BOOM! She's back baby and she's reboosted her confidence in the aftermath of finishing her freshman year of college! Yes, my friends I am back and with a chapter that I think is pretty good, despite still being really long :P And so yes the hiatus is over. I'm back and I have all summer to keep this story up, which is good because this is the last chapter in the seperate eras before we get the great reunion. And so, since I dont feel like responding to any reviews (sorry), why don't yet get started!
Chapter 16: Sealed Ambition
The moment she head the hero's ominous statement, the sword spirit immediately put herself between him and their allies, quickly realizing what had happened to him. Her scanning abilities allowed her to sense the aura of evil surrounding him, one that was both foreign and familiar all at once. Because of this, Fi held her cloaked arms up in order to protect Groose, Pipit, and Karane as they stood behind her, staring at Link with both worry and confusion.
"Link, what are you talking about?" Pipit asked cautiously. "What's the matter with you?"
"Silence!" the hero snapped coldly, an edge of darkness in his tone as he glared unflinchingly at all of them. He was quick to draw his blade, apparently no longer phased by his injured shoulder whatsoever, and held his sword aloft towards them in an opposing stance. "Drop your weapons and stand down immediately or be destroyed."
"Hey now!" Groose protested, preparing to press his way past Fi. "What do you mean, 'drop our weapons'? I think you lost a little too much blood from that wound, Link."
"Enough!" Link nearly shouted as the small spark of red that had appeared in his eyes seemed to shine with violence. "If you will not stand down, then I'll just have to take you down!"
The three youths gasped in surprise as the hero finally lashed out, swinging towards them broadly. However, thankfully the sword spirit stood between them and him, using her metallic cloak to defend them against his sudden strike. "Take caution!" Fi advised the students, who looked between her and Link in confusion as the hero growled in frustration and prepared to attack once more. "Master Link has been infected by a strain of dark magic that has twisted his will into the enemy's control. According to my most recent scan, I am able to surmise that the epicenter of this magic lies within his wounded shoulder, and that it has been activated by none other than Ghirahim."
"Oh, how right you are, my stoic little counterpart…" the voice of the Demon Lord himself suddenly sounded out across the area, alarming everyone save for the hero. No more than a second later, Ghirahim appeared, standing in a triumphant pose right beside Link. Oddly enough, to the surprise of the four allies, the hero immediately lowered himself to one knee, apparently bowing before the demon lord in reverence.
"Master," Link regarded Ghirahim with respect, confirming what Fi had just said. Indeed it seemed as though the demon lord had managed to bind the hero to his malevolent will, changing him from an ally to a foe in a matter of mere minutes. And, considering the skill and courage that Link fought with, having him turned to the enemy's side could certainly prove to be dangerous for them all.
Ghirahim laughed with wicked satisfaction upon hearing this, looking down at the submissive hero with a sense of perverse pride for what he had managed to accomplish. "What an obedient little slave you make, hero…" he mused, placing a finger under his newfound servant's chin and lifting his head up to meet his gaze. "Don't you all agree?" he asked the four allies, turning to them with a knowing smile.
"Hey!" Karane shouted as they all gave their foe a steady glare. "Leave him alone!"
"I concur," Fi said as her unflinching expression took on a slightly defiant shade. "Ghirahim, this is absurd. You cannot hope for this plan to possibly succeed."
"And what do you know about my plans, my dear Fi?" Ghirahim asked almost flirtatiously. "My forces have already lost this little rock up here in the sky, but the Surface below is just teeming with possibilities! And instead of being a further hindrance to my plans, I decided to put your little hero to better use by enlisting his aid and the aid of his entire army to help me accomplish those possibilities…"
"Wait," Pipit said cautiously. "You did this to his entire army too?"
"Well of course!" the demon lord chirped pridefully. "I found it rather easy to do too, considering that the boy's own forces don't even listen to him. It was about time they found a… real commander, instead of a mere child, to lead them! And besides, my mistress will be simply beside herself once I hand over the hero to her, seeing as how he is her ultimate goal…"
"Enough!" the sword spirit interjected firmly. "Ghirahim, you must release my master and his troops from your control immediately. Be aware that failure to do so promptly will result in your absolute defeat."
"Hm," Ghirahim scoffed haughtily, stepping away from Link and giving him a nod with the silent command to stand. "How incredibly tactless of you to make such broad threats, Fi. Such rudeness should be punished… don't you agree, servant?"
"Yes, Master," the hero answered almost immediately, that edge of darkness still lingering in his tone as he turned towards his former allies and gave them a cold, heartless, look.
"Well, it's such a shame that I don't have time to stick around up here and join in on the fun, but I simply must be off," Ghirahim said, casually flipping the white hair hanging over his eye back and letting it fall. "I'm already a bit of schedule and I do hate to be tardy. So, I'll just leave you children to your games. Oh, and, hero? You have my permission not to play nice."
"Yes, Master," Link said with a surprisingly malicious grin, drawing his sword once more as Ghirahim disappeared in a flash of diamonds. The four allies stood their ground, hoping that they wouldn't have to fight the hero, though they all wanted to be prepared if they had to.
Since he had been told not to hold back, Link didn't hesitate to make the first strike, swinging swiftly and broadly as the youths scattered away from the sword spirit who was protecting them, surrounding the hero at a close, yet safe distance. None of them were really sure about how they were going to go about fighting back against him, and so for the moment, they all took up the offensive against him and tried to get through to him past whatever spell Ghirahim had cast upon him.
"Link! You gotta snap out of it, buddy!" Groose shouted as he somehow narrowly dodged one of the hero's fast jabs.
"Y-yeah!" Karane agreed a bit anxiously, hesitantly raising her bow as she tried to figure out what to do. "We have to stop that guy! Come on! Think about the rest of your army!"
"I am afraid that Master Link will not be able to hear such arguments," Fi informed them, gracefully spinning around the manipulated hero in order to distract him away from the three youths. "Ghirahim has captured his consciousness, and simply trying to call him back to himself will most likely not work. However, I do estimate that there is an 80% chance that removing the magically-imbued knife from his shoulder will possibly free him from this spell."
"80% sounds like a good enough chance for me!" Groose said with a confident grin, glad that there was a way to help their ally.
"But how are we ever going to get him to stand still long enough for us to get that knife out of him?" Pipit asked with a frown.
Fi seemed to ponder this question for a moment, before reaching a logical conclusion. "Follow after me," she said firmly. "Cover yourselves diligently and do not get to close to him. In the state he is now in, consider him to be highly dangerous, however, do not use force against him unless you find that you have to. Now, let us begin!"
Without any further conversation, the allies leapt into action, all of them trying to wear Link down from different angles. The idea behind this strike was that the hero, while both strong and skilled, would not be able to focus on all four targets at once, allowing at least one of them to take him down to the point that he could no longer resist them. However, doing so was not so easy; the hero managed to land a few quick blows on all of them, injuring each of the three youths in relatively minor, but still painful ways. The only one who had not taken any damage was Fi, who, thanks to her metallic form, could sustain much more injury than a mere human could. But even so, Link remained both vicious and diligent in his attacks, no longer capable of showing any form of mercy or restraint as he fought solely under Ghirahim's employ. The battle dragged on for what seemed like ages, no one even able to land so much as a single scratch on the hero, no matter how hard they tried. And yet they did not give up, for doing so would be the same as surrendering their ally into the enemy's hands permanently.
All throughout the fight, Proxi anxiously floated not too far away from Link, but at a distance where he could not easily harm her if he wanted to. The fairy's heart was torn upon seeing her companion be manipulated in such a way, to the point that he could not even remember who he was or what he was fighting for anymore. Instead of the kind, caring hero he had once been, he had been turned into a cold, heartless slave thanks to the demon lord's strange magic. And yet, as Proxi worried for both the allies and the hero, a sudden idea came to her. Though Fi had said that trying to appeal to Link would most likely not free him from Ghirahim's control, perhaps such attempts could prove to be worthwhile distractions to the hero while his allies worked on helping him.
And so, gathering up her courage, Proxi flew in significantly closer to Link, to the point that she was nearly sitting upon his shoulder as he fought. At first, he didn't notice her as he continued to follow the commands of his "master", but he soon caught onto her presence when she began to call out to him amidst the din of the battle.
"Link, please!" the fairy cried, watching his movements carefully lest he try to hurt her somehow. "You have to listen to me! This… this isn't you! Ghirahim is not your master, and you would never try to hurt your friends!"
Link didn't bother to respond to her pleas but instead he merely used his free hand to swat at her in annoyance, as if she were nothing more than a bothersome insect. Proxi managed to dodge his hand as he lashed out towards the sword spirit once more, who met his attack squarely with her metallic wing. The two of them pressed against one another for a long moment, as Fi followed after the fairy's plans and tried to make an appeal of her own.
"Master, I know that you are stronger than the magic that Ghirahim has bound you under," the sword spirit said eloquently. "You must find that strength within yourself and break free from it. I recommend that you-"
"No," the hero said rigidly, pressing against her harder than ever as he spoke through gritted teeth. "You do not tell me what I must do. I only take orders from my master, Lord Ghirahim."
"Master, you do not know what you are saying," Fi said, her tone still emotionless as ever. "If you simply stand down and allow us to extract the blade within your shoulder, we can-"
Once again, Link cut the sword spirit off, only this time it was with a frustrated shout as he finally broke the tension between them. Pipit, Karane, and Groose all gasped in shock and horror as Fi was sent recoiling back from the heavy strike the hero hand managed to land upon the blue gem upon her chest, the only part of her body that was really vulnerable.
"Oh no!" Proxi exclaimed upon seeing how Link had damaged Fi, who's ethereal form had shifted back into the Goddess Sword and clattered to the ground so that she could recover. With a renewed resolve, the fairy flew close to her companion once more, more desperate than ever to get him to see reason if she could. "Link, listen! It's me, Proxi! You have to think about what you're doing! The people you're hurting! Think about what might happen if you don't break free from this! All the damage and destruction and pain you might cause! Think about Hyrule! Think about everyone back at home! Think about Impa, and Lana, and Sheik! Think… think about Princess Zelda!"
As if the fairy's words had been filled with magic, the hero suddenly froze up entirely upon hearing the princess's name. His eyes grew wide as the hint of red in them began to waver, but at the same time, his grip on his sword tightened, as if he was at war with himself, which he might as well have been. Link hadn't heeded anything else that Proxi had said save for Zelda's name alone, and some small part of him that wasn't under Ghirahim's control was clinging onto it, trying to free the rest of him as well. In sudden pain, the hero closed his eyes tightly, his shoulder throbbing in absolute agony as he shook his head. Proxi gasped worriedly as she flittered a bit away from him, unsure of what was happening to him. However, she never got to find out as the youths took advantage of Link's sudden weakness. Before he could even try to reclaim his bearings, the hero froze up once more as he sustained a sudden blow to the back of his head, instantly knocking him unconscious as he collapsed to the ground.
"Nice one, Karane," Pipit said as he grinned at Karane, who had managed to finally knock the hero out using a board that had been discarded during the raid on Skyloft.
"Aw, thanks, sweetie," she said with a giggle, giving a sly wink back to her boyfriend.
The three youths all approached the downed hero with caution, but fortunately, no more than a moment later, the Goddess Sword, which was lying on the ground not too far away from them, shifted back into the shape of the sword spirit once more. Fi, having recovered almost completely, examined the scene before her for a brief moment before looking to her allies.
"You have defeated him," she acknowledged with little inflection in her tone.
"We sure did!" Groose cheered triumphantly. "Now we can get that thing out of his shoulder and-"
"I believe that has already been taken care of," Fi said, giving a small, referential nod to Proxi, who had managed to wedge the knife, which was almost as big as her entire body, out of the unconscious hero's shoulder. The blade was soaked in his blood, and as was expected, his shoulder was still torn open, so that was the first thing the allies decided to take care of. While Link was still unconscious, they managed to stitch the wound up and begin to wrap it in gauze, all while Fi scanned the rest of the isle in the sky to see that it was empty of both monsters and soldiers, confirming her suspicions that Ghirahim had whisked them all away to the Surface below.
Still greatly concerned for her companion's wellbeing, the fairy remained close to the hero until he at last began to stir what seemed like ages later. With a pained groan, Link opened his eyes slowly, his head throbbing with pain and his shoulder not feeling much better, though it was at least no longer bleeding out as it had been before.
Though it took some doing, the hero finally managed to focus his sights on Proxi, who was standing on his chest and watching apprehensively as he woke up, hoping and praying that he had returned to normal at last. "P-Proxi…?" Link asked with a frown, noticing the look of concern his fairy companion was giving him.
"Oh, Link!" Proxi exclaimed, so relieved to see that he was free once more that it almost drove her to tears of joy. "I'm so glad you're all right!"
Before the hero could even respond, he was bombarded by his allies as he slowly sat up, all of them overjoyed in the same way the fairy was. "Hey! Look who finally came back!" Groose exclaimed with a broad grin.
"Came back?" Link asked in confusion. "Did I go somewhere?"
"You mean… you don't remember?" Karane asked with a frown, but fortunately Fi approached them all and nodded in respect for the hero as she addressed him.
"Master Link, I am pleased to see that you have awakened," she said formally. "Allow me to give you a report on all that has occurred. Immediately following the battle against Volga, the knife that Ghirahim stabbed into your shoulder during our earlier encounter with him began to react to his magic, bending your mind to his will and forcing you to act as his servant. Though we did have to face you in battle, we managed to subdue you and remove the blade from your body and return you to your true self."
"What?!" the hero exclaimed, deeply disturbed by this revelation. "You mean I fought all of you? Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't hurt any of you, did I?"
"Oh, just a few bumps and bruises," Pipit said reassuringly. "Nothing too serious."
"I just can't believe I let that happen," Link said with a hint of shame in his tone. "I mean, one minute my shoulder was exploding with pain and the next thing I knew, I was waking up here. I don't even remember any of that."
"Perhaps that is for the better then," Fi said, watching as the youths helped the hero rise to stand. "But we mustn't linger on this matter for too much longer. There is still the issue of the troops controlled by Ghirahim upon the Surface."
"More monsters?" Link asked, wondering how the demon lord could have summoned more of them so quickly.
"We wish," Karane said with a frown. "That Ghirahim guy cast that mind control spell not just on you, but on all your soldiers too. They're probably all down there helping him even as we speak."
The hero clenched his fists upon hearing this news, remembering the complete disregard for his orders that his troops had shown him earlier. How fitting it was that they had been wrenched out of his control entirely, thrown into the hands of the enemy so that they would stand to fight against him now. But even so, Link knew that he was responsible for his soldiers, something that Impa had told him the moment she assigned them to him. He could not let them be used to carry out Ghirahim's nefarious deeds, even despite the fact that he was still ashamed that he had been weak enough to almost become a sell-sword for darkness himself, had it not been for his newfound friends.
"Then it's up to us to break the spell once and for all," the hero said with resolve. "You said they all went down to the Surface, Fi?"
"Yes, Master," Fi confirmed. "I am uncertain of what Ghirahim's plans are, but I can sense a great amount of darkness gathering upon the Surface. We must make haste if we are to put an end to it."
"Well then, what are we doing standing around here yapping for?!" Groose said, already fully prepared to go with a full stash of bombs. "Let's head on down there and give that creep what for!"
"Wait," Link called to his allies as they began to head towards the nearest dock on the side of the island. "How exactly do you get down to the Surface? We used a column of light to get up here, but I don't think it's a two-way trip."
"Oh, that's right!" Pipit said with a small grin. "You're not from around here. Well then, I guess you'll just have to ride down with one of us."
"Ride what?" the hero asked in confusion.
"A Loftwing, of course," Karane said with a giggle. "Everyone in Skyloft has one. They're our guardian birds, sent to us by the goddess herself."
"You fly around on giant… birds?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow at how strange the concept sounded.
"Looks like he needs a little demonstration," Groose said to Pipit and Karane. "C'mon, guys!"
The couple nodded in agreement as they followed after him, rushing towards the platform, and before the hero even realized it, leaping off of it into the open air. Link gasped in surprise and sudden fear at this, hurrying over to the dock and peering over the side anxiously, wondering how in the world they had been able to jump off of the island so easily. However, he soon got his answer as each of the youths were caught by what they called a Loftwing. The hero marveled at the size of the creatures, as well as how majestic they were as they glided through the air as seamlessly as a horse would gallop across a field. For a few minutes, Link simply watched his allies fly around the clear skies, wondering what it would be like to do the same. But before any of them could return to the island, a large shadow flew over the hero from above, drawing his gaze towards the large Loftwing that soared only a few feet above him.
Link watched in awe as the guardian bird in question flapped its giant wings to stop in midair, before coming to a graceful descent only a few feet in front of him. This particular Loftwing had bright crimson feathers, its color strikingly beautiful as it gazed at the hero intently, tilting its head as he stood before it. Though the hero did not move, the Loftwing took another step towards him, pushing its large beak against him playfully as it let out a loud squawk. Link couldn't help but laugh in amusement at this as he rubbed the bird's beak gently, taking a glance over at Fi who had remained as stoic as ever as she watched the encounter. However, it had not gone unnoticed by the youths as they glided in closer to the island, hovering a few feet above as they all observed the meeting between the bird and the hero.
"Well, what do you know?" Groose said with a chuckle as he looked to Pipit and Karane. "Isn't it ironic that Link's Loftwing decided to come to him?"
The pair nodded and laughed in agreement, but the hero was decidedly confused at this comment. "My Loftwing?" he asked, knowing he had never seen this bird before.
"He's talking about our Link," Karane said with levity in her tone. "That's his bird. But, I guess, just like we did, he confused you for him! Might as well get on and ride him; it looks like he's not going to take no for an answer."
"I'll say," Link said with a small laugh as the bird continued to press against him, as if it was trying to urge him to leap off the platform. And though the hero was a bit nervous, he decided to trust the gentle giant and finally relented as he took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and took a leap of faith off of Skyloft's edge.
The sensation of freefalling only lasted for a few seconds before Link suddenly collided with the Loftwing in midair. The giant bird caught the hero squarely, ensuring that he landed upon the saddle fixed onto its back. Tentatively, Link opened his eyes to see nothing but a sea of clouds stretching out endlessly before him. A crisp wind blew through his hair, making both his cap and his scarf flow out behind him freely. And yet the hero ignored both of these feelings as he simply soared through the air, feeling as if the ground no longer existed. And really, did it have to exist? He would have been perfectly content to remain in the sky forever, breathing in the fresh air and feeling what could be described as nothing less than absolute freedom. All the while, however, Link couldn't help but feel as though all of this was somehow familiar, as if he had sailed among in these very clouds on this very bird years ago, but it had since been wiped from his memory by the sands of time.
However, the hero didn't have too much time to be nostalgic as Fi soon appeared, gliding through the air alongside him as the crimson Loftwing carried him in a relaxing glide. "Master, I have a report," she informed him, her robotic voice somehow able to be heard above the rushing winds of the open skies. "According to a thorough scan of the surface, I am able to detect that there is a 96% chance that Ghirahim, his demonic forces, as well as your troops are within an area of the Surface known as the Sealed Grounds. I also sensed a source of great power emanating from that area, from which the monsters attacking both the sky and the Surface are originating from."
"That must be the Gate of Souls!" Proxi called to Link, hanging onto the part of his scarf wrapped around his shoulders so she could keep up with him. "We have to get down there and close it."
"The Sealed Grounds can be accessed via the green pillar of light immediately to your left," the sword spirit said to the hero, having heard what the fairy had told him. "I shall guide the way there for both you and our allies."
Link nodded his thanks to Fi as she darted ahead of him, appearing as but a rush of blue and violet amidst the clouds. The hero took a glance backward to see that Pipit, Karane and Groose were all following after her, and though he didn't know how to control the Loftwing he was riding, the crimson bird seemed to know what to do as it veered to the left, heading for the pillar of green breaking the clouds. Upon reaching the pillar, all four Loftwings did just as Fi did and began to descend, diving down past the cloud barrier dramatically. Link held onto the bird tightly as Skyloft disappeared into the heavens and the Surface opened up below them, though not in it's entirely. The only part of the land that would become known as Hyrule of this era that could be seen was looked to be a large pit from above, spiraling down deeper and deeper into the ground. Standing right in front of the pit was a large, ancient temple complex, and beside it was a thick, lush forest. However, beyond that was the Hyrule of the present, as well as all the pieces of the other two eras that Cia had pulled into it.
"Wow!" Pipit exclaimed as the four youths descended to the surface in tandem. "Is that what the Surface is going to look like in the future? It's amazing!"
"It doesn't always look like that," Link said, feeling a bit homesick for the present that didn't seem so far away from up here. "But yeah…" he said with a fond smile, especially upon looking towards Hyrule Castle far in the distance. "It is pretty amazing…"
Soon enough, their flight to the Surface came to an end as the four Loftwings came to land within an empty makeshift stone keep, depositing their riders within it before they quickly took to the sky once more. The youths immediately decided on making this abandoned keep their base, seeing as how it was positioned within a convenient spot near the pit, though it was quite a ways from the temple. As soon as they were settled in, Fi turned to the allies, the only four that were able to stand to fight for the Surface instead of against it and offered her first report.
"We are now in the Sealed Grounds, so named for the great evil sealed here by the goddess Hylia long ago," the sword spirit articulated. "The Statue of the Goddess that has returned to Skyloft, was once part of this land, but upon the black witch's interference, it was sent back to the sky along with the Goddess Sword and myself. To the north of our current position is the Sealed Temple, and I can estimate with 99% certainty that Ghirahim, as well as the Gate of Souls, await within its walls. However, getting there will prove to be difficult, as I detect large hordes of enemies, including the twisted soldiers, guarding the way. Remember, the world's fate, as well as the safety of the future, rely on our success."
"Then our first job should be returning the soldiers to normal," Link said firmly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "There aren't many of us compared to them, so we'll have to split up. You guys try and find a way to free them without hurting too many of them. Fi, what's the quickest way to the temple?"
"The northeastern path should be the most immediate, Master," Fi said after a brief calculation.
"Then you and me will go that way and work on taking Ghirahim and the Gate of Souls down," the hero said, drawing his sword in preparation for the oncoming battle. "We'll regroup here when we're done. Let's go."
The group parted ways upon the hero's orders, the three youths beginning their advance to the west by taking down any bokoblin in their path and carefully evading any soldier they came across. At the same time, Link and Fi raced for the temple's side entrance, carving through the enemy forces with skill and ease. They encountered relatively few fallen soldiers along the way, but when they did happen to see one, they were merciful and merely knocked them out instead of hurting or killing them. Unlike the hero, the source of the magic controlling the rest of the troops was unclear, meaning that they would just have to beat the answer out of the demon lord if they were unable to figure it out for themselves.
It didn't take the hero and the sword spirit too terribly long to reach the Sealed Temple, but when they did, they were quick to find that the heavy stone doors would not budge whatsoever. "It's locked!" Link said with dismay, aggravated that nothing was ever as simple as it seemed. However, before Fi could even make a suggestion, another voice cut her off instead.
"Already here, are you? So impatient…" Ghirahim's scoff sounded in the immediate area, giving both the hero and the sword spirit that he was somewhere nearby as they raised their guard. Soon enough they spotted him standing high atop the gateway of a nearby keep, his arms crossed and his posture as pompous as usual. "Perhaps haste may be in my best interest after all…"
Fi and Link did not respond to his condescending comments as they both took an offensive position against him. The demon lord merely rolled his eyes as he snapped his fingers, teleporting down to their level in a burst of diamonds. "Looks as though you were lucky, hero," he said, giving a biting glare to Link. "I suppose I underestimated the intelligence of your allies. It's a mistake I won't make again."
"You won't get a chance to make it again," the hero said, provoked against his enemy more than ever after what he had done to him earlier. "We're going to defeat you and close the Gate of Souls before things can get any worse."
"Try if you must, but I must assure you that there is no hope for your victory," Ghirahim said, shaking his head knowingly. "All your little soldiers are mine now, hero, and by all rights, you should still be to."
"I belong to no one," Link declared defiantly, gripping his sword even tighter.
"Such an annoyingly independent little spirit you have, boy," the demon lord said caustically. "No wonder Mistress Cia has such a penchant for you… You know, I don't normally do this, but since I'm feeling awfully giddy today, I'd like to make a little deal with you, hero."
"Whatever it is, the answer is no," the hero said crossly. "I'm through playing your games."
"Now, now, hero," Ghirahim said with a dark chuckle. "Show a little patience. This deal could prove to benefit you as well… if you're quick enough… So, here it is. I'll give up on all my well thought out plans and ambitions and surrender the Gate of Souls if, and only if you manage to set all of your troops free from my control before they come to completion."
"And if we don't?" Link asked warily, tensing up the slightest bit as the demon lord took a step closer to him.
Ghirahim merely laughed for a moment, a sinister grin crossing his face as he looked at the hero both tauntingly and maliciously. "Then all of them, including you, will belong to me," he said darkly. "Forever. Allies or no allies. And I'll make sure that this time, you are handed over to Mistress Cia quite promptly. So… do we have a deal?"
The hero did not respond immediately as he simply glared at the demon lord, wanting to turn this wager down immediately. After all, if he lost, then he would not only be sacrificing his entire army, he would also be giving up his own freedom, falling into Cia's hands and giving her the one thing she wanted. And yet, at the same time, if he did manage to succeed, then the path to the Gate of Souls would be immediately opened, finally bringing peace to this era and getting them one step closer to their overall goal. Certainly, it would be a way of avoiding harming any of the lost soldiers, setting them free from Ghirahim's control all in one fell swoop. And though Link was apprehensive, he slowly nodded in agreement with this deal, even though it was against his better judgement.
"Alright," the hero said coldly, understanding well the consequences of what could happen if he lost. "You have a deal."
"Master," Fi cut in, trying to convince him against this course of action, but before she could say anything, Ghirahim interrupted her.
"It's not polite to butt in, my dear," the demon lord said to the sword spirit snidely. "Very well then, hero," he said to the hero, who simply took in a deep breath and held his ground, resolved to beat his foe at his own game. "The clock is ticking. Good luck. You'll need it…"
With another snap of his fingers, Ghirahim disappeared once more, shouting out an order to all the troops he had cast his spell upon. "Come now, my minions!" he shouted, alerting all of the turncoat soldiers. "Let's show these children what our fangs look like!"
With this command, all of the traitorous soldiers immediately grew fiercer in their attacks across the battlefield, something that Pipit, Karane, and Groose all noticed as they fought against them. Link and Fi also saw this as a group of turncoats rushed for them, and, knowing they weren't getting into the Sealed Temple through any conventional means, they sprang into action defending against them.
"Any ideas on how to cure them, Fi?" Link called out to the sword spirit as he blocked one of the soldier's brutal attacks.
"I am currently in the process of searching for one," Fi said, springing elegantly as she knocked out a few soldiers in succession. "Assisting with their clarity is our main priority at the moment, of course, but until we can figure out how to do so, I suggest trying to secure the battlefield as much as possible."
The hero nodded, knowing that capturing keeps would be a difficult effort since they were so vastly outnumbered, but even so, he continued to edge onward alongside the sword spirit. Both of them fought tactfully, only killing the monsters in their path as they tried to cause minimal injury to any of the turncoat soldiers; they were still part of Hyrule's army after all. Link and Fi both knew better than to try and reconcile with any of them, seeing as how it wouldn't work thanks to Ghirahim's magic. They knew they only had a limited amount of time to free the lost troops, but neither of them had any idea how long the demon lord's mysterious plans would take, meaning that they could lose at literally any moment. The stakes were high and the pressure was on, but even though the odds were against them, they refused to give up now, especially the hero, who knew that the fate of not just his allies, but perhaps the entire history of Hyrule, rested upon his shoulders.
"Master," the sword spirit alerted the hero just as he finished knocking out another soldier with the flat side of his blade. "I have completed my analysis of the mutinous troops and have reached a conclusion. In order to purify your troops from the dark spell infecting them, we must-"
Fi was unable to finish her statement as she was suddenly cut off by the thin rapier tearing through her chest from behind, shattering her blue gem entirely. The sword spirit made a small noise akin to a gasp, while the hero nearly dropped his sword in shock at what had just happened. Time seemed to freeze as Link watched with wide eyes as Fi's form flickered for a moment, her expression still emotionless as she all too quickly retreated back into the Goddess Sword, falling to the ground to reveal who had stabbed her.
The hero could do nothing but watch numbly as Ghirahim stepped forward, deftly picking up the fallen sword and running his fingers down its sharp edge. "That was a close one," he said haughtily, shaking his head as he gave a dark smile to Link. "If I had not shown up when I did, then she might have revealed the secret behind my little spell, and where would the fun in that be?"
"Let her go!" Link demanded, aiming his sword at the demon lord who had gone too far this time by cutting perhaps his most helpful and loyal ally down.
"Oh, I don't think so, hero," Ghirahim said coyly. "After all, I'm sure she's just dying to give you her little report once she wakes up, so I'll just be taking her with me. And I'd hurry if I were you, boy. If you don't save your soldiers soon, then you'll be joining her…"
With a malicious laugh, the demon lord teleported away before the hero could catch him, unfortunately taking both the Goddess Sword and Fi with him. Link let out a sigh of frustration as he realized that that he was at even more of a disadvantage now without Fi's helpful insights and skill in battle.
"What do we do now?" Proxi asked Link, noticing the sudden anxiety in his expression as he looked around to see a group of turncoat soldiers surrounding him.
The hero took in a deep breath, exhaustion already starting to wear upon him. Without Fi's help, the chances of winning this battle had been drastically decreased. And yet, Link was not about to resign himself to an eternity of being nothing more than Cia's toy. "We keep on going," he said with resolve, starting by bashing his shield into the soldier nearest to him. The circle of turncoat troops was quick to close in on him, many of them landing blows upon him, but Link ignored them all the best he could, retaliating just as fiercely. As much as he didn't want to hurt any of them, when push came to shove that was what he found that he had to do.
The hero felt instant regret upon downing one of his own soldiers by inflicting a rather heavy cut across their chest before avertedly stabbing one through the shoulder. However, as guilty as such unavoidable acts of violence made Link, the skirmish was far from one sided. The hero let out a hiss of pain as a spear sliced across his back, followed by a thick cut torn across his arm. And yet the blow that brought him down came about only after his sword bounced roughly across one of the turncoat soldiers' shields. Link recoiled at the unexpected resistance, but as he raised his blade to attack again, it was suddenly met with another one from behind, one that wedged it out of his grip. Though the sword fell down to the ground right behind him, the hero had no time to reclaim it as he was quickly grabbed by both arms and thrown roughly to the ground. Link's initial reaction was to try and rise again, but as he turned his head, he was quickly met with the sharp tip of a sword pointed directly at his throat, a soldier at the other end of it ready to kill him on a moment's notice. The hero was quick to recognize this soldier as one of his captains, or even more specifically, one of the many who had disregarded his leadership earlier. Link glared up at him defiantly from the ground, noticing that several other weapons were being pointed right at him courtesy of the large group of turncoats all around him.
"All infidels who stand against Lord Ghirahim must be eliminated," the turncoat captain said icily. "Surrender to his command, or die."
"Never," Link said firmly, refusing to fall into the enemy's hands once more.
"Then fall, in the name of our master, Lord Ghirahim!" the turncoat captain declared, the tip of his sword starting to slightly dig into the hero's collarbone. However, before he could cut too deep, he suddenly let out a cry of pain and began to collapse to the ground, much to Link's confusion. What bewildered him even more however was the fact that all of the nearby soldiers also stopped and dropped their weapons, many of them shaking their heads and muttering to themselves in confusion.
"Looks like we bailed you out yet again!" Karane said with a joking laugh as the hero glanced up to see that she had been the one who shot an arrow into the captain's back at just the right moment, Groose and Pipit joining her.
"Thanks," Link said with sincere gratitude as he rose to stand, reclaiming his sword and glancing around at the confused soldiers all around them.
"Hey look!" Proxi exclaimed, calling the hero's attention to the fact that all of the soldiers seemed to be questioning what was going on, as if they did not remember their traitorous actions of just a few moments ago. "I think defeating the captain freed some of the troops!"
Link's eyes widened as he noticed this, knowing that it was true. Upon knocking the turncoat captain out, the rest of the troops under his command had been freed from Ghirahim's spell. And as the hero came to this conclusion, a sudden idea came to him; perhaps the key to breaking this controlling enchantment was to repeat this exact same process throughout the battlefield.
"The captains…" the hero muttered to himself in realization. "Of course! Listen up!" he called to his nearby allies, knowing that in all of the confusion, they were still the only ones who could accomplish this task. "Defeating the captains returns the soldiers to normal. We have to take them down. There should be about four more of them in the squadron."
"But they could be anywhere around here!" Pipit said, glancing around only to find bokoblins surrounding them now. "How are supposed to find them?"
"I wish Fi were still here," Link said with a frustrated sigh, knowing that now defeating Ghirahim also meant rescuing the lost sword spirit. "She would know where they were…"
However, right as the hero was saying this, as if Fi herself had heard him pining for her, four towering pillars of light materialized at different points all over the Sealed Grounds. The four youths could all immediately see the beacons, and it didn't take them too long to figure out that certainly they were pointing them in the direction of the turncoat captains. Link smiled softly upon seeing them, knowing that they must have been Fi's doing, yet another service she was providing to him even though she could not be with him physically at the moment. Once again, the loyal sword spirit had proved her invaluable worth by providing for yet another miracle.
With merely a confident nod of confirmation, the four allies were quick to split up, each heading towards a different beacon. Captains of the Hyrulian army could be easily picked out from the other soldiers by the large shields that they bore, painted with the design of the Hylian crest upon them. But even more so, the youths were able to quickly locate them thanks to Fi's beacons, which seemed to follow them wherever they went. Of course, all of them were surrounded by other soldiers, but taking them down proved to be relatively easy; Groose, Pipit, and Karane all handled their respective captains with ease, and in doing so, freed large portions of the army from the demon lord's hold. As Link approached the final captain and engaged him in battle, he almost expected Ghirahim to make an appearance and try to stop him, but for some reason or another, he didn't. The hero let out a large sigh of relief as he knocked the final turncoat captain out, releasing the last of his troops and winning the deal he had begrudgingly made with the demon lord. Thanks to Fi's intervention and the aid of his other allies, Link could rest easy, knowing that he wouldn't be turned over to Cia after all.
A wave of momentary calm washed over the Sealed Grounds in the after the Hylian soldiers were all freed from their enchantment. Most of them were still recovering from it as they regrouped and tried to make sense of what had happened to them, but before the hero could even attempt to check in with any of the soldiers under his employ, the voice of the demon lord could be heard throughout the battlefield, specifically directed at Link, who stood his ground and gripped his sword tightly in defiance.
"Oh, so I see you've figured it out, haven't you, hero?" Ghirahim said, disappointment and dry sarcasm lacing his tone. The demon lord paused for a brief moment to let out a slightly unhinged laugh before continuing. "How unpleasant! Normally, I suppose congratulations would be in order, but considering your little sword spirit cheated and unevened the battlefield, I feel no need for any such obligation. Truthfully, I feel annoyed at this continued intervention. Since you can't learn to play fair, I see no reason why I should either. If you and your troops can't learn to follow my direction… then I shall do away with them!"
The hero barely had a moment to let these words sink in before the ground began to shake violently, nearly knocking all of the soldiers scattered throughout the Sealed Grounds off their feet. An aura of darkness rushed forth from the Sealed Temple, one that was so thick and powerful that all could clearly feel it.
"Link!" Proxi exclaimed, directing the hero's gaze away from the temple and to the bottom of the pit instead, where a thick cloud of pitch black darkness had gathered, one that was growing with each passing second. "Look!"
The inky blackness had all coalesced around the stone spike staked into the center of the pit, as if there was something buried underneath it that was just begging to be released. The earth continued to quake greatly as all eyes turned down towards the center of the spiral, everyone watching with baited breaths to see what might possibly happen next.
The rumbling of the ground only continued as the skies above the Sealed Grounds started to grow dimmer and darker, the darkness flooding the pit so much that very little could be seen of the ground. However, it began to rise from the bottom, towering into the sky and repelling nearly every Hylian soldier by its mere force alone. And, when the darkness finally began to settle and clear, they were all able to see a beast that was far beyond anyone's comprehension.
It was a behemoth of a monster, a massive creature that towered at least ten stories tall, dwarfing every single human upon the battlefield to near insect proportions as it rose out of the ground. Its entire form was covered in sharp, black scales and dark, flame-like spines ran down the length of its back. Its wide mouth was lined with several rows of dagger-like teeth and resting atop its head was the spike that was once dug into the ground, the very thing that had sealed it away. It had no arms, but its feet, while relatively short and stubby, were large enough to crush several humans underneath them all at once. Attached to its otherwise inky black feet were four white appendages on each one, most likely its toes, which stirred up the dust upon the ground and caused it to shake with each slow step it took.
And yet, even despite the great clamor the beast was making as it slowly but surely began to shuffle its way up the spiraling pit from the very bottom of it, Ghirahim's wicked laugh of triumph could still be heard from the temple. "The Gate of Souls has revived my true master!" he proclaimed with perverse delight. "Tremble in fear, all who oppose him! Bow to his awesome might, all of you pathetic humans! Surrender, or face your destruction to his great power!"
Most of the Hylian troops were too petrified with fear at the mere sight of this monster to even heed the demon lord's words. Never before had any of them ever laid eyes on such a creature, and the mere aura of evil that it was putting off alone was enough to make most of them tremble where they stood. And yet, one among them did not cower in fear at the sight of this great beast, but instead stood firm and ready to oppose it, even despite the danger that it posed. Link glared at the monster unflinchingly as he gripped his sword tightly, standing upon one of the higher levels of the pit as he was nearly able to look at the beast face to face. For some reason that he couldn't quite place, this creature seemed oddly familiar to him, as if he had seen it before somewhere, but he knew he had no time to focus on that now. It needed to be defeated before it could cause too much damage.
"W-what is that thing!?" Proxi yelped as she flittered around Link in a frightened panic.
"It doesn't matter," the hero said rigidly already starting the long trek down the pit so he could encounter the monster and put an end to it. He knew well that the demon lord had broken the deal that they had made, not that the hero had expected him to keep it anyway, but all the same, he knew what he had to do to protect both this era of Hyrule and every one that followed after. "We're going to defeat it and finish this battle once and for all."
"But how?" the fairy asked worriedly, glancing around at the multiple huddles of terrified troops all around them.
Link also looked around to see all of his troops refusing to fight against such a giant foe, knowing that if left as is, they would be ineffective in repelling it. However, it was at that moment that the hero remembered something that Impa had once told him relatively early on in their search for the princess, specifically as they were traveling to the Eldin Caves: "An army can only be compelled to act against incredible odds when there is a confident leader standing at the helm." Link took in a deep breath as he let this piece of advice repeat over and over in his mind. It was certainly true; the only way any soldier in this army would ever want to stand against such a fearsome creature would be if they had someone boldly leading the way. And seeing as how he was the one appointed to be in charge of these troops, the hero knew that perhaps it was time for him to step up and take charge, instead of stubbornly trying to fight an entire war on his own.
"Everyone, listen!" Link called out as loudly as he could, knowing that he was only really reaching a faction of his troops thanks to the monster's rumbling roars. "We have to get down there and start attacking that thing immediately! We don't have any time to waste!"
"Are you crazy?!" one of the nearby soldiers asked, the terror in his voice obvious. "Just look at that thing! We'll all be killed!"
"I'm not trying to say it won't be dangerous," the hero said boldly, turning to face his troops as he spoke with confidence, hoping that it would inspire them. "But if we don't stop that thing, then who will? That monster isn't just putting the Hyrule of this era in danger; it's putting our Hyrule of the present in danger too. We don't need cowardice right now; what we need is bravery from every last one of you. So, all of us are going to go down there and fight that thing together, we are going to defeat it, and I won't hear any more complaints about it! Now, let's move out!"
For a long moment, the entire company was completely silent as they all stared at their second general, as if they were debating with themselves about what they wanted to do. But all the same, Link continued to stand resolute before them, giving them all a hard expression that proved he was not backing down this time. And, sure enough, his bold words and clear determination at long last garnished at least some form of respect from his otherwise rebellious troops as they slowly began to group together behind him, somehow allowing him to lead the way down towards the pit. The hero nodded in satisfaction and slight relief as he they steadily made their way down to the pit, hoping to catch sight of Groose, Pipit and Karane somewhere along the way. However as the monster continued to slowly inch its way up from the bottom, the voice of the sword spirit herself caught Link's attention, mostly likely because she was managing to speak to him and only him from her blade, which was still trapped by Ghirahim within the Sealed Temple.
"Master…" Fi said in her usual robotic tone, finally recovered enough to at least deliver the hero a message, even though she could not emerge from the Goddess Sword quite yet. Link nearly stopped in his tracks to listen to her, but he continued to lead his troops down the pit all the same as he paid close attention to whatever she was about to tell him. "Allow me to offer you a brief analysis on this monster before you fight it. This monster is known as The Imprisoned, and it is an incarnation of one of the greatest evils in history: the demon king himself. It was sealed away here by the goddess Hylia eons ago after trying to devour the world and claim the Triforce of the gods. In this era, it was defeated by my previous master, but Ghirahim has managed to call upon it from the past thanks to the Gate of Souls. I am unable to ascertain its motives aside from causing sheer destruction to these sacred grounds and all lands beyond it, and therefore it must be stopped immediately. Attacking The Imprisoned's toes and then concentrating force to the spike atop its head will provide the most tactical advantage in defeating it."
The hero smiled upon receiving this information, glad for Fi's always helpful advice. "Thank you, Fi," he said more to himself, believing that the sword spirit wouldn't be able to hear him from such a distance, but much to his surprise, she could.
"You are welcome, Master," she said respectfully. "I await you here within the Sealed Temple and I wish you luck in this battle."
Link nodded in response, him and his troops finally reaching The Imprisoned close to the bottom of the pit. "Attack its toes!" he called to the nearby soldiers, who, while still unnerved at the mere size of the monster, had all drawn their weapons as they stood to oppose it. "We need to bring that thing down to our level!"
For the first time, the troops did not question the hero's commands as they all rushed forward, tackling its bulbous toes on all sides. It was tricky work, considering the fact that The Imprisoned did not stop moving as they attacked it, and so avoiding its thunderous footsteps was anything but easy. A few unlucky soldiers managed to get caught under its giant feet, most of them sustaining fairly heavy injuries, but there was no time to stop their assault now. Link lead the strike as his own sword, paired with the swords and spears of several other soldiers, plowed into The Imprisoned's toes until they all burst one by one, leaving the giant monster with no center of balance. The behemoth let out a piercing roar as it began to crash to the ground, and all of the soldiers made sure to clear the way as it collapsed and rattled the earth, leaving the sealing spike on its head within reach.
Link was the first one to rush towards the spike, leaping as his as he could so that he could reach it. He managed to get about three blows in, all of which caused the spike to dig a bit deeper into The Imprisoned's head, before the monster roared once more, raising its head to throw the hero off. Then, despite that fact that it was no longer standing, the monster somehow propelled itself forward, slithering upon the ground upon its stomach as though it was a snake. Despite its size, it was somehow faster as it moved like this, its wide maw open and ready to rip anything or anyone that got in its path apart as it slid upwards towards the temple. Several soldiers got caught up in the unexpected attack, but most were quick enough to dive out of its path and follow behind the hero as he chased after it, knowing that the less damage it did, the better.
However, instead of simply rising to stand once more, The Imprisoned apparently had another idea in mind. Indeed, it rose up from the ground, somehow respawning its toes as it did so, but instead of standing, it began to levitate off of the ground entirely, placing even more distance between itself and the Hylian troops. Those on the ground watched in both awe and terror as a dark halo formed above The Imprisoned's head, the monster gaining more and more altitude with each passing second. No one had no idea how it was able to do such a thing, but it finally came to a halt above one of the keeps on the upper ring of the pit, one that the allies had claimed against the bokoblin forces a while ago.
"Master," Fi caught Link's attention once more as The Imprisoned opened its sharp-toothed mouth and a plume of darkness began to gather within it. "Beware. The Imprisoned is amplifying its magic strength to destroy an important keep. I advise taking immediate action against it in order to secure the keep and bring The Imprisoned back down to your level."
"Yeah," the hero said with a nod, looking up towards the unreachable monster just as the rest of his soldiers were. "But how in the world are we going to do that?"
Before Link could even try to think of a plan however, a bomb flower was launched out of the endangered keep, vaulting towards The Imprisoned and exploding as it struck it directly in the face. The monster recoiled in pain at the strike, and, unable to maintain its flight, quickly plummeted to the ground it had just risen from, crashing down upon it completely stunned.
"Oh yeah!" a voice cheered up from the upper ring. Link glanced away from The Imprisoned for a moment to see Groose standing beside a catapult-looking device loaded with a bomb, Pipit and Karane defending him from bokoblins from not too far away. "Now that's what I call an explosive landing! Serves that scaly punk right for thinking he can show his ugly face around here again! He's no match for the good ol' Groosenator here!"
"The Groosenator?" the hero called back up towards him, unable to suppress an amused smile at that name.
"Yup!" Groose replied with a chipper grin, giving the Groosenator a pat. "I built this beauty a while back when that thing was threatening this place the first time. Still works like a charm though!"
"Great!" Link said with a confident smile, knowing that this device could certainly work to their advantage in slowing The Imprisoned down. "Keep firing bombs at it. We can't let it out of this pit!"
"Got it!" Groose said, giving the hero a salute as he began to load the Groosenator up with another bomb. Back within the pit, The Imprisoned was still wriggling upon the ground as several soldiers struck towards its spike, all of them seeming to grow more and more progressive as the battle waged on. They got a few good hits in before the monster began to slither once more, plowing its way ever closer to the top of the pit before it stopped once more, this time opting to walk instead of float.
True to his word, Groose continued to use the Groosenator to launch bombs at The Imprisoned, hindering its progress as the Hylian troops went for its toes once more. Repeating the process was tedious, but it was clear that the monster was starting to wear down as its steps became more sluggish and clumsy. Once more, Link fought among his troops, slicing fiercely at The Imprisoned's toes in slight exasperation, for, like the rest of the soldiers, they wanted to bring this droning and dangerous battle to an end at long last.
Though it had taken some doing, the Hylian troops had nearly managed to knock The Imprisoned down once more. Only one of its hind toes remained on its left foot, and as all of the Hylian soldiers expectantly cleared the way, anticipating its fall. However, one lone soldier, most specifically, the hero himself, remained behind, brutally slashing away at the last toe until it burst. However, right at the moment when it finally did, The Imprisoned was struck squarely by a bomb courtesy of the Groosenator. As a result, the monster began to stumble and fall backwards instead of forward as it had before, or most specifically towards Link, who was still directly behind it. The hero's eyes widened as he watched The Imprisoned begin to fall upon him, and though he was mostly able to get out of its way before it landed, his lower right leg still managed to get caught under some of the monster's heavy weight.
"Link!" Proxi screamed worriedly as the hero collapsed to the ground, letting out a sharp cry of agony as he instinctually pulled his leg out from under The Imprisoned, even despite the pain it caused him. Oddly enough, on the outside, his leg did not appear to be too damage. His boot had been ripped off and while his foot was bent at a rather awkward angle, his leg looked mostly fine. But Link knew there was no mistaking the sheer agony he felt upon even trying to move it so he could stand up again.
"Goddesses," he groaned in both aggravation and pain. "I think it's broken…"
"Oh no!" the fairy exclaimed, flying in close to him. "What are we going to do?"
The hero paused for a long moment to catch his breath and attempt to still his racing heart as he looked around. Already his troops were running past him, carrying on with the mission by attacking the sealing spike, which was exactly what he wanted them to do instead of paying him any mind. It was clear that The Imprisoned was close to being defeated, but even then, there was still the matter of ousting Ghirahim before he could use the Gate of Souls to call the monster back once more. And considering how dangerous of a foe the demon lord is, Link knew that he could not back out of this battle now, even despite his apparently broken bone.
And so, instead of answering Proxi, the hero closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, knowing what he had to do, despite the fact that it would be incredibly painful. Fortunately, he had been taught in his training as a recruit how to set a bone back in place, but he didn't even have to have experience to know it was a painful process. So, without any further hesitation, Link leaned over and grasped his leg, pushing down on it as hard as he could with the hope of getting the bone to shift back in place. The fairy forced herself to look away as he let out a loud, pained cry, one that was racked with absolute agony as it continued until, what seemed like ages later, the bone finally clicked back in place.
"Oh, Link…" Proxi said with sympathy for the hero, who was still breathing heavily as he tried to recover from the immeasurable pain he just put himself through. "Are… are you going to be ok?"
Link simply nodded, still unable to speak due to the lingering mind-numbing pain as he pulled out his emergency bottle of red potion, which he had been saving for just such an occasion. Though he knew it was wasteful, he downed the entire bottle all in one fell swoop, knowing that it would largely take away the pain in his leg and allow him to walk again for a little while, even though it wasn't a long term fix. If he didn't get the break treated properly soon, then it could cause permanent damage.
It took some doing, but after a few moments of struggling and steadying, the hero somehow managed to stand once more, unsteadily taking a few experimental steps away from The Imprisoned, which thankfully was still lying prostrate on the ground. The sealing spike was nearly wedged all the way into its head, but Link could tell that one more heavy strike would finally do the trick. And so, even though pain filled each step he took, the hero slowly limped towards the spike, his soldiers all watching him with wide eyes as they parted ways for him, amazed that he was still standing despite the heavy injury he had just sustained. Link didn't acknowledge their show of newfound respect at the moment however, his attention completely devoted on finishing the task at hand. With a loud shout of both pain and determination, the hero stabbed his sword straight upward into the sealing spike, finally running it completely into The Imprisoned's head. The monster let out a piercing roar once more as its large body shook and flailed in an attempt to stay alive. And yet, it had sustained too much damage; as one more bomb dropped down upon it from the Groosenator, The Imprisoned finally stilled before its entire form exploded into a burst of darkness which quickly dissipated away.
The Hylian army let out a collective sigh of relief as their huge foe was finally vanquished. As Link leaned against the side of the pit for support so that he wouldn't have to put as much weight on his leg, he heard Fi communicate with him once more from her vessel. "Master, I can report that The Imprisoned has completely vanished, and that its presence can no longer threaten the denizens of this era, or any other one. You have done well. Certainly you are the true Hero of Hyrule."
The hero smiled softly and simply nodded in acceptance of her congratulating words, but what really caught his attention was the sudden round of cheers coming from the troops. Confused, Link turned to face them only to see that they were all looking towards him, apparently applauding his success in leading them and taking The Imprisoned down. The hero had never really been cheered for before by such a large group, but as he heard several of them calling his name in approval, he realized that was exactly what was happening, though he had no idea how to really take it. Perhaps he was a bit too modest or humble to accept their praise, or maybe he was just too tired from the battle, but all Link really did in response to finally gaining the respect of his troops in full was smile back a bit bashfully. Indeed, he had done as Impa had instructed him; he had been the confident leader that Hyrule's army needed, the leader that had trail blazed the way to success in this arduous battle.
However, despite the celebration of the Hylian army, the battle was still not finished yet, within the furthermost chamber in the Sealed Temple, the demon lord was completely beside himself by how his mastermind plan had just fallen apart.
"Unbelievable!" Ghirahim scoffed to himself in disbelief, shocked that the hero and his ragtag troops had managed to defeat his master. "That… that boy! How did he-?" The demon lord clenched his fists tightly at his sides as he let out a frustrated shout. "This shall not stand! This hero is even more of an aggravation than the sky child was! If he wishes to be such a bother, then I shall certainly give him someone to contend with!"
"No, you shall not," a robotic voice spoke from behind Ghirahim, causing him to turn around and see that Fi had finally transformed back into her sword spirit form, fully recovered from the injury he had sustained upon her. The demon lord scowled at his counterpart bitterly, but the sword spirit simply remained as resolute as ever in her expression as she hovered above the ground as she usually did. "My master is currently injured, and so I shall oppose you in his stead. There is an 80% chance that we are equally matched in strength, meaning that unlike your tactics, this shall actually be a fair fight. Do you accept my challenge?"
"Hold on a moment," Ghirahim said, cracking a sardonic smile as he began to circle Fi slowly. "My darling Fi, you don't really mean it, do you? You know that I would completely obliterate such a weak little creature like yourself…"
"Your approximation of me is incorrect," Fi retorted, circling the demon lord in the same way. "I am no less formidable than you are, Ghirahim."
"Would you like to prove me wrong then, Fi?" the demon lord asked, his voice low and almost sensual as he teleported directly behind the sword spirit, wrapping one arm around her waist as he gently ran his other hand along her jawline. Fi showed no sign of fear or disgust on her straight face, but instead kept her blank gaze directly ahead of her.
"Yes," she said before surprising Ghirahim by quickly spinning out of his grip, repelling him by holding her winged arms out so they could strike him and knock him back. "I would."
With a dissatisfied frown, the demon lord snapped his fingers, producing a long onyx rapier out of thin air, which he was quick to point at the sword spirit. "Very well then, love," he said coldly, a murderous look in his eyes. "No matter how many times it takes, I promise I will shatter you to pieces and blow you aside, all before your little 'master' gets here. Then, I'll do the very same to him!"
"The chances of that happening are unlikely," Fi said formally, holding one of her arms out as the duel began. Ghirahim was quick to take the offensive by rushing towards his counterpart, but unlike him, Fi was calm and levelheaded in the face of battle. The sword spirit gracefully twirled out of his path, stopping a small distance away from him as she held her cloak out wide and sang a single note in her robotic tone, a flower-like design appearing on the ground below her. Ghirahim managed to get caught up in it and immediately recoiled in pain from the pure light emitting from it, but he was quick to retaliate by sending several small knives flying in Fi's way. The sword spirit blocked most of them with her cloak, but the few that did manage to hit her caused no real damage to her metallic form. The demon lord growled in aggravation as he thrust his sword out at her, hitting her neck and sending her back a bit, but she was quick to transform into the Goddess Sword and slash at him in return. Ghirahim was ready for this however as he made a transformation of his own.
Dark diamonds covered the demon lord's form as he shifted into his true form, one that looked quite similar to Fi's. Ghirahim's skin turned black, white diamond patterns tracing throughout his entire body as his scarlet cape disappeared. The gem on his chest turned a shadowy shade of black and his hair shortened and curved to the point at the top of his head just as Fi's did, his eyes turning blank and white, though there were still no less malicious.
The sword spirit remained in her blade form only long enough to slash at the demon lord, but his new form provided him with extra defense. He repelled her using a much larger sword than he had used before, a dark, thick claymore. As Fi transformed back, Ghirahim was quick to land a heavy blow upon her from above, letting out a wicked laugh as he did so. The sword spirit let out something akin to a cry as she glanced down, seeing that the demon lord had managed to sustain a crack upon her gem, though it wasn't enough to bring her down. Instead, Fi resumed fighting against her counterpart, spinning deftly as she held her arms out wide, striking at Ghirahim repeatedly and getting a few strikes in before he attempted to hit her with his claymore once again. This time, the sword spirit avoided it, countering him by kicking him in his chest roughly and somehow making contact with his gem. Just like Fi's gem had been cracked, Ghirahim's also managed to sustain damage, making them both equal in that regard.
"How dare you!" the demon lord shouted in agony, appalled that the sword spirit had somehow managed to hurt him at all. "You have no idea how long it took to polish this gem to perfection!"
Fi did not offer a response as Ghirahim let out an angry shout, reverting to his original appearance. The sword spirit shifted into the Goddess Sword briefly as he did so however, slicing across his back from behind before she moved away from him to regroup and transform back. The injured demon lord sent a flurry of knives her way, all of them aimed directly towards her gem, but it was clear that by this point, Fi had gained the upper hand due to her relaxed manner and lack of unbridled fury. If there was one thing that the two blades did not have in common, it was their drastically different personalities.
"I will give you one last chance, Ghirahim," the sword spirit said stoically. "Stand down, or face defeat."
"Never!" the demon lord nearly screamed in absolute fury, refusing to be beaten by his counterpart, whom he viewed as inferior to him by far. With another enraged shout, Ghirahim rushed towards Fi blindly, grinning almost insanely as he noticed that she did not take up any sort of stance against him whatsoever. However, right before he ran his blade through the sword spirit's gem once more, she glided high into the air, revealing a third figure had entered the battle and now stood to oppose the demon lord instead.
Ghirahim let out a small gasp of shock as his saber met with Link's sword, the hero swinging broadly in order to knock him back. Since the demon lord was unprepared, he stumbled backwards until Fi returned to the battle, transformed into the Goddess Sword as she stabbed him directly in his chest, where his gem would be if he were in his true form. Ghirahim let out a cry of pain as he was thrown to the ground, rolling across it roughly several times before he re-gathered his bearings, landing squarely on the ground in front of the Gate of Souls, which rested at the back of the chamber.
"You bothersome fools!" the demon lord shouted in raw rage, holding his rapier out beside him as he glared hatefully at both of them. "You both shall fall to my blade and be buried in the bloodbath that I will ensure all by myself across this land!"
"I don't think so," Link said confidently before he held his sword out, rushing towards the downed demon lord as quickly as he could despite his broken leg. Fi was quick to follow after him supportively, but she could see that her master could handle the job. Ghirahim had barely risen to stand completely before Link was upon him, leaping high into the air before bringing his sword down upon the demon lord unforgivingly.
Ghirahim could do nothing as the sheer force of the blow knocked up back roughly, letting out a pained, angry shout as he was sent flying backwards. The demon lord's scream died out as he was repelled into the Gate of Souls itself, disappearing into its pitch black depths, finally defeated.
"Master," Fi said as she landed from her high position directly in front of the Gate of Souls. Link stood before it as well, breathing heavily as he tried to recover the exertion he had just put upon himself. "Raise your sword skyward and then bring it down. I calculate that there is a 100% chance that doing so will close the Gate of Souls and stem the tide of monsters in this era."
The hero nodded as the sword spirit cleared out of his way, watching as he followed her instructions and raised his blade into the air. Thanks to Fi's intervention, a golden light from the heavens surrounded the sword and as it reached its peak brightness, Link brought it down and let the light go, sending it flying right into the center of the Gate of Souls. The purity of the light enveloped the gate, and as it spread out, it quickly dissipated the Gate of Souls until it was at long last no more, revealing another, much more benevolent looking gate behind it.
"What is that?" Link asked curiously as he looked at the gate, which looked something like a clock, bearing the mark of the Triforce at its center and the emblems of the three golden goddesses on it as well.
"This is the Gate of Time," Fi said eloquently. "It is a portal that transcends the sands of time, much like the Gate of Souls. However, it is primarily used for travel as opposed to summoning monsters."
"Really?" the hero asked with interest, leaning up against one of the walls of the temple. "You don't think I could use it to get back to my own time, do you?"
"I am afraid not," the sword spirit said. "According to my calculations, this Gate of Time is dormant, meaning that you will have to return to your present in the same way that you came. I apologize."
"It's ok," Link said with a small shrug, knowing that it would be a trek to get back to the present, but at least his mission in this era had been successful.
"Master, it is my duty to serve you, and in that duty, I will accompany you wherever you may go, including to your time," Fi said, once again showing her loyalty. "I consider it an honor to fight alongside you."
The hero couldn't help but smile upon hearing that, knowing that he would be glad to introduce his allies in the present to the incredibly helpful sword spirit. "Thank you, Fi," he said with sincere gratitude. "For all your help."
"I am merely preforming my duty, Master," the sword spirit said, still as mysteriously stoic as ever.
The hero and the sword spirit had no more time to privately converse as their other allies soon arrived on the scene. Link greeted Groose, Pipit, and Karane happily, glad to see that they were all alright in the aftermath of the difficult battle. Now that the fight was over, they all had time to rest and relax, as well as converse more about both the battle they had just fought and about each other in general. And, seeing as how it was already approaching nighttime already, the hero and his forces agreed to spend the night in the area, before returning to the present the next day. However, despite all of the levity and the celebrations that were going around in the aftermath of a battle successfully won, no one was able to see the figure lurking in the shadows, keeping a close eye on the hero and nothing else.
Cia smiled darkly to herself from her well-concealed hiding place as she watched Link supervise his troops in setting up camp within the Sealed Grounds. The black witch knew that with this Gate of Souls, they had all been closed, but that didn't particularly matter to her so long as she would still be able to get her hands on the hero eventually. Her plans had been eschewed a bit, but that didn't matter; she would just go back to the drawing board and formulate a new one, all centered around her ultimate goal this time, which was even more than merely conquering Hyrule. She wanted Link, and she would do whatever she had to, kill as many as she needed to and destroy as much as she had to just to get him.
"Soon, my love…" Cia whispered softly, her violet eyes staring into his light blue ones, even though he did not see her gaze. "Very soon… The stage has been set for the final act of our little game of cat and mouse… Darling, you may not know it yet, but you and I are meant to be… You will see… You will love me… and only me…"
Ok, so we are at last done these era chapters, which is great because next chapter we will have everyone reuniting and meeting and I have some great interactions planned for that. So yeah, it will mostly be a break chapter next time, not a lot of action, but you know we need that, so hooray! Now of course, before we go, let's talk weapons. What was your favorite weapon in Hyrule Warriors (any character)? For me, i'd like to say that I like using Young Link's Fierce Deity Mask, as well as Epona (for Link). Let me know your answers in your REVIEWS! And also before I go, I'd just like to say thank you so much for all of your kind hearted words in the reviews for the last chapter. Your kind encouragements really kept me going and I really cant thank you all enough. And so as I'm off to go celebrate my birthday (which is tomorrow), I wish you all the best. Until next time! :D