So here we are; the final battle. I want to thank all the people who have stuck with me since the beginning as well as those who have only recently begun reading this story. Many of your reviews have touched my heart and have given me the strength to continue writing. I especially want to give special thanks to Scarlet Curls, remvis, RigStig and Dragon of Chaos, who have shown so much support that their names stand out in my mind among all others.
Chapter 20: The Ultimate Enemy
The mass of black smoke coiled and twisted as it took shape. Powerful arms sprouted from the entity's sides while the base divided into two column-like legs. The vapors slowly began to fade, revealing a more solid being beneath it. The creature was a dark grey color, shaped like a man with bright orange fire burning in place of hair. His body was covered in black reptilian scales resembling armor. A gold-trimmed black cloth was tied around the monster's waist, draping onto the floor. His face was brutal with a wide nose and a scar glowing brilliantly on his forehead.
Demise stood tall and proud exuding a foreboding aura that caused Link to swallow. The deity's gaze slowly drifted from each of the three individuals before him, studying them with mild interest. Link's mind screamed at him to kill the creature while it was not attacking, yet his body was frozen and refused to move. His mouth felt so dry when piercing amber eyes locked onto his blue ones.
"You look similar to the human who challenged me many millennia ago," Demise spoke. His low voice rumbled like thunder heralding the storm. "Although it is clear to me that you are not him, I can sense his essence within you, the spirit of Hylia's champion. You even wield the very same sword that was used to defeat me. Something about you is different however; a will of a wild beast that cannot be tamed, one your predecessor did not possess."
The deity turned to Zelda, who was relying on Midna's support to stay upright. "The soul of Hylia resides in you, child; that I know. Yet you remain ignorant of the divine power that flows in your veins. It is pitiful to find you in this state even after how much your power had diminished the last time I saw you."
Then Demise looked to Midna. "You however I find fascinating. Never before have I seen anything quite like your species. There is an impressive amount of shadow magic within you yet you are no demon. I sense a strong similarity between your life force and that of the humans that confirms this."
Neither the Hero nor the princesses replied, too on edge as they were to speak. The demon god gazed absently around the darkness surround them.
"The Well of the Accursed," he continued. "The place where the souls of the damned gather on their way to the underworld. Those spirits are drawn here, unable to resist the Well's pull like dust in a breeze.
"When Hylia's first champion defeated me, I laid a curse upon him and the goddess where an incarnation of my hatred of them would rise up to enact vengeance forever. My creation reappeared throughout future generations, destined to do battle with my enemies' descendants time and time again."
Zelda's eyes widened with realization. "Ganondorf..."
Demise nodded slowly, his flaming hair wavering as he did so. "Yes. The one you call Ganondorf, or Ganon, is a being built in my image. My creation served two purposes; the first was to torment those with the blood of the goddess, Hylia, and the spirit of her Hero. The second purpose was to preserve my existence after I was destroyed.
"Each time Ganon was slain, his spirit would be brought here. The nature of my curse prevents him from being sucked into the underworld. He would wander this pit aimlessly in limbo, absorbing the withering power of the souls around him, awaiting the day he gained the strength to escape the Well and become reborn. And so the cycle continued until this day as I have reclaimed his power to be revived myself."
Link's face went bone white. So the specter he thought he had seen before truly was the Dark Lord. He had hoped that it had only been his imagination.
"My servant, Ghirahim, displayed great loyalty by using himself to restore me to life," Demise said, "even though the sacrifice was inadequate. Without an offering with divine blood, my strength remains incomplete. In order to regain my true power, I must consume Hylia's spirit. Then my reign of darkness can finally resume."
The threat to his friend snapped Link out of his stupor. He pointed his sword out and glared at Demise fiercely. "I won't allow that," he stated without as much as a quiver in his voice.
The immortal stared down at the Hero and chuckled, genuinely amused. "No, you won't. You are very much like your ancestor. If you wish to challenge me then I will accept. However, I will not underestimate you as I had with the first Hero. Once I have dealt with you, I will then destroy all you hold dear as I claim this world as my own."
Demise raised his hand out, fingers stretched out. The air became charged with energy as more shadows assimilated within the god's palm. The ethereal body shifted and elongated, solidifying in the shape of a massive sword. The blade itself radiated malevolence and devastation, its edges both serrated like a saw. It was a large as a man yet its wielder lifted it in one hand effortlessly.
Link took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, only partially succeeding. "Fi, what do we do?"
The blue spirit appeared out of his sword and floated beside the Hero. "I am sorry, Master. I do not have significant data on your enemy. What I am able to tell you is that Demise is very powerful and possesses great skill in combat. I also have records of him charging his weapon with an electric current during battle that will shock you if it connects with something metallic such as your sword or shield."
"So if he attacks me with that thing I can't block it," Link growled in annoyance.
"This effect will only be active when lightning surrounds the blade." Fi continued. "I do have information that should be useful. As Demise has not returned to full strength yet, it is possible that you can defeat him. Thousands of years ago your ancestor vanquished Demise after he had absorbed Hylia's spirit."
Link's heart picked up. "And he hasn't done that this time around. That means I'll have an easier time."
A slight frown showed itself on Fi's expression. "That is a false conclusion. Demise has stated that he will not underestimate you. He will be more wary of you during the battle."
"Doesn't matter," he told her. "So long as I know he's not invulnerable then that's all I need."
The demon waited throughout the exchange casually, clearly not bothered that his opponent was receiving valuable information regarding his capabilities. Demise harrumphed and gripped his sword in both hands. He then pulled his arms apart, the weapon splitting into two single-edged twins. "If are done conversing with one another then come at me."
"Gladly," Link said. He charged at his foe then swung the Master Sword with all his might. The attack was stopped dead as Demise raised one of his swords to block, the dark blade not so much as shaking from the impact. Link then swung from the other side, only to be blocked again by the second sword. He tried again from all possible angles yet no attack could penetrate his opponent's defenses. Demise's foot lashed out and struck the Hero in the chest sending flying back and crashing painfully onto his back.
"Was that the best you could do?" the demon taunted. "I expected so much more from you."
Link picked himself up, fighting against the pain. "I'm just warming up," he grunted and dashed forward once again. He continued to assail Demise yet he was unable to land a single hit. Demise raised both of his swords up into the air. Link barely dived out of the way before the jagged edges smashed against the stone then swung his own sword again, this time impacting Demise's scaly armor. The god grunted before returning to the defensive. Every now and again he would launch an attack of his own, using only one sword from that point on whilst the other protected him from the Hero's counterattacks. Link could barely hold off the mighty blows with his shield and found it incredible that just one of his foe's arms could swing with so much force.
Link was at the end of his rope trying to hit the demon a second time. He was making no headway and his strength was running down. Out of nowhere Demise cried out again though the Hero was still in mid-slash. Using the unexpected opportunity, the Master Sword finally collided with Demise's front, being rewarded with another agonized roar. Noticing a movement behind his enemy, Link caught sight of Midna with sword in hand. She had attacked Demise from his exposed back when his attention was focused on Link.
He would have told her to stop, to get away and stay out of the fight, but the words never to his lips. In every battle they faced, Midna had stuck by Link through thick and thin, helping him to overcome any enemy. That was how it has always been with them and how it will always be. Link knew he could not win this fight on his own so he simply nodded at her, to which she responded with a meaningful smile. They fought Demise together, staying on opposite sides of the demon while he took on them both with one sword each in an incredible display of skill. More often now, Link and Midna succeeded to strike Demise's body, gnawing down at his strength with each wound.
Demise leaped away from the two warriors and let out an almighty roar. Thunder cracked within the cavern and lightning flashed though there was no sky. The demon pointed both his swords upwards where they were struck by a massive bolt of lightning. Electricity crackled in bright blue arcs as Demise lowered the blades. Link remembered Fi's warning and changed his tactics to adapt to the situation.
He thrust his shield arm out. "Thunder Strike!" he called. Energy shot out of his hand, hurtling straight for his target while at the same time Midna joined him by firing a beam of shadow magic. Demise angled his twin weapons and deflected both spells with ease. He then lifted the swords up which sparked with greater ferocity. Instinct told Link that the deity was about to unleash some terrible attack upon them. He jumped sideways closer to Midna and stuck both hands up.
"Nayru's Love!" The blue barrier engulfed Link and Midna as a powerful bolt of electricity descended upon them from above. The Hero of Light felt the clash of energies and screamed from the strain of it all. When the lightning subsided, Link dropped the mystical shield and collapsed to a kneeling position, panting hard. He could not move, he could not think. He was too drained from the attack to do anything as Demise crept forward to finish him.
Midna, unharmed from the blast, watched in terror as Link remained hunched over unmoving as their enemy approached. She stood in the demon's way and cast another destructive hex at him. Demise met the attack with crossed swords, the blast failing to budge them so much as an inch. When the jagged swords were raised high and charged with power once more, Midna raised her own barrier to defend herself and Link. Her protective spell was stronger than Link's yet even she was only barely able to stand after taking the second lightning strike. Her legs wobbled under her as she saw her foe prepare for a third attack and felt a sense of desperation while she raised another barrier.
Meanwhile Zelda stared at the conflict with absolute horror and fear. She did not fully understand what was happening at all but she knew that her two closest friends, ones she had thought to have been gone forever, were fighting against a godlike monster and were about to die right in front of her. She wanted to help but alas her aching body refused to move. There was only one thing left Zelda could do. She closed her eyes and prayed, prayed to the goddesses to offer their assistance. As she did so, Zelda felt something odd; a power deep inside her that she never knew existed before. The princess delved further into herself, reaching out for that otherworldly sensation. The feeling grew and expanded within her to the point where it warmed her entire body. Somehow she knew what to do and focused all of that new power to the Hero of Light and into his sword.
Link heard another crash of thunder after he had fallen, he wanted to see what was happening around him yet he was too exhausted to raise his head. He ordered his body to move, to keep fighting, however he lacked the strength. Suddenly he felt a strange warmness, something he often associated with his interactions with the light spirits of Hyrule. It filled his whole being, taking away the soreness and replacing it with vigor and vitality. It was extraordinary, he felt as refreshed as though he had just gotten out of bed. He stood up tall, just in time to see a third blast of energy land down at them, smashing into Midna's shield. When the light from the attack faded, Link found to his horror that his companion was lying on the ground, completely still.
"No!" he screamed. He knelt down to Midna and rolled her onto her back. Her eyelids were closed, which frightened him, but he could see her chest moving up and down slowly and shallowly. Assured that she was not dead, Link rose up and glared at the unholy monster before him with unimaginable hate.
"I will grant the girl this," Demise said, a mix of detest and admiration on his ugly face, "she is more resilient than any I have seen before, with the exception of Hylia's Hero. But she is still mortal as are you. Now you will both die, with this pit to serve as your tomb for all eternity." The demon brought up his arms once more, this time however moving at a sluggish pace, then stopped midway. All was quiet around the Hero until...
"Master," Fi spoke to him with her mind, "I feel the power of Hylia flowing within us. I hypothesize that Zelda has awakened her divine abilities in order to aid you. This new power has re-energized your sword, restoring an ability that has been lost to it as time passed; the Skyward Strike."
Link's mind raced. "Zelda," he thought about his new-found energy, "She's doing this? Okay, how does this Skyward Strike work?"
"Point the tip of your blade to the heavens and allow the sword to gather its power. Then when that power has reached its maximum, slice at your foe from a distance and release the energy all at once. The attack will paralyze Demise momentarily, giving you the chance to attack." As the world began to resume naturally, Link heard one last sentence, "Master, I believe in you."
Demise's arms proceeded to rise, gradually increasing in speed. Link was faster though as he thrust the point of his sword upwards. Divine lightning struck the blade yet the Hero felt no shock from it. The Master Sword surged with energy and shone with an intense light. He slashed the air between him and Demise in a downwards arc and the light flew outwards along the line the blade had traveled. It crashed into the demon before he knew what was coming. Demise dropped his arms from the pain as sparks lit up around his rigid form.
Seeing his chance, Link rushed forward and let loose a barrage of slashes on his helpless enemy. Which each hit Demise cried out and was pushed back. The demon soon regained motor control again and brought one sword back to retaliate. Link dodged backwards from the blade then charged another Skyward Strike. Once more he released the great power, once more Demise stood frozen when the beam hit him and once more the Hero hacked away at him. Demise tried to use his own strike ability yet Link was always quicker. The demon was too slow to evade the attack and no defense could push it back as the light flowed around his swords like a river against a rock. The Hero struck Demise with everything he had behind his sword and the god fell to with his back on the ground. Link jumped through the air on instinct and sank the tip of the Master Sword into his prey.
A terrible scream filled the cavern as the storm returned to calm darkness. Link stepped off of Demise and retreated to a safe distance, ready should the monster rise again. When he did, it was with great difficulty. Demise panted in short gasps and shook unsteadily, using his one of his swords to support himself. Just as they had been created, the twin weapons vanished out of existence in a swirl of shadows. Demise watched the blades go then glared at the human that defeated him.
"You have done your ancestor proud, Hero," he wheezed. "But I can never be truly destroyed. All I have to do is create the incarnation of my hatred again and my return will become inevitable."
Demise raised his hands, now glowing with a dark aura. They flashed intensely for a second then faded. A look of shock appeared on the demon's face then was replaced with gritted teeth as he put more into the curse. The evil energy never grew and instead slowly faded. Demise's body began to break down, black smoke drifting out of him, becoming thicker with each passing second. His expression turned to horror as more of him disappeared.
"No," he cried. "No! NOOOOOO!" And then there was nothing left.
Silence returned to the cave with only the sound from the burning braziers to be heard. Link stood where he was, dumbfounded by what he had just witnessed. The Master Sword flashed in his hand and Fi manifested in front of him.
"Master Link," she said, "congratulations on defeating Demise. Now our mission is finally complete."
Link shook his head to wake up from his trance. "Wait, what about the incarnation of hatred? Now Ganondorf will come back and all of this will happen again."
"Not true. Demise was unsuccessful at casting the curse. The Well absorbed the magic at a greater rate than he was generating, thus he was unable to finish the spell before he too was absorbed. His entire being has now been pulled into the underworld. I estimate it would be impossible for him to ever be revived again."
A smile cracked and widened on Link's face. He could not help but laugh, letting out the stress that had been pent up inside of him. It was over, finally over. Demise and Ghirahim were gone for good. They had won.
It was finally over.
And that is it. Next chapter: the epilogue.
I'm closing the poll for my pitch for Cursed by Shadow. Although I have received enough support to consider writing the story, I have ultimately decided against it. Some parts of the idea I liked and I really hate the thought of letting it go so I've decided to scrap the original plot and build a new one from the ground up, I'm thinking some form of destopia Hyrule AU.