BAM! SHE IS BACK AGAIN! After over a month of absence from writing Zelda fics, I finally make my triumphant return with a chapter I have been wanting to write since I first started this story. And, with my new laptop and a new desire to pump this fic out in tandem with L&S and my crossover, I am back and hopefully here to stay! Now, I won't be replying to reviews here, since I plan on going back to my usual PM replies after this chapter is posted, so yeah. Might as well dive back in! :D
Chapter 22: War of Spirit
An uncomfortable tension rippled through the leading ranks of the Hyrulian army as they made their final approach on the Temple of Souls. With a string of boisterous victories behind them, one would think that the force's morale would have improved remarkably, and yet nearly every soldier could sense the strain amidst their leaders. Their allies from the other eras felt it too; something had shifted in the chain of command, and it had given way to an unknown bout of anxiety and disagreement.
At the center of all this stress were the hero and the princess themselves, something that most of the allies had easily guessed, though none of them really understood what had opened a rift between them over the past several hours. Only Impa herself really knew thanks to Zelda venting to her about her argument with Link the previous night, though Lana had been able to infer that they had some sort of falling out. It was for that reason that the two of them marched on opposite sides of the leading ranks, not even bothering to so much as glance at each other as they made their way through the Forbidden Forest. In fact, the princess and the hero hadn't even tried to speak a single word to each other since the day began, something that was disconcerting to the other allies considering they were marching headlong into what they hoped would be the final battle.
The imposing exterior of the Temple of Souls soon became visible through the thicket of decaying trees, and as the Hylian army came to stand before its elaborate metal gates, they collectively came to a stop so they could take in its twisted magnificence. Leading up to the temple was a sprawling garden filled with nothing but roses as far as the eye could see in many different sizes and colors. The once-pristine temple itself was showing signs of the evil that had corrupted both it and its mistress, with parts of its marble edifice beginning to crumble and decay into blackened ruins. Several portions of the temple even seemed to be lopsided and unnaturally tilted in unexplainable ways, just a further sign of how twisted Cia had become in her wickedness and lust. Lana couldn't help but take a few steps forward before the rest of the army, trying her best to hold back tears as she stood upon the grounds that her and Cia, once united, had once called home. But this place of darkness and evil was no longer her home now; it couldn't be. Even after they hopefully vanquished Cia, the white sorceress knew in her heart that it would be too painful to ever return here, to the very place where they had been violently torn apart, the place where this madness, this war had begun.
Upon being faced with the venue for their final battle, Link and Zelda finally found themselves exchanging a very brief, furtive glance, neither one of them wanting to show signs of any apprehension now. And so they both looked away in bitter glares, showing that there was still no resolution between them in sight. After all, neither one of them believed that there was anything they needed to apologize or reconcile for. Zelda firmly believed that Link was being immature, childish and selfish in his desires to try and end the war all on his own, something that she viewed as a foolish impossibility and nothing more. At the same time, though he had told no one of his unexpected rendezvous with Cia the previous night, Link couldn't help but recall the black witch's ominous accusations she had made against the princess and her predecessors as far as the pain they had caused past heroes went. As much as he didn't want to believe them, a part of him seemed to be telling him that Cia had been right, that Zelda really didn't care for him and only saw him as a pawn, born for the sole purpose of suffering and dying for her and her kingdom and nothing more. But, if there was anything that Link was resolved to do in this final showdown against the forces of evil it was to prove that he was so much more than what Zelda supposedly thought he was. He was going to dismiss everyone's doubts and underestimations once and for all, even if he had to stand against Cia all alone.
"Alright everyone," Impa was the first to break the longstanding silence of the allied forces, calling them to attention as she came to stand before them alongside Lana. "This is it; the moment we have been striving towards since this war broke out. Today, we make our last stand here against the black witch and her hordes. I'm sure you are all aware by not that not all of you standing here will make it out of this temple alive, but even despite that, remember to fight with valor and courage, no matter how great the threat we might face is. Remember what we are fighting for, the lives were are trying to save, the people we are working to liberate. Remember that, as an army, we stand together, we fight together, and we die together! We will not be cast aside and trampled under the feet of our enemies! We will fight until our dying breaths and we will not rest until this kingdom is free!"
Nearly the entirety of the Hyrulian army erupted into a round of booming, patriotic cheers in response to their first general's morale-boosting speech. In fact, the only ones who did not join in were the hero and the princess, both still too caught up in their hostile feelings towards each other to really join in the revelry of their army. Thankfully, none of the soldiers picked up on this, though a few of the leading allies did, specifically Lana, Midna, and Fi, though they said nothing about it, despite that fact that the lack of enthusiasm from Link and Zelda both was troubling at a moment like this.
"Very good," Impa said with a determined grin and a nod of pride for her forces. "Then let's not waste any more time. This war ends today! Move out!"
The soldiers did not hesitate in obediently following this order, showing how far they had come in their union and resolve. No further instructions needed to be given on how they were to split up, or where they needed to go. As had been decided the previous day, the troops split up into four fairly equal groups, each group under the direction of a different pair, and spread out around the fringes of the temple before moving inward. Clearly, Cia had been preparing for their arrival to her domain for quite a while, as the temple grounds were already infested with a great abundance of nearly every type of monster, from bulbins to stalfos to redeads and everything in between. And yet the Hylian army pressed on undaunted, their burning desire to win this war pushing them through the enemy's storm.
It took a while for everyone to split up, but after they did, the only ones remaining at the temple's main gates was a relatively small group of elite forces, spearheaded by Link, Zelda, and Impa. The Sheikah guardian nodded for the troops to move on ahead into the garden, leaving only the three of them behind as a tense bout of silence mounted between them all.
Needless to say, Impa took Zelda's side when it came to how Link was acting recently, but unlike the princess, the Sheikah guardian had far less patience when it came to dealing with such irrational brashness. Which was why Impa stared Link down harshly as he simply crossed his arms and glared away, already anticipating more belittling that he was in no mood to deal with.
Though Impa was fully prepared to give the hero another verbal lashing, she controlled herself, knowing that letting her anger erupt at the beginning of this integral battle would do no one any good. "Link," the Sheikah guardian began calmly enough, though she kept her tone and countenance cold and firm.
"What?" the hero asked crossly, making no attempt to hide his own inner rage, especially as he heard the princess scoff at his impudence in the background.
Impa took in a deep breath as she continued. "At least try to remember what we discussed," she said authoritatively. "The Master Sword is the most powerful weapon we have in our arsenal," she said, trying to avoid boosting Link's already massive ego by making anything close to the claim that the hero himself was the most powerful warrior amidst their ranks. "And as such, it should only be used as much as it's needed."
"I don't need anyone trying to tell me how to use my sword," Link said with blatant defiance as he passed Impa, a haughty stride in his step. "But I'll try to keep that in mind."
The Sheikah guardian nearly lashed out at him in fury once again upon hearing the clear sarcasm in his tone, but the princess ultimately stopped her before she could, speaking up instead as the hero began to enter into the garden. "Link, wait," Zelda said, her tone missing the edge that she wanted it to have and instead reflecting something more akin to remorse, even if there was only a hint of it.
Link stopped upon hearing this and turned to face her, his expression stony and unreadable as his icy blue eyes bore into her ocean blue ones. And all at once, Zelda found herself at a loss for words, her mind blank of anything that she could have possibly said at a moment like this. A small part of her wanted to apologize for her own rashness, even if he had been the one truly in the wrong. After all, what if something were to happen? The last thing the princess wanted was for her last interactions with the hero to be so bitter and coarse. But in the end, her pride got the better of her as she merely brushed her feeble attempt at smoothing relations between them off as she simply regained her regal composure, her posture astute and her voice hardened and apathetic. "Never mind," she said succinctly. "Carry on."
Though the hero was somewhat curious as to what the princess had really wanted to say, he ended up merely rolling his eyes as he turned once more, pressing onward into the garden with his fairy companion tentatively following closely behind him. Both Zelda and Impa lingered behind for a moment though as they watched him engage the first few monsters in his path with no signs of fear or weakness whatsoever. The Sheikah guardian's darkened expression softened as she glanced over to her ward, who, now that Link was out of her range, could only stare at the hero with a look of nothing less than absolute concern and worry.
"Princess?" Impa asked carefully, not even needing to say anything else for Zelda to understand what she meant.
"I'm fine," the princess said with a diffident sigh, drawing her rapier in preparation for battle. "He's fine. We're both fine. Why even worry about him at all, right? He knows what he's doing." The hints of doubt and anger in her tone were undeniable as she continued, but the Sheikah guardian made no comment on them as she began to follow Zelda into this deciding showdown. "He is the hero, after all."
Considering how harsh Link had been with her the previous night, Proxi was initially hesitant to breathe a word to the hero at all, lest she accidently incur his wrath once more. And yet, as the fairy watched the hero take on the crowds of monsters in the garden entryway, she couldn't help but get caught up in the clear, elated, though almost savage excitement and adrenaline that Link was putting off. And indeed, the hero felt completely at ease as he lost himself in the art of his own swordsmanship once more, feeling more and more empowered with each swing of his sacred blade. In light of the blood of the monsters he was ceaselessly spilling, he felt as though his own blood was pounding through his veins in a feverish, yet irresistible way. There was no feeling in the world that could possibly be compared to how Link felt so long as the Master Sword was in his grip. When he used it for the sake of vanquishing his foes, he felt all of his worry, even his former anger and turmoil completely disappear, as if it had never even existed in the first place. And as this confidence rose to the forefront, so too did the idea that this final battle would be a short one. For certainly, not even Cia and all her dark magic could hope to succeed against the might of the blade of evil's bane and its destined wielder.
Right?
"You're doing a great job, Link!" Proxi praised the hero as she flittered just a little above his head, a small part of her hoping that such encouragement would chase away the memory of him scolding her the previous day. "You've already taken out nearly a hundred monsters without so much as breaking a sweat! You're on fire!"
"I know, right?" Link agreed with a proud grin, his breathing heavy, yet excited as he paused for a moment in wake of the round of beasts he had just slaughtered. "And the best part is that it's a straight shot into the temple from here. Barely even a challenge at all!"
"Yeah!" the fairy said, hiding her slight anxiousness well as she glanced towards the doors to the temple, which hung wide open, almost as if Cia was welcoming them in, despite the fact that she had not communicated with them at all since their arrival. "Let's just slice up these enemies in the way really quick! It'll be easy with the Master Sword!"
"I couldn't agree more…" the hero said with a grin of anticipation as he brandished his blade, already rushing on deeper into the garden. Lana and Fi had already been working in the inner garden alongside their forces to cut a swath through the enemies, though Link didn't pay them too much mind as he fought on his own, ignoring any sort of aid that his allies were attempting to give him. The white sorceress quickly took notice of this as she glanced over at the hero upon defeating a redead, seeing that he was so caught up in the heat of battle that he was scarcely taking his surroundings into consideration at all.
"Link?!" Lana called out as she turned towards him, a frown crossing her features as she watched him kill a bulbin rather violently by cleanly decapitating it with a single swing.
"Hey, Lana!" Link greeted as he turned away from his latest kill with an almost euphoric grin on his face. "What's up?"
"Are… are you alright?" the white sorceress asked in clear anxiety, something that only grew as she tentatively glanced around at the garden surrounding them, seeing what the hero still failed to notice.
"Of course I am," the hero laughed, having all but forgotten about his former bitterness towards Zelda in the midst of all the sheer fun he was having in this fight. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"H-haven't you noticed?" Lana asked, amazed that he hadn't seen the stone effigies all around them, something that haunted her with every passing moment she spent in the garden. "You know… the statues?"
"What about the st-" Link suddenly cut himself off upon following her gaze to the statues in question, his jaw dropping in sudden shock and appalment. At each corner of the maze-like garden stood a large marble statue, all of them standing out amidst the blood-red roses and encroaching thistles. They were all different visually, yet upon seeing them, the hero instinctually understood the common theme between all three designs. One design was of a proud wolf, somewhat similar in appearance to the Twili one that Midna rode around on, his posture poised to pounce and his sharp teeth prepared to attack. Another statue bore the visage of but a young boy, only about ten or so, clad in a cap and tunic similar to Link's own, an ocarina poised to his lips in an eternally silent song. The final and most striking design to the hero bore an almost eerie semblance to him, a young man about his age with similar features, clothing and build and all, the only difference being that he wielded the Master Sword in his right hand as opposed to his left as he raised its tip towards shadowed skies above. Needless to say the hero was taken aback upon seeing these startling monuments, his bold elation completely shattered upon realizing, without even needing to be told by the white sorceress or the sword spirit that these were all effigies of his previous lives, all immortalized in a twisted shrine by Cia herself.
"Link…" Lana finally choked out stiffly, just as disturbed as the hero was as she attempted placing a hand on his shoulder. However, before she could, the black witch's wicked laughter finally echoed out across the temple grounds, breaking up the flow of the battle as spoke to Link directly, completely ignoring everything else that was going on in the battle in favor of her love.
"Well, well…" Cia said coyly from her secure spot within the temple's main chamber, the only part of the fortress that was closed off from the inside out. "Looks like your right on time, Link… How exceptional… I simply can't express how utterly beside myself I am that you came to see me! And I can tell that you admire my statues, don't you? Well, get used to them, darling! After all, as soon as I make you mine, this place will be our glorious home... Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Across the battlefield, Zelda stabbed her rapier into a stalfos aggressively upon hearing Cia's flirtatious message to Link, an unknown burst of hot fury coursing through her. "Stupid…" she muttered to herself, knowing that such feelings were foolish at a moment like this, especially after her falling out with the hero. And so, she did her best to block out the black witch's further callous statements, instead throwing herself into the heat of battle and endlessly striving towards the moment when she could make Cia pay for all of this once and for all.
"Oh, and what's that?" the black witch went on, easy laughter trilling in her tone as she watched the hero glare towards the temple from her base, a lustful grin gracing her lips. "Did you find a shiny new sword, dear? Mmm… I'd simply love to see it… Care to come show me what it can… really do?"
Link scoffed in absolute disgust upon hearing this, understanding the innuendo she was making as much as Lana did. The white sorceress's cheeks lit up in an embarrassed blush, unable to believe that Cia would stoop so low, but she supposed that the statues were proof enough of her lewd desires.
"Don't let her get to you, Link," Lana said with firm resolve, even if she was still immensely bothered by everything Cia was doing. "She's just trying to psych you out, but you can't let her."
"I know," the hero said as he regained his former verve, trying his best not to pay any more attention to the eerily on-model statues. "So how are we supposed to get to her if she's locked herself up inside the temple?"
"There should be three magical keeps inside the temple," the white sorceress said, her knowledge of her former home coming in handy. "They're supposed to serve as something of a barrier against invaders to protect the chamber that me and Cia used to house the Triforce in, the very same chamber that she's made her base. If we capture them, then we can cut off the flow of magic that's keeping the chamber sealed, leaving Cia with no place to go."
"So just capture the keeps then?" Link asked, already ready to dive headfirst into this new task. "I'm on it!"
"Ok, well, I-" before Lana could even finish, the hero was already off, dashing headlong into the temple without a second thought or any further need for clarification. The white sorceress signed in clear anxiety over Link's obvious overconfidence, knowing that it could certainly cost him if he wasn't careful. But all the same, there was no time to focus on that now; they had a battle to win. "I… guess I'll just go tell everyone else, then…"
Lana did exactly as she said, delivering the message to the other allies about the magic keeps in record time and prompting them to set individual courses to capture them. Zelda and Impa led their forces towards the western magic keep, working together seamlessly on the battlefield just as they always had, even amidst encountering the vicious attacks of the monsters in their path.
"The magic keeps are spawning strong enemies!" Zelda called out to Impa in the din of the battle, narrowly dodging a stab from a bokoblin's blade. "Cia must be using her magic to empower them!"
"Then we'll simply have to stand stronger than they are," the Sheikah guardian reassured, determined to take down the enemy forces that were greatly outnumbering them. "Let's just hope a certain someone doesn't get anymore out of hand while doing so…"
Zelda let out an apprehensive sigh, knowing full well who Impa was referring to. "As much as I hate to say it after what happened last night, I really am worried about him, Impa…" the princess admitted after cleanly taking out another stalfos. "He thinks nothing bad can happen to him because he's the chosen hero. At this rate, his recklessness and complete disregard for danger might cost him dearly."
"Then it will be a lesson well learned," Impa said coldly, firmly believing that Link needed to be put in his place.
"But what if something happens to him?" Zelda asked with clear anxiety, wishing that she could hide her worry for him away, though it was largely impossible. "He may be misguided, yes, but the last thing I want is to see him get hurt!"
"We don't have time to watch over Link in this battle, Zelda," Impa said as calmly as possible as she clicked her giant blade back into its stealth. "If he gets himself into trouble, then he'll have to get himself out of trouble. We have more pressing matters to worry about now, like capturing these keeps."
"I suppose you're right…" the princess said, though she was still frowning to herself as she continued to press her way through the monstrous hordes alongside the Sheikah guardian, edging ever closer to capturing the nearest magical keep.
"Whoa!" Darunia exclaimed as he was knocked back a bit by a moblin's shield. Agitha likewise shared the same sentiments as she stumbled backwards away from a bulbin after a failed attempt on the behalf of her moth friends in defeating it. "We're in some deep gravel now! The enemies we're facing have a lot more power than what we're used to!"
"Yeah!" the insect princess agreed with a concerned pout. "These beasties are quite rude! I believe they deserve a time out!"
To prove her point, Agitha was quick to unleash a jar of wasps upon the group of monsters rushing towards her, acting as quickly as possible to help them by swinging her parasol out at them. The Goron patriarch heartily joined in by whamming his hammer into the skull of the nearest stalfos, shattering it instantly. And yet, even despite the equal enthusiasm of them both, they quickly found themselves becoming surrounded by monsters on all sides within the magic keep they were trying to capture.
"Oh no!" the insect princess exclaimed as the crowd of monsters grew even more aggressive, to the point that they were merely swatting her attacking beetles away. "Mr. Darunia, these baddies just won't leave us alone! What do we do?"
"Er—don't worry, little sister!" the Goron patriarch did his best to reassure the girl, even though he had just received a rather nasty cut across the stomach from one of the stalfos's blades. "We can handle this!" Of course, Darunia wasn't absolutely certain of what he had just said, but he knew that he had to keep Agitha's morale high. After all, the last thing the protective Goron patriarch wanted was for the young girl to get hurt under his watch.
However, just when it seemed that the two of them and all of their accompanying forces were completely surrounded and practically overwhelmed, a new warrior managed to break through the monstrous ranks. Darunia and Agitha watched with both relief and surprise as Link, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere, began taking down all of the nearby monsters effortlessly, the Master Sword working quickly and skillfully in his grasp. In almost no time at all, he had singlehandedly taken down a majority of the enemy forces within the magic keep, capturing it in the name of the Hyrulian forces and cutting off a third of Cia's external power.
"I was just passing by and it looked like you guys needed a little help," Link said with a confident grin as he turned to Agitha and Darunia once the keep was clear. "Looks like I was right."
"Wow, Mr. Link!" the insect princess exclaimed with a wide smile of delight. "You really showed those nasty monsters! None of them are as strong as you are!"
"Yeah, great job, Brother Link!" Darunia encouraged with equal verve. "We were stuck between a rock and a hard place before you showed up!"
"Eh, it's all part of the job," the hero said casually, though it was quite clear that he was relishing in their praises. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's still two more magic keeps to capture. Oh, and please try not to get into any more trouble, ok, you guys? I don't want to have to come rushing across the battlefield to save you next time."
Though Link left the keep with a daring, mostly good-natured grin, both Darunia and Agitha couldn't help but exchange a confused glance, knowing that it wasn't like the hero to be so cocky and callous. They hadn't noticed it that much before, but there was no denying it now; Link was letting his confidence get the better of him, a misjudgment that could very well prove to be costly, if not deadly, if left uncorrected.
Two of the three magic keeps had already been secured by the allied forces, leaving Ruto and Midna to capture the only remaining one in the northwest. The two princesses were a surprisingly formidable fighting force, combing water and shadow magic together in graceful, yet deadly attacks as they tossed playful banter back and forth the entire time.
"Once we take care of this final keep, hopefully we'll finally be able to get in that chamber and knock that constantly smug grin off Cia's face!" Midna proclaimed excitedly, more than ready to make the black witch pay for the curse she had placed upon her.
"Somebody's a bit overzealous…" Ruto said with a teasing laugh. "Though I can't say I don't share your sentiments. That shameful witch deserves to be taken down after all of the chaos she's caused. Not to mention for her appalling fashion sense…"
"Like you're one to talk," the Twilight Princess scoffed, knowing that Zora's didn't have the need to wear clothes in the traditional sense, a trait that the Twili shared.
The pair of princesses and their accompanying forces had made it to the magic keep by now, however, as they crossed its threshold, Ruto and Midna were met with a surprising sight. The keep was all but cleared out, with only a few straggling monsters remaining, though they were quickly being wiped out by the hands of the hero alone. For several moments, Link didn't even notice that his allies had arrived until he had felled the last bulbin, turning to the entryway of the keep so that he could finally head for the main chamber and face Cia.
"Oh, hey, Midna, Ruto," he greeted with a relaxed smile as he sheathed the Master Sword. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We were here to capture this keep, but it looks as though you beat us to the punch…" the Zora princess said with a disappointed frown as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah, what's up with that, Link?" the Twilight Princess asked somewhat bitterly. "We could have handled this one. Besides, you look… kinda banged up…"
The hero frowned and rolled his eyes at this, not realizing that Midna was right. He had suffered multiple cuts and bruises all over his body, and though he didn't want to admit it to anyone, he had managed to mildly sprain his knee in an encounter with a redead a while back. Most noticeably, however, were his black eye and swollen jaw, both results of a fight against a particularly fierce moblin. However, all these injuries were but minor pains in the midst of the adrenaline rushing through him, the high of battle freeing him from pain and pushing him ever onward.
"Well, now you guys don't have to worry about it," Link said with a shrug, feeling as though he was more than capable of handling this entire battle on his own. "After all, I was more than happy to capture this keep for us."
"But aren't you worried that you're stretching yourself a bit a bit… too far?" Ruto asked with a frown of concern.
"Too far?" the hero asked with a laugh. "Don't be silly. I've got everything covered."
Midna let out a disgruntled scoff upon hearing this, recognizing his overconfidence easily. "Yeesh, could you're head get any bigger, scarf-boy?" she asked rather harshly. "You do realize you're not the only one out here fighting, right?"
Link's expression darkened upon hearing this, knowing that Zelda and Impa had both presented him with very similar arguments before. He was somewhat surprised that he was hearing this from Midna, however, especially considering that she had traveled with a hero in the past. He thought that out of all of their other allies, she would have understood the weight of his heroic destiny instead of calling him out for what he simply viewed as his embracing and acceptance of it. But apparently, he had been wrong. "I do," he said succinctly, not really wanting to stick around to be scolded at once more. "And I… appreciate everyone's help."
"Help?!" Ruto scoffed in disbelief. "So you're saying we're only here to help you, instead of actually fight on our own terms then? Because if that's the case, then you're sadly mistaken."
Clearly annoyed by his allies' continued lack of support, the hero prepared to offer a biting retort, but before he could, another voice called out amidst the temple's dark, lofty corridors, speaking only to Link once more as if he was the only one present.
"Link, stop wasting your time with these petty brawls!" Cia proclaimed somewhat impatiently from her central chamber. "I'm so eager to see you, my love! My doors are always open to you…"
The hero clenched his fists tightly upon hearing this, completely forgetting about his former disagreement with the Zora and Twilight princesses. "It's time," he said with anticipation, drawing the Master Sword as he turned his attention towards the nearest entryway to the sorceress's chamber.
"The doors have opened and Cia's inside," Proxi confirmed as she hovered close to Link, trying her best to hide the hint of fear in her tone as she instead replaced it with the same self-assurance her companion was showing. "This is it! Let's take her down!"
Link simply grinned confidently and nodded in response, already drawing the Master Sword as he began to dash out of the keep, not even bothering to say another word to Midna or Ruto.
"Link, wait!" the Twilight Princess exclaimed with sudden concern, but her cries fell on deaf ears as he hurried off to what he perceived as his ultimate destiny. The two princesses could only watch with disapproval and shake their heads, both of them knowing that the hero was jumping into this dangerous battle far too brazenly.
The doors to the sorceress's chamber were indeed open wide on all sides, but the hero approached the room from its main entryway, completely undaunted as he rushed past all of the monsters in his way, not even bothering to waste time in taking them down. In his mind, this was it: the beginning of the final battle, the crusade that would finally end this war once and for all. His glorious victory in this last stand would spurn him into the very pages of legend where his illustrious predecessors resided. He would forever be known as the courageous Hero of Hyrule, the one who single-handedly took down the black witch and her treacherous forces and lived to tell the tale. He would show Zelda, Impa, and all of their other doubting allies that he was more than capable of fulfilling his destiny on his own, without any need for help or council. He was the hero, after all. This was his mission. He was going to succeed or die trying. This was the very reason why he lived.
Link was just about to pass through the threshold into the monster-infested chamber when Zelda and Impa both happened to round the nearby corner to see what he was about to do. "Link!" the princess exclaimed, unable to contain her worry for him any longer as she realized that he had every intention of heading into this battle alone. "Stop!"
The hero did so as he turned towards her with an obvious glare of displeasure. "Save it, Zelda," he said bitterly. "I know what you're going to say; that all of us should go in and fight Cia together."
"Yes!" Zelda urged as she stepped closer to him, her heart filled with fear over what might happen if Link attempted to take this task on by himself. "Link, please. You have to listen. Even though you wield the Master Sword, Cia is still has the Triforce of Power and she's still incredibly powerful. It's far too risky to go up against her alone! If something were to happen to you-"
"Nothing's going to happen to me!" Link insisted stubbornly. "You said so yourself, Zelda. This is my destiny! I should be the one to fight Cia, no matter how dangerous it might be!"
"Link, destiny and dying aren't synonymous," Lana interjected, having arrived on the scene moments ago alongside Fi and overheard the conversation. "Rushing into this battle alone won't prove anything. Acting on impulses like this isn't brave; it's foolish!"
"I agree with Miss Lana," Fi spoke up in her usual monotone way. "Master, I can concur that your chances for success in this battle are less than 20% if you choose to stand alone in it."
"I don't care!" Link argued back fiercely, unable to contain his frustration over their collective doubts and concerns any longer. "I'm tired of none of you believing in me! I can do this alone and I'll prove it!"
"Link, no!" Zelda shouted, her heart racing as she tried to think of anything she could say to do to stop him as he turned to face the sorceress's chamber once more. The princess was fighting back tears as she imagined the worst case scenario, which was far worse than the possibility of the hero even dying.
"Link!" Lana and Impa also shouted in concerned unison as the hero boldly stepped into the room, undaunted by their warnings and protests. His sword was already drawn and his expression carried cold determination as well as burning anger. He refused to let anyone hold him back now, or ever again.
His surrounding allies continued to cry out warnings as he passed fully into the chamber, and though they all rushed after him in the hopes of following him, they were quickly blocked in their attempts. The thick stone doors suddenly slammed shut the moment Link was fully inside of the room, crashing closed just as Zelda reached them. Her emotions getting the better of her, the princess let out a frustrated, tearful scream as she pounded against the doors with all of her might, her thoughts completely focused on whatever fate the hero could possibly meet behind them. It took both the Sheikah guardian and the white sorceress to gently pull her away as she continued to sob aggressively, her heart breaking over how Link had so carelessly chosen his destiny over his own life, as well as her. Zelda knew she was acting completely irrational, but she didn't care. All she could think about was the very real chance that she could lose the hero, whom, despite his glaring flaws, she had come to care so much about over the past several weeks.
"Shh…" Impa consoled Zelda solemnly, folding her young, distraught ward into a motherly, comforting embrace. In many ways, the Sheikah guardian shared the princess's worries over the hero, for even despite his impudence, the last thing she wanted was for him to meet his end, something that seemed quite possible now. "I'm sorry, princess. But he made his choice, as foolish as it was. His fate rests in the hands of the goddesses now. All we can do now is hope for the best…"
Link had barely even noticed that the doors had slammed shut behind him as he dashed forward into the horde of bokoblins lining the room. His sword brandished and his entire body hot with trembling excitement, the hero launched himself into the oncoming fray, barely even giving the monsters any time to react to his appearance. The tip of the Master Sword ripped cleanly into the chest of the nearest bokoblin, sending it spiraling backwards to the ground in its dying breath. Link didn't miss a single beat as he immediately spun around to cut through the monsters that were attempting to attack him from behind, powerfully slicing at them with just his sword alone, his shield still strapped to his back. It wasn't like he needed it anyway, considering the fact that Cia was still nowhere to be seen amidst these brutish hordes.
The hero couldn't help but let out an amused, cocky laugh upon seeing the bokoblins lining the edges of the room begin to shuffle backwards, their weapons raised in defensive positions upon merely watching him take out several of their brethren so effortlessly. Link lashed his sword out as a further sign of his clear advantage over them, skillfully spinning it in his hand as he gave them a confident grin, one that warned them of the certain death that would befall them if they even so much as attempted to attack him. Even creatures as ignorant as these beasts could see the hero's skill and bravery, and Link took pride in the fact that they feared him, knowing that none of them stood a chance against his deadly blade. He was on top of his game, the strongest warrior in all of Hyrule. There was no man nor beast that could best him, for he would certainly never falter or fall.
Or so he believed.
"A sword is just a tool for the weak to swing around," Cia's voice suddenly spoke calmly and collectedly from an unknown place, prompting Link to put his guard up as he glanced around for her. "Only fools and men but confidence in them…"
The hero spun around right as the black witch materialized several feet behind him in a burst of violet flame. Cia eyed Link lustfully, her scarlet lips brimming with a pleased grin as she stood in a firm, yet seductive pose, scepter in hand as she let out an easy laugh. The hero said nothing as he set his jaw, his grip on the Master Sword tightening up just the slightest bit.
"Hello, darling…" the black witch cooed, holding back her immense excitement about being alone with him well. "You can't imagine how long I've been looking forward for this moment…"
"You mean your defeat?" Link asked boldly, refusing to show any signs of fear, for he genuinely felt none. "Because that's what I've been looking forward to."
"My, aren't we brazen…" Cia mused, clearly taking amusement in his confidence and finding it enticing and attractive. "And so hasty too… Why don't you slow down a moment, dear… After all, you haven't had time to notice my knack for… interior decorating…"
"What are you talking about?" Link asked, but he quickly gathered what the black witch was talking about as he followed the movement of her hands to the stone walls surrounding him. His breath caught as he froze in place, even more shocked now than he had been upon seeing the statues in the garden earlier. Hanging on all four of the walls of the chamber were a myriad of paintings of various sizes, all of them incredibly realistic in depicting the lone subject present in every single one of them: the hero himself. However, as opposed to being images of his past incarnations, these were all of Link himself, sparring no detail at all, from the color of his eyes, to the windblown nature of his hair, to the wear and tear of his tunic, to the folds of his scarf. The accuracy of them all was startling to the point of being almost terrifying, especially since each one depicted the hero in a different pose or expression. Link couldn't help but stare at them all with wide, shocked eyes, feeling the weight of his own gaze bare down upon him in the most unsettling of ways.
"W-what… how did you-" the hero attempted to ask, but his voice came out as little more than a breathless choke.
"You'd be surprised what magic can accomplish, love," Cia answered his broken question, clearly aroused by how unnerved he was. "I'd like to think that these are all my master works, if I do say so myself."
Unexplainably nervous, Link found himself taking a stumbling step backwards, trying his best to avert the countless sets of sky blue eyes all somehow staring at him but failing. He knew it was pathetic to show fear at something as harmless as mere paintings, but all the same, he couldn't help but feel disgusted and terrified by how deep the black witch's twisted obsession with him ran, which was far greater than he had originally thought. "W-why?" the hero barely managed to ask amidst his own breathlessness, gripping his sword tighter than ever, as it was the only thing he had left to remind him of his own strength amidst this madness.
"Because…" Cia said, her smile finally fading into a darker expression as she inched closer to him, the shadows of the already dark room making her beautiful face even more mysterious. "I want you, Link… You have always been my ultimate goal, the always unattainable prize to be won… But now… you're here… and you're finally all mine…"
Upon hearing this, Link finally found his former resolve returning, knowing that even despite the black witch's blatant insanity, he was still here for a purpose, a purpose that he was going to carry out no matter what. "I will never be yours…" he said boldly, standing strong and firm as he brandished his blade in preparation to fight her.
Cia pouted in mock disappointment, looking the hero up and down once more before a small, cunning grin crossed her lips. "Such arrogance… such ego… such pridefulness…" she mused, placing a hand on her hip as she realized that she was mere seconds away from fulfilling her ultimate ambitions. "This darkness nurtured within you…" she said, her voice rising as she raised her staff slowly. "Shall be your undoing!"
Before Link could even try to think about counterattacking, Cia brought her staff down fiercely, a bold of pitch-black magic shooting forth from it. His shield still put away, the hero had no means of protecting himself from the burst of darkness darting towards him at a frightening pace. It pierced him directly in the chest, ripping through his body sharply and powerfully as an immense wave of untold pain washed over him. Though the sensation only lasted for a moment, he felt as though something was being drawn out of him as the darkness passed through him, but ultimately it did just that. The bolt of magic surged through his body briefly before leaving him be, though the force of the attack was enough to send him to his knees as a lingering, jolting pain continued to course through him.
Link desperately attempted to catch his breath his he held his hand over his heart, which was the spot where the burst of magic had struck him head on. As he slowly lifted his hand from his chest, he expected to see blood pouring from a no doubt fatal wound, but he found not a single sign that he had ever been attacked in the first place. Confused and unnerved by this, the hero looked towards the black witch distrustingly, unsure of what her attack was even supposed to do. Cia simply smirked as she lowered her staff and nodded to a point behind him, silently telling him to turn his gaze in that direction.
Tentatively, Link did so, only to see a sight that made him gasp in absolute shock. Rising up from the ever-growing shadows behind him was a vaguely humanoid shape, though right as the hero realized that this creature was coming from his very own shadow did it begin to solidify into a more recognizable form.
"Link!" Proxi exclaimed in a horrified whisper as she apprehensively came to rest upon her companion's shoulder. "It's… it's…"
"Me …" Link finished, just as frightened to see that the shadow had taken his own form, the only difference being that its body was entirely black, save for its piercingly glowing red eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul. The shadow lumbered forward slowly, wielding dark versions of the very same weapons the hero had, clearly preparing to attack.
Watching her beloved's shock and dismay with perverse enjoyment, Cia let out a coy laugh, more enticed than ever as she realized that she no longer had to rely on dark copies of the hero to pleasure herself now that she had the real thing in her grip. "I can see the darkness in your heart, darling," she said to Link, nearly swooning with desire as he glared back at her fiercely. "It's so rich… so beautiful… but it begs the question… can you overcome it?" The black witch laughed once more as she watched the hero struggle to rise to his feet against the dark doppelgänger she had created, clearly still weak from the spell she had cast upon him as he stumbled and nearly collapsed once more. But all the same, Cia knew that she had to be patient for just a few more moments, knowing that she was so close to having the one thing she desired above all else. "Don't disappoint me, love!" she exclaimed as she made her quick retreat to her unknown vantage point, leaving the hero behind to fend off his dark copy.
"Link, Cia escaped!" Proxi informed her companion in a nervous panic as Link took up an offensive stance against the shadow.
"We'll deal with her later," the hero said as boldly as possible, though it was clear his confidence had been shaken in light of the fact that he was about to essentially fight himself. "Right now we need to get rid of this… thing…"
"All by ourselves?" the fairy asked as Link dodged the shadow's first attack, retaliating with a slice that nearly bounced off of the copy's dark blade.
"Yes!" the hero exclaimed as he thrust his blade towards the shadow. "I can handle this!"
"Link, now's not the time to be overconfident!" Proxi admonished, refusing to let him get away with this cockiness now when his life was on the line. "I shouldn't have egged you on about all this! You need help!"
"No, I don't!" Link argued fiercely, letting out a cry of pain as he took a rough blow to the shoulder. "This thing is my shadow, and I can take care of it on my own!"
The fairy didn't protest any further as she hovered nearby, watching apprehensively as the hero futilely tried to get in an attack against his dark copy, only to have each swing be blocked squarely and evenly. But all the same, Link refused to give up, glaring at this shadowy imposter fiercely as he continued to rush in with strike after strike, none of them landing at all when compared to how many attacks the tireless, lifeless shadow was getting in on him. Yet despite that, the hero refused to admit he had been wrong about needing aid. He could handle this. This was just a minor setback. He would defeat this imposter and then move on to defeating Cia before the day was through. This was just another obstacle, another monster that he would take down with verve and skill.
Or so he hoped.
Despite Impa's coaxing to return to the usual flow of battle, Zelda refused to leave the doors to the sorceress's chamber, pressing an ear close to them in order to catch any sounds of distress or pain that might alert her to Link being danger. For a long while, she heard nothing, that is, until the sounds of shouting and swords clanging became apparent through even the thick doors.
"Link!" Zelda exclaimed fearfully, already pounding on the doors once more, even though she knew nothing would make them budge. Impa had given up on trying to calm her down, since the princess's concerns all rested solely upon the hero's wellbeing now. However, it was ultimately Fi who came forward and confirmed to the princess, the Sheikah guardian, and the white sorceress what was going on.
"I can confirm that the black witch has retreated from the chamber," the sword spirit reported. "However, I am detecting a collective source of darkness still inside, one that has similar readings to… Master Link?"
"What does that mean?" Impa asked, knowing that it certainly didn't sound good.
"Oh no!" Lana exclaimed with a sudden gasp, catching onto Cia's tricks quickly. "She's using the darkness in his heart, all of his overconfidence and selfishness, against him! He could be in great danger! There must be something we can do!"
"We have to get in there!" Zelda exclaimed desperately. "Now!"
"I am afraid that might not be the most advisable course of action at the moment," Fi said, having just completed another scan of the area. "According to my calculations, the aforementioned darkness has taken the form of a dark copy of Master Link, and I can conclude that Cia has positioned several more evil versions of him throughout the temple. I recommend dispatching them immediately."
"But what about Link!?" the princess protested, struggling against the Sheikah guardian's instant grip as she finally managed to push her away from the door.
"There's no way of reaching him right now, Zelda," Lana said with a pitied frown. "We're all just as worried about him as you are, but-"
"No!" Zelda shouted fiercely, her emotions all bubbling to the surface as it took Impa having to physical restrain her to keep her from outright physically attacking the white sorceress. "You don't understand! You're nowhere near as worried about him as I am! You couldn't possibly understand how I feel about-" the princess cut herself off quickly as she let out a cry of frustration before going off on a different tangent entirely. "I drove him to this! It's because of me that he's trying to prove himself! And if she takes him, then I'll… I'll be…" Zelda trailed off once more, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks as she collapsed to her knees and looked towards the doors once more with a look of absolute hopelessness once more. "It will be all my fault…" she whispered brokenly, unable to tear her eyes away from the doors that her hero was behind. She knew she was being absolutely pathetic in the midst of such an important battle, but she knew now that there was no denying how she felt, and how those feelings were driving her to the brink of absolute despair now.
No one said anything in an attempt to console the distraught princess as the Sheikah guardian dismissed the white sorceress and the sword spirit to aid their allies in taking out the scattered dark copies of the hero. Impa let out a sad sigh as she glanced down at Zelda, who was sobbing inconsolably. She didn't need the princess to tell her how she felt about the hero to know where all of this grief and fear was coming from, which was why she couldn't really blame her young, terrified ward for any of it. At the same time though, the Sheikah guardian couldn't help but feel enraged at Link for making Zelda feel this pain in the first place through his own selfishness and stubbornness. If the hero did actually end up making it out of this fix alive, then Impa intended to see to it personally that he would have the suffering he was putting the princess through returned to him tenfold.
Link let out a frustrated shout as he pressed his own blade hard against his dark copy's sword, his arms shaking out of exhaustion and soreness as he was shoved backwards roughly. The hero let out a harsh cough as he tried to regather his bearings, blood coming up as he used his free arm to make a feeble attempt at covering the rather heavy wound torn across his abdomen. He had lost track of how long he had been fighting his shadow quite a while ago, but he had certainly taken a brutal beating since this duel had began. With no backup or assistance, Link found himself taking the brunt of almost every attack that the shadow threw at him, barely managing to land any himself, and even when he did, they did little to deter the merciless doppelgänger. His over-bolstered confidence had finally began to fade away into an ever-growing fear that he was fighting a battle he could not possibly hope to win. Already he was losing a significant amount of blood from the deep cuts torn across his shoulder, stomach, and leg, which, added onto the fact that he was tiring out at an alarming rate, only made his situation worse. But all the same, the hero knew that he couldn't give up, for surrendering now would be the same as surrendering into Cia's hands, which was exactly what she wanted.
The shadow's level of aggression seemed to be constantly rising, especially as it managed to bypass Link's shield and give him a solid, forceful kick in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. No longer able to keep his balance amidst his exhaustion, the hero crashed into the nearest portrait of himself hanging from the wall, letting out a sharp cry of pain as a sudden pain sparked across his back.
Surprisingly, the shadow actually backed off a bit as Link tried to pick himself up off the ground, hunched over on one knee as he coughed up blood yet again. The pain of his wounds was only made worse when combined with the immense frustration he was feeling over his weak inability to defeat his own shadow. He glared up at the dark imitation of himself, its soulless glowing eyes bearing down upon him just as much as all of the paintings did, threatening to suffocate him with their judgmental glances alone. He was losing, he had come to terms with that fact, but what made that sinking, burning, terrifying feeling even worse was the fact that he was losing to himself, to his own darkness. His own stubbornness had brought him here, his selfishness had ensnared him in this deadly trap. And only as he was about to face defeat at essentially his own hands did Link realize that he had indeed been wrong his whole time; he should have listened to Zelda, Impa, Lana, Fi, and everyone else, he shouldn't have let his overconfidence get the better of him, he should have been more patient, he should have been more careful.
There were so many things he should have done, and now, it was too late.
"Aw… Is my darling hero getting lonely with just one measly shadow to play with…?" Cia's voice teased Link from an known hiding spot, enraging the hero even more. "Perhaps you'd like a bit more company?"
As if out of nowhere, two more dark copies of the hero, identical to the first one, appeared in instantaneous bursts of darkness, all three of them brandishing their black blades against the wounded original. Knowing that he had to get moving again, Link hurriedly and clumsily rose to his feet, trying his best to chase away the dizziness that such a sudden movement caused him.
"Oh no, Link!" Proxi exclaimed, absolutely terrified as she hovered a few feet above the hero, her concern for him deeper than it had ever been before. "What are we going to do?"
The hero, too weary and breathless to offer a real response, simply shook his head as he wiped the blood surrounding his mouth away, his grip on the Master Sword never faltering as he prepared to face off against the trio of shadows. He did the best he could to ward off a simultaneous strike by two of them, deflecting them with his own blade even though he couldn't stop the third copy's strike to his upper arm. Link ignored the slay of blood that came from the rough wound as he desperately searched for an opening, anything at all that would allow him to make an offensive strike, but he could find nothing. The defense of the three shadows was like an impenetrable wall, one that was pressing hard against him with every intent of killing him slowly and torturously if he could not escape it. And in light of how injured, exhausted, and alone he was, the chances of escaping this onslaught were next to none now.
Link was defending against a barrage of attacks from one of his dark clones when the inevitable fatal blow came. He only saw the flash of the black blade for a very brief second, but he had no time to even let out a gasp of shock before the ebony sword tore across his chest quite heavily. The hero was unable to restrain his own cry of absolute agony, no longer able to keep his hold on the Master Sword as it clattered to the ground beside him unceremoniously. The force of the brutal strike was enough to throw him backwards when accompanied with one of the shadows' shields crashing into his already ripped open chest. Link wrapped a shaking arm around the wound as he back pedaled into the corner of the room, realizing with absolute hopelessness that he was surrounded and weaponless, the Master Sword lying on the ground just outside of the circle of shadows and out of his reach.
With only his shield to sustain him, the hero feebly held it up in front of his chest, knowing that it was the only thing standing between him and death. And even as pathetic as it was, Link found that he was struggling to fight back tears of pain, fear, and shame over how he had gotten himself into this mess. He had allowed this darkness that he was now physically facing to steadily grow inside of him, and now that it was out, he was succumbing to it yet again. Only now, it was even worse. Now, because of his own darkness, he was about to die, all without letting Zelda know just how much of a fool he had been, and how very sorry he was for letting her and all of Hyrule down.
However, right before the trio of shadows could land their final blows upon the beleaguered hero, they seemed to all freeze in their tracks, their blades raised high in preparation for strikes that would not fall. Link stared up at the ebony swords with fearful apprehension, unsure as to what was happening as he took advantage of the moment and slowly began to edge backwards, knowing that there was only a few feet standing between him at the corner, but he didn't care. If it could save him just a few moments, if it could give him just a few more seconds for a miracle of any kind to happen, then stalling the inevitable would be worth it.
The last thing Link expected, however, was for his wrists to suddenly be gripped tightly from behind, absolutely startling him as he was pulled back into the corner, or more specifically towards the black witch who had a steady and firm hold on him. "Don't worry, love…" Cia whispered sensually, her voice striking the suddenly terrified hero's ear as she held his arms behind his back forcefully and leaned in beside him. "I'll save you from yourself…"
Absolutely confused and frightened out of his wits, Link had no time to react to this sudden turn of events before Cia lightly grazed her fingers upon his neck, sending a small spark of magic through his entire body. The black sorceress laughed in amusement as she watched the hero begin to sway forward, though she still managed to catch him and hold him close, not even letting him fall into full unconsciousness before they both disappeared in a burst of dark magic.
It took one of the dark heroes finally happening upon Zelda and Impa to get the princess to regather her bearings and rise to fight once more. Lana had left to help Fi, Ruto, and Midna fight off one of the imposters a while ago, leaving the princess and her guardian alone to await on the hero. The Sheikah guardian had managed to convince her ward that the best thing they could do for the hero now was to help their allies ward of this evil doppelgangers, with the hope that Link could do the same on his own.
Zelda was admittedly a bit apprehensive about dueling against a twisted version of the hero, having to constantly remind herself that it wasn't really him as she traded blows with the shadow. Of course, Impa was making far greater strides against the copy, her anger towards the real Link showing quite clearly as she landed blow upon heavy blow on the imposter. And though the princess tried her best to be of as much use as she could be in the fight, she couldn't help but continuously turn her attention back towards the nearby doors to the sorceress's chamber, realizing with silent fear that everything behind them had suddenly grown silent.
"I-Impa…" Zelda choked, her eyes widening as she lowered her blade and took a step away from the barrage of attacks that the Sheikah guardian and the shadowy hero were exchanging. "I… I don't think he's-"
"Oh, how right you are, princess!" Cia's mocking laughter suddenly echoed throughout the main hall of the temple as the shadow Impa was fighting with suddenly disappeared entirely. The princess and the Sheikah guardian both spun around in startled shock to see the black witch herself, levitating high above their heads over the center of the hall, a triumphant grin spread across her crimson lips.
"Cia!" Zelda shouted with venom in her tone, her grip on her rapier like iron as she took a bold step forward. All of her former fear towards the black witch all but faded, replaced with a desire to see Link safe and out of her treacherous hands. "Where is he?!"
"Why, Zelda, whatever do you mean?" Cia asked, feigning innocence as she was clearly reveling in this moment.
"Don't play games!" the princess demanded, pointing the tip of her saber at her enemy as the Sheikah guardian stood tall beside her, her own giant blade ready to attack the black witch on a moment's notice. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! I swear to the goddesses, if you've hurt him, I'll-"
"Don't be ridiculous," Cia interrupted, rolling her eyes in amusement. "I wouldn't dream of harming my new… prize…" The black witch laughed in wicked triumph as she held her arms out wide above her, a figure materializing amidst the shadows in the vacant space above her head, very far out of the princess's reach.
Zelda nearly screamed when she saw him, suspended limp and unconscious in the air, completely at the mercy of Cia's magic. He looked as though he had been beaten within an inch of his life, his clothes torn and soiled with blood that was still pouring from his multiple heavy wounds. Even though his eyes were shut and his mouth was hung agape, his expression still somehow looked pained and lost, something that broke the princess's heart even more. But what bothered her the most was the fact that a spiral of dark magic seemed to be steadily spiraling over his entire prone form, making Zelda fear even more for whatever Cia's dark powers might be doing to him. She had seen this coming from a mile away, and yet she had prayed with all of her heart that it wouldn't happen, but it had all the same. Link had been captured, but Zelda didn't even have to make the resolve to herself that she would die trying to save him if she had to.
"So… what do you think?" Cia asked patronizingly, clearly enjoying the look of both shock, horror and rage on the princess's face. "Personally, I believe I've been waiting for this moment for far too long now, and of course, I knew that the first person I had to show the spoil of my victory to would be you, princess."
"Let him go!" Zelda practically screamed, her entire body shaking with fury. "Now!"
"Oh, now that's going to be a problem," the black witch mused with mock sympathy. "You see, while you may think that you're destined to be with him, you're sadly mistaken. You've used him time and time again, in both this live and all of your previous ones, and so I've decided that you simply don't deserve him any longer. Which is why I've taken matters into my own hands and am making him mine once and for all!"
By this point, the princess was so enraged that she was barely even listening to a single word the black witch said. All she could think about was that Cia had the audacity to capture Link, that she had the gall to even claim that she was doing so in the name of actually caring for him after supposedly injuring him so brutally. And in that moment, Zelda completely abandoned all her wisdom and restraint. She saw red as she lurched forward, her boots pounding on the ground as she rushed for Cia as fast as her legs could carry her, a powerful, practically vicious scream tearing from her throat as she focused every last fiber of her being on taking the black witch down.
"Zelda, no!" Impa shouted in sudden fear as she watched the princess blindly rush forward, but it was too late. Zelda would heed no such council now, not when Link's life was at stake. But in the end, such a thoughtless attack was futile, as Cia simply used a wave of magic to knock the princess back away from her and her prize before she could even come close to attacking. Zelda flew backwards for a moment before landing roughly on the ground, pain sparking throughout her entire body as she desperately tried to pick herself up off the ground and try again.
"Face it, Zelda!" the black witch said as she glided a bit closer to the injured princess, who glared up at her fiercely as the Sheikah guardian checked her over to make sure she was not seriously hurt. "You've lost! Your armies have fallen!" "Your kingdom will crumble! Your hero… is mine!" As she spoke, Cia called forth her scepter, dark magic sparking around it as she raised it high, not towards the captured hero, but towards the princess herself. "And now… I do believe it's time for you to leave…"
Zelda only had time to let out one more frustrated scream before Cia threw her staff down, casting her magic throughout the entire temple. Immediately, every last regular soldier of the Hylian army disappeared, cast out of the temple completely and scattered across every corner of Hyrule like grains of dust. However, the black witch had something more sinister in mind for the essential allies of the Hylian forces. No more than a moment after watching with shock as their forces disappeared, Fi, Midna, Agitha, Darunia, Ruto, Lana, Impa, and Zelda all disappeared as well in bright flashes of light, split apart and tossed amidst the sands of time according to Cia's wicked desires.
And, as they all vanished without a trace, the black witch simply laughed in her ultimate triumph as she grinned up towards the listless, captive hero lustfully, reveling in the fact that after all these years of waiting and wanting, he was finally, finally hers.
OOHHHHHH CLIFFHANGER! Look at me, completely going against the plot of HW and doing my own thing! Well of course! And I have to say that this tangent is going to go on for quite a few chapters, so buckle up for what I like to call the "Temple of Souls arc", which honestly began with the last chapter, but whatever. Anyway, I had a whole bunch of things I wanted to say here, but I honestly forgot them all, so I'll keep things brief. For now, I'll just leave you guys with the chapter question: Are you excited about Hyrule Warriors Legends? I know I am, especially since we're getting TETRA, Daphnes, Skull Kid and Phantom Ganon! So awesome! Let me know in the REVIEWS! Thanks against to you all for putting up with my sporadic ways! I promise that the next chapter will not take months on end! Until next time!