Ch. 14

Courage's Seeds

By: cutegirlmayra1 (Oh boy, oh boy. I have to finish this! But there's to much to write! x well, here goes nothing. We're entering the second half of the story, the ending to this arc really… I know, I know. When will it end?! Well… when it's done I suppose…)

Link strode up on Epona to a white temple full of beautiful sketches of art upon it. The windows were paved with hyrulian symbols of peace and some was to old to translate.

Link and Shadow dismounted and walked steadily into the temple, Link holding Zelda bridal style as Shadow quickly took a glance over his shoulder. Curiously looking for Jewele…

A pair of eyes shone from below Epona, as she bucked and neighed loudly at it's presence. It moved out of her shadow like the black mist and followed the darkened lines of the temple's walls.

"…Dark Link… what must I do to heal her?" he looked to Shadow for guidance. They had just entered the main room, and the spacious building looked like it had no other rooms but the entrance and this one.

"Place her in the middle, we have to unlock her Goddess's power from her first mother, Hylia." Dark Link instructed, walking over and pointing to the spot. Link nodded and laid her where he told him too.

"Hylia's…power is within Zelda?" Link looked to Dark Link.

"Yes… but to use it… Zelda will have to hang in the balance of mortality and immortality. If we complete this ritual, and not defeat Ganon in time, she will become Hylia once more." he warned, and Link got up instantly.

"What?! We can't risk that!"

"…Do you want her to die?…"

"…."

Link knew that mortals and gods could not interact directly, if Zelda became a goddess, he would never see her again. "… Tell me what to do…" he finally said, and looked up to Dark Link with a glare.

"Excellent, the little elf boy is finally growing into a true hyrulian knight." Teased Shadow Link. He folded his arms and smirked at him to the side, his hat shifted sides and floated with dark essence as Shadow Link looked up. "Uh-oh…" he looked to the door.

"W-what is it?" Navi flew out from inside Link's hat, noticing Shadow Link's distraught.

"….Ganon…." he suddenly spat out, and clinched his teeth. "We need to move along with this ritual… AND NOW!"

With that, Dark Link turned around and seemed to suck every once of dark power from the room. Turning into his darker form, his red eyes glowed as he looked to Link, "Summon your little kokiri friend! She knows the words!"

"How do you know-..?"

"DO IT!"

Link took out his ocarina as Shadow Link moved slowly back into the corner, making sure no evil could disturb or interrupt the ritual about to be made.

A gust of wind, and a ton of leaves swarmed the temple. As they settled, Umi stood in the center of the tornado that had formed, smiling as OhIknow came spiraling out from behind her. "You called?" she smiled, then noticed Zelda and gasped. "Oh no! it's time isn't it?! Quick! Summon your other selfs! They will be needed as well!" she pulled her flute up to her face and started the song.

"My… other selfs?" Link looked to his ocarina again, and began to play the Song of Awakening. The Links formed a circle around Zelda, as if knowing what to do already.

The flute played, as the Links took there swords out and pointed them up and toward the center of the room, where Zelda laid motionless. The only sign of life from her, was her faint breathing.

OOOooo~ Child of Destiny…

Born of love and given life…

Here you must bring back the light…

Zelda's body burst with holy light, the flute continued, and Link looked stunned. Dark Link struggled to keep Ganon's power at bay, controlling the dark power that tried to attack and stop the ritual.

Princess, princess, do you hear?

Your people cry in despair and mirror…

The lost of life you bear…

Upon your innocent face.

Zelda's hair began to move as if it was in water, and glowed with a brilliant yellow light. Her triforce, along with Link's, glowed fiercely and three balls of light swirled above them. Green, blue, and red, they seemed to hum with the music.

Here, Here, give yourself…

Kiss away the bonds that hold you to this earthly form…

Give Light back to the land you love…

Zelda's body floated up, she took a deep breathe. The Links, in a row, all bowed down as light formed around them, and zoomed into her as well. Link bent down, not sure what to do, but the life force of hyrule began to slowly move up toward Zelda's glowing body. As it united with her faint light, that stringed down with weak whimsical movements, Zelda's shining self seemed to absorb the power from the three lights above her as well. Her beauty returned to her, and her eyes opened.

If you give… now they'll live…

Here, Here, you die…

But your life lives on…

"Now, Link! Strike her! It's the only way!" Dark Link shouted out, still struggling to keep the dark forces at bay in the corner, but they were consuming him. Soon… he wouldn't be able to hold them off.

"WHAT?!" Link looked to Dark Link and then his other selfs. They looked up at him, as if threatening him not too.

"DO IT! If you don't, Hyrule and Zelda will die! The oath is in her blood, Link! If you kill her mortal frame, now, Ganon will lose the link between the life force and himself! You have to, Link! AUUGHHH!" The dark force Shadow was holding back was beginning to break free. It roared and hissed, morphing into a demon's mouth, trying to reach up and swallow Zelda whole.

"Hurry!"

"I…I can't… I'm sworn too…" Link looked up to see the monster trying to reach Zelda, and quickly moved from formation. "Zelda…Zelda forgive me!" he unsheathed his sword, and closed his eyes. Aiming his sword straight up, he cried out,

"HYAHHH!"

Zelda's pierced through body glowed like the sun, the three lights formed around her as they repelled the dark entity that Shadow Link had been holding back. Blood dripped down the sword, until it became nothing more than mist in the air. The other Link's, which we're drained of there spirit life force, had become nothing more than light green silhouettes, but they looked upset and mad.

Zelda's body formed into a Light yellow ball, that the three others took up with them, as the triforce of Wisdom floated down, and then shrunk as it gently was absorbed into Link's hand. "….Zelda… I…. I love you…" Link fell to his knees, looking up to where Zelda once was, watching her light fly off with tears in his eyes.

"Z….Ze-…..

ZEEEEEELLLLLLDDDDDDAAAAAA!"

Link cried out his anguish, as life force blasted from the center and flew out of the temple in every direction. Like a cloth of aurora lights, they clothed the land, and instantly brought back the glory of it's old life. The beautiful fields were no longer desolate and dried out, the rivers were shimmering with clean water instead of being murky or not even there. The trees sang in the wind again, the animals returned, even the demolished houses were restored, along with all life that was slain in Ganon's wrath.

"….She's the Goddess of Time again.. Light is filling the earth… Life force is unlimited as is was in days of old, or the first days of existence. Link… you did what you had to-"

Link grabbed Dark Link's collar, and pulled him up to him, "You said she wouldn't die…"

"L-Link… buddy, old pal, dear brother… I said she would be in-between. You can still bring her back to mortality. But first, you must deal with Ganon!" Dark Link pointed behind him, as a figure stood against the temple's side.

"You…. You did this?! You took my power away… HOW DARE YOU!" Ganon flung his sword to Link, but Link's other selfs all blocked the sword with there own.

"WHAT?!"

Ganondorf looked in fury and confusion at the many green glowing silhouettes, there faces not known to him, but there form and the tunic was. The details of who they are still shown, and Ganon's eyes grew with fear.

"Impossible…"

"Link, what are..?" Dark Link had turned back into his normal form, he finally noticed the other Link figures.

"….You and my other lives will fight the army behind him… Ganon is mine."

Link flung or toss Dark Link to the side, and drew his sword upward to his face. The symbol of the two triforces glowed brightly again, and Ganon's in response. Ganon's eyes widened as he saw the triforce of wisdom on Link's hand.

"What… what have you done..?"

Link's other lives pushed back against his giant sword, and ran through him or around him. There spirit selves charging the demon army behind him, as Ganon stood up straight, arms to the side of him, in total shock and unbelief.

Dark Link dispersed into the shadows, and then appeared outside the building, looking back at gasping.

"My, my… everything's just falling into place for you… isn't it?" Jewele made herself known and placed her arms around him as he breathed heavily. "To intense for you, darling? I thought this was what you wanted.." she was behind him, and he looked back and then forward to the temple. He moved his arms forcible to get her off of him, "Yes.. yes of course… I'm the only one who knows how to bring Zelda back to mortality. Once Link defeats Ganon once more… you will take his soul… and I will claim this land." he wiped his head and moved his hair back and to the side. "I just was… shaken up a bit… is all."

"Riiight~ Well, I await the time to strike." she moved back, seeing he wasn't his old self right now, but then smiled. Cheekily, she took a gem from off her necklace, "Might I fight too? It would give me a good chance to stretch my magnificent powers again." she kinda stretched and then waited for his answer.

"Do what you wish… I have no need for you right now." he entered the fray of battle with the immortal souls of the other heroes of time. He tried to understand what he was feeling, regret? No, impossible! This was the only way to get what he wanted! But seeing Link break down… Ganon's weakened body leaning against the temple's entrance wall… and then having the guts to trick Link after this… he felt a surge of light through his being. "No… it's just Zelda's light… she's trying to make me a better person.." he clutched his chest and bit down on his teeth, twitching in anger and laughing the thought off. "I won't give into you, Goddess. I'm not burdened with human things. I do not love, I enjoy this line of work. deceit, cheating, killing, it's what a shadow does! And I-

AM A SHADOW! HYEH HYAHH!"

Dark Link transformed and started slashing through enemies, then pulled out his sword and just went on a rampage. In his soul though, since he had no beating heart, he knew what he had to do. And who he couldn't be anymore…

(WHOOO! I cut that down quite a bit! Thank goodness _-_; now I can move on! The twist is, hopefully, the next chapter. Along with the (maybe?) Epic battle scene between Link, the hero of time, and Ganondorf, dark overlord of shadows! Stay tuned ;) )