DEATH.

Blood spilled from the place where the ring finger on Zelda's left hand used to be. The finger, the ring still attached to it, fell her feet. Zelda merely winced when she chopped it off; it was little pain compared to whatever else she'd felt that night. Quickly, she felt her strength return to her, and she was ready. No more lies. No more deception. Vaati was going to die, and she would reclaim her throne and her dignity. She dashed over to Link's sword and gripped it firmly in her right hand. She was right-handed, unlike Link. In her earlier years she'd envied Link and his being left-handed, but now she was glad she wasn't because her left hand throbbed in pain and she'd never be able to hold a sword in it.

Vaati gaped at her, completely shocked. It was obvious that he'd never thought she'd ever cut off a finger, if the thought had ever even crossed his mind. His hold on her was gone. He scolded himself for not spelling the ring to keep her from doing such a thing, but he'd never thought she'd go through with it.

Then again, it was only a finger.

"You've no control over me anymore," Zelda growled, eyes glowing white. "And you wouldn't dare flee. I'm going to kill you and I'm going to kill you now!"

White fire burst at her fists and surrounded the sword in her hand. She jumped and swung it in the air, sending four blades of light after Vaati, who was running for the door to downstairs. All four light-blades hit him. Three sliced up his back. The other one whizzed past his ear and cut his purple hair. He stumbled. Zelda ran over to him and threw white fireballs at him, which burned various bits of pale skin and purple garments.

He had been draining her life force and giving it to himself. Now that it was back in her, it sapped him of his energy double what he'd taken, and he was weak and vulnerable. Vaati rolled away from her next attack and forged a dark shield around himself, that broke with two swings of the sword. The sword was brought down and his arm was removed from his body. Dark blood poured from the wound. He screeched in pain and flew into the air.

He couldn't fly up very far, and Zelda grabbed his cape and pulled him back down. He struggled to get away, but she yanked him down and threw four more light daggers at him. One of them pierced his hand on the arm he had left. The dagger went through his hand and pinned him to the wall of the building which held the stairs to go down. He tried desperately to remove the dagger, but had no other hand to help him do so. Zelda could feel his fear. She didn't hesitate; she built up all her power into the sword and jammed it into Vaati's chest, penetrating his cold heart. He screamed in agony.

Zelda's fires died and her eyes returned to normal. She was still in her stance: one foot forward, one arm back, the other holding the sword thrust into Vaati. She breathed heavily.

Vaati looked at her mournfully. "W…why did you do this, Zelda? Why did you kill me?"

"You know perfectly well why I did this," was the icy reply.

He stared at her, sad, defeated red eyes looking into her angry blue ones. The tiniest of smiles crept onto his face.

"You've defeated me, Zelda, I'll give you that," he told her. "But I can assure you, you're not rid of me completely."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

His smile grew wide into a smirk. "You'll find out soon enough. Farewell, my dear Zelda." He cackled wickedly, and continued laughing until his breathing stopped and he entered death.

Zelda left the sword embedded in his chest. Even as the light dagger in his hand faded away and his arm fell limply by his side, he remained pinned to the wall. She turned around. All the monsters had vanished. So had Link's cage. She looked down to see Link lying on his back, bleeding heavily. She walked over to him and kneeled by his side.

"Link…?" she asked. He didn't appear to be breathing. Hot tears pressed at her eyes. She fell on top of him, wrapping her arms around him and crying into his chest, which was still warm. "Link, Link, please don't die. Please don't die on me. I love you, damn it all, wake up. I can't go through this a second time. Please, Link, please… don't… You know I love you… wake up, you idiot… wake…" She lifted her head up and held his face in her hands. She leaned down slowly and kissed his lips. She came up slightly and whispered, "I love you, Link. More than anyone in the world." She kissed him again, more passionately this time. She let go. He was dead. His body was cooling, and he was dead, for real this time. She suddenly crawled to the side of the roof and vomited. She wiped her mouth and returned to Link, holding his lifeless corpse up in her arms as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

There was a dead wind sorcerer hanging on a wall with a sword through his chest. There was a lifeless young man who had saved many. And there was a young woman, holding the love of her life in her arms, and weeping silently, as the rain poured over them all.