A/N: This chapter was revised as of 2/4/2021 - Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.
When Heroes Fall
By: Selphie Kinneas 175
Chapter 26: Tug of War
.:.
Link looked Ren in the eyes he did not recognize.
There he saw years of pain and suffering, Ren's pain, Ilia's pain, his own pain. Ren was the mirror he hated to look into. His mistakes made real. His guilt manifested. In the boy's face he saw Ilia, her innocence, her selfless love. In the boy's face he saw himself as a child, his own abducted childhood, his abandonment.
Link stood before his son unarmed. His weapon lay beside him – he refused to fight him.
Ren pointed his sword to his father's neck, the boy's expression furious hate personified.
"Do you want to kill me?" Link asked.
"Yes," Ren answered without hesitation.
Link held his open palms out in defense, "I want to fix this, Ren."
"It's too late," Ren's voice was flat and emotionless.
Link inched forward, "Your mother wouldn't want this."
"Don't speak to me of my mother," Ren snarled, "You know nothing of what she went through."
"You're right," Link surrendered, "But I know she would want us to get along. To be father and son."
Ren clenched his teeth and tightened the grip on his sword, "Don't say another word or I'll kill you!"
Link swallowed hard. He believed in the good in his son, and he did not believe his threat.
"I love you," Link whispered, and Ren drove his blade through his father's chest and pierced his heart.
Link gasped and blood pooled in his mouth. He looked down at the blade protruding from his chest, and he gazed painfully at his son who dealt the blow. There was no remorse in Ren's cold eyes. Ren yanked his sword free and Link's hands quickly clutched his gaping wound. Link coughed and sputtered, dropping to his knees with a look of utter heartbreak.
Ren lowered his weapon and stared at his dying father. Link feebly reached out to him with a trembling hand, but Ren turned his back on him and walked away. Link was left to die alone, his ragged breath the only sound that accompanied him. He looked down at his bloodied hands and felt the exhaustion overpower him. He collapsed to the ground and shivered in pain.
In his final moments he was alone, and his loneliness smothered him until his friend cloaked in black came to take him away at last. After so many close encounters, he could not evade him this time.
Until he woke up.
Link jolted up and breathed hard. He panted and sweat dripped down his temple. He looked around in frantic terror that he was still dying, his eyes wide as he tried to discern what was real.
"Hey, are you okay?" that familiar voice was like a lighthouse in a raging storm – she always brought him back.
He clutched his chest and looked down, fearing the reality of his nightmare. He found no gaping hole, no fatal wound, no blood. It was a dream... it was a dream... He let out the longest sigh and untensed every muscle that had involuntarily locked up.
Midna looked at him in worry and asked again, "Are you okay?"
He shrugged off the topic.
"How long was I asleep?"
"An hour."
Link looked confused, "We only stopped a minute to rest. I don't even remember dozing off."
"You must've been tired," Midna said, her voice still thick with concern.
Link wiped his hands down his face and got to his feet. He dusted himself off and looked around. They were nearly to the top of Death Mountain, and he was eager to keep going. He glanced over his shoulder to ensure Midna was following him, but she was still.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Just... never seen you have a nightmare like that. I want to be sure you're okay."
Link contemplated answering but shrugged it off again, "I'm okay. I thought you wanted to hurry up and get out of here."
She stood with a defeated expression, "After you."
He could tell she wanted a healthy admittance of the turmoil that was devouring him from the inside, but he had no desire to speak it aloud – it felt too much like speaking it into existence.
It didn't take long for them to reach the mountain's inner chambers. Darbus sat with the four Goron elders at his side, discussing something Link could not make out. The patriarch was quick to notice the intrusion.
"Little human," Darbus sounded displeased, "What brings you here, Brother?"
Link approached with Midna close behind; Link liked the quick cut to the chase.
"Goron tribe," he addressed formally, glancing between each of them, "I'm sure you haven't been blind to all that the mad king of Hyrule has wrought upon us. I come to ask-"
Darbus snarled as he cut him off, "As I thought! The Gorons have no interest in human problems. Leave at once."
Link's shock was evident on his face – he had thought the Gorons would be the easiest won asset.
Link took a step forward, "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Gorons and humans have long been allies."
"Humans have only ever betrayed us!" Darbus roared, "Gorons have trusted humans too many times. That man who claims to be king was the final straw!"
Link looked to Gor Coron in desperation. He could tell the elder Goron wanted to help, but, at the same time, he did not disagree with his leader.
Darbus cooled off minutely, "I know you are one of the good ones, little human, the same to the shaman and his family," the Goron shook his head, "But the Gorons have been wronged by the humans one too many times."
Link got closer and lowered to his knee in respect, "Patriarch, please. I need your help. The same darkness that once afflicted you years ago now afflicts my son. Surely you understand."
The elders each shot Link a look, and it was then Link remembered that - prior to using Darbus' help to enter the abandoned village where he pieced together Ilia's forgotten memory years ago - Gor Coron told him that they never informed Darbus of what had really happened to him. The elders let Darbus believe he simply blacked out on an excursion in the mines; he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was once controlled by the Fused Shadow.
"Darkness?" Darbus bellowed, "What in Death Mountain's fire are you on about? No darkness has ever afflicted me!" he laughed and again became serious, "No, little human. We cannot trust your kind. Never has a human done anything good for us! Never has a human ever done anything for me."
Link sighed in defeat and stood up, and just as he was about to thank the patriarch for his time and come up with a new strategy, Midna spoke up.
"Never done anything for you?" the queen of Twilight spat sarcastically, "Link saved your life. He fought the literal evil out of you and brought you to your senses."
The Goron elders gasped, and Darbus stared at Midna in disbelief.
"Gah ha ha! A little human! Saving me!" he laughed before returning his gaze to her with fire in his eyes, "Who are you? Who dares to come to my mountain and speak to me like this?"
Link opened his mouth to save face, but she didn't allow it, "I'm an advisor to the hero, the one to whom you owe your life."
Darbus grew frustrated, turning to his elders frantically, "Brothers, what does this crazy woman speak of?"
The elders glanced between one another before Gor Coron replied, "She's right. When you touched the treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits all those years ago, you were consumed by evil. This little human saved you."
Darbus was too shocked to speak.
"We knew, being as you are such a proud Goron, Brudda, we could not tell you you were saved by a human or you would go mad," Gor Ebizo explained.
Darbus' mouth hung open as he stared at Link. It took some time for the words to finally come to him.
"That's why you were there when I woke up, Brother? You... saved me?"
Link nodded, "Yes."
Darbus pondered how he felt about it for a long time. Link remembered Darbus as being very proud of his people, his strength. Darbus remembered hearing stories of the hero, and when that light went off in his mind, the dots all connected, and it was all too easy to accept.
Darbus stood from his seat and approached Link. Darbus knelt before him and the Goron elders followed suit, some more rickety than others. Link felt his heart swell both in pride and discomfort. To receive respect and admiration for his actions gave him validation that it meant something, all his suffering was worth it in the end. But at the same time, the attention made him uncomfortable and he never felt like he deserved the praise.
After a moment, Darbus got to his feet and looked at the hero. He placed a heavy hand on Link's shoulder and smiled.
"Perhaps in my youth, my Brothers were right: I would have been too prideful a Goron to accept that a human could save me. With my age and wisdom, I have come to see that great size and strength does not mean you will never need saving, nor does the lack of apparent size and strength determine heroism."
Link smiled and he watched the wheels in Darbus' mind turn. The patriarch pursed his lips and contemplated his stance.
"I still believe humans have betrayed Gorons far too many times, Brother. We have placed our trust in them time and time again and look what happens?"
Link stood tall and confident, determination plain on his face, "I can't speak for all humans, but when the Gorons placed their trust in me I did not let them down."
Darbus looked astonished in the moment of silence that followed. Then the giant Goron laughed out loud and clapped the hero on the back.
"This little human speaks with the strength of the Gorons! Manly and powerful! A strong will and sharp eyes," Darbus took a step back and folded his arms over his broad chest, "I will hear your request, Brother."
"I am going to take down the king of Hyrule, but I will need help in doing so. I am recruiting all races who would join the cause and fight back with me."
Darbus narrowed his blue eyes, "All races, you say? Who has joined you?"
"Aside from the humans of Kakariko and Ordon, the Zoras and the Yeti of Snowpeak have agreed to fight with me."
A hint of surprise flashed across the patriarch's face, "The Zoras will come?" he rubbed his chin and pondered, "The Zoras have suffered much loss. Their pledge shows me that this fight is an important one."
"It is. All of Hyrule and beyond will be at the mercy of the mad king if we do not stop him."
"Hmm," Darbus squinted as he thought long and hard.
"We Gorons are still a strong, overwhelming force, Brother," Gor Amoto said, "We have many warriors."
"We are not the type to sit idly by," Gor Liggs added, "What would become of the Gorons if we did not help, Brother? If we chose not to aid the good and allow the evil to prosper?"
Darbus looked at last to Gor Coron, the elder whose opinion he trusted the most.
"Our ancestors would want us to help defend Hyrule. She is as much our home as the Hylians. If we do not use our strength to help, it is a waste," Gor Coron said. He paused, noticing Darbus was still contemplating. The elder glanced at the confidence on the hero's face and had a final point to make, "Brother, I know you are hesitant because humans have wronged us, but this little human has done enough good by himself to make up for his entire race. He came to our aid when his strength and courage were small, his number only one. He asks for our aid now, when our strength and courage are great, and our numbers greater still. Think not of the bad humans in your decision, think of the good ones."
Darbus stared at the hero as Gor Coron's words sunk in. He remembered years ago when the blackness devoured him like a plague, and he had no recollection of what he had done. All he knew was coming to in the mines with a tiny, miniscule human fretting over him, making sure he was okay. The shaman and other residents of Kakariko had always been kind and compassionate to the Gorons. It was true, he had many terrible stories of humans who had wronged the Gorons in the past, most of all that nasty Viscen who had had the gall to trespass on his mountain and defile it by constructing easy access for humans. But, when he thought of the humans who had done good, it outweighed the rest.
Darbus at last smiled, "You are a good human, Little Brother. The Gorons will help, because it is as much our fight as it is yours."
Link smiled and bowed his thanks. Midna smiled just the same.
"We are meeting in Kakariko in two weeks," Link said.
Darbus nodded and pounded his chest, "The Gorons will be there! We will be ready to fight."
Link nodded and Darbus said his farewells with a strong pat on the hero's shoulder. The elders gave Link smiles and nods in acknowledgment, and Link and Midna took their leave.
They began their descent in silence, and Link could tell there was something more on Midna's mind than just the allegiance of the Gorons.
"What is it?" Link asked.
Midna stopped and looked at him. At first, she wanted to do what he always did: lie and shrug it off. But she was sick of the back and forth and the not being honest; it only dragged out their discomfort.
"I couldn't help you against that twilit monster."
Link furrowed his brow, "You did what you could, and we defeated it."
Midna shook her head, "You defeated it. I feel useless without my powers," she examined her hands and returned to Link's imploring eyes, "I can't stand on the sidelines and watch you do all this alone. I have to help in some way."
"You help just by being h-"
"No," she spat, "That's not enough anymore. Will you teach me?"
Link looked no less confused, "Teach you what?"
"Teach me how to fight. I want to help."
Link paused and Midna could see the wheels in his mind turning.
"Show me how to use a sword."
"I thought you said it wasn't your style?" Link teased.
Midna scoffed, "Yeah, when I have a choice," she reached for his hand and stared at him with the utmost sincerity, "I refuse to stand around being useless. I am helping in this fight; you can't argue with me on that. I just need a way to help, to defend myself, and anyone else if it comes to that."
Link took in a deep breath. He wanted as few of his loved ones involved as possible; if it was up to him, he would leave everyone he cared about somewhere far, far away from all this danger. He had no desire to lose anyone else, to see anyone else get hurt, but he also understood their need to contribute, he understood Midna's need to contribute.
"Of course I'll teach you."
Midna's lips parted to reply, but Link suddenly felt something deep in his chest, and the look on his face changed the words that surfaced.
"What's wrong?" Midna asked worriedly.
Link's brows drew together in anxious concentration; it looked like he was desperately scanning for something Midna could not see.
"Link, you're freaking me out."
He looked at her at last, fear in his astute eyes, "I can't explain it. It feels like Zelda is calling out to me," then that pinprick of fear grew ten times and overtook him, "We have to go."
He broke out into an all-out sprint, Midna doing her best to keep up behind him. He ran with such purpose that Midna began to expect the worst. When Kakariko came into view far below them, she understood why. She saw forms of people no bigger than ants, but she knew who each was. Viscen atop his horse with Ren standing beside him. Ashei and Rusl outside the inn with their swords in hand. Colin and Zelda behind them as a final line of defense before the others locked safe inside the inn.
Link did not stop to take in the scene, his pace only quickened. He was much faster than Midna who was several yards behind, but she kept up as best she could – she would not be useless this time.
Far below, they just began to make out the mad king's yelling as they drew steadily closer, but they were still so far up the mountain.
"How dare you taint the princess with your ideals of revolution! How dare you attempt to turn my daughter against me!"
Viscen's horse reared up and whinnied as its master's voice grew louder and it felt his anger. Ren tightened the grip on his sword and stared daggers at the group before the inn. No one said a word in reply.
"It is because of your treason that I come to take back my queen despite our once peaceful arrangement."
"You can't have her!" Ashei screamed.
Viscen sighed, "I thought you might say that. If that is the option you choose, I am forced to resort to violence. Boy, kill them and bring the queen to me."
Ren began his approach, and Ashei stepped forward to meet him. Ashei lifted her sword to strike, and Viscen flung her body to the ground with a mere flick of his wrist. Ren stood above her and prepared to end it, and Rusl stepped in to block the strike. Ashei got up and shot the king a glare.
"Fight fair, you snake!"
Viscen laughed, "Why on earth would I want to do that?"
Her lip snarled but Ren was quick to strike again. Ashei parried his blow and Ren swung at Rusl. Rusl stepped just out of the way only to be struck by a bolt of electricity from the king's fingers. Rusl jolted and writhed in agony and Ren moved to make the ending blow. Ashei raised her sword and met Ren's as it rushed down. Ren stared at her over their crossed blades, no emotion on his young face. Ashei's heart sank in that moment. She saw the good kid he once was, remembered his kind and gentle eyes, and she felt intense guilt for the cruel things she had said and thought of him. He was so young to be caught up in this, so innocent, and she knew she couldn't kill him.
She pushed hard against Ren and once his guard was lowered, she kicked him in the chest and sent him flying back. She helped Rusl get shakily to his feet, but just as they stabilized themselves, Viscen sent them a devastating blow. A jolt of red-hot power surged through them and they yelped and crumbled in pain. Their skin burned and fire coursed through their veins. Viscen thrust out his chin and smirked.
Colin could sit idly no longer. He ran to his father with worry in his eyes but calmness in his voice, doing his best to soothe them both. Zelda watched Viscen intently in the momentary lull of battle. He stared back at her, and he could see her trying to read him. He sneered, and she felt her stomach turn. She thought of her daughter and longed dearly for her comfort, her sight, her presence. She somehow knew he didn't hurt her, but still she wished she could tell Emeline how sorry she was for everything.
Ren got back to his feet with a strange expression. The shell of Ren felt something as he looked upon his uncle, and he was conflicted. He stared at Colin assisting Rusl and Ashei, and Viscen noticed Ren's uncertainty. Viscen laughed to himself as it all came together; he had the perfect idea.
Zelda saw the look of mischief on her husband's face and knew in a flash what he meant to do. She thrust an open hand toward him, and blinding light immobilized him. Viscen leaned back, nearly falling out of the saddle, but he was quick to compose himself. The queen's power did little save annoy him, and he laughed maniacally at his enemy's weakness. Viscen ignored Zelda's vain attempt at stopping him and continued with his plan, the questioning look on Ren's face as he saw his uncle far too tempting not to toy with.
"You are the one I want," Viscen said, eyes fixed on Colin. With a wave of his hand, Rusl and Ashei were swept back to the inn's doorstep. Barriers of orange twilight soared up from the ground, preventing anyone from reaching Colin and Ren in the middle. Rusl's heart dropped to his stomach. He ignored the dull pain in his limbs and ran to the barricade. He pounded on it and found it useless. He turned back to the queen.
"Is there nothing you can do?"
Zelda closed her eyes and concentrated all her might. She outstretched her hands and prayed with everything she had for the goddesses to help her pierce the barrier. Light emanated at her fingertips... but it went no farther. She looked at him with defeat in her eyes and shook her head. She had always been a devout follower of the goddesses, but moments like these made her question if Link was right in giving up on them.
Colin rose to his feet slowly and calmly, his eyes never leaving Ren's. Ren stared back, and time seemed to freeze entirely. Ren flickered milliseconds of recognition, but it was gone just as quickly as Colin spotted it. Colin took one step toward his nephew and Ren raised his blade in defense. Colin stopped, put his weapon on the ground, and held out open palms.
"Ren, it's me," Colin spoke softly, forcing a smile through the tears that began to build up.
Ren blinked but tightened his grip. Colin ignored the cries of protest from his father, for his senses beheld nothing that was not immediately between him and Ren. Locked in a trance, an invisible game of tug of war, Ren and Colin were still and silent. Colin could see a tiny fragment of the nephew he loved buried deep within his evil suit of armor. If he could only reach that boy through the thick wall that concealed him, play to his memories, his true feelings, maybe he could help Ren to find his own way out of his internal prison.
"Remember when..." Colin paused to pick a memory, and one hundred beautiful recollections came to him, he had only to choose the best ones. He couldn't help but chuckle as he said, "Remember when we caught so many tadpoles in one summer that my dad made us put them back in fear we'd singlehandedly wipe out the entire line of Ordon frogs?"
Ren held his breath and the rest following were shallow. He said nothing. His toes curled and his muscles tensed. That boy was in there somewhere. Colin took one step forward.
"Remember when we caught Calie singing at the spring and she threatened to tell my mom about all the times she covered our chores for us so we could help Fado with the goats if we told anyone?"
Ren's fingers twitched and he refused to blink his drying eyes. His pupils dilated and constricted. He held his breath without realizing. Ren took one step back.
"Remember when we went fishing in the lake and Sera's cat jumped up and took our fish right off the line and ran around the whole of the village with the fishing rod trailing behind her?"
Ren fidgeted and his knuckles turned white. He tried to swallow but his throat was too dry. His sword arm throbbed and his knees buckled. Colin took one step forward.
"Enough of this nonsense!" Viscen yelled, "End this, Ren!"
Ren's lips trembled and his eyes blinked rapidly. He stood tall and composed but Colin could see him fighting tooth and nail within himself. Ren took one step back.
"Remember when Beth scolded us because we were playing hide and seek with Evan and we hid so well he couldn't find us for hours and started crying?"
Ren reached his free hand up to his aching temple. The point of his blade quivered with his unsteady grip. His pulse was quick enough to run away without him. Colin took one step forward.
"Remember when Jaggle yelled at us for wasting food that day we took two pumpkins and wore them on our heads like helmets pretending we were knights?"
Ren dug his fingertips into the side of his head. His eyelids flickered and his chin trembled. Colin's tears stayed put at his lashes. Ren took one step back.
"Remember when I brought Mila to you and you two instantly bonded, how wonderful that felt to have a companion for life?"
Ren's sword arm fell to his side and the point of his blade grazed the dirt. His eyes closed and his heart raced. His lungs were the size of peas. The boy from Ordon buried so deep clamored for air, fought to break the surface, scratched and clawed for escape. Colin took one step forward.
"I was older and had so much on my mind, but you made me feel like a kid again. You helped me make up for the childhood I lost to the twilight. I never stopped grieving over Link leaving, but you made it feel like I always had a piece of my big brother with me."
Colin paused as his voice started to break. He forced himself to be strong again as Ren tensed and grimaced before him. Ren's brows drew tight together and he bared his gritted teeth as he struggled to breathe. Ren took one step back.
"Remember who I am?"
Colin held out his hand. Ren stared at it. His eyes flashed familiarity and resignation, then malevolence and hatred, back and forth like a flickering flame. Colin took one step forward.
"End him! Now!" Viscen screamed at the top of his lungs.
Colin ignored the king and stared into Ren's agonized eyes, and Ren stared back.
"He is no one to you!" Viscen yelled, "You are mine!"
Colin remained focused on Ren. He felt in his heart he could reach him. Ren reacted to his every word, and he knew somewhere, deep down, the nephew he loved was rejoicing in their memories with him. Colin loved him with everything he had, and he had to live up to his promise of protecting him. Colin took one step forward.
"Do it now!" Viscen's horse reared up as the king reached toward the heavens. He called darkness to him. The skies went gray and all suddenly heard the cries of monsters in the distance. The Hero of Time's vision was realized. From the dark clouds rain began to pour, and Zelda never stopped praying for the goddesses to intervene.
Ren shook his head, but his eyes did not change. His breath hitched and his hand trembled as he again raised his sword. The steel quivered like a leaf in the wind. Mist swept over Ren's eyes as he stared at Colin. Colin took one step forward.
"It's me," Colin whispered again, "It's your Uncle Colin. I swore I would protect you."
Ren's mouth was so dry it hurt. His breaths were sharp and quick, and tears flowed freely down his hollowed cheeks. His eyes never left his uncle's.
"Kill him," Viscen stated firmly, "Kill him now."
Thunder clapped overhead. Link screamed as he bolted toward them with the most haste he had ever mustered, "STOP!"
Link leapt and plunged the Master Sword into the barrier. To Viscen's alarm, the Blade of Evil's Bane pierced the wall. With both hands on the hilt, Link began to cut away. Viscen gasped in shock but wasted not a moment.
"Be gone with you!" the king raised both hands toward the hero, "Return to the feral beast you once were!"
With a mighty push, Viscen cleaved Link in two. From Link's body, the Sacred Beast flew back and hit the ground unconscious. Where Link once stood was now a shadowed figure of the hero. Veiled in black with eyes red as fire, the dark form of the hero gazed at its master. Viscen smiled and looked again to Ren.
"Kill him now."
Ren's eyes fluttered and he trembled from head to toe, but the hold on his sword tightened. He stared at Colin who refused to back down. Through the sadness in Colin's eyes there was hope. Ren took one step forward.
"Ren..." Colin whispered.
"NOW!" Viscen yelled.
Ren held his breath and lunged. His eyes overflowed with tears as he embedded his sword into Colin's chest. Everything froze. Ren's ears rang and the sound of his own breath was excruciating. Colin gasped and his world went blank. He was underwater. The sound of his father screaming sounded lightyears away. The feeling of the blade in his heart was hot and numbing. The sight of Ren standing before him was blurred and focused at the same time. He saw not the bleak darkness that surrounded them. He saw the green and lush of Ordon. He saw the trees and the animals, he saw his mother and father and sister, and at the center he saw Ren. He saw Ren as the happy nephew he had always been. He saw him with a smile on his face and the sun shining bright behind him. He saw the same light in him he had been missing from his big brother. He saw goodness and purity, and there was nothing else.
Colin collapsed to the ground. Ren's heart shattered before it returned to stone. When he breathed again it was even and void of turmoil. Tear stains dried to his cheeks and he was again a shell. Viscen smiled.
"Very good," the king hissed before returning to his wife, "Now, you will come with me."
Zelda held back her desperate sadness and blocked out the sounds of Rusl's agonized wails in order to stand firm.
"I will not," the queen said confidently.
Just as Viscen raised his arm to summon something unspeakable to force Zelda to obey him, Midna slipped through the hole Link had made in the barrier, grabbed the Master Sword that permitted her without question, and held it to Ren's neck.
"You will return to Hyrule Castle and honor our original agreement or I'll kill him right now."
Midna positioned herself behind Ren facing Viscen straight on so that any bolt of magic he attempted to lob would hit Ren and not her. She restrained Ren with her arms tight around his neck and the steel brushing his skin.
Viscen laughed, "Kill him then. He has already done a fine job here, and he is not the only foolish boy in the world."
"If I kill him, the power of the Fused Shadow that resides in him comes back to me," she spat through gritted teeth, "You will never get what you want, and I can kill you in a second flat with my magic."
Viscen paused. His eyes narrowed as he saw the legitimacy in her claim and witnessed her true upper hand. His jaw clenched in annoyance as he realized he had to accept her terms - he could not risk her taking that power from his control.
"As you wish," Viscen said with a grand smile, "We will leave and I will honor the terms of our previous arrangement."
Viscen motioned for Ren to get back on the horse and Midna released him. Before they left, Viscen looked back at the dark hero he had manifested standing and awaiting instructions.
"I will have use for you later," Viscen sneered. With a snap of his fingers, the shadowed hero vanished, as did the twilit barrier, and Viscen and Ren rode off with haste.
Midna stood in defeat. Though she stopped Viscen from going farther, there was no victory here. They lost today, and she wasn't sure how they would pick themselves up again.
She watched Rusl cradle Colin in his arms and sob. His heaving breaths and piercing cries were despair manifested; it reminded Midna of when he held Link after his battle with Ganondorf. Ashei stood behind Rusl with a hand on his shoulder and her head down. Some of the others slowly filed out of the inn. Talo broke down, no passing thought of appearing strong. He ran to his brother and grasped his limp hand as he bawled. He held Colin's still-warm hand to his chest and rocked as he begged his brother not to leave. Luda held her little girls as they cried. Renado stood in shaken disbelief, his head growing hazy in shock. Shad sat down and removed his glasses, resting his hand across his pounding forehead. Some of the nameless villagers dared to peek outside and approach out of curiosity. The few Hylian soldiers who remained since Viscen's initial occupation stared in traumatized silence. Midna looked at Zelda last, and the queen met her gaze. Zelda's eyes watered and then trailed over to Link who lay several strides away. Midna followed her line of sight and breathed in pained exasperation.
Midna went to her hero. He lay on his side unconscious. His paws were limp and cracked and blistered. His coat was soaking wet and matted. His breaths were slow and shallow. Link was a wolf again.
Midna pressed a hand to his head, but he made no movement and no sound. She looked up at the sky and the rain pelted her face. She still heard Rusl's excruciating cries behind her and it felt like a knife in her heart. She remembered Colin when he was little. She remembered how dearly he looked up to Link. She remembered how selfless he was, how deeply he loved and cared for his friends and family, and he had personified that to the very end.
She sobbed and leaned forward into Link's chest. She cried into him and held his fur between her fingers. Part of her wished she hadn't stepped in and stopped Viscen. That part of her wished she had just let him destroy them all; it would have saved Link the heartache of awakening to realize Colin died by Ren's hand.
The concern of what Viscen intended to do with the dark copy of her hero was far too heavy for her to deal with right now, and she assumed the others felt the same. She covered her ears when the wails of Colin's family became too much. Her heart felt like a lead weight dangling by a thread. She wanted to scream but had not the strength. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she looked up to find Zelda.
Zelda's eyes were just as red and puffy as Midna's were, and for a moment they shared quiet understanding.
"Can you fix him?" Midna asked, motioning to Link.
Zelda looked at Link and knelt down beside him. She held her hand to his forehead and closed her eyes. She turned back to Midna.
"I will try."
They worked together to get Link inside, not worrying about explaining how he took the form of a wolf yet; no one paid them any mind anyway. Rusl's anguished cries rang so loud in her head that she couldn't discern the echoes from the real thing. She heard the frantic pleas of a parent watching their child die. The despair in his once-strong voice as it broke and cracked. The heart's screams were what surfaced, desperate to understand the massive hole it suddenly found within itself before hollowness set in. Midna heard him beg Colin not to go, beg the goddesses for a second chance, beg himself to have done more, beg Uli to forgive him, beg anyone to end his suffering. His pain was so strong it was suffocating, and she physically felt her heart plummet into her stomach. Grief was a thick poison in the air that none were immune to.
As she and Zelda carried Link into the inn, Midna had to leave him on the floor of the main hall. Her arms were growing increasingly weak and her knees buckled. She felt her stomach turning and bile crept into her throat that she swallowed back down. It was too much - she had to step away from it all. She thought of Ren, the sweet son of her hero who pulled her from her nonexistence in the Twilight, and what he had been forced to do. She thought of Colin, the timid and loving little boy she took a first liking to back when she was an imp and hated everyone, how much he adored Link, and the unfair ending he had met. She thought of her home, her people, and she wondered what fate had befallen them at Viscen's hands. She thought of Viscen using her power against them, and she blamed herself for everything. She thought of her hero, now a wolf, doomed to wake up to discover his son had killed his little brother. There was the bile again.
She distanced herself enough that she couldn't hear their agony, but she still knew it was there. She stood in the cemetery and remembered the argument she and Link had had there about Ilia years ago. How trivial a thing to be upset over. Now she only wished their troubles were so small.
She sat and allowed herself to cry. She didn't know about praying to the goddesses and all that, but to whoever was listening, she asked that Colin have a safe journey to the place his soul would rest forever.
Someone, it seemed, listened. Colin drifted out of reach. He felt his loved ones holding him as he flew to a peaceful existence. He heard not the cries of his family, but their songs and merriment. He heard his father and brothers wishing him a safe journey. He waved goodbye to his mother and sister, and their voices gave him wings. They smiled up at him as he said his final farewell. He heard his nephew tell him how much he loved him. He saw his village in its green, thriving beauty grow distant and the sky beckoned him home. A familiar face greeted him with a smile as he arrived.
"Ilia," he whispered, and he took her hand.
Don't let go of the rope.
A big thank you to the following for helping me get this chapter out there!
Big Jake, Fez, Lee Glerum, Cynfall, Jacob Peachey, Moonfairy, Anonymouse, Damon Mendoza, Eponas, Gabby-J, InnerEnigma, Ivalee, Jessie H, Kevin Pham, Lotus Eater, Taki23, Yami no Nokutan, emmydog1, Amber Milligan, Chloe Rose, Emily Zuber, Gavron88, Mandelbrot, wingdesire, Rob Walters, Sabine, Silvia Delgado, Tyli Ariegh, Mel
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