Chapter 47

It was early morning by the time Link and his friends walked into Kakariko Village. Impa was walking out of the resistance headquarters, and she saw Link and his friends approaching. Upon seeing Charlie, she drew a sword.

"Link! What are you thinking, bringing something like that into the village? Does it have you hostage?"

Link waved his arms wildly.

"Wait don't attack! This is Charlie. He isn't under Ganondorf's control anymore! We used the purify spell on him and got him back."

Impa sheathed her blade. She rubbed her bandaged head.

"Don't scare me like that! I thought we were under attack. We need to fix the barrier around the village. While it's down, we're vulnerable to attack! So, how goes the mission? I hope you were successful. You've been gone for a day and a half."

Link cleared his throat.

"We were successful. That place took us a lot longer to get through than we figured. If you don't mind, could we take a rest here? That place was exhausting to get through and we could really use a break."

Impa nodded.

"That's no problem. Maybe having you all here will help. We need to figure something out about that barrier. I don't have the magic ability to fully restore it"

Valerie spoke up.

"I might be able to help with that. I know a thing or two about magic. How does this barrier work?"

Impa wordlessly led them to the center of the village. There was a usual pedestal with a black orb in the center. She turned to the others.

"This orb maintains the barrier. I don't know how ganondorf's minions broke through, but ever since then, the barrier has been diminished. It's a pity. The barrier was very strong. Princess Zelda infused her power into it about five years ago. Before that, we had to constantly patrol the borders of the village and look out for enemy attacks. We had a hard-fought battle here and that's when Captain Viscen showed us this orb. After the battle, we constructed the pedestal and the Princess infused holy power into the orb and repelled any further attacks."

Valerie flew around the orb and inspected it closely.

"I think I can restore the barrier with some assistance from Charlie."

Everyone turned to look at Charlie. He shrugged, uncertain if he could manage it.

"Look, guys. I appreciate everyone's faith in me. But remember, I just got released from evil's clutches yesterday. I don't even know how to use my powers properly, or what they all are for that matter."

Brad chuckled and gave Charlie a light nudge.

"You're too hard on yourself, buddy! I would've easily died if you hadn't used your powers and teleported me yesterday!"

Navi flew in front of his face.

"What are you talking about? Without you, that dreadful Fire Temple would've never gone as smooth as it did. Brad's right. Have some Confidence, Charlie!"

Izzy laughed.

"Come on, guys. Give the man a minute to think, will you? It's up to you, Charlie. Nobody is forcing you to do anything. Ultimately, it's up to you."

Charlie smiled as he looked around.

"Thanks, everyone! I've decided. I will give it my all. Let's do this, Valerie!"

Valerie and Charlie began focusing their energy. Before long, there were two streams of energy being channelled into the orb. Nothing was happening. Charlie grunted as he continued providing the orb with magic.

"It's…not…enough! We need more power!"

Shiek walked out of the resistance headquarters. Upon seeing what was happening, he ran over to the others.

"Let me help! I'll provide you with some of my power!"

He began to focus and within mere seconds, he had a beam of energy channelling into the orb.

Valerie opened one eye as she felt the extra energy. Something about his energy felt different. It felt a lot stronger. She glanced over at Shiek.

"P-princess Zelda?"

He shook his head.

"My name is Shiek, remember? Now, focus!"

The three focused on powering the orb. Before long, the orb glowed a bright white and released a wave of energy! Impa smiled.

"You three did it! The barrier is back up. Stop your channelling!"

Charlie, Valerie and Shiek stopped what they were doing. All three gasped in exhaustion.

"I can't believe we did it! Good job, everyone!"

"We…pulled it off. The village is saved! Thanks for the help, Shiek."

Shiek grunted.

"No…problem! I'm glad I saw what was going on and was able to help. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head back to headquarters."

Shiek turned around and left Link and his friends. Impa looked around the village and smiled.

"I never thought I'd see the day when that barrier was back. I'm going to do a small patrol around the village and see if the barrier is working properly. If you'll excuse me."

Link and his friends were alone, standing in front of the glowing orb. Link looked at Valerie oddly.

Valerie, why did you call Shiek Princess Zelda? We haven't even met her since we came to this time."

Valerie gave Link an apologetic look.

Sorry, Link. I didn't know that, but I felt something strange when we were channelling. His power felt a lot stronger than both of us put together, and I got a vision of a tall, blonde woman smiling at me while I was channelling. I had a feeling that it could be Princess Zelda and I blurted it out to Shiek. Say what you will, but there's something weird about that guy."

Brad chuckled heartily.

"You saw a princess, eh? Maybe she is watching out over us, whoever she is. I haven't personally met a princess before."

Link smiled and shook his head.

"I don't think we're that lucky. We'll find her eventually. In the meantime, let's take a break. I know we still have this clunky fire armor on, but that's okay. I'm starting to get used to it."

Link and his friends walked towards the resistance building.

Veran had come across Kakariko Village. She had heard that the Hyrule Resistance was nearby. She moved forward and gasped in pain. What was going on? She was getting intense pain in her badly the more she tried. She stopped and backed away. This wasn't going to work. Suddenly, she spotted a woman heading towards the entrance. This was perfect. She found her way in! She concentrated and focused on making her body look normal Within seconds, she looked like a normal, pale-skinned woman with long, black hair.

Impa was finishing her patrol of the village when she spotted a black-haired woman standing in front of the entrance of the village. She looked like she was having troubles. Was she ill? She ran over to the stranger.

"Hey, miss. Are you alright? Do you need medical attention?"

Veran grinned evilly.

"No, but you will when I'm done with you!"

She quickly formed a ball of dark energy and caught the unsuspecting Impa in the chest and sent her flying back. She struck a nearby tree and fell back. She lifted her head weakly. She saw Veran walk towards her.

"W-why did you attack me?"

Veran laughed cruelly.

"To take your place of course!"

Impa witnessed through clouded vision Veran's body turn into a black liquid. Seconds later, she was the same height as her. When her body reformed, she gasped. She was looking at an exact duplicate of herself! Impa glared at her.

"You monster! Ganondorf sent you, didn't he? My people will expose you for the fraud you are. You won't get away with this!"

Veran smiled coldly.

"Those fools won't be able to tell the difference. Now, to make sure you aren't discovered!"

Veran formed a ball of energy and blasted Impa and knocked her unconscious. She then dragged her body over to the tree nearby. She then cast a spell that would ensure Impa would stay unconscious and put an invisibility spell on her. She smiled with grim satisfaction.

"Now, it's time for me to get back to my people. Don't worry, Impa. I'll give you my regards. Now, time to get through this cursed barrier!"

Veran waved her hands and put a spell on her that matched the barrier's frequency. She laughed aloud.

"Now, I can walk in and out with ease. Time for me to blend in."

She walked into the village. Viscen happened to be walking around the village. He waved his uninjured arm at Veran.

"How are you doing, ma'am? Heading back to headquarters?"

Veran nodded.

"Yes of course. I finished my patrol of the village."

Viscen chuckled.

"I'm about to head there myself. Let's walk there together!"

Veran grinned.

"Lead the way, my friend!"

Vaati was angry. He was humiliated by Veran, and he wanted to get his revenge. Little did that fool know that he could track the energy signal of her magic, and it led him directly to Kakariko Village. He got close to the village entrance and grunted. Those fools must have been able to get their barrier back up. He couldn't get much further than the entrance. If that was the case, how did Veran get into the village? This angered him. She must be a lot more powerful than he was! The further he tried to walk forward, the more pain he felt. He gritted his teeth. He was going to get in, this foolish barrier wasn't going to stop him. He growled angerly. Maybe he could cast a barrier spell that would protect him from the village barrier. He raised his arms.

"I'm coming for you, Veran. This foolish barrier isn't going to keep me from my revenge!"

He concentrated intensely. Suddenly, a purple ring appeared around him. He grinned and walked forward experimentally. He felt no pain. The spell was a success. He began to float in the air as he made his way into the village. He yelled into the village.

"Veran! I know you're in here somewhere. Come out of hiding and face me! My name is Vaati, and I've come to get my revenge!"

Upon hearing this, Link and his friends ran out of the resistance building, followed by Viscen, Argus, Ralis and Veran, still disguised as Impa. Link growled angerly.

"Vaati! What are you doing here? How did you get in with the barrier intact?"

Vaati scowled.

"Never mind that. I have no quarrel with you today, Link. I want to know where Veran is. Where is she hiding?"

Link gave him a puzzled look.

"Who's Veran? I have no idea who you're talking about!"

Navi flew near Vaati.

"There's no such person here. You're crazy, Vaati!"

Vaati landed in front of Link and his friends.

"I'm not crazy, you stupid fairy! She's here somewhere. I know it! I can sense her and she's very close."

Brad stepped forward.

"Vaati, snap out of it, buddy! We're not your enemies, and there's nobody with that name here."

Vaati grunted and shut his eyes. He stared straight at Veran and grinned."

"I found you. Very clever disguise, but you can't fool me!"

He then formed a ball of energy and aimed at the disguised Veran. Link saw it coming and quickly deflected it with his shield. He turned to Veran.

"Stay back, Impa. We'll take care of Vaati!"

Vaati began to laugh uncontrollably.

"You are a total fool, Link. I've got to admire Veran though. She was able to infiltrate your so-called resistance. You fools are so blind that you don't even know when there's an enemy among you!"

Veran snarled. She wasn't going to be to maintain this disguise as long as she had planned. She stepped forward.

"You want your revenge? Fine by me! Let's get this over with!"

Suddenly, she turned into liquid. She then changed form and she looked like a black-haired woman with purplish skin.

Everyone gasped in shock. Impa was an imposter! How did she get in here? Where was the real Impa?

Veran grinned.

"Well, I was hoping to impersonate that fool for a little longer. That no longer matters. Time to settle this, Vaati!"

Veran rushed by everyone as she engaged in battle with her adversary. She launched a ball of energy at Vaati. He easily dodged it as he threw one back. This repeated multiple times, neither side giving up.

Link was furious. He couldn't believe Impa was a fake. On top of that, Veran and Vaati were in a fight he assumed was to the death. He focused on his energy and formed a firefall and launched it at Veran. She easily blocked it and glared at Link.

"You fool! This doesn't involve you. If you want to die though, I will grant your wish!"

She then turned her attention to Link and began launching balls of energy at him.

Vaati was feeling conflicted. Link was his enemy, yet he was harboring some strange feelings towards him, feelings that almost felt like friendship. He shook his head. What was going on? He heard a voice ringing in his head.

"You must help Link! He is your friend and he's going to be in serious trouble if you stand here and do nothing!"

Vaati groaned. He didn't know what was going on, but this wasn't Link's fight. He ran over towards him as Veran began to focus and create a large ball of energy.

Veran smiled coldly.

"You wanted to get involved, now you're going to pay dearly for it. Say goodbye, you fool!"

Vaati was very close to Link. He noticed he had his attention on Veran's shadow ball. Vaati sighed as he slammed into Link and sent him sprawling.

"Out of the way you fool!"

The shadow ball struck Vaati in the chest and sent him flying backwards with a scream. Veran howled with laughter.

"Well, that was some big talk before, you idiot. Instead of getting your revenge, I got my chance to finish you off. This is priceless! I've used up quite a bit of energy, so I'm going to let the rest of you live for today. But make no mistake, I will return. When I do, you'd all better be ready for me!"

Veran disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Vaati got knocked back ten feet from Veran's intense blast. He grunted painfully. He was in intense pain but feeling weirdly different. He looked down and he had a deep hole in his chest from the resulting blast. He saw Link and his friends running up to him.

Link gasped aloud at his wound. It looked very bad. He looked at Valerie urgently.

"Valerie, get your healing spell ready. Hurry!"

Vaati held up his hand weakly.

"Wait. That won't work. No amount of healing is going to help me"

He glanced at Link weakly. Memories were rushing back to him. His original friends, his identity as Max. Everything was coming back to him as the evil power in him faded away.

"Link, it's Max. The evil power in me has finally been released. Look, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you since I've been here. I wasn't in control of my actions and I ask that you please forgive me."

Link nodded, tears streaming down his face.

"Don't worry about it, Max. It's nice to have you back."

Max laughed weakly and began to cough out blood.

"Link, this isn't going to be easy to hear, but I must lay out the facts to you. Look at me. Look at this wound. Veran's magic burned through my armor and burned into my chest. I'm…not going to make it."

Link sobbed gently.

"No, you're wrong! Valerie will fix you up. She's amazing with magic. Come over here, Valerie."

The fairy came closer to Max. She looked at Link sadly.

"Link, I'm sorry to tell you this, but that wound is far too severe. My magic won't be able to heal him. I'm sorry."

Link was being stubborn and wouldn't listen. He just got his friend back, and he wasn't about to lose him, not like this! He pounded his fist in the ground angrily. He glared at Valerie, tears still streaming down his face.

"You stupid fairy. How do you know if you won't even try?"

Max sighed.

"Link, stop this foolishness. You're better than this. I need you to do something for me. Stop Veran. Stop Ganondorf. Don't let him get away with all that he's done to me and Charlie and everyone else who's suffered because of him and his evil magic. Can you promise me that?"

Link rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.

"Y-yeah. I promise. Ganondorf will pay dearly."

Max nodded.

"That's good. That's what I wanted to hear. I only wish we could've had more adventures together…you, me and Charlie. Just like we used to do. I wish…"

Max trailed off as he closed his eyes and his head lolled to one side. Shiek walked up beside Max and felt for a pulse and shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Link. Your friend Max is dead."

Fresh tears began to roll down his face as he cried out in sadness. Brad put an arm on his shoulder.

"Come on, pal. Let's go back to the resistance building. There's nothing more we can do here."

Viscen sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry about your friend, lad. As soon as we find Impa, we'll arrange a burial and have a memorial service for your friend."

Link nodded through his tears as he walked slowly towards the resistance building. Max's death had hit him hard. He retained one thing in his mind. Veran and Ganondorf were going to pay for this!