Chapter VII – Sacrifice.
*After Link and Zelda travelled back to the Tower Of Spirits and got through the last dungeons.*
Link and Zelda arrived on the place where they should find the item they're looking for, like Byrne told them. They saw a treasure chest up ahead. Link opened it, "Zelda, look!", and showed the Compass Of Light. "Whoa… It looks amazing.", Zelda said. "Huh?", Link said. "What's wrong, Link?", Zelda asked. "Strange… I don't see any wind-directions on this compass… No North or South or East or West… Nothing.", Link said, and he was right. Nothing was written on it, it only had a purple pointer. "Hmmm…", Zelda thought, "Now that we have it, let's go back to the Spirit Train. Byrne will know the answer.", Zelda suggested. "Ok, let's go.", Link said and they both stepped into the blue light, that teleport them back to the main floor of the Tower. They arrived downstairs and both entered the Spirit Train. "Byrne! Anjean! We got the Compass Of Light!", Zelda said. "Well done, my dear.", Anjean said. "There's only one thing I don't quite understand of this compass, Byrne.", Link said, "It doesn't point out to wind-directions.", he showed the compass. Byrne took it and explained, "You don't need wind-directions to find the Demon Train, instead you only follow the purple pointer of the compass. It only shows where the Demon Train is.". Suddenly the pointer of the compass started to spin wildly around… Until it pointed to the road where they drove before, the Forest Realm. "Well, Link, we have a heading now. Let's follow it.", Zelda said. "Alright.", Link said and took the compass back, "Thanks, Byrne.", and headed with Zelda to the front of the train. Byrne on the other hand was thinking of what he promised to Jessie in his dream… "Promise me, that you'll protect Hyrule again! Do anything to help Anjean, Link and Zelda! Please, Byrne! Do it for me… Promise me…", Byrne thought, but he didn't understood the last line she said before she left: "I'll be waiting for you.". "What does she mean by that?...", he thought deeply, until he could think of one thing, "… Is it almost my time?...".
*After they travelled through the Forest Realm.*
The gang drove through a tunnel, until they arrived back outside. "Wow…", Zelda said, looking at front of her. They saw a huge place, almost looked like another temple. "What is that place? I've never seen it before.", she said. "I don't know, Zelda… But the compass points that way…", Link said and saw then a warp-gate at front of it, "Hey, could it be the "Dark Realm" that Byrne told us before? Where the Demon Train comes from?", he realized. "There's only one way to find out.", Zelda said. They drove through the warp-gate… They arrive at the other side… "Wow, it is the "Dark Realm"… this place is scary…", Zelda said. There was nothing around them, only darkness… Lucky that the Spirit Train has strong lights to see around… Link checked the compass again… But right now, it was pointing backwards… "Why is it pointing behind us?...", Link asked to Zelda… Until they realise, "Unless…". Both of them looked behind… "RROOAARR!", the Demon Train roared and flew above them. "WAAAH!", Zelda screamed. "YIKES!", Link yelled and hit the brakes. The Demon Train just missed them and landed at front of them, drove further away. "That was close, Link…", Zelda said. "The Demon Train! We can't let it escape!", Link said and started the chase to stop the Demon Train. "Use the canon to stop it, Link!", Zelda said. "Understood.", Link replied.
*After the Demon Train's Boss Battle.*
Link and Zelda entered the Spirit Train, "We stopped the Demon Train, Anjean.", Link said. Anjean nodded, "This is it. Once we defeat Malladus, all of this can end.", she said. The moment has arrived… This is what they've been waiting for… The final battle… Anjean stepped forward, but her wounds weren't healed yet, "I shall accompany you from here on out.", she said, "It's too dangerous for just the two of you." Byrne groaned, "But our wounds from our battle are still fresh. And what's to come will be very demanding." he said, "It's my turn now, Master. It's… the least I can do." Link and Zelda looked back and forward upon their wounded friends, then they looked upon each other. They both thought of the same thing and they agreed without saying a word, just by nodding their heads. "Yes, Anjean, it's time for you to rest." Zelda said, "Link and I can take care of them." "Yeah, after all, it's just Malladus and Cole.", Link said, "It'll be a piece of cake." Zelda turned to Byrne, "You should stay behind too, Byrne." she said, "You're both too injured to help us now.". Byrne was speechless, and Anjean as well… "As you wish, my dear." Anjean smiled, "It's up to you two, then, Link and Zelda. May the spirits be with you."
Anjean used her magic to create an empty phantom-shell for Zelda, where she can use it for the battle, like she did and possess them before in those dungeons. "I can do no more. You must go forth on your own.", Anjean said. "Thank you for everything, Anjean.", Link said, "And you too, Byrne. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't even be here by now.". "Yes, thank you.", Zelda said to Byrne, "And don't worry, we'll make sure that Cole's gonna regret it for what he did. They both will be sorry that they've ever met us!". "Now you're talking, Zelda! Come on, let's go!", Link said and Zelda entered the phantom, "Right behind you!", she said and they both walked out to fight Cole and Malladus. "…Something is telling me that I need to be there with them…", Byrne thought. Moments later, Anjean saw that the Demon Train moves again and drove away from the Spirit Train. Their battle has begun… She turned around, "*sigh* Well, Byrne, it's only you and…", she said, but didn't finished her sentence, Byrne was no longer on the Spirit Train. "Oh, no…", she said.
*After the Malladus (as Zelda) Boss Battle and the explosion of the Demon Train.*
The young heroes wasn't no longer in the "Dark Realm", they were back in their world. Thunder was cracking loud into the skies of Hyrule. Link lies on the ground, "Link!", Zelda said, "Link! Please, open your eyes for me.". Link opens his eyes, "Are you all right?", Zelda asked. Link smiled upon Zelda, glad that she was ok, but then groaned of the pain. "Oh, no…", she said, but then heard noises at front of her. She saw Malladus (still as Zelda) floating above the ground, groaning of the arrow that has been shot by Link with the Bow Of Light. Then a light escaped on Zelda's back and saw the real soul of Malladus… He doesn't posses Zelda's body no longer! "Now it's my chance!", Zelda thought and flew into the direction of her body. "Almost…", she thought and flew into her body…
But something wasn't right, she flew right through it, instead of remaining inside. Zelda couldn't believe it, but kept on trying. Cole on the other hand woke up as well. "Stop! That vessel belongs to His Majesty!", Cole yelled, "Quickly, Your Majesty! You must hurry back to Zelda's body!", he yelled at Malladus. Malladus roared and headed for Zelda. "Why… Why isn't this working?", she asked herself, but then realized that Malladus charged right at her. Just before Malladus attacked Zelda, he got blocked by a force field. Zelda didn't knew what happened... She turned around and saw Byrne, standing next to Link! He was the one creating the force field.
"You cannot give up now!", Byrne yelled at her, "Your body has the sacred power of the spirits! Now concentrate on reclaiming it!". He groaned of the pain, but remained his place, "After all, didn't you say you wanted to have words with me?" he said. Zelda closed her eyes and concentrated, "If there really is a sacred power in my body…", she thought, "Please let it hear me! Goddess of Time! Please give me your blessing!" and her spirit slowly entered her body…
Zelda's spirit was back at her place, but... she couldn't float anymore. As she discovered as she was sent plummeting to her doom. "DAMN YOU GODDESS OF TIME!" she squealed, "YOU CHEATED ME!" "Go now! Right now!", Byrne said to Link. Link immediately got up and went there to catch Zelda, just in time. Zelda felled on top of him… "Am… Am I back?", Zelda said. "Yes, you are, Zelda!", Link said, and got hugged by Zelda, making him blush. Suddenly they heard screaming. Looking toward the action, they saw had Cole snuck upon Byrne and caught him with a force field, "AAAAAH!", Byrne screamed, groaning more of the pain that Cole gives him, letting him float just above the ground. "You'll regret this, Byrne!" Cole said, "Now you'll end…like that human!" he said while he shot a laser-beam at him… The laser went right through his chest…"BYRNE! NOOO!", Zelda screamed, "OH MY GOD!" Link stared in dumb silence. The wound was enormous, letting blood and tissue seep out. Cole tossed Byrne away and his body fell a few feet in front of Link and Zelda. Byrne looked at the children, tears streaming down his face. He closed his eyes. They watched the life leave the Lokomo, and hate filled Link's body.
"Ha, finally, he's dead! I'm glad to be rid of him!", Cole said. Link and Zelda both had tears in their eyes. Their friend had been murdered at front of them… "But time is short, Your Majesty." Cole said, "Please do away with the boy and capture Zelda." "..." Malladus had lost his mind since he'd been separated from Zelda's body. He needed a vessel… Any vessel… Malladus roared and crept closer to Cole. "…Your Majesty?", Cole said, his fate dawning on him. "PLEASE, NO!", he screamed, but was "eaten" by Malladus. Malladus was possessing Cole instead of Zelda. A huge whirlwind appeared, and a huge lion-beast with horns reappeared at front of Link and Zelda. It looked mighty, but the transformation of Malladus and Cole was a total failure. "This vessel… is… rejecting my spirit.", Malladus said. "I'm… slipping from it… I can't hold on for long… But the world will crumble in the time I have left!", he screamed and roared. Link screamed, running in with all the hate and rage he could feel. Zelda just stared, knowing what she had to do.
To Be Continued…