Although it's long overdue, I decided to add Groose and Fi as main characters in the story summary. It's only fair given how they've stuck by Link and Midna through thick and thin this far. Plus I'm hoping to get more readers who are Groose or Fi fans.
Chapter 19: Laying Down Demons
Never before had Link seen such a sight before. The island of Skyloft was crowded far more so than usual as Peacekeepers from across the world and the Twilight Realm gathered in one place. Everyone was running about like ants, higher-ups barking orders for subordinates to do this, go there or pass a message on to that person. It was hard to believe that things had been so much quieter just mere hours ago. Link could clearly remember the exact moment when this storm started.
A ruckus had drawn Link's attention while he was out on a walk, leading him to the outskirts of the base. Several other people had wandered over to see what was happening. There, lying on the ground bleeding horribly, were two men clad in armour identical to that worn by Hyrulean knights. Both men were barely conscious and fighting for breath. Callum pushed his way through the crowd and leaned over the closest of the fallen soldiers.
"What happened?" he asked the wounded man, his tone professional though tinged with concern. The soldier looked up at him weakly and spoke with a voice that was no more than a whisper.
"Sir, we were attacked... Demon's Flames found us. Their leader... Their leader was there too... Tore us apart before we knew what hit us... The princess... Zelda... They took her... I'm sorry sir. We failed to protect her..."
A troubled frown flickered on Callum's brow. "You did all you could and more," he said then turned to the swarm around him and pointed to one person. "You, go get these men a doctor on the double." He pointed to another. "You, run to mission control and inform them what's happened. Tell them I'm authorising top priority on the rescue of the Hyrulean princess."
As both messengers dashed off, Link stepped forward. "Callum, what can I do?"
"Take that one over there and try to staunch the worst of the bleeding." Link did not have any rags to use nor was he willing to use his only good clothes as a bandage, so instead he pulled off the soldier's armor and ripped a piece off of the man's already ruined tunic. "These men are two of ours," Callum explained his son's unasked question. "Their job was to protect Zelda and keep an eye on Hyrule Castle."
'Zelda,' Link thought anxiously. A small part of his quest with Midna had been to save her after the castle had been taken by Ganondorf. Now she had been dragged into an even bigger mess and he had not been able to warn her, let alone try to protect her. He was supposed to have left Hyrule for good so he had to trust that she would be well looked after by someone else. 'Great how that turned out,' he brooded.
"I want to help save her," he said firmly. He expected Callum argue with him but the next thing his father said was something else.
"With Ghirahim involved we may not be able to do it without you. Din damn it all, it's a miracle these two are even still alive," Callum growled.
The day had grown worse when not more than an hour later urgent news came in from the Demon's Flames spies. According their reports, the enemy had finally located the Well of the Accursed and were making their way there in force. The informants were also able to provide the coordinates of the enemy's destination, allowing the Order to act. In response, the council had commanded a complete recall of agents from worldwide, suspending all other missions where possible to focus fully on the immediate threat. It would not matter if awkward questions were asked as a result if there was no one left to ask them should Demise return.
Link had sometimes wondered how big the Peacekeeper Order actually was. To see the entire organisation concentrated on the floating island, he judged the numbers to be that of a small army, which was a bit disappointing. In the seriousness of the situation it certainly felt like an army with Skyloft's new-found militant atmosphere and how everyone was hurrying around with a sense of purpose.
Rovair and the other doctors, as well as their apprentices, had been working overtime to produce enough medical supplies for everyone marching off to fight. Dennis was running himself ragged to deliver completed potions to the soldiers. Those incapable of fighting such as the young, the injured, and the elderly assisted the Postman and took up any jobs that would have otherwise caused delays had preparing combatants taken them. Jarret and Sarafi, while both irritated that they were to stay behind, did what they were able to help.
Having finished their own preparations, Link and Midna sat idly in their little home. Though they both knew that they could be assisting everyone else, they felt that they needed some time alone. It terrified them to think that something may happen to themselves or their significant other after the battle started, so they hid themselves away from the world, only for an hour or so, just to spend what time they may have left together. Neither could bring themselves to speak, so they conveyed their thoughts and feelings through touches and kisses. The effect was small but enough.
They hated the moment when the knock at the door brought them back to reality. Callum entered at Link's invitation and looked at the two with an indecipherable expression. His eyes fell on the heart pendant around Midna's neck. The red and gold of the piece matched well with the Twili woman's brilliant eyes.
"That necklace suits you," he told her simply.
Midna's fingers touched the small ruby. "Thank you. Link told me that you gave it to him. I appreciate it Callum."
"Sorry," Link started, "I know we should be helping everyone else, but we kinda needed..."
Callum nodded knowingly. "I understand. We'll be flying out within half an hour so you don't need to worry. I just came to let you know."
The Hero of Light chewed his lip. "What do think our chances are?" Callum did not require an explanation to know what he was referring to.
"The enemy has more men than we do though each of ours has the advantage of superior skill and experience. In addition, the Flames don't have loftwings so an approach from above will be a big help for us. However, the main problem is that time is against us. Should Ghirahim revive Demise during the fight numbers, skills and tactics won't matter."
"Then we can't let that happen," Link said firmly.
"To stop them," Callum continued, "our main focus will be to get you inside the Well if Ghirahim has already opened the entrance. In the meantime, the rest of our forces will deal with the Demon Lord's followers."
Midna looked at Link and bore an expression of tense determination. "I'm going with you."
He gaped at her. "What? No, it's too dangerous. Don't you remember what happened the last time you went up against that psychopath? I don't want you putting yourself in harms' way like that."
The Twili's gaze hardened. "You're not going in there alone, especially if Ghirahim does manage to bring back that master of his. No matter what you say, I'm going to fight. So I can either stay outside on my own in the battle where anything could happen to me, or I can stay right next to you where you can keep an eye on me." Her lips curled into her trademark smirk. "It's your choice, wolfie."
Link opened his mouth to reply but could not manage more than a few strangled syllables, torn as he was. Midna placed one hand over his. "Zelda's my friend too," she said softly, "and I owe it to her to save her."
"Listen to her, Link," Callum said. "The Well of the Accursed is not a welcoming place. If legends can be believed, evil spirits roam that pit. Midna is a capable swordswoman as well as a master sorceress. You might be right that it's too dangerous for her to fight Ghirahim on her own, but what you'll need the most of all when you're down there will be emotional support."
Link switched his gaze between the two dumbfounded then closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright, fine." He looked to Midna. "But don't go taking any unnecessary risks. If something happens to you... I..." he trailed off.
She smiled at him and gave his a brief kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry. Since the Fire Sanctuary I've been training harder so I'd be ready for the next time I meet that lunatic. I'll be okay. Besides, I'll be spending too much time making sure you don't do anything stupid."
"What are the chances of that happening?" Link asked.
Midna raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want me to answer that?"
He thought about it for a moment then shook his head. "No."
Night fell as the largest flock of birds flew towards the mountains for battle. In the darkness with only the moon to light the way the jagged peaks appeared cruel and menacing. The Peacekeeper army had flown for hours tirelessly, far from Hyrule, over Termina and past the kingdom of Holodrum. They only made one very short stop along the way when the soldiers grew saddle-sore. The loftwings however were still going strong and were able to resume their journey after their brief break.
The landscape was a sea of orange, thousands of men in the robes of the Demon's Flames stretched across the desolate plain, made visible by torches burning around the encampment. Some were on horseback while most of the force was on foot. The loftwings changed from powerful flapping to silent gliding at their riders' signal. Beginning an ever so gradual descent, the Peacekeepers drifted over their unsuspecting foes.
As soon as they were in range, the first bird riders fired arrows down upon the enemy. Confusion spread like wildfire as cultists watched men standing right next to them suddenly fall dead. Trying to regain composure, the Flames let loose arrows and spells up at their attackers. The shafts failed to reach their targets though the magical attacks crashed into some of the great birds. Some the loftwings received broken wings and dropped out of the sky along with their riders, marking their side's first losses. The Peacekeepers continued to thin down the enemy force yet there were still many cultists left standing.
When the enemy fire increased, there was no choice but to land the loftwings else more would be shot down. The Peacekeepers veered to the left side of the battle to a high plateau where they could dismount safely. As soon as Link leaped off of his crimson bird, he joined his comrades charging down, shooting arrows at enemy troops as he went. Midna followed close behind, keeping off any projectiles that hurtled towards Link with her magic.
Link slid his sword out and cleaved it through his first opponent then brought it back to cut down another. More orange-clad soldiers came at him though none of which were as capable with a blade as he was. Each swing of the Master Sword delivered a killing blow, not a single movement wasted. From all sides, Link heard screams and explosions as combatants from both armies fell to the ground. His heart began pounding in his ears as pandemonium erupted all around him.
Blood drenched the Hero's steel to the point where it splattered with every attack. More perished before the Hero yet there was always a new foe to take the old one's place. It was a never ending current of enemies and he knew that his stamina was not unlimited. Slashing his blade in a wide arc, Link used the extra breathing room to look around. There was no sight of Ghirahim although Link did see a giant hole in the mountainside to his left. The opening was a perfectly arch shape, the edges too straight to be of natural occurrence. Link lopped the arm of an incoming assailant then pointed towards the cavity.
"Over there," he shouted over the battle, "that must be the entrance to the Well!"
An ally nearby acknowledged him and barked an order. A group of Peacekeepers fought their way forward and assembled around the Hero of Light in a wedge formation. Together they marched towards the cave, driving through the enemy and splitting their forces in two. A Goron forming the point of the wedge swatted away all opposition while soldiers along the edges brushed off any attacks from the side. With the fighting kept off of Link, he was able to conserve his energy and focus on directing his escort.
Some of the Flames attempted to disrupt the formation by sending javelins, arrows and spells up and over to take out the Peacekeepers. Link raised a barrier above him and his comrades, his brow twitching from effort as the projectiles bounced off the ethereal cover. He checked behind him to make sure that their rear was guarded and was pleased to see Midna fending off several cultists at once with considerable success. Groose and Callum lent their support as well, swords red from heavy usage.
When the wedge finally pierced through the other side of the conflict, Link and Midna broke away and made a mad dash for the cave entrance. They skidded to a halt as two cultists emerged from the tunnel. Both men were massively built and carried broadswords in their meaty fists. Their masks both resembled snarling beasts that glared down at the Hero and the princess with pure malice. Link and Midna chose a giant each and rushed them together, aiming to end the fight quickly and move on.
They swung fast and hard but the cultists were able to block their attacks. Link had a thought that these two may be Ghirahim's lieutenants for their finer combat abilities compared to their peers. Again they attacked the cultists and again they were kept back. The routine was quickly starting to annoy Link, they were wasting precious time. He and Midna drew back to regroup and catch their breaths.
"Looks like you two could use some help," a familiar voice called out from behind them. Link turned his head back just far enough to glimpse Groose running up out of the corner of eye. The redheaded warrior stopped next to him. He had a few minor wounds and his skin was slick with sweat yet Groose stared at the hulking guards resolutely. Callum appeared by Midna's side looking more or less the same way. The black-haired man eyed Link with purpose.
"Get inside the Well," he told him. "We'll handle these two. Now go."
Link nodded and started running. One of the lieutenants attempted to cut him off before stopping to intercept a slash from Groose. Now unobstructed, Link and Midna made their way towards the cave. On each side of the opening was a large stone door that had been pushed inward. Embedded in each door were three of the medallions that had unlocked them, all shining in their respective colors. The two companions ignored them however as they headed straight into the inky, black passage within. The hairs on the back of Link's neck stood on end. He could tell that the final battle was close at hand.
The air inside of the Well of the Accursed was freezing. It was as though any heat had been absorbed by some sinister force, leaving behind nothing but cold emptiness. Link's palm illuminated with magic, cutting through the darkness although unable to reach the other end of the cave. The walls spread out down along the tunnel yet the floor never widened. Soon the path became nothing more than a thin walkway surrounded by black abyss on both sides. Link wondered if he would ever hit the bottom of the pit should he loose his footing or if he would simply fall forever. He shook his head and pushed the discouraging thought aside.
Even though he and Midna were completely alone, they could hear faint whispering from all around them. The muffled words spoke terrible things of hate and sorrow, sending chills down the couple's spines, threatening to weaken their resolve. They did their best to ignore the voices yet covering their ears failed to block them out at all. The sloping path never changed or gave indication that they were making any progress. This place was a never-ending passage to hell itself.
Something stirred in the darkness ahead that set the Hero further on edge. He could see a shape, albeit 'seeing' being a bit of a stretch as he could barely make out the outline. The whispering sounded so familiar to him. 'The history of light and shadow will be written in blood,' Link heard the wraith say. Ice clutched at his heart as memory filled in what he could not see. The shadow resembled a tall, muscled man wearing a suit of armor as black as the void. Midna ploughed into Link when he stopped in his tracks, barely catching him before he stumbled off the ledge. After the frantic beating in his chest calmed down, Link assured her that he was alright and turned to find the spirit gone.
A faint light no bigger than a distant star came into view, growing bigger with each step closer. Eventually the glow became bright enough that Link decided to extinguish his spell. He could see that the trail finally ended at a stone platform, wide and round yet still nowhere near touching the unseeable walls of the cavern. Braziers burned fiercely around a raised alter where two figures were visible. Ghirahim stood with his back to the Hero chanting over a low stone table in a strange alien language. On the table, bathed in a mystical light, was Zelda unconscious and convulsing in pain.
The Demon Lord ceased his chanting at the hiss of Link drawing his sword. "I'm beginning to see a recurring pattern here," Ghirahim said, still facing the Hyrulean princess. "I send my entire army to stall you, yet you somehow manage to slip by and interrupt me just as I'm about to finish the final stage of the revival ritual, just as that meddlesome sky child did." He turned to meet the two intruders with a hard glare.
"It's interesting that you're hiding down here while you men fight for you outside," Midna taunted. "Looks like you couldn't wait to bring back your boss so he can save your sorry butt."
A dark chuckle erupted from Ghirahim. "Those fools out there only serve as a distraction though as incompetent as they are at that simple task. They honestly believe that my master will let them live to see the future he plans for this world." He laughed again, louder. "The Great Demise despises humans. They are weak and worthless. Humans have no place in this world. My master will destroy the lot of them himself without so much as batting an eyelid. Demons will then rule supreme and before long not even the gods of old will have the power to stop us.
"I'll deal with the both of you while the ritual completes itself," the demon stated, sword materialising in his hand. "I only need a few minutes for my master to be resurrected."
Link looked back at Midna and gestured his head subtly towards Zelda. She nodded slightly in answer. "It's too bad for you then," he said to Ghirahim, "I only need one to take you down."
He then charged at the demon, aiming a downwards diagonal cut to his center. Ghirahim met the sacred blade with his own evil one. The Demon Lord took a step back and countered with a slash to the right side. Link blocked the attack using his shield then pushed the blade away and swung at Ghirahim's crystal while the demon was off balance. The fiend hollered in agony then retreated once more.
At the same time, Midna warped herself over to the altar while Ghirahim's attention was focused on Link. Zelda was still being tormented by whatever magic was being used to purge her soul. It hurt the Twili to see her friend like this. Ancient runes shone around the light princess in a circle, giving power to the ritual and controlling the flows of energy. Ghirahim glanced backwards from the fight and saw what Midna was doing. He made to attack her from behind but Link struck him again in the chest before the demon could turn away.
"Pay attention!" the Hero called out as he delivered another blow to the same spot, to whom Midna was uncertain.
As Ghirahim returned his attention to his opponent, Midna studied the symbols surround Zelda. Though she did not understand the language, she knew that runes were the key to supporting powerful and complex spells and had be drawn precisely in order to work. If Midna could work out which ones were the most essential and interfere with them, she might be able to free Zelda. She looked back at the duel raging not far away. She needed to be quick, not only was there not much time left before the ritual was complete but she did not know how long Link could hold out.
"Din's Fire!" Groose roared. The blast of fire collided with the giant cultist's barrier then dissipated. The masked warrior grunted from the clash of magic, one of the few sounds that he or his twin had made. Wounds that would have hindered most normal men decorated the cultist's body yet the mammoth stood unwavering. Groose had his own injuries including one on his side where his opponent's sword just grazed him during a stab. It would not kill him but if the battle was not decided soon then something else would.
Callum was faring better even if only slightly. So far the older man had managed to gash his foe's leg, rendering it unusable. While the second brute was immobilized, he was far from beaten and continued to fight the Peacekeeper from one knee. Callum quickly sidestepped as the cultist swung his heavy broadsword in a downwards arc. The steel buried itself into the hard ground and held fast. Making full use of the opportunity, Callum stepped inwards and drove his sword through the giant, killing him instantly.
"Need any backup over there?" he asked Groose with a weary smirk despite the fact looked ready to drop.
Groose gritted his teeth as he ducked another deadly stroke. "No thanks, I've got this." He dodged again then took advantage of the small opening that appeared. Groose swung up and caught the warrior in the exposed armpit. The cultist dropped his weapon from the pain, leaving him vulnerable for a finishing blow from the redheaded swordsman.
"See?" he said as he flicked the blood off of his blade. "All under control." Groose saw his comrade guzzling down a bottle of red potion and decided to do the same. The medicine tasted goddess-awful yet already he could feel some of his fatigue fading away. He then took out a roll of bandages and wrapped some tightly around the wound on his midsection.
"Think we should go in and give Link a hand?" he suggested as he twisted the cloth into a tight knot.
Callum wiped his mouth and surveyed the disorder around them. The battle continued fiercely with soldiers from both sides spilling blood. So far many more of the Demon's Flames have been disposed of but there were still a couple hundred of them left. More Peacekeepers had been lost as well although casualties were fewer. The air was filled with an ugly mess of screams, shouts and barely intelligible commands.
"No. We have more important work to do out here. Feeling up for another go?"
Groose grinned at him. "As long as we don't have to deal with anymore guys as tough as those ones, sure."
"Then pick a new partner and start dancing," Callum said, already rushing off to assist a group of his brothers-in-arms being overwhelmed by Flames.
Groose took one quick look at the cave entrance ahead. "Come on guys, we're counting on you." Then he charged back into the fray.
Link braced himself as a wave of dark energy slammed into his shield, the impact rattling the bones in his arm. The fight against the Demon Lord escalated when Ghirahim started employing magical attacks. The Hero had positioned himself between the demon and the princesses and was doing all he could to protect Midna as she carried out her work. It was taking all Link had to keep Ghirahim occupied long enough for her to rescue Zelda.
Ghirahim had also replaced his usual weapon with a much larger broadsword as the battle pressed on. This new blade housed more destructive power than the last yet it was remarkably fragile. Whenever Link moved in to attack, it was easy to scratch the blade's surface on the first strike. Beating away at the same spot over and over again further wore away at the evil steel until the point that the broadsword actually split in two. At this point Ghirahim would back away while he created another one.
Back at the altar, Midna's mind was racing as she tried to remove the enchantment that was physically keeping her away from Zelda. She picked some of the more intricate runes, assuming that they were more vital for sustaining the ritual, and proceeded to erase them, or at least disfigure them so they became completely different symbols. Sometimes there would be an effect on the containment field where the light would dim, waver or shrink in size. More often the result was not apparent which made the princess of twilight sweat.
After another failed attempt, Midna wiped her brow before re-examining the chalked-on glyphs again. Not long ago they had begun to flash brilliantly, increasing in intensity with each passing moment. Now the light was almost blinding which Midna believed meant that the ritual was almost done. She had been working carefully so as not to harm Zelda accidentally by making the magic unstable, but now Midna decided that delicacy was no longer an option.
She spat on a random rune then rubbed it away, scribbled on another until it was unrecognizable and drew new runes that she knew were commonly used to counteract most curses. Her heart was pumping so hard that she feared it would punch itself out of her chest. The aura surrounding Zelda shifted and warped in odd ways, losing its shape and its radiance fluxing wildly. Midna wiped out one last rune then the power of the rest died out. The light containing the human princess vanished and Zelda's pained groans ceased. A wide smile broke out on Midna's face. She grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook her firmly.
"Zelda..." she called, "Zelda, wake up!" After a tense minute, Zelda stirred and opened her eyes slowly.
"Who... Mid... na...?" the princess's voice was weak and barely audible as her vision focused. "Midna is that you...? How are you here? Where are we?"
Midna sighed in relief and thanked the goddesses that Zelda was alright. "I'll tell you later, but right now Link and I have to get you out of here."
"Link...?" Zelda wondered. With great effort she tilted her head to the side where she saw a swordsman in green dueling the monster she faintly remembered attacking her. She recognized the tunic the swordsman wore as well as the blade he wielded. It was true, she realized, Link was there as well.
Ghirahim's gaze flickered from the Hero to the two girls behind him. He saw that the shadow woman was helping the spirit maiden up from the altar and screamed with pure rage.
"NO!" he roared. "My master was almost fully revived. You insects should have ran and hid long ago yet you persisted to interfere. There's nothing else for it, I will complete the ritual, even if I have to use my own essence to do so."
Ghirahim began chanting again, this time light engulfing his own body. Link swung his sword to stop him but the blade bounced off as though he had slammed it against a boulder. The light shone brighter and brighter to the point where it hurt to look directly at it. The chanting soon changed to agonized cries and when the Demon Lord fell silent he vanished in an eruption of dark energy, replacing the light that once shone there.
A breeze picked up around the Hero and the princesses where the air had been still before. The fires flickered in their braziers as the wind picked up. Shadows rushed out of the surrounding darkness, through the torchlight to the center of the platform. The black shapes twisted and merged into a pool of thick smoke. Link felt the Master Sword in his hand shake violently as more of the shadows escaped from the blade to join the rest.
The air grew even colder and the wind blew wildly as the twister of phantoms spun with increasing speed. The darkness began to rise from the ground, slowly taking shape of something large. Dread crept its way into Link's mind as he looked on, his breath misting with each shuddering exhale. Something fearsome was coming and it was blocking their only way out. He took out his bottle of potion and drank the contents of it to ease his weariness. Amber eyes flashed open within the formless mass, staring menacingly at the mortals before it.
Demise has returned.
And so the final confrontation is at hand. The recurring battle between the Hero and the Demon Lord was never truly settled nor will it ever be. I feel as though Link and Ghirahim were enemies of equal strength and it would have been wrong to have one prevail over the other.
I received some criticism involving how I previously said Ghirahim was going to sacrifice his soul to complete the ritual. I'll admit I never questioned whether a demon could have a soul so for the sake of argument I changed the word to essence. It's close enough. I want to thank remvis and Scarlet Curls for bringing this to my attention.
On a side note, I have begun co-authoring for a Legend of Spyro story written by htffan951 called Mistreated (finally I have begun reading about a pairing other than Link and Midna). Bear in mind that this will have no impact on my own work and I do intend to proceed with my current project as soon as exams are done. All I'm doing so far is suggesting ideas and beta-reading so my influence is minimal. I do recommend reading the story but fair warning, it is going to be full of sadness. I have little idea where the story will go so don't ask me.