resort to violence and torture for the submission of the enemy."

My breathing quickens. "W-What is—?"

"Those who bear the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero are eternally bound to the curse of this cycle of darkness," they hiss before I can finish. "Fear for your lives and for the lives of those after you, for you shall never see peace! Live in perpetual terror of the shadows that now drape over your lives, for you will never be free from the darkness. It will never cease until you submit to it!"

The voices start to laugh, the blood thickening as it claws across the ground towards us.

My heart won't stop palpitating as Impa takes me by the arm and draws me away from everyone, pressing me to take the Master Sword which I left in the corner of the room and towards the steps where Link placed himself in his perpetual sleep. I pass the others, who stay around Link closely as he clutches at his heart in pain, all of us terrified of what's going to happen next.

Taking me to the steps leading up to the spot where Link sealed himself away—only now do I notice that the crystal has disappeared and has been replaced by a small pedestal—Impa takes my face into her hands and tells me sternly, "The Demon King is using the weak Seal created by the Master Sword in an attempt to break free. You must place the Master Sword into the pedestal; only then will there be a Seal strong enough to hold him back forever."

My thoughts slow, my heartbeat pounding against my chest as I take a deep breath, Impa letting me go so I can end this once and for all.

Blinking rapidly, I tone out the harsh whispers around me and raise the Master Sword high into the air.

Please end this… please…

With one final cry, I plunge the Master Sword into the pedestal.

Demise's laughter falters as the Master Sword begins to glow brilliantly, his laughter morphing into pain as he continues to fight against the sword. The blade in my hand battles against the aura it holds within, unable to sink completely into the pedestal on its own. Gritting my teeth, I grunt and push down on the sword's hilt with all of my might; praying for it to be over.

My lips part when another pair of hands join me.

I turn my gaze up, finding Link's firm gaze looking down at me as he places his hands onto the pommel of the Master Sword.

Together. We'll do this together.

With one final bout of strength, we fight the last of the Demon King's strength and push the Master Sword completely into its pedestal.

The blood and whispers fade away within moments, Demise's painful laughter joining it as the blade flashes once more before returning to its usual shine. Link and I lean against one another, surprised at how much strength it truly took to end this, supporting each other as we return to the altar and rest against it heavily.

There's a pregnant silence as we process what just happened, the weight of the world back on my shoulders.

My nightmare—Demise's curse—was more than what I thought it was. Once Impa completely healed my wounds, I was sure that everything was over, but it feels like it never will be. The Demon King may be dead, but that doesn't mean that his legacy won't last; and that's exactly what he intends to leave on us for the rest of our lives. The Goddesses once assured me that Zelda and Link would rest after parting from this world, and now even their reassurance can do nothing against Demise's curse.

This will never end… will it?

My eyes start to water, and I pray that no one can see it.

"Come," Impa says, shattering the silence. "You must return to the present before anything else can come to pass here."

I reach out and take Link's hand into mine, my expression softening as he trembles, all of us standing together as the Sheikah directs us towards the Gate of Time. A thought hits me suddenly, and I allow the others to carry on without me, letting my hand follow them for as long as possible before falling back to my side. My eyes land on the Master Sword ahead of me, longing panging through my heart.

She's trapped in there forever because of me.

"Fi…" I whisper. "Fi, I…"

"I cannot follow you, Dominae," she says from within the sword. "I have served my purpose, and now I must rest within the Master Sword itself as the Master Sword's internal sentinel. However, I believe that we shall meet again in the present day to discuss the long-awaited punishment of the Demon King's Famulus."

Her words send my gut to lead.

I nod shakily and swallow thickly.

He can't hurt me anymore… he can't hurt me anymore…

Can he?

The blade glows lightly before dimming one final time, her final words weighing on me as I return to my companions, Impa's voice reflecting around the Temple as she explains, "I shall take care of the Gate of Time once you all pass through, young ones."

Halting at the top of the steps, I watch as Link takes a worried step forward, "You can't do that Impa. Please…"

The Sheikah offers him a sad smile and places a hand onto his shoulder. "Link… you must understand that I am a being of this age. I was permitted to travel to the present to aid you all in the battle against the Demon King's revival, but I cannot stay in an age in which I don't belong." She gestures to us. "You have a life with people awaiting you. My fate has been decided, yours has not. I shall take care of the past, Link, so I entrust the present to you all."

He shakes his head. "But I… we can't leave you here all alone…"

"The last remnants of Demise are slowly decaying within the Master Sword, and so someone must watch over this blade," she tells him softly. "It is the duty of my tribe to prevent the Demon King from awakening and preventing him from threatening this land once again. As a Sheikah, I gladly welcome this duty." The Sheikah turns her gaze up to me. "The Triforce is left in your hands."

"Its power is too great to leave in the grasp of man, for dependence on its might is an invitation to disaster," I say, the familiar sensation of Hylia within me taking over. "When it has served its purpose, it must be secreted away to lie dormant once again—the knowledge of its existence hidden from mortal history."

Impa hums and smiles slightly, "Those are the words you spoke to me long ago and must come to pass in your own time."

I nod firmly, "We'll protect the future. We all will."

Link lowers his head and pulls something out from his pocket; a simple chain with a strange eye symbol attached to it, a ruby acting as the eye's pupil. "You gave it to me, but now it's mine to return."

She smiles at him and places her hand over the necklace, taking it back into her possession and hanging it from her neck. "Do not despair, Link. You and I will surely meet again someday."

Turning to the Gate of Time, she activates it from afar and allows one final embrace before forcing us to part with her. Glancing back at the loyal Sheikah one last time, I pass her a small smile—a simple show of my gratitude for all that she has done for us. She returns the smile, and it's the final thing I see before the Gate swallows us up whole.

But as I leave Impa behind, I realise what I'll be bringing with me—the curse.

"Wherever the light shines on this land, so too shall darkness soon follow it! Fear me, Hylia, for you and your kind will be doomed to wander in a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"

Author's Note: Well, that suddenly took a turn that I didn't expect. In all honesty, I didn't know what to do for this chapter, but I am sort of proud of what I have written. Not most of it, of course, but there are little bits of pieces that I do like; such as the inscription on the wall, as creepy as that was. Anyway, please drop a rate and review if you haven't already, and I better get on with the final two chapters, huh?

*Reditum is Latin for "Return," Aufero is Latin for "Remove," Potentia is Latin for "Power," and Mundaret is Latin for "Cleanse."

~RandomButLoved~