Chapter 5: What it means to be a hero

Sparks flew from Zelda's hand at Link, the bolt hitting Link's shield, sending him back. Zelda's soldiers attacked, 4 soldiers for each person, and 5 for Darbus, who was quickly being out numbered. Link threw a Deku Nut at Darbus, the flash blinding his foes as he slammed into them, taking all 5 of them through the wall. Rusl was out classed instantly, and the soldier's hit him hard in the head, taking him to the ground and cuffing him. Stark held his own with his spear, but was quickly losing his footing, and Link was locked in an intense back and forth with Zelda, Zelda's mouth quickly muttering spells that Link deflected. Zelda rose both hands, and pointed them at Link, a sudden force slamming him back, through the wall and into the snowbank outside. He rolled down the hill, groaning as Zelda flew out, magic pouring from her. "Link, give up!" She said, throwing a blast that he rolled from. He stood up slowly, grinning. "I can do this all day." He pulled out his bow with lightning speed, and fired a shot with a bomb at Zelda, who telekinetically moved it away with ease. "Link, this is enough. You're causing too many problems." Link scowled. "How did you even find me?" Zelda smirked. "I asked Ilia. She told me she didn't know. Only after she cried at the thought of you leaving again did she tell me. You're hurting people. Give. Up." Link smiled. "So this is why you're here, Zelda? Because I'm hurting people? Or because you want control?" Zelda slammed him down with her mind, his face in the snow. She brushed her hair out of her face. "You'll be brought back for a trial and held in high security. This isn't a war, it's you being a child. You don't play well with others, and end up breaking the rules." Link smiled, lifting his head from the snow. "Wrong. I play greatly. Especially with others." With that, Stark leaped from the mansion, the blunt end of his spear pointed at Zelda. Zelda spun around, a bolt of lightning shooting from her hand, and hitting Stark straight on, his body falling instantly. Link screamed, anger powering him as he jumped up, Zelda's incoming blast being deflected by his sword. Link kicked her hand out of the way, and slashed his sword down, stopping an inch from her face. He kicked her down, and pointed his blade at her, huffing. "Stay down! If I wanted it, you'd be dead already!" Zelda's eyes were shifting from side to side. Link kept his hand on his blade, pointed at her. "Don't try it." Zelda's eyes glowed with magic. "Zelda-" "NOW!" She yelled, and a soldier's arrow shot at Link. Link could barely turn in time to see the arrow stop. Link dropped his sword on Zelda, the tip cutting her cheek, as he ran to Stark, the arrow meant for Link's heart lodged in Stark's. Link held him up as Stark began to fall. "Stark!" Link said, holding him. Stark looked down, the blood seeping through his armor. Link saw the archer notch another arrow. "No!" Zelda said, putting her hand up. She stood up, and stumbled toward Stark. "Where is the wound, it might not be f-" "Don't touch him." Link said, not taking his eyes off of his soldier. He laid him in the snow, and packed his wound with the snow as Stark's breathing slowed. "Link..." He whispered. "What is it like...?" He said, looking up at him. "What do you mean?" "The Sacred Realm?" Link frowned. "You don't need to know, you won't be visiting it for a long while." Stark smiled. "I never got...to try your Ordon Pumpkin Pie." "I'll make you one tomorrow." "Or see Arbiter's Ground." "It's sandy, that's all there is to see, now stop talking." Stark smiled again. "Goodbye, captain. I wish I...could have been the hero Anna wanted me to be." Link smiled. "Stark, there is no greater hero than one who takes the hit. When you go home, Anna will be happy to know you gained not only my respect, but that I look up to you." Stark laughed, before coughing blood. "You make...sure that Maxis...gets into a good school..." Link frowned. "Soldier, stop talking like that." Stark smiled. "I've...waited a long time for this moment. A long time." Link looked at Zelda. "Everyone will know, Zelda. Everyone." He looked back to Stark. "Maxis will be happy to see you, don't you think?" Stark didn't answer. "Say something." Zelda stepped closer to Link. "Soldier, that is an order! Respond!" A single tear fell from Link's eye. "Zelda..." He stood up. "I surrender." Zelda's jaw opened. "Take the others, and put them back home. Bring Stark with me. I won't resist, so you won't restrain me. I need to say goodbye to my friend." Zelda stood for a moment, for the first time, not knowing what to do. "Uh...guards!" She called, and the archer came over, and cuffed Link. Link looked back at Zelda, a blank emotion on his face. "You'll have the joy of telling Anna."

The ride back was a long, strange, and awkward one, with Link staying with the body of the passed Stark the whole time, not saying a word to anyone but his fallen friend. On arrival to the castle, Zelda quietly ordered Link to be put into a room under the council room wait for his trial. As the guards approached Link with caution, he asked for a final moment with his friend.

They said no.

Zelda arrived in the council room, and the councilmen applauded. Calls of "Princess!" "Your highness, thank the Three!" "The true hero!" Rang through her ears. She faked a smile as she sat down, beside Bowid, who's long black beard was tucked into his belt neatly, and gripped his crystal cane. "Princess, I was so happy to hear of your victory. The death of the soldier surely broke him. I'm proud of you, princess." He stood up, and the council quieted. "Move the room!" He said. Soldier's pored in, and went behind the seats, turning great wheels that cranked loudly. The walls opened up, and the entire council moved forward, into an opening where people from every province sat waiting to hear from Link. The crowd quieted as Zelda stood up, her face proud yet slightly hesitant. "People of Hyrule," she began. "Today is to be the trial of Link of Ordon, for the crimes of.." She paused, looking at her notes. "Disobeying the laws of section 12840, Code Vigilante Justice, class 9 mass murder, terrorism...and escape from accountability." The crowd muttered to each other. "I call this trial to start. May the defendant rise." The gears once again turned, and Link rose up, chains on his hands that connected to the floor. Zelda voice shook as she spoke. "Link." She said. "Today...is the day you will be judged on your crimes. Do you understand what you did?" She said, trying to stay regal. Link nodded. "Yes, Princess." Zelda sighed, as she began to read off his crimes. "You have led to 289 known deaths of innocents throughout Hyrule, including 9 of my guards, what do you plead?" "Guilty." Link said, his face blank. Zelda swallowed hard. "You have broken section 12840, code named Vigilante Just-" "Guilty." Link said again. Zelda frowned. "Terrorism of Royalty. What do you plead?" Link laughed. "Guilty, highness." Zelda looked at Bowid. "Escape from accountability, what do you plead?" "Guilty." "Misusing the honorary title of Captain, what do you plead?" Link frowned an angry, hurt frown. "I..plead...innocent." He turned around, facing the people. "I did not do such a crime." Guards began to run to him, but someone in the crowd spoke. "Hey, let him talk!" "Yeah, it's only fair!" "YES!" Said others. The guards looked at Zelda, who, after a moment of hesitation, nodded. Bowid moved closer to her. "No! His speeches always bring people on his side!" Zelda started to speak, but stopped. "No! I did not do this crime, as you all know. I was a good captain, and every guard here can agree, I'm sure. What do you all think?" A few members of the crowd muttered a "Yes..." "I can't hear you!" "Yes!" More people yelled. "That's enough." Zelda whispered to Bowid. "That's enough!" The elder yelled. Link stopped, and turned to face the council. "Innocent." He repeated. "I plead innocent...princess." He hissed. Zelda cleared her throat. "I will now, as is standard, read the names of the dead." As she began to read off the names, Link's face became sadder and sadder. 10 minutes in, it was nearing an end. "Athek Malanet, Thentos Carbite, Renado of Kakariko, Ame Yukio, Rylo Ken, Stark Offra. These are the-" Link erupted into anger. "HOW DARE YOU!" He screamed, the chains straining to hold him. Zelda panicked. "C-councilmen, do you-" "You dare say *I* killed him?!" "-have a verdict for him?" "Zelda, you will not do this to me!" The councilmen stood, and at one same moment, said "Guilty!" Zelda was now sweating, and motioned to an archer hidden above her. He notched an arrow, and shot it at Link, who stood still on purpose. The arrow, with a different tip, struck him. "Link. You have been hit with a tranq arrow, and will wake up escorted to a secure location where you will spend the rest of your days under close supervision." Link fell to his knees, the toxin taking it's instant toll. "I suppose...not all heroes...get the happy ending."

Link woke up strapped down to a bed on a carriage. He weakly looked around him. There were guards everywhere, all guarding him. "Hello Link." One said. "We are escorting you past the boundaries of Hyrule, to a small cot where you will be under heavy supervision. Got it?" Link grunted. "You guys suck." He laughed. "Tarken, you ever complete that escape training? I told you I'd finish on my next break." The man he spoke to frowned. "Come on, man. Don't do this to us. We aren't happy about it either. But we have our orders." Link nodded. "Yeah. I get it." He went back to sleep.

Link woke up when the carriage slammed to the side, an unseen force from outside hitting them. "What was that?" One guard said. He looked at the driver. "He has an arrow through his-!" An arrow shot through the window, going through his head." Hands slammed through the walls, stabbing the guards as Link helplessly watched. A strange mist came through the newly made holes, and Link breathed it in accidentally. "Damn."

He woke up, chained by his ankles and wrists, suspended in the air. It was dark, and he could barely make out where he was. The walls, floors, and ceilings were all sandy bricks, with dirt and sand scattered on the floor. He knew this place from somewhere. He couldn't quite make it out. A door many feet ahead of him opened, and in walked a cloaked figure with 2 bulky masked men beside him. "Hello, Link." Link frowned. "Do I know you?" The man laughed a deep laugh, his voice cracked. "No, sadly. And you'll never get the chance to, but don't worry, everyone else will know me. Now." The two men both pulled out clubs. "This is going to hurt...a lot." The two men began to beat Link, heavy strikes slamming into the helpless hero, who grunted with each hit. They continued to pummel him, until blood began to drip from his clothes. "Enough." They stopped, and Link spat blood. "W-who...who are you...?" He asked weakly, looking up at the hooded figure. The man pulled a small dagger from his robes. He stepped to Link, and stabbed the blade into his side, Link crying out in pain. "I am revenge, hero. And it is my time."

Well, that happened. You guys probably hate me for that sudden ending, which may seem weak and kinda crappy now, but the sequel is in the works! I thought it was pretty twisty! Anyways, I beg of you, please tell me what you think, and be honest about the ending, and remember, if you hated it, I'll make it up to you. :D

So, this chapter went through FIVE different changes. I always wanted someone to die, and if you've ever read the Marvel's Civil War comic book, you might have guessed Link would die. But nope, it was Stark (Not intended to be like Tony Stark, but oh well.) who took the arrow for Link, and at the end, Link still died...or..did he? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't...only I know. MUYAHAHAHA! But it was to be Zelda who killed him at the end, and when I wrote it, I realized it was completely against Zelda's character. So I had to figure out how she'd do it, via perhaps brain washing, or a Puppet Zelda sort of thing, but I settled on it being an archer commanded by Zelda. If you guys want, I'll post a whole chapter of deleted/alternate scenes, including the original opening to the story. I'm so glad I've gotten almost 500 views on this story, and I hope you guys want more, because it is being written as we speak, the text doc is open right next to this, haha. Thank you guys, and stay turned for the sequel...

-Darth Ganon