*Obligatory comment about being very busy this week*

Jokes aside I've rushed to get this out before I go do some competitions at another university, so there might be some mistakes. I'll be back to correct them Monday.

RSBCS I'm glad I could surprise you. I did kinda want to make things a little awkward between the two because Link obviously still hasn't sorted out everything. It was meant to not be obvious who the real Yiga was, I feel like that's the appeal of them, so I'm happy it worked. And yeah of course I enjoy reviews it makes me feel like I'm really sharing this story I've half created.

Andrew tbh I got a little stressed writing it lol

That's all!

Chapter 28- The Temple of the Forgotten

Mind racing, heart racing, blood racing. Nothing was slowing down. All that was left in his body was a fury that Link just couldn't contain anymore. Everything that had happened in his life, regardless of fate and Link's own terrible decisions was down to that man. All the pain of his life was because of him.

Al' had always been there in the background for the whole of Link's life, pulling the strings, making Link into whatever he wanted. The worst part of it all was that the rogue knight would always be a part of him, no matter how much Link wanted to cut it out.

He had chased him through the duelling peaks and through Hyrule fields, and for the full two days straight of riding Link had felt himself gaining on him. As he thundered past Lake Illumeni he could see the tracks clearly before him.

Even now Alfonzo was pulling his same old tricks. The tracks were so obvious even a child playing in the mud would be able to follow them three days later. The knight wanted him to follow; he was leading him towards something.

It didn't matter though. Link knew this had to end now; he had to face him one last time. No matter what the grounds were Link would finish this; even if the man surrounded himself with a thousand Yiga or the Calamity itself, it wouldn't be enough. Somewhere deep inside he was sure of that.

Finally he made his way to the mouth of Tanagar canyon that cut its way through the ground deeper and deeper. The tracks led further down into the shadows of the orange stone walls.

Just think for a moment, just think.

He brought his horse to a stop.

"Woah Ciela,"

Link had allowed himself to become overemotional and play right into the enemies hands. He wasn't in control of his actions, just acting out of a primal desire for revenge. Of all the good things to come out of his acceptance of who he was back in Gerudo, Link hadn't realised just how unprepared he was for this.

There would always be a flipside to all the happiness of the last few days. There was always a payment to anything good in his life. This was it. Raw and painful like the day he had first turned it away. That desperate grief that he now clung to just to feel normal again, it was flaring up, dictating his actions.

He needed to let it go. Closure was the best he could hope for and even if putting a sword in Al' couldn't give that to him, at least he would be saying goodbye to the strings that had controlled his life for so long.

Link grit his teeth again as a renewed rush of anger swelled and he propelled his horse forwards, leaving a thick cloud of orange dust behind. The stone walls either side climbed higher and higher until it was indistinguishable what was at the top of them.

At least he was thinking a little clearer through the red mist. His mind began to sharpen, looking out for ambushes, looking up at spots perfect for the hidden Yiga assassin. It reminded him of riding with Zelda, quietly and constantly looking at everything around them.

Of course he had shoved all thoughts of her to the back of his mind. This was the mission and he couldn't have her get in the way or even worse put herself into danger.

Still he hoped that she had found her way back to Castletown okay. It was but a day's ride and she would be easily picked up by a patrol of guards. Link on the other hand dreaded both hers and the King's wrath on his return. Though he had broken almost every rule of honour and etiquette, one more wouldn't make much of a difference. This was something he had to do.

As he rode the shadows from either side grew dimmer as sunlight retreated away. Link strained his eyes out into the murky canyon. It was even worse than the path to Gerudo, maybe it was the knowledge that the most dangerous man in all the kingdoms was somewhere down here with him.

Two pillars burst through the darkness, standing tall above Link. They looked ancient, far older than anything Link had ever seen in his life. It was like their very presence emanated a world far away that had been and passed. Vines crawled up desperately and looked shrivelled, straining for sun.

Then through the fog of darkness came a colossal wall of ancient stone. Wooden excavation boards and tools laid strewn about revealing the remnants of a temple so old the stone itself had swallowed it up whole.

Ciela whinnied quietly as Link brought her to a stop. He kept his eyes on the entrance as he dismounted, almost scared it would transform into something even more unsettling.

Link had travelled around Tanagar canyon more times than he could count and this had been there in the crack in the earth this whole time? Nets filled with stone littered the sides of the canyon, piled up high along the orange walls. The Yiga must've been working solidly for years, picking away at the rock with whatever tools or perverse magic they could conjure.

But, why? They must've wasted half their manpower unearthing this. If sent against Hyrule, Link's life would've been more difficult than it had already been. If this meant more to Al' than punishing Link… it meant that whatever waited in there was something he wasn't going to enjoy.

Dust swirled around Link's ankles as he climber the makeshift wooden steps to the looming archway. The mixture of crushed rock and dirt slithered out of the entrance escaping from the darkness.

The sword began to ring intensely as soon as he stepped within. Link drew it off his back and watched its glow shine off and on several times before finally settling.

"Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet…hero?"

Link had never heard a thing, nothing but that ringing. For a moment in the darkness he quietly wondered if it had been trying to talk to him this whole time. Perhaps he just wasn't listening or maybe the voice just didn't need to speak yet. He hoped for the latter.

He was in a temple of some kind. Link had never heard of such a place but there were mysteries all over Hyrule. Like the supposed labyrinths that no one ever came out of or, the colossal skeletons that scholars fretted over talking of a race of "Leviathans".

Still there was something about this place that resonated deep inside him. The whole area seemed so intangibly familiar. It was almost impossible Link had been here before but it felt as though he recognised the corridor stretching outwards, like he had some connection to it.

Link leapt down onto another pile of stones that had erupted from the floor. The walls of the temple looked buckled, like they were only just barely keeping away the crushing jaws of the growing rock.

Along the crooked floor there were the last remnants of a campsite. He walked over, sword still drawn. Mats unrolled around the campsite and a skewer of meat was held high above what must've been a fire. Link poked at the glowing embers. It was fresh, Al' and his cronies had been here.

Just the side of the camp was a round hole, cutting off from the main chamber and had the rough workings of the other excavation. It was pitch black inside; the light from his blade seemed to go a few centimetres before being cut off. Still they had to have been down there.

Link held the sword a little tighter and walked into the mouth of the tunnel

He walked and walked through the darkness, barely seeing a few feet in front even when his eyes had adjusted. It felt like an hour had passed before Link began to wonder just how in Hyrule the Yiga had managed to dig so far.

Finally at the end light, glowing orange light was visible. Link softened his footsteps as he began to hear voices echoing.

"I still don't see how this helps us brother," one said. "Maybe the others are right. This knight doesn't seem all together up there."

"I know brother but it's him or Kohga," there was a long sigh. "Stuck between two lunatics how did we get here?"

"We just need faith that Hyrule will fall. Besides it's not all bad, that stupid 'hero' followed us all this way, our scouts saw him near Lake Illumeni."

"The boss really has him riled. I don't know what over though."

There was a snicker, "Who cares? For all the brothers and sisters he's slain I hope he burns up in his own rage."

Link rushed out of the darkness and disposed them in two clean slashes. Even now it was too easy, why had Al' left them there to guard; he knew two Yiga would do little to stand against him.

The jagged rock retreated into the ancient stone once again, as Link looked before him. As he extinguished the torch a blue glow emanated from the archway in front.

He walked through and found himself climbing stairs upwards, the glow getting more intense until the walls almost shined as brightly as Link's sword.

The stairs stopped as Link emerged into a tall room. Its walls seemed resistant to the powerful blue light and remained dark. Four pillars rose up around the pedestal at its centre from which erupted the light upwards, climbing like a geyser of pure energy.

A figure stood before the light that Link could barely make out as he shielded his eyes waiting for them to adjust once again. Before he knew it the figure moved into the light leaving nothing but its fierce blaze in the room with Link.

He stepped up to the central platform and circled the light. From within the pillar Link could hear whispers, like a thousand voice were trapped inside, all trying to call out to him. Keeping a hand steady he reached out and touched the vortex. Wisps of light reached out and touched him, making his fingers tingle a little. It was calling to him, or at least a part of whatever he was.

Link stifled a breath and stepped in. Images and voices washed over him. A crimson bird with a green boy on its back flying through the clouds into a storm; a temple where a blonde girl stood high on an alter; a child fighting through time itself. Then Link found himself being dragged down as the two orange mad eyes of a spiked mask stared at him. They made the wood seem almost alive.

Among it all Link felt between time, like "now" and "then" didn't exist anymore. Time was fragmented but only one thing stayed the same across it all, destruction and redemption, again and again and again. Ganon a force that could not be stopped, finally finding a way back time after time.

Eventually much time passed and everything merged into one again and Link found himself dragged into a reality not far from his own.

Rain poured from the sky as Link looked over Castletown. Fire was everywhere. Corpses littered the ground. Almost nothing was even left of the town; most of the walls were merely darkened marks in the mud.

The very soil itself could not hold the destruction and a mixture of rain, tar and soot turned the once joyous landscape into a wasteland. Everything was gone apart from as crushing sense of loss and grief in Link's soul.

He walked to the centre where the town square fountain now lay in ruins, the triforce at its base chipped and undiscernible. Laid battered and scotched at its feet lay the four champions. Revali, Urbosa, Daruk… even Mipha. All had looks of shock and horror on their faces.

No… His voice seemed to dissolve in the air around him. Only visible to himself and only comprehended by a feeling of intense grief. They had failed, Link had failed them.

Link found himself adrift for another moment. He found his footing on a marsh overlooking Fort Hateno. The Blatchery Plain once so lush and green had now descended into a swamp of mud and more ash. Guardians littered the plain and at its centre knelt Zelda. A shinned statue like spirit stood over her, gleaming in the wet rain. The Mastersword glowed and rung out and Zelda looked towards it.

When he looked in her eyes Link saw them brimmed with tears. In her arms he lay, battered and beaten. Link didn't understand how he could look so weak. Zelda began to talk to the sword but Link could not hear her words.

I'm not dead, I'm not dead, we can't have lost, how have we lost?

He rushed forwards on his spiritual legs. As he neared the distraught girl the glossy blue spirit snapped to his direction.

"Master?" it said. "You can see me again?"

Link's footing fell away and he found himself descending into the abyss again, hands reaching out to Zelda and to his broken corpse.

All of the terrors he dreamed of in his worst nightmares, the ones he shoved to the back of his mind as unbelievable had come true. As he fell further and further into the void Link denied what he saw over and over again as visions, a reality that could be but, was not set in stone. Though in his heart Link knew… that was his future.

Finally he felt his feet his real feet touch stone. His arms back and the cold handle of the Mastersword in his hand once again. The image of the chipped and blunt sword flashed into his mind but he quickly put it to one side.

"You've seen it now Link," Alfonzo voice echoed around the stone walls. "What has been and what is to come. Those visions have been enough to drive men mad… but we are not ordinary men, are we?"

They were in some kind of temple. Pillars reaching up high extended around the chamber. Tall windows seemed to tower above and though Link could hear rain thundering against the window, no raindrops were visible and only a golden light shinned through. The light cast lines of dark shadows as the pillars shielded the golden glow. It was like the room Link had come from only falling apart.

At the centre of stood a pedestal were all the fingers of light convulsed into one place. A dark figure stood on top shrouded in the darkness.

"Thanks for killing those two fools," that voice rang. "I couldn't stand them and the Yiga finished their purpose months ago. All that was left was to—"

His face turned slightly into the light and Link's eyes focused in on his smile. Behind him at the centre of the pedestal a golden glowing orb floated.

"—draw you out."

Link swirled his sword and began to circle around the pedestal checking there weren't any hidden surprises. "Well I'm here. This madness ends now."

Alfonzo followed not taking his eyes away, smile not shifting.

"Finally you have something right," he held his arms wide in gesture. "This is it Link, the culmination of years of work and planning. It's almost unreal to imagine myself actually here, ready to end the cycle."

Link looked him over. Al' had his sword and would be ready to withdraw it in a second. That would remove any chance of leaping up at him, catching him by surprise. He could engage him on the stairs, but his height and reach would put Link at the disadvantage. The only chance would be to make it past his attacks to the platform or draw him down.

"Oh don't worry Link. We're going to fight if there's anything I know it's that." Alfonzo sneered. "I'm just going to tell you exactly what's about to happen. I've been dying to tell someone and you're probably one of the few people who can even understand what I'm about to say."

Al' was too prepared. Best to antagonise him draw him down, from there it would be an equal battle. It was the best possible position. Draw him out, or at least buy enough time to find a more favourable plan of attack.

"What is this place?" Link asked, unable to keep the curiosity from his voice.

"This place had many names once, now it lives between two worlds, in the spaces between time itself. Once it was called the sealed temple, once they called it the temple of time, in our world it is but a few crumbling ruins. This…" Al' gestured to the temple. "This is the threshold to another world, the sacred realm, where Ganon has been sealed time and time again, and where the first hero fought the first manifestation of evil.

"It's just never enough though Link. It's not strong enough to keep him sealed no matter how strong the goddess' magic is. You've seen it too Link, you must understand how tiring this battle is. All the destruction and death of a war we should never been a part of, it has to end.

"All we have to do is control the forces of both good and evil, contain the fight to the sacred realm where they can't do anything! This way the war we were never a part of will remain. All I need is you to enter the sacred realm with me and we can save this world from repeated destruction."

Link walked a little closer and began to eye Al' a little more cautiously, "What do you mean Al' why would you be in there?"

"Don't come closer!" Al' shrunk away, back to the light but Link could not mistake the gleaming bright purple in his eyes.

"Al' what have you done?" Link tried to control the tremble in his voice.

"Link, there's not much time. Put our differences aside you can save everyone if you just come with me. We've seen it already. You cannot win against the calamity. Zelda will not be ready and you will fail. All you love will be destroyed, all you sacrificed will be for nothing," Alfonzo retched and contorted his body.

He was right. All those horrible things Link had seen, the loss of everything he held dear, Zelda knelt crying in the mud and the constant death and destruction of Ganon. This really was the only way to survive, they only way to save her.

"I'll do it," he said hoarsely, "Just swear on all your worth this is all true."

Alfonzo retched again, "I swear it. Though she has to come too Link… The daughter of Hylia."

"Zelda," Link breathed.

"Yes," Alfonzo whispered in a broken voice. "We cannot risk either of us escaping the realm so we must sever its connection to this world completely. This place was created by Hylia and so we must remove the one person who has the power to access it."

"You mean kill her," Link readied his sword again.

Alfonzo's voice was changing as though it was echoing within his own throat, "It's for the greater good Link. Think of all the people you'd be saving."

"I won't let you kill her," Link said firmly. "We can beat the calamity."

Alfonzo laughed again mockingly, "You stupid boy. You know what happens next in this story. Your kingdom will be in ruin but in a few days. We have no choice. Let's end this now."

"You won't have her," Link swore. "I won't let you, she's safe. There's still time to prepare we can defeat Ganon, nothing is set in stone."

Alfonzo's laugh began to turn crazed, he only barely managed to get out between bursts of manic cackles, "You—think—she's—home."

Link stomach took a nosedive.

"Don't worry I ordered the Yiga to allow her to follow. They won't harm her, though she'll be here soon enough," Alfonzo drew his sword and placed it by his side, watching the golden light gleam off it. Even from here Link could hear the whispers.

Link readied his sword, "I won't help you."

"My boy," Alfonzo's face turned serious. "Since when did you think you'd have a choice?"

He leapt bringing his sword in a frenzied arc. Link rolled away just in time. He was fast, faster than should've been possible for a man of his size.

Al' slammed his great sword into the Mastersword. Link held the blow away through gritted teeth as he began to lose ground to the corrupted knight. His blade was glowing more intensely than Link thought possible. When Link finally looked up into Al's eyes, they were the eyes of pure madness and chaos. They seemed to burn with their own raging fire.

"If you will not agree," Alfonzo screamed. "Then I'll kill her myself and drag your beaten body in there with me. I will make you kill the last of your Hylian soul. It will die with her."

"No!" Link shouted and pushed up against the sword dodging to the side as Al crushed through one of the pillars.

The knight slashed horizontally. He was getting clumsy in the rage. Link ducked under the hungry sword and stabbed into his exposed leg.

Al' howled out in pain and stumbled to his knees. Link stood ready watching him. Blood oozed from the wound. Link had gotten him well, the fight was already as good as won.

The blood began to clot almost immediately, faster than was possible for a normal hylian. It turned to a strange slime that moulded to the leg. Instead of turning a deeper red it turned a bright purple, pulsating as though it was alive itself.

He stood and turned towards Link again, eyes still burning. "You think I don't know why you squander this opportunity?" he tilted his head mockingly. "You've gotten soft my boy. I wonder if it felt good to love again. Soon you'll realize why men like us can't have such niceties. I'll be sure to show you as I tear her body apart."

Link howled in rage and whirled into him; slashing into his blade and knocking it to the left, stabbing into his shoulder; stepping back to keeping his stance ready for a counter attack. Al' didn't let him. He recovered too fast and his arm lashed out grabbing Link in a crushing grip.

More blood oozed from Al's shoulder and slithered over his left arm. As it consumed his hand in malice Link felt the purple slop burn into his shoulder. He winced as it tore through his tunic and began to eat into his flesh.

"He's—" Link panted hard. "He's in you isn't he?"

"I—Control—Him." Alfonzo yelled as he threw Link into the pillar like a useless ragdoll.

Link hit it hard and felt the stone crack behind him. There wasn't enough time to feel the pain, he pushed himself out of the way of Al's lunge. Link counter attacked but Alfonzo just grabbed the blade from the air in his corrupted hand, like it was a stick he'd found by the side of the road.

Link pulled back cutting clean through his hand, as he rushed up the steps he could hear Alfonzo's enraged calls behind him.

"Don't run away from me now Link. You can't hide from your destiny any longer. Face me like the man your pathetic mother needed you to be."

As Link made it to the top of the stair he noticed the orb of sacred light had gotten larger. From it leaked wisps of energy, not even visible to the eye but Link could feel the primal hatred.

"You failed everyone, your mother, your father, me, the other knights. You could never stand up to how you were supposed to be. You're soft, overemotional and even now after you've come all this way, you still won't face me."

Link calmed his breath and held his body in mid-stance. Maybe he was right, maybe Link had failed, not prevented the deaths of those he had held so close. He had let his emotions cloud him for so long. And Al' was right Link couldn't stop the calamity even if he won this battle, but Link wouldn't let him take another life from him, he couldn't live with that anymore.

Alfonzo pounced from below the stairs and Link stabbed into the air and rolled out of the way. The writhing knight hit the floor and scraped to a stop in front of the dais. This time he wasn't recovering. Link leapt through the air and brought his sword down. Blue light from the sword erupted.

He fell to the ground losing the handle of the sword. There was a gurgle from behind. Link turned to see Alfonzo kneeling, eyes absent looking forwards, the Mastersword skewered through him.

The malice had retracted for now and some of the madness in Al's eyes had shrunk away. Link withdrew the sword making the fallen knight wince. Almost no blood came from the wound.

"You think you've won?" Alfonzo coughed. "Finish it then."

He could end it all now, kill both Al' and Ganon but he couldn't. Ganon was now a part of Al'. Just from the look in his eyes the knight could barely contain the essence, his soul was probably splitting apart of the seams. Killing him now would mean letting the spirit of the calamity out into the world.

Alfonzo began a laugh sapped of all energy, "I didn't even have to fight you, I just wanted to. The second you entered this place was the second you lost."

Without Zelda's power there was no way of sending him back. Perhaps Link could keep him here, fight the vessel until it tired and then meditate to recover his own energy. He could keep that up for several years, give the others enough time to prepare.

Alfonzo spat blood. Already the malice was beginning to bind the gashes all over his body. He was recovering in a matter of seconds.

Staying was out of the question. Zelda would arrive and without her power or any form of defence Ganon would kill her immediately taking away any chance of defeating the monster. Even if he could defend her for a few moments, Link didn't know if she would leave him here. He couldn't risk her getting hurt.

"For all your, strength and all your skill, you are nothing," Al' spat. "You know what will happen if you kill me and release Ganon. Its better we just get this over with, we're going to be spending a lot of time together Link. We have all eternity to go over our differences."

Link moved behind him. Alfonzo was right he did have no choice, from the moment he walked in to the start of his whole life. He knew what was going to happen next but perhaps now was the time to put his faith in something.

"It's time," Link said.

"Too right now all we have to—"

The snap echoed through the temple, as Link twisted Al's neck to the side. He flopped to the stones limp, the last remnants of Ganon leaving his eyes. That feeling of anger flowed around him before dissipating. The calamity was free in the world.

No thoughts moved through Link's head as he wiped the sword on the stones and walked towards the golden light at the centre.

"Take me home," Link asked.

As his feet hit the ground again, Link realised how much he took solid ground for granted. His wish to keep it that way was short lived as the floor itself began to grumble almost as loudly as his stomach after a day of travel. Stones cracked and fell from above filling the crumbled temple with dust.

He wasted no time finding his way back, picking up the torch from the two fallen Yiga and running back through the cavern.

The ground itself seemed to swallow up the trail Link left behind, like it was trying to cover up an ancient mistake. Link tried to keep the one dreadful thought from his mind and travelled up the stairs immerging into the central chamber, light now visible from the outside.

"LINK!"

Zelda hit into him as the last few feet of the tunnel caved in, completely cutting the sealed temple from the rest of the world.

He closed his arms around her, trying to forget the light, those images and the primal insanity in Alfonzo's eyes. Zelda made it all go away as she nuzzled into him, sighing with either contempt or relief. Link didn't want it to end but eventually Zelda withdrew looking him over.

"Good Hylia," Zelda muttered.

Link's tunic was almost torn to shreds. Beneath each cut lay a deep cut, burn or bruise. The place where Alfonzo had held him with his maliced hand was almost totally reddened. No skin remained just a raw wound. Zelda looked over each one touching them and Link realised just how exhausted he was.

He found himself leaning into her a little, "We should probably get going this isn't the most stable of places."

"Is it over?" Zelda asked her green eyes widening slightly.

Link just nodded. In a way it was.

They crossed past Satori Mountain. The weather had been rather favourable over the past few days, something Link could hardly complain about. So he closed his eyes feeling the sun's rays on his face as though it had been years since he last felt its gaze.

Zelda rode beside him chatting absentmindedly. Of course Link was listening… well half listening.

"—You know it wasn't easy to fix that tunic, we're just lucky to be in a land which gives us so many useful ingredients…"

The tunic was fixed along with most of Link's wounds, the nasty one on his shoulder still had a few days to recover but with Zelda, Hyrule was just one big apothecary. Link just hoped the herbs she used weren't experimental; he always got suspicious when she took out that journal.

His eyes opened involuntarily and he looked over the road as the thought clouded him again, like it had done so many times.

The calamity is free in this world.

He wasn't sure just what to feel. Dread over what was coming, guilt over not telling Zelda or even grief over all he was about to lose. There was no way they could win and he knew it. From the little he had seen from the future that was what had stuck.

Several times he had thought about telling her. Sure she had asked about what had happened but something told him she already knew. Normally Zelda would pry but this time she seemed content with just leaving it at "It's over".

All he knew was he had been trapped so long in the dealings of fate and the future he hadn't had the time to appreciate what was right in front of him. So for the next few moments, or however long they had, Link just wanted to enjoy the time he had with her.

Link smiled to himself as Zelda began to speak again.

"'Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount… That's the only way it will know how you truly feel.'"

Here we end the memories at the games "To Mount Lanayru" cut scene. Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you for the next two chapters, as the story wraps up in the present.