The Legend of Zelda
The Clan Wars: Rise of Dethl
Chapter 4: The Final Battle
The king stood upon the barren rock that was the top of the mountain. The Tower of Hera had disappeared, having vanished to some other place where only the Goddesses could tell. The king bore the sword in his left hand, standing upon the mountain top, all alone…
Well, perhaps not entirely alone.
A familiar nudge against his shoulder told him that someone had been waiting for him. Turning around, he gently patted Epona's muzzle with his free hand. The horse snorted happily with the attention, and promptly turned about and presented her side, allowing the king to slip on. He did so, hopping onto her back and holding tightly to her mane.
"Alright, girl," the king said, his face set in determination and resolve, "The time has come. To Grand Farrow!"
The horse reared back her body and neighed, letting her front legs kick the air before she suddenly dove. The king held tightly as she dropped down to the bottom of the mountain, rushing through the mist and fog until they reached the bottom. Like a shooting star, the mighty horse galloped at top speed, returning east to Grand Farrow at all the speed she could muster.
The time has come, Dethl, the King said to himself. You have laced your shadow over my people for as long as time itself. You killed my ancestor, and murdered my people. You ravaged my kingdom and left it in darkness, and now your time is up.
Epona's speed increased as they passed through the mountains and began to enter the dark, black plain that was once the green expanse of Greenholme. The fires of Grand Farrow could be seen off in the distance, furthering the king's ever expanding resolve.
"The Nightmare's reign shall end!" the King roared.
Grand Farrow was in ruins. Screaming, shouting, cries of pain…all of them tore at the night air. Nightmare's wrath burned through the whole of the city. The king could see it all, and hear even more, even as he and Epona approached the barren grounds that were once Dethl's prison. The king drank the whole sight in as they continued their breakneck pace across the barren dust plains of Greenholme.
The night sky seemed to further the dark mood. Men let loose their arrows in a vain attempt to draw the monster away from the castle. Swords that were drawn were absorbed into the flesh of the creature, before used against their own masters in a gory display of blood and metal. Moans and cries of pain flew through the air alongside the crackling flames that ate at the ruins and the decaying remains of Hylians who could not escape in time.
The king listened to it all, and vowed retribution. Master Sword in hand, he vowed that he would never rest nor enter the gates of heaven until he had defeated this evil at long last. He vowed this as arrows flew through the air. He vowed this as eye beams brought great flames upon the land. He vowed this even as Nightmare himself let loose his hell-quaking cackle of fury…he, King Aidan, would not stop until he vanquished Dethl.
There was a silence, and then a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the wind.
The king recognized the voice instantly, and his heart suddenly froze into ice. The scream belonged to the woman he loved…she was in pain, in despair, in anguish…and Nightmare's cackle seemed to confirm her course of fate.
"My queen…Rose…NO!!!"
The king did the one thing he would have never done had he been in the right mind and remembered he was riding atop a goddess of a horse; he kicked at her flank. Nay, he kicked at her flank hard.
Rockets had not been invented in Hylia at that time, and would not be invented for at least another 5,000 years. However, Epona showed that no rocket or bolt of lightning could outpace her, and went so fast that she literally was flying between each step. The time between the center of what was once the dark forest and the castle was severely fractioned, and, with sword drawn and pointed straight ahead, the king guided Epona's body so that she would point straight at the monstrous Nightmare.
Nightmare was more than aware that something of great power was coming in his direction. He quickly maneuvered his body, shape shifting it until he had become a double-helix beast, causing the approaching horse and rider to dive straight through his middle. Reverting back to his true form, he turned about and faced the king and Epona, his eye glaring in confusion.
"What…is this?" Nightmare asked aloud as he gazed upon the king and Epona, who were turning to face the monster, "What sort of manner of insect is this? I have seen many of your kind rushing after me in vain, but for one to come and accept his fate alone…"
He looked long and hard at the man sitting upon his horse. The king's eyes glared with both hatred and a desire for retribution for his people. One glance at those eyes, and Nightmare suddenly realized who it was he was dealing with.
"OOOOAAAHAHAHAHAHAAA! It is you!" he shouted, "Oh, so the little man is wanting to play with the big dog, eh? Decided to escape and run away so that you could try to kill yourself yet again?"
"Nightmare," the king growled, "I have come to deal with you once and for all. No more shall you bring death and despair to my people. Your reign of darkness and tyranny is over, and it will be over in only one possible way…by dying at my hand. I will not stop until I end your unholy life, and bring peace to this land!"
"Peace?" the beast growled, "You'd be more successful finding it in pieces. Indeed, that is how I am to leave this place, just as I have left…your bride."
The king felt his heart drop. What did the demon mean?
Nightmare chuckled. "Your bride was with child, yes?" he hissed, "Perfect…the babe was more than an enticing meal, and your bride…was chewy. I ended up spitting her all over the place. Did you not hear her scream her final moments, just before I rid her of the parasite in her womb? Oh…such glorious pain and suffering."
The king felt as if the whole world had simply vanished from existence. It couldn't be. His queen, Rose, had died…and, their child…
It was almost too much. He felt his body sag, and he almost was about to slip off of Epona. However, the horse simply cocked her ears back and pawed at the ground, letting mist lurk from her body and strike the man back in his senses. Clearly, he had forgotten he was in the presence of a Goddess?
Do not let the dark one's words trick you, the mare spoke in his mind. He does not have your child and wife in his belly. He lies…trying to deceit you. Have none of it, or you disgrace the very weapon that you hold in your hands…You must fight, for we all are counting on you!
The king looked down at the gentle mare. She bobbed her head once, emphasizing her words. The king gazed at the sword in his hand, staring at the pitiful reflection peering back at him.
How wretched he looked. The words of the demon were enough to strike him down to the level of the lowest belly crawler. He gripped the sword tightly, his resolve returning. Regardless of the fate of his wife, he would not let that monster live to see another sunrise.
"You will pay, demon!" the king shouted, "YOU SHALL FALL BEFORE MY BLADE!!!"
"MUAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!" the beast yelled, "Have you learned nothing, mortal? No weapon of your kind can hinder me! I AM—"
"DIE, DETHL!"
Epona had charged while Nightmare had been speaking. With the Master Sword drawn in his hand, the king called upon every last ounce of courage and strength in his body. The horse moved in close, and just as the beast began his next sentence, the king sliced at the closest piece of the monster's body.
There was a flash of blinding light; a hiss, like that of a volcanic vent. There was the smell of the dankest, foulest sulfur, and the feeling of black, tarish blood. The sword had barely touched the beast before causing the mighty creature's body to become singed and completely cut cleanly through.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" the Nightmare roared. It hissed in pain and bent itself forward, gazing with its single eye at the hole that had formed in its snake-like stalk. It glared at the wound, and suddenly growled, its amusement converted to sheer hatred.
"Rrraaaachk! What kind of foul, cruel sorcery is this?!" the demon growled.
The king called Epona to a halt, raising the bright, silvery blade of the Master Sword for all to see. The survivors cringing in the wreckage of the city could see the mighty blade as it glimmered in the light of the moon and flames. The bright light was enough to make the demon cringe as it gazed upon the blade.
"This is the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane!" the king shouted in a voice that could be heard by all, "It is a blade forged by the hands of the Golden Goddesses, using the holy might of the Hylian Spirit as the source of the blade's power. It represents all that is good…all that is holy upon this good earth. By this blade, and by Din's power, Nayru's wisdom, and the courage of Farore, we shall fight…and only one of us will live on to see the morrow!"
Dethl gazed long and hard at the king. Suddenly, he gave forth a mighty shout, which was like a cry of fury combined with the snarling of a rabid predator and the bellowing of a charging bull. Its eye opened wide and launched a series of powerful eyebeams at the king below.
And with that, the fight had begun.
Nightmare launched powerful eyebeams at his prey. The king and Epona rode at full speed, almost taking to the sky at times as they rode. With the Master Sword in hand, each of the powerful eyebeams were easily deflected and cast harmlessly aside. Dethl roared and screeched with each unsuccessful attempt. The two of them were just too fast for him to handle.
It had been going on like this for almost an hour now. The king managed to get several good hits while making passes, but already he was becoming too predictable. The demon was almost able to counter his every move, and the king had to spend more time blocking blows from the eye beams instead of striking his own. In the end, he had to rely upon Epona's agility and overall speed to keep himself from being immobilized by the beast.
"So," Dethl growled, "You wish to play a game of chase? Fine…let's play!"
Nightmare suddenly began to change shape. His arms began to become re-absorbed into his body, and folds of skin began to grow outwards from his sides. His snake-like growth that kept him above ground became a tail, and his arms, which had shrunk, had become powerful legs. When his eye closed again, it didn't open as one, but four eyes that were much smaller but equally as frightening to behold. The spots where his eyes once stood suddenly began to extend into two growths, which grew and grew until they became extendable necks. Two heads, each with mouths that had row upon row of sharp teeth, formed on the ends of these necks, and the two flaps of skin on the side developed into mighty and terrible wings.
The king gazed in awe and in terror, for the creature named Dethl had now become…a Gleeok! The Gleeoks were dragons of legend; said to be two twin beings trapped in the same body. Both have different strengths and weaknesses, which cross each other out at the center, but neither can live without the other. They were powerful beasts, thought to have been extinct during some forgotten age, but still remembered even in Hylian lore as vicious monsters.
One of the heads gazed down at Epona and roared. Twin jets; one of fire and one of ice, shot out from the maws of the beast as they homed in on the king and Epona. Epona quickly took off, mist enveloping her body as she did, continuing her speed until she suddenly leaped into the air and flew. The king kept guiding her as she flew into the sky above the city of Grand Farrow, watching behind to see what their quarry would do.
At first, all that the demon-cum-dragon did was launch jets of flame or bolts of ice, but it soon began to spread its wings and start to fly. Once it did, it suddenly increased its speed until the monster was at almost the same exact speed as Epona in flight. The king swiftly kicked back at the deity horse's flank, driving her to go as fast as her mortal body would allow.
Tall buildings that had survived the wrath of the beast were quick to fall. The king would fly either above, around, or through the cracks of the buildings, keeping them between himself and the monster. Dethl, meanwhile, would plow straight through in indifference, roaring and screaming as he launched jets of flame and ice at his foe. The king was swift to maneuver Epona away from their foe, but the beast just kept coming.
Finally, one of the snapping jaws came close enough to attack. The one on the left struck with all of its might, just coming within inches of devouring the king and his steed. The king had used their speed and agility, flying around the beast's two heads for a while, before the king suddenly struck with the Master Sword. A long, agonizingly painful slice managed to pierce through the head's brain, rendering it completely useless. As the second head came up to strike, the king maneuvered as close as he dared, before swiftly leaping off of Epona's back, and bringing his sword down hard!
SLASH!
"RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
The second head was completely cut off; rended free from the neck that it once called home. The king watched in mid-air as the beast's head flew off, screaming in its death throes, before becoming incinerated from being split from its body. The king quickly grabbed onto Epona's side and flung himself back on top before gazing back at the rest of the demon's body.
The headless mass fell from its point high in the sky before landing with an almighty crash! However, it was obvious that Dethl was not stopping there. The moment that the body hit the ground, it began to move and take shape once more. Suddenly, it had become a gigantic blob that seemed to squirm and writhe in the crater that it had formed on the ground. A single eye opened up in rage and gazed all around before it finally caught sight of the king riding upon Epona in the sky.
With a quick shudder of its whole body, the demon suddenly transformed yet again. This time, it had become a tremendous beast; a gigantic, spider-like creature with eight legs, two tremendous pincers, a pair of nasty-looking fangs, and a gigantic eye in the very center.
Gohma.
Epona quickly landed upon the ground as powerful barbs suddenly were launched from the creature's maw. Still keeping to her speed, she let the mortal upon her back guide her as Dethl approached with all the speed of a tremendous Wind Scorpion attacking its prey. With his claws slicing through the ground like deadly knives, Nightmare continued his approach; his fangs gleaming and his maw drooling with anticipation.
The two pincers suddenly launched forward. The king barely managed to duck in time as the monstrously sharp limbs came and snapped at his back. A piece of his chain mail had been cut to ribbons, rending the garment useless against this assault.
In a quick and sudden movement, the king drew back on Epona's mane and caused her to stop in her tracks. Dethl kept running and suddenly went head over heels until he suddenly was impaled by a large, wooden beam that had fallen off of the castle. Though he appeared dead, the fight wasn't over yet. He quickly transformed once more, his whole body completely becoming serpentine and his legs shrinking and splitting apart. Suddenly, his body became segmented, and his fangs became like sharp, deadly scissors that clanged together like a tremendous claw. With his huge, white, triangular eyes, it gazed down at the king and gave out an insectoid screech.
Lanmola.
Nightmare suddenly leapt into the air. Like a mighty serpentine dragon, he spun about and maneuvered his body until he was roughly above the king. Quickly guiding Epona away from the monster, they barely moved away in the nick of time as the beast drove its skull into the earth, completely piercing through the crust and descending deep below as it began to tunnel into the depths.
The king watched the ground carefully as the last piece of the Lanmola was sucked beneath the depths. Large rises in the ground indicated the beast's approach. However, looks could easily be deceiving, and the king knew for a fact that it would be unwise to run. He and Epona just stood there…and waited…
Suddenly, a larger mound in the earth suddenly burst forth as the Lanmola form of Dethl burst from the depths. The king quickly struck, letting his sword sink deep into the flesh of the beast. Dethl roared again as he crashed onto the ground and suddenly extended his powerful claws, striking at the king as if his huge legs were spears.
The king did his best to fight back, striking and parrying even as some of the legs managed to make their mark. Blood began to fall from the king's body as he cut and struck, parried and slashed, bled and delivered blood with the beast.
Finally, Dethl knocked the king completely from Epona's back. The deity backed away, knowing full well that she would only be in the way as her mortal form at this point in time. The king slashed at the beast's leg before letting the Master Sword slowly cut through the stump of the leg until he reached the abdomen. With an almighty war cry, he completely sliced through the beast's abdomen and segments, rending the monster in half.
Even then, the Nightmare wasn't finished. The monster suddenly leapt into the sky, carrying his torn segments with him. As he did, he made one final roar of triumphant defiance before suddenly splitting its body into almost a thousand smaller pieces, completely scattering itself across the battlefield.
The king looked around. The monster had gathered itself up into a pool of tar-like gunk. It suddenly began to move around, feeling the earth as if it were some kind of mutant snail, searching for something in particular that was on the ground. Suddenly, the pools came upon the remains of armor…the entire advanced guard of Grand Farrow, their bones turned into dust through either fire or eye beams.
The black slime grabbed at the armor and began to form again. This time, as it transformed, it transformed inside of the armor, bonding with it and using it to give itself definitive form. The king watched, unmoving and emotions unchanging as the beast began to transform itself into a thousand monstrous warriors; bearing the armor and weapons of his fallen people.
The dark forms stood silent. Suddenly, they each opened a mighty white eye, which made up the center of their faces. The eyes stared at the king in a resolute demeanor as they all stood there…silently…motionlessly.
The monstrous copies of Dethl began to all laugh; their eyes widening in humor. The beast had full confidence that it could defeat this foe, no matter the cost. The king simply stared down his foes, even as he was surrounded by a cacophony of laughing warriors.
Suddenly, the laughing stopped. The beasts stared back at the king, their amusement transformed into hatred. The king gave them the exact same stare, not once moving or showing any sign of weakness even as his cuts bled openly through his ruined tunic and severed chain mail.
The beasts roared and charged. With that first strike from one of the beasts' swords, and with the great cutting motions of the Master Sword, which sung from the heat of battle, the fight had begun anew.
Thunder struck the sky as rain poured over the ever-burning town. Many more hours passed after the final transformation of Nightmare into an army of Hylian-like monsters. Since then, the king had fought against the thousand strong warriors ceaselessly, never once caring about how tired he felt or for his own safety. With the Master Sword as his guiding light and courage, he did not once falter or give quarter to his enemies. The mighty Blade of Evil's Bane sung as it struck, blow after blow, completely destroying each and every beast and sending their bodies back into the ash from whence they came.
Spears soon struck from out of nowhere, swords slashed on all sides, and maces with chains flung about in a fury, but the king fought to keep his foes from defeating him. All around, his enemies tried to swarm him, only to be pushed back by the power of the Master Sword's holy might. Though the king received his own wounds; cuts, bruises, gashes and the like; his own blows were much more fatal than anything that the Nightmare soldiers could give out.
The hisses and whistling cries of arrows suddenly rended the night air. The king had barely time to defend himself as at least a hundred of the things struck from all sides. Though the majority missed, and many more were deflected by his sword, some did hit their mark, and his waist and back were peppered with the shafts; more than enough to kill any lesser man.
With a mighty war cry of vengeance, hope, and courage, the king's body suddenly received an adrenaline rush as a last act of desperation and defiance. He began to charge, taking on the offensive as more and more of Dethl's copies attacked on all sides. Black, tar-like blood spilled in the air and on the soil before descending back into the earth.
The rain continued to pour even as the last of the flames went out, almost plunging the whole ruin into darkness. Dethl's counterparts numbered only a hundred by now, for the king had succeeded in driving him back. The battle had taken place in almost a complete circle, from the eastern side of the castle all the way over to the western edge where the battle had begun. The sparseness of Nightmare's soldiers had begun to allow openings in their ranks, providing the king with the last bit of hope he needed to deal with the monsters.
Right and left, he parried sword attacks, sliced at the shafts of spears, completely rended mace and chains in two, and deflected arrows; all the while trusting upon the Master Sword to guide him in the remainder of the fight. As he continued, he did not notice one of the beasts coming up behind him with a makeshift club from the wreckage, using great strength in an attempt to bring the thing down upon the victim.
Epona was not forgotten, nor did she forget to aid her partner. She catapulted into the would-be assassin and pounded her hooves upon him, charging them with divine might. It was enough to defy Dethl's power, and the beast was swiftly gone. She took out several of the soldiers all at once before giving the king a nod. The king nodded back in thanks before swiftly returning full out to the battle.
At last, only a dozen or so remained. They all attempted to swarm upon him at the same time, but the king would have none of it. Time stood still as he made an almighty spin attack that cut through each of the beasts; from the waists of some of the monsters to their chests, to their heads, and back down to the waists again. All of them completely sliced into ribbons, their bodies twitching once more before returning to the ash from whence they came.
The king felt himself breath heavily as he turned about. As he suspected, there was one left. This final Nightmare had turned tail and ran, threatening to transform into something that would allow it to run swiftly like a bird.
"Oh no you don't!" the king shouted as he began to make a quick, charging run, "You aren't getting away…not this time!"
The king suddenly tossed the Master Sword. The weapon spun in the air as it headed straight towards the monstrous Dethl, who was even now trying to change into a bird-like creature that was trying to escape the confines of its armor. Upon its own will, it guided itself to the flesh of the beast, and with one final song escaping its sharp edges; the blade pierced the back of Nightmare.
The beast fell head over heels as the sword continued its spin at least three more times before suddenly diving into the earth. The flesh around it slowly began to dissipate into ash until a small strand of tar stuck itself upon the blade of the Master Sword. A single eye formed, gazing about pleadingly as it tried to assert its surroundings.
"Wha…wha-what is this madness?! Let me out!!! RELEASE ME, FOUL SWORD!"
Nightmare could not escape the Master Sword, as if clung to it by the blade's own enchantments. None of Dethl's struggles could free itself as the king came closer to the sword, reaching out and grabbing the hilt before freeing the blade from its spot in the earth.
The king raised the Master Sword high into the air in triumph. Dethl's eye gazed back down at him pleadingly, unable to speak out of fear of what the mighty king would do. Finally, as the king glared hatefully up into Dethl's eye, he spoke out in a loud, clear voice.
"At long last," he shouted, "you are defeated, beast! In the darkest hour of my people, I have freed us of your shadow, and you now sit defeated at the tip of this mighty blade! Know well that you were defeated by the one man who had set you free, and that you will never again strike out at my kind, or ever defeat that which is good! May the Master Sword forever bury you within the earth that you once called home, so that your tyranny will never rise again!!!"
"HEAR ME, FOOLISH MORTAL!!!" Nightmare's scream sliced through the silent wind and rain, "Know now that you have just defeated me for only so long! I will not be gone long…in fact, at least 1,000 years after your death, one with your blood in his veins shall release me from my prison…and I will achieve the chaos that I desire at last!!"
"Then with the Goddesses at my side," the king growled, "I vow to never rest nor enter heaven until I am certain that this world will remain at peace for millennia, and that when you do arrive…you will be conquered just as easily! Never again will I allow you to harm my people…and never again will you look upon the sun…"
The sky suddenly got very dark. Dethl's eye gazed about frantically as he tried to do everything in his power to escape. The king's eyes were filled with resolve as he brought the Master Sword up into the air.
"They say that the night is darkest before the dawn," the king whispered to Nightmare as he let his sword hang in the air between his two hands, "Well…the dawn has come at last to dispel the darkness, Dethl. Now…DIE!!"
The king brought the sword down, striking it point-first into the deep dirt and earth. The blade sunk through the mud and stayed stock still, with only a fraction of Dethl's eye remaining out of the ground. As the sun began to peak out of the eastern horizon, Dethl let out one final scream of defiance.
"I WIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLL REEEeeeeetuuurrrrnn…"
Dethl's body began to slink into the ground. As it did, the ground began to rumble and quake. The earth beneath the Master Sword suddenly began to rise out of the ground. As the king stepped back out of the way, he watched to his upmost surprise as the ground rose higher and higher, until it suddenly burst.
A gigantic egg; white with sky-blue stripes; had appeared out of the ground. Huge, black roots of tar punctured the earth, as if trying to contain the great mass within the ground. The Master Sword sat upon the top, its end driven in deep into the egg. It shone and glimmered as it got its first glimpse of the morning dawn to the east. The king watched in stunned silence as the egg's upward movements slowed to a stop, its lower half still contained within the rock and earth that was a part of the depths of Greenholme's soil.
Silence gripped the landscape as the rains stopped. A chill wind brushed over the land, kicking up dust and broken slivers of timber and ash that was the only remains of the many buildings that once stood here. Grand Farrow castle, though still intact, was naught but ruins, and was the only thing that remained that told the tale of what had happened to this great city.
"At long last," the king whispered, "The reign of Nightmare has ended."
The king wandered through the ruined streets and alleyways of Grand Farrow for a while, unsure of where to go or what to do. Epona had wandered off, and the king wondered if he would ever see the great Goddess of horses again. As he moved, he did his best to free himself of the arrow shafts that still punctured his sides, saying silent thanks to the Pantheon that their gifts were more stout worthy and resistant to damage than they appeared.
As he moved, he suddenly heard a quiet sound that pierced through the whispers of the wind. It was a cry, though not one of pain or of suffering…rather, it was of confusion, fright…or perhaps…something more.
It was the cry of a newborn babe.
The king followed the cry throughout the city streets of Grand Farrow. Heading east, he continued his way onwards towards the ruin of the castle. He passed under the broken timbers, the ash-filled gardens that were once full of life, the ominous trees that stood barren and lifeless like stooping sentinels over a graveyard. Though the whole city was drenched in death, the cry continued to make itself be heard, and it grew louder as he continued his journey into the castle and his descent into the dungeons.
Finally, he managed to use the last of the strength he could muster without killing himself, and pushed aside a large pile of rubble. As he gazed inside, he saw something that made his heart leap for joy, his eyes well up with tears, and his soul become filled with the song of hope and love.
His wife sat upon her knees, surrounded on all sides by bowing villagers, whose clothes were in rags and bodies covered in injuries. Epona stood behind the queen, nuzzling her red hair with her nose. The queen gazed up at her beloved with her beautiful blue eyes, smiling even as her eyes were welling up with tears.
In her arms was a small bundle…the source of the crying. The bundle shook as the supposed captive tried to get free of his mother's hold. The babe continued his crying, until he turned and suddenly saw the approaching man…and then he stopped. The king watched in awe as the babe gazed up at him in love-filled eyes, admiring the battle scars and tired muscles of his father.
The king's son was a mirror image of his parents. Indeed, he had the fair skin of the royal bloodline, and his own body had already developed muscles that could be seen even from behind the blanket that clothed him. The babe's eyes were sapphire blue, like his mother's, but already the babe had developed the golden hair of his father. He gazed up at the warrior in wonder, and as the king approached the boy reached up with his hands, as if beckoning for his father to pick him up.
The king obliged. As the queen gently placed their son into his father's hands, the king held the boy up high for all to see. Not once did the boy cry as his father held him up, and a calm and silent smile seemed to creep upon his face. The king gazed lovingly at his son and felt tears form up in his eyes, before giving the babe a loving hug. His wife, who began to rise to her feet, quickly joined in the lovely embrace, and the three heartbeats of that family seemed to be as one.
Epona approached them all and snorted happily. The king turned his attention to the great horse and patted her muzzle lovingly; silently thanking the beautiful goddess. Epona closed her eyes and seemed to smile as she let the king pet her muzzle, before opening them and gazing between the three of them.
At last, it is over, the goddess whispered in their minds. However, your people are crushed and scarred, and this land is forevermore in permanent decay and ruin. No more can your people live here, for this land has become a cursed one thanks to the evil that is Dethl. You must choose what course of action you must take up next, for I fear that staying here will have dire consequences.
Though the queen was confused, the king nodded in understanding. He had already heard the words spoken by the Golden Goddesses; he was King Aidan, the last king of Greenholme. There was no way around it. They could not stay…and they never will.
The king took the child in his arms and beckoned for the others to follow. With the queen by his side, the king led the survivors out of the dungeons and up into the sunlight that was the new dawn over the land. Taking them out of the eastern exit of the castle, he addressed them all in a great voice that could be heard all throughout the city.
"From this point on, we can no longer live here," the king shouted, "We cannot reside and rebuild as we had always done in the past whenever great evil stirred up this land. Greenholme is forever drenched in darkness, and as such we have no choice but to leave this land in darkness…The people of Greenholme shall go forth into the lands of the east, and return to the lands of their forefathers."
The king turned his eyes to the ruin of Grand Farrow and the rest of the western lands beyond. "Henceforth, this land is covered in darkness," the king said, "and so, darkness shall be its name. No longer shall this land be ever again called by the name of Greenholme…now it is Darkholme, the land of eternal dust and despair. All who dwell upon this land shall be cursed in its despair, for no life can ever dwell here in the same way it once did ever again."
The king gazed down at his boy, whose smiling face turned to one of resolve, as if he agreed with his father's words. The king raised his boy up for all to see.
"This land, and the times that it had seen beforehand, will not be forgotten," the king continued, "And my son shall be living proof of this. Henceforth, he shall be named Link, so that he may be forevermore a link to the past that was once this land. Greenholme's heart shall forevermore reside in him, and every third or fourth generation firstborn that is a male of my house shall carry up his name, so that the link will always remain intact."
Everyone watched as the king brought his boy down and gave him to his wife. The boy gazed up silently as his father once more before cuddling closely to his mother, who gazed up at her husband in sadness and forlorn.
He lifted a finger under her chin and gazed into her eyes. "I had made a promise to myself that I would never rest nor enter heaven as long as Dethl is a threat," the king said to her, "so I must remain here while you lead our people back to Hylia. Look for my cousin, the emperor. He shall take care of you and our son. Let him know I wish to make him a baron under his tutelage, and perhaps a knight when he is older."
The queen let her tears fall freely from her eyes. "Aidan," she whispered, "I…will I ever see you again?"
Epona approached the three of them and bobbed her head once to get their attention. The Goddesses have granted me some foresight into the future, she said to them. It is a sad truth that you both will not see each other again in this lifetime, but all is not lost for you. Know now that, within many years in the future, the lines that are Aidan and Rose will come again, and you will be bonded in spirit once more. Perhaps the names, the time, and the land shall be much different, but your hearts will still be the same, and you will be whole again.
Epona looked on to the east, gazing out at the mountains that stood as the boundary between the newly dubbed Darkholme and the lands beyond. I shall forevermore remain here to help guide the mortals, she said. Though my spirit is wild and free like that of all horses that are my children, I will continue to watch over the descendants of the survivors of this land, and I will take special care to watch over the royal line of Grand Farrow. Know this…you and your people have not seen the last of me, and under my watch they are in good hands.
A mist suddenly rose from the ground and enveloped the crowd. The king, queen, and their son watched in awe as the mighty horse reared her body and gave a loud whinny before riding up, and up, and up into the skies of the east, her body enveloped within the gray clouds of dew. When the mist disappeared, she was gone, much to the surprise of the crowd. The king gave a final nod of thanks in the direction she went before turning to his wife.
"I gave you a promise, not long ago, that we would meet again," the king said, "That promise still stands. Take our son, and go east. I will forever be watching your back."
The queen let the tears flow freely. As she cried, the king embraced her one last time. The two of them stood, like two lovers forever parting within the depths of time, never once caring about the villagers whose eyes were still watching their leaders. Lifting his wife's chin, he gave her a final kiss, letting their love and sorrow mix together in their final farewell.
"You make good with your promise, my king," the queen said sadly, "I will be waiting."
"As will I," the king said sadly.
The wind made the only noise that morning as all stood silent and forlorn. Even the babe had stopped his cooing and movement, as he had fallen fast asleep in his mother's arms.
The king watched as his wife took one last look back before finally passing through the ruined gates of Grand Farrow. Letting resolve take over, he turned around and made his way back west, taking a spear and shield with him as he did. He continued going until he made it to the great egg that held the life force of Dethl, bound captive by the Master Sword. There, he turned his back to the monster and sat still, patiently waiting.
Thus he stayed like this for hundreds of years. Many Hylians who had heard the news took it upon themselves to re-colonize Grand Farrow, only to be turned back by the curse of the land and by the phantom that watched over the ruins. Over time, a new race appeared on the borders of Grand Farrow, lurking in the shadows and living off of the land in their own way. Though they never bothered with the egg or the phantom, they did manage to take the stones of Grand Farrow Castle and use it for their own. The king watched this as the land of Darkholme continued growing ever darker, until the day was always twilight; never once being touched by the sun.
Still, he waited. He guarded the egg patiently. He could hear the whispered voices of Nightmare from within, and it was only by the strength of his will that he remained free of insanity. Whatever gift of immortality the Goddesses had given him was proving well useful, for he remained alive and intact for the next 3,000 years.
And thus, Dethl did not once stir from his egg.
Hyrule, Lon Lon Ranch. 94 AIW, LotS Timeline
A calm breeze filled the air around the ranch. The horses busied themselves with either play or grazing in the corral as the afternoon dragged on. Ranch hands were constantly at work; mending the roofs, bringing fresh straw into the stables, attending to the animals inside that weren't out grazing in the grounds nearby. A big, burly man with brown hair was busy talking to one of the ranch hands in particular, who was scrawny and possessed a strange, curling mustache.
"It's sad indeed," the burly man said, "Hard to believe that such a thing could happen in such a time of peace as this."
"Believe me," the second man said, "Both my brother and his wife died due to the raid on their village. They left me with some of their valuables, of course…and one in particular that leaves me in a pickle. I'm not sure if I can properly take care of her. Do you think you and Nalon can help out?"
"I wouldn't be a good caretaker of this ranch if I didn't," the burly man replied, "Of course I can. Actually, it's a good thing you brought her over already, because my own boy needs a playmate himself. Most of the other ranch kids are either too young, too old, or are too busy doing their own thing to give him much attention, and since he's been taking to…climbing things…Look, I think it would be great if we got them both together. Maybe she'll, I don't know, bring him down to earth a bit."
"Hardly!" the second man guffawed, "That little rascal of a girl treats the world like her own personal jungle! I seriously doubt that they'd actually calm each other down if they met. If anything, they'll probably tear the ranch to pieces!"
"Now, Inigon, I seriously doubt that," the first man said, "I mean, it'll be a very hard job indeed to tear this place down with all of the serious renovations going on."
"All thanks to your grandfather-in-law," the second man, Inigon, said, "If it weren't for him helping fix this place, I doubt it would even be standing anymore. He sure did a good job with the place. It's too bad he died six years back."
"Yes, it was a sad day for all of us," the burly man said, "That was just about a year after my son was born. Say…where is he, anyway?"
A small boy was busy trying to climb up the boughs of a big oak that had been growing in the ranch grounds. He had already made it up to the second branch, using his natural flexibility and good grip to keep himself from falling. He was just about to twist himself around and stand up when a voice like the cooing of a dove shouted out from below.
"Hello, there!"
The distraction wasn't exactly a big one, but it was enough for the boy to lose his grip. With a yelp, he fell flat on his back on the ground, groaning and shaking his head to clear the fog forming around his eyes.
"Hi! What's your name?"
The boy looked up and suddenly gasped. There, standing in front of him, was a girl just barely a year younger than he was. She was wearing a pretty blue skirt that went down to her knees, and she also wore a sleeveless, white shirt, which showed her arms cleanly as she crossed them over her chest. She gazed down at the boy with her bright, sapphire eyes, and the breeze picked up her beautiful red hair so that it seemed to cling to the wind.
"Uh…" the boy could only say.
The girl giggled. "What's the matter? Can you talk?"
The boy growled in indignity as he tried to sit up and brush dust off of his overalls. "Of course I can talk!" he said.
"Well, then what's your name?"
"My name's Link," the boy said, "I don't think I've seen you around here before. What's your name?"
"My name's Rose," the pretty girl said, "I'm new here. My uncle brought me over to stay for a while. It's nice to meet you."
She offered him her right hand. The boy gazed at it for a couple of seconds before reaching out with his own and taking it. As they shook hands, the boy could not help but notice how soft her skin was…
"Hey, how good at you at hiding?" the girl asked.
"Uh…I'm pretty good; I mean, I often get lost when I do every now and then," the boy said as he scratched at the back of his neck nervously.
"Great!" she said, "Let's get some of the other kids together and play hide and seek! You're it!"
The boy couldn't protest as she took off. It wasn't that he didn't want to…it's just that he couldn't. The way she gazed into his eyes like that…it was unbelievable.
Well, it looks like my tree can wait, the boy thought. "Hey, Rose! Wait up!"
The End (Epilogue to come)
Kerian: Well, that's it. There's an epilogue coming, but other than that...it's finally done!
I'd like to thank everybody that has read this so far. Thus far, this is my first real success on . Everything else that I wrote that has been actually completed were oneshots, and since only a few people look at those, I don't think they really count. lol.
Now we see the origins of Link, and one of my OC characters. Rose made her debut in Legacy of the Sages, my biggest fanfic. For those of you who have read it already, you know that Link and Rose were childhood friends who eventually fall in love. Since Rose is otherwise a counterpart of Malon I wanted to give her an origin story that would make better sense. Otherwise, she might as well have been named Malon in the first place...lol.
Darkholme is a specific land in my mythos of Legend of Zelda that's a realm full of some of the darkest creatures in creation. It will be featured in my Clan Wars fanfic that will be eventually posted, and it will be the focus of a lot of the future short stories I'll be making based off of the Clan Wars. Now, if any of you have played on the Gameboy game, Link's Awakening, and its Gameboy Color counterpart, Link's Awakening DX, you'll know that Dethl's the final boss there. So, how did Dethl wind up inside of the mind of a Wind Fish? Where's the Master Sword going to end up from here on out? We'll eventually all see where it goes when I start up the Clan Wars and begin posting, but until then, we'll all have to wait and see...
I'm going to call it good with the Clan Wars stuff after I'm done with the epilogue, and the next thing I'll be updating will be my Spirit Tracks Novelization. After that, it'll be Legacy of the Sages, followed by probably my eventual idea for a Legend of Zelda: Treasure Island fanfic, and then maybe some Secrets of the Lost Woods. However, I will tell you one thing is guaranteed; this isn't going to be the last Clan Wars short story ever made...But until I do start posting, me out!
-Kerian
p.s. Something's screwy with my computer, because it won't save the stupid title so that it's centered...:(