Ok, sorry for the delay. Lost a couple of a days to migraines and days out. I was in two minds about this chapter, but I think my first draft might have resulted in a revolt. So here we are...
Chapter 40
Requiem to the Departed
Link was mad. No even that was not enough to convey the sheer fury and hatred he felt. The moment Zelda told him of the danger Silver was in, his first thought had been: why her? Why had she been the one left behind, despite her being the most logical choice. She was still his niece. So he owed it to his sister memory to protect her.
But that was not what had turned him into a hellbeast.
Nor was what it when he laid eyes on his shadow. Though it emnated a wrongness so strong, every fibre of his being longed to destroy it. As though each were a drawn to each other like his iron boots to magnetic stone.
No, it was when he saw Silver. Thrown aside like a ragdoll, mud staining her blizzard grey fur.
Maybe this was the feeling Epona had felt when she had stood her ground against Nubia and her army of shadows. That fierce protectiveness that comes from being a pack.
It was that ferocity which coursed through Link's being now, setting his blood ablaze. His claws tore at Dark Link, finding purchase in his armour and tearing it clear to expose the grey flesh beneath. The mirror Hylian shield was held under his jaw, as Dark Link tried to hold off him off, Link's teeth millimetres from its face.
Breaking off, he slipped into his hylian form, rolling around the side of the shadow to slice down his back. The shadow copied him, so that their swords clashed in a shower of sparks. Link followed up quickly, knowing he would be out of balance for a few seconds. Forcing it to give ground and give Link room to perform a jump attack.
But Dark Link anticipated the move and was already shifting into the form of a savage looking black wolf, to duck around the blow to aim for Link's throat.
Link leapt sideways, shield up and clubbed the wolf on the skull as it passed, using the flinch to somersault over its head for a helmsplitter.
Shadows curled up, shifting Dark Link back to a hylian to change Link's target so that the Master Sword glanced off the chainmail rather than biting flesh.
Midna yelled a warning, and instinct made him roll away as his shadow leapt for the gap in his defence that arose in the moments after his attack.
This fight was getting nowhere, even with Silver having worn Dark Link down a little. Link was clumsy and out-of-practice from his long confinment. Worse still, Dark Link knew all his strengths and weakesses as Link knew its.
It was a perfectly even match.
Over the clash of swords and grunts of pain, Link could make out a humming. His mist curled up, pulsating light of all 3 magic types in time.
His attention elsewhere Dark Link managed to slip past Link's guard to cut flesh, drawing blood from his arm.
Gasping in pain his attention shot back to the fight. Link flicked his shield up to catch Dark Link's hand enough to loosen his hold on his sword and knock it from his hand.
The movement agitated his new wound, but with his opponent weaponless, Link could-
Fierce winds roared in his ears, strong enough to make them pop with the pressure and knock him to the ground. He barely had time to lift his shield as the parrellel master sword rose up and was carried back to Dark Link's hand.
So the creature had access to his other items too...this would complicate things.
And still the music grew louder, a strange disenchanting melody that was partways lullaby and partways lament. It was haunting, raising goosebumps on his skin.
However much it spooked Link, its effect was tenfold on Dark Link. Mist surged forwards, wrapping around it and binding it in place. Still his shadow squirmed, crying out almost as if the music physically burnt him.
"I...darkness...find..." Link could make out a few words, but the music had risen to a wordless howl.
There in the thick mist which now seperated him from the rest of the party.
Memories.
Ciara, his parents, Nubia, Epona, her parents, and many more greys he had known as a child. They all gathered around the duel, those in animal form howling while those in human form sang. The words lost to the growing ensemble.
"Give us peace son" he thought he heard his father say.
"My beautiful child, finish this." His mother's voice echoed.
"Take him out, you can do it mischeif."
With pleasure.
Leaping forward, he angled his sword downward driving straight through the shadow's skull. Light begun to spill from the shadow's wounds, and the mist constricted as the song grew in ferocity.
Then, as the mist spread, the world whited out.
"Don't forget us..."
...
When Silver came too, she thought for sure she must be dreaming. She was back in the Midna's palace. Zelda was asleep beside her, looking more like a beggar than a princess in her torn dress and wild hair. Midna too was curled up, her skin oddly pale and whited out, like a painting bleached by the sun. Epona was missing. So too was Link.
Link.
Bolting upright, she looked around wildly.
Eldin was perched on a chair in the corner of the room, and he quickly turned to look at the wolfos. Ever since the goddesses had brouht them back to their mortal bodies, their faces looked less human.
"If you're wondering where Link is, he's outside with Epona."
"Then he's?"
"You succeeded if that's what you mean."
Silver let out a long breath she didn't know she had been holding. Getting to her feet, she made to go and find him when Eldin held out a long wing.
"Oh no you don't. You have been running ragged ever since Link's disappearance and you had a nasty hit on your head when you fought that shadow. Phaira gave me strict orders to not let you leave this room. Link will be back in his own time."
Silver turned to him, ears back.
"Remember, this is the first chance he's had to speak about what happened. All these memories are new to him, and he needs to lay some ghosts to rest."
That made Silver hesitate. He and Epona needed to talk this out.
"Fine. I'll go back to sleep then."
She didn't bother to ask after the nostalgic look on his face as she flopped down in a huff, ignoring the twinge of phantom injuries that didn't exist out of her head.
She and Link could talk later.
The world faded to back as she slipped back into a welcoming sleep, and she gladly accepted dreams of the rare moments of peace she had had since joining Link's pack.
...
Zelda awoke to the snuffling snores of a wolfos in her ear. Letting a rather unladylike groan escape her lips, she sat up. As her thouhts caught up with the rest of her, her first thought flew to Silver. Turning, she sighed in relief at seeing the wolfos sprawled out with a smile on her jaws as she slept.
"She woke up not long before you did."
Zelda turned to see Eldin, watching her with his fiery orange eyes.
"She's alright?"
"Nothing sleep and the sight of Link won't fix."
"Thank the goddesses."
"If you want Link, he's out on the balcony with Epona."
"Thank-you"
As the eagle dipped his head, he mumbled something. Zelda was too polite to enquire, but she thought she heard Hylia mentioned.
Standing up, she looked down at her torn dress. Well she had better ask Midna later to borrow something to wear.
Careful to quietly shut the door behind her, she padded down the corridor as silently as her bare feet could allow. As shewalked, her hands brushed through her hair and loosely replaited it. As she approached the balcony door, she could hear Epona speaking. She must've wondered in on one of her lectures.
"None of us regret what we did. I would never go back and choose to abandon you in favour of fleeing. Nubia and your parents felt the same way." Zelda paused for a moment, her fist hovering above the door. "You know what Ciara told me. She said that when she left, the hardest thing was leaving you. Harder even than leaving either me or Midna. Because you were the little bouncy cub who always reminded us of what was important. So don't ever blame yourself."
Link whined, and Zelda knew the wolf believed her. Even if he felt guilty to admit it.
"Let the departed go ok? They need the solace as much as you do. Even ghosts need to sleep."
Link's huff of laughter meant Epona was probably refrencing a joke from his newly rememebred past.
Princesses do not eavesdrop.
That's what her father would say.
Knocking, shewaitedfor a moment before opening the door.
Link sat in his wolf form, looking at her with thise fathomless blue eyes. Epona lay with her hooves tucked beneath her behind him, so that he had to peek over her back to see Zelda.
Having seen her, he barked happily and jumped over the mare to greet her. Zelda grinned, her mind finally settling after weeks of fear and insecurity during Link's capture. Kneeling to scratch his head, she chuckled at the speed at which his tail wagged.
"I hope I'm not interupting."
"You aren't don't worry." The mare lied.
"The sky is beautiful, right?" Zelda said as she sat down and leant against the mare, Link laying down beside her with his head on Epona's leg.
"Yes, like an eternal sunset. A time for ending..."
Zelda turned to see Link and Epona gazing forlornly out over the twilight realm. In the red light of twilight, they seemed almost bloodstained, as if their memories were made real by the light. Unshed tears sparkled golden in the wake of the sun that would never rise. The sky, awash with oranges and reds and golds seemed an apt monument to the memory of a fallen race. The breathing of the two greys beside her, uneven with emotion, a requiem to the departed.
"And to make space for beginnings. As all stars fall, new ones always come to shine in their place. Otherwise the sky would be dark and we would be lost at night."
Because there was always hope.
Link looked up at her, the same look on his face as when the small frightened boy had looked at the handful of arrows unbroken in her hand.
"We can't replace your families. But maybe all of us can be your new one."
And it seemed absurd, that a princess dressed in rags who had dropped her kingdom to save her hero and their ragtag group of friends from across the land of the goddesses could ever offer the comfort of home. But that was life, defined as it was by the abnormal and uncharted waters of fate.
Epona and Link exchanged a glance, and smiles grew on their faces.
"We could ask no more of you."
Ok, very short chapter. But I didn't want to ruin my moment. I wrote the last scene to 'Warmth is Gone' from FE:F which is why its so emotional. Next chapter I'll address the loose ends which I know you guys are going to ask me about. And kudos to anyone who can knows the song the greys sang (you all know it). Right, I will continue this on the plane, so until then, Clarky out.
