The Legend of Zelda: Return of the Hero

The Fairy King

-Part III: Battle-

Stopping not, Link turned and fired another arrow at Dreygus as he watched the spectacle from the other end of the room. Whatever thoughts or feelings he might have had were completely inconceivable behind the Ausrellian death mask. His reflexes however were not hindered in any way by the mystery. Serpentine staff thrust forward, the arrow shattered upon impact with the dark object.

Undeterred, Link ran forth screaming a bloody wrath as he charged forward. Dreygus responded with a charge of his own. The two met in the center of the room and crossed weapons once more. Link could feel his sword being strained by the artifact and pulled away. The decision was a mistake and Dreygus cleanly struck the Hero of Time across the face causing his blade to fly from his grasp. The Fairy King attempted another strike but the Emerald Knight caught his staff with his newly freed hand. The result was an explosion of golden light that sent both men sprawling towards opposite ends of the room.

Vision blurred and head dazed, Link attempted to stand after a few moments. Incoherent as he was, the Hero of Time could only be certain of one thing; his left hand was pulsating with energy, more than he had never felt before in his life. Clenching his hand into a fist, the Hylian let the energy flow through his body and regain his focus. Dreygus was not so intelligible until the six Great Fairies revived him with their dire blessings. Rejuvenated, the Usurper leapt up to his feet.

Locking eyes, both combatants wasted no time bearing down toward each other for a third time. Link felt more confident this time, filled with the unspoken knowledge that his sword wouldn't break. Dreygus showed no sign of relenting either, taking the fight himself and letting the recovered Fay watch from a distance.

Both men dueled valiantly with cunning, strength, and reflex against each other. Neither seemed to take or lose ground. The deadlock continued but did not last. Dreygus managed to sweep Link off his feet and drive his staff deep into the hero's chest. Wind knocked out of him, Link couldn't raise a defense. The Great Fairies laughed and began gathering their dark energy, culminating a storm inside the chamber. Dreygus kept Link pinned with the head of his staff and began gathering his own power, turning the darkness within the crystal into a growing void which threatened to burst forth and consume the hero.

Grabbing the staff with both hands, Link tried raising it off of his chest only to have Dreygus slam it back down. This brought more giggles from the Fay. Using his staff as a conduit for the gathered storm, Dreygus waited for the black lightning to strike his weapon before unleashing the collected power into Link. The Hylian's scream could be heard echoing throughout the palace halls.

Link's mind left the physical realm and entered another. One filled with memories of long ago. Recollections of various people he'd helped throughout the years flashed through his mind; an old man with a single tooth eating rocks to give himself "Goron strength", a young woman speaking in odd riddles for no reason whatsoever, a travelling salesman selling ugly masks, a general helping his fallen soldiers find peace, a psychotic water spirit unleashing a gauntlet of fish monsters for his amusement, a lost brother and sister finding their way home, and a princess he once thought every day about.

These memories faded and transformed into the monsters and horrors he'd spent a lifetime battling. Each one more unspeakable than the last and terrible in the destruction wrought. Link began to recall the lonely nights of travel and the constant ache for home. He thought of the Kokiri and how he was always outcaste for not having a fairy and of Saria who always defended him when the others sought to mock him. Link recalled the peaceful and soothing sounds of the forest and the smell of trees. He thought of the days when he rode Epona from the woods through the plains and to the castle to see Her.

Link recalled his memories of Zelda, Saria, Ruto, and Malon and how much he missed them. He remembered his last day in the forest and how he punched Mido before leaving. His thoughts lingered on the farewell kiss to Saria before mounting Epona. He flashed back to Zelda's hug, Malon's tears, and Ruto's anger.

Again, his mind again wandered to kissing Saria. However, this time he imagined her as a young woman, as he knew she could never be as a Kokiri. Link saw her with longer hair and in a short yet rugged sleeveless dress with matching boots and belt. True to her nature, Saria's envisioned dress was covered in vines and leaves as if they were growing from it. Despite this impossibility, Link could swear that it was real, from the comfort of her presence to the warmth of her lips. He could feel the burning passion between them as her mouth pressed against his.

Leaving the realm of imagination, Link abruptly opened his eyes. Despite the shock he felt refreshed as if he had just come out of a peaceful sleep. Before the hero's mind fully set foot in the environment around him, Link realized he could smell the forest; not the aroma of common trees but rather the long distant scent of home.

The Emerald Knight rose to find the great stone chamber covered in vines and leaves. Moss filled the cracks and flowers bloomed on the walls. Looking up he saw the six Great Fairies wrapped tightly in cocoons of foliage. In front of him stood Dreygus with his back turned. The Fairy King was taking in the sight of the transformed room with shock and awe.

Feeling his lingering gaze the Dark Sorcerer turned quickly and Link could tell he was surprised despite the mask. Wasting no time the hero charged with renewed vigor. Caught off guard, Dreygus lifted off the ground in a panicked flight but the oncoming Forest Knight would have none of it. Pulling out his hookshot, Link fired and dragged Dreygus back down by his thick cape. Greeted with an iron fist, the would-be-usurper was beaten into a daze as he landed.

Unsheathing his sword, Link brought Dreygus close with a one armed hug and placed the tip of his blade in the soft space of flesh just below the sternum above the stomach. Closing the embrace, the hero felt Dreygus' body shutter as the steel pierced him from front to back. Looking into the eyes of the mask, Link continued to hug Dreygus as he gently laid him to the ground. Only after his dying gasps subsided and the last breath uttered did the veteran warrior remove his blade and wipe it clean. Link's expression remained grim throughout.

Standing up, the Emerald Knight rose to a startling sight. Saria was standing before him, not as the child he remembered but as the young woman envisioned. In an instant they were in each others arms and locked in a passionate kiss. As their lips parted, both kept their eyes shut and pressed their foreheads together.

"Come home." was all she whispered.

Link opened his eyes and Saria was gone. Before doubt could take hold he looked in his hands and realized he was holding something. It was the Ocarina of Time. The very one that Zelda had given to him before his journey and the one he had sent back with a messenger hawk before crossing the ocean dividing the continents, knowing then that he would probably never be back.