Here we are! The penultimate chapter before the finale! This is where we REALLY see the might of the Garo Master! I would also REALLY love a lot more feedback before the final main chapter, just to see if you guys understand and like it!
-Joost

The Fierce God Given Life
Chapter 17: The Odds Will Betray You

The place was quiet for a moment. Several various soldiers lie in ditches, waiting for their enemies to appear. Some were knights, others were a few hailing from the kingdom they were protecting, and there was even a certain swordsman. Their captain, due to his large size, was unable to be right beside his troops as he preferred. He was forced to hide behind several nearby boulders to ensure the plan was a success.

The silence was deafening while on the battlefield, none of the participants had gotten any good rest in weeks. They all lay in waiting as the wind howled throughout the valley. Everything seemed still for so long, regardless of if the wind was making the leaves of the trees rustle violently.

"So… when do you think those cowards will get here?" One of the kingdom's loyal soldiers whispered in an attempt to make some small talk. The tension was too high to keep silent for so long.

His Terminian cohort chuckled before making his response. He was sure to stay quiet. "Heh… I have no clue. We all have been waiting for nearly an hour." He looked up at the sun to confirm the time. It was difficult to do so without a clock, but he managed.

"Gentlemen!" The swordsman across from them hissed quietly. His long, brown hair was parted so he could have unimpaired vision for this battle. The scar that spread along on his right arm served as a reminder to have his hair parted during a time like this.

"This is no time to chat…" The swordsman warned, a finger over his lips in emphasis. He had a terrible feeling about today, and the others chatting like it was nothing simply heated his nerves.

The soldiers' train of thought was broken when the sound of footsteps raking in the grass became audible. Everyone silenced themselves and got back into position. The fog in the distance provided a secondary cloak for the squad of robed ones coming into view but lasted only a moment. Once the soldiers could see the green, piercing eyes of their enemies did they prepare themselves.

It was their targets, the Garo.

Almost every soldier held their breath when they saw the first units arrive. A few of the Garo scouts looked around the field. When they didn't pick up and signs of danger, they dashed back into the fog. Not a second later did the Army of Darkness emerge. Their weapons made little sound as they walked, but their eyes remained observant of the area, darting around like mice making sure the coast in clear before going after a crumb on the floor.

The soldiers were about to begin their attack, when they all froze. The entire reason all these varied warriors had gathered in Ikana had appeared at last, The Garo Master. His sabers were retracted, allowing him to grab a rock with his hand and inspect it. He brought it close to his metal mask and then dropped it. Something was amidst.

A single stray arrow flew into the sky, catching the attention of every robed warrior. It started to descend, and before its target could react, it plunged its way into the top of one of the Garo foot soldiers, killing it instantly. Suddenly, more arrows were fired, and they rained down on the army of espionage. A few hit their targets, but a majority struck the ground and rested there.

"Attack." The Garo Master ordered, his voice calm and collected.

The Ikananan and Terminian army rose from the ground, and Captain Keeta stepped out from his hiding place and pointed valiantly to the approaching army. Without needing orders, the soldiers charged at the mob of spies.

Weapons clashed, and battle began. The morning sun was beating down across the canyon, and the glare from the swords made things difficult to see for all involved. Sparks flew, and even the Garo Master joined in on the violence as both factions fought.

The only problem was the incoordination amongst the army. So long of preparing themselves for this day made them overzealous.

Cutting down a Terminian knight, the Garo Master was impeded by the swordsman. His katana gleamed in the sunlight, but it showed some impurities. The Maestro decided to grant this fellow a battle. He deployed his flaming sabers and solidified them, making them act like proper swords.

Without a word, the swordsman lunged at the Master, and their blades met. Sparks flew and a few started a small fire in the dry grass. As the flames grew, the combatants exchanged blows with their weapons. The Garo was a little taken back by the competence behind this warrior. He was a talented man, but since he had been through several battles before, his sword was a little chipped. Unfortunately, he neglected to see to a repair for his weapon before this battle.

"I shall watch you bleed!" The swordsman barked, taking a more aggressive fighting approach than he was used to.

"My friend, I do not… bleed!" That was the only time the Garo Master rose his voice. He felt he had to defend his honor.

Another great flash of sparks was generated by the blow of the swords, and it continued to add to the growing fire. Determination was drawn across the swordsman's face. However, that determination fled his soul as he set a bare foot on the growing ring of flames behind him.

His enemy distracted, the Garo Master slashed at the swordsman. The attack was parried by the katana, but the weapon had gone through too much by now and shattered. The Maestro of the Garo swung again, slicing open the swordsman's face. The warrior yelled in agony and fell to the ground, clutching his wound. Blood dripped onto the grass, and the only expression he could muster was fear. The Garo Master stood before him and raised his flaming blade. The Garo was about to finish off the swordsman until his blade was hit by another. He looked in the direction the impact came from and saw Captain Keeta.

The Captain swung his large, double-edged blade in a display of power, and granted the wounded swordsman time to escape. Once his soldier was in the clear, Keeta charged at the Garo Master, and they engaged in a sword battle up the hill.

The Garo was quick and nimble, and Keeta was unable to land a blow on the general. Their blades locked many times, but when one of his fellow Ikanans was slain in the distance, Keeta couldn't help but lift his gaze. Every time one of them fell in battle, Keeta could sense it. This time, it proved to be his undoing.

The Garo Master sliced Keeta's leg and pushed him over. He tumbled onto the ground. When he got up again, the Maestro appeared from behind and pounced on the captain, bringing him to the ground once again, this time on his chest. Before the captain could retaliate, the Garo Master drove both his weapons into his back.

The captain sputtered as the Master leaped off him and stood in front of his face as he died. A Garo spy who had just been defeated decided to not let himself be slain by the Terminian knight, but instead took out a bomb and blew up himself alongside the enemy. The explosion rocked the side of the valley, and an avalanche buried Captain Keeta in rock, only the back of his torso and head visible. The path behind him was covered with stone but rounded back up the hill to where the rock pile was, Keeta just under it.

"Although you were my rival, I must admit you were spectacular." The Garo Master commended his opponent. His voice was horrifyingly soothing for one that had just been in a sword fight. "I apologize it had to end this way, but belief or disbelief rests with you…"

Those would be the last words Keeta ever heard for a long time, and the Garo Master retreated. With many of the Ikana forces defeated, he and his army of darkness made their way to the river and into the kingdom of Ikana to truly begin their invasion. The entire battlefield was in ruin, bloodied corpses of Terminian knights and Ikananan soldiers were riddled everywhere. The few survivors of the massacre buried the ones who had homes in Ikana in the ground of the site, and they marked their graves with stone.

Afterwards, the remaining soldiers carried all the bodies of the slain knights they could and escaped the canyon, the long-haired swordsman amongst them.

Link just finished up his training for the day, and it was only noon! He let Jim and two of his Bomber friends take his place with the teacher for the rest of the day. While not the entire Bomber Society was up to joining Link's efforts to stop the Garo, he was endlessly thankful that two were. They trained alongside Jim, who had finally graduated from his training sword to a proper one.

Walking down the hill of West Clock Town, Link wore a jovial smile. A part of all his worries had been lifted when he had his talk with the Sword Teacher a week prior, and now that a number of Clock Town guards greeted him with smiles, he was confident in himself and his companions.

"Ugh, will you please wipe that goofy grin off your face?!" Tatl was always annoyed when Link had that silly smile. It made the powerful, stoic hero she knew Link was merge with his more carefree side in a strange way.

Link didn't respond to Tatl's snide remark and entered the mayor's office in East Clock Town. There, he met with Captain Viscen. While the captain was a little uncomfortable with meeting with a boy who his eyes perceived as a child, the assurance he got from his swordsman friend when they first met was able to help him see Link as an accomplished warrior.

"So… you're the only actual 'knight' here?" Tatl stated, hands on her hips, an annoyed tone in her voice.

"Yes, I am. The knights of Termina were disbanded after the war, you see. The closest ones we have now are the Clock Town guards." Captain Viscen explained. He was ashamed of the circumstances, but he had no choice. He couldn't make an army appear out of thin air.

"I apologize for my friend, sir." Link said, giving Tatl a look. "Everything will be fine. Just make sure the guards know what their up against."

Captain Viscen nodded and Link left. He planned on the guards, Captain Viscen, the Swordsman teacher, the Bomber's, Skull Kid and Romani to accompany him to Ikana tomorrow to finally face the Garo Master. He even planned to wear the Captain's Hat during the journey in memory of Captain Keeta. This was his fight he was finally finishing, after all.

Link was quite nervous, but he had faith in his companions. The memory of Igos du Ikana reminded him to always have faith.

"Honey, are you sure you'll be alright?" Anju remained worried and cautious throughout the entire week.

Anju had confidence in Link, but her instincts as a parent begged her to convince Link to stay home, safe from danger. Link was her surrogate son, and she wanted to protect him as if he was her own baby.

"I promise I'll be fine…" Link hugged Anju again as the pair walked upstairs. Anju's only response was to hug tighter.

Kafei was helping Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael move out. After several months of staying in the Stock Pot Inn without needing to pay, they wanted to get out of the innkeeper's hair. They actually found a nice place on the road to the Southern Swamp, just next to the Swamp Shooting Gallery. Of course, the trio was hesitant about leaving town, and Tatl was most afraid about not being able to watch over Link as often as she used to.

"Be sure to visit often, alright?" Skull Kid chirped, staff in hand. He was ecstatic about moving to the forest. It's where he really felt at home.

"I will, I assure you." Link smiled.

Tael rested on Link's hat, and they shared their goodbyes for the time being. Once the group made it outside, the trio was ready to leave town and start towards the swamp. Link would accompany them to ensure their safety, and they all set off. Luckily, they encountered no Garo on the way, and they got to their area they planned to set up as home in no time.

The breeze was lovely throughout the area, and the little pond provided a nice addition to the scenery. Once the hut was set up, Link prepped himself for the walk home, but he was stopped by Tatl.

The two were silent for a bit until Tatl spoke up.

"I'm so glad to finally get away from you!" She feigned happiness. "Needing to take care of you is such a pain…"

Link could see through Tatl's words and extended his hand, allowing the fairy to perch herself onto his palm.

"I'll miss you too, Tatl." Link said with a smile. Tatl couldn't hold her emotional shield up anymore, and she looked down with sorrow.

"Just, stay safe, alright?" Tatl demanded.

"I will, because you'll be right beside me tomorrow." Link beamed. The fairy in his hand was startled a little by his words. "You didn't think I wouldn't bring you along, did you?"

Tatl finally wore a smile and chuckled. "If I need to warm you about incoming blades again, you owe me!"

After she finished, she flew off Link's hand and back to her brother and her friend. Link just smiled as he walked back to Clock Town. He would miss Tatl, but he would always make sure to visit, often. Besides, he'd get a mouthful from her tomorrow, he could tell. The thoughts of his fairy companion and her odd way of showing she cared stuck with him the entire way back to the Inn.

When Link got home, he wrote his note to Romani to ensure that she knew the plan. While he visited the ranch just three days before, now that Romani told Cremia about her endeavor, it was going to take a little bit for her to agree for her sister to go along with Link.

This morning, Link was happy to receive Romani's letter telling him that Cremia finally caved in on the idea. She had been worried about just how many people where accompanying Romani and Link. When she heard that they managed to get several Clock Town guards and a renowned swordsman to join their cause, it was a huge relief. The odds may be unknown, but everyone was willing to put their lives aside for this.

All of that made Link feel like he really belonged among these people. They were heroes in their own ways, just like him. During dinner, Anju and Kafei kept asking whether or now Link was totally sure about the following day. Everything seemed so risky to them.

"Are you positive they'll be at the canyon tomorrow? We've heard of them attacking travelers outside of Ikana." Kafei asked, putting his food down.

He was only met with a nod from Link, but he still had so many questions. Of course, the two innkeepers were very worried about something like this, and each time Link assured them, they still remained skeptical.

"I promise, I'll be fine…" Link said. "I'm choosing to do this. It's my responsibility for all of Termina. When it's over, the world will finally be enough." Link smiled at his adoptive parents. Integrating the motto into his assurance gave them faith in him. He knew what was important in his life besides the quest.

After a little moment of silence, Kafei decided to lighten the mood. "Hey, you think you'd want to take up wood carving or carpentry? Skull Kid told me the mask he wears now was made by you."

Link blushed a bit, but when he thought about it, it somewhat made sense. He always felt like he could help out just be being creative or getting his hands dirty in a way that didn't involve fighting. The smile the boy had was enough of an answer for Kafei, and the three continued to eat their dinner and enjoy each other's company. Once the family finished dinner, Link helped clean the dishes. Anju was proud of her son and how eager he was to help.

Just an hour later, Link got into bed. His gear sat in the corner of his room, propped against the wall. Anju caressed Link's hair and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Anju spoke softly.

"Goodnight, mom." Link replied. He watched Anju leave the room. For a while he just lied in bed, thinking. After the last candle was blown out in the hall, Link got out from his bed and closed his door all the way. There was something he had to do before getting to sleep.

Kneeling at the foot of his bed, Link reached under and retrieved the item he had confined under there for so long. He held the Fierce Deity's Mask before him and gazed into its pupilless eyes. Something looked back at him, he could feel it.

Setting the mask on the floor, the moonlight shined through his window and right onto the powerful object. Everything was still for the longest time as Link lost himself in his thoughts. All the power the mask granted, his duty to not succumb to it, and how a part of its power was bound to his soul, these thoughts raced through Link's head while he sat in front of the item.

He remembered the vision he saw when he first donned the mask. The picture in his head he couldn't comprehend. Now, he may have had an idea on what it really was. It wasn't a memory like he saw when he put on the other masks, but a raw, pure emotion.

It was like everything was revolving around him again, like how it felt back in Majora's Lair. This time, he had no questions. He just had himself and this mask. It was odd but fulfilling in a way.

All of Link's recollection reminded him of something Sheik told him when he was in Hyrule. In the ice cavern. Before he was taught that certain song, Sheik had explained it's purpose. "Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition. Young love will become deep affection. The clear water's surface reflects growth. Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself."

Link took out the Ocarina of Time and played the notes to the Serenade of Water. He wasn't whisked away to the entrance to the Water Temple, but the song served as a way to look back on his life. His mind even wandered back to when he saw that the Fierce Deity's variant of the instrument and how it took the form of a harp, similar to Sheik's. He had no idea if that detail served a purpose in the Deity's story, but the heavenly sound when he played the Song of Storms with it always stuck with him.

Then he remembered the brief moment when he sprouted wings. For the first few seconds in the form of the Fierce Deity, he had angelic wings on his back. He may have had an idea on what those mysterious things meant now as well. Everything about the fierce god was a mystery, but Link had given life to the spirit inside the mask, and it provided him with the need to discover whatever he could about it, and everything so far had led up to now.

Now, Link was preparing to battle the Garo and vanquish them once and for all. He had been given a new outlook on his life thanks to Gomess, Anju, Kafei, and Romani. He felt comfortable with both how much of his life had played out, and how he wanted to explore his own desires going forward. He felt almost reborn by his time in Termina, and he was glad to be able to help everyone in the land, even if he got no reward. He felt at peace with who he was and accepted himself.

When Link had finally broke out of his trance, he had a feeling of pride grow deep inside. While he may never know who exactly the Fierce Deity or Majora were, he was content with what he had learned. By now, he had to get some rest. He had a big day ahead of him.