Another chappie! Yay for weekends with no homework! Well, here it is! Oh, and for a note to everyone who reads this: major fluff early on, and later in this chapter, and a pretty sweet fight scene in the middle. My kind of story! Enjoy, everyone!
(warning: this is a REALLY long chapter)
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Night was fast approaching, much to Link's dismay. He could practically feel his heart sink with the setting sun as the hero watched the light retreat from the gap in the ceiling above him. His darkened, pain filled azure eyes slipped shut as he leaned his head back against the icy wall, numb to the cold that it gave off. He knew that it was dangerous to fall asleep in this cold, but rest sounded more comforting than any dire warning against falling asleep eternally in a harsh winter cold. Fortunately for whoever originally came up with the theory of dying in your sleep while exposed to extreme weather conditions, sleep would not take Link. In fact, sleep had turned away to leave the hero to merely close his eyes and fall into the emptiness of thought.
It might have been hours or only minutes later when Link opened his eyes again. Time seemed to lose all significance to him in this entrapment of ice that surrounded him. All he knew was that night had befallen Hyrule, and his prison had been pulled into the foreboding embrace of darkness. Thankfully, his eyes had long since adjusted to the dark from his rest, though really, what was there to look at other than ice?
He gave off a shaky sigh. He wasn't going to last much longer at this point. No, he didn't feel like he was dying, but he was only human, and in these conditions, humans never really lasted very long. But he had to keep trying. He had to hold out for as long as he could. He couldn't lose faith…not now and not ever.
---
She still didn't know how she did it.
You'd think that moving through a cave whose walls made so much as a whisper echo for yards ahead of you would be a dead giveaway for any patrolling guards. But you'd be wrong, as Zelda had proven unintentionally. She was practically in the same hallway as about four ogres, and yet, none of them could hear her walking toward Link's aura. She thanked the gods that her Triforce of Wisdom was able to detect his Triforce of Courage, otherwise she'd never find him in this enormous dungeon. Subconsciously, she lifted her right hand to look at the resonating glow of her Triforce symbol as it pulsed. She focused on its energy, taping into its strength to seek out Link's Triforce of Courage. Her hand was tugged to her right as her Triforce symbol pulsed even stronger than it had before. She breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't even know she had been holding in. She was getting closer.
She let her Triforce insignia guide her through a dark and narrow tunnel that seemed to wind every which way. She squinted against the darkness, trying desperately to let her soft blue eyes adjust to the darkness that had befallen the dungeon path. After what seemed like hours of feeling her way blindly though the tunnel, she saw its end. Breathing a sigh of relief, she nearly rushed to the light, when she –luckily- remembered that no one was aware of her being here…yet. She popped her hooded head out from the opening that she had reached, looking both ways before continuing onward where her Triforce guided her.
How long the actual venture after that took to get to what looked like a cell block entrance, Zelda wasn't entirely sure, but her Triforce gave off another powerful surge that nearly shook her whole arm. With admirable control, she forced her arm down as she drew her blade with her left hand at the sight of a particularly strong looking armored ogre who had –not surprisingly- dozed off while on duty. The princess of destiny breathed a sigh of relief at the thought that this may very well be a silent kill.
And, of course, it was.
Cleaning her bloodied blade on the snowy ground, she sheathed it and continued onward. The dim light seemed to only grow dimmer, so Zelda was once again forced to rely on the light that emitted from her right hand to guide her not only to Link, but to see ahead of her. She passed many, empty cells of pure ice, each looking as though they hadn't been used in years. She only vaguely realized that the floor was made of ice as well when her foot slid a bit when she stepped once, but thought no more of it as she continued to press further ahead.
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He didn't know why the Triforce of Courage started pulsing, but he had no control over it.
Granted, Link had never been taught how to hone in on the Triforce of Courage's abilities, or how to tap into its strength, but it had never resonated with such a light before. In fact, the only time that he could really think of that it ever even so much as glimmered was when he had fought Ganondorf. He closed his eyes, trying to find the center of this sudden surge of power, unable to grasp its meaning. He was so transfixed by the power pulsing in his own hand that he failed to see the light that spilled in through the bars on the door to his cell. He jumped slightly (which only agitated his rib injury even more) from his spot on the floor when another aura, one that he hadn't sensed before, made its presence known. Though he heard the door suddenly being forced open by something or someone, he didn't open his eyes; for some reason, his eyelids suddenly felt unbelievably heavy, too heavy to lift to look at who was now inside his cell. Link knew that it wasn't Anzipora; unlike her aura, which was always so cold and foreboding, this aura seemed…strangely familiar, with something underlying it…fear…?
And then the Triforce of Courage pulsed again, this time with more power than before.
Then…
"Oh goddesses…Link-!"
'That voice…it can't be…'
Zelda hurried over to Link and knelt beside to him, horrified that he looked so pale, and seemed so unresponsive to her call. She quickly shed her cloak and placed it upon his shoulders before she pulled it tighter around him, trying to keep him at least a little warmer. Her dress was just enough to cover her, and he needed the cloak more than she did. "Link-!" She whispered as she gently laid a soft hand on his cheek. She almost sobbed in relief when his eyebrow twitched slightly from the contact and he gave a small moan subconsciously.
'This hand…it's so warm…comforting…so…familiar…'
He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he needed to know if this was really her. If he didn't find out, he was sure he'd go insane. He needed some confirmation that he was still awake and that this wasn't some blissful dream that would carry him into death. He forced his heavy eyelids open, small slits of deep ocean azure eyes glittering in the pale darkness. He blinked, not daring to open his eyes any further, and not entirely sure that he was able to anyway. When his vision focused, he could deny it no longer. She really had come. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief at that, closing his eyes again, much lighter this time.
"Zelda…" His voice was tender and raspy from misuse, but the way her name sounded on his tongue, finally able to release it from his lips, made his skin crawl pleasantly. Zelda could restrain herself no longer, as she used the hand that wasn't on Link's cheek to hold his head to the crook of her neck, his cold temple resting against the side of her jaw comfortably. His body felt so unbelievably cold to her…how long had he been like this? A single tear slipped from her –now closed- eyes and fell to rest in Link's frost-laden hair.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry that this happened to you…I'm so sorry…" She whispered to her childhood friend, holding his head a little closer as her fingers deftly stroked his frozen hair. He laughed bitterly despite himself.
"It could have been worse, Zel. Thanks for coming for me…" He mumbled against the fabric on the shoulder of her dress, opening his eyes fully this time. "But let's get out of here, okay? Goddesses know that I've had enough of this place." Zelda nodded against his hair before helping him stand. Her thin blonde brows knit together in a worried frown when Link nearly fell against her, placing his right hand firmly on her shoulder to attempt to steady himself.
"What's wrong? Were you hurt?" She whispered. He nodded dully in response, taking his weight off of her shoulder as he stood carefully.
"I think my rib and my arm are broken. Both on my left side." He cringed as his arm reminded him of its injury that he almost forgot. Zelda's worried frown only darkened at the thought of him being in so much pain. Seeing her worry, he placed a hand lightly on her shoulder (not the one attached to his broken arm). "Zelda, it'll be fine. I've had worse injuries and you know that. Let's deal with that damn Anzipora and get out of here." Zelda's blank stare was enough to keep Link where he was.
"Anzipora…?"
"Yeah, the woman that's behind the attack on the castle, and my kidnapping. You've…never heard of her…?" Zelda only shook her head, her blank face still remained unchanged from the first mention of Anzipora. Link knew that he shouldn't be surprised, after all, several random people that the inhabitants of Hyrule had never heard of were always trying to get a spot on the throne, so why was he so surprised this time around?
Probably because none of them were this smart to take him out of the picture before going for an attack on the castle.
"Where is she hiding? Do you know?" Zelda asked him.
Come to think of it…he didn't know where she was.
That certainly put a damper on things, didn't it?
"Err…no, but I'm sure that she's close; she'd try to get me to tell her things by coming here and bringing that ogre guard with her…"
"Was he really, really, really tall and heavy looking?" He nodded. "…I think I killed that one…it was asleep at the start of the hallway leading-" A loud, shrill cry of anger suddenly echoed off of the walls. "…here."
"Yeah…that sounded like her." Link tensed what muscles that weren't attached to damaged limbs and stepped in front of Zelda, determined to protect her even without the Master Sword. After all, he had the clawshot, wasn't that enough to at least help out in some way?
Then again, Anzipora did sound pretty pissed.
Link rushed out into the hallway, Zelda close in tow with her sword drawn. No sooner than they had hurried out and turned to exit the hallway did they see Anzipora with her sword drawn, charging at the two friends with a speed that seemed inhuman. Link swore that, just as he pulled Zelda and himself out of her path, he felt the air ruffle his bangs out of their frozen state. As soon as the cloaked woman passed them, they hurried out of the hallway after her to broaden their battlefield. Anzipora, oddly enough, had waited for them in the circular opening Zelda had killed the ogre guard in, her form seeming to float above Link and Zelda with a sort of unearthly presence about her.
"Princess Zelda…you've shown yourself…and with no royal guard for protection." Zelda growled under her breath, her fist clenching the hilt of her sword all the tighter. Who was this cloaked person, and being out of the range of what was considered Hyrule, what did she want with the royal throne?
"I need no guard for protection. You underestimate me because of my royalty. And even if I wasn't a formidable opponent, I trust Link with my life." She called to the floating woman bravely. A swelling of pride erupted in Link's chest at her words; for her to say that she trusted him even when he was weaponless was a compliment that he would cherish forever in his heart, no matter what happened after this.
"Show yourself, Anzipora! I want to see my captor face to face before I finish her off!" Link roared to his opponent, drawing his clawshot from his tunic as he tensed up for the fight that was to come. The shadowy woman laughed almost mechanically at his enraged demands.
"You want to see my face, do you Link?" Two small red glaring orbs suddenly cut through the darkness of Anzipora's hood, which Link and Zelda accurately assumed were her eyes. A blackened hand rose out from her cloak and grasped her hood firmly before pulling it back to reveal her true appearance. Her long silver-grey hair seemed to flow in a nonexistent wind, lifting from underneath her hood to welcome the cold air around her as her crimson irises continued to glare at her opponents. Her pale white skin almost managed to blend with her hair color, giving her all the more of a ghostly appearance. Link and Zelda would be lying if they said that they weren't at least somewhat afraid, but when you fight enemies like Ganondorf, you've seen them all. Zelda held her sword out determinedly in front of her, tilting the blade at an upward angle to fully get herself into her combat stance (a/n: I don't know if Zelda ever had a combat stance, so please bear with me) in anticipation for the battle.
Anzipora wasted no time in diving toward her enemies, her silver bladed sword glinting dangerously against the shadowed area of the battle. At the last possible second, Link and Zelda jumped to opposite sides of the sword's path, narrowly missing the blade's tip. Thankfully, Link was a fairly ambidextrous shot, so with his uninjured right hand, he aimed the clawshot at the hilt of Anzipora's sword, hoping to at least stall the woman so that Zelda could get in a few blows. He felt the three talons on the end of that clawshot lodge themselves firmly into her wrist, causing her to drop her sword out of shock, which was even better than getting a hold of her blade's hilt, now that her sword hand was now rendered useless. She clutched her wrist in an effort to stop the flow of blood that oozed from her injured wrist once she pried the three talons of the clawshot out of it as her sword lay idle on the ground before her. The enraged and injured woman hissed in pain; apparently, Link's shot was good enough to sear right through the veins in her wrist.
Zelda wasted no time in dashing forward to get in what attacks she could. Her sword did quick work of Anzipora's wrist, cleanly slicing the attached hand off with the sickening tear of flesh. Clearly, Anzipora was in no shape to wield a sword comfortably again. Another swipe of Zelda's sword in the other direction left her opponent with a deep gash in what Zelda could only assume was her stomach (Anzipora's cloak still covered her body, so it was just guess-and-stab methods used here) The black cloth tore with surprising ease against the tip of Zelda's blade, leaving a wide slit in the cloak. With another hiss of pain, Anzipora leapt back and clutched at the rip in her cloak. At first, it was unclear whether or not the blow dealt any damage, but Zelda couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed jagged streaks of blood oozing from in between the fingers of the hand that was clutching at the wound.
To Zelda's surprise, she was completely ignored by Anzipora in exchange for going after Link, leaping in his direction after only an instant's pause. Then again, Link was in far worse shape that her with his wounds. Despite his injuries, he was still difficult to keep up with, as he was proving to Anzipora. Her sword cut nothing but the cold air that surrounded the battle as Link swiftly ducked and dodged her onslaught of attacks. He even managed to cut off one of her sword swipes with his gauntlet, giving Zelda yet another opportunity to deal a firm strike to her abdomen with her blade. Though Link and Zelda were capable fighters, the fight was ever more to their advantage once Anzipora's sword hand was sliced off; her attacks were awkward and almost unsure as they struck clumsily at her opponents. Link managed a solid blow to her cheek with the clawshot in a punch when she finally managed to get close to the hero, reeling her back in shock. As she recoiled, Zelda got behind her and raised her sword high above her, tilting the blade down at an angle toward where she hoped was her heart.
This was it. If Zelda managed to stab through Anzipora in one of the many fatal spots one's body, then it would be all over. This was not just for Hyrule anymore; this was for Link, for what this witch had done to him. She was finally able to do something other than get kidnapped and wait for Link to rescue her- now she could actually do something to end the battle, other than shoot a light arrow that would –possibly- stun Ganondorf, or get trapped in a crystal…or stone…or a cage…or a basement…
…what HASN'T she been trapped in…?
"For Hyrule." 'And for you, Link.' Zelda whispered to herself as she drove her sword into Anzipora's back and watching as the woman's body fell in a shadowed heap. Link watched from across from her, awed at Zelda's skills with the blade she wielded. He had never really pegged her as the type to pick up a weapon and fight. Then again, he really didn't see everything that she did.
It was over.
Zelda breathed a sigh of relief once again, though much more genuinely now that the fight had come to an end. She sheathed her blade and made her way over to Link, smiling warmly at him, glad that he could finally leave with her. Link smiled back, his deep blue eyes softening from there adamant glare that they seemed to take on in battle. He put away his clawshot before returning his gaze to Zelda's soft blue eyes, almost forgetting that his side and arm were screaming in pain. The princess of destiny frowned slightly as his smile faded into a look of pure fear as he looked past her shoulder.
Turning around, she saw why.
Anzipora, bloodied and dying, was leaping at Zelda with what was left of her life, desperate to take Zelda with her into the cold embrace of death. Link's eyes widened in horror. No, no this wasn't going to happen! He wouldn't let it happen! The memory of that ogre's blade sticking out of her side, her eyes blank, staring at him unseeing, drove his fears to heights that he never knew were imaginable. He caught Zelda's shoulder with his hand, pulling himself in front of her, turning his back to Anzipora as he pulled Zelda into a protective embrace, pressing her face to his chest. He wasn't going to let her get hurt, not again. Anzipora's blade slashed his back deeply, the gash running from his left hip to his right shoulder. He gasped in pain, his eye clouding over in obscurity. Zelda gasped in shock as his arms went rigid around her for an instant before loosing as he began to slip into unconsciousness. Zelda had never felt more hatred toward anyone other than Ganondorf in that instant. Her Triforce of Wisdom pounded inside her palm, the glow blinding her even when the source of its light was blocked by Link's shoulder. She raised her hand, and let her anger be turned into power and shot out of her hand in a blazing light that dissolved what was left of Anzipora into nothing but a pool of blood in the snow. Link, though his vision blurring from the blood loss, still gazed in hazy awe at the sight before him.
"Link-!" Link gave a small grunt as his knees buckled under his weight. The blood that steadily oozing from the wound in his back was oddly…warm. It quickly blossomed on the back of his tunic as Zelda wrapped her arms around him to help him lower to the ground slowly. She sank to her knees as Link's head lolled against her shoulder. "Link, say something…please-!" She whispered as she clung to him, not caring that his blood was staining her hands. He was still breathing…her heart sang with relief. He was just unconscious, but alive. She silently thanked the goddesses for watching over him these past several days. With some difficulty, she managed to coax the dazed hero to stand with her, albeit leaning on her in the process, as she looped one of his muscular arms around her shoulders to better guide him out of the caverns.
The trip out of the ice mountain's dungeon took a little longer than the trip in, with Link's dazed form having to be guided through the pathways to the exit, but Zelda still managed to get him out safely. Once they were back on the border of the forest, Zelda stopped in though for a moment. There was no way that she was going to be able to take Link back to Hyrule Castle like this; she was fairly strong for a girl of only eighteen, but she knew that taking Link that far in his condition like that would only make his wounds worse. Hold on…she could summon Epona! But…she didn't know how to play the song on her Ocarina that Link made up to call upon his faithful friend, and though he was still somewhat conscious, it wasn't like she could ask him to play it. She closed her eyes, remembering when he would play it to bring the said horse to him. She knew the notes…the way that they sounded…what would it hurt to try? She knew Link still had her Ocarina, seeing as how he always had it out on days when he wasn't working out by his house or busy with other things. She gently let him sit against a tree near them as she searched the small pouches along his belt for the little flute-like instrument, finally managing to produce it from his innermost pouch. She brought the mouthpiece to her lips, letting her memories of him playing the song haunt her fingertips, possessing them to move the way that Link's would.
She ended the song as she heard a faint neigh of a horse. She had actually managed to summon Epona…Link would be slightly disappointed to know that he was no longer the only one who knew that song, but at least now he could get his wounds treated properly. Epona was upon them before Zelda could comprehend that she was actually there. She smiled sadly at the horse as it whinnied at the sight of Link unconscious and bloody. Zelda knelt beside him again, bringing his warm arm around her shoulders and hauling him gently up again. Wrapping her other arm around his waist in reassurance, Zelda carefully guided him to Epona.
"Link, I may be tougher than I look, but you'll need to try and get yourself up on Epona with my help; I can't lift you on my own." Zelda whispered gently to the hazy eyes hero on the brink of unconsciousness, who seemed to nod his head, although it could have just been bobbing with her movements. Somehow, they managed to get him on the saddle in front of her, leaning back so that the cloak Zelda had put on him (which, thankfully, wasn't soaked in blood yet) brushing against her chest as she leaned forward to take the reigns in her hands. "Hang on, Link. We'll be back in a little while." She softly reassured her –now unconscious- friend as Epona galloped toward the setting sun, toward Hyrule Castle, and toward home.
It wasn't until night had settled in that Zelda guided Epona through the field around Hyrule Castle. Thankfully, she had memorized the pattern of the night patrol, so she and Link managed to not get caught once she left Epona in the stable. Not entirely surprisingly, Impa greeted her at the small back door of the castle.
"Child, what has happened to Link?" She peered at Link's wounds, which had, of course, gotten slightly worse from the horseback ride, but thankfully could now be treated. Zelda looked at her with desperation showing in her eyes.
"Please, help me treat his wounds." The aged woman nodded solemnly before stepping aside to allow the princess to guide Link inside. Impa motioned for Zelda to follow her to an empty guest bedroom down the hall to better treat the hero's wounds. Zelda did as Impa requested, carefully sitting Link on the edge of the bed.
"Zelda, you must please get to bed. If anyone catches you awake at this hour, you know that the King will scold you." Impa gently chided the princess as she began to remove Link's bloodstained tunic to inspect his injury. Zelda gasped in defiance.
"My best friend is unconscious, bleeding, and injured, and you expect me to go to sleep as if nothing happened?" She demanded quietly, so as not to alert anyone else of her presence. Impa sighed softly.
"Zelda, dear, you know that knights come and go down this hallway frequently, and none of them will hesitate to report to the King that you were up and about after hours around here. At least go to your bed chamber and await my call for you in the morning, if you refuse sleep. You may come back at dawn's first light, when it seems less…improper, alright?" Zelda would have fought to stay by Link's side, as he had done for her so many times, but she knew better. Impa was right, that this hall was commonplace for knights and whatnot to wander, and they would turn her to her father like they did when she was a child if they caught her up at this hour. So, with a defeated sigh, she agreed, but not before turning to Link, who was still unconscious.
"I'll be back, I promise." She whispered before pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. As much as she loved him, and wanted to be near him, Impa still ushered her out of the room and shut the door behind her. With nothing else to do, unless being caught seemed appealing (which, it didn't), Zelda walked back to her room in ghostly silence.
Her door shut behind her without a creak, as she walked over to her bed and sat on it, folding her pale, shaking hands in her lap as she stared at them with pained eyes. She tried to hold in her tears, but they seemed unstoppable, as they silently streaked down her smooth face as the image of Link protecting her, getting hurt to save her, embracing her out pf protection and friendship unyieldingly, burned in her mind.
Morning, as she soon realized, would not come quick enough.
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I told you it was a long chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, nonetheless. Click the cute little button below to review, please!