The fight with Geroshida had crippled Link's body, disabling an arm and a leg and forcing him to lean on knee instead of standing. In addition, his body was still recovering from the price extracted by the Fierce Deity's mask. That's why when the hero saw his hand trembling as a pair of crimson red eyes leered at him from the shadows, he knew fear wasn't the cause.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to calm himself and assess the situation. Although his heart slammed against his chest, although pain overwhelmed every muscle in his body, although the figure standing in front of him was quickly blurring, he had to stay calm, assess the situation, and think of a plan. Unfortunately, that was much harder when his body was about to collapse.
With Geroshida finally defeated, he and Zelda were going to summon the Triforce to end this war once and for all. At least that had been the plan. Then he showed up.
Link was at a loss. The Master Sword was halfway across the room. Most of his weapons were unusable in his current state. He couldn't dodge effectively with one leg weighing him down like a slab of dead meat. The only real weapon he had was the Fierce Deity's mask, but he feared using it one more time would cost him more than he could give.
The hero stole a look behind him at Zelda. She was in a similar condition. Broken ribs had robbed her of her agility. Her mangled hand prevented her from using the Bow of Light. All she had to defend herself was her magic and a small tanto she carried.
"What's the matter, brother? Aren't you happy to see me?" Dark Link sneered. His black tunic and monochromatic hair clashed sharply with the bright colors of the tower. His sword, a dark copy of the Master Sword, twisted idly in his hand as he walked around the hero like a wolf inspecting a wounded animal.
"Link! What is that thing? And how does it know you?" Zelda asked. Her healthy hand cradled her ribs as she stumbled to Link's side.
She thought her injuries were getting the best of her. The monster, the shadow, or whatever it was, looked exactly like Link. Everything, including the hair, the tunic, the weapons, even the way he bent his knees when preparing to fight reminded her of Link. And yet, when he looked into Dark's crimson eyes, she saw only hatred and darkness.
Dark looked the monarch over, giving her a lusty nod of approval as his eyes roamed to places they shouldn't. "Ah, you must be Zelda. You look much more attractive in person. Has Link ever told you how good you look?" The shadow chuckled to himself. "Of course he hasn't. He's too noble. I don't intend to make the same mistake."
Zelda's ears reddened. A small part of her wanted to accept the compliment at face value. After all, the hero and his twin shared many of the same handsome features. Their voices were even identical. However, she had to remind herself that this doppelganger was both a monster and an imposter.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "And what do you want with us?"
The shadow licked his lips and walked towards her. She tensed and pulled the tanto from its sheath. Dark Link arched a brow in indifference.
"I am everything your hero isn't. Bold. Assertive. Decisive. Direct. I have all the skills and talents of your hero but none of the drawbacks. I have no noble ideals or self-imposed rules to prevent me from enjoying the pleasures of life." He paused, mocking a bow before Zelda. "If you are looking for what to call me, you may refer to me as Dark, Your Majesty."
Link gritted his teeth. "Don't listen to anything he says, Zelda! He's a creation by Mudora to look like me!"
Dark's smile disappeared. He turned to his twin and hissed. "Do not lie to her, brother! Mudora may have freed me, but you are the one who gave birth to me. All your forbidden desires, all your hidden vices, they are all a part of me because they are a part of you!"
Link feared if he clenched his jaw any tighter, his teeth might snap. His hand reached slowly for the Fierce Deity's mask. He strongly considered using it just to be rid of this menace. But when he thought of the price it would extract, he pulled his hand away.
"If I'm the one who created you, then your fight is with me! Leave Zelda alone!" Link said.
Dark halted his approach towards Zelda and turned fully to face Link. "But she is my business as well. I've been observing this fight from the shadows, curious to see who would walk away as the victor." He beamed. "I'm happy you're still alive, brother. You've given me the opportunity to kill you myself. You have no idea how happy that makes me."
The hero didn't like the implications hidden beneath the doppelganger's words. "Why were you watching us?"
Dark sneered. "Isn't it obvious? Mudora wants the Triforce for himself. Why else would he direct me to watch the fight and eliminate whoever was left standing?"
"He has?" Zelda's grip on her weapon tightened. "Link…what if that's been Mudora's goal this entire time? What if he plans to use the Triforce to fuse the Sacred Realm with ours?"
Link shook his head. "But it's impossible. He's a First-Born. They aren't able to use the Triforce. Why else would Hylia have given up her immortality?"
Zelda didn't quite understand what Link was talking about. Perhaps he knew something she didn't. "But what if he's found a way to circumvent that? What if we've brought the Triforce right to him?"
Link didn't want to think about it. They had enough real problems to deal with without having to face imaginary ones. Still, in the back of his mind, he feared Zelda might be right. If that was the case, then Mudora had manipulated them this entire time.
"And what if he has? How does that change anything?" Link asked.
Zelda looked at him pleadingly. "Do you remember my dream? The one where Hyrule is turned into a den of monsters and eventually flooded? I fear it's about to come true."
"Don't worry, Zelda! We'll find a way to stop it!"
The monarch shook her head. "But don't you see? The whole point of the dream was to warn us that we needed Kari to prevent it. If we lose Kari, then there's nothing we can do to stop it." She looked down. "At least there were survivors in the dream. Perhaps some people will somehow avoid being turned into monsters. In time, they may be able to rebuild."
"Listen to yourself! Have you given up already? "Link scolded. "Even if Mudora has found a way to use the Triforce, that doesn't change our current situation. We still have to destroy Dark."
The shadow licked the edge of his blade. "Is that so? Well I have a promise of my own to keep. I hope you haven't forgotten, Link."
Link gritted his teeth. He could never forget that horrific nightmare.
The shadow disappeared into the floor. Link scanned the ground, anxious to find the shadow before he reemerged. He was too late. Dark Link appeared just as he turned to his right. Without a weapon to defend himself, the shadow kicked Link in the gut and send him sprawling on his back. The hero grunted as his body hit the ground.
"Can't you at least make this fun for me?" Dark taunted. "What fun is there in killing you if you don't fight back?" He walked up to the fallen hero and kicked him firmly in the side. Link cried out as his body recoiled from the pain. "Why don't you do something?" His cries continued as Dark's boot firmly connected with bone and flesh a second time. "What good are you if you can't even fight?"
"Get away from him!" Zelda shrieked. She held the Master Sword in her good hand, seizing the opportunity to retrieve it while Dark was distracted. She approached cautiously, wincing with every step as she approached Link and his doppelganger.
The shadow smirked. "I'm afraid Zelda will pose more of a challenge than you, brother. How sad."
He turned away from the writhing hero and focused on the monarch. He held his blade by his side and walked confidently to meet her. Zelda struggled to use the sword with her good hand; the weapon was heavier than she had expected. She took a deep breath and raised the weapon as Dark's sword came for her throat.
She successfully parried the thrust, bending her neck back and deflecting the blade. The shadow seemed to have expected this and followed up with a second slash. She brought the blade down and managed to block it. The two locked weapons, but the shadow was easily able to overpower her. He forced her weapon to the side, eventually knocking the blade from her hands. The force sent it spinning on the floor relatively close to Link.
Zelda stared fearlessly as the shadow held the tip of his blade inches from her throat. She held her breath and said nothing. The shadow had effortlessly defeated her. He truly was Link's equal.
"You're lucky that Mudora forbade me from killing you," Dark said as he pulled the blade away from her neck. The monarch let out a noticeable sigh of relief as she finally exhaled.
As if to spite her, the shadow kicked her firmly in the ribs. Pain like lightning gripped her body as she writhed to the ground clutching her side. The shadow was about to plant another kick when Link's battle cry caught his attention.
The shadow spun around just in time to meet the hero's strike. The Master Sword clashed against the shadow's blade with a loud ring. The smile on Dark's face disappeared as he saw the animalistic ferocity in Link's eyes. The hero, wielding the blade of evil's bane in his good hand, came at the shadow with ferocity not to be taken lightly. Link, leaning most of his weight on his good leg, used his anger to strengthen his attack and put the shadow on the defensive. Dark was forced to give ground as he parried blow after blow from the hero.
Unfortunately, it didn't take Dark long to regain the upper hand. Their skills were normally evenly matched in the absence of any other factors. However, with Link bogged down with exhaustion from his fight with Geroshida, Dark was able to put Link back on the defensive.
While Link successfully parried all of the shadow's thrusts, slashes, and slices, Dark knew it was only a matter of time before the hero's fatigue gave him an opening. He continued to press the attack until that moment arrived. Sweat poured from Link's face as he fought desperately to regain his momentum, but his body simply wouldn't allow it. He was fighting a losing battle. Not only was his shadow relentless with his attacks, but the hero was fighting his own body as well. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he fought through the pain leftover from using the Fierce Deity's mask.
At last, Dark was able to knock Link off balance. By attacking from the side, he forced the hero's weight on his bad leg. The hero crumbled to one knee, leaving his guard wide open. Dark brought his sword back and aimed for Link's good shoulder, intending to cripple his other arm. The blade came at him before the hero could bring his weapon to counter it.
CLINK!
The blade clashed against the crystal encasing of Nayru's Love. Link had invoked the spell just in time.
Dark grunted his disgust. "You got lucky. It's only a matter of time before that spell runs out." He looked over to the collapsed body of Zelda. "Either way, you're all alone. There's no one here to help you."
Dark brought his sword back one more time but couldn't swing his weapon. His arm was completely paralyzed. A ring of magic held it there.
"What's going on?" Dark muttered, trying to move his arm with little success.
"I guess you counted wrong," Midna said. "Link isn't alone."
Link whipped around. Hundreds of questions raced through his mind. "Midna? What are you doing here? How did you get here? Where's Kari?"
She pointed quickly to the hole in the ceiling created by one of Geroshida's earlier attacks. "There's a hole that connects this floor and the one above it. There's still debris blocking the door so it was the quickest way to reach you." Her glare darkened. "Kari's not here. He sacrificed himself so I could come here and warn you."
Dark glowered at the Twili. "How is your power able to trap me? I am a shadow. It should go right through me."
Midna smirked. "That's precisely why I can trap you. I am the Sage of Shadow. I guess today's not your lucky today." She looked around. "Link…where's Zelda?"
"She's over there," Link pointed. He placed a hand on Midna's shoulder for balance as he slowly stood back up. She leaned in so she could support his weight. "She's in pretty rough shape."
"I need to tell her something," Midna insisted. "Can you walk?"
"I can try," he grimaced, leaning all his weight on his good leg. "What about Dark? Can we really just leave him by himself?"
Midna supported the hero as the two walked over to the monarch. The Twili kept a careful eye on the struggling shadow to ensure he didn't escape. "My spell should hold him for now. It'll buy us enough time to help Zelda. We'll have better odds of defeating him if we work together."
"That makes sense," Link said. "So what did you come to warn me about?"
"Mudora's been using us this entire time," Midna explained as they walked. "He wanted us to awaken the sages. He wanted us to chase him here. All so he could break the seal on his power. Now he's got Kari and plans to use him to fulfill his plan somehow."
The situation seemed to grow more desperate by the minute. "Use Kari? But how? He would never help Mudora."
Midna cast another web on Dark's legs, not taking any chances with the shadow. "Mudora plans to control his body somehow. Something akin to possession."
Link ran the facts through his mind. Why would Mudora need Kari after regaining his full power? What could he gain from it?
They found Zelda clutching her side and groaning in pain as she lay sprawled out on the floor. Both Link and Midna knelt beside her, careful to keep a watchful eye on Dark in the process.
"Zelda? Can you hear me?" Midna asked.
"Midna? What are you…ohh…my ribs…" Zelda groaned.
"Don't worry about why I'm here," Midna explained. "We need to get you up and on your feet."
It was more difficult to get Zelda oriented than Midna expected. The pain in her side had seriously debilitated her ability to focus. Worse yet, her right hand was bent in ways that shouldn't be possible. Link helped as best he could to get the monarch on her feet, but his wounds limited his contributions.
"Midna…why are you here?" Zelda said hazily, as if just waking up from a nap.
The Twili was distracted with strengthening the containment spell on Dark, so Link answered her question.
"I'm afraid Kari's lost to us. Midna came back to warn us that Mudora's planning to use him for something."
"What?" Zelda gasped. "My dream! Are we too late to stop it?" She pulled on his sleeve weakly. "No! There's still hope!" She turned to Link. "The Triforce! We need to summon the Triforce!"
"I know! But with Dark here, that's been more difficult than we hoped. It's almost like he's stalling for time."
The hero's eyes widened. He finally understood. They had been played this entire time!
"Mudora's going to use Kari to make a wish on the Triforce!" Link said. "That's how he intends to carry out his plan!" He looked to Zelda. "You were right!"
Midna looked back. "What are you talking about?"
Link shook his head. "Mudora can't use the Triforce himself. Only a mortal can. So he's going to use Kari to make the wish for him."
"But how could he obtain the Triforce in the first place?"
Zelda nodded as comprehension slowly came back to her. "Geroshida wields the Triforce of Power. Link and I hold the other two pieces. If all three pieces are brought together, then one can summon the full Triforce."
Link clenched a fist. "Mudora must've known that the three of us would all gather here." He looked to Zelda. "Quick! While Midna has Dark trapped, we should summon it before it's too late."
"I'm afraid it already is too late," Mudora's voice echoed through the room. "You've managed to decipher most of my plan without any help. Quite impressive…but it won't help you."
A flash of light materialized next to Dark Link. As the light faded, Mudora stood in its place. With a snap of his fingers, he dispelled the snare holding the shadow's body in place. The shadow was glad to finally be in control of his body again.
"So did you know we would be here? Or did you just get lucky?" Midna asked. She glared daggers at the sage. She had hoped to see the last of him.
"Which do you think it is?" Mudora challenged. "I need the Triforce. The only way to do that is to gather all three bearers chosen by destiny in one location. Of course, even accomplishing that bears the risk of all three of you uniting against me. Even in my current state, I would've been powerless to stop all three of you. "
Zelda placed a hand on her forehead. "But Geroshida prevented that. His lust for power caused us to fight one another instead of uniting our strength."
Mudora nodded. "Exactly. His lust for power not only set you against one another, but it also brought all three of you together without my intervention. He did his job so well that perhaps even I was caught off guard. You see, although I need the Triforce, a few other pieces needed to be in place first. When he attacked you in Labrynna, it was still too early. I had no choice but to stall for time."
Link scowled. "Is that why you interrupted our fight?"
"I couldn't have you three killing each other just yet. I still needed the rest of the sages awakened. I knew Geroshida was still smoldering with resentment from his last defeat, so I bought some time by sending him after the Trident. I knew he would come after you sooner or later, so I left him to his own devices. He turned out to be quite useful in the end."
Zelda looked to the golden glow on her wrist. "Because he weakened us. Now none of us has the strength to stop you from taking the Triforce."
Mudora nodded. "I wouldn't word it quite like that, but the concept is close enough."
Link looked to his doppelganger. "Then why is Dark here?"
Mudora's smile disappeared. "As a precaution against you, Link. Only a fool like Zant would underestimate you. Even now, you prove my words true. Despite a grueling fight against the Triforce of Power, you still remain a threat. Your shadow is here to contain that threat."
Dark smiled sinisterly. "I thought some brotherly bonding time would do us good."
"You leave Link alone, you big bully!" a small girl's voice called out from the doorway. "I won't let you touch him!"
All of them turned toward the direction of the voice. "Tifa!" Link said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Tatl landed on the Kokiri's shoulder. "We were worried about you so we came to help."
Link let out a sigh of relief. "We'll take all the help we can get. Are the others coming?"
Tatl shook her head. "No, they're still guarding the entrance."
"Excellent. I can't wait to hear her scream when my blade pierces her body," Dark whispered to himself. He took a step towards the Kokiri, but Mudora stepped into his path.
"You will do no such thing. She is no threat to us. I will not tolerate unnecessary bloodshed," the deity commanded. "Your job is to deal with Link so that I can extract the Triforce. Let me deal with her and the others."
"And what happens to Link after you take what you want?" Dark asked. "You promised me I would get the chance to kill him."
"And you shall. But I will not tolerate anything vile or gruesome. Your sole purpose is to eliminate him. Nothing more."
Dark scowled. "We'll see about that."
Tifa and Tatl rushed to Link's side. The fairy looked over her weathered companions. "You all look terrible. It's a good thing we came when we did."
Tifa nodded proudly. "I'll protect you, Link. No matter what."
Link smiled. "Thanks, Tifa. We have a tough fight ahead of us. We'll need all the help we can get."
Tatl glared at the shadow and pointed. "Link…what is that? And why does it look just like you?"
The hero sheathed the Master Sword and began pulling bombs out of his pouch. "You could say that's my dark side. We are complete opposites of each other, and yet equal in every way. He's extremely dangerous."
Midna scowled. "But we don't have the luxury of avoiding him. We're going to have to kill both him and Mudora if we want to survive this."
Zelda looked to the hero. "Link…what are you doing with all those bombs?"
"Trying to be resourceful," he said as he pulled yet another one from his satchel. There were at least ten bombs stacked in a pile.
Midna turned to the monarch. "Zelda, Kari left me a message before he died. I need to relay it to you."
Zelda scowled and pointed. "It'll have to wait! Link's shadow is headed right for us!"
Midna turned sharply to see that Zelda was right. She cast a spell to latch onto the shadow's leg, but he jumped to avoid it just in time. Link grabbed one of the bombs and rolled it at the shadow. Dark avoided that too by jumping over it and letting it roll past him. Bombs continued to come at him, but the dark twin avoided every one. Dark quickly closed the distance between them.
"Link! You're going to have to better than that!" Tatl scolded. "None of your throws were even close!"
Link grabbed the Gale Boomerang with his hand and threw it deftly at his doppelganger. The wind currents hissed through the air at him, ready to sweep him away should he get too close. As the boomerang whistled towards him, Dark melted into the shadows of the floor, allowing the projectile to sail by him. When he was clear, he reemerged with a renewed vigor.
"Is that really the best you can do, brother? How could I ever have come from you?"
Tifa quivered in her boots as she saw the shadow approaching. The blood crimson of his eyes flooded her with the memories of her village being burned to the ground. The crackling of the flames, the dead bodies of the Kokiri, the suffocating smoke, it all came back to her. She had been helpless that day.
Even now, she couldn't tap into her connection with the Forest because she was too far away to feel its warmth or draw on its power.
A month ago, she would've given up and hid. But she was no longer the same person. She eyed Zelda's tanto on the ground and grabbed it. Fixating on the shadow, she ran headlong to meet him. Link and Tatl called after her but they were too late; the forest sage was firmly committed to her cause. Never again would she cower in fear while those she cared about were in harm's way.
Dark grabbed the girl's arm before she knew what to do. With little effort, he stripped the weapon from her hand, kicked her in the gut, and cast her aside like a piece of garbage. She grunted as her body hit the ground and rolled towards a nearby wall.
"Anyone else want to get in my way?" Dark taunted, spinning his weapon in his hand just like Link did.
Zelda looked to Link. "If you and Midna can buy me some time, I'll try and conjure up some magic. It's all I can manage at this point."
"We'll try our best." Link drew his weapon and limped forward. He directed his gaze at Dark. "Your fight is with me."
Dark's mouth curled into a sinister smile. "You're hardly in a position to be making demands. You can barely stand. How do you hope to win against me?"
Link's face only hardened. "I'll find a way."
Dark dashed towards the hero, avoiding Midna's spells along the way. Their blades clashed with sparks of light, the hero and his antithesis competing for dominance. Dark's strength gave him the advantage right away, forcing Link backwards. He thrust his sword straight at Link, expecting a parry. Instead, the hero sidestepped it and lunged at the shadow to catch him in a hold. Caught by surprise, the hero locked his arms around the shadow's neck.
"What are you doing?" Dark grunted as he attempted to break Link's grip.
"Making sure you don't escape," Link replied. His body felt on fire again. He could feel Dark slowly prying his grip loose.
Two shadow braces caught Dark's ankles, firmly cementing him in his position and preventing him from melting into the floor.
"I've got him!" Midna shouted. "Link! Get out of there before the bombs come back!"
"Bombs?"
The hissing of the wind soon answered Dark's question. He turned to find the Gale Boomerang heading straight towards them. Ensnared in its wind were all the bombs Link had thrown earlier, all only seconds from exploding. The shadow growled with rage when he realized the trap he had walked into.
Link broke his hold on Dark and tried to get away. Dark grabbed the hero's wrist and pulled him back.
"You're not getting away so easily!" the shadow hissed.
Both fighters were caught in the explosion. The force of the impact threw Link against the ground, sending his body into chaos as fresh waves of pain washed over him. Fortunately, Dark had sustained a majority of the blast, searing the skin on his back and knocking him to the ground as well. He leered at Link with hatred in his eyes before disappearing into the shadows to nurse his wounds.
Link smirked victoriously even as the pain overwhelmed his body. Midna rushed to his side to examine his wounds and help him to his feet.
It was a small victory but a victory nonetheless. He refused to go down without a fight.
Unfortunately, that victory would be short-lived.
"Enough!" Mudora erupted, his face as scarlet as fire. "I have tolerated this disgusting conflict long enough!" With a flash of light, he appeared right beside Link and Midna. "I will deal with the two of you first!"
"You…you won't win," Link grunted. He coughed blood as he looked defiantly at the deity. His face was swollen and burnt from the blast. He was barely conscious as Midna held him protectively in her arms.
"We will stop you one way or the other," Midna added.
Mudora paid no heed to her words, instead slapping his hand on her forehead. Her entire body went limp as his power pulsed through her, causing Link to drop from her arms. "I have had just about enough of you. I know I promised to turn you into a monster if you continued to resist, but a paralysis spell will have to suffice. I'm in quite a hurry."
Mudora's hand glowed ominously as light flowed from his skin into Midna. Her skin became as cold as ice and her eyes widened in fear. Her fingers froze in mid-curl, her expression looked carved in stone, and her body held still like a statue. She was completely paralyzed. The deity inspected his handiwork and cast her aside like an artist discarding a half-finished sculpture he was no longer happy with.
"Don't worry about her," Mudora said to Link. "The spell is only temporary but will buy me more than enough time."
For some reason, Link felt no relief from that statement.
"You leave them alone, you big bully!" Tifa shouted, running at Mudora with the tanto once again in her hand. Tatl was right beside her. She knew caution would gain them nothing. This was the time to fight or die trying.
Mudora waved his hand nonchalantly and swept them off their feet with a blast of wind. Another wave of his hand summoned a small twister that whirled both Tifa and Tatl into the air. The Kokiri's screams rang through the small room as the cyclone spun them around and eventually slammed them into a nearby wall. The impact knocked both of them unconscious.
"Any other distractions?" the sage said irritably.
A large ball of light hit the sage square in the chest, stunning him and knocking him back a ways. He looked sharply to see where it had come from. The fact that it had been able to stun him was surprising. He scowled when he saw Zelda's hands glowing. She looked to be in the process of summoning another one. He had underestimated her prowess with magic.
The sage's face softened. "So you resist me to the very end, Hylia?" He shook his head. "I'm afraid your effort is wasted. In your mortal form, you're no match for me." He nodded in her direction. "Take care of her."
Before she knew what was happening, Zelda found her arms locked behind her chest, her legs swept from under her, and her head smashed against the ground. Dark must've snuck up on her while she wasn't looking. She cursed her carelessness.
"Kari! What are you doing?" Link screamed. "Mudora's the enemy! Not us!"
The wind tamer stood with a boot to Zelda's back, holding her in a lock that she couldn't escape. The hero's voice caused him to look up. His eyes were cold and devoid of life like a puppet. He looked just like the Kari they had befriended, but the spark of his humanity was gone.
Midna had warned them about this. But to see Kari under Mudora's control was almost too much for Link to handle. They had fought and bled together. Their bond was stronger than Mudora's power. Link refused to believe that Kari was truly gone.
"Kari! It's me, Link! Don't you recognize me?" The hero tried crawling towards the wind tamer, but his body refused his command.
The Sheikah looked up as if to acknowledge Link's voice. But the glance was only for a second before he returned his attention back to restraining Zelda.
"Goddesses, Kari! Snap out of it!" Link pleaded. "You're stronger than this!"
"The Kari you know is gone," Mudora explained. "What you see is just an empty shell."
"No! He wouldn't give up so easily! He has to be in there somewhere!" Link shouted as loud as he could. "Kari! Remember what we're fighting for! Don't let Mudora control you!"
Link grunted as Mudora grabbed him by the collar of his tunic. The deity brought Link's face only a few inches from his own. "He belongs to me now. Just like your precious Triforce."
Link struggled against the sage's grip but it was of little use. His body had lost much of its will to fight. He tried to pull his head away as Mudora's hand reached for his forehead. When the sage's hand finally made contact, it felt like winter itself had caught him within its icy grasp.
"Embrace the darkness," Mudora said, releasing a portion of his power into Link.
A flash of light accompanied the release of power. Link heard a loud crash like a pot falling to the floor. All at once, his muscles went limp and his head sagged. His eyes closed and darkness surrounded him. Zelda's shouts became a faint echo as he descended into the realms of unconsciousness.
Mudora gently lowered Link's unconscious body to the floor. Holding his hands out over the hero's body, he chanted quietly. Slowly, a golden glow erupted from Link's wrist. As Mudora's chanting continued, the Triforce of Courage emerged from his wrist and hovered above the unconscious body. The golden triangle spun and glistened with a divine light.
Satisfied, Mudora let the relic be and approached Zelda. The monarch could only see his feet as Kari held her firm against the ground.
"Kari, you have to snap out of it," she grunted beneath the weight of his body. Her ribs felt on fire, making it difficult to concentrate. She wanted to cry from the pain, to curl up and make it go away. But she knew she had to fight to the very last breath.
"Didn't I tell you that Kari is gone?" Mudora spoke softly, the hems of his robes stopping just in front of her face. "Why do you continue to call out to him?"
"Because…I refuse to give up hope. He has to be there somewhere."
She couldn't see the smile on Mudora's lips. "Even though your form has changed, I am glad to see your spirit has not, Hylia." There was a heavy pause. "I am sorry that I must be the one to extinguish your hope. I wish things had happened differently."
"What…what are you talking about?" Zelda's courage faltered as she felt his cold hand on her forehead.
"Now is not the time to explain. Now close your eyes and rest."
She felt a jolt like lightning surge through her body. And then all went black.
Mudora chanted once again and pulled the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda in much the same way he had taken Link's piece. All that remained was to retrieve the last piece from Ganon.
As the sage approached the villain's unconscious body, his lip curled in disgust. It pained him to betray both Link and Hylia like he had, but it was necessary if his plan was to succeed. For this man, he felt no such regret. This man carried the same spirit of greed and hatred that had made Demise so dangerous. Mudora was more than happy to strip this man of his power.
Within a few short seconds, Mudora had all three pieces of the Triforce in his possession. He watched with bittersweet satisfaction as the three golden triangles spun around one another, merging to form the object he had been seeking: the True Triforce. A power created long ago by the goddesses to grant any wish to mortals, it was the only way he could accomplish his ultimate goal.
Kari obediently walked over to the sacred triangles at Mudora's command. It was this vessel through which he would have his wish granted. It was through this vessel through which his plan would finally come to fruition. The sage let out a large sigh as he looked at the unconscious bodies of Link and his companions scattered across the floor. It almost disappointed him how smoothly his plan had been executed.
As the wind tamer stopped in front of the divine relic, Mudora paused to reflect on the significance of the moment.
Decades, maybe even centuries, of planning had finally come to fruition. In just a few short seconds, his plan would be complete. Of course, whether his actions would truly pave the way for peace was still yet to be determined. But he had done his part. And none of it would've been possible without Kari.
The sage felt sorry for the young wind tamer. He had struggled so valiantly to stop this all from happening. In the end, he had been the one who had made it possible. He had even been forced to fight his own friends. As bright and talented as he was, even he could not stop the powerful flow of destiny. Perhaps no one could.
Mudora snapped out of his reverie. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Although he had been planning for this day for years, the achievement would bring no satisfaction to him. It simply had to be done if the world was to truly achieve peace.
With a deep sigh, Mudora directed Kari to touch the Triforce. The relic responded with a heavenly glow as the Sheikah relayed the sage's wish.
The deed was finally done. Now only one question remained: how would the goddesses react? Would they watch with indifference as their creation rotted away into oblivion, or would they destroy it themselves?
Every muscle ached in Colin's body as he and Rin tended to Eidel's wounds. They were silent as they worked; speaking only if it was necessary. After an exhausting battle and Atrayu's death, no one had the strength or patience for idle chatter.
They were far enough from the battlefield that they had escaped notice from most of the shifters. Even when a shifter wandered out in their direction, all it took was a nasty leer from Rin to send the message that they weren't welcome. She was the closest to a second-in-command they had, and no one was willing to cross her path, even in the midst of a battlefield.
Clouds had rolled in shortly after sunrise, dropping a small flurry of snow onto the mountain valley. Colin looked back at Alpha's corpse. Small lumps of snow were already accumulating on the body. The mountains were indifferent to the fact he had once been a powerful king. His body, like all the others, would be buried in the white powder before long.
Colin returned his attention to tending to Eidel's injuries. He and Rin fought off the cold as they ripped strands of fabric from one of his outer shirts and tied them around some of the shifter's open wounds. Eidel grunted whenever they tied the fabric around her wound but didn't complain. She knew it was better than allowing the cold winter air to worsen the wound.
"Colin, do you understand why my sister died?" Rin finally broke the silence.
The question caught the Ordonian off guard. He looked up at her; she had stopped her work to ensure he had heard her words. He looked back down and worked in silence as he pondered a response.
"She died protecting me," he said at last.
"Yes, but she didn't have to. She chose to," Rin explained. "Do you know why that is?"
Colin's hands stopped what they were doing. "I think so." He took a deep breath to prevent old emotions from welling up inside him. His hands shook a little, and it wasn't because of the cold. "She made a promise to my father before killing him. That promise was to protect me. She died fulfilling that promise."
Eidel's body shook as a cough seized her, jolting Colin's hands back to their work.
"Atrayu made a warrior's promise to Rusl?" Eidel asked. "That's unheard of."
"My sister has always had different views compared to most of us," Rin explained, looking down at the older shifter. "How do you feel, Eidel? Do you feel any stronger yet?"
Link's mother nodded. "A little. But not quite enough to move or fight yet."
Colin looked up. "What's a warrior's promise? And why's it so special?"
Eidel let her gaze wander to the sky, watching as the snowflakes slowly fell from the sky. She blew a few from her face as they tickled her nose. "A warrior's promise is a solemn vow one shifter makes to another when one of them is about to die."
"Like a last request?" Colin asked.
Eidel nodded. "Kind of. But it's taken more seriously. I would say it's more akin to when someone writes their will before dying. It's an explicit set of instructions meant to carry out the deceased's desires after they pass on. It is also just as binding."
Rin grunted her disgust. "I don't know what human customs Eidel is referring to, but a warrior's promise is taken very seriously. To break it is the greatest act of treachery a shifter can commit. That's why it is not given lightly." She glanced mournfully at the pile of snow where they had buried Atrayu's ashes. "The fact my sister offered a warrior's promise to your father, a non-shifter, is unheard of. It speaks volumes to what she thought of him. The promise meant so much to her that she chose to die rather than break it."
A lump formed in Colin's throat. He had an idea where this conversation was going. He decided to ask the question Rin no doubt wanted him to.
"Did Atrayu have a warrior's promise she wanted you to fulfill?"
Rin nodded. "Atrayu knew she might die during this conflict, so she told me her last wishes."
Colin looked away. "What did she want you to do?"
Rin paused. "Actually, her warrior's promise was directed to you. I'm just the messenger."
Colin looked back at Rin. "It was?" He looked down at his hands, trying to process the significance of the statement. "What did she want?"
"She wants you to protect her people in the same way she protected you."
"Protect them from what?" Colin asked.
Rin scowled. "From the hatred of your own people."
Colin tightened one of his hands into a fist. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Eidel looked solemnly to the sky. "Colin, there's no reason to get angry. Rin has a point. If you think about it, shifters are your enemy in this war. Even though we were manipulated by Mudora, we are still fighting against Hyrule and the other nations. Even if Mudora is defeated and this war ends, there will be resentment and bitterness against all of us from Nevkah. They will hate our kind more than they did before. Unless there is someone there to mitigate the tension, a second war could eventually erupt. Although our people are strong, we can't possibly fight off the rest of the continent."
Colin nodded in understanding. "And they would kill your people off. Just like what happened to Kari's people."
Rin nodded. "Exactly. And that's why she wants you to prevent that."
The youth sighed in disgust. "And how does she expect me to do anything about that?"
Rin shook her head. "I'm not sure. But she said you would have help—whatever that means."
Colin turned his attention to the tower in the distance. This subject was too heavy for him. He needed to focus on something different.
As he stared at the tower, something about it seemed odd to him. He couldn't quite explain why. Shifters, monsters, and the Allied forces continued their struggle against one another at its base. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. Still, he couldn't quite shake the ominous feeling in his bones.
"I hope Link and the others are alright," Colin sighed as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. "It's been a while since we heard anything from them."
Eidel couldn't suppress her smile. "He'll be fine, Colin. He's got good friends like you and Ilia around him." Her smile faded. "You do have a point though. It is frustrating to not know whether we're winning or losing."
Rin looked up at the tower. "We've done our part. Alpha is dead. All we can do is wait."
Colin nodded. "I suppose so." He looked back to the tower. For some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off of it. "But something doesn't feel right. I have this odd sensation that I can't explain…like something terrible is about to happen."
Rin nodded in agreement. "Now that you mention it, I've noticed for the last few minutes that the air seems different. Something foul is afoot. But I don't know what."
As if to answer their questions, the ground suddenly shook beneath their feet, throwing Colin and Rub into the snow. The sudden tremor threw the white powder into the air, giving the illusion that it was snowing even harder.
"What's going on?" Colin asked, trying to brush the snow off his back while steadying himself with his other hand. The task was harder than he thought with the ground constantly shaking beneath him.
Rin pointed to the tower. "Look! Something's happening over there!"
The clouds that had formed in the sky turned a dark, stormy gray. Lightning jumped from cloud to cloud, as if dancing around the claps of thunder that crashed through the sky only a few seconds later. The wind began to pick up as well, throwing snow into the air even as the tremors continued. The tower glowed like a torch in the night, drawing the attention of all those around it. Even the battle ground to a halt as the overwhelming sight pulled everyone's attention to the sky.
The ominous feeling in the back of Colin's mind only grew stronger as he watched the scene unfold. The tremors seemed to become more violent and the lightning more volatile with each passing second. Something awful was about to happen but he couldn't figure out what. It was as if the world itself was falling apart.
He stole a glance at both Rin and Eidel. Their eyes never left the spectacle unfolding before them. He could see the fear and apprehension in their eyes.
A loud crash pulled Colin's gaze back to the tower. A beam of white-hot light shot from the tower's apex into the lightning-charged clouds above. The snow came down harder, stinging Colin's face as he looked on. The clouds above began to change in color, turning an amber shade as the light from the tower infected them.
The entire battlefield had gone silent save for the crashing of thunder and the howling of the wind. Several of the combatants began to flee, fearing that the cataclysmic events would catch them. Those shifters in the air fought against the harsh wind in their effort to fly away.
Another large crash sent a shockwave of light from the clouds out over the battlefield. The wave seemed to stretch infinitely towards the horizon in all directions. It traveled over his head and across the mountains in the distance, leaving a trail of amber clouds in its wake. As the light traveled, the air seemed to become thicker too. It was a strange phenomenon, and the youth couldn't explain it.
As Colin watched the strange light infect the clouds in every direction, he had a terrible feeling that there would be no escape.
Was this what Mudora had been hoping to achieve this entire time? Had they failed?
Colin felt a strange tingling beneath his skin. It sent shivers up his spine as it seemed to come from every part of his body. He fought to move his muscles but it was as if they were covered in ice. He looked to Rin and Eidel to see if they were experiencing the same thing.
That's when he realized what has happening. The way they were hunched over, their faces pale and their breathing staggered, the way their bodies thrashed, they were undergoing the same transformation Ilia had undergone back in Labrynna.
A jolt of pain sent Colin to his feet, pushing the breath out of his system. His skin felt cold to the touch and his own breathing became difficult. It felt like his mind had split from his body, causing him to watch the slow and agonizing transformation of his body. His back arched as he stood on four limbs instead of two, long fangs jutted from his mouth and sharp claws grew on his fingers. Narrow slits replaced his once kind eyes.
Colin now understood how Ilia had felt that day. It felt like he was beating against a glass window, helplessly watching while his body succumbed to the monstrous influence on the other side. He was painfully aware of every ugly detail but powerless to stop it.
Mudora had succeeded. Not only would those on the battlefield succumb to this monstrous influence, but so would everyone he cared about. Zen. Uli. Beth. Talo. This plague would not discriminate against anyone: shifter, human, Hylian, Goron, or Zora. All would be consumed by this monstrous spell.
One thought in particular rolled around Colin's head so clearly that it was as if someone had put it there.
This was all Mudora's doing. The world would spiral into chaos just like he had predicted. His age of darkness had begun.
"Link! Wake up! You have to wake up!"
The desperation in the woman's voice penetrated through the darkness, reaching Link's consciousness in the shadowy depths of his mind. The beauty of the voice, combined with the haunting desperation of its tone, drew him back to the real world. The same voice that once pulled him from Koholiant now guided him back to where he was needed most.
The hero's eyes shot open. Midna leaned over him, tears streaming down the edges of her striking red eyes.
"Thank the goddesses you're still here," she said gently, struggling for words. She decided to embrace him instead. "I thought you…I thought I wouldn't be able to wake you." She grabbed his hand and placed it gently against her cheek. "I'm just glad you're still here."
Link wanted to say something back, but the pain throbbing through his body overwhelmed him beyond words. He almost regretted waking up from his dreamless sleep. Every breath, every movement, incurred a fresh wave of agony that stole from his dwindling strength. He was grateful Midna was beside him; she was the only reason worth enduring so much pain.
"What…happened?" he muttered weakly.
"Mudora took the Triforce and made his wish. I'm afraid we lost."
Link grunted as he slowly broke the embrace and eased into a sitting position. His head was sweating profusely from even that meager effort. He looked around. The Triforce was gone. He could only find Mudora, who stood looking at the ceiling, seemingly lost in a world of his own.
"Why…why aren't we monsters?" the hero asked.
Midna shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."
Link looked deeply into her eyes. He could see the pain ingrained deeply within. She would never say it, but he knew the fear circulating through her mind. This could be their last few minutes together, and she wanted to be with him for every last one.
"Where's? Zelda? Tifa? Tatl?"
Midna pointed to the forest sage's body. "They're not moving. I'm not sure if they're unconscious or dead. Regardless, now that Mudora has what he wants, I think he's forgotten completely about them."
"And Kari?"
"Same thing. He's not moving. I think he's truly dead now that Mudora's done using him."
The hopelessness of the situation overwhelmed him. Link's strength was all but depleted. His friends were unconscious or worse. The world was spiraling out of control from Mudora's wish. And to make matters worse, he couldn't even depend on the Triforce of Courage for support.
He and Midna were the only ones who could stop the madness from continuing. But how?
"Well, well, well," Mudora's voice scoffed,, "you two are truly full of surprises." Both looked over to see the sage looking intently at the two of them. He seemed to have emerged from his inner thoughts. "After everything I did to ensure my plan was a success, the two of you are still standing. I have to commend the both of you."
A shadow appeared from out of the ground and materialized by the deity. It was Dark. He had nursed his wounds sufficiently and was ready for more blood. "Then allow me to finish them once and for all. I have a promise made to my brother that I must keep."
Mudora held out an arm to stop the shadow. "You will have your chance. Let's not rush things. The least we can do is give them time to say goodbye to one another."
"You made your wish, didn't you?" Midna asked. "Why haven't we been turned into monsters yet?"
Mudora nodded. "This tower is surrounded by a powerful barrier that protects it from all sorts of magic. Those of us inside the tower are protected from the transforming effect of the Sacred Realm. If you were to venture outside the tower, you would lose that protection."
"In other words," Dark grinned maliciously, "there's no place for you to run."
Link laughed to himself. He didn't have the strength to escape even if there was a place to run.
The hero knew there was only one way he stood any chance of stopping them. His hand searched through his satchel for the Fierce Deity's mask. Using its power in this state would certainly kill him, but it was the only weapon he had powerful enough to stop Mudora. Even then, given his body's current condition, his one window of opportunity would be short. He would have to make it count.
He looked to Midna. He wanted to embrace her but he was too weak. It pained him to think that this is how his life would end. There were still so many things he wanted to experience with her.
"Midna, I love you," he leaned close and whispered intimately in her ear.
She smiled back. Another tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you too."
He pulled away. "You should escape while you can. I want you—" he stopped as Midna placed a hand over his mouth.
"Don't you dare ask me to leave you!" she whispered, grabbing his arm.
"But I…"
"Do you remember the promise we made to each other last night?" she cut him off. "You told me to never leave your side! No matter what happened today! Do you remember that?"
Link nodded, suddenly understanding her sudden resistance. "I do." He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry, Midna. I was being selfish. I just want you to be happy. If we somehow win this war…"
"Link! The person who makes me happy is right here! Why would I leave him?"
Link smiled. Those words meant more to him than he could ever tell her.
"Remember back when we were facing Ganondorf back in Hyrule Castle? How you teleported me away so you could face him by yourself? Now I know how you felt that day."
Midna let out a soft chuckle. "So your last 'selfish' request was to have me live on? If that's your selfish side, I'd love to see what you get me for a wedding present."
The smile on Link's face faded. "I'm sorry we won't live to see that day."
Midna caressed his cheek. "I would rather die by your side than live the rest of my life mourning over your grave."
"Are you two done kissing up to one another?" Dark mocked. "You're both making me sick. I might even vomit."
The smile faded from Link's lips. "Midna, I won't ask you to leave, but you need to get the others out of here. I'm going to use the last of my strength to attack Dark and Mudora. While I keep them busy, get the others to safety. After that, I want you to fight by my side."
Midna nodded and kissed him gently on the lips. "I'll do my best if you do yours."
Link leaned over and kissed her on the lips again. "It's a promise."
She helped him to his feet. His face grimaced as he stood on legs that clearly didn't want to support him. They would only have to endure a little longer.
"Mudora! This fight ends here!" Link declared boldly.
The sage folded his arms and tilted his head. "Well, this is quite a sight. You're barely standing and you still challenge me? You certainly have spirit, but I'm afraid my wish has been made. The world is already spiraling down a path of violence and destruction that can't be undone. What reason could you possibly have to think that you can win?"
Link pulled the mask from its pouch. "Because I have won every fight that's ever mattered to me." He took a deep breath. "The lives of everyone I care about are at stake. This battle matters to me more than any I've ever fought before." His gaze narrowed. "Even if it costs me my life, I will win."
Dark sneered. "Such a heartfelt speech. How amusing. I'll be sure to repeat those words back to you when my sword slices through your gut."
Link scowled. As he gripped the Fierce Deity's mask in his hand, he felt the knowledge of the Ancient Hero flow once again through his vein. "Mudora, it looks like you broke your promise to both me and Hylia."
Mudora's face went pale. "How do you know…?" His eyes honed in on the mask in Link's hand. "Where did you get that?"
"From an old friend," the hero replied with a smirk.
He took the mask and wore it once more. The pain of the transformation tore through his body as he became the Fierce Deity once again. Midna watched in awe as the Link she knew and loved transformed into a warrior that seemed to have descended from the heavens. The power coming from him was overwhelming. She only hoped it would be enough.
"That form!" Mudora staggered backward. "Is…is…is it really you? After all this time?"
The Fierce Deity nodded. "Mudora, I have returned with all my memories restored to me. The times we spent with Hylia and one another. Our fight with Demise. The day Hylia and I sacrificed our immortality. I remember it all." He paused. "I also remember the day we imprisoned you. You made us a promise that day. Do you remember it?"
The scholar stuttered. "Of course…but…."
"Silence!" The Fierce Deity roared. "You promised us that you would bring peace to this world when you returned from your imprisonment! But all you have brought is chaos and destruction!"
Mudora shook his head. "You don't understand! Everything I have done has been to bring about peace! That promise has consumed my thoughts day in and day out!"
"And how's that?" Link challenged. "Tell me how transforming the world into a den of monsters brings peace!"
The sage hardened his gaze. "The only way for people to truly understand peace is to have everything taken from them. Only when they realize what's truly important will they learn to work together." He paused. "However, this world is so far gone that the only hope for peace is to purge it and start over. That's what I intend to do."
The Fierce Deity shook his head and raised his blade. "Then you and I have different ideas about peace. As one First-Born to another, it is my responsibility to stop you."
The sage hardened his gaze. "Then come at me. You have no idea how long I've waited for this!"
"Leave these two to me!" Link called to Midna. "You take care of the others!"
Midna nodded her understanding and raced over to Tifa and Tatl since they were the closest. She could only hope that she would have time to help Zelda as well.
Link felt like his entire body was slowly melting in the flames of pain consuming him. He pulled forward with all his might. All the rage, all the frustration, all he cared for; he used those feelings as fuel to drive him past the agony that threatened to completely engulf him.
Dark dashed forward to meet him in combat. Link launched several energy blades at him, but the shadow melted into the floor before they could reach him. As Link sprinted for Mudora, the shadow spawned out of the floor, his blade meeting the dual-helix of Link's own weapon. Link easily overpowered the shadow, pushing him back and slicing off his sword arm with a clean cut. Dark yelped in pain as his weapon banged to the floor. The shadow had no time to stare at his decapitated arm; Link was already after him with a spin attack. The blade grazed the front of Dark's torso, causing him to holler in yet more pain.
"You…what are you?" Dark gasped for breath. He looked at the black ooze dripping from his severed arm.
Link had no desire to answer the shadow's question. He belted a war cry as he jumped at the shadow to land the final blow. His blade hit nothing but air as the shadow retreated once again into the floor.
Link's knee buckled as his strength faltered for a moment. Even with the Fierce Deity's strength, his body was dangerously close to its limits. In fact, it had probably surpassed its limits, now driven by sheer force of will. But he had to keep fighting.
He looked to Midna and was relieved to see that Tifa and Tatl were coming around. He had to buy them more time.
He gritted his teeth and set his sights on Mudora. The enemy was in sight! It would be all or nothing!
Dark's distraction had given the sage enough time to conjure a powerful elemental spell. Although a man not usually prone to violence, his knowledge of arcane arts was exceeded by none.
Mudora glared at his old companion. "Link, it has been years since I've used magic this powerful. Will you be able to survive it?"
The sage summoned a wall of fire and water and proceeded to twist them together by manipulating the wind. The three elements combined together to form a vicious cyclone that Mudora sent straight for the hero. Link planted his feet and used the magic of his sword to meet the attack head on.
The fire sizzled against his armor. The water dampened his cheeks. The wind ripped at the hair exposed near the front of his cap. The attack was overwhelming; without the mask's protection it would've consumed him. He didn't have the strength to stop the attack completely; he could only deflect it. With a loud cry, he angled his blade and sent the attack reeling past him into one of the nearby walls. The overwhelming force blew open a hole to the outside, allowing snow and wind to pour in.
Link continued his assault against the sage, dodging his spells while sending energy blades of his own. The hero knew that every second that passed brought him closer to death. He had to finish this quickly.
"That form…I recognize it!" Tatl exclaimed as she watched the fierce deity clash with the leader of the sages. She winced as Link jumped just in time to avoid the ground collapsing from under him. "That's the Fierce Deity's mask!"
Tifa looked on with awe. "Is he going to win?"
Midna held the lump in her throat. "I don't know. He doesn't have much time left."
Tifa looked at the Twili. "What do you mean?"
Tatl nodded. "That mask is powerful but it takes a lot of strength to wield. I remember whenever the Hero of Time used that mask that it completely drained him."
The Kokiri jumped to her feet. "If Link's in trouble, why aren't we helping him?"
Midna grabbed the girl by the arm. "I want to, but those two are on a completely different level than us. We'd only get in the way. Instead, the two of you need to leave this place while you can and find safety somewhere."
Tatl flew in Midna's face. "Are you crazy? There is no safe place! There's an entire army fighting outside the tower! Besides, why would we leave when Link needs our help?"
Midna pointed to the fight raging a little ways away. "Because if we all die here, then our hope dies with us. If even a few of us survive, then there's still hope and a chance to fight back."
"What makes you think you're going anywhere?" Dark sneered, emerging from a pool of shadow between them and the way out. Although he only had one arm to wield his blade, it would be more than enough to do what he wanted. "If I can't kill my brother at the moment, then I can at least kill the three of you while I wait."
Midna ensnared the shadow's leg with her magic before he knew what hit him. "Tifa! Tatl! I have him bound with a spell! Get out of here while you have the chance! I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him!"
"But Midna!" Tifa protested.
"I…I.." Tatl hesitated, caught in the panic of the moment. At last, she seemed to find her courage. "Midna's right! If we stay here, we'll die for sure. If we escape, then we can still fight."
A tear rolled down the Kokiri's eye. "But….I want to be courageous like Link."
Midna smiled even as she struggled to hold the shadow. "Sometimes it takes more courage to run away so you can live to fight another day."
"We don't have any more time!" Tatl screamed. She pulled hard on the Kokiri's sleeve. "I don't want to leave Link either, but this is what he wants! This may be our only chance! We need to go!"
The shadow cursed and spit at them as they raced by. The Kokiri stopped and looked back one more time. A tear rolled down her cheek and hit the floor as she left through the doorway with Tatl.
Midna diverted some of the power restraining Dark to bring down the wall around the doorway, sending rubble raining down around them. The rubble formed a blockade around the door, making it impassable. No one would be able to pursue the forest sage or her fairy. She felt bad that she wouldn't be able to help Zelda escape.
"You little wench!" Dark hissed, leveraging the lapse in her focus to swing his blade. The weapon crashed against the binding on his leg, breaking the spell and setting him free. Midna struggled to bind him again, but she couldn't cast the spell quick enough.
SWISH!
The shadow's blade pierced right through her torso, emerging from the other side. She gargled and gasped, unable to believe the weapon had really penetrated through her. Dark pulled the weapon from her chest and watched as she collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from her open wound.
"I wonder how long it'll take you to bleed to death," the shadow said, looking down on her wounded body in disgust. "I guess you'll have to be my entertainment until my brother is done."
Link's insides were screaming at him to stop. Every muscle violently resisted his command. Every nerve flooded with pain so intense and unreal that the hero wondered how he could still be alive.
And yet he kept on pushing his body harder and harder.
The gap between him and Mudora was now only inches. The sage was on the defensive as Link's blade pounded against the shields protecting him. Light exploded each time the divine blade clashed with Mudora's magic. The deity cast spells in a panic, working swiftly and desperately to rebuild the shields as Link broke them. The sage was quickly losing ground.
Link's heart raced as he saw cracks all over the shields. Mudora simply couldn't keep up. He eyed one spot in particular where the shield looked weakest. If he could just penetrate it, Mudora would be vulnerable.
His muscles protested violently. His hands shook uncontrollably. His lungs gasped desperately. His heart pounded incessantly. His legs throbbed intensely. Link knew his body was seconds from unraveling on itself. He had driven it beyond what it could endure. He reined his mind to focus on the task ahead. If it could only hold out a few more seconds…
The hero focused all his will, all his strength, all his anger into his grip on the blade. With all the power he could muster, he brought the blade upon Mudora's shield. As the divine weapon clashed with the powerful magic, it shattered it. The sage watched in horror. Even at full power, the hero was able to overpower him.
Now was the time to strike! Mudora was defenseless! He was only a sword swing away from overpowering the sage and bringing his plan to an end. He was so close! Soon, it would all be over!
Link brought his blade to land the final blow, but his body couldn't tolerate the strain any longer. Lighting struck through every part of him; his muscles went into spasms and his heart betrayed him. As he struggled to gasp for breath, his weapon dropped to the ground with a loud clank. The mask, with no power left to feed on, detached itself and fell as well.
The fear from Mudora's eyes slowly evaporated as he watched Link fall apart before him. "And here I thought I would finally meet my end." He looked away. "It seems you could not do it after all."
"You let your guard down, brother! I'm your opponent! Not him!" Dark's voice hissed from behind him. The hero was too weak to even look back.
Link lurched forward as the cold steel of Dark's blade pierced through him. Pain spiked through his bones and muscles as he looked at the blood-covered tip plunging out of his chest. A fresh wave of pain overtook him. Fighting back was impossible; the mask had drained him of the last of his strength. All he could do was endure until the last of his life drained away.
Link looked at the winter wind flooding through the nearby hole in the wall. It was all as Mudora had predicted. The vision he had seen on Koholiant; it had finally come true. Perhaps Zelda was right. Perhaps their world was destined to fall apart.
The shadow brought his lips inches from Link's ear. "What was it you said to me? Something about how this fight meant more to you than anything? And that's why you would win it?" He let the words sink in. "Where are those bold words now, brother? It appears you've lost after all."
Dark retracted the blade and watched in triumph as the hero fell to the ground with a thud.
Mudora looked at the fallen hero and shook his head. He walked over to the hole in the wall and shielded himself from the wind and snow pouring in. Using his newfound power, he glimpsed into Hyrule and other distant lands to see if the magic had spread like he expected.
Many were turning into monsters as he expected. But a few had not. He couldn't understand why. Perhaps they had found places to protect them, places similar to this tower. These individuals seemed to be high up in the mountains. He could understand why; there was tumultuous rain pouring everywhere except Nevkah. If it continued at the current pace for more than a few days, the entire land would be flooded.
"It seems I've caught the goddesses' attention," Mudora pondered. "They have decided to intervene. It looks like they would rather flood this world into oblivion and salvage a portion of their creation than let it become a world of monsters." A dry smile parted his lips. "It seems I have failed after all."
Meanwhile, the voices around Link all turned to indistinguishable murmurs. He could only hear the beating of his own heart and a high pitch ringing in his ears. It was as if he were In a dream.
The rhythmic vibrations of the ground against his face told Link that someone was approaching him. Why couldn't they leave him alone? Link welcomed the silence.
Is this how death felt? It didn't seem so bad. Link closed his eyes, all the while wondering how long it would take his soul to leave his body.
A firm hand touched his back. He couldn't tell who it was, but a voice resonated in his mind that sounded like Mudora.
"Link, I am sorry things had to end this way. In the end, I do intend to keep my promise, even if you don't believe me. I just wish you could understand things as I do." There was a short pause as the ground vibrated behind him. It felt like something had been dropped beside him. "This may be the last I see of you and Hylia. With the world undergoing such change, the cycle may finally be broken so that you won't be reborn. If so, I am glad I was able to see you both one last time. And thank you for remembering me. You have no idea how much that means." Mudora paused again, as if searching for words. "I know it is inadequate, but the least I can give you is a peaceful death with the one you love. Dark has done all I asked. I will not allow him to disturb the two of you."
A strong hand turned him over as if he were a helpless infant. As he opened his eyes, he saw Midna looking right at him. Even covered in blood and gasping for breath, she was still beautiful to him.
The voice returned. "I hope your time in the afterlife is better than this one. I wish things could've played out differently. Rest in peace, my friend."
The hand left him, leaving Link alone with Midna and his own thoughts.
She smiled at him as she took his hand in hers and squeezed tightly. He looked deeply into her eyes. For all the time they spent together, for all the struggles they had endured, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. He wouldn't trade his experiences with her for anything.
She mouthed that she loved him. He struggled to mouth it back. She squeezed his hand all the tighter, acknowledging her understanding. Her smile only widened as they spent their last moments together.
Link thought back to when they had first met. Still devastated over the capture of his friends and unaccustomed to his wolf body, she had freed him from one prison only to place him in another. As she dragged him from one place to another on their quest, talking down to him the entire way, he couldn't wait to get rid of her. Their relationship had certainly started sour.
Everything changed once Zant attacked them. With her life fading away and Link trapped in a wolf's body, they were forced to depend on one another for survival. Somewhere in that adversity, the bonds of friendship finally clicked. The time that followed only strengthened that bond. Over the course of several years and many trials, that friendship gradually transformed into the powerful love it was now. He would never forget their time together in Ambi's garden. That night had changed everything between them.
And yet, they would never be able to spend their lives together. Link now understood how Kari must've felt and why he wanted to return to the past. He had loved someone dearly as well, but the time he should've spent with her was taken from him. Despite that, he sacrificed himself gladly in the hopes that others wouldn't experience the same pain.
A wave of panic washed through Link when he felt the grip on his hand loosen. Midna's hand went limp.
He looked into her fiery eyes one last time. She was gone.
They had lost it all. Their entire world as they knew it was about to die with him. Never again would there be another hero reborn into the world. Never again would people have the freedom to love or enjoy life. He had failed the Ancient Hero, he had failed his friends, and he had failed himself. He had fought his hardest for all those he loved, but it hadn't been enough.
Their only hope lay with Tifa and the other survivors. Their chances for victory were nearly nonexistent. But a sliver of hope was better than none at all. If Zelda's dream was right, if there would be survivors, then maybe they could help rebuild the new world, whatever that was to become. He could only pray for the goddesses' protection over them in the meantime.
Ilia…Colin…Zelda…he would miss them. He would miss all of them dearly. He wished he could've stood with them to the end. But the world was in their hands now. He could only wish for their success from a distance.
Link's eyes grew heavy. He allowed them to close. The embrace of death seemed oddly sweet. His body would finally be free of pain. He would finally be reunited with the ones he loved.
Uziah. Rusl. Kari. And now Midna. He would be with them very soon. He could already feel the warmth of their embrace as his soul departed from the land of the living. He had fought the good fight.
With one final heroic sigh, the hero gave up the breath of life and joined his friends in the world beyond.
A/N - This chapter was intense to write for a number of reasons. The obvious reason is that the content itself is intense. I've been planning this chapter for a long time. It's hard to believe that it's finally written.
The other reason is that this nearly brings us to the end of Kasuto's Redemption. Notice I said NEARLY. That's right! There is still one final chapter to release before this story is completely finished. That also means that the next update will be the last update. The story of Kasuto's Redemption, after nearly six years, will finally be complete.
It's hard to believe that this book has been so long in the making and is now nearly done. I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting on this lately, including looking at some old illustrations from The-World-Needs-Peace. It's been a wild ride…that's for sure. I'm sure we all have had stories that we really enjoyed…only to get to the end and realized the author abandoned it with no intent to finish it. I promised myself I would never do that. It looks like I might actually keep that promise.
I'll have more to say at the final chapter, but I want to thank all of you, my readers, for making this story worth writing! I've probably said it before, but it's worth saying again. All of your encouragement has made this project worthwhile, and I've loved hearing what you have to say. I will try and hurry with the last chapter. Be sure to keep an eye out for it if you don't subscribe…you won't want to miss it!